Hello! UknownHero here and welcome to another chapter of Senran Persona! First off, I'd like to make an announcement.
Senran Persona: Ninjas of Hearts has a TV Tropes page!
That I started because I was too embarrassed to do it myself! There is some stuff in it but it needs tons of work, we need to cover over 73 chapters worth of tropes and references! I'm working on it myself but I can't recognise every trope. Hell, I can't even recognise every reference. Turns out some of the OCs are from Super Sentai shows. Hope you contribute to it!
Now let's set a new standard.
Load Game...Start!
Chapter 73: A New Standard
(7/9, Early Morning)
(Aoyama-Itchome, Shujin Academy Front Gate)
Akira let out a yawn before taking a sip of Leblanc coffee out of his thermos.
"The fact that you're drinking coffee in this heat says something about how used to it you are." Homura deadpanned as she and her roommate caught up with the boy.
"It's so hot today..." Asuka whined out.
"That only means summer break is coming soon." Akira happily stated before finishing the rest of his coffee. "Just three more weeks and we are good." He then added.
"You make it sound like three weeks is short." Homura grumbled out. "God...I thought summer break was around the corner. Like, at the end of the week. I guess I was confusing it for something else." She then sighed.
"Hey, three weeks can pass by in a flash." Akira assured. "Hell, the past four days did for me." He then stated.
"Me too, but I felt like we did a lot. Especially in Mementos." Asuka muttered as she adjusted her bag.
"I hope Asagiri rots wherever he is." Homura growled as clenched on the strap of her bag. "Maybe not six feet underground, but I will immolate him myself if he goes near his children." She then added.
"Well, you have me and the rest to help if you need it." Asuka stated in reassurance. "Hopefully he's the last one." She then breathed out.
"Sadly, I doubt that." Akira sighed. "Now, let's stop talking about our vigilantism and talk about surviving next week." He soon suggested.
"Oh, we have finals on Wednesday, right?" Asuka remembered before groaning. "We gotta study so much for the next few days..." She then whined just as two boys passed by them.
"Hey, did you catch the news report this morning about the mafia boss getting busted?" The three suddenly heard a student ask his sweaty friend.
"Dude, I was waiting for that since the Phantom Thieves tagged that building in Shibuya!" The sweaty student got out in an excited manner. "It happened here with Kamoshida and that old geezer! I can't wait for what they have in store next!" He soon admitted.
"Yeah! It feels so surreal to think about. I can't believe they actually steal hearts! Not only that, it could be any of us at Shujin!" His friend pointed out in an excited tone.
"My money's on the beauties of Class 2-D. They seemed to have the biggest grudges." The sweaty student soon stated.
"No way. They probably can't even hurt a fly." His friend disagreed.
"I dunno. The one with the big boobs could kick my ass." The sweaty student got out with a shrug.
"Which one?" The excited student soon asked.
"Ahem." Asuka coughed out, getting the attention of the two idiots. "I have other traits too." She soon informed.
"..." The two silently stared at the girl before shrugging. "So anyways-" He started, however...
"Get yourselves to class before I turn you in!" Homura snapped, causing the boys to run. "Urgh...this school is either full of awesome people or incredible assholes." She soon muttered.
"Yeah, this place is weird, but didn't you hear them?" Morgana spoke up. "Kaneshiro's arrest got released to the public!" He then reminded.
"Oh! Right, check the Phan-site." Akira soon ordered.
"On it, Akira-kun." Asuka responded as she pulled out her phone. "...The question hasn't changed...but we jumped to 41%!" She got out.
"That's a big boost from last time I checked. We were still in the twenties to thirties." Akira got out, unable to fight down the smile on his face.
"Come on, we gotta find the others and see if they know." Homura soon suggested before "Race you the rest of the way?" She then suggested.
"Sure, why not? How about you, Asuka?" Akira soon asked as he turned to the empty space next to him. "...Okay, that is cheating but at least you stayed behind, Homura." He soon praised as he turned to the other empty space beside him. "...I hate that I'm used to this." He grumbled out before chasing after the girls, feeling lighter on his feet today.
(Tokyo District Special Investigation Department)
Sae frowned, taking in deep breaths as she watched the public's reactions to Kaneshiro's arrest. "No matter how hard they looked, even our organised crime division couldn't catch Junya Kaneshiro." She muttered. "And yet he simply turned himself in, even confessed all his crimes. Every. Single. One. The Phantom Thieves..." She then stated before seeing the first news story made after the statement was released.
PHANTOM THIEVES TAKE DOWN CRIME BOSS!
No matter how Sae looked at it, it was the Phantom Thieves that took down Junya Kaneshiro, not her or the police or anyone with legal authority.
He grovelled at her feet, and those fleeting moments of realising who he is and the satisfaction that came with it were dashed once she realised what happened.
The Phantom Thieves had not only taken Kaneshiro's heart, not only had they taken her promotion...but they had taken her revenge as well.
"Is it a crime to manipulate someone's heart?"
"...Depending on the means, yes. He's absolutely right."
"Even if it makes someone admit their evil deeds and helps make them pay for their crimes?"
Sae frowned before glancing at her phone.
She was done running away from it.
She needed to ask her sister why her phone number was on Kaneshiro's phone.
(Ginza Line)
"The Phantom Thieves..." Akechi growled, staring at the news feed on his phone. "Dammit. They're much better than anticipated..." He then grumbled before shoving it back into his pocket.
(7/9, Morning)
(Shujin Academy, Classroom)
"I heard that the leader of the crime causing trouble in Shibuya was caught." Usami started. "It seems like some of our students had been victimized by them, so we can breathe easy for now. I'm thankful to the police for arresting the perp, even though they're just doing their job. By the way, perp is police slang. You might have heard the stars in police procedurals say it. It's short for perpetrator." She continued and informed.
"I never would've guessed." Homura quietly got out in a sarcastic manner.
"And the sec with the mo's got no al." Akira mumbled under his breath.
"What?" Morgana got out in confusion.
"Speaking of stars...Can you answer this question, Kurusu-san?" Usami soon called out. "On page 79, what is the sum of angles a through e?" She then questioned.
"That's...a segue." Akira couldn't help but think as he looked at the diagram. It was just a star made out of triangles. "And easy. It's 180 degrees." He soon answered.
"That's correct." Usami responded. "The sum of a through e is the same as the sum of the internal angles of a triangle, 180 degrees." She soon revealed.
"Because in every triangle, the three interior angles will always add to 180." Asuka added.
"You are both correct. Well done." Usami praised. "By the way, there are rumors saying that the Phantom Thieves took down the perp Kaneshiro. I've been hearing their name ever since May. There is no doubt they exist, however can they truly change hearts? Or is it a euphemism for what they really do?" She soon questioned.
"Charging through someone's mind, beating their Shadow into submission and forcing them to confess doesn't exactly roll off the tongue." Homura muttered under her breath.
"Anyway, please prepare for your tests starting Wednesday, and don't be distracted by questions like that." The teacher soon reminded.
"Looks like the police's statement isn't fooling anyone. People know that the Phantom Thieves took down Kaneshiro." Morgana stated.
"No kidding." Homura muttered. "It's...a little weird to be famous...even if no one knows..." She then admitted.
"We're watching the news at lunch." Akira whispered as the rest of the gang nodded, eagerly waiting for the bell to ring.
(7/9, After School)
(Shibuya, Accessway)
The Thieves had all decided to meet up at the Accessway today, all of them with smiles on their faces as they high-fived and hugged each other.
"Hell yeah! Kaneshiro finally confessed! People've been makin' a huge deal of it since the police announcement!" Ryuji cheered as he pumped his fist.
"It's difficult to accept that the authorities are taking all of the credit for his arrest." Yusuke lamented.
"Yes. Undercover cops? Precision strikes at his operations? Interrogations of his subordinates?" Yumi listed off before rolling her eyes. "He was in a hostess club almost 24/7. The police station was only a few blocks from there." She then pointed out as she rolled her eyes.
"Does it matter? People already know who really took him down." Asuka pointed out with a playful smirk.
"Yeah. People are going nuts about the Phantom Thieves online!" Ann stated as she showed the activity going on the forums.
"It's all comin' together for us!" The dyed blond declared in a confident manner as he rubbed his hands together.
"This is quite the turnaround. All of a sudden, people are expressing their long-standing belief in us." Yusuke got out as he narrowed his eyes. It was a little strange to see that the forum had just as many positive posts as there were negative.
"There are people who are definitely lying about that." Homura deadpanned before smiling. "Well, not until we added something to everyone's commute." She then giggled out, looking out the window to see the Phantom Thieves logo on the building.
"I'm proud of everyone here." Akira stated with a smile. "...Well, almost everyone here." He then corrected.
"Oh yeah, where is our amazing Miss President?" Ryuji asked as everyone looked around.
"Yeah, I wonder what's holding Makoto-chan up? We saw her at school today..." The Vice Leader muttered to herself. "I was thinking of treating everyone for a job well done. We could toast to it." Asuka soon revealed.
"Can it at least not be at Big Bang Burger?" Ann deadpanned.
"I wasn't planning on that." Asuka got out with a pout. "I was thinking more along the lines of-" She soon began to explain, however...
"Hey dude, let's hang out!"
Ryuji blinked at the Leader's ringtone. "Is that me?" He had to ask.
"I should really keep it only on vibrate." Akira grumbled before pulling out his phone. "Speaking of the devil. Speaker's on, kaichou." He then informed.
"Hello? It's Makoto. My apologies but I won't be able to join you guys today." Makoto apologized with a sigh. "I've been called into a meeting with the principal. There's no need to worry though. More importantly, there is a special on TV about the Phantom Thieves!" She soon informed.
"Huh? What did you say!?" Ryuji exclaimed before everyone shushed him. He was beginning to speak louder than the crowd who were also talking about the Phantom Thieves.
"A TV special already..." Yumi muttered out with widened eyes.
"They were talking all about our calling cards and the graffiti." Makoto informed.
"For real!?" Ryuji exclaimed in disbelief. "Dude, that's great!" He then declared.
"Don't be too excited, Ryuji." Homura however stated. "The police are going to be working harder in tracking us down...as well as any shinobi interested in us." She then explained.
"The police will begin to keep an eye on art supply stores from now on at least." Yumi however pointed out.
"Oh like that has, or ever will, stop us." Morgana scoffed with an eye roll. "But I do encourage a little more caution from now on." He then advised.
"Morgana is correct. We'll need to use Shinobi Kekkai more when discussing these matters." Makoto agreed. "Anyway, my apologies about today. I'll have to see you all another time. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to make the principal pee himself." She soon stated.
"Don't worry about it." Homura assured with a smile. "Stay safe, and don't relent." She then encouraged.
"I promise I never will." Makoto replied before hanging up.
"I do hope that all this excitement doesn't place us as the police's number one suspects." Yusuke muttered out with a frown. "I mean, if they follow us, they may be able to discover the Metaverse."
"It'll be fine! No way they'd find out about that weird other world!" Ryuji got out in a confident manner.
"Maybe, but...Do you remember what Shadow Kaneshiro said before we stole his heart?" The young artist soon reminded everyone, causing them to frown.
"...Black Mask..." Akira got out with a frown.
"Yeah, he confirmed that we're not the only ones who are entering Palaces..." Morgana stated.
"Not only that, but they're abusing it for their own gain." Asuka added as she clenched her fists. "They're killing people for some reason that we don't know." She then muttered in disgust.
"We have a suspect though, but...we don't have a motive or if they're the only Persona-user other than us. It could be a team of these Black Masks like us. I doubt they could survive the Metaverse alone unless they're really powerful." Morgana soon stated.
"You already have a suspect?" Yusuke got out as his and Yumi's eyes widened.
"Yes, but we're not saying who it is yet. I am working on it." Akira responded as he shook his head. "You guys might act differently around them and if it's true, they'll figure it out. And we know some people here aren't the best actors." He then explained and reminded.
"Yyeeaaahhh..." Homura got out as her eyes drifted over to the ash blonde.
"W-What!? You know who it is!?" Ryuji exclaimed. "Aw come on, we can't be keepin' secrets from each other!" He soon declared.
"R-Ryuji, you were there." Ann pointed out before sighing. "You know what, actually? It would be better if you don't know until the time is right." She then decided.
"Yeah, until I can stop saying Goddammit, Ryuji you're not getting anything." Homura muttered.
"Man...alright, but you guys owe." Ryuji grumbled. "Anyways, in your face, Akechi! Now whaddya wanna do about our next target!?" He soon asked in excitement and anticipation.
"Don't get ahead of yourself. Still, people might expect a lot from our next move considering how excited they're getting." Ann however warned.
"Yeah, we need time to plan and resupply. We screwed up heavily last time. We are not ending up in that situation again." Akira stated in a serious tone.
"Yeah...you're right." Ryuji sighed out with a nod, before he let out a devious smile. "Plus, it'll give us time to find an even bigger target. We can't just pick any old schmo now." He then added.
"There is no need to hurry though." Yusuke however stated. "We've claimed three consecutive victories, right? We should just lay low and wait for all this excitement to blow over." He then suggested.
"In that case, how about we have another celebration?" Ann suggested.
"I mean...we did have a girl's day out after we stole his heart but...I don't want to turn down another way to have fun." Asuka admitted with a giggle.
"Same here." Akira added with a grin.
"Yeah! Ooh, we can make it a welcomin' party for Miss President too." Ryuji suggested in an excited manner. "By the way, that briefcase? It's pretty damn expensive! Let's sell it and drop the cash on our party." He then decided.
"Really? How much was it?" Yumi soon asked in a curious manner.
"A cool 150K 'ccording to a few websites I checked out." Ryuji answered.
CHA-CHING!
"Hah...Haaaa...~" Homura got out, feeling giddy at the thought but held herself back. "It's not a couple million but that works too..." She then declared.
"Stop drooling." Ann deadpanned as she handed over a tissue.
"Sorry." Homura apologized almost immediately.
"How are you doing with your eyes...?" Yusuke had to ask, seeing the yen signs in the tan skinned girl's pupils.
"Wow...Seems like the lay low and wait idea has gone completely out the window." Morgana meanwhile deadpanned.
"So we can count you out then, Morgana?" Ann assumed.
"Uh...what are you saying!? I was just saying that we should keep our party on the down low!" Morgana stammered out. "But sushi is a must!" He then declared.
"Don't worry. I'll make a platter just for you." Asuka assured as she rubbed the not cat behind the ears.
"Hoooh~ I love knowing a sushi maker..." Morgana purred out.
BZZT! BZZT!
Suddenly, the ash blonde's phone went off. "...Hi, Makoto? There's something we forgot to tell you-" Ann happily greeted before her joyful expression slowly shifted to a cringe and then despair. "Oh..." She then got out.
"What's wrong?" Yusuke asked in concern as the ash blonde held out her phone.
"Speaker's on." Ann informed with a groan.
"Thank you, Ann. Now, I hope you remember we all have finals next week. Yusuke and Morgana excluded, of course." Makoto soon reminded. "If you wish not to stand out, you had best not get bad grades, OK? That is something I simply would not be able to overlook as student council president! For now, behave and concentrate on your studies. We can have fun once finals are over...Understood?" She then advised and instructed in a lecturing tone.
"You sound so kind...yet so threatening at the same time..." Akira admitted as everyone sweatdropped.
"Part of my charm, Akira-kun." Makoto replied, probably smiling from the sound of her tone. "Now swear to me or there will be no mercy." She then politely ordered.
"Yes, ma'am!" The Thieves, even Yusuke and Morgana, responded.
"Hai, senpai. We won't fail." Homura assured before looking at the dyed blond. "...Most of us won't fail. No offense." She then added truthfully.
"None taken." Ryuji grumbled in response. "Urrrgh...Wait, Yumi goes to the same school as Yusuke-" He soon began to realise.
"Yusuke-san is on an arts scholarship and course. He doesn't need to take exams. I, on the other hand, have to." Yumi reminded the boy before realised something herself. "I need to call Rise-san to say I won't be available for the week..." She thought to herself in slight disappointment.
"Well then, let's all head home, relax and get some study time in." Akira soon got out. "We all deserve it after everything Kaneshiro put us through." He then stated.
"Hai, Leader." Asuka responded with a nod before turning to her roommate. "Come on, Homu-nee, a celebration bath awaits!" She happily declared.
"Uh...you go ahead. I'm gonna be hanging out around here for a little bit." Homura waved off.
"Hm? Why?" Asuka asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Just do a little bit of shopping, get something to eat. Nothing too special." Homura responded with a shrug. "I'll be home soon, Sis." She soon reassured as she made herself comfortable watching the scenery.
"Okay, well, have fun." Asuka replied, hugging her roommate before the Thieves all left.
Once she was alone, with only the crowd around her, Homura couldn't help but laugh. "Another problem down...a hell of a lot of them to go." She then muttered.
BZZT! BZZT!
Homura's phone suddenly went off, causing her to answer it. "Makoto-senpai?" She responded in confusion.
"Stay on and record the fireworks." Makoto ordered in a whisper, an audible smirk in her voice.
(Shujin Academy, Principal's Office)
Principal Jerkoff was, at the very least, pissed.
"Care to explain!?" The principal demanded.
"I believe in what I wrote..." Makoto simply stated. "The Phantom Thieves are just." She concluded.
"Have you figured out who they are?" Kobayakawa however questioned.
"No, I'm nowhere close." Makoto responded. "However, after considering all the facts, I concluded there are no errors in their acts or principles. Thus, upon deeming them to be on the side of justice, I have decided to end my investigation." She then explained.
"But that's impossible!" The principal exclaimed.
"Impossible...? May I see the evidence you have that leads you to believe so?" Makoto repeated and questioned in a curious tone.
Holding back a stammer, the principal let out the best disappointed sigh he could muster. "I was just speaking to the director of a prestigious college about your letter of recommendation too..." Kobayakawa soon revealed.
"There will be no need for that. I intend on getting into a good college by my own merit. Please excuse me." Makoto declared before turning to leave the office.
"Wait, we're not done here!" Kobayakawa called out.
"Yes. We are." Makoto however responded as she made her way to the door. "By the way, threaten my friends again and expect a visit from my sister. She'll have you hauled off by tomorrow."
"E-Excuse me?" Kobayakawa got out in shock, confused by the girl's sudden change in attitude towards him. "N-Now listen here-" He then began, however...
SLAM!
Suddenly, the Student Council President went over and slammed her hand on the Principal's desk with an expression of cold fury on her face. "No, you will listen!" Makoto however ordered as she glared at the fear filled pudgy man with a dead serious look. "I am done with you. So you better play nice right now or I'll reveal to the media of your actions! You will also end your IOU with Homura-san immediately. She owes you nothing and you will accept that! Are we clear!?" She then questioned.
Makoto suddenly heard a quick and small trickle that translated to Yes.
"Oh, and next time Homura-san comes in with a request, you will accept it no matter what it is." Makoto all but ordered. "And if I find out from Homura-san that you did use that IOU on her, you better be prepared to face the consequences." She then warned in a menacing manner. "And you wouldn't want your reputation ruined even more than it already is, would you?" She soon questioned.
"...N-No." Kobayakawa whimpered before clearing his throat.
Makoto could feel the menacing aura he was trying to exhume now, but it was nothing compared to Kaneshiro or even a low-level Shadow.
"However, be aware that you have just declared war on the faculty of the school. I will not let a child control me. I will make sure you will fail every single test, and exam you take. You will never survive the outside world until I say so." Kobayakawa soon informed in a threatening tone.
Makoto however smirked at that. "And recorded." She simply stated as she showed her phone and pressed the play button.
"I will make sure you will fail every single test, and exam you take. You will never survive the outside world until I say so." The man's voice repeated on the phone.
The pudgy man's eyes immediately widened after hearing that. "H-How?" Kobayakawa got out in shock.
"Did you really think I wouldn't be prepared for you attempting to control me even more?" Makoto soon asked. "You may think you are the king here, but I wonder how everyone would react if I post this file to the internet for the world to hear?" She then stated and questioned. "It seems more like a bratty child than an adult, wouldn't you agree?" She eventually asked.
This in turn caused the principal to pale in fear even more. This would ruin him if it got out.
"I agree, senpai. Like a popular kid bullying a first year." Homura agreed over the phone. "I expect no more trouble or lies, Kobayakawa-san?" She soon questioned.
"You...You can't..." Kobayakawa struggled out.
"We can and we will." Makoto responded without any sign of backing down.
"Face it bub, you lost the school to the students." Homura stated.
"So, will you concede? Or would you rather lose your credibility too?" Makoto eventually questioned, crossing her arms over her chest as she glared at the man.
Soon enough, Kobayakawa reluctantly nodded in defeat.
"Good. I'm glad we reached an understanding." Makoto got out in a polite manner. "Goodbye, Principal Aho." She then said before leaving the office, never looking back.
She no longer needed to worry about the principal.
His pawn just got promoted to a Queen.
As Makoto left the office, she couldn't help but smile in excitement and satisfaction. "Homura-san?" She got out.
"Hey Makoto-senpai. You ok?" Homura replied and asked in concern.
"I'm alright. Where are you right now?" Makoto responded and requested.
"Uh...I'm at the Accessway, I can come back to school if you want." Homura awkwardly informed and added.
"No, stay there. I have so much to say." Makoto ordered before letting out a smile.
Finally, the days of her complacency were behind her.
Back in the principal's office however, he was fighting off a heart attack.
To anyone in the know, it was sad to think that his only source of information is a teenage girl. It was extra sad because said teenage girl was now out of his grubby fat fingers.
"What am I gonna do?" Kobayakawa got out in a fear filled tone.
Suddenly, his eyes widened before ruffling through his paperwork.
At the bottom of the stack was a resume.
After quickly skimming it over, he grabbed his phone and typed in a number. "Come on...pick up, pick up, pick up..." He begged.
"Hello?" A woman with a somewhat masculine voice answered.
"I-Ikki-san. Yes, is that you?" The Principal soon got out.
"...Yes." Ikki responded.
"Good. Well, your application to Shujin Academy has just been approved. Congratulations, you are now part of one of the most prestigious schools in the country." Kobayakawa informed, attempting to hide his desperation.
"...Thank you." Ikki soon responded.
"Wh-When can you come in?" Kobayakawa hesitantly questioned.
"I'm supposed to go to an event at the end of the month..." His last chance soon informed.
"Then we'll have you introduced before then! Please, I need help here. W-With the sports programs." Kobayakawa called out before attempting to correct himself.
"...Fine. I'll come. But I do have a few requests." Ikki calmly stated.
"Done. Just be here before summer break. Preferably before exams begin on the 13th." The principal automatically responded, not knowing the horrible mistake he was making.
"I will. Goodbye, Principal Kobashigawa." His newest gym teacher replied.
"It's-" the principal tried to correct, however...
Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeepppppppp...
Okay, that was taken care of. Now to call...them.
After clearing his throat and wiping off the sweat from his brow, he inputted their number and called his superiors.
"Sir, it's me. I apologize for bothering you like this..." Kobayakawa started. "About that...Yes, I am making progress. However, I have stumbled upon some difficulties...Still, why would someone as important as you be interested in a petty case like this...? N-No! That's not what I meant...! I will investigate with all the resources available to me. Of course...Um, I should be able to let you know relatively soon. Yes, I will bring good news...Well then, thank you for your-" He thanked his overlords, however...
Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeepppppppp...
"...Time." The principal finished before putting down his phone.
He was running out options.
Hopefully, Ikki-san would help him save face and control the students once again.
(Rise's Apartment)
"...He didn't even ask what I wanted..." Daidōji remarked before putting her phone away.
"That guy...sounded really desperate..." Rise awkwardly confessed.
"Yes." Daidōji agreed with a nod. "We haven't even had an interview yet...or met physically." She then muttered.
"That's strange." Rise got out in confusion. "Want me to call Naoto-kun and ask her to do her thing?" She soon offered.
"No, it will be alright. Besides, she's already flooded with work." Daidōji replied as she shook her head. "Maybe after though." She then added.
"True. I guess you can take care of it with her once we get back." Rise responded with a nod. "The wedding's on the 30th, right?" She then asked as a reminder.
"Chie-san's birthday, yes." Daidōji recalled with a nod.
"Then we'll leave on the 23rd to have the bachelorette party." Rise soon decided with an excited grin.
"No drinking." Daidōji swiftly ordered.
"What!? Hey come on Dai-chan, I'm not 16 anymore." Rise soon complained with a pout.
"I know that, but you're very...odd when drunk. And that's without alcohol in your system." Daidōji groaned.
"I can handle my liquor." Rise assured before quickly grabbing a bottle from a cabinet and a glass cup. "See? High quality sake right here!" She then stated before pouring the contents into the cup.
The buff woman's eyes soon widened. "Rise-san, don't-" Daidōji started, however...
GULP!
Daidōji cringed as soon as the singer tipped her head back and downed it in one go.
"Ahhhhhhh...Hehehehe~" Rise drunkenly sighed and giggled out, her face completely red. "Shee? I kan handel mhy drunks!" She soon slurred, causing the other woman to face palm.
"Yes, I can see that." Daidōji deadpanned. "Especially since I switched your sake with water as soon as you weren't looking." She then informed.
"Wuh?" Rise got out before coughing into her fist. "I-I mean, what?" She once more asked after correcting herself, the red from her face immediately vanishing.
"Don't be like this at the actual wedding..." Daidōji pleaded.
"H-Hey! If the stories are anything to go by, you should keep an eye on Yukiko-senpai too. And Yu-senpai as well. And Teddie. And Rin-sensei-" Rise listed off, looking more and more worried with every name.
"I think they made sure there will be no alcohol there." Daidōji interrupted as she shook her head. "For all our sakes." She then added under her breath.
"Yeah..." Rise responded with a nod. "Have you seen the news?" She soon asked.
"Yes. The Phantom Thieves did take care of the mafia boss as expected. Given the pattern, they should be sending a calling card in about a month or so, give or take a few weeks." Daidōji answered. "Plenty of time to observe and confirm suspicions." She then stated.
"It's funny. It took us an entire year to find one criminal and there's this newer, more hip group managing to take down three in a span of four months." Rise giggled out.
"Technically, we took down two criminals." Daidōji corrected.
"Yeah...a shame about Mitsuo..." Rise mumbled out as she closed her eyes. Those nightmares hadn't completely faded away.
"He brought his own demise on himself for copycat killing, Rise-san." Daidōji however stated with a frown.
"I know, but I didn't think he would-" Rise muttered out before sighing. "The world really needs people like the Phantom Thieves right now." She soon admitted.
"The world will always need people like us. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to read up on sports." Daidōji got out as she went to retrieve a book from her bag. It's been a couple years so she needed a refresher.
"Good luck, Ikki-sensei." Rise encouraged with a playful giggle.
(Shibuya, Accessway)
The Student Council President soon made it to where the Disciplinary Committee Head, sitting next to one another against the railing as Makoto recounted what had happened at school.
"Hahaha! God, I wish I was there to see it!" Homura laughed out as she held her stomach.
"It was quite worth the wait." Makoto responded with a nod of satisfaction. "...Though the smell of urine..." She then added with a bit of disgust.
"I really hope you don't say that you enjoyed the smells of his fear pee." Homura suddenly deadpanned. "As much as I would love to take pictures of that jackass pissing himself, enjoying it is another thing entirely-" She then started, however...
BONK!
Makoto lightly bonked the tan skinned girl's head. "Moh, Homura-san. You don't need to say stuff like that." She responded in a chiding manner.
This however caused both girls to soon giggle in amusement.
"Still, I'm glad you're feeling better, Makoto-senpai." Homura honestly replied with a smile.
"Yeah, it feels quite freeing." Makoto breathed out.
"So, still want me to be the next President?" Homura playfully and teasingly asked. "Because, um, kinda hate to put a damper on things but I'm not going to be here next year."
"Right, I was in a dark place there." Makoto admitted. "But I'm happy now. I just hope my council won't mind me hanging out with the school outcasts from now on." She then added.
"That's not gonna change, huh." Homura sighed out.
"Guilty until proven innocent. And so far there hasn't been much to prove innocence." Makoto replied.
"Yeah, that's what people have been saying about the Japanese justice system for years." Makoto soon added. "...If we're working so hard to change the world, do you think we can do something about it?" She then asked.
"Given that the justice system screwed over one of my friends, I'm willing to tear it down and start from scratch." Homura grumbled out.
"Hehe, it sounds like you want to be a politician, Homura-san." Makoto giggled out.
"Oh hell no." Homura responded while shaking her head. "Sure, I can lie through my teeth, hide away illegal crap, answer questions without answering it and even make secret dealings with the yakuza clans, but I'd rather be a bit more upfront when I help people." She then confessed in an easy going manner.
"Wait, what was that about the yakuza?" Makoto got out as she stared at her friend with wide eyes.
"Eh, it's probably nothing Akira hasn't done already." Homura off-handedly answered.
"Excuse me!?" Makoto squeaked out to the thought.
"Hey, you know shinobi. We aren't exactly working through legal means most of the time." Homura soon reminded. "I mean, your sister is a cop and she can't help. But through the beauty of force, we helped make Tokyo a little better. Helping people is never clear cut, you just have to trust that you're making the right decisions." She then stated.
"She's a prosecutor, but you're right." Makoto corrected and admitted in agreement. "I'm gonna be sure to use my Fist of Justice on all our enemies." She then declared while cracking her knuckles in anticipation.
"Just don't kill them all. Some Shadows might want to join our side after a little convincing." Homura however advised.
"I know, I was there when he recruited some." Makoto replied and reminded. "...But...there will be one day where killing is our only option. The police can't take every criminal alive, so at best we can limit suffering." She then pointed out in a somber tone.
"...Yeah." Homura agreed with a nod. They never brought it up but everyone knew one day that there would be no other option. She just hoped the others wouldn't like it.
So the air was filled with a thick tension that caused passersby to move away from the two girls out of fear.
"...Time to fix that." The tan skinned girl thought. "So about that lesbian comment you made a while ago..." Homura started before trailing off in an awkward manner. Why was that the first thing she thought of!? She's not Haruka dammit!
Makoto immediately blushed crimson to that, knowing what her friend was referring to.
"So...are you? Do you uh...like me that way?" Homura soon asked as she mentally slapped her forehead. Why was she doubling down!? This was one of her senpais she respected!
Running and apologising a week laterwas quickly becoming a viable option now.
"I...No...Well, you are rather attractive and pretty Homura-san but...um...I don't know..." Makoto stammered out her confession with a blush on her face and her steaming head. "I-Is this common amongst the Thieves?" She soon asked.
"Well, apart from the constant guesses and remarks that me and Sis are dating...um, no?" Homura awkwardly responded. "...At least I hope not." She then added in her head.
"...Are you?" Makoto soon asked.
BONK!
"Of course not." Homura immediately answered. "Sis is more like family to me." She then explained.
"I think my skull is bleeding..." Makoto informed as she winced a bit. "No wait, just my imagination." She then realized as she looked at her fingers.
"That bleeding skull can be real if you say anything else about it." Homura soon threatened. "So, do you wanna make out or not?" She casually offered. "Abort! Abort you stupid bitch! Why are you acting like this!?" She mentally panicked.
"R-Right here!?" Makoto mumbled. Was this really happening to her!?
"It can be anywhere you want. Like at the movies...or maybe in your room..." Homura replied in an easy going manner.
"Y-You're serious about this!?" Makoto got out.
"Why wouldn't I be? It's just helping a friend after all." Homura casually responded. "You are my senpai after all." She then reminded with a smile while taking the other girl's hand.
Wow, she didn't think she would reach this level of dumbassery, but she had continued to surprise herself.
"T-True...and you are my kouhai..." Makoto mumbled out, her head still being scarlet red.
The two leaned in, their lips only inches away...
(Niijima Residence)
Sae Niijima had just walked into her home, a sigh of stress escaping her lips before she then noticed the extra pair of shoes. "Hm? Does Makoto have a friend over?" She soon wondered in a curious manner before seeing that her sister's bedroom door was closed.
"So...we're really doing this, Homura-san." Makoto's voice meekly got out.
"It's to help you out, Makoto-senpai." Homura stated in a husky manner.
Sae blushed slightly before frowning. Makoto didn't have, and shouldn't have, the time for intimate relationships. And apparently it was with the girl that broke her heart and why was she pressing her ear against the door?
"I know but...I...I've never done this before..."
"Then I'll make sure you do it more often."
"P-Please..."
"Stop struggling and just relax senpai."
"I...I can't...it's been so long..."
"Hey, I've been practicing in town with Ryuji and Akira's been giving me plenty of tips lately. I even got them to do it both at once."
"O-Okay then...so forward though..."
"Hey, trust me. Now where do I put it in?"
"Over there. It's a tight squeeze but-"
"I got it, don't worry..."
Sae's left eye twitched as she listened to her sister and her friend's...interactions from outside her room.
"Hehehe...lookie here...are these toys?"
"H-How did you find them!?"
"Oh wow, it looks like this hasn't seen the light of day in a long time. Hehe, should we play with them a little?"
"P-Please don't. God, my father really didn't know what a girl would like, huh."
"I dunno. These look really fun. But I think we'll have more fun in the electronic variety. Okay, now where is it...Ah here it is!"
"Good. Oh, I'll put this up here. Is this a good spot?"
"Yes, that's perfect. Now all it needs is power. Oh, we need the plug too. It should be in that box here."
"You mean this? Wow, that's...that's so many..."
"There are more in Sis' room."
Sae's eyes immediately widened to that. How did she know!? She needed to-
"Now I need to just stick it in here and- AH! Goddammit, my fingers are stuck!"
"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to close like that!"
"It's okay. My fingers have been in worse places."
"I...I don't wanna know..."
BZZZZT!
Now the prosecutor didn't know whether to blush scarlet or pale to white. That sounded...harsh.
"What the-!? What was that?"
"Ah, it has a vibration function. I may have turned it up too high last time I used it. You can lower it though."
"No, I think it's fine. It just caught me off guard. But I like the feeling."
"Yeah. Once it's on you never want to turn it off. You can modify the settings though here."
"Ooh, that's nice."
...Was this her fault for pushing her younger sister away?
"Wow, you're doing really good, Homura-san!"
"Thank you, but this is nothing. Let me ramp it up senpai."
"Yeah. It's definitely better on max, although I haven't done it since I graduated middle school."
"You must've been so talented..."
"Is Makoto really that- no, no NOPE! NOT TODAY!" Sae finally (mentally) snapped as she left the apartment.
Coffee and booze, what a great combination tonight. And maybe tomorrow too.
(Fast Forward)
"Oh, so that's why!" Akira exclaimed as the woman looked away with a scarlet blush on her face.
"I...I..." The prosecutor stammered out.
Akira burst into laughter, banging his fist on the metal table. "H-How long...have you...been thinking that?" He got out in-between fits of laughter.
"We're moving on." Sae bluntly and quickly decided to change the subject.
"No we are not." Akira tried not to.
"Yes we are unless you want me to send you to prison right now." Sae soon threatened.
"Alright, alright..." Akira chuckled out, trying to settle down his giggles. "You really need to talk to your sister more." He then suggested.
"Yes...you have made that obvious." Sae sighed out as the boy continued.
(Rewind)
"God, that was such a bitch to set up." Homura breathed out as she played on the old game console. "I didn't think you'd be the type to own video games." She then admitted.
"Well, I do. It's just that I haven't touched it since my father died. Luckily I had that old TV in my closet." Makoto sighed out. "The controller's still fine, right?" She soon asked.
"The buttons feel a little squishy but overall they're great." Homura replied with a smile before growling. "Oh, FUCK! I was almost there!" She soon ranted.
"It's okay. You did fine. I think I can finish it off." Makoto offered.
"You better. That was such a bitch to get there." Homura breathed out as she gave the controller over to the brunette.
Makoto had a confident smile on her face as she grabbed the controller, however it was quickly wiped off when her character died horribly to ducks.
"I'm sorry. I haven't played it in years." Makoto soon apologized as the ducks fed on her corpse.
"It's fine. Pass it back." Homura sighed before rubbing her stomach. "Urgh, I'm getting kinda hungry." She then admitted.
"Well, let me go get something from the kitchen. I think we have a few healthy snacks." Makoto offered as she stood up and left the room.
"Dodge dodge dodge dodge! Why won't you move faster, you piece of shit!" Homura soon screamed in frustration, nearly spiking the controller to the ground. It instead hit her lap. "Ow!" She yelped out before taking a deep breath. "Calm down Homura, remember your lessons from Yumi-senpai..." She then muttered to herself before continuing the game. "I will not be beaten by another game..." She soon muttered in a determined manner.
At that moment, the Shujin Student Council President had returned to her room. "Huh, I found this on the counter. It wasn't here before." Makoto got out as she lifted the bag up.
"...Your sister was here?" Homura soon guessed.
"Yeah, I guess she couldn't stay long for work, so she left us food before leaving." Makoto replied as she sat back down and set down the bag. "You know, this is nice." She soon confessed.
The tan skinned girl in response nodded to that in agreement. "Yeah. It is." Homura replied before laughing. "God, if we actually kissed at the Accessway, things would be so awkward from then on." She got out in amusement.
"I agree. Besides, I'd rather keep my friendship than complicate things further." Makoto admitted in agreement. "Things are fine the way they are. Why did my Shadow tried to convince me I was a lesbian though is beyond me." She then stated.
"I think that was just name-calling like Wolverine teases me with Sis." Homura soon deducted.
"Although, Morgana did say that our Personas and Shadows are a part of us. Maybe there's a grain of truth to it." Makoto however pointed out.
"Hey, you have plenty of time to figure stuff like that out. And besides, that stuff doesn't make you gay. Like, if some biker takes up knitting. It doesn't make them want to fuck men. People are more complex than that." Homura stated with a shrug.
"...When did this become about our sexuality?" Makoto soon asked.
"I dunno. When our Personas mentioned- OH COME ON!" Homura started, only to see herself die in the game.
Makoto meanwhile giggled. "Still, this is nice." She then confessed with a smile. "...Also, you're kind of a hypocrite..." She soon informed.
"Huh?" Homura got out in surprise. "I don't...aw, no, did Akira tell you about Wolverine's bullcrap!?" She then growled.
"No, it was actually from Yumi...who heard it from Ryuji." Makoto explained.
"Son of a-" Homura almost swore but held herself back. "I'm gonna kill the both of them after I kill this stupid boss whose attacks I can't seem to dodge!" She then got out before ranting in frustration.
"Oh, I'm sure you'll do it in-" Makoto began in reassurance, however...
BOOM!
GAME OVER! YOU SUCK!
"MWHAHAHAHA!"
"...Never?" Makoto awkwardly finished her sentence.
"Senpai, words hurt you know." Homura sobbed out.
"I am aware but...you do realise you can block, right? It was in the tutorial." Makoto reminded.
Homura blinked as the plastic shell of the controller began to creak. "...AaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH...!" She yelled out.
And thus, Homura's screams of frustration and Makoto's laughter filled the apartment, giving the once grey and lonely place new life.
(7/9, Evening)
(Shinjuku, New Moon Apartment Complex)
As soon as Yumi came back to her apartment, she called her mentor.
"Hello?" A familiar voice responded.
"Uh, Rise-san. Sorry to call you out of nowhere but-" Yumi soon began to apologize.
"You're going to have exams soon? Yeah, it should be around this time..." Rise assumed. "Well, don't worry about it. I won't be here until exams are over. And then I'll be leaving for another week at the end of month." She then informed.
"Oh, right, I think you mentioned that you were going to be out of Tokyo for a while." Yumi mumbled to herself. "Well, I won't pry into where you're going. It's probably a shoot for a movie or something." She then added.
"Yeah, I'd like to keep it a little private." Rise requested. "In any case, I'll ask Inoue-san to watch over you while I'm gone." She then revealed.
"Hai, I'll keep practicing in the meantime. Erm, after exams." Yumi replied with a nod. "What kind of gigs should I be getting soon?" She then asked.
"Not yet. You need to record your first song before you debut. Shouldn't take more than a few weeks at most." Rise replied and revealed.
"At most?" Yumi repeated in confusion. "You know, I thought idols would train a little more than a few months." She soon confessed.
"Actually, most idols don't get training until after they debut...which is often as soon as they're hired. If you mess up, people think it's cute. We run things a little differently here though." Rise soon informed. "Be thankful you're not a K-pop idol, that is actual hell." She then revealed in a more serious tone.
"R-Really?" Yumi asked in concern and curiosity to hearing that last bit.
"Yeah. It takes several years of vocal and dance training just for a chance to become one. The idol industry is already competitive enough..." Rise replied. "I'll be away until the 17th and then from the 27th to August 4th, so make sure to train hard while I'm gone. Now get a good night's rest, you hear?" She then informed and requested.
"I will. Goodbye and have a safe trip." Yumi replied with a smile as she then hung up. "Ok, 17th of July to the 4th of August." She noted as she got her phone's calendar app out, placed the information down before plugging her phone and heading to the bathroom.
It was going to be a long day tomorrow.
(Shibuya, Shin Megami Apartment Complex)
"Hey Sis." Homura greeted as she entered the apartment to see the bags. "Whoa, you went shopping?" She then guessed as she went over to help out.
"Yup, got enough to restock the fridge and our shampoo supply." Asuka replied with a smile. "Bath bombs too!" She then added.
"That's great." Homura got out as she put away the cold items first. "So, what are we doing tomorrow?" She soon asked.
"Other than studying my butt off? Don't know." Asuka replied. "How about you?" She then asked.
"I won't be doing much until exams are over, we're waiting for the good requests to come in. I guess we're just gonna spend it like normal students." Homura answered with a shrug.
"Yeah, I think that's a good thing for us right now." Asuka replied with a nod as she then turned on the television, which was showing a news report on Kaneshiro.
"Junya Kaneshiro has been charged for drug trafficking, illegal posession of a firearm, kidnapping, extortion, prostitution, owning CP, and at least 7 counts of murder." The newsmen informed as an image of said man was on screen.
"Seven counts of murder!?" Asuka repeated with anger and disgust.
"At least." Homura corrected. "Yeah, that's definitely a life sentence." She soon stated as she narrowed her eyes.
"The police are now raiding his drug operations and tracking down each of his victims. We will update the situation as more arrests are made. The trial will begin on the 17th of this month."
"Good riddance." Asuka got out with a satisfied smile.
"Oh yeah." Homura got out in agreement.
BZZT! BZZT!
Without hesitation, they pulled out their phones and checked the IM.
[Road2Queen: This reaction is incredible. I'm honestly shocked to see it.]
[All4Painting: It is only natural that people are surprised. Even the police were struggling to catch him.]
[Negative8Degrees: We still have 60% of people who don't believe we're just though...]
[SushiRoll23: It's still good. Way better than before.]
[FireGirl20: We proved to the world our justice, what more can they want?]
[TheWildJ0ker: The next big thing, I guess.]
[Sweetkat06: By the way, you said you were called in by the principal? Did something happen?]
[Road2Queen: It was regarding my investigation of the incident with Kamoshida and the Phantom Thieves.]
[Road2Queen: Don't worry. I didn't mention a word about any of you. Heck, I even have leverage against him.]
[Road2Queen: I essentially told him that I was unable to find anything, however I've determined that it would not be necessary to investigate further.]
[Shut7heFUp: What?]
[Road2Queen: The Phantom Thieves are just. We, the students, own the school now. Go fuck himself. The End.]
[TheWildJ0ker: Are you going to be okay?]
[Negative8Degrees: While not worth taking down the mafia, a scholarship is still quite hard to get.]
[Road2Queen: I will, and I'm not worried. I've graduated from my role as an exemplary honor student. From now on, I'm going to be more honest with myself. It's quite a refreshing feeling.]
[Shut7FUp: I feel like this is gonna be a rhetorical question but are you gonna stay with the Phantom Thieves? It's only gonna get way tougher from here.]
[Sweetkat06: Besides, you don't owe us anything. In all honesty, we owe you.]
[Road2Queen: Oh please.]
[Road2Queen: That's been my intention ever since entering the Metaverse. Sneaking around, chasing down criminals, risking my life? Exactly what my father did when he was still alive. I'd like to follow in his footsteps.]
[TheWildJ0ker: Welcome aboard, Queen.]
[Sweetkat06: It'd actually be a big problem if you didn't stick with us.]
[SushiRoll23: Yeah, Homu-nee would probably be crying and trying to convince you otherwise.]
[FireGirl20: SIS! I WOULD NOT!]
[FireGirl20: I mean, maybe a little begging...]
[All4Painting: It would be illogical if she didn't join.]
[Road2Queen: Well then, I hope I can continue getting along with all of you.]
[Sweetkat06: Feel free to leave your sanity at the door, Makoto.]
[Road2Queen: My inner self is a motorcycle, and some of my friends can spit fire, cause earthquakes and make a blizzard without Personas. Sanity was not an option in the first place.]
"I see that Makoto-chan is a lot happier now." Asuka pointed out.
"She is." Homura replied with a satisfied grin while reading the book from her committee member. "Even went to her place and we played some video games together." She then revealed.
"That's nice. And hopefully she and her sister can resolve their issues." Asuka replied.
"Yeah. I just hope she doesn't find out in some tragic or crappy way that she's a Phantom Thief though..." Homura muttered in concern as she looked at her phone. "Sae Niijima..." She thought to herself.
"I wonder what our next target will be." Asuka soon asked.
The tan skinned girl in response regained her focus as she looked at her roommate. "Well, let's see. We went from someone who took advantage of a school, to a local problem, to district...may as well go for the whole city this time." Homura replied.
"Yeah, that seems like a good escalation." Asuka responded. "But Makoto-chan would get mad at us if we focus a little too much on thief stuff right now." She then reminded.
"And that's why we're gonna study all night long...at least until midnight so we don't wake up in the middle of the day." Homura decided and added. "It's Sunday tomorrow, right?" She then asked for confirmation.
"Yep." Asuka replied with a smile. "Ooh! Maybe we can have another study session with everyone!" She soon suggested.
"Well...if we could make sure Ryuji can actually become a third year..." Homura mumbled under her breath. "I'll call the other tomorrow. But right now I want a bath." She then got out, stretching her tired limbs.
"Alright! Time for the bath bomb bath~!" Asuka happily declared while pumping a fist into the air.
"Yeah!" Homura responded in agreement as the two stripped down and headed for the bathroom.
(Gessen Academy)
Murakumo narrowed her eyes as she looked at her suitcase. She had everything in there. Clothes, bras, panties and toiletries. Standard items for the trip. But why did she feel like something was missing...?
"Murakumo, your trip to Tokyo isn't for another week." Yozakura reminded. "Finals are coming up, you should be focusing on that." She then advised.
"I have actually studied quite a bit already and I just want to prepare myself by packing." Murakumo explained.
"You're only staying a few days, take care of it later." Shiki suggested as she painted her nails.
"You're one to talk." Murakumo countered.
"Hey, I've already studied too. This is my way to relax." Shiki informed while pouting.
"Wait, where's Minori-san?" Yozakura soon asked.
"With Kurokage-sama." Shiki answered automatically. "Heard he fell under the weather and she's taking care of him now." She then revealed.
"Why didn't I know?" Yozakura soon questioned with widened eyes.
"You were busy studying." Shiki answered while distinctly remembering being yelled at when she tried to inform the acting leader.
"Urk!" Yozakura choked out as she winced at that realization. "M-My apologies. I shall relieve Minori of her tasks and take them on myself as repentance." She then decided.
"Oh, don't be so dramatic. She's taking good care of him already." Shiki waved off before grinning. "But...if you're willing to-" She then began.
"You're in charge of cleaning the training room from now until Murakumo leaves." Yozakura bluntly ordered.
"What!?" Shiki exclaimed in response to hearing that.
"Now." Yozakura responded.
"But my nails haven't-" Shiki began, however she stopped once the acting leader summoned her gauntlets and pumped them like shotguns. "Okay, where's the mop and gloves?" She soon asked.
"In the back like always." Yozakura replied.
"Thank you, you grumble grumble grumble..." Shiki responded as she went to do her punishment, mumbling under her breath some rather advanced profanities.
"Watch your mouth." Yozakura sighed out as Murakumo continued packing her things.
(Hebijo Academy)
Meanwhile, at another academy, Hikage was performing some warm-up exercises along with Poochie.
"Arf arf!" Poochie excitedly barked out after dropping a tiny stick from her mouth.
"Good girl." Hikage praised before going and petting the puppy's head.
"You really enjoy Poochie being around Hikage-san." Yomi pointed out with a smile. "Aren't you gonna go and pack now?" She then asked.
"After training with Poochie, I'll go and pack then." Hikage soon stated.
"Okay." Yomi got out as she went back to her bean sprouts. "...Wait, training with Poochie? Don't you mean training Poochie? Like potty training and catching balls?" She then questioned in confusion.
"Did that stuff already. She's a natural." Hikage casually answered. "I mean shinobi training with Poochie." She then revealed.
This in turn caused the blonde to look at the green haired girl in disbelief while the puppy gave off an innocent look. "...You're training. With the puppy." Yomi deadpanned before pinching the bridge of her nose. "The dog the size of the palm of my hand is helping you train as a shinobi." She then stated.
"Arf!" Poochie barked out before picking up a kunai in her mouth.
"Yes." Hikage responded. "She makes a great training partner. And she beats me sometimes too." She soon revealed.
"How is that even...?" Yomi began to question in disbelief.
Hikage, with memories of being beaten horribly with the puppy's guardian spirit, shrugged. "Poochie's a smart pupper." She simply answered.
"...Where in the world did they find her?" Yomi couldn't help but wonder. She's heard of ninken before, but they usually had years of training and conditioning. They were not born contending with Elites.
Meanwhile, the white haired girl was leaning against the doorway, listening to the conversation. It was a little weird to see her without her crutches or Imu and her wheelchair. "Ugh." Miyabi scoffed as she rolled her eyes. "Now is not the time for vacations. These Phantom Thieves guys are garnering more attention after that mafioso's arrest. We need to be making moves against them before they go and change our hearts or whatever they do!" She soon declared.
"Arf! Arf!" Poochie barked out as she looked up at the white haired girl with her tail wagging.
"We don't even know how they perform it or if they even know of our existence." Hikage pointed out.
"So why don't we go and find out?" Miyabi countered with a frown. "Get your leader in Tokyo to look into them or send a team out there. They're a more immediate threat than the freakouts." She then stated.
"Mental shutdowns and psychotics breakdowns." Mirai corrected. "And if you want that, go bring that up to your father." She then added.
"I did. But he saw it as an excuse to stop resting and get back out there and all that crap." Miyabi countered in frustration. "I mean, it was but still." She then grumbled out.
"Why are you hanging out with us, anyways? You have your own room." Yomi had to ask.
"Avoiding the militia..." Miyabi deadpanned.
"Don't you mean a fan club?" Hikage quipped.
"No. Besides, it's more entertaining watching you guys tear each other apart than wandering around the school for the 11th time." Miyabi responded and confessed as she kneeled down to look at the puppy and began petting his head. "By the way, is your special training done, Chunni?" She suddenly questioned.
"Her name is Poochie." Hikage corrected.
"I mean the girl with the eyepatch." Miyabi bluntly stated.
"Hey!" Mirai cried before pouting. "My training's going fine! My abs don't even feel the fire anymore." She then declared.
"That's because it burned off the pain receptors." Yomi assumed.
"Shut up! I'll have a six pack before you know it." Mirai called out.
"Before you can even fill a shot glass of milk." Hikage casually stated.
"Huh?" Mirai got out in confusion.
"You know what, I'll go and ask Suzune if she's interested in the Phantom Thieves." Miyabi soon decided as she headed for the door. "I swear, the batch this year do not have their priorities straight." She then grumbled.
"Yeah, we don't have our priorities straight, Miyabi-san." Hikage got out as she rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah, I'll have to let Ann know I'm gonna be visiting." She then thought to herself as she went off to do her own stuff, leaving the two alone.
"...I have to be honest, with Homura and Haruka around, this place used to be fun. Now I'm just sad and angry most of the time." Yomi admitted.
"'Cause of Imu and Miyabi?" Mirai guessed.
"Partially, but I kinda miss Haruka's crazy experiments and Homura-chan's training now." Yomi responded and confessed. "This place feels so much more lonely without them, and now Hikage-san is leaving and she could ditch Hebijo like them-" She then added.
"They have not left Hebijo." Mirai got out.
"You know it, and I know it. They left because they don't care about us." Yomi growled.
"But Yomi-oneechan, you do remember we still have the Yoke Technique..." Mirai soon reminded.
"And Homura-chan had her's removed somehow. All our allies are leaving us to dry." Yomi countered in frustration. "...I want the Yoke Technique removed soon..." She then confessed in a mutter.
"We all do, but it doesn't mean our friends have forgotten about us." Mirai responded.
"Then why have neither of them called once this entire time?!" Yomi called out. "Not even after we visited they haven't even gotten in contact with us. And I bet even with all the time Hikage-chan spends on her phone, she won't even think about sending us a text. Face it. We're no longer even a team." She then declared.
"You're overreacting." Mirai stated. "You know they're both on important missions." She soon reminded.
"That should've been done weeks ago." Yomi added before groaning. "I'm going to sleep. Good night." She stated before leaving.
"...In hindsight, we could text Homura and Haruka-sama too..." Mirai muttered to herself as she looked at her phone.
A distance away, Hikage held Poochie in her hands after overhearing the discussions her comrades had with a frown on her face. "Have we really neglected our bonds with each other?" She thought with a frown.
Now that she thought about it, she talked with Ann almost every day when she had the chance, but couldn't remember the last time she held a pleasant conversation with Yomi or Mirai that wasn't required of her to do so.
Poochie in response whined in sadness as she nuzzled her head.
Hikage in turn sighed and petted her, coming to a decision at that moment.
She didn't know how, but she was going to fix the Crimson Squad's bonds.
(Yongen-Jaya, Leblanc Attic)
"Pew! Pew pew pew!" Akira whispered out, aiming his newest model pistol at nothing in particular. "That is...36.5m." He then answered before writing it down.
"You really calculated that?" Morgana questioned in a curious tone.
"Yeah, the question's a lot easier to me if I imagine I'm shooting my gun. Borrowed the technique from Asuka." Akira explained as he double-checked the answer and, yep, it was right. "Bullet drop isn't a thing though in the Metaverse, so it won't help there." He then noted.
BZZT! BZZT!
Akira got his phone and checked the IM. He had received two texts at the same time from two different people.
[RiceThrasher: Good evening Akira-kun. I just wanted to let you know that a friend of mine is coming to Tokyo to visit Yumi in a couple of weeks. She'll be wearing an oni mask.]
[RiceThrasher: Do not.]
[RiceThrasher: Take it.]
[RiceThrasher: Off.]
[Futsure: Hikage is going to Tokyo with her puppy! She's so cute and apparently dangerous! Watch out!]
Akira let out a hum before sending the same reply to two different girls.
[TheWildJ0ker: Thanks for the heads-up.]
[RiceThrasher: I want to be clear that it's for your safety.]
[TheWildJ0ker: Thanks for the heads-up.]
[Futsure: Not a problem...though can you ask Homura and Haruka-sama to call us sometime? Yomi-oneechan misses them.]
Akira meanwhile blinked in response to the request from the loli from Hebijo before typing.
[TheWildJ0ker: I'll let them know, Mirai.]
[Futsure: Thanks Akira. It's just been lonely here without them.]
[TheWildJ0ker: I can only imagine.]
"Huh, didn't expect a request like that to come in from Mirai." Morgana admitted in a slightly impressed tone.
"Well she does have a big heart in that little body of hers." Akira chuckled out. "I'll tell them about it tomorrow." He then decided.
"In any case, two more shinobi are coming here. And one is bringing with them a dog." Morgana soon summarised with a frown. "What are you going to do, Joker?" He then asked.
"What am I going to do?" Akira repeated with a raised eyebrow. "Um...let them meet up with Yumi and Homura? I don't have to meet every shinobi that comes here." He then pointed out as he rolled his eyes.
"You know it will happen though." Morgana pointed out.
"Morgana, that is a fallacy. Just because it happened six times before doesn't mean it'll happen for a seventh and eighth. Maybe even a fifteenth if we're feeling particularly lucky." Akira stated, only to see the unamused look on the not cat's face. "...Although I better be prepared just in case..." He soon sighed out.
"Smart move." Morgana praised. "And take Mirai's advice about the puppy Hikage's bringing." He then ordered.
"You're only agreeing to that advice 'cause it involves a dog." Akira bluntly accused.
"You don't know the horrors I've been through when I explore the city!" Morgana countered.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Can you please go to sleep? I need to focus on this." Akira told the not cat, petting his head before turning back to his textbook. "One of these days, it'll end with sex or being stabbed. I just know it." He quietly grumbled as he continued studying for a little bit longer before going to sleep.
(Fast Forward)
"So, not only did you take down Kaneshiro, but recruited Makoto into your business." Sae began as she looked at the Leader, slamming her hands onto the table. "Do not play games with me." She then ordered.
"I'm not." Akira calmly replied, staring straight at the woman's glare. "You already know the truth. I thought it was made clear when she entered the Metaverse and got a motorcycle." He soon added.
"But...Makoto...that would mean she..." Sae began, looking worried for a second before putting up her cold poker face. "That's preposterous. If what you say is true...Was Makoto also running from the police when you were arrested...!?" She then questioned in a more concerned manner.
"You should ask her yourself. Either at home or...hopefully she's at home right now." Akira then suggested, swallowing some salvia. "...For what it's worth, she wanted to tell you she's sorry." He soon informed.
"Why does it sound like Makoto might get killed...?" Sae couldn't help but think before shaking her head. "Now that I think about it...she did start talking a lot about the investigation from summer onward..." She soon revealed. "...Makoto aside, you mentioned one other important detail. Did Kaneshiro really say there was someone using the Metaverse besides the Phantom Thieves?" She then began and questioned.
To that, Akira in response just nodded.
"Those words could just be taken as you shifting blame to this other person, you know."
"Take it what you will." Akira soon muttered.
" ...But why would you fabricate such an elaborate story and then shift the blame elsewhere...? There are two possibilities: either you've simply been trying to confuse me with your lies...Or everything you've stated is true." Sae muttered her deduction. "Have you been telling me the truth from the very start...?" She then questioned with disbelief and uncertainty.
"If I wanted to waste your time by spouting garbage and lies, there are plenty of ways I can do so." Akira pointed out. "This whole interrogation would be for nothing if I didn't say the truth and nothing but the truth. Drugs not included." He then stated and reminded.
Sae blinked before seeing the injection marks on the boy's wrists. She had forgotten he was drugged to hell and back.
"That's the plan." Sae got out before frowning. "...Then again, I am investigating a thief who steals hearts who also apparently knows ninjas." She then sighed out
"Life is strange." Akira awkwardly chuckled with a shrug. "And weirdly sexy." He mentally added.
"Very well. No matter how absurd it may seem, I'll reevaluate my stance on believing you for now. In return, you will speak the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. It's a fair deal." The prosecutor soon requested and offered. "...Is that acceptable?" She then asked.
"It's what I've been doing since the start." Akira responded with a smile before closing his eyes.
I am thou...Thou art I...
Thou hast acquired a new vow...
It shall become the wings of rebellion
That breaketh thy chains of captivity.
With the birth of the Judgement Persona
I have obtained the winds of blessing that
shall lead to freedom and new power...
Judgement Rank 1!
One chain down. Nine to go.
"Before we continue...Why tell me?" Sae soon asked. "You put so much work into hiding the identities of your friends, and yet you tell me explicitly that she's a Phantom Thief. Is it to make me sympathetic to you and your cause?" She soon stated and deducted.
"Because you deserve to know." Akira answered. "It probably shouldn't have been from my mouth but...please, don't..." He then got out before trailing off at the end.
"I...It depends." Sae responded before she checked her watch. "Damn, we're running out of time. Let's move onto your next target." She muttered and decided as she pulled out the next file. "...I stand corrected. It was they who targeted your group first, wasn't it?" She soon stated as she opened the file and pushed it towards the boy.
"Hm? Oh..." Akira got out once he saw the screenshot of the website in the file.
"The identity of your opponent..." Sae began.
"Medjed." Akira whispered out.
Sae nodded at that. "We have no pictures. Even their names and identities are unknown. If what you told me is true, then this Nav thing you've mentioned wouldn't have worked in this case. How did you target them? Tell me everything."
Akira closed his eyes and let out a breath. "...This didn't start with international hackers and the destruction of Tokyo, you know..." He began. "No...it just started with two scared girls..." He then vaguely revealed before beginning the story of the shut-in and the one trapped in the abyss.
Save Game...Quit!
Asuka/Yin's Social Stats:
Leadership- Dependable (Level 3)
Knowledge- Expert (Level 3)
Proficiency- Skilled (Level 3)
Diligence- Strong (Level 3)
Courage- Brave (Level 3)
Homura/Yang's Development Stats:
Maturity- Managed (Level 3)
Knowledge- Expert (Level 3)
Femininity- Tasteful (Level 3)
Elegance- Disciplined (Level 3)
Understanding- Generous (Level 3)
Whew! Done! The start of a new arc is now upon us people! Now dealing with suicidal thoughts and depression! Hooray!
UknownHero signing off, my friends!
