Hello everyone! UknownHero here and welcome to another chapter of Senran Persona! Finally, we're heading towards the end of summer, and hopefully we can finish Homura's Confidant before it. I really hope we do.

Senran Persona: Ninjas of Hearts has a TV Tropes page. That is all.

Onto reviews! To a random Guest: Well, Miyabi's Confidant will be…you'll see. I'm starting to realise I'm spoiling the story to people too much so I'll hold off on it from now on. To Heavy Uepons Gai: All romances are canon, you just pick and choose which one it is. I won't elaborate more until we get to Valentine's Day. To FateMaster66: I…have no idea what you mean. How would Futaba's Confidant be different? I have no idea.

Anyways, that's it! It's time to activate GoTouchGrass dot EXE.


Load Game…Start!


Chapter 94: Hello, World

(8/22, Early Morning)

(Shibuya, Shin Megami Apartment Complex)

GRRRRRR!

"Moh..." Asuka groaned as she held her stomach.

"I still can't believe you forgot to eat yesterday!" Homura exclaimed in disapproval.

"Ehehe, I was just really exhausted after helping Futaba-chan out with her room." Asuka sheepishly revealed.

"Considering I'm not hearing bloody murder and explosions, I assume Futaba really took them down." Homura got out as she looked out the window. "Now it's just the question of how she did it." She then stated.

"How about we first wash up and get dressed." Asuka however suggested.

"Of course." Homura responded with a nod as the two headed for the bathroom.

SPLASH!

"Aaaahhhh...that never gets old." Asuka moaned as she sank a little deeper in the tub.

"You can never beat a good bath before, during or after anything we do." Homura sighed blissfully. "If only we didn't have to deal with constant frick-" She then began to grumble, only to cut herself off and breathe.

"It's okay, eventually the world won't need the Phantom Thieves or shinobi." Asuka assured.

"Not in our lifetimes." Homura thought before shaking her head. "What, you wanna stop being a shinobi?" She jokingly asked.

Asuka in turn shook her head. "No no, I just meant that eventually all the pointless fighting would stop." She answered.

"Then what's the point of training then?" Homura soon asked.

"To fight everything else that threatens the world. True evils." Asuka answered once more with a smile. "Now, can you pass the Violet Leadership shampoo?" She then requested.

"Sure Sis." Homura replied as she handed her sister the purple bottle. "Good choice." She then added.

"Why thank you." Asuka politely replied with a smile.

As the two washed up, the scent of lavender caused Asuka to feel as though her Leadership improved while for Homura, she felt as though her Elegance was improving.

SPLASH!

After soaking in the tub for another ten minutes, it was time to dry themselves off, brush their hair and get dressed.

"We promised to meet up with everyone at Leblanc, right? So let's eat a big breakfast and then head out." Asuka recalled and decided as she started to get her navy blue bra on.

Homura meanwhile nodded as she then looked over and smiled at a set of oriental red and white fans on a mantle, decorated with images of red lilies and stars.

"Homu-neechan?" Asuka innocently called out before looking at what she was smiling at. "They really are beautiful fans." She soon confessed.

"Hai." Homura calmly responded with a nod.

"Did you go buy them? It's sort of too late for the summer festival." Asuka then asked and pointed out.

"No, these are my rewards from Yumi-senpai." Homura soon revealed. "She...She thinks she no longer might have anything to teach me." She then added as she got her top on.

Asuka in response blinked. "Really?" She responded.

"Yeah..." Homura responded as her expression saddened. "I mean...I don't want my lessons to end and I know she doesn't either." She then confessed.

"You've connected with Yumi-chan like you did with me?" Asuka guessed.

"No. My connection with you is different." Homura however stated. "But with Yumi-senpai, it became more than just teaching me to be elegant, it was more about accepting who I am." "I...I want to do something for her to thank her for helping me realize that...but I do not want to attend Gessen." She then admitted.

This in turn caused the Vice Leader's eyes to widen. "Just so you'd be with me..." Asuka muttered to herself, a saddened expression now on her face. "...Homu-neechan, you have my permission to go to Gessen if you want to." She suddenly stated.

In response, the tan skinned girl blinked as she felt as though she heard a record scratch whole processing what was just said. "Eh?" Homura got out in confusion.

"I'm sure you'll learn more at Gessen rather than Hanzō. I don't want to hold you back." Asuka soon stated in a shaky tone.

Sirens immediately began wailing in the tan skinned girl's mind. "Crapbaskets! Sis got the wrong idea!" Homura thought to herself in a panic.

She had to clear up this misunderstanding now!

"Sis, you aren't holding me back. You're actually pushing me to be stronger!" Homura soon stated and declared while placing her hands on her sister's shoulders.

"Then why haven't you asked me for help?" Asuka however asked. "You asked Yumi-chan, you asked Ann-chan, you asked Makoto-chan, but you never came to me for training. We haven't even sparred in ages..." She then listed off and pointed out.

"Because you already did." Homura answered. "Sis, you are the reason I was able to open up and ask others to begin with. Everything started with you." She soon confessed and revealed.

"But I didn't do anything special." Asuka however mumbled.

The tan skinned girl soon sighed in an exhausted manner. "Sis, you accepted me as who I was when we first became roommates." Homura pointed out. "...Well, officially." She mumbled under her breath, wincing upon remembering being fully ready to kill the girl if she said the wrong thing. "In any case, I wouldn't be your sister if you didn't give me that push, so thank you." She then reminded.

"Homu-neechan..." Asuka breathed with a smile on her face as tears ran down from her eyes.

"I'm not attending Hanzō because of obligation, I'm attending Hanzō because I know you'll be there to catch me when I fall." Homura soon revealed. "Yumi-senpai will always be precious to me, but she can never replace you." She then concluded.

"R-Really? You mean that?" Asuka soon asked in a meek manner.

CHU!

The tan skinned girl soon kissed her sister's forehead, causing the other girl to blush. "Asuka Shirokage, my precious sister, would I lie to you?" Homura asked back.

"...I mean, if it's really embarrassing..." Asuka mumbled out before trailing off with a blush.

Grrrrr...

"Huh?" Homura got out in confusion before noticing the slight wince on her roommate's face. "Oh, right, you still haven't eaten...ah!" She then recalled.

SMOOSH!

"Please...please don't leave..." Asuka mumbled out while hugging her sister's arm.

"...I won't." Homura softly reassured. "But...um...what do you want for breakfast? I'm kinda drawing a blank this morning." She soon asked and admitted.

"Hmm..." Asuka hummed out as she thought about it. "Grilled fish and natto." She eventually decided.

This in turn caused Homura to smirk. "Oh ho, that sounds good." She soon admitted. "I can whip that up really quick, eat, and then head out." She then stated.

"Yeah. I think we've spent too much time talking. We have a big day today." Asuka soon replied and reminded.

"Ready to see the world post-Medjed?" Homura soon asked.

"You know it." Asuka responded with a smirk as they headed out of the bathroom and out into the world.


(Train)

Yumi's day had started quite well. She had a good breakfast, a nice shower, she got some new targets from her informants, and she found a cute purple and yellow dress she didn't know she had buried in her luggage. It was probably a going away gift Shiki snuck in, but it was pristine so she put it on and went out for the day.

Even now, after transferring to a surprisingly sparse train car, she was feeling good as she traveled to Yongen-Jaya.

"Sis, hurry up! We're gonna miss it!" She suddenly heard a familiar voice call out. She turned and smiled to see the adopted sisters running to the train, with the Vice Leader drinking the last of her green tea.

"MMPH!" Asuka grunted before throwing the empty bottle into the recycling bin without breaking her stride.

"Homura-san! Asuka-san!" Yumi called out.

"Oh, Yumi-sen- BARGH!" Homura began, only for the horde of salarymen to take her into the train.

SMOOSH!

Soon, the three were pressed up to one another, looking at each other with their breasts squished in a triangle formation.

"Have I mentioned how much I hate city trains?" Homura grumbled.

"Hai." Asuka and Yumi responded.

"Ok good." Homura sighed. "Okay, who is groping my thighs?" She soon asked.

"Me." Yumi blushed. "Wow...they're soft...almost pillow-like..." She soon admitted in awe.

"Ooh! Let me try!" Asuka responded as she began to do the same. "Wow, it's so smooth! I guess the body wash did its magic!" She then stated in amazement.

"I...Um...Erm..." Homura awkwardly got out.

"Oh! Um...sorry." Yumi soon apologized.

"No, you can keep going." Homura responded. "At least it's not Katsuragi level." She then added.

"Well, if we're going to be stuck like this for the next ten minutes," Yumi got out, still feeling up the tan skinned girl's thighs. "Homura-san, do you like the fans? Were they delivered unharmed?" She soon asked.

"They're beautiful, Yumi-senpai." Homura replied with a smile. "I can't wait to use them in a fight." She then whispered.

"Just remember though, in that style, you use your element more than physical attacks." Yumi whispered back.

"Hai, using more fire more in a way like how you use ice." Homura recalled with a nod. "I did train yesterday in my Kekkai to the point of exhaustion." She then admitted.

"Understandable since you usually specialize in physical instead of elemental." Yumi responded with a nod.

"Quiet down! Talk about your MMO characters at the internet cafe!"

The three immediately blinked to that, but sighed in relief all the same. "We should really not talk about this in a public space." Yumi stated.

"It just happened to slip out." Asuka giggled.

"Still, we shouldn't talk about our activities without protection." Yumi muttered. "Let us shift topics to something more mundane." She then suggested.

"Like what?" The two sisters then asked at the same time, only to giggle at their synchronization.

"...Hm, well...what did you have for breakfast?" Yumi hummed out and asked in a curious manner.

"Grilled fish, natto and a side of rice." Asuka answered.

"Oh, that sounds splendid." Yumi replied with a smile. "Am I to assume Homura-san was the one who cooked it?" She then deducted.

Homura in turn smirked in a proud manner. "Of course Yumi-senpai." She responded.

"I miss eating breakfast with someone in the morning." Yumi soon confessed. "Yozakura-san would make breakfast and yell at everyone to stop what they're doing, Minori-san would try to eat candy, Shiki-san would be on her phone, Murakumo-san would...try and eat with her mask on." She then listed off as she recalled the last breakfast they had together before she left. "Good times..." She eventually sighed out with a smile.

"Your friends seem like fun." Homura muttered.

"You would've loved to meet them." Yumi stated. "Maybe you still can." She then added.

"Homu-neechan's still planning to attend Hanzō Academy." Asuka informed, holding her sister's hand all the while in a clingy manner with her cheek puffed up.

"I know..." Yumi sighed out in disappointment before smiling. "But I understand why." She then added.

"I know Gessen is scarce when it comes to Elite candidates Yumi-senpai, but we both know they probably wouldn't accept me even with your reputation." Homura reminded.

"Eh?" Asuka got out in confusion. "What do you mean Homu-neechan? Doesn't Gessen have a few reserves like Hanzō Academy does?" She then asked.

Yumi however shook her head to this. "No, we don't Asuka-san. Our Elite candidate selection is rather strict." She soon revealed, surprising the Vice Leader. "More often than not, candidates are chosen after the previous Elites graduate." She then informed. "Do you have Elite candidates, Asuka-san?" She eventually asked.

"Erm...we're waiting until next for a new wave of students before we decide anything last time I heard." Asuka muttered.

"Still, Hanzō Academy will be lucky to have a wonderful student like Homura-san." Yumi confessed with a smile.

"Thank you." Homura replied with a grin before sighing. "Although, anywhere is better than Shujin Academy. At least, before my committee started making the improvements that the principal refused to make." She then added.

"It's odd that a man like him doesn't seem to care for the student's well-being." Yumi meanwhile noted. "The headmaster at Kosei has always made sure to assist any students with any issues they might have." She then revealed with a smile.

"I bet he cared more about power than the students." Homura sighed out. "I really hope he quits...or chokes on his own fuggin' grumble grumble grumble..." She then started rambling in frustration.

"I'm surprised he hasn't been fired yet...or sued to oblivion and beyond." Yumi soon confessed. "He didn't even want to fire Kamoshida, despite how blatant his behavior was." She then added in disgust.

"...did your info network know Yumi-senpai?" Homura eventually whispered.

This in turn caused the light gray haired girl to sigh with a frown. "I was working on it after what happened to Suzui-san." Yumi revealed in shame. "You guys just got to him first." She then added.

"What were you planning to do exactly?" Asuka soon asked.

"Gather enough evidence and leak it to the press." Yumi revealed. "Even with all the covering up, no one would be able to stop the power of the public." She then stated.

"I wish we had those resources...it would've saved so much time...and pain...and mental trauma that persists to this day..." Homura groaned.

"Coming soon at Harajuku Grand Stadium, Yuki Yumi is making her debut! Featuring The Kamen Rider Girls, Tokino Sora, Tsubasa Oribe, Rise Kujikawa and more! Tickets are on sale now! Go to www dot ticketmeoff slash yukiyumi dot com dot jp for more details! Hurry, limited spots are available."

"Huh, that's a coincidence." Homura muttered. She couldn't see the advertisement on the screen no matter where she looked, but the snippet of the song she could hear was rather good. "Now that's three people I know with the name Yumi." She then stated.

"Hey, maybe we can attend her concert with the others! That might be fun!" Asuka suggested. "Wait, who's the other Yumi you know besides Yumi-chan?" She then asked.

"Yumi Kitagawa." Homura answered with a smile.

"Oh, Yusuke-kun's mom." Asuka got out before frowning. "Wait, does that count?" She then wondered.

"Well, we see her every time we go to Leblanc." Homura reminded.

"That's just a painting though. We actually met Futaba-chan's mom back at the pyramid." Asuka pointed out.

"Do not. Remind me. Of that." The tan skinned girl growled before rubbing her forehead. "We didn't even talk to her anyways..." Homura then added.

"But that wasn't her ghost...I think." Asuka muttered with a frown.

"Gah! D-Don't say that!" Homura yelped out. "Keep calm, ghosts aren't real...ghosts aren't real..." She then breathed quietly to herself as her sister giggled.

Meanwhile, Yumi attempted to keep a brave face as the train headed for Yongen-Jaya, hoping to whatever higher power that she could handle the embarrassment.


(Yongen-Jaya, Sakura Residence)

Meanwhile, the duo of the white haired woman and the orangette were still asleep, the older of the two holding the younger close to her as they did so.

"ZZZZ~ It's ok...here to protect you...sweetie...ZZZZZZ~" Miyabi mumbled as she slept in a bliss-filled manner.

For the orangette however...

"ZZZZ~ So...soft..." Futaba, on the other hand, sighed out in her sleep with satisfaction with a cat-like grin while rubbing her head against the bust. "Shinobi boobs...feel gooooooood~ ZZZZ~" She then added in her sleep as she hugged and snuggled.

But for Sojiro, he just stared at the sleeping girls as he blinked at the sight. "I swear, that kid needs normal friends." He sighed as he left to open up the shop for the day.

It was still good to know that he gained friends that cared for his adopted daughter, but would it kill them to actually tell him when they break into his house from now on?


(8/22, Daytime)

(Yongen-Jaya, Leblanc)

Miyabi, who was tugging at the end of her crimson dress, and Sojiro, who was rubbing his cheek and blushing respectively, had barely talked to each other when they headed into the cafe together.

As it turns out, it was not a good idea to change clothes inside someone else's house while a fifteen year old girl was in the same room and unconscious in bed.

The cafe owner soon unlocked his shop and the two entered. "Feel free to take a seat." Sojiro offered from behind the counter.

"Thank you." Miyabi replied before taking a seat. "...Uh...So...um..." She awkwardly began.

"What happened was an accident on my end." Sojiro admitted with a sigh. "And I know you're not the type...probably...but I will call the cops next time." He then warned.

Miyabi resisted the urge to scoff. Like the police could ever match up to a shinobi. "Technically Futaba did invite us in. And I couldn't just let her fall asleep at her computer." She soon pointed out.

"Maybe, but as her legal guardian, I should at least know if she's letting a friend stay over." Sojiro reminded. "Especially a grown adult woman." He then added.

BANG!

Miyabi's head immediately dropped to this. "I-I'm not that old..." She weeped out in depression.

"That won't fly in court." Sojiro deadpanned with a sweatdrop. "Still, thanks for helping her out." He eventually confessed.

"I...I just sort of showed up, really." Miyabi mumbled as she scratched her cheek in a sheepish manner. "Everyone else did most of the work." She then added.

Sojiro however just chuckled. "Hey, I can tell when someone's trying to be modest. Don't sell yourself short. I'm sure whatever happened that you did good." He soon stated and encouraged. "Now, what would you like?" He eventually asked.

"The house blend please." Miyabi soon requested.

"410 yen." Sojiro replied.

"Not even on the house." Miyabi jokingly remarked before seeing the unamused expression on the owner's face. "...Alright." She mumbled as she dug into her pockets.

Nodding to this, the cafe owner went and took the money before going to prepare the drink. "Coming right up." Sojiro replied.

Miyabi in turn sighed as she got herself comfortable, waiting for the Phantom Thieves to arrive. "Leader lives here, doesn't he? Why isn't he awake yet?" She soon wondered as she looked up at the ceiling, taking a sip of her coffee without even looking down to see it being served.

RING RING RING!

"Morning Boss." Asuka greeted as she and the rest of the Thieves entered the cafe. "Oh, hi Miyabi-chan!" She then added, only for the white haired woman to give a curt nod in response.

"Morning Asuka-chan. All of you here to see Akira or Futaba?" Sojiro asked as he prepared some iced water for the group.

"Both if you don't mind." Ann answered as they sat down at a booth.

"Want me to make some sushi?" Asuka then offered. "Not the big, thic- J-Jii-chan's style of rolls, just normal sized futomaki rolls." She quickly added.

"No, that's fine. We're here to relax and hang out, and that includes you, Asuka-san." Makoto replied.

Miyabi however raised an eyebrow to that sudden addition to the offer. "What did she mean by that?" She meanwhile asked in confusion.

"It means shut up, sit down and enjoy your drink." Homura answered.

"Not quite as...casual but nonetheless..." Makoto sighed out.

"Hey, your friends are down here. Hurry down." Sojiro called up to the Leader. Soon enough, Akira and Morgana came downstairs to his friends talking amongst each other, and he couldn't help but smile at this. "So you're finally up, huh? Don't slack off just 'cause you're on summer vacation." He then advised.

"Yo, you look tired." Ryuji noted.

"You've been sleeping in, Akira?" Miyabi guessed.

"Yeah, yesterday was...interesting." Akira vaguely replied as he rubbed his cheek. He had only woken up ten minutes ago, and the doctor-in-training was long gone by then. "So, how have you guys been?" He soon asked.

"Well, we've made ourselves at home here." Ann got out with a smile.

"I really like the smell of coffee." Asuka admitted with her own smile.

"It is quite pleasant." Yumi replied in agreement. "Excuse me Sojiro-san, do you have iced coffee?" She soon asked in a curious manner.

"Of course. Coming right up, on the house." Sojiro got out with a kind smile.

"Late last night, it was discovered that someone had tampered with the hacker group Medjed's website. The site's main page now displays what is thought to be the Phantom Thieves' logo. Moreso, the personal information of a Japanese man, a possible Medjed member, was leaked to the public." The reporter on the television informed, tempting the Thieves to turn their heads towards it.

Miyabi soon blinked as she heard this. "Futaba did all of that in a day?" She quietly whispered, both in disbelief and impressed.

"Aren't these the guys people have been up in arms about?" Sojiro asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Medjed has yet to issue an official response. Furthermore, their previously announced cleanse of Japan has remained unimplemented for now. Some speculate that they have taken this series of events seriously and ultimately canceled their plan." The newscaster then concluded.

"Yeah, like they had a chance in the first place." Akira thought with a smirk on his face as his friends quietly cheered and smiled.

"What're you all smirking about...?" Sojiro questioned.

"Oh nothing Boss." Asuka happily replied.

"Something great happened, that's all." Akira meanwhile answered.

"Well stop it. You're gonna drive away all my customers." Sojiro got out as he served the light gray haired girl her iced coffee.

"Thank you sir." Yumi replied in a grateful manner.

"After the commercial break, we will be asking guests from various fields about this turn of events." The newsman informed.

"Who in their right mind would get curry and coffee in this heat?" Miyabi muttered to herself...while eating her own curry with coffee.

"Yeah, we're the only ones here Boss." Ryuji pointed out.

"Can it...My customers are on summer vacation too." Sojiro replied in a somewhat childish tone, causing everyone to laugh.

"Oh crap." Ryuji suddenly got out. "I just realized our break's almost over!" He then exclaimed.

"There are still ten days left." Yusuke informed.

"I wanna go somewhere, but we can't just leave Futaba-chan alone." Ann then admitted.

"Some things still concern me too," Makoto admitted. "Like that research..." She whispered.

RING!

Suddenly, they heard the door open along with the shopkeeper's bell and saw the orangette hacker herself walking in.

"Oh! Did you just get up?" Sojiro asked, still happy to see her outside of the house.

The white haired girl meanwhile looked on in concern. "Futaba..." Miyabi mumbled out before giving her a soft smile. "Good morning." She soon greeted in a polite manner.

Homura however raised an eyebrow to that greeting. "Miyabi still acts pretty nice when it comes to Futaba." She whispered out.

However, Miyabi's smile fell when she hid behind the Leader, looking quite nervous and scared.

"It seems she's cautious of us..." Yusuke sighed out.

"But...she was just fine with us yesterday." Asuka muttered with a frown.

"Small steps, Futaba...Small steps..." Miyabi thought.

"Hey, why don't we go upstairs?" Makoto suggested. "If any customers come, she'll be even more afraid." She then explained.

"I agree." Miyabi replied as she got up from her seat.

"Why don't you go with them, Futaba? Have fun." Sojiro got out. "It's about time my regulars show up anyway, so I don't want you guys loitering around my store." He then added.

As such, every member of the group went up the stairs, leaving the cafe owner on the ground floor behind the counter to start his day of work.

Sojiro made a small smile as he watched them go upstairs. "I won't let you down, Wakaba..." He then muttered with a sense of determination to protect his adoptive daughter.


(Leblanc Attic)

"The fact that there were no damages due to the hackers' actions is but an afterthought." The Distinguished Man stated as the Thieves watched on the Leader's second-hand television. "This issue I want to make clear is the attitude of the police, and more importantly, the government." He then stated.

"Is that guy seriously blaming the current government for what's happening?" Homura bluntly asked.

"Are they doing their best to find an effective countermeasure against these Phantom Thieves? Is it not the government's duty to create a society where its citizens can live without worry?" The Distinguished Man continued.

"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." Akira mumbled to himself.

"Unfortunately, the current cabinet is powerless. As such, they should be disbanded. I believe now is the time for me to risk my political career in hope of making a new reality. A new political system that goes beyond parties or factions...An ideal country of peace and order..." The Distinguished Man concluded.

"What a load of hot air." Miyabi remarked while rolling her eyes.

"You have to admit, this man is rather charismatic..." Yumi admitted, feeling herself agreeing with his words somewhat. "Although, something about him makes me...uneasy..." She then confessed.

"Why are we even watching this!?" Ryuji suddenly called out. "Change the goddamn channel to something else! I don't care about this asshole! Plus, he can't do shit. It's not like he has control of the Metaverse or has a Persona or something!" He then added.

To that, Akira turned off the television.


(Fast Forward)

Sae leaned back in her chair once Akira stopped recounting the events of his summer.

"So the Phantom Thieves only stole the heart of Futaba Sakura...?" Sae muttered out with crossed arms.

"We didn't even touch it. She healed her heart all by herself." Akira answered.

"And Medjed was in turn defeated by her real-world hacking abilities?" Sae then assumed as she leaned forward with a frown.

"Don't you dare think about arresting her..." Akira growled as he glared at the prosecutor, surprising the woman.

"I...No, I wouldn't. Not after what she's been through...if what you told me is true." Sae replied. "And this does correlate to the facts as we know them. If you're telling the truth, then Wakaba Isshiki didn't commit suicide..." She then stated.

"It wasn't suicide, it was murder." Akira whispered out.

Sae noticed the slight edge to his voice. It seemed he deeply cared for Futaba.

"Did a third party target her life with the goal of destroying her research...? Or...use it themselves?" Sae wondered out loud. "Wakaba's death was two years ago...That coincides with when the incidents started occurring...Does this other Metaverse user that Madarame and Kaneshiro mentioned...really exist...?" She soon asked.

"You tell me." Akira got out quietly.

"Earlier, I briefly mentioned those psychotic breakdown incidents that have alarmed the public. All of a sudden, people will lose consciousness or become violent..." Sae reminded. "A situation as incomprehensible as that can't be explained away as troubled social conditions." She then added.

"I know all that and more." Akira replied.

"Then you must suspect that these cases are all connected to a larger, man-made plot." Sae stated, earning a nod from the Leader. "The method involved always muddles the explanation, but your story has virtually confirmed its viability. Although, I wouldn't have expected a new criminal to come to light from your testimony..." She then added.

"Black Mask. That's what we call them." Akira stated.

"Black Mask, hm? What did your group think of this...Black Mask?" Sae questioned.

"...Someone who should be stopped. By any means necessary." Akira answered with a determined look on his face.

The prosecutor narrowed her eyes. "Couldn't it be said about the Phantom Thieves as well?" Sae pointed out. "You and your group tamper with people's hearts without asking their consent. How is that different?" She soon asked.

"...You really think we can just go up to them and say: Hey, you're an asshole. Do you think you can be nicer?" Akira deadpanned. "Those people...the ones we've targeted...they didn't want to change. They wanted to keep things where they are and constantly consume and destroy until they die. Asking permission? Getting consent? This is about helping people, the people you're supposed to help. We can't go by the book, we have to do what we have to just to make this world a better place for those who deserve justice, and that's only because there's no one else they can turn to. Or...have you forgotten what your job is about?" He lectured as he stared directly into Sae's eyes.

"..." Sae clenched her hand into a fist before relaxing herself. She was not letting herself fall into his trap. "Well...no matter how you think of them, there is no doubting your resolve. Are those incidents because of you or someone else...? Either way, I will get to the bottom of this." She then stated in a determined and serious tone.

SHATTER!

RANK UP! JUDGEMENT RANK 3!

"We're getting there. We just have to keep working on it." Akira thought.

"Now, let's move onto your next crime." Sae soon started as she brought over another file, the last of them she had on the table, revealing an envelope at the bottom.

"Next crime?" Akira repeated under his breath before his eyes widened. "No..." He muttered.

And with that she opened the fifth file, seeing the photo of his greatest regret.

"...Kunikazu Okumura..." Akira got out, regret in his tone. "...Dammit...! I'm sorry..." He soon apologized.

Sae noted the bitter tears and clenching of his jaw. This target...this was where the Phantom Thieves became a top priority to the police. And the Leader had apparently taken it personally.

"Judging from your reaction, it would seem that this is where things started to hit the fan for you." Sae stated as she observed his respondent. "Now, if you don't mind, explain how it all started with no important detail and truth left amiss." She soon instructed.

"...Okumura...That's when we stopped playing games." Akira declared in a dead serious tone.

"Clearly." Sae responded as she nodded. "Now...speak." She soon ordered.

Akira in response nodded as he continued on with his story.

(Rewind)


(Leblanc Attic)

It had been a good 30 minutes since everyone had arrived at the cafe and had started a conversation regarding Futaba's Palace, particularly the unique enemy they had to bring down.

"God, are all cognitions like that?" Miyabi mumbled, occasionally glancing over to the young hacker, who was silently eating curry on the Leader's bed.

"No, that was the first time a cognition was a direct threat to us." Yumi answered.

"And way harder to kill." Homura added as the founding Thieves grimaced a little.

"To think the cognitive version of a person would transform into such a horrible monster and attack us..." Yusuke got out. "That means our enemies aren't limited to Shadows." He then added.

"I thought the other people were just victims, like the slaves at the castle or the walking ATMs." Ann admitted.

"Ann-chan...the only victim in Futaba's Palace was Futaba herself." Asuka pointed out. "Or her mother, in her perspective before she wandered into her own Palace." She then corrected.

"Even though they seem to be alive, they're only part of the backdrop...the environment." Makoto stated. "In other words, the Palace ruler determines the form and strength of their cognitions." She then added.

"Yeah. All the other cognitions went down in one shot." Homura soon reminded. "Mine went down like a...ack! Nope, not going back to those memories." She then began before cutting herself off.

"At least your cognition was human. Mine was going to be a painting." Yumi sighed out. "Still...it would've been great if we could see how far along Futaba-san's mother was with her research..." She then added.

"Yeah, she was lookin' into that cognitive psience stuff, right? Science with a P-S-I." Ryuji asked.

"If we put together all the information we've gathered up to this point...Abuse of cognitive psience can lead to death, and it may even relate to the psychotic breakdowns." Makoto informed.

"Which means we aren't the only ones who know about the Metaverse other than Black Mask." Akira soon stated. "Maybe even people without Personas who have no access to the MetaNav." He then added.

"Yes, and it's highly likely that the research might have been stolen to be used with malicious intent." Morgana deducted.

"Does that mean Black Mask, or the people who stole that research, have another way to enter the Metaverse?" Homura pointed out. "I mean, this Benefactor - Igor or whatever - So far this guy has been helping us, with that Velvet Room/Loli Paradise thing and downloading the MetaNav onto our phones. I doubt he'd give it to random people." She then added.

"Hai. So far we've all awakened because we wished to rebel against authority and thus gained the Nav, but there could be other ways of obtaining it." Yumi spoke up. "Regardless, the Metaverse is dangerous both to us and everyone else. I mean, if we can get away with changing hearts...people with much bigger ambitions can use it to get away with murder." She then stated in a serious manner.

"You mean those guys that showed Futaba-chan that fake suicide note." Ann got out, feeling her anger rising.

"Damn...not only did they screw up Futaba, they could be killing people and causing shutdowns...all without a trace..." Miyabi growled out as she glanced at the hacker who was silently eating the rest of her curry. "I swear, once I get my hands on them..." She began to threaten.

"Isn't that what Hebijo wants though? The power to use mental shutdowns for themselves?" Yumi pointed out with a raised eyebrow.

"...Shit." Homura swore out. "It's not just an enemy Persona-user abusing their power...but there are people already out there with the power to cause shutdowns and breakdowns..." She then stated.

"However, Hebijo does not have the same information we have. Plus, who says they're the only one looking into this." Akira pointed out. "As soon as any Evil or villainous shinobi gets a whiff of cognitive psience and its connection to the incidents..." He then began.

"It's all over." Asuka fearfully concluded.

"If they can get a Persona." Homura however stated with a frown.

"Either way, these people will never be forgiven." Yusuke declared. "We need to make sure that research is destroyed so it cannot be abused any longer." He then added.

"I could get working on that, but we have no idea who these people are or who they work for. We have nowhere to start." Yumi pointed out.

"Hey, maybe Futaba-chan knows." Asuka assumed before everyone turned to the orangette.

"Hey Futaba. Is there anything else you can remember?" Makoto soon asked.

However, Futaba got up and walked past everyone with her empty plate downstairs.

"We are not going to get anywhere anytime soon like this..." Homura sighed out as she slumped on her seat.

"She is quite difficult..." Makoto awkwardly got out as the orangette came back with another plate of curry.

"That smell..." Yusuke got out, his mouth watering.

"C'mon, no fair..." Ann complained.

"Hey, can I snag a bite?" Ryuji asked, only for the young girl to glare at him with a pout before returning to eating. "...Meanie." He got out.

"You should've taken up on my sushi offer earlier." Asuka reminded.

"Well, why don't we take a short break and pick up some food ourselves." Makoto suggested.

"I'm up for that Makoto." Homura replied in agreement as they got up to get some food.

About an hour later after eating...

"I've been thinking..." Makoto suddenly spoke up, getting everyone's attention. "Even if Futaba is a genius, could she really crush an international hacker organization that easily?" She then asked.

"I was wondering the same thing." Yumi admitted with a nod.

"The one who taunted the Phantom Thieves was a guy in Tokyo. I knew the Medjed members in Japan weren't anything special, so I wasn't worried." Futaba casually replied, getting the attention of the others. "I released the video with the girl in it faster than they could update their shoddy website. Erm, sorry about that. It seemed like a good idea at the time." She then revealed.

"So you were the one who distributed the video around Tokyo after our first heist..." Akira muttered out.

"You've known who we are for that long?" Ann got out in disbelief.

"You guys did owe me after all." Futaba stated in a smug tone. "And I thought everyone should know about what really happened." She then added.

"Wait, so you know who the members of Medjed are? All of them?" Ann got out in disbelief. "How do you know that?" She then asked.

"'Cause I'm the founder. Duh." Futaba casually revealed as she kept eating.

This however shocked the group to learn this new information. Also, some of them can imagine the sound of a record being scratched in a slightly comical way or manner.

"...Huh?" Asuka got out in confusion.

"Wait seriously!? You're the one who started Medjed!?" Homura got out in a surprised manner.

"Actually, it wasn't a group at first. It was just the name I went under back when I was the hacker of justice. But since I stayed anonymous, a bunch of guys from all over the world started using the name." Futaba soon explained.

"You...you were an agent of justice?" Yumi got out in a curious manner.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that. Exposing shady company practices, money laundering, leaking information that would have ruined honest businesses, exposing sickos, destroying a few scammer's offices and leaking one or two game trailers. Hell, I could give that DedSec group in the US a run for their money." Futaba replied while listing off some of her achievements.

"Impressive." Akira admitted with a nod of approval.

"And the ones who adopted your name were the ones committing cybercrimes." Ann then concluded.

"It was a hassle to expose all of them, so I just left them be." Futaba explained.

"Well, you did take a whole day to expose just one person..." Akira muttered out.

"Uhhh...so Futaba was the true Medjed, and we were freakin' out over some weak-ass dipshits?" Ryuji groaned.

"They are nothing but script kiddies. So yeah." Futaba replied.

"This whole thing could've been avoided if you just told us earlier..." Miyabi then pointed out.

"I discarded the Medjed name a while ago. I'm Alibaba now." Futaba corrected.

"Yeah, still going for the Egyptian theme." Akira got out with a smirk. "We should take that into consideration for your codename." He then added.

"Codename? Oh, yeah, you want me to join the Phantom Thieves since I have a Persona and all. Yeah, I'm already in." Futaba casually replied.

FFRIP!

"Where did that record scratch come from?" Morgana got out as he looked around in confusion.

"Excuse me!?" Makoto coughed out.

"D-Don't you want to think about it a little more!?" Ann exclaimed.

"I did. Between my naps." Futaba answered. "I've known about who you are for months and now I have Necronomicon on my side. It would be ridiculous if I turned down something like this. Plus, I'm going to enjoy hunting down the people who took my mom away from me." She then stated before letting out an evil laugh.

"...Well, okay then. Welcome to the Phantom Thieves, Futaba." Akira replied.

"This may even ensure our investigation of Mementos goes along smoothly." Makoto got out.

"A Persona that helps us with navigation and support instead of fighting...That could become a great boon for us in the long run." Yumi stated.

"Well...I guess." Morgana mumbled out.

"Hey, why're lookin' so sad? We got a new member, and she's awesome to boot! You should be happy." Ryuji replied as he petted the not cat. "I thought you wanted to get to the bottom, right?" He then reminded.

"Are you sick, Morgana-chan?" Asuka asked in concern.

"I-I'm fine, Lady Asuka." Morgana lied. "I just want her to know that even if she can't fight, she has to pull her own weight as well. We'll be relying...on...her..." He hesitantly added.

"Okay...?" Homura got out, looking a little skeptical but decided not to pry any further.

"Say, Futaba. What do you think about going to the gym once in a while?" Makoto soon suggested.

"Meh." Futaba got out.

"Uh...How did you learn to hack?" Yumi spoke up.

"Private." Futaba simply answered.

"When did you get the MetaNav?" Miyabi asked in a serious tone.

"I refuse to answer." Futaba responded.

"Really? Not even that? It's kinda important." Ryuji got out.

"None of the above." Futaba concluded.

"Okay, she's not going to answer anything." Homura groaned out as she slapped her forehead.

"Futaba-chan sure is unique..." Ann muttered. "Still, it'll be a problem if she doesn't open up to us some more." She then added.

"At the very least, we need to be able to communicate normally with her." Yusuke stated.

"What should we do?" Makoto wondered out loud.

All the advantages the hacker could give would mean nothing if she refused to talk most of the time.

"Well, let's get to know her." Akira answered.

"Yeah!" Asuka replied in agreement. "We can hang out with her and help her get used to people." She then suggested with a smile.

"First, we'll need to help her open up to us. If we each spend an entire day with her, maybe she'll get more used to being around us." Makoto got out.

"!?" This however got the orangette's attention as she looked at the rest of the group.

Akira quickly noticed the look of someone who was internally screaming in fear. "Easier said than done, Makoto." He thought with a sweatdrop.

"I see. We do have the time thanks to summer vacation." Yusuke reminded everyone.

"Save for Miyabi-chan since she's not going to school like us." Asuka then reminded as she looked at the white haired girl.

"...You do realize that I have a job, right?" Miyabi pointed out.

"...Oh you piece of shit..." Homura growled.

"Hm...Maybe Lala-chan has a few job openings in Shinjuku..." Akira muttered to himself. "Better ask her when I get the chance." He then added in his head.

"We can begin tomorrow." Makoto decided, not noticing the orangette's internal screaming increasing in volume.

"Hey, we never really celebrated after the Kaneshiro heist." Ryuji soon reminded everyone. "So I say we go to the beach! There'll be tonsa people there, plus we got totally dried out in that desert." He then added

Akira was starting to wonder if the young hacker's lungs could match how much she was screaming in her mind.

"That's a great idea! I forgot I hadn't gone to the beach yet!" Ann got out.

"That sounds so fun! It'll be my first time at the beach with Homu-neechan, so I wanna make it the best day ever! I might even start getting a tan like her's!" Asuka declared in an excited manner.

This meanwhile got the naturally tan skinned girl's attention. "S-Sis with a t-tan like mine?" Homura choked out as she started to imagine it.


The sun was almost blinding as a black bikini-wearing Homura was looking at the ocean while her friends were enjoying themselves in the water. "Man this great." She got out in satisfaction as she turned around. "Wouldn't you say Sis?" She then asked.

At that moment, a tan skinned, matching bikini wearing Asuka clinged to her adopted older sister's arm with a warm smile on her face. "Hai! Homu-neechan~!" She happily replied. "Coming to the beach was the best idea ever!" She then declared.

To this, Homura smiled happily. "Glad to hear it! Now let's go!" She declared.

"Hai!" Asuka replied as the two dashed off to join the others, gigging all the while as they played.


"...Must. Start. Preparing. Cuteness. Cannot. Be. Denied." Homura thought as her drool flowed down her chin and onto her breasts.

"H-Homu-neechan?" Asuka called out in innocent concern.

The others minus the artist, the white haired woman and the orangette however sweatdropped at the sight of this happening. "And...we've lost her." Akira deadpanned. "I'm guessing she's up for it as well." He then pointed out.

"Uh, excuse me...?" Futaba squeaked out.

"I'll come by tomorrow. See you then." Makoto got out.

"Let me help as well. I don't have anything planned." Yusuke then offered as he shifted his posture up.

Miyabi however sighed to what the dark blue haired blue said. She had only known the artist for a short time, but she knew that he could very easily overwhelm her. "I'll come as well...to make sure nothing happens to Futaba." She got out.

"Thanks. We can set up a schedule with everyone else depending on when they're free." Makoto soon decided.

"Okay!" Ann cheered out while the orangette wanted nothing more but to disappear off the face of the Earth.

Miyabi meanwhile noticed this as she walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, everything will be fine." She assured.

"Okay...I don't believe you but okay..." Futaba mumbled out as she hugged her knees.

"Don't worry, it'll be like a shot. It might hurt at first but it'll be over before you know it." Yumi stated.

"When people get shot, they usually die." The orangette however informed as she gazed at the light gray haired girl.

"Not that type of shot, Futaba." Ann deadpanned.

Futaba simply ran a hand on her long orange hair along with a snort as a some sort of response.

"Alright, anything else you guys wanna discuss before we dismiss?" Akira then asked everyone as he stood up from his seat.

Seeing that no one else was speaking up, the dyed blond took up on that offer. "So uh...what was up with you suddenly sproutin' wings Miyabi?" Ryuji soon asked.

"Huh?" Miyabi got out with a raised eyebrow before recalling what she did in the Palace. "Oh, that was just Abyssal Mode. Don't worry about it." She simply informed while waving it off.

"D-Don't worry about it!?" Ryuji repeated with a stammer. "You were like some effin' angel of death or something!" He then declared.

"It's just a thing I have." Miyabi sighed out. "I can barely use it anyways without killing myself." She then revealed while rubbing her shoulder.

"Can all shinobi do that?" Akira had to ask.

"The Awakened state." Yumi started, getting the attention of the others. "It is said that shinobi who can do this are destined for greatness. However, there's a certain...something that it requires in order for shinobi to even use the technique." She then explained and revealed.

"Didn't I hear that you were working on it?" Akira recalled.

"Yes, but...it's more like a pipe dream more than anything else. No one truly knows what triggers this transformation, and it's different from person to person so there's very little information." Yumi responded with a nod and confessed. "How were you able to achieve this form in the first place, Miyabi-san?" She eventually asked in a curious manner.

"To be honest, that was my first successful attempt." Miyabi admitted. "Well, relatively. Either way, I don't think I can do that again even if I tried." She then added and revealed.

"I'd rather you didn't try again anyhow for the time being." Makoto advised. "Too many risks." She simply explained.

"You don't have to tell me." Miyabi replied with a nod of agreement. "So, our plan is to help out the hikikomori for the rest of your summer break. Should be a very interesting next few days." She then recalled and confessed.

"Alright, meeting adjourned." Akira announced as the orangette whimpered once more.

"Hai." Asuka responded before blinking. "Oh, wait, are we forgetting something?" She soon asked.

"Eh?" Yumi got out in confusion. "I...don't think so..." She slowly responded.

"But I swear..." Asuka muttered as she tried thinking about it. "Hey, what's the date today?" She soon asked.

"Uh...The 22nd of August." Akira informed after a quick check on his phone.

"...Hey, wait, weren't the Super Mammoth Lottery results announced today?" Morgana suddenly remembered.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..." Asuka, Homura and Akira all stared at each other...

WHOOSH!

Right before heading out the door, leaving nothing but dust behind...

...And causing everyone to cough and gag. "Ack! Maybe we should clean Akira's room too." Miyabi coughed.


(Hebijo Academy, Elites Room)

Meanwhile, at Hebijo, the Elites had been relaxing and watching TV when they heard the news of Medjed's defeat.

"Another victory for the Phantom Thieves!" Mirai laughed out with a smirk as she then took out her phone and went on the Phan-site.

"I'm surprised you're a fan." Ryōbi remarked.

"Who wouldn't be at this point?" Mirai simply countered. "They literally took down a cyber-terrorist group that not even Hebijo could find." She then added.

"Because that discounts taking down a rapist, an art thief and a yakuza wannabe." Ryōbi got out as she rolled her eyes.

"And that too!" Mirai declared in approval. "Wait, are you a fan too?" She then asked.

"No, it's just that people keep talking about them that it's all drilled into my head!" Ryōbi snapped. "I swear to God, they're just making things worse." She then grumbled out.

"Hm?" Hikage hummed out with a raised eyebrow.

"I'd prefer if they take care of problems permanently." Ryōbi soon confessed. "Who knows if their targets will eventually come to their senses and hunt them down." She pointed out. "Changes of heart can't last forever, right?" She eventually asked.

"There's no evidence that can happen." Hikage reminded.

"But there's no evidence that it won't." Ryōbi countered. "This whole charade is gonna fall apart by next month, I bet my bullets on it."

"Tch, you're just an anti." Mirai grumbled out with a pout.

"Oh please." Ryōbi remarked with an eye roll. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to be in my room." She then stated.

"We all know you write poetry in there." Hikage informed while looking at her magazine.

"What the fuck are you talking about? I'm writing to my pen pal." Ryōbi questioned and revealed. "At least she isn't as much of a loser as all of you combined!" She then declared.

The two Crimson Squad members simply rolled their eyes to that. "Complete tsundere." They thought in a blunt manner.

BOOM!

Suddenly, an explosion went off in the kitchen, causing the three to jump a bit.

"Again Yomi!? Really!?" Ryōbi exclaimed as she glared at the door to the kitchen in frustration.

"Nope, that was me!" Ryōna happily got out as she stumbled out of the kitchen, smoking with her hair in a frizzy mess.

This caused the other three to sweatdrop. "What were you doing in there?" Hikage had to ask.

"Fixing the oven. After Yomi-chan's last experiment, the kitchen is totally destroyed!" Ryōna responded and revealed.

"...You aren't any sort of mechanic." Mirai pointed out in a blunt manner.

"I know!" Ryōna happily replied once more.

"...You know what, you do you." Mirai mumbled with a flat look on her face.

"Wait, where is Yomi then?" Hikage soon asked.

"I think she's with Poochie checking on the trainees." Mirai responded, though unsure.

It was right then that Yomi walked in with a far-off look on her face...and a happy Poochie in her hands staining her clothes in blood.

"Oh heeeey..." Mirai greeted before trailing off at the sight of the bloody puppy and traumatized girl. "What the-" She then began as she looked around.

Hikage's eye soon twitched. "Why does it look like you bathed Poochie in blood?" She immediately questioned.

"I didn't do anything." Yomi informed, sounding almost robotic. "Now please allow me to take Poochie for a bath." She then requested.

"Uh huh...sure." Hikage replied. "The pet blood cleaning kit is underneath the sink." she soon informed.

"Thank you." Yomi replied as she looked at the puppy. "Come on Poochie-chan, let's get you washed off." She then added.

"Arf!" Poochie barked while wagging her tail.

The other simply watched as the blonde second year headed into the bathroom, their heads following her until she went through the door. "...What...thing did you adopt?" Ryōbi had to ask.

"That thing is Poochie." Hikage answered with a frown.

Meanwhile, Imu sighed as she looked at a locked sliding door. She had just returned from her mission. A complete success, just some info gathering and silencing a target, and now she just had to wait for her approval for her to head to Tokyo.

The first thing Imu had done upon her return was head to her sister's room to check on her, but the door wasn't moving an inch, and she wasn't responding to any of her knocks and offers of food. "Murasaki's still locking herself away." She muttered in disapproval before walking away. She had been at it for an hour now so it was time to give up for now. "Well, she has to go out at some point." She then muttered.


(Bus Stop)

"Achoo!" A dark purple haired girl sneezed out before looking around. "...So bright..." She mumbled out while shielding her squinting eyes.

"And this is why you go out." Bebeby remarked.

"Did we have to choose the day while it's still so hot out?" Murasaki soo asked in a mumble.

"It's your fault for going in your stupid shinobi outfit." Bebeby grumbled out. "You should know dark colors absorb light." The plushie then reminded in annoyance.

"Yeah that's what's making her warm, not the poofy dress she's wearing at high noon." A passerby remarked.

"Don't butt into our conversation!" Bebeby demanded, only to get her mouth covered by the dark purple haired girl.

"S-Sorry..." Murasaki mumbled out her apology.

Meanwhile, the bus driver just shrugged as the stuffed bear did the talking and paid for the fare for the... not-so-little girl. He's seen weirder.


(Hanzo Academy, Elites Room)

"Wow! They actually took down Medjed!" Hibari exclaimed in awe. They had been watching TV when the news broke out of the Phantom Thieves' victory.

"Hah! What did I tell ya?" Katsuragi cheered. "The Phantom Thieves always win!" She then declared.

"That's because they don't broadcast their defeats." Yagyū muttered. "We still don't know a lot about them and their methods other than changing hearts."

"Still, those cyber terrorists got what they deserved." Ikaruga confessed. "Threatening the Japanese economy because they think the Phantom Thieves are getting too popular? Such a waste of potential." She then added in annoyance.

"It does seem weird though, right?" Hibari meanwhile asked, getting the attention of the others. "I mean, they decided to go after the Phantom Thieves right after that Kaneshiro guy confessed." She then recalled. "Doesn't that seem...off?" She eventually questioned.

"..." The others in turn looked at the youngest member of the group in a surprised manner.

"...Eh, someone was going to challenge them eventually." Katsuragi however brushed off. "No one can resist going against someone stronger than them, even if it's likely they'll lose."

"Who was arrested anyways?" Katsuragi soon asked.

"Let me check." Ikaruga responded as she took out her phone to gather the information. "An IT Company President. Hm, I didn't expect someone like that to be a hacker..." She soon revealed and confessed.

"He probably isn't one." Yagyū however pointed out. "We can't rule out that he owns and runs the Medjed website, and was simply challenging the Thieves with no intention of going through with it. If the economy were to fall, so would his company." She then deducted.

"I see..." The acting leader hummed. "But we can't get to such conclusions until more information is revealed." Ikaruga eventually stated. "It makes me wonder what Hanzō-sama is doing." She then admitted.

"He's been away for a while." Hibari soon reminded.

"I bet he's in the hospital after peeping on some girls. I know I would be." Katsuragi joked as everyone else...shrugged and nodded in agreement.


(Gessen Academy, Elites Room)

Meanwhile at the same time Yozakura was wiping off the sawdust on her shinobi outfit, having just destroyed her twelfth training dummy. "He'll be fine. He'll be..." She thought as she moved onto her next target. "FINE... PASTE!" She then roared before...

SMASH!

"You're getting a little too intense, Yozakura-chii." Shiki remarked, twirling her double-bladed scythe around. "The school doesn't have infinite dummies you can smash." She then reminded.

"No...I'm...I'm fine." Yozakura panted while wiping some sweat off her brow.

"We've been training all day, let's take a break." Murakumo suggested as she reverted back into her school uniform.

"Oh thank you." Minori groaned as she collapsed onto the floor. "I...I need candy..." She then got out while panting.

"...Sorry." Yozakura soon apologized.

"Why are you apologizing? It's not like you ordered us to train in the first place." Shiki reminded before squirting some water into her mouth. "Ugh, warm. I wish Yumi-chii was here to cool our drinks." She then mumbled.

"You sound so carefree." Murakumo remarked. "Aren't you worried?" She then questioned.

"I am, but I'm the only one here not trying to kill themselves from exhaustion or locking themselves away all day." Shiki answered and stated. "Dammit, this is all too much..." She then muttered.

"He...He's going to get up again...right...?" Minori got out in a pleading manner.

"...We'll just have to see." Murakumo answered with a sigh. "Has anyone talked to Yumi about it yet?" She then questioned.

"Nope." Shiki responded with a shake of her head.

"No." Minori replied as she did the same.

"Sorry." Yozakura got out with a guilty look. "But you know if we tell her, she's going to drop everything and come back home." She then reminded.

"You make it sound like it's a bad thing." Shiki remarked with a frown.

"It's not, but Yumi has been the closest to finding the source of the shutdowns in two years." Yozakura soon stated as she then took out her phone."They're still happening right now. I mean, look, just last week a- what the hell?" She then started to reveal before becoming wide eyed and confused.

"What?" Murakumo got out.

"U-Uh, I'll tell you guys later." Yozakura responded. "But my point is that we can't allow Yumi to be distracted from her mission. It's just too important to abandon at a moment's notice. The shutdowns have to end or they will be a threat to all of us." She then stated.

"Ugh, this sucks..." Shiki groaned as she rubbed her temples. "I think I'm gonna go to bed early today. All this training and stress is making me lose too much sleep and its bad for my skin." She soon decided.

"Yeah..." Minori yawned in exhaustion.

"Hey, we still have to clean up." Murakumo however reminded.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of it. You all go and rest." Yozakura responded and offered.

"Are you sure?" Murakumo soon asked, raising her eyebrow under her mask.

"I am. Go and get some rest." Yozakura replied and instructed.

"Alright. I'll make sure we're up for dinner later." Murakumo responded and reassured with a nod.

"Thank you." Yozakura sighed as everyone left the training room. As soon as they were out of sight, she sat down and checked her phone once again. "So they really did manage to beat those hackers. Thank goodness..." She muttered before sighing in relief.

At least things were safe back in Tokyo. She didn't need to worry about Yumi there, but still...

"I wonder if we can get the Phantom Thieves to help us..." Yozakura muttered. She then shook her head and stood up. "As if. Now, to clean up this...mess." She then got out, only to realize how big the pile of destroyed training dummies were. "I...I may have gone too far in some places." She soon admitted before getting to work.


(8/22, Evening)

(Shinjuku, Red Light District)

"...And that's everything I could pick up." Yumi's last informat of the day concluded over the phone. "Is that enough for my quota?" She then asked.

"Hai, thank you for your time. Your pay will come in tomorrow." Yumi concluded as she hung up her phone. "Okay, that's another 50,000 yen spent. After selling my info, I should be able to profit another 75,000 yen tomorrow." She mumbled out. Money wasn't going to be an issue for a while, but it was never a bad idea to save as much as possible.

"Oh shit." She suddenly heard someone swear. She snapped out of her thoughts to see Miyabi walking down the street with a bag over shoulder, notably trying to hide in the sparse crowd out tonight.

"Miyabi-san?" Yumi got out in confusion as she approached the white haired woman. "Why are you here?" She soon asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I...was in the neighborhood..." Miyabi began as her eyes frantically shifted around. "Looking for...an exchange...place." She awkwardly revealed.

"A currency exchange?" Yumi corrected.

"Y-Yeah, that. That word totally escaped me." Miyabi mumbled and confessed. "I, uh, found some American money. Should be a thousand yen." She then revealed.

"I...believe you." Yumi awkwardly confessed. "Well, it seemed to be your lucky day." She then stated.

"If you call the pain in the ass to exchange it into something I can use." Miyabi grumbled in annoyance. "If I actually had a lucky day, my..." "Ugh, nothing."

"You were about to mention your mother, weren't you?" Yumi soon assumed.

"Yeah." Miyabi sighed once more. "But I'm fine now. Really." She then assured.

"I...I apologize for your loss...I know what it's like to lose family members..." Yumi admitted in an ashamed yet sad tone. "But at the very least you still have your father." She then pointed out.

"Yumi, what I'm doing right now, why I'm still here, he won't be my father for a whole lot longer." Miyabi pointed out.

"Mi-" Yumi started in a sympathetic tone.

"No, do not give me that fucking look." Miyabi sighed out, interrupting the light gray haired girl. "At the end of the day, it's my choice really. And don't apologize for shit you had nothing to do with. You're so annoying doing that all the time." She then stated.

"...Sorry." Yumi apologized once again before wincing.

"Well, you wouldn't have to apologize if you didn't do that in the first place." Miyabi grumbled. "Only accept responsibility when it's actually your fault. I hate people like that." She then stated and confessed before frowning.

"...I'm detecting that you wanted to continue that sentence." Yumi assumed.

"Can we talk about something else?" Miyabi however snapped.

"So...what are you going to do? I know you can't just abandon Hebijo. At least, not easily." Yumi then asked in concern.

"I'm not abandoning anything. I wanna go back and make it a shinobi school to be proud of but...maybe I should travel the world for a while, see new things. I still haven't learned everything that's changed over the past three years, may as well find out myself." Miyabi replied.

"The sky is the limit." Yumi soon noted. "Traveling would be good for experience." She then admitted.

"Yeah, although the thought of walking everywhere isn't exactly present, and it's pretty expensive. Plus, I have no idea where I'd go." Miyabi muttered as she rubbed the back of her neck. "I really gotta get a raise..." She then thought to herself.

"I suggest going down the Tokaido road. You can start from here then head for Kyoto. It's a wonderful experience from what I hear." Yumi suggested.

"I'll think about it. But it's not in the forefront of my mind right now." "It's getting late. You should head home."

"The same could be said about you." Yumi replied.

"I'm an adult! I can stay out here as long as I want." Miyabi countered. "You do not have the power to tell me what to do, Yumi." She then added...right before yawning. "...But I'm going home because of my own accord. Not because you told me to." She soon mumbled out.

"Of course." Yumi responded with a sweatdrop. "You better get up early. Futaba-san will need you." She then suggested and reminded.

"Yeah, yeah. I know." Miyabi sighed. "Stay safe and good night." She then added.

"To you as well." Yumi replied with a nod as the two went their separate ways.


(Shibuya, Joysound Karaoke)

"CHEERS!" Asuka declared as she raised her glass.

"Cheers!" Akira and Homura responded as they tapped their glasses together before downing their drinks.

"Aaaahhh..." Asuka breathed out, finishing her drink in one go. "That hits the spot." She then got out, patting her belly.

"Mango Banana on the Rocks at Sunrise and Sunset." Akira read out as he checked the menu once again. "Weird name, but damn it's good." He then admitted.

"I...I still can't believe we all won." Homura muttered in disbelief. "I mean Sis got first prize, Akira got second, I got third! What is that coincidence!?"

"And we decided to blow a chunk of it on karaoke." Akira added. "This isn't a bad way to celebrate bringing down Medjed though."

"This isn't the real party." Asuka pointed out. "It's only us here. We just sort of...left everyone behind in Leblanc." She then awkwardly reminded.

"Probably should've brought Futaba here too..." Homura then realized before shrugging. "Well, there's always next time." She eventually decided.

"Ooh, where should the next time be, then?" Asuka soon asked.

"Well first is helping Futaba get used to being out in the world again." Homura started. "Then we head to Mementos to get a little further down and take care of some requests." She then added.

"Ah! I totally forgot about requests!" Asuka squeaked out. "We must've been getting them all summer..." She then noted.

"Mishima's been keeping me updated." Akira revealed. "We'll discuss it at the meeting before we head there. Let me tell you, there are some real bastards this time around." He soon revealed while narrowing his eyes.

"Well, it should be nothing the Phantom Thieves can't handle. Now let's sing some damn songs already!" Homura called out as she grabbed the microphone. "Hit it!" She then declared.

"...Oh, you want us to choose the song." Asuka got out before grabbing the remote to scroll through the song list. "Um...let's see...ooh! This one sounds good!" She muttered before coming to a decision with a smile on her face.

Suddenly, really fast-paced music began blaring out the speakers. Getting into the groove, Homura smiled and did a cutesy pose. "LET'S GET TO THE TOP!" She shouted out. "Aisou warai dotakyan dogeza~ Ikikau nichijou kurikaeshi~ Totte tsuketa you na iiwake ja nani mo kawaranai~" She then began singing.

"WOOHOO! You go Homu-neechan!" Asuka happily cheered.

And thus, they partied the night away, ignorant to other forces orchestrating the fall of the Phantom Thieves.


Save Game…Quit!


Asuka/Yin's Social Stats:

Leadership- Mastermind (Level 4)

Knowledge- Professor (Level 4)

Proficiency- Masterful (Level 4)

Diligence- Thorough (Level 4)

Courage- Daring (Level 4)

Homura/Yang's Development Stats:

Maturity- Adult (Level 4)

Knowledge- Professor (Level 4)

Femininity- Natural (Level 4)

Elegance- Gentlewoman (Level 4)

Understanding- Motherly (Level 4)


Whew! Done! Next chapter is bashing down Futaba's door and making her talk to people even though she's deathly afraid of everyone but Akira and the shinobi.

UknownHero signing off, my friends!