7/21 Thursday
Just as classes ended for the day, Makoto felt her phone buzzing, and she saw several strange texts from someone that she didn't recognize.
?: Nice to meet you. I am the one they call Alibaba.
"Alibaba?" Makoto repeated to herself. "I doubt that's their real name."
Alibaba: I want to ask you something? You're a Phantom Thief, aren't you?
She nearly dropped her phone in shock.
Alibaba: Can you really steal hearts?
"Who is this guy?!" Morgana exclaimed. "How do they know that you're a Phantom Thief?!"
"I don't know." Makoto frowned.
"Ugh… I swear if this is one of the others pulling a prank." Morgana grumbled.
Makoto: Who are you?
Alibaba: I just told you. I am Alibaba. And there's someone who's heart I want you to steal.
Makoto: If you want to make a request, use the Phansite.
Alibaba: I'm not looking for charity. I want a guarantee. Let's make a deal.
Makoto frowned, not liking where this was going.
Alibaba: You want to know more about Medjed, don't you?
Makoto: What makes you think that?
Alibaba: Don't play dumb. Your site was hacked, and they threatened you. You wish to avoid this, correct?
Makoto: And you can help with that?
Alibaba: I can give you information if the change of heart is successful. I could even deal with them for you.
Makoto: Deal with them how?
Alibaba: I'm something of a hacker myself. Compared to myself, Medjed might as well be some script kiddies stumbling onto their first DDoS script.
"I'm… going to pretend I know what any of that means." Makoto muttered.
"Well, all we need to know is that they're skilled." Morgana replied.
Makoto: How do I know if you're actually capable of dealing with them?
Alibaba: I could easily track down their accounts just like I tracked down yours.
Alibaba: I suppose that I could do a little hacking into your site as well. Put my name and logo there.
Makoto: Give me a second.
Makoto glanced around the classroom before seeing Takayo about to leave the classroom.
"Tachibana-san!" Makoto called.
"Oh! Niijima-san!" Takayo greeted. "Did you need something?"
Makoto quickly explained the entire situation with her.
"Eh?! Another hacker?!" Takayo exclaimed. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"
"I can't think of a better one at the moment." Makoto sighed. "Let's just put a little warning on the Phansite about the name and logo so that people know that it's coming."
"Alright, I'll go and call Mishima-kun!" Takayo nodded.
"You have his number?" Makoto asked.
"T-That's just so that I can keep in touch with him since w-we both run the site t-together!" Takayo stammered.
"Err… alright." Makoto replied. "Just tell him to put up the warning."
"On it!" Takayo replied.
After waiting for her to call him, and confirming that Mishima had written the warning, Makoto got back to Alibaba.
Makoto: Alright, ready.
Alibaba: Excellent. Now watch.
Sure enough, just a few moments later, a huge logo and the name 'Alibaba' appeared on the Phansite.
Alibaba: I trust this will suffice? I'll be expecting your answer soon.
She tried to stop them and quickly type a message, but only got an error message in response.
"This Alibaba person is really good at hiding their tracks." Morgana frowned. "We still don't know who they are, and we can only talk to them on their terms."
"We'll have to let the others know as soon as we can and discuss." Makoto replied.
"Hopefully, this'll turn out to be our ticket out of this mess." Morgana sighed.
As they left the school, they ran into Kasumi outside.
"Oh, sempai!" Kasumi chirped. "Hello!"
"Yoshizawa-san." Makoto greeted. "It's nice to see you. Did you have practice today?"
"I do, but I still have some time before then." Kasumi replied. "To be honest, I'm feeling a little nervous about it… I feel like I haven't been doing enough. That I'm not improving."
"I'm sure that you're doing fine, Yoshizawa-san." Makoto consoled. "Try to have a bit more confidence in yourself."
"Yeah… confidence…" Kasumi nodded. "I'll try to be a bit more confident. I need to take this on by myself."
"You have Ren cheering you on too, right?" Makoto asked.
"I… suppose that I do." Kasumi nodded. "U-Um… I was curious about… what we talked about last time."
"The Phantom Thieves." Makoto stated.
"Y-Yes… have you heard the latest news about them? With Medjed?" Kasumi asked.
Makoto almost let out a gasp, surprised that she knew about that.
"Medjed? What do you mean?" Makoto acted.
"They sent out another message recently." Kasumi explained.
"What was the message?" Makoto asked.
"They demanded that everyone stop worshiping the Phantom Thieves, or they would steal their possessions."
"That's insane!" Makoto cried. "It's one thing to go after the Phantom Thieves, but they shouldn't be going after innocents too!"
"The police certainly have their hands full dealing with the rising popularity of the Phantom Thieves." Kasumi mentioned. "But with this added to the mix, it must be stressful for everyone. I hope there's a way that people can solve this themselves."
"I do remember you talking about people solving their own problems." Makoto recalled.
"Yes, but… I suppose it would depend on the severity of the problem." Kasumi admitted.
Severity… that got her curious.
"I hope I'm not asking anything too personal, but… you saw Dr. Maruki for something before, right?" Makoto asked.
"Oh, yes, I did!" Kasumi beamed. "He was a big help."
"What exactly… did he help you with?" Makoto asked.
"Dr. Maruki helped me with… um, he helped with… he…" Kasumi off.
Kasumi grimaced as she clutched her head.
"Y-Yoshizawa-san, are you alright?!" Makoto gasped.
"I'm f-fine." Kasumi insisted. "I just… can't seem to remember what I talked about with Dr. Maruki."
"You can't remember?" Makoto questioned.
Kasumi shook her head. "No, I can't. I feel very bad about it, too. Dr. Maruki helped me and my parents out so much."
"Your parents too?" Makoto asked.
"Yes." Kasumi nodded. "My parents went to him for therapy as well."
"I see…" Makoto trailed off.
It wasn't that she thought less of her for seeking help, but she did find it odd that she said that people should solve their own problems afterwards. Stranger still was that she couldn't even remember what she had talked to Dr. Maruki about, even though it was bad enough that the entire family needed therapy.
Though she was still curious, she did feel closer to Kasumi.
PRIESTESS CONFIDANT: RANK 2
After speaking with Kasumi for a little longer, she decided to call the others and have an emergency meeting.
She couldn't afford to wait any longer to address Medjed.
"Medjed and Alibaba… jeez, this is crazy." Ann muttered.
The group had gathered together for an emergency meeting, Makoto quickly filling the rest of them in.
"But how on Earth did this Alibaba discover that we're Phantom Thieves?" Yusuke asked. "They must know, considering they mentioned stealing hearts…"
"If they were able to obtain my number, they might have our chat logs too." Makoto theorized.
"Hey, um… it isn't that easy to look at other people's chat logs, is it?" Ann asked.
"Well, I'm not an expert… but you'd probably need experience with hacking." Makoto replied.
"So how come you can only reply when they want you too?" Ryuji asked.
"I guess that's probably just more hacking." Ren frowned. "I suppose there's no doubt that this guy is the real deal."
"Ugh, I don't get any of this high-tech stuff." Morgana complained.
"What if this is some sort of trap? Yusuke wondered. "What if this 'Alibaba' has ulterior motives, or is Medjed themselves?"
"We'll just have to be careful." Ren responded. "Hopefully, we're able to glean more information from them."
But wouldn't it be great if we got this Alibaba guy on our side?" Ryuji realized.
"We still don't know if we can trust them." Makoto pointed out.
"Still, it's a really good deal." Ryuji mumbled.
"If this Alibaba is a criminal, I certainly don't want to be helping them, especially if they want us to change someone's heart." Yusuke frowned.
"Oh, yeah. That'd be kinda bad…" Ryuji admitted.
"Do we even have a choice?" Ann worried. "They could leak our identities if we don't help."
"At this point…" Makoto trailed off. "The only thing we can do is-"
*Ring Ring*
"Well, speaking of…" Makoto whispered.
Glancing at her phone, she saw the familiar chat icon of Alibaba.
Alibaba: Do you have a calling card prepared?
"That's them!" Ryuji exclaimed. "Come on, we need to get some info outta them!"
Makoto: We have some, yes.
Alibaba: Then what are you waiting for? Change the target's heart.
Makoto: We don't know who the target is.
Alibaba: You need a name, then? Fair enough.
The group waited a few moments, curious about the name of their new target.
Alibaba: Futaba Sakura. Change her heart, and I will deal with Medjed.
"Sakura?!" Makoto gasped.
"That's Boss' last name!" Ren realized.
Makoto tried to type up a response, only to find that the message was not sent.
"They cut contact again." Makoto frowned.
"This has to be all connected somehow." Yusuke theorized.
"Could Boss… really be abusive towards his child?" Makoto asked.
"No way!" Ren protested. "There's no way that he's abusive. He… He's treated me well… so, I don't believe it."
"Ren…" Makoto trailed off.
"Wait, I have an idea!" Ann exclaimed. "Why don't we look up Boss' name on the Metaverse app?"
"That's… a good idea." Makoto realized.
"Alright, let's try it out then!" Ann exclaimed.
Makoto opened up the app, everyone waiting with bated breath as she entered in Boss' full name.
Name not found.
Ren breathed a sigh of relief, seeing that his guardian wasn't filled with distorted desires.
It must have felt nice…
"I knew that he wasn't like that." Ren smiled.
"But what are we supposed to do now?" Ryuji asked. "What the hell are we supposed to do about Medjed and Alibaba?"
"At this rate, it seems like all we can do is wait for Alibaba to contact us again." Yusuke frowned.
"Hold on…" Makoto trailed off. "Maybe we can learn a little more about Boss' predicament at least."
"How will we do that?" Ren asked.
"Boss mentioned that he'd be willing to give me a place to stay if things ever got… really bad between me and my sister." Makoto mentioned. "I hate to take advantage of Boss' generosity, but this might be our best chance of meeting with his daughter."
"Then the rest of us will go with you." Ren promised.
"Thank you." Makoto expressed.
"Should we go right now?" Ann asked.
"No, let's wait a few days to see if Alibaba has anything else to say, then we'll try." Makoto ordered. "I'll also try to see if I can find this 'Futaba Sakura' on the school roster."
"I'll try to see if I can find anything out from Boss." Ren suggested.
"Just try to be subtle about it." Morgana warned.
"Well, hopefully we'll find out something." Makoto sighed. "Anything else, everyone?
They talked a little longer before she officially called an end to the meeting, and they all went their separate ways.
As she started making her way home, however, she realized something.
'Yoshizawa-san mentioned something about the police having their hands full.' Makoto thought. 'Maybe I should check on Mitsuhide. If I'm lucky, he might even know something about Futaba."
She made her way over to Crossroads, where she found Mitsuhide gulping down his drink, as per usual.
"Matsuoka-san." Makoto greeted.
"Oh. Niijima-san." Mitsuhide nodded. "You really aren't going to take my advice to stop coming here, huh?"
"I'm afraid not." Makoto smiled. "I was wondering about a few things actually."
"Like?"
"Do you know anyone called Futaba Sakura?" Makoto asked.
"Jeez, you too?" Mitsuhide frowned.
"You've heard of her?" Makoto asked.
"I don't know who she is or anything, but I've heard some musings over by the station… and by your sister." Mitsuhide stated. "Something about child abuse, I think."
"Yeah, that's it." Makoto nodded.
"Not that it's not horrible if true, but… I'm surprised at how much attention this case is getting compared to others. Makes me think that there's something a little deeper about this case." Mitsuhide stated.
"It's certainly getting a lot more attention than the Yakuza." Makoto frowned.
Mitsuhide frowned. "Yeah. I guess you're right. Though, the police looking the other way towards the Yakuza isn't exactly a new thing…"
"They did the same thing before?" Makoto asked.
"Back in the day, the police had ties to the Yakuza." Mitsuhide explained. "Some still do, honestly. The Yakuza would keep some of the more visible criminals in check, and the police would look the other way when it came to some of the Yakuza's gambling and sex crimes."
She frowned. "But those crimes still have victims."
The officer shrugged. "A lot of people think that anyone who gets involved with drugs and gangs deserves what's coming to them. And that they shouldn't bother people with their problems. And sex crimes… well, I'm sure a lot of people are well aware of how often those get ignored."
Considering how Shujin handled the Kamoshida incident, she was inclined to agree.
"I think… a lot of people would rather pretend that everything's ok, rather than put in the work to ensure everything is ok." she muttered. "And there are people who take advantage of attitudes like that."
"Yeah… I suppose you've got a point." Mitsuhide sighed.
"Still… it's hard for me to imagine anyone willingly working for the Yakuza." Makoto mentioned.
"Well… that Kaneshiro guy… his gang was good at making people disappear… and he made a lot of money too. It wouldn't surprise me if a politician was using him to get rid of some people and to funnel money into their campaigns."
"What about before then?" Makoto asked. "Why work with Yakuza in the past?"
"Well, some police and politicians were always in their pockets. And also… like I said, to keep the more visible criminals in check." the officer replied. "There's also a stigma with reporting sex crimes, and 'bothering' the police with crimes involving the Yakuza. Drug laws are really strict too, so everyone's too afraid to say anything."
"How strict?" she asked.
"Strict enough to ruin someone's entire life and career." Mitsuhide sighed. "So people won't talk."
"So a lot of crimes aren't getting reported…" she muttered.
"And why do you think people don't want these crimes being reported?" the officer asked.
"...To keep the crime rate down." she muttered.
"You're sharp, girl." the officer grinned. "See, if a crime doesn't get reported, it's not on the record. If it's not on the record, crime rates stay low. If crime rates stay low, those in charge brag about it and use it as a reason why they should stay in charge. It was really good for reelection campaigns."
"Playing politics with people's lives…" she muttered.
The officer nodded. "I guess, from a purely pragmatic standpoint, there's not much benefit for the police or politicians to admit that a problem exists."
"But surely, there are officers out there who don't believe in pure pragmatism." Makoto frowned. "People with a strong sense of justice."
"Well, there was your father, and…" Mitsuhide trailed off.
"And who…?" Makoto asked.
"It's… It's nothing." Mitsuhide mumbled.
As Mitsuhide ordered another drink, she wondered who he could have been referring to.
Although he didn't want to talk about it, he had still told her quite a bit.
She felt like she could understand Mitsuhide just a little bit more.
DEVIL CONFIDANT: RANK 3
After speaking for a little while, she went home with Morgana, and turned in for the day.
She could only hope that things would get better soon…
7/22 Friday
After classes ended for the day, she decided that it would be a good idea to head to Untouchable. It seemed very likely that they would have to change someone's heart, so she wanted them all to be prepared, just in case.
As soon as she entered the store, Makoto began to browse the various weapons, armor, and accessories, her eyes widening when one caught her eye.
"That's my charm!" Makoto gasped.
The small charm up for sale was unmistakably the gift that Ren had given her in Hawaii.
"That's yours?" Iwai questioned.
"It was a gift." Makoto explained. "But it was stolen from me."
"Now that you mention it… I think I remember you wearin' something like that." Iwai recalled.
"Then…?"
"I was hoping to sell it, but I'll give it to you if you promise to do a little favor for me." Iwai offered. "There's been some bad rumors about my shop floating around, and I bet that it's Tsuda that's spreading' them."
"So you want me to snoop on him for you?" Makoto asked.
Iwai nodded. "I'd do it myself, but I'm too well known…"
"What does that mean?" Makoto said.
"Tsuda… is a lieutenant in a Yakuza clan… the same clan I was a part of." Iwai admitted. "Tsuda would know if I was keeping tabs on him personally."
"So you are Yakuza…" Makoto muttered.
"You knew?"
"I suspected." Makoto confessed. "Especially with that tattoo of yours. The gecko."
"Oh… that." Iwai muttered. "That's… something different."
"I see. Well, should I start right now?" Makoto wondered.
"No. I'll tell you when." Iwai said. "For now, just work here."
"Alright. But… who was the one who sold you that charm?" Makoto asked.
"I'm not telling you that." Iwai grunted. "I wouldn't want to lose their business."
"Well… the man who stole it from me… he called himself the Cleaner." Makoto told him.
"What? The Cleaner?!" Iwai exclaimed.
"You've heard of him?" Makoto asked.
"...I've heard rumors." Iwai muttered. "I also saw on the news that someone offed him."
"That's right." Makoto nodded. "I assume, then, that he's not the one who sold you my charm, since he, um… can't really give you any business anymore.
"…That's right." Iwai nodded. "Anyway, a deal's a deal. Here you go."
Iwai handed her back the charm, which she gladly accepted.
"You're giving it to me now?" Makoto asked.
"It's a sign that I trust you." Iwai replied. And I figured that since you're desperate for my special menu, and want to keep our partnership a secret, you'll do what I say."
Well, he wasn't wrong…
Still, she could feel the bond of trust between herself and Iwai growing stronger.
HANGED MAN CONFIDANT: RANK 3
She worked the register for Iwai for a little bit until a young boy came in. He looked a few years younger than her.
"H-Hello…" the boy stammered.
"I told you to stop coming here!" Iwai scolded.
"Who's this?" Makoto asked.
"None of your business." Iwai grunted.
"I-I just wanted to check up on you." the boy mumbled.
"Listen, Kaoru, just go home and study." Iwai said. "You've got exams coming up."
Makoto frowned, Iwai's words sounding all too familiar.
As the boy left the store, Iwai let out a sigh.
"That's my son." Iwai muttered. "He's a good kid, it's just…"
"Weren't you a little harsh?" Makoto criticized. "There's more to life than just studying."
"I know that." Iwai grunted. "But there's a lot of shady people like Tsuda that stop by here, not to mention the police investigating me… I don't want Kaoru getting involved in that, or anyone knowing that he's my son."
"Oh… I see. That makes sense." Makoto nodded. "Sorry."
"...It's fine. As long as you help me out with the deal." Iwai told her. "Now, let's keep working…"
It was late at night when she began making her way home from Untouchable.
As she made her way down an alley near her home, she saw a familiar face.
"Oh, we met that guy at the park, didn't we!" Morgana realized.
The man turned to her, his eyes narrowing.
"You… I feel like I've met you before." the old man muttered.
"I'm Makoto Niijima, sir." she said. "We met at the park. You dropped your bracelet, remember?
"Bracelet… oh, I remember now." the man replied. "We-"
"Stop right there!"
Suddenly, two men surrounded them, glaring daggers at her.
"Muggers?" the old man wondered.
"What do you want?!" Makoto exclaimed.
"You… I remember you!" the thug snarled. "You're the little sister of that bitch who's prosecuting the boss!"
"The boss? So you were with Kaneshiro, then." Makoto noted.
"That's right, and it's about time we got our revenge!" the other thug shouted.
"Get behind me." she whispered to the older man with her. "I'll try to hold them off."
"... That won't be necessary." the old man replied.
"Huh?"
Suddenly, the old man rushed forward, slamming his fist into the first thug's stomach before he could even react, and quickly knocked him out.
"W-What the hell?!" the other thug gasped. "You old bastard!"
The other thug pulled out a knife, charging towards the old man.
"Look out!" Makoto cried.
The old man stood still until the man was about to thrust the knife forward.
The old man reached out with near inhuman speed, grabbing the thug's arm before twisting it behind his back, making him drop the knife.
"H-How did you-"
The old man struck the thug in the back of the neck, knocking him out as well.
"That… was incredible!" Makoto gasped.
"Don't worry. I'll deal with this trash." the old man promised. "You should run home now."
"Woah, this guy's a really experienced fighter!" Morgana gasped. "Maybe if he taught us a few moves, we would grow even stronger in the Metaverse!"
That was a good point.
"Um…"
"Yes? Was there something else?" the old man inquired.
"I… I… want to become stronger." Makoto stammered. "I was hoping that you could train me… or at least teach me how you did something like that…"
The man stared at her for a few awkward, uncomfortable moments.
"Why do you want to get stronger?" the old man finally asked.
"...Because I'm sick of feeling useless." Makoto admitted. "I want to be able to help others in need, and…"
"Yes?"
"There's a certain someone… that I want to save." Makoto finished.
"Is that so…" The man trailed off.
He stared at her for a few more moments before nodding.
"You're serious about this." The man noted. "I can see it in your eyes."
"I am." Makoto nodded.
"... Alright." the man nodded. "I'll teach you what you can."
"You will?! Thank you so much!" Makoto expressed. "Although… I don't think I ever got your name, though."
"Yohei Kiritani." the man answered.
As the two of them reached an agreement, she heard a voice ringing in her head.
I am thou, thou art I… thou hast acquired a new vow. It shall become the wings of rebellion that carry you to thy future. With the birth of the Death Persona, I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power…
DEATH CONFIDANT: RANK 1
"I will find you out when I'm ready to start training you." Yohei explained. "I'll… only be available during night. Is that fine?"
"Yes, thank you very much." Makoto smiled.
After arranging a few things with Yohei, Makoto went home for the day.
Makoto's Confidant Progress:
THE FOOL - Ren Amamiya: Rank 7
THE HUNGER - Igor: Rank 6
THE CHARIOT - Ryuji Sakamoto: Rank 5
THE MAGICIAN - Morgana: Rank 5
THE FAITH - Eiko Takao: Rank 5
THE TOWER - Chiaki Yasui: Rank 5
THE SUN - Shiho Suzui: Rank 5
THE MOON - Takayo Tachibana: Rank 5
THE HIEROPHANT - Sojiro Sakura: Rank 4
THE TEMPERANCE - Naoya Makigami: Rank 2
THE STAR - Hifumi Togo: Rank 3
THE DEVIL - Mitsuhide Matsuoka: Rank 2
THE HANGED MAN - Munehisa Iwai: Rank 2
THE DEATH - Yohei Kiritani: Rank 1
THE EMPEROR - Yusuke Kitagawa: Rank 3
THE EMPRESS - Haru Okumura: Rank 3
THE LOVERS - Ann Takamaki: Rank 3
THE STRENGTH - Caroline and Justine: Rank 4
THE JUSTICE - Goro Akechi: Rank 3
THE PRIESTESS - Kasumi Yoshizawa: Rank 1
THE FORTUNE - Phantom Thieves of Heart: Rank 4
THE JUDGEMENT - Sae Niijima: Rank 4
THE COUNCILLOR - Takuto Maruki: Rank 5