12/13 Wednesday
Days Until Ballot Count: 8
In retrospect, she was glad that she had opted to head to the palace when she had. With so few days remaining until the ballot count, they needed to make every second count.
The first step was to replenish their supplies as always.
At least, that was initially her plan…
"Makoto! Are you going shopping for supplies?"
Futaba walked up to her right as she was about to head out the door.
"Yes, I was." Makoto nodded. "Did you need anything, Futaba?"
"Actually, I was hoping to come with you!" Futaba told her. "At least, part of the way…"
"Part of the way…?" Makoto repeated, confused.
"I-It's for the final item on my promise list!" Futaba insisted.
"Oh, alright. Wait… Wasn't the final item on your list 'Being fine without me around' or something like that?" Makoto asked.
"W-Well, yeah, but I mean, it'll be nice to have you there juuuust in case, right?" Futaba stammered. "There was something I wanted to buy, and I thought that maybe… I could grab it myself. If you're heading to the same area, then maybe we could go together?"
She thought about it for a moment before nodding.
"Alright, sure. We'll go to the store together and then split up to get what we need." Makoto said.
"Great! Let's goooooooo!" Futaba exclaimed.
They arrived at the store, and while Futaba seemed her normal self on the surface, Makoto could tell that she was putting on a brave face.
"Would half an hour be enough for you to buy what you need?" Makoto asked. "We could meet back here after that."
"Y-Yeah. Sounds good. I'm going to go take a look around by myself." Futaba said, her expression serious. "If I'm not back in half an hour…"
"Come look for you?" Makoto suggested.
"... Actually, just stay here and wait for me to come back." Futaba smiled.
"Alright." Makoto smiled.
A part of her was nervous herself, wanting to protect Futaba as much as she could. But she knew deep down that Futaba needed to be able to do this on her own.
"I'm kinda nervous… but here I go! Time to make like a tree and branch out!"
Futaba walked towards her destination, leaving Makoto to do her own shopping.
After half an hour, she arrived back at their meeting place, but Futaba had yet to arrive herself.
"Well, she might just have lost track of time…" Makoto reasoned. "I'll wait a little longer."
15 more minutes passed, with still no sign of Futaba. She was beginning to get worried.
"Maybe I should just text her." Makoto muttered.
Right as she pulled out her phone, however, she saw Futaba running up to her.
"Sorry, sorry! I forgot to check the time!" Futaba shouted.
"I figured it was something like that." Makoto nodded. "Did you get what you needed?"
"Yeah! I, ummmm… I was having fun!" Futaba answered. "Guess that means I beat my mission, huh?"
"You sure did." Makoto smiled.
"You know, Akihabara is the same as it was the last time we were here, but everything looked so different to me this time." Futaba noted. "And it's not just here that's like that, though."
Futaba sported a wide grin as she took a few steps forwards.
"I think that's because you decided to step out of your comfort zone." Makoto stated.
"It's like my whole world is expanding. Every day brings all kinds of new and different discoveries." Futaba said. "Like all the cool little details in stores, or the atmosphere of Yongen, or all the little habits or quirks people have."
"Must be a lot to take in, huh?" Makoto realized.
"Yeah, a lot of this stuff might be mostly the same as yesterday, but it's all brand new to me!" Futaba exclaimed. "I mean, I figured that there'd be all kinds of stuff on the outside, but I had never really felt anything like this before. And…"
"And…?"
"I think I'm changing a little bit each and every day too…" Futaba trailed off.
"That's right." Makoto encouraged. "The old you would have never thought to do something like this."
"Mm hm!" Futaba nodded. "And now I know I can do it now."
"And with all the new experiences you're having, I'm sure you'll have plenty of stories to tell your friend." Makoto suggested.
"Oh! About that…. Kana-chan sent me a text saying that she got a job at a convenience store." Futaba told her. "And she told me that she's really happy to finally be living life like a normal teenager. Oh! Oh! And plus, with all the money she made, she was able to get a bunch of study guides! She's gonna take the high school entrance exam!"
"It sounds like the two of you are going to be starting in the same year." Makoto realized.
"Yeah! She's my new rival now! I can't lose to her!" Futaba declared.
"I… don't think it's a competition, but whatever keeps you motivated, I suppose." Makoto said.
"Hey! You said that you'd get me a reward if I finished my promise list, right?" Futaba asked.
Did she? She vaguely remembered promising something like that.
"I suppose you've earned it. I'll be sure to get you something nice." Makoto smiled.
"You da man!" Futaba exclaimed. "I was actually just looking at a bunch of stores, trying to think about what to buy… But it felt kinda weird."
"How so?" Makoto asked.
"Well, there was plenty of stuff that I wanted, but it was all stuff that I could get if I worked really hard." Futaba explained. "And, after all… You already gave me something. Something I would have never been able to get back on my own."
"I did? What was that?" Makoto asked.
"Did you forget? You gave me back something really important." Futaba pointed out.
Try as she might, Makoto was unable to think of what she could have given the younger girl.
"You gave me my life back." Futaba expressed. "It's thanks to you that I was able to accomplish any of this. That I was able to trust my mom again. I was as good as dead, but you resurrected me."
"Futaba…" Makoto trailed off.
"I want to use my work with the Phantom Thieves to return the favor." Futaba told her. "And when I remember all the friends I've made, it feels like I'm tapping into some kind of unknown power!"
"Thank you, Futaba." Makoto smiled.
She could feel her bond with Futaba solidifying into something truly unbreakable.
I am thou, thou art I…
Thou hast turned a vow into a blood oath,
Thy bond shall become the wings of rebellion
and break the yoke of thy heart.
Thou has awakened to the ultimate secret of
the Hermit, granting thee infinite power…
HERMIT CONFIDANT: RANK 10 MAX
She could feel an intense energy coming not just from Futaba, but Futaba's persona as well.
She could visualize it quite clearly. Futaba's persona transformed into a black sphere surrounded by a red aura, bright lines of various colors covering it like wires.
"Woah!" Futaba gasped. "It feels like my heart just leveled up! Like a new me rising from the ashes!"
"Futaba…" Makoto whispered. "Your persona…"
"Prometheus." Futaba answered. "This is great! Now, I'll be able to help you guys even more! So feel free to tell me anything, ok? I'll do whatever I can to help!"
"I'm glad to have your help." Makoto smiled. "I'll be counting on you."
"Leave it to me!" Futaba grinned. "Oh, but I still have to claim my reward, right? So, lemme see… How about a month's supply of instant yakisoba? Pretty good deal, huh?"
"Absolutely not."
"Aww…" Futaba groaned. "But I really wanted to go get it ourselves, now that I know how much fun walking around can be."
"I'm sure that there's something else that you can think of." Makoto said.
"I'll think about it on the way back. Oh, but uh… There was another favor I wanted to ask, if that was ok." Futaba said.
"What is it?" Makoto asked.
"Well, you see…" Futaba trailed off. "I'm actually trying to do some 3D modeling."
"3d modeling?" Makoto repeated.
"Yeah, but I also need some voicework done as well. If you could record a couple of lines for me…" Futaba requested.
"... What are you planning?" Makoto replied.
"Mwehehe… I'm cooking up something special, don't you worry." Futaba smirked.
As they made their way back to Sojiro's house, Futaba began to tell her what she wanted her to record, giving her an idea on what exactly she was planning.
After stopping back at Sojiro's home for a bit, she quickly made her way to Crossroads.
Even with the threat of Shido looming over her, she still wanted to check in with Mitsuhide to ensure that he wasn't being harassed by Kuze anymore.
She entered the bar, seeing Mitsuhide inside.
"Heh, you always seem to come at the right time." the man said.
"Did something happen?" Makoto asked.
"Yeah. It's about Kuze." Mitsuhide said. "It's the strangest thing… Not too long ago, he came up to me and told me how sorry he was for everything.
"Really?" Makoto asked. "Then did he give you the fake key?"
"He did… But I don't think this'll be the end." Mitsuhide frowned.
"Why not?" Makoto asked.
"It wasn't a coincidence that Kuze was made my partner." Mitsuhide explained. "He was quite clearly placed there by the higher ups to keep an eye on me and make sure I didn't know or question something."
Makoto frowned. "So, what you're saying is…"
"Corruption from the top down? Unfortunately, I think so." Mitsuhide sighed. "Not to say they're all in on it, but a lot of them probably have no idea what's going on behind the scenes."
"Behind the scenes… So they really didn't want you holding onto this key." Makoto noticed.
"It's not just that." Mitsuhide answered. "Kuze also told me something I had suspected for a long time… My old partner's death was one of those psychotic breakdowns."
"W-What?!" Makoto gasped. "It was?!"
"Yeah. Guess they figured that she was getting too close to the truth. Which is why once they found out about this key thing, they started going after me too." Mitsuhide said.
"So what are you going to do now?" Makoto asked. "It sounds like even though Kuze changed his mind, there will be others coming after you."
"... I'm going to see what information is stored on this. Then I'll make my decision." Mitsuhide stated.
"Really?" Makoto asked. "What changed your mind?"
"The police had to have known my partner had this, which means that the culprit behind the mental shutdowns is most likely either a part of the police, or someone they report too…"
She said nothing, allowing him to continue with his suspicions.
"There was the fact that we never seriously went after Kaneshiro's group." Mitsuhide continued. "And we also know that Kaneshiro himself was responsible for your father's death…"
"You think it's all connected?" Makoto asked.
"I'm starting to think so, yeah." Mitsuhide nodded. "This key… Might just help bring it all together. After that, I don't know. Anyway, if I end up in some tragic accident or something in the near future, uh… You know what happened."
She frowned. "Don't joke like that."
"My bad. Thank you, though." Mitsuhide expressed.
"Y-You're thanking me? For what?" Makoto wondered.
"Well, I guess through talking with you so much, I think I was reminded of why I even joined the force in the first place." Mitsuhide told her. "It was to help people. Even if that's not why some of the other members of the force want to do, it… was my reason."
"And is remembering that the reason you decided to listen to the key?" Makoto asked.
"I believe so." Mitsuhide nodded. "I just figure that if there really is some great big conspiracy out there, and this key held some kind of information on it, I feel like I'd have to do my part to stop it."
"A great big conspiracy, huh?" Makoto repeated.
"Yeah. Realistically though, I'm not really sure how much I'd be able to do, but even if it was just a little bit, I'd want to help out." Mitsuhide expressed. "Thank you for helping me realize."
She could feel her bond with the man growing stronger.
DEVIL CONFIDANT: RANK 8
"Still, I wonder what could have caused the sudden change in Kuze." Mitsuhide said. "My first thought would be the Phantom Thieves, but how would they have figured out about Kuze's threats?"
"U-Uh, well, if Kuze was involved in this big conspiracy, then it could really have been any number of coverups that the police were involved in." Makoto suggested.
"Yeah, that's a good point." Mitsuhide nodded. "Still, they also recently lost their leader. Hmm…"
She spoke to Mitsuhide for a little longer before heading home for the day.
12/14 Thursday
Days Until Ballot Count: 7
There was something that had slowly been eating at her for the past few days now.
She was already sure that she had the answer, and yet, there was something she just had to confirm for herself.
Firstly, she entered a certain name into the Metaverse App, wanting to see if there was a match.
"Name Found"
"It's just like I thought, then…" Makoto said.
Her thoughts confirmed, she set out for her regular meeting place with a certain someone.
"More training, then?" Yohei asked.
"Yes, please…" Makoto nodded.
She needed to be as strong as possible to be able to stop Shido.
But there was another reason she was here today.
And as she continued to train with Yohei, that other reason crept up into her head again and again.
"Enough." Yohei called.
She stopped her training early, turning towards him.
"Is something wrong?" Makoto asked.
"That's what I should be asking you." Yohei frowned. "There's something on your mind, today."
"Is it that obvious?" Makoto asked.
"It's affecting your focus. Letting something affect you this much will easily allow your enemies to triumph over you." Yohei chastised.
"Then, in that case, maybe you could explain a few things for me…" Makoto trailed off.
"Me?" Yohei asked. "Something I can help you with?"
"Just a few questions. First of all, does this charm look familiar?" Makoto asked.
She had kept the charm Ren had bought her in Hawaii.
She recalled when it had been stolen from her by the cleaner, only for her to find it again at Untouchables. Someone had killed the cleaner, taken the charm, and sold it.
"That charm… It looks vaguely familiar. Why?"
"It was actually stolen from me a while ago, only for it to end up in a shop I frequent. Untouchable is the name. I know you didn't steal it, but…" she trailed off.
"... I wouldn't know anything about that." the man insisted.
"Of course. Actually, I wanted to ask you about those two delinquents who attacked us in the homeless camp." Makoto brought up.
"Those two again? I spared them for you, didn't I?" Yohei scoffed.
"Did you?" Makoto questioned.
Yohei narrowed his eyes at her, his expression hardening.
A long pause ensued, the tension in the room building.
"What are you saying?"
"I saw on the news that someone found their bodies. They had been murdered." Makoto answered.
"I doubt those punks actually learned their lesson." Yohei scoffed. "They probably kept messing with homeless people until they messed with the wrong person."
"I think they already messed with the wrong person." Makoto said. "You know, several valuables were taken from their corpses."
"Were they the same valuables that they had on them the day they attacked the camp?" Yohei asked.
"Were they?" Makoto asked.
"Ask me what you really want to ask me." Yohei said.
She took a moment to compose herself, then did as he asked.
"Did you kill them?" Makoto asked. "Did you seek them out after I left and killed them?"
"... And what would you do if I said yes?" Yohei asked. "Would you try and change my heart?" Yohei asked.
She gasped. "How did you… know that I'm… a Phantom Thief?"
"Well, that's because you just told me." Yohei said.
Makoto glared. "Don't give me that. You would have never made that assumption in the first place if you didn't already suspect for some reason."
"… From the moment those Yakuza targeted you in that alley, and you asked me for training, I started looking into you." Yohei told her. "And I found that you had some sort of connection, directly or indirectly, to many of these incidents that the Phantom Thieves were involved with."
He had certainly done his research, that was for sure.
"So where does this leave us?" Makoto asked.
"A stalemate, I believe." Yohei answered. "I don't think either of us can afford to go to the police at this point."
That was true, but… Then what would he do? He wouldn't end up killing her, would he?
"You don't have to worry about me killing you as well." Yohei told her. "I may not agree that the Phantom Thieves are effective with their methods, but I respect their sense of justice."
"To be honest, I don't really agree with your methods either." Makoto frowned.
"People don't change that easily." Yohei countered. "If they did, you wouldn't have to forcibly change their hearts."
"I know that most people don't have the options we do, but I still want to believe there are better ways than resorting to murder." Makoto reasoned. "Even if you do manage to take out some corrupt CEO or politician, they could just be replaced by someone equally as vile."
"If you disagree so strongly, then try and change my heart." Yohei stated.
"What, are you saying you'll let me?" Makoto asked.
"Of course not. But should your justice prove stronger than mine, then I shall accept that." Yohei said. "So, if you're ready, then come and face me."
"Hold on. Not right now." Makoto stated. "First, I need to hand you this."
She handed the calling card over to him, waiting as he read the entire thing.
"Is the calling card necessary at this point?" Yohei asked.
"Yes, it is. And… I can't face you right now. I need to prepare first. Sometime in the next 24 hours, I'll attempt to steal your heart."
"Very well then." Yohei nodded. "I will wait for you, then."
It felt odd to be in a situation like this. For their target to know exactly who they were, and yet still allow them to try and change their heart.
Maybe that was just the type of person he was.
She felt like she was finally beginning to truly understand him.
DEATH CONFIDANT: RANK 8
After ensuring he had read the entire calling card, she left the area and went home, the promise of a final match between them hanging in the air.
12/15 Friday
Days Until Ballot Count: 6
Everyone agreed that Yohei needed to be stopped.
They all went to Mementos together, descending further and further down…
"This is as far as we can go right now." Morgana stated.
"Is this the bottom?" Ren asked.
"No, I don't think so." Morgana denied. "It… I'm sure it goes on just a little bit longer…"
"Well, he's gotta be around here somewhere." Ann said.
"... There." Makoto pointed.
Another red portal, stealthily positioned in the corner of a room.
"Good eye!" Morgana praised. "Now let's move!"
"Be careful, everyone." Makoto ordered. "We're fighting a trained mercenary."
They all entered the portal, and on the other side, they saw the man sitting by himself, eyes closed.
"... So you've finally come." the man calmly said.
He stood up from his position, opening his eyes.
"Alough it was hardly sporting of you to bring reinforcements." the man dryly said.
Makoto began to reply, "They're the other-"
"The other Thieves, I'm sure." the man noted. "I was hoping, however, to face you one-on-one. For you to show me the strength of your conviction."
It could just be a trap, but when he said it like that…
"Is that really what you want?" Makoto asked. "No tricks or anything like that."
"I find your way misguided, and yet, I respect it. So much so that I am unwilling to settle this any other way." the man replied.
"Leader, even if he's telling the truth, we'd be giving up an advantage." Ren told her.
"I know that, but… If we're at least meet him halfway, we might have a better chance of changing his heart." Makoto reasoned. "Not to mention, if I fight alone, we won't have to expend as much of our supplies on recovery."
"… Are you absolutely sure you want to go through with this?" Ren asked.
"I… Have to do this." Makoto told him.
She walked forward, leaving the others behind and standing before the shadow.
"Alright, I've accepted your terms." Makoto told him.
"Good. I figured you would." the man said. "Now then… At your ready."
Yohei dissolved into ooze, reforming into a fearsome blood-red shadow wielding two swords.
"Chernobog!" Makoto called.
She rushed forward to attack, but her teacher easily dodged out of the way each and every time, even with a myriad of slashes.
She narrowly avoided a fatal slash. She knew how Yohei fought at this point. He would prioritize swift strikes on vital areas. He hoped to finish the fight as soon as possible.
But knowing his plan and being
"Ganesha, Masukunda!" she called.
She lowered his speed, finding it much more feasible to block his strikes.
But it was only a matter of time before he recovered, and he seemed to realize that as well.
He boosted his power, attempting to put on the pressure.
"Melchizedek, let's boost up too!" Makoto shouted.
She boosted her own attack, matching her teacher blow for blow.
"Don't hesitate!" he shouted. "You wished to show me your justice, didn't you?"
He was right. She couldn't let him set the pace forever. She had to go on the offensive.
She saw him move to strike again, but instead of intercepting, she moved to strike as well, switching back to Chernobog.
He managed to leave a gash in her shoulder, but she struck him as well, leaving a nasty wound in the shadow's chest.
Still, he continued on as if he hadn't been injured at all, matching her aggression.
She employed every trick, every technique, every ability she had learned, not just from Yohei, but from her other friends and allies as well.
She continued amassing injuries from Yohei's strikes, none of them critical, but they were concerning nonetheless.
Yohei fared little better, as she had managed to score numerous strikes against him, but he still attacked with such ferocity that she found herself with no time to heal.
"I need to finish this now." She muttered.
She concentrated as hard as she could, focusing entirely on her opponent,
She waited for the perfect moment. A moment where she'd be able to strike while his guard was down.
And finally, she saw it.
He had let his guard down to strike, but only for a second.
But a second was all she needed.
Enduring another of his attacks, she struck him as hard as she could, knocking him to the ground.
She let out several shaky breaths. The battle had taken quite a toll on her.
She wasn't sure how long she could keep fighting.
But just as she thought she had finally won, Yohei slowly picked himself back up, showing no signs of fatigue.
"You're still standing?!" Makoto gasped.
Yohei didn't reply.
"... Well, it doesn't matter how many times you get back up. I'll just knock you right back down!" Makoto shouted, glaring daggers at her opponent.
Yohei narrowed his eyes, glaring right back, both of them in battle stances.
And then, Yohei sheathed his blades.
"Alright. That's enough." Yohei said.
"What? What do you mean, 'That's enough'?" Makoto asked.
"I concede." the man. "The battle is yours."
She kept her guard up, unable to believe what she was hearing.
She had managed to deal significant damage to him, but surely he wasn't beaten yet…
And yet, right in front of her, Yohei's shadow transformed back into his human form.
"I can't remember the last time I've lost a battle." Yohei said. "You really are something special."
"You're giving up. Just like that?" Makoto asked.
"You've shown me your resolve and your sense of justice." Yohei stated. "I see that you draw your power from others, and you, in turn, make them stronger as well by inspiring them."
"... I would have never gotten this far without everyone's help." Makoto replied.
"Then I'll leave everything in the hands of you and your allies." Yohei expressed.
With those words, Yohei's shadow slowly faded away, until there was nothing left…
"Queen… You ok?" Ren asked.
"Yeah." Makoto nodded, managing a small smile. "Let's make sure we don't let him down, alright?"
Their mission successful, the group left Mementos, now only one single target remaining for them…
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 BROKEN
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 10 MAX
THE DEVIL - Mitsuhide Matsuoka: Rank 8
THE HANGED MAN - Munehisa Iwai: Rank 9
THE DEATH - Yohei Kiritani: Rank 8
THE EMPEROR - Yusuke Kitagawa: Rank 10 MAX
THE EMPRESS - Haru Okumura: Rank 9
THE LOVERS - Ann Takamaki: Rank 10 MAX
THE HERMIT - Futaba Sakura: Rank 10 MAX
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