Persona 5: The Phantom Files

by sithlorde1988

Will cover the events of Persona 5 Royal, with the sequel set to cover Strikers. What happens when in addition to Ren being sentenced to go live in the care of Sojiro Sakura for a year after being sued for assault, his younger brother is also ordered to go and oversee him? How will this extra character change things? Read to find out! More info in chapter 1! Read and review! Enjoy!

61. Trapped Heiress Finale: Fall From Grace

A/N: sithlorde1988 here, with another chapter of Persona 5- The Phantom Files! Barring some seriously insane levels of shenaniganry, this chapter should be the final chapter of Arc 5, which if it is, makes it tie with Arc 2 for the shortest arc of the story thus far at 11 parts. After that, we move into Arc 6.

As such, I think real quick I'm gonna throw down a revised timeline for the arcs of the story since the last time I did one of those was in chapter 11, so it was awhile ago, and is definitely outdated since at least a couple of the arc names listed in that timeline are no longer valid. That said, let me pre-emptively throw a **SPOILER ALERT** up since some of these arc titles (placeholders or not) might have spoilers in them.

Arc 1: Phantoms Awaken (Chapter 1- Chapter 12) - The first arc of the story as well as of Persona 5 Royal, this arc covers everything from the start of the story to the end of the first Palace and the first change of heart, along with the formation of the Phantom Thieves.

Arc 2: The Kitsune Artist (Chapter 13- Chapter 23) - The second arc of Royal and the story, this arc covers everything from the first foray into Mementos to the end of Madarame's Palace and the second change of heart, along with Yusuke joining the group.

Arc 3: The Rebellious Queen (Chapter 24- Chapter 36) - The third arc of Royal and of the story, this arc covers everything from the first trip to Kichijoji to the start of pre-summer exams, as well as Makoto joining the group.

Arc 4: Traumatized Oracle (Chapter 37- Chapter 50) - The fourth arc of Royal and of this story, this arc covers everything from the start of summer vacation to the end of the fourth Palace, and even the gradual induction of Futaba into the Phantom Thieves, as well as a certain beach trip that happens after the fourth Palace.

Arc 5: Trapped Heiress (Chapter 51- Chapter 61) - The fifth arc of Royal and of this story, this arc covers everything from the end of summer vacation to the end of Okumura's Palace, and the subsequent 'change of heart' that follows, along with bringing Haru into the group.

Arc 6: Crow's Gambit (potential alternate title 'Coming Full Circle! The Casino Trap') (chapter 62 - ?) - The sixth arc of Royal and of this story, this arc will cover everything from the aftermath of Okumura's 'change of heart', up to the sixth Palace and the events following the end of the sixth Palace (hence 'Coming Full Circle!' as the alternate title), along with Crow joining the group.

Arc 7: Matters of Pride (potential alternate title 'Unlikely Ties') (Chapter ? - ?) - The seventh Arc of Royal and of this story, this arc will cover everything from the aftermath of the sixth Palace up to the end of the seventh Palace, and the subsequent 'change of heart' that follows, along with a few big reveals happening along the way, and possibly a few change-ups from how canon Royal handled this Palace.

Arc 8: Secret of Mementos (potential alternate title 'To The Depths! Holy Grail of The People's Palace') - (Chapter ? - ?) - The eighth arc of Royal and of this story, this arc will cover the aftermath of Shido's Palace, and the events after it, all the way up to the end of the battle with Yaldabaoth.

Arc 9: The False Utopia (potential alternate title Battle for Reality! Stop the Distorted Doctor) - (Chapter ? - ?) - The ninth arc of Royal and of this story, this arc will cover everything from the aftermath of Yaldabaoth's defeat to the end of Royal's final Palace, as well as setting up for the end of the Royal half of the story.

Arc 10: Parting of The Ways (potential alternate title 'Till We Meet Again! The Crew Disbands') (chapter ? - ?) - The tenth and final arc of Royal, and the tenth arc of this story, this arc covers everything from the aftermath of Maruki's Palace to the end of Royal, including the temporary disbandment of the Phantom Thieves, as well as a set of 'interlude' chapters of sorts that touch on what each of the Thieves gets up to in the time between the end of Royal and the start of Scramble/Strikers.

Arc 11: Summer Reunion! We're Back (potential alternate title 'Phantom Reunion') (chapter ? - ?) The first arc of Persona 5 Scramble/Strikers, and the eleventh overall arc of this story, this arc covers everything from the reunion of most of the group, to the end of the first Jail, and the change of heart that comes thereafter.

Arc 12: The Phony Overlord (potential alternate title 'Clash of the Dragons!') (Chapter ? - ?) - The second arc of Scramble/Strikers, and the 12th overall arc of the story, this arc covers everything from the aftermath of the first Monarch's change of heart, to the end of the second Jail, and the change of heart that follows, but also includes a surprise reunion of the full Phantom Thieves group, as well as the first encounter the group has with a certain PubSec agent.

Arc 13: Surprises in Sapporo (potential alternate title 'The Snow Mayor of Sapporo') (Chapter ? - ?) - The third arc of Scramble/Stirkers, and the thirteenth overall arc of the story, this arc covers everything from the aftermath of the second Monarch's change of heart, to the end of the third Jail and the change of heart that follows, in addition to a couple of potential extra bits sprinkled in for good measure.

Arc 14: Mystery of Okinawa (potential alternate title 'Voices in the Abandoned Jail') (Chapter ? - ?) - The fourth arc of Scramble/Strikers, and the fourteenth overall arc of this story, this arc covers everything from the aftermath of the third Monarch's change of heart, to the end of the fourth Jail, and the events entailed thereof, as well as setting the stage for one of the most pivotal moments of Scramble/Strikers, at least in my opinion.

Arc 15: The Wolf Awakens (potential alternate title 'A Father's Resolve! Save Akane!') (Chapter ? - ?) - The fifth arc of Scramble/Strikers, and the fifteenth overall arc of this story, this arc covers everything from the aftermath of the abandoned Jail of Okinawa to the end of the fifth Jail, and the aftermath of said Jail, as well as the addition of Wolf to the group.

Arc 16: Mastermind Revealed (potential alternate title 'The Fallen Hero! VS Konoe') (Chapter ? - ?) - The sixth arc of Scramble/Strikers, and the sixteenth overall arc of this story, this arc covers everything from the aftermath of the fifth Jail to the end of the sixth Jail, and the change of heart that follows, along with some additional reveals sprinkled throughout the arc.

Arc 17: Pandora's Abyss (potential alternate title 'Ichinose's True Nature! Sophia's Resolve) (Chapter ? - ?) - The seventh arc of Scramble/Strikers, and the seventeenth overall arc of this story, this arc covers everything from the aftermath of the sixth Jail, to the end of the seventh Jail, and the awakening of the final Phantom Thief of the story, along with the setup for the final Jail.

Arc 18: EMMA's True Plan (potential alternate title 'Enter the Tree! Stop The Demiurge') (Chapter ? - ?) - The eighth arc of Scramble/Strikers, and the eighteenth overall arc of this story, this arc covers everything from the start of the final Jail, to the end of the final battle against the Demiurge.

Arc 19: Until We Meet Again (potential alternate title 'Mission Accomplished! End of the Thieves') (Chapter ? - ?) - The ninth arc of Scramble/Strikers, and the nineteenth overall arc of this story, this arc covers everything from the aftermath of EMMA/Demiurge's demise to the eventual disbandment of the Phantom Thieves as the group once more goes their separate ways.

Arc 20: Looking To The Future (potential alternate title 'Where Are They Now? Checking in on the Thieves') (Chapter ? - ?) The tenth and final arc of Scramble/Strikers, as well as the twentieth and final overall arc of this story, this arc covers the aftermath of Scramble/Strikers' ending, and follows a bit of what each of the Phantom Thieves ends up getting up to after the group disbands, leading to the end of this story.

**END SPOILER ALERT**

And that's a brief timeline of each arc for this story. Note that the title of every arc from Arc 7 onwards is a working title and still subject to change, but Arcs 1- 5 have set in stone titles, and Arc 6 is likely locked in as 'Crow's Gambit' since it seems like an apt title for the arc given what all it entails. So keep in mind I can still change my mind later, but for now that's the timeline of this story. That said, time for the disclaimer!

Disclaimer: sithlorde1988 does not own the Persona series in any way, shape, or form (barring the OC Kusa/Draconis, who he made and thus does own, along with ail other appearing OCs in this story, who he also made and thus owns unless otherwise stated) and the actual ownership credit for the Persona series belongs to Atlus, Sega, and to a point Koei Tecmo, so all credit to them!

That being said, I've drawn this starting A/N out long enough, so let's get on with the chapter! Might have a bit to say in the end-of-chapter A/N too, so be sure to read that as well! Now, on with chapter 61!

Chapter 61- Disaster Strikes! The Botched Change of Heart! Trapped Heiress part 11

(At Leblanc, in the evening with Ren and Morgana)

"So, what's our plan for tonight, Ren?" Morgana said to Ren, who spoke up.

"I think for starters, let's go to Akihibara so we can get the arcade there marked for fast-travel purposes, and then we can look around there a bit while figuring out our plans." Ren said as Morgana nodded and spoke up.

"Right, good idea. Let's do that to start with." Morgana said as the duo headed to Akihibara and went to the arcade, at which point the 'Game Center' was registered to Ren's fast-travel list, making it so he could travel there quicker in future. Once he went inside, he saw a crane game in the back which piqued his curiosity, so he looked into it. Morgana then spoke up.

"A crane game, eh? The prize right now is, ready for it? Jack Frost! It's 300 yen per play. Do you wanna give it a go?" Morgana asked Ren, who nodded and spoke up.

"Yeah, why not? You only live once, after all." Ren said as Morgana nodded and followed Ren to the machine, where Morgana carefully sat on the panel, away from the buttons, and spoke up.

"Okay, are you ready Ren? And start!" Morgana said as Ren started the game, enjoying the catchy retro-sounding music that played while he worked the crane. Morgana spoke up quietly as Ren made to lower the crane on a prize.

"This is the critical moment, Ren! Careful now! Careful!" Morgana said as Ren hit the button and lowered the crane, landing it right on a Jack Frost doll, which the crane then lifted up and slowly carried over to the prize dispenser slot, where it deposited the Jack Frost doll as Morgana spoke up with a closed-eye grin.

"You did it, Ren! You got the prize! A Jack Frost doll, huh? You should put it somewhere in your room when we get home!" Morgana said as Ren spoke up.

"Yeah, I probably will. I was thinking it could make an interesting gift, but thinking on it, displaying it makes much more sense to me." Ren said agreeably as he claimed the 'Jack Frost Doll' from the machine, the catchy retro music still playing. *1* Morgana then spoke up.

"Good job! What's the plan now?" Morgana asked as Ren spoke up.

"Probably look around Akihibara a bit and then see who I can rank up afterwards if I don't see anything to interest me." Ren said with a shrug. Morgana nodded as the two kept moving. As Ren looked around Akhibara, he blinked as he saw the twins standing outside of the Velvet Room door there. Ren then told Morgana to walk around for a bit or hide in his bag, as Morgana did the latter while Ren approached Caroline and Justine, as the former spoke up.

"Ah, hello there Inmate. All right, time to name the next location. Justine, you do the honors." Caroline said. Justine nodded and spoke up.

"Right. Now, listen closely, Inmate. The place we wish to evaluate for your rehabilitation this time is an odd feature of the city where slaves attend to the needs of visitors." Justine said as Caroline spoke up.

"Yep! And apparently, the slaves in this camp refer to visitors as 'Master', and their behavior can even be controlled to some degree." Caroline said as Justine spoke up.

"Hm, I wonder how this compares to our devotion for our own master. This could make a strong example for the Inmate. Does such a location sound familiar to you?" Justine asked as Caroline spoke up.

"Well? If you know where it is, then escort us there immediately!" Caroline said as Ren thought about it and spoke up.

"Sorry, but nowhere comes to mind from what you described." Ren said apologetically with a wince. Justine sighed and spoke up.

"I see. It seems you're unaware of such a location." Justine said as Caroline frowned and spoke up.

"Hmph. Are you REALLY working hard at your rehabilitation, Inmate? If you don't know the place, then you'd better find it quick!" Caroline said as Justine spoke up.

"We've heard it exists in an area where the entire town is apparently constructed from electricity or something. Should you search there, you will most likely find it eventually." Justine said. Caroline frowned and spoke up.

"Report back to us the moment you find it! Got it!?" Caroline said as Ren nodded. As he walked over towards a place with portraits of maids on the walls, he had the 'Maid Cafe' registered to his fast-travel list, which Ren surmised was the place the twins were referring to. As he went to report back to the twins, Morgana spoke up.

"Ren, am I wrong, or is that girl over there trying to wave us down?" Morgana asked Ren, who blinked and looked the way Morgana was looking, seeing a dark-haired girl with a decently cute face, black hair and black eyes, as well as a pink pullover blouse as well as a purple skirt. Ren looked at the girl and spoke up.

"Were you trying to get my attention, ma'am?" Ren asked the girl, who nodded as she spoke up.

"Correct. That said, excuse me, sir. Do you have some free time? It seems I got stood up again. How about a date with me? For 6,000 yen an hour, you can rent me as your girlfriend." The girl said as Ren and Morgana's eyes widened as the former spoke up.

"First of all, 6,000 yen an hour!? That's kinda pricey, isn't it? Secondly, I already have a girl I'm interested in, so I can't help you. That said, sounds like it's lucrative. What a good business, if you're into that sort of thing." Ren said, as Morgana nodded agreeably before the girl spoke up.

"True. It isn't the worst business. I mean, to be fair, it pays a little better than a normal part-time job that requires a lot of time. In the end, it's about the money. Developing real feelings will only lead to disappointment, don't you think? Oh, sorry about that. I was just talking to myself. Please forget I said anything. I guess 6,000 yen is a bit much for a kid. But I need the money, dang it! And I don't feel like working one of those hard jobs to get it." The woman said as Ren spoke up.

"I see. Sorry I can't help you, but I'm sure you'll find someone who'll pay that sort of money to rent a girlfriend. Though if you ask me, I feel like there're better ways to make money than to basically rent yourself out." Ren said sagely as he walked away, leaving the girl to blink in surprise at what Ren had said. Once Ren and Morgana were out of the girl's earshot, Morgana spoke up. *2*

"Sheesh, way to avoid being worked over for money Ren! Not to mention, between Kusa and Yoshizawa, you'd have been in a lot of hot water had you taken that girl up on her offer. So I think you were quite smart to gently turn her down. I think that's your Charm showing through." Morgana said as Ren nodded and spoke up.

"Fair enough. To be honest, I think given that she's one of only two Confidants I have at Rank 2, I might go hang out with Chihaya and rank her up. If you wanna tag along, you can, but keep quiet. Otherwise I can drop you off at Leblanc while I see Chihaya." Ren said as Morgana spoke up.

"Nah, I'll tag along. Might as well be sure she doesn't try to scam you again, after all." Morgana said to Ren. Ren nodded and the two went to Shinjuku, where Ren approached Chihaya's booth, as she looked up and smiled on seeing Ren.

"Ah, hello there Amamiya-kun. What would you like to do today?" Chihaya asked Ren, who spoke up.

"I realize I've not done one in a bit, so I figured we could do another verification test today, if you're up for that." Ren said as Chihaya smiled and spoke up.

"Bring it on! We're not done with those tests yet! That said, if you'd like to stay and watch, I'm actually doing a reading for a client right now." Chihaya said as Ren nodded, and took a seat next to Chihaya. As Ren sat down, the client, a middle-aged man from the looks of him, sat down and Chihaya did a closed-eye smile and spoke up.

"Good evening. This is your first time coming to my stand, yes?" Chihaya asked the man, who spoke up in a timid-sounding voice.

"Y-Yeah, um, to be honest? A colleague of mine recommended you. He said you can help fix my problems with your abilities. Is that right?" The timid man asked Chihaya, who nodded and spoke up.

"Yes, of course! That's correct. Fate is, above all else, absolute and difficult to escape, if not impossible." Chihaya said as the timid man nodded and spoke up.

"Fair enough. S-So, uim, the thing is, to be honest with you, I'm engaged to be married. Next spring, I'll be tying the knot with a friend I've had since all the way back in preschool, and we've known each other for quite a long time." The timid man said as Chihaya giggled and spoke up.

"Oh, wow! That's wonderful! Congratulations! So, what's worrying you? Is it the date of the ceremony, or perhaps the location of your honeymoon?" Chihaya asked with a closed-eye smile. The timid man spoke up.

"O-Oh, um, to be honest? No, it's not like that. The problem is, honestly, I'm not entirely sure we'll be able to get married. The truth is, the president of one of our major business partners has offered me her daughter's hand in marriage." The timid man said as Ren frowned while Chihaya gasped and spoke up.

"What!? Ah, I see. So this is what it means to be weighed down by societal obligations, is it?" Chihaya said as the timid man chuckled nervously before speaking up.

"Do, um, that is, do you think it would be bad if I declined that president's offer? Haha, heh, hahaha." The timid man said nervously. Chihaya gave the timid man a closed-eye smile and spoke up.

"Please relax. The divine power will bring us your answer!" Chihaya said as she dealt the cards out and flipped them over as she spoke up.

"Yes, I've seen everything now. My, what's this? It seems you will face financial ruin if you decline the offer." Chihaya said to the shocked and timid man as he spoke up.

"N-No, that's not good. Does this mean breaking off my engagement is the only option?" The timid man asked Chihaya, who looked at Ren as she spoke up.

"Um, Amamiya-kun? This may be a good time to demonstrate your powers. This man is bound by the fetters of societal obligation at the moment. How should he move forward?" Chihaya asked Ren, who spoke up.

"If you ask me? I think he should follow his heart." Ren said. Chihaya giggled and did a closed-eye smile as she spoke up.

"Oh, that's a wonderful suggestion! Though I guess anyone could have come up with that answer, if they thought about it." Chihaya said as Ren spoke up once more.

"Perhaps, but at the same time, if he's about to tie the knot with basically his friend from pre-school, I feel like that's a pretty deep-seeded bond to just throw away for the sake of money. So I think he should ask himself if money is more important to him than his life-long friend, and fiancee." Ren said. Chihaya nodded and spoke up.

"I see. That's also a good point, Amamiya-kun. Incidentally, what would you say to make him choose his childhood friend?" Chihaya asked Ren, who looked at the man and spoke up.

"Listen, sir. When all is said and done, in the end, only you can make this decision for yourself, but let me just say this. If you end up breaking off that engagement, what's to say that thieves couldn't steal her away? So if you truly want to pursue the cash and break the engagement off, that's your choice to make, but be aware that you run the risk that thieves might steal your fiancee away after you break the engagement off." Ren said ominously. Chihaya frowned at this and spoke up.

"What? Thieves, you say? She's not a child, Amamiya-kun." Chihaya said as the timid man blinked at Ren and spoke up.

"W-Wait, you really think someone else would try to go after her!?" The man asked Ren, who spoke up.

"I don't know her myself, nor have I seen what she looks like, but if you've been friends with, and now engaged to her, after knowing her since pre-school, that suggests to me that you're rather serious about her, and that she's a rather amazing person for you to have that much of a commitment to her. So yeah, it's not out of the realm of possibility that others could pounce on the opportunity to make a move on her if you break off your engagement." Ren said as the timid man spoke up.

"Huh, good point. I guess guys would line up to date such an amazing girl, wouldn't they? Well, I'm not going to let that happen! Money or no money, the only one who can make her happy is me! I was a fool for hesitating, even for a moment! I've decided! I'm going to marry her! Thank you so much!" The timid man said as Chihaya spoke up in surprise.

"Oh my. It's happened again, Amamiya-kun." Chihaya said as the man left and Ren resumed his seat across from Chihaya, who sighed and spoke up.

"Ugh. So, you have altered fate once more, it seems. His fortune now states he will be quite successful. I had questioned your powers, but this is the third time you've changed someone's fate before my eyes. I have no choice, it would seem. I must accept that fate can, in fact, be changed. You've proven that to me. And as a sign of thanks for showing me the truth, Amamiya-kun, I'll provide a special fortune service for you from now on!" Chihaya said to Ren, who blinked as he could sense Chihaya's intense motivation.

At that point, the 'Fortune' card appeared in his mind's eye, the 'II' becoming a 'III' to signify that his Fortune Confidant link with Chihaya had reached Rank 3. As a result of the rank up, Chihaya had opened up the ability for Ren to get a 'Money Reading' from her, which when applied, temporarily increases the yen earned from battles. Afterwards, Chihaya spoke up again, shaking her head as she spoke.

"You know, I never thought it was possible to change destiny, Amamiya-kun. Are you perhaps, by chance, a psychic?" Chihaya asked Ren, who spoke up.

"I'm not a psychic, sorry to say. I'm just an ordinary, everyday high school student. Nothing more, and nothing less." Ren said. Chihaya frowned as she nodded.

"I see, that does make sense. I wish there was a way I could meet one, though. But for now, that wish reminds me of my own inability to change my own fate, which also reminds me that I will forever be a monster, as it were." Chihaya said as Ren gave Chihaya a confused look at her referring to herself as a monster. Chihaya blinked as she spoke up.

"M-My, it's gotten so late!" Chihaya said as she spoke up with a closed-eye smile.

"I should start packing up for today. I'll see you next time!" Chihaya said as Ren nodded and made to leave, as Chihaya spoke up once more.

"Bye for now, Amamiya-kun! Until we meet again, farewell." Chihaya said as Ren nodded and headed back to Leblanc, where he got comfortable and made to lay down, only for his phone to go off right as he was getting ready to lay down, making Morgana frown as he spoke up, both noticing that Kusa was still dozed off on the sofa, not bothered by the noise.

"Huh? Is that your phone, Ren? Who could that be at this hour?" Morgana asked Ren, who shrugged and pulled out his phone to check the message, finding to his surprise that it was a chat from Futaba.

"I found an awesome magazine! I'll bring it to the hideout if you want to read it. You have tomorrow off for Health and Sports Day, right? It'll definitely get your adrenaline pumping, Ren. Mwehehe. I really wanna read it, but I'll wait till tomorrow! Oh, but if you're busy, then do that first and I'll wait! See ya!" Futaba sent as Ren blinked while he put his phone away and Morgana spoke up.

"Hm? I guess Futaba's coming here to show us a magazine tomorrow. It sounds like fun, but to be honest, I'm tired. I'm going to bed." Morgana said as he curled up on Kusa's chest and went to sleep, as Ren also laid down to go to sleep...

(The next day, in the attic of Leblanc with Ren and Morgana)

"Hey, Ren! Futaba's down here in the shop!" Sojiro said as Ren blinked while Morgana spoke up.

"Sounds like Futaba's here, Ren. Come on, let's go downstairs. Odds are Kusa's probably already down there hanging with her." Morgana said with a smirk as Ren nodded. Ren quickly stopped to give some more nutrients to the plant, since it needed it, getting a needless boost to his Kindness from the gesture before heading downstairs. After pondering his options, Ren shrugged and walked to the far booth where Futaba and Kusa were sitting as the former spoke up.

"Yo! I'm gonna chill here today. I even brought some PC mags to kill time." Futaba said as Kusa nodded and spoke up.

"Heh, those would definitely kill more than a little bit of time, to be sure." Kusa said as Futaba ignored him to keep speaking.

"Oh right, I have enough for you as well Ren, by the way. There's some seriously ingenious stuff in these magazines, Ren. That said, do you wanna just relax and read if we're not meeting up with the others? It could be a fun way for the three of us to spend some time together." Futaba said to Ren, who spoke up.

"I think you mean four of us, unless you weren't including Morgana for whatever reason. But that said, I suppose I don't have a lot else going on today. Eh, why not? Count me in, since that sounds good to me." Ren said as Morgana stuck his head out of Ren's bag to nod approvingly at Ren's decision. Futaba smirked and spoke up.

"Okay! Today's a readathon!" Futaba said as Kusa frowned and spoke up.

"I could be wrong Taba, but is 'readathon' even a word?" Kusa asked Futaba in confusion, who stuck her tongue out childishly at Kusa as she spoke up.

"I say it's a word, so therefore it's a word! Besides, I thought you said you were raised not to argue with a lady, Kusa?" Futaba pointed out as Kusa chuckled and spoke up.

"That's true. I was taught not to argue with a lady, so you've got me there. Well played, milady." Kusa said with a nod as the quartet headed upstairs to read, Morgana hopping up onto the windowsill to lay out and sunbathe while the others read. Futaba spoke up in surprise as she read.

"Holy crap, this mouse is so big! A 'two-handed mouse'!? That's nuts! And this keyboard is too curvy! How do you even type on this thing?" Futaba said as Kusa spoke up.

"I'm guessing it's one of those desktop-type setups that you set on a table and use a mouse pad to move the mouse around, while having to get good at typing from the home row of the keyboard." Kusa said with a shrug as Futaba blinked and spoke up.

"That's true. Good point, Kusa. Oh man, nice! This 'PC Build Competition' is right up my alley, I'd say! Say, have either of you two ever built your own PC before, Ren and Kusa?" Futaba asked Kusa and Ren, the latter of whom spoke up.

"To be honest? It's never crossed my mind to try. But it could be fun to give it a go at least once." Ren said as Kusa spoke up.

"Exactly. Not to mention, I seem to recall that there's a lot of work involved in building a PC. But I agree with Ren, it could be fun to try it at least once." Kusa said. Futaba blinked at the two in surprise as she spoke up.

"Ah, I see. Oh? Is that so? Neither of you know much about PCs, Ren and Kusa?" Futaba said as Ren nodded while Kusa shrugged uncertainly and spoke up.

"I know enough about one to use it, if needed. But I don't know that I know much about building them, to be honest." Kusa said as Futaba smiled at the two and spoke up.

"Not to worry, I'll teach the two of you. Every motherboard is a universe filled with hopes and dreams. Mwehehe, yeah, I'm feeling this! We should go to Akiba together sometime, Ren and Kusa!" Futaba said as Ren nodded, eventually returning to reading with Futaba and Kusa, while the three of them discussed computers and Morgana idly listened to the conversation as he took a nap on the windowsill. Ren smirked as he realized that learning more about intricate PC components seems to have raised his Proficiency, giving him a needless boost to his Proficiency. After a bit, Futaba blinked and spoke up.

"Oh shoot, it's getting pretty late! Hurgh, but I don't wanna go home yet, Ren. Do you have stuff to do after this?" Futaba asked Ren, who thought about it and spoke up.

"Not really, no. I probably have Confidants I could hang with, but I can skip that for a night, if you wanted me to make some coffee or curry. Actually, make that if you wanted me to make some coffee, since I just realized that Boss hasn't yet taught me how to make curry. I mean, Kusa could make the curry if he wants, while I make the coffee, and the three of us could share a meal together, if that's what you want Futaba." Ren said. Futaba blinked in surprise.

"Really!? That sounds great! I'm glad I asked!" Futaba said as Kusa smirked and spoke up.

"Heh, I don't mind cooking up some curry for us, but keep in mind you two, it IS a school night, so Boss likely won't want us hanging out too late, unfortunately." Kusa said sagely as Futaba nodded and spoke up.

"That's true. But anyways, gotta love coffee. The smell alone is enough to kick the sleepies in the butt!" Futaba said as Kusa blinked and looked at Futaba in surprise before he chuckled and spoke up.

"Did you just call them 'the sleepies', Taba? That's both super adorable and super random, but somehow it works as well." Kusa said with an approving nod. Ren spoke up.

"As much fun as watching you two be awkward with each other is, I should probably let Boss know what we're planning." Ren said as he excused himself to go downstairs, while Morgana kept dozing in the windowsill. After a bit, Ren poured three cups of coffee. One was for himself, one was for Futaba, and the third was for Kusa, who decided to be adventurous and have a cup as well. Speaking of Kusa, he was making the curry in the kitchen while Futaba sat at the counter and spoke to Ren.

"Yup, yup! Hey, barista! The look suits you." Futaba said playfully, though the gaze she gave Ren was an intense gaze, which he figured to mean that she had high expectations of his coffee, and probably of Kusa's curry. Ren made the coffee exactly how Sojiro taught him, knowing Kusa was probably putting love into the curry and not wanting to copy Kusa if he could help it.

While all this was going on, Morgana was curled up on a stool next to Futaba, his tail lazily flicking back and forth as he looked up at the counter. As he worked, Futaba spoke up.

"Ohh! Such skills. Tell me Ren, when did you level up!?" Futaba said as Kusa smirked and walked out with three plates of readily-made curry, which he set on the counter before speaking up.

"Probably around the same time he got all his stats to max, if I had to guess. That, or when he got that massive boost to his confidence from asking Yoshizawa to the dance, according to Morgana. That said, here we go, three plates full of homemade curry, just the way Boss showed me to make it, but with a bit of extra love in it because I can." Kusa said confidently as the three dug into the curry, Futaba gasping as she spoke up between bites.

"Oh! So good! And the coffee? Amazing! Yep. The coffee is just like Sojiro's! The curry is pretty good too, though not quite at Sojiro's level yet, but really really close." Futaba said as Kusa nodded.

"That's fair. I do still have a little ways to go before I'm even close to being on Boss' level when it comes to curry making." Kusa said understandingly as Ren spoke up.

"True. And don't tease me about asking Yoshizawa to the dance, Kusa. Way I hear it, Morgana heard you asking Futaba the same thing the other night when we all gathered for that darts night. So you have no room to talk about asking a girl to the school dance." Ren said to Kusa, who shrugged as he spoke up.

"Eh, what can I say? Our mother didn't raise us to be fools, now did she Ren? Besides, do you honestly think I'm not gonna jump on the chance to be the one to escort Taba to her first school dance? Damn straight I'm doing that." Kusa said sagely as Ren nodded and spoke up.

"Fair point." Ren said as Futaba spoke up.

"Heh, who'd have guessed that in the space of one summer, I'd go from a shut-in to an outgoing young lady who's going to her first school dance, and has a couple of really cool guys for friends?" Futaba asked happily as Ren and Kusa both nodded while Futaba kept speaking.

"That said, I feel so at home when I drink this." Futaba said as Ren nodded his agreement while getting 2 'Master Coffee' items for his efforts. Futaba smirked as she spoke up.

"You know Ren, maybe some day you and/or Kusa could be the second-generation Boss of Leblanc. Just something to consider. Mwehehe." Futaba said as Kusa spoke up.

"That wouldn't be for a while, I'm sure, if it happened, since I don't see Boss stepping down from the business any time soon." Kusa said as Futaba nodded, while the three enjoyed a leisurely conversation, blue sparkling notes popping up over both Futaba and Kusa's heads as the conversation went on, and after awhile, Futaba spoke up.

"Oh! Whoa, look at the time! Gotta get home! Seeya tomorrow, guys!" Futaba said as Ren and Kusa nodded, the latter getting up to escort Futaba home while Morgana and Ren went upstairs to get comfortable for the night, the former curling up on the sofa to wait for Kusa. After a bit, Kusa came home, and scooped up Morgana so he could lay down on the couch after he got comfortable for the night, gently setting Morgana on his chest as he laid down, pulling the blanket over the two as the three dozed off for the night...

(The next morning, in the attic of Leblanc, with Ren, Kusa, and Morgana)

After Ren and Kusa got up and ready for school, their phones went off to signify a group chat with Ryuji, Ann, Yusuke, Makoto, Haru, and Futaba, with Haru sending the first response.

"Sorry for messaging you all this early in the morning. It seems my father will be holding an urgent press conference." Haru sent as Morgana spoke up.

"Hm? I guess Okumura finally had his change of heart. That has to at least lift some of the burden on Haru's shoulders." Morgana said as Ren and Kusa exchanged uncertain glances as Ryuji sent a response at that point.

"For real!?" Ryuji sent as Ann sent a response at that point.

"Congrats!" Ann sent as Makoto sent a response after that.

"When is that going to be?" Makoto asked Haru, who sent a response fairly quickly to that.

"8 pm tonight." Haru said as Makoto sent another response.

"I wonder if he'll talk about the mental shutdowns." Makoto sent as Futaba sent a response.

"Perhaps. But the real question is, where should we watch it?" Futaba sent as Makoto sent a response.

"Why don't we all get together beforehand?" Makoto sent as Ren sent a response at that point.

"That's fine Makoto, but is something on your mind?" Ren sent as Makoto sent another response.

"I don't really have a reason for meeting up, but it still might prove beneficial." Makoto sent as Haru sent a response.

"Anyway, how does the Shujin Academy rooftop sound? I actually happen to have some business up there." Haru sent as Ann and Kusa sent responses close together, with Ann's coming through first.

"Sounds good to me. It's been ages since I was last there." Ann sent as Kusa's response came through, but Futaba sent a response in ahead of it.

"Wait. Shujin Academy, as in the school?" Futaba sent as Kusa's response came through.

"Ann, I'd hardly call a couple of months 'ages', but it has been a while to be sure. That said, I think your idea works Haru, but how would we get Yusuke and Futaba up there? Last I checked neither of them are Shujin students." Kusa sent as Makoto sent a response.

"That doesn't matter if it's after school, Kusa. And Futaba, make sure you come in through the front entrance. See you all there after school." Makoto sent as Morgana spoke up.

"Hm? Wait, where's Yusuke? Ugh, if he's still asleep at this point, he's definitely going to be late for school." Morgana said as Ren and Kusa shrugged before heading to school...

(Later that morning, in class with Ren, Ann and Morgana)

"One week left until the exams, you know. You'll have no problems if you've been studying regularly this semester. That aside, I just remembered. Okumura Foods has been a hot topic lately. This much media coverage must be worth at least ten million yen. At first, I even thought that all this outcry was just some kind of elaborate marketing campaign. I guess it's giving them too much of a bad image to be that, though.

Advertising and public image are more important than anything else for a corporation. Are you familiar with a psychological test using these images? The idea is to give the two shapes names appropriate to their appearance. That said, how about you, Amamiya-kun?" Usami said to Ren, who looked up and gave Usami his full attention as he heard his name called.

"You. People were asked to name one of these shapes 'Bouba' and the other 'Kiki'. Which name was most commonly ascribed to shape B?" Usami asked Ren, who blinked at the question before he took a guess, having no honest idea on this one.

"This is it! If I had to guess Miss Usami, I'd say the answer is 'Bouba'." Ren said slightly uncertainly. Usami smiled and clapped as she spoke up.

"Yes! That's correct. Most people named B 'Bouba' and A 'Kiki'. Sharp models like K and T are linked to a spiky image. According to one theory, sounds and shapes are processed in the same area of the brain. Futhermore, this sense is the same worldwide. No matter the language, the result is the same." Usami said as the usual murmurs about Ren's intelligence were heard, complete with Morgana praising him for getting the answer right. Ren got a needless boost to his Knowledge for his efforts. Usami then kept speaking up.

"A product's name impresses an image on people before they even use or buy it. Big Bang Burger exemplifies this. The voiced consonants and short syllables leave a strong imprint. Although with the news these days, it may also evoke the image of the strong oppressing the weak." Usami said as Morgana spoke up so only Ren could hear.

"Hm, it seems that even the teachers have their eyes on Okumura, don't they?" Morgana asked Ren, who shrugged as Morgana kept speaking.

"Well, in any case, he should be having a change of heart, so there should be nothing to worry about." Morgana said before Ren frowned and spoke up.

"That is, unless something happens as a result of what Kusa mentioned about Black Mask showing up after we left, if you remember when he told us all about that." Ren said to Morgana, who blinked but nodded as the rest of class proceeded uneventfully...

(Later that afternoon at lunchtime, in homeroom with Ann, Ren and Morgana)

"All right, that's it for today." Kawakami said to her class with a closed-eye smile. After the students headed to lunch, Morgana spoke up from inside Ren's desk.

"It's finally lunchtime, huh? Man, I'm really in the mood for some bread today." Morgana said as Kawakami walked over to Ren and spoke up.

"Hey, Amamiya-kun, if you're not busy, can I speak with you for a moment?" Kawakami asked Ren, who nodded as she kept speaking.

"So, about Doctor Maruki's counseling sessions. You've already gone to see him, right?" Kawakami said to Ren, who nodded as he spoke up.

"I have gone to see him, in fact. Multiple times. He's been surprisingly helpful." Ren said. Kawakami nodded and spoke up.

"I see. I suppose that was a bad question to ask. That's good, then. I'm sure you're aware, but Doctor Maruki's term here will be ending pretty soon. The higher-ups told me to make sure you've received adequate counseling from him. Surprisingly, they didn't seem to make that same request for most of the other people who were told that seeing Doctor Maruki is mandatory. Be sure to visit him so you don't bring any unwanted attention to yourself, okay?" Kawakami said as Ren nodded and Kawakami walked off before Morgana spoke up.

"Counseling, eh? I'm surprised you're the one getting this warning, and not Kusa. After all, as I recall, Kusa was the one of us who took the longest to finally start going to sessions with him, but once he went, he seemed to relax to the idea a good bit. But anyway, let's go get lunch, Ren! Bring on the bread!" Morgana said as Ren sweatdropped before nodding as he headed to get lunch, blinking as he heard his name called from behind, turning around and smiling as he saw Kasumi walking up to him, stopping so she could catch up, after which she smiled at Ren as she spoke up.

"Ah, Ren-senpai. So nice to see you!" Kasumi said as Ren smiled and spoke up.

"Nice to see you too, Sumi. How've you been?" Ren asked Kasumi conversationally. Kasumi gave him a closed-eye smile for his question before speaking up.

"I've been doing quite well. Are you also about to eat lunch, Ren-senpai?" Kasumi asked and gave a closed-eye smile when Ren nodded before she spoke up.

"I see. In that case, if it's all right with you, would you mind eating together?" Kasumi asked Ren, who smiled and spoke up.

"I'd love to get lunch with you, Sumi. Good idea." Ren said agreeably with a nod. Before Kasumi could reply, footsteps could be heard from Ren's other side, making him and Kasumi turn to see Maruki walking up as he spoke up.

"Ah, how nice to see you two together." Maruki said as Kasumi smiled at Maruki and spoke up, not seeing the slight wince on Ren's face at Maruki's presence as she spoke up.

"Oh, would you like to join us for lunch, Doctor Maruki? We were just discussing eating together." Kasumi asked Maruki, who blinked at the question before speaking up.

"Are you sure, Yoshizawa-san? I get the sense Amamiya-kun the elder here wasn't planning on me tagging along." Maruki said before Ren forced a smile on his face and spoke up.

"No, it's fine Doc. I just didn't expect you'd show up right after Kasumi did, that's all." Ren said reassuringly, even though he was cursing up a blue streak in his head at Maruki's timing, as he was excited to share a one-on-one lunch with Kasumi, as he'd not gotten to do that in a while. But he also knew he couldn't be selfish. Maruki spoke up.

"Are you sure, Amamiya-kun the elder? Well, maybe I will tag along, then. To be honest, I'm surprised Amamiya-kun the younger didn't also walk up." Maruki said as Kasumi spoke up.

"Oh, you mean Kusa? He said something about going off-campus to have lunch with a friend, so I doubt he'd have joined us regardless." Kasumi said as Ren smirked, guessing that said 'friend' was most likely Futaba, probably as a way to get her onto the campus for after school. Maruki spoke up.

"I see. Well then, shall we?" Maruki said as Ren and Kasumi nodded, the three going to get lunch. After they got their food and had a seat at a bench in the courtyard to eat, Maruki blinked at how big Kasumi's meal was and spoke up.

"Umm, is that massive spread, is that your lunch, Yoshizawa-san?" Maruki asked Kasumi as Ren chuckled and spoke up.

"Yep, that's all Kasumi's. She's a growing lady, as well as an athlete, after all." Ren said with a smirk. Maruki blinked at Ren's response and spoke up.

"That doesn't really answer my question, Amamiya-kun the elder." Maruki said as Kasumi nodded and spoke up.

"I have to eat this much to stay active. I always burn through everything I eat! From my point of view, it's your two lunches that are the issue here. If you're going to strengthen your body, you have to eat right. You should really work on your diets." Kasumi said, frowning at the burger that Ren had next to him and the square meal and juice box that Maruki had next to him. Maruki chuckled as he spoke up, impressed at Kasumi's comeback.

"Hahaha, touche, Yoshizawa-san. And you're right, yours does look nutritious. You know, to be honest? You seem to be giving off a different vibe lately, Yoshizawa-san." Maruki said as Kasumi smiled and nodded before she spoke up.

"Yes! I was able to put my problems in the past and move on." Kasumi said as Maruki nodded and spoke up.

"Ah, so that's what it is! You don't seem to be overexerting yourself, either." Maruki said as Kasumi giggled and gave Ren and Maruki a closed-eye smile as she spoke up.

"I'm sorry I'd worried you." Kasumi said as Maruki smiled, shaking his head as he spoke up.

"Oh, not at all. It's wonderful to hear how you've been. I must admit, I'm a bit surprised. If you don't mind my asking, was there some kind of reason for this breakthrough?" Maruki asked Kasumi, who winced at the question as she spoke up.

"Well, to be honest? It's all thanks to Ren-senpai here and his acquaintances, but mostly to Ren-senpai and Kusa, since they've both been very good friends to me of recent, Ren-senpai moreso than Kusa, but Kusa has his moments." Kasumi said as Ren smiled happily at Kasumi praising him. Kasumi then smiled as she kept speaking.l

"I suppose you could say they gave me a reason to rethink things. Or, more like a reason to stand up to my problems." Kasumi said before turning to Ren with a smile as she spoke up.

"Isn't that right, Ren-senpai?" Kasumi said to Ren, who nodded as he spoke up happily.

"Yep, that's right, Kasumi. Glad Kusa and I could help. You're certainly miles better off than when I first met you. Back then, you were so quiet, and almost reserved, but now you're bold, sociable, and even confident to an extent. I'm honestly proud of how far you've come in the couple months we've known each other." Ren said proudly. Kasumi gave Ren a closed-eye smile as Maruki spoke up in surprise.

"Oh? Stand up to your problems, eh? I see. You've grown to be very strong, Yoshizawa-san." Maruki said in surprise as Kasumi nodded and spoke up with a closed-eye smile.

"Mm-hm! I'm totally over it now! Sorry for talking so much. Why don't we focus on our lunches? Thanks for the food!" Kasumi said as the three dug into their meals. After the trio had finished eating, Kasumi frowned as she spoke up.

"Ah, I forgot. I have PE next. I should get going. Please excuse me!" Kasumi said as she walked off, Ren smiling as he watched her walk off, not hearing Maruki speak up at first.

"Yoshizawa-san really does seem to have found her footing. She seemed absolutely tormented about her situation just the other day, you know. I have to say, this drastic change has really knocked me for a loop. Perhaps the Phantom Thieves changed her heart?" Maruki said as Ren shrugged and spoke up.

"Who knows, Doc? Anything's possible, after all." Ren said sagely. Maruki chuckled as he spoke up.

"Haha, I was just joking." Maruki said as the bell chose that moment to go off, making Maruki speak up once more.

"Looks like time's up. You should head back to class as well." Maruki said to Ren, who nodded and got up to head to classes as Maruki spoke up again.

"See you around." Maruki said to Ren, who nodded as he walked off to get to class, leaving Maruki to sit at the bench alone as he mused to himself.

"Hm. Maybe Amamiya-kun the elder has more to him than I first thought? Either way, I still stand by my thought that his brother will probably be the better choice when the time comes." Maruki said ominously to himself...

(A bit later, in class with Ren, Ann and Morgana)

Ren and Ann's phones went off to signify a group chat with Ryuji, Kusa, Yusuke, Makoto, Haru, and Futaba, with Ryuji sending the first response.

"You wanna meet up on the rooftop after school, yeah?" Ryuji sent as Yusuke sent a response.

"Rooftop? What is this about?" Yusuke sent as Ann sent a response at that point.

"Oh yeah, you weren't there." Ann sent as Makoto sent a response.

"Can you come to our school rooftop after your classes today?" Makoto sent as Yusuke sent a response.

"I don't quite understand what is going on, but sure." Yusuke sent as Kusa sent a response.

"In a nutshell, we're all gathering for a watch party, Yusuke. Apparently Haru's dad called an urgent press conference this morning, and she wants us to watch it together." Kusa sent as Futaba sent a response.

"What Kusa said. Speaking of Haru, is she at school?" Futaba sent as Haru sent a response.

"I'm heading over now. Things were a little hectic this morning. I'll be there before classes end for the day." Haru sent as Makoto sent a response.

"That reminds me Haru, your flowerbed is on the rooftop." Makoto sent as both Kusa and Ren sent responses, Kusa's coming through first.

"Flowerbed, you say?" Kusa sent as Ren's response came through.

"What Kusa said. I didn't know about there being a flowerbed on the rooftop." Ren sent. Haru sent a response.

"Yes Kusa-kun, a flowerbed. I plant flowers from time to time at school. That said, that's right Ren! The season is good, so I'm thinking of transplanting them sometime soon." Haru sent as Yusuke sent a response.

"Flowers are an excellent hobby. I will gladly assist you, Haru." Yusuke sent as Ann sent a response.

"We'll help too. All of us." Ann sent as Haru sent a response.

"Really? Thanks! All right, I'll see all of you after school." Haru sent as Kusa sent a response.

"Might have to smuggle Taba in, but we should all be there." Kusa sent teasingly as Futaba sent a response.

"Gee thanks, Kusa, way to make me sound like contraband there. You're lucky you're cute." Futaba sent as Ren put his phone away and the rest of class went uneventfully...

(After school, on the rooftop with Futaba, Kusa, Morgana, Ren, Makoto, Yusuke, Haru, Ann, and Ryuji)

"Ah, so you're the one who grew these, Senpai." Ann said to Haru, who giggled and spoke up.

"I don't mind the 'Senpai' and stuff, but you can just call me Haru." Haru said to Ann before she kept speaking.

"The seasons are changing soon, so I thought it'd be nice for the plants to change as well. This time, it's a Yusuke Kitagawa production." Haru said as Kusa and Ren blinked at the mention of Yusuke producing plants. Kusa spoke up.

"No offense to Yusuke, but since when does one handle productions with plants in them?" Kusa asked in confusion as Ren nodded his agreement. Yusuke spoke up.

"It's a figure of speech, Kusa. That said, you're overselling it, Haru. All I did was add some, uh, how do I put it exactly? Ah, let's go with aesthetic simplicity by balancing their placement. Furthermore, Haru chose the flowers herself. it will surely be a great bed no matter the arrangement." Yusuke said as Makoto did a closed-eye smile and spoke up.

"Hm, I'm looking forward to it." Makoto said as Futaba giggled and looked at Morgana teasingly while she spoke up.

"Heh, why don't we plant YOU, Mona?" Futaba said to a wide-eyed Morgana, who'd turned to face Futaba, as Kusa spoke up.

"Now Taba, you know Morgana isn't something you can plant. Besides, I don't think he'd take root if we planted him, and he's our friend, so why would we put him through that? Don't be such a dork. A cute dork granted, but a dork nonetheless." Kusa gently rebuked Futaba. Morgana huffed at Futaba and spoke up.

"You're one to talk, Futaba! Weren't you a shut-in until just recently? You'd better photosynthesize while you're here!" Morgana said to Futaba as Kusa spoke up.

"Now, now, no need to fight. So let's try and get along, you two. And Morgana, I don't think humans can photosynthesize." Kusa said rebukingly to Morgana as Haru giggled at Kusa's remark and spoke up.

"Good point, Kusa-kun." Haru said, before getting a closed-eye smile on her face as she spoke up.

"And on that note, well, let's get started!" Haru said as the group starting helping her transplant the plants, Yusuke using his hands to synthesize a frame as he spoke up.

"Perhaps the snapdragon should go two more millimeters to the left, I think." Yusuke said as Ann frowned and spoke up.

"That's not gonna make a difference!" Ann said as Ryuji spoke up.

"Hey, y'know how we're thinkin' of the school festival as our celebration party? Anyone else think we should have a real celebration on top of that?" Ryuji asked as Yusuke nodded and spoke up.

"I must agree. It would not only be a celebration, but a welcoming as well. I'd like to do something among ourselves." Yusuke said as Ann did a closed-eye smile and spoke up.

"Let's do it then! A joint party to celebrate and to welcome Haru!" Ann said as Haru smiled and spoke up.

"Oh, you don't have to do that. The school festival is more than enough." Haru said as Morgana spoke up with a huff.

"How's everyone supposed to get excited if the star of the party's not into it?" Morgana asked as Kusa spoke up.

"You do realize these are technically considered optional, right Morgana? Haru doesn't have to get excited about this if she doesn't want to? Besides, she has good reason to not be excited, given what's been going on around her recently." Kusa pointed out to Morgana. Haru smiled at Kusa as she spoke up.

"That's true, Kusa, but Morgana-chan has a point too. Hm, well then, in that case, how about a night party?" Haru said as Kusa blinked and spoke up.

"A night party, you say?" Kusa asked with a frown. Haru nodded.

"Yes, a night party. At Destinyland." Haru said as the others all blinked and Makoto spoke up in shock.

"By Destinyland, do you mean that kingdom of dreams?" Makoto asked as Kusa smirked at Makoto's reaction before he spoke up.

"Oh? Is someone a fan of Destinyland? I wouldn't know about that, as Ren and I have yet to check that place out." Kusa said as Makoto nodded before Haru spoke up.

"Correct. It would be a bit late, but there are some plans that allow us to rent out the park for the night." Haru said as Ann spoke up with wide eyes.

"The entire park!? You're talking about THE Destinyland, right?" Ann asked Haru, who nodded as she spoke up.

"Yes. Didn't you say you'd like to do something amongst ourselves?" Haru asked as Yusuke nodded and spoke up.

"I did, but isn't that place rather pricey to rent out?" Yusuke asked as Kusa nodded and spoke up.

"Good point, Yusuke. And I know some of us probably haven't got the money on hand to really afford much there, so odds are better than fair that at least a couple of us will probably have to lean on Haru a bit financially if we do this. Luckily, I've been saving up a bit, so I can cover some of it as well to an extent, if needed. But I'd rather not put too big a dent into my savings if I can at all help it." Kusa said as Haru smiled and spoke up.

"That's true, Kusa-kun. But I don't mind footing the bill if needed. Hold on. I'll go check the prices and availability." Haru said as she walked off, at which point Ann winced and spoke up.

"She really thinks like a celebrity, doesn't she?" Ann said as Kusa spoke up.

"Well, to be fair, her dad IS the head of Okumura Foods and is on the news a lot. And you say that like it's the first time we've met someone who has connections to the news. Or need I remind you of our trip to that TV studio back in June where we met Akechi-kun?" Kusa said sagely. Ann nodded and spoke up.

"Good point, Kusa." Ann said as Ryuji frowned and stood up while he spoke up.

"Better question though, what's Haru gonna check?" Ryuji asked as Haru chose then to walk back up and speak up with a closed-eye smile on her face.

"Guys! It looks like it will work!" Haru said as Ann's jaw dropped and she spoke up.

"We're really gonna have it at Destinyland? Not like, one of the restaurants, but the entire park!?" Ann asked as Futaba spoke up with wide eyes.

"Not only that, but Kusa and Yusuke were right before about the prices. I checked before out of curiosity, and even just for one night renting the entire park, the price is insane for that place!" Futaba said as Haru smiled and spoke up.

"Oh, that won't be a problem. We had originally booked it for a company party, but had to call it off because of the scandal that happened. We'd barely get anything back if we canceled the reservation, so why not take advantage of it?" Haru said as Yusuke frowned and spoke up.

"That works, but wouldn't that also be oddly conspicuous though?" Yusuke asked as Kusa nodded his agreement. Haru smiled as she spoke up.

"Not at all. It's officially under the company's name. We needn't worry." Haru said as Ryuji grinned excitedly and spoke up.

"Oh yeah? In that case, I don't know about the rest of you, but I say let's do this. We'll just celebrate twice as hard today!" Ryuji said with a closed-eye grin. Kusa spoke up.

"I agree. We do deserve to celebrate a bit. Plus, if I'm right, this would be the first time that not only Futaba, but myself and Ren, have been to Destinyland, so that already makes it kind of exciting in and of itself." Kusa said with a smirk. Futaba smiled as she spoke up.

"Oh, so the three of us have a first we're sharing together!? Mwehehe, cool." Futaba said with a grin as Haru spoke up.

"I'm sorry for disrupting everyone. You did come to help me, after all. Well, let's get back to it!" Haru said as Ryuji spoke up, looking over at Futaba as he spoke.

"So, seriously. How much does it cost?" Ryuji said as Futaba quoted a price to Ryuji that made his eyes go huge as he yelled out 'FOR REAL!?' as Futaba and Kusa chuckled and nodded, while Ren just smiled and noted to himself that it seems like the group will be having its' celebration at Destinyland tonight, which should be fun. After that, the group finished helping Haru with planting her plants...

(That evening at Destinyland, with Haru, Ann, Ryuji, Ren, Kusa, Futaba, Makoto, Yusuke, and Morgana)

"Mm, that was delicious." Makoto said as the group ate the food that was presented to them. Yusuke smiled as he spoke up.

"The food was arranged on my plate as though it were paint on a canvas." Yusuke said as Ann spoke up, her eyes wide, not even reacting to the cat ears she had on her head, which she'd gotten at the same time that Ryuji, Futaba and Kusa had all gotten various ears for their heads. For Ryuji, he got a pair of koala ears. For Futaba, she'd opted for a pair of Mad Hatter-type rabbit ears, and Kusa managed somehow to find a pair of chipmunk ears that Futaba had talked him into wearing, claiming they looked cute on him, making Kusa huff but nod as he put the ears on for Futaba, ignoring the amused grins on Ren and Ryuji's faces as they stifled laughter at how doofy Kusa looked with the chipmunk ears on his head. Haru smiled as she spoke up.

"True. I asked them to do that. I thought if we were going to dine together, it would be better to do it somewhere with a view." Haru said as Kusa spoke up.

"You'll hear no arguments from me. I mean, this place is insane! Great food, killer view, cool novelty items, and even a fancy atmosphere! I'm glad Ren, Futaba and I all had our first time here be with you guys." Kusa said with a smile as Ann spoke up with a closed-eye smile.

"Right!? The VIP life is incredible!" Ann said as she kept speaking.

"Then again, not that I'd expect anything else from a private rental!" Ann said happily as Makoto spoke up.

"There really is no one else here." Makoto said as Kusa nodded.

"Yep, it's just the nine of us here." Kusa said, smirking as he looked over at Morgana, who was sitting happily next to Ann. Futaba then spoke up happily with a smile.

"We are the rulers of the kingdom of dreams!" Futaba said as Kusa smirked and spoke up.

"Hmm, yeah I could see Futaba as the queen of a kingdom of dreams. She's got the imagination for it, if nothing else. Granted, I think we'd go the lady of the kingdom of dreams, since Makoto kinda already has dibs on being queen." Kusa said sagely as Makoto nodded and spoke up.

"You're not wrong, Kusa-kun. That said, so tell me Haru, is this lighting just for our sake as well?" Makoto asked as Haru nodded and spoke up.

"That's right." Haru said as Yusuke smiled and spoke up.

"It's beautiful." Yusuke said as Kusa smirked and spoke up, grinning at Ren as he spoke up.

"And then, this would be the part where if any of us were actually in a couple, we'd probably look over at the person we were with and say some line to the effect of 'but not as beautiful as you'." Kusa said with a smirk, making Morgana blink at Kusa's remark, while Futaba shyly smiled, liking that Kusa found a way to work that line in, even if he wasn't directly complimenting her. Futaba smirked as she spoke up.

"Yeah, that's exactly how that line goes, Kusa. Though it's also said as 'But it's not as beautiful as you', I think. Granted, I think a couple of us could've used that line on their crushes here, like perhaps you and Ryuji?" Futaba said slyly before Kusa spoke up.

"If you think about it Taba, didn't I use that line on you just now?" Kusa pointed out calmly. Futaba blinked but nodded as she spoke up.

"Touche. You did say that. Anyways, that's the kinda stuff couples say, right?" Futaba asked as Ren spoke up.

"Yeah. Technically, of all of us here, the only three not likely in a potential couple as of now are Morgana, Haru and Yusuke. The rest of us all either are in a relationship, are waiting to make it happen, or are denying they feel that way about their crush. Though given the way they act around each other, maybe we could say Kusa and Fuitaba are pretty much in a relationship already?" Ren said teasingly as Kusa spoke up with a glare.

"Not funny, Ren! And for the record, the only ones here who haven't asked someone to the school dance coming up would be Ann, Ryuji, Makoto, and Haru. Yusuke doesn't go to our school, so I don't count him, and Futaba's still technically a home-school student for all intents and purposes. And well, Morgana gets a pass because of his current form. So I think some of us have a move to be getting on." Kusa said sagely. After a brief silence ensued after Kusa's comeback, Ann did a closed-eye laugh and spoke up.

"True, but almost anyone would fall for that line in front of a sight like this!" Ann said as Morgana blinked before smirking as he got an idea and spoke up.

"Lady Ann, this view is not as beautiful as-" Morgana started to say before Ryuji inadvertently cut across Morgana while speaking up.

"C'mon, you guys are gettin' way to excited about this stuff." Ryuji said with a grin as Kusa spoke up.

"Oh, yeah? So you're saying if the opportunity presented itself, you wouldn't want to enjoy this view one on one with your crush, Ryuji? Because I think she's quite the fan of Destinyland, eh Makoto?" Kusa said as both Ryuji and Makoto's eyes widened at Kusa's remark while Ren, Ann and Futaba laughed at Kusa basically throwing Ryuji and Makoto under the bus about their feelings for one another. Morgana, for his part, growled at Ryuji unintentionally messing up his attempt to look cool for Ann, who did a closed-eye smile and giggled at Ryuji as she spoke up.

"You say that like you're not tapping into your inner child too, Ryuji." Ann said, pointing at the koala ears currently sitting on Ryuji's head as Ryuji huffed and spoke up.

"This is just 'cause Futaba kept naggin' me to put 'em on!" Ryuji said as Kusa grinned and spoke up.

"You sure about that? Way I recall it, Futaba was begging me to put these chipmunk ears on in that super-cutesy way she has of persuading people, and Makoto was asking you to model those koala ears for her." Kusa said with a smirk. Futaba huffed at Ryuji and spoke up.

"I did not, Ryuji! And Kusa, you say that like you mind wearing those ears. As far as I can tell, you're perfectly comfortable rockin' that look." Futaba said. Ryuji frowned and spoke up.

"Yes, I'm sure. Makoto might have also been involved, but I distinctly remember Futaba egging it on too. And you said somethin' like that, Futaba!" Ryuji said. Ren smirked and spoke up.

"Y'know, they say fighting brings you closer. But whoever said that wasn't accounting for guys in doofy-looking costume ears. That said, Ryuji, you're the closest one to being an adult of the two of you, so act like it please." Ren said with a grin as Kusa smirked and spoke up.

"Well said, Ren. Besides, Ryuji knows that teasing Taba is my job, and to a point yours, though you moreso have dibs on teasing Yoshizawa." Kusa said smugly as Ryuji spoke up.

"Well, yeah, you're right Ren. But at the same time, I hope you don't just expect me to sit there after Kusa called me and Makoto out like he did." Ryuji said huffily. Kusa grinned and spoke up.

"Is it really calling you two out if I'm merely stating the truth as the rest of us see it?" Kusa said facetiously as Ann giggled and spoke up while looking at Ryuji.

"Whoa Ryuji, look at you being all obedient! Is the Destinyland charm rubbing off on you?" Ann asked as Kusa grinned and spoke up.

"Probably more like his determination to impress a certain someone is rubbing off on him and making him try to act mature." Kusa joked as Yusuke laughed, both at Kusa's joke and at the whole situation before he spoke up with a closed-eye smile.

"My, this is so heartwarming!" Yusuke said as Kusa smirked and spoke up, nodding as he spoke.

"Isn't it, though? I might give Ryuji crap, but I'm just being playful. I mean no harm or offense by it. That said, this place is great. We should try to set up more parties here." Kusa said as Haru spoke up.

"Glad you like it here, Kusa-kun. Honestly though, I would've liked to see the parade as well. But given how sudden the request was, they couldn't get enough staff together to do it." Haru said as Kusa shrugged and spoke up.

"Eh, better we got to come here at all, even if we have to give the parade a miss, than not get to come at all, am I right?" Kusa said as Makoto nodded and spoke up.

"Agreed. Perhaps that will have to wait until next time." Makoto said as Ryuji did a closed-eye grin and spoke up.

"Either way, this party's the best one so far! It's freakin' amazing!" Ryuji said happily. The others nodded their agreement as Haru smiled and spoke up.

"I'm glad to see you're enjoying it." Haru said as Morgana smirked and spoke up.

"Be careful, Haru. You've shown these guys what luxury means. This'll really raise the bar for our next celebration party." Morgana said as Yusuke chuckled and spoke up.

"You're already talking about our next party, Morgana? Don't you think that's somewhat premature?" Yusuke asked as Kusa nodded and spoke up.

"Agreed, Yusuke. And I like how Morgana says that like he was excluded from the luxury Haru supposedly showed us." Kusa said with a smirk as the group laughed, as Morgana spoke up and said 'And the next party'll be for me!', to which Kusa smirked and replied 'Keep dreamin', Morgana-sensei. Keep dreamin'.', before Haru spoke up.

"Still, even then, the thing is, how do I put this? I met Mona-chan, got to know you all, even if I didn't initially get to know Kusa-kun at first until after he reconciled with the group, and became part of the group again. But even so, isn't everything going a little too perfectly?" Haru asked as Kusa spoke up.

"Just a bit, but then you know what they say about things going too perfectly. They usually can't go too perfectly without the other shoe eventually dropping, so to speak." Kusa said. Haru nodded and spoke up.

"Good point, Kusa-kun. It's actually a bit frightening, if I'm being honest." Haru said as Morgana spoke up.

"You worry too much, Haru." Morgana said as Ren and Kusa frowned, the former speaking up.

"And sometimes you don't worry enough, Morgana, so it balances out somewhat." Ren said bluntly. Haru chuckled and spoke up.

"Good point, Ren-kun. I must just be overly cautious because of my circumstances up till recently. I'm sorry for bringing it up." Haru said as Ren spoke up.

"Don't worry about it, Haru. It's actually nice to see you being realistic. At least Kusa's not the only one who does that." Ren said as Kusa huffed, but Ann spoke up before he could respond to Ren's shot at him.

"Hey, isn't it almost time? You know, for the press conference." Ann said as the group pulled out their phones and Ryuji spoke up with a grin.

"Ooh, perfect timin'!" Ryuji said as Haru spoke up with a wary frown on her face.

"Father, please tell me this means your heart has changed." Haru said as Kusa spoke up.

"Try to keep the faith, Haru. Hopefully this means we did our job right and he's about to confess his crimes." Kusa said as Futaba nodded, resting lightly on Kusa so she could watch the conference on his phone screen over his shoulder as the group tuned in to watch the conference...

(At the press conference, with Haru's father)

**Trigger Warning: Graphic content, slight gore. If you don't want to read, skip down to the section marked **Trigger Warning end**, otherwise read on at own risk**

"Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to gather here. Today, I'd like to elaborate upon the whole truth behind my company's labor situation." President Okumura said as cameras flashed while he kept speaking.

"How my employees were forced to work under severe conditions, how, well, lax we were with sanitation at our workplace. And how my corporation acted as a whole to contain and cover up every facet of this scandal. For all of this, I wholeheartedly apologize." President Okumura said as he bowed and a reporter spoke up.

"So, are you saying all of this was done under your orders?" The calm journalist asked President Okumura, who nodded and spoke up.

"Yes. I, and I alone, am solely responsible for all of it." President Okumura said as another reporter spoke up.

"We heard that dozens of your employees were forced to resign due to mysterious illness. Furthermore, these happened to be officials who stood against your proposal for overseas expansion. The same thing also happened to executives at competing companies who were looking to expand abroad. Is all of this true?" The reporter asked as Okumura spoke up once more with a nod.

"Yes, it's true." President Okumura said as the reporter spoke up once more.

"Was it all coincidence?" The reporter said as President Okumura looked away and the reporter kept speaking.

"We'd like some answers." The reporter said as President Okumura took a breath before he spoke up again.

"About that. Actually, I have a critical piece of information to announce here today." President Okumura said.

(Back with Haru, Ryuji, Ren, Kusa, Futaba, Makoto, Yusuke, Morgana, and Ann)

"Here it comes. Okumura's going to say who's really behind the mental shutdowns." Morgana said as Kusa frowned, hoping the bad feeling he was getting in his gut was wrong...

(Back with the press conference)

"I...Ngh...A-Agh...Ah..." President Okumura started to say before grabbing his chest and groaning as his eyes rolled back into his head and he started groaning as he slumped face-forward, dripping black liquid from his mouth, causing several reporters to panic, and the journalist from before to frown.

"Okumura-san?" The calm journalist said in confusion as a woman screamed when Okumura's head lifted up to show trails of black liquid down his face and his eyes rolled back into the back of his head, looking rather like a zombie, making the producers panic and gesture for the cameraman to cut the feed which cut to a shot of some puppies on a screen...

**Trigger Warning end**

(Back at Destinyland with Haru, Ryuji, Ren, Kusa, Futaba, Makoto, Yusuke, Morgana, and Ann)

"Huh, what just happened?" Ann asked in confusion as the rest of the group had horrified looks on their faces at what they'd just seen, the girls moreso than the guys, and Kusa was literally holding Futaba to comfort her after she buried her face into his shirt in fear as Okumura's face was shown with the liquid on it, gently running his fingers through her hair comfortingly. Haru gasped and spoke up.

"F-Father!?" Haru asked as Ann spoke up in confusion.

"Wh-Why did he collapse!?" Ann asked as Makoto frowned and spoke up.

"That didn't look right at all, you guys. Oh! Don't tell me, did we mess it up?" Makoto asked as Kusa's eyes hardened and he spoke up.

"No, Makoto. We didn't mess this up. This is no doubt a direct result of when that bastard Black Mask shot Okumura's Shadow through the chest those three times. So if anything, I'm the one that messed up by not being able to protect him like I said I would, so this one's on me for not being able to stop Black Mask. Sorry, guys." Kusa said with a wince. Haru gasped at this and turned to Morgana in horror.

"Mona-chan, what's going on?" Haru asked Morgana, whose eyes had widened at Kusa's words and he spoke up.

"No, Black Mask killed President Okumura? That's impossible!" Morgana said as Ren frowned and looked at Kusa before speaking up.

"You said you saw Okumura's Shadow last, Kusa! So tell me again. What happened!?" Ren asked Kusa, who spoke up.

"It's as I said before, Ren. I was watching over him to try and get him to return to his real self, when I heard footsteps, and the next thing I knew a gunshot rang out and Okumura's Shadow clutched his chest as he hit the ground, though he eventually got to his feet long enough to ask me to watch over Haru for him, at which point Black Mask showed himself and put two more bullets through the chest of Okumura's Shadow, destroying it utterly." Kusa said. Morgana winced at this as Ren spoke up.

"Despite that, everything else happened the same. Why did this change of heart go wrong when the others didn't?" Ren asked as Morgana spoke up.

"I want to know that myself! We made sure we just took the Treasure too. I think it might be as Kusa says, and Black Mask is to blame for this." Morgana said as Kusa groaned and swore under his breath before he spoke up.

"Damn that murdering son of a bitch to hell! We need to train more, so we can be strong enough to challenge him if we see him again! He's not getting away with this!" Kusa vowed resolutely. Haru gasped and spoke up.

"Oh! I should call home!" Haru said as Ann spoke up in fear.

"This, this isn't our fault at all, is it? It's been okay all four times so far, ever since Kamoshida!" Ann asked in horror as Kusa spoke up.

"No, this is in no way our fault, other than being my fault to an extent for being unable to effectively stop Black Mask. I even tackled the bastard to the ground to stop him from shooting Okumura's Shadow, but he socked me in the gut to knock the wind out of me before he pushed me aside like I was nothing, and even taunted me about how lucky I was he was sparing me. But he then told me, and I quote, 'I'm impressed you were able to detect me. For that alone, I'm sparing you, such that we might pit our skills against one another when and if we meet again.', making me think he intends to run into us again sometime. So we need to be ready for when that day comes." Kusa said. Makoto spoke up.

"If we let the Shadow live, the real person won't undergo mental shutdown at all, right?" Makoto asked as Morgana frowned and spoke up.

"That's how it should work, at least. But I think Kusa's right and we can blame this on Black Mask since from what Kusa's said, Black Mask shot and destroyed the Shadow of Okumura, despite Kusa's best efforts to prevent it." Morgana said as Ryuji nodded and spoke up.

"Y-Yeah, man. It's gotta be." Ryuji said as Futaba gasped in horror and spoke up.

"A-Ah, no way." Futaba said, shuddering as Kusa put his arms around Futaba protectively as Yusuke frowned and spoke up.

"Futaba, what's wrong?" Yusuke asked as Futaba stuttered out words that made Kusa's eyes both harden and narrow dangerously at what Futaba said.

"Th-This is, this is the same as when my mom died. I remember now, what happened just now to President Okumura, it's just like that day, and what happened to my mom afterward." Futaba said as Kusa gently hugged Futaba comfortingly and spoke up.

"Black Mask, you murdering son of a bitch! It's not enough you made me look a fool that day and destroyed Okumura's Shadow, but you also took Taba's mom from her!? Ooh, that tears it! If we do run into that bastard again, his ass is mine! He isn't effing allowed to get away with making Taba cry like that!" Kusa snapped angrily, working to keep his temper in check, even though he wanted to find Black Mask and rip him limb from limb with his bare hands for making Futaba cry. Yusuke spoke up and changed the subject, luckily for Kusa.

"So this is the moment when mental shutdown occurs in a victim, is it?" Yusuke said as Makoto frowned and spoke up.

"But why did they target Okumura-san?" Makoto asked as Ren spoke up.

"Odds are he knew too much and was silenced to prevent a data leak, like with Kobayakawa." Ren said as Ryuji frowned and swore as he spoke up.

"Dammit! The hell's goin' on here!?" Ryuji asked as Haru winced and spoke up.

"Um, I'm sorry guys, but I have to go. I'll talk to the staff before I leave. Feel free to take your time and enjoy yourselves here, if you can." Haru said as she ran off, looking close to crying, as Ann spoke up in concern.

"Haru!" Ann said as Kusa spoke up gently while giving Ann a reassuring look.

"Let her be, Ann. She probably needs time to process things, and come to terms with her loss. Let's give Haru her space." Kusa said, now a bit calmer, probably from Futaba hugging him tightly as her head rested on Kusa's shoulder. Ryuji spoke up in concern.

"This ain't our fault, right?" Ryuji asked as Yusuke frowned and spoke up.

"I'd like to think so, but if we couldn't prevent Black Mask from undermining our efforts, Kusa might be right and it is somewhat our faults." Yusuke said as Ann sighed and spoke up.

"Some welcoming party, huh guys?" Ann said as Makoto nodded and spoke up in a serious tone.

"I'll get in contact with Haru later. But for today, I think we should all return home." Makoto said as the group nodded reluctantly and went home...

(Meanwhile, around that same time with Sae and Akechi)

"It's been a while, hasn't it Sae-san?" Akechi said to Sae conversationally after walking up to her. He then blinked and spoke up.

"What are you watching?" Akechi asked before gasping as he saw what was on the screen before covering his face and speaking up.

"That's-!" Akechi said, looking like he wanted to hurl as Sae spoke up.

"This is just a hypothesis, mind you. But perhaps Okumura was bitten by his lapdog." Sae said as Akechi blinked and spoke up.

"Oh? Are you implying that the Phantom Thieves triggered a sudden mental shutdown on Okumura?" Akechi asked as Sae nodded and spoke up.

"Think about it. There might have been a falling out of sorts, and the Phantom Thieves abandoned a useless employer. But then it gets worse. And then, to cover their tracks, they dealt with Okumura." Sae said as Akechi winced and spoke up.

"I hate to bring this up, but I'm actually here about that." Akechi said as Sae spoke up.

"Did you find any evidence?" Sae asked Akechi, who shook his head and spoke up, a serious look on his face as he spoke up.

"No. Actually, there's a chance that the party behind these aren't the Phantom Thieves, but someone else." Akechi said to Sae, who frowned and spoke up.

"How do you mean, Akechi? You were suspecting the Phantom Thieves as well." Sae said as Akechi spoke up.

"It is still hypothetical at this point, but even so, I don't want to rule it out." Akechi said as Sae frowned and spoke up.

"Regardless, we're searching the Okumura residence tomorrow. Same with Shujin and its principal. We will find evidence on this case, no matter what it takes. Oh and Akechi?" Sae said to Akechi, who blinked and spoke up.

"Yes, Sae-san?" Akechi asked as Sae spoke up, an unreadable look on her face as she spoke up.

"I'm glad you're here right now. By the way, I wanted to ask you something." Sae said to Akechi, who frowned and spoke up.

"Yes?" Akechi said in confusion. Sae frowned and spoke up.

"I'll be blunt. You haven't looked at my laptop or taken files from it without my permission, have you?" Sae asked Akechi, who frowned at the question before he spoke up.

"That's quite out of the blue." Akechi said, his face showing how offended he was by the question as Sae spoke up.

"There were traces that someone transferred data from it. It was only a small error popup, but still, I noticed it immediately after that argument I had with you last month." Sae said bluntly as Akechi scoffed and spoke up, hurt in his voice as he spoke.

"And that's why you suspect me? Oh please, give me a break." Akechi said as Sae frowned and spoke up.

"Are you saying you didn't?" Sae asked Akechi. Akechi frowned at Sae and spoke up.

"Of course I didn't! As a detective myself, I honor the value of information, as well as the effort invested in it. I take pride in what I do. I thought you of all people would understand such values, Sae-san." Akechi said as he turned away and Sae frowned and spoke up.

"I see. Very well, I apologize." Sae said as Akechi stalked off angrily, leaving Sae to frown as she spoke up to herself.

"But if Akechi didn't do it, then who stole my data? Ugh, dammit. I let my guard down. They're mine! In the end, I'm the one who will catch them!" Sae vowed to herself...

(That evening, at Leblanc, with Morgana and Ren)

Ren's phone went off as he and Morgana sat on the bed to signify a group chat with Ryuji, Ann, Kusa, Yusuke, Makoto, Haru, and Futaba, with Ryuji sending the first response.

"So about Haru's dad, well you know. Uh, how do I put this? Sorry for your loss, Haru." Ryuji sent solemnly as Ann sent a response.

"The news said it was a cardiac arrest apparently." Ann sent as Ryuji sent a response.

"Then there's a chance he'll pull through, right?" Ryuji sent as Makoto sent a response.

"I hate to say this, I really do. But usually, after such a report, the only thing that follows is a confirmation of death for the victim." Makoto sent as Ann sent a response.

"No, that can't be!" Ann sent as Futaba sent a response.

"Haru, why did it have to happen to you too?" Futaba sent as Kusa sent a response.

"Unfortunately, there's not a good answer for that question, Taba. But we do know one thing for sure. Black Mask had a hand in this, of that I have no doubt." Kusa sent. Yusuke sent a response.

"Why is this happening!? Can someone die simply from having a mental shutdown!?" Yusuke sent as Kusa sent a response.

"Yes, Yusuke. They can. What Taba went through is proof of this. Sorry for using you as an example like that by the way, Taba." Kusa sent. Makoto sent a response.

"I don't know! I suppose it's possible that the shock could kill a person, in theory. Haru did also mention how her father wasn't in the best of health recently." Makoto sent as Ryuji sent a response.

"But still, for him to just up and die? This has gotta be some kinda joke, right!?" Ryuji sent as Kusa sent a response.

"No, Ryuji. This is very much NOT a joke. Not even Ren or I have that fucked up of a sense of humor to play that sort of joke." Kusa sent. Futaba sent a response.

"Then, if he's dead, does that mean-? Are we responsible for his death?" Futaba sent as Ryuji sent a response.

"But I thought it was supposed to be fine as long as we didn't kill their Shadow!" Ryuji sent as Kusa sent a response.

"Clearly, Black Mask never got that memo then." Kusa sent dryly. Ryuji sent another response.

"You might be right, Kusa. But still, isn't that what you said before Morgana, that it was supposed to be fine as long as we didn't kill their Shadow!?" Ryuji sent as Morgana spoke up in his own defense to Ren.

"It should've been okay! It really should've been, if not for Black Mask! I believe Kusa when he says Black Mask killed Okumura's Shadow." Morgana said as Ren sent a response.

"Morgana says it should've been OK. But I have to wonder still, why did this happen now, of all times? What did Black Mask have to gain from killing Okumura when he did?" Ren sent as Ann spoke up.

"We did everything the same as always, too, though." Ann sent as Makoto sent a response.

"In any case, let's compose ourselves for now. We need to act normally in public. But keep Haru in our minds when we're alone." Makoto sent as Kusa sent a response.

"Yeah, you're right. Poor Haru. I hope she pulls through this. This isn't something I would wish on even Akechi, and we all know how much I distrust that guy." Kusa sent as Ren put his phone away. Morgana frowned and spoke up

"Dammit, this doesn't make any sense, Ren! Why he suffered a mental shutdown is one thing, but the fallout of it is another. Ren, what are we supposed to do from here on out when it comes to the Phantom Thieves?" Morgana asked Ren, who frowned and shook his head, not sure of the answer to that himself. Morgana then spoke up again.

"Ugh, but Haru's going to be fine, right?" Morgana asked Ren, who spoke up.

"I think she'll pull through eventually, after she has time to come to terms with her loss." Ren said as Morgana nodded and Ren sat to ponder his options for the night. Ren saw as he laid down that he had a private chat from Kusa.

"Before you panic, I'm spending the night at Futaba's and heading over early to go with you to school in the morning. Futaba had a hard time calming down after what we saw, so I'm staying to try and relax her if I can. If I happen to calm myself in the process, that's just the icing on the cake as far as I'm concerned. So don't wait up for me. See you tomorrow." Kusa sent as Ren laid down and Morgana sighed and spoke up.

"What in the world's going on right now?" Morgana said in confusion as Ren shrugged and laid down before drifting into a restless and fitful sleep...

(A short time later, in the Velvet Room with Ren, Caroline, Justine, and Igor)

As Ren sat up and saw he was in the Velvet Room, he looked in the direction of the door of his cell as Justine spoke up.

"On your feet, Inmate. Our master has an important matter to discuss with you. Heed his words well." Justine said as Ren walked to the door of his cell and Igor spoke up.

"First, I'd like to congratulate you for expelling the one proud of their greed, Inmate. Or so I'd like to say, but something odd seems to have happened." Igor said as Ren spoke up.

"I still don't know what happened, but I know it wasn't our fault." Ren said. Igor nodded and spoke up.

"Indeed. I know this, of course. However, what of the general public? It seems a contingency has occurred. At this rate, your rehabilitation cannot be completed in time, though I doubt that will be the case. I truly look forward to seeing how you will overcome this predicament, Inmate." Igor said to Ren, who nodded as he felt his bond with Igor grow deeper. At that moment, the 'Fool' card appeared in his mind's eye, the 'VIII' becoming an 'IX', signifying that his Fool Confidant link with Igor had reached rank 9, though no new skills were gained for the rank up. Afterwards, Igor spoke up once more.

"This may be goodbye for now, Inmate, but we shall meet again." Igor said as Caroline frowned at Ren and spoke up.

"Time's up, Inmate! Hurry up and return to your world!" Caroline said as the alarms rang and Ren returned to his bed...

(The next morning, on the walk to school with Ren, Morgana and Kusa)

"Is that true? Did you hear? Okumura died! It's all over the news! He collapsed during his press conference, right? I wish I'd been watching when it happened." An excited-sounding student walking in front of Kusa and Ren said as the disheartened-sounding guy next to him spoke up.

"You're probably better off. It was a total disaster. I never imagined seeing a heart attack would be so unsettling, to be honest." The disheartened guy said as the excited guy spoke up once more.

"The news says it was because of illness, but either way you spin it? Still bizarre. Damn. Wish I'd seen it live, honestly." The excited student said as Ren and Kusa frowned, but finished the walk to school in silence...

(That morning, in class with Ren, Ann, and Morgana)

"Listen this time, okay? Having said that, and in this age, proletarian literature, that is, literature written by the working class-" Kawakami said as a male student whispered to his friend.

"Did you see that interview? I thought it was gonna be some hidden-camera show at first." The male student said as the female next to him quietly spoke up.

"I was so scared I changed the channel after Okumura collapsed, to be honest." The female student said as the male student spoke up.

"He really looked like he was in pain when he collapsed. That was sick, and not in the good way." The male student said. Kawakami frowned and spoke up.

"Will you quiet down!? We're in class right now! Not to mention, you have midterms starting on Monday! Focus on studying!" Kawakami said as Morgana spoke up.

"Mm. Things are getting pretty bad, Ren." Morgana said as the rest of class passed uneventfully...

(Later that afternoon, in class with Ren, Ann and Morgana)

Ren and Ann's phones went off to signify a group chat with Ryuji, Kusa, Yusuke, Makoto, Haru, and Futaba, with Makoto sending the first response.

"Hm, how odd. It seems police have shown up at our school." Makoto sent as Ryuji sent a response.

"The police? What for?" Ryuji sent as Ann sent a response.

"Your sister hasn't told you about any of this?" Ann sent as Makoto sent a response.

"Nothing at all." Makoto sent as Yusuke sent a response.

"Could this be related to Okumura's death in some way?" Yusuke sent as Makoto sent a response.

"But there's no connection between our school and Okumura Foods." Makoto sent as Kusa sent a response.

"Not quite true, Makoto. Or need I point out that both of those places had high-ranking people targeted by us? So the police might well be trying to pin this on us, which would be us having our fame come back to bite us, which I was hoping WOULDN'T happen, for the record." Kusa sent as Futaba sent a response.

"Good point, Kusa. You might be right about that. Anyways, think they came to talk to Haru?" Futaba sent as Makoto sent a response.

"That's possible, but she's currently indisposed and as such, was absent today." Makoto sent as Ryuji sent a response.

"Then seriously, what're they here for?" Ryuji sent as Makoto sent a response.

"I can't even begin to fathom the reason, to tell you the truth. Anyhow, let's be particularly careful not to stand out. And head straight home once school ends. Understand that, everyone?" Makoto sent as Kusa sent a response.

"We get it, but I still think I'm right in my theory. Just putting that out there." Kusa sent as Ren put his phone away and the rest of class passed uneventfully...

(After school, at the Okumura residence with Haru, Sae, and a team of investigators)

"Ugh, we haven't found anything useful as evidence." One of the investigators said to Sae, who frowned as she spoke up.

"I see." Sae said as the investigator spoke up with a frown on his face.

"Ugh, and we were hoping to find more than the calling card too." The investigator said as Sae spoke up.

"We've confirmed the victim's connection to the Phantom Thieves, at least. Thank you for your cooperation." Sae said as the investigator's phone rang and he answered it.

"Speaking. Wait, huh!?" The investigator said as he turned to Sae and spoke up, his words making Sae and Haru gasp at what he said next.

"They found a calling card in the principal's office, too!" The investigator said in shock as Sae's eyes narrowed while Haru quietly gasped in horror. Sae then smiled and spoke up.

"Yes!" Sae said as the investigator hung up and she turned to Haru and spoke up.

"I'm sorry to ask again, but your father hadn't said anything about the Phantom Thieves, correct?" Sae asked Haru, who nodded and spoke up.

"That's right, ma'am. He hadn't said a word about them." Haru confirmed. Sae spoke up once more.

"Please contact me if something catches your attention. It doesn't matter how trivial it seems. But, you don't have to force yourself though. Just anything that comes to mind." Sae said as she and the investigator walked off, leaving Haru to frown to herself as she spoke up.

"The principal? No one told me about that. What the heck?" Haru said to herself...

(Fast forward to the interrogation room, with Sae and Joker)

"So basically, your group didn't go after Okumura's life at all. And even the death of Shujin's principal, who we found a calling card for, was the work of another?" Sae asked as Joker nodded and Sae sighed before she spoke up.

"You don't sound like you're lying, to be honest. If you wanted to deceive me, you could've woven up a much simpler lie than this 'Metaverse'. Moreover, your account coincides with my own investigation. Is that even possible if it were made up? And I hate to admit, but the truth is, with my line of work, I know a false testimony when I hear one. Still, if you set your sights on Okumura based on my intel, it'd be before his name was even ranked. You could've ignored him and targeted some other famous person. Why would you go so far as to further investigate and pursue this criminal?" Sae asked Joker, who frowned and spoke up.

"That's easy. My teammate was in danger, and I couldn't just do nothing when I had the means to help her out." Joker said honestly. Sae chuckled and spoke up.

"Heh, good point. Simple enough. There's still no proof that another suspect exists. That said, it's safe enough to say that you aren't the murdering type." Sae said as Joker nodded with a smile, feeling as if his bond with Sae was growing deeper. At that moment, the 'Judgement' card appeared in his mind's eye, the 'IV' becoming a 'V' to signify that his Judgement Confidant link with Sae had reached Rank 5, though like with every rank-up so far, no new ability had been gained from the rank-up. Afterwards, Sae kept speaking up.

"But with the subsequent deaths of Okumura and Shujin's principal, the public's opinion changed, just as you claim your brother said it would. Your brother sounds like a wise person for his age. That said, let's move on. Pressed to prove your innocence, your next objective was-Hm? What's the matter?" Sae asked Joker, seeing the look on his face as he seemed to zone out, making her slam her palms on the table as she spoke up.

"Oh! Is it a side effect!? What in the world did the police inject into you?" Sae asked Joker, who felt his vision start to get distorted. He then heard Sae's voice echo as she spoke up.

"Hey, can you hear me!? Ren Amamiya! You need to stay focused!" Sae said as Ren shook himself while things came back into focus and Sae breathed a sigh of relief as she spoke up.

"Whew. Sheesh kid, don't scare me like that. If what you're saying is true, you must tell your side of the story to the end. We'll both be in trouble if your testimony becomes unreliable." Sae said as Joker nodded and spoke up. Sae sighed as she kept speaking.

"Well, then, let's move on. At last, we arrive at your most recent crime." Sae said as she set a familiar card down on the table and spoke up.

"I see that look. You know what I mean, don't you? This calling card was delivered to your latest target, or the one you had decided would prove your innocence. It was addressed? To 'Sae Niijima'. To myself. Now, explain everything to me." Sae said to Joker, who nodded as he spoke up.

"Very well, I'll tell you. But this part is probably some of the most complicated parts of the story, so try to bear with me as I get through this for you, yeah?" Joker said as Sae nodded, while Joker prepared to tell what, for him, was both the most interesting, and at the same time, the most dangerous part of the story thus far, as well as the last bit of the story, as things started to come back around full circle...

(Back in the present, in the evening at Leblanc with Ren and Morgana)

Ren and Morgana frowned as Ren's phone went off to signify a group chat with Ryuji, Ann, Kusa, Yusuke, Makoto, Haru, and Futaba, with Yusuke sending the first response.

"Has anyone been able to contact Haru?" Yusuke sent as Ren sent a response.

"Not that I've heard. And I don't think any of the rest of us have had better luck. I'm worried about her, to tell you all the truth." Ren sent. Ryuji sent a response.

"No luck here." Ryuji sent as Ann sent a response.

"Me either." Ann sent as Futaba sent the next response.

"Even Kusa and I've tried to get in contact with her, but she won't pick up." Futaba sent as Kusa sent a response.

"To be fair to her, she did just have a major loss in her family, after all. So she's probably not going to be in any sort of proper mind space to socialize or seek out others. We just have to keep her in our thoughts and pray she pulls through on her own." Kusa sent as Makoto sent a response.

"It doesn't look like she's seen any of our chats either." Makoto sent as Ann sent a response.

"I'm worried about her, to be honest." Ann sent as Ren put his phone away and Morgana sighed before he spoke up.

"Ugh, I hope Haru's okay, Ren." Morgana said to Ren, who nodded his agreement. After that, Ren decided to brew some coffee for the sake of it being a good way to take his mind off of things. Morgana blinked as he spoke up.

"Oh? Are you going to try making some coffee, Ren?" Morgana asked Ren, who nodded and spoke up.

"Yep, seems like a good use of my time to me." Ren said to Morgana, who nodded as Sojiro smiled at seeing Ren looking at the brewer.

"Ah, you gonna brew coffee, Ren?" Sojiro asked Ren, smiling when Ren nodded as he kept speaking.

"Yo, it's pretty fun once you get started, huh? There's a lot to know ane enjoy about coffee. Well, whatever. Have fun with that. I'm headin' out to buy some cigarettes, since I'm runnin' low on them." Sojiro said as he left to get some smokes as Ren started brewing some coffee, while Morgana stood up excitedly on a stool, his front paws on the counter and his tail flicking excitedly as he spoke up.

"Whoa! Mmm! I love the smell of good coffee, don't you Ren?" Morgana said to Ren, who nodded and poured himself a cup of the finished product, smiling as he sipped it and pumped a happy fist while speaking up.

"YES! All right!" Ren said as Morgana smiled a closed-eye smile and spoke up.

"I gotta say Ren, the way you're drinking that coffee really makes it look delicious." Morgana said as Ren got a pair of 'Master Coffee' items for his troubles. Morgana chuckled and spoke up at that point.

"Heh heh, looks as if the chief's gentlemanly charm is rubbing off on you, Ren." Morgana said as Ren's Charm went up, right around the point that the door opened up and Kusa walked in, smirking as he heard Morgana's comment before he spoke up.

"You say that like it's a bad thing, Morgana. If anything, that's a great thing that Ren's becoming more like Boss." Kusa said approvingly as he went into the back and got himself a soda, cracking it open and drinking from it as he spoke up.

"Ahh, that's good. I needed that. I tell you what Ren, Futaba's not been taking this well at all. Luckily, I got her to accept it's not any of our faults, but she still feels devastated and guilty that Haru lost her dad because of what basically amounts to my inability to stop Black Mask from killing him. Damn that bastard." Kusa said, taking a calming breath to keep his temper in check. Ren smiled and patted Kusa on the shoulder as he spoke up.

"Heh, don't blame yourself, Kusa. You did all you could to save him. It's not your fault that Black Mask is a sneaky, dishonorable scumbag who waited until we left to make his move, though I doubt he expected you to hang back and catch him in the act." Ren said as Kusa nodded and spoke up.

"Good point, Ren. I just wish I could've done more to stop him. Maybe then Okumura's change of heart might've worked. It's ultimately Black Mask's fault, but I can't deny that a part of the blame is mine to own since I didn't do enough to protect Okumura's Shadow. So that tells me I need to step up my training so that the next time we run into Black Mask, I can stop him. Or at the least, be able to hold him up for longer. My failure to stop him this time is frankly unacceptable." Kusa said harshly as Ren sighed before lightly slapping Kusa in the face and speaking up.

"Snap out of it, Kusa! This is NOT your fault! The only one at blame here is Black Mask, and he'll pay for what he did eventually. If nothing else, we'll change his heart and make him confess his crimes, so our names can be cleared. Until then, calm yourself. You need to keep your temper in check and your wits about you, especially if you're going to be able to be there for Futaba, like you say you're going to do.

After all, it won't be much good if you're going to ask her out, only to have your temper ruin it for you afterwards! Let it go, Kusa. There wasn't anything you could've done differently this time. And none of us, not even Futaba or Haru, blame you. Now please, try to relax and forgive yourself, Kusa." Ren said as Kusa blinked before smiling as he nodded and gave Ren a grateful look before speaking up.

"Y'know something, bro? You're right. I needed that, Ren. Thanks for smacking some sense into me." Kusa said, blue sparkling music notes going up over his head and making Ren nod as the door opened once more and Sojiro walked in, seeing Ren and Kusa at the counter, before he spoke up.

"Ah, cool. You're both here. That said, looks like you're at it again, Ren. How's it going? Here, I'll have a sip." Sojiro said as Ren nodded and passed the cup to Sojiro who lifted it to his lips and took a sip, savoring it before he spoke up.

"Mmm, this fragrant aroma. There's no doubt about it. This is Mexican Altura. Let me explain! Coffee was said to be brought into Mexico by the Spanish in the 18th century. Mexico is now one of the world's largest coffee producers. Altura, meaning 'height' in Spanish, describes the altitude the beans were grown. It has a savory aroma, soft acidity, and nutty flavor. Eh, yeah, that said, this is delicious. I have to say, I'm impressed. Although, you'll never catch up to me, Ren. Also? Sorry about the other day, that business with Futaba's uncle. Thank you both for sticking up for Futaba." Sojiro said as Kusa spoke up.

"Of course, Boss. That man was out of line, saying what he said about Futaba. Never mind what he called me, I can handle being insulted. But I draw the line at him insulting Futaba. Especially when the insult is both wrong and factually incorrect. He has no business calling her cursed or a bitch. He's lucky I didn't hit him for that, to be honest." Kusa said as Sojiro nodded and spoke up.

"I get that, Kusa. You and Ren might be worried, but I want you to let me handle this. I've already made up my mind. I'll do anything for you three. And Kusa? I heard about you asking Futaba to that dance. I wish you the best of luck with that. That said, I want you two to let me do my job as a guardian. I'm glad I was at least able to teach you how to brew coffee that tastes this good, Ren. Maybe someday, you'll get to the point where I start teaching you how to make curry, and then teach Kusa how to brew coffee if he's interested." Sojiro said as Kusa nodded and spoke up.

"It could be worth learning, if for no other reason than so we can switch off what we're doing if needed." Kusa said agreeably as Sojiro left, at which point Ren finished putting away the leftovers in a thermos in the fridge, and then did the dishes as Morgana spoke up.

"Once you get that done, we should all rest. We've got a big day tomorrow, after all." Morgana said as Ren nodded and finished the dishes before he, Kusa, and Morgana got laid down for the night...

(The next morning, with Ren, Kusa and Morgana, in the attic of Leblanc)

Ren blinked as his phone went off, making Kusa blink as he spoke up after groggily sitting up.

"Why is it always in the morning that our phones go off, Ren?" Kusa asked as Ren spoke up.

"I dunno, but I think it's just my phone this time, Kusa." Ren said as he checked his phone and saw it was a private chat from Haru, which he hurriedly opened up to read.

"Oh, Ren-kun? My apologies for messaging you so early in the morning. Things have calmed down a bit at home, so as such, I thought there's something I need to tell you." Haru sent as Ren sent a response.

"That's quite all right, Haru. I'm here for you. Are you all right?" Ren sent as Haru sent a response.

"Yes, I'm all right, Ren-kun. Thank you for asking. Um, there's actually something that caught my attention. I think I need to discuss with with everyone though. We should meet at the hideout after school." Haru sent as Ren sent a response.

"No problem. You want a meeting? You got it." Ren sent as he put away his phone, a relieved smile on his face as he spoke up, making Kusa blink and speak up.

"Who was that, Ren?" Kusa asked as Ren spoke up.

"That was Haru. She says things are settling down at home, but there's something she apparently needs to discuss with us? She asked to meet up at the hideout after school, so we have to gather everyone there if we can." Ren said as Kusa nodded and spoke up.

"No problem! Leave it to me!" Kusa said as he quickly pulled out his phone to send a group chat to the others, filling them in on what Ren told him and asking them to gather at the hideout after school so Haru could speak to the group, getting a quick chorus of affirmative responses from everyone except Yusuke, who Kusa figured probably hadn't seen the chat yet. While he did that, Morgana spoke up.

"Well, it looks like Haru is managing to hang in there, somehow. All right, let's meet up with everyone after school." Morgana said decisively as Kusa spoke up.

"No problem. Everyone's on board, with the exception of Yusuke, who I think hasn't checked his phone yet. So I'll send him a private chat after school to fill him in before we head over here so he's aware." Kusa decided. Ren nodded and put his phone away as the two got ready for school...

(After school, at the SIU Director's office, with the SIU Director)

"With this, preparations are finally in place." The SIU Director said as he listened to the voice on the other end briefly before he spoke up.

"Precisely. The public has praised them as 'heroes of justice', before they strike them back to the ground as swiftly as they praised them. Now then, she'll be next to go." The SIU Director said as he walked over to the window and listened to the voice on the other end before he spoke up.

"Yes. I've already spoken to human resources about it. It will be a heavy responsibility, but I'm certain it'd be an honor for her. The culprits behind the mental shutdown cases she's been pursing all this time will soon be in her grasp, and at our mercy." The SIU Director said before he listened to the voice on the other end speak as he chuckled and spoke up.

"Yes, sir. Haha, indeed. They'll become the criminals we've set them up to be this whole time, just as you instructed." The SIU Director said confidently as he laughed evilly...

(At that same time, at the hideout with Makoto, Ann, Ryuji, Ren, Morgana, and Yusuke)

"We must build a society in which the young can be hopeful of a brighter tomorrow, and-" The group heard a man's voice saying from outside as Ryuji frowned and spoke up.

"It's so damn loud, isn't it?" Ryuji said as Kusa and Futaba walked in, the latter frowning as she spoke up.

"Hrm? Where's Haru?" Futaba asked as Kusa spoke up, giving Futaba a reassuring smile as he spoke up.

"Probably on her way here, if I had to guess. Traffic is a bit congested today with candidates going around campaigning in the area, hence the voices you probably heard, Ryuji." Kusa said sagely, not mentioning that the man's voice had sounded oddly familiar to Kusa for a reason he couldn't quite put his finger on. Ryuji shrugged and spoke up.

"Dunno. But, she's the one that called us, so she'll show up eventually." Ryuji said as Ann spoke up.

"Well, even though things have calmed down, she must be occupied with what happened to her father recently." Ann said as Kusa spoke up.

"I don't blame her for that at all. Futaba can vouch that I'm right on this, but that sort of loss isn't one you just bounce back from. Hell, she's about 2-3 years out from it, and I bet Taba's not even over her own loss yet." Kusa said as Ann nodded before she blinked and spoke up.

"Right. Wait, WHAT!?" Ann said in shock, looking at her phone as Futaba spoke up.

"Hm? What's up?" Futaba said, smiling reassuringly at Kusa to confirm he was right in his words. Ann gasped as she spoke up in horror.

"I can't believe this! People are posting that we killed President Okumura!" Ann said in shock as the others gave horrified reactions and Yusuke spoke up.

"So it's begun already, has it? Our slow fall from fame and recognition. Kusa was right, fame is just fickle in the end." Yusuke said as Kusa nodded and Ryuji spoke up in shock.

"What!?" Ryuji said in disbelief. Yusuke spoke up gently but firmly to explain it to Ryuji.

"Think about it, Ryuji. The CEO collapsed the way he did, during an apology conference that our group caused." Yusuke said as Ann frowned and spoke up.

"Still, this isn't right! They were raving about us so much before. And now they just treat us like murderers?" Ann asked as Kusa spoke up hollowly.

"Welcome to fame, Ann. One minute you might be on top of the world, and the next you're smacked right back down to Earth without so much as a 'by your leave'. That's why I don't buy into fame or recognition." Kusa said gently but firmly. Futaba huffed and spoke up.

"Still, what a lightning-fast change of attitude!" Futaba said as Ren spoke up, a thought occurring to him as he spoke.

"You know who else the public had a lightning-fast change of attitude about before, when we became famous?" Ren asked as Kusa nodded and spoke up.

"You mean Akechi-kun, don't you? I thought that too, Ren. I'd actually bet money that within two weeks, he'll go from being criticized and shunned to possibly being praised for standing by his guns the entire time about us. Looks like every dog has their day after all, so to speak." Kusa said with a hollow laugh. Ryuji frowned and spoke up as he stamped his foot lightly and spoke up.

"They don't know a damn thing about our situation!" Ryuji said angrily. Makoto looked at Ryuji and smiled at him as she spoke up.

"Calm down, Ryuji. I respect your opinion, but not everyone is necessarily saying that about us." Makoto said as Yusuke spoke up.

"But there's no way to vindicate ourselves, is there?" Yusuke said as Kusa laughed dryly and spoke up.

"Not unless one of us can magically track down Black Mask and change his heart, assuming that son of a bitch has a heart." Kusa said dryly. Yusuke grunted at Kusa's point but conceded that he was right as he spoke up.

"Tch." Yusuke said as Haru chose then to walk in as Futaba saw her and spoke up from next to Kusa, who Haru had stood on the other side of, but Futaba saw her by leaning around Kusa's back.

"Haru!" Futaba said as Haru spoke up.

"Hi, everyone. I'm sorry I'm late. I'm the one who asked you all to make time for me too, so that makes it worse that I was late." Haru said as Makoto spoke up with a sympathetic smile.

"That's okay, Haru. By the way, my condolences on your loss. It must be rough." Makoto said as Haru spoke up.

"I'm okay now. Um, I called everyone together because there was something worrying me. Did you all target the principal?" Haru asked as Kusa blinked and spoke up.

"Are you talking about Kobayakawa!? No, we didn't target him, but that wasn't for a lack of consideration of the idea. Why do you ask?" Kusa said as Ann blinked and spoke up.

"Huh? The principal? Wait, you mean ours?" Ann asked Haru, who nodded as she spoke up.

"Yes." Haru said as Morgana blinked and spoke up in shock.

"What makes you say that?" Morgana asked Haru, who frowned as she spoke up.

"Let me explain. Yesterday, a public prosecutor came to my home. Um, this might be hard for you to hear, Makoto, but it was a woman named, if I heard her name right at least, Niijima-san." Haru said as Makoto gasped and spoke up.

"That's-" Makoto said as Kusa frowned and spoke up, crossing his arms as he spoke.

"That's the lady who threatened Boss earlier this summer, if I recall right. But never mind that for now. Please continue, Haru." Kusa said as Haru nodded and kept speaking.

" I overheard her saying a calling card was found in the principal's office. Considering that this was right after what happened to Kobayakawa, it's got to be Shujin's principal." Haru said as Ryuji growled and spoke up.

"That's the first I've heard of it!" Ryuji said as Kusa spoke up.

"Calm yourself, Ryuji. I think this is the part where we get set up by Black Mask, who I'm sure sent that calling card. After all, he's the only other one who would have sufficient knowledge of the Metaverse to even know the purpose of a calling card." Kusa pointed out calmly. Makoto nodded and spoke up.

"Good point, Kusa. But overall, doesn't this all seem weird to you guys?" Makoto asked as the others turned to her while she kept speaking.

"It may just be my imagination going into overdrive, but I feel as if maybe, just maybe, things are escalating far too quickly after President Okumura's incident." Makoto said as Ryuji spoke up.

"Whaddya mean, Makoto?" Ryuji asked. Makoto frowned as she spoke up.

"Perhaps Kusa is right, and we may have been set up by the real culprit, who at this point we can all agree is most likely Black Mask." Makoto said as Ryuji blinked and spoke up.

"Whoa, for real!?" Ryuji asked as Futaba nodded and spoke up.

"Yes, that could be true." Futaba said as Ann frowned and spoke up.

"Then we need to catch them as soon as possible." Ann said as Yusuke frowned and spoke up.

"Hold a moment. Can we assume we've been set up, though? We don't even know their objective." Yusuke said as Kusa frowned and spoke up.

"What else could it be Yusuke, if NOT a set-up? Between the timing of everything, that taunt Black Mask gave me about choosing to spare me when he offed Haru's dad's Shadow, and now the discovery of a calling card in Kobayakawa's office, I feel as if there's no doubt that we've been set up." Kusa said as Ryuji growled and spoke up.

"What else are we supposed to do then!?" Ryuji said as Makoto frowned and spoke up, seeing both Kusa and Ryuji's tempers rising.

"Let's all calm down for a moment. From what Haru said, even the police are suspecting that the Phantom Thieves are murderers at this point. It wouldn't be wise to carelessly make a move at the moment. We need to act as regular students for now. In addition, we have midterms next week." Makoto said as Ryuji hung his head and spoke up.

"Exams? At a time like this?" Ryuji said as Kusa spoke up.

"I agree with your feelings Ryuji, but unfortunately time stands still for no man, or no Phantom Thief in our cases. So we'll just have to do the best we can to adapt and get by, as we always do. And most importantly, we have to stick together and not be at each other's throats. And that includes managing to get along." Kusa said as Ryuji nodded and spoke up.

"Fair enough, Kusa. Rgh, gotta say? I envy you right about now, Futaba." Ryuji said before blinking as Futaba didn't say anything at first, making him keep speaking.

"Uh, you okay over there, Futaba?" Ryuji asked Futaba, who blinked as she spoke up.

"Uh, what? Hm? Yeah, I'm fine, I just got something on my mind. Gonna go home and look into it." Futaba said as she turned and walked home, leaving the others to exchange confused looks as Makoto spoke up.

"Wonder what that could be." Makoto said as Kusa spoke up.

"If I had to guess? Possibly either she had an idea of what we could do to try and catch Black Mask, or our discussion triggered flashbacks to her past. It could easily be either one for her." Kusa said honestly. Makoto nodded and spoke up.

"Fair enough. At any rate, we need to behave and not draw attention to ourselves. Understood?" Makoto said as the others nodded and the meeting dispersed on that note...

(That evening, in the attic of Leblanc with Kusa, Morgana, and Ren)

"For real!? They found a calling card on the principal? But that's impossible!" Morgana said as Kusa spoke up.

"Not if it was Black Mask, it isn't. After all, we've already figured out he likely has similar powers to us, so it's not out of the realm of possibility he knows about calling cards and delivered one to Kobayakawa while pretending to be one of us. Think about it! It's not impossible that he snatched one of the calling cards we left for Kaneshiro, or even he bought one of those merch calling cards that were put out while we were famous.

So it's rather easy for him to make a phony calling card to frame us. So I very much doubt that it's impossible." Kusa said bluntly as Ren heard his phone go off, seeing a private chat from Mishima, which he checked as Morgana and Kusa continued speaking.

"This is ridiculous! Why are people doubting the Phantom Thieves over what happpened to President Okumura? They'd never do such a thing? Isn't that right?" Mishima sent as Ren sent a response.

"Absolutely! The Phantom Thieves would never do such a thing as murder someone! It goes against what they stand for!" Ren sent. Mishima sent a response.

"Yeah, I trust them! Anyway, it seems like everyone's forgotten all that they've done up to this point. That won't stop me though. I'll continue cheering them on. Make sure you tell them that! Well, see you later!" Mishima sent as Ren put his phone away and Kusa spoke up.

"Oh? Who was that, Ren?" Kusa asked as Ren spoke up.

"It was Mishima, wondering how the people could turn on the Phantom Thieves so easily. I assured him we'd never do anything so horrific as murdering people and he reaffirmed his trust in us, and said to tell us he'll continue cheering us on." Ren said as Morgana smiled and spoke up.

"Mishima is a bit narrow-sighted, but he's a good person deep down. We can't betray him, especially now of all times. We need all the supporters we can get." Morgana said as Ren nodded his agreement as he and Kusa sat on their beds, and pondered their next course of action, knowing they needed to make any future moves carefully, lest it come back to bite the entire group on the ass in the long run. But most of all, the Phantom Thieves' next course of action was clear.

They had to find Black Mask, and then clear their name! But could they manage that? Or have they finally met their match? Ren and Kusa both were unsure...

END OF CHAPTER AND OF ARC 5: TRAPPED HEIRESS

A/N: And boom! Not only is that another chapter down, that's another arc down! With this chapter, Arc 5 of the story is now in the books! And what a way for it to end! Can the Phantom Thieves find Black Mask, and clear their name? Can they prove their innocence? Or will Black Mask be too much for them to handle?

Let's be real though, anyone reading this far who's already played through Royal all the way at least once knows the answer to those questions, but if you do know, don't answer them, so as not to spoil it for those who've not yet played through and are using this story as their first experience of Royal, which to those who are, thank you, but be warned this is not completely accurate to canon Royal, so still play it at least once if you haven't before, as it's a great game!

That said, next chapter will mark the start of Arc 6 of the story, appropriately titled 'Crow's Gambit'! Originally I was gonna call it 'Casino of Envy', but I figured Crow's Gambit was a snappier title, plus it's far easier to fit concise chapter titles if I make the arc titles shorter. In any case, we're now around halfway through Persona 5 Royal, if not a bit over halfway through, so we're getting there!

Also, very huge thanks to everyone who's read this far into the story! So you know, your support and/or feedback (for those of you who've reviewed the story) is not only appreciated, but it's welcomed, as it lets me continue to fine-tune this story to be even better. So by all means, continue to leave your suggestions/feedback/opinions on the story in the reviews! I enjoy hearing from you, the readers. So don't be shy! That said, until next chapter (and next arc), sithlorde1988 out!

NOTES

*1* - For anyone reading this who's actually played all the way through Persona 5 Royal at least once, am I the only one who thinks the music that plays when playing the crane game sounds like it was inspired by games from the 8-bit NES era? Because in particular, it reminds me of something out of the NES version of The Little Mermaid with how the music plays, but maybe that's just me. Anyone who agrees with me can sound off in the reviews if you think the crane game music sounds like it was inspired by the 8-bit/16-bit era.

*2* - Legit not even lying right now? I had NO idea until I stumbled on this character while typing the chapter that this dialogue even existed in Royal! There's legitimately a girl in Akihibara, across from the maid cafe I believe, who literally tells Joker that he can pay 6,000 yen an hour to rent her out as his girlfriend. That's crazy! And I'm not sure if you can actually do that or not if you speak to her with 6,000 yen or more on hand, to tell you the truth.

As such, if anyone plays through Royal after reading this and tries it out, feel free to let me know in the reviews or in PM if you can actually rent her out as a paid girlfriend, since that could be an interesting bit of remote gameplay to explore as a one-shot later. If not, then consider it your bit of random and obscure throwaway dialogue for the chapter!

CONFIDANT RANKS AS OF THE END OF CHAPTER 61 AND ARC 5

FOOL (Igor/Prison Master) - Rank 9

MAGICIAN (Morgana/Mona) - Rank 9

PRIESTESS (Makoto/Queen) - Rank 5

EMPEROR (Yusuke/Fox) - Rank 5

HIEROPHANT (Sojiro/Boss/Coffee Daddy) - Rank 8

LOVERS (Ann/Panther/Lady Ann) - Rank 9

CHARIOT (Ryuji/Skull) - Rank 9

JUSTICE (Akechi) - Rank 6

HERMIT (Futaba/Taba/Oracle) - Rank 3

FORTUNE (Chihaya/Fortune Teller) - Rank 3

STRENGTH (Caroline and Justine/Twin Wardens) - Rank 9

HANGED-MAN (Iwai/Weapons Dealer) - Rank 3

DEATH (Takemi/Back-Alley Doctor) - Rank 7.5

TEMPERANCE (Kawakami/Becky) - Rank 5

DEVIL (Ohya) - Rank 2

STAR (Hifumi) - Rank 5

MOON (Mishima) - Rank 6

SUN (Yoshida/Man Of The People) - Rank 9

JUDGEMENT (Sae/Prosecutor) - Rank 5

FAITH (Kasumi/Sumi/Yoshizawa) - Rank 5 'MAX'

COUNCILLOR (Maruki/Doc) - Rank 7

WORLD (Kusa/Draconis) - Rank 5

YET TO BE UNLOCKED: TOWER, EMPRESS