CHAPTER 21:

UNCERTAINTY

"I asked you guys to come here because I needed to confess something."

Harry looked at his fellow Phantom Thieves, or at least Futaba, Akira, and Morgana. Ryuji and Ann had prior commitments (the latter going to see Shiho Suzui), and Kitagawa was keeping an eye on Madarame's behaviour for now. And then, he looked back to Sirius, who was the one who said that. He'd called for an impromptu meeting the afternoon after they had dealt with Madarame's Palace. "What's wrong?"

"…I know where there's another Palace. I'm just not sure how to take action, for a number of reasons," Sirius said. "So I wanted to discuss it with the most levelheaded of us first. I've known Harry for a few years, and while he can be impulsive, I trust his opinion. Futaba's a genius, Morgana has the most experience of the Metaverse out of all of us, and Akira…you're scarily mature for your age. Now, Harry and Futaba already know that I suspect the place I ended up in was a Palace, just as Harry ended up in Futaba's. But I've been keeping the who under my hat for a few reasons. I wanted an opinion on how we should deal with it."

After a moment, Akira said, "Harry and Futaba know that I have already discovered another Palace, one that could be the Palace of the man who charged me with assault. I'm keeping him on the backburner for now, if only because targeting him now might backfire, not only for me, but for all of us. So I'll promise to listen."

Sirius nodded, before he put his iPhone down on the table. It showed the destination listing of the MetaNav, specifically one. "Sae Nijima…Courthouse…Casino?" Morgana murmured to himself.

"Wait, what?" Harry yelped. "Sae has a Palace?"

"Yeah. I kept it from you guys at the time because, well, I could scarcely believe it myself. Her Shadow was…well, I hesitate to say nice, but she wasn't that antagonistic. I was hiding as Padfoot, my Animagus form as a dog, and after I was caught, she let me go, pretty much kicking me out of the Palace. I was actually surprised to meet her in reality and see how different she was in many regards. Sae may be rather cold and professional, but she also seemed like a good person. After hearing about your Palace, Futaba, I had to wonder. We knew Palace Rulers weren't necessarily evil. Sae's Shadow…she looked sinister, yes, but she seemed to hate herself as well, given what she said to me as Padfoot."

Futaba, who was squatting on one of the chairs, nodded thoughtfully. "I actually did a bit of research on her and the SIU after the last time she visited. I honestly can't say one way or the other, but I should point out some factors. So, Akira, Morgana, what do you guys know about the SIU of the Office of Public Prosecutors?"

Akira frowned. "A little. The SIU is meant to be a special unit that investigates top-level crimes, most of them in the realm of politics or big business. They supposedly haven't lost a single case in over fifty years. Honestly, you can smell the bullshit wafting off that comment from a mile off."

"Exactly. I did a little bit of digging, and there's accusations that more than a few cases presided over by the current director have been won through false evidence, or the omission or even destruction of exonerating evidence. Only rumours, mind you, and that's specifically to do with the director, not Sae Nijima," Futaba said. "But keep in mind, Japan's 99% conviction rate is often boasted about, but for a civilised democracy, that's actually quite disturbingly high. As I've said to Harry before, it's partly due to the prosecutors only taking cases they'd win…and partly due to cases relying on confessions that may have been coerced out of perps. No system is perfect, obviously, but it's something to be concerned about, especially someone in your situation, Akira."

"Do you think Sae is corrupt?" Morgana asked.

"Well, I'm not sure she is," Futaba said. "I've done some digging into her personally, and if she's taking any bribes or anything like that, she's not showing it in her lifestyle. She actually gets paid quite a bit, given that she's the star prosecutor of the SIU. But…think about her circumstances. She's the sole female prosecutor in the SIU, and Japan is still a pretty chauvinistic country in many ways. To many of her colleagues, she's probably just a nice piece of ass rather than an intelligent working woman. I mean, if I were older, and she swung that way, I'd tap that."

"…Futaba…" Harry groaned.

"Just sayin'. Sae has probably had to push it uphill. Hell, there was an uproar in the media when the original Detective Prince, Naoto Shirogane, revealed herself as a girl sometime after the Inaba murders were stopped," Futaba said. "Too many of the comments online were incels either making misogynistic rants, or leering at her."

"Yeah, I remember that," Akira said. "I actually admire her, but those comments I saw…ugh."

"Exactly. So that can contribute to a warped mindset without actually making them evil. Also, look at the keyword, Casino. How would gambling be akin to the justice system?" Futaba asked. "The answer is: The House Always Wins. That's a fundamental tenet of any gambling establishment, legal or not. I infer from that that Sae is under the impression that she must win every case she undertakes, so being in charge of some casino actually makes sense."

Akira considered things, before looking at the others. "Well, my answer to Sae's Palace is almost the same as it was to Shido's. We keep it in mind for now, but I want to have us known for our justice and altruism before we start targeting prominent figures involved in the government. Madarame might be a good example of a target, but I think our next target, if we have the luxury of choice, should be an undeniable criminal. Kamoshida was small-time, even if his crimes still had a major impact on his victims, and while Madarame wasn't exactly small-time in terms of money involved, most of his crimes were confined to the art world. I say we consider going after someone like a head of a Yakuza group next, for want of a better example. Someone whose crimes are undeniable, and yet, they've still been able to escape the law. And you may be right, Sae could be like Futaba. That being said…Sirius, there's no sign of her sister being in Mementos or having a Palace?"

"I didn't check," Sirius said, taking his iPhone off the table.

Akira fished his own out, activated the MetaNav, and said, "Makoto Nijima."

"Keyword not found."

Akira sighed. "Thank goodness. Morgana, what are your thoughts?"

"As much as I hate to leave a Palace lie fallow, you're right," Morgana said. "Escalating too quickly might cause problems for us. Honestly, it'd be great if there was some extra magic that could be used to help conceal our identities."

Sirius frowned. "Actually, there is…"

Sirius had offered the use of the Fidelius to conceal their identities. Instead of relying on a single Secret Keeper for their identities, Sirius proposed to make every member of the Marauders the Secret Keeper of their own identity. That way, if one did get captured and was forced to divulge their identity, they couldn't divulge the identity of any of the others.

Akira thought it a good idea, once he learned the particulars of the Fidelius. But they would wait until the next full meeting of the Phantom Thieves before they acted on it. They intended to take another trip into Mementos soon as well.

It was that night, though, that Harry was once more drawn into his Velvet Room.

The same aria, wordless singing in the background. The same blue-tinged version of the Gryffindor Common Room. And the same figure of Godwin, sitting there patiently, a large tome in her hand.

"Welcome back, Harry," Godwin said. "My apologies for not giving you prior notice, but we haven't had much of an opportunity to do this since we first convened here. I would think that you have been avoiding me, except that, in reality, you have been pampering me."

"Yeah, but can you blame me? I mean, learning my owl is some sort of…I dunno what to call you, actually."

Godwin tapped her lips thoughtfully. "Perhaps we Attendants could best be described as something akin to an angel, the messengers and heralds of a deity, not that Igor would ever like to be considered one. And I doubt that Philemon, his own creator, would ever like being considered a god in his turn, despite his own undeniable power. We are powerful, but we lack a certain agency of our own in some regards. As Philemon was a great believer in free will, the help we can give you is limited, despite our power."

"Philemon? Who is that?"

"…That is a very difficult question to answer. He, like we Attendants, are born from the collective unconsciousness of all humanity. But he cannot act directly. Instead, we, the Attendants, are those he sends to help humanity strive to become better, marshalled by Igor. However, Philemon's purpose has been opposed by many, not least by the being known as Nyarlathotep, the entity made infamous by HP Lovecraft. It may have been the Crawling Chaos who hobbled our abilities…but there may be others." She looked to Harry's side. "What do you think, Futaba Sakura?"

Harry blinked in shock, and then turned to find Futaba staring at Godwin. "…Okay, I'm kinda freaking out over the fact that the Crawling Chaos is real, but…how the hell did I end up here? Harry told me about this, but…"

A faint smile touched Godwin's lips. "Harry ended up in your Palace. A link was forged between your souls." Godwin then began placing cards on a table between them. "Had our abilities not been blocked, you would have found the ability to forge mystic links with others. These links have gone by many names, like Social Links, or Confidants. In many regards, they reflect the tarot. You, Futaba Sakura…would have been this one."

She flipped over a card, revealing an aged man with a staff and a lantern. Futaba rolled her eyes. "Yeah, The Hermit, real funny."

"It's no joke. Reversed, The Hermit symbolises withdrawal, isolation, and loneliness," Godwin said. "But upright…it means soul-searching, introspection, and a chance to change the course of your life. That sounds familiar, no? Had Harry his full abilities, you would have symbolised The Hermit as a Confidant, and no doubt you do to Akira Kurusu. As it is, your link is considerably more profound. Harry spent two weeks within your Palace, Futaba. That forged a profound link betwixt your very souls. Because of that, I was able to draw you here while you slept."

"But why draw us here?" Futaba asked.

"Because you have conquered another Palace. Madarame will soon undergo a Change of Heart. But as the public become aware of the Phantom Thieves, the risks and the stakes become greater. I believe there is more than the mundane authorities to be wary of. I believe there may be a supernatural threat behind the Palaces too. Not Nyarlathotep, but there are other beings. I suspected the goddess Nyx, but I feel that she has been locked away very recently. What's more, I'm worried about the main Velvet Room."

"Why is that?" Harry asked.

"You've met Justine. I can see your memories due to our link, both of you," Godwin said. "And Justine feels…like an incomplete version of another Attendant. We met but briefly before I was given my mission, but Lavenza, while dutiful, does have an impish streak. She may have simply split her essence in twain for the sake of a prank. But that still worries me. Morgana too concerns me. Do not misunderstand me, he is not your enemy, as far as I know…but he was never human, nor is he a cat, save for in form. I'm not sure what he is, but I believe he originated in the Metaverse."

"A Shadow?" Futaba asked.

"Perhaps. There are Shadows who gain a benign character. But Shadows become Personas, they do not possess them. Morgana has a Persona. In any case, his nature is irrelevant for the most part. I believe he is your ally, he is as much a person as you and I, so what does it matter?"

"I hope you're right," Harry said quietly.

"My help is otherwise limited," Godwin said. "There is only so much I can do as dictated by Philemon's edicts. However, you have gained new Personas in Madarame's Palace, yes? If you wish to fuse any, then be my guest. I believe I can also expand your capacity for Personas to match your new strength, Harry."

Harry nodded, before something occurred to him. "…Godwin…Hedwig…if you have seen my memories, then you'd know about Sae Nijima's Palace. I get Akira's reasoning for not going after it, but…are we doing the right thing?"

Godwin looked pensive. Not that she didn't already, but she certainly looked thoughtful. "…When I was acquainted with Sae Nijima and her sister, I sensed little malice from them. True, it may be possible that Sae hides her malice well, as Madarame had. But…perhaps if you take a gamble, you may gain her as an ally."

"How?"

"Show her her own Palace, her Shadow. True, someone entering their own Palace can cause troubles, changing the cognition in unpredictable ways due to the recursion. And yet…perhaps that may be the shock she needs to change her paradigm, to resolve her Palace. A Change of Heart is like a forced epiphany, but Futaba did not need that. Once in her Palace, you and her Shadow gave her all she needed to resolve the Palace on her own. Learning that her paradigm compares justice to a rigged game of chance may shock Sae Nijima enough to resolve her own Palace…and gain her as an ally. Of course, whether you do this or not is up to you. What concerns me is the person in the black mask."

"Yeah, he concerns us too," Futaba said.

"He may not be the one responsible for your mother's demise, Futaba, but a rogue Metaverse traveller is still something of concern. Remain cautious…"

CHAPTER 21 ANNOTATIONS:

So, Sirius has had a…'Sirius' talk about Sae, and Godwin has discussed matters with Harry and Futaba.

Now, I dunno when the next chapter will be. I did have part of it written out, but I realised I was moving in the wrong direction, so I'm giving it a rest for now. I was saving this chapter for just after the mass update, so now seems like a good time to post it. Hope you enjoy…

No numbered annotations this time.