TRIGGER WARNING:

- Vaguely threatening behavior

Chapter Eleven
Untouchables

Sunday, April 17th

Chiyo dressed in a long-sleeved, charcoal-gray dress made from thick, cozy material. The hem went down to her knees; she had on a pair of black leggings and wore a pair of brown boots. Over the dress, she had on an off-white waterfall cardigan. Perfect for chilly weather.

She had relocated Morgana into an oversized, light brown purse her mom bought for her last birthday. Chiyo hadn't really cared for it when she received it. It was too big for what Chiyo intended on carrying. It was the kind of handbag one of those overly prepared moms who always had extra snacks on their person owned. But it was the only other bag she had that was big enough to carry Morgana.

As promised, Ryuji met with them outside of Shibuya station. He had on a thick purple jacket with a black t-shirt underneath. He had on a set of black jeans and yellow sneakers. Ryuji was easy to find, waving Chiyo over when he spotted her. "Looks like you made it," he greeted. "M'kay, let's get goin'. The shop's over here!"

Ryuji lead Chiyo across the station square, often looking over his shoulder at her. Chiyo would have told him that he didn't need to worry about her getting lost, but Chiyo wasn't sure if she could hold up that promise.

"Everyone, wake up!" shouted an older man. He wasn't old enough to be what one thought of when they heard 'elderly.' But he wasn't a spring chicken any longer. "This country is twisted!"

"This politician's actually saying something relevant," Morgana purred from Chiyo's bag. "But not many people are stopping to listen."

"Eh, people give speeches all the time. Plus politics are pretty boring, anyway," Ryuji said nonchalantly.

"Isn't there supposed to be an election for Prime Minister later in the year?" asked Chiyo.

"Dunno." Ryuji clapped Chiyo on the back. "C'mon, we're almost there. Just stay close."

Ryuji lead the way to Shibuya Central Street. Chiyo had to force herself to keep her eyes on Ryuji, though the need to stare and gawk was tempting. Ryuji took her to the back alley's, only stopping at a shop with a neon-green sign reading 'Untouchable' over the door.

"Here we are. Pretty legit, huh?" Ryuji said upon arrival. "By the way, now that we're here… you know anything about military stuff?"

Chiyo arched her brow nervously. "No…?"

"Ah, I guess if worst comes to worst we can just ask the shopkeep what they recommend."

The inside of the shop was fairly narrowed, with display cases and shelves, and mannequins wearing the available gear. A middle-aged man in a heavy grey coat sat behind the checkout counter. He rested his booted feet on the counter while he flipped through a magazine. He wore a black shirt under his coat and a pair of blue jeans; he kept a set of yellow ear defenders around his grey cap.

"All the stuff in here looks so real," Ryuji said, eyeing everything in wonder. "I dunno what I like best."

"You don't want the pistol?" Chiyo asked.

"It doesn't really scream 'me.' Maybe we should try askin' that guy behind the counter." Ryuji gestured to the man.

It was still difficult to believe a model gun had any sort of real effect in the Metaverse. But on the other hand, it was a comfort to know it couldn't do the same damage as a real gun in the real world. Assuming they were careful anyway.

Chiyo approached the man behind the counter. Upon closer inspection, she could see a gecko tattoo on the side of his neck and a couple of piercings in his ear. She cleared her throat and tapped her knuckle against the surface. "You know what you want yet?" the man asked barely looking away from his magazine.

"Not quite," Chiyo said. "We're also buying for a friend who couldn't make it with us. We were hoping for a recommendation or two."

"Recommendation, huh?" He shrugged. "I dunno, just buy whatever looks interestin' to you."

"Some customer service," murmured Ryuji.

"Fine," the man tossed his hand up, "whaddya want? An automatic? A revolver?"

"Uh… automatic? Dude, why're you talkin' about cars now?!"

"An automatic continues to fire rounds so long as your finger's on the trigger," Chiyo explained under her breath.

"At least you brought someone who knows a thing or two," said the man. "This here's an enthusiast shop. My regulars'll be pissed if I let a casual like you hang around."

"I'm not a freakin' casual!" Ryuji held his arms out at his side. "I bought shit from here like… last week!"

"Don't remember. "And you?" the man asked, eyeing Chiyo. "You have a better idea what you're lookin' for?"

"Something realistic looking," said Chiyo. "But easy to carry around despite."

Ryuji leaned to the side and whispered to Chiyo, "Dude I want a shotgun."

"Something that at least looks like a shotgun, I guess. Something like a Mossberg 500 and… maybe a Glock, not sure about the last one..."

"Was that Japanese?" Ryuji asked incredulously.

The man's shoulders shook with a brief chuckle. "You a collector?"

"I've done a little research here and there," said Chiyo. By 'research' she meant Ryou had a brother who was a collector. Chiyo was just trying to remember every tidbit she heard him list off to her other uncles during family get-togethers. So she was just bullshitting it. "You're way more interestin' than blondie over there," said the manager.

"Sh-Shut it!" Ryuji muttered with a flushed face.

"You shoulda said before you were a budding enthusiast. I'm always up for helpin' fresh faces." He placed his feet on the floor and finally closed his magazine. "Some precautions first though-"

"Don't point them a people," Chiyo said, mimicking her uncle. "Treat it like it were a real gun. Make sure all players are ready and when someone calls out, hold fire until they're off the field."

"And don't let the fuzz catch wind of you having 'em," the man added. "I don't need them comin' around here."

"We'll be careful." Chiyo turned towards her friend and asked in a pleasant tone, "Right, Ryuji?"

"Uh… Right," Ryuji stuttered.

"You damn well better be," said the manager. He pulled a set of keys out of his pocket and unlocked one of the display cases. He took out a black pistol and placed it on the counter. "Now, if you look close, you'll be able to tell there're models. Real guns feel… different."

Curious, Chiyo took the Glock into her hands, making sure her finger was away from the trigger. "Part of it's in the weight," said Chiyo. "Plastic pelts don't weigh as much as steel bullets."

"A'ight," the man stood up, "though you understand that, I might show you the good stuff someday. One minute, I'll get what I've got."

Ryuji leaned to the side, watching as the manager disappeared into the back room. "Dude," he said under his breath, "since when'd you know about guns? You said you didn't know anything military."

"Military, yeah. My uncle, Hinato's a collector," explained Chiyo. "I was just parroting everything he said."

"Well, I'm glad you did. Don't think I woulda gotten this far if it was just me." He reached into his pocket. "And here's the cash for mine. Hope you picked out something good!"

The manager came back moments later with the Mossberg 500 replica. Ryuji's eyes lit up like a kid in a candy store when he laid eyes on it. He brought back a few others to choose from, to Chiyo's surprise, there was a submachine gun, assault rifles, and revolvers.

"So, what do we get Ann?" Chiyo asked Ryuji in a hushed tone.

"How should I know? You know more about this stuff than I do. Apparently."

"Yeah, second hand."

"If I can have a word in," Morgana said as quietly as he could, "I think someone of Lady Ann's regality would thrive with a revolver."

Chiyo ran a hand through her hair. Truth be told Chiyo thought Ann would have liked something powerful enough to shoot the Shadow Kamoshida's nuts off. But she could just recognize certain types, she had no idea how the power differed.

They ultimately decided on a submachine model. Not for any particular reason, certainly not because the manager offered any insightful advice. It was more because the pair were afraid of loitering for too long just to make a discussion.

Between the three the price came up to ¥5800. Between Chiyo's savings, and the yen Ryuji pitched in they were able to cover the charges. Ryuji seemed pretty confident he could bring his shotgun home without a problem. Meanwhile, Chiyo's bag grew a little cramped for Morgana with two model guns inside.

Almost as soon as Chiyo and Ryuji parted ways Chiyo's phone started to buzz.

Ann: So, I went to see Shiho at the hospital…
Chiyo: How is she?
Ann: Her condition is stable.
Ann: They don't know when she'll regain consciousness though.
Chiyo: 'm sure she'll be okay.
Ann: Yeah. She'll get better, I know it.
Ann: I just need to believe in her.
Ann: I thought about talking to her parents again. Tell them what she told me…
Chiyo: Did you tell them?
Ann: I keep thinking about it. But I also keep thinking about the chaos that's bound to ensue.
Ann: But I also think they should hear what happened through either me or Shiho. Maybe Shiho more than me…
Ann: But on the other hand, I don't what them to go through all the 'he said, she said' bullshit when they're going through enough right now.
Chiyo: Sounds like your going in circles about all this?
Ann: I am. I don't know what's the right thing to do in this situation.
Ann: In the end… I'll never forgive Kamoshida. He's going to pay for what he did, no matter what.

"We're just about ready to go to the Palace," Morgana said, looking over Chiyo's shoulder the entire time. "We need to assemble some infiltration tools. We'll just need to get the proper materials on the way home."

"And what materials are those?" Chiyo asked cheekily.

"A box of hairpins. And a padlock."

"Hm?"

Walking through Shibuya, Chiyo tried to rotate the shoulder she was carrying Morgana with. Was carrying a cat in her bag good for her neck and shoulder? Maybe Chiyo needed to look into specific stretches for that area.

She readjusted her glasses just as she noticed a small crowd in front of a shop sandwiched between two other stores. She could hear something, music. It sounded like a guitar playing something Chiyo thought might have come from the west, but she didn't have the name for it. It was the kind of song you swayed to, grooved to. Not the kind of music you choreographed full numbers to.

Curious, Chiyo pushed and weaved herself through the crowd to find a lone performer in the middle of a semi-circle. He had a cheap folding chair in front of him, his foot planted on it, helping him to prompt his guitar up as his fingers danced across the strings. There was a black device on the ground, with a cable trailing inside the shop. Whatever the device was, it was playing a beat over and over, adding to the number.

The performer was a man in his mid-twenties, his black hair looked feathery, easy to style. His bangs were long enough that they shielded his eyes as he played. Chiyo could see a couple of tattoos on his middle and ring fingers, but couldn't see what the design was supposed to be. He wore a pair of black jeans, a pair of worn, black converses, a white t-shirt, and a black and white flannel shirt over it.

The man looked lost in the moment, his eyes, presumably, locked on the guitar and the strings as one hand moved up and down the neck, the other hand gently pulling at the strings. When was the last time Chiyo got lost like that? When nothing else mattered but the moment.

There was a part of Chiyo that would have liked to play some kind of instrument. But she didn't have the time, not when she was supposed to be a gymnastics champion. If she wasn't working on her routines, she was focused on school. So seldom did Chiyo have time for something she would have liked to do, would have liked to try.

She had more time now, didn't she?

The pressing issue was money.

Around her, the crowd began clapping. The performer had finished his song and reached down for a bottle of water Chiyo hadn't seen. Chiyo offered her own round of applause to the man as he stretched his fingers. As he took a swig from his bottle of water, Chiyo turned around and continued her trek.

Haru Okumura studied herself in her vanity mirror wearing nothing but her undergarments and white nylons. Her hands hovered over her belly as she turned to study her profile. She looked just fine, maybe a little chubby, but it was nothing that put her at a health risk.

But her own self-reassurance did little to stop Sugimura's little comment from bouncing around in her head. "Think you can lose a few pounds before the wedding, or should we just plan for liposuction now?"

She had been introduced to her fiancé earlier that day. The son of a politician; her father was hoping a marriage between them would help him get a leg up in the world of politics. Sugimura was a well-groomed young man, a few years older than Haru, perhaps he should have been in the middle of college right now. But as far as she knew he never went.

Her father had been talking about marrying Haru off to someone since she entered high school. Now, here she was, final year, being introduced to her fiancé. And one of the first things he says to her is pretty much about how her physical appearances don't meet his standards.

Arms wrapped around herself, Haru eased back until the back of her legs met the foot of her bed and sat down. Her father made it sound like any wedding would only happen after she graduated. All Haru had to do was be a little optimistic.

Upon buying the items Morgana requested they headed back to Leblanc. Chiyo made a mental note to recount what she had left of her funds. Then take into consideration what she needed to do when it ran dry. She brought her things back upstairs, got her toiletries and a laundry bag, and headed across the street. She put her clothes in the wash, then headed into the bathhouse. When she finished, she still needed to wait on the dryer, so Chiyo fiddled around with her phone apps.

She had her laundry bag slung over her shoulder when she returned to Leblanc. What a sight she must have looked like. "Boss, did you hear?" Chiyo heard upon entering the café. "Apparently that last subway driver from the accident was acting really odd during his testimony hearing.

"You talking about that psychotic whatever thing people're going on about?" Sojiro asked from the other side of the bar.

"Yeah, I heard it completely alters your personality. The news is saying the driver couldn't even speak when they tried asking him questions."

"There's no way a preposterous story like that could be true," Sojiro said indifferently. "And sorry, but we're closing soon."

"How rude," the customer huffed. "This must be why you don't get many customers."

"Thanks for stopping in," Sojiro said, unaffected by the customer's comment. "Please come again."

The customer let out a 'humph.' "I only say this out of politeness, but… thanks for the coffee."

"What a pain," Sojiro muttered as soon as the customer left.

"You always treat your patrons like that?" Chiyo asked, readjusting her grip on her bag.

"You're not one to talk with that attitude," Sojiro shot back. "It's all good as long as the shop doesn't fail. I'm not gonna go wearing a fake smile."

"That's your business philosophy?"

"It's nothing like that. As long as I'm here, the world leaves me be. No annoyances or troublesome people to deal with. It's like my own personal hideaway."

"So, you'd rather avoid confrontation?" asked Chiyo. "That's dumb."

"And where did getting into confrontation get you?" Sojiro countered.

'Fuck you!'

Shaking her head, Chiyo silently headed upstairs. "Has he always been lording that over you?" Morgana asked from the bed as Chiyo climbed the last step.

"You know what 'that' is?"

"Don't forget I was sneaking around the school for a bit. I heard some of the rumors surrounding you, so I have an idea at least."

Chiyo placed her bag on the floor, then plopped herself down on her bed. "More or less," she said. "First day here he said I shouldn't have gotten into a couple of adult's business. But that's overlooking the fact that some drunkard was putting the moves on a terrified woman! And I would not put it past him to rape her as soon as they were in his car!"

She sensed that Morgana had more questions, but he opted not to press the matter further. He trotted across the bed and eyed the desk Chiyo was using to store the various old cookbooks Sojiro collected. "This desk here will make a good work desk. Mind clearing it off? I'll show you how to make and work an infiltration tool."

It took Chiyo four trips across the room to store the books on the shelf by her bed. Then it took ten minutes of dusting the desk until Morgana was satisfied. When the desk was cleared off, Chiyo sat on the stool with the box of hairpins in front of her while she removed the padlock from its card.

Morgana sat close by on the desk, walking Chiyo through as she molded one pin into a pick, and another into a lever. When that was done Morgana wanted Chiyo to actually pick a lock. It took the better part of an hour before Chiyo unlocked it the first time. Almost immediately Morgana made Chiyo do it again, and again, and again until he was confident Chiyo had an idea of what she needed to look for in a new lock. "Great!" Morgana stretched out his back. "We should be ready to continue infiltration tomorrow."

"Get that Treasure as soon as possible." Chiyo cracked her knuckles. "So, what do we do if the Treasure's too large for us to carry?"

"Oh, ye of little faith," Morgana said while purring. "I happen to have a few tricks up my sleeves."

"What sleeves?" Chiyo asked. She poked Morgana on the nose, causing him to shake from his head to his shoulders. "In all seriousness, what kind of trick?"

Morgana puffed his chest. "Now what good would it do to reveal all my secrets now?"

Chiyo pursed her lips, pretending to think. "A lot, actually." She stretched again and bit back a yawn. "And… it's time for bed."

As Chiyo readied for bed, she looked up a few guitars on her phone. Her heart sank a little when she found out the cheapest went for nearly five thousand, two hundred yen. And that might have been preowned. Newer ones could go for nearly sixteen thousand or more.

Then there was a lesson or two to think of. Maybe a few books.

Lying back in bed, Chiyo's arm crossed over her eyes.

'Fuck you capitalism...'

Monday, April 18th

She saw Kamoshida outside of campus, greeting the students. Chiyo's stomach dropped almost immediately when she realized he was there. There was no doubt in her mind that Kamoshida was looking to make a statement to three students in particular. "Good morning, Kusakabe," Kamoshida said upon spotting her.

"Good morning," she said simply.

Chiyo kept her gaze forward as she headed for the flight of stairs leading to the front door. She was suddenly jerked to the side, Kamoshida had grabbed her by the upper arm again. Unsurprisingly, Chiyo had found bruises on her arm after that day in Kamoshida's office. When she went to the bathhouse with the old ladies again, she tried to wave it off as a classmate grabbing her by the arm when she nearly fell. Whether or not they believed her, Chiyo had no idea.

Kamoshida pulled Chiyo close to him, allowing him to whisper in her ear, so close she could feel his breath against her skin, "That admirable behavior won't do you any good once you're expelled. You're better off taking my offer."

"Quit squirming. I need you to look the part of the little whore."

Chiyo launched back with such a force she nearly fell back. Her heart raced in her chest, her blood had gone cold. In the corner of her eye, Chiyo noticed someone approaching them. Her head turned slightly to find Niijima. She couldn't read the student council president's expression, she didn't give herself the time to. Chiyo bolted upstairs, through the front door. "Just needed to give her a warning," Chiyo managed to hear Kamoshida say. Were there other students who saw? "We can't be too careful with this one."

As expected of her, Chiyo took her seat behind Ann, still feeling a little jittery. When homeroom started Kawakami relayed a few upcoming events in the school. And shot down pretty quickly that the staff couldn't discuss Suzui's condition beyond 'she's stable.' "Well, that wraps up homeroom period," Kawakami said at length, fiddling with her hands briefly. She looked to her left, eyes falling upon Chiyo. "Kusakabe-san. A word with you, please?"

Chiyo's stomach dropped again as a few snickers and whispers echoed around the room. Obediently, Chiyo stood up and followed Kawakami out of the classroom and down the hall. In front of the guidance office, Kawakami finally turned around. "There's something I'd like to ask you. It won't take long."

The door suddenly slid open; Kamoshida walked out with a girl with dark auburn hair done in a ponytail, and the counselor. It was the vaguely familiar girl from the train. "I see you're already getting on top of the problem I'd mentioned this morning, Kawakami-san," Kamoshida said jovially. "I appreciate the support."

"Oh! Thank you again," the girl said to Chiyo, seemingly oblivious to Kamoshida's words.

"Oh, you know this girl, Yoshizawa?"

"Yes, she lent me a helping hand last week."

"I recommend you steer clear of the likes of her if you have any consideration for your future. Remember the discussion we just had? There are several students in this school you shouldn't get involved with… And this one's at the top of the list."

'I think who she chooses to associate herself with is her own damn business,' Chiyo couldn't help but think, her hands balled so hard her nails no doubt left marks on her palms.

Yoshizawa tilted her head slightly and scrutinized Chiyo. "Oh! The delinquent transfer student?" she gasped.

"Sorry to interrupt," Kawakami said, sounding tired and put upon, "but I needed to use the guidance office."

"Oh, pardon me," said Kamoshida. "We should be going to – don't want to get in the way of guiding this delinquent and all."

Without another word, both Kamoshida and the counselor walked off, both parting ways at the stairway. Yoshizawa bowed her head momentarily. "Please, excuse me."

Yoshizawa, Yoshizawa… Chiyo was certain she had heard that name before, but couldn't think of where. This was beginning to bug her now…

Sighing, Kawakami gestured to the counselor's office silently saying 'after you.' The walls were lined with bookshelves, packed with books and binders. A computer desk sat at the end of the room a few meters away from a long folding table with a few metal folding chairs. Chiyo and Kawakami took a seat across from each other at the end of the table. "I'm going to get straight to the point," Kawakami said through a sigh, "did something happen between you and Kamoshida-sensei?"

Though she already had an inkling of where this was coming from, Chiyo played dumb and asked, "Why do you ask?"

"Well there was that little exchange just now, but that's not all. He gave me a brief lecture this morning, and your name came up. Something about the dangers of a lack of supervision…"

Chiyo kept her hands under the table, otherwise, Kawakami would have seen how tightly she balled them up again, and how they trembled. Did Kamoshida tell her that after meeting Chiyo at the gate this morning and this was his way of telling her he was serious? Or had he always planned on talking to Kawakami? Could he have had this discussion with her after school on Saturday?

She could say something to Kawakami. If not about Suzui, then about the ultimatum. But what good would it do in the end? It was her word against Shujin's golden boy.

When Kawakami saw that Chiyo had every intention to keep her mouth shut, she sighed again. "I don't mean to pry, but… Just make sure you don't go causing trouble, okay? And one more thing," she leaned back in her seat, "that girl outside the office – you didn't say anything uncouth to her, did you?"

"We just bumped into each other on the way to school last week," Chiyo said a bit coldly. "Then we ran into each other now."

"Uh-huh. Kamoshida-san has a real close eye on you… Apparently, you've been getting involved with Sakamoto-kun. And then you acquaint yourself with Yoshizawa-san as well. Maybe you're just naturally drawn to athletes?"

'Well, I was an athlete, too,' Chiyo thought flippantly. 'Do you know that, or did you stop reading on my personal history after the accusations?'

"Sorry," Kawakami raked a hand through her bangs. "That was a bad joke. That's all I wanted to discuss. You're free to go."

Without another word, Chiyo went back to class. She got the feeling her classmates could sense the irritation coming off her as this time around, there were no whispers. She took her seat in the back of the class and rested her head in the palm of her hand.

By mid-morning, she could feel her phone vibrating.

Ryuji: So I saw Kamoshida at the school gate this morning.
Ryuji: He was just standing there looking at me with this shit-eating grin on his face.
Chiyo: He was encouraging me to take his 'offer.'
Ann: Right, I almost forgot about his ultimatum.
Ann: Rat bastard
Ryuji: That son of a bitch.
Ryuji: Honestly, all this is getting me even more fired up about this.
Ann: Yeah, I'm worried about Shiho, but I want to concentrate on our operation too.
Ann: And I won't let myself get exhausted like last time.
Chiyo: We've got until May 2nd. We've got plenty of time.
Ryuji: Hey, I'm ready to go as soon as possible.
Ann: Me too!
Chiyo: Morgana thinks we're ready to head in.
Chiyo: Meet up after school?
Ann: I'll be there.
Ryuji: Just don't go in without me.

Time went by slower after that conversation. After two days spent preparing for the next infiltration, she was ready as she'd ever be. Chiyo just hoped she was still gearing for it when school let out.

Once let out on the roof, Morgana stretched out his back and legs, then he shook himself from head to tail. For someone who kept claiming he wasn't a cat, he displayed a lot of cat-like traits like it were second nature. "I hope you all understand that our time limit is May 2nd," he said.

"We basically just have to go to that castle and steal the Treasure from Kamoshida, right?" asked Ann.

"But wait, what even is a Treasure?" Ryuji inquired. "I wanna know that before we really do anything."

Chiyo's head list to the right "It's a person's distorted desires, right?"

"Yes, but it takes physical forms," added Morgana. "To put it another way, it's the core of the Palace. Once we steal it, the Palace will crumble… I think. Having all that, even I don't know what Kamoshida's Treasure is going to be."

"I have a few ideas…" Ann muttered under her breath.

"There's no way of knowing until we find it. But if I had to guess, I'd say he has it locked up somewhere in the depths of the Palace. Our objective today is to find the Treasure's location. Make sure we go about this with time to spare so we can avoid any unforeseen circumstances."

"So," Chiyo took her phone out of her pocket, "we ready to head in?"

With a unanimous agreement, the group relocated to the alley before Chiyo punched in the keywords. Ann yelped when her red jumpsuit and mask appeared on her person. She frantically patted down her arms and shoulders. Her fingers felt around her mask, investigating every crevice, feeling the shape of it. "Were you expecting a kind of magical girl transformation?" Joker asked playfully.

"Kind of!" Ann's voice cracked slightly.

"But daaaamn," Skull breathed out, scrutinizing Ann with interest.

"What's up?"

Joker could just make out the flush through Skull's mask. "N-Nothing," he looked away, "I was just thinkin' we should choose a code name for you too."

"A code name?"

"I'm Skull, she's Joker, and that's Mona." Skull gestured to the person in question as he listed off the code names.

Mona crossed his arms. "Judging by your costume..."

"I mean, she's got that tail and stuff, so…" Skull glanced at Joker. "Whadda you think, Joker?"

Shrugging, Joker's lips opened slightly in a lopsided grimace. "I don't know… Catgirl?"

Ann held her hand up. "No way! If that's what you're going to call me from now on, I am so not down for that!"

"Well, what do you want, then?"

"Something better than just a little cat," Ann murmured. She gripped her chin in thought; her eyes lit up when an idea came to her. "Maybe 'Panther?' That sounds pretty cool, doesn't it?"

Joker nodded in approval. "The image does strike more fear than a house cat would."

"Exactly!"

"She's a cougar~" purred Morgana.

"Don't call me that!" Panther shook her head, clearing her thoughts before she glanced at Joker. "More importantly, Kamoshida…"

Joker handed Panther the submachine gun and got a sense of delight when Panther's eyes lit up. "So, this'll work as though it were a real gun?" she asked.

"Yep. Though it's just an Airsoft in the real world."

"That's kind of cool."

"C'mon!" Skull whined impatiently. "Let's start fresh and get goin'!"

"Alright!" Mona said, pumping his small paw in the air. "No mourners!"

"No funerals…?" Skull and Joker echoed with a lack of enthusiasm and a dash of confusion. Panther eyed Joker, silently asking what was that, but Joker only shrugged in response.

Something prevented Joker from moving forward with the rest of the team. A strange sensation came over her like someone was watching her. Ignoring the others, Joker slowly turned around. She could have leaped out of her skin when she spotted Henry, standing in front of a blue cell door. "What're you…?" she tried to say. "How are you…?"

"My master want's a word with you." With one hand behind his back, Henry pushed the door open with the other. "Hop to it, Maggot."

Joker bit at the corner of her lower lip; exhaling through her nose, she took a step forward, walking through the door. Instantly, her wardrobe was replaced with a striped prison suit. Chiyo stood behind the familiar barred and chained door with Henry standing off at the side. "Prisoner Chiyo Kusakabe has returned, sir!" announced Henry.

"Well done," Igor said in approval. "It seems you have remembered my words… You truly make it worth rehabilitating you."

"I still don't understand what you mean by 'rehabilitation,'" said Chiyo. "You say that, yet last time you wanted me to be a good thief. I'm sorry, but that sounds extremely contradictory."

"I am not attempting to withhold information from you. The essence of the form of rehabilitation that you must complete will be explained in due time."

Dejected, Chiyo rested her forehead against the bars. Wouldn't it go better if she knew what Igor wanted of her right off the bat? This unorthodox rehabilitation only made her head swim.

"Once you encounter friends who share your aesthetics and discover your place in reality," Igor continued, "only then, will I explain it all. However, such a day should not be far off." Her curiosity peaked, Chiyo lifted her head. "This time, I wish to introduce you to the aid we are providing."

"What sort of aid?" asked Chiyo.

"Due to your potential in wielding the power of the Wild Card, you can handle more than one Persona," explained Igor. "That power holds infinite possibilities. We will assist you in nurturing that potential. To that end, we must execute your Persona."

"Wha?!"

"Do not be alarmed," Igor said with a bemused chuckle. "Personas are personalities that exist within you. Thus, you will only be discarding old personalities to have them be reborn as new ones."

Chiyo couldn't help the awkward smile that tugged on her lips. If that wasn't a perfect way to describe what Chiyo was going through in recent weeks.

"By discarding your old identity, you give way to a new one. Hence, we call that process 'execution.' Think of it as the fusion of your Personas. Now then, let us try an actual Persona fusion. Do you remember how I mentioned forming bonds with confidants?" Chiyo nodded. "Personas are the power of the heart. The stronger those bonds the stronger your Personas will be."

"And I will be helping you throughout the process," said Henry. Grinning, he flicked his wrist, fanning out four cards.

Chiyo's head list to the side in confusion. Upon closer inspection, Chiyo recognized the cards in Henry's hand as tarot cards. Each card had something written at the bottom, Le Mat, Le Bateleur, L'Amovrevx, and L'Hermite. There was a gleam in the first card of the pile, Le Mat, and through that sheen, Chiyo could see the face of Arsene. She tilted her head to the right, seeing Pyro Jack, Pixie, and Bicorn in the other three cards.

As though some other force were leading her hand, Chiyo pointed at Pyro Jack and Bicorn. "Those two."

Henry removed the two as instructed before he put away Pixie and Arsene. He tossed the two cards in the air, they took form long before they landed. As fluidly as a dancer, Henry grabbed a pair of rich blue drapes off the floor and threw them over the Personas. Chiyo leaped back when two blue guillotines appeared in front of Pyro Jack and Bicorn.

She was suddenly having second thoughts as Henry placed the squirming Personas in their respective slots. Calmly, unnervingly calmly, the boy tugged at a couple of ropes that undid the latch holding the guillotine blades in place. The blades fell with a vengeance, slicing through the Persona's necks. They burst into a blue and black substance that mixed together and took a new shape in front of Chiyo. The new being was a gold magatama with partially closed eyes and a small smile on its face. "I am Saki Mitama," it said calmly. "Love and sympathy are all you need. I shall become your mask and guide you to intense passion…"

A gentle blue glow surrounded Saki Mitama before it took the form of Joker's mask and vanished.

"How impressive," Igor said, watching Chiyo's expressions the entire time. "A stronger Persona has been born from the body and blood of the old. It shall be your new strength."

"I'm not fully sure if I get it," Chiyo admitted.

"Then you'll get it when you return to the battlefield," explained Henry. "Learn a bit of patience, why don't you?"

"Gather more Personas, and bring them here. Gather a great many, execute them, and continue to give birth to even stronger Personas. Developing your powers as such will play an integral role in the stand against ruin.

"Your heart is steadily gaining the strength of rebellion. It seems your rehabilitation is proceeding smoothly – a joyous fact, indeed… In anticipation of this, I have prepared a gift for you. I hope that you shall accept it."

Chiyo's eyes started to water, she dropped her head into her waiting palm in an attempt to soothe the pain. It was like she just finished an eye exam. "I accept, but… ow…"

"Is that a complaint, Maggot?" demanded Henry.

"I'm not a fan of the pain. What kind of a gift is it?"

"It is a thief's skill," explained Igor, "allowing one to tap into their sixth sense and see what is hidden in the dark. I believe you can handle it now. May you continue devoting yourself to further rehabilitation."

"Hey, space cadet!"

Joker jumped when she felt Skull's hand on her shoulder. He and Panther were on either side, staring at her, while Mona stood in front of her with a tilted head. "Something wrong?" he asked. "you were just standing around, staring into space."

Jaw slightly slacked open, Joker's gaze bounced amongst her teammates. Didn't they see Henry or the door? On the one hand, it didn't surprise her all that much, but it was still disheartening. The Velvet Room, the Palace. There had to be a reason for all of this, but there were no answers. Joker was not sure how well it sat with her. "Y-yeah," she said. She gestured to the castle with her head. "C'mon, we've only got two weeks."

The Fool Rank 2

Authors Note: Finding a style of casual clothing for Chiyo was an interesting experience. Originally, Chiyo's style was rather typical for my characters, and then I realized that I had a lot of female characters who preferred pants or shorts. Yes, I've had those who preferred skirts, but they were never the main character. Thus Chiyo became a skirt type of girl.

I did almost wonder if Ryou should have chosen Chiyo's clothes before all this. But then I decided that if she went out and got a hair cut and dye job of her own volition probably would have chosen her own clothes. Besides, there's other ways to show Ryou as a controlling parent.

Also, Haru cameo. As far as I can tell, there's no indication of when Haru was first introduced to Sugimura. So my best guess is within a year of infiltrating Okumura's palace. I'd imagine he'd want to make something official by Haru's last year of high school so they can get married after graduation.