Hey, UknownHero here and welcome to another chapter of Senran Persona! Just gonna put it here, next chapter is the Okumura takedown! Let's see how that disaster plays out.

Senran Persona: Ninjas of Hearts has a TV Tropes page! An Awesome page would be awesome!

Onto reviews! To Chris Chow: Thanks for taking so much time to read this fic! Yeah, I'm definitely thinking about changing how romance is done. But the original Persona 5 game is kinda like that, not really implying romance outside of certain scenes. We do have those scenes in mind, so you'll just have to wait and see. To PhantomGuradianoftheRepublic: Ah yes, SAO Abridged. I think I've referenced it here and in other works. To a random Guest: Yes, I agree that the Imu/Murasaki storyline is kinda messy, but that is kind of the point. Not everyone thinks logically, which you will see in later chapters. To hoodini5569: Well, I didn't exactly pick those five. They are just all the shinobi outside of the Phantom Thieves that have crushes on Akira that JG decided would be a good idea.

Anyways, that's it! Time to get rolling (I am listening to Film Reroll while writing this AN).

Load Game…Start!


Chapter 126: Triggering Challenges


(9/23, Early Morning)

(Shibuya, Shin Megami Apartment Complex)

Another morning, another school day.

The sisters had woken up earlier and had quickly gotten into their morning routine. Homura was preparing their lunch and the Vice Leader was getting the bath ready.

"If I could be a constellation with you in the sky~ Together, side by side, we'll make all of our wishes shine bright~" Asuka sang to herself, having already stripped down while she picked out the red bottle of Cinna Diligence shampoo. "Homu-neechan! The bath is ready!" She then called out.

"Give me a minute!" Her roommate responded from outside the bathroom. Quite literally a minute later, Homura came into the bathroom, already taking her pajamas off. "Mmm...you chose a good shampoo today, Sis." She then praised in approval after noticing the bottle and feeling her Maturity improving as a result from the scent alone.

"I knew you'd like it." Asuka replied in a pleased tone. "Now let's get in." She then added.

"You don't have to tell twice." Homura giggled as she finally took off her panties. Then, at the same time, the two stepped into the tub.

SPLASH!

"A-Aaaaahhhhh...~" Asuka and Homura sighed in unison as they settled into the bathtub.

"This always hits the spot, Sis." Homura breathed out in satisfaction as she relaxed herself. "And the smell of cinnamon in the air makes it feel more relaxing." She then added.

"We really need to plan out our days off a little more..." Asuka muttered as she leaned back and stared at the ceiling.

"Well, we do have training with Haru on Sunday. That's something." Homura reminded.

"No, I mean like...a schedule or something." Asuka responded as she started lathering her head.

"Too restrictive." Homura responded as she started to wash her hair. "But it would be nice to plan on things. What is the next big event coming up?" She soon asked in a more mature tone.

"Uhm...Sports Day, I think?" Asuka tried to recall. "Wait, that's the day before the deadline..." She then muttered in realization.

"Sports Day..." Homura responded. "That's another day off...unless Principal-" She then started before stopping herself.

"Oh..." Asuka got out with a wince. "It probably would've been a terrible day if the principal and Kamoshida were still around..." She then pointed out.

"Most likely." Homura sighed with a nod. However, at that moment, she was struck with an idea. "But...considering it's a day to promote health and staying fit..." She then began with a slowly growing smile.

"...It would be the perfect day for a team training session!" Asuka finished with a delighted gasp. "Though Daidōji-senpai might also be in charge too..." She then reminded.

"It's a public holiday. I doubt Daidōji-sensei would make us come to school anyways." Homura responded, waving off the possibility.


(Rise's Apartment)

"...I should make the students come to school on Sports Day." The current PE teacher of Shujin suddenly got out, causing her roommate to stop eating cereal and look up from her bowl. "Or, at least, have some sort of activity set up if they want to come. I'll discuss it with the Vice Principal when I head in today." She then added.

"That would be nice." Rise agreed with a nod before wincing. "Although, I remember the last time you organized something for Sports Day..." She then muttered. She could still hear the tearing...and the cracks...and the smell.

"To be fair, Yosuke had it coming." Daidoji reminded. "...Teddie as well. And Chie." She then added.

"True." Rise admitted with a shrug before returning to their breakfast.


(Shibuya, Shin Megami Apartment Complex)

"Yeah...true." Asuka agreed with a nod. "...Best to be prepared anyway though?" She then suggested.

"Hai." Homura responded with a nod of her own. "Now turn around. I wanna wash your back." She soon added.

"Okay, Homu-neechan." Asuka replied as she did as requested.

Just another morning for the sisters as the scent of cinnamon filled the room.


(Yongen-Jaya, Leblanc)

Meanwhile, Akira was already dressed up and ready to go, sliding down the rail of the staircase to his room...and nearly slamming face first into the wall at the bottom but managing to recover and retain his chipper mood.

Sojiro meanwhile sweatdropped at that display. "Don't try that again." He bluntly ordered.

"Hai hai." The Leader casually replied as he recovered with ease. "So, what's for breakfast today, Boss?" Akira asked as he practically leapt into a seat at the counter while the not cat jumped onto it.

"Nothing special today, kid. But, I did add a little extra sugar to your coffee today." Sojiro answered as he slid over a plate and a cup for the boy and a bowl of tuna for the not cat. "Have a feeling it's gonna be a big one." He then revealed.

"I'll trust your instincts." Akira responded with a nod.

"Take your time, kid. Don't want ya to choke." Sojiro got out.

"Got it, Boss. Itadakimasu." Akira responded with a nod before he dug into his usual breakfast alongside Morgana.

"I'll be right back, gotta go and get some more supplies before opening for the day." Sojiro informed, causing the boy to nod as he then left the cafe.

"Huh, to think Chief wanted you to leave as soon as possible only a couple of months before." Morgana recalled.

Akira chuckled as he nodded. "I still have to make sure I make it to school on time, so I can't exactly savor the flavor." He soon reminded, letting out a pleased hum as he ate a spoonful. "I am not looking forward to how I'll grope the girls today." Akira then muttered as he ate.

"It doesn't happen every day." Morgana pointed out with a sigh, feeling a bit unnerved by it.

"Well it happens frequently enough that I can recognize them by feel!" Akira quietly countered. "Urgh...how have I not gotten beaten to an inch of my life yet...?" He then muttered.

"You get that enough from the Metaverse." Morgana reminded.

"True, but I'm just worried the longer I don't get beaten up for perverted shit, the worse the actual beating will become." Akira responded.

"That's a fallacy." Morgana replied.

"But you can't help but acknowledge the non-zero chance that it could happen." Akira got out. "If someone like my girl-" He then started, however...

BZZT! BZZT!

"Hm?" Akira hummed out as he took his phone out.

"Who is it?" Morgana soon asked.

"Yozakura-san?" Akira got out in a curious manner.

"That one of your female contacts, Akira?" Morgana assumed.

To that, Akira nodded. "Yeah. One of Yumi's friends." He replied as he looked at the phone.

[RiceThrasher: Good day Akira-kun.]

[TheWildJ0ker: To you as well.]

[TheWildJ0ker: How are you holding up? Heard the funeral went a little pear-shaped.]

[RiceThrasher: I am doing well now. No need to worry about me.]

[RiceThrasher: Thank you for your concern though.]

[RiceThrasher: Although, there is something that you should be concerned about.]

[TheWildJ0ker: Hm? What is it?]

(...)

(...)

(...)

[TheWildJ0ker: Hello?]

[RiceThrasher: Nothing. Actually, you shouldn't worry about it.]

[RiceThrasher: I need to go. I'll contact you later. Bye.]

"That was...weird." Akira remarked as he put away his phone.

"Something must have come up on her end." Morgana assumed.

"Well, we can't do much about that here." Akira sighed as he took a sip of his coffee. "Just hope she isn't just saying that to keep me from worrying." He then added.

"Let's hope that." Morgana replied.

BZZT! BZZT!

"Again?" Morgana got out in surprise. "Who is it?" Hre then asked.

"...Murakumo-san now?" Akira muttered. "Another of Yumi's friends." He then briefly explained to the not cat.

"Akira..." Morgana droned out as the Leader looked at his phone once more.

[MoeMask: It has been a while since I messaged you.]

[TheWildJ0ker: It has, Murakumo-san.]

[TheWildJ0ker: Have you been well? Heard from Yumi what happened.]

[MoeMask: It was...hard to deal with, but we're getting through it.]

[MoeMask: Thank you for your concern.]

[TheWildJ0ker: I can't believe someone could do such a thing in front of family...]

[MoeMask: Tell me about it...]

[TheWildJ0ker: Would it be morally right to hunt this man down and strangle him a little?]

[MoeMask: Akira-san!]

[TheWildJ0ker: Sorry, strangling was the first thing that came to mind.]

[TheWildJ0ker: The second one being throwing a pie in his face...or glitter.]

[MoeMask: You don't have to fight my battles for me.]

[MoeMask: I will ensure that everything he loves and cherishes burns to the ground myself.]

[TheWildJ0ker: That sentence does not match your username,]

[MoeMask: You should watch what you say. After all, for someone named Akira Kurusu, you aren't much of a killer.]

[TheWildJoker:...Point taken.]

[MoeMask: Well, I'm sure you're in the middle of something and I have duties I must fulfill, so I'll let you go. Bye.]

[TheWildJ0ker: Ok, see ya.]

"Two of Yumi's friends, really?" Morgana sighed out.

"What? I can't be friends with other girls." Akira countered. "It's 2016, not 1916. I can be friends with whoever I want." He then reminded.

"But are they more than friends?" Morgana then pressed with judging eyes.

"I'm not a philandering asshole, Morgana." Akira responded with a sigh.

"Haruka." Morgana deadpanned.

"She's...different. A lot different." Akira groaned as he scratched the back of his head. "Couldn't stop her if I could. And I have a few times already." He then added.

The not cat in response groaned, knowing how true that actually was. "In any case, your breakfast is getting cold." Morgana warned.

"Right." Akira responded as he then started to eat again.

Though a while later after finishing...

BZZT! BZZT!

"What now!?" Morgana exclaimed. "Please tell me that's Ryuji." He soon begged.

"It is not." Akira bluntly responded.

Morgana let out a long groan. "Which girl is it?" He then asked.

Akira almost looked offended by the assumption. "Hey, it could be anyone else in my contacts." He pointed out. "It could be Toranosuke, Shinya, Iwai-" He then listed off before quickly realizing he was running out of names.

"It's Murasaki." Morgana informed in a blunt manner.

The Leader coughed as he hid his phone behind his back. "D-Don't peek at my screen!" Akira got out in an indignant manner.

"Akira..." Morgana droned out the third time as if he was giving a warning.

The boy in mention sweatdropped as he looked at his phone once more before glancing towards the faux feline. "Hey, don't blame me if I have a lot of phone numbers from girls my age. Blame the girls that all text me at the same time." He then excused himself as he focused on his phone once more.

[Cutie_shutin: Morning Akira-kun! Doing well?]

[TheWildJ0ker: Yup. And you?]

[Cutie_shutin: Pretty well myself.]

[Cutie_shutin: Been working out more.]

[TheWildJ0ker: Well that's good to hear.]

[Cutie_shutin: Thanks!]

[Cutie_shutin: Wanna see my progress so far? ;3 ]

[TheWildJ0ker: Someone's more confident now.]

[Cutie_shutin: I'm just proud of who I am. Look.]

[Cutie_shutin has uploaded an image: "MyBest"]

"PPPPPPPPFFFFFFFFFFTTTTTTTT!" Akira got out as he had done a spit-take once the picture loaded in IM.

Murasaki, whose hair was in a single ponytail with a confident smirk on her face...was naked in front of a mirror with her six pack showing, using her finger and the right camera angle to cover her more sensitive bits.

"WAH!" Morgana exclaimed at the sight, blushing scarlet with a nosebleed as a result.

"Shit shit shit!" Akira swore as he quickly scrolled down to hide the picture. He did not need something like this so early in the morning...especially when he was trying to prove his case with the not cat.

[Cutie_shutin: Like it~?]

(...)

(...)

(...)

[Cutie_shutin: Akira-kun?]

[TheWildJ0ker: I have absolutely no idea what to say without sounding like a pervert.]

[Cutie_shutin: I'm just showing you my progress, nothing more.]

[TheWidlJ0ker: I haven't seen your backside though.]

"AKIRA!" Morgana exclaimed in disapproval, noticing the text.

"Why do I text stupid shit too!?" Akira cried out as he covered his face with his hands.

[TheWIldJ0ker: I am so sorry. I didn't mean it. Please don't send anything else. I have enough naked photos already.]

(...)

[Cutie_shutin: Was it Haruka-oneesama?]

[TheWildJ0ker: I give up.]

[Cutie_shutin: T-Then you don't mind naked photos every now and then, right? Right?]

[TheWildJ0ker: I think we need to set some boundaries. It's not that I don't find you attractive, it's just that...you shouldn't do something like this with friends, you know?]

[Cutie_shutin: Oh, of course Akira-kun. Sorry.]

[Cutie_shutin: Guess I've been a bit more rebellious as of late.]

[TheWildJ0ker: Rebellious?]

[Cutie_shutin: My...My family really only paid attention to me over a certain fact that I had over...my older sister.]

[Cutie_shutin: And it was what led me to becoming a shut-in to begin with.]

"An abusive family huh..." Morgana assumed in a sympathetic tone. "No wonder she's acting out." He then added.

Akira then recalled first meeting the purple haired girl and how her personality was. "It must've been really bad since she was even worse than Futaba at the time..." He soon stated in a dead serious tone.

[TheWildJ0ker: Being a rebel shouldn't involve sending naked pictures though. It should be about going against what's wrong and doing something about it.]

[TheWildJ0ker: Doing it out of spite just hurts you more.]

[Cutie_shutin: I know...it's just that...they keep adding fuel to the fire...]

[TheWildJ0ker: Then stop fanning the flames. You need to be better.]

[Cutie_shutin: I'm already better than them.]

[Cutie_shutin: And I'm gonna continue to become better than them my way.]

[TheWildJ0ker: Okay, just don't push yourself too hard.]

[Cutie_shutin: You don't need to worry about me.]

(...)

[Cutie_shutin: Actually, I'm more worried about you.]

[Cutie_shutin: I think someone is stalking you...]

[TheWildJ0ker: Huh?]

[Cutie_shutin: Well...Someone sent me pictures of you working out...]

[TheWildJ0ker: What? I haven't been in the gym in a while. I usually workout in...my...]

(...)

[TheWildJ0ker: I need to talk to someone. Please hold for a moment.]

Akira soon groaned as he looked upward to the ceiling. "Futaba, I know you can hear me." He bluntly accused. "What can I do to emotionally hurt you as retribution?" He then asked.

"Why are you asking Futaba that?" Morgana questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Because I can do so much worse without a prompt." Akira answered, his eyes flashing red.

"...Please answer him." Morgana mumbled.

BZZT! BZZT!

At that moment, the Leader looked at his phone to see a message from another familiar girl.

[Alibaba9: Um...I'll watch that Fullmetal Alchemist scene with uh...Nina.]

"Not good enough, Oracle." Akira responded. "...How about this? I'll get Miyabi to lock you out of your room until you can make one friend all by yourself." He then suggested.

[Alibaba9: YOU WANT ME TO GO HOMELESS!?]

"You'll at least be sleeping on the couch for the rest of the year." Akira pointed out. No way Boss would let her sleep on the streets. "You made friends with Murasaki, right? I'm sure you can do it again." He then added.

[Alibaba9: I'm going to die.]

"Then don't do it again." Akira responded as the not cat nodded in agreement.

[Alibaba9: Fine fine...]

[Alibaba9: Seriously, first Big Sis and now you...]

"You inflicted this upon yourself." Akira responded as he then went back to the text discussion with the purplette.

[TheWildJ0ker: I'm back.]

[Cutie_shutin: You were gone for a while...]

[TheWildJ0ker: Just needed to take care of some stuff. Disciplinary measures, if you will.]

[Cutie_shutin: Disciplinary measures...?]

[TheWildJ0ker: You don't need to worry about it.]

[Cutie_shutin: I'll delete the picture if you want.]

[TheWildJ0ker: I...kinda don't care what you do with it. Just don't spread it around.]

[Cutie_shutin: I would never. I'm just proud of my progress. :) ]

[TheWildJ0ker:

[Cutie_shutin: Plus it would be embarrassing to me if it was spread around. ^^"]

[TheWildJ0ker: Glad to hear it. I think I have enough infamy to last a lifetime anyways...]

[TheWildJ0ker: Anyways, my cat is glaring at me. I need to go...]

[Cutie_shutin: Oh, got another friend calling me via video chat. I'll text you later.]

"Think she's video chatting with Futaba now?" Morgana assumed.

"Probably." Akira responded. "Glad to know she's opening up though." He then admitted with a more gentle smile as he looked at the confident smirk on the purplette's face in the picture.

"...You're not deleting the image." Morgana bluntly noted.

"I'm not downloading it though. It's just on the IM." Akira explained. "That's gonna stay there until I delete the whole conversation. And I like having an archive of them." He soon stated. "Plus...it shows Murasaki's progress since I first met her." He then explained in a proud manner with a more solemn smile.

"And boobs." Morgana added in the same blunt manner, almost starting to regret saying the word.

The Leader groaned. "Did she really have to send a naked photo of her to me...?" Akira muttered. "I mean it's good that she's sounding more confident but...wow...that was a Haruka move right there..." He then added.

"You mentioned she was a shut-in like Futaba." Morgana recalled as the Leader nodded. "Maybe Murasaki is overcompensating like she is." He then guessed.

"Probably." Akira responded before taking a breath. "Man, shinobi biology is insane at times. I mean, we've rarely met shinobi women who don't have giant water balloons aside from Mirai-san." He then admitted and stated.

Morgana's deadpan expression however didn't fade. "...That Mirai girl isn't-" He soon started.

"She's more like a little sister. Kind of like Futaba." Akira interrupted with a deadpan yet serious tone, unaware of the (imaginary) shotgun blast echoing around the neighborhood. "...And like Hibari and Minori. You just...kinda wanna protect them at all costs...even though they could definitely turn my spine into a pretzel and turn my insides into a gaudy wallpaper." He then added, finishing a little weakly upon remembering who exactly they were.

"You really can't help yourself, huh?" Morgana sighed out.

"That's why I'm here in the first place." Akira muttered with a shrug. "And it's only gotten worse." He then admitted in a wry tone.

"..." Morgana meanwhile gave a deadpan expression of obvious disapproval.

"...I really need to get rid of those bugs." Akira muttered.

"Yeah, this is all on you this time." Morgana responded. "But it is also a security measure for both you and Boss." He then pointed out.

"I know, but it would be nice to not feel like I'm being watched all the time." Akira replied. "Kinda feels like a prison cell." He then admitted.

At that moment, all the bugs in the room shut off, but Akira and Morgana hadn't noticed it occurring at all.

"Yeah, but it could save your life." Morgana pointed out.

"You're still worried I'll get hurt again like when I got kidnapped..." Akira remarked with a frown.

"How can I not?" Morgana countered. "You're really getting in over your head, knowing so many shinobis at this point. What would happen if they found out like Kawakami, or Takemi, or Toranosuke, or- wow, you aren't that good at keeping that a secret." He soon added before muttering in realization.

"I'm..." Akira started before trailing off for a moment. "...It's complicated, okay? I know what I'm doing and what may happen, but I won't take anything lying down. I'm not letting any shinobi or bastard stand in my way, here or in the Metaverse." He soon responded and explained in a reassuring manner.

The not cat soon sighed. "...I can't stop worrying, and I probably never will..." Morgana confessed in a tired manner. "But I'll at least trust you." He then added.

"Thanks." Akira responded. "And I trust you to watch my back." He then got out as he petted the little guy.

"But if you die, your entire bed is mine." Morgana however soon sarcastically stated.

"Don't make me think about writing a will or something so early in the morning..." Akira groaned before noticing the time. "Ah, we gotta go." He realized.

"One more thing..." Morgana soon started with a raised paw, causing the boy to stop in his tracks. "Manwhore." He bluntly stated.

"Morgana, that is nothing new." Akira stated with a shrug. "Come on, let's get ready for school." He then decided.

"I haven't finished my tuna yet..." Morgana reminded...only for the tuna in front of him getting taken away.

"You lost that right after calling me a manwhore again." Akira replied as he took away the tuna and placed it in the fridge. "You can have the rest for dinner. Now let's go!" He then ordered.

"Noooooooo!" Morgana cried out as the boy grabbed him before leaving for the train station.


(Train)

"What are the Phantom Thieves doing?"

"Aren't they a bit late this time? I'm on the edge of my seat here..."

"Yeah, they can take Okumura down easily."

"Shut up shut up shut up shut up shut up..." Homura groaned in growing frustration as she heard more and more gossip about the Phantom Thieves and Okumura. She would've loved to bang her head against something, but she was currently clutching onto Ann, who had stumbled into her breasts at the last station.

"Those Phantom Thieves need to hurry up and deal with Okumura." A nearby middle-aged office worker. "Not just him, but all companies that exploit their employees." He then added.

"Yeah. We're in trouble too, you know. Take out one, you gotta take out them all. It's only fair." His fellow worker agreed.

Nearby the workers, Akira and Morgana were listening in, having similar feelings Homura was experiencing right now. "They're seriously overestimating our power..." Morgana remarked with a sigh.

"...You know, I'm not even surprised anymore." Akira muttered quite softly while sporting a slight blush on his face.

"Akira-kun, please zip up your pants." Asuka calmly requested with closed eyes and a hot red blush on her face.

"..." Akira went silent as he just realized that his crotch part was having a distinct hard feeling that most boys have when they're excited for certain reasons. "Forgive my hormones...and my lower area, Asuka. I'll zip them back once we're off the train." He then casually apologized.

"Um, it's not your fault, Akira-kun." Asuka assured, trying her best to ignore her Leader's reaction.

"Thank you." The Leader replied, still doing his best to calm himself down just to not make things even more awkward.

In another area of the train not far from them, two certain people, a short-haired brunette and a dyed blond, were pressed to the side near the doors. They were also cramped by the sea of people inside the train and had not much freedom in terms of movement.

"S-Sorry, Prez." Ryuji apologized, feeling the brunette's slightly developed chest pressed against his own chest.

"Just...try not to move, Ryuji." Makoto warned in a warned tone along with closed eyes, trying her best to ignore her current situation. "And watch where you're going with your hands as well." She then advised.

"Right...um, so...the news said about Okumura Foods HQ going into full of shit now, what do you think of it, Prez?" Ryuji soon asked, wanting to distract the very dangerous girl from this predicament.

"Honestly, I'm just worried about Haru." Makoto confessed with a sigh. "Who knows the consequences of her father's confession? It could go wrong or..." She then stated.

"Yeah but...you really want her bein' forced to marry that piece of shit?" Ryuji responded and reminded.

"Not in a million years." Makoto responded as she clenched her fists. "No one should be used like that, even if that person wasn't a piece of shit."

"You really feel strongly 'bout this." Ryuji noted.

"How could I not?" Makoto questioned. "No parent should treat their own flesh and blood that way, no person should ever knowingly send their daughter to a terrible life...no one should marry just for more power..." She then stated.

"Huh, never thought I'd hear that from you." Ryuji suddenly admitted.

"What do you mean by that?" Makoto had to ask with a raised eyebrow.

"I mean, you know, it's kinda girly for you to say that." Ryuji admitted.

"..." Makoto stared at the dyed blond as a very intense feeling welled up inside her.

Ryuji stared back, wondering why she was giving him such a mean look before it finally hit him. "...Aw shit." He quietly swore out.

At that moment, the train shook a bit.

SMOOSH!

Ryuji soon blushed awkwardly at feeling the Student Council President's bust pressing against his chest even more, mentally screaming as a result. "Soft..." He mumbled out without thinking.

"I will smack you." Makoto outright seethed with half-lidded eyes.

Ryuji gulped, hoping his endurance training was currently worth it, especially when it comes to pain.

Makoto, on the other hand, couldn't help but feel the sudden slight sturdiness of the dyed blonde's chest with her own breasts, even though he had his uniform on. "...Not bad...but not as yummy as Akira's." She offhandedly thought to herself as they continued on with the ride to school.


(Hebijo Academy, Elites Room)

At Hebijo, it was another normal day full of...whatever the hell the school generates these days, though it was anything but joy. The Elites of the school were currently doing their due diligence to the academy...

"How many fire bombs do we need to blow this popsicle stand to high hell?" Mirai asked as she looked from the map of the school grounds she had spread across the table along with Yomi and Hikage.

"Well, first we need to figure out the perimeter of the school, then we need to find out the blast radius of each fire bomb, the rate the fire spreads, and the typical response time so we can get the minimum amount we need." Yomi replied as drew a rough diagram on the map.

"Ooohhh...It's math..." Mirai got out in understanding.

"Yes. It is math." Yomi deadpanned. "...Also, we need to commit a little arson tonight." She soon pointed out.

"God this would be so much easier if Homura was around." Mirai groaned.

"Well, she's not here, so we have to improvise and adapt." Yomi reminded. "If we can't roll with the punches, we have no right to be called shinobi."

"So winging it?" The eyepatch-wearing girl assumed.

"Winging it is not an option here." Hikage stated with a shake of her head. "Too little, and we can't garner enough panic to cover our escape. Too many and we might be engulfed by it. We're betraying the academy, and they will not take such a thing lying down. We need to cover every possibility if we want to pull this off." She then added and reminded.

"But this entire plan is only two steps." Mirai pointed out.

"It minimizes reliance on outside factors." Hikage explained. "If it's any longer, we're risking it falling apart at the worst moment." She soon stated.

"There's still a lot to do though before the day." Mirai muttered. They would need to retrieve a lot of information over the coming nights while keeping up appearances during the day.

"Which is why we're here now discussing it." Yomi breathed out. "But first we actually need to procure some fire bombs without alerting anyone..." She then reminded.

The first year frowned for a second before her visible eye widened. "...Aren't there explosives in the walls?" Mirai remembered before they all turned their heads towards one of the blank walls.

"We'd need to cover up the evidence." Yomi pointed out. "...And not getting blown up." She then added.

"Well, it's easier than stealing them from anywhere else." Mirai soon stated. "And paper mache can be very convincing." She then revealed with a smirk.

"Hm, you're a lot smarter than you look." Hikage remarked with a smirk of her own while Poochie barked in agreement as the puppy popped her head out from in between her breasts.

"What's that supposed to mean!?" The first year angrily got out.

"That means we need to get started on that paper mache." Yomi declared.

"We still need to locate the explosives." Mirai however pointed out. "And unless someone has a bomb detector, all we can do is hope we don't get blown up."

"Poochie can help with that." Hikage spoke up.

"Arf arf!" The little puppy happily barked.

"Poochie-chan can sniff out bombs?" Yomi breathed out in disbelief.

"Poochie is a very fast learner." Hikage soon assured.

"Arf!" Poochie then nodded.

"Alright, we need to tell Murasaki about this." Mirai soon got out.

"What is she doing anyways?" Yomi had to ask.

"Well..." Hikage began as her eyes drifted towards where the purplette's room was.

Meanwhile, Murasaki was in her room talking on video chat while lifting a 500 lbs dumbbell in one hand and her other hand on her mouse and keyboard with ease.

"You know, after so many years of going solo, it's nice to have someone to help me." The purplette confessed with a grateful smile.

"I'm in the same boat, Saki-chan." Futaba responded as she then gained a concerned look. "But uh...should you be doing that near your PC?" She soon asked.

"It's fine. I'm going to wreck my PC with my weights." Murasaki assured, deciding not to mention the amount of money spent on reinforcing the damn thing. It had great airflow and could survive a blast from C4 with only superficial damage.

The orangette in response nodded to that before smirking. "Man you're really getting yourself jacked though!" Futaba remarked. "Guess that last image motivated you good, huh?" She jokingly assumed.

"Hai, it really did." Murasaki responded as she flexed in front of the mirror, a satisfied smirk on her face before sweatdropping. "Though this K-Cup of mine sometimes feels like a hassle..." She grumbled with a pout.

"Bah! You're fine the way you are!" Futaba remarked. "If we could switch bodies, I'd totally love yours." She then admitted.

"You...want breasts like mine?" Murasaki got out, blinking to hear that.

"It would certainly help with my self-image. Probably." Futaba admitted as she shrugged her shoulders.

To that, the purplette became speechless to that response. There were definitely people jealous of her size, but she never heard of anyone wanting a bust like her before, so it was different to say the least.

"Erm...well...I wouldn't suggest it." Murasaki admitted. "It causes more problems than what it's worth."

"Speaking from experience, Saki-chan?" Futaba assumed.

"Too much." Murasaki sighed.

"Well, I don't want it instantly. It would probably snap my spine in two if I moved too fast." Futaba responded. "But, you know, gradually as I make my back as strong as steel." She then added.

"That's...fair I guess." Murasaki awkwardly responded with a sweatdrop.

"Plus, it would help with my current back pain." Futaba soon revealed before rubbing her lower back. "I really need to order pillows for my lumbar..." She then muttered to herself.

To that, the purplette gasped in concern. "Oh no, are you-" Murasaki began.

"It doesn't hurt right now, but it is kinda there. I should go with Big Sis to get that fixed at a spa or a chiropractor..." Futaba quickly assured. "Maybe Takemi-sensei might help me there..." She then muttered under her breath.

"I'll order you one and have it shipped overnight for you." Murasaki however responded.

"Eh?" Futaba gasped. "Y-You don't have to do that. I have the money and-" She then tried to explain, however...

"No, I want to give you a gift for all you've done for me already. Just being my friend means more than you could ever know." Murasaki replied and revealed in a grateful manner. "P-Plus, I need to repay you for...what you sent yesterday." She then stammered out...as a small nosebleed formed.

"Hehe, sorry again for sending you the image of shirtless Akira yesterday, Saki-chan." Futaba apologized on the screen. "Had no idea your sister was there." She then added.

"It's okay, Futaba." Murasaki responded. "Imu is no longer important to me." She then revealed.

"Ouch." Futaba responded as she winced. "Have you seen her since?" She then asked.

"Been avoiding her..." Murasaki answered. "Although, I haven't heard Hikage complain about her all day...maybe she's finally leaving us alone." She then noted and assumed.

"Wouldn't count on it." Futaba responded. "I know way too many people that would fight until they have nothing left to give." She then stated.

"She is stubborn..." Murasaki sighed out.

"What're the chances that you'll forgive her?" Futaba soon asked.

"None right now." Murasaki responded. "Not until she accepts I'm no longer under her control as her little puppet." She then stated.

"Damn." Futaba got out. "You have definitely changed since we first met." She then added.

"Yeah. I was pretty pathetic." Murasaki sighed. "But not anymore. I'm not scared of anything any more."

"Pathetic?" Futaba repeated with a raised eyebrow.

At that moment, a presence was felt from outside her door. "Hey, Murasaki, it's Hikage. Can we come in?" A muffled voice stated and asked.

"...Is Imu there with you?" Murasaki had to ask.

"No, she's not here." Hikage confirmed. "I'll explain once you let us in." She then vaguely added.

"The door's unlocked. You're allowed in at any time." Murasaki responded.

There was a pause before Hikage opened the door to her room.

"Okay, we need to talk about- Who the heck are you speaking to on your computer, Murasaki?" Mirai began before she noticed the computer screen.

"You should really lock your door, Saki-chan." Futaba remarked. "And maybe put on headphones." She then added as she tapped on her own firmly placed over her ears.

"It's an expression. It shows that I'm not locking out the world anymore." Murasaki explained.

"Yeah, that's all and good until someone catches you mastur-" The orangette soon got out, however...

"ZIP IT!" Murasaki cried out before the orangette could finish her sentence.

"So, who are you?" Hikage asked as she and the other Crimson Squad girls looked at the computer screen.

"Um..." Futaba awkwardly started. "Saki-chan's friend from Tokyo? She never mentioned me before?" She soon responded and asked.

"I don't think so." Hikage muttered before feeling her phone vibrate in her pocket. "Hm? Um, excuse me for a moment. Suzune-sensei is calling me." She soon got out as she walked out of the room to take it.

"Well, um, hi, Murasaki-chan's friend from Tokyo." Yomi soon got out with a wave. "That was Hikage, the one with the green hair, and I'm Yomi." She then began introducing themselves.

"And I'm Mirai! Do try to remember that." The first year greeted as she quickly stood in front of the frugal blonde, puffing out her chest with a proud smile.

"..." Futaba soon glanced at the eyepatch wearing first year before glancing down at herself...before suddenly patting her chest and then sighing in relief with a smirk.

"Eh?" The first year got out in confusion...before looking down at herself and realizing. "...HAAAH!?" Mirai exclaimed at the action. "Did you just make fun of my chest, you four-eyed brat?!" She soon accused.

"I didn't say anything though." Futaba pointed out.

"Shut up!" Mirai cried in anger as she pointed a finger at her. "You touched your own chest like you were comparing with mine!" She soon accused. "I'll find you and shoot you!" She then declared with fury.

"Mirai, no." Hikage and Murasaki however ordered.

"That girl just made fun of me for some stupid reason!" Mirai growled. "Just because you three have big, fat udders doesn't make you more attractive, or stronger, or whatever!" She then argued.

"Mou..." Murasaki pouted aloud, clearly getting annoyed by it already.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Murasaki." The eyepatch-wearing girl quickly apologized.

"Again though, didn't say a thing." Futaba reminded, but at that moment...

"Futaba! It's time for your morning training!" A new and familiar voice called out.

"Urk!?" Futaba choked.

"Eh?" The Crimson Squad girls got out in confused unison.

"Crapbaskets...coming, Big Sis!" Futaba grumbled quietly before loudly calling out. "I gotta go die now. I'll talk to you as soon as I can." She soon responded.

"Futaba Sakura, you better not be trying to hide young lady! It didn't work last time and it won't work this time missy!" The voice got louder and there was loud knocking being heard in the video call afterwards.

The video feed showed Futaba fumbling in front of the camera. "I'm not, I'm not, I'm coming, alri-?!" She insisted before she was cut off by hanging up the video call.

"..." Murasaki simply stared at her screen, feeling a little offended that the orangette hadn't given her the chance to say goodbye.

"..." The others in Crimson Squad however, were focusing on...something else.

"Did that voice sound...familiar?" Mirai eventually asked.

"Hai..." Yomi confirmed with a nod.

"...Does Futaba..." Hikage began.

"Know Miyabi-san?" Murasaki breathed out in disbelief. "And...was Miyabi-san sounding...motherly?" She then asked.

"The heck are you saying, Murasaki?" Mirai however got out in confusion. "It's probably just some older sister of hers. Futaba called her Big Sis after all." She then assumed.

"That definitely was Miyabi's voice, but it sounded...off." Hikage confirmed.

"How can you actually figure out it's definitely Miyabi?" Mirai insisted on asking. "Miyabi in a civilian's house is not her style." She then reminded.

"But...that was Miyabi-san. I have known her for years." Murasaki however responded. "That was definitely her." She soon confirmed in a serious yet concerned manner.

"She said Big Sis." Mirai however stated matter-of-factly. " The principal's daughter doesn't have other siblings." She then added.

"We're like siblings and we're not related." Hikage pointed out.

"Well, yeah, but that Futaba girl sounded like she had an actual sister in her house." Mirai responded. "Which means it's impossible to be Miyabi." She then stated.

"...Something must've happened to her while in Tokyo." Murasaki concluded.

"Murasaki, are you even listening to me?" Mirai groaned as she face palmed. "It could've been anyone!" She then insisted.

"No, that was Miyabi-san, Mirai-san." The purplette finally told her with crossed eyes. "I'm sure of it." She soon stated.

"But...what if you're wrong?" Mirai asked with a concerned tone.

"Why are you trying to deny it?" Yomi however asked back. "Murasaki-chan just confirmed it was Miyabi-san." She then stated.

"It's just...Miyabi's not the type of person to be comfortable in a civilian's house unless she's using it as a temporary hideout or something like that. And we know Miyabi all too well." Mirai responded and explained.

"Again, something must've happened to her in Tokyo." Murasaki concluded.

"...Do we have to check it out, though?" Yomi suggested. "I mean, if someone can go to Tokyo this time..." She then began before trailing off.

Hikage however narrowed her eyes to this. "We can't..." She suddenly stated.

"Eh?" The others got out in confusion.

"Suzune-sensei just called and we're not gonna like it." Hikage informed.

"Well, tell us already. No need to make us wait on the edge of our seats!" Mirai grumbled in annoyance.

"Ryōna will be returning today while Ryōbi and Imu are heading to Tokyo." Hikage soon revealed.

"Ryōbi and Imu...wait, Imu?!" Murasaki began before exclaiming in shock with a pale face.

"Suzune-sensei just told me this earlier. Imu even left just now." Hikage responded in a serious tone.

Murasaki's expression soon turned from shocked to determined. "I'm going too." She declared.

"What? No!" Yomi exclaimed.

"Why!?" Murasaki growled. "I need to stop her!" She then got out as she grabbed Bebeby and her phone.

"Stop her from what?" Mirai questioned with a frown.

"I don't know, but I intend to find out." Murasaki answered without even glancing at her friends.

"Murasaki, she could've left because she wanted to take a picture of Miyabi's cl-" Mirai tried to reason, however...

"Clothes." Yomi interrupted.

"Yeah, that works too." Mirai quickly got out with a nod. "She could be doing something harmless." She then concluded.

However, the purplette narrowed her eyes, unconvinced by the eyepatch-wearing girl's words. "When was the last time Imu did anything harmless!?" She soon questioned. She didn't even wait for a response as she turned around, only for the greenette to turn her back towards the group.

"Slow down!" Hikage got out. "Even if you could go chasing after her now without any idea what she's going for, you're just going to get lost and by then it'll be too late." She soon pointed out.

"What do you mean if?" Murasaki demanded with a glare.

"You can't go to Tokyo unless you want Hebijo to paralyze you." Hikage reminded in a serious tone. "Now calm down and think. Why would she go to Tokyo now?" She soon asked.

"Miyabi, obviously." Murasaki scoffed as she rolled her eyes. "She doesn't care about anyone else. She's the head of the I Heart Miyabi Militia, for God's sake!" She then added.

"...Are you sure about that?" Mirai soon asked.

"Yes, there's no one else in Tokyo she would care about!" Murasaki responded in anger before she began to piece it together. "Other...than..." She then slowly got out as her face grew even more pale.

It was at the moment her PC's screen switched to its screensaver.

"...Why is your screensaver a picture of Akira-kun?" Yomi asked as the others stared at the PC...unaware that they were entranced by the sight of the image.

SHATTER!

And that's when it fully hit the purplette. "...She's gonna go after Akira-kun!" Murasaki panickingly exclaimed. "I gotta warn him before it's too late!" She then declared in a frantic manner.

"Didn't she just leave?" Mirai reminded.

"I am not letting Imu get near him!" Murasaki declared.

"Murasaki!" Hikage called out before tackling the girl down.

THUD!

"Get off me!" Murasaki demanded as she tried to wiggle out of the greenette's grip.

"We can't let you leave! You'll get in serious trouble!" Hikage warned, even as the purplette pushed her face with her foot. "As much as I hate it, we can't stop her." She then pointed out.

"Yes we can!" Murasaki called out with a frustrated glare.

"And what will you do then?" The snake-like girl demanded.

"I'll...I'll beat her! I'll beat her into a bloody pulp until she can't move anymore!" Murasaki growled, dark energy beginning to flow out of her while her muscles tensed up.

"Are you willing to kill her to stop her?" Hikage pressed with a glare.

And immediately, Murasaki froze as the dark energy faded instantly.

"Yeah, that's what I thought." Hikage breathed out as she let go. "I know you love Akira, but you need to be calm about this." She then responded and stated while the worried look on the purplette's face refused to fade.

"But...she might..." Murasaki began in fear. "She might kill him...and it'll be all my fault..." She then mumbled.

"It is not your fault." Hikage insisted.

"Hai, you are allowed to fall in love with someone." Yomi reassured as the purplette blushed while she went into a sitting position.

"Plenty of forbidden love stories work out." Mirai assured. "...Although, there are plenty that end in horrific- Mmph!" She then before the blonde of the group covered her mouth.

"Not. Now." Hikage interrupted. "Murasaki, I know you want to protect him, but I want to protect you as well, and throwing your life away won't solve anything." She then stated.

"...But-" Murasaki began in a worried manner.

"But nothing. Akira...he'll be fine regardless of if you're there or not." Hikage responded, interrupting the purplette once more. "Right now, if you want to be happy with him...you'll need to trust him. After all, without trust, you'll never survive." She then stated.

The purplette hesitated before responding. "...O-Okay..." Murasaki soon nodded.

"Good." Hikage soon assured. "Imu won't be able to hurt you soon. You just need to hold out for a couple more days." She then added in a comforting manner.

Murasaki merely sighed in response, unsure if that would really help her or not, since her sister had to come back here in the school at some point.

"Actually, Imu tried to keep her departure a secret." Hikage informed. "I guess Suzune-sensei didn't give a shit." She casually assumed.

"Why would she though...?" Yomi wondered with a frown.

"I don't know, but I think we should all put our guard up when she returns." Hikage soon advised. "We must train more to prepare ourselves in the meantime." She then stated.

"I'm down for some more training..." Murasaki responded with a starry look in her eyes...before cringing as she took a whiff of herself. "After a bath though." She sheepishly added.

"Then shall we all go?" Yomi soon suggested in a more pleasant tone.

"That would be great, yes." Murasaki replied. "I think I need the company once in a while." She then admitted.

And they all proceeded in the Hebijo bath quarters together, hoping they would bond together more often there.


(9/23, Morning)

(Shujin Academy, Classroom)

"Let's get started with class." Ms. Chouno began as she entered the room. "How far did we go last time?" She soon asked.

"Uh...it was..." Mishima began, however...

DING DONG!

"Eh?" A few students got out, snapping out of their own little worlds to focus on the sudden announcement.

"...Is this on? Ms. Chouno, please come to the faculty office at once."

"What could this be...?" Ms. Chouno wondered out loud, unknowingly or not echoing the students' thoughts. "I'm off to the faculty office, so make sure you study on your own." She then ordered. And thus, just as quickly as she entered, she left the room.

And as soon as she left, almost everyone did the exact opposite of studying.

"Slacking off time." Akira got out with a smirk as he adjusted himself comfortably in his seat. "Thank you Kawakami..." He thought to himself.

"It must really pay to be best friends with a teacher, huh." Asuka remarked with a smile.

"...I'm gonna finish that book Hikari gave me..." Homura decided as she took out the book given to her by her committee member all those months ago. She was going to finish it. "Hey, Ann, what're you- and she's asleep." She began to ask before soon seeing the ash blonde sleeping.

"Ann-chan, you really shouldn't sleep on an opportunity like this..." Asuka got out with a pout before pulling out a textbook for a different class. "Really need help with my English homework..." She then muttered.

"Zzzz...later...Zzzzz..." Ann murmured as she dived fully into her dreamland.

"So, what are you doing, Joker?" Morgana asked.

"I don't really need sleep, I have more lockpicks than I know what to do with, I don't really need to study or read right now..." Akira muttered with a frown. "Do I have any-" He then started before...

"Um, excuse me..." A voice called out to him.

Akira turned and saw two female classmates that he didn't know standing beside his desk, having nervous-looking postures and notebooks in their arms.

"Uh, do you have any...notes for the Social Studies subject?" One girl, who had straight black hair, asked almost nervously.

Akira blinked. "...Uhhh..." He dimly got out, not sure what to say at the moment.

"Please?" The second girl, who had short brown hair then started. "D-Do you have any or not?" She soon asked.

Akira narrowed his eyes, staring at them with suspicion. "You two have never talked to me before. Ever." He pointed out.

"Th-That's not true. There was that one time in math and...all that." The black haired girl insisted with an embarrassed blush on her face. "You're just...you got top marks in the exams, right? We thought you could help us." She then recalled and requested.

"Why not ask Asuka? She has better scores than me." Akira pointed out as he jerked his thumb over to the desk behind him.

"I'm happy to help!" The Vice Leader spoke up eagerly.

"Um, thanks, Shirokage-san, but..." The first girl responded, albeit uneasy. "But..." She then began before trailing off.

"We have...personal reasons." The other girl finished for her companion, taking a quick glance at the brunette's upper body assets.

"Eh?" Asuka got out in confusion...right before looking down. "...Moh! I have other traits!" She cried out as she slammed her fists onto her desk, startling most of the students and beginning to stare at her.

"A-Anyway, so uh, can you help us with our notes, please?" The brunette soon asked.

"...You don't know my name either, do you?" Akira bluntly assumed.

"O-Of course I know it. Who doesn't?" The black-haired girl reluctantly replied before shaking her head a bit. "A-Anyway, do you have any notes?" She then insisted.

"Nah, I stopped paying attention to social studies after...three days? Two?" Akira replied to them and confessed. "Most of my notebook is full of drawings. Look!" He then added before opening his "social studies" notebook to reveal intricate drawings and sketches of various Shadows and Personas he had seen.

"...W-What!?" The first girl gawked in disbelief.

"...You have to admit, that's pretty cool." The second girl meanwhile admitted.

"Shut up, Rumi-chan!" The first girl responded before turning back to the boy. "Then...Then how do you know the correct answers if you didn't take any notes?" She then asked.

"Hmm...the three gods above." Akira replied after much (metaphysical) thought.

"Eh?" The girls only got out, not getting it.

"You wouldn't know, trust me." Akira vaguely responded with shrugged shoulders.

"...It sounds like you're just guessing your answers and somehow getting it right." The girl named Rumi-chan deadpanned.

"Maybe." Akira responded as he leaned back a little. "But you'll never know." He then added with a smirk.

"Well, can you at least help us?" Rumi soon pleaded.

"Aren't all the answers in the textbook?" Akira pointed out. "Use the glossary in the back if you want specific terms and topics. Otherwise, I'd just be reiterating what was already available." He then instructed and stated.

"Um..." The brunette got out.

"Look, stop beating around the bush and tell me what you really want." Akira urged.

"W-We just wanted some notes to copy from you." The brunette soon confessed. "Exams are in a couple of weeks, and we wanted to get a good head start this time. But I guess that's pointless now." She then explained.

"Not necessarily." Akira got out. "Copying notes isn't the best way to understand the words, and I'm sure most of the people here only copied down what was written on the board or in their textbooks. Let me give you a quick lesson over lunch for much more effective study methods." He soon offered.

"W-What?" The black-haired girl got out in slight surprise. "Really?" She then asked in a cautious tone.

"...What do you want from us?" The brunette questioned as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"I never said about getting anything in return." Akira pointed out.

"But someone like you would-" The brunette began. "I-I mean..." She then started to correct herself.

"And I think this conversation is over." Akira bluntly stated as he went to grab one of his others books.

"No wait!" The ravenette called out, stopping the boy. "We really need this. Our parents will kill us if we don't get a high grade this time. They expect us to get into Tokyo U!" The black haired girl revealed.

Akira only looked at the two with a stone face. "Not my problem...unless you do something for me." He eventually responded.

"...Fine. What do you want?" The black haired girl sighed and questioned.

"First off, apologize to Asuka." Akira responded. "She gets objectified enough." He then stated.

The two went still for a second or two before facing the girl in mention. "...Sorry, Shirokage." The brunette apologized

"Yeah..." The black haired girl added.

"I accept. Just don't do it again." Asuka replied and requested. "I have other traits." She then added.

"What else?" The black-haired girl asked again.

"...I'm a model like Ann-chan?" Asuka awkwardly suggested.

"Not you. Him." The brown-haired girl sighed as she rolled her eyes. "God, for someone so curvy and smart, you have the personality...of...a...board." She then grumbled, only to slowly realize what she was saying.

Akira, Asuka, and Homura (who was more than willing to knock the bitch out after that comment) blinked. "...I was gonna ask for bread from the school shop, but now you're gonna have to prostrate yourselves before any lessons can begin." The Leader admitted before ordering.

"Yeah, I kinda deserve that." The brunette guiltily stated.

"I don't!" The black-haired exclaimed.

"Enough." Akira responded. "We'll see you both at lunch." He then decided.

"Yes, Kurusu-san/Kazuma-san." The girls then got out in apologetic tones before walking away.

As soon as those girls returned to their seats, the Leader turned to the shinobi. "...What are their full names again?" Akira whispered to them.

"Honestly, the only person I know in this class outside of our main group is Mishima." Homura admitted almost sheepishly, the boy raising his head upon hearing his name.

"Huh?" The boy in mention got out.

"Put your head back down, Mishima." Homura soon ordered.

Mishima narrowed his eyes before doing as told. The tan skinned girl raised her eyebrow at that.

Was that...did he just glare at her for a second? Or was that just her imagination?

Oh well, she needed to return to her book.

"You really don't write anything down in your notebook?" Morgana questioned in disapproval.

"Let's just say I read ahead." Akira vaguely responded...only to notice the faux feline tensing up.

"Heads up! The teacher's back!" Morgana suddenly warned just as their classmates began to notice. They all quickly returned to their seats while Homura quickly went over to Ann and woke her up just as Ms. Chouno returned.

"What could that have been about?" The teacher wondered out loud with a sigh. "Well, let's resume class." She soon decided.

Akira could only sigh at the wasted opportunity Kawakami had so graciously given him. "Maybe next time..." He thought as he mentally tuned out of the lecture.


(Okumura Foods HQ, Rooftop)

A prominent and mature looking young girl with long black hair stood near the edge of the rooftop, peacefully feeling the breeze passing through her face and body as she gazed at the citywide view of the other buildings and areas below the rooftop of Okumura Foods HQ.

It was time to change shifts. To leave Tokyo for the time being.

For her, nothing major happened for this job save for turning away protesters.

But everything else...


"Haru-san..." Ikaruga finally spoke in concern as she approached her client's only daughter. "You're...you're in an arranged marriage?" She got out in disbelief.

Haru meanwhile gained an uncomfortable expression. "Yes. Since last year." She shamefully confessed.


"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.


"...Nothing really is the same anymore..." Ikaruga sighed out. Ever since Asuka left, things had not been the same. Despite how long it had been since then, it still felt weird not to see the leader around, either training until her knees buckled or making futomaki rolls in the kitchen.

And when she had met her Leader again months later, she was immediately able to tell...she had grown in some way. Matured in some way.

Without them.

And while she was relieved she was still the same personality-wise to some degree, part of her felt...sad that she wasn't there to see her growth.

She made so many friends in such a short amount of time when in Hanzō she rarely did anything like that.

Though that could be due to the fact that their own class was separated from the rest of the academy. They were Elites after all.

Ikaruga couldn't help but laugh at herself, thinking that they were holding her back. Asuka would never think that, and in reality it couldn't be farther from the truth, but...it still felt like they were beginning to drift away a little...

"There is...truly nothing I can do." The acting leader muttered before summoning her weapon into her hands.

Ikaruga simply gazed at the reflection of hers in the stainless steel blade of her Hien, wondering how to deal with the recent events.

For Haru...all her hopes relied on the Phantom Thieves. An uncontrollable, unpredictable force of nature.

But for own problems, such as what was going on at Hanzō and what she could do with her brother's situation, she had control. She could do something about it.

However, she could just slip Murasame's name into the Phan-site...

But then again, you can't cure such stubbornness and hard-headed idiocy with a change of heart. Maybe some things couldn't be solved by otherworldly entities.

At that moment though, the ravenette began hearing footsteps. She gripped her blade, ready to cut down whoever made the mistake of being heard before hearing who it was.

"Miss Ikaruga?" A mature female voice spoke up, giving the ravenette a hesitant freeze. "Sir Okumura asks for your presence before your departure for the exchange." The voice then requested.

The refined girl relaxed. It was Okumura-san's secretary. "Hai." Ikaruga responded with a nod as she followed the secretary back into the building.


(CEO Office)

Ikaruga really didn't need to follow the secretary. She had gone to his office multiple times over the week that she could probably get there in a second flat if she took the long way. However, the walk there was more appealing than seeing the man in a second, so she cherished the time between leaving the rooftop and arriving in front of his door.

Plus, it gave her a chance to think long and hard about what she would say in multiple scenarios, prepare her heart and mind for whatever Okumura wanted, and force down her currently rising anger that threatened to boil over.

"Houhou-san, are you okay?" The secretary asked.

"Huh?" Ikaruga got out in a decidedly unbecoming manner. "O-Oh, just...watching out for any threats." She lied.

"Hm, always on the job." The secretary assumed.

"...Always." Ikaruga responded with a nod. It was rIght then, she noticed that they had arrived at their destination.

Ikaruga was going to take a breath and open the door, but the secretary had already moved in front of her and opened the door, showing the CEO inside, looking out his window.

"Make sure that the agreements we made must not fall into deaf ears once my daughter's marriage has succeeded." Kunikazu demanded with a phone in his ear, watching over the large glass window wall showing the buildings and streets of Tokyo.

After a short while, he then once again stated. "Good. I'll call you back later. I have called someone here to discuss with me. Goodbye." He pocketed his phone afterwards.

There was a knock on the door, and he turned around to see the women. "Excuse me, sir? Ikaruga-san is here." She informed.

"Let her in." Kunikazu ordered right away.

"Yes, sir." The secretary responded with a nod, standing aside before nodding once more as the ravenette soon entered.

"Ikaruga." Kunikazu began, seeing the kunoichi respectfully bowing at him.

"You wanted to see me, Okumura-san?" Ikaruga got out as she straightened, feeling as though she had repeated this exchange thousands of times already.

"Yes." Kunikazu replied, looking down on the shinobi.

"Do you wish to request something from me before I take my leave?" Ikaruga assumed in a curious yet concerned manner.

"Yes. As a matter of fact, I want you to talk to my daughter before returning to Hanzō Academy." Kunikazu replied and ordered.

"...Is that all?" Ikaruga questioned in response.

"No." Kunikazu responded. "I want you to convince her that all will be well at the end of the day, that Sugimura-san will be the perfect gentleman...or else I will deal with him myself." He then instructed.

"...Why?" Ikaruga soon asked.

"I am not blind to my daughter's feelings on the matter, nor do I disregard them." Okumura admitted. "However, in order for us to continue our path, we must make sacrifices along the way. It's a fact of life." He then explained in a wise manner.

"...I agree." Ikaruga hesitantly responded.

"However, she is still too young to understand that, not yet mature enough to realize her place. You, however, have the maturity and experience to know what must be done as a shinobi." Kunikazu continued. "And, she is more willing to listen to you than to me as you are one of her childhood friends." He then reminded.

"You want me to..." Ikaruga swallowed. "You want me to ensure your plan goes off without a problem." She soon concluded.

"No, it will, with or without her approval." Kunikazu responded. "I just want her to be happy." He then stated.

CRACK!

Something inside Ikaruga broke, her irises shrinking on her stoic face.

Happy?

Happy!?

How is this caring for Haru's happiness!?

Ikaruga's sword hand twitched.

She could skewer him before he could blink. She could place Hein against his neck and threaten him into calling off this farce. She could leave and take Haru as far away as she could from him, never to see him again as long as she lived.

But...that would only lead her to go down the path of darkness…one where there was no going back after…

And worryingly, the path of a renegade or evil seemed rather tempting at the moment…

"Ikaruga." Okumura spoke up, looking a little miffed as to why she hadn't responded to him yet. It had been only two seconds.

His eyes. His stupid judging, mightier-than-thou eyes.

Ikaruga wanted to cut them out and replace them with his testicles.

But...she couldn't.

No...violence wasn't the answer here. But words were.

"...Go fuck yourself, Okumura." Ikaruga spat out...in her mind.

In reality, her response was much sadder.

"Of course...Okumura-san. As you wish." Ikaruga responded with a polite nod and a bow.

"Thank you." Okumura responded, looking somewhat grateful. "You may leave." He then ordered.

"Yes, sir." Ikaruga responded with a nod as she left the office, a scowl on her face as she did so.

...She was not going to stand for this...

Not one bit...


(Hebijo Base)

Ryōna was doomed.

So very, very doomed.

She may have spent all day yesterday auditioning the finger puppets after...blacking out from seeing the shirtless boy, but that didn't solve anything about her current problem. And since she had to return by the end of the day or be labeled as a renegade, she needed to think of something to resolve the absolute disaster she was experiencing right now.

What was that disaster she was facing exactly?

Well, both the high possibility that Akira would get hurt in the pursuit of vengeance...and the equally as likely chance that Ryōbi would use his intestines as a fancy scarf if she were to find out she had a horrifyingly big crush on him.

"Mou...why am I still feeling this way? I slept it off, I used my own weapons to melt it all away, but I'm still thinking about those things! He should be beating me black and blue, not turning me red by bringing home a cake to celebrate our 5th anniversary before suddenly propoooooosing...!?" Ryōna soon thought...before her eyes widened and blushed scarlet. "Wait w-w-w-w-w-what!?" The usually masochistic girl yelped out as that last bit of her thoughts formed out of nowhere.

What was that thought!?

She was a masochist!

A Masochist!

A GIRL WHO USUALLY LOVES GETTING WHACKED AND SMACKED AND ABUSED!

That was her! It will never not beher!

It will only be her if she was attending the most beautiful venue for the wedding. She could see Ryōbi then, crying her heart out, some other people she didn't recognise, and Akira in a nice white tux at the end of the aisle looking at her and SHE SHOULD BE NAKED AND LAUGHED AT IN THAT SCENE!

Or in nothing but strategically placed leather belts and a blindfold.

But now there was something lingering in her mind...causing to think that was...wrong!

There was nothing wrong with her masochism!

It was part of her, a necessity for her to survive like breathing, water, and embracing the white tux wearing Akira in a comforting hug while gazing into his eyes as he complimented her beautiful wedding dress before slipping the ring on her finger.

Ryōna chomped on her arm, snapping her back to reality before she lost herself...but then felt a sense of disappointment.

What was she doing? She hadn't done anything since that day at the theater.

She...couldn't fall in love...right?

Not...that easily...right!?

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

"Kya!" The masochistic blonde yelped as she covered her face with her hands in embarrassment. "Why must this happen to me!?" She squealed out as she began rolling on the ground, her voice sounding a little more...mature.

No, this was...too sudden. Too fast. She had only talked to the boy for 4 hours at best, and now she was treating him like he was her soulmate.

He wasn't even all that into her love of pain, but still went along with it. It earned some brownie points in her boobs, but that couldn't be everything, right?

She may have meticulously assembled everything she knew about him in a PDF and figured out a 287 step plan to make him accept a confession plus optional strategies to use in case she went too far and the only option was to kidnap him and have her way with him in a nice two story home with two bathrooms, five bedrooms (one for them, the others for Ren, Ryōki, Ryōka, and Ryōko), and a minivan for traveling around the-

SLAP!

"STOP IT!" Ryōna growled as she slapped herself, shuddering a little afterwards. "I can't think about it. I can't think about it!" She told herself.

...

...

...

Shit...she was thinking about it and it was going into overdrive.

Akira was taking her to the park to spend a lovely day walking around and enjoying nature-

SLAP!

Akira playing with the kids as she set down a blanket and picnic basket full of all their favorite foods-

SLAP!

Akira taking her out to dinner, dressed up in a nice suit with herself in a beautiful dress Ryōbi helped her pick out-

SLAP!

The two soon embracing one another in the bedroom, naked as they just had the most intense round of-

SLAP! SLAP! SLAP!

Ok! That was painful, but why wasn't she getting horny from the pain of slapping herself!?

And why was she starting to feel horny from that!?

This was dangerous! This was driving her insane!

She couldn't take it! She couldn't take seeing Akira's lifeless corpse in front of her after taking every stab and shot for her from those that tried to kill her as she cried out in anguish-

SHATTER!

That however caused the blonde to pale in fear and despair. "NOOOOOOOO!" Ryōna screamed, returning back to reality, panting and sweating.

After taking a second to grasp onto which world she was in, she sobbed.

No...No...this was too much...she couldn't do this...

She couldn't do this to him...or herself...

"Ryōki-oneechan...what do I do...?" Ryōna whispered before lowering her head.

No one answered.

She was alone...like...always.

She hated it...hated being alone...even in a crowd, she felt that...

THUMP!

At that moment, however, she heard something fall over.

On instinct she turned around and summoned her guns into her hands ready to shoot whoever invaded her space, only to see her water bottle on the ground. "...Huh, I thought I set that down properly." She mumbled as she went over to pick it up.

It was then she noticed a handheld mirror near where it was.

"Huh, I guess one of the others before me left it here." The blonde masochist mumbled as she looked at herself in the mirror.

Suddenly, reflected in the mirror was...herself, when she was only nine years old. Ryōna couldn't help but giggle a little. She was so...flat back in the day. Who knew she'd grow up with such a magnificent body to poke and torture. Something Ryōbi still suffers to this day.

At that moment, she saw Ryōki step in behind her.

"Onee-chan..." The blonde mumbled with a sad smile.

"Onee-chan..." Her younger self repeated, however, in a much happier manner. "You're getting boobies like mommy!" She then got out.

Ryōki blushed a bit then giggled. "Hehehe...yes, I am." She mumbled, subtly putting her arm over her budding chest.

"I wanna be like you!" Ryōna got out in an eager manner.

"Ryōna, you should be getting to that point soon." Ryoki assured. Puberty should be hitting her soon, and like any shinobi, it will hit her like a bullet train.

"But I want big bahonkers now!" Ryōna whined.

Ryōki coughed at that, wondering where her little sister learned that word before crouching down to her height. "Things like this take time, Ryōna-chan." She pointed out. "You shouldn't be so eager to rush into things. It may be fun, but you should be out there playing with Ryōbi-chan rather than inside staring at a mirror." She then added.

"Really...?" Ryōna got out in a curious manner with a head tilt.

"Yep." Ryōki responded with a nod. "Stop worrying so much. You'll become the person you want to be eventually, but be patient. I'm sure you'll be happier if you wait." She then stated with a smile before pulling her sister away from the mirror.

Huh?

Where did that memory come from? She barely remembered anything from when she was as flat as a board.

Blinking, she saw that the mirror only reflected her current self. Shaking her head, she put down the mirror and let out a breath.

Looks like the memory came in at the right time.

"I...I need to slow down." Ryōna breathed out as she closed her eyes while pacing back and forth. "This isn't something I should deal with right now. Yeah, take it slow and then I'll know what to do. But right now...I need to make sure Ryōbi-chan doesn't kill him...or..." She then started before trailing off as her eyes widened.

Miyabi.

Miyabi...didn't have to die.

She definitely deserved a beating but death would be too sweet for her, and all that would be left was the void for them.

No...they had been too hasty, too dead set on such a goal that they never considered anything else, and it had already cost them so much.

Akira's words...her crush's words about revenge...she had accepted it so easily, but right now she truly understood his words. It just took her to remember Ryōki-oneechan's own words to get it.

"Heh, you are still helping me..." Ryōna giggled.

Soon enough, Ryōna finally smiled without any other thoughts in her mind.

Shinobi may not have the longest of lives, but it never hurts to take your time.


(9/23, Afternoon)

(Shujin Academy, Classroom)

The Phantom Thieves wanted the day to end. Desperately.

"Alright, stop your gossip! It's time for classes." The current teacher of the class called out. "Save that for after school!" He then added, only to sigh as the students blatantly ignored him.

"I couldn't agree more, Ushimaru-sensei..." Akira muttered as he lowered his head onto his desk as he and the rest of the Thieves endured more talk about the most popular topic around Japan today.

"Hey, check out the Phan-Site, they're hitting 90 now!"

"No way! I remember when they were barely hitting the double digits..."

"You think the Phantom Thieves are freaking out?"

"I wrote Okumura too! I hope they'll handle it quickly!"

"I hear he's really corrupt even with the poll hacked! If anyone needs a change of heart, it's him!"

"The board of directors is putting pressure on the vice principal..."

"There's something seriously wrong with the vice principal..."

"Quiet down!" Mr. Ushimaru snapped. "This isn't an ice cream social! This is a lesson you should all learn if you all want to become functioning adults when you graduate!" He soon stated.

"...What's an ice cream social?" One student soon asked.

Ushimaru gave the student a disbelieving stare. "It's a social event...involving ice cream." He answered.

"...There's no ice cream here..." One student muttered.

Upon hearing that, the teacher let out some sort of angry noise before beginning to lecture the class.

While Ushimaru was distracted with dealing with the general unruliness that was spreading around the school, the Phantom Thieves took the opportunity to check the message they were just sent.

[Shut7heFUp: Hey, what's Akechi up to?]

[Negative8Degrees: He hasn't made any appearances on TV lately...]

[Alibaba9: He's in hiding now that everyone's turned against him.]

[All4Painting: Public opinion has truly flipped between him and us, but I doubt he's given up.]

[Sweetkat06: And if we don't hurry up, the public will turn against us next...]

[Alibaba9: There are already signs of that right now...]

[DarkEyeXI: So impatient...]

[SushiRoll23: I was gonna suggest that we use the Phan-site to ease tensions, but then I remembered that'll just tip Okumura off and ruin the entire thing.]

[FireGirl20: We shouldn't be worrying about PR right now! We should be worrying about the piece of shit Haru's being sold off to!]

[B3lladonna: Thanks for worrying about me, Homu-chan, but I also care about ensuring all of us won't suffer for my sake.]

[Road2Queen: Haru is correct. Just because the public wants us to hurry up doesn't mean it's the best move. It's up to Leader to decide when we're ready.]

[TheWildJ0ker: Are you sure about that?]

[SushiRoll23: Eh?]

[TheWildJ0ker: On the train, at school, during lunchtime, in the freaking bathroom while I'm taking a dump.]

[FireGirl20: TMI, Akira.]

[TheWildJ0ker: The entire world today seems to be telling me I should send the calling card today or tomorrow, and it's making a really convincing argument.]

[DarkEyeXI: Hey! Don't focus on that stuff, you'll make mistakes.]

[Sweetkat06: I think you're just getting stressed out and imagining things.]

[Shut7heFUp: But maybe you should listen...]

[All4Painting: Joker, just do what you think is best for the team and for the current situation. Do not let others convince you otherwise.]

Akira scanned the messages on his phone for a moment...while shooting a hand up and grabbing something between his middle and index fingers, still looking at his phone.

"Eh?" He heard some of his classmates got out.

Akira immediately pocketed his phone and finally looked at what his classmates reacted to: he had a chalk in between said fingers.

His classmates immediately realized what just happened. Apparently, they all noticed Akira catching a chalk being thrown at him by Mr. Ushimaru without looking.

"Uh...lucky catch?" Akira awkwardly responded.

"Akira, you caught one before." Homura reminded in a flat tone. "If you claim that a third time, that is not gonna be a valid excuse anymore." She then stated.

"Just give it back." Ushimaru grumbled.

"Sure." Akira responded...before pulling his arm back.

The teacher flinched. "J-Just come up and give it to me! Don't throw it!" He then ordered.

"Oh, right." Akira sheepishly got out as he did so.

"At least it didn't get you in the eye like last time." Morgana remarked as the Leader returned to his seat.

"It hit my glasses, and I took it head on to teach a lesson." Akira reminded. "But I guess he didn't learn." He then mumbled under his breath.

"Adults can be really stubborn..." Homura sighed.

"Hear hear..." Ann mumbled.

"Moh..." Asuka groaned with a sigh.

Usuhimaru then sighed as he turned back to the board. "Now, back to-" He began, however...

"I wonder what they'll do to top tagging a freaking building?"

"They could doodle the calling card on his face."

"I would pay to see that!"

"...More Phantom Thieves gossip..." Ann concluded for the teacher as she used her arms to cover her ears.

"...I think I hate the Phantom Thieves more than Akechi." Homura quietly confessed.

"I think you're wrong, because I hate them more." Akira groaned as the gossip and class continued on.


(Yongen-Jaya, Sakura Residence)

Meanwhile, Futaba was grumbling to herself as she opened her closet and grabbed some clothes, quickly stripping out her usual attire all while grumbling and cursing under her breath. "Why can't we play one of those fitness games instead of torturing me into a beautiful mess." She complained. "Okay! I'm dressed!" She soon called out.

Knock knock knock!

"She finally freaking knocked this time..." Futaba grumbled as she opened her window.

"Good. You finally decided to let me in willingly." Miyabi remarked as she climbed through into her room.

"...Whatever." Futaba mumbled with a pout while wearing some work-out clothes consisting of a dark green jersey and black basketball shorts. She had nothing else appropriate to wear, given that her clothing tastes consisted of nothing but nerdy graphic t-shirts and whatever was comfortable.

"Now now, you know you need this." Miyabi responded and reminded. "When a Palace collapses and our Personas stop working, you're gonna need the stamina to run." She then reminded and explained.

"Can't you carry me?" Futaba whined.

Miyabi in response sighed as she placed her hands on her hip. "You're a big girl, Futaba. You can run for your life on your own. And if you do need the extra boost, one of the others can help." She responded and stated.

"I'm gonna die..." Futaba bluntly assumed.

"No, you won't." Miyabi responded. "And not on my watch. I'm going to go easy on you, sweetie." She then added while rubbing the girl's head.

"P-Please don't call me that." Futaba mumbled with a blush and a pout before the white haired woman embraced her in a hug.

"You'll be fine, Futaba." Miyabi reassured. "I promise." She then added.

"I better be, or your ass is haunted." The hacker grumbled before her eyes drifting down towards said ass. "..." The orangette then went silent, taking in every curve, every movement...every jiggle as the white haired woman placed her hands on her hips.

"Futaba Sakura." Miyabi sighed out in disapproval.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm haunting your ass." Futaba then reassured.

"Alright then..." Miyabi mumbled as she performed the requisite hand sign. "Shinobi Kekkai!" She soon announced as the two vanished.


(Miyabi's Shinobi Kekkai)

"Okay, let's get started right away! Shinobi Tenshin!" Miyabi declared, instantly equipping her shinobi outfit.

Instantly, the hacker's eyes wandered down. "Soooo, why show off your panties?" Futaba had to ask.

"Would you rather have me without any?" Miyabi countered. "...Don't answer that. Also, they're bloomers." She then added and corrected.

"Bloomers don't show off that much-" Futaba began.

"Not important." Miyabi interrupted with a sigh. "You must not let yourself get distracted by such things. After all, it is a common tactic to get your opponent to lower their guard through the way you dress." She then informed.

"So...I should dress like-" Futaba began to assume, however...

"I will not allow you, young lady!" Miyabi snapped as she stomped her foot down, a burst of black flames coming out from underneath.

In response, the orangette rapidly nodded in a nervous manner as she soaked in this information. "Still a bit confused by something. Do you use Darkness as your element or black fire like Amaterasu from Naruto?" Futaba soon asked.

"Ugh! Is Naruto still a thing!?" Miyabi asked with a groan. "It hasn't ended yet!?" She then exclaimed.

"Actually it has. Like, two years ago." Futaba informed. "But it's being continued with his son. The first volume was released in May." She then added.

"Oh." Miyabi got out as she blinked to this information. "...Is it any good?" She then asked.

"We do not speak about the sequel series about his bratty and disrespectful kid." Futaba bluntly stated in a dead serious and no nonsense tone.

"Okay...?" The white haired woman responded in confusion. "...Did Naruto and Hinata at least get together at least?" She then asked.

"They did and the movie where they got together was glorious." Futaba answered as she noticed the sigh of satisfaction from the white haired woman. "...I'm surprised you're even asking about Naruto of all things Big Sis." She then got out.

To that, the white haired woman sighed. "Some girls at our school watch it, they say. Tried to replicate whatever shinobi moves appeared in that show." Miyabi revealed. "Way too many shinobi cite it as their inspiration to get themselves killed." She then deadpanned.

Futaba winced. She could imagine the broken...and rebuilt dreams. "...Sooooo Kage No Bushin no Jutsu?" She then assumed.

"High rank...very high rank move..." Miyabi answered. "And even I can't do it..." She then confessed in frustration.

"...And I'm guessing no cheating with training and stuff." Futaba guessed.

"Not even a thing." Miyabi stated. "And...to answer your Amaturatsu question, no. It's just my power. And I've just realized you are delaying your training." She then added.

"Hey I'm allowed to be curious about these things Big Sis..." Futaba responded while pouting.

"It's still lost time. You're gonna have to make up for it." Miyabi insisted.

"This entire conversation was only, like, 30 seconds." Futaba complained.

"Which equals an extra 30 seconds of getting beaten into the ground." Miyabi pointed out. "And let me tell you, Good or Evil, the pain is all the same." She then added with a sweet smile.

The orangette nervously gulped in response. "Soooo...what the heck are we going to do today?" Futaba soon asked.

Miyabi then brought out two wooden swords used for kendo from within her Kekkai. "To start, some basic sword training for self-defense." She answered.

"Yep, I'm gonna die for sure." Futaba mumbled out.

"We're gonna have to work on your self-confidence too." Miyabi sighed out.

"Seriously?" Futaba got out as she was given a shinai. "Oh jeez..." She grumbled.

"Don't worry. Like I said, I'm gonna go easy on you." Miyabi reassured.

"If you were going easy on me, you'd give me a gun instead." Futaba pointed out.

"Guns...erm..." Miyabi got out in a very nervous manner, remembering a story the tan skinned girl had told her about the ash blonde shooting the Vice Leader by accident. "You're...safer with a sword." She hesitantly stated.

"Ugh...fine..." Futaba soon sighed as she went into a stance. "God, I know this is gonna be like the gym." She then grumbled under her breath.

Miyabi sighed before studying the orangette's stance. She then slapped her shinai on the orangette's ankle.

"Ow!" Futaba yelped as she was forced to adjust her stance. Eventually, after enough whacks, the white haired woman was satisfied with how she held herself. "...My arm is already tired..." She moaned.

"It's 'cause you are out of shape." Miyabi reminded.

"And about two years of-" Futaba muttered under her breath, only to get a whack in the forehead. "Ow! Hey, that almost hit my glasses." She yelped out in annoyance.

"Then take them off. I don't want you breaking them." Miyabi soon ordered.

"But I'm near-sighted." Futaba got out.

"So is Imu." Miyabi revealed. "But she can deal with it easily. So take them off." She then added and instructed.

"Why are you measuring me against a freaking shinobi! I thought you weren't putting me through shinobi-level stuff." Futaba questioned and called out. "I crashed at a push up!" She then revealed.

"Futaba, I care about you, but you aren't getting anywhere. We need you in fighting shape as soon as possible." Miyabi responded in concern.

"You'll kill me!" Futaba soon accused.

"Futaba..." Miyabi sighed.

"I'm not a fighter here or in the Metaverse." The hacker got out. "Support is the only thing I'm good at, and you know that." Futaba soon reminded.

Miyabi soon sighed before embracing the orangette in a comforting hug. "Alright, alright, I'm sorry. Let's take it slow and easy for now, okay?" She soon stated in a gentle yet encouraging tone while rubbing the girl's head.

"B-Big Sis..." Futaba mumbled in a more meek tone. "I-I still don't think I can do this...no matter how many hugs you give me..." She then mumbled.

Miyabi soon winced before realizing what she was doing. "...Then I shouldn't be pushing to what I think you should be at." She got out. "Do your best, that's all I'm asking." She soon requested while looking directly into her eyes.

"...Okay." Futaba breathed out, tightening her grip on her temporary weapon.

"Alright. Now, hit me." Miyabi ordered.

"What?" Futaba got out in confusion, almost physically experiencing whiplash for the sudden mood shift.

"Try and hit me with everything you got!" Miyabi soon instucted.

"AAHH!" Futaba screamed before slamming the shinai over the white haired woman's head.

"...Is that it?" Miyabi soon asked.

"Um...yeah." Futaba sheepishly answered. To be honest, she was already kind of winded.

"Okay...from the top..." The white haired woman sighed. "Treat this as if you are in a kendo class." Miyabi soon instructed.

"Never went to kendo." Futaba admitted as she stepped back. "I've played kendo club dating simulators though." She then added.

"Then...go off that." Miyabi suggested as she gripped her own shinai.

This was going to be a loooooong morning.

After an hour or two of going through the basics, Futaba was actually getting the hang of it...if only her shinai didn't fly out of her hands every 10th swing. She only hit Miyabi twice by accident though, so they were making progress.

"...Huh...that…actually...wasn't...that...bad..." Futaba panted out with her hands on her knees.

"See, I told you." Miyabi responded in a proud manner. "Seems like you already know the basics...which are pretty similar to me when I fight." She soon noted in amusement as the orangette blushed. "Is someone imitating me~?" She then teasingly asked with a smirk.

To that, the orangette's blush became even redder. "S-Shut up Big Sis. You're kinda my only basis..." Futaba grumbled out.

"Well, you're kinda struggling with it." Miyabi pointed out as she used her shinai as makeshift support. "We're using the same sized weapons, but you're way shorter than the average. Meanwhile, I'm slightly above average. We can't move the same without feeling awkward." She then informed.

"Oh come on! You've been fighting for years! I'm just a computer gal who likes watching anime, going online and looking at sexy bodies!" Futaba complained and ranted...only to realize the last part of what she said and paled as a result.

"..." Miyabi blushed a little before letting out a breath. "Not that I needed to know that but...it's a natural part of life to-" She responded and began.

"Nope! No, I refuse to talk about this with any adult of any type!" Futaba quickly shut down any attempt to make that a conversation topic.

"All I'm saying is that you should be doing your own thing." Miyabi soon advised. "Mimicry is fine for now, but eventually, you'll develop a style that fits you. How I fight is perfectly tailored for my body to take full advantage of." She explained before smiling. "Still, being able to mimic me so well is impressive to say the least, you little genius." She then praised.

"You...wouldn't believe how much experience I have copying how people move." Futaba awkwardly admitted, her mind going back to all the times she had tried to use moves and techniques she had seen in anime.

She wondered if the Kage Bunshin could actually work now...

"In any case, I just know you can get it down easily. Mimicry is actually a good thing in your case." Miyabi soon stated and encouraged while placing a hand on the other girl's shoulder. "Futaba Sakura, I believe in you, so you just need to believe in yourself now." She then instructed a more gentle tone.

"...That is the most generic encouragement you could ever give anyone." Futaba deadpanned.

"That's because it works." Miyabi pointed out, "I made a vow to make sure you can protect yourself and I intend to keep it. As my own promise to your mother." She then stated.

"...Really?" Futaba got out, surprised to learn that.

"Ever since we saved you." Miyabi confirmed with a nod. "Without strength, you can't protect anything." She then recited.

"Mom..." Futaba quietly mumbled to herself as she then took in a deep breath before adjusting her glasses. "Alright Big Sis, I'll keep going. For both you and for Mom." She responded in a determined manner as she readied herself.

"There we go." Miyabi responded as she smiled, mentally hoping her own mother was proud of what she was doing. "Now, give it your all!" She soon ordered.

"HAAAAH!" Futaba roared as she...accidentally flung the shinai into white haired woman's forehead.

BONK!

"Ooh!" Futaba winced. "Um...sorry...!" She soon apologized.

"...Your palms are sweaty." Miyabi however responded, unphased by the events as she then gave the orangette something.

"What is this?" Futaba had to ask as she eyed the blue puck in her hands. It was kinda dusty.

"Gym chalk." Miyabi answered. "Helps with grip." She simply explained.

"Can't I just use bandages like you use in your Tenshin form, Big Sis?" Futaba however asked. "...Or would that make me look like a chūnibyō?" She then asked.

"My bandages..." Miyabi muttered as she clutched her left arm. "They're more related to a past injury..." She vaguely responded.

"Oh..." Futaba winced. "I guess the chalk will do then." She then got out as she crumbled the puck in her hands, covering in blue.

"Okay, now go grab your weapon. We are far from done." Miyabi responded and reminded.

"Sure thing Big Sis." Futaba responded as she did as instructed.

After yet another hour...

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

"That's it." Miyabi encouraged as the orangette kept swinging. "One, two, three, four, five. One, two, three, four, five." She continued counting the amount of strikes the orangette did until she let go of her shinai and grabbed her knees to support herself.

"When...is this...over...?" Futaba panted breathlessly. It felt like her arms were going to fall off at any moment! And she was pretty sure there were marks in her bones from how many times she had to repeat these movements the white haired woman taught her.

Sure she felt like she was getting better, but even so!

"That should be enough, Futaba." Miyabi responded with a nod as she picked up the shinai used by the orangette.

"Oh thank God." Futaba breathed in relief.

"Alright then, we should head back now." Miyabi decided as she soon dropped the Kekkai.


(Yongen-Jaya, Sakura Residence)

Futaba soon let out another sigh of relief, stumbling towards her bed before the white haired woman managed to grab her.

Miyabi soon smiled as she embraced the orangette in a comforting hug. "You did well, Futaba. I am proud of you." She soon praised while rubbing her head.

"Yeah. Thanks." Futaba breathed out, snuggling into the woman's breasts. "Whew!" She then got out.

"And with that, I know you'll be able to make a friend before sunset." Miyabi soon declared.

SHATTER!

Futaba's pupils shrank. "...Oh shit, I forgot about that." She muttered as she managed to pull herself away. "H-Hey, wh-whaddya know! I-I feel like I can keep going! C-Come on, Big Sis, another twelve rounds!" She then got out, going into a battle stance.

"I'm afraid I can't do that. Akira gave me pretty explicit instructions." Miyabi responded and revealed as the orangette paled. "And you know this is definitely karma for sending those photos yesterday. Gotta admit, I didn't think it would bite you so fast." She then pointed out.

"...I hate you." Futaba weakly mumbled.

"Oh, you're just saying that because I'm going to barricade your door." Miyabi casually stated.

"What!?" Futaba exclaimed. Akira didn't mention that! "B-But what about Sojiro! He'll-" She then tried to reason, however...

"Approves of this. I told him you'll be out for the rest of the day later." Miyabi interrupted with a cheeky smile. "I'll take you anywhere you want though, but you are on your own from there." She soon stated.

"D-Don't I need a moment to rest at least?" Futaba pleaded.

"You can rest on the train to the city." Miyabi responded as she patted the orangette on the back.

"W-What about washing up?" Futaba panickingly asked.

Miyabi in response paused, soon realizing that they both stunk pretty badly. "Fine, we'll clean up before we go." She responded.

"Yes!" Futaba mentally cheered, excited to getting the chance to bath naked with-

"I'll go take a shower first." Miyabi then informed.

SHATTER!

"What?" Futaba got out.

"It's still a punishment, Futaba." Miyabi pointed out. "That means no bonding time until you complete your objective." She then added, grinning as she knew what the younger girl was thinking and basked in her misery.

"Crapbaskets..." Futaba grumbled with a pout. Still, she had a fire in her eyes that continued to burn since their training session.

She will not sleep on the couch tonight!


(9/23, After School)

(Shujin Academy, Classroom)

RING RING RING RING!

"Alright, class is over." The teacher got out as everyone began to pack up. "Make sure you do your homework tonight. I'll be checking it tomorrow." He then reminded before leaving the classroom.

"Oh my God, it's finally over!" Ann declared as she stretched her limbs. "We are free!" She then called out.

"We aren't yet. We still need to leave the school." Akira pointed out before looking out the window to see various students walking outside. "It's gonna be a gauntlet of more Phantom Thieves crap..." He grumbled under his breath.

"I wonder how Ryuji-kun is dealing with all of this." Asuka wondered out loud.

"Probably not well." Homura assumed before pausing. "...You know, I was expecting to hear him yell right about-" She then started, however...

"WE GET IT ALREADY!" Ryuji's voice exclaimed from down the halls.

"There we go." The tan skinned girl deadpanned. "So, what's everyone's plan today?" Homura then asked.

"Actually, I'm gonna do something I haven't done in a very good while: Go straight home." Akira revealed.

"Really? Why?" Asuka asked with a raised eyebrow.

"There's a broken laptop in the secondhand shop, so I'm gonna go buy it as well as a toolkit to repair it." The Leader informed. "Well, actually, I may need to swing by Electric Town for the kit first..." He then muttered.

"Well, if you're gonna do that, I might as well go do my own thing." Morgana got out.

"You're good with computers?" Ann asked in a curious manner.

"Well, there's nothing a lot of internet searching can't help with." Akira got out with a shrug before getting off his seat. "Hopefully it doesn't need any new parts. I'll see you guys tomorrow, okay?" He then got out as Morgana leapt into his bag.

"Hai, Leader. Good luck." Homura responded and encouraged with a nod as the boy left. "Well, I'm gonna go do some committee work. It'll be a nice change of pace from listening to everyone talk about the Phantom Thieves." She then decided and admitted as she headed out as well.

"Have fun, Homu-neechan." Asuka called out, who then noticed others looking at her in admiration. "Uhhh...is there something on my face?" She soon asked.

"C-Can we get your autograph!?" One girl soon asked as she held out a fashion magazine, which had the brunette and the ash blonde on the cover as other girls soon followed suit.

"W-Wha?" Asuka got out in disbelief and confusion.

"I couldn't afford to go to the meet-and-greet the other day, so can you please?" The girl explained and asked once more.

The Vice Leader looked shocked for a second before raising an eyebrow. "...Um, you didn't have to but um...why?" Asuka had to ask. "No one asked me this before...even after I started modeling." She then mumbled.

"Well...we thought you were in a bad crowd at first..."

"...Cause of Akira-kun?" Asuka sighed out the assumption.

"Yeah. We've heard about what he's done but...if you're willing to hang out with him, I guess he isn't too bad." The girl soon admitted. "So, do you mind?" She then asked.

Asuka frowned. "...Actually, I do. I do mind very much." She answered.

"Eh!?" The girl got out.

"I won't sign anything." Asuka declared in a firm manner. "You all didn't give Akira-kun a chance before, so I won't give you a chance now." She then explained.

"Come on, please! We'll apologize to him!" One of the other girls offered.

"No is no." Asuka stated with a shake of her head. "It'll be insincere anyways. Now can you please leave me alone?" She then requested.

"...Fine!" The girl got out in a huff as she stormed off along with the rest of the group.

"Way to take charge, Asuka." Ann praised in approval.

"Thanks..." Asuka breathed out, finally allowing herself to relax. She didn't even know she had tensed up. "It didn't feel good to be so mean though." She soon admitted.

"Sometimes you have to. Not everyone deserves your kindness." Ann replied as she patted her fellow model on the back. "Plus, they were probably going to sell your signature online." She then revealed.

"Eh? Really?" Asuka got out and asked.

"I've seen a listing or two already for yours. It happens to Akechi all the time." Ann stated with a sigh. "It's why we're told not to give out autographs when we're not at a major event too." She then informed.

"No wonder Kokito-san and even Oren-san mentioned that..." Asuka mumbled as she recalled that. "Wait, then why have autograph signings at all?" She then questioned.

"It's promotion. The modeling world is still a business after all." Ann replied and reminded. "Anyways, let's get out of here before more people try and get our autographs." She then suggested.

"Hai." Asuka replied with a nod as she and Ann left the classroom, deliberating avoiding anyone coming their way.


(Shujin Academy, Courtyard)

"Ah, fresh air." Homura breathed out in a relaxed manner as she was sitting on a bench as she was taking in a rare chance to relax and after a hard day of keeping the school safe.

Since the school was practically her Committee's and the Student Council's.

But as she was relaxing, she spotted a figure at the corner of her eye. "Is that?" Homura thought as the figure approached her. "Ah, Ryoga-san." She soon greeted.

"Huh?" Ryoga responded as he turned to face her. "Oh, Shinkukage-san. I didn't see you." He got out as he placed his phone into his pocket.

Homura however giggled at that. "Now now Ryoga-san, first name basis." She was soon reminded in amusement.

"Oh right. Of course, Homura-san." Ryoga chuckled as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Care to join me?' Homura offered. "I'm just relaxing a bit after my patrol." She then explained.

"Sure, I can definitely take a break. Thanks for the offer." Ryoga replied and nodded, feeling almost relieved.

To that, the black spiky haired boy sat himself down next to the tan skinned girl. "It is a nice day, isn't it?" Homura soon pointed out.

"Yeah, it really is. You can't really go wrong on a day like this." Ryoga responded with a nod as they looked up at the blue sky.

"Oh yeah." Homura replied as she stretched her arms out. "So, it feels good taking the school from Kobayakawa?" She then asked.

"It's the best feeling I've had in a long time. With his passing, the school is no longer under his greedy hands and it's like a weight has been lifted up from my shoulders." Ryoga got out with a nod as he stretched his arms as well.

"Yeah, now you're on your way to redeeming your ancestors." Homura soon reminded with a smile.

"Maybe, but..." Ryoga soon started but trailed off as he lowered his head as he leaned forward and looked down at the grass.

That instantly caught the tan skinned girl's attention as she looked at him. "Hm? What's up Ryoga-san?" Homura eventually asked in concern.

"It's just that...I didn't really feel like I earned it back." Ryoga confessed as he sighed in disappointment. "It's been mostly because of you, Nijima-senpai and everyone else that we were able to take this school back from Kobayakawa, but I feel like I didn't contribute much to it." He then explained as rested his head on his hands as he leaned on his knees.

"Oh..." Homura got out as she nodded in response. "Even so, we all play our parts here, be sure to remember that." She replied and advised.

"Really? You think I did help?" Ryoga asked in a curious manner.

"Of course, you did. You've worked the hardest out of all of us to take back the school from Kobayakawa." Homura replied with a nod as she placed her hand on his shoulder. "Believe me, I've seen you working your ass off in redeeming your ancestors and you've never given up." She then added.

"C'mon, you're just saying that to help me feel better." Ryoga sighed.

"Maybe, but I still meant every word to it. I know it's been tough for you seeing the school your family once owned now a shell of its former self, but you never gave up on taking it back." Homura consulted him with a smile. "When I first started this committee, I've seen you working the hardest out of everyone after learning how your ancestors once built this school and I can see you had a deeper connection to it. You felt like it was your responsibility to redeem your ancestors by taking it back, but I can also see that it wasn't going to be easy for you. You were just one person taking on basically a king and when it looked like you were about to give up, you got back up on your feet and stood your ground. Most people would've given up on their goals, but you never did. You kept on pushing forward to take back what was once yours and it finally happened. The school now belongs to us and you can finally redeem your ancestors." She then explained and concluded, feeling as though her Maturity had vastly improved as a result of her speech.

"Homura-san..." Ryoga breathed out, touched by the speech.

"In any case, just have confidence in yourself, you and the rest of us can run this school right." Homura soon ordered.

Ryoga took a deep breath as he looked at all the students around them. He can see that they're all really happy and it's been because of them making sure that the school is safe for all of them. "Yeah, you're right, Homura-san. I do need to have confidence in you, myself and the others." He soon replied and smiled as he turned to face her. "If it wasn't for you and the others, this school would still be in Kobayakawa's greedy clutches and I'd never forgiven myself for giving up. So let's keep on going to make sure everyone is safe." He responded in a grateful manner before coming to the decision.

Homura in turn nodded to that as she felt her friendship with her committee member was improving even more than usual.

RANK UP! DEVIL RANK 3!

Rightfully Mine: Doubles the amount of items obtained after a battle.

"Also, you're right about another thing. My ancestors really did everything on their own because they didn't have anyone helping them." Ryoga soon started. "They've probably never really received any help from anyone else because they felt that they could handle things on their own and I think that's the reason why this school slipped right out of their hands. But I'm not like them, I've got you, Niijima-senpai and everyone else to help in running this school the right way. So thank you, Homura-san. For taking back this school for me, my family and my ancestors." He then explained and declared as he took her hand into his and shook it.

Homura in response smiled and nodded once more. "It's not a problem." She replied...before giving off a teasing smirking. "And my my, aren't you being forward?" She then remarked in amusement.

"Huh?" Ryoga raised an eyebrow before realizing what she meant and let go of her hand. "Ahh! I'm sorry! I wasn't thinking! I was just so happy that we took the school back and I...!" He stammered as he turned away from her while blushing brightly.

Homura however just giggled in response to the display.

"Y-You're not...mad, right? That I...held your hand like that...?" Ryoga asked nervously as he was still blushing from his actions earlier.

Homura in turn shook her head in response. "Now what kind of leader would I be if I overreacted like that?" She soon questioned with a gentle smile.

SHINE!

And soon enough, it was as though a radiating, almost heavenly light was shining behind the tan skinned girl. "Now then Ryoga-san, would you like to head out and give the school one more look around before heading home?" Homura soon offered.

Ryoga was too distracted by her radiance as he thought she was the most beautiful woman he ever laid his eyes on. "She's beautiful..." He thought to himself.

"Ryoga-san?" Homura innocently called out while tilting her head.

"Huh? What? Did you say something?" Ryoga got out as he snapped out of his trance.

"Our patrol?" Homura replied and reminded.

"Oh right, right! Our patrol!" Ryoga responded and remembered as he stood up from the bench. "Yeah, I'm up for one last patrol of the day." He then replied.

"Good." Homura replied as she also stood up. "Then let us be off." She then ordered.

"Yeah. Lead the way." Ryoga nodded in response.

Nodding back to that, the tan skinned girl began walking with her committee member as they did the last patrol of the day before heading home.


(Akihabara, Electric Town)

Asuka had actually decided to check out Akihabara today to check out whatever was to be found there. It was actually quite the experience. Sure, she may have wandered in the R-rated sections of stores a few times, but she found some things her friends back home would love to own.

Maybe she should get those fake gropable boobs for Katsu-nee.

However, since she didn't bring all that much money today, she decided to head over to the many gachapon machines to test her luck.

"Gacha-gacha-gacha-pon~!" Asuka playfully got out as she turned the dial and grabbed the capsule that came out. She then opened it to see what she got. "Hm, a Dante..." She muttered.

It wasn't a Jack Frost like she wanted, but it might be a good souvenir to give to someone. Maybe Ryuji. He would definitely like something like this.

"A-Asuka!?" A familiar voice exclaimed, getting the Vice Leader's attention.

"F-Futaba-chan! You're here!" Asuka greeted before looking around to see that no one else was with her. "By yourself." She then got out in surprise.

"Don't be so surprised. I tracked your phone and a combination of anxiety and panic gave me the power to get to you." Futaba soon admitted, attempting to sound casual all throughout.

"Oh." Asuka responded. "S-So, now that you're here, do you want to hang out?" She soom offered.

"As much as I do, Asuka, I have a mandatory quest to complete." Futaba responded. "And I need you in my party for your skills." She then stated.

"...What?" Asuka responded.

"I need your help to make one friend before the end of the day." Futaba soon revealed.

"W-Why do you need to make a friend so fast?" Asuka in turn asked in concern.

"Because Joker banned me from my room until I could make one for sending out tasteful pictures of his glistening ass." Futaba bluntly answered.

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

"Don't worry about it. I'm here because I need your help." Futaba waved off before wincing. "Urk...still a bit sore from Big Sis's training..." She then grumbled.

"Oh? How was it?" Asuka soon asked in a curious manner.

"Like everything is burning and all my bones were taken out of my body then put back in the wrong places." Futaba mumbled out. "So, overall, pretty good." She then added with a shrug.

"Er, that's great!" Asuka exclaimed with a proud smile. "Glad to know you're-" She then began praising, however...

"Asuka, that is not important. There is a livestream scheduled tonight that I need to see in 4K, so please, please, please shut up and help me!" Futaba pleaded as she bowed down to her social senpai.

Asuka was a little overwhelmed by the little orangette's intensity, leaning back as the younger girl leaned closer. "O-Okay." She responded.

"Thank you!" Futaba breathed in relief. "...Where do we start?" She soon asked.

"Well...you start talking to people who seem nice." Asuka answered.

"...That's it?" Futaba got out in disbelief.

"That is it." Asuka confirmed with a nod.

"This tutorial sucks!" Futaba cried in despair as she crouched down with a depressed cloud over her head. "Talking to people would be so much easier if I could just press circle on them!" She then groaned.

"Circle?" Asuka repeated with a raised eyebrow.

"Confirm, A, Enter, whatever!" the orangette grumbled in frustration before groaning in despair.

"Futaba-chan, people are really nice in general and would be happy to talk to you if you just tried." Asuka pointed out.

"Asuka, it..." Futaba began before swallowing. "It's not that simple." She soon confessed.

"And I'm not saying that it is, but you won't learn how to solve it without doing your best. You miss 100% of the breasts you don't feel!" Asuka encouraged.

"...Eh?" Futaba got out in confusion. That was definitely not how that saying went.

"K-Katsu-nee taught me that." Asuka sheepishly admitted. "Come on, Futaba-chan, I know you can do it." She then encouraged.

"No I can't." Futaba sighed. "The only friend I made before meeting you and the others came up to me first." She soon mumbled.

"Eh? You had a friend before?" Asuka asked in a curious manner.

"K-Kana-chan..." Futaba mumbled out before shaking her head. "I-It doesn't matter now, I just...can you do it for me?" She soon requested with pleading eyes.

"You know I can't do that." Asuka pointed out as she shook her head. "Sometimes it's just a leap of faith. You just need to go up to the first person you think you would like and start talking to them." She then encouraged.

Futaba however grimenced to that. "But there's just so many people here, and they all look like...normies." She responded with uneasiness. "It's not like there's gonna be someone as weird as me." She then mumbled in despair.

"Come on Futaba-chan, you're not weird at all." Asuka however stated with her hands on her hips.

"But I am!" Futaba snapped, her voice echoing throughout the street a little.

"F-Futaba-chan..." Asuka got out, noticing some attention starting to be gathered towards them.

"S-Sorry..." Futaba apologized. "I'm just...please take me somewhere else..." She then mumbled as she saw everyone staring at her.

Asuka nodded. "Come on." She got out as she grabbed the hacker's tiny wrist and made their way to go somewhere more private.

Soon enough, they found a place where no one was around, allowing the hacker to calm down a little.

"Ugh...I just embarrassed myself so hard!" Futaba groaned. "No way I'm getting a friend by myself." She then got out in despair.

"Yes you can. I know you can." Asuka soon comforted her friend as she patted her on the back.

"Words don't help much." Futaba mumbled.

"So then, let's take action." Asuka replied in an encouraging tone. "I'll support you as best as I can, just like how you support us in the Metaverse. I'll be your Oracle for today." She then declared.

Futaba blinked before letting out a huge grin. "...Hehehe, okay, Oracle. What's the plan?" She soon asked.

"Like I said before, you just need to approach someone you might like and start a conversation with them." Asuka responded.

"Easier said than done." Futaba sighed as she shook her head. "I have some really picky standards, especially here in Akihabara. There's no way there's anyone here I would walk up to and say-" She started in a rambling manner, however...

"Stop right there, evildoer!" A heroic voice called out, getting their attention as they turned towards the direction of the shout.

"...That?" Futaba concluded in confusion.

"That could be trouble..." Asuka muttered in concern. "Come on, let's check it out." She then got out.

"Right." Futaba responded with a nod. Soon enough, both girls disappeared without anyone the wiser.

Soon enough, they reappeared around the corner of the source of the noise. "Shinobi Tenshin." Asuka whispered as she equipped her shinobi outfit. She then pulled up her red scarf to act as a makeshift mask.

"What should I do, Asuka?" Futaba soon asked.

"As long as it doesn't escalate into shinobi-level violence, record as much as you can in case they get away." The Vice Leader responded.

"Right." Futaba responded with a nod before pulling out her phone. Soon, the recording light turned on. "Ready." She soon informed.

"One, two, three..." Asuka counted down before taking a deep breath. "Go!" She then called out.

The duo then dived out and got ready for a fight. "Stop right...huh?" The hacker began, only to stop once they saw what the trouble was.

It was in that empty lot, they saw...a cosplayer posing and talking to herself, too distracted in her own little world to even notice the two staring at her.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. My wish really is fake. But there's something beautiful about it. Putting others before myself is hypocritical, I understand that. Still, I couldn't help but admire the idea." The cosplayer called out as she pointed at the empty space in front of her. She then paused, as if she was letting the imaginary villain talk. "And that is exactly what you've done, isn't it?! And your power gets to hide from the victim, the law, and the consequences! That's why...I will judge you myself!" She then cried out and declared before punching and kicking the air.

The two couldn't help but stare dumbfounded at the cosplayer's actions.

"...That's different." Asuka got out with a sweatdrop as she pull down her scarf.

"...That is the sexiest tokusatsu cosplayer I had ever seen..." Futaba breathed out in awe with a starry look in her eyes.

"So...what was that about not finding anyone you like?" Asuka soon asked in an amused manner.

"W-Wait, hold your horses on that!" Futaba got out as she turned away from the cosplayer. "I can't just walk up to her. I'm not even close to being mentally prepared!" She then exclaimed in a panic.

At that moment though, the blue haired, tan skinned girl noticed the brunette and the orangette. "That girl..." She muttered as she walked up to the duo.

Asuka quickly noticed that the girl was coming towards them. "Uh...Futaba-chan?" She soon started.

"Asuka, this isn't anything like how I met Kana-chan. This doesn't involve bullying or blackmail or any other conversation starters!" Futaba rambled as she clutched onto her long hair nervously before pausing. "...Wait, maybe I can-" She then began as she pulled out her phone...

"Hello!" The cosplayer suddenly greeted.

"SWEET PEE-PEE MONKEY SAUCE!" Futaba screamed in a panic, accidently tossing her phone into the air.

However, the cosplayer caught it without even looking. "Ah! I'm so sorry for scaring you! Here." She soon apologized.

"..." Futaba stared at her caught phone before taking it and hiding behind Asuka as fast as she could.

"Ehehehe...sorry, my friend here is really shy." Asuka soon apologized.

"That's no problem." The cosplayer assured with a giggle. "I guess I should be more aware of my surroundings when I'm training." She then got out sheepishly.

"Training?" Asuka repeated with a raised eyebrow.

"Yep!" The cosplayer happily responded. "You can't be a proper hero without training." She then claimed.

"Heroes?" Futaba repeated as she stepped out of the Vice Leader's shadow. "Like...the ones in the Tokusatsu series?" She then assumed.

"Yep! Exactly like them!" The cosplayer confirmed as she looked at the orangette. "Which ones do you like?" She questioned in a hopeful manner.

"Oh, that's easy." Futaba responded with a scoff, her nervous demeanor vanishing in an instant. "Phoenix Featherman R, Kamen Riders and Super Sentais." She soon listed off. There were more, but she didn't want to geek out too hard...yet.

"Wow, I didn't know anyone would love them like me!" The blue haired girl got out with a starry look in her eyes. "I always wanted someone to talk to about this, but my other friends all have different interests. Like about the episode of PFR that came out yesterday." She then revealed.

"Ooh, I loved that one! Asuka, do you mind-" Futaba began, only to turn to see that the Vice Leader had disappeared. "Wha-!? Oh come on!" She mentally exclaimed before looking around before seeing that there was a piece of paper hanging on the rim of her pocket.

She opened it and, in surprisingly neat handwriting, it read: Sorry, but this is something you should do alone. I don't want to give you an easy path. I believe in you, Futaba-chan. Love, Asuka.

The little drawing of a chibi version of the Vice Leader's head with the thumbs-up felt more insulting than encouraging in this situation. "What happened to being my Oracle!?" Futaba complained.

"Hm?" The blue haired girl hummed out.

"N-Nothing." Futaba squeaked as she stuffed the note back in her pants. "Dammit, Asuka really is Big Sis's student..." She thought to herself.

"Well, it'll be weird if we don't know each other's names before we geek out. The name's Hisui. Hisui Hirogaru!" The blue haired girl soon introduced herself with her hands on her hips.

The orangette blinked. "...You're kidding." Futaba got out in disbelief.

"Yup! It can mean either hero girl or expanding sky." Hisui proudly replied and revealed. "And you? What's yours?" She then asked

Futaba, for a very brief second, forgot her own name. "Y-Yukari Take-I mean, Futaba Sakura." She soon answered.

"What a nice name, Sakura-san!" Hisui remarked, ignoring the little slip up.

Futaba really wished she had a list of options to choose from. Akira made it look so easy!

"Well, let's get this conversation going!" The orangette mentally decided. "So, um...the explosions were nice." Futaba soon began.

"Oh, they were amazing! And all the other special effects." Hisui praised. "The director said they were really going all out this season, and they really meant it!" She then added in excitement.

"Ah, what about the love story between Pink Argus and..." Futaba soon started as the two continued chatting, getting more and more enthusiastic as time went on.

"Wow, I didn't even know that!" Hisui gasped. "You're a way bigger fan than me, Sakura-san!" She then got out in an excited manner, conceding to the other girl's knowledge.

"Hey, you told me way more new stuff, Hisui." Futaba responded with a giggle. "I should call you the Queen of Tokusatsu." She then declared.

"Ah, but I cannot." Hisui however got out with a shake of her head. "I'm not a real hero of justice yet, so I'll train day and night until I am. Until that day comes, please wait for me at the top so maybe one day-" She then explained, however…

BZZT! BZZT!

A phone buzzed in between their conversation and Hisui took out her phone from her bag and turned it on. "Ah, I need to get back home soon. I'm sorry I have to go, I really wanna talk to you more." She then informed, looking rather upset since she noticed the text from her phone that was telling her now to go home.

"Me too." Futaba admitted as she rubbed her arm.

"But we need to commemorate this moment somehow..." Hisui soon stated.

"I-I need proof." Futaba suddenly realized in her head. "E-Erm...do you mind...t-t-taking a, um, erm..." She eventually started to ask.

"Oh, you want to take a picture?" Hisui assumed with a bright smile. "Sure, I'd love to! Ooh! What sort of pose should we do? Something from Phoenix Featherman? Super Sentai? Kamen Rider?" She then asked and listed off in an enthusiastic manner.

"...The one at the end of Episode 34 of Featherman R." Futaba eventually answered.

"Ooooh~ Hawk's Betrayal! Good one!" Hisui declared. "Okay, do you mind giving me your phone? I'll set it up so it'll be the perfect recreation of that scene!" She then asked and explained.

"Go ahead." Futaba responded as she handed over her phone.

The blue haired girl smiled before quickly setting up a makeshift stand for the phone using various random items Futaba wasn't sure where she got them from. "Pool noodles...?" The orangette whispered.

"There!" Hisui called out before joining the orangette. "Come on, Sakura-san, we must show the world what our friendship means!" She soon declared, sharing her enthusiasm with the orangette.

"Hai!" Futaba responded with a nod before the two posed together.

"Ore no karada wa boroboro da!" The two declared just as the timer of Futaba's phone finished.

Click! FLASH!

Hisui soon grabbed the orangette's phone from the makeshift stand and handed it back to her so they could look at the photo together.

"Awesome!" The two exclaimed in satisfaction.

"Well, it was really nice talking to you, Sakura-chan! Let's talk more about heroes later!" Hisui got out with a happy smile.

"I-I'll look forward to that, Hisui-san." Futaba replied with a nod.

"Hey come on now, just Hisui will do." The bluenette responded in amusement.

"Okay." Futaba nodded. "I'll see you later then, Hisui." She then got out with a wave.

The blue haired cosplayer nodded and smiled to that, before gasping as she almost forgot. "Ah! Share IMs too!" Hisui realized as she took out her phone. "So we can text each other too." She then added.

To that, Futaba nodded as she took out her phone.

["TrueBlueHeroine" has been added to your contacts]

A distance away, Asuka smiled as she watched the two interacting and enjoying themselves.

Sure, she had the suspicion that the girl Futaba was with was possibly a shinobi, but she seemed nice at least.

Once she saw they were done talking, Asuka decided to return to the orangette, satisfied that she was able to handle herself alone.

"Ugh...my social battery is totally drained..." Futaba groaned as she slumped on her feet. It was actually more tiring than the training session earlier today.

"Hey, Futaba-chan!" Asuka called out as she appeared next to the hacker. "You did amazing!" She soon praised.

"Traitor..." Futaba grumbled.

"Sorry, but you did so well by yourself getting that girl to be your friend." Asuka apologized before the two watched as the cosplayer disappeared into the crowd. "See? All you needed to do is try." She then got out with a proud smile.

"...You know what? You're right, Asuka. You and Big Sis. I do need to try more." Futaba soon agreed with a nod.

"There you go..." Asuka replied in a proud manner.

"And I can start by trying to choke you out!" Futaba then declared as she tried to reach for the Vice Leader's throat, only for the shinobi to easily push her away. "I could go for the boobs as well! Either works!" She then added, aiming her arms a little lower now.

"O-Okay! I-I think that's enough excitement for today!" Asuka nervously got out. "Let me take you home then. We can get something sweet on the way." She soon offered in a kind tone.

The orangette soon got tired enough to back off and think about Asuka's offer. "...I want a crepe with the works." Futaba responded.

"Hehe, coming right up." Asuka replied with a giggle as the two headed out.


(Okumura Residence)

Haru had gone straight home after taking care of the plants at school so she could take care of her own plants at her balcony.

"Doing something like this is a lovely way to forget about my worries, even just for a little bit." Haru happily thought as she carefully watered her belladonnas.

The fact that they were all potentially lethal just made them all the more precious, and it is essential for her to take care of them.

She soon heard someone land on the balcony near her, prompting her to turn her head. "Oh, Ika-chan." Haru responded with a smile.

"Haru." Ikaruga greeted in an emotionless manner.

"Hm?" Haru hummed out, noticing the tone of her voice. "No honorifics?" She then assumed.

"That is...we have no need for it anymore." Ikaruga hesitantly replied to her. "May we go inside?" She soon requested.

"Hai." Haru responded with a nod as the two headed in. "Do you wish for some tea?" She soon offered.

"I won't be staying long." Ikaruga informed as she shook her head. She soon sat down at her friend's bed and sighed. "Your father...has given me an order to talk to you before returning to Hanzō Academy...regarding Sugimura..." She informed in a formal manner, however all the while she was biting the inside of her mouth.

Haru tensed. "...What did he want you to tell me?" She soon asked.

Ikaruga hesitated. She had opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out.

"Ika-chan?" Haru got out as she sat beside her friend, looking at her with those big...kind...slightly disturbed eyes.

She...She couldn't do this. Not to her. Not to anyone.

"...That your fiancé's a lying, conniving bastard who treats women like they're his collection of dolls meant to be broken and thrown away!" Ikaruga snapped.

"...Is that really new information?" Haru however questioned, almost expecting some actual news coming from her fiancé.

"What?" Ikaruga got out, not quite believing what she was hearing.

"E-Even though I have to be with a man like him, I...just can't deny my father's wishes." Haru reluctantly claimed, almost half-lying to herself.

"So...you're okay with this?" Ikaruga got out, sounding empty as she processed her friend's words.

"...It's my father's decision, and...and I have to abide by it." Haru answered, already feeling regretful for lying, but had to for certain reasons.

She just couldn't wait for the change of heart mission to start soon enough before she gets sold off.

However, Haru quickly realized that was the wrong thing to say as she saw various emotions appear on her friend's face. Of anger, sadness, confusion, fear, shock...

And then, the ravenette Hanzō Elite broke.

"H-Haru!" Ikaruga spat out in a slight panic in her tone. "I can't! I just can't do this!" She soon declared as she shot up from her seat on the bed.

"I-Ika-chan..." Haru mumbled out in concern.

The usually calm girl then suddenly grabbed the fluffy haired girl by the shoulders and pulled her in close. "I can't let this happen to you!" Ikaruga cried out. "I can't let my first friend be sold off like a whore to a bastard!" She soon declared.

"I-Ika-chan, please get a hold of yourself!" Haru pleaded, trying to pry off the ravenette gently from the shoulders with her hands.

"But I...I..." Ikaruga responded before trailing off as her frantic breaths turned into sobbing, soon breaking the hug and crouching down, unable to look her friend in the eyes out of shame.

"P-Please get up." Haru got out, saddened by her friend's current state.

"H-How can you be so calm about this!? So willing to go along with your father's wishes!?" Ikaruga shouted in anger. "He sees you as nothing more than a bargaining chip, a trophy to be sold off for his own political gain! Why aren't you fighting!?" She then questioned with a furious and frustrated look on her face.

"I...I..." Haru tried to find the words to reply. She hadn't seen her friend like this in years. "I...placed his name on the Phan-site..." She soon revealed.

"YOU CAN'T JUST RELY ON THE PHANTOM THIEVES FOR THIS, HARU!" Ikaruga screamed, stomping her foot on the floor and leaving cracks in her wake. "There's no guarantee they will help! They just got targeted by a hacker who wanted something from your father! And you're putting all your hopes on these...these...so-called heroes of justice!" She then added with the same tone.

"I...I trust them, Ika-chan." Haru confirmed in a serious tone.

Ikaruga's jaw simply dropped. "How!?" She then shrieked. "How are you so sure about this?!"

"Because I-" Haru began before stopping herself. "...I...I know they won't let me down. T-They've helped so many people already, possibly risking life and limb doing so to help people." She soon stated and reminded.

"And what if they can't, or won't help?" Ikaruga soon asked, worryingly.

"They will." The heiress insisted with clenched fists. "The Phantom Thieves always win." Haru then reassured.

"...They are bound to fail one day just like any other person, like me. I have failed at things in my life, you know?" Ikaruga sincerely stated with furrowed brows. "And...I failed you."

Haru widened her eyes at her. "What? No, no, no, you have not failed me." She then tried to assure her to the best of her feelings.

"Then why didn't you tell me about your absurd arranged marriage before?" Ikaruga immediately asked afterwards, her eyes almost on the verge of tears.

"I...I..." Haru began before trailing off.

Ikaruga shook her head, the lack of a real response telling her more. "...I see how it is." She whispered as she looked down at her hands. "Despite my strength...despite my training, despite my bond with you...I'm not good enough to defend you." She then added.

"T-That's not true, Ika-chan!" Haru cried in worry. "It's just..." She then started before trailing off.

"What would Katsuragi-san feel if she knew about me saying these things...?" Ikaruga soon asked. "That she's not good enough, too..." She then added.

"Y-You two are good enough!" Haru declared. "Even Gyū-chan and Bari-chan as well!" She then added.

"Then why don't you trust us to save you?" Ikaruga soon asked.

"I do. I trust you and everyone I know with my life." Haru responded. "It's just...I can't tell you." She hesitantly stated.

"Haru?" Ikaruga got out in concern.

"There's much more going on than you know, but it would be too dangerous for you to know." Haru vaguely responded.

"Haru, I can take whatever secrets you have." Ikaruga promised almost eagerly. "Please...tell me..." She then pleaded.

"...I'm sorry, but...I can't." Haru sadly responded in a guilty manner.

"...I see." Ikaruga responded, seeing the serious expression on the fluffy haired girl's face. "When you're ready, or...you get kidnapped again. You know how to contact me." She responded.

"Ika-chan, wait!" Haru tried to stop her, reaching out to grab her clothes, but it was too late.

WOOSH!

And with that, Ikaruga disappeared, leaving the fluffy haired girl alone where she was.

"Ika-chan..." Haru mumbled in concern and guilt.

She wanted to blame her father for this, for putting them both in this situation, for using their friendship as a stepping stone for his own selfish desires, but deep down she knew she was just as much to blame for this for letting him control her, for not fighting back sooner.

But...that Haru was dead. She had died when she saw her father's cognition of Sugimura.

She was done letting others decide her destiny. It was time to steal back that control.

Haru then pulled out her phone and called the one who would help with that. "Akira-kun...I want a Phantom Thieves meeting. Tomorrow." She soon requested.

"I was hoping you'd say that." The Leader responded, the fluffy haired girl having the feeling he was smirking at that moment.


(Shibuya, Underground Mall)

After dropping off the orangette in her requested location, Miyabi had left to do her own thing.

Despite Miyabi being in Tokyo for over three months, she never really did go out of her way to do something for herself, to have fun, relax, and spend some of the money burning a hole in her pocket, so she headed to the Underground Mall.

Miyabi was currently at Tsurukame Diamond, looking at all the jewelry available. She didn't really want to buy anything from there, but she had nothing better to do outside of training or her job, both of which were over and done with for the day. "Wow, they're so pretty..." She remarked, eyeing the various rings and necklaces held within glass cases.

She especially liked the four rings at the center of it all. The emerald, ruby, sapphire, and amethyst looked so pretty together. If she were to get it, she'd have to buy the entire set.

"Thank you." The clerk responded, causing the white haired woman to jump slightly. "Would you like to try one on? You'd look lovely with a Heart Necklace, I reckon." She then offered and confessed.

"Ah, no, I'm just looking right now." Miyabi responded as she shook her head. "But uh...why are there items like...that? The...Despair Gem?" She then asked in a slightly nervous tone.

"Oh, it's not what you think." The clerk chuckled. "It protects you from despair, not inflicts it. Same with the Rage Gem, Sleep Gem, and Hunger Gem." She then informed.

"Then what does the Heart Ring protect you from?" Miyabi had to ask.

"Virginity." The clerk bluntly yet happily answered.

"...Right." Miyabi deadpanned as she eyed the sold out sign in place of the ring. Someone must be desperate.

In unrelated news, she might need to come back when it was in stock.

"Miyabi-san?" A familiar got out. She turned around to see who it was calling her. Despite her disguise, she could easily tell who it was...not just because of her boobs.

"Hey, Yumi." Miyabi greeted with a short wave. "Why are you here?" She soon asked.

"I was getting that shampoo Asuka-san and Homura-san had in their bathroom since I was running low." Yumi informed as she pulled out a bottle from her school bag. "And you?" She then asked.

"Window shopping." Miyabi responded with a shrug. "Maybe I should've gone to the record store instead. Heh, maybe I'll find your album there." She then added and jokingly suggested.

"U-Um, well...there might be a few there..." Yumi nervously giggled, trying not to eye the Yuki Yumi standee that was currently standing in front of the store with a massive crowd buying her albums.

"Ah, but I could probably get that for free if I drag you to some karaoke." Miyabi pointed out with a sly smile.

"Karaoke isn't free." Yumi reminded with a frown.

"But way cheaper than getting a concert ticket." Miyabi added before blinking. "Huh, it's been a bit since we hung out together." She then remarked.

"It indeed has." Yumi responded. "Do you want to rectify this?" She soon suggested with a smile.

"Well, I'm not exactly busy right now, am I?" Miyabi jokingly responded. "So, what do you want to do first?" She soon asked.

"Hmm..." Yumi hummed in thought. "How about we do some shopping?" She soon suggested.

Miyabi frowned at that. "...I could've suggested that." She deadpanned.

"Yes, but in a store I know you wouldn't often visit." Yumi assured.

"Hm. Color me intrigued." Miyabi admitted with a smile. "And since I just got a pay raise, I can definitely get something for myself there." She then declared as she pulled out her wallet and opened in.

HUMMMMM...!

The two girls could only stare as a moth flew out of Miyabi's depressingly empty wallet. "...I knew I forgot something before going out..." The white haired woman muttered out.

"...Do you want me to pay for everything?" Yumi offered.

"Would you kindly?" Miyabi muttered.

Yumi in response smiled at the request. "Of course, Miyabi-san." She replied as she took the woman's arm and led her to the store she had in mind.

"This is where you want to shop at?" Miyabi asked as she looked at the window of the store as they displayed kimonos of various styles and sizes...none of which looked like they would fit her body type.

"Yes. Now come, we can not choose anything standing out here." Yumi responded.

Miyabi meanwhile did a double take. "Wait, Yumi, you haven't-" She began, however...

"Come along now." Yumi however ordered with a starry look in her eyes as she dragged the white haired woman in.

Miyabi could only let out a sigh as she followed the younger girl into the store and to the dressing room, as along the way Yumi picked out kimonos.

"Yumi, I don't think I need a kimono." Miyabi informed as she was being fitted.

"Nonsense. All proper women need one, Miyabi-san." Yumi countered in an enthusiastic tone as she offered a black kimono lined with dark purple.

"I'm not proper and barely count as a woman." Miyabi got out. "I don't think I'll be using a kimono even if I did have one anyway." She then admitted.

"Miyabi-san, you are a woman." Yumi countered in a more chiding manner with a menacing tone in her voice. "And you should look and feel like one as well." She then stated.

"I have one at home!" Miyabi called out before frowning as she remembered she didn't bring it to Tokyo. "...Although, I don't think that'll be available for a while...whatever, I still feel like this is unnecessary." She then insisted.

"Nonsense. There are plenty of opportunities where one could wear it." Yumi however responded.

"Yeah, in 1940!" Miyabi called out. "Ugh, why couldn't I get a yukata or go to one of those secondhand kimono shops? They're way cheaper than this..." She then grumbled.

"Kimonos are elegant dresses from a more civilized age. Do you want people to think you are a hunk?" Yumi soon questioned with a sigh as she began to rub the bridge of her nose...only to suddenly have her shoulders grabbed.

"D-Don't use that to make a point! You do not know how much of a pain that is! I DON'T WANNA BE A HUNK!" Miyabi panickingly responded as she then began shaking the other girl at a rapid pace. "F-Fine! Y-You made your point! MAKE ME A WOMAN DAMMIT!' She then practically begged.

"M-Miyabi-san...!" Yumi got out, swirls in her eyes as the room began to spin around her.

It was right then that the white haired woman noticed what she was doing. "Oh, sorry." Miyabi awkwardly apologized.

"J-Just return to your fitting..." Yumi instructed in a dazed manner.

"R-Right..." Miyabi awkwardly responded as she did as instructed. "I...apologize for that..." She got out from within the changing room.

"It's fine. The road to elegance is paved in applesauce." Yumi assured in a kind, yet dizzy manner.

Miyabi grimaced at that. "You, uh, you should sit down." She soon advised.

"Hai, Big Bird." Yumi responded before doing as instructed...on the floor.

After a few minutes later, Yumi had recovered enough to actually get a good look at Miyabi as she stepped out of the dressing room.

"Such a bitch to put on..." Miyabi grumbled as she adjusted the various bits on her kimono. "How do I look, though?" She then asked.

"White with lavender purple..." Yumi noted with a smile. "It really brings out your eyes." She then complimented.

"Y-You think so?" Miyabi shyly got out, a blush dusting her cheeks. "W-Well, my militia does mention they glow like gold fireflies at night..." She then recalled.

"Militia?" Yumi repeated with a raised eyebrow.

"It's more accurate." Miyabi sighed out. "S-So, is this a winner?"

"Well, we have a variety of others we need to try out. We simply can't go for the first one that looks good." Yumi pointed out before pulling out her phone to take a picture.

"H-Hey!" Miyabi got out with a blush as the light gray haired girl took the picture.

"It's for comparison later." Yumi informed before shoving another kimono into the woman's arms.

"Well, you could've told me before you did and stop pushing me back into the- ah, I'm not gonna convince you." Miyabi got out before relenting as she disappeared behind the curtain.

"Remember, you wished for assistance for being a woman." Yumi reminded.

"...I am at your command." Miyabi responded in a dutiful manner, already shedding the kimono for the new one.

Over the next hour or so, Miyabi would try out various kimonos Yumi picked out for her. While there were people who gave them odd looks because of how fast the white haired woman changed, they didn't bother them all that much...mostly because they could just stare from afar and enjoy the show.

Eventually, Yumi ran out of kimonos she thought would look good and soon got Miyabi to go through her gallery of photos she took to see what she wanted.

"I think the white one looks the best." Miyabi confessed.

"Hmm...I prefer this one though..." Yumi however got out. "Mostly because the white one clashes with your hair." She then explained.

"But you said it brings out my eyes." Miyabi reminded with a frown. "...Is this because you also wear white in your Tenshin appearance?" She then assumed.

"A-A little." Yumi admitted shamefully. "At least yours fits your body..." She then sighed.

"Hm?" Miyabi hummed in confusion.

"My Tenshin kimono was a gift from my grandfather." Yumi explained with pause.

"Ah, sentimental value, I understand." Miyabi responded with a nod. "But this isn't going to be a Tenshin. You said this was going to be for special occasions, and I don't see you wandering around town in your kimono." She soon stated and reminded.

"I know, but I think-" Yumi tried to argue, however...

"Think. Nothing." Miyabi interrupted, glad that the changing room curtain was hiding her pouting face. "I like the white one the most, so let's get it." She then decided.

"...Alright then." Yumi soon responded with a nod.

"Thank you." Miyabi responded as she went back into the dressing room to change back into her civvies. "...So this is the first step to being treated like a woman." She then quietly noted to herself with a smile and a starry look in her eyes.

A little later, the two went over the counter with the neatly folded white kimono in their hands. "I take it you found something you like?" the woman at the counter assumed in a polite manner.

"Yes. Only this for now, thanks." Miyabi responded as she placed the kimono down.

"Oh, wow. You really picked this one. Are you getting married?" The cashier assumed as she confirmed the purchase.

"What!?" Miyabi exclaimed.

"Oh, no. We're just getting one for when such an occasion arrives." Yumi quickly corrected.

"...Wouldn't you just get a yukata instead?" The cashier pointed out. "And um...is she alright?" She then suddenly asked in concern.

"Huh?" Yumi blinked before turning to see her companion, who had since mentally wandered off into her own little world.

"M-M-Marriage..." Miyabi suddenly and quietly muttered to herself. "I-I'm still young...I'll find someone who can tolerate me...eventually..." She then mumbled, ignoring the fact that her circle of friends only consisted of teenagers, a cat, and Imu.

"Oh young shogun..." Nobunaga meanwhile mentally sighed out at the display.

"...Um, she is...like that sometimes. Self-conscious about femininity." Yumi sheepishly muttered, awkwardly stepping away from the woman. "I'll pay for it." She then offered as she took out her wallet.

The cashier nodded before tapping on the register. "That will be...140,000 yen." soon informed.

"PPPFFFFFFTTTTTT!" Miyabi then snapped out of her trance to react to the price. "What the actual-!?" She began in disbelief, but...

"Very well." Yumi however responded as she handed over the needed amount of money.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! I am not letting you pay for that!" Miyabi however got out as she shook her head.

"Well, I am certainly not putting it back." Yumi stated.

"Fine, let's just split the cost." Miyabi sighed as she pulled out her own wallet...only for another moth to fly out of it. "Oh, right." She muttered before checking inside her wallet for any more moths that decided to take residence in there.

"I was just trying to be nice to you though as a friend." Yumi however stated. "I wasn't even going to request for you to pay me back." She then revealed.

"It's still way too expensive." Miyabi stated before looking down sadly. "Plus...I'm supposed to be the adult here..." She then murmured.

"There is no shame in getting help from others. Even if they are younger than you." Yumi giggled. "Remember, I'm a Good Shinobi. Helping those in need." She then whispered.

"It's not a need though, it's a want." Miyabi grumbled. "...You're not going to talk no for an answer though, aren't you?" She then guessed with a sigh.

"Nope." Yumi bluntly replied with a smile.

"Fine..." Miyabi relented as she pocketed her wallet. "You know, you could've done this for my birthday..." She then pointed out.

"Then that means I need to outdo this gesture then." Yumi declared as she slapped down the money.

"And...that is exact change." The cashier soon got out in surprise. "Do you, uh, carry this money around all the time?" She soon asked in concern.

The duo then looked at each other. "...Let's just say I've had bad experiences with banks." The light gray haired girl confessed.

"Okay..." The cashier soon got out with a raised eyebrow before taking the kimono and putting it in a bag. "Well, have a good day." She then informed as she handed it to the customers.

"To you as well." Yumi responded with a kind smile as the two left. "See? Was that so hard?" She soon asked.

"It wasn't, but I'm gonna make it up to you somehow later down the line." Miyabi assured. "Really just not used to people being good to me..." She then reminded.

"Well, to be honest, you weren't exactly the most pleasant person I met upon our first meeting." Yumi countered. "Glad to see you're fixing that." She then added in amusement.

"Nothing there to fix. I am loyal to my allies." Miyabi pointed out. "You were my enemy before and I'm sorry for my actions back in the pyramid. I should've treated you all better." She then added.

"All is forgiven. We are allies now." Yumi responded in a reassuring manner.

"I guess until we die." The white haired woman added with a shrug. "And who knows how fast that's approaching." Miyabi then muttered under her breath.

"I think you need to be more optimistic though." Yumi remarked. "And...if our ends do fast approach, then let us spend our remaining time enjoying the life we have." She then stated.

"Really embracing your grandfather's teachings." Miyabi noted. "...Do you still want to go to karaoke?" She soon asked.

"Of course." Yumi responded with a smile. "I am interested in hearing you sing." She soon confessed.

To that, Miyabi blushed pink. "I-I'm not so great." She stammered out. "I-I mean, I'm not tone deaf, but-" She then began

"Come on." Yumi giggled out, interrupting the woman as she grabbed her wrist. "Those worries will melt away as soon as you're on the mic." She then assured.

"Says the idol that had stage fright for her first concert." Miyabi reminded with a wry smile.

"...I have nothing to counter that, but still, let's sing until the sun sets!" Yumi declared as she dragged the woman out of the Underground Mall to Central Street.


(Yongen-Jaya, Leblanc Attic)

"You sure you don't need me?" Morgana asked once again as the Leader set up his crafting desk for the laptop repair.

"Morgana, I'm not going to die repairing a laptop." Akira insisted. "I even got one of those anti-static bracelets just in case." He then informed, raising her arm to show it to the little guy.

The not cat looked closer at the thing around the Leader's wrist. "...That's just one of those silicone bracelets you'd get from concerts." Morgana however pointed out before narrowing his eyes. "...And it has a link to something. What the heck is a meats pin?" He soon asked.

"...Son of a bitch..." Akira grumbled as he cursed. "Whatever, I'll be fine anyhow, and I need to focus on this without distractions. One slip-up could ruin the laptop entirely." He then warned.

"If you say so." Morgana acknowledged with a sigh. "I'll be around the neighborhood if you need me." He then informed.

"I'll be sure to call out for you to come back." Akira replied. "Now have fun. And don't stay out too late." He then instructed.

"You sound like Chief." Morgana noted.

"I would proudly follow in his footsteps." Akira responded with a smile.

In response, the not cat nodded. "Well alright then, I'll see ya later." Morgana replied.

"See ya!" Akira responded with a wave as the not cat leapt out the window.


(Backstreets)

Landing four of his feet, Morgana looked up at the window he just leapt out of and let out a sigh.

"I just hope Akira doesn't get into trouble..." Morgana mumbled as he wandered down the alleys of Leblanc. "But knowing him, he'll somehow get into more without even trying. The guy is a serious magnet for trouble." He then got out.

Seriously, with all the shinobi, Phantom Thieves duties, schoolwork, hangouts, work, and hobbies he has, he was surprised he hasn't collapsed and got himself hospitalized for exhaustion.

Or being beaten to a pulp. That was becoming a more likely scenario with each passing day. And that's if he was lucky.

"If I wasn't around, he'd probably be up all night, every night, doing stuff." Morgana assumed. "Like making more lockpick than he needs, or reading, watching movies...or finally fu-" He then began listing off before pausing.

There was no way he was going to allow their Leader to get into that kind of situation. Especially when dealing with the obvious fact that he had multiple girls after him that was somehow growing.

Besides, he'd smell the aftermath for weeks.

"Mementos..." The faux feline suddenly sighed out. "What's really at the bottom of it?" He then wondered.

As more time passed, he really began having doubts he'd find his lost memories down there. It was an assumption, a guess, just to give himself a goal.

But even so, there were so many questions.

What was his real name?

How old was he?

Did he have parents who missed him?

Was he a Phantom Thief before losing his memories?

Why the hell was he in the form of a cat to begin with!?

So many questions, and the back of his mind, he knew that he might not find them all down there. Giving up was an option, but that would be at the cost of his friends' work.

There was no reason to find the bottom, they could just conduct their work on the upper floors and be fine, but they worked on such a goal because of him. Something that could take years to complete at best...

"Stop it, Morgana." The not cat muttered to himself. "You can't doubt yourself anymore. It won't be good for the team. So get that pity hairball out of your mouth and-" He then started.

However, Morgana's train of thought is derailed by a smell unlike any other hitting his nostrils...

The scent...it was alluring...heavenly...

"This is..." Morgana mumbled as his eyes lit up like fireworks while simultaneously drooling. "High quality fish!" The not cat excitedly exclaimed as he ran towards the source of the smell as he ran past the doctor's clinic and towards the source of the tantalizing fish...


(Tokyo Mirage Apartment Complex Backstreets)

Morgana followed his nose for a while before he began to hear the sounds of other cats- er, I mean, fellow...fish lovers(?) meowing. He soon turned a corner to see the cat surrounding a girl as she set down several small plates of fish of the highest quality. "Whoa! How generous!" He got out in awe before using his superior speed to appear in front of the girl, eagerly awaiting his serving.

"More and more happy cats. So cute..." The brunette sitting amidst the group of felines murmured with a somehow visible smile that was very small for others to see.

And soon enough, Morgana himself was eating the fish. "So good..." He breathed out between bites.

"Yosh yosh, little kitties..." The brunette breathed out. "Maki Gasai is here...for all of you..." She then informed in a gentle tone. She then winced as she rubbed her shoulders.

"Hm?" Morgana hummed out as he then looked up at the girl that treated him to the high quality fish. She seemed rather nice, even if she had an odd aura coming from her. The most noticeable thing at first glance is the brunette's 97cm boobs that seem ill-fitting for her body, where had only seen such a thing on- "Asuka and...Is she a...oh shit!" Morgana began before swearing in a panic.

"Shh. It's okay." Maki cooed out as noticed the not cat's distress.

"H-Hold on, wait I-" Morgana began before...

SMOOSH!

Being picked up and embraced in a gentle hug.

"So soft..." The not cat mumbled in a dazed and pleased manner.

Maki meanwhile smiled softly as she heard the satisfied purring as she rubbed the not cat's head. "...Such a dashing little cat." The brunette noted affectionately.

Morgana meanwhile just kept purring in a satisfied manner. "So soft and so gentle~" The faux feline purred out. It was like all of his worries were melting away...

"Feeling calmer now?" The brunette asked with a small smile on her face.

"Meeeeeow~" Morgana meowed out as he instinctively rubbed his head in a cat-like manner.

Maki giggled at the sound of that. "Don't worry. I'll give all of you my love and caring attention." The brunette reassured the other cats.

Morgana meanwhile continued purring in satisfaction as he was being petted. "Maki Gasai huh..." He thought to himself. "I'll have to warn the others about this potential shinobi right on our doorstep." The not cat mentally added.

At that moment though...

"Attending to the cats again, Maki?" A new voice assumed.

"Hai, good to see you Hyōki~!" Maki contently replied.

This in turn got the not cat's attention as he noticed the yellow eyed ravenette approaching them, recalling the description from the dyed blond's text about her. "So that's the girl Ryuji mentioned." Morgana thought. "...Huh, her eyes are Shadow-like..." He then noted.

"To you as well." Hyōki responded. "Doing well?" She then assumed.

"Apart from some shoulder and back pain, pretty good." The brunette replied.

That in turn made Morgana curious. "Shoulder and back pains?" He repeated, glad the girls at the moment could only hear meowing from him.

"You really need to at least do more exercise than you usually do." The ravenette deadpanned.

"I'm...aware. The others have noted that I'm...putting on a bit of weight in recent months..." Maki responded and admitted as she poked her stomach, which jiggled a bit as a result.

"Trying to get rid of all the forced training you went through making sweets and eating I assume?" Hyōki soon assumed as the brunette winced.

"No...it was abuse...plain and simple." The brunette darkly replied, her insides getting tense.

That in turn got Morgana's attention once more. "An abuse victim?" He assumed to himself in a serious tone as he narrowed his eyes.

"Listen, Maki...me, you and the others. We have to stick with each other as the family none of us had." Hyōki replied as she rested her hand on the brunette's shoulder.

"...I know..." Maki breathed out with a sigh while more cats gathered around her.

"I may as well rub the pain reliever cream on you while I'm here. Because family helps each other out." The ravenette replied.

"Thanks, Leader." Maki responded in a grateful manner.

"Leader..." Morgana thought. "...The fourteen year old is the Leader of this group!?" The not cat exclaimed.

"This handsome one is quite chatty compared to the others." Hyōki noted. "I'm going to apply the cream now." The ravenette added.

Maki meanwhile nodded and sighed to that as she began stripping off her top.

"WHA!?" Morgana gawked out at the action.

BOING!

"Your bra broke again, didn't it?" Hyōki noted.

"Yeah..." Maki groaned.

"This has happened before!?" Morgana meanwhile exclaimed in a panic.

"...They just can't seem to last more than a few days...holding these in..." The brunette complained as the ravenette rubbed her back.

Morgana meanwhile was in a state of shock as he was unable to struggle at the feel of the massive rack resting on his back. "H-How the heck do I get myself into these situations!? I'm a gentleman, dammit!" He thought in a panic.

"Hopefully you can get them reduced once you've had your remaining growth spurts." Hyōki replied.

"Curse those Big Bang Burgers all those years ago...I didn't even want to be a shinobi..." Maki mumbled, getting the not cat's attention. "...Still not the worst thing I had to endure daily..." The brunette sourly added.

"Her family knows about the issue with Big Bang Burger..." Morgana got out in concern. "Wait...forced to become a shinobi?" He then added.

"If only your aunt hadn't decided to give you that burger on a whim..." Hyōki replied. "But then you wouldn't have met me and the others." The ravenette added.

"...I guess that's true..." Maki conceded. "In any case, Hyōki, you wanna...pet the cute kitties as well?..." The brunette soon asked.

"Let me just put the lid back on the bottle and wipe my hands first." Hyōki replied.

"Hmm...forced to become shinobis." Morgana meanwhile muttered to himself. "Looks like this is an interesting group..." He then added.

The ravenette quickly yet thoroughly wiped her hands after screwing the bottle lid on.

"I better stay a little longer so I can learn more about these two..." Morgana soon decided as the brunette began petting him again after she got her top back on, going straight for a certain spot that caused him to jolt for a moment before relaxing again. "Meeeeeeow~" He mewled out in a satisfied moment once more.

"Although...I kinda wished I could've gone to an actual school..." Maki quietly murmured.

"Maybe someday in the future Maki." Hyōki responded as she began petting the cats as well. "And that will require a lot of work given your condition." She then added.

"I know..." Maki breathed out. "But for now...fur babies." The brunette soon stated as she continued cuddling the not cat.

"Indeed. We should bring the others in the future." Hyōki replied.

To that, the brunette nodded.

"M-Mrrrow~!" Morgana exclaimed.

"...Such a good girl you are..." Maki cooed out.

"Mmm." Hyōki hummed out in agreement.

"Mrow...Meow...~" The not cat murmured as the brunette doted on him, blissfully unaware of the gender he was referred to as.

With that, he stayed with the girl for the rest of the day, only leaving when the sun had long set.


(Rooftops)

Three people stood on top of a building, watching the people bustling through the streets. The one in the middle wore a large white cloak that mostly covered her whole body except her face which was only covered by the cloak's hood. Her face showed that she had thick black hair and a pale white face. Alongside her were two young women with similar long silver hair standing on either side of her, both of them sporting different outfits.

The first one had a deep dark purple and black suit composed of a short vest over a black and dark purple corset made from a cotton knit with gold bias down the front, black and dark purple long sleeves on her vest, with black losange plates, a dark purple colored and black lined feathery designed waist cape held by a gold belt, and long slimming dark purple pants on top of dark purple boots.

Meanwhile, the other one had a gold and black suit composed of a white vest and a yellow jacket, both sleeveless, with a black apron on top of them, both in front and behind her, yellow sleeves detached from her vest, with black losange plates, and long yellow pants-things on top of yellow boots.

"This so-called group who named the Phantom Thieves really caught the public's attention nowadays." The one with the white cloak started, gazing at the innocent-looking civilians walking below them. "Everywhere we go, there's always things about the Phantom Thieves coming out of their ignorant mouths." She then stated.

"Should we try to investigate this Phantom Thieves group, Fubuki-sama?" The girl in black suggested to the white-cloaked woman. "The reports we've been collecting have been mentioning them more and more with each passing day." She then informed and recalled.

"Of course, Senkō." Fubuki replied, having a sense of interest in her tone. "They may be of use to our mission one day." She then stated.

"How exactly, Fubuki-sama?" The other, similar-looking in gold soon asked in a curious manner.

"Changes of heart have proven to be rather effective, Gekkō." Fubuki explained. "And one of the most important tools of shinobi is their secrecy, and given how all their victims willing confess their crimes..." She then started.

"...They would reveal to the world the existence of shinobi." The sisters got out in realization.

"One of many possible uses of their ability." Fubuki concluded with a nod of confirmation.

"The Phantom Thieves of Hearts...I have to admit, I do appreciate their justice." Senkō admitted with a hand on her hip. "It is the one Kurokage-sama was striving to achieve before his passing, and their activities are still active as of now." She soon stated.

"I couldn't agree more, Senkō-chan." Gekkō replied as she smiled with a nod. "If only we could meet them face to face." She then added, with a propped elbow with her other free arm and a finger on her chin.

"Do not be hasty, you two." Fubuki suddenly reminded sternly. "Remember, there is still the realm of possibility that the group consists of shinobi that have potentially gone rogue." She soon warned.

"But changing hearts...how is that even possible?" Senkō wondered out loud.

"It is your duty to answer that question, Senkō." Fubuki responded in a curt manner.

"Oh. Of course, Fubuki-sama." Senkō got out in an apologetic tone.

"And you should accompany your sister as well in searching for those answers, Senkō." Fubuki soon assumed. "Whatever their methods are, be it blackmail or mind control, we must not allow them to become threats to us. Their power may not be worth our lives." She then stated.

"Hai, Fubuki-sama." Senkō and Gekkō both responded in sync.

"Now if you two could stop with the small talk, we could- Gggh!" Fubuki began to order the sisters when she doubled over all of a sudden, crouching down slowly to the ground like she was in sudden pain.

"Fubuki-sama!" The two gray-haired half-sisters cried as they rushed towards their stumbled master.

"Are you alright, Fubuki-sama?" Senkō asked in haste, patting a hand on her master's back.

"I am fine, Senkō, Gekkō." Fubuki reassured her fellow subordinates as she steadily got up from the sudden stumble. "I can still fight even the best the shinobi can throw at me." She then breathed out.

"But...after what happened to Rasetsu-sama..." Gekkō got out in concern, however...

"Enough." Senkō immediately cut her off, aiming her narrowed eyes at her for a second. "She isn't even dead, just sealed herself away to heal." She then reminded sternly.

"Shouldn't Fubuki-sama be doing that as well?" Senko questioned in concern.

"I said I am fine." Fubuki insisted in growing annoyance. "I know that both of you are worried about my health and I admit, I hate feeling this weakened. But even so, our mission is of most importance. We must not stray away from the task." She then stated and reminded.

"Hai." The sister dutifully responded with a nod before they all began overlooking the city once again.

At that moment though, Gekkō noticed a billboard showing a cute-looking and gray-haired girl with short hair and wearing what seemed to be an idol's outfit. The outfit consists of a checkered plaid navy blue top with snow white frills that showed off her stomach, fingerless white gloves on her hands, a skirt of the same color and heeled boots that went up to her knees.

"Senkō-chan...does that girl look familiar to you?" Gekkō suddenly started to ask.

"Hm? Where is it?" Senkō responded.

"There. That billboard with the light blue background." Gekkō responded.

Senkō glanced at the billboard pointed by her sister. "That's an idol, Gekkō. You've probably seen her somewhere else in the city." She responded, sounding like it didn't have to matter regarding their situation.

"I don't know, though." Gekkō muttered with a frown. "There's just something about her...Fubuki-sama, do you know who that is?" She soon asked, turning to their leader.

Fubuki took a deep breath to calm herself. "Gekkō-san, allow me to say this in the most polite way I can muster currently: I do not care for anything related to an industry that is just as corrupt as the...the...huh?" She soon informed, only to trail off once she actually looked at the billboard and blinked a couple of times.

"Fubuki-sama?" Gekkō got out, noticing the faltering of her master's words.

"Y...Yumi?" Fubuki however suddenly got out with widened eyes.

"Eh?..." Gekkō got out in slight puzzlement.

"Just as corrupt as the Yumi? Is that a new clan we have to destroy?" Senkō assumed.

Fubuki however just stared at the billboard in silence and in a matter of disbelief.

"Fubuki-sama...is something the matter?" Gekkō soon asked.

"Yumi..." Fubuki finally spoke up. "That...is Yumi..." She soon stated.

"Yumi?" Senko repeated with a raised eyebrow. "What Yumi?" She then pressed.

"The Yumi from your school, Gessen Academy." Fubuki revealed with a serious tone. "...My cousin..." She whispered, barely able to be heard.

It was that moment that the two silver-haired sisters froze at that reply before they whipped their heads towards the billboard.

"Yuki...Yumi?" Fubuki read out the words below the idol figure of the billboard picture.

"..." Senkō's eyes soon widened as she fully took in and recognized who it was. "W-What kind of ridiculousness is this?!" She questioned in disbelief.

"Y-Yumi-san!? Her?!" Gekkō exclaimed. "What is happening? How is she on that billboard? W-When did she become an idol!?" She soon asked.

"Has she- Has she given up her shinobi duties!?" Senkō exclaimed in disbelief. "Given up on Kurokage-sama!?" She then added.

"That's impossible! Yumi-san would never give up on Kurokage-sama." Gekkō spat out in denial. "He's her grandfather, and no doubt that his beliefs and teaching are passed onto her as well, like me and Senkō-chan." She then added.

"There has to be more to this..." Fubuki soon stated. "Reports were stated that she had to go undercover for a mission in Tokyo." She then recalled.

"But that has to relate to the incidents, right?" Senkō soon reminded the others. "How is that supposed to relate to the incidents!?" She then called out as she pointed at the billboard and Yumi's (increasingly insulting, in her eyes) smile.

"...A cover job to throw people off?" Gekkō soon suggested.

"Most likely..." Fubuki muttered. "I have to admit, of all the cover jobs she chooses to take part of, Yumi decided something that focuses on public attention. Unnecessary public attention." She then admitted. "No one would ever suspect an idol to be a shinobi." She soon stated.

"...I can't tell if that's smart or suicidal." Senkō got out, though she still couldn't believe her fellow Gessen schoolmate was having a very unique job outside her shinobi duties...if she was still committed to Kurokage.

"Both, probably." Gekkō responded. "She's walking on a really fine line here. Not sure if I'm supposed to be impressed by it." She then admitted.

"Well...what she is doing isn't important. The mission matters more." Fubuki responded. However, the two did notice a slightly worried look flash across her face.

"Well, it wouldn't hurt to see if Yumi has information we could use." Senko pointed out. "You've met prior. Maybe it would be a good idea to use that bond to our advantage." She soon suggested.

"And it would be a good excuse to catch up–gngh!" Gekko suggested, only to get elbowed by her sister, cutting her off.

Fubuki gave the sisters a flat look before letting out a long-suffering sigh. "We shall see." She muttered as she returned to observing the city.

"I wonder who made her outfit, though." Gekkō offhandedly stated, feeling a bit curious. "It looks great on her, actually." She then added with a smile of approval.

"Gekkō-neesan...seriously?" Senkō sighed out.

"Sorry. Just took an interest in her outfit." Gekkō apologized.

Her half-sister however sighed as the three prepared to head out.


(9/23, Evening)

(Sakamoto Residence, Ryuji's Room)

Meanwhile, the dyed blond was playing video games in his room, having done...stuff throughout his day. "Come on, come on, come on...dammit..." Ryuji breathed to himself in annoyance, trying to win a battle in Mortal Kombat X...and failing.

FLAWLESS VICTORY! FATALITY!

"Dammit...online play suuuucks..." Ryuji groaned as he put the controller down. He's had enough of watching Johnny Cage being turned into mush for one night.

The dyed blond then began to let his mind wander on other things. Schoolwork...Phantom Thief stuff...shinobis...shitty adults...Kamoshida...Katsu-chan...

...Until he then remembered the girl he met at the gym, and how he exchanged numbers with her.

"Huh...Hyōki...should I try and text her?" Ryuji began to ask himself as he pulled out his phone and stared at it. "Might as well do it, I guess..." He soon decided as he started typing his first text to her.

[Shut7heFUp: Hello? Hyōki, are you there?]

[LeopardPrincess: Ha. Good evening, Ryuji-san.]

[Shut7heFUp: Just Ryuji's good.]

[LeopardPrincess: Right, my apologies.]

[LeopardPrincess: Habit at best.]

[Shut7heFUp: Ah it's no big deal.]

(...)

(...)

(...)

[Shut7heFUp: Uh...Hyōki? You still there?]

[LeopardPrincess: Sorry. My friend here suddenly suggested giving you a reward for protecting me from those perverts in the gym...and for helping me out.]

[Shut7heFUp: Uh...what?]

[LeopardPrincess: No need to delve into it, Ryuji.]

[Shut7heFUP: . .Does it involve a sexy photo or something?]

(...)

[Shut7heFUp: Just guessing, sorry.]

[LeopardPrincess: Are you disgusted?]

[Shut7heFUp: Nah, just have a friend who also deals with that kind of stuff on a daily basis.]

(...)

[LeopardPrincess:...Is that supposed to be a joke?]

[Shut7heFUp: Wish I could convince you or somethin', but no...it's actually a thing for my friend.]

[LeopardPrincess: I find it hard to believe that, but if you claim that, then fine. I'll stay away from that friend of yours.]

[LeopardPrincess: Still, are you actually secretly disgusted?]

[Shut7heFUp: Hell no I'm not!]

[Shut7heFUp: And as for my bro, he couldn't help it. He's actually a good guy, I promise.

[LeopardPrincess: So he unintentionally charms other girls by being nice to them. Noted.]

[Shut7heFUp: It wouldn't hurt to get to know him, though.]

[LeopardPrincess: I'll be the judge of that if I ever meet this friend of yours.]

[Shut7heFUp: Well...I could give you his contact number if you want.]

[LeopardPrincess: No need. I don't want to confuse him with an unknown contact he hasn't met before.]

[Shut7heFUp: Okay, I get it.]

(...)

(...)

[Shut7heFUp: Uh? Hyōki? Did your friend suggest something to you again?]

[LeopardPrincess: In any case...I better give you your reward.]

[Shut7heFUp:...Wait what?]

[LeopardPrincess has uploaded an image: "For your eyes only"]

"HOLY SHIT!" Ryuji yelped out at the sight of the image, blushing crimson as a result.

The photo being sent to him looked as though someone else was taking the picture, where the ravenette lying on a bed with her hands behind her head and her legs spread out while wearing black cat themed bra and panties with fake furry paws attached to her hands. She also had a slight frown on her face while facing the camera.

[Shut7heFUp: Whoa! What the hell Hyōki!? You didn't need to send me something like that!]

[LeopardPrincess: Sorry, my friend keeps pestering me to give you a reward or something for 'being a gentleman' she said.

[Shut7heFUp: Dude! You're only fourteen! You should never let others convince you to do shit like that!]

(...)

[LeopardPrincess: My friend here says you really are a good young man.]

[LeopardPrincess: Thank you for being concerned about me like that.]

[Shut7heFUp: Uh...you're welcome?]

[LeopardPrincess: Still, keep the photo. Don't let anyone see it.]

[Shut7heFUp: Huh!?]

[LeopardPrincess: And don't send it to anyone, too. To our next conversation soon.]

"...Dude, is this what Akira deals with thanks to Haruka?" Ryuji eventually asked himself as he looked at his phone screen, still trying to process everything. "...And who the hell would tell her to do somethin' like that!?' He then asked in an angered tone.

Welp! Time to get rid of the anger with more Mortal Kombat!


(Yongen-Jaya, Tokyo Mirage Apartment Complex)

Meanwhile, the young fourteen year old ravenette glared at the amused pinkette with a puffed up cheek. "Why the hell did you make me share that with Ryuji again?" Hyōki bluntly asked, her cheeks pink as she removed the fake furry paws off her hands.

To that, Miki giggled in amusement. "It was a test to see if he was as much of a gentleman as you had kept mentioning since yesterday." She answered. "And, he passed. Otherwise, he could be just like any other disgusting man and needed to be put down." She then casually concluded with a decent smile.

Hyōki pondered as she looked at her pink-haired companion. "...It would have been a lot worse if we put him down. Good thing he's not like any of the others." She responded with a nod of agreement.

"True, you have been talking about him a lot since you got back from that gym yesterday." Reki recalled as the other Senki Shu girls minus the ravenette nodded in agreement.

"Look, it's just...I just met him randomly at the gym, and I almost thought he was trying to ask me out or something like that like every perverted man in this country."

"Then what about you also talking about him in your sleep?" Yuki suddenly pointed out with a teasing grin.

"It would be interesting if you suddenly got a crush on the guy." Miki then teased as well afterwards.

"...Excuse me? I will cut you both for making false-" Hyōki began in an angered tone as she summoned her lazer sword, however...

Yuki however then took out her phone and pressed the play button.

"Oh...oh...ooooooooh...~ Aaaaaah~ Right there~ Ryuji-kun~ Right in my growler~!" A very familiar voice moaned while wet-sounding smacks were heard in the background.

Hyoki's insides were frozen shut in shock as soon as he heard that recording.

"...That explains the wet-spot on the bed this morning..." Reki soon recalled, blinking.

"...Damn..." Maki simply got out, blinking to this revelation.

Hyōki's jaw meanwhile dropped for a few seconds before gritting her teeth and growled in anger, her face completely red while her body was shivering. "E-Ever heard of privacy, you dumb idiots!?" She loudly exclaimed while flailing her arms in a childish manner.

"If it's something as interesting as this, then we couldn't help ourselves." Miki snickered with a grin.

"H-Hey! I'm the leader of this group, remember!? And you gotta respect my authority!" Hyōki however exclaimed and demanded as her teammates giggled in response. "MOH!" She then whined in a more childish manner with a pout on her face as she headed for the bedroom. "Good! Night!" She soon declared as she closed the door behind her.

To that, the other Senki Shu girls blinked at seeing how their Leader reacted...before softly laughing with one another.

"My, I have never seen Hyōki-san like that before." Miki confessed with a hand on her hip.

"Well...clearly a decent-sounding young guy did this to her..." Maki stated as well. "...Definitely better than any of the guys we all dealt with in the past..." She then added.

"Hyōki mentioned he was a Kamoshida victim when the asshole was at Shujin, so that might be part of the reason." Yuki recalled.

"Oh god!" Miki got out in disgust.

"Not that type of victim." Yuki deadpanned. "Hyōki-chi noticed he had a limp when he walked, so Kamoshida probably broke his leg." She then revealed.

"And still got away with it for so long?" Maki assumed with a raised eyebrow. "Wow, I'm kinda glad that egg-shaped principal guy is dead then because he most likely let that happen just for the school reputation." She then added.

"He must've been through a lot." Miki soon deducted in a sympathetic manner...before suddenly smiling. "Do you think I could send a picture of myself to that Ryuji boy too?" She soon asked with a smile. "A nude pic would be even better." She then added.

"We've rarely interacted with men in general, in fact, none at all." Yuki pointed out. "That's...actually an interesting thing for our group." She then admitted.

"Miki being an exception since she's a top model..." Maki reminded. "...And the men she interacted with at her agency are trustworthy enough for her to continue her model career." She then added.

"You have a point." Yuki responded with a nod.

"Traveling the world is an experience at times." Miki admitted. "And luckily, our agency manager is a decent one. A bit overeager and strict at times, but he means well." She then added.

"Back to important matters, all the Yōma are now dying out for real." Yuki started as she pocketed her phone. "Reki-chii, how are you feeling?" She soon asked.

"A bit winded, but I can manage." Reki breathed out. "Guess those clinic visits are helpful, to say the least." She then confessed as she looked at her hands.

"And the bath house baths, too." Yuki added with a grin. "Always the perfect pain and stress reliever." She soon stated. "Cheap too!" She then happily added.

"You said it." Miki proudly agreed. "Ugh, I really needed those after going home from my agency." She then groaned with a deep sigh at the end.

"...What happened, Miki?" Maki decided to ask.

"Nothing. It's just that all I want is Asuka-chan to myself and no one else and that Ranze should be fired out of a cannon and into Mt. Fuji for just how much of a super dum-dum jerk head she is!" Miki rambled in a whiny manner while flailing her arms in a childish manner. "Moh! I want Asuka-chan! Not that bitch Ranze!" She then added.

"...Mt. Fuji?" Maki repeated.

"You're right. She should be fired into a less respectful mountain." Miki got out. "Or maybe into a volcano." She then added as the other girls sweatdropped.

"Don't catch too much attention to yourself, alright, Miki?" Reki responded.

Miki soon blinked at realizing her current state and calmed down. "Right. I know..." She sighed out. "Ranze is just so full of herself it isn't even funny..." She then revealed.

"Narcissism is a powerful thing." Yuki stated. "It can do wonderful things sometimes and push them to greatness, but it's usually terrible things." She then added.

"And how she has a girlfriend is beyond me..." Miki then revealed with another sigh.

"Maybe it's one of those 'I can fix her' type deals." Maki assumed with a shrug.

"True, Ranze does become more level-headed when her girlfriend's around." Miki admitted. "But who cares. I just want her away for me, and especially away from Asuka-chan." She then concluded.

"I'm sensing you really care for this girl." Reki soon noted.

Miki closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "...I do." She admitted with a smile.

"No, like...more than caring." Reki corrected before gasping. "Is it possible you may have an Asuka compl-" She soon began.

"I'm leaving." Miki deadpanned as she headed for her own room.

"You haven't denied it!" Reki called out.

"SHUT UP!" The pinkette responded before shutting her door.

SLAM!

"...Sooooo is that a yes or a no?" Yuki soon asked.

"Perhaps." Reki answered, which only confused the blonde even more.

Meanwhile in her bedroom, Hyōki was laying down while hugging a pillow in a frustrated manner with the same pout on her face.

The nerve of her group members!

But...still, most of them have never interacted with men mostly due to their ulterior motives. The fact that she made an actual male acquaintance is quite something to remember by.

...Even so, what she said in that recording...

"Dammit, Miki..." Hyōki grumbled softly as she hugged the pillow tighter, blushing all the while as her head was slightly steaming in embarrassment.

That Ryuji person was just simply a mere young man. A nice young man with decent behavior, at least.

...One that might already have a girlfriend...

...Wait, where did that come from? Why was she even thinking about something like that? How asinine! How pointless! How...worrying...

Still, he seemed concerned for her due to that image, but...

...

...

As for other matters, she couldn't believe all the Yōma were now slowly dying out. Using their power to decimate the shinobi world would be almost impossible to achieve for her and her team.

Whatever happens, she and her companions must find a way to complete their goals...even if it means taking sacrifices.

...She just hoped the dyed blond wouldn't get brought into the crossfire as a result though...


(Yongen-Jaya, Bath House)

"Ahh...this hits the spot." Akira breathed out in relief as he submerged his naked body onto the hot baths of the bathhouse.

After a hard day's work of repairing a laptop (and getting a minor shock), doing and finishing some homework, and spending way too much time buying stuff from the shady web, it was nice to end his day at the baths where he could be alone with his thoughts.

He could try to do some heat resistance training in the baths by putting some more hot water in it. There was no one else around in the baths with him to complain after all.

Ah yes, it was a good day.

...

...

...

Oh shit, Haru's request for a meeting.

Akira soon flicked his free hand and summoned his phone out of nowhere like a shinobi before starting to text his fellow Phantom Thieves for an important announcement.

[TheWildJ0ker: Attention, all Phantom Thieves.]

[TheWildJ0ker: There will be a Phantom Thieves meeting tomorrow, per Haru's request.]

[TheWildJ0ker: Thank you, and please prepare yourselves.]

"And sent..." Akira thought to himself as he turned it off. "Aw, dammit, my screen's getting foggy..." He grumbled as he made his phone vanish from his hand.

It was at that moment that the sound of a sliding door opening echoed in the baths, catching the boy's attention.

"Hm?" Akira hummed out, hearing the sound of someone else coming into the bath.

"Good evening, darling~" A familiar female voice spoke up.

To that, Akira glanced towards where the voice came from and noticed someone entering the doors of the men's side.

"...Haruka?" The young boy casually got out as he noticed the beautiful-looking blonde, noting the lack of curls in her hair. She also wore nothing except a damp towel wrapped around her body, covering her decency. "...She looks good without the curls..." He mentally had to admit.

"Looks like you're alone here on the men's side." Haruka stated, glancing around the men's baths. "Perfect~" She then cooed out.

"There's a women's side, you know." Akira however reminded.

"Yes I know, but I noticed you entering the baths as well, and there were no other people at the women's side." Haruka then pointed out.

"So you got lonely." Akira simplified. "Did the cashier catch you sneaking in?" He then assumed.

"Nope. I actually persuaded him to allow me in. Natural charm and all." Haruka proudly revealed.

To that, Akira sighed but also couldn't help but chuckle in amusement. "Shouldn't have expected anything less from the seduction mistress." He jokingly remarked.

In response, the blonde giggled in amusement. "Ufufu~ Wish there was a secret mixed bath area in this bath house." Haruka hoped dreamily as she strutted over to the boy in a sensual manner. "It would make things oh so much easier~" She then added...before clutching the edge of her towel and unwrapping it open, revealing her nude body to the young male Shujin student.

Akira blushed with a sigh before smiling, noticing the blonde's nude form. "There's those J-Cup breasts I'm looking for from you." He then stated as he stood up from the bath waters with a splash, revealing his own wet nude body as well to her.

"And there are those cheese grater abs I wanted to see~" Haruka playfully responded, seeing and keeping her eyes the nude boy standing alone in the baths.

"Cheese grater?" Akira jokingly repeated with a chuckle, unphased by the response while recalling when the Student Council President of Shujin made a similar comment back in the pyramid Palace when driving to it. "What made you describe them like that?" He then casually asked.

To that, Haruka slightly blushed a bit while running a free hand through her straightened-down hair. "Well, um...I guess it just came to my mind." She awkwardly responded.

"I see." Akira replied as he gained an amused look. "Then how do you describe my special place down there, then?" He then asked her with a simple smirk.

Haruka froze for a moment, registering the boy's question. "Your special place?" She began...before trailing her eyes down towards his special package. "Um...well...how should I describe that...it's like a...a...thick sausage, I think?" She thoroughly described, albeit without thinking much.

"You just made that on the spot, didn't you?" The nude young boy commented, hearing that.

"W-Well, the question itself was on the spot and all..." Haruka mumbled with a pouty look on her face.

"Heh. Anyway, thanks for coming." Akira chuckled and replied. "I needed the stimulation." He then remarked as he ran his hands down through his sturdy and lean chest and abs, like he was sexually teasing her.

"Oh~ How very lewd of you~" Haruka remarked as she began approaching the boy. "Still, from the looks of it, you needed the company here in the bath." She then added as she entered the baths.

"I liked being alone here, Haruka. Helps me sort out my thoughts and everything I plan to do in future days." Akira had to admit before smiling. "But...since you're here...I'll guess I'll accept your company." He then replied.

Haruka was now in front of him as she stopped just inches near the boy. "Great. I can imagine other nude and sexy women taking a bath with you as well." She then replied...before hugging him, finally pressing her J-Cup breasts against the boy's lean and sturdy chest.

SMOOSH!

"Mmm...big boobs..." Akira thought to himself while keeping his usual expression towards the seductive blonde. "You know, I blame you for making me act and behave like this. All the seduction, the teasing, the nudity..." He then got out and continued as they sat themselves down in the bath side by side.

"You mean more resilient, right~?" Haruka playfully corrected, slowly running a finger up and down his chest and abs.

"That's part of it, yeah." Akira had to admit, enjoying the feeling. "Before I came here to Tokyo, I've never had such an experience like this, casually seeing naked girls by chance and experiencing nudity more often." He then explained.

"Well, you do have a natural aura that attracts others to you." Haruka confessed in an honest manner.

"Yeah, but I didn't expect some lewd and sexual side effects along with it, if you know what I mean." Akira had to admit in a vague manner.

"You mean like with those hang-outs we have together?" Haruka assumed with a smirk.

"And maybe even the other female friends that I have met since the first day of school." Akira replied with a nod. "But yeah, those ones we have as well." He then added.

"Guess you should be grateful towards me for giving you such experiences, then." Haruka replied. "In so many ways~" She then cooed out in a seductive manner...before leaning her head in and kissed the boy's cheek.

"I mean, you made me feel more open to certain feelings." Akira then reminded. Man, Ryuji's gonna be so jealous of him if and when he finds out about this...probably beat him up to a pulp, even.

"Oh~ Seems like I've awakened something within you~" Haruka cooed out the assumption.

"Maybe." Akira had to admit. "But unlike that PE teacher of ours, I can learn how to control it." He then added.

"I could do something about him if you want," Haruka soon offered. "Like...sneaking the potion into his food~" She then suggested in a devious manner.

To that, Akira couldn't help but snort in amusement at the idea. "No need, Haruka." He responded. "We don't want the public to freak out about a sudden transformation incident inside the penitentiary. Besides, his name's been heard by a lot of people already." He then explained and pointed out.

"Aw~" Haruka responded with a playful pout.

Akira in turn chuckled to that response. "Now now, no need to pout. Maybe you'll have your time to do that in the future to someone who deserves it." He replied.

"I'll leave that to you then, darling." Haruka responded.

In response, Akira nodded with a smile. "Still...what's the occasion for coming? Didn't you mention you were going to go back to your own apartment for a while?" He soon asked and recalled.

"No occasion really." Haruka truthfully revealed. "Had a long day of work at Takemi's and happened to notice you going into the bathhouse." She then explained.

"Taking a break, I see." Akira simplified.

"Exactly." Haruka replied as she nodded. "Still researching the cancer cure and all as well as having a new regular." She then revealed.

"You know, you don't have to push yourself." Akira reminded in concern. "Changing the world with something like this will take time." He then added.

To that, Haruka sighed. "I know, I know." She responded. "Come to think of it, I haven't seen that young girl in a while. The one with a sick grandfather. I hope she is alright." She then recalled and confessed in concern.

"I'm sure you'll see her again." Akira reassured as he placed a hand on her bare shoulder and began rubbing it.

Haruka nodded with a decent smile. "I hope I do too." She soon confessed in a softer and concerned tone.

Akira merely smiled before seeing the girl resting her head on his shoulder. "Of course..." He muttered.

Haruka soon gave off a coy smile. "Did I ever mention to you that I like taking photos?" She suddenly revealed. "Pictures of my friends in underwear, any outfits I made them wear...even naked." She then listed off.

"Was that the reason why you sent me all those pictures when I first rejected your advances?" Akira assumed.

"That's part of it. I like keeping memories." Haruka responded and revealed. "By the way...you're growing down there." She teasingly revealed.

Akira went silent for a second before glancing down and feeling something from underneath the bath waters. "...Please don't try anything." He soon requested as he looked at her.

"I won't, darling..." Haruka responded. "Well...maybe a picture would be nice." She then muttered in a seducing tone.

"..." Akira in response gave a deadpan expression before sighing. "You know what...fine. Just a picture." He soon responded.

"Maybe next time, darling." Haruka however told him. "When we get to do this thing again. I left my camera at my apartment." She then added in revealed.

"So for now, just relaxing and talking?" Akira assumed, getting a nod in response from the blonde, causing him to smile. "I can accept that." He responded.

Haruka made a small giggle in response as she relaxed herself in the hot water while hugging the boy once more in a gentle manner.

"How's Tsumuji-san, by the way?" Akira eventually asked. "Still willing to be a maid?" He then assumed.

"...Hai." Haruka awkwardly responded as the two continued talking to one another for quite a long time.


(Train Station)

Ryōna was on a bench with her luggage at her feet, tapping her heel on the ground as she waited for her train to arrive. She had been there for an hour already, having come much earlier than she reasonably should.

"Okay, Ryōna, all you have to do is convince your sister to toss away years of planning and murderous thoughts so your crush doesn't get caught in the crossfire of revenge." The masochist whispered to herself. "Yeah, easy. Keep telling yourself that and it will eventually come true, Ryōna. Oh no, Ryōna is talking in third person..." She then muttered under her breath as she pulled out her phone and saw all the missed calls from her sister.

Ryōna was many things, but a coward she was not. So why wasn't she-

"Oi! Ryōna!" A familiar voice called out, catching the blonde off guard.

Coming up from behind her was her twin, wearing a black and red zebra strip-like top that didn't cover her stomach with a jean-like jacket over it with buttoned pockets on the chest area and cuffs on the sleeves, a red, white and black plaid skirt (that surprisingly showed off her shapely hips) and white knee high socks with brown loafers.

"R-Ryōbi-chan!?" Ryōna exclaimed. "I thought we were gonna meet up at school to talk." She then got out as she began to sweat a little.

"Can't really discuss anything there. Too much risk." Ryōbi responded as she shook her head.

"Wait, shouldn't you have been on the train I'm supposed to go on?" Ryōna soon realized and questioned.

"Took an earlier one so we had more time to talk." Ryōbi explained. "I would've called you to meet up, but you weren't answering." She then got out with a glare.

"I-I was busy." Ryōna muttered. Crap, she was planning to prepare what to say on the way back. "Have you gotten everything I sent you?" She then asked.

"Yep." Her sister responded with a nod, finding no issues with her report. The brunette soon looked around, spotting a camera and frowned. "Let's find somewhere private to talk. Come on." She then instructed.

"Hai." Ryōna nodded to that before the two disappeared.

WOOSH! WOOSH!

The twins reappeared at the end of the platform, a blind spot where the only things there were a vending machine and someone's forgotten bag.

"Alright." The brunette breathed out. "This should be safe. Now, any new info about Miyabi I should know?" She then asked.

"...No...just..." The busty blonde twin replied before letting out a sigh. "You understand I love you, right?" She soon asked.

"Yes. I love you too, Ryōna, no matter how annoying you can be." Ryōbi assured as she rolled her eyes. "Why are you even telling me this?" She then asked in confusion.

"...Just..." Ryōna began, but found herself trailing off as she realized she didn't quite have it in her to finish her sentence.

"Ryōna, Miyabi won't kill me." Ryōbi stated with confidence. "She was barely walking when she left. If she isn't dead now, I'll be there to finish her off." She soon responded and reassured.

"But-" Ryōna started.

"But nothing." Ryōbi interrupted as she patted her sister on the back. "I'll call you once Miyabi is dead, okay?" She then informed as she went to walk out of the station.

"Y-Yeah..." Ryōna whispered with a small nod, which caused her sister to stop.

"...You're hesitating." Ryōbi suddenly noted with a frown.

"N-No I'm not." Ryōna stammered out in a slight panic. "J-Just thinking about the celebration spanking you'll give me~" She got out with a false smile.

"Ryōna..." Ryōbi growled as she began to realize what was going on. "We've talked about this already. Miyabi needs to die." She stated and reminded.

"Well...what if she doesn't need to?" Ryōna got out in a hesitant manner, wincing as the words exited her mouth.

Ryōbi raised an eyebrow. "...Excuse me?" She asked.

"W-Well, she could, you know...live with the guilt?" Ryōna suggested in a nervous manner.

"Guilt? Guilt!?" Ryōbi repeated in rising anger. "She doesn't feel guilty at all, you dumb pig! Are you forgetting that Ryōki died like a dog!? The only time I will let her live is when I shoot enough fucking holes into her that she needs to be breathing through a fucking straw for the rest of her pathetic existence!" She then shouted out.

"Then what happens after!?" Ryōna called out.

"We can deal with that later!" Ryōbi scoffed before narrowing her eyes at her sister. "...Ok, what the hell happened to you? You've never talked like this before." She soon asked.

"N-Nothing. I just realized revenge isn't the answer." Ryōna answered truthfully, turning her head away.

Ryōbi narrowed her eyes even further. She was hiding something. "That's what everything and everyone teaches you, but people keep doing it anyway!" She then pointed out, jabbing a finger into her sister's chest fat.

Ryōna bit back a curse before pressing forward. "If we kill her, we'll just stoop to her level!" She then claimed.

"Dumb lesson. Never made sense." Ryōbi waved off. "Any other excuses?" She then questioned.

Ryōna stepped back, feeling both verbally and physically on the back foot. "...It won't be satisfying...?" She then got out in a weak tone.

"...I'm going to find Akira and get him to reveal where Miyabi lives now." Ryōbi deadpanned before attempting to go on her way, only for her sister to run in front of her and block her way. "Ryōna, get out of the way." She soon ordered.

"I...I won't let you!" Ryōna declared as she stood her ground.

This however confused Ryōbi. "What are you doing? A-Are you protecting him?" The brunette questioned.

To her surprise though, the masochist shook her head without hesitation. "I won't let you hurt him, Ryōbi-chan!" Ryōna stated as she went into a battle stance.

"Huh?" Ryōbi got out in confusion. "I'm not gonna hurt him...too much. I won't kill him at least." She then assured.

"Not good enough!" Ryōna declared as she summoned her quad pistols into her hands.

"Ryōna!" Ryōbi called out in shock. "This is not the time! And why the hell are you protecting a civilian!?" She soon demanded.

"You wouldn't understand." Ryōna however responded, avoiding a real answer.

"I'm your twin sister! We've been together all our lives! There's no way I wouldn't understand you!" Ryōbi countered.

"You don't know shit about me..." Ryōna however grumbled under her breath.

"What are you-?" Ryōbi began before it hit her. "...Waaaait a minute. Ryōna...t-there's no way that-" She then got out with widening eyes.

"Ryōbi-chan, I can-" Ryōna tried to say, however...

"-You turned fucking Akira into your master or something!?" Ryōbi concluded in annoyance. "God, do you have to drag everyone into your stupid fucking shit?" She grumbled.

"N-No! I did not do that!" Ryoōa exclaimed. "I-I could never do that to him!" She then insisted before realizing what she was saying.

"Huh? But you did that at Gessen, you did that at Hebijo! Two weeks before we left you poisoned your own lunch to give you cramps and shared it with me! You are shameless enough to get off anywhere with anyone!" Ryōbi responded and reminded as she listed off everything. "What? Did you fall in love with him or something?" She sarcastically assumed.

The blonde immediately in response blushed scarlet. "W-What? N-No! I'm not in love with him or anything! I'm just thinking about our future children together: Ren, Ryōki, Ryōka, and Ryōba!" Ryōna insisted before her eyes widened.

SHATTER!

"...That came out wrong." Ryōna soon mumbled with a pale face. Curse those pure-minded impulses slipping out!

"WHAT!?" Ryōbi exclaimed, looking genuinely freaked out.

"L-Look, I can explain-" Ryōna got out as she waved her arms around in an attempt to defend herself/buy enough time to make up an excuse.

"You've known him for two days! TWO FUCKING DAYS!" Ryōbi shouted as she shoved her hand with two raised fingers into her sister's face. "How the hell did you fall for him so fast!?" She then asked in disbelief.

"He...He...He is everything I want a friend to be! Someone who wants the best for me instead of just...tolerating me." Ryōna explained in a passionate tone. "I...I wanna take it slow first...and then go fast...then slow again." She then added under her breath, blushing pink as a result.

"Fuck that! I'm gonna kill him!" Ryōbi declared, summoning her rifle to her side before shoving her sister out of her way.

However the blonde was having none of that. "DON'T YOU DARE, BITCH!" Ryōna demanded.

Ryōbi's eyes however widened to that. "...What? Did...Did you just call me that?" She then got out in confusion.

Seeing that there was no going back now, the masochist doubled down on her stance. "I won't let you touch him!" Ryōna called out. "E-Even if I have to break every bone in your body!" She then threatened.

"..." Ryōbi's eyes meanwhile widened to that as she looked at the furious expression on her twin sister's face. "Is...Is she standing up to me? How the hell is that even a thing!?" She thought to herself. "Holy shit...he made you stupider than before..." She suddenly got out in disbelief.

"No, he opened my eyes." Ryōna breathed out. "So, here's what's going to happen. We are both going back and...and...try to transfer back to Gessen." She soon ordered in a dead serious tone, but finished weakly as she realized how unlikely that was.

"...It's too late for that, Ryōna. You know that." Ryōbi pointed out in a serious tone.

"Well, I have no idea what else to do!" Ryōna called out in frustration. "But we've already sacrificed too much already, I won't let you sacrifice our last chance to walk away!" She then declared.

"...God, this Kurusu jackass must've gotten you off or something..." Ryōbi assumed.

"He is not a jackass you bitch!" Ryōna shouted out as she stomped her feet with fury.

To that, the brunette became slightly surprised at her twin insulting her before glaring even harder. "Keep calling me a bitch and I'll just make him a bigger bitch!" Ryōbi warned as the twins moved in even closer, causing their chests to press together.

"You're not making him your bitch, you dumb bitch!" Ryōna soon insulted.

The brunette's eye immediately twitched to that. "Shut up, stupid bitch!" Ryōbi countered.

"Cunt bitch!" The blonde responded as she glared at her younger twin as she raised her gun.

"Weak-minded bitch!" The brunette once more countered as she raised her own.

"BITCH!" The twins shouted out in unison, glaring and growling at each other as they pressed the barrels of the weapons at their foreheads.

Eventually, one of them had to give in or give up. "...Gah! Fine!" Ryōbi suddenly got out, throwing her hands up in the air as her rifle vanished. "I won't kill anyone...yet." She then added.

"At! All!" Ryōna demanded, readying her guns once more.

"Fine fine, jeez..." Ryōbi groaned as she rolled her eyes. "But I still want to at least talk to Kurusu." She then stated.

"No." The blonde immediately responded.

The brunette immediately sweatdropped to her twin's new stubbornness and defiance towards her. "I won't fucking hurt him." She insisted. "And I won't tell him about your...feelings towards him." She then assured.

"I still don't trust you, you sadist." Ryōna responded. "I'm coming with you." She then stated.

"But if you don't leave now, Hebijo will hunt you down...or activate the stupid shitty kill switch on us." Ryōbi reminded with a glare. "You need to head back unless you want a painless death." She then ordered.

The blonde flinched and hesitated which made her sister worry for a second. "...You won't hurt him." Ryōna soon ordered in a quiet tone.

"I won't. Promise." Ryōbi sighed.

Ryōna still paused to think before nodding. "...Okay." She finally relented.

"...Still weird to see you act like this but..." The brunette admitted before smirking. "It's an improvement." She then added.

"That's because you won't accept me for who I am." Ryōna got out in a bitter tone, turning away from her sister. "He does." She then added.

"..." Ryōbi was struck silent by this. She never heard her sister sound so...bitter about that before. She was honestly curious as to what she was talking about. "Ryōna..." She soon started.

"Don't. Talk to him first, then we'll see where we stand." Ryōna interrupted and insisted.

"God, it sounds like you're sending me to a therapist." The brunette grumbled. "...Did you imagine having a wedding with him or something?" Ryōbi soon asked.

The blonde in response immediately blushed.

Ryōbi facepalmed. "God, I was joking..." She grumbled in annoyance.

Suddenly, they heard the speaker turn on. "Now arriving on Platform 4, the 10:00 PM train. Please stand clear." It soon announced.

"That's your train." Ryōbi breathed out as she then saw her twin's glare towards her. "Ryōna, I won't do anything to him...unless he wants it. Or asks for it. Or-" She then began listing off, but the blonde wasn't having any of it.

"Stop." Ryōna interrupted, scowling at her sister. "Maybe he'll open your eyes too." She then added.

"Doubt that." Ryōbi scoffed. "Besides, you wanna risk causing me to fall for him too?" She jokingly asked.

Ryōna paused...before tears began to well up in eyes and she let out a whimper with big watery eyes.

"...Yep, definitely made you dumber." Ryōbi deadpanned just as the train stopped at the platform. "Now go." She then ordered as she pushed her sister towards the train.

The sadist decided not to mention that she was fully willing to lie or defend herself...or just break the promise outright if she had to. She really did have to meet the boy himself to see what exactly he did to his twin.

Ryōna nodded before heading for it. While she was still worried that her twin would do something to her crush, she had no choice but to hope that nothing would happen and maybe she'll let go of this pointless crusade. She knew deep down Miyabi deserved some sort of punishment but...did the world got to her first, or will they have to find some other way to enforce their justice? Only time will tell.

At that moment though, the blonde realized something else. "Huh...I stood up to Ryōbi-chan...and it felt good..." She thought to herself while feeling proud. "Oh, if she ever deals any payback for that, I think it might...hehehehehe~" She then mentally added with a different kind of perverted giggle.

However, just as Ryōna stepped onto the train, she noticed someone on crutches exiting the train at the same time. "Eh? Isn't that...? Should she be traveling?" She mumbled as she then shrugged her shoulders. It wasn't her place to judge.

With that, she found a seat and sat down, letting out a breath as she did. She looked out the window and saw the girl in crutches once again just as the doors to the train shut. "Heeeeeh...That girl looks like Imu." She casually remarked before closing her eyes, eager to get some sleep before arriving at Hebijo.

...

...

...

Wait.

Oh shit! No!

As the train left (with Ryōna fearfully and hopelessly banging her fists on the doors before several people pinned her down to stop her), Imu adjusted her outfit and her grip on her crutches.

"I might need to visit Haruka before I see Miyabi..." Imu muttered as she looked down.

She was wearing a yellow dress with a white collar with a black ribbon around her neck in the form of an ascot and shiny black mary jane shoes with white socks. She still had bandages underneath her clothes, but it was much better than going around the city in a full body cast and a wheelchair.

Imu let out a breath as she looked up at the tall buildings of Tokyo. "Alright, Akira Kurusu, you better give me some damn answers." She then muttered to herself before going on ahead towards the bustling area of Tokyo and finding her target.

The bastard that charmed her sister...


Save Game…Quit!


Asuka/Yin's Social Stats:

Leadership- Paragon (Level 5)

Knowledge- Sage (Level 5)

Proficiency- Transcendent (Level 5)

Diligence- Rock Solid (Level 5)

Courage- Heroic (Level 5)

Homura/Yang's Development Stats:

Maturity- Adult (Level 4) → Sagacious (Level 5)

Knowledge- Sage (Level 5)

Femininity- Natural (Level 4)

Elegance- Yamato Nadeshiko (Level 5)

Understanding- Saintly (Level 5)

Whew! Done! You think there were too many developments in this chapter? There were more, but they're being saved for later chapters. Anyways, again, next chapter is the Okumura takedown. Will it be the start of the fall of the Phantom Thieves, or will the shinobi be able to prevent a dark future? Find out when the Okumura Palace reaches its climax!

UknownHero signing off, my friends!