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"

34. The Mobster's Bank

Heart of Justice Chapter 34

As reality around the group finished reshaping itself, Kyoko looked around immediately, noticing while the area was mostly unchanged, it was no longer light out but rather completely overcast with thick clouds with the entire area bathed in a sickly, green light.

"Whoa, our outfits changed already!" Ann shouted.

Looking down at herself, as well as the others, Kyoko also noticed their Phantom Thief outfits had indeed already appeared on them upon arrival into the Metaverse.

"Hm, I suppose it's not surprising, our target is already very secretive and guarded, being a crime boss," she observed, her hand at her chin as she looked about.

"...Hey, what're those?" Panther pointed behind the young detective, prompting her and the others to turn in the direction Central Street lay, and more precisely, what was walking about in place of people.

"...Walking ATMs," Fox mused, looking at the cognitions milling about, all of them identical automated teller machines with featureless black humanoid arms and legs protruding from them. "...That must be his cognition of the people here..."

"Of course, the people here are little more then carriers of what either is or will be his money to him," Ace replied as she watched the cognitions wander around. "They don't hold any value to Kaneshiro at all as human beings, let alone anything else."

"...Like Madarame's pupils appearing as mere portraits in his museum, they're merely a source of income to him," Fox lamented. "...So this is what Kaneshiro considers a "bank"..."

"I never would have imagined it'd be an entire district!" Mona said. "Look around us, this distortion really is affecting the whole of Shibuya!"

"Right, the city outside the castle and the museum still looked normal!" Panther replied.

"His sphere of influence has spread to the whole area. Look at all these yen notes flying around," Ace said, the others looking about. Indeed, notes floated about everywhere up ahead like confetti, except rather then coming down they were instead being pulled upward as if something were sucking them in.

"...Because he sees everyone in Shibuya as his patrons," Fox said.

"No surprise for a guy scammin' and blackmailin' so many people," Skull grumbled, looking at the crowds of walking ATMs in disgust.

"We'll need to find where his Palace itself is located right away," Ace said. "Looking at all this, he has a lot of people in his grip, so I suspect it's only a matter of time before he finds ways to widen his victim pool..."

"Indeed, we need to steal his Treasure as soon as possible!" said Fox.

"Damn right! The Palace has gotta be around here somewhere if this is where the distortion is!" Skull said with a grin.

"Then we'd better take a look around. A good place to start is somewhere on Central Street, as that's where he conducts his scams," Ace said, leading the way, pausing as the group reached it.

By mere observation, things had indeed grown noticeably worse. More walking ATMs roamed about, and the windows of every building were completely stuffed with cash. It seemed Kaneshiro did in fact, in a very literal sense, see not just the people but the entire area only for the income he generated from it.

"Hmm, aside from the cash distortion the area looks mostly normal. There should be a bank around, though! Like a huge one if his distortion's this serious!" Morgana observed behind her.

Ace brought her hand to her chin as she felt a yen note flutter past her, her gaze following it as it drifted past her. It seemed to have a very specific direction in addition to going upward, along with the countless other notes that seemed to be drifting into the clouds in an inverted funnel much further ahead and continued her progress.

"H-hey! Look at those two!" Panther cried out, pointing to one of the alleys. Turning, Ace saw two of the living ATMs, one was in a broken heap on the street, inactive. The other was smashed up, trembling as sparks burst from where it had been damaged.

"P-please! F-f-forgive m-me...!" it stuttered in a robotic monotone.

"Where is Kaneshiro?" Ace asked, approaching.

"I-I don't h-have any more! Please! I'm telling you! Not e-e-e-e-ven one y-yen!" it stuttered.

"Hey, cool it! We ain't here to mug you!" Skull insisted, approaching the damaged ATM cautiously.

"Please! I don-don-don-don't wwwwwant to end up like-like-like the others!" Sparks burst from the ATM's withdrawal slot as it continued trembling in place.

"Kaneshiro's completely broken this one," Ace stated.

"In more ways then one from the looks of it," Skull said. "Think they assault 'em when they can't pay up?"

"Wouldn't surprise me at all, considering what we know already about how he runs his operation," Ace said coldly, glancing down at the inactive one that was toppled over and in far worse condition. "We may need to find someone else to ask."

Moving further down the distorted Central Street, Ace noticed more and more of the living ATMs were in increasingly worse state, and even more were sprawled out in the streets, collapsed and inactive. Intrigued, she approached two.

"Ace? What's up?" Panther asked.

"The damages on these are different then what we saw. It's all on one side, as if they'd fallen from a great height," Ace replied, examining them.

"You think he's driving them to end their own lives rather then continue to live in his grip?" Fox asked.

"It's a possibility," Ace said, her gaze turning to the direction of where the airborne cash seemed to be drifting towards.

"Hey, there's another one looks like it's a victim!" Skull said, pointing back to where another heavily damaged ATM stumbled out of the alley on the verge of breaking down as it stood next to another downed ATM.

"Excuse us, can you tell us where Kaneshiro is?" Ace inquired as she approached it.

"It's... no... use... It's... all... over..." the ATM stammered, "I'll... end up j-j-just like them..."

Ace sighed, another cognition not giving her a direct answer. "What happened to you?"

"Can't you tell?" the ATM asked, revealing its smashed up left side. "I fallen... fallen so far... from a place where Kaneshiro leaves no tracks..."

"No tracks?" Panther asked. "Can you be more specific?"

"Leave me... alone... so tired... let me rest..." the ATM replied, its knees promptly giving out as it collapsed to the ground, its cracked screens going black.

"They've fallen far, from a place where Kaneshiro leaves no tracks," Fox mused.

"And from their damages, it was like they'd fallen from a great height," Mona said.

"Like maybe his bank is shaped like a skyscraper?" Skull offered. "I didn't see anythin' that looked like one, though..."

"These yen notes, they're funneling somewhere before going upward," Ace said, looking at the drifting cash. "It's possible where they're falling from and where it's going is the same place..."

She turned her attention upward, towards the sky, the others following her gaze before the whole group could only stare in disbelief at what they saw.

A massive, perfectly round metal island resembling a giant coin laying on its side with a large fan underneath the cash seemed to be funneling into hovered up in the sky, emerging from the clouds high above Shibuya. From the corner, the Thieves could see the roof of a large building was sitting atop it and the sickly green lighting emitting from the sides of the platform, it seemed, was what was providing the distorted Shibuya its illumination.

"All the way up there... it's no wonder we couldn't find it," Fox observed in awe.

"..."Kaneshiro doesn't leave any tracks", eh?" Mona asked. "Figures it'd be floating."

"He thinks he's untouchable. No one can reach him, not even the law," Ace asserted. "...And from the looks of it, he's very, very certain of it."

"I see, but how are we supposed to get up there, then? No offense, Ace, but I doubt the grapple hook goes that far," Panther said. "Hey, Morgana, can you maybe turn into a helicopter?"

"No, just a car," Mona lamented sadly.

"Ugh, you serious?!" Skull protested. "Doncha have any secret gadgets or anythin'? How can you go useless at a time like this?!"

"Hey, I'm not some robot cat that can turn into any vehicle I want!" Mona snapped indignantly. "...Not that I AM a cat or anything, because I'm not!"

"As displeasing as it is, this unfortunately may well be the limit of what we can do for now," Fox said, gazing up at the floating building.

"The hell we supposed to do now? We need a way to get up there!" Skull asked.

"Fox is right, from the looks of it, there's nothing more we can do for the time being," Ace replied, sighing in disgust at the Palace that hovered out of their reach. "...We'll need to come up with a solution tomorrow."

Mona looked about, his ears twitching. "It's just as well. By now any Shadows lurking in this part of the distortion may begin to notice us. We can't go any further so we should get going, now!"

As the group turned to leave, Ace glanced back, giving one last harsh gaze at their intended destination before leading the others back to the entry point.

---

Kyoko had remained quiet the entire trip back. Between Kaneshiro's Palace turning out to be inaccessible and the impending deadline, their latest roadblock was proving all the more problematic for the young detective as she couldn't think of much else that could be done that may affect Kaneshiro's cognition to solve it. Morgana's attempts to start conversation had fallen on unresponsive ears as Kyoko made her way up to her attic room, only for her phone to start chiming.

Taking out her phone, Kyoko saw it was not the Thieves' Chat, but rather, the message had come from the reporter she'd met the previous day, Ohya.

[Hey! Evening!]

Kyoko raised an eyebrow, wondering what she could want from her as she noticed Ohya was typing again.

[You free right now?]

The girl blinked at the question.

-I am, why?

[Where are you? You're not in Shibuya are you?] Ohya responded.

-No I'm at home. Why?

[Thank God. Look, it's about that Kaneshiro guy.] Ohya replied.

[Listen, he's WAY more dangerous then I thought, alright?]

[The police haven't tracked him down so I dug a little deeper.] she continued.

[Turns out the case his name came up in? Sex trafficking and forced prostitution of minors in when the case started about three years ago.]

-Those are very serious crimes. Why wasn't he put away? Kyoko messaged back.

[The case on him was dropped, though, when the one handling the investigation died in a hit and run. The accident took him and the evidence with it.]

Kyoko brought her hand to her chin as she sat down on her bed and looked over the message.

-And because there was no longer anything on him they let him go? she messaged.

[Yes. From the looks of it he has some very shady connections, possibly in high places, too. He's NOT someone a teenager like you should go messing with, got it? You need to stay away from him!]

[Anyways, that's all I wanted to say. Stay safe!]

"Proving our justice isn't gonna be easy," Morgana lamented as he looked at the messages. "So they have a suspect but no one goes after him?"

"From the looks of it, yes," Kyoko said, scowling as she looked over the messages again. "Not only is this "accident" that claimed the officer's life highly suspicious, considering how convenient it was to ensure the police had lost everything that gave them probable cause to arrest and convict Kaneshiro, but then no further investigation on the accident itself was done..."

"You think Kaneshiro had people paid off?" Morgana asked.

"Very likely, or those he's connected to did," Kyoko said as she stood back up and went over to her boxes to change clothes. "Someone got paid off, or possibly threatened, and it was just halted and attention went on other criminals. Kaneshiro likely took time to rebuild his operations under the radar and find a new approach so whoever he has in his pocket can more plausibly prevent any second look at him..."

Morgana shook his head in dismay. "The people who're supposed to stop criminals like him instead just work for him..."

"Yes, that does happen more then you'd think," Kyoko said, scowling bitterly at the memory of that fateful night.

"How can they call themselves justice when they do that?" Morgana asked.

"There's a reason the Kirigiris were private rather then part of them," Kyoko replied. "Things like this reinforce my understanding why."

"Well, we'll show them who the real justice is when the Phantom Thieves take that scumbag's heart!" Morgana said. "We'll have to discuss this with the others, tomorrow, too. I bet the police who aren't under his control are real tired of him, though!"

"They wouldn't be the only ones," Kyoko said as she finished getting changed and slipped on her gloves for bed, her attention then turning towards the TV as she wondered if it may get her mind off of everything. Switching it on, she passed through some of the channels. One involved news coverage of Shibuya, the last thing she wanted to think about and caused her to promptly change channels. The next brought her to a girl being praised as a prodigy traditional dancer. Kyoko had no interest in the matter and quickly changed it again, to a home shopping channel where an admittedly shifty-looking salesman who'd chosen to wear sunglasses was hosting a variety of wares. Intrigued, Kyoko decided to watch.

"Welcome back to "Tanaka's Amazing Commodities"!" the host declared. "This is TV Tanaka live! In addition to our Supportive Gift Set and Busy Revival Set, we're offering our latest and greatest ware yet, the Mental Floss Box Set!"

"Hm, a shopping network?" Morgana asked as the screen showed off the contents of each set. "Maybe we can use some of these things in the Metaverse!"

Kyoko glanced over at the cat skeptically.

"Well, let's see what he's got to say!" Morgana said, interested.

"Now, I may run this show, but I'm sure those of you watching would rather know the details from the mind behind our latest fine product, take it away!" TV Tanaka said, gesturing to someone out of frame before the camera panned over to a girl Kyoko gathered to be around her age, with disheveled blonde hair and wearing a pink top and skirt resembling a fuku uniform over her noticeably endowed figure, with fingerless leather gloves, leather harnesses on her sleeves and neck and a pair of large welding goggles positioned atop her head.

"Awww, you're flattering this gorgeous girl genius of the sexiest sort, Boss T!" the girl said, flashing a wide and very arrogant sneer at the camera as she leaned forward facing the camera. "...That's right, Mr. Cameraman, gimme a goooood close-up!" she added with a chuckle, a playful gleam in her big blue eyes.

"...So what can you tell us about your latest invention, Iruma-chan?" Tanaka asked, adjusting his shades. "...And do remember what we talked about, regarding certain words. We are live after all!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, "keep it clean", whatever," the girl said, waving her hand dismissively at him. "Well, simply put, THIS little idea came to the golden mind of yours truly when she was working on her current project only to have a total brainfart!" the girl declared, putting her hands at her hips. "THIS glorious brain, however, swore then and there to never have a tragedy like THAT happen again to sabotage her future contributions to society! Now I'm a bit a ways off from stuff that can get shit done-"

"Iruma..."

"My bad, get STUFF done in your sleep, buuuuuuut this baby's a step there! Basically, my little masterpiece here, Mental Floss, is like dental floss, 'cept instead of just cleaning those hard-to-brush places... between your pearly-whites, of course... the caffeine and stimulants I lined it with helps send the memory into hyperdrive through the gums, too!" the girl explained. "Your mind'll stay sharp for anything you're working on... for 'bout an hour or two if you give this baby a good stringin' and you don't gotta worry about stuff you normally stress over from drinks like pissin' it out in the middle of a post-crash nap or gettin' stones in your-"

"Iruma!" the host repeated sharply.

"...Right," the girl rolled her eyes. "Sleep's the worst time-waster ever, it's why I own one of the "Blaring Alarm Clocks" you find in the Busy Revival Set, but with this Mental Floss..." She then held up the small box and drawing out a string of it before running it between her teeth. "...You get no crash AND you can even instantly remember what you had for breakfast four days ago!"

"For a limited time only, as in tonight only," TV Tanaka explained. "We're selling a whole package to our next lucky caller. Pick up now and it could be you!"

"I'll even throw in a portable battery-powered version of my special "Love Light" invention for those extra-" the girl interjected.

"...Maybe next time," the host interrupted urgently, a brief twitch of his eyebrow as if fighting a bad memory barely visible behind his shades as he spoke hurriedly, "...The Deluxe Mental Floss Package, only 1980 yen, call now, and find even more exciting deals on our online shopping show, "Tanaka's Shady Commodities"!"

"For the stuff we can't show on TV" the blonde girl said with a devious wink, causing the host's brow to furrow slightly behind his shades.

Kyoko folded her arms, shaking her head. "...Who would fall for something like that?" she mused.

"She seems totally convinced in her invention's effectiveness. It might actually help us out in the Metaverse like Yonaga's charms did against Madarame!" Morgana said. "Maybe we should also consider that revival kit, too, we have no idea what we might find in Kaneshiro's Palace when we can go back in!"

Kyoko closed her eyes, taking a breath then watching the host and his crude costar on the screen a moment before taking out her phone and dialing the number that had appeared on the screen and making a mental note to look into getting a laptop when she had the chance.

---

Once more, the Niijima sisters' dinner was under a very heavy degree of tension in the air. Makoto had elected to stay silent as she ate, Sae having not spoken a word since she'd gotten home and had gone straight on her laptop as soon as she'd had the chance to sit down though Makoto had tried to pay it no mind as she was still finishing her assignments.

As she continued on her food, though, the brunette had plenty on her mind, mostly her past encounters and interactions with the transfer student, Kyoko Kirigiri, who it had turned out was also the leader of the Phantom Thieves, and it brought to mind someone else in the student president's life.

Makoto remembered when it happened, when her father, an honest and dedicated policeman she'd admired all her life, died in an auto accident three years ago before she started attending Shujin.

Thinking about it, along with the two criminals who'd been targeted by the Phantom Thieves, and every time she and Kyoko had interacted, what could have made the grand-daughter of Japan's most respected detective become a vigilante, made her pause. Unfortunately, this, it seemed, was enough to get her sister's attention.

"Something on your mind, Makoto?" Sae asked, gazing at her from across the table. Makoto could see her sister had used more makeup then usual to hide the worsening dark circles under her eyes from how late her job had been keeping her and the extra time she'd been staying up at home.

"Sorry, I guess I've just... been thinking, lately," the younger sister said. "...About these "Phantom Thieves", I mean... if Dad were still alive..."

Makoto hurriedly looked away. "Nevermind. I shouldn't bring things like that up while we're eating," she said apologetically.

"It's okay, keep going," Sae replied, her tone curious but her expression neutral. Makoto wondered if her sister was in fact intrigued, or if she was daring her to continue, causing her to hesitate for a second.

"I... I just wondered if... maybe he would have been on their side, is all," Makoto said.

Sae's expression immediately hardened as she gave her sister a stern glare. "The only reason you have time to think about something like that is because you depend on someone else," she said coldly.

"Th...that's not-" Makoto stammered.

"You don't have to do a single thing!" Sae snapped, cutting her off abruptly. "You're provided with food, clothes, and a home..."

"Sis, what does this have to do with-" Makoto attempted, but was once more cut off.

"...Meanwhile I have no time to think on such ridiculous thoughts! "Would Dad have been happy with them?" I don't care!" Sae continued, her tone growing sharper and harsher. "What I DO care about is he died for upholding some lofty sense of righteousness..." It was then, her voice began to tremble through her rising anger. "...And because of that, he left all his responsibilities on us!"

"A-All I was saying was...!" Makoto froze, struggling to find words she felt herself wilt under her sister's harsh glare.

"I don't care what it is you're "saying", Makoto! What I want to know is if you're going to realize it's about time you grew up and acknowledged our situation!" Sae's voice had now risen to an angry shout. "I work myself to death out there trying to provide for us, and all you do in return is be a useless burden to me that does nothing but eat away at my life!"

Sae gasped, covering her mouth in horror as she looked at her sister's trembling form from across the table as the brunette struggled not to cry in front of her. Sae herself could feel her anger vanish and her eyes beginning to wet, now, as well, both from what she'd said, and the unpleasant memories that had brought this out of her.

"...I-I'm sorry," she said softly, now unable to look at her younger sister and trying to hold back her own tears. "I'm sorry I... I d-didn't mean a-any of that... I'm just... r-really tired... I'll be eating dinner out from now on..."

Without even finishing her meal, Sae stood up quickly and made her way to her bedroom, closing the door behind her abruptly and leaving Makoto alone, shaking from what had just happened.

---

6/20

Kyoko sat quietly at her desk, her gaze towards the window as another downpour Japan's rainy season was known for commenced outside while the math teacher Ms. Usami carried on her lecture.

Another day closer to Niijima's deadline, and she still had not thought of a solution to infiltrating the Palace.

"On another note, I've been seeing a lot of shows on TV lately about these "Phantom Thieves of Hearts"," Ms. Usami explained. "...I just wonder, though... why bother stealing hearts? You can't do anything with them and they have no monetary value, either! If I were them, I'd go for something with clear and concrete value, such as gold..."

"True, Palaces may have things that are valuable, here, but that isn't the reason we do this!" Morgana mused quietly to himself from Kyoko's desk, the girl's gaze flickering to him and over to the teacher to avoid getting unwanted attention.

"Still, speaking of, there is another metal that's very valuable in its own way," Ms. Usami continued. "These are called "minor metals", they're actually used in many electronics. In fact, many of you probably have some on your person right now, in your pockets, or purses..."

"Takamaki-san!" the teacher suddenly called out sharply, Kyoko noticed Ann seemed to be spacing out as she had her attention away from the front of the class. "How about you give me an example of something that uses a lot of minor metals!"

"Uh... umm..." Ann stammered as she shifted in her seat, trying to think of an answer and avoid embarrassment and glancing back at Kyoko anxiously.

Kyoko gave a light sigh, taking her phone out and hoping Ann would get the hint.

"Oh! My smartphone!" the blonde said, giving the teacher a big, confident smile.

"Precisely, Takamaki-san," the teacher said, apparently not having noticed Kyoko's aid. "A lot of minor metals are excavated from China, some countries providing more then others. In fact, 90% of the minor metals used in Japan are imported, as well as from recyclable trash which also tends to contain a lot of it as well. You could say junkyards for that reason are more valuable then "hearts"!"

"Thanks, you really saved me back there!" Ann whispered, smiling back at Kyoko.

The young detective returned a small, faint smile of her own before returning her attention back on the teacher, though talking about wealth and monetary value moved her thoughts to how they'd get into Kaneshiro's Palace...

---

"Hey guys, sorry but... still got nothin'!" Ryuji grumbled, shaking his head as he arrived at the hideout. "Got anything, Kyoko?"

"If I had the resources I used to, it may have been possible to investigate him more," Kyoko replied with a hint of irritation, "...But as it is, now..."

"Are we totally out of luck, then?" Ann asked as she leaned against the accessway railing.

"I'm... sure we'll find a way, but... his Palace being way up in the sky... no fair," Morgana muttered as he climbed up Kyoko's shoulder from her school bag.

"Kyoko, do you think that might change if we were able to contact the real Kaneshiro directly?" Yusuke offered.

Kyoko brought her hand to her chin, mulling it over. "It's possible, as then he'd be aware of us and those ATM cognitions have apparently found their way up to his Palace through some means, given the implication the broken ones have apparently been tossed overboard from it," she said. "...Still, the fact so few seem to even be aware of him or know his name as the one behind this, he likely acts entirely through his men to ensure no one is able to come near him, save a few..."

"...Kirigiri?"

Kyoko's gaze flickered up, as did the other Thieves as they saw Makoto approach.

"What do you want now?" Ann asked, annoyed. "Here to remind us of our deadline?"

"I just saw you gathered here, I was hoping you had something to update me on," Makoto said, folding her arms. "...How's the investigation going, Kirigiri? If you don't mind my saying, you all seem very troubled, I'd think a detective of your level would have had this..."

"We have a name, Junya Kaneshiro," Kyoko replied. "...But unfortunately we have no way to reach him."

"Is that so?" Makoto asked, cocking her head slightly in curiosity. "...That's rather disappointing, considering I just received more letters today from students..."

"You think you can do anything about it besides criticize our progress?" Ann snapped, growing more irritated. "You didn't exactly get us much of anything last time, so student council president or not, you're pretty useless regarding what we're doing!"

Makoto, to the group's surprise, didn't snap back, or make a snide remark. Rather, she just froze up entirely. "U-Useless...?!" she stammered, thinking about what her sister had said to her the previous night.

"...To be frank, yes," Yusuke remarked bluntly, also reaching the end of his patience.

"You wanna stay on your high horse and watch, or just eavesdrop feel free, you're at least good at that!" Ann said sternly. "Otherwise, I can't imagine what difference you can make right now."

"S-So," Makoto said softly, struggling to avoid trembling from their words which hit harder then ever thanks to last night's argument. "...You wish to get in contact with this Kaneshiro person, right?"

"...For your own sake, Niijima," Kyoko said, folding her arms and noticing Makoto's tone as she suspected what the other girl was thinking. "...It may be in your best interest to take their words to heart and stay out of this entirely..."

"...It's honestly rather surprising that Sae-san's sister would be such a good-girl type of pushover..."

Makoto's hands immediately balled into fists at Akechi's remarks when she'd met him at the college exam halls.

"...all you do in return is be a useless burden to me that does nothing but eat away at my life!"

"I'm... not... useless!" Makoto hissed, gritting her teeth as she heard her sister's angry words in her mind again. "Fine! I'll handle this myself!"

"Niijima, what are you...!" Kyoko began sharply, but Makoto rushed off before she could finish, disappearing into the bustling afternoon crowds.

"What do you think she's up to?" Yusuke asked, concerned. "You think she has an idea where he is?"

"I doubt that," Ann said. "You think she would, Kyoko?"

Kyoko shook her head. "Her father was a policeman, but the reporter knew Kaneshiro's name because it came up in a case involving similar criminal activity three years ago, but the case was closed then when the evidence was lost in an "accident" he was likely behind. I seriously doubt she'd know anything about him, but..."

The young detective's eyes widened in alarm.

"...We need to go after her. NOW!" she snapped urgently, abandoning her spot and rushing into the crowd.

"Wha...!" Ryuji stammered before following, the others behind him, looking around frantically but there was no sign of the brunette anywhere.

"Kyoko, you don't think...?!" Ann asked anxiously.

"...That she's about to do something both incredibly stupid and incredibly dangerous? Yes, I think she is!" Kyoko answered sternly.

"Ugh! There's way too many people here!" Morgana protested as Kyoko struggled in vain to push through the rapidly thickening crowds, still no sign of Makoto anywhere. "...She's nimble, I'll give her that!"

"She's probably heading to Central Street right now!" Kyoko said, trying her best to lead the way through despite the traffic.

By the time the group had made through the busy crowds and made it outside, however, Makoto was still nowhere to be seen.

"Where could she be?" Yusuke asked, looking around.

"Kyoko! Your phone's going off!" Morgana said, glancing into Kyoko's school bag. She quickly took it out, seeing Makoto's name and answered.

"Niijima! Where are you?!" Kyoko snapped angrily. "We're near the way to Central Street, come back here right now!"

"Don't talk! Just listen!" Makoto answered. "Record this call now!"

"Where are you?!" Kyoko repeated.

"Hit "Record" NOW and I'll tell you. Hurry up!"

Scowling, Kyoko did as told. "...Now, where are you?"

"Hey, you guys know Junya Kaneshiro?" Makoto's voice asked to someone Kyoko assumed she was with.

"Niijima, don't be an idiot! Walk away from them right now!" Kyoko snapped firmly.

Makoto, however, was either ignoring her or holding her phone away as she spoke again.

"I heard I could find someone named Junya Kaneshiro if I came to the alleys of Central Street!" Kyoko heard her say.

"...I'm certain I know where she is. We need to hurry!" Kyoko said urgently, leading the way to Central Street and hoping they'd make it in time.

---

"...The heck you gettin' at, kid?" The silk-shirted man from the previous day asked, standing before Makoto outside the Protein Lovers' gym and looking at her suspiciously.

"He's the one in charge of the blackmail scam targeting Shujin students, isn't he?" Makoto demanded. "Tell him if he doesn't want me to going to the police he'll agree to meet with me!"

The silt-shirted man exchanged a disbelieving glance at his companion, a man in a black suit, before approaching her. "The hell's the matter with you, kid? You got a death wish or somethin'?" he asked.

"Hey, let's see what he says!" the other man said, walking over to a parked car at the end of the alley and taking out his phone and dialing a number. "Hey, boss! We got someone who wants to meetcha!"

The suited man listened a moment. "Some girl, a high-schooler. Brunette, pretty cute, actually. Kinda proper-lookin'! Same one from the other day!" he said.

The man listened again. "...He says "sure". Hop on in, young lady!" he said, looking back at Makoto.

"You'd better be taking me to Kaneshiro," Makoto said sternly.

"Get the fuck in, kid!" the silk-shirted man snapped. "You wanted to meet the boss, he said yes, so let's not keep him waitin'!"

Kyoko and the others arrived at the other end of the alley just in time to witness Makoto being ushered into the parked car, the two men with her getting in after.

"It's that guy from the other day!" Morgana shouted as the group rushed into the alley, just in time for the car pull out of the alley.

"We're too late!" Kyoko fumed, pausing as she could hear talking from her phone, still.

"...Let Kaneshiro-san know we're on our way with a good one!" she heard one of the mens' voices say.

"Where are you taking me?" Makoto's voice asked.

"...I guess we can't do anythin' to her if she's a customer of Kaneshiro-san," the silk-shirted man's voice remarked.

"Hey! I asked a question here! Where are we going?" Makoto's voice demanded as the car pulled out of the alley, Kyoko and the others running after it.

"Pipe down, girl! We're takin' you to see him like you asked!" the suited man voice snapped in response from Kyoko's phone.

"Call a taxi! Now!" Kyoko ordered as the car entered the highway, pausing at a light up ahead.

"Hey! Taxi!" Ryuji shouted as a cab drew close but didn't seem to be stopping, prompting the boy to run right in its path. "STOP!"

The car came to a screeching halt.

"The hell's wrong with you, kid?!" the cab driver snapped.

"That black car up ahead! We need you to follow it!" Ryuji cried out, pointing down the road.

"It's moving again!" Ann cried out in alarm.

"It's alright, I got the plate number!" Yusuke said, putting away a notepad he'd been holding .

"Everyone, in, NOW!" Kyoko snapped, flinging open the door and holding up her phone close as she and the others got in, using all her willpower to keep calm and and listen carefully for any details Makoto might give.

---

Makoto did all she could to stay calm as well as the men ushered her out of the car and she was led downstairs into what appeared to be an underground nightclub of some sort. Makoto followed in silence as the suited man led her down a hallway, bathed in purple light, the sound of pulsing techno music faintly heard through the cushioned walls as they opened a door ahead.

"You wanted to meet Mr. Kaneshiro, go right on in, he's expectin' you!" the silk-shirted man said with a dangerous smirk.

Makoto cautiously stepped into the club interior and looked around. Like the hallway, the club was bathed in purple light, several dangerous-looking men sneered at her from a nearby bar and some of the booths while enjoying their drinks. Several tables were lined out with bottles of alcoholic beverages and ash trays as well, and at the end against the wall was a large purple sectional sofa where a scantly-clad floozy of a woman sat next to a gangly-looking man with spiky bleached hair, a large briefcase sitting closed on the table in front of them next to some filled wine glasses.

"Are you Kaneshiro?" Makoto asked, approaching the man. The man just smirked but gave no answer, gazing up and pointing at her, or, as Makoto realized, behind her. Before she could turn, however, Makoto felt a strong hand grab her sharply by the collar and and another snatch her phone from her hand.

"...What have we here?" a deep, male voice beside her asked, his hand stroking the back of her neck before holding her in a firm grip and pushing her forward.

Stumbling a bit, Makoto turned and saw the voice's owner. The man appeared to be maybe in his late 30's. Though cleanshaven he still had a slovenly look to him with his obese form and overly greased brown hair he'd slicked back behind his head and down the back of his thick neck. His black silk shirt and dress pants barely fit his corpulent form under an open blue suit blazer, a gold necklace hung around his neck and several rings adorned his fingers. The man despite his repulsive appearance had a strong air of authority to him, and it was evident to Makoto right then and there this man standing in front of her was none other then Junya Kaneshiro himself.

"...Mr. Kaneshiro?" she asked, attempting to stand firm before him.

"Yeah, that'd be me!" Kaneshiro said with a wide, predatory sneer. "Soooo, who's this you're callin?" he asked, looking at the phone and blinking in curiosity as he read the name on the screen before shutting off the call.

"This is the one we told you about, Kaneshiro-san," one of the men who'd brought her said.

"Keep her here," Kaneshiro said, taking Makoto's phone with him as he shooed the man from his spot on the sofa and sat down next to the woman by the briefcase. Before Makoto could move, however, Kaneshiro's men immediately pushed her to the floor and pinned her down, pulling her arms behind her back and holding her in place. "...Quite a lengthy call you had, here!" he said, smirking as he fiddled with Makoto's phone. "...Makoto Niijima! You put your name and everything in here! I've heard about you, the student council president of Shujin Academy, correct? I'm honestly touched you'd put yourself in this little situation just to meet me!"

Makoto struggled, trying in vain to free herself as Kaneshiro reached into his pocket and took out his own phone.

"...Well, in that case, why don't we share contact info now that we're gonna be friends, huh?" Kaneshiro said with a grin, sending his phone a text with Makoto's.

"Let go of me! LET GO!" Makoto cried out as Kaneshiro's men pushed her down harder against the floor.

"Aw, don't be like that, sweetheart!" Kaneshiro said in a mockingly soft tone, gazing down at her in amusement as he leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. "...After all, you knew who I was and you still went through all this trouble? ...You don't need to answer that, by the way. Once I call up your little friend here, I'm sure she'll give me the lowdown on what exactly you hoped to accomplish while we negotiate your release!"

"N-no... y-you stay away from her!" Makoto stammered, struggling to escape. Kaneshiro chuckled as he watched her, grinning down at her frightened face.

"Oh-ho-ho! Now that's a good look for ya! The clients're gonna love it!" he said with a laugh. "Strip her down and make sure you get some quality photos to send her little friend! I want her and her family to know how serious I'm being!"

"NO! NO! LET GO OF ME!" Makoto screamed as the men turned her over, one of Kaneshiro's men taking out his phone as another immediately flipped her over on her back.

"Now, now, you hold still and be a good little girl, it'll be over soon!" Kaneshiro sneered, ignoring Makoto's screams and broken sobs as the silk-shirted man proceeded to pin her down and rip her blouse open while Kaneshiro relaxed on his sofa and helped himself to a glass of wine on the table. "...No need to get so worked up, sweetheart!" he said with a chuckle as he watched. "...Practice makes perfect but takin' it right here would only bring down the value, after all, and I'm countin' on you makin' me a fortune!"

"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HER!"

Makoto's eyes widened as she recognized Ryuji's voice, her and the men turning and seeing him, Yusuke, Ann, and Kyoko at the doorway.

"Who the fuck're you brats?!" the suited man demanded.

"Isn't it obvious?" Kaneshiro asked as he glanced at Makoto's phone, his eerily calm tone belying the rage on his face. "...You dipshits got FOLLOWED!" he snapped, flinging Makoto's phone at the floor right in front of her.

"Hey, that's that other girl from before!" the silk-shirted man restraining Makoto said, looking at Kyoko.

"Junya Kaneshiro, I pressume?" Kyoko asked, taking a step forward as she glared at the man.

"So, you've heard of me?" Kaneshiro asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. "You kids got some nerve coming here, I gotta say, especially if you know what kinda businesses I conduct around these parts!"

"Whatcha want us to do about 'em boss?" the suited man asked nervously.

"...Nothing. Stand down," Kaneshiro said, a tranquil smirk on his face but his gaze in a harsh glare as he reached for the briefcase in front of him and glanced over at the woman seated next to him. "...Hey, that crocodile-skin handbag you saw the other day, how much was it?"

"Ummm, about 3 million yen, give or take!" the woman said. "...Why?"

Kaneshiro's smirk grew, his gazed fixed firmly on the group in front of him as he flung open the briefcase, revealing about forty stacks full of yen notes and taking three out. "...Go buy it."

"F-for REALS?!" the woman asked, staring in awe and astonishment as Kaneshiro affectionately tucked them into the front of her tanktop and she quickly pulled them out in excitement.

"Sure, you can thank these kids right here!" Kaneshiro said, his smirk spreading into a smug grin as his men, save the one restraining the trembling Makoto, joined him on the sofa.

"What are you talking about?" Kyoko demanded.

"Why, isn't it obvious?" Kaneshiro asked, taking a sip of his wine before resting his arms on the back of the sofa. "...You kids have managed to really piss me off by coming here like you think you own the place, and the fact is that spending money is confirmed to be an excellent stress-reliever! That said..." he took another sip of his wine while using his free hand to fiddle around with his phone. "...This comes with the problem that now there's a three-million yen empty space here in my briefcase and I'm gonna be even more pissed if it's not filled! I'm a perfectionist like that, so I'll be counting on you kids to fill it up pronto if you don't want me to finish what I've started with your little class president, here!"

"We're not leaving without her," Kyoko replied sternly.

"Yeah, I figured you'd say that," Kaneshiro said, smirking at her as his phone emitted a click with a tap of his thumb. "...My, how tense you all look! I think I'll call it "Debauchery of Minors in a Club"! Quite a masterpiece considering the booze and cigs I got in the shot!" he sneered, looking the photo over on his screen. "Oh, and looks like some drugs, too! I wonder what your school will do if I send it to 'em? Starting to... get the picture, kiddies?"

Kyoko froze in place, she could see Ryuji, Ann, and Yusuke now horrified as well as Kaneshiro turned his phone around to show the photo. Gritting her teeth she took a step forward.

"Ah-ah-ah!" Kaneshiro taunted, his men began to reach into their coats and Kyoko could spot the weapon holsters within, causing her to back away, glaring lividly at him. "You clearly underestimated me, kids. I feast on reckless little brats like you every day like a shark in the seas! I'm sure I don't have to tell you I got eyes in the police department as well, and connections even higher then that I've had for years! There's a reason even the Kuzuryus won't try and boss me around!" he explained. "You go running your mouth to anyone and I hear about it, I'll break every one of you... starting with her!"

Kaneshiro gazed down at Makoto, licking his lips in a hungry sneer as she shook in terror, weeping on the floor while his henchman held her down before looking back up at the group standing before him. "...Now, listen up... I normally give my "customers" the usual month, but you're such a large group so it's hardly unreasonable of me to give you three weeks to bring me the whole thing instead! Three million yen can't be too hard between all of you, plus summer bonuses are right around the corner and you can beg your mommies and daddies for those allowances as well!"

"THE HELL WITH THAT!" Ryuji shouted, stepping forward with his fists balled.

"Ryuji, stop," Kyoko hissed, gritting her teeth at Kaneshiro. "...Three weeks, correct?"

"Nice, good to see you're gettin' it!" Kaneshiro said with a grin and snapping his fingers, signaling his goon to release Makoto, who hurriedly grabbed her phone and stood herself up, rushing behind Kyoko and trembling all over as she struggled to hold her blouse together. "...That's right, three weeks starting today, so if I were you I'd start workin' on it! Now, I'm about to have some fun so you all get outta my sight before I have second thoughts about this generous little arrangement!"

"...Let's go," Kyoko said, calmly but sternly as she headed for the door, the others following immediately, giving Kaneshiro one last, venomous glare as they left.

---

"I'm sorry..." Kyoko paused and looked back as she heard Makoto speak behind her once they'd left Kaneshiro's club hideout and made their way down the sidewalk, the sun already setting and her voice barely above a shaken whisper. The brunette hugged herself, trembling in place.

"Niijima," Ann said, any past irritation she'd had for the other girl long gone, now, after what she'd seen nearly happen to her.

"H-he just sent me a message already as a warning... I'm so sorry... I'll find a way to get the money, I promise!" Makoto said, taking deep breaths as she struggled to calm down as she put her phone away.

"No, you won't," Kyoko said sternly, startling the other girl. "I know how people like that function. Even if each of us gave him three million yen on time, he won't let any of us off and he'll come for you regardless."

"What could have possessed you to do something so reckless?" Yusuke demanded, Makoto trembling under his tone.

"That's enough!" Ann snapped, coming over to Makoto's side and gently putting her hands on the other girl's shoulders, trying to help her calm down. "Didn't you two see what they were about to do to her in there?! That's why we just rushed right in!"

Kyoko sighed, folding her arms and gazing back at the club entrance. "...You're right. Yelling about this now won't change our situation," she said, closing her eyes and trying to think.

"N-no, Takamaki, they're right," Makoto said, starting to weep. "...I was stupid... reckless... I was... trying to prove I-I wasn't useless."

"Hey, it's alright, what's done is done, let's put away the blame game, alright? We just... need to figure this out, now," Ryuji said, speaking up as his frustration with her, as well, faded quickly at the memory of what they'd just seen.

"I-It's not just that," Makoto wept. "I'm going to cause so much trouble for Sis, too...!"

"Your "Sis"?" Ann asked.

"She has a very commendable job, and she's a much more remarkable person then me," Makoto explained, struggling to hold herself together. "A lot... a lot happened after we lost our father three years ago, so now it's just us living together... but I'm still a child! All I am i-is a useless burden to her! Sh-she even said so!"

"...And that's why you were so reckless," Yusuke said, his tone softer and more understanding, now.

"I just wanted to be useful... in some way... to someone!" Makoto stammered, weeping as she held her blouse closed. "...Now look what I did instead!"

"Niijima, we'll figure this out," Ann said, undoing the jacket tied around her waist and offering it to the other girl.

"I don't deserve your sympathy, Takamaki. Maybe this is all just karma coming back to haunt me," Makoto said. "I owe you a serious apology for what you went through. Now that I think on it, the truth about what Kamoshida was doing was an open secret covered up by the whole school. I had my suspicions... but Kirigiri was right that I didn't even try to do anything about it! If I cared about someone's needs besides my own maybe then I'd have done something, and your friend...!"

Makoto slowly sank to her knees, her hand gripped tight on the jacket in her hand, sobbing softly. "I just... used and ignored peoples' needs for the sake of my own! I'm so sorry, Takamaki! People like me are no better then scum of the earth like him!"

"Niijima, real scum wouldn't call themselves that," Ann said softly, approaching and kneeling down to her level. "I'm the same, a-and you were right, I was closest to Shiho and I was oblivious to what she was going through, but one fact remains: No one but Kamoshida is to blame. I came to understand that, and Shiho understands it, too..."

"Niijima," Kyoko said, opening her eyes and looking over at her. "I... can also understand what you felt..."

"Kirigiri?" Makoto looked up at her in surprise from the young detective speaking up again but less harshly.

"You mentioned using and ignoring peoples' needs for the sake of your own..." Kyoko said, gazing back at her though her expression noticeably softened, now. "...Before I came here... I was the same way. I was out of line when I yelled at you back then... I suppose when I look back, I'm... finding myself less and less proud of the person I was..."

"You both feared that having a place you belonged would be taken from you," Yusuke said. "...I understand that feeling, myself. It nearly drove me to make an... unscrupulous demand from one of my new friends to ensure I'd meet my former sensei's expectations before he'd... make me pay for failing to do so..."

Kyoko glanced away, closing her eyes again. "All of this aside, we have a more pressing matter at hand," she explained. "Kaneshiro has placed us all under a blackmail debt he expects paid in three weeks, and knowing how people like him operate, he'll find ways to ensure he has us in his grip far longer. Nothing short of changing his heart before then will save us, and ensure no one else falls victim to him."

"Yeah, but we don't got a way in!" Ryuji said. "How the hell're we gonna change his heart before the three weeks're up?!"

"There's got to be some way! I-I have to make up for getting all of you trapped in this when it should have been just me, if anyone!" Makoto protested.

"Miss Prez, I admire your resolve there, but nothin' short of findin' a way into that bank is gonna make this go away," said Ryuji. "Otherwise, we're just stallin' for time till we end up like the rest'a his so-called "customers"!"

"Bank... customers..." Kyoko brought her hand to her chin as she thought about something Kaneshiro had said to them before he'd kicked them out of his club. "Of course!"

"Hm?" Ann looked over at her in curiosity.

"Kaneshiro referred to us as his customers when he gave us the deadline," Kyoko said. "Recalling the bank, and the ones he'd already discarded, by blackmailing us, he now sees us as a source of income. The reason we couldn't enter the bank before was because he didn't know about any of us or have us trapped in a debt to him yet, in essence, because we weren't his customers, then."

"I... really don't get it," Makoto said.

"...It's understandable. It's rather hard to explain without you being there to see it," Kyoko said, looking over at her. "...But essentially, Kaneshiro putting us in debt to him may have actually opened the way to us successfully changing his heart."

"You think it'd work?" Yusuke asked.

"There's a good chance," Morgana said, climbing out of Kyoko's backpack and hopping down onto the pavement. "But there's something else we're gonna need, I think, or more like some ONE who'd make it more certain it will!"

"...A cat?" Makoto asked, confused as she stared at the meowing feline.

"True, this being blackmailed may be just what we need," Morgana continued. "...But with Niijima here as the one he made responsible for the debt and will be keeping in contact about it, I think she's our best bet on getting in, on account this makes her a special customer in particular!"

"Are you sayin' we should take her with us?" Ryuji asked.

"That's right! If any of us can guarantee Kaneshiro's bank will grant us a way in, it's her," the cat said. "She wants to make things right regarding our situation, I say we give her this chance!"

"Um, take me with you where, exactly?" Makoto asked, even more confused, now as she looked over at Ryuji. "Why is that cat meowing so much and why are you talking to it?"

"To summarize, what I explained a moment ago, you'll be our best shot at helping ensure we can accomplish this if you come with us where we're going," Kyoko said. "It'd be easier to show you and explain, then..."

"Okay... but... where are we going?" Makoto asked, now growing concerned.

"Let's return to Central Street, first, then we'll show you," Kyoko explained. "It's best we get away from this part of town while we can."

"I'll go get us a cab," Ryuji muttered, stepping off the sidewalk to hail over another taxi while Kyoko brought up the Meta-Nav.

---

Makoto's eyes widened in shock as reality finished reshaping after she'd seen it twist and warp around her once Kyoko and the others brought her with them to just outside Central Street.

"What the... is this still... Shibuya?!" Makoto asked frantically, looking around at the now dark city bathed in a sickly green glow, yelping at the sight of a walking ATM that passed by. "Wh-what is that?!"

"Quiet! You'll alert the Shadows!" Morgana, now his cartoonish anthropomorphic form again, warned.

"Shadows?" Makoto asked, before looking down at Mona and yelping again. "A-A MONSTER CAT?!"

"I'm not a monster... or a cat!" Mona protested, sulking.

"That's Morgana, he was that cat you saw in Kyoko's bag," Ann said, now donning her Panther costume.

"T-Takamaki? Is that you?" Makoto asked, staring at her in shock before glancing over at Yusuke, who was now clad in his Fox outfit. "And... a canine?"

"A fox, actually," he corrected.

"There's a lot to explain, but we gain these outfits when we come into this place," Kyoko, now wearing her own Ace costume, said.

"...Kirigiri?" Makoto asked, staring at the other girl. "And... Sakamoto?" she asked, noticing Ryuji in a skull-masked costume of his own behind her and taking a breath as she tried to process all she was seeing and calm herself. "...Okay, but... where are we? This looks like Shibuya, but it's... different..."

"You recall when you asked me about a "Metaverse" when you interrogated me back then?" Ace asked. "...This... all around you is it. This, as I understand it, is another reality formed by cognition, in this case, appearing as a distorted version of Shibuya that was created by Kaneshiro's heart, reflecting his desires."

"Yes, like those walking ATMs you saw?" Fox asked. "That... is how Kaneshiro sees the people of Shibuya, because he considers them as just carriers of his money to take as he pleases."

Makoto brought her hand to her chin, pondering the others' explanations and looking around at the strange beings, as well as the buildings stuffed with money that seemed to be drifting out of them and upward. "I see... and this is all... inside his heart? That it... reflects the way he thinks and sees Shibuya as well as everyone else in it?"

Makoto froze as her gaze followed where the money was floating to and upon the lit-up, hovering bank in the sky looming high above her and the others as the cash drifting in the air funneled into it. "Wh-what the?! I-It's floating... in... THE AIR?!" she shrieked. "Th-this is reality?!"

Makoto took a long, deep breath as she attempted to calm herself. "I'm sorry... it's just..." she took another deep breath. "...But if this really exists, I can't doubt it," she said, studying her surroundings again and looking up once more at the floating bank. "...A reality that one's heart shows... like the application of optical illusions in social cognitive psychology?"

"That's... not a subject we'd know about, honestly," Panther said.

"The best as I can summarize it," Ace explained, "Is that this world is part of some sort of collective unconscious. We somehow have been given a way to access it. This place comes from Kaneshiro's mind and desires. As his sphere of influence is focused in Shibuya, it's overlayed on it, primarily in Central Street where he has his men run his blackmail scam on minors who come through before and after school..."

"And so, you mentioned a "bank", that building in the sky, right?" Makoto asked. "All this cash being sucked into it... I think I get it. He sees Shibuya's money as his, so... in this reality you say was shaped by his desires, it looks like this?"

"Yup, that's the gist of it!" Skull said.

"Okay, so what exactly do you do here? How will this change Kaneshiro's heart and make him confess to his crimes like Kamoshida and Madarame did?" Makoto asked.

"Basically, that floating bank?" Mona explained. "We need to get in there. Somewhere inside that bank is something called a "Treasure" which is basically the "core" of this world and his distorted desires. If we can secure an infiltration route in, then we send Kaneshiro a calling card like we did the other two, this will put him on alert and cause his Treasure to manifest into something we'll be able to steal!"

"After that, we go in through our secured route, and take it. We do that, this place will disappear, along with Kaneshiro's evil desires and cause him to have a change of heart," Ace explained. "When that happens, he will be completely overwhelmed with remorse and confess to his crimes."

"I see, so that's what you mean by "stealing someone's heart"," Makoto said. "...Essentially it's overwriting their cognition... I think I kind of get the logic behind it..."

"Exactly. We can change Kaneshiro's heart by stealing his Treasure. We do that, and our problems with him should be all over!" Morgana said with a smirk. "...If it all goes well, that is."

"..."IF"?! Ha! We'll make it go well!" Skull said with a grin. "Not only will Kaneshiro wanna let everyone he's trapped in debt to 'em off the hook, but everyone's gonna notice us for sure for takin' him down!"

"...And because of that, our justice will most certainly become resolute in the public's eyes!" Fox added.

"In that case," Makoto said, her face now hard with determination. "...You want to go to the bank, right? Lets go, then. If it's like you said that I'm a "customer" of that bank, then they'd have to let me in!"

Without another word, Makoto began to walk towards where the bank was hovering, the Thieves behind her. At that moment, however, the bank emitted a loud hum that shook the ground of the surrounding area as it began to lower down, stopping about twenty feet off the ground as a metal ramp emerged from a slot in the front and unfolded itself to the street in front of where Makoto was standing, granting access to it at last.

"Whoa, for real?!" Skull shouted in awe. "It actually came to us!"

"Worked like a charm!" Mona cheered with an excited hop into the air.

"If I'm his primary "customer" in this debt, I should probably lead the way," Makoto said.

"Will you be alright?" Panther asked, concerned.

"Let's stay close, in case anything tries to ambush us," Ace replied, joining Makoto, the others nodding in agreement as they began to ascend the ramp up to the floating island.

Reaching the top, Makoto and the Thieves found themselves in a barren courtyard, surrounded by tall iron fences gating off trees with golden leaves and surrounding a stone path leading up to a massive, three-story bank the size of a large mansion made of gold brick with green-tinted stained glass windows and a domed roof. Flags bearing Kaneshiro's name hung from its walls and a golden piggybank statue sat atop an overhanging arch above the large green double-doors at the front of it that was flanked by two smaller piggybank statues.

"Whoa..." Skull looked about in awe as they entered, frowning when he noticed more ATM cognitions roaming about in the courtyard. "Shit, there's so many of 'em!"

"This place sure is huge, too!" Panther remarked.

"N-No! Please! Don't!"

Ace's brow furrowed under her mask but said nothing as she noticed a Shadow resembling a guard hoisting one up and flinging it over the side of the island, its frightened cries cut short by a distant crash below.

"...Truly a vile man," Fox muttered, watching in disgust.

"Hey, I just thought of something," Makoto said, pausing and facing the others. "You know how you can use your card to get into banks after hours?" she asked. "I thought I'd be able to get in, seeing as I have the same identity as such customers, judging by how it seems Kaneshiro can't be bothered to tell them apart."

"I rarely gotta go to the bank, so... this is makin' me a little nervous, actually," Skull said.

"...And in costumes like this we totally look like robbers," Panther added.

"Judging from what's going on outside already, I imagine we'll run into plenty of dangerous Shadows protecting this place," Ace remarked as she watched more guards fling terrified ATM cognitions overboard. "Given how guarded Kaneshiro is at even keeping his name hidden, it's hardly surprising."

"Definitely," Mona said.

"Yeah, about that, what are "Shadows" exactly?" Makoto asked.

"Beings that exist here. They're born of and drawn to negative emotions so they're found in abundance in Palaces," Mona explained. "Kaneshiro's own Shadow self would be here, too, as the ruler this place."

"Basically... they're enemies that attack us here," Panther said.

"I see," Makoto said, looking around. "Well, I've trained in aikido, so don't worry, I can defend myself!"

"I'll be frank, Niijima" Ace said, folding her arms, "...Without the ability to use a Persona like we can, even that won't be much good against Shadows. It's best you stay back and let us handle it if they should happen to attack."

"It's nothin' personal," Skull chimed in. "Just... trust me, I found THAT out the hard way! But doncha worry, we got your back!"

"I see," Makoto said, frowning a little in dismay. "...What's a "Persona", exactly?"

"There's a lot to explain, but you'll know if we run into any trouble," Morgana said.

"Don't go feeling all "useless", though, okay?" Panther asked with a reassuring smile. "We wouldn't have gotten up here in the first place if you weren't here with us!"

"...Still, I suppose it's better then nothing," Ace stated. "If things go south, you run back to the entry point, understand?"

Makoto gave a silent nod. "...So, we need to go in front the front, don't we?" she asked. "I'm an honorary customer, right? If I act like one, from what you've told me there's a chance they won't attack. I'll do everything I can to be useful to you guys..."

Without another word, Makoto marched up the steps towards the doors, the Thieves following close behind and looking around cautiously for any sign of the Shadow guards taking notice or showing any hostile intent towards them, but thankfully, they seemed far too occupied with ushering in or tossing away the ATM cognitions.

"Hm,"

The others turned and looked over at Ace, who had paused a moment and brought her hand to her chin in thought.

"What is it?" Fox asked.

"...Something Panther said earlier," Ace mused aloud as she looked at the imposing building before them. "...I once helped solve a case that involved a series of bank robberies. Now it seems I'm taking part in one..."

"Heh, you're right!" Skull said with a chuckle.

"The irony never ends for you, does it?" Panther said, smirking.

"...Still, it also means it's possible that like a bank, Kaneshiro will have greater security protecting his Palace then Madarame did. I'll be sure to keep an eye out for any systems that may be in place," Ace stated.

"Regardless, my mind's made up. Let's go!" Makoto said, leading the way and the group coming to a stop as the double doors swung open for them with a resounding chime. No sooner had they entered the very lavish-looking lobby, however, that a pair of tall, masked guards similar to the ones that had been seen outside tossing ATM cognitions overboard approached them.

"What business do you have here?" the guard on the left asked, its voice deep and reverberating as it brandished a baton in its hand. As they drew closer, their masks became more apparent, resembling oval metal faceplates with large goggle lenses resembling compound eyes.

"...The instant we stepped in. You definitely weren't wrong," Panther said, glancing over at Ace, who lowered her hand preparing to call forth her gun.

Makoto took a deep breath and stepped forward. "I'm one of Kaneshiro's customers. I'd like to speak with the bank president," she said firmly.

The two Shadow guards exchanged a glance. "...Do you have an appointment?" the one on the right asked.

"...Stand down, you two, I've been expecting them!" a familiar voice suddenly spoke over the intercom speakers on the ceiling, prompting the two Shadows to step away from one another and allow access.

"That... that was Kaneshiro's voice!" Makoto observed.

"Be glad our generous president is permitting you here," the Shadow guard on the left said. "Don't try anything funny or we'll make you regret it!"

The bank suddenly trembled as a large, transparent gold glass piggybank suddenly emerged from a panel in the ceiling suspended on wires as a tube suddenly lowered down from above it and fastened itself to its open back. Countless yen notes suddenly began to rapidly pour into it from a tube it was connected to, filling it up completely before it lit up, a chime signaling its work was done.

"Whoa, imagine how many beef bowls I could eat with that!" Skull mused, staring up at the money container.

Ace scowled, regarding it with suspicion as she glared up at it. "What's the meaning of this, Kaneshiro?"

"Unauthorized entry, property damage, and other disturbances..." Kaneshiro's voice stated, now aloud in person from behind the reception desks up ahead, before the man himself emerged from the dimly lit area and into the lobby flanked by six more Shadow guards. "...That comes to three million yen in total, and you're here regarding that, correct, Miss Beautiful President?" he asked with a wide, hideous sneer as he snapped his fingers, and two more Shadow guards appeared at the entrance alongside the initial two and boxing the group in.

Kaneshiro's Shadow, the Thieves and Makoto quickly noted, looked radically different from his real self, moreso then Madarame or Kamoshida's did theirs. In place of his simple black clothes and blue blazer, he now wore a silver three-piece business suit with a white dress shirt and purple tie that fit his large form more comfortably with gold rings on each of his fingers, but this was far from the strange thing about him: His hair was now a shiny, inky black and done in a side-part, with a small mustache above his lip, and his skin was unnatural sickly shade of purple.

"K-Kaneshiro...?!" Makoto stammered as she stared at the man in disbelief of how different he looked.

"Why so surprised? You wanted to see me, correct?" Kaneshiro asked with a chuckle before pointing up at the filled piggybank hanging above. "That, right there, is the three million you owe me. It must be quite difficult to gather so much money, but this is where I bring you a solution..."

"And what would that be?" Ace asked, glaring at him.

"Isn't it obvious?" Kaneshiro asked, smirking from behind his guards. "If you like, I'm willing to give that to you as a loan."

"Then what, you call it off?" Skull asked.

"Of course not. It's a loan, after all," Kaneshiro replied, his smirk spreading into a devious grin. "...With a ten percent a day interest, so whaddya say?"

"...That's three hundred thousand yen," Makoto replied coldly.

"Business is business, my dear," Kaneshiro said with a chuckle, snapping his fingers as the piggybank was raised back up into the ceiling panel. "...I can't simply go handing out my money if I'm not going to make a profit after all, but you needn't be so alarmed... I have a more manageable option for people like you..."

"That was your plan from the beginning, wasn't it?" Makoto said, glaring lividly at him. "Just another scam to drag us even deeper into debt with you, correct?"

"You're very observant, Student President Niijima!" Kaneshiro sneered. "...Or should I say, the younger sister of that gorgeous prosecutor, Sae Niijima?"

"H-How do you know that?!" Makoto asked, staring agape at the grinning mob boss.

"I believe I've told you, I have eyes all around," Kaneshiro replied, rubbing his hands together. "...You really shouldn't underestimate my intelligence network... your father certainly did!"

Now, he truly had everyone's attention.

"M-my... my father... how do you... w-what are you getting at?!" Makoto demanded, visibly fearful of the answer she felt she already knew deep down.

"Kaneshiro's name turned up as a suspect in a sex-trafficking case three years ago," Ace stated, glaring at Kaneshiro as she spoke. "...Then it got dropped after the one investigating it died. I had a feeling it wasn't coincidence when you mentioned when you lost your father, Niijima... this piece of trash, he had something to do with that, didn't he?"

Kaneshiro paused a moment, regarding the other girl, then grinned, chuckling as he looked back at Makoto.

"...I learned three years ago in my old business, how difficult running a "bank" can be, Niijima. It's my policy to get rid of clients... and potential clients... who are more trouble then they're worth," Kaneshiro explained, his gold eyes leering at her as his grin faded and a cold frown came upon his face. "You see, he wasn't willing to get in line like the others and accept a nice little extra paycheck to look the other way and dispose of everything he'd managed to get on me. So having him disappear... was enough to set an example for the rest and drop the case against me..."

"You had my father killed just because he had MORALS?!" Makoto snarled, feeling tears start to form within her eyes.

"It was his own fault," Kaneshiro said with a dismissive wave. "If he'd simply understood my reach a little better, you could have lived more comfortably with some extra cash and I wouldn't have had to make you and your sister into orphans, would I? That was a remarkably selfish decision on his part, wouldn't you agree?" He asked, letting out a cruel laugh as he leered hungrily at Makoto. "Now I wouldn't want to damage such an asset like yourself, but one wrong move and your friends here are dead, leaving you to settle the debt alone!" he declared, a wide sneer across his face. "...Your sister, though, she's quite a vision isn't she? The things I could do to her... I'll be sure once I add her in my grasp, she'll be my personal slave, till I get bored and sell her off, of course!"

"YOU LEAVE MY SISTER OUT OF THIS YOU BASTARD!" Makoto screamed out, furiously as the Shadow guards kept her and the others at bay.

"That, I'm afraid is not an option," Kaneshiro said, chuckling and spreading his arms. "This is truly a joyous occasion, isn't it? Not only did everything that could have incriminated me die with your father all those years ago, but look what he left me in the end... two very delicious-looking daughters who are going to bring me in a fortune! I'll have to personally thank him if I ever decide to visit his grave for such wonderful parting gifts!" The large man rubbed his hands together again, grinning a sickening, condescending grin at the trembling girl. "Now, I think you should start taking customers as early as tomorrow. Simply endure it and do as your told! Your life belongs to me, now! Maybe if your friends are still feeling sorry for you they'll chip in as well!" he said with a laugh, leering at the others.

"E-Endure it... d-do as I'm told...!" Makoto stammered, her legs shaking.

"That's right, you'll be sure to earn three million yen in no time, then, though your life and everything in it will be in complete shambles!" Kaneshiro stated, letting out a loud, sinister laugh.

"Shut your goddamn mouth, you disgusting, money-gorging swine!" Makoto snarled.

Kaneshiro's eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed with rage. "...The hell did you just call me, you little bitch?!" he said, his teeth grit tight as he spoke in a low, dangerous tone, but Makoto did not back down this time.

"YOU HEARD ME!" Makoto snapped, her hands in tight fists as she now stood straight and defiant, glaring at the man in front of her with pure, burning hatred in her crimson eyes. "I've been listening to you go on and on, but now... I've heard enough! I'm done doing as I'm told all the time, especially from a rotten, revolting scumbag like YOU!"

"...Have you decided to tread the path of strife?"

Makoto paused at the sound of the voice that spoke within her mind, but her resolve did not break. She was far to angry at the man before her to let anything scare her, now. "Yes... come to me!" she shouted.

"Very well, let us proceed with our contract at once!"

Immediately upon hearing these words, Makoto's knees buckled as she collapsed to the floor, gripping her head as a growing, throbbing pain built up within, as if something powerful were trying to break free.

"Niijima!" Panther cried out, Ace extending her arm in front of her, already aware of what was now happening.

"What in the...?" Kaneshiro asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Don't fight it, Niijima!" Ace stated. "Let it come!"

"I am thou, thou art I..." the voice spoke within Makoto's mind, rising as it now felt deafening. "You have finally found your own justice! Please, never lose sight of it, again!"

Makoto stood herself back up, her hands balling into fists and thrusting down to her sides as she slammed her foot on the floor, a powerful, unknown force cracking the tile beneath her shoe as blue light began to emanate from her, her eyes now glowing a bright golden yellow as she glared at Kaneshiro with a look of rage and hatred. The Shadow guards recoiled in surprise, and even Kaneshiro looked uncertain, now.

"She's... she's awakening!" Mona declared, eyes wide with awe along with Skull's and Fox's.

"This memorable day marks your graduation from your false self!" the voice declared as a metal plate mask appeared over the upper half of Makoto's face, her glowing eyes gleaming through them at her hated prey as she took another step forward. Makoto could feel the mask, and somewhere, her mind, her heart, told her what she must do next.

Raising her left hand followed by her right, Makoto grabbed the edges of the mask in a firm grip, with with a strained cry, ripped it clean off, letting out an agonized scream as she was immediately engulfed in a bright column of blue flame.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Kaneshiro cried out, his guards sent flying off their feet from a mighty gust of power released from the fiery column.

Makoto's screams faded, replaced by a loud, intense revving of an engine as the flames parted, revealing her once again.

Her clothes had now changed, from the borrowed jacket and school uniform to a skintight black leather bodysuit with blue sleeves and legs, with a long black scarf and a chestplate resembling a corset, and spiked black shoulder pads. Her knee-high black boots sported metal studs and plates on the toes and heels and her hands were now covered with white gloves.

More noticeable, however, was the Persona that had appeared with her, or more precisely, under her as she sat upon it. The Persona's chains shattered away from it, revealing itself to resemble a large, futuristic silver motorcycle with a feminine robotic face on its front under a translucent blue visor.

"A Persona..." Fox observed.

"Dude... it's a bike!" Skull said, astonished at what he was seeing.

Makoto turned the handles, its engine revving louder as she opened her eyes once more. "I can feel it... my "Self"... me," she said softly. Her eyes snapped open as she looked at the enemies scattered about "...I'll never lose heart again, ever. I'll go full speed, right, JOHANNA?"

With a roar, Makoto's Persona rocketed across the lobby, slamming into the Shadow guards and knocking them away in a swift spin of motion, blue flame dancing about her form as she charged ahead, knocking away Shadows near the doors and sending them slamming into the walls before coming to a stop in front of frightened Kaneshiro as his guards struggled to stand back up. "Kaneshiro... what you did to my family, that still wasn't enough for you?" she snarled with another roar of her Persona, Johanna's engine. "...I promise you, I'll make you pay for that a hundred-fold, YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

Kaneshiro grit his teeth, breathing angrily before quietly straightening his jacket. "...What the hell are you guys waiting for?!" he snapped furiously at the Shadow guards. "Get the hell up and earn your damn keep already!"

The guards rose back up, their forms twitching and spasming before exploding into puddles of red and black ooze that formed into three towering figures. Two of them were large, muscle-bound red ogre-like humanoids in black robes, with large tusks and a single horn on each of their heads and glaives in their hands. The one at the center was similar, with striped purple skin and long black hair, with eight horns growing out the sides of its head and wielding a larger glaive.

Kaneshiro let out a smug chuckle as he stood safely behind them. "Let's see how long that confidence lasts, now!" he taunted.

"Don't get so cocky!" Makoto snapped viciously. "I'm through playing nice! Let's go Johanna! FULL THROTTLE!"

With a spin, Johanna's face awoke, emitting an intense blast of bright blue energy at the center enemy, causing it to cry out and stumble back in pain.

"So, that's it's weakness?" Ace mused, rushing over to Makoto's side. "SUZAKU!"

The divine red peacock Persona appeared before her, opening its beak and spreading its wings as it unleashed a similar blast of energy of its own at the Shadow as well. Makoto turned, glancing over a Ace in surprise.

"K-Kirigiri?" she asked.

"C'mon, like we'd let you have all the fun!" Skull said playfully as one of the red ogre shadows stomped forward. "CAPTAIN KIDD!"

The pirate Persona instantly appeared, ramming its boat against the ogre and halting its advance.

"You aren't alone, Niijima," Panther said. "CARMEN!"

The dancer Persona materialized above her, firing a blast of flame at the restrained ogre Shadow causing it to cry out in pain as it became engulfed in fire, the other charging forward twirling its glaive.

"The enemy's agitated! Let's take them down fast and make an opening!" Mona shouted. "ZORRO!"

"You won't be able to hide behind your men forever, Kaneshiro!" Fox stated. "GOEMON!"

The swordsman and samurai Personas unleashed their wrath upon the other ogre Shadow, knocking it back as well.

"Damnit! Kill them or I'll kill you myself you idiots!" Kaneshiro shouted, flailing his arms angrily as the Shadows immediately, as one, began twirling their glaives and slamming them into the ground, causing a powerful blast at the Thieves.

Lowering her arm from shielding her eyes as she recovered from the attack, Ace quickly brought her hand to her mask once more. "OROBAS!" she shouted, the centaur-like Persona appearing and extending its hand as a black mist engulfed their enemies and caused them to show a hint of fatigue. "They're weakened! Hit them now!"

"With pleasure!" Makoto shouted, easily sidestepping a weakened strike from the center Shadow "JOHANNA!"

The motorcycle Persona reared back, this time unleashing an intense blast of atomic energy at the entire group before them, knocking them all back to the ground.

"AW YEAH! We ready?" Skull asked.

"Absolutely!" Panther stated.

"All-out attack time!" Mona cheered, the thieves all, as one, leaped into the air, striking their downed enemies in a flurry of blows, before landing back on the floor in time for the Shadows to explode in clouds of black smoke.

"Now there's just you, Kaneshiro..." Makoto said, glared dangerously at him as he retreated up the balcony, fists clenched as she summoned Johanna once more, but the mob boss instead laughed in response.

"You really think you've made a dent in my security? Think again!" he declared, sneering down at her and snapping his fingers, causing ten more Shadow guards to suddenly spawn in front of the group in a burst of smoke, four more appearing in front of the doors leading back out.

"We've completed our objective! We know how to get in, we need to retreat for now!" Mona ordered as the guards advanced.

"But...!" Makoto sighed. "Very well... there's only one way out, leave it to me!" Makoto said, revving up Johanna and glaring up at Kaneshiro one last time. "This isn't over, Kaneshiro! You can count on that!" she declared, "Everyone! Follow me!"

With a spin of her Persona bike, Makoto launched herself straight at the Shadow guards blocking the door before they could even act, plowing right through them and smashing the doors wide open.

"The path's clear! Let's go!" Mona ordered, transforming into his cat-bus form with an eager yowl and the others piling inside. Taking the driver's seat, Ace hurriedly slammed her foot on the gas pedal and the Morganamobile bolted forward, tearing through the open doorway pursuing Makoto back to the entry point.

Kaneshiro scowled as he looked at his fallen guards, shaking his head in annoyance. "So, you'll stand against me, no matter what?" he asked. "Very well, I'll wait for you all. You'll never break through the security system, here, and ultimately there'll be no escape for you in reality either!" he chuckled darkly to himself. "...It won't matter what you do, in three weeks, you'll ALL be kissing your once bright futures goodbye!"

---

Kyoko took a moment to catch her breath once the group found themselves back in the real world, Morgana now a cat once more standing at the middle of the group. Makoto was now leaning against the kiosk where Kyoko usually helped Yoshida do his speeches, all of them admittedly feeling worn out from an admittedly stressful and intense day.

"That was close!" Ryuji said, leaning forward as he pressed his hands against his knees to stay up.

"We should get to the hideout right away," Kyoko said, running her hand through her bangs and looking at the others. "Are you all able?"

"I am, yes," Makoto said, catching her breath, the others also confirming themselves as well.

Lowering her school bag so Morgana could climb in, Kyoko lead the way back to the accessway, where once more, the group quickly took the opportunity to lean against the nearest vertical surface, save for Makoto, who simply elected to sit down to recover from the fatigue she now felt.

"Gotta say, Niijima, that was no aikido you did there, that was full-on ass-whuppin' with that killer bike you had!" Ryuji said.

"You definitely went seriously hardcore back there," Ann said. "Remind me never to piss you off!" she added, albeit jokingly.

"She certainly exuded that aura back there," Yusuke remarked.

Makoto, however, looked the exact opposite of any such descriptions at the moment as she still wobbled when she attempted to stand. "Th-this is the most exhausted I've ever felt these past few years...!"

"That said," she added, cracking a small smile as she finally managed to remain upright. "...It felt pretty great. I think I can manage, now." A stern look, however, came to her face as she looked at the others. "What Kaneshiro did... everything he's done since... is unforgivable. I want to personally take him down... i-if... if you'd have me, I promise I'll give it my all. My father deserves as much, as do all of that monster's other victims..."

"You handled yourself really well, back there," Ann said. "Whaddya think, Kyoko? Think we should invite her in?"

Kyoko folded her arms, but gave a small, faint smile. "We've had our disagreements in the past, but I think you've proven yourself back there, and in light of all that's happened, if anyone has the right to bring him down, it can't be argued that it's you," she said. "...Furthermore, Kaneshiro is clearly a league above Kamoshida and Madarame. We'd need all the help we can get if we're going to successfully bypass his Palace's security and change his heart."

Makoto smiled and gave an eager nod. "Thank you, thank you so much," she said. "I admit, though, hearing this... I never would have imagined I'd end up joining the Phantom Thieves I'd been after... though Sis might faint if she found out."

"Your sister, you mentioned her earlier?" Yusuke asked.

"Yes, she's a prosecutor for the district," Makoto explained. "...And she's investigating the Phantom Thieves."

"Wait, ain't that BAD?!" Ryuji asked abruptly.

"No need to worry, a normal investigation would never lead them into a world like that," Makoto said, letting out a sigh as she leaned against the rail. "...Then again, it must've been fate for this to happen..."

"Did your sister being involved in investigating us prompt you into abiding the principal's wishes?" Kyoko asked. "Did you hope to aid her?"

"...No, actually," Makoto said, shaking her head. "That... was because of something else entirely, but I promise you needn't worry about anything like that from me anymore. You've more then proven you're just as far as I'm concerned, and furthermore all I want, now..." the brunette's right hand began to clench. "...Is to bring down Kaneshiro once and for all..."

The girl's gaze slowly crept towards the floor. "...And to be honest, regarding the matter of this feeling like fate, I had a feeling there'd come a time when my sister and I would no longer see eye to eye anymore," she explained softly. "I'm thankful to have a sister who works so hard, but... at the same time I feel sorry for her... and after hearing my Persona's voice, I clearly understand how I feel, now."

"If I may be so bold... it would appear you're not nearly so reserved as you make yourself seem," Yusuke remarked.

"I was just doing whatever the adults around me told me to," Makoto replied.

"On that note, Kyoko," Yusuke said. "Don't you think she'd be perfect as an advisor? She showed a fearless resolve back there, and certainly has a sharp mind considering her ability to investigate and identify us?"

"It can help lighten the load a bit for ya!" Ryuji pointed out.

"As I've said, we can admittedly use all the help we can if we're going to bring down Kaneshiro," Kyoko replied. "I think it can be safely asserted you're one of us."

"I think it's been settled. Welcome aboard, Niijima!" Ann said with a smile.

Makoto, recalling something, took out her phone and pulled up the earlier message from Kaneshiro. "We've got three weeks to get this done," she said. "But one other thing... If I'm to understand it correctly, the Kaneshiro we saw in the bank is connected to his real self, so would the Kaneshiro of the real world remember or know of anything we did in that other world?"

"No, the real Kaneshiro doesn't remember things that happen in the Palace, so we're safe on that account," Morgana said, emerging from Kyoko's bag once more. "...But his Palace will be affected and change if the real Kaneshiro's cognition changes, so we can't be lax."

"Uhhh..." Makoto stared at the now talking cat.

"Oh, right, now that you've heard him speak in the Metaverse, you can hear him speaking here, too!" Ann said. "Anyone else only hears meowing, apparently."

"I see," Makoto said. "So what's this about cognition?"

"Essentially," Kyoko said. "If we do something that makes the Kaneshiro in the real world become more guarded, then new obstacles may appear in his Palace to better secure the Treasure, including ones that could potentially make it impossible to progress further."

"So, it'd be best to avoid any unnecessary contact with him, then," Makoto said.

"He seemed very confident in his Palace's security, so it's likely even more formidable then what we found in Madarame's, so I'd be inclined to agree," Kyoko replied. "As he's already very guarded, a wrong move could fortify the place even more, but that said... he's also very arrogant, so there are likely holes in it we can exploit."

"It's worth a shot," Makoto said with a small smile. "...We'll crush him like a fly, and maybe then, when he's behind bars, I hope my sister can rest a little easier, too, knowing the man who took our father from us is finally paying for his crimes..."

"That's the spirit!" Ann cheered. "We pull this off, it's gonna be huge for us! ...But first thing's first, we gotta secure our route to the Treasure."

"You guys're finally starting to get used to this!" Morgana said, smiling as much as a cat could.

"Just let me know when you want to meet up for the operation!" Makoto said.

"This would make it easier," Kyoko said, taking out her phone. The teen paused, however, as she pulled out the group chat. "...Ann?" she asked, trying not to look too embarrassed.

"Hang on," the blonde said, coming over and fiddling with the menu, finding Makoto's number on Kyoko's contacts and adding her to the Thieves' chat log. Makoto looked at her phone when it chimed with a notification. "You're in the chat, now, Niijima!" Ann said.

"Ah, okay. Thank you!" Makoto said, looking it over, then glancing at Kyoko in curiosity. "New phone?"

The young detective sighed, closing her eyes with a hint of embarrassment. "...More or less. I never had my own phone until now..." she said in a tone indicating a wish to drop the subject immediately.

"We got three weeks," Ryuji said, looking at his own phone. "Well, I'm gonna go pick up dinner and head home 'fore my mom gets worried. Seeya all later!"

"I should be getting back to the dorms as well," Yusuke said.

"It is getting a little late," Ann agreed. "I look forward to working with you, Niijima! You can give back my jacket tomorrow."

As the others left, Kyoko noticed Makoto hadn't gone with them.

"Kirigiri?" the brunette asked. "That diner on Central Street, the one I caught you guys studying at? Think we can stop by there before we part ways? It's the least I can do for what you've done for me, and for what I put you through..."

Kyoko looked at the time on her phone, there was probably enough time before Sojiro would get concerned and gave the other girl a nod, Morgana giving an eager meow of approval as well.

---

"I'm so sorry you went through that, Kirigiri," Makoto said, having finished her food as Kyoko shared her story of what had brought her to Shujin from an isolated booth at the diner. "...Honestly, though... that's awful. Even the police were on that man's side?"

"They were, from what I can tell," Kyoko said. "They didn't even ask for my side of the story or anything."

"There's so much corruption," Makoto sighed. "This is everything my father tried to fight against, criminals who are able to just... buy their way out of prison like that, or even being tried. I guess in the end it's also what he ended up dying for... and I just became compliant to adults who abuse their power to threaten and control others for my own sake."

"But that's not who you are, anymore, Niijima," Morgana said. "Turning your back to that is what allowed you to awaken to your Persona, a will to fight back and punish those who wronged you."

"I got that feeling when it awakened, yes," Makoto said.

"I'd mentioned being the same way at one point," Kyoko replied. "Where I simply did as others told me without question, as well as used or ignored the needs of others to advance my own goals... all of which centered around succeeding in my family's name and place in society."

"Being the next great Kirigiri detective?" Makoto asked.

"That and being able to meet the standards to transfer to Hope's Peak," Kyoko said.

"That place is... you either have to be a prodigy in some career field, or be like... ridiculously wealthy to have any chance of getting in!" Makoto said, looking down a moment as she thought about her past dinner arguments with her sister. "If I may ask... why's that so important? Would it add to your family's credibility?"

"That wasn't the reason, no," Kyoko replied, gazing off to the side. "The headmaster is... my father. He abandoned the family for his own goals not wishing to inherit the family's legacy, even... leaving me behind as well, so my grandfather raised me as its heir instead."

"You want to know why, then?" Makoto asked.

"Perhaps," Kyoko said, her gaze lowering to her glass of water. "I also mentioned how the more I look back on the person I was, the more I find myself... disliking that person. I followed every expectation my grandfather put on me, I sought to be more like him as he expected... then he all but disowned me when I got arrested, with the threat of outright doing so if I get jailed again..."

She looked back up, seeing the deep concern on the face of the brunette sitting across from her.

"Now, though, over the time since I've been here, and became a Phantom Thief, I suppose I keep finding myself wondering who I was really doing that for," she said quietly. Morgana looked up at her from where he sat, and even Makoto was surprised by what she saw the normally stoic girl looked more... vulnerable.

"I think I know how you feel," Makoto said gently. "All the studying, the pressure I get from the principal and... from my sister and living in her shadow because of how incredible she's been with being able to take charge and provide for us, I've been wondering the same thing. Any objection just... lead to arguments that made me feel two inches tall every time. I don't want to let myself feel that way anymore."

"I have every intention of being a detective, regardless, but I think with what I've seen and experienced, I've found reason enough," Kyoko said. "I've gotten to see the other side, I've been on the other end of the table, so to speak, and how people I used to regard as simply leads and witnesses are affected by this corruption around them. I suppose... when I snapped at you that time at school I was... projecting. For that, I apologize, Niijima."

"It's alright, I apologize, too, for all the times I've been such an inconvenience to you," Makoto said with a smile. "So now that we've... well... been more transparent with eachother, I guess would that make us friends, now?"

Kyoko closed her eyes, smiling faintly. "I suppose it does. Understand I may come off as... cold sometimes, but it's how I was raised. I'm... not what one would call a "charismatic" individual, I suppose."

"I guess that whole stoic and mysterious thing is just who you are, huh?" Makoto asked, an amused smirk. "People in school may find it creepy or confirming those rumors, and I guess I... kind of did, too, before I got to know you."

"My emotions work fine," Kyoko answered. "Just... my grandfather trained me to keep them hidden as much as possible, so that no one can ever be sure what I'm thinking so it's instinctive on my part, I suppose. Furthermore, I've seen my share of things that it helps me remain composed and professional."

"I see. I guess I can understand that with what being a detective would entail," Makoto said, looking at her own water glass. "Regarding your father, Kirigiri... whatever happened, whatever his reasons... when you are reunited... don't leave anything unsaid," she stated. "...It can be something you'll regret the rest of your life if you do."

Kyoko became quiet again. There were a lot of things she wanted to say to her father, and after her conversations with the others, she did want to hear his side as well, but it still, despite her managing to keep her neutral expression up, she did feel a small sense of unease at what she might learn in the process.

"I'm sorry," Makoto said. "I'm overstepping."

"No, don't worry about it," Kyoko said quietly, brushing back her long hair. "I... understand your point."

"Still, you becoming a Phantom Thief despite all that happened to you, and you taking action against that man back then to begin with, I believe there's a part of you that did care, and believed in justice even before all this, whether you saw it or not," Makoto said. "It reminds me of my father. He became a policeman because he believed in justice, too, and to make sure people like Kaneshiro get put behind bars where they belong," she explained. "...And I guess, like the Phantom Thieves, he wanted to inspire hope in others by doing so."

"...Hope," Morgana mused aloud.

"...The sense of irony you felt earlier, joining the Phantom Thieves," Kyoko said, "...I've felt it, too, when I began this, and in a way, I still do."

"A young detective from the most revered detective bloodline now acting outside the law as a vigilante thief?" Makoto asked though in a rhetoric tone.

"...And the notion I'd have likely been investigating them, or wishing to, had I not been," Kyoko said. "It's why... despite what Goro Akechi said in the interview, I can't fault him over it. He's observing it from an outside perspective with a number of factors he'd have no means of knowing about, so it'd stand to reason he'd consider the possibility we are dangerous."

"My sister has the same concerns, what with the law believing you're linked to the mental shutdowns," Makoto said.

"That's not us!" Morgana said abruptly. "There's someone else who has the power to enter the Palaces as well, we learned it from Madarame's Shadow when we stole his Treasure!"

Kyoko nodded. "We believe this person is the one responsible for those incidents, based on the fact if a Shadow-self is killed, the person in the real world dies as well. Madarame's Shadow seemed terrified of this person. Unfortunately we have no leads regarding this person's motives or identity, but I intend to solve this mystery."

"Well... you helped me, and you've welcomed me in, so I'll do whatever I can to help you catch this person," Makoto said, giving a smile and a determined nod.

"We're glad to have you on the team, Niijima!" Morgana said, managing a hint of a smile.

"It's... Makoto, by the way. Just call me Makoto," the brunette said, chuckling as she finished her own glass of water.

"...Kyoko," the young detective said.

Makoto glanced at her phone. "Well, I know my sister's supposed to be coming home late from now on but I shouldn't press my luck," she said, standing up. "It was a pleasure getting to know you more... Kyoko... I look forward to working with all of you, and bringing Kaneshiro to justice!"

"Personally, I think since we don't know what else is waiting for us in Kaneshiro's Palace, I think we should at least hold off tomorrow and take the time to prepare, instead," Morgana said as he climbed into Kyoko's bag. "Including getting her some weapons!"

"Weapons?" Makoto asked, raising an eyebrow.

Kyoko nodded in agreement, taking up her bag as Makoto covered the food bill. "...Indeed, it would be wise we do that first. Also, we have a lead on the one who has been leading a gang to vandalize and rob businesses in Shibuya as well..."

"Right, I've been hearing about that, too," Makoto said, her hand at her chin. "But what can be done about that?"

"We'll explain then," Morgana said. "This would be a good chance to train you up a bit before we go into the Palace, so we should take care of that first."

"I see... okay, then. I'll look forward to that as well," Makoto said, the two making their way back outside. There were definitely more police out as well as they made their way to the subways, granting some relief Kaneshiro's men would have not been prowling the area for the time being. "Well, I guess this is where we part ways for now. I'll talk to you tomorrow, Kyoko. I'll have to remember to return this jacket to Takamaki as well next time I see her, too!"

Kyoko gave the brunette a nod and watched as Makoto boarded her train, thinking over how things had turned out with the girl who'd been hounding the group for weeks having now instead become their newest teammate, and how their time at the diner had also helped mend things between them as well. Her gaze turned towards the remaining crowds in the subways, a few of them young people who seemed on edge that made her wonder if they were among those ensnared by the would-be crime lord's hold. Now at six members, their newest with a strong motive to fight him, the Phantom Thieves would now be able to properly begin their goal to take down Kaneshiro and put an end to his reign over Shibuya.

---

By the time Kyoko had returned to Leblanc, Sojiro gave Kyoko a glance back but said nothing as he watched the news, holding his cigarette over an ashtray.

"...I can only say, it was karma that my Twelve Zodiac Generals would happen upon and smite this vile serial "Cat Killer", Kazuo Tsuboi, saving the precious life of my newest recruit, whom he sought to bring harm upon in the process!" a deathly pale young man in a brown suit with skunk-striped hair and a magenta scarf around his neck on TV said in a deep and dramatic voice, tiny hamsters crawling happily about on his person as he then held up an adorable, fluffy white kitten with a fond look on his face.

"...He's currently being brought to the hospital pending trial, and ranting that a bear had taken part in attacking him as well," the reporter said. "Is there any truth to that?"

"A bear? What absurdity!" the young man replied, gazing at the camera with his two different colored eyes and a wide smirk. "What are the odds of a bear being found on the streets of Tokyo? No doubt the ramblings of a broken fool whose delusions of godhood born of tormenting helpless creatures were shattered by the experience of being the helpless creature for once!"

"Serves him right!" Morgana said approvingly, peering out of Kyoko's bag at the TV. "Not that... you know... I just can't stand anyone who hurts the helpless!"

Sojiro switched off the TV then rubbed his temples in disbelief. "I've definitely had enough for tonight," he said, untying his apron as he regarded Kyoko with concern. "You're home a bit late, you know..."

"I was studying and had a late dinner with a new friend," Kyoko replied.

"Heh, is that so?" Sojiro said, smirking a little. "Nice little circle you have, so I suppose whoever it is can't be bad, right?" he teased.

"Far less then I'd have imagined," Kyoko said with a faint, amused smile of her own.

"Well, I think I'm gonna head home, now. You should probably head on upstairs so you're not tired for school tomorrow," Sojiro replied. "I'll see you in the morning."

Once Sojiro had left, Kyoko switched off the lights and headed upstairs to get ready for bed, in time for the fatigue from the day to finally come to her with enough of a vengeance after that the young detective required a great amount of willpower to avoid outright crashing onto the bed as she lay down.

"Makoto definitely sounds like she'll be an asset to the team," Morgana said as he sat at the foot of the bed. "A motorcycle Persona... well... I can turn into a car, so it's like I feel a sense of familiarity... but sure they look cooler but motorcycles can't carry as many people can they?"

Kyoko glanced over but said nothing, unsure how exactly to answer something like that.

"Carry... no... take somewhere...?" the cat wondered aloud, before noticing Kyoko staring down at him. "Sorry, just... something crossed my mind for some reason and I can't remember at all what it is... but I guess there's nothing I can do about it, then, is there? We need to focus on Kaneshiro for now!"

Mentioning Kaneshiro caused a matter to then stick out to the young detective as she thought about the things Kaneshiro had said, and what she knew of him. Morgana seemed to take notice as well as he looked up at her.

"What's up?" he asked.

"Kaneshiro... how has he lasted this long?" she asked, staring up at the ceiling. "Han-Gure are certainly a concern, but how is it he managed to secure a hit on a policeman, avoid arrest or further investigation, stay off the radar for this long, and rebuild an operation... all without any interference from the law or the Kuzuryus?"

"You're asking the wrong guy, Kyoko," the cat said. "He did mention he's bribed plenty of police, though."

"From how his Palace looked, he's clearly fixated on accumulating wealth," Kyoko mused, bringing her hand to her chin as she mulled it over. "...It's possible aside from what he wants for himself he's sending it to connections that are not common to Han-Gure. Ones that wouldn't be cheap."

"You think he's paying these "Kuzuryu" people to ignore him?" Morgana asked.

"...As I think it over... no. The Kuzuryus have a lot of underworld influence but as I mentioned in the past, they also have a set of codes and morals in what "businesses" they involve themselves in and run, which is why, I suspect, they're tolerated. I doubt they'd want anything to do with him considering what he does," Kyoko explained. "...But this means Kaneshiro isn't simply well-connected, he's paying someone who can protect him from both them and the law."

Kyoko went silent a moment, at what her notions may have implied.

"...It seems the mysteries continue to grow the further we go," Morgana mused, thinking the same thing. "Still, with Makoto on our side now and bringing our numbers to six, I bet he won't stand a chance, now!" he stated. "...Not that I doubt you, Kyoko! Between being a detective and having this ability to use multiple Personas, you're really special, you know. I'll have to step up my game, too!"

Kyoko could hear a chain link shatter within the recesses of her mind as she regarded the cat and his words of encouragement.

"I had my grandfather, Japan's greatest living detective, to train me, and a fortunate background," Kyoko replied.

"It's more then that, though," Morgana said. "I think there's more then simple luck to thank for it, honestly... whatever it is, though... I'm glad for it."

"Indeed," Kyoko replied, feeling more tired as she felt the covers warm her. "But you're right about something else..."

"What?"

"...The mysteries continue to grow... faster then they can be solved," Kyoko said.

"We'll solve them. Together, Kyoko," Morgana said, hopping up on the bed and curling up next to her.

Kyoko could feel a small smile form as she slowly let herself drift off to sleep for the evening.

---

A/N: At last, the Phantom Thieves have their Queen! Hope it was worth the wait! Without spoiling, the last bits will come into play later, and certain matters will also come into play regarding a certain Casino Palace ruler as well. I've planned and outlined plenty in advance and I look forward to continuing onward!

0 - The Fool: Rank 5

I - The Magician: Rank 4

V - The Hierophant: Rank 4

VI - The Lovers: Rank 5

VII - The Chariot: Rank 5

VIII - Justice: Rank 1

XI - The Strength: Rank 3

XII - The Hanged Man: Rank 2

XIII - Death: Rank 4

XIV - Temperance: Rank 2

XVIII - The Moon: Rank 3

XIX - The Sun: Rank 3

1 - The Councillor: Rank 4

? - Faith: Rank 2

Kyoko's Personas: Eligor, Shiisaa, Kusi Mitama, Suzaku, Jack Frost, Ame-No-Uzume, Orobas, Flauros