Sunday, November 20: Evening

Shujin Academy

Rays of blinding light pierced through Makoto's eyelids, stirring her limp form from the depths of slumber. She rose from her bed, squinting at the messy white aura that stung her sensitive eyes. The sound of a hardcover book closing drew her attention to a blue-and-white blob just meters in front of her. Makoto strained, her eyes steadily resolving the short-haired woman in a white coat walking towards her—Dr. Tae Takemi.

"Finally awake. Your classmates were awfully scared after you passed out."

Makoto looked down, noticing the heavy blankets swallowing up her modest frame. She slowly peeled them back, grimacing as her IV line tugged against her left elbow.

"Wait… how long was I out for?"

"Half an hour, give or take." Takemi slid a hand into her pocket. "You were still unconscious when I got here, so I tucked you in and started some labs. You only came around after I put your IV in."

Makoto remained quiet, struggling to process the constellation of details Dr. Takemi laid before her.

"Since you're up, I'd like to examine you." Takemi unwrapped her stethoscope from her neck. "It's all part of my standard work-up. Otherwise, the big wigs upstairs won't be paying me."

Makoto dropped her shoulders as Dr. Takemi listened to her heart and lungs.

"It's hard to believe I passed out like that. Last thing I remember, I just…"

The horrifying memories of her advisor's file review returned in an instant, sending an eerie chill running through her back. She dug her nails deep into the bedsheets, desperately fighting to keep her surging emotions from seizing control.

"Everything okay over there?" Dr. Takemi asked. "Your heart rate just shot up a whole bunch."

"I'm starting to remember, now—the reason this happened to me." Makoto pulled her knees into her chest. "There isn't a good way for me to put this, but Akira is…"

Makoto's words caught in her throat, stopping her sentence dead in its tracks. She inhaled deeply and grasped her legs tighter, bracing for Dr. Takemi's reaction to the soul-shattering news.

"Akira's dead."

Takemi's normally stoic appearance immediately faded away, leaving only genuine sadness behind.

"When I first heard what happened, I immediately knew the truth. I tried contacting Akira's friends, but that was a dead end. He never gave me their numbers. A strange black cat came to me, though—the one he always carried with him."

Morgana…

"He guided me to Leblanc, where I met his guardian. It was also convenient that the nurse was out today. Sure made getting here a lot easier."

Makoto looked into her lap, her tender red eyes completely lost.

"If it means anything, the kid did make an impact." Dr. Takemi extended her hand towards Makoto, holding a yellow lollipop. "I'm positive he didn't just help me."

Makoto sighed and slowly put the candy in her parched mouth.

It's sweet.

She would've enjoyed the taste a lot more if her heart didn't feel so sour.

Dr. Takemi stowed her stethoscope and turned towards the door. "There's some business I should attend to. If you don't mind, I'll return in a few minutes."

Makoto turned to the ceiling while the office's door softly closed behind her. Upsetting thoughts immediately arose—most notably, her future with Akira and what could have been. Tears rapidly welled in her crimson eyes as she focused on a very specific emotion: one that reflected the raw fury that tormented her troubled soul.


"Seems you have a visitor," Dr. Takemi said, tucking her clipboard under her arm.

Makoto covered her mouth in surprise as Sojiro tenderly eased his way towards her bed. He bent down on his knees, his hand softly coming to rest on her shoulder.

"Hey, Makoto. You holding up all right?"

Boss's words instantly shattered Makoto's meager composure. Her face quivered, cracked lips mouthing "no" as a muffled sob escaped her throat. Sojiro frowned, reaching into his pocket to hand Makoto a handful of tissues.

"Things aren't much better back at Leblanc." He rubbed his neck, unsure what to say next. "Futaba is a mess and the cat wouldn't eat a bite. He even refused fatty tuna, something Akira always got for the little guy."

Makoto gently dabbed her face dry. "Is… is everyone there? At Leblanc?"

"They've gradually trickled in since the news broke. We were worried because you hadn't shown up there yet. That's when Dr. Takemi arrived and took the rest from there."

She scrunched her hands together. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let my feelings get to me like this."

"I wouldn't beat yourself up over what happened." Sojiro returned a slight smile. "What matters most to us is that you're safe."

Makoto closed her eyes, slumping against the back of her bed. "Thank you..."

Takemi set her clipboard on her desk before approaching the others.

"Just got the rest of your labs back. Everything looks normal, from what I can tell. I'll let you and Sakura-san be on your way in just a moment."

Dr. Takemi quickly attended to removing Makoto's IV and wrapping her arm in a coil of blue bandages. After helping the brunette slide out of bed, she faced Sojiro again.

"You two need anything before you take off?"

"I think we're good to go," he said. "By the way, thanks for watching over Makoto. She was important to him."

Takemi folded her arms in satisfaction. "No problem. Take care."

Sojiro tipped his hat to Takemi before exiting the room with Makoto by his side. On their way to the exit, they passed by scattered clumps of students who glanced and jeered at their every move. Makoto's ears picked up flecks of their brash conversations, recoiling at the grating words that streamed from their callous mouths.


"Why is Niijima leaving with him?"

"I remember seeing him with the glasses kid that one time…"

"Guess Ann isn't the only one after older guys."


She felt Sojiro's firm grip on her shoulders, gently reassuring her to disregard the judgements of her ignorant peers. Moments later, they parted the double doors in front of them to finally reach the open evening air. Makoto followed Sojiro to his car, sitting next to him as they began their journey to Leblanc. Her eyes turned towards the lines of traffic moving past them on the open highway. Sojiro, meanwhile, fixed his eyes on the road ahead, drumming his fingers against the steering wheel.

"You know, this reminds me of when I first met the kid. Dragged him to school after yelling at him. Hell, I didn't want to worry about feeding another mouth." He sighed, a frown forming on his face. "Knowing the man he eventually became, I wish I made Akira's time easier. Maybe I should have clued in on how late he came back home. Or how tired he was some days. Or been more on top of him when his coffee was…"

Makoto noticed a sole teardrop running down from his eye. She placed a hand on Sojiro's arm.

"Akira knew that you loved him."

"Guess tough love can be felt. Glad you were his rock, Makoto." Sojiro blinked, wiping his face. "You don't mind me calling you that, do you?"

Makoto smiled, leaning back in her seat. She pulled her phone out, immediately noticing a flood of texts running across the screen.

"Best we hurry up, Boss. Seems like everyone's getting restless."


Yongen-Jaya

The soft orange glow of the sun had sunk below the horizon, allowing the growing cold to fill the town's narrow streets. Makoto pulled her arms close to her body, noticing how quickly the crisp November air chilled her face and the tips of her ears. She couldn't ignore how the weather perfectly mirrored the emotions stirring around in her head—fear, sorrow, and desolate solitude.

She desperately wanted to block out her surroundings while Sojiro guided her to Leblanc. However, one glance at his expression made her earlier feelings impossible to ignore. His face was fixed in a grimace, with lowered eyebrows and a forehead wrinkled in uncertainty. Makoto instantly knew that the feelings that shattered her world had also taken up residence in Sojiro's heart. The mere thought of what awaited her inside the coffee shop sent shivers running through her.

Makoto paused, waiting for Sojiro to unlock Leblanc's front door. A familiar bell chime rang out into the harsh evening air, as if beckoning for Makoto to join her friends inside. She remained still for a moment to allow Boss to enter first. Only then did she take a deep breath and shuffle into the shop.

Makoto felt her soul crash to Earth upon seeing the full scale of her friends' emotions. Ryuji sat against the back of a booth, wiping his eyes as Ann sniffled into his jacket. Yusuke held Futaba's hand, tightening his grip every time she choked out a pained sob. The redhead's glasses hung off her face, barely obscuring the streams of tears dripping down her reddened cheeks. Haru rested her elbows on a nearby table, eyes fixed at the floor as she avoided looking at the others.

"Hi, everyone," Makoto whispered in a low voice.

Haru immediately rose to her feet and ran to Makoto, squeezing her in a tight hug. "Mako-chan… I was so worried about you. I'm glad you finally made it."

"Me too."

Makoto slowly parted from Haru's embrace and softly approached Futaba. She crouched down next to her, gently sliding the redhead's fogged glasses off of her tear-stained face.

"It's okay, Futaba." Makoto slid her hand over her friend's trembling fingers. "We're all here for you."

"T-Thank you," Futaba mumbled, biting her lower lip tensely.

"She's taken his passing very hard," Yusuke said. "Her and Akira were very close to one another. Siblings, even."

"How have you been holding up?" asked Makoto.

Yusuke shifted forwards in his seat. "I'm more shocked than anything else. I never thought we could lose someone this close to us."

"Me neither, man," Ryuji said, a depressing scowl firmly replacing his trademark smirk.

Ann sat up, nervously playing with a straw in her half-empty cola. "I ran off-set the moment it happened. I didn't stop until I finally got to Leblanc."

Morgana hopped into the platinum blonde's lap, his ocean-blue eyes facing hers. "I can only imagine how you felt when the news hit, Lady Ann."

"It was terrifying." Ann frowned. "It felt like everyone was judging me, trying to figure out why I was so upset."

Makoto wrenched her hands together. "At least we're all here, now. We can say how we really feel, rather than hiding behind the masks we have to wear out there."

The gentle ringing of Leblanc's door chime drew Makoto's attention away from her friends and back to the front of the shop. A teenage girl stood in the entryway, her eyes turned towards the floor in embarrassment. She held an arm close to her jet-black blazer and checkered skirt, the other tugging at the crimson bow in her garnet hair.

"I'm sorry," she said. "Am I interrupting something?"

Sojiro returned a welcoming expression. "Not at all. Sit down wherever you like. I can fetch you some curry in a bit."

Makoto looked at Boss in confusion, unsure who the girl was or why he let her inside.

Sojiro placed a fresh bowl of curry on top of the bar. "She was a good friend of his. Stopped by the place to eat a couple times before."

Makoto took a seat beside Leblanc's latest guest, hoping it would help her feel more at home within the sorrow-filled shop.

"Excuse me. I don't believe we're acquainted yet. Could you tell me your name?"

The girl released her grip on her spoon, allowing a long sigh to fill the room. "I'm Kasumi Yoshizawa. I came here because of what happened to Senpai."

Kasumi's words sparked a distant memory back to the forefront of Makoto's mind. She recalled Akira mentioning his intensive training sessions with Kasumi and the bond they formed through their shared passions. Makoto returned a modest smile, her posture slackening as she faced the girl again.

"I'm glad to meet you, Yoshizawa-san. It's unfortunate we had to meet under these circumstances."

"You're Makoto Niijima, right? The student council president?" Kasumi stirred her curry in a stiff circle. "I saw you hanging out with Senpai a lot. I know this isn't the best time to ask, but were you and him...?"

"Boyfriend and girlfriend?" Makoto's cheeks flushed red. "Um… we were."

Kasumi frowned, slouching deeper into her chair. "I always knew he liked someone else. He still looked out for me, though, and I did the same for him. I'm sure that's why Senpai let me fight by his side here and then."

Makoto's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait. Are you saying that…"

"It's true," Morgana said, leaping onto the seat next to Kasumi. "Yoshizawa-san is a phantom thief."

"I helped out Senpai when he tried to escape from your sister's Palace," Kasumi explained. "I also made that sniper shot when you guys were trapped on her roulette wheel."

Makoto looked at Kasumi in interest. "You were on our side the whole time? And you didn't join the Phantom Thieves?"

"Being an honor student means I'm really busy, and I wanted to keep out of your guys' way." Kasumi clenched the side of her blazer. "Something about what happened still bugs me, though. Had I known I was seeing Senpai for the last time, there was something I should've told him."

"What were you going to say?" Makoto asked.

"I wanted Senpai to know… I loved him."

Makoto thought over her next words with great care. She needed to express her feelings without worsening the gaping emotional wound in the first-year's tender heart.

"I think everyone else in our group can say the same. Akira helped us grow into who we were meant to be. He truly cared about each and every one of us."

Kasumi turned to push her curry bowl away. "Niijima-senpai, do you think what the news said was true? That he…"

"There's no way Akira offed himself!" Ryuji slammed his fist on the table, making Ann jump in a small fright. "If anything, he would've died protecting us! No effing chance he took the coward's way out."

Ann took Ryuji's hand to temper his rapidly surging anger.

"I agree. If anything, he would've held on for our sake." She sighed, looking into her lap as if saying something no one could hear.

Haru and Futaba remained silent, nodding in agreement with Ann's comment.

"It just doesn't seem like him, either," Yusuke said. "Joker always fought until the bitter end. Even with his back against the wall, he would have resisted any way he could."

Futaba looked squarely at Kasumi. "You're thinking what I'm thinking, huh?"

She nodded, her somber eyes shining with a hint of anger. "Someone murdered Senpai."

Ann rubbed her temples in thought. "Everything we have points to someone in the police killing Akira. But who could it have been?"

"It couldn't have been someone random," Morgana said. "The killer needed a reason to target our leader."

"You know who'd have a good reason to go after him?" Ryuji squeezed his fist into a stiff ball. "Makoto's sis."

The heart-pounding chaos of the Phantom Thieves' casino showdown overtook Makoto's senses. She eerily remembered the terror of her sister's Shadow revealing its true form—an eldritch monster with a sickening array of weapons for limbs. Makoto re-envisioned the horrifying words that spewed from its mangled mouth, sending all of her emotions into disarray:


"If you still dare to defy my justice, then prepare to be totally crushed!"


Makoto's head sunk in defeat, her voice wavering. "N-No…"

A third chime from Leblanc's entrance sliced through the shop's boiling tension like a hot knife. The whole team faced the door, their faces frozen in surprise at the woman approaching them—Sae Niijima. Ryuji stormed towards her, a loud yell erupting from deep within his throat. Ann grasped his arms, recoiling at the rivers of tears pooling in his eyes.

"What are you doing, idiot?!"

"Going after my best friend's murderer, that's what!" he roared, his voice completely overcome with emotion.

Sae's eyes immediately fixed on Ryuji as he furiously resisted his girlfriend's potent grasp. Ann heaved her arms back with all her might, breaking Ryuji's cadence and sending him tumbling to the floor. Sae turned to him with a menacing stare, immediately quenching the raging inferno coursing through his body. He clamored back to his feet, his face turning to the floor in shame.

"Sis…" Makoto croaked, running up to hug her sister and releasing a torrent of pent-up sobs.

Sae enveloped Makoto, holding her close. "Makoto? What's the matter?"

"Akira's gone," she sniffled, her words becoming muffled. "Did… did you kill him? I… I know you didn't do it, but…"

Sae, to her credit, was utterly speechless. She turned to Sojiro for support, who immediately returned a calming smile and began preparing a cup of her favorite coffee. Gently releasing her hug, Sae got on her knees and gave Makoto the most loving expression she could muster.

"I will admit that I disapproved of him initially. But by the end of our talk, I knew he was special to you." She took Makoto's hand into her own, firmly squeezing it. "I don't know how he died, but I promise you and your friends: that's not my breed of justice."

Makoto backed up, allowing Sae to return to her feet. Morgana hopped over towards the Niijima sisters and tilted his head sardonically at Ryuji.

"I, uh… didn't mean to jump the gun like that," Ryuji muttered.

"Wow," Morgana said. "You usually call me 'Cat' when I mess with you like that."

Ryuji reached towards Morgana and took him into his waiting hands.

"Hey, wait! Not so…"

Ryuji gently ran his fingers through Morgana's fur, silencing his meager protests instantly. The blond then returned to Ann, joining the other Thieves in looking to Sae with pleading eyes. Makoto took a seat next to her sister, holding her hand for support.

Please, Sis. Give us some answers.

Sae downed a sip of her coffee. "I wish I could tell you more about what happened. Unfortunately, I'm just as clueless as you all are."

"Niijima-san, you must know something," Yusuke reasoned. "Did you notice anything odd about the interrogation?"

"I've talked to many suspects over the years, but Akira looked worse than most people I speak to." The young prosecutor sighed in resignation. "The arresting officers, frustrated by his failure to cooperate, resorted to dubious methods. First, they gave him sedatives to lower his inhibitions. When that didn't work, they fell back on the oldest technique in the book."

Kasumi gasped, her face sinking in disbelief. "You mean…"

"Yes. I hate to admit it, but there were clear signs he'd been beaten."

A tangled web of dark thoughts raced through Makoto's head. She envisioned unspeakable malice—prison guards striking Akira with their fists, stomping on his outstretched limbs, drenching his school uniform in frigid water. Her whole body trembled as she fought back a growing ocean of sheer horror.

"What the fuck?!" Ryuji's face ignited with rage. "How could you just stand there and say nothing about it?"

Sae grimaced. "You're right. I could've questioned what they'd done to him. When the drugs nearly made him lose consciousness, I could've called for an ambulance. But my determination got the best of me. I was so focused on getting answers that I didn't consider how he felt at all. It's a mistake that haunts me more than any other."

Yusuke ran a hand through his hair. "It's possible that the drugs and violence proved too much for Akira to handle. But there have to be other causes we need to rule out, first."

Sae straightened the wrinkles in her jacket. "Another possibility that comes to mind is a mental shutdown. Admittedly, I still don't understand how that is accomplished. I only learned about them in brief during questioning."

Makoto cleared her throat, tepidly swallowing shards of fear for her friends' sake.

"Based on our knowledge of the cognitive world, Persona users can't have mental shutdowns. I think we can safely disregard this as the cause of Akira's death."

"In that case, what else could've happened to Senpai?" Kasumi asked.

Futaba slid her glasses back over her face. "Maybe we're overthinking this whole thing, you guys."

The remaining Thieves looked at her in interest.

"What if someone stepped in the interrogation room and killed Joker the old-fashioned way, with a gun or something?"

Ann's face wrinkled in worry. "It's hard to believe someone could do that to him. That they could walk in the room and kill him in cold blood."

"We still have to consider it, though," Haru said. "After all, it's the same thing that happened to my father."

Ryuji tapped his foot impatiently on the floor. "Who could've gotten into the interrogation room, anyway? It's not like they're open to just anyone."

Sae's posture stiffened, a stark realization catching her completely off-guard.

"Only two people can normally enter an interrogation room: the prosecutor in charge, and the officer that escorts the accused to their cell and back again. However, a third person was near the vicinity of the interrogation room earlier today: Goro Akechi."

Everyone looked at one another, realizing something important all at once. Sae seemingly clued in on their thoughts, turning to Sojiro with a hardened look.

"Boss, did Akechi try contacting you?" Yusuke asked. "I remember him visiting Leblanc frequently before he joined our team."

Sojiro shook his head, walking behind the counter and picking up Kasumi's half-eaten bowl of curry.

"No, and I was surprised. The 'Detective Prince' was pretty chummy with the kid lately." He laughed, shaking his head in disbelief. "Akira mentioned he even found a 'kindred spirit' in Akechi."

Futaba turned to the other Thieves in interest. "Seems pretty suspicious, if you ask me."

"There was… one other thing I found unusual," Sae said. "As I left the department, I heard a strange thumping sound ring out. I couldn't put a finger on what it was, but it definitely seemed out of place, in my judgment."

Silence lingered in the room as the Phantom Thieves mulled over the information.

"It's too similar to be a coincidence." Makoto felt a fury come over her, doing her best to remain calm. "Akechi was the only one outside the police and Sis that could've gotten into the interrogation room. He's also the only one who—"

Makoto gasped, her face laden with fear.

"Oh my god."

Kasumi placed her hand on the brunette's shoulder. "Niijima-senpai? What's wrong?"

Makoto tightly clenched her vest. "Akechi told us to disband the Phantom Thieves after stealing Sis's heart. He wouldn't have said that for no reason. I'm sure of it now: Akechi was planning something from the very beginning. Whatever the reason, he had one goal in mind—he wanted that heist to be our last."

"In other words, you think Akechi-kun was the one who sold you out," Sae said.

Futaba's eyes looked down, the disappointment in her face evident. "I can't believe I didn't tap his phone, like I did to you guys."

"Surprised you didn't…" Haru stopped her comment in mid-sentence. "Wait, you bugged our phones?"

Futaba smirked wryly and leaned back into Yusuke's waiting arms.

"If any one of us could've stopped Akechi, it was me," Makoto said. "As team strategist, I had a say on whether new members could join the Phantom Thieves. I should've suspected Akechi when he changed his tune so quickly."

Morgana's tail swished and he jumped down from Ann's table. "We could talk like this for hours—about what we could've done to change what happened. But there's no way we can ignore the facts. Joker has fallen. We lost. Akechi and the police both outsmarted us."

Yusuke furrowed his eyebrows. "So, what's our plan to deal with that… rat, as Ryuji would put it?"

"We're gonna take that bastard out!" Ryuji shouted.

"No." Makoto's voice was filled with passion. "We're going to what we've always done. We're going to steal his heart."

Haru set her spoon down next to her coffee. "But Akechi is a Persona user. Could he even have a Palace?"

"It's rare, but if someone was a Palace ruler before awakening their Persona, their change in cognition wouldn't collapse their Palace." Morgana said. "Our plan to change Akechi's heart hinges on this one detail."

Futaba took out her phone and booted up the Nav. "I'm on it, Mona."

The instant she typed "Goro Akechi" into the search bar, a powerful burst of black, white, and red illuminated the screen. A synthesized voice confirmed the team's worst fears: Akechi's Palace stood proud and tall inside the Metaverse. A harsh fire lit up Kasumi's eyes as she downed a large swig of coffee and turned to her newfound friends.

"We will punish Akechi for taking Senpai away from me—I mean, us." She stood up, slamming her fists on the table. "And he's going to confess to everything he's done."

Makoto smiled in agreement. "I like that plan. It sounds like something Akira himself would do."

"Y-Yes. And I would like to do this with you all." Kasumi bowed, composing herself once again. "So, please. Let me help you avenge Kurusu-senpai."

Ryuji bolted up from his seat. "Hell yeah!"

Yusuke nodded in agreement, folding his arms and giving her a soft look. "It would be a pleasure to work with a passionate person like yourself. What do you think, Oracle?"

"I was on board the moment she walked in the room, Inari." She elbowed Yusuke's side, prompting him to give her a snarky grin. "Besides, my readings of her were really strong back in Sae's Palace."

"She's no joke. Her Faith skills and athletic abilities would help quite a bit." Morgana gave Kasumi a thankful look. "Sorry you had to join us like this—we usually celebrate our new members."

Haru giggled, covering her lips. "I'll take care of that, Mona-chan."

"Congratulations, Kasumi Yoshizawa," Makoto said. "You're an official member of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. Once we figure out how to infiltrate Akechi's Palace, we'll decide on a proper thief name for you."

Ryuji smiled softly. "You clearly know what you're doing, so don't mind us being a bit fast with things."

Sae motioned towards the others. "I'll do what I can to help you out as well. As an insider, I can keep you up to speed on the latest within the department. Unfortunately, I'll have to be careful about getting too close with your group. I'd be in serious trouble if the SIU learned that I was spying for the Phantom Thieves."

"Don't worry, Sis." Makoto smiled. "Every little bit helps."

"There's something else we need to be careful about," Morgana said. "Akechi's probably expecting us to avenge Joker's death. He'll try to goad us into retaliating before we know we're ready. No matter how upset you become, don't let him bait you into his trap. Understood?"

The entire team signaled their agreement.

"We'll plan out our next move over the next couple days," Makoto said. "Akechi may have gotten the jump on us, but there's one mistake he forgot about."

She pulled her sleeve over her bandaged arm, displaying a determined look.

"He messed with the wrong Thieves."