Sae Niijima attends the most expensive dinner of her entire life.
[11/01, The Present Day - Early Morning]
Makoto spent the night in Leblanc with her boyfriend after being thoroughly scolded by Boss and Ren for lying about knowing Yusuke. She ignored them both. What was she supposed to say? 'Oh yes, I know the pupil of Madarame. While at it, look further into it and you'll easily find the rest of the Phantom Thieves.'
She sent a message to Yusuke-kun instructing him to lie if anyone ever contacted him asking if he knew any of them. Deny, deny, deny. That was all they could do. So long as Yusuke kept his mouth shut, that should buy them some time.
Ren was giving her the cold shoulder. She had smirked at him, finding it endearing. She was in the doghouse!
It was pretty funny.
He kept bitching about her actions with the detectives, and insisted on sleeping on the couch, letting her take the bed. Makoto ignored him immediately, grabbed Ren, carried him over, and tossed him into the bed.
He was secretly pleased. She knew it.
Makoto would have done nastier things to him but he protested.
"Whoa, calm down Makoto! In this state of mind, you can't consent, plus Morgana is literally here! Let's not traumatize him!" Ren squeaked out.
In response, she growled and told him to toss Morgana out of the window. Neither cat nor Ren seemed amused at her suggestion, even though she told them it was just a joke.
It wasn't. But it's not like she was going to kill Morgana. He is an idiot but he is also her lovable idiot, a member of her precious masked circle.
In any case… She slept with Ren, except for the fun parts that "sleeping with Ren" should have entailed.
It was dark, silent, and eerie. She had a dream that night.
Enemies on all sides. Makoto with her dark blue and gray bodysuit, also wearing a metal mask instead of a helmet. Makoto with her steel-colored Kawasaki Ninja, which she lovingly dubbed Johanna, as she ran all over their ranks.
Makoto saw herself being ambushed by a trap laid out by a loved one.
She stared at the leader of the enemy ranks. Behind him, was her sister, having the gall of looking regretful. She brought the enemies to their doorstep.
Makoto was alone. Betrayed in the end. She had Uncle Tatsuya's zippo lighter tucked inside of her tight vest. One last cigarette, for the final ride. She wouldn't let them have the satisfaction of seeing her go down like a rabid dog.
Makoto woke up with a start, tears in her eyes.
"Hey, are you okay?" Ren inquired gently.
She closed her eyes, letting herself stew on the sensation of her confusing, scary dream. Makoto didn't understand it.
It was painful.
"I am. Don't worry." She said. "Let's get ready for school."
In a hospital room in Shibuya, a young man ignored the protests of the nurses and doctors. He would be more than fine; spending the night had been enough. He swiftly filled all the forms, even though he could barely see with just one eye, and declined pressing charges.
The doctors tried to insist that he stay to recover properly, but using Loki's aura in the real world made them scramble off and allow him to just leave. Sometimes, these peculiar powers of his were quite handy.
He had places to be, he couldn't waste time here any longer.
Making his way to the nearest subway station, Goro Akechi discreetly covered his face with his briefcase. Once he was at his destination, he entered the Metaverse, and cast a myriad of spells, healing himself and restoring his looks to their pristine form.
Goro was done waiting. It had to be done today.
He headed down to Sheriruth.
When she arrived at school, Ren in tow, Makoto felt the stares of the whole student body on her. Ren tensed beside her, but she soldiered on.
Tch. Who cared about the opinions of these people?
She parted ways with her boyfriend, and when she did, it became worse. The stares amplified. She swore one guy spat on the ground when she passed.
Makoto froze. Then started walking forward again as soon as she recovered from the shock.
Why wasn't she reacting? She should've taught that guy a lesson by now!
When she entered her classroom... Every. Single. Person. Stared at her.
She looked to the left. Someone was looking at her.
Same to the right. Behind. In front.
Haru stared. And stared and stared and stared and stared and stared and stared and stared and-
"Mako-chan." Her friend called out softly. "Class is over."
Makoto blinked. "What?"
Haru looked concerned. "Class is already over… Are you alright?"
She checked her phone. It was already lunch break. Did time pass that fast? How did she not notice it?
Getting up, she ignored Haru and her protests, then started walking out of class and into the corridors.
More people looked at her. Why are they looking at her?
What the hell is happening?
Yusuke had just been dismissed from class and was looking forward to eating the delicious lunch Ren had stored for him in the mini-fridge of his dorm room. His friend insisted on coming every three to four days bringing nutritious food to last him awhile, and Yusuke was truly grateful.
He was on his merry way to his dorms when he suddenly got summoned to the faculty office. Yusuke had no clue as to why he of all people would be summoned - His record has been nothing short of pristine, and his behavior quite exemplary.
When he arrived, he noticed four people waiting for him expectantly.
"Yusuke Kitagawa? Politely asked an older, refined gentleman wearing a gray suit and red-tinted glasses.
"Yes. And if I may ask, sir, you are?"
The man smiled, trying to be more approachable. "Katsuya Suou, a detective from a town called Sumaru City. The other gentleman beside me is my brother, Detective Tatsuya, and these are Detective Yu Narukami and Naoto Shirogane."
Shirogane… Was that not the famously acclaimed Detective Prince, that the cur Goro Akechi tried to imitate to no avail?
"Well met, detectives… How can I help you?" He inquired cautiously.
Shirogane-san's eyes were sharp and ominously intelligent, making even Yusuke feel wary. Was this what Makoto-senpai alluded to in her unhinged instructions when she messaged him yesterday evening?
"We just have some questions… About your former master, yourself… And those Phantom Thieves." The woman told him succinctly.
"Very well. Please, have a seat." The young man said, offering the chairs in the faculty office for them to sit.
"Thanks, Kitagawa-kun. Let's begin… It's our understanding that you've been raised by Madarame from a very tender age. Is that correct?" Shirogane questioned.
"...Yes. He took me in after my mother passed away… Or rather, after he refused to assist her medically, allowing her to die so he could steal her painting."
The detectives all had disgusted looks on their faces. It was not unexpected to Yusuke, whenever he told this story, the reaction could not be any different.
"I'm sorry to hear that." Katsuya Suou-san said sympathetically. "How was your relationship with Madarame?"
"I was conditioned to worship the very ground he walked on, to obey him without question, and believe him blindly. But the worst of it all, I always felt like he was a father to me. I believed that all my life, especially since he taught me everything I know about art. He even ingrained that passion in me… To me, this has been the cruelest aspect of his actions, considering what he did."
"I can only imagine…" Tatsuya Suou-san stepped in. "Now, forgive me for changing the subject in question, but how were the weeks leading up to his change of heart? Odd behaviors, things that seemed out of place, and the like?"
"Not sure what I can say, detectives." He said. Yusuke normally detested lying but he had to abide by the instructions of his friend. "Normal…Everything seemed quite normal. Until one day, he got a calling card, and the next he locked himself up in his room. He spent most of his time wasting away there… Until he finally re-emerged and went straight to confess all his sins publicly."
"I see… Is that truly everything Kitagawa-kun? Please try to remember as many details as you can." Narukami-san asked him, a serious look on his face.
Hmm, he reminded him of Ren a little bit.
"Detective, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but that is truly all I can remember. Ever since then, I have been living here in the Kosei dormitories."
"I see…" The detective said, then looked to the right, his gaze and Detective Shirogane's meeting briefly.
Yusuke tensed as the woman's soul-piercing stare rounded on him.
Naoto studied the young man who was acting quite calmly. So far, everything he talked about seemed quite normal.
Time for the actual evidence-exposing questions.
"Kitagawa-kun. Do you happen to know Ren Amamiya?"
A split-second freeze in his posture, likely from shock, and an ever-so-slight shift in his eyes. Recognition.
"...No. I'm afraid I'm not sure who that is." He muttered.
He knew Amamiya-kun.
"And Makoto Niijima, or her sister, Sae-Niijima?"
Kitagawa-kun seemed more prepared now. "I also do not know any of these people."
He sounded a lot more confident in his answers. However, by the first answer he gave them, it was clear he probably knew the Niijima sisters as well, if he knew Amamiya-kun.
One more question to lay a trap. "Sojiro Sakura?"
"Negative."
"Very well." She said, feigning a small amount of frustration and cluelessness in her expressions, very subtly. Calmly, Naoto transitioned her facial expression to that of a muted, but genuine curious admiration. "Do you mind answering one more question? It's one of my curiosity."
The boy studied her face for a few seconds, then sighed. "Of course, Ma'am."
"I was wondering about the Sayuri… This painting in particular is such a thought-provoking masterpiece… But with Madarame being a fraud and an usurper, it now makes me doubt how much of it is truly genius, and how much of it is tainted by his plagiarism. Is it true that your mother composed this painting?"
Kitagawa fell for it.
He scoffed. "Yes! Sayuri was said to be Madarame's Magnum Opus… But that could not be further from the truth. The version he had publicized was unfinished, of course. It was a masterpiece in the making! But the original… The version that was meant to be final, was going to be so much more glorious and intimate…"
"Oh? Truly?"
"Ah… Well… Yes?" He hesitated but then sighed. "What I mean to say is… If you look closer at the composition, it is quite clear that the woman in the painting was meant to cradle something. A baby… That baby being myself, as the woman in the painting is none other than my mother herself." He finished, misty-eyed.
Jackpot.
"I see… That is quite touching, Kitagawa-kun. I'm sorry that has never come to pass." Naoto said with some genuine sincerity.
"I thank you, detective." He said humbly. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"
"I do not believe so, Kitagawa-kun. Thank you for your cooperation. We're sorry to disturb you." She concluded professionally.
The boy bowed politely to the four of them. "It was no trouble at all."
Sae wanted a hard drink.
Seriously. She needed the strongest thing that could knock her senses out, just so she didn't have to deal with the mounting headache that was plaguing her.
Earlier, she arrived at the school to deal with the faculty's complaints about Makoto. So far, it was already an irritating encounter, but she had to do her responsibility by her sister. She was ready to defend Makoto as much as it was feasible, but she also knew she couldn't condone any violent actions.
There was a limit to what she could do justly for Makoto.
"Madam, your sister is our star pupil." Hiraoka-san, the interim principal told her. "Even with her grades slipping recently, she is still in the top ten and always excelled at every single task we have asked of her. So you can only imagine my utter shock when out of nowhere, an explosion of complaints regarding her behavior reached my ears from the student body."
Yes. One hell of a hard drink would be most excellent now.
Hiraoka-san sighed. "The rest of the faculty was just as shocked, as we were taken completely off guard by this sudden change . The latest report implies that your sister tried to assault another classmate, and that she injured a boy called Takehiro Nagata by shrugging him off violently. His family wants to sue."
Sae counted to ten. "...Surely they understand a lawsuit is a costly, tedious, and long process, and a humiliating one if they lose, don't they? And If they're so keen on suing, I need to verify the extent of the boy's injuries myself. What impedes him from further injuring himself only to incriminate my sister?"
The man frowned. "Well, he wouldn't do that, he is the vice president of the Student Council!"
Sae raised an eyebrow. "So? Makoto is the actual president. I'm sure you see what I'm seeing here. What better way to take over her position, other than to depose her by accusing her of assault?"
"You cannot be suggesting this is all a ploy by Nagata-kun and her peers… The amount of complaints far surpasses this incident!" He said with indignation.
She knew that.
"I am well aware of this information, Hiraoka-san. But you cannot tell me that there is not a gain this boy could garner here." She said with a scoff.
The man seethed. "Madam… Regardless if Nagata-kun has an agenda, it doesn't excuse Niijima-chan's actions. In fact, I summoned your sister to this office about ten minutes before you arrived, and there is not a single sight of the girl! You cannot condone this level of disrespect!"
Well, shit, he was right, but what the hell was she going to say? 'Oh a parapsychological version of her is influencing her general behavior, don't mind her?'
That being said, while she understood the man's frustration, his imperious tone irritated the hell out of Sae. She narrowed her eyes, projecting all her courtroom authority over him. "Did I, at any point or moment of this conversation, condone any of Makoto's violent actions or disrespectful behavior?"
"Well, no, but-"
"But nothing. If anything, I find this school's track record disgusting, and If it weren't already so near the end of term, I'd pull my sister out of this institution!"
The man was instantly offended. "Madam! This school is an elite preparatory school, and it does its best for its students!"
"Really, now!?" She exploded. "What about the Student Council's sexual scandal of 2006!? What about Suguru Kamoshida? Did you think it didn't reach my ears the fact that Kobayakawa put Makoto up against a mafia that was scamming students!? To investigate the Phantom Thieves!?"
The man's eyes were wide as saucers as she barked those words in his face.
He entered a defensive posture right after. "Principal Kobayakawa was a problematic man, and his administration was a terrible one, I won't deny it! But myself and the rest of the faculty have always conducted our work with utmost excellence… If anything, I'd say there is a problem at home."
"Say that again?" She hissed.
The man was red in the face. "I mean… You are an unmarried woman, you wouldn't understand how to have a firm pulse to control your sister. If you had a husband, I'm sure he would be the one disciplining the girl."
Sae froze.
The gall of this cockroach to say that to her face. Leviathan hissed like a thousand serpents.
Sae slammed her hand on the desk and got up from her chair, furious, startling the man. "I won't tolerate this level of disrespect. Do you think I'm finding any of this funny!?"
"No, but-"
She was on a roll. "Do you think I am stupid!? I'm well aware that her actions are way out of line and rest assured, I will punish Makoto accordingly. That doesn't mean it changes the fact that the school failed in preventing it."
"We cannot control or predict the student's behaviors!"
"Oh, don't give me that load of bullshit. Where is the counselor? Where are the parent meetings? I haven't been summoned to a parent conference since the end of Makoto's middle school. Do you have any idea what that means? It means Shujin only cares about numbers, showing embellished results and good publicity, not the true well-being of its students."
The man was shocked into silence.
Her eyes were full of anger. "Did you see her school record? Her Student Council attendance, and the things she has performed for the school? I'd wager she did more work here than an intern who works overtime for minimum wage at a black company! Do you think it's ANY wonder the girl has suddenly snapped when this very school is one of the main contributing factors to all her suffering!?"
The man looked both chastised and humiliated. She let out a deep breath.
Shit. She fucked it up. She wasn't supposed to let her temper get in the way of solving things.
Sae sat back down. "...Listen. I understand the importance of disciplining Makoto, and showing her that trying to assault others is not the way. Rest assured, I will put her in line. But where is the goodwill that she has garnered? Did all her hard work around here mean nothing?"
"...I cannot play favorites, Niijima-san." The man said finally. "Our society has norms, rules, and lines that need to be respected at all costs. You must understand that."
"I'm not asking you to play favorites or to bend the rules. I'm asking you to stop with the hypocrisy and make sure to give her proportional punishment considering her past pristine record. Now, please just dole out her punishment, and don't bother summoning her here any longer. We are done here."
The man gritted his teeth and then started to write up the terms of Makoto's punishment. She waited as he typed and printed the papers, and finished with a signature and a stamp.
Sae read it.
Suspension from classes and Student Council for a week. Detention for two weeks upon return to classes. If she failed to turn up to even a single day of detention or misbehaved while at it, she faced expulsion from the Student Council. Any repeated violent actions would result in immediate expulsion from school.
Sae resisted the urge to actually fucking cry. It was over, she doubted she and the others could get Makoto to attend all detentions perfectly behaved… And there is no way they could change her heart within the week.
It was impossible to salvage Makoto's position and future before her shadow ruined her sister's years of hard work during high school. Makoto would be crushed when she finally came back to her senses, only to realize all her efforts were destroyed by her distorted self.
"Be grateful that we aren't considering expulsion from school as well unless she tries to assault anyone again." The man seethed. It seems nothing she has said meant anything to him. "There we go. That's all the goodwill we can grant her."
Motherfucker!
Seeing no other way out that didn't end with actual expulsion from school, Sae signed it up and accepted the terms, feeling like she failed in protecting and securing Makoto's previously bright future.
She hoped her sister would forgive her one day.
Makoto walked to the Student Council room. She had to find a haven to hide. Everyone was looking. The gazes were harsh and intense. She was feeling scared.
Every single place she walked to, someone was looking. Their heads accompanied her movements. Their gazes were fixated and eerie. They stopped talking and doing whatever they were doing to stare at her until she left their presence. If she looked back, they stopped their activities to stare at her again.
When she reached the Student Council room, she was so nervous the key slipped from her hands. She crouched down to get it. When her hand was closing in on the key, someone with heavy, black leather boots stepped on top of it.
She looked up.
There was a nazi trooper in front of her, in a full ensemble.
"Run. Run as much as you like. Run bitch, run. As soon as school is over, we are going to get you." It spoke ominously, voice muffled by the enclosed gas mask it sported.
Her eyes widened and Makoto scrambled away until she touched the solid body of someone behind her.
When she turned around, it was another nazi soldier.
Makoto scrambled to her feet and ran. Everyone stopped to stare, and there were a lot of nazis. All the students were now dressed as nazi soldiers.
She reached the roof of Shujin and faced none other than Goro Akechi.
He was well and hale, dressed as the Führer, including the ridiculous mustache. He laughed.
"Niijima, Niijima, Niijima… You better run, little girl. I'm going to destroy you, body, mind, and soul. So run, as far as you can get, before I get you…"
She took two steps back, and her body collided with something.
It was HIM.
The nasty one: Snail Parasite-Horns, sitting cross-legged with his giant red sword casually resting on his lap.
Parasite-Horns laughed as it started to do a silly victory dance, its horns disgustingly wiggling like worms, making her feel sickened.
"Whaaaahoohoohoo! Little bitch! Did you think that kicking the young master in the balls was enough to stop us!? DUMBASS! Loki is a master of tricks like no other. Bow to my supreme cleverness!"
"Parasite-Horns… You lied to me! You said… you were just going to help me get rid of Anat… so I could be the only one for Makoto!" She muttered, clutching her head, her eyes bulging out of her sockets.
"AND YOU BELIEVED IT!? YOU FUCKING IDIOT, AHAHAHA!"
His laugh was horrible, maniacal, disgusting, harsh, ugly and scary. Parasite-Horns lied to S.E.L.E.N.E, and now she and Makoto would both pay for it.
"I told you to not double-cross us!" S.E.L.E.N.E snarled.
He stopped laughing and approached her. All those white and black patterns on his body started to move and spin, creating an optical illusion that hurt her eyes. His voice was harsh and demonic. "Well, you betrayed our deal first! Besides, you're a useless little Persona, you know? Can't even protect your host! You should've convinced her to awaken you instead of fucking with her life for shits and giggles if you didn't want me to mess up with ya both!"
She snarled and swung out a fist against him, but her movements were pathetic and feeble. Parasite-Horns danced and laughed every time she missed a hit.
"Wee… Now you're just some shitty shadow about to manifest a nasty little place for my own host's funsies plans!" It said while affecting a childish voice to taunt her.
The engine garbled out a series of unrecognizable, digital sounds, unable to process this error in her matrix. She failed to protect the host. She was ready for hijacking.
Her hubris would be the end of them all.
"Go go go, inside the toy box bitch, Loki is the true master of your damn mind now, and your master demands you to give us a stage for our delight and entertainment!" Parasite-Horns demanded as it beat its giant red sword against the ground like a child throwing a tantrum.
"Tch. You worm!" M.A.K.O.T.O screeched. "I'm going to murder you!"
"What? Woohaha! That sounds really fun." It quipped with an unhinged giggle. "Too bad it won't work, after all… I AM A MERE FIGMENT OF YOUR IMAGINATION, YOU LUNATIC!"
He swung his sword against her and disappeared. The Führer Akechi disappeared. The school started to shake as an earth-shattering earthquake overtook Shujin Academy, making her tumble off the roof.
Makoto Niijima fell into an endless pit, her eyes rolling to the back of her head, darkness overtaking her as she cried out for her Masked Circle to come and save her.
Inside the Path of Sheriruth, a shadow was twitching in a seizure, letting out garbled sounds as its yellow eyes rolled to the back of its head, while a young man watched delightedly, laughing at her misfortune.
Little by little, the walls of Mementos absorbed the shadow, until it traversed the Collective Unconscious and reformed in the gates of an unsuspecting school.
Rising from a pool of pitch black, viscous tar, the wretch slowly crawled like a mindless beast, crying out and begging for her Masked Circle to guard her heart and treasure.
One by one, they appeared, clutching at her, helping her get up, carrying her, and leading her to her rightful place.
The Panther. Master of Emotion.
The Skull. Master of Impulse.
The Fox. Master of Reflection.
The Noir. Master of Wisdom.
The Oracle. Master of Knowledge.
The Gentleman. Master of Perception.
The Joker. Master of Will.
And so, the collective whispered. "We art thou. Thou art us. We who hath concealed our true selves away with masks to shield thee from the cruelty of thy world."
His heart sang.
Slowly, his lips parted as a manic grin formed, and his entire body was filled with goosebumps, adrenaline, and triumph filling his very veins.
He did it. He finally fucking did it!
It was time.
When school was finally over, Ann waited for Makoto by the gates. Her friend was supposed to spend the night with her that day, but she was nowhere to be found. She was about to send another message when she spotted the older girl walking in her direction.
She felt something terrible run down her spine, the sense of danger going off the charts.
"Hey." Makoto said quietly when she was in hearing range.
She seemed… Ann couldn't quite put her finger on it. But the way Makoto was walking and staring ahead just made her feel dreadful.
"Uh… Erm, hey? Are you alright?" The blonde inquired nervously.
Makoto stayed frozen in place until she snapped out of it and slowly, carefully, tenderly hugged Ann, taking her aback with the gentleness of her action.
Makoto clung to her as if she were precious. It would be almost cute if it wasn't jarring, bizarre and so out of place.
"Never better, dearest friend," Makoto whispered. "Never better."
[Goro Akechi - Sae Niijima]
[Goro Akechi]: Would you care to meet me tonight?
[Sae Niijima]: This is quite sudden, is there anything you need?
[Goro Akechi]: Maybe~
[Sae Niijima]: Wait. Weren't you supposed to be hospitalized?
[Goro Akechi]: Those are nasty rumors. I am perfectly healthy.
[Goro Akechi]: Now, I came across some very interesting developments for the investigation.
[Sae Niijima]: Developments? What kind of developments?
[Goro Akechi]: If you wanna know, come and have dinner with me!
[Sae Niijima]: I'm not paying.
[Goro Akechi]: Not to worry. It'll be at my expense. And I'll even treat you to the finest, freshest sushi.
[Goro Akechi]: Not the cheap, conveyor belt stuff that you often put me through.
[Sae Niijima]: Whatever. Send me the time and place, I'll meet you there.
[Goro Akechi]: Okie dokie~
Sae immediately pocketed her phone and started her car. She had received a text from Akechi in the afternoon.
He didn't even have the decency to care about alibis any longer. He was supposed to be hospitalized, and yet, he seemed perfectly willing to go eat dinner on such short notice.
Ann was taking care of Makoto tonight, and she reported that her sister seemed calm and melancholic, barely saying anything, almost as if she was a vegetable. That information perturbed Sae, but she felt like there was a noose around her neck, tightening it, and making it harder for her to manage so many things at the same time.
Sadly she had no more time to ponder things properly. Akechi made his move, and she had to make her own, lest he cheat in the game.
The prosecutor swiftly drove away to her destination. It was time to face the music with this little bastard.
Chihaya already had a somber look on her face when Ren approached her in Shinjuku that evening. It made the feelings of unease he had been carrying all day only increase in intensity, as she closed her eyes and reopened them, a deep concern shining in her gaze.
"I had a hunch you'd come to see me today under less than fortunate circumstances." The fortune teller told him, her tone resigned.
His eyes were intense. He needed answers.
"There is something that is happening to a person I care for. Something I'd like to know more about…" He started, his voice mournful.
Akechi was, truly, a son of a bitch.
She hadn't met him face to face in a long time, but just seeing his cherubic smile made her want to wipe it off his stupid face. Since Amamiya confirmed that he was assaulted by Makoto, it was quite obvious to Sae that Akechi could be the perpetrator.
Nobody gets out of the hospital in less than a day unless they have a Persona to heal their bruises. She would know that from personal experience.
He invited her to one of the most upscale Sushi restaurants in Ginza. She narrowed her eyes as soon as she met his smug face.
"I thought a place like this needed a reservation. As in, with at least a couple of days of antecedence." She said dryly, not bothering to greet him pleasantly.
He didn't seem to care in the slightest. "When you are an important figure in the media, there is no such thing as reservations. Who would say no to the great Detective Prince?"
She almost openly scoffed. Having met Shirogane-san in person, Sae could easily say Akechi was fake and pathetic by comparison, especially since the little prick thought so highly of himself.
"Get to the point, then. What did you want to talk about?" She asked impatiently. She had no energy to play games with this bastard.
She was done and just wanted to know whether or not she should start strangling him.
"Patience. Can't we just enjoy the food first? Honestly Sae-san, you need to learn to unwind. All that stress will only ruin your beauty."
"Akechi. I'm not in the mood for jokes of this caliber today." She hissed.
"Oh, my? Wow… I see, you're truly tense, then! Hah. Here, let's order you the finest sushi. I will show you that the conveyor belt stuff is nothing compared to what the true chefs can come up with."
In the end, she silently acquiesced and decided to let him play his little game a while longer, just to see how far he would go.
Eating dinner with Akechi in such an upscale restaurant was one of the worst experiences she ever had in recent memory. The food was perfect, but to Sae, everything had the taste of ashes in her mouth.
After they were somewhat filled (Akechi, mostly, who seemed to thoroughly enjoy his food), he finally got to the point.
"Well, I'll be direct then, since you don't look like you're having a good time… Which is a pity, by the way, because this is honestly one of the best experiences I have had in recent years."
"You don't say?" She retorted sarcastically.
Goro Akechi fucking giggled. The sound irritated her ears and made her angry for no reason. It was taunting, ridiculous, and childish.
In other words, evil.
"Alright! Sorry! It's just that the food was really good. In any case…" He trailed off, the twinkle in his eyes dying.
He fished for something in the pocket of his coat. Sae waited with anticipation, until he tossed it unceremoniously on the table, face dead serious.
"Take a look at this." He demanded, almost harshly.
Sae looked down, and her heart froze.
It was a series of photos of the others entering the Okumura palace.
Blinking and recovering from her shock, she pointedly looked at Akechi. "What the hell am I supposed to be looking at here?"
Akechi narrowed his eyes. "Don't you dare downplay it, Sae-san. Can you not see the evidence?"
Sae only had one response to his "evidence."
She openly laughed in his face.
It started as a small amused chortle, evolving into a full-blown laugh, with tears in the corner of her eyes. He sat there, his eyes twitching ever so slightly, which only served to renew her rounds of laughter. The other patrons were staring at her, but Sae didn't care.
Akechi was an imbecile.
"I gotta say Akechi. I didn't know I needed a good laugh like that. Thank you." She said with mirth. "Seriously? A poorly photoshopped picture of some teenagers doing… What, exactly? Becoming ghosts? Are you starting a blog for urban legends now?"
He looked furious. "This isn't some joke. This is the evidence you wanted for so long… Of the Phantom Thieves entering a supernatural world. Look, among them, is your sister."
"Yes, I see her. But evidence… What evidence? Please. A supernatural world? What crock of shit is this, child?"
He gritted his teeth. "I have video footage as well."
Sae scoffed openly, her amusement gone in a flash. "Which could be edited utilizing special effects. Tch. If you are going to waste my time, then at least say so. What kind of juvenile prank is this? Do you honestly think this will hold any weight in court? I seriously had more faith in you than this."
For a few seconds, they glared at one another, until Akechi let out a huff.
"...I know what you're doing. You're trying to deflect, to cover up for them. "
"Why the hell would I do this if I am the one person who wants to catch those Phantom Thieves the most?"
He wasn't convinced. "Because you have stakes in this, of course. I will not be dissuaded, Sae-san. I am sure of my convictions… The real question is if you are sure of yours."
She didn't appreciate his tone. "Speak plainly, then."
"If you do not believe my evidence, then let us put your knowledge to the test. I can easily prove this supernatural world exists." He said with a devilish grin, making Sae feel a terrible chill. " Come with me, and see it with your own eyes."
Ah. She understood his angle now.
Sae had no choice but to follow Akechi. If she denied his request, she would only give validity to his words, after all, if she had nothing to fear, why would she refuse to verify his so-called evidence?
On the other hand, the moment she entered the metaverse, she knew it would be over. In truth, this was all she ever wanted: A valid excuse to confront the little shit directly.
"Very well then. Lead the way."
Three detectives looked at one another as they sat in the hotel conference room. The fourth one was alone in his own corner, leaning against the large windows, staring at the lights of the city at night.
"It seems we have narrowed down to three possible people connected to the Phantom Thieves. Makoto Niijima, Ren Amamiya and Yusuke Kitagawa." Naoto said conclusively.
"I doubt they are the only ones. Sae could also have a connection… It explains many of her recent behaviors if she does." Katsuya muttered.
"The question now is… Who tails who?" Narukami asked out loud.
Meanwhile, at the window, Tatsuya Suou saw a golden butterfly dancing around outside, and he felt an inexplicable feeling of pain deep in his heart.
As soon as the world took shape again and they noticed each other's gears and looks, both of them took out their weapons and aimed at one another.
Sae clutched her handgun - her actual, real-world gun, and not the one that came with her metaverse outfit - with barely contained fury as the feelings of utter betrayal coursed through her body.
All those times that she was stressed, tired, obsessively running around in circles to catch the culprit. All those times she ignored and neglected her precious sister just so she could have a few more hours working to catch the murderer.
All those times she collapsed, tired, losing hope, losing her sense of justice and even her sense of self, all for a stupid wild goose chase investigation.
The times he came to banter, to call her out for her unjust methods, to tell that she was going overboard, and to insinuate she was corrupt. She thought those were just coming from a friend trying to be her conscience with decent, good advice.
Turns out he was just gloating, mocking, and having fun at her expense. Secretly twisting the knife as he backstabbed her.
He had to be the perpetrator. He had to be.
"So I was right in my assessment." Akechi started. "You are one of them."
He looked fucking ridiculous. Flamboyant, white princely clothes, and a tengu-like red mask, coupled with a laser saber and a toy-like laser gun.
Fitting. He was a fake peacock after all.
"Are you not going to say anything for yourself?" He taunted her.
"Tch. I could ask you the same thing. How are you here, and how did you know about this place?"
"I had just shown you. I was accidentally dragged along to that strange world with the others when I was capturing that evidence. The one which you just tried to disprove as false."
"A likely story. Who told you about Mementos?"
"After that first time, I followed them once more."
Sae wasn't amused. "And you didn't know I was one of them until now?"
"I had a suspicion." He said as he continued aiming his gun at her. "I will lower my weapon if you do the same." The bastard proposed.
"Now, why in all hells would I do that? For all I know, that could be the opportunity you need to get rid of me."
He sighed. "Because I'm not your enemy. I am, in fact, on your side."
She didn't buy it for a single second.
"Do I look like I was born yesterday?" She spat out.
"I am being serious. I saw the culprit."
"Oh? You mean, yourself?"
"What?" He told her, actually seeming taken aback by her accusation, despite the red mask obscuring his face "Of course not! I do not mean myself… But rather, someone else. I have reasons to believe the culprit was someone we knew all along."
He lowered his gun first. She maintained her aim steady.
Akechi didn't seem concerned with being aimed at. "I swear it. I have evidence that suggests it to be true. This person… They have the same kind of distortion as Okumura did. I discovered it by accident in this strange app we use to get here."
Heh. Was he going to throw Masayoshi Shido under the bus to save himself? He was the only person she knew that currently had a palace.
Sae finally lowered her gun.
"Well then. If it's not you, who is it?" She asked mockingly.
Akechi sighed and slowly removed his mask. No Persona came out, but it revealed his eyes, somber and regretful.
"The perpetrator… Is none other than your own sister Makoto."
To be continued…