Chapter 22: Two Queens
June 19
"I can't believe we actually met your dad yesterday," Ryuji said as the group gathered in Shibuya. "He seemed like kinda a goofball, though."
"First, he's not my dad. And second, he may be an idiot, but he's an idiot that can kill you, which just makes him even more dangerous," Loona stated. "Luckily we got out of there without any of you getting hurt."
"Either way, now that IMP knows that we're also going after Kaneshiro, we have to get this done ASAP," Collin said.
"I double checked the Nav, and Kaneshiro's name is fully functional as a Palace Ruler," Octavia stated. "All we need now are the other keywords: what his Palace takes the form of, and what place in the real world his Palace is related to."
"But we don't have any clues other than people falling victim around here… We'll just have to try whatever keywords we can come up with," Morgana shrugged.
"Urgh, that's gonna be impossible… How many buildings do you think there are in Shibuya?" Ryuji questioned.
"No complaining," Ann chided.
"If we can figure out what the Palace is, we may be able to guess where it is by association," Yusuke pointed out.
"Well, what do we know about Kaneshiro?" Octavia asked. "He's been extorting students for money… So, a private school? Or a college." That got a negative response. "Darn it. Not even close." The group tried a few other guesses, but none of them worked. "Ugh, What about you, Ren? Do you have any ideas?"
"A bank," Ren said.
"Oh yeah, that makes sense," Loona nodded. The Nav flashed, indicating that it had accepted the keyword. "Hell yeah, we're back in the game! So, now we just gotta think of what he sees in Shibuya as his bank!"
"I thought it'd be something less realistic. That's all it is, huh?" Ann sighed.
"As for where his "bank" is… maybe it'd be his hideout?" Collin guessed. "Oh, or maybe even a real bank!"
"His cognition wouldn't be distorted in that case," Morgana pointed out.
"Damnit, we ain't getting anywhere…" Ryuji bemoaned.
"This may be difficult to explain… but doesn't it seem we're thinking a little too inside the box?" Yusuke asked. "Palaces emanate a passionate madness… It feels as though we're missing that aspect."
"Yes, let's take an artistic approach," Octavia nodded. "A Palace that is a bank… for someone who's been extorting money of the people with criminal acts and blackmail… Hm…" The princess scratched her head in thought. "I get a feeling like our answer lies in the victims themselves."
"Oh, I think I get it!" Morgana exclaimed. "He's taking money from his victim's wallets, right? That means his bank is wherever they are!"
"That's terrible… but you may just be right," Ann said.
"Oh, come on! How many people do you think Kaneshiro's taken advantage of in all of Shibuya?" Ryuji questioned.
The Nav suddenly got a hit, causing Yusuke to gasp. "Wait a second! I have a hit."
Ryuji looked surprised. "Huh? Wait, what!? D-Did I say something right?"
"The place that Kaneshiro thinks of as a bank is… "All of Shibuya," Octavia read.
"Seriously? The entire city?" Collin asked.
"I see. That's certainly where his victims are… it turns out he really is a terrible criminal," Morgana said.
"Wait, is it okay for us to entire the Palace in a crowded area like this?" Collin questioned.
"Eh, nobody notices if a piece of trash disappears from a trash can. This ain't any different," Ryuji shrugged.
"In that case… let's go," Yusuke said, starting up the Nav and dragging the gang into the Metaverse once more.
[***]
Location: Outskirts of the Bank of Gluttony
"What are those!?" Panther exclaimed, looking out at the distorted city. Instead of people walking around, the "humans" took the form of ATM people.
"Wow, walking ATMs. And I thought my opinions on humans were low," Lycan joked.
"So this is what Kaneshiro considers a "bank"…" Fox said.
"I never thought it'd be the entire district. Look around us… The distortion is affecting the whole of Shibuya," Mona noted.
"Huh? Whaddya mean?" Skull asked.
"Oh, that's right! Even when we were in the castle and the museum, the city outside looked normal," Panther recalled.
"He sees everyone in Shibuya as his patron," Fox said.
"No surprise for a mob boss," Omen scoffed. "We should focus on finding the actual Palace in here and stealing his Treasure as soon as possible."
"Yes, it has to be around here somewhere. Let's go look for it," Templar nodded. The Phantom Thieves got to investigating the area, heading down the distorted Central Street. There they ran into an ATM person that looked pretty beat up and went over to question them.
"Do these guys even have mouths…?" Skull wondered.
"Excuse me, can we-" Templar started to ask.
"Ah! P-Please forgive me!" the ATM man exclaimed.
"What happened?" Joker asked calmly.
"I-I don't have any more, please! I'm telling you, not even one yen!" The cognition shouted.
"Whoa, cool it. We're not trying to mug you or anything," Lycan said.
"Please, I don't want to end up like the others…!" the ATM said.
"Were you assaulted?" Fox asked.
The ATM just shrieked. "There's no doubt he's a victim, but he doesn't seem to want to converse with us…" Omen sighed. "Let's try someone else." Going further down the street, the gang soon found some ATM people laid out on the street, not moving.
"This is terrible… All of these are real people, right?" Panther asked.
"This is effed up…" Skull cursed.
"I don't think we can talk to any of the ones here…" Mona said sadly. Turning back the way they came, the gang found another sparking ATM person to interrogate.
"Excuse me, can we have a word?" Fox asked calmly. "We are-"
"It's no use… It's all over… I'll end up just like them…" the ATM said in a despondent tone.
"Where's Kaneshiro?" Joker asked.
"Where else… A place where he leaves no tracks…" the ATM replied. "Not knowing where it is will help you."
"What could that mean…?" Omen wondered.
"Hey, you gotta tell us a little more than-" Lycan started to say.
"I'm… too tired… Please… let me rest…" the ATM said, before falling to the ground, it's lights going completely out.
"…It doesn't look like this one's going to say anything," Mona stated. "Kaneshiro leaves no tracks…? Does he mean that literally, or figuratively?"
"Let's go over what intel we do have," Omen said. "We know Kaneshiro doesn't leave any tracks, and that these people have fallen on hard times because of him."
"Wait a second… They've "fallen" from a place where Kaneshiro doesn't leave any tracks…?" Mona repeated. "Could that mean…. They were actually thrown down from somewhere high up?"
"Like a skyscraper?" Templar questioned. "Some of these buildings are tall, but not on that level…" Looking up, the cherub suddenly gasped. "No way! What is that!?"
Up in the sky above, what looked like a UFO hovered over the city. "Is that the Palace!?" Skull exclaimed.
"Up in the air… No wonder we couldn't find it," Fox said.
"Kaneshiro doesn't leave any tracks," huh? Guess it makes sense he has a freaking floating bank for a Palace," Lycan scoffed. "So, how are we going to get up there? Templar ain't flying all of us up there. Yo Mona, you got a helicopter transformation you can pull out of your butt?"
"No… just a car," Mona sighed.
"You're useless! C'mon, don't you have some kind of secret gadget or something?" Ryuji asked.
"He's not a robot cat, Ryuji," Omen said.
"I'm not a cat at all!" Mona corrected.
"This may be the limit of what we can do today," Fox said.
"We gotta find a way to get up there…" Omen stated. "I wish our demon powers worked properly in this world. Then I could learn to take my true demon form and fly us up there… But for now, let's go home and think about this tomorrow, okay?"
"All right, we should get out of here for now. Run for it!" Mona shouted.
[***]
Collin: Hey Ren! I was wondering if you wanted to help me with a project of mine.
Ren: Sure.
Collin: Great! Just meet me by the school and I'll show you where we'll be going.
"Just over here!" Collin said, taking Ren up to the top of an apartment building. It was the place that Collin was staying at, not far from Octavia's apartment, and on the roof was a small community garden. The cherub excitedly showed his friend a section where purple flowers were growing. "This is the project I'm working on. They're Passion Flowers, my favorite kind!"
"Looking good. And you're taking care of them yourself?" Ren asked.
Collin nodded. "Yep! Back in America I helped take care of a small garden at a church, and I kind of grew a fondness for the craft. I've even gotten some tips from one of the Third Years at school, Haru-chan. If you ever need help making plants grow, just talk to her."
"I'll keep that in mind," Ren chuckled. "So then, how is-" He was interrupted when Collin's phone suddenly went off, causing the sheep to panic and drop it, accidentally hitting the "receive" button at the same time.
"Hello? Collin, are you there?" asked a female voice.
"Keenie!" Collin whispered. He looked to Ren. "I can't let her know that I'm here!"
Ren nodded, picking up the phone. "Hello."
"You're not Collin. Who are you?" Keenie asked.
"A friend. He's not here right now," Ren replied.
Keenie sighed. "Well, that's a bummer. I haven't seen him in a while, and I was getting worried. At least he has new friends. He hasn't been a burden, has he?"
"He's been super helpful, actually," Ren said. He saw Collin smile a bit at the response.
"Really? I'm surprised," Keenie said. "Usually, he's too nervous to do anything. Eh, at least this banishment thing is going well for someone. Anyways, tell him to call back whenever he's back from whatever he's doing. Or don't." She hung up after that.
"That was close," Collin sighed.
"Your friend didn't sound very friendly," Ren noted. "She called you a burden."
"Oh, Keenie and Cletus are always like that," Collin said casually. "CHERUB was a tight business, and sometimes I was just a bit… skittish on missions. If things got too heated, I was the one that made sure the others got away safely!"
Ren looked concerned. 'I don't think Collin realizes that his friends at CHERUB weren't treating hm fair…' The leader of the Phantom Thieves turned back to the flowers. "You take good care of your flowers, right?"
"Yes! I give them all the love and attention they deserve," Collin replied. "Just like how I'm giving my all to protect you."
"And you do that because you want to keep your friends safe," Ren said. "Do you think that Cletus and Keenie would do the same for you? Putting their lives on the line to protect you?"
Collin went silent, a bit of pain on the cherub's face. "…I think… I…" He slapped himself before smiling. "Of course they would! We're children of God, and if we protect humans, then we'd do the same for our own kind, and especially our friends!"
'I don't think me telling him the problem is going to get through to him…' Ren thought. "Well then, how about you give me some more gardening tips? I have my own plant at home to take care of as well."
"Oh sure. Let's do that!" Collin said happily. The two spent the rest of their time together tending to the Passion Flowers, but Ren's mind still lingered on the way Keenie talked about Collin on the phone. The half-Goetia couldn't help but wonder if the other cherubs were truly as good as Collin said they were…
[***]
June 20
"We ain't got nothing…" Ryuji sighed as the gang met up the day after getting the Palace keywords.
"Are we out of luck?" Ann wondered.
"It's no fair his Palace is up in the sky…" Loona grumbled.
"If only we could contract the real Kaneshiro…" Yusuke said. It was in that Makoto joined them.
"What do you want?" Ann asked, annoyance in her tone.
"Nothing in particular. I just saw you all together here," Makoto replied.
"That so?" Ryuji raised an eyebrow.
"You seem to be having quite a bit of trouble," Makoto noted.
"So, you're here to check up on us?" Loona asked. "You may be the student council president, but when it comes to what we do, you're useless."
That got a reaction out of Makoto. "Useless?"
'It looks like she's having a war flashback…' Octavia thought.
"To be frank, yes," Yusuke said.
"Just stay on your high horse and watch. Or do you want to eavesdrop, sine you're so good at it?" Ann said.
Makoto looked away, before hardening her gaze. "So you wish to get in contact with Kaneshiro. That is what you were just discussing, weren't you? It seems you just needed to find out where he is."
"That's the only way," Ren said.
"I'm not sure you can help, though," Octavia said.
Makoto flinched again. "I'm not…"
"What was that?" Ryuji asked.
"Fine. I'll help you meet Kaneshiro," Makoto said before walking off.
"What exactly is she planning on doing?" Yusuke questioned.
"She had a dead-serious look in her eyes…" Collin said worriedly. "Does this mean she knows where Kaneshiro would be?"
"I highly doubt that," Ann replied.
"I don't like her stern face…" Morgana said.
"Then we should follow her," Octavia said, running after where Makoto went. The others followed behind her, with the princess reaching into her bag to pull out a small glass marble. 'Come on, scrying spell, don't fail me now!' she though, muttering the incantation to herself. The marble flashed a bit, before a small image of Makoto appeared inside. 'It worked! Now, what are you doing, Nijima…?'
Ren's phone suddenly rang, giving the gang pause as he picked it up. "Hello? It's me… Makoto Nijima. Just stay on the phone and listen. Make sure you record the call as well," Makoto said from the other end.
"Everyone, gather around," Octavia said. The gang formed a group huddle as she held up the marble, showing them the image of Makoto talking to one of the shady guys from before while Ren's phone relayed the audio.
"Do you guys know Kaneshiro?" Makoto asked.
"What?" the thug said.
'That idiot! What is she doing!?" Loona growled.
"I heard I could find someone named Kaneshiro if I came to Central Street," Makoto said.
"She's being too rash!" Yusuke exclaimed. The gang kept moving as Octavia continued to keep up the scrying spell.
"What are you getting at?" one of the thugs questioned.
"He's blackmailing the students of Shujin Academy, is he not? Tell him if he doesn't want me talking to the police about it, he'd better agree to meet with me," Makoto threatened.
The two thugs looked at each other. "You got a death wish or something?" a thug asked. The two called over a black van, while making sure Makoto couldn't get away.
"He says he'll meet ya. Get in," the first thug said as he hung up his phone.
"You better be taking me to Kaneshiro," Makoto said.
"He said get the fuck in!" the second guy said, shoving Makoto into the back of the van. The car drove off just as the Phantom Thieves got the alleyway.
"It's the guys that messed with us the other day!" Morgana recognized. "So they were connected to Kaneshiro!"
"I still have her connection," Octavia said. "Do we still have her voice?"
Ren pulled out his phone before giving a nod. "Where are we going?" Makoto asked.
"I guess we can't do anything to her if she's Kaneshiro-san's customer," the thug said.
"Hey, I asked a question here. Where are we going?" Makoto repeated.
"We gotta go after them!" Ann said.
"And fast," Loona frowned, watching as another, more beat-up looking van passed by. "I think Blitz finally has his lead to Kaneshiro."
"Damnit!" Octavia cursed. "I wish we had the Mona Bus right now…" She looked at the marble, before getting a look of confidence. Walking over to the wall of the alleyway, she pulled out a piece of chalk from her bag, drawing a symbol on the wall before touching the marble to it. The symbol glowed, before it expanded into a portal, much like the ones from Stolas' grimoire. After it was cast, Octavia fell to her knees, her body burning hot as sweat pooled on her forehead. "There… this will… take you to where Makoto is…" Octavia breathed out.
"I didn't know you knew the portal spell," Loona said, impressed by the feat.
"I don't… I just… memorized the symbols to draw… when activating it without the book…" Octavia said. "It drained me of all my magic, though… You'll have to… go on without me…"
Collin knelt down and lifted up Octavia's head, keeping her stable. "Here, I'll stay behind and make sure you don't pass out from magic exhaustion." He brought a hand to her chest, the princess wincing as holy magic started to slowly heal her. "I know it stings, but this will make you feel better."
"Take her to this address," Ren said, sending a location marker to Collin's phone. "The doctor there will make sure Octavia is safe and healthy."
"Come on, we have to get to where Makoto is!" Loona said. "Everyone single-file and try not to throw up once you get to the other side." With that, the gang stepped through the portal, with Octavia letting go of the spell as soon as they were gone.
"Be safe, everyone…" she muttered as Collin pulled her to her feet to get her to Takemi's clinic.
[***]
"What in the world!?" Ann gasped as the gang stepped out of the portal, finding themselves outside of a club of some kind. Going into the building, the team found Makoto being held to the ground by one of the thugs, while a fat guy (presumably Kaneshiro himself) held her phone in his hands, with two women on either side of him. Loona couldn't help but notice that one of the girls looked especially uncomfortable and bore a striking resemblance to Blitzo's human form.
'She doesn't smell like Blitz… similar maybe, but not identical to him…' the hellhound thought. 'Is she… a demon in disguise…?'
"Who the fuck are you!?" one of the thugs shouted at the teens.
"Nijima-san!" Yusuke said.
"What the hell'd you do to here!?" Ryuji shouted.
"Oh, I get it," Kaneshiro said, before growling. "You got followed, you dumbshits!" He threw open a briefcase in front of him, revealing stacks of cash inside.
"Holy moly!" Morgana gasped.
Kaneshiro looked to the human woman at his side. "That bag you saw the other day- the crocodile one. How much was it?"
"About three million?" the woman replied. Kaneshiro pulled out a few stacks and gave them to her. She squealed in delight. "For reals!?"
"Better thank those guys," Kaneshiro said. He turned to his other woman. "You want anything, babe? You are my best girl, after all."
The disguised demon locked eyes with Loona, going wide with recognition before shaking her head. "No, not really…"
"What is going on here?" Ren questioned.
"I'm royally pissed right now. Can you tell? You know how spending money relieves stress?" Kaneshiro asked. "It's you goddamn brats sniffing around like dogs and barging in here like you own the joint! See this empty space? I'm so pissed that now there's a three-million-yen gap here. It pissed me off even more if I don't fill it up. I'm a perfectionist. So, good luck."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Yusuke questioned.
Kaneshiro pulled out his phone and took a picture of the gang. "Come on, you all look so tense," the mob boss said. "I think I'll call it… "Debauchery of Minors at a Club." So, can I send this to your school?"
"That's-" Makoto tried to say.
"Oh, damn, I got booze and cigs in the shot! Maybe some drugs too?" Kaneshiro said with a smug grin. "Ah… This is so hilarious. I feed on dumbshits like you… Understand, pretty little student council president? Now listen up. Run your mouth to the police, and I'll break all of you starting with your families. I want to give you the usual month, but well, you have such a large group here… Three weeks. Bring me three-million-yen by then. No less. Summer bonuses are around the corner, you know? It'll be easy if you beg your mommies and daddies."
The gang members started laughing while Kaneshiro brought the disguised demon closer to himself. "No get out of my sight. I'm about to have some fun."
"What!? To hell with that!" Ryuji shouted.
"Don't bother with him. Makoto's safety is more important right now," Morgana said. The gang member got off of Makoto, letting her leave with the group. The team left the club after that, the day fading into evening outside.
"I'm sorry… I didn't mean to drag you in like this…" Makoto said.
"For real," Ryuji said.
"I was stupid…" Makoto said.
"I must agree. You should've easily imagined this happening," Yusuke said.
"Hey, Yusuke…" Ann said.
"I was so caught up in trying to be useful…" Makoto said.
Loona rolled her eyes. "Okay, enough of the blame game! We got played… again… but it's over and done with now."
"I'm going to cause so much trouble for Sis too…" Makoto was still spiraling.
"Sis?" Ann asked.
"My older sister has a commendable job, and she's a much more remarkable person than me… A lot happened after we lost our father here years ago, so it's just us living together…" Makoto explained. "But I'm still a child, so all I am is a burden to her…"
Yusuke looked sympathetic. "And that's why you were so reckless?"
"I just wanted to be useful in some way to someone…" Makoto said.
"Y'know, I might not get your whole situation, but ain't it a bit off saying that you're useless to her?" Ryuji asked.
"It's the truth though…" Makoto sighed. "In particular, I have to apologize for what happened to you." She looked to Ann. "Now that I think about it, the truth about Kamoshida must've been covered up by the whole school. I had my suspicions, but… I couldn't do anything about it… No, I didn't do anything. Had I cared enough, I could've done something… People like me… must really be what others call scum of the earth."
"Real scum wouldn't call themselves that," Ann stated. That surprised Makoto. "I'm the same. It's just like you said before: I was closest to Shiho, but I didn't do anything… Besides, Kamoshida's the one to blame. Shiho understands that… and I do too."
"Takamaki-san…" Makoto said.
"You didn't have a place to belong either… isn't that right?" Yusuke asked.
"Me either?" Makoto said in surprise.
"We won't let anyone fall victim again," Loona said. "Now, what should we do from here? We're all caught up in this now, and I couldn't even get to his phone to erase the photo. Damn do I wish we had a hacker or something…"
"Don't worry Looney, we can take it from here," Blitzo said, appearing from an alleyway with Moxxie and Millie. Both sides looked tense as Ren and Loona took defensive positions in front of the team, Loona dropping her disguise while Ren felt the tingle of the shadows around his feet. "Now then, why don't you be good kids and point us in the direction of where the mob boss is? I can almost smell the payday now!"
"No way!" Loona shouted. "This is our shit to deal with, Blitz, not yours!"
"But if we kill that guy, then you kids don't have to worry about blackmail, right?" Millie pointed out.
"True… but we want to do this our way, to show the world what our justice is!" Loona said.
"Please, as if you could have justice," Moxxie said, rolling his eyes.
"She does have justice, as do all of us," Collin said, suddenly appearing alongside Octavia out of the alleyway opposite IMP. "Looks like we got here just in time."
"Takemi fixed me right up," Octavia said. "And we kept an eye on what you were doing with my scrying spell."
"So, the princess really is still alive…" Moxxie said in shock.
"I told you Stolas wasn't lying," Blitzo said. He peered over at Collin. "Wait, why does your voice sound familiar…?"
The cherub shed his human disguise, making the imps draw their weapons on him. "You're working with an angel!? And one of those CHERUB fuckers too!?" Blitzo gasped.
"Correction: he's working with us," Loona said, stepping in front of Collin as the sheep glared daggers at the imps. "And if you want to take him out, then you'll have to go through all of us to do so."
"You're betraying our kind, working for angels… and for what? Helping humans?" Millie asked.
"This is part of our ordeal, and that means working with former enemies to make sure ruin doesn't befall our worlds," Octavia explained. "And if you're just going to get in our way…"
"We aren't going to kill you, but we do need you to stay away while we give Kaneshiro his just desserts," Collin said.
"Yeah, and how are you going to do that?" Blitzo said. "The princess can't open portals like her dad can, so you're going to have to beat us into submission to make us stop, and I've been told that I'm very, very hard to keep down." He grinned as he primed his gun, Moxxie doing the same while Millie brandished her knives. Loona growled, baring fangs and claws, while Ren subtly wrapped a hand around the knife hidden in his bag.
"Sure, I can't open portals on command, but who says I had to do it?" Octavia smirked. She pulled out her phone and called, "Now, Dad!" before a portal opened up underneath IMP, dropping them straight back into Hell. Blitzo held onto the portal's edge, trying not to get dragged in.
"Stolas you backstabbing son of a bitch!" Blitzo cursed. He looked up to see Loona approaching him. "Come on, Looney. You won't betray your old man, will ya?"
Loona looked down at him. "Sorry Blitz, but this mission is more important than your business." She then leaned down to his face. "Oh, and before you come back to hunt down Kaneshiro, know this: he has Aunt Barbie hostage." Blitzo's eyes went wide before Loona gave him a kick to the face, knocking the imp into the portal before it closed up.
"Okay Dad, just keep them there until at least tomorrow," Octavia said into her phone. "Okay… love you too…" She then sighed as the phone hung up. "I'm so glad that worked…"
"I'm just relieved that Prince Stolas didn't vaporize me when we explained the full picture of what was going on to him," Collin sighed. He then looked to Loona. "Are you going to be okay? And what was that about an aunt?"
The hellhound looked away. "Just some insurance to make sure Blitz thinks twice before coming back here again. Now then, shouldn't we do something about Kaneshiro? After all, we're all screwed other than Via and Collin, so we have even more of a reason to go after him now."
"If only we could do something about that bank…" Ryuji mused.
"Bank?" Makoto asked.
"Oh, right, the bank!" Morgana remembered. "She isn't useless at all! She may be our key in! Here me out, you guys!"
"Our key in? What do you mean?" Ann asked.
"We've all become Kaneshiro's targets. That means we've become customers of Kaneshiro's bank!" Morgana explained.
"I see. The reason why we couldn't enter before was because we weren't considered his customers…" Yusuke pointed out.
"And wouldn't you say that she in particular is a special customer?" Morgana gestured to Makoto.
"Whoa, I don't follow this at all…" Ryuji said.
"She risked her life doing something so reckless. At the very least, she has the right to know," Collin said. He looked to Makoto. "Won't you come with us?"
"What? Wait. To where?" Makoto asked. "We aren't going to wherever you sent those demons, are we?"
"No, but you are about to find out how we change hearts," Octavia said, before activating the Metaverse app, holding Makoto's hand as she too was pulled in.
[***]
Location: Cognitive Central Street
Makoto was surprised, looking around to see the Phantom Thieves in their full attire. "A canine?" Makoto said, looking at Fox.
"It's Fox…" the artist corrected.
"Be quiet. The Shadows are going to notice us," Mona warned.
"A monster cat!?" Makoto gasped.
"I'm not!" Mona shouted, Omen picking up and comforting him.
"This is Morgana, the cat Ren carries around. This is true form, or at least the he has in the Metaverse," Omen explained.
"That voice… Goetia-san?" Makoto asked. She looked around in a daze. "Where are we?"
"We're inside Kaneshiro's… well, the world inside his heart," Panther explained.
"What?" Makoto questioned.
"It's another reality in which Kaneshiro's distorted desires have materialized," Fox clarified.
"Another reality?" Makoto questioned.
"Girl, you found out Heaven and Hell exist, and this is throwing you off?" Lycan shook her head.
Makoto gasped as he looked up to see the flying bank above them. "It's floating in the air!? Th-This is reality!? My goodness…" She shook her head. "I'm sorry, it's just… But this really exists, I can't doubt it… A reality that one's heart shows… Is it like the application of optical illusions in social cognitive psychology?"
"That's something we have no idea about…" Panther sighed. The gang then fully explained to Makoto what exactly the Phantom Thieves were all about.
"I see, so "stealing one's heart"… That may be like overwriting their cognition," Makoto stated. "I think I kind of get the logic behind it…"
"Ain't she more amazing than you?" Skull said to Mona.
"W-We're about the same!" Mona defended.
"And Mona has more field experience than her," Omen added. "It's one thing to know the ideas behind something versus being able to actually implement them."
"Then, does that mean there's an ATM version of myself in this world too?" Makoto asked.
"Perhaps. Regardless, we can change Kaneshiro's heart and make him confess if we steal his Treasure," Mona said. "If it all goes well, that is."
"We'll make it go well," Lycan affirmed. "Everyone will see our justice if we take Kaneshiro down!"
"Agreed," Fox nodded.
"Think we'll be able to give courage to those in need if it happens?" Panther asked.
"I'm sure of it!" Templar replied.
"For the sake of those in need, huh…" Makoto repeated. "You sound like my father."
"Your father?" Omen asked.
Makoto shook her head. "No, don't mind me. You want to go to that bank, right? Let's go then. If I've become a customer of that bank, then they'll have to let me in." As she walked down the street, the bank suddenly lowered towards the ground.
"Looks like it worked," Lycan said. A ramp then lowered, allowing the gang to enter the bank.
"I came to us!" Skull exclaimed.
"it's just as I calculated," Mona said smugly. One long walk later, and the team was up at the proper Bank of Gluttony.
"You know how you can use your card to get into banks during after-hours?" Makoto said. "I thought that I'd be able to get in since I have the same identity as such customers. I'm Kaneshiro's source of revenue, after all."
"Ah, that makes sense," Fox nodded.
"But wow… This place is huge," Panther noted.
"I rarely gotta go to the ban, so… this's making my nervous," Skull admitted.
"Being a bank with costumes like this is super obvious," Lycan chuckled. "Then again, isn't a bank heist another checkbox on our list of places to rob from?"
"You got that right…" Omen replied.
"it seems there will be a lot of Shadows from here on," Mona warned.
"Huh? What's that about?" Makoto asked.
"Enemies attack us here," Templar said.
"I see…" Makoto nodded. "I've trained in aikido. Don't worry; I can defend myself."
"Self-defense won't do much good against Shadows, but then again, it's better than nothing," Mona said.
"We have to go in through the front, don't we? I'm an honorary customer, so I better act like one," Makoto said. "I will be useful for you guys." Heading into the bank, the gang was immediately stopped by two Shadows, who were dressed in security guard outfits.
"What business do you have here?" one of the guards asked.
"I had a feeling this would happen," Omen sighed.
"Come at us," Makoto taunted, squaring up for a fight.
"Wait a moment!" Lycan said. "This girl is one of Kaneshiro's customers."
Makoto dropped her fighting stance, remembering the mission. "I'd like to speak with the bank president."
"Excuse me, but do you have an appointment?" the guard questioned.
"I need to talk to him. Now let me through!" Makoto demanded.
"Let them pass," said the voice of Kaneshiro from the intercom.
"That voice… It's Kaneshiro!" Makoto noted.
"Yo, banks have presidents?" Skull said in surprise.
"Yes, but not the political sorts- in theory," Fox replied.
"Please wait. Reception is to the right, towards the back," the guard informed them. "I strongly advise you do not attempt to go elsewhere." The gang moved to where they were told to go, with another guard stopping them. "Reception is just past this door, to the right. Don't go anywhere else."
"It's weird not having the Shadows immediately try to attack us," Templar said. "I don't like it."
"I don't either, Lambchop, but we just have to play along for now," Lycan said. "This place is pretty big for a flying bank- though I guess Palaces don't follow the laws of physics, do they?"
"I swear most of Hell doesn't either," Omen chuckled. Once the gang reached the back rooms, another guard pointed to where the reception office was, with the team going inside. In there was a simple office with a large stack of cash set up on the table.
"How many beef bowls could I eat with this?" Skull wondered.
"Unauthorized entry, property damage, and other disturbances," said Kaneshiro's voice. "That comes to three million yen in total. You're here regarding that, correct, Miss Beautiful President?" The gang turned to the TV in the room to see Shadow Kaneshiro watching them.
"Seriously? He looked the same, just with a gross mustache and skin condition," Lycan rolled her eyes.
"It must be quite tough gathering so much money. I'd be willing to give you a loan, you know," Shadow Kaneshiro continued.
"You gonna call it off then?" Skull asked.
"No- a loan. The interest rate is ten percent a day," the Shadow said.
"Then percent a day… That's extortionist!" Templar shouted. "That's three hundred thousand yen a day!"
"There's no need to be alarmed. I have a more manageable option for people like you," Shadow Kaneshiro said.
"That was your plan from the beginning, wasn't it?" Makoto accused.
The bank president gave a smug grin. "Quite the impressive insight… Nijima-san… Or should I say, the younger sister of the beautiful prosecutor Sae Nijima?"
The gang all looked shocked. "How do you know that!?" Makoto gasped.
"Please don't underestimate our intelligence network. My, what wonderful goods have come falling into my lap," the Shadow mused.
"Don't push your luck!" Lycan growled.
"Young women are such great assets. They lack strength- be it social, physical, or mental. It's as if they only exist to be devoured by the strong. That just might be the rule since the dawn of history."
"You truly are despicable…" Fox said.
"You better be ready, Kaneshiro! We're gonna snatch your Treasure from you!" Skull taunted.
"Don't make me laugh, you petty thieves. My citadel has the highest security installed in it." After he said that, guard Shadows suddenly spawned into the room with them! "Anyone will do anything for money. I'll rob you of your lives as easily as I breathe air… Get them."
The Shadows took on their true forms, that of Oni, meaning it was time for a fight. "Time to take you down. Kaneshiro's orders." The Shadow said.
"Yeah, no thanks. Take this!" Panther called, casting Dormina to put one of the guards to sleep.
"Take this!" Joker shouted, firing his gun. While the Shadow resisted the attack, the bullets did inflict shock on the Oni, leaving it unable to move.
"Damn Joker! What kind of gun is that?" Lycan said, before calling on Madame Queen to knock the shocked Shadow down.
"Just a gift from our supplier," Joker said knowingly, putting the gun away. The Phantom Thieves soon knocked their targets over, leaving them vulnerable to an All-Out Attack. In a flash, their enemies were no more!
"The first squad has been taken out! The target is still alive! We must deal with them at any cost!" Two more Oni spawned into the room, but the gang knew how to deal with them now.
"Dazzler!" Templar called, inflicting the Shadows with dizzy.
"Magry!" Omen shouted, using her gravity magic to cause technical damage and a knock down, leaving the enemies open for another All-Out attack, taking out wave two!
"The target is currently stuck here! We need more backup! Don't let them escape! We must take them down!" This just called in more Oni into the room.
"What the- There's no end to them. Have they really been hired with money…!?" Mona exclaimed. "We're in trouble at this rate! Let's run!" The not-cat pulled out a smoke bomb, filling the room with gas as the team made a break for it.
"Why did the security guards turn into monsters!? And what were those supernatural powers…!?" Makoto questioned in a panic. "Could those have been the Personas you mentioned…!?"
"Does now really look like a time to be asking that?" Mona said. "We need to retreat! Makoto, make sure you don't get separated from us!" Lycan grabbed Makoto by the hand, pulling her along as the gang made a break for the entrance of the bank. More guards spawned in front of them, however, blocking the way out.
"There's no end to them!" Panther said.
"Guys!" Makoto called, turning around to see Shadow Kaneshiro standing there.
"You seem to be in quite a pickle…" the Shadow mused.
"How dare you sneak around, Kaneshiro!" Mona said.
"Those would be my words. However, I do thank you for providing me with such wonderful goods. After all…" He looked at Omen and Lycan. "It was your kind that helped me found this bank."
"What?" Omen said in confusion. Shadow Kaneshiro snapped his fingers, making an imp step out from behind him. She was a female imp that looked almost identical to Blitzo, save for having a different horn shape and the obvious female traits. She was dressed in a sexy secretary outfit, along with having a collar around her neck that was chained to Shadow Kaneshiro's belt.
"Who's that, and why do they look so much like Blitz?" Templar asked.
Lycan growled. "That is Barbie Wire… Blitz's twin sister," the hellhound explained. "I've never met her, but I've heard Blitz say her name in his sleep, seen her picture before. They used to be close, until she got into drugs after a falling out happened between them."
"But why is she working for a human?" Joker wondered.
"I think… Kaneshiro summoned her to the human world, using her as a slave. Like he does with other women," Omen said with a frown. "It's an unfortunate truth that weaker demons can end up as slaves to humans with even a basic understanding of the craft."
"Yes, it was quite the surprise when that childish game managed to actually summon a demon to me," Shadow Kaneshiro explained. "But Barbie here has been quite the doll, using her talents to make sure that this bank runs smoothly. And all I have to do is keep her drugs coming for her stick around! Demons are so simple to manipulate for my needs! What I wouldn't do to have more of you in my business…"
"You're sick!" Templar shouted. "Even if she's a demon, that doesn't mean you have a right to control her life like that!"
Shadow Kaneshiro just frowned. "It's time you disappear." He clapped his hands, summoning more guards. "Managing a bank is tough as it is. So it's my policy to kill clients who are more trouble than they're worth. Having one impertinent brat disappear is enough to set an example in that other world."
"Please stop!" Makoto pleaded.
"Oh, I wouldn't damage an asset like you," Shadow Kaneshiro said. "They're dead men walking, but you and the demons will be just fine. Your sister is quite a beauty though. I'll make sure to make her my personal slave. Once I get bored, I'll just sell her off. Oh, poor Sis… She could have been successful, if only her younger sister wasn't so dumb."
"My sister has nothing to do with this!" Makoto shouted.
"Then you better start taking customers tomorrow. All you gotta do is endure it and od as you're told," the bank president said.
"Endure it…" Makoto repeated. "Do as I'm told…"
"You'll earn three million yen in no time. Although your life, and everything along with it will be a complete wreck by then!" the Shadow laughed.
Makoto clenched her fists tight. "I've been listening to you go on and on… Shut your damn mouth, you money-grubbing asshole!" The outburst made everyone surprised.
"Have you decided to tread the path of strife…?" A voice asked in Makoto's head.
"Yes… Come to me," Makoto said.
"Looks like she's finally had enough," Omen said, knowing what was about to happen. Joker just grinned as they witnessed another will of rebellion being born.
"Very well. Let us proceed with our contract at once," the voice said, Makoto's eyes turning yellow as she clutched her head. "I am thou, thou art I… You have finally found your own justice… Please… Never lose sight of it again." Makoto stomped the ground hard enough to crack the floor tiles. A mask appeared on her face, one that was metallic and sharp. "This memorable day marks your graduation from your false self…" Makoto ripped off her mask, screaming out as an explosion happened around her.
"What the hell!?" Shadow Kaneshiro exclaimed. When the light died down, Makoto was transformed, now wearing a leather biker outfit with spikes on the shoulder pads.
"A Persona…?" Fox said in awe.
"No man. That's a fucking bike!" Loona shouted, a massive grin on her face as Makoto revved the engine of her Persona, a motorcycle with the face a woman on the front where the headlight would be.
"I can feel it… My "self"…Me!" Makoto said, before looking straight ahead. "Gun it!" Her Persona roared to life, dashing ahead and sideswiping the guards around Shadow Kaneshiro to the ground.
"Wow… Nice!" Panther cheered.
"Wh-What is that!? I've never seen anything like it…" Mona said in shock.
Shadow Kaneshiro looked nervous, but composed himself. "You better earn your keep, or else I'll kill you!" he shouted, sending forth his guards to attack.
"I will not lose heart again, ever," Makoto said. "I will go full speed, nonstop! Right, Johanna!?"
"Let's go," Joker said, stepping forward with Omen and Lycan to assist Makoto in battle.
"Don't get all cocky just because I normally behave myself! I am done playing nice! Let's go, Johanna! Full throttle!" Makoto shouted.
"We're gonna tear these guys up!" Lycan exclaimed. "Show us what you can do, queen!"
"The enemy is agitated! Let's take then down and make an opening!" Omen stated.
"Charge, Johanna!" Makoto called, casting Mafrei, a nuclear spell, to knock down the lead Shadow, a Sui-Ki and damage the Oni on the sides.
"Wicked! Pass the baton to Joker!" Lycan suggested.
"Joker…?" Makoto looked to Ren, seeing his own reserved demeanor had melted away by the thrill of battle. "Okay then. It's up to you, Joker!"
"Joker, do the gun thing again!" Omen called, the leader of the Phantom Thieves complying by stunning one of the Oni with his gun and doing small damage to the other.
"Take this!" Lycan shouted, knocking down the enemy with her Gun skill. "You're up, Omen!" she said after passing the baton to the princess.
"Feel the power of my staff!" Omen said, firing off magic bullets that managed to freeze the other Oni. "You got this, Makoto?"
She nodded. "Persona!" Johanna roared as they charged forward with Varja Blast, the Phsyical skill hitting all enemies and breaking the frozen one, leaving all enemies on the ground. All it took then was an All-Out Attack, with Makoto having her first taste of what was to come. "Fists of Justice!" she shouted after striking a pose.
"Now! Let's get outta here!" Mona shouted. "We know how to get in now. Our objective's been accomplished!"
"But how are we getting out?" Panther asked.
"There's only one exit, right?" Makoto said.
"So, you're totally the First of the Phantom Star now, huh," Skull chuckled.
"Do you want to get smacked?" Makoto asked. "I'm going on ahead, so follow me!" With Johanna's power Makoto knocked over the guards and busted out of the front doors.
"Damn, is she awesome now!" Lycan mused.
"Okay, we have a path!" Mona grinned, transforming into bus from. "Get in!"
"Next stop, out of here!" Omen shouted as Lycan gunned it out of the Palace.
[***]
"Man, talk about wild…" Ryuji said as the gang gathered in the hideout. "That was no aikido- that was some hardcore ass whooping!"
"I am so not pissing her off… I feel like she'd rip my arm off," Ann said.
"Like I said, she was total queen," Loona grinned, patting Makoto. "Now I wish I'd set you off way earlier!"
"She does exude that aura…" Yusuke noted. "Maybe even more so than Loona…"
"Oh, stop it!" Makoto winced. "This is the most exhausted I've ever gotten these past few years… But… it felt pretty great. I never thought I'd become part of the Phantom Thieves I was after. Sis might faint if she found out."
"You mentioned her earlier," Collin said.
"She's a prosecutor for the district- and she's investigating the Phantom Thieves," Makoto explained.
"Wait, ain't that bad!?" Ryuji exclaimed.
"No need to worry. A normal investigation would never lead them to a world like that," Makoto assured them. "Then again, it must have been fate for this to happen…"
"What do you mean?" Octavia asked.
"I can't be like my sister. I had a feeling that there'd come a time when we wouldn't see eye to eye anymore. I'm thankful to have a sister who works to hard, but…" Makoto closed her eyes. "There are times I feel sorry for her too. And after hearing my Persona's voice, I clearly understand how I feel now."
"It appears you're not as reserved as you make yourself seem," Yusuke noted.
"I was just doing whatever the adults told me to do," Makoto admitted.
"Won't she be perfect as our advisor? She's fearless and has a sharp mind," Yusuke suggested.
"Sounds good to me! We've needed someone like that for a while now!" Ryuji said with approval.
"I'd be honored if I can help out," Makoto said. Her phone suddenly rang. "It's Kaneshiro. He's reminding us of our debt. So the Kaneshiro over here doesn't know what happened inside the Palace."
"That's right, but his Palace will be affected if the real Kaneshiro's cognition changes. We can't be lax," Morgana said.
"We also have to deal with the fact that he has a demon in his servitude as well," Octavia pointed out.
"Yeah, and it's Blitz's sister on top of it," Loona frowned. "I don't think she'd rat us out as demons, but I don't want to risk it. We'll have to find a way to free Barbie from being a slave to that asshole…"
"It seems it'd be best to avoid unnecessary contact with him until then," Makoto said.
"Three weeks left, huh…" Ryuji said.
"There's that security system too," Yusuke reminded them.
"But if we pull this off, it'll definitely be great!" Ann cheered.
"We'll crush him like a fly. I'll make him regret making me angry…" Makoto said seriously.
"Anyways, let's begin our operation tomorrow!" Ryuji said.
"First, we need to secure a route to the Treasure, like always," Octavia stated. "Oh, and I suppose we might have to deal with IMP again. Dad can only hold them for so long…"
"Leave explaining that to me," Loona said. "Moxxie and Millie might not like me, and as much as I hate to admit it… Blitz does love me, in his own weird, messed up way…"
"I'll be waiting for the call to meet up," Makoto nodded. With that, the gang separated for the time being.
Ryuji: Damn, motorcycles are cool… I wish my Persona was like that.
Loona: You have a flying pirate ship, dude. Why don't you try riding it?
Ryuji: Dude, you kidding!? Motorcycles are way cooler than dumb boats! It'll be just like that song! "I'm a phantom, on a steel horse I ride…"
Makoto: Don't say such things. And for the record, I am most certainly not "wanted."
Ann: Honestly, I'm mostly just surprised you know to ride a motorcycle at all, Nijima-senpai.
Collin: Yes, you seemed pretty well versed in that skill. Do you have your license?
Makoto: A regular one, yes.
Ryuji: Nice… I can't wait to get my hands on one too.
Makoto: That aside, mind if I change the topic for a moment?
Yusuke: What is the matter?
Makoto: I'm sorry, everyone. I know I'm not in any position to be saying that. I truly do… however, I must apologize. It was my actions that dragged all of you into this mess. On top of that, I misunderstood your true intentions in this. If only I could have realized what was happening to Suzui-san too…
Ann: Come on, we don't need to talk about that now.
Yusuke: It seems there is still lingering issues on everyone's minds.
Loona: Now's not the time to be talking about that shit though! We have to deal with Kaneshiro and IMP!
Octavia: She's right.
Makoto: Very well, I understand. Anyway, I will do my best to make sure I don't slow you all down.
Confidant Rank Up
Confidant: Collin Pastor
Arcana: Sirius
Rank 3 Description: You covered for Collin when his "friend," Keenie, called him. Collin seems to be dismissing how his teammates at CHERUB treated him.
Rank 3 Ability: Follow Up: Chance to perform a follow up attack of Joker's attack does not down the enemy.
Author's Note
Yes, Makoto is finally part of the team! She's one of my favorite characters of the Phantom Thieves, and her Persona has to be one of the coolest. I mean, who doesn't like a cool biker chick? Loona seems to agree as well, finally getting to see a new side of Makoto. I think our hellhound is going to get along well with their new ally.
Speaking of which, Loona chooses to fully side with the Phantom Thieves against IMP here, the fallout of which will be discussed in a future chapter. It's one of the understated things in the show, but Moxxie and Millie don't really have a good relationship with Loona. For Moxxie it's justifiable since she belittles him constantly, but Millie also doesn't seem to regard Loona that well, especially once you realize that she never refers to Loona by name, just as "the hellhound." Of course, Blitzo is the one that's going to feel the sting the most, especially since he's seen his daughter working with an angel and just had Stolas pick the Phantom Thieves' side as well.
On that topic, the changes to this arc continue, the biggest of which is the inclusion of Barbie Wire. Now, at the time of be writing this we know next to nothing about Blitzo's twin sister, but I wanted to include her here to raise the stakes of this arc. Let's be honest, Kaneshiro is the weakest of the main Palace Rulers in terms of character, so making him have some ties to the occult and essentially holding a demon hostage, especially one with ties to our main characters, is a good way to make him feel like an actual threat. In the Palace she takes the role of the sexy secretary, which alludes to her position as being held underneath Kaneshiro as well as being the one that keeps his mafia running smoothly thanks to her skills as a demon giving him an edge over the competition (I imagine she can do most of what Blitzo does minus the weapons, since both of them were acrobats in the circus).
Next time will be the Palace infiltration, along with following up on IMP versus the Phantom Thieves!