UknownHero here and welcome to this mega chapter of Senran Persona! 46,000 words, baby! Currently watching Smosh videos right now and enjoying a little nostalgia and- holy ballsing shit, Anthony is back. Hooray! The channel either grows back to what it once was or crashes and burns, and I'll be there for the ride!

Senran Persona: Ninjas of Hearts has a TV Tropes. Please feed my addiction by improving the page.

Onto the reviews! To ConnivingG: …Why didn't I think of that? I was totally stuck on what to do for Okumura's calling card, but you just gave me an idea. Thank you. To KingJGamer: Yeah… while we tend to stick to canon pretty closely, the Senran Kagura timeline is absolutely fucked. Like, irreparably destroyed by the end of this thing.

Anyways, that's it! Time to fight!

Load Game…Start!


Chapter 124: Life and Death, Risk and Reward


(9/21, Early Morning)

(Shibuya, Shin Megami Apartment Complex)

Miyabi yawned as she woke up, rubbing the crust out of her eyes. She had quite the weird dream last night where she had to stop stupid kids from stealing stuff, until she thought it was a good idea to let the teenager drive the car into oncoming traffic while calling the police to get them arrested. While in said car.

It was...not exactly one of her usual dreams, but it was better than the routine nightmares she tended to have.

Miyabi soon blinked as she looked around, finding herself not in her apartment but in Asuka and Homura's bedroom. "Right...was planning to sleep on the couch, but they managed to convince me to sleep with them..." She thought before looking down.

She and Homura had sandwiched Asuka together and wrapped their arms around her. The Vice Leader herself was happily drooling as she mumbled about marshmallows and... spraying their hot white goo over her...?

"...You really need a lover, huh, Asuka-senpai." Miyabi quietly muttered.

"She will never." A different female voice however stated.

"Homura, you're awake?" Miyabi whispered in a surprised manner.

"Mmhm." Homura hummed out.

"How is it exactly that the three of us ended up cuddling the way we did before waking up again?" Miyabi asked in an awkward manner.

"You get used to it." Homura breathed out. "And hey, at least we're not naked." She soon got out with a shrug before lifting up the blanket. "We are bottomless though." She then informed.

"Eh?" Miyabi got out before taking off the blanket. "...Where the fuck is my underwear?" She groaned out.

"Huh?" Asuka yawned as she woke up...with three pairs of different colored panties on her head. "Oh, good morning guys." She soon greeted.

"..." Homura and Miyabi could only stare at the Vice Leader, neither quite ready to say anything.

"What?" Asuka soon got out in confusion, wondering why they were looking at her so early in the morning.

"I'm not even going to ask." Miyabi muttered as she plucked her pair off of the Vice Leader's head.

"That is also something you get used to." Homura soon advised.

"What? What did I do!?" Asuka exclaimed in a panic before noticing her own panties over her face. "Moh..." She mumbled.

"Come on, Sis, we have a bath to take." Homura reminded.

"Hai..." Asuka responded as she got up.

Soon enough, after a nice bath and a hearty breakfast, the shinobi were ready to start the day...as soon as they got dressed.

BOING!

"Be sure to get dressed, you two." Miyabi instructed.

"Yeah, because without your help, we'd leave the apartment naked." Homura sarcastically got out as she put on her socks.

Asuka however raised her head while she was putting on her shoes. "Wait, what about that one time we-" She then began.

"We said we would never speak of that!" Homura yelped.

"Oooohhh~" Miyabi got out in an interested manner with her hands on her hips. "Something tells me you do need my help." She then stated.

"Says the woman who hasn't put on pants yet!" The tan skinned girl countered as she pointed at the white haired woman's bare legs.

"I'm getting to it! Just need to find the damn thing." Miyabi grumbled while bending down to look under the table, causing her peach pink panties to slip down a little to expose her butt.

"Sorry..." Asuka apologized.

"It's fine." Miyabi sighed. "Ah, fuck it, my apartment's just next door. It's not like there's anyone else of importance here to see me." She then decided.

"...What about that fanclub of yours?" Homura however reminded.

"..." Miyabi froze...before dashing over to the window and peeked out. "Oh God, some of them are camping outside." She muttered.

"I think you need more than pants." Homura soon informed.

"...You're right..." Miyabi muttered, already having a disguise in mind. "...I need to also tell Suzune-sensei about this..." She then added.

"If Suzune-sensei cared, she would've called by now." Homura pointed out. "So...what's your plan on how not to get mauled by fangirls? Because I think we're boned if we get spotted." She then added as Asuka shivered. Even from here she could feel their killing intent.

"...I might need to buy new clothes soon." Miyabi muttered.

"We'll help pick out some new outfits." Asuka soon offered as her sister nodded in agreement.

"Thank you." the white haired woman breathed in relief.

"Oh, speaking of new outfits, are you gonna get some new ones tonight?" Homura soon asked her sister.

"From the fashion runway thing?" Miyabi assumed with furrowed brows. "I can't imagine the price of the dresses you're gonna wear. I doubt they'll just give it to you." She then pointed out.

"I'm not in it for the dresses. I'm in it because I want to." Asuka answered."It may have not been a lifelong dream, but it's a dream nonetheless. I will become a great model, along with Ann-chan." She concluded with a fire of determination in her eyes.

The tan skinned girl smiled as she patted her sister on the back. "Good luck to the both of you. And break a leg." Homura encouraged.

"Hehehe, you basically just said good luck twice." Asuka giggled in amusement.

"No, I mean break a leg if one of those bitches tries something funny with you." The tan skinned girl corrected, still having the same smile on her face.

"...Why didn't you mention that first." Asuka muttered with a sweatdrop.

"I thought it was implied." Homura admitted.

"Yeah, violence can solve so many problems in life as long as there are no consequences." Miyabi happily added.

"What a terrible lesson, sensei." Asuka remarked.

"But a necessary one." Miyabi breathed out.

"So sensei, what's your plan for today?" Asuka soon asked the white haired woman as they ate.

"Hmm...training, making sure Futaba doesn't do anything perverted or stupid, contact Murasaki again to see how she's doing..." Miyabi hummed out and listed off.

"So busy like always for you." Homura concluded.

"Well as the only adult in the Phantom Thieves, I have to do something with my time." Miyabi reminded. "Otherwise, I'll just be a washout shinobi that is one step away from becoming a shut-in who no longer has any worth, and given my current actions, just waiting for someone to chop my head off and burying me somewhere no one will ever find my corpse, only having solace in the fact that no one else will spit on a grave that does not exist." She then added, slowly losing the light in her eyes as she imagined more and more of the depressing scenario. "...I think I need more sleep."

"Yeah...I think I'm happy being a teenager right now..." Homura muttered.

"We should have a team training session!" Asuka suddenly gasped. "We've never done that before." She then pointed out.

"Do we have the time for that?" Miyabi however questioned.

"We'll make time for that." Asuka affirmed. "We need to be ready for anything, after all." She then added.

"I'll organize it then." Homura offered. "Should probably be on a Sunday. We could work on teaching them to summon their own weapons, maybe even allow them to get their Metaverse Outfits in the real world." She then muttered as she pulled out her phone to put down some ideas.

"You should also mention this isn't another excuse to beat everyone up, Homu-neechan." Asuka spoke up.

"Right." Homura agreed as she quickly typed "Must not let Miyabi murder friends" into her phone's notes.

"My training sessions with Akira is not just an excuse to beat everyone up." Miyabi scoffed as she rolled her eyes.

"Just?" Homura repeated as she eyed the woman with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, shove it, Shinkukage." Miyabi grumbled.

"Shirokage-Shinkukage, Kurayami." The tan skinned girl spat back.

"Shirokage, please say something to Shirokage-Shinkukage for Kurayami-sensei." The white haired woman soon requested as the two former Evil shinobi glared at each other.

"...I'm so confused." Asuka bluntly admitted while rubbing the back of her neck.

BZZT! BZZT!

"Huh?" Asuka got out as she pulled out her phone.

Homura and Miyabi instantly stopped their little glaring contest and instinctively pulled out their phones, only to see no one had texted them as well. "Who's texting you so early?" Miyabi asked.

"The French guy?" Homura assumed before trying to remember the name. "Mr. Oreo?"

"Oren-san." The Vice Leader corrected with an eye roll before reading the text. "Ah, it was Yumi-chan...she's left for the funeral now..." Asuka then sadly revealed.

"Oh. Right, that was today." Homura mumbled. "We probably should send our well wishes and prayers." She then suggested.

"...Would it be appropriate to crash the funeral?" Miyabi suddenly suggested.

"Miyabi-chan!" Asuka gasped. "Family only event. We can't do that." She then informed with a frown.

"I know, but it'll show we care about her in her time of need." Miyabi argued. "It's what friends do, right?" She then pointed out.

"There are better ways to do that than crash a fucking funeral!" Homura angrily called out.

"Okay, crash might be the wrong word here. I was just thinking we could attend uninvited." Miyabi soon got out in a sheepish manner.

"That's what crashing the funeral means!" Homura called out in frustration.

"Do you even know where it's even held!?" Asuka exclaimed before pausing. "Do any of us?" She then asked.

The three of them blinked. "...Futaba can track us with GPS." Miyabi soon remembered.

"Text Yumi, then go to work with whatever job you got, Serpent." Homura deadpanned.

"You can't tell me what to do." Miyabi scoffed as she rolled her eyes. "I mean, I was gonna do it anyway, but do not talk to me as if I'm younger than you." She then added.

"Despite you doing it to Futaba all the time." Homura reminded with a witty grin as the white haired woman blushed.

"Futaba-chan is younger than her though." Asuka however pointed out. "She's younger than all of us. What do you mean by that, Homu-neechan?" She then asked in a confused manner.

"Uh-Um..." The tan skinned girl tried to explain her reasoning, but the words were very difficult to come by all of a sudden.

"Hey, are you two just gonna keep talking, or are we gonna go fulfill our debt to society?" Miyabi interrupted as she checked the time.

"Oh. Right. School's in an hour." Homura breathed out.

"Just make sure to eat everything I packed in your bento today. I worked hard on it and you'll need the energy." Miyabi soon instructed. "Now you two better get to school this instant." She then added with her hands on her hips.

"Whatever you say, Mama Miyabi." Homura soon quipped, getting a giggle from her sister.

The white haired woman soon jolted up as her head became a glowing pink and steaming while watching the two leave as she then rushed to the door. "Moh! I am not old enough to be a mother yet, young lady! I just suggested crashing a freaking funeral for God's sake!" Miyabi soon called out with a raised fist as she left the apartment...pantsless.

The shriek coming from the owner who had come up to warn the only residents on the level pierced the heavens.


(Train)

Yumi let out a breath as she adjusted her Gessen uniform. After wearing the Kosei uniform for over a year at this point, it felt a little alien on her skin. Even her Metaverse outfit (as revealing as it was) felt more familiar to her now.

Still, it provided a little comfort considering what today entailed.

She was glad in some sense that she was able to request some days off from school as a result of her grandfather's passing...but not by that much...

"Ojii-sama..." Yumi mumbled in sadness.

She really wasn't ready, was she?

She didn't want to break again...

BZZT! BZZT!

Yumi jumped in her seat, scared by her own phone vibrating. Mentally cursing herself for being so on edge, she looked at the messages on the...

Wait, private messages?

What was...

[All4Painting: Yumi-senpai, I know I might not be the most tactful person, but I want to say that you are more than my first friend, but a sister to me. You have a bigger family than you know. I'll be waiting to buy lunch for you tomorrow.]

[TheWildJ0ker: Sorry I haven't texted sooner. If you need someone to talk to afterwards, call me okay? Don't bottle up anything. We're here for you.]

[TheWildJ0ker: Lady Yumi, your grandfather is a great man for having raised you to be the wonderful person we know today. I just wished we could've met him. - Mona]

[SushiRoll23: Have a good time with all your friends, Yumi-chan. We'll be here waiting for you with open arms!]

[FireGirl20: I'm here for you if you need any support Yumi-senpai. As a fellow master and sister of Elegance and as a friend. We can dance our sadness and sorrows away together.]

[Shut7heFUp: I have no idea what to write, been thinkin' for at least half an hour trying to word this right, so I'm gonna wing it. Yumi, your grandpa was a badass for being your grandpa. RIP, man.]

[Sweetkat06: I'm so sorry we can't be with you. I stocked up on ice cream if you ever want to come over and binge eat.]

[Road2Queen: Yumi, your grandfather would be proud of the person you've become, regardless of the paths you take. It'll get easier and hurt less with time, but if you ever need help, we'll be there for you. I can also recommend you a therapist if you need professional help. Have fun with your friends today.]

[Alibaba9: Morning Yumi. Um, I'm not great at dealing with something like this, and the last funeral I was at was a literal nightmare, but...know that I care about you. Let me know if you need a laugh, I have memes I know you'll like.]

[DarkEyeXI: I know what it's like losing a family member, so I hope you are well.]

[B3lladonna: I feel rather awkward about this, given that I only joined recently, but I offer my condolences to you. If you wish, you can tell me all about your grandfather over tea later.]

Yumi smiled before wiping away her tears.

Right.

She wasn't alone bearing this burden.

She let out her breath and smiled out the window, watching the cloud pass by.

Today was not to cry about her grandfather's passing, but to celebrate his life and legacy he left behind.

Nothing was going to ruin this day.


(9/21, Morning)

(Roppongi, Okumura Foods Headquarters)

Nothing was going to ruin him.

Not shinobi. Not the Phantom Thieves. Not even Shido.

He was in full control, and that is what mattered in the end.

However, in order for people to understand the reach of his control, he had to make deals, offers, bribes, and yes, even a little begging.

But it was all necessary. And yet many people refused to see that, such as the ants at the bottom of his property.

From his office, he looked down at the crowd in front of his building dispersing below him.

Ignorant. All of them.

He earned his place, and yet they continue to complain and whine.

None of them down there knew what it meant to start from nothing. They should be thanking him for giving them such an opportunity to move up in the world.

"Okumura-san, Houhou-san is back." His secretary suddenly buzzed in.

"Send her in." Okumura replied.

Soon enough, Ikaruga came through the door no worse for wear. "Sir." She soon got out with a bow.

"So, you dismissed the protesters." Kunikazu stated.

"It was an easy task, Okumura-san." Ikaruga responded with a nod. "But they will return soon enough, and I cannot stay here forever. I know it is not in my jurisdiction but I suggest you make some sort of statement to the media." She soon stated.

"That is already being organized as we speak." Okumura assured before noticing the girl frown. "You look concerned, Ikaruga-san. Is there a problem?" He soon asked.

Ikaruga took a moment to think. She needed to choose her words very carefully. "...How are you going to address the controversy? Are you going to promise changes to the company?" She queried in a cautious manner.

"Ikaruga-san, do you really believe the nonsense they are spewing?" Okumura questioned, "They are simply taking their anger out on the rich and powerful, not knowing the struggles of those who have earned their position. Everyone starts somewhere after all, and when you are at rock bottom, there is only one way to go." Kunikazu then stated in annoyance.

Ikaruga flinched. "Th-That is true, sir, but that does not answer my question." She soon insisted. "False or not, you must address these...rumors and act on any promise you must make to resolve this issue." She then recommended.

"It is all under control, Ikaruga-san. You do not need to worry about anything else." Kunikazu then assured, staring down at the woman.

Ikaruga took a step back before standing her ground. "...But...I am." She confessed.

Okumura let out a sigh. "It is about Haru's engagement." He soon assumed.

"...Yes." Ikaruga hesitantly responded with a nod.

"I expected her to tell you as soon as she could. You cannot blame me for staying in the dark for so long." Kunikazu confessed with a sigh.

"You are marrying off your daughter to someone I don't think she's even met for more than an hour." Ikaruga snapped in a cold manner before realizing her mistake. "Apologies, sir." She quickly got out after regaining her composure.

"You do not need to. It is an expected reaction to hearing about an arranged marriage of a close friend." Okumura assured.

"And how many have you witnessed?" Ikaruga pressed.

"Ikaruga-san, please do not misunderstand this as me being uncaring. This is for Haru's sake as well." Kunikazu asserted. "She was never going to find someone on her own, given the...eccentricities she has developed over the years. I wish for my daughter to be happy like any other father would. And what better than a man of high standing." He then informed with confidence.

"And not because of his name and the political power that comes with it?" Ikaruga muttered under her breath, not realizing she had spoken it louder than anticipated.

"I'll have you know that the man I have chosen is a great fellow." Okumura claimed. "He is deep into the arts, music, and foreign culture." He then informed.

"And he's been deep in several women just last week." Ikaruga mumbled under her breath in disdain before realizing what she had said out loud.

"Ikaruga-san, you are overstepping your boundaries." Okumura warned. "I know you care deeply for Haru as one of her childhood friends, but this is none of your concern. Should any issues arise, I shall take care of it, but as of right now you should be worrying about security. You are better with that than the complexities of real world relationships." He soon stated.

Ikaruga flinched. "...Of course, sir." She regretfully relented.

"Now, how many days do you have left here?" Okumura asked in a firm manner.

"About two more, sir." Ikaruga replied.

Okumura frowned. Maybe he shouldn't have used the most useful tool so soon. "Then who is coming next?" He then continued questioning.

"The next to come in place of me will be Yagyū." Ikaruga soon informed.

"The one with the eyepatch." Okumura recalled as he looked at an image of the girl mentioned. "Is she competent?" He then pressed.

"All my friends are competent. They simply need proper guidance." Ikaruga insisted, keeping the annoyance away from her tone. "You do not need to worry about your safety while a Good Shinobi is here to protect you. We may have slipped up before, but that will not happen again."

"We shall see." Kunikazu responded as he glanced down at a file in his hands. A file marked a logo that had a marking with the letter Z and the twelve symbols of the horoscopes circling around it.

He didn't do a good job of hiding it from Ikaruga, but it almost seemed intentional. Still, she bowed and left the office.


(9/21, Afternoon)

(Shujin Academy, Classroom)

School had been rather peaceful, with nothing really coming up that needed their immediate attention, at least for the time being. Actually, it had been a rather productive day for them all as they knocked out assignments and tests with surprising ease. Even Ryuji got his first B.

Even as school reached its end, everyone had plenty of mental stamina left for the rest of the lessons, which is why they paid apt attention to their teachers.

The Phantom Thieves would've loved to learn more in order to ace their exams and hopefully use this information later in life...but unfortunately, everyone else who wasn't a Phantom Thief was talking about the Phantom Thieves ever since classes started.

"Wow, I'm beginning to hate the Phantom Thieves more than Akechi." Akira couldn't help but think.

"So, the play that this Czech playwright wrote-" Kawakami lectured. However, not a lot of students were paying attention to her today.

"What do you think the Phantom Thieves are gonna do about Okumura?"

"-Is an important work in the history of literature for being the first to use the word robot." Kawakami continued, sounding a little more irritated by such blatant disregard of her teaching.

"Duh. Make him have a change of heart. These corrupt corporations should just go bankrupt!"

"Hey! You're in class right now! Quit talking about Okumura and the Phantom Thieves! Geez..." Kawakami snapped, soon letting out a sigh as several students continued to ignore her. "Kurusu-kun! You were listening at least, right?" She asked, almost pleading the boy was actually paying attention for once.

"Hai." Akira responded with a nod.

Kawakami let out a breath. "Robot comes from a word in Czech...but where in Europe is the Czech Republic located?" She soon quizzed the Leader.

"Central Europe." Akira answered swiftly.

"That's right. The Czech Republic is in the center of Europe. The word 'robot' comes from the Czech word robota. Robota actually means slave labor." Kawakami informed. "Existing only for slave labor...even from the origin of their name, robots are pitiful. Well, you could argue we're not too different ourselves, having to keep working in order to live..." She then got out before grumbling under her breath about something. Probably about the working class, the 1%, and all the stupid people with too much money in the world.

"There's a Central Europe?" One student got out in an incredulous tone.

"Yeah, they just discovered it." Homura snarked as everyone praised the criminal...for the millionth time this year. God, you'd think they would not care by now...

"Kawakami seems tired..." Morgana noticed.

"Can't blame her. In every class now, people are talking about the Phantom Thieves and Okumura." Asuka quietly grumbled.

"It is becoming really concerning." Morgana muttered. "But anyhow, Okumura doesn't see others as people, we need to change his heart soon!" He then encouraged.

"You got that right." Akira agreed with a nod.

"Since you all are clearly paying attention, it's time for a pop quiz." Kawakami soon announced, suddenly getting everyone's attention real quick.

"Aw what!?"

"Come on!"

"Boo...!"

"Everyone quiet! You brought this on yourself." Kawakami scolded before looking at the Leader once again. "Now, do you mind passing out the quizzes, Ma-" She then began, only to instantly stop herself from saying anything else.

Akira's eyes widened a little as his body tensed while Ann flinched.

At the same time, Asuka nearly gasped too hard and managed to swallow the air, painfully but quietly groaning afterwards. Homura had to reach over and pat her on the back to comfort her.

"Ma-Ma-Mi-Mishima? Pass out the tests." Kawakami stammered out while doing her best to hide her face.

Mishima, like everyone in class, looked really confused but decided to ignore it. "...Hai, sensei." He got out before standing up from his desk.

Akira meanwhile sweatdropped as he already knew what the blunder was, as well as the Vice Leader to some degree while classes continued on.


(Akihabara, Alice's Apron Maid Cafe)

While the Phantom Thieves were at school, slowly losing their minds from their own popularity, a maid walked out of a store with bags in her hands, double-checking if she left with everything she bought.

"Hello Kitty Gundams..." Tsumuji muttered as she checked her bags. "I'm sure Haruka-sama will find them cute." She then assumed as she headed on her merry way.

Tsumuji had been going around town, trying to find a place for Crimson Squad to live by herself. She wanted to save Haruka-sama some of the hassle and find some good places to check out once they had the chance. She was also using this time to get some groceries with some of the money Haruka-sama lended her as well as hobbyist stuff to spend her free time on.

So that's why she had a bag full of model kits and doujinshi...while dressed in her maid outfit.

Because she didn't have anything else to wear.

GRUMBLE!

"Ah...forgot to eat again..." Tsumuji thought as she held her stomach. "I should get some lunch before I head back to Haruka-sama's place. So where do I...?" She then started before pondering.

Looking around for a moment, she saw that there were a few cafes and themed restaurants around the district. However, checking some of the prices, she could see how damn expensive some of the food was. "Seriously? 2500 yen for Evangelion Omurice!? These nerds have no idea how to budget..." She mumbled before moving on.

...And ignoring the people staring at her for her attire.

"Maybe I should head home and just cook." Tsumuji sighed before passing by a peculiar maid cafe. "I mean, look at that! It probably has subpar food for absurd prices, only because there are cute girls like that one will do anything short of jacking off-"

Tsumuji blinked as she watched the white haired maid sweep the floor. She looked...vaguely familiar, but given the fact that she had taken a few blows to the head earlier in the year, she wasn't quite connecting the dots just yet.

"Oh, hi!"

"WAH!" Tsumuji yelped out in a surprised manner before noticing the girl in a maid outfit looking at her. "Huh?" She then got out in confusion.

"Aren't you here for the job?" The blonde suddenly asked in a curious manner.

"The...what?" Tsumuji responded in confusion before looking down at her outfit and the nearby cafe. "W-Wait, I can-" She then stammered as she attempted to hide her maid outfit. Dammit, did Haruka-sama have to get the most difficult one to get out of?

"We're going to be late! Come on!" The girl soon got out as she grabbed Tsumuji's arm.

"Ack!" Tsumuji choked as she was dragged along by the other girl with her (surprisingly strong) hand. "Y-You got it all wrong, I'm just-" She tried to explain herself, only for a woman to step out of the cafe.

"Ah! Welcome, welcome. You must be the new hires."

"Hai." The short blonde haired girl with fluffy pigtails replied.

"Huh?" Tsumuji got out in confusion. "O-Oh, wait, I wasn't-" She tried to explain, however...

"Sorry I wasn't there to get you both through the interview process. I was busy with some family matters, so let's use this time to get to know each other."

"Wait, I was just-" Tsumuji continued trying to explain, but everyone seemed to be conspiring to ignore her and get her into this situation.

Especially when this lady came out of the restaurant to greet them. "Oh, come in, come in. There's no need to be shy here." She got out as she ushered the girls inside.

"H-Huh!?" The shinobi-maid squeaked out as she was dragged in. "Okay, so this is happening." Tsumuji soon thought, not knowing what else to do but to go along with it.

"Oh, do you need anywhere to put your bags?" The manager soon got out as she took the bags away from the runaway shinobi. "Let me put them away for you." She then kindly stated.

"Wait, that's my-" Tsumuji tried once again to convince anyone to actually listen to her, however...

"Don't worry. It'll be safe." The manager assured. "Oh, I forgot to introduce myself, silly me. I'm Chisa Hoshi, but you may call me anything you want as long as it is with respect."

"Hai, Hoshi-sama." Kiki instantly responded.

"Sure thing, Chisa-san." Tsumuji got out.

"Huh." Suddenly, the white haired woman stopped sweeping as she noticed some new blood coming in. "Those are the newbies, manager-san?"

"Indeed they are. Everyone, this is Morgan." The manager introduced the new hires.

"Hi. Welcome." The sweeping maid greeted with a quick wave.

"Morgan?" Tsumuji repeated before narrowing her eyes. "Wait a minute..." She then mumbled.

White hair, snake-like eyes, tits about the size of her head, and she looked really similar to-

Oh.

Oh no.

Oh shit.

"She's awake!? What is she doing here in Tokyo!?" Tsumuji thought in a panic. The shinobi that used Blood Riot to end a disastrous mission, the principal's daughter, someone who could turn her into a bloody smear with a flick of her finger.

It was Miyabi.

Working at a maid cafe.

"Why does this world want me to die horribly!?" Tsumuji mentally exclaimed.

"Um...are you okay?" The short, fluffy twin tailed haired blonde asked in concern.

"I-I'm fine!" Tsumuji squeaked as her mind did its best to stop her from peeing in fear.

"Why the fuck are you still here!? You should've ran as soon as you realized, you dumb bitch!" The left part of her brain screamed.

"My body won't respond." The right part of her brain informed, shivering as she made sure her body smiled as best as it could instead. "It won't matter. She'd destroy me before I would even blink." She then added, tears threatening to leak from her eyes.

"Well, since you're on the lowest rung on the ladder back at Hebijo, maybe there's a chance she won't recognize you." Tsumuji's left brain assumed, not getting her hopes up.

"Recogni-" Tsumuji's right brain began to repeat before slapping herself (and causing a headache). "SHE WAS IN A FUCKING COMA! SHE WOULD NOT RECOGNIZE ME!" She then thought in realization.

"Oh thank fuck..." Tsumuji outwardly breathed.

"Eh?" The blonde meanwhile got out in confusion while looking at her.

Tsumuji noticed this and quickly made up an excuse. "Oh, uh, nothing." She then stated. "Just...a bit nervous, that's all, hehe." She soon lied afterwards.

"Well, don't worry. We'll get through this together." Kiki assured as she hugged the girl.

"It was only three point seven seconds ago that I realized I might get through this insanity without bleeding." Tsumuji thought.

"Well, welcome to the job. If you'll excuse me, this place still has dirt on the floor." Miyabi got out as she returned to sweeping.

"You're working harder than usual, Morgan-chan." Chisa remarked.

"Need to." The white haired woman got out without looking. "I...lost a lot of clothes recently." She then groaned.

"Oh, stolen?" The manager assumed in concern with a wince.

"...G-Given away. To desperate people." Miyabi murmured in a vague manner, blushing as she focused on sweeping the floor.

"How charitable." the manager complimented.

"Yeah. I'm a giver." Miyabi awkwardly chuckled.

"Well, why don't I give you a raise?" The manager offered, causing the white haired woman to perk up and look at her. "You've been one of our best workers, even through thick and thin...as well as enduring multiple moments where you were mistaken as a man." She soon stated before sighing in a sheepish manner.

"My tits are basically hanging out." Miyabi grumbled in a flat tone.

"Sorry, but we're still working on getting someone that'll fit you," The manager apologized before looking down. "And actually stays on this time." She then added. That button holding her chest together was a loaded gun waiting to fire.

"Thank you, ma'am." Miyabi replied before narrowing her eyes. "But I'm sensing a catch." She then added.

"I need you to deal with the new hires and get them started." The manager bluntly informed.

"And there's the catch." The white haired woman sighed as she set aside her broom. "I've barely been here for two months. Why should I be the one to train the new employees?" Miyabi asked with crossed arms under her large chest, looking rather skeptical about the whole thing.

"Well, you're one of the most diligent workers here, you took to all the lessons and training like a fish to water, and I know you want to get a teaching job someday so I thought this would be good practice." The manager explained and stated.

"And...?" Miyabi responded as she raised an eyebrow, dropping her crossed arms and this time putting a hand on her hip.

"The usual girl got hit by a car..." The manager sadly revealed.

"!?" Miyabi soon asked with widened eyes. She was expecting something more...mundane. "Is she alright!?" She then immediately questioned in concern with narrowed eyes and tensed posture.

"Other than breaking her leg in four places, she'll be fine. Plus, some people are into injured girls." The manager answered with a stoic look. "Stupid asshole says she was in the way..." She then grumbled in anger.

Miyabi only responded in silence, staring at her manager. To her, it was no different than what she had faced and experienced in Hebijo's training of their kunoichis including herself, but still, an accident to a regular civilian by a mundane and major cause was still just as uncomfortable.

"Honestly, I placed his name down on the Phan-Site app." The manager then revealed. "I really hope the Phantom Thieves resolve this...if they ever will." She then admitted.

That in turn got Miyabi's attention. "And...what is the guy's name?" She soon asked in a curious manner.

"His name? Um...Kyoji Kageyama." The manager replied, albeit almost reluctantly. "Wait, why does it matter to you anyway? Don't tell me you'll try to find the guy and beat him to a bloody pulp?" She then asked and assumed.

"I could...if I do it my way." Miyabi stated in her head, somehow tempted to do the job the shinobi way, though made the mental note for the name to tell the other Thieves. "Nothing. Just curious who it was." She soon responded aloud to her this time.

"...If you're gonna report his name to the police as well, be my guest. Gonna be a hassle doing it myself." The manager replied. "Anyways, back to what we're doing here, Miyabi-san." She then started.

"Right." Miyabi breathed. "Sooo, I guess I'm gonna meet the new girls here?" She soon assumed.

"Yes. By the way, Miyabi-san, about the new girls, some of the resumes I have received from them have some...interesting information on them." The manager soon advised. "I suggest you try to see and get a feel of how they interact with you just to see their behavior and personality since that can be a factor for their customer service and interaction capabilities." She then suggested.

"Understood." Miyabi replied with a nod. "A question, though. Do some of them have...well, some weird vibes giving out?" She then vaguely asked.

"I did interview each of them, and...mmmm, I guess there are a few who gave me that particular impression." Chisa admitted. "But still, they seem determined for the job, so I think there would be no difficulty in handling these girls." She then assured.

"If you're that confident with them, then I'll accept your decision, Hoshi-sama." Miyabi responded with a bow. "Alright, shall we meet them?"

"Of course."

Miyabi and her manager exited the latter's office and headed over to the new hires, soon putting on a more professional demeanor and letting out a breath.

"Welcome, everyone, to Alice's Apron Maid Cafe." Miyabi greeted with a bow. "You may all call me Morgan, and I will run you through your orientation and first day here." She soon introduced herself and informed.

"...Didn't you just introduce yourself earlier?" Tsumuji reminded.

"This is your proper Alice's Apron greeting." Miyabi replied smoothly.

"It's nice to meet you, Morgan-senpai!" The dirty blonde, short, fluffy pigtailed girl happily greeted. "Call me Kiki!" She then introduced herself.

"Enthusiastic, a good trait here." Miyabi responded with a nod of approval. "And you?" She then got out as she turned to the plain-looking maid.

"Tsumuji." The girl plainly said. "Um, hi?" She then got out.

"You need to work on your greeting." Miyabi soon stated. "And your smile. And your-" She then continued, only to get cut off by the blonde.

"We'll learn, Morgan-senpai." Kiki assured as she pulled Tsumuji closer.

"What is with all the maidhandling today!?" Tsumuji exclaimed.

"Okay, let's start off with how things are run here." Miyabi began as she adjusted her outfit a little. "First off, is the customer always right?" She soon asked.

"Hai!" The new recruits responded.

"But what if the customer is wrong?" Tsumuji questioned.

"Please refer to the first question I just asked." Miyabi answered. "Now, your job is to write down the customer's order, deliver it to the chefs at the back, and serve it to the customer. Easy, right?" She then started explaining and then questioned.

"...No...?" Tsumuji awkwardly responded in a questioning manner.

"Smart girl." Miyabi responded in approval. "Because all the while, you must follow the three Cs of service while you're on the clock. You must be cute, courteous, and civil." She soon stated.

"Hai." The newbies responded with a nod.

"But, there is a hidden fourth C." Miyabi suddenly informed. "Kiki, do you wish to guess?" She then offered.

"Nope!" Kiki happily answered, throwing the white haired woman through a loop.

"...Oh, uh..." Miyabi hummed and hawed as she tried to adapt to the situation.

"Can you just tell us?" Tsumuji urged, looking a little amused about how lost the woman looked.

"Careful." Miyabi sighed. "Because we do not wish to break the illusion, no matter the circumstance, short of a robbery. If the atmosphere is ruined, we lose customers. Even if something goes wrong, we must adapt and stay in character as one bad experience can domino into everyone losing their jobs." She then explained.

"It can't be that serious." Tsumuji remarked.

"Why take the chance?" Miyabi pointed out.

"Which is why you must be careful!" Kiki realized. "Wow! You're really smart Morgan-senpai!" She then praised in amazement.

"Erm, I'm just reciting what my coworker told me." Miyabi sheepishly admitted. "If you wanna praise someone, praise th- oh, right." She then started, only to face palm as she remembered that she wasn't available.

"Huh?" The newbies got out in confusion.

"It's fine, you'll meet her some day." Miyabi assured the newbies. "Now, since it's toward the end of the day, you'll be learning about shorthand for orders tomorrow so let's skip to-" She then stated before pausing as she realized the next part.

"...Senpai?" Kiki called out.

The white haired woman then took a deep breath. "A-And now to practice the, uh..." Miyabi began before letting out a groan. "The-The deliciousness spell." She stammered with a blush on her face.

"Eh?" The newbies got out in unison.

"It's on the menu and it...makes our meals even more delicious by giving all our love in it." Miyabi explained in a tone that screamed that she wanted some divine being to smite her before she had to do it as a demonstration. "And it's free of charge, though don't argue if a customer wants to pay for it." She then clarified.

"Do you mind showing us?" Kiki soon asked.

"Hrk!" Miyabi winced out.

"Morgan-senpai?" Tsumuji got out in concern.

"N-Nothing, just...oh God..." Miyabi mumbled as she pinched the bridge of her nose. This was so much better when there were at least five of them doing it too so she wouldn't be alone.

Tsumuji blinked. Was this really the right Miyabi, to be so embarrassed over such a thing? Although, her standards are lower than most shinobi...or water fleas...

Miyabi instantly went from wanting to die to bursting with energy as she put on her best mask. "I shall give you all my love and make your meal even better than ambrosia~! Deliciousness beammm, GO~!" She declared in a cutesy manner. In the minds of the maids, a pink energy shot out and hit the omurice like a laser straight from her heart!

BWOOM! SO TASTY!

"..." Tsumuji silently stared at the woman in disbelief. This was the person who killed dozens of shinobi and multiple Yōma?

"That was amazing, Morgan-senpai!" Kiki exclaimed in awe, clapping at the display.

"T-Thank you." Miyabi replied before coughing into her hand (in her mind, she had coughed out blood). "Gah, I think a part of my soul died...this must be taken to the grave..." She soon thought to herself.

"So, should we do the same as you did?" Tsumuji questioned.

"No." Miyabi instantly answered as she recovered from the experience. "Every maid is unique, you need to ensure the customer knows that what you bring to the table cannot be replicated. Tsumuji, you go first." She then instructed and ordered.

"Huh?" Tsumuji got out, caught off guard by being put on the spot. "O-Okay..." She then responded with a unsure nod.

Tsumuji adjusted her stance before creating a heart with her hands. Here goes nothing.

"Sure-sure pure-pure miracle squee omurice...become delicious..." Tsumuji awkwardly got out as her energy sort of...slopped onto the food.

PLOP! WOW, THIS SUCKS!

Miyabi blinked as she looked at the omurice. "...I have never seen anyone objectively make the food worse by doing that." She muttered with a slight wince, almost impressed how she managed to make the freshly cooked meal look prepackaged.

"You need to do more than that, Tsumuji-san. You need more love. Watch!" Kiki stated before twirling around into a cute stance.

"Huh?" Miyabi and Tsumuji got out in confusion.

"Fuwa-fuwa~! Puwa-puwa~!" Kiki , spinning and twisting around as if she was in a transformation sequence. "Miracaru...kyun~! If you please, omurice...become delicious~!" She then declared as she shot a love heart out of her hands, directly at the food.

KIKI-AURA! IT'S AMAZING!

Miyabi and Tsumuji gasped at the sheer cuteness she unleashed, transforming the omurice from a mere meal to a 5-star dish made from the God of Cooking. This was too much! No human being could ever have so much cuteness within them!

"So, how did I do?" Kiki suddenly asked.

"Eh?" Miyabi got out before realizing she (and Tsumuji) had physically covered their eyes at the blinding aura the blonde had exhumed. "O-Oh, it was perfect. Good job." She soon praised.

"Thank you, senpai!" Kiki happily accepted the praise before turning to the other trainee. "See? That's how you do a deliciousness spell." She then stated.

"I-I'll take notes." Tsumuji awkwardly responded.

"Um, we don't expect you to put in that much energy all the time though." Miyabi then informed.

"Eh? Why?" Kiki got out.

"Look, let me be real here." Miyabi soon began as the two looked at her. "Everyone who comes here either just wants to experience this for the first time or are really into maids. They will eat up anyone we give them, even if it is not perfect. As long as we are nice, they will not care about what you do." She then stated.

"What if they touch us?" Tsumuji then asked.

"Please refer to the sign on the door." Miyabi soon replied as she pointed over to the nicely crafted white sign on the door. In pink, curvy letters it said:

Touch Our Maids, And You'll Get Laid (Out With a Punch, Kick, Throw, or Pepper Spray)

"...Mental note: Get a new sign..." Miyabi muttered with a flat look on her face.

"We actually get pepper spray?" Tsumuji asked in a curious manner.

"Not to season the meals," Miyabi clarified. "But to drive away unruly soon-to-be-former customers." She then revealed.

"That's a little obvious." Kiki noted.

"Well, most rules aren't made without necessity or blood." Miyabi informed in a flat tone.

"You seem to have mixed feelings being here." Tsumuji then remarked.

"Don't get me wrong. I love where and who I work, I just hate everyone else." Miyabi bluntly admitted.

"...So a standard service job." Tsumuji deadpanned.

"Yeah, just about." The white haired woman answered with a sigh. "...Then again, it's better than dealing with the militia..." She quietly mumbled to herself, shivering.

"M-Militia?" Kiki repeated in a curious manner.

"...What were you doing before you came here?"

"Don't ask questions you aren't prepared to handle the answer to." Miyabi advised in a flat tone.

Kiki and Tsumuji nervously glanced at each other in worry. "...I'll keep that in mind." The brunette assured.

"So uh, Kiki-" Miyabi began.

"Kiki's a cover name like yours Morgan-senpai." Kiki however whispered. "My real name is Yuki. Yuki Ikusaba." She then revealed with a grin.

"Cover name?" Tsumuji repeated in confusion.

"What?" Miyabi got out in the same manner. "Wait, is your real name Tsumuji?" She then questioned in disbelief.

"Yeah." Tsumuji replied. "Why do we need cover names?" She soon asked. "Why do that when we already have codenames?" She thought to herself.

"To separate our lives from here." Miyabi answered quickly. "Working a job where looks are everything isn't without its creeps, and these people will use anything to get our identities and hunt us down. Parasocial relationships are a dangerous thing, do not make light of what someone desperate enough with enough time can do. Being a maid...can ruin your life." She then explained in a dead serious tone.

"..." Yuki and Tsumuji's jaws dropped, silently staring at the woman in disbelief and horror.

"...But those cases are rare. People are generally nice. Still, it pays to be paranoid either way." Miyabi then added.

"...Well, okay then!" Yuki happily got out.

"You recovered from that way too fast!" Tsumuji exclaimed.

"As long as you know the risks." Miyabi concluded. "Anyways, I guess that finishes the orientation. You can go home now, we're closing up shop soon." She soon informed.

"Thank you, Morgan-senpai!" Kiki happily exclaimed as she bowed to her senpai.

"Hey, call me Miyabi. Or Kurayami, I don't really mind." The white haired woman soon suggested. "Only before and after work though. The manager is pretty stern about this kind of thing." She then added.

"Sure thing, Miyabi-senpai!" Yuki happily responded with a salute.

"Okay...Miyabi." Tsumuji replied, swallowing a little.

"Good. Get home safe, you hear? And um...please don't come in your uniform. It helps avoid awkward stares." Miyabi then advised. "...Unless you live in the area." She quickly added.

"Uh..." Tsumuji got out, not sure if she should mention that the only clothes she had were what she was currently wearing, including the bikini Haruka-sama had initially dressed her in when tying her to the bed. "Sure, Miyabi." She then added.

With that, the white haired woman bowed as the two newbies left.

"So...how did I do?" Miyabi soon asked as the cafe owner came over.

"You did wonderfully." Chisa replied in approval. "Although, you could be a little more...shameless when showing them certain things. You should be used to this by now." She then advised and pointed out.

"Sorry, I'll work on it, but I just...feel embarrassed when I'm doing it for coworkers instead of strangers." Miyabi replied and explained as she took the check and blinked at the amount. "This is...more than usual." She then noted.

"Each yen well earned." Chisa assured.

"Twenty-five percent increase. That's generous of you." Miyabi stated with a smile, pocketing the check.

"No...you deserve a fifty perfect increase, but that new uniform you're getting is coming at a serious cost for this one time." Chisa admitted. "You're going places, Miyabi." She then remarked.

Miyabi blinked. "Going places? I just serve food and look cute. What places am I going to?" She then questioned, sounding skeptical all the while.

The manager however blinked in a playful manner to that. "That's something you'll have to figure out on your own." She vaguely replied in amusement.

"I feel like you're avoiding the question..." Miyabi thought with an unamused look on her face before exiting the office to close up the shop.

Still, getting a pay increase was good either way.

Meanwhile, Tsumuji left the cafe, feeling physically and mentally exhausted from the whole experience.

Not only did she find out that Miyabi was awake and in Tokyo, she also somehow managed to get a job out of it.

"I think...I'm going to sleep and deal with this tomorrow." Tsumuji mentally decided as she headed for the train station, ignoring another girl in a maid outfit run by her.

Boy, was that girl gonna get a nasty surprise.


(Tatsumi Port Island, Funeral Hall)

Yumi took in a deep breath once she found the building she was looking for.

The funeral and wake couldn't be held anywhere familiar, too much of a security risk, so it was decided that it would take place in another city. It was only a couple of hours away from Tokyo, so if things go smoothly she should be back before midnight.

And when that happened, her grandfather would truly be gone.

Yumi began to breathe faster as she clutched her chest. Was...was she having a panic attack!? "No, calm yourself, Yumi. You cannot come to the funeral like that." She whispered to herself, tapping into her shinobi training to keep her composure.

No...the time for vulnerability could come later. As of right now, she needed to remain...stable. For her friends. For her sisters.

"Don't forget, I am here by your side." Her Persona chimed in, causing Yumi to smile.

"Thank you, Fūma, for being with me..." The Gessen Elite whispered.

"I will be until your own end. Now, step forward. Your sisters are waiting." Fūma responded and instructed.

Yumi nodded before adjusting her outfit and stepping forward, through the doors of the funeral hall slowly and gently.

She then noticed four people sitting in seiza position in front of an altar filled with bouquets of flowers, some burning incense, and other important things that were commonly found in Japanese funerals, including a photo frame of a familiar person standing in the middle of the altar.

"E-Everyone..." Yumi breathed out as she saw her sisters, prompting said sisters to whirr their heads around to see who just came into their private praying session.

This immediately perked up the youngest of the group. "Yumi-chan!" Minori responded almost happily, standing up and rushing towards her fellow Gessen member.

"You made it!" Shiki cheered, standing up as well in slight delight by the sight of her Elite member.

"Just in time too." Yozakura got out in relief. "And Minori, please don't run."

"I'm glad to see you again, Yumi." Murakumo got out deeply in a grateful tone, an oni mask on her face like usual.

Yumi meanwhile could tell she had a smile underneath her mask. "It's great to see you all." The gray haired girl responded as she began hugging each of her sisters. "I just wished that it was under better circumstances." She then confessed.

"Yeah..." Yozakura replied.

"Do I still have the chance and time to pray for Kurokage-ojiisama?" Yumi asked gently with hands held in front of her hips.

"Plenty." Minori assured.

"Which is why we can use this opportunity to catch up a little." Shiki spoke up in an eager manner.

"Shiki..." Murakumo murmured.

"Come on, I know you're all curious? Like, how's all the idol stuff going, Yumi-chii?" Shiki questioned.

"My agency allowed me to have some time off after Ojii-sama passed. They were quite understanding." Yumi revealed.

"And your school?" Yozakura spoke up.

"Same thing." Yumi replied. "In all honesty, I actually have a week off, but there's simply too much going on in Tokyo to ignore." She then confessed.

"I see." Yozakura muttered with a sigh. "Well, it's nice to know there is a little kindness left in this world after all that it has taken..." She soon confessed in relief.

"It really owes us a solid, huh?" Shiki mumbled out.

"The world will not just give us what we deserve." Yumi stated as she shook her head. "We must earn it. Through blood sweat and tears." She then declared.

"Well, we better use those tears today." Shiki stated. "Bottling up our emotions is not a good thing right now."

"I am fine, Shiki-san. The friends I've made throughout my stay in Tokyo have all faced struggles." Yumi informed. "But they are still fighting, living their life as best as they can. We cannot fall behind in that aspect." She then encouraged.

"Hai." Her sisters responded in unison.

"So...speaking of your friends in Tokyo, is Akira doing well?" Murakumo suddenly asked.

"Oh yeah! How's Akira-nii doing?" Minori also asked.

"Any luck on him clearing the false charge he has?" Yozakura soon questioned.

"He hasn't even brought up the possibility." Yumi muttered with a frown. "He fights like hell for everyone else, but the one thing he should fight for, he lets go." She then thought.

"Mou..." Minori whined.

"Really? That sucks." Shiki remarked in annoyance.

"The law is tough to fight. Rarely anyone wins against them." Murakumo stated with a shake of her head.

"What a shame on justice..." Yozakura grumbles as she clenched her hands into fists.

"But that's why we are together. To get rid of the injustice in the world and make Ojii-sama's dream a reality."

"By destroying all the Evil in the world." Murakumo responded.

"U-Um, yes." Yumi responded with a nod, subtly shifting her eyes away. "And cuteness is justice." She then stated.

"Yeah..." Shiki breathed before realizing what her leader just said. "Wait, what?" She then got out, wondering if she heard it right.

"Well, let's make the most of our time together before we must go apart. We have some tea and other drinks over there if you want any." Yozakura informed as she pointed over to the refreshments table...where an old man seemed to be taking advantage of.

Yumi swallowed.

"He's been like that since we arrived..." Murakumo revealed.

"He...He was here before us?" Yumi got out in an incredulous manner.

"Seems like it." Yozakura sighed out.

"Are we sure we called the right Hanzō?" Shiki had to ask, looking at the man skeptically.

"There was no one else there on the list who responded." Murakumo informed.

"Well...at least he cared enough about grandfather to come." Minori got out

"Asuka-san and Homura-san's grandfather..." Yumi thought to herself. "The legendary shinobi of legend. Calm yourself, Yumi. He is simply in mourning just like the rest of us. It might be his own method of coping, such as gallows humor and fornicating in the funeral hall bathroom." She mentally told herself.

"Yumi?" Yozakura spoke up, snapping the gray haired girl out of her thoughts.

"Everyone, please do not be rude to Hanzō-sama." Yumi requested. "He has clearly taken valuable time out of his busy schedule to come here to honor his friend, so please do not do anything unbecoming. Ojii-sama would not approve of such actions, and we all have different ways we process grief." She then advised, swiftly going into her leader persona quite readily.

"He's doodling on Kurokage-sama's picture." Murakumo pointed out.

"!?" Yumi's eyes widened upon hearing that.

"You look so much better with a monocle and a top hat! GAHAHA!" The old man jovially laughed.

"...As I said, do not be rude." Yumi eventually repeated, keeping her smile and unblinking eyes on her face. "Allow me to go get some tea for myself now. Do you mind cleaning up the portrait for me?" she then requested.

"Hai, Yumi." Minori dutifully responded before going to get a washcloth.

"Hey, didn't I just say-" Shiki began to remind her sisters, only for Yumi to cover her mouth.

"Not now." Yumi got out as she headed over to the refreshments table. She would not lose her composure nor her sanity. Everything will be fine.

And thus, the slow and painful unraveling of Yumi Tsukikaze's composure and sanity began.


(9/21, After School)

(Shujin Academy, Classroom Build 1F)

Homura had surprisingly finished her duties for the afternoon and decided she was good for the day, leaving school after she packed up her bag, placed it on her shoulder and headed out through the front gate.

"Hehe, guess Hikari's book really did help." Homura thought to herself in satisfaction, feeling as though she could do more now.

At that moment...

"Hey, Homura!" A voice called out to the Disciplinary Committee Head, who turned towards the gate to see Naomi waving at her.

That in turn caused the tan skinned girl to smile as she went over to her committee member. "Good afternoon Naomi. Finished your daily patrol and reported any troubles?" Homura greeted and asked in a mature and elegant manner. "Thank you Makoto-senpai and Yumi-senpai." She thought to herself in a pleased manner.

"That's affirmative. I've just finished with my patrol and everything is in working order." Naomi replied and saluted. "As for the reports on any trouble, there's been a surprising lack of any incidents this time. I'm assuming that most of the students have cleaned up their act or they've been pretty good at hiding their actions. Either way, it's been really good." She soon informed and revealed.

"Well that's good to hear." Homura responded with a nod of approval. "And don't worry, we'll catch the rest of them." She then reassured with confidence. "Though we also have to be sure not to make it as though our school is run by a dictatorship-like system." She soon stated. She wasn't going to be strict like how things are at Hebijo.

"Right, let's not do that. This school already had a bad reputation thanks to Kobayakawa when he was still alive." Naomi replied as she nodded in agreement. "We better not tarnish all of the hard work we've done for this school." She then added.

"Exactly." Homura got out.

"But also not go overboard and be like Bleach Japan." Naomi then suddenly grumbled out.

"Hm? Bleach Japan?" Homura hummed and repeated in a curious manner.

"They're a bunch of bullies that want to get rid of gray zones and bleach them white, hence the name." Naomi explained.

"The gray zone? But that's essentially a safety net for some groups of people." Homura got out.

"Exactly, but they don't see it that way. They're really just a bunch of xenophobic people who target groups like sex workers, foreigners and the homeless." Naomi stated.

"Geez..." Homura got out in disgust after hearing that. She could already imagine Yomi hating them for disrespecting the homeless while Mirai would hate them for being bullies.

"Yeah...Just a bunch of puritans who get angry over something that doesn't concern them." Naomi nodded with the same disgust.

"Well, this committee isn't gonna be anything like them." Homura reassured in a determined manner.

"Yeah, you're right. We're nothing like them." Naomi nodded in agreement.

The girls also saw the other members leaving the school and waved at them.

"Well, I guess we better head out for the day." Homura soon suggested.

"Yeah." Naomi replied in agreement...before an idea came to mind as they started leaving the school. "Hey Homura, I was wondering..." She suddenly began.

"Hm?" Homura hummed out in a curious manner.

"Would you like to come to Kamurocho?" Naomi soon offered.

"To Kamurocho? Where do you live?" Homura asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yup." Naomi simply responded as they walked to the station

"Uh, why?" Homura soon questioned in an awkward manner.

"I just thought it was time to show you my home. Plus, I told my parents about you and they wanted to meet you in person." Naomi explained.

"Huh." Homura got out as she thought about it. Kamurocho was bound to be a criminal hotspot. But since her committee member came out just fine, it couldn't have been all bad.

"So what do you say? You want to accompany me to Kamurocho?" Naomi asked in anticipation.

To that, Homura in response smiled. "Sure, I'm up for it." She replied.

"Great. I'll let them know that we're on our way." Naomi smiled as she took out her phone and called her parents.

Homura in turn nodded as the two waited for the subway to arrive.

Once the subway train arrived at the station, the girls boarded the train and took their seats as more people either disembarked or boarded the train with them. Once that was done, the doors closed and the train left the station.


(Kichijoji, Shopping District)

Akira took the time to enjoy the day by himself, doing some more personal shopping, playing a few games at the arcade in Shibuya and Akihabara before heading to Kichijoji to enjoy some food. Sometimes, it was good to have a little time to focus on yourself free from obligation and work.

"Mmm!" Akira hummed in approval, eating a fresh takoyaki piece that he just bought from a takoyaki seller nearby before chewing it, savoring its flavors and eventually swallowing it. "Not bad." He then commented on the unique taste of it.

Morgana popped out of the Leader's bag all of a sudden, and then sniffed. "Ooooh, is that takoyaki, Akira?" He then got out, practically drooling.

"Yeah." Akira nodded before popping another one into his mouth. "Want one?" He soon offered while chewing.

"Yes, please." Morgana responded in an eager manner.

Akira replied by puncturing another takoyaki from his small paper tray with his toothpick before flinging it into the not cat's mouth.

"Mmm, so good!" Morgana moaned in delight. "Thanks, Akira." He then breathed out.

"You are welcome." Akira replied with a smile.

"So, you gonna hang out with anyone today?" The not cat soon asked.

"No." Akira shrugged. He really had no plans for the day and he had plenty of money to burn. It was the dream of every teenager (and adult) in the world.

"You sure?" Morgana got out with a raised eyebrow. "Aren't you forgetting something?" He then pointed out.

"For...getting something?" Akira repeated slowly before he remembered who he met yesterday. "...Crap." He then swore.

"Hey, Akira-kun~!" A familiar voice called out. "You're here~!" She then greeted.

The Leader's eye twitched after hearing that. "Welp, this is my life..." Akira thought to himself as he turned around, seeing a familiar dual-colored eyed blonde running up to him.

BOING! BOING! BOING! BOING!

"Heeeeyy~!" Ryōna happily greeted, the cat-like smile not leaving her face. "Ryōna-chan is finally here~!" She happily announced. She was wearing exactly what she wore in the park yesterday, although she seemed…bigger and bouncier? Why would…?

"You've gotta be kidding me." Akira groaned as he spotted the masochistic blonde from before.

"...She's the dog girl from back then, right?" Morgana muttered as he looked at the blonde.

"Yep. You wanna get out of here?" Akira soon asked. However, he was only met with silence. "...Morgana?" He then repeated before looking at his bag...only to see that the not cat was gone, which meant that he had already fled the scene...like a shinobi.

"That was quick." Akira commented to himself. Not like he blamed the little guy, Ryōna is a rather intense individual.

"Oooh~ Are you having takoyaki~?" Ryōna noticed. "Oh, how I wish I would get rolled up like one and cooked to perfection like one~" She then moaned.

"...For example." Akira mentally deadpanned. "Want one?" He soon offered.

"Is it scalding hot~?" the masochist questioned.

"I mean, no, but you could put a little hot sauce on it if you really wanted to." Akira soon informed and suggested.

"Oh, that's perfect because I brought my own." Ryōna happily stated as she pulled out a rather scary-looking mini-bottle.

That was either lethally spicy hot sauce or lethally lethal poison, and Akira was not going to take his chances. "Uh, can I get another order of takoyaki for this lovely lady here? As fresh as possible, please?" He soon requested.

"Coming right up!" The cook responded before getting to work.

"Are you paying for me?" Ryōna asked as she sat next to the boy.

"It depends. You have your wallet?" Akira replied.

"Why wouldn't I?" Ryōna got out before pulling it out...from between her breasts.

"...Yeah, I'm paying." Akira deadpanned as he went back to his food.

"Aw, how sweet~" The blonde cooed, still having that cat-like smile in her mouth.

"How did you find me?" The Leader had to ask, eyeing the blonde suspiciously.

"Hm, lucky guess." Ryōna replied, deciding not to mention that she had been following him since he left school, even into the men's bathroom. "Huh? Where's your cat, Akira-kun?" She then asked with a curious look on her face, noticing that the little guy was missing.

"He is out chasing butterflies." Akira swiftly answered.

"You're worried you might lose him in this city?" Ryōna soon got out in slight concern.

"Nope." Akira replied confidently. "He's smarter than you think." He then admitted while tapping his head with his skewer, only to wince as he accidentally pricked himself with it.

"Really? Okay then." Ryōna accepted that without much thought.

"Here's your order." The cook soon got out as he slid the tray of takoyaki to the boy.

"Thank you." Akira responded as he gave the man the money. "Here you go. Scalding hot, just hot you wanted it." He then stated as he pushed it over to the blonde.

"You sure know how to treat a lady~" Ryōna remarked. Akira (and the guy serving the takoyaki) then stared as the blonde downed the bottle of sauce instead of eating the takoyaki.

"WWWAAAAUUGGGGHHHH~!" The masochist blonde wailed as she slammed her fist onto the counter. "N-Ngh! M-My everything is on fire! A-Ack~!" She struggled to say before gagging.

"Uh, milk!" Akira soon requested.

"No, don't~" Ryōna however got out, even as she was suffering immensely. "It's everything I've wanted~!" She then moaned before popping some scalding hot takoyaki in her mouth, intensifying her pain.

"...You have issues." The takoyaki guy bluntly stated.

"Oh, you have no idea." Akira deadpanned.

"I'm being a bad girl right now, Akira-kun~!" Ryōna pleaded, letting the high of pain flow through her. "Hit me, insult me, so I can be a good girl again~!" She then encouraged.

"I'm not doing anything of the sort." Akira bluntly stated. "I don't like hurting people." He then insisted. "Sometimes." He mentally added.

"Come on, just ooooone little insult~" Ryōna begged.

"You're beginning to annoy me." Akira even more bluntly admitted.

"Oh, am I now~?" Ryōna giggled in delight. "Don't I just infuriate you~? Give me a good spanking~? Come on, I deserve all of it~ Spank my annoying little butt black and blue~!" She then declared as she turned around and offered her cute little butt to him.

Obviously, nothing happened.

It was then she realized that the boy was walking away from her, already a good distance away.

"Abandonment play~? Oh, you know me so well already~!" Ryōna then called out before jogging happily towards him.

"Yep, she definitely has Sexual Masochism Disorder..." Akira thought. He actually did some reading on it at school, and well...it matched a lot of her traits.

This made him really hope she didn't ask him to- shit, she was right in front of him now.

"Akira-kun~?" Ryōna got out with a cat-like smile, fluttering her eyelashes as she tried to get to him and eagerly pressed her body close to the boy.

At that moment, Akira knew escape was not an option. He either needed to play along or...

The lights in Ryōna's eyes suddenly died as he suddenly felt killing intent coming from the girl. "If you won't hit me or rub me...then I guess you can die." She soon got out in a serious tone as she slowed down her running to a complete stop. "Yep. I'll need you to die." She then whispered.

Akira's body tensed at the words. "Excuse me?" He got out, trying to force down the rush of fear that traveled up his spine.

"Huh? What? Oh, silly me~ I was just talking to myself~" Ryōna giggled with her hand at the back of her head as if she didn't plan out his murder in the last two seconds.

"How does that make that any better?" Akira thought, his hand twitching for his dagger. "Okay, how do you play this, Joker...?" He then mentally questioned, narrowing his eyes as he decided whether or not it would be a good idea to talk his way out, stab her, or to cut it and run.

"Oooh, are you glaring at me~?" Ryōna cooed out as she observed the Leader's face. "Go ahead, do it so you can finally hit me~!" She then moaned.

Akira simply sighed before approaching her, and...

PINCH!

The Leader simply went and pinched the girl's cheek. "There. I hurt you. Happy now?"

"Come on~ That's not enough~! A little slap across the face or the buns~ They're ready for your nice...firm...hands~" Ryōna moaned, still enjoying the pain from her pinched cheek and now eagerly waiting for much more pain.

"Ryōna-chan, I'm a guy that was taught to only hurt people in self-defense." Akira however revealed. "And maybe knock some sense into people if I have to..." He then muttered under his breath.

"So...you'll only hurt me if I hurt you first...~" Ryōna assumed with a cat-like smile and a finger placed on her chin.

"I know what you're thinking, and don't even dare, Ryōna-san." Akira instantly responded with a frown.

"Ooh~ Why is that~?" Ryōna eagerly cooed as she fluttered her eyelashes, practically daring him to have his way with her.

"Because I will be..." Akira began to warn before stopping himself. No, he needed a different attack method to hit her weakness. "...Mildly disappointed in you." He soon threatened.

"...Eh?" Ryōna got out, sounding genuinely stunned.

"I will be mildly disappointed, pat your head, and leave." Akira soon growled.

"...You wouldn't dare." Ryōna responded with a glare. "Don't make me use my guns on you, Akira-kun..." She thought while glaring at the boy.

"...Is that a threat I'm sensing?" Akira thought as he noticed her expression. "Look, we're getting off on the wrong foot here. You're a good person underneath all that masochism, so how about this: Let me get to know you more, then we'll see if you deserve a slap upside the head." He soon offered.

"Hmm~ Well, you make a fine offer~ I accept~" Ryōna agreed with a hop, her large breasts bobbing a bit.

"Good, you crazy masochist." Akira breathed out. "Now can I leave now so I can go home? I still have homework to do." He then lied for the sake of his sanity.

"Aww, you're leaving right now?~ We just met, and it's still early~" Ryōna pointed out. "If you wanna know me more, there's no time like the present~"

"Well, it's...um..." Akira stammered, realizing he had set himself for this.

"Come on, let me take you somewhere we can have fun~" the blonde then urged as she pressed her body against him.

And she wasn't wearing a bra. And there was a non-zero chance she wasn't wearing panties too.

"I need an adult!" Akira quietly pleaded, looking around only to see everyone either avoiding them or staring at Ryōna's boobs. "Curse you, shinobi hotness and craziness!" He mentally cried to the heavens.

"We don't need adults where we're going~" Ryōna assured as she grabbed onto his arm.

"Thank you, people of Tokyo. You're a real help." Akira grumbled. That was all he could do as he was not strong enough to break Ryōna's grasp on his arm. She could very well rip it off if she wanted to. He could only allow her to drag him over to wherever she wanted.

It could be a love hotel, or an AV store, a dungeon, or maybe even-


(Yongen-Jaya, Yongen-Jaya Public Theater)

...A ballet?

Wait, what?

He was now in a...an actual theater sitting with the blonde beside him as audience members while an ongoing ballet performance was currently happening in the very stage of the theater.

"This is not how I imagined this going." Akira thought, watching the ballet dancers move around and around the stage.

"I love this play so much." Ryōna whispered to the boy. "I can't believe that Swan Lake is being performed here." She then added in a satisfied tone.

Akira didn't know what to say aloud near the blonde and only stared at the performance, trying to not look like a weirdo around the other audience members nearby.

"Do you like one of these shows, Akira-kun?" The blonde soon asked.

That alone immediately snapped Akira out of his silence both outside and inside. "Huh? Oh, uh, this show?" He then began. "Um, it's not that I don't like it, but...I've never really attended these kinds of shows, so uh...I guess I don't mind?" He then got out.

"Mm, well, this should turn into a fan in no time flat." Ryōna assured.

"At least there are witnesses around us." Akira couldn't help but think before pausing. "...Shinobi Kekkai, goddammit." He then mentally groaned in realization. "How did you even get tickets?" He soon asked.

"I got them quite cheaply just earlier today. It was a steal~" Ryōna informed, her heterochromic eyes sparkled a bit and her cat-like smile flashing a bit.

"Oh, I bet it was." Akira thought with a flat look on his face. There's probably a couple in the lobby arguing about how they lost their tickets right about now.

"Ooh, quiet. This is my favorite part!" Ryōna squealed as she leaned closer to the action.

It was...honestly cute, seeing her eyes sparkle as she studied every movement the dancers did. And so, Akira enjoyed the performance with the blonde, and even joined the standing ovation once the dancers successfully pulled off the finale.

After the ballet was done and the cast did their bows, the two teens headed to the lobby to talk some more.

"You know, I think you did turn me into a bit of a fan." Akira admitted as they sat down on some seats nearby. "Or at the very least exposed me to theater. Never knew this place existed." He then added as he looked around.

"Well, I'm glad to have expanded your horizons, Akira-kun~" Ryōna giggled while slightly hopping a bit with her tiptoes.

"I have to admit, this is really jarring compared to your whole dog routine at the park." Akira got out. "You seem more like royalty enjoying some entertainment." He then admitted.

"Royalty?" Ryōna repeated in confusion before letting out a small chuckle. "I'm far from royal, Akira-kun." She then pointed.

"Hey, if you put on the right dress, you could totally pass off as a princess." Akira stated, imagining the girl in a pure white dress and a crown on her head.

"Princess?" Ryōna muttered before letting out a sweet smile. "Ooh! That would be lovely!" She then exclaimed as she clapped her hands.

"Yep!" Akira agreed with a nod.

"And you can be the dragon that plucks me out of my castle and burns me to a crisp~!" Ryōna then added. "Oooh, or a cruel king that kidnaps and tortures me in their dungeon~!" She then moaned in delight.

"...The right dress and keeping your mouth shut." Akira soon corrected in a flat tone.

"Gagging me? Oh, you bad boy~" Ryōna giggled. "A-Ah, but enough of that, how did you like the performance?" She soon asked.

"It was great. Really enjoyed it, especially the music." Akira replied.

"Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was such an amazing composer." Ryōna breathed out. "To think that critics despised this ballet. Well, jokes on them, as Swan Lake is the most popular ballet in history. Even the initial run lasted six years with 41 performances." She then remarked.

"You sure know a lot about Swan Lake." Akira remarked.

"How can I not?" The blonde sighed dreamily. "It practically shaped my life. You might even call me a Swan Lake otaku. I am quite obsessed with it." She then confessed.

"No kidding." The Leader soon got out, genuinely interested.

Ryōna nodded before letting out a sigh. "Too bad the ice skating version isn't available anywhere. I consider it the most beautiful adaptation of Swan Lake." She soon lamented.

"We should go see it if it does get to Tokyo." Akira suggested to her, adjusting his glasses.

"That would be lovely!" Ryōna happily agreed, only to realize something. "Ah...but, I'm only here for a few more days." She then continued in a reminding manner.

"Hey, it's not like you're gonna stop being my friend after this week." Akira pointed out.

Ryōna looked stunned by the bluntness of that statement. "Eh?" She got out.

"Yeah, we're friends. Don't forget that." Akira assured as he nudged her shoulder.

"I won't." Ryōna smiled as she nudged the boy back. "And hey, friends do favors, hehehe~" She then added with a cat-like smile.

"Aaannnddd...you're pushing your luck." Akira deadpanned, causing the masochist to giggle.

Akira chuckled with the blonde girl, genuinely enjoying his time with her. Hardcore masochist as she is, she was genuinely someone he would love to hang out with more. Seeing her other interests and getting to know her...it was a highlight of his day.

Although, there was something in his gut telling him something was wrong, and that put him on edge. He didn't know why, but it was almost like she was...

Suddenly, he felt (or heard) a flash of sharp ringing in his head, making Akira tense a bit.

"She is trying to get something out of you." Arsene spoke, feeling his first Persona's distrust of the girl.

"What?" Akira thought, before hiding his surprise in front of the shinobi.

"Hm?" Ryōna got out in confusion, wondering why the boy flinched.

"Keep talking." Arsene advised.

Akira mentally nodded before addressing the girl. "Sorry, I just remembered something. Nothing important, thankfully. Please continue." He got out with a kind smile.

"Oh, okay!" Ryōna responded. "Well..." She then began, unaware of the boy focusing on his Persona more than her.

"She's been lowering your guard. Making you vulnerable." Arsene informed his host. "You were ignoring your instincts. I cannot let her deceive you like this. You should be better than this by now given what you've been through." He then admonished the Leader.

Akira nodded. He was right, he shouldn't have gotten so relaxed. "What should I do here, Arsene? Any suggestions?" He mentally asked.

"What you do best." Arsene answered.

Akira mentally frowned at that before his eyes widened a little. "Got it. Thank you, Arsene." He soon thanked his initial Persona.

"Just do not let it happen again." Arsene commanded before softly chuckling. "...And good luck with the aftermath..." He then warned, his laughter soon fading away.

"Right. Past the masochism and passion for Swan Lake, she's still a shinobi." Akira thought. "I don't know what Ryōna wants, but I can't underestimate her. I won't let her hurt my friends!" He then declared, readying himself for the verbal boss fight he was about to dive into.

Akira soon tuned back into the one-sided conversation he was having with the blonde, who was happily telling him more about her massive fetish and what she does with her sister...as well as what she does with her sister to fulfill that massive fetish. "...And then my sister was just beating me with a stick with all these thorns and I felt like I was gonna- are you listening to me?"

"Every word." Akira assured with a nod.

"Alright." Ryōna accepted before letting out a bright smile. "Hey, you were really fun today. Before I leave, why don't we hang out one more time." She soon got out.

"Ah, can't. I'll be pretty busy." Akira replied in an apologetic tone, carefully studying the girl's movements and mannerisms.

"With what exactly?" The blonde pressed.

"I have appointments, jobs, and a couple of friends." Akira answered in the vaguest possible manner.

"Friends, huh?" Ryōna remarked, smirking. "Well, no doubt someone like you would have some. You're so...approachable and make such good company. I'd be surprised if you didn't have yourself a girlfriend at this point." She then giggled.

"Yep, they make life worth living." Akira stated truthfully.

"Hear hear." Ryōna agreed. "Hey, I have an idea, why don't I meet some of your friends?" She soon prompted.

Akira tensed. "Why?" He questioned, forcing down anything that would make him seem suspicious of her.

"Well, a friend of yours is a friend of mine." Ryōna stated.

Akira immediately knew that she was trying to set him up. He had to admit, if it wasn't for Arsene, he would've fallen for it. "That's...great and all, but if you're gonna do that, you have to let me meet your friends first." He then countered.

The blonde looked away. "I don't really have many friends." Ryōna mumbled.

"You don't?" Akira asked in a curious manner.

"N-Not anymore." Ryōna clarified. "It's just me and my sisters-" She then sheepishly admitted before covering her mouth.

"There." Akira thought. A chink in her armor. "Hm? Ryōna?" He soon got out in concern.

"S-Sister." The blonde corrected herself, looking quite upset now. "Just one sibling. My twin." She then added.

As much as he didn't want to, Akira pressed the advantage. "Ryōna, you can talk to me." He encouraged in a comforting manner.

"I...had an older sister." Ryōna then sadly revealed. "...C-Car crash..." She then lied while continuing her story.

"Oh..." Akira only got out with slight regret and interest. It was somehow intrusive of him, but it was somehow worth it, to say the least. "I...I'm so sorry." He then apologized to try to gain empathy and earn more of her trust.

"Don't be." Ryōna suddenly spat, surprising the boy. "We know whose fault it is." She then added as she clenched her hands into fists.

"Fault?" Akira repeated with narrowed eyes.

"Someone...someone who hasn't paid for what they've done yet." Ryōna clarified.

"Hit and run?" Akira assumed.

"Murder." Ryōna whispered with clenched fists.

Akira frowned. "...Revenge?" He then guessed.

Instantly, the blonde realized her mistake and tried to backpedal. "W-What? N-No, not...revenge. Just...getting justice." Ryōna denied as she shook her head. "My sister won't rest until we do something about her death." She then added.

"Ryōna..." Akira however responded in a no nonsense tone. "I know it isn't really my business, but do you really think your older sister would want that?" He then asked.

"H-Huh? W-What are you getting at, Akira-kun?" The blonde got out in shock

"I mean, don't get me wrong, revenge can be something well-deserved, I even actively advocate for it, but something like this shouldn't warrant so much thought." Akira stated. "How long have you been at this?" He then asked.

Ryōna was a bit hesitant to reveal this much to a civilian, but as long as she doesn't reveal much of her actual background, she can let him gain his trust and eventually some useful information once she asks him some important questions. She really hoped it wouldn't come to guns blazing in the end. "...Over three years." She eventually replied.

Akira winced at that. "And what good will that do after you've gotten it?" He then pressed before sitting a little closer to the girl. "How are you doing now? What are you going to do after?" He then probed.

"...?" The blonde was struck silent. She...she couldn't truly answer that question.

Akira then placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Ryōna, nothing will get your sister back, but she will live on through you and your memories of her." He stated as he placed a hand on his own chest. "But going so far, to sacrifice three years of your life on this...I don't think she would want you to live like this." He then added.

"But...she's still out there. The one who killed her-" Ryōna tried to argue, but all that passion she had was gone, faded away from the words stated.

"Will face punishment soon enough, but not by your hands." Akira interrupted in a firm manner. "This isn't something you and your sister should take on by yourself...nor let it take over your lives..." He then got out.

"B-But-" Ryōna began.

At that moment though, Akira gently embraced the blonde in a hug. "Ryōna, wherever you and your twin sister would do this revenge thing, just don't end up with nothing after." He whispered into her ear.

"...Nothing...after..." Ryōna repeated quietly as she closed her eyes. In her head, she could see her old sister there with her...smiling...yet, at the same time, disappointed.

"Come on, let it out if you need to." Akira soon encouraged.

There was a few seconds of silence before surprisingly, Ryōna let out a soft sob. "R-Ryōki-oneechan..." The blonde whimpered out.

Akira continued the hug for a while before letting go. "I really need to go now." He then got out in an apologetic tone. "But...It was really nice getting to spend time with you. I hope we do it again." He then admitted.

The blonde eventually wiped away her tears and nodded. "Y-Yeah. When I come back, I definitely will." Ryōna promised.

"Well, why don't we exchange our numbers this time?" Akira soon offered as he pulled out his phone.

"O-Okay." Ryōna replied as she reluctantly took out her own phone as well.

["PainAngel4Ever" has been added to your contacts.]

"Welp, that's a username." Akira thought with a sweatdrop before putting away his phone. "I'll definitely text you as soon as I can, okay?" He then promised.

"And...I'll be waiting." Ryōna truthfully replied. "You've...given me a lot to think about, Akira-kun." She then admitted.

"Well, it's bad to judge a book by its cover. Have a good day, Ryōna." Akira soon concluded.

"Bye." The blonde responded before the boy walked away, who mentally fist-pumped for getting through that without feeling as though he sentenced anyone to death.

Meanwhile, Ryōna stood there as she waved the boy goodbye with a neutral expression on her face. It took her a few seconds, but she realized that she had failed her objective and didn't get what she needed from the boy.

But...why didn't she feel like she failed?

BA-DUMP!

The blonde soon heard something from within her that caused her to slightly jump. Was there someone there trying to sneak up on her?

BA-DUMP!

W-Was that her heart!? Why was it beating so loud all of a sudden? She wasn't feeling anything, pain or pleasure!

BA-DUMP!

And was it getting...hotter?

No, it was her cheeks. Not her buttcheeks, her face cheeks. It felt like they were on fire!

She didn't feel sick, it wasn't particularly warm today, and she hadn't been slapped in at least 6 hours, so that meant...

BA-DUMP!

She was still standing in the middle of the lobby, as several people stared at her strangely as they made their way to the exit. Yet none of this contributed to her flaming cheeks.

No...it was only Akira Kurusu. He was the sole cause. And she didn't know why.

All she did was hang out with a cute boy and-

BA-DUMP! BA-DUMP!

-Talk to him about her sister, and why she and her sister's plan was a bad idea...

BA-DUMP! BA-DUMP!

And...he just looked at her with those warm gray eyes that she could get lost in...

And he smelled so much like coffee and curry that she became addicted and when did she smell him?

BA-DUMP! BA-DUMP!

This was getting ridiculous, they just talked! He was supposed to be a pawn, not a rook, or a bishop or her knight in shining armor that would hold her gently in his embrace as they rode off to his castle as he became a king and she became his queen...

BA-DUMP! BA-DUMP!

Her heart beat against her chest at the thought as she began to sweat. That wasn't how it usually goes. She should've been taken to his dungeons, at least!

She could imagine herself being tied up, being forced to stretch her limbs to her absolute limits as he soon released her before gently caressing her face, making her shudder. His fingers felt like swan feathers freshly plucked from the lake.

...Wait what!?

BA-DUMP! BA-DUMP!

Ryōna mentally screamed in horror. No, she wanted him to hurt her, to ignite every pleasure sensor in her body by treating her like a princess, with him as a prince while she was begging for him to stay (very, very enthusiastically) with her...!?

No no no! This was all wrong! She didn't get off to this hurt and comfort crap! Aftercare? She didn't even know if that was a real word in any language! If she was really falling in love, she would-

BA-DUMP! BA-DUMP! BA-DUMP!

Oh.

Oh no.

Ooooooh no...

Ryōbi was going to kill him.

BA-DUMP!


(Shinjuku, Kamurocho)

Eventually, the train arrived at its destination as the two girls headed up from the subway to the ground floor to see a large red archway with lights in it.

"Heeeeee, so this is Kamurocho..." Homura got out as she looked around. "Looks pretty similar to Shinjuku." She then added.

"Yeah, it really does when you first look at it. But it's home and I wouldn't have it any other way." Naomi replied with a nod as she placed her hand on her hip.

"Right." Homura replied as she began walking in, passing nearby people that were going about their business.

Most of the shop owners seemed to know Naomi and greeted her with a warm smile and she smiled and greeted them back. There were also several signs of different shops and restaurants on both sides of the street.

"Huh, you're pretty popular." Homura pointed out in an impressed manner.

"Ehe, I get around." Naomi admitted before narrowing her eyes. "Ma'am...be ready to fight..." She suddenly advised in a serious tone as she got into a fighting stance.

"...Wait what?" Homura got in confusion as a bunch of street thugs began to surround the two while the civilians began backing away. "Are you saying we have to..." She began to ask.

"Yes ma'am, we'll have to fight." Naomi replied with a nod. "You can fight, right?" She soon asked.

CRACK!

"YYYYAAAAAHHHHH!" A thug from behind her screamed in pain as the tan skinned girl casually broke his arm.

"Eh, I can throw a punch." Homura replied before throwing the thug into his buddies.

"Good." Naomi replied as she looked at the thugs. "COME AT US!" She all but ordered in a deep tone.

"Take those bitches down!" The leader ordered all the thugs charged at them with bat, crowbars and knives.

Immediately, the two dodged out of the way of the bat using a thug as Homura landed a series of blows to his back.

Naomi on the other hand caught the other with his arm and flipped him over and slammed him onto the asphalt. She then backhanded a third trying to stab her with a knife and tripped him up with a sweeping kick.

"Hehe, not bad." Homura remarked with a smirk as she decked a guy in the face.

"Back at you." Naomi remarked back as she did a clothesline.

Homura then easily avoided an obviously sloppy punch as she then delivered a kick to the attacker's side.

Then both girls turned to the last guy trying to attack them and delivered a double punch to the face, causing him to fly back into some trash cans.

Soon, the tan skinned girl smirked as they saw there was none left. "Can't even beat teenage girls." Homura taunted before spitting on the unconscious men on the ground. "Bitches." She then quietly remarked.

"Yeah, that's life here in Kamurocho. Having to deal with thugs like them is just part of life here, but not everyone is that lucky." Naomi stated as she straightened her ponytail.

"Still, that was exhilarating." Homura soon got out. "And you go through this every time?" She then asked.

"Indeed I do and I must say impressive work Ma'am." Naomi praised. "You're an impressive fighter." She then added.

Homura in response smirked. "Thanks, you weren't so bad yourself. As expected of someone with military parents." She got out.

"Nah, that's something you learn from the streets." Naomi stated as she brushed off the dust and teeth off her clothes. "The things I can do with an orange..." She then got out.

"Huh?" Homura got out in confusion with a raised eyebrow.

"Done worry about it. It's not important right now." Naomi brushed it off. "C'mon, there's still a lot more to see." She then informed.

"Sure." Homura replied with a nod and a smirk as the two began walking the streets. This was just getting more fun now.

Throughout the tour, Naomi showed all the different shops, restaurants and other establishments in Kamurocho. Some of them she's been to and knows the people working there. Even showing Homura Millennium Tower as the central point of the district.

"Wow, that's a massive tower." Homura admitted in an impressed manner.

"Yeah, that's Millennium Tower. The largest building in the district." Naomi declared with a nod and smiled, "It's also the biggest office building, so you can pretty much see it from any part of Kamurocho." She then revealed.

"I heard a lot of incidents happen here though." Homura soon admitted.

"Oh, you have no idea. You wouldn't believe how many times this tower was at the center of those incidents." Naomi explained. "There was one where 10 billion yen were scattered all over the streets. Another with the murder of a Kazama Family member. And one where the Omi Alliance held someone hostage." She then listed some major events.

"A lot of those incidents seem to involve the yakuza huh?" Homura pointed out with a sweatdrop.

"Yeah, they sure do. Mostly because they run Kamurocho and no one dares to stand up against them. Unless they want to get shanked in a dark alley." Naomi admitted to her.

"Right." Homura replied as the two continued walking. "So, where to next?" She then asked.

"Well, there is one place that only a few people know about. It's kinda off the beaten path, but it's a place that'll be well worth the visit." Naomi answered.

"Really now." Homura replied, curious to learn that.

"Oh yeah, just you wait and see. You'll definitely find this well worth the trip. I can promise you that." Naomi declared with a nod and smirked.

"And we got time before meeting up with your parents?" Homura then asked in consideration.

Naomi checks her phone to see if they've still got time before meeting her parents. "Yeah, we've still got some time. We won't meet them for another hour or two, so we can knock this one out while we can." She replied and informed.

"Well, ok." Homura replied with a nod. "Lead the way." She then got out.

"Affirmative. Right this way, Ma'am." Naomi saluted and led her to another section of Kamurocho.

However, when they arrived at the location...

"A...ramen shop?" Homura slowly got out with a raised eyebrow.

"Just wait and see." Naomi reassured as she entered the shop and talked with the owner.

"Ok?" Homura responded in a confused manner.

"Excuse me?" Naomi called out.

"Hai!" The shop owner responded before seeing who it was. "Ah Naomi-chan, here for the usual?" He then asked.

"Huh, I guess Naomi's more popular here then I thought." Homura thought.

"No, not this time. I'm here for a special visit. I'm showing my friend from school around Kamurocho and I wanted to show her someplace special." Naomi explained and gestured to the tan skinned girl outside of the shop.

To that, the owner looked at the girl before nodding with a serious expression on his face. "Alright, then." He suddenly responded in a serious tone. "Head for the usual spot." He then instructed.

"Wait what?" Homura thought in confusion about the shift in tone of the atmosphere.

"Arigato. We'll head there now." Naomi responded with a nod in a serious tone as well. "Homura, follow me." She then instructed.

To that, Homura simply nodded as she followed her committee member...into the men's bathroom. "Huh?" She got out in confusion.

Naomi looks around to make sure no one was watching before knocking on the door.

"Naomi, why are we in the men's bathroom?" Homura soon whispered. Despite being curious and somewhat excited now, this also was feeling sketchy.

"Because this is where that place I told you about is located. Not a lot of people know about it, but only a select few who do." Naomi explained as they reached to the other side of the men's bathroom.

"So it's a Kamuroucho secret." Homura guessed in a fascinated tone.

"Yep. In more ways than you think." Naomi replied with a nod as she wiped at the wall to reveal a beautifully crafted emblem. "Okay, this is it. The place I told you about is just behind this wall." She soon revealed.

Homura simply nodded to that as she decided to leave the rest to her committee members.

Naomi feels the wall until she finds a crevice and pulls on it to slide it open, revealing a hallway just behind it. There were also some loud noises coming from the end of the hallway.

"C'mon, we're almost there. Just enter this hall and pass the door." Naomi instructed.

Nodding once more to that, Homura followed as the two entered.

They've soon reached the end of the hall and are standing in front of a metal door with a slider for someone to look through. Naomi knocks on the door and waits for someone to answer.

Suddenly, a small opening on the door slid open to reveal a set of eyes. "Shingo." A deep male voice stated.

"Yep. It's me again. I'm here to see the underground fights." Naomi nodded to the man on the other side of the door.

Homura's eyes meanwhile widened to that. "Did she just say-?" She thought in a surprised manner.

"And I'm assuming I'll be needing a password to enter the arena, right?" Naomi asked the man.

"As always." The man behind the door responded.

"Of course. Then this shouldn't be a problem." Naomi responded with a nod as she walked in closer for him to hear. "Shin Ryu no Gotokue." She whispered.

Homura meanwhile heard that term as she made the mental note for it as she narrowed her eyes.

The man soon closed the opening and unlocked the main door and opened it for them.

And with that, the two stepped in.


(Tatsumi Port Island, Funeral Hall)

Meanwhile, Yumi was having a absolutely-

"ZZZZZ...!"

An absolutely-

"ZZZZZZZZ...!"

...Ab-

"ZZZZZZZZZZZ...!"

"Why is he asleep?" Yozakura growled through gritted teeth. Currently, it was the time where the priest was reading out Kurokage's rites and ensuring he made it to heaven. The Gessen shinobi (and Hanzo) were now in a room full of chairs, many of them empty. And yet, the room couldn't feel any more full of Hanzō's loud and constant snores.

Yumi desperately wanted to drink more tea, however since she was holding the (now cleaned up) picture of her grandfather, she simply had to use some of her shinobi training to calm down and-

"ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ...!"

"U-Um...Mister Hanzō-san, please wake up." Minori politely requested, nervously glancing over to the priest who seemed to be getting a little miffed by the old man.

"ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ...!"

"Body is nothing more than emptiness, emptiness is nothing more than body. The body is exactly empty, and emptiness is exactly body." Shiki quietly recited from the Heart Sutra, attempting to keep calm even as she was slowly wanting to end this man's life with her scythe. Or her bare hands.

"ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ...!"

"Should we cover his mouth...?" Minori questioned. Even she was getting annoyed by the man's snores.

"Ignore him. It would be rude to do such a thing." Murakumo pointed out while glancing over to Yumi who was looking straight ahead...without blinking.

Suddenly, his snores began to quiet down, causing the girls to sigh in relief.

And then his phone rang.

"HEY! HEY! LOOK! LOOK! OUT IN THE STREET! DON'T YOU SEE THAT MAN IS KAPPA MIKEY?"

"Why is his ringtone so loud!?" Yozakura growled out as the ringtone played over and over at max volume.

"And how has he not woken up?" Shiki added in an incredulous tone.

"Someone please shut it off or answer the call for him..." Murakumo pleaded, already wanting this whole thing to be over.

"I got it..." Minori responded as she went to search for the phone...only to soon realize that she couldn't find it. "Eh!?" She soon got out in shock.

"Let's just leave it alone." Yumi politely suggested as she gripped the portrait.

However, the phone kept ringing, playing that stupid song every time, somehow getting louder with each passing second. Each time it played, the girls tried more and more desperately to mute or dampen the sound, only for it to continue interrupting the service.

Eventually, Shiki's Heart Sutra sayings weren't enough and began searching for the phone herself. This time, however, she actually found it…in his underwear.

"LIKE, SCREW YOU, KAPPA MIKEY!" Shiki finally snapped as she threw the phone against the wall, shattering it into pieces. "There...it's over. We are free." She panted before sitting back down.

And then the song started playing again.

Because a good shinobi always carries backups. Multiple backups. And his wife is a very persistent woman.

If one were to look at the portrait of Kurokage, it would seem his kind smile had turned into an annoyed frown.

"ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ…!"


(?)

As the Shujin Disciplinary Committee girls entered, they saw what appeared to be a large circular room with bleachers on every side overlooking the center arena where all the fights were taking place. A chain-linked fence was separating the spectators from the combatants and spotlights were hanging above the arena. On opposite sides of the ring, two walkways for each combatant were located.

"What...is this place?" Homura soon asked as she looked around. The atmosphere was way different than anywhere else in Shinjuku.

"Homura, welcome to Neo-Purgatory." Naomi introduced.

"Neo...Purgatory?" Homura hesitantly repeated as she looked around.

"It's a new version of the original Purgatory that has suddenly vanished from the face of the earth." Naomi explained. "No one really knows what happened to it, but Neo-Purgatory was later established in its place and has been more well known ever since." She then added.

The tan skinned girl then looked towards the center and easily figured out what it was. "...an Underground fight club?" Homura asked as she looked around to see the stands being filled up. "Are you sure we should be here?" She then added.

"I know it sounds like we shouldn't be here, but this is really the place I wanted to show you." Naomi explained to her.

"How come exactly?" Homura soon asked.

"It's because I wanted to show you that I've been holding back." Naomi soon explained. "And it's to give you a show. Which is why I wanted to bring you down here." She continued. "And yes, it may be...slightly...illegal but in Kamurocho, people really don't care that much." She confessed. "Not to mention it's a good experience for me when I join the military." She then added.

"Gotta like the gray zone for some things." Homura admitted.

"Yep, and this is one of them." Naomi responded with a nod "Just promise that you don't tell the others about this. I really don't want them to think less of me." She then requested and explained.

"Of course, your business is your own." Homura replied with reassurance. "You better go get ready though." She soon suggested.

"Yeah, I'd better. This is going to be an experience for both of us." Naomi replied and nodded as she walked over to one of the men and told him she's going to compete.

Homura meanwhile watched her committee member leave with the guard as she went to take a seat and was offered some water. "Not what I was expecting to happen today, but this is gonna be awesome." She soon thought in anticipation.

Soon enough, the entire arena was packed with people coming in to watch the Underground Fights and are anxious to see who's the next victim of the fights. Most of them were either street punks, regular people and even those of high class coming in from all over Kamurocho.

"Man, it's packed now." Homura thought in an impressed manner at how fast it was. "Some people are even placing bets." She then added.

"Oh man, I'm really excited to see who's going to be in this match." A male punk got out in anticipation.

"I know, I heard they've got a good one for this fight. Perhaps even the best one so far." A female punk replied in agreement.

"I'll believe that when I see it. I'm more wondering who decided to jump into the ring this time." Another man replied.

"I heard it's that Shingo girl, you know, the daughter of those two military officers. She's probably the one who's now entering the ring." A fourth man informed.

"That so? Well, this is going to be interesting. I'm definitely placing my bets on her winning." A second woman replied and decided.

"I'll take on that bet and say she's out in the first round." An older man countered with a smirk as they both shook hands.

"Huh, guess Naomi's got both a good and a bad reputation here among the viewers." Homura thought as she took a sip of her water.

"HELLO, UNDERGROUND KAMUROCHO! It's that time again! Time for our famous Neo-Purgatory Underground Fights!" The announcer declared from the booth. "Now I'm sure a lot of you are excited to see some bloodshed here, but first we need to announce our first combatant. Turn your attention to the left side of the ring." They then declared.

This in turn got mutters for the audience members as the tan skinned girl did as instructed along with the other viewers ...

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Just as side flares went off in a dramatic manner while heavy music began playing.

On the left side of the ring, a regular looking thug comes walking into the arena and climbs up the steps to the ring and panders to the crowd.

"Just a grunt." Homura thought as she looked at the cocky man that appeared to be in his late 20s.

"And now, returning for another shot at the top, our very own resident badass for Kamurocho since the Dragon of Dojima himself!" The announcer declared as he gestures to the right side of the arena. "She may be a unicorn, but she's anything but dainty! She'll use her horn in ways that will leave you speechless at how graceful they are! You know her, you love her, or hate her, I don't judge." He then continued as most of the audience laughed at that.

Homura meanwhile raised an eyebrow in response. "Unicorn?" She thought to herself, thinking about the one Persona their Leader had gotten of the same name. "Also, the Dragon of Dojima? Now that sounds badass." She then mentally wondered and admitted.

As flares shot out from the right side, Naomi walked into the arena wearing a black haori jacket over a white Chinese shirt with long sleeves and she still kept her skirt and was wearing sneakers. Her most defining feature is her hair now tied in a braided ponytail.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the one and only, THE SHINGO UNICORN!" The announcer declared as Naomi went up the steps to the ring and faced her opponent. A large cage then lowered from the ceiling and latched onto the ring, making it a cage match.

"The Shingo Unicorn." Homura repeated as she watched her committee member ready herself. "Not a bad look." She then admitted in an impressed tone. "Get 'em Naomi! Show them what you're made of!" She soon cheered while pumping a fist into the air as other audience members also began cheering as well.

Naomi heard her and gave her a thumbs up before turning to her opponent who was waiting impatiently. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't see you there. I thought that someone accidentally donated a gorilla, but that's just your face." She mocked her opponent with a smirk as she took off her jacket.

"Oooh! Burn!" Homura called out as she then started laughing.

The audience also laughed at that remark as the thug was getting even more pissed off.

"Looks like sparks are flying now and the match hasn't even started yet! Let's see if The Shingo Unicorn can bite as much as she can bark!" The announcer declared as the gong was struck, signaling the match to begin.

Naomi in turn smirked as she got into a bouncy fighting stance after cracking her knuckles. "Bring it on! Come at me!" She then demanded.

"You're dead now, bitch!" The thug yelled as she charged at her like a bull.

"Hehe, what an idiot. He fell for the taunt." Homura thought, knowing that this was the plan from the beginning.

As the thug tried to throw a punch at Naomi, she managed to sidestep out of the way and delivered a roundhouse kick to the back of his head, causing him to fall flat on his face.

"Nice kick, good form." Homura complimented to herself as the battle continued as she watched the thug get up.

The thug slammed both of his fists down at her, but she managed to jump backwards from it and just as his hands crashed onto the floor, Naomi then leapt over his shoulders and bounced off his back, causing him to stumble. When he regained his balance, he turned around to see her ricocheting off the cage and delivered a double kick to the face.

"Oooh, he's gonna be feeling that in the morning!" Homura declared with a wince, but also smirked as she watched the guy slump down to the ground.

"And the winner is...The Shingo Unicorn!" The announcer declared as the audience began cheering. "Not only did she have a bark to rile up our first combatant, but she definitely has the bite to back it up! Now she's moving on to the next round!" He soon declared.

Naomi meanwhile bowed to the crowd before picking up her jacket and got it back on as she waved over to the tan skinned girl.

"Not bad!" Homura praised with a smirk and a thumbs up.

Naomi returned the gesture with a thumbs up of her own as the cage unlatched from the ring.

"And that's the end of our first round. A little short, but trust me, folks, we're just getting started. This is just a small taste of what's to come, so kick back and relax. We're in for one hell of a show." The announcer declared as the next combatant entered the ring.

This man seemed to be in late 20s like the last one, however this time, he was holding a sledgehammer one handed.

"Wait what!?" Homura got out in shock while the staff got the last fighter out as the cage descended once more.

Naomi turns to him and throws off her jacket once again and does a bring it gesture to her opponent. The gong sounds off and the fight began.

"Jeez Naomi, you better be careful this time..." Homura got out in concern. It wasn't a big deal to her since she was a shinobi, but her committee member wasn't.

Over the course of the fights, it soon felt like a montage of sorts since Naomi kept winning each of her fights against various opponents with little scratches, but she didn't let that slow her down. She managed to reach the later fights where they started getting even harder and even more dangerous since the combatants were much stronger than the earlier fights.

"Ok then, I stand corrected. She really can hold her own." Homura soon admitted as she and the audience cheered and clapped for her committee member.

Naomi meanwhile waved at the crowd for all the cheers she was getting from them. Then when she turned to the tan skinned girl, she gave her a thumbs up for her biggest support in her matches as the cage ascended to have the next combatant enter the ring.

"Ok, semifinals now." Homura muttered in anticipation, curious to who the next opponent would be.

On the left side of the arena, another tan skinned girl comes walking into the ring. She had seafoam green hair tied in pigtails while she was wearing a red jacket that showed her cleavage and a red palette skirt and loafers.

"Hm?" Homura hummed out the sight of the girl as she felt something. Something was definitely different about this girl.

The girl steps up onto the ring as Naomi turns to face her. "Okay, this is new. I wasn't expecting someone my age to enter here." She admitted with a raised eyebrow. "So what's your reason for entering these Underground Fights?" She soon asked while placing a hand on her hip.

The seafoam green haired girl in response smirked as she readied herself. "For the fun of it. I like getting into fights with strong opponents and Neo-Purgatory's Coliseum in Kamurocho is a great place to find them." She explained in anticipation.

"I can't argue with that. This is a place where a lot of strong fighters come to test their skills." Naomi responded in agreement as she readied herself as well. "I hope you don't feel disappointed when fighting me." She then declared.

"Same here, Shingo Unicorn." The girl soon replied as her gold magatama earring seemed to glow.

"!?" Homura's eyes meanwhile widened as she indeed felt something that time.

The gong was struck and the fight began. Both girls circled around the ring, keeping their eyes on each other while waiting to see which of them would strike first.

"That girl..." Homura meanwhile muttered as she focused on her committee member's opponent. "She isn't a shinobi, but..." She then thought, but trailed off at the end.

In an instant, the girl vanishes from sight that catches Naomi by surprise. "What the hell?! Where did she go?!" She thought as she looked around the ring, only for her opponent to appear right behind her and unleash a barrage of kicks on her back.

Homura's eyes meanwhile narrowed to the sight. "I knew it..." She thought in a dead serious tone.

Naomi meanwhile managed to not fall over and turned around to deliver a roundhouse kick that knocked the girl back, but she didn't flinch at all.

"Heeee, not bad." The girl soon praised with interest while licking her lips.

"Damn...she's tough...A lot more than the previous fights..." Naomi thought to herself as she regained her composure. "But I've come too far to quit now, I'm not backing down from this." She then added in her head.

"Who the hell is this girl?" Homura meanwhile asked as the cheering of the audience continued for the fight to keep going.

The fight actually lasted longer than all the previous fights as both girls traded blows one after another and neither of which were backing down. The girl tried to use the same tactics as before, but this time Naomi was ready and managed to catch her leg and spin her around like how Mario did to Bowser before letting her go and sending her flying into the bars of the cage.

"Not getting me that time..." Naomi panted out as she took a deep breath to calm herself down.

But the girl soon readjusted herself and landed right on the bars before launching herself straight at Naomi as her fist glowed in a green energy.

"Empty Split Land Smashing!" The girl shouted and slammed her fist into the center of the ring, creating a shockwave that knocked her opponent back and left a small dent in the fence.

"What the!?" Homura and Naomi both thought in shock to the display, the tan skinned girl standing up as a result of witnessing that.

The ruddy girl takes out her fist from the crater she left and looks over towards Naomi, who was still in shock at what just happened.

"Not bad, this is the best fight I have had in a long time. You even got me to use one of my special techniques." The girl confessed in a stratified tone ."But I'm afraid that all good things must come to an end. So forgive me in advance, I'm about to end this fight here and now." She soon informed her.

"That...That was not a ninjutsu..." Homura thought as she looked at her committee member. "Come on Naomi, you've come so far already..." She then muttered.

Naomi shook her head to regain her focus and tried to be intimidated by her opponent who was more or less enjoying the fight more than anything else. "Then bring it on! I can take on whatever trick you've got up your sleeve! Give me your best shot!" She shouted at the ruddy girl, not backing down from the fight.

This in turn caused the crowd to cheer even louder as if they were used to it and had seen it before.

"Very well, don't say I didn't warn you." The girl responded with a nod as she did a small twirl before vanishing again.

Naomi looked around to see where she's going to strike from, however...

"Heaven and Earth, White Wolf Strike!" The girl suddenly declared, her voice being heard throughout the coliseum just as her opponent was struck from all sides from a green blur as the tan skinned even caught a glimpse of her as she finished her attack with a flip in the air and landing gracefully on the ring.

"That speed, it's definitely on par with a shinobi's!" Homura thought as she narrowed her eyes.

Naomi meanwhile staggered from the girl's last attack and fell to her knees. She was breathing heavily and had sweat dripping down from her face and even some blood was spat out from her mouth. Even her ponytail came undone and let her hair fall straight down.

"Man, to think you're still kicking even after that, now I'm really impressed." The girl soon confessed with a wild grin on her face.

Naomi meanwhile continued panting heavily as she looked at her opponent. "Same...here..." She replied. "Who...are you?" She eventually asked.

"I suppose it won't hurt to tell you before you lose." The girl crossed her arms under her breasts. "Remember this name, for it is the name of one who has defeated you. Ryofu Hosen." She soon revealed.

"Ryofu...Hosen?" Homura repeated as the name sounded familiar...before her eyes widened. "LU BU!?" She soon exclaimed as she recalled it from Chinese history.

"Looks like someone already knows about my ancestor." Ryofu got out as she glanced over to the tan skinned girl at her table. "But I'm afraid it doesn't make a difference." She soon decided as she walked over to her still downed opponent. "It's been fun, but it's time for me to end this. If we weren't fighting, we might've even been friends, but I suppose I can settle to be your opponent." She then confessed.

"Ugh...no wonder you're strong...it runs in your blood..." Naomi remarked in realization. "Didn't think you'd have magic as well thanks to his blood..." She then admitted as she struggled to move.

"Not magic...I use chi..." Ryofu however corrected with a smirk on her face.

"Chi...? You mean...that spiritual energy that...martial artists use...?" Naomi however got out as she looked up at her.

Homura's eyes however widened in shock at that revelation. "Chi!? Chi actually exists!? Are you kidding me!?" She mentally exclaimed. "Hebijo always denied the existence of chi too!" She then added in her head, recalling all the lectures she had gotten on the denial of its existence.

"Yep, the very same. Only the most skilled of martial artists can use it to their full potential." Ryofu explained. "But there are some who can even utilize it for battle and can be used when in a pinch. It takes a lot of mental and physical training to achieve it, but once you've mastered it, it can be your greatest ally." She then revealed.

Upon hearing this, Naomi's eyes widened. "So that's it..." She muttered in a tone of realization.

"!?" Homura meanwhile heard that and became confused as a result.

Ryofu on the other hand watched as her opponent got up. "So, still up for it?" She questioned in anticipation.

Naomi soon closed her eyes and took a deep breath to relax herself before she then reopened them and looked over at her opponent. "Yeah, I'm still raring to go. I came here to improve myself so that I can eventually join the military. It's a long road and I know I'll be hitting some obstacles along the way, but I'm not someone who runs away from a fight." She responded in a determined manner.

Homura meanwhile smiled widely at that declaration as the audience kept cheering for the match to continue.

"The military, eh? That's quite the journey you've got. But I'm afraid that you'll be disappointed when I defeat you." Ryofu replied with a smirk as her green Chi enveloped her body. But she then noticed that her opponent was looking different than before and saw something surrounding her body, causing her to narrow her eyes to focus more and was in shock to see a white Chi emitted from her opponent's body.

"What the!?" Both tan skinned girls got out, one in shock and the other in amazement.

"No way! Naomi can use chi as well!? Sweet!" Homura thought, excitement swelling up from within her body. This would definitely be a game changer.

"This girl...to think that she has chi within her..." Ryofu thought to herself as she was still in shock of what she's witnessing "This is starting to get really interesting...I'm looking forward to seeing what else she's got." She then added.

"I always wondered what this was that me and my family have, but now it really makes sense." Naomi got out with a smirk on her face. "Lu Bu...no, Ryofu Hosen, come at me!" She soon ordered as she once more got into her fighting stance.

"Then here I come, Shingo Unicorn!" Ryofu smirked back as both girls dashed towards each other and they both delivered a punch that caused a shockwave throughout the coliseum.

BOOM!

"Whew! Felt that power from here!" Homura admitted in amazement.

Both girls jumped back from each other before Ryofu went in to deliver a kick, but Naomi blocked it and did an openhanded punch to her gut that knocked her back. And this time, she felt it and it left a hole in her center of her blazer, revealing her bellybutton.

"Whew, feeling much better now..." Naomi muttered to herself with a smirk on her face.

"Heh...Hehehe...Hahahaha!" Ryofu laughed. "How long has it been since I felt such an exhilarating fight like this?! This is the first time I've been pushed to my limit and you even damaged me! I was right, this is the best place to find strong fighters and you're definitely at the top!" She soon declared in excitement.

Homura meanwhile narrowed her eyes as she watched the seafoam green haired girl clash with her committee member. "She's...like how I used to be..." She thought to herself.

The fight soon went on for nearly an hour as both girls were giving it their all and the crowd was eating it up. This was the best fight they've seen in a long time and they're definitely getting their money's worth.

Homura, meanwhile, was still focused on how Ryofu was mirroring how she used to be when she was still under Hebijo and began to wonder how things would've been if she and Asuka had never come to Tokyo, joined the Phantom Thieves and even her starting the committee.

"Thank god I came to Tokyo..." Homura soon muttered to herself in a relieved manner.

Both girls panted heavily as they were on their last legs and the fight was now at a stalemate. This was their final chance to turn the tables on the other for whoever made their last move wins.

Ryofu now seemed to match Naomi as her pigtails were now undone and her clothes were mostly torn up, revealing most of her body for everyone to see. But she doesn't seem to mind it as it was natural for her in all of her previous fights and she was having way too much fun to even care.

"One last strike..." Naomi muttered as she readied her fist, a white glow enveloping it.

"To think that I would be pushed to my very limits and on my last leg..." Ryofu thought to herself. "This was the fight I've been searching for a long time and now I have found it...If I were to lose here, then I'd be happy...Because I got to live my life to the very end..." She closed her eyes and remembered all of her friends she had made and smiled. "Everyone...thank you for filling me with so much life...If it weren't for all of you, then I might've died without much purpose...And Chinkyuu...if I ever die, know that I will always love you with the bottom of my heart...I hope you can live on and find someone who can treat you with the same love you gave me..." She then added to her thoughts as her fist was enveloped by her green chi.

"This is it...the final clash..." Homura thought as she watched the two rush in at one another as the audience's shears reached their peak.

"Empty Split Land Smashing!" Ryofu shouted as she delivered one last strike.

"Horn Pierce!" Naomi roared as she unleashed her fist.

Everything was in slow motion as both of their attacks closed in on each other. The crowd cheering, cameras flashing, sweat dripping from their faces and Homura watching everything unfold. At that moment, both girls' attacks hit each other and caused a massive shockwave, more powerful than the one when they first collided with each other.

BOOOOM!

"GAH!" One girl's voice got out in pain.

Everyone watched in anticipation to see who was the victor. As the dust settles, it reveals both girls still standing. But upon closer inspection, it's revealed that Ryofu's attack just missed Naomi while hers struck her in the chest. However, Ryofu didn't seem to mind it. In fact, she was glad to have lost as she had just experienced the best fight she had in a long time.

"And that's game..." Homura concluded as they watched the seafoam green haired girl slump down to the ground.

"Well done...Shingo Unicorn..." Was all Ryofu could say before passing out, making her opponent the winner of the match as she raised up her fist in victory.

"You too, Ryofu Hosen." Naomi breathed out, her chi at work to give her some recovery.

"AND THAT'S IT, FOLKS! THAT WAS THE GREATEST SEMI-FINAL ROUND I'VE EVER SEEN!" The announcer yelled in excitement. "Of all my years announcing these fights, never have I seen a battle quite like that and it was definitely worth it! But will the final match stack up to it and be just as amazing? We'll find out after we take a short break!" He then declared.

"Good, Naomi can have a short rest to recover now." Homura thought in relief as watched some workers come and placed the seafoam green haired girl on a stretcher.

Naomi watched as Ryofu was taken away on a stretcher as she picked up her jacket and placed it back on before making her way to the combatant's room to rest up for her final match.

At that moment, Homura also got up from her seat as she made her way to go see her committee member, but was stopped by a guard. "Hey." She got out with narrowed eyes.

"Sorry, but no one is allowed to see the combatants. Return to your seat or I'll be forced to throw you out." The guard ordered in a threatened manner.

"Hey, I just want to make sure Naomi's alright." Homura responded. "I came here to Neo-Purgatory with her." She then informed.

"Even still, I cannot allow you to visit her. I'm ordered to make sure none of the fighters are distracted by anyone. Now return to your seat, don't make me have to use force." The guard overdid again with an even more threatening tone.

However at that moment...

"OI KUROSEI! YOU CAN ALLOW MY FRIEND TO COME IN!" Naomi's voice loudly called out.

Kurose turned to where her voice was coming from and turned back to the tan skinned girl. "Consider yourself lucky that she's letting you see her. Since she is your friend, I'll overlook this just once." He responded as he moved aside to let her pass.

Homura in response simply nodded as she headed in before eventually arriving at the room labeled Shingo. "Here we are." She muttered as she took the door knob and pushed it open. "Yo." She greeted.

"Yo, yourself." Naomi greeted back with a smile.

This in turn caused both girls to start giggling like regular teenagers just hanging out with one another.

"I won't lie, that last round was intense! That was the first time I really let myself loose and it was just amazing!" Naomi confessed in excitement.

"Same here." Homura replied in agreement with a smirk. "Not to mention that other crazy stuff that happens." She soon added. "So what was with the glow you two had?" She then asked, feigning ignorance to be able to hear them.

"From what she said, it was chi. It's a spiritual energy that martial artists strive to achieve." Naomi explained. "They say that chi can be achieved when the user has mastered inner peace and relinquishes all of their negativity. I don't really know it myself, but the best I saw was from that movie with the panda voiced by an American celebrity." She then added to the explanation.

"Sounds pretty crazy. Like it came from an anime or something." Homura got out.

"It really does look like it when you put it that way, but from what my grandmother told me, it's been in our family for years." Naomi explained "I never really understood what she was telling me, but I guess it's because my chi has been dormant for a long time until now."

"And look at you, you're already healing up faster than normal." Homura soon pointed out. "Jeez, not even shinobis have this kind of healing. This is more how the Phantom Thieves are." She meanwhile added in her head.

Naomi looked at herself in the mirror and can see her injuries have healed up. "Whoa, you're right, Homura! I'm almost fully healed up! Even after all of that, it's like it never happened!" She gasped in shock and awe.

Homura in turn almost facefaulted to that. "S-Seriously? You just noticed?" She got out, amusement.

"Yeah, I guess I did. I was actually planning to bandage myself after the fight, but when I saw you being blocked by Kurosei, I had to step it." Naomi giggled out. "I didn't even realize that my wounds had already healed until you mentioned it." She then confessed.

"Good to hear." Homura replied with a sweatdrop. "So, your finals are gonna be soon." She then reminded. "Got any idea who you're fighting?" She soon asked.

"Honestly, I have no idea. I don't even know who my final opponent is going to be." Naomi answered as she sat down on her chair. "I'm still reeling from my fight with Ryofu Hosen, but I have a feeling that this one will be just as strong as her." She then added.

"Stronger than her?" Homura questioned. "Someone stronger than her would be a monster...shinobi level I bet..." She meanwhile thought in a serious tone.

"Maybe, but I'm just making assumptions at this point. I don't even know who's waiting for me in the final round." Naomi explained. "I heard this person is a recurring presence here, but that's about all I know." She then revealed.

"Well it should be interesting to say the least." Homura admitted.

"Yeah, that's true. I'm just hoping it won't be as crazy as with Ryofu." Naomi agrees with her.

"Oh yeah." Homura got out in agreement, but before anything else could be said...

A knock was heard at the door. It was Kurosei coming to let her know about the final round.

"Shingo, it's almost time for the final round. Finish up whatever you're doing and head for the ring." He ordered from the other side of the door.

"Hai hai." Naomi casually replied as she turned to the tan skinned girl. "Let's go." She decided.

Homura in response nodded with a smile. "Yeah." She replied as the two headed out.

The tan skinned girl was soon led back to her seat by Kurosei as he returned to his position. Soon enough, the rest of the audience members all returned to their seats, waiting to see the final round.

"Time to begin." Homura thought in a determined manner before a series of flares went off.

"Alright, we're back! Now it's time for the final round and I'm sure that you're all just as excited to see this as I am after that exhilarating semi-final match!" The announcer began. "Now returning from her break, the Shingo Unicorn, Naomi Shingo!" He announced as the girl in mention walked out to the ring and waves at the crowd.

"WOOHOO! Get'em Naomi!" Homura cheered along with the audience, but at that moment...

"Hah! Hahahaha! So this is the one who made it to the final round?! Some little girl who managed to get lucky in her last fights?!" A voice taunted from seemingly out of nowhere. "I'll admit, that last fight was a sight to behold but I'm afraid that will be your last! Because now it's time for you to face your greatest challenge yet!" They then declared at the moment, all the lights shut off and everything was left in complete darkness.

"Wait what?" Homura got out, confused to hear that as she looked around.

The fighter's eye however twitched upon hearing the voice. "Oh good god..." Naomi sighed out in an exhausted manner. "Not again..." She then groaned while palming her face.

"Eh?" Homura got out in confusion. Did her committee member know who she was fighting?

Just then, a spotlight shines down on the left side of the arena as a man in his 50s walks out to the ring as sparks shoot out. His most defining feature is his eyepatch and is wielding a blade in his left hand.

"Who the hell?" Homura soon asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Of course it's you..." Naomi muttered to herself.

"It's good to see you in the ring again, Naomi-chan~!" The man got out, a bit too excited for his age.

"Of all the people I could be fighting, why did it have to be you, Goro Majima?!" Naomi yelled in annoyance at her much older opponent.

"Aaaaaw, don't be too upset Naomi-chan," Majima responded as he toyed with his blade. "It really doesn't suit you." He then informed with a grin.

"...Is this guy right in the head?" Homura thought with a raised eyebrow.

"Ugh...and you're still trying to flirt with me..." Naomi facepalmed in disgust. "How many times do I have to tell you? I'm not interested in someone over half my age! So you can just drop it before I really get angry!" She then declared and demanded.

"WHAT!?" Homura exclaimed upon hearing that.

"Don't flatter yourself kid. I never fought, or even trained, a kid like you before. Nonetheless a girl." Majima however declared. "This ain't training anymore. This time, I'm gonna leave you in the hospital if you lose." He then reminded.

"That was...every time we've ever seen each other. You were basically following me wherever I went." Naomi groaned in aggravation as she remembers all the times she's encountered the man and has fought him during each encounter. "While I appreciate you teaching me how to fight, there's a much better way to train me than just stalking me!" She then declared.

"This guy also trained Naomi!?" Homura thought in disbelief.

"You say that, but look where you are now." Majima reminded as he used his free hand to take hold of his shirt.

"Hey, what are you-" Naomi was about to protest until he ripped off his shirt in a dramatic fashion to reveal his tattoo on his back, which covered his biceps and upper chest, stretching from his neck to the back of his thighs consisting of a floral motif with a Hannya on his back and twin snakes wrapped around his arms and chest. "...Oh, we're going there huh?" She soon realized in a more serious tone as she narrowed her eyes.

"Of course, Naomi-chan! It's only fitting for us to everyone here who we truly are! After all, where did you think you got yours from?!" Majima replies as he points at her, knowing that he can see the horn of her tattoo on her neck.

"Eh?" Homura was confused by that statement. "Ok, why the hell did he rip his shirt off and how did he do that without tearing it?" She soon asked.

"And there it is, ladies and gentlemen! The Mad Dog himself has graced us with his presence! The one and only, Goro Majima!" The announcer declared as the man let out a war cry and the crowd cheered. "What an unexpected turn of events, to think that one of the infamous Majima Family has come to be the Shingo Unicorn's final opponent! I'm telling you, folks! This will be a fight worthy of the history books!" He then declared.

"Mad Dog? Majima Family?" Homura repeated the terms in confusion as she looked around to see the growing excitement from the crowd. "Am I missing something here? Seriously, why did he take his top off?" She once more asked.

"And seeing as the Mad Dog has taken off his shirt to reveal his infamous tattoo, how will the Shingo Unicorn respond back? Will she respect the traditions of the yakuza and take off her shirt to reveal her tattoo or will she back down and leave in shame?!" The announcer declared as everyone watched in anticipation to see how the teenage girl would respond.

"Wait what!?" Homura got out in shock. There was no way her committee member would-

Naomi however sighed as she gripped her top. "If I have to." She muttered as she narrowed her eyes...before tearing off her top as well

The tan skinned girl's eyes immediately widened in shock to this. "W-Why did you just take your top off too Naomi!?" Homura exclaimed in confusion as she looked at the well toned girl only in the backless sports bra and a skirt, but then she noticed a major detail on the committee member's back. "And you got a full back tattoo!?" She then added in shock as she looked at the unicorn tattoo that covered her entire back.

"Mm-hmm...You've definitely grown into a fine woman, Naomi-chan. And I can see that you've respected our noble traditions." Majima smiled as he licked his blade. "Now it's time to see if all that training I gave has finally paid off. This is your final test, Naomi-chan! Don't disappoint me!"

"Hold up! That's the type of tattoo a yakuza would have!" Homura called out before pausing. "Wait...are you...?" She soon began to ask.

"Nope." Naomi replied as she rolled her shoulders. "Getting these kinds of tattoos is in my family's tradition." She then revealed.

"At 17!?" Homura then got out. "How were you allowed to get one in the first place!?" She then asked.

"You'd be surprised. My family's got history here along with being in the military." Naomi admitted. "Utabori-san does great tattoo art." She then praised.

"Oh, so that's his signature." Homura realized as she looked to the square with the mentioned name.

"As much as I love to see you talking with your friend, you'll have to cut it short. Because now it's time for us to fight!" Majima impatiently shouted.

"Yeah yeah Majima." Naomi countered as she readied herself, her white chi glowing over her body as she got into her stance.

"Oho...That's a neat trick...I see that you've learned something new during your last fight with that other girl." Majima smirked in interest. "But even that won't be enough to defeat me if you don't have the skills to push you forward!" He then informed and he readied his blade as the gong sounds off, beginning the fight.

"Come on!" Naomi declared as the two then charged at one another.

Naomi soon went to deliver a kick, but Majima just slid under it to dodge before standing back up and struck at her with his blade.

Naomi then managed to block his arm and delivered an open handed punch to his chest and pushed him back. "Che, as wild as ever..." She remarked.

"You know me, Naomi-chan...I'm always the hardest to read. Just ask Kiryu-chan!" Majima quipped back as he jumped at an angle and slashed down with his blade. "Maybe I should break it down for you again?" He then suggested as he swapped stance as a pink color chi surrounded him.

"And now I know what that aura is..." Naomi grumbled as she prepared herself.

"Seriously!? He can use chi too!?" Homura thought in disbelief.

Majima drops down onto the floor and does a series of break dancing moves where he kicks her with his legs as he spins.

Naomi managed to block it, but took some damage from the repeated movements. "Of course he's using Breaker first..." She got out as she back petalled to get some distance.

"What the hell is with this guy's fighting style!? And how the hell is Naomi keeping up with him!?" Homura thought as she watched the fight.

Majima then did a cartwheel to stand back up before performing an axe kick at her to close the distance between them.

"Crap!" Naomi yelped out in response.

Majima soon enough landed right beside her and grabs her with his legs and causes her to trip over. "Gotcha, Naomi-chan!" He then declared as he jumped up to step on her stomach.

"No you don't!" Naomi countered as she brought her upper body up as if she was doing a sit-up and delivered a series of punches to the man's stomach.

Majima staggered back from her attack, but was still raring to go. "Not bad, Naomi-chan. Not bad at all." He rolls his shoulder and rushes in for another attack.

"Hmph!" Naomi grunted out as she also charged...as she then saw her opponent now sporting a blue aura. "Thug now..." She muttered.

Majima soon came in with a series of punches at her where he finished off with a reverse roundhouse kick.

"What the!? He changed his fighting style that fast!?" Homura got out in disbelief.

Naomi then managed to block his punches, but was pushed back by his kick. He then goes in to grab her neck, but she manages to grab him and toss him over her shoulders.

"Whoa! Naomi was able to throw him!?" Homura exclaimed in amazement at the display.

Majima however regained his footing and landed on his feet before charging in to perform a rolling kick to knock her back.

"OMPH!" Naomi grunted out as she winced from the pain.

Majima then turned around where he back punched her with his fist and caused her to stagger towards the bars where he ran up it and delivered a downward kick.

Homura meanwhile winced at the sight of this.

Majima squatted down beside her and lifted her head up by her hair. "Had enough, Naomi-chan or are you ready for more punishment?" He soon asked.

The girl however smirked in response as she pushed herself forward, enduring the pain from her hair being grabbed as she slammed her head into the man's gut.

This causes him to let go of her hair and stagger back, though some of her hair was still in his fist as she stood back up. "Hehehe~! Not bad Naomi-chan~!" Majima praised as he dropped the bits of hair.

"I didn't come this far just to lose to you, Majima. I didn't back down from Ryofu and I won't back down from you." Naomi replied as she wiped away some blood that was dripping from her nose from his backfist attack.

"Hahaha~ I knew you were just as stubborn as him!" Majima declared in growing excitement. "Heh, I wouldn't be surprised if he possessed you for one last round!" He then confessed as he took his knife out while his body was surrounded in a black aura.

Homura meanwhile felt a shiver running down her spine as she looked at the man. "Back to using his blade...but the air is different about him now..." She thought.

"Mad Dog..." Naomi muttered, once more readying herself for the oncoming onslaught.

Majima then came charging in while slashing his blade at her, but Naomi managed to dodge most of them. Though she still got nicked by a couple of his slashes.

"Che..." Naomi got out in annoyance.

"Heheheh!" Majima cackled as he followed up his slashes with a spinning kick that knocked her back.

"OMPH!" Naomi grunted out, soon wiping away some blood that ran down the edge of her mouth.

Majima then thrust his blade towards her to stab her, but she managed to sidestep to avoid it. However, that was his plan as he did a one-handed cartwheel where he kicked her with both of his legs.

"Damn, a double drop kick." Homura winced at the sight.

Majima soon took the chance to rush her and pin her to the floor and tried to stab her with his blade again.

"Naomi!" Homura called out in a panic and concern.

"Time to end this, Naomi-chan!" Majima exclaimed as he brought his blade down at her.

"No way!" Naomi countered as she moved her head, the blade stabbing the floor where her head was before she then headbutted the man off him followed by a kick to his side.

"Yes!" Homura cheered in relief.

Majima staggers back as he shakes his head from the headbutt. When he looked over to Naomi, she was running towards him and leaps into the air with a flying dropkick to his chest, sending him into the bars.

"GAH!" Majima got out, his eye wide as he winced in pain.

"Had enough?" Naomi questioned as she readied herself once more.

Majima wipes away the blood from his mouth, but he couldn't help but smile at her. "You've really come so far, Naomi-chan. I can see that all your training with me has paid off." He praised as he looked up directly at her. "However, this is where things get really serious! If you can knock me down with one last strike, then you'll have surpassed even Kiryu-chan!" He declared as he also readied himself for one last bout.

To that, Naomi nodded as she gathered her chi into her fist as it began to glow white.

Majima meanwhile gave off a black glow as it coated his body.

"Here's the end..." Homura muttered as the audience around her cheered like mad.

"Ready, Naomi-chan? This'll be our last hurrah, so let's give this crowd what they've come for!" Majima yelled as he charged at her.

"HAAAAAAAAA!" Naomi roared as she charged in.

HAAAAAAAA!" Majima roared as both of their attacks struck each other dead-on that caused another shockwave that was felt throughout the coliseum.

"WHOA!" Homura got out, amazed to this turn of events.

The audience watched in anticipation to see who was the victor. As the dust settled, there was Naomi with Majima's dagger through her side and blood dripping from his blade. She was obviously in pain, but she didn't let that stop her as her punch had struck Majima in the heart.

"Naomi!" Homura exclaimed in a panic at the sight of the knife in her committee member's side.

Majima starts to flinch as he lets go from his blade and staggers back from Naomi, clutching his heart. "You've done it, Naomi-chan...You've got guts, kid...you might even make a good replacement to Kiryu-chan...if you were old enough..." He praised. "Now there's nothing left for me to teach you...You have passed the test..." He revealed as he fell back.

Naomi meanwhile grunted and sighed, taking a deep breath as she looked at the man. "Thanks for the praise...though I still have a long way to go..." She replied and admitted before wincing at the pain from the knife.

"Then keep on training...and improving yourself until your bones shatter..." Majima advised "I might not live long enough to see you grow stronger, but at least I was there to help you push forward..." He then added as a glint in his eye. "Oh, and one last thing..." He soon started.

"Hm?" Homura and Naomi hummed out with raised eyebrows.

"About that blue haired boy at your school...Don't let up on him. Keep your eye on the prize and don't let your rivals win..." Majima ordered as he gave her a cheeky smirk. "That includes her." He then added as he pointed to the tan skinned girl at her seat before collapsing.

"Wha!? M-Majima!" Naomi squeaked out, immediately embarrassed as the tension instantly faded.

"S-Seriously?" Homura got out with a sweatdrop. "I'm not even into Sora..." She then muttered.

"AND THAT'S IT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! The Shingo Unicorn has defeated the Mad Dog!" The announcer declared as the crowd cheered like mad. "That was a really intense fight with both combatants not letting the other breath! Though that last part completely took out all of the tension, it was still a fight to behold. And now, this concludes with the Underground Fights. We hope to see you all back here again soon." He then added.

At that moment, the cage raised up as some staff members came in, some picking up the man and placing him on a stretcher while some others were leading the girl out.

After that, all the audience members arose from their seats and started leaving as well. Most of them receive their winnings from the bets they've made for and against the fighters.

Homura meanwhile got up from her seat and went to check on her committee member. "Man, that was an intense series of fights." She admitted to herself as she made her way to the infirmary.

As she entered the infirmary, she saw all the other fighters being treated for their injuries as well. Most of them weren't that severe except for bruised prides while others had broken arms, legs, ribs or the like and had to be shipped to the hospital. She even saw Ryofu who had just woken up and was now patched up.

"Uuuugh, Majima just had to use his knife..." Naomi groaned out as the bandages were being wrapped.

"Come on Naomi, you know you won't heal unless you stay still." The employee however reminded.

"I know, I know." Naomi sighed in understanding.

This in turn caused Homura to let out a breath of relief as she went over to her committee member out of concern. Why wouldn't she be after seeing her being stabbed?

"Okay, just one more wrap and you're done." The employee got out before finishing up wrapping the bandage around her stomach. "That should do it, you're all patched up. You're lucky he didn't hit any vital organs or you would've been in real trouble. Just make sure not to move that side too much and it'll heal in no time." He then informed and instructed.

"Got it. I've had enough of fighting for the afternoon." Naomi breathed out.

"I'll say after that last battle." Homura remarked as she made herself known.

"Hey, Homura. Glad you stopped by to check on me." Naomi greeted as she turned to her and smiled.

"After that ending, how could I not?" Homura pointed out in concern as she went to her side. "You ok?" She then asked.

"Yeah, I'm alright. Nothing too serious, so I should be good as new in a couple of days." Naomi replied as she nodded in reassurance.

"Even after getting stabbed?" Homura pointed out. "Speaking of which, how do you know that crazy guy? He seemed really familiar with you." She then asked and added.

"Back when I was growing up, I ran into Majima when I was being attacked by some thugs. Of course, I wasn't backing down from them and took them all out." Naomi began and explained. "I guess you can say that he thought I was an interesting fighter and came up to me. He asked if I wanted to train under him, but I turned him down. But that didn't seem to stop him as throughout my life, he's been appearing seemingly out of nowhere and always fighting me. He even said I reminded him of Kiryu Kazuma." She then revealed.

"Kiryu Kazuma...he was mentioned quite a bit." Homura pointed out. "You know who that is?" She then asked.

"Not really, I've only heard some bits and pieces about him. But I think everyone knows him as the Dragon of Dojima." Naomi replied and revealed.

"Dragon of Dojima...Dōjima no Ryū..." Homura repeated in a curious manner.

"The very same. But that's about all I really know of him." Naomi responded with a nod. "If anyone knows about him, it's Majima himself. Though I doubt he's going to tell us in his condition at the moment." She then added and pointed out.

"Yeah, you two really went at it." Homura replied in agreement.

"Yeah, we sure did. I guess he really was serious in putting all of my training to one last test." Naomi responded. "That guy may be wild and unpredictable, but I wouldn't be where I am now without his help. Whether I wanted it or not." She eventually confessed.

"Right." Homura got out. "So, we got to meet your parents soon." She then reminded.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot about that. They're probably waiting for us right now." Naomi realized as she stood up. "I was so caught up in what just happened and I almost forgot about our meeting with them." She then admitted.

"Then we better get going." Homura decided. "You'll be ok or is your chi healing you up still?" She then asked.

"My chi is still healing me, but I should be ok. I'm a lot tougher than you think, Homura." Naomi declared with a smirk as she pounds her chest with her fist.

"I can already tell." Homura replied in an impressed tone. "Not a shinobi, but could definitely take one on." She thought.

"Cool, let me just get my prize money and then we can go." Naomi requested.

"Prize money?" Homura repeated in an interesting tone with a raised eyebrow. "...How much?" She then asked.

"About a million yen." Naomi smirked and winked at her.

"...What!?" Homura exclaimed in shock.


(Hebijo Base)

BA-DUMP!

"Shut up..." Ryōna mentally begged her heart to stop reminding her of the absolute disaster she has made today.

As she headed inside the increasingly beansprout infested base, all she could think about was the time she spent with Akira, playing it over and over in her head.

His eyes, his smile, the bulge in his pants...

BA-DUMP! BA-DUMP!

She never thought something like this would ever happen, but it did...

BA-DUMP! BA-DUMP! BA-DUMP!

Ryōna, the masochist who desired revenge along with her twin sister...had fallen in love.

"Oh my God, I just killed him!" Ryōna suddenly exclaimed before slamming her head against the wall, cracking it. And no, she did not feel good about it.

While it wasn't frowned upon or outright banned, relationships tended to end badly when you're a shinobi. It was inevitable someone would get killed and leave the other heartbroken...or both dead before they reach their 30s, possibly leaving their children as orphans.

But Ryōna was completely sure that Akira would be dead before he reached 18 if she even hinted to her sister of her feelings. Ryōbi had been looking for blood since their sister died, and she had passed the examination with cold efficiency.

"M-Maybe it's just an infatuation. A little crush!" Ryōna tried to convince herself. No way she would imagine being pregnant with his child, relaxing at home as he prepared the baby room and the adult playroom (they were two separate rooms, by the way).

BA-DUMP! BA-DUMP! BA-DUMP!

"KYA!" The blonde yelped out as she covered her red face with her hands. "O-Okay, slightly more than a crush, it'll fade in just a few days...right?" She shakily told herself...before imagining herself in a bedroom cuddling up to him as he was about to kiss her.

BA-DUMP! BA-DUMP! BA-DUMP! BA-DUMP! BA-DUMP! BA-DUMP!

"STOP DOING THAT!" Ryōna growled as she punched her heart...well, her boobs, anyways. "...Ow..." She whined.

BZZT! BZZT!

"AAAHHH!" Ryōna yelped before pulling out her phone to see her younger twin was calling. "Nononono, not now, not now!" She squealed in a panic. She currently does not have the mental capacity to deal with her sister right now!

What the hell was she going to say!? What the hell could she say!?

"I-I better answer." Ryōna couldn't delay it any longer, or else her sister was going to suspect something was up.

Or that she was dead. Preferable to her current situation, but she didn't want Ryōbi to break.

Putting on her best normal mask, she answered the call. "H-Hi, Ryōbi-chan~!" Ryōna happily greeted.

"Did you find Miyabi?" Ryōbi bluntly asked.

Oh, this was an easy answer. "Nope~!"

"Uuugggghhhh..." Ryōbi let out a very long groan...before her tone changed. "Great work, Ryōna. I expected too much from you. You did a good job though, and I'm sure you did your best. I'm proud of you." She then assured in a kind manner.

"ERK!" Ryōna flinched, feeling the arrow of forgiveness and gratitude pierce her heart. She would've preferred being shot than experiencing such a thing!

"B-But I did get something from Akira-kun- Kurusu!" Ryōna quickly stammered.

Ryōbi's demeanor instantly shifted back to her usual spiteful sadist manner. "Spit it out." She demanded.

"His contact information." Ryōna answered, wincing a little.

"You got his number. Good." Ryōbi stated. "Maybe a useless bitch like you can do some good. I can milk him for the info I need instead, no need for you to fuck it up." She then stated. After all, if you needed something done right, you had to do it yourself.

"F-Fuck it..." Ryōna quietly repeated as she unintentionally began to imagine...vivid and uncensored images in her mind.

BA-DUMP! BA-DUMP! BA-DUMP! BA-DUMP! BA-DUMP! BA-DUMP!

Okay, she always knew she was a massive pervert, but this is next level. She was thinking of condom flavors to try.

...And why was she dressed like a princess with him as her prince? And not, like, in a BDSM type thing?

"Hello?" Ryōbi spoke up, sounding a little concerned.

"O-Oh, just reviewing his profile, changing a few things on it." Ryōna lied as she glanced at the psych profile she assembled of the boy. "I...was mistaken on a few aspects." She then admitted.

"Send me the updated version once you're done." Ryōbi ordered, thinking nothing of it. "I'll need all the weapons I can get." She then added.

"Yeah..." Ryōna breathed out, looking down at the floor. "R-Ryōbi-chan?" She then started.

"What?" Ryōbi then got out, sounding quite annoyed.

"If Ryōki-oneechan was alive...or her ghost at least...do you think she would approve?" Ryōna asked in a worried manner, recalling the boy's words.

"..." Ryōbi didn't automatically respond, as if she was genuinely about it. "Just update the info on Kurusu and head back to Hebijo." She then got out in a dismissive tone.

"But what do we do after we kill her?" Ryōna then pressed.

"Ryōna, I thought we talked about this already." Ryōbi grumbled. "Onee-chan's spirit will never rest until Miyabi dies." She then stated.

"But where does that leave us?" Ryōna demanded more than asked.

The blonde soon heard something over the phone, but she couldn't make out what it was. Was that...confusion? Shock? "I-I made sure we have something to fall back on!" Ryōbi assured. "I-If it all works out." She then mumbled under her breath.

"...Hai." Ryōna responded before picking up the picture of the boy she just obtained. "Make sure we're left with nothing after, right, Akira-kun?" She then thought, sad as she imagined the boy being disappointed in her...and then being struck by an arrow in a bad way that it didn't feel good at all.

...Sabotage. That was the only way they were going to come out with something left. As much as she hated Miyabi, she was not going to sacrifice everything to kill her. It had already cost too much.

And the first thing she would do...was ensure Akira had all the weapons he needed too.

"Oi...what's up with you? You sound weird." Ryōbi bluntly stated and questioned in a serious tone.

"E-Ermm...uh...eh..." Ryōna stammered before an idea struck. "A-Ah...ahn~ Ahnn~ No-Nothing, sister, just- ha-haaa~" She then moaned into her phone.

"...You never call me sister...wait, what the hell are you-?" Ryōbi grumbled before she began to realize what her sister was doing. "O-Oh, what the fuck!?" She exclaimed in disgust.

"J-Just working off some stress!" Ryōna got out, using her fake pants and moans to hide her nervousness.

"You perverted bitch! I'm gonna wring your neck when you come back and after I get back when I head to Tokyo next!" Ryōbi shouted was surely blushing up a storm on the other side. "J-Just call back after you're done! We still have a lot to talk about!" She then decided, desperately wanting to bleach this entire call from her mind.

"Hai~" Ryōna replied before hanging up. "Whew! Crisis averted." She then breathed out. Her sister was off her back and she's looking forward to experiencing some breath play.

And that is what you call a win-win.

Of course, she still had the problem of hiding her increasingly massive crush on Akira and stopping her sister from murdering the absolute fuck out of him, but that was Future Ryōna's problem.

And Future Ryōna was most likely servicing Akira for dinner before he then took her to the bedroom, no, balcony. It was their date night after all, the only day in the month where they could be away from the twins, Ryōki and Ren-

BA-DUMP! BA-DUMP! BA-DUMP!

"Moh!" Ryōna soon whined...unaware that she also had a nosebleed now.

Maybe she did need to work off some stress...so she started to undress herself...to relieve her itch…

On her- she was fucking masturbating, okay?


(Kamurocho)

"A-A m-million..." Homura breathed out as the two walked the streets again.

"Yep. A million yen." Naomi nodded while carrying a briefcase of her prize money.

"So...much..." Homura muttered in amazement.

"Yeah, and most of them were from the bets that were made on me." Naomi replied as she nodded, now back in her Shujin uniform "I really like seeing the looks on their faces when they saw me winning every match." She then admitted.

"Noted." Homura responded. "Is there anything else I need to know about you? Any more illegal stuff you've done?" She then had to ask.

"Er...Is buying a 12 year old porn count?" Naomi awkwardly asked back.

"...No, but...Ugh..." Homura groaned. "You're more interesting than I thought Naomi." She then admitted.

"Hey, that's just life. It can take you anywhere Ma'am." Naomi replied.

"I can't argue with that. Life really can be strange sometimes. It can always lead us to places where we least expected." Homura agreed and stated with a smile.

After this experience, the tan skinned girl felt as though friendship with her committee had improved a lot more as a result

HIEROPHANT RANK 3!

Flow of Life: Increase EXP gain.

"Oh hey, we're here. This is where I live." Naomi stopped in front of the entrance to an apartment complex.

"Nice," Homura replied as the two headed up. "...so why did you take your top off like that before the fight?" She then awkwardly asked.

"Oh yeah, I guess you still need an explanation for that." Naomi awkwardly got out. "Like Majima said, it's a tradition among the yakuza to take off their tops to show off their tattoos. It's a way of them showing off the symbols of their clans and how each of their tattoos represents them personally." She soon explained.

"I see..." Homura responded in a fascinated manner. "But...you aren't a yakuza." She then pointed out.

"It's true, I'm not a yakuza. But getting a tattoo like the one I showed you it's still part of my family." Naomi explained to her.

"Got it." Homura replied with a nod.

"Well, I think we've kept them waiting long enough. Shall we head up and go meet them?" Naomi suggested with a smile.

"Sure." Homura responded as she went up to meet her committee member's parents for the rest of the afternoon before she then went home for the day.


(Tatsumi Port Island, Funeral Hall)

While the funeral was officially over, the Gessen shinobi's problems were only beginning.

Yumi's eye had been twitching for the last few hours now, and although her sisters were concerned for her before, now they were thinking they were dealing with a time bomb waiting to explode, and all they could do was add time to the clock.

"Well, all that's left is to read Kurokage-sama's will." Yozakura stated as she placed the last of the offerings they had made. It was all food Kurokage loved in life, so they were glad to give him one last meal.

"Um, should we...help Yumi-chii. She's really freaking me out here." Shiki spoke up as she watched the gray haired girl drink.

Yumi was now chugging tea like she was in an American frat party and pressured by the crowd of blackout drunk students into getting blackout drunk herself.

"Slow down, Yumi." Murakumo got out as she took the teapot away from the leader. "Do you need to go to the bathroom?"

"Save some for us at least." Shiki then muttered.

"I will make more soon. Just need another pot." Yumi promised, eyes closed to hide her twitching.

"Yumi-chii, stop it." Shiki got out in a serious tone. "You've continually ignored my advice not to bottle it all up. We won't mind if you are rude to the old man."

"I...can't..." Yumi growled through a gritted smile. "We must not...be rude...to him..." She then reminded.

"Well, he's been rude to us all day!" Murakumo snapped. "Come on, tell him to leave. We won't hold it against you." She then assured before glancing over to the man, only to focus her full attention on him as she noticed what he was doing.

"No...he is Ojii-sama's friend..." Yumi got out, tears of rage running down her cheeks.

"Well, he hasn't acted like one." Minori grumbled.

"Look, go and get something to eat. We'll do it for you." Yozakura soon offered.

"Um...all the food is missing." The masked girl suddenly informed in a small voice.

Shiki soon groaned at that. Of course. "Oh, well we can always go and get dinner together." She then suggested, managing to keep her composure.

"No. I mean all the food is missing." Murakumo clarified before pointing over to the place where they had set their offerings...where the elderly man just finished licking his fingers clean of all the food he ate.

"...He ate...our offerings!?" Shiki exclaimed.

"W-We worked all morning on all that!" Minori cried out.

"What?" Hanzō got out in an innocent tone. "The dead do not eat. Such food would be a waste." He then claimed.

Yozakura's blood pressure was beginning to reach its breaking point. "We...We had plenty of food to feed an entire platoon! How did you eat all of it!?" She then demanded.

"Oh, I just packaged some for my wife and granddaughter." Hanzō informed. "I hope you don't mind." He then got out.

"I...I-I...I don't..." Shiki mumbled, her jaw dropped at the sheer audacity this man had.

"I...Imma fuckin' kill him and shove his piehole up his ass..." Yozakura growled in her native dialect.

"Yumi...?" Minori got out in concern as she felt an overwhelming amount of killing intent coming from the leader..

"We must not be rude. We must not be rude. We must not be rude. We must not be rude. We must not be rude. We must not be rude." Yumi repeated to herself as she drank even more tea. It was a wonder she hadn't needed to use the restroom yet.

"I have never seen Yumi-chii like that...ever." Shiki got out in concern.

"...She's holding all the anger in..." Murakumo realized. "Yumi, that's not healthy. If you need to be alone, or let out your emotions, you can go outside. We won't mind."

"But that would be rude. And we cannot have that in Ojii-sama's memory." Yumi replied as her irises shrank to tiny dots. "Hahahahahaha!" She then cackled with a crazed, yet polite, look on her face.

"Y-Yumi-chan, you're scaring me." Minori whimpered.

"I'm fine, Minori-san. Completely. And utterly. Fine!" Yumi unconvincingly assured her sisters.

CRACK!

"Y-Yumi-chan?" Minori got out in a worried tone before shivering. Things were starting to feel a lot colder around here.

The others soon noticed ice at their Leader's feet forming, causing them to step back as they nearly slipped on the floor.

"Yumi is having a complete mental breakdown!" Murakumo exclaimed.

"S-Someone get her more tea!" Shiki called out in a panic.

"Got it!" Minori declared as she dashed off to grab the pot, returning only a second later. "Here!" She then got out as she handed the tea pot to Yozakura...soon noticing how light it was.

The second-in-command opened the tea pot. It was empty.

Bone. Dry.

"...We are out of tea." Minori then informed.

"I can see that." Yozakura got out with a small sweatdrop. Yumi had practically consumed it all by herself.

"Yumi-chii, my sister, my friend," Shiki cautiously began, carefully stepping towards the leader. "Why don't we go outside, talk it out, and get some ice cream?"

"...Ojii-sama promised we would celebrate with ice cream once we returned." Yumi remembered in a high pitched tone.

Her team flinched. They had forgotten about that. "Oh no..." They all squeaked in unison.

"Everyone, why are you so worried? I am completely, and utterly, fine." Yumi insisted in a rather forceful manner.

She was fine.

SHE WAS FINE.

And then the portrait of Kurokage fell over.

It didn't shatter or crack. It just...fell over.

Something else did in its place.

SHATTER!

"Th-That's it." Yumi finally cracked as the air around her began to cool drastically. "That's it! I am done! That's ffffffff-" She soon began.

"Y-Yumi?" Yozakura started before.

"-FUCKING IT!" Yumi loudly declared, her eyes flashing red and her hair beginning to turn white, surprising her sisters. "This is all unacceptable! He's been rude to us, to Ojii-sama, ever since he came! He's supposed to be his friend and he does all this!? I'm going to give him a piece of my mind and more! How dare he disrespect Ojii-sama like this! I don't care if he's Asuka-san and Homura-san's grandfather! I don't care if he's the legendary shinobi! I am going to tell them and we're gonna give him one hell of a-"

"He left." Murakumo suddenly spoke up.

Yumi froze. "...Excuse me." She whispered.

"He left, like, a minute ago." the masked girl informed. "While you were ranting." She then added.

Yumi's eye twitched. "...What."

"The legendary shinobi, everyone." Murakumo deadpanned.

"You know his granddaughters?" Yozakura however soon asked.

Their leader flinched. She had let out a little too much information back there. "...Hai...they are my friends..." Yumi confessed. "Very good friends I made in Tokyo." She then added.

"That's...cool." Shiki muttered with a shrug. While it did hurt a little that she hid that from them, right now they needed to be there for the clearly broken girl. Yumi-chi...are you really okay?"

"...N-No. No I'm not..." Yumi finally admitted, sniffling as everything finally caught up to her. "I...I miss Ojii-sama...I miss you all...and I miss all my friends in Tokyo and...and..." She then sobbed out the confession before breaking down entirely, falling to her knees as tears flowed down her cheeks.

"Yumi..." Shiki whispered as they all watched their leader breakdown, after spending all day trying to be strong.

Yozakura soon sat down next to the crying girl, with everyone else soon following suit. "We may not be able to be with you physically all the time right now, but we'll always be there for you. Even if we never see each other again, we'll always be there." She whispered as she rubbed her back. "We love you, Yumi, and nothing can take that away from us. Not even death itself." She then promised.

"T-Th-Thank you...everyone..." Yumi sniffled. "I love you all too." She then sobbed out before pulling everyone into a hug.

The girls stayed like this for a while, with none of them knowing how much time had passed before they remembered they still had one last thing to do. "...Do we wanna open the will now?" Shiki soon asked.

Yumi pulled away from the hug and nodded. "Yes. We should." She then agreed.

"Where is it?" Murakumo soon asked as she looked around.

"Oh, it's over...here?" Yozakura began as she looked over to where the portrait of Kurokage was, only to find it missing. "Huh, but I swore I put it over here so we can get it later. Where is it?" She then wondered.

"I think I found it." Minori spoke up as she pointed over to where the will was now.

The will...was being used as a makeshift coaster for Hanzō's almost-full cup of soda, which he most likely took a sip of, didn't like the taste, and left there for them to clean up.

Yumi and the rest of her Gessen team blinked...before swearing vengeance.

"HAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZŌŌŌŌŌŌ!" The five Gessen Elites screamed to the heavens.


(9/21, Evening)

(Shibuya, Shibuya Hikarie)

Shibuya Hikarie was a fairly new addition to the bustling shopping district of Shibuya. While it doesn't have the same cultural significance as the 705 Building, it is still a prime retail and office location. It was famous for its themed floors where it focused on different aspects of fashion instead of separating departments from men and women's clothing and catered to many tastes all over the world.

And currently, it is hosting a special event on the fourth floor: a model meet-and-greet and runway fashion show for those models that were specifically chosen to be a part of.

Asuka suddenly shivered, her spine feeling as if it was being encased in ice.

"Asuka-chan?" Kokito got out in concern as the elevator opened on their destination floor. "Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine Kokito-san. Just a weird feeling came over me all of a sudden." Asuka assured, shivering again before it quickly passed.

"Are you nervous? Sick?" Kokito then asked.

"No. It feels like...something else?" Asuka replied with a confused look on her face. Why did it feel like someone (or someones) really wanted to burn Hanzō Academy down to ashes?

"...If you're feeling Ranze-san, remember to not let her get to you." Kokito soon assumed and reminded.

"Hai. I won't let anything like her or anything else get to me." Asuka assured.

"That's the spirit." Kokito gladly responded.

"I really have to ask again. Why do models have autograph sessions?" Asuka asked as she recalled hearing this.

"It's an important part of the job." Kokito answered with a nod as the workers prepared everything. "It's a way for people to get to know you and vice versa. It's the same way idols do to get to know their fans more." He then explained.

"So like Yumi-chan with her idol work." Asuka thought to herself before suddenly being shoved. "Omph!" She grunted out before turning to see who did it and held back a groan. "Ranze..." She muttered.

"Anything I can help you with, Ranze?" Kokito asked.

Ranze however huffed as she looked at the brunette. "Just wanted to advise Shirokage to not screw up." She harshly declared before walking off and rejoining her group of friends as they sneered at the brunette in mention.

"Just ignore them, Shirokage-san. They're just jealous you got a personal recommendation. I'm positive that you'll do great." Kokito advised.

Asuka in response simply nodded to the instruction.

"Now with that interruption out of the way, let's get you ready for your first autograph session." Kokito replied.

The brunette in turn nodded to this. "So what will I be wearing?" Asuka soon asked.

"I've had one of the stylists prepare an outfit for you." Kokito answered. "Go meet with them now to get it and get changed." He then instructed.

"Yes sir." Asuka replied before heading for her dressing room.

As Asuka enters her dressing room, she finds a sleeveless light blue dress with white gloves that reaches to her elbows, a silver necklace with an emerald green gem, high heels and a ribbon to tie her hair back into a ponytail. "Oh wow! This dress is so beautiful!" She soon exclaimed. "I can't believe they've managed to prepare this just for me!" She then added in her head as she got herself ready.

A few minutes later...

Asuka was now fully dressed in her new dress as she looked at herself in the mirror and marveled at how it made her really look like a movie star. "Man, I look amazing! I can't wait for Ann-chan to get here too!" She then got out as she strutted towards the door.

But then suddenly, a knock was heard at the door.

"Yes? Who is it?" Asuka asked.

"It's me. Kokito." Kokito answered from the door with a slightly muffled voice. "I just came by to see if you were ready yet." He then informed.

"Just about. Is Ann-chan here yet?" Asuka replied and questioned.

"I'm afraid not. I just got a call from her and she said that she'll be a bit late." Kokito informed. "Can I come in?" He then asked ahead.

"Yeah, sure, Kokito-san." The brunette stated. "Come in."

As expected, their manager came in and entered the room. "Thanks. Just wanted to see how you were doing, Asuka-san." He then stated as he closed the door afterwards.

"About Ann-chan though...she'll make it in time though, right?" Asuka however asked in concern.

"I'm sure that she'll make it. She wanted me to tell you that it's nothing to worry about." Kokito answered.

Asuka however gulped nervously to that, mainly because the ash blonde was the one that got her into modeling and a massive form of support for her.

"Shirokage-san? Are you alright?" Kokito soon asked.

"I-I am sir." Asuka mumbles out with clear nervousness in her voice.

"Are you sure? You don't sound like you are." Kokito responded in concern. "Should I get you some water?" He then offered.

"Some water would be nice." Asuka replied while taking in some deep breaths.

"Right. I'll have someone get you some." Kokito replied.

"Thank you." Asuka responded as she attempted to relax herself.

An employee came back with a bottle of water and handed it over to Kokito who opened the door and it to Asuka, who then started drinking.

"A bit, though you can't blame me can you?" Asuka replied and asked. "I mean, me and Ann-chan are going to go on the runway." She then reminded.

"I know it sounds nerve-wrecking since this is your first time in front of a large crowd, but I'm positive that you and Takamaki-san can pull it off." Kokito encouraged.

"Hai, I am a model." Asuka replied to encourage herself. "As well as a shinobi and a phantom thief." She mentally added.

"That you are. And I hope you can show that confidence on the runway as well." Kokito replied.

At that moment...

The time for the meet and greet before the runway starts. People from all over were coming from near and far to watch the show and meet all of the candidates for the next big models.

Asuka meanwhile took in another deep breath to calm herself. "Okay...Just remember what Ann-chan said..." She once more told herself.

"Asuka-chan!" A familiar voice called out, getting the brunette's attention as she turned to see Ann. "Sorry I'm late." She soon apologized.

"Huh?" Asuka got out as she smiled. "There you are Ann-chan!" She called out. "Thank goodness you made it! You're really cutting it close." She then added.

"Sorry about that, something came up and I had to let Kokito-san know that I was gonna be late." Ann apologized and explained. "But I'm glad that I didn't miss anything too much." She then admitted.

"Same here Ann-chan," Asuka admitted in agreement. "You better go get ready!" She then added.

"Good idea." Ann responded with a nod before going to the changing rooms to get ready.

The ash blonde then went to the changing rooms and changed into her outfit that she was going to show off to the crowd and potential sponsors. She was now wearing a red dress with a slit that shows her left leg, long red gloves, red heels and a red rose hair clip.

Kokito checks his watch to see what time it was before turning to the brunette. "Okay, it's almost time for the showcase to begin. Get into position and wait until they call your name." He soon instructed.

"Ok, this is it." Asuka nodded as she prepared herself. "Wish me luck, Ann-chan." She was wearing the dress that was given to her for the runway. She was wearing a white dress that sparkles in the light as the dress shows off her curves. shoulders, cleavage and legs and finally a pair of matching high heels .

"Good luck out there, Asuka-chan. Break a leg." Ann encouraged while giving her a thumbs up.

"Thanks, Ann-chan." Asuka replied with a nod as she made her way to the runway.

As she did, she heard the booming music going on and sounds of cheers being heard.

"Wow, there's a lot of people here. I knew this was going to be a big event, but I didn't think it was this big." Asuka thought to herself in awe. "But I made it this far thanks to Ann-chan and Kokito-san. I can't back down now, so I'm going to give it my all." She then added in her head with determination.

"Get into position Shirokage," One of the staff instructed. "You're on in five, four, three..." He began counting down.

"Here I go. Time to show them what I'm made of." Asuka thought to herself with a nod and psyched herself up.

"Two, one. You're up Shirokage!" The staff man ordered.

"Hai!" Asuka nodded as she stepped out onto the runway and started walking down, gaining the attention of the audience, judges and photographers in the crowd.

"Keep calm Shirokage, at this moment, you are nothing but a model. One that is aiming for the top." Asuka mentally told herself. "For now...you are only a model." She mentally instructed herself.

As she struts down the runway, she couldn't help but notice the paparazzi were whispering amongst each other and could tell they're talking about her.

Time to step it up.

Soon, the Vice Leader's stature became one of pure confidence as she strutted down the runway, placing a hand on her hips as she posed for a moment before turning around and strutted back.

Ann meanwhile blinked at the display. "Asuka-chan?" She whispered in a curious manner.

A distance away, an attractive, long and straight haired pinkette with horn-like accessories atop her head took notice of the girl currently on the runway as she was getting ready. "Hm?" She hummed out.

Standing not too far away from the pinkette was another young blonde girl with a dangerously confident, bordering on narcissistic, smirk on her face. "Heeeeh, not bad." She had to admit. "Though nowhere near as good as me!" She however boasted as her grin widened.

The pinkette meanwhile narrowed her eyes in a curious manner. "Hm...who is she?" She soon wondered with interest.

Soon enough, the Vice Leader returned to the backstage as Ann approached her. "Great work Asuka-chan." The ash blonde complimented with a grin.

Surprisingly though, Asuka used her hand to flick her hair back in a confident manner. "Was there ever any doubt?" She soon asked.

This however confused Ann as she raised an eyebrow at this sight while Ranze gets an even more hateful expression.

"Uh, you ok Asuka-chan?" Ann soon asked.

"I'm perfectly fine." Asuka replied with a smirk.

Ann however noticed a hint of smugness in her friend's voice.

"I mean, how could I not be when I was showing everything I got in front of everyone?" Asuka soon asked with a hand on her hips. "Fufufu! I just love modeling!" She then confessed, giggling with a big grin on her face.

"Hehe, I bet you do." Ann giggled, feeling relieved hearing her friend saying that.

"Grrrrr..." Ranze growled out with a twitching eye while tapping her foot, looking like she was about to burst several blood vessels out of rage and envy.

Unbeknownst from the ash blonde, Asuka had a smug look on her face. It was one so obviously smug that would drive any envious girl to murder.

Asuka then looked at her nails for a moment. "Obviously. It was thanks to you that I was able to find my passion after all. Then again, it's like I've been doing it all my life." She soon remarked.

"Got that right Asuka-chan." Ann admitted in agreement.

"My, my. How cute." The pinkette meanwhile got out in amusement while clasping her hands together.

"Hehe, looks like Ranze's going red." The other blonde meanwhile remarked with a smirk.

Ann on the other hand giggled as she looked at her friend. "Guess you got the drive to be a model huh?" She assumed.

"I always had it." The brunette replied. "Girls like you and I Ann-chan, totally deserve this." Asuka soon stated. "And those that are jealous should just retire already." She then concluded.

That immediately caused some snorts of giggling to be heard as other models were sent out on the runway.

"Well, I better go get changed to my next set of clothes. The show must go on after all." Asuka decided as she strutted over to the changing rooms.

"I will kill you..." Ranze meanwhile muttered under her breath.

"Daaaaaamn..." The other blonde got out, holding back her own giggles.

"Please remain composed Himenojou-san..." The pinkette however advised.

"Shut up Mochizuki! You as well Hebikami!" Ranze states in barely concealed jealous rage.

Ann meanwhile sighed, but before she could say anything...

"Takamaki, get ready." One of the staff members called out.

"Okay!" Ann responded before getting closer to the other three and following up with "Don't try to maim each other or Asuka-chan. Got it?" She then requested.

"Won't plan it." Hebikami simply responded.

"I will only act in self-defense or if someone else receives a cheap-shot." Mochizuki added.

In response, Ann just nodded as she went to get ready.

"What a lively bunch of kouhai that Oren-san has picked..." Mochizuki murmured while scratching her temple.

"Any faves so far, Miki-senpai?" Hebikami soon asked.

"All of them, including you, have their good points and bad points. Though if Himenojou-san keeps up this behavior, she'll burn all her bridges." Miki stated matter-of-factly.

"Sounds about right." Hebikami responded.

"I just realized I said that second part a little louder than I had intended." Miki sheepishly noted.

"Yyyyyeah...Ranze looks ready to kill." Hebikami concurred.

"Which will only lower her chances further if she keeps acting this way, Sōji-san." Miki soon stated.

The model in question is seething while facing the corner.

"Ehehehe...I'll be the best...by carving off their skin..." Ranze murmured almost incomprehensibly.

The two other models meanwhile could only sweatdrop upon hearing that as Ann readied herself to go out on the runway.

"Okay. Here goes." Ann quietly muttered under her breath before stepping out.

Flashes of light were seen as the ash blonde strutted out flawlessly.

Ann knew she had to give her all.

Meanwhile with Asuka, she was putting on a sky blue gown with a plunging neckline that displayed her cleavage and belly button. "Hmph, a perfect dress for a perfect model such as myself." She soon remarked while striking a pose in front of the mirror while laughing confidently.

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

"Who is it?" Asuka asked.

"It's me Asuka." Kokito responded from the other side of the door. "Did you get the next dress on?" He then asked.

"Of course." Asuka responded with a flick of her hair.

"I was admittedly a little unsure of how it'd look on you compared to your usual style." Kokito plainly stated.

"Well, a model like me has to give their all for the audience after all." Asuka replied. "I have no time to wimp out now for a big show like this." She then added.

"Good to hear." Kokito replied in approval.

At that moment, Asuka exited the changing room as she started heading back to where the other models were, seeing some heading the way to the changing room to get their next clothes on. "I will be the best." She thought to herself in a determined manner.

Asuka continued walking down the hall with her breasts jiggling the whole way.

She knew as Oren's personal choice, she couldn't let him down.

"As if I can let him down." Asuka soon muttered to herself. "I was personally chosen by him after all." She then added as she then started hearing a disconcerting voice from one of the dressing rooms as she passed it.

"So, you hear the rumors about what might happen after the runway show?"

"The fact that Himenojou-senpai may try to hurt Shirokage-senpai?"

"Besides that. There's no way that'll happen. About the international scouting."

"Mochizuki-senpai has done a few international tours herself. They'd be receiving some training from her as well."

Asuka meanwhile smirked upon hearing that. "Hoh? How interesting." She thought to herself.

"Going international is the next big step for a model after all."

"Though Mochizuki-senpai's training is brutal and not many come out of it the same as before."

"Still, a chance is a chance."

"Apparently Mochizuki-senpai already has a favorite..."

"Really? Who?"

This in turn also piqued Asuka's interest as well as the model that she was.

At that moment though, Kokito came over to the model. "Shirokage-san, you better get back to the runway backstage." He soon advised.

Asuka in response nodded. She could hear more about this later.

Now she had to get back to her fans.

Back at the back stage, Ann had returned and took in a sigh of relief.

"Intense out there huh?" Sōji assumed.

"Yeah..." Ann sighed as the tension left her body.

"Well this is your first big runway show after all." Miki reminded. "It happens to everyone." She then added.

"That's my cue." The pinkette soon informed as she sees a stagehand gesture for her.

"Then me." Sōji added. "And lastly is Little Miss Envious over there." The red-eyed blonde stated.

"Right." Ann responded with a nod.

"That is provided Himenojou-san doesn't have a nervous breakdown first..." Mochizuki noted before she got into position.

"HMPH!" Ranze however huffed out.

"I've got some interesting news." Asuka however revealed as she joined the other three.

"Hm? Oh hey Asuka-chan." Ann greeted with a smile. "Nice dress." She then complimented.

"Bold. I approve." Sōji added.

"Thanks." Asuka replied while striking a pose. "I really make anything look good." She then added.

If looks could kill Ranze would have murdered Asuka in 616 different ways

Asuka however just ignored the envious girl.

"So, what is this news?" Sōji soon asked.

"Apparently something big for us." Asuka responded. "Though I don't know every miss..." She then began before pausing since not knowing the other blonde's name.

"Hebikami. Sōji Hebikami." The red eyed blonde responded.

"Hai." Asuka simply replied with a nod.

"How big?" Ann excitedly asked.

"Give us the details." Sōji meanwhile requested.

"I'm not certain, but one of us will go international on a tour with Mochizuki-san." Asuka stated matter-of-factly. "Though it was just rumors." She then added.

"Wait what!?' Ann got out in shock.

"Are you serious?" Sōji soon asked.

"And that she already has a clear favorite." Asuka added.

"It's clearly going to be me!" Ranze venomously stated.

Asuka however rolled her eyes. "We'll see, Himenojou-san." She responded.

"I'm at least going to ensure it won't be you, you slutty cunt!" Ranze darkly remarked.

"Hmph, resorting to insults now? Really?" Asuka however questioned with a huff.

"Hm? Asuka-chan?" Ann quietly muttered in curious confusion.

"It's a promise..." Ranze spat out.

"We'll see." Asuka responded, unphased by the auburn haired model.

The auburn haired woman continues insulting and threatening the brunette like a lunatic.

However Asuka just remained unphased by this.

"Something's going to give here..." Ann nervously muttered.

However at that moment, a stagehand called for both Sōji and Ranze.

"Looks like we're on." Sōji got out.

"Dammit." Ranze growled.

"That was too close..." Ann thought as she wiped away the cold sweat that had formed on her brow.

"This isn't over Shirokage..." Ranze growled as she went off with the stagehand.

"Yeah yeah..." Asuka however just waved off, frustrating the auburn haired model to no end.

"Can you not try and get her fired for unprofessional behavior?" Ann requested the brunette.

"I can, but technically, I didn't say anything to her." Asuka replied and pointed out, a hint of sly smugness in her voice.

Ann however blinked to this as the pinkette returned. "Hey Asuka-chan, are you ok?" She soon asked.

"Hm? What do you mean Takamaki-san?" Miki however questioned in a curious manner.

"I think Asuka-chan may have let the modeling exposure go to her head..." Ann mused to the pinkette.

"What makes you say that?" Miki however asked as she looked at the brunette, who simply tilted her head in confusion.

"I'm not certain, but she and Ranze are feeding into each other's issues and causing a tense environment." Ann theorized.

"Huh?" Asuka got out in confusion.

"You saw how frustrated Ranze was getting with you." Ann bluntly reminded.

"Isn't that just Himenojou just being jealous of me like she usually is since I started modeling?" Asuka however pointed out.

"It's more than that now. It's like you're now relishing in pushing her buttons." Ann replied.

"Ann-chan, I would never enjoy doing something like that." Asuka reassured, only to notice, however, that Miki was deep in thought. "Something on your mind Mochizuki-san?" She soon asked.

"Hm?" Ann hummed out as she looked at the pinkette.

"Just having a moment to think." Miki said while rubbing her left horn accessory.

"Ok?" Ann and Asuka responded in an awkward tone with raised eyebrows.

"If you'll excuse me for a moment." Miki requested while heading down the hall.

"That was...weird." Ann had to admit.

"The fact her horn accessory stayed completely still?" Asuka guessed.

"That and she seemed to be deep in thought for some reason." Ann added.

"Hopefully she'll be alright." Asuka says with a smile on her face.

"Yeah." Ann replied in agreement.

With Miki, she was strutting down the halls with a concerned expression on her face. "I hope Reki-chan is alright." She thought to herself as she sought out the manager of the ash blonde and brunette to have a word with him.

She had to ask him about something.

"It's not often I see you with a troubled expression, Miki-san." Kokito noted with a worried expression.

"Ah, there you are Kokito-san." Miki got out.

"Is something the matter?" Kokito soon asked.

"If it's okay with you, I would like to take two protégés on the worldwide tour instead of one." Miki asked.

Kokito's eyes widened for a moment before returning to normal. "Any particular reason why?" He questioned in a curious manner.

"There are two that I have my eyes on, but picking one over the other would cause severe problems down the line." Miki bluntly stated.

"I see..." Kokito responded. "You know that a decent amount of these girls are still in high school, right?" He then reminded.

"I am aware, but I fear a detonation would be bad for all parties involved. Both physically, mentally and socially." Miki pointed out.

"And you are sure about this?" Kokito questioned.

"I am." Miki replied with a determined tone.

In response, Kokito nodded with a serious look on his face.

Back with Asuka, she had watched as the ash blonde left for a moment to change clothes as she waited in anticipation.

"We're back. I took their hearts with my beauty!" Sōji declared with a confident expression.

Asuka simply giggled in response. "The runway show's not over yet." She reminded.

"Right, right. Himenojou is still in a foul mood, though she managed to get it in gear for her run." Sōji replied and revealed.

"Sounds just like her." Asuka simply responded as she shrugged her shoulders.

"Takamaki and Mochizuki aren't around." Sōji noted. "What are they up to?" She then asked.

"Ann-chan's getting changed into her next dress while Mochzuki-san went for a walk." Asuka answered. "Though Mochizuki-san did have a troubled look on her face." She then added.

"That seems weird." Sōji admitted with a raised eyebrow.

"Probably because she didn't want to be in your presence." Ranze bluntly added.

Asuka and Sōji however just rolled their eyes to that. "So mature of you." They countered at the same time before smirking to one another in amusement.

"So, Himenojou-san and Hebikami-san have returned." Miki noted as she put the finishing touches to her hairstyle.

"Yup." Sōji replied with a nod.

"Hmph." Ranze however huffed out before leaving to get her next set of clothes on.

"I hope this works..." Miki thought to herself.

"So Shirokage, what are your plans for after this show?" Sōji soon asked, getting the interest of the pinkette.

"My plans? I have a friend who is having a rough time. I want to help her out." Asuka honestly replied. "And after that, obviously continue modeling." She then added.

"What are your friends like Shirokage-san?" Miki asked.

Asuka in response smiled. "The best friends I could ever have." She replied.

"That sounds nice." Miki admitted with a smile of her own. "I have a few myself currently in Tokyo. Even though you may go your separate ways, a true friendship can be relied upon when you need it most." She then confessed and stated while rubbing the brunette's head absentmindedly.

"Ain't that the truth." Sōji admitted with a nod of agreement.

Ranze meanwhile was pouting while facing the wall.

"Still, don't ever lose your true friends, no matter what." Miki soon advised.

At that moment, Ann returned wearing a sparkling black ball gown with a gold sash around her waist. "I'm back." She informed before noticing what the pinkette was doing. "Um, why are you rubbing Asuka-chan's head?" She soon asked.

"Ah, sorry. I do that to some of my friends on occasion as a sign of affection." Miki explained while ceasing the head pat.

"It's different to say the least." Soji admitted.

"Yeah." Ann got out in agreement.

"Naturally, I have everything! Fufufufu." Asuka remarked with a smug grin on her face and a giggle.

Ann however sweatdropped to this. "Sounding a bit like Sōji there Asuka-chan." She simply noted.

"You think so?" Sōji asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Better her than Himenojou-san." Miki confessed.

"Hehehehe..." Asuka confidently giggled.

"I guess you have a point." Ann admitted.

"I can see why Himenojou-san could potentially have problems..." Miki noted with a cool tone.

"She's been bad since Asuka-chan started as a model months ago." Ann revealed with a sigh.

"Odd. She was as good as gold during a midwinter fashion shoot at the start of the year." Miki pondered with her left hand rubbing her chin.

"She's just jealous I got popular so fast." Asuka informed just as a stagehand signaled her. "Alright, heading out again." She then stated as she strutted over to follow the stagehand.

Miki sweatdropped at this revelation.

Ann meanwhile sighed. "She's not wrong though." She admitted.

"Himenojou-san and Shirokage-san have the potential to be a great professional rivalry. Just like the one myself and Hiiragi-san have when we're on the stage together." Miki revealed with a small smile on her face.

"For real?" Sōji asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You think so?" Ann also asked in a curious manner.

"Shirokage-san and Himenojou-san just need to learn to get along." Miki soon stated.

Ann immediately gained an uncomfortable expression. "Yeeeeah, that's not going to happen anytime soon." She reluctantly got out. "Ranze only cares about getting to the top by any means." She then revealed.

"And, thus, she will never reach the top." Miki proclaimed.

"Oh yeah." Sōji admitted in agreement.

"The problem is, in my opinion, Shirokage-san will soon be unable to reach the top herself." Miki conceded.

"Hm?" Ann hummed out in a raised eyebrow.

"Himenojou-san is starting to infect her with her ego problems." Miki noted while rubbing the bridge of her nose.

"Yeah, starting to see that too." Sōji replied with a nod.

"I hope those two don't come to blows..." Ann worriedly admitted.

"We'll just have to wait and see." Miki responded.

As Asuka strutted back to get ready to go down the runway again, a confident yet cocky smirk appeared on her face while a sense of pride filled her being.

"Alright, this is starting to get good. I've got all their eyes on me and now it's my time to shine once more." Asuka proudly thought to herself.

The brunette then looked at her nails and smirked. "Hmph, perfect nails as expected of a top model such as myself. Ranze has nothing on me." She then thought.

Asuka's eyes soon started to become a bit hazy as her walk became more...alluring with the smirk never leaving her . "Shirokage, you are one sexy model." She then mentally praised herself.

"Then again, I always was." The brunette then recalled, smugness dripping from her voice as she readied herself to go down the runway again.

"I'm going to even surpass Mochizuki-san!" Asuka soon quietly declared with a devilish smirk on her face.

The brunette then watched as the stagehand counted down for her to go out on the runway, listening to whispering comments.

"She's certainly got it downpat!" A female staff member in glasses muttered.

"No doubt about it."

"She's gonna go far in the future."

"Shirokage-senpai is so cool!"

"Quit gawking at Asuka-san and help me move this already!"

To that, the hazy eyed brunette's smirk widened even more as she then relaxed herself.

"Puhuhuhu! This is a really good feeling..." Asuka murmured to herself with a giggle, her stature relaxing to a more a show-offish like manner.

She didn't know why, but it was like all her concerns and nerves had been erased from her head.

Honestly, she never felt more...free now.

For the here and now, nothing mattered anymore if it didn't involve modeling.

"And...you're on Shirokage." The stagehand whispered the signal.

The brunette nods as she steps onto the stage...

She was going to shine on as a model.

She couldn't afford to disappoint her senpai in modeling...

Neither her friend that brought her into the modeling world to begin with.

"I won't let you down Mochizuki-senpai! Ann-chan!" The brunette whispered to herself as she headed out.

A distance away, the pinkette has a devious smirk on her face...

"Looks like you inspired Asuka-chan to do better." Ann noted.

"Indeed I did, Takamaki-san." The pinkette replied with a less incriminating smile on her face.

"Guess that's the power of a top model." Ann then assumed.

"I do have quite a bit more experience after all." Miki replied with a proud smile. "If only Ann-chan knew how accurate she is. Fufufu~" The pinkette internally mused.

Ann meanwhile watched her friend, strutting down the runway as if she was a professional.

"Fufufu...I hope to have you as my own personal pupil...Asuka-chan...~" Miki gleefully thought to herself.

"Asuka-chan really developed since starting as a model." Ann soon admitted with a smile.

"Hoh? How do you mean Takamaki-san?" Miki questioned in a curious manner.

"Well, she was completely nervous when she started out, especially with Ranze trying to get to her." Ann recalled. "I gotta admit, at times, I was worried a bit for Asuka-chan, especially when Ranze came into the picture." The ash blonde then confessed.

"I personally don't blame her considering some of Shirokage-san's...attributes." The pinkette replied.

"Asuka-chan's bust right?" Ann simply guessed with a sweatdrop.

"And her personality. For some, that optimism and cheeriness can get really grating really quickly." Miki added with a concerned look.

"Eeeeh, Asuka-chan's just naturally a nice girl unless pushed too far." Ann however revealed.

"Because she snaps violently?" The pinkette assumed with her hand on the ash blonde's shoulder.

Ann in response sighed. "It was back during the time Kamoshida was around at our school. She had the feeling Kamoshida was no good and...spiked in the nuts with a volleyball. I'm sure you've seen that video." She then explained with a giggle.

"As well as the other one featuring that man. I hope he gets to feel how his victims felt." Miki bitterly replied.

"I'll say..." Ann responded in agreement with a nod.

"Let's shift subjects a little. Don't want things to be too depressing before our turns again..." Miki replied and pointed.

To that, the ash blonde nodded in agreement as the two heard the cheering crowd and then noticed the brunette returning. "Great work out there Asuka-chan!" Ann praised with a raised hand for a high five.

"Naturally." The brunette however responded with a smug smile on her face.

Miki meanwhile giggled at this. "Ufufu~ Careful Asuka-chan, your emanating Himenojou-san." She advised in amusement.

"Ranze? We're not even on the same level." The brunette however replied.

"Really? Doesn't seem like it to me..." The ash blonde added.

"Hm?" Miki hummed out in a curious manner, a smirk on her face.

"I'm say it's something someone of your experience would notice..." Ann guessed.

"What do you mean Ann-chan?" Asuka questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"For real? You didn't know Miki-san has been in business for four years now?" Ann asked in shock.

"2012 Rookie Model of the Year as well." The pinkette added with pride.

"That as well." Ann confirmed with a nod. "It's impressive when you think about it." The ash blonde then admitted as the pinkette then suddenly began putting her's and the brunette's heads in playful manners.

"What was your debut like?" Asuka asked as her eyes subtly dulled.

"'Club Escapade' at Tatsumi Port Island back on the 5th of September..." The pinkette recalled in a nostalgic manner. "It went smoothly. A lot of people were saying I'd be one of the best for a long time." Miki then revealed.

"It...must've been with how you are now...as a top model..." Ann slowly noted.

"Mm. I was just in the right place at the right time when I got scouted." Miki replied with a nod.

"Impressive." Asuka responded with a smirk.

"But, don't get too complacent...otherwise I will leave you in the dust, Mochizuki-senpai!" Asuka replied with her eyes subtly dulled.

"Yeah. We won't lose that easily either." Ann soon declared.

"I don't intend to lose to a pair of rookies either." The pinkette confidently declared.

"...Rookie...?" The brunette however repeated indignantly.

Miki in turn smirked at this response.

"Exactly. Asuka-chan has been at this for too long to be called a rookie anymore..." The ash blonde pointed out.

"Oh?" Miki responded, still rubbing the duo's heads.

"I've always been a model." The brunette confidently stated in a completely natural manner. "It is, like, my calling after all." Asuka then stated with a hand on her hip as she tilted her body slightly.

"That's certainly the right attitude to have..." The pinkette noted with a smirk.

Ann meanwhile tilted her head as the pinkette took her hands of her's and the brunette's heads. "You think so?" She soon asked.

"Well that's-" Miki began, however...

"What the fucking hell?" A familiar voice comes from behind the trio, interrupting the pinkette.

In turn, the three turned to see a familiar auburn haired model. "Ranze..." Ann sighed, knowing this was going to get bad.

"What is so damned special about this bimbo?!" The envious model spat out while pointing at the brunette.

"Himenojou-san, I am just being friendly with some juniors." Miki reassured.

Ranze's face however remains unchanged though...

And once again, this caused Ann to groan and sigh in annoyance, knowing how stubborn the auburn haired model was.

Asuka however decided enough was enough as she started taking a couple of steps towards the auburn haired girl...

This however surprised Ranze. "W-What? Y-You dare approach-" She then began, however...

"Shut up, you insecure bitch!" The brunette coldly responded, interrupting the other model.

To that statement, everyone present (which was only the four present) was silent as they looked at the two.

"Y-You..." Ranze managed to squeak out.

"Asuka-chan's finally snapping...again..." Ann muttered.

"Oh my..." Miki muttered, though gave a small smirk at the development.

"If you spent as much time practicing as you do bitching about me, you may actually be somewhat close to my level now." Asuka soon began while her face was as close to the auburn haired woman's as she can be.

"..." Ranze meanwhile was silent...and nervous at the brunette's actions. This wasn't like the usual girl she hated for her looks and personality...

"Honestly. Why don't you just quit already and save all of us from your constant pissing, bitching, whining and moaning?" Asuka continued.

"I-I..." Ranze tried to begin, but soon felt as though she couldn't breathe

The brunette fell silent as she just stared at the auburn haired woman with a look of utter disdain. "I. Have. Had it. With. You." Asuka slowly concluded with cold fury as she then snapped her fingers. "Ann-chan, Miki-senpai, let's go. We're wasting our break at this point." She then stated.

Ranze, however, just remained completely motionless in shock at this outburst...

"Y-Yeah, sure thing Asuka-chan." Ann meanwhile responded as she approached her friend, knowing when her friend got mad like this, it was extremely bad.

"I did warn you repeatedly about this behavior..." Miki reminded the frozen auburn haired woman while pinching the bridge of her own nose.

Inwardly though, the pinkette was smirking at the development.

"I may have overdone that a little...but, Asuka-chan stood up to Ranze-chan quite nicely thanks to me..." The pinkette thought as her smirk took on a more devious look.

"Come along Miki-senpai, we need to get some kind of lunch before the show starts up again." Asuka soon stated, strutting past the shocked auburn haired woman.

To that, the pinkette nodded as she started to leave the auburn woman behind and as she headed to get something to eat, Miki looked at the back of the professionally strutting brunette, smirking all the while. "Asuka-chan really is developing nicely now~" She thought to herself.

The pinkette then listened in on what the brunette was talking about with the ash blonde.

"Man that felt good to finally cut her down to size!" Asuka smugly confessed.

"Totally! She was shocked speechless, Asuka-chan." Ann remarked in agreement. "It's what she deserves after all that crap she put you through too." She then added.

"Hmph, she was just being a child that couldn't compare to someone like me." Asuka soon remarked with a scoff.

Ann in turn giggled in amusement at that. "Got that right Asuka-chan." She replied in agreement before looking back at the pinkette. "Think Ranze learned something from this Miki-senpai?" She then asked.

"She's always been stubborn from the looks of it...We'll have to wait and see." Miki replied with a sigh. However, she had a devilish look on her face while looked at the two.

"Ooooh, what are you thinking, Miki-senpai?" Asuka playfully asked.

"Nothing to worry about." The pinkette however replied.

"You sure?" Ann meanwhile asked while the brunette was checking her nails.

"I'm sure." Miki responded with reassurance.

"Well...if you say so." The brunette and ash blonde both responded at the same time as the three began strutting again to get a quick bite before the runway show started again.

Miki's smirk never left her face as she looked at the brunette, who just smirked back at her as they arrived at the food table. "Puhuhu~ Now what does Asuka-chan need next~?" She playfully thought to herself.

"What are you having Miki-senpai?" Asuka eventually asked as they approached the catering facilities.

"Mmm...I'll get what you're getting." Miki hummed out and decided with a playful wink.

"So much to choose from..." The ash blonde noted.

"It is quite a spread for models like us." Miki responded with a nod. "We do have to keep up our strength after all." She then explained the reminder.

"Right. Should we get something to drink as well?" Asuka replied and asked.

The ash blonde and pinkette nodded in agreement to this as they all got sparkling waters.

"So professional, Asuka-chan." Miki jokingly noted in a playful manner.

"Well Asuka-chan is a professional, though not at Miki-senpai's level yet." Ann admitted.

"Unsurprising! But I will surpass Miki-senpai before too long." The brunette responded and declared. The food that Asuka had gotten was a sushi platter with various pieces of fish as she went over and sat herself down.

Miki soon got herself a similar platter of sushi platter and smiled as she sat next to the brunette. "Nice choice like always, Asuka-chan. Protein is good for a model and for the skin." She then praised and stated.

"I'll have that as well." Ann meanwhile decided while serving herself some sushi as well.

"Well duh Miki-senpai. You know fish is my go-to food after all. I have to make my skin look as appealing as possible while modeling after all. You know that." Asuka reminded in a casual manner as she took a bite of her food.

"Of course. We've been working together for a while now." Miki replied. However in the pinkette's head, she smirked devilishly when she said that. "That's right Asuka-chan...almost to perfection...my modeling equal...my friend..." She thought to herself.

As selfish as it might have sounded, all the pinkette actually wanted was a friend that she could relate to as a model.

"Ngh." Asuka winced as a stabbing pain shot through her skull.

Ann meanwhile suddenly winced as she felt a rush of pain going through her head.

To that, Miki became concerned. "Hm? Are you two alright?" She soon asked.

"I am fine. Just give me a moment." Asuka replied unconvincingly.

Miki's then took the brunette's hand. "You sure Asuka-chan?" She then asked with worry.

"S-Same here..." Ann meanwhile responded with another wince.

"Are. You. Sure? I could request you to take a longer break. Even professionals like us need them." Miki offered and reminded in a more serious tone.

"I'm fine Mochizuki-senpai." Asuka replied as the pain started to subside from her head. "We better finish our sushi." She then decided as she went back to eating.

"Yeah." Ann replied as the headache faded for her as well.

To that, Miki simply nodded as she went back to eating as well.

They still had the runway show to be a part of.

The rest of the show went on in a flash as the girls continued going down the runway wearing various outfits getting the attention from a variety of people as they showed off everything they had.

For Asuka, it was like she usually did, strutting her stuff as if she was always a model, gaining the attention of many audience members.

Ann, like the brunette, she did everything she could using her charm as Panther as an attractor.

Miki, like always, had the audience spellbound with her wicked enchantment as a model.

Sōji exuded bottomless confidence using her natural narcissistic personality and taming it.

And for Ranze, despite her stuck-up nature, attracted as many people as the other models.

Followed by this, there was the autograph session where all the girls handed out images of them with their signatures on them.

"Thank you for supporting us!" Miki got out while smiling with her left hand on her cheek.

"We totally appreciate it." Asuka added with a wink.

"We'll keep giving it our all." Ann reassured with a smile.

"Make sure you keep it up!" Sōji advised with a massive grin.

"Watch as I take the world by storm!" Ranze declared.

The autograph session continued to go on for an hour or so, exhausting some of them to the point they got headaches.

Eventually, all the models had regathered in the backstage area as mutters were heard among them all.

"So, how was your first massive audience?" Miki inquired.

"Intense." Ann admitted, rubbing her head a bit from a headache she got.

Asuka nodded in agreement to this, though also winced from a headache. "Also exhilarating though." She soon revealed with the ash blonde nodding in agreement.

"This size of crowd is tiny compared to some shows I've done." Miki however revealed after taking a swig of water.

"Seriously?" Sōji asked in a curious manner.

"Going international means everyone in the whole world will be watching you." Miki noted.

"So I've heard." Ann responded with the brunette nodding to that.

"Not many can handle the strain. I've seen many rising stars have their flames quickly extinguished upon going global." Miki however revealed in a blunt tone.

"I...I see." Asuka hesitantly got out.

"And there are some cultures that...have less than wholesome ways of ensuring gigs as well." Miki added.

"Jeez..." Ann breathed out.

"Like the allegations regarding Kamoshida." Sōji stated with a sour look on her face.

"Exactly." Miki responded with a nod and a serious expression on her face. "And don't think being high-schoolers will prevent them from sending...parodies of your own work." She darkly added.

This in turn caused the three to gulp in a nervous manner.

"So, do you all still want to be models after hearing all that?" Miki soon questioned in a serious tone.

To that, the trio had uneasy expressions on their faces, however at that moment...

ACHOO!

Miki sneezed. "My apologies for that." She got out after bowing.

At that moment, the ash blonde and brunette's manager came over. "Excellent work out there today." Kokito praised.

"It's not a problem." Ann replied while the brunette smiled.

"Miki-san. Have you made your decision yet?" Kokito suddenly asked the pinkette.

"Eh?" Asuka got out in confusion along with the other models.

"I have." Miki responded with a smile.

"Huh?" Ann got out as they all watched the pinkette go to the center of the room.

Miki soon cleared her throat.

This however caused muttering among all the models in the room.

"What's this about?"

"Miki-senpai...?"

"Is this about the rumors?"

"Who knows..."

"Is she announcing her pregnancy...?"

Miki meanwhile smiled in amusement at this. "I have an announcement to make." She soon started.

This immediately got the attention of the other models as well as the managers of all them.

"Now, I have been looking for a protégé to tour on the international stage to follow in my footsteps as a top model." Miki revealed in a more serious tone.

That immediately caused more muttering among the models.

"So that rumor was true!?"

"However, as of recently, I will be picking two girls to accompany me on the international stage." Miki states with a smile.

"So that's what it was about..." Asuka muttered.

"Going international..." Ann added.

"Becoming a big shot model..." Sōji stated.

"TWO picks?!"

"Who got picked!?"

"My first selection is..." Miki began. "Ranze Himenoujou!" She soon revealed.

"W-Wha!?" Ann got out in shock.

"Is she serious?" Sōji asked in confusion.

"I guess...good for her..." Asuka awkwardly muttered.

"She's not even present for the announcement!"

"Eh?" Asuka got out in curious confusion, now realizing the auburn haired girl wasn't around.

"Is Himenojou-san not present?" Miki asked.

"It doesn't look like it." Oren however revealed as he made himself known, going to the pinkette's side.

"That's a shame." Miki responded. "I may as well say who my second selection is." She then decided.

That in turn caused more muttering to be heard.

"Who is it going to be?"

"It would be interesting if it was Shirokage..."

"You just want to see the cat fights..."

Asuka meanwhile sweatdropped at some of those comments. "Technically she's the one who goes after me..." She quietly muttered.

"Some people..." Ann whispered.

"Oh yeah..." Soji got out in agreement.

"What's everyone doing in here?" Ranze asked as she slammed the door open and came into the room.

"And look who's here..."

"Not even qualifying as fashionably late now..."

"How the hell was she chosen?"

"Eh?" Ranze squeaked out...before the realization came to her. "I got picked by Mochizuki?!" She soon exclaimed in excitement before going right into the brunette's face. "Hahahaha! I'm better than you, you loser fuck!" She then quietly declared.

"Talk about a poor winner..."

"I really want to see her face if it's Asuka-kun as her partner..."

"Wait, Mochizuki's picking a second person?!" Ranze asked as she heard about the second pick.

"Indeed I am." Miki responded with a nod of confirmation. "It's time I revealed who my second pick is...Asuka Shirokage!" She soon proclaimed with a smile.

The brunette in mention's eyes immediately widened upon hearing that. "E-Eh?" Asuka quietly got out.

"No way..." Ranze muttered with a matching expression. "This can't be happening!" She meanwhile thought as it repeated in her head in denial.

"Anyone taking bets on a maiming?"

"Seriously? Your takin' bets? What's wrong with you?"

"Fight! Fight! Fight! Kiss. Kiss. Kiss"

"You are getting reprimanded for potentially inciting a crush."

"This...is interesting..." Ann hesitantly admitted.

"That's one way of putting it..." Sōji replied.

"Um, just curious but...why me exactly?" Asuka soon asked.

"You and Ranze-chan have the potential to be great rivals." Miki revealed with a smile on her face. "However, the two of you need to get on the same page before either one of you does something too far." She then sternly added.

"But...I'm still in school." Asuka hesitantly pointed out.

"I am aware. Once you and Ranze-chan graduate, us three will go worldwide." Miki responded. "For now, I need to get you two on the same page." She then instructed.

"U-um...It's an honor and everything..." Asuka responded with a clouded look on her face.

"This is a career-making opportunity, Asuka-chan. You should take it if you want to." Ann pointed out.

"Maybe you'll get Ranze to acknowledge you at last." Sōji added.

"But...I'm not sure I want to go international yet..." Asuka muttered. She still had a lot to do after all.

"I accept your offer Mochizuki!" Ranze however decided with an audacious grin on her face

Everyone then watched as the auburn haired girl stepped forward with confidence as she then stood right next to Miki.

"No hesitation..."

"Are you going to let her win, Asuka-chi?!"

Soon, Asuka looked conflicted...sure this was a big chance for her, this felt like too big of a step for her at the moment. "I...appreciate the offer. But I'm going to decline, Mochizuki-san..." She eventually responded.

"...Eh?" Miki got out, surprised to hear that. "W-What?" She thought in shock and confusion.

This sent shockwaves throughout the room as everyone else began muttering about this...

However Ann smiled as she held back her relief, knowing the reason behind this.

"Heh." Ranze smugly remarked.

"Oh? That is surprising..." Miki eventually responded with a disappointed expression on her face.

Asuka then bowed to the pinkette. "I apologize but...I don't think I'm ready to go international as a model just yet." She then confessed.

"That is a real shame. My offer still stands for when you are ready." Miki soon stated.

"Thank you for understanding, Mochizuki-san." Asuka replied with a nod.

"Shirokage rejected the offer?!"

"Well that's a surprise."

"I mean it is her choice in the end."

"She let Ranze win?!"

Kokito meanwhile smiled in a proud manner to the brunette's decision.

Asuka looked a little upset at having to reject the pinkette's offer, but it was still her decision. "There is a time and place for these decisions." She then explained.

"Whenever you feel ready, just let me know." Miki soon requested. "I'll give you my IM later." She then offered.

"Hai, I appreciate it." Asuka responded with a nod and a smile.

"With that done, I will let Kokito-san and Oren-san say what they need to say." Miki soon informed while stepping off the stage with the auburn haired girl.

"I'm sure today was certainly rough for some of our new faces here today." Oren stated matter-of-factly.

In turn, some of the models nodded in agreement, including Asuka and Ann.

"However, all of you certainly adapted to the new situation well." Oren continued on.

That caused both Asuka and Ann to smile.

"Do not let this success breed complacency. Always strive to improve." Oren added.

Asuka and Ann in turn nodded to those instructions.

"Now, I'll let Kokito-san have a word with you." Oren finished before stepping aside.

This made the Phantom Thieves girls curious as to what their manager was going to say.

"Thank you, Oren-san. I'll try to keep this short as quite a few of you have school and other engagements that require a reasonably early start." Kokito replied as he took center stage.

This made everyone silent as they waited to hear what was going to be said.

"This will be pertaining to the next big event that will feature all the big modeling companies in Japan." Kokito announced. "The next big event will be the Midwinter Fashion FES occurring before school starts up again in January." He then revealed.

An excited set of chattering soon occured amongst the crowd.

"The FES!?"

"That's part of the big 'Celebration of Creativity' event they do. Idols, artists and models among others will be there."

"That's as big as this one!"

"Exactly right, Suzuhana-san. The Midwinter Fashion FES is a small part of the Celebration of Creativity FES that is going to take place all over Tokyo in every place from Kichijoji to Yongen-Jaya and even places like Shinjuku and Aoyama-Itchome. I want all of you to strive to shine brighter than the falling snow." Kokito confidently revealed and instructed.

"HAI!"

The group of models and managers all got fired up!

"Now this is going to be a challenge." Ann noted to the brunette with a smile.

"We'll likely be competing to shine the brightest against some of our friends as well." Asuka replied.

"A little friendly competition amongst us. I like it. Should we have a light-hearted wager?" Ann got out and suggested.

"Eh?" Asuka responded in a curious manner.

"Whoever does better treats the other to food after." Ann got out. "Sounds reasonable, don't you think?" She then added with a smile.

"Well, it's not like we're hurting for cash." The Vice Leader muttered under her breath. "Alright, you're on." She then agreed.

"May the best model win." Ann responded as the two shook hands on it.

"I think we should bring it up at the next meeting." Asuka added.

To that, Ann just nodded.

"I think I've taken enough of your time tonight. Thank you." Kokito replied before bowing.

"Asuka-chan. May I have a quick moment of your time?" Miki requested.

"What is it, Mochizuki-san?" Asuka asked.

"I want to exchange IM handles, in case you change your mind." The pinkette replied.

"Ah, right." The brunette responded with a nod.

As everyone was preparing to depart for the day, the pinkette and the brunette got their phones out and exchanged numbers.

["SoulPrincess17" has been added to your contacts.]

"Hai. Thanks for selecting me for that opportunity, Miki-senpai. Even if I did end up rejecting it for now." Asuka replied while bowing.

"No problem at all. stay safe Asuka-chan." Miki responded while smiling.

"Until next time?" Asuka assumed.

"Stay safe at all times." Miki advised. "I hope we can be friends too." She then confessed.

Asuka in response nodded as she went to get changed with the ash blonde.

"You won't make it to Midwinter FES, bitch!" Ranze simply declared as the brunette departed.

"Did you say something, Ranze-chan~?" Miki questioned with an eerie smile on her face.

The auburn haired woman immediately stood at attention. "N-No, I didn't say anything!" Ranze responded.

"It's that attitude that will stop you from getting to the top, Ranze-chan." Miki advised. "Personally, I don't know why you have such a bug up your derriere regarding Asuka-chan..." She then confessed. "She's a bright and fresh prospect. I can't see why anyone would have such a problem with her..." She soon stated. "Is it really just jealousy towards her?" The pinkette eventually concluded.

"She's just a skank with fake boobs." Ranze snapped back.

Miki meanwhile just sighed in response. "I have taken on an interesting protégé..." The pinkette thought while looking at the leaving brunette with the ash blonde. "So close, but I'll have to accept that a kind-hearted girl like Asuka-chan has to make these decisions on her own." She thought to herself. "I hope nothing bad happens to her..." She then thought as they then drifted to the idea that she may get caught up in the crusade of the Phantom Thieves.

Meanwhile with Asuka and Ann...

"I'm honestly surprised you said no Asuka-chan." Ann admitted.

"Well, you can probably guess why. Considering who we are." Asuka replied.

To that, Ann nodded.

"I just hope we can find a way out..." Asuka quietly murmured.

"Hey, we'll get through this." Ann reassured while placing a hand on the brunette's shoulder. "For now, let's just enjoy our success with the runway show." She then suggested.

"After we get a bite to eat." Asuka suggested. "This is hungry work after all." She then added.

Ann in turn giggled. "Good idea." She replied with a nod.

"Closest place still open is a Big Bang Burger... Moh..." Asuka notes as she's reminded of their newest teammate. "How about we go back to my place and I can cook something?" She soon suggested.

"Sure! I'll just fire off a quick text to Homura." Ann replied.

Asuka in turn nodded to this as they headed out to enjoy the rest of the night, though thanks to the experience as a whole, she felt as though her Proficiency had massively improved as a result.

Maybe it would also get rid of the headaches they had too.

Meanwhile with the top model...

After everything settled down, Miki had sent her new protégé home for the night, knowing she had a lot to think about.

The pinkette unlocked her car before entering it, getting herself settled and locking the doors as she then sighed as she began thinking.

This past month has been quite the roller coaster of emotions for her, but now she had a personal issue to deal with...

Namely, it seemed Asuka and Ann had snapped out of her puppetry somehow.

"How in the world..." Miki mumbled to herself, frustrated, yet curious since she took pride in her abilities. "Shame about Asuka-chan... " She murmured as her phone buzzed.

Checking it, she reads a text from her roommate to pick up milk and bread on the way back.

"I can worry about milk and bread later..." Miki responded...before pouting in a childish manner. "Asuka-chan..." She soon mused to herself.

She soon started her car and let it idle as the news came on the radio.

It just wasn't fair to her...

"More Okumura stuff as well as that Akechi..." Miki noted as she sat in her idling car.

She didn't even notice she was lapsing into her hometown accent.

Though she was more focused on wanting to become friends with Asuka...and to train her as a model.

"Might as well get going..." The pinkette murmured as she put her car into gear.

As she started driving, she began to imagine training the brunette diligently.

"Might as well do a little daydreaming since the traffic is so bad..." The pinkette muttered while pouting before she started smiling happily at the images that came to mind.


(Miki's Imagination)

The pinkette and brunette were at a photoshoot together, doing an exotic swimsuit modeling session.

"Moh! I'm always so nervous before a swimsuit shoot..." Asuka mumbled as she adjusted her bikini bottom.

"Ufufu~ Well you know us professionals, we do what we do to show our stuff." Miki playfully reminded with a wink and a giggle while adjusting her top. "But if you're ever unsure of whether those can stay in, change your swimsuit..." The pinkette advised.

"...Nah, I can do this." Asuka however responded as she shook her head. "For my pride as a professional model like you, Miki-chan!" She then declared.

"Vous êtes tous les deux sur cinq (You two are on in five)." A stage hand called out

"Bien sûr (Of course)." Miki responded...in perfect French before turning to the brunette. "Remember that well, we'll both be posing together for this shoot." She then advised her junior.

To that, Asuka nodded as she looked out the window for a moment, seeing the Eiffel Tower before looking back at her senior model's swimsuit.

Miki was in a one piece swimsuit in her signature color combination of hot pink and jet black.

Meanwhile, Asuka's swimsuit was in a two-piece floral pattern that was green, yellow and gold.

"You're still a little nervous Asuka-chan. Not that I blame you. This is your first big international tour after all." Miki noted while resting a hand on the brunette's shoulder. "But don't worry, I'm here to make sure you know all the tricks and trades." She then reassured.

To that, Asuka smiled as she took in a breath. "Thanks Miki-chan. You really do know what's best for me." She replied and recalled in a grateful manner.

"No worries. Shall we head out?" The pinkette responded and suggested.

Asuka's smirk soon became one of pure confidence. "Of course. Professionals like us have a duty to set an example to the lower ranking models after all." She responded as she offered a hand.

However...

"In 300m, Turn Left." The car GPS instructed, snapping the pinkette out of her thoughts.

"Just when it was getting to the good bit too..." Miki grumbled as she flipped her indicator to change lanes.

"I wonder how Hyōki-chan and Maki-chan are doing on their mission..." The pinkette mused as she pulled into the petrol station to refuel her car and grab the groceries.

"I'll text them and Asuka-chan later." Miki soon decided.

"You cannot run away from me, I stay in your head as one big threat! It's demolition! Wiping all out!"

The pinkette giggled to herself after briefly and quietly singing as she rehooked a fuel nozzle to the pump.

She then entered the store to pay for the groceries and petrol.

After paying, she got back in her car and started the drive home.

"Whew...a fun day, got a protégé, and met the most interesting girls." Miki recalled before pouting. "Moh, I still want Asuka-chan to be my protégé..." She grumbled once more.

"Maybe Ranze-chan will finally learn her lesson as well..." Miki then muttered to herself.


(Yongen-Jaya, Tokyo Mirage Apartments)

Miki parked her car and let out a sigh. It had been a long day, but a satisfying one...which was an odd feeling. She hadn't felt like she had one in years.

After grabbing her bags, she stepped out and locked her car before walking the rest of the way back home. Not that home was anything special, mind you, as there was barely anything unique about it. It looked like any other apartment complex you'd find here in Yongen. It was sleepy, nothing really happened here other than the occasional stray cat, but it was a nice break from the hustle and bustle of the city.

When Miki approached Apartment number 100, she took out a key to unlock the door to her apartment. "I'm home." The model called out while locking the door as she headed into the kitchen to put the groceries away.

"Welcome back Miki-chi!" A bubbly girl called out.

"Welcome home..." A more neutral voice responded.

"Good to be home Yuki-chan, Reki-chan." Miki replied as she took her jacket off and hung it on the coat rack next to a maid outfit. "How are you feeling, Reki-chan?" She then asked.

"Still not great. But I feel okay doing some light physical rehab now..." The silver-haired, red-eyed girl, clad in a black tracksuit, replied.

"It's expected with what happened to you." Miki pointed out.

"It's really odd though. Still no luck in finding the culprits." A familiar fluffy pigtailed blonde replied wearing only an unbuttoned shirt and a pair of white panties. "Sooo, how was the shoot? Killed it like always?" Yuki asked and assumed with a grin.

"Naturally. Ranze is still a bitch though." Miki replied as she unbuttoned her shirt slightly before sitting down.

"Eugh. Her..." The blonde replied with a groan.

"Though one of the juniors stood up to her." The pinkette continued.

"...Really?" Yuki responded in an interested tone.

Miki however giggled. "Ufufu~ I may have helped her out a little too when it came to standing up too." She vaguely confessed.

"You puppeted her, didn't you?" Reki disapprovingly assumed.

"You did what?" A new, younger voice questioned.

"Geh?! Hyōki-chan..." Miki sputtered in her accent at the young girl in a very sharp black business suit with matching tie, shirt and gloves.

Despite her mature clothes, this girl is absurdly short. Her long jet black hair and yellow eyes give her a very unique appearance.

"You know we are in hiding and you went and used puppetry on someone?" The young girl soon reminded and questioned in a serious manner.

"It would've been a worse scandal had I just made that damned bully Ranze disappear. Anyway, it was a temporary thing." Miki curtly replied. "The world of modeling is just as cutthroat, if not more so, than the shinobi world..." The pinkette then added.

"Sooo, who was the girl you helped out? What did you do exactly?" Yuki soon asked in a curious manner.

In response, Miki pulled out her phone and showed an image of a familiar brunette's debut appearance.

"Shirokage!? You helped her out!?" Yuki gawked in awe.

"Didn't take you for an Asuka fan? And here I thought you were a diehard Miki fan?" Miki replied, her second question was clearly laden with amused sarcasm and fake hurt feelings.

"Hmm, an attractive girl." Hyōki confessed.

"Indeed." Reki admitted with a nod of agreement.

"Right? She's just so cute!" Miki soon confessed.

"I wanna take Asuka-chi home and snuggle her all day!" Yuki then revealed.

"Hoh, did you want her to be your modeling apprentice Miki?" Hyōki then assumed, getting the attention of the blonde.

"Well...yes." The pinkette responded with a nod after calming herself down. "Though just as a modeling apprentice. She has so much potential." Miki eventually admitted.

"So you want to make her your equal." Hyōki guessed with a sigh. "To make her like a second you?" She then added before groaning. "Good grief...As long as you remember that you can't get too attached in our business." She soon replied while pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Even though I'm a famous and international model?" Miki however reminded.

"I may be a part-time waitress as well, but I am willing to kill colleagues should someone have need for their deaths." The twin tailed blonde replied with her eyes wide open.

"You know we can't kill anyone. We have to stay under the radar at all times." Hyōki sighed out the reminder.

"And I have no interest in killing Asuka-chan." Miki revealed.

Reki meanwhile raised an eyebrow to this. "...Shirokage is that interesting to you." She calmly noted.

"She is! I want to form an international model duo with her!" Miki eagerly replied as the three then watched the pinkette sigh in content. "Aaaah~ The two of us, the best modeling combo~" She then added.

"Simpin' that hard for her?" Yuki replied as she crossed her legs.

"Not at all. Completely just job related." Miki confirmed and stated.

"...What would you do to Shirokage exactly as a model?" Hyōki soon questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Exactly. Inform us Miki-san..." The silverette added.

"Oh, just teach her everyone I know, give her the confidence so she can stand up to anyone who tries to belittle her, encourage her to be more like me in mind and body." Miki soon listed off.

"Just remember that she has her whole cute, girl next door image while you have that whole mature and seductive style..." Yuki however reminded.

"Right. That would be bad." Miki noted.

"I mean yeah, I heard Ranze did pick on her a lot when Asuka first started." Yuki recalled.

"Still. I didn't expect you to be here before Maki-chan." The pinkette noted.

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

This got the attention of all the girls in the room as they looked at the door. "Who is it?" The ravenette replied.

"...It's me, Maki. Left my key here." A female voice bluntly informed.

In response, the ravenette unlocked the door.

The door opens to reveal a brunette with scraggly hair and empty purple eyes. Her massive boobs seem to be ill-fitting for her body as they strain against her brown sundress.

"Should I ask how you left your key at home?" Hyōki soon asked with a sigh.

"Don't push it. I'm going to have a shower." Maki coldly replied as she stripped naked in the lounge room.

"Hey. We may be all girls here but have some modesty, Maki-chan." The pinkette chastised the brunette.

"Hai hai..." Maki sighed out as she headed for the bathroom, the door soon closed as the shower turned on.

"...Maki-chan could learn a thing or two from Asuka-chan..." Miki mumbled with a pout.

The other three exchange glances.

"Once Maki-chi finishes her shower, you need one as well, Miki-chi. I'll make sure dinner is done once you get out." Yuki got out and decided as she got up and headed to the kitchen.

Miki in response pouted to that.

"Admittedly, despite my current condition, I do want to see some action..." Reki admitted.

"Speaking off, how does it feel exactly? Your...body now I mean." Hyōki eventually questioned in a more serious tone.

"It feels odd...I'm effectively no different than a normal shinobi now." The silverette replied.

"And...how do you feel about this?" Hyōki soon asked.

"I'm admittedly a little scared because I can no longer only die in battle now..." Reki admitted. "But...part of me also feels...content with that side of me being dead..." The silverette soon confessed, a small smile on her face.

"You likely will have lost some of your powers as well." Miki noted in concern.

"True...but now I feel as though...I can actually live now..." Reki concluded, a small smile gracing her face.

"You'll have to be careful now..." Maki reminded as she exited the shower wearing only a towel.

Reki in response just nodded to this.

"Guess I'll have a shower then." Miki decided as she got up and headed into the bathroom.

Maki meanwhile yawned as she headed for the bedroom. "Getting changed, call me when dinner's ready." She got out.

"Still, have you found any shinobi jobs for us?" Reki asked her team's leader.

Hyōki however shook her head in response. "Everything has been at a stand still, so no." She responded and confirmed.

"Apart from Miki's ongoing assignment that she received before our group was fully formed." Reki responded. "...Everything seems really quiet now..." The silverette soon noted.

"It's too quiet. I feel like there is going to be a major ruckus soon. And, then, we will certainly be in high demand..." The ravenette replied as a smirk forms on her face.

"All we can do is wait now." Reki concluded.

At that moment, Maki returned wearing only a brown nightshirt that barely contained her breasts as Miki exited from the shower in a pink nightgown.

"Ah, good. You two are just in time for dinner." Yuki replied from the kitchen. "Sooo Miki-chi, still wanting Asuka-chi as a protégé?" The blonde then assumed as she placed the food out on the table, riceball.

The five girls soon went tk the table and sat themselves down. "Itadakimasu!"They called out at the same time as they then started eating.

"I do." Miki soon responded.

"Asuka...As in the rookie model Asuka Shirokage right?" Maki recalled. "She's been getting popular fast." She then noted. "Personally, I find her annoying. Then again, I know nothing about the modeling world." The brunette eventually added.

"Still better than Ranze though." Yuki pointed out as the pinkette nodded in agreement. "Plan to puppetry her Miki-chi?" She then guessed.

"Erm...If Hyōki-chan doesn't kill me for it..." Miki replied. "...Sooo..." The pinkette began while looking at the ravenette.

"I'll allow it provided I hear no incidents involving her afterwards. Otherwise..." Hyōki responded.

"Otherwise?" Miki repeated with a raised eyebrow. "If it's killing her, I can't since she has a girlfriend." She then stated.

"Remember, we're in hiding. If any shinobi, good or evil, find out that the famed terrorist shinobi group is in Tokyo. Well, it's going to be a struggle given Reki's current condition." Hyōki responded as she took a sip of her tea.

"So keep quiet and keep a low profile." Reki stated while the brunette nodded in agreement.

"Which is why I won't." Miki reassured...before daydreaming about a certain brunette model and smiled.

"Aaaand we lost her." Maki quipped with a sweatdrop.

"Food's getting cold." Yuki reminded while jabbing the model's left breast with a chopstick.

Miki however just aimlessly took a riceball and began eating without a care.

"...I think Miki really wants to have more friends than just us." Maki suddenly assumed.

"...She's tired of everything shinobi related, so it is expected." Hyōki reminded, unphased by this statement.

"Aren't we all? That's why us five are a team after all." Yuki responded and reminded.

"R-Right." The pinkette replied, snapping out of it.

"Can you at least see our goal through to the end, Miki?" The ravenette however questioned.

"I will." Miki responded with reassurance.

"Good." Hyōki replied as they finished dinner.

"I do need to text Asuka-chan some pointers before I forget." Miki informed as she grabbed her phone.


(Shibuya, Shin Megami Apartment Complex)

Asuka let out a sigh as she opened the apartment door, only to see her sister sitting on the couch relaxing. "Hey, Homu-neechan." She soon greeted.

"Hey." Homura replied as she sat up. "How was your day? Because mine, uh...mine got weird." She soon asked before muttering under her breath.

"It was amazing!" The Vice Leader gushed as she kicked the door behind her. However, the loud noise she unintentionally made made her wince. "Moh...but I think I have a headache..." Asuka groaned.

"A headache?" Homura repeated with a raised eyebrow.

"Ehehe, I had a bit too much fun during the runway show to where I got a headache." Asuka sheepishly revealed with a giggle while rubbing the back of her head as she went to the medicine cabinet and got an aspirin.

"Too many lights, I'm assuming?" Homura guessed.

"Maybe." Asuka mumbled with a shrug as she downed the pill before chasing it with a glass of water.

BZZT! BZZT!

That got the brunette's attention as she took out her phone. "Ah. It's Mochizuki-senpai." Asuka replied after picking up her phone.

"Who?" Homura asked in a curious manner.

"Miki Mochizuki, a top model that was part of the show." Asuka replied and revealed as she looked at her phone.

[SoulPrincess17: Asuka-chan. I forgot to tell you this, but Ranze-chan is hardly the worst person you can meet. I have seen far more vile individuals with far worse actions for those that are...naturally gifted...]

[SushiRoll23: Thanks for the advice Miki-senpai. I'll be sure to ask you for more should I need it.]

[SoulPrincess17: Though truthfully Asuka-chan, you were my favorite during the show.]

[SushiRoll23: Eh!? Really!?]

[SushiRoll23: Moh! It's embarrassing to be noticed by a veteran like you... _ ...But, thanks...I hope to not let you down!]

[SoulPrincess17: I hope we can be good friends too.]

[SushiRoll23: I hope so too...]

[SushiRoll23: Just gotta be more confident right?]

[SoulPrincess17: Indeed.]

[SushiRoll23: Anything else...Miki-chan?]

[SoulPrincess17: Don't neglect your non-model duties.]

[SushiRoll23: Hai! What else, Miki-chan?]

[SoulPrincess17: Don't be afraid to be a little selfish. Try to satisfy yourself as well as others.]

[SushiRoll23: I still feel awful for what I said to Ranze-san earlier...]

[SoulPrincess17: Ah such a kind soul you are, even though everyone knows she at least deserved some of it.]

(...)

[SushiRoll23: I will admit it felt good to unload on her though...]

(...)

[SushiRoll23: Miki-chan?]

[SoulPrincess17: Moh! I want you to be my protégés so bad!]

[SushiRoll23: Erm...Miki-chan?]

(...)

[SoulPrincess17: My apologies, Asuka-chan...]

[SushiRoll23: Eh?]

[SoulPrincess17: I'm just a bit fatigued from today.]

[SoulPrincess17: You were honestly the best candidate with Ann Takamaki and Sōji Hebikami right under you.]

[SushiRoll23: Really...why me?]

[SoulPrincess17: You have a lot of potential.]

[SoulPrincess17: A fresh face that is needed in the modeling world.]

[SushiRoll23: I understand. I won't let you down.]

[SushiRoll23:...Is that the only reason, Miki-chan?]

(...)

[SoulPrincess17: I hardly have any friends apart from my roommates...]

[SushiRoll23: Aw, that's so sad...]

[SoulPrincess17: Being one of the best models makes you seem unapproachable to a lot of people...]

[SushiRoll23: And you wanted me as your protégé since your lonely...]

[SoulPrincess: Hai.]

[SushiRoll23: And you wouldn't feel that way towards Ranze, right?]

[SoulPrincess17: Right. It's an open secret that Ranze wants me to retire. 'Out with the old and in with the new' as they say...]

[SushiRoll23: What a jerk... :( ]

[SoulPrincess17: Though given my tenure, I shut down her more vocal nonsense early on.]

[SushiRoll23: Then...why did you want both me and her then?]

[SoulPrincess17: You're familiar with having a rival, right? One that spurs you to constantly improve?]

(...)

[SushiRoll23: Oooooh...]

[SushiRoll23: Yeah, I don't think that would've worked Miki-chan. We're like oil and vinegar...]

[SoulPrincess17: Right. But if she gets a more professional attitude to her coworkers...]

[SushiRoll23: Still a big 'If' though.]

[SoulPrincess17: You're definitely aware that Ranze's exceptional work is perfectly counterbalanced by her poor attitude...]

[SoulPrincess17: Though it still doesn't give her the right to be that way.]

[SushiRoll23: Exactly.]

[SushiRoll23: Honestly, Ranze is going to a hopeless cause with that attitude of hers.]

[SoulPrincess17: You, on the other hand, turn out an exceptional performance and your attitude is solid.]

[SushiRoll23: M-Miki-chan! You're just flattering me now!]

[SushiRoll23: Moh! Mohmohmohmoh! _]

(...)

[SushiRoll23: However...continue to keep complimenting me and praising me for my beauty as a model since I deserve it.]

[SoulPrincess17: Careful. You're sounding like Sōji there...]

[SushiRoll23: Am I wrong though? Models such as you and I deserve the praise while those like Ranze should be left in the dust.]

[SoulPrincess17: Be careful what you wish for...]

[SoulPrincess17: I do like that confidence though Asuka-chan. You are right in a sense.]

[SushiRoll23: Trust me when I say I had been letting Ranze push me around too much.]

[SoulPrincess17: There's another problem model by the name of Mika who is more of action than of words compared to Ranze...]

[SushiRoll23: Ah, Ann-chan's rival.]

[SoulPrincess17: Her and Ranze did one shoot together. Morale was so bad that an official edict was put in place that both can't work the same event.]

[SushiRoll23: Why does that not surprise me? The two bitches making things worse for everyone else...]

[SoulPrincess17: It was only due to a coin toss done months earlier that meant Ranze would be at today's event...]

[SoulPrincess17: Essentially, the bitch got lucky.]

[SushiRoll23: Again, I'm not surprised for a bitch like Ranze...]

[SoulPrincess17: Mika would've been actively sabotaging people...At least, that's what was going on the last time I had a shoot with her.]

[SushiRoll23: Yeah, Ann-chan told me about some of the times Mika did that until she was recently caught.]

[SoulPrincess17: I didn't get all the details due to being out of town during that...I was hoping that would've straightened Ranze out, but...]

[SushiRoll23: It's not likely to happen?]

[SoulPrincess17: Unlikely, unfortunately...I think you gave her quite the wake-up call earlier.]

[SushiRoll23: Only for a moment though.]

[SoulPrincess17: We shall see on the next shoot. My manager is keeping me booked here for the time being. I look forward to working with you quite closely in the future!]

[SushiRoll23: Same here! Maybe we can also hang out sometime too!]

[SoulPrincess17: As well as with Ann-chan!]

[SushiRoll23: Yeah!]

(...)

[SushiRoll23: Chatting with you is fun, Miki-chan. I feel as though we've been friends for a while. :) ]

[SoulPrincess17: Indeed. Much as I would like to continue, I have a commercial to film at Suidobashi tomorrow and you have school...]

[SushiRoll23: Aw, ok. Text again tomorrow night?]

[SoulPrincess17: Hai! Make sure you watch my commercial when it comes out!]

[SushiRoll23: Sure thing Miki-chan! Give me all the deets tomorrow night too!]

[SoulPrincess17: I will! Good night!]

[SushiRoll23: Night!]

"Good night, Miki-chan." Asuka whispered as she put away her phone.

"You were smiling and giggling the entire time you were texting with that Miki girl." Homura noted. "Became fast friends with her?" She then guessed with a smirk.

To that, Asuka happily nodded. "Yeah, she's really nice. You should totally meet her one day." She replied with enthusiasm.

"A friend of yours is a friend of mine, Sis." Homura stated with a smile. "You gotta tell me what happened at the runway." She then requested.

"Ehehehe...yeah..." Asuka awkwardly chuckled.

Homura narrowed her eyes to that. "I don't like that laugh. What happened?" She pressed.

"Well, um, it went well. Amazing, in fact." Asuka admitted. Before proudly putting her hands on her hips. "I stood up to Ranze." She then added.

"You broke her legs?" Homura eagerly hoped.

"Not that far." Asuka deadpanned. "...She didn't give me the opportunity to, anyways." She then muttered under her breath.

Homura nodded in understanding. "You'd think she'd stop being a bitch to you after standing up to her every time you've met." She then remarked.

"Some bitches are hardwired." Asuka sighed in annoyance.

"Anything else?" Homura soon questioned.

"Well, everything went great, from the meet-and-greet to the show...to the point where I was offered to, er..." Asuka soon got out before trailing off. "O-OfferedtomoveoutofJapanandgotinternationalbutIturneditdownbecauseIwouldbeleavingbehindyouandmyfriendsandeveryoneelse- hey, what are we gonna eat for dinner?" She then murmured rapidly.

"...I barely understood that Sis." Homura bluntly stated.

"T-That was the point..." Asuka mumbled while averting her gaze away from her sister.

"Sis, I won't flip out if you tell me what actually happened. Lay it on me." the tan skinned girl assured in a comforting tone.

"O-Okay." Asuka nervously responded before taking a deep breath. "I got offered to move out of Japan and become an international model, but turned it down because of all the people I love here." She then clearly admitted.

"WHAT!?" Homura exclaimed. "Y-YOU WERE ALMOST SELECTED TO GO INTERNATIONAL AS A MODEL!?" She then shouted out.

"Moh! You said you wouldn't flip out!" Asuka complained.

Homura coughed before she regained her composure. "And you just...turned it down just like that?" She then questioned.

"Well, why wouldn't I?" Asuka replied with a shrug. "Hawaii was fun, but spending so much time away from home just isn't for me. Besides, if I accepted, I'd barely see you and the others." She then got out.

"Well...I'm glad." Homura breathed in relief.

"Homu-neechan..." Asuka muttered with a concerned look. "Would you have let me go international if I said yes?" She soon asked.

Homura flinched before averting her gaze. "I'm...honestly not sure..." She admitted while rubbing her arm. "I want you to be happy, Sis. And I also want to respect any decision you make, but at the same time..." She tried to explain, however...

"You wanna keep me close and never let go." Asuka concluded.

"...Yeah. It's selfish, I know but...we've only known each other for six months, and yet so much has changed for us. For better or for worse." Homura confessed. "And now you tell me this and that you stayed because of us...it feels like we're...I'm holding you back from your dreams." She then admitted.

"It's okay to be selfish, Homu-neechan. Everyone deserves to be a little." Asuka assured in a kind and understanding tone. "And besides, modeling will always be secondary to my friends and family, no matter how much I enjoy it, and I don't think I can be a shinobi and make my own legend if I go full-time." She then added.

"I mean...okay, but..." Homura still sounded unsure. "You say that everyone deserves to be a little selfish, so...do you have anything you wanna do only for yourself?" She then asked.

"...You go first." Asuka encouraged.

"I wanna kill Dōgen." Homura instantly confessed.

"That was fast!" Asuka gasped before pausing to think. "Wait, the guy who put the Yoke technique on you and your friends and tried to kill you!?" She then remembered.

"On all the Hebijo students Sis." Homura corrected with a sigh.

"Right, I remember you telling me about him from when youalmost died and had to go searching for info about who poisoned you!" Asuka then got out. "I already promised to help you kill him after all he's done to you." She then pointed out.

"And I already told you I'm not letting you become a killer like I was accused of all those years ago." Homura reminded.

"I'm a shinobi too, Homu-neechan. Even if I haven't killed anyone yet, it doesn't mean I can't or will." Asuka argued with a frown.

"And you shouldn't." Homura countered. "Taking a life isn't that simple and this isn't like killing Shadows. Dōgen's death won't solve anything, everything he's done will never be taken back, and he has enough enemies that he's guaranteed to die at some point. Maybe not now, but in my lifetime. I'm only doing it to make myself feel better." She then confessed.

"Homu-neechan..." Asuka whispered.

"But...that's why it's selfish." Homura muttered. "I want to do it myself, regardless of how unnecessary it is. That's the pure definition. Now come on and tell me...do you have a selfish desire?" She then asked.

"I..." Asuka began as she soon blushed. "I wanna do everything honestly! A shinobi, a Phantom Thief, a Leblanc employee and even a model!" She soon declared her confession with passion.

"That's not much of a surprise, Sis." Homura chuckled. "And that's not selfish at all." She then pointed out.

"Eh!?" Asuka gasped.

"You could just be one or the other, but you decide to be everything all at once. To be selfish is to take in excess, but...I don't think you're doing anything like that. If anything, the world needs such things right now." Homura explained.

"...I guess I thought that was selfish by shinobi standards." Asuka sheepishly assumed. "I mean, we both know how strict they are." She then reminded.

"True. It's not like most higher ups expect us to live past 20 to start pursuing other desires." Homura stated with a finger in her chin. "But...you need to focus on yourself, Sis. Forget everyone else for once and just do something for you alone." She then explained.

"...I don't think that's in my blood." Asuka admitted with a sigh.

"It's there somewhere. You just have to start looking." Homura advised. "But it goes without saying, as long as it doesn't actually hurt anyone, I'll be there to help you pursue those selfish desires. No matter what they are." She then stated.

"Me too." Asukka responded. "But enough talk about me. How was your day anyways, Homu-neechan?" She then asked.

"Oh. It was, um..." Homura coughed, suddenly not feeling up to talking. "Exciting." She then vaguely answered.

"Ooh, where did you go?" Asuka had to know.

"...Kamurocho with Naomi." Homura soon revealed, shyly poking her fingers together.

Asuka immediately blinked upon learning this. "That place?" She got out in disbelief. "Why...? Isn't it kinda dangerous?" She then remembered.

"It's the area where Naomi lives. Nowhere close to the love hotels and yakuza offices." Homura assured. "It's safe. We didn't run into any trouble." She then added.

Asuka however narrowed her eyes. "I feel like you're hiding something..." She mumbled.

"All we did was hang out. I mean, what's the worst we can do there? Get into some sort of underground fighting tournament underneath the slums?" Homura soon stated before laughing for an uncomfortable amount of time.

Asuka blinked. "...Have you been hanging out with Ryuji-kun too much? That sounds like something out of a fighting game." She then questioned in amusement.

"Erm...a little." Homura shrugged. It was better than admitting what she actually did today.

BZZT! BZZT!

"Hm?" Asuka hummed as she looked at her phone. It was a private message coming from... "Yumi-chan?" She read out in concern.

"Guess she's back from the funeral." Homura assumed with a shrug.

[Negative8Degrees: Open the door please.]

"Eh!?" Asuka gasped before the two looked over at the door.

"She's here?" Homura muttered with a raised eyebrow before going over to open it for their friend. "She could've knock-" She then got out as she unlocked the-

SLAM!

"Whoa!" Homura exclaimed as she jumped away to avoid being smacked in the face by the swinging door.

"Please excuse my intrusion." Yumi got out in an apologetic tone, however the two could see that she was barely holding herself back as stomped into the apartment.

"Uhhh..." Homura nervously got out, silently looking towards her sister begging for help.

Asuka already knew what to do in this situation. "I-I'll make some tea." She informed.

"That would be lovely, Asuka-san." Yumi replied in an all-too-sweet tone.

"Yumi-senpai," Homura began in a cautious tone as she sat beside the clearly steaming girl. "Are you okay? How was your day?" She then asked in concern.

At that exact moment...Yumi snapped.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

SMASH!

Homura quickly scrambled away as Yumi punched a sizable hole in the wall, putting her fist right through the other side...just inches from the white haired woman's head.

"...You are definitely paying for that." Miyabi deadpanned. And she just finished cleaning too, now there was drywall dust on her shirt and floor.

Yumi blinked as her sanity returned. "A-Ah! I'm so sorry, I-I just-" She stammered as she pulled her hand out from the wall, accidently widening the hole.

"Yumi-chan. It's okay." Asuka assured as she and her sister carefully approached her. "We're all friends. We have more than enough money to pay for the repair anyways. You don't need to stress about anything else."

"U-Uh...I...I probably should-" Yumi however tried to argue, however, no one was willing to let her.

"No no. No. No no no no no no no no." Homura insisted.

"But-" Yumi pressed, but no.

"No!" Asuka (from the kitchen) and Homura (right in front of her) got out in unison. "Relax." They then ordered.

"And how about explaining what exactly happened?" Miyabi soon suggested.

Yumi's eye twitched.

"A-After some tea, senpai!" Homura quickly added with her hands up. "Nice. Calming. Tea." She then got out in a calming manner.

"Yes." The light gray haired girl agreed in a stiff manner. "Make some tea, please. Do you have any mint or chamomile?" She then asked.

The Vice Leader flinched. They didn't have any. "I'll go get some from the store. And some incense." Asuka promised.

"Can I come over too?" Miyabi then asked. "Talking through this hole seems pretty awkward." She soon confessed.

"Sure. We can have a little shinobi get-together." The Vice Leader answered with a nod.

"Alright." Miyabi responded...right before attempting to climb through the hole.

"Couldn't you have come in the normal way?" Homura deadpanned.

"Well, it was right there." Miyabi stated.

Homura rolled her eyes before helping her senpai through. Once Asuka came back with the tea and brewed up a pot, everyone sat around the table as the sisters served the drinks while Yumi was telling everyone about her day.

"Jii-chan was at your Grandfather's funeral?' Asuka repeated, blinking at hearing that. "...Jii-chan knew him?" She then asked in a surprised manner.

"One of his very few contacts we could find." Yumi informed. "He didn't have a lot of friends." She then admitted.

"Oh..." Homura winced.

"Although I wish he did because-!" Yumi then began, causing everyone else to move away, only to let out a calming breath. "Ahem, sorry. Just...a little emotional right now." She then apologized.

"We can see that." Miyabi responded. "...I vote for a sparring match." She then got out.

"Miyabi-chan!?" Asuka freaked out aloud while the light gray haired girl only stared at the white-haired woman with widened eyes.

"What? She needs an outlet right now. And I'd rather not have an emotional ticking time bomb with ice techniques." Miyabi pointed out.

To the sisters' surprise, Yumi actually took the time to think about it. "I can't. No, I won't." She eventually decided.

"Why?" Asuka innocently asked. She always up for a-

"Because I want to murder your grandfather for the absolute disrespect he has shown to my grandfather, and if I start fighting someone related to him I am going to tear their head off and stick onto a pike!" Yumi answered.

The sisters in response gulped simultaneously. "...O-" The tan skinned girl got out, however...

"And wave it around while me and my sisters burn down their school!" Yumi finished, panting as her red face returned to normal. "Huh. That...that actually made me feel better." She soon admitted with a hand on her large chest before taking a deep breath.

"...We are seeing many sides of Yumi that have not seen the light of day before..." Miyabi mumbled out. She could easily imagine such a heinous scene.

In a totally professionally drawn picture (and definitely not drawn by a three year old/a reflection of her own drawing ability), it depicted a chibi Yumi waving around the head of Asuka and Homura on pikes in front of a burning Hanzō Academy.

Such a fearsome scene should never happen in any timeline.

"...What the hell did Gramps do to garner such a reaction from you of all people?" Homura finally gathered the courage to ask. She expected this many people in her life (including herself) but not the sweet, elegant, cool-as-ice (no pun intended) senpai.

"Oh, he did nothing much." Yumi got out in an assuring manner. "He only ruined Ojii-sama's funeral, tarnishing his memory in every conceivable possible way I can imagine." She then informed in a matter-of-fact tone.

"JII-CHAN/GRAMPS DID WHAT!?" The sisters exclaimed in shock and anger.

"...Ok yeah, you have the right to be angry..." Miyabi admitted in an awkward manner.

"You should have been there." Yumi mumbled in an upset manner.

"Moh! What the hell Jii-chan!?" Asuka soon got out in annoyance as she placed her face in her hands in shame.

"Get him on the phone right now." Homura soon ordered.

"Already on it, Homu-neechan." Asuka replied, already calling her grandfather. "Hello!?" She soon asked, however...

"You are calling the number of Hanzō! If this is Asuka angrily calling me after slighting someone she holds dear to her heart (which is everyone she meets), I must inform you something has come up that requires my utmost attention, and I am afraid that I cannot answer the phone currently."

"Son of a bitch!" Homura swore as her old thoughts of violence and fire began to resurface.

"And watch your language, Homura. My mother happened to be an upstanding person and you should not disrespect your great-grandmother like that."

"Wait...is this actually his voicemail or is he just faking it?" Miyabi exclaimed.

"No. This is all pre-recorded. I am not legendary for nothing, GAHAHAHA! Please leave whatever angry rant you may have at the beep. If you are not, then lea-"

Beeeeeep...

The Vice Leader looked baffled before glaring at her phone. "Ooooooh! I am so telling Baa-chan about this!" Asuka declared in righteous anger.

"Your...grandmother?" Miyabi got out in confusion with a raised eyebrow.

"The only person Jii-chan fears." Asuka revealed.

That in turn caused the other three to look at the brunette with wide eyes.

"...Eh?" Yumi got out.

"The legendary shinobi...is whipped?" Miyabi questioned as she tried to process that image. "So she's either super strong, or by virtue of being his wife, someone he shouldn't piss off. Either way, it makes sense." She then admitted.

"She...usually does reign him in..." Asuka awkwardly confessed with a sweatdrop.

"Granny is a badass..." Homura happily stated with a proud smile.

"Well, she certainly wasn't enough to stop him!" Yumi snapped once again before instantly becoming apologetic. "Sorry, sorry." She then apologized once more.

"Baa-chan can't be everywhere at once. She's still human." Asuka waved off. "And besides, I want you to let out everything you've been bottling up all day. So go ahead, explode."

Yumi looked unsure for a second before taking a deep breath. "...No, I think I'm all done now." She then breathed out.

"Oh, okay then." Asuka breathed in relief. Looks like Yumi-chan wouldn't be sticking their heads in pikes.

Where would she even get those pikes anyways...?

"What's that?" Homura asked as she spotted the envelope in the sad girl's pocket.

"A copy of my grandfather's will." Yumi answered in a quiet manner as she pulled it out.

"Is that a coffee stain?" Miyabi noticed.

"Soda." Yumi corrected with a growl.

The others quickly put two and two together. "Ah." The three got out in understanding...while mentally planning to throttle the legendary shinobi.

"Have you read it yet?" Asuka soon asked.

"No. I...I wanted to read it alone." Yumi revealed. She would've read it back at the funeral, but after Hanzō's prescene ruined everything, they had decided to save it for when they were in a better state of mind. "This is more than just what my grandfather left for me and my sisters...it's the last words from him I'll ever receive from him." She then stated.

"Yumi-chan..." Asuka muttered in concern.

"Do you wanna go back home then?" Homura soon asked. "Spend some time with your sisters?" She then assumed.

"No." Yumi shook her head. "I want my dearest friends here to read with me." She then

"Aw..." Homura got out, touched by her senpai's words.

"Ehhh..." Miyabi, however, looked a little iffy at the idea.

"Should we get the others then on call?" Asuka soon suggested.

"...Not yet. It is late and I do not want to interrupt their sleep. I just...I just need reassurance that I am not alone here anymore, right now." Yumi responded before they all shuffled in close together so they all had a clear view of the will.

"Wait... are you sure I should be allowed?" Miyabi however asked in an uneasy tone.

"I've already done a lot of things that betrayed my grandfather...what's one more?" Yumi replied with a small giggle. "Besides, you are one of my friends...one I should've treated better from the beginning. This...This is a display of the trust I have in you now." She then confessed.

"...Glad to hear it." Miyabi responded, now feeling touched by those words...while a small blush appeared on her face. "...So, what are you waiting for? Open it." She then urged, only to get lightly punched in the shoulder.

"Don't be impatient." Asuka got out with a pout.

"Let Yumi-senpai take it at her own pace." Homura added with a small glare.

"No, she's right." Yumi responded with a nod. "I've delayed long enough. Here goes." She then breathed out as she opened the envelope.

This was it. Her grandfather's last words. His final goodbye to her in this world.

And for some reason...she smiled.

Yumi cleared her throat. "Yumi, Murakumo, Yozakura, Minori, Shiki. I have wasted my life..." She began.

Outside, the moon rose high in the sky that was clear of any cloud. And that night the stars shone a little brighter than before.


Save Game…Quit!


Asuka/Yin's Social Stats:

Leadership- Paragon (Level 5)

Knowledge- Sage (Level 5)

Proficiency- Masterful (Level 4) → Transcendent (Level 5)

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! Gotta love prewriting so much shit! It's amazing! Annd before you ask why have Majima teach a teenage girl about an underground fighting ring, well, JG was the one who wrote that part and they forgot that Komaki exists. They got really into Yakuza/Like A Dragon at the time.

Oh, and check out the Ao3 version! It has special commissioned artwork for this chapter!

UknownHero signing off, my friends!