Ace In The Hole

by eiranerys

Shido has barred the Shadow Operatives from action for two years. But when the Phantom Thieves appear, Mitsuru decides that they have to take action. Luckily, there's a certain former member Shido doesn't seem to be aware of: Ken Amada. But when Ken meets the Phantom Thieves in person, he can't help but agree with their goals. He can't help but befriend them. Phantom Thief!Ken AU.

37. 36: Gambit

Chapter 36

Gambit

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Sunday, November 13th, 2016

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There was a slight chill hanging in the air, but Ren was far from cold. Ren pulled Anne closer to him, burying his nose into her hair with a content sigh.

"Mm…" Anne stirred, before slowly blinking her eyes open. "Good morning, Ren."

"Morning." Ren brushed aside her hair so he could drop a kiss on her bare shoulder. "How does it feel like to be seventeen and a day old?"

Anne just rolled her eyes at him before lightly pushing him away. She poked him in the cheek.

"Down boy. You can hear the customers too, can't you?" she said with a smirk.

"Fiiine..." Ren sighed out before giving her a quick kiss.

"Even if the shop had no customers right now, I don't think Boss would be happy to hear us, anyways," Anne quipped before she rolled out of bed.

Ren watched her with half-lidded eyes as she dressed. It was almost like a reverse strip tease. He pondered on what to do today as Anne slipped on her undergarments. Maybe he'd check around and see if he'll bump into anyone.

"Any big plans with Shiho?" he asked as she shimmied into her tights.

Anne let out a thoughtful hum, as she slid on her black undershirt.

"Probably getting a crepe. Maybe we'll go to Inokashira Park, I don't know. We might just wing it," she said with a small smile as she slipped on her varsity jacket and zipped it up.

"Sometimes those are the best hang outs," Ren commented.

Anne then picked up his boxers and threw it at his face. He sputtered as he pulled them off.

"What was that for?!" he complained.

"For just lounging in bed and giving me bedroom eyes," Anne huffed out as she began to pull her hair into her trademark twin pigtails. "Don't think I don't see you, mister."

Ren just cracked a grin.

"It's not my fault that you're so breathtakingly beautiful that I can't keep my eyes off of you for a second."

"Jeez!" Anne huffed even as her cheeks started to redden.

She was just too cute when he teased her.

"How do you say those things with such a straight face?!"

"Trade secret, I'm afraid," he said with a wink.

"Fine, keep your secrets then," Anne said dryly, before she narrowed her eyes at Ren. "And get dressed already!"

Ren just cracked a grin before pulling on his boxers.

"Methinks the lady doth protest much." He chuckled.

She huffed. "Methinks the lady will smack the gentleman if he doesn't stop being a little shit."

After Ren got dressed, they took turns to freshen up. And then they came out and sat at the bar. Fortunately, the customers they had heard earlier had left.

"So, how strong coffee do you need today?" Sojiro asked, giving the two of them a knowing grin.

"Get your head out of the gutter," Ren drawled out. "It looks like you're being a little too curious."

Anne just nudged him in the ribs. "Like you wouldn't be the same way?"

"Would not!" Ren protested.

Anne gave him a flat look. "The bet, Ren."

"What bet?" Sojiro asked as he poured them coffee.

Anne narrowed her eyes, pointed a finger at him. "This guy, Futaba, and Ryuji decided to bet on Ken and Makoto's love life. I'm surprised that Makoto didn't kick your asses for that."

Ren picked up the cup, giving it a blow before taking a sip. "Probably since Ken kinda shrugged it off."

He sighed in delight, savoring the taste. Perfectly blended, sweet and most importantly…delicious coffee. He could never comprehend how he went all his life not appreciating it until now.

It was nice, just drinking coffee with Anne. A comfortable, quiet moment before they were quite literally thrown into the lion's den. And as always, the coffee paired perfectly with the curry. He shared a plate with Anne, since she was planning to go out and eat with Shiho later.

"Hey, Ren," Sojiro suddenly interjected. "You want to pick up Morgana before you run off with whatever you're planning to do today?"

He winced, realizing he almost forgot about that. At least Morgana seemed to pick up on that they wanted alone time. It really was a good thing that he went with Futaba last night.

"Yeah, I'll do that," Ren answered.

Ren gulped down the rest of his coffee, which caused Sojiro to make a face at him. (Probably because he wasn't "savoring" the taste.)

Then he leaned over, kissing Anne on the cheek. "Have fun with Shiho today. Say hi for me."

"I will." Anne kissed his cheek too before she hopped off the bar seat and flashed him her trademark sweet smile. "Bye, Ren. I'll see you tomorrow at school."

Ren grinned at her. "I look forward to it, my lady."

Anne blew him last kiss, before she headed for the door.

"You're a complete sap with her," Sojiro stated after a moment, all while giving Ren an amused smile.

"What of it?" Ren raised an eyebrow.

"I'm just saying." Sojiro was grinning knowingly. "So. things are going pretty well, huh?"

"Yeah, you can definitely say that." Ren gave him a grin as well.

He knew he was smiling goofily, but Ren didn't really care. He jumped to the ground.

"But anyways, I'm off, Sojiro. See ya."

After he grabbed his bag from upstairs, he headed to Sojiro's house to pick up Morgana. And since they were due a Palace run tomorrow, he decided to do a little bit of restocking first. Could never be too careful.

First stop was Tae's clinic, of course, since it was right here in Yongen-jaya. He restocked up the medicine they were particularly low on. Thankfully that wasn't too bad on his wallet.

Second stop was Iwai's shop. Ren made a mental note to bring the loot to Iwai sometime, because... damn. Between him and Tae, Ren was surprised that he wasn't flat-out broke. And he didn't even buy weapons. Just guns. Weapons could wait until after they secured an infiltration route.

Well except for Akechi. No point in getting weapons for someone that was just going to stab you in the back.

But now his errands were done, Ren couldn't help but wonder what to do.

He was in Shibuya. Maybe he could see if Ken was down to hang out with him today. While they got to have fun at Anne's birthday party, some down time just the two of them sounded good to Ren right now.

Ren took out his phone to text Ken, to see if he was open to the idea. It was Sunday after all, and he could have plans with Makoto.

Message Sent: Ken

[Ren]: This is the FBI, open up

[Ken]: ...Really Ren?

[Ren]: Can I come over? I'm in Shibuya rn

[Ken]: So I'm just an afterthought now, huh?

[Ren]: Excuse u, I hold my friends very dearly I'll have you know

[Ken]: Uh-huh

[Ren]: So can I?

[Ken]: I'm rolling my eyes at you, just so you know

[Ren]: Welllll?

[Ken]: Yes, you can come over

[Ren]: Sweet, see you in a few!

It was nice that Ken's house didn't blend in the crowd. It was kinda weird thinking that it used to be their headquarters. For one mission, but still, LeBlanc was more discrete. Though Ren couldn't help but notice that the crowd was busy, even for Tokyo.

But Ken was waiting for him near the entrance.

"Hey," Ren greeted.

"Hey." Ken just raised an eyebrow, before he gave an amused smile. "Doing some shopping, I see."

Ren shrugged. "We need to be prepared tomorrow."

"Do you want to drop your things off up at the penthouse before we figure out what we want to do?" Ken asked. "If you hang around long enough, I'm sure Shinjiro-san wouldn't mind you sticking around for dinner."

"Why don't you just ask him?"

"Well, there is texting," Ken said, already fishing out his phone. "Shinjiro-san's shopping for groceries right now."

"That can't take too long, at least," Ren pointed out.

Ken smiled wryly. "If he doesn't get into an argument with the butcher about the freshness of the meat. There's a reason why he usually goes alone."

"Damn, he's picky." Ren shook his head. "But anyways, that sounds good to me. Let's head up."

They rode up the elevator to the penthouse. After Ken unlocked the door. Ren dropped his bag on the couch and Morgana climbed out.

"We have a little cream left—I think," Ken muttered, already heading for the kitchen. "Do you want some, Morgana?"

Morgana practically purred out, "Yes!"

Ken then got out a dish, poured it out for Morgana and let him at it.

"Wanna just go and blow some stress at the arcade? Gun About is great for that," Ren suggested. "Our plans were kinda blown with your class-A jerk of an uncle last time anyways."

"That would be nice," Ken admitted. "Want to go now?"

But when Ken opened the door, someone was standing on the other side. And it wasn't Shinjiro-san.

Well… speak of the devil.

The color drained out of Ken's face completely. "U-Uncle? What are you—"

"I did some digging…" Ken's uncle cut him off. "And imagine my shock when I discovered that this was where you resided. Why have you gone to Tokyo to begin with? It's cheaper to live in Port Island. Aragaki would have no reason to move you out here."

"I..." Ken's expression then hardened. "That's none of your business, Uncle."

"Of course, it's my business!" he snapped out. "You're a member of my family—"

"Family this, family that…" Ken muttered, a dark scowl on his face. "Is that all you care about?"

"There's his reputation," Ren offered.

"Thank you, Ren," Ken said dryly.

"Don't give me that backtalk!" He then scowled, folding his arms over his chest as he said accusatorily, "Kirijo-san gave you this place to live in, didn't she? Why does she favor him so?! Aragaki has done nothing to earn this."

"You don't know anything about Shinjiro-san!" Ken immediately snapped back. "You told me that I was throwing away my life already when I said I didn't want to be under your care anymore! Why put so much energy into this?!"

Ken's uncle's expression hardened. "When did you become such a brat?"

Anger surged through Ren. His attitude was really starting to piss him off.

"You don't even care about him! Don't you dare talk to him like that!" Ren snapped.

"Of course I do!" the older man shouted. "Watch your tongue and show some respect!"

"I show respect to people who earn it," Ren retorted, shooting him a fierce glare. "And you've done exactly the opposite."

"What the fuck is going on here?"

Ken paled at the new arrival. "S-Shinjiro-san…"

"Aragaki!" Ken's uncle spat out.

"Oh, it's you." Shinjiro-san didn't even bat an eye, choosing to look at Ken instead. "Ken, didn't I tell you to take out the trash while I was gone?"

Damn… that was cold.

"E-Excuse me?!" he sputtered out. "I see that you haven't learned any manners since the last time we met, Aragaki."

Shinjiro-san just raised an eyebrow, before letting out a snort.

He then mimicked Ken's uncle's tone. "And I see that you still have a stick up your a—"

"Must you be so uncouth?!" he snapped out, glowering at Shinjiro-san.

"How 'bout you not be an asshole then?" Shinjiro-san then retorted, just folding his arms over his chest.

"You—!"

"You need to get the fuck out of here?" Shinjiro-san deadpanned, before giving a firm nod, "Yeah, you do."

"You cannot force me," he spat out.

"Can I?" Shinjiro-san then drawled out, before he drew out his phone from his coat pocket. "I guess you won't care if I call Mitsuru then, and tell her that you're harassing Ken. She'll love that, especially with the way she dressed you down for how you treated Ken to begin with."

"You—You can't keep pulling her out as your trump card," he growled out. "Just because she helped you with that court case—"

"You didn't give a flying shit about Ken," Shinjiro-san practically snarled out, his eyes burning with anger. "I ain't perfect but who the fuck just leaves an elementary school aged kid in a dorm like you did?!"

"And the life you give him is any better?! He goes to Shujin Academy, a school where the principal let a heinous rapist run amok! You give him a terrible example and you're nothing but a lazy—"

"Leave him alone!" Ken's voice cracked at the last part. "You know nothing, Uncle! You weren't there when Mom died. You didn't care about my well-being. You didn't care one wit. Not before Mom died and not after. You go on and on about how Shinjiro-san is a terrible person, but he took a bullet for me. He's taught me things that you can't learn from a book. He saved me in more than one way and I won't have you just waltz in and insult him... you... you piece of shit!"

Ren actually raised an eyebrow at that, as did Shinjiro-san.

"But—"

"I don't want to hear it!" Ken snarled out. "Get lost! If I have to see your sorry face ever again. I will go to Mitsuru-san about getting a restraining order. I'm sick of you and your attitude. I don't want to see you again! Ever! Goodbye Uncle!"

"Fine." Ken's uncle stiffened. "I hope your choices don't come back and bite you."

There was a silence after he turned and left, but Shinjiro-san broke it.

"Holy shit, you actually swore at your jackass of an uncle." Shinjiro-san then stepped inside, kicking the door shut. He dumped the grocery bags on the coffee table. "Color me surprised."

"Uh... sorry..." Ken scratched his cheek, looking rather sheepish. "I just got mad."

Shinjiro-san just smirked at Ken before ruffling his hair, despite Ken's protests. "Well, I can't exactly give you crap for that. I'd be a huge hypocrite."

"Shinjiro-san…" He groaned out, his hands immediately flying up to pat down his hair. "Ugh, why does everyone like messing with my hair?"

"Dunno why you complain." Ren shrugged. "It feels nice when Anne plays with my hair."

"That's a little different, Ren," Ken deadpanned.

Ren just cracked a grin. "Just saying."

Although this was a good time to address Ken's issues.

"Hey, can I ask you a question, Shinijiro-san?" Ren interjected.

He just got a raised eyebrow in reply. "Yeah?"

"Is Ken a burden to you?" Ren asked.

"Ren?!" Ken sputtered out.

"What kind of question is that?" Shinjiro-san demanded.

"Answer the question," Ren pressed.

"Ren..." Ken hissed out, even swatting at his arm.

Shinjiro-san shot Ken a look. "What's this about?"

"Nothing—"

"It's not nothing, Ken," Ren said seriously as he cut him off.

Ken had always looked out for them. But now it was his chance to look out for Ken. This opportunity had been unexpected, but he was not letting it go.

"I..." Ken then swallowed hard as Ren continued to stare at him expectantly. He started to mumble out, "It's just...I kinda... I'm holding you back. From pursuing what you really want in life and—"

Shinjiro-san thumped him hard on the head.

"Ow!" Ken yelped before he rubbed the spot Shinjiro-san hit him. "What was that for?!"

"For getting that kind of idea in your head, you moron." He then huffed, shaking his head. "You think that I secretly gripe and groan about having to take care of you?"

He looked Ken straight in the eye. That got Ken to stand up straighter.

"Ken, I wanted to be your guardian. I always have. If I could, I would've taken you in right after graduation. And then Mitsuru got into the shit with the government and things got delayed. Mitsuru wouldn't have agreed to help me get custody if I wasn't one hundred percent sure."

"But—" Ken began but got cut off.

"I'm twenty-five, not fifty," Shinjiro-san retorted. "I have time to pursue what I really want. Plenty of it. And besides that, you gave me your mom's old engagement ring."

"That's not much—"

"Don't I get to decide that?" Shinjiro-san interrupted.

But then his expression softened.

"But my point is that... you mean a lot to me, Ken. You're probably gonna make me go gray before I turn thirty, but all of it has been worth it. I started lookin' out for you because I felt guilty 'bout taking your mom away from you. As a way of atonement. But that stopped being the reason. A long time ago."

"Why didn't you..." Ken then stopped short, before he added softly, "You never said anything."

"Ken, I'm not Mitsuru," he deadpanned.

Shinjiro-san then cleared his throat.

"I'm always gonna be shit with words. And you may have a bigger vocab than me, but you kinda suck at this too. Just know this, you'll never be a problem to me. And if you think that I'll just leave you be after you graduate from high school, you've got another thing coming."

Ken looked speechless, before he coughed, "I—uhh—thank you..."

Shinjiro-san cleared his throat as well, before tugging at the collar of his jacket.

Ren snorted. Both of them could be so awkward.

"So… any plans with Amamiya?" Shinjiro-san asked.

"We were going to the arcade, but..." Ken sighed. "I don't really feel like it anymore."

"Wanna just hang out here then?" Ren asked.

"We could stream something on my laptop," Ken suggested.

"I'm cool with that."

"I'll leave you to that then." Then he paused for a moment. "Oh, and Amamiya?"

Ren tilted his head, "Yeah?"

"You tell anyone, and I mean anyone—!" Shinjiro-san glared at him, pointing a finger at him. "You're dead meat and I swear nobody will ever find the body."

Ren just cracked a grin. "There's nothing wrong with telling Ken how much you love him—"

"Shut up, Amamiya!" Shinjiro-san growled out. "Don't think I won't punch your face in—"

"And that's our cue to go." Ken sighed before grabbing Ren's arm and dragging him to his bedroom.

Ren had never been inside of Ken's bedroom. He had kinda thought that Ken's room would be more minimalist. Ken kept his room tidy, but he had a bunch of Feathermen Ranger memorabilia. More pictures of SEES and a framed picture of a younger Ken and his mother, with a beach as a backdrop. A bookshelf was pushed against the wall, crammed with both literature and manga.

"You must think I was being stupid."

"Not stupid." Ren corrected, "Short-sighted, maybe, but not stupid."

"Heh." Ken shook his head before a small smile crept onto his face. "It's kinda ridiculous how happy it makes me feel."

"It's not ridiculous," Ren insisted before leaning against the door, looking at his friend. "So, still intent on sticking to law as a career?"

"Hmm..."

Ren quirked an eyebrow at Ken, "That's not an answer, you know."

"I don't really know yet." Ken admitted, only for him to smile. "But that's okay. There's no sense in rushing into it. And I know you'll have my back, whatever I choose."

Ren just cracked a grin. "Always, Ken."

---

RANK UP! Adjustment Confidant has reached Rank 9.

Protect: Chance to protect Ren from an otherwise fatal attack.

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Monday, November 14th, 2016

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Makoto really hoped that Akechi's hypothesis worked. After school, they went straight for the courthouse. And now they were seating themselves near the front, so Sae would have a clear view of them.

They were forced to sit in three rows, since the rows were divided into four. Futaba and Akechi took the front. She, Ken, Ren, and Anne sat in the middle; while Ryuji, Yusuke, and Haru sat behind.

"So, this is a courthouse," Haru said softly, her voice almost awed.

"Mm..." Akechi nodded. "Though I suppose it's understandable that you're looking about like this. Not many teenagers know what a courthouse looks like."

"I can't help but tense up," Yusuke muttered, rubbing his arm. "I would shudder, thinking about what it'd be like to take the stand... as a defendant."

"Yeah, no kidding," Ren stated with a bitter frown, as his eyes wandering towards the stand.

He must be thinking of when he stood there, as a defendant.

"Ren..." Anne said softly, resting a hand on his arm.

"So that's your sis. Right, Makoto?" Futaba asked, pointing to where Sae sat. "She's overflowing with the aura of a capable woman."

Makoto just smiled slightly.

"Mm-hm." She then pursed her lips. "I hope this works."

Ken quietly took her hand, giving it a light squeeze. Makoto squeezed his hand back in return, giving her boyfriend a slight smile to show that she was grateful.

"Don't you have faith in me, Niijima-san?" Akechi sighed out.

Makoto wanted to say how she really felt but then Ken gave her a quick warning look. Fortunately, Akechi was sitting in the front so he couldn't see her expression. Makoto pursed her lips together for a moment to compose herself before speaking.

"You have been right so far, Akechi-kun," Makoto stated, even though the words were almost like bile to her.

Ryuji cleared his throat. "By the way, what's this trial about?"

"The defendant is a politician accused of embezzlement," Akechi answered.

Ryuji just rolled his eyes. "Dude, layman terms for people who don't spend a gazillion hours studying."

"Oh... it's that case," Ken said slowly. "I read about it in the news. He was using government funds for his own personal use."

"Yeah, I read about it in a magazine!" Futaba nodded vigorously. "He took his mistress on vacation so they could soak in some fancy hot springs! Talk about selfish."

"I see, he was consumed by greed, even though he was quite wealthy," Haru stated, before she sighed quietly. "Much like Father…"

"Haru..." Yusuke sighed out. "You don't have to sit in on this if it dredges up painful memories."

"Yeah, you can step out." Anne nodded with agreement. "Maybe if Niijima-san sees us as a group, it'll be enough—"

"No, I'll be fine," Haru said firmly, but you could hear the smile in her voice. "Thank you, though."

"But man, if he's filthy rich like most politicians," Ryuji suddenly interjected. "Why does he gotta steal money like that?"

"Politicians just... like to take what they see. They see it and they decide it's theirs," Ren said in distaste. "I've been hanging around a former politician and he's probably like... the one exception."

He must have been talking about Yoshida-san. How Ren networked all these allies in such a short amount of time, she'll never know. But he was wise to not name drop him, not with Akechi around.

Ken sighed. "There will always be greedy people, I suppose. They're a large breed, especially amongst the elite."

"Hey, this is a bit weird but..." Anne hesitated for a moment. "What about the Phantom Thief case?"

"Yes, it's a bit odd since she's in charge of that," Haru agreed. "Can she really afford to sit in another case like this? I assume that she has her hands full with the Phantom Thief case."

"She was assigned this case before she was appointed to the Phantom Thieves case," Akechi explained. "Normally, another prosecutor would be assigned to her old case but... Sae-san is a bit of a perfectionist. If I may theorize, she may just view this as another opportunity for victory."

Makoto's hand wrapped itself tighter around Ken's.

"She always has been a perfectionist," she murmured.

"She sounds a bit like a certain someone I know," Ken mused. "She has to be nagged at to take a break sometimes." Then he paused. "…Or forcibly dragged."

He was probably referring to Mitsuru-san. Though they did have to be careful about what Ken mentioned around Akechi.

"But just how are we going to get her attention?" Yusuke questioned.

Makoto sighed, "I sent her a message right after school but I guess she didn't read it."

Like always...

"But if she didn't read it, she might not look for us." Anne bit her lip. "All of this will be meaningless unless her cognition is changed."

"I thought being optimistic was your thing?" Ken questioned.

"I know but..." Anne winced. "Sorry, I just... I'm kinda nervous. We have to change her cognition. We need to get her attention somehow."

"Ryuji, make a scene!" Futaba demanded.

"Hell no!" Ryuji cried out. "Are you nuts?! Do you want us to get kicked outta here?!"

"Ryuji, you kinda are making a scene now," Morgana said through gritted teeth, poking his head out of Ren's bag.

"Shh..." Ren shushed, before quickly pushing Morgana back into his schoolbag, but not without eliciting a yelp from Morgana. "You're not here, remember?"

"Guys…" Ken said quietly before he abruptly withdrew his hand away from Makoto's. "Look."

Sae was staring at them in shock. Then she seemed to mutter to herself, shaking her head. She looked down to the desk, her lips pursed.

"So... that's it, huh?" Ryuji asked.

"We'll be good now. right?" Anne said in a hushed voice.

"Yeah, we'll be allowed into the High Limits thingamajig now," Morgana piped up. "So let's wait out the trial and we'll head back into the Palace!"

The trial didn't last long. Sae was just relentless. The defense attorney put up a good fight but he was just no match for Sae. Not even an hour had passed before the judge pronounced the defendant guilty.

"Holy crap, she's scary," Futaba whimpered out, shrinking into her seat. "I don't want to ever face herhere."

"Guess it's not just girls with Personas who are scary." Ryuji sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yes, Sae-san is quite formidable," Akechi agreed. "Not that I expect anything less from her... but now that we're finished here, shall we?"

They got up and headed for the door. Makoto couldn't help but sigh as she turned to look back at Sae. She didn't even seem to notice that they were leaving.

"Your sister was really surprised to see us, isn't she?" Ken murmured to Makoto.

Makoto exhaled through her nose.

"And yet somehow I'm not," she muttered, before rubbing her forehead, "Come on, we should—"

"Makoto, wait!"

Makoto froze at the sound of Sae's voice, before slowly turning to face her.

"Hi, Sis." She clasped her hands behind her back. "I guess you didn't read my message."

"Actually, I—" Sae then shook her head. "Never mind that."

But she still looked bewildered.

"I don't understand…" Sae trailed off with a frown. "You've never expressed interest in watching any of my court cases in the past."

Makoto pursed her lips. "There's a first time for everything, isn't it?"

Sae narrowed her eyes. "Makoto, is there something you're hiding from me?"

Makoto tried not to wince. Quite the loaded question that was.

"It's nothing like that, Niijima-san," Ken suddenly interjected. "You see, I've been considering pursuing law as a career and everyone knows how talented of a prosecutor you are. Everyone else just came for... moral support."

"Mm…" Sae looked skeptical but somehow Ken wasn't breaking a sweat. He wasn't even batting an eye. "And what path are you thinking of taking, Amada-kun?"

Ken didn't even bat an eye. "Defense attorney."

He looked so calm and confident. It was... attractive, in all honesty. Wait, she shouldn't be thinking about that now… especially with her sister right there.

"Oh?" Sae's voice remained neutral but something flickered in her eyes. "Why would that be?"

"Because somebody needs to take the side of the downtrodden," Ken answered.

"Hm..." Sae pursed her lips before placing a hand on her hip. "Rather optimistic of you. And a tad naïve, I might add."

Ken didn't look offended. Instead, he looked thoughtful. That was odd.

"So I've been told by a certain someone close to me," Ken said dryly.

"E-Excuse me?" Sae sputtered out.

"Ah..." Makoto cleared her throat. "Something the matter, Sis?"

"No, it's just—" Sae shook her head, running a hand through her hair before letting out a great sigh. "No, it's nothing."

"Congratulations with this case, Niijima-san," Ken said as he was smiling politely but there was a glint in his eyes. "Though I suppose it's not a surprise with that record of yours."

Without another word, he opened the door and stepped through.

"Bye, Sis," Makoto said quietly. "Um, will I see you at home tonight?"

Sae winced and brushed a strand of hair out of her face, "I'm sorry, Makoto but I... I have a lot of work to handle still. Especially since I insisted on this case remain mine. You'll be fine on your own tonight, won't you?"

She didn't expect any other answer.

"Of course, Sis."

Makoto gave her a one last wave before stepping outside.

Further down the hall, Ken was leaning against the wall.

"Not the best way to say hello to her," Ken muttered out, rubbing his face.

"You were nervous?" Makoto asked incredulously. "It looked like you weren't even breaking a sweat back there."

Ken just smiled halfheartedly. "Well, I have more than one reason to be nervous. It is the first time talking her after we've started dating."

"...Oh," Makoto said lamely, before she cleared her throat. "Well if it helps... I get a little bit nervous around Shinjiro-san still. Sometimes I feel like he barely tolerates me."

"Nah, Shinjiro-san likes you."

"H-He does?" Makoto couldn't help but feel taken aback by Ken's statement. She gave a small frown. "He has a funny way of showing it. He still calls me by my surname."

Sometimes it was weird thinking there was a time where Makoto had called Ken "Amada-kun" and he called her "Niijima-san".

"And he calls Junpei-san and Yukari-san by their surnames still." Ken gave her a small smile. "And there was a time he called Mitsuru-san by her surname too."

"Really? Haven't they known each other since high school?"

"They have." Ken confirmed, "It wasn't until after Shinjiro-san's... coma that he dropped the pretenses."

"Because he had a brush with death?" Makoto guessed.

"No, it's not that." Ken shook his head. "When he fell into a coma after what happened, Mitsuru-san didn't lose hope. She demanded that the scientists try and find a cure to the effects of the Persona suppressant drugs he was taking, as the side effects... they were slowly killing him. The incident turned out to give them enough time to figure out a cure. When Shinjiro-san found out, he said it was a waste of time. But he stopped calling her 'Kirijo' and switched to Mitsuru."

"Hm… I need to save his life somehow. Good to know."

Ken snorted. "If it makes you feel better, he likes you better than Junpei-san. And Rise-san."

"Really?"

Ken just raised an eyebrow. "Do I really have to elaborate why she irritates him?"

"...Oh."

"Unfortunately for him, she and Fuuka-san hit it off almost immediately after they got to have a proper conversation with each other."

Makoto couldn't help but laugh. "Poor Shinjiro-san. Though speaking of him, you alluded to him back there to set off Sis, didn't you?"

Ken just shrugged. "I figured that Shinjiro-san irritated your sister. He has a talent for that."

"It certainly worked." Then she gave her boyfriend a side glance. "You do realize that we'll have our hands full after all of this, dealing with… telling Sis."

"Oh, god. Let's not talk about that. Not with all the crap we've been dealing with." Ken grimaced, before he shook his head. "Come on, let's go catch up with the others before Ren, Ryuji, and Futaba start betting over what we've been up to or something."

"They really are unbelievable," Makoto muttered, shaking her head.

So they headed for outside, where everyone else was waiting for them.

"Finally!" Morgana grumbled. "Please tell me you weren't—"

"We weren't engaged in that activity, Morgana," Ken said dryly. "Niijima-san wanted to talk to Makoto."

Haru's eyes widened in horror. "W-What did she say?"

"Just about why we're here," Makoto said. "Ken fed her a story that he was interested in law so he wanted to watch a trial."

"Not a half-bad lie," Futaba mused, before giving him a thumbs up. "Good job!"

"Futaba!" Makoto exclaimed, shooting their youngest member an exasperated look.

"Hey, I'm complimenting him!"

Ren snickered at them.

"Okay, okay, enough already." Then he pulled his phone, his thumb hovering over the Nav. "Ready to get to work?"

---

"All right, the door's gone!"

For a moment, the area grew hazy, showing an image of the courtroom. Makoto couldn't help but feel relieved that it worked.

"So this is what cognition control looks like," Akechi said, wide-eyed.

"Dude, if you're shocked by this still, you're in for a world of hurt," Ryuji huffed out.

"Ha-ha, it's just so much to take in," Akechi explained.

Makoto had to repress the urge to roll her eyes. Couldn't have the liar know they were onto him.

"But anyways..." Yusuke spoke up. "Joker, there's a counter up ahead. Shall we investigate?"

"One second, Fox." Ren held up a hand. "I need to pick out the team for today."

Their leader rubbed his chin as he did a once-over the whole group.

"Well, I did promise Skull a slot for today. Queen, you up for it today? Since I used you a lot last time?"

"I'm ready." Makoto nodded firmly. "At your command, Joker."

"And... Panther," Ren decided. "Ready, everyone?"

They approached the counter; Makoto couldn't help but notice the sign above. It flashed "VICTORY OR DEFEAT".

"Welcome to the High Limits Floor, a proverbial gambling paradise," the dealer greeted. "First off, we would like to extend a welcome gift to you. Your card, please?"

Ren drew out the card, sliding it to him.

"A gift of one thousand coins to you." The dealer slid it back to Ren. "Use it well."

"Awesome!" Anne cheered, pumping her fist. "That's one thousand less coins we have to earn!"

"Only one thousand, though?" Futaba huffed. "There's like... ten of us. You should've given ten thousand to be fair! What a cheapskate."

The dealer then gave a bow. "My apologies, but the welcome gift can only be applied once."

"Of course there's a rule 'bout that," Ryuji grumbled out.

"At least it's... something?" Haru offered, "A little is better than nothing, and remember that we had to earn fifty thousand to get here!"

"Thank you for your gratitude," the dealer said. "And to add to that, here is a map to this floor."

"Just like that?" Morgana cocked his head. "Well, I won't complain about any freebies we get here."

"Let's cut to the chase." Makoto stated, "We need the member's card from your prizes. The one to access the manager's floor."

He chuckled, "Well, we do have prizes, but I'm afraid that is not one."

"Whaddya mean by that?!" Ryuji hissed, before slamming his hands on the counter.

Makoto couldn't help but cringe.

He started to shout. "How in the goddamn hell are we gonna get on the manager's floor then?!"

"Skull, inside voice," Ken sighed out. "You don't have to yell."

"You'll have your answer if you look. It's just above the flight of stairs." He gestured to the side, pointing to the stairs to the right.

And there was another flight of stairs to the left. Both conjoined to the floor above.

"Past the door you'll see what I mean."

"This sounds suspicious," Futaba mumbled out.

"Yes, but we need to look into it," Ken said before looking to Ren. "Let's go, Joker."

Ren led them up the stairs and they went through the door. They came across a golden... scale?

"That... looks like a bridge," Yusuke said uncertainly.

"I dunno, man. It looks more like a scale," Ryuji said, scratching the back of his head. "Fits with the whole courthouse, yeah?"

"Or maybe it's... both?" Anne suggested tentatively, twirling a finger around one of her pigtails. "I mean, the dealer said this was the way to the manager's floor..."

"Oracle, can you tell us about anything beyond this?" Ken asked, turning to face Futaba. "I can see that there's an area beyond it but—"

"Gimme a sec, Ace." Futaba summoned Prometheus, disappearing into the orb. "Hmm... oh yeah, I can sense the Treasure on the other side."

"That fits what the dealer told us anyhow," Akechi stated. "But what to do to lower the bridge?"

"There's a machine over there." Haru pointed. "Let's check it out!"

"Hmm—there's a card slot." Ren commented before taking out the card. He scanned it, and then an automated voice spoke.

"Member card authenticated. The required number of coins to activate the Bridge of Judgement is 100,000 coins."

"O-One hundred—" Futaba stammered out.

"T-THOUSAND?!" Anne finished for her, her mouth dropping open. "Just how are we going to collect that many?!"

"It's clear that she doesn't want us to pass," Morgana huffed out. "She keeps throwing up roadblocks. It's honestly ridiculous."

"Hey, why don't we cheat again?" Ryuji asked, "It worked for us before. Twice. Maybe Queen could jump past the bridge and she can lower it from the other side for us or somethin'?"

"I could... try," Makoto said.

Because getting one hundred thousand coins... just how could they manage that?

"Hold on—" Ken began to protest.

"I'll be fine, Ace." Makoto cut him off, placing a hand on his arm. "It can't hurt to try. One hundred thousand coins... that was two times the amount we had to get to reach here."

Ken didn't look happy about it but at least he didn't protest. Her friends backed up, giving her room as Makoto summoned Johanna.

"Good luck, Queen!" Haru exclaimed.

Makoto gave her a smile in thanks, before she revved the engines. She shot forward before she kicked forward. For a moment, she was flying through the air. But then a translucent blue wall flashed in front of her eyes. It glowed a brighter blue before a force threw her backwards.

"QUEEN!" She heard her friends cry out.

Makoto just squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for the impact.

She was suddenly snatched out of the air. When she opened her eyes, she saw that Ken was the one who had caught her, now holding her bridal style.

"Do I have to even say it?" Ken asked dryly.

Makoto huffed, before reaching out to smack his arm. "No."

"I don't know why you're complaining, Ace." Ren was smirking. "You get to hold Queen all cl—OW!"

"Joker, that's enough." Anne said flatly, all while tugging on Ren's ear. "Stop teasing them."

"But it's true—ow! Panther!" He whined.

Ken just rolled his eyes.

"You're really impossible sometimes," Ken grumbled out, before setting Makoto on her feet. "You'd do the same for Panther."

"Would you, Joker?" Anne elbowed him in the side, having let go of his ear. "Ace did look very dashing back there."

"It was very romantic." Haru giggled. "Ace just swooped in to catch you, Queen."

"That's—" Makoto cleared her throat, fidgeting for a moment.

She wasn't ready to freely talk about her relationship with Ken yet. Not in front of their friends. And glancing at her boyfriend, Makoto could see that it flustered him as well.

"S-So, we definitely need to get one hundred thousand coins to pass through."

"Was worth a shot." Ryuji grumbled out, then he shuffled his feet for a moment, before clearing his throat. "Uh, sorry 'bout suggesting that, though. Was dumb of me and you almost got hurt because of it."

"Skull, you were just trying to help," Makoto reassured. "You're not stupid, And as you stated, this kind of method did work before."

"Did you really think you could beat me with such a petty trick?" Her sister's distorted voice rang out before a chuckle sounded. "There will no shortcuts to earning your way to me."

"She really is mocking us." Yusuke huffed out.

"Okay, so...I guess we just play Niijima's games," Morgana grumbled out.

"They do seem to be at a higher stake, these games," Akechi stated. "Perhaps it may not be as hopeless as we think. We just need to double our efforts."

"I hope you are correct, Crow," Yusuke sighed out, rubbing his face.

"Don't you trust me?"

Ken gave Makoto a side-eyed glance before looking back to Akechi and Makoto had to cough so she wouldn't start laughing.

"You haven't led us astray so far," Yusuke admitted.

"Anyways, time's a wasting," Ren said, dusting off his hands. "Let's get started!"

Ren once again took the lead. They eventually came across a game called the House of Darkness. She had a bad feeling about that name.

She could handle Ryuji's class's haunted house because well, they didn't have the means to do an effective haunted house. But this, this was different.

Makoto began to read the rules aloud so to distract herself. "In this game, you will attempt to escape a pitch-black maze."

She hated being right this time. She quickly shook her head and began to read again.

"But in order to escape, you must locate the owner's treasure first. The treasure holds the key to escape. You must bring the treasure to the exit in order to claim your prize."

Sae's treasure…?

"Treasure?" Morgana asked.

"Obviously not the treasure we're looking for, a Palace can't have two of them. It's probably just some trick to get out of this maze," Ren theorized.

"It probably still is symbolized by something that Sae-san holds important, being that this is a product of cognition as you all explained." Akechi rubbed his chin. "I wonder what it could be."

"Do you have any idea what that would be, Queen?" Haru asked.

"It would definitely be easier if we knew what we were looking for," Yusuke agreed.

Makoto frowned as she started to wrack her mind. She honestly couldn't think of anything.

"I can't think of anything." Makoto sighed, shaking her head. "Sorry..."

"I wonder if we could use a torch or some sort," Yusuke mused aloud. "Panther can use Hecate to light it."

Futaba pointed at Ken. "Ace, give Panther your spear!"

"Um—yeah, that's not happening," Ken said flatly. "We're not setting my spear on fire."

"Do you know how much that cost?" Ren grumbled out. "It was far from cheap."

"Joker, we may have to rely on your eyes then," Morgana said, planting his paws on his hips. "You've always been good at finding the right route."

"No pressure there," Ren said with a nervous laugh. "But I'll do my best."

They went inside, only to be met by an attendant. "Welcome to the House of Darkness, our puzzling labyrinth in the dark."

"That's kinda redundant," Ryuji grumbled out.

"Um... why are you out here like this?" Anne asked nervously. "Are you here for a fight?"

"No, of course not." The attendant shook his head. "You are valued participants after all."

"Participants?" Ken echoed. "What are you talking about?"

"You see, the rules on the high limits floor are different compared to the rest of our fine casino," the attendant began to explain. "VIPs are allowed to send substitutes into our challenges. Think of it as a horse race, but the participants are the horses."

"But... we don't have any," Anne said.

The attendant then nodded. "Yes, which is why you are the participants."

"I wouldn't like to be on the sidelines anyways!" Ryuji interjected. "Just watching would be freakin' boring!"

"For once, I agree with Skull!" Morgana added.

"What was that?" Ryuji glared at Morgana.

"Then this all pans out for you," the attendant stated, thankfully breaking up the fight. He had no mouth, but it felt to Makoto that he was smiling. "Do you need me to clarify any rules?"

"No, we got the message crystal clear from reading the rules," Haru said.

"Can we get a clue to the treasure?" Yusuke asked.

This just earned him a laugh. "I'm afraid that I cannot fulfill that request. But best of luck to you."

"Of course we get no hint," Morgana grumbled out before he lifted his chin. "But fine! We'll beat this game! Just wait and see!"

He chuckled, "I look forward to seeing your attempts."

"Hey, I know that Inari said that he wanted a torch but we do have two light users." Futaba said in a hushed voice, "Wanna try it out once we're inside?"

Ken shrugged. "It's worth a shot, I guess. Crow?"

"Hmm—we should take any advantage we can get," Akechi stated, before pursing his lips for a moment, and then he nodded. "Let's do it."

They stepped inside and they were enveloped in darkness.

Panic immediately spiked through Makoto. But then she felt someone take her hand. A familiar squeeze.

"You okay?" Ken whispered to her.

"Queen?" Haru said tentatively.

She realized that her friends were looking at her, as well. But it wasn't judging. She wasn't the same weak girl, who just blindly followed orders. She had friends who cared and loved her. She didn't have to be afraid to walk in the dark. Not when she was walking with them.

Makoto nodded. "I'm okay. S-Sorry, I just... I've never been good in the dark."

"Well you know that I'm not the greatest with the dark either," Ken said. "But anyways, I believe that we were going to test something?"

"Shall we, Ace?" Akechi asked.

"Yeah." Ken nodded.

He stepped away from Makoto, his hand slipping out of hers.

He paused momentarily, before Ken cried out, "Kala-Nemi!"

"Robin Hood!"

There was a flash of light, illuminating the area for a moment.

Futaba suddenly gasped. "Ack! Did you see that?!"

"See what? I was totally blinded!" Ryuji complained.

"Sorry about that," Ken quickly apologized.

"But what did you see, Oracle?" Morgana asked.

"Shadows everywhere! Nnngh... should've known that it wouldn't be easy."

"So, to summarize: we have to walk around in the dark, find something that we don't even know what it is, and avoiding Shadows," Yusuke said flatly. "Am I correct?"

"That about sums it up, Fox," Ren quipped.

"Ugh—why did Fox have to be right about this?" Anne whined out.

"Stop complaining, guys," Ken scolded. "Just standing around complaining won't win us this game."

"We can't even use those light spells," Futaba lamented.

"Hmm... I wouldn't say that, Oracle," Morgana said. "Maybe we can use this to our advantage, Joker, if you're feeling particularly lost, have Ace or Crow light up the area for you. It might help us out if we need to find a vent to continue our way."

"That's a wonderful idea, Mona-chan!" Haru exclaimed, giving a light clap of her hands. "You're so smart!"

"Hehe, of course." Morgana said smugly.

"Ugh—don't butter him up, Noir." Ryuji grumbled out, "He's probably as puffed up as a peacock right now."

"Grrr—shut up, Skull!" Morgana retorted.

"Ha, so I'm right?" Ryuji smirked.

"SHUT UP!"

"I'm putting them in time-out if they don't stop soon," Ken said sarcastically.

Makoto couldn't help but laugh. The pure exasperation in Ken's voice was just... amusing.

"At your lead, Joker," Akechi said.

"Yeah," Ren replied. "Follow me, guys!"

They slowly crept through the maze; Ren would sneak up on Shadows. They would defeat them. But Makoto had no idea what this treasure of Sae's was.

"Ugh... nothing." Futaba groaned out.

"And you can't sense anything, Oracle?" Akechi pressed.

"I just sense Shadows," Futaba grumbled out.

"Hey, there's a door here," Ren said. "Let's see..."

But the room was still pitch black.

"I guess this is a dead end," Haru sighed out.

"Hello? Who's there?"

That voice...

"Whataya want?!" Ryuji snapped out, ready to fight a Shadow at a moment's notice.

"S-Sorry, I just..." The high-pitched, almost childish voice trembled for a moment. "I haven't heard new voices in a long time."

"Are you lost?" Anne asked.

"U-Um, no. I live here. Kinda."

"Wait, are you a Shadow?!" Morgana demanded.

"A Shadow?" The voice turned confused. "Um... I'm a human. I have a big sister. And my dad. But they're both so busy. I wish I could see them."

No… no way. This couldn't be...

This felt like a... a joke.

"Have you ever thought about leaving?" Makoto asked.

She had to remain calm. She couldn't freak out over this.

"Leaving? But my big sister always says the world is dangerous. I need to study hard so I can handle it."

"Study?" Ken asked. "What's your name?"

There was a moment of silence.

"Makoto. Makoto Niijima."

"WHAT?!" Anne screeched out.

"Panther, shhh!" Morgana hushed.

Ken sighed. "But I see now, Niijima-san's cognition of Queen is the treasure the rules are referring to."

"I can't believe this," Makoto mumbled out.

"Umm—what are you guys talking about?" The cognition of herself sounded uncertain.

"But hey Makoto-chan," Anne said. "The world isn't so scary. Not when you're with people you can trust. Don't you want to see it?"

"Mm... it does sound nice. I don't like being in the dark. It's... kinda scary."

"Then come with us, then." Anne's voice turned coaxing. "We'll show you the way, okay?"

"Okay!" she happily agreed. "Oh, hang on...I wanna take this thing my big sister gave me! I want to see it in the light!"

That… was naïve. Very naïve. She honestly didn't know how to take this. When she had thought that Sae would have a cognition of her, she didn't really think that it would actually happen.

She was just so young and hopelessly naïve. Did Sae really just see her as just a little child?

At least she wasn't frightened by the fights with the Shadows. She almost seemed enthralled with them.

"You like seeing us beat up Shadows, huh?" Ryuji asked after one intense fight.

"Yeah! It's cool! My dad used to show me a lot of yakuza movies! My sister doesn't like it though, she says it's too violent. She says I should only use violence to protect myself."

"You like yakuza movies?" Ken whispered.

"I just do, okay?" Makoto whispered.

Ken just laughed. "I'm not judging. Just surprised. Maybe we can watch one together sometime."

"I'd like that," Makoto murmured.

"Can I come?!" the cognition blurted out.

"Cockblocked by yourself," Futaba stage whispered.

"Huh?"

"Please let us be near the end," Ken groaned out.

Fortunately, Ken's wish came true. They found the exit, but it was locked.

"Hey, can I borrow your sister's gift for a moment?" Ren asked and then said, "I think it's our ticket outside."

"I'll get it back, right?" the little girl asked nervously.

"Of course, I promise." There was a rustle as the cognition of herself handed it over. "Now let's see... aha!"

There was a click and Ren pushed the door open.

Light flooded her sight, allowing Makoto to look at the cognition of herself. She looked about seven or eight. Of course. Why did Sae see her a child…?

"Aww, she's so cute!" Anne cooed.

"Simply adorable!" Haru added.

"I just want to pinch her cheeks!" Futaba declared.

"Nooo!" The cognition of herself quickly ducked behind Ken, even using his cape to wrap herself into it. "No pinching!"

Ken just stared flatly at their female friends. He clearly wasn't amused in the slightest.

"What?" Futaba huffed. "We can't help it!"

"Anyways..." Ren cleared his throat before kneeling down. "I believe I owe you something."

Sae's gift turned out to be some kind of locket. Sae's cognition of herself unraveled herself from Ken's cape. She then took it, almost reverently, and stared hard at it.

"That's a picture of Mom," she said softly.

"So, family's been on Sae-san's mind," Akechi said before he let out a soft sigh. "Though I can relate, in a way."

Makoto wasn't sure to make of that comment. But it was hard to tell what was a truth or a lie with Goro Akechi.

"But we're out!" Ryuji said with a grin. "Let's claim our prize!"

"I don't know..." Ken trailed off, a troubled expression on his face. "I can't help but feel that there's something more to this."

"Hey." Ren pointed at Ken. "No jinxing."

Ken just huffed, staring flatly at Ren. "I'm just saying. Keep your guard up, Joker."

They continued forward, heading down the hallway. They managed to loop back to the entrance, where the attendant was waiting for them.

"What?!" He gasped out. "That's impossible! How did you...?"

"Oh shut up, you asshole," Ryuji snarled out. "We won! Now cough up our reward!"

"No, you're not allowed to pass! Not with Lady Sae's treasure!"

"B-But I wanted to go with them!" the cognition protested.

Of course, the attendant didn't listen. He transformed into a... snake? And he wasn't alone. Two blonde women accompanied him, decked out in medieval armor and wielding a sword.

"Joker, I'd avoid electricity attacks if I were you!" Ken warned.

"Damn!" Ren hissed out, "Fox, wait for my signal and switch out with Skull! Until then, stick to physical attacks, Skull!"

"Understood, Joker!" Yusuke shouted.

"Ha!"

Blue shimmered around the snake Shadow for a moment, leaving behind a glowing aura.

"Is that... Mind Charge?" Ken asked.

"Uh...my readings are giving me 'Concentrate', Ace." Futaba piped up, "Either way, it's not good. It's a huge buff for magic spells!"

"That's so not fair!" Anne groaned out.

"Good thing Mona ain't in right now." Ryuji quipped.

It was better to be safe than sorry. Makoto summoned Johanna, racing by her friends. A purple mist escaped Johanna's exhaust pipe, surrounding them and raising their defenses.

Ren seemed to have a similar idea.

"Kushinada-Hime!" He cried out.

An elegant Persona with two green combs adorning her head appeared. Red light shimmered around them, causing power to surge through their veins.

Then one of the blonde Shadows raised her sword. An almighty spell began to form.

"Ah shoot—take cover!" Futaba shouted.

The almighty spell exploded, the force throwing them all back.

"Oooh, you'll pay for that!" Anne summoned her Persona. "Dance, Hecate!"

Fireballs flared to life, knocking down the two blonde Shadows.

"Nice, Panther!" Futaba exclaimed, "That's two of them down! Come on, pass the baton!"

"Get 'em, Skull!" Anne exclaimed, slapping Ryuji's hand.

"Captain Kidd!"

The force slammed into all three Shadows, and Ren quickly cut in.

"Pazuzu!"

The new Persona's eyes flashed a dark purple. The two blonde Shadows started to cower in fear.

"Fox, you're in!" Ren barked out.

"Goemon!" Yusuke shouted, "Take this!"

Due to Anne having powerful fire attacks, they were able to eliminate the lackeys with ease. And they essentially ganged up on the last Shadow. With that strategy, the Shadow quickly fell.

"Damn, that was annoying," Ren muttered.

"He really seemed surprised that we made it out," Haru stated.

"Perhaps he was counting on us not being able to convince her to come with us," Yusuke mused. "But anyhow, we are done here."

"Are you okay?" Anne turned to Sae's cognition of Makoto.

"Yeah!" Her eyes were wide. "You guys were so cool!"

"And to top it off, we're now ten thousand coins richer." Ren announced with a smirk, waving the card at them.

"One step closer!" Morgana declared, even giving a hop of excitement. "Come on, let's find the next game—"

"You're going?" The cognition blurted out, looking dismayed.

"I'm sorry," Ren apologized. "But we have something we have to do. I hope you understand."

"Something to do...?" Then the cognition's expression grew determined, "Let me help! Umm… I can make you drinks. To keep your energy up! My sister likes it when I do that for her!"

Oh, right. There was a time where she would 'mix' drinks for Sae. She'd barge into Sae's room, holding a cup. She would make juices from carrots, spinach, and other vegetables. She really had no idea how Sae would choke them down.

"Thanks, kiddo." Ryuji ruffled her hair. "Be good, yeah? And keep out of trouble!"

"You too!"

But as they left, Makoto could only think of Sae's cognition of her.

"I don't know why you're so shocked, Queen," Akechi suddenly drawled out.

He was hanging back to speak to Makoto, as everyone else but him and Ken were heading for the exit. He wasn't quite smirking but he was pretty close.

"You do have your moments even now," he stated.

"Crow..." There was an edge to Ken's voice now, and he narrowed his eyes at Akechi.

"You do go around, shouting 'Fists of Justice' after destroying Shadows, after all," Akechi said innocently.

That little...! Would it look bad if she punched him? It wouldn't hurt... much.

"Crow, that's enough," Ken said sharply. "You're one to talk, with your laser sword and gun. There's nothing wrong with Makoto having fun with this."

"I suppose." Akechi then tilted his head. "I'm just saying that you do have your childish moments, Queen."

"Thank you for your eternal wisdom, Crow," Makoto said flatly. "I'll catch up in a moment."

Thankfully Akechi followed after the others while Ken hung back with her.

"Don't say it, Ace," Makoto muttered.

Ken didn't say anything, he just waited patiently.

"He just... ughhh!" Makoto pushed up her mask, rubbing at her eyes and then muttered out, "He really gets under my skin."

"I'm sure you're not the only one," Ken stated. "You know that Skull can't stand him."

Makoto frowned, "Is what I do... really childish?"

And she still loved Bunchimaru... She thought it wasn't something to be embarrassed of but she was wrong.

"I think you forget that you're dating someone who's a huge fan of Feathermen Rangers. You like what you like. Don't let Akechi shame you into stopping." Ken huffed, then he took her hand, lightly kissing her knuckles. "You're fine, just the way you are."

Makoto felt herself blushing again. Even though her hands were covered with gloves, the slight brush was enough to send a jolt through her.

"Well…" She then cleared her throat; she really had to stop blushing like a lovestruck schoolgirl. "Maybe you can show me why you like Feathermen Rangers so much sometime?"

Ken's face then lit up, his smile making Makoto feel warm.

"I'd like that," he said softly. "Though we probably should catch up with the others before Joker starts giving us crap."

Makoto grimaced. "You're right. Let's go."

They then hurried for the exit, though Makoto couldn't help but wonder what else was in store for them.

---

Goro was really struggling to keep the facade up. Every time he looked at Amamiya, he could feel a flare of frustration.

After Amada and Sakamoto's words on Amamiya's probation, he had dug into Amamiya's record. The politician that ruined Amamiya's life, it struck Goro as very Shido thing to do. It had taken some snooping around but he managed to discover many things.

One was that his life before Tokyo was essentially in shambles. He had been expelled from his school. And from what he could discern, his parents were ashamed of him and essentially just packed him up and dumped him onto Sojiro Sakura. He had no semblance of a social life, save for this ragtag group of thieves.

He didn't give a shit that people were frightened of him, thought of him as a violent criminal. He was almost carefree when he said that their opinions didn't matter and he knew whose opinions did.

What a load of bullshit.

Why the hell was Amamiya so special? How could he pick up the pieces and just... move on?!

He didn't give a shit that Shido ruined his life. He managed to find a group of friends, so loyal to him. He even managed to win the heart of a beautiful girl. He had no desire for Takamaki, but he had to admit that the girl was quite the beauty and it was obvious that she all but worshipped her boyfriend.

And to rub salt in the wound, Amamiya had Goro beat in the one thing that the ace detective thought made him special.

He had multiple Personas. He had caught glimpses of the Phantom Thieves here and there even before he had officially met them at the TV studio. Even heard that cat talk. But he had no idea just how large of a repertoire Amamiya had.

Sakamoto had phrased it as Amamiya having a 'gazillion' Personas. He managed to talk to the Shadows. Persuade them to join him! A nobody—attic trash—was able to pull this off.

And Goro couldn't. Why was he so damn special? And the fact that Amamiya's friends were slavishly devoted to him... it made him sick, just thinking about it.

Then Goro's eyes happened to drift over to Amada. He felt yet another stab of jealousy.

Damn him. Why did he have to be so lucky? His guardian, Aragaki, was in his mid-twenties. And judging from Amada and Aragaki's behavior, Amada had been under his custody for years now.

Amada didn't have to worry about angering Aragaki and getting kicked to the curb. Hell, Amada purposely needled the older man. Aragaki wanted to take care of him.

And Amada's father may have not wanted to be a father, but Amada had the blessing of legitimacy. He may have lost his mother early in life, but he had countless blessings dropped into his lap.

And just what had he done to deserve it? It wasn't fair! Goro had tried his hardest to endear himself to the foster families who took him in but they all treated him like crap. If he remembered correctly, it was only a matter of months before he was dumped back onto the orphanage.

The fact that he could feel Robin Hood and Loki both resonating with Amada's Persona only contributed to his irritation.

"Excuse me?" The dealer approached the group, "A word, please?"

"What's the matter?" Amamiya asked.

"The manager would like to speak to you in the manager's room." He stated, "You'll find it right by the Battle Arena. And do hurry. The matter is urgent."

"Sis... would like to speak to us?" Niijima frowned before pursing her lips. "I wonder what that's about…"

"Only one way to find out, I suppose," Amada said, absentmindedly running his fingers down the shaft of his spear before glancing at Amamiya. "Come on, Joker. Let's get going."

"Something's gotta be up, though," Morgana muttered out. "Stay on your toes!"

"When am I ever not careful?" Amamiya scoffed.

Dead silence. And then, an awkward cough from Kitagawa.

"Um, never," Sakura stated.

"Yeah, dude." Sakamoto shook his head. "Reckless is like, your middle name."

"Okumura's Palace," Takamaki said flatly, before flipping one of her pigtails over her shoulder. "You jumping on the manager robot's back so you could fry his system."

"You can't deny it got results," Amamiya protested.

"Still very reckless of you, Joker," Okumura said.

"And it brought down the wrath of Panther on your head." Kitagawa shuddered. "Mona is correct in cautioning you."

"I see how it is." Amamiya huffed, then he gave Goro a sideways glance. "Well, at least Crow isn't betraying me."

If only he knew...

"Joker, stop being a drama queen," Amada droned.

"Make me!" Amamiya snarked childishly.

"Let's see..." Amada pointedly patted down his clothes, his expression turning perplexed. "Did I bring duct tape with me today?"

"Oh, what a pity. I had some in my schoolbag," Niijima sighed out, her hand on her cheek. "Oh well, that won't help us now."

Sakura burst out laughing at Amamiya who didn't seem too impressed with their jokes.

"You brought this out of them, Joker." She snickered.

He rolled his eyes. "You guys suck."

How annoying…

Goro pointedly cleared his throat. "Shall we get going and see what Sae-san wants? We are wasting time."

"Okay, okay." Amamiya grumbled, "Anything to make these guys to stop mocking me."

"Oh I see how it is." There was an obnoxious grin on Sakamoto's face now. "You can dish it out but you can't take it."

"We're going now!" Amamiya announced, "Let's go!"

Goro bit back the urge to glare at them all. They wasted so much time. Goro sworn that he could've finished clearing this Palace in half of the time. So much time wasted on bickering and cracking jokes. It only served to get on his last nerve.

"Welcome to the manager's room." Sae-san greeted, lounging against the chair she sat in.

The manager's room was more like a room where you played poker in. To add to it, there was a deck of cards spread on the table in front of Sae-san. A single chair was opposite of her.

The only thing missing was a pile of chips.

"Do we get to finally face the number one player herself?" Goro feigned surprise before rubbing his chin. "We're honored."

"I won't do as you wish anymore," she spat out, glaring daggers at all of them. Then she gestured to the cards. "This is my territory. This will be what we play."

"Draw poker," Goro said.

"Now, who will face me?"

"I can't do it," Okumura stated, shaking her head.

"I definitely can't as well," Kitagawa seconded. "I just think about winning..."

"Same," Sakura mumbled out.

"Maybe I can—" Takamaki began.

"Uhh—yeah, no," Sakamoto said flatly. "This takes acting. And brains. Two things you lack."

"Hello pot." Takamaki pointed at him, all the while scowling. "Meet kettle."

"Hey!"

"You just walked into that, Skull," Amada murmured. "Though I've been told that I don't have the best poker face, so I don't think I'd be a good candidate."

Morgana shook his head, "My hands can't reach the cards."

"Let me do this," Niijima declared. "I'll handle this."

"I understand how you feel." Goro stated, somehow managing to keep his expression neutral as he put a hand on her shoulder.

He ignored the way Niijima tensed up.

"But you shouldn't. She knows all too well how you think. But at the same time, that disqualifies me as well. Joker...it's up to you."

"No pressure here," Amamiya said dryly, but then his expression grew determined. "But I will win!"

He was always so sure of himself. It nearly bordered arrogance, it was so vexing.

"We'll be counting on ya!" Sakamoto encouraged.

"Confidence is unnecessary," Sakura stated. "This is a game of luck."

"Don't get too cocky, Joker," Amada warned.

"Okay, okay, sheesh..." Amamiya grumbled out, "You don't have to kill my vibe."

"Good luck, Joker." Goro said neutrally, giving him a nod and then he looked to Sae-san once more. "May the best player win."

"Oh, I intend to." She drawled out, only for her game face to appear. "Now then, there will be no need for chips in this game. This match will be decided on the poker hands we both hold. If you can win against me, even once, I will admit my defeat."

"What's she acting all cocky for?" Sakamoto grumbled out.

"She wishes to break our will," Kitagawa stated.

"Make her eat her words, Joker!" Takamaki exclaimed, her hands clenched. "I'll be rooting for you!"

"Now let us begin."

The two players drew their cards.

"Wait are you for real?!" Sakamoto hissed out, peering over Amamiya's shoulder.

"This is great!" Sakura said, "This is one strong hand!"

"Hm..." Amada was looking towards Sae-san, who was smirking widely.

"Hm?!" Sakura tugged on his sleeve, "Don't be cynical, Ace! She's obviously acting overly cocky!"

"We'll see," he said neutrally.

"Quiet," Niijima shushed them.

"I'll exchange four cards," Sae-san announced, much to everyone's surprise. "Will you?"

Amamiya shook his head, "I will keep mine."

"Come on, Joker!" Okumura whispered.

Ugh… they were really all cheerleaders for Amamiya.

"Four of a kind," Amamiya said confidently, spreading his cards for Sae-san to see.

"Straight flush," Sae-san said smugly, flashing Amamiya a smirk.

"We lost..." Goro murmured.

"Don't worry," Okumura soothed. "We'll get her the next time!"

"Don't count on it," Sae-san growled out, aiming a fierce glare at Amamiya.

Sae-san was obviously cheating. And they had to get out of here, so they could finish the infiltration route. Securing treasures was such an irksome hassle. The thieves would be more productive if they just eliminated the source of the troubles instead of wasting so much time with this Treasure and calling card nonsense. But these people didn't seem to understand how to be efficient.

Goro then paused, his gaze drifting over to Sae-san

Well… maybe not this time. After all, Sae-san did have a brilliant mind. Even her superiors were forced to admit that. Goro would be lying if he claimed that he had no respect for her. She was one of the few—if not the only—competent people he worked with. Most of them were brainless fools who only knew how to be simpering sycophants.

However, an idea struck Goro.

"Are you ready to lose once again?"

"Do not worry," Goro stated, patting Amamiya's shoulder. He took the opportunity to slip a royal flush into Amamiya's sleeve.

Amamiya just blinked up at him. Subtle recognition flashed in his eyes, thankfully he was discreet about it. He's not as hopeless as the rest of his teammates it seems.

"Thanks, Crow." Then he smiled ruefully. "It seems I need some luck on my side."

"Not even all the luck in the world will be enough to best me," Sae-san boasted. "Now, shall we—?"

"One moment, please," Goro interjected. "Please allow me to be the dealer this time. It is unfair for one of the players to be the dealer. You will need a good explanation if you wish to deny me that."

"Hmph." Sae-san narrowed her eyes before she crossed her legs. "Very well."

He then picked up Morgana, earning an indignant yelp. "Hey, what are you doing?!"

"It's a well-known notion that black cats are considered unlucky," he mused. "However, some people believe that they actually bring good luck. I wonder... which side of the coin do you represent?"

"Wha...?"

Goro then quickly whispered the plan to Morgana before drawing out his own deck of cards. But he made sure that his movements weren't as stealthy as usual, so Sae-san would catch sight of him.

"However, you must use the cards I've prepared," Sae-san said firmly, her golden eyes glinting. "That, I will not budge on. You will have to discard the deck in your hand."

"So, you saw through my plan?" Goro sighed, crafting disappointment on his face, "How unfortunate."

"Uh-oh." Sakamoto gulped. "We're toast."

"Stay calm," Niijima insisted.

"We can't exploit any weaknesses..." Kitagawa muttered.

"Crap hand too," Sakura groaned out.

Now it was time to put his plan in action. He asked Sae-san to swap in a different player, and she allowed it. She was so cocky. She didn't notice that his "slip-up" was merely a red herring. Morgana took his spot on Amamiya's lap. Perfect... now, all that was left, was for Amamiya to slip Morgana the royal flush.

"Four of a kind," Sae-san said smugly. "And what of you?"

"Arrogance isn't a good look on you, Sae-san." Goro said silkily, "Well, Mona?"

Morgana just chuckled, cracking a wide grin.

"Uh… what's with that cocky look?" Sakamoto asked suspiciously.

"It looks like I'm quite the lucky cat!" he gloated, his grin turning smug. "Royal. Flush."

"WHAT?!" Sae-san screeched out, blasting all of their ears. "That's impossible! You had a terrible hand!"

"What happened to that terrible hand?" Amada asked.

"HOW?!"

"We seriously won?" Takamaki asked.

"How could I...?" Sae-san then let out a growl, before slamming the cards on the table. "This is unforgivable!"

She then glared at Amamiya, who just stared back calmly. He didn't even bat an eye, as if he was the one to come with this plan... such impudence.

"Let's take this elsewhere. I'll beat you in another game," the Shadow hissed.

"I look forward to it." Amamiya said cheekily.

"Grr... don't be so damn cocky," she spat out. "You got lucky this time."

"What happened to luck wouldn't help us win?" he asked innocently.

If looks could kill, Amamiya would be six feet under. While as amusing as that sounded, he'd be out of a job if that was the case.

She then gritted her teeth, before snapping her fingers. There was a flash of light and then she was gone.

"What just happened?" Niijima asked.

Morgana then proceeded to explain Goro's plan. The teenage detective couldn't help but smile smugly. Of course it was a brilliant plan.

"Damn." Sakamoto shook his head. "Who knew a squeaky-clean detective would know how to cheat like that?"

"Heh, it really has nothing to do with my profession," Goro stated. "After all, poker is simply an acting game. Misleading your opponent. It's simply a matter of who is the best actor."

And that was why he was an excellent poker player. Because nobody knew what his true intentions were. Not Shido. Not Amamiya. And most certainly not any of his foolish followers.

Goro allowed his eyes to linger on Amamiya. This was one thing where Goro had the edge. He would always be one step ahead of him.

---

They had finally earned enough coins for the bridge. The Battle Arena had been rough, but Ren had managed to beat them. Though hearing his friends cheer him on had definitely given Ren motivation to fight harder.

Though he wished that Ryuji hadn't tried to climb the fence, after he realized that the attendant had lied. He appreciated the sentiment and all, but Ryuji didn't deserve getting fried like that. And Ryuji resisted electricity.

"Authenticating member's card." Ren couldn't help but tap his foot impatiently. "The required number of coins to activate the Bridge of Judgement is 100,000 coins."

"Yeah, yeah, we know that!" Ryuji snapped out, thumping his fist against the top of the machine. "Just let us through already!"

But that was when the mechanical voice was replaced by a familiar voice. "You have done well, to earn all of those coins."

"That's...?!" Makoto gasped out. "Sis?!"

"I never expected you to come this far. I have to commend you for your vigorous efforts. However, you will never step foot in the manager's floor. Not if I have anything to say about it. From this moment forward, the number of coins for the bridge will increase to one million coins!"

"One million?!" Haru gasped, "But that's—"

"She's just going to continuously move the goalpost." Ken said grimly.

"That's not fair!" Futaba protested. "You can't give us an impossible task like that!"

"Ah, so you finally realize it," Shadow Niijima drawled out. "That is the point. Your task will forever be impossible! Hence I will forever be victorious."

Ryuji just growled, "Winning ain't everything, y'know! There's more important stuff you've gotta worry about!"

"You could really use a hobby," Ren said flatly. "Like... I dunno, knitting, singing? There's gotta be a better way to handle your pent-up energy."

"Silence!" she snarled out. "No amount of whining or mockery will force me to yield! I will stand the victor! As it stands, you need one million coins to pass. You merely have a tenth of it."

"Do we now?"

Akechi suddenly stepped forward, folding his arms over his chest.

"I beg to differ, Sae-san."

"What?" She hissed, "What trick do you have up your sleeve now?!"

"How do you have a million coins?" Anne asked.

"Do we remember that we were allowed to borrow as many coins as we have on our card?" Akechi asked.

"But that would only put us at two hundred thousand..." Haru said.

"Let me finish, Noir." Akechi closed his eyes for a moment, a pleased smile touching his lips, "For example, borrowing ten thousand coins; it would've given twenty thousand coins, instead of ten thousand coins. And then at the battle arena, if you bet on Joker as a guest… it would increase to four hundred sixty thousand."

"You're speaking hypothetically, though." Makoto stated, "That's not what happened."

"Unless..." Yusuke trailed off, his eyes narrowed. "That's not the case."

Akechi just smiled thinly before producing a card, "That would be correct."

Ken's eyes widened, "You never threw away the card after Oracle told you to."

"Yes, I assume that Sae-san would have some trick up her sleeve. After all, I've seen her tenacity with my own eyes. Victory would literally have to be pried out of her hands."

"You may act smug, Akechi-kun, but you can't do simple math," Shadow Niijima growled out. "One hundred thousand and four hundred sixty thousand equals five hundred sixty thousand! You're still short!"

"Ah, but what if I borrowed the maximum amount a second time?" Akechi countered. "That would mean I have nine hundred twenty thousand and Joker has one hundred thousand and I believe...that would give us well over one million coins. Even after paying back the original ten thousand coins. We have enough coins for your Bridge of Judgement."

"B-But what about the coins we borrowed?" Ryuji protested. "We can't pay that back!"

"Skull's right," Yusuke stated. "That's a hefty amount of debt we've incurred."

Akechi just shook his head. "We will deal with Sae-san soon enough. We don't need to worry about the debt."

"Not something I'd expect you to say, Crow," Ken commented.

"Oh?" Akechi tilted his head. "I suppose I'm learning a bit from you all, skirting the edges around the system."

"We don't go around incurring debt!" Morgana protested.

Futaba shook her head. "Man, I think we're corrupting our goody two shoes detective."

At some point all his friends deserve to win an Academy Award for their acting.

"We should make haste, though." Yusuke met Ren's eyes. "Before she changes her mind."

"Yeah." Ren quickly scanned the card again.

The machine asked him if he wanted to activate the bridge and he hastily selected yes. Countless blue coins poured onto the right scale, balancing the two scales. Then it spun, revealing the bridge. It had lowered, the bridge fitting in place so they could cross.

"Yes!" Anne cheered, pumping her fist. "Let's go!"

And so they did, running across the bridge and into the manager's floor, where the Treasure was waiting for them.

"We've made it!" Morgana exclaimed. "This will be the place where we steal Niijima's Treasure!"

"Sis... soon," Makoto whispered.

"Niijima-san..." Akechi said sympathetically, putting a hand on her arm.

Makoto didn't respond, just pulling her arm away and then folding her arms over her chest.

"How uncouth of you, to just barge into here!" Shadow Niijima's voice suddenly rang out. "Elegance is required for victory as well, you know!"

"I don't think you can claim being elegant, after insisting that you'll win at all costs, no matter what you do," Ken said dryly.

"Not to mention your huge hissy fit after we beat you in the poker game!" Ryuji added.

"You destroyed countless lives," Yusuke continued. "Have you no guilt for that?!"

"Hmph... you just mean to distract me. It appears that my games haven't satiated you."

"Of course she ignores the question," Ryuji grumbled.

"She will not acknowledge her faults," Akechi stated. "But that will soon change, will it not?"

"I hope so," Makoto sighed out.

"You may have succeeded in besting me in my games, but not anymore! I will triumph over you in this next game, a game of life and death! No matter who I face, I will not lose!"

"Again, a hobby would do you wonders!" Ren called out.

"Silence! You're just like the others." Then a pause. "No, you actually have the courage to mock me to my face at least."

"Sis..." Makoto's voice suddenly cracked, looking down on the ground, "I never knew. Why didn't you ever tell me about this?"

"Queen..." Ken's voice was soft with sympathy.

"We should take her Treasure as soon as possible, Joker," Anne said determinedly. "This can't go on any longer!"

"Yeah, the sooner the better!" Ryuji added.

"I have to disagree," Akechi stated. "I believe we should wait until right before the time limit."

"You wish to take her Treasure, on the nineteenth?" Ken asked.

"May I ask why?" Yusuke asked. "Joker does take some time to gather supplies, I must admit, but... to set the date like that... that is pushing it too close. I'm not comfortable with such a suggestion."

"Sae-san is a realist," Akechi stated. "Even if she does believe in the Phantom Thieves...I doubt she knows of your method of how you steal hearts. She may expect that she will become a target."

"Well, yeah." Ren shrugged, "Somehow I don't think she'd be into fantastical stories. Honestly, I'm surprised that you accepted it so easily."

"I cannot deny what I see with my own eyes," Akechi said.

Oh and definitely among other reasons, Ren's quite sure.

"But you're saying that since she's expecting this," Haru ventured. "The calling card's effect would be moot?"

Sounded like bullshit but okay.

"What do you think, Queen?" Ryuji asked. "I mean… she's your sis. Do you think Crow's got a good point?"

"Honestly I can't claim that I know Sis anymore." Makoto said somberly. "After witnessing all of this, it really feels that we're strangers."

Yusuke and Haru both looked down, suddenly finding the floor fascinating. Anne just looked at Makoto with sad eyes, her lip quivering ever so slightly.

Ren cleared his throat. It was up to him to get his friends back on track. "So, we'll meet on the eighteenth, to confirm the calling card."

He wanted to say more, to try and comfort Makoto, but Akechi interrupted.

"Yes, I believe that's the best course of action," Akechi stated. "And the Treasure will form once the calling card is sent?"

Morgana nodded, "Yeah, once Niijima is aware of the danger, the Treasure will take form."

"What will it look like?" the detective inquired.

"It depends on the person," Anne explained. "Kamoshida thought of himself as the king of the school, so his took on the form of a big fancy crown in the Metaverse. And when we got to the real world, it turned into his Olympic medal."

"Madarame's took on the form of the true Sayuri," Yusuke added, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Kaneshiro's was fake money," Makoto said.

"My Treasure was... me," Futaba said lamely.

"And Father's took on the form of a spaceship model kit," Haru explained. "It was one that he wanted as a young child."

"I see, I see..." Akechi nodded. "A wide variety, from the looks of it."

"We'll just have to wait and see what Niijima-san's Treasure looks like," Ken stated. "It's the fourteenth...so we only have four days until we need to send the calling card."

"Mm... it appears that the Treasure represents the beginning of the ruler's aspirations."

"Fox, do you have the calling card ready?" Morgana asked.

"Yes, I began to create it during the wait for the court case." Yusuke said, "I'll have it ready for the eighteenth, I promise."

"Five days," Makoto said solemnly. "It feels so close and yet so far away..."

Ren caught Makoto's eye and she gave a little nod, so little so that Akechi wouldn't notice.

The last step of their plan still needed to be completed. Makoto just needed to create the fake Treasure and then they would plant it in the Palace.

---

"So you've cleared the Palace, yeah?"

After they left the Palace, Ken had invited her over to have dinner at his place. Makoto happily accepted the invitation, but Makoto figured that she could create the fake Treasure while they were at it. They stopped by her apartment to grab a few things before going to Ken's.

"Yeah," Ken answered. "Akechi fed us a lie about why we can't take the Treasure beforehand."

Shinjiro-san grunted. "And how half-assed was it?"

"It was... a decent lie," Makoto admitted. "Maybe if we weren't assuming that he was such a liar, we may have been fooled."

"Wouldn't be surprised if he practiced the lines in front of a mirror," Ken muttered under his breath.

"Mm..."

Makoto then turned the page of the album she had brought. She was looking for a specific photo. Then she scowled, catching sight of a picture of herself at around eight.

"Are you still upset about what Niijima-san's cognition of you was?" Ken asked.

"Just a little," Makoto mumbled out.

"Niijima had a cognition of you?" Shinjiro-san asked, surprise filling his face.

Makoto made a frustrated sound, "She did and she sees me as nothing but a child! It's embarrassing! She doesn't take me seriously. And of all things... she put the cognition of me in the dark!"

"I wouldn't say that, Niijima."

Makoto just frowned, "What do you mean?"

"Take Ken for an example," Shinjiro-san glanced towards Ken. "He can tell you how much Mitsuru, Takeba, Minako, and Fuuka still baby him."

"Hey, why are you dragging me into this?!" Ken demanded indignantly, glaring at his guardian.

"Shuddup Ken, it's to cheer up your girlfriend," he retorted.

This only drew out grumbling from Ken. Shinjiro-san then looked back to Makoto.

"I know that you don't really appreciate this. But your sister is like seven years older, yeah? She probably remembers the day you were born. She can't really help it."

"I can't believe you're defending her," Ken said in disbelief.

"Don't sound so shocked," Shinjiro-san snapped at him.

"Well..." Makoto placed a hand on her cheek, looking Shinjiro-san right in the eyes. "I suppose you know the feeling, don't you, Shinjiro-san?"

Shinjiro-san immediately started to sputter. It just got worse as Ken started to laugh.

"Shuddup! That's the last time I try and cheer you up!" He snarled then grabbed a pillow, smacking Ken with it. "And this is all your fault, ain't it?"

"I'm sure Ren carries some of the blame," Ken quipped.

Makoto just smiled. She felt a little better now. She picked up the album once more, in order to search for the picture she had in mind for the decoy.

"That's the picture that we found in the police station," Ken noted.

"Mm-hm." Makoto had to wiggle it so that she could pull it out.

Did someone put two pictures in this sleeve?

"I think it'd be fitting and it would be enough to fool Akechi-kun should he ask to see the Treasure."

She managed to pull it out, and her suspicion was right as another picture floated to the floor.

Shinjiro-san picked it up, only for him to stop short. He then squinted at the picture.

"Shinjiro-san?" Ken asked hesitantly. "Is something the matter?"

"Ken, wanna explain this?"

Shinjiro-san held up the picture. The picture was of two children. One was her at around five and the other was...

"Is that me?!" Ken sputtered out. his head whipping to look at her, "We look..."

"Five." Makoto finished, "And the woman who we're sleeping on, that's..."

"That's my mom." Ken looked just as bewildered as her. "I... what?"

"Why were you even in Tokyo?" Makoto asked.

Ken's eyebrows furrowed together, "My maternal grandparents' funeral. But that doesn't—"

Ken suddenly grew still. his eyes becoming wide.

"No... I remember now. I wanted to go to the park after that long train ride. Mom took me to the park so I'd stop complaining. I ended up wandering away from her and I couldn't find her."

Makoto gasped as the memory suddenly hit her. "And I was with Dad when we found you crying."

She remembered; her mother wanted more family outings as her illness started to take its toll on her. She wanted more good memories.

"After your dad helped me find Mom... we played together." Ken continued.

And when it was time to go home, she didn't want to lose her new friend. But their parents managed to soothe them. And as Dad was carrying her away, Ken had called out to her.

"We'll see each other again, right?"

"Yeah! And we'll go to school together and have lots of fun!"

"I-I can't believe it." Makoto shook her head before looking at her boyfriend. "I wasn't serious when I said that we could've met each other the first time you came to Tokyo."

"Me either." Ken huffed out a laugh, only for his expression to grow somber. "Though, that must have been the only positive thing that happened during that trip, from what I remember."

"Your grandparents' funeral?" Shinjiro-san guessed.

"Not just that." Ken sighed out. "My mom, she had a twin sister. She never explained it to me, but something...bad happened with her sister. It drove a wedge between her and the rest of the family. Mom paid for her sister to come to Tokyo, but..."

"But?" Makoto prompted.

"I don't really know." Ken admitted then his eyes hardened as he explained, "My memories are kinda foggy with that. I remember Mom got two hotel rooms for me, her, her sister, and her son. She had a son around my age...I think we were watching Neo Feathermen on TV, when all this yelling started to happen. I mainly remember that my aunt's yelling really upset Mom. We ended up leaving the hotel because of it. And honestly? I don't want to remember the exact details. It was the first time... I saw my mom cry."

"She wanted to make amends after losing her parents... didn't she?" Makoto guessed.

Ken nodded solemnly.

"That's my guess..." He then heaved out a sigh. "But I guess some bonds are just too fractured to mend. Mom never spoke of her after that."

"It must have been devastating," Makoto said softly. "On top of her parents dying, for her sister to just walk out on her."

She could really feel for Ken's mother. Makoto just prayed that would not be the case for her and Sae. But maybe that was why Ken's mother died protecting him. She would rather die than lose another member of her family.

"Is she even alive?" Makoto asked. "Your aunt, I mean."

"I don't know. She was alive back when Mom died, but the courts ruled that she wasn't fit to take me in for some reason," Ken said quietly, only for his expression to sour. "So custody of me was passed to the next of kin, my father's cousin. Not that I care to see either of them."

"You don't need 'em, Ken," Shinjiro-san stated.

Ken just gave him a little smile. "I know."

Shinjiro-san then cleared his throat, looking a bit flustered. "I... gotta start fixing dinner. Just stay here and relax, yeah?"

Makoto then placed the photo in the briefcase, before shutting it. She looked down at it and suddenly felt a wave of anxiety. She didn't know if she could do this.

"It will work."

Ken slid his hand over hers. Makoto then bit her lip.

"If this plan is to work... we can't change her heart," she said softly.

"You've believed in your sister this whole time," he said quietly. "You believed that she could change without us stealing her Treasure. She was led down the wrong path... but I think you can help her find her way back."

Makoto felt a small smile come onto her face. "You really have too much faith in me."

"I have just the right amount," Ken returned. "But stressing about this isn't healthy, Makoto. We have a few more days before hell breaks loose. Let's try and enjoy it."

"I suppose." Makoto then rested her head on his shoulder. "Do you want to watch some Feathermen, then?"

Ken just let out a thoughtful hum before he slid an arm around her waist, "I actually have something else in mind for us to watch."

Makoto then sat up, raising an eyebrow at him. "And what would that be?"

Ken huffed out a laugh. "So Makoto, tell me... have you ever watched Kamen Driver?"

"Better run away when you still can, Niijima," Shinjiro-san called out. "Run before he can drag you into tokusatsu hell. But then again... it's a show that won't encourage ya to start making out."

"S-Shinjiro-san!" Ken's face immediately reddened.

Makoto felt her own face warm up.

"I-It's not like that, okay?!" Ken sputtered.

"That's what they all say," Shinjiro-san drawled out.

Ken opened his mouth to retort but Makoto quickly pressed her index finger against his lips to quickly shush him.

"I think Kamen Driver sounds great. I'd love to try it out, Ken."

They still needed to complete the final preparations for the heist... but Ken was right. They should enjoy what time they had before everything went insane.

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JOAN OF ARC

History: Nicknamed the Maid of Orleans, Joan of Arc is considered a heroine of France for her role during the Lancastrian phase of the Hundred Years' War and was made a Roman Catholic saint. Joan claimed to have received visions of the archangel Michael, Saint Margaret, and Saint Catherine of Alexandria instructing her to support Charles VII and recover France from English domination late in the Hundred Years' War. The unanointed King Charles VII sent Joan to the Siege of Orléans as part of a relief army. She gained prominence after the siege was lifted only nine days later. Several additional swift victories led to Charles VII's consecration at Reims.

Level: 53

Affinity: Bless, Almighty, Physical

Blocks: Bless

Resists: Electricity, Ice

Weakness: Fire

Spells: Revolution (innate), Megidola (innate), Kouga (innate), Makouga (level 54), Deatbound (level 55)

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The mini-boss fight with the House of Darkness is accompanied by two Shadows. This Shadow is Joan of Arc. It is a bit of a reference to ScruffyTurtle's Adult Confidant AU. Sae's Persona is Jeanne d'Arc. The skillset and affinities have just been tweaked to befit her higher level.

And as for cognitive Makoto. My friend and beta, angelrin89, had the idea of more… benign cognitions within the Palaces. One of her ideas was a cognitive Makoto, who's like Quasimodo/Rapunzel, locked into a room filled with books, that she will be incorporating into her fic that she's eventually going to publish. I tweaked her idea, incorporating it in the darkness maze. (Because would you really want to read a section where the Phantom Thieves just stumble around in the dark?) And with how Makoto wants to help Sae, I thought it'd be a cute idea for cognitive Makoto to offer drinks to the party after clearing the darkness maze as a way to restore their SP slightly. Speaking of my wonderful beta, a big shoutout to her for making the Akechi's POV even better. Her little tweaks and embellishments made the section even better.

The poker scene is also not my own creation. There was apparently a cut out scene with Shadow Sae confronting them and challenging them to a game, I just embellished it a bit.

I also headcanon that Ken's a general tokusatsu fan. Feathermen Rangers is just his absolute favorite. But more importantly… the scene with the photograph album. I teased the idea of Ken and Makoto meeting as kids in Chapter 15, the chapter after Futaba's awakening, but it's more to connect Ken's mom's situation with her twin sister and Makoto & Sae's relationship. And of course, adding another hint to what I've been hinting throughout the story.

And… we're almost at the casino heist! We will have a chapter dedicated to the preparations for the heist for Chapter 37 and Chapter 38 will be the actual heist! I'm really excited to write the heist, for more than one reason.

I've also been asked about Royal a couple times, probably since it was released nearly two weeks ago. I just want to reiterate that the concept of this fic was conceived with the vanilla version of P5 in mind. While I had posted the prologue on July 30th 2018, I've been planning this fic since late 2017. When Royal was announced, I was in the middle of the Okumura arc. It would've been rather forced to just insert Kasumi, especially since we didn't know much of her. I also would think it would be unfair to the readers who are waiting for the western release to suddenly drop Royal spoilers into the fic.

But anyways, enough rambling! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, guys!