Oh hey, we got another chapter out this month! Hey, UknownHero here and welcome to another chapter of Senran Persona! Again, I have to complain that my room is slightly warmer than any other place in my house. Like when it's cool outside, I still feel heat. Thank god most of the year in Australia, it's freaking cold.

Senran Persona has a TV Tropes pages that always needs more work done on it, so uh…help?

Onto the reviews! To alaude hibari: We're getting to max ranking the shinobi, but they're kinda busy dealing with a Conspiracy. Their Rank 10s need a moment of calm.

Anyways, that's it! Time to get some info!

Updated 25/01/23!

Load Game…Start!


Chapter 118: Pushing Forward


(9/16, Early Morning)

(Shibuya, Shin Megami Apartment Complex)

Asuka furrowed her brows as she laid pistol parts across the table. She was currently in her Shujin uniform, ready for school, but had decided to do some maintenance before they left. "I think these are all clean now..." She muttered as she studied the parts carefully to ensure there wasn't a speck of dirt on them. "Everything seems to be in good condition..." She then continued.

"Sis, come on! We need to go!" Homura called out at the front door.

"Coming!" Asuka called back before quickly reassembling her pistols and stuffing them back into the duffle bag. Once she did, she grabbed her own bag and headed out the door.

"Everything is in working order?" Homura asked as she locked the apartment.

"And then some." Asuka replied with a nod. "Makoto-chan's revolver has a loose hammer though. I need to replace it and tell her to let up on fanning the hammer." She soon revealed.

"Hey, we're gonna replace it soon anyways with new equipment. No need to buy parts from the airsoft shop." Homura pointed out.

"I see, but I would like it if our weapons didn't break while we're in the Metaverse." Asuka clarified, her finger twitching at the phantom pistols in her hands. "Particularly in the middle of a fight." She then added.

"Hey, it's why you're doing maintenance in the first place." Homura got out with a smile.

Just then, Miyabi walked out of her own apartment, carrying her own bag. "Morning." She greeted.

"Morning, Miyabi." Homura greeted back with a wave. "You going to work?" She then guessed.

"Yep." Miyabi replied with a nod.

"You know, I just realized you never told us what you do." Asuka got out.

"Ah, it's...it's customer service. Nothing more." The white-haired woman replied.

"Customer service?" Homura repeated with a raised eyebrow. "I didn't take you as a people person, you know?"

"Yeah, me neither." Miyabi mumbled under her breath. She was still surprised at how happy she was...and that people were treating her like a real girl there. It was still embarrassing though, and she would probably die if anyone she knew outside of work saw her.

"Hey, I'm still kinda unemployed right now. Do you mind if you put in a good word for me?" Homura informed and requested.

Miyabi coughed after gasping in too much air.

"Miyabi-chan!?" Asuka got out in worry.

"Sorry. Throat's a little dry." Miyabi assured. "Don't you still have the money from all our Metaverse work?"

"Yeah, we do, but it's nice to have a more stable source of income just in case."

"Well...they're not really hiring right now..." Miyabi awkwardly revealed.

"Come on. Do they need a janitor? A mascot? Anything would do." The tan-skinned girl insisted. "All I need is a part-time job, that's all." She then added with hands behind her head.

"They aren't hiring, okay!?" Miyabi panickingly declared.

Asuka however tilted her head. "Miyabi-chan? You're acting really weird right now..." She soon pointed out in concern.

"I'm not weird! You're fucking weird!" Miyabi panickingly responded before pausing. "...I need to go." She then informed.

WHOOSH!

And just like that, the white haired woman vanished on the spot in an instant.

"...That was...something." Homura got out, staring at the spot where their friend just was.

"Yeah..." Asuka only got out with a nod. "Is she...embarrassed about something Homu-neechan?" She then guessed.

"I guess." Homura responded with a nod before coming up with something in her mind. "...Wait, you don't think...?" She then started to assume.

"Hm?" Asuka hummed out.

"Well...that she might be a..." Homura tried to guess.

"Nuh-uh." Asuka interrupted as she shook her head. "Miyabi-sensei would never be a hostess at one of those clubs." She then insisted in a determined tone.

"I was gonna say she works in the R-rated section in one of those otaku shops but I can see where you got that from." Homura admitted as her sister looked at her a little weirdly. "But a job's a job, Sis. Everyone's gotta work and make money somehow, so don't rule out the more...seedier professions." She then reminded.

"Oh...I guess you're right." Asuka got out. That gave her a lot to think about later. "...So are you going to-" She then began to ask, however...

"Oh hell no. I'm not letting a perv feel me up. Too young anyways. Might send someone to the hospital or a body bag." Homura responded almost instantly. "...Well, maybe I could clean the floors at a cabaret...or work security. I could totally enjoy beating up assholes." She soon got out, sounding rather excited at the prospect before pausing. "Though not sure if Yumi-senpai would approve..." She then realized.

"Why would you need her approval?" Asuka innocently asked with a head tilt.

"I've been training under her as a student of Elegance and now I'm her equal in terms of it. Her sister in Elegance basically." Homura reminded, a sense of pride in her from just recalling those facts as she looked at the sky. "I would not want to disgrace her in any way if she heard about me reverting back to my old, reckless ways." She then explained.

"I'm sure she wouldn't mind though. Yumi-chan is really understanding." Asuka reassured.

"I guess. But it would still be a shame." Homura soon confessed. "She even accepted the fact that I plan to attend Hanzō Academy after all of this here in Tokyo despite her wishing me to join Gessen. I can't let her down like that." She then revealed and declared.

"Why don't you be one of her backup dancers then?" Asuka soon suggested.

Homura however shook her head. "Nah, I don't really like being in the spotlight. I kinda want something...out of the way, you know?" She got out. "Like...uh...maybe in the jazz club in Kichijoji." She then awkwardly suggested.

"Hey, you'll figure something out soon." Asuka assured as they made their way to the train station.


(Yongen-Jaya, Leblanc Attic)

Akira let out a groan as the sunlight began to hit his face, waking him up from his increasingly perverted dreams that became more and more frequent with each passing day. Subtly patting his crotch, the Leader sat up from his bed, which woke Morgana as well.

"Mmmm...this bed is the best." Akira got out in relief, shifting himself comfortably on the new bed Homura and the girls bought for him.

"Oh yeah, that bed the girls got is really comfy." Morgana breathed out as he stretched his back.

"I know. It's like sleeping on a cloud." Akira agreed with a blissful sigh. "...Huh, no Haruka this time." He then noted, noticing the somehow lone company.

"You sound disappointed." Morgana bluntly accused with a deadpan expression.

"Being a close friend, she pretty much grew on me every time she sneaks in while nude." Akira replied. "Her not here seems a bit unusual." He then admitted.

"You just wanna see her naked body or something." Morgana once more accused in a blunt manner.

"Can't blame me for being a guy with puberty." Akira replied as he shrugged his shoulders. "At least I have some self-control in some way." He then added.

"Uh-huh..." The not cat only got out with half-lidded eyes.

"You should learn from me, too, Morgana." Akira however advised the not cat. "Get used to female nudity and avoid getting embarrassed by girls." He then added.

Morgana immediately blushed scarlet in response to that. "Akira..." He then called him out.

"Take your time, Morgana." Akira advised. "Besides, it wouldn't hurt to try." He then pointed out.

"...Unless you're getting beaten up for being inappropriate." Morgana added. "I mean, I am a gentleman, Akira, so such thoughts do not go by for me." He then reminded the Leader.

"Well. I guess that means you're human, right?" Akira stated as he petted the cat. "...I'm talking about naked girls to a human-turned-cat. Man, I really hope this isn't undiagnosed schizophrenia or some coma dream." He then thought. He did not like the idea of living in a false reality after all.

"What are you thinking?" The not cat got out.

"Nothing." Akira responded as he shook his head. "Quick work out, shower, then school stuff. What happens after school...I have no idea." He then muttered before athletically leaping off his bed and up to the wooden beam in one swift motion.

"Show off!" Morgana called out while laughing at the Leader's antics.

"It's just more efficient, Mona!" Akira countered with a smirk before doing his pull ups.

He might go for 50 reps this time.


(Asakusa, Hanzō Academy Dormitories, Hibari's Room)

It was quiet inside the room filled with stuffed toys and other things that are considered girly and cute in anyone's eyes...only before the door suddenly blasted open, revealing Hibari and a rundown humanoid-like robot being carried in the pinkette's arms.

"Okay, you should be safe here!" Hibari got out as she set the robot gently on the ground.

"...uugh..." The humanoid robot groaned weakly.

"Hmm...are you low on power?" Hibari guessed as she closed her door. "Um...how do I charge you...?" She soon asked.

"Le-...left arm..." The robot weakly replied.

"Thank you." Hibari responded as she looked at the left arm and found a USB cable hanging out of it. She quickly grabbed her phone charger and replaced the cable with the robot's and plugged it into the wall. "There! Are you feeling better now?" She soon asked.

"Yes...a little..." The robot responded. She would've nodded, but her neck servos had locked up.

"That's a relief..." Hibari breathed out as she wiped the sweat off her brow.

Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock!

That startled the pinkette for a bit as she glanced at the door.

"Hibari-san?" A familiar voice came out from the door. "It's me, Yagyū. I heard you go into your room." They soon revealed.

The pinkette soon began to sweat. She couldn't let anyone see this! "Oh, uh, Yagyū-chan! S-Sorry, Hibari's naked right now! Can you give Hibari a second!?" She soon responded in an apologetic tone as she looked around for something to hide the broken robot.

"N-Nake-?" Yagyū stammered in disbelief from behind the door, probably with a red glowing head...and maybe a nosebleed? "U-um...I'll wait for you outside, because I want to talk to you." She then informed and requested.

"O-Okay then!" Hibari called back. "Let me put on some clothes first." She then got out before stripping off yesterday's clothes. They were all dirty and stained from carrying the robot anyways.

"Where...where are you going?" The robot girl soon asked in a curious manner.

"To see my friends." Hibari replied.

"Friends?" The blonde robot girl repeated.

"Yep! Sorry, I'll be back later, um..." Hibari soon got out with a nod before pausing as she realized she didn't know what to name the robot girl. She then noticed something within the robot's chest cavity.

A serial number. A little dirty but a quick wipe with her fingers somehow solved that.

A.S.S.W, 2.0 Model
ID: Muramasa
014-07042000

"Mur...a...masa?" Hibari quietly read out in a curious manner before nodding. "Ok then. I'll be back soon to fix you up soon Muramasa-chan!" She then reassured with a smile.

"I...never...got...your name." The robot now named Muramasa spoke in a weak and struggling tone.

"It's Hibari, Muramasa-chan!" The pinkette soon introduced herself.

"Hi-Hibari..." Muramasa whispered, her red and purple eyes sparkling in the sunlight. "Thank you!" She then happily exclaimed.

"Shhhh!" Hibari quickly shushed the robot girl before placing her bed's blanket over her. "You need to be quiet. I don't know what the others will do to you if they see you so...um...stay quiet and do nothing." She soon explained and instructed.

"Hai." Murasama happily replied before...doing nothing and going still for who knows how long.

Hibari then let out a breath to calm down.

Okay, hopefully Muramasa will be fully charged by the time she gets back. Then she could help her repair her own body. But first, she'll need parts...

Shaking her head, Hibari slid the door open as she went outside her room, perking up the white haired girl who was waiting beside the door with crossed arms.

"Hibari." The white haired girl out.

"Yagyū-chan." The pinkette responded.

"It's good to see you back safe and sound." Yagyū admitted in relief. "How's your mission back at Okumura Foods?" She soon asked.

"Oh, um...uh..." Hibari began before trailing off.

"Did something happen to you while you were there?" The white haired girl soon asked.

"Uh...yeah. T-The break-in." The pinkette replied before frowning. "Hibari tried her hardest, but they cheated with spiders and motorcycles." She soon grumbled.

"...Spiders and...motorcycles?" Yagyū repeated, blinking with her visible eye.

"And a weird demon woman, and a samurai." Hibari added with puffed out cheeks.

"...Are they shinobi?" Yagyū tried to ask, now with concern looming over her head.

"Hibari doesn't know!" The pinkette responded with a shake of her head. "I-I think they knew about my eyes though..." She then muttered.

"The Kagan?" Yagyū whispered, her one eye widening in horror. "Who are they?" She then questioned in a low, angry tone.

"I couldn't get a good look at their faces." Hibari informed with a shake of her head. "They were wearing masks, and...they had weird outfits." She then added.

"Hmm...well, you best report this to Kiriya-sensei as soon as possible." Yagyū soon advised. "And if you remember anything else, promise to tell me. They will not get away with this." She then stated and reassured.

"Y-Yeah...Hibari will." The pinkette responded with a nod. "And uh...there's something else." Hibari then started.

"What is it?" Yagyū questioned in concern.

"Um...Okumura-sama...he fired me." Hibari soon shamefully revealed.

"Excuse me?" Yagyū got out in disbelief from that reveal with widened eyes. "Fired? What did he mean by that, Hibari?" She soon repeated and questioned.

"Hibari...My efforts weren't enough in the eyes of the client." The pinkette soon revealed. "I'm...I'm sorry for failing you and the academy! I-I just wanted to prove that I deserve to be an Elite just like everyone else, that I don't need help all the time, but...but I just couldn't do it! Please accept my apology!" She frantically stated before taking a deep bow.

"..." The white haired girl remained silent, only looking down at Hibari with her only visible eye.

"Yagyū-chan?" The pinkette got out as she raised her head up.

"You...You should've allowed me to come." Yagyū sighed out. "Tokyo has become too dangerous for you to be on solo missions. I should've insisted, I am sorry." She then apologized.

That wasn't the answer Hibari wanted.

"...O-Oh..." Hibari got out as she straightened up, this time looking down to the floor. "I-I know that now. But I want to get stronger so you don't have to." She then mumbled out.

"I want to." Yagyū responded. "Fear not: I will protect you, Hibari." She soon reassured.

"...That's what I'm afraid of." Hibari thought in a sad manner.

"Anyways, it is wonderful to see you back." Yagyū soon got out with a smile. "I've been anticipating your return with a pair of pan-" She then began, however the pinkette wasn't in the mood for it.

"Um, Yagyū-chan, I have somewhere to be so..." Hibari tried to end the conversation, however...

At that moment, the ravenette and the blonde, who was only in her lace dark blue bra and panties, came over and saw the pinkette. "Hibari-san, Okumura-sama just called us and told us the news. I'm so sorry that he did such a thing to-" Ikaruga began, however...

"Yeah, yeah. Thank you. Need to go to the junkyard today. Bye." Hibari quickly got out before heading out the door.

"Hibari?" Yagyū got out in concern.

"That...was unusual..." Ikaruga muttered in confusion, blinking to this response.

"Do we even have a junkyard in Tokyo?" The pervy blonde questioned. "Wait a minute...she's supposed to be back tonight, not this morning." Katsuragi soon realized.

"That's correct." Yagyū responded with a nod. "...Wait." She then got out as she thought of something.

"Who's supposed to go after Hibari!?" Katsuragi exclaimed.

Ikaruga however sighed as she raised her hand. "I'll go to Okumura Foods immediately. Don't burn the school down while I'm away." She then got out.

"Pfft! You need to trust us a little more, Ikaruga." Katsuragi pouted before swiftly going behind the ravenette and started groping her breasts from behind.

BOING! BOING!

"I will once you stop groping me." Ikaruga deadpanned, trying her best to ignore the feeling.

"What? This is a goodbye present!" Katsuragi insisted as she finally pulled her hands away. "I'll hold down the fort, don't worry! Katsuragi the Responsible is here to save the day!" She then declared.

The acting leader only gave the blonde a flat look. "...Yagyū is in charge." She soon got out.

"I shall perform my duties to the best of my abilities." The white haired girl instantly responded with a bow.

"Oh come on!" Katsuragi complained in disappointment.

"Katsuragi, we have school today. Go get dressed." Yagyū ordered as the ravenette pulled out her phone and walked away, probably to talk to Kiriya about her departure.

"Ugh...fine." The blonde grumbly relented while adjusting her bra and panties. "...Wait, shouldn't you tell that to Hibari too? She's going to the junkyard for whatever reason!" She then asked and pointed out.

"She was supposed to come back tonight. She has permission to be absent from classes today. Now, get dressed." Yagyū responded and ordered.

"You're just letting her off the hook because you love-" Katsuragi however began to accuse.

CHINK!

Katsuragi narrowly dodged a shuriken, who was now stuck on the wall beside her. That prompted the semi-nude blonde to leave right away with her long blonde hair flowing like the wind.

Yagyū let out a sigh of relief before frowning at a good point the blonde had made.

Why did Hibari leave in such a hurry?

And why to the junkyard of all places?


(Hebijo Academy, Murasaki's Room)

It was just another dark day at Hebijo, with all the students either training, learning, torturing or dying in their classes. Currently, the Elite's Ninja Room was empty as the Crimson Squad and other well-known Hebijo kunoichis had to attend their own classes, leaving Murasaki alone in her room.

"...I'm bored..." Murasaki grumbled out as she laid in bed while looking at the television screen with a video game controller in her hands.

"That's because you've been staring at the home screen for half an hour after waking up." Bebeby deadpanned. "Hey, what about that new game you got last month? You've barely played it since you started destroying your body by over-exercising." The plushie then asked and reminded.

"I...I lost interest..." Murasaki mumbled, barely looking at the game case which was laid near the game console.

"You spent 10,000 yen for nothing!?" Bebeby gawked out in disbelief.

Murasaki in turn puffed up her cheek in annoyance. "I've been busy! Sue me if it happens Bebe-tan!" She responded.

"Ah, I get it. Because Dead End Aegis isn't your type of game anymore!" Bebeby soon realized. "You don't get off to-" The plushie began.

"Please stop." Murasaki deadpanned, interrupting the plushie. She did not need this right now.

Bebeby then hummed in though. "Hey, here's a good idea to relieve your boredom! Why don't you-" She soon began to suggest.

"No." Murasaki interrupted once more.

"You didn't even let me finish!" The plushie got out.

"I know what you're about to say, and I'm not going to talk to Onee-chan!" Murasaki responded.

"Yet or ever?" Bebeby however asked.

Murasaki averted her gaze away from the bear plushie. "...I don't know..." The purplette mumbled her answer.

"Wow, you're more of a coward than I thought!" Bebeby remarked in annoyance.

Murasaki in turn narrowed her eyes. "Shut up!" She soon ordered. "I am not a coward! I'm...I'm stronger than that!" She then declared as she brought her arms up to flex her forming muscles.

"I doubt that." Bebeby however stated. "Also, isn't it time for your online classes?" The plushie soon reminded.

"No it-" Murasaki began to argue, only to stop and check the time. "Eep!" She yelped in panicked realization as she got to her computer.

Soon, the computer screen turned on as the purple haired teacher appeared on the screen. "...Murasaki." Suzune greeted in a flat tone before her eyes began to drift downwards.

"I'm so sorry, sensei, for cutting it so close! I promise it won't happen again-" Murasaki quickly began apologizing, placing her forehead on her desk to show how-

"You're naked." Suzune bluntly interrupted, noticing the former truant's state.

"Eh?" Murasaki got out before looking down. "EEEEEEEEEEPPPPPPPPPPP!" She squealed in embarrassment as she rushed to get dressed.

"...Is she already physically feeling better?" Suzune wondered to herself in a mutter with a sweatdrop as she watched the student frantically get dressed.


(9/16, Afternoon)

(?)

"Order up!" A chef called out from the kitchen as he placed a plate of food on the counter. "Don't screw up the sauce this time, Morgan-chan." He then called out to someone in particular.

"H-Hai!" Miyabi stammered as she took the plate and sauce bottle. "It was one time though..." She then mumbled with a pout. She even paid for the dry cleaning.

"Just a reminder." The chef still reminded.

Miyabi sighed before heading over to the table which ordered the food. "Here you go, just like you asked. What do you like written on your omelet?" She informed and asked.

The customer nervously poked his fingers together. "Kyoko, please go out with me?" He soon requested.

"...What a romantic." Miyabi thought in a flat tone as she carefully wrote the phrase on the food. Once she was done, she began wiping down tables.

"Ah, you're working today, Morgan-chan?" A male voice stated out, prompting the working white-haired woman to glance at the one who called her.

Miyabi gave the man a flat look before glancing down at her uniform with a blush on her face. "...Yes. What do you want to order?" She replied and asked.

"Oooh~ Going for the tomboy act today, aren't you?" The eager male customer observed with a curious tone. "I'll have the chiffon cake today." He soon requested.

"You order that every time." Miyabi however reminded. "You know we have other menu items." She then added.

"Yeah, but everything else is terrible." The man bluntly added, causing the chef to glare at him. "I'm here for you." He then added with a smile.

"I'm...taken." Miyabi tried to lie to get out of this situation.

"Come on, I've never seen your boyfriend come here before. He doesn't know you work here, does he?" The lecherous man pointed out. "Come on, once you're outta here we can-"

"Morgan-chan! Next order!" The chef called out.

"Coming! Thank you..." Miyabi breathed out in relief. She didn't know how much restraint she had left before she hurt the idiot. "I'll be back later with your order, sir." She then got out in a not-so-polite tone.

"Ugh, I have to see you leave but watching you go..." The man lamented, but clearly enjoyed the view.

Miyabi rolled her eyes as she went over to the counter. "Can I choke him?" She quietly requested.

"Only if he touches you first." The chef responded.

"Don't tempt me into making him touch my boobs." Miyabi mumbled out.

"I didn't say anything." The chef pointed out as he lifted his hands up while trying to not mind the white-haired woman's comment. For him, it was hard not to stare at something physically private for a woman, but he managed from time to time.

The white haired woman sighed. "Who hits on people in a fucking-" Miyabi began to growl before stopping herself. "Calm down...you're not here for the customers, but for the employees...and the lessons in being a girl..." She then muttered quietly to herself.

"Are you talking to yourself again?" The chef spoke up, snapping the white haired woman out of her thoughts.

"...No..." The white haired woman awkwardly responded in denial.

"Well, keep it in the break room." The chef advised. "Head to table 4 please and clean up there." He then ordered.

The white haired woman turned towards the table, only to see that whoever ate left their own trash. Lots of it. "I suddenly wish I just got an office job..." Miyabi thought as she cleaned up the plates on the table.

"Come on Morgan-chan, swing those hips as you walk! Show everyone you're a woman and not a man!" The manager called out from her office.

"!" Miyabi immediately perked up to that as she gained a starry look in her eyes, as if those words were a trigger, at being reminded of why she liked this job. "I'm shaking it as sexy as I can!" She responded, her voice an octave higher.

"Just don't flash your panties or you're getting another indecent exposure ticket!" The manager soon reminded.

"Hai~!" Miyabi happily replied. She had to admit, she was weak to such reinforcement, but given her life up to this point, she was going to take what she can get.

She was a woman and she was gonna prove it, dammit!


(9/16, After School)

(Shujin Academy, Front Gate)

Surprisingly the day had gone fast as the four familiar Shujin students passed through the lobby as they headed towards the school exit stairs and then the front gates. They were on a mission to find their chosen person of interest, and things started to gradually heat up as this continued on.

"So, we're meeting with Haru-chan today?" Asuka tried to remind herself to everyone out loud.

"Yep." Morgana replied from the Leader's bag. "So...does anyone know where she usually is right now?" He then asked.

"She set up a garden on the rooftop. We could try there first." Asuka informed.

"It is possible she left for home too." Makoto soon pointed out.

"Or got kidnapped...again..." Homura awkwardly added, cringing at the idea of launching a rescue mission.

"It is extremely worrying that I'm only finding out about this right now..." Makoto sighed in sadness.

"Hey, it's better than-" The Leader began, only to notice someone in their gym uniform by the carefully pruned bushes in front of the school. "Never mind the rooftop, 'cause there she is." Akira soon informed.

The other three girls followed the Leader's gaze as they all noticed who they wished to look for: Haru Okumura, who just placed a sack of something in particular in a stack into a dolly before going for the handle to push it.

"Huh. How convenient." Makoto stated, noticing the heiress...and probably pointing out their luck for today. Probably the luckiest they've been all week.

"Come on...move..." Haru struggled out in a strained tone as she tried to move the dolly holding several sacks of fertilizer.

Homura frowned as she looked around, seeing no one even take more than a glance at the fluffy haired girl before going on their way. "How come no one tries to help her?" She muttered in concern.

"Students with reputations leading to rumors spreading around, clearly." Makoto grumbled bitterly.

"Or abject apathy or laziness." Akira sighed out. "Any combination of the three. Take your pick." He then sarcastically added .

"Well, we can't let her do all that by herself." Asuka declared as she went over to the fluffy haired girl. "Hey, Haru-chan." She greeted with a smile.

"Asu-chan, Homu-chan." Haru responded with a pleasant grin, turning away from the dolly. "You're...Akira-kun, and..." She then began to recognise the other Thieves before trailing off at the Student Council President.

"Makoto Niijima." The short-haired brunette introduced herself.

"Ah, of course I recognised you." Haru got out. "You looked really good in that biker outfit! And it was really form fitting too!" She then complimented.

The advisor blushed as she unconsciously covered her enlarged chest. "Let's...not talk about that..." Makoto groaned.

"Hello there, Beauty Thief." Akira quietly greeted.

"Akira-kun." Asuka chided in a whisper.

"So Haru-senpai. You need help with those bags?" Homura offered.

"Senpai?" Akira repeated as he blinked to hearing the tan skinned girl refer to her like that.

"I'm a third year, Joker." Haru answered in a whisper.

"Ah, I see. You don't have to whisper that. Joker's been my nickname since the start of the year." Akira stated. "It's either or. You can call me both." He then added with a shrug.

This in response caused the fluffy haired girl to smile. "Okay, Joker. Now can you please help with those sacks of fertilizer over there?" Haru replied followed by the request.

"Sure thing." Akira replied with a nod. "We could lift some of them up if you want." He then offered.

"That would be helpful." Haru responded in a grateful tone. "Just take one bag, please." She then advised.

"Where do you want this stuff?" Homura soon asked as Akira and Makoto went over to the dolly

"Up to the roof." Haru replied.

The duo froze just as they were about to pick up the bags. "What the- all the way up- huh!?" The Student Council President sputtered out. She was strong but not that strong!

"Is something wrong, Makoto-chan?" Asuka asked as she easily lifted the bag over her shoulder and reached for the next one.

"...Almost forgot we have superheroes for teammates." Makoto muttered as she stared at the shinobi blankly.

"Somehow I'm grateful for Daidōji-sensei's lessons for this." Akira muttered out as he gazed at the remaining sacks of fertilizer.

"Superheroes are overrated." Homura scoffed as she held two bags in her arms. "You can carry a huge axe and a grenade launcher with you, why can't you move a bag of poop?" She then noted.

"Fertilizer, Homu-chan." The auburn-haired heiress however corrected. "Please don't refer to it with that particular term." She then advised.

"Ah, sorry." Homura sheepishly responded.

"Well, I guess we'll just carry one together, Makoto." Akira simply stated before crouching down towards the last sack

"Right." Makoto responded with a nod as they lifted up the last sack together with ease before they began making their way back into the school and up the stairs, with the auburn haired girl walking in front of them empty-handed as a guide.

"Whoa, have Shirokage-san and Shinkukage-senpai been working out or something?"

"And...even the transfer student as well. He doesn't even look like he's got muscle."

"Are they...taking steroids in secret?"

"Dude, I love lady beefcakes!"

"Whoa, President can lift that heavy?"

"Lift with your groin!"

"You know, there is something I will not miss when we leave..." Homura admitted.

Akira simply chuckled softly as they continued on.


(Shujin Academy, Rooftop)

Eventually, the group got to the rooftop and started to put down the bags of fertilizer where Haru wanted them to be.

"Hah...hah...shinobi strength would've been nice." Makoto admitted, hands on her knees and taking heavy breaths.

"We'll all get there one day, Makoto." Akira added for her, stretching his neck from side to side.

"So what do you need from me?" The auburn-haired girl eventually asked them.

"We just wanna talk to you, that's all." Akira replied.

"Hm? About what?" Haru questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Well..." Makoto began as the Thieves looked at each other. "Why did you decide to become a Phantom Thief?" She soon asked.

"...I thought that was obvious." Haru however replied with hands on her back.

"It kinda is, but...you know how dangerous it is, even with training." Asuka explained. "You could die in there. Why do you want to risk your life?" She then reminded and asked in a curious manner.

"...My father's highly regarded as a manager, but I had...various doubts about him." The heiress began. "Things have grown quite serious lately...that's why I want to make amends, even though it may only be for my own satisfaction. But I wonder if this is just running from the problem..." She then continued her story.

"Why were you at Okumura Foods HQ that night?" Homura soon asked.

"I...heard about how serious the issue was about the employees, and tried to use my status to try and fix things." Haru explained herself with a somewhat hollow tone. "But...I'm still too young to change things. There's no way for me to change my father's company...but if I became a Phantom Thief, I thought I'd at least be able to change him." She then added.

"Hm? But you told us that you tried to convince your father." Asuka recalled.

"A-Ah, yes. I did, but he ignored me." Haru answered, remembering that particular day with her father along with the Vice Leader who invited her to her home.

"Well, it looks like you're going to need our support." The Leader got out with the other Thieves nodding in agreement.

"I...I thought about that." The heiress replied. "But I think me, Asu-chan, Homu-chan, and Mona-chan will be fine by ourselves." She then continued.

"What!?" Asuka, Homura, and Morgana, who was still inside the Leader's bag, gasped while Makoto and Akira narrowed their eyes on her.

"Um...are you still bothered by the whole Black Mask thing?" Akira assumed. "If it is, then we're sorry about that." He then apologized.

"No, no. It's just that...this is a personal mission I must face alone." Haru explained in a serious manner. "Besides, the Phantom Thieves have a lot of eyes on them right now. If you infiltrate my father's Palace, you'll just be causing more trouble than what it's worth." She then warned.

"But still..." Morgana spoke up as he popped his head out of the Leader's bag. "This isn't a game. Who knows what we'll find deeper in that Palace. We need backup." He then added with concern in his tone.

"Hey, as long as you, Asu-chan and Homu-chan are around, I don't need to worry so much." Haru stated with confidence. "Besides, the Phantom Thieves should be helping the weak, not just their friends." She then pointed out.

"We can do both." Asuka all but pleaded.

However, Haru shook her head. "I suggest you go find another Palace to infiltrate." She then got out before walking over to the exit. "Don't worry, I'll get strong enough to change my father's heart soon. Count on it." She then promised before leaving the rooftop.

Makoto sighed at this. "...At least we learned a little bit more about her motivations." She got out, although it didn't feel like they learned all that much.

"But I am not looking forward to infiltrating an entire Palace with only four of us." Homura added with a wince. "Why would Haru-senpai insist on doing this with a small group?" She then wondered with narrowed eyes.

"She's definitely hiding something much bigger from us." Makoto deducted. "Is her father doing something...worse than overworking his employees?" She then guessed.

"Worse..." Akira started before imagining something in particular. "Hrk!" He got out as his stomach suddenly churned.

"Akira-kun!? You okay?" Asuka got out in worry.

"Nope, just...imagining if the burgers were made of long pork." Akira assured before coughing a little more.

"Long por-" Homura repeated in confusion before remembering what long pork actually was...and instantly froze. "...N-No. No...that's...that's stupid. Really, really stupid." She soon denied with a haunted look on her face.

"Yeah. Just...overactive imagination." Akira awkwardly chuckled out. "I mean, people can be cannibals someti-" He then casually added before...

"Guys, focus." Morgana interrupted, gaining everyone's attention once more. "Looks like Haru isn't going to budge on much more info. We need to talk to the others about our next move tonight." He then reminded and informed everyone.

"Hai." Asuka responded with a nod. "Though I get the feeling that there's more to Haru-chan's motives than just the workers." She then muttered in worry as they all separated for the day.


(Practice Building 1F)

As Homura arrived at the Practice Building, she sighed as she looked around. "Still have a lot of work to do since No Neck's demise..." She thought to herself.

As she walked down the hallways, she couldn't help but feel like there was another reason behind the sudden death of their Principal.

I mean she knew that it was possibly Black Mask, but they first needed more information on them before making any sort of action.

For now, she needs to focus on making her school a better place for all the students.

"Then again, me and Makoto essentially run the school now." Homura soon muttered, still processing that fact. She really couldn't believe how incompetent the teachers were.

Let alone their own principal who was mostly making excuses to make himself look good. He even threatened her leader of expulsion should he step out of line and even forced her best friend to spy on them.

At that moment however, Homura heard a familiar voice from down the hallway. "Hm?" She hummed out.

"Mom! Are you serious?! Please tell me you're joking!" Suzuka pleaded while on the phone with her mother.

"Suzu?" Homura muttered in concern to the panic in her committee member's voice as she stayed hidden to listen in.

The tan skinned girl soon watched as her committee member turned pale. "No...He couldn't...There's no way..." Suzuka muttered as she lowered her head and dropped down to the floor while also dropping her phone to the floor as well.

"What in the world happened?" Homura thought to herself as she decided to make herself known. "Suzu, are you alright?" She soon asked.

Suzuka didn't hear her as she stood back with her bangs covering her eyes. She clenched her fists and tears started to trail from her eyes.

"Suzu?" Homura however called out once more in concern.

But Suzuka pushed her aside and started running down the halls as her tears fell out from her eyes as she ran. She rounded the corner and was out of sight.

"S-Suzuka!?" Homura called out as she chased after her committee member.


(Courtyard)

Homura soon enough entered the courtyard and looked around for her committee member. "Jeez, where did she go?" She asked as she scanned the area. "Suzu?! Suzuka, where are you?!" She eventually called out. "If you're here, answer me!" She then added as she looked around even more.

Eventually, the tan skinned girl heard some sniffling, causing her to look over to one of the trees. "There she is..." She thought to herself as she went over to it.

Suzuka was sitting at the trunk of the tree with her knees close to her chest and was crying. "Sakuya...Why did you run away...?" She sniffled and cried even more.

"Sakuya? Her brother?" Homura thought to herself as she got closer. "Suzuka...did something happen to your brother?" She soon asked.

Suzuka looks up to see the tan skinned girl. "Homura...? Is that you...?" She however asked back as she wiped her tears to get a clearer look at her friend.

Homura in response nodded as she sat down next to her committee member. "You unintentionally ran past and ignored me after what appeared to be talking to someone on the phone." She revealed.

"Oh...I'm sorry...I didn't mean to ignore you..." Suzuka apologized and sniffled. "I wasn't thinking earlier and I pushed you aside..." She then admitted.

"It's not a problem." Homura reassured as she then gave off a more concerned expression. "So, what exactly happened?" She soon asked.

"I just got a call from my mom. She was asking where my brother Sakuya was and thought he was with me." Suzuka soon explained. "I told her he wasn't, so that got me worried." She then revealed.

"He ran away from home?" Homura guessed.

"He did, but there was more than that." Suzuka nodded "She called my dad to see if Saku was with him, but he hasn't seen him either. I was starting to get really worried, so I tried calling him on his phone. But no matter what I did, there was no answer!" She started to cry more.

"And you have no possible idea where he could've gone?" Homura soon asked.

"No, I looked everywhere for him! But he wasn't anywhere to be seen!" Suzuka answered. "I checked his usual spots, called the parents of his friends, but he was nowhere to be found!" She continued as she pulled her legs closer to her chest. "And then...And then..." She then started trailing before starting to cry again.

"What? What happened!?" Homura soon questioned in growing concern.

Suzuka takes out her cell phone from her pocket and opens it. She shows her a text message from her brother. "He sent us this text message...Saying that he's had enough and is about to...about to..." She just couldn't get the words out and couldn't hold it back any longer.

"!?" Homura's eyes immediately widened in realization. "No way! You can't be serious Suzuka!" She exclaimed in denial.

"I wish I wasn't, but I am serious! My brother is about to commit suicide!" Suzuka yelled out before throwing herself onto the tan skinned girl.

"We gotta do something about this! There's no time!" Homura declared as she stood up and brought her committee member to her feet.

"But what is there to do?! He wouldn't even talk to me or mom! I failed him! I'm a failure of a sister!" Suzuka cried even more. "And now he's going to kill himself! I'm powerless! I can't help him!" She then exclaimed in a panic.

Homura meanwhile tried to think of everything she could to help, but was drawing blanks with this situation. There's no way she could use her abilities as a shinobi like how her sister did with the last suicide attempt that happened. Her friend's brother was in a depression that seemed like there was no way out.

"Sakuya! Don't kill yourself! Please come home! My little brother!" Suzuka cried out in vain in hopes he hears her.

"Sakuya...Kamijo..." Homura muttered to herself...before remembering what she and her group was planning to do today.

Mementos!

Suzuka drops down to her knees again and just couldn't hold back her tears any longer. "Sakuya...Please come home...Mommy and I missed you...Don't do this to yourself...Please God, save him...I want my little brother back..." Her eyes started to dull in color as the thought of losing her brother would be devastating to both her and her mother.

That settled it, the tan skinned had to save her friend's brother, fast as she stealthfully got her phone out and typed as fast as possible before going and comforting her friend. "Calm down Suzu, you have to be stronger." She soon instructed.

Suzuka didn't even hear her, everything around her was dull and gray. She was about to lose her brother and she's unable to do anything. "I can't do anything...I can't do anything...I can't do anything..." She repeated over and over.

Homura soon took a deep breath before...

SLAP!

Slapping her committee member across her face. "Snap out of it!" She soon ordered.

"Ow! Homura?!" Suzuka gasped and held her cheek where she was slapped. "What the hell was that for?! That really hurts!" She then got out as she winced in pain.

"You were panicking like crazy and not listening to anyone while falling into despair. I had to snap you out of it somehow." Homura countered. "You can't just just give up on your brother! You just can't!" She then declared before grabbing the girl's shoulders and began shaking her.

"But what can I even do anymore?! I did everything I could to help him, but he never talked to me or mom!" Suzuka rebuttal. "I hoped and prayed he'd be back to his cheerful self and smile again, but all that did was just push us even further!" She soon declared. lowered her head and looked down at the ground. "I did everything, but none of them worked...I just don't know what to do anymore..." She then concluded in depression.

"Suzuka Kamijo, I want you to go out and search for your brother right now." Homura suddenly ordered.

"But...But..." Suzuka stuttered from this.

"You need to go and find him right now." Homura however declared.

Suzuka sees in her eyes that she's willing to help her find her brother and is even letting her go out and search for him. She slaps herself with both her hands and straightens herself up. "Yes, ma'am! I will find my brother! I'm not giving up on him! Not now, not ever!" She declared.

Homura meanwhile smirked at this as she took her hand. "That's the spirit." She replied. "Never lose hope, no matter what happened Suzu." She then stated.

"Yeah. Thank you, Homura. For helping me realize I need to be there for him." Suzuka replied in a grateful manner as she smiled and nodded. "I just hope I'm not too late to find him." She then clutched her hand with the tan skinned girls'.

Homura in turn nodded in agreement as she felt her bond with her committee member improve as a result.

RANK UP!

Star Rank 4!

Suzuka pulls her into a hug as she prepares to venture out into the city to find her brother. "Wish me luck, Homura. And thank you for everything." She soon replied.

Homura in response nodded with a smirk. "Yeah. Find him soon." She soon ordered once more.

"I will. You can count on it." Suzuka smiled before letting her go and taking off to find her brother.

As she watched her committee member leave, Homura made her way to leave as well to meet up with the others. It was a race against time now with her committee member finding her runaway brother in the real world while she and the Phantom Thieves went to change his heart to stop him.

Suzuka meanwhile ran out from the front entrance and out of the gates into the streets to search for her brother. But this time with a newfound resolve and will to protect him, no matter what.

For both girls, nothing was gonna stop them now.


(Yongen-Jaya, Futaba's Room)

Asuka opens the door and entered the room. "Futaba-chan, I'm here." She greeted and informed with a smile.

The orangette in turn twirled her chair around and smiled to seeing the Vice Leader. "Hey Asuka." Futaba replied.

"Hey. So how are things with you?" Asuka replied and asked.

"Slow, but everything's going well." Futaba responded and informed in a casual manner.

"That's good to hear." Asuka got out as she nodded.

"So, what are you here for?" Futaba soon asked, getting straight to the point while relaxing herself.

"I just wanted to see what other tokusatsu shows like the one you showed me the other day." Asuka answered.

To that, the orangette grinned widely. "Oh, well that's good, cause I already got something in mind!" Futaba soon declared as she went to her shelf.

"You do? Whatcha got in store for me?" Asuka asked excitedly.

Soon enough, Futaba got the case as she showed the cover that had five people in suits with red, blue, yellow, black and pink being the colors with their motif of being dinosaurs. "Super Sentai number 16, Kyouru Sentai Zyuranger!" She soon declared.

"Zyurangers? That sounds awesome!" Asuka beamed with stars in her eyes.

"Yup, it's one of the older one, but its still a good one to say the least." Futaba replied as she placed the dvd in the player.

"Really? How so?" Asuka meanwhile asked as she sat herself down and got comfortable.

"It's because it also aired in the United States where they've used some of the scenes from this one, but with American actors." Futaba explained.

"Huh, that's impressive." Asuka admitted in an interested tone.

"Yep. They've even gave some of the characters new names for its American audiences and even changed the story in a couple of ways." Futada nodded as she presses play. "I think they called it Mighty Morphing Power Rangers."

Asuka in turn giggled after hearing that name. "Now that's a mouthful." She replied.

"Yeah, tell me about it. But this was actually the first Super Sentai show to air outside of Japan back in the day." Futaba agrees with her own giggle.

"And thus branching out as a result." Asuka guessed in a concluding tone as the orangette pressed the play button and started the show.

"Yep. And it's been going on in both countries for decades now." Futaba nodded as she sat beside her Vice Leader.

"That's pretty cool." Asuka replied as the two stayed silent as the show began.

The intro plays where it showed all five of the main heroes as the theme song played just before the actual episode began.

The two girls meanwhile remained silent as they continued watching.

The episode soon began with an overhead view of a city, leading to a shot of an apartment complex where several kids are heading off to school. It then leads to a newsfeed of a space shuttle headed for planet Nemesis.

"And thus it begins." Futaba started in a dramatic tone as she adjusted her glasses.

"Eh?" Asuka got out in a curious manner before going back to watch the show.

On the shuttle were four people, two men and two boys. Once the shuttle landed on Nemesis, the men got on their suits and headed out to survey the surface of the planet, but it was nothing but a wasteland. That is, until they've noticed something in the distance and heads over to check it out, only to find a large capsule planted in the surface.

"...The enemy is sealed in there, aren't they?" Asuka guessed in a concerned manner.

"That obvious huh?" Futaba replied in a sheepish manner.

The men pulled off the lid of the object and, in a flash of light, four monsters appeared and scared them off. One of the monsters goes over to the capsule to wake up their master, which was a witch who yawns. The witch then asked her minions how long it had been and they've revealed it's been centuries and they are now in the present day.

"...How long exactly?" Asuka meanwhile asked in a curious manner.

The blue monster looked into his bag for a calendar, but the black one was impatient and took it upon himself to look into the bag., much to the white one's annoyance at their constant bickering. The black monster then reveals it's exactly 170 million, four hours, three minutes and twenty seconds.

Asuka's eyes immediately widened in disbelief in response to learning that. "Holy-! That's a really long time!" She got out in shock.

"Yeah, roughly around the time of the dinosaurs." Futaba replied as she nodded and explained.

"And that's the reason for the dinosaur motif!" Asuka soon realized.

"Yep, each of the five main characters are connected to each dinosaur as their guardian." Futaba explained to her.

Asuka in response nodded as she took in this information as they continued watching.

The black alien helps the witch, named Bandora, out of their seal where she then proceeded to destroy it after being locked away for so long. She then turns to the astronauts who had released the seal and as a token of her gratitude, sends them hurling out into deep space. Never to be seen again.

Asuka immediately paled in response, but then quickly turned to anger. "The heroes better kick her ass!" She declared.

"Oh she'll get what's coming to her." Futaba vaguely replied, nodding in understanding of her friend's anger.

Bandora and her minions then turned their attention to earth where she promised that one day she'll return and unleash her undying hatred for being sealed away for 170 million years and then summons her castle from underneath the city.

"And so it begins." Futaba soon declared once in a dramatic manner.

As all the people were watching from the streets below, Bandora, in classic Wicked Witch of the West fashion, flies down to her castle with a golden gargoyle creature right beside her as they fly over the city. She then makes herself known to the people of earth and her plans to make the planet a dead wasteland.

"Jokes on you Bandora! You're gonna lose in the end!" Asuka however declared with a fire in her eyes.

Bandora then demonstrated her power by destroying a building and the surrounding area before reunited with the same old man from earlier, who is then revealed to be her old enemy, the White Magician Barza.

Barza returns to his true form and tries to fight her off, but Bandora reminds him that he lost all his magic since their last battle and uses a garden hose to tie him up and transforms it into a snake to kill him.

"Wow, Bandora really is showing herself to be a real villain." Asuka got out.

"Gotta agree with you there." Futaba admitted in agreement with a nod.

Barza was able to break free from the snake's grip and returned it back to its original form. Bandora then said that she'll use the kids still trapped in the space shuttle and crush them with a steel ball tied to a string with a magnifying glass to heat up the string and snap it, causing the ball to fall right on top of the shuttle.

"No! Not the children!" Asuka exclaimed in a panic.

After being given an hour to save the children, Barza heads for the elevator and punches in a code on the buttons to different floors and presses the last one. The elevator takes him to a hidden chamber with the same dinosaur statues of a T-Rex, a Triceratops, a Pterodactyl, a Saber-Tooth Tiger and a Mammoth. He unlocks each door with their color corresponding keys and manages to awaken four of the five heroes and tasked them to save the kids while he tries to unlock the last door where the leader of the team is.

"Ok, so pink pterodactyl, a blue triceratops, a black mammoth, a yellow saber-tooth tiger and a red tyrannosaurus." Asuka listed off. "Huh, the same colors as the Featherman team we watched." She then pointed out.

"Yup." Futaba replied with a nod. "The original team back in 1975 had red, blue, yellow, pink and green. They sometimes switch up colors between series to mix it up." She then listed off and explained.

Back on the surface, the four heroes were riding on their motorcycles towards Bandora's Castle to save the kids before they're crushed. When they arrived at the castle, they entered a doorway that led them to a beach. While looking around, they've noticed some clay dolls popping out from the dunes and go in for a closer look. But the moment they let their guard down, the clay dolls attacked them and Bandora appeared in a giant mirror and blasted them with her scepter. When she attacked them again, the entire beach shattered and the four were now in a different location. Barza used a cannon to blast down the door to awaken the leader, but it did nothing and he doesn't have much time to lift.

"Come on...come on..." Asuka got out, concerned for what was happening.

As the four heroes were sent to a different location, a cage formed around them and the same aliens from before were watching and laughing at them from a loft. The blue alien pulled on a lever as fire emitted from the floor in an attempt to barbecue them. Mei meanwhile tried to use her arrow, but it was swatted away and the blue alien pulled on the lever repeatedly to spin the cage, making it like a rotisserie.

"Come on...come on..." Asuka once more got out, even more concerned to how things were going.

While the aliens were trying to barbecue the heroes, the magnifying glass was still heating up the rope and caused the steel ball to move closer to the shuttle and crush the kids. As Barza was about to give up and with time almost up, a flash of light and an image of a tyrannosaurus rex flashes on the screen and the final door opens, revealing the leader of the team.

"Yes!" Asuka cheered in relief. "Hurry and go save your team now!" She then called out.

Even though he didn't hear her, the leader jumps towards the castle and lands on top of the cage where his teammates are trapped. The aliens were in shock to see one more human, the leader revealing himself as Geki as he easily broke the lock on the cage, freeing his teammates as the gold gargoyle flies down towards them with a squad of clay monsters and a fight ensues.

"Get'em!" Asuka cheered with a fist pumped into the air.

"Gonna be time soon." Futaba meanwhile got out with a grin.

As the fight rages on, Barza returns to the surface with five medals in hand and tells the team to escape and transform. As he tossed the medals into the air, the five heroes all got out and grabbed their respective medals and transformed into their armored forms.

"They're here!" Asuka cheered. "Dino Buckler!" She then repeated as she perfectly mimicked the heroes.

Futaba meanwhile smiled to see this. "Glad she's getting into it like Homura with magical girl anime." She thought to herself.

"TyrannoRanger! Geki!" Geki announced.

MammothRanger! Goushi!" Goshi announced.

TriceraRanger! Dan!" Dan announced.

TigerRanger! Boi!" Boi announced.

PteraRanger! Mei!" Mei announced.

"Kyouryu Squad Zyurangers!" Geki declared just as the gold gargoyle and the clay monsters all jumped down and the fight continued on.

"Awesome!" Asuka cheered in excitement.

As the fight rages on, the steel ball is getting closer to the shuttle and is about to crush the kids still trapped inside. While Geki takes on the gargoyle, he sent Dan and Mei into the castle to save the kids. Seeing as only one of them can reach the kids, Dan had Mei jump off from his arms and onto the balcony where she grabbed the shuttle just in time before the steel ball snapped off the rope and crushed the table.

"Come on, save them, save them please..." Asuka muttered in anticipation.

But just as Dan and Mei were celebrating their successful rescue, a massive hand crashes through the wall and causes Mei to drop the shuttle. The hand grabs the shuttle and takes it outside as Mei and Dan try to stop it. But as they looked out at the hole, a towering giant shows up and is holding the shuttle in one of its hands. As Dan and Mei told the others what just happened, the giant named DoraTitan swings down its sword at them and destroys the building they're standing on. All the while, Bandora's laughing was heard as the episode ends with DoraTitan vanishing from sight.

"What!? Cliffhanger first episode!?" Asuka exclaimed in shock.

"Yep. That's how the first episode ends." Futaba nodded.

"Well that's the ending for an episode..." Asuka mumbled out.

"Yeah, it really sucks that it's a cliffhanger on the first episode." Futaba agreed.

"Guessing those can be often for some Super Sentai series?" Asuka soon guessed.

"Oh yeah." Futaba replied with a nod. "So what did you think of it so far?" She then asked.

"Seems like a pretty good series so far." Asuka admitted with a smile, her body filled with anticipation to watch more. "I can't wait to see Bandora lose." She then added.

"Yeah, same here. But we'll have to save that for another time." Futaba nodded.

"Oh yeah, it is getting late." Asuka pointed out.

"Yeah, so we'll watch the next episode the next time you come visit." Futaba nods.

"Sure!' Asuka replied before patting the orangette's head. "Have a good night Futaba-chan." She then added as she made her way to the door.

"You too, Asuka!" Futaba waved at her, really liking the petting she received.

Smiling in response, Asuka headed out and home for the night.


(9/16, Evening)

(Yongen-Jaya, Leblanc)

When Akira arrived back home to the cafe, Sojiro suddenly told him to take care of things here while he ran some errands and to close up the shop. There wasn't much of an explanation to why he was going out, but he was already out the door before Akira could even ask. It was probably important, so he let it go.

It was actually rather empty in the restaurant, so Akira decided to make himself some coffee to give himself a little more of a boost. A quick espresso shot more than a full cup.

"Hey Morgana, what do you want for dinner tonight?" Akira asked as he prepared his own drink before taking a second to look inside the fridge. "We have salmon, tuna, and...a sandwich."

"What's in the sandwich?" Morgana decided to ask.

"Let's see..." Akira muttered as he opened it up. "Uh...looks like...strawberries, custard, and blueberries. I'm gonna guess this is Futaba's..." He then got out.

BZZT! BZZT!

On instinct, Akira took out his phone like usual and began seeing who messaged him.

[Alibaba9: You're damn right it is! Ann bought it for me but since Sojiro and Big Sis wanted me to eat a little healthier today I can't so DON'T! TOUCH! IT!]

"If we still have the restaurant bugged, you may as well install speakers and put the fear of God into some people." Akira suggested as he pocketed his phone.

"Futaba texted you?" The not cat asked out, hearing the statement.

"Yeah." Akira nodded. "Said she'll kill us if we touch the sandwich. Her sandwich." He then warned.

"Okay. Uh...I'll take the tuna today." Morgana requested.

"I'll get it ready after closing time." Akira responded as he checked the clock before continuing to make his cup. Only an hour to go.

Eventually, Akira managed to create a nice little cup of espresso that he was satisfied with.

"Mmm...the espresso tastes good...should find some ways to enhance the aroma and flavor." Akira muttered, tasting the coffee that he made for himself.

DING! DING! DING!

"So this is the place..." A slightly raspy female voice got out.

Akira set down his cup as soon as he saw an elderly woman with a cane walk into the cafe while her eyes were gazing around the establishment, somehow admiring the atmosphere.

She had her gray hair tied into a bun with a shuriken-like accessory and had a pair of sunglasses resting on her forehead. For her dress, it was 5-parts finery, with a green long hakama skirt, a white kimono shirt, beige sleeves, and a dark gray jacket, held by a dark brown ribbon as a belt. She also had a pearl necklace and a red scarf around her neck.

Wait, why did her appearance look vaguely familiar to him?

"A cafe. Environment's very pleasing, to say the least." The old woman remarked as she took a seat at the counter.

"May I help you?" Akira stated as he stood up.

"Hmm...you must be the staff here judging from your attire." The elderly woman assumed. "Excuse me for my intrusion, young man. I was wondering if I could order something here. Are you still open? The sign outside said so." She then apologized and asked.

"Well, we're almost closing, but since you're here, I guess I can cater for you." Akira answered.

"Lovely. I'll have the sushi, thanks." The elderly woman stated and then ordered.

"Um...the usual girl who does it isn't here..." Akira however informed.

"Oh, my apologies." The elderly woman then apologized.

"No, it's just a quick warning because my rolls aren't gonna come out as good as hers." Akira however informed. He'd been practicing when he had the time, but he was nowhere near Asuka's level.

"She must be rather impressive." The elderly woman stated with a small smile.

"I've never had any sushi that tastes so good before." Akira confessed with a smile. "But I guess that's a given since she worked at her family's sushi shop." He then recalled.

"Have you ever visited it?" The elderly woman soon asked in a curious manner.

"Ah, no. Probably should though." Akira replied and admitted. "How did you find this place anyways? It's kinda out of the way, you know?" He soon asked in a curious manner.

"Ah, my fool of a husband recommended it to me." The old woman grumbled, looking a little bitter.

Akira quickly caught the angered expression and winced. "What did he do?" He had to ask.

"He neglected to inform me who my new granddaughter is." The elderly woman grumbled in annoyance.

Akira winced. "Wow, that's not something you should do." He got out, shaking his head. "And congratulations." He then added with a smile.

"Thank you, young man." The elderly lady responded with a smile.

"Morgana, get off the seat." Akira discreetly ordered as he faced him with a wink, earning a nod from the not cat and silently informing that he needed to hide for a moment.

"A cat? This place allows pets?" The old woman stated, noticing the creature and asked.

"My pet cat, actually." Akira replied as he picked up the not cat. "His name is Morgana. Say hi, Morgana." He then got out.

"M-Mreow?" Morgana meowed, cringing a little. He did not like making cat noises, especially when he can't hear what his cat noises are.

"Hm. Cute fella." the old lady cooed as she began to pet the black cat.

"Careful now. He doesn't like being called cute." Akira warned as Morgana narrowed his eyes, resisting the urge to hiss at the lady.

"I doubt he can understand what I'm saying." The old woman scoffed.

"Oh, lady, you have no idea." Akira thought in his head.

BZZT! BZZT!

"Oh. Excuse me for a moment." Akira got out as he pulled out his phone. "Futaba, not now…" He muttered.

[Alibaba9: Leader, that old lady with you...something tells me she's shinobi-affiliated judging from her appearance from my hidden camera there. Call it a gut feeling.]

[Alibaba9: Maybe make her slip some info for us about something as discreet as possible if you wish to.]

"What?" Akira whispered before looking at the elder. "I mean...the shuriken kinda gives off those vibes but I don't know..." He muttered. For all intents and purposes, she seemed like any other old lady that usually came here. But then again, looks can be deceiving.

Ignore Futaba's advice.

Trust Futaba.

"...Welp, unfiltered paranoia hasn't failed anyone yet." Akira thought as he cut up the sushi and placed it onto a plate. "Here you go, ma'am. Hope you like it." He then got out in a polite manner.

"Thank you." The suspected shinobi replied before grabbing a piece and popping it into her mouth. "Mmm! Why did you sell yourself so short? This is delicious." She soon praised the boy.

"Ehhh...Well, I'm glad you liked it, ma'am. Though I'm not as good as my co-worker." Akira sheepishly stated as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Hm, well, you shouldn't hold yourself up to such a high standard." The old woman advised.

"I probably should." Akira admitted with a shrug. Okay, now it's time to start probing the old woman. "Hey, I heard it's been getting pretty crazy lately around town. I mean, there's been thieves running around since May and now this whole thing with that company that Big Bang Burger is part of."

"Ah, Tokyo has been getting out of hand with all the attention going around." The elderly lady remarked. "Especially with these so-called Phantom Thieves. What nonsense." She soon scoffed.

"Hm?" Akira hummed out, looking a little confused. "Um, I wouldn't call it nonsense, ma'am. There was the school, then the exhibit, then the building, and that whole hacker group. It's too much evidence to write off that they don't exist." He then informed.

"Oh, I know they exist." the old woman clarified. "It's just how they go about it is wrong." She then stated.

That in turn caused the Phantom Thieves Leader to raise an eyebrow. "Wrong?" Akira repeated in a curious tone. "How so?" He soon asked.

"Well, the grand spectacle is a bit much, and there's no need to vandalize public property." the old woman explained, rolling her small eyes. "And then there's this...anger...rage I sense from each of their displays. As if they think the world owes them a favor." She then noted.

"Anger?" Akira repeated. "I can...see that...but it comes from a good place." He then pointed out.

"Emotions can cloud judgment. And from what I've seen, each target seemed rather personal to them." The old woman countered. "If they wish to continue their exploits, they must not let such feelings get in the way of their goals. Hesitate for one second, and it can all be over." She then stated.

"That's...a little extreme for an insight." Akira responded. "I can see where you're coming from, but without emotions you're just another cog in a machine. Sometimes, you need to break something before you can fix it." He soon countered.

Upon hearing that, the old lady quietly cackled in amusement. "You're very knowledgeable and wise...for a young man like you, boya." She noted.

"What can I say? I had to grow up a little faster than most." Akira responded with an awkward chuckle.

"Well, you best not grow up too fast. Youth is not eternal after all." The old lady then advised.

"I can agree with you there." Akira nodded as he cleaned up his workplace after serving the food.

"You seem so invested in these Phantom Thieves." The elderly woman soon noted.

"It's nothing special." Akira simply stated, trying his best to keep composure. "Just my friends at school being total fans. Couldn't help but indulge in the conversations." He then added.

"The Phantom Thieves are popular amongst youngsters like you." The elderly lady muttered. "But the next generation could be improved if they weren't around to solve all their problems for them." She then sighed out.

"I agree." Akira responded with a nod. "But right now, they're a necessary evil." He then stated.

"Necessary evil, huh?" The old woman repeated with a small chuckle. "You really have some more interesting insights inside your head than mine, boya." She then remarked.

"I'm just full of surprises, o-bāsan." Akira chuckled before realizing something. "Sorry, I never got your name." He soon got out.

"Ah, you may call me Sayuri." The old woman casually informed. "If you attend Shujin, you might know my granddaughter, Asuka Shirokage." She then assumed.

"Okay, Sayuri-o-basan. Yes, I attend Shujin, and...your granddaughter?" The Leader stated before doing a double take, hearing something he did not expect.

"Asuka Shirokage." Sayuri repeated with a nod. "Yes, her. Since she works here and this is a small place, I assume you know her." She then assumed.

The gears in Akira's head began to grind to a halt. "Asuka's...grandmother!?" He mentally exclaimed.

Yep. Shinobi-affiliated, definitely. Good call, Kurusu for hearing out Futaba.

Because now, he was internally panicking.

"M-Maybe she's just a civilian that married the legendary shinobi..." Akira thought as sweat began to go down his neck.

"Is something wrong, boya?" Sayuri asked in concern.

"Oh. N-Nothing." Akira responded before cursing his stammering and his sudden moment of silence. "Just remembering something that I needed to do for school. Deadline's coming up. And yes, Asuka's my co-worker here in the cafe. She's also one of my best friends at school." He soon informed.

"Heh, the girl always makes friends with everyone she lays her eyes on." Sayuri remarked. "Though...I do wonder..." She then mumbled before shaking her head.

"Not everyone…" Akira couldn't help but think. "So, you're her grandmother." The Leader soon got out.

"I did just tell you that only, what? 10 seconds ago?" Sayuri pointed out. "You need to improve your memory." She then chuckled.

"Ah, just...kinda surprised you took this long to actually tell me." Akira muttered. Man, this old lady was running verbal circles around him

"I was just messing with you, boya. I wanted to see your true personality after all." Sayuri explained.

"Ooookay?" Akira got out in a skeptical tone. "And what do you think of me, if you don't mind me asking?" He soon questioned, sounding genuinely curious.

"You seem like someone that anyone can rely on, even if you seem quite forgetful." The old woman answered. "After all, you wouldn't be in a relationship with one of my granddaughters." She then pointed out with a smirk.

"I'm not that forgetful..." Akira stated in his head. "Thank you, o-basa- wait, excuse me?" He then began out aloud before realizing what she said and asked.

Sayuri let out a hearty laugh at the look of his face. "Heh, men can be quite easily embarrassed sometimes." She breathed out. "Anyway, I just wanted to see what type of food was here at my granddaughter's current workplace. That idiot didn't mention she had a friend that worked here as well." She then informed.

"Yeah, that would be me." Akira got out as he adjusted his glasses. "Akira Kurusu, local idiot around these parts." He then introduced himself in a proper manner.

Asuka's grandmother laughed once more. "Pahahaha! You know how to make a lady laugh, don't you?" She then commented.

"They don't call me Joker for nothing." Akira couldn't help but say.

"Well, Joker, I hope we meet again later down the line." Sayuri got out as she stood up from her seat, having finished her sushi throughout their conversation.

"I look forward to it." Akira replied with a bow.

"And take care of her. There's still a lot about the world she doesn't know." Sayuri soon instructed the Leader.

However, that actually managed to rub the Leader the wrong way with her tone. "Asuka can handle herself just fine without me." Akira informed, still keeping his polite tone but with a slight edge to it.

"I'll be the judge of that." Sayuri responded. "Now, how much is the sushi again?" She soon asked.

"800 yen." Akira answered, adjusting his glasses with his finger.

"So expensive..." The old woman grumbled before placing down the cash from her purse. "Thank you for the meal and the company." She soon thanked the boy.

"It's no problem. Have a good day." Akira responded with a wave. After the old woman left, he picked up the money, only to realize there was something wrong. "...Wait, she gave me way more than 800 yen. H-Hey, hold on, you left behind too much!" He realized and soon called out as he swiftly leapt over the counter and headed out the door to stop the elderly lady.

However, when he stepped outside the old woman was gone.

"Wait, where did she-" Akira began to ask before slapping his forehead. "Right. Shinobi. Damn, she's fast..." He then muttered while looking down at the money. 2000 yen for a 800 yen order? Either this was a tip, or she simply didn't notice. Either way, he felt scummy keeping it but there was no helping it, so he pocketed the extra 1200 yen.

"Well, that was...interesting." Morgana got out as he came out of his hiding spot. "So she really is Lady Asuka's grandmother?" He then asked.

"Yep. Married to the legendary shinobi." Akira stated as he shook his head. "Holy hell, she must be insanely strong." He then assumed.

"Ehh...but she's really old. She can't be that dangerous, right?" Morgana informed.

"Never underestimate elderly ladies, Morgana." Akira warned before looking up at the night sky. "And I'm pretty sure she's been a shinobi for a very long time now." He then added while narrowing his eyes.

BZZT! BZZT!

[Alibaba9: Hey, local idiot around these parts, is there a phone nearby you?]

[TheWildJ0ker: Futaba...I'm using my phone right now.]

[Alibaba9: 'Cause I fricking called it!]

[Alibaba9: Aw, you ruined my joke!]

"You know, she could've walked out here during the time it took to text me." Akira sighed out as he pocketed his phone. "So telling Miyabi about this..." He then whispered quietly enough not to be picked up by the orangette's bugs.

"Looks like more shinobi are coming to Tokyo." Morgana got out, looking rather concerned. "I have a bad feeling about this..." He then mumbled out.

"Me too." Akira admitted. "But hey, it could just be a friendly visit. Who knows what's gonna happen later." He then added with a shrug. Hopefully, this wasn't an indication of anything too serious...


(Rooftops)

Meanwhile, on the roof of the building right across from Leblanc, four girls, along with the elderly woman named Sayuri, looked down at the confused boy, who seemed to be talking to his cat before going back inside.

"That was the boya, correct?" Sayuri asked the little girl.

"Yep. He had the smell of stronger Yōma on him the moment I hid beside the cafe door outside." The girl confirmed with a nod. "And I've picked up multiple people who had similar scents as him." She then informed.

"Who are they?" Naraku decided to ask.

"Still trying to find them around Tokyo, Naraku." Kagura responded with a shake of her head. "There are at least twelve people with that scent."

"Only twelve?" A brunette questioned with a raised eyebrow. "There must be more." She then stated.

The little girl however shook her head in response. "No. Only a dozen, Renka." She replied.

"That...that can't be right." Naraku responded. "Kagura-sama, there have been actual armies sent to deal with lesser Yōma, and you're telling me that a small group of people were able to kill groups of powerful Yōma? And if possible, Shin?" She then added in disbelief.

"Also, that little kitty had the same smell, too." Kagura added.

That in turn caused the elderly lady to raise an eyebrow. "...What." Sayuri questioned in a curious manner.

"Oh...that kitty cat must be really strong then!" Hanabi got out in an excited tone.

"I refuse to believe that a house pet is able to fight and eliminate any form of Yōma." A short pigtailed blonde sighed out. "Maybe the boy's smell of them spread over the cat as well." She then suggested.

"A likely possibility, Kafuru." Naraku responded.

"Did you get anything interesting from him, Sayuri-sama?" Renka soon asked the one in charge of their mission.

"I don't sense any shinobi energy on him." The elderly woman replied. "I am very curious how the hell did he manage to get involved with the Yōma if he is a regular civilian." She then added.

"Maybe he isn't just a regular civilian." Hanabi spoke up before gasping. "Maybe he's one of the Phantom Thieves!" She then exclaimed.

"Hanabi, STFU before you kill more brain cells." Kafuru sighed out. "Sayuri-sama just said he has no traces of shinobi energy in him, so he's definitely a normal civilian, not a shinobi nor a member of the Phantom Thieves. We don't even know if these Phantom Thieves are actually a group of renegade shinobi or something else entirely." She then informed.

"But he was definitely involved with the sudden worldwide mass death of weaker-class Yōma if he has such a smell on him." Renka muttered. "What do we do, Sayuri-sama?" She then turned to the one in charge.

"...Hmmm..." The elderly woman hummed out as she rubbed her chin.

"Sayuri-sama, what are your orders?" Naraku soon asked, inserting her hands in her hoodie's pockets.

"...I have to admit, this is more complicated than I thought." Sayuri confessed while adjusting her pipe. "It's a strong possibility that the people that Kagura can detect a strong concentration of Yōma blood may be connected to what happened. It may be possible that they've managed to get into a Shinobi Kekkai, be it intentional or accidental, and got involved with Yōma-related altercations." She soon theorized.

"But that doesn't make sense..." Renka mumbled as she rubbed her forehead before gasping. "Wait, wasn't Hanzō-sama here investigating a powerful Yōma?" She then remembered.

"Yes." Sayuri answered with a nod.

"And didn't he say it was likely about Shin?" Renka pressed as she frowned.

"...Yes." The elderly woman replied, nodding once again. "He started on the 1st of this month ..." She then informed.

"And on the 5th of the same month, Yōma began to constantly die in droves." Kafuru concluded. "...Wait, you don't think...?" She then whispered as the pieces began to fall into place for them.

"That Yōma-altercation the moment before lesser Yoma started to die slowly...it's likely that the Yoma who those people encountered wasShin." Renka realized as everyone's eyes began to widen aside from Sayuri, who only stared with narrowed eyes.

"So...does that mean Shin is...dead?" Kafuru assumed, her heart beginning to race at the thought.

"That would be the best explanation of the death of lesser Yōma." Sayuri realized.

"Did Hanzō-sama have anything to do with it?" Kafuru asked.

"I'm not sure. I'll have to ask him." Sayuri answered. "We're still lacking in information." She then muttered with narrowed eyes.

"Might I suggest we interrogate this boy in the cafe?" Renka suddenly suggested. "We need answers now for whatever he got involved with Yōma. A regular civilian involved with shinobi related affairs...that is something we should not slip by our minds." She then explained.

"But if these twelve people have the power to eliminate Yōma, one of them alone must be stronger than all of us...right?" Naraku pointed out.

"Not as strong as Kagura-sama." Kafuru pointed out. "And that's assuming they had direct involvement. For all we know, they were just caught in the crossfire like a bunch of noobs." She then added.

"Wha-?" Hanabi suddenly got out, having zoned out during all the talking. She even drooled a little. "Did someone say fireworks?" She then asked.

WHACK!

"Hanabi, pay attention." Kafuru scolded after whacking the fireworks-loving older sister on the head.

"Owie..." Hanabi groaned, rubbing the part where she was hit.

"So, we're going through with the interrogation then?" Renka soon questioned.

"No...I think we should do more information gathering before we do something as drastic as that." Sayuri however advised everyone. "We're just rushing things right now." She then added.

"And when it comes down to it?" Renka questioned.

"Make sure he, his allies and his associates talk by any means necessary." The elderly woman ordered.

"So if he doesn't cooperate with us, then I'll whack him with my hammer." Hanabi added with a wide grin.

"T-That will kill him, Hanabi." Naraku however pointed out with a sweatdrop.

"I'll do it softly. Like this! DOKAN!" Hanabi assured before summoning her hammer and swinging it downwards at a nearby potted plant.

SMASH!

Said plant was immediately smashed into dust, and the ground underneath had a nice, round pothole in it now.

"You idiot! Someone can hear and see us here!" Kafuru called out, looking thoroughly pissed by her dumb sister's actions.

"Oops." Hanabi could only say with a small blush on her face.

"Don't fucking go oops, you imbecile!" Kafuru shouted out, not exactly inconspicuous herself.

"Both of you are drawing attention to us." Naraku pointed out. "Look, I don't think extreme measures are necessary. We only want the truth, and if they aren't willing to trust us, they're going to not give us what we want, or at least an accurate version of what we want." She soon stated.

"So, how do you propose we go about getting the info we need?" Kafuru questioned with narrowed eyes.

"We gain their trust." Naraku answered.

The Mikagura sisters blinked. "...You want us to make friends?" They all got out in unison.

"Ooh! That sounds fun!" Kagura got out in a happy tone. "I wanna be friends with the boy with glasses! He seems really nice." She then confessed.

"I shall accompany you in that regard, Kagura-sama." Naraku added.

"And then I use my hammer." Hanabi soon spoke up with a starry look in her eyes.

"Put away the hammer, Hanabi." Renka deadpanned.

"Aw..." The hammer-wielder then got out in a sad tone as she dropped said hammer with a thud.

"Tch. Idiot." Kafuru scoffed as she crossed her arms under her breasts. "This seems like more work than what it's worth." She then remarked in annoyance.

"But it may prove effective. Just because we are shinobi does not give us the excuse to harm civilians, as unlikely as our targets may be." Sayuri stated before blowing out a large puff of smoke. "I'll talk to Hanzō and get what I can from him, while all of you track down those with a high concentration of Yōma blood on them and get them to tell you about their involvement." She then instructed the girls.

"Hai!" The Mikagura sisters and Kagura responded in unison.

"Good luck to all of you." Sayuri stated before...

WHOOSH!

She vanished on the spot, leaving the Mikagura sisters, Kagura and Naraku all alone on the rooftop.

"First, Yōma, and then these so-called mental shutdowns, and then these Phantom Thieves." Kafuru soon listed off. "Geez, Tokyo can't even catch a break." She then remarked

"And it's only going to get worse from here." Renka responded. "Not everyone is happy about the death of the Yōma after all..." She then added with narrowed eyes.

"Hee-hee-hee~ These next few days are going to be so much fun!" The little girl giggled and squealed in abnormal joy as she sat on the building's edge with her legs swinging.


(Shibuya, Shin Megami Apartment Complex)

Asuka and Homura had gotten home at around the same time and decided to spend the night staying in and watching something on TV before they headed to bed tonight. After getting themselves cleaned up and making dinner, they sat on the couch and watch a game show.

"Isn't the quizmaster supposed to be intimidating here? Because the contestants are seriously giving him a lot of emotional damage he's gonna need to work out after work." Homura questioned and pointed out.

"They are losing though..." Asuka however noted. "How could they get such an obvious question wrong? We were taught that just today." She then asked in a curious manner.

"Probably ditched those lessons as soon as they graduated." Homura assumed as she shrugged her shoulders. "Useless trivia and skills can save lives some days." She then stated.

"Well, remind me you said that when my sushi making skills save the world." Asuka joked.

"Given our lives, that is a non-zero chance." Homura pointed out.

"Hehehehehe..." Asuka could only giggle in response.

"Hey Sis. How is Gramps?" Homura suddenly asked in a curious manner.

"Jii-chan?" Asuka got out with a raised eyebrow. "Uhh...I haven't talked to him in a while. I just assumed he was still busy with the whole Yōma stuff. Investigations take a long time to work through after all." She informed with a frown.

"Well, Shin's dead so that might be an unnecessary effort." Homura muttered. "We should probably tell him..." She then suggested.

The Vice Leader soon began to sweat. "But...he'll find out we're Phantom Thieves and...I-I couldn't take him being disappointed or mad." Asuka nervously stated.

"I dunno. Maybe he would be accepting of us. He doesn't seem like the type to get mad at us unless we massively screw up." Homura assumed. "But then again, we have been screwing up a lot lately..." She then mumbled as her mind flashed through the last couple of days.

"Well...it's better if he never knows." Asuka muttered with a shake of her head.

BZZT! BZZT!

"And on cue..." Homura whispered as the two sisters pulled out their phones.

[Shut7heFUp: Stereo report on Haru!]

[DarkEyeXI: Sitrep. Situation report, Ryuji.]

[Road2Queen: Well, Haru wants to tackle her father's Palace by herself with Asuka, Homura and Morgana.]

[Negative8Degrees: That doesn't sound like a good idea.]

[All4Painting: Given the resistance we encountered in our short time within the space station, it would be very unwise.]

[Alibaba9: Inari translation: It's a deathwish.]

[Sweetkat06: Akira, if she really goes through with this, can you convince her to let you join?]

[FireGirl20: Yeah. Having our trump card would help.]

[TheWildJ0ker: That's not the problem here.]

[TheWildJ0ker: She's hiding something serious if she wants to risk her life on this.]

[SushiRoll23: Hai. If we're going to do this, Haru-chan needs to be honest with us.]

[Shut7heFUp: Really? What would she be hiding then?]

[TheWildJ0ker: Something personal, I assume.]

[FireGirl20: And she's nowhere near our level. She needs to get stronger, fast.]

[DarkEyeXI: What do we do with Haru then?]

[SushiRoll23: I'm kinda stuck here guys...]

(...)

[TheWildJ0ker: What about Mementos?]

[Shut7heFUp: Hey! Good thinkin'!]

[TheWildJ0ker: Actually, it was Morgana who suggested it.]

[Alibaba9: We do have a backlog of requests since you guys left for Hawaii. It might be a good idea to get Haru some experience in Phantom Thievery before throwing her into the deep end.]

[FireGirl20: I have a request we could totally knock out tomorrow.]

[SushiRoll23: Mementos day, Leader?]

[TheWildJ0ker: Mementos day.]

"Good idea, Mona. That's two birds with one stone." Homura got out with an impressed smirk on her face.

"Who would throw stones at birds? That seems needlessly cruel." Asuka remarked.

"It's just a saying, Sis." The tan skinned girl waved off.

"I know, but it's still pretty terrible to think about, right?" Asuka soon pointed out.

Homura thought about it for a second. "...True." She then agreed.

"Guess I need to take stock of our inventory." Asuka got out as she got off the couch and headed over to the closet to retrieve the duffle bag.

"Should we swing by Untouchable to get Haru-senpai better armor and weapons?" Homura soon questioned, remaining on the couch to enjoy the current program.

"Definitely armor if Iwai-san doesn't stock grenade launchers and axes yet." Asuka answered

"Oh...and how about...the fact that Haru-chan didn't seem to have a proper Persona yet..." Asuka remembered out loud. "Should we...tell the others?" She then suggested.

"We should." Homura answered. "We can't hide something like that, especially in a situation where we need her." She then stated.

"Okay. Hopefully it won't make Haru-chan feel too bad." Asuka responded with a nod.

"And that was the Mental Damage Quiz Super Show Spectacular. Now, onto today's news."

"Alright, what else is going wrong today…" Homura muttered.

"Former Okumura Foods employees have begun raising their voices in protest. Their complaints include unpaid overtime and health problems caused by overwork. Some protestors started to get violent outside their headquarters in a fierce dispute with police. It's highly suspected that this protest is related to the window vandalism incident and recent break-in."

"The workers are starting to rebel..." Asuka muttered with a frown.

"Looks like Okumura hitting first on the polls sparked it." Homura assumed. "Even if it was manipulated, people are beginning to realize how terrible he is. That damn Conspiracy..." She then grumbled under her breath.

"But it's not like he's an innocent man in the first place." Asuka reminded. "Whatever reason he may have for being like this, it's no excuse for abusing his employees." She then stated.

"I just hope Haru can take what may happen to her father." Homura sighed out. "He might turn himself in or give up the company. Who knows what he'll do when all that guilt hits him." She then pointed out. She didn't want to ruin someone's life because of their actions after all…only the bad guys' lives.

"Well...all we can do is hope things turn out for the better." Asuka got out as she changed channels to something more happy.

"We are relying too much on hope these days, huh?" Homura remarked with a frown.

"Yeah." Asuka sighed out as she shook her head. "But...we have to at least believe in hope itself. Better than just falling to despair after all, right?" She then pointed out.

"Yeah, but it feels like we're waiting for a divine solution." Homura clarified. "And let me tell you, I don't think God has been on our side since the beginning." She then added as the two continued wasting the night away at home.


(Hebijo Base)

Ryōna looked down at her phone to check if this was the right place. It had been a long trip to Tokyo, and she did spend a lot of time indulging in her desires (and getting paid for it), but it was time to get to work.

"Hmm...I guess this is the place..." The blonde murmured in a soft-spoken manner, unlike how she acted with others around. She then went over to the door and opened it.

CRACK!

The masochistic blonde fully expected a wave of dust to fly right in her face, but none of it came. Ryōna was confused for a second but decided to shrug it off and head inside to turn on the lights. It was way too dark in there.

FLASH!

Ryōna blinked as she looked around. "It's...clean." She noticed. And well-maintained. It looked like someone had just been here to wax the floors and wipe down all the crevices. It actually looked like a decent secret base to hide out in.

She soon noticed the garden in the middle of the place. "Are these...pink beansprouts?" The blonde soon wondered. It was practically everywhere, growing into the cracks and bursting out of the ground. This didn't look like anything natural. But it looked edible.

Looked.

Now, Ryōna was many things to many people; A masochist, a walking red flag, an emotional time bomb hidden behind lots and lots of fetishes, but there is one thing she does have something she denies when things get serious: dumb.

She had researched every plant and fungus that could be found in Japan, and knew which ones to eat to inflict the most pain/pleasure on herself, and which ones would actually kill her. It was one thing to poison yourself with spicy diarrhea, it was another to drop dead in the middle of the street. She wanted to live, thank you very much.

So when faced with an unknown plant/mushroom/thing, the first rule of foraging was to never, ever, touch it. For all she knew, consuming it could give her only 24 hours to live and she wouldn't even know it until it was too late.

Besides, even if it was safe to eat, it wasn't like she was going to be here to use it.

Nope. She had other plans.

They had other plans.

"Avoid Haruka and Homura. Find Miyabi. In and out. No one will know until we're long gone." Her sister's voice echoed within her head.

Tightly gripping her unique guns, she aimed the red one at the pink sprouts and fired two flaming bullets at it.

BANG! FWOOSH!

Ryōna watched the pink bean sprouts set alight. The base was of no use to her when Inokashira Park's benches were available to kill her back when she slept (she was still very much a masochist underneath it all).

It was time to fulfill their purpose, their reason for transferring to Hebijo.

By next week, Miyabi will die.

For their older sister that was murdered by her hands.


Save Game…Quit!

Asuka/Yin's Social Stats:

Leadership- Paragon (Level 5)

Knowledge- Sage (Level 5)

Proficiency- Masterful (Level 4)

Diligence- Rock Solid (Level 5)

Courage- Heroic (Level 5)

Homura/Yang's Development Stats:

Maturity- Adult (Level 4)

Knowledge- Sage (Level 5)

Femininity- Natural (Level 4)

Elegance- Yamato Nadeshiko (Level 5)

Understanding- Saintly (Level 5)


Whew! Done! Next chapter is where things start to get really fun!

UknownHero signing off, my friends!