Okay, let's get started with a whole new era of this story! UknownHero here and welcome to another chapter of Senran Persona! Thank you to everyone who read Chapter 100, it's only going to get better/worse from here because we're starting to get into the dark part of Persona 5!

Senran Persona: Ninjas of Hearts has a TV Tropes page! Stop listing all the Shout Outs until it's on a separate page.

Onto the reviews. To Joe-021: Yes, we did reference Arkham City and God of War! Thank you for your approval! To ryu238: Well, it can't really be helped because…well…it's Katsuragi. Her hobby is literally listed as "Sexual Harrassment". Plus, she isn't out to hurt people and, uh, she didn't rape anyone. Slight difference. To ChimaTigon: Read and find out. To Namikaze Yo: Okay, the review is awesome and funny and I want to make a dumb YouTube video out of it but I won't because I'm too lazy.

Also, I'm very glad to see a lot of people are shipping Ryuji and Katsuragi. Akira isn't getting all the girls…only like…most of them.

Load Game…Start!


Chapter 101: The Icy Debut


(8/29, Evening)

(Yongen-Jaya, Leblanc Attic)

Akira and Morgana were talking animatedly as they headed upstairs and prepared for bed. They were tired, sure, but that didn't stop them from recounting their day at the beach.

"Today was so great!" Morgana said with a grin. "Getting to meet Lady Asuka's friends really helped out!" He then added.

"Yeah, seeing some interesting people once again like the usual." Akira said in agreement along with a nod. "Although, I could live without seeing those guys again..." He then deadpanned, their feminine giggles echoing in his mind.

"You're telling me." The not cat got out as he licked one of his feet for a moment. "How did they even know where we are? We went to a different beach far from Tokyo, like, come on, that's just ridiculous." He then grumbled.

"Either they have luck on their side, or me and Ryuji got cursed without us even knowing it." Akira simply answered.

Morgana simply snorted at that. "I bet it's probably both."

"Yeah, you're probably right." Akira chuckled in amusement as he went and got himself ready for bed.

BZZT! BZZT!

Immediately, Akira took out his phone and entered the group chat.

[Road2Queen: A criminal who uses the Metaverse to carry out their crimes...]

[Road2Queen: This is no longer a matter we can ignore.]

[Shut7heFUp: Especially 'cause they might be the one who killed Futaba's mom.]

[All4Painting: To be honest, I had considered the idea that they might be behind only the rumored psychotic breakdowns...But now it appears as though this person is killing people as well.]

[Alibaba9: Technically, they're making people have mental shutdowns, which then cause them to die.]

[Shut7heFUp: That's what happens when you kill someone's Shadow, yeah?]

[Sweetkat06: Mm-hm? We were worried about it back with Kamoshida and Madarame, remember?]

[SushiRoll23: I...I have to admit, I was willing to do it after what happened to Shiho-chan.]

[SushiRoll23: It would've been so easy. If they're shinobi too...]

[DarkEyeXI: Ugh...]

[TheWildJ0ker: Is there a problem?]

[DarkEyeXI: No, just...if we got too reckless back in the pyramid...or if Futaba's Shadow went berserk...]

[Alibaba9: But it didn't. I'm fine. Move on.]

[Alibaba9: Psychotic breakdowns and mental shutdowns...It would make sense if the same person was behind them.]

[Alibaba9: The news never talks about the victims dying, so people only know about the breakdowns.]

[FireGirl20: I guess they don't want people to start panicking over being killed at a moment's notice...or whoever is causing the shutdowns is a lot more powerful than we thought.]

[Shut7heFUp: So this shit's seriously a case! Whoever's doing it is some kinda assassin!]

[FireGirl20: But for what reason? There has to be a correlation with the victims...]

[Alibaba9: Who cares. We're gonna beat the crap outta them either way...]

[TheWildJ0ker: You need weapons, Futaba?]

[Alibaba9: Are RPGs available?]

[SushiRoll23: How are games gonna help you fight?]

[Alibaba9: I mean the rocket launchers.]

[DarkEyeXI: Would you even be able to carry one?]

[Alibaba9: Hey, as long as it looks realistic...]

[TheWildJ0ker: You probably don't need the pamphlet...]

[All4Painting: I would suggest we be more cautious going forward as well. We still don't know much, even about our MetaNav.]

[Road2Queen: That is true.]

[Shut7heFUp: I wonder why that thing exists...]

[FireGirl20: It was provided by Akira's Benefactor. Maybe they're preparing us for something?]

[SushiRoll23: Or they want to help people.]

[Sweetkat06: I wonder if that criminal is using the app too...]

[Negative8Degrees: The MetaNav may be the easiest way into the Metaverse, but it might not be the only way...]

[Road2Queen: Futaba, this seems like your area of expertise. Do you know anything about it?]

[Alibaba9: No, I'd never even heard of it before. I mean, it's not really even an app. It's more like...a mysterious app-like thing.]

[Alibaba9: I'll look into the source code later, but I doubt I'll find anything useful.]

[Road2Queen: I see...]

[Alibaba9: It's OK though.]

[Alibaba9: I might not know much about the Nav, but I can still navigate you guys on the path to victory! I'll guide you to whatever criminal you're looking for.]

[SushiRoll23: I hope you do, Futaba-chan! You're gonna make our team even better!]

[Alibaba9: Mwehehe...You can rely on me!]

[Shut7heFUp: We're countin' on you, Navi!]

[Alibaba9: It's Oracle! Pay attention, Numbskull!]

[Alibaba9: And I still want my rocket launcher!]

[DarkEyeXI: NO!]

"This conversation might go on for a while..." Akira thought with a sweatdrop, making sure to turn off notifications for the night.

"We can't ignore the possibility that Akechi is Black Mask for much longer, you know." Morgana reminded.

"We can at least give Akechi the benefit of the doubt." Akira muttered with a frown. "Despite who he is and what he believes in, I don't think he'd be a serial killer without a good reason." He then added.

"We should still be cautious around him." Morgana reminded. "Who knows? The public face could be very different from his inner soul." He then pointed out.

"Which is why I'm friends with him." Akira responded as he stared at his hands. "There's a very real possibility that we'll need to kill him, and I'd rather not have blood on our hands, so...maybe we can do this nonlethally." He soon stated in a serious tone.

"So you're willing to make friends with a serial killer?" Morgana stated more than asked.

"I'm friends with a lot of people." Akira pointed out. "Even those who were trying to kill me or my friends." He reminded.

The not cat sighed. "Still figuring out why we are still alive right now. Maybe our luck, but that would probably run out eventually." He then continued.

"You know, there is a superstition that black cats cause bad luck..." Akira began, only to get booped on the nose. "Hey!" He got out.

"...You know Futaba could be listening in on us, right?" Morgana soon pointed out.

"No, I can see she's still trying to convince Miyabi to buy a rocket launcher..." Akira informed as he checked the IM. "Wow, 212 posts already..." He then muttered with a sweatdrop.

"Explosives are not the weapon of Thieves!" Morgana called out. "Not to mention she already has bombs." He then reminded.

"...So you're saying we should get naval cannons." Akira assumed.

"Don't joke about that." Morgana groaned, but the smile on his face betrayed his true feelings. "Now go to sleep. We still have two days of summer left so we better not waste them." He then instructed.

"Right." Akira said with a nod before throwing the blanket over his body. "Have sweet dreams, Morgana." He got out as he relaxed himself and closed his eyes.

"You too." Morgana breathed out before curling into a ball and closing his eyes, drifting off to the world of dreams...and the bottom of Mementos...


(8/30, Early Morning)

(Harajuku, Haruka's Apartment)

The third year blonde of the Crimson Squad stirred as she soon opened her eyes.

Eventually she realized she was at home, slightly confused for a moment as to why she was there before remembering that they closed the clinic after a few hours due to the heat wave being hotter than anyone expected.

"I must have unconsciously changed and blacked out after coming home." Haruka soon deducted, noticing that she was in her one piece pajamas before she stretched her limbs and moaned. "Mmm~! At least I feel well rested and refreshed now." She then added in satisfaction.

BZZT! BZZT!

"Hm?" Haruka hummed out as she got her phone, though immediately perking up as a result of who it was.

[TheWildJ0ker: Morning Haruka-chan.]

[DrSeduce: Morning to you too darling.]

[DrSeduce: How was the beach?]

[TheWildJ0ker: It was great. Sun, sand, girls. Really fun.]

[TheWildJ0ker: You would've loved it. Especially the type of people there.]

[DrSeduce: Really?]

[DrSeduce: Because you know I only have eyes for you now, darling~ ]

[TheWildJ0ker: I dunno. I met someone right up your alley.]

[DrSeduce: Nope~! You're stuck with me~ ]

[TheWildJ0ker: Wouldn't have it any other way.]

[DrSeduce: So what's up?]

[DrSeduce: This is the first time you contacted me.]

[DrSeduce: Is everything okay?]

[TheWildJ0ker: Just wanted to see how you were doing.]

[DrSeduce: I'm actually making great progress! I might be reducing research into the cure from a century to decades at most.]

[TheWildJ0ker: Guess that means you don't have time today to hang out huh?]

[DrSeduce: Unfortunately. This is too important. Maybe next time.]

[TheWildJ0ker: It's a date then.]

SHATTER!

The blonde soon paused as she looked at those last words in shock. "He...He asked me out on a date..." She breathed out in realization.

BANG!

Haruka soon squealed as she began rolling back and forth on her bed with hearts for eyes while hugging a pillow. "Oh, I know he only sees me as a friend, but how I wish he would just sweep me off my feet from a shining white horse..." She thought in a love filled manner, already imagining the boy as a prince in a white suit with her as a princess clad in white to match with her in his arms. "Ah~ Darling~" She sighed out with hearts in her eyes.

...Yeah, she was gonna be out of it for a while.


(Yongen-Jaya, Leblanc Attic)

"Really Akira? Really?" Morgana deadpanned in disapproval to seeing the text discussion to the blonde doctor in training. "You keep playing with her heart and leading her on. I know for a fact you-" He then started accusing, however...

"I was serious this time." Akira however revealed with a sigh. "I like hanging out with Haruka-chan, is that so wrong?" He then stated and asked.

"But you know how she feels." Morgana said with a glare. "You need to either be clear with her or accept her advances because if you don't, you'll be nothing but scum."

"Morgana, you think I want to break her heart?" Akira however questioned. "I've already told her but...she didn't exactly take that as much of an answer..." He then reminded.

Morgana in response sighed. "Akira, sometimes the only way to help people is to hurt them first. You need to tell her. Soon." He concluded in a no nonsense tone.

Akira in response just nodded with a serious expression on his face as he got himself ready for the day.


(8/30, Daytime)

(Shinjuku, New Moon Apartment Complex)

Yumi let out a breath as she sipped her tea before going back to her book.

After all the excitement at the beach, she felt like staying inside and enjoying a nice drink with a book to go through. Currently, she was drinking a warm mocha and reading The Wide Road to the Shallow South by Batsuo Masho. It was a beautiful and descriptive exploration of the natural wonders of Edo Japan, one that she wished she could experience but sadly existent only in words and the imagination of the reader.

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

"YUMI-CHAN! IT'S RISE! OPEN UP!" a familiar voice called out as the banging on the door continued.

Yumi scrambled from her sitting position and opened the door. "R-Rise-san, you're here?" She got out in surprise.

"Yes. And you're running late." Rise responded with hands on her hips.

"Late?" Yumi repeated in confusion, already running through her mind to check if she was forgetting something.

"Your debut concert is tonight!" The singer informed, causing the rising idol's heart to stop dead. "...Hello?"

"Eh!?" Yumi yelped before shaking her head. "I-I'm fine. Let me get dressed and then we can go." She then informed and decided.

"I'll drive you there." Rise said with a nod before heading to her car.

Time to show the world what Yuki Yumi's got.


(Yongen-Jaya, Futaba's Room)

Futaba sighed and plugged her phone into her PC tower. "Why did I decide to wake up early for this...?" She grumbled before hearing her window open and someone climb in. "I have a perfectly functioning door." She remarked.

"The Boss locked the front door this time and lockpicking would be a pain." Homura explained. "Plus, you should probably replace these windows with something that doesn't open from the outside." She then suggested.

"Whatever, just remember to knock." Futaba replied.

"What if you're wearing headphones?" Homura however asked.

"I always wear headphones." Futaba pointed out as she tapped on them. "And there's this neat little feature that lets me listen to people without taking it off. It's great. So, why are you here?" She then revealed and asked.

"Well, to talk to you more." Homura simply answered. "The beach was so fun, right? You even learned how to swim, right?" She then recalled with a smile.

"Yes. It's a lot of flailing and splashing interrupted by occasional bouts of drowning." Futaba responded.

"Hey, at least you're better than me when I started out." Homura countered. "...Although, it did involve throwing me off a waterfall naked..." She then muttered under her breath.

"Ouch, that had to suck." Futaba winced.

"It wasn't a high waterfall..." Homura mumbled.

"Still, you have nothing better to do, do you?" Futaba assumed. "Why don't you hang out with your committee members?" She then suggested.

"Some of them told me they were away with families on vacation and others told me they were busy with personal endeavors." Homura answered, recalling the personal plans her committee members told her about before school ended for the summer. "...Wait, are you spying on them too?" She soon accused.

"It's called social media, and I wanna point out that not all your members were particularly busy this summer. Hell, the ones on vacation are all home now." Futaba replied as she brought up their social media pages. "They were attending the sports thing all summer and making sure people weren't doing anything bad. Did you even bother to even check out the program?" She then questioned.

"I already have enough experience as a shinobi, so Daidōji's training might not help me out like everyone else." Homura reminded and explained.

"Hey, I thought shinobi were always looking to improve. You could've at least popped in to see how it was going." Futaba pointed out as she opened an image of the muscular woman on her computer. "I mean, come on, just looking at her picture makes me wanna pee my panties!" She then confessed.

"Why was that ready to open up?" Homura deadpanned.

"Off topic." Futaba bluntly responded while waving it off. "So...can I put you down for forgetting or just being too lazy?"

"You make me sound so...mean..." Homura awkwardly responded, now feeling ashamed of herself.

"Just pointing out you have more friends available than you think." Futaba stated before going back to typing on her computer. "Well, there's no changing it anyhow. Summer ends on the first, and that's only one day away." She then concluded while waving it off. "Oh crap, Dead End Aegis is releasing tomorrow!" She soon exclaimed.

"What are you doing anyways?" Homura had to ask as she looked at the code scrolling across the screen.

"Trying to crack open the MetaNav." Futaba answered before growling in frustration and pushing herself away from the computer. "So far, it's all gibberish. It's not encrypted or something. It's just...it should logically be able to function by a coding standpoint. But then again, I don't have the actual source code. Probably never will." She then revealed.

Homura nodded. "Hmm...anything else?" She then pressed.

"Well, I remember Akira mentioning that the app would redownload every time he deleted it so I tried that so I could trace it back to whoever was doing this. Again, no dice. All gibberish, couldn't connect." The hacker continued before disconnecting her phone from her PC and showing the MetaNav to the tan skinned girl. "I can only assume that this app comes from God." She concluded.

"...I only understood half of that, but I'm gonna assume you came up with nothing." Homura responded and assumed.

"Yes." Futaba sighed as she shook her head. "Well, any other topics you wanna talk about?" She then asked.

"Uh..." Homura began "...So your hair..." She awkwardly started.

"Huh? Oh, you're probably wondering why it's like this." Futaba responded and guessed.

"Yeah. I didn't think someone like you would put in the effort." Homura confessed. "It's obviously not a natural orange." She then noted.

"Well...it was after I was taken in by Sojiro." Futaba answered as she brushed her fingers through her hair. "After...well...everything, I asked him for a bottle of hair dye. Whenever I looked at myself, I saw mom and, well, you know what my feelings were like at the time. I wanted red, but...I've been using this color for a long time now, so I don't wanna change it." She soon explained.

"You would look nice with crimson." Homura admitted.

"Red." Futaba corrected before looking upwards. "...Huh." She then got out.

"What?" Homura responded in concern.

"We both have an ahoge." Futaba pointed out as she pointed to the single strand of hair sticking atop the tan skinned girl's head.

"Ahoge? Wait, you mean like that weird facial expression I saw an entire hoodie made out of them earlier today?" Homura guessed.

"...I'm talking about the strands of hair sticking up at the top of our heads." Futaba explained as she then pointed to hers atop her head.

"Eh?" Homura got out with a raised eyebrow as she then flicked her own atop her head. "Um...yeah? What about it?" She soon asked.

"I mean, I use plenty of haircare products or else I wouldn't have this silky smooth hair." The hacker replied as she poked at her own. "But that stupid thing never goes down no matter how hard I try." She then added.

"What?" Homura responded in confusion. "You're probably just doing it wrong. Or it's just bed hair." She then stated.

"Oh yeah? You try it." Futaba countered with a frown.

Homura took the challenge and tried to smooth out her hair...only for her ahoge to pop up again. "Huh?" She muttered with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, it does that." Futaba got out as the tan skinned girl tried again, only to get the same results.

Annoyed, Homura decided to bite the bullet and take out the strands of her own hair outright...

SPRONG!

Only for another to replace it. "What the!?" She got out in confusion and shock.

"You're gonna go bald if you do that." Futaba warned in a flat tone.

"W-Why!?"Homura exclaimed in confusion before looking at the orangette. "...Maybe it works on you..." She soon suggested.

"What?" Futaba spoke up.

"Come here!" The tan-skinned girl said out loud as she approached the orangette.

"No! Don't take it out! It's one of my most attractive features!" Futaba cried out.

"Futaba, you have many attractive features but this isn't one of them!" Homura countered.

"Oh, says you and your physics-defying water balloons!" Futaba countered back.

"W-Water balloons?" Homura repeated in shock."What do you mean by that, Futaba?" She then asked.

"I'm talking about your boobs." The orangette explained.

"My boo-!? W-Wha...!?" Homura stammered in shock. "STOP TALKING ABOUT MY BOOBS!" She demanded.

"NEVER!" Futaba declared as she struggled against the tan skinned girl.

"Ugh! Fine!" Homura groaned. "Why am I getting myself so worked up over this!?" She soon asked.

"Because I pointed it out." Futaba answered. "Hey, there's still enough time for you to visit Shujin before the sun sets." She then pointed out.

"You just want me out of your room." Homura bluntly accused.

"Half that, half there's a fire in the bathroom." Futaba casually admitted before turning back to her computer. "Third floor girls' toilet, fourth stall. You should run over-" She then started.

WHOOSH!

But by the time she turned back, Homura was already gone with her window wide open.

"...So that's what it feels like." Futaba muttered with a blink before going back to her computer. "I'll see her again for another magical girl anime session." She then decided while getting back to work...probably doing some juicy spying on the shinobi schools she had access to their servers from.


(Shibuya, Shin Megami Apartment Complex)

Asuka had decided to stay inside today and take care of chores around the apartment, making sure everything was clean and organized at the end of the day. However, she was currently taking a break watching TV wearing only a t-shirt and panties to fight off the heat.

"Lance to 2-6..." The pro shogi player remarked. "Hmm...I don't know. I've got a bad feeling about that move. That kind of move tends to anger your opponent. Once provoked, they act very aggressively."

"That doesn't seem like a bad move to me, but... I suppose you speak from experience." The reporter stated.

"Plus, once you get the opponent that mad, it's almost impossible to turn the situation around. I can't tell you how many times I've- No, never mind."

"...I should play shogi with Homu-neechan some time..." Asuka muttered as she took a sip of her icy water while making the mental note to get a shogi board.

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

"Ah!" The Vice Leader yelped, immediately stopping what she was doing and putting on some pants to answer the door, only to see an impatient woman standing there. "Oh, hey Miyabi-chan, what's up?" She greeted with a smile.

"Spar. Now." Miyabi bluntly ordered. "Blades Only. No Personas. My Shinobi Kekkai." She then stated.

"Eh?" Asuka got out in confusion.

Miyabi didn't even let her say anything else before pulling her into Shinobi Kekkai.


(Hebijo Academy, Elites Room)

The glasses-wearing Hebijo student was still sitting in front of her sister's room for quite a long time now. She was starting to get a bit concerned about her younger sister's state, but she didn't want to tempt herself to force her way into her room to check her condition.

"She's still in there?" Hikage bluntly asked while filing her nails.

"She still hasn't responded!" Imu groaned. "It's like she's not in there at all!" She then stated.

"Because she isn't?" Ryōna spoke up.

"Shut up. Nobody pay attention to her." Ryōbi instantly advised.

"Instantly denied." Mirai remarked with a sweatdrop.

"Besides, it would be impossible for her to leave." Imu sighed out, starting to feel a slight sense of impatience in some way.

"We could just open the door and check if she's actually in there. Or crawl through the vents and get into her room that way." Ryōna suggested, her cat-like smile never gone from her face.

The flat-chested gunner soon raised an eyebrow at her twin. "Why are you spouting out ideas now?" Ryōbi had to ask.

"Siblings should always support each other. Isn't that right, Ryōbi-chan?" Ryōna answered.

"Shut up, bitch." Ryōbi spouted out in annoyance as she decked her twin sister with an elbow as hard as she could.

"Ahhhnnn~!" The masochist moaned with a pleased smile on her face. "See~?" She exclaimed.

"You two have a weird relationship." Mirai once more remarked.

"When have we seen a normal one?" Hikage however pointed out.

"You and Poochie-chan seem fine." Yomi said as she looked down at the puppy on her comrade's cleavage.

"What? Like pet and master? Because that's definitely not it." Ryōbi stated. "That's mine and Ryōna's more than anything else." She then added.

"Woof~!" Ryōna got out.

"Quiet you!" Ryōbi sharply responded while covering her twin's mouth.

And they were now having a ruckus of their own.

Imu however started to get a little worried as she stared at the door to her truant sister's room. "Should I...? No, no, I'm not going to do that. She'll probably trigger her Root of Calamity again and use it on me again. I should let her do this by herself." She then thought, thinking about her younger sister's wellbeing all while unconsciously clenching her teeth.


(Miyabi's Shinobi Tenshin)

CLING! CLANG! CLING! CLANG!

Asuka's muscles were on fire as she tried to keep up with the woman. Her clothes were barely hanging on, and she had gotten a cut on her cheek and butt (another for the collection). She knew she wasn't going to win this, but at least she could make her sparring partner work for it. "Man, Miyabi-chan's good!" She mentally admitted. "Hanzō-Style Full Bloom!" She soon declared while rushing in.

SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! CRASH!

"RAH!" The Vice Leader roared as she slammed her wakizashi into the ground, creating earth spikes in hopes of giving her some breathing room. However, the white haired woman was nowhere to be seen even after the dust settled.

"Up here." A familiar voice called out.

Asuka gasped upon seeing the white haired woman standing on the pillar of earth she created without a scratch on her.

"This...is the END!" Miyabi declared, darkness coating her blade before she brought it down.

"!?" Asuka's eyes widened as she prepared to defend herself...

SLASH! SHRED! THUD!

But the Vice Leader soon collapsed to the ground, naked and defeated as she lost grip on her two wakizashis. "Ugh...You...You were so..." She groaned.

"Strong? I get that a lot." Miyabi guessed, interrupting the brunette. "You need to train as a shinobi a little more. You're making mistakes. How long have you had a fight without using your Persona?"

"Since April." Asuka responded while using Kaeru to heal herself.

"You've gotten sloppy then. Too reliant on using Kaeru to overpower your enemies." Miyabi then informed as she helped her to her feet.

"I mean in the Metaverse, Shadows are immune to shinobi attacks." Asuka reminded.

"That still isn't an excuse to slack off on your own techniques." Miyabi sighed out. "What if you can't use the Metaverse, or you can't use your Persona? You'd be screwed." She then questioned and stated.

"...You're right." Asuka replied with her normal clothes reappearing on her body. "I need to improve my shinobi abilities. Do you mind helping me?" She then stated and requested.

"Sure. I've got nothing better to do today." Miyabi answered as she stretched her limbs. While she wasn't physically stronger, she could still see the lacking areas the Vice Leader had and took advantage of them. Still an Elite, but only barely in some respects. "Alright, let me teach you the proper kata." She soon decided.

"But...we use completely different weapons, Miyabi-chan." Asuka however reminded.

"I was trained to be versatile in various weapons." Miyabi revealed. "I'll give it my best shot. Twin blades shouldn't be too different from a katana." She then decided.

"O-Okay..." Asuka replied with a nod before grabbing her swords and getting into her battle stance. "So why did you want to spar with me?" She soon asked.

"Many reasons. Boredom, training, testing, getting to know you." Miyabi answered as she walked around the Vice Leader.

"Getting to know me?" Asuka innocently repeated.

"You know how shinobi communicate." Miyabi reminded. "Not through words or diplomacy. That stuff is boring. No, we speak by tearing our clothes and spilling each other's blood." She soon recited. "Don't tell me you haven't had the pleasure of fighting your friends." She then accused.

"I have. Plenty of times." Asuka answered with a nod before taking a deep breath and performing her basic combo.

The white haired woman blinked as she studied the Vice Leader's movements. She wasn't focusing on them during the spar but...damn, this girl could move. "...Okay, I may have overestimated myself here." Miyabi admitted. "You make it look easy. Hanzō taught you well." She then confessed in an impressed manner.

"Thank you." Asuka replied with a smile. "I take my training very seriously!" She then declared.

"However, I can see some basic mistakes." Miyabi revealed.

"Eh?" Asuka got out in confusion. "Which ones?" She soon asked.

"Well...I can stab you in the ass at least 4 times during that combo." Miyabi informed. "And knee you in the groin to interrupt your finisher." She then stated.

"Oh..." Asuka responded as she tried to change her positioning.

"Here, let me fix your stance." Miyaby offered as she went to the other girl's side. "First, lower your elbows, you're expending energy just by standing like that. Now, close those legs a little and spread your toes, it should give you better stability so opponents won't sweep you off your feet so easily." She instructed and explained.

"Hai, hai." Asuka responded in a serious tone as she did as instructed.

"Now, guarding stance." Miyabi began as she imitated the stance the brunette went into from the sparring match. "Hm...you're stiff. Earth may be your element, but you still need to move out of the way. Relax a little, be prepared to move at mo-" She then stated and informed before...

WHOOSH!

"WAH!" Asuka yelped, stepping to the side. She barely got out of the way of the katana before it sliced up her real clothes.

"That's it." Miyabi got out in a proud tone as she raised her katana in the air. "Now, I'm gonna try and chop you to pieces. Decide whether you'll block or dodge." She then informed with a sweet smile.

"Don't you have training swords?" Asuka however asked.

"Nope. Consider it motivation." Miyabi replied before going for an attack.

"Eep!" Asuka yelped as she instinctively dodged the attack...only to be rewarded by a jab to the side, courtesy of the white haired woman's offhand. "AH!" She got out.

"You were supposed to guard against that one!" Miyabi called out. "Your enemy will try to manipulate your movements and get you into an unwinnable position, even if it's just by inches. Don't let that happen." She then explained and ordered.

"H-Hai..." Asuka groaned as she recovered from the attack before going back into her stance.

"You recover quickly." Miyabi noted. "Let's see if you can keep it UP!" She declared before going for another swing.

This time, Asuka was ready.

Dodge. Dodge. Guard. Dodge. Guard. Guard. Dodge. Guard. Dodge. Guard. Guard. Guard-

"Remember the groin!" Miyabi ordered.

"Eh?" Asuka got out in confusion before seeing a knee going straight for the nether regions. "Ah!" She then grunted as she blocked the attack that would've surely shattered her hips with her shin.

Miyabi immediately smirked at the action. "There you go. Your crotch is now protected. This session is complete." She declared as the two relaxed. "You've done well for this first lesson." She then praised.

"Thank you. Hehe, you would make a good teacher, Miyabi-chan." Asuka giggled out.

"You think so?" Miyabi asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Hai!" Asuka replied with a nod.

"W-Well, I am gonna take over Hebijo...and I probably need a teaching license so..." Miyabi stammered and stated. "...Do I have to go to university?" She soon asked.

"I...I'm not sure, actually." Asuka admitted. "You might wanna call someone about that." She then suggested.

"Yeah...maybe Suzune-sensei could clear that up." Miyabi responded. "I wonder what she's doing right now. Probably drinking her single life misery away." She then muttered.

"Your teacher drinks?" Asuka asked while tilting her head.

"Yeah, but only on her days off." Miyabi replied. "And...I wouldn't blame her. There are some real psychos at Hebijo that require alcohol to deal with."

"Huh, I wonder if my friends cause that for Kiriya-sensei." Asuka soon asked.

"...You have a male for a teacher?" Miyabi questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Hanzō Academy is co-ed." Asuka informed.

"...There are male shinobi other than your grandfather?" Miyabi muttered in disbelief.

"Erm...most of them are girls..." Asuka awkwardly corrected. "Jii-chan told me it only recently became co-ed when I applied for Hanzō." She sheepishly revealed. "Well, I didn't apply...he applied for me." She then revealed.

"I can see that. Everyone would expect you to do well having someone like the Legendary Shinobi as their grandfather." Miyabi assumed with a nod. "It's the same for me with my own father." She then reminded.

"But you wanna uphold it." Asuka countered, surprising the white haired woman. "For me though, I wanna make my own legacy." She then declared.

"Well...there's nothing bad about that." Miyabi had to admit, slightly surprised to the declaration. "But you're gonna have to be stronger, and do more than him." She then instructed and advised.

"Isn't that what we're doing now as the Phantom Thieves?" Asuka pointed out.

"I doubt we can tell anyone, even after we're past our primes." Miyabi reminded.

"I know, but it's a legacy nonetheless." Asuka replied as she then smiled. "But it would be nice to have something more...known." She then admitted.

"Well, a shinobi's best weapon is their anonymity and secrets so that would be detrimental to becoming the strongest shinobi..." Miyabi reminded and recited before smirking in amusement. "Which is completely ironic considering your job...or you're just flying in the face of the system itself. Either way, just don't get burned." She then added and advised.

"I won't. Thanks, Miyabi-sensei." Asuka replied in a grateful manner.

BANG!

"S-Sensei!?" Miyabi repeated in shock with a blush on her face.

"Well, Homu-neechan calls Yumi-chan senpai and since you're teaching me, I felt like sensei would be more appropriate." Asuka soon explained with a smile.

Miyabi's blush soon became scarlet to that. "E-Erm, I-I guess you can call me that for a while..." She mumbled out while scratching her cheek.

"You're really easily flattered, huh Miyabi-sensei." Asuka giggled out.

"W-Well, your compliments aren't like the I Heart Miyabi Militia..." Miyabi awkwardly responded. "It feels...nicer..." She then confessed.

"You're welcome." Asuka responded with a smile.

"Okay, time for hand-to-hand." Miyabi soon instructed. "We can't always rely on our weapons. Sometimes your opponent only deserves a beatdown." She then explained.

"I feel pretty confident about my hand-to-hand." Asuka admitted as she rolled her shoulders.

"Well, it's never bad to test and keep your skills up." Miyabi stated as she cracked her knuckles.

"Hai." Asuka agreed with a nod.

"Just remember though, I won't be going easy on you." Miyabi soon stated while crossing her arms over her chest.

"I wouldn't have it any other- AH!" Asuka happily got out...right before being socked in the face.

"And your next lesson is situational awareness and reaction times." Miyabi stated.

Asuka in response nodded as she wiped away the blood from her nose. "Hai, sensei!" She responded, getting to her feet and readying herself once more.

"Oi, don't waste time getting on your feet and cleaning yourself up. I could've stabbed you while you were on the ground." Miyabi scolded. "Kick my shin, headbutt my stomach. Come on, this isn't ametuer hour." She then ordered.

"H-" Asuka began to respond...only to attack instead.

Miyabi soon smirked at that action while grabbing her fist. "Not bad...my student." She confessed in approval...before swiping the legs.

THUD!

"Omph!" Asuka grunted while landing on her side.

"You still have a lot to learn." Miyabi breathed out. "Luckily for you, I'm your sensei, so you better put it to good use." She then said with a confident smile.

The Vice Leader was soon on one knee as she looked up at the white haired woman. "Hai, Miyabi-sensei." Asuka responded with a nod with a serious expression on her face.

The white haired woman meanwhile nodded as she looked at the kneeling girl in front of her. "When I'm done with you, your darkness will become one of your strengths, just like mine." Miyabi thought to herself, her yellow eyes aglow in the darkness before they went for another round.


(Shujin Academy, Classroom Building 2F Hallway)

After putting out the fire (one of the boys thought it would be a fun prank to light a bag of dog poop in the girls' bathroom), Homura couldn't help but admire how...peaceful the school was when it was practically. There was a teacher here and there since school was starting up in a few days, but it was mostly quiet.

Homura was walking down the hallway as she stretched her arm above her head. "I'm surprised they still haven't cleaned this place, haven't they?" She remarked with a small smile. Looks like Principal Bakedballs never got around to it.

At that moment however...

"H-Homura-senpai!" A familiar voice squeaked out before.

CRASH!

"Hitomi?" Homura got out in confusion as she turned to see her committee advisor on the ground, possibly from tripping.

"Ow..." Hitomi groaned in pain as she laid face down on the floor. Unlike the tan skinned girl, she was dressed in her uniform.

"Are you ok?" Homura soon asked as she went to her side to assist her.

"Y-Yes...I'm alright, senpai..." Hitomi replied embarrassingly as she rubbed the back of her head.

"Good." Homura replied with a smile and a nod as she then dusted the girl off. "Uh, sorry I wasn't here all summer. I was pretty busy with some family stuff. I'm done now though, so I'm just here to make sure everything's in order before school starts." She explained.

"I-I'm doing that...as well..." Hitomi replied as she nodded. "I-I-I'm glad y-you're h-h-here though. I wanted to speak to you." She then added.

"Hm? About what?" Homura soon asked the two walked the halls together.

"W-Well..." Hitomi stammered out."A-Are w-we c-considered f-f-friends?" She soon meekly asked.

Homura however raised an eyebrow to that question. "Uh, of course. Why wouldn't we be?" She responded in confusion.

"W-Well...you know...Um..." Hitomi stammered out as she started to hyperventilate. "I-Ineedtogotothebathroom!" She exclaimed before dashing off.

"H-Hitomi!" Homura called out as she went off after her.


(Girl's Bathroom)

Hitomi runs into one of the stalls and pulls down her panties as she relieves herself while the tan skinned girl caught up with her and stood outside of her stall.

"Have you calmed down?" Homura soon asked.

"Y-Yeah, I'm feeling better." Hitomi responded. "I-I'm really sorry you had to see that. That was just really embarrassing." She then mumbled as she blushed in embarrassment.

"It's ok Hitomi, but why did you ask that before?" Homura responded and questioned in concern.

"Well..." Hitomi got out as she hesitated to answer her as she flushed the toilet.

"Go on." Homura soon requested.

Hitomi opened the stall door and looked up at her. "Y-You remember that friend I told you about last time?" She then asked.

"Yes, of course." Homura responded with a nod. It had been a while, but she did recall her mentioning that. "Why? Did something happen?" She then asked.

"W-Well...she told me that..." Hitomi mumbled as she looked away, almost like she didn't want to tell her what she was about to say.

"Told you what?" Homura soon asked in concern as she placed her hands on the girl's shoulders.

"That...I shouldn't be friends with you anymore..." Hitomi revealed as she then lowered her head.

Homura's eyes in response widened in shock to hearing that before then narrowed them. "Why would she say that?" She then questioned.

"Because...she believes that you're just using me and you really don't consider me as a friend..." Hitomi replied as guilt was seen in her eyes.

"Hitomi..." Homura got out, offended by hearing that. "Of course we're friends." She then reassured.

"But...she doesn't believe that and wants me to stop seeing you..." Hitomi explained "I didn't want to believe her, but I really had to be sure that you do consider me as a friend." She then confessed as she looked up at her with tears in her eyes.

"Still, why do you think your friend said that to you about me?" Homura soon asked.

"She believes that you're a bad influence on me and I'll be corrupted the more times I spend time with you." Hitomi answered in response. "The same with the other members and wants me to cut ties with all of you." She then added.

"Well, you should know better than to be deceived by their lies." Homura responded in a wise tone.

"I know, but she said the same thing to me." Hitomi replied. "I wasn't sure who to believe in and I had to see who was really telling me the truth. I just don't know who to believe now..." She walked over to the vanity and looked at herself in the mirror.

SMOOSH!

Suddenly the tan skinned girl went and hugged her committee member from behind, pressing her breasts against her back. "H-Homura-senpai!?" Hitomi stammered out.

"It's alright, I'm here for you." Homura reassured her "You don't have to feel worried about me not considering you as a friend. Because to me, you are my friend and nothing can change that." She soon declared.

"Senpai..." Hitomi gasped in shock and surprised.

"Whatever this person said to you, I don't believe that she is your friend in the slightest." Homura soon stated. "If she was, she wouldn't be telling you not to see me or the other members out of fear that we're corrupting you. I don't really believe that." She continued as she pulled her closer to her breasts to make sure that she feels safe and rubs her head. "If anyone is a bad influence, it's the person who claims to be your friend. Just know that I and the other members are here for you, so you won't feel alone." She then explained and concluded.

"R-Really?" Hitomi soon got out after taking in all this information.

"Yes. One hundred percent." Homura responded with a nod.

"Homura-senpai..." Hitomi mumbled, started to tear up again.

"I know it's hard to believe two separate stories from different people, but only you can choose what you really want to believe in." Homura soon began. "Just listen to your heart and it'll show you the real truth. Whether that is the truth is the one you want to believe or not is up to you." She soon instructed. "So, what do you want to believe in?" She then questioned.

Hitomi hesitated for a moment as she looked at herself in the mirror and could almost see it split down the middle.

The left side having the tan skinned girl while the right has her friend, both wanting her to believe the other. While the Disciplinary Committee Head side was more calm and gentle, her friend's side was much more threatening and almost demanding her.

The first year then looked more towards the tan skinned girl's side in the mirror as she almost seemed to be radiating. "Angel..." Hitomi muttered.

"Hm?" Homura hummed out with a raised eyebrow.

"I want...to believe in the angel..." Hitomi muttered again.

Homura however blinked at that as she then noticed her committee member looking at her in admiration. "Angel?" She quietly repeated to herself in confusion.

"Yes. You are my angel." Hitomi soon realized. "The angel I've been waiting for all my life to see. And that is you, Homura-sama." She then explained with stars in her eyes.

"S-Sama?" Homura repeated, surprised to hear that as she looked at her committee member.

"Yes, Homura-sama. My angel." Hitomi got out as she nodded before hugging her back and snuggled into her cleavage.

Homura meanwhile blinked in response, not sure what to say in this situation. She also wasn't sure how everyone else would react to seeing her committee worshiping the ground she walked on and will probably get some weird glances towards her. "H-Hitomi, you don't need to think of me that way. I was just being nice." She then awkwardly pointed out.

"No, that's not true. I was told that an angel would come for me and you have." Hitomi replied with admiration "I wasn't sure if I could find the angel I was told to meet, but there you were. Shining down on me like a beacon of light in a veil of darkness." She then confessed.

Homura, however sweatdropped to hearing that. This...was gonna take some time getting used to.

But she didn't have the heart to let Hitomi go as she can tell that she was hurting in some fashion and this friend of hers was most likely the cause of it. But for right now, she returned the hug to let her committee member know that she is no longer alone.

"I have to make sure I keep being a good senpai to her." Homura mentally decided, feeling her bond with her committee member improving even more than usual.

RANK UP! PRIESTESS RANK 3!

Angelic Recovery: Recovers a moderate amount of HP and SP after a fight.

"Homura-sama." Hitomi looked up at her.

"Hm?" Homura hummed out. "What is it, Hitomi?" She then asked.

"You really are an angel. The one I believed would come save me." Hitomi soon replied. "I always knew that I'd find an angel and I did. I'm so glad that it was you, Homura-sama." She soon confessed as she snuggled into her breasts more.

"I'm...happy you think that way Hitomi." Homura awkwardly replied. "But don't let this interfere with your duties, ok?" She then advised and requested.

"Yes, Homura-sama!" Hitomi responded as she nodded enthusiastically. "I won't let you down!" She then added.

Homura simply nodded in response as the two left the bathroom to resume their patrol before heading home for the afternoon.


(8/30, Evening)

(Hebijo Base)

SLAM!

"Murasaki-chan, I'm here!" Haruka called out with a couple of grocery bags in her hands, which was why she had to kick the door open.

"Hah...Hah...Hah...uuuughhh." A familiar voice panted and moaned out.

The blonde eventually saw the purplette sitting down on the floor using her hands to support herself up while breathing heavily and covered in sweat, her plushie companion, Bebeby, watching her on the side.

"Good evening Murasaki-chan." Haruka greeted as she went over to the purplette. "I brought you some food." She then revealed while placing the bags on the counter.

"Can you...please...put it away for me...?" Murasaki panted out her request.

Haruka in response giggled in amusement. "Of course." She replied with a nod as she went over to the fridge. "I bought more fruits, protein powder, eggs, a cucumber, makeup, black coffee, low fat milk, and white wine." She then informed.

"Eh?" Murasaki responded in confusion.

Haruka blinked before realizing what she was holding. "...I may have looked up the wrong shopping list." She said as she put the wine down. "Ladies in the 1970s must've rarely been sober..." She muttered to herself.

"You looked up a diet from the 1970s?" Bebeby asked with a sweatdrop.

"V-Variety is the spice of life." Haruka responded with a small giggle. "How was your day, Murasaki-chan?" She eventually asked.

"Still have...a long way to go, but...I've been doing great...I think." Murasaki softly said as she pushed herself up into a sitting position.

BOING!

"You look really nice in those new workout clothes." Haruka noted. "I should know. I own that exact outfit!" She then revealed.

"Really?" Murasaki responded in a curious manner before smiling. "Do you think we could work out together?" She soon asked with a starry look in her eyes filled with excitement.

"Ugh, tone it down already you frickin' newbie exercise junkie..." Bebeby meanwhile grumbled in annoyance. "It was already bad enough that you were working out all day in that heat wave yesterday." The plushie then added.

"Well, she has lost her stutter at least." Haruka meanwhile pointed out with a smile. "And yes, I would be happy to come over sometime to work out with you Murasaki-chan." She then replied with a nod while giving the girl a head rub.

"Ugh, don't encourage it..." Bebeby sighed.

"Oh? So would you rather her stay as a shut-in?" Haruka however countered while glaring at the plushie.

"Oh hell no, she was a total loser before. She's just using exercise as an excuse to avoid going outside. She hasn't seen the sun in 36 hours!" Bebeby explained herself.

"Moh! I'm making sure my body is physically active...so I'm not pathetic like I was when I came here to Tokyo!" Murasaki declared as she started eating an apple.

"More like just trading one thing for another." Bebeby quipped in annoyance.

"One of these days Bebe-tan, one of these days..." Murasaki mumbled in growing annoyance with a puffed up cheek.

The blonde meanwhile giggled at this interaction. "Ufufu~ Your sister is going to be sooo confused when you head back to Hebijo." Haruka teasingly reminded.

"You...think so?" Murasaki asked with an adorable head tilt.

"Have you seen yourself? You have vastly improved since coming to Tokyo." Haruka responded in a proud tone.

"She still hasn't gone outside since leaving her room." Bebeby remarked.

"I stepped outside!" Murasaki countered.

"Yeah, during that heatwave where you collapsed almost automatically!" Bebeby reminded while flailing her arms around. "Don't you have a game to get tomorrow!?" The plushie then added.

"..." Murasaki soon blushed in response.

"Maybe that will be your motivator tomorrow." Haruka soon suggested. "I'll even lock you out until you get that game successfully." She then offered.

"Eh!?" Murasaki exclaimed, already shaking at the idea.

"A little tough love never hurt anyone." Haruka meanwhile stated.

"...I don't think that's a true statement." Bebeby deadpanned. "Did you even bring anything to play it?" The plushie soon asked.

"W-When I get...home..." Murasaki responded. "Though I'll try and balance playing games and working out now..." She then added.

"You'll also have to start attending your classes too." Haruka reminded, causing the purplette's head to drop. "Or, better yet, why don't you leave?" She then suggested.

"Eh?" Murasaki got out in confusion.

"Oi." Bebeby meanwhile started.

"I know how mean your sister is. You should stay here and pursue a better life outside of being a shinobi." Haruka soon stated.

"..." Murasaki meanwhile was speechless as she heard this and looked at the blonde. "I never wanted to be one in the first place." She admitted. "You...want me to join the Crimson Squad?" She soon assumed.

The blonde nodded in a more serious manner. "Yes." Haruka replied.

"But...that would mean..." Murasaki stammered.

"She was never your sister in the first place!" Haruka stated as she placed a hand on the purplette's shoulder. "I can be your new big sister. I'll even kill her for you." She then offered.

The purplette soon winced. "...That's going a bit too far, Haruka-chan." Murasaki admitted in an uneasy tone.

"Why? She doesn't care about others." Haruka questioned and reminded.

"Well...she's been through a lot thanks to me..." Murasaki sighed out. "Mostly due to...my power..." She then added.

"Oh, I'm sure it's not your fault." Haruka however denied. "It was probably her's. She really likes to blame others for her problems." She then accused.

Murasaki in response sighed. "Sorry, Onee-chan's just like that without Miyabi-san around." She apologized and explained.

"Excuses, excuses." Haruka scoffed. "You're only making them up to protect your family, when sometimes the family you're born with should be cut loose. I should know, I made sure my father paid for his sins." She then stated.

"...You were like me?" Murasaki realized in shock.

Haruka in response sighed as she calmed herself down. "Not...to the same degree, Murasaki-chan..." She admitted. "It's just that your sister has been putting my friends back at Hebijo through the ringer and really stressing them out." She then explained.

"But that doesn't give you the right to consider killing my fucking sister." Murasaki got out. "Have you even talked to her recently?" She then asked.

"Have you?" Haruka asked.

Murasaki in response shook her head. "No, but I know she's a good person! She just needs someone to care about her." She reassured and explained. "If joining Crimson Squad means betraying my family, you can shove that invitation up your ass!" She then declared before blinking and covering her mouth.

"...Holy shit." Bebeby got out, surprised to hear that from the recovering shut-in.

"...And here I thought I'd actually get to fight you..." Haruka muttered as she looked at the girl's growing confidence. "Very well. I shall talk to her at a later date." She decided with a nod.

"Did...Did you really want to become my big sister though?" Murasaki soon meekly asked in a more adorable manner with a blush.

SMOOSH!

Haruka in response hugged the purplette. "...I think there's room for two in your heart." She responded in a comforting tone. "But I would be the one in charge." She then stated.

"You don't get to choose for her." Bebeby deadpanned.

"Shhhhh..." Haruka shushed the plushie before going back to hugging the girl.

"..." Murasaki meanwhile blushed to the action.

"...Actually I'm curious. What is your weapon, Murasaki-chan?" Haruka eventually asked.

"...Shuriken." Murasaki answered.

"...A single shuriken?" Haruka responded with a raised eyebrow.

"Two big ones." Murasaki corrected, summoning it as her hair began holding and spinning them. As they did, it looked like she could willingly control her own hair in a way that acted similar to hands as the large fūma shurikens spun.

"My...this is impressive." Haruka soon admitted while looking on in awe, causing the purplette to blush. "I was half-expecting the bear." She then added.

"Oi! What's that supposed to mean?" Bebeby exclaimed in offense.

"Well, I thought she would be using the puppeteer jutsu, like me." Haruka confessed as she summoned one of her basic puppets to her side.

"Bebe-tan really isn't part of my battle style..." Murasaki revealed. "I haven't really fought at all..." She then added.

"Right, your report at Hebijo mentions as much." Haruka responded with a nod. "Well, if anything, I can help you fight." She then offered.

"T-Thank you...Haruka-neesama..." Murasaki meekly mumbled with a blush.

BANG!

"Oh good god..." Bebeby sighed.

Haruka's eyes immediately widened after hearing that. Hearing that was just adorable! "O-Oh." She got out while processing what she heard. "It's...no problem. Once you get your game, we can work on it. You will have another week until you have to leave, so it'll be quite intense. I guess I was never going to go on that date even if I agreed." She then informed and stated.

"Eh?" Murasaki got out in confusion.

"Date?" Bebeby repeated.

"Oh...I...maybe he was just being playful or something but...I turned down a date from him for now." Haruka awkwardly revealed.

"So...you rejected a date offer from...Akira Kurusu?" Murasaki innocently asked with another tilted head while hugging the plushie tightly.

"N-Not reject it! Just...pushed it to a later date." Haruka insisted while blushing.

"You really are crushing on this guy hard." Bebeby remarked.

"Y-You'll understand when you meet him..." Haruka mumbled in a more meek and adorable manner.

"Uh-huh..." Bebeby responded. "What did this guy have that caught your attention?" The plushie soon asked.

"Again, you'll see when you meet him..." Haruka responded in a vague manner while hearts came out of her.

"...You need to get laid, lady." Bebeby deadpanned before the purplette clamped her mouth.

Murasaki meanwhile blushed scarlet from the plushie's comment as she looked at her love-struck friend, this making her all the more curious about the boy now.


(Shinjuku, Red Light District)

The boy in question, meanwhile, was in the Red Light District to meet one of his closest allies. He had planned to meet her tonight, and even called ahead but after an hour or so, she still wasn't here.

"She hasn't been picking up my calls..." Akira thought as he looked around. "If she was busy, she'd at least tell me. Where is she today?" He mentally wondered. "She could be late. She is a rather busty person. Should I wait?" He then added to his thoughts.

After a little bit of thought and checking the time, he decided he could wait a little. "Hm, you're gonna stay and wait, Joker? Okay, I'll be going for a walk. I'll see you at home." Morgana informed as he jumped out of the Leader's bag.

"Okay, stay safe." Akira got out as he watched the not cat leave before he pulled out his phone and leaned against a wall. "...Busy. I meant busy." He then mentally corrected himself in an awkward manner while adjusting his glasses.

An hour later, Akira still hadn't seen any sign of the Vice Advisor. Not even a phone call or a text even after he messaged her. She could've at least told him that they couldn't hang out today.

"Maybe I should go home." Akira muttered to himself. He could always see her tomorrow after all.

"Hey dude, let's hang out!"

"Gah!" Akira yelped in surprise before rummaging through his pockets and taking out his phone. "I should really change that. Hello?" He said while placing his phone to his ear.

"Akira-kun! Oh thank god..." Yumi breathed out in relief. However, it seemed more directed towards herself than the boy himself.

The Leader instantly got worried by her tone of voice. "Yumi? What's wrong?" He questioned in concern.

"W-Well, it's not a problem but...I need you." Yumi responded before trailing off.

"Yumi, I'm in Shinjuku right now. Where are you?" Akira informed with a frown. The Leader's eyes soon widened to what he was told over the phone. "Wait, is your debut concert today?" He then realized.

"Hai! A-And I'd like for you to come. Now." Yumi replied.

"Of course I'll come." Akira replied with a smile. "So where is it?" He then asked.

"Harajuku." Yumi responded. "I'm also sending you a backstage pass to your phone. Use it to get access to the area. It should also allow you to skip any queue." She then informed.

PING!

The Leader smiled as he heard the notification. "My phone just got it, thanks. I'll meet you there." Akira then informed.

"Hai, I'll be waiting. See you!" Yumi's voice replied.

"See you soon." Akira responded as he then hung up before heading for the subway.


(Harajuku, Concert Hall Backstage)

Akira was glad to have a pass that allowed him to skip lines because the place was absolutely packed with people. "Yumi certainly has a following..." He remarked as he navigated his way to the backstage entrance. They had two very burly, very mean-looking guards standing by.

"Hey! You can't be here." One of the bouncers said, stopping the boy in his tracks.

"Uh, I'm a friend of Yumi Tsukikaze. She asked me to be here." Akira however informed in an uneasy tone.

"Name?" The other bouncer requested as he pulled out a smart tablet.

"Akira Kurusu." The Leader responded.

"You have a pass?" The security guard then asked.

Akira silently pulled out his phone and showed him his pass. After checking its authenticity, he nodded and stepped aside. With a quick thank you and a nod, Akira ran in.

There were a lot of people around. Some obviously part of the backstage crew, others that seemed to have been on stage only a few minutes ago. Akira had to be careful or else he'll bump into someone and probably ruin something and get kicked out.

"Uh, excuse me? Hello?" Akira spoke up, feeling like a kid lost in a mall looking for his parents. "Can I get some help?" He then called out.

Finally, one of the stagehands finally stopped to help the boy. "Hey, you have a backstage pass?"

"Yes." Akira nodded as he flashed his phone.

"Where's Yuki then? She should've been there to greet you at the entrance."

"Oh, she's in her dressing room." A rather trustworthy-looking man answered before walking up to the boy. "You must be her friend. I'm Inoue, her manager." He assumed and introduced himself.

"Akira." The Leader responded with a polite bow before adjusting his glasses.

"Nice to meet you." Inoue replied with a smile. "Yumi is just down the hall, third door down. You better hurry, it's almost time for her to make her debut." He then informed and advised.

"Right. Thank you." Akira responded with a nod.

Once he found the room, his fatigue finally caught up to him. He had been running all the way to the concert to try and make it on time. If it wasn't for his training, he wouldn't have made it more than a few blocks before collapsing. Still, he had enough energy to knock on the door.

"Hey! I made it!" Akira greeted, sweating and out of breath.

The door opened. Although, it wasn't Yumi who opened it, it was her stylist. The talent herself was sitting in front of the mirror. "Akira-kun." Yumi got out in relief with a smile.

"Hm? Is this the friend you mentioned, Yumi-chan?" Another voice said as she stepped out of the shadows.

Akira's eyes meanwhile became slightly widened as he saw who else was in there. "Whoa...Rise Kujikawa herself..." He thought in amazement.

"Hi." Rise greeted as she held out her hand.

Akira felt a little starstruck but shook her hand anyways.

Suddenly, the singer jolted. "W-Whoa..." Rise muttered in shock.

"Hm?" Yumi and Akira got out in confusion.

"N-Nothing, just...got a feeling is all." Rise replied as she shook her head. "It's always nice to meet new people, especially friends of friends." She then added.

"W-Well, it's...I'm so sorry." Akira panted as he wiped the sweat off his forehead.

"No need to apologize." Rise giggled before the stylist finished up the new idol's makeup and left the room. "Let me leave you two alone." She soon offered with a playful wink.

"Okay. It was nice to meet you." Akira responded, allowing the experienced idol to leave and close the door behind him, leaving the two alone. "Yumi..." He soon started.

Yumi stood up from her chair and stepped forward. "H-Hello, Akira-kun." She greeted, shyly playing with her idol skirt.

Akira soon felt as though he had to choose one of two choices to say about his friend's appearance.

You look great.

I hardly recognized you.

"You look great, Yumi." Akira complimented with a smile.

"That's what everyone keeps telling me but it feels like my outfit will either explode by itself or fall off if I move." Yumi replied. "But I do like my outfit. It's cute." She then confessed.

"It definitely is." Akira chuckled. "Are you thinking about getting it adjusted though?" He then asked.

"It has been adjusted but...I don't know. It feels both so tight and so loose at the same time." Yumi muttered, tugging and pulling on parts of her outfit. "What if it falls off during my walk over? What if it tears off during my performance? I-I think I need the restroom!" She then got out in a frantic manner.

"You seem pretty jumpy." Akira pointed out as he looked at the fidgeting girl.

"Of course I am Akira-kun." Yumi muttered. "My other profession requires me not to draw attention to myself. And now I'm going to go out and perform in front of a couple hundred if not thousands of people. At least Asuka-san only has to deal with a couple dozen at most." She soon reminded.

"That is a pretty large contrast." Akira admitted. "Look, this shouldn't be that hard. You're prepared for this." He then encouraged.

"Then why do I feel like I'm not?" Yumi muttered out. "I've been preparing for this for a while now, and yet all that experience is being forgotten. I think I'm going to have an anxiety attack." She then revealed in a nervous manner.

"I'm pretty sure you're in the middle of one." Akira pointed out.

"Oh, thanks Akira-san, now I don't have to worry about that in the middle of a song." Yumi sarcastically replied.

"Yumi, you've been preparing for this for over, what? Months? You've got this. I believe in you, and if the others were here, they would believe in you too." Akira encouraged before frowning. "...Where are the others? Did you get them backstage passes too?" He then asked.

"..." Yumi froze as the gears in her brain grinded to a halt.

"...You forgot, didn't you." Akira soon guessed.

"Unfortunately." Yumi sheepishly responded.

"Yuki Yumi! You're up in ten!" One of the stagehands suddenly called out.

"Oh." Yumi squeaked. "Oh shit." She quietly swore.

"Yumi, go to the toilet and then head out." Akira ordered before giving the nervous girl a hug. "I'll be there for you. Always. Break a leg." He then encouraged before letting her go.

"Akira..." Yumi breathed out before nodding. "Thank you." She then said in a slightly calmer manner.

"Yep, our equipment is all run on a computer." Akira overheard a technician say. "It lets us change anything in the blink of an eye, no setup time required. Almost no chance of anything failing unless some idiot smashes the lights."

"Dude, we're up to the ears in security. No one's gonna smash the lights."

"You guys are jinxing it." Akira thought with an eye roll before looking around to find a spot to be at so he could watch the debut.


(Yuki Yumi's Debut Concert Stage)

Yumi poked her head out as the final headliner finished her song. There were...a lot of people here. Why were there so many people here? She was just getting started and why were there so many people here for her!?

"YUKI! YUMI! YUKI! YUMI! YUKI! YUMI! YUKI! YUMI! YUKI! YUMI! YUKI! YUMI!"

"And that was Tokino Sora with Shiny Smiley Story!" The announcer called out. "And now onto our main event!"

Yumi instinctually whimpered before taking a deep breath. Her friends believed in her, Rise believed in her, now it was time for her to believe in herself.

"May I introduce to you our latest star, singing her debut song Pretty Prisoner...Yuki Yumi!"

And that was her cue.

Yumi ran onto the stage, met with a hundred cheers from the crowd.

This was it.

She had made it.

"H...!"

And that was as far as Yumi got before stopping.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...She isn't doing anything!" A random audience member shouted out.


(Concert Hall Backstage)

In contrast to the silence on stage, the backstage was...less silent.

"W-What is she doing!?" One of the stagehands exclaimed.

The singer quickly grabbed a headset and began talking. "Yumi? Yumi! Are you okay?" Rise called out in a frantic manner. "Yumi, move off the stage. I can take over while you work up the nerve." She then ordered.

"...ep..." Was the only noise Yumi could make at the moment.

Meanwhile, Akira was equally panicked. He didn't know why this was happening but he knew something had to happen now or else her debut would be ruined.

His mind was running a million miles per hour as he tried to figure out what to do, but two options stuck out to him.

Do something smart. Dive into the crowd and shout encouragement. That was what he was going to do anyways, so maybe seeing him in the crowd would get her to snap out of it.

Do something stupid. It was a plan he just thought of just now and...He really wanted to do it. It was very likely he was going to get arrested but if he played his cards right, it could be legendary. This one was...going to take some work.

After some time thinking (which in reality was only a few seconds), he came to his decision.

"Stupid it is." Akira muttered to himself before dashing off, determined to do anything to help his friend as he pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

"What's up?" The newest member of the Phantom Thieves responded. From what he could hear, it seemed like she was in the middle of a game.

"Hey, Futaba. I have a favor to ask." Akira greeted and requested.

"Oh, I already know." Futaba casually informed, the Leader distinctly heard the clicks and clacks of her mechanical keyboard. "I've been preparing for this for a while." She then added.

"Excuse me?" Akira got out in disbelief.

"Check your pockets. Mona should've slipped in something for you this morning." The hacker said before giggling to herself.

Blinking to this, the Leader did as instructed, soon becoming confused as a result. "What the...?" Akira muttered to himself as he pulled out something he didn't know was in his pocket before. "A USB?" He whispered.

"There should be a computer nearby that connects directly to the concert's servers. Just plug it in and I'll do my magic while you help out Yumi." Futaba instructed, barely sounding troubled by all of this.

"...You're really scary, you know that?" The Leader said, his voice cracking a little.

"Mwehehehe..." Futaba only laughed in response, which only scared the Leader even more. "Now let's go save the show, Joker!" She then declared in excitement.

Akira nodded before glancing at the rack of costumes nearby.

He might need a disguise...


(Yuki Yumi's Debut Concert Stage)

Meanwhile on the stage, Yumi was still frozen in place, her body shivering to all the eyes on her. They were getting restless, waiting for something to happen. However, that wasn't going to last as people were starting to get confused and, even worse, bored and feeling like they wasted their money.

"You know, making her first show a giant concert wasn't our brightest idea..." Inoue admitted.

"Inoue-san..." Rise sighed out as she looked at her protégé in growing concern.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

Suddenly, the lights started to go out. One by one, with the sound of a gunshot and shattered glass following soon after.

"Oi! What's happening!?" One the stage hands whispered from the backstage.

"I don't know! Everything was fine a moment ago!" Another stagehand responded in confusion.

"Someone get the techs on it!" The head planner of their entire concert ordered.

"I'm trying to get it working, but I can't! The system isn't responding!" The technician informed, unaware of the little USB drive plugged into his equipment.

"Why did it have to be now..." Inoue groaned as got out his handkerchief to wipe the sweat off his forehead. This was nowhere near the near-disaster of the Love Meets Bonds festival, but this was beginning to move up to his Top 10.

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

Suddenly, the light came back on, bathing the crowd in crimson and white star-shaped lights.

"The Phantom has arrived!" A distorted voice echoed throughout the speakers with a hardy filled laugh.

Suddenly, a mysterious figure appeared on stage, bathed in the red spotlight.

"Rising Idol Yuki Yumi." The distorted and echoey male voice then began as he smirked in anticipation. "I have come to steal this show in front of your very eyes!" They then declared.

"W-What?" Yumi got out in confusion. This was not in the rehearsal...

Then she got a closer look.

It was Akira. Dressed in his Phantom Thief attire, mask and all...

That is, if it was made out of stuff he found in the costume area.

The mask was blue and more triangular than his traditional bird mask. In addition, he had changed into a suit and tie, with a blazer with a skull and crossbones on the breast pocket. He had also grabbed a long scarf that wrapped around his neck and a pair of blue gloves to complete the look.

The rising idol meanwhile was baffled by this occurrence. "Akira-kun, what are you doing!?" Yumi mentally exclaimed in shock at the display her friend was giving.

"Mwhahaha! You cannot possibly stop me like that! Frozen on the spot. The crowd is on my side, isn't that right Tokyo!?" The Phantom asked in a distorted and menacing tone.

The crowd cheered for the Phantom, however there were some that were shouting their support for Yumi.

"No way!"

"You can do it Yuki Yumi!"

"Drive that thief away!"

"Are they ripping off the Phantom Thieves?"

Akira smirked at this. All according to plan.

"Hm, it seems that part of the audience is with you, however their support is for naught if you do not act, Yuki Yumi!" The Phantom stated. "If you truly think you can beat me, then show me that this world is yours to take!" He then challenged.

"Steal the show back, Yuki Yumi!" Akira suddenly called out, making it sound as though he was in the audience.

To hear the cheers from the crowd, it calmed down the rising idol as she smiled, realizing what the boy was doing for her. "Thank you Akira-kun." Yumi thought in a grateful tone before taking a deep breath. "Sorry about that everyone! This is Yuki Yumi ready to give it my all here and now!" She soon declared in a more cutesy tone while pumping her fist into the air.

"Yeah! Show that fake Phantom Thief who's boss!"

"We love you, Yuki Yumi!"

"Beat that thief!"

"This is the will of the people, is it not? If you wish to defeat me, show me everything you have!" The Phantom declared as he then snapped his fingers.

SNAP!

Suddenly, the sound of a saxophone and guitars started playing in the background. Yumi, with a determined expression on her face and a gleam of inspiration in her eyes, faced the thief and started singing and dancing. The song that was initially planned was gone from her mind, she was singing straight from her heart.

"We're rolling deep into your underground crypt, though they sent a prior notice, calling for you. We wanna make this party, you don't wanna skip. Gonna be a show to remember~!" Yumi sang as she began dancing.

Akira had a smile on his face as he started dancing with her as the red lights began to turn back to blue before vanishing in a flash.

"Who is that!?" Inoue exclaimed before getting out his phone. "Security, search for the Phantom, now!" He soon ordered.

"Oi oi oi! She's not singing the song we planned!" The show planner meanwhile declared in a panic.

"Who cares! She and that Phantom guy are getting the audience pumped up! We'll get him later, just go with it!" The producer however countered in excitement to this. "Backup singers, just follow Yumi-chan's lead. She knows what she's doing." He then ordered into his mic.

The backup singers nodded and got ready. Looks like they were winging it from here.

"Take over! It's time to put you down...Make over! Nothing's gonna be the way you might like...World's over! When you start resisting, should have thought twice, walked on thin ice, and your game's over~!" Yumi sang. Gone was the scared girl from moments before. All that was left was Yuki Yumi, the next rising idol who would take over the world.

"Hey! It's time to put you down! Hey! It's time to put you down! Hey! It's time to put you down! Hey! It's time to put you down!" The backup singers filled in, getting into the groove!

The Phantom then reappeared on stage behind Yumi, always moving out of her sight before being caught as she continued singing.

"You actually believe that you could get away with skeletons in your closet! Don't think so! We gonna reveal the truth out to the public...Put your hands up, it's time to surrender!" The idol was dancing with the thief, keeping him in her line-of-sight as they moved around each other.

"Come on!" Akira cheered out before vanishing once again.

"Take over! It's time to put you down...Make over! Nothing's gonna be the way you might like...World's over! When you start resisting, should have thought twice, walked on thin ice, and your game's over~!"

The Phantom appeared one more time, this time Yumi was ready and they held (finger) guns against each other's foreheads.

Both of them smiling, both of them having the time of their lives.

The spotlight then focused on Yumi, giving her even more attention. "We do not live by your rules, dirty work. Your ego has driven you out of truth. You only played yourself, got no game, serving you right. Say your prayers now!" She sang as she stepped back and snapped her fingers.

SNAP! BOOM!

Suddenly, the pyrotechnics went off, blowing smoke and confetti into the air. And with that, the Phantom was blown away, never to be seen again.

"Take over! It's time to put you down...Make over! Nothing's gonna be the way you might like...World's over! When you start resisting, should have thought twice, walked on thin ice, and your game's over~!"

Akira couldn't help but laugh and smile, seeing the light gray haired girl's Persona dancing on stage with her, though only he and the girl on stage could see it. "You're more than an idol, Yumi. You're a rising star. This stage is yours." He thought.

"Take over! It's time to put you down...Make over! Nothing's gonna be the way you might like...World's over! When you start resisting, should have thought twice, walked on thin ice, and your game's over~!"

"Game's over!" The backup singers sang as loud as they could, having the time of their lives.

"I'll take over...To put you down!"

And, with a twirl and a bullet to everyone's heart, the song concluded.

Instantly, the place erupted into cheers as Yumi waved and smiled at the sea of fans.

This was it. Her first step towards creating her grandfather's ideal world.

Meanwhile in the darkness, Akira smiled and held up a thumbs-up. His job was done.


(Concert Hall Backstage)

Akira couldn't help but rub the back of his head as the security guards ran past him, searching for the mysterious Phantom. "Thank you Futaba." He mentally declared in satisfaction while casually taking theUSB drive from the server before pocketing it. He had dumped the costume as soon as he could, making sure to burn it safely somewhere no one could find until it was too late so the Phantom would only live on through imitators and the internet.

"Akira-kun!" A voice called out to him, causing him to turn to see the rising star walking over to him. He couldn't really tell if she was mad or happy, but he smiled all the same.

"Hey Yumi." Akira greeted casually. "So...how was the show?" He asked in a false innocent tone.

"Please don't act like nothing happened..." Yumi sighed out in disapproval.

Akira in response rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry. Are you mad?" He apologized followed by the question.

The light gray haired girl in response shook her head to the question. "...No. Not at all." Yumi answered as a smile graced her face. "Thank you, Akira-kun." She then got out in a grateful manner.

The glasses-wearing boy couldn't help but chuckle at that. "It wasn't a problem. And Futaba helped out a lot, you should be thanking her. You were amazing out there, Yumi." Akira praised with a smile.

The idol in response giggled in amusement. "You were amazing too, Phantom." Yumi giggled out in a whisper. "You can really act." She then added.

"Who said I was acting?" Akira replied with a smirk. "Had to help out somehow." He then explained.

"Well, I'm glad you did." Yumi thanked her friend as she quickly hugged him tightly.

SMOOSH!

"Y-Yumi! Too tight!" Akira got out in pain. "...Soft." He meanwhile thought, feeling her breasts against his chest.

"S-Sorry. Still excited." Yumi apologized as she released him.

"I could tell." Akira replied with a smile. "You were really enjoying yourself." He then added.

"It was fun. But...you being there made it amazing..." Yumi admitted with a slight blush on her face. "I-I mean, I hope the others don't tease me for freezing up. I know someone will use that as ammo..." She then added.

"Hey, it happens. I heard Asuka was really nervous when she began modeling." Akira then informed.

"I don't think you would notice that in a picture in a magazine..." Yumi pointed out. "But...I want to experience it again. Hm...a shinobi idol..." She soon admitted with stars in her eyes.

"Yuki! Yumi! Yuki! Yumi! Yuki! Yumi!" The crowd meanwhile cheered out, chanting the name without any sign of stopping.

Akira soon grinned in an amused manner as he looked at the light gray haired girl. "So, Yuki Yumi huh?" He repeated the girl's stage name while filtering out the cheering in the background.

"It was just a name I had in my head for a while. Do you...like it?" Yumi soon asked in a more curious manner.

To that question, Akira felt as though he had two choices to answer with.

It's great.

It's cute.

"It's cute." Akira simply answered.

To that, the now-shinobi idol smiled. "Thank you. One more step towards cuteness conquering the world." Yumi soon declared in determination.

"...I just remembered you started doing this because cuteness is justice." Akira got out.

"Hai, but now I want to be an idol as well." Yumi soon confessed. "This may be for my grandfather's world but...from now on, it's also for mine." She then declared.

"Hey, it's your night Yumi." Akira then reminded. "Speaking of which, where did you get the lyrics to that song anyways?" He soon asked with curiosity.

"...Straight from my heart." Yumi soon answered with a smile. "It was a song of my own soul." She then confessed.

"You could call it an Aria of the Soul, then. Or Take Over. I heard that a lot." Akira stated before checking the time. "Sorry, Yumi. But I have to go. Enjoy your show." He then got out in an apologetic tone.

"I will!" Yumi happily replied with confidence as she gave him her brightest smile. "The next song I'll sing will be dedicated to you!" She soon declared as Akira felt their bond strengthen even more than before.

SHATTER!

RANK UP! ADJUSTMENT RANK 8!

Unlocked Sticky Feet!

Affects all party members. Have a 10% chance of not being knocked down if hit with a weakness.

Akira couldn't help but blush a little, flattered by her declaration. "Yeah, well, I'll try and listen to it later. See you around, Yuki Yumi." He replied with a playful wink and a smirk.

"Hai!" Yumi happily replied as she watched the Leader then leave.

"Yuki! Yumi! Yuki! Yumi! Yuki! Yumi!" The crowd continued cheered out.

Yumi couldn't help but smile at the sounds of her fans. After getting a bottle of water and recollecting herself, she pulled out her phone to check the time only to notice something.

"A missed call?" Yumi got out with a frown of concern. She tapped on the notification to call back, only to go to voicemail. "Hm...I'll have to listen to it later." She muttered.

"Yumi, we need you on stage in five!" The producer called out.

"I'm coming!" Yumi called back before turning off her phone and stuffing it into her bag, dashing to the stage as her fans cheered for her.

It was official

Yumi was an idol.


(Shinobi Hospital)

"PICK UP THE PHONE ALREADY, YUMI!" Shiki cried, nearly spiking her very fancy and expensive phone onto the ground in anger.

"H-He's going to be alright, isn't he?" Minori trembled, holding herself and rocking in her seat. It had been only minutes since Kurokage had been rushed into the emergency room but to them it felt like hours.

"Minori..." Yozakura whispered, her voice shaking. She didn't know what to say, so all she could do was rub the girl's back in hopes of comforting her.

"These are the best doctors we have access to and he's always been a fighter." Murakumo responded in a steady tone, her mask hiding her tears. "He'll be...he'll be..." She then reassured...though was still uneasy about this.

A door suddenly opened and a male doctor approached the four Gessen Elites. He looked like he was trying to think what he had to say to them.

Instantly, the girls ran up to him. "Doctor, is something the matter? Is our grandfather okay!?" Yozakura practically begged, tears beginning to run down her cheeks.

The doctor let out a sigh. He had said this many times over the course of his career, but it never got easier to say it all the time.

"We did everything that we could, and..." The doctor began before pausing for a moment. "I...I'm so sorry." He then finished, his pitied look saying it all.

SHATTER!

Suddenly, time stopped.

The world deafened.

The four Gessen Elites' hearts beat still.

It was official.

Kurokage...had passed from this world.


Save Game…Quit!


Asuka/Yin's Social Stats:

Leadership- Mastermind (Level 4)

Knowledge- Professor (Level 4)

Proficiency- Masterful (Level 4)

Diligence- Thorough (Level 4)

Courage- Daring (Level 4)

Homura/Yang's Development Stats:

Maturity- Adult (Level 4)

Knowledge- Professor (Level 4)

Femininity- Natural (Level 4)

Elegance- Gentlewoman (Level 4)

Understanding- Motherly (Level 4)


…So despite my name, I am kinda evil. That was my decision, and I will take responsibility for all my actions. So…yes. Yumi's an idol, but Kurokage is dead and she doesn't know. Expect a visit from Shiki real soon.

In actuality, we're gonna be ranking up a lot in the days before the trip. I am not looking forward to the next Mementos chapter.

UknownHero signing off, my friends.