Heart of Justice Chapter 18
5/15
"It's so crowded!" Morgana observed from within Kyoko's bag.
The exhibit was indeed packed. Patrons were crowded around every single painting imaginable that filled the halls, banners detailing where certain themes were kept and promotional posters for the exhibit dotted the building's interior. Though there was no sign of the man himself, Kyoko suspected he was likely present already.
"He is the most renowned artist in Japan, according to all we could find on him so it's to be expected," Kyoko replied.
"I'm just impressed he's managed to produce so many, and they're all so diverse!" Ann remarked.
"If he's our target, then things are no doubt not as they seem," Kyoko said. "If what we heard from Nakanohara's Shadow is true, Kitagawa is studying under a corrupt teacher."
"A teacher who treats his pupils like tools. Whatta piece'a shit," Ryuji grumbled.
"Still, we don't know what exactly it is Madarame is doing to his pupils. Let's try not to stand out too much," Kyoko replied.
"That goes double for you, Ryuji," Morgana said.
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Ryuji snapped, glaring at the cat. "If anything it's you who needs to keep from being seen!"
"Wonderful! You came!" Yusuke's voice called out as Morgana ducked back into Kyoko's bag, a smile on the boy's face as he walked over, dressed much more casually then the previous day with it being Sunday, though his expression faded quickly when he took notice of the glaring Kyoko and Ryuji. "...As did you two..."
"Your Sensei gave us all tickets," Kyoko replied. "Furthermore, I can assure you I'm more cultured then you may assume."
"Yeah, same!" Ryuji insisted, though Yusuke's expression made it clear that the blond boy's response did not particularly convince him.
"I suppose you're right," he said, glancing over at Kyoko, then back at Ryuji. "At any rate, just make sure you don't get in the way of the other visitors," he said curtly before looking over at Ann, his smile quickly returning. "Come now, I'll be happy to show you around! It'll also give me the chance to discuss the picture I wish to draw, too!"
"I guess I'll see you guys later," Ann said, looking back apologetically as she walked off with Yusuke to one of the exhibit halls.
"Oh no! Lady Ann!" Morgana cried out, poking his head from the bag again. "What if that boy takes her someplace private and tries something funny?!"
"I told you not to come out! You want security on our asses for bringin' a cat in here?!" Ryuji protested, before turning his attention to Kyoko. "For real, though... we seriously gonna "appreciate" the fine arts? Can't we just go home?"
"Remember what we came for," Kyoko said, her gaze narrowing. "Ann has Kitagawa covered. Our job is to investigate Madarame."
"How we gonna do that?" Ryuji asked.
"Examine the paintings for anything unusual. He's produced a surprising number of them particularly in the past thirteen years, and numerous different styles. I have my suspicions from what Nakanohara said, but I won't know for certain until we find more clues," Kyoko explained. "Furthermore, if we can find him here, maybe we can talk to him, or observe him."
Ryuji frowned. "Well, I ain't exactly an artist, so I dunno what good I'll do on the first one, but I'll help ya keep an eye out for the guy," he said, turning to look around at the crowds. "...Where we supposed to start at, anyway?"
"I think over there," Kyoko said, pointing to one of the signs, prompting a brief look of embarrassment from the boy as they proceeded.
A few minutes later, Kyoko heard Ryuji call her name.
"Kyoko! Right there!" The boy was pointing to a small, carpeted area isolated from the crowds, where some reporters and cameraman had gathered. Kyoko stepped closer and saw Madarame standing before them, facing away from her and Ryuji. "I... don't think we're gonna get near him."
"Probably not, but we can listen. No one takes notice of young people observing an interview with a celebrity," Kyoko replied as she led him as close as she figured they could hear Madarame talk without being intrusive. "...Just look interested but overdo it..."
"We continue to be amazed by your seemingly limitless imagination!" the female reporter stated. "You have such expansive styles! It's so hard to believe they all, with their extensive skill, all stem from just one person! Where does it all come from?"
Kyoko folded her arms, bringing her hand to her chin as she listened, approaching then turning a little to be less conspicuous as Madarame gave his response.
"Well," he said with a humble smile. "...It is rather difficult to put in to words, honestly... let's just say they naturally well up from within my heart, like bubbles rising one after another in the spring!"
"Naturally, you say?" the female reporter responded. "Surely you have some secret to your success! You've produced so much amazing work!"
"I suppose then, my secret is simply that it's important to distance oneself from worldly desires such as money and fame! They are the things that hinder an artist from inspiration, and thus my atelier is a modest shack, providing me so little of both yet at the same time enough to ensure I am able to continue to seek out that beauty..."
"A shack, huh?" Ryuji whispered. Kyoko's gaze narrowed as she listened to the man's words, her eyes following the many paintings that adorned the walls around them.
"Interesting..." the girl replied.
"So," the reporter said, looking back at her cameraman. "...The act of emptying one's mind gives rise to inner beauty! Still, to think we'd hear the word "shack" come from the today's most prolific artist, Ichiryusai Madarame!"
"Oh, you'd understand if you saw it!" Madarame said with a hearty laugh.
"Oh my gosh! Madarame-san's here in person!" a person in the crowds cried out, and Kyoko immediately noticed many heads turning.
"Oh shit..." Ryuji stammered, as the crowds wasted no time rushing over to where he and Kyoko stood.
"The exit. Let's go." Kyoko replied urgently.
"But...!" Ryuji protested.
"We have what we need!" the young detective replied, grabbing the boy's hand and rushing through the thinnest parts of the incoming crowd before things became completely inescapable.
"Wow... I didn't know there were so many kinds of Japanese art!" Ann said, staring an awe at the paintings around her as Yusuke led her around the galleries. "...Your Sensei... he made all of these?!"
"Well, usually one concentrates on one specific style," Yusuke explained. "...But yes, Sensei creates all of this by himself... he's special."
"Ah, there you are, Yusuke!" Madarame's voice called from behind them, causing Yusuke and Ann to turn as the older man approached.
"Oh, Sensei!" Yusuke replied, surprised by his arrival.
"I was fortunate to slip away from the crowds, I suppose my success is both a blessing and a curse, after all!" he said with a chuckle, then taking notice of Ann and smiling. "Oh, the girl from yesterday! I hope you've been enjoying the exhibit!"
"I am, yes!" Ann replied with a nod. "I don't know how to put it into words, but it's really amazing!"
Madarame's smile grew as he closed his eyes and gave a nod of his own. "You're sensing something from the artwork. That alone is enough to give us artists satisfaction in our creations!" he said, and looked over at Yusuke. "I hope this becomes a wonderful piece as well, Yusuke. Now, if you'll excuse me..."
"You'd imagine artists of his level would be very difficult to approach," Ann remarked as she watched Madarame walk back to some eager reporters. "...But he seems really friendly!"
"Indeed. I couldn't ask for a better Sensei," Yusuke replied.
"Oh! Here it is! The one I wanted to see in person!" Ann cried out suddenly as she took notice of a nearby painting and approached it. The girl frowned a little as she studied it, noting the aggressive style and passionate colors at its center that offset its darker backdrop. "The way the coloring is arranged... I'm sensing... anger? Or maybe frustration coming from it? I can't imagine such a cheerful and gentlemanly person like Madarame could make something like this..."
Ann heard Yusuke give out a sharp sigh, and turned, noticing him looking away, as if looking at the painting or discussing it were upsetting to him. "What's wrong?" she asked.
Yusuke shook his head quickly. "I-it's nothing. There are much better pieces then... this one." He gave a smile, though Ann noticed it seemed rather forced, as if whatever had affected his mood were still troubling him. "...Come, now! I'll prove it to you!"
Ann quickly hurried behind him as she noticed Yusuke had already begun to walk away.
"Ugh... damn that old lady totally elbowed me on purpose!" Ryuji grumbled from where he was sitting as he nursed the bruise on his side. "She have to hit me so damn hard?!"
"Here," Kyoko said, offering a cold canned soda she'd taken from a nearby vending machine. Ryuji gave a nod as he accepted it, and promptly pressed it against where he'd been bruised. It had since begun pouring outside when they left resulting in the teens taking shelter in what Kyoko read to be Shibuya's Teikyu Building Accessway. "Feeling better?" she asked, her gaze not turning from the torrential downpour that continued outside beyond the glass walls that overlooked the streets below.
"Yeah, a little," Ryuji said with smirk. "Thanks for pickin' that up for me. Think you can grab me a cup'a ramen from one'a the vendors, too?"
"Don't push your luck," Kyoko replied dryly.
"Heh, it was worth a shot," Ryuji said, scratching the back of his head sheepishly with his free hand. "Still, thanks to that, I remembered somethin', now..."
"If it's about Ann, don't worry. She texted me a few moments ago asking where we were. I told here to meet us here." Kyoko said.
"No, not about her," said Ryuji. "It's about a post I saw online on the Phansite. I'll pull it up!"
"Why'd you leave without me?!" Ann's voice shouted indignantly, prompting Ryuji and Kyoko to turn and see the noticeably drenched blonde storming towards them. "...And without a single umbrella?!"
"Like you couldn't be bothered to bring one, yourself?" Ryuji asked.
Kyoko sighed. "I apologize. We had caught sight of Madarame being interviewed and a crowd of rather unruly fans suddenly noticed as well, we had to head to the exit and it started pouring outside. It was... hectic."
"Look, that's not important, alright? You two gotta check this post out!" Ryuji said, holding out his phone to Kyoko and Ann to read the post he'd brought up. "It's gotta be about Madarame!"
Kyoko brought her hand to her chin as she took his phone and read it over, Ann walking up next to her to read as well.
"A so-called "Master of the Japanese Arts" is plagiarizing his pupils' work. Only his public face is shown on TV," Kyoko read.
Ann's eyes widened in horror. "P-plagiarizing?!"
"I didn't think much of it at first," Ryuji explained. "But then when he was goin' on about his place bein' a shack and all, that kinda triggered it..."
"His treatment of his pupils who live with him is awful. He teaches nothing and bosses them around, treating them inhumanly as if bossing around a dog," Kyoko continued to read. "It all falls into place. I had my suspicions earlier as I looked at his paintings..."
"Whaddya mean?" Ryuji asked.
"There are different styles when it comes to arts, but every artist has their own touch that they bring to their technique. Something that truly makes a work of art "theirs"," Kyoko replied. "Detectives are taught careful observation for imperfections and even the most subtle differences and other clues when dealing with forgeries, counterfeitting, and other forms of plagiarism, and my grandfather intends I master all types of cases to succeed him..."
"Meaning...?" Ann asked.
"...My apologies," Kyoko replied, feeling she was getting off-track. "...I looked at all the paintings during the exhibit, they were indeed very much authentic, but there was still something that felt off about them I couldn't put my finger on, and Madarame's interview, what he said about being able to produce so many so quickly, and that all of them came from him, I realized what it was. Each one was defined on a different style pertaining to the various Japanese arts, all of them were different... as if they were all made by different artists. This post on the Phansite, especially when taken into account it perfectly matches what Nakanohara's Shadow told us in Mementos, explains the "how" perfectly to the point it cannot be simply dismissed as an attempted malicious slander."
"So abuse on top of plagiarism?" Morgana asked, poking his head out of Kyoko's bag on the floor.
"Yes," Kyoko explained as she returned Ryuji's phone. "I suspect those paintings we saw at the exhibit, if not all of them, were not made by Madarame himself, but rather his pupils which he took and passed off as his own."
"Heh, well then if this is all real, it'll be a huge scandal!" Ryuji said with a grin.
"I wonder, though... did Kitagawa-kun post this? He is a pupil of his..." Ann asked.
"Dunno," Ryuji replied. "...It was posted anonymously."
"I'm not sure," Kyoko said. "...He seemed... rather devoted to him."
"He did, and Madarame seemed so kind," Ann mused. "Maybe Madarame isn't mistreating him like he did the others?"
"It's possible," Kyoko said. "One catches more flies with honey rather then vinegar."
"There has to be another way, then," Morgana said.
"What about Nakanohara? We already changed his heart, maybe there's a way we can get in touch with him in the real world?" Ann offered.
"And what do we say to him exactly?" Ryuji asked. "We tell 'em all about Mementos and stuff? He'd think we're nuts!"
"Not to mention, if we start asking around people connected to Madarame out in the open, especially with so little to go on, there's a possibility Madarame will find out," Morgana said.
"...Which will only cause us more problems," Kyoko said, recalling what had happened when she and Ryuji had tried to interrogate the volleyball team about Kamoshida's abuse. "This can't be a coincidence, but Madarame is much more high-profile then Kamoshida, and far more influential. Our investigation will need to be done with more subtlety, but still... Kitagawa may be our best link to him."
"Still, if this is all legit, ain't this exactly the kinda target we've been waitin' for?" Ryuji asked, smirking. "Oh, and speakin' of all that, what'd you do about that whole modelling thing Kitagawa wanted you to do?" he asked Ann.
"Well, he gave me his contact info, and the address to his sensei's atelier," Ann replied.
"Perfect timin'!" Ryuji said, his smirk spreading to a grin. "We should go right on over there after school tomorrow!"
"W-what?! I can't just m-model tomorrow! It's so sudden!" Ann protested.
"Nothin' like that!" Ryuji said. "I mean this might be a chance for us to talk to Kitagawa!"
"Agreed," Kyoko replied with a nod. "We play this right, we can investigate without seeming too suspicious. I'll be able to get a better read on Kitagawa as well if we speak to him then."
"Oh, okay. That makes sense," Ann replied, relieved.
"Then it's settled! After school, we go straight over!" Ryuji said with a thumbs-up, the others nodding in agreement.
"...Is it EVER going to clear up?!" Ann grumbled with a sigh as she looked at the heavy storm that continued outside.
5/16
The rain had indeed at long last let up overnight, though following day at school had come with one unexpected surprise when Dr. Maruki of all people was called in to give his own lecture to the class. Just as before a bustle came from a fair number of the female students despite his what Kyoko deemed was a consistent state of looking like someone who liked to sleep in a bit, while the young detective exchanged a glance with Ann, who simply shrugged in reply as the doctor began to speak.
"Hello, everyone. As you probably know, I am Dr. Takuto Maruki, your school counselor. Thanks to the school's requests, I am able to talk to you all outside of counseling, now!" he explained. "Today, I wanted to talk to you a little about how mental health and perception can affect you."
Kyoko looked around as the murmurs quickly started up, some of intrigue, others of suspicion while she simply watched the doctor as he spoke.
"Heh, you're probably worried I'm going to stress you out, but no, that's not why I'm here. Just relax and listen," Maruki said. "I'd like to ask... how much do you kids know about the emotional mind?"
Maruki let a second pass before he spoke again, giving Kyoko the impression he did not expect any immediate answers.
"See, what's going on in your mind can affect your body pretty significantly," the doctor continued. "There's actually even proof that it can heal you, depending on your outlook," he explained, before turning his attention towards Kyoko and gave a challenging smile. "Kirigiri-san, can you tell us what the phenomenon is where belief in a treatment's power is enough to improve one's condition?"
Soon enough Kyoko could tell everyone else's eyes were on her as well. Many of them the teen could tell were waiting for her to get it wrong, still thinking her some kind of delinquent no matter how many times she'd managed to answer questions right. By her guess maybe those times she'd incurred Ushimaru's wrath had left a bad impression though she did not consider them entirely her fault, but still, it seemed like they just looked for an excuse to double down on a negative view of her. Hopefully when her exam score came up she could at least feel some catharsis at their likely reactions, but for now she'd settle for answering Maruki's question.
"The placebo effect, sir," she replied. "The term "placebo" can also be used to describe the drug or medicine itself that is used to induce this effect, sometimes provided to those with a history of hypochondria to ensure they do not risk addiction or legitimate health concerns from actual medications."
Maruki gave a smile and nodded. "That's absolutely correct! Well done, Kirigiri-san!" he said, before turning his attention to the rest of the class. "See, some people specify that placebos don't have any curative properties at all! Still, even if the medicine does nothing chemically, it can affect your perception and help you feel better, regardless!" the doctor explained. "This can go the other way, too, however. If you don't trust the medicine, like say you're far too concerned about potential side effects, it might make you feel even worse, your mind seeks every possible sign of a symptom as a confirmation. They actually, and I assure you this is no joke, call it a nocebo!"
The other students, however, seemed less vested in Maruki's comments and more on being stunned by Kyoko's ability to answer so confidently.
"Anyways, that's only one example, actually," Maruki explained. "My point, you see, is that our minds and bodies are much more connected then you may think. This makes it very important not to push yourself too hard, the mind needs rest as well, after all, and if you need any help with that, feel free to come see me in the nurse's office..."
"Hmm... you think that means I could change back to a human if I just believe in it hard enough?" Morgana asked from within Kyoko's desk, prompting the teen to glance down at him with a gaze that the cat perceived as either one of blunt disagreement or a reminder to keep quiet during class, prompting him to slink back in without another word.
"Suguru Kamoshida, a former Olympian and teacher at Shujin Academy... what do you make of this, Niijima?"
"I can't say, sir," the silver-haired woman replied, looking down at the files on the SIU director's desk. "It's rather perplexing that he'd just turn himself in like that, especially someone with the... charges he confessed to..."
The older man frowned, steepling his fingers as he remained seated in his chair. "Indeed. The reason he gave was "a heavy conscience"," he replied. "The human mind doesn't change that easily... let alone their natural temperament. Have you ever seen any situation like that?"
"I can't say I have, sir," Niijima replied, "Mr. Kamoshida's crimes have many witness testimonies, though, and apparently he confirmed them all to be true. The young lady he..." she looked down at the floor a moment. "...The young lady whose hospitalization is... linked to his actions... the police didn't have an easy time getting a testimony out of her, and I can't say I blame her for not wanting to discuss what was done to her... but it's certainly the most damning proof that confirms his guilt. It's very unusual someone who could do such horrible things would suddenly experience such a change of heart..."
"It most certainly is," the director replied, letting out a deep sigh. "...You are dismissed, Niijima."
As soon as he heard the door close, the older man shook his head, standing up from his desk and walking over to his office window that overlooked a residential part of the city. "Shujin Academy... seems doubtful," he mused, putting his hands behind as back as he watched the bustling streets down below, his aged features slowly hardening "...Perhaps I should have someone look into this, just in case..."
"Hm, this must be the place," Kyoko observed, coming to a stop and folding her arms as the small group arrived at what Ann's phone's GPS confirmed to be their destination.
"I guess Madarame wasn't kiddin'," said Ryuji, cocking an eyebrow at the building standing before them as well.
"Well, it says we're at the right address," Ann said, glancing at her phone again and then at the building. "The door plate even says Madarame..."
Kyoko's gaze narrowed as she studied the structure. Even being two stories and large enough it could believably house a number of students, to call it a building or even a house would be a stretch, the term "shack" certainly did suit it by its quality. While still presumably just barely enough to be efficient against bad weather, its outside left a lot to be desired as it was covered in rusty brown metal panels, with grated balconies on the upper floor in front of sliding doors, and glass windows, each with metal overhangs above them. The front door was a simple wood one with a cheap lamp hanging over it powered by a cord running along the side of the building and into one of the nearby lines. Compared to the rest of the residential area, Kyoko couldn't deny the place certainly stood out.
"Some of my cases have brought me to the slums," Kyoko mused. "This place would certainly contest their quality. I find it difficult to believe a nationally-renowned artist would live here, let alone keep his students in such a place."
"Yeah, tell me about it!" Ryuji said. "I mean, my mom and I ain't exactly livin' the high life but my place is way better then this!"
"Indeed, this alone is rather unusual," Kyoko replied, bringing her hand to her chin as she looked the building over more. "Even with what he said about freeing oneself from worldly desire, Surely he'd use some of the money he earns to tend to his students' accommodations more, and this lends further credit to that post on the Phansite..."
"So... who's gonna ring the bell?" Ryuji asked.
"You don't think it'll topple over if we do?" Ann replied anxiously.
"Heh, no one sneeze or it might!" Morgana said with a laugh from Kyoko's school bag.
"I may as well. It's me Kitagawa's expecting, anyway," Ann said with a sigh as she approached the door, Kyoko and Ryuji behind her as she rang the bell.
"Who is it? Sensei is not home right now," the group heard Yusuke's voice call through the speaker.
"It's Takamaki!" Ann replied.
"O-oh! My apologies! I'll be right out!" Yusuke's voice replied, with much more urgency, the door sliding open a second after, revealing the thin, dark-haired boy.
"Takamaki-san, thank you so much for-!" he paused, his delighted expression quickly fading as he noticed Kyoko and Ryuji. "...You two are here as well?" his tone becoming much more curt.
"Is that a problem?" Kyoko asked, her own tone cold and with a hint of challenge to it. If Yusuke was intimidated, though, he did not show it.
"...I suppose not," Yusuke replied, his tone now as cold as hers.
"So, nice to meetcha again!" Ryuji said, his tone very chipper and a wide grin on his face to return the favor of the other boy's obvious displeasure regarding his and Kyoko's presence. "...Alright, jokes aside," he said, his tone and expression becoming more serious. "...Sorry 'bout this, but we ain't here to talk about the modeling. There's actually somethin' we wanted to ask ya about..."
Yusuke's gaze narrowed in suspicion and disappointment. "...And what would that be?"
"...Is it true Madarame's been plagiarizin' stuff? He's abusin' people, too, yeah?" Ryuji asked.
A brief silence plassed as Yusuke's expression hardened even more. "...Are you serious?" he asked in a tone that barely concealed his anger.
"We were readin' about it online!" Ryuji said, taking out his phone and bringing up the post before holding it out for Yusuke to read. The boy approached, leaning forward to read, a small, amused smirk forming on the tall boy's face.
"This...?!" he asked, laughing. "How utterly preposterous! And you simply believed it?! Not only is the plagiarism impossible but abuse...?! Sensei welcomes his pupils into his own home! That's hardly an act of violence, it's charity!" The boy folded his arms and scowled at the three. "Whose word would you find more credible? Some... faceless accuser online, or me, the one residing here right now and studying under him, who can assure you that it's not true!"
"Just because you claim it doesn't necessarily make it the truth," Kyoko said, approaching. "After all, there are many cases where a victim is afraid or unwilling to admit to abuse, and our reasons for believing these claims have more weight then my friend here has implied."
Yusuke seemed to falter, it was subtle, barely noticeable, but Kyoko's iron gaze studied every detail in the boy's body language. He blinked a few times, and took an instant to respond as his expression grew hard again. "Don't be ridiculous. Anything you may have heard elsewhere is utter rubbish!" he snapped, balling his fists. "I had no family when Sensei took me in as a child, and raised me into what you see now! If you continue to speak so ill of the man I owe my life to, I will make you regret it!"
"Yusuke? What's wrong?" Madarame's voice called out from inside, the elderly man emerging from the door behind Yusuke a second after with a concerned look on his face. "I heard yelling, is everything alright?"
"These people are slandering you with baseless rumors!" Yusuke protested through grit teeth, gesturing angrily at Ann, Kyoko, and Ryuji.
Madarame frowned, though he did not appear offended, but rather apologetic by Kyoko's assertion of him. "Yusuke, forgive them," the man said, his tone gentle as he smiled at Kyoko and her friends. "...I'm certain they've just heard some bad rumors that have been cropping up in light of the exhibit and only came in worry for their new friend's safety, there's no need to be so angry."
Yusuke sighed, looking down. "I apologize, Sensei... and you three as well," he said softly.
"Please understand, fame can come at quite a price, namely the fact that not everyone is going to like you," Madarame explained. "...Especially those who do not achieve the same success. I suppose it's only natural such people would want to make such claims about me," he looked down a moment. "...Even some of my past students whose dreams were simply... not meant to be. Not everyone can keep that devotion to such a craft... they grow frustrated, lose sight, the spark of inspiration fades out, and... they quit. When this happens all they want to do then, I imagine, is lash out at someone. It's very heartbreaking but there's only so much you can do for them, I suppose."
"You see?" Yusuke asked, glaring at the three. Ann stared down at the ground, Ryuji was taken aback, Kyoko meanwhile, had her hand to her chin though her expression was neutral.
"At any rate, I do apologize for butting in on your conversation," Madarame continued. "Still, I do have neighbors around, so please, won't you keep it down a little? Now, if you'll excuse me..." he said with a polite smile before walking back inside.
"M-my... apologies again," Yusuke said with an apologetic bow. "That was very discourteous of me, to yell like that. Forgive me."
He noticed Kyoko still seemed to have a look of suspicion to her. "Oh! I know! If I show you the painting, then surely you'll be able to believe in Sensei!" The boy took out his phone and fiddled with it, before turning it to face the group before him. "This is "Sayuri". It's his maiden work, and most representative piece!"
Kyoko leaned in to get a look, Ryuji and Ann coming in closer as well. Though it was only a screencap, it had perfectly captured the work regardless. The painting was of a young, soft-featured young woman with long dark hair draped over her shoulder standing in purple mists, a setting sun behind her in a yellow sky as she stood under a branch from a sakura tree with blooming petals. The woman wore a traditional, crimson red robe, and her face bore a gentle, content smile.
"This painting is what inspired me to become an artist!" Yusuke explained.
"It's beautiful!" Ann gasped.
"I'm not into this fine arts stuff, but... gotta admit it's real impressive!" said Ryuji.
"Please understand, Takamaki," Yusuke explained. "When I first saw you, I felt that same powerful emotion as when I first saw this painting. It is my wish to pursue beauty like this in my work, and I believe drawing you will be part of that pursuit!" he said, bowing to Ann. "...So i implore you: seriously consider my offer!"
Ann stammered, unsure how to respond. Kyoko looked over at the blonde girl then back at Yusuke. "I'm not sure if she's comfortable with that, she's been through quite a lot recently, though I am not at liberty to discuss," she said.
"That's fine," Yusuke replied. "...I needn't receive an answer right now as today would not have worked, anyway, as I must assist Sensei. I'm sorry that you took the time to come all this way only to be told this." The boy gave Ann a hopeful smile. "...That said, I do hope we can discuss this further another time, though." He gave one last bow. "...If you'll excuse me."
Once Yusuke had gone back inside, closing the door behind him, the small group made their way across the street, where Kyoko found them a spot on one of the curbs to talk. Ann turned to look back at the old atelier, Ryuji leaning against a railing while Morgana hopped atop it. Kyoko folded her arms, closing her eyes as she mulled over the conversation that had just transpired with Yusuke and Madarame.
"They both seem... pretty nice, honestly," Ryuji said, breaking the silence.
"Could we be wrong?" Ann asked. "I mean... it's..."
"...All too coincidental, correct?" Kyoko asked as she took out her phone and brought up the Meta-Nav. "There's only one way to find out, now." The young detective held up her phone and switched on the talk command. "...Ichiryusai Madarame."
"Candidate found!" the Meta-Nav's voice stated, prompting shocked expressions from Ann and Ryuji.
"This means... Madarame has a Palace, too?!" Ann asked, eyes wide as she looked at Kyoko's screen.
"By my deductions, I would suspect this shack is where the Palace would be located as well..." Kyoko said.
"Match found!" the app stated, the word "Shack" appearing in the keyword panel.
"Of course!" Morgana stated, hopping down from the railing and joining Kyoko's side. "It all makes sense, if he's committing plagiarism from his students, then it'd all originate from there where he keeps them!"
"My thoughts exactly," Kyoko replied.
"Still, an old man like him having a Palace?" Ryuji asked.
"We have a name and a location, so kinda hard to deny it!" Morgana said. "All we need now is the "what" that this shack is to Madarame in order to enter the Palace."
"Like how Kamoshida saw the school as his castle?" Ann asked.
"Exactly," said Morgana. "We may as well go with some guesses that sound most plausible."
"The easiest way to narrow it down would be something that relates to an artist," Kyoko said, bringing her hand to her chin. "...The post described him as essentially using his students as a free labor force to submit their work to him that he then plagiarizes when he sells it so he reaps all the benefits, both the money and the fame."
"Like a warehouse, maybe? Or a farm?" Ryuji asked.
"Match not found." the app replied.
"Eh, worth a shot," Ryuji grumbled.
Kyoko took a moment, then narrowed her eyes as she looked at the app. "...Museum."
"Match found! Beginning navigation!" the app stated, the small group noticing reality suddenly ripple around them, twisting and reshaping as the sky suddenly darkened significantly from afternoon to nighttime, but most noticeable of all was Madarame's atelier, which grew larger, its shape stretching much taller and wider, its metal panels tearing themselves away as its new shape grew rapidly underneath it and overtook the neighboring homes and structures...
"What in the world..." Ryuji stammered, staring up at the massive building that had replaced the shack.
Where once stood Madarame's atelier was a towering museum, Madarame's name engraved on large golden monoliths, banners, and along the wide, segmented golden wall surrounding the building. The museum itself looked like an abstract art sculpture itself, resembling gigantic cubes and rectangular blocks with a metallic gold luster covered in leaf engravings stacked atop one-another or assembled together in random directions, a vibrant blue light shining through its square windows that dotted its exterior as several searchlights beamed into the dark clouds that swirled above the imposing structure.
"So that shack serious is some kinda museum?!" Ryuji asked. In a flash of flame, the three of them found themselves clad in their metaverse costumes.
"Interesting," Ace remarked, looking at her own outfit and her fellow Thieves. "It would seem Madarame must be more secretive, and therefore more cautious with his crimes then Kamoshida was."
"It makes sense," Mona said, now in his cartoonish, bipedal form once more. "He must already perceive us as a threat, then. Let's go take a closer look, the entrance probably isn't far."
No sooner had the group turned around the corner, however, were they greeted by a crowd of nondescript people that seemed to go on endlessly standing in line at the entrance where a golden arch framed a blue and white tiled wall surrounding the gold doors, with an equally seemingly endless number of cars and news vans parked all around the streets.
"God, look at this place!" Panther said. "It's so... extravagant to the point of being gaudy. It kinda hurts my eyes just looking at it, too long! And this is supposed to be a museum?"
"A Palace is a word formed by a mind twisted by distorted desires!" Mona explained. "You remember Kamoshida's castle?"
"But... why a museum, though? His exhibits exist in the real world, too, and he's very well-liked," Panther replied.
Ace stared at the crowds and the museum's overly glitzed up outer décor, and its many banners that bore Madarame's name. "He's plagiarizing his students, which means the source of the fame and success he has would be where he keeps the pupils he steals from."
"In that case, we should begin exploring," Mona said with a nod.
"That aside, though, I gotta admit..." Skull grinned widely. "A museum? That's like, a total must for a Phantom Thief heist, am I right?"
Ace held her hand to her chin, she couldn't help but give a small smirk of her own. "...I'll concede to that," she said.
"Heh, thought so!" Skull said with a laugh. "You, like, ever solve any cases around stuff like this? Gotta feel kinda weird!"
"A little, yes," Ace replied with a nod. "...And yes, I have."
"Still, the crowd means there's no chance of going through the front," Mona observed. "...But since when do Phantom Thieves just up and use the front door, anyway when it comes to breaking into a museum?" he asked with a laugh.
"We'll have to scale the wall, then," said Ace, turning her attention to the equally flashy-looking wall, its upright rectangular blocks of varying height giving it a wide zig-zagging shape. "...We can use that supply truck parked over there, it should be tall enough we can use it to get high enough to get across." she added, pointing to a parked moving truck with golden patterns along the sides resembling peacock feathers that had been left next to a lower grove in the wall and making her way over, followed by the others.
"You ain't wrong," Skull said, looking over at Panther as the group scaled the wall and landed in a small, traditional Japanese garden that provided a better look at the museum. "...Up close it's like it's supposed ta look all fancy, but man, tone it down!"
"Hm, it must be because the art world is his world, but clearly he only cares about the shallow, commercial aspects of it," Ace replied, shaking her head at the flags and banners as they gently billowed in the wind. "...Yet he still, plagiarism or not, views himself as the one who's at the center of it due to all the attention and influence his success gives him."
"Damn, if he's pullin' all that shit he's a total fake and doesn't deserve any of that!" Skull growled.
"Right, just... I'm having a tough time wrapping my head around all of this," Panther said, "That old man is really doing all of this?"
"I'd say the evidence is quite clear, but until we can find his Treasure, there's little we can do about it," Ace said.
"You're right, let's keep going!" Mona replied, turning his attention to several marble pedestals and hopping atop the nearest one. "This way! Looks like there's an open window on that roof we should be able to go up the side over there!" he said, pointing to several more columns leading to a wall section that provided altitude to climb to a nearby rooftop. Ace leaped atop the column alongside Mona and gazed ahead, noticing the open skylight and nodded.
"Let's go..."
"Wow, good thing you brought that rope, Mona!" Panther said as Mona slid down from the skylight.
"Of course I did!" the cat said proudly with a nod. "I'm a tool specialist!"
"Whoa, dude... check this place out!" Skull said, looking around the room the group had landed in.
Ace stepped away from the group, bringing her hand to her chin in thought as she noticed the room was filled with portraits of various people, all of them looked fairly young, from barely into their teens to young adults. The paintings' surface seemed to flow and warp the more she looked at them, as if their surfaces were made of water. Noticing a name plate nearby, Ace leaned forward and read it.
"There's no title. Just a person's name and age. And..." her index finger brushed her lower lip as she read the bottom of the plate. "...A time of completion date... Interesting."
"What's it all mean, though?" Panther asked, looking at one of the other portraits. "This one's got one, too!"
"Same with this one over here!" Skull called out, reading the name plate off of another.
"What do you think, Ace? There's gotta be something important about it," Mona said.
Ace looked down at the floor with her hand at her chin, deep in thought as her gaze then moved up and towards a nearby hallway that led to a gallery lined with more portraits. "...We should go look at some more. I want to see if my theory is correct..."
"H-hey, wait up!" Skull called out as Ace immediately made her way into the hall, the others catching up to her. The gallery the dimly-lit halls lead to, the Thieves quickly discovered had portraits covering every wall. Skull froze in his tracks immediately as one caught his eye. "Check this one out!"
"Hm?" Ace asked, turning away from a portrait of a blue-eyed teenage girl with tan skin and light blonde hair wearing a yellow smock. As she looked, she immediately recognized the portrait Skull and the others had their attention on and walked over.
"That looks just like that guy from Mementos! The one who was shit-talkin' Madarame," Skull said.
"Natsuhiko Nakanohara," Mona said, reading the name plate. "It is him!"
Ace examined the portrait, and it was indeed the same man they'd tracked down in Mementos, down to the last detail. "If he's here, then this lends further credit to my theory. That leaves one last portrait we need to find to confirm it..."
"What do you mean?" Panther asked.
"From the looks of it, this is the final part of this gallery," Ace replied, walking around and examining the other portraits. "There should be one of...-"
"Whoa! Over there!" Panther shouted, pointing and running over to a much larger painting in the far corner of the room that took up most of the wall it was hung on near where a door led further into the Palace.
"What'ja find?" Skull asked as he and the others followed, coming to a stop and staring wide-eyed at the portrait Panther was looking at. "Holy shit!"
"Yusuke Kitagawa. Age 16," Ace read on the name place. "This one has no completion date, either, as I suspected..."
"Why not, though?" Panther asked. "What do all these portraits mean?"
"They aren't portraits, they're cognitions," Ace replied, folding her arms. "...Of Madarame's pupils. Both his former..." she glanced back at the painting of Nakanohara, before glancing back at Yusuke's. "...And current..."
"I think you're right," Panther said, looking at the Yusuke portrait.
"For real, though? ALL of these portraits are his students?" Ryuji asked, turning and staring back at the other portraits in the room in disbelief. "But we only saw Yusuke at his place when we went over!"
"That would explain the completion dates listed on the name plates," Ace explained. "All of them except Kitagawa's have one. I suspect these "completion dates" are meant to represent the time they were no longer his students. Kitagawa's remains without one because he's the only one still living with Madarame as his pupil." The young detective gave the portrait a closer look. "It's also noticeably larger then the others, and looks less detailed then the others..."
"It really makes what Nakanohara told us become a lot clearer, doesn't it? Yusuke is his only remaining pupil, Madarame is focusing all his attention on exploiting him, and isn't finished with him, either," Mona said, frowning.
"The one I was looking at earlier was fairly recent," Ace replied, bringing her hand to her chin once more. "...Kitagawa was a child when Madarame took him in. He must be familiar with some of these other students that studied under him. These portraits suggest Madarame views his pupils as his own projects that brought in his money and fame for him and adds credence to the plagiarism claims. We just need something that confirms the abuse."
"Yusuke seemed pretty nervous when we confronted him for a sec, before he went and denied it," Skull said. "...Just like when you and I were goin' around askin' the volleyball team about Kamoshida's abuse. I think he just doesn't wanna fess up to it!"
"He said Madarame took him in as a child, and was an orphan," Panther replied. "He must feel like he owes it to his sensei to protect him," she said, looking back at the portrait.
"That would be most likely. We should continue exploring and see what else we can find," Mona urged. "Let's go check out that lobby down the hall!"
With a nod, Ace led the way, the hall leading to a small set of carpeted stairs that opened up to an opulent lobby with blue-tiled floor and, to her dismay, more gold walls. The Madarame Museum logo was engraved on the wall behind a gold desk where a large flatscreen TV displayed footage of what she determined to be Madarame's interviews from the exhibit the previous day, though no one was tending to the desk nor were there any cognitions of patrons or even Shadows present. Her careful gaze settled on a racking where several brochures were placed and walked over, taking one out.
"What'd you find?" Skull asked, joining Kyoko as she unfolded it.
"Seems to be a map, though it only covers this particular floor," Ace replied, looking the open pamphlet over.
"This is gettin' way too detailed for a Palace. Why the hell would his mind even make somethin' like that?" Skull wondered.
"By my guess, because he wants everyone to see everything he wants them to believe he created," Ace replied, studying the map. "The more famous and successful you become, the more you produce for your audience to see so the attention remains on you..."
"We should look for more of these, with any luck they'll help us find the Treasure, right?" Panther asked.
"It's possible," Mona said. "With the scale of this place, they'll at least make a good reference."
"It says there's an exhibit right past these doors beyond the reception desk," Ace explained. "...One which... "reflects the master artist's endless source of inspiration"... sounds promising enough."
"Yeah, I mean, the guy's got a Palace, so betcha it's as sketch as the rest'a this place!" Skull said.
"We should investigate, then," Ace replied, pocketing the pamphlet in her coat and leading the way down a hallway that curved to the left and opened up to a large exhibition room with twin sets of winding stairs that both quarter-circled upward to a higher portion with a wall art of black tree branches over a sunset backdrop where a barlocked doorway waited at the end. At the room's center, surrounded by guardposts planted around where it stood, and several gold wall scrolls bearing Madarame's face that billowed about it, was a peculiar gold sculpture.
Drawing closer, Ace saw the sculpture was indeed bearing the metallic sheen of gold, twisted upward like a cyclone of water, which several tortured humanoid statues seemed to be trapped within, an odd, otherworldly echo seemed to emit from it the closer the group got to it.
"..."The Infinite Spring"?" Panther read, examining the name plate. "...A conglomerate work of art that the great director Madarame created with his own funds?" Her eyes widened in horror as she continued to read, "..."These individuals must offer their ideas to the director for the rest of their lives. Those who cannot do so have no worth living"?!"
"We have our answer, then," Ace replied. "The plagiarism. The abuse. Everything the post said was true that he works them like slaves to produce art pieces he takes the credit for..." The young detective's gaze narrowed as she regarded the sculpture, noticing the trapped figures. "The "completion dates" on those portraits, it matches with everything Nakanohara told us Madarame did to him... he's "finished" with each student when their inspiration inevitably dries up and they can't meet his demands anymore..."
"In other words, his pupils are both his "projects" and his "property"," Mona said, shaking his head in disgust. "He doesn't even qualify as an artist if that's true..."
"...Or even a teacher, for that matter," Ace replied. "...At his core, whatever his reasons are, whether it's a lack of talent or inspiration of his own, he's nothing but a con artist, his success comes entirely off the talent of anyone he can get his hands on. They have no worth to him otherwise."
"The summary on that plate and the fact his pupils' cognitions are merely portraits proves that much," Mona said. "It looks like the only thing he gives them in return is securing their livelihood, and that's only so long as they're useful and he can continue to live off their talent. Once they're not..."
Ace scowled. "...He throws them out and slanders them so they can't speak out against him or find success without him. Kitagawa has been with him ever since childhood, so our earlier assertion is plausible."
"Still, he just... he can't keep livin' this way!" Skull protested. "Shit, this is just like the volleyball team! He's gotta be protectin' him because Madarame got him thinkin' he needs him, but if Madarame's usin' him too..."
"You know, at the exhibit, I did praise one of the pieces on display when Kitagawa-kun was showing me around," Panther explained, looking down at the floor in thought. "...But when I did, he acted... strange. Even when I told him it was the one I wanted to see he just kind of... tried to pull me away from it." The blonde looked at her friends. "...You think maybe Madarame plagiarized that piece... from him?"
Ace gave a nod. "That is the most likely assertion," she replied. "It would also explain his fixation on getting you to model for him. Most likely Madarame is pressuring him to produce a new piece for him... I imagine Kitagawa's own motivation is starting to falter as well, and fears what will happen to him when it gives out completely."
"Won't lie, I thought he just had different reasons but seein' this?! Shit! Then even the kid this guy raised is expendable to him?!" Skull snapped, clenching his fists as he looked at Ace. "So, what's your call? Ain't this enough to target Madarame?"
"I'd say so," Ace said with another nod. "However, we still need to investigate Kitagawa in the real world and see if we can get him to admit to anything first. On top of that..." the young detective looked back at the gruesome sculpture, "...With what we have now, maybe we can try and go back to the idea of getting in touch with Nakanohara, if possible. Judging by the completion date I saw on his portrait, he had to have been studying under Madarame while Kitagawa was already living with him, so he might have some insight on him as well."
"As for Kitagawa-kun," Panther said, "...If I accept his offer to model for him, maybe I can get the truth out of him."
"You're actually gonna go through with that, Lady Ann?!" Mona asked, jerking into the air and his eyes now wide in shock.
"If it'll get him to talk to us, then I think it's worth a shot," Panther replied. "Just... you all come with me, alright?"
"Of course," Ace replied. "We'll make preparations for when we can meet up with Kitagawa, and in the meantime I'll also see if Mishima can find a way to get in touch with the real Nakanohara."
"Either way, dealin' with a famous renowned artist, this might actually be tougher then Kamoshida!" Skull remarked, a grin spreading on his face. "This'll be our first real mission as Phantom Thieves, so we gotta succeed no matter what!"
"At any rate, I think we've done all we can for right now. We should probably get going," Mona said, glancing back at the sealed door ahead and looking back at the others. With a nod of agreement, the group made their way back to the entrance.
It was night by the time Kyoko had arrived back at Leblanc and opened the door.
"Welcome back," Sojiro said, greeting her as he smoked a cigarette while watching the TV, the café otherwise empty. "How do you think you did on your exams, by the way?"
Kyoko gave a small smile. "...I have every intention of making it into my father's school when this is over, so I think you can rest easy."
Sojiro smirked a little as well. "Well, nice to see you're confident about your grades. Just hope that confidence pays off when the scores come out or we'll need to have a discussion."
"They'll be out on the 20th. If my confidence is misplaced, then I'll have more then earned that," Kyoko replied.
"Well for your sake, you'd better not be, then," Sojiro replied, glancing at the clock and putting out his cigarette. "I think I'm gonna close up and head home, now. You should probably head on upstairs."
With a nod, Kyoko made her way up to her attic bedroom, just in time to hear her phone start humming in her blazer and took it out.
[Hey,] a message from Ann read. [Do you think you would forgive someone unconditionally if you owed your life to them?]
[I'm just not so sure anymore] Ann added. [Maybe that's why he's afraid of disappointing him. He becomes expendable, he'd feel he deserves to be seen as such]
Kyoko gave no response, a few unexpected thoughts passing through her mind as she thought about Yusuke's words when he defended Madarame earlier.
"I had no family when Sensei took me in as a child, and raised me into what you see now! If you continue to speak so ill of the man I owe my life to, I will make you regret it!"
She looked down a moment, her features softening somewhat around her once impassive frown she normally wore. She didn't like to think about the possibility, and it had bugged her in particular ever since the counseling session with Maruki.
Is grandfather... doing the same to me...?
Kyoko quickly shook her head to purge the thoughts from her mind. She was not his tool, she was his successor. The Kirigiri clan's name stood on their long history as Japan's greatest detectives. It was both an honor and a burden that every generation was meant to carry on and bear, and her father had gotten disowned because he couldn't respect that. She had no reason to doubt what her grandfather had told her, while her father had never made any attempts to contact her after she ended up in her grandfather's custody shortly before her mother died to disprove him.
To avoid thinking on it too much, Kyoko quickly typed up a reply.
-It's likely the case for him. she responded.
[What're ya bringing this up for?] Ryuji messaged.
[Kitagawa-kun insisted Madarame's not a problem, but we know he's a bad person] Ann replied back.
[Maybe it feels different because none of us are actual victims of his? I mean, we went after Kamoshida not just because of what he did to others, but also to us] Ann added.
-We just need to talk to those who are his victims, then. Kyoko answered.
-The Palace showed how Madarame views Kitagawa. Nakanohara's Shadow had nothing but contempt for Madarame even after we defeated it. We may as well see what we can get out of both. she added.
[Guess you're right. We can meet up at the hideout in Shibuya after school tomorrow, then!] Ann replied. [Anyways, I'm gonna get ready for bed. Night!]
-Good night, Ann. Kyoko replied, putting her phone away as she got changed for bed. No sooner had she finished replacing her gloves and sat down her phone suddenly started to ring, seeing Ryuji's name, the young detective answered. "Yes?"
"Heya, figured I should call since I kinda wanted to keep this off the chat," Ryuji's voice said. "Thing is, personally... after what we dealt with at Shujin, I just can't forgive Madarame!"
"You have no reason to. He's committing very serious crimes," Kyoko replied.
"Yeah, but to Yusuke... you think we're just comin' off as... a buncha thugs or somethin'?"
"It's as Ann said, I believe he's in denial, and feels he owes his sensei too much to turn against him." Kyoko explained. "Victims of abuse will often come up with excuses to justify the abuse or remaining with the abuser."
"I know, it ain't like he thinks it is!" Ryuji snapped. The boy let out a sigh. "Just... reminds me of my old man and what he put me and my mom through, I guess, so it's really pissin' me off! Good people havin' to just take this crap while shitty adults just keep doin' whatever they want to 'em! Just makes me sick! It's not wrong to think that, is it?"
"No, you're not," Kyoko replied. "...And as a detective, I can't turn a blind eye to this. Regardless of how Kitagawa feels about it, Madarame must be exposed, or others will potentially fall victim to him... and who can say when Kitagawa will no longer be of use to him."
"Yeah, you're definitely right, there!" Ryuji said, his spirits lifted. "Anyway, don't tell Ann I called about all this. I know she's still a little unsure... maybe she's just worried about what'll happen to Yusuke?"
"It's possible," Kyoko said. "Madarame will likely face prison for crimes like this once they're exposed, but Kitagawa cannot continue to live like this."
"Plus, like you mentioned, Madarame may discard him as well at any time, then he'd truly have no one," Morgana said as he sat next to Kyoko on the bed.
"True that," Ryuji replied, hearing Morgana speak. "Well, I'm gonna hit the hay, now! Seeya tomorrow!"
"Goodnight, Ryuji," Kyoko listened as Ryuji hung up, then brought up the menu on her phone to look for her contacts list and found Mishima's name, pressing the call button.
To her surprise, he picked up.
"Hey! Kirigiri, what's up?"
Kyoko was even more surprised with how spry the boy sounded.
"Staying up?" she asked.
"Well of course! Gotta run the Phansite after all!" she heard Mishima say. "Don't worry about it, I got like three King energy drinks, here!"
"...I'm not sure that's a good idea, Mishima," Kyoko replied dryly.
"Someone sure is dedicated, I'll give him that," Morgana remarked.
"So... uh... what's up? Didn't expect to hear from ya," Mishima's voice asked.
"I need a favor," Kyoko explained. "Do you think you can find a way to get in touch with Natsuhiko Nakanohara?"
There was a pause.
"The stalker guy you went and changed the heart of? Hm, I could try... I mean, I can't promise anything but I'll do my best! What's this about?" Mishima asked.
"That post regarding Ichiryusai Madarame."
"That one criticizing the big artist everyone's talking about? What about that?"
"There was a post about him on the Phansite. Can you find out if the poster is Nakanohara, or knows him?" Kyoko asked. "We... did some digging. Nakanohara was apparently one of Madarame's former students, and we are already doing an investigation. We'd like to know his side of the story if he's willing to talk to us."
"Oh, sure! I can do that! Anything for you guys, heh heh!" Mishima replied excitedly.
"I'm sure I don't need to tell you to keep quiet about this. Both at school, on the Phansite. Everywhere. Understand?" Kyoko asked, her tone stern.
"Got it! I'll let you know soon as I get any responses!" Mishima said.
"Thank you. Good night, Mishima," Kyoko replied, hanging up and plugging in her phone.
"Well, tomorrow's another day, I guess," Morgana said as he watched Kyoko switch off the lights and return to bed. "Hopefully we'll find out everything we need, the sooner we got our leads, the sooner we can go back into the Palace!"
"Indeed," Kyoko said, climbing into bed and pulling the covers up, trying to get her mind off the thoughts that had passed through her mind earlier...
A/N: At last, a new chapter up! And yeah, Maruki's words in the previous chapter definitely do fit the troubles those like Hajime worry about don't they? Also here I figured Kyoko would be much more perceptive and proactive on the issue at hand regarding Yusuke and Madarame.
0 - The Fool: Rank 3
I - The Magician: Rank 2
V - The Hierophant: Rank 2
VI - The Lovers: Rank 2
VII - The Chariot: Rank 3
XII - The Hanged Man: Rank 1
XIII - Death: Rank 3
XVIII - The Moon: Rank 2
1 - The Councilor: Rank 2
Kyoko's Personas: Agathion, Cait Sith, Saki Mitama, Genbu, Succubus, Berith