A/N: Welcome back…is what I'm looking forward to hearing Mitsuru-senpai say when Persona 3 Reload comes out in a few months. Who else out there besides me has already bitten the bullet and pre-ordered the Collector's Edition? In other Persona fandom news, Persona 5 Tactica is coming out next week. Super excited for that as well. In case you couldn't already tell, I love the Phantom Thieves.

Now onto story-related matters. I'm still not done writing the first Palace's full exploration, but seeing as it's already been three months since my last update, and how this is a pretty long chapter as is, I've decided to split it up. This chapter contains everything up to 4/15 when I plan for the group to go back to exploring, so it contains the exploration for the first few train cars as well as some more Confidant and real world scenes. There are a few new characters in this chapter and some familiar faces as well.

Hopefully, it won't be that much longer until the rest of the exploration is out, but after that's finished the final two chapters of the arc which contain the sending of the Calling Card, stealing the Treasure, and the aftermath of doing so should come out sooner than these chapters. Because while I was suffering from writer's block in writing the Palace scenes, I was using that down time to work on the Calling Card scenes, so I already have a head start on that. I haven't written anything down for the boss fight yet, but I already know how I want it to play out so that's a start too.

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this new chapter. Remember to review, favorite, and follow as well. Also if you have any questions feel free to PM me. I can try to give non-spoilery answers.

Disclaimer: I do not own Persona.

Chapter VI: Thieves on a Train

Monday, 4/11 20XX, After School

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Days Until Skyrailway Grand Opening: 20.

The Phantom Thieves teleported themselves back into the Metaverse and found themselves face-to-face with the familiar sight of Shinohara's Palace. They were back in front of the old, abandoned Ogikubo Station and saw that no one was around. They were also back in their Phantom Thief costumes. "Looks like we're back," said Seiko.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Kodaka asked. "Let's head back to that Safe Room we used last time and explore the rest of the train."

Clover raised up her hands/paws and stopped Kodaka in his tracks. "Hold on. Before we charge in, there are a few things we should address. First of all, since we're going to be communicating as a team from now on, it's probably best that we use code names to talk to one another."

"Code names?" Seiko repeated in confusion.

Clover began to explain her reasoning. "So far we've been using our real names here, but that might cause trouble down the road for us. The real Shinohara isn't aware of what's going on inside his Palace. He most likely doesn't even know that he has a Palace. But we can also affect the real world by doing things here. For example, changing Shinohara's heart by stealing his Treasure and erasing his Palace. That's a big example, but there are smaller instances as well. The more we invade Shinohara's Palace, the more he will get wary of us. This wariness can make his real self react too. So what do you think would happen if he keeps hearing the names of the people who are invading his Palace?"

"..." Seiko thought about it for a second. "I see your point. We're technically in Shinohara's subconscious now. If he heard our names enough times, they would eventually reach his real self. He might even go out of his way to find us and kill us."

"Exactly. In order to avoid all of that, it's probably best that we stay as anonymous as possible. We already have masks and disguises, but we should have code names to hide our identities as well. Plus, code names are just cool to use," Clover replied.

Kodaka sighed. "You had me until that last part, but if it helps protect us then I'm not going to dispute it."

"Great. I already have the perfect code name for Seiko-chan too. Angel," said Clover.

"Angel?" Seiko repeated the code name.

"Actually, I have to agree. Considering the motif of your costume, plus your weapon, Angel is the perfect code name," said Kodaka.

"Really? Angel?" Seiko replied with an added sigh. "Don't you think that's too on the nose?"

"Not at all. It's perfect. It's almost like your rebellious will was designed around that code name," Clover replied.

"I feel like you're oversimplifying it," Seiko replied. "In that case, I get to pick out your code name too, Teach."

"Huh? Why can't my code name just be Teach? You already call me that anyway," Clover replied.

"That's my nickname for you, but Kodaka doesn't call you that. I don't really expect anyone else to either. You need a name that reflects you too. Hmm." Seiko thought about it for a second, and then it came to her. "I've got it. From now on, you're Trick."

"Trick?" Clover repeated the code name.

"Short for 'magic trick' or 'tricky'. I think it suits you," Seiko replied.

"Trick, huh? Yes. I can see that. And it's a code name bestowed onto me by my darling protégé as well. I love it," Clover replied. Then she looked up at Kodaka. "Then that just leaves…"

"Vendetta," said Kodaka, cutting Clover off.

"Huh?" Clover replied.

Kodaka's expression turned serious. "Vendetta. That's my code name. The reason I became a Phantom Thief is to get revenge on my uncle for what he did to all of those innocent people. Mikado, Kiyomi, Yamaguchi-san, and everyone else that he has hurt. I won't stop until they are all avenged," he explained.

Seiko matched Kodaka's expression. "I understand. Vendetta it is."

Clover nodded. "Alright. Now that we have our new code names, there's one more piece of business before we get back to work. We're going to need to elect a leader. Every group needs a leader, Phantom Thieves are no different. The leader will decide what operations we undertake, when we carry them out, and how we proceed with them. They'll also be in charge of issuing commands to the rest of the group during exploration and any resistance we may encounter."

"Well the leader should obviously be you, Trick. You know the most about the Metaverse and being a Phantom Thief out of all of us," said Seiko.

"Really? Because I think it should be you, Angel," Clover replied.

"M-Me? You think I should be the leader?" Seiko replied in surprise.

"You've only been a Phantom Thief for a little over a week and yet you've shown remarkable growth and insight. My tutelage has of course attributed to that, but the rest is all you. I have no doubt that you will only continue to thrive as a Phantom Thief, so I'm nominating you for the position of leader," Clover replied.

"I think you'd make a good leader too, Angel. I'm all for it," Kodaka added.

Seiko sighed again. "You guys aren't really giving me any choice in the matter. Fine. I'll be the leader, but remember that this is just a temporary thing."

Clover nodded. "Great. Then it's settled. From now on we are Angel, Trick, and Vendetta, the new Phantom Thieves of Hearts."

"Okay. Let's move out," said Seiko. The group used the Metaverse Navigator to return to the last Safe Room they visited. They were finally back on the train.

Monday, 4/11 20XX, After School

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Days Until Skyrailway Grand Opening: 20.

The Phantom Thieves exited the Safe Room, and found themselves back inside the Luggage/Storage car. "This place looks the same," said Seiko. Seiko saw that the luggage that Kodaka had knocked down to the floor a few days before was still there as well.

"I don't sense any guards around. It looks like the heat has died down since our last visit," Clover replied. Clover hopped over the pile of luggage and made her way to the front of the car, and then she peered out the door. She grunted, and then she ran back to speak to the others. "Bad news. The buff Shadow guarding the Coach Passenger Cabin car is still there. We're going to need to find another way to get into that car."

"Well there's tons of luggage in here. Why don't we make some noise by toppling some over, getting it to leave its post to investigate?" Kodaka replied.

Clover shook her head. "I'm not sure that would work. Judging by the state of things here, it looks like the guards don't patrol here unless absolutely necessary. Plus, if we make a lot of noise in here, we might attract more guards besides just that one."

"Then we need to find another way past that guard. Hmm." Seiko began to think to herself. She looked around the large train car and studied everything inside of it. Then she spied a hatch at the top of the train car. "...! Up there. An emergency exit hatch."

"We could definitely use that to get to the roof of the train car," Kodaka replied. "That's weird though. I don't think old locomotives had those."

"It's probably because this is supposed to be the train for the Skyrailway. When Trick and I got on board the train the last time, we had to go past a set of speed gates too. There were even automatic sensors. I think it's safe to say that this train acts like a modern one even if it looks old-timey," Seiko explained.

Clover nodded. "That sounds about right. A Palace can twist reality as the Ruler sees fit, but there's always a basis to the insanity. This train makes use of the railing for Shinohara's Skyrailway as well, so the pieces seem to fit."

"Then I guess we shouldn't question it. The only problem is that the train is currently in motion. It's going to be rough slipping out of there," Kodaka replied.

"That sounds perfect. Every train robbery needs a good action sequence on top of the train," Clover replied. Clover hopped up onto one of the smaller luggage towers, and then she made her way up to the emergency exit hatch by hopping on other larger luggage towers. But when she reached the hatch, she found herself blocked. Clover tried to turn the handle and open the hatch. "It's no good. It's sealed shut."

"The train itself must be keeping them sealed. It's probably a security feature," Kodaka guessed.

Seiko sighed. "Well so much for that idea."

"I wouldn't give up just yet, Angel. If the emergency exit hatch is being sealed shut by an outside source, then there must be a way to unseal it. We just need to cut off the power to it. Then we should be able to open it easily," said Clover.

"There might be an external power source nearby that's drawing power from the train. If we could find it, I bet I could shut it off," said Kodaka. "That is if it works the same way that it does in reality."

"Then I think it's time for another Phantom Thief Lesson. Phantom Thief Lesson No. 4: The Phantom's Third Eye," said Clover.

"Third Eye?" Seiko repeated.

Clover nodded. "Yes, the Phantom's Third Eye is another innate ability that all Phantom Thieves possess. All you need to do is concentrate on a specific point, and then you will be able to see the inner machinations of a Palace. Using the Third Eye, you can see through security flaws, follow tracks, identify valuables, and much more. Think of it like a sort of super insight."

"And you think by doing this, we'll find the power source keeping the emergency exit hatch shut?" Kodaka replied.

Clover nodded. "Correct. Now go ahead and give it a try, Angel."

Seiko nodded. "Okay." Then she began to concentrate on the emergency exit hatch. She blocked out all other distractions and focused solely on the hatch. Then she saw it. "...!" It was almost as if she could see through the roof. She saw a highlighted bundle of wires that went from the hatch and down to the back of the train car. Seiko followed the wires with her eyes, until they landed on an area towards the back of the train car. "I see it! This is incredible!"

"Really?" Kodaka replied. He concentrated on the hatch too, and was able to see the wires as well. "You're right! I see it too!"

Clover had done the same with her own eyes. "There seems to be an external power source near the back of the car. Can you guys check it out?"

"Got it. Come on, Vendetta," said Seiko. Then she and Kodaka approached the back of the car, and then they moved several pieces of luggage out of the way. Then they found a device on the back wall of the car that somewhat resembled a circuit breaker. "We found it!" Seiko called back to Clover. Then she looked at Kodaka. "Do you think you can shut it off?"

Kodaka stared at the device. "If I'm right, then all I need to do is…" He opened the device and flipped a switch.

"Hey! I heard a click! I think it worked!" Clover exclaimed.

Seiko sweatdropped. "Wow. That was anticlimactic."

"My uncle was never really good with this kind of technology. It makes sense that his security measures would be this simplistic," Kodaka replied. "Oddly enough, he could tell you how a train worked inside and out. Anyway, now we can leave. Shall we?"

Seiko sighed. "Sure. Let's go." Seiko and Kodaka made their way back to Clover, and then they followed up after her and went through the emergency exit hatch.

Monday, 4/11 20XX, After School

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Days Until Skyrailway Grand Opening: 20.

"...! Wh-What the hell?!" Seiko exclaimed. After she poked her head out of the emergency exit hatch, she was surprised to see a very unexpected landscape. There was dirt and dust as far as the eye could see. A cloudless blue sky stretched out before her. The sun was scorching and brutal. Large rock formations and cactuses sped past her. There was no doubt about it. The train was traveling through a desert. Seiko slowly pulled herself up out of the emergency exit hatch and then balanced herself on top of the train. She got a better look at her surroundings. She could see several ruined buildings in the distance that had sunken into the desert. They looked like the same kind of buildings that you would find in Tokyo.

Kodaka and Clover joined Seiko on the roof of the train car. They took in the sights as well. "O-Okay. I think I get what you were talking about now, Trick," said Kodaka. "So this is the true power of a Palace."

Clover nodded. "Yep. Even though a Palace mirrors reality, keep in mind, this isn't reality."

Seiko looked at Kodaka. "I think it's safe to say that your uncle is obsessed with the American Old West."

Kodaka sighed. "That doesn't surprise me. I remember that he used to tell me all about how the birth of the railroads shaped the world. Apparently, there were quite a few trains and railroads constructed before they came to the Old West, but that period romanticized them."

"Interesting factoid," Seiko said in a sarcastic tone.

Kodaka sighed again. "My uncle really loves trains."

"Guys! Check this out!" Clover exclaimed. Seiko and Kodaka turned back to see what Clover was looking at. Then they spied a large billow of odd sparkly smoke coming from the front of the train. The smokestack on the locomotive was billowing out the smoke as a loud train whistle echoed through the air.

"Check out what exactly?" Seiko asked.

"The smoke. Don't you guys see it?" Clover replied.

"The smoke? Yeah, I guess it does look kind of odd, but isn't that just another weird Palace thing?" Kodaka replied.

Clover shook her head. "No. That smoke isn't smoke. It's the Treasure!"

"...! The Treasure?!" Seiko exclaimed in disbelief. "How can that stuff be the Treasure?"

"I didn't tell you guys about this yet?" Clover replied. "Well, okay then. Allow me to explain now." Clover folded her arms and began to explain things. "As you already know, a Treasure is essentially a Palace's core. When it's taken, the Palace will crumble and eventually be erased. As the Palace's core, the Treasure represents the desire that twisted the Ruler's heart in the first place. The Treasure can take the form of anything that the Ruler deems fit, but because of their cognition, it won't appear in a physical form right away. Instead it appears as a formless, sparkly cloud."

"I see, and I take it that this smoke is the cloud you speak of?" Kodaka replied.

Clover nodded. "Correct. That smoke is definitely part of the Treasure's essence, so the source must be at the front of the train, in the locomotive."

"If that's the case, then we found it. All we need to do now is reach it. We should be able to get there by using the roof," said Seiko.

"..." Clover's expression turned pensive.

"Something wrong, Trick?" Seiko asked.

"Doesn't this seem a little too easy? The Treasure is in our sights right off the bat? Usually it would be harder to get to than this," Clover replied.

"You think it could be a trap?" Kodaka asked.

"I don't know," Clover replied.

"..." Seiko silently walked forward, and then she jumped over to the next train car. "I'll go first then. I'll make my way to the front of the train, and scope it out. If the coast looks clear, I'll signal you guys." Then Seiko ran across the train car, and then she jumped over to the next one. She did this a few more times, until she reached the sparkling smoke that the Treasure was giving off. The smoke billowed all around her and she was slowly consumed by it. "Ugh!" Seiko began coughing and hacking. Then she tried holding her breath and wading through the smoke to get to the other side. The smoke enveloped everything around her, and blocked out the sky. She began to tread carefully, making sure not to accidentally lose her balance and fall off the train. It took a minute for her to realize that she didn't seem to be going anywhere.

'Where the hell is the front of the train?!' she inwardly exclaimed as she continued to hold her breath and shield her eyes. 'No. Actually, why am I not out of the smoke yet? It couldn't have traveled this far.' She kept walking, until finally she was able to breathe fresh air again. She took in a deep breath, and then she opened her eyes. "Finally! Okay guys! I made…!" Seiko's eyes widened when she saw that her teammates had suddenly appeared in front of her. "What the…?!"

"...!?" Clover and Kodaka looked just as confused as Seiko.

"..." Seiko turned back behind her and saw that she was now at the back of the roof of the Luggage/Storage train car where she had started. She turned back to her teammates. "What just happened?!"

Clover sighed. "I knew this seemed too easy. The Palace must have some kind of hidden security measure to keep intruders from accessing the Treasure. We probably need to use a specific entrance to get there."

"So what just happened to Angel is because of the Palace's design?" Kodaka replied.

"If I had to hazard a guess. We probably should've expected this. If we kept trying to get to the locomotive like that, the same thing would most likely happen each and every time," Clover replied. "We have no choice. We're going to have to thoroughly explore the train to find the route to the Treasure."

Seiko sighed. "Oh well. That was our plan from the beginning. Let's head to the next train car and investigate there." Seiko and the other Thieves jumped two train cars over, and then they tried to enter through the emergency exit hatch there. Only to find it sealed shut just like the last one."

"Great. This one's probably being sealed shut by another one of those devices, but we can't disable it unless we're inside the car," said Kodaka.

"Don't give up. There must be another way to proceed. Look around," said Clover. At her behest, Seiko and Kodaka searched the train car. Although there wasn't that much to see from the roof.

"Wait a second," Seiko muttered to herself. She could hear voices. They were faint, but there was no doubt there were people in the train car below her feet. "Right. This is the Coach Passenger Cabin car, which means…" Seiko crouched down, and then she hung her head off the side of the train. There she saw a bunch of windows, and one of them just so happened to be open. Seiko positioned herself over the open window, and then she hung her head off the side of the train again. She was able to look inside the window and saw that it belonged to one of the passenger cabins on the train. The cabin was currently empty. "Bingo!" Seiko raised her head back up and called out to her teammates. "I found a way in!"

"You've got to be kidding," Kodaka groaned.

Clover snickered mischievously. "She's thinking more like a Phantom Thief with each passing day." Despite Kodaka's protests, the Thieves were able to easily enter the Coach Passenger Cabin train car using Seiko's shortcut.

Monday, 4/11 20XX, After School

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Days Until Skyrailway Grand Opening: 20.

The Phantom Thieves entered the Coach Passenger Cabin train car through the open window. The cabin was small and seemed to have multiple passengers staying inside it, judging by the amount of carry-on luggage inside of it. When the group was all inside the empty cabin, Seiko opened the door and peered outside. The train car appeared to be made up of a large carpeted hallway that had many adjoining cabins on either side of it. Gaudy lamps and art decorated the walls. The only people who seemed to be around were Cognitive Beings that looked like passengers. The group appeared to be near the front of the train car, as Seiko could see the big door that the buff Shadow was guardining from the other side. "I don't see any Shadows. I think it's safe," said Seiko. She and the other Thieves exited the cabin and proceeded quietly through the hall.

Kodaka looked around at the passengers. They were all minding their own business, and not paying the Thieves any attention at all. "They really aren't suspicious of us, huh?"

"Cognitive Beings are only designed to act certain ways in a Palace. They don't pay attention to intruders unless a Ruler wills them to serve a specific purpose. Mostly, they're just on auto-pilot. The Shadows are the ones we need to watch out for," Clover explained. Clover stopped dead in her tracks. "Like that one right there." Clover pointed to a Shadow who seemed to be patrolling the hallway up ahead. "Quick. Hide." The Thieves used their quick reflexes to duck into a nearby empty cabin.

"What now? Back to the roof?" Seiko replied.

Clover shook her head. "No. If we keep avoiding the Shadows, we'll never get anywhere. There's only one, and it's on the weaker side. I say we fight our way through. It's time for Phantom Thief Lesson No. 5: Ambushing Shadows. While you can pick a fight with Shadows out in the open, the best method for getting the upper hand on them is to sneak up on them and ambush them. While their guard is down, we strike and destroy them."

"Okay. So how do we do that?" Seiko asked.

"Simple. We hide, and then when we see an opening, we pounce on them. Rip the masks off their face and they will reveal their true forms. This leaves them vulnerable to attack. Let's try it out. Wait for that Shadow to pass by, and then pounce on it and rip its mask off," Clover replied.

"Got it," Seiko replied.

The group waited for the Shadow to pass by their hiding spot, and then Seiko pounced on it. "Show me your true form!" She ripped off the Shadow's mask with a swift, fluid motion. Then the Shadow writhed in pain and agony, before bursting and revealing its true form.

The Shadow split apart into two blobs, and then the blobs morphed into a pair of green horse-like monsters. These Shadows were known as Kelpies. They stared the group down, but appeared hesitant to attack them. "Nicely done. It pays to get the jump on Shadows whenever you can. Now it's time to fight. Don't be shy now. Whip out your Personas and let's crush them," said Clover. Then Clover summoned her Persona. "Dazzle them, Houdini!"

Seiko and Kodaka followed suit. "Let's get to work, Simon!/Make them pay, Count Dantes!"

The Kelpies cowered in fear at the sight of the group's Personas. "Okay. A few things to keep in mind whenever you're fighting. Your Personas and the Shadows have specific strengths and weaknesses. For instance, these particular Shadows are weak to Bless and Ice attacks, of which I know your Personas possess. So allow me to make sure you land a direct hit. Living Chains!" In response to Clover's shout, the chains that were wrapped around Houdini fell to the ground, and then they snaked along the floor like they were alive and wrapped themselves around the Kelpies. The chains bound them tight and made them squeal in pain. "Now! Hit them with your Personas' skills!"

"Kouha!" Seiko shouted.

"Bufu!" Kodaka shouted.

Simon and Count Dantes fired off a beam of light and a beam of ice respectively. The beams hit the captured Kelpies and knocked them out. "Alright. They're knocked out. It's time to finish this with an All-Out Attack. On my mark, we lunge at them and then hit them with everything we've got. Ready, set, go!" Then the Phantom Thieves lunged at the Kelpies and hit them with a fast, flurry of consecutive strikes. A few moments later, they retreated and the Shadows burst and then disappeared. The group had won its first battle as a team.

Afterwards, the group reconvened and discussed the battle. "Nice work, you two," said Clover. "That was some really good teamwork."

"I can't really explain it, but somehow I feel like I can wield my Persona more easily now," said Seiko.

"I know what you mean. The last time I summoned Count Dantes, I felt this really intense rage, but just now I felt completely in control," Kodaka replied.

"Don't forget. Your Personas are a part of you. The more you use them, the more you will become attuned to them. They'll grow as you grow, and in some cases, they may even evolve," Clover explained.

"Then I guess we better keep using them," Seiko replied.

"That's the spirit. But also keep in mind that overuse of your Persona can lead to exhaustion, so fight with your weapons when you're able to," Clover added.

"Well anyway, the coast is clear now," said Kodaka. "Let's continue on." Then the Thieves continued to explore the train car.

Monday, 4/11 20XX, After School

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Days Until Skyrailway Grand Opening: 20.

The Coach Passenger Cabin train car seemed to stretch on and on. The Phantom Thieves traversed the long hallway of cabins, fighting off various Shadows as they did so. "Is it just me, or do we not seem to be going anywhere?" Kodaka asked.

"No. It's not just you. I feel like we've been walking forever. The train car didn't feel this big from the roof," Seiko replied. "Trick. Do you think this is something similar to what happened with the smoke?"

"Maybe, but I don't know if this would be classified as a security measure. As it is now, we've passed hundreds of cabins and hundreds of Cognitive Beings, but everything seems a tad different. I don't think we're going in a circle, I think the train car is actually just this big on the inside," Clover explained.

"I'm starting to think you're right. Look at that." Kodaka pointed towards a wall at the end of the hallway. The group ran over to the wall and saw that the train car continued at a right angle.

"A train should be straight, right? There's no way to add an angled hallway," Seiko replied.

"Apparently, Shinohara's Shadow didn't get that message," Clover replied. "Yet another reminder that this is the Metaverse, not reality."

"What should we do? Turn back and use the roof to progress?" Kodaka asked.

Seiko shook her head. "We can't. We haven't found the emergency exit hatch for this car yet, or any other open windows we can use," she replied.

"What about opening a window ourselves?" Kodaka asked.

"I actually already tried that a while ago. They seem to be shut in a manner similar to the emergency exit hatch. Only I couldn't identify a solution with the Third Eye," Seiko explained.

"I was wondering why you wanted to explore every open cabin we passed," Kodaka replied. "So that means the only way back to the roof is the open window that's all the way back down there." Kodaka looked down the hall that they had just come from. You couldn't even see the door to the Entrance train car from their distance.

"There's nothing we can do besides press forward then. That and hope that this train car doesn't have any more surprises for us," Clover replied.

Monday, 4/11 20XX, After School

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Days Until Skyrailway Grand Opening: 20.

The second hallway was just as long as the first one, and upon making it to the end, the group was greeted with the sight of yet another hallway. After making it to the end of the third hallway, there was a fourth, and then a fifth, and so on, and so on. The group soon realized that the layout of the train car was that of a maze-like spiral. The good news was that there was only one route to take, the bad news was that it was incredibly long. The three Thieves were all starting to tire out, but they continued on nonetheless. They fought against Shadows, found various loot, opened several hidden chests (with the help of Clover's lockpicks), and explored every bit of the train car.

Upon reaching yet another angled hallway, the group stopped in their tracks and started to catch their breaths. Luckily, there was another Safe Room nearby. The group entered the Safe Room to take a well-deserved break.

Monday, 4/11 20XX, After School

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Days Until Skyrailway Grand Opening: 20.

The Safe Room resembled another one of the passenger cabins, only this one looked completely unused. There was a brief shimmer that revealed the true location of the Safe Room, a rest area outside Ogikubo Station.

Seiko collapsed onto one of the cushioned seats. "How many…hallways does…that make?" she asked between breaths.

Kodaka sat down on the seat opposite Seiko. "I…lost count…after…the…twelfth…I think?" he replied between breaths.

"I can't…go…on…" Clover collapsed to the floor. The small "rabbit" Phantom Thief appeared to be the most exhausted out of the three. She turned over on her back, and took in several deep breaths. Seiko struggled to sit up on her seat. Then she picked up Clover and placed her in her lap. Then she gently petted Clover and tried to get her to calm down. "Ah…that feels…nice. Thank you…my dear protégé."

For a few minutes, the Thieves just relaxed and tried to get their breathing back to normal. When Seiko felt okay once more, she began to speak again. "Funny. We brought all of that medicine and our guns, but we didn't think to bring refreshments."

Kodaka smirked. "Actually, I stopped by a convenience store on my way to the station." Kodaka pulled out the group's horde of supplies and revealed that he had stocked up on bottled water, soda, juice, and lots of snacks.

"You are officially my hero!" Seiko exclaimed before taking off her gloves, grabbing a can of soda, and chugging it down.

Kodaka looked surprised. "Wow! You must have been really thirsty." He grabbed another can of soda, and prepared to do the same. However, he found himself struggling to open it due to his bandaged hands. "Dammit. Stupid bandages."

"Here. Let me," said Seiko. She took the can from Kodaka and opened it for him, and then she passed it back to him.

"Thanks," Kodaka replied. Then he started to drink his soda. He let out a refreshed sigh. "That's the stuff." Then his expression turned serious. "So this is much harder than I thought it would be. The endless battles against the Shadows are one thing, but are we ever going to get out of this train car? It feels like we've been walking around for hours."

Clover was drinking out of one of the bottled waters. When she had satisfied her thirst, she started speaking. "It has to have been at least two hours, no doubt, but I don't think we have that much farther to go. The hallways are getting shorter as we keep going. This train car is definitely a spiral just as we theorized, and every spiral, no matter how big, has a single point that acts as a center. The door to the next train car must be at that center. Besides, our trek hasn't been a complete waste. You two have gotten valuable combat experience, plus we found some great loot."

"You say loot, but most of that stuff just seems like trash to me," Seiko replied.

"Bah! I'm sure we'll find some interested party to buy them off us," Clover replied. "The Treasure is our real prize, of course, but more riches never hurt anyone. Plus, my lockpicks have once again proven to be a great asset."

"I'll admit that I'm more interested in making them now after seeing them in action," Seiko replied. "Is the offer to teach me your craft still on the table?"

"But of course. One of my goals is to make you into a Master Phantom Thief, Angel dear," Clover replied. "A Master Phantom Thief must learn how to make and use tools of their trade."

"Well putting aside that for now, let's focus on our current goal. How much more ground do you think we have to cover before we reach the Treasure?" Seiko asked.

"If I recall correctly, there are eight cars on this train, including the locomotive. The Luggage/Storage car is essentially the caboose, so that's the first car, and the Treasure is in the locomotive, the eighth car. After that is the Entrance car, the second car, and the car we're in, the Coach Passenger Cabin car, the third car. So we still have four more cars between us and the Treasure," Kodaka explained

Seiko sighed. "That's a lot of areas left to explore. Hopefully, they're not all gigantic spirals like this one."

"I hope not. Palaces with maze-like hallways that look exactly the same in every floor or area? The only difference being slightly different decorations and enemies? That sounds so boring," Clover commented.

"Hey. I happen to love old-school dungeon crawlers," Seiko replied.

"This is a weird argument," said Kodaka as he sweatdropped.

Monday, 4/11 20XX, After School

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Days Until Skyrailway Grand Opening: 20.

After their break in the Safe Room, the Phantom Thieves continued to explore the Coach Passenger Cabin car. The next few hallways were relatively short, but it was still a slog to get through them. The Shadows started to get tougher as well, so the group began to add their guns into the mix of their attacks. True to Clover's words, the model guns fired off real rounds in the Metaverse, making them deadly weapons. Clover also taught Seiko and Kodaka how to corner enemies and hold them up for some extra loot. The image of them acting as train robbers was becoming more and more clearer with each skill they learned.

Eventually, the group reached the center of the train car's spiral. There they found the emergency exit hatch, and they were able to quickly disable its security so they could use it as a shortcut. They also found that the center's hallway appeared to defy all logic, and went up at a vertical angle around the halfway point. The door to the next train car was unguarded, but it was essentially on a very high ceiling with no clear way to reach it.

"The Palace is seriously having a laugh at us," said Kodaka. "Should we just use the roof to get to the next car too?"

"That might be the best thing to do. I don't see how we're going to get up there, even if we use our Phantom Thief abilities," Seiko replied.

"Nonsense. We might not be able to jump or shimmy our way up there, but that doesn't mean there's no way at all. A Phantom Thief has to learn to be resourceful. They can't let any obstacle get between them and their goal," Clover replied.

"Do you have some way that we can get up there then, Trick?" Seiko asked.

Clover nodded. "As a matter of fact, I do. Lockpicks aren't the only Phantom Thief tool at my disposal. I've been working on the perfect tool for this occasion for a while now, and I finally completed it last night." Clover reached into her costume and jostled around as she looked for something. When she found what she was looking for, she pulled it out and showed it to the others. "Behold! The fruits of my labor! The best tool for a Phantom Thief to have!" It was a stylish, white and black grappling hook.

"A grappling hook?" Kodaka muttered.

Clover glared at Kodaka. "Don't say it like that. This is not a simple grappling hook. This is the ultimate grappling hook. I designed it myself. The hook can attach itself to anything, be it a person or an object. The cord is tougher than steel. It would take an insane amount of force to even get it to bend, much less snap. It's able to extend and retract in just a few seconds. And last but not least, when in a pinch you can use it as a weapon. There's a built-in paralysis feature that will stun anything caught by it." Clover handed the grappling hook to Seiko. "Of course, our leader will be the lucky holder of it.

"Wow. It's really light. You seriously made this yourself, Trick?" Seiko asked.

Clover snickered in delight. "I aim to please. Only the best tools for my darling protégé." She pointed up to the door on the ceiling. "Don't waste any time. Go ahead and try it out."

Seiko nodded, and then she aimed the grappling hook at the door, and the grappling hook shot off like a rocket. The hook wrapped itself around the door, and Seiko pulled on the cord to make sure it was taut. "Okay. Looks good. This thing can hold all three of us, right Trick?"

Clover nodded. "Definitely. It can easily handle over a thousand kilograms."

"Okay then. Hold on tight to me, guys," Seiko replied. Then Kodaka and Clover grabbed onto Seiko. Seiko retracted the grappling hook, and she and the others shot through the air. Seiko angled her body and swung back her feet. Then she kicked the door open and the group went through it. The grappling hook untied itself, and then it pushed the door closed behind the Thieves and followed after them. The nameplate on the door read: Dining Car.

Monday, 4/11 20XX, After School

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Days Until Skyrailway Grand Opening: 20.

The entrance to the Dining Car looked like a waiting area for a fancy restaurant. A crowd of Cognitive Beings were seated on some cushioned benches, and some were lined up in front of a Shadow posing as a host. Luckily, it looked like the Shadow was too busy with the crowd to notice the Phantom Thieves. Seiko noticed the fancy set of double doors past the Shadow host. "Okay. If this is the Dining Car, then those doors must lead to the actual dining area," said Seiko.

"Hopefully this car is a little more straightforward than the last one," said Kodaka. "I doubt we can just walk through though."

"Since when have we ever used the front doors?" Clover replied. She pointed to a set of restrooms in between the Thieves and the crowd of Cognitive Beings. "When in doubt, search for a shortcut."

"Restrooms, huh? Well you were right about the last shortcut we took," said Seiko. Then she approached the women's restroom, and Clover followed after her.

"Wait. I can't go in there," said Kodaka.

"Why not?" Seiko asked, as she turned back to face Kodaka and gave him a confused look.

Kodaka lightly blushed. "Be-Because…I'm a guy. In case you've forgotten."

Clover sighed. "Oh poor, little, innocent Vendetta. This is a Palace. None of this is real, including these restrooms." She smirked. "There's nothing to be embarrassed about."

"St-Still though…" Kodaka replied.

"Are you really going to let something like this get in the way of your revenge?" Seiko asked. Then she sighed in exasperation. "How about this? I'll give you special permission. Just this once you can come in there with us. Better now?"

Kodaka sighed. "I guess."

"Good. Now come on," Seiko replied. Then the group entered the women's restroom, in search of a shortcut.

Monday, 4/11 20XX, After School

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Days Until Skyrailway Grand Opening: 20.

"This is much fancier than I was expecting," said Kodaka, as he examined the women's restroom.

"Don't be surprised. Most bathrooms do not look like this. News flash. The girls' bathrooms look just like the boys' do. They're just usually cleaner and don't have urinals," Seiko replied. "This is just to go with Shinohara's gaudy taste. I bet the toilet seats are even gold-plated."

Kodaka opened one of the stalls. "Huh. You win that bet." The toilet seat was indeed gold-plated.

Clover examined the walls and saw two vents on the opposite sides of the restroom. "To the left of the women's restroom is the men's restroom, so the vent on the left wall most likely connects there. However, the only room to the right of the women's restroom is the dining area, so the vent on the right wall must connect to somewhere over there. That's our ticket in." Clover hopped up to the vent and opened it. "I can't see the other side. It must go on for a while. Come on." Then she entered the vent, and Seiko and Kodaka followed after her. Seiko still found it pretty amazing how easily they managed to squeeze through such small areas. The Phantom Thief abilities were no joke.

Monday, 4/11 20XX, After School

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Days Until Skyrailway Grand Opening: 20.

The group continued to crawl through the vent until they reached a fork in their path. "H-Hey! Watch where you're touching!" Seiko shouted at Kodaka.

"S-Sorry. I can't see at all in here," Kodaka replied in an embarrassed tone.

Seiko calmed down. "It's fine. It is pretty dark and cramped in here after all. Which way do we go from here, Trick? Do you sense anything?"

Clover's ears perked up. "I hear chatter and various sounds coming from straight ahead, but…" Clover turned to face the path to the left of the Thieves. Her nose twitched, and then she sniffed at the air. "...I'm picking up an unusual scent coming from that direction. It's your call, Angel. How do you want to proceed?"

"Hmm," Seiko muttered as she thought it over. "The path straight ahead of us probably leads to the dining area like we thought, but I am kind of curious about what's down the other path. Does it seem guarded?"

"Nope. I don't sense any Shadows in that direction. Do you want to check it out?" Clover asked.

"Why not? It's in our best interest to explore the whole train. Even if we know where the Treasure is, we could find some more clues…or loot," Seiko replied with a smirk.

Clover mischievously snickered. "That's it. That's the Phantom Thief mentality."

"I feel like you two are becoming way too similar," said Kodaka with an added sweatdrop. Then he sighed. "But I'll follow your lead, Angel. Let's check it out."

"Then follow me," said Clover. Then she led the group down the left path.

Monday, 4/11 20XX, After School

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Days Until Skyrailway Grand Opening: 20.

The left vent path continued on for a little way before another vent grate came into sight. The group exited the vent, and then found themselves in a small, dimly-lit, cylindrical room that was covered in vines and foliage. In the center of the room, there was an odd, red, skull-shaped object that was resting upon a pedestal. When Clover saw the object in question, she gasped and moved in closer. "No way! Is this…?!" She hopped up and examined the object closely. Then she smiled in delight. "It is! This is a great find!"

"What is it, Trick?" Seiko asked. "That's not the Treasure, right?"

Clover shook her head. "No, this isn't the Treasure, but it is something similar. This is a Will Seed."

"A Will Seed?" Kodaka repeated in confusion.

"Yep. A Will Seed is similar to a Treasure in that it's the essence of a Palace Ruler's desires. Many twisted desires go into creating a Palace, the strongest of which become the Treasure that acts as the Palace's core. The other twisted desires coalesce, and then they take the form of Will Seeds. Their objective is to keep growing until they become more Treasures. It's very rare, but if left unchecked a Palace can keep holding more and more Treasures, and this will cause it to grow ad infinitum. Though they're not absolutely necessary to steal, it can't hurt to take them. Who knows? They could end up coming in handy in some way," Clover explained.

"No harm, I guess," Seiko replied. Then she swiped the Will Seed, and turned it over in her hands. "Huh. This feels kind of weird." Seiko raised the Will Seed up to her face, and then she looked into the skull's eyes. Suddenly, she felt mesmerized. "...!" Then the world around her faded, and a new scene began to play out before her eyes.

Monday, 4/11 20XX, After School

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Days Until Skyrailway Grand Opening: 20.

Seiko was alone in a large private office, and she was sitting at a fancy desk. Various train-themed knick knacks littered the shelves of the office, and there was a large model of Ogikubo in the center of the room. "It's almost time. Stay strong. This is the only way," said Seiko. Seiko noticed that her voice didn't sound like her voice. It sounded gruffer and more masculine. Then her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a loud rumble. "Hmm? What's that?" The noise appeared to have come from outside. Seiko sat up from her desk, and turned to face a large plate glass window.

"...!" Her eyes widened in dread when she saw the cause of the sound. A giant billow of smoke was clouding the air, and beneath the smoke was a monstrous orange glow. The sound was an explosion, and the result of it was a massive fire. "N-No! This can't be! It's too soon! The call! What about the call?!" An army of sirens could be heard in the distance. "No! No! No!" Seiko backed away from the plate glass window in horror. She looked up to an oil painting that was hung overhead. The painting depicted a stern-looking old man. "This isn't my fault! It's not! Where was the call?! What did they do?!" Seiko looked back down at the plate glass window. Then Seiko saw her reflection. She was not Seiko Amasaki. She was Yasuhiro Shinohara. She shook her head. "It's not my fault. It's not. I only did what was necessary. My dream. My purpose. It has to come true. This can't be for nothing. It just can't." Then the world faded again.

Monday, 4/11 20XX, After School

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Days Until Skyrailway Grand Opening: 20.

"...!" Seiko gasped, and took in a series of deep breaths.

"A-Angel!" Clover exclaimed.

"Are you okay?!" Kodaka exclaimed.

Seiko pulled the Will Seed away from her eyes, and then she continued to calm herself. A few moments later, she calmed down. "I'm…I'm alright."

"What happened? You just kind of zoned out for a few seconds, and then you started freaking out," Kodaka replied.

"I'm not really sure," Seiko replied. "I remember looking into the eyes of the Will Seed, and then I saw something weird."

"What did you see?" Kodaka replied.

"A memory, I guess?" Seiko replied in an unsure tone. "It was really trippy. I was Shinohara. I saw everything he saw, and felt everything he felt. I think it was the day of the fire. I knew what was going to happen, but it happened too early. No one was supposed to get hurt. That's what 'they' promised me." She shook her head. "No. That's what 'they' promised him."

"I see. Interesting," said Trick. "What you saw must be a memory that's tied to the desires in the Will Seed. As for why you became Shinohara, I think it can just be simply explained as seeing things through his eyes. All of the desires, and the thoughts and feelings that created them, flooded your mind and showed you their creation. This Will Seed must represent his guilt and regret over his actions."

"Seriously? How awful. I wanted to scream from just seeing it happen. I can't imagine experiencing that first hand," Seiko replied.

"Don't feel so bad for Shinohara. There's probably a reason this Will Seed was hidden away in such an isolated place. He's choosing to lock away all the bad thoughts associated with the fire because they're distracting him from his true desire. If this Will Seed ended up becoming the Treasure for his Palace, it would've been a much different place. The fact that he's choosing to repress it says a lot about the kind of person he really is," Clover explained.

"That's right. Besides, whether he knew people would get hurt or not, he still helped plan it, carry it out, and cover it up. I don't feel bad for him at all. He's a monster. He's going to get what's coming to him. Don't tell me you're starting to have doubts," said Kodaka.

"..." Seiko was silent at first, but then she shook her head. "No. I'm not having any doubts. Shinohara's actions are inexcusable, and we're going to take him down. I'm sorry if I made you doubt my resolve. That whole experience just freaked me out."

Kodaka shook his head. "It's fine. I know you're not the type of person to just give up like that."

Clover seemed concerned. "Still though. Maybe we should call it a day when we find another Safe Room. We've been here for a good few hours now, and we're all starting to get a little tired."

Seiko sighed. "I think I'd like that actually." She looked at Kodaka. "Is that okay?"

Kodaka nodded. "Yeah. We still have some time left. We can afford to take breaks."

"Then it's settled. Let's keep going a little further before we head home for the day," Clover replied.

Monday, 4/11 20XX, After School

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Days Until Skyrailway Grand Opening: 20.

The Phantom Thieves doubled back through the vent, and then they took the other path to the next area of the dining car. Eventually, the group reached another vent grate which led out to a small kitchen area in the dining car. There were several Cognitive Beings that were working as cooks in the kitchen, and one large Shadow that appeared to be working as a maître d'. He was taking trays of food out to a dining area, which could be seen through a long service window. The dining area was as gaudy as the rest of the train, and it was full of Cognitive Being passengers enjoying delicious-looking, and possibly over-priced, meals.

Clover sniffed at the air. "Bingo! There's a Safe Room right in here." She pointed to a large metal door that was next to the vent they crawled out of.

"Looks like a walk-in refrigerator," said Kodaka. "Hope we'll be able to get in and out of here easily."

"Let's go," said Seiko. Then the group entered the Safe Room. Afterwards, the group headed back to the Palace entrance and then used the MetaNav to return to reality.

"Ending navigation."

Monday, 4/11 20XX, Evening

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Days Until Skyrailway Grand Opening: 20.

After leaving the Palace, the Phantom Thieves relocated to Seiko's apartment, which had become their unofficial hideout according to Clover. Seiko and Clover sat down on Seiko's bed, while Kodaka sat down on the floor with his feet tucked under Seiko's small coffee table. "Alright. I think we made some really good progress for our first official outing. You two were able to keep up with me fairly well. You're going to be professional Phantom Thieves in no time," said Clover.

"We've still got a long way to go before we reach the Treasure though," said Kodaka.

"True. And then there's the whole thing with the Will Seeds. The way you talked about them before, Teach. Can I take that to mean there's more than one in Shinohara's Palace?" Seiko replied.

"That's right. Usually, most Palaces contain around three, but this is just based on my mysterious intuition, so I can't say for sure. It could be more. It could be less," Clover replied. "Nevertheless, if we find them, we should grab them. It's best to think of them like bonus Treasures."

Seiko shivered. "Remind me next time not to look them in the eyes. I don't want to have to go through that experience again if I can help it."

A knock at the door interrupted the Thieves' meeting. "...!"

"Seiko-chan? Are you there? It's me, Sayaka," said the owner of a familiar voice.

Seiko got up off of her bed, and then she went to open the door for her stepsister. Sayaka was standing in the door frame with a tupperware container in her hands. "Mom made too much food, so I thought I'd bring some of the leftovers over to you."

"Oh? Thanks. I actually haven't eaten yet, so this works out great," Seiko replied as she took the leftovers.

"You're welcome." Then Sayaka looked past Seiko and stared at Kodaka. She grinned. "I'm not interrupting something, am I?"

Seiko blushed. "What?! No. It's not what you think."

Sayaka giggled. "I'm just kidding. Mom already told us what was going on." Sayaka waved at Kodaka. "Nice to meet you, Kodaka-kun. I'm Seiko-chan's older sister, Sayaka."

Kodaka waved back. "Hi. Nice to meet you," he replied in a soft tone.

Sayaka looked at Seiko. "Still though. Bringing a boy home with you after just one week? You move fast, girl."

Seiko sighed. "I already told you. It's not like that. We're just friends."

Sayaka stroked her chin. "Hmm," she muttered to herself. Then she leaned in and whispered, "Seiko-chan? Do you play for the other team?"

Seiko blushed again. "Wh-What the hell kind of out of left field question is that?!"

"It's nothing to be ashamed of. I was just wondering why you wouldn't try anything when you're alone in your room with such a cute guy," Sayaka replied in a teasing tone. "If I were you, I would be all over him."

Kodaka overheard the conversation, and started blushing as well. "..."

"..." Seiko glared at Sayaka.

"Hey? If you're not going to take him, do you mind if I have a go?" Sayaka asked. Then she giggled mischievously.

"Big talk for someone who's never even had a boyfriend before," Seiko calmly said.

"...!" This time Sayaka blushed. "Wh-What? Th-That's not true. I've dated tons of guys before."

"That's not what Mitsuha told me. She said that you like to tease people about their love lives, but you have as much experience in that department as she does," Seiko replied.

"That little snitch!" Sayaka exclaimed. "This was my last chance to seem like a mature, experienced older sister!"

Seiko snickered. "Hate to break it to you 'sis', but I am definitely not inexperienced in that department."

Sayaka's eyes widened. "...! Seiko-chan?! Have you possibly already lost your vir…?!"

Seiko pushed Sayaka out the door. "Okay! Thanks for the food! Bye!" Then she slammed the door in her face. She took in a deep breath, and did her best to calm down. Then she placed the tupperware on her kitchen counter, and then she walked back to her bed. "Sorry about that. I've never had siblings before. I'm starting to see why most people who do have them hate them."

Kodaka chuckled. "That was a little embarrassing, but you seemed like you were having fun too. If you ask me, you honestly couldn't tell that you didn't know each other before last week."

Seiko blushed again, and she looked away. "Shut up. It's more annoying than anything."

Clover had a wistful look in her eyes. "Having a sibling does seem fun. I wonder if I had one before I lost my memories. I wonder if I had any family at all."

Kodaka sighed. "I've always wanted a sibling too. My parents were actually planning on having another kid at some point, but they never got the chance." Kodaka frowned. He had a sad look in his eyes. "You can't really tell from the way he is now, but my uncle was doted on by my mother when they were younger. She was his precious older sister. He never ended up getting married or having kids of his own though. His entire life ended up revolving around his company. I wonder if things would have turned out different for him if my grandfather never pushed him into taking over."

"If you're looking for company in the messed-up family category, you'll find it here," Seiko replied. "My dad abandoned me and my mom before I was even born. My mom didn't have any other family to help her, so she raised me all on her own on a shoestring budget. She died around the end of last year after we got into a huge fight. I said so many awful things to her, and I never got the chance to apologize. Now I'm here in Tokyo, living with the family of the bastard who abandoned me."

Clover sighed. "We're truly a miserable trio, huh? An amnesiac who's trapped inside the body of a rabbit, a boy shouldering a heavy burden of anger and guilt, and a girl who's just wandering about with any purpose."

"The important thing is that we're together now. We're a team, and we've still got a job to finish," said Seiko.

"Right," Kodaka replied.

"You bet," Clover replied.

After some more talking, the Phantom Thieves decided to hold off a few days before reentering the Palace, in order to make sure that everyone was well-rested and reenergized. They decided to go back into the Palace that Friday. When they finished their meeting, they retired for the night and Kodaka went back to his apartment. Meanwhile, Seiko and Clover ate their dinner and then prepared for bed. Tomorrow was another school day.

Tuesday, 4/12 20XX, Daytime

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Days Until Skyrailway Grand Opening: 19.

The next day around lunchtime, Seiko received a message on KWIRE from Kodaka.

Kodaka: Hey. How's school going?

Seiko: Can't complain. I'm managing to stay on top of everything so far.

Kodaka: That's good. Rest assured, I'm not just slacking off. I'm checking the Internet and Dark Web daily for news on my uncle. I'm trying to find information about these investors who he partnered with to start the fire, but I haven't found anything yet.

"That's a good idea. Shinohara is just one of the guilty parties involved in this whole mess," said Clover. "Ideally, we should go after the rest of them after he's taken care of."

Seiko: Teach says to keep up the good work. Just a reminder though, this might be a one and done thing for me.

Kodaka: I understand. But I don't think I'll be able to really rest until every single one of these bastards pay.

Seiko: You've been through a lot. Remember to pace yourself.

Kodaka: I will. I've also been looking into some other things. The Phantom Thieves namely.

Seiko: What about them?

Kodaka: Just random things mostly. Their past targets. The Phansite. The evidence the police had against them. Stuff like that. It's kind of weird that I didn't pay much attention to it all when it was playing out. There's a lot of weird stuff mentioned here.

Seiko: We were both much younger when that all went down. We were still learning about the world. Now we're able to see everything through a different perspective.

Kodaka: I guess that's true. I really wonder where they are though. Clover is great and all, but I would love to have some more guidance about what to do next.

Seiko: Same. Some more members would definitely be a good thing.

Kodaka: Oh? I thought you were going to quit. Why are you suddenly talking about recruiting?

"Having second thoughts, Seiko-chan?" Clover asked.

Seiko: I'm just talking hypothetically. For now, let's just focus on Shinohara. Let's rest up for Friday.

Kodaka: Right. Talk to you later.

Seiko's friend, Akemi, peered over her shoulder. "Hey? Who are you texting?"

"Oh? Umm…it's just a friend from that club I told you about. We had our first official club activity yesterday, and now we're making plans to have another one on Friday," Seiko replied.

"You mean that survivalist club that you needed the medical supplies for?" Akemi replied.

Seiko nodded. "Y-Yep. That's the one."

"So is this a school club? Because I asked around and I never heard anything about Zenjin having a survivalist club," Akemi replied.

"Oh. No. It's not a school club. Sorry. Did I not specify that? It's relatively small too. Just three members including me, and the other two members aren't students here," Seiko hastily explained.

"Oh really?" Akemi replied. She seemed suspicious at first, but then she simply smiled. "Well I'm just glad you made some more friends. You should definitely introduce me to them, and I wouldn't mind joining you guys on one of your activities. I can't promise I'll join the club, but it sounds interesting."

"It has its moments," Seiko replied in an exhausted tone.

"Oh come on, you know you love it," Clover replied.

Akemi spied Clover. "Ooh!" Then she pulled Clover out of Seiko's bag.

"Ah!" Clover yelped, and then she went completely silent and still.

"I see you brought this little cutie with you again. I swear, it's so life-like. Are you still planning on joining the school magic club then?" Akemi asked as she stroked Clover.

"Magic club?" Seiko repeated in confusion. "...! Oh. Right that. Umm…I don't know. My new club kind of takes up a lot of time as is. I don't know if I can really juggle that, school, and the magic club."

"You should probably let the senpai in charge of it know that you're not interested then," Akemi replied. "The first time you brought your stuffed rabbit to school, some of our classmates overheard you mentioning the magic club, and word apparently got back to her."

"Huh?" Seiko replied.

"Yeah. She actually asked me about you yesterday after school. She was wondering why you haven't come to the club room to audition yet," Akemi explained. "You had already left at that point for your survivalist club, so I didn't know what to tell her. She seemed really desperate to speak to you."

"Desperate? In what way?" Seiko asked.

"I told you before, didn't I? That senpai is the only member of the magic club. All the other members already graduated, so if she can't find any new members soon, it's in danger of getting shut down," Akemi explained.

"Shut down?!" Clover exclaimed.

"...!" Seiko's eyes widened.

"...!" Akemi looked down at Clover. "Did it just squeak?"

Seiko was nervous. "I…I didn't hear anything."

"..." Clover realized her slip-up, and she went back to pretending to be a plushie.

Akemi raised Clover up face to face. "Huh." She stared at her in confusion. Then she handed her back to Seiko. "Anyway, yeah it will be shut down eventually. From what I hear, the magic club was fairly popular for the past few years, but ever since all the other members graduated, interest has hit rock bottom. If you're not planning on joining, you really should tell her." Akemi sweatdropped. "Just try to be gentle with her. I got the impression from talking to her yesterday that she's kind of fragile."

Seiko sighed. "It sounds like a hassle, but I guess I have to do it. Okay. Thanks for telling me."

"Don't mention it. So do you have any plans for lunch?" Akemi asked.

"No. You want to eat together?" Seiko replied.

"You read my mind. Let's head over to the cafeteria," Akemi replied.

"Right. Hold on one second." Seiko picked up Clover and put her back in her bag. Then she leaned in and whispered, "Don't be seen. I thought you were good with misdirection."

"Sorry. It won't happen again," Clover whispered in reply. Seiko sighed. Then she picked up her bag and followed after Akemi.

"So why did you bring that plushie to school again?" Akemi asked.

"Oh…umm…" Seiko muttered.

Tuesday, 4/12 20XX, After School

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Days Until Skyrailway Grand Opening: 19.

The rest of the school day was mostly uneventful for Seiko. She saw her stepsister, Kaori, during lunch, and tried to talk to her. Unfortunately, Kaori either didn't hear her or just outright ignored her because she left with her friends a few moments later. Akemi could tell that Seiko and Kaori weren't really that close even though Seiko was trying to make an effort, so she did her best to cheer her up by getting her mind off it. Seiko inferred from the way Akemi was talking that she was on the outs with her sisters as well. Also during lunch, Seiko got the impression that someone was staring at her. She looked around, but couldn't find the culprit, so she just decided to ignore it.

After lunch was over, Seiko and Akemi went through their afternoon classes, and it was Tuesday so that meant they would have Literature with Mr. Munakata. Seiko had only been at Zenjin for a little over a week, but he was quickly becoming her least favorite teacher. He just seemed so full of himself and talked down to everyone very easily, but Seiko managed to ignore him and power on through his class.

Eventually, the school day ended and it was time for Seiko to leave. She contemplated hanging out with Akemi again, but she had to go to her part-time job, so that plan fell through. Apparently, Akemi worked part-time at a beauty salon. She wanted to get her cosmetology license after she graduated, so she was trying to gain some real world experience. Seiko felt kind of bad that Akemi was working hard, while she herself was just going through the motions. "Maybe I should find a part-time job too. Rose-san already gives me an allowance, but I don't want to just be dependent on her for the next few years," Seiko whispered to herself, while she got ready to leave school.

"A part-time job, huh?" Clover thought about it for a few moments, and then she shook her head. "Sorry, Seiko-chan, but I think that's a lost cause. Kids your age mainly get service industry part-time jobs, don't they? I can just imagine you giving a customer a nasty look when they're giving you a hard time. You might curse them out and scare the living daylights out of them."

Seiko looked depressed. "A-Am I really that scary?"

Clover snickered. "You can be pretty intimidating when you want to be. That's part of your charm though. Anyone who gets to know you will see what a pushover you really are."

"Shut up," Seiko replied.

"You can be very crude though," Clover replied. "You'll probably bomb the interview before you even get that far."

"Way to give a pep-talk, Teach," said Seiko. "Still though, I want to do something to occupy my time. Even if I can't get a part-time job."

Tuesday, 4/12 20XX, After School

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Days Until Skyrailway Grand Opening: 19.

Seiko was walking down one of the school's hallways, and heading to the main entrance to leave the grounds. "...! Huh?" Seiko felt like someone was staring at her again. She quickly looked behind her and saw that someone was staring at her from around the hallway's corner.

"...!" The person in question ducked behind the corner when they were spotted.

"Hey! I just saw you! Come out!" Seiko exclaimed.

"..." The person watching Seiko slowly poked their head out. "Umm…I…I'm sorry," they softly muttered. Seiko was surprised to see that the person watching her was a girl. She had very long, curly black hair, very thick bangs that completely hid the upper part of her face, and snow white skin. She wore the standard Zenjin school uniform, but she also appeared to be wearing a brown sweater vest over her dress shirt and tie. She appeared to be a few centimeters taller than Seiko, but she was slouching very badly. She looked flustered. Seiko couldn't tell because of her bangs, but it seemed like the girl could burst into tears at any moment.

"See what I mean, Seiko-chan. You're unknowingly scary," said Clover. She was still hiding in Seiko's bag, but she had a clear view of the scene.

Seiko sighed. "Look, I didn't mean to scare you, I was just upset. I could feel you staring at me and it made me uncomfortable. That was you staring at me during lunch too, wasn't it?"

"Y-You could tell?" the girl replied.

"You're not very subtle," Seiko replied.

"Actually, Seiko-chan. This girl is quite good at concealing her presence. You just have the advantageous perception skills of a Phantom Thief. If you were normal, you probably wouldn't notice her even if she snuck up behind you and stuck a knife in your back," said Clover.

"That's a scary thought," Seiko whispered. She returned her attention to the stalkerish girl. "Who are you? What do you want?"

"Oh? Umm…umm…I…" The girl played with her hair in a nervous manner. "...I…I…umm…"

Seiko sweatdropped. 'This conversation's going nowhere fast.' Then she sighed. "Well if you don't want to talk, that's fine I guess. Just please stop staring at me like that." Then Seiko turned to leave.

"W-Wait!" the girl exclaimed.

Seiko looked back at her in confusion. "...? Yeah? Do you want to talk now?"

"Umm…do…you…want…?" the girl muttered softly.

"Do I want what?" Seiko replied.

"Do you…want to…join the…magic club?" the girl asked.

"The magic club?" Then Seiko recalled the conversation she had with Akemi earlier that day. "Wait. Are you the president of the magic club?"

"...!" The girl yelped in surprise, but then she calmed down and nodded.

Tuesday, 4/12 20XX, After School

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Days Until Skyrailway Grand Opening: 19.

About ten minutes later, Seiko, Clover, and the magic club president relocated to a messy room in the club building. The room was covered with magic-themed props such as playing cards, linking rings, multi-colored scarves, and various other simple tricks. Then further in the room were some props to more complicated tricks that professional stage magicians would use. If you took one look, you could easily tell that this was the magic club's clubroom. The president motioned for Seiko to sit down on a small sofa in the center of the mess, and then she brought over some tea that she brewed from a small kitchen area that was in the corner of the room.

For a few minutes after that, the room was completely silent, save for the sounds of two girls drinking tea. Seiko was waiting for the president to start the conversation, but soon she realized that it might be better for her to start it instead. Otherwise, she might never be able to leave and go home. "So, Senpai. What did you want to talk about exactly?"

"Huh?! Oh…that's…umm…" the president muttered. Then she took a deep breath, and finally she began to speak. "First allow me to introduce myself. My name is Hiyori Kashima. I'm a third-year student and the acting president of Zenjin Academy's magic club, the Zenjin Cabal. As for why I want to talk to you, well I heard that there was a girl in Class 2-C that was interested in joining the magic club," she said. Her tone was very soft and slow, almost like she was picking out every word very carefully and doing her best not to trip over them. "I got really excited after hearing that, and I was expecting you to come and audition some time last week, but you never came." Hiyori seemed really depressed as she said that last part.

"Oh. Yeah, you see, Senpai. Some stuff came up that's keeping me pretty busy and as it turns out I'm not really going to be able to join a club," Seiko replied. 'I actually do have free time, but I don't really have any interest in magic. I just lied to get Akemi to stop asking questions about Clover.'

Hiyori seemed to get even more depressed. "Oh. I see." Her head was so far down that it looked like she was bowing while sitting down.

Seiko sweatdropped. 'This girl is straight-up depressing. No wonder she's the only member here.'

Hiyori sadly chuckled. "It figures. When my senpai were still here, this club was so much fun. We were known as one of the livelist clubs at Zenjin. You could always hear some kind of commotion coming from our clubroom. Whenever I was having a bad day, coming here would always put a smile on my face."

"..." Seiko silently listened to Hiyori's story.

"But I was the last member to join, so when my senpai all graduated, I was left all alone. There was some talk about disbanding the club last year because of that fact, but I begged them not too. I promised them that I would keep the club alive by making sure more members joined this year, but…" Hiyori paused.

"But?" Seiko repeated.

Hiyori got even more depressed. "Recruitment day was awful."

'I figured that was the case. Why did you lead me along like that?' Seiko asked herself.

"You see, it's tradition for the magic club to actually perform magic tricks at any event. The only problem is that…" Hiyori paused again.

"Is that?" Seiko repeated.

"I'm terrible at magic," said Hiyori.

"What?" Seiko replied in disbelief as she cocked her head to the side.

Hiyori sadly chuckled again. "It's true. I can't even perform the simplest trick. Every time I try to perform a card trick, I always fumble with my fingers and drop the whole deck on the ground. Instead of a card trick it just turns into a sad game of 52 Pickup." Seiko couldn't see through Hiyori's bangs, but she could swear that the older girl's eyes were welling up with tears. "But it gets worse. Whenever I do the linking ring trick, the sweat from my palms makes the rings slick and I somehow always get my whole body caught in them. Whenever I do a scarf trick, the scarves get tangled and I end up tearing them. Whenever I do a trick involving money, I always either lose it or accidentally destroy it. Whenever I try a newspaper trick, my shoes always get soaked. Whenever I try to pull anything out of a top hat, I can never find anything in it even though I know I put something in it." Hiyori listed all of her failures one by one.

"Wow. Her failures are kind of tricks in their own right," said Clover.

"My senpai were very kind and patient with me though. They even tried to encourage me by helping them with an advanced trick once. I ended up sending one of them to the hospital, but they just kept telling me it wasn't my fault and being nice to me," Hiyori added. She was definitely crying now. Tears were streaming down her face.

Seiko gave Hiyori a look of pity. "I didn't stick around for club recruitment, but from the sound of it, I can guess how it went. Which of those tricks did you actually end up doing?"

"All of them," Hiyori replied with an added sob.

"Ouch," Seiko replied. 'This girl is just too pitiful. I think her senpai just kept her around because they didn't know what else to do with her.'

"Now I've got a reputation around school. The weird, depressing, magic-obsessed senpai who's actually terrible at performing magic," Hiyori added.

Clover sighed in exasperation. "I have to admit, as a master magician, I was interested in the magic club when I heard about it, and I was disappointed when I heard that it might be shut down. But after meeting this girl, and hearing her story, I think it might be best for the magic club to be shut down. She's clearly not having fun here anymore."

"Senpai, if you don't mind me asking, why don't you just officially disband the club? You clearly don't seem to be having much fun, and if you are as bad at performing as you say you are, it might save you from further humiliation," Seiko replied.

Hiyori shook her head. "I can't do that. I promised my senpai that I would keep the club going. If I give up now, I'll just be letting them down. I wouldn't ever be able to face them again."

"Okay. But even if I did join the club, you need at least four members, right? I barely know anything about magic, and you're obviously terrible at it. How would we possibly recruit two more members like that?" Seiko replied.

"Well I figured that if you joined then people might get interested if they could actually see a proper trick," Hiyori replied.

Seiko sighed. 'There's no other way of getting around this, is there? I have to come clean.' Seiko opened her bag and motioned for Clover to come out. Clover did as requested, but seemed confused as to why Seiko wanted her to do so.

"...!" Hiyori gasped. "Is that a real rabbit?!"

"Not a rabbit," Clover whispered.

"Yes. This is my pet, Clover. She has a bad habit of sneaking into my bag when I'm not looking, and she did the same thing last week," Seiko explained. Seiko gave Hiyori a pitiful look. "You see, Senpai, I never actually wanted to join the magic club. I don't even know how to perform the simplest trick. I just didn't know how to explain her appearance to my classmates, so I came up with a lie off the top of my head that she was a plushie and a magic prop. I didn't even know the school had a magic club when I said that I was thinking of auditioning. I'm so sorry."

Hiyori's head was so low now that it almost looked like she was resting it on the small coffee table in front of them. "I see. So that's how it is? I guess it's my fault for getting my hopes up."

Clover gave Hiyori a pitiful look, and then she turned back to Seiko. "Seiko-chan, I feel really bad now. This girl may be difficult to deal with, but she's clearly trying her best and we just pulled the rug out from under her."

"..." Seiko agreed with Clover, but she didn't know what to do in this situation. She looked around the clubroom and saw all the various tricks and props that littered the floor and walls. "Senpai, there's a lot of stuff in this room, and a lot of it looks well used. Do you know how all these tricks work?"

Hiyori lifted her head briefly, and then she answered Seiko's question. "Technically, yes. I understand the mechanics of them, and how they're supposed to work. I tried really hard to master them. I bought tons of magic books and looked up a lot of online tutorials, but it's useless. No matter how hard I try, I can never get anything to work right." She started sniffling. "And it's always a thousand times worse when I perform in front of other people."

Clover sighed. "Akemi-chan wasn't kidding. This girl is way too fragile. The way she is now, she's not cut out to be a magician. It's too bad too, her lack of presence and the knowledge that she would need to remember how to perform all these tricks are excellent skills for a magician to possess."

Seiko stared at Hiyori. 'If what she's saying is true, then it's probably a matter of pride more than it is about keeping a promise to her senpai. She doesn't want to stop until she sees some kind of success for all the time she's put in. Maybe it's even more than that,' she thought to herself. Then a thought popped into Seiko's head. She recalled her last conversation with Igor about Confidants.

Flashback:

"The Arcana of the deck represents the first Arcana - the Fool's journey to enlightenment and new power. You are the Fool, my dear. Naive of the outside world and destined to discover all it has to offer. You shall come across many different people in your travels as a Trickster, and come into contact with many different world-views. Befriending these people and striking a deal with them shall unlock a new facet of yourself. We call this power a Confidant. There are many different kinds of Confidants, each representing a different Arcana from the Fool's journey. I encourage you to seek out as many Confidants as you can. Their power shall strengthen your own, and at the same time they shall expand your own horizons," Igor explained.

'Could this have been what Igor was talking about? I established a Confidant naturally with him, Clover, and Kodaka, but maybe I have to go out of my way to establish others. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to try.' She sighed. "Okay, Senpai. How about this? I can join your club temporarily, until you get more members."

"...!" Hiyori gasped, and then she looked at Seiko as if she was an angel. At least, that was the impression Seiko got from her. It was hard to tell with her bangs. "W-Would you really do that?!"

"You'll really do that?" Clover parroted.

Seiko gave her another pitiful look. "How do I put this delicately? I just can't leave you alone."

"I'd really appreciate it, but between the two of us, I don't know how we'll be able to attract new members if we can't even perform the simplest of magic tricks," Hiyori replied.

"Well I may not be that interested in magic, but I do know someone who claims to be a master magician. They specialize in escape tricks, but I'm sure they know other ones. And you said that you know how all these tricks work, but you just can't pull them off yourself. With two teachers like that, I'm sure I can become somewhat decent at magic. Then maybe I can help you pull off some tricks too," Seiko explained.

"You'd really be willing to go through that much trouble just to help me?" Hiyori replied.

"Sure. Why not? My afternoons are mostly free anyway, but I probably won't be able to come by every chance I get," Seiko replied.

Hiyori finally seemed to be cheering up. "That's perfectly fine. Just you agreeing to help me is more than enough. I don't know how I'll possibly be able to repay you though."

"..." Seiko thought it over, and then she realized something. "Actually Senpai, do you think you might be able to teach me something? How to become more inconspicuous."

"What?" Hiyori replied in disbelief.

"I have it on good authority that your stalking skills are top-notch. I was only able to sense you because I have really good instincts, but normal people apparently wouldn't be able to sense you at all," Seiko explained. "I want you to teach me how to do that."

"Hmm?" Clover was confused at first, but realization soon struck her. "Oh! I get it. You think if you learned how to not draw attention to yourself like her, it would benefit us in our Phantom Thief exploits. Good thinking, my darling protégé."

Hiyori looked a little upset. "I don't really like the words 'stalking' or 'normal', but I guess I understand what you mean. I am really sorry about that. I just didn't know how to talk to you."

"I know, and it's fine, but you shouldn't be so depressed about it. I think it's kind of cool that you don't have any presence," Seiko replied.

Clover sighed. "Oh, Seiko-chan. And you wonder why you're so bad at making friends?"

"Again. I don't really like your word choice, but I think I understand. I don't really know how I can teach you things like that. I've kind of always been like this, but if you're willing to help me, I guess I can give it a shot," Hiyori replied.

Seiko smirked. "Perfect. Then it looks like we have a deal. I look forward to working with you, Prez."

"..." Hiyori slightly smiled, and then she nodded her head. That was the beginning of another strong bond.

Sunday, 12/25 20XX, Nighttime

Almost nine months later, Seiko was being interrogated by Inspectors Kazutora Yagami and Naomi Nishitani.

"Setting aside all of this Metaverse stuff, the Phantom Thieves have indeed taken actions against their targets and the police in the real world," said Yagami. "Several eyewitnesses that we have located over the course of this year have reported seeing teenagers such as yourself at several important locations. However, these teenagers were especially good at making sure they didn't stand out. They were able to blend into the background so efficiently, that no one was able to give the tiniest detail about their overall appearance or characteristics. Avoiding security cameras is one thing, but being able to avoid detection even from other people? That takes skill. Is this just another tool in your Phantom Thief arsenal, or did someone teach you how to be so inconspicuous?"

"..." Seiko was silent.

"It would be in your best interest to answer the question," said Yagami.

Tuesday, 4/12 20XX, After School

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Days Until Skyrailway Grand Opening: 19.

A bright, blue, fiery aura flashed through Seiko's mind. When the aura dissipated, a single Tarot card was left in its place. The card turned over and revealed itself to be the Aeon. A gentle, soothing voice echoed in Seiko's mind.

I am thou, thou art I…

Thou hast acquired a new vow.

It shall become the shining light

that guideth thee out of the depths of nihilism.

With the birth of the Aeon Persona,

I have obtained the winds of blessing that

shall lead to hope and new power.

Hiyori Kashima Confidant Established.

Arcana: Aeon - Rank 1.

New Persona Gained - Ame-no-Uzume

Then the card and the voice vanished. "..." Seiko blinked a few times. 'And there's another one. I guess I made the right call,' Seiko thought to herself. She looked at Hiyori. "Okay, Prez. Let's go ahead and exchange numbers so we can keep in touch. Do you use LINE too? Let's exchange IDs for that too just in case."

"...!" Hiyori appeared to be overwhelmed, but she pulled out her smartphone nonetheless.

Clover smirked at Seiko. "I think you made a good decision. Whether Hiyori-chan is aware of it or not, she has incredible skill at misdirection. She might even be better at it than me. If only she could get a little more confidence, she would probably turn into a great magician. I have no doubt that this deal will be beneficial to you both in the long run." Then she snickered in delight. "And now I have an excuse to teach you magic too. This day just keeps getting better."

Hiyori looked over at Clover. "She sure is noisy. I don't understand why nobody's figured out that she's real yet."

"She can be very quiet when she wants to be. Trust me. There's a lot more to her than meets the eye," Seiko replied.

"..." Hiyori silently studied Clover. "I've only ever tried the top hat trick with fake rabbits and doves, but maybe if I tried it with a real one I might get it. Could I…?" Hiyori moved to grab Clover, but the "rabbit" sensed incoming danger and quickly hopped out of the way. Then she burrowed into Seiko's bag, doing her best to hide herself.

"...!" Hiyori was surprised at first, but then she just lowered her head in depression. "I guess she could sense that I was going to screw up and accidentally hurt her."

"..." Seiko said nothing and simply sweatdropped.

Tuesday, 4/12 20XX, Evening

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Days Until Skyrailway Grand Opening: 19.

After exchanging contact information with Hiyori Kashima, Seiko and Clover left school and headed back home to Ogikubo. Seiko didn't have anything else planned for that day, so after finishing her homework and eating dinner, she gave in and let Clover teach her how to make Phantom Thief tools. Her first assignment was making lockpicks, and it wasn't going that well.

"Okay. I think I've got it this time. How's this?" Seiko showed Clover a badly bent and warped object that sort of resembled a disposable lockpick.

Clover sweatdropped. "W-Well that's better, I guess. Quick question. You do know that you're supposed to be able to stick these into locks, right?"

Seiko groaned. "Ugh! This is hopeless!" Then she rested her head on her desk in frustration.

"Don't get so discouraged. That was only your fifth attempt, and we still have a few days until Friday. You'll definitely get it by then," Clover replied.

Seiko turned her head and looked at Clover. "I still don't get why you can't just make all the tools, Teach."

"Now, now. We've been over this, Seiko-chan. If I made all of your tools, I would be depriving you of a valuable learning experience. You can't very well call yourself a Master Phantom Thief if you can't even make your own tools," Clover explained. "Now go on, keep trying. Let's try to make at least two usable lockpicks for tonight."

Seiko groaned. "Why don't you have Kodaka working on this too?" Seiko complained as she got back to work.

"Kodaka-kun is not my protégé, you are. Besides he's working on the digital side of things, and I don't have the foggiest idea about any of that. You should be glad I'm showing you favoritism," Clover replied.

"Lucky me," Seiko replied sarcastically.

Wednesday, 4/13 20XX, Daytime

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Days Until Skyrailway Grand Opening: 18.

The next day, during a break between classes, Seiko received another message from Kodaka over KWIRE.

Kodaka: Hey. Question. What do you know about the original Phantom Thieves' cases?

Seiko: Umm, not much other than what was on the news at the time. They first appeared here in Tokyo at a school called Shujin Academy. I think my friend Akemi mentioned that it was near Zenjin.

Kodaka: Yep. The first official target of the original Phantom Thieves was a teacher there. He was abusing and harassing several of his students, and nobody was willing to step in and stop him. Apparently, a girl almost died from a failed suicide attempt because of it.

Seiko: Geez. I think I remember hearing about that back when it first happened, but now that we're at that same age, it puts it into a whole new perspective.

Kodaka: You can say that again. I've been reading through all of the old Phantom Thief case files and seeing all the things that their targets admitted to doing. Child abuse, plagiarism, fraud, drug trafficking, extortion, company slavery, blackmail, murder, corruption. There's a whole lot of nasty stuff. Especially in the unabridged case files.

Seiko: Sounds like your uncle fits in perfectly with that rogues' gallery of assholes. And unabridged case files? How did you get those?

Kodaka: No comment.

Clover snickered. "Sounds like someone hacked into the police's database."

Kodaka: Oddly enough there's mentions here and there about the Metaverse too. No one really seemed to know what it actually was though. One of the Thieves' biggest targets, Masayoshi Shido, apparently admitted to using it to try to further his own ambitions.

Seiko: How so?

Kodaka: He said he had other people's Shadows killed with the help of an assassin who could travel to the Metaverse. He had a whole bunch of people killed, and then he marketed out the services to other scumbags like him. The death of the victims' Shadows then triggered Mental Shutdowns, just like Clover said. He used those deaths as stepping stones for his political career.

Seiko: How awful.

Kodaka: Yeah, but it doesn't end there. Later on, after Shido and his cronies were caught, someone began using the Metaverse to change people's hearts to suit their own needs. Instead of triggering Mental Shutdowns, their desires were being messed with. So of course, the police zoned in on the Phantom Thieves, but it actually turned out to be spearheaded by the former C.E.O. of Madicce, Akira Konoe. He was working with some remnants of Shido's old operation to carry on their work. The AI helper app that his company was designing at the time apparently had a feature in it that imprisoned people's desires inside the Metaverse.

Seiko: Oh yeah. That whole thing with EMMA. It got shut down after that Summer, but no one ever gave a clear answer as to why. So Konoe was using it to access the Metaverse, huh? Kind of sounds like our Metaverse Navigators.

Kodaka: Exactly what I was thinking.

Clover glared at Seiko's phone. "These guys actually used the Metaverse for such evil schemes. What a bunch of monsters."

Seiko: Teach says these guys sound like monsters. I can't say I disagree.

Kodaka: No arguments here. Of course the police and the prosecutor's office didn't know what to actually do with this information, so they just took it as them arranging hits and blackmailing and extorting a bunch of people to act certain ways. But obviously that's not the truth. Reading over these things got me thinking. If Shido and Konoe knew about the Metaverse, and were making use of it to carry out their plans, then there might be others. Apparently there were dozens of co-conspirators in these plans, so it's not unlikely that one or two of them managed to evade detection. Maybe there are more people out there besides the Phantom Thieves who know about the Metaverse and what it can do. What if there are still people out there who are knowingly using it to commit crimes?

Seiko: Are you going to try and look for information on that subject next?

Kodaka: Couldn't hurt. The case files are only going to give us one side of the story anyway. Short of actually finding and talking to the original Phantom Thieves, we need to find a way to learn as much about the Metaverse as we can. Of course all this searching is proving difficult to do without Alibaba's help.

Seiko: You're doing a great job. Keep it up.

Kodaka: Thanks. Talk to you later.

"Kodaka-kun is taking this all very seriously," said Clover. "I hope he finds the answers he's looking for."

Seiko whispered to Clover. "How about you, Teach? Do you know anything more about the Metaverse than what you've already told us?"

"What I know is pretty limited. I know how the Palaces and Mementos function, and what the previous Phantom Thieves did to erase them, but other than that, nothing substantial. These plans about using the Metaverse for evil deeds are new to me as well." Clover sighed. "I might've known more before I lost my memories, but until I regain them, we'll never know."

A word stuck out to Seiko. "Wait a minute. What's Mementos?"

"Oh you picked up on that, huh? Well it's nothing to worry about for now, especially if you're still set on ending our deal after we take down Shinohara. If you change your mind and want to continue after that, we'll discuss it then."

"..." Seiko didn't know what else to say, so she left it at that. The mystery of Mementos would have to wait for another day.

Wednesday, 4/13 20XX, After School

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Days Until Skyrailway Grand Opening: 18.

The school day ended with nothing else of note. As Seiko was packing her things to leave, she received another KWIRE message from Kodaka.

Kodaka: I've made some decent progress in my research, but I need a break. Want to hang out? I feel like it's been forever since I've been outside of Ogikubo.

(A/N: Time for Confidant Events. Of course there's no Social Stat system in this story, so each Confidant Event will just play out like a normal scene in the story. Each event will deepen the bond between Seiko and the Confidant's holder.)

'Kodaka wants to hang out? I haven't made any plans with Akemi or the Prez today, so I'm free,' Seiko thought to herself. Then she texted back her response.

Seiko: Sure. Sounds good. Where do you want to meet up?

Kodaka: How about Shibuya? It's been a while since I've hit up the arcade there.

Seiko: The way you unwind from looking at a screen all day is to go to a dark, noisy area and look at more screens?

Kodaka: Yes. That is my process.

Seiko: I think you have a problem. But that sounds fun. Sure, I'll meet you there.

"I've never been to an arcade before. That sounds so fun," said Clover.

Wednesday, 4/13 20XX, After School

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Days Until Skyrailway Grand Opening: 18

"I was wrong! I was horribly wrong!" Clover exclaimed. After Seiko and Clover left school, they met up with Kodaka in Shibuya and followed him to his favorite arcade. Clover was really excited at first, but the minute the group walked into the arcade, she began to freak out.

"Oh yeah, I guess you'd be extra sensitive to loud noises with those ears of yours," said Kodaka. "I'm sorry. I didn't even think about it."

The noise from the various games installed throughout the arcade proved to be too much for Clover. "I don't think I can stay here. You two have fun. I'm going to find somewhere quiet and lay down." Clover hopped out of Seiko's bag, and Seiko let her outside.

"We should be done in about an hour or so. Don't wander off," said Seiko.

"I am not a child. Thank you very much," Clover replied in a haughty tone. Then she left the arcade.

"Be a nice bunny, Teach," Seiko replied.

"Not a bunny!" Clover exclaimed from farther away.

Kodaka chuckled at the sight. Seiko turned to him. "What's so funny?" she asked.

"You two get along really well. You argue a lot, but I can tell it comes from a place of trust and understanding," said Kodaka. "When you tease her like that, it's honestly kind of cute."

"...!" Seiko blushed and immediately punched Kodaka in his shoulder in response. Kodaka yelped in pain. "Call me cute again, and I'll punch you even harder!"

Kodaka looked like he was on the verge of tears as he rubbed his shoulder in pain. "T-That was already really hard."

Seiko took a deep breath, and then she calmed down. "Let's just get started. I'm still pissed off from that comment, but I'll probably feel better after I trash you a few times. What's the game you're best at?"

"Huh? I guess that would be Guns About. They installed a new machine here a few months ago and I've been the reigning champ at this arcade since then, but we might want to try something else to start with. It's pretty difficult to…"

"Perfect. Lead the way," Seiko replied.

"...?" Kodaka was confused, but he did as Seiko ordered and led her to the machine. Guns About was a fairly difficult shooting game, which demanded perfect timing and reflexes to claim high scores without resorting to cheating. It was highly popularized a few years ago, and still had a faithful following to this day. Of course, Kodaka wasn't the best player or anything of the sort. That title was reserved by another player known as "The King" who was rumored to show up at arcades around the city and challenge anyone who ever caught his eye. He had apparently only ever suffered one true defeat. But Kodaka was still really good and had managed to hold onto the top score at this arcade for a few months now without anyone coming close to beating it.

"Huh?" Which was why when the words: New High Score flashed on the screen, Kodaka could barely believe it. Around half an hour ago, Seiko inserted a single token into the Guns About machine, and went on to effortlessly beat Kodaka's high score. Not only that, but her display had gathered quite a crowd. The crowd was mostly all boys, and they were all either murmuring about Seiko's skills or the fact that a girl who looked the way she did was that good at video games. Of course their phrasing was cruder and of more of a sexual nature. She shot death glares at anyone who said anything like that, and they quickly shut up. When Seiko reached the high score, they all began to disperse, leaving her and Kodaka alone. "H-How did…?! I didn't even…! Seriously?!" Kodaka exclaimed in disbelief.

"You made it sound like this game was hard," Seiko replied as she put it in her name on the scoreboard. "It really wasn't anything special."

"Hold on! Was this seriously your first time playing this game?!" Kodaka replied as he stared at Seiko's high score. Her score was way above Kodaka's.

"Yeah. I told you it was when I started," Seiko replied.

"But you used all those different power-ups so easily. You even made it to every level's bonus stage. I didn't even know there were bonus stages," Kodaka replied.

"If you've beaten one shooter, you've beaten them all. Growing up, my mom worked a lot of late shifts, so I visited a lot of arcades until she got home. I didn't have a lot of money either, so I learned to play well enough to make sure my tokens lasted," Seiko explained. She stretched her arms and cracked her neck. "Okay, I think I got all of my frustration for you out of my system, so let's play to win some tickets now."

"Hang on. You have to let me play you. I can't just let you beat my score and then walk away," Kodaka replied.

Seiko looked down at Kodaka's hands. "Your hands still hurt, don't they?"

"Huh?" Kodaka looked down at his bandaged hands. "Just an occasional twinge every now and then. I'm more than okay enough to beat you, if you give me the chance."

"No," Seiko simply replied, and then she turned around and headed over to the ticket prize games.

"What? Listen here. If you don't think I stand a chance against you with my hands like this then…" Kodaka tried to argue, but Seiko cut him off.

"It's not that. I just don't want to risk you getting hurt because you went all out trying to beat me. You're my friend. Please, don't put such little value on your health," Seiko replied. "Make a full recovery, get your hands back to full functionality, and then I'll seriously play against you. Until then, let's just play some games together and take it easy."

"..." Kodaka didn't know what to say. He thought about it for a few moments, and then he just smiled and followed Seiko to the other side of the arcade.

"..." Seiko matched his smile. She felt like she and Kodaka had become a little closer.

Kodaka Kouenji Confidant Rank up!

Arcana: Chariot - Rank 2.

Seiko and Kodaka played a few more games and got a lot of tickets, but not nearly enough to get anything good from the prize booth, so they agreed to save their tickets and come back to earn more on another day. After another hour or so, they left the arcade, collected Clover, and headed back home.

Not much else happened that day. Seiko worked on creating more lockpicks and was taught a few simple card tricks by Clover in preparation for her club work with Hiyori Kashima. Kodaka went back to his research on his uncle and the Phantom Thieves. The day ended without any problems.

Thursday, 4/14 20XX, Daytime

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Days Until Skyrailway Grand Opening: 17

That day Seiko's class had Literature scheduled with Mr. Kenji Munakata, who was quickly becoming Seiko's least favorite teacher. He was apparently a veteran teacher of Zenjin who was one of the department chairs of Zenjin's creative writing program in addition to being the Homeroom teacher of Class 2-B. He was clearly a very knowledgeable man, but he had a rotten attitude and a bad habit of talking down to everyone. He was a tall, intense-looking man in his early forties with short black hair and tan-colored eyes. He wore a dark blue suit with purple accents and a pair of black, broad-framed glasses

"Quiet down." When the class was quiet, Munakata began to speak again. "Now then. Last time we were discussing the works of Soseki Natsume, so I would like to continue our lecture by discussing one of his greatest works: I Am a Cat. If you recall your homework assignment, you were to read the shorter version of the story in your textbooks and answer the questions presented to you afterwards. We're going to read this again as a class, but before that I am going to ask you some of my own questions to make sure you all retained what you read. After all, reading something is very different from understanding it. Let's start with…" Munakata's eyes scanned the room, until they fell on Seiko. "...Amasaki-san. Stand up."

"..." Seiko scowled, but stood up anyway.

Q: If you did your homework you should know about the overall comic tone of I Am a Cat. Tell me. What was Natsume trying to satirize in his work?

A: a) The everyday life of a cat. b) The belief that cats are better than dogs. c) Natsume's own life. d) The clash of Japan's modern and traditionalist ideas.

"..." Seiko thought about her answer for a moment, and then she started speaking. "I think Natsume was trying to satirize the opposing viewpoints of modernism and traditionalism." She chose her words very carefully, so Munakata couldn't nitpick her answer.

Munakata scoffed. "I see. I suppose that's an adequate answer. To be more precise, Natsume was trying to show the follies and pretenses of Tokyo's new money and intelligentsia through the eyes and ears of a house cat who fancies himself superior to humans. I Am a Cat is set in the era when Japan was emerging as a modern industrial and military power after centuries of isolation and stasis. While the cat speaks about modern ideas, he has traditional mannerisms. The comedy of the work is derived from this schism." He looked back at Seiko. "It seems like you at least did the reading. Although, I can't say for sure if you were able to understand it or not. You may be seated."

Seiko sat back down, and then glared at Munakata when he wasn't looking. 'You just said basically the same thing I said only with more words. That doesn't make you any smarter. It just makes you sound smarter.' Seiko was grateful that she only had to deal with this asshole a few classes out of the week, but she felt sorry for his Homeroom class.

Thursday, 4/14 20XX, After School

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Days Until Skyrailway Grand Opening: 17

The school day ended with nothing else of note. As Seiko was packing her things to leave, she received a LINE message from Hiyori Kashima.

Hiyori: Hello. This is the first time I've actually used LINE. Am I doing it right? Can you read my message?

Seiko: I can read your message just fine, Prez. What's up?

Hiyori: Oh thank goodness. I was just messaging you to inform you that the magic club officially meets up every Tuesday and Thursday except on exam weeks. Since you already came by Tuesday and joined, there's no pressure to come by today. But if you're interested in helping with recruitment, I'll be at the clubroom.

"Good thing we practiced those card tricks last night. So what do you say? Should we go help out Hiyori-chan?" Clover asked.

Seiko sighed. "Might as well. I don't have anything else planned for the day." Seiko replied that she was coming to the club, and then she packed up the rest of her things and headed over to the club building.

Thursday, 4/14 20XX, After School

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Days Until Skyrailway Grand Opening: 17

"Okay. Since we talked last, I've been practicing a little bit with the person I told you about before. They taught me how to do a few card tricks to start off with," Seiko explained to Hiyori.

Hiyori was sitting down on the clubroom's sofa with Clover, while Seiko was standing in front of them and the coffee table. Seiko was holding a deck of cards in her hands. She shuffled them for a few moments, and then she presented them (face down) to Hiyori. "Pick a card, any card, and I can tell you what it is."

"Oh! Umm…" Hiyori hesitated in picking a card. She scanned the fanned out deck, wondering which card she should pick. Then she finally picked one, and pulled it out of the deck.

"Okay. I'm going to turn my head. Now study it and put it randomly back in the deck," Seiko replied. Hiyori studied the card, and then she did as Seiko commanded and put the card back randomly in the deck. Then Seiko turned back around, and then shuffled the cards again. She placed the deck of cards onto the table, and then she picked up the first card on top of the deck. She showed the card to Hiyori. It was Queen of Hearts. "Is this your card?"

"...!" Hiyori gasped in amazement. "It is! How did you do that?! I can never get that trick to work!"

Seiko smirked. "From what I've learned so far, there are tons of ways to do this trick, but I'm just an amateur so I went with an oldie but a goodie. The deck is rigged."

"Huh?" Hiyori was confused.

Seiko showed Hiyori the back of the Queen of Hearts card. Then she pointed to the top right corner of the card. "You can't really see it unless you look very closely, but there's a small picture hidden in the back pattern. It says QH. Queen of Hearts. All of these cards are marked like that. I didn't need to know which card you picked out of the deck or where you placed it afterwards. I saw the mark when you were holding it in your hands. Then I just shuffled the deck accordingly and made sure that card came out on top. The only thing that was a little difficult was getting the second shuffle to look natural, but other than that, it's pretty easy."

"...!" Hiyori was shocked. "I've been tricked!"

"Well duh, it's a magic trick. It's in the name," Seiko replied.

"I guess the fact that she was never able to do it in the first place makes it seem like real magic to her," Clover added.

"Now that I think about it, Prez. This is a deck that I borrowed from the clubroom. Are you telling me that you never noticed such a simple trick?" Seiko asked.

"..." Hiyori lowered her head in shame. "I really am useless, aren't I? No wonder the club is doomed."

Seiko became flustered. "D-Don't get so discouraged, Prez! Like I said before, you can't see the mark unless you look really closely."

Hiyori sighed. "Thank you for trying to cheer me up, but I know it's true. Even if it's as simple as you made it look, I just get so nervous that I can never get anything to work."

"..." Seiko thought about Hiyori's problem. "Okay. Now that I've shown you how to do this trick, you should practice on me. If you build up some confidence, then you should have no problem doing this trick in front of others."

"Don't ask the impossible," Hiyori replied.

Clover sadly chuckled. "This girl's confidence is practically non-existent, isn't it?"

Seiko sat down beside Hiyori and tried to calm her down. "Prez, don't worry. I'm not going to give up on you. Just relax and have fun. Isn't that why you joined the magic club in the first place? Because it was fun, right?"

"..." Hiyori was quiet at first. Then she smiled slightly. "R-Right. Magic is supposed to be fun." She took a deep breath. "Thank you for reminding me of that, Amasaki-chan."

"No problem," Seiko replied with a matching smile. Seiko couldn't help but feel that she and Hiyori had grown just a little bit closer.

Hiyori Kashima Confidant Rank up!

Arcana: Aeon - Rank 2.

"Okay, Prez. Since I showed you a magic trick, next you have to show me how to be inconspicuous," said Seiko.

Hiyori sighed. "Again. I don't really know if I can teach you that, but I'll try. Remind me about it the next time we meet."

"You got it. I can't wait," Seiko replied.

After that, Seiko showed off a few more card tricks that Clover taught her. These ones didn't use a marked deck. Then Seiko helped Hiyori learn them, which was a hassle, but she eventually got to the point where she could hold the cards without dropping them. She still had trouble identifying the cards though, even when she was using the marked deck. Then the girls chatted for a while before it was time to go home.

Thursday, 4/14 20XX, Evening

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Days Until Skyrailway Grand Opening: 17

When Seiko arrived home, she saw Rose sweeping up around the complex. When she saw Seiko, Rose smiled and waved. "Oh Seiko-chan, you're back later than usual."

"Yeah. I joined a club at school, and today's one of the weekdays that we meet up," Seiko explained.

"You joined a club? That's great. What club is it?" Rose asked.

"The magic club," Seiko replied. "It's not really my thing, but the senpai in charge of the club is nice and she needed help, so I thought why not."

Rose smiled. "That's so like you. You can never abandon anyone in need." Then she gave Seiko a concerned look. "But you shouldn't join a club just to make someone else happy."

"It's fine. It's not like I'm getting nothing out of it, and there's no rule at the school saying I can't join more than one club," Seiko replied.

"Oh? Is there something else you're interested in?" Rose asked.

Seiko looked down at the ground. "Well. I might not get the chance since I like to hang out with friends after school, but I thought the manga club might be fun." She scratched the back of her head. "Before I entered high school, I kind of thought about being a manga artist when I got older."

"A manga artist, huh?" Rose smiled. "That sounds great."

"Great?" Seiko replied in a confused tone.

"Well I've seen your sketchbooks. All your drawings are wonderful, and the one-shots that you wrote were so fun to read. You're very talented. I could definitely see you as a professional manga artist," Rose replied.

"You saw all of that?! When?!" Seiko exclaimed in an embarrassed tone.

"When I was unpacking your things before you came. There were so many of them that I couldn't help but thumb through a few of them," Rose replied. Then she gasped. "Oh. I'm sorry. Were those meant to be private?"

Seiko blushed. "N-No. They're not private. My mom used to look at my drawings all the time. She read every single one of those dopey one-shots I wrote too." She sighed. A wistful look appeared on her face. "When my old teachers or other adults found out that I wanted to be a manga artist, they always told me it was a silly or unrealistic occupation. There's tons of manga artists out there, but hardly any of them really make it big enough to make a real career out of it. Mom was different though. We weren't well-off at all, so when I told her about it, I expected she would say the same kinds of things." Then Seiko shook her head. "But instead she told me that she would make sure to buy every single one of my magazines and volumes when I got published. She really believed I could do anything. More than that, she supported every single thing I did."

Rose frowned, and then she tried to comfort Seiko. "Oh! Seiko-chan, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

Seiko shook her head again. "No, it's fine. I'm the one who brought it up." She looked like she was on the verge of tears. "I'm sorry for making you feel uncomfortable."

"Seiko-chan," Clover whispered. She was concerned about Seiko as well.

Rose reached out and hugged Seiko. "It's okay. You don't need to hold back. If you feel like crying, just cry. You're not alone, okay?"

Seiko simply sniffled and nodded. Then she wrapped her arms around Rose and hugged her back. The tears couldn't be held back anymore. Seiko softly sobbed, while Rose rubbed her back and did her best to comfort her.

Ever since her mother passed away, Seiko had been in a very fragile state. She could sometimes talk about her mother without breaking down, and other times she would simply burst out in tears. Rose had caught Seiko on one of her off days. Seiko was embarrassed and upset, but she couldn't stop the tears. However, Rose didn't chastise her and simply allowed her to cry until she felt better.

Thursday, 4/14 20XX, Evening

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Days Until Skyrailway Grand Opening: 17

After Seiko calmed down, Rose invited her over for dinner. Kaori and Sayaka were both out with friends and wouldn't be back until later, so besides Seiko and Rose, the only person joining them for dinner was Mitsuha. Clover was also still hiding in Seiko's bag.

"..." The atmosphere at the dinner table was very tense. Rose was hesitant to talk with Seiko out of fear that she might upset her again, and Seiko was hesitant to talk with Rose out of fear that she might make her uncomfortable. Both women were being careful to not set the other off, which led to this quiet, depressing stalemate.

Mitsuha groaned. "This is boring!" Of course, Mitusha was still a child, so she couldn't pick up on these awkward social graces just yet. She just knew that she didn't want to be at the dinner table a second longer than she needed to be. "Mommy, can I take my food in the living room and watch TV while I eat?"

"Huh?" Rose was distracted with Seiko, so she didn't quite register Mitsuha's words at first. When the question finally sunk in, Rose replied, "Oh…well, normally I'd say no, but since your sisters aren't here, I guess it's fine."

"Yay! Magical Detective Loveline, here I come!" Mitsuha exclaimed in glee as she took her food and ran to the living room. Seiko and Rose (and Clover) were left all alone.

"..." Seiko silently played with her food as Rose stared at her, unsure of just what to say.

"If you don't like it, I can make you something else," said Rose.

"Huh?" Seiko replied. "No. This is great. I'm just not that hungry, I guess."

"..." Rose frowned, but she didn't say anything else. The dinner continued on just like that.

Thursday, 4/14 20XX, Nighttime

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Days Until Skyrailway Grand Opening: 17

"..." After dinner, Rose asked Seiko to help her clean up and wash the dishes, hoping that would give them a chance to talk. Unfortunately, that ended up being as awkward as dinner. They both cleaned in silence, casting glances at one another when they weren't looking.

Finally, Clover decided to meddle. She whispered to Seiko, "Seiko-chan. This has gone on long enough. You clearly want to talk to her some more, why are you holding back? I guarantee however awkward you feel, Rose-san is feeling it too."

"..." Seiko didn't respond. She knew that Clover was right, but she just didn't know how to act around Rose now. Rose had seen a very vulnerable side to her. A side that she hadn't let Kodaka, Akemi, or even Clover see yet. Seiko had always been a very closed-off individual, but ever since her mother passed away, it seemed that there were more walls surrounding her than ever. She was afraid. Afraid that if she actually let someone in that they would reject her. Rationally, Seiko knew the kind of person that Rose was. She knew that she wouldn't reject her no matter what she did. She reminded Seiko so much of her mother, but that made it all the more difficult. The last words she ever said to her mother were out of anger. Seiko had felt so guilty because of that. Did she really have the right to mourn her mother? To be sad about her death? To remember all the good moments she had with her? To open her heart to someone new? Did she really have the right to do any of that if she blamed herself for her mother's death?

As Seiko mindlessly washed and dried the dishes, she let her thoughts wander. 'Rose-san really is just like Mom. Mitsuha and the others are so lucky. I don't want to push her away, but I just don't know what to say.'

Rose sighed. "I lost my mother too," she suddenly said. She had chosen to take the initiative.

"Huh?" Seiko suddenly stopped cleaning, and stared at Rose in confusion.

Rose looked at Seiko. "I was younger than you, around 14 or so I think. I took it really hard." She sighed. "My mother was amazing. So kind, so cheerful. She would make friends with anyone and everyone that she met. Almost like magic. My father and I loved her so much." Then she frowned. "It wasn't a surprise when it happened though. She was sick. Very, very sick for a long time. It was actually a relief when she passed. She wouldn't be in pain anymore. That's what everybody around me said." She shook her head. "But it didn't make the hurt go away. I was sad and angry for a long time after that. I closed myself off to the world, and I didn't let anybody in. I was afraid. Afraid that if I got too close to anyone else that I would just get hurt again if anything ever happened to them. I'm not going to stand here and pretend to know what you're going through. Everyone grieves differently." She smiled at Seiko. "But I'm going to tell you something that I wish somebody would have told me when I was your age. You're doing fine."

"...?" Seiko was confused.

"You don't need to grieve a certain way. If you're sad, then you cry. If you're angry, then you scream as loud as possible. If you feel like you want to shut yourself away, then you have my blessing. You grieve in your own way. Don't let anybody tell you otherwise. Just know that whenever you feel like you've grieved enough, you have people here who care about you. You have friends, you have sisters, and you have me. You are loved, Seiko-chan. Never forget that. I know it may be scary to let people in, but I'm telling you, it's worth it." Rose reached out and pulled Seiko into another hug.

"..." Seiko closed her eyes and hugged Rose back. "Thank you, Rose-san," she whispered.

"No thanks necessary. Remember, you're my daughter now too. It's my job to look out for you," said Rose. Seiko had forged another strong bond.

Sunday, 12/25 20XX, Nighttime

Almost nine months later, Seiko was being interrogated by Inspectors Kazutora Yagami and Naomi Nishitani.

"Even though you are the leader of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, you're still just a simple teenager. We already know that you're being financially supported by your extended family. But I find it hard to believe that you could have led this double life without them ever finding out. Tell me. Did they know about your little escapades?"

"..." Seiko was silent.

"Answer the question," said Yagami.

Thursday, 4/14 20XX, Nighttime

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Days Until Skyrailway Grand Opening: 17.

A bright, blue, fiery aura flashed through Seiko's mind. When the aura dissipated, a single Tarot card was left in its place. The card turned over and revealed itself to be the Cups. A gentle, soothing voice echoed in Seiko's mind.

I am thou, thou art I…

Thou hast acquired a new vow.

It shall become the shining light

that guideth thee out of the depths of nihilism.

With the birth of the Cups Persona,

I have obtained the winds of blessing that

shall lead to hope and new power.

Rosaline Ishimaru Confidant Established.

Arcana: Cups - Rank 1.

New Persona Gained - Tam Lin

Then the card and the voice vanished. "..." Seiko blinked a few times. Then she smiled, and hugged Rose even more. She felt safe in Rose's arms. It was a kind of safety that she hadn't felt since her mother passed. From that moment on, Seiko began to truly think of this place as home.

Afterwards, Seiko and Clover went back to their apartment. And after doing her nightly routine, Seiko, exhausted from the events of the day, went straight to sleep.

Friday, 4/15 20XX, Daytime

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Days Until Skyrailway Grand Opening: 16.

Two men were smoking in an outside rest area at the headquarters of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. They were both veteran inspectors who had seen many things over the years, and they, like many Japanese men, found comfort in the occasional taste and smell of nicotine. "Every month I keep saying that I'm going to quit, and every month I keep at it. Maybe I'm just too old to quit," said one of the inspectors, lazily chuckling as he did so.

These two men were Inspectors Kazutora Yagami and Shuichi Kishitani, two middle-aged veterans of the Tokyo Met. Yagami was in Public Security and would soon find himself as one of the lead investigators in the new rash of cases involving the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. He was a large, stern-looking man with short salt and pepper hair and stony gray eyes. He was dressed in a dark black suit.

Meanwhile, Kishitani was in Criminal Investigations and was currently on the high-profile taskforce put together to catch the notorious serial killer - Chain of Victims. Kishitani was a thin man with short black hair, which was starting to lose some of its luster and turn gray, dark brown eyes, and a mischievous-looking face which one might associate with a fox. He was dressed in a dark black suit that looked very similar to Yagami's.

They were old friends and had worked on many cases together. Even though they were now in different bureaus, they still met up like this every now and then. "Don't sell yourself short, Kazu. You're only what? 45? You still have plenty of time before you turn into one of those helpless smoking old men you see at the gambling parlors," Kishitani replied. "Me on the other hand? I'll probably be smoking until the day I die. This, booze, and my expensive hobby are the only vices I allow myself though."

"My wife keeps getting on me to quit, and my son's starting to do the same thing. I want to quit, but I just can't seem to break the habit. I've tried all the alternatives too. Nothing seems to work for me besides this."

Kishitani chuckled. "Must be nice to have someone who cares about your health like that. That's probably the only thing in life you've beaten me at."

"You're only what? 46? There's still time to find someone and settle down."

"Nah. I'm afraid I gave up on that dream a long time ago. I'm satisfied either way." Kishitani blew a puff of smoke, and then he continued to speak. "Today's the day you're finally getting a new partner, isn't it? When they stuck you at Public Security, I thought that would be the beginning of desk riding duty for you, but now they're giving you a rookie to break in."

"There's nothing wrong with Public Security. Would I prefer being back at Criminal Investigations? Yes. But honestly, for the first time in three years I feel like I can finally sleep at night. Chain of Victims is still out there, but at least he's not my problem anymore."

Kishitani chuckled. "That's not something a veteran inspector should say. You're ruining the trope. You should be saying stuff like: 'I may be off the case, but I won't rest until that punk is behind bars. I'll work on my own to solve it,'. Saying that you're happy a case you couldn't solve was taken away from you just sounds wrong for a person in your shoes."

"Say what you want, but that's how I feel. I never wanted to be in charge of that task force they put together anyway. I honestly don't know why they wanted me to do it. I definitely wasn't the most seasoned member of the group. I didn't think they would kick me out of Criminal Investigations altogether because of the lack of results, but at least I'm through with it," Yagami replied as he took another puff on his cigarette.

"Well you know the Commissioner was talking about recruiting promising investigators from other departments, here at the Met and around Japan to help on the new task force. He already went out of his way to ask that creep, Morimoto, and the mysterious consulting detective, M, to help."

"Morimoto. I heard he was back. I wish he stayed overseas. And a consulting detective? Did M use those actual words? Who do they think they are? Sherlock Holmes?"

"That's what was written on the dossier on him that we were all given. I haven't even seen the guy yet. We've been holding regular meetings and updates for the last week, and M hasn't bothered to show up to a single one. He just sends some assistants to take notes. We haven't even gotten a single theory from him yet. Some help. Morimoto on the other hand, well you already know how he can be about teamwork."

"More about M. What makes you so sure it's a guy? From what I've heard, M is very mysterious. No one knows their true identity."

"If you ask me, he's trying too hard to present this air of mystery. There was also a character from an old manga that did the same thing, if I recall correctly. He has to be a guy."

Yagami sighed. "That sounds like a headache in its own right. Yet another reason that I'm glad I don't have to deal with that case anymore."

"Yeah, Public Security sounds pretty cushy compared to Criminal Investigations. The last big thing they worked on were the Phantom Thieves' cases with SIU, right? It's been pretty quiet since then."

Yagami shook his head. "Don't remind me. Public Security got a bad reputation in the fallout too because it turned out that the head of SIU as well as a bunch of the higher-ups in the bureau were in Shido and Owada's pockets. So many arrests. So many terminations. So much corruption. Nowadays even a good cop can be branded as a bad one just by being part of the same department as them. Never mind the huge personnel change. Honestly, if it wasn't for the Chief, Public Security probably would have been dissolved a long time ago."

"You mean Chief Inspector Hasegawa, right?" Kishitani replied. "He sounds like good police, but I've heard plenty of strange rumors about him. One crazy rumor was that he actually moonlighted as a Phantom Thief during his time on those cases."

"Please. There's no way that's true."

Kishitani got a text on his phone, and then he went to check it. "Well it looks like my break is over. I'm needed in Shibuya. Good luck with the rookie, Kazu. Drinks this weekend?"

"Sure. Sounds good. Go get 'em."

"I always do," Kishitani replied with a mischievous smirk. Then he left the area, leaving Yagami alone.

Yagami took another puff. "I really need to quit."

Friday, 4/15 20XX, Daytime

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Days Until Skyrailway Grand Opening: 16.

A few minutes later, Yagami went back down to the Public Security bureau's main office. He popped a few breath mints to get rid of the nicotine smell in his breath, and then he headed over to his desk. There he met up with two people. One was an older man who looked like he was either in his late forties or his early fifties, and the other was a younger woman who was either in her late twenties or her early thirties.

Yagami recognized the older man immediately as Chief Inspector Zenkichi Hasegawa, head of the Public Security bureau, and his boss. He had shoulder-length black hair, dark gray eyes, and a black goatee. He wore a pair of rimless glasses with a square narrow frame, a black suit with a black tie and light turquoise dress shirt, and a pair of white sneakers. Hasegawa didn't really strike you as a person in charge. He looked serious at first glance, but if you looked closer you could see that he was pretty mild-mannered. He was also actually a bit of a slacker, but that fact was known only to those people who actually worked with him. There was also a rumor going around that he was dying his hair, but nobody dared mention it.

"Ah, Yagami. I was wondering where you got off to," said Hasegawa. "Allow me to officially introduce you to your new partner." Hasegawa motioned to the woman next to him.

The woman bowed, and then she introduced herself. "It's nice to meet you, Yagami-san. My name is Naomi Nishitani. I look forward to working with you." Inspector Nishitani was a beautiful young woman that had silky black hair that was tied back into a ponytail and jade colored eyes. She too wore a dark black suit, but her colors lined up more with Yagami's than Hasegawa's.

"Nishitani-kun is coming to us from Community Police Affairs. She was one of the sharpest inspectors there, so we're lucky to have her here," Hasegawa explained.

"Then I'm sure you'll have no trouble keeping up with me," said Yagami. "I don't intend to coddle you just because you're new."

Nishitani shook her head. "I don't expect you to. I was informed that you are one of the best investigators in all of Japan. I'm here to learn from that man."

Yagami slightly smiled and chuckled. "I think you and I are going to get along just fine."

"Great. I hope this new partnership will really bear fruit. Nishitani-kun you may have heard some questionable rumors about Public Security before your transfer, but I want to assure you that we have more than learned from the past here. I want to turn Public Security into a bureau that the citizens can put their faith in, and I'm hoping you and Yagami here will help me accomplish that," said Hasegawa. Then he sighed. "Of course, the higher-ups and the government try to fight the changes I want to make every step of the way. Damn dinosaurs would rather have the country go on hating us than institute any sort of lasting change. But first and foremost, we serve the public. I mean it's right in the name. If you feel like our work isn't doing that, then feel free to call me on it."

Nishitani smirked. "Forgive me for saying so, Chief, but that attitude sounds kind of anarchistic for someone in your position to have."

Hasegawa's expression turned serious. "I was involved with the Phantom Thief cases from the get-go. Believe me, I've seen just how corrupt those with unchecked power can become. The police and the government lost a lot of faith and good will from the people. It's easy enough to just blame everything on the Phantom Thieves. That's what most of the people in our organization do, but I think the problem runs a lot deeper than that. The Phantom Thieves just showed us that we still have a lot of work to do. We need to earn back the public's trust. Crucifying the Phantom Thieves won't do that. Doing good work, and not being swayed by politics in the pursuit of justice will." Then he smiled. "Of course, I respect all opinions. Yagami here hates the Phantom Thieves with a passion and I still keep him around."

Yagami scoffed. "I honestly don't understand why you don't hate them more, Chief. Those damn brats turned us into a laughing stock." Yagami thought that his boss was a scatter-brain at times, but other times he was proud to call him his superior. He truly cared about his job, and repairing the relationship between the police and society that the Phantom Thieves had exposed as corrupt. Though for some reason he didn't understand, Hasegawa never blamed the Phantom Thieves for making so much work for him. In fact, whenever he mentioned them, he sounded somewhat appreciative.

Hasegawa chuckled. "Of course, it's been five years since the Phantom Thieves of Hearts have made a move, but that doesn't mean our jobs are on hold waiting for when or if they strike again. Public Security existed long before the Phantom Thieves as a bureau dedicated to protecting the Japanese citizenry and national security. There are real terror threats out there, and these ones don't care about changing hearts to accomplish their goals, they use weapons and fear to get that point across. In fact…" Hasegawa was interrupted by the sound of a very nostalgic ringtone.

Yagami and Nishitani looked at Hasegawa. "I recognize that music. Isn't that the Phantom Thieves'...?"

Hasegawa chuckled in embarrassment, and then he pulled out his phone. "I apologize. My daughter thought it would be funny for her Chief Inspector father to have his ringtone set to this. Then every time I change it, she sneaks behind my back and changes it back to this." He sighed as he checked the caller ID. "Speak of the devil. Excuse me, I have to take this. If I don't answer her calls as soon as I get them, she won't call me again for weeks." He walked away and answered the phone on his way back to his office. "Hi Akane. You do know I'm at work right now, right?" There was a pause. "No! No! No! Don't hang up! I'm sorry. What did you need?"

Nishitani snickered. "So the Chief's the doting father type, huh?"

"I wouldn't exactly phrase it like that. His daughter's in college now, but she still hasn't grown out of her rebellious phase. I can tell they have a good relationship, but I still wouldn't wish that hell on any man. Thank God, I have a son," Yagami replied.

"Well anyways, I'm ready to get straight to work. What are our open cases?" Nishitani replied.

"Nothing substantial at the moment. There's threats made every day all over the world, but mostly our job is to sort out the credible threats from the crazies who are just blowing smoke. The Phantom Thieves, Medjed, and any other former 'vigilante' groups are also on our radar. But I can show you how we operate. Keep up because I'm not planning on slowing down."

"Wouldn't have it any other way, Senpai."

Friday, 4/15 20XX, Daytime

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Days Until Skyrailway Grand Opening: 16.

Meanwhile, Seiko was enjoying her lunch break and got another message over KWIRE from Kodaka.

Kodaka: My uncle was on TV again today. He was giving an interview about the Skyrailway. He was talking about all of its features and all of its safety protocols.

Seiko: Well, we know that's not true. I still don't really understand why he's risking so much to get it ready by 5/2. What's the harm with pushing the grand opening back a few months to solve these safety issues? Why resort to coverups and murder?

Kodaka: I think I found a little more information on that end. It turns out Shinohara Development is actually deeply in the red. It has been for the better part of a year.

Seiko: Really? It didn't seem that way to me. Your uncle seems very secure in his position.

Kodaka: Apparently, that's just a front. They've had a dozen or so canceled projects in the last year alone. No projects for a development company means no money. Plus, there's the off the books employees that function as sweepers and fixers. If you don't keep paying them, they're likely to turn on you. With all those expenses, my uncle's been getting several cash advances from private investors just to keep the company afloat. If the Skyrailway fails, Shinohara Development might go bankrupt.

Seiko: And these same investors are the ones who are involved in the Skyrailway coverup?

Kodaka: It looks like it, but so far I haven't gotten any names. All the money trails lead back to a series of shell corporations.

Seiko: Shell corporations? What are those?

Kodaka: Basically they're corporations that don't exist anywhere but on paper. Criminals and less reputable business people set them up to hide their transactions. I can figure out who owns them, but it's going to take some time.

Seiko: Do you think there might be any information on the investors inside your uncle's Palace?

Kodaka: Maybe. If there is any info, it will probably be in a very secure area though. We still have quite a few areas left to go through before we reach the Treasure. Let's leave no stone unturned.

Seiko: Sounds like a plan. See you after school at Ogikubo Station.

With the conversation finished, Seiko put her phone away and continued eating.

A/N: And that's all for now. I hope you guys enjoyed that and are looking forward to the rest. Until next time, please review, favorite, and follow.