"Milady, mapsio!" Haru yelled, power coursing through her veins as she stared down several golems.
Colours twisted and warped around her foes, crushing the strange creatures until they were nothing but mere black motes. Haru did not cackle with delight, even as Milady's dauntless defiance lifted her like the way the wind lifted a sail. No, that would have been beneath her – instead, a smile both soft and malicious crossed her face as she bowed at her enemies' corpses.
"… Adieu." She whispered, one final farewell before she moved on to her target.
Milady's rebellion was one of betrayal, and it was time for Haru to start embracing it. Opening her map, the heiress glanced at her location. Good – she was nearing the far end of the barracks. She reached her destination sooner rather than later, and head held high, marched imperiously into the office.
The bulky green robot dominating the room whirled around at her entrance, and while it had no eyes or mouth to emote with, it somehow managed to emanate disdain. "HWA-HEM! WHO ARE YOU? HOW DID YOU GET IN HERE?"
She did not cower or stammer out apologies the way the old Haru would have. She also dismissed the etiquette lessons that had been drilled into her since she was a child – being dainty and demure would not save her here, or anywhere else for that matter. Instead, as Haru flicked her eyes up and met the robot's imperious stare, she channelled her father.
"I thought a man of your station would recognise the president's daughter, but I suppose I must be mistaken." Haru sniffed. "How unfortunate – father won't be pleased when he hears about this…"
As expected, the machine crumpled instantly. "L-LADY HARU!" He fell to his knees, supplicating himself before her. "PLEASE, DON'T HURT ME!"
Stepping forward, she stroked his iron cheek. The teenager barely resisted giggling – she'd always preferred superheroes over supervillains, but this was pretty fun too. "Don't fret – I'm willing to forget this… incident, as long as you answer my questions."
The robot stiffened at her touch. "I'LL TELL YOU ANYTHING AS LONG AS YOU SPARE ME!"
"Where is my father's heart?"
Silence seemed to stretch between them for an eon, but when Haru drummed her fingers against the shaft of her axe, the robot finally caved. "… PRESIDENT OKUMURA'S GREATEST TREASURE IS IN THE WEAPON PRODUCTION FACILITY."
"Thank you." Haru smiled. "Milady, psio."
Her guardian spirit blasted the machine with psychic energy, reducing it to smithereens. The second the robot was gone, the grin dropped off Haru's face. Blast. That was on the other side of the spaceport. Still, she wouldn't give up here – she had a heart to change.
As expected, the trek to the weapon production facility was tedious. If it wasn't for Haru's righteous anger buoying her she never would have had the nerve to dash under the hydraulic presses to get to the factory's other side, let alone jump out into the cold expanse of space to navigate through the airlocks. But the power of rebellion in her was strong, and a blue inferno engulfed her as she sneaked, battled and dashed towards her goal.
In the end, a panting Haru finally reached the elevator at the end of the transfer line. The brunette grinned. At last – her father's heart was mere minutes away. She'd claim it for her own, and bring this whole facility crashing down.
I'll save the workers my father is abusing, and make him change back to the man he should have been.
I'll free myself from Sugimura.
I'll prove you wrong, Sae-san.
As she stepped out of the elevator, the heiress surveyed her surroundings. There were no security droids loitering around – she supposed her father thought the airlock maze was enough to keep out any unwanted guests. Stacks of crates that could have been filled with anything lined the corridor's side, and Haru tried her best to remain unphased by the way her footsteps echoed against the cold metal floor, puncturing the silence. She swallowed, glancing down at her map - it wouldn't be long now until she reached the end of the weapon production area. Looking up, the brunette's brow furrowed. She'd expected to find a cannon or some other contraption that represented her father's cruelty. Instead, behind a sheet of bulletproof glass, was… a softly glowing cloud. Just what on earth is that supposed to be? Eyes narrowing in confusion, Haru took a step forward and rested her hand against the transparent wall.
It was a mistake.
The second she touched the glass surface, a siren blared through the air as flashing red light filled her eyes. Gasping, she stumbled backwards, only to whirl around as she heard a squelching sound behind her. Two security robots had manifested out of thin air, but neither moved to attack. Instead, a slow clapping echoed through the room, and Haru's heart caught in her throat as her father's other self stepped out of the shadows.
"I should have known you'd come here, prodigal daughter of mine." He gloated, golden eyes shining in wicked glee. "To think that you'd try slipping your knife into my back, of all people! I taught you well, didn't I?"
"You taught me nothing, father." The brunette shook her head, pained. "My virtues exist in spite of you, not because of you."
Kunikazu ignored her, but then again, that wasn't exactly a shock by now. "Still… I'm sorry, but this teenage rebellion of yours ends here. It's a pity." He sighed, expression exaggeratedly forlorn. "I wouldn't have cared much if you pulled this silly stunt after Project Utopia's launch, but as it stands, you're getting in the way of my dreams, and that's simply unacceptable." Malice shone in his eyes as he leant forward. "Do you want to know what the difference between us is, Haru?"
"… Experience?" She answered tentatively, hands tightening on the grip of her axe. She'd fight him if she had to, but that didn't mean she'd enjoy it.
"No!" He cackled. "It's resources! I have connections could never even dream of! Here, let me show you." Kunikazu grinned, before pulling out a clunky handheld radio and cocking his head. "Hello, sir? Sorry to bother you, but there's a rat in my Palace. Mind lending me your shutdown services? You'll be duly compensated."
"W-what?!" She shrieked, eyes wide in horror as her world came crashing down.
Did… did he just say shutdown services? Haru's blood ran cold, ice filling her veins as she finally opened her eyes. Her hope at returning to her once-pleasant status quo had blinded her. She'd dismissed Sae's claims out of pocket - partially because the faults in her other theories were so egregious, but primarily because she'd felt insulted and offended that the prosecutor had tried to deny her deepest, most desperate desire. But Sae had been right all along, hadn't she? Even if he wasn't the mastermind, her father's fingers were undeniably buried deep in the world's most awful pie.
Change of Heart or not, Okumura Kunikazu simply wasn't able to be saved. He'd be stuck behind bars for the rest of his natural life, but even if he somehow wasn't, Haru simply didn't think she could sip tea and talk about her life with someone who had ordered multiple assassinations.
Her father had been dead for years, and even if he returned, their relationship wouldn't.
She... she was right. Sae-san was right the entire time.
Kunikazu tapped his chin, oblivious to his daughter's breakdown as he listened to whoever was on the other side of the radio. The tyrant frowned, deep in thought, until he looked Haru in the eyes and smiled. "The name? Okumura Haru."
Her heart caught in her throat, her father's words piercing her more surely than any bullet. The heiress' hands trembled as every single hair on the back of her neck rose up. He... he couldn't be serious. As a vortex of darkness whirled at his side before solidifying into a black-plated robot, however, the heiress realised he very much was.
The machine her father had summoned was nothing like the cartoonish robots populating the rest of the spaceport. Its body was almost entirely pitch black, outside of glowing red lines that traced its figure like circuitry. In contrast to the other machines' blocky bodies, her father's hired assassin was made entirely of sharp edges. Spikes jutted off its shoulders, and its head wasn't humanoid at all, looking like some horrific mashup between a crow and a wolf. As the eerie vermillion dots that made up its eyes locked onto Haru, a deep and primal dread began to flood through the girl.
"Happy hunting!" Her father crooned, shooting his hired killer a wicked grin before swanning off, both of the security drones following him like flunkies.
Haru barely paid him any heed, however, all her attention focused on her would-be murderer as it withdrew a glowing red lightsaber and pointed it her way.
"Milady, psio!" She called, shivering like a leaf as she touched her mask, but to her absolute horror, her Persona didn't manifest.
I'm sorry, mon chéri… my powers are at their limit.
Almost on cue, a wave of exhaustion crashed into Haru with so much strength it almost knocked her to her knees. The only reason she'd ever made it this far was because of her fury. With it gone, she was running on nothing but embers. The brunette had been fighting almost non-stop for hours, and now, she had finally hit the wall. Of course, her assassin didn't care about that. The machine lunged at her, its complete silence only enhancing its brutal mien. She barely managed to twist out of its way before its blade came crashing down, glowing edge biting into the metal floor. Haru hissed – if her psychic powers were no longer available to her, she'd need to try a different approach.
"Triple down!" She yelled, and ignored the burst of pain that ran through her body as Milady floated into the air and launched a hail of bullets at her attacker.
Haru was under no delusion a paltry attack like that would take the robot down, but it would buy her some time - the most precious resource of them all. As the killer shielded itself with its armguards, she bolted away and charged into the elevator. The second it recovered the machine chased after her, but mere inches before the assassin was upon her, the elevator's doors slammed shut. Haru almost collapsed in relief as she was taken away from her would-be killer. Still, she knew not to let down her guard - she had a minute's head start at best. A ding rang through the air as the lift finally reached its destination, and ignoring the way her body struggled in protest, the heiress forced herself to her feet. Not even daring to look behind her, she ran.
Jumping through the airlocks had been both exhilarating and vexing in equal measures when she'd first gone through them. Now though, the labyrinthian maze only gave her peace – hopefully, the assassin would have just as much trouble navigating its way through them as she first did. Haru should have known better than to get her hopes up, however. She'd barely managed to get past the airlocks and back to the disposal line (and oh, that word had such a different meaning now), when she felt rather than heard something behind her. She dodged to the side, and if the brunette had been even a second slower, the assassin's blade would have embedded itself deep in her back.
Haru reached for Milady, more out of desperation than any real expectation that she'd somehow have miraculously regained enough energy to attack. She wasn't disappointed – no surrealistic energy blasts detonated against the robot's side. Mustering her nerve, she reached for her axe. If she had to die, she'd rather go down fighting instead of desperately fleeing for her life. Let Okumura Haru's last stand be a glorious one!
Swinging her axe, she scoured a blow across the machine's torso, chipping its paint. It lashed its laser sword at her and Haru danced away, gritting her teeth as the burning light skimmed across her skin. Summoning her Persona, she pelted bullets at the foul creature. It jerked erratically, pinned in place by her assault. The brunette moved in close, holding her axe up high before she swung it down in a mighty blow. The robot managed to recover before her blow could connect though, and sliced its blade at her weapon's shaft. Haru could do nothing but watch in horror as the red light tore through the wood like it was nothing. The head of her axe fell to the ground, landing with a metallic clunk.
Disarmed, injured, and so exhausted she could barely even move, Haru could do nothing but watch as the machine raised its blade into the air, ready to snuff out her life.
It was at that exact moment, however, that a gunshot pierced the factory din, and one of the robot's eerie red eyes flickered and died as a bullet punctured in. The machine staggered back, sparks spluttering from its eyesocket, and Haru glanced over her shoulder, hope and horror embracing her in equal measure as she saw Niijima Sae standing twenty metres behind her, barefoot and with a pistol in her hands.
…..
It took about half an hour after their fallout for Sae to realise she was being ridiculous.
We're under no obligation to look out for some ungrateful brat. It's every man for themselves in this bitch of a world.
Exactly! She hissed in concurrence as she stormed down the winding corridor in the opposite direction from Hary. She'd tried to keep the girl safe out of nothing but the goodness of her heart, and all the heiress had done was thrown that back into her face. Fine then. If Haru wanted to run off and get herself killed pursuing some idiotic fantasy, that was her prerogative. It wasn't like Sae was getting paid to put up with her childish tantrums.
… But that's what she is, isn't it? A child. The awful voice of her subconscious whispered into her mind. You wouldn't have taken someone accusing your father of something like that at her age particularly well either.
She's a teenager. She should know better. If I'd treated someone like that at her age, nobody would have tolerated it.
Sae shook her head, clearing the voices away – quite frankly, she didn't want to think about how her father would have treated her if he'd caught her being so rude to an adult. He'd probably have given her a long, disappointed look and one of his sighs, because god forbid she ever showed a single negative emotion.
The only reason you're so upset with Haru is because you think she might be right.
We're nothing like Okumura. We're not a villain – we're a hero. After all, aren't we fighting for justice?
The prosecutor halted in her tracks. Justice… was that really why she'd come to Okumura Foods? Yes, she very much wanted whoever was responsible for the mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns to end up behind bars, stopping them from ever hurting anyone again, but was that genuinely what was motivating her here?
Don't be silly. You know 'justice' like that is nothing but a fairy tale. We're here so we can win and finally get what we deserve, instead of being forced to beg for scraps! Isn't THAT what true justice is?
Something twisted in her stomach. The voice was right – she did deserve more than being a mere disposable cog in an unfeeling machine. Sae was smarter, infinitely more hard-working and simply more talented than most of her colleagues. Yet, they got so much more recognition than her simply because they were born the right gender and had wealth and connections her family simply didn't. That was the real reason she'd driven to the business district that night – if Sae somehow managed to claw her way to victory despite the odds, she'd finally even the playing field between herself and her co-workers.
Perhaps it was self-serving, yes, but that was simply the way people were. At the same time… was that honestly the sort of person Sae wanted to be?
Want? Want has nothing to do with it. We don't have a choice.
It was the way the world worked, after all. People got ground down until they were nothing, unless they clawed their way to the top. And Sae was so tired of working herself down to the bone for a mere pittance and no respect whatsoever.
… Except that's EXACTLY how Okumura Kunikazu thinks, isn't it?
Sae froze, the revelation feeling like a slap to the face. Making sure the coast was clear, she ducked into a nearby storeroom and barely resisted vomiting all over the floor. Wrestling her breathing under control, Sae rubbed her aching temples. The idea of being anything like that twisted, disgusting man... it chilled her to her core. So what if the mysterious, dark voice was right? Was success even worth it if the path led to becoming a man like him? And it would, wouldn't it? While it hadn't been something she'd dabbled in herself (yet), she knew how cavalier most of her colleagues were about things like forging evidence and beating confessions out of suspects. She'd turned a blind eye to it for long enough, after all.
… No. Sae clenched her fists so tightly her knuckles went white. I refuse to become a monster like – like him! She wasn't going to let her disgruntlement at being forced into parenthood taint her relationship with her sister. She wasn't going to sacrifice her soul purely to satiate her boss' whims. She wasn't going to hold a petty, immature grudge against an upset teenager, simply because she didn't take the revelation her father was a mass murderer by proxy particularly well.
Sighing, Sae slipped out into the hallway and headed in the direction Haru had fled. The silver-haired woman wished she'd actually paid attention when the teenager said something about a map – god knows one would have been handy right about now. She'd fumbled her way through the offices and into the facility surroundings when suddenly, the world exploded with red. Lights flashed so intensely they were almost blinding and a piercing din echoed throughout the spaceport. Taking in a sharp breath, Sae's eyes widened – just what the hell had Haru done?!
Mustering her courage, she leapt across the hovering pods until she reached the factory. For a second, she faltered, wincing as she glanced between her exposed feet and the clanking machinery before her. Then again, it wasn't like Haru's lace-up pumps would give her much protection, and she'd clearly managed to get through here. Resigning herself to the fact that this was going to suck, Sae advanced into the bowels of the spaceport.
Thankfully, she managed to advance through the factory with all her toes intact, even if there were a couple of near misses. As she reached the production line, Sae faltered when she realised that if she wanted to continue, she'd need to run under a hydraulic press, but it was then that she heard a desperate roar and the screech of metal against metal.
Heart racing, Sae threw caution to the wind, pressed the button on the control panel, and bolted. The prosecutor managed to reach the end of the disposal line just in time to see a robot with sleek black armour standing over a collapsed Haru, laser blade primed to strike. Acting more on instinct than anything else, Sae raised her pistol and fired. Despite the fact that it had been years since she last touched a gun – one of the few skills her father had deigned to teach her – her shot fired true. The bullet pierced the machine's eye and it stumbled backwards, away from its target.
Haru slowly attempted to push herself upright. Racing forward, Sae helped her the rest of the way, half-slinging the girl across her shoulders. Now that she could see the teenager up close, it was obvious how exhausted she was – Haru's skin was wan and pale, and beads of sweat dripped down her forehead. Her every breath was a wheezy rattle, but most chilling was the look in her eyes. Sae had seen them bright and cheerful, blazing with determination, and smouldering with rage. Now, all warmth had left them, and the dark rings under Haru's eyes had no place being on a teenager's face.
"I… I'm so sorry, Sae-san." The heiress gasped for air. "Y-you were right about him. Father, he's…"
Sae bit back her instinctive urge to say yes, I know. It was her lack of tact that had gotten them into this mess in the first place, after all. Instead, she sighed. "I'm sorry too – I should have handled that better."
The conversation was interrupted by the sound of creaking gears. Glancing away, Sae cursed as she saw Haru's pursuer straighten itself, remaining eye glaring malevolently at the prosecutor. Automatically, she fired another shot. Unfortunately, it turned out her prior success was more the result of luck than skill – this time, she missed the eye and the bullet pinged off its head. The attack still made it reel backwards, however, and Sae took the opportunity to run.
"Come on – let's go!"
Haru attempted to keep up with her, she really did. While it was significantly slower running through the factory with the girl, the heiress had enough energy – or to be more accurate, adrenaline – left to at least manage a jog. The hydraulic presses actually turned out to be a boon, much to Sae's surprise. Another potshot delayed their pursuer long enough for one of the presses to come crashing down between them, giving the women a head start they desperately needed. Still, there was a reason Haru had been lying on the floor when Sae found her, and primal instincts could only keep a broken body going for so long.
They'd barely reached the front half of the factory when Haru stumbled, nearly taking Sae down with her. Fear and frustration flickered through the prosecutor, but her harsh words died on her tongue when she saw the brunette's glazed-over eyes. There was no point urging her to just hold on a little longer – it was a sheer miracle Haru was even conscious.
Unfortunately, while the brunette had hit her limit, their enemy was still fighting fresh. Uncannily silent, the robot raced towards them, sabre at the ready. Sae pointed her gun and fired, but this time, she was merely greeted by a faint click. It felt like someone had dumped ice water on her – she was out of bullets.
"Haru-chan, can you use your psychic attacks?" While Sae's voice was superficially level, even she could hear the terrified tremor underneath.
Haru shook her head, barely even able to keep herself upright at this stage.
Seeing nothing else for it, Sae threw the pistol at the machine's head, only for it to bounce off harmlessly. Mind racing, she attempted to find a solution – any solution – to this situation that would get both of them out of this alive. Dread pooled in Sae's stomach when she came up blank. Without Haru's strange powers, her chances of beating the robot in a fight were non-existent. At the same time, Sae would never be able to outrun their enemy while carrying the exhausted teen.
It was a cold equation. Sae could try to hold off the machine as long as she could, hope Haru recovered enough to escape in the meantime (which might not even happen), and inevitably get herself killed in the process. Alternatively, Sae could leave the teen behind and flee, ensuring her own safety but guaranteeing Haru's death in her stead.
A hysterical laugh escaped the prosecutor's throat. What sort of shitty choice was that?! Despite the sweat that saturated her suit, Sae felt like she was freezing in her skin. She… she couldn't die here. She refused to do to Makoto what her father did to her – for god's sake, her sister hadn't even finished high school! Besides, as grim as the thought was, it wasn't like Haru had anyone depending on her. Sae could – no, would – get justice for her. Okumura would pay for his sins, and Haru could rest knowing that her death hadn't entirely been in vain.
But… the girl was Makoto's age. She was nothing more than a child. Could Sae truly, honestly live with herself if she just let her die? The answer was yes, if only for her sister's sake, but that was a very different thing from forgiving herself for it. Sae didn't think she'd ever be able to look at herself in the mirror again if she had another person's blood staining her hands.
As the robot gained on them, the prosecutor stood still, torn between two extremes. In the end, it was Haru who made the decision for her.
"Go." The teenager whispered with the last of her remaining energy, forcing a smile that was nothing but heartbreaking. "Leave me. I'll… I'll be alright."
The lie was so blatant it was ridiculous. Bile rose to the back of Sae's throat as her grip on the brunette loosened, and she gave her surroundings one last scan. It was then that her eyes settled on the conveyor belt behind her – it was moving in the direction of the factory's exit. There was no point in both of them hopping on – the robot would just follow them – but… but as long as one of them stayed behind as bait, it would carry the survivor well away from their pursuer.
The ice running through her veins was replaced by steel, and without another moment's hesitation, Sae pushed Haru onto the belt. The brunette was powerless to resist her, and landed with a thud as Sae turned back to face the black-plated machine. Tuning out Haru's horrified screams, Sae gripped the handle of her stolen sword, before wordlessly charging towards the one-eyed robot.
…..
Haru braced herself for the leap, ignoring the protests of her aching legs, and jumped. She hit the hover pad with a thump, partially slipping off its side, but she managed to haul herself to safety at the last second. The heiress refused to die in such a dismal way - if she fell to her death here, then Sae's sacrifice would have been for nothing. As her thoughts drifted back to the prosecutor, a whimper escaped her mouth as Haru burst into tears. Hot water and snot dribbled down the teenager's face as she trembled, half curled into a ball. The terror in Sae's eyes had been as clear as day, but despite that, she'd somehow given Haru a wavering smile as she pushed the teenager onto the conveyor belt.
For just a moment, a wave of fury ran through her, drowning the guilt that sat heavy in Haru's heart. A heartbroken scream tore from her mouth as the brunette punched the cold metal surface of the hover pad. She cursed her impotence – she had Milady, she was meant to be strong now - and finally, she cursed the world. This wasn't… this wasn't fair. What about Sae's family? How was Haru supposed to look them in the eye, and tell them their sister had died purely because she had been a sentimental fool?
The heiress was so blinded by her grief and rage, she wasn't paying a mote of attention to her surroundings. Unfortunately, Sae keeping her father's hired assassin at bay was different from the spaceport being safe. A screeching alarm filled the air as a spotlight shone down on Haru, and she blinked the tears from her eyes just to see a security drone charging at her at unnatural speeds. It exploded into dark sludge, and Haru couldn't help but laugh at the irony of it all as it turned into several women with demon wings. The brunette could barely stand. It looked like Sae's death was going to be pointless after all.
One of the women fluttered closer, ready to claw Haru with her pointed talons, when suddenly, a yell pierced the air.
"Zorro, magarula!"
…..
After getting foiled by the bio-lock and then being chased across Okumura's Palace by a whole swarm of Shadows, Morgana had been forced to retreat. Still, he wasn't going to go crawling back to the Phantom Thieves just because he faced a minor setback – that would just verify that he wasn't worthy of fighting at their sides!
It had taken several days of scheming, and just as much time casing the Okumura Foods Headquarters, but eventually, Morgana found the opportunity he was waiting for. The thing about something like a biometric lock in a Palace was that it didn't actually scan for a person's DNA – just their recognisability. So, if Morgana wanted to pass through, all he'd need was a cunning disguise. Admittedly, it was a bit hard to make one when he had no opposable thumbs, but he would make do.
(He'd never admit it, but he missed Ren.)
Shuffling on his haunches, the not-cat stared down at his target. The middle-aged man crossed the carport, eating a bun with one hand and holding a briefcase in the other. Morgana had overheard him calling Okumura the other day, and judging by his tone of voice, he seemed chummy with the CEO - in other words, a perfect victim. As soon as he was in range, Morgana leapt into the air and ignored the man's squawk as he landed on his shoulders and ripped off his toupee with his teeth. Jumping back down to the ground with feline grace, the not-cat ran away, his ill-gotten gains safely secured.
The second he'd put enough distance between himself and his businessman, Morgana entered the Metaverse. The instant he materialised in the Palace, the not-cat's hackles rose. The air was throbbing with tension, and fractured red light crept into the corner of his vision – the security level was high. Something, or more realistically, someone had set Okumura off. Morgana bristled – he wasn't going to let the Phantom Thieves steal away his prize!
(That would mean he was worthless, after all.)
As he shoved the toupee onto his head and headed to the bio-lock, Morgana couldn't help but frown. Still... it was a bit odd. The Thieves had never aggravated a Palace Ruler this much before - Morgana thought he'd taught them better than that. Something warm and fuzzy bloomed in his chest. Hehehe – maybe they're getting sloppy without me! That would mean he was a vital and necessary member of the team after all! His high spirits remained as his gambit turned out to be a success - the stolen wig was enough to bamboozle Okumura's security, giving him full access to the Palace within.
The further he progressed into the spaceport, however, the more his good mood began to dim. Morgana had gotten so used to working as a team, he'd forgotten what traversing the Metaverse alone was like. The ire of every Shadow he encountered was focused purely on him, and without the elemental coverage the Thieves had available, there was no knocking his foes down before executing them in an all-out attack. Without the others' keen eyes and knowledge too, navigating his way through the Palace's puzzles took thrice as long.
By the time he'd cleared the barracks and reached the facility's surroundings, Morgana's despair was at an all-time high. Wheezing, he took a quick breather. All that effort, and he wasn't even halfway through the spaceport yet...
He was half tempted to trudge back home in defeat when a scream suddenly echoed through the air. The not-cat shot upright in alarm – he'd never heard a voice filled with so much anguish and fury before, not even during the Phantom Thieves' awakenings. Alarmed, Morgana's prior tiredness evaporated as he leapt across the hover pads, tiny heart racing.
As he saw several Lilims poised to strike, he yelled. "Zorro, magarula!"
A gale of air burst from his Persona and sent the devils scattering. Relief crashed over the not-cat – they were one of the few Shadows in the spaceport vulnerable to wind. One more attack was all that was needed to reduce the Lilims to atoms.
Threat eliminated, he turned towards the Shadows' target, a boast in his throat. As he looked at the person the devils had been attacking though, it died in his mouth. It wasn't one of the Phantom Thieves. In fact, Morgana had never seen the girl in his life. What he did see, however, was her black mask. His every hair rose – was it her? Was she the one skulking through Palaces and using them for her own nefarious misdeeds?!
As he looked into her wide eyes, red with tears and filled with so much hope it would have crushed a lesser man, the tension fled his shoulders. No, there was no way she was behind the mental shutdowns. The girl was beaten, bruised, and bloody – she wasn't even armed. No one who'd been using the Metaverse for so long would let themselves get in such a state. That wasn't even taking in how emotionally exhausted she looked – Morgana was somewhat surprised she was still maintaining her spirit of rebellion.
"You're hurt. Here." He frowned, before summoning Zorro again and casting diarama.
Soothing green light embraced her, and gasping, the girl staggered back to her feet as colour returned to her cheeks. Instead of thanking him or gaping in bewilderment as she wondered why a cat was there, she instead staggered to Morgana's side, gripping his shoulders tightly.
"Please, you have to help me." She gasped. "Sae-san, s-she's back in the factory – she's trying to defeat father's assassin, but she can't, she doesn't even have a Persona, a-and…!"
"Wait, you're not here alone?!" Morgana's eyes widened to the size of saucers as he looked at the girl in horror.
He couldn't even comprehend how someone without a bloody Persona had made it this far into the Palace, let alone how they were duelling some cognition if the girl's story was accurate. Dammit – little wonder she was terrified. Every second wasted was a second they couldn't spare.
"Lead the way!" He ordered. "If we work together, I'm sure we can save her!"
(It was at that moment that Morgana desperately wished he had his team with him.)
…..
Sae parried the black-plated robot's laser sword with her blade, and cursed as the glowing red beam of light bit into her own sword's metal. She knocked it to the side before disengaging – losing her weapon would mean death, and Sae really, really didn't want to die.
(A dark voice deep down inside her whispered that it was an inevitability. Her fate had been sealed the second she'd prioritised Haru's escape.)
The machine stabbed at her, once, twice, and Sae twisted out of the way. Darting forward, she swept her leg at the robot's feet, faintly hoping she'd be able to trip it. Unsurprisingly, her attack was a failure – flesh and bone simply didn't stand up to cold iron. If she was any slower pulling her leg away, the robot would have chopped it right off then and there.
Just what the hell is this thing, anyway?! The prosecutor narrowed her eyes. The rest of the machines inhabiting Okumura's heart were clearly facsimiles of the workers that occupied his quarters, but she had absolutely no idea what the machine attacking her right now was meant to represent.
Unless… Her eyes widened. Of course! It was the 'perpetrator' of the mental shutdowns – Okumura's pet assassin. Sae swallowed, stomach churning as Haru's about-face suddenly began to make an awful lot of sense. He'd set the monster onto her, hadn't he? While she'd always known Okumura was a bastard, even she could barely wrap her head around the new low he'd sunken to. He was willing to kill his own child for the sake of his business – it was so utterly depraved, it was almost cartoonish.
No matter how cartoonish it may be though, it didn't make the robot doing its damned best to kill Sae any less dangerous. It swung its blade down, and she hopped to the side, slashing at its torso. A wave of triumph ran through her as her blow hit home, gouging through the metal and snipping wire underneath. Her elation was short-lived, however – the woman's blade jammed in place, and Sae's eyes widened as she desperately attempted to tug it free. As she wrenched it out she stumbled backwards, and the robot immediately pounced. Heart racing, Sae desperately attempted to block the assassin's blow, but she was just a fraction too slow. Its glowing blade skimmed past her own, and pierced the prosecutor's abdomen.
Immediately, agony exploded in her side, and for a split second, Sae's vision whited out. Sword slipping from her rapidly numbing fingers, colour returned to her eyes just in time for her to see the robot tear its burning blade out of her guts. Oh. The world spun around her as she staggered, enemy forgotten, and instinctively grasped the gaping wound in her midsection. It's not bleeding that much. The sword must have been hot enough to cauterise the wound. Unfortunately, just because she probably wasn't going to bleed out didn't change the fact that there was a significantly sized hole in her organs to begin with.
The robot took a menacing step towards her, but there was no need. As droplets of blood stained Sae's trembling fingers, a wave of giddiness overcame her, and the prosecutor fell to the ground like a puppet with cut strings. She barely even felt it as she hit the cold iron floor – even the wound in her side felt like nothing but a distant ache. Despite her failing senses, ice lodged in her heart and bile rose to the back of her throat when Sae realised that this was it. She… she was dying, wasn't she? A pathetic, whimpering sob escaped her mouth - not because of the pain, but because of the cloying waves of fear and grief that choked her lungs.
A thousand thoughts flashed through Sae's mind – not of her life, but of her regrets. She was never going to leave the country, travel across fjords or ski on foreign slopes. She was never going to have a romantic evening at the opera – fuck it, she wasn't ever going to have a romantic evening, full stop. She was going to miss her sweet, baby sister's entire life – Sae would never get to see Makoto start her career, or have a family. She wasn't even going to get her graduate high school, for god's sake!
There was… so much she hadn't done. So much life she hadn't lived. And yet, she was going to die alone and forgotten in a spaceport that didn't even exist, all because she'd wanted to gain the respect of people who were never going to give her the time of day no matter what she did. Her entire life had been a complete and utter waste. Even her bloody father had at least died for a cause he believed in.
It… it wasn't fair. A faint ember flickered into Sae's chest, and for just a moment, a prickle of anger pierced the cold dread that gripped her. She'd… she'd never gotten to travel overseas, go to the opera, go on a proper date, or see her sister grow up. And that was bullshit.
No, it isn't fair at all. Why should you be cursed to suffer such a short, miserable existence, when bastards like Okumura get to run free?
Logically, Sae knew karma didn't exist. In fact, if anything, it was the opposite – bad people got to reap the rewards of their depravity while innocents were left to suffer. Still... while Sae knew she didn't want to be a cold and unfeeling tyrant, nor did she want to be some pathetic waif who got crushed under stronger men's heels instead. She refused to be a disposable machine – milked for all she was worth before being tossed to the side like trash.
Arms aching, Sae pushed her body off the floor, ignoring the way her vision had dimmed so much she could barely see the world around her.
I… I'm not going to die here. I've got so much I want to do. Starting with tearing off Okumura Kunizaku's arrogant face!
Attagirl. The voice that had haunted her ever since she'd stepped into the spaceport purred, its prior coyness replaced by genuine pride. This world has forged you into a blade. Will you finally start fighting for yourself and what you truly believe in, instead of being a mere tool for others to wield?
"Yes…" Sae hissed.
Haru had been right – it wasn't worth trading in her body and soul to fit into a society as depraved as theirs. The prosecutor would dismiss those small but ever-present doubts about her life and her work no longer. She would conquer her anxiety instead of letting it restrain her, and fight for true justice over peaceful conformity. For the first time in her life, she would walk the path she wanted, instead of the one she had been forced onto. She would live, and love every minute of it.
Very well! I am thou, thou art I… We will not just be a sword, but a shield too – a knight that serves no king or master, but instead fights to protect the ones they love!
Something wrapped around her face, and the prosecutor jolted upright, now wide awake. She didn't know what it was, only that she had to get it off right here, and right now. Staggering to her feet, the wound in her side felt like a mere paper cut as she grappled with the mask that had appeared on her head. Her fingers curled around its cool metal ridges, and as Sae tore it away, a laugh of relief pealed from her throat. Despite the warm blood dripping down her cheeks, she felt nothing but anticipation as a torrent of blue fire engulfed her.
"Persona, Jeanne d'Arc!"
Out from the inferno stepped a spectral knight. From head to toe, she was clad in brilliant silver and gold armour, and long, flowing hair trailed down from the back of a helm that obscured the upper half of her face. Her black lips formed a smug grin, and in one hand, she wielded a shield the size of Sae's body, and in the other, she carried a weapon that was one-half sword, and one-half rifle. The blue flames then trailed down Sae's form, replacing her torn suit with a dark leather jumpsuit covered in pitch-black body armour. A cape draped down from her shoulders and spikes jutted from the plates covering her body, like some strange fusion between a dark knight and a biker queen.
Sae didn't pay her new attire much attention for long, however, and instead stared down the export line and into the back of the robot that had almost ended her life. Its head swivelled around at the unexpected noise behind it, clearly having left its target for dead. This time, however, Sae wasn't the one who was too slow.
"Sword dance!" She yelled, and Jeanne d'Arc raised her weapon into the air.
A myriad of blades manifested in the air above the robot, spinning dramatically before hurtling down at their target faster than a bullet. The swords tore straight through the assassin's iron hull, and sparks flew from the machine as its body jerked erratically. As the robot fell to its knees, Sae savoured the feeling of power rushing through her as she slowly walked to her foe's side. She hadn't felt this good in years. Still, she'd been in enough fights to know it was never worth toying with your opponent. No – she'd finish this off quickly.
Resting the tip of her stolen blade against the robot's brow, she drawled. "One-shot kill."
Her Persona raised her rifle and in a hail of gunfire, reduced the assassin's head to atoms.
The factory was not silent in the wake of her victory, but as the robot disintegrated into motes of darkness, the ambient noise seemed oddly distant. She'd… she'd won. Sae would live to see another day – she'd get to fulfil all those small, mundane dreams she'd shoved to the side in her pursuit of success. It was mindboggling – for years, the prosecutor had one singular purpose, but now, it was like a myriad of paths had opened up before her. A part of her was still afraid – her newfound Persona hadn't blown away all her old worries, even if some of them felt vaguely petty now – but mostly, Sae felt exhilarated.
She was snapped out of her thoughts by the sound of footsteps clattering against the ground. Looking up, the prosecutor's eyes widened as she saw a familiar brunette charging her way. Haru wasn't alone – a strange, bobble-headed cat thing followed her closely, determination shining in its bright blue eyes. For a brief moment, Sae wondered what the hell it was, before internally shrugging. What the hell – Haru was a magical girl now. Having a mascot was par for the course.
Wait… does that mean I'm a magical girl too? Sae wrinkled her nose, entirely unsure about how she felt about that revelation.
As the heiress finally set eyes on her, every feature on her face wrinkled in confusion before her eyes blew open in shock. "S-Sae-san?!"
"Hello, Haru-chan." The older woman smiled, a wave of relief flooding through her as she took in the younger girl's demeanour.
While there were still rings under her eyes, the colour had returned to her skin, and as she raced to Sae's side, there was energy in her steps. Haru was okay – they were both okay. Naturally, it was at that moment that a wave of vertigo hit the prosecutor with all the force of a freight train. Swaying, she was only prevented from hitting the floor by the teen's surprisingly strong arms.
"Mona-senpai, is she alright?!"
"Yeah, she should be fine. Her health is kinda low, but nothing worrying." A boyish voice replied, though Sae didn't pay it too much heed, barely clinging on to consciousness. "Awakening is always exhausting. Come on, there's a safe room nearby – we can talk more there."
…..
There was no noise other than the clink of cutlery as the Phantom Thieves half-heartedly finished their dinner. A pall that was both sombre and unsettled in equal measure had fallen over the group ever since their encounter with the Black Mask in Mementos. Suffice to say, the discovery of the killer's identity had been one hell of a bombshell, and Makoto was still reeling. Sure, Ren had offhandedly told her to be wary of the Detective Prince, but Akechi potentially being aware of the Metaverse was very different to him being the one responsible for the breakdowns and shutdowns. Unfortunately, nobody could find any flaws with her boyfriend's theory – after all, who else was cognisant of the Metaverse and liked her sister enough to torture someone for her sake?
The ensuing discussion of Akechi's motives had lasted all afternoon, and by the time the Thieves left Mementos' depths, it was after five in the afternoon. Ryuji had suggested hopping over to the Bikkuri Boy diner and grabbing an early dinner – they'd skipped lunch in light of the day's events, after all. Sure, the only proper dinner food on the menu was the nostalgic steak – unlike Ann, Makoto didn't have it within her to eat a towering pole of ice cream for a main meal – but none of them exactly felt like going to Big Bang Burger right now.
As Makoto remembered Akechi's chilling laugh and the manic look in his eyes, she shuddered. Chewing at her tasteless steak, she idly wondered if it was a good thing or a bad thing that Sae's crazy evil mass murdering co-worker was genuinely attached to her.
(A part of Makoto could barely wrap her head around such twisted devotion, but deep down inside, the kernel of rage that had birthed Johanna whispered good – Sae deserves such reverence.)
At the thought of her sister, Makoto's stomach twisted and she put down her knife and fork. Reaching for her phone, she whispered. "Niijima Sae, courthouse, casino."
Ever since the Phantom Thieves had discovered her sister's keywords, Makoto had been periodically searching her name. She had no intention of returning to Sae's Palace – quite frankly, there wouldn't be any point – but it was a nice reminder that her sister was out there. That she was still alive.
Makoto was expecting yet another please move closer to destination message, but this time, she was greeted by something else entirely. "This destination has been deleted."
Her phone had already slipped out of her hand and clattered against the wooden floor by the time by the time she fully processed what it had said. The brunette's body went numb with shock, while simultaneously feeling like someone had just punched her in the stomach. Choking, Makoto scrambled for her phone and hurriedly whispered Sae's keywords again. There had to be a mistake. Her Palace couldn't just be gone. Despite Makoto's desperate hope, however, the Metanav's response remained the same.
"This destination has been deleted."
If the atmosphere was tense before, now, it was teeming with horror. The blood had drained from all of her friends' faces, and outside of a stony Ren, their eyes were wide with fear as they stared at their strategist. For a moment, the world seemed to drift away - everything spun around her and static buzzed in her ears as Makoto struggled to breathe.
The brunette was snapped back to reality as Ren's hand suddenly clamped around her fist. "Futaba, how much longer until Necronomicon cracks the bio-lock?"
She winced. "A bit under a week. Maybe if I camp out in the Palace itself I could cut that down a bit, but…"
Bile rose to the back of Makoto's throat. By then it would be too late. (It probably was already too late. Sae was gone. Gone like their mother and father. Gone, gone, gone, leaving Makoto all alone.)
"… I've got an idea." Ren murmured, his low voice. Light reflected off his glasses, hiding his eyes. "You're not going to like it, though."
…..
Goro skived off class that morning, intending to resume his trawl through Mementos. Luckily, the SIU director had a couple of targets he wanted to inflict a psychotic breakdown on (an upstart co-worker jumping at his heels and a son's girlfriend he disapproved of), so the elderly man would be more than willing to cover for him. As soon as he entered the sprawling tunnels, however, the detective noticed something odd.
A section of red rope cordoned off the escalators leading into the collective unconscious' depths. Blinking, he approached the newfound roadblock curiously, eyes honing in on a sheet of parchment taped to the rope. As he got closer, Goro saw there was writing on it, and immediately froze when he saw what the words said.
To the Black Mask.
Cursing, he whirled around, senses on full alert. The air in Mementos was stagnant, however, and the only signs of life were his harsh breaths and beating heart. The assassin forced himself to calm down – while he wasn't a natural navigator like the Phantom Thieves' latest addition, he was skilled enough at the art. No, the Phantom Thieves were long gone by now. Besides, it was hardly surprising they knew of his existence – he'd frequented both Madarame's and Kaneshiro's Palaces, and Shadows were chatty things.
Goro turned back to the note, so plain for something so incriminating. It was a mere sheet of paper - the words were typed onto it in a generic font, none of the Thieves' usual pizzazz on display. The detective knew he should leave it alone – it was so blatant a trap it was pitiful. But then again, his rivals already knew about him, and it wasn't like he'd leave behind any physical evidence with his gloves. Simply reading the letter wouldn't hurt. Besides, Goro had always been an inquisitive child. He wanted to know why the Phantom Thieves were attempting to contact him now of all times. Somehow, he sincerely doubted it was a politely worded message asking him to stop killing people, please.
Throwing his caution to the wind, he grabbed the letter and began to read.
Recently, it's come to our knowledge that you're searching for Niijima Sae.
Immediately, his heart caught in his throat. Dammit – they must have overheard him yesterday! But how? That ridiculous bus of theirs kicked up a racket like none other. Something cold trickled down Goro's spine, and he gave his surroundings another cautious scan. Somehow, during the long gaps between their tangential encounters, the Phantom Thieves had gotten stealthy enough to spy on him.
He supposed it was worthwhile picking up the letter just for that titbit – it was a good reminder that despite the gulf in their skills, he needed to be cautious. Shaking his prickle of uncertainty away, Goro continued reading.
The answers to your questions lie in the Palace of Okumura Kunikazu (Okumura Foods Headquarters, outer space, though I'm sure you're already aware of that).
At that, a sharp laugh tore its way out of Goro's throat, and he cradled his head in his hands. Of course. Of course bloody Okumura was behind Sae's disappearance! She'd all but stated she'd do whatever it took to win this case, and he was the target she'd set her eyes upon. The Detective Prince groaned. Unbelievable. He'd thought Okumura would shy away from getting his hands dirty directly, but then again, the bastard had always been pretty liberal about who he hired Goro to deal with. The CEO acting against a threat in the real world was most definitely not beyond his capabilities.
Neither of us can progress further without bypassing his bio authentication. Unlike you, we can make Okumura reveal the truth. Unlike us, you have the resources to get past this annoying little roadblock. So, we propose a collaboration. Deliver Okumura Kunikazu to his Palace before Tuesday evening, and we'll get you the answers you need.
- The Phantom Thieves of Hearts
Incredulously, he read the letter again. The Phantom Thieves… wanted him to kidnap Okumura Kunikazu. They wanted him to kidnap Okumura Kunikazu. Goro's brows rose to the roof. He always thought the Thieves were stupid, but that confirmed it. How the hell had they even come up with such a ridiculous idea?! Admittedly, Goro technically had both the ability and lack of moral qualms to do it. Shido wouldn't even care – they were going to dispose of Okumura anyway. Still, did they seriously think he'd jeopardise his entire operation by showing them his face?
Logically, he knew he should put the note down and leave this damned place, but despite that, Goro remained rooted to the spot. It was just… everything about the latter was just so tantalisingly Amamiya. Wild, unpredictable, and flat-out fucking nuts. A treacherous voice then whispered in the back of his mind. Your mask and helm cover your entire head. Beyond that, there isn't a single similarity between the Detective Prince and his true self. The way Goro talked, carried himself, smiled… all of it was perfectly crafted to help him fit into modern society. If the detective stopped putting up his constant façade, he'd be unrecognisable.
…. In fact, now that Goro thought about it, he could use this to his advantage. If he did a good enough job (and he would - he always did), there was no way in hell the Phantom Thieves would ever suspect him by the time he blackmailed his way onto the team. They'd have seen the Black Mask in person after all, and would never connect him to the softly-spoken, mild-mannered boy in a white prince's suit. Plus, as reluctant as Goro was to admit it, a Change of Heart would be far more effective at wheedling Sae's location out of the man than anything he could do. Shadows talked, yes, but they were capricious. He doubted Okumura's inner self would even remember the prosecutor.
Tucking the letter into his pocket, the assassin left Mementos.
…..
A wave of relief flooded through Haru as Sae groaned, rubbing her eyes before sitting up. The heiress and her new companion had ended up dragging the prosecutor to one of those strange rooms that seemed to waver between reality and the spaceport after she'd fainted. Currently, it was stuck in the form of a futuristic storeroom.
"How are you feeling?" The heiress' brows furrowed as she watched the other woman, concern tempering her good mood back into something calmer.
"Exhausted." Sae sighed, massaging her head. "Where are we…?"
"We're in a safe room!" Mona explained. "It's a weak spot in Okumura's cognition – enemies won't spawn here, so we can rest for as long as we need."
The prosecutor gave him an odd look, clearly about to ask who or what he was now that she was feeling more coherent, but there was something Haru needed to do first.
The brunette dropped into a deep bow. "I'm so, so sorry, Sae-san. My naivety almost cost you your life. I know I can't take back my actions, but I promise I'll do whatever I can to make things right."
"There's no need for that." Sae raised her hands placatingly, a tired but bemused smile crossing her face. "It wasn't like I handled things particularly well either – as the adult in the situation, I should have been more mature." Sighing, she stared into the distance. "You were right about me, I think. I've been so stressed about work lately, I haven't been a good person or a good sister. I… I think I'm going to quit?" The prosecutor sounded faintly baffled by the notion, despite it coming out of her own mouth. "I've seen the person my job was turning me into, and... she's not the person I want to be."
Haru felt something within herself unwind. "Perhaps that's a good idea." The brunette swallowed, trepidation and excitement warring inside her. "Once my father's heart is changed… I want to pay restitution to all the people he hurt. I don't really know where to start, however – I know nothing about running a business, or corporate law."
Sae's expression softened. "It's not my area of expertise, but I can certainly help you find someone who'd be able to tackle that task."
"Thank you so much, Sae-san!" The heiress beamed.
Mona had a different takeaway from their conversation, however. "Wait, you're Okumura's daughter?!" The cat-like creature started at Haru in naked shock. She almost squirmed, but then something contemplative crossed the mascot's face. "Huh, I guess that explains how you got past the bio authentication lock."
The prosecutor peered at him oddly. "… Perhaps introductions are in order? I'm Niijima Sae."
Something strange crossed over Morgana's face at that, but he didn't comment, so Haru took the opportunity to introduce herself properly. "Okumura Haru, at your service! Please, just call me Haru, though."
"Right!" He puffed out his chest. "I'm Morgana – codename, Mona! You two should think of one too – it's probably too late by now, but using your real name in a Palace is a bad idea. I'm a Phantom Thief!"
The silver-haired woman's brows rose as Haru gasped in shock. "Wait, like the Phantom Thieves of Heart?!"
"… Well, I suppose this makes me infinitely more certain about my decision to leave the prosecutor's office." Sae sighed glumly. "How the hell is anyone meant to prosecute a cat…?"
"I'm not a cat – I'm a human, just like you!" Mona – or more accurately, Morgana – bristled. He quickly deflated however, something troubled crossing his face. "I… used to work with the Phantom Thieves, but we recently went separate ways."
"Really? Why?" Haru tilted her head. If she was part of a group like that, she certainly wouldn't leave it.
If anything, that made Morgana even more uncomfortable. "They… they were being indecisive. They were too focused on fame instead of on our mission, so I decided to prove I was better than them all!" The not-cat's shoulders hen slumped. "… Still, now that I think about it, I was the one being selfish. I came here just to show that I wasn't useless – I wasn't thinking about doing the right thing at all."
The heiress frowned, a tingle of concern creeping down her spine. "You're not useless at all, Mona! If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be here today!"
Sae had an entirely different stance on the situation. "Even if you are useless, does that actually matter?"
"Huh?" Morgana blinked, blue eyes wide open.
The prosecutor furrowed her brow. "… Good people don't keep others around purely because they're beneficial for them. They hold onto their friends and family because they love them, even if they are a burden at times. If the Phantom Thieves really are heroes, it shouldn't matter even if you can't keep up with the others."
Haru tilted her head, brows furrowed. "... Are the Phantom Thieves good people?"
It would be sad if they weren't, but the brunette knew she would survive - while she had no intention of seeing betrayal everywhere like her father did, she would not blind herself to it any longer, even if the truth hurt.
Luckily, a gentle smile crossed the mascot's face as he twiddled his fingers. "… Yeah. Yeah, they are." Morgana then straightened up, determination returning to his expression. "I'll have to introduce you to them sometime – they're all pretty cool! Well, except for Skull. Speaking of Phantom Thieving, I suppose you two have a lot of questions about this place - ask away!"
It turned out some of Sae and Haru's theories about her father's heart were spot on the money. The strange robots were cognitions - living representations of what he thought of his workers. Meanwhile, Kunikazu's blue-skinned doppelganger was what Morgana called a Shadow Self – an embodiment of his repressed negative traits. Morgana knew so much more about the Metaverse than the mere snapshot of it Haru had seen, however. Quite frankly, she was having a bit of trouble wrapping her head around everything, but when he moved on to how a Change of Heart worked, Haru was on full alert. When the not-cat started talking about Treasures, a flicker of recognition ran through her.
"Say, do these Treasures look like golden clouds?" She asked. "I found one in the depths of father's Palace, but I couldn't figure out why it was so important to him."
"Y-yeah, that's a Treasure, alright!" Morgana looked blown away. "Desires don't naturally have a solid form, and that's why we need to send a calling card. As long as the Palace ruler thinks they can be stolen, the Treasure will turn into an item that we can then take!"
Haru fell silent, mulling over the not-cat's words. Ironically enough, it seemed her anger-fuelled crusade had been even more doomed from the start than she realised. At the same time, the possibility of changing her father's heart was so close she could almost taste it.
"Do you want to steal his heart?" Morgana looked into Haru's eyes. "He's your father, so you should be the one who decides his fate, not some silly poll."
"He's right. I can't say I really approve of brainwashing people regardless of whether they deserve it, but…" Sae pursed her lips, before seemingly changing topics. "My father was a policeman. I idolised him when I was younger. Fighting crime, saving people… it all seemed so heroic. Of course, his heroism came at a price – namely, his family. Some nights, when he hadn't come home for days on end because he was too busy, my sister used to come to me crying, convinced that he hated us. You know how I reacted? I justified it. I told her she shouldn't be selfish - he was out there protecting innocents."
"Sae-san…" Haru held a hand over her heart – the pain in the woman's voice was palpable.
"He was always kind when he did come home, which was why I dismissed my gut feeling that something wasn't right for so long. But then I got older." A distant look entered the prosecutor's eyes. "I started to realise most teenagers didn't have to raise their siblings, single parents or not. I started to realise that most police officers took their families on holidays or to the beach, even if they were busy. I started to question him, and my father wasn't pleased at all about that. He was always… traditional, in some ways. Children were meant to listen to their parents, not call out their flaws."
The heiress shivered. She could relate - Kunikazu never took it particularly well if Haru let even a hint of discontent show when it came to him and his decisions.
"Everything came to a head when I was around twenty. We still tried to play happy families when Makoto was around, but she was away on a school camp." The prosecutor bit her lip. "We had a huge fight – I asked him if he actually knew anything about me outside of my grades. If he knew that I liked fantasy books and music. That my favourite flowers were roses. That I was only interested in girls and not boys."
Haru winced. She was very aware of the sort of reception a revelation like that could receive. "He didn't… react badly, did he?"
"Not exactly – he said he wasn't going to indulge my 'temper tantrum' and then left for work." Sae scoffed, before her expression grew pained. "I didn't think it was physically possible he could hurt me so badly until he slammed the door on me that day. I… I just wanted an apology. Acknowledgement that he should have been better. Acceptance. Instead, he never came back – he was killed in a hit-and-run accident several days later."
Morgana's ears flattened. "That's... that's awful."
The silver-haired woman shrugged. "It wasn't as awful as what happened next. It turned out the real reason he was such a workaholic was because he'd made some terrible financial investments, and was up to his eyeballs in debt. Debts I inherited as his eldest daughter." A scowl crossed the woman's face, not of grief, but of fury. "I hadn't even graduated – I barely had enough money to support myself and my fourteen-year-old sister, let alone make up for his mistakes. If hadn't been hired by the SIU when I was, we would have ended up on the streets."
The brunette swallowed. "I'm so sorry. Nobody deserves to go through something like that."
Sae just sighed. "No, they don't. Do you know what the worst thing was though? It was listening to everyone droning on and on about how good a person he was. It was infuriating – he was a neglectful parent who'd left his family penniless, yet I'd be labelled the villain if I said even a negative single word about him." She met the brunette's eyes. "I'll never get justice for the way he treated me. I'll never get to tell him how much he made Makoto and I suffer. You, however… you still have that chance, Haru-chan. You can make Okumura Kunikazu regret everything he's ever done to you, and I won't stand in your way if that's the path you choose."
Haru swallowed, eyes misty. "It is. It is."
"Great!" Morgana suddenly bounced upwards with so much enthusiasm, the sombre mood was disintegrated immediately. "Why don't you show me where the Treasure is, and then we can get out of here? Okumura's heart will change before he even knows what hit him!"