"Don't flatter yourself Izanagi. I'm here on business." Sae growled, but with a hint of red on her cheeks. The Persona was surprised by how quickly she adjusted compared to last time.

"That's what they all say at first."

Sae shot him a glare, and he gave a nervous laugh, rubbing the back of his neck before clearing his throat.

"So. What did you want to talk about? I don't think you've compiled a list already."

"You'd think correct. I know it's not our deal, but… there's one person specifically that I'd want you to take down."

"Oh really? Then by all means, let's hear it."

"His name is Munehisa Iwai. Does that name sound familiar?"

"Yes. We received a request from him from Sharkboi. Of course, given who he is, and what he's done, we were planning on going after him even if we weren't requested to."

"Good. And between the two of us, I wouldn't mind all that much if Iwai suffered a mental shutdown."

Izanagi looked at her with wide eyes.

"Did… did I hear you right?"

Sae shot him a glare.

"Is there a problem?"

"You're asking me to kill someone."

"And?"

Izanagi narrowed his eyes, clenching his fists at the woman in silent wrath.

"That's not how I or my Team work. We're not your personal hit squad. And as an officer of the law, I'm appalled you'd even suggest using murder as a way to get things done. Especially since you've criticized us for potentially abusing the gifts we have And should we do what you're telling us to do, who knows? Maybe later down the line, we might just try our luck at taking Makoto, Akechi, or Yu's hearts if you don't fold to our wishes."

The temperature of the rooftop plummeted at the threat. Sae started at the Persona, and Yu felt a fear seep into his bones. It was different from the kind of fear he imagined when he saw in the eyes of people who witnessed her wrath. That form of fear was like the fear one got seeing an army march into their home; you knew it wasn't to be trifled with, but you also knew it could be avoided, and in time, it would go away. But the fear he felt now was different. This kind of terror was like being dropped into a dark room, and hearing a growl. You knew you weren't alone, and whatever was trapped with you was going to hunt you down, and it wouldn't stop until it got you. And right now, Sae could definitely pass as that something in the dark.

"You have no idea who you're talking to, do you?"

"It sounds to me like I'm talking to someone who tries to bend the rules for their own benefit. Someone who thinks they're untouchable. Someone that I'd stand against."

"You're talking to someone who always gets the job done. Want me to tell you about how far I'm willing to go?"

"No. But I'm guessing you're going to tell me anyway."

"It all began about a year and a half ago. Everyone in the department was complaining about how a woman, especially one as young as myself, was able to get a job in here. The media had made an immense ruckus about it, and even the director doubted my abilities. So, he put me to a test. A… 'baptism by fire', he called it. I was to join a Special Assault Team on a raid to a warehouse filled with drugs. I was decked out in armor, ammo, and an assault rifle. Of course, they couldn't be bothered to give me training, and the men kept on leering at me, but the mission was a success. We'd completely taken the warehouse and found huge amounts of heroine, cocaine, and more. But there was a single man who tried to escape."

"I can see where this is going."

"I shot him in the knee, and he fell, quickly turning his back to the floor, and he looked at me. Do you know what his final words were?"

Izanagi didn't reply. A part of him actually didn't want to know, to stop her right then and there, saying that he had heard enough. But he didn't, so Sae answered anyway.

"Please don't kill me."

Yu's mind immediately forged the mental image. A man on his back, a gun pointed at his head, begging for his life, giving pleas that fell on deaf ears. A gunshot echoing through the building, making sure there was one less living person on Earth. Sae brought him back as she continued to talk.

"And when I told my superior about it, you know what he did?"

Izanagi didn't answer, prompting the woman to give one in his stead.

"He called me a hero."

"So he appreciated what you did?"

"He appreciated that I was willing to do whatever it took to win. People also stopped outright insulting me to my face, opting to instead whisper behind my back when they think I couldn't hear them."

"So, if you could go back, you wouldn't change anything? You don't have any regrets?"

"None at all."

My God. How does this woman not have a Palace?

"Oh but that's not the end of it. A few nights later I had a lucid dream where I killed him again. Months later, I was helping a pair of cops take down a human trafficking ring. One man managed to get away, and he hollered 'your little sis will look good getting her face stuffed with my cock Sae!' At first, I thought he was bluffing, but when I got home, I found him trying to open the door to our room."

The short story stunned Izanagi into silence for a few seconds. Fury began to churn in Yu's psyche at the thought of someone hurting Makoto in any way. Izanagi himself clenched his fists.

"That… must have been terrifying." Izanagi stated through clenched teeth.

"It was. Ever since my father died five years ago, I've rarely allowed myself to be afraid. Fear is a weakness that does nothing but hold people back; an obstacle to be overcome. And that's exactly what I did. He pulled out a knife, we fought, and I eventually was able to grab his hand that held the knife, and used it to slit his own throat."

There was a moment of silence as the mental image took shape in Izanagi's imagination.

"Two nights later, I had another lucid dream. My first kill was there again, but so was the scumbag that threatened Makoto. Just like before, I put them to rest again."

Izanagi could do nothing but hover in silence. Perhaps… it was a mistake to ally with Sae. Perhaps he should've taken his chances on his own.

No. She could turn that ruthlessness onto me if I turned her down. That would be infinitely worse.

"My most recent kill was this March, actually."

"Before Narukami got here."

"Correct. I was being stalked by a coworker."

Izanagi tried his best not to recoil at the sentence.

"I tried telling him to stop, I tried to get him to back off with 'CQC instruction', I tried getting a restraining order on him, and he even got fired, but he wouldn't give up. So one day, Akechi and I attempted to arrest him. He resisted, apparently having learned a thing or two from my instructions. He had a knife and in the struggle, managed to tackle Goro to the ground, and raised it to stab Akechi in the throat, screaming that 'no one would get between me and my love!' I got my hands on my partner's pistol, and fired."

Izanagi was silent. This conversation had certainly taken a turn for the darker. Finally, he gathered his wits.

"I take it he appeared in your dreams too?"

"Along with the others."

Sae took a few steps forward and continued.

"I have endured much to get to where I am now. I've had to bloody my hands, endure ridicule at every turn, and work twice as hard as everyone else here, all for the sake of what little I have left. And you threaten to take that from me."

Sae turned to face him, and gave him a look. This wasn't the signature glare she'd used so many times on Yu and everyone else. No, this look was far worse, it was the look of a woman with unbridled fury, unbreakable determination, and unshakeable conviction. It was a special look, one she reserved only for those whom she deemed a threat to all she held dear. That look, combined with her response, chilled the god of Japan to his very bones.

"So make no mistake, Izanagi, any who threatenmy family, will soon have a place in my dreams."

"That won't include Iwai. I can promise you that."

"You say that now. But I promise you that once he confesses everything that he's done, once he tells the world about the families and friendships he tore apart, the graveyards he's filled, and who knows what else, you'll wish you had."

"Morgana, is Lady Trieu in the stairwell yet?" Yu whispered.

"Yea, she's been there for some time. Ready to end this meeting?" Morgana replied.

"I am."

Izanagi maneuvered himself so that Sae wouldn't be able to see Lady Trieu as the Persona moved to take Sae back to the real world.

"If I remember correctly, you criticized us because you believed that we would allow our talents and powers to corrupt us, and now here you are, trying to order us to do the very thing you were afraid of doing. I must confess to being extremely disappointed."

Sae glowered at the Persona, and later directed her gaze to the floor. Whether this was out of shame from being called out, or being flustered at the sudden lecture, Izanagi couldn't tell. But he did continue what he was saying.

"We'll handle this our way, and you'll take him in alive. The next time I contact you, it will be to tell you that we've prepared a calling card."

"And how long will that be?"

"We'll finish before the end of July. Don't worry Sae Niijima, your father and ward will have the justice they're due."

"END OF JULY?! That's over a month away!"

"Don't worry. I'll keep you in the loop of how our progress is going."

"Now." Yu ordered.

Before the prosecutor could reply, the world shifted back to normal, and Izanagi vanished before her very eyes. The noise of the city returned, signaling that the meeting was over. Sae moved to go back down, return to work, and pray she didn't make a mistake trusting Izanagi.

Regret.

Exhaustion.

Disheartened.

All of these emotions were swirling around Yu's gut right now. Sae Niijima, his guardian, had just asked him to commit murder. Well, she didn't ask him, per se, but she made it clear it wouldn't bother her. He had always seen the woman as strict and harsh, but incorruptible. Now, that wasn't the case at all. Not only that, but she had killed people herself, and didn't feel an ounce of regret or pity. He felt a tap on his shoulder and looked at Morgana, who had a nervous look in her eyes.

"Yu… are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I… I don't know Morgana. I just learned some things about the woman taking care of me that I wish I hadn't."

"Really? What happened during the meeting?"

"Well…"

Yu didn't really know how to start. But he instead pulled out his phone and opened the Meta-Nav.

"Sae Niijima." He said into it.

"Candidate found in Mementos."

"Yu? Do you want to talk about it?"

"Morgana… is it possible for someone to have a Palace if they're not evil?"

"I mean… in theory. Their desires don't have to be evil, just distorted."

"I see…"

"What happened during that meeting?" Morgana asked, genuine worry in her voice.

Before Yu could explain, he was cut off by the sound of his phone ringing. Pulling it out he saw a text.

Makoto: Yu-kun, if you don't answer this text, I swear Sis will be the least of your problems!

Yu: Sorry, had my phone on silent. I'm alive.

Makoto: At least you answered this time! Where are you? I lost sight of you after Akechi-kun dragged me away to deal with Takamaki-san.

Before Yu could reply, he got another text.

Shinya: Yo noob, get your butt over to Akihabara. Time for a lesson.

"I'll tell you and everyone else about it tomorrow. You just head home for today." Yu ordered as he shot back two replies.

Yu: On my way Oda-san.

Yu: I'm going to Akihabara. Don't worry about me Makoto.

I can sense you're still feeling turmoil Narukami.

Can you blame me?

No, I can't. Are you having second thoughts?

Yea. Maybe making a deal with her was a mistake.

If we hadn't, she would've turned that ruthless devotion on us. Better to have a monster with us than against us.

I'm not sure she actually is a monster. Despite hearing what she did, she doesn't have a Palace.

Why do you think that is?

My guess is that we aren't seeing the whole picture. I wouldn't put it past Sae to lie or embellish details for the sake of intimidation.

True. She's a woman that likes to win. But what could we be missing? If we could reach her Shadow in Mementos, we could find out.

Yea. But we have other options.

Yu: Hey Akechi, can we talk?

Akechi: Well sure, but texting is just as effective, isn't it? What do you need my friend?

Yu: I just got done with my second meeting with Sae. While we were talking, she told, or rather gloated, about how she's killed three people so far.

Akechi: Ah. Those.

There were a few suspenseful moments as Akechi typed, no doubt trying to find the proper words to get his message across.

Akechi: I'm not going to lie or sugarcoat it my friend. Sae-san has, to my knowledge, killed three people. BUT, knowing Sae-san, she no doubt exaggerated in order to put you on edge.

Yu: The first guy she claimed begged her not to kill him, but she did it anyway.

Akechi: According to the reports, there was another officer with her when that happened. According to him, the perp was begging to be spared, and both he and Sae were lowering their weapons. But, as they did, he pulled out a hidden pistol, and was going to shoot them, if Sae hadn't fired first on pure instinct. The reports also mention that Sae puked after the kill.

Yu: Really?

Akechi: Yes. And if rumors around the office are anything to go by, the man she was with often made fun of her for it.

Yu: How did she behave after that?

Akechi: She took it… poorly. There were bags under her eyes from a lack of sleep, and according to Makoto, Sae woke up screaming ever since that day. For a good few weeks, her health began to gradually deteriorate. Then, I forced her to take sedatives while Makoto and I kept vigil. She twitched a bit, but when she woke up, it was pleasant dreams.

Yu: Do you have any idea why?

Akechi: I asked Sae about it. According to her, she'd been having continuous lucid dreams repeating the scenario that led to the man's death. At first, she tried to spare him, but it would always end in her death, hence the waking up screaming. It only stopped after she killed him again.

Yu: What about her second? She said that she busted a human trafficking ring and a guy got away, threatening to rape Makoto. Later, she found him attempting to break into the apartment, and slit his throat with his own knife.

Akechi: That's a half truth. True, she busted a trafficking ring, last in a long list actually, and one of the men ran, but he never got out of the place alive. Now, it's important to note that the place they raided was still under construction, and there was a significant downpour, enough that there was flooding in some areas. According to the reports, Sae pursued him to a patio a good distance above, and there was a scuffle. By the time backup arrived, Sae had thrown the perp during the brawl, and thanks to the rain, he slid, all the way to the edge. He managed to grab onto the ledge at the last second, and Sae went to help him up, but he lost his grip, and fell to his death.

Yu: Wow. How was she afterwards?

Akechi: She seemed upset at herself, believing that she had failed to save a life. She was going to try drowning her sorrows in booze, but I was able to convince her that doing so most likely cost her her job, and she quit remarkably fast. Just like before, she had a few bad nights, but she overcame them a lot faster this time around.

Yu: And what about her third one? Her stalker?

Akechi: I remember that one. Did she tell you that she tried to stop him in virtually every other way before trying to arrest him?

Yu: Yea. She said you were there, and it happened before I came here.

Akechi: She's right. We moved to confront him, but he put up a fight. He was surprisingly good, but given how many 'lessons' Sae gave him, I suppose that's natural. He was able to get me in a chokehold, while Sae had my gun, and pointed it at him. He demanded that she drop the gun and come with him to his car, and if she didn't he would slit my throat. Her response came to his head at muzzle velocity. After she killed him, the first thing she did was drop the gun, run towards me, and hugged me tightly, thanking God I was alright. You'd think I was her son given how long she held me.

Yu: Really? What about afterwards? Did she try drinking again?

Akechi: Oh no. Life continued as normal for her. I think by now she's become accustomed to killing.

Yu: Well gee, isn't that a relief.

Akechi: Yu, Sae is driven, not evil. She would have a Palace if that wasn't the case.

Yu: I suppose…

Akechi: Yu, may I ask what it was that Sae-san wanted to discuss?

Yu: She wanted us to kill Iwai.

Akechi: … I see. If you don't mind, could you tell me what exactly happened while you talked, and the events that led to it?

Yu: Sure.

And so, the Wild Card shared everything, from Iwai's attack, to Sae's proposal, to her telling him about the dreams. It took some time for Akechi to process the information, and longer still to send a reply.

Akechi: I advise you make sure Izanagi never threatens anyone close to Sae again. If there's one button you absolutely do not press with her, it's family. As for Iwai, there's a very big difference between ordering us to take him down on her behalf, and telling us she wouldn't hold it against us if we happened to kill him.

Yu: And you think that's ok?

Akechi: No. But she also made the decision to talk to you after you were attacked. She wasn't thinking clearly, and I'm sure that, once all is said and done, she'll appreciate that we didn't listen to her.

The train stopped, opening its doors to the district of Akihabara.

Yu: I'll think about what you said, right now I have to do some other stuff. See ya later.

Akechi: Until next time.

The Wild Card pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. On one hand, Akechi could very well be telling the truth, and Sae could've just been lying to Izanagi in order to intimidate him. But at the same time, Akechi no doubt had a bias, and voiced support for working with Sae every step of the way, so he could be the one who lied instead so as to keep the partnership going. And then there was the matter of her being alright with the Team abusing their power. He knew Sae was extremely protective, but was she truly willing to compromise on what she was supposed to uphold because of that?

In the end, there was only one way to uncover the truth; clear the distortion in Mementos, and interrogate Sae Niijima's Shadow. Yu made his way to the arcade, ready for his first training lesson with 'the King'.