Haru froze, as what could only be her father's voice echoed across the spaceport. Despite the ice crawling through her veins, as she swallowed and forced herself to turn around, her hands were clammy. She knew what that tone meant. Disappointment and punishment, and considering their surroundings, possibly something even worse. Mega-disappointment, perhaps.
(It wouldn't be the first time.)
When she set eyes on what she thought had been her father, however, Haru couldn't help but gape. "Huh?"
The man who'd approached her and Sae was simultaneously Okumura Kunikazu, and yet very much not. He had the CEO's face, glasses, and voice, but from there, the similarities quickly began to fade. His ever-present suit was gone, replaced with an imperious and yet simultaneously cartoonish spacesuit. Haru probably could have gotten over that though, if it wasn't also for his blue skin and glowing yellow eyes.
"W-what on earth…?" Sae hissed, rearing back in shock. "Is this… some sort of clone?"
'Kunikazu' ignored the prosecutor, however, and his golden eyes drilled into his daughter. "I thought I told you not to associate with vulgar people, and yet, here you are, ignoring your duties and galivanting around with a wannabe thief!"
"I'm… sorry?" Haru gawped.
A ridiculous look of offence crossed Sae's face. "… Thief?! If you're talking about those strange chests, that was Haru-chan's idea!" Huffing, she then crossed her arms. "Plus, neither of us would have taken anything in the first place if your security robots weren't trying to kill us."
"How dare you speak to me, you feeble woman?!" Kunikazu's lips curled as he finally glanced towards Sae, and trembling, Haru took half a step back. "Riff-raff like you have no place in Okumura Foods!"
Haru's breath caught in her throat, and for the first time since this twisted version of her father confronted them, she felt an emotion that wasn't fear – the cloud of dread choking her was pieced by a flash of anger. Sae-san isn't feeble… she's kept me safe ever since we entered this strange world. She's protected me more over the last few days than you EVER have.
Emboldened by the embers inside her that were slowly mounting into an inferno, Haru took a step forward, ready to speak her mind. Before she could do so, however, a clapping noise began to emanate over her father's shoulders. Footsteps echoed from the shadows, and a gasp escaped the brunette's mouth as a familiar redhead in a pale white suit emerged from the darkness. Unlike the bizarre parody of her father, however, he looked identical to the man that had made Haru's life a living hell over the last few months. The same man who she would be shackled to for the rest of her days if her father's dreams came true.
"Well put, well put." Sugimura chortled, scanning her and Sae like they were fine cuts of meat. "The lower class need to learn their place. Although…" As his eyes lingered on Sae's hips, Haru barely resisted being sick. It seemed no matter the reality, Sugimura was always repulsive. "You're not too shabby for a commoner. Maybe I'll have a little fun before we dispose of you…"
"Excuse me?!" Sae snarled, incensed, and her grip on her stolen blade tightened. "If you even attempt to touch me, I'll part your hands from the rest of your body!"
Haru, however, had gone cold. "… What do you mean, dispose of?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Kunikazu arched a brow. "We can't allow vermin to scurry around our factories freely – they'll distract our workers, and I will not tolerate anything that detracts from productivity! What's the point of even paying those louts unless we can milk them for everything they've got?"
The brunette gaped. She wasn't a fool - Haru had managed to infer by now that her father didn't think much of the factory workers and retail assistants that were the backbone of Okumura Foods. Still, to hear him disparage them so callously, so openly, without even a hint of remorse… it was just as loathsome as Sugimura's perverseness. While her fiancé's lewd tendencies made Haru's skin itch and stomach churn, the disgust she felt right now was different - it was a burning wave that straddled the line between disdain and loathing. How dare he. How dare he!
"Anyway, I must thank you, Haru."
She blinked, caught off-guard at the brilliant, dazzling smile that suddenly crossed Kunikazu's face. Hope flickered in her chest – perhaps there was still a chance she could reason her way out of this situation. "M-m-me?"
"Yes – you delivered the rat right to my doorstep!" His eyes lit up in maniacal glee. "You truly embody the Okumura motto – 'overcome failure at any cost, even if it means betraying others'! Come, join my side – I'll forgive your indiscretions for now."
Sae arched a brow sceptically. "There's absolutely no way that's genuinely your family's motto."
Haru ignored her, however, a lump forming in her stomach as her fleeting glimpse of hope was dashed against the pavement. When she spoke, her voice came out as a strained plea. "Why are you like this - why do you only think about gains and losses?! Our workers… they're real, breathing people, not mere tools for you to use however you please! This is exactly why our company has such an awful reputation!"
Kunikazu shrugged, waving a hand dismissively. "To gain, you must give, and if you wish to stand above others, you have to give the most. It is the only way one can rise to the highest level, and soon, I will be elevated to a new stage – the political world!"
"Give?" Sae scoffed. "You haven't given anything – all you've done is trade away other people's lives!"
"Kicking people down is simply a part of business – trite things like virtue and sentiment are for losers!" The spacesuit-wearing tyrant chuckled.
The prosecutor's jaw lowered, as an unidentifiable emotion flashed across the woman's face.
"Okumura-san…" Sugimura then purred, his voice rich and velvety like treacle laced with poison. "We don't need a girl who doesn't know how to sit back and do what she's told. Unless you make some… compromises, I can't introduce her to my father."
Haru stilled, frozen to the spot, as her father cast a dismissive glance towards the politician's son. "She needn't be your lawful wife – take her as your lover, or whatever it is you desire."
"Lover…?" Haru's voice was shrill, as a wave of incredulity ran through her. "You want me to be that vile man's plaything just so you can satisfy your ambitions?"
All this time, she had quieted her doubts and sucked up her discomfort, all to make her father happy. But despite all the sacrifices she'd made for him – her schooling, her happiness, her body – he had the gall to throw her away like trash?!
"Why fret? You should be overjoyed that you're fulfilling your role as an Okumura daughter. This is the only value you've had since the day you were born." Kunikazu finished with a snarl.
"Men like you disgust me." Sae's lips curled, something dark and menacing shining in her crimson eyes. "Women are more than glorified incubators or mere objects to enact your twisted fantasies on!"
The prosecutor continued her tirade, but her words swept over Haru like water. It was a pity - she thought she heard Sae say some actually rather nice things about her - but Haru's curiosity was quickly quashed as pressure started to build up in her brain. As her head exploded in agony, she let out a whimper and fell to her knees, an unfamiliar voice echoing in her mind.
Are you just going to stand by idly and let him speak to you that way?
"Why don't you come back to my place?" Sugimura gloated, spreading his arms out wide as he sauntered towards Haru.
Plumes of darkness engulfed the redhead's body as his figure suddenly expanded, his eyes replaced by a glowing red slit. By the time the shadows cleared, there was not a man looming over Haru, but a machine. It was almost identical to the senior members staffing the spaceport, except for the way its paint job matched Sugimura's suit.
"LET'S HAVE FUN!" He droned robotically as the pincers that made up his hands whirled. "I'LL PLAY WITH YOU UNTIL I GET BORED. A HIGH SCHOOL FIANCEE… WHAT A TURN-ON!"
So crass, so vulgar…
Haru yelped, as the pain already wracking her head reached a fever pitch. Scrabbling at her face, the heiress felt something supple yet firm covering her eyes. Panic engulfed her at the strange sensation, but it was quickly replaced by rage. She had no idea what it was, but deep down in her bones, Haru knew she had to get it off.
I see you've finally made up your mind, my dear, fated princess. The voice in her head purred. Freedom for you must stem from betrayal. If you still yearn for it now… then you must not err. Now tell me… who shall you betray?
Somehow, Haru staggered to her feet. "My heart had been set… you should know."
Yes, that gaze! I am thou, thou art I… let us adorn your departure into freedom with a beautiful betrayal!
The world glowed blue as motes of flame surrounded Haru, but she paid it no heed. Grabbing the black mask that had formed over her eyes, the brunette pulled. She tore off skin and flesh alike as she ripped it off her face, but any pain she would have felt was drowned out by the apocalyptical anger blazing in her heart.
"Farewell, dear father… I will no longer be your subservient puppet." Haru called, as blood dripped down her face. "Persona, MILADY!"
The blue embers drifting around her coalesced, and from the flames emerged a woman. In one hand, she held a masquerade mask up to her invisible face, and in the other, she donned an elegant fan. Her voluminous pink ballroom gown parted in the centre, revealing not legs, but enough artillery to arm a small militia. While normally, such a sight would have alarmed Haru, as she stared at Milady she felt nothing but strength. Their hearts beat in unison, and their will was one and the same.
"Then so be it… you're worthless to me." Her father sneered, before turning on his heel and marching away. Before he exited through the spaceport's door, however, he cast one last look back at Sugimura. "Deal with them how you wish."
The robot stepped forward, taking Kunikazu's place. "YOU POOR THING… I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU BREAK!"
A couple of small worker drones spawned at his side, but Haru paid them no heed. "Sae-san, focus on the weaker ones – Sugimura is mine."
"Uh… okay?" The woman blinked, watching Milady with wide eyes.
Eye narrowing into a glare, Haru returned her focus to Sugimura. "Persona – psio!"
Technicolour lights engulfed the machine, swirling psychedelically as they pulsed through Sugimura's white carapace and tore into the electronics inside. A distorted groan escaped the robot's speakers as he collapsed to the ground. Vindictive satisfaction rose within Haru as her once-tormentor collapsed before her. Being the victim doesn't feel good, does it now, Sugimura?
Things weren't over yet, though. Seeing their leader fall, the two server robots lunged at the brunette, wailing about her impropriety. Sae intercepted one, finally snapping out of her shock, while Haru turned towards the other. She had no idea where it came from – much like Milady herself – but for some reason, there was an axe in Haru's hands. A soft grin crossed her face as adrenaline soared in her heart. She was going to relish this.
Lunging forward she struck, embedding the blade into the gap between the drone's neck and body. Sparks flew as Haru severed wires, but alas, she didn't quite manage to decapitate the wretched thing. It smacked at her with its iron hands, but Haru barely felt it through the burning adrenaline Milady had ignited within her. In return, she pressed her foot onto its chest, and pushed it to the ground. Raising her axe, she sent it swinging down, and it cut deep into the robot's torso. The machine gave a death rattle, before disappearing into motes of darkness.
Haru spun around just in time to see Sae slip her sword in between the gaps in her enemy's blue plating, incapacitating the robot for good. Sugimura, however, was still in one piece, and as the oversized machine rose back to its feet, Haru narrowed her eyes. That was unacceptable. Tapping her mask, Milady reappeared in a swirl of blue flame, before launching another wave of psychic energy towards Haru's fated foe. Again, Sugimura collapsed, but this time, there were no flunkies in her way.
She thrust her hand in the bastard's direction and finished her coup de grâce. "Milady, triple down!"
The Persona parted its dress, and reigned a hail of bullets down on the prone Sugimura. They chipped at his iron casing until it dented, then slid through the cracks and into the machinery below. His body jerked as the bullets hit their mark, until eventually, the glowing red visor that had once been his eyes dulled, and his engines powered down. For a second his body lingered on the ground, before melting into dark chunks and vanishing from sight.
Stunned silence filled the spaceport foyer, until Haru's dumbfounded laughter began to echo through the sterile halls. "I… I did it! I won!"
She'd removed that awful blemish from the face of this earth! As the electric energy flooding through her veins began to abate and exhaustion settled in, however, Haru realised, that oh, she'd removed that awful blemish from the face of this earth with an awful lot of guns.
Wide-eyed, she whirled around to face Sae, skin blanching in horror. "Y-you don't think I killed him, did I?!"
That would make her just as bad as her father, if not worse – he'd never directly ended a life with his own hands, after all. Not to mention, if Sugimura was dead, she'd just murdered him in front of an SIU prosecutor. That could end up being… problematic.
The silver-haired woman mulled things over, brow furrowed. "… Unless your fiancée was a cyborg all along, no, I'm pretty sure he's fine. Unfortunately." The last part was spoken under her breath, but Haru heard it anyway. Sae then sighed, looking away. "Does he… does he normally act like that?"
"If you're talking about father, not particularly." Haru leant against the side of the wall. It was only then that she realised her outfit had changed – gone was her summer dress, replaced by a pair of pantaloons. "He's not usually that… overt about his opinions."
Grimacing, her guts twisted. While her father would never be so impolite in reality, Haru knew better than to simply dismiss his blue-skinned echo's words. The awful drivel he spilled was exactly how Okumura Kunizaku viewed others and this world, and she was done pretending otherwise. No amount of familial piety could justify blindly accepting his greed any longer.
"Sugimura though…" Haru continued. "Well, up until he turned into a robot, I was certain he was the real thing. He's just ghastly."
"Yes, I noticed." Sae wrinkled her nose in distaste, before shooting Haru a concerned glance. "Are you okay? That was… rather a lot."
"Don't worry about me, I'm fine!" Haru cheered – in fact, she felt better than she had in a long, long time.
Of course, it was at that exact moment that a wave of exhaustion crashed into her with all the momentum of a freight train, and Haru collapsed in a dead faint – she was out before she even hit the ground.
…..
Makoto wasn't exactly sure how she managed to stagger out of the hallway and back to her friends. The world warped around her in an ever-twisting kaleidoscope of colours, and vertigo sent her stumbling every step. Somehow, she managed to reach them anyway. Ren was the first to notice something was wrong – the calmness in his grey eyes and subtle smile vanished the second he saw her, and the Phantom Thieves leader leapt to his feet. Ann was the first to raise her voice, however.
"M-Makoto? Is everything okay?" The blonde paled as she saw her friend.
The only response the student council president could make was a wheezy choke. Sae's colleagues think she ran away because of me.
Looks of alarm flashed over the Phantom Thieves' faces, and not even a heartbeat later, Makoto was surrounded. Everyone blurred together as they swarmed around her, and the student council president felt like she was being crushed under the weight of their mere presence. A thousand questions and condolences were launched at her all at once, becoming an overwhelming wall of white noise. Invisible forces pressed in on her from every side, and the brunette began to hyperventilate.
(Perhaps that was a misnomer – distantly, Makoto realised she'd probably been hyperventilating for a while).
It was too much. Everything was too much – too colourful, too loud, too everything.
"Woah, woah, woah – give her some space!" An authoritative voice suddenly cut through the clamour. "You're just making things worse."
"Is this like…?" Through the haze that was her panic, Makoto distantly realised the new speaker was Ren.
"Yeah. Let's get her somewhere quiet, and preferably not in the middle of a police station."
Fingers brushed her shoulder gingerly, barely even touching her skin, but even then, they felt like they were burning into her flesh. Still, Makoto subconsciously understood the necessity of the touch as whoever it was gently guided her away. Everything was still a jumbled mess, but the brunette could tell by the swish of the automatic door and the fresh air on her face that they were outside.
Reality seemed to skip forward like a scratched DVD – one second, she was standing, the next, Makoto was parked on a bench as a quiet, soothing voice told her to breathe in and breathe out. She followed their guidance, holding onto their words like a lifeline. Eventually, the terror gripping the student council president began to abate, her frantic thoughts calming and her racing heartbeat settling into its normal rhythm. Blinking her blotchy eyes – she must have cried at some point, though Makoto couldn't remember it – the world around her refocused. The Phantom Thieves had retreated into one of the side streets branching away from the station, though that paled in significance compared to the fact that Futaba was perched directly in front of her.
"… You back with us?" The redhead asked, eyes narrowed inquisitively.
"Um, yeah…" Makoto murmured, voice cracking. "Were you the one who…?"
After a moment's hesitation, Futaba nodded, averting her gaze. "Yup. Well, Ren was the one to get you out of there – I just did the talking. I've kinda been there, done that with the whole panic attack thing, so…"
"Thank you." Makoto gave her a polite bow, gratitude welling up inside her. "I can't describe how helpful you were – I think that was one of the worst experiences of my life." Her brow then furrowed. "Do you… get those frequently?"
Quite frankly, if panic attacks normally felt like that, the brunette wasn't even sure if she'd want Kaneshiro to go through one, let alone the deviously intelligent yet shy young girl who was the latest addition to the Phantom Thieves' crew.
Futaba shrugged. "Not really – at least not since my Palace got wiped. I suppose I almost had one when I got lost in Akihabara once, but then my key item came to the rescue!"
Makoto didn't really know what that meant, but judging by the way Ren's eyes softened, it probably had something to do with him. As she watched the boy's gentle expression, butterflies entered her stomach – according to Futaba, he'd helped the brunette too. She'd have to do something to repay the both of them sometime.
… When her sister wasn't missing, that was.
Ryuji was the one to bring them all back down to reality – they hadn't come here to chat about the past, after all. "So, uh, what happened in there? It's not…" He squirmed. "She's not…"
Bile rose to the back of her throat, and shakily, Makoto shook her head. "They haven't found sis, dead or alive. But…" She swallowed, mouth going dry. "I overheard some cops talking… they think she might have run away since she didn't want to raise me anymore."
"What!?" Ann reeled backwards, eyes wide in horror. "That's awful! There's no way she'd just dump you like that, right? She's your family!"
The rest of the Phantom Thieves remained tellingly silent.
"… Do you believe there might be some truth to their words?" Yusuke asked, assessing the brunette cooly. Despite his level expression, there was no judgement in his voice.
Makoto shrugged, unable to meet anyone else's eyes. She felt dirty, like she'd been tossed aside like a soiled rag. "There might be. Sae was barely twenty when our father died, and while she always tried to shield me from the worst of it, I knew she was struggling. I tried my best not to be a burden, but…" A bitter smile crossed her face. "I guess my best wasn't good enough."
"That's not true." Ren's voice cut through the air like a knife. Light shined off his glasses, obscuring his eyes, but his mouth was set into a thin line. "You're one of the kindest and most courteous people I know."
"Yeah!" Ryuji pumped his fist into the air, eyes shining in defiance. "I'm shit at school and don't really have anythin' going for me outside of you lot, but my mum still puts up with me! Your sis ain't got anything to complain about in comparison – you're the student council president for god's sake!"
"Ren, Ryuji…" She murmured, holding a hand over her heart as warmth flushed through her body.
"Y'know what?" The blond snarled, still on a roll. "Fuck Okumura, and sorry, but fuck Morgana too – I'm gonna go straight to Mementos and change your sister's heart! There's nothing that justifies her ditching you like this!"
Ann sighed, pinching her brow. "… Ryuji, we can't change Niijima-san's heart if we can't reach her in reality."
"Besides, it would be premature – this is all just conjecture." Yusuke pointed out calmly.
Wait… her Shadow…
Groaning, Makoto facepalmed as realisation ran over her. "I'm such an idiot. Sorry, Yusuke is right – I just overheard those officers, and whipped myself up into a tizzy. Of course Sae didn't run away."
Sure, while it probably wouldn't have been a conclusion she'd have jumped to without outside influence, the idea of Sae abandoning Makoto was in the realm of plausibility. Sae abandoning her job – the same job she had an entire Palace built around – however…?
There was no way in hell she would ever do that willingly.
"Well, I suppose that's good news, right?" Ann smiled, blue eyes shining warmly.
Makoto winced. While it was a relief to realise she wasn't responsible for driving her sister away, the reason why she'd had that revelation in the first place was hardly much better. The brunette opened her mouth hesitantly. She'd known about Sae's Palace for a while now, but she'd hoped her sister would see reason without needing such an extreme intervention – besides, it wasn't the others' burden to bear.
(Makoto loved Sae, and couldn't stand the idea of her friends looking at her like she was nothing but a Kamoshida or Madarame. Her sister wasn't just a monster wearing human skin – she was flawed, yes, but she wasn't evil.)
Still, as much as it made the student council president squirm, the time for respecting her sister's privacy was over. Her Palace might be the only lead they had, and if Sae got hurt or worse because of Makoto's nerves… she would never forgive herself.
In the end, she simply decided to rip the bandage off. "Sis has a Palace." The brunette ignored the others' surprised gasps and continued. "It's located at the courthouse, but I don't know the rest of the keywords. Given it's the centre of her distortion, I can't see Sae leaving her job unless she was under duress."
The Thieves exchanged a troubled glance.
"Having a Palace doesn't necessarily mean Niijima-san is a bad person." Ren adjusted his glasses, addressing the group. "Plus, if she has been kidnapped by the yakuza or whatever, there's a good chance her Shadow will be cooperative even if we haven't gotten permission to enter her heart."
Despite his assurances, his words fell flat – given how Sae had pressured Sojiro, Makoto doubted her distortion was purely a creature of self-harm like Futaba's had been.
"It's a bit of a risk going in without Morgana, but I'm game." Ann shot a commiserating glance at the student council president. "Are you alright with this, Makoto?"
"Don't worry, Ann – I'm fine." Makoto took a deep breath in. "I wouldn't have mentioned her Palace if I wasn't willing to go in."
Once the brunette had verified she was alright with infiltrating Sae's Palace, the rest of the Phantom Thieves quickly confirmed they were on board with the idea. Thankfully, the courthouse wasn't too far away from the station – it wasn't even a ten-minute walk. While they hadn't brought most of their equipment with them given they hadn't exactly anticipated going into the Metaverse this afternoon, it wasn't like this was going to be a full infiltration. The plan was to speak to Sae's Shadow and then leave – no fighting unless truly necessary.
The guessing game for Sae's keywords probably took more time than actually reaching the courthouse. Makoto's initial thoughts had been something along the lines of a stadium or an arena – her sister always acted like life was one big fight to the top. When following that line of thought didn't work out, however, the process devolved into something far more random.
In the end, it was Ren who found the keyword. "Casino." He stated flatly, with no real explanation.
Makoto hadn't expected any results – the courthouse seemed far too solemn for it to ever be viewed as something so flashy – but suddenly, the Metanav chimed.
"Beginning navigation…"
She blinked, stunned, as the world rippled around her. As the last vestiges of the real world faded away, Makoto bit her lip and looked around. Unlike Kaneshiro's and Futaba's Palaces, where the entire landscape had been twisted by their cognition, most of the surroundings were untouched. In fact, the gilded casino jutting out between the precinct and nearby streets was utterly incongruous compared to the rest of Sae's world.
"What's with our clothes?" Futaba's voice broke her out of her thoughts. "Or lack of them, really."
Glancing down, Makoto saw she was still in her summer uniform.
"It means Niijima-san doesn't see us as a threat." Ren explained. "Our Metaverse outfits didn't appear in your Palace either until we ran into your Shadow."
"And hey, look at the cognitions!" Ann smiled as she gestured at the street. "They all look like actual people – that's probably a good sign, right?"
Ryuji rubbed his eyes. "Huh, you're right. That's weird."
Despite her positive words, however, Makoto could see the strain in Ann's eyes, and her stomach twisted. Even if her distortion was small in scale, it didn't change the fact that Sae viewed the courthouse as a casino. No matter how you looked at it, the implications of that were… bleak. In a best-case scenario, it was because of how high Japan's conviction rate was - she was pretty much guaranteed a win purely because she was fighting for a guilty verdict. In a worst-case one…
Makoto didn't particularly want to think about it.
(She'd known Sae's investigations had gotten more aggressive this year, toeing a line she really shouldn't. The idea that her sister might have outright crossed it already, forging evidence and knowingly sending an innocent man to prison or worse… it made her sick just thinking about it.)
Turning back to the casino, the brunette swallowed. It dominated the street, a garish neon sign showing a tacky mockery of Lady Justice towering over its doors. Spotlights shone up from the ground, framing the high-rise building, and colour glistened through its stained-glass windows.
"Futaba, run a scan." Ren ordered, brow wrinkled. "Something's wrong."
"Danger?" Makoto asked, slipping into Queen-mode despite the absence of her mask.
"No – if anything, it's the opposite." He shook his head. "Doesn't it look… kinda empty?"
Puzzled, Makoto turned her focus from the spectacle of a building and towards the casino's actual entrance. She narrowed her eyes, immediately seeing what he meant. Given the nature of the place, she would have expected to see cognitions spilling out onto the street, or at the very least socialising in the foyer. Instead, there wasn't a single sign of life outside of what looked like a besuited Shadow guarding the front door.
Glancing back at the rest of the team, Ryuji shrugged before sauntering over to it. "Yo! Mind if we come in and talk to your boss?"
"I'm afraid, sir, that the casino is closed." Despite how distorted the creature's voice was, disdain dripped from it nonetheless.
Ryuji scowled, and sighing, Makoto stepped forwards before things turned into a disaster. She gripped the blond's shoulder warningly, before turning to the guard and forcing a sweet smile. "Sorry about my friend – he's… not used to establishments such as this. Still… I really need to speak to my sister. Can you tell her Makoto is here? It's urgent."
The Shadow suddenly straightened and gave her a polite bow. "Ah, Miss Niijima. My sincerest apologies – I wasn't informed you were in this part of town. Unfortunately, I cannot fulfil your request."
She wrinkled her brow as warring emotions of trepidation and annoyance started to seep through her. "Why not?"
"Lady Niijima is unable to see any visitors currently, no matter their clearance. The Manager is currently away on business."
Makoto barely resisted pinching her brow, as her irritation won out over her discomfort. What the hell did that mean? She opened her mouth, ready to pry, when something tapped on her shoulder.
"Don't bother – Oracle has found something." Ren informed her.
Shooting one last baleful glance at the security guard, Makoto followed her leader over to some pine trees the other Thieves had clustered around. "What is it?" She asked, and despite her best efforts, some of her testiness still dripped into her voice.
"Turns out, Mr Security over there is telling the truth. Your sister's Shadow literally isn't here – there isn't a single trace of her in the Palace." Futaba tapped a holographic screen – despite the lack of her outfit, it seemed she could still access Necronomicon's abilities.
Makoto cycled through at least a dozen expressions before she replied. "… Does that mean her Shadow is somewhere outside of the casino?" She supposed it made sense – Sae very much wasn't at court right now.
Futaba shook her head. "No, I meant that her Shadow isn't in this world, like, at all. She's skedaddled. Fucked off into the void."
"Hold on." Ann blinked. "Shadows can do that?"
An uncomfortable quiet settled over the group. After an age passed, Yusuke sighed. "… If only Morgana was here. He understood the Metaverse's peculiarities more than any of us."
"Yeah, well, he ain't, and we're just gonna have to deal with that." Ryuji clenched his jaw. "We should go inside and look around a bit – maybe we'll find some clues there."
Ren nodded, glancing into the distance. "I saw some stairs over there – they might lead to an infiltration route."
Half of the group had spun around, ready to slink into the casino, when Yusuke's voice cut through the air. "Wait." The lanky boy's lips thinned as everyone's attention fell on him. "In our previous infiltrations… have we truly learnt anything concrete about the Palace Rulers that didn't come from the mouths of their Shadows?"
A look of confusion flashed over Ryuji's face. "Uh, yeah? Don't you remember that tacky-ass statue in Madarame's museum?"
Makoto regarded the artist warily, wondering what he was getting at. "The cognitions in Kaneshiro's Palace were rather indicative about how he viewed people, and there were the panels in Futaba's Tomb."
"… Except most of that was abstract, wasn't it?" Ren mused, rubbing his chin. "We saw how Kamoshida and Kaneshiro viewed people, but never why they were like that. Even in Futaba's Palace, it wasn't the Tomb itself that revealed the…" He shot a wary glance at his surrogate sister, and only continued after an approving nod. "… The way she was resigned to die. That came from her Shadow self."
Yusuke nodded. "Exactly. For one, there was no indication at all in Madarame's Palace about what he did to my mother until the truth came from his own mouth." While the artist didn't meet her eyes, Makoto felt the bulk of his attention land on her. "I'm… concerned the Palace will feed us half-truths that will only distract us during this trying time."
Her eyes widened as it finally dawned on her what he was trying to do. Oh. He didn't want Makoto exposed to the worst of Sae's psyche while her sister wasn't there to answer for it – whether that be by soothing Makoto's fears, or by revealing there simply wasn't enough left of the old Sae to save. Alternatively, Yusuke simply didn't want Sae's Palace to potentially be the last thing Makoto ever saw of her.
(After all, if any of the Phantoms Thieves understood her current predicament, it would be him.)
"Fox is probably right." She sighed, shoulders slumping. Even though logically she knew he'd just done her a kindness, Yusuke had also simultaneously dashed Makoto's last hope – if the casino held no answers, they were back to square one. "Maybe Sae has just run away, and that's why her Shadow's gone."
"That doesn't make any sense." Futaba scrunched her nose. "If she'd deliberately severed her connection to the courthouse, her Palace would have crumbled – mere nostalgia ain't enough to keep a place like this alive."
Ann furrowed her brow, shooting the brunette a quizzical stare. "Are you alright, Queen? You're just… kinda hung up on this running away thing."
"Sorry, sorry." Makoto shook the intrusive thoughts from her head. "I think it's because the police were looking into another missing persons case alongside Sae's. A girl - Okumura - had run away from home." Her lips thinned. "I guess she's probably related to, well, you know who. That'd explain why there was so much fuss..."
Futaba suddenly took in a sharp breath. "Wait, what did you say?!"
…..
"So. You're a magical girl now."
Sae knew that probably wasn't the first thing she should have said to Haru as the younger woman finally regained consciousness, but she couldn't help it, because honestly, what the fuck. Forget sci-fi movies – Sae should have spent her childhood watching girly cartoons like the rest of her classmates. Maybe then this baffling situation would have made a lick of sense. Alas, she'd wasted her time obsessing over stories about knights in shining armour instead.
(She'd tried picking up one of her old novels during a quiet weekend shortly after she'd joined the SIU. Sae had gotten about a third of the way through the book before putting it down in disgust. In the real world, there were no valiant heroes ready to save the day – sticking your neck out just got you punished. Damsels in distress were left to rot until they broke, and the men who ruled the land were hardly noble - in fact, they were just as bad as the villains. There was a reason she never lied to Makoto about how rough adulthood was – Sae had been misled her whole life, and the sense of betrayal she'd felt when the world turned out to be awful was staggering.)
Haru let out a slight groan before stretching. After the brunette collapsed, Sae had quickly dragged her into the nearest room and barricaded the entrance with a table. It probably wouldn't have helped much if any of Okumura's flunkies came looking for them, but it seemed the bastard was arrogant enough to assume Sugimura had won the fight as no robots knocked against the door.
"I… guess I am!" Haru giggled, admiring her strange new outfit with glee. Her joy was short-lived, however, and the teenager's expression grew sombre as she remembered why she'd unlocked her newfound powers to begin with.
Sae hesitated awkwardly as the heiress' shoulders slumped. Right. She… should probably say something, shouldn't she? Mind racing, Sae thought back to all the times she'd consoled Makoto, and came to a grim conclusion – pep talks were not her strong suit. Still, as the adult in the situation, it was her job to make sure Haru was emotionally stable enough to endure their hostile surroundings, and if there was one thing Sae did have a knack for, it was work.
"Hey… I'm sorry about what your father said to you. While my own father was never that... crass, I know what it's like to be betrayed by a parental figure you once loved." Sae tried not to squirm at the admission – even if they were bastards in life, people always got furious whenever anyone disparaged the dead.
"… It's truly unpleasant, isn't it?" The smile that crossed Haru's face was steeped in bitterness. "I didn't want to admit it – he genuinely was kind to me, a long time ago – but the man I once loved is gone."
"Look, don't take those awful things he and that mockery of a fiancé said about you to heart." Sae explained. "You're a bright young woman with a good head on your shoulders – you're not worthless at all."
Oh? How fascinating – do you seriously believe that?
Sae's breath caught in her throat as her eyes blew open. It was that voice again – the same one she'd been hearing since she first stepped into this damned space station. She'd just dismissed it as environmental stress, but those words were far too pointed, and far, far too loud to be a mere figment of Sae's imagination. Either she was having a mental breakdown or something weird was going on, and given the way the world around her froze and a veil of darkness shrouded her surroundings, she'd bet on the latter.
"W-who are you?" Sae stammered, frozen to the spot.
Worthless, useless… her tormentor drawled, clearly having no intention of replying to her. Those words aren't so different, are they? Besides, isn't it a child's duty to sacrifice themselves for their families?
Sae flinched involuntarily as Makoto's face flashed into her mind. Despite that, her horrified shock was quickly engulfed by a flare of anger. "Don't you dare compare me to that monster!" She snapped defensively. "First of all, I didn't actually mean that, and secondly, I'd never tell Makoto to sell her body, bad day or not!"
Perhaps not. The voice conceded, and Sae shuddered as something caressed her cheek. Her soul, however…? All of our suffering would be meaningless if Makoto refuses to become a dutiful little robot. Only those who've managed to claw their way to the top have the right to keep their humanity, after all.
The prosecutor's jaw dropped open, and even though she desperately scrambled for a retort, Sae had been rendered speechless. As colour leeched back into her vision and the world around her resumed its motion, ice crawled through the silver-haired woman's veins. She – she wasn't at all like Okumura!
… Right?
Haru smiled sunnily at the prosecutor, oblivious to the lump that had formed in her stomach – it was clear that despite her newfound Persona thingy, the only one who'd seen that awful little display was Sae. The teenager wouldn't be regarding the older woman with nearly so much fondness if she knew about the ugliness in Sae's heart.
"Thank you for your candour, Sae-san." Haru's chestnut eyes twinkled. "Ever since I was young, people around me have never seen me for who I truly am – they would just be kind to me to get into my father's good graces. Adults, teachers, even friends… it seemed like everyone smiled at me purely for their own gain. I think you're the first person to approach me in a long time who's actually had my best interests at heart." She concluded with a giggle.
The wave of guilt that ran over Sae was so strong it threatened to drown her.
Haru must have been able to tell something was wrong from her expression, and the brunette's brows furrowed in concern. "Is something the matter, Sae-san?"
The prosecutor took in a deep breath. She felt utterly wretched – she didn't deserve Haru's faith in her at all. "There's something I need to tell you. When I approached you that day we first met… it wasn't for altruistic reasons."
The teenager's eyes widened, before her expression turned carefully neutral and the warmth in her eyes shuttered. "… You're investigating Okumura Foods' working conditions, aren't you?"
"Something like that." Sae sighed – now was not the time or place to reveal the real reason she was so interested in Okumura Kunikazu. "I… I'm sorry. I just regarded you as a means to an end – I should have known better. I should have been better."
The seconds seemed to crawl on by as Haru digested her words, expression obscured by her floppy hat. By the time the heiress raised her head again, she wore a smile on her face, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Thank you for the apology, Sae-san."
Even though there was no hostility in her words, they were notably not ones of forgiveness.
(Distantly, she wondered if Makoto resented her too. As sick as the thought made her feel, deep down inside, Sae realised it wouldn't be entirely unjustified if she did.)
…..
A whole world away, in a casino whose master had abandoned in favour of more extra-terrestrial pastures, everyone's attention landed on Sakura Futaba, who was staring at Makoto like she'd seen a ghost.
"Uh…" The student council president blinked. "There was a girl called Okumura who'd run away from home – most of the SIU was looking for her."
"Fuck." Futaba cursed, before gripping Makoto's shoulder. "Did you get her first name? Was it Okumura Haru?!"
"N-no, sorry." The brunette shook her head, confused by the hacker's intensity. Truthfully, Makoto had barely spared a second thought to the girl given her sister's disappearance. "… Is that the name of Okumura Kunikazu's daughter?"
Perhaps that was why Futaba's reaction was so extreme – maybe it'd have an effect on Okumura's Palace.
The hacker pursed her lips. "Yeah – she's his only child. I was looking into the poll on the Phansite for, uh, reasons, and I noticed something odd. Most of the Okumura frenzy didn't kick up until September, but there was a singular Change of Heart request posted for him in June. I did a bit of digging, and it was posted by Okumura Junior herself."
"She wanted her own father's heart changed?" The brunette looked at the younger teen in surprise. Even now, Makoto was undecided about what she wanted to do in regard to her sister's distortion – she couldn't imagine leaving Sae's fate in the hands of a group of strangers.
"Oi, why didn't we hear about this before?" Ryuji scratched his head, throwing Ren a confused look.
"She might not have said why she wanted it done." The Phantom Thieves' leader rubbed his chin. "Mishima filters the requests so we only get the ones with substance behind them – otherwise we'd be typing people's names into the Metanav all day."
"Bingo – she wrote down his name and not much else." Futaba nodded, before her expression turned grim. "So, Okumura's daughter – who very much does not approve of what he's doing – goes missing at the same time as the SIU prosecutor investigating his crimes? I dunno about you guys, but that doesn't feel like much of a coincidence to me."
Makoto let out a strangled gasp. Given Sae hadn't had a psychotic breakdown, or god forgive, a mental shutdown, she'd written off Okumura as a suspect. If he was behind Sae's absence though...
"… It makes a lot of sense, now that I think about it." The brunette mulled. "Perhaps Okumura wanted to give Sis a psychotic breakdown or mental shutdown, but his assassin couldn't take her Shadow down. Murdering her in the real world would paint him as a suspect, so instead, he somehow sealed her Shadow away – maybe Wakaba's research explained how to do that?"
At the mention of her mother, Futaba's jaw stiffened. Ren, meanwhile, assessed the rest of the Thieves.
"Right. Let's get out of here." He ordered. "We've got better places to search."
Moving back to their entry point, the Metaverse rippled around them before fading. The switch between the two realities didn't feel quite as abrupt as usual - perhaps it was because of the scale of Sae's Palace, or perhaps it was because they were never flagged as threats. Makoto had no idea. The second they were decisively back into the real world though, Ren pulled out his phone, lips drawn into a thin line.
"Okumura Haru."
"Destination not found."
"Dammit…" He sighed, sweeping a hand through his hair.
Makoto gave his shoulder a sympathetic rub, and Ren shot her a soft smile in return, leaning into her touch. A childish part of Makoto wanted the moment to last forever, and she felt a twinge of disappointment when he pulled away. Almost immediately, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment – she'd been cognisant that she'd had a small crush on their leader ever since he consoled her about punching Eiko that one time, but honestly, this was ridiculous.
Oblivious to her thoughts, Ren turned back to the rest of the team. "Let's go home for now – I know time is of the essence here, but it's getting late, and we don't have our Palace equipment with us. We'll reconvene tomorrow. I'll try to get Kawakami to give us all the day off – she owes me a favour."
She regarded him curiously – it seemed like he had a deal of some sort with half the city. Still, while a part of Makoto screamed at her to find Sae now, logically, she knew Ren's plan was the best course of action. They'd need to be at their best to take on Okumura's Palace, and if the CEO wanted Sae dead, it would have happened already.
Ren shot her a cautious glance, clearly wanting her approval, and Makoto gave him a nod. "I'm fine with that plan. I could probably get the day off regardless given the circumstances, if that'd help."
"Yeah, sounds good to me." Futaba shrugged. "It's not like I'm ever doing anything anyway, so…"
"Tomorrow, I will come down with a case of pustules." Yusuke announced with such solemnity, both Ann and Ren immediately broke into giggles.
"I'm down too." Ann stated. The blonde then waved them farewell, before heading back in the direction of the train station. "See you then, everyone!"
"I'm gonna dash as well!" Ryuji scurried off after her. "You all know my answer anyway!"
At a far more sedate pace, Yusuke began to stroll aimlessly away. "Hmm. I believe I will partake in some people-watching before I return to the dorms…"
Makoto assumed Ren and Futaba would head home together, but instead, he whispered something into the younger teen's ear. Eyes widening, she snickered before hurrying off after Ryuji and Ann, leaving the two of them alone at the front of the courthouse.
"Not going home with the others?" She raised a brow.
"I'll head back to Leblanc later." He shook his head, a slight frown donning his face. "I… I thought you might not want to be alone, considering what's happened." The second-year scratched the back of his head, looking away. "If I'm overstepping, I'll give you some space, but…"
"No, no. Thank you – I'd love the company." Makoto stepped forward, warmth filling her chest. She could tell her blush was returning, but considering it was for a far more sensible reason, she let it slide. This time, she was the one who averted her gaze. "Sorry if this is a bit forward, but do you mind coming back to my house with me? I don't think I've got the energy to do anything, but I don't want to go home to an empty apartment either..."
While Makoto was used to spending her evenings by herself, especially of late, she knew the quietness would feel so much more crushing now that her sister wasn't a mere phone call away. Not to mention being alone with her thoughts didn't sound appealing at all – she'd already spiralled twice today, and that was enough.
Ren chuckled. "We really are two peas in a pod, aren't we? I don't mind – what line do you catch?"
The journey home was spent in peaceful quiet – Ren stood at her side like a guardian angel, his mere presence bolstering her fortitude. While she was still sick with worry about Sae, Makoto felt more stable than she had ever since she received that fateful phone call this morning – less like a nervous child and more like Queen, indomitable warrior of the Metaverse. As long as she trusted in herself and her friends, somehow, she knew everything would be okay.
As she walked up the stairs to her apartment, keys rattling in her hands, Makoto's good mood began to dim. She'd wanted Ren's first visit to be special – whether it was a nice dinner with Sae, or simply having a gathering after a Palace heist gone well. Instead, he was giving her pity company because her sister had probably been kidnapped.
"How about I give you a tour?" Makoto forced a smile as she turned on the lights. "Just leave your shoes by the door."
The Niijima's apartment wasn't huge – three bedrooms, with the third barely being big enough to serve as a storage cupboard – but it was in a nice part of town, and Makoto liked to think she ran a tight ship when it came to the apartment's cleanliness. It was a bit embarrassing showing Ren her room, but it felt weird not doing it. His eyes twinkled as he saw all her Buchimaru merch, but he was smart enough to keep his thoughts to himself.
"Feel free to take a seat." Makoto offered as they moved back to the living room. "I might start prepping dinner now."
"What, without me?" Ren gasped in mock-offence, swooning dramatically. "I'll let you know, I'm a dab hand in the kitchen – a protégé of the great Sakura Sojiro himself!"
The brunette chuckled. "Yes, and currently, you're also my guest. Relax – you're doing me enough of a favour simply by being here."
"But I like cooking." He pouted, and Ren's expression was so ridiculous, she couldn't help but laugh.
"Alright, fine – you can help me with the meal prep. That's all, though!"
In the end, they settled on making a simple stir fry, and despite Makoto attempting to take on the onus of the task, it turned out Ren wasn't japing about his cooking skills. While they cut their assigned veggies at the same pace, his slices were far neater, and he added pinches of spices into the dish that Makoto didn't even realise they owned. While it probably still wasn't restaurant standard by the end, given they were hardly using the fanciest ingredients, as she took a bite, Makoto was surprised at the tantalising flavour on the tip of her tongue. Sojiro really had been putting him through his paces.
"… I'll have to invite you around more often. This is delicious."
Ren's eyes softened, and he patted her hand. "Next time, I'll make sure that your sister has some too."
A gentle quiet filled the air, and everything seemed to fade into the background as Makoto realised how close they were. His head was barely a foot from hers – she could even see Ren's normally obscured grey eyes through the fake glasses he wore like a mask. His hand was firm, calloused in places and gentle in others as it rested against her own, burning with warmth like a miniature engine.
A bolt of courage struck Makoto like lightning. If this last day had taught her anything, it was that people could be torn away from your side at any moment – she would be a fool if she didn't make the most of her time with the ones she loved. Leaning forward, she pressed her lips against Ren's and kissed him. Time seemed to slow. For a split second, he stiffened, before kissing her back with all the appetite of a voracious wolf. A single second or a whole eternity could have passed by the time they eventually untangled themselves from each other, breathless and blushing.
Ren watched her with wide eyes, mouth opening and closing like a fish. Makoto let out a slight chuckle – who knew that a simple kiss was all it took to leave the great leader of the Phantom Thieves speechless?
"Is that – do you…" He eventually stammered, as red as a tomato. "This isn't just because…?"
"No – I think I've liked you for a while now, well before Sae disappeared." Makoto shook her head. " I just wasn't brave enough to say anything before now."
"I must say, that was a hell of a speech." He laughed, a giddy grin unlike anything she'd ever seen on him crossing his face. Ren's eyes twinkled, as he offered her a fist. "… Study partners?"
Makoto smiled – Ryuji had taught her this gesture just the other day! Reaching out her fist, she bumped it in return. "Study partners."
For a moment, the two partners – girlfriend, boyfriend, lovers? – drunk in the revelation that this was real, was actually happening. The moment was broken though when Ren suddenly winced.
"… Shit. I owe Futaba ¥10,000."
"Please don't tell me you made a bet with her about our love life." Makoto pinched the bridge of her nose.
"… No comment."