AN: Sorry for the delay of this chapter! I was just super busy last week.
Chapter 21: Target: Kaneshiro
June 12
"Shiho started rehab today," Collin informed the group as they met up for Yoshida's Confidant.
"That's great news," Octavia smiled. "Hopefully things will continue to get better for your friend."
"She better be grateful for what we did for her," Loona said. "Not like we can tell her, of course…"
"Looks like it's time for his speech," Ren noted, the gang going quite as Yoshida began speaking to those willing to listen.
"The conviction of a government is often tested during times of turmoil. However, the current administration refuses to discuss their plans for the future… Can we really accept such an utter lack of transparency!?" Yoshida said.
"I've been hearing this type of criticism about the government a lot lately," a woman in the crowd said.
"That's because Diet Member Shido has been gaining popularity by saying the same thing," her friend replied.
"So he's just echoing another politician's criticisms of the government?" the woman questioned.
The man shrugged. "Apparently. Tch, whatever…"
Another, angry looking man suddenly stepped forward. "So first you stole party funds, and now you're stealing ideas, No-Good Tora!?" the man accused. "Stop talking all big, you ex-convict!"
Yoshida flinched. "It seems I've drawn the ire of the audience once again. So he's claiming those who have made mistakes in the past shouldn't get a second chance? What can I say to that?"
"You asshat, stop interrupting him!" Loona shouted at the man.
"Yeah, just shut up and listen," Octavia added.
"You're annoying the audience," Ren finished.
The man was taken aback by the kids coming to Yoshida's defense. "What was that? You got something to say to me, punks!?"
"What do you think?" Loona crossed her arms.
"Wh-What's up with these kids?" the man said nervously.
"So what if he's No-Good Tora? The quote-on-quote "ex-convict" has a point," Collin stated, speaking up as well. "Listen to what he has to say!"
"Why, you little brat…" the man growled.
With the kids speaking up for him and the man on the ropes, Yoshida seemed to regain some steam, standing up straight and raising his hand to gain their attention. "…Yes, I am "No-Good Tora," and I have made mistakes. Yes, I am unpopular and powerless. But that has nothing to do with my arguments! These are things I learned from all my hardships." His eyes gained a steely gaze. "You can ridicule me all you want, but I will continue to oppose what is wrong with this world!"
After that the speech was over, with Yoshida pulling the kids to the side. "Today's speech ended up being filled with a lot of passion. Quite unexpectedly, I might add. The highlight, however, was your yelling."
"We couldn't help ourselves," Ren said.
"We just spoke the truth," Collin added.
"I envy you," Yoshida smiled. "Conveying your thoughts with such conviction. I wish I had done that in the past… Okay, that is all for today."
Suddenly, the man from earlier came up to the group. Loona gave him a warning growl, but the man seemed to have changed his attitude. "You all are amazing… I've been wrong this whole time. Even though someone has failed in the past, it doesn't mean that person can't try again. Th-That's all I wanted to say!"
"Please wait!" Yoshida stopped the man before he could walk off. "Thank you! …That is all I wanted to say."
"You're a strange one," the man chuckled. "Just like those kids."
Yoshida turned back to the gang as the man left. "I learned something from your dauntless spirits today. I have a bad habit of getting flustered whenever someone calls me No-Good Tora. But you see me as someone of value, so I refuse to cower to criticism in front of you. Today taught me that I must have more confidence in my arguments." He nodded to himself. "My way of thinking changes when I'm with you. Perhaps it's the influence of your youthful spirit. Ah, my apologies. It seems we're out of time."
As the group left, Octavia's thoughts lingered on the man's words from before. 'Someone that's failed can try again… Maybe I should keep those words in mind when thinking of my parents…'
[***]
June 13
Loona felt something was off that day. Maybe it was the fact that, despite them telling her off, Nijima was still stalking the group. But the hellhound thought it was something else unrelated; her noise twitched, and a familiar scent hit her nostrils. Looking around after school, Loona saw a long, thin, red tail poking out behind a trash can. Growling, the hellhound kicked the can hard into an alleyway, making whoever was behind it groan as their body was thrown into the wall.
"Blitz!" Loona shouted, rushing towards the imp, and grabbing him by the collar of his jacket. "What the fuck are you doing here!?"
"What, I can't check in to see how my daughter is doing?" Blitzo said casually.
"I'm an adult, I don't need you stalking me! I already have one of those," Loona growled.
"Oh, do you need me to off them for you?" Blitzo offered, pulling out a gun.
"No! No killing students!" Loona said. "I already made a promise to the princess not to kill anyone, and you're not fucking that up for me! So, tell me: why are you really here? I thought you said you wouldn't be taking hits in Japan until we finished up here."
"Well, funny story, but some Yakuza boss paid us a shit ton of money upfront to off a rival Yakuza leader," Blitzo explained. "I just wanted to stop by and check in on you while we're trying to find the bastard."
"Ugh, it's just like you to go back on your promises," Loona shook her head. She dropped Blitzo to the floor. "Just… don't do your usual thing of causing a mess, okay? My friends and I are trying to make a real change in society, and I don't need your business getting blamed on us."
"Hey, when am I not careful?" Blitzo asked, only getting a frown from Loona when the imp proceeded to accidentally knock over more trash cans. "Look, me and the M&Ms are just going to find this guy- Kaneshiro or whatever his name was- kill him and be gone with no one being the wiser."
There was a gasp that the two heard, making Blitzo draw his gun, but Loona shoved it down. "I'll deal with it," she growled, changing into her hellhound form and rushing to where the voice was. Slamming the figure into the ground, Loona was in shock to find fearful red eyes staring up at her. "Oh, fuck me…"
"N-Nyx-san!?" Nijima gasped, recognizing the voice.
'And now everyone is going to kill me for this…' Loona thought. The hellhound swiftly delivered a quick chop to Nijima's neck, knocking her out. "Well, looks like we are going to be confessing something to her after all…" Loona muttered, hoisting Makoto over her shoulder and turning her human disguise back on.
"You okay, Looney?" Blitzo shouted.
"Just go home, Da- I mean Blitz!" Loona shouted back, stomping off while dragging the unconscious Nijima along. When some of the kids stared, she gave them a death glare. "She slipped on a banana peel and knocked herself out. I'm taking her home," Loona told them, making her way to their hideout.
[***]
"You kidnapped the Student Council President!?" Octavia shouted at Loona. The other Phantom Thieves were gathered in the apartment as well, with Nijima's unconscious form taking up the couch.
"Oh Lord, oh Lord, oh Lord…" Collin muttered to himself, the cherub franticly pacing around.
"What was I supposed to do!? Blitz was going to shoot her, so I had to step in and make sure he didn't screw us over!" Loona defended herself.
"Oh, that's just like him, isn't it? Making my life unnecessarily complicated than it already is!" Octavia huffed.
"Yeah well, we're in the same boat then, princess," Loona growled, turning away. In frustration, she grabbed a banana from a fruit bowl and tossed it as hard as she could, the fruit bouncing off the wall before pegging Ryuji in the back of the head.
"What the eff, man!?" the blondie exclaimed.
"Will all of you just chill out!" Ann shouted. Everyone turned their attention to her. "Will someone please explain to the humans in the room what is going on here?"
Loona took a breath before explaining, "Blitz is an imp that adopted me to be his secretary at the company he runs in Hell, Immediate Murder Professionals, or IMP for short."
"So, your father is a hitman that runs an assassination company," Yusuke mused. "That would explain your own proficiency in firearms and weapons compared to the rest of us."
"Wait, your father is the jerk that cost me my job!?" Collin exclaimed.
"I wasn't even there for that job, Lambchop. I only got the TL;DR afterwards," Loona said, rolling her eyes. "Besides, I'm helping you get that job back now, right? Whatever dirty laundry you have with Blitz and the others, leave me out of it."
Collin gave the hellhound a stern glare, before sighing and bowing his head. "You're right. You might work for IMP, but you didn't have anything to do with my own mistake. Maybe it's fate that someone related to those that wronged me is helping me get back on track now?"
"But wait, isn't it not okay for demons to be on Earth in the first place?" Ryuji pointed out. "At least, that's what you guys have implied before. If that's the case, how did those I Am Pee guys run into Collin and his angel friends?"
"That would be because of my father," Octavia spoke up. "Those imps use a magic book in my father's collection, one that can open portals between realms. IMP uses said book to do contract revenge kills on behalf of Sinners that have unfinished business here on Earth."
The humans all looked a bit ill at that thought. "That's horrible," Ann said.
"Yeah, and we're demons from Hell. Being horrible is just a way of life down there," Loona said, rolling her eyes. "Still, when Via and I came up here, we made a promise not to kill and humans while we help Ren, and Blitz promised that he wouldn't take any hits in Japan as well. Clearly, he's a backstabbing prick that doesn't even bother to follow up on his promises!"
"I'm sensing a lot of tension between you and this Blitz guy," Morgana noted. "Still, if there are demon assassins in Tokyo now, our job as Phantom Thieves just got trickier. I could easily see any unexplained murders being pinned on us."
"I didn't even think of that…" Ann said, worry in her voice.
"Could we change Blitz's heart?" Ren suggested. Before the conversation could go any further, Nijima finally woke up, groaning as she sat up on the couch.
"What… happened?" she asked aloud. The brown-haired girl looked around at the group in confusion. "Amamiya-kun… and your friends. What am I… The last think I remember was… a dog attacking me?"
Octavia looked to Ren. "How do you want to do this? You're the leader, after all."
Ren nodded, before looking to Nijima. "Nijima-Senpai… We owe you an apology. You accidentally roped yourself into something bigger, and I'm sorry that it's come to this."
"What are you saying?" Nijima asked. Ren looked to Loona, Octavia, and Collin, the three of them nodding before dropping their human disguises. Nijima gasped. "That dog… it was you, Nyx-san!?"
"Not a dog, a hellhound," Loona corrected.
"We're demons and an angel respectively, Nijima-Senpai," Collin explained. "I'm truly sorry you had to find out this way… or at all, actually…"
"There's more going on at the school than just the Phantom Thieves," Octavia stated. "Your suspicions about Ren and his friends were correct, though- We are the Phantom Thieves of Hearts."
Nijima shook her head. "This is… a lot to take in. Wait, if demons and angels exist… Does that mean I'm going to Hell!?"
"Have you done something bad enough to warrant that?" Yusuke questioned. When Nijima shook her head, he chuckled. "Then that answers your question."
"I will admit that we were a bit careless in our approach to dealing with suspicion," Ren said. "The victims of both Kamoshida and Madarame being together… in hindsight, we should have been more careful about being seen together."
"What we want to know now is what you intend to do now with this information," Octavia said. "Are you going to rat us out to the principal? He was probably the one who told you to spy on us in the first place, was he? Us being the Phantom Thieves is one thing, but no one will believe you if you start going on about angels and demons."
"I bet the only reason he had you do it is because the school can't have ties to criminals," Ann frowned. "And yet they turn a blind eye when it comes to suicide and sexual harassment… The adults are just using you. I feel sorry for you."
Nijima looked down, closing her eyes. "I… I know…"
"Nijima-Senpai?" Collin asked.
"Still, now that I know of what your group really is… I still would like to verify the justice you speak of," Nijima stated.
"What?" Octavia questioned.
"I'm the only one that knows about this, and if what I heard Nyx-san say is true, then I might owe my life to you as well," Nijima said. "If you prove can prove to me that what you're doing is just… then I will help you in any way I can. There is someone's heart I'd like you to change."
"Who?" Yusuke asked.
"I would be surprised that it's possible, but I just found out that angels and demons are real, so it doesn't surprise me as much…" Nijima mused. "I believe Nyx-san knows who the target is already. The man you were speaking to… Blitz, was it? He said that the target was his as well."
Loona's eyes went wide. "You mean you want us to change the heart of that… what did Blitz said… Kaneshiro, or something like that?"
"Then things just got complicated," Octavia sighed. "If IMP are going after the target, then we have to make sure we change their heart first, and make sure they aren't murdered at the same time as well."
"Which sucks, because Blitz is stubborn as fuck and won't stop until the target is dead," Loona groaned.
"At the very least, he hasn't found this Kaneshiro yet, right?" Collin pointed out.
"He is a notoriously hard man to get to," Nijima noted. "If it's okay with you all, I'd like to continue this conversation after school tomorrow. On the roof."
The Phantom Thieves all looked at each other, then to Ren. "Okay, it's a deal," their leader stated.
"But don't try anything funny, okay?" Ryuji warned. "Otherwise, we'll sick Loona on ya." The hellhound barred her teeth.
"…Noted…" Nijima nodded. "Oh, and I suppose if we are going to be working closely together on this, then you may call me Makoto if you wish."
'I guess we have a deal with Makoto now…' Octavia thought. "Okay then, Makoto. We'll talk about this tomorrow, but we expect you to hold to your end of the deal as well. No ratting us out, okay?"
"I promise," Makoto nodded. She then looked around in confusion. "So… Where are we, exactly?"
"We'll walk you to the train station," Ren sighed. As the Phantom Thieves left, Loona went to her room to vent while Octavia flopped onto the couch, Morgana remaining behind to comfort her.
"You okay, princess?" the not-cat asked.
"I'm just… really overwhelmed right now…" Octavia pulled her beanie over her eyes. "If this mission doesn't go well… Then it'll be the second time that imp has ruined my life. Ugh, that sounded too much like my mom right there…"
"Regardless of that, I think we did the right thing here," Morgana said. "It was risky for sure, but Makoto seems to be agreeable for now. Heh, maybe she'll even join us as a Phantom Thief!"
"The Student Council President as a Phantom Thief… Now there's an amusing thought," Octavia chuckled. She gave Morgana a scratch behind the ears. "Can you stay with me tonight? I think I need some extra comfort right now."
"Sure thing, Octavia," Morgana smiled.
Octavia: Morgana will be staying with me tonight. Just wanted to let you know, Ren.
Ren: Take care of him. And don't feed him too much tuna!
Loona: Too late, he's already had two cans.
Octavia: …Morgana says that he won't ruin his weight. "A Phantom Thief has to stay in shape." His words.
Ryuji: Damn, I still can't believe we're facing off against demon assassins this time…
Yusuke: Less like facing assassins and more like beating them in a race.
Ann: I wonder who this Kaneshiro guy is?
Loona: If he's on IMP's list, it must mean that he's a piece of shit that got someone killed. That's how all of our clients work.
Collin: I'm still in disbelief that you're related to that guy…
Loona: Only on paper!
Ryuji: Eh, it doesn't matter who's heart we're changing. If he is a bad guy, making him have a change of heart will better society either way, right?
Ann: I want to know why Makoto picked him in the first place. There must be a reason behind it, right?
Ren: I was wondering that as well.
Loona: The only thing I got is that the Yakuza is involved.
Ryuji: Why didn't you say that earlier!? The Phantom Thieves taking down a Yakuza boss would be a big deal!
Yusuke: She mentioned that she wants us to prove our justice, did she not?
Octavia: Yeah, she definitely did.
Yusuke: Hm… Contact me immediately if you find anything out.
Loona: Be on the lookout for short red people with tails as well. IMP might be good at their jobs, but they suck at disguises. Humans always fall for them, though. For some reason…
[***]
June 14
After school, the Phantom Thieves (minus Yusuke) went up to the school roof, where Makoto was waiting for them with Loona. "Finally, you're all here," Makoto said.
"So, we're going to change the heart of that Yakuza boss… Kaneshiro, was it?" Collin asked.
Makoto nodded. "They call themselves a mafia, but either way they're still a criminal gang. The group Kaneshiro runs seems to be the cause of the rise in phishing scams. What's worse, once you're in their sights, they won't stop threatening you until they get what they want. They'll force you to take part in their scams, threaten your family, and ultimately destroy your life."
"Holy shit…" Ryuji cursed.
"It appears that their victims include some of our students," Makoto explained.
"No!" Ann gasped.
Makoto went on. "They primarily target juveniles. Nobody knows the name of the boss… at least, until the information that Nyx-san here provided. The victims are being threatened not to testify, so even the police can't get a grasp of the situation."
"Hm… This will be tricky," Octavia noted. "We need a full name to be able to steal Kaneshiro's heart, and I doubt we could just have Loona ask Blitz for it without arousing suspicion."
"If you're really the righteous Phantom Thieves, you should be able to pull it off," Makoto stated. "Or is Akechi-kun correct when he says that you act without justice?"
"Ugh, she's getting snarky now," Morgana sighed. "Ren, can't you say something witty back at her?"
"Something witty," Ren said aloud.
"I knew you were gonna say that…" Octavia sighed.
Makoto raised an eyebrow. "Are you… talking to the cat? Is that a demon ability, or is the cat a demon too?"
"Morgana isn't a cat, he's a part of the team," Octavia explained. "It's hard to explain, but all of us can understand his meows as words due to the power we have."
Makoto shook her head. "Anyway, their main hub of activity is in Shibuya… That's all the information I have."
"Then we should get looking," Loona nodded. "We only have as long as it takes for IMP to find Kaneshiro before us. Luckily for us, if he's that good at evading the police, then it'll take forever for Blitz to track him down too. I'd say we have… eh, two weeks, give or take?"
"I hope you don't let me down," Makoto said.
"Don't act like you can boss us around," Octavia crossed her arms. "You might be Student Council President, but you're the one in our debt. We're doing this to prove our justice to you… We might even let you join us, if you're lucky."
"Wait, really?" Ryuji raised an eyebrow.
"For now, we should get in touch with Yusuke," Morgana said.
"And what did the cat say this time?" Makoto asked.
"He said we need to have a full team meeting," Octavia translated. "For now, you keep your end of the deal, and we'll do ours."
[***]
"The mafia, hm?" Yusuke mused when the gang met up at the hideout.
"Can we really do this?" Ann questioned.
"We don't have a lot to go on…" Collin sighed. "I mean, if Kaneshiro is a crime boss, it would make sense for him to have a Palace… But we'd need his full name to find it in the register…"
"Isn't this a prime opportunity for us, though?" Yusuke asked.
"How!? We're in a race against time to change this guy's heart before he's murdered!" Collin shouted.
"Even after we punished an evil man who seemed to be good, the public did not acknowledge us. However, if we take down an actual criminal, let alone a target the police don't have answers for…" Yusuke said.
Ann gasped. "Oh, right! That might make people believe in us!"
"I get it! That means even Akechi'll have to acknowledge us as the Phantom Thieves!" Ryuji said. "Whaddya say, Leader?"
"Let's prove our justice to Makoto, and all of Japan," Ren stated firmly.
"Hell yeah! We just gotta do what we always do!" Ryuji pumped his fist.
"Like I said earlier, I'd give us two weeks before Blitz figures out where Kaneshiro is hiding. We can't waste any time," Loona said.
"I'll ask around Kosei and see if there are any victims," Yusuke offered.
"Okay, I know some girls who go to Shibuya pretty often. I'll check with them about it," Ann added.
"All right, and I'm gonna see what I can find on the net," Ryuji said.
"I can see if there's any scrying spells I can try," Octavia offered. "I'm not very good at scrying, but it's worth a shot."
"And I'll keep my phone open to if Blitz 'accidentally' drops any hints on his search," Loona said. "I guess that leaves Shujin up to Ren and Morgana. You figured out what do to during the whole Kamoshida thing, right?"
"I'll back you up," Morgana said to Ren.
"All right, let's get back together at the end of the week once we've got all our info!" Octavia said. "I'll get in touch with you guys later!"
Ryuji: So I checked online, and people are talking about it all over. Now, in my expert opinion, Iida of class 2-D is guilty.
Ann: You mean Iida-kun from our class? Wait, start at the beginning. What's he guilty of?
Ryuji: Supposedly he's been spending money left and right recently. Said it's cause of some great part-time job he got.
Yusuke: I see. That may very well be worth looking into.
Ryuji: Right? Can you try asking him about it, Ann? I don't think he'd be cautious around a girl.
Ann: In that case, yeah. I don't mind giving it a try. Although I've rarely talked to Iida-kun before… I'll be counting on you to back me up if something happens, Ren.
Ren: Only if it's necessary.
Ann: That should be more than enough. Thanks.
Loona: I'm hoping for some great things this time from Ann's world-class wonderful acting.
Octavia: OMFG I can taste the sarcasm in that response.
Ann: Shut it.
Yusuke: I hope this will get us even marginally closer to this Kaneshiro figure. I'll leave Iida to you two. And I have high hopes for your acting as well, Ann.
Collin: Go Ann!
Ann: You're both missing the point!
[***]
June 15
Ryuji: How'd it go? Did Ann's acting help at all?
Loona: I'm think… No, no it did not.
Ann: It went perfectly, I think! More importantly, were you able to find anything, Ren?
Ren: It's trafficking.
Collin: As in… drug trafficking!?
Loona: That's serious.
Ryuji: I just searched for "Shibuya trafficking" and got tons of hits too.
Octavia: So they're making people traffic drugs, then threatening them…
Yusuke: That must be what I heard people talking about in Shibuya. They seem to be going about this quite openly during the daytime. What bold methodology.
Collin: That is strange. You'd think they'd do it at night. Why during the day?
Ren: They need to blend in.
Yusuke: I see. Yes, more students will be out during the day, while the police will be more cautious at night.
Octavia: Ryuji, you're over in Shibuya now, right? Do you see anyone like that there?
Ryuji: Yeah, I'm at Central Street. It's tough to tell though. I mean, there's just way too many people. The goddamn rain's not helping out either.
Loona: It's almost dark out. What's our next move, Ren?
Ren: Let's do this tomorrow.
Octavia: Seems like that's our only choice now. We can split up and search separately then.
Yusuke: In any case, we have some new intel. Let's us call that progress for today.
Ann: Whoever asks us to take on that job should know where Kaneshiro is too.
Ryuji: All right, I'll get in touch with you guys later tonight and we can come up with a plan.
[***]
June 16
"Mkay, we're all here," Ryuji noted as the Phantom Thieves gathered at the walkway near Central Street. With the information they had gathered yesterday, it was determined that Ren would be the one to talk with the drug traffickers if they found them, since he was the more 'normal' looking of the group. Collin would follow them invisibly for backup, and Loona would hang back to see if she could sniff out IMP if they were around.
"There sure are a lot of high schoolers during the day. They must be targeting them somehow," Ann said.
"Finding the specifics may be difficult. With such a crowd, the odds are against us," Yusuke noted.
"We have to do this," Ren affirmed.
"You should head over to Central Street, just like we planned," Octavia said.
"Sweet, let's get going! Lemme know if you find any shady people," Ryuji said.
"We might run into the mafia, so be ready for anything!" Morgana warned the team. With that, Ren set off with Morgana and an invisible Collin onto Central Street. Ren found some guys trying to sell shady merch to some students, but they didn't seem like the type to be in the mafia. He also talked to a homeless man, who pointed him towards the underground walkway for more information.
Loona: Miss President's here. I walked past her at the station.
Yusuke: Is she keeping an eye on us?
Ann: Maybe. I guess she's curious about all of this.
Ryuji: Well let's just ignore her if she's not getting in our way. More importantly, how're things on your guys' end?
Ann: Nothing so far. I'm going to try staking out the underground walkway.
Ryuji: Then I'll check around the Inogami Line. I guess I'll get there from the underground.
Octavia: Turns out scrying is a lot harder to do when you're self-taught. I'm not of much use here, sorry…
Loona: Relax, princess. If Ren does his part, we shouldn't even need the spell.
Yusuke: I'll gather some more intel in the underground shopping mall as well. Please continue on your end, Ren.
"Everyone's going about this seriously. They're definitely worthy of being Phantom Thieves," Morgana smiled. "We can't fall behind either. Let's look for that homeless man." Ren did eventually find the homeless man in the area and got the relevant information he needed about the mafia.
Ann: How's it going? Have you found anything?
Ren: Maybe a little.
Yusuke: Ah, so you've grasped something already. As to be expected of someone like you, Ren.
Octavia: Why don't we just go over the intel we've gathered so far?
Ryuji: I'll start. Supposedly some guy near the accessway talking about some kinda "strong drugs." I'm not counting on anything, but I'll go check it out.
Ann: As for me, I heard someone soliciting a "high-paying job" in the station plaza. Apparently they're mostly targeting girls. I'll go see what it's about.
Loona: I'll be nearby, Ann. Safety in numbers.
Yusuke: On my end, I heard there are people saying strange things in the back alley near the arcade. Something about ice and vegetables, and something about snow tomorrow… I will go observe, just in case. The arcade is on Central Street, correct?
"All right, we should do what we can to help them out," Morgana said. "I have no idea which of these leads are real. Try going to the most suspicious-sounding place."
"Well… some of those leads sounded right, but not fully," Collin hummed. "Didn't the homeless guy say something about the back alleys in Shibuya, though? Let's check those out first." Going topside, Ren started poking around the alleyways, only to pause when a familiar voice greeted him.
"Hello," Makoto said, approaching him. "Have you made any progress toward finding Kaneshiro?"
"Things are going well," Ren stated.
"That's good to hear," Makoto nodded.
"Hey, you two got some time? I have a great job for you," a man's voice said. They looked over to see a sleazy guy approaching them. "It's real easy. Guess you could call it a delivery job."
"It seems like we didn't have to look very hard in the end," Makoto mused.
"You're high schoolers, yeah? Don't you want something more than just your allowances?" the man offered.
"Hm… by delivery, do you mean that of suspicious materials?" Makoto asked.
"Heh, you're a funny girl," the man said.
"So you won't answer me? Then I was right…" Makoto said.
The man got up in her face. "What's up with you anyways? Why're you asking all these questions, huh?"
"I'll call the cops on you," Ren threatened. Makoto seemed surprised at him defending her.
The man immediately backed off. "It was all a joke. Why would I get worked up over some dumb kids? Anyways, I can't hang. See ya!"
"U-Um, if you don't want to deal with us, we could always go see your boss ourselves," Makoto suggested.
"You're really gonna say that, knowing who he is? Heh, no way I believe that," the man said. "Well, I'm outta here. You guys are annoying me."
As the man walked off, Collin turned off his invisibility. "I'm pretty sure he works for Kaneshiro," the cherub said.
"Where did you come from!?" Makoto exclaimed.
"Oh, angels have the ability to disappear from mortal eyes. It's how we give blessings without you noticing," Collin explained.
"We should go after him," Ren said.
"I think we should get some proof before we do that," Makoto suggested. "I tried to trick him into saying something, but he dodged all the traps I was laying down. By the way… thanks for standing up for me. I'm going to go now."
As Makoto walked off, Morgana popped out of his bag. "Kaneshiro seems tricky… It looks like he taught his subordinates well, too. No wonder the police are having trouble catching him."
"That means that IMP are going to struggle as well," Collin noted. "Still, what you did took a lot of guts, Ren."
Morgana nodded. "You didn't back down at all against that hooligan. Though we still didn't end up with any new information… Let's stop here for today."
Loona: How about it? Want to meet up?
Ren: Let's not.
Octavia: That would be best. We asked a lot of people about the mafia, so there's a likely chance of us being followed.
Yusuke: Just to be safe, we should refrain from doing anything to make ourselves stand out. The sun will be setting sun, so let us disband for today and report our findings tomorrow.
Ann: Why don't we meet at karaoke tomorrow? We can talk in private, and it'll be cheap after school.
Yusuke: Ah, that must be what they call hustle hour.
Ryuji: Dude, it's muscle hour. Wait, is that wrong too?
Loona: It's happy hour, idiots!
Collin: Muscle hour sounds… sweaty…
Octavia: Anyways! See you guys at Karaoke tomorrow.
[***]
June 17
"Aw, for real!? We didn't get anything!?" Ryuji moaned as they gang shared information.
"God, they suck…" Loona said, side-eyeing the room over as the sound of karaoke permeated the building.
"Man, we're going nowhere with this…" Ryuji looked down. "Hey, can't we ask Miss President to change it up?"
"You mean… change our target?" Ann asked.
"We just gotta show our justice to satisfy her, right? There are tons of shitty adults in this world. It's not like it matters who we're going after," Ryuji argued. "She says this is for the students, but I bet it's just so she can go brag about it on college apps."
"True, it would be nice to just let IMP take the bastard out…" Octavia said.
"But Kaneshiro's mafia is stealing money from our fellow students. We can't just accept that!" Collin exclaimed. "It doesn't matter who the target came from anymore."
"Collin's right," Yusuke nodded. "We want to give courage to the weak. Isn't this the perfect target to accomplish that goal?" He winced as the awful singing got louder. "They really have no talent…"
"I never thought it'd be this noisy if you weren't singing…" Ryuji said. "Anyways, I'm sure we'll shut Akechi up if we pull this off, but-"
"That's exactly why we should do it," Yusuke said.
"It all comes down to intel in the end…" Morgana stated. "If we don't start finding tips on that front, we'll never get any further than this…"
"There has to be someone who has what we need," Loona mumbled.
Ren thought about it, before posing a question to the gang, "What about the media?"
Octavia gasped. "Wait, what about that journalist? You know, the one who we talked to during our Madarame investigation?"
"Oh yeah. I completely forgot we did that!" Collin said. "Didn't she give you her card, Ren?"
Ren nodded, pulling out the card from his bag. "It says Ichiko Ohya of Maiasa Newspaper…"
"This is for a rather major publication," Yusuke noted.
"You think we can trust her?" Ryuji questioned.
"There's no other way," Morgana said.
"Okay, let's contact her," Octavia nodded.
As Ren went about contacting Ohya, Ann picked up the phone to their room. "Oh, yes. Thank you… He says our time's up. She we extend it?"
"Happy hour's over, yeah? C'mon, let's just go," Ryuji shrugged.
"How wasteful!" Yusuke gasped, taking a drink from his cup so fast that he ended up coughing.
"Bless you," Collin whispered.
"Now we just have to wait for her to contact us back," Ren said, putting up his phone.
"Let us know ASAP when she responds! Got it, Ren?" Loona stated. Their leader nodded in agreement.
[***]
June 18
The next evening, Ren got a message from Ohya, asking him to meet her at the Crossroads Bar in Shinjuku. The leader of the Phantom Thieves sent a message to tell the others about it.
Ryuji: Shinjuku at night, eh?
Yusuke: That sounds rather dangerous.
Ann: Where should we meet up?
Ryuji: Stand by, Ann. It'll be easier to move around with less of us.
Yusuke: My apologies. I don't have the money to take the train there.
Octavia: Maybe I should learn the portal spell so we doing have to worry about travel fare…
Ryuji: Then Yusuke's on standby too.
Loona: Shinjuku's a red-light district, right? I'm down. You stay at the hideout and keep up the scrying, princess.
Collin: Red-Light district? No thank you. Too much sin for me…
Loona: Pussy.
Ryuji: Then it's me, Loona, and Ren that will go, OK?
Ren: Got it.
Ann: If Ren's going, I guess there's no need to worry. We'll leave it to you then.
Octavia: And don't forget the training we've done! I'm sure those demon skills will be useful if you get into trouble.
Ryuji: Well, I guess that's that. Let's meet up in Shibuya.
Collin: Be careful, you three.
Yusuke: I shall be sure to save money for situations like this from now on.
"You're in your uniform!?" Morgana exclaimed as they met up with Ryuji and Loona.
"Huh? No choice. I didn't have the time to go home," Ryuji said. "People aren't gonna notice anyways with this t-shirt over it."
"That's true," Ren said.
"You'll still stand out," Loona said.
"I'm just saying now, I won't be to blame when you get caught by the cops," Morgana sighed.
"Don't worry about it. That place ain't so different from Shibuya," Ryuji assured him. "C'mon, I'll guide ya. If we're going to Shinjuku… we should prolyl hop on the JL. Just get outta this building then the ticket booth should be on the right. It's go time!"
"Is this really going to be okay?" Morgana asked.
"Stay cool, mittens," Loona chuckled, much to Morgana's annoyance. One train ride later, and the four of them were in Shinjuku.
"Woah… Even at night this place is bright as hell! I guess that's Shinjuku for ya," Ryuji grinned.
"Stop looking around so much. You look like a tourist," Morgana chided.
"I-I was just trying to find that place we're looking for," Ryujji said. "Crossroads Bar's right up ahead. I'm sure we'll get there if we keep going straight." As the group moved forward, they were stopped by a bar promoter.
"Welcome to our izakaya! How about some all-you-can-drink booze on the cheap?" the man offered.
"All-you-can-drink booze?" Loona perked up. "I haven't had a good drink since I got here. Shinjuku is awesome!"
The man looked at her funny. "Wait… You underage?"
"Nope!" Loona said, only to be held back by Ren.
"Come on, ignore him!" Morgana said.
"But… cheap booze…" Loona groaned, getting dragged away from the bar's entrance. As they went on, they were stopped by a suspicious looking salesman.
"Hey, man… You wanna come play? Touch all you want, no added fees. We have the cutest girls in town too," The man said.
Loona scrunched up her nose. "Yeah, not interested."
"C'mon, I'll make it cheap. Whaddya say?" the man haggled.
"No matter what way you cut it, he's a shady character," Morgana sighed as they walked away. They went on, only to be stopped again, this time by an officer on patrol.
'You have a moment? Are you a student? You shouldn't be out this late," the policeman said.
"I'm an adult," Loona said.
"Yup. People mistake us all the time for younger kids, though," Ryuji said.
"Are you a friend of theirs?" the officer asked. He peered closely at the blonde. "Wait a second… I've seen the pattern on those pants before. Maybe on the news… Oh yeah, it was on the segment about the teacher who was harassing kids! Is that a school uniform…!?"
"Shit," Ryuji cursed.
"You kids have got to be high schoolers! Come with me!" the officer ordered.
"Shoot! This is why I said uniforms were a bad idea! Let's run!" Morgana shouted. The three of them bolting away from the officer. Thinking quickly, Ren grabbed Loona and Ryuji by the hand and ducked into an alleyway, reaching into his demonic powers and jumping into the shadows, hiding them from the cop.
"Holy crap, that was crazy!" Ryuji said as they popped out as soon as the cop was gone. "That was like one our moves in the Metaverse!"
"Just a skill Octavia's been training me in," Ren explained.
"We'll make a demon out of you yet," Loona grinned. "So then, how much further to the bar?"
As the trio moved forward, a nervous voice called out, "E-Excuse me!" They turned to see a woman seated at a fortune telling table. "For the blond one, I can sense impending woman troubles. Or… perhaps it's something else? And for the girl, a conflict with a parent, or maybe an authority figure? In any case, horrible disaster is coming for you! Please let me examine your future further!"
"What? Us?" Loona tilted her head in confusion.
The lady nodded. "Yes, I suggest you get your fortune told! What I say will surely come to pass!"
"More of this shit…" Ryuji shook his head. "Sorry, but we're in a hurry. And I don't really believe in that stuff anyways."
The woman looked down. "I see. My apologies. However… if you change your mind, I'll be waiting here in this spot at night. May your fortunes be well…"
'A fortune teller? I bet Octavia could see if she's the real deal or not,' Loona thought to herself. Shrugging the odd encounter off for now, the trio finally made it to Crossroads. "Check it out. You guys ain't old enough to hang out here, that's for sure."
"Beer, whisky, wine… Looks like nighttime is bar time," Morgana mused.
"Going in our uniforms is probably a bad idea… We got caught last time too…" Ryuji said.
"Then wait outside if you're going to be useless," Loona said, waving the blonde off.
"Harsh… I came all the way to Shinjuku and can't even go in?" Ryuji sighed. He groaned. "Fine. I'll kill time somewhere nearby… Just lemme know where you're done."
Going into the bar, Ren and Loona were greeted by the bartender. "Welcome, welcome!" She looked at them funny. "How old are ya, boy?"
"Sorry, Lala-chan. They're with me!" Ohya stated, sitting at the bar.
"Oh, you picked up a couple of young ones this time… Just don't let a minor drink alcohol, okay?" Lala-chan said.
"Not a minor!" Loona said, pulling out some change and slamming it on the bar. "Hit me with your best cheap stuff!"
"Lala-chan, I'm going to borrow the seats in the back," Ohya said. "Go on back there. I'll treat you to some water!" The three of them went to the back table, where Lala-chan soon brought out drinks for the girls and a water for Ren.
"Ugh, she reeks of booze…" Morgana said, wrinkling his nose at the smell.
"Haha, what a surprise. I thought you were joking, yet here you are," Ohya laughed. "I respect that bravery, so I'll listen you what you have to say. Well, what do you want to know?"
"Who controls Shibuya," Ren stated with conviction.
"Oh? Why that?" Ohya asked.
"We need to know about their boss, Kaneshiro," Loona said.
Ohya hummed. "Well, I do happen to know something about that. I could tell you, but…" She took a sip of her drink. "Do you know the Phantom Thieves of Hearts? You know, that case the public has been focused on lately. I was pursuing the issue of people randomly entering into a shut-down state, but I'm lacking intel… That's why I'm currently looking for new material to write about. So, do you have any info on these Phantom Thieves?"
Ren couldn't help but admire the irony of someone asking the Phantom Thieves' leader for info on the Phantom Thieves. "Are those your terms?" he asked.
"Hm… Something like that," Ohya said cryptically. "You're Shujin kids, right?" She looked at Loona as she chugged her drink before turning to Ren. "Or at least you are."
"She was… held back a few times," Ren lied to cover for his friend.
Ohya shrugged. "I remember you wearing their uniform the last time we met. I thought maybe you might have some insider knowledge on the Phantom Thieves because of it. Their first incident was that of Kamoshida, you know? Ideally, I'd like to get some exclusive coverage from a student who suffered Kamoshida's abuse. I would love an introduction if you know of someone who fits the bill. Seems both you and I can't really do our stuff out in the open, so… Whaddya say?"
"A student who suffered from abuse… Oh! What about Mishima?" Morgana suggested. "He always seems to be on the side of the Phantom Thieves."
"We know a guy," Loona stated, her glass clinking on the table. "You got yourself a deal!"
Ohya smiled. "Send me your friend's contact info later."
"You'd better be thankful. My quit wit is the only reason we're getting this far," Morgana said.
"Now that I think about it, those mental shutdowns and the Phantom Thieves both seem supernatural…" Ohya mused. "Could they be related? Or am I just hoping for coincidences? Oh, sorry. I have a tendency to talk to myself on occasion. Well then, you can't exactly consider this an upfront payment, but…" She took another drink from her glass. "Junya Kaneshiro. I think he's probably the Kaneshiro you're looking for."
Under the table, Loona typed the name into the Meta-Nav, grinning as it registered a hit. "Yes!" Morgana cheered.
"You should check him out further if you're curious… but I'm not responsible for what happens next," Ohya stated. She looked over to the bar. "Lala-chan, can I get a refill for these kids? We need to make a toast to our new acquaintance!"
"It'll be a problem if we stay too long. We should leave after your finish your drinks…" Morgana warned. After that, the three gave Ohya Mishima's contact info and left Crossroads, meeting back up with Ryuji outside the movie theater.
"Hey, I'm tired of waiting. You get any dirt on our target?" Ryuji asked.
"Yeah, and it's a hit too!" Loona said, holding up her phone for the blonde to see. "Our target's full name is Junya Kaneshiro. Now all we have to do is figure out his distortion and location, and it'll be Palace time!"
"Not so loud!" Morgana chided. "Let's try tomorrow. It'll be better when we have the whole team together."
Ryuji nodded. "Right. I'll tell everyone to meet up in Shibuya. This it totally crazy though… It's a huge catch! I'm pumped."
"Oh, you're right! He really would be a natural! But a graphic tee with plaid pants? Ugh, kill me now," said a voice. Suddenly two 'men' appeared, dressed in stereotypical drag outfits and been a lot shorter than normal people.
"Oh you have got to be fucking kidding with me…" Loona growled, seeing through the shitty disguises in an instant.
"Whoa, who the hell are they?" Ryuji exclaimed.
"Oh, hell has nothing to do with it, honey," the taller of the two said. "I'm Angel- straight out of Heaven!" 'Angel' quickly gave his partner a kick to the shin.
"Oof! Oh, and I'm, uh, Charity! Cherri, if you're feeling saucy!"
"What a cutie! You'd never guess he was into the drag scene… I say we show him the ropes!" 'Angel' said.
"Ren, we need to stop this, now!" Loona whispered aggressively.
The glasses-wearing teen nodded, using his naturally stealthy nature to creep behind the two crossdressers. "I'll reveal your true form!" he exclaimed, grabbing the wigs on both of the 'men,' revealing two imps all too familiar to Loona.
"…Well shit," Blitzo said, before quickly reaching into his coat for his gun. Instead, the tall imp was blocked by Loona, who quickly picked Blitzo up and dragged him into a back alleyway, Ren doing the same for Moxxie. "Is this just going to be a thing for us now, Looney? You throwing me into alleyways?"
"Sir, what is Loona doing here with human boys?" Moxxie questioned, powerless to do anything as Ren pickpocketed him for weapons. "Hey, easy with the merchandise!"
"Woah, are these guys demons too?" Ryuji asked.
"Yeah. Ren, Ryuji, meet Blitz and Fatass," Loona introduced, dropping her disguise in the safety of the alleyway.
"The name is Moxxie!" Moxxie corrected.
"Don't care," Loona said, roughly dropping Blitzo to the ground. "So then, why the fuck are you creeping on us this time"
"We were already in the area getting information when I say you pass by. Sorry if I was concerned to see my Looney Tuney hanging around with some delinquent boys!" Blitzo said. "Seriously Loona, I leave you alone for what, two months, and you're already seeing boys in a red-light district?"
"First of all, I'd rather be dead than date this idiot over here," Loona said, pointing to Ryuji. "And second of all, I got to school with these guys. Like I was asked to do, remember?"
"I'm confused, sir. What does Loona going to a Japanese school have to do with a special mission?" Moxxie asked.
"None of your beeswax, Mox," Blitzo said. "Look, Loona, if these guys gives you any trouble, I can just-"
"No killing my friends!" Loona shouted, resisting the urge to kick him where the sun doesn't shine. "Ugh, I was hoping that we'd be able to get this done with before I saw you again… But I guess we can get this over with now..."
"We need you to call off your hit, Mr. Nyx," Ren stated.
"You're the demon kid, right?" Blitzo asked. "Look, I dunno what Looney or the princess has told you about us, but you should know that IMP doesn't turn down a job."
"No matter how detrimental to my health it is," Moxxie sighed.
"We ain't asking," Ryuji stated. "The guy you're after is our target too, and it'd seriously screw us over if you took him out."
"Look, I was given a contract to kill this Kaneshiro guy by the end of the month," Blitzo explained. "And I'd rather get it done as soon as possible, so…" The imp trailed off as a figure passed by his peripheral vision. Pushing past Ryuji, Blitzo quickly went to the end of the alleyway, peering out to catch just the glimpse of what could have been an imp's tail.
"Sir?" Moxxie asked.
"…It's nothing…" Blitzo said, shaking his head. "Look, Looney, you get it, right? This Yakuza stuff is nothing for you to worry about. So just keep your 'friends' out of the way and we should be good, right? No need to off a mob boss when your dear old dad can do it for you!"
Loona glared at him. "Sorry, Blitz, but that's not an option this time… I'm a Phantom Thief, and that means we bring justice to criminals, without taking their lives. And if you get in our way… then maybe we'll have to change your heart as well."
"What does that even mean?" Moxxie questioned.
"We're done here," Loona said, turning to her friends. "Let's get out of here."
"Just wait a minute, missy," Blitzo started to say, only for Morgana to pop out of his bag and drop a smoke bomb, filling the alleyway as Ren dragged his friends into the shadows for a speedy getaway. "Ugh, what is this? It smells like farts!" Blitzo gagged.
"Sir… What did you mean by Loona being her with a princess?" Moxxie asked.
Blitzo sighed. "I knew I'd have to tell you what was going on eventually. Come on, let's get back to where Millie is and get Stolas on the phone. Clearly there's some things I need to tell you…" He looked at the ground, picking up what looked to be a dropped letter with the Phantom Thieves logo on it. "And some research into this 'Phantom Thief' gang Looney has gotten herself wrapped up in…"
"And about that thing you saw before?" Moxxie asked.
Blitzo just shook his head. "A ghost of the past…" he said. 'There's no way it could have been her. After all… Why would she be in the human realm…?'
Ann: Did you find any clues?
Ren: I have a name.
Collin: You did it! Well then, let's meet up at the hideout tomorrow!
Octavia: I'll have the room cleaned out by them. I kind of made a mess with my scrying notes…
Yusuke: Loona seems to be absent from this conversation. Should we contact her immediately?
Ryuji: She's just venting about us running into her dad and his friend.
Ann: That doesn't sound good. Are you all okay?
Ryuji: Loona handled them pretty well, but those demon assassins aren't going to back down anytime soon.
Octavia: I can see if Dad can get Blitz to back off, but don't hold your breath. We just have to find and take down Kaneshiro before IMP does. Let's meet up tomorrow and get a start on our next steps.
Author's Note
While IMP was set up to be part of the Kaneshiro arc, I bet you didn't think they would affect the story this much, did you? Blitzo almost took out Makoto, forcing Loona to take action and reveal herself and the Phantom Thieves to the student council president. Luckily for the PTs, this action has made Makoto a lot more agreeable due to her owing her life to them, and the gang not having a real time limit to change Kaneshiro's heart (other than doing it before IMP track him down, of course).
The highlight of this chapter for me was the Shinjuku introduction. We get to see Ohya and Chihaya this chapter, and while I don't plan on doing Ohya's confidant in this story, I do have some ideas for the fortune teller . If you didn't know, the legal drinking age in Japan is 20, so Ren using the excuse of Loona being held back a few grades is the reason for her not being suspected of underage drinking.
And of course, the infamous crossdressing scene with Ryuji. Luckily for everyone, Blitzo and Moxxie in drag have replaced them, leading to Ren formally meeting two of the IMP members for the first time. This arc of the story is going to be a big one for Loona, as she's standing against her father, but this time for reasons that aren't just her resenting him. The hellhound may not know it, but the Phantom Thieves are slowly changing her outlook on the world, and the Phantom Thieves versus IMP will show that growth she's been having. Also, Ren got to show off some of his new demon skills, so that was cool!
The next chapter will be the gang finally getting to Kaneshiro, but there will be an unexpected roadblock in the way. Maybe it has to do with the woman Blitzo thought he saw...?