"I'm sorry for the short notice, but I felt like this was important to discuss." Makoto began.
Thankfully, everyone was available when she called them all over to discuss Hifumi's situation with her mother.
They had all agreed that something had to be done about the women, and together, the entire team went into Mementos.
It wasn't until they were close to the depths that they were able to find their target.
"So, that must be her, right?" Morgana assumed.
"She's just using her as a pawn…" Yusuke frowned.
"Absurd… Hifumi is my daughter, and I, her mother." the shadow plainly stated. "I was the one who gave birth to her! Who raised her! A child should be eternally grateful to their parents and do whatever they can to please them!
"No… that's wrong." Haru argued. "Your daughter is her own person."
"She's not some tool for you to use!" Makoto snapped. "She has her own hobbies and dreams!"
"Yes, yes, I'm well aware of how she wishes to be a professional shogi player." the shadow said. "She thinks that her skills have drastically improved, but she hasn't even realized that all of her matches have been fixed!"
"Fixed…?" Makoto repeated.
"I'm the one who's been building Hifumi's commercial value." the shadow boasted. "If I didn't get rid of all of her rivals, then she never would have gotten this far! I've hired private investigators and even criminals to find and exploit her opponent's weaknesses and secrets!"
The shadow let out a laugh, as if amused by her wrongdoings.
"I'm crafting the perfect story for her! The perfect path to fame! I crushed everyone who got in her way… just like how I'll crush you too!"
The shadow dissolved, reforming into a seductive-looking demon with little clothing and black wings.
The shadow immediately went on the offensive, firing off intense flames to attempt to keep them at bay.
"Fire, then?" Yusuke noted. "Very well then! Goemon, Bufudyne!"
Goemon shot out huge chunks of ice from his pipe, but the shadow took a miniscule amount of damage, and quickly countered with more fire.
"Try this then!" Ann shouted.
Ann responded with fire of her own, striking the shadow. The attack dealt damage, but once again, it was only a little bit, and the shadow responded, this time with ice!
"H-Hey, watch it!" Ann shouted. "How many spells do you have?!"
As it turned out, it was quite a lot. Ryuji, Morgana, and Haru all tried to strike with magic of their own, but it still did little damage, and the shadow was easily able to counter with wind, lightning, and nuclear spells.
"Eiagon!" Ren shouted, firing off intense curse energy at the shadow.
But unlike the other spells, Ren's magic didn't do a thing.
"Is that all you've got?" the shadow mocked. "At this rate, it'll be checkmate before long!"
"If that won't work, the least I can do is slow it down." Ren frowned.
Ren debuffed the shadow's speed, much to its annoyance.
"Obnoxious pest!" the shadow snapped, conjuring more fire to strike him with.
"Fire… not light…" Makoto noted. "I see! Horus! Kougaon!"
A gleaming bird of brilliant, white light appeared behind her, shooting out a ray of light that struck the shadow.
After pinpointing the enemy's weakness, she refused to let up, striking the shadow again and again until it was defeated.
"Impressive as always." Akechi nodded.
Makoto approached the shadow, who posed no threat to them anymore.
"I was never able to accomplish anything amazing in my life." Mitsuyo admitted. "That's why… even just once, I wanted to taste success."
"And that's why you used Hifumi. You tried to live through her." Makoto surmised.
"Yes, that's true. I could never win on my own. I had to use Hifumi. I had to!" Mitsuyo cried.
"And what about her happiness?" Makoto asked.
"I-I… never meant to make her unhappy." Mitsuyo insisted. "But I suppose… I never thought about her own happiness either. After she won a competition in grade school, they wouldn't stop calling her a genius, and I… let that get to my head. What a horrible mother I've been!"
"Then you know what you have to do, right?" Makoto asked.
"Yes… I'll beg her for her forgiveness. That's all I can do." Mitsuyo admitted.
Slowly, the shadow dissolved into light, leaving nothing but their treasure behind.
Their duty now finished, they all left Mementos and went home for the day.
11/16 Saturday
Days Until Investigation: 4
Unsurprisingly, the day after she had confronted Hifumi's mother, she immediately got a call from Hifumi herself asking her to come back to the church, which she quickly agreed to.
When she arrived, however, she saw that Hifumi still seemed to be feeling very down.
For a moment, she thought that perhaps the change of heart hadn't worked, but quickly dismissed the idea, considering she had gotten the treasure.
So it must be something else.
"Is something wrong?" Makoto asked. "Did you speak to your mother?"
"Actually, my mother was the one who spoke to me." Hifumi brought up. "And she told me… that all of my matches thus far had been fixed in my favor."
"Ah… I see." Makoto nodded.
Her mother's shadow had mentioned as such. While changing her heart did mean that Hifumi would have to face that harsh truth, ultimately, it was for the best.
"She also mentioned that she was the one who sold that story to that weekly magazine. About our home life." Hifumi frowned. "I… feel so ashamed. I recall so many times where my opponents would make odd moves at critical moments… how did I not realize?"
"It's not your fault." Makoto insisted. "You weren't the one fixing the matches."
"But I was benefiting from it." Hifumi argued. "I always wanted people to acknowledge my skills… but I suppose I never had any."
"I don't think that's true." Makoto pointed out. "We've played shogi many times, and despite my own skills improving, I've never won against you. You practice so much… I still think you're very talented."
"I don't know…" Hifumi trailed off. "But… I've also been wondering why my mother confessed so suddenly. Almost as if she had a… change… of… heart."
Hifumi's eyes widened before turning to face her.
"You don't think…?"
"Maybe someone found out, and made a request?" Makoto suggested. "Or maybe you're just overthinking."
"Well, as painful as it was to hear the truth, I'm glad that my mother had a change of heart." Hifumi smiled.
A determined look crossed Hifumi's face.
"I've decided… that I won't lose." Hifumi declared.
"The exhibition match?" Makoto asked.
"Yes, I won't throw the match… but I will confess everything before I participate." Hifumi stated.
"Are you sure?" Makoto asked. "It seems unfair for you to receive flak for your mother's actions.
"I know that there will be criticism, but I must let the truth be known." Hifumi replied. "This next match… I'll show off my true talents, for the first time!"
"I'm sure you'll do great." Makoto encouraged. "I'll be sure to watch."
"Thank you." Hifumi expressed.
She could feel Hifumi's gratitude shining through.
STAR CONFIDANT: RANK 8
She spoke to Hifumi for a little longer before heading home for the day.
11/17 Sunday
Days Until Investigation: 3
Since she was free for the day, she decided that, after making sure that everything was in place, she wanted to relax at Leblanc for a bit.
When she arrived, she saw Sojiro getting ready to close up shop for the day. But the strange thing was that Sojiro seemed to have a very… distant expression on his face. Distant, but happy.
What really surprised her, however, was when he seemingly wiped away a tear from his eye?
"Boss?"
"Who's there?!" Sojiro snapped, turning around. "Oh… it's just you."
"Is everything alright?" Makoto asked.
"Well, something happened earlier today… let me tell you about it." Sojiro offered.
Sojiro told her about 2 investigators who stopped by to talk to him, Futaba, and Ren. It seemed that they weren't fast enough to target Futaba's uncle, as he still had time to file a complaint. However, both investigators seemed to have come to the conclusion that there was nothing to worry about.
"Heh… Futaba even called me dad…" Sojiro whispered, almost inaudibly.
"I'm glad everything worked out." Makoto said. "I was pretty concerned when he threatened to make a report."
"So was I." Sojiro mentioned. "But you know… it's the funniest thing… I actually got a call from him the other day."
"Really? He… wasn't asking for more money, was he?" Makoto asked.
"No, the opposite actually." Sojiro said. "He apologized for his behavior. Said he'd never bother me about Futaba or money ever again."
"Really?! That's amazing!" Makoto exclaimed.
"Yeah… and it was really sudden too. Almost like he had a 'change of heart'." Sojiro stated.
"O-Oh, you think so?" Makoto asked. "I suppose it was quite sudden. But… at least everything turned out ok in the end."
Sojiro gave her an amused smile. "I suppose they did. And you certainly helped out with that a lot. Thank you again."
"Of course." Makoto smiled.
Sojiro paused for a moment, thinking about what he should say next.
"Listen… you kids are up to something dangerous, aren't you?"
"W-Wha- N-No, no, we're not!" Makoto insisted.
"Well, if you do ever get involved in something serious, and you need something like a place to stay…" Sojiro tailed off.
"T-Thank you." Makoto whispered. "Thank you very much."
She felt as if she understood Sojiro a little better.
HIEROPHANT CONFIDANT: RANK 9
After speaking to Sojiro for a while longer, she went upstairs, meeting Futaba in the attic.
"Hey, Makoto." Futaba greeted. "Is… everything ready? The supplies and everything?"
"Yes, we should be fine." Makoto nodded. "Is the card prepared?"
"Yeah." Futaba nodded. "Everything's ready, but…"
Hesitation danced in Futaba's eyes. Not that it was any different for her.
Even if it made the most sense for her to deliver the calling card, she couldn't help but feel nervous just at the thought of doing it.
And then there was the matter of every other part of their plan…
"I know you said that you had a plan, but…" Futaba trailed off.
"Let me explain." Makoto said.
She explained the basics of her plan to Futaba.
"That's risky…" Futaba muttered.
"We don't have much time left. We need some plan." Makoto pointed out.
"I… guess you're right." Futaba admitted. "We don't really have any other choice. But… be careful, ok?"
"I will." Makoto promised. "Everything will be fine, I promise."
"Still… if we go through with this plan, your sister's heart won't be changed." Futaba pointed. "So…"
"There's more than one way to change someone's heart." Makoto replied. "I think… that I might just be able to get through her."
"Well, if anyone would be able to do it, it'll be you." Futaba said. "Good luck."
They discussed the plan for a little longer before she left Leblanc.
As she began to make her way back home, she noticed a small crowd gathered around, listening to a man speaking.
From what she could gather, the man appeared to be a politician, seemingly starting his campaign.
Something about the way he spoke drew her in, and she listened to him give his entire speech.
There were a few hecklers, but most of the audience seemed very captivated.
After the speech ended, she saw the man speaking with some of the other members of the crowd.
"Oh, hello there, um…"
"Toranosuke Yoshida." the man said, introducing himself. "And might I ask your name?"
"Makoto Niijima." she greeted.
"Oh? I heard about you." Toranosuke stated.
"You have?" she questioned.
"Oh yes. There was a young man about your age who assisted me a great deal. He had a lot of praise for you in particular."
"O-Oh, I see." Makoto stammered.
It was flattering, but a little embarrassing at the same time.
"It's not often that I get younger people to come to one of my speeches." Toranosuke said. "But it's always a nice surprise when they do. They are the future of this country, after all."
"I suppose, but…" Makoto frowned.
"What is it?" the man asked.
"Well, it's just… I go to Shujin, you know? Have you heard of everything that happened there this year?" Makoto asked.
"Ah, I've heard quite a bit. There was that gym teacher, and the principal, and… something about the Yazuka, even?" Toranosuke recalled.
"Yes, it's been a lot." Makoto muttered. "I… do try my best to remain positive and to help others as much as I can when they need it, but…"
"But what?" Toranosuke asked.
"Sometimes… Everything feels so hopeless." Makoto admitted. "It feels like, no matter what we do, there's always going to be so much corruption out there. That every little thing that I can do to help won't really mean much in the grand scheme of things."
"I suppose I can understand why you feel that way." the politician acknowledged. "But all the same, I believe that people should never give up when it comes to fighting against injustice."
"I suppose so…" Makoto nodded.
"Is said to see how cynical or hopeless some of the youth feel about the future." Toranosuke frowned. "But at the same time, it feels as if we've failed the youth in many ways."
"But as you said, people should keep fighting, yes?" Makoto asked.
Toranosuke nodded. "Exactly. Perhaps not every problem can be solved, and every criminal stopped, in our lifetimes, but all of the problems that are solved, and all of the criminals that are caught, are because of brave men and women that fight hard against injustice every day."
She thought for a moment about her father, and how she had managed to finally solve the case that he had worked on with Kaneshiro.
"I think you might be right." Makoto smiled. "Even if it's hard, or even if it only helps a little, it's still important to do the right thing."
"Yes, that's what I think as well." Toranosuke smiled.
"Thank you for the talk." Makoto expressed. "I think I needed that. I've been feeling very stressed lately."
"I'm glad I could help." the man smiled.
After saying goodbye to the man, she went home for the day.
11/18 Monday
Days Until Investigation: 2
She left school feeling more than a little nervous. Even she couldn't guarantee that their plan would work.
And if it didn't… she would be…
*BUZZ BUZZ*
Feeling her phone beginning to buzz, she reached into her pocket to grab it.
Akechi: Are you free right now? There's something I wanted to discuss. Preferably… in Mementos.
"Akechi…" Makoto muttered.
What could he possibly want there? Was he going to…?
She shook her head. She could make an excuse, but a part of her was genuinely curious about what he wanted.
She decided to text him back, saying that she would meet with him.
Akechi: Excellent. Then I'll text you my location and we can go down once we meet up.
After he told her his location, she went off to meet with him so that the two of them could go down to Mementos together.
Akechi glanced around as the two of them made their way to a wide-open space in Mementos.
"Yes, this place will do nicely." Akechi noted.
"Nicely for what?" Makoto asked.
Suddenly, Akechi pulled out his gun… and pointed it right at her.
He was trying to kill her!
"Anat!" Makoto shouted. "Freidyne!"
Surprised, Akechi narrowly dodged out of the way of the nuclear blast.
"Easy, easy! All I wanted was a little sparring round." Akechi chuckled.
"... A sparring round?" Makoto questioned. "Is that all?"
"It is… after our chess match, I realized that your insight, wit, and strength would make you the ideal rival. I have to admit, I've built up a strong urge to engage you in a duel." Akechi grinned.
"Fine, but maybe don't go pointing guns at people out of the blue." Makoto chastised.
"Hahaha… I'll keep that in mind." Akechi laughed. "So, shall we?"
"Alright then, we can spar." Makoto nodded.
"Thank you for indulging my selfish request." Akechi smiled. "Now, let's begin!"
Akechi immediately went on the offensive, attempting to strike her with a Kouga spell.
"Barong!" Makoto called.
Her new persona easily managed to nullify the damage from Kouga spell.
"Ziodyne!" Makoto shouted.
She struck Akechi with a blast of lightning, firing off a few shots from her gun as well.
"Fascinating… but now that you'll stand no chance unless you come at me with lethal force!" Akechi advised.
Well, she would certainly have no trouble with that.
"Now then, I believe it's my turn!" Akechi shouted.
Akechi fired off an Eiga spell, striking her hard enough to knock her to the ground.
"Now, Robin Hood!" Akechi commanded.
Robin Hood fired his arrow, knocking her back and dealing considerable damage.
"Right… Robin Hood is pretty versatile." she frowned.
Light, dark, and even almighty magic, with strong physical skills to round it out.
Even if she pulled out a Persona that was strong against one of those elements, we would have plenty to counter her with.
"Alright then… Anat!" Makoto called.
Anat would, at the very least, not be weak to anything Akechi could dish out.
"Friedyne!" she shouted.
Again and again, the two of them fired off spells and bullets, clashing with each other.
They had reached something of a stalemate, neither of them able to get an attack past the other.
"Marakukaja." Makoto commanded, Anat raising her defenses.
"Oh? Now just what are you planning?" Akechi wondered.
She waited for him to fire off another Eiga spell… and then charged right through.
Taking him off guard, she struck a critical blow with her fist, knocking him off balance.
And now… he was at her mercy.
She knew all about his plan. All about his identity. Everything there was to know.
He was the one…
She fired off Freidyne after Freidyne, consumed by rage.
He had taken everything from her. Her father. Her sister. EVERYTHING!
EVERTHING! EVERYTHING! EVERYTHING!
SHE WOULD-
"Alright, that's enough!" Akechi called. "Let's end it here!"
Makoto blinked, his words bringing her back to reality.
"Goodness, you really got into it, didn't you?" Akechi asked.
She needed to calm down. She couldn't let her emotions consume her and possibly jeopardize the mission.
"S-Sorry…" Makoto whispered. "I suppose I've been on edge lately, for obvious reasons. Not to mention that sometimes, in the heat of battle…"
"It's almost like you lose control?" Akechi asked. "I see… I suppose I experience something similar myself."
"I see…" Makoto trailed off.
"It's no wonder you're the leader. You've even managed to go toe to toe with me on this battlefield as well." Akechi acknowledged. "I'm afraid if we go any further, we'd be past the point of no return, eh?"
"I suppose so." Makoto nodded.
Despite everything, he still appeared to be barely injured. He truly was a fearsome opponent…
"As eager as I would be to see just how far we could push each other, we have an important mission tomorrow." Akechi said. "Now then, let us return to the real world."
After they had left Mementos, she noticed Akechi studying her with an unflinching gaze.
"I've learned yet another new thing about you today." Akechi grinned. "You'll surely make a reliable ally in the battles ahead. I might actually have to rely on you from time to time."
"Thank you." Makoto nodded. "Despite… everything, you've been a great ally to the team as well."
"As polite and composed as ever." Akechi chuckled. "Thank you once again for indulging me."
She felt like she understood Akechi a little better.
JUSTICE CONFIDANT: RANK 8
"Still, I can't help but wonder who would have won our duel had we continued." Akechi stated. "Could you see yourself winning?
"Yeah. I'd win, no matter what." Makoto confidently claimed.
"I had a feeling you would say that." Akechi said. "You know, at first, I didn't really think of you at all. You were just the little sister of the woman I worked with. A total pushover only concerned with being a good little girl."
"And that opinion's changed?" Makoto asked.
"Yes, it has. I feel much differently now." Akechi nodded. "I hate you."
"W-Wha-"
"You lost both of your parents, and your only living family member thinks of you like a pathetic toddler, but somehow, you've managed to come out of that situation stronger than before! You've amassed an entire group of allies and fans who believe in your sense of justice, and your unique talent and skills that threaten to surpass mine… it's infuriating!"
An ugly scowl crossed Akechi's face.
"You're the one person that I refuse to lose to!" Akechi declared.
"Well… that's unfortunate then, because I don't plan on losing either." Makoto replied.
"You… You're so… Tch, very well then." Akechi frowned.
He took off his glove before tossing it at her.
"What are you doing?" Makoto asked, deftly catching the glove right before it hit her face.
"I'm throwing down the gauntlet, so to speak." Akechi explained. "It's a tradition to do so when challenging someone to a duel. Do you accept it?"
"I do." Makoto nodded, clenching the glove in her fist.
"Good. Then know that in our next bout, I shall be the victor." Akechi claimed.
They went their separate ways, Makoto heading home for the day.
Despite the courage she had shown in front of Akechi and the Metaverse, her arms were still shaking, and her knees felt like they were about to give out.
Not because of Akechi, but rather, her sister.
Slowly, she opened the door to their apartment.
"Makoto? Is that you?" Sae asked.
"S-Sis… I…"
The one saving grace was that her nervousness would be easy to explain.
"What's wrong?" Sae asked. "Did something happen at school?"
She shook her head. "I-In the mail… there was…"
Barely able to speak another word, she placed the calling card on the living room table, Sae's eyes widening the moment they landed on the card.
"Why don't we… take a seat, Makoto." Sae softly said.
The two of them sat down, Makoto glancing at the ground.
"You said you found this in our mailbox, right?" Sae asked. "Did you see anyone suspicious around?"
"N-No, I didn't. I'm sorry." Makoto apologized.
Sae sighed. "They probably made sure to place this when neither of us were around, then."
Sae grabbed the card, beginning to read the card that Makoto had personally written.
Madame Sae Niijima, the great sinner of envy. You have lost yourself amidst your obsession with success. For its sake, you are even willing to promote your twisted injustice as law, forsaking the ideals you once held in the pursuit of advancement and jealousy of those around you. We will show you the errors of your ways as we steal your twisted, aching heart!
From, The Phantom Thieves.
"To think they would send me one." Sae scowled.
She crumbled the calling card in her hands, throwing it into the trash.
"They brand me a criminal and plan to change my heart?!" Sae snapped. "What nonsense! They only care about disposing of those inconvenient to them! Fine… I'll just have to catch them first!"
"And when you do, are you going to interrogate them?" Makoto asked. "In that one facility?"
Sae had, on occasion, mentioned the area where they interrogate some of the most wanted criminals.
"Why do you ask?" Sae inquired.
"Well… I'm worried. I mean, what if they do something to you?" Makoto said, coming up with an excuse. "No one even knows their methods. If you're alone there with them…"
"It's a special interrogation room, yes." Sae nodded. "But don't worry, I will get them to divulge their secrets. I will win against them. At any cost!"
For just a moment, she thought she saw her sister's shadow appear.
Let's do this fair and square…!
Sae pulled out her phone, texting someone.
"It's late, but I should probably head back now because of this." Sae frowned. "I'll have to contact the director and let him know about this calling card…"
"I see…" Makoto responded.
"I expect things will calm down a little once this case is over." Sae assured her. "Once that happens… why don't we go on a trip to some hot springs? Just the two of us."
"S-Sis… I…" Makoto stammered.
She felt like she was on the verge of breaking down. She wasn't sure how much longer she could keep up this act.
"Um, I-I'm on your side!" Makoto cried. "I won't let anyone do anything to you!"
She could feel her eyes beginning to water.
No, not yet.
She couldn't let herself cry. Not yet. Not until everything was over.
She closed her eyes, forcing herself to stay strong.
Suddenly, she heard Sae chuckling, before feeling her gently patting her head.
"What an odd girl…" Sae fondly said. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."
"Y-Yeah… of course." Makoto nodded.
She took one last look at Sae before heading to bed, Morgana curling up next to her.
"You ok?" Morgana asked.
"I'll be ok." Makoto whispered. "I have to be."
The calling card now delivered, she went to sleep, hoping to get just a tiny amount of rest.
Tomorrow… would be the day everything went down.
Makoto's Confidant Progress:
THE FOOL - Ren Amamiya: Rank 9
THE HUNGER - Igor: Rank 9
THE CHARIOT - Ryuji Sakamoto: Rank 9
THE MAGICIAN - Morgana: Rank 8
THE FAITH - Eiko Takao: Rank 7
THE TOWER - Chiaki Yasui: Rank 9
THE SUN - Shiho Suzui: Rank 9
THE MOON - Takayo Tachibana: Rank 9
THE HIEROPHANT - Sojiro Sakura: Rank 9
THE TEMPERANCE - Naoya Makigami: Rank 8
THE STAR - Hifumi Togo: Rank 8
THE DEVIL - Mitsuhide Matsuoka: Rank 6
THE HANGED MAN - Munehisa Iwai: Rank 7
THE DEATH - Yohei Kiritani: Rank 6
THE EMPEROR - Yusuke Kitagawa: Rank 9
THE EMPRESS - Haru Okumura: Rank 6
THE LOVERS - Ann Takamaki: Rank 9
THE HERMIT - Futaba Sakura: Rank 7
THE STRENGTH - Caroline and Justine: Rank 9
THE JUSTICE - Goro Akechi: Rank 8
THE PRIESTESS - Kasumi Yoshizawa?: Rank 6
THE FORTUNE - Phantom Thieves of Heart: Rank 7
THE JUDGMENT - Sae Niijima: Rank 6
THE COUNCILLOR - Takuto Maruki: Rank 9
Are the Phantom Thieves just? Yes 30.0%