12/18 Monday
There was still no word from Shido.
That in and of itself wasn't unusual. It had been less than 24 hours, after all.
But the way that Shido had just disappeared still unnerved her.
"Well, I suppose it's only a matter of time before he has to show his face again." Makoto told herself.
He was a candidate for Prime Minister, and the election was happening right now. Eventually he had to show himself or else people would start asking questions.
Until that time, however, she would remain disguised, just in case.
She felt her phone buzzing, so she moved to see who had texted her.
Naoya: Hey Niijima-san! Are you available today? I wanted to talk to you about something.
Now she was curious.
Makoto: Sure, I have time.
Naoya: Great. We can meet at my family's diner, ok?
Makoto: Sure. See you there.
It would be nice to have something to take her mind off of everything that had happened.
Yesterday had been absolutely exhausting.
Taking a bit of time to disguise herself, she went out to meet with Naoya.
The moment she made it to the diner, Naoya insisted on treating her to dinner.
There was definitely something different about him today.
"You seem to be in a good mood today." Makoto pointed out.
"I am." Naoya nodded. "There was something big that happened recently. I wanted to tell you all about it!"
"Wait… This wouldn't have to do with kendo, would it?" she asked.
"Ahaha… I guess I can't hide anything from you, huh?" Naoya chuckled. "Yeah, you got it in one."
"Last time, you mentioned that you were coming to a decision." Makoto recalled. "I'm guessing that you've made up your mind then."
"Yes… I've decided that in the future, I want to pursue a career as a kendo instructor. Maybe even have my own dojo!" Naoya declared.
"Congratulations!" Makoto beamed. "I'm glad you decided to follow your dreams!"
"Yeah. I am too." Naoya nodded. "I know that it's not exactly what's expected from me, but this is something that I'm really passionate about!"
"Then that's a good thing." Makoto smiled. "If that's what you've decided, then I'll support you as best as I can."
"Thank you. You know, that's actually what my parents said as well." Naoya recalled. "I could tell they were a little disappointed that I wouldn't inherit the diner, but they did try to hide it."
"It's good that they support you, at least." Makoto mentioned.
"Yeah, I'm thankful for that." Naoya nodded. "But I'm also thankful to you as well."
"Me?" Makoto asked.
"Of course!" Naoya grinned. "It was because of you that I was able to regain my passion for kendo in the first place! So really, I can't thank you enough!"
"Well… You're welcome. But to be honest, I'm not really sure I did that much." Makoto admitted.
"I disagree." Naoya shook his head. "Before, I was just resigned to taking whatever life gave me. I let Kazuya walk all over me, and I forgot all about kendo, thinking that I didn't have a future in it. But you were always there, supporting me. It made me realize that maybe I could be something more. That I didn't have to be whatever I thought everyone wanted me to be. I could be more."
"Naoya-kun…" Makoto trailed off.
"I was so happy when I first won that first gold medal. Thank you for helping me remember that feeling." Naoya smiled. "If you have a dream or a goal yourself, I promise that I'll do whatever I can to help you achieve it."
She could feel that the bond that she shared with Naoya… had become 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 TEMPERANCE, granting thee infinite power…
TEMPERANCE CONFIDANT: RANK 10 MAX
"Although… Please don't ask me to pull off a heist or anything like that!" Naoya laughed. "I'm no Phantom Thief, after all!"
"H-Huh?" Makoto gasped.
"When I started thinking about it, I did think it was strange how Kazuya changed so suddenly. It was shortly after I told you and Kitagawa about it."
"Well, that…" Makoto trailed off.
"I guess that's something else I should thank you for, huh?" Naoya chuckled.
"Please don't tell anyone…" Makoto whispered.
"Of course not." Naoya shook his head. "I'll keep your secret safe, I promise."
"Thank you." Makoto expressed. "I appreciate it."
"No problem. Oh, and before I forget, if you ever want to practice kendo again, I'd be happy to train with you." Naoya promised.
"Thanks." Makoto smiled. "I might just take you up on that sometime!"
The two continued to chat and enjoy their meals.
After a while, Makoto said goodbye and left.
Shido had won the election. It was such a landslide victory that it was able to be called fairly early on.
It was announced that Shido would be giving an acceptance speech soon.
"He's still alive, at the very least." she thought to herself.
It was late now, and it wouldn't be long before Shido gave his speech.
Before that, however, there was someone that she wanted to visit.
She made her way to where she would meet with Yohei for training. She hadn't really set anything up with him today, but today… she had a feeling that he would be there.
"What are you doing here…"
Sure enough, she found him in their usual spot, an unreadable expression on his face.
"I just had a feeling that you'd be here." Makoto answered.
"I see…" Yohei trailed off. "I assume you wanted to check up on me. Make sure the change of heart went smoothly."
"I, uh…" Makoto trailed off.
It was strange dealing with someone who both knew her identity and had gone through a change of heart.
"You don't have to worry anymore. I'm not going to be harming anyone else." Yohei explained. "You made sure of that, of course."
"Right, uh… I suppose that I just wanted to make sure, like you said." Makoto stated.
"It's good to be cautious." Yohei nodded.
A moment of silence passed over the two of them.
"I encountered a lot in my days as a mercenary." Yohei began. "I'm sure that it haunted my other self considerably. And that influenced my methods, I'm sure."
"So what will you do now?" Makoto asked.
"I'm still thinking about that myself." Yohei admitted. "But I should be coming to a decision pretty soon. What about you?"
"Me?"
"What are you going to do after this?" Yohei asked. "Will you continue to fulfill the role of a Phantom Thief, watching over this city?"
"... To be honest, I would like it if I didn't have to do that." Makoto admitted.
"Is that so?" Yohei asked. "And why is that?"
"Ideally, people would be able to collectively solve these sorts of troubles themselves." Makoto mentioned. "With a strong sense of justice, and a willingness to help others… I think it would be possible."
"But then why intervene now?" Yohei asked.
"Because sometimes things get so overwhelming that drastic measures must be taken." Makoto told him. "But I guess what those measures are, and when they should be taken, are the murky parts."
"Most people don't have your powers. Are you comfortable being the only one able to make those decisions? And are you comfortable with changing the hearts of anyone who might try and change things in a way that is actually available to them?"
"Like murder?" Makoto frowned.
"Could be that. Or something else." Yohei frowned.
"To be honest… I'm not comfortable being in that position, no. Which is why after this is all over, I would like it if I didn't have to use it too often." Makoto admitted. "Maybe it's just running away, but…"
"You did steal my heart." Yohei mentioned.
"I… do have friends, family, and other people who are there. They keep me grounded, I like to think." Makoto said. "I don't mean it as an excuse, but I like to think it helps.
Once again, the thought occurred to her.
If she hadn't met so many amazing people, would she have turned to murder as well?
There wasn't much point in dwelling on something like that at this point, she supposed…
"To be honest… It also seemed as if your actions… the murders you committed… It seemed like they were hurting you as well." Makoto whispered. "I could tell that it was really affecting you."
"Tch… How pathetic I must have grown in my old age, if I've got youths worried about me." Yohei scoffed. "Still, I suppose you aren't wrong. My other self was very disturbed at what I had done."
Yohei let out a sigh, closing his eyes.
"I suppose this may be for the best." Yohei admitted. "Well, since you've decided to take this responsibility yourself, I expect you to see your mission out to the end."
"... I will." Makoto promised.
Yohei nodded, satisfied.
She felt like she understood him a little better.
DEATH CONFIDANT: RANK 9
After speaking to Yohei a little while longer, she left the area…
Nervously, she mingled in with the crowds at Shibuya Square, watching the giant T.V screen displaying Shido in the middle of his acceptance speech.
Cheering could be heard from many members of the crowd.
"My election is the result of every citizen's aid." Shido stated. "Your support warms my heart!"
"I knew it was gonna be Shido." one man said.
"Might as well have not even bothered to hold an election." a woman added.
"That is why…" Shido began. "That is exactly why… I cannot forgive myself!"
The men at Shido's sides glanced over at him, confused.
"The reason that President Okumura passed away is… I am the one who killed him." Shido admitted.
Gasps could immediately be heard from the crowd, the men behind Shido starting to panic.
"I also framed the Phantom Thieves for the murder, when it was I that ordered a psychotic breakdown in the man who shot him." Shido continued. "And I was able to do so because I was the one behind all of the mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns!"
More gasps could be heard from the crowd at Shido's confessions.
"I hired the services of someone who was capable of inflicting them onto people, and lent out his services to others as well. All of it… All of it was for my own promotion. For my own selfish gain." Shido confessed, his face twisting with sorrow and guilt.
"What's going on?" a member of the crowd asked.
"I've toyed with so many people's lives, using them as stepping stones in order to claim this country as my own." Shido said. "I am nothing but a criminal. One that has committed countless crimes, and even if I were to be tried and convicted of each one, no punishment could possibly be enough for all that I've done."
Shido gripped the microphone much harder, his hands trembling as he spoke.
"I will confess everything!" Shido exclaimed. "Please, I beg everyone to pass judgement onto me… If there is anything that I could do to atone… atone for everything that I've done, then I request that I be judged at once…"
The announcement suddenly cut off then, the crowd in a stage of total shock and panic.
"H-Huh?! What was that?!" a woman gasped.
"This can't be true! Shido-san!" a man exclaimed.
She snuck past the shouting crowd, making her way over to Leblanc.
She had called everyone to an impromptu meeting. Sae and Sojiro were even there as well…
"Hell yeaaaaaaaah!" Ryuji cheered.
"Everyone, raise your glass!" Sojiro grinned. "Now allow me to stay a few words…"
The meeting, of course, had turned into more of a celebration than anything.
"Why's he saying them?" Futaba whispered.
"Don't be like that." Makoto replied.
"Well then, now that the source of all this evil, Masayoshi Shido, has been-"
"I got to avenge… my mom. It's all… thanks… to everyone." Futaba muttered.
Futaba's eyes began to water, everything coming to the surface all at once.
"I was able to settle a debt in regard to my father as well…" Haru added.
"We all worked so hard for this…" Ann beamed.
Today's victory was bigger than anything else they had accomplished.
"Sis, how's it looking for Shido. Do you think he'll be found guilty?" Makoto asked.
"... It'll be difficult to prosecute him immediately, due to the nature of his crimes in the Metaverse." Sae confessed. "But I'll do this thoroughly until the causality between his other crimes can be proven."
She expected that. Even with Shido's full cooperation, it would be difficult.
"What about Futaba's mom?" Ren asked. "Could her research come in handy?" Ren asked.
"That's what we're banking on." Sae told him. "Wakaba's research will be key to this case.
"Maybe we could testify too!" Ryuji suggested. "That could work!"
"Thank you, but I would prefer if only saving that for a last resort." Sae replied. "I don't want to draw any more unwanted suspicions on any of you. It's about time for us adults to have to do our part as well."
"I don't mind sheltering your little sister, but do you think that it'll be safe for her to go out now?" Sojiro asked.
"It should be safe for Makoto to return home and to school." Sae answered. "Now that both Shido and Akechi have been dealt with, there's only a handful of people who would recognize you as being involved. And I doubt they'd want to try drawing attention to themselves at this time. Not until all of this commotion with your 'suicide' and Shido's confessions die down."
"Right…" Makoto trailed off. "Thank you so much for everything, Boss."
"Yes, I can't thank you enough for sheltering her during this time." Sae expressed.
"Ah, don't mention it." Sojiro shrugged. "Figured I owe her a lot for everything she's done."
"Sis… Are you sure you won't be made out to be a sort of scapegoat?" Makoto asked.
"Don't worry. They can't prove I did it willingly, or even at all." Sae replied. "Not to mention that it'd put the police and Shido's cronies in a bad position."
Right… Acknowledging that she had escaped would basically be admitting that the police somehow let one of the country's most wanted criminals escape a high security facility.
Not exactly a good look for the country's police as a whole, but Shido's lackeys, including some of said members of the police, perhaps had it worse. The question of why they claimed she stole a gun from a guard, killed him, and then herself would inevitably come up.
Best case scenario, it would seem like an outrageous lie they came up with in order to deflect any blame, which would make them seem both incompetent and corrupt.
The worst-case scenario… would be their plot to kill her off, as well as the guard, being uncovered, incriminating themselves.
She certainly didn't envy the position they were in… but she didn't really feel sorry for them either.
"Hey… When are we going to make the toast?" Yusuke asked.
"Right. Let's get to it!" Sojiro exclaimed. "*Ahem* Now, if I could say a few words-"
"Cheeeeeers!" Ryuji shouted, everyone raising their glasses in response.
"No, wai- Hey!" Sojiro cried.
She heard a buzzing sound from someone's phone, so she glanced over to see Sae reading what she assumed was a text message.
"I need to go. It seems Shido's been transferred to a hospital." Sae told them. "Oh, and… It's fine to celebrate, but keep it in moderation, ok? Now that this is over with, you should all be taking your education seriously again."
Sae left the cafe with those words.
"Gee, talk about a buzzkill…" Ryuji trailed off, before being quickly shushed by the others.
"Well… Let's try and make the most of our celebration." Makoto encouraged.
They all spent the next hour celebrating their triumph over Shido.
After such a tense life-or-death battle, it was nice to finally have a chance to relax with her friends.
Eventually, their celebration died down, and after saying her goodbyes, she went home for the day.
Her home.
It felt odd returning to it after so long.
To be honest, after everything that had happened, Leblanc and Sojiro's house seemed more like home than her actual home…
Still, there was some comfort in being back in her own room, on her own bed.
It wasn't long before sleep claimed her.
12/19 Tuesday
With everything that had been going on, it was a miracle that she had somehow managed to make some time for studying.
The other students were quite surprised to see her finally returning after such a long absence. She would have to try and catch up with some of her friends at school when she could get the chance.
Exams would thankfully not be a problem for her. She was worried that she might struggle, but quickly found herself able to keep up with all of the material that she would need to know for the exam.
Eventually, classes ended for the day, but right as she started walking down the halls of Shujin…
"Ah! Ah! M-M-Makoto?! Is that really you?!"
She turned around, seeing Takayo looking at her with a stunned expression on her face.
"Hello, Takayo." Makoto greeted. "It's good to see you."
"Y-You're here! Alive!" Takayo gasped.
"In the flesh." Makoto beamed.
"I-I, uh… I thought, I mean, I saw, I mean…" Takayo trailed off.
"Why don't we take this to somewhere we won't be bothered?" Makoto suggested.
"O-Oh, yeah. Sounds good." Takayo nodded.
The two of them made their way to the student council room, which was thankfully unoccupied at the moment.
"I was really worried when they said that you had died." Takayo admitted. "I know you texted me afterwards, but still…"
"I'm sorry for making you worried." Makoto expressed.
"Oh, no no no." Takayo insisted. "I mean, I'm sure you had your reasons."
"Thank you for sticking by us all this time." Makoto mentioned. "I don't think we could have ever gotten this far without you."
"T-Thank, but… to be honest, it feels like I didn't really do that much in the end." Takayo admitted. "It was all mostly you. I mean, that whole thing that you did with taking over Shibuya Square to expose Shido's crimes… that was absolutely incredible."
"Thanks." Makoto replied. "It's… hard to believe just how much that we've managed to accomplish. I never would have imagined that we'd be going after the prime minister, that's for sure…"
"I've been keeping my ear to the ground, and my grandfather's doing the same. Apparently there's been a lot of chaos ever since Shido's confession." Takayo mentioned. "Shido really is confessing everything, and I mean everything."
"You don't mean… everyone who's in on it, do you?" Makoto asked.
"Yeah. I guess Shido was a pretty paranoid guy too, cause he's got blackmail on a lot of those guys." Takayo said. "If a bunch of people start getting named at once, things could get… messy."
"I suppose so, but it's still preferable to having Shido being in charge and being able to kill whoever he wanted." Makoto stated.
"Yeah, you're right…" Takayo trailed off. "You know, for a while, it was difficult… hearing all the terrible things people were saying about the Phantom Thieves. But in the end, you guys have managed to help so many people. And being a part of that just makes me feel… happy."
Takayo had a bright smile on her face as she spoke, brighter than she had seen in a long time.
"The fact that I was able to help people with my journalism… By sticking to the truth no matter what… makes me really happy! That's what being a real journalist is all about!"
"I'm glad that I was able to help you, then." Makoto beamed.
"Because of you, I was able to achieve my dream in a way I never thought would be imaginable. If you ever need help with anything, especially achieving your own dream, I want you to know that I'm willing to do whatever I can to help you!" Takayo promised.
She could feel like the bond between the two of them growing completely 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 MOON, granting thee infinite power…
MOON CONFIDANT: RANK 10 MAX
"Thank you for everything, Makoto…" Takayo expressed.
"Of course… But, is there something else bothering you?" Makoto asked.
"O-Oh, it's nothing big, It's just… I'm just a little surprised at something, is all." Takayo stated.
"Surprised? At what?" Makoto asked.
"The Phan-Site. I was expecting the Phantom Thieves to get a bump in popularity after Shido's confession." Takayo admitted. "But instead, it hasn't budged at all. If anything, it's dropped a bit. It doesn't really matter to me that much, but it's still a little surprising."
"Well, people are probably still in shock." Makoto reasoned. "I'm sure once some time passes, things will change."
"Yeah, you're probably right." Takayo nodded. "We just have to let everything settle for a bit, and we're good."
She waved goodbye, and after waving back, she left school for the day.
As night rolled around, she began to make her way over to Crossroads, expecting a certain officer to be there. She was curious to hear his opinion on certain recent events.
"I was wondering when you'd show up…"
She sat down next to the officer. He didn't appear drunk or anything, but he did appear troubled.
"Shido Masayoshi, huh…?" Mitsuhide muttered. "So it really was him."
"He was responsible for all of the incidents this past few years, directly or indirectly." Makoto stated. "He had a hand in all of them."
"Yeah. He's the one… Who had Masako killed." Mitsuhide said. "All these years, wondering, agonizing… And now, it's all out in the open, just like that."
"Apparently, Shido lent out the services to many different people." Makoto stated. "Can you… Think of anyone who would want to silence your partner?"
"Don't have to." Mitsuhide sighed. "I already know exactly who's responsible."
"W-What?!" Makoto asked.
Mitsuhide laid out the key on the table.
"I… Finally found the courage to glance at its contents." Mitsuhide stated. "This… was from several years ago. It was the current superintendent of my police station, talking to one of Shido's men."
"W-What?!" Makoto gasped, barely able to hide her shock.
"Hold on now, you can't just drop something like that and expect us not to be curious." Lala-chan added.
"They were discussing Kaneshiro, even back then." Mitsuhide explained. "I wasn't able to get all the details, but the superintendent apparently was working with Shido even back then."
"So there's proof that the police were being made to ignore all the local gangs." Makoto noted. "Or at least, the ones that were funding Shido."
"Looks like it, yeah." Mitsuhide nodded. "I don't know if they've been bribed, or Shido has something on them, but it's clear that the higher-ups were cooperating."
"It would be a huge scandal if something like this were to get out." Makoto pointed out.
"Yeah… This must have been the reason why Masako was killed. They felt that they had to get rid of her because she was getting too close to the truth." Mitsuhide realized.
"Are you going to turn in this evidence?" Makoto asked.
"That's the thing… Who am I supposed to turn it in too?" Mitsuhide sighed. "Even if they can't inflict a mental shutdown or something in me, they can still make my life a living hell if I try to go against the superintendent."
That would be a bit of a problem. If he had no one to turn to…
"Maybe you could leak it to the media?" Makoto suggested.
"I considered doing something like that." Mitsuhide noted. "Course, it would have to be a place that would be willing to go against Shido."
"Maybe it might be best to wait for everything to cool down a bit." Lala-chan suggested.
"Yeah, that might give you some time to determine who you can trust." Makoto agreed.
"Think I'll do that then." Mitsuhide nodded. "Heh… Still can't believe that I'm doing this, to be honest."
"What was that?" Makoto asked.
"It's nothing." Mitsuhide smiled. "You know, you've given me lots to think about in the past. But now… I think my mind's already made up on what I should do. I'll definitely let the public know what's on this key, one way or another."
Makoto smiled. "I'm glad. Oh, but please be careful."
"I know." Mitsuhide smiled back. "You should be careful too. Never know when one of Shido's men might come after you."
"M-Me?" Makoto stammered. "Why would they come after me?"
"Heh… Playing dumb, huh?" Mitsuhide smirked.
With a chuckle, Mitsuhide left the bar. He looked happier now than she had ever seen him before.
She could feel their bond growing stronger.
DEVIL CONFIDANT: RANK 9
Her conversation with Mitsuhide over, she went home for the day.
Makoto's Confidant Progress:
THE FOOL - Ren Amamiya: Rank 10 MAX
THE HUNGER - Igor: Rank 9
THE CHARIOT - Ryuji Sakamoto: Rank 10 MAX
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 10 MAX
THE HIEROPHANT - Sojiro Sakura: Rank 10 MAX
THE TEMPERANCE - Naoya Makigami: Rank 10 MAX
THE STAR - Hifumi Togo: Rank 10 MAX
THE DEVIL - Mitsuhide Matsuoka: Rank 9
THE HANGED MAN - Munehisa Iwai: Rank 9
THE DEATH - Yohei Kiritani: Rank 9
THE EMPEROR - Yusuke Kitagawa: Rank 10 MAX
THE EMPRESS - Haru Okumura: Rank 10 MAX
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 9
THE PRIESTESS - Kasumi Yoshizawa?: Rank 6
THE FORTUNE - Phantom Thieves of Heart: Rank 9
THE JUDGMENT - Sae Niijima: Rank 7
THE COUNCILLOR - Takuto Maruki: Rank 9
Are the Phantom Thieves just? 18.9%