Hey, UknownHero here and welcome to another chapter of Senran Persona! I like being inside because I don't have to waste money on bus and train rides to school.
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Load Game...Start!
Chapter 80: Le Désir of Sloth & Wrath
(7/23, Evening)
(Yongen-Jaya, Leblanc)
Soon enough, the entire group plus the cafe owner had returned and made themselves comfortable.
Sojiro remained silent for a while, the Thieves waiting for his explanation patiently all throughout, before letting out a breath. "Now...Where do I start...?" He soon got out.
"Preferably at the beginning, Boss." Homura suggested as she crossed her arms under her breasts while the others nodded in agreement.
In response, the cafe owner nodded. "I guess...I'll start with her mother then." Sojiro answered. "Futaba's mother and I knew each other long before Futaba was born." He soon started. "Her mother was a bit of a weird one, but we got along well for some reason...She was sharp-witted, somewhat stern, a little socially inept, but always carefree..." He then explained before letting out a wistful smile, an expression none of them had seen before.
"He keeps saying was..." Akira mentally remarked.
The cafe owner then let out a sad chuckle. "She truly was a great woman." He then stated.
Asuka blinked at that. It sounded like how someone would- "Oh..." She soon realized.
"I see..." Yusuke got out as they all took in the information.
"When something piqued her interest, that'd be all she focused on. She always worked deep into the night. I thought that'd change after her kid was born, but having Futaba didn't do much. Even with that, she always took good care of her." Sojiro continued.
"Working and watching over a child at the same time sounds rough..." Ann muttered as she rubbed the back of her neck. She could only imagine the stress.
"I guess raising Futaba alone turned out to be tough in more ways than one..." Sojiro soon stated.
"What about the father?" Akira asked.
"There wasn't a father." Sojiro automatically answered.
"Do you mean..." Yusuke soon questioned.
"Well, there probably was one. I didn't know him though. She never said a word about him, either." Sojiro assumed with a shrug. "She was single when she gave birth to Futaba, and single when she raised her. They were an ordinary, loving family. You could really tell how much she cared for Futaba." He then added before letting out a sad sigh. "But one day, she left...leaving Futaba behind." He suddenly started.
"She...left?" Homura repeated, confused by this.
"Abandon her?" Yumi offered a guess.
"No. Nothing of the sort." Sojiro scoffed before forcing himself to say it "...She killed herself." He then revealed.
SHATTER!
It instantly caused everyone to feel their hearts stop.
"Suicide...!?" Ann and Asuka breathed in shock.
"Threw herself into the street, right in front of Futaba's eyes..." Sojiro added as he closed his eyes.
He was getting old, sure, but he would always remember the day he found out and how he felt. In all honesty, it felt like his heart got ripped out of his chest while it was still beating.
There was a sudden chill that went down everyone's spines, as if the cafe had dropped several degrees despite being in the middle of summer.
It hit the Vice Leader the hardest. Asuka lost all air in her lungs when he said that, like there was an iron-clad grip around them.
"Shocking doesn't begin to describe that..." Makoto whispered in disbelief.
"That's gotta be devastating, especially for a kid." Ryuji mumbled.
"So...Well, a lot happened after that, but I ended up taking custody of Futaba..." Sojiro soon continued. And what a shitshow the in-between that was, but that was a story for another time. "First, she was so depressed she...she wouldn't even talk to me." He then got out sadly.
"Was that because she couldn't get over her mother's suicide...?" Ann assumed.
"I kept talking to her though, and she started opening up to me little by little." Sojiro continued. "That's when I found out...Futaba blames herself for her mother's death." He then revealed.
"What...!? But why!?" Ann exclaimed, shocked and confused by this reveal.
"That part she's never told me." The cafe owner answered. "I wanted to know what led her to believing that, but I decided not to rub salt in the wound." He soon explained.
"You'll need to find out some day if you want to really help her." Yumi pointed out.
The cafe owner nodded ashamedly, but didn't give her an answer. "Then, a few months ago...She started getting real scared, even when nothing was happening." He continued. "She'd say things like, I hear voices... and, Mom is looking at me..." He then informed in a worried manner.
"She...Oh my God..." Asuka got out as tears ran down her face.
"I-Is she seeing her g-ghost?" Homura shivered.
"No. Likely visual and auditory hallucinations..." Yusuke explained before frowning. "Have you taken Futaba to a doctor?" He soon questioned.
"I wanted to, but she refused. Even when I had a doctor come, she locked herself away in her room." Sojiro answered. "Since then, she's become what you'd call a shut-in. She won't take a single step outside the house, or even try to see other people."
"It's very obvious Futaba has PTSD." Yumi stated. "That's not something a doctor can heal." She then added in a depressed tone.
"Someone gave me that letter from the other day though." Akira revealed. "But...you just said that she didn't go outside." He then pointed out.
"Never left her room. She just told me it was in the mailbox." Sojiro explained. "Said it was sent to my place by mistake." He soon grumbled. Lawyers would do anything to win...
"What about you, Boss?" Asuka spoke up.
"She doesn't even let me come into her room." Sojiro sighed in a sad manner.
"That's pretty harsh..." Ryuji mumbled.
"Futaba is, well, a unique girl. She's so quick-minded that conversations with her tend to jump from one topic to the next..." Sojiro got out. They could hear the amusement and sadness in his tone at the same time. "It seems like she's always coming to conclusions in her head. There's a lot I don't get about her..." he then admitted.
"Hmm..." Makoto hummed in a thoughtful manner.
"So yeah...her situation is why I couldn't let you in my house." Sojiro concluded.
Akira nodded to that. "I understand." He soon responded.
"What Futaba needs is a safe place where nobody will threaten her. Somewhere she can be at ease." Sojiro soon stated. "That's why I won't do anything she doesn't want. I don't make her do anything she's unwilling to either. Then again, I know that's no way for her to live. That's all I can do though..." He then explained.
"I see, so that's why she's a shut-in" Yumi replied in a saddened tone.
"So all those calls from that special someone..." Akira spoke up.
"That was Futaba calling me for food or something else like these complicated books." Sojiro replied. "I...realize now how awkward that would be without context, but rest assured that the only danger there is to Futaba is herself. I just want to keep her happy." He soon revealed.
"And that is a very real danger." Yumi whispered under her breath.
"...And this lawyer chick was trying to revoke his parental rights...?" Ryuji mumbled under his breath, although the Shujin Student Council President heard it and flinched.
"Well, that's that." Sojiro sighed out. "So can you just...leave her be?" He soon requested.
"Of course Boss." Akira replied with a nod.
"I'm gonna head back then." Sojiro said before looking at the group. "You better head home soon too." He suggested as he left the shop.
There were a few seconds of silence afterwards as they all processed the information. It weighed down on their minds and hearts. "...We're not gonna leave her be, are we?" Akira soon deadpanned.
"Nope." The Phantom Thieves immediately replied in unison.
"I feel awful for prying into his personal affairs..." Makoto admitted.
"No way in hell he's abusing her." Ryuji stated as he shook his head.
"But there's still something very wrong with Futaba-san." Yumi added in a sad tone. "Losing her mother like that...right in front of her...going through so much in that short time..." She then muttered.
"It's no wonder Futaba wants a change of heart. She can't let go of those memories, can she?" Ann guessed.
"So she would like to discard her feelings of pain, but can't do anything about it herself." Yusuke summarised.
"Can we really help Futaba-chan by changing her heart?" Asuka wondered out loud.
"This sounds more like a job for a therapist than the Phantom Thieves..." Homura stated with a frown.
"You heard Boss. She won't even let in her own dad, let alone a complete stranger." Ryuji reminded.
"Besides, that takes time. And it's not a guaranteed solution. And with Medjed...we don't have a lot of that." Akira soon added.
"If we can help her, we may be able to stand up to Medjed then." Yusuke pointed out.
"We do need clues though. We have the name and location down pat but her distortion is gonna be tricky to figure out." Akira informed.
"What were the keywords again?" Ryuji muttered as he pulled out his phone and activated the MetaNav. "The Futaba Sakura at Sojiro Sakura's house?" He soon got out.
[Candidate found.]
A wave of familiar uneasiness washed over the group, confirming the Palace's existence. "...Yep." Akira replied as he shook his head.
"Such anguish in her heart..." Yusuke got out. "...We must steal it all away." He then declared.
"Hear, hear." Homura replied in agreement.
"So someone can have a Palace even if they're not evil..." Ann muttered to herself before looking up. "Morgana?" She soon asked for the not cat.
No response.
"Wait a minute. Where is Morgana?" Homura asked as she looked around while the Leader checked his bag.
"I haven't seen him for some time." Yusuke admitted.
"So, ever since we went inside Boss' house?" Ann soon assumed.
"...Somewhere 'round there. He'll be fine though. He's a cat, after all." Ryuji waved off without a concern.
"Not a cat!" Asuka suddenly declared, causing the others to look at the Vice Leader as she sheepishly rubbed the back of her head. "Sorry, just covering it for him." She awkwardly got out.
"The trains're gonna be shuttin' down for the night soon, so we should prolly be headin' home." Ryuji got out as the rest of the Thieves nodded.
"What are we going to do tomorrow?" Ann muttered with a frown.
"As much as I feel as though we should infiltrate the Palace as soon as possible, we'll have to put it off. We still have Miyabi to deal with after all and we can't have her breathing down our necks." Makoto advised. "Let's save it for Monday. We'll be up bright and early anyways for school." She then added.
"School?" Yumi repeated with a raised eyebrow.
"Ohhh, right. The urgent assembly." Ryuji groaned as he rubbed his forehead.
"An assembly? What about?" Yusuke questioned in confusion.
"Shujin has been garnering a lot of attention ever since Medjed called out the Phantom Thieves. So, they need to remind us not to say arbitrary stuff online and add more fuel to the fire." Ann answered.
"Which will inevitably add more fuel to said fire." Akira added in a flat tone.
"We've gotta meet up for every goddamn little thing. Talk about a pain in the ass." Ryuji complained.
"I mean, it is our fault." Ann sheepishly pointed out.
"No, it's his for not taking proper responsibility for the school." Yumi however stated while shaking her head.
"Okay, but Red Shujin was definitely our fault," Asuka admitted. "But that was part of our calling card." She then added.
"Anyway, let's contact each other afterward." Makoto soon stated as everyone nodded.
"Ugh...first the crappy suicide prevention thing and now the crappy Shut-Up-About-The-Phantom-Thieves thing." Homura groaned out. "God, one of these days that dumb fatass will have a heart attack and that will be the happiest day of my life." She then muttered.
"Homu-nee..." Asuka got out in disappointment.
"What?" Homura got out in genuine confusion.
Makoto could only sigh before the Thieves left the restaurant for the night.
(Shibuya, Shin Megami Apartment Complex)
Eventually, the two roommates entered their apartment and closed the door behind them before locking it and let out a sigh.
"Well that was something..." Homura muttered, still processing what they learned.
"Hai, to think that happened to Futaba-chan." Asuka got out in agreement before looking towards her roommate. "Are you alright Homu-nee?" She then suddenly asked in concern.
"Eh? What did you mean Sis?" Homura responded in confusion with a raised eyebrow.
"Well...you also lost your family." Asuka reminded. "I mean, I know you didn't like them for what they put you through, but..." She then began to explain before trailing off.
"I mean...I didn't see them die..." Homura pointed out as she sat down. "Alibaba...Futaba's mother sounded like she was caring and...I dunno..." She soon sighed. "Why would she commit suicide like that?" She then questioned in a serious tone.
"We'll never know." Asuka replied in a sad tone. "But...I'm not sure if changing her heart is the right thing here..." She hesitantly admitted.
"What else can we do, Sis?" Homura however asked. "In a heartbeat, I would just force my way into her room and drag her over to a therapist, but given we have two other problems we have to deal with, that is not an option." She soon confessed and reminded.
"Moh..." Asuka got out. "I...I just wish we could do something better than this..." She then added.
"One step at a time Sis. One at a time." Homura however advised in a soft tone as she pulled her roommate into a tender embrace.
SMOOSH!
"...Aw, now I just want to hug Futaba-chan." Asuka soon admitted as she rubbed her head a bit.
"She'll get one when she leaves her room." Homura replied. "After we change her heart."
"...And we'll be there to give it to her." Asuka added with a kind smile. She soon frowned as she remembered something. "Hey, have you seen Miyabi-chan recently?" She asked.
"Not since this morning." Homura answered with a shrug. "She's probably asleep next door." She soon assumed.
(Akihabara, Freedom Cafe)
"Achoo!" Miyabi sneezed. "Someone must be talking about me..." She muttered.
Although she had bought an overnight stay at this manga cafe, she wasn't planning on sleeping tonight as soon as she looked at the files the idiot gave her. Turns out, what the principal thought as potential Phantom Thieves included several dozen students, many of them only based on the fact that they supported the Phantom Thieves.
Cross-referencing the reports and the various (usable) interviews she had gotten from students, she began to assemble the most likely suspects and after some logical-thinking, she was ready to reveal her findings to Hebijo.
Miyabi couldn't help but let out a mirthless laugh. Whoever the police sent to investigate must've been pretty shitty.
After making sure there were no mistakes in her notes, she pulled out her phone and called someone. "Suzune-sensei?"
The teacher let out a yawn, grumbling something she couldn't understand. "Code." She soon ordered.
"Good accepts the few, Evil accepts all." Miyabi sighed out as she rolled her eyes. "I'd like to report on the Phantom Thieves."
That got the teacher to wake up a little. "That fast."
"Don't underestimate me, sensei." Miyabi got out with a smirk. "I spent all day interviewing many Shujin Academy students and I think I've nailed down who they are." She then informed.
"Give me names and explain." Suzune in turn ordered.
Miyabi in response nodded to that as she looked over the information. "Akira Kurusu." She began. "Transfer student with a criminal record, but maintains high grades and attendance except for his first day. Phantom Thieves appeared only days after his transfer and was a vocal opponent of Suguru Kamoshida after he revealed his criminal record to begin with. Not a coincidence." She stated in detail.
"...Was he the boy ranting on TV, stealing the show a while back?" Suzune remembered.
"The very same." Miyabi responded. "There's something about him. I can tell." She then declared.
"I'm sure there is." Suzune deadpanned.
"Next, Ryuji Sakamoto. Former track star and physical abuse victim of Kamoshida but was covered up to make sure Shujin's volleyball team was the main focus of the school." Miyabi continued. "A long time vocal opponent of Kamoshida, and turned up late along with one Akira Kurusu." She soon added.
"The confession video that was sent around the internet before vanishing did mention him saying Kamoshida had broken his leg prior to the current events." Suzune soon revealed.
"I heard about that." Miyabi responded. "It did confirm Kamoshida's guilt but ultimately did more damage than good." She soon noted. "The girl...um, she is moving out of town soon. Maybe the country if it follows her unless it's to rural areas." She then revealed in a more sympathetic tone.
"...She was apparently planning to move anyway, now continue." Suzune muttered before pressing.
"Next up, Ann Takamaki. Engaged in enjo-kosai in exchange for personal favors. Very likely to have become a Phantom Thief after Suzui's suicide attempt." Miyabi informed.
"Enjo-kosai, you say?" Suzune repeated.
"Yes. She has been seen hanging around with Kamoshida prior to the appearance of the Phantom Thieves." Miyabi revealed. "Most likely, she was forced into that position. What she wanted is still in the air though. But that is not important." She then admitted.
"Hm. Continue." Suzune hummed out and ordered.
"And then we have Yuuki Mishima." Miyabi got out. "His unassuming appearance may hide a cunning and talented young man. Given his abuse under Kamoshida, and his vocal support, it is likely he is a Thief. Possibly founding the Thieves." She soon assumed.
"Do you have a photo of your suspects?"
"Yes. Do you want me to send them to you?" Miyabi soon offered.
"Of course." Suzune replied as the white haired girl sent the picture. "This Mishima doesn't seem like much..." She soon stated.
"That's what he wants to think." Miyabi got out. "Speaking of usually unsuspecting, Makoto Niijima. Her recent popularity triggered by her now public hate for Principal Kobayakawa, likely sympathetic to the Phantom Thieves' cause or a founder. May need to observe Kobayakawa as he may be a future target."
"Niijima..." Suzune repeated before gasping a little. "Ah, you better be careful with her. She might be related to prosecutor Sae Niijima, and that might get us in serious trouble."
"Hm? Explain." Miyabi hummed out and requested.
"It's more work to cover up the disappearance of someone connected to the law." Suzune answered, frowning on the other side of the phone.
"I'll be sure to get rid of any evidence once I kill her. Standard procedure after all. Not one thief can remain alive here." Miyabi off-handedly answered. "Then there's Yusuke Kitagawa. His connection to the Phantom Thieves' second target cannot be denied. He may go to a different school, but it is possible that he made contact with them prior to the calling card." She then revealed.
"We suspected him already." Suzune revealed. "He may have burned the copies of the Sayuri after all." She then added.
"Which leads into my next suspect, Yumi Tsukikaze." Miyabi continued. "Also a Kosei student, however she is also notable for being Yusuke Kitagawa's only friend prior to Madarame's change of heart. Would often go with him after school, so it's unlikely she wouldn't know about Madarame's crimes." She then explained.
"A likely assumption." Suzune admitted.
"Haru Okumura. You should be familiar with the Okumura name, right?" Miyabi soon got out. "Frequent disappearances from 4PM onwards points to possible Phantom Thief activity, and no doubt could fund their group."
"Not possible." Suzune instantly denied.
That in turn confused the white haired girl to the sudden statement. "Hm? How are you so sure?" Miyabi soon questioned with a raised eyebrow. That response was much quicker than any other time.
"Because what happens to Okumura is that she is just constantly being kidnapped by disgruntled former employees of her family's company and is just being rescued by Good Shinobi as a result."
"..." Miyabi in turn blinked as she learned this information. "Are you serious?" She questioned in disbelief.
"Did I stutter?" Suzune however countered. "And I know this because other Evil Shinobi Academies have kidnapped her in the past as training for the newbies too." She then informed.
Miyabi opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out for at least a few seconds. "...How many times-"
"Many." Suzune deadpanned. "Apparently, she likes the change of routine." She soon revealed.
"...Danger related fetishes may lead her into becoming a Phantom Thief if she is not already. If possible, have some of our people watch over her. Sidenote: Please inform me of these things before I go." Miyabi added to her report. "And finally, Asuka Shirokage and...Homura Shinkukage." She then hesitantly informed. "Putting them both together here due to similar circumstances. Roommates. Possess exceptional athletic skill and intelligence and vocal opponents of Kamoshida as well. Turned up late as well on the first day. As you are aware, Homura is a shinobi so she is a likely candidate. Initial impressions of Asuka could be false. It is likely she is a shinobi as well."
"Interesting..."
"The two plus Akira Kurusu and Ryuji Sakamoto showing up late may be the time frame on how they discovered how to change hearts. I need to learn what happened on that day." Miyabi soon got out. "And...if confirmed, it is proof that Homura has betrayed the academy and thus must be eliminated as well." She then accused.
"Are you sure? An accusation like that is something we do not take lightly. Homura is your junior as an Elite Leader." Suzune soon warned.
"There's no other way to view it. If she could change hearts, we would already be aware of how to perform it." Miyabi countered with a frown. "I'll stalk Homura and her friends for a while and gather any additional evidence."
"...Good work. Your father would be proud of your progress." Suzune praised. "However, be sure to confirm your findings before you act. We don't want anyone innocent to die." She then advised.
"Hai."
"And don't kill them without finding out how they change hearts." Suzune stressed.
"Yes, yes I know." Miyabi grumbled as she rolled her eyes.
"Now, is that all?" Suzune soon asked in a somewhat irritated tone.
"Hai, sensei. You may go back to sleep." Miyabi assured before hanging up and letting out a sigh. "Dammit, Homura...I thought I could trust you..." She then mumbled, annoyed and disappointed by this turn of events. From what she heard from her comrades, she was on par with her as an Elite. Still, she may as well prepare for the inevitable fight.
Now, most people just slip some cyanide into their drink or just stab them in their sleep, but that wasn't her style. They at least deserve a final battle.
However, it might be prudent to go after her allies first. Weaken her mind and then go for the kill. After all, wars are won before they are fought.
"...Am I forgetting something...?" Miyabi mumbled to herself as a yawn escaped her lips.
GRRRR...
"...Vending machine food, then I'll head home." Miyabi soon decided as she left her stall.
(Fast Forward)
"Futaba Sakura...She had one of these Palaces?" Sae got out in surprise.
"Yes." Akira answered, his voice cracking.
"Hold on. While Medjed was targeting you, you chose to deal with someone completely unrelated to them?" Sae soon questioned in disbelief.
"For what bullshit Medjed spouts, at least their whole unseen shtick was true." Akira grumbled.
"Then how was Medjed..." Sae soon wondered before shaking her head. "...What you've said about the Sakura family generally falls in line with our investigation. It appears you aren't feeding us a false testimony." She then stated.
"Why would I lie to you now?" Akira soon pointed out in a low tone.
"Hmph...you have quite the wit..." Sae remarked. "Now, onto this...Serpent. She gathered that much information on you?" She soon questioned as she narrowed her eyes.
"Yes. And if she had more time, she wouldn't even have had to face us. She could've simply sent all of that back to Hebijo and we would be all dead by next week." Akira answered with a chuckle. "But..."
"Hm?" Sae hummed out with a raised eyebrow.
"...You'll see." Akira vaguely stated.
"...Very well, let's continue." Sae decided. "We've yet to determine how the Phantom Thieves dealt with Medjed, seeing as they are unseen. Plus, you claim to be dealing with another of these shinobi at the same time." She soon summarised. "While I don't quite buy that just yet, it does somewhat explain the more...odd happenings around the city. If you tell me something more coherent, I may be a little more willing to believe you." She soon stated.
"That's all we want." Akira answered with a smirk.
SHATTER!
RANK UP! JUDGEMENT RANK 2!
"Still, to think the Phantom Thieves would have their hideout be within the home of Wakaba Isshiki's daughter." Sae soon muttered to herself with a frown. "What a coincidence...No, perhaps it's fate..."
"I don't play nice with fate." Akira scoffed as he rolled his eyes.
The prosecutor soon checked her watch and frowned. "Regardless, we don't have time to waste. Continue with your story." Sae soon ordered. Akira nodded and did so.
(Rewind)
(7/24, Morning)
(Shin Megami Apartment Complex, Miyabi's Apartment)
"Booty-Booty-Booty, Booty Land~! Booty-Booty-Booty, ain't that nice~! Booty-Booty-Booty, great with rice~! Come for the bodacious booties at Bootyland! Opening summer next year! What? What do you mean that's not possible!? Make it happen, you fucking-"
STATIC!
"Explosive Booty Senran! Bootyland! For the kids!"
"...Why are they advertising something like that on a Sunday?" Miyabi mumbled to herself before yawning. "I guess standards must've seriously dropped while I was asleep." She soon assumed before rolling her omelette. "Heh. Imu should see me now. Making my own breakfast." She mumbled in a satisfied manner.
FWOOSH!
"...And an alcoholic finish to boot." Miyabi added as she then plated the eggs before sitting down to eat it. "If only I could afford some salmon..." She soon sighed before taking a bite and letting out a pleasant hum. "Yosh, well made..." She muttered.
Now that all her morning needs were dealt with, she took off her apron and got dressed, prepping for a long day out.
"Alright, Homura, don't give me a guilty verdict." Miyabi thought as she locked her apartment. "I just hope you're not a Phantom Thief." She then admitted while heading out.
(7/24, Daytime)
(Asuka and Homura's Apartment)
"What's this Phantom Thieves meeting about, Joker?" Homura asked in a serious tone.
"Today is the day we all figure out what the hell our plan is for dealing with our three main problems." Akira answered. "Because we have too much on our plate right now. We need to slow down and organise something before anything bad happens." He then added, looking a little frazzled.
"Ugh...this is not how I imagined spending my Sunday..." Ryuji groaned as he rubbed his forehead.
"We might not live to the next Sunday if we don't do this." Morgana spoke up in a serious tone.
"Oh yeah, Morgana, where did you disappear to last night?" Homura soon asked.
"Doing some recon." Morgana replied with a smirk. "And I've discovered a lot."
"Really?" Homura got out in surprise. "What do you have?" She soon asked.
"First, the location of her room." Morgana answered. "She's upstairs, first door on the right. You can't miss it." he then informed.
"Okay." Ryuji got out with a nod.
"And for another thing, I could hear your conversation in Leblanc from her room." Morgana soon informed.
"That's not surprising. She's probably listening through our phones." Yumi soon assumed.
"Well, did your phones have such great angles from above?" Morgana soon informed, causing Akira to look around. "Leblanc has bugs watching over every inch. I guess Chief put her in charge of security."
"Or maybe she put them up herself." Makoto guessed. "I doubt Boss would approve, and it's a horrible invasion of privacy." She then added.
"Can't be too careful when you're taking in a criminal..." Akira however pointed out. "Anything else? What does she look like?" He soon asked.
"Hmm...pretty young. Long, bright orange hair, sits kinda weird too. She shouldn't be much older than you guys." Morgana described.
"So...15? 16?" Ann assumed with a frown.
"So she would've been at least twelve when her mother died..." Yusuke assumed with a shake of his head.
"Jeez, that itself isn't good either." Homura pointed out in a mutter.
"At the very least, she's no ametuer. She heard and recorded your entire conversation, and has copies of your chat logs. Even if she can't do anything directly, she might be the lead we need to take down Medjed." Morgana soon stated.
"So all our hopes/lives are relying on a shut-in genius hacker with PTSD and hallucinations." Homura summarised. "Gotta be honest, it is not looking good for us..." She then admitted in a sad tone.
"And that's why we need to plan." Akira insisted.
"I agree with Leader. We need to spend a few hours discussing and figuring out what our next move is." Makoto agreed with a nod.
"Our next move is obvious." Asuka however got out as she crossed her arms. "We help Futaba-chan." She then stated.
"Yes, that is one of our main objectives, however someone asking for their own change of heart is an extremely unique case." Morgana soon warned. "We don't even know if it's even the right move here." He then added.
"And I bet people are going to turn to (or on) the Phantom Thieves if Medjed goes through with their threat of doxxing anyone who supports them." Yumi soon pointed out.
"Plus, we need to take Miyabi into account with all of this." Homura added. "Killing her isn't an option unless she forces our hand, so let's make sure no one dies throughout this whole ordeal. Not even the enemy." She soon got out.
"Uhh...I don't know how much I can contribute here." Ryuji soon admitted as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"Your opinions matter too, Ryuji. We need the perspectives of everyone here." Yusuke stated as everyone else nodded.
"And, if all else, you can do snack runs." Homura suggested before letting out a sigh. "We are going to be here a while." She then admitted.
"Alright, Thieves, what should we tackle first?" Akira began.
"Let's set up a Kekkai first..." Asuka suggested before as her roommate performed the hand signs. "Shinobi Kekkai!" She called out, everyone vanishing without a trace in an instant.
(7/24, Evening)
(Ginza Line)
Miyabi blinked when she finally found the idiots at the train station and for some odd reason, they looked absolutely exhausted. "They must be good...I spent all day running around Tokyo trying to find them. They must be good." She thought before using the busy crowd to her advantage to get near them without them noticing.
"Okay, the ice cream did not ease my headache..." Akira sighed out.
"That had to be...the longest time I had to use my brain..." Ann groaned as she held her head. It felt like her brain was throbbing.
"Urgh...my throat's sore..." Asuka mumbled. "We talked way too much." She then got out.
"It was more like yelling..." Ryuji mumbled quietly.
"Still...we worked out quite a bit." Yusuke admitted. "I feel confident in what happens tomorrow." He then got out.
"And after that?" Makoto asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Erm, less so." Yusuke responded, his tone faltering.
"At least I finally remembered to grab a Persona with brainwashing capabilities." Akira muttered, Kurama Tengu humming in approval within his mind.
"God, do you know how many people would kill to say that so casually?" Homura got out as she pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Too many." Yumi sighed as she shook her head. Too many people trying to rule the world out there...
"Still, it was good we took care of this now instead of later." Morgana stated. Just then the Thieves spotted a familiar face among the crowd.
"Oh god no..." Homura quietly muttered to herself in annoyance.
"Niijima-san, what are you doing here?" Akechi questioned as he approached the group.
"Akechi-kun." Makoto simply got out, glaring at him a little.
"Akechi-kun?" Ryuji quietly repeated with a raised eyebrow.
"...Makoto, please tell me you and him aren't-" Homura began in a concerned whisper.
"We aren't Homura-san." Makoto immediately answered back in a whisper as well.
"The ones from the TV station as well..." Akechi soon remarked as he looked around. "You're all friends with each other, are you not?" He then asked.
"Possibly." Akira answered.
"You know each other, Akira?" Yusuke guessed.
"It's nice to meet you. My name is Akechi." Akechi soon introduced himself with a quick bow. "Glad to make your acquaintance, Yusuke Kitagawa."
Everyone felt their hearts jump a little at that. "How do you know my name?" The young artist soon asked in a suspicious manner.
"Well, because I'm a psychic, of course." Akechi answered bluntly before chuckling. "Haha, I'm only joking. In truth, I'm a rookie detective." He soon revealed. "You're a former pupil of Madarame, right? I have actually just recently joined the investigation team looking into the Phantom Thieves." He then questioned and revealed.
"That probably isn't something you should be sharing, Akechi-san." Yumi pointed out as she crossed her arms under her breasts.
"Oh, my mistake." Akechi good-heartedly chuckled. "To have a civilian to remind me of the importance of my job. Silly me. Thank you, Tsukikaze-san." He soon thanked the girl.
"And where did you get my name?" Yumi soon questioned.
"How could I not look into the infamous Ice Queen, the Student Council President of Kosei." Akechi explained, causing the girl to groan at the nickname. "Ah, I guess I should've kept that secret too."
"Well, don't be surprised if your involvement in this Phantom Thief Investigation Unit...thing gets leaked out sooner or later." Homura deadpanned.
Akechi nodded to that before gasping a little. "Speaking of which, did you see that Medjed has declared war on them?" He soon asked.
SHATTER!
"Huh!?" Ryuji exclaimed.
"War...!?" Asuka repeated in disbelief.
"Oh no..." Yumi muttered in concern.
"Checkthewebsitecheckthewebsitecheckthefuckingwebsite...!" Homura got out through gritted teeth as everyone scrambled to pull it up on their phones.
"It's in English again..." Ryuji grumbled.
"I got it." Ann got out before finding the statement. "Wait, what...!?" She soon gasped.
"What's it say!?" Ryuji demanded.
"Hm? Why do you seem so agitated?" Akechi asked in a confused tone.
"Oh, um..." Ann soon stammered out.
"She's, uh...a huge fan of the Phantom Thieves. A total nutjob for 'em." Ryuji quickly lied.
"Hm, I don't know how wise it is to be a fan of groups like them." Akechi soon advised.
"Let people think what they think, Akechi." Akira however got out with a shrug.
"Ah, I guess that's fair." Akechi agreed with a nod.
"What is with these comments?" Makoto soon asked as she narrowed his eyes at the boy.
"My apologies. I didn't mean to butt into your conversation." Akechi apologized. "But I must say, this is an interesting group. Prosecutor Niijima's sister, an ex-pupil of Madarame. And a few Shujin Academy students..." He soon remarked before glancing at Yumi. "...Not sure about you, though, Tsukikaze-san. You seem more like a tagalong." He then admitted sheepishly.
Homura nearly snapped and wanted to say something, but held herself back. If she said something, it'll just increase Akechi's suspicion of them.
"Still, it seems you're all connected to the Phantom Thieves somehow. Perhaps you have better intel than I do." Akechi soon stated.
"Uh...it's called the internet." Ann responded awkwardly.
"Well, I'm not too savvy to use it myself. I think my agent has someone run my social media accounts." Akechi soon admitted before turning to the Leader. "Ah, yes. I wanted to ask you something. Regarding this whole Medjed commotion...If you were Phantom Thieves, what would you do?" He soon questioned.
"...Retaliate." Akira answered with a frown.
Akechi couldn't help but laugh a little. "My, quite dramatic don't you think?" He soon got out before turning serious. "However, I must warn you that innocents may be caught in the crossfire. No matter who wins, it's the people that lose." He then stated.
"His face is becoming really punchable right now..." Homura bluntly thought.
"Sorry to disappoint, but we're just normal high school kids. If anything, we wanna hear what you gotta say, Mr. Detective." Ryuji countered.
Akechi looked at the group before nodding. "...My profiling of the Phantom Thieves has led me to believe they are a group of juveniles. They have a relative amount of free time after school, and a hideout to slip away to. Furthermore, considering Kamoshida was their first target, it seems they began activity around April. In a way, all I've just said about the Phantom Thieves coincides with the group you have here." He soon revealed.
"...I don't see it." Akira dimly got out before shrugging.
"Yeah, you're barking up the wrong tree, man." Ryuji agreed.
"I didn't say I was being suspicious of you." Akechi soon pointed out.
"I dunno. In my perspective, you're the suspicious one here." Akira accused as he scowled.
"Ah!" Akechi gasped in surprise. However, he then let out a good-natured laugh. "I wasn't anticipating that response. You always find a way to rise above my expectations. You really are an intriguing one. I lack your calm mannerisms...but don't you think my deduction is an interesting one?" He soon stated and asked.
"You're just overanalyzing." Yumi stated as she shook her head.
"Maybe." Akechi hummed out. "But I bet we'd make a great team if we worked together." He then confessed.
"And I look forward to it...whenever that may be." Akira replied.
"I'll mark it on my calendar then." Akechi soon joked. "Well, this has been a valuable point of reference for me. I hope to see you all again."
"Yeah, bye..." Homura soon got out. "Dickwad." She then mumbled under her breath.
"Have a good day Goro-kun." Asuka got out as they watched him leave.
"What was that about?" Ann had to ask as she glared at the spot the Detective Prince was.
"Do you think he's ascertained our true identities?" Yusuke assumed.
"Nah, couldn't be. Right?" Ryuji denied with a shrug.
"I'd like to say that it's simply us overthinking this, but...it may be best to be cautious from now on." Makoto soon advised. "We shouldn't forget that Alibaba- Futaba was able to discover who we are."
"Yeah, through the magic of hacking and recording our conversations." Homura sighed as she rubbed her forehead. "You know, this is why we should only talk about stuff like this under Kekkai."
"We might need to invest in burner phones or something..." Akira soon suggested.
"That...might not be financially viable for me." Yusuke soon muttered.
"Back on topic here!" Ann called out. "Medjed is seriously stepping up their game now."
"Right. Read it, Ann-chan." The Vice Leader soon ordered.
Ann nodded before looking down at her phone. "We are disappointed in the people of Japan and their belief in the Phantom Thieves' false justice. Hence, we shall proceed with our plan to cleanse Japan. This process will commence on August 21st. As a result, the Japanese economy shall suffer irreparable damage."
"For real...?" Ryuji whispered out in disbelief.
"Keep going." Akira ordered as he scowled.
"However, we are magnanimous. We will give the Phantom Thieves one final opportunity to repent. As proof of this repentance, we demand that they reveal their identities to the public. We will attack if these demands remain unmet. The future of Japan rests with the Phantom Thieves. We are Medjed. We are unseen. We will eliminate evil." Ann continued before shaking her head. "...That's what it says." She then concluded.
"We...We can't let that happen..." Asuka whispered in a worried tone.
"Are they really capable of that?" The young artist however questioned.
"It's possible. There could be hundreds of Medjed members and you would be surprised how easy it is to ruin a company without shinobi abilities..." Yumi soon got out with a frown.
"In other words, if we don't unmask ourselves, Medjed will attack Japan...correct? It seems they are quite the attention seekers..." Yusuke grumbled.
"Hey, Ryuji, wanna out yourself now?" Akira soon whispered to the dyed blond.
"Hell no!" Ryuji instantly responded.
"How would they know if we really are the Phantom Thieves if we had no choice but to unmask though?" Yumi questioned. "Because people are going to claim they are the Phantom Thieves in the vain hope of becoming the heroes/hero of Japan. And it's obvious that if they do, they'll get arrested on suspicion." She then added.
"Oh come on, how many people would be stupid enough to do that for fame?" Morgana soon questioned with an eye roll.
"..." Immediately the group went silent as they blinked and thought about it.
"Ah crap." Ryuji groaned.
"...So essentially Japan is screwed no matter what if we don't take care of Medjed by the 21st." Homura sighed as she face palmed.
"What are we gonna do about this...?" Ann got out in a worried tone.
"We'll definitely need Futaba's help with this." Akira answered as he checked the MetaNav. "Remember, tomorrow is the day we finalise the keywords and perform reconnaissance on her Palace before we commit to a full infiltration." He soon ordered.
"I mean...given her situation it might be possible we can just walk in and walk out." Yusuke soon added.
"Wishful thinking, Yusuke." Makoto simply stated.
"Alright, let's meet up at Leblanc tomorrow!" Asuka declared before sighing. "God, this is such a disaster..." She soon thought before heading home.
Meanwhile, Miyabi looked on at the group as they separated. She couldn't quite hear everything, but she heard just enough to confirm they needed to be looked into. "They're definitely up to something." She soon muttered before disappearing with the crowd.
(7/25, Early Morning)
(Shin Megami Apartment Complex, Hallway)
The next morning was not a fun one, especially once Asuka and Homura remembered they had to go to school today for some stupid. Right now, the tan skinned girl was waiting outside in the hallway while her roommate made sure their duffle bag full of equipment was in order.
"Ugh...why...?" Homura groaned out, arms crossed, leaning against the wall and looking down at the ground. "Stupid Principal Pissfucker making us go to school because fuck you and your summer vacation...wasting time on bullshit that's not gonna work out. So gonna further ruin his rep..." She then grumbled.
"You sure seem to grumble to yourself a lot." A voice interrupted her.
Homura looked up to see the white haired woman. "Oh, hey Miyabi." She casually greeted. "Are you going out?" She soon asked.
"Yeah. Why are you in your uniform?" Miyabi meanwhile questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"Ugh. School. Speech about those Phantom Thieves assholes." Homura sighed out. "Look, I'm gonna be away for the day. Can we delay that little hunting mission until...next week?" She soon asked.
"Why next week?" Miyabi questioned as she narrowed her eyes.
"I uh...need to do stuff for the Student Council. Disciplinary Committee shit." Homura lied before blinking. Wait, did she have committee shit to do today? "Crap, I actually have to talk to them before the assembly..." She soon thought.
"Hm...well, there's no helping it." Miyabi replied with a shrug. "I'm gonna hunt down my own info around town, so you go do your thing while I do mine." She soon replied, followed by the order.
"Whatever you say, senpai." Homura got out, wanting to roll her eyes.
Just then, Asuka came out of the apartment with two bags over her shoulders. "Come on Homu-nee, we can't miss the subway!" She soon got out.
"...Homu-nee?" Miyabi repeated with a raised eyebrow.
"I-It's just a thing!" Homura stammered out before rushing over and grabbing her roommate's hand. "Anyway, see ya!" She frantically got out before leaving.
"Yeah, go have fun!" Miyabi called out as she watched the tan skinned girl and her roommate run down the hallway. "...Traitor." She muttered to herself while narrowing her eyes in disgust. "Okay Homura, enough games. Time to show me your true self." She soon enough whispered to herself before melding into the shadows.
Meanwhile with the two roommates...
"Think Miyabi-chan suspects anything, Homu-nee?" Asuka whispered while being dragged.
"I'm not sure Sis. But I'm sure she has no real reason to investigate us. To her you're the dumb civilian and I'm the loyal student of Hebijo. Don't know how long that will last but she should be off our backs for at least a while." Homura replied in a serious tone.
(Aoyama-Itchome, Shujin Front Gate)
"You're seriously bringing our stuff to school?" Makoto questioned in disbelief as she walked with Akira, Asuka and Homura to school.
"It'll save a trip back home." Asuka simply explained.
"I...I don't know what to say..." Makoto sighed as she shook her head. "Akira-kun, shouldn't we at least hide it somewhere."
Akira only gave the Shujin Student Council President and flashed his knife under his shirt.
"...How long have you-" Makoto began.
"Since the first day." Akira answered without letting her finish, causing her to slap her forehead.
The group then spotted two students by the vending machine bitching and moaning.
"They're seriously holding an emergency meeting right when summer break's about to start!?" A baggy-eyed student complained.
"I guess they need to set some rules when the world's eyes are on us because of the Phantom Thieves." His friend got out with a shrug. "Stuff like, Don't do anything that will hurt the school's reputation; spend your summer break quietly." He then added in a mocking tone.
"I can't stay quiet with all this excitement going on. Medjed's statement was insane!" The baggy-eyed student got out in excitement. "People of Japan, you must not worship the Phantom Thieves, they said...It could just be a joke. There's talk that this could lead to the biggest leak of private data to date." He then stated.
"It can't be bigger than the one where 3 billion accounts were exposed..." Makoto muttered with a frown.
"That was just one company. They're targeting multiple." Akira soon pointed out as they continued listening.
"I wonder if they're gonna target another site...I'm curious to see how the Phantom Thieves react." The baggy-eyed student then wondered.
"It's what I'm looking forward to most this summer. It'll be the perfect escape from exam studies. But the Phantom Thieves need to take action. They're the ones Medjed is after."
"The whole world is watching us now." Makoto quietly got out with a frown.
"We can't let them get away with this." Morgana stated.
"Never even planned on it." Akira replied with a nod. "But I don't think it'll help." He then added.
"This is gonna suuuuuucccckkkkkkk..." Homura whined out.
"Let's get this assembly out of the way then. We have our own business to attend to!" Asuka stated, her friends nodding before they all dashed to school together.
(7/25, Morning)
(Shujin Academy, Disciplinary Committee Board Room)
"Seriously, can't believe we had to come into school today..." Satoshi grumbled out in annoyance as soon as the committee began to shuffle into the room.
"Hoooooot..." Ichiko whined while fanning herself.
"Oh, you showed up, Sakura-san..." Emica mumbled.
"I'll have you know I have a perfect attendance record." Ichiko proudly declared.
"...Seriously?" Naomi got out.
"You guys don't take attendance." Ichiko deadpanned.
"...True." Naomi soon admitted.
"You just don't attend the meetings as much." Yui however corrected.
"Yup." Ichiko simply replied...before realizing what was said. "Hey!" She got out in an offended manner.
"Hehe, she fooled you good." Chitose chuckled out in amusement.
The committee head soon coughed, getting everyone's attention. "Thank you for coming in today...even though it was mostly by force." Homura greeted her committee members. "Thank you, Principal Megadouche." She then mumbled under her breath before blinking. "Huh, I almost forgot douche was in my vocabulary..." She soon thought.
This meanwhile caused some of the members to snicker at the insult.
"Hehe, good one." Naomi complemented with a grin.
"Why are we here, buchou?" Suzuka asked.
"Well, as you know, our summer vacation has started, and thus we are not needed for at least a month." Homura began as she walked around the room. "Now, we may not be able to see each other for a while, however-" She then continued, however...
"Skip the heartwarming speech! We're dying here!" Satoshi grumbled out. "The A/C's been busted since the 80s!" He then added.
"Frickin' Kobayakawa's cheap fat ass..." Ryoga growled out with a twitching eye.
"He's that old?" Suzuka questioned in a curious tone.
"My seat is sticky...why is my seat sticky, these were just cleaned!" Hikari exclaimed.
"Ugh...fine, fine." Homura sighed out. "I was just going to say that despite the principal possibly telling us not to say anything to ruin his reputation..." She then started once more.
"He's doing that himself." Daigo pointed out with a chuckle.
"Oh yeah." Chitose replied in agreement.
"...I'm still gonna do it anyway though." Naomi however confessed.
"If you keep doing that, we'll be tried for defamation!" Satoshi pointed out.
"Only if he actually finds out." Ichiko pointed out.
"Oh, who made you a lawyer?" Sora sarcastically asked.
"When you gang of yes people decided to join!" Satoshi called out.
"EVERYONE! QUIET! DOWN!" Yui screamed out, scaring everyone in the room. "Please continue." She then requested.
"Th-Thank you, Yui." Homura awkwardly replied before letting out a breath. "Anyways, it's good to add water to the grease fire, okay?" She soon simplified. " I want all of you to enjoy your summer vacation to the fullest. We may need to be responsible, but it doesn't mean we can't enjoy the life we have now. So...leave your mask at the door and have fun." She then concluded with the request.
"H-Hai, Homura-senpai!" Hitomi meekly got out.
"Good. Now, I hope everyone does better next semester, to improve this school and refine it into the best it can be. DISMISSED!" Homura declared.
"Sweet. Because we are totally late to the assembly." Ichiko pointed out as she did a small fist pump.
"What." Homura got out in surprise before looking at the time on the clock. "Oh right..." She then muttered.
"...Ugh, the gym is going to be extremely hot..." Hikari groaned as she wiped the sweat off her brow.
"We...We could just leave." Emica suggested.
"We can't! It's a school related event!" Keiichiro reminded. "We should just go. It's better to be late than not show up after all."
"I'd rather not show up." Sora soon admitted.
"Shouldn't there be an announcement? Or like, the bell ring?" Daigo soon pointed out with a raised eyebrow.
"All students, please make your way to the gymnasium now. I repeat, make your way to the gymnasium now."
"...You just had to jinx it..." Suzuka deadpanned.
"It's not my fault!" Daigo exclaimed.
"That clock is wrong." Homura mentally noted before sighing. "Alright, let's go..." She soon ordered as everyone shuffled out of the room.
(7/25, Daytime)
(Yongen-Jaya, Leblanc Attic)
After a long...boring...not air-conditioned (thank Kamoshida for that)...unnecessary assembly about the Phantom Thieves, the actual Phantom Thieves made their way to Leblanc after stopping at Big Bang Burger to relax and discuss their next move.
"Well, that had to be the biggest waste of time ever. Of all time." Homura sighed out. "Not only will it not work, but it will encourage students to talk about the Phantom Thieves even more. Talk about free publicity." She then added.
"Yeah, and I was bored to tears all through it." Ryuji sighed out.
"Be glad no one fainted." Makoto pointed out. "Heat like that would need medical attention..." She then added. "Honestly, even I felt as though I shouldn't have gone." She soon admitted.
"If Makoto's even sayin' that, then you know its bad." Ryuji quipped.
"Yusuke-san, why are you wearing your uniform? We didn't have classes today." Yumi asked, seeing that she was the only one in the room wearing their casual clothes.
"I'm doing laundry, so these are the only clothes I had to wear." Yusuke answered.
"You really should buy a couple more outfits..." Ann deadpanned.
"I'll take you out shopping if you want." Asuka offered.
"I will come with you Asuka-san. He'll probably spend most of his money on art supplies again if I don't." Yumi sighed out.
"I dunno...I think every time I see you guys, you always wear the same clothes..." Morgana spoke up.
"Come now, we didn't gather here to make small talk, now did we?" Makoto spoke up. "Let's get to Alibaba's case." She then reminded.
"Well then, I'll start." Morgana replied as everyone got serious. "It looks like Futaba was listening in on Leblanc." He then informed.
"But why would she want to listen in on the cafe?" Ann wondered out loud.
"If I remember correctly, we assumed Futaba bugged the restaurant and the attic in case Akira-kun really is the dangerous criminal his record made him out to be." Yumi muttered. "She's protecting Sojiro-san." She then declared.
"And that's how she found out about our activities and of the existence of modern shinobi." Yusuke added.
"It's all my fault she found out. I shouldn't have talked about it so openly, even if we were seemingly alone..." Asuka sighed out.
"It's okay Sis. We weren't aware either so we could've easily revealed the existence of shinobi as well." Homura comforted her roommate. "...Like right now, actually." She then added in an awkward manner.
"Maybe we should hunt down all the bugs so Akira can have a little privacy." Makoto soon suggested. "But that's another matter we can take care of in our spare time. What's important now is that Futaba's hacking skills will be absolutely necessary if we wish to stand up to Medjed. Going by what she has told us, we may even be able to identify who they are." She then informed.
"We'll have to trust her skills for now then." Yusuke replied.
"Dammit, this sucks...do you know how many people we're gonna have to take down once this is over...?" Homura sighed out.
"I'm sure once Futaba's heart changes, she'll reveal the identities of these hackers after stopping the implosion." Akira stated. "They are dangerous people but anonymity is the biggest thing they have going for them so having their names out there will surely ruin them. They'll get arrested or go into hiding. That's how Medjed will fall." He then declared.
"Yeah...still, Futaba having a Palace...How is that possible?" Ann muttered out. "How can she have one if she isn't evil?" She soon asked.
"That doesn't matter." Morgana answered. "Remember. A Palace is the materialzation of distorted cognitions brought about by their strong desires...That's all. It just so happens that a lot of warped people turn out to be evil." He then explained.
"So it's like...someone's obsession grows out of control. Like, if they like cheesecake a little too much." Asuka guessed.
"Er, I guess that's right..." Morgana awkwardly got out.
"She's so young though...The pain she's gone through must be the cause of her distortion." Makoto then pointed out.
"Maybe that has something to do with why she calls herself Alibaba." Ann guessed.
"According to the chief's story, Futaba has auditory and visual hallucinations, right?" Morgana reminded. "There's a chance those are related to some important memories she's holding. It's hard to explain...but those memories may have been warped by the distortions." He then deducted.
"I don't think we can rely on a therapist to help Futaba. It'll take too long." Akira stated.
"Guess that means we're gonna have to steal her Treasure then." Ryuji got out.
"Like always Ryuji-san." Yumi replied.
"So, do we all agree about taking on Futaba's Palace?" Ann asked.
"She's asked us to do so. I don't think that part is an issue." Makoto reminded. "If we heal Futaba's heart, it will not only help Boss but she can then assist us with Medjed." She then stated.
"I agree." Yusuke replied with a nod.
"We don't exactly have a choice in the matter anyways." Homura pointed out.
"Yes, Futaba could be having suicidal thoughts soon enough. Or she's having them already." Yumi then added.
"What is with us dealing with people committing suicide...?" Asuka whispered under her breath in a sad tone.
"I've been wonderin' about how Boss said a lot happen after Futaba's mom died too." Ryuji admitted.
"So it's settled." Akira decided with everyone nodding in response. "Good. We need to get going as soon as possible." He then informed.
"Hold on." Morgana spoke up. "Our investigation of her Palace may not go like anything we've done up to this point." He then informed.
"Why is that, Morgana-chan?" Asuka asked with a confused look on her face.
"Having an individual ask you to steal their own heart is an extremely irregular case." Morgana pointed out. "There's no telling what the Palace ruler's disposition will be like, or the distortion that'll be there." He then stated in a concerned manner.
"Right. She might not see us as a threat." Yusuke got out. "Which means..." He then started.
"We might be able to steal the Treasure without a fight." Akira guessed.
"Or, more than likely, we end up in some trap and die." Homura spoke up.
"You are the pinnacle of optimism, Homura." Ann deadpanned.
"Just being realistic with everything going on." Homura sighed out. "Let's just head for his house. Boss should be busy with the cafe anyways." She then decided.
"Alright, let's move!" Asuka declared as they all headed downstairs, although the not cat and Leader stayed behind for a few moments.
(Sojiro Sakura's House)
Miyabi had been exploring this backalley for quite a while, and yet hadn't spotted Homura and her friends anywhere. It was making her wonder if they were avoiding her.
"Alright, where the hell are you Homura, I saw you take the train from Shujin to here..." Miyabi mumbled to herself before spotting the tan skinned girl and her group of friends outside, standing in front of a house. "Okay, what are you doing now?" She soon thought as she looked at the group.
"Alright, we have Futaba Sakura and Sojiro Sakura's house as two of our keywords, but now we just have to figure out her distortion." Asuka informed as she pulled out her phone.
"She's a shut-in, so we just gotta figure out what she thinks her house is." Ryuji stated. "If she can't get out, maybe a prison?" He soon suggested.
"Are we just gonna guess prison for every single Palace?" Homura deadpanned.
[Conditions have not been met.]
"Perhaps a labyrinth with an unknown exit?" Makoto guessed.
[Conditions have not been met.]
"Hmm...Maybe an oasis?" Ann suggested.
[Conditions have not been met.]
"Nothing so far. In that case, how about hell?" Yusuke soon suggested.
[Conditions have not been met.]
"Oh thank God..." Akira breathed out in relief. "If we had to go to Hell, I don't think we'd survive." He then admitted.
"We need to think this through. What describes what Futaba thinks her room is that can also be applied to another place?" Yumi got out. "It has to be somewhere safe and secure, but awfully lonely. Maybe a bunker?" She soon suggested.
[Conditions have not been met.]
"That's a little too vague, Yumi-chan. We don't have nearly enough clues..." Ann sighed out.
"If only we could ask her directly..." Yusuke muttered.
"...Why don't we?" Homura got out before face palming. "Why didn't we think of this earlier? We can just ask her." She then stated.
"Well let's go then and ask Alibaba herself." Ryuji replied.
"But what will we say to get in?" Makoto asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Whaddya mean? We're sneakin' in." Ryuji stated.
"You have to be joking." Makoto got out in disbelief.
"Makoto-chan, I don't think Boss will let us into his house again and he's busy with Leblanc so this is the perfect opportunity." Asuka then pointed out.
"But won't the door be locked for sure this time?" Makoto pointed out...before looking at the Leader, the not cat and the shinobi, who were all holding lockpicks. "Oh. Right." She got out with a blank expression on her face.
"Come on Makoto, you should know better." Akira got out with a smirk as he twirled his lockpick around. "Professional thieves and shinobi." He then muttered the reminder.
"Come on Makoto. You're a Phantom Thief now." Ryuji reminded. "This'll be nothing. We've gone through loads of shit like this already." He then added.
"...This is our only choice, right?" Makoto sighed out, everyone nodding in response. "I suppose Futaba did get in contact with Akira-kun...Perhaps she'll at least be willing to speak with him..." She then suggested.
"Me and Homu-nee were contacted by Futaba-chan as well." Asuka reminded. "I think she trusts us the most, so maybe we should do most of the talking." She then added.
The Leader in response nodded to that. "Good idea. Now let's do this." Akira replied as they headed inside.
Meanwhile within the shadows...
Miyabi was trying to figure out why the group were going into a seemingly random house. She really didn't understand why they needed a certain word for their phones. Could it be a password to something secret?
"Why are you breaking into this house? What is your goal here?" Miyabi wondered as she followed the group inside.
(Outside Futaba's Room)
Soon enough, the Thieves (and unknowingly Miyabi) were all in front of a door, with the hacker on the other side.
"This is Futaba's room." Morgana informed, standing in front of a door decorated with caution tape and a Keep Out sign.
"This definitely is the room of a shut-in..." Akira muttered to himself as the Vice Leader knocked on the door.
"F-Futaba-chan? Are you in there?" Asuka got out as she gently knocked on the door. "Please, talk to us." She soon requested.
However, they were only met with silence.
"There's no answer..." Morgana sighed out.
"Hey, Futaba! Open up!" Homura called out, being a little more forceful.
Again, no response.
"Tone it down, Homura." Akira advised. "That kind of voice isn't good here. We have to be calm and understanding." He then added.
Shaking her head, Makoto decided to speak. "Futaba, I'm sorry for being startled and screaming yesterday. It was so dark that I got scared." She apologized and confessed.
"I would also like to apologize on behalf of the shinobi. We acted...unprofessionally." Yumi spoke up as said shinobi blushed.
"What!? They know about shinobi!?" Miyabi thought with widened eyes before narrowing them towards the tan skinned girl. "Homura, you fool." She muttered in anger.
"No reaction whatsoever." Yusuke stated with a shake of his head.
"This is going to be hard..." Ryuji muttered out.
"Futaba? Are you even listening?" Akira asked as he knocked on the door. He was starting to get worried. "...Alibaba?" He soon got out.
Suddenly, Akira's phone vibrated.
[Alibaba9: Why are you here?]
"Why is she only reacting to that name...?" Morgana questioned.
"Oh thank God..." Asuka however breathed out, glad that she was still on the other side of the door. "Alibaba, you're Futaba Sakura, right? Sojiro-san told us a lot about you..." She soon informed.
[Alibaba9: I can neither confirm nor deny.]
"Oh for the love of..." Homura groaned.
"She really doesn't want to be Futaba Sakura, huh?" Ann got out in a sad tone.
"We don't have time to dally around. We need her keyword before dealing with Alibaba's identity." Morgana reminded.
"Who the eff says dally these days? Just say mess around or some shit, Morgana." Ryuji remarked right before getting smacked upside the head.
"Did...Did he just respond to the cat?" Miyabi thought in confusion and a raised eyebrow. "Is he some kind of cat whisperer?" She mentally wondered.
"We want to learn more about you, Fu...Alibaba-chan. If we don't, there's no way we can enter your Palace and steal your heart." Asuka stated. "We just need something from you, a keyword. That's all we need. We need Futaba Sakura, not Alibaba." She then requested.
Once again, Futaba didn't respond.
"Enter their Palace to steal your heart...? The hell are they going on about?" Miyabi thought before shaking her head. "Not important. Right now, without a doubt: Homura and those idiots are indeed the Phantom Thieves! Now, to see how they change hearts before I go ahead and eliminate them..." She then thought in a serious tone.
"You don't have to show yourself." Makoto got out. "Just answer some questions for us. Chat messages are fine." She then requested followed by the offer.
[Alibaba9: Okay.]
"Alright then..." Makoto sighed in relief. They were finally getting somewhere. "Our Leader, the guy who lives in Leblanc's attic, wants to speak with you. You can also speak to Asuka or Homura if you wish." She then informed.
[Alibaba9: Joker will be fine.]
"Okay, we're counting on you Akira-kun. Try and get a keyword out of her." Makoto encouraged their Leader, who nodded in response.
[Alibaba9: What do you want to hear?]
[TheWildJ0ker: How is living in this house?]
[Alibaba9: It's painful...]
[TheWildJ0ker: Then why shut yourself in here? Why don't you go out?]
[Alibaba9: I can't leave this place. I'm going to die here.]
Reading that statement, everyone's eyes widened in shock.
"Wha- Die...!?" Ann gasped out.
"Both implications of that phrase are very worrying..." Yumi muttered out.
[Alibaba9: Is this going to continue?]
[TheWildJ0ker: Why do you think that?]
[Alibaba9: Why? This place is my tomb.]
"Got it." Akira announced as he pumped his fist.
"Tomb?" Asuka repeated, her eyes widening.
"Is that really it?" Ryuji asked.
"Only one way to find out." Homura stated as she pulled out her phone and tapped on the MetaNav. "Futaba Sakura. Sojiro Sakura's house. Tomb." She listed off as she then put into the MetaNav.
[Input accepted. Searching for route to destination.]
"We got it...!" Morgana cheered out.
"It was kind of obvious in hindsight..." Yumi mumbled out. "For Futaba to think of her own home as her tomb...a place to waste away and die..." She got out in a saddened tone.
[Alibaba9: Was that enough?]
"More than enough. Thank you." Asuka replied.
"I hope you haven't forgotten about helping us with Medjed after this, right?" Homura spoke up as she crossed her arms over her chest.
[Alibaba9: I haven't. We made a deal after all. I will also destroy any evidence of your identities as shinobi.]
‐
"Well then, let's hurry up and go." Ryuji replied as he pulled out his phone.
"Wait, Ryuji..." Akira tried to warn, but it was too late.
"And...Clicky!" Ryuji casually got out as he tapped on the app.
Instantly, everything began to warp around them. "Hey, wait a minute. SHIT!" Homura exclaimed.
"Oh no, it's Kamoshida Palace all over aaaaagggggaaaaaiiiiinnnnn...!" Asuka called out as the Meta Nav began to send everyone outside into the Metaverse.
"Hm?" Miyabi managed to get out before she was pulled in.
(Futaba's Pyramid of Sloth & Wrath, Desert)
FUMPH!
"Oof!" Miyabi grunted as she landed roughly. "Urgh...! What was that..." She questioned as she then looked around, causing her eyes to widen to the scenery. "Sand? A Shinobi Kekkai?" She soon got out before shaking her head after getting a feel for the atmosphere. However, when she stepped on the sand, it began to ripple like water. "No, this is something different..." She muttered as she then noticed the group, causing her to narrow her eyes as she began walking towards them. "Time for some answers." She thought in a dead serious tone.
Meanwhile, a fair distance away...
"It's a desert..." Yusuke stated.
"A-A desert!?" Asuka got out in disbelief to the surrounding.
"Well, Futaba's distortion was a tomb..." Akira pointed out. "So I'm guessing a pyramid is going to be involved. And hopefully not fabulous immortal vampires." He then deducted.
"Yeah, but we're nowhere near a pyramid..." Homura pointed out. "We're in the middle of nowhere...We could be miles away from water or civilization. Nice going, Ryuji." She then added.
"And what was that about immortal vampires?" Yumi however asked in confusion.
"Wait, what the- Our clothes are still the same?" Ryuji exclaimed as everyone looked down to see they were still in their normal clothes while the not cat was the only one that had changed into his Metaverse form.
"Futaba herself is asking us to steal her heart. It'd be odd if she saw us as a threat. If she doesn't see us as an enemy, then your clothes don't change. That's how it works." Morgana explained. "But more importantly, I told you to be cautious! Why'd you activate it like that!?" He then scolded.
"Is that why we ended up in a desert? Where's the tomb? It's so damn hot here." Ryuji complained.
"Even though we entered right in front of her room, we didn't end up inside it." Ann got out.
"...Because we weren't inside her room." Yumi realised before spreading her arms out. "This is how she sees the outside world. One giant desert. Not helped by the scorching heat we have outside." she then explained.
"She must really want to keep people away from her." Makoto muttered in a saddened manner.
"I see..." Ann whispered.
"Wait, isn't desert sand really hot during the day?" Asuka pointed out.
Suddenly, everyone with bare feet looked down to see smoke coming out from the bottom of their feet.
"Ask and you shall receive." Akira replied in a deadpan tone as sweat ran down his head.
"AAAAAHHHHH!" Everyone practically screamed in pain as they jumped around.
"J-Just imagine you have shoes!" Morgana instructed.
"Easier said than done!" Homura called out.
Eventually, everyone managed to get shoes on their feet to protect them from the hot sand.
Although...now they had another problem...
"Alright, what is all of this?" A mature female voice questioned in a threatening tone.
"Huh!?" Everyone exclaimed before looking around to see a girl with white hair glaring at them in a menacing manner while approaching the group.
"...Fuck..." Asuka and Homura swore as they recognized the girl.
The ash blonde merely blinked at the newcomer as she slightly dropped her head. "Why can't we visit a Palace without dragging someone in by accident?" Ann groaned out.
"I assume that this is your friend from your old school." Yumi whispered to the tan skinned girl while slowly taking her fans out.
"Yup." Homura bluntly replied.
The meanwhile recognized the voice during his trip to Harajuku. "Okay, first of all, it's not what it looks like." Akira started, trying to make sure the situation didn't escalate.
Miyabi however narrowed her eyes as she looked at the group, unphased by the desert heat as she brought out a black blade katana. "Talk now and I will make it quick." She threatened as black flames appeared in her other hand. "Miyabi, dance in the honor of evil!" She then declared.
This in turn caused the civilian Thieves to pale.
"Um, you leaving or our death?" Akira asked in a slightly nervous tone.
"Do you really have to ask?" Miyabi growled out.
"Oh. Okay. We'll just- STRAW DOLL!" Akira shouted out as he threw the cursed item at the white haired girl's face.
All it did was bounce off Miyabi's forehead, leaving her rather unamused. "Did you really think that would work?" She bluntly asked everyone else's thoughts.
The others in turn sweatdropped to that question as the Leader of the group looked on at the white haired girl. "...Yes." Akira bluntly replied before pulling out another item. "SACRAMENTAL BREAD!" He shouted out as he threw the blessed item at the white haired girl's face.
This time, Miyabi just caught it and took a bite out of it...before spitting it out. "ACK! THIS IS MOLDY! WHY DO YOU HAVE THIS!?" She then loudly questioned in confusion while also trying to get the moldy taste out of her mouth.
"Never hurts to be prepared." Akira answered.
"Akira, that only works if we're considered a threat." Morgana soon reminded.
"Well, it didn't hurt to try." Akira stated before glancing at the black katana. "You're gonna kill us all, aren't you?" He soon guessed.
"It depends on what you say next." Miyabi replied. "Tell me, why shouldn't I kill the Phantom Thieves of Heart?" She then questioned in a dead serious tone.
"Well...Do you want to leave this desert?" Yumi answered as she pulled out her phone. "So let's make a deal." She then suggested.
"What are you talking about?" Miyabi slowly asked as she frowned and narrowed her eyes.
"You don't help, you don't leave. As simple as that." Yumi soon threatened.
To that, the white haired girl narrowed her eyes further to that threat. "What?" Miyabi growled out.
"The app on my phone right here can take us to and from the Metaverse. Only we have this app and there is no other way to obtain it. We can leave you here to die." Yumi explained.
"What if I take your phone?" Miyabi pointed out as she pulled out a familiar phone.
"What!?" Makoto exclaimed as she checked her pockets, realizing that her phone was stolen.
"How the tables have turned." Miyabi declared with a smirk. "You know what? I'm not going to kill you. I'm going to report this to Hebijo and have them deal with you. Such a task is below me." She then decided.
"Miyabi, think carefully before you do anything rash." Homura growled out.
"I have. Good-bye." Miyabi responded as she activated the app.
Nothing happened.
"Huh? Come on! Stupid new-age phones!" Miyabi grumbled out as she furiously tapped on the smart device.
[Error. Owner not detected. Error. Persona not detected. MetaNav unavailable.]
[Error. Forceful use of the application will have dire consequences.]
[Error. Executing Skill: Armageddon. Please return phone to (Makoto Niijima) or die.]
Upon hearing those messages, everyone seemed confused. "Armageddon...?" Miyabi repeated.
Then they noticed that the heat had died down considerably and everything became darker.
Then they looked up.
"...Is that the moon?" Akira asked.
"Yup." Morgana answered.
"And is it going to land on us?" Akira continued.
"If Miyabi doesn't return the phone, then yes." Morgana replied. "It could miss though." He then added.
"I don't think it's gonna miss." Ryuji deadpanned.
"GIVE IT BACK YOU DUMBASS!" Homura suddenly yelled out.
"Hey, sorry about that." Miyabi apologized as she handed the phone back to its owner.
"It's okay." Makoto replied as she pocketed her phone.
Pop!
And with that it was gone, causing everyone to sigh in relief.
"Close one..." Homura breathed out as she wiped off some sweat.
"...You're still in trouble about this Homura." Miyabi then stated in a dead serious tone as she narrowed her eyes towards the tan skinned girl.
"Ugh. Like I care. We're still not letting you out of here." Homura pointed out. "We can still leave you trapped in the desert for the rest of your life, so you better cooperate or else. Oh, and didn't you mention you just got out of a three year coma? Picking a fight is basically committing suicide. Even Morgana can kick your ass, so I suggest you really think about your next move, senpai." She then reminded in a dead serious tone of her own.
"So you gonna help us or not?" Ryuji asked in a serious tone.
Miyabi, seeing that she had no other choice, just groaned. "I hate you all." She responded in a deadpan tone.
"Close enough!" Homura called out before going over to the Leader. "If we get our Personas, Brainwash her." She soon whispered.
"Already switched to it." Akira answered.
"You know, I'm standing right here." Miyabi spoke up as she glared at the group.
"Oh, it's not like you can stop it." Morgana got out as he rolled his eyes.
"You wanna try?" Miyabi growled. "...Which one of you said that?" She then questioned as she looked around.
This in turn caused the group to sweatdrop. "Down here." Morgana bluntly informed.
Miyabi looked confused for a second before looking down. She then went silent for a few seconds and stared at the creature below her.
"Uh...Hello?" Morgana awkwardly got out.
"...I'm sorry for zoning out, I'm just getting used to the fact that a cat is talking to me and staring at my tits." Miyabi apologized and confessed. "So uh...did I miss some sort of technological or genetic advancement or am I going crazy?" She then awkwardly asked.
"I-I'm not! I will not stoop so...low..." Morgana tried to defend himself before trailing off.
"You wouldn't, but your eyes are." Ryuji snarked.
"...So, you were the cat." Miyabi then stated as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"NOT A CAT!" Morgana however declared.
"Still waiting for a male shinobi..." Akira muttered under his breath.
"Well, if we're working together, can you tell me where we are exactly?" Miyabi got out as she looked around and lifted up her foot. It definitely wasn't real sand she was standing on.
"What a bleak feeling this place has...It's the complete opposite of Kaneshiro's bank." Makoto noted.
"Yeah. I mean, Kaneshiro's was bleak in its own way." Yumi muttered. "But this feeling...it feels directed rather than spread out...no, it's more like it's pulling rather than pushing. I don't know how to really describe it." She then tried to explain.
"Let's hurry up and get goin'. Where's the Palace?" Ryuji soon got out.
"We're in the middle of a desert." Homura deadpanned. "There's probably nothing...to..." She then trailed off as she was blinded by some sort of glint in the distance.
"There's something shining out there." Miyabi muttered.
"A tomb in the desert...I see. Anyway, let's make our way there." Makoto soon stated.
"Isn't that kinda far?" Ann got out in a worried tone.
"Are we gonna walk!?" Ryuji exclaimed.
"Of course not! My paws will get burned!" Morgana stated before posing. "Morgana...HENSHIN!" He then declared before...
POOF!
"Morganamobile to the rescue..." Akira remarked as the Morganamobile landed on the ground..
"You people are weird." Miyabi sighed out at the sight of the vehicle.
"You ain't seen nothin' yet." Ryuji replied as he instinctively patted her back. He soon backed off when she flared her nostrils at him and a dark aura surrounded her.
"I'll make sure to put the AC on full blast!" Morgana assured.
"You're so considerate!" Ann happily got out.
"Hehe, r-right..." The cat car awkwardly chuckled.
"All right! Let's roll!" Ryuji declared.
"...Wait, we can all fit in the Morganamobile, right?" Akira soon asked.
"I-I'm sure we can if we squeeze in a little." Asuka replied. "Plus, Morgana-chan can expand again." She soon reminded.
"And risk giving him a hernia again? Or poop?" Ann pointed out before she shook her head. "I'm sure it's fine for now."
"We're gonna be in a bus in the middle of the desert, packed together for who knows how long." Homura deadpanned. "This is gonna suck isn't it." She then groaned out.
"Don't worry Lady Homura, I have air conditioning." Morgana reassured.
"Air conditioning will not prevent me from killing everyone here except Sis so I can breathe." Homura thought with a deadpan expression on her face.
"Well, everyone better get ready for a long drive." Makoto advised before climbing into the Morganamobile in the driver's seat.
"Shotgun!" Ann called out, already diving into the side seat.
"Shotgun! Fuck!" Homura swore before bitterly taking the back seat.
"Language!" Yumi soon chidded before climbing in.
"...What am I getting myself into...?" Miyabi grumbled to herself before heading for the car and got herself comfortable.
This was going to be a long ride.
(The Miserable Desert of Despair)
"I miss Japanese summer..." Akira suddenly admitted, feeling his shirt get soaked with his sweat.
"The A/C is only blowin' hot air..." Ryuji groaned out as he banged on it in a futile attempt to get it to work.
"Ow! Watch it back there!" Morgana scolded.
"Hoooooot..." Asuka whined out as she rested her head on the tan skinned girl's shoulder. "Are we there yet?" She soon asked.
"No." Makoto groaned, wanting to take her eyes away from endless sand and nothing else. "We just started driving, Asuka. Have some patience." She then reminded.
"With so many people here in the back, it feels like a microwave." Yusuke stated.
"Ugh, if feels like the gym all over again..." Homura grumbled out.
"Why can't these windows go down!" the dyed blond soon grunted as he tried to get one of the windows open.
"Do not smash one of my windows, Ryuji." Morgana growled. "You'll pay with more than just money!" He soon threatened.
"...The longer I'm around these people, the more I wonder how you managed to avoid shinobi, let alone the police." Miyabi deadpanned as she shook her head.
"Pays to have friends in high places." Akira replied with a shrug. "I'm gonna take off my shirt." He suddenly got out as he started unbuttoning his top. "You should all too." He soon suggested.
"No way in hell!" The girls shouted out, instinctively covering their chests.
"You wanna perv on us!" Homura then accused.
"No, I don't want everyone to die from heat stroke." Akira replied.
"We can survive." Miyabi meanwhile spoke up while crossing her arms over her chest.
"How are you not sweating!? You're wearing a hoodie!" Ann exclaimed.
"Oh please, that's nothing compared to training in a burning building." Miyabi casually replied.
"Ah, you did that training too." Homura got out in the same tone, causing her roommate to pale and look at her in disbelief. "Actually, it was kinda fun if you get past the smoke inhalation." She then confessed.
"...You people are psychos." Ann bluntly declared.
"Correction: Our teachers were." Homura however stated. "But then again, it did prepare me for quite a few incidents in my early Hebijo days..." She then admitted.
"Why are you casually giving away our secrets!?" Miyabi however demanded.
The Leader could only shake his head. "Well, if you don't mind..." Akira got out as he took off his glasses before...
SHINE! SPARKLE!
...Revealing his toned muscles, unblemished pale skin glistening with sweat...and bishie sparkles. "Ah...That's better." The Leader breathed out, letting out a handsome smile that could steal hearts by itself.
And thus everyone else in the car was rendered speechless to the sight.
"Oh my God." Ann got out, her eyes wide as she saw what her Leader had been hiding all this time.
"What the hell? Dude! How are you so ripped!?" Ryuji exclaimed.
"Training." Akira casually answered with a shrug.
"I could grate cheese on those abs." Makoto got out as she stared as the car began to drift to the left. "Yummy..." She meanwhile thought, drooling a bit.
"Watch the road, Makoto!" Ann warned, causing the Advisor to snap her attention back to driving and swerve back onto the path.
"We're in a desert. There are no roads for miles." Akira pointed out.
"...Grate cheese on what?" Asuka asked in confusion, causing the Advisor to blush heavily as she tried to keep her focus on what's in front of her. "I think Katsu-nee mentioned that once..." She then informed.
"...I'll admit that his chest is impressive." Miyabi soon admitted as she examined the boy's physique. "And you were not trained as a shinobi?" She then questioned.
"I'm kinda being trained like one right now." Akira replied. "I've also been going to the gym sometimes during my free time." He then added.
"And it shows..." Makoto muttered as she looked back once again.
"MAKOTO!" Ann called out in a panic.
"What!? Ah, sorry!" Makoto yelped as she focused back on what was in front of the car, both girls sporting hot red blushes on their faces.
"What's happening in there? What's that about cheese?" Morgana called out in confusion, his voice coming from the radio. "I can't really see in there!" He then added.
"...Is this the phenomenon I've heard about called...lady boners?" Yusuke assumed.
"Huh?" Asuka innocently got out as she tilted her head in confusion. "I think you're thinking of lady fingers, Yusuke-kun." She then corrected.
"Ah, my apologies." Yusuke responded.
Everyone silently decided to not correct them.
"Yumi, please just frost the inside of the bus." Ann pleaded. "Make ice cream. Just something cold." She then begged.
"If you do that, my organs will freeze over too." Morgana informed.
"I have soda." Akira pointed out as he pulled out a can.
"Your soda addiction continues to save lives, Joker." Ann breathed out in relief as she took the drink. "Ugh...it's so warm but it's some type of hydration at least..." She then admitted.
"Ah, allow me Ann-san." Yumi spoke up as she leaned over the front seat and cooled the soda. "Actually, can you hand me some drinks, Akira-kun? I'll cool them all down for everyone." She then offered.
"You are a lifesaver." Homura breathed out in relief.
"Um, do you have anything I can drink?" Morgana asked.
"Want me to pour something down your fuel thing?" Ryuji offered.
"In my real form!" Morgana declared. "N-Not my real form, I mean my Metaverse form! My distorted form!" He then corrected.
"You shouldn't reveal your secrets to the enemy, Ice Queen." Miyabi remarked.
"Why does everyone insist on calling me that..." Yumi groaned.
"You're a shinovi who specializes in cryomancy, it was inevitable." Miyabi countered.
"Shinovi?" Homura repeated with a raised eyebrow as the group minus the driver looked at the white haired girl.
"Sh-Shut up!" Miyable called out with an embarrassed blush.
"I can see the pyramid!" Asuka suddenly announced, leaning over the front seat to take in the view. The pyramid was in the middle of a town, something none of them had seen before in the Metaverse.
"Oh thank you..." Ryuji breathed out in relief. "This entire trip sucks..." He grumbled.
"You do realise we have to make this trip every time we enter, right?" Makoto soon pointed out, causing the car to drop a few degrees.
Meanwhile, in the real world, Futaba jumped and looked around in confusion. She swore she heard someone scream obscenities but she couldn't quite tell where it came from. After determining it was her raging insanity, she went back to her game.
(Pyramid Entrance)
The Thieves practically climbed over themselves to get out of the Morganamobile as soon as they stopped. Any second longer and they would've all died.
Meanwhile, the white haired girl waited for the chaos to die down before leaving the car, allowing the not cat to transform back. "I wonder if Poochie can do that here..." Miyabi soon thought as she fanned herself.
"That...sucked." Asuka panted out. Even though it only lasted an hour, it was not something she wanted to do again.
"Understatement of the year." Akira groaned as he put on his shirt, although he left it unbuttoned.
"Crappy A/C...cramped car..." Ryujii grumbled. "Ugh...this is not how I imagined spending my first day of summer." He then sighed.
"You've been complaining the entire trip here!" Morgana snapped before dusting off his fur. "Gah...My tires were not made for sand..." He then complained.
"Next time we do this, we're bringing frozen solid water bottles." Homura soon declared.
"Leave it to me." Yumi soon reassured with a thumbs up before the group all stared up at the pyramid.
"To think her Palace would be a pyramid..." Makoto whispered out as she narrowed her eyes.
"Hey, a pyramid's a tomb, right?" Ryuji got out.
"Yes. It's a pharaoh's tomb." Yusuke answered.
"That's how it's mostly known. There are a variety of theories on it. For instance, it's even said to be a device for reviving the dead." Makoto soon informed.
"Or aliens." Akira muttered under his breath. "Because some people can't believe in honest-to-god ancient human engineering and slave labor." He then got out in a sarcastic manner.
"Reviving the dead, hm...?" Yusuke muttered. "It's beautiful nonetheless...It's perfectly conformed to the golden ratio..." He then got out as he framed it with his fingers.
"What?" Miyabi got out with a raised eyebrow.
"Uhh...I think I know what that is..." Ann muttered as she scratched her head.
"Hey, guys, can we go in already? I'm gonna melt..." Ryuji complained.
"This feels a lot more detailed than the other Palaces..." Yusuke noted as he looked into the distance. He could see little bits of modern Tokyo in the distance, so her Palace didn't encompass the entirety of the world.
"I agree. I can see a town over there. We passed by it on our way here." Asuka got out. "I wonder why that's there...what it represents in Futaba-chan's mind." She soon wondered.
Miyabi blinked, clearly looking lost. "...Huh?"
"Ooh. Forgot to mention something." Akira spoke up. "Yeah, we're in the physical representation of a little girl's heart." He quickly explained.
"..." Miyabi in turn blinked as she tried to process this information. "What?" She then got out, more confused than before. "Distorted desires?" She thought as she once more looked around.
"We are not explaining that shit here. Let's wait until we're somewhere cooler, please...?" Ryuji grumbled, already heading up the stairs.
The others quickly agreed with the dyed blond and headed up the steps to the front entrance.
"Futaba's Palace..." Makoto mumbled. "So this is how she sees her own home..." She added.
"Huh...For normal Palace rulers, the pyramid would have limestone covering it." Yumi remarked as she looked at the pyramid.
"However, it was all stolen by thieves and tomb raiders." Akira added with a shake of his head.
"Who knows what may await us within..." Yusuke soon warned. "What is your call, Joker? Shall we head inside?" He soon asked.
"Yeah. Let's go." Akira answered.
"OK. We'll find out more about Futaba's secrets in here, right?" Ann assumed.
"Indeed. Well, let's head inside." Makoto replied as the Leader opened the door into the tomb.
(Futaba's Pyramid, Great Corridor)
The group soon entered the pyramid and instantly felt relief.
"Whew, it's air conditioned in here." Homura got out, thoroughly enjoying the cool area.
"It is honestly pretty refreshing compared to the desert heat." Yumi then admitted as she began to fan herself.
WHUMP!
"Oh yeah...The floor is niiiiice and cold too...~" Akira sighed in relief and satisfaction.
"...He's the Leader of the Phantom Thieves?" Miyabi deadpanned as she stared at the boy thoroughly enjoying the floor.
"Yes." Everyone else replied in unison.
Asuka however suddenly began shivering. "W-Whoa, i-it's actually r-really c-cold in here..." She got out as she began rubbing her arms.
"It is possible that it correlates with Futaba's room in the real world. She probably has her air conditioner turned up to max." Makoto guessed.
"Perks of a shut-in..." Ryuji mumbled.
"A shut-in?" Miyabi repeated while unintentionally rubbing one of her arms. "Like Murasaki?" She thought to herself.
"Hmm...forest green, crimson, pink, light blue and royal blue..." Akira unintentionally thought as he examined the girls while their white uniforms were sticking to their bodies and becoming slightly transparent as a result. "You should start wearing dark undershirts." He casually advised.
"Eh? Asuka got out in confusion to the sudden advice.
At that moment, the girls that were wearing white noticed the dyed blond and not cat of the group staring at them dumbly.
Ann instinctively covered her chest in realization. "H-Hey! Where are you guys looking!?" She yelped out with an embarrassed blush.
"...In hindsight, wearing white during the summer probably wasn't the best idea." Homura awkwardly got out as she and her roommate covered her chest.
"Despite the color white is reflective and wouldn't absorb the sunlight and thus heating up our clothes even more." Yumi meanwhile added as she also covered herself up.
"Huh?" Ann got out. "I heard black absorbs heat while white reflects it back, so it's overall warmer." She then added.
"...Someone must be an effin' liar." Ryuji bluntly guessed.
"Moh! Ryuji-kun, Mona-chan!" Asuka whined in a chiding manner. "Stupid transparent uniforms..." She grumbled with a puffed up cheek.
Miyabi meanwhile sweatdropped at the antics occuring. "Good thing I wore a jacket." She thought to herself before noticing that the dark blue haired boy of the group was staring at her ass. "Oi, what the hell are you doing?" She questioned in a deadpan tone.
"Just admiring the peak of shinobi physicality." Yusuke answered instantly.
Miyabi paused and thought about it for a moment...
SLAP!
Before shrugging and slapping him. "Pervert." Miyabi bluntly insulted as she went back to looking around.
"Huh, our clothes still haven't changed even now." Ann soon noted. "This has never happened to us before."
"Clothes changing?" Miyabi thought as she looked at the group. "Tenshins?" She then guessed in her head.
"It is refreshing that she doesn't see us as a threat...but we are completely surrounded by walls." Yusuke soon pointed out.
"Nowhere to run or hide..." Akira got out with a frown.
"I guess this is a tomb...It's probably not made to be easy to get into." Morgana assumed. "Anyway, let's explore the area." He then ordered.
"Or what's left of it..." Akira added, spotting a rather large hole in the floor. At the bottom of the hole was sand. Probably quicksand by the looks of it.
There were some standing pillars however, so they carefully used them to cross the gap. Without their Thief powers, however, some of them found balancing a little more difficult.
"Oh God, no." Homura cursed upon seeing the steep set of stairs.
"These stairs go pretty far..." Ann noted in a worried tone.
"...At least it's not sixty flights..." Akira tried to assure before narrowing his eyes. "Or at least, it seems so..." He then added under his breath.
"It's not that bad." Miyabi grumbled. "I climb up way more stairs every evening." She then declared.
"You don't take the elevator?" Homura however questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"..." Miyabi blinked before slowly introducing her hand to her face violently. "Fuuuuuck..." She groaned out.
"Jeez, how out of touch are ya?" Ryuji soon asked.
"No, I just never noticed them!" Miyabi defended herself. "And there were elevators back in 2013!" She then added.
That in turn got the Leader's attention as he raised an eyebrow before remembering something. "Ah, Haruka-chan did say she was in a three year coma and recently woke up." Akira thought to himself.
Ryuji meanwhile could only shrug before looking up the stairs. "There're way too goddamn many..." He then groaned.
"Don't ask for too much. You should be happy we're not being attacked as we ascend." Morgana advised. "More importantly, I can totally sense the Treasure ahead. We're actually pretty close now!"
"Really?" Yumi got out with a raised eyebrow. "That...seems too easy..." She soon murmured.
"These stairs seem to be headed into the heart of the pyramid. I wonder if that's where the Treasure awaits..." Makoto assumed.
"Treasure?" Miyabi repeated as she thought of a wooden chest filled with gold coins.
"Welp, we won't know waitin' at the bottom. Let's go." Ryuji got out in a resigned manner before going up the steps. "God, this already hurts..." He then whined.
"There is no way we'll just have to climb a couple flights of stairs to get to the Treasure." Asuka admitted in a skeptic tone.
"Hey, we might get lucky for once." Akira replied in an optimistic tone before climbing the stairs.
"So far I'm not detecting any Shadows..." Morgana soon muttered, although he still seemed ready for action.
"Shadows?" Miyabi mentally repeated with a raised eyebrow before looking down at her own shadow. Why wasn't anyone explaining anything to her!?
"Man, no enemies or nothin'? I'm all for this shit." Ryuji admitted with a smirk.
"Don't jinx this...don't you dare jinx this..." Homura pleaded.
"Do you think it's because she's not a criminal?" Ann assumed.
"She did welcome us in here, after all." Makoto reminded before glancing at Miyabi. "Well...most of us."
"She's not evil, but she is probably a criminal." Akira soon pointed out. "She has broken a lot of privacy laws after all." He then added.
"Just don't let your guard down, guys. This is a pyramid, so there may still be traps." Makoto meanwhile advised.
"So this is the mystique of a bygone era...the real thing surpasses any pictures." Yusuke remarked in awe.
"I don't think you can call this the real thing..." Makoto got out with a sweatdrop.
"I mean...it's quite nice but...this seems like it needs some maintenance." Homura soon noted with a frown.
"I wonder what her cognition of Boss is like..." Asuka thought with a worried frown.
"Does this weirdo always think about aesthetics?" Miyabi bluntly asked.
"Yes." Yumi instinctively sighed out.
"Hm. There's someone there!" Morgana suddenly called out, spotting someone at the top of the stairs. The group soon approached them, only to realise it was simply a small girl in Egyptian garbs.
"Hey, is this...?" Ryuji started.
"That's Futaba's Shadow. It isn't the real her." Morgana informed.
"Oh yeah, you've seen her face." Ryuji got out before studying the girl. "True. This one's kinda dressed like a queen." He soon noted.
"A pharaoh..." Akira corrected as he looked at the girl.
"She's...so young..." Miyabi muttered as she blinked. "Why were they planning on going after her?" She meanwhile thought.
"So you're Futaba Sakura..." Makoto got out as she stepped forward.
" ..." The Shadow was eerily silent, staring at the Thieves.
"Hey, where's the Treasure?"The dyed blond bluntly asked.
"..."
"It's doubtful that you wouldn't know where it is." Yusuke stated as he narrowed his eyes.
"Hey, say something." Ryuji pressed.
"Stop that!" Asuka snapped, scaring the boy.
"Yeah, don't be like that!" Ann chided before turning to the Shadow with a more peaceful expression. "I'm sorry, Futaba-chan. It's OK, there's no need to be scared. So, can you tell us where your most treasured possession is?" She soon asked in a gentle tone.
"..." Shadow Futaba only stared blankly at the Thieves.
Akira began to wonder if it was less that she was studying them or trying to intimidate them, but more likely she was thinking of what to say or internally panicking. She hadn't seen another human being in person for a very long time after all.
"This is going nowhere." Yusuke decided.
"Let's just leave her." Ryuji sighed.
"Will you guys shut up for a bit!?" Homura shouted out.
"Those who plunder my tomb. Why have you come?" Shadow Futaba suddenly spoke, shocking everyone there.
"So she's not mute..." Akira idly thought in relief.
"She talked...but..." Ann got out before frowning. That didn't sound like someone who wanted them here.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! We're not plundering anything!" Asuka quickly got out, waving her arms around.
"Yeah. We're only here to help you." Yumi stated in a comforting tone before crouching down. "You did request us to, right?" She then reminded the Shadow.
"...My other self did." Shadow Futaba answered in a matter-of-fact tone.
"So, we're not stealing anything. We're here to fix what's wrong. All we need to do is take your Treasure." Yumi explained and instructed with assurance.
"If you believe you can, then try as you might." Shadow Futaba stated.
The Thieves instantly winced at her response. "That's rather defiant sounding." the young artist got out. "Perhaps this is that tsundere thing where someone is harsh or sweet depending on the mood." Yusuke soon deducted.
"Yeah, with less mental and physical abuse." Akira muttered.
"Look, we don't want any trouble. How can we convince you to simply let us take your distorted desires?" Homura tried to reason with the Shadow.
"I have no need for convincing." Shadow Futaba replied with a shake of her head.
"What?" Asuka got out in confusion. "Okay, you're sending too many mixed messages here..." She then mumbled.
"Considering the state that my Palace is in..." Shadow Futaba started as she looked around. "...There is no way that you can steal it anyways." She soon concluded.
"Not like that's gonna stop us." Akira muttered under his breath. "Please, we don't want-"
"Creepy child..."
"Huh?" Yumii got out in surprise before everyone instantly went into battle stances.
"You killed her!"
"You're a plague!"
"What are these voices?" Yusuke questioned.
"Where is it coming from!?" Asuka exclaimed as she frantically looked around for the source.
"Are these her thoughts?" Akira wondered.
"Who are these people!?" Homura called out in anger and disgust.
"Murderer!"
"Why don't you say something?"
"Murderer...?" Makoto repeated in confusion and horror.
"What are-?" Miyabi got out, her eyes narrowed as she looked around to find the source. It was like they came from everywhere.
"You're the one who killed her!"
"It's all your fault!"
"This is horrible..." Ann whispered, feeling tears well up in her eyes.
"Hey, the hell is this?" Ryuji demanded. If these voices were more than just Futaba's imagination...
"Don't come near me!"
"Don't just stand there, say something!"
"It's your fault!"
"Murderer!"
"...That's right. I did it." Shadow Futaba suddenly declared, the voices vanishing in an instant as the group looked at her. "I am the one who killed my mother." She then suddenly confessed.
"What...What do you mean by..." Miyabi tried to understand this entire situation.
"You cannot help me." Shadow Futaba however interrupted.
"She...She thinks she got her mom killed..." Ryuji explained as he stepped back.
"What?" Miyabi gasped before wincing. "N-Ngh..." She then got out as she held her forehead.
"Miyabi! RUN!"
The white haired woman blinked as she regained herself. "You...You're like me..." Miyabi quietly realized.
"Umm...what do we do if she goes berserk?" Asuka whispered to the Leader.
"I don't know..." Akira admitted, not wanting to fight Futaba, even if it was her Shadow.
"My mother exists here. I will remain here and I will do so until I die." Shadow Futaba concluded, her form beginning to waver like a malfunctioning hologram.
"No, WAIT!" Miyabi called out in a desperate tone as she reached out to her, only for her fingers to slip through the air as the Shadow disappeared.
FWOOSH!
"...Huh?" Miyabi got out in a dumb tone when she saw everyone suddenly change clothes. "Why did their clothes suddenly change!?" She thought as she looked at their outfits.
"Everyone? I think Futaba-san sees us as hostile now." Widow stated in a concerned manner.
"Yeah. I noticed." Queen got out. "Umm...maybe we should leave and regroup before-" She then started to suggest, however...
RUMBLE!
Everyone stumbled around, nearly falling over by the magnitude of the shaking. "Aw, what now!?" Yang complained as she stomped her foot.
THUD!
And then a perfectly round boulder with emojis on it landed on top of the stairs.
"...I think that's what now." Yin squeaked.
"CHEESE IT!" Joker ordered, backing away as the boulder slowly tipped forward.
"Oh crap! Bad bad bad bad! Ruuuuuuuunnnnnnnnn!" Mona called out, already turning tail.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The Phantom Thieves screamed as they ran down the stairs while the boulder rolled after them.
"WWWAAAHHH!" Yin cried out as she flailed her limbs around.
"I THOUGHT SHE WANTED HELP!" Yang yelled out before looking around. "Wait a minute, WHERE THE FUCK IS MIYABI!?" She then asked in a panic.
"Shinobi Tenshin!" A familiar voice suddenly declared.
SLICE! SHATTER!
The Thieves stopped mid-step and looked up the stairs...before diving out of the way of pieces of the boulder smashing down the stairs.
The group soon saw the white haired girl now wearing a black coffee colored cape with white markings at the top left while the cape was over a white and yellow, high collared coat with black linings held by a double strap with a buckle logo of some sort of a snake, a burgundy sash and two small brown leather straps criss crossed at the bottom front while the coat also exposed a large amount of her breasts. A portion of her thighs and bottom were exposed as well, revealing that she wore yellow panties, dark grey thigh-high stockings, and white boots with black top lining adorned with black straps. She also wore a black choker and a silver necklace while her left arm is covered by white bandages and black leather straps, although they could see she had sickly purple skin underneath.
"Whoa." Yin got out in a quiet tone.
"She looks like a general ready for war." Fox pointed out with fascination.
"...With no pants on." Panther meanwhile muttered with a sweatdrop as everyone could clearly see her panties from their angle.
"Oh yeah." Skull got out in agreement.
"Hmph! I won't let some stupid boulder stop me!" Miyabi declared as she stood on the remains of the boulder.
At that moment, the Shadow returned as she looked down at the group. "Then perhaps a new obstacle will stop your progress." Shadow Futaba responded as she held out her arm.
Suddenly, from thick inky black smoke, a Shadow appeared. It had the head and breasts of a woman, the body of a lion, and the wings of an eagle.
The Pharaoh soon went to her knees, looking a little weak. "Go. Make sure she leaves me alone." Shadow Futaba commanded as she disappeared once more.
Miyabi's eyes soon widened as she saw the monster. "YŌMA!?" She growled out as she readied her katana.
"Huh?" Yang got out as she saw the Shadow spawn in front of the girl. "Shit! That's a Shadow! Miyabi, don't fight it! RUN!" She soon called out.
"Shut up! I can do this! Bring it on!" Miyabi shouted out, a black fire burning bright in her eyes.
"Magnara." The Shadow responded in a gritty tone.
"What!?" Miyabi managed to get out before...
CRASH!
...being blasted away and sent tumbling down the stairs, her face landing on each step.
All several flights of them.
The Phantom Thieves just watched and grimaced with every noise she made.
"Oooh, that's gotta hurt." Yin winced out in a sympathetic tone.
"It kinda puts into perspective how many stairs there are..." Joker muttered.
"Agreed." Widow got out as she held her sniper rifle. "Think I can tag her on the way down?" She soon asked.
"..." The other Thieves silently stared at her in shock.
"...What?" Widow got out, wondering why everyone was giving her a weird look.
When Miyabi finally stopped tumbling, she landed in front of the Thieves in a bloody heap. "Argh..." She groaned in pain.
"Dude, she's gotta be effin' dead after falling like that." Skull stated.
"I wouldn't be so sure, she isn't the daughter of Hebijo Academy's principal for nothing." Yang then pointed out. "Sis, use Diarama on her." She then ordered.
"I only know how to heal everyone, not just one person." Yin pointed out.
"And being the daughter of someone does not prevent broken ribs." Joker deadpanned. "Also, Mona?" He soon ordered.
"Roger that, Joker." Mona responded as he healed the woman.
Miyabi immediately gasped for air as she sat up. "Wh-What the..." She got out in disbelief as she looked at herself. All her more recent injuries had been healed.
"Stay down and shut up." Yang ordered before facing the Shadow.
"Let's just kill this thing and leave. Then we'll deal with Miyabi." Mona declared as the Vice Leader tossed him his weapons.
"Already planned on it." Joker responded with a nod before loading his pistol. "Now blast it with everything you've got!" He soon ordered
"No...No, that was just a fluke..." Miyabi growled as she picked herself up. "I can do this!" She then declared before leaping forward before anyone else.
"Miyabi-san!" Widow called out.
Miyabi ignored the girl, her heart set on destroying the enemy. She swiftly dodged a swipe of the Shadow's claws, leaping onto a wall before using it to launch into a helm splitter! "Pathetic!" She furiously declared.
"One-shot Kill!" The Shadow instantly called out.
BANG!
"AAARRRGGGHHH!" Miyabi cried in pain, her attack stopped as she dropped to the ground. "D-Did that stupid thing just shoot me!?" She then struggled out as she winced and looked at her shoulder. "A-Augh...!" She soon got out, clutching onto it to stop the heavy bleeding.
Seeing no reason to drag it out, the Sphinx glared at the woman and pointed at her. "AGIDYNE!"
The fireball was coming at her too fast, and her body wasn't responding to her. Miyabi instinctively closed her eyes, already prepared for the ultimate fate of all shinobi.
"PERSONA!" A familiar voice declared.
FWOOSH!
Instead of death, however, Miyabi opened her eyes to see the Phantom Thieves Leader in front of her, Gdon standing proudly after protecting both of them from the attack.
"What...What is that...!?" Miyabi thought as her eyes widened.
"Miyabi, we told you to stay down! We got this!" Joker ordered in a serious tone.
"But-!" Miyabi began.
"No buts missy!" Yin however interrupted in disapproval. "Fox, Skull! Grab her and make a run for it! We'll fend it off while you run!" She soon called before jumping into the fray, swords at the ready.
Miyabi meanwhile looked at the Vice Leader for what she referred to her by. "...Mama..." She offhandedly thought to herself.
"Come on, lady! We gotta go!" Skull called out as he grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the battle.
"You're just leaving your comrades here!?" Miyabi growled.
"They've got this." Fox assured as he looked up to see that they were already fighting like usual. "But you won't last long here. The Metaverse is not kind to those without a Persona." He then stated.
"A Persona?" Miyabi repeated before feeling a splitting headache hit her like a bag of bricks. "U-Urgh...!" She soon groaned.
"Shit, she's startin' to get sick. Let's move!" Skull declared as they both grabbed the woman's arms, being careful not to agitate the woman's still bleeding shoulder.
"Get...off...me!" Miyabi growled as she shrugged the boys off, wincing as she probably made the wound worse. "Persona...or not...I can't let...someone else lose themselves..." She then got out in a more frantic manner.
"Huh?" Skull got out in confusion before glaring at the woman. "What the eff are you talking about!? We're trying to save your effin' life!" He soon asked in confusion.
"I'm not the one who needs saving..." Miyabi whispered to herself before glaring at the Shadow. "Come on! I'm not done yet!" She then declared as she leapt into the battle.
"Why are you still here!? LEAVE!" Widow shouted out in disbelief before being blindsided. "AAAAHHHH!" She got out in pain.
"Widow!" Yin and Yang exclaimed.
"Widow's unconscious!" Joker called out. "Queen, cover her!" He then ordered. The Advisor nodded and began fighting her way towards the unconscious teammate.
"Crap! More of them!" Yin warned as she started firing her guns while backing away. "We're surrounded!" She then exclaimed.
"Oh come on!" Joker growled as he tried to think. "Skull, Fox! Draw aggression! I'm taking care of the escort!" He soon ordered.
"Got it, Joker! Skull, let us ravage them!" Fox declared as the two boys pulled out their weapons and began fighting.
Joker soon took in a deep breath. Miyabi was totally going to murder him if this didn't work. "Kurama Tengu! Brain Jack!" He soon called out, summoning one his newest Personas.
"Fall under our spell!" The Persona declared, casting a wave of pink energy.
"H-Huh?" Miyabi struggled as she winced in pain and held her head. "Gah! What...What's happening..." She questioned as she tried to shake it off.
"Listen to me..." Joker however started. "Miyabi, you will run to a safe place and stay put, got it?" He soon ordered.
"Y-Y..." Miyabi struggled out, fighting against the orders. "Y-You..." She then started.
"Miyabi, I don't want you to die here!" Joker insisted in a serious tone.
"You...You can shove that order UP YOUR ASS!" Miyabi declared before charging in once more.
"It didn't work!" Skull informed before smashing the head of a Shadow.
"I can see that." Joker responded in an increasingly panicked manner. "This isn't happening right now..." He grumbled out.
"Dammit!" Yang cursed. "I'm stopping her! Hope we can heal your knee-" She then began, however...
CRASH!
"AAAHHH!" Yang screamed, having taken an entire boulder to the face.
"Homu-nee!" Yin called out as she felt the presence of a Shadow. "Oh no..." She whispered as she quickly defended herself.
CLANG!
"So...you continue to throw yourself at my feet?" The Shadow questioned.
"You're gonna be the one bowing down after I'm done with you..." Miyabi growled out as she raised her bandaged hand. "Your soul is mere kindling! Delightful Inferno!" She soon declared, coatsing her seven-pronged sword with a dark aura before jumping right in with a fury of hard-hitting slashes aimed right at the Sphinx!
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
"Now crumble!" Miyabi then called out as she sheathed her sword, with an explosion of ravenous energy behind her!
BOOM!
"Tch...pathetic..." Miyabi scoffed. "One move and it was-" She began, however...
RRRRRRIIIIIIIIPPPPPPP!
"AAAAHHHHHH!" Miyabi screamed in pain as her clothes were torn in half, barely leaving her in her underwear.
Meanwhile, the unaffected Sphinx glared at the woman. "This is your punishment for not leaving this place!" It declared. "No more warnings...you must die!" It then added.
Miyabi gasped as her eyes widened. "H-How!?" She struggled out.
"Shadows can't be killed like that! You need a Persona!" Mona soon declared and explained.
"I...I don't need one..." Miyabi struggled as she glared at the enemy. "I just have to strike harder!" She soon called out as she charged in again, only to be tackled out of the way. "AH!"
"ARSENE!" Joker quickly declared as he ripped off his mask. "EIGA!" He then called out, pointing at the enemy.
"This is the dance you have chosen!" Arsene soon revealed...before casting the Curse spell.
DOOOOM!
"AAAHHH!" Miyabi cried out in pain, blasted away by dark energy. However she landed on her feet and glared at the Leader. "Oi! You hit me, you asshole!" She growled.
"You won't stay down, so I'm taking you down!" Joker stated. "No hard feelings." He then added as he dug into his coat.
"You son of a-" Miyabi soon began as she got up, however...
"Sacramental Bread." Joker simply declared as he casually tossed the woman the item.
Miyabi immediately caught the bread on instinct. "This again?" She got out in confusion before finding herself surrounded by paper and a bright light. "Huh!? NO!" She then called out before-
SHINE!
Instantly, all her energy left her body. "A-Ah..." Miyabi struggled out before collapsing in a heap. "Why...Why am I not strong enough...?" She mentally muttered, struggling to move.
"I'm sorry. Someone get her out of here!" Joker soon commanded. "Alright...now I can focus on-" He then started, however at that point...
"JOKER! WATCH OUT!" Yang called out.
The Leader's eyes widened as he turned his head...just in time to take a face-full of ice.
CRACKLE!
"AAAAAHHHH!" Joker screamed in pain before being hit with a physical attack to the gut, blasting him into a nearby wall.
"No! Joker!" Yin exclaimed before firing all her ammo into a nearby Shadow's face.
"Need...a minute..." The Leader groaned.
"Why won't they stop coming!?" Yang exclaimed in a panic. "We never had to deal with this many before!" She then added.
"It can't be Futaba sending her forces after us. They must be getting attracted to something!" Queen realised. "AAAAAAHHHHH!" She then suddenly lying let out an ear-piercing scream as she was assaulted by Psychic spells.
"QUEEN!" Yang exclaimed before barely dodging a Water spell aimed to slice her in half. "We need healers here!" She then called out before summoning Wolverine to thin out the crowd.
"Dealing...with...own problems!" Panther responded as she whipped at the Shadows trying to kill her and Mona.
"We can't keep this up!" Fox stated as Goemon slashed through the horde of Shadows.
The Leader tried to force himself up, only to collapse once more. "Ah...Dammit!" Joker grunted in pain. Everyone was either down or distracted, leaving the white haired girl vulnerable to the oncoming Shadows.
"No..." Miyabi panted out as she scrambled backwards. "I won't be useless... Not like before...not again..." She then struggled out before holding out her katana.
"So you continue to defy the Pharaoh's wishes, even in this worthless state. So be it, may your heart be lighter than a feather!" The Shadow declared as it readied itself.
"Heal!" Mona declared as he healed everyone. However, it was too late.
"Please...no..." Miyabi soon whimpered while hyperventilating, the monster's claws reaching for her head. "I...I..." She tried to say something, however she couldn't say anything as it got caught in her throat and her eyes dilated.
A feeling that was all too familiar. The tenseness that was in the air she felt from years ago.
"RUN!"
"MOTHER!"
CRUSH! SPLATTER!
Her head was crushed...sprayed blood everywhere...even on herself and Imu...and that yōma had done it as if it was an egg shell...
"I'm going to die...I'm going to die...I'm going to die...I'm going to die...I'm going to die...I'm going to die...I'm going to die...I'm going to die...I'm going to die..."
"M-Mama!" Both the current and past Miyabi cried out at the same time with her eyes shut tight, however...
"Is this how you imagined your end?" A masculine voice questioned within the white haired girl's mind.
The white haired girl immediately gasped as her eyes shot open to the unfamiliar voice, a more manlier sounding once, but still sounded like her all the same. "Wha? Who-" Miyabi soon started, but then was forced to hold her head in pain, though clenched her teeth as she staggered a bit. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" She suddenly wailed in excruciating pain while the Shadows paused from their advance.
"Hm?" Joker hummed out as he heard this.
In that instant, the Thieves knew what was happening.
"Hold on..." Yin whispered out.
"I-It can't be..." Widow mumbled with widened eyes.
"No way..." Yang muttered after seeing this. "She's getting one!? How!? Why!?" She then exclaimed in disbelief.
"Welp, you know the drill. Protect her!" Joker ordered, the others nodding to that as they prepared themselves, their second wind coming in at full force.
"Forgotten, powerless, with only the darkness to comfort you? Are you really that pathetic? This is not the life you were supposed to live. This was not why she died for you. Are you really allowing her sacrifice to become nothing more than a mere memory!?" The voice stated and questioned.
"H-Hell no..." Miyabi struggled out as she clenched her fists, grabbing some of her hair as a result.
"Then why do you lay here, when your campaign has just begun? You have lost your strength, you have lost your way, you have lost everything you have and yet you still keep going. This is what your heart's will, it's drive to create something more! If you form a contract with me, I will give you the strength you need!" The voice within the white haired girl's mind offered.
"Yes...I don't care! Give me power!" Miyabi roared out. "I can't...I won't die! I can't let anyone else die!" She then declared.
"Hahaha! So you've accepted it! There is no turning back now! This world is ripe for change, and you shall be it's leader! I am thou, thou art I! Draw power from the eternal abyss and use it as your own! Unite the world underneath your shadow, and become the creature you've held within! Rise...and SHOW NO MERCY!" The voice soon demanded.
Miyabi soon began breathing heavily as her already yellow eyes glowed for a moment as a gray scaly mask formed over her eyes. "That...is something...I can do...Nobunaga..." She muttered as she took a tight hold of the mask.
"Miyabi-chan! Rip off the mask now!" Yin called out as she blocked another strike from the Shadow.
Miyabi only closed her eyes...before tearing the mask off her skin as the blood splattered.
RRRRRRIIIIIIIPPPPPPPP! FWOOOOOOOOOOSH!
"RAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Miyabi roared out as she was enveloped in a cyclone of dark purple flames, destroying the weaker Shadows without thought or mercy.
The group meanwhile could see the faint naked, but now calm appearing silhouette of the white haired girl as her eyes glowed the same piercing gold.
"Holy shit!" Skull screamed out as they shielded their faces.
"What a magnificent display..." Fox breathed out in awe.
"Ok, I can't wait to see this." Joker had to admit with a smirk.
Soon, the flames died down, finishing Miyabi's rebirth from her old self. She was now cladded in a black and white bodysuit that seemed to be made of muscle, with white boots and black soles and a white belt.
And behind her was a large and imposing masculine figure, with pitch black crow wings and wearing a fork purple long hooded coat adorned in golden samurai armor on his arms and lower body, revealing his pecs and abs. All the Thieves could see under the hood was a snake-like head and glowing purple eyes.
"I am the one that united all under heaven, Nobunaga!" Her Persona declared before glaring at little remained. "These pathetic whelps...why do you stand before us? Such futility only prolongs your suffering! Go forth, young shogun, and show all who defy you the might of your heart!" He then commanded, pointing his sword towards their enemies.
"Hehehehe...HAHAHAHAHA!" Miyabi cackled, feeling the energy flow through her. "This...This is what I've been waiting for! I finally feel like myself again!" She then cheered.
"Oi, if you wanna keep that, you better help us!" Mona however declared.
The woman looked towards the not cat before shrugging. "Hmph, I guess so." Miyabi got out before stepping forwards with a sashay of her hips. "I need a test of this power anyways." She then got out as she summoned her katana and hefted it onto her shoulder.
"Are you sure we should let her, Joker?" Widow questioned in a quiet manner and an uneasy tone.
"It'll take care of one of our many problems." Joker pointed out before everyone faced the Sphinx.
Meanwhile, the Shadow growled. "I will allow you to hurt the Pharaoh anymore!"
"We won't." Miyabi however declared. "But if you're in our way, I'll destroy each and every one of you! Come at me...and let me and my Persona turn you to ash!" She soon declared and demanded.
(Cue Devil Trigger by Casey Edwards feat. Ali Edwards)
"Such ignorance and arrogance..." The Sphinx growled, glaring at the Thieves. "Can you not see that your presence disturbs the Pharaoh!?" It soon declared.
"Shut up!" Miyabi growled as she pointed her katana at the Shadow. "I'm here to help her unlike you cretains! And now with Nobunaga, I have all the power I need. If you want to stop me, fine! But don't expect to come out of this alive!" She declared.
"Heh, you seem more fired up than when you wanted to kill us." Skull remarked, a smirk on his face upon hearing that.
"Who said she stopped?" Widow however spoke up.
"Look, I acknowledge that I'll need your help here. Consider me an ally, at least for now." Miyabi admitted.
"If you say so." Joker responded with a shrug. "As long as you're under my Direct Command." He then added.
"Sure sure, now let's kill this thing!" Miyabi called out as she went into her battle stance while excitement coursed through her body. She felt as she was before her coma and she liked it!
"There are too many Shadows here..." Mona soon got out. "We need to thin them out before we can focus on the big guy!"
"I guess you're up, newbie!" Joker began. "Show us this power of yours." He then ordered.
"Alright. Let me burn them down, Nobunaga! Purgatorio of Good and Evil!" Miyabi declared...only for nothing to happen. "What!? I can't use my Shinobi Techniques!?" She then got out in confusion.
"The Metaverse won't allow it! Use your Persona!" Mona revealed.
"O-Okay then..." Miyabi responded with a nod. "Come to me, Nobunaga! Mamudoon!" She soon commanded as she tore off her mask.
"Bend under my might!" Nobunaga declared before casting a dark glyph beneath the Shadows before...
DDDDDOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!
"GAAAAAAAAAH!" The Shadows cried out.
"Hahaha! That's more like it!" Miyabi cheered with a mad grin as her mask returned on her face, enjoying the sights of monsters dying. "I'm finally back!" She thought in excitement.
"There's still a lot surviving..." Queen soon got out in a worried tone.
"I...I think I've got that as well!" Miyabi soon got out with a smirk. "The weak should just die! Mahamaon!" She soon declared as she ripped off her mask again.
"Huh!?" Yin got out in shock after hearing that.
"What!?" Mona also exclaimed in shock.
SSSSSSHHHHHHIIIIIIINNNNNNEEEEEE!
"...Huh. That's new." Miyabi got out as she blinked. And not because of the blinding light.
"Bless and Curse!?" Yang exclaimed in shock. "Two elements off the bat!?" She then added.
"I thought she would be another Fire user..." Joker admitted before glancing at the two Fire users they already had. "But I guess three is overkill." He then decided.
"It's retaliating!" Fox warned.
"Everyone, guard up!" Joker soon ordered as the Thieves instantly brought up their guards.
"Mahamaon!" The Sphinx declared before trying to instantly kill everyone.
SSSSHHHHHIIIIINNNNNEEEEE!
"HAH!" Miyabi grunted out before noticing she had brought out a wing to guard against the attack. "Oh, hey! I have this back!" She then got out with a smirk.
"...Crow wings?" Joker got out, making sure of what he saw.
"Ok how!?" Yang exclaimed in shock to the sight.
"It's called experience. Something you all clearly don't have enough of." Miyabi answered, more so to the other three shinobi girls.
The not cat's eyes soon widened as he looked behind. "GAH! More Shadows are coming this way!" Mona informed in a worried tone.
"Where are they coming from!?" Skull growled.
"I think the Sphinx is attracting them somehow!" Yin deducted. "We need to focus on it if we want this to end!" She then declared.
"Alright, splitting the team in two. Half to take care of the small fry, the other to focus on the big one." Joker ordered. "Mona, Widow, Fox, Miyabi! You're with me on the Sphinx! Yin?" He then instructed.
"Hai, Joker!" Yin responded with a salute. "Skull, Panther, Queen, Yang! Let's grind them down!" She soon declared, with her team letting out a rallying cry. The Vice Leader was feeling her Leadership improve already.
"Alright, everyone! Let's give it our all!" Joker soon called out while the rest began to fight the other Shadows. "Can't use Thanatos Picaro to end this fight...it's too destructive..." He soon thought.
"Ahem..."
"...Wait, I have my own Sphinx!" Joker remembered as he slapped his forehead before summoning it.
"Rude." His Persona pouted, facing away from the Trickster.
"Sorry..." Joker sheepishly apologized.
"Where does he get all these guys?" Miyabi couldn't help but wonder.
"LOLI PARADISE!" Yang helpfully answered.
"Yang-nee! On your left!" Yin called out.
"THANK YOU!"
"...Thank you, Yang." Joker deadpanned with a sweatdrop. "Anyways, Sphinx should have a Curse and Physical weakness."
"That's all I've been waiting for..." Queen got out with a smirk before summoning her Persona. "Ride, Johanna! FLASH BOMB!"
FLASH!
"Down!" Queen announced as the Sphinx collapsed. "Ready?" She soon got out.
"Ready for what?" Miyabi had to ask.
"Just follow our lead, Miyabi!" Joker instructed. "ALL-OUT ATTACK!" He then ordered before rushing the Shadow.
SLASH! SLAP! SLASH! WHAM! SLASH!
"That's how the Phantom Thieves do it!" Joker declared as they landed back on the ground.
"Damn...not down..." Mona muttered with a frown.
"Sorry! Some are coming through!" Panther called out and informed.
"Don't worry about it! Just keep fighting your guys!" Widow responded before spotting some Thieves of Tablets charging towards them.
"What we need is suppressing fire!" Joker declared.
"I think I have something that might help!" Miyabi responded as she pulled out her gun in dark purple flames. Her very large, very overkill gun with multiple barrels and tons of ammo. "...Oh." She got out as she studied.
To say the others were shocked was an understatement.
"The hell!? Why does she have an effin' minigun!?" Skull exclaimed.
"Well, that's not stealthy..." Joker couldn't help but comment.
"We can...screw some suppressors on the barrels afterwards..." Queen slowly stated.
The newly awakened Persona-user soon let out a mad grin before aiming it at the enemy...who were all running away like mad in a panic. "SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE FRIEND!" Miyabi excitedly declared.
DAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKA!
"Mwahahaha! HAHAHAHAHA!" Miyabi laughed evilly as she fired away wildly with her minigun.
"She's getting really into it." Panther got out, concern and fear in her body from the sight.
"Like she's getting off on it?" Fox assumed.
"Fox!" Widow chidded as she slapped the boy upside the head.
Soon enough, all the lesser Shadows had died thanks to a liberal application of lead. "Okay, the horde's been thinned down! We're jumping back in!" Yin called out before rejoining the main battle.
"Good work, Yin!" Joker praised as he high-fived the Vice Leader. "Everyone, keep up the physical attacks! Anyone who can heal, keep everyone's HP up!" He then commanded.
"Got it!" Mona responded as he and Yin casted their Mediarama spells.
Meanwhile, everyone else was focusing all their attacks on the Sphinx. "HEAT WAVE!" Miyabi roared.
WHAM!
"Down and out!" Miyabi called out as she pumped her fist.
"Don't bother with an All-Out Attack! Just keep attacking!" Yin commanded.
"That's something I can get behind!" Miyabi declared
"Hey, pass the baton to someone else." Panther suggested.
"Hmm...Nah!" Miyabi thought about it before shaking her head, an evil smile on her face. "Nobunaga! Megaton Raid!"
"What!?" Mona gasped as the new Persona user and her other self cracked their knuckles before slamming their fists into the ground.
WHAM!
"Holy shit! That was effin' big!" Skull exclaimed.
"W-Whoa..." Miyabi got out as she held her head. "That made me a little light-headed..." She then muttered.
"Whoa now! Pace yourself, Miyabi!" Joker warned. "Don't get too drunk on power!" He then ordered.
"We can't let a battle like this drag on! Nobunaga! Press the advantage!" Miyabi countered and ordered.
"MEGATON RAID!" Miyabi and Nobunaga called out as they attacked the Shadow once again.
WHAM!
"G-Guh..." Miyabi soon groaned as she went to her knees.
"Dammit! Miyabi's HP is almost gone!" Mona informed.
"You're part of a team, remember?" Skull reminded as he picked the woman up. "Now, give us a shot." He then got out.
"...Sorry." Miyabi panted out.
"No problem. Besides, I have a power that they ain't seen yet!" Skull replied with a smirk. "Let's do this, Seiten Taisei!" He soon declared, summoning his Persona.
FWOOOOOSH!
Mona soon gasped as his already large eyes widened. "Huh? What happened to Captain Kidd!?"
"Captain Kidd?" Miyabi repeated as her eyes widened. She could feel so much power from it.
"Heh, he got a makeover!" Skull chuckled out. "This...is my Ultimate Persona! Eff 'em up! ASSAULT DIVE!" He then declared as his Persona charged at the enemy.
WHAM!
"Heh, always thought you were kind of a monkey." Morgana got out with a proud smile.
"Yeah! And I'm even more badass because of it!" Skull cheered.
"Proud of ya, buddy!" Joker cheered.
"Thanks, Joker!" Skull replied with a toothy grin.
"Moh...I want one now..." Yin pouted.
"Hey, we can't fall behind Skull!" Yang called out. "Someone cover me! Wolverine, Charge!" She soon got out as her Persona prepared for the next attack.
"I'll leave nothing behind!" Fox shouted out as he slashed at the Shadow.
SLASH SLASH SLASH SLASH!
Fox then stepped back and summoned his Persona. "GOEMON!" He then ordered. "Bufula!" He then called out as his other self created a large spire of ice before...
CRACKLE!
...Bursting it into icicle shards, hurting the Shadow severely.
"Woo! Go, Fox!" Panther cheered.
"Your swordsmanship needs work, weirdo." Miyabi noted.
"I'll take note of that." Fox replied as he sheathed his katana before noticing what she just said. "...Excuse me?" He then asked, however...
"GOKUENTOU!" Yang roared as she ripped off her mask.
FWOOSH! SLASH!
"Eat it, ya oversized...cat thing..." Yang soon got out.
"Nice taunting, Homura." Miyabi sarcastically praised.
"It's Yang here!" The tan skinned girl corrected.
"Keep the pressure! We can't let it retaliate!" Queen called out as she crashed Johanna into the Shadow, stunning it. "Joker!" She then added.
"Arsene, Eiga!" Joker ordered as he ripped off his mask.
"HAH!"
DOOOOM!
"Painful, isn't it!?" Miyabi called out before turning to the Leader. "I'm gonna punch your dick after this is done, you know." She bluntly stated.
"Eh, not the first time something like this happened." Joker muttered with a shrug of his shoulders.
The Shadow growled before leaping into the air. "MAGNARA!" The Sphinx shouted, aiming a boulder at the Thieves.
CRASH!
Too bad it was aimed at the Vice Leader. "That was nothing!" Yin got out with a smirk under her mask.
"Take it down, Miyabi!" Joker ordered.
"Yes...Joker!" Miyabi responded as she dashed up to the Shadow, dark energy surrounding her left fist. She smashed her fist into the Shadow's face before thrusting her sword through it's face before finishing it off by firing her minigun for a second. "I hope you didn't get your entrails on my looks." She then declared as she summoned her weapon back into her hands.
"Way to go, Miyabi-chan!" Yin cheered. "One more attack should do it!" She then got out.
"Any last words?" Miyabi meanwhile asked the Shadow.
"You...have no idea what you are doing..." The weakened Shadow managed to get out.
"I do." Miyabi responded with a frown. "I don't exactly know all the details, but she deserves to know she's not alone. I'm saving this little girl from the darkness and no one is going to stop me!" She then declared as she crouched low.
Widow meanwhile looked on with widened eyes to that declaration. "Miyabi-san..." She breathed out.
"Everyone, finish it off! All-Out Attack!" Joker ordered as everyone backflipped.
"SUFFER!" Miyabi roared as they rushed the Shadow.
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! WHAM! CRACK! SLASH! SLAP! WHAM! SLASH!
"Sleep within darkness!" Miyabi cooly declared with a rebellious smirk on her face, saluting the Shadow before...
SPLATTER!
(End Music)
"And stay! Down!" Miyabi called out before slumping down a little, looking a little tired. It was then she finally looked down at herself. "...What happened to my clothes?" She suddenly asked as she examined herself. "This feels really good." She then admitted as she flexed her fingers.
"It...kinda looks like muscles..." Yang noted as she poked at the bodysuit.
"And...kinda familiar somehow." Joker added as he narrowed his eyes. Why was his mind associating it with frustration, anger...and dodge rolling?
"An adult obtaining a Persona..." Mona got out in surprise.
"And here I thought only emotionally-compromised teenagers had the potential..." Fox confessed as he studied her costume.
BOING! BOING!
"Feels good in all the right places at least." Miyabi admitted in curiosity and satisfaction as she cupped her breasts in her hands. "It's like I'm wearing nothing at all..." She then added.
"...Uhh...yeah." Skull mumbled out as he looked away, blushing.
"Did you have to say it like that?" Panther bluntly asked.
"It surprisingly suits you." Joker admitted.
Miyabi then looked towards the Phantom Thieves Leader. "Oh uh thanks." She awkwardly got out, not expecting the compliment. "Hehehe...and at least my boobs aren't hanging out." She then chuckled as the other three shinobi pouted.
"They...They form around them though. They bring them out..." Queen couldn't help but think. At the very least, she wouldn't flash her panties.
"In any case, is this really your idea of a rebel...?" Fox questioned.
Miyabi meanwhile raised an eyebrow to that question in confusion. "Huh? Rebel? What am I rebelling against?" She soon asked.
"That suit you're wearing represents your Will of Rebellion." Mona soon explained in a serious tone.
"We can talk about it later, look!" Yin called out as she pointed at the stairs.
"...Damn." Joker soon grumbled as he looked up and saw that some sort of door or wall appeared on the stairway. "Futaba's Shadow must've put those up during the fight." He then assumed.
"At least we're safe..." Queen breathed out. "God, that was too close." She then groaned.
"Now what!?" Panther exclaimed.
"Even if we wanted to ask Futaba what's going on, it seems the door is shut. What should we do?"
"I think our best option is retreating for now. This won't be as simple as we expected." Fox suggested. "Why don't we prepare a little more, then come back?"
"Yeah. Besides, Miyabi will probably need rest pretty soon." Yang added as she watched the woman stumble a little.
"I mean, I...I do feel...a little...faint..." Miyabi mumbled out before flopping onto the ground, unconscious.
THUD!
"Wah! Miyabi-chan!" Yin exclaimed in a panic as they saw the swirls in the white haired girl's eyes.
"Swirly swirl~" Miyabi groaned in a dizzy manner.
"I guess her awakening took a lot out of her." Queen deducted. "I wonder why though..." She then muttered.
"I could feel how strong she is...though it felt uncontrollable. Maybe she just wasn't ready for the power." Mona informed.
"Well, whatever it is, we need to get her out of here." Joker replied as he lifted the woman up and into his arms bridal style. "Let's head back for now." He then ordered.
The others in response nodded to this as they began heading out of the pyramid and the Palace for the day with the new Persona user.
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)
(Persona Tracking)
Joker
Level: 36
Personas: Arsene (Resist: Curse) (Weak: Ice, Bless), Jack Frost (Null: Ice) (Weak: Fire) Thanatos Picaro (Resist: Physical) (Repel: Curse) (Weak: Bless), Sylph (Resists: Wind) (Weak: Electricity, Earth), Black Widow (Null: Psycho) (Weak: Water), Sphinx (Resists: Earth, Fire) (Weak: Curse, Physical)
Persona Trait: Arsene- Last Stand (Allows use of ambush-only skills after Baton Pass), Jack Frost- Ice Lineage (Chance to halve costs of Ice skills), Thanatos Picaro- Iron Heart (Halves costs of SP skills after Baton Pass), Slyph- Wind Bloodline (Decreases SP cost of Wind skills by half), Black Widow- Mouth of Savoring (Increase amount of SP restored to self by 50%), Sphinx- Mighty Gaze (Strengthen multi-target magic attacks by 20%), Gdon- Heated Bloodline (Reduce cost of Fire skills by 50%), Kurama Tengu- Skillful Combo (Increase Attack after Baton Pass. Only valid for single-target attacks.)
Skills: Eiga, Maeiga, Snap, Speed Master, Tetrakarn, Tarukaja, Bufula, Mabufula, Ice Break, Baisudi, Rakunda, Freeze Boost, Door of Hades, Mamudoon, Mudo Boost, One-shot Kill, Adverse Resolve, Enduring Soul, Garula, Magarula, Sukukaja, Regenerate 1, Me Patra, Diarama, Cornered Fang, Dream Needle, Life Drain, Rakukaja, Mamagnara, Maragion, Recarm, Maragion, Agiliao, Maragi, Fire Break, Growth 2, Fire Boost, Evade Ice, Double Shot, Masukunda, Magarula, Wind Boost, Brain Jack, Growth 2
Accessory: SP Adhesive 3 (Invigorate 3)
Yin
Level: 36
Persona: Kaeru (Resist: Earth, Fire) (Weak: Wind, Gun)
Persona Trait: Path of Light (Gain some HP when using support/healing skills)
Skills: Magnara, Mediarama, Sukukaja, Miracle Punch, Mamagnara, Masukukaja, Earth Boost, Makajamaon
Confidant Rank: Rank 7
Accessory: Skanda Belt (Speed Master)
Yang
Level: 36
Persona: Wolverine (Resist: Physical, Gun, Fire, Wind) (Weak: Water, Earth, Bless, Psychokinesis)
Persona Trait: Path of Crimson (Gain some HP when using Physical/Magic skills)
Skills: Agilao, Cleave, Gokuentou, Regenerate 2, Terror Claw, Triple Down, Swift Strike, Fire Boost, Charge
Confidant Rank: Rank 6
Accessory: Tough Belt (Defense Master)
Mona
Level: 35
Persona: Zorro (Resist: Wind) (Weak: Elec)
Persona Trait: Proud Presence (Increases effect of allies' healing skills)
Skills: Garula, Diarama, Patra, Mediarama, Lucky Punch, Magaru, Me Patra, Recarm, Wind Break
Confidant Rank: Rank 5
Accessory: Attachment Pearl (Null Forget)
Skull
Level: 35
Persona: Seiten Taisei (Null: Elec) (Resist: Fire) (Weak: Wind)
Persona Trait: Raging Temper (Might increase allies' physical attacks by 40%)
Skills: Lunge, Zionga, Tarukaja, Headbutt, Adverse Resolve, Rampage, Mazio, Bad Beat, Assault Dive, Swift Strike, Shock Boost
Confidant Rank: Rank 10 (Max)
Accessory: Rakshasa Belt (Attack Master)
Panther
Level: 35
Persona: Carmen (Resist: Fire) (Weak: Ice, Water)
Persona Trait: Mastery of Magic (May decrease SP cost of allies' magic skills)
Skills: Agilao, Dia, Dormina, Tarunda, Maragion, Dekaja, Fire Break, Lullaby, Ambient Aid
Confidant Rank: Rank 7
Accessory: Crimson Necklace (Fire Amp)
Fox
Level: 35
Persona: Goemon (Resists: Ice) (Weak: Fire)
Persona Trait: Scoundrel Eyes (High chance to evade Phys attacks for all allies.)
Skills: Bufula, Giant Slice, Sukukaja, Vicious Strike, Mabufu, Counter, Rising Slash, Dormin Rush, Speed Master, Tempest Slash
Confidant Rank: Rank 6
Accessory: Bold Eyepatch (Effect: +Evade Physical (Low))
Widow
Level: 36
Persona: Fūma (Resists: Ice, Water) (Weak: Fire, Curse)
Persona Trait: Dance of Justice (Chance to trigger a Baton Pass for the next ally when hitting a resistance.)
Skills: Bufula, Aques, Ice Boost, Water Boost, Dazzler, Makajama, Malaques, Snipe
Confidant Rank: Rank 5
Accessory: Engraved Dog Tag (Gun Boost)
Queen
Level: 36
Persona: Johanna (Resist: Nuclear) (Weak: Psychic)
Persona Trait: Gaia Pact (Increase allies' chance of inflicting Burn/Freeze/Shock/Soak by 25%.)
Skills: Freila, Mafrei, Vajra Blast, Diarama, Rakukaja, Makajama, Energy Shower, Flash Bomb, Dekunda, Defense Master
Confidant Rank: Rank 6
Accessory: White Headband R (Life Surge / Endurance +8)
Miyabi
Level: 35
Persona: Nobunaga (Resist: Curse) (Weak: Bless)
Persona Trait: Self-Destructive (Increase cost of skills when health is low)
Skills: Eiga, Maeiga, Kouga, Mamudoon, Mahamaon, Megaton Raid, Heat Wave, Foul Breath, Endure.
Accessory: Rough Bandages (Bandages that do more harm than good.)
(Persona Analysis)
Gdon (Dragon-Killing Tigress)
Arcana: Happy Squirrel
Origins: Hinduism (Date Unknown)
Trait: Heated Bloodline (Reduce cost of Fire skills by 50%)
Skills: Maragion, Agiliao, Maragi, Fire Break, Growth 2, Fire Boost, Evade Ice
Drain: Fire
Weak: Water
Description: Also known as Dawon from Hindu mythology, which in turn carried over the myth of Dawon from Tibetan legends. In Hinduism, Dawon the lion/tiger is the mount of the Hindu goddess Durga, being an offering to the goddess, who aided her when Nirvana ever needed protection. When in battle, Dawon used her claws and teeth to rend any foes that were underfoot asunder. She carried Durga to victory against the buffalo demon Mahishasur. Durga and Dawon are worshiped in a more peaceful environment instead of their usual violent festivals, were Durga is called the Fair Lady and Dawon is known as the pure white tigress. Most legends about Dawon show her as a violent tigress, tearing her foes apart.
Persona: Nobunaga
Belongs to: Miyabi Kurayami
Arcana: Le Désir
Origins: Sengoku Period (Born 3 July 1534 - Died June 21, 1582)
Trait: Self-Destructive (Increase cost of skills when health is low)
Stat Spread: Below average Endurance, high Strength and Magic, above average Agility and Luck.
Skills: Eiha Family, Mudo Family, Kouha Family, Hama Family, Heat Wave, Vorpal Blade, Megaton Raid, Sword Dance, Foul Breath, Stagnant Air, Black Viper, Ominous Words, Abyssal Surge, Pulinpa, Tentarafoo, Evil Touch, Evil Smile, Taunt, Wage War, Marin Karin, Brain Jack, Endure, Survival Trick, Enduring Soul.
Resist: Curse
Weak: Bless
Description: Oda Nobunaga, the bad boy of Japanese history. A Japanese daimyo, he is regarded as the first "Great Unifier" of Japan. However his reputation in war gave him the nickname of "Demon Daimyo" or "Demon King". Not unfounded as his attempts of unifying Japan often involves killing/subduing anyone that got in his way. However, he came up with innovative military tactics, fostering free trade, reform of Japan's civil government, and encouraging the start of the Momoyama historical art period. Though he never did quite unify Japan, and would commit seppuku after being betrayed by a close ally. However his dream would come to fruition thanks to Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1591.
Whew! Done! Miyabi is now a Persona-user! And a lot of people got her Persona right. But now, we're getting close to unlocking Asuka, Homura and Yumi's Ultimate Personas now. Miyabi's confidant is a little special that will be revealed...after Futaba's Palace. And well...we have special stuff with her as well. Stay tuned.
UknownHero signing off, my friends!
