[Afternoon, Shibuya Main Commercial Street, Family Diner]
Even though she was pretty sure the air-con was set too high, Sae couldn't help but feel the chill here. A chill that came purely out of nervousness. In a deep part of her mind, she couldn't help but be reminded of her high school days, when she was somewhat of a delinquent.
Sitting on the other end of the table with her arms crossed, the source of Sae's nervousness—Izumo Ise—chose not to say a word. She just stared at the older Niijima's eyes, letting the silence play out.
"Izumo-san… I…" With a large gulp swallowed down her throat, Sae was about to continue when Ise opened her lips.
"I've heard enough from Makoto-chan," Ise said, upholding the stare. "Of course, you can give your side of the story, but calling your sister a useless burden… I don't think there's any way to justify it, right?"
"I'm just… handling the Phantom Thief case is stressful enough…" Sae said, letting a deep scowl form on her face. It wasn't rage directed toward Makoto or Ise, or anyone at all. It was just the anger she directed inward. "With her asking me to deal with the mafia-"
"That still doesn't mean you can just call her that, Sae!"
"I… I just let it out, I regret it, okay?" She clutched her eyes shut, same with her hands against her black blazers. "I know how much my words have hurt Makoto, but I just… I can't take this anymore…"
"That's also why you chose to live in your office too?" Choosing to press on instead, Ise lowered her gaze. "Just leaving Makoto alone and hoping that some miracle would happen and fix everything?"
"What else can I do then? I… I wish we could talk things out, but we just can't," Sae said, opening her eyes and letting Ise see the frustration within. "But no matter what, we just keep having the same conversation."
"So locking yourself in your office at the station is the best solution?" Ise felt her gaze soften, just a bit. "Aside from Makoto, we both know it wouldn't end well for you."
"I am going home after she went for school-"
"After you pull an all-nighter after another, isn't it?" Cutting her off, the older Izumo buried her face in her palm. "It wouldn't end well for your psyche, Sae-chan. Remember that time I collapsed while teaching a lesson?"
"I do, you have to send Shinji over for a whole week…"
"I was having an all-nighter all week straight, just barely getting sleep," Ise looked directly at Sae. "I might be angry at you, but I don't want to see you end up like me back then. Abusing coffee wouldn't change much either."
"I know, it's just with the case being stuck for months, and with Makoto…"
"How about we let Makoto stay with me for a while?" Ise suggested, looking directly at Sae's widened gaze. "In that way, both of you can have some distance to cool things off, and you can go back home without having any awkward conversations."
With her eyes widened in surprise, Sae was taken aback by the suggestion. Of course, it made sense to just let in some space between her and Makoto, just some time without being frustrated or hurting each other. But to hear those words from Ise herself…
"I… I don't know," Sae shook her head, burying her face inside her palm. "But… What about your son? Isn't he and Makoto had a falling out or something?"
"They've made amends, so you don't have to worry on that front," Ise said. "I'll make sure those two won't do something too out of the line either."
Eyes widened, Sae opened her mouth but said nothing. She wanted to say something, just something, anything. To think that Makoto just chose to get back to him after he left and tore her heart into pieces, and just the possibility of affecting her studies… She had all right to be angry and voice out her disapproval.
However, all she could say was… just a question.
"Are… you sure about that, Ise-san?"
"Yeah, it's… different this time," Ise said, resting her chin against her palm. However, a small smile appeared. "Call it a teacher's intuition, or a mother's intuition. Shinji is more honest and open now, same for Mako-chan too."
"They are good for each other, I can see it."
Genuinely stunned by her words, all Sae could do here… was just a nod.
After all, she genuinely couldn't find anything good to say. As much as she wanted to, she couldn't relate to Makoto's situation right now. To have someone by her side, someone who loves her back… It would be lying to say that Sae wasn't feeling a tiny bit jealous of her, just at the deepest bottom of her heart.
"Well, I'll talk with Makoto-chan and Shin-chan about this later then," Bringing Sae back to the conversation at hand, Ise let out a sigh as she leaned a bit forward. "Now, I… I want to talk with you about… you, Sae-chan."
"Me?"
"Yep, you," Ise nodded. "You might think you hid it well with make-up and stuff, but I can see how tired you are right now."
"Besides, you can talk with me about… anything," She continued, rubbing the back of her neck. "I know it's probably gonna be like 75% classified, but having someone to talk to would help, don't you think?"
"...Maybe."
"Great! Then this meal is my treat then," With that said, Ise pressed on the buzzer on the wall next to the table. Calling for a waiter. "I guess it's been a long while since you've eaten with someone, right?"
[Meanwhile, Kaneshiro's palace, Laundering Office]
Considering the short time they had been fighting as a single group, the amount of cooperation they had was surprising. Without a word needed, they all split into groups and dealt with each shadow.
Swan and Panther narrowly dodged a loud slam to the ground. As a huge crater left at the point of impact, the Fuu-Ki slashed its glaive, sending a blast of wind.
Eyes widened, the duo fired their grappling hooks and dodged said barrage of wind, all three Personas materialized in unison.
"Carmen/La Pucelle! Let's dance!"
In an instant, a burst of flashes and flames emerged from the ground and assaulted the Fuu-Ki. Overwhelmed and staggered behind for a single step, the Fuu-Ki raised its glaive once again and threw it. Missing the duo entirely.
Sprinting around the shadow, Panther threw out her whip and wrapped around it's arm. Holding it back with all her strength.
Her sword whip drawn, Swan dashed toward the shadow. As the tip of her sword gazed at the ground, sparks of electricity appeared and crackled.
Leaping forward and avoiding another burst of wind from below, she fired her grappling hook and linked it to the shadow's chest. Her grip on the sword whip was changed into a reverse grip, just as the sparks on the blade intensified and turned into bolts of lightning.
Feeling the roaring wind around her as the grapple pulled her in, Swan impaled the shadow's chest with her sword whip. And the bolts of lightning immediately spread throughout the shadow's body, shocking it until it was quivering uncontrollably.
Not leaving room for any breath, Panther's whip ignited and engulfed itself in the bright red flame. And she pulled the shadow away, tossing it aside as Carmen manifested behind her. Seeing how Swan leaped away, Panther smiled as multiple balls of flame formed around her Persona.
"Agi!"
With a flick of her hand, those fireballs immediately flew toward the shadow with incredible speed. All of a sudden, all the Fuu-Ki could see was the bright crimson of flame, just before a burst of flame engulfed itself.
Meanwhile, not far away from Panther and Swan, King, Queen, and Mona hastily rolled away from another strike from its club. As they hastily steadied themselves, their eyes widened at the Sui-Ki before them.
"A effin' club, seriously?!" King exclaimed, noticing that Johanna had manifested itself. "Queen?"
"If it wasn't anything special, then it should be weak to my nuclear attacks as well," Queen said, twisting the bike's handle as Johanna's engine growled. "I'll create an opening."
"I don't think a rider kick alone would finish it either," Turning his gaze at the feline thief next to him, a small idea popped up inside King's head. "Hey, Mona. You're okay with being tossed?"
"I'm going to be tossed around either way, isn't it?"
"Well, it's better to ask first," With a shrug, King shared a small nod with Queen, not a single word was needed for them to understand each other. "Let's do this."
Not wasting another moment, Queen released the break on Johanna and speeded off toward the shadow. Just as King picked Mona up and readied himself, several spots on Johanna's rear wheel opened.
"Frei!"
Weaving between the slashes and strikes, a couple of bombs in cyan fired off from said spots. Sticking themselves on the Sui-Ki before blowing up, knocking it off of its balance. Barely standing with the support of its glaive.
Which was the opening King was looking for.
"Zan!"
With a blast of shockwave stemming from his feet, King dashed forward at a quick pace. His other foot started to vibrate violently, just before another shockwave propelled him high in the air.
"Ready?"
"Urgh… yeah!"
Without another word, King threw Mona into the shadow. As another blast of shockwave sent the not-cat thief toward the shadow, Zorro manifested behind him. Sending another blast of wind to accelerate Mona, which quickly straightened its right arm diagonally across his body.
"Morgana… Henshin!"
With a sudden surge of smoke around Mona and engulfed him, and the Mona-bus emerged instead. It hit the shadow's chest head-on, sending it flying toward the wall behind and crashing. The Mona-Bus landed safely and turned back into Mona through another puff of smoke.
Landing with a slight wobble of his legs, Mona almost jumped as Johanna came to a screeching halt beside him, just in time for King's landing.
"So… how the hell do you even do that, Mona?" King asked, as the settlement was shared with Queen.
"It wasn't relevant in places other than Mementos, so I haven't mentioned it at all."
"Wait wait wait, Mementos? What the hell is that-"
is that-"
Suddenly, before King could finish his exclaim of confusion, the sound of an explosion surprised the three in unison. They turned toward the source in unison, seeing the Kin-Ki's golden first embedded itself to the ground with a crater.
Leaping away from another strike of the golden giant, Majesty flipped gracefully through the air before landing into a half kneel. Both Skull and Fox landed beside her with a backward roll, annoyance clear even under their masks.
"It just has to be in' all strong against physical attacks, huh?" Skull said, laying his club on his shoulder.
"We can barrage it with our elemental attacks, but it doesn't seem to do much," Fox said, turning his gaze at Majesty next to him. "I guess you're wrong this time, Majesty."
"Well, I underestimated how much resistance it has against physical attacks," She said, just as she turned her gaze at the ring she was wearing. On closer inspection, there was a small circle that was divided into three sections. Only two out of the three sections were still illuminated in white.
With the help of Odani-dono's navigation ability, it was clear what those sections meant.
"Two more uses before needing to go back to the real world…" Murmuring to herself, Majesty merely readied her naginata once again. "I can think of a way to deal with this, but Skull, Fox, you two have to create an opening."
"So just like before?" Skull asked, lowering himself into a half-crouch. Just as Fox lowered his stance, slightly pulling his katana out of its sheath.
"Give it some jabs to distract it, I just need an opening."
"Loud and clear then," Fox said.
Without a second word, the duo immediately dashed toward the golden giant. With Fox in a much higher speed than Skull, a mere blur was all visible before a flurry of slashes appeared on the shadow. Staggered and with his balance broken, the Kin-Ki was about to retaliate when Skull's bat struck its arms.
And that was the opening Majesty needed.
She sprung to her feet and ran as quickly as she could, appearing right in front of the golden giant before it could react. Just as the ring's light intensified, Majesty placed her palm on its abdomen.
"Secret Technique: Shouboute!"
In an instant, the same white light covered the entirety of the shadow and dissipated in an instant. It wasn't obvious to the naked eye, but it was through hers.
"Now!"
Before her voice could even fade away, Fox and Skull had already leaped into the air. Goemon and Captain Kidd both materialized behind them.
"Vicious Strike!"
"Rampage!"
With a blinding flash, another flurry of slashes struck down the golden giant. Leaving marks after marks of said slashes, just before a barrage of cannonballs followed. And through the smoke, it staggered backward, away from them.
Blocking a burst of bullets with his glaive, the Oni was about to retaliate when a burst of psychic energy exploded on its face. Cutting through the smoke, it came face-to-face with Joker, as the Matador stood proudly behind him.
"We're just getting started," With a snap of his finger, an aura of green light emerged from the ground and covered him. Then in an instant, he disappeared in a blur and appeared right before the Oni.
Holding his signature smirk, the leader of The Phantoms raised his pistol and fired. Of course, it was nothing but a tickle for the shadow. However, it was enough.
"Jester, your turn!"
Without a second wasted, a grappling wire was shot and hooked to the ceiling. Revealing Jester as it pulled him, the scythe held tightly in his hand.
"Moriarty!" With the blue Persona emerging from the blue flame, a pulsing ball of dark flame formed in his left hand. "Eiha!"
Throwing the said ball toward the Oni, it exploded right on its face and staggered it. But not before the shadow quickly regained its balance, pulling back its glaive and thrust toward Jester.
However, Joker's own grappling hook wrapped around the glaive's handle, pulling it down as Jester landed on it. Jester raised his scythe to his side, just as the same flame of darkness emerged and covered its blade.
"Reaper's Edge!"
Hopping from the glaive's blade like a springboard, he slashed right in the middle of the shadow. Followed by another 'slash' with curse energy, the explosion blasted both the shadow and Jester away.
"Raven!"
With his boots skating through the ice trail created by Fou Roux, Raven followed with his sword cane drawn. Leaping and impaling the shadow's chest with said sword cane, another group of ice shards formed high above.
"Atomic Shard," Raven said, his voice as calm as ice.
In an instant, the ice shards rained down on the shadow and Raven. Of course, it didn't affect Raven too much, but not so much for the Oni below. With a big part of its body engulfed in ice, it struggled to move a single millimeter.
Pulling out the sword cane and switching into a forward grip, he hopped off the shadow's chest, sending a flurry of slashes.
Knocked down by the unrelenting attacks, the Oni rolled away from the trio. However, just as the trio was about to continue their assaults, another pool of dark goo emerged below its feet. And the same happened for the other shadows as well, forcing everyone to back away from them.
The dark goo quickly crept up from the ground and covered the shadows, melting their form and merging into one gigantic shadow. A dark giant holding a staff with moon-like blades at both ends, alongside a mask that resembled a wicked smile on his face.
However, the most prominent thing of all was the shadow's aura and its intensity. In an instant, the air around them felt at least ten times heavier than before, especially for Majesty.
"This isn't good…" Trying her best to focus on the shadow, all she could see was a static-filled reading of it. And the only information she could make out was its power level. "It's… at least three times stronger than us-"
Before she could even finish her words, the dark giant's staff had already appeared before her. Even with her quickened sense from Odani-dono, she could barely block the swing with her Naginata as it struck. Sending her flying backward and crashing to the wall at the other end of the room.
"Majesty!" Eyes widened, Jester immediately rushed toward the shadow. "Swan, take care of her!"
"Already on it!" True to her words, the armored thief was already sprinting toward their downed navigator. Fox also followed her lead and rushed to Majesty's side, supporting her as Swan cast healing spell after healing spell on her.
Meanwhile, back at the giant. Joker hastily dodged another swing from the shadow, firing a few shots with his pistol. "Mona, stay back and focus on analyzing the shadow!"
"I got wind element covered too, don't worry about it!" Jester added, Moriarty formed behind him. "Wind of Death!"
Knocked back by the burst of curse-imbedded wind, a green glow covered the shadow. Now rejuvenated, it switched its target toward Jester. Now grabbing the staff with both his hands, it immediately swung, only to be stopped by Panther's whip wrapping around its hand.
"Dance, Carmen!"
Crimson flame emerged and spread through the whip, engulfing the dark giant. And not even leaving a moment of pause for the shadow, Captain Kidd rammed right into the giant in full force.
"ZIO!"
Lightning immediately struck from above, shocking the shadow with all his power. However, even amidst the shock, it endured and raised its staff. With a firm strike, it knocked Captain Kidd away and as if it was nothing.
Feeling the pain of his Persona, Skull stumbled into a kneeling position. Gritting his teeth as he tried to hold on.
Meanwhile, the same green aura once again glowed around the shadow, as if any damage the thieves had done to it disappeared in a whim. Even though its face was hidden behind the mask, the menacing aura around it intensified.
"Mona, get Skull back in shape first!" Joker exclaimed, sending a couple of blasts of nuclear energy with Phenoix. Dodging another swing of the shadow's staff as he swapped his Persona. "Jack Forst! Freeze it!"
"Fou Roux! At Eternity's Gate!"
With Raven's assistance to put the dark giant into a fear state, Joker's ice attack succeeded in knocking down the shadow. The roar of Johanna's engine followed as Queen and King rushed in, with Napoleon right behind King.
"Vajra Blast!"
"Emperor's Rush!"
In the blink of an eye, the armor plate around Johanna's back wheel opened. Two cannons emerged and fired, hitting the downed shadow with all their might. Accompanied by a piercing strike from Napoleon, via a spear in his hand.
However, the shadow held the tip of the said spear, stopping it a mere millimeters before its torso. The same green glow engulfed the dark giant, and King could feel the power struggle. One that he was definitely on the losing side right now.
Noticing how it had raised the staff once again, he hastily recalled Napoleon and dodged. Barely avoiding the downward strike from the shadow.
"It just keeps getting back up, huh?" Hastily calming down his ragged breaths, he could sense the building energy from somewhere behind him. One that was distinctly curse energy, from two different sources.
"Arsene, Blade of the Phantom!"
With his dagger's blade filled and glowed in a fusion of black and red, Joker leaped and slashed. Surprised and stumbled by the force of the slash, the giant couldn't recover as another blast of curse energy exploded. One coming from Arsene itself.
However, through the smoke from the explosion, a different red glow was clear within. With the green glow restoring its stamina, the shadow could see the source of said glow. It was Jester's hand cannon, with its chamber engulfed with nothing but curse energy.
"Memento Mori!"
The red glow emerged from the barrel, increasing its glow for a split moment before it exploded. And the bullet flew and hit dead center on the shadow, just as Jester was knocked down by the immense recoil.
What followed was nothing but a gigantic explosion, one that Jester was certain that… it's way more powerful than the last time he used it. Grunting at the pain in his back as he collided with the ground, he looked at the sight before him. As the smoke dissipated, his eyes widened in shock.
The shadow was still standing, the same green glow engulfed and visibly healed it.
"Mona!" Narrowingly dodged a sudden jab of its staff, the frustration was clear on Joker's face. Even if it was partially covered by his mask. "Got any reading on the shadow?"
"Still trying!" Mona exclaimed in return, furrowing his brow in focus. "Majesty wasn't joking about its power level being 3 times above us, and… It's using Diaharan to heal itself each time we damage it!"
"So in other words, we had to kill it in one attack. And nothing else," Majesty said, struggling to stand up straight. With one arm around Fox's shoulder and another around Swan's, Odani-dono emerged behind her. "Eyes of Yahata: Sukukaja."
In an instant, an emerald-like glow emerged from the ground surrounding the thieves. And the feeling of weightlessness filled them. And they immediately hopped away from multiple strikes of the giant's staff, leaving nothing but craters on the ground.
"There's one good news though, it got no resistance to anything!" The feline thief added, readying his saber. "So we either finish it in one shot, or we're stuck in an unwinnable war of attrition!"
"One attack, huh…" King muttered, glancing over at Queen. No word was needed between them, nor a long time to guess the other person's thought.
"That might work," Queen nodded, as the two stood before the team and faced the giant.
"Mona," They said in unison, glancing over at the not-cat. "It's called a 'Showtime', right?"
"...It is," Mona nodded, his eyes widened in realization. "But… right now?!"
"That'd probably work," Panther said, worry still clear within her gaze. "But aren't you two just…"
Turning back, King and Queen just smiled.
"We'll be fine."
With their gaze returned to the dark giant before them, the turbine on their belts started to spin rapidly. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to everyone, the star in Joker's pocket glowed once again.
"It's SHOWTIME!"
The duo exclaimed in unison, leaping into the air as the world around the shadow darkened.
With the only lighting in the area being the dim light tubs above, it found itself in a dark tunnel. One end was blocked by a couple of construction vehicles, and the other end was nothing but an endless void. A void that extended into eternity.
However, even amidst the darkness, the blue and red glow of their belts shined. The sound of the turbines turning filled the entire tunnel.
"Ready?" Queen asked, confidence clear in her voice.
"Always."
The duo put on their henshin pose in unison, just as the same azure flame burst out from the belts' vents. And they immediately dashed forward, just as the shadow snapped out of its confusion and also dashed.
Weaving through a blind strike from the dark giant, Queen tightened her fist and punched right at its abdomen. Followed by a thrown baton from King that knocked it back, which bounced back into his hand.
Staggered and shocked by the amount of damage they did, the shadow tried to heal itself. However, the green glow of Diaharan wouldn't bless it this time.
"Sorry, you're stuck on the same level as us," King smirked, leaping and delivering a spinning roundhouse kick to the shadow's chin. Followed by another punch from Queen, right on its abdomen.
Knocked back and falling to its knee, the black giant tightened its grip on its staff and dashed. However, his swing was blocked by King halfway. And all it could do, was widen its gaze as the duo readied their fists.
"Steel Fist JUDGEMENT!"
An instant explosion of cyan glow and shockwave shook the entire tunnel. Sending it flying back for meters, hastily stabbing the staff to the ground to stop itself from crashing into the vehicles.
However, still holding its chest in pain, it looked up and saw the duo were already high in the air. With their belt's turbine spun in a violent matter, they front-flipped and extended their legs. Propelled toward the shadow at high speed.
"Double Rider Kick!"
With their legs planted deeply into its chest, the duo pushed the shadow until it crashed into the vehicles behind, exploding into a ball of flame and devouring the shadow.
Leaping back with a graceful spin, King and Queen both let a satisfied smile emerge. As the tunnel around them distorted and returned to the palace's room, the rest of the thieves just stared at them with widened eyes.
"Dude, how the hell did you two manage to do this THIS quickly?" Skull exclaimed in surprise, wincing at the slight ache in his abdomen.
"...We just know each other very well?" The duo answered in unintended unison, exchanging a glance with each other.
"The perk of being a couple for years, huh?" Raven commented, raising an eye. "That's interesting."
"I…" Trailing off, King just rubbed the back of his neck, a deep shade of crimson filling his cheek. "I guess so?"
"We're getting sidetracked," Queen deadpanned, gazing at the elevator. "But Kaneshiro went into the elevator, are we gonna follow him or not?"
"I'd like to, but…" Trailing off, Joker turned at the injured Majesty, still under the support of both Fox and Swan. "I think it's for the best to call it a day, we need a rest after that fight."
"The last saferoom is too far away," Mona said, his arms crossed. "Besides, I felt a saferoom right after this elevator. It might be for the best to continue on a little bit."
"I can feel it too," Majesty nodded. "It's just an elevator ride… that should be fine."
"You don't look fine," Fox said bluntly, earning a side glare from the girl he was supporting. "I'm serious this time, Majesty. Please, don't let the student council president influence you."
"...Fine, Let's continue then."
Upon the elevator ride down to the mysterious "vault" on their map, the thieves definitely had expected something like a vault. After all, it's a palace, it's best to assume anything on the map to be as literal as possible.
However, they didn't expect the sheer scale of the said vault. They stared in awe from the elevator's glass wall, staring at the sheer number of small vaults that formed several circles. With a small opening for each circle.
"...You've gotta be kiddin' me," Skull said, holding his widened gaze. "How the hell are we gonna check every single one of those vaults?!"
"It's not possible either," Panther added, giving out a sigh.
However, in the meantime, Queen just stared at the same with intrigue. As if she noticed a missing piece to the puzzle, she stepped up.
"Actually, I don't think we need to check every single one of those vaults," With her hand on her chin, Queen narrowed her gaze. "It's just a theory, but right now, we should focus on finding that safe room."
"You're right, Queen," Jester nodded, just as the elevator reached its destination.
Thankfully, the safer room was located right next to the elevator's exit, and the team immediately found their seats and took a breather.
Both Mona and Swan focus on healing, both with spells and medicine that Joker gave them. Majesty could feel the pain in her body slowly subsided. Now replaced by a sense of dullness, she glanced over to the rest of the team.
Even though they weren't showing it explicitly during the battle, it was clear that it took a lot out of them. Aside from Raven and the two who were healing her, everyone else slumped in their seats.
"Man, that fight took a beating out of us," Jester said, working his right arm with a faint wince. "But with that vault…"
"I guess we're just around 70% through the palace here," Raven answered, resting his forehead against his cane. "As much as I didn't want to say it, there's still a long way ahead of us."
"Well, at least it's getting close," Joker reassured, taking off his mask to rub his eyes. "Mona, you can sense the treasure close, right?"
"I can, it's still a faint signal, but I'm sure it's close now," Mona nodded, rubbing more Recov-R on Majesty's arm. "Now it's more with the vault itself."
"To be honest, it's certainly a demoralizing sight to behold," Fox said, still sitting by Majesty's side. "I hope Queen's theory would turn out to be true, or I'm afraid that it'd be impossible to secure the route."
"I'm pretty sure of my theory, but the testing can come later," Queen sighed, noticing that Jester was closely examining a notebook. "Jester?"
"Hmm? Oh," Looking up from the notebook, he presented it to the team. "I found it lying on the ground after the fight, I guess Kaneshiro dropped it when he was running away?"
As on cue, the team immediately approached Jester and took a closer look at the piece of paper. A small notebook with a couple of pages ripped off, with only one thing still readable on it. More specifically, a code.
"R equals to C equals to 0, I equals to 1, H equals to 2…" Reading the code out loud, Fox couldn't help but tilt his head in confusion. "What does that mean?"
"That's beyond me," Jester shook his head, deciding to pocket the notebook himself. "But still, it seems like we're not in pretty bad shape…"
"Let's just call it a day," Joker said, rotating his arms with a faint wince. "Actually, how about we take a day off tomorrow? I'm pretty sure we need a day's rest, after all."
"I'm with you, Joker," King nodded, laying back in his seat. "...I'm beat-"
Suddenly, he could feel Queen's head lying on top of his shoulder, his entire body stiffened in response. And to make matters worse, she also wrapped her arms around his, nuzzling closer. While under the team's shocked gazes.
"M-Makoto, w-why are you…" Sensing his ability to speak deteriorate by the seconds (and temporarily forgetting about the codename), King stammered as he frantically glanced between his girlfriend and the team. "U-uh… your neck would be sore!"
"Then should I lay on your thighs instead?"
"I-I didn't mean that…"
"Seriously?" Jester deadpanned, noticing how Raven had his camera pulled out. "Raven, what are you doing?"
"Potential blackmail material," Raven said, pressing the button on his camera and snapping a photo. "Between you and Swan, and now these two… I think I need something as leverage."
"It sounds like you're jealous though," Swan chimed in, raising her eyes with her arms crossed.
"...Maybe a bit."
"Dude, I still can't believe this is how the same Queen we saw…" Skull trailed off, exchanging a glance of agreement with Panther. "I dunno how to feel, man…"
"Y-yeah, to think it's Queen out of all people…" Letting her voice die out in deep thought, the thief in red couldn't help but sneak a couple more glances at Skull. Ones that she hastily retracted.
"Remember to send a copy to me too, Raven," Joker smirked, but quickly turned back into a semi-serious look. "Still, we should just call it a day. We gotta let these two lovebirds enjoy their night, after all."
Everyone just groaned in response, with a couple of them facepalming.
[Evening, Teikyu Building Accessway/Phantom Thieves' Hideout]
After returning from Kaneshiro's palace, Ryuji and Ren rushed to the nearest vending machine and bought a dozen bottles of Pocari Sweats. Of course, it was fully paid from Ren's pocket, much to Akira's delight.
"Man, we need something to drink in the Metaverse next time," Ryuji said, glancing over to the not-delinquent. "You agree, Renren?"
"Yeah, I might ask Boss about making coffee, those might help," He said, sighing after finishing another gulp. "Still, I… you're not gonna stop calling me that, right?"
"Duh."
"...Fine," Ren said, shaking his head. "Anyway, it's late. We're calling it a day, okay?"
"Sure, I…" With a faint wince, as she tried to raise her arm, Hifumi carefully lowered it back. "I think I do need a day off."
"And an excuse to convince Togo-san that nothing suspicious happened," Yusuke added, not so subtly stepping to her side. "I guess I can take the blame with excuses like I asked you to be my model, and accidents happened."
"Mom would literally kill you if you say that, Yusuke," The Shogi princess deadpanned.
"...You have a point."
"Anyway, I'll think of something on the way home," Using her left arm to shoulder her bag instead, Hifumi bowed politely to everyone. "It's getting late so… I'll get going now."
"...Same here, 'Ma just texted me to help her with groceries too," Ryuji said, walking away with a casual wave. "See ya tomorrow then."
With both Ryuji and Hifumi as a start, the rest of the thieves also went their separate way for the day, aside from Makoto and Shinji. As they remained at the accessway, somewhat surprised at how quickly everyone went home.
However, before either of them could even comment on this, Shinji's phone started ringing.
"Who would that be…" Trailing off in confusion, Shinji pulled out his phone and raised an eye at the caller's name. But not before he hastily tapped the 'answer' button. "Mom?"
"Ise-san?" Raising an eye, Makoto leaned closer to hear what was going on.
"Hey Shin-chan, is Makoto-chan with you?"
"Makoto?" With a brief exchange of gazes to each other, Shinji nodded. "Yeah, she's with me. Um… something bad happened?"
"Nope, it's just uh…" Trailing off, Ise pondered for a few long seconds before continuing, as if she was trying to think of a better way to tell the news to them. "I talked with Sae-chan earlier, and we agreed to let Makoto stay at our place for a while."
"...What? Wait, for real?" Eyes widened, Shinji glanced over at Makoto. And she was echoing his current feeling as well.
"Yeah, for real, Shin-chan," Even though they could only hear her voice, the certainty in her voice was as clear as day. "Actually, can you let Makoto-chan on the phone?"
"S-sure," Shinji nodded, giving the phone to Makoto.
"Ise-san?"
"Makoto-chan, you're alright with living at our place for a while?"
"I…" She glanced over at Shinji for a bit and nodded. "I'm alright with it, Ise-san."
"Good! Then… just remember not to get too excited with Shin-chan, okay? I don't want to be a grandma this early."
"O-of course we won't!" Makoto exclaimed, feeling the warmth quickly filling her cheeks. And she hastily gave the phone back to Shinji.
"Mom, what did you say to Makoto?" Shinji deadpanned, patting her back to help her recompose herself.
"Nothing, just that… please don't get too excited with each other. I'm not prepared to have a grandkid, y'know?"
"I know… Well, we gotta go and gather clothes and stuff then," He sighed. "see you later, Mom."
"Later, Shin-chan."
With a noticeable 'beep' signaling the end of the call, Shinji shifted his focus to Makoto as he returned his phone. Thankfully, Makoto had mostly recomposed herself from the embarrassment, with only a faint shade of pink remaining on her cheek.
"Sorry about Mom, she just wants to be extra careful…"
"It's fine," Makoto said, glancing at the orange hue of the setting sun outside. "My mind just went a bit too far when Ise-san said that. Like I may or may not have imagined how things would be if we do have kids…"
"...Oh," Shinji blinked, feeling the same heat crept up on his cheek. "W-well… in this case… I guess I'll have to save money for a ring then."
"You don't have to get a ring, just something to remember about is enough."
"I want to," With a soft giggle, Shinji took ahold of Makoto's hand. Shifting a bit and letting their fingers intertwine. "Either way, we can talk about it tonight. First, we gotta grab clothes and stuff for you to stay over, right?"
"...Right, let's go then."
[June 23rd, Shujin Academy, Canteen]
Amidst all the chaos, palace/ Phantom Thieves matter, and threats from an actual mafia. It was hard to find any sort of normalcy in anyone's life. And this hectic week, definitely made Akira appreciate the quiet moments more now.
Of course, it wasn't like physically "quiet", just that he didn't have to worry about much right now.
"Akira-senpai, I'm glad that you're willing to eat with me," Pausing her digging through the mountain of food that she called a "bento", Kasumi looked at her lunchmate with a slight frown. "But shouldn't a couple be eating lunch together among other things?"
"Well, Shiho's with Ann," Akira replied, taking a bite of the fried fish fillet in his bento box. "Besides, I'm making bento for her. So it's fine-"
"You're making bentos for Suzui-senpai?!" Cutting him off in pure accident, Kasumi rubbed the back of her neck with a sheepish and awkward smile. "Sorry, I'm just surprised…"
"Well, I promised her that I'd make her lunch for a whole month back in the clean-up…" Trailing off, Akira just tried his best to keep the smile from creeping up on his face. "I guess I just kept this habit going and never stopped…"
"That's… good to know," With a chuckle that was filled with awkwardness, Kasumi found herself couldn't do much but just nod. Of course, she was happy to see her own matchmaking effort go to fruition. However, it would also be lying if Kasumi didn't feel any kind of envy toward them.
If only she could have someone too-
"Oh right, Akira-senpai, I have a question to ask."
"Hmm? What is it?"
"Do you know what's Senpai's into?" Kasumi asked, leaning forward on the table. "Like, any anime or hobby that he's into?"
"Huh? Who's the "Senpai" you're talking about?" Akira blinked, just as the confusion was as clear as day on his face.
"...Oh, I meant Ren-senpai. I'm just used to calling him just as "senpai"..."
"Ren? …Huh, so you two have been hanging out?"
"Technically, it's more of a deal," The gymnast answered. "He's helping me with my slump, and in exchange, I am teaching him about gymnastics."
"Oh, so… you're asking me about Ren because…" Trailing off, a smirk slowly emerged on Akira's face. One that he couldn't, and had no intention to suppress. "Huh, so I'm the matchmaker this time?"
"No, it's not like that," Even though she verbally refuted this claim, the slight shuffling of her posture said otherwise. "I'm just curious."
"Well, curiosity leads to intrigue, and intrigue leads to crushes," Still holding that smirk on his face, Akira leaned forward a bit on his seat. "You're on the first stage here."
"I-I'm not!" For once, and maybe for the first time as well, a faint layer of pink shade dyed itself on Kasumi's cheeks. "Still, we're drifting off-topic, I just… Akira-senpai, can you give me like… I want to know a bit more about Sen- I mean Ren-senpai."
"Right, about Ren…" Just as Akira was about to answer Kasumi, the said 'answer' faded within his mouth. As his heart came into a realization, one realization that was… quite grim at times. "I uh…shoot, I don't really know much about him aside from that side…"
"...You're not making sense, Akira-senpai."
"O-oh, um… I actually don't know much. I can ask him for you though," Rubbing the back of his neck with clear embarrassment, Akira hoped that she would take the offer.
And the said hope only intensified as he noticed the disappointed look on Kasumi's face. A look that only lingered for a split second, and changed into one that's more akin to the typical Kasumi.
"...Sure, thank you, Akira-senpai."
"You're welcomed… I guess-"
Unfortunately, just before he could finish the sentence and move on to something else, another voice chimed into the conversation. A voice that was unfamiliar to either one of them, surprisingly.
"Ichijo Akira!"
Taken back by the sudden intrusion, the two lunchmates turned and saw a female student walking toward them. A stranger for Kasumi, but not for Akira. Even though she had her hair tidied up and switched into rimless glasses, it was still clear that she was Mogami Yumeko.
A.K.A the Stalker girl they dealt with in Mementos quite a while ago.
"Um… excuse me?" Completely confused and shocked by the sudden intrusion, Akira couldn't help but lean back as she approached him. "W-what happened?"
"How dare you make a harem with other girls!"
"...What?! I'm not-"
"Then what about what I just saw between you and this first-year student?" Pushing her glasses until they reflected the light from above, Yumeko pointed at Kasumi with a frown. "Being all flirty and stuff!"
"...We're friends, and she's having a crush on my other friend-"
"N-no, I'm not, Akira-senpai!" Cutting him off, all Kasumi wanted to do was just fade away from this embarrassing situation. "I'm not having any crushes right now…"
"See? You're embarrassing a first-year student!"
"You're also embarrassing us, Mogami…" Sensing her firm stare, Akira just looked away with a hint of fear. "People are staring at us…"
"...Wait, how did you know my name?" All of a sudden, all color drained from Yumeko's face as she stepped back. "Y-you also wanted to seduce me into your harem as well?"
"What."
"I-You're not going to pry me away from Ikesugi-senpai! Y-you can't do this-"
Thankfully (for Akira), a hand suddenly reached out from her and covered her mouth. For onlookers, the scene before them just took another sharp turn, one that started to stand on the line between "absurdity" and "comedy".
"I told you that it's just a misunderstanding!" Saya said as she pulled her friend away from Akira, and gave him an apologetic nod. "I-I uh, I'm sorry for accusing you of making a harem!"
"...What the hell is happening?" For Akira though, the situation could only be described as nothing but "confusing".
"Yumeko overheard and kept bugging me about it, I didn't expect her to go this far though," As the pseudo-journalist sensed the struggle within her arms, she kept giving Akira an apologetic look as she walked backward. Toward the exit of the canteen. "Just… typical teenage girl behavior! I'm really, really sorry about that!"
"What."
"Also, I'm sorry for confronting you about your friendship with Togo Hifumi!" As she opened the canteen door without looking, Saya gave him another apologetic bow and sped around the corner. Leaving a dumbfounded Akira, sitting still alongside an equally confused Kasumi.
"...Akira-senpai, you're…"
"We're just friends!" Akira answered before the question was finished, feeling the urge to hide in a hole as the sound of murmurs emerged. "We're just a part of a bigger friends group, that's really it!"
"...Oh, but…" With all the words dying in her mouth, Kasumi couldn't help but let out a long sigh. "Good luck, Suzui-senpai."
[Meanwhile, courtyard]
"A-achoo!"
Feeling a sudden urge to sneeze from nowhere, Shiho hastily used her hand to cover her mouth. And luckily, protected the opened bento box on her lap.
"Bless you," Ann said, grabbing a piece of tissue and handing it to her. "Something's wrong?"
"Nothing, I just felt like someone was talking about me or something," Taking the tissue to wipe her nose and hand, the ex-volleyball player couldn't help but feel a wave of shiver throughout her body. "That sounds like the old anime trope though."
"Yeah, kinda," Nodding, the young model leaned closer to the bento on Shiho's lap. "Anyway, Akira's still making bento for you, huh? How is it?"
"Nothing short of delicious," Shiho smiled. "To be honest, I feel a bit sorry for him making two bentos every morning. Maybe I should make something in return…"
"Maybe you should go to our classroom and just kiss him?" Ann said, smirking at the sight of her friend's blushing. "That'd be a good way to show your thanks."
"...Shaddup," Glancing away as the blush intensified, the ex-volleyball player suddenly turned and faced her. "What about you then?"
"What about me?"
"Y-yeah! You... you're also having a crush on someone too, right?"
For a few long and awkward moments, silence was the only thing that filled the space between the two friends. And with her mouth dropped in shock, the same deep shade of crimson hastily emerged on Ann's face.
"W-wha- NO!" Exclaiming in a surprisingly embarrassed manner, Shiho could see the blush on Ann's face grow brighter with each second. "I-I'm not having a crush o-on anyone!"
"Then what's with the reaction?" Shiho tilted her head, leaning closer toward her. "I was just guessing, y'know."
"I-I told you, I..." Trailing off, Ann couldn't help but look away. "I don't know."
"You don't know?" Repeating her words with a raised eye, the ex-volleyball player leaned back to give her some space. "So... oh, you're confused about your feelings about that certain someone?"
Ann nodded in return.
"Well then... you can tell me about it. I can think of-"
Suddenly, before Shiho could finish her words of advice, two voices caught their attention. And coming from the school building itself, Saya and Yumeko were walking as if their life depended on it.
"Yumeko, I told you it's just a giant misunderstanding," Rubbing her forehead from frustration, Saya turned to see an apologetic Yumeko. "...Why are you making a whole mess out of it?"
"I'm sorry, I'm just..." Yumeko trailed off, tapping her index fingers together as she glanced away. "I can't stand those people who are making a harem!"
"You know those things only exist in fiction, right?"
"I... I know..." Feeling the urge just to dig a hole and hide, the ex-stalker sighed. "I just... I want to protect pure love, that's it."
"You did have good intentions, but it's the worst possible way to go about it." Saya stared at her for a few long moments and sighed. "Now I need to do an actual formal apology to Ichijo and Suzui, both for the rumor and what you did..."
"I-I can apologize to them with you, it's my fault too..."
"...If you want to, you can..."
With the two friends' voices fading away as they walked to the other building, Ann and Shiho merely stared at them with widened gazes. Shocked by what they just overheard.
"...Akira is making a harem?" Shiho said, utterly dumbfounded. "What?"
[Kosei's Student Council Room]
As much as Higashikuni Hinaki didn't want to admit, she was exhausted. To feel like she was basically in a tunnel without any sight of light, and to see someone else deeper in this rabbit hole to a dangerous degree…
"Higashikuni-Senpai, you know I can't take the money, right?"
Sitting on the other side of the table, Naoko just set her own tired gaze on Hinaki. The severity of the black circle around her eyes, the sense of something left unsaid… It only made the president's heart ache.
"But it's… it's an issue that concerns you, after all," Hinaki said, gesturing over to the check on the table. "I know it's just a bandage fix at best, but at least it'd buy you some time."
"Some time to what? Living in fear before I get sold off to some old man's lap?" Naoko retorted, feeling the pain from her clenched fists. "Even if they're paid off this time, we both know they'd just come back, right?"
"I know, but…" Trailing off, the student council president knew all the responses she thought of had already crossed Naoko's mind. Even though she admitted it herself, it was nothing but a temporary fix. "But I'll think of a way to finish this, somehow."
"Shinji basically said the same thing when I confronted him, y'know?"
"I just don't want you to lose hope, Akashi-san. There's definitely a way."
"It might be, but… that'd be too late," With a long, conflicted gaze on the check, Naoko still took it and stuffed it in the blazer's pocket. "I'm not sure Mom and Dad would be happy about it though."
"I'll talk with them later then."
"...I… thanks."
With that said, Naoko stood up and gave the president a small bow before leaving the room. And once again, deafening silence filled the room. The only thing that accompanied Hinaki was her own heartbeat, feeling heavier and heavier with each beat.
Hinaki pulled out her phone and checked the text once again, pressing on the chat with "Makidou-sensei". Letting out a sigh at the record of previous message exchanges.
Makidou-Sensei: I'm trying my best, but the chief and everyone else are still focused on the Phantom Thieves.
Hinaki: What about your prosecutor friend?
Makidou-Sensei: Sae-tan is having it rough. I think it's something with her sister, and probably the PT case on top of it.
Makidou-Sensei: I'll try to talk with her about it though. Can't guarantee anything here.
Hinaki: I'm sorry for bothering you with this, but thank you. Makidou-sensei.
Makidou-Sensei: You don't have to.
Makidou-Sensei: Also, just call ne Konan! It's getting old to keep repeating it at this point!
"Still nothing…" Trailing off, she put the phone on the table as the sound of the door opening filled the silence around her. And Hinaki answered without looking. "Hajime, I know I look like I'm having it bad-"
"You're having it bad, Hime-sama. I can see that," Cutting her off, the young chef sat beside her. "Can you look at me?"
"What for?" Hinaki asked, but still followed Hajime's request.
"You might be oblivious to it, but there are dark circles around your eyes, Hime-sama," With a tired smile that Hajime forced himself to put on, his body leaned forward a bit. However, not before he caught himself and leaned back, choosing to straighten himself instead. "How much did you sleep last night?"
Eyes widened, the student council president found herself hesitant to answer his question, but ultimately relented. "...Three hours, at most."
"Three hours-" Closing his lips before his emotions got the better of him, the young chef pinched his nasal bridge. "I know you know what I'm going to say, but… is this the only way?"
"I talked with Hoshido-kocho before, we can't do much," Shaking her head, Hinaki merely leaned more into her seat. "It's already out of control of a student council president, nor a principal. This is the best thing I can do."
"Not even talking to the police helped?"
"Hoshido-kocho did. But as you can see, nothing has changed."
"...That makes sense…" Letting out a long sigh that he couldn't hold in longer, Hajime glanced over at the room's door for a moment. "Maybe you should talk with the principal again? I can be there too to give more ideas."
"I can, but the biggest problem is time…" Just as Hinaki trailed off, he could see something within her gaze toward nowhere. It was a bit of worry, combined with… fear. "Akashi-san is already being threatened into… adult work if they can't pay them. And…"
Letting out another sigh, the student council president covered her face with her hands. "Hifumi knows about Kaneshiro."
"...What?"
"The head of that mafia, I only know his surname because of Makidou-sensei," She explained, turning to Hajime again. "I just… I'm scared of what she's getting herself into."
"I can ask Yusuke about it," He suggested. "I don't know how either, but they became close friends… right after Madarame's confession…"
"Hajime?"
"I-it's nothing," Hajime hastily shook his head, trying his best to put on a carefree smile.
For him, it was clear that something must have happened between both of them. Something that tired both Madarame's confession to Yusuke and Hifumi suddenly became close, and now Hifumi seemingly knew Kaneshiro's name. Hajime was sure that the same thought had crossed Hinaki's mind as well, it might even lead to the same conclusion.
One that was definitely a far-fetch at this very moment, but one that could be easily proven.
"Anyway, about principal Hoshido, maybe we should talk with her once more?" Choosing to put this thought at the back of his mind, Hajime offered once again. "I'm serious on that "I can be there" part as well."
"I…" As if his words snapped her mind back from deep thought, Hinaki stared at him for a brief moment. "...Sure, it would be fine to have someone else to discuss this situation."
"That's great."
With that said, the duo got up from their seats and left the room. However, as much as they wanted to keep this sneaking suspicion in the back of their mind, they just couldn't.
This sneaking suspicion involved the Phantom Thieves.
(To be continued)
Preview:
The infiltration continued, after a day's break.
Another puzzle, and even more annoyances encountered.
Meanwhile, on the other side.
The Akashis struggled with the impending doom.
Next Chapter:
"The Vault"
Stay Tuned!
So um... yeah, after over 4 months, Chapter 48 is finally here.
First, I'm really sorry for the long, LONG time between the last chapter and this one. It was originally going to be released in December, but things just kept pushing back and back, and now it's like... huh, on Valentine's Day... I certainly didn't expect that.
Welp, thank god I put some fluff between Shinji and Makoto here, I hope it'd fit with the mood XD.
Before anyone asks, I actually had a whole month just filled to the brim with assignments back in November, like... around 12 group/individual ones that are all handed in a 2-week period. And since I'm studying in film and stuff, you can imagine how anyone those assignments would be. And that month's worth of nothing but writing for assignments somewhat killed my drive to write anything, and made it a bit difficult to get back to writing fic. And this is mostly why it took so long. I'll try to not make it like 3-4 months per chapter here, can't guarantee anything but I hope it'd be quicker.
Anyway, for the chapter itself. As the title of the chapter suggested, it was basically the latter half of Chapter 47. So it's a bit like filler here. But at least we pushed the plot further with a. the thieves reaching the vault and b. Hinaki's suspicion. And of course, the fact Makoto and Shinji are gonna live together for a bit. At least Ise approves this, so things would be fine.
Also, for the fight scene, I think it's one of the most taxing fight scenes I've ever written. Mostly because it's essentially a 2-phase fight. With the group of shadows as the first phase, and the Ongyo-ki (A.K.A the dark giant) as the second phase. Not only because of the large amount of members to handle, but also because... I need this fight to actually do damage so the call to stop the infiltration soon after makes sense. However, using the Shinji/Makoto Showtime was in the plan all along, even back during the writing of Chapter 47.
And considering how long it turned out to be, splitting it into parts 1 and 2 is a good choice...
Sidenote, for anyone wondering where the tunnel came from for Shinji/Makoto Showtime, it's a giant Shin Kamen Rider reference (I guess it's expected from me at this point XD.) It's the double rider VS MP Batta-Aug fight. Or in a better term, the tunnel fight scene. It's a bit beat-for-beat, but I cut it short since it was a 2v1, instead of a 2v6 like in the movie (even though the fight lasted like 2 minutes in the movie).
And oh right, poor Akira, catching a stray harem accusation from nowhere XD. It certainly wouldn't be worse with more and more girls he just happened to be friends or close with... right?
Review Response:
Wheatley9001: Oh thank you! I did read quite a lot of fics that had rewrites that only lasted for a couple of chapters, so I know how bad the feeling was. And welp, I kept going because I ironically don't treat it as a rewrite of an old fic, but just as a whole new fic. That's partly why I kept going till now.
Still, thank you so much for putting up a review about it! You're awesome too :D
Either way, I hope you enjoy the story so far, reviews and Favourites are welcomed!