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.

39. 38: To Gamble All Or Nothing

Chapter 38

To Gamble All Or Nothing

---

Saturday, November 19th, 2016

---

Once the final school bell had rung, the group chat had been hit with a flurry of messages from her friends. Makoto forced herself to slip her phone into her skirt's pocket, looking to her boyfriend.

"Ready to go, Makoto?" he asked.

At her nod, they picked up their bags and headed to the train.

"Hey... I didn't really think to ask what food your parents liked," Ken said quietly. "But maybe we could stop by a bakery to offer them something?"

"That sounds like a good idea." Makoto nodded. "There's one by the apartment that we used to go to a lot. Dad would swear by their matcha cheesecake. We could get a slice or two. And maybe we should stop by a flower shop."

"There's the one that Ren used to work for," Ken said thoughtfully. "What flowers did you have in mind?"

"Well, white chrysanthemums are a given." Makoto answered.

Ken nodded. "Of course."

White chrysanthemums traditionally symbolized grief and were the most common flower seen at funerals. Though her mom also favored a different flower.

"And if possible, I'd like to get some pink peonies," Makoto continued. "It was Mom's favorite flower, according to Dad and Sis. When we visited her grave back when Dad was alive, he would always buy her a bouquet of them."

"We can do that," Ken said, before he rubbed his chin. "So... bakery first and then we'll stop by the underground mall for flowers."

Makoto just smiled. "That sounds like a good plan."

She then took his hand, giving him a slight smile as he rubbed the back of her hand. The train ride was pleasant, since it was surprisingly empty for a Saturday afternoon. She couldn't help but wonder what everyone else was up to. She wouldn't be surprised if Ren and Anne were stealing some time together before the operation.

However, she couldn't imagine what it was like… having to watch your boyfriend endanger himself like that. Makoto let her eyes linger on Ken for a moment. She sighed. She hoped that she never would have to go through that.

But unlike the train, the bakery was packed. But luckily, they managed to get a couple slices of matcha cheesecake. After Makoto paid, they walked to the underground mall.

"I don't think I've ever been inside here." Ken admitted as he glanced around.

"Well, it's not like the stores here would interest you." Makoto chuckled, only for her eyes to land on a sign. "Oh, here we are."

"Welcome!" The owner greeted them with a bright, friendly smile. "How may I help you?"

"A bouquet of white chrysanthemums, please," Makoto requested. "And would you happen to have any pink peonies on hand?"

"Let's see..." she said while she turned around to check.

She hummed a little tune as she checked through her inventory.

"Look at that! We have both. I was a bit afraid that we wouldn't, since we were running low after a woman stopped by yesterday. She wanted a bouquet of pink peonies as well."

"Thank you." Makoto said before she took a quick glance of the other flowers.

They really were lovely.

"Your flowers are beautiful, by the way." Makoto complimented then asked, "Our friend used to work here, actually. Do you remember Ren Amamiya? He said he really enjoyed his work here."

"Oh, Ren-kun?" She perked up at that. "He was wonderful! Shame he had to go; he went all out! Did you know that he studied hanakotoba for this job?"

Ken's expression soured for some reason. "I'm well aware."

Makoto blinked in confusion at that. What had Ren done now?

"But anyways, let me whip up the bouquets!" The owner said, "One moment, please!"

She expertly arranged the chrysanthemums in an artful bouquet, and then the peonies. She then tied a white ribbon around the chrysanthemum bouquet and a pink ribbon for the peonies.

"Let's see... that will be a thousand yen for the chrysanthemums and two thousand yen for the peonies...so that'll be three thousand yen all together." She announced.

Ken pulled out his wallet before Makoto could even blink, fishing out a pair of two-thousand-yen bills.

"Ken!" she hissed at him.

Ken raised an eyebrow at her. "What?"

"You—you don't have to pay!"

Ken didn't look fazed.

"You paid for the cake."

"This is a lot more than the cake!"

Makoto reached for the yen bills but unfortunately, he was half a head taller than her. And he had long arms. He easily handed the bills off to the owner, even as Makoto glared at him.

The owner's lips twitched, as if she was trying not to laugh.

"Miss, I wouldn't complain about having a generous boyfriend," she said with a bemused smile.

"Yeah, you shouldn't complain," Ken agreed.

He wasn't quite smirking but it didn't stop Makoto from wanting to wipe that expression off his face.

Makoto smacked his arm in response, before narrowing her eyes at him.

"Shush, you."

She would have to make it up to him. Maybe make him lunch? But would that impress him after Shinjiro-san's cooking? Maybe she should insist on footing the bill for their next date. They hadn't gone out another date yet, after all.

They took the train again, to the district where the graveyard was. Makoto gripped Ken's hand with her free hand as they slowly picked through the graves.

But they finally came across the Niijima family grave. Makoto had vague memories of her mother's funeral. Her father had both of their names carved into the grave after Mom died, with his name painted red, as tradition dictated.

Hideo Niijima

Masami Niijima

Something struck Makoto as odd, though. She had packed some cloths as well as extra water bottles to clean the grave. But the grave looked like it was recently cleaned. Someone had left a bouquet of pink peonies, as well. Makoto lightly touched the delicate pink petals.

Had Sae visited recently?

No, that was ridiculous. Her sister was far too busy.

Something brushed against her arm.

"Makoto, are you okay?" Ken asked quietly.

"I… I was just thinking."

Makoto then looked to the grave. She wished she had packed some incense… She set down the bouquets of flowers and then the on the grave before speaking.

"Umm… hi Dad, hi Mom." She said softly, "I'm sorry that I haven't visited in a while. Things have been really crazy these past few months."

She looked down at the photograph of Dad.

"S-Sometimes I wonder what you'd think, Dad. Of the Phantom Thieves. I like to think that you would approve of them, with how strongly you felt about justice. I would hope so since I am one." She then let in a shuddering breath, "Sis and I actually got into a fight over this. Sis got so angry over it."

She closed her eyes for a moment as she tried to breathe more slowly.

"But joining the Phantom Thieves was one of the best things I could have done," Makoto admitted quietly. "I stopped blindly following orders. I have friends now."

Ken squeezed her hand as he gave her a soft, gentle smile.

"T-This is Ken," she introduced. "We've been dating for a few weeks now but he's become really important to me. I-I think you would like him. Both of you. You actually met him, Dad. A long time ago."

She then let out a short laugh.

"I haven't told Sis about him yet, though. I just… I'm not sure what she'll even think."

Makoto had a niggling suspicion that Sae would be displeased with it. Sae always drummed it in her that studies were a top priority. But she couldn't see how it was a bad thing. She had seen how happy Ren and Anne were in a relationship. And being with Ken...just made her so happy. He gave her a reason to smile, even when her doubts and worries gnawed at her mind.

How could something like that be a bad thing?

"Niijima-san," Ken spoke up.

They both inched closer together.

"I... I care about your daughter so much. I think you would be proud of her. She's beautiful and strong and she just cares. So much. She wants to follow in your footsteps, Niijima-san, and become the police commissioner of Tokyo. And I think she's more than capable of doing it. I believe that she can do anything she sets her mind to." He spoke softly.

Makoto couldn't help but blush at his words. Ken often reassured her, but he did not voice his thoughts of her often.

"T-That's right. I want to help build a society where true justice is enforced." Makoto said, "You remember how Sis said the same? But...I'm afraid she lost her way. I swear I won't, though."

Then she swallowed hard.

"S-Sis..." Makoto murmured. "I-I don't know what happened. But she's lost her sense of justice. I want to remind her though. You remember her dream, don't you, Dad? She wanted to change the system from within. Give the accused a voice, since the justice system is so skewed towards the prosecution."

She then reached out, tracing the kanji of her family name.

"I won't let her continue down the path she's taken," she vowed. "I'll ensure it, I swear. I know she's still in there. I just need to remind her that her sense of justice is still there. Just you watch."

Makoto finally smiled, after finishing her declaration. She then pressed a light kiss against her fingertips, then brushing it against the grave.

"I love you," she whispered, swallowing down the lump in her throat, "I-I'll make you proud, I promise."

Makoto wasn't sure what happened. But then a sudden breeze blew through, tickling her cheek. Makoto could have sworn she heard whispered through the air, "You already have."

She stilled for a moment. Was it...?

Makoto then shook her head. "Ken, let's go… We should start to head to LeBlanc."

Ken looked like he wanted to say something, but he slowly nodded.

"Okay."

They then started to walk away but then Ken looked to her.

"Hey. How are you feeling?"

"I just... don't want to be proven wrong." Makoto mumbled out, "I have to restore Sis's faith."

"And you will."

Ken suddenly pulled her into an embrace.

"I meant what I said. You set too many limitations on yourself, Makoto. You are capable. You're strong—stronger than you give yourself credit for."

Makoto looked to him. Then she pushed herself up on her toes, giving him a brief kiss.

"Thank you, Ken," she said softly. "And... thank you for pushing for this. I think I did need to tell my parents. Not just about Sis. But everything…"

Ken just smiled at her. "Any time, Makoto."

The trek to LeBlanc was pleasant. At least... until they saw Akechi by the door. Makoto had to fight off the urge to grimace.

"Cutting it rather close, aren't you?"

Irritation flared inside of Makoto the moment she heard Akechi's aggravating voice. But Ken quickly shot her a warning look.

"I could say the same of you, Akechi-san," Ken said, his voice cool yet polite.

"With Sae-san receiving the call card, it was hectic at the precinct to say the very least." Akechi then shook his head. "Now of course it's none of my business what you do in private. But—"

"We weren't on a date!" Makoto snapped.

The nerve of him! Of course they knew how important this day was. How dare he imply otherwise!

"We were visiting my parents." Makoto then clarified before Akechi could say more.

She didn't know what it was about Akechi. He always managed to set her temper on edge.

Akechi's face became ashen, his expression becoming remorseful.

"Ah… that's right. It's around that time, isn't it?"

"What are you alluding to?" Ken asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Sae-san mentioned to me that your father died in November. She even took me there to visit once during our investigations."

Sae did that? Makoto immediately thought to the peonies that she had found on the grave. Makoto's heart gave a painful squeeze. Could her suspicions be true?

"Though I do have to envy you." Akechi stated.

"Envy?" Makoto repeated.

What was he talking about now?

Akechi just smiled sadly.

"I'm well aware that your father's death was a tragedy. But…your father was a good man. A hero." He let out a sigh. "My father... is the exact opposite."

Then his expression darkened.

"Such a despicable man. Despite being lauded by his peers... he's nothing but trash."

He spat out the last word. His tone turned so vehement... so hateful. It was honestly startling.

"We could change his heart, you know," Ken spoke up. "We could continue working together."

Something flashed in Akechi's eyes. But then he smiled that TV smile of his.

"Ah, you flatter me, Ken-san, but I must decline. We had a deal, yes? And society must stop relying on 'saviors' so much."

Sometimes Makoto couldn't believe Ken's acting. But then again, he had to be discreet when keeping tabs on them when he first came to Tokyo.

"Right..." Ken said finally. "That is disappointing, Akechi-san, but we will respect your wishes."

"Thank you, Ken-san." Akechi flashed him a smile. "I'll see you inside."

"You're unbelievable, you know," Makoto murmured to him once the door slammed shut behind Akechi.

"Gotta keep up the masquerade, right?" Ken muttered.

He then leaned down, giving her a quick kiss.

"Are you ready?"

"As ready as I will be." Makoto sighed. "Let's go."

---

"The day has come. Are you prepared?" Haru asked.

"More than ready, Haru," Ren said confidently. "We've got this in the bag."

"Don't be so cocky, Ren-san," Akechi remarked. "If we become too arrogant...it might just lead to our downfall."

Makoto just narrowed her eyes at Akechi.

"So saith the hypocrite," she thought to herself.

"Don't be a killjoy, Akechi," Ryuji grumbled out.

"But anyways…" Ken quickly interjected. "Your sister got the calling card, okay, Makoto?"

Makoto nodded.

"I heard her read it aloud, as well. Very poetic words, Yusuke," she complimented.

"I try." Yusuke simply nodded.

"Hey, Makoto, are you...?" Futaba said as she began to fidget.

"I'm okay, Futaba, I promise. I appreciate your concern, though," Makoto reassured their youngest member, giving her a tiny smile.

"Let's give it our all. There's too much riding on this! It's no longer just our reputations!" Anne said.

"Yeah, our lives are at stake here, too!" Ryuji added.

"I am not afraid," Makoto stated. "I will save my sister. No matter what!"

"So much has happened since I formed the team with Ren, Ryuji, and Lady Anne..." Morgana shook his head. "But that just means we have to give it our all! Especially since we've formed a pretty formidable team!"

Out of the corner of Makoto's eye, she spotted Ken surreptitiously tapping out a message on his phone. Makoto assumed that it was to let the older Persona-users know that they were going in, to fight Sae.

"But anyways! This is our last heist! Ren, give us the signal!" Morgana looked up at their leader.

Ren slowly stood up, a smile creeping onto his face.

"Guys, let's do this! It's showtime!" Ren exclaimed.

They then headed off for the courthouse, quickly slipping into the Metaverse. They made a beeline for the treasure, but the moment they stepped into the room where the Treasure was…

"What happened to the Treasure?!" Ryuji cried out.

Sae's voice then rang out.

"It seems you have come, just as I've planned."

"Don't act all cocky! We've outsmarted you before!" Anne shouted.

"But why did she say 'as planned'?" Morgana questioned.

Yusuke inquired, "Was the Treasure's placement just...bait?"

"It was placed in an easily reachable spot, now that I think about it," Ken said slowly.

"This is just another set-up?!" Haru gasped.

Haru's grip on her axe tightened.

"Why—why does there always have to be a set-up?" Haru lamented.

"Noir, please calm down. Sae-san may have tricked us but… we will emerge victorious." Akechi stated.

"First off, allow me to compliment you," Sae's Shadow remarked through the speakers. "I never expected you would be able to make it so far."

"Save your breath. Where's the Treasure?!" Futaba huffed.

But then a roulette on the wall suddenly spun, disappearing to reveal another route. They heard Sae's laughter echo throughout the room.

"Come… we shall put an end to this, once and for all."

"She's challenging us..." Ken muttered. "What does she have up her sleeve this time?"

No, it was more mockery. Just what was Sae's Shadow planning for them?

"Only one way to find out!" Ryuji cracked his knuckles. "Get ready to kick some ass!"

"Skull's right, let's go!" Morgana seconded.

Futaba then knelt down, feeling Morgana's forehead with a quizzical frown.

"Huh. No fever. I thought you were sick, with how you're agreeing with Skull," Futaba snickered.

"HEY!" Both Morgana and Ryuji squawked indignantly, drawing out a few laughs.

Ren snickered at the chagrined expression on Morgana's face.

"Anyways! Enough comments from the peanut gallery! Let's go!" Ren commanded.

They headed up the path, entering yet another elevator. It took them to a completely different area. Makoto wanted to survey the area, but the large television flickered to life, showing the face of Sae's Shadow.

"What kind of game will it be this time? No matter what tricks you have… we will emerge victorious." Akechi called out.

Her sister's Shadow then scoffed.

"You're making a grave mistake, if you think you have me cornered. I only guided you because it will allow me to fight you to my heart's content."

Then she narrowed her eyes.

"You think you know how to claw your way to victory? Don't make me laugh! I've had to do this since day one. My coworkers and superiors looked at me and just saw a pretty girl. They refused to take me seriously! The only way I earned their respect was fighting tooth and nail for victory!" she hissed.

"So that's how she became distorted. Crow mentioned that she had noble intentions originally and yet…" Yusuke murmured.

Ken muttered, "Unfortunately, that happens a lot to women who work for criminal justice."

"She sounds a lot like Father," Haru said sadly.

"Father..." Sae echoed, before her lips formed a thin line. "When my father died in the line of duty, I hated his killer. With all my heart."

"Sis! I found out who killed him! It was Kaneshiro!" Makoto called out to her.

"Queen… she can't hear you. Not now," Anne said gently.

"I'm hearing a but in this anyways." Ren muttered, his attention on Sae and not the two girls next to him.

Sae's lip suddenly curled in disgust.

"Dying to uphold justice sounds virtuous. But what about the ones left to clean up the mess? Damn him… damn him!"

Her hands curled into fists.

"Can you imagine the hardships I had to face?! What do most people in their early twenties do? They get drunk! They do incredibly stupid things! But me? I had to take on so many burdens. I wasn't even allowed to mourn my father, because I had all these responsibilities foisted onto me!"

"I…I don't know what to say," Anne mumbled out.

Morgana sighed, his ears drooping. "Although I guess it's kinda understandable but…"

Akechi just sighed. "I had truly thought your intentions were more noble than that, Sae-san."

"She's lost control…" Futaba sighed with pity.

"That's putting it lightly." Ren then shook his head. "But no matter, we'll help her see the light!"

"Justice cannot yield to evil! I must win! No matter what!" Sae's Shadow shouted.

"Someone's feeling self-righteous," Ken quipped.

Ryuji's eyes were wide, "Yeah, no kidding!"

"Silence!" Sae snapped.

She glared hard at all the Phantom Thieves.

"All we need to do is to determine who's right… is battle," Sae declared.

---

Rise tuned out everything. Akihiko-san and Shinjiro-san's bickering. Chie-senpai practicing her katas.

Kouzeon swept through the area, stretching out as far as her signal could reach. Rise could detect the fuzzy auras that signaled people who were not Persona-users. There was an insane amount of them.

"Shido is really going all out," Rise stated.

She dismissed Kouzeon. She placed her hands on her hips, a frown forming on her face.

"This is like a small army."

Chie-senpai bit her lip, bouncing lightly on her feet. It was her way of fidgeting—a nervous tic.

"I hope they'll be okay," she said warily.

"Have faith in them, Chie," Akihiko-san said. "They've dealt with strong foes before."

"Don't get so cocky, Aki..." Shinjiro-san deadpanned.

"Who said anything about that?!" Akihiko-san barked back.

"Now, now… play nice, boys!" Rise teased.

"Come on, don't joke around like this," Chie-senpai chided. "We have to be alert! We have to make sure that Ren-kun makes it okay."

"You don't have to tell me twice," Shinjiro-san grumbled out, before looking over to Rise. "Kujikawa, can you figure out what's going on with Niijima's Shadow now?"

Rise held up a finger. "One sec."

She summoned Kouzeon again. She honed on Ken's signal, since his was the most familiar to her.

"It doesn't seem that they're battling yet," Rise murmured before she concentrated harder.

She could pick up little snippets of the conversation if she concentrated hard enough. It seemed like… Niijima's Shadow was challenging them now?

"This is so weird..." Rise mumbled to herself.

"Whatcha talking about, Rise-chan?" Chie-senpai asked.

"Well..." Rise trailed off for a moment; she needed it to gather her thoughts. "You remember how the Shadow self took on a form that resembled the host at first? Then it went berserk when the person denied their Shadow. Niijima's Shadow is giving me a reading like before the pre-berserk phase."

"Huh? Well... maybe the Shadows here just take on a humanoid form, then?" Chie-senpai theorized.

"That's not it," the two men said in unison.

Shinjiro-san then clarified, "Ken's reported that Kaneshiro took on a form of a humanoid fly. The case of Sakura was different, but they fought Sakura's cognition of Isshiki, which took the form of a sphinx."

"Maybe… she wants to play with them at first," Rise suggested.

"Given what Ken's mentioned about Niijima's Palace..." Akihiko-san frowned. "That would make a lot of sense."

Akihiko-san then let out a little grumble.

"I hate having to wait around like this," he complained, crossing his arms over his chest.

Shinjiro-san snorted, rolling his eyes at his best friend.

"You'll get your share of the action soon enough. Don't be so impatient, Aki."

---

A roulette wheel. It was too fitting with the Palace.

"A clash of brute strength is simply uncalled for on this stage," Sae's Shadow stated.

Makoto tensed up. Sae had made her appearance. Sae then smiled but it was devoid of warmth. It was smug, oozed confidence.

"Just what is her plan?" Yusuke asked.

"I wish I knew," Akechi murmured.

Ryuji then let out a frustrated growl, taking a few menacing steps towards Sae.

"No more coins or messing around!"

His arm then swiped through the air.

He declared, "We ain't following your damn rules!"

Sae just chuckled, her golden eyes glinting with amusement.

"Oh, you will. There is no room for negotiation. You will know… soon enough."

Then her image flickered, showing a brutish monster.

Makoto's eyes widened, taking a step backwards. "What was that?!"

"Now come at me!" Sae goaded with a smirk.

Makoto felt her chest squeeze in anxiety. She was so much worse than Makoto had thought. What had happened?

"Gladly!" Ren exclaimed, before pointing at Sae. "Let's take her out!"

Sae just sneered, "I'd like to see you try."

"Be on your guard, everyone!" Morgana warned.

"Okay, let's do it! I'll back you guys up… no matter what!" Futaba shouted.

"Let's do this fair and square!" Sae declared.

"Sis! Stop lying to yourself, please!" Makoto cried out.

"What are you talking about?" Sae asked, then hissed, "I'm not lying to myself! You Phantom Thieves initiate your own justice...this is mine! If you think that I will take it easy because you're my little sister...you're even more foolish than I thought!"

Makoto's eyes widened at that.

"I…" Makoto's voice was shaky.

"Silence!" Haru's voice was usually so gentle, but it was as sharp as a blade now.

She stalked forward, pointing her axe at Sae.

"You really have no idea, do you? What it means to watch someone you love deeply become merely a shadow of themselves?" she questioned.

Sae scowled, before spitting out, "Don't think to lecture me!"

"You really don't know how Queen feels. How much she's wanted to save you. You keep underestimating her," Ken added.

"Yes, that's right…" Akechi was suddenly standing right next to Makoto. "We'll save her… together!"

Makoto gave a numb nod before turning her eyes towards Sae. She could do this. She felt strangely calm about this.

"What's the matter? You may have the support from your friends...but you'll still always be useless!" taunted the Shadow.

"That's where you're wrong, Sis… I challenge you, because I know this is not what you want! Hollow victories, chasing after promotions—and for what? Are you happy where you are?"

Makoto then shook her head before placing a hand over her chest.

"I don't believe you are. I remember how you used to be. You were more than my big sister… you were closer to being my mom, because I can barely remember our real mother. I want you back, Sis! And I'll do whatever it takes to do it! I won't stand aside and let you make this mistake! I know that you're better than me in several ways. You were always a prodigy. It seemed everything I could do, you did better. Some people saw me as nothing more than your little sister. But I won't lose here! I refuse! I'll show you, Sis, that I'm not some useless little girl!"

"Pretty words—but I don't believe you can back up those words." Sae spat out.

"Just watch!" Makoto shouted.

She then lifted her hand, tearing off her mask.

"CHARGE, ANAT!"

Her new Persona appeared with a flash, eliciting a few gasps from her friends. But she couldn't help but notice that Ken just gave her a smile, like it was no surprise to him. Makoto quickly shook her head—she had to focus! She then pointed at Sae. Anat raised a hand.

A powerful nuclear blast bloomed to life, throwing Sae backwards.

This seemed to be the cue that her friends needed.

Morgana leapt through the air, slashing with his scimitar. He then jumped backwards, allowing Yusuke to cut in with a sweep of his katana. Milady's psy attack then lifted her to the air, making Sae easy pickings for Captain Kidd.

But before anyone else could strike, Sae hauled herself to her feet, before snapping her fingers.

"One against so many…let's even the odds, shall we?"

The roulette then began to spin.

"What the…?!" Futaba cried out.

"Now, let us play a game of roulette. The stakes will be… our lives. You may play safely, but the rewards will be unimpressive. Or you could risk it, and claim high rewards."

Then Sae flicked her hair over her shoulder.

"Of course, acts of violence are forbidden here. One must follow the rules."

Futaba made a frustrated sound then exclaimed, "We already told you that we're not playing by your rules anymore!"

Sae just shrugged in response.

"That's fine by me... such troublesome people will face the penalty."

"Just what is she talking about?" Ken asked.

"I don't know…" Ren then grimaced. "But I sure don't want to find out."

"We'll just have to tread carefully. Be careful, Joker!" Makoto said.

"The roulette though…" Futaba trailed off for a moment—you could hear the frown in her voice. "What are we supposed to do?"

"If I were to guess... we should be predicting where the ball should fall," Yusuke said.

Ryuji huffed. "Sorta like that dice game…"

Makoto had a bad feeling about this. Sae had cheated so many times during the Palace. Why should this be any different?

"Joker, we can't—"

"We have to go along with it for now," Morgana said grimly before flicking his gaze up at Prometheus. "Oracle, try and see if you can analyze anything!"

"Will do!" Futaba interjected.

"What will you bet? Are you going to go with a safer bet with smaller rewards or a high-risk bet with higher rewards?" Sae taunted.

"We'll do a safer bet." Ren then frowned, his eyebrows furrowing together. "I bet that it'll end on a... red number."

The roulette then began to slow down, a ball appearing out of nowhere. It seemed to stop at a red number, earning cheers from Haru, Ryuji, and Anne—only for it to drop into a black number at the very last moment.

"Wha…?!" Futaba sputtered. "Is this for real?!"

"That's utterly ridiculous!" Yusuke protested.

"Oh, what a shame you lost. Perhaps you'll have better luck next time," Sae said mockingly.

Makoto suddenly felt the energy drain out of her. She gasped, before pressing a hand against her forehead. It felt like when the Shadows drained part of her lifeforce out of her, to restore damage. The damage they had managed to inflict onto Sae was completely reversed.

"You cheating little…!" Ryuji growled.

Enraged, the former track star charged at her blindly.

"Skull, NO!" Futaba shrieked.

But Ryuji didn't listen, swinging his bat at Sae. But a barrier suddenly appeared, reflecting the damage back onto Ryuji. The recoil was strong enough to send him reeling back, falling backwards.

"SKULL!" Ren shouted before whipping towards Morgana, "Dammit, Mona—"

"On it!" Morgana interrupted.

The cat sprinted over to Ryuji. He immediately summoned Zorro to cast Diaharan.

"You asked for it," Sae said carelessly, before giving a shrug. "You broke the rules, thus—you'll be penalized. Those who cannot follow rules are not to be tolerated. That is simply how society works."

Sae really felt that way? Makoto felt sick to her stomach.

"You're the cheater!" Ryuji seethed, hauling himself to his feet.

"Skull, don't move so fast! I'm not done with you!" Morgana scolded.

"This isn't working," Ren muttered as everyone else crowded close to him.

"We have to figure out something, though! Did any of you figure out anything?" Haru inquired.

"The ball seemed to float over a red number. For a moment but... at the last moment, it rolled to black. Isn't that suspicious?" Ken said quietly.

"That must be part of the trick!" Yusuke exclaimed. "But... we can't just accuse her."

Akechi rubbed his chin, "So, we'll catch her in the act. After all, she is a lawyer. Blind accusations are powerless in court unless you have evidence."

"But… what is the trick? Do any of you guys have an idea…? I'm stumped." Anne asked tentatively.

"It seemed to float." Ren repeated Ken's words. "Like… a glass lid or something."

"Ah! That makes perfect sense!" Haru's eyes went wide.

"This is what we'll do." Ren lowered his voice. "We'll keep up the act but Ace, we need you to snipe the glass lid at the right moment. Oracle, when the time comes... you'll give her hell. We'll distract her—now, go!"

"Are you ready to bet?" Sae called out to them.

"Hold your horses! After what happened, I have to think over this carefully," Ren exclaimed.

Ren was really milking his dramatic tendencies. At least it was distracting Sae. Using her peripheral vision, Makoto could see Ken climb up the edge before he hid behind one of the large golden pots. She hoped that Sae didn't catch him. She doubted that she'd take kindly to the plan.

Sae tapped her foot impatiently. "We don't have all day. Society waits for no one."

"Fine, fine..." Ren sighed gustily, shaking his head. "So pushy. I'm feeling lucky. How about we go with the ball landing between… one to twelve?"

"After that kind of blunder?" Sae just chuckled, a confident smirk appearing on her face. "Well, let's find out!"

At the snap of Sae's fingers, the roulette began to spin. Makoto couldn't help but tense up; it took all of her willpower not to look at where Ken was hiding. Eventually the roulette then slowed down. There was the sound of a bullet being fired. A moment later, glass shattered and the ball fell onto the slot that read 11.

"Wha… WHAT?!"

Sae actually staggered back, shock written all over her face. Then she suddenly fell to her knees.

"Gotcha!" Futaba crowed. "Everyone!"

They surrounded Sae, before pointed their guns at her. Then Futaba spoke again.

"What was that about playing fair and square, huh?! You were totally cheating! Like always! You're nothing but a spoiled brat, throwing a temper tantrum when it just so happens that you're on the losing end!" Futaba demanded.

Sae let out a frustrated growl, her shoulders shaking with anger.

Ken looked nervously at Sae. "Uh, Oracle, you might want to calm d—"

"No way, Ace! I'm just getting warmed up! You know why you cheat? It's because you're weak. You degrade us, insult us, calling us losers. But who's the real loser?! You can't even lose with grace. You're just a wimp! Something who can't ever win unless she cheats her way to it! And to hell if you hurt innocent people because of it! You disgust me!" Futaba spat out.

"Shut up… SHUT UP! SHUT UPPPP!" Sae screeched, managing to push herself up slightly.

Then a dark aura flared around her for a moment. What Sae was wearing… it was definitely different. She resembled an almost demonic knight, decked out in black spiked armor. Instead of a hand, she had a rocket launcher. In her other hand, she held a red sword.

"Sis?!" Makoto cried out.

Yusuke took an uncertain step backwards. "What on earth?!"

"That moment before then…" Makoto murmured. "It wasn't my imagination."

Ken added, "I was wondering about that. After from what we've faced before."

Sae then let out a demonic screech, making them all wince.

"Cheating? Unfair?! SILENCE! This is my world!"

"Annnd she's lost her marbles." Ren said dryly.

Ryuji grumbled out, "More like Queen's temper runs in the family."

Makoto shot him a flat look. "I'm right here, you know."

"If you want a fair fight… then I'll give it to you!" Sae spat out, ignoring their little banter. "To hell with this game!"

Then she slammed down her sword.

"But I think that with so many adversaries, I require a partner of my own!"

"Bring it on!" Futaba shouted. "We'll take you down, no matter what! No matter what big guns you whip out!"

But a pool of black formed, a familiar figure emerging from it. His appearance contrasted with Sae's, as he was decked out in his police uniform once more. But he wielded some kind of high-tech tonfa, instead of the police baton from before.

Makoto just bit her lip. Not again…

"Sae-san... your father again?" Akechi asked.

"Silence, crooks!" he barked out, before his grip on his tonfas tightened, "I will bring you to justice! Your victory from before...nothing but a fluke!"

He then pointed at Sae. A blue forcefield suddenly sprung up around her.

"Oracle, what was that?" Ren demanded before looking towards Prometheus.

"A barrier. I don't see any weak spots…you'll probably have to take him down before Niijima!" Futaba reported.

"Well that's just great," Ren deadpanned.

"Be on your guard, everyone! He's most likely stronger than before!" Haru exclaimed.

"You don't have to tell us twice," Ken quipped.

Ryuji hefted his weapon onto his shoulder. "Let's kick some ass!"

"I couldn't have said it better, Skull!" Ren said with a grin.

Morgana summoned a gust of air, launching him into the air. He then slashed down with his scimitar. The cognition of Dad quickly blocked with his tonfa. But then Ryuji cut in, swinging his bat at his kneecaps. The blow downed him, making him fall to one knee with a grunt.

"Skull, Mona, get back!" Haru shouted before she tore off her mask. "Milady!"

Ryuji and Morgana scrambled out of the way as Milady fired away.

"I don't see why you think you have the moral high ground," Sae spat out. "As long as you win… it doesn't matter what methods you use. Don't you have the same philosophy?"

"Hell no!" Ryuji snapped.

"Don't you dare compare the two of us!" Yusuke added furiously, a fierce glower on his face. "We're not cheating and manipulating our way to victory!"

"We only change hearts to help people! People who were helpless in their situation!" Makoto exclaimed.

Sae just would not acknowledge her actions. She was deflecting. Makoto gritted her teeth. She had to get to Sae… she had to.

"Nothing but excuses! I will take you down!" vowed the cognition. "No matter what! You're nothing but disgusting criminals! You control the hearts of others to achieve your own goals!"

"Everyone, they won't back down!" Ren barked out. "And either will we! Go all out!"

"You're so arrogant," the cognition spat out. "This will not be like before. Lady Sae and I will emerge victorious!"

"You're one to talk about arrogance!" Akechi called out. "Robin Hood!"

But the cognition of her dad charged forward, dodging Robin Hood's Megidola spell with ease. There was a resounding crack as Akechi was struck hard in the face. The force was strong enough to send Akechi stumbling to the ground. Then he seemed to twist the handle of his tonfa. It seemed to transform before their eyes, before he aimed it at Akechi.

A gunshot rang out.

Akechi rolled to the side, clutching his arm as his face contorted with pain. Red spread from his shoulder, staining the snowy white fabric.

But before the cognition of her dad could make another move, he was cut off by a barrage of bullets, courtesy of both Ken and Haru. He jumped backwards to dodge the attack, but Makoto was ready for him.

"Charge, Anat!" she exclaimed, tearing off her mask.

The nuclear spell's blast caught him off guard. Then Ken darted forward, jabbing forward. But as the cognition moved to block the strike, Ken suddenly swung his spear upwards, whapping him hard in the face.

Ken then quipped, "They never protect the face."

The cognition of Dad growled.

"You…!"

He was abruptly cut off by Captain Kidd crashing against him. Mona then somersaulted off of Captain Kidd, a burst of wind flaring to life. Yusuke and Anne then proceeded to launch their own attacks—fierce strikes from Kamu Susano-o and an inferno from Hecate.

But that left… she whipped around to see her boyfriend carefully helping up Akechi.

"I—" Akechi then stopped short. "Thank you. I didn't expect you to come to my rescue."

"Like I was going to just stand there and let him shoot you down," Ken muttered. "But you need to be less cocky. What's the saying? Pride cometh before one's fall?"

Akechi just quirked an eyebrow, "Some sources say it's 'pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall'."

"Same thing," Ken huffed with a roll of his eyes.

Makoto spoke up, "He's strong. It does make sense, though… Sis could never beat Dad in a spar before he died."

"Queen."

Makoto turned her head to look at Akechi.

"Your father taught you aikido, did he not? I can see it in his stance."

Makoto slowly nodded.

Ken's eyes lit up in recognition. "Ah, I see what you mean. That means you know his fighting style the best out of all of us, right?"

"What?! That's—Dad was at a much higher level than me! I can't beat him! There's simply no way!" Makoto shook her head in protest.

"Have you not heard of the phrase 'the student surpasses the master'?" Akechi asked. "You can, Niijima-san. Or was your speech to Sae-san nothing but mindless boasting?"

"No… it wasn't," she uttered quietly.

"You can do it, Queen." Ken smiled at her for a moment, before he glanced up at Prometheus. "Oracle, do you have any data on him?"

"Hmm… his specs lean towards being a glass cannon." Futaba reported.

Ken sighed and shook his head.

"In layman's terms, please?" he asked dryly.

"Ugh, I mean he's fast and strong, stupid! But he'll probably drop like a rock if you get a good punch in," Futaba explained.

Akechi winced. "I can definitely attest to the strong part."

"Speaking of that…" Ken grabbed Akechi by the wrist. "Let me tend to that."

"That's not necessary, you should reserve your strength for something graver—"

"Graver than a shot to the shoulder? Last time I checked that's pretty grave. Didn't think you were the reckless type, Crow," Ken replied.

"But it's just a scratch. I've dealt with worse; I can assure you," Akechi stated.

Ken made a frustrated sound. "Quit being so stubborn."

"Why do you care so much?" he suddenly asked, only to trail off with. "I thought…"

Ken blew his bangs out of his face.

"You really think I wouldn't care? After you got shot? I would think after working together for the past few weeks, you'd know I'm not heartless," Ken said before frowning.

Akechi's lips suddenly quirked into a smile. A genuine one, not that saccharine smile he saved for TV broadcasts.

"You deride me for being stubborn but you are quite stubborn yourself, Ace," Akechi quipped.

"Takes one to know one," Makoto said wearily.

"I suppose," Akechi said haltingly.

"Queen!" Futaba abruptly called out to her. "I think I've got something. Break his stance, and he'll come crashing down."

Makoto swallowed hard.

"Easier said than done, Oracle."

She then sighed, looking towards the cognition of her father. She was one of the faster people on the team. But Makoto couldn't help but feel doubtful.

"I know, I know. But you can do it, Queen! I know you can!" Futaba encouraged.

At least she had a vote of confidence.

But just how could she get a hit in? Her eyes then drifted over to Sae. She needed to do it though. They had to properly confront Sae.

"Queen, what's the plan?" Ren asked.

"I need to get in close. But can you get him on the defensive?" Makoto asked.

She hated having to make up plans on the fly, but she really had no choice here.

Ren just nodded, giving her a thumbs up.

"Sounds like a good plan!"

"Joker, this is hardly a plan."

"Sometimes you gotta think on your feet. We'll find a way to take him down, don't worry, Queen."

Makoto sighed, "I hope you're right, Joker."

"We could use some help though, Oracle!" Ren called up to Futaba.

"Needy, needy... but here I go! Speed up!" Futaba exclaimed.

Green light shimmered around them, and Makoto could feel a lightness in her limbs now.

"Follow my lead, everyone!" Ren shouted, before tearing off his mask. "Seth!"

The dragon Ren summoned divebombed at the cognition of her dad, which he easily dodged by jumping backwards.

Her other friends struck. Hecate's flames intertwined with the bullets produced by Milady. Captain Kidd and Kamu Susano-o's powerful strikes caused tremors in the ground, but the cognition of her dad stood firm. Morgana had to swap from unleashing powerful gusts of wind to healing up everyone. Futaba hovered above their heads, occasionally healing them or offering them some kind of power up.

Futaba's advice echoed in her mind. Break his stance.

But how? Makoto found herself hovering at the edges.

Ren suddenly charged forward, shooting with his pistol. The cognition of her dad just narrowed his eyes before he lunged for Ren. But then Ken cut in, blocking the blow with his spear. The cognition pressed forward, but Ken suddenly jerked his arm up, sending the tonfa flying.

Light suddenly flared, making the cognition cry out. He stumbled backwards before he threw an arm over his eyes.

"Queen, now!" Akechi shouted.

Makoto darted forward, sweeping with her leg. The cognition was sent crashing down.

"Fox! Noir! You'll help me out, won't you?" She exclaimed, turning to look at her friends.

"Do you need to ask?" Yusuke questioned with a near scoff.

"Of course, Queen!" Haru just smiled.

"Y-You cannot…" the cognition said weakly, struggling to sit up.

"Watch us! MILADY!" Haru charged forward.

Milady's psychic spell lifted the cognition in the air.

"KAMU SUSANO-O!"

Kamu Susano-o slashed through the air several times, which the cognition was helpless to dodge.

"Goodbye, Dad," Makoto whispered.

Milady dropped the psychic spell. Makoto tore off her mask.

"ANAT!" she cried out.

The cognition of her dad barely hit the ground when the nuclear spell exploded.

The blue shield finally disappeared.

"What?! But how?!" Sae screeched.

They all stared Sae's shadow down. Akechi just smirked at her.

"Are you finally ready to face us head on?" Akechi scoffed.

"You keep on underestimatin' us! That's your biggest mistake!" Ryuji huffed.

Anne added, "No more hiding!"

"Fine, I'll crush you myself!" Sae growled.

"Bring it on! We'll take you on!" Ren goaded with a smirk.

Sae's response was to unleash a barrage of bullets from her rocket launcher, forcing them to scatter.

"You just don't understand—what I've had to do... to just survive! Nobody understands—!"

Makoto closed her eyes. Why hadn't Sae just talked to her? She would've listened. Maybe Sae wouldn't have turned out so warped if she had some support.

Then Sae suddenly shook her head, before charging forward. She swung wildly at Ren, but Haru quickly threw up a shield. She let out a sharp cry, stumbling backwards. But in the last moment, she caught herself. Ren took a moment to summon Kushinada-Hime, who lifted her arms. Red light shimmered around all of them, strengthening them.

Makoto couldn't focus on the past though; she had to focus on the present and the future. Sae would never feel this way again. Not if she had anything to say about it.

Morgana summoned Zorro, who whipped up a fierce gale. But Sae held fast, digging in her heels. She then charged forward.

"Kamu Susano-o!" Yusuke shouted.

A thin layer of ice suddenly appeared on the ground, causing Sae to slip and fall.

"Nice, Fox!" Futaba cheered.

Sae let out a frustrated growl, before digging her sword into the ice and using her sword as a crutch.

Several arrows of light cut through the air, a few digging into her thigh.

And yet, Makoto couldn't help but hesitate at joining the fray.

"Queen, you gotta snap out of this!"

Makoto jumped at the sound of Futaba's voice.

"I know this is not easy. But you've gotta! Your sis won't see sense any other way!"

Was there no other way though? They didn't have to fight Mishima.

Makoto shook her head. She had to just take the plunge. This was for Sae's own good.

"Stop looking at me like that! You—you're no longer my little sister! You're my enemy!" Sae snarled.

Ken suddenly darted in between them, blocking Sae's blow with the shaft of his spear. He turned slightly, catching Makoto's eye. Then he gave a hard shove, before swinging his spear at Sae's knees. Ken jumped to the side just as Anat appeared. The nuclear spell sent Sae sprawling.

"Nice move," Ken murmured.

"It only happened because you gave me an opening," Makoto muttered.

What was she going to do? It felt like no matter what, Sae would hold fast. That was just the type of person Sae was: stubborn and strong.

The battle seemed to drag on and on. And even though Sae was taking on nine enemies, she managed to keep up. Morgana and Ken had to keep switching from unleashing attacks to heal up everyone. It didn't matter how many brutal attacks from Ryuji and Yusuke. Or the amount of gun attacks from Haru and Ken. Or the variety of spells that Ren flung at her, or the powerful flames that Anne produced. She even withstood almighty spells from Akechi.

But Ren got a lucky shot, knocking Sae down to one knee.

"I'm... not done yet..." She breathed out.

Makoto ran forward.

"Sis! Please listen to me!"

Sae let out a frustrated growl before staggering to her feet.

"Why, so you can preach at me about how righteous you are and how wrong I am?! What does my little sister know?!"

"No, Sis!" Makoto shook her head fervently. "I told you before, I will always be on your side! No matter what! I'm doing this because I love you."

Sae seemed to falter, before shaking her head again.

She then hissed out, "Don't lie to me!"

She started to charge towards Makoto, only to be cut off by Hecate bombarding Sae with several fireballs.

"But it's true, Sis! I meant what I said before. I only want you back, Sis," Makoto begged.

"Well, keep wishing!" Sae snarled out before giving Hecate a swipe of her sword.

"You compared your actions to what we do before," Makoto continued.

She was forced to jump backwards as Sae launched another attack with her rocket launcher. Makoto coughed as black smoke began to pour out due to the rocket striking the ground.

"There's nothing wrong with exposing truths that otherwise would've been protected by the law!" Makoto persisted. "That's what we aim to do! We want to punish criminals who are protected by the system!"

Sae seemed to freeze at that, allowing Captain Kidd to sweep in with a fierce attack. With a burst of wind, Morgana leapt off Captain Kidd and slashed down.

"Remember how you felt when you first decided you wanted to be a prosecutor? Don't you remember the look on Dad's face when you told him your goal?"

She clutched her chest, silently praying that her words would reach her. She didn't want her words to fall on deaf ears.

"Stop dredging up the past! I'm not who I used to be!" Sae shouted.

Bolts of lightning stopped Sae in her tracks, courtesy of Ren. Kamu Susano-o then swept in, knocking Sae off her feet.

"You told me that you wanted to provide defendants a fighting chance!" Akechi called out to her, "Because nobody else could help them. Sae-san, do you still feel that way? Or do you just care about tallying up wins now?"

"You wanted to reform the system...just like we do!" Makoto continued, "Please try to remember, Sis! I know you still have your justice. Not this twisted sense of it… I know it's still in there!"

"I…" Sae suddenly let out a pained groan, struggling to her feet. "I don't know…"

A black aura suddenly surrounded her. When it faded away, it revealed Sae's original form.

"Sis!" Makoto cried out, racing over to her sister's side.

She dropped to her knees in front of Sae, grabbing Sae's hands. They were clammy and cold to the touch, but Makoto didn't care.

"Makoto…" Sae whispered. "I… I don't know what to believe."

"Sis, listen to me," Makoto said, giving Sae's hands a tight squeeze. "I mean every word I said. I know that you still have a sense of justice. You just lost your way, because of how Dad's death thrust you in a role that you just weren't ready for."

Makoto felt hot tears sting at her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Sis…I'm so sorry. I didn't know the pain you were going through. I was too wrapped up in my own grief and then wanting to do you proud. You always seemed so strong. You seemed so smart and capable. I didn't know what you were going through." She bowed her head then added shakily, "F-Forgive me…"

She had to reach out to Sae. Somehow…

"I lost my sense of justice too," Makoto said softly. "I turned away from the truth, because I wanted to please the higher ups so badly. But I learned that's no way to live. To willingly blind yourself. You… You understand that, do you, Sis?"

"I…"

"I want you to be able to lean on me too, Sis. In the real world… let's talk this out."

Ryuji suddenly cleared his throat, a sheepish smile on his face as he held up the briefcase that Makoto had planted.

"Uhh… Fox and I got the Treasure."

"Good job, Skull!" Morgana complimented.

Akechi smiled, looking pleased.

"We just need to make our escape," Akechi stated. "Sae-san will be safe from any attempts on her life now. She won't be able to have a mental shutdown."

Then his eyes flickered to Ren.

"Though I must say, this deal we've made… has been quite the experience. I still can't believe that I, a detective, have been working alongside the infamous Phantom Thieves."

Ryuji huffed. "Yeah, yeah…"

"We could always continue," Morgana piped up.

"No, none of that." Akechi smiled thinly. "Ace tried that earlier today. We made a promise, no?"

"Was worth a try…" Anne gave a weak giggle.

"Now, we just need to get out of here. We still need to actually steal Niijima-san's Treasure." Then Ken looked to Makoto. "Queen?"

Makoto swallowed hard before she shakily stood up.

"Yes, I know. Let's go—"

Futaba suddenly gasped.

"G-Guys! This is bad. Really bad!"

It was time.

---

It was showtime. Ren schooled his expression to be neutral as Futaba suddenly stiffened.

She then pressed both hands to her temples, concentrating.

"G-Guys!" She squeaked out, then bit her lip, "This is bad. Really bad!"

"What's wrong, Oracle?" Ken asked.

Ryuji demanded, "Yeah seriously, what's going on?!"

"Enemies ahead! Lots and lots of them! Shadows and… humans?! How did they get here?" Futaba reported.

Futaba then sucked in a breath.

"This is bad… I can sense the Shadows getting all riled up!"

"W-What?" Haru's eyes widened. "But how...?"

"And why are all the Shadows all agitated?" Makoto inquired, before she shook her head. "Never mind that. Our priority is to escape from here."

"We have had some... interesting escapes, but none like this," Yusuke stated.

Ryuji just grimaced. "But with all these people crawling around... This won't be easy."

"Let me be a distraction," Ren spoke up before surveying his friends. "I can lead them off. You guys can get to safety and I'll rendezvous with you. The usual spot, yeah?"

"What?! B-But Joker, that's too dangerous—!" Anne squeaked out.

For someone who wasn't the best actress, Anne was definitely bringing her A-game. Her big blue eyes were the size of dinner plates, suddenly glassy. Both her bottom lip and hands trembled.

"Believe in him, Panther," Ryuji said firmly. "This guy has wiggled his way outta impossible situations time and time again. He'll come back to us, yeah?"

Ryuji's eyes then met Ren's as he handed over the fake Treasure.

"Of course, I will," Ren said firmly.

Ken sighed, "Don't do anything too reckless."

Morgana then huffed out a laugh.

"You might as well ask him to give up coffee. Or go to bed on time."

"You wound me, both of you!" Ren teased.

"They're just speaking the truth," Yusuke quipped with a fond smile.

"Joker… please be careful. We can't lose you," Makoto cautioned.

"Same goes for all of you. You've become important to me. All of you," Ren said seriously.

He then reached into his pockets, pulling out several smoke bombs.

"Break into three groups. Mona, you're in charge of Group A. Skull and Panther, you'll be with him. Queen, you'll lead Group B. You've got Fox and Noir with you. And Group C… Ace, you lead. You'll take Crow and Oracle with you."

These were the last of his smoke bombs. Thankfully Kawakami had scrounged him up some free time today so he could craft these. But it'd be worth it if it got his friends out of a scrape. His conversation with Ryuji and Anne yesterday still burned in his mind. If they were chased by Shido's men, maybe this will help them get a quick getaway.

The atmosphere was heavy. This was it. His friends all looked at him solemnly, worry clear in their eyes.

Anne then looked at him sternly.

"Joker, if you don't come back to us, I'll never forgive you!"

Determination burned in her eyes. Despite what Anne said, he didn't always know what to say. But hey, actions spoke louder than words.

He grabbed her by the shoulders, drawing a squeak from her. He then captured her lips, giving her a quick, yet intense kiss. For a moment, he just focused on the girl in his arms. It was nice but unfortunately, they had more important things to take care of.

He released Anne from his embrace. Her expression was dreamy, her eyes slightly glazed and a pink flush to her cheeks.

He winked at her. "That's a promise, my lady."

Then he turned on his heel and ran.

Truth be told, Ren didn't really know where he was going. Thank goodness for Futaba. He didn't know what he'd do without her. She navigated him to the main area of the casino.

Ren fought the urge to smirk. Time to have some fun.

The crowd murmured uncertainly as he leapt back and forth. Ren suddenly stopped, watching the men in black push their way through. Shido was really pulling the big guns, wasn't he? Ren allowed a smirk to curve at his lips.

"Looking for me?" Ren called out, waggling the fake Treasure to add the effect. "Wow, you guys are simply terrible at your jobs!"

"It's him! Get him!" one man shouted.

"Gotta ran faster than that to catch me, boys!" Ren taunted, before allowing another smirk to appear across his face.

He gave a jaunty little wave. Because hey, he might as well have fun with this.

"See ya!"

He then hightailed it out of there. Over Futaba's comm, his friends offered their commentary.

"Excellent work, Joker," Morgana complimented him. "Quite a show you gave them."

"They'll be out for blood, though. Did you really have to challenge them like that? That's just asking for trouble." Ken sighed.

"Don't be such a killjoy, Ace," Ryuji groaned.

Ken quickly retorted with, "Excuse me for being cautious."

Makoto chided, "That's enough, both of you."

"But Mona's right! You were great out there, Joker!" Anne cheered.

"Only you could do that, Joker." Yusuke then added, "Skull can only dream of pulling that kind of feat."

"Oh, shuddup Inari!" Ryuji snapped.

Haru just laughed. "Someone's feeling lively today."

"Enough, enough." Akechi laughed. "We need to slip off to the rendezvous, remember? I'd hate to keep Joker waiting!"

Whatever you say, traitor. At least Ren didn't have to smother the urge to scowl.

"I'll meet you guys there. See you soon! Focus on meeting up outside!" Ren promised.

"There he is!" came a shout.

"And this is the part where I run," Ren muttered under his breath.

"Really, Joker? You make the lamest jokes sometimes." Futaba snorted.

"Uh, excuse me, but I'm a comedy genius," Ren huffed as he made a dash for freedom. "My name's Joker after all."

"That's very debatable," Ken snarked.

Ren could practically see him shaking his head.

Ren retorted, "You're the last person to critique my jokes, you don't have a sense of humor."

"Now is really not the time for this!" Makoto scoffed.

He made it to a balcony, only to be cut off by a group of Shadows.

"Take 'em down, Joker!" Anne cheered.

He smirked, feeling a surge of confidence. He couldn't let his girlfriend down after all.

He leapt forward, his fingers already grasping on the edges of the Shadow's mask. He tore it off, revealing a Shadow he's never seen before.

It was almost like a bull… robot? Weird. But then again, he's fought some really weird Shadows. Ren didn't think anything could beat that demon on a toilet or weird dick slime Shadow they had fought at Kamoshida's Palace.

Fire suddenly shot out of his eyes and Ren had to jump backwards. Ren reached up to tear off his mask, only for a voice to echo in his mind.

"Have you forgotten me?"

Wait…

Arsène?

You have done well these past few months, channeling your furious power. Now use that power… to defeat the enemies before you! Call my name... and my power will be yours to command once more!

"ARSÈNE!" Ren shouted.

Arsène appeared with a flash. Ren couldn't help but grin. Yeah, it was time to kick some Shadow ass.

Arsène was strong. Much stronger. He used powerful curse spells, was able to block the Shadows' attacks by shielding himself with his wings… It wasn't long before the Shadows fell.

He couldn't believe it. It was as his Persona had promised. But Arsene felt stronger somehow. How? Ren wasn't entirely sure. But he had a feeling that he'd find out. Very soon.

Arsène suddenly appeared before him.

"Your fate… will soon be determined. Recall everything. Remember the bonds you've forged with your friends."

His friends' faces flashed in his minds. Yes… he had faith in them. Not just his fellow partners-in-crime. All of his Confidants.

"If you are fated to continue beyond this point… then we surely will meet again."

He was going to survive. He'd make Niijima believe in him.

"Hello? Are you just gonna stand there, gawking?"

"Hey, I'm allowed to rest a little, aren't I? Where to now, Oracle?" Ren asked.

"Uhh—the door in front of you?"

"Someone's feeling snarky today," Ren quipped, but he ran for the door.

He had to duck and sneak around Shido's men. But it was all too easy for him, with how he's honed these skills for months now.

"So… where to now, Oracle?" Ren asked as he burst through the door.

Nothing.

Ren frowned, before cautiously speaking.

"Oracle?"

No answer. Crap.

It must be because of them dodging Shido's men. Damn. Ren really hoped that she and Ken were okay.

What if Anne had been right?

No... he couldn't worry about that. Not now, he had to focus on the mission right now, and he had no navigator. Time to fall back to his default plan: winging it.

---

Shido really wasn't pulling any of the stops when it came to this operation. It hammered in how desperate he was to take them down.

Ken sighed, looking back in the direction of where they had come from. He really hoped that Ren would be okay.

"This is really insane," Anne muttered, hugging herself for a moment.

Ryuji shook his head, "Yeah, no kidding!"

"Come on, guys, no bickering." Morgana's voice took the air of a stern teacher. "We have to get to the meeting point! Joker's waiting for us!"

Sometimes it amazed him how much of an act he and his friends were putting up.

Ken forced himself to look at Morgana. "Right. We'll meet you there."

Ryuji flashed them all a big grin before giving a quick salute.

"See ya on the other side!"

The original Phantom Thieves then took off, tearing down the path. Ken found his eyes drifting to his girlfriend, who was looking back to where they had fought Niijima-san. A soft sigh escaped her lips.

Haru nudged Makoto in the side.

"Queen?"

"I… I'm fine." Makoto closed her eyes for a moment. "I just hoped that I reached out to Sis…"

"I'm sure you did, Queen." Yusuke sighed.

Ken grabbed her by the arm.

"Queen, have faith in yourself. What you said to your sister...came from your heart. If she isn't too far gone, as you believe, your words should reach her."

"But don't forget that we still have things to do," Akechi stated.

Ken shot him an irritated glare. That was really not helping.

But then Makoto looked to him, her expression unreadable. She didn't say anything. Instead she grabbed him by the lapels of his jacket, pulling him down for a kiss. Ken's hands moved up to cradle her face.

For a moment the world seemed to fade away. The stress and worry over this past month just...melted away. Then Makoto suddenly broke off the kiss.

"You're right, Ace," she said softly before she suddenly coughed. "And you, Crow."

But then she smiled. Makoto really did have a beautiful smile. Especially when she felt confident.

"So… I'll see you soon. Keep Oracle out of trouble!"

"Hey!" Futaba puffed up in anger. "What's that supposed to mean?!"

"You could not do this when I have a sketchpad in hand?" Yusuke complained. "How inconsiderate of you."

Makoto rolled her eyes, before grabbing onto Yusuke's sleeve.

"Come on, let's get going already."

Ken coughed before glancing to Futaba and Akechi.

"Jeez, Queen really pulled a shoujo move on you back there," Futaba teased. "You're speechless."

Ken rolled his eyes.

"Moving on. You need to keep an eye on Joker."

"But—"

"Oracle." He shot her a glare.

Futaba huffed before pouting for a moment.

"You're no fun."

Akechi just chuckled, "I believe Queen thinks otherwise."

Ken just groaned, "Oh great... you too."

Akechi just smiled innocently.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Ace," he lightly teased.

"Ugh…" Ken grumbled.

Even Akechi delighted in teasing him... wonderful.

But they headed off. Unfortunately, they had to stop ever so often so that Futaba could communicate with Ren. Especially with how he ended up having to fight a Shadow at one point.

"So this is Arsène, huh?" Futaba clenched her hands into fists, "His power level… it's over eight thousand!"

Akechi stared blankly. "I… do not understand."

"Um—hello? Have you never watched Phoenix Ball Z?"

"I cannot say I have," he said sheepishly.

"You uncultured swine!" Futaba gasped.

"Come on, we got to go. You can scold Crow for not watching that show later. How far are we?" Ken chided.

"Hmm…" Futaba pressed both hands against her temples. "I'd say about…two thirds?"

Akechi straightened up. "Shall we get going then—"

The loud sound of pounding footsteps cut him off.

It was a group of ten men. One of the men pressed a finger against his ear.

"This is Sector Four. We've located the secondary target."

What… target?

Ken quickly shook his head.

He couldn't worry about that now! They had to get out. Now.

"Secondary target?" Futaba asked numbly.

"No time for that, move!" Ken said sharply.

"But what about Joker?! He's counting on me!" Futaba protested.

Akechi interjected. "He's known for working on the fly. We must get to safety!"

"We can't take any chances! Come on!" Ken agreed.

"Stop! Or we'll shoot!" One man shouted.

"What I wouldn't give for Noir to be here…" Futaba moaned out/ "I know we can't really be busting our Personas with them but why not shoot at them?"

"I'd rather not," Ken said.

He preferred to use Kala-Nemi's gun attacks over shooting his gun. And even when they fought Strega, it was still different… they were rogue Persona-users; besides that, they had used their Personas to fight against Strega, not their weapons. But these guys… they were just humans.

"It's best not to. We may be held liable by the law if we attack them," Akechi seconded.

"Oh sure, but they can shoot at us," Futaba griped.

Ken just grabbed her arm and dragged her along with him. They ran for god knew how long. Ken honestly wished that Ren had given them a Goho-M instead of a smoke bomb…

"Up there!" Akechi pointed above. "Perhaps we can find one of those vents our leader seems so fond of climbing through…"

Ken nodded, "Good idea."

Then he pulled out one of the smoke bombs that Ren gave him and threw it in the direction of the men.

The moment it struck the ground, black smoke began to pour out. It was chaos—men shouting in disarray, a couple of stray bullets. Ken grabbed Futaba by the hand, before giving her a boost.

This wasn't good. This was not good. Futaba already was exhausted, panting and sweating.

"I can… find an escape route." Futaba gasped out, "We just gotta get far enough."

Akechi frowned. "I hope Joker is all right."

Out of the corner of Ken's eye, he saw the men pointing their guns at them. Without thinking, he shoved both Futaba and Akechi to the ground. Most of the bullets just ricocheted off the wall, bouncing away from them. But one managed to nick his shoulder.

Ken sunk to his knees, biting down on his lower lip so not to scream.

Futaba scrambled to her feet.

"Ace!"

Ken grimaced, before concentrating to heal his shoulder.

"I'm fine," he lied as he tried not to grimace.

God, and Shinjiro-san took two bullets head on. One right in the chest. How did he do it?

"C-Come on, we gotta get moving..." Ken said.

But the men still gave chase. And even now, Ken couldn't decide just which of them they were after. A part of Ken wanted to use the second smoke bomb, but he couldn't help but hesitate. They didn't know how close they were to the exit. Futaba can't pinpoint the meet-up place like this...

"This isn't good," Akechi said grimly, turning his head to look at the men. "We must come up with a strategy and fast."

"No duh!" Futaba snapped out.

Ken looked over his shoulder and then back to his companions.

"There's so many of them… and they have one target, apparently..." he mumbled out.

"Allow me to act as a diversion, then. Just think of it as thanks for earlier," Akechi stated as he cracked a smile.

"Did you fall and hit your head, Crow?!" Ken had to stop and stare in disbelief.

Akechi just tilted his head. "Ah, I didn't know you cared so much, Ace."

"You realize that this will just encourage you to be shot at more right?" he questioned the high school detective.

What was his angle? Did Akechi even know about this? And if he managed to lead off the men, this meant that there would be less of a chance of success of whoever the target was being captured.

Or maybe Shido hadn't even told him about this.

"That's fine. You two need to get to safety. Get in contact with Joker." Akechi cracked a wry smile. "Hopefully he's not too lost without you, Oracle."

Without waiting for Ken or Futaba to say anything else, he turned on his heel and ran towards the men.

Something inside of Ken rebelled against just letting Akechi running off like that. He had felt hollow when Takaya had died… maybe that was it.

"Wait, Crow!"

The moment Akechi whipped around to face him, Ken threw him the remaining smoke bomb; he barely managed to catch it. Akechi looked to him in surprise.

"Don't do anything stupid," Ken added.

Determination filled Akechi's face.

"Likewise, to you."

"Ace…" Futaba turned her head to look at Ken. "Why did you do that?"

"Let me get back to you on that when I figure that out." Ken sighed.

Futaba just snorted.

"You're unbelievable. For someone who's such a grump sometimes, you can also be too nice for your own good…" she quipped.

Ken opened his mouth to reply, only to shut it when they heard a shout, "Don't let them out of your sight!"

"Uh-oh... come on, Oracle!"

He quickly looked over his shoulder. Three men. Akechi must have managed to get the attention of the majority of them, then.

Some more gunshots. Ken managed to dodge, but Futaba wasn't so lucky. Her pained scream rattled in Ken's ears. He whipped around to see Futaba on the ground, whimpering as she clutched her shoulder.

"Oracle!"

"One wrong move and she dies."

One man stalked forward, pointing a gun right at Ken's chest. His heart started to hammer hard against his chest. His eyes darted to Futaba, with the other two men pointing their guns at her.

"Drop your weapons. Now."

One man stepped forward, yanking Futaba up by her hair, which made her yelp.

No, no, no… Ken's legs almost gave way.

"Do I have to repeat myself or are you truly stupid?" the man said coldly.

Ken squeezed his eyes shut for a moment before he dropped his spear. Then he reached for the gun holster and drew out his gun. It joined his spear.

"What do you want?"

He had to stall for time. Maybe if he talked, it could provide a distraction big enough for Futaba to break free. His eyes darted to Futaba once more. She was shaking.

Of course she was scared! God, how could he be so stupid? Why hadn't he made sure that Futaba was in front of him?! Maybe then, he could've shielded Futaba at least.

"It's not what we want," the third man sneered. "We're just following orders."

Of course. But why? What did Shido want?

"I didn't think she'd be such a pipsqueak, though," her captor remarked, his tone almost idle as if he was discussing the weather.

Ken wanted to summon Kala-Nemi so badly, sic his Persona on these men, but he couldn't. One wrong move and Futaba could pay dearly for it. Not to mention these guys were still humans. One wrong move and he could kill them. They may work for Shido, but that didn't mean he had any right to play as executioner.

"She's the one feeding the damn thieves their info, though," the first man stated. "And according to our sources…the daughter of Wakaba Isshiki."

Ken felt his heart freeze after hearing that. They recognized Futaba. That was definitely not good.

Futaba's captor smirked. "Who knows what she knows about cognitive psience. Not to mention, the actual Phantom Thieves."

The very thought of Futaba being in vicinity of Shido made him ill. Shido was absolutely ruthless. What if… Futaba couldn't tell him anything that he wanted to hear? What would happen then? Was… Was she the second target those men mentioned?

"Ace, run… please run! Meet up with the others!" Futaba begged.

"No! I'm not abandoning you!" Ken snapped.

The what ifs were running in his mind. He would not let someone get hurt for the sake of his safety. Never again. It happened twice already. Not to mention that Futaba was essential for the plan to work. They needed this plan to work. Ren's life was on the line too.

"Please." Ken's voice cracked as he dropped to his knees. He then pleaded, "Let her go. She's only fifteen—"

He didn't care if he looked pathetic. He just needed Futaba to be safe.

"No sell. Want to try again?" one of the men mocked.

Ken bit his lip. It was worth a shot, but...obviously the chances of that working were slim. Incredibly slim.

What could he do?! He had to get Futaba out of there. She was the one who needed to get to safety. But then an idea suddenly struck Ken, like a bolt of lightning.

It was reckless. Ken could not deny that. But what else could he do? Two lives. No, even more, possibly. Shido might not be satisfied. He could go after everyone else. All their lives over his…. this was the only way.

Ken drew a shaky breath, before he squared his shoulders. It took all his willpower to speak the next three words.

"Take me instead."

---

"Both men in black and cops from the look of it," Chie observed. "Hmm… I think I'll have to blend in at wherever they're taking Ren-kun."

"It's not far. Remember what Ken-kun told us? The police station is right by the courthouse," Rise piped up.

"Well, that makes it a bit easier for us," Akihiko said before he straightened up. "But… I guess it'll be just be me here then."

"Aki, wait."

Akihiko stopped at Shinjiro's words, and he turned to look at him. "Yeah, Shinji?"

"Don't do anythin' stupid," Shinji said finally. "We haven't been sneaking around for months for you to mess it up and get caught."

"Um, what's this we? Hasn't it been just Ken-kun?" Rise asked teasingly.

Shinjiro glowered at her; Rise really knew how to push his buttons. He should speak up before Rise annoyed Shinji further.

Akihiko just grinned at his best friend. "Yeah, I'll be careful, don't worry."

He then took off, slipping into the crowd. With the chaos, it was too easy to blend in.

"The targets are slippery…" one man grumbled.

"We just need to apprehend the two main targets. Our intel gave us pretty concise information. The one with black curly hair. And the brown-haired kid in black."

A pit formed in Akihiko's stomach.

Shit. Shitshitshit—

Why didn't they realize this before?! Shido wanted to neutralize all of the threats. And taking Ken as a hostage… would give Shido leverage against Mitsuru!

Dammit… what should he do? What can he do? He was supposed to help Ren but the idea of Ken being in danger made Akihiko feel ill.

"Akihiko-san!" Rise suddenly exclaimed. "Change of plans."

"W-What?" Akihiko lowered his voice. "Rise—"

"Ken-kun and Futaba-chan are in danger," Rise said bluntly. "They've been cornered by Shido's men. Shinjiro-san is on his way, but you're definitely closer to Ken-kun and Futaba-chan. You have to go. NOW!"

Oh god. Oh god. Akihiko felt sick to his stomach.

"Stop floundering around, Aki!" Shinji snapped at him over Rise's comm. "I know what we planned, but that bastard Shido pulled a fast one on us. We gotta move and fast!"

"You're right." Akihiko muttered before he took a peek around the corner. "Rise, I need directions."

He hoped he wasn't too late…

---

"Take me instead."

W-What?! What was Ken saying?!

"Ohhh?" Her captor drawled out, "Why would we do that?"

Ken didn't bat an eye, as he laid a hand over his chest.

"I'm the second-in-command. It's only natural, since I have the most experience out of everyone."

He spoke so evenly, his expression neutral. Futaba just stared at him in horror.

What was he—no! He couldn't be serious…

"Ace—NO!" Futaba shook her head desperately. "What are you doing?! He's lying!"

"Quiet, girl!" one of the men snarled.

Her captor studied Ken, his gaze scrutinizing.

"And you would just come willingly?"

Ken narrowed his eyes.

"Let Oracle go. Let her walk out of here, unharmed, and I will go with you."

Her captor looked at his cohorts, "What do you think?"

"That should guarantee the Phantom Thieves' fall," one man mused. "They wouldn't dare to rise again if both leader and the second-in-command are taken out of the picture."

No, no, no… This couldn't be happening! This was a nightmare. Futaba wanted to scream. She wanted to cry. Ken was basically agreeing to be dragged to Shido for who knows what! Ken had done his best to hide his ties to the Shadow Operatives from Akechi but... he was doing this to protect her. Because they needed her to save Ren.

The thought was enough to make Futaba want to cry.

"You don't want him, take me instead!" Futaba begged.

Ken snapped, "Oracle, quiet!"

She wanted to scream. At him. Her life was not worth more than his! So why was he so easily giving himself up?!

This was a common thing. The hero trading himself to protect a loved one. But she never wanted to happen in real life.

"Very well, we accept your deal."

Futaba was suddenly thrown to the ground.

"We'll even let you say goodbye."

Ken dropped down to Futaba's level, carefully helping her up.

"Ace…why? You—" Futaba choked out.

"Shh—it'll be okay." Ken's voice was impossibly gentle, before he smoothed her hair out of her face.

Then his hand settled on top of her shoulder, concentrating to heal her. Futaba could not be soothed by that. Not when her stomach was churning like a whirlpool.

Why did Ken give himself up so easily?!

"No, it won't!" Futaba cried out, hot tears pricking at her eyes. "Why are you lying to me?! Do you realize what will happen?!"

Her chest felt tight; it was so hard to breathe…

Please… someone come save us! She internally begged.

Ken's expression faltered at that.

"I have an… inkling," he said softly.

"Why…" Futaba sniffled. "Why did you this?"

Ken pulled her close for a hug. Futaba clung to him. Ken was not a huggy kind of person. The most affection he had shown her was him patting her head.

"You should know the answer already," he whispered to her.

Right… because she was instrumental to the plan.

Futaba was suddenly torn away from Ken.

Nonono—

"Time's up."

One man grabbed Ken by the collar, hauling Ken to his feet.

"Say good night, brat," he drawled out, a malicious smile on his face.

Futaba suddenly noticed a syringe in his hand. He then plunged the syringe into Ken's neck. The drug was fast acting. The man released Ken's collar. Ken then collapsed to the ground, blue flames flaring around him. His Metaverse costume was replaced by Ken's school uniform.

"P-Please…" Futaba suddenly found her voice. "D-Don't do this."

The second man sneered, "What a pathetic little girl."

The last man added, "Consider yourself lucky, girly. Your friend here demanded safe passage for you, and well…what kind of people would we be if we broke our promise?"

"No—please! Don't take him away!" Futaba begged.

She didn't care if she sounded pathetic.

The man just smirked.

"Orders are orders. And we can't come emptyhanded," he chuckled. "Our benefactor would have our heads."

At his statement, the realization hit Futaba like a pile of rocks.

"You… wanted him from the start." Futaba croaked out.

Oh god, oh god, it was a bluff. It was a bluff. And it was all her fault.

It took a moment for Futaba to push past the haze of panic. Ken… they took him.

"No... NO! Bring him back! PLEASE!" she cried out, to no avail.

Futaba tore off her goggles, throwing it aside. Tears scalded her cheeks.

"Ace… Ken… I'm sorry," she sobbed out as she curled into a ball. She pressed a face against her knees. "I'M SORRY! I…I…"

She wasn't strong enough. She wasn't fast enough, like Ken had warned her just a few weeks ago.

Why couldn't she have powers like Rise-san? To fight? Maybe then they wouldn't have gotten caught. She should have found a way to escape. It was her job to navigate.

She had managed to turn the tides countless times. Why had this been any different?

A broken sob escaped her.

Just a few months ago, she had thought that she was the one responsible for Mom's death. But it turned out to be a lie fabricated by Shido's men. But this?

Nothing could resolve her from this guilt. She'd be responsible for whatever happened to Ken. And she couldn't even imagine what Shido had planned for him.

Her tears just wouldn't stop coming.

So Futaba just buried her face in her hands and wept.

---

I wanted to emphasize that Sae was not too far gone, so Makoto was able to talk her down.

Papa Niijima's weapons were inspired by Juna Crawford in Trails of Cold Steel III. Her tonfas had two modes: Striker and Gunner. Striker Mode had her use tonfas in a traditional manner, while Gunner had her tonfas be able to shoot.

Additionally, the DBZ ref. It originally was 8000, not 9000. The Ocean dub changed it. Speaking of refs, does anyone recognize where I got the chapter title?

So… the cliffhanger. As I started outlining Sae's arc, it occurred to me that Ken shouldn't get away without a personal confrontation with Shido. The older Persona-users' involvement was not a complete red herring. Chie and Rise will be helping out Ren. But Akihiko and Shinji? Well, that's another story.

And please bear with me with the slower updates. I have plans to write for a few shipping weeks (AkiHam/Shuann/YusuHaru/Shuyuka), which are coming up in a few months. But I swear I won't give up on this fic. It's my baby, and I intend to finish it.

Lastly, I've set up a tumblr for this fic! The link is here, just remove the brackets and spaces: [personaaceinthehole].[tumblr].com

Some people have been messaging me on here but I'm terrible at replying, which I apologize for. I'll be posting fanart I've commissioned and some silly memes I've made.

Speaking of fanart, I've commissioned a couple of pieces since the last update! Both by the talented CleopatraWolf on Deviantart

https [:] [/] [/] [www].[deviantart].com[/] cleopatrawolf [/] art [/] Commission-Metropolis-Romance-824964324

An art of Ken/Makoto! Been wanting to commission a shippy piece for them.

https [:] [/] [/] [www].[deviantart].com[/] cleopatrawolf [/] art [/] Commission-A-Pair-of-Aces-826139340

And an art of Ken and an AU Akechi. Specifically my beta Erin's AU. It's in the works still but I'm loving what she's got planned for it!

And again, just remove the brackets for the links.

Also it's the 26th where i am, which happens to be my birthday. Reviews make marvelous birthday presents :D