Yu sat in the apartment, waiting patiently for his guardian to return. He had recently received a text from her telling her that they 'needed to talk'. He of course did not know what he did, and when he asked Makoto, all she could say was that she was just as clueless as he. He had been turning in his assignments on time, nailing test scores, and for the most part, obeyed Sae. So here he waited. Suddenly, his phone buzzed, and he picked it up immediately in the hopes it was Sae. It wasn't.

Yusuke: Good evening Narukami-san. I owe you my thanks.

Yu: For what?

Yusuke: I saw the news of Mitsuyo confessing. I had no idea that she was guilty of so many crimes.

Yu: It was just as much a shock to me. I'm just sorry it was the Phantom Team that busted her and not Akechi and me.

Yusuke: Regardless, you tried, and for that, I thank you. By the way, are you available for a meeting tomorrow?

Yu: No. Why?

Yusuke: I could use some inspiration. Not only that, but I need to talk to you about something.

The door to the apartment opened, revealing Sae. Yu shot one final text to wrap up his business with the artist.

Yu: I have no idea when I'll be free next. But I have to go now, see you soon.

Yu put away his phone and stood up to greet his guardian.

"Ah, good. You're here." Sae stated as she closed the door.

"Yup. What did you want to talk about?"

This can't be about school, I know that much.

Sae crossed her arms.

"I just got back from interrogating Mitsuyo Togo for all the crimes she committed. Imagine my surprise when she mentioned blackmailing you because you broke into her office as one of them."

Oh shit. OH SHIT!

"Now, answer truthfully and I won't arrest you; why did you break into her office?"

Yu took a deep gulp.

Tread carefully Narukami. We are on very thin ice here.

"Ok. It all began a few months ago. Do you remember a man named Yusuke Kitagawa?" Yu began carefully.

"I do. He's the one that told Akechi and me about Madarame."

"Well, he was friends with Hifumi Togo."

"Mitsuyo's only child. Continue."

"Well Yusuke contacted Akechi, asking him to get some kind of dirt on Mitsuyo. Apparently, Mitsuyo was forcing Hifumi to be a model, and it put a great deal of strain on the girl's life. Akechi agreed, and asked me to help."

"You? Why?"

"Well he didn't go to you because he was worried that you'd see it as a waste of time, and he went to me because, for starters, I'm probably the only other person he knew with any detective skills. The second reason was that I'm a Narukami, and Akechi hoped that would open some doors."

"I see. Walk me through your investigation."

"When we started out, our goal wasn't to arrest her."

In fact, I'm sure when he got the request, Akechi probably thought her Shadow would be found in Mementos.

"We just wanted to find something that we could threaten her with to convince her to let Hifumi go free."

"So you didn't set out to arrest her, but blackmail her?" Sae accused with a growl.

Shit

Yu couldn't help but recall the time he and Akechi first managed to escape the Metaverse, and Sae was able to find a way to turn his lie into an accusation. The prosecutor began to tap her foot, waiting for Yu to answer her.

"Y-yes, Sae-san."

The woman began to grind her teeth against each other. Yu saw her jaw wind and unwind so many times he was sure it would break at any second. Finally, she just took in a deep breath and nodded, signaling for him to continue.

"Akechi did some basic investigation and found out that apparently my dad was investigating her before… before he…"

"And?" Sae asked, a little more gentle this time, no doubt because she knew Dojima's hospitalization was a sensitive subject.

"Well, Akechi believed the fastest way to figure out her secrets was to go to her personal computer. We were expecting to find some kind of scandal, like a secret love affair."

Though committing a laundry list of crimes would also count as a scandal.

"And what did you find?"

"Absolutely nothing. She had created some kind of failsafe to prevent anyone with unauthorized access from using the data. The laptop we were using literally blew up in our faces. After that, we decided that she was either paranoid, or-"

"Or she had something serious to hide. What did you do then?"

Yu took another deep breath. This lie was going to either get him off the hook or guarantee he'd end up in juvie.

"We decided to pick up where dad left off. We started interviewing people that Mitsuyo had crossed paths with. They began to tell us the same story, and the crimes she had committed, and we interviewed Hifumi herself. After that, I got a message telling me to get dad to drop the case against Mitsuyo or you'd see a video of me breaking into Mitsuyo's office."

"I see. But obviously that didn't happen."

"Yup. The Phantom Team managed to get her to confess."

"How convenient. Just like how Akechi was fighting against Kobayakawa for two years, but after you showed up, this mysterious Phantom Team was able to take him down." Sae replied. She didn't say the actual words, but the accusation was clear.

"I know. Apparently there's a website called the Phansite. The latest post was from someone named SharkBoi 9001 asking the Team to, and I quote 'steal Mitsuyo's heart'. At first Akechi and I thought it was Yusuke, but the date was a few days after he contacted us, and from meeting the guy myself, I highly doubt he'd use this… colorful language."

Yu showed Sae the post in question on his phone. By now there were a good few others, so he had to dig a bit, but the original post was there. Sae read it and a small smile played on her lips when she was finished.

"You're right. Kitagawa would never be so crude. So just what were you planning on doing if the Phantom Team didn't get to her?"

"Well, we were going to go to you, actually."

Sae raised her eyebrow in disbelief.

"At this point, it wasn't just a wild goose chase, and we figured it would be best if you heard about the details from us."

"Anything else I should know?"

"No, that's just about it." Yu lied.

Sae breathed in deep and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Wait here." she ordered as she went into her room and pulled out her phone. Yu sent out Izanagi. There was no doubt in the Wild Card's mind that she was calling Akechi to confirm his story, and Yu needed to be sure if he should start running or if he was in the clear; he could not afford to go to juvie, not while the contract was still unfulfilled. But it was Akechi who created this lie, so Yu could only hope that he remembered the important bits.

"Hello Akechi, it's me. I just had a chat with Narukami. About how you and he were investigating Mitsuyo. Behind my back."

Yu couldn't hear anything, but he could certainly hear Akechi's voice. And the nervousness in it.

"I want to hear your account… I don't care if you think I've heard everything, I want to hear it from you."

Yu knew what his friend was trying to do; convince Sae that what Yu said was the truth, and that she didn't need to confirm from him the tale. But this only made Sae more adamant about having Akechi tell his side of the story.

"Akechi, either you tell me what happened, or I'll be forced to assume that Narukami was lying and send him to juvie… there we go. Start from the beginning."

Yu knew that he didn't really have a reason to be concerned; after all, it was Akechi that created the lie in the first place. But still, only a fool would underestimate Sae Niijima. The two officers talked with each other, Akechi giving Sae the details of the same story her ward gave her, the only words from her being "I see" and "Continue". Finally, Sae let out an exasperated sigh.

"Alright, you've convinced me. Looks like Narukami was telling the truth."

Akechi, I'll never doubt you again.

"But… it's been awhile since you've brushed up on CQC. Report to me tomorrow so that I can… give you a refresher." Sae replied, and her tone made Yu shiver. But it was what she said in response to Akechi's next words that really put him on edge.

"Oh, don't worry about Narukami. I've got something else in mind for him."

The woman hung up and returned to the living room, where Yu sat, waiting in suspense.

"Your story checks out Narukami. You're going to stay a free man."

Yu let himself smile. Sae stayed true to her word.

"However." She started, taking a seat next to him on the couch.

"You still broke the law, and you still planned on committing another crime. I'm not going to let you get away with that unpunished."

Yu gulped as sweat began to roll down his forehead.

"So… will I have to be… trained next time I see you?" He asked, failing to mask the fear in his voice.

"Oh no. I have something else in mind." Sae replied, looking at him with cold malice shining in her eyes.

She extended her index finger and curled it back, beckoning the teenager closer. Cautiously, as if he was approaching a hungry wolf, Yu scooched closer, and closer to her on the couch. Suddenly, Sae grabbed his shirt and quickly pulled him over her lap. His stomach was now lying on her legs, and before Yu could respond, Sae grabbed the waistline of his pants. In one swift motion, she pulled down his pants, exposing his ass to her.

Oh God… is she gonna…?

"Now Narukami, my directions are going to be straightforward. After every hit, you are going to say 'I promise I won't break the law'. Understood?" She asked.

Yu was about to protest, but before he could even try to reason with her, a loud SMACK was heard in the room, and pain suddenly flared in the body part Sae had recently exposed. Yu let out a surprised yelp, and after a precious few seconds had gone by, Sae gripped his neck.

"Well? What are you supposed to say?" She hissed.

"I promise I won't break the law." Yu replied.

"Correct."

SMACK

"I promise I won't break the law!" He yelled, the pain returning with a vengeance.

SMACK

"I promise I won't break the law!" Yu yelled again as the agony surged through his rear.

SMACK

"I promise I won't break the law!"

By now, the pain was beginning to become unbearable, Sae refusing to hold back her strength at all. Yu resorted to biting his lip so that he wouldn't scream or whimper, and resolved to get through this without crying.

I'm going to get through this with at least a shred of my dignity intact.

SMACK

"I PROMISE I WON'T BREAK THE LAW!"

SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK

Thirty more times Sae spanked Yu, and thirty more times he responded with 'I promise I won't break the law'. When it was over, Yu's rear, and Sae's hand, were a very dark shade of red from the relentless assault. Sae pulled up her ward's pants, and gestured to him that he was allowed to get up. Yu felt a moment of hatred for his guardian, but it was quickly tempered when he saw her face. Sae didn't have a grin, didn't appear relaxed, and there was no sadistic glee in her eyes. The woman didn't enjoy disciplining Yu any more and he enjoyed being disciplined. Well, maybe if it was Shiho he'd enjoy it more.

"I hope you keep your promise Narukami. If you don't, I might have to take drastic measures." She warned as she stood up.

"I have to go back to work. Don't stay up too late." Sae informed, grabbing her handbag and walking out. With her gone, and Izanagi confirming that no one else was in range, Yu briefly teleported into the Metaverse to heal. Before he could head back, the Persona decided to talk with his master.

"Well that was embarrassing."

"It was. I'm just glad I was able to make it through without crying. That would've been awful."

"Something tells me Sae wouldn't judge you. Say what you will about the woman, but she doesn't seem to enjoy putting you down. And considering she's a prosecutor and we broke the law, a spanking is definitely one of the lighter repercussions."

"Yea. But my butt still stings."

"Maybe so, but it's also good to know that Sae Niijima is a woman of her word. Besides, if anything, this is proof that we're going to have to be even more careful from here on out. I suspect those drastic measures Sae talked about are going to juvie."

"I was thinking the same thing. We also need to tell the others to be careful too. For better or worse, the Phantom Team's getting famous now, and we can't talk as freely as before."

"Right. Not only that, but you can bet the police have taken notice."

"That too."

Yu let out a big sigh and draped his hand down his face.

"It's only going to get tougher going forward, isn't it.?"

"Probably. But no matter what happens, but the Team and I will be by your side through whatever comes next. And whatever comes after that."

"Thanks Izanagi."

The god simply gave a thumbs up as Yu walked to his room and activated the Meta-Nav there, out of concern that Makoto might have already entered the living room. Once back in the real world, he looked at his workbench. There were a few materials there, materials made for crafting. Yu plopped himself down, preparing gear he'd need for the future.

Ryuji let out a groan as he continued to walk the streets. Ever since he fought Yu, he'd been beating himself over the misunderstanding and dedicating himself to trying to find a way to make it up to Yu. At first, Ryuji planned on asking Yu if he wanted to go get some ramen, like before, but he realized that Yu might not be up for spending time alone with the guy that almost beat him to a pulp. Earlier today he asked Makoto what to do, and she told him that apparently, the guy enjoyed Buchimaru, or Buchi-kun as she called him, and that Ryuji should buy one immediately. So now he was prowling the streets of Yongen, searching for any store that could sell him some merch of that panda. So far, there was only one place, a store that sold exclusively antiques. And the price for the Buchimaru stuffed toy was absolutely bonkers; 100,000 yen. How Ryuji was going to afford that, he had no idea as he wandered out of the store. That's when he heard a man cough behind him.

"Low on some dough, eh kid?" a rough voice asked.

Ryuji turned back with a scowl. The man looked like he belonged in a penthouse rather than the backstreets of Yongen. The man was wearing slick black dress pants held up by a belt with a golden buckle, while his chest was covered with a three piece black suit and a red ascot tie that also held a beautiful sapphire gem. His face was clean-shaven while having combed black hair. But the most interesting thing about him was that he was pressing his left hand against his neck, like he was trying to put pressure on a wound. Or hide something.

"What's it to you?"

"Woah woah, easy there tough guy. I'm just a man looking for a favor and to burn some cash." The mystery man replied.

"Really?"

"Really. See, I'm in a bit of a bind. I have to meet a real nice lady friend soon. But, I also got to deliver an important letter to an important man just as soon. So I'm at a bit of an impasse." The man explained, holding up a red envelope and handing it to Ryuji, who cautiously accepted it.

"And what does this have to do with me?"

"Well, as it just so happens, I could use someone to go and deliver the letter. I'd be willing to… compensate you for your time."

The man pulled out a wad of yen bills from his fancy jacket. Ryuji picked it up and did a rough estimate of about 200,000 yen. He looked back at the guy in shock.

"You really need to get this letter delivered, don't ya?"

"Yup. And I also need to go meet my lady friend. So get going."

"Hold up. Why me? You know I could just take the cash and run."

"You totally could. But if you did that, my friend would call me for an explanation. And if that happened, I would explain to him that I gave you the envelope, describe you to him, and he would hunt you down and kill you."

Ryuji began to break out into a cold sweat.

"Of course, that won't have to happen if you hurry down to Shinjuku and give it to a man wearing a black and purple suit that's waiting outside the Crossroads Bar." The man added, motioning to the subway with a flick of his head before turning and walking away.

"So wait. Do you want me to deliver any of the cash, or…?"

"Do whatever you want with the money. But you better not go using it to pull a prank."

"Alright."

"Didn't your old man teach ya any manners? Normally when someone does something nice… you should be grateful."

"R-right! Thanks dude!"

Using the newfound cash, Ryuji made sure to buy the Buchimaru toy before running towards the nearest train to Shinjuku. He felt the crimson envelope that held the letter inside, and decided to examine what exactly he was carrying. It was relatively light, gave off a weird smell, and he could swear he heard some rattling in there. But he didn't have all that long to ponder what exactly was in his hands, as the train doors opened up for the Red Line District. Speed walking, he looked through the sights and sounds for a man matching the description he was given. Finally, the delinquent spotted him, leaning against the wall while looking at his watch with an impatient look plastered on his face.

"Excuse me? I think I'm supposed to give this to ya." Ryuji stated as he handed the man the red envelope.

"Ah. About time. Been waiting for this longer than you know. Thanks a ton kid." The man said, taking Ryuji's cargo and entering the bar. Ryuji, giving a noncommittal shrug, turned and left, believing it was over. All the while clueless of the man from before lurking in the shadows recording the whole thing.