Author's Notes: Hello yet again, dear readers, and welcome to another chapter! Another chapter of plot and peril and perspicacity, a chapter where we see our next villain in all his terrible wonder, where we get yet another step closer to the answer of the mysteries of the universe (chapter may not actually contain those specific answers or any answers at all)!

But before we get there, we must thank Firion for his aid and dedication on this one, even more than usual, and we must also thank the dedicated souls who reviewed the previous chapter.

UltimateCCC: Yep, the plot thickens, and it's only going to get better from here.

CrimsonDemon666: Thanks! I certainly plan to. In fact, here's a new chapter, fantastic and everything to prove it. Enjoy!

Also, a disclaimer. Regardless of how well I do my research, nothing I portray here is legal counsel or advice on how to do the things the characters get up to. This is a work of fiction and so it is absolutely not a guide on how to perform certain actions or go about behaving in certain ways without consulting a doctor, clergyman, or criminal attorney. Whatever trouble you guys get into if you do choose to emulate what you might read here, it's not my fault.

Got it? Perfect. Let the good times roll.

Snake Eyes

"You have something?" Principal Kobayakawa asked.

Makoto prepared herself. She knew intellectually that she had nothing to be concerned about. She was making a report to someone who she knew wouldn't do anything untoward to her – if anything, she was tipping him off to a possible coming crisis. But between how things had escalated of late and that experience at her window the other night, she was uneasy coming into the principal's office for some reason. She'd felt it since she had the idea of talking to him, and she couldn't pin down just why. Still, uneasy or not, she had a job to do. "I might, sir. It's potentially damaging to some students and faculty here, though."

He threaded his fat fingers. "Hm. That does sound dire. Please, continue."

"It has come to my attention that some students might be victims of a blackmail scheme involving the yakuza."

He came out of his seat in a flash. "They– WHAT?!"

Makoto cleared her throat. "Details are still scarce, but–"

"Find them! We can't afford another scandal. If this gets out… gods, the parents, the investors, the board… how bad is it?"

"I'm still investigating, sir."

Principal Kobayakawa took a moment to compose himself, even though his face was dotted with sweat. "Could this be tied to the Phantom Thieves?"

"As I said, sir–"

"You're still investigating, yes. I'll leave this to you, then – I know it's in good hands." He sat unsteadily. "Let me know if you need any resources. We must get to the bottom of this immediately."

"I don't need anything yet, sir, but I will contact you if that changes."

"I wonder. Do you think these students fell into this on their own? Or were they cornered? What I mean is, could one of the students have been targeting his own classmates? Might one of the teachers have overlooked something obvious and it led to this?"

"I can't say, and I don't even know if the culprit, if one exists here, is male."

He waved his hand. "Of course, and there I go, speculating when we know so little. Apologies, Niijima-san."

"That was all I came to say, sir. I should get back to work."

"Naturally. Thank you for bringing this to my attention."

Makoto left and closed the door behind her. She had a bad feeling about the principal's line of questions. It seemed like he had someone in mind when he was talking about a gateway student for this scheme. That was pre-supposing a culprit, and that was dangerous in cases this delicate.

That image of Kurusu-san came to mind again, fighting against something horrible and alone in the world. Speaking of presupposing and assumptions, did she really know his story? Did anyone? She wasn't sure, but at least she could set one record straight by having him on her side. With so much out of her control, this was something she could do.

So it was good that she'd already made an appointment. They had to see a guy about a scandal.

7 7 7

Akira met with Niijima-senpai in the hallway the day after she met with the principal. She didn't volunteer what the conversation came to and he didn't ask. What a pain, having to get everything cleared by the guys upstairs before you could do anything.

She seemed to have a lot on her mind as she approached, but she also smiled upon seeing him. She was probably just being polite, but he liked to think that he could improve her day a bit with this – that would justify his subterranean mood.

But no matter where his head was or how people whispered and turned away, he straightened. There was work to be done.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

"Let's go."

Ryuji had said that Iida spent his time in the corner of a hall off the beaten track these days, which suited Akira just fine. Fewer ears around would make this easier for everyone involved.

Akira turned that corner and found his man, alone and seemingly lost in thought.

"Hi," Akira began, hemming him in and blocking the main way out. "Let's talk about the trouble you're in."

Iida looked suspicious. "What? What do you want, Kurusu?"

"I want to get to the bottom of the problem that has you hiding here instead of out with the rest of us."

"You're suddenly an expert on socializing with people?"

Akira smiled threateningly. "No, but I do know something about why you're over here."

"You don't know anything."

"I do, actually, and this will be easier if you quit dancing around the issue and work with us."

"Prove it, or else I don't know what you're talking about."

"Okay. I'm talking about the drugs."

Iida went white.

"Drug laws in this country are pretty serious," Akira pointed out. "It doesn't matter if you're caught planning to traffic them or if you're handling them without knowing what's in the package. It's a felony even for students our age, something that'll go on your record for life and keep you from a lot of universities and jobs. Your life is basically over if they catch you, all for one mistake."

"That's how they hooked you, isn't it?" Niijima-senpai asked softly. "They talked you up, made it seem legitimate and straightforward, then caught you on camera. That's why you won't say anything – you can't if you don't want to make it worse."

Iida trembled, asking her, "How… how did you figure that out?"

"He did."

Akira put in, "And I did it because she asked. She and your friends want you out of this."

Iida turned on him. "So she goes to the biggest criminal in Shujin?! Do I have to pay you to keep quiet?! How did you find out about it, were you in on the scam?!"

"Careful," Akira warned. "I haven't said anything to anyone, but if someone finds out from you then there's nothing we can do. Given what you're up against, I'm probably the best chance you've got. And unless you can point to something I actually did, then between the two of us I'm the innocent one."

Iida collapsed against the nearby wall. "I'm so screwed."

"What do they have on you?" Niijima-senpai asked. "We've come this far, you may as well tell us, and I promise you that anything you say stays between us. Whatever you're facing, it'll be much worse without our help."

"It's just as you said," he answered in a dead tone. "It seemed like a simple gig, good money for easy work. I took a few packages to some lockers, made some yen, no problem. But then I carried something that rattled and they showed me the pictures. They set me up with something illegal – the guy outright told me that – and said I had to pay if I didn't want anyone to find out."

"MDMA in pill form," she concluded. "Hard to detect because they look like vitamins. How much do they want from you?"

"A million yen," Iida replied miserably. "They'll release the pictures if I don't pay by the deadline in a few weeks."

"The police would have to take that kind of evidence seriously even if the source is the yakuza," she noted. "Rules are rules."

"Or they might have bribed some police in the first place," Akira suggested. "Call them to make a quick arrest that they set up in the first place. Makes it easier to seem above the law when they can use it as a weapon themselves, and what cop is going to turn down an easy case? And having contacts in law enforcement makes the yakuza seem infallible and ups the pressure to pay. Good PR."

Niijima-senpai looked aghast. "You really think the police would take bribes or orders from the yakuza?"

"I tend to believe the worst in people," Akira admitted dryly. "It's a lot easier that way."

"What am I supposed to do?" Iida asked brokenly.

Niijima-senpai turned to him. "Do you remember the lockers you took the packages to and where they are?"

"Yes."

"Give me the location, and don't tell anyone we had this conversation. The fewer people who know about this, the better it will be for you."

"And then what?"

"Trust me. I'll find a way out of this for you. We'll be in touch if we need anything."

Iida looked at Akira, his disbelief and contempt obvious, but he wrote an address down and handed it to Niijima-senpai. "I'm going to regret this, aren't I?"

"Not if we can do something first," she assured him.

Iida looked at them, then turned and left without another word.

"I don't think he believes you," Akira noted.

"It would be hard to imagine some students being able to get him out of this situation in the first place, wouldn't it?"

Akira shrugged. "Maybe. Do you have a plan to get him out of it?"

"I might. The yakuza would probably keep a close eye on their marks so that no one gets any crazy ideas, but they can't do it too obviously or they might get the wrong kind of attention. This address, it's a high-traffic area so a lot of things can happen and no one would notice, especially if it seems above board. I'm guessing they have something close by where they are working, and it would be important to them to keep with evidence, but they wouldn't be too obvious either." She looked over. "Are you busy after school?"

"You tell me."

"I want to find this place, and another pair of eyes would help a lot."

Akira grunted. "This counts as work toward my freedom, right?"

She winced. "I wish you wouldn't say it like that."

"And I wish you didn't have pictures on me. But all right. If we're doing this, let's do it now."

7 7 7

After school that day, Akira texted the others with a sterilized update. Iida might be a dick but the fewer people who knew anything about anything, the better. He consulted Morgana on some ideas to move forward, more than a few of which he liked on principle, so when Niijima-senpai came to him, he was ready to get to work.

They went into Shibuya near where he'd met that girl and staked out a corner to watch the people passing by. "Here it is," Niijima-senpai noted. "Lots of open space so it's easy to get a good shot of someone, and if they raised a fuss they would catch attention from anyone passing by."

"I guess now we look for places the yakuza might hide their merchandise?"

"Yes," she mused. "Somewhere close by so they can keep people hooked once they take the bait, open enough to not seem suspicious, but off the beaten path because they don't want anyone noticing them and away from prying eyes because it's more secure. It's a balancing act."

"That does narrow it down," he admitted. "You just happen to know that?"

"My dad was a cop," she admitted. "He couldn't talk about his cases much, but he did teach us how to think like a criminal when it was necessary."

In spite of himself, Akira was impressed.

"And not every cop operates the same way," she went on, "or they'd all be too similar and the criminals would slip through their fingers."

"That helps us, actually," he offered. "We can ignore the spots that fit the bill but are on a patrol route or have a police presence nearby. Even if the cops aren't actively looking for the place that fit your criteria, they're still going to notice if things are out of whack – or at least I hope so. The yakuza wouldn't take the chance."

"That's what I'm hoping. I guess I'll watch this side and you'll take that one?"

"Deal."

Half an hour passed slowly as they scanned the passing crowds. The current of humanity drifted and ebbed before them, and yet it wasn't time wasted. While Akira looked out for anyone familiar, he let his mind drift and caught onto certain details of those he watched. That guy's pressed suit that clashed with the slow way he dragged his feet; this woman's nervous twitch as she walked with her hand near her purse; the high school girls nearby who pretended to be worldly and aloof to the male attention they received, yet the facade fell when a couple of guys across the way glanced over nervously. The small details filled in the world for Akira, and he wondered how he'd missed such key points before coming here.

He wondered what he must have looked like with his 'friends' back home, the quiet coaster along for the ride. He nearly spat from the sour taste in his mouth.

A few minutes later his eyes caught on a familiar shirt. It wasn't the same attire as he remembered but the bright colors and garish designs, the visual noise that hit the eye upon seeing it, was as good as a fingerprint.

Niijima-senpai noticed his shift in body language and asked, "What is it?"

Akira kept casual. "That guy in the colorful shirt. I saw him talking to students the other day."

Niijima-senpai watched as the guy steered toward a group of students, then her eyes narrowed. "He's more than he seems."

"Almost definitely, but how do you know?"

"His body language. Look how he's leaning, where his feet are and how his hands move. He's making a sales pitch, but he's pushy. That close, he's all they can see and he's making himself seem bigger to intimidate them, but he's subtle so they're probably not even aware of what he's doing or why they feel like they want to cave in. Salesmen use those tactics."

"That's pretty specific."

"Daddy is… he was a police detective. He taught me a lot. And I've been in martial arts classes before – they teach you about body language and situational awareness. If you recognize him and he's pulling that trick," she went on, "then he's worth following, wouldn't you say?"

"Definitely."

They stayed in the crowd, unobtrusive and blending in as they waited and watched. Akira utilized his skills from 'over there' to dodge attention, keeping sharp while he watched near their target but not the man himself. After several recruitment attempts, some which looked successful, their mark moved away. Down one side street, across a plaza and into another alley he went, stopping at a set of lockers. He checked the corners, went to one locker in particular and set some paper or cards in it, then secured it and walked off.

Akira listed, "Out of the way, tight quarters, not a lot of traffic, and the sort of place people would avoid anyway. This checks your boxes, Senpai."

She nodded excitedly. "I can't believe we've gotten this far. I was sure it would take longer."

"Well, we still have to get into it and see what's inside, don't we?"

"I… yes, you're right. Would you… have any ideas on that front? We can't ask for a warrant or something."

Akira glanced over. There was something oddly cute about how enthusiastic she became, only to be brought up short on something she hadn't considered. He was seeing a lot of sides to her of late, and were it not for the question, he might be more flattered. "What ideas would you have in mind?"

"A way in, I guess."

"This is way beyond the scope of a high school investigation, you know. Even doing what we're doing and why, you're asking me to break into someone's private property. That's how the cops will see it."

"I'll cover for you. This is being done on my instruction."

He scoffed. "The word of a student? What's that going to do for me? You think the principal's going to cover for me just because you're working for him?"

"You can say I blackmailed you to do it. That's the truth, isn't it?"

"And that's going to work somehow? Is your sister going to bail us out?"

She looked at him and pleaded, "Please, Kurusu-kun. I know it's a steep demand and I won't pretend otherwise. But if this is what we need, it will be the last thing I ask of you. I promise."

Akira shook his head, cursing himself for getting into this situation in the first place. "All right."

"Wait, you mean it?"

"I might know a few things, but it stays between us. No one else hears about anything you see, all right?"

She nodded firmly.

"Okay, then you need to be my cover. Work with me when I tell you, and don't ask too many questions." He squared his shoulders. "Let's go shopping. If I'm going to pull this off, I'll need my tools first."

7 7 7

Iida trembled as he hunched over his phone in his room, quiet and with the curtains drawn to block out the scrutiny of the sun outside.

It was over. His life was over.

He kept his cool at school, throttled the panic whenever it came up at the least convenient times, but here at home with his parents out his nerves took over and left him a wreck.

All his dreams and aspirations, everything he wanted to do and the jobs he could get, turned to ash on the wind when everyone else went on with their lives like usual. Mom supporting him all the time, the proud nods Dad gave, Iida stood to not only lose everything he'd accomplished but he'd drag them down too.

Which was why he had to move first.

Meeting Niijima-senpai today was an eye-opener. His situation wouldn't get better on its own, not if he sat on his hands and waited on someone else. And relying on a girl to bail him out, especially when it came to the yakuza? That would get him nowhere. He had to take this by the horns, no matter who else it affected.

And really, why shouldn't he? Hadn't he suffered in silence? His life was dangling by a thread over a pit because of one impulsive decision, all that time with good grades and harmless pursuits made irrelevant because of the yakuza. How was it fair to come after him and no one else? Why not scam the people who really deserved it?

Like Kurusu, who the hell did he think he was? Everything had gone sour since he came to Shujin, from the opportunities Kamoshida-sensei offered that now went nowhere to the grading score to the girls. Iida had tried talking to Takamaki plenty of times and never got more than an awkward hello, but Kurusu and Sakamoto hung around her with no problems like they actually knew her. Like they belonged!

What was worse, Kurusu had discovered his secret. The guy everyone agreed was the worst in Shujin's history knew about him and held the power to topple Iida's life with one careless comment.

He couldn't take that chance. And more, this was the best choice. He might be able to get out of this hole he was in, or at least lower the amount he owed by cooperating.

And really, if Kurusu got in trouble, it was his own fault. It would be coming sooner or later with the lifestyle he led anyway, so this was just speeding up the inevitable.

Which meant this couldn't be wrong.

His fingers shook as he brought up a certain number on his phone and hit call.

7 7 7

"I didn't expect this to include lunch," Niijima-senpai noted a few hours later. "Not that I'm complaining, but…"

"Better to do this when it's quieter on the streets," Akira answered. "This is crazy enough without trying to pull it off in broad daylight."

After stopping at a general store for what he needed, Akira directed Senpai to a streetside cafe. While not of the same quality as the soft cream parlor from the other day, it was still a pleasant way to pass the time. Part of it was so Akira could refer to his phone for what he had in mind and to get his head in the game, but the other consideration was that he wanted to do it in his own time. Rushing any kind of thievery was a recipe for disaster, and he wasn't going to risk someone putting the pieces together at the most inconvenient time. This idea was crazy enough without getting careless or exotic, after all.

The sun was setting when he nodded toward their target. "Let's go."

They moved quietly, and nearly parted company with their skin when a man came around the corner suddenly. He caught sight of them and smiled. "Hey there! You kids just out for a stroll?"

Akira nodded, grabbing one of the lies he'd prepared. "Yeah, we caught a movie at the theater down the way."

"Oh really? Love Possibly with your girl?"

Niijima-senpai put in, "Like a Dragon, actually. The sequel's coming out this summer so I wanted to see the first one again."

"That's a good choice, but a girl who likes action movies, huh?"

She turned uncertain. "There's… nothing wrong with that, is there?"

"Not at all," Akira assured her on impulse.

"Just different," the man added. "And different is good in its own way. Well, you kids be safe – there're bad people around here."

"We were just leaving, but thanks for the warning."

He left, and Akira watched for a second. He was either a lookout or a very convenient passerby, so someone to be wary of nonetheless. But the alley was deserted and there wouldn't be a better time to work.

"Watch the corners," Akira instructed, "but don't make it look like you're watching."

"I'll try."

Akira pulled his 'tools' from his pockets. A CD broken into pieces, a block of wax, a lighter, and some aluminum foil – everything he needed. The hard plastic of the CD served as the backbone of the 'key,' the wax – once heated – made things loose enough to take form, and the foil would retain the shape and grab the tumblers. He didn't have an original to make into a replica, lockpicks were illegal even to own in Japan so he couldn't show Niijima-senpai his homemade selection, and creating a key from a blank through marking and filing would be way too obvious, not to mention that getting what he needed to pull that off would have the cops on his tail in no time. This was all he could do.

And now he had a time limit. Who knew who would come by next, and what excuse could he offer for what he was doing? It was as tense as Madarame's atelier all over again, his heart racing and his fingers shaking and his cheeks in pain from the rigid smile on his face.

He used his pieces and got to work, feeling the lock out and adjusting here and there, a bit each time. One tumbler would move, then another, but then something would slip or tear. He grit his teeth and stopped being so sweet on the lock, jamming his makeshift key in and wrenching it over. The mechanism gave and the door swung open silently.

Senpai came over and they looked at the contents of the locker. Two normal backpacks and some business cards with a number on them, no name or logo or anything.

"This looks important," she noted.

Akira's skin prickled. It was the same sense of danger that he got 'over there' when something was about to pounce with claws and fangs and other unpleasant things. "We need to move. Now."

"What do you–"

"I'm sure that guy will be back soon. Let's grab what we came for and go."

Akira snatched the two backpacks, one that rattled like Iida said and the other that was solid and heavy like it was loaded with bricks. She took the lighter one while he held the heavy one at his side in the alley's gloom. He tried closing the locker door and then swore. In getting the 'key' to turn, it had broken and jammed in the tumbler. An open and empty locker was as bad as an alarm siren.

There was no helping it, though. Akira was familiar with quick improvisation from his Thief work, so he set the door closed, tore off the foil and whatever else might carry his prints, then turned and left with her at his side, trying to look normal while every nerve screamed at him to run. They hit the street right as someone came around the corner at the other side of the alley. "Hey! Who opened this?!"

Akira blended into the crowd and took Niijima-senpai with him, his hand around her waist instinctively as they matched the speed of those around them, letting attention slip right past them in the darkening twilight. Guys who were obvious yakuza soldiers burst from the alley two seconds later and looked around wildly. Akira employed every trick he knew to avoid their attention, trying to seem unobtrusive and desperately hoping Niijima-senpai would do the same.

Only he didn't need to hope. She was moving right with him without any instruction, blending into her surroundings the same way he did and ducking any attention. It would have been hard to see her if he didn't know she was there.

This was how she'd gotten those pictures, he realized – she'd learned his tricks and used them herself. He was both angry that she'd stolen his thunder and strangely proud that she'd followed his example so well.

For a tense minute they moved with the crowd, avoiding the yakuza thugs twice as they combed the area, even grabbing the people right next to them before moving on. But the pair made it to the train station and caught a ride without attracting notice. Only when they were a station away did they let their breath out.

"Guess we know this stuff is important," Akira remarked, wiping the sweat from his face. "No one gets that riled up over nothing."

"You have good instincts," she answered. "You knew how to read that guy before and when to slip away. I would've definitely been caught if you hadn't been there to help."

Akira shrugged. "Just earning my pay."

"Well, you did a good job. With this, we can… actually, what do you think this stuff is?"

They waited until they were off the train at her stop, then went to a quiet alley and opened the packs they'd taken from the locker for a look.

The students nearly fell over.

The first pack contained money. A lot of it, mostly rubber banded. Akira made a quick estimate that the pack contained at least 30 million yen, about half in smaller denominations. That explained the weight – the pack was a very solid eight or nine kilos, around twenty American pounds.

Niijima-senpai swallowed and examined her contents. Pill bottles rested inside, innocuous except for the lack of any safety seals. She opened one and they saw multicolored tablets.

"Unless these are vitamins for kids," she whispered, "I think this is MDMA. We found their stash."

"One of them, anyway," Akira murmured in quiet awe. "What do you think that's worth? There's, what, ten, twelve, around fifteen bottles here."

"That's a lot," she answered. "It's more than I ever thought I'd find. No wonder those guys were angry."

Akira breathed out. "Now what? Giving this stuff to the cops still counts as possession."

"I'll worry about that. Give me your pack."

"What, drugs and cash too? They won't go easy on you just because your dad was a badge, you know."

She gestured impatiently. "I said I'll worry about it. You go home, say you were somewhere else tonight."

Akira handed the pack over, but said, "At least let me walk you home. That stuff will weigh you down."

"It's fine." She shouldered the load, and while she hunched a little, it was only a little. She was sturdier than she seemed. "This is more than you signed on for when you decided to help me. If you have an alibi, the police won't be able to bother you."

"It's dangerous for you to–"

"I'm your senpai, Kurusu-san. Do as I say. I told you I'll handle this and I will." She softened her tone, looking almost… sympathetic? "I don't want you in trouble. Go on, I'll be in touch." She turned and left, not waiting for an answer.

Akira dumbly watched her go, not even aware enough to catch a glance at her hips. She turned the corner and vanished, and he was left with his thoughts chasing each other in circles. It was bemused puzzlement, not cynicism, that colored his voice when he asked, "Me in trouble? Why would that matter?"

7 7 7

Makoto was a mess that night. She'd checked the front door and made sure Sis wasn't around, then rushed to her room to stuff the packs under her bed and bury them behind books and containers. She kept her room clean and free of clutter, so it was a chore to find things to use as cover in the first place. Then she had to let her nerves run their course until she didn't think anyone could see the packs through the cover and her bed the moment that they came in.

She'd never had anyone in her room besides family, and they didn't often invite company over in the first place, but fear was like that.

So it was that after a text from Sae saying she'd be staying at work for a few days to "do some extra investigating," after a bath and dinner where Makoto moved and ate without feeling or tasting anything, she was back in her room to face the main question in front of her: Now what? She'd told Kurusu-san that she would take care of this problem, it was her idea in the first place, and rather than throwing the incriminating evidence in the river she had it in her room. But what was she supposed to do now?

She paced from wall to wall, went through her memories of Daddy's lessons, and thought of major cases for inspiration. Nothing helped. She ran through scenarios in her head on how the yakuza might respond, ranging from the mundane to the malicious and running herself in circles until she didn't know what way was up. Vaguely she thought of telling Sis about everything, getting the advice of a professional. A whisper sounded from her soul, but not loud enough to get past the memories of Sae's last caustic explosion. Instead Makoto set out to do something on her own and worked out her options on her paper pad and pen. There she drew out all the factors and angles she could think of, always on single sheets so there were no indents on the next pages to be read, but in the end she couldn't come up with anything tangible. This territory was too new for her to strike out on by herself, so she'd need help to navigate it.

Except the one person who she knew she could trust was Kurusu-san, and she'd already told him that she could trust her with the goods and plans moving forward. How would it look if she folded on that just a few hours after talking so big? And really, why should he do all the work? She should be able to at least come up with something to offer, only nothing and more nothing came to mind on exactly what that might be.

When her explorations ended only in frustration, she decided to contact Iida. She could at least put his mind at ease and let him know that she had things under control. She grabbed her phone and dialed the number she knew from the student files ala the early stages on her investigation.

"Iida-san? It's Niijima. I hope this isn't too late for you. Excellent. I wanted you to know that I've made progress on that matter we discussed. No, I can't get into the details, it's better if no one knows more than they need to. But I am working on it and I should have an angle on getting you out fairly soon. I'll call you when I have something more concrete. No, it's quite all right, no thanks are necessary – I'm just doing my job. Yes, I'll be glad to get this over with too. But I should go, it is late and– Pardon? Meet where? The day after tomorrow... Yes, I can manage that. You might have something else on your case? When did this come up? Recently, I see. No, it's fine, I'm just surprised. But if it can help you, then I will meet you in Shibuya. Of course. Good night."

Makoto hung up and rested her chin on her fist. Iida had been rattled, probably from the chance of a possible breakthrough. But he'd set the meeting in Shibuya. Why not at school? And he'd jumped in at the last minute with the suggestion, like it wasn't planned in the first place.

A gentle tug on her soul caught her attention. Makoto heeded it. She had no reason to think that Iida would lie to her, but if there was anything off about the meeting then she'd need backup.

She brought up her phone and tapped a now-familiar number.

7 7 7

Akira, Ryuji and Ann waited at the predetermined spot in Shibuya. Yusuke and Morgana were elsewhere, stashing the bags away somewhere that none of them, not even Akira or Niijima-senpai, knew about.

It should be fine, Akira told himself yet again. This was a simple, innocuous meeting in broad daylight. He was there just as a precaution. So why couldn't he calm down?

"Is this going to work?" Ann asked, not for the first time.

Akira gave the only answer he could. "I hope so. She's set on it, so it's out of our hands."

"And Iida insists on meeting with her alone?"

"Yeah. He doesn't like me very much, and if he thinks more people know about his situation, that'll just make it harder on him. He's a dick, but the fewer problems he can cause us or Senpai, the better."

Ryuji nodded, rubbing his leg again.

Akira looked over. "You okay?"

"Hm?"

"You seem off. Is your leg all right?"

"Yeah, it's fine."

His tone indicated otherwise, but right then Niijima-senpai came up to them. "Good afternoon. Are we ready?"

"We are," Akira answered. "Are you? Do you have your backup plans in place?"

She held her phone up. "I have an SOS ready to send to you. If anything goes wrong, that's your signal."

"We're going to be back here," Akira pointed out. "A lot can go wrong in even a few seconds. That's all it would take." He thought for a moment. "Here, give me your phone."

She did, then asked, "For what?"

He flipped through menus and hit a few buttons, then checked his own phone and nodded. "It has a GPS function. I'll track you in case anything goes wrong."

"Oh. That's convenient."

"Make sure we don't need to use it," he instructed. "Or try to, anyway."

She nodded, then checked her watch. "It's almost time."

"Right. Good luck."

"It will be fine," she assured him before walking off.

Akira watched her go, keeping his phone close at hand. Just in case.

7 7 7

Makoto went to the meeting place. Iida approached from the other end of the alley, looking nervous among all the passersby around them.

That made sense given his situation. And the sweating, too – it was hot out today.

"Is everything all right?" she asked him.

"Yeah. You know, aside from everything."

"I understand. But we've made progress, like I said."

"Thanks, Niijima-senpai. This progress, is it big?"

"It might be."

"I guess Kurusu knows about it, doesn't he?"

"Some of it. I wouldn't have made it this far without him – you should give him a break."

Iida made an indelicate sound in his throat. "If you say so, Senpai. So, do you think you've got enough to get the photos taken care of?"

"I think so, but there are still details to take care of."

"Like what, specifically?"

Makoto's instincts whispered, and the hairs on the back of her neck went up. "What information did you have to share with me, Iida?"

A hand clamped on her mouth from behind. She thrashed immediately, but the guy behind her – and it was a guy given the breadth of his chest and the thickness of his arms – had her. She tried to go for her phone but she was squeezed tight and couldn't move. She was gagged and her arms were restrained and cuffed behind her before she was lifted like she weighed nothing at all.

Iida was shoved to the ground and crawled away. It was the guy in the colorful shirt, a cold smile on his face. "Now, don't you look familiar, missy? Clever trick you and your friend pulled on us, but that was a mistake. I doubt you realize just how big of a mistake." He approached and crouched to look her in the eye. "But you will. You might have meant well, but you should have thought twice about messing with us."

7 7 7

Akira watched the mouth of the alley, counting the time. His bad feeling hadn't gotten any better, but he would wait a few more minutes.

Just a few.

One or two.

That was when he saw a woman make the turn into the alley, then stop short and scurry down the street instead.

It was like a red flag. His instincts flared and he bolted to the alley, shoving past people to get a look at where he knew Senpai should be.

She wasn't.

Swearing, Akira ran through the alley and cleared the corner in time to see a guy in a familiar shirt slam the door of a dark car and peel out. He looked to the side and noticed Iida, curled up in a ball and shaking. "Where is she?!" he demanded. "What happened?!"

All Iida stammered out was, "Yakuza."

"Damn it," Ryuji panted next to him. The vehicle was already in traffic, looking like any other. "Now what?"

Ann looked around and asked, "Do we call the police?"

"And tell them what? She'll be gone before they do anythin', even if we knew where she was."

Akira checked his phone, thanking his foresight. Her location was showing on the screen – they hadn't found her phone yet. "We can find her," he told them. "We just need a ride."

"Hm?" someone nearby said. "Kurusu-kun, isn't it?"

Akira turned. The guy from the Wilton hotel, Mamushi-san, was hailing a cab. "Right. It's good to see you again, sir, but we're in a hurry."

"It wouldn't be because of the fellows who just left with the girl, would it?"

"Yeah, how did you know?"

Mamushi-san's face twisted like he'd bitten into a lemon. "They certainly stood out, and they moved fast. To risk a kidnapping in broad daylight, she must have done something serious."

"It's a long story. Did you hear them say where they were going? I know it's a long shot, but…"

"Not as long as you think. They mentioned an establishment I used to frequent: Lotus. The name is common enough, but I stopped going there because the new owners were tied to the yakuza."

Akira showed him his phone and the locator map. "Does this look right?"

"Let's see… yes, that's the right direction. Get in, I'll take you there."

"What?"

"You intend to save that girl, right? That's a noble cause, one I can get behind. And Lotus is a bar – how are minors going to get past the front door?"

Akira conceded that point.

"I'll help you how I can. So get in."

There wasn't time to second guess. The three piled into the cab with him and they were off, following the map on Akira's phone and directing the cabbie. Soon enough they were at the edge of Shibuya and caught sight of the car parked down a side street.

It was right then that the GPS signal went dark.

"This is it," Mamushi-san observed, paying the driver.

Akira got out with the others.

"And it's declined even further," the man continued with a sniff, looking at the facing and decor. "See how the people flinch as they pass or skirt around the door? You can taste the fear. How is anyone supposed to enjoy a good drink when this is going on?"

Akira looked around and saw that he was right. The air of terror around the place was palpable, like a residue left on the walls and windows from the emotions of those around it. Or maybe from those who'd been dragged inside. It was somehow even worse than Madarame's shack. "We've come this far. Do you have any ideas?"

"There's a back room in Lotus that used to be reserved for private meetings. Quite a comfortable place to do business, but there's only one way in that I know of."

"That's where their boss would be."

Mamushi-san gave a smooth smile. "I agree. Well, let's get you in, yes?"

He went through the front doors and they followed. He talked past the guards with ease, and the concierge at the front greeted him like a favored customer. The Thieves kept close as they followed him to the back of the establishment, under everyone's attention, and their skills were paying off as they ducked the staff. Akira minded his steps and kept his head on a swivel, catching a flicker of something in the shadows from the corner of his eye.

Then there was a crash as a tray and glasses went flying. Mamushi-san was in the middle of it, wearing the drinks and shouting at a nearby shrinking waitress and another employee. "What the hell was that?! A change in ownership and your people go blind?! Do you know how much this suit costs?!"

Attempts to mollify him went unheard and soon two guards came over to defuse the situation. Mamushi-san drew them away from the door and the Thieves took that as their cue. They slipped under everyone's attention and got to the door, through it before anyone turned back.

Akira shut it behind them, noticing the layers of padding and sound insulation on this side of it. The walls and ceiling were similarly insulated, and the noise was so muffled that it was disorienting while the sense of fear amped up by the stride.

All his instincts told him that going forward was a bad idea, but there was no other direction available.

"Okay," Ryuji murmured as they approached the next door, the only way out of the hallway. "Now what?"

That question was answered when the door opened right in front of them. Two ripped guys came out, looked at them in surprise, and lunged. The space was too tight to dodge them, and the three Thieves were caught and dragged in by the yakuza soldiers.

Akira thrashed and fought, but it did nothing. He grit his teeth at his own weakness. 'Over there,' this would have been easy, but as much as he'd been working out he couldn't break loose as they were pulled through the doors.

"Rats, huh? Here for that girl? Good – you can talk to the boss."

The three were dragged into the opulent parlor, and compared to the restaurant before this was like being on another world.

At first the room was bright and lined with seats. On each side were mobsters, seated at tables or chatting while standing. All of them were tatted up and dangerous and not one of them was sober. The lines and residue on the clear tables, pills and morphine vials and open liquor bottles – no glasses required – with the heavy haze of smoke told the story. The twitchy looks and bloodshot eyes were the end punctuation to one undeniable sentence: You're fucked.

Near them were hookers or groupies dressed flashy and trashy, cleavage and leg on display even while they had the thousand-yard state of the heavily intoxicated or irreparably traumatized. Their movements were jerky and their voices rasped even as they assessed the three with trained stares. Only Ann was worthy of note, and even then all she garnered was sneers and bitterness or raucous, cynical laughter. They knew what was coming – they'd seen it plenty before.

Further in they were taken, and restrained to the side was Niijima-senpai, squirming against the bonds that held her wrists but otherwise unharmed. She looked at them in surprise, then looked down and away in guilty chagrin. Akira wanted to reassure her, or at least express some relief that she was all right, but then he looked to the end of the line and bit his cheek.

There was the girl he'd talked to a few days prior, only she had none of her class and poise. She was shaking on the spot in a rumpled, puke-stained shirt and skirt, her hair was a mess and she was sweating her nerves out. Her eyes were alive with terror, the kind of undiluted dread that blocked out thought and logic, but despite being near a door leading further into the building, she didn't budge.

And the guy she was staring at was the reason why.

For all that most of the room was a riotous kaleidoscope of voices and vices, the back was clean and almost austere by comparison. Plush but muted couches were set around a simple glass table with champagne flutes and phones on it. Soft lights leant a dim quality to the corner like it was there to avoid attention with everything else going on, and the lower decibels reflected that. The soldiers were threatening, the girls were gorgeous, and all were quiet. In the middle of the couch, set apart like a king before his court, was a short fat guy. His suit was expensive, his hair was slicked back, and he cracked open a carbonated beverage – non-alcoholic, Akira recognized from the brand – and poured it into a glass. The edge of a tattoo on his neck could be seen just over the collar of his shirt, but he was otherwise unremarkable among anyone else in the room.

Except for his eyes. They were dark and polished like black marbles, cold as those of a serpent. They assessed and measured and allowed for no mistakes. Akira shivered as they landed on him, the weight of the power in that look heavy enough to feel in his knees.

"What's this?" he asked in an efficient, measured tone.

"Kids snooping around outside, boss," someone reported. "This is the guy who helped the girl there – we got his description the other day."

"Hm. And they're behind our stuff going missing?"

"That's right."

"He saved us the trouble. Good. I'll get to them shortly. Gina here takes priority."

Niijima-senpai looked over at that name, seeming startled. The girl shook harder as she was dragged forward, looking like she was being taken to the gallows. Akira put together what pieces he had and lunged against his captors. "You bitch!"

Gina flinched, eyes jerking to him in surprise.

"You set this up, didn't you?! You knew who I was and you sold me out! Now these assholes know who I am and it's all thanks to you, right?!"

The mob boss observed Akira's outburst with barely a change of expression. "What's this?"

"She picked me out of a crowd and dropped information about your guys. Treated it like she was being helpful. I thought she was just someone passing by, but it was bait on the hook, wasn't it? Wasn't it?!"

The boss smirked just a bit. "Is that true, Gina?"

Her nods were frantic, so fast they flung her hair into her face.

"Hm. You always were smart, so it makes sense that you'd hook us a good catch. And it has paid off, hasn't it?"

She sagged in relief.

He lifted his drink, sipped it, and set it down, his eyes never leaving the Thieves. "But I don't pay you to be smart, and it backfired this time. If you lift someone's spare change, that costs me nothing. But your mark found our hiding spot and stole my merchandise. My money. That costs us face. Someone has to make amends for that. Other than these kids."

Gina trembled even harder.

He glanced at her with those flat, polished eyes. "Waterworks and some soft love. She still has to work her next shift so don't leave any bruises. And give her a memento so her memory doesn't fail her next time she thinks about being smart." His tone hardened just a touch. "Make sure you don't fall behind on your quota, either."

She whimpered, animal-like and terrified, as she was dragged off between two yakuza soldiers toward the door at the back of the parlor. Akira tried to get a look at her, tried to see any detail of the room beyond, but he came up with nothing.

A third soldier trailed after her and sneered, "Not so hot now, are you Gina? Scared? Yeah, pissing off Kaneshiro Junya, you should be."

Fingers snapped and everyone went still. Gina's captors stiffened and every other back in the room went straight, every mouth clamped shut.

After a painful few seconds, Kaneshiro asked, "Who just said that?"

All eyes went to the speaker. He was white as a line of coke, shaking almost as much as Gina.

"Get her moving. Eikichi, come here."

She went one way and he went the other, almost tripping to the floor twice as he came around the table. Kaneshiro let him stew in his fear for a good half minute, then said, "You wanted to scare her, didn't you Eikichi? When the rules are broken, we need to set an example, right?"

"Y-yes, boss."

"Except I've already done that, and I just said I don't need people thinking for themselves. Why did you do exactly that?"

"B-boss, I…"

"Gina's punishment was an example for the others. Should I do any less to you?"

"N-no, boss, but let me do it! I screwed up, so let me pay it back!"

"I don't need a finger. That's not the right message." Kaneshiro seemed to think about it. "Your tongue, since you wagged it. But don't cut it off."

Eikichi shook, but knelt and pulled a knife from his belt. He stuck his tongue out and sliced down the side, squealing in pain and staining the table red, but looking at Kaneshiro desperately.

To see if it was enough.

The mob boss watched, then pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to his subordinate. "That will do. Clean yourself up and have that looked at."

The man nodded and shuffled off, the handkerchief turning red in his mouth.

"One mistake goes a long way in this business," Kaneshiro noted. "Screw up and bad things will always come back to you."

Everyone nodded, but no one looked horrified or even surprised. It was like this wasn't a new thing to them.

Kaneshiro looked at the four students. "Now. Who are you?"

Before anyone could answer, their pockets were raided by the soldiers or hookers nearby. Their wallets were lifted and their student IDs were shown and photographed.

"Kurusu and Sakamoto," one soldier stated. "Nothing obvious, but they go to Shujin. We're doing business with some of the students from there – all rich kids."

Ryuji went pale.

"Takamaki here, boss," the next one reported. "I've seen her in fashion mags and on billboards. All natural from the looks of it."

Kaneshiro looked her over, assessing and cold without lust or attraction. Ann shuddered.

"And this one's Niijima," the last one offered. "Nothing special in her wallet."

"Niijima." Kaneshiro tested each syllable like her name had a flavor, and for the first time something human shone in those eyes: malice. "Interesting."

The students were given their wallets back, identification where it belonged.

"You're the ones who got in the way of my work," Kaneshiro noted. "Smart of you to find one of our hiding spots, but you stepped on my turf. That was my business you interfered with."

"Your business involves classmates of ours," Akira answered.

"So? What's it to you?"

"General human decency, for one."

Kaneshiro chuckled, even if he didn't so much as crack a smile. "Right, kid. I believe you." He leaned forward a little. "Which is why I'm going to let you go, on one condition."

"What's that?"

"Catch."

Kaneshiro threw someone at Akira, something he caught on reflex. It was a bottle that rattled, and right as it hit his palm he heard the snap of phone cameras going off.

"Got one with all of them, boss," a soldier reported.

"Same here," another said.

Some of the women nearby also nodded, showing their phones. Kaneshiro barely glanced at them, smiling in satisfaction. "Thanks. That'll make for good evidence for the cops. Trafficking laws are a bear around here. I should know – they'd have a sheet on me a mile long if they could prove anything. Which they can't. But you? Upstanding kids taking a bad turn, with no lawyers or connections to save you? That's easy."

Akira tossed the bottle to the couch. He watched his footing since he didn't have any cards to play.

Yet.

"Or this can all go away," Kaneshiro granted. "You can have your freedom back if you tell me where you hid my money and merchandise, and for the low cost of two million yen for each of you."

"Two million?!" Ryuji shouted. "Eight million total?!"

"And you have three weeks to do it," Kaneshiro went on. "Considering what you cost me, that's a fair price." A cruel smile crossed his face. "Lots of people get promotions around this time of year, so start begging for your allowances early. Or get creative with your ideas, it makes no difference. Three weeks, kids. Have it ready. Got it? Good. Now get out, before you waste any more of my time."

7 7 7

Calling the walk to follow 'tense' didn't describe how tight and fragile the mood was as the four walked from the hidden door behind Lotus. Senpai rubbed her wrists nervously, not meeting anyone's eyes. Ryuji murmured under his breath, trying to square what he'd seen and their new predicament. Ann practically quivered with fury, lips moving like she was having a conversation with herself, most likely with Carmen.

Akira tried to keep the shakes under control, but he was failing.

Ryuji was the one to break the silence. "That girl. Gina. You think she'll be okay?"

Akira replied, "It at least sounds like Kaneshiro won't kill her. Beyond that, though…"

Senpai murmured, "To be targeted by Kamoshida and then to end up there. She really does have the worst luck."

Ryuji asked, "Kamoshida? What do you mean?"

Akira snapped his fingers. "That's where I saw her. She seemed familiar, but I couldn't figure out why."

Niijima-senpai looked over. "What do you mean? Where did you see her?"

"You first."

"The school yearbook. When Kamoshida named his victims, I wanted to learn what I could so I looked them up. Miya Gina is her name and that was definitely her, even if she's changed."

Akira couldn't mention the statues of Kamoshida's victims in his Palace. "Impressive."

"What's impressive is the problem we're in because of this situation," Ann growled to Senpai. "We were just supposed to be there to cover for you. What the hell happened?"

"I met with Iida," Senpai answered, "but something was strange. When I tried to get further with him, that's when they grabbed me."

"And now we're on a yakuza boss's list, names and everything. This is great. No, it's gods-damned amazing."

Akira put in, "Knock it off, Ann."

She wheeled on him. "Why!? Because it's her!? Because whatever she does is okay, even if we're going to sink along with her?!"

"No, and it isn't. But keep it down until we get somewhere quiet."

"What difference will that make?!"

"You'll see, but only if you're not yelling by then."

Ann clenched her teeth and followed in furious silence. Morgana and Yusuke found them a few minutes later and the briefing began in strained tones. Akira kept them moving toward a quiet park he knew of in the area.

"Eight million yen?" Yusuke repeated in disbelief when Ryuji was done. "Where is anyone supposed to get that?"

"Nowhere," Akira answered unsteadily. His hands were shaking more now. "That's probably the point."

Ann turned on him. "Well, now we're here. What's your plan to fix this? Because none of us has that kind of money – if we combined everything we have we might buy off one of us."

Ryuji slumped in disbelief. "Ain't like I can pull from my stash or anythin'. It's earmarked."

"Same here!"

Niijima-senpai murmured, "I'm sorry. I'm… really sorry. I wanted… I mean, I didn't think it could get this bad…"

"Senpai, stop," Akira told her.

"I screwed up, and now…"

"Senpai."

She looked up, on the verge of tears.

With trembles running all through his body, he still settled his hands on her shoulders and assured her, "It's all right. Really, this is going to be fine."

"Really?" Ann demanded. "How so, fearless leader? You got a winning lottery ticket we don't know about?"

Akira pulled out his phone and checked the app. There it was. He couldn't keep the laughter down so he let it out. Mania rolled out of him and splattered through his fingers to the ground. It tumbled across the park, ran up the slide and flipped along the bars, rolling and running in the sand around them dressed in all the colors of joyous insanity. "This…this is perfect. It's perfect."

Ryuji looked on with concern. "Dude? You all there?"

Akira reined in his laughter, bringing it back to a grin, and showed them the navigator app on his phone. "Look. Kaneshiro Junya."

The Thieves jolted, looking at their devices and seeing the same thing.

"When did that happen?" Ann demanded.

"When that guy, Eikichi, said his name. We didn't hear anything because Kaneshiro snapped his fingers, but I felt the vibration. This confirms it."

"That's incredible," Yusuke breathed. "It's perfect."

"We need to get out of this problem," Akira counted off, "Miya-san needs a rescue, those idiots at school still have to be saved, and someone like Kaneshiro deserves to go down, right? You all saw how secure he is, how little he cares about the cops. He said they can't do anything to him and I believe it. But we can. We can do all that at the same time."

"How?" Senpai asked.

"By stealing his heart."

The others recoiled, looking at their guest in horror. "Gods, Joker!" Ann exploded. "Say it a little louder, why don't you?!"

"That's a step too far, man," Ryuji agreed.

"She has the potential; Morgana and I confirmed it before," Akira established. "That means another Persona on our side, someone else on the team. She has as much reason to want this fixed as we do – probably even more, now that I think about it. More firepower means we can hit harder and do this faster, which we all want, and we know what we're doing now, right? Where's the down side?"

There was silence around the group.

"Persona?" Niijima-senpai asked quietly. "And you're talking about money and stealing Kaneshiro's heart. That's just a euphemism, right? You can't mean…"

"You saw him," Ryuji brought up like she hadn't spoken. "He was in control of all of those guys, even had that one slice his tongue. You think he's got a heart to steal in the first place?"

"He must," Morgana pointed out, "or he wouldn't have a Palace. His heart might be small or hidden, but it is there."

Senpai looked down in disbelief. "Did… did he just speak? Did I just hear a cat talk?"

"And it sounds like this Kaneshiro deserves it as much as the others did." Yusuke pointed out. "Kurusu is correct that someone this vile doesn't deserve clemency. If we can bring him down, shouldn't we? Isn't helping victims who have no chance or voice of their own why we're doing this in the first place?"

"These stakes are a lot higher than any we've faced so far," Ann pointed out.

"Hasn't each challenge always been greater than the one before? This might not be exactly what we expected, but it cannot be that much of a surprise, either."

"I'll say now that you don't have to come with me if the water's too hot for you," Akira stated. "Or whatever your reason is. This is my idea so I'll face it alone if it comes to that. But I want Kaneshiro."

Morgana and Yusuke nodded. Ryuji scratched the back of his head, and Ann looked to the side.

"You're really serious," Niijima-senpai murmured, full understanding showing on her face.

Akira glanced at their newest addition and went through the images on his phone, switched to Arsene's logo and handed it to her. Rebellion raced through his bloodstream, the promise of power in full flow from his soul.

"My apologies for misleading you, Senpai," he told her in a dark, gleeful voice, "but you were right about me the first time."