Persona 5 Legacy

by huntington1998

It’s been several years since the disbandment of the Phantom Thieves. While their actions truly changed the world for the better, it seems that now they were wasted efforts. The Metaverse has reappeared and brought Mementos and the Palaces back with it. Follow the exploits of a new group of Phantom Thieves as they continue the legacy and steal a few rotten hearts of their own.

4. The Useless Nephew

Chapter IV: The Useless Nephew

Sunday, 4/3 20XX, Evening

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Wait for Contact from Clover.

(A/N: Starting from now, the "Current Mission" for the group will be displayed beneath the date. This is just a reminder for you, the readers, what is going on right now. When a deadline for a mission appears, the number of days until the deadline will show up in the label. This will count down until the deadline.)

After escaping Shinohara's Palace and making a plan to work together with the mysterious "rabbit" named Clover, Seiko returned home and had dinner with her newfound family. Seiko was eating with her stepmother, Rose, her stepsister, Sayaka, and her half-sister, Mitsuha, just as she did the night before. Only this time, the meal was joined by Seiko's other stepsister, Kaori Ishimaru, who didn't have club activities that day. Kaori looked a lot like Rose and Sayaka. She had the same complexion and eye color, but had slightly darker hair that seemed kind of dirty blonde, and her hair was cut short and was curly. She was wearing a simple black T-shirt and jeans. Seiko had met Kaori earlier that morning at breakfast, but she wasn't able to talk with her that much. Kaori seemed very closed off, and Seiko couldn't help but notice the very tense atmosphere. Seiko noticed that same tense atmosphere as she ate her dinner. She and Kaori kept returning questioning looks all throughout the meal, but every time one of them noticed the looks, the other would look away.

"S-So…umm…how was your day out in the city, Seiko-chan?" Rose asked, trying to break the silent, tense atmosphere.

"Huh? Oh…umm…fine I guess. I had lunch at a ramen shop and walked around Ogikubo. Nothing much," Seiko replied.

"Oh? That sounds nice," Rose replied. "I know there isn't as much to do in Ogikubo as the rest of Tokyo, but there are a few sights and it's a nice place to spend your time. When you get a little more settled in, you should definitely explore some more of Tokyo though."

"My school is near Ikebukuro," said Sayaka. "Whenever you can go out that far, let me know and I'll show you around."

"Thanks. That sounds great," Seiko replied.

"Kaori, you and your friends spend time in the other wards too, right? Why don't you invite Seiko the next time you all go out somewhere?" Rose asked.

Kaori looked up at Seiko. She had a perplexed look on her face. It was almost like she didn't really know what to say or do in this situation. Then she simply said, "Y-Yeah, sure. Maybe."

"..." Seiko remained silent. She could sense the hesitation in Kaori's voice.

"Seiko-Nee-chan!" Mitsuha exclaimed. "After dinner can I come play at your apartment?"

"Oh well…" Seiko didn't know how to respond.

"Seiko-chan's still getting settled in, Mitsuha. Plus, tomorrow she has her first day of school. Why don't you wait until next weekend and ask her then? That is if it's okay with you, Seiko-chan."

"Umm…sure. Maybe next weekend," Seiko replied.

"Aww, no fair," Mitsuha replied.

"Speaking of which, are you two ready for school tomorrow?" Rose asked Seiko and Kaori.

"I've already bought my books and supplies, and got my new uniform," Kaori replied.

"Umm…same," Seiko replied.

"That's good. And remember Kaori, I want you to show Seiko how to get to school. She's only ridden the trains once. It's very easy to get confused," Rose replied.

"I remember," Kaori replied. She looked at Seiko. "On days I don't have club activities before school, I like to leave around 8:00. Is that fine?"

"Yeah, that's fine. I'll meet you at the entrance to the lot then?" Seiko replied.

"Sounds good," Kaori replied. Then she continued eating.

"..." Silence overcame the dining table once again.

Sunday, 4/3 20XX, Evening

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Wait for Contact from Clover.

"Well that was delicious. Your cooking skills are really coming along, Sayaka," Rose replied.

"Thanks, Mom," Sayaka replied.

"I helped too!" Mitsuha exclaimed.

"Yes, yes. Thanks for the assist," Sayaka replied.

"Okay, since Sayaka and Mitsuha cooked dinner today, I think it's only fair that Kaori and Seiko-chan clean up," Rose replied. "Is that okay?" she asked Seiko.

"No problem," Seiko replied.

"..." Kaori silently started gathering up the dishes. Seiko gathered the remaining dishes and utensils and followed Kaori into the kitchen to help her clean. Seiko placed everything on the counter and started to clean. "I've got it from here. You can go back to your apartment," said Kaori.

"A-Are you sure? I'd feel bad if I didn't…"

"It's fine. I can handle it."

"..." Seiko didn't know what to say in response, so she decided not to press the issue. "Okay, thanks. I'll see you in the morning."

"..." Kaori silently nodded.

"..." Then Seiko left the main house and returned to her apartment without another word.

Sunday, 4/3 20XX, Nighttime

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Wait for Contact from Clover.

A few hours later, Seiko had showered, brushed her teeth, dried her hair, and changed into her sleepwear. Soon the stress of the day got to her and she collapsed on her bed while her TV quietly buzzed in the background. "Teach was right. It suddenly hit me all at once. I feel exhausted all of a sudden." She closed her eyes for a bit and relaxed, and soon she started to feel a little better.

Seiko began to think about the day she had and her interactions with the new people she met. Her stepsister Kaori came to mind immediately. "Compared to Rose-san and the others, she's definitely less welcoming. She seems almost angry at me. Did I do something to make her mad? I can't imagine what. I've only talked to her twice so far." Seiko couldn't understand why Kaori seemed so indifferent to her. She sighed. "Maybe I'm just reading too much into things. She probably just doesn't know how to act around me. Getting a new sister out of the blue is probably just as weird for her as it is for me." Seiko decided to just ignore her previous interactions with Kaori and give her a chance. Then she turned on her side and picked up the mask that was on her nightstand. She turned the mask over in her hands and then raised it up so she was eye level with the eye slits in the mask. Then she picked up her phone and turned it on. She saw that the Metaverse Navigator app was still there.

Seiko lightly smiled. "Today was definitely weird. I met a talking 'rabbit', I learned about the Metaverse, and I became a Phantom Thief. It still seems like a dream, but it was all real."

Seiko thought back to the events of six years ago, when the Phantom Thieves of Hearts first appeared. She was only eleven at the time; she was still in grade school and not aware of most of the troubles of the world yet. But she was smart enough to know that there were a lot of bad people in the world, and not naive enough to believe that they would always get their comeuppance. But then the Phantom Thieves appeared. They started out as a mere rumor. A horrible high school teacher who was abusing and tormenting his students was made to confess his crime by a mysterious group who called themselves the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. They claimed to have the power to steal people's desires and change their hearts, making them confess their sins in the process. No one really believed it at first. But then the Phantom Thieves went after another bad person, then another, and then another, until eventually, the entire world came to believe in them.

They ended up exposing corruption inside the Japanese government and that put a target on their backs. The police tried to track them down and arrest them, but in the end they emerged victorious. They went on to continue their activities for a while longer, gathering even more fame and notoriety, until one day when they simply ceased activities. No one really knew what to make of their absence. There were rumors that they disbanded, rumors that the police finally arrested them in secret, and even more rumors that they decided to continue their work underground. Whatever the case, eventually the world stopped talking about the Phantom Thieves, and nowadays they were barely mentioned at all.

Seiko empathized with the Phantom Thieves' mission and was one of the many people all over the world who thought of them as heroes. When she was younger she even dreamt of being one of them. And now here she was six years later, a full fledged Phantom Thief. But after they disappeared the hype started to die down. Seiko grew up and saw that there were still plenty of bad people out there. It made her disillusioned, and she questioned what the point of the Phantom Thieves' existence even had been. This was in fact one of the many reasons that she became fed up with the world in general. She realized that no matter how much goodness you put into the world, there was always even more malice. This world wasn't worth saving. The only way you could hope to survive was to keep your head down and just roll with the punches. Don't fight against the burdens society places on you, and just bear with them.

Even after being presented with the opportunity to do the same things the original Phantom Thieves of Hearts had done, Seiko couldn't help but still feel disillusioned. She sadly chuckled. "The younger me would probably be thrilled right now, but as for the present me…" She sighed. "The 'change' they left behind was hollow. So what if they took out a few assholes? There's still tons of people like that all over the world." She shook her head. "Nobody ever learned from their example either. People won't stand up for others unless there's something in it for them. People are beyond selfish. It's any wonder why the world isn't covered in Palaces. What did they even really accomplish in the end if nothing ever really got better? Now that I have the same power as them, I really don't know how to feel."

Seiko put down her phone, slowly got up off her bed, and then went to her bedroom window. She could see the Shinohara Skyrailway off in the distance. "All I know is that I want to find out what that bastard Shinohara is doing and put a stop to it. I'm not going to lie and say that I'm doing this so people will learn to stand up for themselves. That's bull. I'm doing this because he tried to hurt me, Teach, and is going to hurt my new home in some way. This might just be one show only…." She put the mask over her eyes and then continued to stare at the Shinohara Skyrailway, "...but I'm going to give a hell of a performance nonetheless."

Seiko was the first person to admit that she had a twisted world view. Thoughts of humanity being inherently good died with her childhood. Humanity was trash. This world didn't deserve to be saved. That was her philosophy. There were only a few people out there who you could call literal diamonds in the rough. She only came to Tokyo to get a fresh start, not to stir up trouble. But for whatever reason, she was chosen to be a Phantom Thief, so she would honor the name and do what Phantom Thieves do best.

A few minutes later, Seiko put down her mask, turned off the TV, and got back into bed. Eventually, exhausted from the day she had, she fell into a deep sleep.

Sunday, 4/3 20XX, Nighttime

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Wait for Contact from Clover.

Seiko slowly opened her eyes and found herself standing in a dark alley. "...! What the hell?! Where am I?!" Seiko looked around and saw that the dark alley seemed to go on forever in both directions. The alley was full of trash, posters and flyers, and various puddles made up of mud and rainwater. Seiko looked up and saw that the sky was covered in storm clouds. It looked like it was about to rain. Then an electrical buzzing sound got Seiko's attention. She looked to her right and saw a flashy blue neon sign, above a mysterious blue door. The sign flashed: Club Velvet. Oddly enough, this seemed to be the only sign of civilization in the alley. "..." Seiko was unsure of what to do. This was obviously a dream, but at the same time it felt real. Then the storm clouds above head started to rumble, and it began to rain. The rain made Seiko's decision for her, and she quickly opened the door and entered the club.

The first thing she saw inside the club was a coat check booth. The booth appeared to be unmanned, despite there being numerous clothes and items inside the booth. There was also a large mirror at the back of the booth. There was a small sign next to a silver service bell on the booth counter. The sign read: We have a dress code. Please ring the bell for a change of clothes. "..." Seiko was still confused. She thought it over for a few moments, and then she shrugged her shoulders. She decided to just go with it and rang the bell. A sharp sound filled the air, and to her surprise, her clothes had instantly changed. She was now wearing a silky, sparkly dark blue dress, a pair of black gloves, and a pair of black high heels. There was also a dark blue ribbon in her hair. "...!" Seiko stared at her reflection in the mirror. She lightly smiled. "Huh. I don't usually wear stuff like this, but it's not bad." She turned and saw a long hallway behind her.

"..." Seiko walked down the hallway and took in the sights. Blue seemed to be the theme of this club. From the floor to the walls, everything was a shade of blue. Eventually, Seiko reached a set of blue double doors. She walked up to the doors and opened them, and then she was greeted with the sight of the rest of the club. There was a series of tables and chairs in the middle of the room, some light foliage and potted plants here and there, a bar off to the right side of the room, a spiral staircase off to left side of the room that led to an upper level, and a large stage at the back of the room. Though the name of this place was Club Velvet, it appeared to be more akin to an old-fashioned leisure lounge than a modern-day club.

Seiko noticed that the club appeared to be completely empty, save for a single man tending the bar. Seiko walked up to the bar and tried to talk to him. "Excuse me?" Seiko called out to the bartender.

The bartender appeared to be in the middle of polishing the bar's glassware. When he heard Seiko speak to him, he turned around to greet her. "You're a little early. I'm afraid we're not open yet." Then his eyes widened. "...! Oh, it's you." He was a tall man with porcelain-like skin, mysterious golden eyes, and short, neat platinum-blonde hair. He wore a bright blue bartender outfit, a pair of dark blue gloves, a pair of dark blue shoes, and a pair of dark blue glasses. He had a very mature air about him and a very intelligent-sounding voice.

"Umm…sorry for intruding. I actually just came in here to avoid the rain," Seiko replied. Seiko looked around again. "Where exactly am I?"

"Why, Club Velvet of course. Your version of the Velvet Room, Amasaki-san," the bartender replied.

"...! H-How do you know my name?" Seiko replied.

The bartender smiled. "It would be rather odd if I didn't know your name. In a manner of speaking, this club belongs to you. I'm the Attendant in charge of it. Isn't it only polite for an employee to know their superior's name?"

Seiko sighed. "What's with today? I'm dragged off into one complex situation after another." She decided to sit down at the bar and get comfortable, assuming she was going to be in this bizarre place for a little while longer.

The bartender quickly prepared Seiko a drink and placed it in front of her. It was a dark blue liquid with a hint of white and gold mixed in. "Here. Everything's on the house for you, Amasaki-san."

"Oh. Thank you, but I'm underage."

"It's non-alcoholic. Purely for showmanship. It's what is commonly referred to as a mocktail in my trade," the bartender replied. "Please, try it. I do my best to flavor each person's drink to their tastes and personality."

"..." Seiko hesitated at first before taking a sip of the drink. It tasted kind of bitter and tart at first, but after a few moments it turned really sweet. "...! Wow! This is delicious."

"Thank you very much. I think I'll call this one: Lost Girl. I wonder if I should add it to the menu," the bartender replied.

Seiko and the bartender were interrupted by a boisterous chuckle. Seiko turned to her right to see that another person had appeared at the bar at some point. The new person was an old man with pale skin, gray eyes, and gray hair. He wore a dark black suit with a tailcoat and a pair of white gloves, similar to what you might see an English butler wear. He also wore a dark black fedora with a dark blue feather pinned to it on his head. Although, what was most striking about this old man was his incredibly long nose. He was nursing his own brown colored drink. This one was probably alcoholic. "It's always interesting to see how a Guest will react to coming to the Velvet Room for the first time. And even more interesting to see what they will turn the Velvet Room into," said the old man. "This place seems very relaxing compared to the dark and cold prison that our last Guest made it into. A hidden oasis in the dark and filthy world. The oasis is beautiful and comforting yet isolated and empty at the same time. So this is the representation of your heart, hmm?"

"The representation of my heart? What do you mean?" Seiko asked.

"I mean exactly what I say. This place is modeled after what resides in your own heart. Any Guest that visits the Velvet Room changes it to reflect their own heart. For example, our last Guest was imprisoned in every sense of the word. He longed for freedom, and yet he was denied it by those who wished to keep him in check. Therefore, the Velvet Room became a prison to represent this fact. In your case, however, you are free and yet you feel lost. You see this world as a lost cause, with only a few diamonds hidden in the rough. And yet deep down you wish to comfort others and make them feel safe. Club Velvet is a safe haven of your own design. It's quite simple to follow if you know your Guest's personality." The old man finished his drink and then turned to face Seiko. "Allow me to formally introduce myself. I am Igor, the Master of this domain." Then he motioned to the bartender. "This is William, one of my many Attendants."

"Charmed," William replied.

"And this, as I'm sure you've figured out by now, is the Velvet Room," said Igor.

"The Velvet Room?" Seiko repeated the words in confusion.

"Think of it as a world that exists between worlds. It's always there, always watching, always observing. But the only people who can visit the Velvet Room are a special few. Guests who have proven themselves worthy of the power the Velvet Room will bestow upon them. You are one such Guest, my dear. The fact that you are here at all, proves it very clearly. Though I'm not surprised. Your destiny mirrors that of our previous Guest. You, like him, are destined to become a Trickster and steal the desires that plague mankind's hearts."

"Wait. Are you talking about the previous Phantom Thieves? They had access to this place too?" Seiko asked.

Igor nodded. "That is correct. A few years ago in your world's time, I, or rather a version of me, bestowed a gift to our previous Guest and those he would choose as his comrades. I believe you've already obtained this gift yourself as well. A tool that shall help you navigate the unseen world of the Metaverse."

"...! You mean that app on my phone? The Metaverse Navigator? You sent me that?" Seiko replied.

Igor nodded. "Indeed, I did. It is a necessary tool for a Trickster to possess. Without it, you would find it much harder to travel to and from the Metaverse."

"Okay. I guess I should thank you for that at least, but you didn't think to leave me an instruction guide or an email explaining why the app just suddenly appeared on my phone? I had to learn about it through some seriously risky trial and error."

Igor chuckled. "I apologize, but it has always been my policy to let our Guests learn about their destinies themselves. The point of the Velvet Room is to guide Guests and help them to the best of our abilities. But we do not directly interfere with the destinies of our Guests. At least that was the case until a few years ago. The Velvet Room had a much greater role to play in the destiny of that of our previous Guest."

"What do you mean?"

"Desire infected the Velvet Room, and that same desire tried to trick the Trickster, by placing him in an unwinnable game of its own creation. But the Trickster managed to outwit that desire and fulfill his destiny, thwarting his and your world's impending ruin. However, that desire never truly disappeared. It went from one host, to another, and to another, and to another. Like a virus it spreads from host to host in an effort to regain its strength and control over your world. Sometimes perverting the will of man, and sometimes robbing them of will completely. For you see, the Metaverse and the Palaces along with it are symptoms of this virus known as desire. The fact that they have returned means that the time for a Trickster to act as a vaccine has come once again. That is where you come in, my dear. You, like the Guest before you, must become a Trickster and steal the desire that is once again plaguing mankind," Igor explained.

Seiko sighed in exasperation. "Here I thought it was some kind of ironic twist of fate that a twisted person like me became a Phantom Thief, and you're telling me it's not ironic at all, it's just fate."

Igor shook his head. "Not fate, my dear. Destiny. Fate is an unknown entity of the future. It can never be determined. No matter which decisions you make, fate can make it all meaningless in the end. However, destiny is about the present, the here and now. When it comes to destiny, every decision that you ever made leads you to the present you find yourself in now. Destiny is always changing. Every decision you make carves out a new path for you to follow." Igor raised his glass, signaling William to refill it for him. William did as requested and refilled Igor's glass, and then Igor took another drink before continuing to speak. "It has been a philosophical debate since time first began. Which is stronger? Destiny or fate?"

"..." Seiko thought about it for a minute. Then she shook her head. "I'm not sure. Until about a minute ago, I really thought they were just two words for the same thing. So they're different concepts altogether?"

"It is okay not to have an answer. As I said before, it is a question that has confounded all for eons. Personally, I like to think that destiny is stronger. You see, I've had many Guests over the years. More than I can count. They were all brought here for a reason. A dark fate was awaiting them all. An inescapable ruin that would consume everything surrounding them. And yet, every single one managed to avert that fate. Their destinies gave them the opportunities to become powerful and change fate itself. But of course, that's just my opinion."

Seiko scoffed. "This is such a bizarre dream. I found a mysterious club, got a fancy outfit, and now I'm having a conversation with a long-nosed man about destiny." She turned back to face Igor. "Tell me this then, old man. What brought me here today? Destiny or fate?"

Igor scoffed as well. "A clever question, my dear. While there is indeed a dark fate awaiting you and your world as well, I cannot deny my belief that destiny had a role to play in you becoming our newest Guest, just as it did for all our other Guests. But enough about that for now. There is precious little time before you awaken once again. There are some things I must explain to you before you proceed any further. The most important of which being the power of Persona."

"Persona. You mean what me and Teach used today? She explained it to me a little. They're manifestations of the positive sides of our unconscious, right?"

"Correct. Everyone has a Persona, whether they are aware of it or not. Think of it like a mask that we wear in various situations. For a Trickster, this is more true than anyone else. A Persona can be considered our true self, but those capable of actually summoning it and wielding it are far few in number. A Persona-user must be free of desire and in control of the negative side of their personality, their Shadow. Just as those overrun with desire can become Palace Rulers, those free of desires can become noble Tricksters. It's really that simple. But you, my dear, are very special. You possess the ability of the Wild Card."

"The Wild Card?" Seiko repeated in confusion.

"Yes. It's a special ability that Guests of the Velvet Room are known to have. With it you have the potential to obtain unlimited power. Think of yourself as the number zero. Empty, but at the same time, filled with limitless possibilities. As time goes on, you will come to understand exactly what this means. All you need to know for now is that as a Wild Card holder, you will have access to the Velvet Room and our guidance as well. But first…" Igor motioned to William, and William nodded in reply. Then William produced a blue binder and a blue fountain pen from beneath the bar. He opened the binder and showed the contents to Seiko. Inside the binder was an old-looking sheet of parchment paper. It appeared to be some kind of contract. "...you must sign this contract. Feel free to read over it if you like, but basically it says that you are free to use the Velvet Room and its services as you wish in exchange for an acknowledgment that you, and you alone, are responsible for every decision you make henceforth. We, as residents of the Velvet Room, will bear no responsibility for your actions. This is your destiny. We are merely guides. If this is acceptable, please sign on the dotted line at the bottom. If you decline, I must ask that you please leave and never return."

"..." Seiko stared at the contract. She was unsure of what to do next. "It's like you said before. I've been lost for a really long time. Even since before my mother died. I've never really fit into my world. I actually never really wanted to fit in. I hate my world. It's disgusting. So many bad things happen every day and no one seems to care. Humanity is selfish and vain. I walk on eggshells around everyone I meet because I'm afraid that if I say what I really feel that I'll become even more ostracized than I already am." She shook her head. "To be honest, right now, I really don't care what happens to my world. It deserves whatever is coming to it. But at the same time, I have a goal in mind, and I need this power to make that happen. I can't promise I'll do anything else after I take down Shinohara. If that's okay, then I'll sign."

"If that is your decision, then we shall honor it," Igor replied, while taking another sip of his drink.

"..." Seiko nodded. Then she took the fountain pen that William offered her and signed the contract. As soon as she finished signing it, the contract morphed into a ball of blue light and then disappeared.

Igor chuckled. "The contract is signed. The Velvet Room, I mean Club Velvet, is officially at your disposal. You may use it how you see fit."

"So what happens now?" Seiko replied.

"Now it is time for us to say farewell. Dawn is fast approaching, and this dream is about to end. We will summon you again once the time is right. Until then, I wish you safe travels, my dear." The last thing Seiko saw was Igor waving goodbye.

Monday, 4/4 20XX, Early Morning

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Wait for Contact from Clover.

Seiko woke up to the sound of her phone alarm. She sat up in bed and then turned her alarm off. She sighed. "A weird dream to end a weird day." Seiko checked her phone and saw that the Metaverse Navigator was still there. "It's all real though. I just have to keep that in mind." She put away her phone. "Guess I should go ahead and get ready for school." Seiko felt a little odd getting ready for school, considering everything that happened to her the day before. The injection of normalcy into the otherwise weird situation that her life had just become felt more out of place than relieving. But she decided to embrace it nonetheless.

Monday, 4/4 20XX, Early Morning

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Wait for Contact from Clover.

A little before 8:00, Seiko and her stepsister Kaori met up at the entrance to the complex's lot. Both of the girls were dressed in Zenjin Academy school uniforms. Kaori wore a dark yellow dress shirt beneath a dark blue blazer, a dark blue and black striped skirt, a red tie, a pair of knee length black socks, and a pair of comfortable black shoes. Seiko wore roughly the same outfit, except she wore her black and white hoodie with the fuzzy lining under her blazer along with her dress shirt, and she wasn't wearing the tie either. She was also wearing her white sneakers. Kaori was carrying a brown satchel and Seiko was carrying her red and black bag. "Not bad. That uniform kind of suits you," said Kaori, upon seeing Seiko in her uniform. "Aren't you worried about getting hassled for wearing the hoodie and studs though?"

Seiko shook her head. "I asked Principal Mikoshiba about it yesterday and she told me the uniform rules aren't really enforced. I asked her if I could wear my hoodie and piercings and she said it was fine as long as I wore some semblance of the uniform, but I'm only wearing my hoodie because I get cold easily. To be honest, I'm surprised you're not wearing anything different. You seem pretty trendy."

"Not my style," Kaori replied. She checked the time on her phone. "We should probably get going. Are you ready?"

"Yep. Lead the way," Seiko replied.

Monday, 4/4 20XX, Early Morning

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Wait for Contact from Clover.

The girls were silent as they made their way to Ogikubo Station. Seiko couldn't help but notice that Kaori seemed a little annoyed. A few minutes later, they reached the station. "..." Seiko stopped and turned around outside of the station entrance, expecting to see Shinohara's Palace over there. Of course, nothing was there now.

"Hey! Are you coming or what? I don't want to be late on the first day of the school year," said Kaori, snapping Seiko out of her thoughts.

"Oh, sorry. I'm coming," Seiko replied. Then she followed Kaori into the station and onto the train heading towards Aoyama-Itchome. Kaori was explaining the train schedule to Seiko while she was tuning in and out. Then about half an hour later, the girls arrived at Aoyama-Itchome. Then after a short walk from the train station, they arrived at Zenjin Academy.

Monday, 4/4 20XX, Early Morning

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Wait for Contact from Clover.

The girls entered the school and changed out their shoes. Then they found themselves in the entrance hall and were greeted with the sight of dozens of students, wearing similar uniforms, crammed up against a series of bulletin boards. "In case you haven't figured it out yet, those are where they post the class rosters. Check those and search for your name, and then you can find which class you're in. There's three floors in the main building. Third-years are on the top floor, second-years are on the second floor, and first-years are here on the first floor. One of my friends texted me earlier and told me what class I'm in. I asked her about you too, but she didn't see your name. Are you fine with finding your own way from here?" Kaori asked.

"Umm…yeah, I guess I am," Seiko replied in a hesitant tone.

"Cool. Have a good day," Kaori replied and then walked off.

"You too," Seiko replied in a whisper. 'I'm not imagining things. She clearly doesn't like me,' Seiko thought to herself. Then she sighed and turned her attention back to the bulletin boards, and then she squeezed her way through the noisy crowd. After a few minutes of searching, she found her name. Seiko Amasaki - Class 2-C. 'There I am. Class 2-C, huh?' Seiko squeezed back out of the crowd, and then she spotted a nearby staircase. She walked over to the staircase, and then she made her way up to the second floor.

Monday, 4/4 20XX, Early Morning

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Wait for Contact from Clover.

Seiko found her class and her assigned seat. She had been placed towards the back of the class, next to one of the windows. Then she sat down and quietly took in her surroundings as the rest of her class came into the room. A lot of her new classmates broke off into groups and began talking amongst themselves. These were clearly students who had spent the previous year together and were catching up. Seiko, being a transfer student, couldn't really join in on any of those conversations, so she made the most of the free time by resting her head on her desk. While she rested her head, she scanned the classroom, looking at her other classmates. She didn't recognize anyone of course, being from a completely different city. But it looked like everyone else knew each other in some way.

There was only one other person, besides Seiko, who was sitting quietly and keeping to themselves. This was Seiko's desk neighbor, the girl sitting to her right. She was a girl of average height and weight. She had long, dyed blonde hair with streaks of red mixed in that was unkempt and done up in a ponytail. The vibrant colors made it look like her hair was on fire. She also had dark skin, a slight muscular and toned figure, a few curves, blue almond-shaped eyes, and a beauty mark under her left eye. She was wearing her uniform with no alterations, which was a clear contrast from her appearance, but she was wearing an orange hair tie and matching orange fingernail polish. She seemed distracted. She was messing with her phone at first glance, but every now and then, she would look up from it and stare at something else. Seiko followed her gaze and saw a group of girls with similar styles, chatting a little further ahead. 'A gyaru separated from her pack? You don't see that every day. What did you do to get iced out?' Seiko asked herself as she stared at her desk neighbor.

"...!" Seiko's desk neighbor finally noticed her staring at her, and she turned to meet her gaze. But Seiko covered her face with her arms and pretended to sleep.

'Sorry, but I'm not interested in your drama,' Seiko thought to herself.

"..." The desk neighbor didn't say anything. She simply frowned and started messing with her phone again.

Soon the bell rang, and the Homeroom teacher entered the classroom. Seiko's other classmates quickly got into their seats and Homeroom began. Seiko's Homeroom teacher was a woman who appeared to be in her late twenties or early thirties. She had a fair complexion, long black hair, and bright amethyst colored eyes. She was wearing a black blouse and a pair of long black pants. "Good morning, everyone. Congratulations on entering your second year of high school. I will be your Homeroom teacher for the year. For those of you who are new to this school and don't know me, my name is Yukino Kawasumi. I teach second-year English and Ethics," the teacher said in a gentle voice. "Now before we begin Homeroom and go over the layout for what we'll cover this year, let's take attendance." Ms. Kawasumi began calling out names from a notebook on her person, and each student answered one by one. It didn't look like anyone was absent today. "Okay then. Since today's the first day of the school year, after Homeroom, we'll all go to the auditorium for the opening ceremony and then you will be dismissed for the day. Also, for those of you interested in joining extracurriculars, sports and culture clubs will be hosting a registration event in the club building." Ms. Kawasamu picked up a stack of papers off of her desk and then started handing them out. "Please take one and pass it back."

Seiko and her desk neighbor were in the last seats for each of their rows. They received their papers at the same time and caught another glimpse of one another. "..." Seiko didn't say anything.

"..." Her desk neighbor didn't say anything either.

"..." Then they both faced the front again and listened as Ms. Kawasumi went over the syllabus.

Monday, 4/4 20XX, Morning

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Wait for Contact from Clover.

Meanwhile, at a hospital in Ogikubo, Kodaka Kouenji was having a crisis of faith. Over the weekend he had been involved in a horrible tragedy and he was still reeling from it. A fire engulfed a property that his uncle's company, Shinohara Development, owned and that fire ended up spreading to a nearby residential building, trapping and killing many people, Kodaka's best friends included. Kodaka's hands had been badly burned in the fire, and as a result he had found himself unable to use them without suffering from severe pain. The doctors and nurses kept telling him that the pain was a good thing. It meant that the nerve endings in them were undamaged and he would regain proper control over them after they healed. However, a part of Kodaka wished that his hands would never heal. He wanted them to be a sign of his guilt. A sign that he could never forgive himself. Because for some unknown reason, he blamed himself for his friends' death.

Kodaka had gotten out his laptop from his backpack, one of the few remaining things that had survived the fire, and was trying to log onto it. But the pain from using his hands was too much for him, so he had asked his nurse to help him do so. Kodaka and his nurse were currently sitting together on the edge of his hospital bed, while the laptop was sitting on a desk in front of the nurse.

"This is really an unusual request, Kodaka-kun," said the nurse overseeing Kodaka.

"Please, Yamaguchi-san," Kodaka replied. "I would do it myself but my hands hurt too much. Just putting in my password made my hands hurt like hell."

"That's why I keep telling you that you need to rest. Otherwise, your hands are never going to get better," the nurse, Yamaguchi, replied.

"..." Kodaka stayed silent.

Yamaguchi sighed. "Okay, I'll do it. What's the name of the website you want me to check?"

"It's not a normal website. Don't open the regular search engine. Click on the browser called Alibaba's Cave of Wonders. The icon is a little demonic-looking bomb," Kodaka replied.

"..." Yamaguchi gave Kodaka a suspicious look. "You're not making me do anything illegal, right? I might not be as good with computers as you, but I know what the Dark Web is."

Kodaka shook his head. "This isn't anything like that. It's a browser used for searching for information, just like a normal Internet browser. Only this one gives a lot more information than normal."

"What kind of information?" Yamaguchi asked.

"That's what I'm trying to find out. Please?" Kodaka replied.

Yamaguchi sighed again. Then she clicked on the icon and opened the browser. "Okay. What do you want me to search for?"

"Ogikubo. Fire. Shinohara Development."

Yamaguchi gave Kodaka a concerned look. "Kodaka-kun, you can't keep…"

"I heard the other nurses talking. Your fiance, he was in that fire too, wasn't he? If there's even a hint of malfeasance, wouldn't you want to know?"

"...!" Yamaguchi gasped. "..." She went silent for a few moments. Then she looked at her left ring finger and saw the engagement ring that was slid over it. A sad look overtook her face.

"I'm honestly surprised that you're working so hard considering the circumstances. I guess you're just trying hard not to think about it." Kodaka sighed. "I'm sorry for bringing it up."

Yamaguchi held her hand close to her chest. "..." She was quiet at first, and then she began to speak again. "Do you really think that fire wasn't an accident?"

Kodaka shook his head. "I honestly don't know." He looked down at the floor. "Yesterday, my uncle came to visit me. That in itself is out of character for him. Technically, he's my guardian, but I barely ever see him. He puts money into an account for me every week and calls for a wellness check. That's pretty much the extent of our relationship. But when he came to visit me, he seemed oddly concerned. He started asking me all sorts of questions about what happened. How did I get out of the building? Did I notice anything odd before the fire started? Things like that."

"And what makes you so suspicious of that? Couldn't he have just been genuinely concerned about his nephew's safety?"

Kodaka sighed. "You don't know my uncle. When I was younger he was kind, caring, and so full of life. But he changed around the time he took over my grandfather's company. Now he's cold, distant, and cruel. I highly doubt he would have cared if I died in that fire along with my friends."

"So because of his concern, you think he's hiding something?"

"I know it sounds crazy, but that's the kind of person my uncle is. That made me think about the whole experience, and I eventually came to a realization. Maybe he wasn't concerned about me. Maybe he was really concerned about the fire."

"...!" Yamaguchi gasped again. "Kodaka-kun, if you really think your uncle is involved in the fire in some way then maybe we should go to the police."

Kodaka shook his head again. "I doubt the police would do anything in this kind of situation. There's no real evidence of anything. Just the theory of a paranoid teenager. If we go to the police now, it will just get back to my uncle. And if I'm right, then there's no telling what he might do. We can't risk that yet, until we find some more information. That's why we're going to consult Alibaba. They run this site. They're somewhat of an information broker. If anything's hinky in Ogikubo they should know."

"Have you consulted this website before?"

"A few times. Out of curiosity mainly. But if this is too much for you, we can stop. I can try and power through by myself."

"..." Yamaguchi went silent. Then she turned back to face the computer. "Ogikubo. Fire. Shinohara Development, right?"

"Yep. That's it." Yamaguchi typed out the requested terms in the search engine and a single link popped up. The link was titled: Open Sesame. "Okay, now click on the link." Yamaguchi did as instructed and a private chat box appeared on the computer screen. A person using Alibaba's screen name and icon began speaking.

Alibaba: I was wondering when someone was going to ask the tough questions. That fire was really bad, but there's been hardly any coverage of it. What would you like to know?

"..." Yamaguchi looked back at Kodaka.

"Looks like we're not the only ones who are suspicious," said Kodaka.

Monday, 4/4 20XX, After School

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Wait for Contact from Clover.

After finishing Homeroom, Seiko and her class were instructed to go to the school's auditorium for the opening ceremony. A few long and boring speeches later, Seiko had been dismissed for the day and was collecting her things back at her classroom. 'Classes are done for the day. I can go home if I want, but should I wait to go home with Kaori? She's probably helping out her club with recruitment. Come to think of it, she never gave me her number either. I guess I can find my own way back to Ogikubo, but…' Seiko thought about what to do with the rest of her day. Then she spotted something in her bag while she was packing up. 'Huh?' Seiko reached into her bag and pulled out the object in question. It was the Phantom Thief mask that she was playing with the night before. 'I don't remember packing this. It must have fallen in my bag while I was rushing to get ready this morning.'

"Is that a Phantom Thief mask?" someone asked.

"...!" Seiko was surprised, and turned around to see who had suddenly talked to her. The person who spoke turned out to be her desk neighbor, the loner gyaru. "Y-Yeah, it is."

"So you're into the Phantom Thieves of Hearts?" the gyaru desk neighbor asked.

"Kind of. But I just picked this up on a whim over the weekend," Seiko replied.

"That's cool. Can I see it?"

"..." Seiko didn't see the harm in it, so she handed the mask over to the gyaru.

The gyaru examined it closely and then briefly placed it over her eyes. "This looks like it's really high-quality. Where did you get it?"

"A vendor at Ogikubo station. He gave me a discount on it."

The gyaru took the mask off of her face, and then she turned it around and held it in her hands again. "This is so nostalgic. I wanted to be a Phantom Thief so bad when I was younger. I used to daydream about it, and I designed my own costume and everything. How about you?"

"I guess," Seiko replied. "I can't really think of any kid who didn't like the Phantom Thieves back then. No one really talks about them anymore though."

"I know right, it's a real shame. If you ask me, the world needs the Phantom Thieves now more than ever. I wish they would get off their butts and get back to work again."

"You sound like a die-hard fan."

The gyaru sighed. "I used to be. Not anymore." There was a certain sadness in her eyes, but Seiko didn't pry further. "Here's your mask back." She handed the mask back to Seiko, and then Seiko put it back in her bag. "You're…Amasaki, right?"

"Yeah, that's me," Seiko replied. "..." Seiko thought about it for a moment, but she couldn't place her desk neighbor's name. "Sorry. I'm drawing a blank."

"Seriously? I remember your name, and you can't remember mine? Whatever. It's Akemi Himura. But just call me Akemi. I don't even like it when teachers call me Himura."

"Okay. I guess you can just call me by my first name too. It's Seiko," Seiko replied.

"Well it was nice meeting you, Seiko, but I should get going," Akemi replied.

"Going to hang out with your pack? I saw them leave a little earlier," Seiko replied as she recalled the other gyaru girls leaving earlier.

Akemi frowned at the mention of those girls. "They're not my pack, and certainly not my friends. I don't have any friends."

"Oh…I see," Seiko replied in an uncomfortable tone. "Sorry."

Akemi sighed. "It's fine. You didn't know. Though I guess you probably did notice the way I was looking at them earlier."

Seiko smirked. "Caught me staring, huh?"

Akemi snickered. "You weren't that subtle." Then she sighed again. "Well, you were partially right. They used to be my friends, but…"

"It's fine. You don't have to talk about it."

"Thanks. I really didn't want to get into that drama anyway." Then Akemi received a message on her phone. She checked it, and then looked back up at Seiko. "I really do have to go, but it was nice chatting with you. Wanna pick it up again tomorrow?"

"Sure. Sounds good."

"Cool. See you tomorrow." Then Akemi gathered her things and left the classroom.

"..." Seiko silently watched her go. 'Did I just make a friend?' Seiko had never been the best at making friends. Even those she had managed to obtain could never really be considered actual "friends". They were mainly just people she hung out with because she didn't have anywhere else to turn. Other so-called delinquents. She actually had trouble remembering their names half the time. 'Well, regardless of that, it looks like I'll be talking with her from now on.'

A few moments later, Seiko finished packing up and left the classroom as well. She debated about whether or not to check out the club registration event, but decided against it in the end and headed home. The Go-Home Club probably suited her more anyway.

Monday, 4/4 20XX, Nighttime

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Wait for Contact from Clover.

Seiko almost got lost trying to take the train back to Ogikubo, but eventually she found her way home. A few hours later, she had another meal with the Ishimaru family and then settled back down at her apartment. After doing her nightly routine and preparing for bed, she found herself restless and mindlessly started messing with her phone.

She looked up Yasuhiro Shinohara and Shinohara Development, but she couldn't find anything remotely shady. There were just baseless rumors. "That can't be all there is. The fact that he has a Palace means he definitely has some skeletons in his closet." She sighed. "I'm probably just wasting my time looking for anything at this level though. Social media is very easy to manipulate. I just feel so useless right now. When the heck is Clover going to reach out?" It had only been a day since she made her pact with the talking "rabbit", but Seiko was already growing impatient.

"..." Seiko opened up the Metaverse Navigator, and then she opened the bookmarks menu. Shinohara's Palace was listed there. "From what that guy, Igor, was saying, it sounded like the other Phantom Thieves completed their mission and got rid of the desire that was creating the Palaces and the Metaverse. But the Metaverse is back now and the Palaces along with it. Does that mean that they failed?" Seiko brought up the keyword selection screen. "I wonder how many more Palaces are out there. I guess it would depend on how long the Metaverse has been back. The other Phantom Thieves were only active in Japan, but it might even be a global problem. It would actually make sense if it was. I doubt a metaphysical phenomenon like this would only target one country. Considering how many bad people are out there, I wouldn't be surprised if the number of Palaces was in the millions. That's a really scary thought."

"..." Seiko's reflection was illuminated by the light of her phone. "Why on Earth would someone like me be chosen as a Phantom Thief? Igor said it himself. It's my destiny. This isn't some pure, random chance." She sighed. "Someone must have really screwed up big if they picked me to save the world." Seiko thought back to the interactions with various people that she had over the past few days. More often than not, those people called her kind and caring. But Seiko thought of herself as anything but. She shook her head. "I'm not a good person. I've known that about myself for a long time." Seiko thought over her circumstances for a little while longer before she eventually put her phone away and fell asleep.

Tuesday, 4/5 20XX, Early Morning - Nighttime

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Wait for Contact from Clover.

The next day was pretty uneventful for Seiko as well. She left her apartment at 8:00 again, took the train with Kaori to Aoyama-Itchome, and then they walked together to Zenjin Academy before parting ways again. Seiko went off to Class 2-C and Kaori went off to her Homeroom, Class 2-A. Today was the first full class day, so Seiko had more classes to deal with besides Homeroom. All of Seiko's other teachers seemed fine for the most part, except her literature teacher, Mr. Kenji Munakata. He reminded Seiko of the same arrogant teachers at her old schools, but she powered through his class anyway.

She also got along well with Akemi Himura, and the two of them ended up having lunch together. However, Seiko was still unsure of whether or not she could classify Akemi as a friend. Seiko wanted to hang out with her some more after school, but Akemi had plans after school that day as well and was forced to decline the invitation.

Throughout the day, Seiko also kept an eye out for Clover, but there was still no sign of her. That evening, Seiko decided to pick up some groceries with a little pocket money that Rose had given her, and she had her first dinner alone in her apartment. Then Seiko prepared for bed and went to sleep after wrestling with her thoughts some more.

Wednesday, 4/6 20XX, Early Morning - Nighttime

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Wait for Contact from Clover.

The next morning, Seiko went to school again. Kaori had morning club practice, so she left earlier than usual, leaving Seiko to ride the train to school by herself. Luckily, she had memorized the route. Unfortunately, Akemi was absent that day, so Seiko was forced to endure the school day in isolation. Akemi was the only one of her classmates she had even talked to so far. Eventually, the school day ended and Seiko went home again. She couldn't help but feel that the whole process was beginning to feel monotonous. There was still no sign of Clover.

Thursday, 4/7 20XX, Early Morning

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Wait for Contact from Clover.

The next morning, Kaori had gone ahead again for her morning club practice, so Seiko took the train again on her own. But unbeknownst to her, she wasn't going to school alone that day. When Seiko was going through the station and about to head through the speed gates, she realized that she didn't have her subway pass in her hand. "...! Oh crap! Don't tell me I left it back home!" She began to frantically search her pockets for her pass, and then she dropped her bag down on the floor and began searching through it. "Where is it?! Where is it?!" she exclaimed.

When she didn't find it in her bag, she began searching her pockets again. "...!" Then she realized that she had only been checking her blazer and skirt pockets. She reached into her blazer and checked her hoodie pockets, and then she finally found her pass. Seiko breathed a sigh of relief. "Phew. That could've been very bad. I must have put it in my hoodie before I put my blazer on." Satisfied with her search's results, Seiko zipped up her bag and picked it up again. "Huh?" Seiko noticed a bit of a weight difference. "Feels a little heavier than I remember." But as Seiko was desperate not to miss the train, she chose to ignore it, and then she used her pass to get through the speed gates.

Thursday, 4/7 20XX, Morning

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Wait for Contact from Clover.

A few hours later, Seiko found out why her bag felt heavier all of a sudden. Seiko tried to open her bag during the morning break to retrieve the book she would need for her next class, and in the process of doing so, she was scared half to death by the appearance of a familiar talking "rabbit".

"Surprise!" Clover exclaimed as she popped out of Seiko's bag.

"Kyaaaaaaa!" Seiko exclaimed in surprise. Seiko's classmates all looked over at her to see what had happened and were shocked at the sight they saw.

"Is that a rabbit?" said one of them.

"She brought her pet to school?" said another.

"That was a really cute scream," said yet another.

Seiko's desk neighbor, Akemi Himura, had been out of her seat at that moment, but came back to see if Seiko was alright. "Are you okay?" Akemi asked. "You nearly fell out of your desk."

Seiko breathed heavily. "I-I'm fine."

"...!" Akemi gasped at the sight of Clover. "What a cute little bunny! Is this your pet?!" Her eyes seemed to sparkle in delight.

"M-My pet. N-No. This is just a…plushie. A very realistic-looking plushie," Seiko replied.

"...?" Akemi was confused. "A plushie? But this cutie looks so real." Akemi got closer to Clover and patted her. "It feels really fluffy and warm."

"L-Like I said, it's a very realistic plushie." Seiko looked at Clover out of the corner of eye. "It just looks like it's alive, but if you look closely, you'll see that it's fake."

"...!" Clover picked up on what Seiko was asking her to do and stood as still as a statue. She even stopped blinking and breathing.

"Hmm," Akemi murmured as she closely examined Clover. Then she picked her up and examined her even more closely.

"..." Seiko silently watched the events unfold, and took note that Clover was quickly turning blue from lack of oxygen.

"It really is life-like," said Akemi. Then she put Clover back down on Seiko's desk and turned to talk to Seiko. While Akemi was distracted, Clover took in several deep breaths of air. "Where did you get it anyway?"

"Umm…it was mail-ordered. I can't remember the name of the site I got it from," Seiko replied.

"First that mask and now this? You really seem to know how to get your hands on lots of high-quality products. Why did you act so surprised when you saw it in your bag though?"

"I…forgot I brought it with me. I was thinking about joining the magic club and I thought I could use it for that old rabbit in the top hat trick."

"You're into magic? I didn't expect that from you."

"It's kind of a new hobby."

"You'll have to show me what you can do sometime then. Good on you for joining a club too. I've been on the fence as well. I feel like I should join something, but I have so much other stuff going on in my life." Akemi gave Seiko a concerned look. "I thought there was only one person in the magic club though, that really weird third-year. Will you be okay joining a club like that?"

"..." Seiko didn't know how to respond. 'I didn't even know there was a magic club. A club with only one member too? That sounds super sketchy. Especially if that only member is a weird third-year. Crap. Don't tell me I'm going to have to actually join to keep this lie going?'

"Seiko?" Akemi called out.

Seiko smiled awkwardly. "N-No worries. I might not even join anyway. I just thought I would check it out."

"Well if you don't end up joining, can I have your rabbit? It's soooooo cute."

"You can be really girly when you want to be, huh? But I'm afraid I can't do that. Me and this rabbit are kind of joined at the hip."

Akemi puffed up her cheeks. "What do you mean when I want to be? I'm a girl, aren't I? I'm allowed to like cute things."

"I just meant that you seem more tomboyish than girly."

Akemi sighed. "I can't argue with that. Growing up I did have a lot of male friends, and I was really into sports." That familiar sadness reclaimed Akemi's eyes. "Not so much anymore though."

"..." Seiko didn't know how to respond. She could tell something was on Akemi's mind, but she didn't think it was her place to pry. She and Akemi barely knew each other.

Akemi lightly smiled and tried to change her demeanor. "Hey if you want, I can go with you to the magic club and cheer you on."

"Umm…thanks, but no thanks. Honestly, talking about this has made me reconsider."

"Are you sure? Well, alright then. Let me know if you change your mind." Then Akemi received a text message. She went to check it and her expression immediately soured. "I…I've got to go and make a call. If I don't make it back before class starts, tell the teacher I'll be back soon." Then Akemi left the classroom without another word.

"..." Seiko waved Akemi off and then immediately grabbed Clover and stuffed her in her bag, ignoring her squeals of protest. Then she ran out of the classroom, dragging her bag and Clover along with her.

Thursday, 4/7 20XX, Morning

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Wait for Contact from Clover.

Seiko made her way to a secluded area in the school's central courtyard. A covered area that housed the school's vending machines. At that time of day, no one was really around, so it was the perfect place to have a chat with her stowaway "rabbit" companion. Seiko had discovered this hideaway earlier that week when she was left to her own devices. When Seiko was satisfied that she was alone, she opened up her bag and let Clover out.

Clover hopped out of the bag and immediately started shouting. "You could have given me a warning before cramming me back in there!"

"You could have given me a warning before you snuck into my bag in the first place!" Seiko exclaimed.

"Well excuse me for wanting to surprise my protégé. I thought you would appreciate the gesture since it's been a few days since we last talked," Clover replied as she folded her arms/front paws in defiance.

Seiko groaned. "You're impossible, Teach. Everytime I see you, you leave me exhausted." Then she smiled. "It is good to see you again though."

"Good to see you again too, Seiko-chan," Clover replied with a smile.

"So can I take it mean from the fact that you're here now that…"

Clover nodded. "That's right. I think it's time that we go back to Shinohara's Palace. I take it you're well rested now that some time has passed?"

"Yep. That first night was a little rocky, but I've felt great since then. I'm ready to get back to work."

"Glad to hear it. But we need to pace ourselves. There's no telling what we'll find in a Palace, especially one as warped as Shinohara's. And it's just the two of us, so we'll need to be extra careful."

"I've actually been thinking about that. Why don't we try to find someone else to help us? I mean, it's not like the other Phantom Thieves just had two members, right?"

"That's true. Some extra help would be much appreciated. But recruiting another member would be easier said than done. Since meeting you, I've been on the lookout for anyone else in possession of the Metaverse Navigator, but I haven't had any luck."

'Igor said he was the one who gave me that. He said he also gave it to his last Guest and the people he considered his comrades. If we start to form a team, will they be given the Metaverse Navigator too?' Seiko thought to herself.

"What's wrong, Seiko-chan?"

"Oh, it's nothing. I was just thinking some more about the Metaverse Navigator."

"It is a strange tool. I wonder who created it?"

"..." Seiko went quiet. 'Should I tell Clover about Igor and Club Velvet? No, on second thought, I think it might be better to keep it to myself for now. I don't even know how I would explain it.'

"Of course, there is the possibility that if we expose someone to the Metaverse that they awaken just like you did. However, taking a person without abilities into the Metaverse is a little…"

"Yeah, that's a bad idea. Too many things could go wrong." Then Seiko sighed. "I guess for now we'll just have to take care of business with just the two of us."

"I have to say, Seiko-chan. You almost sound like a leader with the way you're talking and acting. I thought you were only going to take care of this one Palace."

"That's still the plan. Fighting for change? Saving the world?" Seiko shook her head. "That's not me. I just want to take down Shinohara. I can't promise I'll do anything after that."

Clover sighed. "I suppose that's fine for now." Clover looked around and took in her surroundings. "In any case, we're going to need a way to stick close to each other if we're going to officially work together. So this is the place referred to as a 'school', huh? During my travels around the city I have heard many people mention it. I've never been to one though." Clover sniffed at the air. "Now this is strange. I'm smelling something oddly familiar in this place. But I can't quite place the scent." Then Clover shook her head. "It doesn't matter right now. The point I was trying to make is that I think the most prudent thing for me to do is to stay by your side, night and day."

"...! Wait, does that mean…?"

Clover nodded. "Yes. I shall come to school with you from here on out."

Seiko groaned again. "I figured that's what you were going to say. Fine. You can come with me, but you have to stay out of sight from now on. Having my classmates spot you was bad enough, but I won't be able to lie my way out of trouble so easily if a teacher catches on."

Clover snickered. "Who do you think you're talking to? I'm a master of illusions. I know all about the art of misdirection."

"Good. Home is going to be another problem. Rose-san didn't say anything about pets when I moved in, but with apartments it's kind of an implied rule. I'll ask her tonight and see what she says. If it's a no go, then you'll have to keep up the act there too."

"Please stop using that word. 'Pet'. It's demeaning. I am no one's pet. I am a mighty Phantom Thief, master magician, and your teacher. I demand to be treated with the respect those titles carry."

"Say what you want, Teach. But to the outside world, you're a rabbit. You're going to have to pretend to be one."

"I am not a rabbit!"

"I know, I know. You're a 'rabbit'."

"You just added air quotes!"

Seiko scoffed. "Lighten up, Teach."

"You mind your manners, young lady! You will respect me!"

Soon, the warning bell rang, and Seiko stuffed Clover back into her bag and hurried back to class. Clover was quiet and well-behaved for the rest of the day, and she made sure that no one else saw her, even when she got out of Seiko's bag from time to time. The day continued on like that.

Thursday, 4/7 20XX, Daytime

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart.

(A/N: Ah, Classroom Events, a staple of the Persona series since P3. These will be in the story as well to help with pacing and to introduce the teachers of Zenjin Academy. There won't be any social stat system in the story though, so Seiko's Academics/Knowledge won't go up by answering questions. There will be Exams in the story as well. Again just to help with pacing.)

"Okay, class, settle down," said Ms. Kawasumi. It was later in the day. Seiko was continuing on with her classes and she had Ms. Kawasumi for English. The class started and Ms. Kawasumi began her lecture. "Today we're going over proper verb conjugation and sentence structure in the English language. You're all second-years in high school, so I assume you know how to do this much. But just to be sure, let's start off with an easy example." Ms. Kawasumi wrote down an example sentence on the board, and then she turned back to face the class. "Now who knows the proper conjugation to use here?"

"..." The classroom went silent.

"No takers? Alright then, let's go by the seating chart. We're still on the As, and we're up to…Amasaki-san."

"...!" Seiko was surprised to hear her name called, but she stood up from her seat nonetheless.

"Please tell us what the proper conjugation for the word 'sing' would be in this example sentence." Ms. Kawasumi pointed to the sentence in question.

Q: Conjugate the verb in this sentence: Today, it is not raining. The sun _ now.

A: a) shine b) is shining c) shone d) are shining

'Come on, Seiko. If you miss a question that's this easy, everyone is going to think you're really dumb,' Seiko thought to herself. "Umm…it's b). The proper conjugation should be: Today, it is not raining. The sun is shining now."

"Correct," Ms. Kawasumi replied. "The sentence implies that the action is taking place in the present, and the noun that is the subject of the sentence is singular. Therefore, b) is the only correct answer. Very good, Amasaki-san. Your English pronunciation was really good too. You may sit down."

"..." Seiko sat back down at her desk without another word.

"Nice job, Seiko-chan," Seiko heard Clover whisper to her from her bag.

Seiko lightly smiled. 'Huh. Answering that question correctly made me feel pretty good. So this is what being a good student feels like, huh? Not bad.'

Thursday, 4/7 20XX, Daytime

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart.

Meanwhile at the hospital in Ogikubo, Kodaka Kouenji was still trying to uncover a conspiracy that he feared his uncle was involved in. His hands were starting to feel a little better, so he had become able to use his laptop on his own without feeling tremendous pain from typing. Although, he still found himself twinging every time his fingers hit the keys. He was typing very slowly because of this.

"Still no responses from Alibaba. Maybe hacking into the Tokyo Fire Department's servers was too big of an ask after all," he said to himself. Kodaka was on Alibaba's Cave of Wonders again and was searching for more information on Shinohara Development while waiting to hear back from Alibaba theirself, who had been tasked with getting access to the arson investigator's report on the fire by Kodaka. Kodaka didn't know who Alibaba was, but after chatting with them and using their site for the past two years, he felt like he could really trust them with the truth. However, a tiny part of him thought that it was kind of sad that he trusted an anonymous hacker and information broker over his own flesh and blood.

Kodaka's thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of a nurse. He quickly closed his laptop, not wanting anyone to see what he was up to. "Just checking in on you, Kodaka-kun. Are you alright? Do you need anything?"

"...?" Kodaka was confused when he saw the nurse. "N-No, I'm fine." The nurse that came to check up on him was not the nurse who was assigned to him, Ms. Yamaguchi, but another nurse that he didn't recognize.

"Okay. Lunch will be ready in an hour. I'll be back then," the nurse replied, before moving to leave the room.

"Umm…excuse me?" Kodaka called out to the nurse.

"Yes?" the nurse replied.

"Is Yamaguchi-san off today? I thought she was the nurse who was assigned to my floor."

"Yes, that's right. But she never came in today, so I'm taking over her shift."

"S-She never came in?"

"I wouldn't worry too much about it. There's been a bug going around the city recently. She might've caught it from one of her patients. I'm sure she'll be back as soon as she can."

"..." Kodaka went silent for a few moments before he continued to speak. "Could you please ask if someone could try and get in touch with her? I'm just a little worried."

"Sweet on Yamaguchi-san are you, Kodaka-kun? I'm not surprised. She's a very kind and beautiful young woman. Almost all of her other patients have fallen for her too," the nurse teased. Then she sighed. "Okay, if it will make you feel better, I'll make sure someone reaches out to her. I'll let you know what comes up."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. See you at lunchtime," the nurse replied. Then she left the room and closed the door behind her.

"..." Kodaka couldn't shake the horrible feeling he had in the pit of his stomach.

Thursday, 4/7 20XX, After School

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart.

Finally, the eventful school day came to a close. "Alright, school's over for the day," Seiko whispered to Clover, who was still in her bag.

"Excellent. It's time to make our move," Clover whispered back.

"So should we head back to Ogikubo and go to the Palace?"

"Not quite yet. Now that we're going to explore the Palace in more depth to find the Treasure, we should stock up on some supplies before heading back in."

"Supplies. What kind of supplies?"

"Medicine for one."

"Medicine?"

"Yes. In the Metaverse, over the counter medicine like painkillers, bandages, and even vitamins can cure near fatal injuries."

"How exactly does that work?"

"I'm not quite sure. Could just be another change in cognition caused by the Metaverse. If you think it will cure you, it will."

"Whoa. Kind of sounds like a super placebo effect."

"Exactly. I've never tested it myself, but I know it will work."

"Your intuition again, huh? Well it hasn't been wrong yet. Okay, so let's head to a convenience store or something and pick some things up."

"Hey, Seiko. I don't have anything planned for today, so do you want to hang out?" Akemi suddenly asked, startling Seiko and Clover.

"Oh, umm…I can't today. I've got to prepare for a…activity." Seiko was really bad at lying on the spot.

"Activity? You mean like for a club? Did you join the magic club after all?" Akemi replied.

Seiko shook her head. "No, it's not for the magic club. It's for another club that I was thinking about joining."

"Another club?" Akemi repeated in suspicion.

"Yeah, I have to go get some over the counter medicine and supplies. The club is planning for an outing and I said I would take care of that stuff."

"What kind of club is it? Survivalist training?"

"Something like that, yeah."

"Hmm." Akemi began to think things over. "How much money do you have?"

"Actually not that much. Why?"

"I might know a place where you can get a good discount on things of that nature. It's kind of shady, but the owner is really nice. A little weird, but nice."

"They sell medicine and medical supplies?"

Akemi nodded. "Yeah, they have all that stuff. It's a medical clinic in Yongen-Jaya. If you want, I can take you there."

"Would you? That would be great. I barely know how to get from here to Ogikubo and back."

"Yeah, I'd be happy to. Are you ready to go now?"

Seiko nodded. "Yeah, I'm ready. Lead the way."

Akemi walked out of the classroom. "What a stroke of luck. I really like your friend, Seiko-chan. Not only is she very helpful, but she also recognizes my charm," Clover whispered.

"She called you a cute, little bunny," Seiko replied in a whisper.

"Semantics! The point is she called me cute."

Seiko sighed. "You're so easy to please, Teach." Then Seiko, with Clover in tow, followed after Akemi.

Thursday, 4/7 20XX, After School

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Prepare to Reenter the Palace.

About half an hour later, Seiko, Akemi, and Clover arrived at Yongen-Jaya Station. Then Akemi led the way to the Yongen-Jaya Backstreets. Along the way to the clinic, Akemi pointed out several things to Seiko. "This is a great little place to explore if you have the time. There's the movie theater. They show discount movies that have already been out for a few months. There's the shopping market. They have really good deals on produce. Past that are the local batting cages. I go there from time to time to blow off steam. Further up ahead we have a few stores that sell various old antiques and electronics. Then past that there's a bath house and one of the best cafés in the entire city. They sell really delicious coffee and curry."

"Coffee and curry?" Seiko repeated in confusion. "Wait. They sell them together?"

"Yeah, and it's all made from scratch too. It's so good that you won't even mind the weird combination. The café's been closed for a few months now though. The owner's apparently away on an extended vacation. When it opens back up again, we should definitely go together. My treat," Akemi replied.

"Sure, that sounds great. Count me in," Seiko replied with a smile. 'Maybe we really are friends.' She looked around Yongen-Jaya and took it all in. "You seem to know this place like the back of your hand."

"Well I've lived in Tokyo all my life. I know most of the wards and areas in the same way. I've even been to Ogikubo a few times. But I guess you could say I've spent most of my time around here and in Shibuya."

"Oh that's right. Shibuya is pretty close by, isn't it? I haven't been there yet either."

"Seriously? I figured you didn't live here, but even still, Shibuya is pretty much the biggest tourist ward there is. I assumed everyone would stop there first when they first arrive in Tokyo."

Seiko shook her head. "I lived pretty far away, so by the time I got into Tokyo, the sun was already setting. I just went straight to my new home from the train."

"I see. Then we should definitely go as soon as we can. Hopefully, you'll decide on a club to join soon and things will settle down on my end so we can really hang out."

"..." Seiko went silent as she continued walking with Akemi. Then they reached the clinic, and Seiko finally spoke up. "Hey. Are we friends?" She had to know for sure.

"Huh?" Akemi replied in a confused manner.

"I've always been really bad at making friends. When I thought I made one, I realized later on that it was a shallow relationship. You're the first person I'm not related to that I've had more than one conversation with since I moved here. You've been really nice to me, and now you're going out of your way to help me. I guess I just wanted to know for sure. Do you think of me as a friend?"

"..." Akemi went silent as well. She looked down at the ground and started thinking about her answer. Then she sighed in exasperation. "Geez. You had to just come out and ask that, huh? To be honest, I'm kind of just as clueless as you when it comes to this kind of stuff. It's hard to really explain without going into too many details, but for as long as I can remember, everything in my life has felt…fake."

"Fake?" Seiko repeated.

"I told you before, right? How I was a real tomboy back in the day and really into sports? Well around middle school, I kind of had this epiphany, for lack of a batter word. It didn't really matter. None of it mattered. None of it felt real. So I changed my look, my personality, and my friends. That's when Gyaru Akemi came into the picture. I've been this way for about two years now, but I still feel the same way. Fake. Only this time the 'friends' I chose turned out to be awful in their own right. That's why I'm on my own now." Akemi sighed again. "So that's my answer. I don't really know if we can be classified as 'friends', but I do know that I like talking to you, and I'm having fun just showing you around town. Maybe that's as simple as a 'friend' needs to be?"

Seiko smiled. "Yeah, okay. Then I guess I feel the same way. I like talking to you too, Akemi, and I want to hang out a lot more."

Akemi smiled too. "Then I guess you have your answer. We're friends."

"Cool," Seiko replied. Both of the girls looked awkward. Neither of them knew how to proceed from here.

Then Akemi received another text on her phone. She went to check her phone, and her expression soured just like it did earlier that morning. She sighed in exasperation again. "I'm really sorry, but I have to leave you on your own from here. The clinic is right there. The doctor is usually the only person there. She likes to do pretty much everything herself. But she's really nice if you put up with her eccentricities."

"Oh, well thanks for bringing me here," Seiko replied. She didn't want to pry, but if her new friend was in some kind of trouble she wanted to know about it. "Hey, is everything okay? I've noticed that every time you get a text on your phone, you seem upset. Then you were absent the other day too."

Akemi shook her head. "It's nothing. Just family drama. Every time one of them texts me, I have to drop everything and come talk to them."

"Sounds like they can be pretty selfish."

"They mean well. They're just under a lot of pressure. Recently my dad has been worse than usual though."

"What kind of pressure exactly?"

"...?" Akemi was confused. "You don't know?" She lightly giggled. She seemed amused. "Wow, this is pretty refreshing. Usually everyone I meet knows who my family is." Then Akemi received another text. She checked it and sighed again. "I really do have to go, but before that, pull out your phone so we can exchange numbers. Do you use LINE too? Let's also exchange IDs," Seiko did as requested and the two girls shared their contact information. "Can't believe it took us so long to exchange information."

"I guess we were both just too afraid to ask."

Akemi giggled again. "Probably. Let's definitely try to hang out this weekend. I'll contact you." She turned around and started walking back towards the subway station. "I hope Dr. Takemi can get you what you need. See you at school tomorrow." Akemi waved goodbye to Seiko and then disappeared in the crowd.

"..." Seiko waved back at her, and then when Akemi was out of sight, she looked down at her phone and saw that Akemi's number was now in her contact list. Seiko smiled at the sight of the number.

"Huh. I wouldn't have guessed you didn't have any friends, Seiko-chan," Clover suddenly said.

"...! Oh, I forgot you were there for a second," Seiko replied.

Clover seemed upset. "That was kind of a mean thing to say to your teacher." Then Clover sighed. "But I understand. You were having a tender moment with a newfound friend. That Akemi girl seems really nice. But I noticed that she seemed to have something on her mind."

"I noticed that too. She said her family was on her case. She also seemed surprised when I asked about them. I think she assumed that I already knew who they were."

"Interesting. It might be a matter worth pursuing later on, but let's not forget why we came here in the first place. Let's check out this clinic and see if we can get a discount on supplies for our next Palace visit."

"Sounds like a plan. If Akemi can vouch for this shady doctor, then that's good enough for me." Then Seiko walked up the steps to the medical clinic and went inside.

Thursday, 4/7 20XX, After School

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Prepare to Reenter the Palace.

The clinic was modestly furnished. The front door led to a tiny waiting room with simple chairs and tables. Across from the entrance was another door that Seiko guessed led to the examination room, and to her left there was a receptionist window.

Seiko walked up to the window and saw a young woman in her late twenties or early thirties. She had pale skin, dark blue hair in a messy bob-cut that had blunt bangs, and a pair of brown eyes. She wore a white lab-coat over a short dark green dress, a red grommet belt, a black studded necklace choker which was connected to multiple other necklaces, a pair of strappy black platform high heels, and red nail polish, which she wore on both her fingers and toes. She looked like she was writing something down, but she looked up when she saw Seiko. "May I help you?"

"Umm…yes. I'm here to see the doctor," Seiko replied.

"Do you have an appointment?" the woman replied.

"N-No, I was referred to here by a friend."

The woman sighed. "Another referral? Seriously? It feels like I have all of Tokyo coming into the clinic at this point."

"You're the doctor?"

The woman snickered. "Yep. I may not look like one, but I am. Dr. Tae Takemi, at your service. Welcome to my clinic." She had a very lazy and sarcastic way of speaking, and her outfit screamed "shady as hell goth chick". Seiko was very surprised to find that this woman was the doctor that Akemi had recommended.

Dr. Takemi stretched her arms and yawned. Then she began to speak. "So which of my patients referred you?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Depending on your answer, I might just decide to kick you out. So come on. Out with it."

"..." Seiko was silent at first, but she soon spoke up. "Akemi Himura. She's a friend of mine from Zenjin Academy."

Dr. Takemi thought it over for a few moments. "Akemi…Himura? …!" Then it came to her. "Oh, right. Her. Yeah, she's visited me a few times now." Then she looked up at Seiko. "So you're her friend, huh?" She studied Seiko for a few moments, and then she stroked her chin. "Okay then." She got up from her chair and left the reception booth. Then she came around the other side and opened the door facing Seiko. "Come on in." Seiko was led into the examination room by Dr. Takemi.

Thursday, 4/7 20XX, After School

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Prepare to Reenter the Palace.

Seiko sat down on the examination room's observation bed, while Dr. Takemi sat down in a rolling chair opposite to her. Seiko took in her newfound surroundings and saw that the doctor's office was the perfect mix of neat and messy. Her desk was cluttered with various chemicals and objects, while her patient area seemed to be completely spotless.

Dr. Takemi picked up a clipboard and a pen, and then she began the examination. "Alright. Let's start off with some simple questions. Name. Age. Reason for examination. Go."

"Umm…okay? My name is Seiko Amasaki. I'm 17, and I'm here because my friend, Akemi, told me that you sell medication and medical supplies to those who need them relatively cheap."

Dr. Takemi scowled at Seiko. "I don't like that third answer at all. Did your friend lead you to believe I'm running some kind of pill mill?"

"No. No. It's nothing like that," Seiko replied. "I didn't mean to imply you were doing anything shady, and I'm certainly not doing anything shady either. I just need medication and medical supplies for…well…something…a club activity…I guess."

"..." Dr. Takemi stared at Seiko in silence for a few moments. Then she simply said, "Wow. You're a really bad liar. Did you not even have an excuse prepared before coming here?"

"..." Seiko looked down at the floor in defeat.

Dr. Takemi sighed. "Here's a tip. Always have an excuse ready beforehand. Coming up with an excuse off the top of your head can only be accomplished by seasoned liars. That's what con artists do, and you, young lady, are certainly no con artist."

Seiko groaned. "You're the second person today to tell me I'm a bad liar."

Dr. Takemi scoffed. "That's nothing to be ashamed of. Being unable to lie is a sign of a really trustworthy person. You won't ever be able to fool anyone, but at the very least, you'll always be believed." She put her clipboard and pen down on her desk. "So tell me the truth, Amasaki-chan. Why do you need me to sell you some of my inventory?"

Seiko sighed. "I wasn't lying…not really. It's for an activity of sorts, and you could consider it to be something club-related. Look, I can't really tell you why I need your help, but I can promise you that it's very important."

"..." Dr. Takemi intensely stared at Seiko. She tapped her fingers on her desk as she stared. Then a few moments later, she sighed. "Believe it or not, this isn't the first time a strange high school student has barged into my office and asked if I could sell them some of my inventory. It's been happening on and off for the past few years. Even that friend of yours has come to me in the past."

"Akemi too, huh?"

Dr. Takemi nodded. "Just to be clear. I don't carry anything even remotely addictive. Narcotics can hurt as much as they can cure. The opioid epidemic is quite large enough already without me contributing to it. The most I can give you is painkillers and simple medical supplies. Basically the same kind of stuff you could find at a local pharmacy or convenience store. I would just give you a little discount."

"That's fine. I'm not a drug addict, nor am I a drug dealer."

Dr. Takemi snickered. "If I didn't already know how bad of a liar you are, I'd probably kick you out for just blatantly saying the words I was elegantly trying to tiptoe around." She smiled at Seiko. "Some ground rules. First of all, do not tell your parents, teachers, or the authorities that nice, innocent Dr. Takemi is selling you anything. Technically it's illegal for me to supply you with anything without a prescription or a recommendation, even if it's not hard narcotics. Secondly, no buying me out. I need a lot of supplies to keep the clinic afloat. I will only sell you my surplus inventory. Thirdly, everytime you come to buy from me, we have to make our transactions look legit. You come with me into the examination room and I give you an 'examination' and write you a 'prescription'. Lastly, and probably most important, if you get caught with my inventory, please try not to spill the beans about me. Though I doubt you'll be able to lie your way out of it if you tried. Can you agree to these conditions?"

Seiko nodded. "Yes, I promise, Doc."

"Alright then. Consider me your one-stop pharmacy." Dr. Takemi sighed again. "How do I keep getting roped into this? I swear sometimes I wish I never met that kid in the first place. He was the one who got me started in this side business, he attracted more business to my clinic and made me busier than ever, and to top it all off he got me proclaimed as some kind of miracle worker, so no one ever leaves me alone." She complained about her circumstances, but a smile was plastered on her face the whole time.

"You sound really popular."

Dr. Takemi scoffed again and rubbed the back of her head. "You don't know the half of it. Today's a slow day for me. You got lucky. I was just about to close up temporarily and do some of my own research to pass the time."

"Your own research? What are you researching?"

Dr. Takemi smirked. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"...!" A shiver ran up Seiko's spine. 'Something tells me that I shouldn't get involved with this doctor any more than I need to. She seems nice like Akemi said, but she's definitely weird.'

Dr. Takemi snickered. "No need to be afraid. My research isn't that fringe."

'The fact that you call it fringe at all is a bad sign!' Seiko inwardly exclaimed.

"It was a joke. Lighten up. I'm a doctor, not a mad scientist." She smirked again. "You know, you actually remind me of my little guinea pig a lot."

"Your guinea pig?"

"Remember that first high school student I told you about? He ended up working for me part-time for my inventory. He was very dedicated, a very bad liar, and also really fun to tease." She sighed again. "Those were really good times. It's been a while since I thought about him. I wonder what he's doing now." Dr. Takemi seemed kind of wistful.

"Ahem," Seiko cleared her throat. "Can I please see your merchandise now?"

"Oh! Yes, of course." Dr. Takemi sighed again. "Look at me reminiscing about years gone by. I must be getting older." A chill ran up her spine. "Now there's a scary thought."

"This woman is the perfect amount of genius and frightening. She will be the perfect ally for our exploits," said Clover. She peeked out from Seiko's bag and studied Dr. Takemi intently.

"Hey! Don't let her see you!" Seiko harshly whispered as she stuffed Clover back into her bag.

Dr. Takemi caught sight of the interaction out of the corner of her eye. 'Carrying around her pet with her and thinking nobody will notice? Yet another similarity. It's a rabbit this time, huh?'

Thursday, 4/7 20XX, After School

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Prepare to Reenter the Palace.

About half an hour later, Seiko had bought some supplies from Dr. Takemi's secret store and was preparing to leave her clinic. "That should do it. Thank you for everything, Doc," said Seiko.

"No problem. Just promise me that you'll be safe with whatever it is that you're doing," Dr. Takemi replied.

Seiko smiled. 'She's definitely weird, but she really is a good doctor.'

"After all, if you die on me, I'll start to get bad reviews for not taking care of a patient. Plus, I'll be out a new revenue stream."

Seiko sweatdropped. 'Or maybe not.'

Dr. Takemi snickered again. "Seriously though. Be careful."

"I will," Seiko replied. "See you later, Doc." Then she left the clinic with Clover in tow.

Dr. Takemi stared at the entrance after Seiko left. "Seiko Amasaki, huh? I wonder. Could she be like my little guinea pig in other ways too?"

Thursday, 4/7 20XX, After School

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Prepare to Reenter the Palace.

Meanwhile, at the local hospital, Kodaka Kouenji was about to make headway into his investigation. He was still on his computer and looking for information on the fire that had killed many people last Friday. He had been working with an anonymous hacker named Alibaba and the nurse that was in charge of him, Ms. Yamaguchi. The three of them were looking into the cause of the fire and any possible connection that Kodaka's uncle, Yasuhiro Shinohara, had to it. And it appeared that Alibaba finally found a smoking gun. They had emailed Kodaka the arson investigator's report from the fire, which they obtained by hacking into the Tokyo Fire Department's servers, though their own personal browser. Now Kodaka was perusing the contents.

Alibaba: This is everything I managed to find regarding the fire. As you can see it's not much at all, which in itself is weird. A fire like this with multiple casualties would surely have a whole dossier of information, but there's barely three pages of info.

LonerKingK: You're right. That is weird. I'm looking over the scans of the physical report now. It looks like somebody used whiteout and scratched out several parts of the report too. It's like they were writing down one thing, and then something happened, and they stopped the investigation completely and changed what they had already written down.

Alibaba: Shinohara Development already claimed responsibility for the fire, and it was deemed an accident. But a short investigation and an edited document suggests that it might have been something else. I hate to say it, but I think you should back off of this.

"...!" Kodaka was surprised.

LonerKingK: What are you talking about? If Shinohara Development set that fire on purpose and killed all of those people, then I have to find out the truth.

Alibaba: Look, I know you're a good kid, but I'm warning you that this is not a fight you want to get involved in. You're dealing with people who have no problem covering up so many deaths, and who can easily control the media and the fire department as they see fit. I have experience going after people like this. Leave it to me. I'll make sure the truth comes to light and the guilty parties pay.

LonerKingK: No. I need to see this through. I have a personal stake in this. My best friends died in that fire.

Alibaba: I understand, but you getting further involved just puts you at risk. I'm taking over from here, and I'm going to take drastic measures to make sure you stay out of it. Nothing personal, but this is goodbye.

Then a few moments later, Alibaba closed the chat and forcibly logged out Kodaka. "What?!" Kodaka exclaimed in disbelief. Then he tried to log back into the browser, but found himself blocked. He could no longer access Alibaba's Cave of Wonders, and the arson investigator's report was gone as well. Kodaka had been completely iced out. "No! No! No! Dammit!" Kodaka exclaimed.

Thursday, 4/7 20XX, Evening

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Prepare to Reenter the Palace.

By the time Seiko and Clover got back to Ogikubo, the sun was already starting to set. The two Phantom Thieves began to quietly chat amongst themselves as they walked home from Ogikubo Station. "It's going to get dark soon. Should we still head into the Palace?" Seiko asked.

"Hmm," Clover murmured. "There's no real rush right now. Plus, we had an eventful day meeting that back alley doctor. I think it would be fine to hold off until tomorrow."

"That's fine with me. But I still don't see how this stuff we got at Doc Takemi's clinic is going to help us."

"It will. It's like you said before. The Metaverse creates a super placebo effect. This little bit of supplies will have the power to bring back someone from the brink of death. I'm sure of it."

"Let's just pray it doesn't get that far."

Clover frowned and crossed her arms, while swinging back and forth in Seiko's bag. "The only thing that could help us prepare better would be if we had some extra backup. A train robbery is quite a daring feat to pull off with just two conspirators. A third person would be greatly appreciated."

"I agree too, but it's like you said before. What can we do? Drag people off the street into the Metaverse and hope that at least one of them awakens to a Persona?"

Clover shook her head. "No, we can't exactly do that. Oh well, we're heading back into the Palace tomorrow, regardless. For now, let's go home and relax."

"Oh yeah. You're staying with me from now on, right?" Seiko sighed. "I wonder what Rose-san will say."

Thursday, 4/7 20XX, Evening

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Prepare to Reenter the Palace.

About ten minutes later, Seiko reached her apartment complex and walked over to the main house to talk to Rose about Clover. When she knocked on the door, she was greeted by her older stepsister, Sayaka, and shown into the house. "Mom, Seiko-chan's here!" Sayaka called out to her mother, Rose, as she brought Seiko into the living room. "I'll be in my room if you need me!" Then Sayaka exited the living room and went up the staircase to the second floor.

"Oh?" Rose muttered. She was apparently busy making dinner. Then she came out of the kitchen to greet Seiko. "Seiko-chan, I didn't know you were coming over for dinner today." Then she saw Seiko was still in her school uniform. "You're still in your uniform? Did you just get home?"

"Yeah, sorry. I know I'm cutting the curfew a little close. I was with a friend out in the city and I lost track of time," Seiko replied.

"A friend? You made a friend? That's wonderful. It's fine then. Just make sure to call me next time if it looks like you might be late, okay?" Rose replied.

"I will."

"Dinner will be ready in a little bit if you'd like to stay," said Rose. Then she turned to go back into the kitchen, but Seiko stopped her.

"Actually, Rose-san, I'm not here for dinner. I wanted to ask you a question as a tenant."

"A question? Okay. What is it? Did your hot water shut off this morning?"

Seiko shook her head. "No, it's nothing like that." She sighed. "Rose-san, what's your policy on pets?"

"Pets?" Rose repeated. Then she frowned. "They're not exactly prohibited, but they are somewhat frowned upon, especially in the case of dogs." Rose crossed her arms. "Don't tell me you found a stray animal and brought it home."

"Well she's not exactly a stray," Seiko replied. She put her bag down and unzipped it, and then picked up Clover and showed her to Rose. "Rose-san, meet Clover." Seiko awkwardly chuckled and flashed an awkward smile.

"..." Rose's frown deepened.

"I don't think she likes me," said Clover. Of course, only Seiko could understand her.

"Okay, I buy the part about her not being a stray animal. I mean, whoever heard of anyone finding a rabbit on the streets?" Rose asked rhetorically.

'You say that, but…' Seiko thought of how she met Clover this past Sunday.

"Not a rabbit," said Clover.

"Where did you get her?" Rose asked.

Seiko began to lie again. "Well there was a…umm…pet adoption event in Yongen-Jaya. Me and my friend passed it while we were there, and I saw Clover amongst the bunch. There was just something special about her." This one actually sounded believable.

"Way to lay it on thick," Clover added.

"I know it sounds weird, but we kind of had this instant connection," said Seiko." Maybe it was because it was sprinkled with the truth.

"I wouldn't say instant. It took a bit before we were on the same page," said Clover.

"I know it's a big ask, especially since I'm staying here conditionally, but can I please keep her? I swear, I'll take full responsibility for her. You won't have to lift a finger, and she won't cause any trouble."

"I promise no such thing," said Clover. "Causing trouble is what a Phantom Thief does best."

"Shut up," Seiko whispered to Clover. She continued to smile even while reprimanding Clover.

Rose sighed. "I don't know. I wish you would've asked me first before adopting her."

"Oh, let her keep her, Mom," said Sayaka. She had reappeared during the conversation.

"I thought you went back to your room, young lady," said Rose.

"I came running back when I overheard the word 'pet'," Sayaka replied with a smile. "I brought backup too." Sayaka motioned behind her and Seiko's half-sister, Mitsuha, appeared.

"A bunny!" Mitsuha exclaimed and then she ran over to Clover, so she could get a better look at her. "Can I pet her?! Can I?! Can I?!"

"Umm…I guess, if it's okay with your mom," Seiko replied.

"..." Mitsuha looked up at Rose with pleading eyes.

Rose sighed. "Go ahead."

Seiko put Clover down to Mitsuha's level. "Okay. Be very gentle. She may not look like it, but she's very sensitive, inside and out," said Seiko.

"How rude! You're being very cheeky right now, my dear protégé!" Clover exclaimed.

"Aww! She's purring!" Mitsuha exclaimed in glee as she gently pet Clover.

"Ooh. Actually, that feels pretty good," said Clover. She appeared to be in paradise as Mitsuha continued to pet her.

Sayaka spotted the large, black, clover-shaped patch of fur on Clover's back. "Pretty easy to figure out why her name's Clover." Mitsuha got out of Sayaka's way, and Sayaka leaned down and locked eyes with Clover. "..." She studied the "rabbit" carefully. "She seems kind of different from other rabbits that I've seen before. More alive."

Seiko sighed in exasperation. "She's definitely animated. That's for sure."

"..." Clover looked back at Seiko and glared at her.

"Did you buy anything else for her? Food? A hutch? Toys?" Sayaka asked as she looked up at Seiko.

Seiko shook her head. "No, I didn't. I wanted to make sure I could actually keep here before getting more involved."

"We have leftover carrots. We can give her those," said Mitsuha.

Sayaka shook her head. "Rabbits don't only eat carrots. That's a myth. Root vegetables and fruits are actually really sweet for them. They're only meant to be given as special treats. If we just feed her carrots, her diet will get messed up. Some grass should be fine for now, but we're going to need to go to a pet store soon and get some proper food for her. As for a hutch, she can use my old guinea pig hutch. It should be big enough for a rabbit. It comes with a little bed for her too."

"My own bed?! I like the sound of that!" Clover exclaimed.

"Thanks, Sayaka. That's a big help," Seiko replied.

"Don't mention it," Sayaka replied.

"Now hold on! I really wish you girls wouldn't decide these things on your own. I still haven't given my approval yet," said Rose.

"Oh come on, Mom," said Sayaka. "Where's the harm in Seiko-chan keeping a little rabbit? She lives by herself in that cramped, little apartment. She could use some company."

"Please, Mommy!" Mitsuha exclaimed, while giving her mother the puppy-dog eye treatment.

"Please!" Clover exclaimed as well, matching Mitsuha's eyes.

Seiko sweatdropped. 'I can already tell this is going to be more trouble than it's worth.'

"..." Rose was silent at first, but after a few moments she sighed and gave into the pressure. "Fine. Seiko-chan can keep the rabbit."

"Yay!" Mitsuha and Clover exclaimed.

"Alright!" Sayaka exclaimed.

'Why do they seem to be more excited about this than I am?' Seiko asked herself.

Clover turned around and faced Seiko. "This will be great, my darling protégé. Now I really will be able to stay by your side night and day."

"That rabbit seems really happy, Seiko-chan," said Rose.

'You don't know the half of it,' Seiko thought to herself.

Thursday, 4/7 20XX, Nighttime

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Prepare to Reenter the Palace.

Back at the hospital, Kodaka was reaching a dead end in his investigation into the fire. Alibaba had abandoned him and Ms. Yamaguchi was still nowhere to be found. He felt more alone than ever, and he had no idea what to do next.

He decided to busy himself by getting a snack from some of the hospital's vending machines. However, he was taking forever to make a selection. He stared at the vending machine in total silence. "..." His mind was still occupied with everything that had happened to him, not just regarding the fire, but after that had happened to him over the past few years.

While he was in middle school, his parents died in a car accident. His uncle, Yasuhiro Shinohara, being his only close, living relative, took him in and became his guardian. Although, Shinohara acted as a guardian in name only. He rented out an apartment for Kodaka to move into and left him there to his own devices, only acting as a guardian by giving him an allowance to live off of. For the first few years, Kodaka tried to make the best of his newfound situation and continue to live a happy life. But after entering high school, he found it harder and harder to carry on like he used to and he slowly withdrew from the world. He became something of a shut-in, who only interacted with others when absolutely necessary. He found solace in the virtual world and became very adept at computers and coding. He also made new friends through his new world. Mikado Hashimoto and Kiyomi Saikawa. They became a bright light in his dreary world.

Eventually, Kodaka's new friends tried to coax him into rejoining the world, but he stubbornly refused. His friends never gave up on him though and always took time out of their daily lives to come and see him in real life. Kodaka never really told them how much he appreciated their dedication either. This same thing happened on the day of the fire. His friends were only at his apartment building to see him, and yet they died and he survived. Now it appeared that his uncle and his uncle's company had a much deeper involvement in the fire and his friend's deaths. Kodaka wanted to find out the truth, but it appeared there was nothing else he could do.

Suddenly, a flurry of nurses and doctors ran past the vending machines. "...!" Kodaka could hear panicked shouts and cries. He looked out into the hallway and saw that a lot of hospital personnel was crowding around a crash cart that was being rushed toward the ICU.

"Code Blue! Code Blue! Patient just stopped breathing!" and EMT exclaimed as he dropped off the patient.

"Prep an OR stat. Alert the blood bank too. She's A-," one of the doctors replied, trying to remain calm. "What happened to her exactly?"

"The police said it was a traffic accident. She'd been out for the day and no one could contact her either," one of the nurses replied. "This is horrible. The poor thing lost her fiance almost a week ago and now she might die too?"

"Not on our watch. Stay positive," another one of the doctors replied.

The crash cart passed by Kodaka, and he caught a glimpse of the patient lying on it. It was Ms. Yamaguchi. "...!" Kodaka's heart stopped the moment he saw her. Then a few moments later, the medical team pushed the crash cart through the ICU doors and closed them behind themselves. Kodaka walked out into the hallway and stared at the ICU doors in disbelief. "Yamaguchi-san? No," he said in a whisper.

Thursday, 4/7 20XX, Nighttime

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Prepare to Reenter the Palace.

After Seiko's sisters convinced Rose to let Seiko keep Clover, they gladly helped move Clover into Seiko's apartment. Sayaka brought in the old hutch that was left over from her now deceased pet guinea pig and placed it next to Seiko's bed. She also cleaned and prepared it for Clover to move into. Meanwhile, Mitsuha brought over some old newspapers to line the hutch, some grass and a tiny sliver of carrot, and a plate of food for Seiko. However, this work was also left to Sayaka as Mitsuha decided to play with Clover instead. Seiko was glad to receive their help, and did her part to get things ready as well.

A few hours later, Clover had fully moved into the apartment, and Sayaka and Mitsuha left Seiko and Clover alone together. Although Mitsuha had to be forced to leave. After her sisters left, Seiko prepared a late dinner for herself and Clover with the food they had received. Seiko was eating on her bed and Clover was eating in her hutch.

Clover didn't seem to be picky about being fed grass, as she was happily eating away. "Mmm. Nom-nom-nom."

Seiko giggled. "For someone who claims not to be a rabbit, you sure are eating like one."

"...!" Clover stopped eating and looked up at Seiko. "I…I just didn't want to let your sisters' hard work go to waste! Besides, there's nothing wrong with eating grass! It's full of nutrients and it's delicious! I'll have you know that I subsisted on it solely while I was on my own!"

"I'll take your word for it. I'm not ever eating grass. How's your carrot by the way?"

"I don't know. I've never had one before. I'm a little anxious to try it."

"Personally, I've never been that big of a fan of carrots, but rabbits are supposed to eat them all the time." Then Seiko recalled what Sayaka had said earlier. 'Though apparently that's just a myth. Carrots are more like candy for rabbits.'

"Well then I probably won't like them either, since I'm not a rabbit," Clover replied in a stubborn tone. Clover picked up the carrot slice with her front paws and nibbled on it. "...!" Her eyes immediately widened in surprise. Then she gobbled the whole carrot slice down in a matter of moments. "That was the most delicious thing I've ever had," she said in a very serious tone.

"..." Seiko stared at Clover in disbelief. "You are definitely a rabbit, Teach."

Clover growled. "No, I'm not! Take it back!"

Thursday, 4/7 20XX, Nighttime

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Prepare to Reenter the Palace.

A little while later, Seiko did her nightly routine and laid down on her bed. "..." She wasn't tired yet, so she was messing around with her phone.

"Coming through! Make way!" Clover exclaimed as she hopped up on Seiko's bed and got close to her. She had apparently gotten out of her hutch on her own at some point.

"Didn't I lock you in?" Seiko asked.

Clover mischievously chuckled. "What part of master magician do you not understand? Escape tricks are my specialty. Escape artistry is also a wonderful skill for a Phantom Thief to possess. Which reminds me, if you're going to become my protégé, we need to brush up on your escape skills as well. How long does it take you to pick a lock?"

"I've never picked a lock before, so I don't know."

"That won't do at all. Lockpicking is an essential skill that everyone should have, especially a Phantom Thief. What are you going to do when you find a door or chest that you can't unlock?"

"Just ignore it, I guess."

"But the best spoils of all are protected by locks!"

"Then I'll just get you to do it."

Clover sighed. "Don't get me wrong, my darling protégé. I like being needed, but a teacher's role is to teach. How can I call you my student if I don't teach you what I know?"

"..." Seiko was silent at first. She thought about what she wanted to say, and then she began to speak. "Listen, I've been doing some soul-searching over the past few days. You want me to be a Phantom Thief, and I'm getting a lot of signals from the universe that it wants me to be one as well." Seiko thought about her time at Club Velvet and her conversation with Igor about her destiny. "But the truth is, I don't think this world is really worth saving. Don't get me wrong. I hate bastards like Shinohara, but the problem is, there are too many bastards like him. People like to say that there are way more good people out there than there are bad people, but it doesn't seem like that to me. This world never changes. There's always some bastard out there making life miserable for other people. What did the other Phantom Thieves even accomplish when all was said and done? They didn't change anything. Trying to save this world, trying to change it for the better, it's a lost cause."

Clover frowned. "You might be right about that. The Phantom Thieves' goal was to change the world, one heart at a time. They took down bad guys, and gave people the hope and courage to stand up against injustice. But the world didn't change. People don't even talk about the Phantom Thieves anymore. It's almost like they never really existed at all. But so what?"

"So what?"

"Just because they failed to make that change happen, doesn't mean that you will. You don't have to believe in this world to try and save it, you just have to believe in what it could be. Start small. Change one heart at a time, just like they did. Then go even farther than they did. If you want a different world, then strive to make it a reality."

"..." Seiko let Clover's words sink in. "You know, for someone who doesn't have any memories, you sure have a lot of philosophical opinions. Why do you even care about this world?"

"Because this is my world too. I may not remember who I am, or what exactly I am for that matter, but I do know that my purpose is to destroy the Palaces as a Phantom Thief." Clover looked at Seiko. "And now to work with you to accomplish that goal." Clover got up on Seiko's chest and made sure she was face to face with her. "Let's make a new pact, here and now. In exchange for helping me steal Shinohara's Treasure and letting me stay by your side, I Clover, the magnificent magician and renowned Phantom Thief, shall teach you all of my skills and allow you access to all of my secrets. From this moment onward, we are partners in thieving and in life. Teacher and student, united as one. Deal?" Clover reached out one of her front paws, hoping Seiko would accept it and shake it.

Seiko sighed. "I promised I would help you deal with Shinohara, but I'm still not sure about continuing on as a Phantom Thief after that. But for now at least, I'll gladly listen and learn anything that you want to teach me." Seiko grabbed ahold of Clover's paw and shook it. And just like that, a powerful bond was forged.

Sunday, 12/25 20XX, Nighttime

Almost nine months later, Seiko was being interrogated by Inspectors Kazutora Yagami and Naomi Nishitani.

"Even if you don't have any connection with the original Phantom Thieves, we already know that you did not act alone," said Yagami. "The fact that you had accomplices is an undeniable fact. I also find it hard to believe that you were able to carry out these missions without some form of guidance or instruction. Are you really the leader? Or was there someone else? Someone who trained you to become a Phantom Thief?"

"..." Seiko was silent.

"Answer the question," said Yagami.

Thursday, 4/7 20XX, Nighttime

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Prepare to Reenter the Palace.

A bright, blue, fiery aura flashed through Seiko's mind. When the aura dissipated, a single Tarot card was left in its place. The card turned over and revealed itself to be the Magician. A gentle, soothing voice echoed in Seiko's mind.

I am thou, thou art I…

Thou hast acquired a new vow.

It shall become the shining light

that guideth thee out of the depths of nihilism.

With the birth of the Magician Persona,

I have obtained the winds of blessing that

shall lead to hope and new power.

Clover Confidant Established.

Arcana: Magician - Rank 1.

New Persona Gained - Jack Frost.

Then the card and the voice vanished, and Seiko was alone with her thoughts again. 'What the hell was that?!' she inwardly exclaimed.

"Seiko-chan?" Clover called out. She looked concerned. "Are you okay?"

"..." Seiko was silent at first, and then after a few moments, she began to speak. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just a little tired. I think I should go to sleep now."

"..." Clover still looked concerned. "Okay. But about what I told you…"

"I know, and thank you. You don't have to worry about me so much."

"Alright then. Good night." Clover hopped down from the bed, and then she got back into her hutch. Then she laid down on her new bed and closed her eyes.

"Good night." Seiko put her phone down on her nightstand, and then she got underneath her covers. Seiko turned over and stared at the Phantom Thief mask that was next to her phone. "..." Then Seiko drifted off to sleep, while she was still filled with self-doubt over her supposed destiny.

Thursday, 4/7 20XX, Nighttime

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Prepare to Reenter the Palace.

Soon Seiko opened her eyes and saw that she was in a familiar, dreamy place. Club Velvet, or to be more accurate, the Velvet Room. She appeared to be lying down in a dark blue, cushioned booth. She sat up in the booth and looked around the club. "I'm back here again, huh?" Then she spotted two familiar strange men at the bar. Igor, the self-proclaimed "Master of the Velvet Room", and William, an "Attendant" that acted as the bartender for Club Velvet. Seiko looked down and saw that she was wearing the same outfit that appeared on her the last time she came to Club Velvet. "..." Not knowing what to do next, Seiko got up from the booth and walked over to the bar to join Igor and William.

William was the first to spot Seiko. "Ah, Amasaki-san. Always nice to have a visit from the owner," he said.

"I really wouldn't say I'm the owner of this place," Seiko replied. "What about Igor here?"

Igor was drinking again, but he responded nonetheless. "In a way, William is correct. I may be the Master of the Velvet Room, but the Guest decides everything about it. What shape it will take, who will appear, and its purpose."

Seiko looked around the club again. "If this really is my club, then I want to know why it's so empty in here. You two seem to be the only ones who are ever here."

"Well on your first visit, we weren't open yet. But now we are, so it's entirely up to you whether we should allow anyone else inside," William replied.

"Isn't the point of any business to have customers?" Seiko replied.

Igor chuckled. "You say that, but are you forgetting where we are exactly, my dear? Not many people can travel to a world that exists between other worlds. The clientele for an establishment such as this will be quite sparse no matter what."

"I guess that's true. But it seems wasteful not to have anyone else come here," Seiko replied. Then she sat down at the bar next to Igor, and a few moments later, William put a drink in front of her. This mocktail was green and white. Seiko stared at the drink in confusion. "No Lost Girl tonight?"

"The Lost Girl was indeed a great success, but I thought you might appreciate a change. I call this one White Luck," William replied as he started to clean some of the bar glassware.

"..." Seiko hesitated at first, but she soon drank the new mocktail. "Hmm. This one is really sweet, but at the same time it tastes kind of…rich. It's like there's an intensity to the sweetness, and it makes me feel oddly comforted."

"Interesting. Should I add this one to the menu as well?"

"Why not?" Seiko replied as she shrugged her shoulders. Then she looked over at Igor. "So are you going to tell me why I'm here tonight, or are you going to make me come out and ask?"

Igor chuckled. "I believe you already have, my dear. Very well, I shall tell you the reason why I have summoned you here tonight. It is time for us to talk about expanding your horizons."

"Expanding my horizons?" Seiko repeated in confusion.

"Since you were a young child, you've had a very narrow-minded view. To you the world is a rotten place, not worth the effort. Certainly not worthy of being saved from the ruin it faces. Of course, this is not your fault. Considering your circumstances, it's only natural that you turned out a little nihilistic. However, in order to face the ruin that lies ahead and become a true Trickster, you must learn to expand your horizons. For our previous Guest, he was a prisoner so he had to undergo rehabilitation in order to be set free, but you on the other hand are already free. You just don't know what to do with that freedom, so you close yourself off to the rest of the world. In a way, you are a prisoner as well. You're simply living in a prison of your own making. You must expand your horizons in order to escape this isolation."

"And how exactly do I 'expand my horizons'?" Seiko replied.

"It's quite simple, my dear. Check underneath your glass," Igor replied, and then he took another sip from his drink.

"..." Seiko looked down at her own drink, and then she picked up her glass. "...!" She was surprised to see that her coaster was actually a Tarot card. Seiko picked up the card and turned it over to see that it was a very familiar card. The Magician.

"I believe you recognize that card in question. I don't know how familiar you are with the art of Tarot, so allow me to give you a brief summary. The Arcana of the deck represents the first Arcana - the Fool's journey to enlightenment and new power. You are the Fool, my dear. Naive of the outside world and destined to discover all it has to offer. You shall come across many different people in your travels as a Trickster, and come into contact with many different world-views. Befriending these people and striking a deal with them shall unlock a new facet of yourself. We call this power a Confidant. There are many different kinds of Confidant, each representing a different Arcana from the Fool's journey. I encourage you to seek out as many Confidants as you can. Their power shall strengthen your own, and at the same time they shall expand your own horizons."

"So you know about what happened earlier with Clover? I formed a Confidant with her?" Seiko replied.

"Indeed. You seemed rather perplexed, my dear, so I thought you could use an explanation," Igor replied.

"Well thanks for that, I guess," Seiko replied. She stared at the card in her hands. "Forming bonds with people will help me grow then? Not just to fulfill my destiny, but also as a person?"

"That is the jist of it. Yes. You might think that your world doesn't deserve to be saved, but what would other people think? Wouldn't you like to think about it and see things from a different perspective before you make such an impactful decision?" Igor asked.

"..." Seiko went silent, and she thought over Igor's words. She didn't know what to say.

Igor sighed. "I encourage you to ponder my words after you leave here tonight, but whatever you decide, I will respect your decision. The Guest's choices are theirs and theirs alone. In the meantime, allow me to give you a gift as a thank you for hearing me out." Igor produced another Tarot card from his person and handed it to Seiko. It was the Fool. Then Seiko formed another powerful bond.

Sunday, 12/25 20XX, Nighttime

Almost nine months later, Seiko was being interrogated by Inspectors Kazutora Yagami and Naomi Nishitani.

"Many of the acts that the Phantom Thieves have taken seem to defy logic," said Yagami. "This so-called Metaverse. Palaces. Treasure. It all sounds ridiculous, but I can't deny the fact that in the end you managed to change your targets' hearts. But it makes me wonder. If this is all real, then where did it come from? Do you have any idea about that?"

"..." Seiko was silent.

"Say something," said Yagami.

Thursday, 4/7 20XX, Nighttime

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Prepare to Reenter the Palace.

A bright, blue, fiery aura flashed through Seiko's mind. When the aura dissipated, a single Tarot card was left in its place. The card turned over and revealed itself to be the Fool. A gentle, soothing voice echoed in Seiko's mind.

I am thou, thou art I…

Thou hast acquired a new vow.

It shall become the shining light

that guideth thee out of the depths of nihilism.

With the birth of the Fool Persona,

I have obtained the winds of blessing that

shall lead to hope and new power.

Igor Confidant Established.

Arcana: Fool - Rank 1.

No New Persona Gained.

Then the card and the voice vanished. "..." Seiko blinked a few times, and then turned back to Igor. "It happened again. So that means…"

Igor chuckled and nodded. "Correct. You have now formed a Confidant with yours truly. Although I'm afraid I won't have much to offer you besides guidance through this new world you have discovered."

Seiko smiled. "That's fine. It's actually just a relief to know that I have someone else in my corner. You're not so bad, old man."

Igor chuckled again. "I can't say that I've ever had a Guest that was quite so blunt with me. It's quite refreshing." Igor picked up his glass and turned towards Seiko. "Let's make a toast, my dear."

"..." Seiko picked up her glass and matched Igor's actions.

"To new friends and allies," said Igor. Then he and Seiko clinked their glasses together.

"Cheers," they both said, and then they finished their drinks.

Igor let out a refreshed sigh. "Dawn is fast approaching. It looks like we will have to cut our conversation short here, my dear. Do remember what I told you, won't you?"

Seiko nodded. "I'll keep it in mind. Thanks for the advice, old man." Then she turned to William. "And thank you for the drink. It was delicious."

"You flatter me, Amasaki-san," William replied. "Goodbye for now."

"Goodbye," Seiko replied. Then everything around Seiko went white.

Friday, 4/8 20XX, Early Morning

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Prepare to Reenter the Palace.

Seiko woke up to the sound of her phone alarm, and Clover woke up a few moments after that with a loud yawn. "Good morning, Seiko-chan. Did you sleep well?" Clover asked

"Yeah, I slept fine," Seiko replied. "How about you? Was your bed comfy?"

"So comfy. I could get used to living like this," Clover replied.

"Well you can sleep more later. Right now, it's time to get ready for school. You're still planning on coming with me, right?"

Clover sighed. "I did say that, yes. Although, now I just feel like sleeping in." Clover unlocked her hutch, and then she hopped onto Seiko's bed. "But I'm a professional. I won't let comfiness interfere with my duties as your teacher. Go ahead and get ready for school, and be sure to pack the emergency supplies that we procured yesterday. Today we're heading back into Shinohara's Palace."

Seiko nodded. "I'm ready. After school, it's payback time."

Friday, 4/8 20XX, Morning

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Prepare to Reenter the Palace.

That day while Seiko was at school, Kodaka was also preparing to confront Shinohara. He snuck out of the hospital again, and then ran over to Shinohara Development's corporate headquarters as soon as business hours began. Unfortunately, he was having some trouble actually getting in to see his uncle.

"You're not listening to me! I need to speak to Shinohara-san immediately! I'm his nephew!" Kodaka shouted at the lobby receptionist.

The receptionist shook her head. "Like I keep telling you, sir. President Shinohara is preparing for a meeting right now and cannot receive visitors at this time. If you'd like to make an appointment…"

Kodaka slammed his hands on her desk, ignoring the stinging pain he felt after the act. "I'm not making a damn appointment! I need to talk to him! Right now!"

Then one of the company security guards approached. "Is there a problem here?" he asked, glaring at Kodaka as he did so.

Kodaka turned his attention to the security guard. "I need to see Shinohara-san. I'm his nephew. Call him and ask him," he replied.

"No, what I think you need to do right now is leave. You're causing a disturbance," the security guard replied, not even giving Kodaka the time of day.

"Don't push me, dammit. I've had enough people telling me what I can and can't do this week," Kodaka replied, glaring at the security guard. "I'm not leaving until I see my uncle."

"That's not happening, kid. Now either you leave quietly, or I throw you out," the security guard replied.

"That won't be necessary," said another person. Kodaka turned to see that his uncle had appeared behind him. "Please excuse my nephew. He's very hot-headed. He gets that from my sister. I'll take it from here," said Shinohara. The security guard grunted and then walked off. Then Shinohara looked at Kodaka. "What are you doing here causing trouble? Aren't you still supposed to be in the hospital, getting your hands treated?"

"I need to talk to you, Uncle. Right now," Kodaka replied.

"..." Shinohara silently glared down at Kodaka, but in the end, he relented. "Very well. Let's speak privately in my office." Then Shinohara and Kodaka walked over to the lobby elevator and took it up to the building's top floor.

Friday, 4/8 20XX, Morning

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Prepare to Reenter the Palace.

Shinohara's private office was as lavish as you would expect a corporate president/C.E.O.'s office to be. Expensive carpeting consumed the floor, and the walls were furnished with shelves lined with various objects. Books, photos, awards, and various other knick-knacks. There were actually a lot of train novelties too. In the center of the room, there was a large table that housed a large model of Ogikubo and the Shinohara Skyrailway. There was a large oil painting of Shinohara's father/Kodaka's grandfather at the far end of the room, and underneath that was Shinohara's expensive-looking desk that was outfitted with expensive-looking chairs. Shinohara's desk offered a good view of and the rest of Ogikubo and Tokyo that lay beyond it.

Shinohara sat down at his desk and motioned for Kodaka to sit opposite of him. "Have a seat."

"..." Kodaka silently sat down and glared at his uncle.

"Well, now you have my full, undivided attention. I'm probably going to have to push my board meeting back, but so long as you're happy, I'm happy." There was clearly sarcasm in his voice as he said that. "So tell me what's so important that you had to come bother me at my place of business."

"..." Kodaka continued to silently glare at his uncle.

"If there's nothing that you want to talk about then why don't we just…"

"I know what you did."

"...? What I did? What am I supposed to have done?"

"That fire was no accident."

"Fire?" Shinohara seemed utterly confused. "...! Oh. That fire."

"Are you telling me you forgot? It just happened a week ago."

"Forgive me. It's been a very busy week for me. The grand opening of my Skyrailway is less than a month away after all. After that press conference, I guess it must have slipped my mind. So what's all this now? You say it wasn't an accident? I'm pretty sure the fire department cleared it as such."

"I don't care what the fire department said. You and I both know that it wasn't an accident. You did it. I don't know why, but you did it."

"..." Shinohara was silent at first, but then he cracked up and started laughing. "You might need to have your doctors check you for brain complications. I'm pretty sure inhaling all that smoke killed a few of your brain cells."

"So you deny it?"

Shinohara scoffed. "Deny what? That I'm guilty of arson and murder? Yes, of course I deny it. How could you even think I would be capable of something like that?"

"Because I know you. You're cold, heartless, and selfish. You don't give a damn about anyone but yourself. Hell, I didn't even see you shed a single tear when my mother, your sister, passed away."

"What you're describing is the personality that a person in my position tends to have. I don't have the luxury to concern myself with other people's worries. Running a company like mine takes a lot of time and energy. Just because I don't shed a tear for the victims of that fire, does not mean I had anything to do with it. Now if that's all you have to say then…"

"I saw the arson investigator's report, if you could even call it that. Someone pressured them into halting the investigation and erasing what they already had found. The only one who would be in a position to do that, and would have anything to gain would be Shinohara Development. How do you explain that?"

Shinohara returned his nephew's glare. "First of all, I'm fairly certain that those reports are confidential. The fact that you got access to it all is suspicious. Secondly, what you have is referred to as 'circumstantial evidence'. It's hardly proof of anything. Who's to say that the fire department simply didn't do a thorough investigation. Lastly, why are you bringing this up at all? You survived that fire. I would think you would be grateful just to live."

"Because my friends died in that fire. They were there at my apartment to see me."

"That's hardly any fault of mine. Sounds like it was just a horrible twist of fate."

"And what about Hiyori Yamaguchi? Was that just a horrible twist of fate?"

"Hiyori who?"

"Hiyori Yamaguchi! My nurse! She was in a 'traffic accident' last night!"

Shinohara chuckled again. "So now I'm guilty of killing a nurse, am I?"

"Not killing. She's not dead. Not yet." Kodaka started to tear up. "She's in a coma. The doctors aren't sure when or even if she's going to wake up."

"..." Shinohara's eyes narrowed. He turned around to face his window and continued to speak. "Kodaka. I apologize for the horrible luck you and the people around you seem to be having lately, but this is hardly my fault. I don't care what kind of so-called evidence you think you've found. I had nothing to do with any of this. I realize with everything that's happened, you would feel better if you had someone to blame, but that's not me. I'm not some monstrous boogeyman who is responsible for killing everyone around you. Sometimes bad things just happen to good people and there's nothing anyone can do to change it."

Kodaka slammed his hands on Shinohara's desk. He twinged at the hard contact against damaged hands, but he didn't show any weakness. "Stop lying! You did this! I know you did!"

Shinohara turned back to face Kodaka. "You're clearly in a worse condition than I thought. When you stopped attending school, your teachers told me that you might be suffering from psychological issues brought on by depression, but to think it would develop to the point where you would start forming non-existent conspiracy theories in your head."

"What?"

"You leave me no choice. I'm going to contact the hospital and ask that you be held for observation. You're clearly a danger to yourself and others. I noticed the signs starting to form when I visited you this past Sunday. I was concerned about my nephew's ordeal and yet you seemed so distant. When I asked you about the fire, you froze me out. It's only now that I realize that you did so because you thought I was the one who started it."

"...! You're joking. That's not what's going on at all!"

"I have witnesses for your declining mental faculties as well. The lobby receptionist, as well as one of my security guards, and God knows who else witnessed your little outburst downstairs."

Kodaka shook his head in disbelief. "I was right. The fire wasn't an accident. You killed all those people. You tried to kill me and Yamaguchi-san. Now you're trying to get me out of the way by saying that I'm crazy."

Shinohara sighed in exhaustion. "Oh Kodaka, my poor, useless nephew. You just haven't been right since your parents died, have you? But what can I say? I've done my best to take care of you. I don't see any other options besides making sure you get professional help."

"You…you bastard! You're not going to get away with this! I am going to expose you if it's the last thing I do!"

Shinohara scoffed. "You are so delusional that it's just sad. I don't know what's more pathetic, the fact that you think I had a hand in these tragedies, or the fact that you think anyone will believe a disowned teenager with documented mental health problems." He glared at Kodaka. "Because I assure you, very soon that's all you will be. Don't bite the hand that feeds you, you ungrateful brat."

Kodaka was furious. His face turned completely red and his head began to throb. He could feel a white hot heat beneath his skin. He growled in anger as he stared daggers at his uncle. 'He did it! He really did it! And what's worse is that he thinks he can get away with it! I have to make him pay! I have to make him pay! I'll kill him! I'll kill him!" Kodaka stood up from his chair and breathed heavily. It was taking all his strength to stop himself from jumping over the desk and strangling his uncle with the same hands that he had a role in burning.

Shinohara sensed his nephew's intentions, but he didn't seem the least bit frightened. "Go ahead. If you try anything that will just bolster my claims against you. We both know you don't have the stomach to kill me, but if worse comes to worse, I can always claim self-defense. There's no version of this story that turns out good for you." Shinohara stood up from his desk and turned to face his office window, while he had his hands behind his back. "Regardless of what you may think of me, Kodaka, I am not a monster. Everything I've done, everything I'm doing, and everything I will do is for the sake of our country's future. The Shinohara Skyrailway is my gift to Japan. My legacy." He looked upon the train line of his Skyrailway with pride.

"What does your stupid train have to do with anything?!" Kodaka shouted.

Shinohara scoffed. "You really don't know anything, do you?" Then he turned back to face Kodaka. "Now then, are you going to leave peacefully, or am I going to have to get security to throw you out?"

Kodaka was still angry, but he knew there wasn't a single thing he could do. Not yet, at least. "Dammit!" he exclaimed. "This isn't over." Then he left the office without another word.

Shinohara scoffed again. "Stupid boy."

Friday, 4/8 20XX, Daytime

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Prepare to Reenter the Palace.

After leaving Shinohara Development's corporate headquarters, Kodaka walked around Ogikubo aimlessly for a few hours before returning to the beginning of his whole situation, the smoldering debris of his old apartment building. There was still crime scene tape around the perimeter of the building, but no one was guarding it anymore. In fact, there wasn't a single soul anywhere to be found on that street. It was as if the world was moving on without it.

"..." Kodaka gripped the crime scene tape tightly in his hands, until he couldn't take the pain anymore and pulled away. "I was so mad at myself for letting you guys die that I couldn't see the fact that my uncle was the one who killed you. I want to expose the truth, but he holds all the cards here. He's cut me off completely. Even if I go back to the hospital, I'll probably just be put under a psych hold and held prisoner. I've got nowhere left to go, and no one left to turn to. I'm sorry, but it looks like I might not be able to avenge you after all." Kodaka looked to his right and saw the debris of the building that Shinohara Development was operating out of. The source of the fire. Kodaka growled and glared at the debris. "If I just had the power, I'd make him pay. Yasuhiro Shinohara is a monster. How can I get the world to see that?"

"Candidate found."

"Huh?!" Kodaka looked around, thinking that the person who had just spoken was nearby. But no one was there. "Who was that?" Then Kodaka noticed a vibration coming from his pocket. He pulled out his phone and saw that a strange app had installed itself on his phone without his knowledge. "When did this app get on here?" Kodaka opened the app and saw a map of Tokyo and an indicator for three keywords at the top of the screen. It kind of looked like a navigation app. This was of course the Metaverse Navigator, only Kodaka didn't know that yet. Kodaka saw that the first keyword was "Yasuhiro Shinohara". He was missing two more keywords. "What the heck is this?"

Friday, 4/8 20XX, After School

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Prepare to Reenter the Palace.

It was another uneventful school day for Seiko. When the afternoon bell rang, Seiko immediately got ready to go. Clover poked her head out of Seiko's bag and whispered to her, "The day's not over yet. It's time to head back into the Palace."

"Yep. Let's take Shinohara down," Seiko whispered in reply. Then Seiko left school and headed straight back to Ogikubo.

Friday, 4/8 20XX, After School

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Prepare to Reenter the Palace.

It had been a few hours since Kodaka discovered the Metaverse Navigator on his phone. He didn't know exactly what to make of it at first, but being the computer and tech savvy guy that he was, he kept experimenting with it to see how it worked. He discovered all of the app's functions, but he still had no idea how it actually worked. It appeared to be a standard navigation app, but there was no way to search for destinations. There were only blanks that you could fill with keywords. He also tried to look at the app's metadata, but when he found a way to examine it, he quickly gave up. The code that it was written in appeared to be something otherworldly. He had never seen any language like it. In fact it reminded him of runes or something of the sort that you might see in a fantasy RPG.

Eventually, Kodaka realized that the only way he could see what the app could do is if he gave it three keywords. He had already determined one keyword. "Yasuhiro Shinohara". His uncle's name. But what were the other two keywords?

Kodaka stroked his chin as he stared at his phone's screen. "If this really is a navigation app, then giving the app all three keywords should pull up a destination. The keywords probably act like a search engine." Then he recalled seeing a similar setup very recently. "Wait. Come to think of it, doesn't Alibaba's browser work the same way?" Kodaka recalled that Alibaba's Cave of Wonders had a similar search engine. You provided three keywords and then Alibaba would give you whatever information you required. "Did Alibaba make this? I thought they were icing me out. How did they get a hold of my phone though?"

Kodaka sighed and continued walking, until he reached Ogikubo Station. "..." Kodaka stared at the station and all the people going to and coming from it. Then he looked up and saw some of the train lines for the Shinohara Skyrailway. "I wonder how many people are actually looking forward to that Skyrailway? Would they still feel the same way if they knew what kind of monster my uncle was?" Kodaka sighed. "Who am I kidding? No one would care. Dozens of people died just one week ago and the world's already moved on without them." He looked at the station again. "I have to go back to the hospital eventually to get my stuff, but I can't stay there anymore with my uncle threatening to commit me. Where am I going to go?" he asked himself. "I'm here at the station anyway, should I just leave Ogikubo and hide somewhere for now?"

"Location found."

"Huh?!" Kodaka exclaimed. He recognized that voice. He looked down at his phone and saw that another blank in the search engine had been filled. The second keyword was "Ogikubo Station". "My uncle's name and Ogikubo Station. What's the connection?" Kodaka thought about it for a few moments and then it came to him. "...!" He looked back up at the Skyrailway's train line. "The Skyrailway is using the tracks for one of Ogikubo Station's train lines, and there's also been talk about the station closing depending on how well the Skyrailway does. So these two keywords hint at a location for the navigation app, but then what's the third keyword?" Kodaka looked all around him. "Something here at the station?"

Then a gust of wind blew through the area, carrying some trash along with it. One of the things that were blown by the wind was a poster that was advertising the Skyrailway. It landed on the ground right in front of Kodaka and he read over the poster. "Shinohara Skyrailway coming soon. Stephenson used their Iron Horse to tame the Wild West, and Shinohara shall use ours to step into the future."

"Distortion found. Input accepted. Beginning navigation."

"What?!" Kodaka looked down at his phone's screen again and saw that the third keyword had been inputted. "Iron Horse". Then the app's eye icon began to flash and red and black swirls filled the air. "Huh?! What's going on?!" Then the world around Kodaka began to fade.

Friday, 4/8 20XX, After School

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Prepare to Reenter the Palace.

Kodaka opened his eyes a few moments later, and he found himself in Shinohara's Palace. He looked all around him and took in the sights. "What is this place? It looks like Ogikubo, but at the same time…" Then he saw the large steam locomotive and the garish train station housing it in the distance. "...! What the hell?!" Kodaka looked down at his phone. "Where did this app take me?!"

"Hey!" someone shouted. Kodaka looked up to see a beefy-looking security guard dressed in Western clothes. He was running towards him. "What the hell are you doing out here?! The Boss told you to get to work! You're supposed to be on the Mirai Express!"

"Mirai Express?" Kodaka repeated in confusion.

The security guard grabbed Kodaka by the arm and dragged him off. "You're out of uniform too! The Boss is going to hear about this for sure!"

"Hey! Where are you taking me?! Let go!" Kodaka tried to break free of the security guard's grasp, but it proved to be useless. The security guard dragged him off towards the train station.

Friday, 4/8 20XX, After School

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Prepare to Reenter the Palace.

After taking the train back to Ogikubo, Seiko and Clover had reached their destination, the front of Ogikubo Station. It was time to reenter the Palace and look for the Treasure. "Okay, you're still new to this, so follow my lead. Shinohara is already wary of us, so we're going to try and stick to the shadows as much as possible. Let's avoid getting seen and find a way to board that train," said Clover.

"Got it. I'm ready when you are, Teach," Seiko replied.

"Good. Then fire up the Metaverse Navigator and let's head in."

"..." Seiko nodded and pulled out her phone. Then she launched the Metaverse Navigator and selected Shinohara's Palace from the Bookmarks tab.

"Beginning navigation." The app's eye icon began to flash and red and black swirls filled the air. Then the world around Seiko and Clover began to fade.

Friday, 4/8 20XX, After School

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart.

A few moments later, Seiko and Clover found themselves back in Shinohara's Palace. Seiko was now in her Phantom Thief costume and Clover had reverted to her anthropomorphic form. They saw the familiar train station and steam locomotive in the distance. "Let's head out. We've got a lot of ground to cover before we reach the Treasure."

"Lead the way, Teach," Seiko replied. Then the two Phantom Thieves ran off towards the train station.

Friday, 4/8 20XX, After School

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart.

When they arrived at the train station, Seiko and Clover were greeted with the sight of the station lobby being packed with eager train passengers. Seiko and Clover were hugging the outside walls of the station and observing the security presence. Clover was sitting on top of Seiko's right shoulder while they peeked into the lobby.

"I was afraid of this. Security's gotten tighter since our last time here. There's a bunch of guards patrolling the lobby, and they have a few checking the rafters as well. We're not going to be able to sneak around like I've done so far," said Clover.

"So what do we do?" Seiko asked.

"We're going to have to take the direct approach. We use the crowd as cover and sneak up to the platform that way. The problem is actually getting onto the train though." Clover pointed up to the platform and drew Seiko's attention to what appeared to be some kind of speed gate at the edge of the platform. It was flashing and making noises. "You see that machine? From what I've been able to observe so far in my time in this Palace, they act the same way those speed gate things in the real world do when you're boarding a train. You need a pass, or in this case a ticket to board the train."

"Okay then, why don't we just avoid the speed gate and try to jump onto the train from the platform?"

Clover shook her head. "That won't work. I've already tried it. There's some kind of secondary sensor on the train itself that prevents passengers from boarding via any other means besides the speed gate. If we avoid the speed gate, the train will automatically depart from the station. It's a pretty high-tech security measure despite the overall aesthetic of this Palace."

"But the last time we were here, Shinohara escaped by jumping onto the train. How come it didn't stop him?"

"Shinohara is the Palace Ruler. Security measures for a Palace don't apply to the Ruler. They can come and go as they please. As for us, the only way we're getting onto that train is if we go through that speed gate with our own tickets."

"And how do you suppose we do that? We're intruders. We can't just walk up to the ticket counter and ask for tickets to board."

Clover shook her head. "No, of course not. I propose we do what thieves do best." Clover smirked. "We'll steal some tickets."

"Steal tickets? How?"

"It's time for Phantom Thief Lesson No. 1 - The Art of Pickpocketing. We sneak through the crowd, avoiding the guards. Get past the ticket booths. Then we steal tickets off some unsuspecting passengers and use them to go through the speed gate, and voila, we're on the train."

"That sounds really risky. What if someone in the crowd points us out to the guards?"

"Not to worry. All these passengers are Cognitive Beings not Shadows."

"There's a difference?"

"Of course. As you already know, Shadows patrol a Palace as the Ruler's own private security guards. If the Shadows catch us, they'll make infiltrating a heck of a lot harder. On the other hand, Cognitive Beings are no threat to us at all. They're basically illusions of people and things that exist only within a Palace. To the Ruler, the Palace is reality, and Cognitive Beings are just a part of that reality."

"Oh. They're kind of like NPCs in a video game, right?"

"Umm…sure. I don't know what NPCs are, but if that helps you understand better, then good," Clover replied in confusion. "Anyway, the Cognitive Beings only do what the Ruler wishes them to do. In this case, they act as Shinohara's passengers and behave in the manner he thinks they should act. They're not designed to do anything else. They're not even designed to think about anything else."

"So I guess that's why that passenger I talked to the last time I came here was such a bitch. That's how Shinohara designed her to act."

"Exactly. Which is why they won't find it strange if we use them as cover."

"Okay, I'm a little more onboard with the plan now. I still have no idea how to pickpocket though."

"You're a Phantom Thief now. That means you have all the skills and abilities that a Phantom Thief can make use of. You've already seen this first hand when you awakened, remember?"

"Oh, yeah. It felt like my brain was on auto-pilot while I was fighting. So you're saying that's because I'm a Phantom Thief?"

"Yep. Sneaking around, jumping long distances, incredible balance, unrivaled fighting abilities, and lots of excellent thief skills. You will be capable of all these things and more. Pickpocketing should come as no problem. Let's head inside towards the platform and I'll show you how."

"Okay. I'm ready."

Friday, 4/8 20XX, After School

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart.

Seiko and Clover snuck through the station lobby, using the crowd as cover. It was actually pretty easy to do, considering how packed the station was. The only people who were even on the lookout for intruders were the guards, true to Clover's words. Finally, they snuck past the ticket booths and made it to the tall platform. "Okay, now's the time. Follow my lead," Clover whispered. She snuck up behind a passenger with a ticket and then hopped up and quickly fished the ticket out of their pocket. "See? Quick and easy. There's nothing to it. Now you try."

"..." Seiko nodded and then snuck up behind another passenger. In one fluid motion, she stood up, reached into the passenger's pocket, and pulled out their train ticket. The whole process took a second, if that. "Wow! That was so easy," Seiko replied. A wicked smirk crept over her face. "Hey, Teach? Can I do this in the real world too?"

Clover flashed a prideful smile. "Oh, my darling protégé. Your thieving desire makes me so proud. I encourage you to try it out and see for yourself, but for now let's stay focused. Shinohara's Treasure is our main priority. Now that we have our tickets, let's hop aboard the train." Seiko and Clover crept towards the front of the line, and then they used their tickets on the speed gate and gained access to the train.

Friday, 4/8 20XX, After School

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart.

When Seiko and Clover got onto the train they immediately searched for cover. They found a narrow corner in the entrance car and tucked away into it, so they could observe their surroundings. There were two paths to take from the entrance car. One was to the back of the train and was labeled: Luggage/Storage. The other path led to the front of the train and was labeled: Coach Passenger Cabins. "Looks like we've got two choices on how to proceed, but one of them looks riskier than the other," said Clover. The Coach Passenger Cabins car was being guarded by a beefy-looking security guard. This one was not hiding its Shadow appearance either, as it showed off its oozing black skin and mask. "The Shadows aren't bothering to hide their appearance anymore. We must be getting close to the Treasure. We were right. It's definitely on board."

"From the way he's guarding the next car, it must be towards the front of the train," said Seiko.

"An excellent observation. I can sense that this Shadow is tougher than the ones we've fought so far too. A direct approach would be ill advised," Clover replied. "Looks like we're going to have to take another path to get to the front of the train." Clover turned her attention to the unguarded door to the Luggage/Storage car.

"You want to go backwards to go forwards? How would we even do that?"

"We'll just have to find a way. It doesn't look like there's any other guards here, so let's go." Clover ran over to the door and tried to open it. "Locked, huh?"

Seiko ran over towards her. "So what now? Lockpicking lesson?"

Clover shook her head. "This lock isn't worth the effort, especially not when there's another way inside, right next to us." Clover motioned towards a large air vent on the floor.

"You want to go through the vents?"

"Phantom Thief Lesson No. 2 - Vent and Crevice Navigation. Small spaces like air vents are a staple thief passageway. They lead everywhere, and are a great way to get around in a Palace."

"Am I even going to be able to fit in there?"

"They're bigger on the inside. Just follow me." Clover removed the vent cover and then squeezed herself inside. It was quite a feat considering the massive size of her head.

Seiko sighed. "Well, you haven't been wrong yet." Seiko crouched down and then squeezed herself through the vent. To her surprise, she managed to get in quite easily.

"Excellent. Now let's head to the back train car." Clover crawled through the vent and headed towards another vent located in the Luggage/Storage car. Seiko followed after her. Then when they found the connecting air vent, the two Phantom Thieves emerged in the Luggage/Storage car.

Friday, 4/8 20XX, After School

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart.

The vent led out to a large luggage rack that encircled the top of the train car. The car appeared to be separated into two areas. One area held passenger luggage and the other area held supplies for the train. The car was very messy too, as luggage and supplies were stacked haphazardly high to the ceiling. The Phantom Thieves' view was obstructed by the large towers. "Wait. Stop. Do you hear that?" Clover asked in a whisper.

"..." Seiko stopped moving and focused on her surroundings. Then she heard what made Clover hesitate. Voices. They weren't the only ones in this car. "Someone's here. What do we do?"

"Let's tread quietly and observe. Phantom Thief Lesson No. 3 - When in Doubt, Eavesdrop. Guards have loose lips and tend to spill valuable information when they think they're alone. Find a good spot to listen in. Who knows? They might even let slip the Treasure's location," said Clover. Then she and Seiko crept through the maze-like luggage rack and made their way towards the location where the voices were coming from.

Eventually, they reached an opening, through which they saw the center of the car, which was a large circular clearing that was void of luggage and supplies. There they saw two Shadows talking to a young man with black hair. Seiko and Clover didn't know, but this young man was Kodaka.

After being dragged off by the Shadows when he entered the Palace, Kodaka was taken to the Mirai Express to start working. "What's the hold up?! Put on your uniform and get to work!" one of the Shadows shouted at Kodaka. The Shadow held up a raggedy red shirt and a pair of blue overalls that were stained black.

"Wh-What am I supposed to do?" Kodaka replied.

"What are you supposed to…?" The Shadow looked perplexed. "You're on sorting duty today, shit-for-brains! The passengers' luggage is completely out of order! It's your job to clean up around here and organize the place!"

"...!" Kodaka's eyes widened as he looked around the whole train car. "All of this?! You've got to be kidding?!"

"This is no joke! Get to work! The Boss already knows that you were shirking your duties! Don't make us tell him that you were insubordinate too!" the Shadow replied.

"Look. Like I keep telling you, I have no idea what's going on here. One minute I was messing with this weird navigation app on my phone and the next thing I know I'm here. I don't know who you think I am, but I'm not one of your employees," Kodaka replied.

"Navigation app?" Seiko repeated the words. "...!" Her eyes widened and she stared at Kodaka. "Teach, he's like me," she whispered to Clover. "The Metaverse Navigator must have appeared on his phone and he got dragged here by accident."

"All on his own too. Talk about rotten luck," Clover replied in a whisper.

"We have to help him. He has no idea what he's gotten himself into."

"Hold on. Let's observe a little bit more. We still have our own mission, remember? If it looks like things are getting bad, we can jump in and help."

Seiko grunted, but she agreed with Clover. "Okay."

One of the Shadows grabbed ahold of Kodaka's shirt jacket collar and pulled him closer. "Listen, you! Either you work or we're going to make you suffer in ways you can't even possibly imagine! Just because you're related to the Boss, doesn't mean you get special treatment!"

"H-Huh? Related to the Boss?" Kodaka repeated in confusion.

"Related to the Boss?" Seiko repeated in confusion.

Suddenly, the locked train car door opened, and two figures walked into the room. "Now this is interesting," said a familiar voice. "When I heard that my useless nephew was shirking his work outside of the station, I got mighty curious. Especially, considering the fact that my useless nephew has been by my side the whole day." One of the figures stepped into the light and revealed himself to be Yasuhiro Shinohara, or more accurately Shadow Shinohara. He chuckled boisterously, while waving his cigar around.

"...!" Kodaka's eyes widened. "U-Uncle?"

"...!" Seiko and Clover's eyes widened and they shared a confused look.

"Come here, you!" Shadow Shinohara glared at the figure next to him, and then he dragged him into the light and pushed him down to the floor. The figure yelped in response and struggled to get up off the floor. The figure was a young man who was fairly scrawny and malnourished. He was wearing the same uniform that the Shadow guards were trying to force Kodaka to wear. The young man looked up and revealed himself to be another Kodaka. Of course this wasn't the real Kodaka. It was a cognitive version of Kodaka made by Shinohara.

"...!" Kodaka gasped at the sight of himself.

"...!" Cognitive Kodaka gasped as well.

Shadow Shinohara scoffed. "Great. Just great. One brat to babysit was bad enough, but now there's two. Why oh why did my sister have to curse me with such incompetence?"

"What the hell? What's going on here, Boss?" the Shadow guard gripping Kodaka asked. Then he let Kodaka go and he fell to the floor as well.

"What's going on here is that you morons let another intruder into my Palace. To make matters worse, the intruder is my own flesh and blood nephew. Honestly, how did you morons mistake him," Shadow Shinohara pointed at Kodaka, "for this waste of space?" Then he pointed at Cognitive Kodaka.

"Eeeeeek!" Cognitive Kodaka exclaimed as he flinched.

Shadow Shinohara scoffed again. "Though I guess I can't fault you that much. They both have that same pathetic-looking face." He looked at Kodaka. "Honestly, just the sight of you fills me with shame. Do you have any idea how embarrassing it is to be related to someone as useless as you? A misanthropic, depressing, good for nothing dropout. That's all you are, and that's all you'll ever be."

Kodaka grunted. "Enough, Uncle! Tell me what's going on here. What are these things? Why are you dressed like that? Why is there another me here?"

Shadow Shinohara took a drag off his cigar, and then he continued to speak. "Explaining this to you would just be a waste of breathing. How about instead you tell me if you're in league with those Phantom Thieves?"

"Phantom Thieves? You mean the group from a few years ago? What do they have to do with this?" Kodaka replied.

Shadow Shinohara sighed. "I guess that answers my question. It would seem that you aren't even worth using as bait." Suddenly, there was a large jerk, and the train car started to vibrate. "Perfect. We've started moving." He looked to his Shadow guards. "When we hit top speed, toss him off the train. The last thing I need is another useless nephew."

"What?!" Kodaka exclaimed in fear.

Seiko growled. "Dammit! That's it!" Then she prepared to jump.

"Seiko-chan! Don't!" Clover tried to stop Seiko, but it was too late. Seiko jumped down to the floor and landed between Kodaka and Shadow Shinohara.

"Like hell I'm going to let you do that, you bastard!" Seiko shouted. Then she grabbed her halo and brandished it threateningly.

Kodaka's eyes widened. "Wh-Who are you?"

"Right now, I'm your knight in shining armor. That's all you need to know," Seiko replied.

Shadow Shinohara smiled and started chuckling again. "Would you look at that? Seems like you are at least good enough to be bait, boy," he said to Kodaka. "I had a feeling you were slinking around here, darling. And low and behold, here you are. Now where's that little venison friend of yours?"

Clover jumped down to the floor as well. "So much for just eavesdropping."

"...! A talking rabbit?!" Kodaka exclaimed.

"I am not a rabbit!" Clover shouted. Then she sighed and brandished her wand. "We were here to steal your Treasure, but it looks like we're going to be taking the boy instead. Let him go and no one gets hurt, Shinohara."

"Oh? But I want someone to get hurt, namely you Phantom Thieves and that good for nothing nephew of mine. You made a fool out of me the last time you were here. It's payback time," said Shadow Shinohara.

Seiko pointed her halo at Shadow Shinohara. "That's my line!" Then she charged at Shadow Shinohara and prepared to cut him with her halo. Shadow Shinohara chuckled again, and then he picked up Cognitive Kodaka and used him as a human shield. "...!" Seiko stopped dead in her tracks, and then she jumped back.

"Typical. You're much too soft," Shadow Shinohara replied, and then he threw Cognitive Kodaka at Seiko. She caught him, and then she placed him behind her with the real Kodaka. "You do know that's not my real nephew, don't you, darling? Why in the devil are you protecting him?"

"The question is, why aren't you?! He's your family, isn't he?! Yet you talk about him like he's just some burden that was forced on you! You don't think his life is worth anything!" Seiko shouted.

"..." Kodaka looked down at Cognitive Kodaka. He really was the definition of pathetic. He was crouched down on the floor in a fetal position and whining pathetically. Kodaka glared at him.

"That's because it isn't, darling!" Shadow Shinohara exclaimed. "I never asked to be his guardian! He was simply forced on me when my stupid sister and her idiot husband bit the dust! He was a loser who didn't have a single friend in the world! He couldn't do anything for himself! Always whining! Always so pathetic! No one wanted him, so the responsibility fell to me! Even now he's worthless! A depressing dropout who's fine with doing nothing but leeching off of me! The perfect definition of a shitty NEET! He's absolutely useless! I swear, when that fire spread to the residential building, I was actually praying I would finally be rid of him!"

"...!" Kodaka's eyes widened, and then he stared at Shadow Shinohara in disbelief.

"You're a monster. How can you honestly say that about your own family?" Clover asked.

Shadow Shinohara chuckled again. "I'm a monster? Says the walking, talking rabbit."

"I'm not a rabbit!" Clover glared at Shadow Shinohara. "And anyone with so little regard for human life is a monster."

Shadow Shinohara scoffed again. "So what?."

"So what?" Kodaka repeated Shadow Shinohara's words.

"Hmm?" Shadow Shinohara stared at Kodaka.

"So what?" Kodaka repeated again. Then he stood up off the floor. "Is that what you said when you and your damn company set that fire? So what?"

"Fire?" Seiko muttered. "Wait. That fire in Ogikubo last week? Shinohara Development set it?"

"They did that and a whole lot more. Don't try to deny it, Uncle. Or whatever the hell you are. I know you did it. All I want to know is why. Why did those people have to die?!" Kodaka shouted.

"..." Shadow Shinohara glared at Kodaka. "You want the truth? Fine. My train. My beautiful train. That's all it comes down to. So many naysayers at my company kept blocking me ever since I brought the idea of the Shinohara Skyrailway to them. Shinohara Development is a development company. Development. It's in the name. It's only natural that we help develop things other than real estate. So with some backing from some private investors, I bought out one of the JR lines for Ogikubo and began to create my legacy. But even still, those same damn naysayers blocked me again. They accused me of cutting corners in construction and of overpromising the Skyrailway's capabilities. They even threatened to go public if I didn't shut my project down. My investors didn't like that and neither did I, so we thought up a plan to erase all the evidence that these naysayers had gathered with a nice cleansing fire. But it triggered sooner than expected, and spread faster than expected. No one was supposed to die, you see, but accidents happen. It's just the cost of doing business."

"...!" Seiko and Clover were shocked beyond words.

However, Kodaka was eerily quiet. After a few moments of silence, he began to speak again. "And Yamaguchi-san?"

"What did you expect? We got word of someone snooping around about the fire. You really should have chosen your allies more carefully. She went to the police with your theory that morning, and then that night, the poor thing was in a fatal accident. Or it should have been fatal at least. Thanks for bringing that to my attention by the way. We're going to have to make sure that she never wakes up. I debated about whether or not to kill you too, but you being here makes it all the more easy. If you die in my Palace, no one will ever be able to figure out what happened. The truth lies buried with the victims of this horrible tragedy, and my legacy is secured," Shadow Shinohara explained. "It's nothing personal. It's just business."

"..." Kodaka looked down at the floor. Then he started chuckling. "So that's it? That's why my friends died? That's why Yamaguchi-san's fiance died? That's why all those innocent people died? That's why Yamaguchi-san might die?" Then he raised his head up. Tears were streaming down his face, but he continued to chuckle. "All because some monstrous, selfish old man wanted to play with trains?! It's so stupid that it makes me want to laugh!"

Then Kodaka heard an intelligent, serious voice whisper in his ear. "How dare he! How dare he trample on the lives of the innocent! How dare he take your friends from you! How dare he make light of their deaths like this!"

"...!" Kodaka's eyes widened and he collapsed to the floor in pain. He held his head with his left hand, while he propped himself up with his right. A very sharp and intense pain reverberated through his head. He breathed heavily in an attempt to calm down, but he couldn't. More than pain, he felt rage. Pure, unadulterated rage.

The mysterious voice continued to speak to him. "I have heard your call. Your call of rage. You have been betrayed so bitterly by one close to you in blood. He has taken everything away from you, and made light of your suffering. He even promises to have you condemned or killed if you defy him. How much will this monster take from you and others before he is satisfied? It is time to take action, don't you agree?"

"..." Kodaka's eyes widened again. The pain began to subside, and then Kodaka stood up on his feet. He wiped away his tears and stared daggers at Shadow Shinohara."Yes. I'm sick of it. I'm sick of him. I want to make him pay for everything that he's done. I won't be satisfied until I've done that. I want to make him suffer! I want him to feel utter despair! I want to destroy everything that he cares about! And then, and only then shall I take his life!" A fiery blue aura began to surround Kodaka, and a dark blue bat-shaped mask appeared on his face.

"This is…!" Clover looked on at Kodaka with excitement.

"Just like what happened to me," Seiko muttered.

Shadow Shinohara started to become frightened, and he began to back away. "Sam Hill! Not another one!"

The owner of the mysterious voice chuckled in delight. "I couldn't agree more. People say revenge is evil and a hollow reward, but I whole-heartedly disagree. Revenge is the perfect ending to all injustice. It is the ultimate correction to the injustice the true evil has committed. Nothing is sweeter than revenge. Take this lesson from one who got his revenge against the people who wronged him in the end. It is time for us to sign the contract. I offer you the power to make your revenge a reality. Make those who wronged you suffer unimaginable pain. I am thou, thou art I. I am the master of revenge, Count Dantes. Allow me to guide you on your quest for vengeance. Let us steal more than this monster's heart!"

The blue fire roared and Kodaka ripped his mask off his face. He shouted, "Persona!" as the fire consumed him. The blue blaze was so blinding and powerful, that everyone in the train car was forced to cover their eyes and brace themselves. A few moments later, the fire subsided and everyone uncovered their eyes.

The Kodaka Kouenji from before was gone, and all that remained in his place was a horrifying Phantom Thief. Kodaka was now wearing an old-fashioned, dark blue double-breasted coat with a neck ruffle and silver buttons. The coat was worn open and there were dark red blood stains covering it. Underneath the coat, he wore a black waistcoat that also had blood stains on it, a pair of black pants with matching blood stains, and a pair of black nobleman's boots with blood stains. Old, raggedy bandages covered his arms, his wrists had rusty old shackles attached to them, a silver pocket watch hung from his waistcoat, and a dark blue nobleman's hat was resting on top of his head. He was also carrying a fancy-looking dark blue cane in his left hand. Another figure stood behind him. He was a lanky demonic-looking nobleman. He had blood-red skin, haunting yellow eyes, and a devil's tail. He wore a dirty gold waistcoat, a matching pair of dirty gold pants, a pair of black nobleman's shoes, a wine-red cloak, and a matching wine-red hat. He also wore an iron mask that covered his head completely, except for his eyes, and he also had sharp blades on his arms and legs that looked like blades used in guillotines. Kodaka cackled in delight. "Make them pay, Count Dantes!"

"Eeeeeeep!" Shadow Shinohara squealed.

In response to his master's call, Count Dantes lunged at Shadow Shinohara and the Shadow guards and brandished his guillotine limbs. "Judge!" Kodaka shouted. Then Count Dantes slashed at one of the towers of luggage, making it topple onto one of the Shadow guards, destroying it instantly. Shadow Shinohara flinched in response. "Jury!" Count Dantes knocked down another of the luggage towers, destroying the other Shadow guard. "Executioner!" Count Dantes dove at Shadow Shinohara and cut his hat in two. Shadow Shinohara fell back to the floor in shock. He panicked and tried to back away, but he found his path blocked by the luggage that had fallen down.

"N-Now, Kodaka, let's be civilized about this," Shadow Shinohara pleaded. "You know I was just joking about all of that stuff, right?" He chuckled nervously. "All of that talk of arson and murder. It was a goof."

Count Dantes came back to Kodaka, and then he disappeared and Kodaka's mask reappeared. "..." Kodaka walked up to Shadow Shinohara, but Seiko grabbed his arm before he could get any closer.

"What are you going to do?" Seiko asked.

"What needs to be done," Kodaka replied. "Now back off." Then he shook her off of him and continued walking.

"K-Kodaka, please! I didn't mean any of it! We can work something out, right?!" Shadow Shinohara exclaimed in fear.

"..." Kodaka silently pulled the head off of his cane and revealed it to actually be a hidden sword. He pointed the tip of his sword at Shadow Shinohara. "Do you even know the names of the people you killed in that fire? Do you see their faces every time you close your eyes? Do their screams wake you up in the middle of the night? No, right? Well my answer for all three questions is 'yes'. I lived in that apartment for over three years. I might not have gone out that much, but I knew all my neighbors. Every single one of them was kind and good-natured. It was the same with my friends. Mikado and Kiyomi. We met each other online, but we met up IRL a lot. They became my friends. They helped me and were always there when I needed a shoulder to cry on. They were even trying to convince me to go back to school. But you didn't stop with killing them. You went after Yamaguchi-san, who just wanted answers because her fiance died in that fire too. Now you're trying to come after me because I know too much. All to cover up a scandal about your stupid Skyrailway and how it might kill even more people if it's not shut down. Everything you do hurts someone. You're a monster. You don't deserve to live."

"..." Shadow Shinohara couldn't respond.

"You should know before you do anything, that it won't achieve the results you want. Killing a person's Shadow doesn't automatically kill them. It triggers a Mental Shutdown," said Clover, trying to talk Kodaka down.

"A Mental Shutdown?" Seiko repeated. "Wait. I think I remember hearing about those during the original Phantom Thieve cases. It was a phenomenon where people just stopped functioning. It was almost like their brains were turned off."

Clover nodded. "That's right. They were actually caused by the death of those people's Shadows."

"More of your intuition?" Seiko replied.

"Yep, but it doesn't mean it's not true." Clover turned back to face Kodaka. "A Shadow manifests this way when a person's desire is out of control. Stealing a Treasure will only erase the twisted desires, but killing the Shadow erases every desire. Desires are what we need in order to survive. The will to sleep, eat, fall in love - those sorts of things. If all of those desires are erased, a Mental Shutdown will occur. Your uncle will be reduced to nothing more than a vegetable, and not the good kind. He'll die if he's not taken care of, but still…"

"It doesn't matter then. Whether it's delayed or not, he'll still die. That's the most fitting punishment for him," Kodaka replied.

"Is it though?" Seiko asked.

"...?" Kodaka was confused.

"What is killing him going to accomplish exactly? If you kill him now, then that's it. Nobody except for us will ever know what he did. People will mourn him, and things will continue on without him. These nameless investors will get away with their crimes, and his precious Skyrailway will probably still open. Nothing will change," said Seiko.

Kodaka grunted. Then he looked back at Seiko, while keeping his sword on Shadow Shinohara. "Then what do you expect me to do? I can't let him get away with it."

"I'm not saying to do that. I'm just saying that you should spare his life. There's a better way," Seiko replied. "You remember the Phantom Thieves of Hearts? Well long story short, you and I, we're like them now. We can do the same thing to him that they did to so many other bastards like him. Let's change his heart."

"C-Change his heart?" Kodaka replied. "Can we do that?"

"Yes, we can. That's actually what we were here to do before we ran into you," Clover replied. "This place we're in is called a Palace, it's a manifestation of a wicked person's twisted desires. In this case, your uncle's desires. If we destroy the Palace, that will change his heart and he will feel so guilty about everything that he's done that he will confess his crimes with his own mouth. To do this, we need to find the core of the Palace, his Treasure, and steal it. If we do this, then no one else has to die."

"..." Kodaka went silent. He turned back to face Shadow Shinohara. "Is what they're saying true? About these Palace things and your Treasure?"

"Y-Yes, as far as I know," Shadow Shinohara replied, and he vigorously nodded his head.

Kodaka grunted and tightly clenched his cane sword. Then he sighed. "Fine." Then he sheathed his cane sword and backed away from Shadow Shinohara. Then he walked over to Seiko and Clover. "Let's hope I don't regret this."

Shadow Shinohara's expression changed completely when he realized he wasn't in trouble anymore. He stood back up off the floor, and then he chuckled boisterously. "I should have known that you wouldn't have the stomach to finish me…" Shadow Shinohara's rant was cut off by Seiko's halo nearly chopping off his head. It landed in one of the luggage towers behind him, and he immediately started sweating.

Seiko summoned her halo back, and then she brandished it threateningly. "Leave now. Before we change our minds."

"Eeeeeeeep!" Shadow Shinohara squealed. Then he turned around and jumped over the fallen luggage, and then he ran out of the train car as fast as he could.

When the Phantom Thieves were alone, Seiko sighed in exasperation. "Well so much for finding the Treasure today. Now that Shinohara knows we're here, our element of surprise is gone."

"I agree. Continuing on in our current state would be problematic. We should regroup and come back another day," Clover replied.

Kodaka glared at the other two Phantom Thieves. "Are you kidding me? I didn't kill him because you convinced me that your way was the smarter move, and now you just want to leave?"

"Without the element of surprise, sneaking around would be a fool's errand. The best way to pull off a heist is to play smarter not harder. Besides, now that we have a new member, we need to have a proper meeting to make sure we're all on the same page. We'll answer all your questions, and you answer ours. Deal?" Clover replied.

Kodaka sighed. "Deal. I still say we should continue though."

"Trust me. Awakening as a Phantom Thief is going to hit you hard real soon. The smart play is to retreat and rest up," said Seiko.

"What do you…?" Then Kodaka grunted in pain and nearly lost his balance. Seiko and Clover reached out to catch him, but Kodaka managed to stop himself from falling. "I'm fine." Kodaka started breathing heavily. "I just felt really light-headed all of a sudden."

"That's what I was talking about. Though it hit you a lot faster than it did me," Seiko replied.

"Being that angry would tire anyone out," Clover replied.

Seiko snickered. "That's cute. You tuckered yourself out like a toddler after throwing a temper tantrum."

Kodaka slightly blushed. "Sh-Shut up."

Seiko continued to snicker. "Okay tough guy. I won't tease you anymore." Then she turned to Clover. "So how do we get home, Teach? The train left the station a while ago."

Clover sniffed at the air, and then she smirked. "No need to worry. We'll be able to leave and come back very easily. Follow me."

"Wait. What about him?" Kodaka replied. Seiko and Clover looked to where Kodaka was looking, and they saw the still frightened and shaking Cognitive Kodaka. "We can't just leave him here."

Clover frowned and folded her arms. "Unfortunately, there's nothing we can do about him. He's a Cognitive Being, he's not real. He can't leave the Palace, and he'll be destroyed once we erase the Palace."

"He's not real?" Kodaka repeated in confusion.

"He's how your uncle sees you basically," Seiko replied. "To him you're nothing more than a slave who's too scared to fight back."

"I see. So that's all I am to him, huh?" Kodaka muttered to himself.

Seiko noticed a sadness in his eyes. She placed her hand on his shoulder. "Hey. Your uncle is wrong about you. You are not useless. You can fight back. Remember, you scared the crap out of him."

Kodaka lightly smirked. "Thank you for saying that."

"Okay. Let's get out of here before Shinohara works up the nerve to send in more guards. Follow me to the Safe Room," said Clover. Then she hopped over to the back corner of the train car.

Seiko and Kodaka looked at each other in confusion. "Safe Room?" muttered the two Phantom Thieves.

Friday, 4/8 20XX, After School

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart.

Clover led Seiko and Kodaka to a small room in the back of the train car. "In here," said Clover. Clover hopped up and opened the door, and then she motioned for her teammates to go inside. The room appeared to be a sleeping room for employees on the train, although the conditions seemed terrible. However, the strangest thing about the room was the fact that it seemed to glitch out as soon as they entered it. The room briefly disappeared and showed the outside of Ogikubo Station.

"What the hell?!" Seiko exclaimed at the sight of the glitch.

"What is this place?" Kodaka asked.

"This is an area where a Palace's distortion is slightly weaker. All Palaces have these places. I call them Safe Rooms. Here we're completely safe. Shadow guards don't patrol these areas, and the Palace Rulers can't monitor them. And because the distortion is weak here, we can use the Safe Room to go home," Clover explained.

"Seriously?" Seiko replied.

"Only one way to find out," Clover replied. "Fire up the Metaverse Navigator, Seiko-chan."

"Right." Seiko pulled out her phone and accessed the Metaverse Navigator.

"...! That app again. You have it too?" Kodaka replied.

"We can talk later. For now, let's get out of here." Seiko pressed the return button.

"Ending navigation. Returning to reality."

Friday, 4/8 20XX, After School

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart.

A few moments later, the group was back in the real world, and standing in front of Ogikubo Station. "...! What the…?! We're in front of the station?! What just happened?!" Kodaka exclaimed. Then he looked down and saw that he was wearing the same clothes as before. "My clothes are back to normal!" Then he looked over at Seiko. "Your clothes are normal too!" Then he looked down at Clover. "And you're just a rabbit!"

"I am not a rabbit!" Clover exclaimed.

"I can still understand you!" Kodaka exclaimed.

Seiko tried to calm down Kodaka. "Listen, I understand that you're a little freaked out. Believe me, I do, but just calm down. Everything's going to be alright."

"...!" Kodaka calmed down, and then he realized that he knew Seiko. "Wait. I know you. You're that girl I met last Sunday at the scene of the fire."

"...!" Seiko realized she knew Kodaka too. "Oh yeah. You're the guy with the burned hands. Oh, I'm sorry."

Kodaka lightly chuckled. "It's fine. That's probably how I'm going to be remembered now anyway." He looked down at his bandaged hands and sighed. Then he looked back up at Seiko. "So do you think you can explain to me what all just happened?"

"For sure," Seiko replied.

Then Kodaka's stomach growled. He blushed. "S-Sorry. I haven't eaten anything all day."

Seiko snickered. "It's fine. How about we move our conversation to a restaurant so you can get something to eat? I think there's a Big Bang Burger down the street."

Kodaka smiled. "Burgers are always good with me."

Friday, 4/8 20XX, After School

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart.

About half an hour later, Seiko and Kodaka were sitting down at an empty booth in the local Big Bang Burger. They were enjoying some fast food while discussing things. "Sorry again about making you pay for my food. I left my wallet and everything else back at the hospital," said Kodaka.

"It's fine. You can just get the next one," Seiko replied.

"You didn't get your teacher anything?" Clover asked, as she stared at Clover and Kodaka's food.

"You can have the lettuce from my burger. Now stay in the bag. Animals aren't allowed in here. We'll get kicked out if anyone finds you," Seiko replied. Then she handed Clover the lettuce wedge.

"Hmph," Clover replied with a pout. She still took the lettuce though.

"So you've been doing this for just a little longer than I have, huh?" Kodaka asked Seiko.

"Just a bit. Today was only my second time in a Palace. Teach here is the real expert," Seiko replied, motioning to Clover.

Clover chomped on the lettuce and spoke in between bites. "That's right. I've been a Phantom Thief for a few months now, but I haven't actually been able to do anything since I've been on my own." Clover smirked. "But now that I have you and Seiko-chan on my team, we're going to be able to take down those Palaces no problem."

"Palaces? As in plural?" Kodaka clarified.

Clover nodded. "There's at least four that I know of, including your uncle's. There's probably a lot more though, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. The Metaverse is vast and dangerous."

"And that app that took us there, any idea what it is?" Kodaka replied.

Clover shook her head. "Not really, no. All I know is that anyone with that app on their phone has the potential to become a Phantom Thief. Well that just goes for you guys. I can move in and out of the Metaverse as I please."

"..." Seiko went silent, and simply sipped on her soft drink. She knew about the app's true nature, but decided not to share.

"Well if it helps us go into the Metaverse, I guess it doesn't really matter where it comes from," Kodaka replied as he ate one of his fries. "Still though, this is all a lot to take in. The Phantom Thieves of Hearts did these same things? Now we're Phantom Thieves just like them?"

"It is a strange turn of events, but regardless of the facts, you two have become Phantom Thieves. Seiko-chan and I have already decided that we're going to steal Shinohara's Treasure and change his heart. I'm relieved to have help, but I would like to hear your thoughts on the matter. Less than an hour ago, you were ready to kill your uncle. But now that you've calmed down and gained a new perspective, I want to know. Are you okay with joining us in our plan instead?" Clover asked.

"..." Seiko stared at Kodaka, waiting for his answer.

Kodaka frowned. Then he sighed. "My uncle wasn't always like this. It was so long ago, but I vaguely remember it. He was so happy and fun to be around. I loved spending time with him. He would visit me and my parents a lot when I was little, and he would always bring me a model train set. He loved playing with them when he was my age. I remember my mom telling me that he actually wanted to be a railroad engineer when he got older, but my grandfather pressured him into taking over the family business. Soon after that, he changed. I barely saw him, and when I did, I didn't want to be around him. Then my parents died and he took me in." He looked down at the table and gathered his thoughts. "I've always known that there was something cold about him, but before this past week I would've never guessed that this is how far he would go. He killed people to cover up problems with this stupid Skyrailway he's building. He was willing to kill me too to cover it up."

"I don't think his Shadow would have any reason to lie either, so that means that the Skyrailway isn't safe. It's opening in less than a month, isn't it?" Seiko replied.

Kodaka nodded. "May 2nd. That's the grand opening. If what my uncle's Shadow said is true, then there could very well be problems with the Skyrailway as early as that day. There might even end up being a major train collapse."

"Why would your uncle be so insistent on opening the Skyrailway that early if the problems are that noteworthy? Why didn't he just bother to take the time and actually fix them instead of resorting to coverups and murder?" Seiko asked.

Kodaka sighed. "I really wish I knew. Knowing now just what kind of monster he is, I don't even want to think about the fact that we're related. What kind of person thinks that arson and murder is just business?"

"It might actually be more than that. Your uncle's Shadow said it himself. The Skyrailway is his legacy. I don't think it's money clouding your uncle's heart, I think it's ambition. He won't let anyone stand in the way of his desire to create it," Clover replied.

"If we steal his Treasure, will he really come to his senses and stop this madness?" Kodaka asked.

"I can't say for sure since I've never actually done it before, but I do know that this method worked when the other Phantom Thieves did it," Clover explained.

"And you know this because you have knowledge of everything related to the lore surrounding the Phantom Thieves? But other than that and your name, you have no idea who you are?" Kodaka replied.

"Correct," Clover replied.

"And you're sure you're not a rabbit?" Kodaka replied.

"Yes, I'm sure," Clover replied.

"..." Kodaka thought it over for a few moments, and then he sighed. "Oh well. That makes as much sense as anything else that happened today." Then he looked at Seiko. "What about you? Are you on board with all of this?"

"..." Seiko thought it over, and then she responded. "I already told Clover that this is probably a temporary thing with me. I'm going to help her steal Shinohara's Treasure, but for now, that's all. I don't think being a Phantom Thief is a good fit for me. How about you?"

Kodaka sighed. "To be honest, I don't know either. I want to stop my uncle and make him pay for all his crimes, but other than that? I'm not sure."

"Then why don't we just leave it at that for now?" Clover replied. "We'll work together to steal Shinohara's Treasure and change his heart, and after that's done, we'll figure out where to go from there."

Kodaka nodded. "Alright. Count me in."

"Sounds good to me," Seiko replied. Then she looked at Kodaka. "Just don't slow us down, newbie."

Kodaka scoffed. "You're underestimating me. I have a little more to bring to the table than just my new powers and an inside track on my uncle. Do you have LINE installed on your phone?"

"Yeah, I do, but I barely use it. Why?" Seiko asked.

"Give me your phone for a second," Kodaka replied. Seiko did as instructed and handed her phone to Kodaka. He messed around with it for a few minutes, and then he handed it back to Seiko. "Okay. I just installed a new app on your phone that's similar to LINE, but it's way more encrypted. Check it out."

"..." Seiko looked at her list of apps and then found an unfamiliar app called KWIRE. She opened it and saw that the UI was very similar to LINE but the layout and colors were very different. "What is this exactly?"

"My own version of LINE. I made it a while ago to talk with my friends," Kodaka replied.

"You made this?!" Seiko exclaimed in disbelief.

"Don't be so surprised. It's nothing special. I know some people who can make an encrypted messaging app in their sleep. Anyway, we can use this to communicate with each other effectively. I built in some unique security features too, so no one will ever be able to break in and read our texts," Kodaka explained.

"You're kind of paranoid, aren't you?" Clover replied.

"Considering the circumstances we're in, I think I'm less paranoid than I probably should be," Kodaka replied. Then he looked back at Seiko and continued to speak. "I made the UI like LINE's so it would be easy to follow, but there are some differences. Fool around with it when you get the chance, so you can get accustomed to it."

"So you can do things like this? I guess that means you're good with computers and coding?" Seiko replied.

"All that and more. I'm self-taught, but I've had a few great online mentors. I'm still a novice compared to them though, but I'm learning more every day," Kodaka replied.

"Interesting. It never hurts to have a tech-savvy thief on a crew. Welcome aboard, Kodaka-kun," Clover replied.

"Welcome," said Seiko.

"Thank you. Let's work together to take down my uncle," Kodaka replied. That day, Seiko forged another strong bond.

Sunday, 12/25 20XX, Nighttime

Almost nine months later, Seiko was being interrogated by Inspectors Kazutora Yagami and Naomi Nishitani.

"The Phantom Thieves' targets hurt and endangered dozens of people while they were still active," said Nishitani. "Considering the circumstances, it wouldn't be odd if you found your teammates out of that chaos. Was that the case?"

"..." Seiko was silent.

"Please, answer the question," said Nishitani.

Friday, 4/8 20XX, After School

Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart.

A bright, blue, fiery aura flashed through Seiko's mind. When the aura dissipated, a single Tarot card was left in its place. The card turned over and revealed itself to be the Chariot. A gentle, soothing voice echoed in Seiko's mind.

I am thou, thou art I…

Thou hast acquired a new vow.

It shall become the shining light

that guideth thee out of the depths of nihilism.

With the birth of the Chariot Persona,

I have obtained the winds of blessing that

shall lead to hope and new power.

Kodaka Kouenji Confidant Established.

Arcana: Chariot - Rank 1.

New Persona Gained - Cerberus.

Then the card and the voice vanished. "..." Seiko blinked a few times. 'Another new Confidant. That's a good sign, right?'

"I think we should take the weekend to rest and prepare for our next reentry," said Clover. "That will also give Kodaka-kun time to recover from his awakening. But we're going to need to hit the ground running on Monday."

"Why's that, Teach?" Seiko asked.

"According to Kodaka-kun, Shinohara's Skyrailway will be open to the public by May 2nd. There's a high possibility that there will be some mechanical difficulties. I find it hard to believe that he would go to such extreme lengths to cover up baseless allegations. If we don't complete our mission by then, we might be looking at severe casualties," Clover explained.

"I see your point. My uncle's probably the only one who can stop the grand opening, but he'll only do that if we change his heart and make him come to his senses," said Kodaka.

"It will take a little time for the change of heart to trigger. At the very least it needs about 24 hours," said Clover.

"Then that means we have a deadline. If the grand opening is May 2nd and the change of heart needs time to trigger, then we have to steal Shinohara's heart by May 1st." Seiko looked at the calendar on her phone. "Counting today, that's 23 days."

New Deadline: 5/1 20XX. 23 Days.

"But what about my uncle? Now that he knows that we're on to him, won't he try to stop us?" Kodaka replied.

Clover smirked. "You don't need to worry about that. A person's Shadow is treated as a separate entity within the Metaverse. There's a kind of disconnect that doesn't allow for the passing of certain information. The Shadow can see everything that their host can see, but the host cannot see what their Shadows see. Therefore, Shinohara is not aware of the fact that we've infiltrated his Palace. I highly doubt that he even knows that he has one. Only a select few people know about the existence of the Metaverse."

"I guess that makes sense. We went inside his Palace on Sunday, and haven't heard a peep from him. If he knows who we are, he sure is keeping quiet about it," Seiko replied.

"So my uncle doesn't know that I know the truth now?" Kodaka replied.

"No, but since you did appear in his Palace, he might subconsciously become even more wary of you," Clover replied. "It would probably be best to avoid him."

Kodaka sighed. "Well I was planning on doing that anyway, but I have no idea where I'm going to stay now. My uncle was footing my hospital bill, and if I go back there and try to stay, he's probably going to make good on his threat and have me committed." Kodaka took a sip of his drink, and then he continued to speak. "The most I can do is go back there, get my stuff, and then check out. I have no idea where I'm going to stay though. I have precious little pocket money."

"..." Seiko thought about it for a moment, and then she picked up her phone again. "Hold on one second. I'm going to make a call."

"Oh?" Kodaka replied.

Seiko dialed a number, and then she said, "I might know somewhere you can stay." Then the caller on the other line picked up. "Hello, Rose-san?"

Sunday, 12/25 20XX, Nighttime

Almost nine months later, Seiko was being interrogated by Inspectors Kazutora Yagami and Naomi Nishitani. After telling the inspectors about Kodaka, Seiko stopped talking and let them take in the new information.

"So Shinohara's nephew really did bring all of his uncle's crimes to your attention," said Yagami. "But to think he would be involved this much. This really is just like the previous Phantom Thieves' cases. You found a new co-conspirator in the victims of your targets, and a gifted computer prodigy at that. Can I take this to mean that he is also the one who is responsible for your little trick with the broadcasts earlier tonight?"

"..." Seiko looked down at the table.

"You're still not ready to talk about your team then?" Nishitani asked.

"..." Seiko shook her head.

"Well even without you saying it directly, it's pretty obvious that Kouenji-kun is a Phantom Thief too. We'll find out all of your identities eventually, even if we have to do so one case at a time. Now then, please continue. Tell us about how you actually changed Shinohara's heart," said Yagami.

"You need to understand that changing a heart isn't a simple process. The first step is infiltrating a target's Palace. The second step is finding their Treasure, and that's where things get difficult," Seiko replied.