Ann was slowly panicking. The truth was, she had no artistic skills. She didn't even dare look it up on her phone. She knew she wasn't too smart, but if someone caught the calling card being made on school equipment, the teachers could demand her phone and look at her internet history. Okay, Ann, Shiho and Ren - Rei are counting on you. And I guess Ryuji and Niijima. What do I need? She thought about it. I can probably steal some cardboard and paste from the art room...do any clubs meet there today? She couldn't recall. Screw it, I'll just pay them back if they're there. I'll also need to go to the computer lab. Having settled that in her head, she went back into the school.

And immediately ran right into Kamoshida. He scowled at her. "You've got a lot of nerve…"

Ann gulped. "I just forgot a few things." She glanced around the lobby nervously, but everyone had either left or were in their club rooms.

Then Kamoshida was holding her, his hands resting gently on her rear. "You know...I might be persuaded to forget the whole thing…"

Ann bit her lip, going for 'aroused.' "Well, y'know, Rei's just not into you. I mean, no accounting for taste, right?"

"You'd think he would be," Kamoshida said. Ann tried not to wince. "Just one of those sluts, right?"

She giggled nervously. "Well, maybe, but...well, anyway, I had to get my stuff first, but how about that ride back to your place?"

"Sure thing, Ann-chan," Kamoshida said with a squeeze. "Just remember what happens if you don't. I haven't told Kabayokawa yet about the door, and it can wait…"

"I don't get it." Skull said, kicking a random stone. "Where is everyone?" That was the main question. A few minutes of sneaking around had revealed to the Phantom Thieves that the first floor had been completely abandoned, the Shadows apparently having pulled back up to higher floors to tighten the defenses. The only exception was the stairs in the main hall. While the Shadows were visible there, several fixtures that could have been used to leverage their way up while bypassing the secondary stairs in the back were now rubble. The guards stood above them, watching but not attacking. Skull turned his eyes upward to stare at them. "I don't like it."

Joker frowned in concentration. "Obviously, they want us to take the back stairs. Narrow, there's still a portcullis on that door, and the bare stone echoes wonderfully. Perfect for an ambush."

Queen agreed with the assessment. "Still, we have to get up there and time's short. We have to find what we're looking for before…" she considered how to phrase this part "...our accomplice is in position."

Morgana piped up. "Joker, let's go over what I was going to with you the other day before we got interrupted." He led them to a side hallway. "What's your intuition tell you?"

Joker frowned and narrowed her eyes in concentration. "...there's...a hint of gold, in that vase." She pointed to one of half a dozen of the fixtures through the hall. Morgana leapt over to it and pulled out a small band of yellowish metal wire. "...okay, but how does that help us?"

Morgana grinned. "Gold. Real gold."

"...but it's from the Metaverse," Angel pointed out. "Won't it just...dissolve or something?"

"Nope!" Morgana declared. "Stuff like this is important to people, so it keeps its' reality even if you bring it back to the physical world."

Joker smiled. "Well, that's finances taken care of if we can find someone to launder it…" She sighed. "But how does that help now?"

"Use your sight." Morgana said. "We might find a hidden lever or something."

Another sweep of the floor, much faster, revealed another half dozen or so trinkets, but no levers. She checked her phone. "...We've been here almost twenty minutes in the real world already."

"Wait, for real?" Skull asked. "Feels like hours."

Queen sighed. "Metaphors again. We're moving at 'the speed of thought.' But so are the enemies. No wonder we're so exhausted after every trip. We must have been doing the equivalent of pulling an all nighter."

Joker grinned. "Study session in Mementos tomorrow? We can hit the arcade after and still get to bed early, after all." Skull and Angel both groaned, but Queen looked like she was considering it. Joker shook her head. "Anyway, I have an idea. Queen, you've got a mental map of the school and how it relates to the castle, right?"

"Go away." The door to the art club slammed in Ann's face. She sighed, and knocked again. "Look, Takamaki, we don't need a model today."

Ann tried very hard to smile without baring her teeth in a snarl. She actually succeeded, it was usually just when she opened her mouth that she failed to hide her real feelings. Today, though, the mixture of worry and outrage she was feeling kept it under control. "I'm not here for that. I just needed to borrow some art supplies."

The girl who had opened the door had short hair, and her uniform was perfect, and perfectly regulation, underneath the large smock. "What kind of supplies?"

Ann pulled out a 500 yen coin. "I just need to make a gift card on the school's computer, but I don't think they have any of that fancy paper in the computer lab."

The head of the art club looked like she was about to snort in derision, but the flash of gold caught her attention just as Rei had predicted. "Yeah, okay. I'm pretty sure we've got some card stock in the cupboard somewhere. Not much call for it. Just wait a second."

The door closed again. Ann almost wanted to scream into the tension, but held back right up until Chuono-sensei, the English teacher, popped up right behind her. "Takamaki-san, Kamoshida Sensei said he'd given you strict orders to wait for him outside."

Ann turned around with a soft gulp. "He won't be done with volleyball practice for hours, will he?" The teacher looked decidedly unimpressed. "I just needed to do something."

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Phone." Ann handed it over, grateful that she had never texted any of the Phantom Thieves about….well, anything. Except Shiho, and their friendship was well-known. After a few minutes, the door behind her opened and she gratefully took the card stock, the teacher still obsessively poking away at her phone.

Then she saw Rei coming up the stairs, Makoto close behind, and tried very hard not to give anything away. They looked at her, smiled, and vanished. Ann couldn't help it. She gasped, and Chuono-sensei glanced over her shoulder. "What? What is it?"

"Nothing, nothing!" Ann said, a give-away sing-song tone to her voice. But, well, there was literally nothing to see, so eventually the phone was handed back to her.

At the top of the stairs, two guards in golden armor stared down at the little minx who had suddenly waltzed in the other day and become the head of the guard. "Look, it's the perfect trap. Those damn thieves have to come through here. The watch on the balconies already reported they're ransancking the first floor. That's fine, we moved all the important stuff up here."

One of the guards grunted at her. "Yeah, well, why don't you get back to the harem where you belong, runt?"

"Excuse me?!" The Rei cognition put her hands on her hips defiantly. "King Kamoshida put me in charge."

"And so far…" The other said "...you've failed to stop them. So why should we listen to you?"

The girl still technically in charge made a gesture and lightning bolts dropped from the sky. Turning to walk away, from the scorched, slightly smoking creatures, she snorted. "Shadows. Can't live with'em, can't get decent replacements."

The two Shadows slowly regained life over the next few minutes, sitting up and looking at each other. "Bitch." One said.

It hardly mattered which one, because suddenly Joker was behind them, with her hands under their face masks. "That's 'Miss Bitch' to the likes of you." Skull had his shotgun pointed directly at the backs of their heads, while Angel had her spear high and poised to strike. It was all over in seconds. "Right, casual misogyny aside, we're in. Thanks Queen."

Morgana shook his head. "I'd have never thought of using the Nav as a teleporter."

Queen looked thoughtful. "More like a wormhole. We took a shortcut through the intervening space in the Metaverse using the real world. It was just lucky everyone was busy in clubs. That was a real risk, Joker. We can't use it very often."

Morgana nodded. "Plus we can't count on every Palace having such a straightforward relationship to the real world. Usually the deeper you get, the greater the distortion is and the less you can rely on the idea."

"Right." Joker shrugged. "We're good for now, anyway." They crept down the hallway, only to find a dead end. For about two seconds, but then she found a brick in one wall loose. "...wow. That other me's really determined."

Angel frowned. "What does it mean?"

Queen rolled her eyes. "Kamoshida put up this wall in a hurry."

Skull grinned. "Time to show what I can do. CAPTAIN KIDD!" The pirate appeared, riding his ship. Joker's eyes widened as, seemingly in slow motion, Kidd lined up his canon with the wall and fired. She forced herself to keep her eyes open, despite the choking clouds, until it cleared enough that she could see. ...well I'll be damned. While there were Shadows waiting on the other side, they apparently hadn't been expecting an explosive assault. Joker quickly capitalized on it, charging through and ripping off their masks before they could recover. She rolled through, landing on her feet...and froze.

The shrunken little things were humanoid shaped, red skinned and with an oversized head. The little devil horns gave their hungry expressions teeth, and their tails lashed in anticipation, but what drew Rei's attention was the appendage between their legs, a giant horn.

"A-Adler!" Rei tried to shout, but she couldn't feel her Persona's presence. She suddenly felt weak, as if something vital were being drained from her in their presence.

"Weak little girl," one of them hissed, drawing closer.

"NOREA!" came the shout from Angel. "Banish them!" Heavenly light opened up from above as the image of the divine messenger appeared between Rei and the Incubi. They screeched and fell to the ground while Joker managed to recover.

Joker pulled out her gun in one swift motion and put a bullet in each of their heads, finishing them. Then, for good measure, she put one between each pair of legs before reloading. "Th-thanks Angel."

Queen and Skull gave each other a significant look. "Joker, if you want we can handle the rest." Skull said, surprising Queen by beating her to the punch.

Joker shook her head. "No way. I just wasn't expecting that." She looked to Morgana. "Any other unpleasant surprises like that potentially on the way?"

Morgana shrugged. "Not sure what you're talking about, but if you can imagine it there's probably a Shadow somewhere that looks like it. We don't have time for another rest day, so if you're not sure, maybe you can wait in the courtyard of the top level of the subway station."

Joker stopped to seriously consider it. "No." Her voice was more sure now. "I can't make anyone do anything I won't do myself. Besides, I'm going to have to face Kamoshida's Shadow at some point. Compared to that…"

Queen frowned. "Joker, if you freeze again…"

Joker shook her head. "I don't think I will." She reached into her jacket, and found what she was looking for. Three of the macaroons, looking a little shrunken, fell out of a plastic bag. Joker greedily ate each one in rapid succession, then followed it with the contents of a sealed thermos. "...there. Much better."

Unlike the school clubs, the computer lab was open after school, in theory for students who couldn't afford their own personal computers. In practice, the school didn't use the national internet infrastructure for schools. Since that meant that almost all of the teachers still required all work be hand-written, the lab had been turned into a place to goof off. It would probably have been worse if the computers had been any more up-to-date, but Shuujin was in Tokyo, so the fiber connection was exploited without mercy even if the computers themselves weren't.

Of course, they required individual student logins. Ann couldn't even remember hers, so she'd need a distraction. She looked for something, anything she could use, when of all the ridiculous things Mishima limped right into her. They both fell back onto the ground. "Oww!" Ann cried, then snapped her mouth shut.

Mishima looked at her. "What brings you down here?"

Ann laughed. "Oh, you know…" She frowned. "Uhm...I needed to do something, but - "

"Kamoshida was muttering about you." Mishima said nervously. "He was . . . well, I don't wanna talk about it."

Ann gulped. "Yeah...there's something I needed to do to get out of that, but I don't remember my password."

There was a very long pause. "...how bad?"

"Excuse me?"

"How bad do you want it?" Mishima asked. "And how big is it likely to get me in trouble?"

"Uhm...not very?" Ann said.

Mishima nodded. "Okay, but I want a selfie with you."

It didn't take Ann very much effort to see why - the prettiest, most exotic girl in school, plus a model besides? Yeah, for the little nerd that would be months of bragging rights. She tried very hard not to grit her teeth. "Okay, but not here or now, all right?"

Mishima grinned sheepishly. "Okay, sure thing. You're in a hurry. Just remember, if you don't pay up I can always tell the teachers about this conversation. And I can wipe my own history. Seriously, the school doesn't care at all about the computers."

Ann followed Mishima in, waited for him to log in, then got to work looking online for just the right font.

Queen's earlier estimate proved to be reasonably accurate. The group were able to move from shadow to shadow, ambushing enemies as they went. As Morgana had predicted, unlike the first floor the second proved to be much more extensive than the school. Queen tried to keep a mental map of the place going.

Unfortunately, after three turns, and opening a door to a library that was twice as long as the hallway they had just turned off of, she was forced to concede defeat. "...it's bigger on the inside." The room had a plush red carpet, multiple fireplaces, and several busts of Kamoshida sitting in front of pillars.

Joker perked up at Queen's comment. "Wait, you watch that show?" On seeing Queen's confusion, Joker couldn't hide her disappointment. "Damn. I heard a rumor they were gonna change the main character to a woman a couple of years ago. I already knew Engli-sorry." That last was when everyone was glaring at her. "Anyway, there's probably something important in here." She glanced around, but saw no Shadows lurking. "Okay, we're good. Spread out."

They did as instructed, Joker electing to keep watch over the room as a whole with Morgana while Skull, Queen, and Angel started looking over the titles. Skull snarled first. "Damn, there's a book here with my name on it. Big one." Joker gave Morgana a sidelong glance, and the cat spirit nodded. Joker opened up the book to read it. "Wow...this is some of the worst handwriting I've ever seen." She got more glares for that one. "Sorry." She went back to reading. "Yep, looks like every thought he's ever given to Skull is catalogued here. It's all pretty jumbled, though. If I didn't know better, I'd say he's obsessed."

Angel gulped. "Uhh...here's one for Ann."

Morgana immediately perked up. "Hey, what's in it? It might be a clue."

Joker shook her head. "We know what it says. Put it back." Morgana made a noise of protest, but Joker snarled. "Put it back, Angel. I refuse to be part of that kind of voyeurism." Angel - reluctantly - returned it to the shelf. Joker sighed. "If you really want to read your own book, knock yourself out, but no one else's, okay. Sorry for peeking into yours, Skull."

Skull shrugged nonchalantly. "Hey, it's cool. We didn't know."

"Is it really that bad, Joker?" Queen asked. "After all, it's just a record of Kamoshida's thoughts."

Joker nodded. "It is. It's not just his thoughts, it's also his memories. Not all of his victims are going to want to be exposed, even if he admits guilt and goes to prison. Hell, some of them might have been willing, even if they were underage at the time. We're not looking for proof of wrongdoing anymore, so there's no point."

Queen nodded. "Now that you spell it out like that, I suppose I can't argue." She lifted another book off the shelf. "On the other hand, this one's about the Olympics." When Joker, hesitantly, nodded her assent, Queen opened it up. "Let's see...it says...ouch." She coughed. "'I just got told that the final's my last game. Coach said I'm slowing down, and in four years I'm not going to be able to play at this level. There's no assistant coach positions, so I'm done…'" She skipped ahead a bit. "There's a discussion of the injuries inflicted on the other team during the match, then…'I like it. The thrill of victory, bringing defeat and misery to the opposition. If I train harder…'" She shook her head. "Even back then…"

Skull pounded his fist into his hand. "It's fucking volleyball, not martial arts like you guys. He was causin' fouls even back then?"

Morgana mrowled softly. "Even if Joker's safety weren't on the line, we'd have to take this guy down."

Angel frowned. "How does any of this help us?"

Joker shook her head. "I'm not sure it does. But there's nowhere else to go right now, so keep looking. Anything out of place, especially."

There was some more browsing. Joker tried to glance around to see if her intuition pointed anything out, but other than some loose silver coins (which she promptly pocketed) there wasn't anything. Skull pulled one out. "Hey, Angel, here's yours."

Joker frowned. "Wait, are there any other girls on that shelf?"

Skull spent a good, long time looking. "Doesn't look like it. Guess this one was misfiled."

Queen immediately exclaimed "No, it was intentionally put there. I bet if we find where it goes it'll...well, it'll do something."

Morgana smirked. "Open up a secret passage, probably. There's always a secret passage in old castles like this."

A little more rummaging revealed another book out of place. Queen discovered, among the books about Kamoshida, there was one with gold lettering on the spine. "Ren Amamiya." Seeing Rei go pale, she said "Well, he's using the right kanji for a girl, even if it's your old name. Does he know you're trying to change it?"

"...the teachers all do, probably," Rei said, closing her eyes tightly. "...doesn't matter except it's in the wrong spot. Put it with the other one." Queen obeyed silently. Another moment later, Angel had found another book.

Queen looked down at the collection with apprehension. "Are we sure this is a good idea? Reshuffling Kamoshida's memories may have unpredictable effects in here."

"...well, it's either that…" Skull said slowly "...or we find another weak wall to bust through."

Joker nodded to Skull. "Okay. Easy enough to put them on the right shelves." Morgana grabbed one, Queen another, and Angel a third. Joker pulled her gun out and pointed it at the doorway. "In case this sets something off. Skull, with me." She waited a moment for the others to get in position. "Queen, gun out. Angel, you don't have a firearm yet, and Morgana's is two handed. Ready?" With a chorus of agreements, Joker added "Now!"

As soon as the last book slammed home, the Palace shook as if in an earthquake. Dust and loose pebbles tumbled down from the ceiling while Morgana and Skull were knocked off their feet. Angel went down a second later, and then the door burst open. No suits of armor this time - the Shadow had the form of an angel, resplendent in armor. It had to sidle through the door, and Skull wasted no time opening up with his submachine gun. Joker added her own shots to the mix, carefully taking aim for the head in the hopes of forcing it to look away. Amazingly, it seemingly ignored the bullets and took flight once it was in the room. "Slaves and Servants, bow before the great Kamoshida."

Queen's answer was one last shot. When it also bounced off the Archangel's armor, she reached up to her mask. The Archangel stretched out his hand in an imperious gesture, and blades filled the room, ripping through the air and clothing. Cries of agony filled the library as the thieves collapsed. The Archangel floated gently to Joker, lifting up her chin. "Poor, damned soul. Repent and serve." Joker tried to raise one hand.

"CAPTAIN KIDD!" Skull's cry came with a lightning bolt that knocked the Shadow to one side. "I...ain't gonna serve no one! And neither. Is. REI!"

Joker grinned. "ADLER!" Another lance of plasma finally shocked the Shadow and sent it to its' knees. Queen was quick to capitalize, putting her revolver to the back of its' head. To ensure the threat was clear, she wedged it between the angel's helmet and breastplate. Joker stood up and looked it in the eyes. "I will never. Bow. To Kamoshida. Now, you are going to serve me, got that?"

"A...as thou wishes, dark one. Hopefully this will one day lead you to redemption. I am Thou."

"Thou art I." Joker accepted the spirit into her soul. Then she looked around as a bookshelf slid into the wall and aside. "...Who's next."

The corruption of this one to your justice will be fun… Rei tried to ignore Adler's whisper for the moment.

Kamoshida Suguru was having a good day. Takamaki was finally going to put out, he could probably pressure Suzui back onto the team...and also to put out, really. Maybe a threesome. Then there was Amamiya, who'd come around. In hindsight, he'd pushed the newhalf too hard. Fresh conviction, new city, probably a breakup. He knew from the files she'd had a boyfriend, so that couldn't be it.

He remembered the one time he'd made the mistake of coming on to an actual lesbian, and he'd nearly lost his job. She'd taken the deal, gotten out of the club, and no fuss. Girl hadn't been stupid, she'd threatened to go to the cops. Kabayokawa didn't tolerate "deviants" in "his" school, but that kinda thing was fine as far as Suguru cared. At least as long as it didn't affect his little minions.

And speaking of that, he noted appreciatively that one particular rumor he'd had Mishima plant online had succeeded way past any plans he had made. A few of the first-year girls hoping to try out for the team had surreptitiously replaced their gym bloomers with bikini bottoms. Rather tight ones. Even one of the third-years (Ito, he thought) who hadn't made the team last year had returned to the club with the non-standard uniform item. Might actually have to give the twerp some credit. Maybe I'll put him at the end of the rotation for a game. It'll just show him he's not ready for the big time, but hey, if the abuse he goes through didn't prove that to him he might just be good for something.

Still, as much as he'd enjoy it, Kamoshida realized that this might be pushing things a little farther than he should. Locker rooms, car backseats, and his apartment were one thing. Out in the gym going that far would lead to a cell phone vid getting out on the net.

Kamoshida thought that over for another moment. Well, he'd never actually told the girls they couldn't. No need to embarrass them by calling them out if no one had noticed. He'd talk to them after the club practice and before the team stayed after. If someone got a video today, well, that was enough of a fig leaf.

He blew his whistle and called out another drill. As his subjects lined up to do his bidding, Kamoshida let his mind wander again. That wasn't a big deal, really. He could run the kids through this in his sleep, and it was a little early in the year for the special training. At least in the club - the competition team was mostly returning students. He'd have his fun later.

Sakamoto. Now that was something he'd been looking forward to for awhile. He'd been fun just after the 'accident' but the truth was the routine was getting old. It was long past time to clean house on that account. Niijima was a nice piece of ass, but….yeah, prosecutor's sister, not touching that one.

Not that he'd object if she touched him. Plausible deniability. That was what it was all about. Well, that and results. The fun wasn't the reason he was so hard on the team, after all. Pushing them and eliminating the weak was the only way to get the best team possible out of this pool of losers.

The next section was a maze of twisty little passages, all alike. Rough hewn passages with torches in sconces along the wall turned endlessly back on themselves in truly impossible ways, leaving the teens confused and disoriented almost instantly. "Where the heck are we?" Skull asked.

Rei groaned. "If I had to guess, the part of his mind dedicated to self-justification. It'll probably be a shortcut to the upper levels if we can get ourselves unlost."

Morgana snorted. "It's not usually that simple...but I don't have any better ideas, so let's go with it."

They crept onwards, but no Shadows bothered them in this place. Evidently either Kamoshida's Shadow didn't know about it, or he was counting on time to finish them off. They started to slowly chew their way through the snacks in their infinite pouches simply to keep their energy up, until finally Rei spotted a torch whose flame didn't seem right. She reached up, twisted it, and the wall opened to reveal a nightmare.

There were silhouettes of girls everywhere, wearing only their gym bloomers. That wasn't a euphemism, the 'girls' were like three-dimensional cutouts in black, changing so that, no matter what angle you looked at them from, they looked like a cardboard cutout of a girl with the only color being their single garment. The worst part was the sounds. They were moaning in ecstasy, nameless and faceless, just pleasure.

Except in the middle of the room. The Rei Cognition was sitting in the middle, her eyes glazed over and squirming in place. Joker blinked, then squinted, looking her over more closely. The short skirt made it perfectly clear that she was either a cisgirl or putting up with some rather extreme discomfort to make that costume work. Joker could honestly relate to that in her own outfit. The other thing was that, rather than the completely ridiculous proportions she had sported during the first attack, now she was...well, not quite as slim as the real thing, she was more or less what Joker was hoping to look like at some point. The Cognition looked like she wanted to say something, but then something momentarily seized her and she let out a moan that was eerily similar to the faded images around her.

Queen looked like she wanted to be violently ill. Joker snapped her eyes to Morgana. "What's going on?"

Morgana's eyes were wide. "Kamoshida must have tossed her in here. You're just one more girl to break now."

Skull snorted. "Well, good riddance. Maybe we won't get any more stupid traps."

Angel seemed unconvinced. "But...she's so real. Are you sure she's...okay?"

"Well, she was created to be a special girl by Kamoshida's mind. I'm guessing a lot of girls get something like that spot. There's still that Ann wandering around…" Joker shrugged.

The Cognition's eyes seemed to lock on Joker's. "No! Please! Don't leave me here!"

Joker's eyes narrowed. "What?"

"I…" The Cognition swallowed. "I don't want to...to be this."

Joker snarled. "You tried to do it to me! Why shouldn't I just leave you to it?"

'Rei' whimpered. "I can feel it creeping into my head….no thoughts but His Majesty, and...and...you know." She closed her eyes, shivering. "Please...not like this…"

"...how do we know you won't just turn on us to try to get back into Kamoshida's good graces?" Joker asked.

There was another voice in her head. Do not be deceived. This is not even a Shadow, just a piece of the Palace. It will try to lead you astray.

Joker glanced at her friends, then at the Cognition again. "...how would I get you out without being caught myself?"

"Just...just open the door over there." 'Rei' said. "I can't touch it, but…" Joker shivered, looking over her double. She gasped, realizing that there was a flash of red underneath that short yukata.

"I guess. Will the room do anything to us?"

'Rei' shook her head. "I...I don't think so. Not if you're just here for a few minutes. Besides, you're human, I'm not. Maybe a few days, or if Kamoshida were in here to influence you…"

Morgana nodded. "So, no. Not as long as we have our Personas."

"Always be kind." Joker said, cutting off any further attempts to argue. She stepped into the harem and up to the door. "I don't know what you are, or even if you're real or just a really good guess at how I'd be. I'd rather not take the chance you're alive in some sense." She opened the door, and in a flash the Cognition was gone.

Queen swallowed. "Was that the right call?"

"Probably not," Joker said. Then she looked down. There was a sheet of paper and a small skeleton key. She picked up the former, looking at it. "A map…"

A voice called out. "You need to go back the way you came." It said. "The map will lead you to the Shrine under the library. That key will open the door to the Shrine, and the Shrine contains an elevator that will bypass my protections on the top floor."

Skull groaned. "It's a trap. It's gotta be."

"Maybe," Joker said. "But it's more than we had a moment ago."

The map was true to its' giver's word. While the maze turned out to have absolutely no relationship to the rest of the Palace, the various exits were labeled. And the one for 'the Shrine' (apparently the emphasis was required) led to the correct place. Joker swallowed, and looked to Angel. "Need a time out?"

It was like something out of a horror film, the kind about an obsessive stalker. There were books everywhere, pulled from the library to be perused within the room. On the floor candles were laid out in a pattern Joker didn't immediately recognize. There was a single chair in one corner, but at the others were stocks. There were faint bloodstains in the holes for prisoners, making it clear the occupants, at least sometimes, struggled for their freedom. Strewn about the place were whips, riding crops, and other devices which Queen recoiled from. And, on every wall, were multiple pictures of Rei and Shiho, in between the banners of King Kamoshida.

Joker walked in and picked up a book. Adler? she queried the spirit in her head. I'm curious. Do you know anything I don't?

The spirit's reply was delayed, as though it were considering its' answer. I was born from the desire in thy heart to take vengeance on the society that rejects thee, she finally said. But yes, like the other spirits of this castle, I was shaped from the Sea of Souls. I do not know all, but I know all things from that which inspired you to create me and don my mask would, which includes things thou dost not.

Joker looked nonplussed. The Marquis de Sade?

A figure more prominent in Western culture. He is a proponent of finding gratification in the pain of others.

Joker put the book back down, her eyes narrowing. "Something's wrong. No way Kamoshida reads Western writers like this."

Queen glanced at the title. "I'm surprised you know about it."

"I could say the same," Joker shot back. "Anyway, which of us is the biggest perv isn't the point. I don't think we're the only ones messing around in here." Everyone looked at her. "No, really. Kamoshida Suguru, the master strategist and engineer who can convert his whole home into a deathtrap in a day? Kamoshida, with a library that's for more than just show? Does that really fit this guy?"

Skull snorted. "No way. Now that ya mention it, he's more the army of minions, Dark Lord type."

"I hate to agree with Skull," Morgana said, "But that's not bad reasoning. It also kinda matches up better with how things were when I was captured. All this evil mastermind stuff is new."

"But who'd do that?!" Angel asked. "Who in their right minds would make Kamoshida worse?"

Joker sighed. "I don't know…"

Queen glanced around. "There's one obvious answer. If no one in their right mind would do it, then what about someone not in their right mind?"

"...no." Joker said after some thought. "That assumes that there's someone who can get to the Metaverse and is crazy. Unless you know something, Morgana?"

Morgana sighed. "All this craziness started with that Cognition of you, Joker. I've never seen anything like it."

Queen gave Morgana a hard look. "You're sure it's a Cognition."

"Positive!" Morgana shouted. "I think I know that much! It's just...she's not behaving anything like one anymore. And the changes to the Palace...this shouldn't be possible. People can't change this quickly unless there's something I'm not seeing."

"Think!" Joker shouted. "Morgana, we're counting on you!"

Morgana winced. "I'm sorry. I...it's definitely a Cognition…"

Joker sighed. "...could it be someone else's Cognition, somehow?"

"I don't think so." Morgana said.

Queen shook her head. "We don't have enough information. How relevant is this?"

"Same problem. Until we know who else is here, and whether they're connected to that Cognition, we won't know." Joker said.

Skull hit his palm with a fist. "Then does it matter? We still gotta get that Treasure today. Time's wasting!"

Angel turned around. "I found the key, and this…" She held up a solid gold eye.

Joker's eyes went wide at the latter. "I could kiss you."

Angel made a face. "Please don't. No offense, but…" Then she stopped, and blushed visibly even with the mask covering most of her face. Joker giggled, then her attention turned to the one thing everyone had avoided paying attention to, the giant picture of Kamoshida in the center of the wall opposite the main entrance. "...Do you want me to?" Angel asked. Joker couldn't bring herself to look at the image directly. She nodded. Angel felt around the edges, and eventually the painting swung open, revealing another passage behind it. "Well...here's our elevator."

The elevator, with the key, had opened at the bottom of a tower with an extended staircase going up into the void. There were four marble pillars at seemingly random points, showing even less concern for the laws of physics than the rest of the castle. Morgana took one look at it and declared "We're getting close. Any reality that makes sense starts breaking down as you get deeper into the subconscious." Another look around revealed that the entrance had been outright collapsed. The usual details the castle sported, such as the busts of Kamoshida or other decorations, were completely absent.

Queen assessed the room. "As long as we keep an eye on the staircase and the upper floors, we're probably fine," she said. "There's nowhere to ambush us from, and so far the Shadows have mostly played lip service to the laws of physics. We should probably rest a few minutes for the final push."

Joker shivered suddenly. Angel glanced at her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Seriously, you okay for this?"

"I…" Joker reached into her pack and pulled out the thermos, taking another long pull. "I'll have time to be traumatized later," she said after wiping some liquid from her mouth. Everyone take five, grab some drinks and a snack if you want. Looks like we've got a hike ahead."

Queen and Angel gave each other a look from behind their masks. Morgana caught it with a tilt of the head. "What?

Queen sighed. "Trauma doesn't work like that. Joker, you know what will happen if you freeze again. We really do need to be sure." Joker looked ready to take another pull from her thermos. "Oh, honestly, what's in that thing? You're acting like an alcoholic with booze. I already said no booze."

Joker grinned. "Chief's coffee."

Queen was about to go on ahead as if she'd assumed that whatever it was it couldn't be that good. Then her jaw snapped shut. Finally, she asked. "How many did you bring?"

Joker laughed and tossed her a second thermos. "Enough for everyone to have one."

"No thanks." Skull said. "No offense, I prefer fizzy drinks." As if to punctuate his point, he pulled out a cola and downed it in one go. Joker just rolled her eyes and tossed him a small baggie. Skull eyed it, then pulled out the slightly squished tart.

Joker sighed. "It's still good."

Skull shrugged and ate it, gingerly reaching in to try to avoid getting the sticky fruit on his fingers. As soon as he bit down into it, his eyes widened. "Hey, this chick stuff's actually really good!"

"It should be." Joker got smug. "I was only gonna base my chance to fund this operation off my profits from it in an actual restaurant." She turned and dug deep into her pocket again. "Got enough for everyone, 'cept me." Joker was so focused on that that she failed to notice when the faint shadows cast by the room's pillars turned solid and flowed along the floor towards her. "Gotta lose some weight, apparently." The shadows coalesced into a shape behind her, growing into nothing so much as a large pile of Shadow-stuff. The color turned a sickly green color, like some kind of a demented pudding. Queen was about to call a warning when her attention was inevitably drawn to the shape it was taking, its' own substance continually turning from beneath and pouring out from the top in two impossibly symmetrical piles. Skull immediately recognized the shape and tried to not lose his lunch. A task that grew infinitely harder when it grew teeth. Angel shrieked. "...geez, I'm not that fat yet, am I?" Joker meant it as a bit of a joke, but then she finally noticed the light shifting. She spun around, and immediately recognized what it was before it bit at her.

Minus the teeth, she had something very much like it, after all.

Joker flipped backwards out of the way. "I should have known. I should have known," she snarled, pulling out her weapons. "I should have known there would be something like you lurking around here." Queen pulled out her own gun, but Joker shook her head. "No way. This one's mine."

"By all means," the slime said. The sheer incongruity of a slime actually talking caught Joker off guard. "You're nice and ripe for the taking, after all."

Joker screamed, this time in fury. "Come forth, my other self!" she shouted, her eyes turning completely yellow as Adler burst from her back. In a storm of fury, lightning danced among a cloud of light and shadows, destructive energy swirling around the monster. Any other Shadow they had encountered thus far save Kamoshida's would probably have crumpled before it.

Which was why, when the monster seemed none the worse for wear as the magic dissipated, Joker could only stare as it slammed into her, engulfing her in a disgusting ooze that seemed to crawl around her, trying to find its' way into her catsuit. Joker tried everything she knew, but in the end she'd trained to fight things with skeletons. No matter how she wriggled around, there was no leverage. When she pushed against one part of the ooze, it would simply push elsewhere and she was left to float again. "Oooh, a fighter. I like that. Makes it all the sweeter when you break in two." It started to squeeze down on Joker as she tried vainly to scramble out of the living fluid.

Angel stabbed the thing right next to Joker's neck, and it let go. Joker gasped in a breath she didn't know she was holding while Skull circled around to one side, unloading two shells into it. Joker finally slid out, coughing, while Johanna appeared and rammed into the side of the stuff before vanishing.

Joker half snarled, half giggled as Adler reappeared to start slicing at the beast with her heels. "Right, no magic...hehehe." The laughter was just slightly unhinged as Morgana summoned Zorro and the masked knight slashed repeatedly into the thing from another angle. The laughter choked off as it started to just flow back together again.

Then Captain Kidd was behind it with his enormous cannon. "Pull yourself back together from this." Skull and his Persona declared simultaneously. Kidd fired. The ground floor was suddenly covered in pale green mucus.

Joker made a face. "Break over." She tried vainly to pick some slime out of her hair. "This is gonna be Hell to explain to the Chief."

The climb was just as long as Joker feared, and it seemed to be infinite. "Morgana?"

The cat looked up at her. "Yes, Joker?"

Joker took a deep breath. "If I turn around and look down, will it turn out we're on the ground floor?"

"...it's...a possibility," Morgana admitted.

Joker took another deep breath. "If that happens, what would be going on, and would we lose any progress?"

Morgana frowned. "That would be a cognitive trap. Something the subconscious mind of the Palace does to keep people from getting to the Treasure. Either there's a Shadow or Cognition keeping it in place, or some kind of mental state that keeps people who aren't thinking right out."

Skull uttered a word that made everyone blush. "How're we supposed to get past that?"

Joker reached into her pouch. "...maybe it's got something to do with this." She pulled out the golden eyeball. "Why would the Cognition give this to me?"

"Joker," Queen said. "It might be a trap."

Joker nodded. "But we're not getting anywhere unless we can figure this out, and from where I'm sitting it's our only clue." She examined it. "An eye sees…" she twisted it around, until she noticed a small peephole. She started to lift it to her eye. "...Queen, if I start acting weird…"

Angel opened her eyes wide. "No way. Pass it over." Joker glared at her. "Joker, you're the leader, and…" She swallowed. "Rei, I can't let you take all the risks. Kamoshida...if I'd been stronger...if Shuujin's students had been stronger, you'd never have gone through that. So, please, it's my turn to do what I should have."

Joker frowned. "Eyes are the windows to the soul," she pointed out. "If this is a trap it could seriously eff you up."

"I'm screwed anyway," Angel said. "Toss it here." Joker hesitated another moment, then threw it to her. Angel looked through it. The stairway warped, and but it still seemed infinite...until she noticed a cord hanging down the middle. She followed it down, until she saw "...hey, there's a lift right next to us!"

"You sure?" Joker asked.

Angel grinned. "Right there. Two foot jump." Joker was about to say something about it still possibly being a trap, when Skull whooped and ran the three steps to make the leap. And he landed in midair. Angel grinned. "Okay, let's go."

Ann glanced left and right. The alley led to the small paid parking lot, with Kamoshida's car less than a block from the school. There was the unattended pay station, the barriers that would puncture the tires if you tried to drive off without paying, and no one around. Then she looked up.

Security cameras. Of course. Crap. She looked again. Still no one around. She pulled her hair out of its' customary pigtails. Still blonde and wearing the Shuujin uniform. No good...She would pay for this later. She pulled a pair of scissors out of her bag, and quickly turned her school jersey into a cutoff. Then, with a horrible blush, she glanced around again to make absolutely sure no one was coming before she pulled her skirt off completely, then tied the blazer around her waist after turning it inside out. There, now I look like a fetish schoolgirl instead of a real one. Just gotta hope no one catches me.

From there it was remarkably simple. Saunter up to the car, open the door like she belonged there, then drop the card on the seat, close it, and walk away. The second she was out of view of the cameras, she had her skirt and blazer back on, the later buttoned up to hide the damage to her shirt.

It was a few seconds later when she realized that Kamoshida would be coming out soon. If he saw the condition of her clothes. Crap crap looked around, but the only thing that got her attention was her phone buzzing. She opened up the home screen to try to silence it, but all she saw was an app she didn't recognize. She opened it and found it was a nav app. With voice control. And then she heard whistling from around the corner. "Oh, I hope this works...Kamoshida, Shujin, Castle."

And the world changed.

Stepping off the elevator, Joker immediately spotted the huge door. It was carved wood, and at least three stories tall. The only thing that gave away that they were still in the Palace were the two painted statues of girls in gym bloomers, without heads or anything below the thighs. "Okay, that'll be it."

Skull shrugged and walked up to the giant doors, only to discover they were locked. He shrugged. "Can't say I didn't see that coming." Everyone looked to the statues, which were not designed to prevent climbing.

Spending a great deal of effort on not thinking about what their hands were touching, everyone quickly made their way to the top of one of the statues, and through a convenient window into a throne room. When they did, they immediately heard Kamoshida's voice. "The wench escaped. Those Thieves are probably on their way here even now! What are you going to do about it?!"

Joker slipped back against the wall, out of view of the lower area, and hissed. "Wonderful. What are we going to do?"

"We'll need a distraction," Queen answered.

Joker shook her head. "How?! The only thing left we haven't hit is the main treasure vault, and there's nowhere else to look."

Angel glanced down. "We don't actually have to go through the throne room. As long as he stays down there, why don't we just grab the Treasure when it appears and sneak out the way we came?"

"...it seems awfully simple," Morgana said uncertainly.

Queen and Joker shrugged at each other. "Well, the simple plans are usually best…" Queen finally said. "I know the metaphor requires a daring plan, but we've been winging it this whole time because of the urgency of our schedule. If we had a few more days…"

Joker signaled them to move on. No one below noticed as they crept quietly along the balcony, and into the room beyond. "Bless me bagpipes!" Joker slipped briefly into English with something that was probably supposed to be a Scottish accent. Everyone gave her a weird look. "Sorry, just kinda slipped….I mean, look at it!" The room wasn't far removed from a cartoon bank vault, except that it wasn't as obviously deep. A massive pile of gold. "...okay." Joker said quietly. "We won't have much time when the Treasure appears. Don't touch any of it until that shows up and we're ready to move, just in case, then everyone grab a handful of gold while I deal with the main target. We'll discuss the split later."

Kamoshida felt his annoyance growing as he walked toward his car. No Amamiya, no Ann, no Shiho….he considered offering that Ito girl a ride home, but it was too late to call her into the office. Same with Mishima for some therapeutic 'extra training', but he'd thought he'd need his strength. Especially with Amamiya. Damn that one was strong, and she'd probably be a beast once she finally gave in. If she did - signs weren't looking good. And punching that one out wasn't a good idea. There's fierce, and there's 'snuck a martial arts weapon into school and knows how to use it.' He'd caught her by surprise today, but that wouldn't happen again.

Except that his car door was slightly ajar. He glanced left and right, and saw no one. He walked around the car as well, but the only thing was an envelope on the seat. He opened it and read.

Kamoshida Suguru of Shujin Academy,

For too long the students under your protection have instead been prey for your twisted lusts. The Phantom Thieves of Hearts have seen what you have done, and what you were going to do to those who couldn't fight back. We will take those twisted desires and force you to confess your sins.

The Phantom Thieves of Hearts

He crumpled it up and was about to throw it over his shoulder when he immediately felt dizzy.

Waiting was by far the worst part. At first, the Phantom Thieves resolved themselves to simply crouch in concealment, but hours seemed to stretch on into infinity. It was Queen who first realized the problem. "The longer we do nothing, the slower time seems to get...which means we're actually waiting longer."

"Go to sleep, and wait for the good news?" Angel asked.

Joker nodded. "Except we can't." She sighed. "Phones don't work while the Navigator's running, either, so we can't take turns with distracting ourselves that way."

Skull shrugged. "More snacks? I know time always passes when I'm eating."

Joker shook her head. "Don't know if we'll have enough supplies to get out. We'd better save them."

However, at that moment the distraction of the conversation proved to be all that was necessary, because Morgana froze. Golden fog started swirling about the room, rising from the floor and coalescing above the mountains of gold. Joker watched, but even as she did so she fell to one knee to scoop up her pouch of gold.

It was a good thing she did, because Morgana suddenly started making a noise as if a special Hell full of cats who hunger for human flesh. His eyes were glazed over, and as the shape of the Treasure began to appear his eyes gained a yellowish tinge. "T-t-t-t-treasure…" he purred, the only warning they had before their guide to this new world completely lost his mind, jumping into the Treasure just as it became a giant crown, purring and rubbing his head wildly against the surface.

"He's gone nuts!" Angel exclaimed.

"Get it together, Morgana!" Queen shouted. Morgana turned his head to hiss at her.

Joker sighed. "Not a cat, huh?"

That seemed to get through. Morgana slowly shook his head, as if coming out of a trance. "Uhm…" He jumped down, coughing. "I'm sorry for that shameful display. I do not know what came over me, ladies."

Then another interruption as Kamoshida roared behind them. The castle seemed to shake. Joker's eyes widened as she watched the Crown. "It's too big to carry ourselves…" The looked to the boys. "Skull, Morgana. Zorro and Kidd are the Personas best suited to move that thing."

Queen glanced at the door meaningfully. "Kamoshida won't miss that being moved."

Joker snorted. "Looks like it's up to the girls to distract him."

Ann knew the smart thing to do would be to wait outside the giant castle for whatever was about to happen to happen. She held out against the urge to do the dumb thing through the anguished male cries coming from the ventilation into the dungeons. When the earth beneath her rocked slightly, she still held her ground.

Then she heard Shiho, Rei, and even Niijima alternately screaming and moaning from the top windows. She immediately ran for the front entrance, and ran into Rei in a completely different outfit - some kind of anime cosplay of a ninja from the wrong sort of anime. They stared at each other for far too long.

Rei blinked first. "Dammit," she said, her voice distorted weirdly. "My other self can't keep anyone out of this, can she?"

Ann blinked. "Uh...what? I put the calling card down, just like you said."

"I know," Rei replied. "The whole place is on alert. You shouldn't be here!"

Ann snapped back. "Well, I had to come up with a disguise in two seconds! I was hoping to borrow your skirt or pants or something."

Rei shook her head. "They'd be too tight on you. She'll go get something after we're done here. You wait outside." Then Ann's expression changed and she sighed. "No, really, didn't that fake me explain this to you? You need a Persona as a regular person to do anything but get captured and worse."

Ann groaned. "But they need my help!"

Rei frowned for a second, then leaned in real close to peer at her. "Oh, this isn't going to be fun, but she'd kill me if she found out I could do this later and I didn't…" Ann looked like she was about to explode for a moment. "Okay, Takamaki-san, listen to me closely. I'll help you out, but you have a Shadow inside of you too. The second it wants to come out, I'm gone. Understand?" Ann shook her head. "You will." Rei promised, and Ann saw her eyes suddenly turn gold. "You're a model, right? Think of those moments when you're working, when you're showing more than your body, your truest self." Ann frowned, but closed her eyes and tried to imagine it. "That freedom, to be true to you, needs to be what you want more than anything. Stay focused on it, and when you've got it repeat after me. 'I am thou.'"

Ann nodded. She pretended she was on a runway, with the camera in front of her. I'm here, to show you who I am. She even went so far as to wink at the imaginary photographer. Okay, I think I've got it. "I am thou...Thou art I." Suddenly, Ann's head felt like a significantly more uncomfortable place, like she was stuffed entirely too full. When she looked down, she realized she was wearing the same outfit Rei had been, with the skirt way too short...and Rei was nowhere to be found. "What the heck?! What happened?"

There's no time to explain the voice of Rei resounded in her head. This is so wrong on so many levels, and I have no idea how long I can keep this up. I don't really belong here. So, you need to concentrate on not being seen and head up to the tower. I'll guide you, but you have to hurry.

Kamoshida's Shadow was standing in the middle of his throne room, ranting and raving at the knights, sending them throughout the castle to try to intercept the infiltration that, little did he know, was right behind him. Joker, Queen, and Angel leaped easily to the chandelier and swing to the opposite balcony. When Kamoshida failed to notice that, they shrugged and waited for him to turn his back.

The last of the knights tramped out of the throne room, leaving Kamoshida alone. Joker grinned, and made a dramatic leap down to the floor, her coat flying out behind her. Then she stopped, and needlessly drew herself up into an erect pose, her hand outstretched and pointing to the King. "We shall steal the Treasure!" she cried, with all the drama she could muster. Queen and Angel gave each other a look that could not have conveyed 'This is our leader?' more firmly if they'd been waving banners, but they jumped down after her and copied the pose.

"Oh will you now?" Kamoshida's Shadow looked amused, even flicking his cloak aside like he was about to draw a gun or a sword, only to reveal a volleyball. Joker drew her knife in reply. "This would have been so much easier if you'd just given in, you know."

Joker's jaw dropped open, and then she laughed. "You had my record, do you have any idea who the hell I am?" She stepped forward. "My name is Amamiya Rei. Formerly first dan of the IKO, which I never even liked." It was Queen's turn to stare dumbfounded. "My whole life I've been fighting! Every second! Just because I was born with this stupid body. Don't you think it would have been 'easier' to give in and accept that I was a boy because someone looked at one body part when I was born and made a note in the registry?" The Shadow took a few steps back. "Even my own Dad, who understood, wouldn't let me be who I am without a fight. Sensei, you're just one more." She laughed again. "Easy? I never do anything the easy way. It just gets you into trouble."

"Stupid girl," Kamoshida said. "Been writing that speech long?"

Joker shrugged. "Yes, actually. Felt good to get it off my chest." She pulled her pistol out, carefully keeping her eyes off of the terrace above where Skull and Morgana had just appeared, their Personas slowly inching the giant crown along the path. Should have used three people. "Anyway, we're here to steal the Treasure. If we have to go through you, fine. Your days of sexual harassment and bullying are done, one way or the other."

Kamoshida didn't seem to comprehend her for several seconds. "Bullying? Sexual harassment? Is that what you think is going on here? Look, girl, you don't know what it takes to be the best!"

Queen stepped forward. "The Hell we don't. I get beat up every day when I practice, and Rei had it just as hard! And Sensei treats me with respect every day."

"Pfeh," Kamoshida's Shadow was dismissive. "Sure. A hobbyist and a big fish in a small pond. I'm talking the world's best here! The students who have the drive to go all the way. That's who I'm talkin' about."

Joker snarled. "And what about the girls who didn't like your 'price', huh? What about Ann and Shiho?"

Kamoshida reached up and snapped his fingers. "What about them?" The Ann cognition Joker already knew about, but she gasped when a new Cognition, this one wearing Shiho's face and a dark blue bikini, strutted her way to Kamoshida's side. He continued while the two girls posed. "They knew what they were getting into. They wanted it."

"I never wanted that, you creep!" Angel shouted back, tearing off her mask. "I never wanted that for me, and I really never wanted it for Ann! We just couldn't tell you no because everyone 'needed' it kept secret! Well we're done!"

Kamoshida smirked. "Yes, everyone. Parents, teachers, even you. We all get what we want, Suzui. I'm protected, and we all profit. Even. You." Shiho gasped. "You could have had victory, glory. You were good enough to make the Olympic team one day, and you threw it away because you couldn't stand the thought of the tranny there getting in on it."

"That's NOT TRUE!" Angel's mask slipped back over her eyes of its' own accord and she charged with her spear. Unfortunately for Angel, the Shiho cognition interposed itself in a flying jump more reminiscent of diving for a volleyball than anything belonging in serious combat, but Angel found herself instinctively flinching away from stabbing a girl.

Shiho giggled and looked up at her real-world counterpart. "See? You don't have what it takes to serve His Majesty." She stood up. "My Lord, I'll take care of her."

Kamoshida shook his head. "No. I appreciate the offer, but I'll conquer these three delectable beauties myself." Then, suddenly, when Skull and Morgana were only halfway across the terrace, he spun and served his volleyball so hard that it exploded into light. It collided with the Treasure between the two Personas and knocked it against the wall so hard it bounced back, into the air, and shimmered as it flew, turning into a normal sized crown as it landed in his hand. "Now, now, did you really think I wouldn't notice you stealing this? It's the proof of my power! My right to rule this castle. It's the core of this world, and you'll never take it from me!" And then the crown was on his head.

Kamoshida twisted and deformed, laughing. His speedo ripped through as he started to grow. Something twisted began clawing under his skin, then two arms started to reach through his skin, slowly deforming into shape like balloons blowing up while his skin went from pale to a bright pink color. His eyes bulged, twisting this way and that like a gecko's, looking all around while his mouth continued to leer at the girls. From out of nowhere, he pulled golden cutlery in two of his hands, while he plucked up a wineglass containing the Ann and Shiho cognitions from somewhere nearby, sized for his now massive frame. Deformed dwarfs, their bodies nude but genderless, wearing iron masks over their faces, carried a giant trophy from the corner and mercifully placed it in front of Kamoshida's crotch, close enough to block everything from view.

"What was it you said to me when we first met? Oh, yeah!" Kamoshida's eyes momentarily focused directly on Joker. "Bring it!"