Heart of Justice

by ShadeJak

Teen detective Kyoko Kirigiri had strived to get into her father's school since she was a child, but one fateful night changed everything and she found herself forced to move and stuck on probation under false charges. But fate had other ideas, for her to take on the role of a trickster and topple corruption. Inspired by EpicLinkSam's P4/DR crossover fic "Nothing But The Truth"

14. Change of Heart

Heart of Justice Chapter 14

---

5/2

"Man, Mondays are so dull," a male student walking in front of Kyoko muttered to his friend.

"Yeah, tell me about it. Why do this when we're gonna have the rest of the week off?" his friend asked.

Right, it's Golden Week, Kyoko thought to herself as she kept pace behind them and continued to eavesdrop. With all that had gone on she'd almost forgotten.

"But man, Kamoshida's been gone all last week! Wonder if it's got anything to do with that calling card that was addressed to him?" the first boy wondered as a disheveled female student suddenly rushed by.

"Something about "stealing distorted desires"," the second boy replied. "What could that all be about?"

"Beats me," the first boy said. "I'm sure it's just a prank, though..."

Kyoko closed her eyes for a second, taking a breath. After a whole week of waiting, today was the board meeting, and its outcome would determine whether she and her teammates had succeeded or not...

---

Needless to say, right at the start of class, the student body had been quickly ordered into the auditorium for a morning assembly. Kyoko had advised Ann keep her distance from Ryuji and herself to avoid suspicion, but the worried look on the blonde girl's face was evident as they were about to witness what would likely be the final judgement. As the murmurs and whispers floated about the large room, Kyoko looked over at Ryuji, who was doing his best to keep a straight face as he looked back at her, but his injured leg bobbing up and down suggested otherwise about the image he was trying to maintain. Mishima was near the back, looking completely pale and flushed like he could break into tears at any moment and doing his best to hold it together.

"Senpai?" Kyoko turned and saw the redhead, Yoshizawa, approach her. "You look troubled, is everything alright?" the girl asked.

Kyoko had wondered if she'd allowed her normal poker face to slip. "Do I look troubled?" she asked.

"My apologies," Yoshizawa replied anxiously. "I just... you look tense, so-"

Principal Kobayakawa's adjustment of the microphone interrupted the girl's words as he took to the podium, prompting everyone's attention to turn to the stage.

"Ahem, let's begin this school-wide morning assembly, shall we?" the Principal asked. "...As you all probably know, a very tragic event took place recently at our school. One of our students attempted to take her own life..."

Ann scowled deeply. The Principal's words sounded nothing less then phoned in, as if this were no more then a formality to him then something he truely felt any concern over.

"Thankfully, we have been informed she has pulled through, but it will take time until she recovers," the Principal continued. "...Understand, I believe every one of you here carries a bright future ahead, so as your headmaster I implore you, should you ever find yourself believing your life is without value, to rethink the importance of life and-"

Kobayakawa's eyes widened, his mouth hanging open in silent shock as he looked past the crowd of students, and the sound of the auditorium doors swinging shut swiftly redirected everyone's attention as well. Kyoko could not believe what she was seeing.

"M-Mr. Kamoshida...?" Kobayakawa stammered.

There, standing at the doors, was none other then Kamoshida himself, but gone was the domineering stance he'd always had. Instead, he was slouched, his arms hanging limply at his sides and his knees slightly bowed as if he were struggling to simply stand. His head was tilted downward, the look on his face nothing like the confident grin laced with smug arrogance he wore before, now he looked utterly... broken.

"I... have... been reborn," he said softly, his downcast gaze not leaving the floor. "I've come to... confess... everything to you all..."

Ryuji gasped in disbelief, Ann brought her hand to her mouth in shock, Yoshizawa looked confused, while Kyoko kept a neutral look as she watched in silence while Kamoshida slowly made his way to the stage and stood before them.

"I-I wish... to make it known," Kamoshida stammered, gritting his teeth and squeezing his eyes shut as if he could burst into tears at any moment. "...I have... repeatedly done things that were... very unbecoming as a teacher," he explained. "I verbally abused students... physically abused my volleyball team... and many others I've coached for... a-and... sexually harassing female students..."

A cacophony of confused murmurs erupted from the students, many of them unsure what to make of the man's words.

"Th-that's not all... Shiho Suzui's suicide... i-it was... m-my fault... I'm to blame for when she tried to kill herself!" Kamoshida explained, his words stammering as he struggled to hold back choked sobs.

Kobayakawa was dumbstruck, murmurs and cries of disgust echoed throughout the auditorium as Kamoshida fell to his hands and knees, tears flowing from his eyes and dripping to the floor of the stage as he broke down into hysterical sobs. "I-I... always th-thought of... th-this school... as my own castle... there were even students I sentenced to expulsion simply b-because I didn't like them... b-because they... they knew what I-I'd done..." he stammered. "I w-will of course... rescind those..."

Ryuji let out a deep breath of relief, grinning over at Kyoko, who returned it with a nod. The teen detective looked back to where Mishima was, noting the shock on his face that quickly faded into a relieved smile as well.

"I am... so... so sorry... f-for putting so many innocent youths th-through such terrible acts..." Kamoshida sniffled hard, his body trembling all over as he struggled to speak. "I am... a shallow, arrogant, shameful man... no... I-I'm worse then that! I-I will... I will take full responsibility, and end my life for it!" he cried out, bowing his head as he continued to tremble.

"W-what?!" Yoshizawa gasped, her eyes wide in astonishment from all she'd witnessed.

Kobayakawa finally found his voice and immediately rushed over, as fast as he could manage as he stood by the prostrating teacher. "M-Mr. Kamoshida! Please! Get off the stage right now!" he pleaded. "S-students! Th-this assembly is over! R-return to your classes!"

Kamoshida attempted to speak, but could only continue weeping as he remained where he was on the stage.

"Don't run, you bastard!"

Ann's voice cried out, the rage and venom in her tone cutting through the murmurs in the crowd like a hot knife through butter. Everyone's attention was now on the blonde as she stormed up to the front, standing before the stage as she glared lividly at the man before her. "Shiho's still alive, even after all the awful things you did to her that made her want to die! You have NO right to run from this!"

Kyoko brought her hand to her chin as she smiled faintly, Ryuji meanwhile grinning widely as Kamoshida slowly looked up, his eyes red with tears as he struggled to choke back sobs.

"Y-you're right... you're a-absolutely... r-right," he sniffled as he slowly sat back up. "I should be punished under the law t-to atone f-for my crimes..." He looked back up again at the crowd. "...I said how it was my fault Suzui tried to kill herself... I-it's... because... I-I tried to force Ann Takamaki to have relations with me..."

A chorus of gasps, murmurs of horror and disgust erupted from the students, but Kamoshida continued. "...I did so by threatening to remove Suzui from the team if she didn't... and when Takamaki refused me... I... m-made Suzui... t-take her place..." Kamoshida could hold it back no more, his hands covering his face, he once more broke into hysterical sobs. "I raped that poor girl! ...All because Takamaki said no! And I even... p-planned to do the same t-to Kirigiri-san, a-and expel her if she refused... a-and also Yoshizawa!"

Kyoko turned as Yoshizawa let out a horrified shudder and backed away a little, even other students looked over at her with concern and sympathy. Though Kyoko's expression remained neutral, she could practically see all the thoughts going through the redhead's mind before she promptly turned and fled the auditorium.

Kyoko let out a sigh. "I should go after her," she said, turning to leave as Kamoshida tearfully declared he would be resigning from his position and beckoned someone to call the police so he could turn himself in, ignoring the Principal's and teachers' attempts to retake control over the situation.

"So that calling card thing, it's just like it said?" a student inquired as Kyoko pushed her way past him.

"The Phantom Thieves... does this mean all of it was for real?" another questioned. "Was something done to Kamoshida...?"

---

Kyoko came out into the hall, finding Yoshizawa leaning against one of the nearby walls, hugging herself and shaking all over.

"Yoshizawa?" Kyoko asked.

"Senpai... i-is all of that true?" the redhead asked, looking back at the young detective.

"I should say so. He seemed rather sincere about it," Kyoko replied.

"Then... my god... he could have..." Yoshizawa looked ready to tear up as she hugged herself tighter. "I-I had no idea... but w-when he was watching me... I didn't think..."

Kyoko closed her eyes, trying to think of how to approach this. Her grandfather had always been strict about withholding emotions, as they clouded one's judgment, and empathy was no different, it led to one making foolish decisions from personal bias, but right now, none of that felt right, Kyoko may have not been particularly open with others, but she could see when one was in need of support. "Yoshizawa... understand that I'm..." She looked away and brushed back her hair. "...Not very good at this, but at least now, it seems, he will pay for his crimes. You needn't stress over what could have been, now that he's going to prison, I deduce, for a very long time."

Kyoko did not expect the other girl to suddenly throw her arms around her and cling to her for a moment, weeping softly into her chest. For a moment, the young detective wasn't sure what to do, or how to respond to this. Her family had never been particularly affectionate towards one-another, especially after the death of her mother... she could barely even remember the last time her father ever hugged her. She listened to the girl cry, and slowly, cautiously, put her arm around her.

Another moment passed and the redhead seemed to calm down and let go, smiling as she wiped her eyes. "Heh, wow, look at me! Getting all weepy and everything!" she said before giving a quick and apologetic bow. "My apologies, senpai... I don't know what came over me, there! It's so unlike me to act that way!"

"It's fine," Kyoko replied. "It must have been... very uncomfortable to learn and take in."

"I suppose so. But thank you, I really appreciate you coming to check on me!" Yoshizawa replied, her sunny disposition back in place before looking over and noticing students had begun to come out of the auditorium and fill into the halls. "...I should probably be returning to class, I'll see you around, senpai!"

With another bow, the redhead turned and disappeared down the hall.

"That was nuts, could you really... steal someone's heart?" a student asked another as he walked by the teen.

"Why else would he suddenly come in and start saying things like he'd turn himself in or kill himself?" a girl replied.

"Maybe whoever wrote that card knew and it almost got leaked?" another girl asked a student as the two of them passed. "I hear they go easier on you if you turn yourself in!"

"Either way, Mr. Kamoshida turned out to be one sick bastard," a boy said.

"Please return to your classes, everyone," the Student President stated as she walked by, turning and glancing at Kyoko as she took notice of her before continuing on her way.

As the last of the crowd passed, Kyoko heard Ann speak up from behind her.

"Wow... so his heart really did change," she said, prompting Kyoko to turn.

"Sure seems like it," Ryuji replied. "Was it really for the best?"

Kyoko's gaze narrowed as she folded her arms. "After all he's done, and what he would have done, I'd say we had no other option," she replied.

Ryuji still seemed unsure. "Yeah, I guess," he replied. "I know it's weird hearin' it from me after how gung-ho I was about this earlier, just... everythin's happenin' so fast..."

"Hey, um... T-Takamaki-san?" Mishima's voice suddenly asked from behind them. The three turned to find him standing there, a downcast look on his face and flanked by two girls from their class. "I'm so sorry!" he cried as he gave an apologetic bow.

Ann looked back at him in confusion.

"W-we all knew," Mishima stammered. "...But we pretended we didn't!"

"Takamaki-san," one of the girls said. "I had you all wrong! I'm so sorry... I should never have helped spread those awful rumors about you..."

"I didn't know at all..." the other girl looked down at the floor a second. "...The way Kamoshida was forcing himself on you... it must have been so terrible..."

"I'm sure there's a ton of people who also know they owe you apologies, too," the first girl said. "...We're so sorry."

"No, it's okay," Ann replied softly. "...Same goes for me, too. He's gone, it's in the past, now, right?"

"Hey, get back to class, already!" a teacher nearby snapped before heading back down the hall, the two girls leaving as well. Mishima, however, remained in place as he looked up at Kyoko.

"K-Kirigiri-san?" he asked. "I can't apologize enough for what I did to you..."

"I accept," Kyoko replied with a nod and a faint smile. "After what Mr. Kamoshida has put us all through, it would be best we leave all that is tied to him behind us."

Mishima looked astonished for a second, before giving a quick nod. "Thank you, Kirigiri... thank you so much! I swear, I'm going to make it all up to you, someday! I promise!" he said, before turning and hurrying back to class as well.

Ryuji couldn't help but laugh a little. "Wow, looks like Kamoshida ain't the only one who had a change of heart!" He looked over at Ann. "And hey, I'm glad for you. Looks like those creepy rumors about you are finally gonna go away, too!"

"It doesn't really matter," Ann replied, "We made Kamoshida feel the weight of what he did to Shiho, and apologize for it. Now, he'll go to prison, and pay for all of it. That's more then enough for me."

"Once school's over, you oughta go tell her," Ryuji said.

"I agree," Kyoko replied. "You should go see her, and tell her everything that happened today."

Ann gave a smile to her two friends. "You're right. I should. Soon as school's out, I'm gonna go visit."

The three noticed the teacher from before was now looking their way.

"We should return to class. We can talk later," Kyoko said.

"Right, I'll catchya both later!" Ryuji replied. "...Man, though, dunno how I'm gonna focus in class, it's just so much to process..."

As Ryuji turned and left, making his way back to class, Kyoko looked over at Ann, who smiled and exchanged a nod. The blonde's smile was far more... lit up, perhaps was the word Kyoko was looking for. The young detective could not blame her.

"Hey, thanks again," Ann said. "When you see Morgana, later, let him know, too. This is the first time in a while I've ever felt this good."

"Of course," Kyoko replied. Admittedly, she felt the same way.

---

After bidding farewell to Ann as she left to visit Shiho again in the hospital, Kyoko had gone to return the book to the library and get some studying done, relieved that everyone was far too occupied with what they'd seen happen with Kamoshida to pay her any mind this time. It wasn't until an hour later that she followed a prompt from Ryuji, who had apparently chosen not to leave campus either, to meet up on the roof, having also asked Ann to come back once she left the hospital, and brought Morgana in tow as she sat down on one of the discarded chairs and watched the blond boy pace about anxiously.

This went on for about a half hour. Kyoko had thought of saying something, but decided it was better to leave him be. There was little point in attempting to fill silence with small talk, which in her mind only made things more awkward. Thankfully, he finally broke the silence.

"Seriously, I'm totally freaked. He really did have a change of heart!" Ryuji's astonishment, however, quickly became a wide grin as he let out a laugh. "And to top it off, his mind didn't get messed up, either! Total win, A-plus!"

"So that's how it works," Morgana mused as he pawed the gold medal that had been Kamoshida's Treasure from Kyoko's handbag. "We have to persuade the Shadow without killing it, and send it back to the real self..."

"Then that ensures there's no mental shutdown?" Kyoko asked, bringing her hand to her chin. "Interesting..."

"So basically, it makes 'em confess with no bad stuff happenin' after?" Ryuji asked. "Works for me!"

The door leading to the roof suddenly opened, causing all three to turn and see Ann standing there.

"Hey, guys," Ann said. "You know, Ryuji, you don't need to be so loud."

Ryuji let out another laugh. "Eh, don't worry so much!" he said. "So, how'd things go in the hospital? Is Shiho doin' alright?"

Ann smiled widely. "She's regained consciousness!"

"For real?!" Ryuji asked, agape but pleasently surprised.

"That's wonderful news," Kyoko said, a faint smile on her face. "I trust you told her everything?"

Ann could barely hold her emotions together, to the point she collapsed to her knees for a moment.

"Are you alright, Lady Ann?" Morgana asked.

"Y-yeah... it's just... this is all so much in one day," she replied, looking back up and smiling as her eyes began to water with joyful tears. "It was... it was only for a little while, but I got to talk to her! I told her everything, that Kamoshida confessed to what he did, that he's going to prison... Sh-she... she told me she was sorry."

"For what?" Kyoko asked, raising an eyebrow.

"She found out... that I flirted with Kamoshida for her sake. She apologized, blaming herself for letting him blackmail me," she explained. "I told her none of this was her fault. She had nothing to be sorry for... and here I was wanting to apologize to her!"

"You're right, Lady Ann," Morgana said, attempting a comforting smile as much as a cat could. "It's not your fault, it's not her fault. Kamoshida's the only one to blame for any of this."

Ann stood herself back up, but then looked down again. "I know, just..." The blonde took a breath. "She's got such a long road ahead of her... suicide watch... psychiatric evaluations... physical therapy... counseling... her mom's even thinking about transferring her to another school once she's recovered."

"A victim of sexual assault, and attempting suicide, perhaps it is in her best interest to be given a fresh start elsewhere," Kyoko replied.

"Yeah," Ann said softly. "People are gonna label her after all that. I think Shiho had the same idea, as well..."

"I think all three of us know what it's like, unable to walk down the hall or sit in class without people starin' and whisperin' about us, she shouldn't have to deal with that, too, 'specially not after what she went through." Ryuji said. "...Still, it's gonna get lonely."

"True," Ann replied. "But I do think it's for the best, too. It'll be hard if she stays here."

The blonde became downcast again. "Thing is, though... I need to change, too..."

"You held back pretty good against Kamoshida's Shadow," Ryuji offered.

"It wasn't like that. I just wanted him to confess, is all," Ann replied. "Revenge is better served by making him repent, and spend the rest of his life feeling the guilt of everything he's done, groveling for forgiveness and never knowing peace."

"Agreed, some fates are far worse then death," Kyoko said. "In his case, I cannot think of a more fitting punishment for his crimes."

Ryuji looked at the two girls, an eyebrow raised. "Damn," he muttered. "Well, anyways... now that it's all settled," he added, attempting to change the subject. "I gotta wonder, why Kamoshida? I mean yeah he was a total shitbag and all, and I'm glad we were able to take him down, but why was he the only one connected to that metaverse thing?"

"Actually, it isn't necessarily limited only to him," Morgana explained. "Anyone whose heart becomes completely warped by their desires can have a Palace. I could show you if you want..."

"Umm... we should probably lay low for a bit," Ann said.

"Yeah, at least, ya know, till all this stuff with Kamoshida blows over," Ryuji added.

"That would be wise," Kyoko said. "Though they have no way of finding out what we did exactly, with the rumors about our expulsion prior to his confession, we are likely going to be regarded with some degree of suspicion by some if we do not simply go about our daily activities for a while."

"Yeah, come to think about it, on my way up, I overheard some weird rumors already," Ann said. "Like that... you two got together and threatened Kamoshida with physical violence, or blackmail or something."

Ryuji scoffed in disbelief. "The hell?! Everyone knows what he did to me the last time I ever... tried somethin' like that," he grumbled. "...And does Kyoko really look like someone who can overpower a guy like him? ...No offense."

"None taken," Kyoko replied. As absurd as the rumors sounded, she supposed she could not be too surprised considering all the other things the other students seemed to believe about her. Her grandfather had trained her well in defending herself, even ensuring her proficiency with a firearm, but the idea of her attempting to threaten an Olympic athlete who towered over her with any sort of physical violence was laughable even to her. "Still, it's unlikely people are going to believe so easily that "Phantom Thieves" exist, so they'll seek another explanation, no matter how illogical it may sound."

"But what about the calling card?" Ryuji asked.

"It's being treated like it was a prank pulled by someone who knew what Kamoshida was doing," Ann replied.

Ryuji sighed. "Yeah, guess that makes sense. We're the ones who did it, but I still don't completely believe it myself. That said though..." he smirked over at the gold medal that was laying on the table by Morgana. "We oughta find out how much this medal can be sold for!"

Tapping on his phone, Ryuji's expression fell. "Got a hit... but just for thirty-thousand yen? C'mon! That's all a gold medal is worth?"

"Well, I can think of plenty I can spend my cut on!" Ann said with a grin. "And plus, Ryuji, you do owe me for all that money I lent you for that field trip back in middle school..."

"Aw, c'mon! That was years ago and for just one gift shop!" Ryuji protested. "It was just five-hundred yen anyway!"

"That you never paid me back for and that's plenty of interest," Ann said. "Did you really need that plush dolphin anyway?"

"It was for my mom, alright?!" Ryuji asked indignantly. "...I wanted to get her a souvenir."

"And you couldn't afford a train ticket home as a result!" Ann replied with a laugh.

"Well personally," Morgana chimed in. "I'd say victorious missions should be celebrated over luxurious food. Whaddya say we spend some of the earnings on that?"

"Perhaps we do deserve to treat ourselves," Kyoko said, smiling faintly as she looked the medal over. "Because of our actions, I suspect Shujin will be a far less stressful environment for everyone from now on."

Ann's face lit up quickly. "Ooh! I know just the place! There's this high-rise diner Shiho and I were hoping to go sometime." Her face fell a little. "...We were gonna go there to celebrate if the team won the tournament..."

"Will you be alright?" Kyoko asked, but Ann smiled again and handwaved it.

"Don't worry about it," she said. "I'm just happy she's gonna be alright and this nightmare's finally over, and I think we should definitely check this place out if we're gonna do a dinner celebration."

"Then it's settled! I'll leave that part up to you, Lady Ann!" Morgana said, managing as much of a smile as a cat could make.

"Sure thing!" Ann replied. "I'll call and check the prices, later."

"So we wanna go tomorrow, then?" Ryuji asked. "Gotta admit, I'm lookin' forward to this already!"

"How about at the end of the holidays?" Ann suggested. "That should help energize us when school life starts again!"

"That'd be the 5th, on Children's Day. Got it!" Ryuji said.

"So that leaves one question," Ann mused as she looked down at the medal. "Who's gonna sell this?"

"Just leave that to us!" Morgana replied, looking over at Kyoko. "I wonder, you think that one shop in Shibuya might take it?"

Kyoko brought her hand to her chin as she thought it over. The man who owned the Untouchable was likely their best bet, with his shop being a surplus store and also her intuition from their first encounter at the shop that he was harboring more then a few secrets especially considering his demeanor and the authenticity of his wares, the likelihood of him buying it seemed potentially high enough by her deductions. "It's worth a shot," she said.

"Works for me! I'll leave it to you two, then!" Ann replied. "Still... is this thing real? How did it get inside his Palace anyway?"

"It's a fake... sort of," Morgana explained. "It's as real as the real thing, alright, but the medal itself is still basically a copy. A by-product of Kamoshida's cognition. The real one would still be in his possession."

"Wait, so he's still got the medal after all we did?!" Ryuji asked.

"The real one that he won in the Olympics? Yes. There's no reason to believe he wouldn't still have it," Kyoko replied. "This one we have came from the Palace, so it'd be a very accurate replica, to my understanding. But as it was the physical form of his distorted desires, as Morgana explained it, and we removed it from the Palace, we still changed his heart."

"Exactly," Morgana replied.

"Besides, if we went and took the real thing, it'd be stealing," Ann said. "Still, I doubt he'll be proud of that medal anymore, regardless."

"You're right," Morgana said. "He'll never be proud of that once-in-a-lifetime medal ever again! Depending on how you look at it, that punishment may well be worse then death for someone like him!"

"Fake or not, it's still an actual gold medal, regardless, so we should still make money off of it," Kyoko explained as she stood up. "At any rate, we should probably get home."

"Yeah, don't wanna get Boss worried!" Morgana said as he climbed into Kyoko's bag.

"Catchya all later, then!" Ryuji said, getting his things as well.

"Right, I'll get back to you about that restaurant," Ann said. "And lemme know how selling that thing works out!"

Kyoko smiled lightly. "Of course," she replied, picking up her bag and heading to the door, feeling a strong sense of relief after all the four have them have been through in just the past few weeks.

---

5/3

"Hey, you can hear me, right?" Sojiro's voice called from the bottom of the stairs. "Heard you movin' around up there so I'm assuming you're up."

"Yes, I am awake," Kyoko replied, making her way down the stairs dressed in her casual clothes. "Is there something you need?"

"You got the rest of the week off, right?" Sojiro asked. "Come help me out, no sense in wasting your day off, after all."

Kyoko smiled a little, bringing her hand under her chin. "Perhaps I do owe it to you," she said. Kyoko had been planning to head into Shibuya to try and pawn the medal off to the Untouchable shop owner, but it looked like she'd have to wait a little.

"Just till about lunchtime. I'll make you some breakfast first, but if you want any coffee, brew it yourself," Sojiro explained. "It's the only way you're gonna master my secrets to it, after all."

"That cannot be argued with," Kyoko replied. "Very well."

Morning turned into daytime as Sojiro took a break in one of the bar stools while Kyoko handled the dishes. The breakfast and lunch rushes, or what accounted for them, had since come and gone, it being Golden Week likely having something to do with it as well. Sojiro had to admit, the girl was certainly a fast learner, though her stoic demeanor had made him decide to wait on letting her interact with customers more.

"I'm sorry I kind of pressured you into doing this," he said as he sipped a cup of coffee.

"It's not an issue. As I said earlier, I owe it to you," Kyoko replied, glancing back as she put away a clean plate.

"And now to our next topic," the announcer on the TV stated. "...the Fall From Grace: The story of the dishonored Olympic gold medalist!"

Kyoko looked over as Kamoshida's face appeared on the TV. The man looked like he'd been crying ever since she'd last seen him at school, his face in a deep, downcast frown as he was barely able to look at the camera.

"Just recently, a high school gym coach has confessed at an assembly that he had been repeatedly abusing students," the announcer narrated. "Given his prior Olympic achievements, most notable of all when he brought home the gold medal for Japan in Volleyball, this has caused quite a stir. What could have caused such a habitual offender to suddenly confess to such heinous crimes to his entire school? The police hope the upcoming interrogations will bring light on this question."

"Hey, isn't that...?" Sojiro wondered as the footage showed an image of Shujin Academy, before cutting to a male student in uniform, though with his face hidden.

"My friends, they'd come back from practice covered in bruises all the time!" the male student told the reporter. "I didn't know what to think, when I asked, they wouldn't tell me... I'm just so glad the abuse is finally over..."

The video then cut to a female student, her face hidden and kept out of frame as well.

"I was on the girl's volleyball team. He would... touch me and stuff all the time during practice," she said. "But what could I do? I'm just glad I won't have to deal with that, anymore."

The report cut to yet another female student. "There were all these rumors I'd hear, sure, but not many believed them. I'd only just started my first year," she explained. "I'm totally shocked they were actually true. But at least now, I can go to school without worrying!"

One more student appeared, this one without his blazer, but the voice Kyoko determined was clearly Mishima's. "All of it. Completely true. I was on the boys' team. Anyone made a mistake, or if he was just in a bad mood we'd... get hit. I had to go to the clinic so many times, hide things from my parents more times then I want to remember. Every day at school was complete hell, but I'm..." The boy took a breath. "...I'm so happy it's finally over."

"I knew it!" Sojiro said as the program ended. "That's your school, isn't it?"

"Indeed," Kyoko replied.

"Well, whatever was going on there, what that man has been doing, it may be over, but I guarantee you things will likely get turbulent there for a while with a scandal like that out in the open!" Sojiro explained sternly. "I advise you keep your head down in the meantime, understand?"

"I intend to," Kyoko answered.

Sojiro let out a sigh, pushing his hair back. "That teacher they're talking about, he didn't... cause you any problems, did he?"

"No, sir,"

"Good," Sojiro replied. "The last thing you need is to have gotten caught up in something like that. All it'll do is put more attention on you, and those reporters are gonna be relentless on this."

"Of course," Kyoko replied as she finished with the last of the plates.

"Well anyway, keep those hands moving. There's more stuff for you to do," Sojiro replied.

When the evening had finally come, the dinner rush and the later patrons had come and gone, and Sojiro was finally closing up shop.

"Thanks for your help, today," Sojiro said. "Any chance you'll be able to lend a hand tomorrow?"

"I actually have plans to go out into Shibuya tomorrow," Kyoko said as she slid her normal gloves back on. Though she felt guilty to turn him down, she had important matters of getting the medal sold for the team's big dinner celebration. "...I apologize."

The older man sighed. "I suppose I can let that slide. You're quite diligent, I'll give you that." he said, looking at the clock on the wall. "I need to be getting home, don't stay up too late, alright? Go study or something if you need to."

Once Sojiro had left, Morgana came down the stairs and hopped up onto the counter. "Boss worked you pretty hard, huh? Well, we still got tomorrow, so let's get that medal sold and let the others know!" the cat let out a chuckle. "I can't wait to see what this place Lady Ann's talking about has! I have a refined pallet after all."

Kyoko gave him a stare before nodding as she flipped the sign around. "Tomorrow morning. Leave it to me," she said, taking out her phone and noticing Ryuji and Ann had left more then a few messages to one-another in response to the news report.

"Hm," Kyoko remarked as she read over them. The reactions were quite understandable, and the news had certainly provided closure to her as well.

[Hey, btw you get that medal sold, Kyoko?] Ryuji suddenly messaged.

-Not yet. Boss had me help out today. I'll take care of it tomorrow. Kyoko replied.

[Great! I'll get the info on the restaurant then, too!] Ann messaged.

[Can't wait!] Ryuji messaged.

Pocketing her phone, Kyoko headed upstairs and got changed for bed. After working all day, she decided to take out the new book she'd gotten from the library until she fell asleep, this one being about the Alluring Dancer...

---

5/4

Kyoko paused as she'd come downstairs, Morgana in tow in her bag. Seated at the bar table was a woman who looked to be in her twenties, with silvery hair and wearing a black business suit. When the woman glanced over at the teen, her expression was neutral but there was a coldness in her eyes.

"The cause of the runaway train incident from last month still has not been found," a news anchor explained on the TV. "Police continue to investigate the matter as it may relate to the unexplained rise in psychotic breakdown incidents."

"Oh... They still talking about that?" Sojiro wondered aloud, causing Kyoko to glance over at him. It seemed by her assertion he had either forgotten about it, or chose to ignore it as long as he could.

"It doesn't make you curious?" the woman asked. "The fact that perfectly normal people with normal lives and no history of violence suddenly going mad or deranged out of the blue? Or the fact these incidents seem to happen one after the other? Can they really be coincidental?"

Kyoko had wished to comment, but thought better of it. She did not need to draw attention, and Sojiro likely would not have wanted her to do so. Still, from all she had done attempting to investigate the incidents before... everything... the woman's points had gone along what Kyoko had suspected. Normal people suddenly becoming violent, yet none of them had any connection to one another, no common link, yet the way they seemed to follow one after the other, and the times they occurred, all of which argued against mere coincidence.

Then there was that other world, Morgana had mentioned other Palaces likely existed, and the notion of how if their heist went the wrong way, it could cause a person to shut down completely...

Kyoko's thoughts were interrupted as she noticed the woman now staring at her, as was Sojiro.

"Hey, you spacing out over there?" Sojiro asked, his hand at his hip as he looked at her in concern.

"My apologies. Just... thinking," Kyoko answered.

"At any rate, what'll it be?" Sojiro asked the woman.

"House blend, please," the woman answered, before looking Kyoko over. "Are you a part-timer? Surprised this place can afford one."

"Not exactly," Sojiro said, clearly wishing to redirect the woman's attention as he prepared the coffee. Kyoko could not blame him, his customers had no need to hear about him housing someone who the courts had deemed a delinquent.

"Are you a high school student?" the woman asked, her attention still on Kyoko. "Where do you attend?"

The young detective folded her arms, the woman sure was imposing, but she elected the more polite response. "Shujin."

"Is that so?" the woman asked. "I know someone who goes there as well. I've been hearing things are rough right now. A teacher named Suguru Kamoshida just confessed to his crimes like he was a completely different person, supposedly... and it happened "all of a sudden", one day..." she rested her chin in her palm as she looked down at the table. "...Can a person's mental state really change so easily?"

"Heck if I'd know," Sojiro replied.

"Is my drink ready, yet?" the woman asked rather bluntly as she looked over at Sojiro.

Relieved to see the woman's attention off her, Kyoko immediately made her way to the door and out of the cafe into the daytime streets of Yongen-Jaya.

---

Untouchable's manager's eyes widened ever so slightly as Kyoko slid the gold medal across the glass counter towards him. The teen had personally hoped to get this arrangement done as quickly as possible if what she overheard from the two men loitering just outside was correct.

"How much will you give me for this?" Kyoko asked, her gaze neutral and unafraid.

The manager reached over and picked the medal up by its lanyard and looking it over carefully before raising an eyebrow and frowning slightly. "That depends. Where the hell did a kid like you get somethin' like this?" he asked gruffly. "We don't buy fake or stolen goods here, you know."

Kyoko folded her arms. "Inspect it all you want. 210 grams of silver coated in 6 grams of 24 carat gold."

The manager did not look particularly convinced. "So if it's not fake, then that still leaves the question of how you got it. You didn't steal this, did you? I told you and that blond kid already I don't need the pigs sniffin' around here thanks to you."

Kyoko's gaze narrowed slightly. "They won't. No one is looking for this, nor missing it from their possessions."

The man chuckled in amusement. "You gonna tell me you found a gold medal in the trash or somethin'?"

He glanced at the window, then a nearby clock on the wall before looking back at Kyoko. "Tell you what, I won't ask any questions and you can have 30,000 yen for it..."

Kyoko raised an eyebrow. "And what's your angle?"

The manager smirked in response. "That you take it or leave it, kid. Those two pigs that think I don't know they're outside are gonna come in here any second now, and I don't think you want 'em catchin' you tryin' to pawn what looks like a gold medal here, do ya? They'd ask a helluva lot more questions then I would. Tick tock, kid."

Kyoko closed her eyes and exhaled sharply. While it did raise some questions about the place and its manager, she had to admit she was in a tough situation. This was the only place that'd likely buy it and the manager had made an offer, plus she had to get this sold today. "Very well, it's a deal."

The manager gave a nod and opened his cash register, sliding three 10,000 yen bills across the desk as he took the medal and placed it in a box behind the counter. "Pleasure doin' business with ya," he said. "Oh, and one last thing..."

Reaching under the desk, the man took out a folded up paper bag and held it out to Kyoko. "A little thanks for sellin' me that medal."

Kyoko's gaze narrowed noticeably. "What is it?"

The manager simply chuckled again. "Aren't you the curious one, kid! Free model. Brand new off the line. You really impressed me on your last trip here, so figured an enthusiast like you might appreciate it," he explained. "I don't think I need to tell ya to not open it till ya get home, though. If you ain't satisfied, just bring it with you next time you come back and we'll work somethin' out!"

Kyoko regarded the man with suspicion, but before she could say anything she heard the door open behind her and she turned and saw the two men who'd been outside walk in, both of them giving stern looks at the manager.

"Munehisa Iwai, yes?" The older-looking man wearing a black suit asked, folding his arms. "There are some matters we'd like to discuss with you, today."

The manager, Iwai, returned the glare. "As you can see, I'm still busy with this customer, here, wouldn't it be courteous of you to let her leave the store first before we have this "discussion"?" he asked curtly.

The two men exchanged glances and gave a nod. "If you're business is done here, Miss, we'd appreciate if you leave," the older one said, looking at Kyoko.

The teen gave a silent nod and made her way past the men, glancing back at them one last time as she approached the door, only to pause as they started talking. Her gut told her she should leave, but her inquisitive nature that had been a staple to her detective career kept her feet rooted in place. Fortunately the men seemed to have completely forgotten about her.

"You know why we're here?" the taller man in the black suit asked.

Iwai simply folded his arms in response and smirked, his lolipop stick shifting from one corner of his mouth to the other. "I dunno, lookin' for evidence?" he asked in a joking tone. "You tell me, Mr. Detective."

"Watch your attitude!" the detective snapped, slamming his fist on the counter angrily.

"What, you plannin' to search me?" Iwai asked, calm as ever. "Go on, do what you gotta do."

The detective looked about ready to blow another fuse. "Tryin' to get smart with me?"

Iwai's demeanor didn't change in the least. "An upstanding citizen's supposed to cooperate with the police, right?" he asked. "...Of course, I'll need to see a search warrent first, if it's all the same."

The tallerr detective grit his teeth, the other, shorter man wearing a tan suit looked over at his partner. "Hey, you think that lead was legit?" he asked.

"I coulda sworn it was!" the older detective snapped.

"Well, you got that search warrent, or could you hurry this up? I do have a business to run, here, after all," Iwai remarked, not even bothering to hide the amusement on his face. Kyoko recalled what she'd overheard earlier, and Iwai had clearly also figured it out that the two detectives did not, in fact, have a search warrent and was clearly getting some satisfaction in getting under their skin about it.

Unfortunately, her presence was no longer unnoticed as the shorter detective quickly turned and glared at her. "Didn't we tell you to leave? What are you still doing here, kid?"

"What's in that bag, show us!" the taller detective snapped.

"She's just a regular customer," Iwai interjected. "Check the tapes if you need proof."

Kyoko kept her neutral expression despite the thought that passed in her mind that the tapes would likely show her with the gold medal earlier. "Indeed, I would appreciate it if I could go about the rest of my day, Detective," she said in a flawlessly calm tone with only a slight but reasonable hint of annoyance.

"Show us what's in the bag and you can," the taller detective replied sternly.

"What I purchased here," Kyoko replied with an equally stern tone. "...Is no one's business but my own. I know my rights. If I'm not under arrest, I would like nothing more then to leave and continue my errands."

She heard Iwai stifle a chuckle.

"Then perhaps you'll tell us what a young lady like yourself doing in a store like this?" the taller detective asked in a dangerous tone. The shorter detective turned towards his partner.

"Hey, that's enough!" he said. "She's just a kid. Besides, she's not who we're here for."

"He's got a point, Mr. Detective," Iwai said. "Maybe next time, try not harassin' my customers. See how that goes."

Iwai raised up his hand and gave a half-hearted wave. "Sorry ya got caught up in all this. Safe trip home, kid!" he said with a smirk as Kyoko returned with a polite nod and left.

"What were those policemen doing there, anyway?" Morgana wondered aloud as he poked his head out of Kyoko's handbag once they were back in the alley.

"I have my suspicions," Kyoko replied. "But nothing concrete. Regardless, it's no concern of ourse, we got the medal sold and he paid us."

"Yeah, about that," Morgana purred. "I kinda wonder what kinda new model he gave us for free! It's gotta be pretty cool!"

"We should wait until we get home," Kyoko replied. "We don't need to give those detectives a reason to harass us again if they come back out."

"Aw c'monnnnn!" Morgana whined. "Seriously, just a little peek! I wanna see, maybe it'll be a big help next time we go into the metaverse!" His ears drooped as he gave her an insincerely concerned look that barely hid his real motive. "You know, he could have just stuck some useless paperweight in there or something."

Kyoko frowned, leaning over as she peered through the Untouchable shop's window and saw the two detectives backs turned and in a pretty heated discussion with the manager. Perhaps she could just humor him as the trip back home would be a long one at this time. With a sigh, the girl unfolded the top of the bag and opened it.

Morgana's eyes practically grew to their metaverse size as he peered in with her. "W-what?! He gave you a... is that a...?!"

Kyoko slowly reached her gloved hand in and picked it up, though remaining cautious not to remove it from the bag. The young detective blinked in shock. Her own experience with guns did her no service, she had no way of telling here if this was an extremely convincing model that'd make the one she'd bought earlier look like an obvious toy, or if she was in fact holding a real firearm.

A moment of silence passed as she glanced back through the window, thankfully the detectives still had their backs turned, but she noticed Iwai glance up.

"We need to go. Now!" she said sharply, taking a breath then regaining her normal, impassive frown while she calmly walked away from the shop and out of the alley to avoid any suspicion as she made her way back to the train station.

---

"Phew, what a day!" Morgana said, sitting on Kyoko's bed. After the whole incident at Untouchable and spending the rest of the day helping Sojiro out in the cafe, the young detective was feeling exhausted.

"We should probably let Lady Ann know we got the medal sold, though! 30,000 yen is sure to be enough!" Morgana said with a gleeful purr. "I can't wait to stuff myself with everything they got there!"

As if on cue, however, Kyoko heard a chime from her phone, and saw Ann's name on her screen and turned it on. "Hello?"

"Hi, it's me!" Ann's voice spoke through the phone. "Hey, you know the news about Kamoshida? It's getting a ton of coverage!"

"Justice was finally served. He's finally paying for all he's done," Kyoko replied.

"Yeah, true," Ann said, her tone having a hint of uncertainty. "I just didn't expect it to be this... overwhelming, I guess? But I don't think we did anything wrong."

"No, we didn't have a choice," Kyoko replied. "It was the only way to make sure he paid for his crimes."

"You're right," Ann said, her tone more relieved. "And maybe, what we did, we helped those people finally speak out about it?"

"I'd say we did," Kyoko replied. "Seeing Kamoshida no longer seem above the law after having fully confessed to everything, it probably gave them courage to testify."

Ann giggled a bit. "It's so amazing! It feels really good, you know? This totally calls for a celebration!"

"Yes, on that subject the medal's been sold. I was able to get 30,000 yen for it. Will that be enough?" Kyoko asked.

"Yup! That's more then enough!" Ann replied. "Let's meet up in front of Shibuya Station tomorrow at noon, alright? I'll pass the message on to Ryuji, too. You two are gonna love the place I got picked out for us! Seeya all tomorrow!"

"I'll look forward to it. Good night, Ann," Kyoko replied with a faint smile. Soon as she'd hung up and put her phone away, the teen undid her ponytail and began to get dressed for bed.

"I can't wait to see what we'll be eating!" Morgana said with an excited shiver. "Ooh! Maybe it'll be sushi! Tuna... urchin... maybe even salmon roe!"

"We'll know for certain, tomorrow. It'd be the first decent meal I've had in a while," Kyoko replied, sliding her sleeping shirt on as she faced away and began to peel off her gloves.

"By the way... that... um..." Morgana's ears drooped. "The you-know-what from the model shop... we should check it out."

"Yes, I am curious of if the manager's reasons were more then simple gratitude," said Kyoko as she slid on a new pair, relieved Takemi's salve had made the skin underneath a little less tender. Once she was finished, the teen approached the paper bag sitting on the workbench and removed what was inside. Testing the grip, checking the magazine cartridge which was indeed empty, turning it, holding it out, and pulling the trigger with an audible click, Kyoko placed it back into the paper bag.

"It's a model. I admit, an incredibly convincing model," she said.

"Whoa, how could you tell? I sure couldn't!" Morgana replied.

"As the manager said the first time we went in, real guns feel different from models. They also have slight differences to them. This one," Kyoko explained, gazing down into the paper bag. "...For all intents and purposes, if not for the slight difference in weight, this would be a perfect replica of an unloaded firearm. With a few minor adjustments it could probably be altered to fire bullets. I would have likely ended up in the station if those detectives saw it, with a lot of questions of why I had it."

"Seriously?! Why would that manager have something like that, though?" Morgana asked, looking surprised.

"Why, indeed, and why he would give it to me," Kyoko said, bringing her hand to her chin. "By my deductions, I suspect it was on the off-chance those detectives showed up with a search warrent. He didn't want it in the store while they were there and he took advantage of my need to get the medal sold to smuggle it out without anything unusual on the surveillance cameras."

"In that case maybe you should strike a deal with him next time you go back there!" Morgana said. "He did say you could return it if you want, after all. Plus, I've been thinking, a gun that looks that real? It could do wonders in the metaverse! It might actually be a good idea to go back and see what we can get!"

"Perhaps," Kyoko replied, still staring down the open bag. Her detective's nature had grown more intrigued by what the manager was hiding, as well. The situation she got caught in the middle of had raised so many questions she was now very curious about solving. Maybe she'd have the chance to find out after tomorrow's celebration meal, especially if it provided the chance to get better models for next time they ever visited the metaverse.

Folding the bag back up and placing it in the cabinet above the workbench, Kyoko took out her schoolbooks to study the rest of the night until she had wound down enough to fall asleep.

---

5/5

"Mmmmmm! Soooooo good...!" Ryuji moaned with joy as he finished his latest bite from his meal.

"It's no wonder Lady Ann chose this place!" Morgana said gleefully as he finished with a piece of barbecue chicken that had been snuck to his hiding spot for him.

Kyoko couldn't help but give a faint smile. Ann had come through and her enthusiasm about the restaurant the four of them were now seated at had been well-deserved with its plush interior and the intoxicating aroma of various foods being cooked and heated at the buffet tables nearby while other patrons around them chatted amongst themselves. The place had a very upscale yet welcoming atmosphere that had been a relief from what Kyoko had dealt with for the past month. Though she'd not had a truly decent meal outside of the curry Sojiro had occasionally provided her when she was around for it, the last time she'd had food so high class as this was...

The girl looked down a moment, recalling the last time she'd had her whole family together.

"Hey, Kyoko, you alright? You look like you're spacing out, there," Ann said suddenly, prompting the young detective to look over at her.

"It's nothing," she said.

"You sure?" Ann asked. Kyoko gave a sigh and brushed back her hair.

"It doesn't feel right troubling you with nostalgic memories," Kyoko replied. "...But the last time I had a meal like this was when my family was together."

"Well, hey, you enjoyin' yourself, though?" Ryuji asked.

"I suppose I am, yes," Kyoko replied.

"Well awesome! Remember when we were runnin' together?" the blond boy asked. "We gotta keep movin' forward!"

Kyoko closed her eyes and smirked lightly. "I suppose you're right, Ryuji."

"Well of course, this is a five-star restaurant at a famous hotel!" Ann said with a smile as she finished a slice of still warm cherry pie on her plate she'd topped with a scoop of whip cream. "Apparently, though, the police are gonna interview some people at Shujin when school starts up again..."

"That may be of concern," Kyoko replied, taking another bite of her steak marinade, savoring its tender taste and savory sauce.

"With all the rumors about us and Kamoshida, won't be surprised if our names come up," Ryuji said with a frown as he cut himself another slice of honeybaked ham. "They'll probably wanna talk to us."

The boy's face lit up quickly though after all but inhaling down the slice he'd taken. "Buuut, we did get 'em all pumped up! People're goin' around sayin' the Phantom Thieves really stole his heart!" he explained. "Maybe not everyone believes it, but I think plenty of 'em are grateful they don't gotta deal with that bastard anymore!"

"Is that so?" Kyoko asked. "We haven't been at school all week, where did you hear all of this?"

Ryuji grinned widely. "Glad you asked!" he said, reaching into his pocket and taking his phone out, fiddling a bit and turning the screen so the others could see.

"The Phantom Aficionado Website?" Ann read aloud.

"Well done, Phantom Thieves," Kyoko read off of one of the comments on the website chatbox.

"I can keep going, too," Ann said, reading off another. "Thank you for giving us hope!"

"Pretty cool, huh?" Ryuki asked, his grin growing somehow bigger.

"And to think I was just desperate to deal with my own problems," Ann replied. "...But seeing people say all of this feels... strange."

Kyoko closed her eyes with a faint smile, her hand at her chin. "The satisfaction of saving others, stopping evil. It's a good feeling," she said. Another thing she'd not experienced in a while. Even with her grandfather's orders to always remain emotionally distant from any case, Kyoko could never fully bury the thrill of success, of seeing victims avenged, innocent lives saved, and criminals punished.

"So... what're we gonna do, now?" Ryuji asked, looking at the other three seated before him.

Ann's eyes suddenly went wide. "Let's get more food!" she said, swiftly standing up with great urgency. "I'd almost forgot this place has a time limit! We only got an hour left! I haven't finished getting through the rest of the dessert menu!"

"And I gotta get through the whole beef dish menu!" Ryuji protested. A second of silence, and the two turned and looked at Kyoko, who was silently eating her meal at an idle pace not even watching them.

"H-hey, Kyoko?" Ryuji asked.

"I heard you both. I'm almost finished, too, so don't take long," she replied.

"Thanks, you're the best!" both Ann and Ryuji responded in perfect unison before hurrying back to the buffet line.

Moments later, Morgana could only stare in disbelief as he looked between Ryuji's various plates of equally diverse servings of beef, poultry, and pork, and Ann's ample selection of sweets as she had already gotten started on a slice of strawberry cheesecake.

"Honestly, you two?" Morgana uttered in exasperation, but neither paid him any mind as they immersed themselves in their choice of meal. "Hey! Wait, where's our share? You didn't get us anything?!"

"Whaahhu taahhin' abough?" Ryuji asked, his mouth full of honey and bourbon glazed steak. "Hurgg fooh igh righ ghhere!" He pointed to a nearby plate that Morgana could only perceive as a piled-on mishmash of beans, eggs, and fried bananas by what he could assume but it was otherwise a hideous mess.

The cat looked over at Kyoko, if a cat were capable of glaring, Morgana had achieved such a feat as the young detective had just finished her steak. "Kyoko? Let's go. We're gonna show these two what fine dining truly is!"

"I feel inclined to agree," Kyoko replied, pushing her empty plate aside and standing up, Morgana climbing in to her handbag as she scooped it up and made her way to the buffet table herself as Ryuji and Ann continued to swoon over their chosen meals.

"Have you heard, my dear? The news about Kamoshida is absolutely dreadful!" a snooty older woman said to another as Kyoko moved across the table serving various seafood meals.

"That... teacher at where was it? Shujin Academy was it called? To be caught doing such indecent acts, so shameful!" the other woman replied in an equally haughty tone, gaining Kyoko's full attention as she silently placed servings of fish, shrimp, eel, and scallop on her plate.

"Oh who cares about such trivialities? What about those mental shutdown cases?" the first woman asked. "Still, such a pity about those Shujin students."

"Speaking of students," Kyoko noticed both women were looking her way now with equal amounts of condescending disdain. "...How did a child get into a place as respectable as this?"

The woman's voice was hushed but clearly meant to be audible enough for Kyoko to hear as if the woman hoped to offend her. Her fellow socialite was no more merciful.

"Indeed, such a cold-looking young lady. No doubt very improper. I only hope she didn't bring friends here. This establishment has no place for troublesome hooligans."

"So true, so true," the other woman said with a mocking sigh. "It makes me ill to imagine. Let us go so our meals are not disturbed."

Once they'd left, Kyoko's normally stoic expression had taken a hint of annoyance. Morgana, however, chose to be less subtle.

"Seriously?! What's wrong with kids enjoying a buffet? They don't make the rules!" the cat snapped as he poked his head out.

"Was that a cat I just heard?" a man asked, prompting an annoyed sigh from Morgana as he ducked back into her bag.

"Hey, make sure you share the seafood when we sat back down," Morgana whispered. "In the meantime though, the whole Kamoshida scandal seems to be the talk of the town, maybe we can eavesdrop on some of the others while we're still getting food! I kinda wanna hear this! Looks like the rice dish table's close by, let's start there!"

Giving a nod, Kyoko took her plate over to where they had a variety of rice dishes, deciding on what to take as her meal's cornerstone.

"So the ratings for the news were really that good?" a stylishly-dressed woman asked an older, gray-haired man in a black suit. "Because of that sexual harassment scandal with that ex-olympic athlete Kamoshida, right?"

The older man chuckled. "Well it's all about how you frame it," he explained, getting Kyoko's attention as she moved slightly closer so she could hear them better, though keeping her gaze on the various steamers full of rice before her. "It's all about catering to an idiotic public, after all." the man said. "The key to making ratings soar is showing crude, sensational news, then make it easy for them to understand."

Kyoko's frown deepened in disgust, her gloved hand tensing on her plate as she thought about Shiho's attempted suicide, everything Ann had to endure, and what could have happened to Yoshizawa if Kamoshida had not been stopped. Kyoko had never been fond of sensationalist media and her grandfather despised them even more, calling them vultures who were more a hinderance then a help to the law. His claims were clearly not unfounded when it came to the man standing just a few feet from her.

"Disgusting," Morgana grumbled quietly. "It's all just a show to him? How can he not care about all the people Kamoshida hurt?"

"So, what about that "change of heart" thing? You believe that's real?" the stylish woman asked the man.

"Well," the man began, only to pause and glance over at Kyoko in suspicion, prompting the girl to select the basmati rice to add to her plate.

"So this Kamoshida apparently had a sudden "change of heart" and just confessed to all his crimes?"

"Who can say," the man replied. "At any rate, I need to get going, I have a very important meeting soon. I'll call you after it's over."

"A sudden change of heart, huh? I guess I can't blame them for seeing it that way," Morgana asked, poking his head from Kyoko's bag and sniffing the air with a swoon. "Anyway, let's get some more food, I'm starving and I think the meats are right over there! I tell you, I'm no Ryuji but a meal should always have some! There might even be some more people talking about what we did!"

With that, Kyoko made her way to the table serving a variety of beef, poultry, and pork dishes she'd seen on the plates Ryuji had last brought to the table and by her deductions he seemed to have made good on his goals and taken servings of each one according to her memory and what she saw before her, and began to take a few for herself.

"Well it's really his own fault," a gentleman in an expensive black suit and clean-cut hair that probably cost a fortune by Kyoko's guess said to a man across the serving tables from him. "Suguru Kamoshida may have been an Olympic gold medalist, but in the end he was nothing more then an ex-athlete who overestimated himself. He should have accepted the glory days were past and it was time to quietly move on and do his job as a teacher."

"It's not even an incident we can take seriously!" the other man, an older man in a gray suit replied. "The whole story itself's pretty ridiculous! Sure we should look into it, but leave it to the low-level scrubs..."

"Hmm," Kyoko hummed to herself bringing her free hand to her chin as her eyes turned to the men. So there would be an investigation, though it seemed these men, presumably associated with the police, or the next step up, did not seem that interested nor thrilled about it, treating it more like a chore then anything else.

It was then she noticed both men staring at her, prompting her to finish grabbing her food as the two seemed satisfied and returned their attention back to eachother and resumed their conversation.

"He's gonna be arriving soon," the first man said, looking at his watch.

"Then we'd better not be late! Let's get going we won't want to keep him waiting!" the other man said urgently, as the two quickly turned to leave. "I'm gonna guess this isn't just gonna be lunch," he added as they walked away towards the doors.

"Pretty shady guys," Morgana mused, poking his head back out, then glancing at Kyoko's plate. "That just leaves dessert!" he said with an eager chuckle. "Don't you dare skimp on the cake! Ooh! And lots of whip cream!"

Kyoko gave the cat a brief stare before heading over to where the desserts were lined up. Indeed they did not disappoint, various types of red velvet, angel food, chocolate, and cheesecakes were spread out across, with blueberry, cheery, and strawberry crepes and pies alongside several cans of whip cream, and fountains flowing of the richest-looking white, milk, and dark chocolate she'd ever seen. Suddenly Ann's overindulgeance did not appear unjustified either, it all looked absolutely delicious.

"News travels fast! It's all over the internet, you know!" a young man's voice said near Kyoko, causing her to turn, seeing a man in a suit who looked to be in his 20s talking to a young woman. "That story of how that olympic medalist-turned-gym teacher Suguru Kamoshida got his ass kicked by some world-reforming heroes."

"It doesn't sound like a serious story to me," the woman replied. "A lot of the details seem kinda far-fetched."

"I wouldn't worry about it," the man said. "We just have to do what we're told to do. Even if it's just a bunch of rumors made up by a bunch of high school children, it's still gripping news, so who cares if it's true or not?" he said with a laugh.

Kyoko blinked at the man's statement. "Seems they don't really believe it."

"But they're still making up stories to make the Phantom Thieves seem real?" Morgana asked, before chuckling a little. "And they're doing it right in front of the real Phantom Thieves!"

"The irony isn't lost on me," Kyoko whispered.

"Excuse me, young lady, can we help you?" the man suddenly asked, a hint of annoyance in his voice causing Kyoko to turn and look at him.

"My apologies. I didn't mean to overhear," Kyoko replied, taking up several samples of the different desserts.

The man did not seem satisfied, however, and gave an amused smirk as he folded his arms. "Well, if you did overhear, surely it's quite the talk among teenagers like you. I would be thrilled to hear your take for what it's worth."

Kyoko's gaze turned neutral, though she could see the man wasn't even trying to hide the condescending tone in his voice she would not dignify him with a reaction. "Personally, I don't have an opinion on the matter, yet. Whatever actually happened, I'm certain we will know more once the investigation happens."

"A rather mature statement for a high school student," the man replied, his tone no less supercilious as he looked at his watch, then sighed and gave an apologetic look to the woman he was talking to. "I'm sorry, we should probably get going. It's almost time for that big meeting."

With that, the two immediately left, not even acknowledging Kyoko again as they walked past her. Morgana let out a low, annoyed growl from within Kyoko's bag as he watched.

"Seriously? How much ruder could he get? It was like he wanted you to feel like some clueless kid or something!"

"I'm no stranger to that," Kyoko replied. "When I started out under my grandfather's tutelege, adults treated me the same way. It's... frustrating to deal with it again."

Morgana gave a sigh. "Well, at any rate, I think we got enough, now. Let's go back to the others and feast!"

With a nod, Kyoko turned and came back to the table where Ann and Ryuji now each had large stacks of empty plates lay out before them, and now on their final servings, sitting down and setting her plate before her.

"Sooo, whaddya think of all this ritzy food?" Ryuji asked between bites.

"I normally do not indulge myself so much, but I believe this would be a time to do so," Kyoko replied with a faint smile.

"Mmmm... this cheesecake... it's sooooo rich!" Ann swooned from the other side of the table as she took another bite of her food, prompting a chuckle from Morgana.

"Seeing Lady Ann so happy, makes me happy," he said as he watched her eat.

"Anyways, you gotta take a bite!" Ryuji said. "Start with the meats! I'm tellin' ya, usin' different ingredients makes it all taste way different!"

"Tch! Look at you, acting like you have a refined pallet!" Morgana snarked before he began eating some samples of meat and seafood Kyoko had left on a smaller plate for him.

"Ain'cha eatin' a lot there, Mona-Mona?" Ryuji asked as he watched the cat continue to practically inhale his food despite the ample pile.

"H-hey!" Morgana grumbled between mouthfuls of meat and fish. "I... mmmf... dunno... nyumm... when we'll ever come back here... mmmfmmmf... again!"

"Yeah, we can't let it go to waste!" Ann said as she finished her cake slice, only to grab yet another.

"Need some help, Kyoko?" Ryuji asked as he finished up his last plate. The young detective proceeded to look down at her own, noticing that in her earlier encounter with the upper crust at the tables, perhaps she had, even with the portions intended for Morgana... overdid it a little.

"Very well, I don't see why not."

---

"Finally... we... urp... did it...!" Ryuji gulped as he nursed is aching stomach.

Thirty minutes that had gone by. If Kyoko believed in such possibility, it had seemed as if the food had absolutely no end in sight far longer then it had reason to, but in the end, the Phantom Thieves had been victorious in conquering the consumable mountain they had designed. Looking at the empty plates before the four of them, Kyoko lay back in her seat, feeling fuller then she ever had in her entire life. Morgana was sprawled out in her bag, while Ryuji looked like he could throw up any moment. Ann meanwhile...

"Good job, you all! Wanna get one more dish to clense the palette?" she asked cheerfully, looking as fresh and sunny as when she started. "I recommend the Seasonal Tart!"

Ryuji let out a loud groan. "I really don't wanna hear about food, right now." he muttered, before suddenly gagging. "Ohhhh this isn't good... I gotta get to... the bathroom..."

"Me too," Morgana moaned from his spot in Kyoko's handbag. "C-carry me... lightly, please..."

Kyoko felt her stomach turn as well. "May be a good idea," she said softly.

"Oh look at those children at that table..." a snobby-sounding female voice said. from behind them, causing Kyoko to turn and glare up at a middle-aged woman and her husband, both dressed in a way that was purely meant to tell everyone they had money to burn at all times.

"Pay them no mind, dear. They surely must not have the chance to experience such exquisite food regularly," the woman's husband said, folding his arms and looking at the group with disgust. Kyoko's gaze narrowed into a glare as if challenging him to go further with that.

The woman chuckled. "I can only imagine what their parents must be like!"

"What was that?!" Ryuji snapped, rising up from his seat, only for his knees to buckle as he held his stomach and his mouth. "N-nevermind. Don't got time for this..."

"You three go on, I'm gonna get a tart," Ann said as she watched the couple walk away, though her own mood had fallen noticeably. "I'll seeya when you get back."

Kyoko's stomach turned again. "Yes, let's go Ryuji." she said, picking up her bag and standing up.

"H-hey... gently! Gently!" Morgana protested as he struggled to avoid vomiting in Kyoko's handbag while she and Ryuji left the restaurant.

---

"Phew... I'm still stuffed," Morgana moaned. "But thanks for bringing me out here."

"I totally panicked when I saw the closed for cleaning sign at the Mens' bathroom," Ryuji muttered. "Thank god they just forgot to remove it."

"Did you manage okay?" Kyoko asked.

"I think I turned totally inside-out," Ryuji groaned. "But I feel a little better, now."

"You really meant it when you planned on eating until you puked, didn't you?" Morgana asked. "You some kinda moron?"

"Look who's talkin!" Ryuji snapped back, before turning his attention to the elevators. "Hey, you remember what floor the restaurant was on, Kyoko?"

"I believe we were on a lower floor. We did go up to get here, after all," Kyoko replied as pressed the Down button. Out of the corner of her eye, however, she noticed other patrons around the elevator begin to whisper and back away. Turning around, she noticed a group of men in suits approaching the elevator. Without even breaking strike, the man at the front roughly shoved Kyoko and Ryuji out of the way.

"Excuse me, sir, was that necessary?" Kyoko asked, a hint of anger in her tone. The man, however, didn't even look at her. Instead, his attention was on a taller, bald man with tinted glasses at the center of the group. Unlike the others, his blazer was open with a pinstriped white shirt underneath. He nor any of the other men were paying Kyoko's question any notice, either.

"There's still no updates on the case?" the bald man, who appeared to be in charge, asked as he stood in front of the elevator doors to board first whenever they opened as the others stood gathered around him, blocking Kyoko and Ryuji's view of him.

"Not yet, sir," one of the men, presumably a bodyguard, said. "But why get involved with it? Surely this isn't something you should worry about."

"I don't care about your opinion, you incompetant buffoon!" Kyoko heard the bald man with the glasses' voice snap harshly as he spun sharply around to face the bodyguard that had spoken. "When I say "pick up the pace", you do it!"

"Hey, pal! You're cuttin' in line!" Ryuji snapped, addressing the man who had pushed them aside.

"The hell do you want?" one of the other men asked, turning to face him with a look of clear annoyance. "We're in a hurry, here."

"Oh, I'm so sorry! So it's okay for you guys to just butt in front of other people if you're in a hurry?!" Ryuji hissed.

"Ryuji, this isn't worth it!" Kyoko whispered to her friend as she glared dangerously at the men in front of them.

The bald man scoffed as he continued to face the elevator. "It seems the customer base has changed since I was here last," he growled, his tone dripping with disgust and contempt. "...Have they opened up a day care or something?"

The man who'd confronted Ryuji turned to his boss. "Sir, we don't have time for this," he urged, though his voice showed a hint of fear.

"I know," the bald man replied.

"Hey, excuse me!" Ryuji snapped, only for the bodyguard to shove him hard in the chest, nearly knocking him over had Kyoko not rushed over and caught him, glaring lividly at the man.

"Don't bother with them!" the bald man snarled.

Kyoko's harsh gaze suddenly faded, her grip on Ryuji softening as her eyes widened as the bald man's voice gave her a sense of deja vu. Facing away, the girl nursed her forehead as the men entered the elevator and were gone.

"Hey, Kyoko, you alright?" Morgana asked from her bag.

Kyoko blinked. "Sorry. Don't know what came over me. Something about that man..."

"Yeah, tell me about it!" Ryuji said bitterly. "Just who the hell was that guy and why'd he have to act so damn bossy?!"

"We should probably head back down, Lady Ann's still waiting for us," Morgana replied.

"Yeah, but..." Ryuji let out a growl. "That dick really pissed me off! Wasn't even hidin' the fact that he looks down on everyone! I just can't stand shitty adults like that!"

"Don't lose your temper over this, Ryuji," Kyoko replied, brushing her hair back. "As unpleasent and rude as he was, there's little we can do right now."

Ryuji let out a sigh. "Yeah, I guess you're right," he said with a frown as he pushed the down button on the second elevator. "Still... just 'cause he's some rich bigshot doesn't mean he can do whatever he wants! He's just like friggin' Kamoshida and other assholes like him!"

As the doors opened and the three entered, Ryuji Kyoko couldn't shake a thought out of her head.

The man's voice... why did it sound so familiar? Almost like the one from back then...

---

"What took you three so long?" Ann snapped. "We don't have much time left, you know?"

"Jeez, why're you all pissy?" Ryuji asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

Ann sighed, looking down at the table. "Sorry... I shouldn't have snapped at you... I just... I had a run-in with some woman a second ago," she explained, gritting her teeth. "She bumped into me! And then she just... completely goes off on me! Calling me a stupid clumsy child and how it was all my fault when she dropped her plate! Said I'd better apologize right away if I don't want her complaining and getting me kicked out! She just made me so mad!"

"Sounds like a real bitch!" Ryuji growled as Ann fumed in her seat.

"Yeah, thanks though," Ann replied. "But even then, everyone in the restaurant all looked at me with this... disapproving glare..."

"...As if you don't belong here?" Kyoko asked gently. "Yes, it's... frustrating..."

A brief silence passed among the small group, cut by the deep, restless grumble Ryuji gave.

"Hey, Morgana?" Ryuji spoke up.

"Yes?"

"I was thinkin' about somethin' you said earlier. So... anyone can have a Palace, right?" Ryuji asked.

"Anyone with a strong, distorted desire, yes," the cat replied.

"And same for them havin' a change of heart if their Treasure gets stolen?"

"That would be the case. You saw it with Kamoshida, after all."

Ann leaned forward, curious. "So why are you bringing this up, all of a sudden?"

Ryuji sighed and shook his head. "...We had some trouble too, at the elevators. Buncha selfish shitheads who just looked down on everyone else..."

"You're wondering if we could change people like that as well?" Kyoko asked.

Ann's eyes widened in surprise. "You mean... continue as the Phantom Thieves?"

"Yeah... I mean.. I've been thinkin' an' all," Ryuji explained. "...We went into so much work in changin' Kamoshida's heart, but nobody really believes in the Phantom Thieves! Plus, those people who had no choice but to deal with all he did were thankin' us! Us of all people!"

Kyoko brought her hand to her chin as she mulled Ryuji's words over, recalling what Morgana had said as well, and his notion that they could go in again... and her experiences in the Velvet Room seemed to portend to the notion that her journey and "rehabilitation" would not end with defeating Kamoshida.

...In fact, it was likely far from over. There were still so many unanswered questions.

"I'm inclined to agree," she said, glancing over at him. "If it weren't for us, he'd continue to lord over the school and others would have suffered, and no one would stop him." She thought about what had happened to her thanks to someone with enough power and connections to escape the law, and Shiho, who had also suffered a horrible injustice from someone who would have walked away untouched for the same reasons if they hadn't stepped in, and Yoshizawa, who could have ended up a broken shell of herself as well if Kamoshida had gotten to her, too.

"You're right," Ann replied. "I can't sit still and ignore other people who could be in trouble, too! If I did, I'd be the same person I was before..."

"Exactly," Kyoko said. "With this power we have, we can help others who are in situations just like everyone Kamoshida hurt..." She rose from her seat and looked to Ryuji, Morgana, and Ann. "...Even with my... situation... I am still a trained detective. I can not allow injustices like that to continue to stay hidden, ignored, or worse... protected. The truth a detective seeks may take no sides, but it must be uncovered and fought for no matter what stands in their way. We exposed the truth of Kamoshida's crimes in a way no one could conceal anymore, and he was brought to justice for it. I say we do this."

"That's the spirit!" Morgana said. "With you all under my tutelage, there's nothing we can't accomplish as Phantom Thieves!"

Kyoko couldn't help but smirk a little, her hand at her chin as she looked down at the cat. "Yes, it is rather ironic that I, Kyoko Kirigiri, descending from a line of detectives, would choose to assume a role that stands on the opposite side of the law to achieve all I swore to uphold and fight for years ago."

Ryuji chuckled. "Heh, true that! Is kinda ironic, but like, superheroes do that stuff all the time!"

"I suppose that is a way of putting it," Kyoko replied.

"So, this means we'd have to fight more Shadows, then?" Ann asked, concerned.

"It can't be avoided, so yes," Morgana replied.

"Eh, I'm sure we'll manage!" Ryuji said with a grin.

"Well, even if you three are still just fledglings, this means we're an actual organization, now!"

"Then it's settled," Kyoko stated.

"Damn right!" Ryuji replied with excitement. "We're gonna catch every one of those shitty adults, and make ourselves known to the world!"

"And you're alright being our leader?" Ann asked, looking up at Kyoko.

"Hey, no objections, here!" Ryuji said. "I can't handle that responsibility stuff, anyway!"

"If Lady Ann made the recommendation, I'll allow it!" Morgana said.

Kyoko smirked a little once more, seeing that she had essentially just been drafted judging from them seeing her as most qualified for the job. The way they all looked at her, it would be wrong to say no. "Very well, I will do my best."

"So that leaves the question... who'll be our next target, then?" Ann asked.

"There's tons of rotten adults out there, but we gotta target some big names!" Ryuji said. "I mean... if we're gonna get our names out, and make more people believe in us, we gotta look for some serious bigwigs. People the news can't ignore or bury. People everyone'll be talkin' about when we make 'em pay!"

"Like a celebrity or CEO?" Kyoko asked, prompting a nod from him.

"It's not a bad idea, for you Ryuji," Morgana replied.

"That is true," Ann said. "If we become better known, we might be able to give courage to more people... inspire hope in them, you know? Still, we can't just do it at random."

"Right, we need to go after someone we can all agree on," said Ryuji. "We'll show 'em all!"

"Then the Phantom Thieves of Hearts are officially in business!" Morgana stated proudly. "I'll be expecting nothing but great things from all of you!"

Ann's face suddenly went aghast.

"Something wrong, Lady Ann?" Morgana asked.

The blonde looked at him with an expression of utter panic and dismay. "...Our buffet time just ran out."

"Eh," Ryuji waved his hand dismissively. "We'll just talk about it more, tomorrow."

---

?/?

"You're telling me there's another world, in which peoples' distorted cognitions take shape?" Prosecutor Niijima asked as she gave Kyoko a moment. "...And you also tell me about stealing Treasures to change hearts?"

Kyoko remained silent as she nursed her bruises from the earlier assault by the head inspector when he'd interrogated her.

"On top of that, you got all of this from a talking cat?" the prosecutor raised an eyebrow at the girl seated across from her.

Kyoko just stared back, her gaze weary but still maintaining intensity to it as she hoped to ensure the prosecutor understood she was being serious despite still dealing with the drugs circulating through her system.

"Honestly speaking, it all sounds absurd," Niijima replied. "It's hard to believe any of this is worth listening to."

The prosecutor looked down at her folder on the desk. "Still, it can hardly be considered nonsense when parts of it align perfectly with Kamoshida's confession, as well as the officers that arrested you... but so be it."

A few seconds of silence passed between them. Seeing that Kyoko didn't look like she was planning to speak then, Niijima continued. "At any rate, something else you mentioned is also important," she explained. "The other two accomplices aside from the talking cat thing that appeared in your story... from what you've told me, they're students at the same school, aren't they?"

Kyoko allowed for another several seconds of silence, giving only a wordless glare and her impassive frown as she struggled to fight the grogginess as her response.

"...Very well, we'll leave it at that," Niijima replied. "Let's continue on. The questioning is far from over and I know your story is, as well, and if you are making this up, the cracks in it will prove that."

Opening her folder, Niijima turned several pages to where a new photograph lay as she pushed it towards Kyoko. "The next to receive a calling card was this individual," she explained.

Kyoko glanced down at the photo that lay atop the case notes in the folder, which displayed an elderly man who looked to be in his seventies, wearing dull green and black traditional robes.

"This, is Ichiryusai Madarame. An apparent master of the Japanese arts," Niijima continued. "It's even more incomprehensible than Kamoshida as to why this man was targeted..."

Kyoko continued to stare down at the photo in silence as the prosecutor spoke up again.

"Where did you come to know him?" she asked. "...And how did you become aware of his crimes to target him, when unlike with Kamoshida, you were never a victim of them? Start by telling me what you all schemed..."

---

A/N: At long last, a new chapter! I have vacation from work next week so I may try and get another chapter done then as well if I got time. Hope you all enjoyed this one!

The Fool: Rank 2

The Magician: Rank 2

The Hierophant: Rank 2

The Lovers: Rank 1

The Chariot: Rank 3

Death: Rank 2

Kyoko's Personas: Agathion, Bicorn, Cait Sith, Succubus, Saki Mitama