4/12/20XX
Tuesday: Morning
Shujin Academy

The next day, Kirika officially started classes as a Shujin student. "Before we start today, we have a new student who will be joining this class." The teacher said, "Please, introduce yourself."

"Um... H-Hi dess. I'm Kirika Akatsuki." Kirika said, bowing respectfully. "It's nice to meet you all!"

"Very good." The teacher said, "Now if you would kindly find a seat in the class Akatsuki-chan, we may begin."

Doing as she was asked, Kirika finds a seat near the back of the class and does her best to blend in. "Now that I'm in, it should be easy to keep in contact with those three without drawing unnecessary attention to my...self?" Kirika stopped her inner monologue when she felt as though she was being watched, turning to see the girl in the desk next to hers was staring at her. "Can I help you dess?"

"...You were the girl that was hanging out with Sakamoto-san and Hibiki-san yesterday, right?" The girl asked. "I've heard Sakamoto-san's not the best person to hang around. Is that true?"

Kirika was confused by the question. "Well, he didn't seem like that bad of a person to me. But, to be fair, I don't know him that well..." Kirika said. "I'm Kirika by the way."

Kirika nervously held out her hand for a handshake, which the girl accepted after an awkward moment of silence. "Shirabe Tsukuyomi."

"Well, Shirabe, it's great to meet you." Kirika said, being met with more silence and starring...

Tuesday: After School

"And then she just stared at me occasionally throughout the day." Kirika explained to the others. "It was so weird dess..."

"That's just how she is I'm afraid..." Hibiki said. "But if she talked to you, that's definitely something to brag about since the only people she willingly talks to are her friends Ann-san and Shiho-san."

"Yeah, yeah, that's great and all, but can we talk about that weird castle now?" Ryuji butted in, starting to get impatient. "You weren't bluffin' when you said you could get us there, yeah?"

"Of course I wasn't dess!" Kirika answered. "In fact, she has the means of getting us there too." Kirika pointed to Miku, which took Hibiki and Ryuji by surprise. "Surely you know what I'm referring to, dess?"

Miku knew exactly what she meant, instinctively pulling out her phone and showing a certain app to the demoness. "You mean the Metaverse Navigator, right?" She asked, getting a nod from Kirika.

"Wait, that freaky red eye app is what got us there?" Hibiki said, pulling out her phone. "That same app appeared on my phone this morning and I had no clue what it was."

"Odd..." Miku said, before remembering what Finé said in the Velvet room.

"...I'm sure it'll be lonely to use the Metaverse Navigator by yourself. No need to worry about that though, as I shall grant it to those who would prove to be beneficial to you."

"So Finé put the Navigator on her phone too..."

"Regardless, it'll be good if both of you pay attention to my instructions on how to use that thing for future use. Follow me." Kirika said, leading the trio to the same alleyway they went to and from the Palace through. "Now then, in order to enter the palace, you need keywords. But in this case, seeing you already went there once, they should already be in your history."

Miku looked at the app on her phone and, true to Kirika's word, there was a search history. "'Kamoshida, Shujin Academy, Castle.'? I don't remember ever typing those words into here." Miku admitted.

"Maybe the app has some sort of microphone installed that overheard us talking about him yesterday?" Hibiki thought.

"Regardless, that makes for one less thing I have to teach." Kirika said. "Now then, when you're ready, press that search result and it should just send us back to the castle and we can do whatever you need to do there."

Miku looked at the search result. "Is everyone ready?" She asked, receiving nods from the others. "Then let's get going."

Miku pressed the search result. "Kamoshida. Shujin Academy. Castle." The voice on the phone repeated. "Beginning Navigation..." Within moments, the world around the trio began to turn red and warped as the School in front of them started to transform into the Castle from yesterday.

Shadow Kamoshida's Palace/Shujin Academy

The group was surprised that the app worked just as Kirika had told them, but Ryuji's attention shifted to a certain aspect of the three girls with him. "Woah! Your clothes!"

Hibiki and Miku look at themselves. Sure enough, they were back in their attires that showed up the other day. "When a Persona-user is seen as a threat to a Palace's ruler, your appearance changes. It's to help protect them from distortions."

"Distortions?" Hibiki asked. "Then what about Ryuji-san? Is he going to be in danger as he is?"

"He should be fine dess." Kirika said. "I think..."

"What was that last part?" Ryuji asked.

"Nothing." Kirika quickly said. "Let's go!" Without another word, Kirika ran ahead of the others, who swiftly followed after her so as to not get lost.

Meanwhile in reality, a trio of girls were hanging out on the school grounds after school, and one of them didn't seem too well. "Are you okay, Shiho-san?" Shirabe asked.

"...I-I haven't been sleeping well lately..." Shiho replied. "Whenever I close my eyes, I keep thinking about too many things..."

"Shiho..."

"Nationals are coming up soon, so I keep thinking... Should someone like me really be on the starting lineup?" Shiho said.

"Don't worry. Just be confident in yourself! " Ann said, trying to cheer up her despondent friend. "You've been great at volleyball ever since middle school and your skills are being recognized. And it's all thanks to your hard work!"

"Yeah... I guess you're right." Shiho said.

"More importantly, is your leg okay? It was really swollen before." Shirabe said. " You shouldn't overwork yourself if you're unwell."

"I-It's fine." Shiho reassured Shirabe. "It's nothing. It's normal... Especially since the meet's coming up." Despite this, Shirabe and Ann both worried for their friend's health.

"Sorry to interrupt, Suzui." A boy with short frizzy hair and a bunch of bruises said, walking up to the trio. "Mr. Kamoshida told me to get you."

Hearing those words turned Shiho's despondent look into one of pure fear. "W-What does he want?"

"He didn't say..."

Shiho's hands started to visibly shake in her lap. "Shirabe, Ann, I..."

"I-It'll be fine! I'm sure it's just a meeting about the starting lineup or something." Ann tried to reassure her friend, not knowing the same horrors that she knew.

"...Yeah." Shiho replied, deciding not to give her friends a reason to worry for her. "Well, I better go..."

"Good luck!" Ann cheered, waiting for her friend to be out of earshot to speak another word. "Hang in there, Shiho..."

"I'm worried about her, Ann-san." Shirabe admitted. "Every time she goes to speak with Kamoshida-san, she comes back with bruises, just like all of the rumors I've heard about how he treats the volleyball team..."

"I'm sure it's nothing." Ann said. "But enough about that, I've heard that there's a new student in your class."

Shirabe could tell Ann was just trying to change the topic, but she went along with it to stop fretting over rumors she hoped were baseless. "Yeah... She sits next to me in the classroom."

"Oh? What's she like?" Ann asked.

"Very energetic... And kinda pretty..." Shirabe said, whispering the last bit out of embarrassment.

Despite her efforts to hide her embarrassment, Ann still heard what she said. "Ooooh? Are you developing a crush on the new girl?"

"W-What?! D-Don't be ridiculous!" Shirabe sputters. "Besides, I doubt a girl like her would be interested in me... Not that I made the best of first impressions by quietly staring at her..."

"Shirabe-chan... You've got to be more confident in yourself!" Ann said. "I'm sure if you get to know her better, she'll see you're an amazing person."

"Really?"

"Really!" Ann said, before noticing what time it was. "I better get going myself. Don't want to be late to the shoot."

"Good luck!" Shirabe said, waving as her friend left, leaving her to her own thoughts. "I just need to try to get to know her better, huh?"

Back in the Palace, the group reaches the dungeon once again and are horrified by what they saw: several cells with people in gym uniforms being tortured in various volleyball themed torture chambers. "What the hell..." Ryuji muttered, shaken by what he was looking at. "Does this mean the rumors are true?"

"What rumors?" Miku asked.

"Rumors that Kamoshida uses physical punishment. And that he abuses the members as a diversion." Ryuji said, which sickened Miku and made Hibiki visibly upset. "We have to save them! Help me open this!" Hibiki nodded as she walked over to the prison bars and tried to budge them open.

"Wait... Were you planning to take these people outside of the Palace?" Kirika asked.

"We can't just leave them here!" Hibiki answered.

Hearing this, Kirika pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. "Please tell me you're not this stupid..."

"What?!"

"These are only humans in Kamoshida's cognition. They're not people that have entered this palace as you three have." Kirika explained. "There's no point in saving them because they're not real. Think of them as 'extremely similar-looking dolls.'"

"This all makes zero sense to me!" Ryuji said in frustration. "So the school is a castle and the students are slaves... It's so on point it makes me laugh."

"Did you hear something?" A voice in the distance said, which caught the group's attention immediately.

"We have to leave. Now." Kirika said.

"...Fine." Ryuji said. "But I'm still gonna memorize these students' faces for later."

"Do whatever you need to do quickly dess." Kirika said. "Because if we stay here any longer, we'll be caught."

Ryuji studied the faces of the students in the prison cells as he and the girls ran for the exit. Eventually, they made it back to the foyer, only for Shadow Kamoshida to be waiting for them with several guards. "You knaves again..." He sighed. "To think you'd make the same mistake twice. You're hopeless!"

"The school ain't your castle!" Ryuji retorted, smirking as he did. "I've memorized their faces real good. You're goin' down!"

Despite Ryuji's threat, Kamoshida just smirked. "It seems it's true when they say 'barking dogs seldom bite.' How far the star runner of the track team has fallen."

"What are you talking about?" Hibiki asked.

"I speak of the infamous 'Track Traitor' who acted in violence, ending his teammates' dreams." Hearing Kamoshida mention that name fractured Ryuji's confidence. "Oh, I can only imagine the pain of the others who were dragged under with your... selfish act."

"What is he talking about Ryuji-san?" Miku asked.

Kamoshida laughed when he heard this question. "What a surprise. You're accompanying him without knowing anything at all? I figured at least Tachibana would've mentioned it to you once." He said. "He betrayed his teammates and crushed their hopes, yet he still carries on as carefree as ever."

"That's not true!"

"Even after all my kindness for supervising track practice, you still had the audacity to raise your hand at me."

"That wasn't practice! it was physical abuse!" Ryuji retorted. "You just didn't like our team!"

"It was nothing but an eyesore! The only one who needs to achieve results is me!" Kamoshida said. "And that coach you got fired was hopeless too... Had he not opposed me, I would've settled with breaking his star's leg."

Miku gasped as Kamoshida said this. "You did what?!"

"Do you need me to break your other leg, too?" Kamoshida taunted. "I'm sure the school will just write it off as self-defense again."

"It sickens me that someone like you even exists, Kamoshida." Hibiki growled.

The confidence Ryuji started this conversation with had all but vanished at this point. "Dammit! Am I gonna lose again?" Ryuji said aloud, which made the girls lose focus on their foes. "Not only can I not run anymore... The track team is gone too 'cause of this asshole..."

"So that's why dess..."

Before they could react, more guards appeared behind the group and ambushed the girls, leaving Ryuji to wallow in his despair. "Once these three are disposed of, you'll be next!" Kamoshida said, laughing at the boy's suffering.

"Ryuji-san!" Miku called out, doing her best to push herself up to face Ryuji. "You can't let him win like this! You can't forgive him for what he's done, right?"

"You're right..." Ryuji said. "Everything that was important to me was taken by him... I'll never get 'em back! But that doesn't mean the others don't deserve to be in the sun again!"

Kamoshida laughed once more. "Stay there and watch." He said. "Look on as these hopeless scum die for nothing because they sided with trash like you."

"No... That's what you are..." Ryuji retorted, picking himself off of his knees and standing once again. "All you think about is using people... You're the real scumbag, Kamoshida! So stop looking down on me with that stupid smile on your face!"

"You made me wait quite a while."

A voice said to Ryuji before he suddenly had a massive headache that forced him to reel in pain, much like Hibiki had yesterday.

"You seek power, correct? Then let us form a pact."

"Since your name has been disgraced already, why not hoist the flag and wreak havoc? The 'other you' who exists within desires it thus..."

"I am thou, thou art I... There is no turning back... The skull of rebellion is your flag henceforth!"

Suddenly, a grey skull mask appeared over Ryuji's face. Without hesitation, he rips the mask clean off his face and becomes engulfed in a pyre of blue flames. "Wait... Does that mean..."

"Yep!" Kirika answered for Miku. "Much like yourself and Hibiki-san, Ryuji has awoken to a new power... His Persona dess!"

Once the flames subside, Ryuji is wearing a new black outfit with a red tie and yellow gloves. Behind him, a skeletal man wearing a pirate outfit floated in the air aboard a pirate ship. After taking a moment to catch his breath, Ryuji looked at Kamoshida and his guards with a wicked grin on his face. "Right on... Wassup, Persona... This effin' rocks! Now that I got this power, it's time for payback..." Ryuji exclaimed as the others got back on their feet. "Yo, I'm ready... Bring it on, you son of a bitch!"

This time, it was Kamoshida who had lost all of his confidence at Ryuji's newfound power. "S-SLAY THEM!"

"Blast 'em away... Captain Kidd!"

On his command, the Skeleton Pirate fired a bolt of electricity at one of the shadows, knocking them to the floor. "Let's help him out Hibiki!" Miku exclaimed, getting a nod from her friend as they both took their masks off to summon their Personas.

"Viviane!/Kazama!"

The Personas knocked two more shadows to the ground, leaving one remaining. "I got this one dess!" Kirika exclaimed, pulling off her own mask to summon her own Persona.

"Reap their souls, Van Brunt!"

Emerging from the flames of her discarded mask was a set of ethereal armor with a flaming green skull which was mounted on the back of a horse whose coat and mane were pitch black while the eyes and tips of the mane and legs matched the flaming skull. With a simple point of her finger, Van Brunt shot out a ball of fire at the last standing shadow, knocking it over like the rest before returning to Kirika. "Heh. What pathetic excuses for shadows."

"You're joining in too, Kirika-chan?!" Hibiki asked, surprised by the (pretty obvious) fact that Kirika had her own persona.

But Kirika ignored the question, pulled out a scythe, and looked back at the trio. "Now! Attack as one and finish them off dess!" The others nodded, readying their various weapons and charging at the knocked down shadows with everything they had before jumping back to where they once stood while Kirika struck a pose.

"Rest in Peace!"

The girls looked at Kirika with a confused expression on their faces while Ryuji was catching his breath. "Amateurs..." Kirika muttered as she rolled her eyes.

"How 'bout that?!" Ryuji taunted Shadow Kamoshida. "You're next, Kamoshida!"

"I told you that this is my castle." Kamoshida scoffed. "It seems you still don't understand..."

As if on cue, a girl with blonde hair in two pigtails walked out towards Kamoshida. Much like the "King" she stood next to, she wore a very little amount of clothing. All she wore was a two-piece pink cheetah-print swimsuit, pink slippers, and a tiara with cat ears that matched the colors of her swimsuit. "T-Takamaki?!" Ryuji sputtered while the three girls were flustered by the girl's confidence to wear so little clothing so casually.

"W-Why is Ann-san dressed like that?" Hibiki asked.

"That isn't the girl you think it is dess." Kirika replied. "Much like the slaves we saw, she's a being made from Kamoshida's cognition of her!"

"You're the best, Mr. K!" "Ann" said, cuddling on Kamoshida's arm. "You should get rid of that trash!"

Ryuji stared at "Ann" for a while, only to snap out of his gawking once he registered Kamoshida's arm around her. "Let go of her, you perv!"

"How many times must I tell you until you understand?" Kamoshida sighed. "This is MY castle-a place in which I can do whatever I want. Everyone wishes to be loved by me... That is, everyone besides slow-witted thieves like you." Suddenly, several guards appeared behind Kamoshida. "Get them! I decree the death penalty!"

"We need to leave. Now." Miku said, grabbing Ryuji while the others ran behind them.

"Wait! Takamaki!" Ryuji cried out as they all ran for the nearest exit and returned to reality.

Once out of the Palace, the group caught their breath in the alleyway. "Thank god... We're back." Ryuji exclaimed. "Ugh, I'm dead tired... How're you all holdin' up?"

"I'm fine for the most part." Hibiki said.

"Same." Miku added.

"Well, now that my end of the deal has been held up, it's time for you three to return the favor." Kirika said confidently, only to receive looks of confusion from the others. "I helped you get into the Palace, now you help me out."

"But we already did." Miku said, confusing Kirika. "You promised to take us there if we gave you a place to stay, remember?"

Kirika remembered, and proceeded to facepalm herself. "Dammit Kirika... You had ONE JOB!" She mumbled in her hand.

As this happened, Ryuji and Hibiki's stomachs started to growl loudly. "I forgot... I haven't had anything to eat since lunch." Hibiki said, chuckling nervously.

"Well, it'd be weird splittin' off now, so why don't we grab a bite somewhere?" Ryuji asked.

"Sounds good to me." Miku said as the three started to walk off, which Kirika immediately noticed.

"H-Hey! Wait! What if we made another deal?" Kirika pleaded. "I-I can surely find a way to make it worth your while!"

"Can it wait a day or two, Kirika-chan?" Miku asked. "I think we all need some time to process everything before we make any deals. For now, let's get something to eat."

"But I-"

"I'll pay for your meal if you come with~" Miku bribed.

As badly as Kirika wanted the trio's help, she wasn't about to turn down free food. "Fine... But this isn't over." Kirika said. "I'm not about to let this opportunity pass me by..."

Train station

As the group entered the train to Shibuya to go grab a bite to eat, they ran into a familiar face. "Hibiki-chan! Wassup!" Kanade said. "Figured you were home already. What're you still doin' here?"

"W-Well... A-About that... We-"

"We stayed back to study for a test together in the Library." Miku said, coming up with a lie that she hoped the upperclassmen would believe, which she did.

"It's good to hear you're helpin' Hibiki-chan out, Miku-chan." Kanade said, before realizing Ryuji was with them. "Wow! You even managed to get Ryuji of all people to study? Now THAT is impressive!"

"Hey! I'm not THAT lazy!" Ryuji retorted.

"Suuuure you're not." Kanade teased. "But I digress, what're you three up to now?"

"Just getting something to eat before goin' home." Ryuji said, giving Kanade a fist bump. "I figured we might as well before the four of us split off after studyin' all day."

Kanade did not realize that there was another person with the trio, seeing Kirika behind Miku giving her a confused look. "Friend of yours, Hibiki-chan?" Kanade asked.

"Oh right! I forgot to tell you about Kirika-chan yesterday at practice!" Hibiki realized. "We met her when we were on our way to school yesterday, which is also why I was late..."

"She didn't have a place to stay, so we offered to let her stay at our place until she could find her own." Miku added. "And seeing that she forgot to tell you that much, it's a good thing I convinced Tachibana-san to let her stay." Hibiki chuckled nervously at Miku's death glare.

"Regardless, It's nice to meet ya, Kirika-chan." Kanade said. "Guess I'll get outta your hair then. See you all later!"

"Bye Kanade-san!" Hibiki waved.

"I didn't realize you knew Kanade-san, Ryuji-san." Miku said.

"Yeah. She was one of the few people who would willingly talk to me after my whole incident with Kamoshida." Ryuji said. "But enough about me, I'm curious about your story, Miku."

Hibiki looked worried when Ryuji asked this. "W-Well, you see Ryuji, it's..."

"It's fine, Hibiki." Miku said. "We learned about his past, so it's only fair that I should tell him mine."

"Are you sure?" Hibiki asked, only receiving a confident nod as a response.

Flashback

On the way to the Beef Bowl Shop in Shibuya, Miku explained how she ended up living with Hibiki, by explaining the night she would never forget. She was at home with one of her classmates to study for a test that was coming up that week when she received a call from her mother. "There's no need to worry mom." She said, "Ren-san's a good friend and we're just studying."

"I know you said that honey," Miku's mom said. "But you two are at that age where... You know..."

"Mom. He's just a friend." Miku reiterated. "Besides, I've already told him that I'm a lesbian and he respects that. So there's no way that he'd try anything funny while he's over."

"If that's so, then I'll trust you on that." Miku's mom said. "Your father and I will be home later tonight."

"Alright." Miku said. "I love you."

"Love you to-" Suddenly, Miku's mom's voice was drowned out by the sound of a car horn getting closer and closer before a loud crash was heard as the call dropped.

"What was that noise?" Miku thought. Out of concern, Miku tried to call her mom back, but each time she tried to call, it would just go to voicemail.

"Is everything okay, Miku?" Ren asked, seeing the girl's concerned look as she tried and tried again to call her mother.

"I'm not sure." Miku said. "I thought I heard something before I hung up the call with my mom, but now she's not answering my calls anymore."

"Maybe she's busy?" Ren thought. "I'm sure she'll call you back as soon as she's able to again."

"Yeah... But I can't help but feel uneasy..." Miku said.

"Then how about we get back to studying to get your mind off of it?" Ren joked.

"Fine..." Miku sighed.

For the next few hours, the pair studied together peacefully, stopping every now and then to get snacks and drinks or play some games. Eventually, Miku's phone rang, which the girl did not hesitate to answer, hoping it was her parents returning calling saying they were on their way home. However, this was not the case. When she saw the caller ID, she was met with the number "110." Somewhat worried by this, she answered the phone and was met with the sound of a man's voice. "Is this Miku Kohinata?" The man asked.

"I am." Miku said. "Is everything alright?"

The man sighed over the phone, which did not help with Miku's current worries. "I'm afraid I have some bad news... Mr. and Mrs. Kohinata got into an accident with a driver who was under the influence of alcohol and..."

Miku's eyes widened as she realized what the man was about to tell her. "I see..." She said, lowering her head.

"Seeing as you are a teenager, I would recommend getting in touch with any relatives or friends of your family that may be able to act as your legal guardian. For now, just take it easy. I know this is surely a lot to take in for someone of your age." The man said. "My condolences, Miku-chan…"

"Thank you..." Miku said shakily. "Good night..." Miku hung up her phone and fell to the ground as tears started to form in her eyes.

Once the call was over, Ren noticed the look on Miku's face. "Is everything alright, Miku?" He asked.

"They're gone…" Miku said in a choked up whisper. "My Mom and Dad… They're…" Unable to hold her tears back any longer, she began to cry harder than she ever had in her life.

Ren was shocked to see Miku this upset, but he wasn't going to leave his friend to grieve on the floor. Without hesitation, Ren walked over to Miku and pulled her in for a hug, letting the grieving girl cry into his shoulder for the next half-hour until she calmed down. "I'm so sorry, Miku…" He said, pulling out his phone. "I'll let my parents know I need to spend the night here. It wouldn't be right to leave you alone after news like that."

"Thank you, Ren-san." Miku said as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

Beef Bowl Shop

"After that, Ren-san did everything he could to help me, even going as far as seeing me off at the airport the day I left." Miku said. "Had he not been there for me those days before I moved here, I doubt I'd still be here, if you get what I mean..."

"Oh my god..." Ryuji gasped. "I'm sorry that you had to go through all of that."

"It's fine." Miku said. "I mean, yes, I'm still very upset that they're gone, but I know I can't cry about it forever."

Ryuji was quiet for a moment, before nodding to himself. "That settles it. Food's on me tonight." Ryuji announced as he paid for the bill personally.

"Thank you, Ryuji-san." Miku said.

"It's the least I can do since you guys had my back and all." Ryuji said. "Oh! Before I forget, tell me your number and chat ID so we can keep in touch." With that, the girls and Ryuji exchanged contact info and went their separate ways for the night.

4/13/20XX
Wednesday: Afternoon
Shujin Academy

Today was a Volleyball rally, which meant it was basically a day for everyone to watch the volleyball team face off against the teachers. Once it was over, the students were left to their own devices for the rest of the school day, which was a perfect opportunity for Ryuji and co. to split up and interrogate the volleyball team to get them to confess to abuse.

Hibiki and Ryuji went to talk to the boys while Miku and Kirika went to talk to the girls. Unfortunately, all the former team got out of them were excuses about how they were just receiving rough training for nationals and the injuries had no connection to Kamoshida's abuse. "Dammit! Nobody's willing to talk." Ryuji groaned, punching the wall in frustration.

"They're all afraid of Kamoshida." Hibiki said.

"What's someone like Tachibana doing hanging out with Sakamoto?" A passing by student whispered to their friend.

"Who knows?" The other student said. "But whatever it is, it can't be any good."

"Seems they're more scared of me than him." Ryuji commented. "Let's just hope Miku and Kirika had better luck."

"Speaking of them, let's go find out if they could get any info." Hibiki said, heading to where the group planned to meet up after their investigations.

As the investigations were going on, Ann, Shiho, and Shirabe hung out in one of the side areas away from everyone else. For the most part, the girls just had casual conversations about their lives, until Shirabe noticed new bandages around Shiho's arms. "Is practice too tough, Shiho-san?" She asked. "You really shouldn't work yourself to death for the team."

"Shirabe-chan's right, Shiho." Ann agreed. "You should rest for a while."

"Thanks for your concern, you two." Shiho replied. "But this is my first time as a starter, and I can't afford to fail. So there's no need to worry."

"Okay." Ann said. "Regardless, we'll be cheering you on all the way. Won't we, Shirabe-chan?"

"Of course!" Shirabe added. "I know you're going to do great out there, Shiho-san!"

Suddenly, the trio heard two people walking towards their location. "Is that one of the girls dess?" Kirika asked Miku.

"I think so." Miku replied.

"Perfect!" Kirika said as she walked toward the trio of girls while Miku tried to stop her. "You're on the volleyball team, right? We have a question for you, is it true that Kamoshida-san is abu-"

"Kirika-chan!" Miku said as she pulled Kirika away from the girls. "What are you thinking? You can't start a conversation with a lady like that!"

"But... That's what we're trying to ask, isn't it?" Kirika asked.

Miku pinched the bridge of her nose at Kirika's ignorance. "Just... Leave talking to me this time, okay?"

Kirika rolled her eyes and stepped back. "Floor's all yours dess..."

Miku sighed as she walked back over to the trio. "Sorry about her. She has a tendency to speak without thinking." Kirika scoffed as she heard Miku say this about her.

"It's alright." Shiho replied. "Was there something you wanted to ask?"

Miku cleared her throat before continuing. "Well, you see, there was this rumor floating around about the injuries present on most if not all members of the volleyball team. And we were wondering if Kamoshida-san was the cause of these injuries?"

Shiho became visibly uncomfortable at this question. "That's..."

"You shouldn't trust everything you hear, especially rumors." Ann interjected. "Besides, Shiho's working hard to get to nationals. The last thing she needs is to get involved in some silly rumors."

"Then that's more of a reason not to ignore it dess!" Kirika interjected. "Shiho-san, was it? Wouldn't you be happier getting to nationals without submitting to that jerk?"

"Kirika-chan!" Miku reprimanded.

"Let's go, Shiho. You don't have to listen to this." Ann said, taking Shiho by the hand and walking away. "Come on, Shirabe-chan."

The entire time, Shirabe quietly stared at Kirika and didn't pay attention to any of the conversation until Ann and Shiho started to leave. "O-Okay." She replied, getting up from the bench and following the girls.

As they left, Ryuji and Hibiki showed up, bumping into the girls as they walked by them. "I take it you two didn't have any luck either?" Hibiki asked.

"Nope..." Kirika said. "We tried asking that girl, but her friend decided to be stubborn and took her away before we could get anything."

"Sounds like Takamaki alright..." Ryuji said.

At that moment, Kirika got an idea. "You know, there's an easier way to get Kamoshida to confess to his crimes: Reforming him." Kirika said, piquing the trio's interests. "I'd be more than happy to tell you how, on one condition."

"What do you mean?" Miku asked.

"Before I continue, there is something you must know." Kirika continued. "There's a risk involved with reforming. Worst-case scenario, Kamoshida could die." This immediately turned the group's interest into fear. "Even with that risk, would you still be willing to do it dess?"

The trio looked at one another, unsure of how to respond to a plan that could result in them being responsible for murder. "We can talk about it more tomorrow. It's getting rather late anyway." Kirika said. "I'll give you three time to consider my offer. Think it over carefully before you say yes or no."

11/20/20XX
Interrogation Room

Maria placed a newspaper article about the volleyball team scandal on the table. "Certainly, there's no contradiction. Like it said in the article, the school was covering up physical punishment. You two couldn't get anyone to talk, and that tragic incident happened." Maria said. "Were you involved? Did you have any information beforehand?"

"I didn't... Know anything..." Miku answered, which irritated Maria.

"Are you trying to be evasive? If you're trying to protect someone, it'll all come out in my investigation." Maria said. "Tell me what you know about that incident."

4/13/20XX
Wednesday: After School
Shibuya

The girls walked home from school after saying goodbye to Ryuji for the day. But as they left the station, Miku noticed someone in the corner of her eye and stopped walking. "Eh? Is everything okay Miku?" Hibiki asked.

"Yeah." Miku replied. "There's just something I need to do real quick. I'll see you two back at home."

Hibiki and Kirika looked at one another and shrugged. "See you later I guess!" Kirika said as they continued their walk without her.

Miku waved as they left before turning her full attention to the person she noticed: Ann Takamaki. She was with a group of men and a woman, but walked away from them after one of the men said something to her that she was too far away to hear.

Still feeling bad about what happened earlier at school, Miku decided to follow Ann out of the station. When she caught up with her, she was talking with someone over the phone. "I really don't feel well! It's easy for you to say "right now", but... Wait, what?! That's not what you promised! And you call yourself a teacher?! Shiho has nothing to do with this!" Suddenly, the person calling Ann hung up, which surprised her and also made her very distraught. "Shiho..."

"Ann-san? Is everything alright?" Miku asked, startling Ann when she saw her.

"Were you listening?" Ann asked. "Eavesdropping on others is rude, you know!"

"I-I didn't mean to." Miku replied. "I just wanted to apologize for earlier at school and accidentally overheard your conversation..." Hearing Miku's reason, Ann calmed down and sighed. "Is something wrong?"

"...How much of the conversation did you hear?" Ann asked.

"I heard you arguing with someone, and then you mentioned your friend." Miku said. "I won't ask what it was about if it's too touchy of a subject, but I'm willing to listen if there's something bothering you."

After a moment, Ann looked back at Miku. "If I tell you, will you promise not to tell anyone else?" Ann asked, receiving a nod from Miku. "Then follow me."

Miku followed Ann to a nearby restaurant where they sat down at a table and both ordered a glass of water. "You know the rumors, right? About Mr. Kamoshida?" Ann asked. "Everyone says we're seeing each other. Can't blame them. It probably looks that way." As she said this, she gripped her straw in frustration. "But that couldn't be further from the truth."

"If you don't mind me asking, why did people start saying you two were a couple?" Miku asked.

"He knew Shiho and I were friends. He knew it, and made a proposal." Ann said. "He said he was going to cut Shiho as a starter, but he would reconsider if I did something for him on occasion. Each time he called for me, his requests would get bolder and bolder, always saying it was all for 'Shiho's sake,' so I couldn't refuse."

"That's awful..."

"That was him over the phone earlier." Ann continued. "He told me to come to his apartment alone. I'm sure you know what that means..." When she realized what Ann meant, Miku put a hand over her mouth, disgusted that a teacher would even consider doing that to a student. "I can't do it anymore! I don't wanna do what he says, but Shiho's my best friend. Actually, aside from Shirabe-chan, she's my only friend."

"Ann-san..."

"Tell me, what should I do?" Ann asked, but Miku didn't know how to respond. "Sorry... I shouldn't have asked. It's not your problem... I've barely talked to you before anyways."

"It's fine." Miku said. "I may not have the answer you're looking for. But I'm sure, someday, everything will change for the better. For you and Shiho-san both."

Ann chuckled at Miku's optimism. "I see why Hibiki-chan likes you so much: You put others' worries before your own. You remind me of her and Shiho in that regard." Ann said, grabbing her bag and glass of water as she got up. "Thanks for listening though. I feel a bit better after that."

"You're welcome, Ann-san." Miku replied. "And I promise, I won't tell anyone else about this."

"Thank you." Ann said. "I'm gonna head home now. See you around."

With that, Miku waved Ann goodbye as she left. Once she was gone, Miku decided to get her bag and glass of water and head back home as well.

Shujin Academy

Unknown to the both of them, Kamoshida wasn't about to take Ann's refusal lightly, something Shiho would soon find out personally. "Suzui..." The frizzy haired boy from before said. "Mr. Kamoshida's asking for you... He's in the PE faculty office."

"What did he want?" Shiho asked.

"...I don't know." The boy said. "Well... I have to go."

The boy walked away, leaving Shiho to fear what she knew was coming, but she wasn't alone. "Should I go with you, Shiho-san?" Shirabe asked.

"No." Shiho said. "It's best if you went home now, Shirabe-chan."

Shirabe knew something was wrong, but knew it was probably for the better to listen to her friend. "Okay... See you tomorrow, Shiho-san." The girls parted ways, both with a sense of dread looming over them.

A/N: And with that, we end the chapter.

I'm sure it comes to no one's surprise, but Ryuji's staying as a Phantom Thief in this fanfic. My reason as to why I decided to keep his inclusion as such? I just felt, as far as my inclusion of the OG thieves throughout the fanfic either by mention or by actual inclusion, it wouldn't be right to include Ryuji in the story and not have him be connected to the thieves somehow.

Lastly, as I mentioned over on my other fanfic, Superb Song of the Fate-Defying Valkyrie, I am going to start posting a chapter for each fanfic alternatively every two weeks. As mentioned there, I am doing this so I don't overwork myself while still being able to provide chapters I can be proud of. In short, it may take a little under a month for the next chapter, but I still promise there will continue to be content.

With that out of the way, I thank you all for reading this chapter. I shall see you all in the next one! (And yes, I'll provide info on the girls' personas at the end of the next chapter.)