11/19 Tuesday
Days Until Investigation: 1
"I'll likely be spending the whole night at the office." Sae mentioned.
"The Phantom Thieves case has you that busy, huh?" Makoto asked. "Well, be careful, alright…"
"You don't have to worry." Sae mentioned. "I'll be fine."
Makoto nodded, gathering her things as she prepared for school.
"There's something different about you, Makoto."
She paused in front of the door, turning around to address her sister.
"What do you mean?" Makoto asked.
"It's just the way you're carrying yourself lately." Sae mentioned. "It's different somehow."
"Well… I only have a few months left as a high schooler." Makoto mentioned. "Then I'll be off the college, and probably looking for somewhere to stay. An apartment, or the dorms, or something like that."
"I suppose…" Sae trailed off. "Have you thought about what you'll be going to college for?"
"I have. I've got a pretty solid idea on what I want to do in life." Makoto stated. "I'll tell you more about it later.
She opened the door, leaving for school…
"I'll… see you later tonight, sis."
There was a meeting in the auditorium the moment that school began.
It was supposedly Dr. Maruki's last day at the school.
She would be lying if she said that every thought and interaction with him had been positive, but it was clear that there were a lot of people who were thankful for him.
"Ah, hello there, Niijima-san, hello." Maruki greeted.
"Hello, Dr. Maruki." Makoto greeted. "So, this will be your last day, then?"
"Yes, that's right." Maruki answered. "Say… I know that this is rather last-minute, but if it's possible, could you come by and see me during lunch today?"
"At lunch?" Makoto asked. "Yes, I'm sure that I could do that."
"Glad to hear it." Maruki smiled. "I wanted to discuss something with you, since this is the last time we'll be able to talk."
"I suppose so." Makoto nodded.
"It's quite a sad affair." Maruki admitted. "I've really come to enjoy my time here at Shujin, even if it was a little hectic at times… or, most of the time, haha.
"I heard that you're going to be giving a speech." Makoto said.
"Yes, I do have one to give at the morning assembly, yes. Still, I wanted to speak to you individually." Maruki explained. "And considering the occasion, lunch is on me! I'll have something special prepared for you, so you can look forward to it!"
"Alright… I'll see you then." Makoto nodded.
Maruki walked off, and she went to head to the auditorium.
She sat down in the auditorium, waiting to hear his speech.
"... And finally, we would like Dr. Maruki to share a few last words with the student body." the vice principal said.
"Good morning, everyone." Maruki greeted. "As the vice principal mentioned, today marks the end of my tenure here at Shujin Academy. Over the past several months, I've come to learn of all sorts of conflicts that you students have faced over the years."
Everyone in the auditorium paid close attention to Maruki's speech. It was clear that, unlike a lot of other staff members, Maruki was beloved by the student body.
And yet…
"Troubles with romances, studies… in fact, some of you even have financial issues that are awfully similar to my own." Maruki joked. "But before I leave here, I want to offer you one final piece of counseling. If your situation ever becomes too painful to endure, remember: it's okay for you to escape your problem."
Makoto narrowed her eyes. Trying to escape from one's problems, to her, never seemed to work out. They would always catch up with you in some way. She had known about her sister's palace for a long time, but even after she tried to ignore it, she knew, deep down, that she would one day have to confront her.
And that day was today.
"I don't want a single one of you to think that an unfair situation or reality you've been forced into is the only way you have to live. Um, what I'm trying to say is, even if your life is full of worries, it's best for you not to obsess over them."
She glanced around. Everyone seemed to be taking in his speech, completely captivated.
"Your existence in this world is an amazing miracle. You deserve to spend your days in happiness. I'll be rooting for all of you to have the best lives possible even after I'm long gone!" Maruki continued.
Maruki went for a bow… only to bump his head against the microphone.
"Ow! Hahaha… I guess things don't always pan out like you'd except." Maruki mumbled. "Well, that's it… thank you for having me this year. Good luck to you all!"
His speech ended there, and the moment that he got off the stage, he was swarmed by students wanting to personally thank him.
"I suppose I'll wait until lunch…" Makoto trailed off.
When she arrived at his office, she saw that Maruki had already set up lunch for the two of them on his table.
"Thank you for coming, Niijima-san." Maruki expressed. "Since this is about to be my last meal at Shujin, I've brought the best lunch ever!"
"The best lunch is… tempura?" Makoto asked.
"I think so! I've been curious about the nearby restaurant that serves these ever since I came here to Shujin." Maruki answered. "I've always passed on it due to the price, but today is special! Not only that, but I've ordered the deluxe bowls for us!"
That… might be a bit too much food for her. But it smelled so good…
"Ooh… this aroma's really trigged my appetite." Maruki grinned.
"Yeah, mine too…uuh… Dr. Maruki?"
"... Too bad I can't see anything." Maruki pointed out.
She tried her best not to laugh. The sight of him with his glasses fogged up sort of reminded her of how Ren looked after serving her curry.
She tried a bite of the tempura, and surprisingly, it tasted even better than it smelled. She quickly found herself scarfing down the entire meal.
"Incredible, wasn't it?" Maruki smiled. "I'm glad that I decided to splurge on that. Upscale dishes like that really do taste amazing. I wish I could just get lost in this bliss forever."
"It was good." Makoto admitted. "But I don't know if I could eat it every day."
"True enough." Maruki nodded. "Ah, but now that we've finished our food, let's get down to business. First off, I have some very big news."
"Is it about your paper?" Makoto asked.
"Exactly. My paper's done." Maruki confirmed.
"Congratulations." Makoto replied. "You must be very happy about that."
"Yes, I am." Maruki smiled. "And, while I've mentioned this before, this is all truly thanks to you, Niijima-san. Had you not shared your experience and insights with me, this paper never would have been completed."
"I see…" Makoto trailed off.
"Please, allow me to show my gratitude to you once more for all of the help you've given me." Maruki expressed. "Both as a student of Shujin… and as a Phantom Thief."
She said nothing in response.
"Why don't you look at those papers over there?" Maruki requested, directing her attention to a book on another table.
The paper on the table said, 'Interpreting reality through cognitive psience and the alteration of reality via external influence.'
"You know, the Phantom Thieves' act of changing hearts is rather reminiscent of cognitive psience in practice." Maruki commented. "They infiltrate a 'reality' that exists solely for their target- a reality wholly separated from the one that the public recognizes."
"Only criminals, though." Makoto pointed out. "That's the important part."
"True, but still… By accessing that world, they gain the means of permanently altering their target's cognition. That is what I hypothesize as being the 'change of heart' you induce in your targets."
"You've given this a lot of thought, haven't you?" Makoto asked.
"Should I take that response to mean that I have the right answer?" Maruki smiled.
Again, she said nothing in response.
"I've been very curious ever since I saw you, Sakamoto-kun, and Amamiya-kun suddenly appear in that alley." Maruki brought up. "And not long after, Kamoshida had his change of heart."
"But you stayed quiet because you believed in our mission. You've told me." Makoto replied.
"Yes, you could consider me a big fan." Maruki chuckled. "But that wasn't the only reason. I'd been studying cognitive psience for years, trying to find a way to directly interact with an individual's cognition so that I can help address their pain and despair. But, for certain reasons, this research has never been acknowledged by academia."
"It does sound unbelievable at first." Makoto admitted.
"Well, despite that, I've continually pursued evidence that could prove that my theory is correct." Maruki said. "At first, it felt like I wasn't making much progress, but then I happened to come across none other than the 'Phantom Thieves of Heart', fresh from a mission!"
"So, we were… an inspiration for you, then." Makoto muttered.
"Exactly!" Maruki exclaimed. "My own heart began to dance… I thought to myself, maybe I could complete my research if I were to have your assistance."
"And that's why you approached us in the first place." Makoto realized. "From the beginning, it was for your research."
"I don't want you to take this the wrong way, or to doubt my motives." Maruki mentioned. "That's why I didn't mention it beforehand, but maybe I should have been more honest. I apologize if you feel I've wronged you in any way. But that's everything that I've kept from you… does that change your opinion of me?
"I… don't know, honestly." Makoto admitted. "People's minds and cognitions can be very fragile things.
It was clear that he wanted to help her, that was for sure. And yet…
"I understand that, however… because of you, I finally know what to do." Maruki said, a serious expression on his face. "I'm going to stand up to our current reality. I swear I'll use my research to make our world a better place. Although, it'll likely be through different than how the Phantom Thieves reform members of society."
Maruki got up, raising his hand for her to shake.
"You have a brilliant sense of justice." Maruki praised. "Promise me you'll never let that go."
She stood up, shaking his hand. "Yeah. I promise. I won't let abuse their position of power to hurt others if I can help it… no matter who they are.
She said her goodbyes, and then made for the door.
"Actually, there's one thing I forgot. Dr. Maruki, could I ask you just one question?" Makoto said.
"Of course." Maruki smiled. "What was it?
"Does the name Sumire Yoshizawa mean anything to you?" Makoto asked.
"... Where did you hear that name?" Maruki asked.
"I was looking at some of the school records at one point, and I happened upon that name." Makoto answered.
"... No one at this school goes by that name, I'm afraid." Maruki answered. "And none of my patients goes by that name either."
"I see. Well, thank you for your time…" Makoto trailed off.
She knew that he was lying, but she couldn't afford to deal with him right now. Not with what else was happening today.
And besides… he was leaving today, so hopefully everything would just… settle down after a bit.
As Makoto tried to exit the building, however…
"Hey, Prez!"
She saw Eiko running over to her, trying to catch her before she left.
"Oh, Eiko… hello there." Makoto greeted.
She hadn't yet briefed Eiko on the mission yet. And to be honest, she didn't want to do that at all…
"Hey, Prez… is everything ok?" Eiko asked. "You seem stressed. I said hello to you this morning, but you didn't even notice."
"I didn't? Sorry about that." Makoto said. "I've just been busy lately."
"You guys are involved in something really dangerous, huh?" Eiko frowned.
"That's…"
"I know that things are really dangerous right now, but I can help! Really!" Eiko insisted.
"Eiko, I'm sorry, but… I don't want to involve anyone else, if I can." Makoto insisted.
"Am I… too much of a burden?" Eiko whispered.
"No, of course not! I just want you to be safe!" Makoto insisted.
"Yeah… ok." Eiko sighed. "But if there is anything that I can do to help…"
"I'll tell you." Makoto said. "I promise to."
She felt guilty about the hurt expression on Eiko's face, but hopefully she would understand.
She said goodbye, heading to her group at Leblanc.
"It's finally time." Haru commented. "Is everyone ready?"
"Seems like it." Akechi nodded. "And what of the calling card?"
"I showed it to Sis… she even took it from my own hand."
"Makoto… will you be alright?" Ren asked.
"I can't afford to not be alright." Makoto answered. "None of us can be."
"Yeah, if we screw this up, it's all over." Ryuji muttered.
"Indeed. This is our most important fight yet." Yusuke agreed.
"It's alright. I'll save Sis… no matter what!" Makoto declared.
"Makoto…" Futaba trailed off.
"Looks like everyone's decided." Morgana observed.
"Yeah! Let's do this!" Ann exclaimed.
Their meeting concluded, all of them made their way into Mementos.
The moment they arrived, Akechi walked up to her.
"Those Will Seeds we saw… They made me recall something Sae once told me." Akechi said.
"Recall what?" Makoto asked.
"Sae-san once told me that when she first became a prosecutor, she attracted quite a bit of media attention." Akechi noted.
"I heard." Makoto nodded. "I imagine it was because she completed the bar exam when she was so young…"
"She seemed a little annoyed how the media seemed to focus a lot on her looks, though." Akechi noted.
"... I see." Makoto muttered.
"Despite her circumstances, you can't afford to hold back, understand?" Akechi asked.
"I know." she nodded. "Don't worry, I promise that I won't let the enemy get the better of me."
"Glad to hear it." Akechi grinned. "Now then, let's be off."
They made their way through the entire palace, swiftly making their way back to the top.
Along the way, they didn't find any enemies along the path, and the cognitions of ordinary people were only in the lobby.
It was… eerie…
"There's nothing here at all…" Ren observed.
"Say, we haven't seen your cognition in a while." Akechi said, addressing Makoto.
"Maybe something changed when she saw us in the courtroom." Morgana brought up.
Makoto shrugged. "Possibly."
It wasn't long before they had finally made their way to the top, where Sae awaited.
"How kind of you to finally join me here." Sae grinned.
Everyone immediately grabbed their weapons, cautiously glaring.
"So… will you have us play another game? No matter how many trials you throw at us, we will emerge victorious." Akechi said.
"The only reason I guided you here is because this room allows me to fight to my heart's content." Sae grinned.
"Guided my ass! You were trying to kill us this entire time!" Ryuji snapped. "But we outsmarted you and sent the calling card! You're done!"
"I will admit, I did not intend for you to make it this far. However… there was a part of me that always wanted to crush you myself." Sae admitted.
"Sis…" Makoto whispered.
"When my father died in the line of duty, I hated his killer from the bottom of my heart." Sae began. "And yet, you robbed me of the chance to take him down myself!"
"We targeted him precisely because the police refused to do anything about him!" Ren argued.
"I was willing to do anything to capture you then… my superiors wanted me to extort that old cafe owner, hoping it would bring us one step closer to stopping you. If only we had gotten that research…!"
"How dare you! How dare you try to hurt Sojiro like that!" Futaba screamed. "How is that justice to you?!"
"Enough!" Sae declared. "I won't be lectured about justice by thieves! Here in my domain, I am justice! No matter what, I will continue to win! No matter what!"
"Tsk tsk tsk… how self-righteous." Akechi scoffed.
"In this world, only those with power can determine right from wrong! So let's see which one of us is the strongest!"
Several colored panels around them opened up, revealing numbers.
"It's… a giant roulette wheel?!" Makoto realized.
"Be on alert, everyone!" Morgana warned.
"Now then… let's do this fair and square!"
On the screen in front of them, the words 'Bet Life' suddenly appeared.
"Let's raise the stakes as high as we can! We'll wager… our lives."
"What?!" Ann snapped. "Are you crazy?!"
"Not at all. You've been gambling your lives all this time, so what's one more time?" Sae grinned. "Oh course, violence against me is forbidden. You wouldn't want to break the rules, would you?"
"The hell with your rules!" Ryuji snapped. "We're sick of your games.
Ryuji shot out a bolt of lightning, scoring a direct hit on Sae.
She knew that it was necessary, and that the Sae before her was a shadow, but she still couldn't help but wince.
And as the smoke cleared, Sae stood there smirking, looking no worse for wear.
"Well then… I think you've earned a penalty!" Sae exclaimed.
Suddenly, a mountain of dice came crashing down on Ryuji with the force of a boulder.
"Skull!" Ann cried.
Ann and Morgana tended to Ryuji's wounds while the others carefully watched Sae.
"Those who break the rules will not be tolerated in society." Sae stated plainly. "Now then, make your prediction."
"It's likely she will cheat." Yusuke frowned. "What should we do?"
"I… let's… go for a safe bet!" Makoto hesitantly said. "It'll land on a black pocket!"
"Very well then… let's test your luck!" Sae shouted.
The ball dropped onto the roulette wheel, swiftly rolling around and around… but for a moment, as the ball began to slow down, it almost seemed to float for a moment before landing on a red pocket.
"How unfortunate. It's in the red, just like you'll be soon!" Sae grinned.
"Everyone, look out!" Haru cried.
Several dice shot out, striking all of them, while Sae seemed to heal off the miniscule damage that Ryuji had dealt.
She carefully looked around the battleground with her third eye before finding something odd.
"Glass panels… so that's why." she muttered to herself.
She signaled to Ren to stealthily head to the left, while Sae's attention was focused entirely on her.
"Why don't we up the ante a little?" Sae laughed. "You'd best hope that you don't lose again, or you'll get even closer to death!"
Makoto frowned. She was sure that she knew the trick, but…
"Well? What will you bet?" Sae asked. "Something safe, like a color? Maybe the first 12? Or-
"5!" Makoto shouted. "It'll land on 5!"
"W-What?!" Haru gasped. "Queen, are you sure?!"
"Queen, are you nuts?!" Ann shouted. "That's a 1 in 36 chance!"
Even Sae seemed surprised. "Just 5? That's your bet?!"
"Hold on, Queen." Akechi advised. "Perhaps it would be better if-
"If I call a risky bet like that right… you'll take a lot of damage, right?" Makoto said. "It'll definitely land on 5!
"Hahaha… very well then. Just know that you've doomed your entire group!" Sae smirked.
She glanced at Ren, a wordless conversation exchanged.
It seemed that Joker also noticed something odd about the ball.
He trusted her, and she him.
She directed him away, while calling to the others.
"Everyone, surround her!"
The group got into formation around Sae, Makoto pulling out her gun.
"Now now." Sae grinned. "No attacking, remember?"
"Actually, you only said that we couldn't attack you." Makoto pointed out. "Not that we couldn't attack in general.
Sae frowned. "Don't be pedantic. What difference would it ma-
*KKSSSHK*
The sound of breaking glass immediately got Sae's attention, a shocked expression on her face as the ball landed in the 5 pocket, alongside several shards of broken glass.
"How dare y-"
Before Sae could do anything, dozens of dice came crashing down onto her, dealing a considerable amount of damage.
"You were cheating yet again." Akechi sighed. "It's quite concerning that someone in your position would keep resorting to such underhanded methods."
"Underhanded? I'm dealing with notorious Thieves! I can't afford to not use underhanded methods… and besides, you have no room to talk."
Akechi narrowed his eyes.
"What, you didn't think I'd recognize you with that absurd mask?" Sae scoffed.
"The beak is kinda extra…" Futaba whispered.
"Regardless!" Akechi began. "The reason that I joined the Phantom Thieves is because several individuals, like Kaneshiro, have been abusing the Metaverse for their own gain. Naturally, the police can't be expected to solve a crime that occurs in another world. So that is why I must resort to these methods.
Akechi dramatically pointed at Sae.
"The reason you use these underhanded methods, however, is simply for your own benefit. For a promotion. For recognition." Akechi stated.
"And what's wrong with that?!" Sae snapped. "I have to win, no matter what!
"The law is supposed to be blind! You can't just let your desires take over when weighing over other people's fate!" Makoto shouted.
"The law is blind… Did Father tell you that one?" Sae asked. "Perhaps as a bedtime story?
"What did you say?!" Makoto snapped. "Are you insulting Father's sense of justice?!"
For a moment, Sae said nothing, the two glaring at each other, everyone keeping a close eye on Sae in case she made a move.
"Do you know why the law exists?" Sae asked. "It's because man needs it to function. Without law and order, even the most noble of men will fight and kill over something. And everyone else will succumb to their base desires."
The group kept their guard up as Sae paced around them, seizing them up.
"Be they children or adults, people are told that some being will punish them if they misbehave. There are many different mythological creatures that just so happen to punish people for committing certain sinful actions." Sae continued. "Before modern society, those mythological beings were the law, and people's fear of them is what made them stick to the law."
Makoto considered her words. Throughout history, there have been stories of innumerable mythological creatures that punished people for actions like adultery, murder, cannibalism, thievery, hurting animals or nature, and many, many more. They might serve as moral lessons, or cautionary tales. They were even all-seeing, so even if one were to fool people, they could not fool these mythological beings.
It could be theorized that the reason that the myths were 'created' was to help maintain order. To rule people by fear, if you wanted to put it cynically.
One could even look to things like the boogeyman or Santa being used as a way to make kids behave, as they would fear getting coal or getting caught by the boogeyman,
Of course, those were only theories... she wanted to believe that most people were inherently good.
"Now, in the modern day, we have the modern law to deter man from indulging in their desires." Sae said.
"Are you really saying that no one would be a good person if not for the law?" Akechi asked. "That there's no incentive to be a good person without it?"
"And what makes a good person?" Sae countered. "Someone with morals? A sense of justice? And how, pray tell, does someone develop morals or a sense of justice! From their parents, perhaps? But how did they learn them? It all goes back to laws and traditions. Our society is built on them… and built on shaming those who don't follow them."
"But not everyone who's shamed by society is a criminal!" Ren argued. "Some are innocent people, just trying to get by, but being shunned makes that much harder."
"An unfortunate, but negligible problem." Sae dismissed. "If a few thousand innocent people suffering is the cost of the rest of the nation thriving in safety, then so be it."
"Then what about all of the corruption in the police?! In politics?! In the street gangs and schools and large companies?!" Makoto yelled. "What about… the corruption in the law… in you?"
"What are you talking about?" Sae asked.
"Surely you don't think that all the people who hold positions of power are following the law to the letter, do you?"
"Oh course I don't." Sae scoffed. "However… In order for the law to function… some people must be immune to it."
"W-What?!" Makoto gasped.
"The only reason someone would take a position of power would be because they desire power." Sae claimed. "So imagine a world where police, politicians, executives, prosecutors, and others in power were held to the same standard as everyone else. It would be a disaster."
"How so?" Akechi asked.
"Society would be in chaos. People in power would be getting removed faster than they could be replaced." Sae mentioned. "No one would want these jobs if they didn't have some sort of immunity. And if no one took these jobs, there would be no one to lead this country!"
"Is that really the case?!" Ren shouted. "You think upholding the law will lead to chaos?!"
"It will! Hate them as much as you want, but society needs a small group of elites to rule over it!" Sae exclaimed. "If they weren't ruling, chaos and anarchy would! But by allowing just a little bit of corruption in the upper echelons of society, we can stop it from spreading everywhere!"
"No, I refuse to believe that!" Makoto cried. "If you allow even a little bit of corruption, that corruption will continue to spread until you can't control it anymore!"
"So what are you going to do, change the hearts of everyone in the country?" Sae asked, shaking her head. "Because every single of those corrupt individuals only desire power."
"You're wrong. Father was different. He truly believed in his morals and sense of justice. Something you've forgotten." Makoto stated.
*SLAM*
At the mention of their father, Sae slammed her heel into the ground.
"AND WHAT DID THAT GET HIM?!" Sae roared, pure rage twisting her features. "NOTHING BUT AN EARLY GRAVE AND TWO ABANDONED DAUGHTERS!"
Dark flames began to envelop Sae…
"You have the nerve to call me corrupt?! I'm the only reason you have a roof over your head and food to eat! Did you forget that, you ungrateful, spoiled, useless sack of garbage!"
…Until it completely engulfed her, morphing her into a monstrous shadow form.
"THE REALITY OF THIS WORLD CRUSHED FATHER BENEATH IT'S BOOT! AND NOW, I'LL DO THE SAME TO YOU!"
A massive, armored creature covered in spikes appeared before them, armed with a large, bloodied sword in one hand and several firearms in the other.
"S-Sis?" Makoto gasped.
This was her sister's true form?!
"Silence, all of you!" the creature snarled. "This is MY world! I AM THE LAW!"
"N-No… this can't be…!" Makoto gasped.
Sae fired off an attack, but she found herself frozen in place.
"Why can't I move?! I thought that… I was ready for this?" Makoto though.
Before she was struck, however, Ren pushed her out of the way, narrowly avoiding the attack.
"J-Joker-"
"You'll save her, won't you?!" Ren yelled. "That's what you promised! Snap out of it, Leader!"
"J-Joker, I…
She took a deep breath, slowly climbing to her feet, her teammates looking at her in concern.
"Alright… Everyone, let's go! It's time to steal her heart!" Makoto yelled.
They charged, ready to face off against Sae's true form.
Makoto's Confidant Progress:
THE FOOL - Ren Amamiya: Rank 9
THE HUNGER - Igor: Rank 9
THE CHARIOT - Ryuji Sakamoto: Rank 9
THE MAGICIAN - Morgana: Rank 8
THE FAITH - Eiko Takao: Rank 7
THE TOWER - Chiaki Yasui: Rank 9
THE SUN - Shiho Suzui: Rank 9
THE MOON - Takayo Tachibana: Rank 9
THE HIEROPHANT - Sojiro Sakura: Rank 9
THE TEMPERANCE - Naoya Makigami: Rank 8
THE STAR - Hifumi Togo: Rank 8
THE DEVIL - Mitsuhide Matsuoka: Rank 6
THE HANGED MAN - Munehisa Iwai: Rank 7
THE DEATH - Yohei Kiritani: Rank 6
THE EMPEROR - Yusuke Kitagawa: Rank 9
THE EMPRESS - Haru Okumura: Rank 6
THE LOVERS - Ann Takamaki: Rank 9
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 7
THE JUDGMENT - Sae Niijima: Rank 6
THE COUNCILLOR - Takuto Maruki: Rank 9
Are the Phantom Thieves just? Yes 30.0%