Support writers and actors! Screw A.I. and get it regulated to hell and back like it's Mass Effect! UknownHero here and welcome to another chapter of Senran Persona!

Senran Persona: Ninjas of Hearts has a TV Tropes! I'm gonna keep doing this and you can't stop me!

No reviews this time! So let's do this.

Time to d-d-d-d-d-d-d-defenestrate! (Warning: this chapter does not involve defenestration.)

Load Game…Start!

Chapter 125: Brewing Embers

(9/22, Early Morning)

(Shibuya, Shin Megami Apartment Complex)

Yumi let out a yawn, her eyes fluttering open as the sunlight hit her face. She then looked around to see that she wasn't in her apartment. Heck, she was not even in a bed, she was on the couch where she had first sat down, with their empty cups of tea still on the table.

She had to remind herself that after reading her grandfather's will last night, she had decided to stay over. Tears were shed, hugs were given, expletives were yelled, it was an emotionally exhausting experience she didn't want to have alone.

It was lucky that her friends were by her side the entire way. Maybe not all of them, but they would be brought into the fold in due time.

Hopefully.

"Mmm...Morning, Yumi-chan..." Asuka yawned as she rubbed her eyes. "Huh? Oh...we all slept on the couch..." She then mumbled.

"We did, didn't we?" Yumi muttered before checking on the tan skinned girl and the white haired woman, who were still snoozing. "It's 7AM, I believe. We better wake them up." She informed and suggested.

"Yeah." Asuka agreed before gently shaking her sister. "Come on, get up." She then got out.

"Mmm..." Homura hummed as she slowly opened her eyes. "Aw what? We didn't even go to bed?" She then complained while rubbing her sister's head.

"Well, that's gonna cause some back issues." Miyabi groaned as she woke up and stretched her back.

"Man, it didn't feel like we slept on the couch at all though." Homura got out.

"I guess because we used each other's boobs as pillows." Miyabi responded in a joking manner.

"Well, it has been one of the best nights in my life so maybe that has something to do with it." Yumi countered with a witty grin.

"Hehehe...don't use your own boobs as pillows." Asuka giggled.

"Well, considering that you're making jokes like that, are you okay, Yumi?" Miyabi soon asked as she spotted the will on the table and handed it over to the gray haired girl.

"To be honest, not fully." Yumi admitted as she carefully put the will back into the envelope. "I still have this ache in my heart, but I know it'll go away some day. I just need some time to process it all. But...at the very least...I can smile." She then stated, grinning from ear to ear.

"Glad to hear that, Yumi-chan." Asuka got out as she hugged the older girl.

"From his will, it proved your grandfather loved you and your sisters." Miyabi meanwhile stated with a nod of approval.

"He has a way with words." Homura admitted. "Only made me wish we could've met him before." She then admitted.

"I wish he met all of you." Yumi soon confessed. "But we can't change the past, so let's make the most of our present and future." She then stated and decided.

"If we're gonna do that, may I suggest that hole in the wall you made." Miyabi reminded as she jerked her thumb over to said hole. "Ugh, vacuuming the dust is gonna be a bitch." She then muttered with a frown.

"I'll pay for the repairs." Yumi promised as she stood up. "I caused it, I should take responsibility for it." She then insisted.

"No, senpai. I got this." Homura got out as she pushed the light gray haired girl back down before disappearing. In the next second, she reappeared carrying several wooden boards, a box of nails, and a hammer.

"Homu-nee!?" Asuka exclaimed.

"I got it!" Homura assured before placing the materials on the floor and getting to work, turning into a cloud of drywall and sawdust.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

Soon enough, the hole in the wall was fully covered up by the wooden boards with no gaps in between. "There, I fixed the wall. No need to get the landlord involved or spend money." Homura proudly stated as she showed off her handiwork.

"With boards and nails." Miyabi deadpanned. "Where did you even get those?" She then asked. There wasn't any construction going on near here.

"Just in case." The tan skinned girl responded with a shrug.

"That doesn't answer my question." Miyabi stated, only to be ignored.

"...I admit, it's actually aesthetically pleasing." Yumi confessed before seeing everyone staring at her. "...You spend enough time with Yusuke-san, you get an eye for design and detail." She then explained.

"Why didn't you just turn it into a doorway or something?" Asuka soon questioned. "We have thin walls, there's no wires, and Miyabi-chan practically visits every other day. It would be nice." She then admitted.

"Huh. That's a good idea, Sis." Homura got out in approval.

"Would the apartment lady approve of that though?" Miyabi however pointed out.

"If she hasn't come up here about the noise in the last five months we've been living here, I doubt she'll ever notice." Asuka assumed with a shrug.

"If all else, a little bribery should sweep away any concerns." Homura then added.

"I'd rather not risk it." Miyabi deadpanned. She was beginning to question whether the sister remembered they were renting this place.

"Hey, what time is it?" Homura suddenly asked.

"Yumi-chan said it was seven before we woke you up." Asuka recalled.

"Just enough time to make a quick breakfast and bathe." Homura muttered as she checked her phone, only to see the battery life. Looks like it's finally time to buy a powerbank. "Come on, we have to try and all bathe together!" She then decided.

Miyabi, however, looked rather worried. "Erm, the tub could barely hold three of us. Maybe if we stand and take a shower, we could probably fit..." She soon pointed out.

"No!" The sister shouted in unison.

"This is a bath-only apartment, Miyabi!" Homura declared.

"You know, it's a lot more environmentally-friendly to have showers than to-" Miyabi began to state.

"I will pay you a thousand yen to shut up." Homura offered as she pulled out a 1000 yen bill.

"Shutting up." Miyabi responded as she plucked the bill from the girl's hand.

"You better go home and get your uniform, Yumi-chan." Asuka soon suggested.

Yumi blinked at that. "Uniform?" She repeated.

"For school." Asuka answered, looking a little confused before gasping in realization. "Oh, wait, were you allowed a few days off? Well, you're free to stay here if you want." She soon got out.

"I gotta go too and get my uniform as well." Miyabi mumbled under her breath.

"Um, why are you all getting your uniforms?" Yumi questioned with a raised eyebrow. "It's the Autumnal Equinox." She then reminded, causing the others to freeze,

"...Oh yeah, no classes today." Homura recalled with a smirk.

"Wait, what?" Miyabi exclaimed in shock. "Does that mean I don't have to go to work? I just told some newbies to come in today! Aww no..." She then groaned as she covered her face.

"Just call your boss right now and check if you need to come in today." Homura got out.

Miyabi blinked before she face palmed. "Why didn't I think of that?" She grumbled before taking out her phone and dialed her...secret part-time workplace's owner. "Hey, Boss, I-" She soon spoke, however...

"Hello there! This is the owner of the well-famous Alice's Apron Maid Cafe speaking to you with lots of love!" Chisa's voicemail happily answered. "If you are one of your staff members, please leave a voice message after the beep. If not, then I will report you to the police for privacy invasion AKA having my number without me knowing along with giving you our secret weapon, which is the most spiciest meal in our menu and force-feed it to you like a cute baby. Deliciooooooous...BEAAAAAM!" She then declared, as the white haired woman quickly imagined being blasted by a heart shaped laser straight from her phone and into her eyes.

"..." Asuka, Homura, and Yumi stared at the white haired woman, who was beginning to blush with an intense shade of red.

Miyabi stared back, having realized she had accidentally put it on speaker...and also missing her chance of cutting the voicemail halfway before it finishes. "...Oh, that was the wrong place. I-I never really called my boss before so I must've gotten the wrong number. Let me call my real place of work." Miyabi awkwardly chuckled before desperately calling the first number she saw. "Hey, Boss!" She happily greeted.

There was a loud yawn. "Miyabi?" Ann's voice groaned from her phone, sounding as though she just woke up. Hopefully that would be enough to sell this.

"Hey, do I have to go in today?" Miyabi asked while (attempting to) casually look at her nails.

"What the- it's a public holi-" Ann tried to say, however, that was all the white haired woman needed.

"Oh, silly me! Thank you! Bye, I'll definitely work overtime!" The white haired woman declared before hanging up. "...So, I'm free." She then stated, acting as if nothing happened.

"I...guess you are." Yumi muttered. That was weird, but there was something telling her not to pry.

"So...everyone has a day off." Asuka stated. "Do any of us have plans today?" She then asked.

Everyone looked at each other with unsure expressions on their faces.

They had not thought this through.

(Harajuku, Haruka's Apartment)

Meanwhile in the Crimson Squad's third year blonde and apprentice doctor, said blonde was relaxing for the moment as the ninja-maid gave her a foot massage.

"How does it feel, Haruka-sama?" Tsumuji asked in a curious manner.

"I mean, it's fine." Haruka mumbled as she scrolled through the morning news on her phone.

"Hey, I'm doing this on instinct and internet videos. Give me a break." Tsumuji grumbled.

"I didn't really ask for this." Haruka however stated, looking and feeling a little awkward. "My feet are perfectly fine." She then assured.

"Well, according to FeetVlogs, that's what they all say at first." Tsumuji stated as she began poking at her mistress's toes.

"There really is an audience for anything." Haruka muttered. "More shutdowns..." She then whispered with a frown.

"Haruka-sama?" Tsumuji got out, spotting the concerned look on her mistress's face.

"Oh, sorry, just seeing the news." Haruka responded with an apology.

"Meh, I stopped looking at it a while ago." Tsumuji admitted. "Too depressing, I'd rather focus on my own problems than the world's." She then explained.

"It's important to keep up with current events, Tsumuji-chan." Haruka advised as she placed her phone down. "You may never know how it might affect you personally. I mean, there could be a pandemic in a couple of years!"

"Tch, that'll be the day." Tsumuji scoffed as she rolled her eyes. "Modern medicine is too advanced for that to happen." She then stated.

"Never underestimate human stupidity." Haruka deadpanned. "And human desperation. And depravity. Basically, humanity can be very dumb, cruel, and horny." She then summarized.

"Hear hear." Tsumuji idly agreed. "I mean, have you seen the maid cafes around Akihabara? If you're cute enough, customers would eat it up no matter how bad you're doing." She soon added.

"Where did you hear that from?" Haruka soon asked as she took a sip of some orange juice.

"Miyabi." Tsumuji answered.

"PFFFFFFFTTTTTT!" Haruka spat out her orange juice straight at the ninja-maid's face.

However, Tsumuji herself didn't seem all that bothered, only wiping the juice out of her eyes. "Oh, shoot, I really did forget to mention something yesterday." The maid muttered.

"What happened!?" Haruka demanded from the ninja-maid.

Tsumuji nodded and quickly summarized what she had done while she was outside.

"...Miyabi-chan's working at a maid cafe?" Haruka questioned as she blinked a couple of times after hearing that.

"Yes. I saw her with my very own eyes, Haruka-sama." Tsumuji confirmed with a rapid nod. "She even did a deliciousness thingy!" She soon added as she reenacted the entire thing.

"...Well, desperate times call for desperate measures, I suppose..." Haruka muttered under her breath.

"Not everyone can cure cancer, Haruka-sama." Tsumuji reminded.

"I'm not looking down on the profession or anything. I'm just surprised anyone would hire her." Haruka however stated and confessed.

"Why?" Tsumuji asked with a raised eyebrow.

"She has no references, I doubt she worked in any sort of service position, and she has the social acuity of a peanut." Haruka plainly answered.

"Oh, so like me." Tsumuji deadpanned.

"Exactly like you." Haruka replied as she patted the maid's head.

"Well, I did work at the batting cages for a while but ignoring that..." Tsumuji muttered under her breath. "Anyways...yeah, that's why I was late coming home yesterday." She then concluded.

"You could've mentioned that before I spanked your butt. I would've accepted the excuse." Haruka responded.

"I tried, but then you gagged me with your panties before I could say anything, Haruka-sama." Tsumuji reminded with a grumble. "...And you know Akira would disapprove of that, right?" She then pointed out.

"...Please don't tell him." Haruka soon requested with a pale face.

"Why would I when I have some blackmail hanging over your head?" Tsumuji pointed out with a false smug smirk. However, this only earned an irritated glare from her mistress. "B-But, I'll also accept a whole case of Dr. Salt in exchange for my silence." She soon requested hastily.

"Done." Her mistress agreed. "Still, how did you accidentally get a job?" Haruka questioned in a baffled manner.

"I don't know, Haruka-sama!" Tsumuji cried. "It took me a long time to get that position at the batting cages, and then I get one out of the blue just like that? Gah, if Homura hung around Akihabara more often, I would've applied there instead of being rejected 69 times." She then lamented.

"Especially one where-" Haruka began before she stopped to snicker. "-Miyabi works. Ah, I always knew she would make such a hunky butler." She then remarked.

"Actually, she's kinda womanly, but that's not the point." Tsumuji mumbled. "Like, I don't know if I should even go today! They have to know that I wasn't the maid they were expecting by now, right?" She then got out in worry.

"Tsumuji-chan, yesterday was the first time in a long while you went outside." Haruka reminded. "I can see your skin paling to an unhealthy degree. Hebijo doesn't care about you anymore, but I do, and I say you go over there tomorrow and make sure you have a job." She then got out in concern.

"Hai." Tsumuji responded with a nod. "Wait, tomorrow? I have work today." She then realized before pointing out.

"Huh?" Haruka got out in confusion.

"Y-You don't want me to?" Tsumuji assumed in worry.

"Today's the Autumnal Equinox. A public holiday." Haruka responded with the reminder.

"..." Tsumuji paused to think before sighing. "I-I'm just gonna go anyways. Just in case, y'know." She then decided.

"Well, I won't stop you." Haruka assured before she frowned. "...Are you gonna stop massaging my feet, though? I need to get to work too." She then questioned.

"Hold on, there are some kinks I need to work out." Tsumuji got out as she began digging in her fingers.

"I feel perfectly fine. I don't really ne-Aaaaagggghhhhh~" Haruka tried to deny before suddenly melting in her seat as the ninja-maid rubbed a certain spot.

Okay, maybe she needed one.

(Yongen-Jaya, Leblanc Attic)

If you asked Akira about his physical ability a year ago, he would've awkwardly tried to dodge the question. It wasn't like he was eating terribly, his parents made sure of that, but he really didn't exercise outside of P.E. and he could barely run for more than a minute before tiring himself out.

But as the sunlight shone in the room, it struck at his glistening muscular body as he was doing his morning pull-ups routine, revealing to the world that the boy before that incident was gone.

Now, he could actually do a pull-up and so much more.

"Ten seconds left! You got this, Joker!" Morgana cheered.

"...Ninety-nine...one hundred!" Akira counted and concluded as he finished his pull-ups for the morning. He was only wearing his black jogging pants, leaving his fit and toned upper body exposed.

"That's a new PB!" Morgana informed in an impressed manner.

"Woo!" Akira proudly got out before swinging off the wooden beam, doing a flip before landing on the floor with a thud.

"Whoa!" Morgana exclaimed as he backed off a little. "Land a little softer next time. The floorboards can't handle such abuse." He then warned.

"With cat-like tread next time." Akira breathed out before grabbing his water bottle. "I wonder how everyone's training has been going..." He muttered before downing all its contents in one go.

However, despite his happy demeanor currently, he felt like he had pushed his body far enough today. Right now, he wanted to lie down naked with Haruka again, talking casually about stuff. His nude sparring with her not only was helpful, but also made him feel that in some weird way, he might want to be an exhibitionist in secret, casually walking around naked in his attic in secret without anyone knowing except the people he can trust to keep his perverted secrets from the not cat.

"Jeez, Akira." Morgana breathed out. "You were barely hitting fifty a couple of months ago, and you ended up wanting to die, but now you look like you wanna do more!" He then got out in surprise.

"Gotta thank Homura and Miyabi's shinobi training." Akira replied, wiping the sweat off his upper body with a towel. "...Wanna bet my sperm count gets a drastically high result now?" He then casually asked out of nowhere.

"You're thinking about that!?" Morgana exclaimed before narrowing his eyes. "...Wait, are you saying that to mess with me?" He then accused.

"I don't know, maybe." Akira replied, setting his towel down. "How am I messing with you, anyway?" He then questioned.

"You- You mentioned sperm count out of nowhere!" Morgana called out. "Does doing pull-ups even affect that?" He then asked.

"I was just teasing you about it." Akira got out with a small chuckle. "Also, having a healthy lifestyle and health will give a guy a high sperm count, medical-wise. I'm serious." He then informed.

"Why do you even- You know what, not even gonna ask, manwhore." Morgana sighed as he shook his head.

"Says the, er...human who got into a bath with two girls." Akira teased back.

"T-That was a unique circumstance!" Morgana spat back. "And besides, it's not like you haven't been around naked girls either." He then added with crossed eyes.

"True, but...eh, life is strange...or horny, in our circumstances." Akira got out with a shrug. "I mean, who knows what some god or gods above might throw at us soon." He then muttered.

Morgana in response couldn't help but sigh. "...You know what, I can't argue with that, actually." He had to admit.

"Might as well face the things ahead for ourselves." Akira stated. "Besides, aside from all the sexual and horny stuff we have been through so far, we still have our dangerous, life-on-the-line Phantom Thief life." He then added.

"...Yeah, we still have that. With Okumura and Haru." Morgana sighed. "I wonder what's going on now with the Okumuras." He then wondered out loud.

"Let's hope nothing too major." Akira hoped. "After all, we still have that Treasure to steal in Kunikazu's Palace." He then reminded.

"Right." Morgana nodded in response. "So...Akira...how did meeting with that...Ryōna girl turned out?" He soon asked. His tactical retreat had taken him as far away from the girl as possible, so he wonder if anything important happened.

"Turns out she's dealing with her own issues too." Akira responded in a casual manner. "She wanted something from me, but I think I managed to throw her off." He then revealed.

"You are going to get yourself killed with how many shinobi you keep running into." Morgana groaned. "I mean, next thing you know, you could be kidnapped again!" He then got out in a fearful tone.

"After everything we have been through, I think I can handle it now." Akira stated in a confident manner. "I have to admit, I somehow...love the danger. Besides, we have Futaba in our group now. She pretty much has eyes and ears all over Tokyo, maybe even the world. No way I'll be in that kind of danger again." He soon added before pausing. "...And here I am, saying that with such certainty, I know I'll be proven wrong sometime in the near future. Dammit." He then mumbled under his breath, cursing himself.

"...It's weird seeing you being so overconfident and so overcautious at the same time, Akira." Morgana remarked.

"Because hubris is probably the only thing keeping me going and having some peace of mind over everything that's going on in our lives." Akira bluntly admitted.

"You're our Leader, Akira." The not cat reminded. "As your trusted companion, the most important thing I want to see from you is you knowing what you're actually doing, taking responsibility for what you have done, and keeping our group safe. That's all that matters." He then stated.

The Leader smiled at that as he petted his companion. "I won't ever forget that, Morgana...aaaaand I just realized Futaba's been watching us this whole time..." Akira got out as he looked at his own muscular and sweaty body.

He really needed to get around to finding all the bugs in his room...

(Hebijo Base)

The blonde masochist was aimlessly staring at the ceiling of the base, lost in thought of what to do...

Mainly cause...she wasn't exactly feeling like her usual self. Though she did get busy before this, finding more information on Miyabi's whereabouts, but now that she has the free time to relax for a bit and think, there were still some things going on in her mind.

"Jiiiiiiiiiiiiii..." Ryōna droned out as she continued on with a blank look in her eye.

Though in her mind...it was a completely different situation.

(Ryōna's Imagination)

A simple Japanese style home, a pleasant day as birds were chirping and the skies were clear. However, a certain housewife didn't want to enjoy the outdoors today. No, she had decided to stay inside and watch TV, using her free time to knit tiny sweaters and socks, bake delicious foods, and reading and finishing the Kama Sutra.

"Good afternoon, Japan. Here is the news." The newscaster greeted with a smile. "There is no bad news and it's all the good news. So let's move onto sports. Hanamura-san?" He then informed before the camera switched to some other man significantly uglier than her husband.

"Thank you, Yamada-san. Today in major Japanese sports news, we got the Kickers playing the Punchers...Elementary School, here at the division two soccer field for ages six and under! It has been an absolute bloodbath!" The sportscaster informed.

"Oh, how lovely..." The housewife breathed out, drowning out the rest of the news as she focused on making the cutest little hat she could make.

Suddenly, she heard the door open, getting her attention she saw a man come insider. "Honey, I'm home!" He called out.

"Ah, welcome back dear." The mature woman greeted, perking up as a result.

An older Akira, who was wearing a business suit with a red tie, turned to see his lovely wife sitting on the couch, wearing a simple ensemble of a white t-shirt, dark red apron, and fluffy pig slippers. She had long grown out her blonde hair after they began dating, having tied it into a loose braid and put over one of her shoulders.

She was also very, very heavily pregnant.

"Ryō-chan, glowing as ever I see." Akira got out with a smile as the blonde removed his jacket for him.

To that, the confirmed Ryōna giggled in amusement. "Well, when you're growing three wonderful signs of your love inside you, all you can do is nothing but glow with radiance." She replied and confessed.

"You were always glowing. Even before Ren, Ryōki, and Ryōka." Akira responded.

"Well, I certainly glowed even brighter at the news." Ryōna replied as she sighed in content. "To think I would marry a man who would make enough money to raise six children. I don't even know how you get all this money!" She then stated and added.

"I work hard because of you and the kids." Akira revealed. "I will never stop until you're all happy." He then reassured.

"I'm happy now." Ryōna confirmed.

"Happier." Akira pressed as he gently grabbed his wife's shoulders.

"Well, there is something you can do to help with that..." Ryōna began to reveal.

"Ryō-chan, you sure?" Akira however asked in concern.

"Positive." Ryōna reassured with a nod.

The man in response nodded as he took in a breath. "Well, let me take care of the chores first before-" Akira began.

"Shut up and kiss me already, Akira." Ryōna requested, interrupting the boy.

Then the two started to get closer for a kiss...

Ryōna's face soon enough went red and was steaming as she then shook it off rapidly.

Stop that, brain!

Her masochism may not be to everyone's tastes, but it was a part of herself, pure and simple. No one accepted it, not even her sister. She had no friends of her own nor anyone who would even give her the time of day to even help her fulfill it, so any scrap she could take, she took it with glee.

She may like being hurt a lot, but the pain of loneliness was something she never liked to experience.

And then came Akira and he just...made her fall. And it hurt. It hurt so much.

Because now, every time she had these moments it felt like...her brain was telling her to hide away such an important aspect of herself to be with the person she wants.

Was this what she wanted, what she needed to be in order to create connections?

To lie to herself and others just so she could be liked for once?

Or was it something...more? She honestly wasn't sure...

She really had to think about it. This was moving too fast for her.

I mean come on. Her?

As a housewife of all things? And pregnant with kids!?

She would rather be the family pet! With animal ears and a tail shoved right up her-

PI! PI! PI! PI!

"Hm? Who's this?" Ryōna mumbled in a curious manner as she looked at her phone. "Alibaba? 'For your viewing pleasure, have fun!'?" She read out in confusion as she noticed an attachment.

First of all to her, who was this Alibaba? Some random person with a weird name, probably, according to her mind. Whatever, this is probably just another one of the spam emails that slipped through the filters that would steal your info as soon as you clicked on something and your phone would catch a virus faster than you could say chlamydia.

"Hold on, I'm getting more from Alibaba..." Ryōna soon mumbled as she opened the new email. "No, this isn't spam or a virus. I just like you. Accept this as a gesture of friendship." She then read out.

...What? Friendship? Okay, that instantly raised some alarm bells. There's no way whatever is attached to these texts would ever make her-

TAP!

Oh.

Oh wow.

She was wet now. A personal best.

"How did they...?" The blonde soon questioned before her brain told her to stop and think for a moment.

Primarily, to not fucking question it because it's free. This could be her only opportunity.

With that, Ryōna decided not to look the gift horse in the mouth and prepared to enjoy this newly formed friendship with the mysterious Alibaba, paying no mind to what sort of stalker could get such an amazing angle of such a view.

"Friendship...accepted." Ryōna quickly typed before sending it. This was going to bite her in the ass someday, but she would gladly accept it right now.

After all, it wasn't just men who thought with their genitals.

"So...sexy..." Ryōna droned out with hearts in her eyes.

And thus...her fate was sealed...as her nose started to bleed...and her panties began to be removed.

Welp, time to spend her last day in Tokyo inside.

(Hebijo Academy, Murasaki's Room)

Within the brightened former truant's room, Murasaki was exercising, this time in moderation so she wasn't hurting herself like she did before with a sore body.

"Nine hundred and ninety-nine...one thousand." Murasaki concluded and breathed out in satisfaction as she finished her sit-ups.

"Booo! You suck!" Bebeby jeered.

Murasaki groaned as she laid on her back and stared at the ceiling. "Still not good enough..." She mumbled.

If she can do a thousand sit-ups, Mirai could do five thousand more.

If she could do one hundred pull-ups in an hour, Hikage could do it in ten minutes.

If she only lasted 12 hours underwater, Yomi could stay under for a week, make a little home, eat the fish for sustenance, and somehow make sense of this comparison that had begun to escape her.

She had to do better. To prove herself as a Crimson Squad member.

To the friends that actually cared for her.

"Coming from the chick with the six pack and a K-Cup that could ragdoll her sister." Bebeby remarked.

"Imu is not my family anymore..." Murasaki harshly reminded with anger in her voice.

"You really hate your own sister though? You know that-" Bebeby began.

"Shut up, Bebeby!" Murasaki angrily ordered, interrupting the plushie. "Aren't you mad she broke you!? That she stole you away from me!? To make you train every day until you can't move anymore!? To make you a killer without your say in it!? Who never cared that you locked yourself away for two years!?" She then questioned with all the reminders of what she went through.

"..." Bebeby said nothing.

"...Tch, that's what I thought." Murasaki scoffed. "I'll show her though. I'll be better than her and I'm taking control of my life." She then declared.

"Lies."

"Eh?" Murasaki thought she heard something, looking towards her plush bear, only to see it tip over.

Meh, it was probably nothing. She had more important things to worry about.

PING!

"Hm? A message from Futaba?" Murasaki hummed out in a curious manner as she sat down at her PC. "Got a new motivator for you. Hope you like it." She then read as she saw the attachment before clicking it to open it without thinking.

CLICK!

(Elites Room)

"I don't know about this." Hikage got out in a skeptical tone.

"No, you just need to think about it." Mirai assured the greenette.

"Arf!" Poochie barked.

"See? Even Poochie agrees. Besides, I don't know where we'd get-" Hikage began only to stop as she realized where the eyepatch wearing first-year student got this idea. "...Mirai, no." She bluntly ordered.

"Come on! There has to be something in Haruka-sama's old lab!" Mirai however assumed.

"You know how much her experiments backfire! And who knows how many other weird potions and unfinished projects are in there!" Hikage argued as her puppy nodded.

"Yeah, but maybe it'll go our way just this once." Mirai responded. "I mean, it could turn us into giants, or summon snakes from our hands...or make me way taller and more curvier..." She then added, muttering that last part mostly to herself.

"Ugh...fine. We'll at least add Operation Catgirls to our list of options." Hikage relented as she wrote it down, along with Operation Eat The Rich and Operation Poochie.

At that moment, Yomi came into the room with a big metal pot. "I made some bean sprout soup for all of us here." She announced as she put the pot on the table with a small thud. "Want a serving?" She soon asked.

The other Crimson Squad members looked at each other and cringed before turning back to the frugal girl. "Yomi, weren't you banned from cooking? Ever?" Hikage reminded.

"Ehhh?" The blonde exclaimed.

"You kept blowing up the kitchen and making monstrosities that weren't remotely edible." Mirai deadpanned. "It wasn't that long ago!" She then stressed.

"B-But...but it's bean sprout soup. Nothing major happened." Yomi assured with a sad look on her face. "It's just some water, salt, pepper, and bean sprouts. I promise I didn't do anything else." She then informed.

Cautiously sniffing the pot, the greenette and Poochie's eyes widened as they realized that their sinuses were not burning. There might be hope. "...Put some dashi stock in there, as well as some green onions, soy sauce and garlic." Hikage instructed. "We should have those, right?" She then asked.

Yomi nodded. "I'll go get them and add them to the pot." She replied before grabbing the pot and heading out of the room.

The two watched the frugal girl leave before turning to each other. "...So what are the chances that the soup will breathe?" Mirai soon asked.

"Yomi has cooked stuff before." Hikage reminded.

"Yeah, but after Mystery Food X, I don't trust her." Mirai pointed out, shuddering at the memories. "How is she cooking anyways?" She then wondered.

"I mean, all the dead trees around here do make good firewood." Hikage guessed before pausing. "...Firewood, huh..." She repeated as she closed her eyes.

Mirai looked at the greenette strangely before shrugging. However, just as she was about to leave, Yomi returned. "I put the ingredients you wanted." She announced as she set the pot down.

"And that's all you did?" Hikage pressed.

"I also heated it up a little more." Yomi admitted eagerly. "A lukewarm soup is always good, they say."

Mirai soon stabbed a kunai onto the table. "Okay, let's do this." She declared as if she was preparing for battle.

"Okay, soup's up." Yomi breathed out as she placed down a stack of bowls and some spoons. They all soon got themselves a serving and began eating.

"Huh. It...tastes good." Mirai finally responded, tasting the now-decent soup from the beansprout-loving blonde before taking another spoonful.

"Really good." Hikage added as Poochie lapped up her own serving.

"I have to thank you for improving it, Hikage." Yomi got out in a grateful tone.

"You were the one to actually cook it. I just told you what to add from a recipe I found online." Hikage freely admitted. "Plus, I know you can't screw up bean sprouts to save your life." She then added.

"Well...at least it's something you're weirdly fond of." Mirai assured, still feeling okay with the bean sprout soup. "You got away this time, Yomi. Thanks for the meal." She then added and thanked before getting another spoonful.

"Hai! Happy to help!" Yomi responded with a nod. "I'll try to make something decent once again with bean sprouts." She then promised.

"Just read cookbooks from now on." Mirai deadpanned the order.

"Cookbooks are for the weak and rich." Yomi growled in an almost demonic manner.

"...Right." Mirai squeaked before downing some more soup.

At that moment, however, they heard the familiar sound of the door opening and wheels rolling along the floor, announcing the arrival of their most hated enemy.

"Why are you here?" Mirai asked as she watched the sandy blonde arrive.

"Are you gonna ask this question every time I come by?" Imu muttered with a frown.

"Because you have no place here." Hikage harshly stated.

"Well, I don't know." The glasses-wearing girl confessed with a sigh. "I barely have any work, I can't train, and I have no friends. Since I'd rather not get cooped up in my room, I guess I'm here." She then explained.

"To annoy your sister and make her your plaything." Hikage accused with a glare.

"You always assume the worst of me, huh." Imu mumbled under her breath.

"I've only seen the worst of you." The greenette stated. "And given the damage you've done, I hope the next time I see you is off the nearest cliff. Or stabbed." She then added before slurping up her soup.

"Hikage-chan..." Yomi whispered in concern.

"Big talk for someone with no bite." Imu muttered.

Hikage put her bowl down at that. "What was that?" She got out in an irritated manner, only for Poochie to nudge her. The greenette petted the puppy before focusing back on the enemy. "I'm not going to let you goad me into doing something you'll regret." She stated.

"I'm just wondering: Why haven't you killed me yet?" Imu soon questioned. "It's dog eat dog. And if you aren't strong enough, you're dead. So why am I still alive right now?" She then pressed as Poochie snarled at the woman.

"Because the principal-" The greenette began, however...

"The principal doesn't run this school." Imu interrupted. "Dōgen, the school's main investor, does. And he says only the strong get to thrive in this world." She then corrected.

"Dōgen is wrong." Hikage countered.

"So you admit weakness." Imu shot back.

"If weakness is compassion and empathy, I will gladly be weak." Hikage declared.

"Then will you show that compassion and empathy to an enemy you'll have to kill?" Imu then asked with a glare.

"Only to my allies." Hikage answered. "To my enemies I show no mercy." She then added with a glare.

"And yet you're showing mercy right now by my continued breath." Imu remarked before moving in close to the girl. "Come on, do it." She soon taunted.

Hikage almost did, her hand twitching. "...You have a death wish or something?" She soon questioned as she looked the woman directly in the eyes.

Imu was uncomfortably silent.

"Oh my God, both of you shut up and eat my soup!" Yomi suddenly snapped, causing the two to stop their glaring contest and turn their heads towards the frugal girl. "It's getting cold." She then muttered before returning to consuming more of her cooking.

The greenette soon sighed as she calmed herself down. The other girl was not worth it at the moment. "You want some soup, Imu?" Hikage offered.

Imu narrowed her eyes at that. "...Is there poison in there?" She then assumed.

"You saw us take it and eat it." Hikage grumbled before grabbing an extra bowl and pouring some soup in it. "Here, you need something to eat." She then got out.

"I bet you put something in my soup without me knowing." Imu grumbled, turning her head away.

Hikage let out a long-suffering sigh. "...Mirai, can you serve her soup instead, please?" She soon requested.

"I can get my own, thank you very much." Imu stated with a frown. "You don't trust me, I don't trust you. I thought our dynamic was clear." She then reminded.

"What's wrong with showing you common courtesy?" Hikage questioned.

"Because I know you wouldn't even give me that on a good day." Imu answered. "So, for my own health, I hope you hate me enough to not try underhanded tactics." She then added.

The greenette glared at the glasses-wearing girl. God, she wished she thought of that earlier and brought some poison with her. "...Just get some fuckin' soup, alright?" Hikage grumbled.

"I will gladly get some. Myself." Imu declared.

"I'm gonna kill you both if you two don't stop-" Yomi growled, however...

CRASH!

Mirai almost choked on her soup. "What the hell!?" She coughed out.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHH!" Murasaki suddenly screamed from her room.

"Murasaki-chan!?" Yomi got out in concern.

"OH GOD, IS SHE BEING MURDERED!? OUT OF MY WAY!" Imu exclaimed, shoving past the other girls to wheel herself to her sister's room.

"...She sounded more happy though." Hikage pointed out.

"I wanna point out that we haven't heard this scream before." Mirai pointed out. "And who knows, what if she is being murdered?" She then asked.

"..." Yomi blinked.

"..." Hikage stared.

"...We should check on her." Mirai then suggested as she stood up.

"Yeah, we should've done that sooner." Hikage admitted as she got up as well while Poochie leapt into her cleavage.

"WHO THE HELL IS THAT, MURASAKI!?" Imu's voice suddenly roared in anger. "AND WHY THERE BLOOD ON YOU!?" She then added.

"No no no no no no..." Hikage whispered as Crimson Squad dashed towards the purplette's room.

"I-It's not what you think, Imu!" The purplette panickingly responded.

"THERE'S A LOT OF BLOOD!" Imu exclaimed.

"IT'S MY TIME OF T-THE-" The purplette began as the Crimson Squad girls entered.

Turns out, Murasaki's scream was one of surprise, delight and excitement as on her state-of-the-art PC monitor was-

"AKIRA/AKIRA-KUN/AKIRA-NII!?" The Crimson Squad girls mentally exclaimed at the sight.

The image was of a certain boy they all know, standing like a supermodel on a shoot as he wiped the sweat off his body, with the sun in the background shining through the window that highlighted his athletic body.

"...I feel weird..." Hikage got out in awe at the sight of the image of the shirtless, muscular and sweaty boy.

"O-Oh my..." Yomi breathed out with a hand over her mouth in disbelief.

"Meh, I've seen...sweatier." Mirai awkwardly coughed, attempting (and failing) to look away.

"A-Ah..." The purplette squeaked before rushing over to hide what was on screen.

"Murasaki...why do you have a photo of-" Hikage began.

"A-A friend sent t-this to m-me and, um, um..." Murasaki tried to explain, only to realize that it only made her sound worse. "I-I'm not a pervert!" She then cried out.

"Nosebleed." Hikage however informed.

"I just smacked my face!" Murasaki insisted, terribly hiding her embarrassment and lies as she still hasn't closed the window showing off the boy's body, merely covering it with her large chest.

"She has tissues by her futon. Do you mind grabbing some for her?" Bebeby asked.

"I cry myself to sleep some nights!" Murasaki continued insisting as the blonde beansprout lover passed her the tissue box.

"Who the hell is this!?" Imu growled out in anger.

"I-I-It's some random attractive guy from the Internet, Imu!" Murasaki panickingly answered before wincing.

"What!?" Imu exclaimed.

"N-No, wait, I mean-" Murasaki stammered, finding herself trying to scramble for a good explanation.

"I'm not letting you fall in love with some random guy on the internet!" Imu declared. "And I certainly won't let you run off to some brainless idiot. I mean, look at him! I bet he chews rubbers." She then added and accused.

"He can definitely grate cheese on those abs." Hikage idly admitted as she continued staring at the image before the first year slapped her back into reality. "Huh? What, I blacked out for a minute." She then got out.

Murasaki felt her anger flare. "Akira-kun is smart!" She insisted. "And good, and better than you!" She then added.

"Murasaki-chan!" Yomi exclaimed, only to cover her face as she realized that they had acted too late.

"Akira...?" Imu repeated before her eyes widened as she then got another look at the boy and recognized him. "Wait, the Phantom Thieves rant guy?" She then recalled.

"He's more than that!" Murasaki responded in anger. "He was the first person ever to be nice to me in years!" She then declared.

"Common human decency isn't worth falling for." Imu stated as she shook her head.

"This is coming from the Miyabi-focused simp." Mirai deadpanned.

"Because she's Miyabi!" Imu declared as the other girls sweatdropped from the lack of denial. "This guy is just someone you decided to...to..." She then tried to counter as her cheeks began to blush an intense red.

"What, Imu!?" Murasaki demanded.

"I'm just avoiding the topic that you masturbate!" Imu shouted out...only to then pale in embarrassment

"..." Hikage blinked.

"..." Murasaki and Mirai blushed scarlet as a result with their heads steaming.

"..." Yomi just looked lost.

"...Ruh?" Poochie innocently tilted her head.

"...Masturbation is a natural part of life and a healthy outlet to-" The plushie suddenly got out.

"Shut up, Bebeby!" Imu and a scarlet faced Murasaki called out.

"Umm...this is getting..." Mirai got out in an uncomfortable manner, stepping forward to try and intervene, only for the greenette to stop her.

"No, let it." Hikage ordered. "She deserves this." She then added.

"Which one?" Yomi questioned.

"You know who." Hikage responded as she openly glared at the glasses-wearing girl.

"Neglecting your duties just for something trivial and pointless as this...we're shinobi, Murasaki!" Imu continued arguing. "Hebijo does not tolerate this kind of behavior! What if Suzune-sensei finds out?! Or worse, the principal?!" She then questioned.

"I...uh..." Murasaki floundered as she found herself stepping back.

"We are not to associate with civilian affairs, Murasaki." Imu informed in a serious manner. "That is the shinobi rule, you know that." She then added.

"But...this...I want this..." Murasaki whispered.

"Dammit, Murasaki, you're going to get him killed if you care about him so much!" Imu shouted, standing taller as her sister felt as though she was shrinking. "Does he know who you are?"

"Y-Yes! I met him in Tokyo!" Murasaki stammered, attempting to keep a brave face. "No...stand up..." She mentally ordered herself.

"No, does he even know who you are?" Imu pressed.

"...Stay out of this!" Murasaki cried out, pushing her sister away.

However, the glasses-wearing girl barely stumbled back. "No! I don't care if you hate me, this is for your own good! I'm still your sister and you will listen to me, Murasaki! You are making a mistake!" Imu soon screamed.

SMACK!

Everything then went silent...as the purplette slapped her sister right across the face, a scowl of fury and disgust upon her face.

Imu went still as she stared back at her younger sister with crossed eyes and gritted teeth as she fixed her crooked glasses back on.

"Get. Out." Murasaki harshly demanded as her muscles tensed up. "And never come back here again...or you'll suffer." She then threatened.

"Grrggh! Someday you will understand why I'm doing this, Murasaki." Imu darkly stated as she started to wheel herself away before pausing. "One day, I swear you will..." She then declared as she left the Elites Room.

"We'll never see eye to eye..." Murasaki responded in an equally dark tone.

"Murasaki..." Mirai whispered in concern.

"Huh?" Murasaki got out before realizing she was absolutely glowing with the Root. "...dammit." She whispered as she forced the Root down even deeper, losing the glow but still feeling it rage inside.

And...it was growing.

Dammit, Imu.

"She's still trying, even after disowning her." Hikage growled.

"The nerve of her trying to treat you like an item..." Yomi remarked in annoyance.

"I dunno, don't you think..." Mirai began.

"Don't even play around with the idea that she's right." Hikage scoffed. "She's wrong, she's always been wrong. She even made up that whole farce about me bullying her. Tch, how pathetic." She spat.

Yomi nodded to that, only to do a double take. "Eh?" She got out in confusion.

"She's doing all this because we're your family now, Murasaki. Imu better stop this nonsense at once." Hikage explained. "Or else I'll stop her first." She grumbled under her breath as she left the room, along with the rest of Crimson Squad.

However, she didn't notice that Murasaki had flinched and then went to her knees with an empty look on her face.

"Lies."

That in turn caused the purplette to jump. "...Bebeby...?" Murasaki nervously got out, turning to her plushie.

The bear however said nothing, only staring back at her with its dead eyes.

"...I need to get out of Hebijo...before I go mad..." Murasaki quietly breathed out in fear as she then left to follow her friends, forgetting to turn off her PC...and all the blood on her clothes.

At that moment, Ryōbi walked by the room and noticed the boy on the computer screen past all the antics. "...Not bad..." She had to admit in an impressed manner while imagining herself giving a thumbs-up of approval.

He could totally work at Bootyland.

You know, after he helped her assassinate Miyabi.

(Yongen-Jaya, Sakura Residence)

It was a rarity for Futaba to have a productive morning. A productive afternoon? Sure. A productive evening? Even more. A productive all-nighter? During her shut-in days, that was what she called a standard night.

But right now, Futaba was having a productive morning and it made her feel fuzzy inside.

"Mwehehe~ Ain't I a stinker?" Futaba teasingly giggled out with a trollish smirk. "Now to send this to Haruka...then Yozakura aaaaaand Murakumo." She then quietly decided as she put on her noise-canceling headphones and began typing at a rapid pace.

Unfortunately, she was unaware of the looming presence of Miyabi right over her shoulder.

"...You're lucky we need you on your PC, because frankly, I'd have smashed it to bits by now." Miyabi thought as she looked at all the cameras the orangette was currently accessing. God, she had eyes and ears all across the city and then some!

"Aaaand scheduled sent. Tonight those three are gonna be reacting like crazy!" Futaba happily declared with a proud smirk.

"...I'm sorry, Isshiki-san, but I'm afraid your daughter's a pervert." Miyabi shamefully concluded before gently moving one of the ear cups away from the orangette's head. "Hey, I don't think Akira would appreciate sending random people private photos of him." She calmly informed.

"GAH!" Futaba screamed as she turned her chair around to see Miyabi and an open window. "Why don't you ever knock!?" She then called out in frustration.

"To catch you doing shit like this, young lady!" Miyabi countered. "Holy hell, don't you know when to stop!? When it's gone too far!?" She then called out.

"What? It's not even all that raunchy." Futaba assured. "See? You can barely see his- oh, wait a minute..." She then tried to convince the woman, only to notice something Akira would definitely give her shit over.

Miyabi however palmed her face to that. "Oh my god, why are you even doing this in the first place!?" She then shouted in frustration.

"Come on, Big Sis, I'm not doing anything bad here. It's just sending some photos." Futaba insisted.

"That's the problem! You're still sending unsolicited pictures to random people!" Miyabi shouted. "It's...perverted, wrong! I really should be smashing your computer!" She then declared, summoning her sheathed katana into her hands.

Now, the normal reaction to that would be to panic and use her body as a shield, but Futaba was actually very calm as she looked rather professional. "Not random people. Key targets." She informed.

That in turn immediately caused Miyabi to pause and look at the orangette in confusion. "What?" She got out.

"Did you know you can hide viruses and malware on images?" Futaba rhetorically asked the white haired woman. "It depends on a number of factors, but if you send the right image of, say, our Leader in a state of undress after his morning work-outs that they wouldn't question too much receiving, they'll never know I have access to a lot more things than I should have." She soon explained.

"To what." Miyabi demanded more than asked.

"Important stuff." Futaba vaguely responded in amusement. "All you need to know is that with the right pushes and nudges, I can change people's thinking and walk down paths I want." She then stated with a smirk.

"That's a little far-fetched." Miyabi muttered in a skeptical tone.

"Oh, but you underestimate the power of the internet, as wonderful and cruel as it may be." Futaba dramatically got out as she turned back to her computer. "It's subtle, and it's not like a change of heart, but it can do wonders. Let's start with Haruka." She soon got out.

"That blonde girl with the weird liquids and experiments back at our school, right? What about her?" Miyabi questioned with narrowed eyes. That reminded her, she needed to see her again to help with her training.

"Well, it pays to be paranoid, and Haruka isn't someone I fully trust which is why her pic contains something that allows me to track her movements." Futaba answered.

"Okay...I see where you're going with this." Miyabi admitted.

"Meanwhile, Yumi's friends are still having a tough time dealing with the death of their grandfather, so why not change their ads and preferences to be more calming with helpful services? Maybe a coupon to their favorite places." Futaba continued.

To that, Miyabi blinked, knowing the orangette made a good point.

"That is not all. Joker mentioned this morning that he thought this Ryōna chick wanted something from him." Futaba replied and revealed. "Luckily like always, Akira's natural charm got to her. Still, keeping track of the info she has is important. If I find anything dangerous, I'll need to make sure it never leaves her phone." She soon explained. "Plus she looks as though she needs a friend despite her masochism." She then added.

"...Akira befriended a masochist...great..." Miyabi sighed out. "And Murasaki?" She then asked.

"Eh, she could use the motivator to stand up to her jerk of a sister and fa-" Futaba began to explained in a casual manner.

"Don't need to know." Miyabi interrupted. "And...you're sure Imu's getting that bad?" She then questioned.

"Yeah?" Futaba responded with a raised eyebrow, looking a little confused. "You look doubtful." She then noticed.

"Futaba, I've known Imu for years. She loves her sister very much. She just has a sucky way of showing it." Miyabi explained. "What she did to Poochie aside, this is all probably a huge case of miscommunication." She then added.

"I have the evidence." Futaba pointed out.

"I don't need or want to see it." Miyabi declared. "I trust Imu with my life. She knows what she's doing." She then insisted.

"You're really taking her side blindly?" The hacker questioned in disbelief.

"I have no reason not to." Miyabi replied with a shrug. "No one else did before Hebijo." She then added with a sour look on her face.

She remembered clearly that Imu would only smile when she was around. She would never talk about what happened at school and it wasn't her business to pry. Still, it did hurt to see her with red eyes every week...or every day on a particularly bad year.

"You know she simps over you right?" Futaba bluntly asked.

"Huh?" Miyabi looked confused. "Is that some sort of new slang or something?" She then asked.

"It means-" Futaba began to explain before pausing. "You know what, it's better if you figure it out yourself." She then decided.

"Okay...?" Miyabi confusingly responded with a raised eyebrow. She would have to look up the word later.

"Also...we better be prepared for when Imu decides to come to Tokyo." Futaba soon advised. "She found out about Akira." She then revealed in a serious tone.

The white haired woman soon sighed. "...Fuck." Miyabi swore. "Well, I better give him a heads up and make sure he doesn't make an ass of himself."

"Or unintentionally attracts her to him." Futaba jokingly responded.

"Pfft! That's impossible." Miyabi scoffed. "Imu's too focused on her job as a shinobi. I mean, she barely even knows him. She's more likely to fall in love with me than him." She then explained.

"Oh come on!" Futaba exclaimed.

Miyabi in turn blinked at that. "Waaaait a minute..." She soon began in realization.

"Yes, yes...!" The orangette mentally cheered as she finally managed to-

"I should buy her a gift." Miyabi eventually decided.

THUD!

Futaba then slammed her head on her desk. "Oh for the love of-! Are you that dense, Big Sis!?" She soon exclaimed and questioned. This wasn't even funny!

Okay, maybe it was a little funny...

"What?" Miyabi got out in further confusion.

"She- Ugh...if I tell you, you're just gonna misconstrue it so I'm not even gonna bother..." Futaba grumbled under her breath before letting out a sigh. "Anyways, I am making sure we all don't die while also taking care of friends of friends. That's what I've been doing with my free time." She concluded.

"You've been thinking this through for a while..." Miyabi eventually realized.

"What? You think I do this just for kicks?" Futaba assumed. "Info is just as deadly as a weapon to a shinobi, and this is how you sabotage in the modern age. And the smallest things can be a huge help." She soon stated.

"...I forget who I'm dealing with sometimes." Miyabi giggled with a somewhat reluctant and proud smile on her face.

"Praise me more, Big Sis." Futaba got out as she leaned towards the woman.

"Good job, Futaba." Miyabi jokingly praised. "Now come on, I made you breakfast and you need to start working on your diet, missy." She then instructed.

"Hm?" Futaba hummed as Miyabi placed her breakfast on her desk. "...What is that?" She soon asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Soy sauce udon. Made it cold." Miyabi informed in a proud manner.

"It's not all too warm, Miyabi." Futaba pointed out.

"Come on, noodles promote a long life, and you're gonna need all that time to make up for those years cooped up in here." Miyabi then encouraged.

"It's not that I won't eat it, it's just that I already had breakfast." Futaba informed before letting out a small burp.

"Urk!" Miyabi choked. Right. Boss probably served her breakfast first. Why did she keep forgetting about him? "W-Well, you can just um..." She then stammered out.

"But if I'm ever gonna level up my chest stat, I need the calories." Futaba quickly added before taking the bowl and started slurping the noodles down.

"You're still growing, Futaba. You'll get there some day." Miyabi assured as she patted her back.

"Yagyū and Hibari are about my age and have their tits out to here!" Futaba reminded as she set her udon bowl down on her computer desk for a moment and cupped the air in front of her chest to emphasize the size of their bust. "And if Katsu-nee ain't gonna do it, I guess I'm gonna have to do it the natural way. And if it can't, I'll just have to get a Queen level butt to compensate!" She then added.

"...You're lucky Boss is at work right now..." Miyabi sighed out while palming her face.

"Aren't you supposed to be at work too?" Futaba soon questioned.

"Autumn Equinox." Miyabi answered instantly.

"..." The hacker stared blankly at the white haired woman, the gears visibly turning in her brain as she tried to remember what the hell was that.

"...It's a public holiday today." Miyabi informed before blinking. "...Although, I guess that doesn't mean much to someone who doesn't have any obligations..." She then muttered in realization.

"An advantage of being a NEET, every day is a public holiday." Futaba stated with a grin. "Speaking of NEETs, though, Murasaki thinks of herself as part of that forming Crimson Squad too now thanks to her sister pushing her away." Futaba then casually revealed.

"Ah. Good for her." Miyabi casually got out with a shrug, sighing as she leaned on the orangette's chair. "...Wait what!?" She soon exclaimed.

"Oh, did I never tell you about that?" Futaba responded and asked.

"No, nothing is a secret from you because you're a voyeur." Miyabi responded. "Murasaki wants to leave!?" She then questioned.

"Yep." Futaba simply replied.

"That is not happening!" Miyabi however denied. "I doubt the other girls can get out, Murasaki just left her room!" She then stated.

"She's been working out though..." Futaba reminded as she brought up an image of said purplette doing just that.

"I know that, but still! They'll do anything to make sure she stays thanks to her power." Miyabi responded.

"Other than treating her like a person." Futaba countered as the white haired woman winced at that. "I really do wanna help, but I can't do anything but mess with grades and check the school forum. Seems as though they keep a lot of stuff on paper or in their brains." She then confessed and explained.

"That would be a serious security risk that hackers like you can abuse." Miyabi soon stated before groaning. "Ugh, I wish I could do something too, but...it's my father's school. As much as I like Murasaki, I won't put her over my family." She then admitted and then stated.

"Bullshit." Futaba however responded.

"Language." Miyabi instinctively responded.

"You're already a renegade, right? As soon as you decided to join the Phantom Thieves." Futaba reminded. "What's one more crime on top of it?" She then asked.

"Because I don't want to kill my father if I'm gonna have a life here." Miyabi answered.

"...What?" Futaba hesitantly asked.

"Shinobi grudges last for a very long time. A lifetime even." Miyabi explained. "If it's flesh and blood, it'll never end. I can't do anything, and I don't want to do anything. Not unless I wanna keep my dream alive." She then added to the explanation.

"...But you can at least do something to help." Futaba pointed out. "You can't just...abandon her like that!" She then argued.

"It's something you'll learn soon enough later in life, Futaba." Miyabi sighed out. "No good deeds go unpunished. No matter how much we want to help, sometimes there's just nothing you can do but hope they'll make it out by themselves." She then stated in disappointment and shame.

"...That's a really stupid lesson." The hacker mumbled.

"I know..." Miyabi responded as she rubbed the younger girl's head. "But then again...that's because I have a stake in Hebijo." She then added.

"...And I don't." Futaba got out.

The white haired in turn nodded. "Just don't ruin the school, okay. And nothing permanent." She soon requested.

"I won't." Futaba responded. "No one dies on my watch. Not even them." She then declared.

Miyabi let out a small laugh. "Good luck, Alibaba. You're gonna need it." She replied and advised.

"Pfft, I need more time and snacks than luck." Futaba confidently countered.

"Welp, let me go pick you up some energy drinks and protein bars from the store." Miyabi stated as she opened the window. "Your days of consuming Creature and Mad Bull are over. That stuff is bad for the stomach after all."

"Yeah yeah. Learn how to make Sojiro's curry and we got a deal." Futaba simply responded with a wave of her hand. "...Huh, now I'm kinda curious..." She then suddenly started.

"Eh?" Miyabi got out in confusion.

"There was, like, this American drink that mixed energy drinks with alcohol a long time ago. I kinda wanna see how that would go." Futaba replied. "Ah, it's just a stray thought. Don't worry about it." She then added and decided.

Miyabi blinked. "Something that stupid and dangerous was bound to happen at some point." She got out in a resigned tone.

"Oh, before you leave, I forgot to mention it before, but I totally heard everything about what happened last night. If you need me to turn every phone call with the legendary shinobi to include vuvuzelas or yaoi hentai, just ask." Futaba quickly got out and offered.

"...Futaba, I think you invade way too much privacy than necessary." Miyabi deadpanned in disapproval.

"It's sort of my thing." Futaba casually confessed.

"And that seriously worries me." Miyabi muttered as she narrowed her eyes while looking out the window. "Jeez...What the hell is going on over there?" She thought to herself in frustration before leaping into the sunlight.

(9/22, Morning)

(Shibuya, Rooftops)

Three distinct young girls sporting shrine miko outfits loitered on the edge of a tall building that was in the middle of the city of Shibuya like they were surveying the city. One girl was standing with one hand on her hip, the second one was crouching, and the third one was sitting on the building's edge while waving their legs back and forth.

"I can't believe we're trying to find twelve people in freaking Tokyo, for crying out loud!" The one standing, Renka of the Mikagura Sisters, complained aloud, her eyes at the busy people and vehicles down on the streets below. "How the heck are we going to find them?" She soon asked.

"Hrrnnn...we're all gonna be here all day." Hanabi, the one crouching on the edge, pointed out. "Wish we could just simply ask them if they know about Yoma, and we'll find out if they're lying or not." She then admitted.

"Heh, if only that were easy, Hanabi..." The twin-tailed brunette responded. "If it were up to me, then I'll simply observe the civilians in their every single day-to-day activities, and find out if they're doing anything suspicious in our eyes." Renka then stated.

"Soooo stalking, basically." The one sitting on the edge, by the name of Kafuru. "Case closed." She concluded.

"It's not stalking, it's extensive observation, Kafuru." Renka argued.

"Even in the bathroom or shower?" Kafuru deadpanned. "You said every single day-to-day activity, and that includes taking a bath or going to the toilet or something." She then added.

Renka only made a half-open mouth expression in response. "...Shut up." She grumbled in annoyance.

Kafuru only snorted with a smirk. "Anyways, we need to figure out who these other people are." She soon reminded. "That dumb boy in that alleyway cafe is our only confirmed one. A civilian having the scent of Yōma in him..." She then muttered.

"We really should try to interrogate him now, but...Sayuri-sama said it'll be rushing things unless we have more information about these people with Yōma scent on them." Hanabi muttered.

"I wonder how Sayuri-sama, Naraku-san, and Kagura-sama are doing on their end...?" Kafuru soon asked.

"We could call them." Hanabi suggested.

"And possibly get them caught? No way." Kafuru however shut down the idea. "We'll just have to wait until we return to our base." She then stated.

"We should go down." Renka suddenly advised. "Someone might see us here." She then pointed out.

"Yeah." Kafuru agreed. "Let's go." She then decided.

With that, Hanabi and Kafuru stood up before they began walking away from the edge and leaving the rooftop.

"Wait, guys, should we actually go around in public wearing these?" Renka suddenly asked, gesturing to her own miko outfit as she stopped herself for a moment.

"...You're right." Kafuru eventually agreed after that short pause. "We'll stand out too much if we wear these." She then stated.

"Do we bring any change of clothes with us?" Hanabi asked as well.

"I did." Kafuru responded. "Come on, let's go change somewhere where we can't be seen." She then suggested.

"Hope you got something cute for me!" Hanabi eagerly stated.

"As long as you don't leave me with anything cute-looking, it's good enough for me." Renka commented with slightly furrowed brows before the three of them proceeded.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

...And vanished from the rooftops right away.

(Central Street)

When they finally came out of an alleyway, the three Mikagura Sisters were now sporting varying civilian outfits in order to blend in with the crowd:

Renka had a plain black sweater with a lightning bolt shaped pendant around her neck, white skirt and tennis shoes.

Hanabi had a red and yellow jagged striped blouse with "花火" (Fireworks/Hanabi) sewn into the right breast in golden letters, short shorts, thigh high socks and slip-on shoes.

And lastly, Kafuru had a light blue t-shirt with a blue dolphin image on it along with jeans.

"This is the best we could do?" Renka deadpanned, not sure if her own attire was decent for her standards.

"We're on a budget, alright?" Kafuru reminded with a pout. "Deal with it!" She then added.

"My outfit is sooooo cute~!" Hanabi meanwhile happily got out with a starry look in her eyes.

Civilians were passing and walking through the trio as the Shibuya streets were bustling with people.

"Where are we all going for now?" Hanabi decided to ask.

"Mmm..." Renka hummed as she recalled what she was told. "Well, Kagura-sama said that she detected the scent of Yōma here. It's best we search the area for anyone that seems suspicious." She soon informed.

"Problem is that we will be in the middle of a lot of these stupid people, and we can't exactly smell the scent of Yōma like Kagura-sama did." Kafuru pointed out with a frown.

"Wouldn't it have been a good idea to bring Kagura-sama with us?" Hanabi then asked.

"She's with Sayuri-sama along with Naraku-san." Renka answered with a sigh, knowing how useful it would be to have the Yōma killer around. "They're hunting down the red orbs just in case Kagura-sama's strength and assistance is needed." She then added.

"There's still so much we don't know..." Kafuru then groaned, her eyes wandering over to the nearby arcade. "For Yōma to suddenly start dying everywhere? For no more Yoma spawning from the blood of shinobi? It's both relieving and concerning..." She then confessed.

"Well, it's our job to learn what happened." Renka reminded. "This event really rocked the shinobi world here in Japan and left a lot of questions. No doubt there are others like us seeking answers as well. Even the Evil Shinobi and probably the present Shinobi Councils got shocked by the event." She then stated.

"Well, we're gonna find it first!" Hanabi declared.

"Hey, not so loud!" Kafuru scolded. "Enemies could be everywhere. If one of our targets hears us, they'll surely run away, and we'll all be dead. We need to stay focused and pay attention to our-" She then stressed to her sisters, however...

Kafuru suddenly got bumped on her side, making her stagger a bit.

"Ah, sorry!" A male voice apologized afterwards, showing that he accidentally hit someone as he walked.

"Hey, watch it, blondie!" Kafuru spat out in annoyance, glaring to see a blond boy who just bumped into her.

"Hah!? What was that?" The blondie responded with a frown.

"I said, watch where you're going, blondie." Kafuru annoyingly repeated.

"Wha-? Grrgh...dammit." The rude boy cursed before he decided to leave the girl alone. He was not getting attention to himself in the middle of a public area. "You don't gotta be rude like that..." He then grumbled to himself before shaking it off and leaving, hefting his duffle bag over his shoulder.

"Kafuru, he said he was sorry." Hanabi however told her as the dyed blond glanced at them for a bit before walking away farther now into the crowd.

"I'm sure it was." Renka responded. "I'm sorry about her!" She then called at the dyed blond, hoping he heard that apology.

"Whatever. He still bumped into me." Kafuru grumbled.

"Ugh, we're wasting time talking about this." Renka groaned as she rolled her eyes. However, as she did, she noticed something on the ground. "Wait, did he drop that?" She got out in surprise.

"Hm?" Kafuru hummed out as Hanabi picked the item up.

"It's a gym membership card for a place called Protein Lovers." Hanabi answered. "Ryuji Sakamoto..." She then read out.

"Ugh, we don't have the time for this." Kafuru scoffed. Gyms were rip-offs anyways.

Hanabi however pouted at this. "Why not?" The middle sister whined.

"Every second we spend not looking for our targets, the colder the trail goes." Kafuru informed with a frown.

"It shouldn't take too long though." Renka pointed out as she looked at the card. "We passed by Protein Lovers earlier. It's not that far." She then stated.

"So he must be there! Come on, let's go return it to him." Hanabi declared.

"And if he's not there?" Kafuru asked with hands on her hips.

"It's worth a shot, Renka." Hanabi told her with a smile on her face. "Come on, let's find this Sakamoto person." She then decided.

The elder sister sighed to this as the trio headed out.

Meanwhile, with the dyed blond...

Ryuji turned to a corner in Central Street and went to the familiar alleyway where his favorite gym was located. "Whew, finally." He panted out a bit, standing in front of the Protein Lovers Gym. "Really want to get some more muscle soon." He then stated to himself, remembering the time his best friend revealed his well-toned body to them during their first visit to Futaba's Palace in the Morganamobile.

He couldn't even believe that he had a body like that in just a few months. However, it was nothing for him to be bothered at. Anyone could have a body like that at a young age. Besides, it's not like he's jealous of his best friend's own build, right?

Right?

Before Ryuji could enter the gym, he checked his duffle bag first to see if he had everything in order. "Let's see...extra t-shirt, my tumbler, protein shake, headphones..." He began listing off before his eyes soon widened before he quickly patted himself down. "Huh? Wait...shit, my membership card! Where the hell is it?!" He soon asked in a panic.

He didn't have the money on him to replace the thing. He left all his Metaverse money under his bed in an old school bag, and he wasn't gonna buy anything today.

"Shit." Ryuji swore. It was gonna be a pain in the ass to go all the way, and by then, he'd probably lose his drive and spend the rest of the day in his room playing video games.

Not a bad way to spend his day off, but Homura would probably call him an idiot when they would inevitably talk about it at school, and he already got enough of that from his brain.

"I should prolly go to a park or somethin'..." Ryuji grumbled with a sigh and he banged his head on the Protein Lovers window.

THUNK!

"Ow!" Ryuji yelped as he held his forehead. "Okay...do that on somethin' softer..." He then mumbled.

At that moment, however, three girls came around the corner at the edge of his vision. He didn't pay that much mind to them, having been stared at for worse things.

"There he is." Kafuru pointed out. "Told you that blondie would actually come here." She then added.

"Hey, um...sir?" Hanabi spoke up as she tapped the boy on the shoulder. "Excuse me?" She then got out.

Ryuji took a second away from handbanging on the window to look at the girls, instantly recognising them from earlier, especially the rude one. "Hm, what is it?" He grumbled in an annoyed tone.

"You dropped this." Hanabi got out as she showed the boy his card.

"Oh shit, my card!" Ryuji exclaimed as he snatched it out of her hands. "Thanks!" He then added in relief.

"Happy to help!" Hanabi happily responded. She then looked unsure what to do next, taking several seconds to come to a conclusion. "So, uh...we're leaving now. Bye!" She then got out.

"Huh? Oh, uh, yeah, bye." Ryuji replied. "Thanks for finding my membership card uh...Hanabi?" He then added and guessed.

The fireworks-loving girl gasped. "Eh!? H-How do you know my name!?" Hanabi exclaimed.

"It's...on your top." Ryuji pointed out, pointing a finger on her blouse.

Hanabi blinked before looking down. "...Oh...so that's what it means..." She got out in realization. "Where did you find this blouse, Kafuru?" She then asked.

"It was on sale at the secondhand shop." The youngest of the sisters answered with a shrug. "Found it and it had your name on it, so I bought it for you." She then added.

"Right!" Hanabi nodded before turning back to the dyed blonde with a jump. "Well, have fun at the gym." She then got out.

"Y-Yeah. See ya around." Ryuji responded, looking a little confused as the sisters walked away from him.

"Hm! It was nice to help someone out." Hanabi happily got out, grinning from ear to ear.

"It was also a waste of time." Kafuru grumbled.

"There's no point in complaining about it now. We can't get distracted anymore. We need to find those with Yōma's scent." Renka soon ordered.

"Hai." Her sisters responded with a nod.

"Let's move!" Renka then declared, a fire burning in her eyes.

With that, the three sisters disappeared around a corner and into the Shibuya crowd.

Meanwhile, the dyed blonde was shaking his head. "Dammit, I gotta stay on my A-game or else I'm gonna die. If shit like Shin or shinobi gets in my way, I gotta be ready to take 'em all down." Ryuji muttered to himself as he entered the gym.

(Yongen-Jaya, Tokyo Mirage Apartment Complex)

In the bathroom, Miki was washing and lathering herself off with soap as she sighed in satisfaction, though it sucked that as the last girl on the shower roster today, most of the assigned hot water was already used.

But the pinkette didn't mind as she was more focused on her experience last night...with the new friend she made.

Miki sighed in a mix of happiness and concern as she reached for one of the many shampoo bottles at random. "Mmm, orangy." She breathed out as she used the orange bottle of Courage of Parade shampoo.

The pinkette starts lathering up her long, pink locks before yelping as she accidentally felt one of her horns. "Eeep!" She got out as she then winced.

SPLASH!

Miki then washed off the remaining suds as she then turned off the water before she then dried herself off quickly before wrapping herself in a big, fluffy pastel pink towel. "Ah, that was nice." She breathed out as she exited the bathroom.

As the pinkette headed to her room to get dressed...

"The relief on the rikishi's face down at room 78 when he realized those fangirls weren't after him..." Yuki got out as she struggled to wring her hair.

"I take it they weren't after a sumo wrestler." Maki replied.

"What's this about Yuki-chan, Maki-chan?" Miki meanwhile asked.

"We had a horde of fangirls poking around here a few days ago. Called themselves the I Heart Miyabi Militia..." Yuki replied.

"And they seemed to be horny too." Maki bluntly stated.

"Disturbed my bedrest." Reki muttered.

"Miyabi-senshu seemed relieved they weren't after him." Yuki replied as she finally got her twintails in.

BZZT! BZZT!

The blonde then took out her phone. "Ah, I just got a message from my manager and Morgan-senpai, no work today due to the holiday." Yuki informed.

"Get dressed Miki." Hyōki replied as she manned the stove.

"Hai hai." Miki responded as she headed for her room.

Hyōki meanwhile sighed as she focused on the food she was cooking. She was currently cladded in a black suit with a white undershirt and a black tie. "How did your first day at work go, Yuki?" The ravenette asked.

"Pretty good! Morgan-senpai's pretty awesome." Yuki replied with a grin as she was wearing a black blazer with a pink shirt underneath and blue jeans. Her loose white socks are on full display due to currently not wearing shoes.

"...Of course that's the case...since you have a like for maids." Maki pointed out, wearing a plain, dark brown long-sleeved one-piece dress that goes down to her calves with pantyhose underneath.

"And?" Yuki quipped.

"...Just don't use it...as an excuse for maid play here." The brunette deadpanned.

"No promises there." Yuki replied with a smug smirk.

"In any case, I'm going to be seeing Takemi-sensei again for a check-up." Reki revealed, getting herself in the black track-suit.

"I'll go with her then." Yuki decided with a grin. "We can hang at the bathhouse afterwards!" She then added.

"I have to go to get my costume measured for a commercial." Miki noted as she exited her bedroom, a simple white blouse and black slacks with matching loafers. "And then after, I have to begin...Ranze-san's training." She reluctantly added.

"Remember: Don't cause an incident with her." Hyōki sternly reminded.

"Hai hai." Miki responded while waving it off. "And what about you Maki-chan?" She then asked.

"I'm...going to dote on the local cats." The brunette replied in a low voice like always. "And...eat some chocolate cake afterwards." Maki then added.

To that, the other four looked at their fellow member and blinked a couple of times.

"I...get cats...more than I do people after all." Maki reminded the group. "Plus...they love me as well." The brunette added with a slight smile.

"Huh, rare for you to smile like that." Yuki pointed out.

"I don't blame her. Cats are quite nice." Hyōki admitted and confessed with a nod as she started plating the ridiculous amount of food. "Breakfast's ready. Bacon, eggs, pancakes, and toast with coffee." She informed the group.

"You went all out." Miki noted. "What do you plan to do today?" She then asked as everyone sat themselves down.

"I'm going to hit the gym today. Can't ignore leg day after all." The ravenette revealed.

"Dressed like that?" Yuki pointed out.

"I have my workout gear in my bag." Hyōki replied.

"Ah, right. Gonna get changed there then. Makes sense." Yuki nodded.

"Especially considering my workout attire would get me lustful looks if I traveled there while wearing it." The ravenette noted.

"Smart move." Maki replied.

"Especially since we have to travel like civilians in order to not stand out." Miki added.

"Exactly." Hyōki responded with a nod. "Anyways. Food's getting colder by the second." The ravenette pointed out.

Nodding to that, the five began eating.

"I have a suggestion for you, Maki-chan. How about you tag along with Reki-chan and Yuki-chan?" Miki eventually got out while eating a smoked sardine on her plate.

To that, the brunette in mention paused from her eating as she looked at the pinkette. "...Why?" Maki had to ask, plunging her kitchen knife on the table for a moment like a knife holder.

"To help with your lack of social skills." Miki replied. "As well as trying not to murder anyone that catches your eye just because you're jealous of them for your own reasons." She then added.

"Plus, I may not be available to take Reki-chi in for her check-ups down the line." Yuki added.

"...I ...I understand." The brunette replied, pulling out her bare kitchen knife from the table and brandishing it while eating.

"Knife down, Maki." Hyōki bluntly ordered.

"..." Maki went still as a moment of silence acted as her response. "...Hm..." She only grunted out as she slowly placed her kitchen beside her plate on the table in a creepy kind of way.

"Maybe trying not to show off your knives in public, just in case, Maki-chan?" Miki suggested. "I'm just saying, try not to go look like you're insane in front of civilians." She then added.

"...I'll try..." Maki eerily responded.

"Remember, you don't have to deal with those bastard parents of yours anymore." Hyōki reminded.

"Do not...remind me...again ...of them...Hyōki-san...please." Maki grudgingly responded and requested with her eyes flared up and some of her strange negative essence radiating out of her a bit...before calming down a bit. "You know...I never...wanted to be...a shinobi...to begin with..." She then reminded.

"Alright, alright, I won't remind you again of them." Hyōki reassured her teammate. "As for that last part, that applies to all of us at this point." She then added.

Maki only had a dreamy yet sadistic expression in silence as a response.

"So...are you okay with us accompanying you, Maki-chan?" Yuki decided to ask her kitchen knife-obsessed companion.

"...Ok..." Maki soon answered gently with half-lidded eyes.

"Great, great. I want to explore the city, too, if that's alright with everyone." Yuki replied and requested.

"I see no problem with that." Miki replied. "The city itself can be amusing at times with everything it has to offer." She then confessed.

"Alright, ladies, if everyone has their own plans, remember, no lashing out in public once you go out and explore the city." Hyōki stated.

With all those plans made, the Senki Shu girls nodded as they continued eating before heading out for the day.

(9/22, Afternoon)

(Aoyama-Itchome, Shujin Academy)

Akira opened the door for the Student Council President and stretched, enjoying the sun after being inside the school all day before following the Student Council President herself down the stairs.

"Who makes students assemble the furniture?" Makoto wondered out loud as she and the boy walked down the steps.

"Shujin Academy." The Leader deadpanned.

Makoto stopped and blinked. "Touché. That will change soon enough." She agreed and stated under her breath. "Anyways, thank you, Akira, for coming on such short notice. I'll make it up to you later." She soon promised.

"Makoto, this is the twelfth time today–and yes I counted–you've apologized to me about this, and I keep telling you that it is fine." Akira pointed out as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Any day I spend with my friends is a good day. You do not owe me anything." He then assured.

"How about a 36 pack of TaP Soda?" Makoto soon offered.

"...Get the zero sugar one and you have repaid your debt." Akira replied in a serious manner.

"That can be arranged." Makoto replied as she giggled lightly. "Well, see you tomorrow?" She then asked.

"You know it." Akira responded with a nod.

Makoto nodded and turned away. "I'll be going then. Bye." She then got out as the Leader waved her goodbye.

"Can't believe Makoto does all this stuff on her off days..." Akira muttered in a concerned manner.

"Could that even be considered her day off?" Morgana questioned. "It's only 1:30 and it looks like you wanna go home." He then noted.

"Ugh, last time I let Makoto convince me to join her morning routine and chores." Akira sighed out.

"You know you can't say no." Morgana reminded.

"I am physically incapable." Akira sighed. The things he would do for his friends.

But he shouldn't really be surprised considering he has killed Death, fought a shinobi, and helped seal away the progenitor of all Yōma. Along with taking down perverts, crime syndicates, scam artists, and was currently going after a CEO.

"...I suddenly realize I have a death wish." Akira suddenly got out.

"You haven't figured it out before!?" Morgana exclaimed.

"Oh, I didn't think I would see you here today." A familiar voice soon called out, causing the not cat to retreat into his bag.

"Ikaruga, hey." Akira greeted with a quick peace sign. "Finally have a day off from Japan's most controversial man at the moment?" He then guessed.

"He's not- He's currently suffering another rough patch in his reputation and career." Ikaruga replied, although she looked a little irritated by the whole situation herself. "It's nothing he hasn't dealt with before." She then mumbled.

"Well, that was before the Phantom Thieves came into the picture." Akira assumed.

"Yes, and that's what worries me." Ikaruga admitted with a sigh. "And if you must know, I will be going back to regular schooling. My time is almost up so I thought it would be nice to spend some time around the city." She then informed.

"Well, it has a lot to offer, even if it can be pretty noisy at the worst of times." Akira got out. "Still, there are tons of quiet places to go." He then added.

"I wouldn't know. I only know the way to the necessary shops and locations." Ikaruga sheepishly confessed, but didn't show it in her face. "I don't really explore all that often." She then added.

"Well, there's the temple at Kichijoji, the diner in Shibuya if it's on a rainy day, the church in Kanda and...oh, Ginza is pretty quiet. You could get some books there to read." Akira informed and suggested.

"They all sound like lovely places." Ikaruga admitted with a decent-looking smile.

"Wait, I forgot to ask, why are you here of all places?" Akira realized and asked. "School's closed. If you wanna see Asuka-" He then began, however...

"I know where she lives, Akira-san." Ikaruga interrupted before looking up at Shujin Academy. "I just wanted to see it for myself." She then confessed, taking the sight of all the graffiti. Despite her absolute distaste for such vandalism subjected to a school, it looked like it made the school more lively.

"Hm? Oh, right. The graffiti. Heh, it's been there so long I can't imagine Shujin without it." Akira chuckled with a slight blush. "Well, I can, but it was infinitely more depressing." He then added.

"It does make the school stand out." Ikaruga had to admit. "It's a wonder it has stayed up so long." She then remarked. She even noticed fresher paints here and there. Was it from other students inspired by the Phantom Thieves, or the Thieves making Shujin their territory? She might never know.

"Well, given the Phantom Thieves, the scrutiny, the lawsuits, the death of the principal..." Akira listed off, wincing at that last part. "I'd say that the staff have bigger problems to worry about than all this." He then assumed.

"It must be giving Homura-san and Makoto-san a lot of trouble as a result." Ikaruga assumed.

"Oh, it was definitely rocky at the start, but I think things are finally starting to settle down around school." Akira replied before thinking about it. "Now instead of everyone complaining about the school and the sheer incompetence of the higher ups, it's all about the Thieves and Okumura and, God, I want people to shut up." He then listed off before groaning.

"Akira-san?" Ikaruga called out in concern.

"Sorry, but I'm getting sick of hearing everyone gossip about the Phantom Thieves before, during, and after class." The Leader apologized and explained.

"They have become quite popular with the young folk." Ikaruga soon noted. "Katsuragi-san did message me this morning to pick up some masks as a souvenir. The merchandising is getting rather obnoxious though, slapping their logo on anything." She then stated.

"And they probably don't make a single yen on the sale." Akira pointed out. "Their logo is cool though. Would love to collect it myself." He then admitted.

"Well, hopefully the Phantom Thieves will become a passing fad and then we'll finally be free from hearing about them all the time." Ikaruga soon stated.

"A fad?" Akira repeated with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, that's not the word, nor what I meant." Ikaruga responded. "What I am saying is that fame is fleeting. It can often leave you just as fast as you gain it. Same about the public perception. One wrong move, and no one will trust you." She soon corrected and explained. "Especially with what is currently occurring regarding Okumura-san with the hacked poll." She then muttered.

"You know what, I agree." Akira responded with a nod. "I kinda wish I met you sooner. Definitely need advice and wisdom." He then added.

"Tokyo is a big place." Ikaruga shrugged.

"That I learned quickly." Akira muttered. "Nothing like home. So much to do but not enough time for everything. It kinda overwhelmed me at first." He then admitted.

"There are some things you should never participate in, Akira-san." Ikaruga however advised, turning a light shade of green as the memories began to resurface.

"Wait a minute..." Akira eventually started as he realized something. "Didn't you participate in an eating contest earlier in the year?" He soon recalled.

To that, the ravenette paled a bit. "...You saw me attending that ridiculous contest?" Ikaruga soon asked in an embarrassed manner.

"I was passing by the area until I saw you going against a friend of mine." Akira replied and explained. "Those weird-looking food with the bugs and all must have been..." He then began to recall.

"Please don't remind me." Ikaruga groaned, looking even more green than before. "Last time I made a bet with Katsuragi-san to indulge in her antics." She then grumbled.

"Let me guess...you lost a bet." Akira assumed.

Ikaruga only sighed heavily while rubbing her fingers on her forehead as a response.

"Still can't believe you're friends after all that, um...sexual harassment from her." Akira awkwardly got out.

"Despite that, she is still a dear friend of mine." Ikaruga stated. "Our relationship is one you may not understand at first, but it is one I will never trade for the world. After all, I was quite distant towards her willingly when we first met, but now, she is a great companion and a friend, and I began to open up to her every now and then." She then added and somehow proudly confessed.

"I get it." The boy replied with a nod. "...Can I ask a serious question, Ikaruga-san?" Akira asked.

"Of course." Ikaruga responded with a nod. "What is it?" She soon asked.

"Why is it that girls tend to touch each other's bodies and either not minding it or get away with it afterwards?" Akira soon asked, even though it was a tad bit sensitive to ask. "I mean, they get annoyed by it, yes, but they didn't try to report and complain it to the authorities for sexual harassment." He then pointed out.

Ikaruga in response blinked, more curious than surprised by the question.

"It's just...I don't know, when guys do it to other guys, they'll get creeped out and report it right away on instinct." Akira soon explained. "I know it might sound weird or disgusting to you as a girl, but...I just want your opinion on it. A mature one, at least." He then added and requested.

"Um..." Ikaruga tried to answer, but she had to admit that she was a bit stumped by the young man's question, especially that it involves a sensitive topic. "I'm not sure if I can give a very thorough answer to that, Akira-san...but..." She responded and started before trailing off.

"It's okay if you don't want to say." Akira got out. "I don't think I'll ever get girls, even if I know." He then confessed with a sigh.

"No, it's okay." Ikaruga assured. "It's just about appreciating our bodies for what they are and to...b-brag about it a little." She then answered before stammering a bit, a blush sporting on her face.

"Brag?" Akira repeated, sounding a little interested.

"You know, who has the best morning routine, who works out more, um...stuff like that." Ikaruga explained, deciding not to mention the more intimate topics that could come up. "Skinship can be a sign of closeness and comfort, they say, and Katsuragi-san loves to be friends with anyone above a B-Cup." She then added, still sporting a blush.

"Okay...what's wrong with A-Cups?" Akira then questioned.

"Because..." Ikaruga began before letting out a long-suffering sigh. "I can't believe I'm about to say this, but...tits are life, ass is hometown." She then answered with a groan.

"...Hometown?" The Leader repeated with an incredulous look on his face and raised eyebrow.

"Look, I don't know what it means and Katsuragi-san would never say why. It is best not to think about it further." Ikaruga sighed out and stated.

"Don't question it and move on. Story of my life here." Akira muttered under his breath.

"There you are!" An annoying voice called out behind them.

Akira's body tensed. "Oh no..." He then groaned as he instantly recognized who was calling out to them.

Ikaruga let out a long-suffering sigh. "Onii-san, can you please leave for a moment. I am talking to a friend." She requested, barely taking a second to look at her sibling.

Murasame soon looked at the boy and scoffed. "Tch. This cretin." He spat out.

"This cretin has a name." Akira grumbled. "One that I already told you." He then reminded with narrowed eyes.

"Well, if I don't remember, you're not important enough to remember." Murasame claimed.

Akira gave the man a flat look. "...What's your name again?" He soon asked.

"Ack!" The man choked. "I-It's...It's Murasame!" He then corrected.

"Right, right." Akira muttered with a nod before smirking. "So, Muramasa-" He soon began.

"Murasame!" The man shouted in an irritated manner.

Akira just gave him a cheeky grin. "Murakumo?"

"Murasame!"

"Ah, Murasaki."

"Murasame!"

The Leader then smirked. "Murasame." Akira responded.

"Muramasa- d-dammit!" Muramase stammered and cursed before stomping around like a spoiled child.

"Akira-san, please..." Ikaruga got out in a warning manner as the boy laughed.

"Don't worry, I got this." Akira assured in a confident manner.

"ENOUGH!" Murasame snapped, his face twisting into an unfiltered rage.

"I suddenly don't got this." Akira soon thought, realizing he had flown too close to the sun once again.

"You dare make a fool out of the heir to the great Houhou legacy and the Phoenix Conglomerate!?" Murasame questioned.

"Don't say anything stupid, don't say anything stupid, don't say anything stupid..." Akira desperately thought, forcing down each and every smartass response he was thinking of right now. "You were already doing that all by yourself." He spoke, covering his face as he realized one slipped through, all while the girl glared at him.

"You, Akira Kiryu, shall face my wrath first before I take what is rightfully mine!" Murasame declared as he then grabbed his top and tore it off his body!

RIP!

Akira blinked at the sight of the shirtless man. Not only could he already see his muscles before, but he seemed to have gained an additional piece of clothing. "Dude, why are you wearing a bra?" He bluntly asked.

"It gives female shinobi power, does it not!?" Murasame insisted as the Shujin student palmed his face. "I shall not allow society's standards to restrict me from reaching my full potential as the true heir of the family!" He then declared.

Akira simply turned to the ravenette, who looked rather horrified with a pale face. "Please tell me this is true and that's not yours." He bluntly assumed.

"Akira-san...I wish I had the mental capacity to lie to you right now." Ikaruga sighed out as she then glared at her brother. "And you fool, did you not realize that Akira-san was not aware-" She then began, however...

"That your brother is delusional?" Akira interrupted. He had a gut feeling that she was referring to being shinobi on that last part, so he chose to feign ignorance about their existence in front of them.

"Eh?" Ikaruga got out.

"I don't know where you got the idea that these shinobi or whatever get power from underwear, much less your sister's, but I think you should take a moment to sit down and relax." Akira responded as he adjusted his glasses. "This guy...he's an idiot." He thought to himself before slowly realizing that the idiot was more than likely wearing more than just the bra.

"I am not delusional!" Murasame insisted, sounding quite offended. "I have seen the type of underwear you have, Ikaruga! It merely bridges the gap between our power." He then declared, his pants shifting a little to reveal a rather lacy waistband.

"O-Onii-san..." Ikaruga got out with a blush.

"That's just creepy." Akira however stated as he looked at the ravenette. "So, is your brother, like, still going through his chunni phase or..." He soon began to ask.

"Ignore him!" Murasame snapped. "This obviously will not be resolved until we have a fight! Shinobi-" He then called out as he did the hand sign both Ikaruga and Akira recognized.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Akira interrupted as he quickly stood between the siblings. "You two are not having a freaking street fight in the middle of the street!" He then stated.

"Onii-san, no matter how many times you insist on dueling me, my answer is no." Ikaruga meanwhile responded with a sigh. "You're supposed to be the adult here, the future CEO of the company. Do not embarrass yourself more than you already have." She then lectured.

"Fine! If you wish not to fight me yourself, then I shall declare this boy right here as your scion!" Murasame declared as he dramatically pointed at the glasses-wearing boy.

"Wait, what?" Akira got out in confusion.

"First, that is not how you use the word scion." Ikaruga pointed out. "Second of all, Akira-san here is not involved in any of this. Why are you pulling him into such private matters?" She then demanded from her brother.

"He got himself involved when he interrupted us last time." Murasame countered with a smug smirk. "However, I shall be the better one here and will forgo using my weapon against someone so unassuming and weak." He then declared.

"Unassuming, huh?" Akira muttered under his breath.

Ikaruga let out a long suffering sigh as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Akira-san, I suggest you don't-" She tried to advise the boy, however...

"Look, he's not going to leave you alone about this and a fight between you two won't solve anything." Akira sighed and pointed out. "Besides, I can't help myself." He then revealed.

"Eh?" Ikaruga got out in surprise.

"I have a severe case of hero syndrome." Akira sheepishly admitted. "And an itch to punch your idiot brother for you." He then muttered in amusement.

"Akira-san..." Ikaruga whispered as the boy went into a fighting stance.

"Enough talk! Have at-" Murasame began as he charged forth, unleashing his greatest attack-

WHAM! CRACK!

"...You." Murasame squeaked before collapsing to the ground, writhing in pain while holding his groin.

The ravenette and the Leader blinked by how easily he went down. "You went down faster than I thought." Akira sheepishly admitted. He didn't have to really put in any real effort. He just sort of ran into his knee. He didn't know how that happened.

"I-I see you are a formidable opponent..." Murasame moaned in pain as he stumbled onto his feet. "H-However, this is merely the start! I will become the true heir of the famil-" He then declared as he charged straight at the Leader to finally-

WOOSH!

"Enough." Ikaruga ordered as she stepped in front of the boy. "Enough of this nonsense. You are letting out your anger on the wrong person. If there was anyone here deserving of your ire, it should be me." She then added and stated.

"Ikaruga..." Akira breathed out in concern.

"Hm, so you finally have the will to fight your own battles." Murasame scoffed.

"No, I will continue to refuse." Ikaruga declared as she shook her head. "You are my brother, now and forever, and family must never fight over something so petty." She then added.

"Petty!? You stole away my childhood! My life! Everything I dreamed of is now lost!" Murasame exclaimed and reminded.

"And I will not downplay its significance, but it was not my choice!" Ikaruga insisted. "If you wish to treat me like a thief, go ahead, but I will never think of you as anything less than my Onii-san." She then declared before leaning in close to him. "And if you dare try and hurt one of my friends, that will make you nothing more than my enemy." She soon threatened.

"Heh. You don't have the testicles." Murasame taunted with a smirk.

Ikaruga's eye twitched. "I might say the same thing to you in the next twelve seconds." She soon got out in a low tone.

Murasame soon covered his crotch in fear, while the Leader however sighed.

"Why do girls always go for the balls? Why not our hands, or eyes, or legs?" Akira couldn't help but think.

"W-Well, I shall leave you be then, seeing that you are too much of a coward to face me now. But this isn't over, and it will never be over until I get what is rightfully mine!" Murasame declared angrily, going back to his usual attitude.

Akira frowned as he saw the older brother moving to get away. "Nope. I'm not letting this continue." He thought before grabbing the collar of the other boy's shirt.

"Huh? Let go of me, you interfering prick!" Murasame demanded.

"No. Stay here." Akira however ordered before turning to the ravenette. "Both of you. We are not leaving until you two have an actual conversation." He then stated.

"We've communicated plenty." Murasame scoffed.

"Onii-san, not that type of communication." Ikaruga deadpanned, remembering his many, many, many attempts to fight/kill her for Hien. "Also, Akira, what are you doing?" She then whispered to the boy, looking absolutely freaked out.

"Helping end this sibling rivalry." Akira answered. "Look, both of you aren't willing to deal with each other for more than necessary, so I'm gonna force you to. We're all gonna calm down and talk this out." He soon responded and stated.

"Akira..." Ikaruga got out in a dangerous tone.

"You can't stop me from leaving." Murasame scoffed.

Akira stared at the man with a deadpan expression, thought about the consequences for a good five seconds...and did it anyway.

SMACK!

"Stay." Akira soon ordered.

"Y-You make a good argument." The CEO-in-training whimpered, wincing while rubbing the sore spot.

"Good boy." Akira responded. "Now, why do you both not want to deal with each other right now?" He soon asked.

The siblings both went at the same time, talking over each other while voicing their complaints about the other. They were barely understandable.

"Stop! One at a time." Akira soon instructed.

Ikaruga gave the boy a quick apologetic bow before opening her mouth. "I-" She started to say.

But of course, her brother was having none of it. "Why are you going first? I should be the one going first!" Murasame interrupted and complained.

SMACK!

"I'll be good..." Murasame obediently got out after the other boy smacked him again

"Thank you, Onii-san." Ikaruga breathed out as she shook her hand to get rid of the soreness. Her brother really was hard-headed. "Well, even since I was announced that would be the one to inherit the family legacy, he's been trying to take it back since. He's argued, complained, whined, he has even broken into my room several times." She then explained.

"He what?" Akira questioned in a deadpan tone.

"It was easy." Murasame responded in a proud manner. "My name alone is enough to get people to move." He then stated.

"And just as easily as he breaks in, I always force him out." Ikaruga continued. She has gotten so used to it, that she had a trapdoor installed in her room. And he would always stand in the exact same spot while he monologues. "I only wish to live in peace with him. I have no true anger against, only by his attempts to take what was given to me." She then stated.

"You mean what was-" Murasame began.

"And now you, Murasame, why do you hate Ikaruga?" Akira soon questioned, interrupting the man from talking.

"Isn't it obvious? She was adopted because father took pity on her poor family." Murasame claimed.

"Murasame-san!" Akira called out, looking rather angry at the man.

"Akira-san, calm down." Ikaruga however requested. "I am not ashamed of my past, but I will not allow you to drag it through the mud." She then stated.

"Well, it is of no importance to me." Murasame scoffed.

"Just keep talking, asshole." Akira grumbled.

"Well, once she arrived, everyone began to treat her with respect and reverence! She hadn't even done anything, and yet she had garnered such a reaction. And then she had the nerve to steal what was rightfully mine as the rightful heir of the family tradition and legacy!" Murasame soon accused. "Don't you see that I have nothing left without my family's legacy!?" He then growled.

"...Aren't you, like, a CEO?" Akira remembered with a frown.

"Tch, next in line to take over once father retires, but yes." Murasame quickly answered.

Akira soon pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a long-suffering sigh. "Yup, definitely an idiot..." He mentally groaned. "Okay." He then began. "Have you talked to your dad about this?" He soon asked.

"Plenty. And all he does is give me the same damn excuse." Murasame respined.

"And that being...?" Akira pressed.

"That my destiny isn't to become a shinobi, but to lead the Phoenix Conglomerate into greatness." Murasame recited.

"Onii-san!" Ikaruga exclaimed in a gobsmacked manner.

"I think your father is a smart man." Akira got out, ignoring yet another facepalm coming from the girl. "Look, how about you two go and call him and work out your issues with each other." He then suggested.

"No, I will not settle for mere talk." Murasame however stated as he shook his head. "It must be through battle. Words are wasted on me." He then declared.

"Yep, they go right into one ear and out the other." Akira muttered as quietly as possible. "Fighting isn't going to solve it at all if you suck." He then stated.

"I do not suck!" Murasame countered. "I blow! I blow all my opponents away, dammit!" He then passionately declared.

"Oh dear God..." Ikaruga groaned as she covered her face...before her eyes widened. "...Then why don't I teach you?" She soon offered.

"Huh?" Murasame got out.

"You've mostly been self-taught, which while commendable, won't be enough against me." Ikaruga soon stated. "And the little formal training you received was a long time ago. You will need a refresher." She then added.

"I don't need the training." Murasame however responded.

"Have you ever thought about how you will use Hien?" Ikaruga soon questioned.

"Ugh, what's so complicated about swish-swish-stab?" Murasame groaned and questioned. "It's a katana. What else is there to it?" He then asked.

"...There is more to it than that." Ikaruga responded. "How about this? I will teach you how to use Hien. After that, we shall see who will keep it." She soon offered.

"So you're willing to give it up?" Murasame assumed.

"No, not in your lifetime." Ikaruga responded as she shook her head. "But I will not be dishonorable here. I will treat this as any other assignment given to me and ensure you reach your full potential, no matter how long it takes." She then stated.

"Hmmm..." Her brother hummed as Akira and Ikaruga looked at each other in worry. "I shall agree to those terms. However, I doubt our schedules will line up." He finally agreed.

"We can discuss that so that you may have plenty of time to study." Ikaruga soon decided.

"Wait, he's studying?" Akira spoke up in surprise.

"Heh, I'm top of the class in my business course." Murasame proudly stated. "Tokyo University." He then revealed as he then showed the boy his student ID.

"..." Akira stared at the man and the card in disbelief. "Holy crap, you're actually smart." He breathed out.

"As if you had any doubt." Murasame responded in a cocky manner. "Ikaruga, we shall talk about scheduling later. For now, you better start cleaning Hien for me. That sword will be mine." He then decided.

"I look forward to you trying." Ikaruga responded with a nod.

"Very well, then. We shall organize it over lunch! You better not be late." Murasame replied as he then ran off.

"...He didn't even say where you'll have lunch..." Akira remarked. He also remembered that the man was still wearing a bra. He should probably find his coat...

"I'll call him later." Ikaruga muttered.

Nodding in response, Akira soon let out a breath. He didn't manage to resolve this mess, but he sure as hell helped make sure the girl had all she needed to resolve it herself.

Ikaruga watched her brother head to the train station before turning to her meddlesome friend. "You didn't have to come to my aid. I have more than enough experience dealing with him." Ikaruga pointed out with hands on her hips.

"Again, hero syndrome." Akira responded as he shrugged his shoulders. "And also, I was fully expecting him to beat himself up without me lifting a finger." He then admitted.

"He would..." Ikaruga sighed out. "But...Thank you all the same." She then added in a grateful manner.

"I do what I can." Akira replied. "So, uh, is the katana thing actually a thing in your family?" He then asked in a curious manner.

"Oh, you heard that? Just a...a family gift that held much more importance for him." Ikaruga replied, trying to find a good excuse while maintaining her composure. "And...about all that talk about the shinobi stuff whatsoever, please don't mind them." She then added reluctantly, hoping the boy wouldn't get what she actually meant when she said that.

"...He's still daydreaming about that stuff?" Akira got out with a raised eyebrow. "Eh, don't worry about it. I actually kind of find it funny, playing hero or something. You take martial arts classes or something?" He assumed, playing ignorant.

Ikaruga blinked. "...Yes." She answered, deciding to go along with it. "It helps with focus rather than actual fighting ability. Hopefully that will be enough to stop him. And...to actually spend time with him." She then added.

"Well, you'll have plenty of time." Akira stated with a nudge.

"...Yes. I do." Ikaruga lightly chuckled. "But that's just one less problem off my mind. There's still so many others here and back home." She then groaned. She still had barely touched on the entire mess with the android shinobi found by the pinkette, there was the new wave, and there was, of course...

"Yeah, you're still doing that thing with Okumura." Akira remembered, although he couldn't quite remember the cover story for being his bodyguard. "I heard on the news that the protests are getting worse. Are you and the others sure you can handle it?" He soon asked in concern.

"I've handled worse, and the headquarters has many more entrances than meets the eye." The ravenette assured. "Still, I do wish to know who is trying to force Okumura-san to have a change of heart, going so far as to hack the Phan-Site." Ikaruga soon wondered.

"I do too." Akira agreed. "But that's a long term goal currently, Ikaruga. Right now, we need to make sure that the Conspiracy won't know they've already lost." He then mentally added.

"Akira-san?" Ikaruga spoke up, snapping the boy out of his thoughts.

"Oh, just imagining who would be the type to do such a thing." Akira waved off. "Now, let's go find a quiet place for you two to scream at each other." He then decided.

"I was hoping you would forget about that." Ikaruga sighed out.

"I forget a thousand things everyday. This isn't one of them." Akira chuckled with a smirk.

Ikaruga could only sigh once again as she followed the boy to the train station.

(Yongen-Jaya, Leblanc)

Asuka was humming a playful tune as she wiped down the counter of coffee stains and grains of rice. She had been working at Leblanc since she came this morning, and it looks like things were settling down.

"Are you finished, sir?" Asuka asked the remaining cafe customer, noticing his empty plate.

"Give me a moment. I'm trying to solve this crossword puzzle first." The customer reminded her peacefully. "Five across. Name meaning Flying Bird..." He then muttered to himself, trying to figure out the answer based on the clues he just read.

Asuka blinked. "...A-Asuka?" She responded.

"Huh? What?" The customer got out as he looked up from his crossword.

"The answer to that clue is my name." Asuka informed with a smile.

"..." The cafe customer only went silent, staring at the girl.

Asuka stood there for a few seconds before realizing she was not going to get a response. "...My name is Asuka." She responded.

"Oh, I always thought your name was Akira." The customer got out in understanding.

"...That's the...other person who works here." Asuka awkwardly mumbled out.

"Anyways, thank you! This puzzle has been bothering me for the past hour." The customer breathed in relief before setting down the crossword puzzle onto the table and reaching into his pocket for a certain amount of money. "Here, for your troubles." He then got out.

"Thank you." Asuka replied as she took the tip. It was very unusual, but like hell she was turning down more (free) money. "...A-A thousand yen!?" She mentally exclaimed.

"I'll be back for more, Boss." The customer then declared as he got out of his seat.

"Have a lovely day, sir!" Asuka waved off as the customer left the cafe.

"Alright, that's the last customer." Sojiro announced from behind the counter.

"Huh? Oh, right. You're having a half day today." Asuka got out and soon recalled.

"Yep. And it's also a good time to get in a quick lesson." Sojiro added. "Clean up the tables before heading into the kitchen." He then ordered.

"Hai!" Asuka replied with a playful salute as she then got to work.

Once the cafe was sparkling and the counters and tables were reflecting like mirrors, Asuka headed into the kitchen. "What am I going to do this time, Boss?" She soon asked in an enthusiastic manner.

"I'm going to let you experiment today." Sojiro informed.

"Eh?" Asuka got out in surprise.

"I want your tastebuds to guide you through this. I only want coffee and curry today." Sojiro explained. "I know you have the technique, but do you have the creativity?" He then stated and questioned.

"Hai!" The Vice Leader responded with a determined nod.

"Then show me." The cafe owner all but demanded as he took a seat.

Asuka nodded before getting to work.

A while later, the Vice Leader took in a deep breath as he brought the cup over to the cafe owner. "Here you go. One coffee." Asuka soon informed.

"I wanted both coffee and curry, not one at a time." Sojiro however reminded.

"Well, the curry is still cooking. It'll be ready in about five minutes." Asuka informed, looking back for a second to make sure nothing was on fire.

"And that's why you time so that both come out steaming." Sojiro stated.

"I'll make sure to do this next time, Boss." Asuka responded with reassurance.

"You better. Now, let's see how it tastes." Sojiro got out as he took a sip.

"How is it?" Asuka nervously asked, twirling around her hair in anticipation.

"Hmmm..." Sojiro hummed as he smacked his lips together. "Brazilian...Number 2/18, am I correct?" He then guessed.

"Yes." Asuka confirmed with a nod. "How did you know?" She soon questioned.

"Well, let me explain." Sojiro began as he pushed up his glasses. "Brazil produces the most coffee in the world. Their beans are known to be high quality, have balanced acidity, and bitter finish. Also known as Santos, No. 2/18 is one of the most popular Brazilian coffees. 2 stands for the quality, and the 18 is for the bean size." He lectured.

"Wow, you're like an encyclopedia for coffee, Boss!" Asuka complimented in awe.

The cafe owner simply chuckled in response. "You learn a lot about coffee once you start working in a Cafe." Sojiro responded. "Plus, Wakaba would never shut up about it sometimes..." He then added in a wistful manner.

"You really miss her, huh?" Asuka assumed in a solemn tone.

"Every day. But it's not like wishing for her back will do anything." Sojiro responded with a nod and stated. "The strongest people know when to move on." He then advised.

"Hai." Asuka replied with a nod of her own.

"Now, the curry?" Sojiro reminded her.

"Oh, right!" The brunette gasped before she got to work. In a few minutes, Asuka slid the dish in front of the cafe owner. "One serving of Asuka curry!" She declared.

"Nice presentation, good color, perfect portion of rice and..." Sojiro muttered before eating a spoonful.

"I heard apples were a good ingredient for curry, so I used some of it." Asuka revealed as she studied the owner's expression for any sign of disgust. "Is that bad?" She soon asked.

"No, it's perfectly fine. You outdid yourself with the execution." Sojiro soon stated and revealed.

"Eh?" Asuka got out.

"Let me explain." Sojiro proudly began. "Fruits are often used as secret ingredients in curry. They add sweetness and meld to create a mild and delectable curry flavor. Grated apples are recommended because of their fiber. Stewing the apple will add sweetness and balance the spice in the curry." He soon revealed.

"Wow! I had no idea!" Asuka replied in amazement.

"Which is why you didn't quite bring out the potential of the apples." Sojiro soon revealed. "It's close, but I want you to try again with that info in mind." He then informed.

"Right now?" Asuka asked. "You want me to make a fresh batch?" She then assumed.

"Eh...I'm feeling tired today, so do you mind making some for Futaba?" Sojiro admitted and requested.

"Oh, sure! Happy to help." Asuka responded with a bow before heading into the kitchen to cook some more.

Eventually, Asuka was done cooking and once Sojiro made sure it was up to his (and more importantly Futaba's) standards, they put it into containers so the owner could safely transport it to his house.

"You've been a big help, Asuka." Sojiro thanked the girl.

"It's no problem, Boss." Asuka responded with a bow.

"Well, let me take this over to Futaba. Lock the place up, okay?" Sojiro then ordered as he tossed over a set of keys to the girl, who easily caught it.

"Hai." Asuka responded before looking down in her hands. "Eh?" She then got out in surprise, seeing her name engraved on it.

"Keep 'em. They're yours." Sojiro informed with a kind smile. "Don't do anything stupid while I'm not here, okay? And don't use too many of the ingredients." He then warned.

"H-Hai!" Asuka responded with a stammer as the cafe owner left. "My...own key to Leblanc." She breathed out as a smile formed on her face.

BZZT! BZZT!

"Hm?" Asuka hummed out as she took out her phone.

[Alibaba09: Congratulations, Asuka Shirokage, AKA Yin, you have now bestowed the keys to Sojiro's Kingdom of Leblanc!]

[Alibaba09: With such, a celebratory curry must be in order!]

(...)

[Alibaba09: Or you can just buy me instant noodles, that's fine, too.]

"Th-Thanks, Futaba-chan...I guess." Asuka stated with a short laugh and a sweatdrop.

She had almost forgotten about the bugs in Leblanc.

...But then again, security's important for this cafe, even though the one behind it has a...an eccentric personality.

"Homu-neechan must be working really hard right now, so I should do the same!" Asuka thought to herself in a determined manner as she made her sushi and curry to help the group as a whole.

Especially since it could help in the Metaverse too.

(Forest)

Homura closed her eyes as she placed a hand on the tree. The trunk was pretty thick but if she hit it just right...

"Ha!" Homura called out as she punched the tree, causing a bunch of leaves to fall to the ground...and that's when she made her move.

SLASH SLASH SLASH SLASH!

Homura breathed once again and all the leaves fell to the ground, all of them split in half.

"Ahhhh..." Homura breathed out as she put away her katanas. "Haven't lost a step." She then breathed out with a smirk of satisfaction.

"Ah! There you are Homu-chan!" A familiar voice called out, getting the tan skinned girl's attention as she saw the fluffy haired girl wearing a violet and silver tracksuit. This time, her actual chest size was now full on display. "I apologize for being late." Haru soon added.

"I should be the one apologizing, Haru." Homura sheepishly admitted while rubbing the back of her neck. "Calling you up at the last minute when we promised to do it on a Sunday." She then pointed out.

"Oh, I have no problem with this. It just means more opportunities to train again." Haru replied with a starry look in her eyes with a tone filled with excitement.

"An eager student, I see." Homura noted with a smirk.

"Oh, I had to be, or else I'd be dragged kicking and screaming into the nearest lake!" Haru informed in the same tone. "My sensei liked the one with the brain-eating amoebas!" She then added.

Homura's smirk instantly died at that. "Yeah, that sounds like something a shinobi sensei would do." The tan skinned girl muttered under her breath.

"It was honestly one of the most exciting moments in my life during my training days." Haru confessed. "Ah the memories." She sighed out in a delighted manner.

The tan-skinned girl then glanced at the heiress's large chest. "Still can't believe you actually have large breasts, Haru." She sighed out. "Almost wonder how long you've kept them hidden." She then added.

"Hm? Oh, my chest? Well, to be honest, not sure if I'm proud of it or not, considering how much stares I got from people before I got the custom compression bras from Father." Haru informed, almost meekly. "But still, it is my body, so I have to take care of it and protect it from people with ulterior motives." She then promised.

"Does it still get in the way during your time training, though?" Homura had to ask.

"Not exactly much, but I do get hit in the chest many times by either fellow shinobi who prefer hand-to-hand combat, ones who use weapons in hand, bladed or not, or both." Haru informed. "Don't worry, the injuries got healed up all the way, so I got used to direct hits in my large chest. It actually got quite pleasant after a while!" She then assured.

"Well, enough reminiscing about your (horrifyingly traumatic) childhood, time to get to work." Homura soon decided.

"Hai!" Haru responded with a nod. "...Should I use my axe now or should I go back to my old weapon?" She soon asked in a curious manner.

"We are not getting chainsaws. I thought we already discussed this." Homura deadpanned. "Our weapon supplier doesn't even sell model versions anyways." She then added.

"Okay, axe it is." Haru responded with another nod as she then summoned her axe out of nowhere from her body. "Ready!" She declared as she slammed the blade into the ground.

"...You can already summon your weapon?" Homura got out in an incredulous tone.

"After recalling some of my old shinobi training, it was like riding a bike regarding weapon summoning." Haru explained. "It's only one of those costume play props though..." She then added.

"Well, until you can get a real axe without setting off alarms, it'll have to do." Homura got out before rummaging through her training equipment to get six bokken. "Alright, let's have a quick spar so I can gauge your current skill level. I won't be setting you on fire this time, so don't be afraid to give it all you got." She then ordered as she loosened up her shoulders and relaxed her muscles.

"Are you sure?" Haru asked. "This axe is a little heavy for my liking." She then informed.

"It's just for looks, not for swinging." Homura replied. "I'd be more worried about it breaking than hurting me. After all, my Persona has a physical resistance." She then reminded.

"Okay..." Haru responded as she pulled back her weapon.

"Alright, Haru! Give it all you-" Homura managed to get out before taking an axe to the side of the throat. "ACK!" She choked as stumbled back.

"Oh, did I go before you were ready?" Haru innocently questioned.

Homura coughed as she slowly recovered from the blow. "H-Holy hell, that thing nearly crushed my windpipe." She got out in a slightly hoarse voice. "Where did you even get that?" She soon asked.

"I got it shipped overnight from Deidara Metalworks." Haru revealed.

"...That's a real axe." Homura realized.

"No no, it's for costume play. Look, it even comes apart really easily for storage." Haru assured as she swiftly removed the axe head and collapsed the handle. "And I made sure to check the website. I bought it from the prop section." She then added.

"Well, it certainly felt like a real weapon!" Homura pointed out before sighing. "Ugh, whatever. Continue the fight, I'll treat this more seriously this time." She then instructed as she went into her battle stance.

Haru nodded, reassembling her weapon before charging at the tan skinned girl. "YAAAAAAH!" She yelled out with enthusiasm.

Homura instantly blocked her attack and shoved her away, easily using the momentum to flip into a kick to the head.

Haru instantly backed off before using her axe's handle to trap her opponent's leg. "HAAAH!" She soon yelled as she threw the girl over her shoulder.

SLAM!

"Whoa!" Homura yelped, coughing up a little dirt before attempting to sweep the heiress off her feet while she got up.

"Hehehehe..." Haru suddenly began giggling all of a sudden.

"H-Haru, why are you laughing?" Homura soon asked in concern.

"Because this has to be the most fun I've had in years!" Haru responded with a joyous laugh. "Hehehehe...AHAHAHAHAHA!" She maniacally laughed out without any restraint.

"Waaaaaait a minute...I've seen that face before..." Homura whispered before a 'Hora hora hora hora hora hora hora hora~!' came into her mind. "...Oh good God, no." She soon breathed out in realization.

"Don't hold back, Homu-chan!" Haru excitedly requested as she leapt into the air.

"Shit!" Homura swore as she rolled out of the way of a helmsplitter. "Mental note, Haru and Haruka must never meet...ever..." She thought to herself in a fearful and panicked manner as she continued dodging the fluffy haired girl's onslaught of swings.

However, due to the weight of the axe, the heiress's attacks were sluggish and allowed time for Homura to study her form.

"Wide arcs, slow wind up, good spacing..." Homura thought before taking a step back. "...But still not good enough!" She soon shouted out as soon as she saw an opening!

SLASH!

The tan skinned girl smirked as she saw the heiress stumble back. "You're too slow!" Homura declared as she went to press the attack, however...

DRIP!

The tan skinned girl instantly stopped her attack once she saw a small drop of blood running out of the heiress's nose. "Oh crap, did I accidentally hit you in the face?" Homura soon got out in a worried tone.

"Eh?" Haru got out before touching her upper lip to see blood on her finger. "Oh, that just happens sometimes." She got out in an unusually relieved sort of tone.

"Uh, it does?" Homura responded in a skeptical tone.

"Only in some fights." Haru explained. "Usually the enjoyable ones." She then added.

Homura swallowed, feeling a bit weirded out. "Um...is that going to be a problem?" She soon asked in concern.

"Oh no, it usually goes away after a minute." Haru soon assured as she wiped her nose. "I think it was caused by hitting my face on a door or two (or twenty-three now that I think about it)." She soon explained.

"Why are your kidnappers so rough with you?" The tan skinned girl grumbled. You'd think these guys would keep her as safe as possible for ransom.

"Oh, no, I just hit my door sometimes late at night after getting some water to drink." Haru freely confessed.

"...You are an enigma, Haru." Homura eventually confessed.

"Hm? Excuse me?" Haru got out, not hearing her quite right.

"Let's continue fighting." Homura breathed out as she settled into her stance once again...only to get an axe head thrown into her face.

WHAM!

Stunned, Haru followed up by using the handle of her weapon to sweep Homura off her feet and begin beating her while she was on the ground.

This was gonna be a long session.

One beat down later...

Homura panted and wiped the dirt and sweat off her forehead. Haru was dirty too, but all she was doing was smile as they circled around each other. The surrounding forest had taken a serious beating with scorch marks, chopped down trees, and splintered wood everywhere.

"I have to admit Haru, for someone so rusty, you fight like an Elite." The tan skinned girl got out.

"Thank you Homu-chan." The fluffy haired girl replied. "It was a shame I was pulled out of my shinobi lessons before technique development. I even know what my Guardian Animal was." She then confessed and revealed.

"Probably for the better." Homura admitted. "You would've had a higher body count than me." She then added. "...Should I ask what your Animal was?" She then asked.

To that, Haru giggled innocently. "Erm...sheep." she informed.

"Does that sheep eat other sheep or something, or is it just a wolf in disguise?" Homura mumbled under her breath. Honestly, she could imagine it being something like that.

"Homu-chan, the training?" Haru spoke up.

"Ah, right." Homura got out as she shook her head. Now was the time to focus, not discuss what could have been. "Okay, ready?" She then asked.

"Hai!" Haru nodded.

No other words were said then as the two girls charged at each other, clashing their weapons against one another while staring directly into their eyes.

Homura's speed outmatched Haru's sheer power, but her defensive skills allowed her to counter the tan skinned girl's more aggressive tactics.

Homura was impressed to actually have a challenge for once. While she hadn't been using everything she had she could-

WHAM!

"FUCK ME!" Homura mentally swore as the fluffy haired girl used her forehead to hit her nose, stunning and staggering her as a result.

Haru instantly went for the kill, quickly putting the tan skinned girl into a chokehold and keeping her arms restrained as best as she could.

"Ok! Ok! Training over! Cease and desist!" Homura choked out as she rapidly tapped the fluffy haired girl's arm.

"Oh." Haru got out as she let go, allowing the tan skinned girl to stumble away, taking in as much air as she could. "How did I do?" She soon asked in a curious and innocent manner.

"Uhhhhh..." Homura groaned, supporting herself on her knees to recover from the training. "Good. You...fought...so well." She then got out between coughs.

"What can I improve on though?" Haru soon asked.

Homura blinked. She totally forgot about that for a second. "Um...you commit to swinging your axe way too much." She answered after some thought. "And you need to work on your aerial game when it comes to Aerial Raves, if you're familiar with it as well." She then revealed.

"Oooooh!" Haru responded in awe. "I'll work on that on my own time." She soon stated with a nod. "Wow, it feels so wonderful to have a sensei again." She then confessed.

"Glad to be of help." Homura replied with a weak smile.

"Not to mention that was so much fun, Homu-chan!" Haru giggled. "I feel so much stronger now! I hope our next training session will go just as well!" She then declared as did a quick fist pump.

Haru's strength has increased!

"N-No problem." Homura responded with a thumbs-up, wincing at the small crack coming from it.

"Hehehe, let's all get stronger together!" Haru then giggled in excitement. "Oh, do you want to go somewhere with me to relax before we go home?" She soon offered.

"I'm good. You...go on ahead." Homura waved off.

"You sure?" Haru questioned in concern with a raised eyebrow.

"I am. I just wanna be alone for a bit. Enjoy the air." Homura assured.

"Oh, that's fine. Well, I'll see you tomorrow, Homu-chan." Haru then got out before bowing down to her friend.

"Y-Yeah, bye..." Homura responded as she waved the older girl away as she left.

Once she was far away enough that she couldn't see her...

THUD!

"Ugh..." Homura moaned into the nice soft dirt she planted her face on, having decided that she would spend the next few hours letting her bones heal.

...

Huh, so this is what it felt like to train with her.

(Shibuya, Central Street)

Yumi stood silently beside the entrance of the movie theater, waiting for someone in particular to go watch a movie with her. She was currently sporting her usual dark blue dress, though had a brown coat over it with a fedora and a pair of sunglasses on to disguise herself.

With hands clasped in front of her waist, she then decided to gaze at the crowd walking around the area who were doing their usual day-to-day lives. "Better watch out for suspicious people...and gazes." She muttered to herself. She already had to remind herself not to give out free autographs to her fans as Yuki Yumi...or sometimes some guys with indecent intentions.

"Senpai!" A familiar voice called out as she saw someone walking towards her.

"Yusuke-san. You made it." Yumi responded with a smile. "Please tell me you didn't sacrifice anything to come here." She soon assumed.

"Only time, Yumi-senpai." Yusuke assured. "Although, I still question if we're here instead of our usual spots." He then added.

"It is good to change things up once in a while, and it has been a very long while." Yumi stated. "So, what do you wish to see?" She soon asked.

"I...was expecting you to choose the movie." Yusuke admitted. "I will not mind anything you will choose, senpai. Although, I would like something that could inspire my next piece." He then added and revealed.

"I was hoping you would decide though..." Yumi soon got out, looking rather embarrassed.

"Well, why don't we look at what's available." Yusuke soon suggested.

"Something cute and artistic..." Yumi muttered to herself before nodding and heading over to the ticket counter. "Two tickets to Mes Miserables, please." She soon requested.

"Okay, two tickets for the lovebirds." The receptionist responded as they printed out the tickets.

The light gray haired girl however flinched while the artist coughed in surprise. "E-Excuse me, but this is purely a platonic outing with my senpai, nothing more, miss." Yusuke insisted as the light gray haired girl nodded in agreement.

"Maybe today." The female employee responded in amusement. "Have fun, but not too much, you hear?" She soon advised.

The gray haired girl simply took the tickets and walked away without another word, pulling her friend along. "Why does everyone say that...?" Yumi sighed in annoyance.

"I truly have no idea. Can a man and woman not be friends, only as lovers?" Yusuke added and asked himself with a contemplating expression.

"The standards of society it seems." Yumi stated with a sigh. "We still have a half hour before the movie starts." She soon informed.

"Should we get some food then?" Yusuke soon suggested.

"Only something light." Yumi responded. "We'll eat something proper later." She then added.

"Popcorn it is." Yusuke decided. "I'll go get it for us then." He then offered.

"That sounds fine. Here, let me give you the money." Yumi replied and offered.

"Senpai, it's only popcorn. I can at least afford that." Yusuke responded and reminded.

"Yusuke, I don't want you spending any more money than necessary." Yumi however stated.

"Well, aren't you spending too much on me?" Yusuke pointed out. "Let me buy you something just this once. I've made sure to save some money this week." He soon requested.

"...Okay, but don't buy it here. Go out and buy some from outside, it is much much cheaper." Yumi relented.

"I will. I'll be back before the movie starts." Yusuke responded as he went off to do as such.

Yumi smiled as she watched the boy go off. "He's finally learning. He'll be able to take care of himself soon enough." She then thought. She was worried when she moved back that the artist would go back to his old habits, but maybe this was a sign that he would be fine.

Now it was only the matter if he would actually bring popcorn, or spend his money on something different and much more expensive.

"Oh, I thought that was you, Miss President." A mature-sounding female voice spoke up, prompting Yumi to turn around and notice a familiar young woman wearing a white dress with a checkered pattern consisting of white, orange and blue squares.

"Ah, Hifumi-san." Yumi got out as she gave a polite bow. "It is good to see you, but why are you here?" She admitted and asked in a curious manner.

"I'm here with someone." Hifumi informed. "Well, I'm supposed to be here with someone." She then grumbled.

"Are they late?" Yumi assumed.

"I've called them several times and nothing." Hifumi got out in frustration. "They could've at least left a text." She then muttered.

"How rude." Yumi scoffed. "Are you going to leave now?" She soon asked.

"It would be a good idea but...I feel like I could wait a little longer." Hifumi responded.

"Nonsense. You should be spending your time better than this." Yumi soon stated. "How about this, let me go buy you an extra ticket and we'll go see Mes Miserables together." She then offered.

"Eh!?" Hifumi got out. "I-I don't know, he could arrive at any moment." She awkwardly responded.

"If he was really someone to be worth waiting for, you would already be watching the movie with him." Yumi pointed out.

The shogi champion looked unsure for a second before sighing. "Well, I suppose I can at least get some explanation from him why he was late once he arrives." Hifumi replied.

"I don't think anyone worth your time should show up so late-" Yumi started before glancing to her side for a moment, going wide-eyed at the sight. "Yusuke-san!" She gawked out in disbelief.

"Eh?" Hifumi got out as she turned around to see...a giant bag of popcorn approaching them.

"Senpai." Yusuke responded before turning around awkwardly to see the other person with her. "Ah." He then got out.

"Oh, you're here with Yusuke-san." Hifumi remarked.

"Togo-san." Yusuke politely responded with a slight bow.

"Yusuke-san, where did you even get something like that!?" Yumi exclaimed.

"It was on sale." The young artist informed. "It's unsalted." He then revealed.

This in turn caused the two Kosei girls to sweatdrop.

"Is...Yusuke-san always like that?" Hifumi hesitantly asked.

"There are some days where I think he was born wasting money on art supplies...and ice cream..." Yumi responded with a sigh.

"I'll take the popcorn home if we can't finish it here." Yusuke responded.

"I don't think we can finish it a week together having it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner." Hifumi stated. "But...we'll try our best. Let me go get my ticket." She then added as she went to go buy her ticket.

"Hai." Yumi responded with a nod.

"Senpai?" Yusuke innocently got out.

"I'll explain on the way." Yumi replied as the two headed in.

"lt was him~ He stole all the silverware~ He stole the candle sticks~ Thief! Confess your thine crimes~!"

"Ohh~ Is there no god in this world~?"

"For a parody of Le Mis, they could've hired better singers..." Hifumi couldn't help but remark, wincing as the characters began to hit the high notes.

However, when she heard silence, she turned to see both Yumi and Yusuke enthralled with the film, unable to tear their eyes away from it.

"The bishop is so cruel..." Yusuke muttered.

"Yes. He only left prison yesterday. How can someone be so apathetic?" Yumi responded and questioned, sniffling a little.

Hifumi blinked before shaking her head and turning her attention back to the movie. Well, at least she could enjoy it now that she was with company.

"ONE! AT! A TIME~!"

"Why are we all facing the same way~?"

Yumi, Yusuke, and Hifumi found themselves staying when the credits began to roll, even watching it the whole way through before leaving the theater, none of their eyes dry from the viewing.

"What a bittersweet ending..." Yumi breathed out.

"To think it would end in such a manner." Yusuke mumbled, still munching on some popcorn. The bag didn't even look like it had a dent in it. "Still, it was an enjoyable experience. That last song was a spectacle." He then confessed.

"Yes, it was." Hifumi admitted with a smile. "I didn't think you two would make such good company." She soon added.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Yusuke asked.

"Well...I thought I'd be a third wheel." Hifumi sheepishly confessed.

"Third wheel...?" Yumi repeated in confusion before glaring at the girl. "We are not dating!" She then shouted in annoyance.

"I-I didn't mean that! Just...you've been together for so long, I thought you'd be hesitant to accept me into being a friend." Hifumi responded and exclaimed.

"O-Oh..." Yumi got out, looking rather apologetic for her outburst. "I'm so sorry. But...I wouldn't mind if you were part of our group at school. It does feel awfully lonely with the reputations we have."

"I know the feeling." Hifumi sighed. "So...friends?" She cautiously asked.

"Yes." Yumi and Yusuke responded with a nod, causing Hifumi to smile brightly.

"You know, I am surprised you haven't asked Senpai for an autograph yet." Yusuke soon admitted.

Hifumi narrowed her eyes. "...An autograph? Why...?" She then questioned. She wasn't exactly the type to keep up with most current events.

"Y-Yusuke-san, please don't tell her..." Yumi whispered to her kouhai.

"Hm? But everyone should know by now at school. I'm just making some-" The young artist tried to explain, however...

"OH MY GOD, IS THAT-" A woman exclaimed in shock, turning in their direction.

"YUSUKE-SAN, RUN!" The gray-haired girl shouted, jumping Yusuke in shock before realizing the situation.

With that, Yumi and Yusuke sprinted away from the theater entrance and disappeared into the crowd, leaving Hifumi alone, confused and a little lost on what to do.

"-A STATUE OF FEATHERMAN PINK!?" The rabid female fan concluded before dashing over to the statue, which was right behind where Yusuke and Yumi were. "Quick! Someone take a photo!" She called out as she hugged it tightly.

Huh, could statues sweatdrop? Because the shogi champion was pretty sure that it would.

Hifumi decided to walk away and check her phone once again. "Ugh, where is he?" She wondered out loud. She should really go home but...her mother...

"Hifumi!" A familiar voice called out, prompting Hifumi to turn around and noticing a familiar boy running towards her. "I'm...so sorry I'm late!" He then apologized, clearly panting from the running.

"You better have a good excuse or else I'll be very, very unhappy." Hifumi responded as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Akira only held up his phone and hit play on the video he filmed.

"This is a major offense! How can you ask of me such a heinous thing! I knew this was a mistake! I will show you that I deserve to continue the family's legacy, not you!" A rather handsome, yet stupid man, shirtless and wearing a bra, declared.

"Onii-san, I just asked if you wanted these churro things!" A more proper woman groaned. "Akira-san, what are you doing just filming this? Do you mind helping me with him?" She soon questioned and requested.

"I need insurance!" Akira responded.

"Oh, you will need insurance once I am finished with you!" The shirtless man exclaimed.

"But I still have to meet someone today at the movie theat–HEY, LET GO OF–!" Akira tried to explain before he was shown being grabbed by the shirtless bra man.

Hifumi stared at the video, jaw slightly dropped as she watched the chaos unfold. And wow, he really kept recording even while dealing with that...

"Is this a good enough excuse?" Akira questioned in a deadpan tone.

"U-Um...yes?" Hifumi awkwardly responded, still in shock from the video.

"Cool." Akira breathed out. "I tend to attract weirdos sometimes and they're a pain in the...well, you know what I mean. Now, ready to go see Mes Mis?" He then added and eventually asked.

Hifumi thought about it for a few seconds before nodding. With that, Akira smiled as he went off to get the tickets.

Well, for him, she could see a movie twice.

(Hanzō Academy, Elites Room)

"I wonder who's going next..." Katsuragi spoke to herself aloud, sitting lazily on the couch with the two top buttons of her uniform open, showing her cleavage.

"I am." Yagyū bluntly answered.

"Wait, so I'm going last?" The blonde jolted up as she spoke, staring at the eyepatch-wearing first-year in slight shock.

"Correct." Yagyū confirmed as she ate some dried out squid on sticks while reading through a scroll. "You were told this before." She then reminded.

"Ugghh...I thought you were joking..." Katsuragi groaned in slight anger, slumping back on her couch. "Well, at least we all got a chance to go and explore Tokyo while doing our job at Okumura Foods." She then added with a somehow softened tone.

"Maybe you can meet up with Asuka-chan and Akira-kun and the others we met at the beach while you're there too!" Hibari suggested.

Katsuragi giggled at that. "Yeah, can't wait for some new boobs." She then remarked. "So what are you going to do in your spare time there in Tokyo, Yagyū?" She soon asked.

Yagyū swallowed a piece of her dried out squid. "Mostly training and wandering around the city for the layout of it. Remember, Tokyo is still a hotspot for Evil Shinobi activity. We can't let our guard down." She replied and reminded.

"Oh, come on, there hasn't been a challenge we haven't overcome." Katsuragi stated in a confident manner.

"Pride before the fall..." Yagyū sighed as she shook her head.

"Ah! I gotta go and see how Muramasa-chan's doing!" Hibari remembered as she jumped to her feet. "I'll be back, Yagyū-chan!" She then added as she dashed out of the room.

"Have...fun with Muramasa, Hibari." Yagyu got out long after Hibari had left, her visible eye twitching.

"Yagyū, I can hear your teeth grinding together like rocks." The blonde got out in concern. "Are you okay?" She soon asked.

"I...am fine." Yagyū breathed out, going back to her breakfast.

"You don't look, sound, or smell fine." Katsuragi pointed out before sniffing the white haired girl's hair. "Mmm...jealousy..." She then got out in a more amused tone.

Ignoring that last part, the eyepatch-wearing girl let out an annoyed huff as she put down her chopsticks. "I am not-" Yagyū tried to deny.

At that moment though...

"Oh hey Ayame-chan!" Hibari's voice greeted, causing the blonde to jump before losing all color in her face. "Oh, Katsu-nee's in the Elites Room like always." She then informed.

"HIBARI WHY!?" Katsuragi exclaimed before covering mouth.

"Why are you so worried?" Yagyū meanwhile questioned.

"Was that Katsuragi-senpai? Stay there, I'm coming!" The very excited sounding girl assumed and soon declared.

"Oh no. Nope, nope, nope..." Katsuragi muttered. "Gonna go train! Bye!" She then declared in a panicked manner as she rushed out of the room via the secret entrance.

At that moment, a young girl with very long, loose flowing hair of black with thin bangs while wearing a typical Hanzō Academy uniform for females, which consists of a plain white blouse, a blue skirt, and brown shoes, entered the Elites Room. She also had deep red eyes, and on the side of her hair is a thin red ribbon tied into a bow. "Do you know where senpai went!?" Ayame eagerly asked the white haired girl.

"Through the secret entrance over there." Yagyū simply responded.

"Thank you!" Ayame exclaimed before heading straight for the secret entrance.

Yagyu simply put her feet up on the table and took a sip of her tea, a small smirk forming on her face. It was the little choices that could have the most amusing result.

(Shibuya, Protein Lovers)

"One fifty-one, one fifty-two..." Ryuji counted up as he lifted the dumbbells with a determined look on his face. "Come on, Ryuji..." He then muttered to himself as he was pumping two dumbbells on both hands alternatively.

He couldn't fall behind his bro, Akira, and he didn't want to find himself caught off guard and not have the strength to fight back again. As much as he wished he could summon his Persona in the real world, frying people ain't gonna protect the people he loves here.

He also suddenly thought of his friend, Katsu-chan, from his trip at the beach a while back.

Her long blonde hair...her face...her thighs...her ass...her boobs...

Wait...boobs?

...

...

Yeah...her big boobs...and her sexy personality, too...

Ryuji shook his head from daydreaming about the blonde girl before taking a sigh. "Come on, Ryuji, we're just friends...that's all..." He then muttered to himself.

He then set back the two dumbbells on the rack before going to another gym equipment nearby, which was the treadmill.

"Can't believe that fortune teller's trying to mess with me back then." The dyed blonde muttered to himself as he went on the treadmill. "There's no way I'm gettin' a girlfriend anytime soon. All I'm good for is hittin' shit and shooting the shit." Ryuji then thought to himself while turning on the treadmill and started jogging.

At that moment though, a raven haired girl with piercing yellow eyes wearing a black-and-pink form fitting sleeveless top that bares her midriff with matching form-fitting short shorts entered the gym with a duffle bag over her shoulder as she looked around.

"At least it's not packed today..." The girl uttered to herself, noticing the number of people in the gym while looking around.

"Excuse me, miss, how old are you?" One of the staff members questioned in concern as he approached.

"...Fourteen." The ravenette eventually answered after a short pause. She thought it was quite rude of him to ask a girl her age, but decided not to say it out loud for now.

The staff member's eyes soon widened in disbelief to that answer. "Oh boy..." They eventually and quietly muttered to themselves in concern.

"Do we have an age limit here in this gym?" A male gym patron's voice asked his fellow patron from somewhere in the gym.

"I don't know...do we?" His fellow patron replied.

"Don't you think it's rude to ask a girl her age, sir?" Hyōki finally asked her thoughts aloud to the staff member, clearly hearing the gossip of the gym patrons.

"It is more regarding your own safety using the equipment, ma'am." The staff member stated. "Sorry for asking you that, but people of younger ages can have a high risk of injury when they use particular gym equipment." He then apologized and explained.

To that, the ravenette blinked as she then nodded in an understanding manner. "I see. Well, I appreciate your concern for your customers' safety, but I can assure you I can handle the equipment here." Hyōki responded and reassured in a mature manner.

The staff member pursed his lips as he was thinking about it, looking at the young girl with slight concern. "...Alright, if you're aware of the risks and know what you're actually doing here in this gym, then...I guess I'll allow it." He soon decided.

"Thank you." Hyōki replied with another nod as she handed over the money. To her, at least he was understanding. He was just doing his job, after all. "...Still, weird that he was concerned about me...unlike them..." She thought to herself, the last bit in disdain as she went further into the gym to start her work-out.

Meanwhile, the familiar blond was lifting some weights once more after the treadmill as he then noticed the newcomer to the gym, causing his eyes to widen as he took in her appearance and came to an immediate assumption. "No way, is she a shinobi?" Ryuji thought to himself as he noticed the girl's assets as she gave the staff the money and went inside. "Her eyes look like Shadow eyes." He then added in his head.

Meanwhile, Hyōki noticed the dyed blonde looking at her with widened eyes. "...Jeez, men are a pain sometimes..." She grumbled with a huff.

And of course, Ryuji noticed her reaction the moment they met eyes. He might have realized that he was in hot water now. "Damn..." He thought to himself.

Well...time to wing it at this point.

"Um, hey, there." Ryuji awkwardly greeted, approaching the girl cautiously. "You new here?" He assumed.

Hyōki glanced and saw that it was the dyed blond that gave her the widened eyes. "...I am, yes." She replied with a nod, though still had suspicions about the young guy. "What is it?" She soon asked. "Curious since you've never seen me before?" She then guessed.

To that, the dyed blond nodded in an awkward manner while rubbing the back of his neck. "So uh..." Ryuji began.

"Hyōki." The ravenette responded. "Hyōki...Saiga." She then introduced herself, though she seemed hesitant at revealing her last name.

"Right. Ryuji Sakamoto." Ryuji responded with a nod along with introducing himself. "So, you need a spotter?" He soon offered

To that, the fourteen year old blinked as she looked at the dyed blond. "You're...offering?" Hyōki asked in a curious manner.

"Well I can tell this is your first time here at Protein Lovers, so I thought you could use some help." Ryuji explained.

"O-Oh..." Hyōki got out, surprised for a moment from the offer before calming down. "I can actually handle myself, thank you." She soon stated. "Though...I appreciate your offer of help to me." She eventually confessed.

"So, uh...you need help or anything or...?" Ryuji soon began.

"...I hope you're not doing anything suspicious towards me." Hyōki however uttered with a deadpan tone.

That made the dyed blond freeze at that. "Huh? The hell do you mean by that?" Ryuji had to ask.

"Men like you tend to have an ulterior motive." Hyōki explained, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Uh...ultee-merer what?" Ryuji asked again, not actually knowing the word.

To that, the ravenette blinked as she saw the confused expression and soon realized that the boy seriously had no idea what the word meant, coming to a realization about what she just did. "...I did it again...dammit Hyōki, you're not at your old home anymore, not everyone is like them..." Hyōki thought and mentally reminded herself with a groan of frustration. "On second thought...I actually could use a spotter." She soon decided as she attempted to relax herself.

"Um, okay?" Ryuji awkwardly responded with a raised eyebrow. "And...you're alright with that?" He then asked.

"Basically yes." Hyōki concluded with a nod. "But if you're starting to perv on me though..." She then began.

"Wha-? Like hell I'm gonna perv on you! You're, like, 14!" Ryuji got out in disbelief. "Seriously twice in one day now!?" He mentally ranted in annoyance. "Who do you think I am? Kamoshida?" He then countered.

Hyōki blinked in confusion. "Kamoshida..." She repeated the name...before remembering some news report that she watched on a television along with her friends in their place. "That...gym teacher that got arrested earlier in the past months?" She soon remembered aloud.

"Gah, sorry, he was just the first person I thought of." Ryuji apologized while rubbing the back of his neck. "Shit, now that's gonna bother me all day." He then grumbled.

"You said so instinctively..." The golden eyed girl muttered before her eyes widened. "Oh, so you were a Kamoshida victim..." Hyōki realized as she then winced at her own mistake.

"You know, most people would have forgotten 'bout him by now..." Ryuji grumbled under his breath.

"O-Oh, I'm sorry if I bring up anything unpleasant." Hyōki awkwardly apologized.

"It's all long buried." Ryuji waved off. "Nothing's gonna heal the scars or some shit, but at least they don't hurt anymore." He then assured.

"...Okay then." Hyōki nodded, knowing how true such a statement was.

"Why're you here anyways?" Ryuji soon asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I just...want some company." Hyōki soon admitted. "I'm...just awkward around other people." She shamefully confessed.

To that, Ryuji blinked for a moment as he looked at the embarrassed girl before chuckling and playfully rubbing her head. "You could've just said so." He jokingly pointed out.

"H-Hey!" Hyōki stammered, blushing a bit in embarrassment and slightly surprised by the action. "You wanna get hurt?" She then instinctively threatened with a fear-inducing glare.

"S-Sorry, sorry!" Ryuji immediately apologized as he took his hand off the girl. "Wasn't thinking ahead." He awkwardly admitted.

Hyōki relaxed a bit, but still remained glaring at him. "Don't ever touch me like that again, you got that?" She then stated in the same threatening manner.

"Yeah, yeah, okay. Noted." Ryuji responded with a nod.

Hyōki took a deep breath as she finally relaxed in full. However, she was still keeping an eye on him. A mere man touching her was something she would never ignore as she rubbed the spot where the boy touched her head. "Though...he did apologize..." She unconsciously thought to herself, soon blinking when she thought that.

"Uh...you ok?" Ryuji soon asked with a raised eyebrow after noticing the confused and distracted look on the girl's face.

"I'm alright. Nothing you should be concerned about." Hyōki assured in a serious tone, holding up a hand. "We should get started, Sakamoto-san." She then decided.

The dyed blond meanwhile chuckled to that. "Just Ryuji will do." He soon responded.

"...If you say so." Hyōki hesitated a bit at the start.

"Guess you don't got many friends?" Ryuji assumed like it was the first thing that came to his mind.

"It...it's not like I don't get many friends and all, it's just...finding the right people is hard. That's all." Hyōki hesitantly responded and explained.

"Yeah, I know how you feel." The dyed blond admitted. "But I also know when you find those friends, ya don't wanna let 'em go." He then advised.

"You have friends?" Hyōki got out.

"D-Don't act so surprised!" Ryuji exclaimed, sounding a little offended before relaxing. "Ya just gotta find the right people, you know? There's always someone out there willin' give ya a chance." He then explained.

"You're too trusting." Hyōki grumbled. "Not everyone should be given one. You should know that."

"That I do. So...why not start with me?" Ryuji eventually suggested.

Hyōki stopped before taking a look at him. "Excuse me?" She asked in confusion.

"Why not?" Ryuji soon insisted with a friendly smile. "I know I ain't the most uh, what's the word that Prez taught me...?" He then began before asking.

"I think I know where you're going with this." Hyōki muttered, still slightly surprised and curious by this. "And...you really want to be friends?" She hesitantly asked.

"You don't seem like a bad person, and ya obviously need someone to talk to." Ryuji pointed out, almost sounding instinctive.

Hyōki swallowed. "...I mean, I did have my companions to talk to, so...there's actually no need for that, Ryuji-san." She soon informed.

"You said you needed some company here, well..." The dyed blond pointed out.

"I mean, yeah, but I didn't mean...that I..." Hyōki stammered out before sighing. "Fine...just try not to get too close to me, alright." She then relented.

"I won't." Ryuji assured.

With that, the two began exercising together. It was pretty quiet between them as they used the gym equipment, but occasionally Ryuji couldn't help but sneak occasional glances over the Hyōki girl and her body's movements while doing bench presses.

"...Stop checking me out." Hyōki immediately reminded, sensing the dyed blond's gaze while continuing her workout.

Ryuji let out a distinctly unmasculine yelp. "Ah, sorry! Just uh...you're a lot stronger than ya look." He tried to compliment the girl.

"Ugh, men..." Hyōki breathed out to herself, rolling her eyes. "Anyways, don't get carried away with it." She then warned.

"That was a compliment, Hiyori-san." Ryuji awkwardly got out.

"Hyōki-san." The girl corrected, still doing her workout.

"Ah, Hyōki, sorry." Ryuji lightly chuckled. "But I'm noticing you're goin' at it a little hard there. You're gonna hurt yourself like that." He then warned.

"I know what I'm doing, Ryuji-san." Hyōki reassured him sternly. "No need to worry about me." She then added.

"Um...alright. Just be careful." The dyed blond advised.

"I don't need-" Hyōki began, only to feel a sharp pain in her side. "A-Agh!" She cried out.

"Whoa!" Ryuji got out as he instantly stopped what he was doing and went to her side. "You okay?" He soon asked.

"I-I'm fine." Hyōki winced out. "N-No pain, no gain. That's the quote, right?" She then recalled.

"I don't think that counts here." Ryuji got out with a frown. "Don't push yourself, you're just gonna make it worse." He then stated.

"I...I have to." Hyōki insisted with a glare. "I can't stop. I have to get stronger." She soon stated.

"You're not gonna get stronger if ya on a hospital bed." Ryuji however pointed out. "'Bout time to take a breather too." He then suggested.

"Ugh...fine." Hyōki groaned as she pouted a bit.

"...Look, I know some people who do the same thing, and they usually have the same reasons: For fun, for bettering yourself...or for provin' to someone you're better." Ryuji listed off as various people he's met so far flashing in his mind.

Hyōki raised her eyebrow at that. "How many people do you know?" She aSked.

"Um, uh...it's not how many I know, it's 'bout how they live their lives." Ryuji replied, avoiding her gaze as he felt like he was pulling that out of his ass. "Anyways, why do you want to get stronger?" He soon asked.

"...I'm already strong, I just need to prove it to everyone else." Hyōki responded as she narrowed her eyes. "Meanwhile, my sister got everything she ever wanted despite her mediocrity." She then grumbled.

"Ah, jealousy." Ryuji muttered.

"It's not jealousy!" Hyōki snapped, causing the boy to flinch. "I just...hate my sister and her...profession." She soon growled.

"Um...what's her job?" Ryuji had to ask.

"It's...private." Hyōki replied, looking away.

That raised a few alarm bells. "Alright...I won't nag ya on it, but what's the big issue?" He soon asked.

"It's...really personal." Hyōki vaguely responded.

Ryuji sighed. Looks like he wasn't going to get anything from her. "Alright then." He replied as he shrugged his shoulders.

To that, that young ravenette blinked. "Really? Just like that?" Hyōki asked once more in a curious manner.

To that, Ryuji shrugged his shoulders. "Well you said it was personal, so I know not to look too deep into these things." He simply replied. "'Sides, I know some people who are way better at that shit than me." He then added.

"..." Hyōki went silent as she thought about what she was going to say next. "...All I will say is that my parents had favorites, and she was obviously their's." She then confessed.

"Shitty parents." Ryuji muttered. "That seems to be a running theme or somethin' lately." He then mumbled under his breath.

"Eh?" Hyōki got out in confusion.

"Just talkin' to myself." Ryuji coughed. "So...you haven't talked to them about it or...?" He then mumbled.

"I haven't talked to them in a very, very long time." Hyōki replied with a shake of her head. "And I never will." She then muttered in a bitter manner.

"You're serious 'bout that?" The dyed blond questioned.

Hyōki paused as she stared the boy directly in the eyes, seeing reflections of her parents in them...or more accurately, when she murdered them. "Positive." She responded.

"Well, sometimes you gotta cut people out of your life, ya know." Ryuji stated.

"That is very much true." Hyōki agreed with a nod.

"But ya gotta at least talk to your sister." Ryuji however encouraged. "She could be just as much a victim as you." He then pointed out.

To that, Hyōki blinked at those words, but then felt something...negative inside her, like she was brooding. However, she didn't show it in her body language. "I'm...not ready for that." She reluctantly stated.

"Not, like, right now. Like, when you are." Ryuji quickly responded. "If I've learned anything this year, it is that the bond between siblings can be stronger than anything else in their world." He then added, Asuka and Homura flashing in his mind.

"...You're actually serious about that?" Hyōki deadpanned. That sounded like all that power of friendship, love, and cute puppies bullcrap that kid's shows keep spouting on about.

"Well, I mean, I don't even have siblings of my own, but I know two people who are." Ryuji admitted. "And they're both my best friends, too."

"We...didn't exactly leave on the best of terms though." Hyōki muttered as she held her side.

"Well...like I said before, you just gotta try." Ryuji stated with a shrug.

"...I think I'm done here." Hyōki breathed out as she stood up. "I'll just drink some water and go ahead. See you, Ryuji-san." She then added before doing so and started grabbing her things.

"Hold on, you're not gonna take a shower first?" Ryuji asked.

"Huh? Shower?" Hyōki repeated, looking a little surprised. "There's a place where you can shower here?" she then questioned.

"Yeah, there's a shower area right there, that hallway just near the entrance." Ryuji informed. "It's free, if that's what you're worried about." He then added.

Hyōki nodded as she started to make her way over there, only to stop and turn around. "...Thank you." She got out.

Ryuji blushed a little at that, looking quite surprised. "Uh, no problem." He assured.

"No...for...being my friend." Hyōki admitted with a small smile on her face.

"Oh. Uh, yeah, still no problem." Ryuji awkwardly got out. Wow, that felt weird to be told that. "Ah, if ya wanna talk more, do you mind exchanging IMs?" He soon offered.

"Huh? Oh, sure." Hyōki agreed before pulling out her phone.

["LeopardPrincess" has been added to your contacts]

"That's quite the username you have, Ryuji-san." Hyōki remarked, sounding a little amused as they put away their phones.

"It was...just a thing." Ryuji sheepishly got out. "I like yours too. Gonna text ya as soon as I can." He then promised.

"Hm. I'll be waiting then." Hyōki responded as she headed off to the showers.

In the female locker room, Hyōki stripped off her top, freeing her breasts, before stripping off her bottoms, finally leaving her naked. After taking a second to study her body, she set her clothes aside and went off.

After looking for the cleanest stall in the shower room, she entered and turned the water on, letting it warm up before stepping under its stream.

"He was...just being nice to me..." Hyōki soon mumbled to herself in realization...unaware of the smile forming on her face as the hot water streamed throughout her nude body. "I guess...some men aren't that bad." She eventually admitted as she continued her shower.

"Hey!" A voice yelled from outside, catching the ravenette's attention. "What the hell are you two doing?! You wanna get kicked outta here?!" He then yelled out.

Hyōki opened her shower stall door a bit and peeked, noticing two guys trying to enter the female shower room, but they were facing somewhere else away from her.

"I-I left my...tampon in there?" A definitely masculine man tried to explain, only for him to be tackled by several other gym goers to be beaten and thrown out.

The ravenette also noticed Ryuji holding the two perverts on the ground. "What the hell, you two!? I can't believe you're trying to get a peek at my friend there!" He then roared.

"That's it, you two are banned from entering this gym, chode knockers!" The receptionist's voice declared, earning cries from the perverts as they were pulled away by the other decent male gym goers, with Ryuji lifting one of the perverts' legs as they were escorted out.

Hyōki noticed this with a slightly surprised expression on her face before narrowing her eyes. "...Ugh, disgusting...but, I guess there really are some men who can be trusted. Gonna have to thank Ryuji-san later for that." Hyōki muttered as she grabbed a bar of soap and lathered it all over her body, finally able to shower in peace.

(9/22, Evening)

(Gessen Academy, Elites Room)

The day had gone by...relatively well.

They cooked, they talked, they studied and trained. After everything, from Kurokage's passing to the funeral where they all said goodbye to Yumi for now, it felt good to get back to what they were doing before: Getting ready for whatever challenges may come their way.

"Minori, I will not allow you to buy a giant gummy worm." Yozakura exhaled.

And right now, that challenge was simply to keep themselves together until Yumi came back from her mission...whenever that happened.

"Aw, come on! I'd share it with everyone!" Minori suddenly whined.

"Okay, disregarding the amount of preservatives and chemicals needed to make such a thing." Murakumo spoke up with her deep voice like usual along with her oni mask covering her face as she turned away from her drawings for a second. "Who would willingly eat food, much less sweets, sent from overseas to here?" She then questioned.

"I would." Minori answered automatically with a raised hand.

"Minori..." Yozakura sighed.

"You shouldn't spend your share of the inheritance on that." Murakumo soon advised "Kurokage-sama was never a rich man, so you should save the money for when you truly need it. Besides, the shipping and handling is too expensive." She then stated.

"Yeah." Yozakura responded in agreement.

"But what can I spend it on...?" Minori soon asked.

"You'll know when you get there." Shiki spoke up, using her phone while it was recharging. "Ooh~ Oren just released a new dress for his Fall collection! And the girl modeling his collection is so cute, I just wanna eat her up..." She then got out.

"Cannibalism is frowned upon in most prefectures, if not the world itself, Shiki." Murakumo deadpanned.

"It's just a saying, Murakumo-chii. Gosh!" Shiki groaned as her eyes then widened. "Moh...and look, she had a meet-and-greet yesterday! Come on!" She then whined and complained in annoyance.

"What a tragedy." Murakumo once more deadpanned. "It's not like we had anything to do that day." She then added.

The tech-savvy girl winced. "Sorry, but...you know what Kurokage-sama said in his will. We should enjoy the life we have while we still have it." Shiki responded and reminded.

Taking a second to think, the acting leader nodded. "...Yeah. We should." Yozakura agreed. "And...I think I know how..." She soon admitted.

"You do?" Minori questioned.

"Hai." Yozakura nodded as she closed eyes, picturing a happy life...with a certain someone in mind.

BZZT! BZZT! BZZT!

Minori yelped before pulling out her phone, only to see no one was contacting her. "Who's phone is that?"

"Hm?" Yozakura and Murakumo got out before instinctively patting their pockets, soon paling as a reaction.

"Eh?" Yozakura started in growing panic.

"Where did I-" Murakumo got out with a frown before palming her mask. "Oh, right, I plugged it in over with-" She began, turning towards where she, and Yozakura, put their phones on the chargers...only to see them missing.

"Hey Yozakura-chii, Murakumo-chii, who's Alibaba?" The Gessen tech-savvy blonde suddenly asked...while holding both of their phones.

"Why do you have our phones!?" Murakumo exclaimed. "Shit! Not now Alibaba!" She mentally swore.

"It's no one!" Yozakura shouted out at the same time. "She must not see it! Bad timing, Alibaba!" She thought to herself.

"What?" Shiki got out, surprised by the reactions. "Um, I was just gonna pass your phones over to you two." She then informed.

The two girls still swallowed in nervousness. "Did you...see anything?" Murakumo had to ask.

"Nope, I was just curious, Yoza-chii." Shiki answered as she tossed them their phones. "I only saw the name of the contact, but I didn't open the message, so it's fine. I was just asking who is this Alibaba. Do you know this name?" She then questioned.

"N-No, it's just spam." Murakumo mumbled.

"Y-Yeah, we've been getting these all day." Yozakura staggered out the reveal.

"...You can just block and report the number." Shiki pointed out.

"O-Oh, really? Ah, this complicated technology can really do wonders." Yozakura soon responded.

"Do you want me to teach then?" Shiki offered.

"No!" Yozakura and Murakumo soon exclaimed at the same time.

Upon seeing the blonde's further confusion with their reactions, they knew they had to act fast. "I mean...it would be best if we learn by ourselves. If we can't handle such a thing without help, then we cannot survive in this modern day and age." Yozakura soon explained in a frantic manner.

"What?" Shiki looked even more confused.

"I am going to my room to do that right now!" Murakumo decided, glad her mask was covering her blushing face. "Good night, everyone!" She then called out as she rushed out.

"Y-Yes! Good night!" A blushing Yozakura responded as she rushed out as well.

"...Is this what it feels like to be out of the loop?" Shiki asked in concern.

"Loop?" Minori innocently repeated before stomach grumbled. "Aw...now I want a donut..." She then whined with a pout.

"Minori-chii, never change. Please." Shiki all but pleaded.

"I will if you don't get us some donuts to eat." Minori demanded with a pout.

"For dessert then." Shiki sighed before spotting something. "Hm? Murakumo-chii left her drawings here..." She muttered as she picked up the papers.

There were a few drawings of hands and how to draw them interacting with objects (mostly increasingly bigger spheres), but there were more drawings of a boy in various poses and emotions (some of them even getting into a...spicy territory).

And the boy...

He looked really familiar, but she couldn't quite put a finger on it right now. Like, wow, he sure was lean...and sweaty...and those glasses really bring out his sketched out eyes...

And hey, there was a drawing with the boy intertwined with a basic figure of a girl with massive breasts. Looks like she stopped there after drawing what looked like her hair in a ponytail. She didn't even finish drawing the boy's lower half.

"Wow, I never thought she'd get into drawing boys too." Shiki muttered in a curious manner. "Hm, maybe I can convince her to turn it into someone more~" She then got out in a devious tone.

"Eh?" Minori innocently got out.

"Pay no mind, Minori-chii. You're too young for what I'm cooking up in my head." Shiki waved off.

Minori blinked in confusion. "But...we're both-" She began.

"Too. Young." Shiki slowly repeated. "Now let me get dinner started. Get Yozakura-chii and Murakumo-chii once I'm done, okay?" She then decided and requested.

"O-Okay." Minori got out, still looking confused but decided to just go with it for now. With nothing better to do, she decided to just head towards their rooms and wait for the blonde to call out for her.

However, when she arrived, she heard some weird stuff going on.

"If I keep accepting these, I'll be no better than all those promiscuous girls in the city. B-But this person might also put him in danger if I don't accept! Y-Yes, th-this is for Akira-kun's safety, nothing else! I am not a pervert!" Yozakura's muffled voice got out in a panic, her footsteps on the other side telling that she was pacing around.

"Okay, you can do this! Just...tell him, and it'll be fine! It's only practice! Ahem...a-a-ano, I-I...um...er...c-can I...can we...do you...ah...KYA! NO I CAN'T DO IT!" Murakumo's muffled voice started, the tone of her voice being without her mask on, as she then exclaimed in a panic.

"Hm?" Minori innocently hummed out as she tilted her head.

Maybe Shiki was right. She was too young to understand what was going on.

(Harajuku, Haruka's Apartment)

"Haruka-sama." Tsumuji greeted as her mistress returned from her day of work, looking a little tired right now.

"Tsumuji-chan." Haruka responded as she kicked off her shoes. "How did your day go?" She soon asked.

"It went fine enough. Not too different from what I usually do." The maid admitted with a shrug. "How about you? How did work go?" She then asked.

"It was a particularly busy day." Haruka informed as she sat down on the couch. "I didn't even have time to check my phone, and I've been getting notifications all day." She then sighed.

"From Crimson Squad?" Tsumuji assumed.

"No, from..." Haruka started as she then looked at the name of who sent her the constant messages "Alibaba...?" She revealed in confusion.

"Who's Alibaba?" Tsumuji got out, wondering if her mistress mentioned the name before.

"That's what I want to know." Haruka replied with narrowed eyes. "...They sent photos." She then informed.

"Shit." The maid swore. That was a bad sign. "What is it?" She then asked.

Haruka was about to speak as she opened the image, only to go silent all of a sudden.

"Haruka-sama, what's on the photo?" Tsumuji soon questioned in concern.

"..." Haruka however continued to be silent as a response.

Giving up being polite, Tsumuji went over and looked at the photo over her mistress's shoulder.

Haruka and Tsumuji blushed...for very different reasons.

"My, he looks so handsome~" Haruka thought as a dreamy smile appeared on her face. "He's grown so much, and yet there's still so much potential." She then muttered with a starry look in her eyes.

The shinobi-maid on the other hand narrowed her eyes, flushed with rage. "Who the hell is perving on him? Where did they get these!? I'll kill 'em!" Tsumuji however growled as she pulled out a pair of kunai.

"Huh? What?" Haruka got out, snapping out of her daze. "T-Tsumuji-san, calm down!" She then exclaimed.

"You're just telling me that 'cause you're a pervert and wanna have his kids!" Tsumuji accused with a glare, only to be glared at herself. "I-I mean, you know, um...i-if someone got photos like this of him, they could do so much more. T-To him." She weakly mumbled.

"Well...the email said that these pictures were in good faith..." Haruka muttered as she closed her eyes to think.

"Good faith!? Are you seriously gonna trust this Alibaba just for giving you sweaty pics of Akira!?" Tsumuji called out in frustration.

"..." Haruka's nose however began bleeding again as she gained a goofy and satisfied smile on her face.

"H-Haruka-sama!" Tsumuji called out once again.

"...N-No, we must proceed with caution in this situation." Haruka eventually got out, averting her gaze away from the judging maid.

"You took way too long to decide that!" Tsumuji called out.

"Oh, that's rich coming from the failed assassin." Haruka scoffed as she rolled her eyes. "You automatically went for murder when we have no idea who this Alibaba is." She then pointed out.

"I have nothing better to do!" Tsumuji whined. "And...you know, I kinda owe him one." She then added under her breath, looking a little sheepish.

"Hm?" Haruka looked confused for a second before it came to her. "Oh I see~" She then got out in a delighted tone.

"Huh?" Tsumuji got out in confusion, not liking the face her mistress was currently making.

"Yes, why not repay the boy who saved you from a lonely life and gave you a new purpose? After all, you are free to do whatever you want now without the chains of revenge to drag you down." Haruka stated in an amused manner.

"What the hell are you-" Tsumuji began as she narrowed her eyes, before coming to Haruka's conclusion upon really studying her face. "What!? No! No, I've only met him a couple of times, and one of those ended up with him stabbing me in the leg, Haruka-sama! Y-You know, after trying to kill him..." She then denied, mumbling all the while.

Haruka sighed as she put a hand on the maid's shoulder. "...Me too, Tsumuji-chan. Me too." She responded.

Tsumuji gave her mistress a flat stare. "...Why do I get the feeling he's nearly died a lot...?" She soon assumed in a dull tone.

"He knows shinobi. It comes with the association, unfortunately." Haruka informed. "Ever since he met Homura." She then stated.

"And then you fell hard for him." Tsumuji bluntly added.

"Hai~ He charmed me, who usually is the one that charms others~" Haruka sighed out in a love filled tone.

"H-He's not that great." Tsumuji mumbled while scratching her cheek.

"He stabbed you and you just said you'd kill for him." Haruka soon reminded with a sly smile.

"Just...common human decency...?" Tsumuji murmured, looking more and more unconvincing with each word as she averted her gaze. "Look, the point is that we can't trust Alibaba right now. They need to do more than just send pics and say they're friends."

PING!

The maid's eye twitched at that. "...And I swear to God, if it's from them, that means they are listening into our conversation right now and that means I'm going to hunt them down and strangle them with my bare hands." Tsumuji grumbled in growing anger.

"No, it's from Hikage." Haruka informed before letting out a delighted smile. "Aww...it's a video. Poochie is rolling around and doing backflips~" She soon cooed out. "Oh, she also said that Murasaki...also got a shirtless image of darling too." She then revealed, blinking before giggling in amusement to that information.

"...Welp, time to buy some strangling gloves." Tsumuji deadpanned as she pulled out her phone. "I am not letting a pervert send photos of my hero around the entire country." She then grumbled as she opened up a little black market site she found...which played a rather peculiar jingle.

"Anata no, terebi ni, Jika-netto Tanaka~ Mi-n-na no, yoku no tomo~"

Haruka blinked at that. "What was that?" She asked.

"The online black market." Tsumuji informed as if it was the most obvious thing in the universe. "Who the hell buys five inch nails from here for 5,000 yen each?" She mumbled out.

"That tune sounds...familiar..." Haruka muttered with a frown before shaking her head. "It doesn't matter! I won't let you kill anyone!" She then declared.

"It's for the safety of the Crimson Squad, Haruka-sama!" Tsumuji called out with a stern look on her face.

Haruka narrowed her eyes. "...You know this will be a fight you can't win." She got out in a dangerous tone, only for her maid to scoff.

WOOSH!

"Look, I may be your maid, but I won't let something like this blind you from- huh?" Tsumuji insisted, only to blink as she found herself naked and tied to her mistress' bed.

"Time to discipline you again~" Haruka cooed out as she licked her lips.

Tsumuji whimpered in response and paled in realization of her actions. She knew right there and then that she was being a naughty girl.

And naughty girls don't get human rights for the next 24 hours.

(Shibuya, Shin Megami Apartment Complex)

Homura had a lovely time after staying on the ground of the forest for three hours, eventually limping her way back home to crawl onto the couch and just let herself lie there until dark. She didn't even turn on the TV or anything, she just stared up at the ceiling and contemplated life.

Besides, no way in hell she would ever take a bath without Asuka. They would need to pry the opportunity out of her mangled corpse before she would ever do such a thing these days.

Ah, the power of step-sibling love.

"...I really need to talk to Akira soon..." Homura spoke to no one but herself. She still had so much she needed to get off her chest but...

No, not now. Only when they were out of the woods.

At that moment, she heard the door to the apartment unlock.

"Hey, Homu-neechan...?" Asuka greeted before trailing off once she saw her sister's state. "W-What happened to you!?" She soon exclaimed in panicked concern.

"Haru training...more intense...than expected..." Homura responded and confessed.

"Oh..." Asuka got out before looking rather concerned. "Did Haru-chan make it home okay then?" She soon asked.

"...How do I respond without you mistaking it for me messing up Haru more than she did to me?" Homura soon mumbled under her breath.

"Eh?" Asuka got out in confusion.

"Let's just say Haru isn't as rusty as we thought." Homura vaguely informed.

"Oh." Asuka got out before shrugging. "Well, I'm happy Haru-chan is strong then, and you'll surely make her stronger." She then admitted.

"If she doesn't kill me first." Homura muttered under her breath before sniffing the air. "You went to Leblanc?" She then assumed.

Asuka gasped. "How did you-" She began in shock.

"I can smell the spices and coffee on you. Usually Akira and Morgana smell like that." Homura interrupted. "...Huh, would that be a good shampoo?" She soon wondered.

"It is a strange yet comforting smell." Asuka muttered. "But I don't think someone would make something like that, at least the brands found in the mall." She then admitted.

"Hey, there's bound to be someone with enough money and charisma to sell it." Homura assumed.

BZZT! BZZT!

And with that, the sisters pulled out their phones and checked the IM.

[Shut7heFUp: So uh...I think I met a new shinobi while I was at Protein Lovers.]

[Alibaba9: Ryuji, not every girl with ballistics is a shinobi.]

[Alibaba9: I mean, it's highly likely, but it's a good idea not to generalize.]

[TheWildJ0ker: Details? What did she look like?]

[Shut7heFUp: Long black hair and yellow eyes like they were like they were a Shadow Self before going berserk. Said she was 14 to the staff.]

[Alibaba9: Oh come! She's 14 and has a rack!?]

[DarkEyeXI: Stop it.]

[Sweetkat06: Ring any bells, you guys?]

[SushiRoll23: No...]

[FireGirl20: Not really.]

[DarkEyeXI: Same here.]

[Negative8Degrees: I do not know anyone fitting that description.]

[Road2Queen: I guess that is to be expected. You can't possibly know every shinobi in the country.]

[B3lladonna: Could be from another shinobi faction we don't know yet, probably. I mean, there are a lot of shinobi factions around the world.]

[All4Painting: She could just be a mere normal civilian.]

[TheWildJ0ker: As much as I wanted to believe that, Yusuke, there's always a chance that she's a shinobi.]

[Alibaba9: The only real evidence is that she has big boobs though. It's more likely she's a...]

(...)

[Alibaba9: Nope, not finishing that text. Just remembered her age.]

[Road2Queen: Just because a girl has big boobs, doesn't mean she's a shinobi immediately.]

[Shut7heFUp: Have we even seen a shinobi with a decent chest like most people?]

[FireGirl20: Well, there's my friend Mirai, and...]

[FireGirl20: Uh...]

[Shut7heFUp: We don't even know or meet your Mirai friend, Homura.]

[Alibaba9: Akira met her already.]

[Sweetkat06: After he was kidnapped!]

[Shut7heFUp: Really, what does she look like, Leader?]

[Alibaba9: She's a loli.]

[TheWildJ0ker: Please don't insult her like that.]

[Alibaba9: Sorry. But she looks younger than me...]

[FireGirl20: Actually, I think she is. She was born on the 28th of December.]

[Alibaba9: ...I win.]

[FireGirl20: At what?]

[Alibaba9: Life.]

[Road2Queen: We seriously need a better way to prove someone is a shinobi other than merely by her boobs...]

[Alibaba9: ...Check if their boobs have shinobi physics?]

[DarkEyeXI: Futaba Sakura!]

[Alibaba9: Okay, logging off.]

[Alibaba9 has left the chat]

[Sweetkat06: We really need to rein in her perversion...]

[DarkEyeXI: Working on it but it's really slow going.]

[DarkEyeXI: The change of heart that we made to her really opened her up, even the strong hidden feelings and interests inside her.]

[DarkEyeXI: Sometimes I wonder if it's a good thing for her, or...]

[TheWildJ0ker: Hey, it's better than her dying on her own in that room of hers before we came to her.]

[DarkEyeXI: ...Yeah, you're right. You're right. She needed the change of heart.]

[Road2Queen: Back on topic, is there any other way we can identify shinobi?]

[Road2Queen: We can't just straight up ask them, obviously.]

[TheWildJ0ker: Well, unless we want to assault them or get murdered, I don't think we can force them to reveal themselves.]

[TheWildJ0ker: Let's just be vigilant while in the city, and we'll be fine.]

[TheWildJ0ker: If anything happens, we'll discuss it here or in a Kekkai.]

[SushiRoll23: Hai, Leader. Stay safe everyone!]

"Another shinobi huh..." Homura muttered as she turned off her phone.

"I'm getting worried we'll be running into more really soon..." Asuka got out in worry.

"At least most of the people we actually know are staying out of our way." Homura tried to comfort her sister. "Well, at least for now." She then got out under her breath.

"Homu-neechan, it's been a while since we started our missions, and we've been doing so much to attract attention..." Asuka whimpered. "I'm so scared..." She then admitted as she brought her legs up to her chest and squeezed them tight.

"Don't worry, Sis, I'll protect you." Homura promised.

"I'm not worried about myself." Asuka stated in a firm manner. "I'm worried about everyone else. Akira-kun is on thin ice, no one but us talks to Ryuji-kun on a regular basis, Ann-chan already lost so much-" She then rambled, looking and sounding more and more frantic until...

"Sis, you need to calm down." Homura got out. "They are as capable as us, even without the techniques and skills we have." She then assured.

"But what if-" The Vice Leader began before nervously swallowing. "What if it isn't enough? What if we fail?" She then asked.

"We wo-"

"Don't. Say that." Asuka interrupted before her sister could even say anything. "We've been so fortunate for so long, there's no way something won't go wrong! What if we're caught? What if we die!? What if-" She then questioned, her body beginning to shiver as more and more scenarios began to play in her head, each one with her screaming and crying as she watched her friends-

"Asuka!" Homura called out, grabbing her sister by the shoulders.

Asuka's eyes widened as she realized what she was doing before sighing. "S-Sorry..." She apologized.

"No, it's fine to be worried about those things. I think about it all the time myself." Homura admitted. "But nothing good will happen by worrying so much about it. It's better if we keep our heads clear and calmly plan out our next move." She then advised.

"R-Right..." Asuka hesitantly breathed out. "M-Maybe a bath will help with that." She then suggested while poking her fingers together.

The tan skinned girl giggled at that. "If you say so. I'll get it started." Homura got out as she got off the couch and headed to the bathroom. "Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow." She winced out.

"FUTABA SAKURA, WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU NEED STRANGLE PROTECTION!? WHAT DID YOU DO NOW YOUNG LADY!?" Miyabi shouted out from her apartment.

The Vice Leader blinked at that. She'll have to see Futaba herself tomorrow. "We better have a backup plan for this mess..." Asuka sighed as she closed her eyes to relax herself.

(Roppongi, Okumura Foods Headquarters Boardroom)

SLAM!

"You better have a backup plan for this mess!" One of the executives demanded, slamming his hands on the large meeting table.

It would seem that a group of Okumura Foods higher ups were having an urgent meeting taking place inside one of the building's conference rooms.

"Everyone, settle down, please." The head of the meeting, a woman, got out. "We all want answers to questions and solutions to problems but it is not that simple." She then assured the room of executives.

"Miss Takagi, should we wait for President Okumura to be with us in this meeting?" One of the older executives asked.

"President Okumura is currently having business-related dealings at the moment along with his secretary and, of course, the one in the shadows, and therefore couldn't be with us this time." Takagi informed. "However, he did relay to me the list of issues that needed to be discussed and be fully resolved in order to protect our company's dignity and keep itself safe from more potential controversies and the media." She then revealed as she adjusted her glasses.

"This is an outrage, though." An executive with graying hair called out. "Having a board meeting without Okumura-san is...essentially blasphemy in itself." He then pointed out.

"I understand your concern, but President Okumura has very important matters regarding our company...along with his family, so we should try to use this time to discuss his plans." Takagi then assured.

"What are we trying to discuss here, if I may ask?" One of the younger men in the room asked.

"Hanzō Academy's shinobis, the likely chance that Okumura-san's heart is changed and..." Takagi began listing off before revealing a folder with a logo of the letter Z with the twelve horoscopes surrounding it. "And what to do after that if the possible worst case scenario happens." She concluded, causing several of the men to begin speaking.

"Worst case scenario?"

"Bankruptcy?"

"Unionisation of the workforce!?"

"Oh goddammit."

"That file...Miss Takagi, you're not seriously suggesting..." One of them finally said something relevant, causing Takagi to smirk.

"President Okumura still has indecisions and considerations about this along with us, the board members, which is why we must have some second opinions about this one." Takagi informed. "Anyone who wishes to speak about it, please speak now."

Seeing no one else take the chance, one of the younger men raised his hand. "Um...I do?" He got out in an unsure tone.

"Yes, Kimura-san?" Takagi responded.

"You want to bring them in?" Kimura questioned with narrowed eyes. "But they don't even have all twelve of their Elite members, only the standard five like any group of shinobi." He then reminded.

"True, though the five of them, including the principal herself, have an excellent track record. They more than make up for their lack in numbers." A director remarked.

"The principal, the daughter of Japan's former richest family: The Saiga heiress." One of the other members spoke up.

"Her? What makes you think she'll agree?" One of the others then questioned.

Takagi only slid a copied photo over to the concerned man, depicting the younger version of the current CEO's daughter spending time with several other girls. "Okumura has made many connections throughout his tenure as the CEO. This is only one of them." She then answered.

"...Okumura-san's daughter knew her?" Kimura breathed out as muttering were heard from the other board members.

"...Yes, that's what this photo implies." Takagi deadpanned. "Seriously, do I have to explain stupid frickin'..." She then cursed under her breath.

"So your suggestion, after the Hanzō shinobi fail...is to bring in more shinobi from a different school." Kimura then summarized in a flat tone. "Permission to speak freely, ma'am?" He soon asked.

"Permission denied, Kimura-san." Takagi responded.

"Don't care. This is a lot of wasted resources." Kimura admitted. "Why even involve more shinobi when they aren't able to stop the Phantom Thieves in the first place? What's stopping them from changing all our hearts? If anything, what makes you think they won't betray us to the Phantom Thieves? They might be shinobi themselves or get their hearts changed!" He then pointed out in a frantic manner.

"That's a lot of what ifs and assumptions." Takagi got out as she narrowed her eyes.

"But that doesn't mean the possibility doesn't exist." Kimura then argued. "Throwing more bodies into the fire won't put out the flames. And it's not like we'll be the only company that will hire shinobi after this disaster." He then stated.

Takagi gave the man a flat stare before pulling out her phone. "Security, please remove Kimura-san from the meeting." She suddenly requested.

"Wha!?" The man exclaimed before two burly men came into the room and dragged him out of his seat. "Aw, you guys are a bunch of dicks! I hope all of you get herpes and HIV!" He then shouted out before he was thrown out.

"Too late!" One of the board members called out, earning some odd looks from the others.

Takagi let out a breath before turning her attention back to the meeting. "Any other concerns?" She soon asked.

Everyone in the room shook their heads.

"Since we are in full agreement," Takagi then got out. "Let's see what will happen next." She then declared.

The other board members nodded in agreement to this as the file with the Zodiac Star Committee mark was placed next to the file with the Hanzō Academy mark as the lights soon dimmed.

With a future determined, only time would tell when it would come to pass.

Save Game… Quit!

Asuka/Yin's Social Stats:

Leadership- Paragon (Level 5)

Knowledge- Sage (Level 5)

Proficiency- Transcendent (Level 5)

Diligence- Rock Solid (Level 5)

Courage- Heroic (Level 5)

Homura/Yang's Development Stats:

Maturity- Adult (Level 4)

Knowledge- Sage (Level 5)

Femininity- Natural (Level 4)

Elegance- Yamato Nadeshiko (Level 5)

Understanding- Saintly (Level 5)

Whew! Done! One more day and we're getting into the Palace and possibly ruining Haru's life.

UknownHero signing off, my friends!