Senran Persona: Ninjas of Hearts

by UknownHero

Collab with JGResidentEvil and VividMind17. Fate can be an interesting thing within life. It can bring unexpected changes that no one can truly see. For two girls, those that were destined to be rivals between good and evil, changed under the masks of rebellion to forge their own true paths. Now get up and stand your ground because these sexy ninjas are gonna steal your heart!

32. Myths of the Museum - Day 1

You know it's pretty bad when there's a lack of April Fools videos. Hey, UknownHero here currently going insane. Not from self-isolation (I do that every day) but from the amount of shit I have to do at home with computers that can barely run Minecraft and the constant Discord notifications. Ugh... online schooling sucks... I keep thinking its holidays but nope! I still wake up late to class except the walk to school is a hell of a lot shorter!

Also, funny thing happen in Australia last week. They sold P5R a week early while my copy is coming... tomorrow! No, I'm not angry, I get to stay inside and play Animal Crossing! On the topic of Animal Crossing, why is the Robot Hero so expensive to craft!?

Ugh... Enough of my first world complaining, let's get onto the reviews! To Midgardsormr Jr: You will get your perverted fantasies fulfilled if you choose to. To Kaiser Dragon: Well... according to the scheduling... the latest would be... 9/4. Maybe. You can't rush these types of things, even though I really want to but I can't. However, if we encounter a situation where a girlfriend is involved, we'll do it regardless of what date it is.

Anyways, that's it, happy birthday Joker and let's do this!

Load Game... Start!

---

Chapter 32: Myths of the Museum - Day 1

---

(5/22, Early Morning)

(Forest)

The sun had just started rising on the forest as light started to envelop the tranquil landscape.

CLANG! SHINK! CLANG!

That was until two shadowy blurs began clashing with one another.

But to anyone who could keep up with their speed, it was simply two shinobi training their hearts out.

"Ah!" Asuka yelped as she narrowly deflected a stab with her weapons before kicking her roommate in the stomach, following it up with a right hook.

"Excellent work!" Homura praised with a smirk on her face. "But I know you can do better!" She soon declared as she then vanished into the trees.

"Hai!" Asuka replied with determination in her voice as sweat ran down her face as she jumped back to analyze the situation. She had retreated into the trees to rest, her opponent doing the same. "Come on, Asuka Shirokage...what can you do to survive this...?" She thought to herself.

Asuka had already used flash bombs to stun her enemy, so she knew they had a counter to it now. Smoke didn't do too well against them either. And a straight fight wasn't an option in the slightest.

After a few more seconds, Asuka finally formulated a plan and was ready to execute it.

And she would've...if she was blindsided.

WHAM!

"AAAAHHHH!" Asuka screamed as she was tackled off the tree and thrown across the ground.

"Too slow Sis." Homura informed in a dead serious tone. "You took too long formulating a plan rather than executing it. A Leader must be able to react and adapt to any situation, and act as fast as you think. Don't hesitate for a second, because it's an hour to the enemy." She soon stated and instructed in a lecturing manner.

"Ah...well, I still have a few tricks up my sleeve." Asuka got out as she picked herself off the ground. "Like that." She soon revealed with a grin.

Homura's eyes widened just in time for the ground to collapse underneath her feet.

"My specialty is Earth remember?" Asuka teasingly reminded with a grin...only for it to fall as the tan skinned girl leapt at her, causing her to fall back to dodge that would've surely knocked her out.

"Dig deeper next time." Homura soon stated as she wiped off the dirt on her clothes. "Clever usage of your element though." She once more praised.

"Thank you. Sorry you can't use yours though. We can't start a forest fire after all." Asuka replied.

"Hey, shinobi shine in the face of adversity and limits." Homura got out with a smirk. "Not to mention this is also helpful for me when it comes to control." She then added. "It doesn't mean I can't go wild though." She soon revealed before disappearing.

"Huh? Oh crap!" Asuka swore out as she moved her body to dodge a flurry of rapid yet precise slashes.

However, she stumbled a little bit, giving Homura the opportunity she needed to kick her roommate in the chest, making her crash into a tree.

"Ah..." Asuka groaned in pain before forcing herself up, knowing there was going to be a follow up.

"RRRAAAAAHHHHH!" Homura roared as she charged at her roommate, her katanas at her side.

"HUP!" Asuka meanwhile got out as she leapt over her roommate, avoiding the strike and landing behind her with her blade at her neck and model gun at her back. "Gotcha~" She playfully got out with a wink, neither noticing their panting and wheezing.

They had lost track of how long they've been going at it for. At best, maybe about three hours at least.

"Don't think the game's over just yet." Homura confidently replied.

"Huh? WAH!" Asuka yelped out as she suddenly felt something tie around her ankles. Before she realised her mistake, the world went upside down now. "KYA!" She yelped out.

"Ahem. Gotcha~" Homura stated with a smirk and her own playful wink.

"Moh~ Homu-nee...~" Asuka whined with a pout on her face.

"Well, it's 25 to 25 now. Would you like to go one more round?" Homura soon asked while twirling one of her katanas.

SLICE!

Asuka soon felt gravity return as she flipped and landed on her feet. "Yeah, just let me get some water." She soon requested.

Homura in response nodded to this request. "Sure Sis. Would you mind passing me my bottle as well?" She then requested.

"Sure." Asuka answered with a nod as she walked over to their bags and began rummaging through them. "Come on...I know it's here somewhere..." She muttered to herself, not seeing her roommate raise her katanas behind her...

SPLASH!

Not that she needed to.

Asuka threw the empty water bottle away and charged at the wet tan skinned girl, pinning her down to the ground with her arms with her on top.

"You're getting better." Homura praised.

"Hey, I won't fall for the same trick twice." Asuka replied as the two then giggled in playful amusement. "Now yield." She soon requested.

"Hehehe...and you think I'd give up so easily." Homura began...

CHU!

And kissed the Vice Leader's forehead...and then followed it up with a headbutt.

"Ow!" Asuka yelped out as she released her roommate to rub the sore spot, only to be tackled to the ground and incapciated herself.

"Yield." Homura simply ordered.

Asuka however puffed up her cheek to that. "Never!" She countered. "If you're going to fight dirty, I'm going to fight dirty too." She soon declared.

"What do...you..." Homura started before she realised what her roommate meant by it. "Oh no..." She got out in a nervous manner.

Taking in a deep breath, Asuka's eyes soon became bigger and sparkly as she looked at the other girl with most adorable expression on her face. "Homu-onyeechan, pwease wet me win. I'ww give you the biggest steak I can affowd. You'ww be tweated as the best big sistew evew~" She got out in a cutesy manner.

The tan skinned girl's eye soon twitched to the sight and hearing how she was talking. "No...stop...please Sis...!" Homura struggled out. "Willpower...failing...must...not...lose...from...cuteness..." She struggled out.

CHU!

Before being kissed on the forehead.

"Pwease~?" Asuka soon asked in the same manner.

The tan skinned girl immediately became a glowing crimson to this. "Ye-No! Y-Y-Y-Ye...NO!" Homura yelled out before tossing herself off her roommate and fell to her knees. "Why must this happen to me!?" She struggled out in shame.

Asuka didn't let the opening pass and lightly stepped on the other girl's chest. "Now what are the magic words, Homu-nee~? It's only two, and this can all be over." She then began.

"...Okay. Fine." Homura got out as she let out a breath. "...Look down." She soon informed.

This however confused the Vice Leader. "Eh?" Asuka gasped out before doing so...just in time to see a rope tying itself around their legs. "Not agggggaaaaaiiiiiiinnnnnn...!" She cried out as they were both lifted into the air upside down, tied up together.

"Okay...I thought it was just going to be you..." Homura awkwardly admitted.

"Ugh...let's just consider this a draw..." Asuka moaned out.

"Good idea." Homura replied. "...So...How do we get out of this?" She soon asked.

"Slash through the ropes again." Asuka replied as she tried to lift her arms up...only to realise she couldn't. "Oh boy..." She mumbled out.

"Uh...You don't mind a little third-degree burn, do you?" Homura asked.

"Yes I do Homu-nee!" Asuka replied.

"I know. Looks like we're gonna be here a while then..." Homura stated.

"Hmm..." Asuka hummed out before snapping her finger. "Ah! Homu-nee, just heat yourself up!" She soon instructed.

"Third-degree burns." Homura reminded.

"I mean like in the bath!" Asuka corrected. "Just heat yourself up to the point where-" She began explaining.

SNAP! THUD!

Only for the branches to break and they fell to the ground.

"Ugh..." Homura winced out.

"Or wait for the branch to snap. That'll work too." Asuka groaned out. "Ow..." She got out in pain.

"Well...I think that's enough training for today. Let's head back and get something to eat." Homura muttered out as she stumbled her way to their bags after ripping off the ropes on their legs.

"Hai, it was fun." Asuka replied. "So...what are you feeling?" She then asked.

"Oh, doesn't that weird smoothie shop sell their weird smoothies today?" Homura got out. "Maybe we should stop by and get something from there." She soon suggested.

"Sure, we got the money for them." Asuka reminded her with a smile. "Though I'll have to watch my figure now when it comes to modeling. I'll also have to ask for advice from Ann-chan on the matter as well." She then added.

"Sis, you are already beautiful and sexy enough as is, you won't have to watch your weight or anything like that." Homura pointed out.

"H-Homu-nee..." Asuka chidded with an embarrassed blush on her face to the compliments given.

"Come on along now and pack your stuff. That aoijiru won't be in stock all day." Homura advised as she began rubbing the other girl's head in a tender manner.

Suddenly, they felt their phones vibrate. Wasting no time, the two shinobi pulled them out of their pockets and opened the IM.

[TheWildJ0ker: Meeting at 269.]

After putting down their phones, Asuka nodded at Homura before preparing to get themselves ready.

It was time to infiltrate the museum.

---

(5/22, Daytime)

(Shibuya, Shin Megami Apartment Complex)

Homura wanted to kick the door down so desperately as Asuka struggled to put the key in the lock.

They were exhausted from training, sick from the aoijiru drinks and nearly ran over by some drunk asshole.

"Who gets drunk at 10AM!?" Homura growled out.

"Sad, sad people." Asuka replied in disappointment.

Meanwhile, in some other part of Tokyo, Kobaykawa sneezed and spilled his booze on his clothes.

"There!" Asuka called out as she shoved the door open. "Ugh..." She then groaned as the two shinobi stumbled into the apartment.

"Okay, drinks should not be made from hot spring water..." Homura moaned out as she held her stomach.

"I feel kinder and sick..." Asuka muttered out. "And sweaty and dirty and...We really need a bath..." She then pointed out.

"That sounds so good right now..." Homura breathed out as they started stripping. "Ugh, the train was hell too...we would probably stink up the whole apartment or the Morganamobile like this." She then added. "It would be best if we head for the bath now." She soon suggested.

"Hm...but the others might get here before we're done and that would be bad. We have a shower, right?" Asuka then pointed out.

"I don't think so." Homura replied in an unsure manner. "And we will make it a quick bath. Now come along." She added as she sashayed towards the bathroom.

"Ok." Asuka replied as she followed the tan skinned girl just as the steam started rising. "Um Homu-nee, d-did I nibble on you in my sleep again?" She then meekly asked as they got into the bath.

"No." Homura answered. "...You suckled." She then corrected with a blush.

This in turn caused the girl to blush scarlet. "Moh...! What has been with me the past few nights!?" Asuka whined in shame.

"Were you eating sweets before bed without me noticing?" Homura soon asked.

"I swear, Homu-nee, I don't!" Asuka replied. "Moh, why do I have to imagine chocolate covered marshmallows...?" She then mumbled out.

"Maybe you're craving them? I'm not a psycho-anal-cist." Homura suggested.

"Don't you mean psychoanalyst?" Asuka corrected.

This in turn caused the tan skinned girl to blush. "I-I am still working on improving myself regarding my knowledge, I will have to ask Makoto-senpai for assistance on the matter along with my disciplinary committee duties." She then informed.

"It has been over a week since exams..." Asuka muttered out. "Though we have been pretty busy." She then admitted.

"I don't think what we're doing is affecting what Makoto-senpai is doing, Sis." Homura pointed out. "Despite her still being under pressure from the principal." She then added.

"Should we do something about it then?" Asuka then suggested.

"I will handle it, Makoto-senpai needs an actual friend and I intend to try and become one for her." Homura replied in reassurance.

"Stupid chin jelly fat lard ball..." Asuka grumbled under her breath.

"He is indeed a lard ball." Homura giggled as the two continued washing themselves off and giggling all the while.

Meanwhile, outside of the apartment, Ann walked down the hall towards Asuka and Homura's place, having been in Shibuya today for a little more shopping.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

"Hello? Anyone there?" Ann called out. She didn't get a response. "Hm? Hello? Asuka-chan? Homura?" She tried again, but still no one was responding to her.

The ash blonde then looked down and noticed that there was a key still in the keyhole. "Did they go out earlier?" Ann soon asked herself as she tapped on the door, causing it to open a little as a result. "Erm...I'll text them." She then told herself before taking the key and heading inside, already pulling out her phone.

"Your butt's soooo shiny~" Asuka's voice suddenly complimented.

"I try, Sis, I try." Homura's voice replied in a proud manner.

"Man, you'd think the shinobi would've at least locked their-" Ann started only to stop herself upon seeing the two girl...standing in the living room...feeling each other up...in the buff with damp towels on the ground at their feet.

"H-Homu-nee, that tickles!" Asuka giggled out.

"Well, let me abuse this weakness for a Once More!" Homura teased in amusement.

"Nooooooo~!" Asuka playfully cried out. "You're becoming like Katsu-nee!" She then whined.

"Oh please Sis, Katsuragi's practically a sexual assaulter. I on the other hand am being more tender towards you as a sibling would." Homura corrected in a mature manner. "...Despite still being unsure about the offer." She then added.

"Take your time, Homu-nee. Take your time." Asuka got out in a comforting tone...looking down. "Ooooh~ did you shave your-"

It was at that moment that the ash blonde decided to make herself known. "W-What are you two doing!?" Ann exclaimed with a scarlet blush on her face.

SHATTER!

This in turn caused both girls to pale. "...Homu-nee?" Asuka soon asked.

"Yes Sis?" Homura replied.

"Did you hear Ann-chain's voice?" Asuka then asked.

"Yes. Yes I did." Homura answered as they shakily turned their heads towards the ash blonde. "Hi, Ann." She awkwardly greeted.

"Hello." Ann greeted back.

"When did you get here?" Homura soon asked.

"Just now. You should lock your door." Ann replied.

"Noted." Both girls responded in unison.

The ash blonde then slightly glanced downward. "...Why do you have a hickey on your boob?" Ann couldn't help but ask in a whisper.

Asuka in response blushed to this. "U-Um...there's a perfect explanation." She meekly replied.

Ann however sweatdropped that. "I...I don't wanna hear it...but I'll keep it safe." She awkwardly replied.

"Th-Thank you." Homura replied before blinking. "Wait, do you think-" She began to ask, however...

"Hey, why is the apartment door op-" Ryuji's voice suddenly began to ask.

SLAM!

"OW!" Ryuji's muffled voice got out in pain after the ash blonde shut the door behind her.

"Stay out there for now!" Ann panickingly ordered.

"Why...!?" Ryuji groaned in pain.

"Smoothie trouble!" Ann immediately answered.

"Thank you Ann-chan." Asuka got out in a grateful manner.

"Don't tell anyone Ann." Homura meanwhile calmly demanded. "Or those ponytails come off." She then added.

"Well, it would be much easier for me to lie if you two put some clothes on at least!" Ann pointed out while crossing her arms over her chest.

"What?" Akira's muffled voice got out in confusion.

"I think my nose is bleeding!" Ryuji's voice also got out.

"How thin are these walls!?" Ann thought before looking at the duo. "Why are you two just standing there!? Go and get dressed, you nudists!" She ordered in a whisper.

The two in response blushed in embarrassment to this. "Sorry." They got out in shamed unison as they went to get their clothes.

"Geez, I didn't think shinobi girls get into situations like this." Ann got out. "I think you two could really learn some decency as human beings." She then added.

"Decency as human beings?" Asuka and Homura repeated in confusion as they tilted their heads.

"You know, like shame and boundaries." Ann simply explained.

"Ann, we were taught not to worry about those kinds of things too much." Homura pointed out in a serious tone as her roommate nodded in agreement. "Though Sis is an exception when it comes to Katsuragi with her constant groping and perving. You can't help but react to that." She then added.

"Is that why you two were feeling each other up in the middle of the room, even though you were expecting company?" Ann pointed out."...Are you secretly exhibitionists or something?" She then asked.

"Exhibitionist?" Asuka and Homura however repeated in confused unison.

Ann however just sweatdropped to this response. "You know what, nevermind." She soon decided. "Man these two are innocent in a lot of ways." She thought to herself, amused at her friends unique points as she watched them get dressed.

"So...situations like what?" Ryuji asked from behind the door.

"Are you guys putting your ears against the door!?" Ann exclaimed her accusation while the other two girls blushed.

"...No..." Akira soon answered after a moment of silence.

Ann just groaned at that.

Today was going to be one of those days, wasn't it?

---

(Madarame's Museum of Vanity, Museum Entrance)

Joker adjusted his coat and his gloves as he walked up to his fellow Thieves, all of them glaring at the scam artist's museum.

"I'm sure you already know this, but the first thing we need to do is secure an infiltration route." Mona got out as the Vice Leader passed out the equipment.

"Then we send the callin' card." Skull spoke up. "Yeah, yeah, we know the drill. Anyways, let's get ready!" He then declared.

"We shouldn't rush everything." Yang however advised in a serious tone.

"I know, but we got two weeks left dammit! We gotta steal his heart soon, Yang." Skull reminded.

"I know the stakes, Skull." Yang sighed out. "Come on, just because I want to cave in that pervert's skull with a hammer doesn't mean I don't want to save him too. I just mean that we shouldn't rush and risk making any mistakes." She soon explained.

"Lady Yang's right, rushing in would lead to mistakes which will lead to our horrible deaths." Mona replied in agreement.

"Thank you Mona." Yang replied with maturity in her voice as she leaned down and began rubbing his head in an affectionate manner.

"Doesn't mean I'm gonna try and get through this place today." Joker thought before his eyes turned to the Vice Leader, who was in the middle of cleaning her pistols. "So, like the new pistols Yin?" He then asked with a smirk on his face.

The Vice Leader in response nodded as she instinctively twirled them. "Yep. So, what are they again?" Yin replied followed by the question.

"Sugiura." Joker answered. "So, is Yang good with the Minebea?" He then asked while glancing at the tan skinned girl who was still petting the not cat.

"Hai." Yin replied. "She told me they were like her Micro-Uzis but better." She then informed.

"Yeah, I was thinking that too." Joker admitted. "Oh, and I wanted to talk to you about something." He then requested.

"Sure. Go ahead." Yin innocently replied.

This in turn caused the Leader to sigh. "So...I visited the Velvet Room last night..." Joker started.

This in response got the Vice Leader's attention. "Yes...?" Yin slowly responded.

"And it sort of concerns you..." Joker soon confessed.

"Is it bad?" Yin soon asked.

"Yin...I need to re-fuse Jack Frost to make him stronger." Joker informed.

"What!?" Yin exclaimed. "That means the guillotine and...and...!" She got out in a panic.

"It's a thing for the Velvet Room. Don't worry." Joker reassured. Then he saw the look the Vice Leader was giving him despite the mask. "Yin, please don't..." He soon muttered.

"J-Joker...P-Please tell me you didn't...!" Yin whimpered out with big watery eyes.

"Yin, look, if Jack Frost gets stronger he becomes more useful, that means I summon him more often and you get to see him more." Joker explained in a serious tone. "Now if you excuse me, I need to see Caroline and Justine for the moment." He then informed.

"Noooo...!" Yin cried out as the Leader entered the Velvet Room. "There has to be another way! Joker? JOKER!" She called out, but it was too late as she saw the Leader staring off into space.

"Yin, why are you crying?" Panther asked in concern as the Vice Leader went to her knees. However, all she did was curl up and whimper.

"Yin!" Yang and Mona yelped out as they went over to make sure their Vice Leader was okay.

"Sis, are you alright?" Yang then asked in concern as she kneeled down to her level.

"Everything is terrible...there is no such thing as goodness in this world..." Yin mumbled out.

"...Is this Jack Frost related?" Yang soon enough asked, only to see the Vice Leader meekly nod in response. "Sis..." She groaned out.

"They're gonna kill him...They're gonna kill him again and again until there's nothing left..." Yin mumbled out in a fear ridden manner.

"It's...just an aspect of Joker's personality, Lady Yin." Mona pointed out.

"Why must the cute alway die so young?" Yin however mumbled out.

"I think your obsession with Jack Frost is crippling you." Skull bluntly stated. "Think someone should get Yin a Jack Frost plushie sometime?" He then suggested.

"I tried but they're all sold out!" Yang stated. "Not to mention my luck sucks with those crane games!" She then added in frustration.

"Well...I guess all we can do is wait until Joker comes out of the Green Room." Skull muttered out.

"Velvet." Mona corrected.

"Whatever." Skull casually remarked without a care. "They're basically the same color, right?" He then asked.

"..." Panther opened her mouth before shutting it close.

Eventually, Joker snapped back to reality, signalling that he had exited the Velvet Room with a new arsenal of Personas. "La Force, huh..." He mumbled to himself as he walked up the others.

"So what did you get this time Joker?" Panther soon asked.

"Well, you'll see in the Palace." Joker answered before kneeling next to Yin. "Uh...Yin, you okay?" He then asked in concern as he noticed the Vice Leader glaring at him with a green aura surrounding her.

"AAAAHHHHH!" Yin screamed out as she tackled the Leader down. "YOU PIECE OF SHIT!" She soon roared.

"Yin, YIN!" Joker called out as he blocked every strike the Vice Leader tried to land on his face with her fist while the others tried to pull her off the Leader.

"Summon Jack Frost! SUMMON IT NOW!" Yang called out.

"Can't really do that if my arms are too busy defending myself from murder!" Joker pointed out.

"LET ME GO! LET ME KILL HIM FOR EXECUTING JACK FROST!" Yin growled out as the tan skinned girl managed to pull her off their Leader.

"HURRY!" Mona called out as the Leader picked himself up.

"JACK FROST!" Joker commanded as he swiftly removed his mask.

And with that, Yin's favourite Persona appeared in front of him.

"Don't be sad, ho. I'll always be in your heart, hee ho, even if I'm not around, ho." Jack Frost happily declared.

The Vice Leader's eyes widened to seeing the familiar Persona. "Aw..." Yin got out as she began to calm down.

"So be happy, or I'll devour your heart so it's inside me, ho!" Jack Frost soon informed while hovering over to the girl.

The Thieves gaped in horror as they took a step back away from the Persona, except for Yin, who was still enraptured by its cuteness to notice.

"I'll always be your super best friend, Jack Frost." Yin cooed out as she hugged the Persona.

"Hehehe...~" Joker softly chuckled out as a blissful look appeared on his face.

"Joker, you will be the death of us at this rate." Yang stated in a deadpan tone.

"Hey, I'm not the yandere for Jack Frost here." Joker reminded as his Persona rubbed himself on the Vice Leader's soft body.

"...What's a yandere?" Yang asked with a raised eyebrow. "Actually, nevermind, I'll look it up later." She then decided.

"Alright." Joker replied with a nod before going up to the Vice Leader. "Come on, Yin, playtime's over, we're heading in." He then informed.

Even though no one could see it, Yin had a pout on her face as she sighed. "Fine..." She mumbled out. "But you better use him more from now on." She then advised.

"I promise, but please understand that he's already falling behind." Joker informed.

"I don't care!" Yin countered.

"Sis..." Yang spoke up. "You're being commanding yet bratty..." She then stated in disapproval.

Yin in response winced at that. "O-Oh. I'm sorry Leader..." She mumbled out.

"It's fine, Yin. I have my own selfish reasons to keep Jack Frost around as well." Joker replied.

"Like what?" Yang soon asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Alright, everyone. Do your business now, we're going in five!" Joker called out, ignoring the question.

"Until next time princess hee ho!" Jack Frost happily replied as he became a mask and returned to the Leader.

The other thieves then looked at their Leader with raised eyebrows. "Princess?" They all repeated in confusion.

"I dunno. Guess it gave Yin a nickname." Joker guessed with a shrug while looking at the not cat. "Aspects of my personality huh?" He then quipped out.

"Yeah. That's what they should be." Mona stated. "Though Lady Yin does have some qualities of a princess." He then added in a dazed manner as he began imagining it.

"And we lost Mona..." Yang muttered as she also began thinking about it. "Princess huh?" She thought to herself. "Hehe, I guess I would be her Knight then huh?" She then jokingly remarked.

"No." Panther deadpanned. "You would be her Rook...maybe Pawn." She then muttered out.

"Eh, I think Yang would be a Knight though." Skull admitted. "I mean she is pretty fast." He then added.

"Yeah, but they only move in L-shapes. Rooks can go across the board and get up in your face. Like Yang." Panther explained.

"Eh, I'm thinkin' DXD logic." Skull awkwardly admitted while shrugging his shoulders.

"...What's a DXD?" Yang got out in confusion.

"I'm talking about chess, Skull!" Panther called out. "Not your dumb anime!" She then added.

"An anime?" Yin and Yang repeated.

"Everyone, please focus on the mission." Mona sighed out.

"Though we're curious now." Yin and Yang meanwhile thought with sweatdrops.

"Alright people, let's go." Joker soon ordered as he tugged on the end of his glove.

---

(SP Exhibition Room)

Skull was the last one to go down the rope and luckily he didn't fall flat on his face this time.

"Back inside..." Joker muttered to himself.

"All these students...all ruined by Madarame..." Yin mumbled out as she looked at the paintings.

"They'll get their justice." Panther stated in determination.

"Yeah. We may be too late to help 'em, but we're sure as hell gonna avenge 'em." Skull got out with a smirk.

"Well, we can't avenge them if we're dead so stay focused and quiet. We made so many mistakes in the castle and I hope we rectify them here." Mona stated. "Lead the way, Leaders!" He then ordered.

In response, both Leaders nodded in unison as they took to the front.

However, before they even left the room...

"EVERYONE STOP!" Mona suddenly shouted out.

"What the hell, Mona!?" Skull called out before the Vice Leader accidentally bumped into him. "W-Whoa!" He then got out as he fell forward.

"Sorry!" Yin apologised before gasping and grabbing the back of his jacket.

"Huh?" Skull got out before his eyes widened.

Thanks to the dust particles in the air, he could faintly see the red laser just mere millimetres from his eyes. "Holy shit." Skull whispered out as the Vice Leader helped him back onto his feet.

"Infrared lasers." Joker got out as he narrowed his eyes. "They got them online. They know someone broke in." He then declared.

"It seems so." Yang responded in agreement.

"Looks like it, and maybe the rumors are starting to make Madarame more cautious. If we touch them, we'll surely increase the security level." Mona stated. "They're not too easy to see, so we better keep our eyes peeled." He then advised.

"Yeah..." Joker whispered out as his eyes flashed gold, allowing him to see the lasers a lot more clearly.

"Indeed." Yang replied as her eyes flashed crimson, seeing the lasers as a result, though to her, they were light blue now.

"Alright, follow mine and Yang's lead." Joker ordered as he took a few steps back before running towards the lasers, before going onto his back on the last second, sliding under the lasers effortlessly.

Yang meanwhile smirked underneath her mask as she watched the display. "Showoff." She remarked in a teasing manner before jumping over the laser grid with elegance and grace.

"So cool..." Yin breathed out in amazement before following her roommate's example.

"Now look who's being a show off..." Joker quipped out with his own smirk as the dyed blond slid under the lasers while the ash blonde leapt over him.

"All of you doing such stylish actions to avoid lasers when the solution is obvious." Mona got out as he simply...walked under the laser, dipping his head down a little.

"That's 'cause you're short enough to." Skull countered before turning around to see even more laser grids. "Aw crap..." He got out.

Joker sighed before turning on his Third Eye once again. "May as well keep this on until we leave this place..." He muttered to himself. "Yang, keep your Third Eye active as well." He then ordered.

"I dunno...I don't wanna keep it on for too long..." Yang got out.

"Don't worry. It'll be fine." Joker assured.

"Alright..." Yang sighed out as she turned on her Third Eye as well. "Let's go." She then declared as they took to the front...

...And simultaneously walked into a wall.

"Okay, not all the time." Joker groaned out.

"Good idea." Yang winced out.

And with that they worked their way through the area while avoiding the lasers, until they came across their first guard.

"Guard up ahead." Mona warned. "Do you want to let them pass or take them out?" He then asked.

"We need to know what types of enemies we may encounter here." Joker muttered out. "Alright, who wants the first ambush of the Palace?" He soon offered.

"Me, me, me!" Yin excitedly responded as she raised her hand eagerly. "I got this." She soon declared.

"Well then, I can't deny a lady's request. Make it hurt." Joker replied with a smirk.

"Oh, I will." Yin replied as she rushed up to the Shadow and leapt onto its back.

"Huh!?" The Guard got out in shock and confusion.

"Show me your true form!" Yin demanded as she ripped off the Guard's mask before kicking away from it as the Shadow burst open, revealing three small red fairies.

"We got three Girls of the Hanging Tree! They're new to us but they shouldn't be much trouble!" Mona informed."Knock them down and let's be done with it!"

"I got 'em!" Panther called out as she ripped off her mask. "Dance, Carmen! Agi!" She then commanded as her Persona shot a fireball at the Shadow...who didn't look worried at all...

FWOOSH! REFLECT! FWOOSH!

"Ah!" Panther got out as she was blasted by her own fireball. "Oh, that stings." She winced out.

"Oh no! Fire skills just bounce off them!" Mona called out. "Watch it, they're retaliating!"

"That would've been nice to know ten seconds ago." Panther grumbled under her breath before taking another Agi. "Ow!" She got in more pain.

"You are so lucky you're resistant to Fire, Panther." Yin stated.

"So is Yang." Joker also reminded. "But if they use Fire...let's put 'em out! Persona, Mermaid!" He commanded as he removed his mask.

Appearing behind him in blue flames and chains was a flat-chested woman with sea green hair, with scales covering her arms and private parts, and from her thighs down was a fish's silvery tail.

...And she was surrounded by two flaming skulls for some reason.

"That's new..." Skull muttered out.

"That must be from the brand-new guillotine..." Mona guessed.

"Joker, why is your Persona looking at me like that?" Yang got out in concern.

"What do you mean?" Joker questioned with a raised eyebrow, distracting him for a moment from the battle as he looked at the Persona hovering over him.

The Vice Leader however narrowed her eyes slightly at the Persona."You stay away from her." Yin however ordered in a serious tone.

"Ufufu~ Do not worry, she simply interests me~" Mermaid soon revealed with a serene smile as she swam around the tan skinned girl, circling around her in a curious manner. "Hime-chan~" She then whispered into the girl's ear.

This in turn caused the tan skinned girl's eyes to widen. "Wha?" Yang got out in even more confusion to the compliment.

"Why is an aspect of your personality giving Yang bedroom eyes?" Panther deadpanned.

"I dunno." Joker replied with a shrug. "Uh, Mermaid? Do you mind?" Joker then got out as he pointed towards the enemies.

"Oh, my apologies, Trickster." Mermaid replied as she went back to the Leader's side.

"Thank you. AQUES!" Joker soon commanded as she blasted the poor Shadow with a stream of water, knocking her out of flight.

"You got Water spells now!? That's amazing!" Mona praised. "Hit 'em again!" He then ordered.

"With pleasure..." Joker replied with a devious smirk on his face, which his Persona matched.

SPLASH! SPLASH!

"All down! Reach for the sky, now!" Panther demanded as they aimed their guns at the fallen Shadows.

"Nice goin' Leader!" Skull called out. "Wanna eff 'em up or rob 'em?" He then asked.

"Hm...eff 'em up." Joker ordered with a mad grin.

"You heard him! Time for some bloodshed!" Mona called out as they rushed the Shadows.

SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! BASH! CRACK!

"Boom." Joker simply got out, before the Shadows burst into nothing. "I'll never get tired of that..." He breathed out.

"We are getting way too used to killing Shadows, huh." Panther mumbled out. "Do you think we'll ever encounter something like a little girl or a teddy bear?" She then asked in a curious manner.

"Why are you askin' us that now?" Skull counter asked. "And was Joker's new Persona flirtin' with Yang or somethin'?" He soon asked as he looked at the tan skinned girl.

"Joker...Is there something we have to talk about at home...?" Mona asked as he crossed his arms.

"Don't look at me about it, that was all Mermaid, not me whatsoever." Joker responded while bringing his hands up. "Do you want me to leave you and Mermaid in a room alone?" He then asked the tan skinned girl.

"No, not now." Yang responded in a blunt manner. "Another time since I'm just as curious." She then added.

"Sure. We'll do it in a break room." Joker replied with a nod.

"Deal." Yang responded with a nod of her own as she then watched the others begin heading further in. "Seriously though, Hime-chan? Just like Sis with Jack Frost." She soon thought to herself in confusion as she looked upwards.

"You okay, Yang?" Joker asked as he walked up to the tan skinned girl.

"What? Oh, yeah. I'm fine." Yang replied as she then noticed the Vice Leader taking hold of her hand.

"Come on Yang-nee, let's go." Yin advised.

"Right." Yang responded with a nod as she went on ahead to catch up with the others.

Eventually, after killing a few more guards with ease, and opening a chest they didn't notice the first time around and getting themselves a Protect Mask, they made it back to the information desk and from there, the statue that displayed Madarame's true self.

"The Infinite Spring..." Joker whispered out.

"I want to destroy this so badly..." Yang growled out. "I wanna tear this entire museum down." She then confessed.

"We will, once the Treasure is ours." Yin reassured. "Maybe we could pick up a few pieces of it on our way out." She then suggested.

"We'll be in unknown territory once we go past here right?" Panther spoke up.

"Yes. The security will probably get a little more fierce as well. Make sure you don't touch anything or run into any of the displays, all right?" Yang replied as the rest of the group looked at the dyed blond.

"...What're you lookin' at me for?" Skull asked as he narrowed his eyes.

The other Thieves said nothing more to this before going through the doors behind the garish sculpture.

---

(1st Exhibition Room)

"Alright, keep on your toes people..." Joker got out as he shut the door behind him.

"West door's barred." Skull got out. "I'm guessin' it's a shortcut back here." He then added.

"Nice observation. We better take note of it." Mona spoke up as the Vice Leader quickly drew on the map as they went down the hallway.

"Hey, hold up." Mona spoke up, causing everyone to stop. "I can feel the distortions lighten up around here..." He soon informed.

"Aw sweet! That means a safe room is nearby then!" Skull got out with a grin on his face.

"Eh...I'm not feeling too tired." Yang admitted.

"Yeah, me too. I'm still raring to go." Panther stated. "Let's just find it so we can use it later."

"Sounds good." Joker got out as he opened the door, revealing said safe room. The room shimmered for a second, revealing it was one of the many empty rooms in Madarame's shack. Probably a former bedroom of a ruined student.

Yin then took out her phone. "Ah, the Safe Room got added to the app as a Fast Travel point." She soon informed.

"Good. Now, let's keep going." Joker ordered as he shut the door.

Soon enough, they made it to the next room, which walls put up to allow for even more former students to be hung up for display.

"Dude, there's even more portraits." Skull growled out. "They ain't repeating..." He then added.

"How many..." Yang got out in disbelief. "How long has this been going on...?" She then asked in disgust.

"A second too many." Joker answered before peeking around a corner to see a guard patrolling. "Everyone hide." He quickly ordered in a whisper.

The other Thieves nodded and jumped into the shadows. Joker then turned to Yang and nodded. She gave a thumbs-up back and leapt onto the Shadow's back.

"Let me show you my six fangs!" Yang calmly called out as she ripped off the Shadow's mask, it soon turning into black and red goo for a moment before reforming.

"Two Waterside Nymphs and Night-walking Warriors! Careful, they know Water spells!" Mona informed.

"Then we better watch it, huh Yang." Joker replied.

"Indeed." Yang replied as she prepared herself.

"Eat shit! ZIO!" Skull commanded as he summoned Captain Kidd, who casted a lightning bolt on a Warrior.

ZAP!

"Owie!" The Shadow yelped out in pain. "That was uncalled for!" It then declared in annoyance.

"Dammit! It resisted it!" Skull cursed.

"You should have gone for the Water Nymph, Skull." Yang pointed out. "Gah, I can't do much. Go for a...I only know offensive spells..." She then muttered in annoyance and some shame. "Darn it! Raising guard! Someone else attack!" She soon ordered.

"Too late, they're-huh?" Panther started to warn, only to gasp as one of the Waterside Nymphs casted something on one of the Night-walking Warriors, causing a green shield to appear around it. "What the!?"

"What!? It's putting up elemental walls! These nymphs are covering their allies' weakness!" Mona exclaimed.

"They can do that!?" Yin and Yang exclaimed in shocked unison.

"Yes they can. Prioritise them over the others! They'll just make this fight a pain..." Mona suggested. "Go for it Joker!" He then called out.

"Got it! Come, Shiisaa!" Joker commanded as he ripped off his mask, a lion-dog appeared before him. "Ravage them! Zio!" He then ordered.

"At your wish, Trickster!" His Persona got out as it summoned lightning upon one of the Nymphs, knocking it down.

"One more time!" Joker ordered once more as the Persona took down the other Nymph. "Alright, both down! Now to take care of those Warriors..."

"Remember, one of them has a barrier up so we can't exploit its weakness." Mona reminded.

"The other one is still vulnerable though." Joker pointed out as he high-fived the not cat. "Go for it, Mona!"

"Thank you, Joker. Now witness my resolve, Garu!" Mona commanded as his Persona blasted the unprotected Shadow with a gust of wind before jumping over to the Vice Leader. "Passing the baton to you, Lady Yin! Take out that last one!" He then called out.

"...Oh, I get it! Kaeru, Lucky Punch!" Yin commanded.

"Here it comes." Kaeru got out as she brought out her boxing glove. "Boop!" She added.

WHAM!

"GAH!" The Shadow got out in pain as it fell to the ground dizzy.

"That's my Sis!" Yang praised, pumping her fist to the sight as they then aimed their weapons at the fallen Shadows.

"Take them out, All-Out Attack!" Joker ordered as he backflipped.

"You heard him! LEAVE NOTHING!" Mona called out as they rushed the Shadows.

SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! BASH! CRACK!

Yin landed back on the ground, jumping in the air once more before doing a playful salute. "Mission...complete!" She declared with a wink before the Shadows burst in an explosion of black blood.

"As graceful as ever, Yin." Mona complimented as the Leader picked up the left of cash and items.

"Thanks Mona-chan! I definitely feel a little stronger now!" Yin cheered out as she pumped her fists in excitement.

"Same here!" Yang got out in satisfaction as she high fived the Vice Leader.

"Hehe...me too. Damn it feels good." Skull got out with a smile.

"Yep. I'm sure we'll be able to face the Reaper in three years at this rate." Mona stated.

"Er...I'd rather not." Panther admitted.

"So...does this Persona wanna make out with someone too?" Skull had to ask.

"No." Joker and Shiisaa flatly answered as the Persona returned to the Sea of his Soul. "Let's get going, people." The Leader soon ordered.

"Right Leader." Yin replied as they began going through the area.

However, it was quickly becoming apparent that they really couldn't tell where they were.

"God, this place is like a maze..." Panther muttered out.

"At least we have a map to help us through." Yin reminded as she pulled it out. "Erm...we should be...somewhere here..." She soon suggested.

"For part of it." Yang also reminded in a sheepish manner while looking at it. "I think all the simple squares on the map are possible Safe Rooms." She then deducted.

Mona in response nodded to this deduction. "Good eye Lady Yin. We should try and get to any and all Safe Rooms so we can fast travel from them." He then instructed.

"You know I was just referring to this area specifically..." Panther pointed out. "All these walls and paintings...it's pretty easy to get lost here..." She then admitted.

"Hm..." Yin hummed out as she looked up the walls, narrowing her eyes in thought.

"Yin...what are you thinking...?" Joker asked before his eyes widened. "Oh, I see." He soon realized with a smirk.

"Hey, what are you two...?" Mona started, only for the Vice Leader to disappear in a blur before appearing on top of the wall. "Lady Yin?" He got out in confusion.

"Come on up, guys. We can just go over this entire maze if we're careful." Yin suggested as she took out some rope...from in between her breasts. "Think is how you do things as a shinobi." She playfully informed with a wink while lowering the rope down to the others.

"Seriously? Shinobi girls can do that?" Skull asked in disbelief.

"It's just a matter of climbing up the wall, or I guess jumping on top of it." Joker pointed out as he began climbing the rope.

"Basically." Yang replied in agreement as she also jumped to the Vice Leader's level. "Now get up here." She then advised.

Soon enough, everyone was carefully walking on the walls. While the shinobi, Mona and Joker were calm and kept balanced, Skull and Panther were barely able to keep themselves from falling and were slowly following the others on all fours.

"Come on, you were well with the beams back at the castle and they were way higher up." Yang got out.

"Hey, at least they were wide enough for feet. These are basically paper-thin!" Panther countered. "I don't exactly have that kind of balance."

"Didn't you rail me about balance, Panther?" Yang pointed out.

"Not like this, Yang." Panther however countered.

"Hey, I think I see a chest or two from here..." Yin noticed. "Wanna make our way there?" She soon asked.

"Sure. Can't leave any loot behind once we destroy the Palace." Joker answered as they slowly made their way to one of the chests...that is, until...

"W-Whoa!" Skull screamed out as he fell off the wall...and landed on a guard's back.

CRASH! THUD!

"GAH! WHAT THE-!?" The Guard grunted out.

"Oh, shit! Gah...Screw it, give it here!" Skull got out as he quickly ripped off the guard's mask.

"Just great..." Yang muttered in frustration to this display as the Thieves jumped down to face the Shadows.

"Three Shadows! They don't seem too tough but keep on your toes!" Mona informed.

"Are those...Cooked chickens with onions for heads?" Yang soon got out in confusion and disbelief as she blinked a couple of times to the sight.

"I believe they are." Joker replied with a nod. "Let's take them down." He then ordered.

"New enemy! Careful, there's three of them." Mona warned. "Stay calm and we'll get through this no problem."

"Going first! Put them to sleep, Carmen!" Panther commanded as her Persona casted Dormina upon a Shadow, putting it to sleep. "Got it! Follow it up!"

"I got it! Wake it up, Wolverine! Cleave!" Yang ordered as she ripped off her mask, her Persona already charging at the Shadow with her claws out.

"Nap time's over bub!" Wolverine declared as she sliced the Corpse Bird's head off.

"Nice kill, Yang!" Mona praised.

"MONA!" Yin suddenly called out.

"Huh? WHOA!" Mona screamed out as he jumped away from the purple glyph. "Oh no, they know an instant kill spell! Everyone be careful!" He warned in a panic.

"Alright, who's weak to Curse then?" Joker muttered to himself.

"No one, Joker, unless you switch to a Persona with one." Mona informed. "But we're still vulnerable to getting knocked out by it. A weakness just guarantees our death." He soon explained.

Joker silently switched from Shiisaa to Arsene. "Come on, what's their weakness." He muttered in a serious tone before pulling out his pistol. "Let's see how they like bullets..." He then decided.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

"GAH!" The Shadow yelped out in pain.

"Yes!" The Leader cheered out with a pump of his fist.

"As expected of our Leader. Now stick 'em up! This is a Hold Up!" Panther called out as they raised their guns.

"So Joker, what's your call?" Yang asked as she readied her guns.

"Hm...Let's use a little Diplomacy..." Joker got out with a smirk.

"Eh?" Yin got out in confusion to the suggestion. "What do you mean?" She then asked.

"You'll see. Hey, you over there. Step forward!" Joker demanded, pointing his gun to the left Shadow.

"Aw...guess this is it guys..." The chosen Warrior got out as it stepped forward.

Joker narrowed his eyes at this. The little guy seemed to have a gloomy personality. However, it didn't really matter right now.

"Hey, show me the money." Joker demanded. "And I'll let you live. Deal?" He soon suggested.

"H-Huh?" The Shadow got out in shock after hearing the offer.

"Hey, you heard him. Give us everything you've got!" Mona called out.

"A-Alright! Alright..." The Shadow got out in a nervous and scared manner as it threw money at the Thieves. "The master will get it all back anyhow." It then added as it and its allies ran off.

"Yeah, go and run!" Skull called out, shaking his weapon at the Shadows.

"Hey, this is way more cash than what we usually get from robbing Shadows..." Yin remarked as she picked up the money left behind.

"Hm, must've had some full pockets then." Mona guessed. "Nice going with negotiations, Joker."

"Thank you. I've been working on my speech lately." Joker stated with a bow.

"You did sound a little more convincing..." Panther muttered out.

"Hey, come and move it already, let's see what's inside those chests." Yang got out.

A few minutes of searching later, they managed to find one at a dead end and didn't hesitate to open it.

"Huh..." Joker got out as he pulled out the item. "Is this...a voodoo doll?" He soon asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No, it's a Straw Doll! It's an instant kill, as long as the enemy isn't resistant to Curse." Mona explained. "Better save it from a rainy day." He then advised.

"There sure is a lot of strange stuff in the Metaverse, huh..." Skull got out as the Leader threw the item over to the Vice Leader.

"Like you wouldn't believe." Mona stated in agreement. "Now let's go find that other chest." He then instructed, the others nodding as they made their way towards it.

"Hey, another Muscle Anklet for us." Yang got out. "Do you think we need the extra, Joker?" She soon asked.

"Eh...We should probably sell it." Joker decided.

"I don't know. You'll never know when you might need an extra." Mona pointed out.

"Well...okay." Joker got out with a shrug. "Now let's get out of here. Nothing much of interest here..." He then ordered.

"Yeah. Let's go." Yin replied with a nod as they jumped on top of the walls once again.

The Thieves soon ran up some stairs and into the next area.

---

(2nd Exhibition Room)

As soon as they arrived at the next floor of the museum, they saw a rather important looking room.

"Looks like a security office..." Joker assumed as they walked up to the glass doors to the room.

"It says Security on the door, Joker. In Japanese and English." Yang deadpanned as the Vice Leader hit the button.

Of course, nothing happened.

"Dammit, it ain't openin'..." Skull got out as the tan skinned girl then tapped on the glass.

"Bulletproof too. We aren't smashing our way in." Yang soon informed.

"We'd probably trip an alarm if we did that." Mona pointed out.

"Well, at least the Shadows are a little smarter about their security..." Panther got out as her eyes drifted over to the shinobi. "Isn't that right, Yin, Yang?" She then asked in a teasing manner.

"Y-Yeah..." Yin stammered out as the tan skinned girl looked away.

"You still owe me for my nose..." Skull reminded.

"Smoothie troubles are very serious Skull." Panther stated as the other girls and even their Leader nodded in agreement.

"Er...I didn't see a blend-" Skull started.

"Skull, quiet." Yin however interrupted as they moved on from the security room.

Eventually, they arrived at a room with glass walls on both sides with more portraits behind it and a golden vase on display in the middle.

"So sparkly! What a splendid vase." Panther remarked in an impressed manner.

"No time for that, Panther. Let's move." Joker however got out as he walked past the golden vase.

"H-Hey, wait a second! You're just gonna ignore that golden sheen?" Mona asked in disbelief. "Mmmm...look at that luster..." He droned out in awe.

"Mona..." Yang sighed out. "Ignore it. It's too bulky for us to carry. Let's move before we burn too much daylight." She then ordered.

"I know but...the money we could make selling it!" Mona got out in excitement as he leaped onto the pedestal.

"It's okay Mona-chan, but we kinda need to-" Yin started only to be interrupted.

"H-Hey! You're steppin' on something!" Skull called out.

"Wait, aren't these kinds of things pressure sensitive?" Panther pointed out.

"Get back!" Joker ordered as he and the tan skinned girl back flipped away from the vase. However, the others were too late as a laser grid came online around them.

"Wah!" Yin yelped out as she saw all the lasers around her. "We're trapped!" She then added.

"You stupid cat! " Yang growled out. "You tripped the security system!" She then declared in a furious manner.

"I have to admit, not my greatest moment." Mona admitted sheepishly.

"Urgh, and you were the one makin' us be careful too..." Skull grumbled out. "So, whaddya wanna do? Run outta here?" He then suggested.

"No, passing through all of these lasers will draw far too many enemies to our location." Mona warned as the tan skinned girl pulled out a strand of her hair and placed it in a laser. It burned instantly. "Or just kill us. That works too." He then got out.

"Lasers are not supposed to be visible." Joker stated. "Madarame must be really keen in keeping his secrets safe...even if it means killing people to do so." He then added.

"At least Joker and I are free." Yang reminded.

The Vice Leader in turn nodded in agreement to that. "Can you guys go and disable the system?" Yin soon asked.

"Yeah. This is a museum, so there has to be some switch to let the workers avoid these lasers. Find it before a guard comes!" Mona replied.

"Okay, wait right there and we'll fix the cat's screw up." Yang replied as she looked at the Leader. "Let's go." She then stated as the Leader nodded in agreement.

"Not like we have a choice, Yang." Panther pointed out as she sat down.

"Hey, sit back up. We'll be back before you know it." Joker got out as he walked over to a storage cage and climbed on top of it, with the tan skinned girl following soon after.

The two freed thieves silently walked on the walkway, keeping cautious of any Shadows before stopping upon seeing a guard below them.

"There's a guard here already." Joker quietly informed.

"Has this idiot not notice the lasers coming on?" Yang whispered out as they looked down at the Guard Shadow. "God, you'd think they'd be smarter here." She then added.

"Well, let's take advantage of it." Joker then suggested as he quickly scanned the Shadow with Third Eye before leaping onto its back. "Show me your true form!" He commanded as he ripped off the mask, revealing a Girl on the Hanging Tree.

"It's just one enemy, huh?" Joker got out. "This should be easy."

"Uh...shoot, we don't have Mona for combat analysis." Yang realised. "Uh...What were these guys weak to again?" She then asked.

"Ice, Water I'm guessing." Joker answered. "But it's just the one. Arsene, Cleave it two." He commanded as he ripped off his mask.

SLASH!

"AAAHHH!" The Shadow cried out as it was sliced in two by Arsene's heels.

"Well, that was easy..." Joker soon quipped out.

"That was great, Joker, but I don't see anything that can lower the lasers." Yang replied.

"Hello, obvious button." Joker greeted as he hit the button. Suddenly, the glass wall went down, freeing the ash blonde.

"Yes!" Panther got out in happiness as she joined up with her fellow thieves.

"It didn't turn off the laser though..." Yang sighed out.

"Now we need to get Yin, Skull and Mona out." Panther soon declared.

"Hey, do you think we can play card games like this?" Skull asked.

"God, you really get bored too easily..." Mona muttered out.

"I...I kinda wanna try it." Yin admitted.

Meanwhile, the other thieves made it to behind the other glass wall, though this time there was no guard to stop them.

"Hello, obvious button number 2." Yang greeted as she went to push it, however...

"Yang! Stop!" Joker ordered as he turned on Third Eye. He saw glowing blue footprints go past the button and towards a painting nearby. "That button's a trap. Third Eye's telling me there's something of interest behind the painting over there." He then informed.

"What?" Yang got out in surprise before looking closely at the button.

In very small text, on the bottom of the panel, it read Silent Alarm: Push to call guard into the area.

"Son of a..." Yang growled out before sighing. "Thanks Joker." She then got out.

"You're welcome. Now let's free our friends." Joker replied as the tan skinned girl nodded in agreement before they kept searching the area before they came across a portrait of Hayato Asakawa.

"Hey, does this painting look crooked to you?" Panther noted.

"Yeah..." Yang got out as she looked at the sides of the painting. "There's a space between it and the wall."

"Welp, the obvious is clear then." Joker stated as he moved the painting, revealing a button just like the one the tan skinned girl almost pushed.

"I never would've imagined there was a button behind the painting..." Panther admitted.

"Haven't you learned from the castle? There's always something behind a painting." Joker stated as he pushed the button, causing the other glass wall to lower.

"Oh be quiet and free Yin and Skull..." Yang muttered in annoyance.

"You mean us, right?" Skull asked as he and Yin joined the group. "Good job, guys." He then praised.

Yang however went to the Vice Leader. "You ok Yin? You aren't hurt are you?" She then asked in concern.

"I'm fine Yang-nee. Right now, Mona needs us." Yin replied as they looked at the laser-filled room.

"But...I don't think we'll be able to get him out unless we can turn the lasers off." Panther pointed out.

"There has to be a control room for them! I don't know if it's nearby though...!" Mona guessed.

"...We just gotta trust him. C'mon, let's try lookin' for it!" Skull stated.

Joker looked around and spotted an open ventilation shaft nearby. "Hey, over there. Maybe it'll lead us somewhere good." He informed.

"Great. Even more surprisingly spacious air vents." Yang groaned out. "Guys first." She then ordered.

"I thought that was implied." Joker replied as he climbed up into the air vent. "And I prefer the word gentleman."

"Yeah, I'll call you that once you earn it." Yang got out as she climbed in.

"We'll be back Mona-chan! Don't worry!" Yin called out as the others followed. "Wah! The duffel bag is getting stuck!" She soon whispered as she tugged on the bag as the ash blonde did her best to help get it unstuck.

Eventually, they saw the light at the end of the vent and entered the new room.

"Oh, the security room from earlier." Joker got out as he landed on the floor. "The empty security room." He then added.

"...All Shadows are morons..." Yang soon decided in a deadpan tone.

"We shouldn't question it though. Now let's free Mona-chan!" Yin soon instructed. "Come on, there has to be something that controls those lasers..." She soon muttered out as they started checking the screens.

After a few seconds of searching, one of them called out.

"Look, it says security-whatever on here!" Skull informed as the others ran up to him and a laptop. "Maybe this'll let us turn the lasers off!" He got out.

"Security Control. Yeah, that looks right, but look. We need a password." Yin pointed out. "Maybe it's written down somewhere...?" She then suggested.

"They probably ain't gonna just leave it lyin' around." Skull stated.

"Unless the guards are idiots like every other guard here." Yang then reminded.

"Well, how about we do this the old-fashioned way." Joker suggested.

"Grab a guy and force him to reveal the password?" Mona guessed.

"Eavesdrop on a conversation?" Panther added.

"Guess?" Skull spoke up.

"None of the above." Joker answered as he took the dyed blond's weapon and walked up to a few nearby servers.

"...Break the system?" Yin and Yang soon suggested, smirking underneath their masks.

SMASH! SMASH! SMASH!

"Yep." Joker replied as he handed the dyed blond his bat back. "It's not like the guards are gonna be talking about the password nearby." He then added.

"Well, let's go get Mo-" Yang started as she opened the door, only to stop herself upon seeing two guards just outside the room.

"What did you change the password to?" A nearby Security Guard Shadow asked.

"Hello." Another Guard replied.

"What?" The first Guard asked in confusion.

"I said, hello! 07734. If you read the numbers upside-down they spell out the word hello." The second Guard explained.

To hearing that, the group was speechless as they watched the two guards walk away. "...Okay, either we're idiots or they're idiots." Yang deadpanned.

"That was...just a coincidence." Joker stated. "Let's go get Mona." He then ordered.

"Yeah, sure." Panther replied with a nod as they exited the security room.

Meanwhile, back with the resident cat burglar, he was still waiting for the rest of the team to come back and he was starting to get worried.

"Come on...I hope they didn't run into trouble..." Mona muttered to himself in concern.

Suddenly, the lasers flickered before shutting off completely.

"Those guys did it...! I'm saved!" Mona cheered out as the rest of the Thieves came back. "I-I'm sorry...That was very much unlike me..." He soon apologized in a shame-filled manner.

"It's okay, Mona-chan. As long as you're safe and happy..." Yin replied as she hugged the not cat.

"Sheesh, you're way too forgivin' Yin." Skull muttered out while rubbing the back of his head. "He was the one tellin' us not to touch anything." He then reminded.

"Urgh, that is true...I can't believe I made such a novice mistake, even for solid gold..." Mona admitted. "But something was drawing me to this vase..." He then revealed.

"Wait, if you're attracted to desires...maybe this is the Treasure." Joker guessed. "Hidden in plain sight..." He then explained.

"Joker, it's supposed to be a cloud at this point." Yang reminded. "It's just a hunk of gold." She then added.

"Maybe there's something special about it." Panther muttered out. "Should we take a closer look just in case?" She then asked.

"Well, it won't hurt considering we destroyed the security system here." Skull replied.

"Wait, what?" Mona got out in surprise. "You did what!?" He soon asked.

"Nothing!" Everyone quickly got out in unison as the Leader walked closer to the golden vase. He turned on Third Eye to scan it. It was glowing gold, just like any other container that contained items and junk they could sell.

Shrugging to himself, he grabbed the vase, only for it to fall into dust.

"What!? Nothing!?" Skull exclaimed.

However, he was quickly proven wrong when something else appeared.

"That's a big ruby!" Yin exclaimed. "And it's floating!" She then added.

"What is this!?" Panther asked.

"Oh, I see...So that's why I was drawn to it!" Mona realized. "Everyone, CATCH IT!" He soon commanded with yen symbols in his eyes.

"Oh shit!" Yang exclaimed as the ruby began flying around the room.

"Shit, it's really fast!" Skull got out.

"DOGPILE!" Joker ordered as they all jumped onto the giant ruby.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" The Thieves cried out as they landed on top of the gem. Suddenly, it exploded, sending them away as a spirit came out of the ruby.

"Shadow!" Yin exclaimed as they all got out their weapons. "Here we go! Lucky Punch, Kaeru!" She commanded as she ripped off her mask, her Persona appearing with her boxing glove ready.

"Boop!"

WHIFF!

"WAH! I missed!?" Yin exclaimed in disbelief and disappointment.

"I am sorry, Asuka." Kaeru apologised before she returned to her user's soul.

"Lucky Punch doesn't land very often. I find it's a 1 in 3 chance." Mona informed. "Luckily, we have another chance! Zorro, sweep it off its feet!" He then declared and ordered.

"Good-bye, mi enemigo." Zorro declared as summoned his own boxing glove.

BONK!

"GUH!" The Shadow got out in pain as it was hit in the jewels.

"Hehehe...praise me, ladies!" Mona got out with a smirk as everyone raised their Ranged weapons at the Shadow. "Oh, this is gonna be amazing!" He then declared.

"Man, Mona's sure excited 'bout this." Skull remarked.

"Well, it's your call Leader." Panther got out.

"Power. I need more power!" Joker demanded. "You better give it up, now!" He then ordered in a dead serious tone.

"I know when all hope is lost, Trickster. I cannot escape. However, you have impressed me." The Treasure Demon admitted. "Fine, I shall become your mask. I am thou, thou art I. I am Regent, and may my power guide you through your journey." He then calmly declared.

"What?" Joker got out, surprised that the Shadow didn't even negotiate with him as he was absorbed into his mask.

"You okay, Joker?" Yin asked in concern.

"What was that...?" Panther questioned.

"That, Lady Ann, was a rare Shadow that occasionally resides in pricey items. I call them Treasure Demons. They're great." Mona answered with a smile.

"Treasure Demon?" The group minus the not cat and the Leader asked in unison.

"Holy shit..." Joker suddenly got out in disbelief as he checked the Persona. "It knows...everything...! Fire, Ice...Lightning...Wind...Psychic...Nuclear...Water...Earth...! And they all hit everything!" He soon revealed, growing more excited with each skill.

This in turn shocked the other save for the not cat, who only had a serious expression on his face that reveal.

"Dude! Did we just hit the Persona jackpot!?" Skull exclaimed in excitement.

"No," Mona responded. "For some reason, any Treasure Demon I ever encountered never attacks." He then revealed.

"I am sorry, Trickster. We Treasure Demons are scholars, not fighters." The new Persona apologized and informed.

"...What?" Joker questioned in a deadpan tone.

"Wait, does that mean that Treasure Demons are useless!?" Skull exclaimed.

"You mean it's only good for fusions?" Yang groaned out.

"As a Persona in Joker's arsenal, yes. But if you kill one..." Mona replied as yen signs appeared in his eyes. "It rains money...! And gives tons of experience!" He then revealed in an excited tone.

"Wow, sound effin' awesome! We gotta kill one then." Skull got out in excitement.

"Yeah, but they're fast too. They'll run away if you give them the chance. Plus, they aren't easy to take down. It's like they're resistant to everything." Mona informed.

"Not everything. They have a Psychic and Nuke weakness...Which we do not have among us." Joker corrected. "That's a serious power up." He then declared.

This in turn caused the tan skinned girl to raise an eyebrow under her mask. "Huh, how?" Yang then asked in a confused tone.

"Because I can transfer skills from the Personas I use as material to the new Persona I create." Joker then revealed. "So say I use Arsene as fusion material, I can then teach the new Persona one of his skills like Eiha." He explained.

"Okay..." Yin muttered out.

"However, these types of Shadows show up more frequently when the Security Level is at higher levels, so maybe, if we want to get stronger faster, get caught a few dozen times." Mona continued.

"That sounds a little risky..." Yang muttered out.

"Ah, it may be, but that is the essence of being a Phantom Thief. We skate on concrete on a daily basis, bordering on life and death all for the sake of style." Mona stated and informed.

"Like before, when we were almost turned into meat chunks by lasers?" Skull reminded.

"T-That was a moment of weakness." Mona shamefully admitted. "Still, you should keep that in mind just in case you're feeling brave." He then advised.

"Or suicidal." Yang awkwardly added in a flat tone.

"Well, regardless, it's Joker's call if we want to risk doing such a thing..." Yin stated as her fellow Leader nodded in agreement to that.

"Well, we've wasted enough time discussing this new development. Let's go." Mona replied as they turned towards the exit.

The Thieves moved on to the next area, until they stopped to see a rather large opening in a wall. A laser grid prevented them from continuing north, so Joker decided to check it out and leapt into the opening, the others following soon after.

"Everyone stop!" Joker suddenly ordered as he held his arms up.

"Wh-Whoa! What's wrong, Joker?" Yin asked.

"Look down." Joker simply said as everyone's eyes drifted downwards at the floor.

On said floor was a giant, gaping hole with a flimsy-looking piece of wood laid across it.

"The hell!? How're we supposed to get past this giant-ass hole!?" Skull exclaimed.

"Calm down. Look at where the security guard is walking..." Mona however pointed out.

"Eh?" Skull got out before seeing the guard beneath them...casually walking across the hole. "Oh my God, Shadows can walk on air!" He then declared.

"No, Skull." Yang deadpanned as she jumped down.

"Yang-nee! NOOOOOOOoooo...? Wait, what?" Yin started to cry out, only to end up confused as the tan skinned girl landed on the hole.

"Everyone get down here!" Yang called out.

"...That clever bastard..." Joker cursed before jumping, the others soon following after him.

"Oh, it was just an optical illusion." Yin got out as she tested the ground. "It's a painting." She soon revealed.

"Goddammit, that's actually kind of smart." Joker admitted. "Doesn't stop us in the slightest, but that was kind of funny." He then added.

"Er...so do Shadows..." Skull started to ask.

"No." Mona bluntly replied. "Oh, by the way, guard." He then warned in a casual manner.

"I got it!" Joker got out as he jumped onto the Shadow's back. "I'll reveal your true form!" He then declared with a smirk.

The Shadows that spawned weren't that much of a challenge and the fight ended faster than it began.

Once they were out of battle, they were faced with two entrances...to male and female bathrooms.

"Anyone need to go?" Joker asked. "Skull?" He then called out.

"No, I actually went before we came here this time." Skull replied with a proud smirk on his face.

"That's a relief." Yin replied with eye smiles, before noticing her fellow Leader walking towards the male bathroom. "Huh? Wait, you didn't go?" She soon asked in confusion.

"Oh, I did. I'm just wondering if they have golden toilets." Joker replied. "Aren't you guys coming?" He then asked.

"Wait, what?" The girls got out with widened eyes.

"Dude, seriously? Skull then asked.

"What? Is there something wrong?" Joker asked.

"Yes there fu- Yes, there is something wrong!" Yang shouted out. "We are not going into the bathroom with you!" She soon declared.

"There could be loot inside...~" Joker sang out, trying to tempt the girls.

"...You can't be serious?" The girls however responded in unison.

"It's not real, it's just an oddly detailed construction in a Palace." Joker pointed out. "Plus, a closed space like that is a perfect place for an ambush so I need back up just in case." He then explained.

"But...the principle of it is just...Kinda wrong." Yin admitted.

"Yeah, I know we're supposed to follow our Leader everywhere, but I think we should impose some...limits." Yang got out with an uncomfortable look under her mask.

"Hey, if someone was having a heart attack in a ladies bathroom, I would charge in and help if there was no one there." Joker countered.

"Well, I guess that's a good point." Skull awkwardly got out in agreement.

"Ugh! Alright! Jeez..." Yang relented with a scoff as they went into the male's bathroom. "Wow it is...not that different..." She idly noted as she stared at the urinals.

"I guess...people just really over exaggerate on the matter." Yin got out in an awkward manner as her fellow Leader shattered a nearby vase and got himself some loot.

"Alright, let's check the other bathroom." Joker stated.

"Wait, WHAT!?" The girls exclaimed in unison.

"H-Hey, I know we're in a Palace but do we really have to go there?" Panther stammered out with a blush.

"It's not the first time I've been in the girl's bathroom." Joker brushed off.

"Wait, what?" Yin and Yang got out in confused unison.

"Desperation. Rather not talk about it." Joker simply answered as he left the bathroom and into the other one.

"Ugh...he's impossible to understand sometimes..." Yang thought as the Thieves followed their Leader into the female bathroom, just as he was opening a chest.

"Ice Ring." Joker muttered to himself.

"Okay. Great. Can we go now?" Panther begged.

The Leader in turn nodded to this as he offered the accessory to the ash blonde. "Here, to reduce Ice damage." Joker explained.

"Thanks." Panther replied with a sigh, taking the ring and placing it on her finger as it then vanished in pink flames and her Hairpin appeared in her hands as she handed it to the Vice Leader that placed it into the duffle.

"Careful though, that doesn't mean you're resistant to Ice." Mona warned. "You will get knocked down if you're hit." He then added.

"I'll keep that in mind..." Panther got out before they moved on from the bathrooms.

"Hey, the distortion feels lighter here..." Mona suddenly noted.

"'Nother safe room is nearby then..." Skull muttered out.

"Found it!" Yang called out as she opened the door.

"Woo hoo!" Yin cheered out. "Let's head in!" She then ordered.

"Yeah, I could use a little break right now..." Panther admitted as she went into the room.

---

(2nd Exhibition Safe Room)

"Ah..." The Thieves breathed out in unison as they all took a seat.

"Finally, a breather." Yin got out in relief.

"So, how's everyone feeling so far?" Joker asked.

"I'm feeling fine at the moment." Yin replied. "Ready for anything!" She then declared.

"Well, the team seems to be feeling pretty good overall, but I suggest you don't push them too hard..." Mona suggested as the Leader nodded at that in agreement.

"Man, that was close...We woulda been totally screwed if Joker and Yang got stuck too..." Skull sighed out. "Ain't that right, Monamona?" He then added with a smirk.

"I thought we were past this!" Mona groaned out.

"Please don't fight..." Yin meanwhile requested.

"Yeah, stop it. Anyways, we ended up learning about Treasure Demons so it all turned out fine." Panther pointed out.

"That...That is a terrible mindset, Panther." Yang stated with a frown. "We can't just look at the bright side of mistakes. A screw-up is still a screw-up. Just because we got something out of it doesn't mean we should purposefully put ourselves into bad situations like that." She then chidded in disapproval.

"S-Sorry..." Mona apologized in a sad tone.

"Aw...it's okay Mona-chan~" Yin cooed out as she hugged the little guy.

"S-Sis..." Yang sighed out as she began petting the not cat's head. "Stop that. Now. He has to learn to control his greed and petting him is just reinforcing bad habits." She then chidded. "Though he is still soft and fuzzy..." She then sheepishly admitted.

"You two cannot resist cuteness, huh..." Skull deadpanned.

"...Maybe..." Yin and Yang replied in perfect unison.

"Alright, I'll keep that in mind just in case we deal with baby pandas or something..." Joker muttered to himself.

"Hm?" The two shinobis innocently hummed out while tilting their heads.

"Nothing. Let's just avoid traps like that next time." Joker stated in a serious tone. "Maybe I should introduce them to Primate Murders..." He meanwhile thought in amusement.

From there, the Thieves made some small talk amongst themselves and relaxed before Joker stood up from his seat.

"Let's get back out there. We've had enough of a break." Joker ordered as he straightened his coat and tugged on his gloves.

"Hai. Let's go!" Yin replied with determination

(2nd Exhibition Room)

"Hey, I see a chest over there!" Panther got out as soon as they left the safe room.

"Physical Ointment." Joker informed.

"That's a great find! Reflects a physical attack, but only works once." Mona informed.

"That's really useful then." Yin got out as her fellow Leader handed her the item and she placed it in the duffle.

"We're getting tons of useful stuff from here." Joker stated with a smirk.

"Well, Madarame is quite obsessed with money and gold..." Mona pointed out as they continued on.

"Weird how his sin is vanity though." Yin meanwhile added.

"Well, vanity means empty. Nothing. He doesn't believe in what art means to people, all he wants is the fame and glory without all that unnecessary stuff like hard work or talent." Joker explained. "At least, that's how I think he works. We haven't even seen his Shadow yet." He then added.

"I swear to God, if Madarame shows up in a Speedo..." Skull got out with a shudder.

"Dude, don't put that image in my head!" Yang called out before holding her forehead. "It made sense with Kamoshida since he was lust..." She then added.

"I know, just...it cannot get any worse than that, right?" Skull muttered out.

"You do not know the creativity of humanity, Skull." Mona stated.

"Yeah, we shouldn't jinx it." Yin added as they passed by even more portraits of former students.

"Okay, this is an absurd amount of students..." Yang grumbled out in disgust. "Some of these pictures have to be repeating, right?" She then added.

"Yang, Madarame never paints in the same style..." Panther pointed out as they entered the next area.

Suddenly, a wall of electricity activated behind them, causing the Thieves to jump away from it.

"That's probably not good." Joker muttered out.

"Intruders in the Second Exhibition Hall! Apprehend them at once!" A Guard yelled out as guards started to spawn around them, though luckily they were facing away from them.

"Crap, let's get outta here, fast! Which way's the exit!?" Skull got out in a panicked tone.

"We don't have one, Skull. Looks like we're gonna have to fight our way out." Yang stated as she narrowed her eyes.

"Alright. Everyone, stick to the shadows. We're gonna pick them off one by one." Joker ordered. "And Skull, don't try it..." He then ordered.

"Try what?" Skull however asked.

As much as he wanted to see the dyed blond shock himself in a test to see if his Persona would help him resist the millions of volts arcing between the two pylons, he decided against it considering he would rather not have a crispy dyed blond on his back. "Nothing. Keep your eyes peeled." Joker replied. "Yin, let's split the team for a moment. It'll be faster that way. Panther, Skull. You're with Yin." He soon instructed.

"Got it Leader." Panther replied with a nod.

"I guess me and the cat's with you then..." Yang assumed.

"Not a cat." Mona quietly growled before the two Leaders nodded at each other.

And with that, they split up to take care of the Shadows.

"Alright, Yin, you're in charge. How do we approach this?" Panther quietly asked.

"Hmm..." Yin hummed out as she thought about it while scanning the area. "Um...let's move up on that one to the left. Skull, get ready." She soon ordered.

"Got it, Yin. Let's do this." Skull replied as they snuck up to the Shadow before he leapt onto the Shadow's back. "Get wrecked!" He called out before ripping off its mask and jumping off the Shadow, revealing two Possessing Dog Ghosts.

"New enemy!" Panther called out as they got out their weapons.

"What are your orders, Yin?" Skull asked.

The Vice Leader in response gulped in nervousness. "I don't think I've led a battle against Shadows before..." Yin realised. "Joker's usually the one giving out orders..." She then added.

"Don't worry, we can handle ourselves if ya want." Skull stated before ripping off his mask. "Persona!" He called out as yellow flames circled around him. "Lunge!" He ordered.

SLAM!

"Damn, not enough. Hopin' for an instant kill..." Skull remarked. "Your turn Panther!" He then called out.

"Alright...well let's see if they're weak to fire! Maragi!" Panther commanded as she summoned her Persona, who let out a blast of heat around her.

FWOOSH! FWOOSH!

"Ha ha ha ha ha!" The Shadow laughed out in a taunting tone, looking completely fine as the flames died down.

"What!? No!" Panther exclaimed, shocked at this occurrence and reveal.

"So fire does nothing to these things..." Yin got out with a frown before seeing one of the Dog Ghosts boosting its ally's power. "Guys, watch it!" She then called out.

"Oh shit!" Skull swore out as he ducked under a Giant Slice. "Whoa, that was too close!" He got out while taking a breath.

"Come on, we can do this! Kaeru, Lucky Punch!" Yin commanded as she ripped off her mask as her Persona summoned a boxing glove.

BOOP!

The Vice Leader smiled under her mask as a Shadow fell. "Once More! Skull, do it!" Yin called out as she high-fived the dyed blond.

"Really missing out on those Baton Passes..." Panther muttered to herself as Skull summoned his Persona.

"Give 'em a Headbutt, Captain Kidd!" Skull commanded as his Persona charged at the remaining Shadow.

CRASH!

"Haha!" Skull cheered out as the Shadow was torn apart. "Now that's what I was talkin' about!" He cheered out.

"My turn! Dormina!" Panther declared as bubbles formed around the enemy..

"Arooo...Did you...aroofie me...?" The remaining Dog Ghost mumbled out before falling asleep.

"Finish it off!" Panther called out.

The dyed blond nodded and ran up to the Shadow. "WAKE THE EFF UP!" Skull shouted out as he beat it with his bat before jumping back and pulled out his shotgun.

BANG!

"And that's that!" Yin declared with a smirk under her mask.

"Huh, we did pretty well without Joker, huh." Panther got out.

"Yeah, it's just that the lack of variety is holding us back but we can deal with it." Yin stated.

"Come on, Vice Leader, let's take care of the rest." Skull got out with a smirk.

After taking care of their half of the Shadows in the area thanks to the Vice Leader's instructions, they saw one glowing an intense red and quickly hid behind cover.

"Um...I don't think we can deal with that with just the three of us..." Yin muttered out.

"Yeah. Let's meet up with the others." Panther suggested.

"Good idea." Skull replied with a nod as they dashed away.

As she was commanding her fellow members, Yin felt as though she was getting better with her own Leadership as a result.

"Sis, you alright?" Yang automatically asked as the two groups joined back up at their previous hiding spot.

The Vice Leader in response nodded to the question. "Yeah." Yin replied.

"Don't worry 'bout her Yang. She did awesome." Skull praised, causing the Vice Leader to be glad that she was wearing a mask that covered her cheeks. "So, how did you guys go?" He then asked.

"Well, we found a chest." Yang informed as the Leader pulled the item out.

"Exorcism Water." Joker whispered out. "Oh, it repels zombies..." He got out in a joking manner.

"Well, it lifts all debuffs from us while keeping our buffs. Great for tougher Shadows." Mona informed.

"So there isn't a status that causes healing spells to hurt you?" Joker then asked.

"Why would healing spells hurt you...?" Yin meanwhile asked.

"Apparently someone hasn't learned the wonders of Turn Undead and Phoenix Down." Skull replied with a smirk. "...Do Phoenix Downs exist here...?" He then asked.

"Never heard of them...so no." Mona replied while shaking his head. "Now, let's keep searching the area. There has to be a way out..." He then informed.

"Well, there's that Red Shadow..." Panther informed in a nervous manner. "Should we...?" She hesitantly began to ask.

"He's already going for it..." Mona deadpanned as the Leader tore off the Red Shadow's mask.

"Eh, I was probably gonna do it anyway." Yang admitted before the Thieves leaped out to join their Leader in battle.

"Oh boy, that's a lot of onion chickens..." Yin muttered out as they faced the seven Corpse Birds.

"Gun' em down and then All-Out Attack!" Joker soon ordered as the Vice Leader raised her guns.

BANG! BANG!

"AH! MY LAP!" One of the Shadow cried out in pain as it fell to the ground.

"You can do this Skull!" Yin called out as she high-fived the dyed blond.

"Come on Skull! Your gun should deal more damage now!" Mona informed.

"Mowin' 'em down!" Skull soon declared as he pulled out his shotgun and blasted another into pieces. "Come on, Yang! Keep it up!" He then called out.

"We're really powering each other up! Your bullets shoot even harder now, Yang!" Mona informed.

"Oh yeah! I'm burning up!" Yang got out with an excited smile on her face as she mowed down the Shadows until there was one left standing.

"Last one! Finish it off, Yang-nee!" Yin cheered out.

Click! Click! Click!

"Shoot." Yang muttered in annoyance.

Now, she did have two more mags but...she didn't feel like reloading right now, so...

WHACK!

"Hey, I just got those you!" Joker called out after the tan skinned girl knocked out the last Shadow by throwing her gun.

"They're pretty sturdy. It'll be fine." Yang reassured as she swiftly retrieved her weapon. "Sorry, habit." She apologized in a sheepish manner.

"It's fine. Now, FINISH THEM!" Joker ordered.

"Alright. Here. We! GO!" Yang declared as they rushed the Shadows.

SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! BASH! CRACK!

"You should try harder." Yang got out as the Shadows burst. "Whew! Another one bites the dust..." She then breathed out in relief.

"Man, I am not doing a lot in battle..." Panther muttered out. "Can't you pass the Baton to me next time?" She then asked.

"Er...I don't think so. You're not ready for the power passing the Baton will give you." Mona stated. "But maybe once your heart has strengthened and your bonds with each other improve, you might be able to." He then explained.

"Noted." Joker thought to himself.

"Strengthen my heart, huh..." Panther muttered to herself as she put a hand over her chest.

"Come on, let's focus on turning off those pylons." Mona reminded. "Hm...but where could it be..." He then wondered in a curious manner.

"Well, we got the area to ourselves until more guards show up, so we better check this place out while we still can." Skull stated.

"I'm sure we can find it quick." Joker got out as his eyes flashed gold. "Yang, join in." He then ordered.

"Yessir." Yang replied with a nod as her eyes flashed crimson. "Alright, let's do this!" She soon declared with confidence.

THUD!

"Wall." Joker bluntly warned a little too late.

"Thank you." Yang mumbled in embarrassment.

"You'll get used to it soon." Joker stated in a reassuring manner as he scanned the room before noticing something glowing blue.

Yang, after pulling her face off the wall, noticed it too and began approaching whatever this object of interest was.

"Hey, does this painting look off to you?" Yin asked as she looked ath crooked portrait of Ren Amamiya.

"Er...I think so? I think the eyes are weirdly small..." Skull answered.

"Not that." Yang sighed out.

"Hello..." Joker muttered out as he threw the painting off the wall.

"Another button behind a painting?" Panther deadpanned.

"I know, so cliche." Mona got out as he rolled his eyes.

"These guys have got to stop putting these paintings back up crooked." Joker stated as he hit the button.

And with that, the electric barrier shut off.

"All right! It looks like it's unlocked now!" Panther cheered out.

"This should let us move forward. Nice work, Joker!" Mona praised.

"It's nothing." Joker got out.

"Guard." Skull warned as he pointed at the enemy behind their Leader.

"PAINTING!?" The guard suddenly screamed out.

SMASH!

"Thank you, Yin." Joker thanked with a grin as the black masked shinobi ran up to the stunned Shadow.

"No problem. Now let's kill it and get going!" Yin replied as she swiftly ripped off the mask with grace and elegance.

And promptly froze.

As they were met with three Jack Frosts and two Waterside Nymphs.

"Yin, don't even try hugging the Jack Frosts." Joker immediately ordered.

"I-I know...um...K-Kaeru! Magna!" Yin weakly replied and commanded as she closed her eyes.

RUMBLE!

"Ow! That wasn't very nice!" The enemy Jack Frost yelped out.

"I-I'm...I'm so sorry!" Yin struggled out

"They're the enemy Yin. Come on!" Panther called out. "My time to shine! Carmen, light them up! Maragi!" She soon commanded while swiftly removing her mask in pink flames.

FWOOSH!

"AAAAAHHHHH!" The Jack Frosts cried out in pain as they began to melt.

"Ha ha!" The Waterside Nymphs however laughed out in a confident manner.

"Ack! I can't down the Nymphs..." Panther realised. "Uh...your shot, Skull!" She then called out as she raised her arms.

"Really? 'Kay then..." Skull replied. "Captain Kidd, eff 'em with lightning!" He soon commanded.

ZAP!

The dyed blond smirked as another Shadow fell. "Again!" Skull commanded once more.

ZAP!

"All down! You're amazing, Skull!" Yin praised as the last Shadow went down. "Ready when you are, Leader!" She then called out.

"All-Out Attack! Now!" Joker ordered.

"Take them out! Leave nothing behind!" Yang shouted out as they rushed the Shadows.

SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! BASH! CRACK!

"That's all she wrote!" Skull called out as the Shadows burst.

"Chesto!" Yang cheered out while pumping her fist into the air.

"Hey! That's my line Yang-nee!" Yin called out.

"Yeah? I say it too, you know." Yang happily replied as she rejoined the others.

"What the hell does Chesto mean...?" Skull whispered to the ash blonde.

"I don't know but I have the feeling that I do..." Panther quietly answered, unsure why she just said that.

"...Oh, right! Boobs. Got it." Skull suddenly got out with a thumbs up and a smirk on his face.

"W-Wait!" Panther exclaimed with a blush on her face before turning to see the other girls stare at them. "I-It's not what it looks like!" She then got out in a flustered manner. "Goddammit, Ryuji!" She thought.

"Huh?" Yin and Yang however got out in confusion to this action as they tilted their heads in unison. "What are you guys talking about?" They then asked at the same time.

"We were talkin' 'bout your-" Skull began.

"Zip it!" Panther however demanded while glaring at the dyed blonde.

"What!? We were just talkin' about your weird sayings." Skull got out.

"Huh?" Yin and Yang got out in even more confusion.

"U-Uh, yeah! We were!" Panther got out to change the subject.

"Yep, we were just wonderin' why you two were shoutin' about your boobs." Skull informed as the ash blonde face palmed.

Oh, they were so dead...

"What!?" Yin and Yang soon exclaimed. "We weren't talking about our boobs!" They then declared.

"Well, what the eff does chesto mean?" Skull asked.

"Uh..." Yin got out with a frown. "Huh...I don't think I've really thought about it before...I've always said it instinctively while fighting..." She soon admitted.

"I guess it's like...a grunt? A cry of effort?" Yang guessed.

"Chesto is a battle cry that is used by martial artists and samurais." Mona however explained.

"And shinobi, apparently..." Joker spoke up.

"Huh. The more you learn." Yang casually replied.

"Still think it's 'bout their chests..." Skull meanwhile got out as the Leader nodded in agreement.

"It's a result of training!' Yin and Yang however declared in perfect unison while flailing their arms in comedic manners and their breasts bouncing as a result of doing so.

"Right..." Joker replied, though he was amused at how they were acting. "My god they really jiggle..." He mentally added in his head as he couldn't help but stare.

"Ok everyone, no bullying Lady Yin and Lady Yang." Mona however ordered in disapproval while crossing his arms over his chest. "Just because they have big bazongas doesn't mean you can make fun of them." He then chided.

"HEY!" The two girls in mention exclaimed in unison.

"Don't worry, Mona. It's all in good fun." Skull casually replied while waving it off, though was still glancing at the girls, the ash blonde included. "If it goes too far, just tell us." He then added.

"Oh we will." The three girls replied in unison as they looked at the males with disapproving expressions, despite two of them having full face masks.

Joker gave them an apologetic look before they moved on to the next area.

---

(Central Garden)

As soon as the Thieves arrived in the next room, Skull slumped as he held onto his knees.

"Oh man, I'm runnin' on empty..." Skull panted out. "I need to siddown..." He then added.

"Hey, I'm detecting a safe room nearby. We've done a lot today, so let's take five." Mona suggested.

"Sounds good, Mona." Yin got out with a thumbs up. "Lead the way." She soon requested.

"My pleasure, mademoiselle." Mona politely replied with a bow before guiding everyone to the safe room.

---

(Central Garden Safe Room)

Joker opened the door and let the Thieves into the safe room, all of them letting out a sigh of relief as they took seats around the place.

"Great work everyone." Joker praised as he passed around soda. "Let's take a break. Discuss, hang out, do whatever." He then advised as he took a seat and relaxed himself.

"Moh...I'm almost out of ammo..." Yin muttered out as she checked her guns. "All those onion chickens..." She then mumbled in annoyance.

"You think they taste good?" Yang suddenly asked.

"Probably not considering they still bleed." Panther answered. "...Okay, now it's making me wonder if food-like Shadows exist." She then admitted.

"Er, I don't think so..." Mona got out. "But there are a bunch of weird Shadows I've encountered in Mementos...like crusaders with guns and jetpacks and a stylish demon..." He then informed.

"Yeah, well, as long as it ain't like that slime thing from the castle..." Skull murmured out.

"Stop bringing it up!" Yang called out. "It doesn't exist and that is final!" She then declared as she and the other girls blushed.

"I am so getting one as a Persona..." Joker thought with an evil smirk.

"OFF LIMITS!" The three girls exclaimed in unison.

"What? I was thinking of...birthdays." Joker lied.

"That's the best lie you could think of?" Panther deadpanned.

"Scum." Yang simply insulted as her roommate nodded in agreement.

"Fine, fine. It'll drop it." Joker lied once again.

"Hey, when is your birthday Joker?" Yang suddenly asked in a curious manner.

"April 1st." Joker answered.

"Oh, we missed it, our apologies." Yang replied while her roommate nodded in agreement.

"Nah, don't worry about it. I was still in my hometown anyway." Joker pointed out.

"...How was your birthday?" Skull had to ask.

"It was...quiet, to say the least. All my parents gave me was money, so I used it to buy my glasses." Joker casually replied. "They did their best to act like everything was normal, that the night everything changed didn't happen. But I knew they just had masks up to keep the facade." He then added.

"Well, at least your parents were around." Panther sighed out. "Mine were overseas last year, so it was just me and my caretaker. Even Shiho couldn't make it..." She then revealed.

"Hey, if we're talkin' about shit birthdays, my dad left on mine." Skull sighed out.

"...My one isn't as bad as yours, Skull, but I had to deal with Katsu-nee groping me and making me go up a cup size as my present from her." Yin awkwardly revealed in embarrassment.

"...You can't go up a cup size from groping." Panther countered in a deadpan tone with a sweatdrop.

"You don't know her powers." Yin got out with a sweatdrop of her own as she glanced down at her own breasts.

"I can't help but feel angry at that..." Joker admitted as he narrowed his eyes. "You had friends, people you could rely on, and you didn't have anything looming over your head. Sorry for being selfishly mad, but screw you." He then muttered.

"S-Sorry..." Yin muttered as she looked down in shame, realizing how she failed to read the room. She sounded pretty inconsiderate.

"Well, I guess it's my turn then. I don't really celebrate my birthday but Haruka did throw me a party last year..." Yang admitted before groaning. "She just had to come out of the birthday cake naked..." She then muttered to herself in annoyance.

"Eh?" Yin innocently got out.

"Nothing, just...ugh..." Yang groaned out as she covered her eyes. The Haruka cake was only the start. That had to be one of the worst days of her life at Hebijo.

"Well, it could be worse considering what you've gone through..." Panther murmured.

"Yeah, your ones are more embarrassing. Our ones are more depressing..." Joker mumbled out. "I think you're lucky Mona. You don't remember your birthday, huh." He then stated.

"Yeah. I don't." Mona sighed out. "But I expect presents once I do!" He soon demanded.

"Hey, maybe we can make the day we met you as your temporary birthday." Yin suggested. "What day was that?" She soon asked.

"April 11th." Mona answered. "I was tortured for three hours intervals by the King's men that day." He bluntly informed.

This in turn caused the others to wince to the thought and imagining it.

The Vice Leader then went and picked up the not cat and cuddled him into her breasts. "There there Mona-chan~" Yin muttered in a soothing tone while petting his head.

"H-Hey! I'm all better now and oh meow~!" Mona got out as he began purring.

"We all had pretty crappy birthdays then." Skull sadly chuckled out. "No wonder we're friends..." He then added.

"...God, this got depressing fast..." Panther breathed out.

"Okay, I promise as Leader of the Phantom Thieves, that I'll make everyone's birthday enjoyable." Joker declared.

"Welp, that won't be happening for me while you're here in Tokyo." Yang got out. "January 3rd." She soon revealed.

"Ah. Wait, I'm here until March of next year." Joker corrected. "So there'll be time." He then countered. "And how about your birthday Yin?" He then asked.

"8th of September." Yin answered. "You got a good few months of planning for mine, Joker." She then added.

"Let's save this conversation for later. Not a good time to discuss birthdays in the middle of a greedy fake artist's heart." Panther stated as she got up. "Ready to get back into it, Leader?" She then asked.

"Yeah. Ready." Joker replied with a nod, feeling closer with most of his friends from sharing the same misery and determination to make their own lives better.

---

(Central Garden)

"Alright, let's get back to work!" Joker declared as he tugged on his glove before he began running, however...

"Hold on, Joker! Don't you think that shiny buildin' over there's kinda suspicious?" Skull questioned.

"What building?" Yang asked before glancing over. "Oh." She then got out.

"Sweet butter of gold..." Joker whispered out, shielding his eyes from the glare.

"Don't you mean mother instead of butter?" Yang however corrected.

"It's the first thing that came to my mind, Yang." Joker replied.

"Whoa, it's even gaudier than the rest of the museum." Panther got out as she cringed.

"It definitely looks like something important would be hidden away in there..." Yin stated.

"Well, what are we standing around for? Let's go find out!" Mona declared in excitement.

"Right." The Thieves got out in unison as they began to run towards it.

"WAH!" Yin yelped out as all the doors opened at once, revealing a blue door with a peacock feather-like design and...animated clouds. "That surprised me..." She breathed out.

"Don't be so jumpy, Yin." Yang giggled out.

"Sorry, I'm just kinda tense for some reason..." Yin muttered out her reply before frowning.

"I'm not detecting a Shadow though..." Mona stated. "Strange. We haven't encountered a really tough opposition so far..." He then pointed out

"I'd rather not think about it and keep going." Panther got out.

However, at that point...

WHIRRRRL! BZZZT!

"Oh no..." The Thieves thought as they slowed down upon seeing something turn on in front of them.

Joker couldn't help but take a wild guess that his One Day Infiltration Plan was going to be thrown out the window.

"Whoa! The hell!?" Skull exclaimed as they walked up the laser grid, which was guarding a door with peacock-like design on it. Nearby were paint buckets with an inky black liquid in them and some brushes.

"Paint buckets. This area must be in the middle of renovating..." Joker mentally noted.

"More of these killer lasers. There's no way we can get past them..." Panther stated.

"Great, we can't make any more progress to the Treasure..." Yang complained in frustration. "Now what do we do?" She soon asked.

"This level of security only proves there's something worth protecting up ahead." Mona stated with a frown.

"Maybe the Treasure is right behind that door." Yin guessed as she looked over at a nearby sign. "Hm? All personnel: This door can only be opened via the security room that lies beyond it...Please be cautious, as it is impossible to open from the outside." She read out.

"So the only way to open it is from the inside." Joker sighed out.

"So, basically it's never gonna open!? How're we supposed to get past this...!?" Skull exclaimed.

"Ugh...this is so frustrating..." Yang groaned out.

"Wait...That door...I think I've seen that pattern somewhere..." Mona admitted.

"Wait, you have?" Yang got out in surprise.

"Yeah. There's no mistaking it! It's the same door I saw the other day." Mona soon declared. "Guys, let's head back!" He suddenly ordered.

"Huh? Why!?" Skull called out.

"I think I know what real-world door that's based on. There may be another way to open it! In any case, I'll explain later! Come on, let's go!" Mona replied.

"I don't know...I'm sure we can find a weakness in the security here if you give us enough time..." Yin got out.

"Maybe. But it's best we follow Mona's instructions and end it here for now." Joker soon stated.

"Jeez, it feels like we've barely gotten started..." Yang grumbled out as she slumped down.

"I think we're almost halfway through. I'm starting to get a faint sense of the Treasure near here." Mona assured. "Now let's head home." He then advised.

"Right." The Thieves got out in unison.

"Oh and Yang?" Panther suddenly started.

"Yes?" Yang replied in confusion.

CRACK!

"Ow!" Yang winced out in pain as she was just whipped by the ash blonde.

"You were slouching slightly as we were heading here to Madarame's." Panther then informed in a lecturing manner as she put away her whip.

"Then why didn't you tell me earlier, you stupid..." Yang grumbled as she quietly cursed the ash blonde. "...Waited all this time just to get the whip..." She then muttered.

CRACK!

"You have to speak more clearly." Panther soon instructed in a lecturing manner.

"Y-Yes ma'am..." Yang responded in a flustered manner.

*cough* "Whipped." *cough* Joker coughed out as they made their way to the exit.

"Cough. Stabbed. Cough, cough." Yang coughed out as well.

"Always with the stabbing..." Joker muttered as he rolled his eyes and took out his phone.

[Now exiting Madarame's Museum of Vanity. Have a nice day.]

---

(5/22, After School)

(Shibuya, Madarame's Shack)

"How're we supposed to get past that door...?" Ann wondered out loud.

"I dunno...You think there's some kinda off switch somewhere?" Ryuji guessed.

"You saw the sign, it can only be opened on the inside. Which is seriously a really dumb design decision." Homura reminded.

"It is from an artist with no talent..." Asuka pointed out. "I saw no openings, no cracks or anything. It looks like our heist might end there." She then informed.

"Looks like this is where I come in." Morgana spoke up.

This in turn got everyone's attention as they looked at the not cat. "What do you have in mind, Morgana?" Akira asked.

"I have a suspicious place in mind. Remember? This shack is the basis for Madarame's Palace. I actually scouted it out the last time we were here." Morgana then reminded.

"Whoa...So this was your plan from the start...?" Ryuji got out.

"Correct." Morgana replied in a confident manner.

"...You only went scouting because you were bored." Ann deadpanned.

"Oh! I think I get it, it's like from the castle. All we have to do is find the right room in the shack and activate the Meta Nav there and...poof! We're in!" Asuka got out. "That's really smart, Morgana-chan!" She soon praised.

"Yeah, but uh...that's a really huge risk. We might end up somewhere dangerous like the employee break room or something." Homura pointed out. "Plus, it involves breaking into the shack and I don't think Yusuke or our target would like that. We're already on thin ice as it is." She then reminded.

"Oh..." Asuka awkwardly replied.

"Well, at least tell us where this suspicious place is." Ryuji got out.

"It's on the second floor. I noticed an unnaturally hefty lock on a door up there." Morgana soon informed.

"If it's locked, that means there's something in there he doesn't want people to see." Ann spoke up.

"...Just like that laser grid and the giant door back in the Museum of Vanity." Homura realized.

"But don't we wanna be openin' the door in the Palace?" Ryuji reminded with a frown.

"Yes, and we're going to do that by opening the real one in front of Madarame's eyes." Morgana explained. "Basically, we're going to change his cognition that the door is unopenable."

"In other words...when we open the one in Madarame's house, that area in his Palace will open on its own?" Ann clarified.

"I'm not really gettin' it..." Ryuji admitted. "Is that gonna work?"

"Trust me! There's no chance it won't open! ...I think!" Morgana assured. "You understand, don't you, Joker?" He then asked.

"Stop adding I think at the end. It only makes me think you don't know what you're talking about." Homura sighed out.

"Well, it's not like we have a lot of options here..." Akira muttered out.

"Well...yeah, but-" Ryuji started in an unsure tone, however...

"Why don't you trust me!? It's worth a try!" Morgana called out.

"But even then, there's still that hefty lock we have to deal with in reality, right?" Ann reminded.

"...You do remember who you know, right...?" Akira thought as he felt the lockpicks in his pockets while glancing at the two shinobi.

"Oh, that'll be a breeze. Just give me a hairpin and I'll handle it. It will take some time though. Doing everything by myself in front of Madarame would be impossible." Morgana stated. "If only there was someone who could distract him for a while..." He then muttered out as he turned his gaze towards two particular people.

"Huh?" Ann got out in confusion.

"Oh..." Ryuji whispered out as he realised what Morgana was implying. "And man, how are Homura, Akira and I gonna get into his house? We'd get reported for sure if we force ourselves in..." He then reminded in an over-dramatic tone.

"...What the hell are you talking about? You know shinobi, breaking into stuff without getting noticed is part of the job description so why are you-" Homura got out before pausing as she realised what the boys were implying. "...Oh no. Oh no. No, no, no!" She declared in rising anger.

"And Yusuke needs a Portrait of Girls." Akira reminded as he and the dyed blond turned their heads towards the brunette and ash blonde.

"...I don't like how you're all staring at us." Asuka got out as she stepped back.

"Ann, Asuka. Are you willing to take one for the team?" Akira asked. "Because if you fail to accept, our infiltration stops at that door." He then reminded.

"...Why do I feel we're being asked at gunpoint?" Asuka and Ann thought as they both started to sweat.

"W-We can't let it end here so...If there's no other choice, I'll do it." Asuka answered in determination.

"Yeah, I'll do it too. For the Phantom Thieves." Ann replied in the same determined tone.

"Good, because the only way in is for the both of ya to go nude." Ryuji replied.

"WHAT!?" Ann and Asuka exclaimed.

"Fancy you say that, Ryuji. I was just about to say the same thing." Morgana admitted.

"Yep. Me too." Akira casually added.

"This isn't funny!" Ann shouted out.

"I-I-I-I...WHAT!?" Asuka stammered out.

Homura, meanwhile, took in a deep breath. "Listen, I know what we're asking for is a little...extreme, but if we are to steal Madarame's heart we need you to put on your brave face and do what is necessary to complete the mission. That is the way of shinobi and of Phantom Thieves." She then stated in a serious tone.

"B-But..." Ann stammered out, only to be stopped when the tan skinned girl held up her hand.

"Ann, what is more important here? Your dignity or someone's life?" Homura questioned as she narrowed her eyes. "Are you willing to let someone suffer because you won't bite the bullet?" She then asked.

Ann winced at that as she remembered Shiho and what had happened to her.

"...If that's what it takes...A shinobi must sacrifice many things in order to survive." Asuka stated.

"...Okay. Okay! I'll do it!" Ann finally gave in, however had a fire in her eyes as she declared her intent. "I won't let Kitagawa-kun suffer this cruelty for another second!" She then declared.

"I'm glad you agree. Good luck and show the world what you've got, Ann." Homura encouraged her as she pulled her roommate close to her.

"A-Alrigh-Wait, me!?" Ann exclaimed. "As in alone!? What about Asuka-chan!? Kitagawa-kun offered her too!" She then reminded.

"Yeah, but only one is necessary so...Good luck." Homura happily stated.

"But maybe he only wants to paint us both. Together!" Ann once more pointed out in a desperate tone.

"Just say Sis is sick. Good luck." Homura replied once more with a sweet smile.

"Stop saying good luck! Asuka-chan, please! I don't want to do this alone at least!" Ann soon begged.

"Y-Yeah but...I don't want to..." Asuka sheepishly admitted.

"I don't want to either and if you're not gonna do it, then I won't either!" Ann got out with a huff as she crossed her arms.

"I-I'll get you a free soda..." Asuka weakly offered, causing the ash blonde to groan.

"I'm not gonna do it!" Ann quickly called out.

"B-But you've got more modeling experience than me!" Asuka reminded in a nervous manner.

"Experience doesn't equal willingness to go naked!" Ann shouted out. "If all else, you should do it. You do have an unusual amount of nudity in your life anyway." She then reminded. "Like today." She added in a low, threatening tone.

"Like what?" Morgana asked in confusion.

A fiery aura however surrounded the tan skinned girl. "Over my dead body Ann!" Homura however growled in a furious manner as the males of the group held her back from storming towards the other girl.

"Why don't we throw a curveball and send Homura instead?" Akira soon suggested.

"But he wants either Sis or Ann." Homura then reminded with narrow eyes.

"I'm sure you'll figure something out. You're the most dependable, responsible person here." Akira also reminded as he subtly equipped Franken.

"Huh? Er, well, I...Wait, are you saying that to get me to go and pose nude?" Homura soon asked with a blush on her face.

Sensing that the situation was about to become more dangerous and burning, Akira decided to switch gears and say something else. "M-More like you making the decision here." Akira simply answered.

Calming herself down, Homura nodded at the reason. "Alright then. Ann, you do the nude thing while we go and infiltrate the Palace past the peacock door cause we need both our Leaders." She decided.

"What!? Isn't the reason why we have two leaders so we can separate!? Come on, I really don't want to do this!" Ann got out in an annoyed tone.

"That's only for in battle and for exploration." Homura however reminded as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"You're just making excuses!" Ann countered before groaning. "Ugh, fine. But only for the team." She soon decided.

"And for justice." Homura then reminded.

"Oh, justice went out the window when you automatically chose me. I swear, I will make you two pay very, very soon!" Ann declared.

The boys smartly took a step away from the ash blonde.

"Ok, I understand." Asuka and Homura replied in perfect unison.

"Man you two really are like sisters." Ryuji admitted.

"Well Homura-chan was given the offer to be adopted into my family and become my official big sister." Asuka innocently revealed.

"...It's been two months, Asuka." Akira reminded in a deadpan tone.

"And we learned that Homu-nee's family were victims of the psychotic breakdowns and she no longer plans to go back to Hebijo..." Asuka countered. "And I'm respecting her to think on it." She then added.

"At least you're not rushing it too fast." Ryuji spoke up. "I mean, I'm glad but you know..." He then awkwardly started before trailing off at the end.

"Yes, and I'm still unsure about it myself..." Homura then admitted. "And we're getting off topic again." She soon got out in an awkward manner.

"Is there really, really no convincing you guys to let Asuka-chan come with me?" Ann asked in an almost begging tone.

"Sorry, but Sis must not fall into that bastard's gaze!" Homura responded in a dead serious tone.

"But- Goddammit...!" Ann swore out in frustration. "If he tries to force my clothes off...I'll tear that house down! I'm really gonna lose it if we do all this and the Palace door doesn't open. Got it!?" She then declared.

"We're workin' to get dirt on that guy's crimes either way. It won't go to waste. All right, let's get down and dirty tomorrow." Ryuji replied.

"Tomorrow!?" Ann exclaimed.

"Earlier the better." Ryuji then explained.

"Um, b-but...will Kitagawa-kun agree?" Ann asked in concern.

"I dunno, just say something like I really need it to be tomorrow. That should work, yeah?" Ryuji suggested.

"Look, you don't have to actually go naked. It's just an excuse." Akira explained. "Just stall until Morgana gets the door unlocked and Madarame sees it." He then instructed.

"..." Ann however remained silent as she glared at the two shinobi, her left eye twitching.

Akira quickly realised that he was afraid of what the ash blonde would do to the brunette and tan skinned girl and decided it would be best to leave her be.

There was no way he could convince her to stop planning revenge.

---

(5/22, Evening)

(Shibuya, Shin Megami Apartment Complex)

Asuka and Homura oddly felt pretty good as they made their way home. Despite how they had to cut the infiltration short, they had done very well in the Palace, fighting effectively and overcoming every obstacle the Shadows tried to throw at them.

Actually, they felt ready for another training session...which was odd.

They both wondered when the Metaverse exhaustion would-

THUD! THUD!

...Hit them.

"Oh, the floor feels nice here..." Homura breathed out in relief.

"Yeah..." Asuka breathed out as well. "But we have to get up. Come on...we can't go to sleep hungry and smelling like death..." She then mumbled.

"I know, but just give me a few...mo-more...Zzzz..." Homura mumbled before she fell asleep.

"No...Not yet, Homu-nee..." Asuka yawned out. "Please, don't let the Metaverse win..." She then added in a mumble.

"Zzzz...The Metaverse can...suck my...Zzzz..." Homura snored

The brunette soon began crawling over to her roommate, her body feeling extremely heavy. "Moh, I didn't think we would end up like this..." Asuka thought to her as she took a deep breath. "C-Cold...shower..." She soon struggled out.

Homura in response did open her eyes to that, but she still looked like she hadn't slept in two years. "Too...tired to...react..." She muttered out. "Ugh...Where are we again?" She soon asked.

"The hallway just outside the apartment." Asuka answered. "Please...we need proper bedding or we're going to feel worse in the morning..." She then informed.

"Ugh..." Homura groaned before finally relenting. "Fine. Come on, Homura. Get up." She encouraged herself as she tried to get herself on her feet.

"Yeah, there you go. You can...do...it...Zzzzzzzz...Snrk!" Asuka sleepily encouraged.

It took Homura way longer than it should've to unlock the apartment, missing the keyhole several times and falling asleep once or twice, but eventually she opened the door and dragged her roommate inside and into the bathroom, both working together to get the bath ready.

"Need...to wake...up..." Both girls soon mumbled as they got into the ice cold water.

SPLASH! SPLASH!

"Ah!" Asuka yelped out. "O-Okay, that worked!" She got out as she got to her feet and took in deep breaths. "Do you mind heating up the tub so we can have a real bath?" She soon asked.

Homura, however, didn't respond.

"Homu-nee?" Asuka got out as she saw that her roommate had sunken down the tub, her head fully under the water. "...Homu-nee...?" She once again got out, her heart clenching as she began to assume the worst.

Blub...

"HOMU-NEE!" Asuka screamed out in a panic as she pulled her roommate's head out of the water.

Homura coughed out some water before slapping her cheeks. "Ah..." She then breathed out. "God I needed that..." She then admitted.

"What? Drowning yourself!?" Asuka exclaimed.

"T-The wake up call S-Sis." Homura shivered out. "Man we were exhausted." She then breathed out in relief.

"I think we still are. My head's a little foggy..." Asuka mumbled out. "Let's take a quick bath, eat, then go to sleep."

"No nubbling though, ok?" Homura teasingly requested.

"Nubbling?" Asuka however repeated with a playful smile.

"N-Nibbling I mean, jeez." Homura responded in a flustered manner. "M-My breasts aren't chocolate covered marshmallows." She then stated.

"Jeez, you do it two nights in a row and suddenly you won't stop telling me to stop..." Asuka mumbled out with a pout.

"Well Ann did say I have hickies now Sis." Homura countered in a playful manner while showing her bare breasts, revealing the marks mentioned.

"They'll go away eventually...I hope." Asuka got out. "Maybe I should keep my distance when we sleep..." She then suggested.

"..." Both girl's eyes however twitched to the thought.

"Y-You could chew on a pillow." Homura awkwardly suggested.

"Y-Yeah, that sounds better." Asuka got out in an uneasy manner as their phones began to vibrate. Sighing, Homura quickly got out of the tub and drained the cold water while Asuka grabbed towels for both of them. After tying their towels around their chests, they got their phones and opened the IM.

[Shut7heFUp: You get in touch with Yusuke yet?]

[Sweetkat06: Mm-hm. He asked me to come by tomorrow.]

[Shut7heFUp: Awwwww yeah, he fell for it!]

[FireGirl20: Of course he fell for it. Because Ann is a beautiful woman who can and will do anything for a greater cause.]

[Sweetkat06: Asuka, has Yusuke-kun messaged you at all?]

[SushiRoll23: W-Where's the -chan?]

[SweetRoll23: Answer the question.]

[SushiRoll23: No.]

[TheWildJ0ker: I can feel the mirth with each word.]

[TheWildJ0ker: Be careful in there Ann. I'm sorry, but it's the only option we have.]

[TheWildJ0ker: Unless...]

[FireGirl20: NO! OFF LIMITS!]

[TheWildJ0ker: That's what I expected.]

[Sweetkat06: Yeah...]

[Shut7heFUp: Man, this is such a pain...We gotta open that door AND have Madarame see it, right?]

[Sweetkat06: Yeah. Morgana said that'll change his cognition.]

[Shut7heFUp: Oh, and one more thing. Let us know if any weird shit goes down and we'll be there to back you up ASAP.]

[Sweetkat06: Kk, got it.]

[Sweetkat06: You guys better be there. Especially you, Homura.]

[TheWildJ0ker: I'll start the funeral preparations.]

Asuka and Homura winced at that last message.

"I feel terrible for doing that to Ann-chan..." Asuka mumbled out in shame as she unwrapped the towel. "I hope she isn't too mad." She then added while feeling guilty.

"Sis, I will take any of Ann's anger to keep you safe." Homura stated as she ran the hot water. "I will protect you, Asuka." She then informed.

The brunette in turn smiled when she heard that as the two got into the water once more. "Hehe, you sound just like Yagyū-chan..." Asuka giggled out.

"You know fully well it's different than how Yagyū is." Homura however reminded as the two began giggling.

"But don't you have nosebleeds over me sometimes?" Asuka innocently and playfully asked.

"I-It's unintentional Sis!" Homura panickingly responded as her head became a glowing crimson.

"Sure it is~" Asuka teasingly giggled out.

"Moh! Sis!" Homura then got out with a pout on her face and a puffed up cheek.

"I'm kidding. I'm sure it's your own little way of showing you care about me, right?" Asuka guessed.

"If that was the case, I would be dead from blood loss." Homura sheepishly admitted. "...does it make me a pervert for having a nosebleed over a little sister like figure?" She then asked under her breath.

Suddenly, the tan skinned girl could hear Haruka's response in her head. "You don't watch a lot of hentai, do you?" She soon stated in a teasing manner.

"Gah!" Homura exclaimed before shaking her head. "Urgh…" She then groaned while palming her face.

"What's wrong!?" Asuka exclaimed in concern.

"N-Nothing…I just answered my own question…" Homura sighed out, not noticing the blush on her face. "Um…we should switch topics…" She soon suggested.

"Sure?" Asuka confusingly replied with a raised eyebrow. "What did she mean by that?" She meanwhile thought.

"So…" Homura got out as she grabbed the shampoo. "...What do you want to talk about?" She soon asked.

"Something other than comparing you to Yagyū-chan?" Asuka soon suggested.

"W-Well if you're gonna compare me to her, does that mean you like Hibari then?" Homura countered as she began scrubbing the other girl's head as soap suds formed.

"Of course. Everyone likes Hibari! Why would you ask that Homu-nee~?" Asuka automatically answered in a cutesy and innocent manner.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The tan skinned girl immediately felt like she was shot through the heart multiple times from the response. "God you are adorable Sis." Homura confessed.

"You too Homu-nee." Asuka complimented with a playful wink. "I mean we both like sweets." She then added.

"Though mine was developed from me being here." Homura corrected. "Old family and their ridiculous training...no sweets at all policy..." She then mumbled in a frustrated manner.

"...R-Really? N-No sweets at all?" Asuka however asked in disbelief to even imagine someone not having any form of sugar at all in their life.

"They didn't want to deal with dentists. At least Hebijo has a great dental plan." Homura answered.

"So does Hanzō. As well as good medical benefits." Asuka soon revealed.

"Good to know Sis." Homura replied. "Though, then again, you can be identified by your teeth..." She then added.

"Eh?" Asuka got out in confusion.

"It's a little more caution. You know, in case you get killed." Homura casually explained.

"I don't get it." Asuka innocently admitted in even more confusion.

"Your teeth are just as unique as your fingerprints. If they have a copy of your dental records, you can easily be identified." Homura soon revealed. "The police use it in case someone is...unrecognizable by normal means." She then added.

"Oh..." Asuka nervously got out with a wince.

"Yeah..." Homura replied as she dumped the pail of water on her roommate's head before getting the body wash and sighed. "I should really stop bringing them up...Always ruining the mood..." She grumbled to herself.

"Homu-nee..." Asuka got out in a concerned manner.

"Sorry, it's my fault. Just… let's just stop talking. Too tired…" Homura mumbled out.

Eventually the two finished up as they began drying themselves off.

"You okay, Homu-nee?" Asuka suddenly asked.

"I'm fine. See Sis, the hickies are gone already." Homura informed her with a smile on her face as she cupped her breasts in her hands.

Asuka held back a sigh before smiling. "That's good. I was worried I'd leave bruises." Asuka got out as she looked at her roommate in relief, more so where she had left said hickies.

"Hey, it's gonna take a lot more than that to bruise me." Homura stated in a proud and confident tone with hands on her hips.

"You're not invincible, Homu-nee." Asuka however reminded in a saddened tone.

"I know, but I'm very hard to kill if the last few weeks are any indication." Homura got out. "I can admit...my life is insane..." She soon added.

"You're not the only one with a weird life." Asuka pointed out. "No one we know has one, and while it can be hard, it can be fun too." She soon stated. "Though we can make our lives better than how they are in the past. I promise to make sure you have a great life from now on Homu-nee." She then declared in a determined manner.

"Thanks, but it isn't necessary." Homura replied in a calm manner.

"Huh?" Asuka got out in confusion.

"The only person who can improve my life is me, and while the help is appreciated, I'd rather do it on my own." Homura admitted.

"So...y-you don't need...me?" Asuka hesitantly asked in an even sadder tone.

Homura in turn winced as she realized what she said. "Sis, I do need you. I need you every day of my life, but I can't just let you do all the work for me. You have your own life to improve after all and I can't in good conscience have you just focus solely on me." She soon explained. "And…I need to work on a lot of things by myself, you know?" She then added. "Come on, I'm Phantom Thief and a shinobi. I can take care of myself…and you can too." She soon reminded, though that last part was more to herself than to her roommate.

"...Alright…but you better… no, you don't owe me anything. All I need is your friendship, nothing more." Asuka stated. "I mean, we're not going to be together forever, right?" She then added. "Unless...Jii-chan's suggestion..." She hesitantly reminded.

Homura however winced to that. "Sis, don't pressure me about that. It's already a really hard decision…" She admitted.

"No it isn't. You know what you want." Her Persona quickly chimed in with annoyance clear in her voice.

"Shut up." Homura instantly mentally replied.

"Sorry… Urgh…! Why can't I say anything right today!? And why am I being so selfish!?" Asuka mumbled in a whiny tone.

"Everyone has their bad days. It'll be better tomorrow… hopefully…" Homura replied.

"If Ann-chan doesn't kill us…" Asuka added with a wince.

"Right..." Homura muttered. "Also...selfish?" She then asked in confusion.

"I did force Joker to keep Jack Frost around…" Asuka shamefully admitted. "...And I really want you to say yes...I want a big sister after Jii-chan gave the suggestion..." She then confessed while poking her pointer fingers together.

"You will." Homura got out before sputtering with a glowing crimson blush on her face. "I m-mean, um…you…I misspoke and…I think my stomach is trying to eat itself…" She got out to try and change the subject.

Asuka snorted before laughing. "Hahahaha! Alright, okay! We should get dinner started, huh?" She soon suggested.

"Yeah, good idea!" Homura quickly replied.

"You know, I just realised you're becoming a combination of my friends." Asuka suddenly revealed, confusing the tan skinned girl as they walked into the kitchen. "I mean, you're getting Ikaruga-chan's maturity, Yagyū-chan's protectiveness, and a little bit of Hibari-chain's sweetness..." She began listing off.

"Sis I swear to God, if you compare an aspect of Katsuragi-" Homura interrupted.

"But Katsu-nee's always been our big sister, Homu-nee." Asuka innocently informed as she snuggled into the tan skinned girl's breasts.

"O-Oh..." Homura stammered out in a embarassed manner. "W-Well...um...hey, what do you want for dinner?" She soon asked to change the subject.

"Mmm...surprise me~" Asuka happily replied after thinking about it.

"Okay then." Homura got out...before giving her roommate an apron. "You're helping with the cooking as well then." She then instructed.

"Aw, what...? I don't know what to cook tonight..." Asuka got out with a pout.

"Well, I don't know either so let's wash up and take inventory and we'll go from there." Homura soon instructed.

"Alright..." Asuka sighed out as they went over to the kitchen. Asuka decided to turn on the TV to at least have some background noise while they worked on dinner.

It seemed like it was a rerun of a quiz show today.

"If you punch someone and hurt them, you've committed bodily harm. Now consider these two cases..." The quiz show presenter said. "A: Unconsenting cutting of hair; B: Using noise to cause distress; Which of the two would be considered a case of bodily harm!? You be the judge!"

"Uh...Option A." Asuka idly answered.

"The correct answer is...B!" The quiz show presenter announced. "If you drive someone crazy with noise, that's bodily harm! If it disrupts the body's functions, it counts as bodily harm, even if there's no physical contact! Hair grows back, so it doesn't count as a wound. That'd be a case of assault, not bodily harm." He then explained.

"Huh..." Asuka got out in an interested manner.

"Sis, where's the spatulas and tongs?" Homura meanwhile called out.

"In the drawers Homu-nee." Asuka replied. "Wow, the law is pretty weird..." She then got out.

"You know, there are quite a few strange laws out there in the world. Even Japan has a few." Homura got out as she looked at the food inside the fridge. "For example, um...I think that people are reimbursed up to ¥12,000 for hotel stays, ¥3,000 for food and ¥500 for snacks per day. Ah, but I forgot what type of person can get that type of treatment..." She then revealed before gaining a thought filled expression.

Asuka frowned as she thought for a moment. "Um...oh! Is it people who are involved in an election campaign?" She soon guessed.

"Uh...Yes! That's right!" Homura got out. "Yeah. The government lets politicians running in elections stay at hotels and eat for free as long as it's within those pay limits. God, that feels a little..." She soon started.

"Unfair?" Asuka guessed once more with a pout on her face.

"That's it." Homura stated. "Still, that's pretty impressive you know that, Sis, you little smarty pants." She then teased.

"Ehehehehe..." Asuka sheepishly giggled out, feeling a little smarter from that. "So...what are we cooking?" She soon asked.

"Uh...I guess we can do hot pot tonight..." Homura awkwardly answered as she pulled out some tofu.

"Sounds good to me!" Asuka happily replied to the idea as she got to work.

Soon enough, after making and eating the hot pot, they made their way to the bedroom with full and warm stomachs.

"Oh yeah, that was good." Homura muttered in satisfaction.

"We should cook together more often, you can teach me how to make some awesome dishes!" Asuka happily suggested.

"Mmm~ Your belly's sooooo warm~" Asuka sighed out while rubbing her head against the tan skinned girl's lower body.

"You're warm too." Homura sighed as well as they snuggled closer to each other.

"Well, good night, Homu-nee. I really, really hope Ann-chan isn't as angry as she was today..." Asuka mumbled out.

"It'll be fine. Good night." Homura assured her before closing her eyes.

For the two as they drifted off to sleep, they felt as though things weren't going to be easy tomorrow.

---

(Shibuya, Alleyway)

"Come on, come on! Get your fucking phone out!"

"It's already recording dumbass!"

Suddenly, students and teachers began to gasp and panic around them.

"Holy fuck! He's gonna kill himself!"

"What? Shit, this can't go on ViewTube like this!"

"Don't you dare you bastard!" A female voice called out over the chaos. "Shiho is still alive even after all the things that made her want to die! You have no right to run from this!" She soon declared.

"From all the things you've done...death is merely a mercy!" Another called out.

"Dude dude dude! Record it!"

"I haven't stopped! I'm trying to find them! Relax!"

To that, Kamoshida dropped the knife in the same shamed filled manner. "You're right...You're absolutely right. All of you...Kurusu, Sakamoto, Takamaki, Shirokage, Shinkukage...I'm so sorry. I should be punished under the law and atone for my crimes..." He sobbed out.

"You better you bastard!" Another voice shouted out as students started to step away from those shouting, allowing everyone to see three girls and two boys glaring at the teacher. "You broke my leg and lied sayin' it was self defense you prick! You practically ruined my life!" He then declared

"You revealed my record, which is illegal under all circumstances!" The boy with glasses soon revealed.

"You tried to fuck me and Asuka you sicko!" A girl with tan skinned shouted out.

"You took advantage of Ann-chan all this time!" An innocent-looking brunette also called out.

"And you destroyed Shiho!" The ash blonde finished. "We were the only ones willing to speak up, and you tore us down! There is nothing you can do that'll make us forgive you!" She then declared.

That was all she needed.

"Hm...so they were directly affected by Suguru Kamoshida, so that gives me a motive. But I can't figure out how and with what..." Yumi whispered to herself in a thoughtful manner as she turned off her phone. "But are they really capable of forcing someone to confess their crimes? Homura-san seemed like a nice girl yesterday. And Asuka-san and Akira-kun are no different." She admitted as she remembered talking with them at the convenience store and at Central Street before lightly slapping her cheeks to focus. "No. Do not assume such things. Everyone is a possible enemy until they are proven just." She then told herself...before gaining a saddened and uneasy expression. "Though...I hope they are just if they are who I think they are..." She soon muttered in a hopeful manner.

Either way for her, the time for games was over.

---

Save Game... Quit!

(Persona Tracking)

Joker

Level: 16

Personas: Arsene (Resist: Curse) (Weak: Ice, Bless), Jack Frost (Null: Ice) (Weak: Fire), Kushi Mitama (Resist: Wind) (Weak: Fire), Shiisaa (Resist: Physical, Gun) (Null: Bless) (Weak: Curse), Saki Mitama (Resist: Ice) (Weak: Electric), Franken (Resists: Bless, Earth) (Drain: Electric) (Weak: Curse, Psycho), Mermaid (Resists: Water, Fire) (Weak: Electric, Earth)

Treasure Demon: Regent [Ma- Elemental Set 1]

Skills: Eiha, Cleave, Sukunda, Dream Needle, Adverse Resolve, Baisudi, Bufu (X3) Mabufu, Ice Break, Rakunda, Ice Boost, Garu, Makajam, Media, Regenerate 1, Wind Wall (X2), Growth 1, Forget Boost, Double Fang, Skull Cracker, Zio, Rampage, Dodge Curse, Dodge Elec, Energy Drop, Resist Dizzy, Bufula, Aques, Media, Rakukaja (X3), Lunge, Zionga, Mamagna.

Yin

Level: 16

Persona: Kaeru (Resist: Earth, Fire) (Weak: Wind, Gun)

Skills: Magna, Media, Sukukaja, Lucky Punch

Confidant Rank: Rank 3

Yang

Level: 16

Persona: Wolverine (Resist: Physical, Gun, Fire, Wind) (Weak: Water, Earth, Bless, Psychokinesis)

Skills: Agi, Cleave, Gurentou, Regenerate 1

Confidant Rank: Rank 3

Mona

Level: 16

Persona: Zorro (Resist: Wind) (Weak: Elec)

Skills: Garu, Dia, Patra, Media, Lucky Punch, Magaru

Confidant Rank: Rank 2

Skull

Level: 16

Persona: Captain Kidd (Resist: Elec) (Weak: Wind, Earth)

Skills: Lunge, Zio, Tarukaja, Headbutt, Adverse Resolve

Confidant Rank: Rank 4

Panther

Level: 16

Persona: Carmen (Resist: Fire) (Weak: Ice, Water)

Skill: Agi, Dia, Dormina, Tarunda, Maragi, Dekaja

Confidant Rank: Rank 1

---

(Persona Analysis)

Franken (Living Corpse)

Arcana: Aeon

Weak: Curse, Psycho

Resist: Bless, Earth

Drain: Electric

Skills: Lunge, Zionga, Mamagna, Rakukaja

Description: The monster from the famous novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley, published January 1st, 1818. It is not called Frankenstein, it is Frankenstien's monster. Get it right. Often referred to as "creature", "monster", "daemon", "wretch", "abortion", "fiend" and "it", it is a sensitive, emotional creature whose only aim is to share his life with another sentient being like himself. It's also quite eloquent in contrast to the mainstream depictions of the monster. His greatest desire is to find love and acceptance; but when that desire is denied, he swears revenge on his creator.

Oh, I should point out that every Velvet Room Attendant is named after various characters from the story...like Elizabeth Lavenza, for example.

Mermaid (Illusion of Beauty)

Arcana: Happy Squirrel

Weak: Electric, Earth

Resist: Water, Fire

Skills: Bufula, Aques, Media, Rakukaja

Description: Half-woman, half-fish creatures of the ocean. Their male counterparts are called Mermen. Legend says they use their voice to charm men, causing them to crash their ships. Mermaids are regarded as unlucky omens by men of the sea and are a sign of a bad catch or devastating storms. In reality, however, they were most likely dugong that sailors confused for these mythical creatures thanks to being out at sea who knows how long. But...men can dream, right?

---

So... Ann's a little angry at the shinobi and Yumi is about to be a whole lot more involved. What will- you know what's gonna happen.

Uknown signing off, my friends!