Mitsuru's POV
That Naoto is as loyal as she is intelligent. She ran off to tell her team the moment I mentioned the fog. As expected.
The Kirijo Group has grown significantly, as have the shadow operatives, but something tells me this mission requires a personal touch.
I disbanded S.E.E.S 6 years ago, after we found the answer to what happened with... Yuki kun. We've all done our best to move on, but it still hurts to think about.
Yukari is an actress now; she's actually done a few collaborations with Rise San. (I might've gone to see them perform a couple of times.)
Junpei is a baseball coach, and he's engaged to Chidori. Akihiko is the leader of my shadow operatives. Am is about to finish high school, and he's at the top of his class. I was thinking of asking him to join the Kirijo Group. Fuuka is still working as an engineer for Ergo Research, and Koromaru is still living with Amada.
But about one year ago, the shadow operatives attempted an investigation on the so-called "Phantom Thieves". The Kirijo Group funded the police's investigation, and I recommended Naoto as the detective to investigate. However, the police, along with a politician named Masayoshi Shido, insisted on sending a "detective prince" named Akechi.
I never trusted Shido, but he had such a strong reputation for charity and politics that, without solid evidence, I couldn't stop his insistence. But when I heard that the police had captured and drugged the leader of the phantom thieves and then pronounced him dead, I immediately cut my funding to the Tokyo police department and instead decided to help a young prosecutor named Sae Nijima expose Shido and their corrupt police force.
I met Sae San personally, she seemed ernest and determined, it was personal for her, but I knew I could trust her to deal with this problem, and as an apology to the Phantom Thieves the least I could do was give her a real chance at fixing the corruption. My only regret is that I could not meet this leader of the Phantom Thieves, and apologise for my involvement in his prosecution, but also, commend him for his cunning in tricking the police. The Phantom Thieves were definitely trying to help the people and stand up for the little guy, and I have nothing but respect for them. When I saw the Phantom Thieves show up on my screen and announce they were going after Shido, I couldn't help but root for them, but without finding out the method for their "changes of hearts" I couldn't help them.
I've called my fellow members of S.E.E.S and asked for their assistance. Despite their busy schedules, they've all agreed to help, and I couldn't ask for better friends.
"Mitsuru, have you finished calling our friends?"
Aigis never left my side. After she finished college with Yukari, she joined the shadow ops as a leader alongside Akihiko.
"I have Aigis. They'll be here tomorrow."
"It's been so long; I'm excited to see them again."