11/30 Saturday
Days Until Ballot Count: 18
Tomorrow, they would be attempting to raid Shido's palace, after they had previously only scouted it out.
It would no doubt be their hardest infiltration yet, but she was determined to see it through.
With one extra day to rest and recover, she was sure that they'd be able to finish it in one fell swoop.
Buzz Buzz*
Distracted from her thoughts, she picked up the phone.
Haru: Mako-chan!
Makoto: Good afternoon, Haru.
Haru: I wanted to show you something. Would you be able to meet me at Leblanc soon?
Makoto: Sure, I'd be fine with that. See you there.
Curious as to what Haru wanted to show her, she made her way over to Leblanc.
"Mako-chan!" Haru chirped. "Glad you could stop by."
She curiously eyed the plant that Haru had placed on the table.
"Oh, have you been growing those?" Makoto asked.
"Yes!" Haru proudly confirmed. "I wanted to meet you over by my little garden at school, but I thought that might be a bit too risky."
"Yes, going to school when I'm supposed to be in hiding might be a bit too risky…" Makoto trailed off.
"Well, it's alright. I can still show this to you here." Haru said. "I made sure to grow this in the soil of my garden. The soil was warm, had good drainage, and full of nutrients."
"But what is it?" Makoto asked.
"It's the magic item that's going to convince Takakura-san." Haru explained. "I wasn't confident about expressing myself through words… Just thinking about it makes my heart race."
"And that's why you grew this." Makoto realized. "You must have put a lot of effort into this.
"I poured my heart and soul into this." Haru nodded. "It's a coffee plant, you see. I was planning on using the beans to make coffee. I hope that all of the love and care I put into the plant will find their way into the beans, somehow."
"I'm sure they will." Makoto assured her.
"Thank you." Haru smiled. "Still, I wonder what Takakura-san will say when he tries my coffee. I have improved quite a bit at making coffee, but still…"
"Coffee is a good choice, I think." Makoto praised. "I'm sure all of your feelings will show through it."
"Yes, you must be right!" Haru exclaimed. "It's strange… Not too long ago, I don't think I would have even considered putting so much into, well… anything! I had resigned myself to being Sugimura's bride, and nothing else."
"It sounds like you've done a bit of growing yourself." Makoto mentioned.
"Just like my plants!" Haru chirped, giggling to herself.
Makoto joined in with laughter of her own, as well as a sense of pride in her friend.
"You know… I've been thinking about a few of Takakura-san's proposals. I'm not necessarily opposed to them, actually." Haru admitted. "After… My father's confessions and passing, the reputation and stock of the company went down considerably, and that resulted in a number of layoffs. So his proposal may allow some of those employees to come back."
"Oh… I see…" Makoto trailed off.
"I think that we still made the right decision in the end." Haru told her. "Still, I do feel a little guilty. I was only able to have such a comfortable life because of other, less fortunate people being exploited.
It would be difficult for someone as kind and empathetic as Haru to come to terms with that. But still…
"None of that was your fault." Makoto stressed.
"That's true, but… I still feel the desire to give back in any way I can." Haru stated. "So that's why if the upper management of the company wants to continue to deceive and exploit others, I just can't support that."
"Takakura-san does seem reasonable, at least." Makoto mentioned.
"That's true, but at the same time, I'm worried that upper management might just be trying to sneak under the radar for a while, instead of seriously working on repairing our image." Haru sighed.
"It will definitely be difficult to get rid of a bad reputation." Makoto mentioned. "And there would be some people who wouldn't give them a second chance."
"I can't really blame them for that." Haru sighed. "I'd be angrier with the company if it continues to go down the same path it was going towards before, though."
"Well, no matter what happens, I'll be rooting for you, Haru." Makoto encouraged.
"Thank you!" Haru beamed. "It's very reassuring to have you here. And it's because of you that I have the courage to tell Takakura how I feel."
"You'll have to let me know how it goes." Makoto smiled.
"About that…" Haru trailed off. "Do you think you could be there with me when I do it? As long as you're there, I know that I won't be afraid to say what I'm thinking."
She could feel Haru's earnest resolve…
EMPRESS CONFIDANT: RANK 8
She spoke with Haru for a little bit longer before going home for the day.
12/1 Sunday
Days Until Ballot Count: 17
All of their preparations were finished, and today was the perfect day to meet up and start the infiltration.
Everyone showed up at the Diet Building as soon as they could, and they made their way to the Metaverse once again.
They entered the cruise ship once again, mingling in with all of the guests in the lobby.
"So, the five letters of introduction…" Makoto trailed off. "Where to begin?"
"I spoke to several of the guests here." Ren brought up. "Some of them mentioned the restaurant being very close, and even gave me directions."
"Sounds like we should start there then." Makoto nodded. "Let's go, everyone."
As the others followed Ren's directions, Morgana stopped Makoto from catching up.
"Say, Queen…" Morgana began. "Are you sure that it's a good idea to bring Witch with us?"
"What do you mean" Makoto asked. "Are you worried about us getting caught?"
"Not really that, it's just… we're going to be fighting some really strong enemies here, considering Shido's knowledge of the Metaverse." Morgana explained.
"That is true." Makoto frowned. "But even so, we've introduced others in the middle of palaces before."
"I'm worried that with her current control, she might not be able to keep up." Morgana warned.
"I see… Well, she does seem very eager to help, so I'd hate to deny her." Makoto said. "I think we should see how things play out for now."
"Alright." Morgana nodded. "If that's your decision."
They caught up with the group, and just as Ren had said, they quickly stumbled upon a door with the English word 'restaurant' above it, as well as a sign next to the door.
"This looks like the place." Ann nodded. "And on this sign… Ristorante… Elite?"
"Why are you strugglin' to read that, Panther?" Ryuji wondered. "Ain't you like, good at English?"
"This is Italian, not English!" Ann snapped.
"For real?!" Ryuji gasped. "Aw man! The only Italian word I know is gracias!"
"... Do any of you know Italian?" Makoto asked.
"Oh! Oh! I know spaghetti!" Eiko proudly said.
"... Well, it was a good run, but we're doomed. Shido wins." Futaba snarked
"I'm sure it's just the menu items in Italian. We'll manage." Ren assured them.
"Either way, it seems that we'll need a membership card to get inside." Haru pointed out. "It says so on the sign."
"Oh, that might actually explain what this is." Ren realized, pulling out a small card from his pocket.
"Where did you find that?" Makoto asked.
"I was asking around, and one of the people manning the bars mentioned that someone dropped this. I lied that it was mine and he believed me." Ren told them.
"Well, that works." Makoto nodded. "So would you be willing to go to the restaurant, then?"
"Won't everyone be going?" Ren asked.
"Yes, but if we all approach that politician at once, he might be on guard." Makoto explained. "So if we have only one or two people approach him, it might work."
"Well, I don't mind volunteering, but it might look a bit more natural if I had someone else with me." Ren stated.
Suddenly, Ren struck a dramatic pose.
"Yes, someone that would fit the refined atmosphere of this place! Someone with a regal, noble presence. Someone… like a Que-"
"Ok, ok, I'll come with you!" Makoto quickly said. "Honestly…"
She tried to ignore the giggling she could hear from the others.
With the plan prepared, she went with Ren over to a table close to the politician while the others hung around the back of the restaurant.
"Man, I was kinda hopin' to try out some of the food myself." Ryuji sighed.
"We just gotta wait for Queen's signal, huh? Ok, ok!" Eiko nodded.
Makoto and glancing at the menu.
Ren frowned, "I've never had a lot of these foods, but I think I'll be able to get by. Mind if I just follow your lead?"
"Sure, that's fine." Makoto nodded. "I'll call the waiter over then."
She did just so, making her order without missing a beat.
"I'll have the sautéed foie gras." Makoto began. "A salad garnished with truffles… and roasted lamb, please.
"I'll have the same, waiter." Ren added.
The waiter nodded, going off to inform the chefs.
Glancing around for a moment, Ren's easygoing demeanor dropped for a moment, taking on a serious expression.
"We do still sorta stand out a bit, cause of our age." Ren pointed out. "Most of the people here are probably real big shots."
"That's what I was thinking." Makoto nodded. "Which means we're probably in the right spot."
"The people up front said that those tables with the flowers would be where the real special guests sit, but I'm not seeing them." Ren frowned. "So where are-"
"On who's permission are you sitting there, brats?"
Both of them turned, seeing a sharply dressed man with a very unapproachable vibe.
"Who's? Well, the employee's out front, I suppose." Ren cooly answered. "He was the one who checked our membership cards."
"I'd be a nuisance if you'd make a racket next to my table." the man grumbled. "Can't children like you find somewhere else to eat?"
"We don't mean to cause a scene." Ren insisted. "We just want to eat our meal in peace, that's all."
"I apologize for our discourtesy." Makoto expressed, giving a slight bow.
"If you understand, then leave and go home." the man scoffed.
Ren narrowed his eyes, getting a good look at the man.
"Excuse me, but are you Mr. Ooe?" Ren asked.
"Indeed I am." the man nodded, standing a little taller.
"I'm terribly sorry for making such a sudden request, but would you be so generous as to provide us with a letter of introduction to… Mr. Shido?" Ren requested.
"The two of you are just children, from the looks of it." Ooe mentioned. "Why do you need an introduction to him?"
"We wish to be granted an audience with him." Ren answered. "His leadership skills and his ideas for the country really resonated with us… and, by extension, so have yours, Mr. Ooe."
"My, aren't you the silver tongued one." Ooe replied. "But you're not wrong. So, are you college kids then? High school students?"
"High school, sir." Ren answered.
"I admit, I am surprised that a few high schoolers managed to be deemed worthy enough to be granted admittance to the ship." Ooe said. "But then again, I suppose that one principal came close to being worthy somehow, and he was truly pathetic."
"Really now?" Ren questioned. "Now what happened to him?"
"Now I remember. He had been tasked with keeping watch over this one high schooler." Ooe began. "But those Phantom Thieves came after him, and then he supposedly tried to leak Mr. Shido's name, so he had to be dealt with…"
"Those Phantom Thieves again…" Makoto trailed off.
"A shame, isn't it? It's a good thing that Mr. Shido dealt such a decisive blow against them. Honestly, I just can't fathom their line of thinking."
"Those thieves, you mean?" Ren asked.
"Indeed. They must have similar abilities to Mr. Shido's group, right? And anyone who pledges loyalty to Mr. Shido's group, you're given the honor of being able to select mental shutdown targets, within reason."
That immediately got her attention.
"Ah, so did you ask Mr. Shido to trigger a mental shutdown or psychotic breakdown in someone as well?" Ren asked.
"Ah, something like that." Ooe nonchalantly said.
"Considering your status, you must have been able to request them on lots of important people." Ren observed.
"Well, perhaps I could, but the last target I requested wasn't that important, no." Ooe replied.
"Oh, come now, you must be being modest…" Makoto grinned.
"Well… Do you recall that subway incident during the spring?" Ooe asked. "I targeted the driver of the train."
"T-That was you?" Makoto asked, unable to keep the genuine shook of her tone.
"I had figured out that a president of some company as well as a diplomat would be onboard on that day. They sided with the current government, and the derailing train would look terrible for said current government, so Mr. Shido was more than happy to accept the request." Ooe boasted.
So many people died for something like that…
She had almost died for something like that…
It was completely absurd. So absurd, that a small part of her, that a small part of her wanted to laugh.
"... I see. That's been very helpful, Mr. Ooe." Ren said.
"Yes, well, even if you aren't exactly that annoying brats I thought you were, I still won't give you that letter of recommendation, I'm afraid." Ooe stated. "In a few years, perhaps, you might-
"About that, Mr. Ooe." Makoto cut him off. "About that train incident…"
He still didn't intend to give them a letter of recommendation. That was all she needed to know in order to enact plan B.
"What about it?" Ooe frowned, not appreciating getting cut off.
"I'm afraid that on that day… you failed to take down your biggest target." Makoto stated, a cold edge to her voice.
"W-What do you mean, my biggest target!?" Ooe snapped.
"I was on that train that day." Makoto told him. "And my sister is a prosecutor. One that would be very interesting in the dozens of murders you just confessed to playing a part in."
"You…! Are you blackmailing me! How dare you!" Ooe shouted.
"... Well, I'm sure that she'll be happy to build a case against you." Makoto continued. "After I've crushed you!"
"You think you can intimidate me?!" Ooe roared. "I'll never give you my letter of recommendation!"
A black and red aura enveloped Ooe, and he began to transform into a giant, 8 headed green snake.
"Everyone, now!" Makoto shouted.
Everyone charged in, ready to attack the beast.
"Careful, everyone!" Morgana frowned. "This one's not a cognition. They're a shadow!"
So, Shido was able to have other shadows in his palace as well. That was to be expected, considering his knowledge.
"Parvati!" Makoto called. "Psiodyne!"
She assaulted one of the heads with psychokinetic energy, giving her control of the head long enough to have it bite down on another head.
The other head flailed and hissed in pain, the other heads unsure what to do to help.
The perfect chance to capitalize.
"Joker, now!" Makoto shouted.
She passed the baton over to Ren, who instantly fired off two Eigaons at the foe.
"Rrrrragh!" Ooe screamed, the black flames enveloping the two heads.
The remaining six heads let out a sickening hiss before blowing out chilling air.
"…I shall handle this." Yusuke muttered.
Yusuke summoned Susanoo, causing Ooe to hiss.
"For some reason… that one unnerves me. I'll just take you out first then!" Ooe declared.
Another one of the heads charged right at Yusuke, but he easily managed to dodge the attack before striking back with his sword multiple times, taking out another head in the process.
"Clear away that ice!" Makoto commanded.
"You got it!" Ann yelled.
Ann shot out a sea of flames, easily melting the ice and threatening to engulf the entire beast in flames.
"Allow me, Panther!" Morgana cried.
Morgana fired off vicious winds, feeding the flames enough to engulf one of the heads.
The other head attempted to swallow Morgana whole, but Morgana slid under it, slicing its soft underbelly with his sword to bring it down.
With five heads out of commission, the remaining three seemed to coordinate. The left and right heads began to start flinging various objects at them while the center head continued to breathe freezing cold breath.
"Heeeeere, snaky, snaky, snaky!"
A beam of light struck the center head, dealing little damage but grabbing its attention.
"Hi!" Eiko waved, flying on her broom.
The snake hissed in annoyance, redirecting its freezing breath over to Eiko, who simply flew away.
With no support, however, the right and left heads were no longer able to handle the ongoing pressure.
The leftmost head suddenly got smashed with a table it had just thrown, Haru's Psiodyne sending it right back, stunning it.. The rightmost head, on the other head, was zapped with lightning, stopping it from throwing anything else.
Haru and Ryuji charged forward, rushing to finish off their respective heads. Both heads recovered, however, fast enough to lunge last time. Rather than dodge, however, both of them opted to strike their foes with perfect timing.
They slammed their weapons into the heads, finishing them off.
The final head continued to fire at Eiko, its frozen breath coming dangerously close.
The final head sucked in air, but hissing out a concentrated blast of ice at her, hitting with enough force to knock her off her broom.
"Witch, it's lunging for you!" Makoto cried.
The final head read its body before lunging to sink its fangs into her.
"H-Hey!" Eiko shouted, barely able to grab her lance. "Why… don't… you… cool it!"
Eiko jammed her lance into the snake mouth, causing Ooe's body to spasm as it struggled to spit out the large weapon.
"Choke on it!" Eiko shouted.
Ooe bit down on the lance's shaft, trying to swing Eiko off, but she was able to blast him with Kougaon at point blank range right before he shook her off.
Eiko landed hard on the groan, her weapon landing right next to her.
"Ahaha… nailed it!" Eiko giggled, looking more than a little dizzy.
Makoto sighed. "Try to be a little more careful next ti-"
"Move!"
Ren ran in front of Eiko, casting another Eigaon on Ooe at the last moment.
He had attempted one last desperate lunge, coming inches from Ren and Eiko before finally collapsing from his wounds.
Ooe was enveloped in a black and red aura once again, morphing back into his human form.
"So, are you feeling a bit more cooperative now, or do you need more convincing?" Ren asked.
"T-The letter…" Ooe muttered. "I-It's all yours. B-But please… keep the truth of the train incident a secret."
Ren grabbed Ooe by the collar, lifting him into the air.
"Do you understand how many people you killed?!" Ren snapped.
"I… I…" Ooe gasped.
"Mona, will his heart be changed if we change Shiho's?" Makoto asked.
"Possibly." Morgana stated. "We could always just wait until right before we're going to change Shido's heart to change theirs."
"That might be for the best." Makoto realized. "Shido might suspect something if we change the other's hearts too soon."
Ren let go of Ooe, seeing the logic in Makoto's words.
"H-Here." Ooe stammered, handing over the letter of introduction.
"Just to clarify… that Principal was working with Shido as well, right?" Ren asked.
"Y-Yes, that's right." Ooe nodded.
"That would explain why he wanted to gather info on them so badly." Ann explained. "Still, I can't believe that Shido was willing to kill him so nonchalantly…"
"All of Tokyo is underwater here…" Yusuke stated. "I wouldn't be surprised if Shido didn't care about anyone in the country."
"So, uh… this guy was a shadow too, huh." Ryuji frowned. "You think that the other four guys with letters will be too?"
"I wouldn't be surprised." Futaba replied. "He was the one who took Mom's research, so he's probably got tons of cognitive tricks up his sleeve."
"He must have told my father about that, then." Haru realized. "That's why we found Sugimura's shadow there."
"So, uh… who should our next target be?" Eiko asked. "We still have 4 more people we need to go after."
"I remember that some people said that we could get to the pool deck from a nearby elevator." Ann recalled. "And that one of the people there could give us a letter of recommendation."
"Right, the former noble." Makoto recalled. "Then we have our next target. Let's go!"
Finding the nearby elevator, they all got inside, heading upwards towards the pool deck, walking into a hallway the moment the elevator arrived at its destination.
"E-Everyone, wait!" Futaba warned.
Her warning came too late, however, as the moment they all stepped into the hallway…
"W-Wait, what the shit?! We're… mice?!" Ryuji squeaked.
"This is prepawsterous! … Or something like that." Yusuke joked.
"Uh, go to hell, Inari." Futaba groaned.
"We gotta find some way to… Ah! Look, a rat!" Morgana gasped.
His primal instincts took over, Morgana beginning to chase at his own tail… not realizing that it was, in fact, his own tail.
"Damn it, Mona, that's your tail!" Ryuji shouted.
"What, no it isn't! I have a cat tail!" Morgana snapped. "W-Wait, no, a… human tail?"
"Humans ain't got tails." Ryuji deadpanned.
"Panther does." Ren joked.
"Can we just get out of here!" Ann complained.
"Yeah, can't you guys just get back here?" Futaba asked.
The moment that did, they thankfully transformed back into humans.
"What just happened?!" Makoto snapped.
"Looks like if you get within eyesight of those statues, you'll be transformed into mice." Futaba pointed out.
Makoto glanced at the golden statues of Shido in the room. Avoiding it didn't seem practical, so they'd need to be careful.
"Ugh, he just thinks we're a bunch of ugly rats!" Eiko lashed out. "So lame!"
"We'll just have to be extra careful." Mona advised.
Slowly, they attempted to navigate a maze of hallways and passages as tiny mice, all while avoiding the guards patrolling the halls.
Everything had been going perfectly smooth until they arrived in a room with several Shido statues.
The statues immediately turned, all of them focusing on the Thieves.
"Damn rat! I'll sue!" the Shido statues all shouted in unison.
"Oh, you've gotta be kidding me!" Ren snapped.
Suddenly, shadows began to flood into the room, attempting to take them all down.
"Everyone, run!" Makoto shouted
They immediately scampered away, trying to escape from the approaching shadows.
"That tiny shaft!" Makoto called. "We can escape through there!"
They all crawled inside, narrowly avoiding their pursuers and arriving in a new room.
A room that, thankfully, returned them to their normal, human selves.
"That was too close…" Makoto sighed.
"Indeed. We barely squeaked by." Yusuke stated.
"... Maybe if we ignore him we can just move on." Makoto thought.
"Did you all hear me, everyone? I said that we barely squeaked b-"
"Shut up, Inari." Futaba muttered.
"Well, on the bright side, it looks like we've found a Will Seed!" Haru pointed out.
Sure enough, there was a door blocking the way to the Will Seed right in front of them.
"Let's see what it shows us then." Makoto said.
She broke down the door, and took the Will Seed inside, the world changing around them…
"Damn them!"
An enraged Shido slammed his fist onto his desk.
"Why won't they listen to me!" Shido snapped. "I'm the one who can steer this party forward! I am the one who will lead us to victory."
Shido frowned, glancing over at a drawer on his desk.
He reached inside, pulling out a slip of paper inside.
An offer from some sort of assassin.
"That assassin… they just showed up one day out of nowhere." Shido frowned. "And they proved that they're able to take care of someone without leaving a shred of evidence."
Shido paused for a moment, reading the note over again and again.
"They're offering their services to me." Shido muttered. "If they really can fulfill them without leaving a shred of evidence.
A wicked smirk appeared on Shido's face.
"This is definitely worth considering." Shido said. "If I can make use of this…"
Shido chuckled to himself.
"Yes, they'll see." Shido laughed. "Everyone will soon see… That I am the one meant to control this country!"
"H-Hey, what the hell was that?!"
Eiko whipped her head back and forth, looking around the room.
"Oh, sorry, I probably should have told you about this." Makoto apologized. "These Will Seeds allow us to get a glimpse into the palace owner's mind."
"Usually, it shows how the palace owner's desires became so distorted in the first place, but…" Ren trailed off.
"It seems like Shido's always been this way." Makoto realized.
They had never quite had a target like this. Most of them had been shaped by their circumstances in some way. Although Shido, of course, would have been shaped by them as well…
It was clear that, even from the very beginning, he had no good intentions.
He desired one thing, and one thing only.
Power.
"So that's how it is, then." Makoto said.
She wasn't sure what she was hoping for, really?
Some tragedy in his past?
Some sign that he thought he was doing the right thing?
Some sort of explanation, even a flawed one, that would get her to at least understand his motives, even if she didn't agree?
But there wasn't really any of that, from what she could tell.
All the people who had been murdered, had suffered, had their lives ruined…
There wasn't some deeper meaning to it.
It was all to satisfy one man's lofty ambitions.
"Q-Queen?" Eiko called. "You ok?"
"... I'm fine." Makoto replied. "Let's get moving."
She left the Will Seed room, more determined than ever to change Shido's heart.
Makoto's Confidant Progress:
THE FOOL - Ren Amamiya: Rank 10 MAX
THE HUNGER - Igor: Rank 9
THE CHARIOT - Ryuji Sakamoto: Rank 9
THE MAGICIAN - Morgana: Rank 9
THE FAITH - Eiko Takao: Rank 8
THE TOWER - Chiaki Yasui: Rank 9
THE SUN - Shiho Suzui: Rank 10 MAX
THE MOON - Takayo Tachibana: Rank 9
THE HIEROPHANT - Sojiro Sakura: Rank 10 MAX
THE TEMPERANCE - Naoya Makigami: Rank 9
THE STAR - Hifumi Togo: Rank 8
THE DEVIL - Mitsuhide Matsuoka: Rank 6
THE HANGED MAN - Munehisa Iwai: Rank 7
THE DEATH - Yohei Kiritani: Rank 7
THE EMPEROR - Yusuke Kitagawa: Rank 10 MAX
THE EMPRESS - Haru Okumura: Rank 8
THE LOVERS - Ann Takamaki: Rank 10 MAX
THE HERMIT - Futaba Sakura: Rank 7
THE STRENGTH - Caroline and Justine: Rank 9
THE JUSTICE - Goro Akechi: Rank 8
THE PRIESTESS - Kasumi Yoshizawa?: Rank 6
THE FORTUNE - Phantom Thieves of Heart: Rank 8
THE JUDGMENT - Sae Niijima: Rank 7
THE COUNCILLOR - Takuto Maruki: Rank 9