Notes: ZA WARUDO!

Disclaimer: I don't own the Miraculous franchise

Miraculous Universe

Ch. 31: It's in the Cards - Part 3

The next few weeks were thankfully free of any Akuma. Marinette continued making the suit. Adrien had a few modeling gigs and his private lessons. He also managed to catch a news broadcast about the prisoners they had defeated. The man who had become La Mort, to Adrien's relief, was perfectly fine, save for a scar on his chest, which the inmate complained about to the news crew. It was the first weekend in November when Alya decided to put the first step of her plan into action. She paid a visit to Interpol and asked to talk to one of the inspectors. A tall, lovely woman with long black hair and a Spanish accent took Alya into another room.

"I'm Inspector Roux. How can I help you, young lady?"

"I might be able to acquire some information that will lead to the dissolution of the remnants of the smuggling ring that was formerly controlled by Le Gang des Griffes."

"That's quite a claim, mademoiselle. What do you want from us?"

"A little cooperation would be appreciated. I don't think getting what I'm searching for should be difficult, but if need be, I'd like someone with actual authority backing me up."

"You sound pretty confident."

"You have to be to get things done."

"I can't argue with that. May I see your phone?"

Alya handed over her phone and quickly got it back.

"If you run into any trouble, give me a call. I'll do what I can."

"Thank you for your help, inspector."

—

That Friday, Chloé was pulled aside by someone she didn't expect.

"I know this is asking a lot," Alya said, "But I need your help."

"What could you possibly need my help for?"

"You have resources that I don't."

"Oh, I see. You want something. Of course."

"Now, Chlo, hear her out," Zoé said.

"Look, don't take this the wrong way," Alya continued, "But you're the best way for me to get to Italy."

"Why in the world would you need to go there?" Chloé asked.

"It's for a story. No, scratch that. It's for a case."

She rolled her eyes, "What's that got to do with me?"

"It has to do with all of us. I think I've got a lead on the secret partners of Le Gang des Griffes."

Now Chloé was interested.

"This wouldn't happen to involve our resident liar, now would it?"

"It's a possibility."

—

That Friday, Alya was spending the night at the hotel.

"I can't believe you're leaving me behind!"

"Zo, this is a business trip," Chloé said, "I cannot believe I just said that."

"She's right, though," Alya said, "We're going to Italy to do some investigating."

"We're supposed to be partners, Chlo," Zoé continued.

"You've got to stay here and carry on the fight while we're away. I mean, you can always call us if anything happens. Use the Horse Miraculous and all that. Besides, that's why Sabrina is here."

"As much as I appreciate it, Chloé," Sabrina said, "I'm no substitute for you."

"Nobody is, but I don't like to leave my dear sister alone."

"Hey, wait a minute," Alya said, "Shouldn't we bring Marinette?"

"What for?"

"She can speak fluent Italian."

"Marinette is busy with her project. Besides, I can speak some Italian. Also, I'm sure someone there can speak French or English. Otherwise, that's what all these translation apps on our phones are for."

—

Alya and Chloé woke up early, much to Chloé's annoyance. They agreed to take a train so that Chloé could sleep on the way. Also, it wasn't as expensive as an airplane. After a few hours, they arrived.

"Wake up, Chlo, time to go."

"Yeah, whatever."

They got off the train and looked around.

"So where do we go first, reporter?"

"We'll try every bank, but I already have an idea we won't find what we're really looking for."

"Then what's the point?"

"Proof."

—

Alya and Chloé went to every bank that was fairly close to the embassy. Alya asked the same questions, but so far turned up nothing.

"So much for detective work."

"It's never easy, Chlo. We still have one more bank to check out."

—

The pair walked up to the front desk.

"Have you seen either of these women?"

"Oh, of course," the teller said, "Ambassador Rossi has banked with us for years."

"Are you personally familiar with her?"

"Oh, my, no. The only person who'd be that close to her is the head of the bank."

"Do you think we could talk to him? I know it's short notice."

"As a matter of fact, he should be in at the moment. Let me give him a call."

A brief phone call, and the duo got their answer.

"He'll see you now, but try to make it brief."

They walked into his office.

"Buongiorno, ladies. What can I do for you?"

"Good day, sir," Alya said, "We were wondering if you're acquainted with Ambassador Luciana Rossi."

"Oh, yes, quite well."

"Has she been by recently?"

"Oh, no, it's been several months. Last I heard, she was staying in Paris."

"What about her daughter?"

Alya held up Lila's picture.

"No, not that I can recall. Once her daughter was old enough to be left alone, Luciana always came here by herself."

"But they do both bank here, right?"

"Oh, naturally. "

—

"Okay, now what?" Chloé asked.

"Don't you find it a little odd that Lila banks here, but they haven't seen her in years?"

She shrugged, "Everything's online now."

"Still, there are certain things you have to go into the bank for."

"What, you think she has a secret bank account somewhere or something?"

"Actually, that's exactly what I think. Come on, let's get something to eat. While we do that, we can look up train departure times."

"We're not going home yet, are we?"

"Let me answer that question with another question. Have you ever been to Switzerland?"

—

They were soon on another train.

"I can't believe I went to Italy and I didn't get to do any shopping."

"You yourself said before we left that this is a business trip. You can always come back another time with Zoé and Sabrina."

"Yeah, whatever. I'm basically here as your financial backer."

"Come on, don't look at it that way. We're a team. Can you honestly tell me this case doesn't intrigue you in the slightest?"

"I guess if it gets rid of that passive aggressive octopus girl, then I'm all for it. Still, that doesn't make this trip seem any less crazy. You know, a thought just occurred to me. That last fight, Ladybird said something grabbed her ankle, but she couldn't see anything."

"Right, and she assumed it was Lila again. She's clearly ready, willing, and able to be akumatized as many times as necessary."

"Oh, no doubt about it. It's that white peacock guy I'm really wondering about."

"Like who he could be?"

"I have a pretty good hunch, I'm just not sure why it would be him."

"Who?"

"Félix Graham de Vanily, aka Félix Fathom."

"Adrien's cousin? He said his dad hates Amelie and Félix, and the feeling is mutual."

"If he hates them so much, why is he letting them stay in the mansion?"

"That is an excellent question."

"Why did Mayura stop showing up, while Argos takes her place?"

"That is another excellent question. I've got one, too. Why can Monarque suddenly create so many Akumas at once?"

"And speaking of Mayura, isn't it rather strange how, right after we defeated Oblivio, she rushed in and ran off with the akumatized person?"

"Like she didn't want us to know who it was. So for all we know, it could very well have been Amelie."

—

"Do you have that other picture?" Alya asked.

"Yeah, I got it from Adrien."

The pair walked into the bank.

"Can I help you?" the receptionist asked, "Although you don't look like the type to do business here."

"You wouldn't mind answering a few questions, would you?"

"I suppose not."

"Have you seen this girl recently?" Alya asked, holding up Lila's picture.

"Hmm, she doesn't look familiar to me."

"Do you think we could ask the other employees, please?"

"Is she a friend of yours?"

"We don't want any of her money, if that's what you mean," Chloé added, "We're just doing some fact checking on her behalf. She's busy with her new job."

The receptionist looked a bit skeptical, but shrugged and called a guard over. The duo were led around to each employee in the bank.

"Have you seen this girl?" Alya asked.

"I don't think so."

"How about this woman here?"

She held up a picture of Amelie Graham de Vanily.

"Oh, I'm sure I've seen her before. It's been a while though."

Alya nodded her head, "Thank you for your time."

A few other employees said that while they recognized Amelie, none of them had seen her recently.

"We're getting no place fast," Chloé said.

They came up to an older man.

"Sir, have you seen this woman?" Alya asked, for at least the tenth time.

He adjusted his glasses, "Oh, do you know Mrs. Fathom?"

"Fathom? Oh, right, her married name."

"Yes, we know her," Chloé replied, "Have you seen her lately?"

"I'm afraid she hasn't been here for months. Not since she withdrew most of her money."

"In cash?" Alya questioned.

"A prepaid credit card."

"Do you remember how she acted when she did this?"

"She was civil, as always, but I could tell she was also rather agitated."

"Like she had a lot on her mind?"

"Exactly so."

"Thank you, sir. Oh, just one more question. Do you recognize this woman?"

She handed over the picture of Lila.

"Hmm…yes, I do believe I remember her. Let me check our records."

He went into a file room for a few minutes and then returned.

"Here we are - Cerise Bianca Volpe. She set up an account with us several years ago."

"Was she here alone?"

"Oh, goodness no. She was clearly quite young. There was an older gentleman with her. He claimed to be her uncle. He set up an account for her."

Alya looked up a picture, "Was this the man?"

"Yes, that's him."

"I don't suppose he banks here himself?"

"I'm well aware that Dr. Louis Kananga is now in police custody. If he did have an account here, it would've been confiscated. Being a criminal, he most likely stored his funds somewhere much farther away."

"Like say…Buenos Aires?"

"That's…actually a really good guess. Anyway, what is all this about?"

"We have reason to believe that this woman, Lila Iris Rossi, alias Cerise Bianca Volpe, was in league with Dr. Kanaga's gang."

"That's quite a serious accusation."

"Well, sir, the gang leader himself set up an account for her, and under a false name at that."

"Are you certain it's her?"

"As you can see, she signed her photograph. Compare it to something she signed here."

Sure enough, the signatures had a similar style.

"This seems to confirm your story, Ms. Césaire."

"Do you think we could get that in writing?"

—

The duo were back on the train to France.

"I think I'd better get this information back to Interpol, and then the police."

"That's all well and good," Chloé said, "But even with the gang leaders locked away, that liar still has friends in high places. It won't be easy to get rid of her."

"We'll just have to wait until the time is right."

—

The next couple of weeks went by without incident. As per Alya's suggestion, when they had time, the heroes staked out the prisons, just in case. So far, nothing was attempted.

"Still," Marinette said, "It's only a matter of time before he tries something again."

"Father's been busy lately," Adrien said, "Busier than usual, as a matter of fact."

"If my plans kept failing," Nino said, "I'd probably try doing something else for a while, too."

"Yeah, but I have a feeling he's getting ready to try again."

"What makes you say that?" Zoé asked.

"It's true he's been keeping himself preoccupied with work, but he's also been getting a lot of interruptions from Amelie and Tomoe. He hasn't said anything, but I can tell just from looking at him that it's driving him crazy. When I catch pieces of their conversations, they're always berating him for something. Father's always hated critics."

"No one's more critical than your closest friends and family," Chloé said.

"You'd be the expert on that," Zoé said, nudging her.

"So, in other words," Alya said, "You think he's getting ready to snap."

"Anything to shut them up," Adrien replied.

"Then we'd better be extra ready," Marinette said, "It could be this very weekend he decides to try again."

—

Everyone was at Le Grand Paris for a sleepover. Although, in truth, it was so they had a good view, privacy to transform, and their parents wouldn't worry too much about them. Marinette and Adrien were engaged in a fighting video game. Alya and Nino were on one sofa, looking at a tablet. Kagami was on the other sofa, showing her sketches to Ondine. Zoé and Sabrina were on the floor, sharing pizza. Chloé was out on the balcony with Luka, listening to him play a melody he thought up on the spot.

"I'm glad none of you are mad about this," Kagami said, "Ondine is one of my best friends. I couldn't leave her in the dark."

"I'm glad you told her," Zoé said, "That way when we have to run off later, someone will be here with Sabrina."

"I thought it would be Juleka," Sabrina said, "But she's with Rose at the moment. I think some of the other girls are there, too. Guess someone else planned a sleepover."

"Just remember not to tell anyone else," Marinette said, "Not even Kim."

"I'm pretty sure if I did," Ondine replied, "He'd either think I was being funny, or he'd forget the next day. I mean, you know how he is. He's not dumb, but he can get absent-minded sometimes."

"Well, we'd better get some sleep. We have to wake up early if we want to be on our toes."

"Come on, Sabrina," Zoé said, "We can share Chloé's bed."

"Ondine and I will share this sofa," Kagami said.

"Nette can share this other sofa with me," Alya said.

"As for you boys," Zoé said, "You have my permission to sleep in my room. Just don't touch anything."

"We promise, Zo," Adrien said, "Come on, Nino."

"Sure thing, mec," he gave Alya a kiss, "Bonsoir, ma belle."

"Bonsoir, beau gosse," she said, rubbing noses with him.

Marinette tapped on the glass door to get Chloé and Luka's attention. She then pointed at her wrist. Chloé rolled her eyes, but then nodded. Luka gave her a thumbs up. When Marinette turned around, Adrien surprised her with a kiss.

"Good night, Princess."

She spoke back in a husky voice, "Good night, My Lord."

He gulped, "You're not making this any easier, you know."

"Get to bed," she said, booping his nose.

Out on the balcony, Luka pulled out a blanket stretched out on the sofa.

"Is that really where you're going to sleep?"

"Why not, Chlo? If you're going to have an outside couch, we might as well use it. It's very comfortable. Plus, it's a nice night out. Not too hot and not too cold. I'm only missing one thing."

"And what would that be?"

He motioned her to come closer. Once she did, he pulled her onto the couch and wrapped his arms around her.

"That's much better."

"Smooth as a snake's scales, aren't you?"

"I don't hear you complaining."

She closed her eyes and snuggled up closer to him.

"Believe me, I'll be complaining later…just not about you."

—

Chloé's eyes snapped open at the sound of knocking on the glass door. She looked over her shoulder to see an apologetic Zoé. Luka got up and began folding the blanket.

"Better get ready, beautiful. You want to look your best when you're beating up supervillains."

Chloé sighed, "Leave it to you to make this tolerable."

The pair walked inside.

"You know I wouldn't wake you up if it wasn't important," Zoé said.

"I know. It's fine. Good morning and all that."

Zoé was surprised.

"Wow, she sounded a little grumpy, but normally she sounds cranky," she looked at Luka, "You should be here every morning."

—

After a quick breakfast, the team was now gathered on the roof.

"Okay, team," Ladybird said, "Like we discussed, we don't know for sure if Monarque will make a move today."

"But it's a distinct possibility," Matou Noir said, "A strong feeling, you might say."

"Right, so we'll break off into teams. Chaton and I will take Prison de la Santé. Tortank and Zorrua will take Centre Pénitentiaire de Fresnes. Vipèrion and Seiryū will take Maison d'arrêt de Fleury-Mérogis. Apireine and Bateleur will circle all three high enough where they can spot any trouble."

"Since we're all together at the moment, we may as well grab a second Miraculous."

"I was thinking the same thing, minou," she said, reaching into her yo-yo.

The Miraculous were now displayed before the team.

"I'll go first. Ladybug, Horse, unify!"

It had been a while, but her costume was just like before - a longer ponytail, white gloves, white boots, and a few white spots.

"The return of Lady d'Jument!"

"I was hoping we'd see her again," Matou Noir said, "You barely got to do anything last time. Anyway, I'll go next. Cat, Rooster, unify!"

His boots were now completely silver and had spurs. His arms had a feather pattern. His mask had a small beak on it. A red crest adorned his head.

"I'm now Poulet Noir."

"The masculine word for chicken?" Tortank said.

"I think it fits better than the word for rooster."

"What makes you say that?" Apireine said, clearly struggling not to laugh.

He sighed, "I didn't want to have to put up with everyone trying not to laugh if I named myself Coq Noir."

Everyone snickered.

"See?!"

"Okay, enough of that. Time for a new me," she put on the collar necklace, "Bee, Dog, unify!"

Her hair, which had turned a few shades darker, was hanging loose at her shoulders, and was also now very curly. The yellow parts of her suit now had light brown mixed in.

"Wow," Vipèrion said.

"That's so cool," Bateleur said, "You've never had curls before."

"You're too kind. You may call me Canireine!"

Tortank spoke up, "Cani like as in canine, or as in Caniche?"

"Yes."

"Okay then. I want to go next."

"Too late," Seiryū said, grabbing the circlet, "Dragon, Monkey, unify!"

Her black hair was now more of a dark brown color. She had extra padding on her shoulders, knees, and elbows. More gold was mixed into her overall blue costume.

"You may now call me Son Goku."

"That's a super name," Zorrua said.

"Okay, now it's my turn," Bateleur said, picking up the nose ring, "Eagle, Ox, unify!"

A pair of huge forward-facing horns were now on her head. Her hair streak and boots were now a dark blue.

"My new name is…Háribon."

"What does that mean?" Cainreine asked.

"It's a Filipino word for the Philippine eagle," Tortank explained, "It's one of the biggest eagles."

"Oh yeah? You're so creative, my dear partner."

Tortank picked up the hair clips.

"Now that you two are done, I'll go next. Turtle, Goat, unify!"

Her costume was now black and a dull yellow. A pair of wavy, slender horns were on her head.

"Very slick, babe."

"Thanks, Fox Boy. I was going for more of a tortoise look. As for my name, I'll go with…Capricornus."

"Cool, and now it's my turn," Vipèrion said, picking up the panjas bracelet, "I'll take this one. Snake, Tiger, unify!"

His suit was now more of an olive color, with black bands and stripes all along it. The bolas were tied to his waist. The tips of his hair were dark blond. His gloves now had claws, with the right glove being extra padded.

"Dapper as always, Tiger Snake," Cainreine said.

"Thank you. I am now…Majaspic."

"Nice wordplay, too. That just leaves you, Foxy Loxy."

"I guess I'll use this one," Zorrua said, grabbing the coin pendant, "Fox, Mouse, unify!"

The orange parts of his costume became silvery-grey. The black parts became white with a pink trim. The skip rope was wrapped around his waist like a belt.

"Aw, that's cute, Capricornus said, "What's your name?"

"Um…Omnifox."

"It certainly rolls off the tongue."

"Okay, now that that's taken care of," Lady d'Jument said, "Let's get to our stations. If you see anything suspicious, let everyone else know."

—

It had been over an hour and nothing had happened yet. Majaspic was playing a tune on his lyre. Son Goku had been practicing with her sword, but she then switched to her new staff.

"Do you just know how to fight with every kind of weapon?" Majaspic asked.

"Mother insisted I learn several different self-defense techniques. I received a few tips from Sabine Cheng."

"That's cool. By the way, I've been thinking about something. You know how our resident Bee can change her weapon from a trompo into a rapier?"

"Of course. I gave her lessons."

"I've been wondering, can I use my lyre as a proper weapon?"

She smirked, "What, you don't think playing music at your opponents will do them in?"

"So you're also a comedian?"

"Okay, seriously, what could you change your lyre into?"

"I've been thinking about that, too. I need something fitting for a snake."

"What did you decide?"

He concentrated, and the lyre slowly began to change. It became smaller until it fit neatly around his right fist. Then, a short blade popped out of the end.

"That's an interesting choice for a weapon. It resembles a type of Indian dagger called a katar."

"Something sharp and fast, like the strike of a snake."

"I didn't think you could be that cold-blooded."

"I'm glad the Cat and the Bee aren't here. He'd try to make more puns, while she would just start screaming. Anyway, these new Akuma are getting ruthless, so we have to match them in kind."

"On that, we agree."

—

Since the last scheme, Gabriel had been trying his best to take his mind off of its failure. Nathalie was also trying to keep him preoccupied by giving him a busy schedule. However, as soon as the workload lessened, Gabriel's mind would wander back to his plans. It was that very weekend that he was sitting at his desk, deep in thought.

"Your lunch, Gabriel," Nathalie said, "Mlle. Dupain-Cheng isn't here."

"I told her she could stay home and work on her project. Besides, I need to think."

It was after lunch that he called the others into his atelier.

"I need my next volunteers to be stronger and more ruthless. That's why I want you to break into the Maison d'arrêt de Fleury-Mérogis."

"Oh, come on," Félix said, "That's even farther away than the last one!"

"16 miles is nothing. Besides, you'll take the car just like before. Now stop whining and get going!"

"This is the third time you've used this plan. They're probably staking out the prisons!"

Tomoe struck the ground with her shinai.

"Which means they'll be expecting your Sentimonster. What we need is a new distraction."

"Are you volunteering, Tomoe?" Gabriel asked.

"Clearly something needs to be done differently in order for your scheme to work. I shall take it upon myself to ensure everything goes according to plan this time."

"It's probably best that you make sure no one recognizes Tomoe," Amelie said.

"For once we agree. Lila, the jar."

She grabbed her backpack and pulled out said jar. Gabriel transformed and once again akumatized Nathalie into Catalyste. She in turn used her power to give Monarque a power boost. He then created two more Akumas that flew into the jar.

"There, now everything's ready. Argos will go to La Santé Prison. Make that same Sentimonster to trick the heroes."
"Yes, fine."

"While you do that, Tomoe and Lila will head for Fleury-Mérogis Prison. The former will distract any heroes not dealing with the Sentimonster, while the latter infiltrates the facility."

"That's the largest prison, boss," Lila said, "Do you think the inmates will cooperate, even with the incentive of freedom? Everyone in there is far more infamous."

"All the more reason they'll have to accept my offer. Such, for lack of a better word, high-profile people crave the chance to be let loose to continue their selfish desires. Now run along."

Lila headed for the door, while Félix waited for Tomoe. When she reached the door, she stopped.

"Do not screw this up, Monarque."

Félix had a big smile on his face from the heavy sarcasm in her tone. Optigami landed on his shoulder just before he closed the door.

—

The car pulled over near the prison.

"This is your stop, Félix."

"Knock them dead, Tsurugi-san."

As the car drove off, Félix looked around.

"I'm sure I saw one of those Miraculous heroes sneaking about."

He found a dark corner in which to transform. He then found an alley close to the prison and made an Amok. He placed it in his fan and once again created the same Sentimonster.

"Destructeur, I am Argos! Do as I bid! Attack that prison!"

The colossal Sentimonster stomped towards the complex.

—

Poulet Noir was keeping watch, while Lady d'Jument was taking a brief nap at his insistence. As soon as Destructeur loomed over the landscape, Noir woke up his partner.

"My Lady, they're here!"

She awoke with a start.

"Let's deal with this and keep an eye out for any Akumas."

—

Capricornus and Omnifox saw the gargantuan Sentimonster.

"We've got to go help them," she said, ready to leap off the building.

"Are you sure one of us shouldn't stay here?"

That gave her pause.

"You don't think we're being played, do you?"

"This is the third time they've used this plan. It's a possibility, right?"

"That's actually a good point. You'd better stay here, just in case. I'll call you if we need more help."

"I'll be waiting, babe."

—

"I can see that titanic Sentimonster," Majaspic said, "We should go help."

"We should," Son Goku said, "But I have a feeling that's exactly what they want us to do."

"Like it's a proper distraction?"

"This prison we're watching is the only one they haven't infiltrated yet. I think we should wait."

—

"There's that super sized Sentimonster again," Canireine said, "Do you see the Peacock?"

"Let me see…ah, there's that little white bird."

"We deal with him, then the Sentimonster isn't a problem."

Argos could see them coming out of the corner of his eye.

"Oh, perfect."

Canireine already had her sword ready as she dove at him. He threw a dagger at her, giving her pause as she deflected it. Háribon charged from the other side. Argos leapt out of the way. The two heroes closed in on him. Suddenly, he flared up the wings on his back right in their faces like a peacock train. He then flew to a nearby rooftop.

"Destructeur, get these pests away from me!"

The mighty Sentimonster turned around and began galumphing towards his master.

—

Tomoe's car pulled up close to the prison.

"Get the Akuma."

Lila took the jar out of her backpack and opened it. One Akuma possessed her, while the other merged with Tomoe. Lila was quickly changed into Camalepolpo.

"Get out."

Lila went stealth mode and stepped out of the car.

"Tatsu, to the Agreste mansion. Now then, Gabriel, oh, I'm sorry, Monarque, let's discuss power."

"Whatever you need, I shall provide. I'm sure I could even temporarily restore your eyesight."

"No! I have accepted who I am. I shall vanquish those meddling teens without such advantages."

"My apologies, Tomoe. What if I also transformed your robot dog thing?"

"That will be acceptable."

"How about this? I shall make you a more powerful warrior."

"A hunter will be most appropriate."

"Yes, a hunter clad in armor with their dog at their side."

"I shall be Matagi Gozen."

"Together, you and your dog shall all be Jugement."

"Still sticking with the tarot motif, are we? So be it!"

The dark purple energy encompassed Tomoe and her robot dog. When the energy subsided, she was a 15 foot tall robot completely covered in armor that was the same shade of red as her car. She was, naturally, wielding a katana. The number XX was displayed on her side. Her robot dog now actually looked like a dog, albeit one the size of a small building. Although she was still blind, she could feel that her other senses had been enhanced. As soon as she placed a hand on her dog, it laid down so she could climb onto it like a war horse.

"Time to deal with those bothersome heroes, Akainu," she said, in her new deep robotic voice.

It barked in response.

"Go do your job, girl," she said aloud, "I'll handle things out here."

Camalepolpo said nothing as she ran towards the prison.

"She may be invisible, but you could hear her coming a mile away. Stealth is not her forte."

Matagi Gozen and her dog began patrolling the area. That's when the heroes spotted them.

"Look there!" Son Goku exclaimed, "An Akuma like the ones before. It has a number on its side."

"Judgment, huh? Looks like you had the right idea," Majaspic said, "I'll call the others. This prison is clearly the target."

"I'll confront this villain."

While she went to confront the villain, Majaspic called the others.

"This is Majaspic. An Akuma has been spotted at Fleury-Mérogis Prison. Everyone had better get over here right away."

—

Son Goku rushed over and stood in the path of the Akuma. Akainu growled at her approach. Matagi Gozen leapt off its back and drew her sword.

"Stay right where you are, Jugement!"

"That is not my name. Together, I and my faithful servant comprise Jugement. Individually, however, this is Akainu, and I am Matagi Gozen!"

Son Goku's eyes went wide.

"Could it be?" she thought, "Okaasan?"

Matagi Gozen tapped the ground with her sword to get a layout of the area. She could sense the vibrations bouncing off everything. Son Goku drew her sword and waited. Neither of them moved.

Matagi Gozen shouted, "Kōgeki!"

Akainu charged at Son Goku, which made her dodge. Matagi Gozen then swung her sword at her, but she barely managed to block it.

"You have fast reflexes, but you can't possibly defeat both of us."

—

Camalepolpo had snuck into the prison and turned on the tablet.

"Right, let's cut to the chase and just find the best candidates," Monarque said, "Use their computer to look through the roster."

She scrolled through and found some of the more high profile inmates.

"Let's see what we've got. This man is a thief and an arsonist. That's a good start. This man here is an Englishman locked up in a French prison, so you know he'll do anything to get out. This woman is a black widow. She's married and murdered a dozen men. Here's a fellow in solitary. He tried to rig an election in his favor, and when he still lost, he tried to blow up several buildings. I think we've got our volunteers."

The Lair

Monarque created four more Akuma and sent them to the prison.

"Only four prisoners this time, sir?" Catalyst asked, "And you're not even going to bother making the offer to them face to face?"

"These are people who won't be free, either for a long time or at all. I don't need to tempt them, I just need to give them a taste of power."

The Prison

Camalepolpo rushed through the prison to find the inmates they had chosen. She found the first two men easily.

"You and you, my master, Monarque, has decided to set you free, so long as you kill the heroes."

"Anything to get out of France," said the Englishman.

"I can't wait to get back to work," said the other.

"Focus on those negative feelings and wait for his call."

She ran to the women's section of the prison.

"You, black widow, Monarque wants to see you freed, so he's giving you all the power you need."

"So nice to be appreciated," the woman replied.

Camalepolpo headed deeper into the prison and found the man in solitary.

"Hey, psycho, pay attention. My boss, Monarque, is a big fan of your work, so he's going to grant you freedom. All you have to do is wreak havoc."

"You don't have to tell me twice," came the man's gruff voice.

She ran outside and kept an eye out for both the Akumas and the heroes.

—

Argos was running for it, while his Sentimonster continued to attack the heroes.

"Our job's done here," came Lila's voice, "Let's get going before they overwhelm us."

"Way ahead of you. Destructeur is strong, but it's also slow. That Bee woman is relentless!"

He grit his teeth as a buzzing sound got closer.

"Come back and fight, bird boy!"

Matagi sighed, "Akainu, deal with that bee."

The dog was about to charge, but a piercing whistle gave it pause. It was Omnifox blowing harshly into his flute. Akainu kept barking as it ran towards the sound.

"Oh, brilliant," Argos grumbled.

He could see Canireine getting closer, so he threw several daggers in her direction. She was forced to stop and block them. Before Argos could run, he was tackled to the ground by Háribon.

"Stay down, Peacock!"

Once again, he flared his wings into her face so she couldn't see. Before she could react, something grabbed her leg and threw her across the street. It then reeled her in and she felt something wrap around her neck. Camalepolpo reappeared to gloat. Her hair has extended like tentacles and wrapped around Háribon. Canireine looked ready to kill the Akuma.

"Unless you want me to strangle your friend, Bee Girl, I suggest you back off."

Canireine slowly backed away, while Argos ran off to hide.

Camalepolpo snickered, "The weakness of the hero - caring too much."

Suddenly, a portal opened behind her. Lady d'Jument quickly wrapped the cord of her yo-yo around the Akuma's neck, causing her to lose her grip. Háribon then elbowed her in the abdomen. She was pulled through the portal and wound up on top of a roof.

"Let go of me, you gaudy insect!" she hissed.

"You're not important right now, so I shall oblige."

She loosened her yo-yo, but then kicked Camalepolpo in the face, causing her to fall off the building. She hit the ground hard, but was able to stealth herself and begin crawling away.

"I'll make them all pay for this…some day."

Canireine, satisfied her partner was free, flew over to help Son Goku.

Matagi Gozen tilted her head, "That buzzing sound. It's the bee hero. We're in the middle of a duel. Do not interfere."

"Look, pal, this isn't a proper duel, so there aren't any rules. We're a team, so she's not fighting you alone."

"So be it! You shall die with her!"

Meanwhile, the others kept swapping places with each other. Some would distract Destructeur, while some would distract Akainu.

"We outnumber you, robo-jerk," Canireine said, "How long do you think you can keep this up?"

A loud explosion came from the prison.

Gozen smirked, "Long enough."

Argos released the Amok to get rid of Destructeur.

"Took him long enough," he grumbled.

One wall of the prison was blown apart. A tall, thin man levitated into view, the number I etched onto his chest.

"The Magician," Omnifox said.

The next man to emerge was even taller and far more muscular. He had a lion's head, and he held an enormous shield in his hand. The number X was on his armor.

"The Wheel of Fortune," Poulet Noir said.

A wall on the opposite side of the prison was shattered and collapsed. A tall woman in a ballet style outfit floated through the gaping hole. On her side was the number XVI.

"The Star, but not the shining kind," Capricornus said.

Yet another wall was blown apart as a massive hand punched through it. This Akuma was about the same size that Strength/Force had been. He had steel blue skin and glowing red eyes. On his chest was the number XXI.

Háribon gulped, "The World."

Le Magicien folded his arms as he looked over his opponents.

"Hey, magic man," Majaspic called, "Over here! Come and get me."

The Magician zoomed through the air at a blinding speed. He sent a kick right into Majaspic's chest, causing him to fly off the building. Canireine snarled as she flew over to help. Capricornus threw her shield at L'Étoile, but she deflected it and charged at her. She began delivering a series of kicks as graceful as a ballerina. Her elegant dance moves allowed her to avoid getting hit. Omnifox rushed over to help. La Roue de Fortune threw his shield at Háribon, but she dodged, and it was now embedded in a wall. The Wheel of Fortune started walking closer, his hand outstretched. A bolt of electricity traveled between his hand and the shield, shocking Háribon and causing her to freeze up.

"I can't move…"

The shield had been slowly loosening itself from the wall. It flew through the air and struck the Eagle heroine in the back, knocking her down. The Wheel of Fortune was baring his fangs as he was now right next to Háribon. Before he could do anything else, Poulet Noir landed in front of him and hissed at him.

"You mess with one of us, you mess with all of us, panthera loser."

Lady d'Jument flew over to Le Monde, but he was sitting atop the prison in a meditative state.

"Hey, uh, you did break out of prison for a reason, right?"

He said nothing. Since he seemed uninterested, she looked around at the battlefield. There were still four other Akumas that she could see.

"Lila and that Peacock guy must be hiding. Fine by me. We've got enough trouble with these new guys."

She flew over to aid Poulet Noir and Háribon.

"I'll take it from here, partner. Go help Son Goku."

"Right away, My Lady."

As he ran off, Roue de Fortune roared and raised his shield. Lady d'Jument struck him in the face with her horseshoe.

"Pay attention to me, alley cat!"

Before he reached the duelists, Poulet Noir flourished his quill pen. He glanced over at the Bee and the Snake fighting the Magician.

"Sublimation! The power of super speed."

He grabbed his staff and joined the fight.

"You're not alone, my friend."

Matagi Gozen sneered, "What good are friends when they're useless?"

"Shut up and fight," Son Goku said.

"Yeah, en garde!"

Gozen spun her sword, "As they say, let's have at it!"

—

The Magician was moving at lightning speed. They could barely keep an eye on him. He finally paused to launch a ball of fire from his hand. The heroes dodged, but their opponent already zoomed behind them. Every time they turned to face him, he would quickly move to another spot.

"This guy's really starting to annoy me," Canireine said.

"I admit," Majaspic said, "He's more difficult than I thought he'd be."

The Bee heroine noticed Roue de Fortune fighting with a shield.

"I have an idea. Be right back."

She flew over to the other Akuma.

"Where is she going?" Le Magicien demanded, "I won't let her leave!"

He began summoning several fireballs. Majaspic transformed his lyre into its dagger form and quickly gave the Magician a cut on his arm. With his concentration disrupted, half the fireballs disappeared, while the rest fell to the ground.

"Why you miserable little punk."

The hero smirked, "Watch out for snakes."

—

Lady d'Jument and Háribon kept trying to attack the Wheel of Fortune, but he had an electromagnetic barrier around himself. He tried to retaliate by taking swipes at them with his shield. Canireine flew at him and kicked him in the chin.

"I'm taking this," she said, touching his shield with her ball.

She flew high into the air.

"Fetch!"

The large shield instantly appeared in the air above her. She grabbed it and held on as best as she could.

"Hey, a little help up here!"

Háribon nodded, but looked at Lady d'Jument, "Will you be okay?"

"I can hold my own. Far be it from me to interfere with whatever plan she's concocted."

She quickly tied her horseshoe to her yo-yo and spun it around. Háribon, meanwhile, flew up to join Canireine.

"Grab this shield!"

"Got it. Now what?"

"Get ready to throw it at Le Magicien."

"With how fast he moves?"

She winked, "Leave that to me."

—

Majaspic saw Canireine out of the corner of his eye.

"She's up to something. I'd better do what I can to help."

As he continued to avoid the fireballs, he tore off his outer clothes layer and threw it into the Magician's face.

"Snake skin? Ew!"

Canireine used this moment to fly at the Akuma and wrap him up with her trompo. Despite being wrapped up, he continued to charge up fireballs.

"You need to cool off, fire mage. Venom!"

As he froze up, she began spinning him around. Háribon threw the shield in their direction. Canireine loosened her trompo and sent Le Magicien flying through the air. He collided with the shield and both fell to the ground. Roue de Fortune was backing away from Lady d'Jument when he saw his shield. He sprinted for it, but Háribon kicked him in the back, knocking him over. He continued crawling towards his shield. Before he could grab it, a horseshoe hit him in the face.

"No lucky fortune for you," Lady d'Jument said.

She stood atop his shield so he couldn't grab it. Now enraged, he stood to full height. The hero merely wrapped her yo-yo around him and stood her ground.

"You don't scare me," she said.

He raised a hand to strike her.

"Clout!"

Majaspic charged forward and delivered his powerful punch to the Akuma's face. He went flying into the side of a building.

"I guess that takes care of them," Lady d'Jument said, "For a while, at least."

"I'm going to help Son Goku again," Canireine said, flourishing her sword.

"The rest of us had better go help the Fox and the Turtle," Háribon said, taking to the sky.

Lady d'Jument and Majaspic followed close behind her.

—

Omnifox and Capricornus kept trying to attack The Star, but it wasn't easy. She danced around their blows like a ballerina, and would then strike them in the head with a well-placed kick.

"She's playing with us," Capricornus growled.

"The less she takes this fight seriously," Omnifox replied, "The easier it'll be for us to retaliate."

L'Étoile was floating through the air, a smug look on her face. She noticed more of the heroes heading her way.

"The entrée is over. Now onto the grand pas!"

She began summoning daggers from nowhere and throwing them at the heroes. She began to pirouette, all the while sending more daggers flying off in every direction. Everyone had to back away.

"How are we supposed to get close to her?" Lady d'Jument asked.

Omnifox smiled, "Lightbulb! Phase one: Mirage!"

He made dozens of copies of himself and the other heroes. They all rushed towards The Star. Some were hit by the daggers, but the rest grabbed at her.

"How dare you touch me?!"

She began attacking them.

Omnifox snickered, "Phase two: Multitude!"

As the copies continued to swarm The Star, the tiny group of Omnifox grabbed onto the prima ballerina and climbed all over her. She began feeling itchy.

"Something's crawling on me!"

She felt a poke against her face.

Omnifox waved at her, "Hello, it's your conscience. I'm back from the dead."

"Get off me, you pipsqueak!"

As L'Étoile continued to slap the miniature heroes off her, the other heroes got ready.

"My man is brilliant sometimes," Capricornus said, "Now it's my turn to help him. Háribon, give me a boost!"

The Eagle grabbed her and flew a few feet into the air.

"Now throw me!"

"Fastball special!"

The Turtle was thrown shield first at the Akuma. The Star was too preoccupied to notice the attack, and took a shield to the head. Capricornus felt a tap on her ear. One of the Omnifox clones was on her shoulder.

"Have I told you lately how much I love how strong you are, babe?"

"Probably, but I love hearing you say it, little man."

She winked at him and he blushed. The Star leapt back up and began throwing daggers again.

"How dare you strike me?! I shall perform my coda and eliminate you all!"

"Shell-ter!"

A force field formed around The Star.

"Hey! Let me out of here!"

With a gesture of her hand, Capricornus began spinning the force field like a giant hamster ball.

"Hey, no fair! You can't do this to me!"

"Man, she whines a lot," Majaspic said.

"Hard to believe she's a murderer," Háribon said.

Capricornus spun the force field faster.

"I can see she's busy. So, I'll do something to pass the time. Genesis!"

She then painted a perfect replica of a portal created by the Horse Miraculous. With a snap of her fingers, the force field dropped, causing The Star to slam into the ground.

"Hey, prima ballerina, come and get me."

The Star looked at the portal and rolled her eyes.

"Do you think I'm stupid? You try to lure me towards you and then drop me into a portal? You're not very smart, are you?"

She began throwing daggers again, but there were still several illusory heroes to draw her ire. Just to be safe, Capricornus ducked behind her shield. As she held her ground, she was able to make her shield bigger so that it protected more of her body. Right then, Lady d'Jument noticed movement behind herself. Roue de Fortune was getting back up.

"Majaspic, would you mind helping me out with this guy?"

"A pleasure," he replied with a salute.

While they took care of that, Háribon noticed that The Magician was no longer paralyzed.

"I'll nip this in the bud."

—

Lady d'Jument flew over the Akuma, while Majaspic confronted him head on. Roue de Fortune was much larger, but he was also slower. Majaspic gracefully avoided his punches. Lady d'Jument wrapped her yo-yo tightly around the Wheel of Fortune. The Akuma struggled to get free, but he was hit in the face with a horseshoe and fell over.

"You don't usually get that rough with people," Majaspic said.

She shrugged, "I figured maybe your girl has the right idea. Don't tell her I said that."

"Not a word."

—

Háribon charged at The Magician, but he was already on his feet. He quickly ran this way and that way to avoid her.

"Do you really think you can keep up with me?"

He threw a fireball at her.

"Resistance!"

The fireball was rendered harmless as it hit her. Frustrated at the result, The Magician continued to lob fireballs at her.

"That's clearly not working," she said, "Try something else, stupid."

He ran at her and punched her in the gut. He ran past her again, but hit her in the face. He continued his assault, while she watched his movements. He tried to hit her in the face again, but this time, as he ran towards her…

POW*

…she quickly raised her hammer so that his face collided with it. The impact knocked him to the ground. While he was dazed, she stood him up and wrapped her bullroarer around him.

"Let's go, speedy."

—

As Lady d'Jument got closer, she started planning.

"Lucky Charm!"

She received a tape recorder.

"Wow, now that's old school," Majaspic said.

"I think I know what to do."

"Can I, I mean we, help?" came a small voice.

They looked down to see several of the mini-Omnifoxes.

"Take this and play it near L'Étoile. I trust you to improvise until we're ready."

They gave a salute and took off with the tape recorder. The Star was preoccupied with assaulting the shield before her. Two of the Omnifox minis climbed up her, while the others pressed 'play' on the tape recorder. It began emitting the sound of a crowd applauding. This got the Akuma's attention. She began looking around to see where the noise was coming from.

"Are they clapping for me?" she said to herself.

She didn't notice that there was an Omnifox on each of her shoulders. They leaned over to whisper into her ears.

"Clearly she's not guilty."

"The evidence is purely circumstantial."

This only boosted her ego even more.

"The public loves me."

Capricornus charged forward with her shield.

"Voyage!" declared the Ladybug heroine.

The Akuma snapped out of her daze, but it was too late. Capricornus shoved her into the portal waiting behind her.

"You can't do this to me!"

"You keep saying that, and yet here we are."

The other portal opened up at least a mile above the city.

"What good does this do when I can hover, you idiots?"

"Then it's a good thing I'm following you."

Sure enough, the tough Turtle was falling alongside The Star.

"Ooh, I'm so scared."

Capricornus grabbed her and began hitting her with her shield. Every time The Star tried to get away, the hero grabbed her and continued her beatdown.

"Let go of me, you moron!"

"Sorry, but you need a reality check."

Capricornus maneuvered her foe so that the Akuma was beneath her when they came crashing down to Earth. The Star lay there on the ground. Unable to move after the hard impact.

"I'll…get even with you."

"You don't know when to quit, do you? I guess you need a tougher lesson."

Háribon punched The Magician through the portal, while Lady d'Jument and Majaspic threw Wheel of Fortune through after him. Capricornus kept her boot on The Star, just to be safe. That is until Omnifox tapped her on the shoulder.

"Time's up."

She glanced above herself, "Right you are. Nice playing with you, prima donna."

The Star attempted to stand up, "Where do you think you're going?"

That's when she saw the other two Akumas falling straight for her.

"...no..."

The Magician landed on top of her. Before either of them could say anything, The Wheel of Fortune landed on top of both of them.

"Get off me," L'Étoile whined.

"Aw, shut up," Le Magicien snapped.

—

Meanwhile the fight between Son Goku, Canireine, Poulet Noir, and Judgement continued. Every so often, one of them would have to fend off her dog. Akainu began growling to let its master know the other heroes were joining the fight.

"Now you're really outnumbered, samu-robo," Canireine said, "You can't take on all of us at once."

"That's what a team is all about," Poulet Noir said.

"That's what friends are for," Son Goku added.

"Enough!" she turned around, "You, back there! Get over here and deal with these brats! Do I have to do everything?!"

The largest of the Akumas had yet to move from his spot atop the prison. He was still seemingly meditating. Upon Tomoe chastising him, he stood up, did a few stretches, and leapt into the air. As soon as he landed on the ground, a wave of ice spread across the ground. All the heroes were stuck or slipping. The Akuma, with a sinister grin on his face, pointed the palm of his hand at them.

"ZA WARUDO!"

A beam shot out that engulfed the heroes. They were all now moving in slow motion.

"For the next 30 or less seconds," Le Monde declared, "You're mine!"

He walked up to every hero and gave them a punch or a kick. He then smugly walked back and stood next to Matagi Gozen.

He was whispering, "...5…4…3…2…1…"

Every hero was sent flying in different directions. He let out an evil laugh.

"How does it feel to have your world turned upside down?"

Canireine picked herself up, "Pouah, is he seriously making a pun?"

"Go ahead, heroes," Le Monde taunted, "Attack me, if you dare."

Son Goku raised her sword, "Charge!"

Poulet Noir used his super speed to get behind the Akuma.

"Not good enough," Le Monde said.

He stomped his foot, and a wave of ice covered the ground. Noir was going too fast, so he slipped and fell.

"Pathetic."

The other seven heroes spread apart as they continued to charge forward.

"You shouldn't be in such a hurry to get humiliated."

Once the heroes got close enough, Le Monde fired his slow beam and managed to hit all of them.

"That should be enough to deal with you, cat boy."

He tried punching Poulet Noir with his huge fists. Noir was careful not to run too fast due to the ice, but he was agile enough to avoid the blows regardless.

—

Just as he fired his slow beam, Háribon readied her power.

"Liber-"

ZAP*

"-aaaaatttttiiiiiooooonnnnn!"

She was now free from the effects of the beam. She saw that Le Monde was distracted with Poulet Noir.

"Time to take on The World."

—

"For someone that slows other people down, you're pretty slow yourself."

"I'll make you eat those words, you mangy stray!"

Háribon struck the Akuma in the back of his head with her hammer.

"How did you get free already?" he snapped, taking a swipe at her.

"None of your business."

"You impudent brat. I'll -"

"Uproar!"

Le Monde was hit in the chest with a beanbag.

"That's it?"

Son Goku readied her sword and charged.

Le Monde sighed, "Fine. We'll do this again."

He raised his hand to fire the slow beam, but nothing happened.

"What?"

He stomped his foot to release a wave of ice around himself, but instead his own feet became covered in ice.

"What did you do to me, you stupid -"

The Dragon hero stabbed him in the leg with her sword.

He screamed, "I'll kill you for that!"

Canireine used her sword to stab his other leg, causing him to scream again. Capricornus threw her shield into his abdomen. Háribon wrapped her bullroarer around Le Monde's neck and yanked him to the ground. He retaliated by kicking away any nearby heroes. He reached around and grabbed Háribon, and then threw her into Omnifox. Poulet Noir jumped atop him and dug his claw into him. With a snarl, Le Monde pried him off and threw him at Lady d'Jument. The Akuma jumped to his feet. Capricornus readied herself for an attack. Majaspic readied his Snake power. Le Monde fired his slow beam. This time it worked, so he spun around to hit every hero.

"Second Chance!"

Re-Do

"Everyone get back!" Majaspic shouted.

Le Monde fired his slow beam, but everyone was too far away. At least until Háribon flew towards him.

"I'll ground you, little bird!"

"Resistance!"

She was unphased as the beam hit her. Canireine flew over the Akuma.

"Fetch!"

Wheel de Fortune's large shield was now in mid-air. Háribon quickly grabbed it and struck Le Monde in the head with it.

He was livid, "You might be immune, bird of prey, but what about your friends?"

He raised his hands to fire.

"Shell-ter!"

He was now surrounded by a force field. When he fired the slow beam, it ricocheted off the force field and hit him instead. This entire time, Jugement was standing off to the side, awaiting an outcome to the fight. Akainu relayed information to her and she sighed.

"All that power merely made him overconfident. Now he's been hoisted by his own petard, as the saying goes."

Son Goku walked back up to her.

"I haven't forgotten about you. Let's continue where we left off."

Matagi Gozen smirked, "Are you so eager to fail?"

"You should ask yourself that question."

In a flash, Gozen attacked with her sword, and Son Goku quickly raised her own sword.

—

Le Monde had been slowed down by his own power. Capricornus dropped the shield. Majaspic leapt into the air.

"Clout!"

He punched Le Monde in the face.

"My turn," Lady d'Jument said, "Voyage!"

A portal opened underneath Le Monde and he fell through. The other portal was right above the other, so the Akuma was continuously falling.

"Speedy thing goes in, speedy thing goes out. Has anyone been keeping track of the time?"

"I have," Omnifox said, "5…4…"

The others joined in, "3…2…1…"

Lady d'Jument snapped her fingers and the portal closed. Le Monde landed head first on the pavement, and then went flying backwards as Majaspic's punch caught up with him.

"Venom!"

Canireine roughly jabbed him in the nose.

"That's him out of the way," Poulet Noir said, "Now let's go help Son Goku."

—

The hero and the villain were evenly matched.

"These idiots overly rely on their powers. My swordsmanship is natural talent. Do you really think you have any hope against me?!"

Akainu growled as the others headed towards them.

"I won't let them interfere with our fight," Gozen said, "This is between you and me. Akainu, kōgeki!"

The giant robot dog ran at the other seven heroes, barking all the way. The sword fight carried on, but Son Goku was starting to get a little tired.

"Losing steam so soon?" Matagi Gozen taunted, "You'll never succeed if you can't keep up. Not that you had a chance. I've been doing this my whole life. Some young upstart never stood a chance."

"You talk too much."

—

Meanwhile, Argos and Camalepolpo were hiding nearby, keeping an eye on the fight.

"I don't like this," Argos said, "The other Akuma are down, and there's always the chance that she'll lose. If that happens, we need to get her out of there immediately. If not, they'll find her out, and then they'll start putting the pieces together."

"So what's your cunning plan?"

"What do you think, you cephalopod squamate? We've got magic, so we should use it."

He unfurled his fan, plucked two feathers, and then charged them with magic.

"Wait, you created two Amoks. How did you do that?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, was there a rule somewhere that I couldn't?"

"Not from what I read."

"You just assumed that was the case because neither Mayura nor Papillombre ever tried it. Well, there's a first time for everything."

He placed one Amok in his fan, and another in his associate's headgear.

"I know the perfect Sentimonsters to create."

"You're not just going to make that Destructeur one again?"

"It's too slow. We need something that can hit hard and fast."

Two creatures formed beside him that were at least twice his height.

"Roucarnage, Rattatac, I am Argos, and you will obey."

His creations nodded in response.

"And now we wait."

—

Lady d'Jument, Canireine, and Háribon tied up Akainu, but the angry guard dog continued to struggle against his captors. Matagi Gozen carried on her tirade against Son Goku.

"Your friends are too busy to help you. I told you they were unreliable. Even when they were assisting you in our fight, they didn't have your skill with a sword."

Gozen began taking wide swipes with her sword.

"You pale in comparison to me!"

"As my fellow hero said before, this isn't a proper sword duel, so there are no rules."

"Meaning we'll both do whatever it takes to win."

"Let me show you some other things I've learned. Water Dragon!"

Son Goku let out a stream of water, giving Matagi Gozen pause. The hero then redirected some of the water to Akainu, causing the robot dog to short out.

"Is that all you can do?" Gozen asked.

"Lightning Dragon!"

Matagi Gozen let out a cry of pain, but began gritting her teeth. Son Goku also sent a bolt of lightning at the other Akumas, just to make sure they stayed down.

"Wind Dragon!"

Son Goku created an enormous twister that sucked up her opponent and launched her into the air. Once she was high enough, Goku dispersed the wind, letting Gozen fall. When the Akuma was close enough, Goku struck her with her staff, sending her reeling. Matagi Gozen was now sprawled across the ground. She felt around for her sword.

"Cataclysm!"

Her weapon was turned to ash before she could grab it.

"How dare you destroy my weapon?!"

Son Goku rushed over and held her sword at Gozen's throat.

"I wouldn't be where I am today without my friends. You've been beaten, Akuma. Now surrender and come along quietly."

Matagi Gozen snickered, "I concede defeat, young warrior. You've won this battle, but the war goes on. I'm nowhere near close to surrendering."

"Look out!" cried Omnifox.

An enormous bird flew at the heroes, striking them with its wings, talons, and beak. Then, out of the Seine crawled a gigantic black rat that pounced on Son Goku. While the heroes were distracted, Argos landed next to Matagi Gozen.

"Let's get you out of here."

Optigami landed on her face.

"Don't forget my sword and my dog."

She relinquished her Akuma and changed back. Argos grabbed her and flew away as fast as he could.

"Get her things, octo-meleon."

She sprinted over to the robot dog. As soon as she grabbed it, it was camouflaged along with her. She then ran past the heroes and shot out her tongue to grab the sword. Hiding around a corner, Camalepolpo kept an eye on the heroes.

"We're safe now," came Argos' voice, "You can leave."

"Gladly."

From the safety of the mansion, Argos snapped his fingers.

—

"Where did these pests come from?" Capricornus wondered.

"From the Peacock guy, obviously," Canireine replied.

Suddenly, the two Sentimonsters disappeared.

"So, we're not hallucinating, right?" Omnifox said, "A giant rat and a giant pigeon attacked us, yeah?"

"Judgment is gone," Son Goku said.

Everyone looked at the spot where she was laying. All that was there was an Akuma that barely moved.

"I think we'd better fix this, My Lady," Poulet Noir said.

"Yes, of course. Someone better get a hold of the police to pick up those escapees."

She and her partner fist bumped, "Miraculous!"

The wave of magic struck the four prisoners, removing and dissolving their Akumas. The police arrived about a minute later and quickly threw the prisoners into the back of their cars.

Roger sighed with relief, "Thank goodness we have you heroes. I don't want to think about what could've happened if these convicts were able to truly run amok."

"You can always count on us, officer," Poulet Noir said.

Lady d'Jument saluted, "Be careful out there, Monsieur."

—

The team reconvened atop Le Grand Paris once again.

"I'm gonna need a massage after this," Canireine said.

"They say third time's the charm," Háribon said, "So I hope that butterfly jerk stops trying to break into prisons."

"You were on fire out there, Son Goku," Poulet Noir said, "That big red robot was a tougher fight than the last guy."

"I got a little carried away venting some of my frustrations."

"What do you mean by that?" Majaspic asked.

She sighed, "That Akuma…she was my mother."

Everyone was shocked.

"What? Her face was covered and her voice was distorted," Lady d'Jument said, "How could you know it was her?"

"She called herself Matagi Gozen. Only my mother would give herself such a name."

"A name like that? Yeah, that does make it pretty obvious," Capricornus said.

"What about me? I use Japanese names for my hero forms."

"That's true," Omnifox replied, "But unlike her, all the names you pick are words a lot of people would recognize: Seiryū, Kirin, Hōō, and now Son Goku. Not many people know what 'matagi' means."

"What does Matagi Gozen mean?" Lady asked.

Son Goku explained, "Matagi is a traditional winter hunter. Gozen is a title for a female warrior samurai. If that wasn't enough of a tip off, her constant talk about being a sword master and scoffing at friendship really hammered it home."

She let out a sigh and said nothing more. Everyone was quiet for a minute.

"I kinda thought you'd be more upset about this," Noir said.

"I am, and yet I'm not. She thinks I don't know about her more underhanded and unsavory business practices. The fact that, just like Oblivio, they got her out of there before her identity was revealed, coupled with the fact that she's been spending a lot of time at the Agreste mansion, proves that she's in league with Monarque."

"So knowing she's a crook softens the blow?" Majaspic asked.

"That and one other thing. Something that I've never told any of you. Can we go inside first?"

One of them kept a lookout, while the others went inside one by one. They were eventually gathered inside Chloé's room. Kagami had finished sharing her previous statements with Sabrina and Ondine. The latter was now hugging Kagami.

"So what's the big secret?" Chloé asked.

Kagami took a breath, "Tomoe Tsurugi is not my real mother."

"WHAT?!"

"Some time after her husband passed away, she realized she needed an heir. So she went to the orphanage to pick one out. I guess she liked how quiet I was. I never knew my real parents. They died when I was very young. I didn't even have a name."

Nino shifted in his seat, "So she named you Kagami, which means mirror."

"Most likely because she wanted me to be a reflection of her."

"And your last name is Tsurugi, which means sword."

"She always went on about our ancestry including female warriors."

"Do you have a middle name?"

She gave him a look, "Normally, Japanese people don't have middle names, but she insisted on giving me one since we were moving to France. So, yes,...it's Magatama."

Nino looked like he was trying not to laugh.

"Nino, do you seriously find something funny right now?" Alya asked.

"I'm sorry, babe, but if you knew… Kagami, let me get this straight. Your full name is Kagami Magatama Tsurugi?"

She now looked embarrassed, "Yes."

"Your adopted mother had such high expectations for you, and was so arrogant, that she named you after the Three Sacred Treasures?"

Kagami broke into a smile, "Yes, I'm named after the imperial regalia of Japan."

It was at that point that everyone started to laugh. After a few minutes, they calmed down.

"Seriously, though," Kagami said, "She must be brought to justice. She must pay for her crimes."

"Well, we all know what a great fighter you are," Chloé said, "But you're not doing any of that alone."

"Face it, Kagami," Zoé said, "You're stuck with us for life."

—

Gabriel was in his atelier pacing back and forth. Every few minutes, he would grab one of the picture frames and throw it across the room. Tomoe was now seated nearby, and everyone knew better than to address her.

"All that power and you've accomplished nothing," Félix taunted.

"Shut up, you little pest! I should throw you out for this. Consequences be damned! You and your stupid mother!"

"Don't you DARE talk about my mother that way! I saved your backside with my brilliant idea. Otherwise, Tomoe would've been caught. It's no one else's fault your plans keep failing. Lila, back me up on this."

Gabriel glared at her, "Say the wrong thing, Lila."

"All I was going to say, boss, was that there are more heroes than there are of us. With you and Nathalie staying here, it's just me and Félix. Any Akuma you make is a potential soldier, but they're also unreliable."

"What are you suggesting, Lila?"

"Why don't we have our own evil team? I realize that was kind of the point of using prisoners, but I think you need to try a different recruiting method."

"Such as…?"

"The problem with these prisoners is that they're more interested in freedom and power. Why not pick people you know that already have a personal grudge against the heroes?"

Gabriel's eyes went wide.

"You're not suggesting…?"

"My old collaborators? They'd be perfect."

"I suppose those fools are the best candidates we could possibly have."

"Wait a minute," Nathalie said, "You're not really going to break them out, are you?"

"They were already an evil team before, I'm just giving them more power…and a leash. I'm sure you're all eager to see your old business partners again."

"I'm going to remind you every day that my predicament is your fault," Amelie said.

"Likewise," Tomoe added.

"We all had a good thing going, and you ruined it for us! And for what?! Because some blog might have gotten close to guessing your identity?! You're a fool, Gabriel. What's one little girl on the internet going to do to us?"

The next day

"Hello, my name's Alya Césaire. I don't know if you remember me."

The man behind the desk looked up.

"Oh, yes, I remember you. How can I help you?"

"Is Inspector Roux in today? I have some information I think she'll find very useful."