Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The whole room was spinning, her head felt like it was submerged in thick syrup and it was throbbing from a massive headache that she just knew was going to hit like a truck any moment now. Her arms hurt, her wrists were sore and bruised and, despite not being able to see her torso thanks to her uniform, she knew that it was bruised as well.

Those damn cops… doing whatever they wanted just because no one was going see what was happening inside that interrogation room. What a load of crap.

She closed her eyes to try and fight back the pain in her head, maybe the lack of light hitting her eyes would make the pain more bearable. Then again… it’s not like she was able to see much anyways. Whatever they had injected into her body really fucked her eyesight up. Maybe she would need glasses that actually worked, who knows?

“Wake her up.” A splash of cold water pulled her out of her stupor. Besides beaten, bruised and drugged, she’s also wet now. Fantastic. “No dozing off.”

Not like she could sleep with all the pain she felt all over her body.

“You really don’t get it, do you?” The detective asked her after she struggled against her cuffed hands. “Give it up!”

A kick was delivered to her chest, knocking her out of the chair and into the cold floor. Another bruise to the list. Yaaaay…

“Come on, cooperate.” The detective placed his foot against her head and applied a bit of pressure down. God that really fucking hurts. “Or what, you want another shot?”

The guy then ground his heel against er head, just to drive in the point that he was in charge. Not her.

The girl turned her head a bit and noticed the video camera, of course the guy noticed as well and turned to look at it.

“Huh? What about the video camera?” He then moved his foot away from her head, leaned down and grabbed her by the hair and pulled her head up. “Are you thinking it can be used as video evidence?”

 “Of course not…” The girl said, her voice hoarse and raspy. Her throat felt incredibly dry. Fuck.

“Huh… seems like you’re smarter than you look.” The man let go of her hair, stood up, and then kicked her on the ribs just for good measure. Because, you know, apparently, she hadn’t had enough pain.

Coughing from the pain as the man walked away, she could’ve sworn that there was blood coming out of her mouth. Probably. Her head still wasn’t on the right place.

“Obstruction of justice, blackmail, defamation, possession of weapons…” The man read the list of charges against her as if reading the items of a grocery list. “Manslaughter too, yeah? Talk about the works. To think that all those crimes were led by a punk like this. And you seemed to be every second of it, huh?”

“I was… enjoying it?” The girl thought to herself since speaking still hurt her throat. “I don’t remember. Everything is a bit hazy…”

She tried to remember, she really did, but her head was still throbbing with pain and her thoughts were slowly floating around, too jumbled to make anything coherent at the moment.

“You should know your place.” The man nodded to another guy in the room. The man walked to where the girl was laying on the floor, water dripping from her hair, and released the cuffs around her left wrist. Then two others came from behind and “helped her up”. Really all they did was just lift her up and push her back, at least she was now sitting up. What an improvement.

“Sign here.” The detective lowered a clipboard with a paper on it. “It’s a confession under your name.”

He then offered her a pen and, before she could grab it, the guy leaned forward and got uncomfortably close to her face.

“Don’t expect to leave here in one piece. We’re going to make you understand, that one must take full responsibility for their actions.”

The girl then grabbed the offered pen and looked at the sheet of paper on the clipboard. She was swaying, her hand was trembling a bit, and she was still seeing blurry. All in all: an awful experience.

Not wanting to waste any more time and risk getting punched or kicked again, she steadied her hand and wrote two words on the confession: Itsumi Amamiya.

After she signed the papers, the detectives helped her get back on her feet and then sat on front of the table after they placed the chair in its place. Not wanting to be on her feet since they felt incredibly weak, Itsumi sat on the chair and leaned forward, resting her arms on the table.

She was so focused on those little movements and so lost within her own head, that she didn’t notice the detectives leaving, nor the woman that entered the room until she was sitting on the chair opposite to herself.

When she saw the newcomer, Itsumi lifted her head and locked eyes with the prosecutor. That silver hair and those brown, almost red, eyes were impossible to miss: she was now talking to Sae Niijima. For some reason Itsumi found it funny. Why? She can’t really remember right now… it all felt fuzzy.

“…I didn’t expect it’d be you.” The prosecutor said, her eyes not meeting Itsumi’s, instead they were glued to the table. She then turned her face up and finally locked eyes with her. “You’ll be answering my questions this time.”

Something on the floor must have caught her eye, because she turned to look at it and scowled when she saw the syringe lying on the floor.

“Those bastards.” She then gasped and turned to look at the bruised girl with a concerned expression. “Did they do anything else to you?”

Itsumi frowned, confused. Couldn’t Sae tell that she had been beaten and drugged? Why would she ask if they did anything to her? Itsumi was about to answer with a sassy response when the real meaning of the question dawned on her. The drugs… the beatings… and the fact that she’s a young, healthy girl…

“No…” Itsumi answered, her voice still a bit hoarse from all the coughing and possibly the drug. “Aside from beating me up, drugging me with God knows what, and splashing me with freezing water… I’m fine.”

The prosecutor sighed and leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees.

“I’m glad to know that you can hear me.” Sae said with what Itsumi could only describe as a worried expression. Though with how serious the woman’s face looked, she could be wrong. “It seems you’ve been through a lot. Almost anything can happen here… and I can’t stop them.”

“That’s why I need you to answer me honestly.” The prosecutor said while leaning back up, crossing her arms in the process. “I don’t have much time either. What was your objective? Why did you cause such a major incident?”

“I didn’t think it was a prank from the get-go, but I couldn’t assemble a case for prosecution.” The prosecutor continued her small monologue. “It’s because I couldn’t figure out the method behind it.”

“Of course not.” Itsumi answered, her voice slowly coming back to her. Progress! “And even if I told you… it’s not like it could be useful in court. Not that I think you’d believe me anyways.”

“This isn’t an issue of whether or not it can be used in court.” Sae said with a frown as if insulted. “I need to know. This is my case, after all. It seems you’re coherent, or at least lucid enough to be cheeky with me.”

Itsumi said nothing, deciding to keep her eyes locked on the table. That way she would get less light hitting her directly on her face.

“When and where did you find out about that world? How is it even possible to steal another’s heart?” Itsumi could tell that Sae was genuinely curious. Good. The more time the prosecutor was talking to her, the less time Itsumi would spend with those freaking “detectives”. “Now, tell me your account of everything. Start from the very beginning.”

Itsumi stayed silent for a second, processing the prosecutor’s words, moving a hand up to grab the side of her head as if somehow that would help with the headache.

Just as she was about to start her tale, something unusual caught her attention: a sparking blue butterfly fluttered in front of her. Itsumi looked at Sae to see if the prosecutor was also seeing it, but it seemed like she was frozen in time.

“You are held captive.” A disembodied voice said. It was feminine… or at least it sounded like the voice of a small girl. “A prisoner of fate to a future that has been sealed in advance. This is truly an unjust game; your chances of winning are almost none.”

“But if my voice is reaching you, there may yet be a possibility open for you…” The voice said as the butterfly returned to her field of vision. “I beg you. Please overcome this game… and save the world… The key to victory lies within the memories of your bonds-the truth that you and your friends grasped. It all began that day… when the game was started half a year ago. For the sake of your world’s future… as well as your own… you must remember…”

The butterfly then flew towards the ceiling and disappeared in a shower of blue sparkles. When the last of the sparkles vanished, time seemed to move again. The prosecutor, sitting on her chair with her back straight and arms crossed, seemed to be waiting for Itsumi’s answer.

With a sigh the high school girl placed her hands flat on the table and looked at Sae dead in the eyes.

“You want the truth?” She asked, her voice finally back to normal. Or as normal as it could be when you haven’t had any water in god knows how long. “Then let’s go back in time a little bit, to six months ago when my life took a sudden, unexpected turn.”

Chapter Text

Swim practice had been, as always, incredibly productive. Sure, Itsumi had been practicing on her own on a public pool since school was closed due to spring break, but just getting a few laps in was more than enough for her. It was more about keeping to the routine than anything else, if she was being honest.

Itsumi was wearing brown moccasin shoes, white thigh high sock, a black skirt, a white button up shirt that she keeps neatly tucked into her skirt and a black jacket on top of everything to fight of the cold of the night. Her long, black hair was still a bit damp from the shower she took back at the pool after her practice. The high school girl adjusted the strap of her bag as she scrolled through her phone, reading through a recipe for a meal she wanted to test out tonight when she got home.

She would most probably be eating her dinner alone again, though she’s gotten used to it by now. Mom was busy with her work and her dad… well he hasn’t been in the picture for a few years now. His death had been tough for everyone, specially for Itsumi since she was very close to him.

Shaking her had to chase away the bad thoughts, Itsumi looked up from her phone just as the light changed and she crossed the street. She was about to look through her phone again but the sound of a woman complaining caught her attention. There, not too far from where she was standing, a woman was struggling to get away from a drunk man. At first, Itsumi wasn’t going to do anything, she even considered walking to the opposite walkway just to avoid them… but then she remembered something her dad used to say quite often: It’s our duty to lend a helping hand to those in need, no matter who they are.

And so, with a heavy sigh, Itsumi gripped the strap of her bag a bit tighter and walked a bit faster towards the woman in need.

“Hey, excuse me but-“ Itsumi was about to put her hand on the man’s shoulder when he turned around, stumbled with his own feet, and fell face first to the floor.

The swimmer girl took a step back, surprised, and then walked to stand between the groaning man and the woman he was assaulting. When the man turned around and sat, he had a hand covering half his face, but Itsumi could still see a bit of blood trickling down. Must have been a painful fall.

“You…” The bleeding man stood up, wobbling, and glared at Itsumi. “Bitch! Do you even know who I am?”

“I’m sorry sir, but I do not.” Itsumi said, trying as best as possible to be polite. “What I do know is that you were bothering this woman, and I couldn’t let that happen.”

The man then went into some long, boring speech about how he was going to steer this country into a better place, and other crazy things like that. Itsumi wasn’t really paying attention to what he was saying, but she was paying attention to what he was doing in case he decided to get violent. Could she beat him in a fight? Most probably not. But the guy was drunk and she had her bag so she could probably get a few hits in with it while the police arrived to the scene.

Speaking of them, a pair of officers got to where they were just as they guy finished with his crazy rambling.

“What seems to be the matter here?” One of the officers, the youngest looking one, asked when they finally reached them. But then things took an odd turn. “Ah. It’s you, sir.”

….oh no.

“Took you lot long enough!” The guy said, turning to glare at the officers. “That girl just assaulted me for no reason!”

“What?! I did not! I didn’t even touch him!”

The drunk man directed his glare back to Itsumi, and then to the woman that was cowering behind the high school girl.

“Go on, tell these officers what happened.”

The woman stayed silent for a moment, trembling behind Itsumi, before she walking around the girl and standing beside the officers.

"She… I saw her push him to the ground.” She said, tears almost falling from her eyes. “She just got here and pushed him for no reason at all.”

The drunk man chuckled, looking pleased with a smirk on his face and then turned to look at the officers.

“Well, there you have your witness report. I want you two to take care of this, and keep my name out of it.” He then turned and began to walk away, but not before turning to glare back at Itsumi. “I want nothing to do with this brat. Get her out of my sight!”

The next few days went by in a very confusing and stressing blur: she got arrested, judged, and then let off with an assault charge on her record. Of course, she then got a letter from her school saying that they couldn’t associate themselves with a delinquent that had a criminal record, even is said record was for a minor case of assault. It didn’t matter to them that she was one of their best swimmers in the school, in face of that blemish on her record, nothing else seemed to matter.

After that whole fiasco, her mom spent the next few days looking for a school that would take her in. The good news is that she found one: Shujin Academy. It looks to be a decent school with a good sports program, even if said program only consists of a volleyball team. The bad news: it’s in Tokyo which means that they would need to move there. And that also brings another big problem for them: there’s no way that both of them would be able to afford to live there while covering the rest of their expenses.

That’s when their solution came in the form of a very unexpected form. Itsumi’s mother remembered about an old friend of hers from her college years, a man by the name of Sojiro Sakura who, apparently, owed her a very big favor so she was going to cash it in.

The plan after that was simple: they would handle everything regarding her transfer to Shujin, pack her things and send them to Tokyo, and then Itsumi would make the trip there by herself a couple of days before the new school year began.

The train ride to Tokyo was, thankfully, uneventful. It gave her time to think about how her life had changed so much in a matter of days, going from being a simple, normal girl to a girl with a criminal record for something she didn’t do. That thought filled her up with rage and anger, emotions that she would then let out through a long sigh, watching how her breath fogs up the glass in front of her.

The trip to Tokyo also gave her time to get used to the feeling of wearing glasses. Did she need them? No, not really. But she thought that they would her blend better into the crowd, to seem like an unassuming girl and, thus, stay out of trouble. They also helped out to filter blue light, which is also nice.

When she finally got to the station and out of the train, Itsumi walked out of it and looked around the big city for the first time in her life. She felt like a country girl walking into a big city for the first time and, in a sense, she kind of was. Sure she wasn’t deep into the countryside like Inaba is, but still far enough from a big city to be considered part of the group people called “country people.”

Pulling her phone out to check the directions to the Sakura residence, Itsumi noticed a strange app on her phone. One that she doesn’t remember installing.

“Weird.” The girl muttered to herself as she uninstalled the mysterious app. When she did so, everything around herself stopped, as if time itself had stopped. Everything but her, of course. Confused, Itsumi looked around to try and ascertain the situation.

That’s when she noticed the big pillar of blue flames not too far from where she was. At better inspection the pillar looked to be humanoid in shape and there was a creepy yellow face on it. But, just as fast as everything happened, it was gone. The people and everything around Itsumi suddenly turned back to normal and things began to move once again.

“What… what was that?” She muttered before shaking her head, probably she just imagined everything. After all, it’s not like she’s been able to sleep very well the last few days with everything that happened so it kinda makes sense that she may be imagining things.

Once out of Shibuya, the walk to Yongen-Jaya wasn’t long but she’s probably only going to do it once because… well the metro is right there and it’s faster than walking. Once it’s fine to get a bearing of her surroundings and to find out about all the stores and interesting places like a bookstore, a few food stands, and even a movie theater!

Once on Yongen itself Itsumi discovered that close to the place she’s supposed to be staying at there’s a small market, a bath house with a laundromat right beside it and even a second-hand store that seems to sell just about anything. But the most interesting of them all seems to be her destination, a small café by the name of LeBlanc.

“A café?” Itsumi asks out loud once she gets to the place her mom told her to go. “No this can’t be right… I mean I was expecting to arrive to a house, not to a café. Maybe I took a wrong turn somewhere?”

She checks again the location on her phone and… yeah, she’s right where she’s supposed to be. With a sigh, the high school girl walks forward and opens the door, the sound of a bell chime indicating the arrival of a new costumer to the small local.

LeBlanc featured a long bar on the right side of the floor with five chairs on it, there’s a yellow payphone on the corner close to the door. On the right wall there’s a variety of coffee beans, lots and lots of them. On the left side of the local there’s a few booths with their respective tables, one of them is currently busy with what seem to be the only clients of the small place.

The man behind the bar, and the one Itsumi assumes owns the place, is a middle-aged man with black hair that’s sleeked back with a receding hairline, gray eyes and a chinstrap beard with a goatee that flares out. He’s wearing a pale pink dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up, pale khakis, a white leather belt, a black apron with a white pinstripe design on it and a pair of glasses sitting on top of his nose.

“Welcome.” The guy said, his gruff voice matching his general aesthetic. He looked up from the pot he was brewing and hummed. “You must be Kiria’s kid, right?”

“That’s right, sir.” The girl said while bowing a little bit. “My name is Itsumi Amamiya, please take good care of me.”

“Ah, cut all that “sir” crap.” He said while scratching the back of his head. “Please call me Sojiro. Or Boss, everyone here calls me that.”

“Okay, Boss.” Itsumi said, covering her mouth with the back of her hand as she giggles.

Sojiro sighs and shakes his head, a small chuckle escaping his lips. “Go on upstairs, I settled a place for you to stay. I’d give you a place at my home if I wasn’t dealing with some things on my own, so this is the best I can do.”

“Now, now Boss. That’s no way to treat a young lady.” One of the costumers said, an old woman. “Specially one as cute as her.”

Itsumi, not used to getting compliments, flushed a bit and smiled. “Thanks, ma’am.”

“And so well behaved too!” The old lady said with a smile.

“You should learn a thing or two from her, Boss.” The old man that was sitting in front of her said with a teasing chuckle. “Maybe that way you’ll get more clients.”

“Yeah, yeah whatever.” Sojiro said with a smirk and a dismissive wave of his hand. “You head on upstairs; I’ll join you in a bit after I close shop.”

“Understood.” After that Itsumi walked through the small café, giving the old couple a small nod before walking up the stairs at the back of the place. Once at the top she found herself in an attic. It was a nice, open space with a few desks and shelves all around the floor. At the back there was a bed right under the window. The biggest problem with the attic though was that it was filled up with so much dust and junk laying around!!

With a heavy sigh Itsumi prepared herself to tackle on her biggest challenge yet: cleaning up this place and making it livable. Otherwise, she might end up sneezing to death with all the dust that was on every single surface.

Rolling up the sleeves of her jacket, Itsumi got about dusting and cleaning the place up. She had to ask Sojiro where the cleaning supplies were because the attic would need more than a simple dusting. A couple hours later she had managed to clean most of the place off and also managed to get most of the trash either in a bag or stacked in the shelf that was close to the stairs. The box with her things was also stacked there… but since she didn’t have any closet to stash them, it seems that for now she’ll have to make do with that. At least until she can either find one or buy one for herself… which means that she’s probably going to need to find a part-time job.

Her evening of cleaning was interrupted when Sojiro called her downstairs. Looking around the place, now way cleaner than when she arrived, Itsumi nodded satisfied. Before walking down, she took off her jacket and left it by a small table that was close to the stairs.

“Here you go kid.” Sojiro said to her once she was downstairs, pushing a cup of coffee forward on the bar. “This one is on the house. Sorry I didn’t clean up the place a bit more, was busy with other stuff. School transfer and all that crap.”

Itsumi sat by the bar, the café was now empty, her and the Boss being the only people in it at the moment.

“Thanks, Sojiro.” Itsumi grabbed the cup and took a sip from it, humming in appreciation from the taste of it. “Wow… this is very good! I used to drink coffee back home but nothing like this!”

“Heh, thanks.” Boss said while scratching the back of his head. He then leaned his back against the shelf and crossed his arms. “Listen I know that you may not want to talk about it but… well I find it hard to believe that a child of Kiria’s would get herself in trouble, especially with the law.”

Itsumi sighed and placed the cup back on the counter, fixing a strand of hair behind her ear and pushing up her glasses before looking up at Sojiro. After taking a deep breath she told him everything that happened that day: from her encounter with the man, to the interaction with the police, and even her short stay at a juvenile detention center while her case was being processed.

When she finished her story, Itsumi was looking down at the steaming cup of coffee on the table, her hands were clenched into fists on her lap and she was shaking slightly. Was it from anger or sadness? She didn’t know.

A sigh from Sojiro made her look up and was met with a look of pity and sadness in the eyes of her guardian.

“That’s seriously messed up.” He pushed himself from the wall, walked around the counter and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “What happened to you was totally unfair, and I wouldn’t wish it on anybody. Sadly, there’s nothing we can do about it so I’d suggest you keep your head down and behave like a model student. The less trouble you get in, the better for you.”

“Also, since I’m your guardian, I must report everything you do to your probation officer so, to save us some trouble.” From a pocket in his apron Sojiro pulled out a small notebook. “I bought you this so that you can write in it the events of your day.”

“So… a diary?”

“If you wanna think of it like one, sure.” Sojiro then took off his apron, hanged it on a small hanger by the small kitchen and then walked towards the front door. “We’ll be heading off to Shujin tomorrow morning to settle your transfer and to get your student ID. In the box with your stuff is your new uniform, I suggest you wear it for the meeting. There’s a bath house not too far from here, you can go there to take a bath since there isn’t one here in the shop. I’m going to leave a spare key of the shop on the counter by the phone so that you can lock up when you come back.”

“I would’ve given you these in a few days but… well you’re Kiria’s kid. And if I know one thing about her is that she wouldn’t raise a bad kid.” He opened the door and turned to look at her with a half-smile. “I’ll drop by tomorrow early to feed you breakfast and then get on our way.”

Itsumi waved him goodbye as he closed the front door of the café. Now that she was alone once again, the high school girl gave herself some time to truly take in her situation. The café was nice, the atmosphere was comfortable, the coffee was, easily, the best one she’s ever had in her life. Sure, it took her almost two hours to clean up the attic, but now she had a very decent place to sleep and study and, hopefully, invite some friends over.

After finishing her cup of coffee and washing the cup, Itsumi walked upstairs to grab a set of clean underwear and her showering supplies, and then made her way to the bath house. Once there she took a quick shower, relaxed a little bit in the hot water, and then made her way back to LeBlanc.

When she got to the local, and closing it after she was inside, Itsumi went to the bathroom to wash her teeth and clean up her face a little bit. She took a moment to watch her reflection in the mirror and wasn’t surprised to see the bags under her eyes. Sleep had been difficult for her the last couple of days and it was starting to show on her face. Thankfully she was able to hide them with makeup but if things continued the way they were… well they would just be getting more pronounced and thus harder to cover them.

With a sigh she walked out of the bathroom and turned off the lights of the bottom floor and then walked up the stairs to the attic. After changing into a simple, light blue nightgown, Itsumi walked to the bed and laid on it. It turns out that the attic was colder than expected… which is good because summer is going to be rolling around soon so the extra freshness will be nice.

Spotting an outlet close to the wall, Itsumi plugged her phone to the charger and was about to place it on the ledge when she spotted that weird app with the red eye. Itsumi could’ve sworn she had uninstalled it… ah well she might as well delete it again. After doing that she rolled to the side and promptly fell asleep, the exhaustion of the day finally catching up to her.

…

…

…

Itsumi woke up with a start and immediately came to the realization that she wasn’t at her room. The walls of the room she was now in were a stark blue… no, velvet. Black chains hung from the ceiling and she wasn’t laying on her bed. Instead, she was on a wooden cot, wearing a tattered prisoner’s outfit, her wrists bound by thick manacles. Itsumi sat up and then hung her legs from the edge of the cot and looked around the room… or actually the cell she was in.

A chuckle from outside the cell drew her attention to the iron bars that made the door of her room. Two small girls, twins if Itsumi had to guess by their identical appearances, wearing blue uniforms and an eye patch on opposing eyes. She stood up and made to walk towards the gate but a weight on her left ankle stopped her from doing so. Confused, Itsumi turned to look and gasped when she saw that, attached to her ankle, was a chain which was also attached to a huge iron ball.

Shuffling her feet forward, barely managing to reach the gate, she grabbed the bars. The moment she got there the twins turned to look towards the center of the room where a small desk was, a bald man with long ears and an even longer nose sat behind at. He looked up at her, her mouth seemingly stuck in a very weird smile, and extended a hand to her once he had her attention.

“Trickster, welcome to my Velvet Room.” Itsumi struggled against the bar. “The you in reality is currently fast asleep. You’re only experiencing this in a dream”

“You are in the presence of our master.” One of the twins yelled at her, smacking a baton against the bars of her cell. “Stand up straight!”

“Y-Yes!” Itsumi answered out of reflex and straightened her posture.

“Welcome, I am delighted to make your acquaintance. This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter.” The strange man said while resting his arms against the desk, one leg crossed over the other. “It is a room that only those who are bound by a “contract” may enter. I am Igor, the master of this place. Remember it well.”

The shock of her current situation kept her stunned in silence.

“I summoned you to speak of important matters.” Igor says while tapping his fingers against the desk. “It involves your life as well.”

“Important matters?” Itsumi asks, confused and weirded out by the situation. “What are you talking about?”

“Still, this is a surprise.” Igor says while looking around the circular room. “The state of this room reflects the state of your own heart. To think a prison would appear as such. You truly are a “prisoner” of fate. In the near future, there is no mistake that ruin awaits you.”

“Ruin?” Itsumi asks, gripping the bars tightly. “Does anything that you say even makes sense?”

“I speak of the end of everything. However, there is a means to oppose such a fate.” He leans back on his chair and gestures towards Itsumi. “You must be “rehabilitated.” Rehabilitated towards freedom. That is your only means to avoid ruin… do you have the resolve to challenge the distortion of the world?”

“Me, personally, I would rather avoid ruin.”

“Allow me to observe the path of your rehabilitation.” Igor continues to talk as if he hadn’t heard her.

The twins stand to attention and then turn to look at Itsumi, both moving at the same time. Very creepy, if you ask Itsumi.

“Forgive me for not introducing the others. To your right is Caroline.” He gestures to the girl with the baton. “To your left is Justine.” He then motions to the girl with the clipboard. “They serve as the wardens of this place.”

“Hmph. Try and struggle as hard as you like.” Caroline says, hands folded behind her back.

“The duty of wardens is to protect inmates.” Justine says, one hand on her back and the other at her side, pressing the clipboard against her body. “We are also your collaborators. That is, if you remain obedient.”

“Oh great.” Itsumi thinks to herself. “The blonde twins are sadists. Fantastic.”

“I shall explain the roles of these two at another occasion.” Igor continues and the twins, simultaneously, turn to face their master. “Now then, it seems the night is waning. It is almost time. Take your time to slowly understand this place. We will surely meet again, eventually.”

An alarm rings through the whole place, Itsumi looking up to try and find the source.

“Time’s up.” Caroline said after taking a step forward and turning to look at Itsumi. “Now hurry up and go back to sleep.”

Itsumi lunged for the bars…

…and just before she could get to them, she woke up with a gasp. Quickly sitting up and putting a hand on her chest to try and calm her beating heart, Itsumi frantically looked around to try and ground herself. She was in LeBlanc, in the attic, in her new home.

“What… what was that dream?” Itsumi muttered to herself, reaching out for her phone to check the time. It was still early, so she was fine. “Igor… that strange room… I must be really going crazy if I’m dreaming crazy shit like that.”

The high school girl shook her head and changed out of her nightgown and into her school uniform. It consisted of a checkered skirt, a white shirt, a black jacket with red buttons, the school emblem and a small pin with the number two adorning its left side. Black thigh high socks covered her legs, black moccasin shoes on her feet, and a small black bow around her neck were the finishing touches of her outfit.

She grabbed her makeup bag and walked downstairs and, since she didn’t spot Sojiro, it meant she had the place to herself for a bit longer. Walking into the bathroom she placed just a little bit of makeup on her face, enough to cover the bags under her eyes, and a splash of perfume so that she smells nice. Once she’s done with that, she walks out of the bathroom, heads back upstairs and puts her makeup bag back into the box. She then grabs her glasses and puts them on, grabbing then a comb and starting to comb her hair while she waits for Sojiro to arrive.

A couple of minutes later, the sound of the front door unlocking lets her know that her guardian just arrived. Feeling content with the state of her hair, she puts the brush back into the box and walks downstairs. Just as she suspected, Sojiro is now standing behind the small kitchen, chopping some vegetables and adding them to a pot. From the sounds of her footsteps, he turns around and smiles a bit when he sees that she’s ready.

“Morning, kid.” Sojiro greets her once she’s sitting on one of the chairs of the bar. “Gimme a moment and I’ll make you a cup of coffee. How was your first night? Slept well?”

“Good morning, Boss.” Itsumi answered back with a smile. “I had a great night. The attic is, surprisingly, very well ventilated. It’ll be an absolute blessing once summer comes around.”

Sojiro placed a plate of curry and a cup of coffee in front of Itsumi and she couldn’t help but look up at her guardian with a confused expression. The man simply chuckled and motioned with his hand to the plate in front of her.

“I know it’s a strange combination.” He said while taking off the apron and hanging it on a hook by the kitchen. “But trust me when I say that, after you try them together, you won’t be able to eat normal curry again or drink another cup of coffee. And I won’t apologize for ruining them for you forever.”

Now that her curiosity, and appetite, have peen peaked, Itsumi had no choice but to try them. Not that she had any other choice for food since there wasn’t nothing else on the fridge, that she knew off, and they probably wouldn’t have time to buy something else.

And so, without further ado, she takes a bit of the curry and had a taste. Immediately she had to cover her mouth to stop any indecent sounds from coming out of her mouth, instead contenting herself with humming in appreciation of the very good mouthful of food she just had.

“Amazing, I know.” Sojiro says with a knowing smirk. “Now take a sip of the coffee, it’ll make it better.”

Itsumi thinks that’s impossible. After all, how do you make something that’s perfect even better?! But, not wanting to miss out on the full experience. Needless to say that he was absolutely right and, for reasons she can’t quite explain, the mix of his coffee and the curry was just outright perfect.

After what Itsumi can only describe as the best breakfast she’s ever had, and cleaning her teeth because God forbid she leaves to meet with her new principal and homeroom teacher. The trip there was… absolutely boring. The traffic was incredibly heavy, something about the trains not running around Shibuya because some accident and something about psychotic breakdowns.

Once they finally managed to get to the school, they made their way to the principal’s office where he and a woman were waiting for them. Principal Kobayakawa was a fat man whose head looked like a blob… or that weird, ugly fish. Once Sojiro had signed everything, the principal gave Itsumi the speech she knew was coming.

“Just so we’re clear, if you cause any problem, you will be immediately expelled.” The fat guy said while locking eyes with Itsumi. “In my opinion, you’re nothing but trouble and a liability, but we had our own circumstances to consider. I don’t care what you could’ve gotten away with at your hometown, those days are officially over. And remember: if you’re thrown out from our school, there will be no place for you to go.”

“This is the teacher in charge of your class.” Kobayakawa said while gesturing to the woman to his left.

“I’m Sadayo Kawakami.” She said, her voice devoid of any sort of emotion as if she were saying a line from a script. “Here’s your student ID.” She placed the ID on the desk with some other stuff beneath it that she quickly grabbed. Itsumi filed that information in her head and picked her ID. “Make sure you read the school rules, because any violations will send you straight to the guidance office. And, if by any chance, you end up causing problems, I won’t be able to protect you at all.”

“After all, she will be held responsible for all her actions.” The principal said, making it clear to Itsumi that she had no choice in the matter.

What happened next though, surprised both Itsumi and Sojiro.

“But really though, why me?” Kawakami said with a dejected expression towards the principal. “There should’ve been better candidates than me.”

“It was a sudden transfer and your class was the only one that had an opening.” It seemed like they were going to continue discussing the issue as if the girl in question wasn’t standing right there. Thankfully Sojiro came to her rescue.

“Are we done with the explanations?”  He interrupted them with a sigh. “I got a store to run.”

“Sakura-san, please make sure that he doesn’t cause any trouble outside.” Kobayakawa said, sending a slight glare Itsumi’s way. “After all, anything that she may end up doing will reflect poorly on us from now on.”

“Yeah, yeah I’ll be sure to have a serious conversation about the situation she’s in.” Sojiro said while scratching the back of his head and then turning around. “Come on, Itsumi. Let’s get going.”

“Thanks for letting me study here.” Itsumi said to the principal, bowing just a bit to show her appreciation… even if he doesn’t really deserve it. After straightening up, she turned to follow Sojiro when Kawakami spoke up.

“Amamiya-san, please make sure to drop by the faculty office when you get to school tomorrow. I’ll show you to your classroom so that we can get your introduction done, alright?”

Itsumi nodded at the instructions and left the office, right behind her guardian.

Once outside the office and on their way to the front door, Sojiro spoke up about what was in his mind.

“I suggest you mentally prepare yourself for everyone to give you the cold shoulder, kid.” He said while patting her shoulder. “That’s what having a criminal record means, and your past will follow you no matter where you go.”

“Yeah.” Itsumi says with a slight shrug of her shoulders. “I knew this was going to happen, but I wasn’t expecting for the principal to be so hostile. And even less to find that my homeroom teacher, the adult in charge of my education, to be so thrilled to teach me.”

Sojiro chuckles when he hears the very obvious sarcasm on Itsumi’s voice.

“Guess that school hasn’t changed one bit. Come on, let’s go home.”

The trip back home was, unsurprisingly, just like the trip to the school: heavy traffic. Itsumi and Sojiro made small talk on their way there, talking about how she’s going to have to take the train to school from now on, how her student ID will let her through without paying as long as she’s walking into the stations of Yongen-Jaya, Shibuya and Ichinose, which is the one close to the school.

It was already evening when they made it back to the shop and Sojiro was mumbling and grumbling about how he wasn’t able to open shop for that day because they spent most of it stuck in traffic. They also heard on the news about a new accident on the subway which had eighty people involved. Itsumi made a silent prayer for them.

“Now listen up kid, you may be under probation but, besides following the law that is, there’s no special limitation on what you can do. Just remember to write everything down on the diary I gave you to make both our jobs easier. He was going to continue talking when his cellphone rang. “Hey, what’s up? …yeah I’m about to leave right now… don’t you worry, I’ll be there in no time… got it, I’ll see you soon.”

“Well, I’m leaving, then. I’ll lock the place up so you can do whatever you want.” Sojiro said as he began to walk down the stairs. “I’d suggest you head straight to sleep, though. You have school tomorrow and you’re gonna be well rested for your first day of class.”

“Yeah, I was planning on heading to the bath house first to take a bath before heading to sleep.” Itsumi said, hoping that he’d let her make the trip there without issue.

“Well, if that’s the case, don’t forget to lock up when you get back then. I’ll be sure to be here tomorrow morning to make you breakfast. Hope you’re content with curry and coffee again since that’s all I have in this kitchen.”

“Oh, don’t worry Boss. I certainly won’t mind eating your fantastic curry once again.” Itsumi said with a smile and a slight giggle. “Though I remember seeing a small grocery shop close by. If I buy the ingredients, you don’t mind if I use the kitchen here to cook every once in a while? As delicious your curry is, I am a growing woman and will need to eat other things besides that.”

“Oh, that’s right, your mother told me you knew how to cook.” He stroked his beard as he thought about her proposal. “Sure thing, I don’t mind. You can also use any leftovers you may find on the fridge if you want to.”

“Thanks Boss, I’ll keep it in mind.”

“Alright then, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Sojiro walked down the rest of the stairs and left the place, Itsumi decided to take this time to write down everything that had happened today in her diary. Once she was done with that, Itsumi grabbed her supplies and made her way downstairs. Just as she was about to leave, the public phone rang. It was Sojiro calling to let her know that he had forgotten to flip the sign at the door. She told him she would do that on her way out to the bathhouse and he thanked her for it.

Just like last time, Itsumi took a quick bath, a slight soak in the water to relax, and then made her way back to LeBlanc. She remembered to turn the sign before walking in and locking the shop. Itsumi then went back upstairs, changed into her nightgown, and walked to her bed.

Once there, and before falling asleep, she decided to check the route she would have to take on train to school. Just like she suspected, Itsumi would need to take the transfer in Shibuya to Aoyama-Itchome… though with the recent accident the timetables for the trains will probably change to accommodate for the incident.

After checking the route to school Itsumi was about to lock it and plug it in when she spotted that weird app with the red eye.

“Weird…” She murmured to herself. “I could’ve sworn I uninstalled it last night.”

Repeating her actions from last night, she deleted her phone and plugged the charger in. Once her phone was on the small ledge, she turned around and fell asleep.

When the next morning rolled around, Itsumi was surprised that she slept quite well… must be the change of scenery. Seems like her mom was right. Maybe all she needed was a change in her surroundings. Or it could also be the fact that she was very tired last night.

Whatever the reason behind it might be, she got changed and ready for her first day of school, double checking her bag to make sure she had everything she needed. When she walked back down after leaving her make up bag upstairs, Sojiro was walking into the store, ready to make breakfast for her.

“Damn, kid.” Sojiro said with a chuckle, putting his apron on and heating up the pot with the curry. “You really like to wake up early, don’t you?”

“Well, my mother always waked me and my dad up early for breakfast.” Itsumi said while taking a seat by the bar. “She liked to eat at least on meal with the whole family, so we made a point of eating breakfast together every morning.”

“Yeah, that sounds like Kiria.” He said while putting a freshly made dish of curry in front of Itsumi. “Now eat up, don’t want to be making you late to your first day of school. And don’t worry about cleaning the dish, I’ll handle that.”

“Thanks for the meal, Boss.” Itsumi said with a smile and then dug in with gusto. In no time her meal was gone, she had brushed her teeth, flipped the sign of the shop and went to the metro. The weather outside was grey and cloudy… but it probably won’t rain. Hopefully.

Once on the train station she silently pats herself on the back for learning the route in advance, because the metro system was a bit complicated so knowing where to go and which exit to take was incredibly helpful for Itsumi.

After getting off in Shibuya and making the transfer, Itsumi finally arrived to Aoyama-Itchome. She overheard the conversation of two girls that were wearing the same school uniform as her. They were talking about the recent accidents and nervous breakdowns. After hearing that, Itsumi decided to ignore them since she really isn’t interested in those kinds of things.

When she got out of the station, Itsumi found out that it was raining. Just her luck. And, to make matters worse, she didn’t bring an umbrella. Opting to take shelter in front of a store, she got to work on getting the water out of her hair. Once it was dry enough, she pulled out her phone to check the time and her navigation app… only to find that weird app with the red eye back on her phone.

“What the…?” Itsumi got pulled out of her musings by the arrival of who she can only assume is another Shujin student… though the only thing giving her away as one is the fact that she was wearing the school blazer. Other than that… oh! She can see the ends of the skirt from under the hem of her sweater!

The girl took off the hood of her sweater and blonde hair spilled out from it. She was wearing it in twin tails, which made Itsumi wonder how she had managed to fit everything of it inside the hood. The other girl was roughly the same height as her, had blue eyes and a really good shape. She must work out or something.

Itsumi must have been staring a bit too much because the girl seemed to realize that she was being stared at and turned to look at Itsumi. Thankfully she didn’t say anything and simply smiled before looking forward once again.

Moments later a white car stopped in front of them and the passenger window rolled down. The man driving the car was wearing a blue track suit and had black hair and strong facial features. “Good morning! Do you want me to give you a ride to school? You’re gonna be late.”

The man said while looking at the blond girl besides Itsumi. He then turned a bit to look at her and his eyes widened a bit before smiling and motioning with his head.

“You can come too, if you want.” The blond girl was already making her way to the car, opening the passenger seat door and climbing in. Once seated and strapped in, she turned to look at Itsumi and… something in the way she looked at her told her that Itsumi shouldn’t climb into the car with him.

“Thanks for the offer, sir.” Itsumi said with a smile and a small bow. “But I’d rather walk the rest of the way. We’re really not that far and, since it’s my first day here, I want to get used to the streets of Tokyo.”

“Oh! You must be the transfer student, then. The one in Miss Kawakami’s class?”

“That’s correct. Though if you don’t mind me asking, how do you know about that?”

“Oh! Where are my manners?! I’m Suguru Kamoshida, PE teacher of Shujin.” He says with a smile and a wink. “Well then, guess I’ll be seeing you in school.”

With that said and done, he rolled up the window and then drove away. It wasn’t even a second after he left that another blonde person ran to cover right where she was, but this time it was a guy.

“Dammit… screw that pervy teacher.” Blonde #2 said with a very nasty click of his tongue while watching Kamoshida’s car driving away.

“Pervy teacher?” Itsumi asked, now worried for the girl that got into the car with him. “What do you mean by that?”

Itsumi could’ve sworn she heard a digitalized voice saying something after she spoke… but it could’ve been an announcement from anywhere so she wasn’t really that worried about it.

Blonde #2 turned and walked towards her, towards the safe cover of the front of the store. He seemed to be wearing the male’s version of the school uniform but with a yellow shirt with some logo on it and he wasn’t using the suspenders. Second blonde she spots, and it’s the second blonde that doesn’t seem to be sticking to school unform regulations.

From the way he spoke, stood and his bleached blonde hair, Itsumi made the quick realization that she was probably dealing with an actual delinquent, unlike her who only was one on paper. But and this was a safe bet, as long as she didn’t piss him off, he probably wouldn’t do anything to her.

“Whatcha want?” The delinquent said while sticking his hands in his pockets. Man his posture is really messed up. “You gonna rat me out to Kamoshida or something?”

“What are you even talking about?” Itsumi asked, gripping the strap of her bag a bit tighter. “As far as I know, you haven’t done anything wrong for me to “rat you out.”

“Wait… your face doesn’t seem familiar to me. You new?”

“Transfer student. Got here to Tokyo a few days ago.”

“Ah, that explains it then.” He chuckles and smiles… and then frowns once again and kicks a small pebble that was on the floor. “It’s a good thing you didn’t get in his car, though. That damn bastard does whatever he wants in the school. Who does he think he is? The king of a castle?”

Again, the robotic voice spoke. Where was it coming from?

“Are you talking about Shujin? You saying that’s, like, his castle or something?”

And there was the voice for a third time! Where is it coming from?!

“Well that’s just a dumb analogy, but the pervy bastard does whatever he wants at school, so might as well be true.” The blonde guy turned to look back into the rain and sighs. “Well this rain ain’t so bad anymore, might as well get moving or we’ll be late.”

Itsumi nodded and, just as both of them were about to start walking, Itsumi felt a passing headache. Just a single throb, but it was hard enough for her to really feel it. The weird thing about it? It seemed like the blonde boy also felt it, at the same time as her and it left her feeling a bit light-headed.

“Ugh, my head hurts.” Blond #2 complained, grabbing the side of his head and shaking a couple of times. “I wanna go home…”

After complaining about it he began to walk forward and, without nothing better to do and not wanting to be late to her first day of class, Itsumi decided to follow him on their way to Shujin.

Itsumi followed the blonde boy through some small alleys, possibly a shortcut or something to get to the school faster. At one point she could’ve sworn she heard a voice behind her that said: commencing navigation. But when she turned around, there was no one behind her. And that’s when she heard it, the confused voice of her delinquent guide.

Speeding up a bit to catch up to him, she saw what caused him to exclaim in confusion: the sky was now a very weird red color and, just where the school was supposed to be, now a massive castle stood.

“This… this isn’t the school…” Itsumi turned to look at Blonde #2 with a confused expression. “Did we make a wrong turn or something?”

“I… I don’t think so?” He answered, just as confused as she was. “I mean this is the path I take every day to school so I can’t have… but this was never here! Heck I don’t know about any other castle in Tokyo other than Dremland’s and we’re definitely not in the theme park! Besides, look.”

He pointed to the sign in front of the castle and, just as she suspected, it was the same sign that stood in front of the school yesterday when she came with Sojiro.

“This makes no sense…” Itsumi took a few steps forward, getting close to the sign and reading it just to make sure that she hadn’t gone crazy. “It says Shujin Academy… but this is a castle… did you drug me or something?”

“Well if I did, I must’ve drugged myself too cus ‘am seeing the same weird shit you’re seeing.” The delinquent said while catching up to her. “Look we ain’t gonna get answers out here, might as well walk inside and see if we can figure out what’s going on.”

“Might as well.” Itsumi said with a shrug of her shoulders and the both of them walked into the castle.

Once they walked into the entrance, the placed flickered out as if it was a mirage and, instead of looking at the foyer of the castle, they were looking at the entrance of the school. But just as it flickered once, it did so again and it was back to the castle with them.

“This is weird…” The blonde boy said while scratching the side of his head. Itsumi, meanwhile, was looking around the place to see if she could spot someone that could clarify what was going on. “Where’s the school? And why does it look like a castle?! Fuck, this makes zero sense.”

“I agree with you… uh… question: how am I supposed to call you?”

“Oh shit! Forgot to introduce myself, mah bad.” Blonde #2 turned to look at Itsumi and stretched his hand towards her. “My name is Ryuji Sakamoto.”

“Itsumi Amamiya.” She said while grabbing the offered hand and shaking it. “Pleasure to meet you, Sakamoto-kun.”

“Yeah, I kinda wish we could’ve met in other circumstances and not in…” He let go of her hand and looked around the main entrance of the castle. “Wherever the hell we are.”

“Well the sign did say this was the school.” Itsumi pulled out her phone to check the map but found that she had no signal. “No signal? That’s…odd.”

“Where the fuck did we end up, man?”

The sound of clanking metal drew their attention to the approaching figure. It seemed to be some kind of knight with a weird blue mask on it’s face. It was also really, really tall and it had a sword and shield.

“Geez, you really freaked me out.” Ryuji said with a sigh. “Who’re you? You a student?” Ryuji then walked forward and leaned up a bit to get a closer look at the armor of the guy in front of them. “But man… you’re costume really is something, eh?” More silence from the armored guy. “Come on, man! Don’t just stand there! Say somethin’!”

Then another knight arrived and Ryuji took a step back, standing slightly in between the knights and Itsumi.

“H-Hey, what’s going on?” She asked out loud, hoping the knights would answer her. “What is this?”

“Dude, I don’t know!” Did he seriously just call her dude? But then the knights closed in on them and they both took a step back. “Crap, this shit is real.” Another step forward from the knights, and another step back from them. “Oi! C-Calm down, will ya!”

No answer from the knights.

“We gotta run, man.” Ryuji said while looking at Itsumi. The girl nodded and he did the same. “Then stop standing around and run!”

The both of them turned and ran… but they didn’t even manage to take a couple of steps before two more knights closed off their escape route.

“Ugh, what’s with these guys?!” Ryuji said, stopping up short and looking at the knights in front of them and then at the ones on their back. “Where did they even come from?!”

Because he was distracted looking at the knights on their back, one of the pair that was in front of him bashed him with his shield, knocking Ryujito the ground.

“Ryuji!” Itsumi called out, now worried for him.

“Ouch man, you’re gonna break my bones!” The blonde said from the ground. “What are you guys even doing?!”

Itsumi was about to rush forward to help him on his feet, when a knight grabbed her by the wrist with an incredibly strong grip.

“Hey!!” Itsumi yelled as she struggled, trying to break free from the guard’s grip. “Let me go!”

“Let her go, dammit!” Ryuji tried to stand up, but another guard cam up and lifted him from the ground, grabbing his hands behind his back.

“Take them away.” One of the knights ordered, its voice sounding weirdly distorted. And before they began to walk away, Itsumi felt a strong hit on the side of her head that knocked her out cold.

Itsumi doesn’t really know how much time she spent unconscious but the sound of a somewhat familiar voice woke her up.

“Hey! Wake up.” Ryuji called out to her from what felt to be right beside her.

With a groan she opened her eyes and then sat up, looking around the cell the both of them were locked up. If she had a penny for every time she woke up in an odd place, she would have two of them. It’s not unusual, but it’s weird that it happened twice in a row.

“Sakamoto-kun?” Itsumi asked while standing up, looking towards the boy who she was now locked up with. “Are… are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine” Ryuji said while rubbing the side of his head, probably the spot where they hit him at. “They knocked me out too and, when I woke up, we were locked in here.”

“But man, what the fuck is going on? First, we find this weird ass castle, then those guards, and now we’re locked up in some kinda dungeon?”

“Well at least we now know this isn’t a dream.” When he looked at her confused, she giggled a bit and tapped the side of her head. “If this was a dream, the pain from when they knocked us out would’ve waked us up.”

“Ah, yeah. That checks out.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets and kicked the floor. “Ugh, what’s going on?!”

“Did you spot a way out of this cell?” Itsumi asks while walking towards the cell door and trying to push it open. It was, obviously, locked shut.

“Nah, man. Other than that locked door, there ain’t no way out. I tried yelling for help but no one came so… guess we gotta wait to see what happens?”

“Guess so…” Itsumi walked back to the cot she was asleep at and sat on the edge of it. “I just hope that, whatever happens, isn’t something bad.”

As if she had just jinxed herself, the sounds of footsteps approached their cell. Four guards walked up to their cell, one of them breaking formation to approach the door.

“Be glad that your punishment has been decided upon.” He said in that weird distorted voice of his. “Your charge is “unlawful entry.” Your sentence is death.”

“Wait, what?!” Ryuji yelled out. “A death sentence just from entering?! What the fuck are you talking about?!”

“No one is allowed to do as they please in my castle.” A weirdly familiar voice spoke from behind the guards, the one standing in front of them stepped aside to reveal… Kamoshida? He was wearing a weird cape with hearts on it and a golden crown over his head and, for reasons Itsumi would rather not know, he wasn’t wearing any pants.

“Huh?!” Ryuji leaned forward, gripping the bars of their cell. “Kamoshida?! What the heck is going on?!”

“I thought it was some petty thief.” Kamoshida (?) said, only looking at Ryuji. “But to think it’d be you, Sakamoto. Are you trying to disobey me again? To me it looks like you still haven’t learned your lesson, eh?”

“Lesson?” Itsumi turned to look at Ryuji. “What is he even talking about?”

Kamoshida (?) then turned to look at Itsumi and the look he gave her mad shivers run down her spine. The lust I his eyes… the way he looked at her as if she were nothing more than a piece of meat… disgusting.

“Ah, the transfer student! It’s a shame that you had to be locked here with this rude commoner, but don’t worry!” He turned to look at Ryuji with a nasty smirk. “My guards will deal with him soon. After all… the punishment for traitors is death.”

“Tch, you keep talking shit and I’ll punch your face in!!” Ryuiji yelled at Kamoshida (?), punching the bars of the cell.

“Oh? The monkey dares to bark at the king, eh?” Kamoshida (?) says with a smile, seemingly undisturbed by Ryuji’s threat. “It seems like you don’t understand the position you’re in, after all. Let me spell it out for you: you snuck into my castle, and now you’ve committed the crime of insulting me, the king.”

“Guards!” He stuck his arm out and Itsumi found out why he wasn’t wearing pants… because other than a pink Speedo… he wasn’t wearing anything else. She’s going to have nightmares about this, she’s sure of it. “It’s time for an execution! Take him out!”

“Oi!” Ryuji complained as the guards began to move towards the door, both of them starting to step back as they filled in the room. “Step back! D-Don’t come any closer!!”

Ryuji then rushed forward and, somehow, managed to tackle down one of the armored guards.

“I ain’t gonna lay down to die! C’mon, we’re outta here!” But just as he was about to rush out, one of the guards walked forward and punched Ryuji in the stomach.

“Ryuji!!” Itsumi tried to run to his side, but the guard that just punched him moved his sword in front of her, cutting off her path towards her new friend. “Dammit! Let me through.”

“Now, now dear.” Kamoshida (?) said with a sickening voice, as if he were flirting with her. “You don’t have to dirty your hands with delinquent stuff like him. Just let me deal with the commoner and then we can have all the fun you want~”

Itsumi paled out at the idea of doing anything with him… with a teacher and a man of all things. Horrified, she took a couple of steps back, pressing her back against the wall to keep herself steady. Another guard walked to stand on her other side. She was now flanked by two armored knights, great.

The other two guards pulled Ryuji up to his feet and Kamoshida (?) began to punch him while insulting Ryuji. After one particularly nasty punch, Ryuji fell to the ground and the pervert spit down on him as if he were a piece of trash.

“Hmph, where did your energy from earlier go?” One guard picked him up and threw him to the other end of the room. “A peasant like you isn’t worth beating. I’ll have you killed right now.”

“Stop it!” Itsumi yelled out, trying to stop Ryuji’s execution. “Please…”

“Hm?” Kamoshida (?) turned to look at her with a frown on his face. “What? You dare to tell me, the king of this castle, what to do?” He looks at her, checking her out and then huffing. “Guess you really aren’t worth my time. Should’ve known, spoiled goods like you are worthless, I’ll deal with you later.”

Kamoshida (?) then kicked her in the chest, sending her crashing against the wall and forcing her to fall to the ground.

“Hold her there.” He then turned to look at Ryuji who was still on the floor. “After the peasant, it’s her turn to die.”

Itsumi stood up and tried to rush forward, but the guards at her side pushed her against the wall and pinned her against it. Kamoshida walked forward and she heard Ryuji saying that he didn’t want to die.

Then… everything turned black, a blue glow seemed to be coming from somewhere. Itsumi lifted her head, confused, and gasped when she was a blue butterfly fluttering around the cell.

“This is truly an unjust game…” A voice said from somewhere. “Your chances of winning are almost none. But if my voice is reaching you, there may yet be a possibility open to you..."

And just as it came… the butterfly was gone, vanished in a flash of light. Then, another voice spoke to her. This one seemed to come from inside her own head.

“What’s the matter? Are you simply going to watch?” The voice taunted her. “Are you forsaking him to save yourself?”

“Death awaits him if you do nothing.” The voice continued, not giving her a time to answer. “Was your previous decision a mistake then?”

A memory flashed through Itsumi’s head, the night she lost it all popping into the forefront of her mind and her decision of stepping in to save that woman in need.

“It wasn’t” Itsumi murmured through gritted teeth as a guard lifted Ryuji up and lined the tip of his sword towards his chest.

“Very well, I have heeded your resolve.” The voice spoke as Itsumi struggled to try and escape from the grip of the guards.

A heartbeat later a massive headache assaulted her. It hurt so, so bad but she could only scream in pain as she felt how her head throbbed and pulsed as if she was having a migraine.

“Vow to me.” The voice spoke undeterred. “I am thou, thou art I… Thou who art willing to perform all sacrilegious acts for thine own justice! Call upon my name, and release thy rage!”

Itsumi yelled out, the pain now receding a bit but still there, still pulsing. Her head felt like it would split open any time soon.

“Show the strength of thy will to ascertain all on thine own though thou be chained to Hell itself!”

With most of the pain gone, Itsumi was now filled with pure, unbridled rage. She looked up, glaring at the baster in front of her through her glasses. Kamoshida (?) pointed at Ryuji and proclaimed.

“Execute him!”

“That’s enough!!” Itsumi yelled out, hate and anger fueling her words, causing both Kamoshida (?) and the guard that was holding Ryuji to turn and look at her.

“What was that?” The guard let go of Ryuji’s collar, the boy finally able to breath properly, and Kamoshida (?) turned fully to look at her. “You desire to be killed that much? Fine!”

He nodded to the guard on her left and it knocked her on the head with its shield, knocking her glasses from her head. Then they pinned her against the wall, spears crossed under her neck and another guard in front of her with his sword aimed at her chest.

Kamoshida gave the signal to the guard and it raised its sword arm, ready to strike her down. But just as he was about to end her life, a gust of wind pulsed from Itsumi herself, pushing back the guard that was about to kill her with its sword.

Something… something is on my face

She thought to herself and, for some reason, she had the weird feeling that the she had to tear off the mask.

Get it off, get it off, getitoffgetitoffgetitoff!!

She grabbed the masks with both hands and tried to pull it off. When it didn’t budge, she grabbed it just from one side and began to pull. She could feel the mask peeling off her face and it hurt… it hurt so bad… but she needed to pull. It. Off!!

With a yell, both from pain and effort, she pulled the mask off from her face. She could feel the blood spraying out and covering the upper half of her face… but she had never felt more alive!

Turning up to look at the perverted bastard with what she could only describe in her head as a maniacal grin, Itsumi felt a surge of power and then a wave of blue fire began to burn all around her. But she wasn’t afraid, not one bit. Instead, she felt the fire cling onto her body and her clothes began to change.

The flame pulled back from her body, now revealing her new clothes. She was wearing black boots, black tight pants, a black corset that accentuated her figure and pushed her chest up a bit. Under that she was wearing a black dress shirt and red gloves, a black coat closed up the rest of the outfit rather spectacularly.

A set of ghostly black chains floated in front of her, covered in that weird blue fire that had just enveloped her. A presence was right behind her, but she didn’t need to turn to look at it to know who, or rather what, it was.

“Come!” Itsumi called out as she pushed the chains away from her, breaking them as she did so. “Arsène!!”

Chapter Text

Once her transformation was complete and the guards were knocked away by the sudden surge of power that came from Itsumi, she looked down at her outfit and chuckled. While these aren’t clothes that she would’ve picked for herself, there’s something about the outfit that makes her feel… powerful. Sure she could dispose of the corset, that last thing she needs is to draw attention to her breasts, but she can’t deny that it also makes her body look fantastic. A necessary evil, she supposed.

“Wha…” Ryuji calls out from his position on the ground, back pressed against the stone wall. “What is that?!”

“I am the rebel’s soul that resides within you.” The creature that manifested itself from the blue flames spoke, its black wings unfurling to reveal its true shape. “If you so desire, I shall consider granting you the power to break through this crisis.”

“Please, Arsène, lend me your strength!” Itsumi asks, looking up at the winged figure with a fire in her eyes.

“Hmph, very well.” The ghostly apparition says, now hovering just a few inches behind Itsumi.

Sadly, Itsumi was forced to remember the place they were when Kamoshida (?) interrupted her conversation with her “rebel’s soul.” The pervert ordered his guards to kill her and, after they melted into a black and red goop, they formed into weird looking creatures. They resembled a jack-o-lantern, but they were wearing a wizard’s hat and coat, and were riding on top of brooms like witches. Very confusing creatures if she was being honest.

Itsumi stood ready to fight, Arsène floating right behind her. For some reason there was now a knife in her hands… and she felt very confident that she would be able to use it properly to get rid of the floating creatures in front of her.

“This power of mine is yours!” Arsène called out from behind her. “Kill them however you want. Run wild to your heart’s content!”

Itsumi smirked as she pulled out the mask that had reformed on her face, this time without any pain or blood like the first time she did so. The word “Eiha” popped into her head, the spell releasing cursed energy crashed into one of the creatures and killing it on the spot. The other one lunged towards Itsumi, swinging its lantern at her, but she easily moves out of the way and swings her knife at it. A couple of strikes is all it takes her to get rid of the second creature and making it disappear in crumbling darkness.

Kamoshida (?) walks up towards Itsumi and doesn’t even manage to get a couple of words in before Ryuji tackles him into the ground.

“You like that, you son of a bitch?!” He yells, taunting the perverted bastard on the ground.

“Ryuji!” She points to the set of keys that are on the ground, they must have fallen when he tackled him just now. “Grab the keys!!”

The girl says while sprinting for the gate, keeping it open as the blonde reached down for the keys and then ran outside the cell. Once the both of them are out and free, Ryuji locks up the door and then steps back as Kamoshida (?) walks up to the door.

“Man, what the fuck just happened…” Ryuji mutters once the two of them are a few steps away from the gate. “What was that thing? And your clothes?!” He said while taking in her outfit, eyes lingering on her chest a second too long before locking eyes with her.

Itsumi was about to tease him for that (where did the need to tease him even come from?) but then that weird blue fire covered her body once again. When it faded away, she was once again wearing her school uniform. Even her glasses were back on her face. Convenient.

“Whoa… they came back!” Blonde #2 stated, amazed.

“Thanks for pointing it out, captain obvious.” Itsumi says to him with a smirk, cocking her hips out to the side and grabbing the strap of her bag. “Bet you would’ve liked it if I stayed with that outfit.” When he blushed and looked away, Itsumi couldn’t help but laugh and pat his arm. “Sorry to let you down, buddy. But I’m not into guys.”

“Anyway, enough chatting.” Itsumi says while turning around and walking far away from the cell that’s holding the biggest pervert she’s ever met. “We have to find a way out of this place before the guards come back.”

Hearing a muttered answer from Ryuji, she knew the blonde would be following right behind her as she ran towards the gate at the end of the hallway. Seeing it closed, Itsumi tried to open it without any luck. She then heard Ryuji yelling at her to get out of the way and she barely had any time to do so before he crashed against the gate, trying to tackle it open and getting the same results. That’s when she noticed a broken bridge and another hallway at the other side of the small river.

“Think we can make that jump?” Itsumi asked Ryuji who was rubbing his arm after crashing against the gate.

“Hm?” He looked at the broken bridge, then at the pathway at the other end, and then at Itsumi with a smirk on his face. “Sure can. Watch and learn, new girl”

With a running start, Ryuji jumped over the broken bridge and to the other side, and then turned to look at her with a proud, wide grin. But Itsumi couldn’t help but notice something, something that only another athlete would’ve been able to notice because they knew what to look for: Ryuji had a limp on his right leg. She’ll ask about that later, for now they must focus on escaping from the dungeon.

The gate at the end of the walkway was, thankfully, open. The problem now was that there didn’t seem to be a straight path to the door at the end of the walkway that was at the other side of the small riven that ran through the dungeon. After looking around the room a bit, Itsumi spotted a few cages on the water that were close enough to each other and to the ends of each walkway for them to jump on and cross over.

“Ryuji, check this out.” Itsumi says while pointing at the cages.

“Hm?” He jogged over to where she was, looking at the cages on the water and immediately catching on to what Itsumi had in mind. “You really think we can use these to cross over? Well… I ain’t seeing another way for us to cross so… guess we gotta jump.”

“I know we do, but I’m worried you won’t make it.” When he turned to complain, Itsumi pointed at his right leg and cut him off. “You’re limping with your right leg; I’m guessing a fracture that didn’t set right.”

“Wait… how did you…?”

“I’m a swimmer, an athlete. I know what to look for.”

Ryuji sighs and kicks a pebble into the river.

“Yeah, you’re right. Got my right leg fractured by that perverted asshole.”

“Kamoshida?”

“That’s the one. Listen I’ll tell you all about it later if ya want, right now we gotta jump across this river and get the hell out of this weird ass place.”

“Right, right. Let’s go, then.” Itsumi then jumps across the river, using the cages as footholds to get across. Ryuji got to the other side right after she did, so maybe she was worried over nothing.

Once on the other side they ran along the walkway, spotting more empty cells as they went. At the end of the hall the gate was close, but there was an open cell with a hole in one of its walls.

“Someone else was captured here!” Ryuji said while running into the cell and looking at the hole. He knelt by it and nodded. “Alright! I think it’s big enough for us to fit in. Maybe this will take us to the other side of this wall.”

He then stood up and looked at Itsumi, as if he was waiting for her to lead the way.

“Sounds reasonable, yeah. Why don’t you go first, though?” When he tilted his head in confusion, she pointed at her skirt with a deadpan expression. “I’m wearing a skirt. There’s no way I’m going in first.”

“Oh, shit! Right.” He rubbed the back of his head, clearly embarrassed by his silent suggestion. “My bad, guess I just got used to you leading the way. Anyway, see you on the other side.”

Ryuji then knelt and crawled through the hole. Itsumi waited until he announced he was through the other side to do the same. Once the both of them were on the cell at the other side of the wall, Itsumi cleaned off the dirt on her knees and the both of them walked out of the cell.

Two more walkways greeted them, both hallways lied up with cells that looked towards the river. There was a wooden bridge, thankfully intact, and there seemed to be a door at the end of the hallway both high school students were. With a silent nod the two of them jogged down the hallway, crouching just around the corner of the hallway.

“Look!” Ryuji whisper-yelled, definitely the quietest she’s heard him speak so far. “There’re some guys in armor over there. We can’t go that way.”

Itsumi clicked her tongue and then backed away from the entrance, looking over to the other row of cells with pursed lips.

“Let’s check out the other cells, maybe we’ll find another one with a hole in the wall.”

Both teenagers ran back through the hallway, crossed the drawbridge, and then began to check the other cells to see if they could spot another hole in the wall. No such luck this time. As they were getting closer to the end of the hallway, they heard the footsteps of guards getting closer, so they used a few stacked boxes to hide from them.

“Tch, bet they’re looking for us.” Ryuji grumbled once the coast was clear. “I’m getting tired of this crap! We gotta find a way outta this place!”

“Agreed. I don’t want to stay more time than I need to in a castle ruled by that pervert.” Itsumi turned to look at the gateway and sighed when she spotted a set of stairs on the other end. “Think those stairs lead outside?”

With a hopeful commentary from her companion in this prison break, the two of them began to ascend the spiraled staircase. Once on the top they opened the door and… found out that they were still within the dungeon of that dammed castle.

After cursing their bad luck, both teens began to explore the new hallway they found themselves in. Just like the others, cells lined the wall of this one, with a few cages hanging over the water. Only, this time, the cages weren’t empty. Two boys were locked up, one on each cage, and they seemed to be wearing the boy’s uniform for their school.

“What the eff?” Itsumi found herself surprised by the lack of use of the word “fuck”, but she wasn’t going to judge the way Ryuji spoke. “So we weren’t the only ones captured.”

“It seems like it.” Itsumi walked a bit forward and spotted a boy locked up in the next cell, a volleyball laying on the floor. “There’s someone on this cell too. And probably on the others as well.”

Not too far from where they were was a raised drawbridge and a bust statue of the creep himself, smiling that creepy smile of his. Both of them opted to ignore it, but Ryuji did smack it in the head for good measure. That made Itsumi chuckle.

“Nice one Ryu-Sakamoto-kun.”

“Ah, cut the crap!” Ryuji said while slapping a hand on her back perhaps a bit too strong. “We’re escaping from a prison together; you can call me Ryuji!”

“Well as long as you call me Itsumi, then I guess we have a deal.” Itsumi answered with a giggle.

“Gotcha!”

They continued to look down the rows of cells for a way out but found nothing. As they got closer to the last cell, both teens heard someone calling from the last cell.

“Hey!” A high-pitched voice called out to them. “You two! Get me out of here and I’ll help you escape!”

Both teens turned to look at each other, nodded, and then jogged to the end of the hallway where they spotted something neither of them were expecting.

Behind the bars of that last cell was… well the most accurate way Itsumi could describe it in her head was a mascot. The creature had a big, round head with equally big eyes, a pair of cat ears on top of its head, and a chubby body with tiny limbs. It also had a yellow scarf wrapped around its tiny neck.

“The key is right there!” The thing pointed with its paw to a key ring that was hanging by a hook on the wall. “Hurry!”

“Hey!” Ryuji stomped. “We’re also trying to get out of here. For all we know, you could also be an enemy!”

“I’m locked up here, so how can I be your enemy?!” The strange creature yelled while shaking the bars with its tiny paws. “Help me out!! Oh, I know! If you guys help me out of here, I can lead you two to the exit?”

“I don’t know, Ryuji. Maybe we should help the cat.”

“I’m no a cat!! I’m Morgana!”

“Sorry. We should help Morgana out. I have a feeling that they were the one to dig that tunnel back on the cells.”

“That’s right! That was me. Now hurry!”

“Alright, alright. Geez.” Ryuji grumbled as he walked over the wall, grabbed the keys, and unlocked the door for Morgana to walk out. “But don’t try to do anything funny, dude. Or my friend here will rough you up!”

Itsumi turned to look at Ryuji with an unamused expression on her face.

“Isn’t the guy the one to protect the girl in situations like this?”

“But you’re the one with the weird, flaming, ghost thing!”

“Weird, flaming ghost thing?” Morgana repeated what Ryuji just said while turning to look at Itsumi. “You’ve got a Persona?! Nice! Now that’s two of us that can fight against the Shadows!”

“Dude what are you even talking about?” That’s when they heard it, the footsteps of the soldiers approaching. “Shit, they’re getting closer. Alright, cat, time to hold your end of the deal.”

“I am not a cat! I’m Morgana.” Morgana answered as if on reflex before huffing walking out of the cell. “Follow me, and stay quiet.”

Both teens nodded and began to follow Morgana down the hallway, back to the lifted drawbridge. Once there he explained how to operate the mechanism to lower the bridge. After Itsumi lowered the bridge, Morgana seemed to call her Glasses and Ryuji, Blondie, they crossed it and that’s when things went wrong immediately.

A door to their right opened and a guard walked out of it, Ryuji crashed against its shield and fell to the ground. When it turned to look at them, Itsumi felt how that weird outfit was on her once again. This time though her long hair was braided, which was incredibly more convenient since it only got in her way the last time.

“Heh, amateur.” Morgana snickered as he jumped over Ryuji and stood in front of them. Then he turned to look at Itsumi and pointed at her with his paw. “You can fight, right?” Itsumi nodded. “Let’s go, then!”

Morgana then jumped, spined in the air, and then landed in what could have been described as a cool pose… if he didn’t look as a mascot, that is.

“Come, Zorro!” In a flash of blue light, a ghostly apparition floated behind Morgana. It looked to be some sort of fencer, with a black leather outfit, a silver belt, and a comically large mustache. The funniest thing about the ghost is that it looked like it had skipped leg day and was built like a Dorito.

Around the same the guard that intercepted them melted into that black and reed goop and formed into two separate beings. One of them was that same jack-o-lantern looking monster and the other one… oh how Itsumi hated the other one the moment that she saw it. It was a bald demon with red skin and leathery wings, the problem with it was that it had a horn-like protrusion coming out from its crotch and that was what bothered the girl.

Immediately she unleashed a blast of cursed energy towards the small demon, the Eiha spell colliding against it and sending it tumbling against the nearest wall. Morgana chuckled, called her an amateur, and then summoned Zorro to launch a wind attack, Garu if she heard correctly, towards the pumpkin headed monster. The attack seemed to be incredibly effective because it killed it in one hit so, without wasting time, Morgana attacked the other one with another Garu and finished it off.

“And that’s how you do it!” Morgana said with a cocky smirk, the cutlass he held in his hands vanishing into the same place Itsumi’s knife seemed to go if she wasn’t using it. “By the way, your Persona is very powerful!”

“Persona?” Itsumi asked to Morgana as her outfit disappeared. “You used that term before, when you were inn your cell.”

“Yeah! What is that?”

“You saw how Glasses here ripped off her mask when she summoned it, right?” Both Itsumi and Ryuji nodded. “Well, everybody has a mask deep within their heart. And by removing that and showing their true selves, you can summon your Persona! But it seems like she still doesn’t have full control of her powers.”

“What makes you say that?” Itsumi asked while she fixed her glasses and the strap of her bag.

“Because the transformation shouldn’t normally dissolve like that. After all-“

“Rrgh, that’s enough!” Ryuji grunted, loudly, while stomping his foot in frustration. “This crap doesn’t make any sense! First, we somehow get into this weird ass castle, then we get capture, almost executed, and now we’re hearing a talking cat talking ‘bout weird shit!”

“How many times do I have to tell you that I’m not a cat!!”

“Now, now ladies!” Itsumi stepped in before these two began to fight in here and get them caught. “You’re both beautiful, but why don’t we get a move on before more guards arrive and send us back to a cell to get executed?”

Both Ryuji and Morgana glared at each other for a bit longer before both of them sighed and then nodded. With that out of the way they made their way deeper into the dungeons, following Morgana’s lead.

Locked up in one of the cells was a guy wearing the school’s sports uniform and Ryuji stopped in front of him to try and figure out why he was there. Morgana was about to explain something to the two of them when another guard arrived. This one morphed into two small pixies, but Itsumi made quick work of them with a couple of Eihas and the three of them were on their way.

After walking through a door, they finally arrived to the main entrance and, to no one’s surprise, the door was closed. Morgana reassured them that everything was alright, that the exit they would use wasn’t the main entrance saying something about how a thief never walks through the front door.

Their exit, turns out, was a small air vent in a room just besides the main hall. Morgana told them that, since he had showed them the exit, his part of the deal was now complete and they would go their separate ways. Ryuji wasted no time in climbing up the shelf and crawling out of the castle, Itsumi stayed behind just a second to thank Morgana for helping them escape and then followed after Ryuji.

Once outside the castle, both teens made their way towards the small bridge that connected the structure to the street, both of them assuming that once they crossed it, they would be back to reality. Before crossing it though, Itsumi grabbed Ryuji by the arm and stopped.

“Hold on, there’s something we need to talk about before we head back.” Ryuji turned to look at her with a confused expression on his face, which prompted Itsumi to sigh and let go of his arm. “Listen if this place is some sort of alternate reality or whatever, and crossing that bridge will take us back to our own, then I’m sure that someone will be looking after us. After all we did just miss half a day of school.”

“Oh shit, you’re right! I hadn’t even thought ‘bout school with all the crazy shit we went through.”

“And that’s why we have to come up with an excuse as to why two high school students are wandering around the streets of Tokyo during school hours.” Itsumi then smirked and fixed her glasses, the same way the smart guys in anime like to do. “Lucky for you, I already have a plan. Yesterday there was an accident in the subway, one of the trains crashed, and so the lines are a complete mess right now. If anyone asks, we just got lost trying to figure out a way to avoid the busiest lines.”

“You’re a genius!!” Ryuji says while clapping Itsumi’s back with a wide smile on his face. “I hadn’t thought about that! Anyway, now that we have our excuse ready, let’s head out!”

Itsumi nodded and both teens walked forward and crossing the bridge. They retraced their steps and, once they returned to the street that was in front of the station, the felt reality distorting once again and, in a matter of seconds, they were back to the real world.

Once they were back to reality, Itsumi felt a wave of exhaustion hit her like a runaway truck. It was strong enough that she almost collapsed and fell, but Ryuji was right there to catch her with a worried look on his face.

“Oi, you okay?” He asked, helping Itsumi stand up straight and walking her towards the nearest wall so that she could lean against it. “You looking kinda pale, bro.”

“Yeah, yeah I’m just… tired.” Itsumi said, her eyes closed, and a hand over her chest. “It’s probably thanks to awakening my Persona.”

Ryuji was about to say something else when a two police officers walked up to them, one of them was pushing a bike.

“What’s with all the yelling? You two Shujin students?” One of the officers said, a bit aggressively, once they were close enough to them. “Cutting classes, are we?”

Itsumi looked at Ryuji for a split second before turning to look at the officers with a neutral, albeit a bit tired, expression.

“I’m sorry to say that we are, officer. But not because we wanted to.” She waited a second to gauge the reaction of both officers and, when they just looked at her, she continued speaking. “The trains were delayed because of yesterday’s accident. I’m new here in Tokyo so I’m still getting used to traveling through the metro so, once I noticed that my usual route would be delayed, I tried looking for an alternate route. That’s when I saw him and, since he was wearing the uniform of the same school as me, asked him to show me the way.”

Ryuji simply stayed silent, bag strapped to his back and hands on his pockets as Itsumi dealt with the cops. Both officers stared at Itsumi for a second, then they looked at Ryuji, and then at themselves. This wait was driving Itsumi insane. She was tired, confused, and wanted nothing more than pass out on her bed until tomorrow.

“Alright, seems like a believable story.” The cop with the bike said after turning to look at her. “The trains have been rescheduled and everything’s been a mess. Now stop wasting time and get going, you’ve missed more than enough time already.”

Both teens bowed at the cops, turned around, and walked back towards the school. As they repeated the same route they took just a few minutes ago, Itsumi pulled out her phone and, to no one’s surprise, the mysterious app was back. It also notified that she was back in reality, something that Ryuji commented on when he heard the robotic voice coming from her phone.

Once they got back to where the castle was, Itsumi wasn’t surprised to see the school in its rightful place. Ryuji was a bit confused about the whole situation, but Itsumi assured him that whatever happened… well it was probably best if they didn’t talk about it at school.

“Well, well, well.” The school counselor said as he walked out the front gate, arms crossed and very, very angry. “We received a call from the police. It doesn’t surprise me from you, Sakamoto. But you?” He turns to Itsumi. “In the situation you’re in, I’d be on my best behavior if I where you. Now, mind telling me where the two of you were until this time?”

“I got lost, sir.” Itsumi immediately spoke up before Ryuji could say anything, knowing that the boy would probably mention the castle. “The train lines have been all scrambled up since yesterday and I got lost trying to find another way here. I found Sakamoto-san by chance and he helped me get here.”

The teacher glared at both of them for a bit longer before sighing and shaking his head.

“Just get going, you two. And I sure hope that this is the last time this will happen. Because if we get a repeat of this…” He let the threat hang up in the air, Itsumi knowing full well what would happen and the consequences that would bring.

Just as the two of them were about to walk up the stairs and finally get into the school, a familiar voice called out and Itsumi felt a shiver of panic run through her system.

“What’s this about two students arriving late?” Kamoshida asked as he walked out of the school and standing besides the councilor.

“Kamoshida?!” It seems like Ryuji was just as surprised to see their teacher in his PE teacher uniform instead of that… that disgusting outfit from the castle.

“You seem so carefree, Sakamoto.” Kamoshida said while locking eyes with Ryuji. “Quite a difference from when you did morning practice for the track team.”

Ryuji flinched from the jab Kamoshida made and was about to argue, but Itsumi discreetly pulled the sleeve of his blazer to signal him to not antagonize him.

Kamoshida then turned to look at Itsumi and, for the second time that day, she felt how this version of him appraised her as if she were nothing more than a piece of meat.

“The one I’m surprised to see arriving this late is you, Amamiya-san.” He said with a disappointed shake of his head. “One would expect that an athlete like yourself would understand the importance of being in time.”

“I’m sorry, Kamoshida-sensei. I already explained my situation to the councilor.” Itsumi said, short, simple, and good enough.

“Anyway, you’re going to have to come with me, Sakamoto. And you as well, Amamiya. You’re both extremely late, soyou’re going to explain why to the principal and then head to your classes once lunch is over.”

And then the councilor turned around and began to walk into the school. Out of the two teens, Ryuji walked in first, stopping for a second to glare at Kamoshida before continuing in his way inside. Itsumi took a step forward and Kamoshida spoke to her.

“Say, Amamiya-chan, are you planning on joining any sports team here in Shujin?” The teacher asked. She would believe the question he asked was innocent, but the way his eyes lingered for a second on her chest betrayed his true intentions. “Sadly we don’t have a swim team, but the girls volleyball team could always use new players.”

Itsumi stayed silent for a second and then began to walk forward. Once she was right besides the perverted teacher, she turned to look at him and offered him a simple, courteous smile.

“Thanks for the offer, sensei. But I think I’m going to take this year to focus on my studies, lay low for a bit. But I will keep your offer in mind. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to make my way towards the principal’s office.”

And, after giving the teacher a small bow just to keep appearances, Itsumi made her way into the school, hoping to finally start her first day of classes… albeit a bit later than she would’ve liked.

Chapter Text

The moment that Itsumi walked through the front doors she could feel a bunch of eyes on her, though that was to be expected. After all, she did end up missing half of the first day of school. That and that she probably looked like a dead man walking, hell she certainly felt like one. Her entire body felt heavy, her legs felt like lead, and her eyelids were threatening to close on their own any time now. But she had to see this day through, get back to the café, fall asleep and then pretend like this day never happened.

Yeah… that sounds like a good plan.

Making her way to the Faculty Office, Itsumi stood by the door for a second and took a deep breath. She held it in for five seconds before letting it out and opening the door. Spotting Kawakami wasn’t hard at all since she was wearing a bright yellow shirt. Sighing, Itsumi prepared herself for the questions as she walked towards her Homeroom Teacher.

When Kawakami heard her footsteps, she turned to look at her, sighed, and her head dropped. Itsumi could’ve sworn she heard the tired teacher mutter an “unbelievable” under her breath before she turned to look at her once again.

“Being late on your first day? Really?” Kawakami said with a clearly disappointed voice. She then looked around the room and hissed at her. “You should be more careful, specially with the situation you’re in, Amamiya-san.”

“I know. And I’m sorry, Kawakami-sensei.” Itsumi said while gripping the strap of her bag a bit tighter. “The whole train system was a mess from the accident yesterday and I then got lost trying to find my way through other ways.”

Kawakami stared at Itsumi for a long time before sighing for a second time. This one sounded way heavier than the first one, Itsumi could’ve sworn she even saw her teacher deflating. Must have been a trick… or she’s just that damn tired.

“I get that you’re still not used to the area… but you’re still way too late.” Kawakami said with a slight glare. “I also heard that you were caught along with Sakamoto-kun? Word of advice: stay away from him, he’s nothing but trouble.”

So Itsumi’s assessment was correct. Though it’s a shame that the teachers seem to hold nothing but contempt to him. Itsumi simply nodded, opting to not add more fuel to the fire.

“Anyway, we’ll do your introduction after lunchtime is over.” The teacher turned again towards her desk to keep on working on the papers she had on them. “Go ahead and eat your lunch, and then meet me back here once you’re done. Think you can do that without getting lost?”

Again, Itsumi opted to take the safest route and simply nodded, muttering a “Yes ma’am” before leaving the Faculty Office and heading to find herself something to eat.

Once lunch was over, Itsumi made her way back to the Faculty Office where Kawakami was already waiting for her Once she made it there, the teacher began to walk towards their classroom. Once in front of it she told Itsumi to wait there while she introduced her to the class.

“Settle down, everyone.” Kawakami called out to the class, her voice coming out with an authoritative tinge, much better than the monotone tone she used with Itsumi just a few seconds ago. “Before we start, there’s a new student joining our class. You can come in now.”

Itsumi steeled herself and walked in. Immediately she could hear them whispering and chattering between themselves. A few comments about how she was late, that she looked kinda cute, or that she seemed like just a regular girl. All in all… it was better than everyone calling her a criminal from the get-go.

  “I’d like to introduce you all to our transfer student: Itsumi Amamiya.” Kawakami said once the whispers died down. “Today we had her attend from the afternoon since she wasn't feeling well. Go ahead, Amamiya-san, introduce yourself to the class.”

“Hello, everyone. My name is Itsumi Amamiya.” Itsumi said before doing a slight bow to the rest of her class. “I hope that we can get along.”

“Your seat will be…” Kawakami looked around the classroom until she spotted an empty seat, right behind the blonde girl she saw this morning. “Right behind Takamaki-san. Can the people nearby share your textbooks with her for today?”

A few students around her desk nodded and Itsumi smiled. Seems like the people here are kind of nice. With her presentation done, Kawakami dismissed her and Itsumi walked towards her seat. Just as she passed right by Takamaki, she heard the blonde mutter something.

“….lies.” She said while looking at her. She then turned her head to look through the window, resting her cheek against the palm of her hand.

As she walked the rest of the way to her seat, she heard two girls whispering to each other, though they were talking loud enough for Itsumi to hear… and even probably Takamaki. The worst of all? They were whispering about Takamaki, saying something about her dating Kamoshida and almost, almost, calling her a slut. Itsumi clenched her fists and glared forward, changing her opinion about some of her classmates.

“Now remember: thanks to yesterday’s accident, classes will end after fifth period. Oh, right! The volleyball rally is in just two days. I know everyone’s just changed classes, so use this time to get to know each other.” Kawakami said while tapping a few papers against her desk. “Who’s on duty today?”

A boy with black hair stood from his chair, he was missing the blazer of his uniform, and he looked incredibly tired. After he performed his duty to the class, Kawakami began with her lecture.

-o-

Once classes were over in the afternoon, Itsumi walked out of the classroom and boy she must have been way tired than she thought because she could’ve sworn that the school always looked like a hallway from that freaking castle. Itsumi shook her head and grabbed it when she felt a headache starting to form.

“Hm? What’s wrong?” Kawakami asked her as the teacher walked out of the classroom. “You don’t look too good.”

“Is… is this a school?” She asked her teacher, running the risk of sounding crazy to her. “Or a castle?”

“A castle? What are you even talking about?” The teacher asked as she rubbed the back of her head. “You seem tired, you should just head straight home and rest. I expect you to be here on time tomorrow for class. And remember to not get involved with Sakamoto-ku-”

And as if summoned, Ryuji walked towards them with his usual slouched posture and his hands in his pockets.

“Speak of the devil…” Kawakami murmured and then looked at the blonde. “What do you want? I heard the police caught you cutting classes today.”

“It was nothin’.” Then Kawakami complained about not dying his hair back to black and he, once again, dismissed her. The blonde boy walked up to Itsumi and, once he was beside her, whispered loud enough for just her to hear. “I’ll be waitin’ on the rooftop.”

And with that ominous message delivered, he was gone. Kawakami sighed, shook her head, and then walked away murmuring something about how she wasn’t paid enough to deal with students like him.

“Or like cases like mine.” Itsumi thought to herself before following after Ryuji, making her way to the rooftop.

Before she could make it far though, Kamoshida and the Principal walked up the stairs and were talking amongst themselves. She was about to ignore them when something that the PE teacher said that caught her attention.

“It’s an honest shame that I couldn’t convince her to join our volleyball team.” Kamoshida said with a disappointed shake of his head. “With someone like her on our team, I’m sure that we could make great things.”

“It is a shame, Kamoshida-kun, but there isn’t much we can do about it.” The Egg said while fixing the collar of his shirt. “The best we can do is to continue insisting that she joins and hope that she’ll take the offer.”

“I certainly hope she does, Principal.” The pervert (?) said while putting his hand on his hips. “Just imagine how far we could take the female volleyball team if we had her on the team.”

“I’ll see if I can talk to her sometime tomorrow, Sensei.” Kobayakawa replied with a nod of his head. “Now if you excuse me, Kamoshida-kun, there’s some things I need to get done. Until tomorrow.” 

The PE teacher waited for a bit as the principal walked away before smirking. Itsumi shivered and stayed absolutely still, hoping that he wouldn’t notice her.

“I think I have just the way to convince her to join the team.” The pervert said, chuckling to himself, as he walked away. Whatever it was… Itsumi didn’t like the sound of it.

With their conversation finally finished, Itsumi stuffed her hands in the pockets of her skirt and walked up the stairs, making her way to the roof where Ryuji was waiting for her. On her way there she mentally prepared herself to talk about whatever it is that they experienced this morning.

When she got there, after brutally ignoring the post that said that the roof was out of limits, she found Ryuji was already there. He was sitting on a chair, one foot placed against the edge of a desk and he used that to lean back and balance the chair on its back legs. On the outside he seemed calm and relaxed, but the tension on his shoulders and the stern look in his eyes said otherwise.

“Took you long ‘nough.” Ryuji said once she was on the roof, the door closed behind her.

“Yeah, well I got stopped by an egg and a pervert.” Itsumi said while crossing the distance, crossing her arms under her chest and huffed. “The two of them were so busy stroking their egos to notice that the girl they were talking about was right there.”

“An egg and a pervert…” Ryuji muttered as he tried to figure out who she was talking about. “Ah, so the principal and the pervert were talking about you? What for?”

“Kamoshida wants to recruit me to the volleyball team.”

“What the eff?! You can’t accept!!” Ryuji said, shooting up into his feet and slamming his hands against the table. “Specially not after what we saw this morning.”

“Yeah, no shit.” Itsumi smacked him on the head. “Keep your voice down. Or you want for people to find out that we’re up here talking?”

“Besides… are we even sure that what we saw this morning was real?” The bespectacled girl asked while running a hand through her hair. “For all we know, it could have been just a dream.”

“Oh, yeah, sure. A dream.” The blonde boy then pulled up his shirt to reveal a nasty bruise on his abdomen. “Then how do you explain this, eh?! Cus I sure as hell can’t. You can’t get hurt on a dream, Itsumi. What we saw there, in that castle, was real. And while the people we saw there ain’t real, doesn’t mean the real ones ain’t suffering cus of that bastard.”

“But there’s somethin’ else I wanna ask you.” Ryuji said while putting his foot down and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “The counselor said you had a “situation.” What was he talking ‘bout?”

“I…” Itsumi sighs and then sat on the edge of one of the desks, brushing a bit of hair behind her right ear. “What I’m about to tell you is… personal. And you can’t tell anyone else, okay?” Ryuji didn’t say anything and simply nodded.

“The reason I moved here to Tokyo is… is because I’m on probation.” Itsumi stayed silent for a second, waiting for any reaction. When Ryuji said nothing, she continued talking. “Assault charges. A drunk guy was trying to force himself on a woman, I couldn’t stand by and do nothing so I walked there and stood in between them. The guy fell, hurt his head, and blamed me for it. For some fucking reason the girl I was defending testified against me. Next thing I know I’m getting arrested by the police, tried, and sentenced. Spent a bit of time on a juvenile detention center before they told me I had to do my probation time here in Tokyo. One year of good behavior. Or at least… that was the plan.”

Itsumi was going to continue her ranting when the sound of a fist getting slammed against a table caught her attention. She looked up and saw that it was Ryuji the one that did it. He seemed angry and was shaking with visible anger.

“That’s a load of crap!!” He said, a bit louder than Itsumi would’ve liked. “That bastard was clearly wrong! And what? You just got charged like that? Ya even caught his name?”

“No he… he simply sued and then asked the cops to keep his name off of it. Didn’t even show up to court.”

“Man, that’s eff up.” The blonde said, fist clenched and a look of anger on his face. But it wasn’t directed at her. “Dude just about fucked up your life and didn’t even bother to freaking show up to court?! What a load of crap. I’m fucking tired of shitty adults doing whatever they want.” He then looked up and locked eyes with her and there was a fire in his eyes… and she liked that fire. “We have to do somethin’ ‘bout that castle. Tomorrow, after school, we’re going back in.”

“Tomorrow? But… but you don’t have a Persona to fight with!”

“Then you and that… cat, monster, thing.”

“Morgana.”

“Yeah, him.” Ryuji said while waving a hand dismissingly. “I’m sure you two could handle anything that gets in our way.”

Itsumi sighed and shook her head. Ryuji was right, they had to deal with this whole Kamoshida situation. She would love to just ignore it, to look the other way and let things just happen. But that’s not who she is. That’s not the person she was raised to be, to just turn away when someone else was in need. Sure, doing that got her into this whole probation situation… but she would do it all again in a heartbeat.

“Alright then.” Itsumi said, giving Ryuji a firm nod and chuckling when the boy pumped his fist in celebration. “I’m guessing you already know what you wanna do?”

“Yeah! We go in, find some of the guys of the volleyball team, I remember their faces, and then we find them here and ask them questions.”

That’s… a very good and solid plan. Seems like Ryuji has a few tricks up his sleeve. Itsumi approved of his plan with a nod and, with that said and done, they both walked down from the roof and each went their separate ways, according to meet tomorrow in front of the school to figure out how to get back to that castle.

Her trip back to Leblanc was silent… mostly because she was dreading the lecture that she was sure that Sojiro would give her the moment she walked through the door.

When she did, Itsumi found an empty Leblanc save from Sojiro who was standing behind the counter, looking at the TV. When he heard the bell of the door ring, he turned and sighed when he saw Itsumi walking inside. His expression went from angry, to disappointed, to relieved. It was… quite funny to watch.

“Got a call from your school saying you missed half a day.” The owner of the café said while putting a hand on his hip and letting the other one hang down. “Care to explain.”

And explain she did. Itsumi told Sojiro the fabricated version of why she was late because she doubts that he’ll believe the real reason of why she was late. After all, how do you explain the fact that your school turned into a castle and was ruled by the perverted version of her PE teacher.

Once she was done telling her story, Boss reminded her that she was under probation and that she had to be in her best behavior if she wanted to avoid going back to juvie. After telling Itsumi to lock the shop after she took a bath, Sojiro walked out of Leblanc while talking to someone on the phone. By the faint sound of the voice, she could pick up coming from the other line, he was talking to a woman.

After making her way back from the bath house and locking up the store, Itsumi got into her nightclothes and went to sleep. She’s going to pester Sojiro for a proper bed sometime soon… sleeping over three boxes is not an ideal place for a young girl to sleep on.

Making sure her phone is plugged in, Itsumi closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep… only to wake up to the sounds of chains and a familiar blue roof. Sitting up and looking down at her body confirmed her worst fears: she was wearing that ugly prisoner outfit.

The twins were waiting for her at the gate of her cell and wasted no time in chastising for “taking too long to stand up and greet their master.” At least Justine, as always, was a bit nicer than Caroline. Caroline scared Itsumi a little bit.

“First off, let us celebrate our reunion.” The long-nosed master of the Velvet Room said, that creepy smile never leaving his face. “And not only that, but let us also celebrate the awakening to your powers, and special ones at that. Your rehabilitation is ready to start”

“Sadly, we can’t converse much. But the next time you join us in here, it will be under your own free will. There’s no need for you to understand it all for the time being.”

“By the by… have you come to appreciate the Metaverse Navigator? Using it will allow you to come and go between reality and Palaces. I bestowed it to you as a means to train yourself as a thief, and I have the ability to grant it to those that are close to you.”

“Ah, it seems like our time here is reaching it’s end.” Igor said when the sound of an alarm ringed through the Velvet Room. “Until we meet again, Trickster.”

-o-

4/12

The next morning came and went without too much of a fuss. This time she remembered to bring an umbrella with herself, which came in handy since it was raining that morning as well. On the train ride to the school, she witnessed a girl with red hair tied up into a ponytail give her seat to an old lady, only for a tired-looking guy take it immediately and then pretend to fall asleep so that he wouldn’t have to stand up. Itsumi threatened to force the guy to stand up, but both the old lady and the other Shujin student, because it turns out that the girl goes to the same school as her, just a year younger than Itsumi, both simply said to not bother him.

Once on the station close to their school, the first-year student thanked her for helping back on the train, bowed to her, and then walked away.

“What a peculiar girl…” Itsumi thought to herself as she made her way to the school.

The rest of the school day was a blur, the most notable thing of mention was Ushimaru asking her something about a Devil’s Dictionary. She got the answer right out of pure luck, but at least she got to impress her class.

After school, just as she walked out of her classroom, Itsumi saw Kamoshida trying to chat up with Takamaki, but it was clear to her that the blonde girl was doing her absolute best to shut him down. She would’ve stepped in but the last thing she needed right now was to draw the attention of the pervert to herself.

Once the coast was clear, Itsumi made her way to the school gates where, just as she expected, Ryuji was waiting for her.

“What? Were you waiting to ambush me?” Itsumi asks with a smirk once she gets to where the blonde is. “Ya know… rumors might spread~”

“Ah, shut it, Amamiya.” Ryuji grumbles while kicking a pebble and then walking to the alley they used to arrive to school the other day. “So? Ya figured out how we can go back to that castle?”

“As a matter of fact, I did.” Itsumi says while pulling out her phone and opening the MetaNav. “This app was open on my phone the other day and if my prediction is correct…” She taps a few buttons on the app and then smiles when she sees the last place she visited. “Aha! I knew it. Since this is a navigation app, it makes sense that it had a “previously visited locations.”

“Oh! That’s hella smart!” Ryuji says while grabbing Itsumi’s phone out of her hands and then looked at the screen. “So I guess we just gotta…”

Ryuji then tapped the button that said “Kamoshida’s Palace.” And Itsumi was immediately assaulted by a slight headache and a sudden feeling of disorientation. But as fast as it came, it went, and when her vision focused once more, both teens were now looking at the massive castle that, according to Igor, was called a Palace. She was also wearing those black clothes once more. Itsumi was starting to like this outfit.

“Hey, yo! Look! It’s the castle from yesterday!” Ryuji then turns and chuckled when he saw Itsumi’s outfit. “And you’re back on those clothes.”

“What? You got a problem?” Itsumi asks, crossing her arms under her chest and sticking her hip out to the side. She then laughs at Ryuji’s reaction of stepping back and pats him on the arm. “Relax! I’m not going to hurt you. Unless you do something stupid, of course.”

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Let’s go!” Ryuji says while running towards the front door. “Also, what is the deal with those clothes? They gonna appear on you every time we come here?”

“What? You jealous or something?” Itsumi teased back with a chuckle. “Cus I really like them. They bring out my best features and… and I feel powerful while wearing these clothes.”

“Hey!” A sudden voice called out and the two teens turned to look where it came from, only to find Morgana crawling out from the vent they used to leave the castle yesterday morning. “Stop making a commotion! Are you two trying to get caught again?!”

“Ah, there he is.” Both teens say at the same time in response to Morgana’s arrival.

“The Shadows were acting weird, so I came out here wondering what it could be the cause.” Morgana says while looking at the two of them, worry clear on his face. “Why would you two come back here when you barely managed to escape the last time?”

“Because those guys need us.” Ryuji answers, continuing to talk before Morgana can say anything else. “I know the guys inside the castle aren’t real, you made that clear yesterday. But the real them, the ones in school… they gotta be going through somethin’ if Kamoshida thinks of them that way. And… and I can’t stand by and do nothing now that I know of this.”

Morgana then turns to look at Itsumi, waiting for her answer.

“I agree with him. I can’t just stand by and do nothing in the face of this injustice. If they won’t fight back… then someone has to do it for them. And if that means that I’ll have to get my hands dirty… then so be it.”

Morgana looked at both teenagers and then nodded, a content smirk on their face. He then proceeded to explain what the whole situation with the castle was. About how the ruler, Kamoshida, saw the school as his own castle with himself as it’s king and, most importantly, about how his distorted desires had formed this place. It took Itsumi to explain it again in simple terms for Ryuji to understand, but she got the sense that Morgana didn’t think too highly of him.

After Ryuji tried to bash the door open to no success, consequence of his uncontained anger towards Kamoshida after they heard the “slaves’” cries of anguish, Morgana agreed to lead them to where they were located.

On their way down, Morgana taught them the basics of phantom thieving. Simple, easy stuff to remember like you never barge through the front door. He also taught Itsumi that, if you sneak on a Shadow, ambush it, and rip off their mask, you one can momentarily break the control the ruler has over the Shadow and strike before they can even move. Neat trick. Specially so because it gave Itsumi the chance to show off her new skills as she climbed over the Shadow’s back and ripped off its mask while yelling “Show me your true form!”

The best part about this whole infiltration was learning about the Safe Rooms. According to Morgana, a Safe Room is a place within the Palace where the distortion is weaker and it usually represents a place where the ruler doesn’t have much control over. In this case, when they walked inside, it reflected a classroom for a brief second when they walked inside. While they waited for the guards to leave the area, Morgana explained the reason why Itsumi was wearing that fantastic outfit.

Turns out that, within the Palace, anything distorts according to how a ruler pleases within it, and that her outfit is the manifestation of her strong will of rebellion and that it’ll protect her from being affected by the distortion.

“Yeah, yeah that’s all fine and good.” Ryuji said while sticking his hands in his pockets and glaring at Morgana. “But I’m more interested in what the hell you are!”

“I’m a human! An honest-to-god human!”

“You seem more like a cat, though!”

“That’s… that’s because I lost my true form.” Morgana says while looking at the table he was standing on. “But I know how to get it back! It’s why I snuck in here, to do a preliminary investigation of those means. And, I was also tortured by Kamoshida so I’ll make him pay. So, I’m counting on you, rookie.”

“Oh, don’t worry Morgana.” Itsumi says while fixing the gloves of her suit. “I plan on pulling my weight.”

“Yeah! And I don’t plan on letting you two do the entire job.” Ryuji said while pulling out a gun from his pocket. Has he been carrying that thing around all day long? “I brought this model gun just in case! It can’t shoot though; it only makes sounds.”

“Thanks, Ryuji. But I don’t think that will-“

“Actually…” Morgana says while getting closer to inspect the weapon. He then smiles and looks up at Ryuji with a smirk. “This will work! It looks real enough, so the Shadows will think it’s the real thing.”

“Oh!! I get it.”

“Get what?”

“Well, since Palaces are places where the way we see things basically dictates what we can and can’t do. If a gun looks real enough…”

“Then it’ll work like the real thing!”

“Exactly.” Morgana said while crossing his little arms and nodding his head. “Now let’s keep moving, I don’t hear any more guards close by.”

True to Morgana’s words, they overheard a few Shadows talking about how the slaves had been moved to the training area. Whatever that place was, Itsumi didn’t like the sound of it. On their way there they confirmed that the gun did, in fact, shoot real bullets at the Shadows and, since they are expecting you to have a full magazine when fighting them, the weapon was reloaded every time she went to use it. Morgana also taught them something very cool and very, very useful, and All-Out Attacks had become her new favorite thing besides ambushing Shadows.

Eventually the three of them arrived Kamoshida’s Training Hall of Love, a very bullshit name for a bullshit place as Ryuji so eloquently said. They walked inside and what they found seemed to have been taken out from a crappy horror movie: students lined up against the net as Shadows spanked them with the flat end of their spears; guys on a treadmill running away from a spiked rolling machine, a canteen of water hanging at the end of the treadmill; and a guy that was straight up hanging from the ceiling while volleyballs were shot at him. The sight of it all made Itsumi sick, and it made Ryuji angrier at the pervert. In an impressive display of mental skill, Ryuji memorized the faces of everyone they saw, and agreed with Itsumi to interrogate them during the volleyball rally that was coming up.

After Morgana told them to hurry up for the seventh time, the three of them began their way back out. After almost getting caught by a guard that was going to check on the one they knocked out in front of the training hall, they made their way back to the main hall. And that’s when things began to go south.

Shadow Kamoshida and a couple of guards, one of them wearing a golden armor, were waiting for them there right by the entrance.

“You knaves really don’t learn, do you?” Kamoshida snarled at them, his guards flanking him with the golden one at his left. “To think you lot would make the same mistake again!”

“The school ain’t your damn castle, Kamoshida!” Ryuji yelled at him; hands clenched in fists. “I just remembered the faces of all they guys at the volleyball team. When they fess up, you’ll be done!”

“Oh, how far you’ve fallen, Sakamoto. To think you used to be the star of the track team.” Kamoshida said with a sinister chuckle. “But it seems like it’s true when they say “barking dogs seldom bite.”

“The hell you getting’ at?!”

“Well, I’m talking about the “Track Traitor”, of course.” The Shadow said with a chuckle. “The one responsible for ending the dreams of his teammates. Oh, I can only imagine the pain the other must have felt after being dragged down by your selfish act.”

Ryuji grunts and takes a step back, looking down to the floor in shame.

“Violence?” Itsumi asks, looking between the Shadow and her friend. “Track Traitor? What is he talking about?”

“Oh? She doesn’t know?” Kamoshida’s face breaks into a sick grin as he steps closer to them. His entourage following close behind. “He betrays his teammates and crushed their hopes, yet he still carries on as carefree as ever. You should be ashamed.”

“That ain’t true!!”

“Not true, he says. Ha! What a tragedy. You trusted this fool blindly, and now he’s led you right to your death.” Kamoshida then began to walk away, stopping right by the golden guard. “Hurry up and dispose of them. I don't want them dragging filth around my castle.”

The guards, except the one in the golden armor, broke down into that red and black goop and transforming into black horses with white manes and two horns on their heads. The three Bicorns surrounded Itsumi and Morgana that had stepped forward to keep Ryuji safe.

“Ngh… we’re surrounded.” Morgana muttered s he kept his back against Itsumi’s

“Yeah, this isn’t looking good.” The teen girl said while spinning her knife in her hand, looking around to keep an eye on the Bicorns.

The two of them fought hard, killing shadows one at a time. But no matter how many they brought down; another one was ready to take its place. Itsumi was dishing out Eiha’s and Cleaves all around the place with Morgana pushing them away with a few Garu’s and healing them up with Dia’s whenever one of the shadows got a hit in. But it wasn’t meant to last. There were too many shadows and, in no time, both of them got knocked down.

Kamoshida, the sick bastard, placed a foot over Morgana to ensure he went nowhere, while the golden guard kept Itsumi pressed against the ground with its foot.

“I bet you fools came in on a whim… only to end up like this. Fools, truly.” Ryuji simply shakes his head, muttering a very quiet negation. He looks defeated, down on his knees, arms hanging dead by his sides. “What a worthless piece of trash, getting emotional so quickly. This is what happens when you dare to raise your hand at me.”

“Have you really forgotten my temporary kindness when I supervised your team’s practice?”

“That wasn’t no practice!” The teen yelled while falling forward and punching the ground with both hands. “That was physical abuse! You just didn’t like our team!”

“It was nothing but an eyesore! The only one who needs to achieve results is me! Had that worthless coach not opposed me with a sound argument, I would’ve simply settled with only breaking his star’s leg… well I wouldn’t have to had him fired.”

“What?” Ryuji asked, looking up at Kamoshida with a shocked expression in his face.

“Hm? You dare challenge me? Want me to break your other leg too?” The Shadow then laughed like the sick bastard he is. “The school will call it self-defense anyway!”

“Dammit!! Is there nothing I can’t do?!” He slid back, curling into himself more and more. “I can’t run anymore… the track team is gone ‘cause of this asshole… and now my friends are about to die because of me.”

“So that’s why…” Morgana muttered and, suddenly, the way Ryuji was acting made sense to Itsumi: he was re-living his whole trauma with the track team once again.

“Once these two are dealt with, you’re next! Jajajajaja!”

“Ryuji!” Morgana called out, trying to break the blonde out of his own head.

“Don’t let him win!” Itsumi yelled, her anger having reached a boiling point. “Stand up for yourself! Fight!!”

Itsumi waited a second before she saw Ryuji’s hands clench into fists again. The blonde teen sitting up straight with a determined look on his face.

“You’re right.” The blonde muttered, still facing the ground. “Everything that was important to me was taken by him… I’ll never get them back!”

“Hmph, you better stay down and watch. This worthless scum will die for nothing because they sided with trash like you.”

“No.” Ryuji said as he stood up, his voice clearer and filled with anger. “That’s what you are. All you think about is using people! You’re the real scumbag, Kamoshida!!”

Ryuji began to walk towards the Shadow, his steps solid and surer of himself. Itsumi felt excitement running through her veins, a wide smile on her face. She knew what was going to happen before it did, but the signs were there, all that he needed now was a final push.

“Stop looking down on me with that stupid smile on your face!!” And then she saw something different, something that made her smile even more. Ryuji’s eyes, instead of their usual brown, were now glowing yellow.

“You made me wait quite a while.” A voice spoke directly into Ryuji’s head and, a second after, a pounding headache assaulted him. The pain so strong and so hard that it forced him back to the ground. “You seek power, correct? Then let us form a pact. Since your name has been disgraced already, why not hoist the flag and wreak havoc? The “other you” who resides within desires it thus. I am thou, thou art I.”

“There is no turning back!” Ryuji stood up, grunting and screaming in pain. His eyes were blow wide, filled with pain, anger and determination. “The skull of rebellion is your flag henceforth!”

When the blonde raised his head once more, a metal mask painted black, with the shape of a skull, was now on his face. The Golden Guard raised its sword, ready to execute Itsumi. Meanwhile, Ryuji grabbed his mask and tore it away from his face, a guttural scream coming out of his mouth, and a spray of blood gushing out of his face. A second later, a pillar of blue fire spawned underneath the boy.

The shockwave was strong enough that it forced both Kamoshida and the Golden Guard to step back, giving Itsumi and Morgana a chance to escape and get to where Ryuji was standing. The flames died out, revealing him wearing a new outfit: a black jacket with elbow pads and a vertebral column attached to his back, pants with knee pads and a double-sided belt with ammo on each side, a red ascot, combat boots and a pair of yellow gloves with metal knuckle protectors.

The Persona floating behind him could be aptly described as a skull pirate, riding atop a cartoon-looking boat. The captain has a prosthetic limb on its right leg, matching Ryuji’s broken leg, and yellow gloves to match his user, though his right hand is replaced by a cannon painted in yellow. Once they got to where the blonde boy is, he looked up with a wide smirk on his face, his eyes back to their normal color.

“Right on!” He said while looking at his new clothes. “Wassup, Persona! This effin rocks! And now that I’ve got this power, it’s time for payback!”

“You ready to go, Ryuji?” Itsumi asked with a smirk of her own, turning around to face Kamoshida and his Shadows.

“Oh, you bet I’m ready.” The boy said, a metal pipe forming in his hands the same way her knife or Morgana’s cutlass manifest out of thin air. “Bring it!!”

“Hmph, don’t mock me.” The golden guard melted into goo and then reformed into a red armored knight riding atop a black horse.

“Heh, blast him away!” Both Ryuji and the pirate pointed at the mounted knight. “Captain Kidd!”

-o-

Once their fight against the mounted knight was over, the three of them escaped the castle before things got more complicated. After a slight discussion with Morgana about what they were going to do next, and something about repaying the kindness he showed them, both teens made it back to the real world.

After resting up a bit they made plans about what to do next, a small sense of calm flowing between them now knowing that, whatever the Shadow of Kamoshida knows, the real one won’t. For now their next plan is to lay low for a bit and wait for the volleyball rally in a few days to look for the guys that play on the team and interrogate them.

Just as they were about to leave, the world froze for a second and Itsumi heard a female voice speaking directly into her head.

I am thou, thou art I… Thou hast acquired a new vow.

It shall become the wings of rebellion that breaketh thy chains of captivity.

With the birth of the Chariot Persona, I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power…

And then, everything went back to normal. Time resumed its usual flow and no one seemed to be aware of what just happened. Itsumi got the feeling that she would get the answer of what just happened tonight when Igor summoned her to the Velvet Room. She isn’t sure if it will happen but, given everything that happened today, she has a feeling that he will.

Ryuji snapped her out of her thoughts, or more specifically his stomach did, and the guy suggested they went to grab something to eat. Insisting that he knew a place, Itsumi let him lead the way. Unbeknown to both teens, something else popped into the alley they just walked out of.

The place Ryuji was talking about was a ramen restaurant that served good, but cheap food. They talked, bonded, exchanged numbers and Chat ID’s, and vowed to have each other’s backs through this whole thing with Kamoshida. With their plans for tomorrow set, waiting for the rally to finish and interrogate the guys that were being tortured back at the Palace, each one made their way back to their respective homes.

When she got to Leblanc, Sojiro was sitting on a stool by the bar, filling out a crossword puzzle on a newspaper.

“I’m back.” Itsumi announced her arrival, even though the little bell on the door already did that.

“Welcome home.” Boss said as he looked up from his puzzle. “I’m guessing you actually went to school today?” Itsumi simply nodded her answer. “Good. There are leftovers in the fridge if you want to heat yourself some curry. I’ll be heading of now, gotta take care of a few things back home. Remember to lock up the place when you’re back from the bath, alright?”

“Yes, Boss.” Itsumi says whit a smile, stepping aside so that Sojiro can walk by her. “See you tomorrow morning!”

After getting her nightly routine done and out of the way, Itsumi sat on her bed and cursed herself for not remembering to mention about wanting to sleep on a proper bed to Sojiro. Resigning herself to doing it the next day, the black-haired girl plugged her phone and went to sleep.

Just as she suspected, just as she fell asleep, the sounds of chains echoed through her room and, when she opened her eyes, Itsumi found herself back in the Velvet Room. There, Igor, along with the twins, explained the importance of Itsumi establishing bonds with the people around her and how said bonds would make her stronger and help with her rehabilitation. Igor then formed a bond with her after he vowed to help her, thus creating the Fool Persona. Once their interaction was done, he sent her back to the real world, ready to face a new day.

Chapter Text

04/13

The morning classes were incredibly boring and Itsumi had a hard time actually remembering what they were teaching or talking about. Itsumi’s mind was more focused on what Igor told her last night, about Connections, Bonds and Confidants. She already formed two bons: The Fool arcana with Igor and the Chariot with Ryuji and considering what their meanings are… they are fitting.

What she was really looking forward to was, strangely enough, the volleyball rally. Not because she wanted to see Kamoshida play (ew), but because her and Ryuji were planning to interrogate the boys that Ryuji saw yesterday on their exploration of the “Training Hall of Love.”

Itsumi spent a bit of her time during morning classes texting with Ryuji, ironing out the details of their plan. She almost got caught once by Kawakami, but she quickly managed to hide the phone away. Ever since awakening to Arsène, Itsumi has felt herself becoming more agile with her hands and her reaction times seem to be improving as well.

With their morning classes done and dealt with, Itsumi ate lunch with Ryuji on the rooftop and they talked about everything but their plan in case someone decided to walk up to the roof, even if the place was out of limits. And also, because Itsumi didn’t trust Ryuji to be able to keep his voice down when talking about interrogating the students.

 After lunch they went their separate ways to get changed into the school’s sport’s uniform, Itsumi deciding to use the pants of the uniform because there was no way in hell that she was going to give a free show to that perverted teacher. For a pretty girl? Without a doubt. But for him? Over her dead body.

Itsumi watched, with a thinly veiled look of disgust, as Kamoshida and the teachers destroy her class’s team, with one boy in particular getting the short end of the stick and being the target for every single spike the volleyball coach sent the student’s way.

“Man, she really stands out, eh?” Ryuji, who was sitting by her side, asked while looking at Takamaki who was sitting on the other end of the room. He then stretched while yawning and rested his head on his hand. “This is pretty boring; the game isn’t exciting at all with Kamoshida destroying the other team!”

“I guess this rally is a way for him to stroke his own ego.” Itsumi said while fixing her hair into a ponytail. “I mean that’s not a game, that’s a slaughter.”

Just as she said that, Kamoshida hit a spike and sent the ball sailing straight to the face of a boy with black hair. The boy immediately fell to the ground, his nose bleeding from the impact, and Kamoshida rushed in and, with fake sympathy, asked for someone to take him to the infirmary, not even bothering to take him himself.

Smiling as if nothing happened, Kamoshida resumed the match and Ryuji and Itsumi took that as a signal to leave the training hall and meet outside by the vending machines on the courtyard.

“Get to know each other my ass.” The blonde boy said while kicking the ground and clicking his tongue. “It’s just like you said, this is a chance for him to stroke his own ego. But now’s our chance to look for the guys we saw as slaves yesterday.”

“Right.” Itsumi answered with a nod. “Let’s try and find them. They should be here somewhere around the school. Let’s split up and look for them, alright? Message me if you get anything on him.”

With their course of action planned out, the two of them set out to hunt the members of the volleyball team they saw the other day at the castle. It was a bit hard finding a bunch of random students through the school, specially so because Itsumi was still unfamiliar with its layout.

As she searched through the school, Itsumi could feel the stares of the students on her back wherever she went. At first, she brushed it off as the students being curious about the new girl in school, but then she heard it: The whispers of the students.

“Is that her? The delinquent?”

“I heard she carries a knife with her all the time.”

“I heard she beat a guy so bad they sent him to the hospital.”

“Assault charges, apparently.”

“I heard she’s involved in tusk trafficking.”

“What are they…”  Itsumi stopped dead in her tracks as it dawned her what was happening. Someone leaked her record. “That fucker!”

Just as she was about to storm off back to the gym to give Kamoshida a piece of her mind, her phone rang with a message notification from Ryuji, asking if she had gotten anything. After letting him know that she had no luck with the couple of students she managed to talk with. But not everything was bad news, he told her that there was a first year that just joined the team, so he would be easier to get information out off.

Heading up to the third floor, locating the student was easier than expected since he was wearing the team’s uniform. She didn’t manage to get anything other than some guy named Mishima apparently was the usual victim of Kamoshida and, given what she saw on the match, she had to agree with that statement. Just as Itsumi was about to ask him another question, the school’s bell rang, signaling the end of the day. After agreeing to meet with Ryuji on the courtyard, Itsumi began to walk down the stairs.

She didn’t get very far though, because as soon as she got down to the second floor, Kamoshida was walking up the stairs from the first floor. Itsumi tried to turn around and walk back up but, unlucky for her, he noticed her and called out to her.

“Ah, Amamiya-san!” The pervert said with that fake smile of his. “Just the person I was looking for.”

Itsumi stopped dead in her tracks, internally cursed her bad luck, and turned around to face the teacher with a neutral expression on her face while fixing her glasses.

“You were looking for me, sensei?” The high school girl asked with just enough emotion in her speech to not come off as rude.

“That’s right. You see, it seems like someone leaked your record to the students.” Kamoshida said while putting his hands on his hips. “And the rumors about it are spreading like wildfire within the school. But, if you join the volleyball team, I can dispel those rumors saying they’re fake.”

“So that’s his angle.” Itsumi thinks to herself. “He’s going to try and use my reputation to blackmail me into joining his team. Unlucky for him, I don’t care what the mindless mass of students thinks of me.”

“Thanks for the offer, sensei.” She watched him smile, thinking that he’s won. “But I’ll have to, once again, refuse your offer. I’m only supposed to stay one year here at Shujin for my probation, so I’m not really worried about my reputation. As long as I perform well in my exams and stay out of trouble, I don’t really care what the other students think about me.”

Itsumi watched as Kamoshida’s expression turned from a smile, to a frown, to a neutral one that, try as he might, didn’t really hide his displeasure with her answer. But before he could continue talking to her, she bowed and excused herself saying that she had other things to do.

She decided to take the long way around to the courtyard and, when she got to the meeting spot, Ryuji wasn’t there. Seeing as she got there first, Itsumi walked over to one of the vending machines and was about to order something when she heard footsteps approaching her. Given the fact that, despite she could hear them, she didn’t hear her blonde friend talking, Itsumi knew that it must have been someone else. And, when she turned around, Itsumi was surprised to find Takamaki standing right there.

“Hey, can I talk to you for a sec?” Itsumi simply nodded and went back to ordering something to drink from the vending machine. “What’s with you? Like you getting here late the other day? Your excuse was a total lie. There’s also that weird rumor going on around about you being some sort of delinquent.”

“Oi, Takamaki!” Ryuji yelled out as soon as he was close enough to both girls. “Whaddya want with her?”

Takamaki turned around and, if looks could kill, Ryuji would already be laying cold on the floor. “Right back at you, Sakamoto. She’s not even in your own class!”

“We… uhh…” He looked at Itsumi from the corner of his eyes, silently asking for help.

“We just happened to get to know each other the other day.” Itsumi answered, finishing her drink and tossing the empty can in the trash. “Nothing else.”

“Hmph.” Takamaki glared at both of them, crossing her arms under her chest. “Whatever. What are you planning to do to Kamoshida-sensei?”

“Huh?!” Ryuji then sighed and shook his head, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his pants. “I see how it is. You’re all buddy-buddy with Kamoshida after all. If you knew what he was doing behind your back, you’d dump his ass right away!”

“Behind my back?” Takamaki looked genuinely surprised and confused. “What do you mean?”

Ryuji simply clicked his tongue and shook his head.

“Anyway, people are already talking about you two. I don’t know what you’re trying to pull, but no one’s gonna help you.” Having said her piece of mind, Takamaki walked away, leaving Itsumi and Ryuji alone in the courtyard.

“Man, why she gotta be so aggressive all the time?”

“I smell some history between you two.” Itsumi said with a little smirk on her face.

“It ain’t nothing like that.” The blonde boy said with a huff. “We just went to the same middle school, that’s all. But that ain’t what we’re here to talk about. Did someone’s name come up?”

“Yup, one: Mishima.” Itsumi said while buying another drink for herself, a soda, and cracked it open. “Apparently Kamoshida has been calling him up for “special coaching” sessions.”

“Hmmm, yeah.” Ryuji said while nodding. “I always see the guy covered in bruises, so it must be true. Anyway, he’s probably still in the infirmary so let’s go find him before he leaves.”

The two delinquents found their target about to leave the school. Mishima was dressed in his usual school uniform and was sporting a brand-new band aid on his nose from when the ball kissed his face. The two of them flanked the boy and cut off his path.

“Yo, got a second?” Mishima flinched and stopped walking. “We just wanna talk.”

“Sakamoto?” He looked at Ryuji and then at Itsumi, taking another step back when he realized who had cut him off. “You too, Amamiya!?”

“Listen.” Itsumi used the calmest tone of voice she could produce, no need to scare the boy off and get no answers. “We just want you to answer some questions, that’s all.”

“Yeah, about Kamoshida’s “coaching.” The blonde boy crossed his arms, leaning his body weight on his good leg. “You sure it ain’t physical abuse?”

“C-Certainly not!”

“Why so formal?”

“Yeah, dude. Relax! Besides, we saw him spike you right in the face today.”

“That’s… that’s just because I’m no good at the sport…” Mishima seemed to be curling into himself in embarrassment.

“That doesn’t explain the other bruises, man.”

“That’s because of practice!” Itsumi crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, letting him know with her body language that she didn’t believe his story. Ryuji simply looked at him with his arms crossed.

Just as he was about to say something else, Kamoshida arrived. After coercing Mishima to join practice, even though the boy had said that he wasn’t feeling alright, Kamoshida threatened Ryuji and, once again, reminded Itsumi that the team would be waiting for her.

“And remember Amamiya, if you join the team, I can clear out those rumors about you.” The coach turned to Mishima and motioned with his head towards the training hall, both of them leaving in but not before Mishima commented on how, even if they could prove his crimes, it would change nothing.

With that final revelation fresh in their minds, the two frustrated students left the school and each went to their own home. After bathing herself on the nearby bath house in Yongen-Jaya, Itsumi locked up the café and went to sleep with a silent prayer that she wouldn’t be dragged into the Velvet Room by the dreadful twins.

-o-

04/14

Waking up the next morning without having been kidnapped to the Velvet Room felt amazing, no cryptic messages from a long-nosed guy and no threats of violence from a pair of freaky twins. Itsumi was such in a good mood that Sojiro even commented about it when he walked into the café that morning and found her humming while she prepared her own breakfast.

Classes for that morning, and afternoon, were nothing special. She diligently took notes and participated in classes, getting a few of the questions right and receiving odd looks from her peers. Seems like the rumors in Shujin spread fast and people are starting to look down on her.

Once classes were over, Itsumi was on her way to the courtyard when she encountered a girl standing in front of the door, blocking it, as she just stared at the vending machine in front of her. The girl had bruises all over her face and was even wearing a black knee brace on her right leg.

They didn’t speak for long, but the girl seemed to either not have heard the rumors, or she simply didn’t care about them because she was, surprisingly, nice to her. Unlike everyone else that seemed to be scared of her from the increasingly ridiculous rumor that had been wandering around the school’s rumor mill.

“Any luck on your end?” Itsumi asked Ryuji once she was close enough to him.

The blonde boy was angrily tapping his foot against the ground, his arms crossed and eyes closed. When she called out to him, her opened his eyes and looked at her.

“What do you think?” He then slammed his fist against the poor vending machine, who had done nothing wrong to him before. “This is bullshit! Everyone said the same crap Mishima said to us yesterday!! Is there nothing we can’t do?”

“Well…” Itsumi looked around to make sure that no one was close by. “We can always take it up with the king.”

“The king? You talking ‘bout the other world Kamoshida? I dunno, man. Is there any mea-“

“There you two are!” A strangely familiar voice called out to the two students. Shortly after a black cat with a yellow collar walked up to them and jumped up on the table. And, for some reason, he looked strangely familiar. “Don’t you two think you can get away with not paying me back for helping you.”

“Wait… Morgana?”

“Yo, dude! You’re right! It does sound like Morgana!”

“That’s because it’s me, you monkey!” Morgana shook its little cat head and then sat, looking at the both of them. “How dare you leave me like that the other day?!”

“Dude the cat is talking…”

“I am not a cat!!” Yup, that’s Morgana alright. “I just look like this in this world, that’s all! I had a lot of trouble finding you two.”

“Wait so if you’re here... does that mean you got a phone?!” Itsumi turned to look at Ryuji with a deadpan expression, even if he couldn’t see him because he seemed to be more focused on the talking cat.

“Hmph, you don’t need one when you’re at my level.” The cat said while cleaning itself up with its tongue. “I did get pretty lost when I left the Metaverse though.”

“Wai, how can you talk when you’re a cat?!”

“I think I have the answer for that.” Both Ryuji and Morgana turned to look at Itsumi. “It’s simple, really. Since we heard him talk in the Metaverse, our cognition changed in the real world too so that we can hear him talk in the real world as well.”

“Correct!” Morgana said, scratching himself behind the ear. “Heard you two talking about witnesses. But you know… I could tell you a thing or two on what to do about Kamoshida.”

Ryuji was most probably about to complain or something, but Itsumi raised her hand and motioned for him to stay quiet for a second. That’s when they heard the voices of two teachers, mentioning something about looking for a cat.

“Okay, so, as much as we want to talk about this, this place isn’t safe.” Itsumi picked Morgana up by the nape of his neck, ignoring his protests, and stuffed him inside her bag. “You stay there, quiet, while we head up to the roof, okay? Let’s go.”

Sneaking up to the roof had bee, as always, surprisingly easy. For them being notorious delinquents, no one seemed to really pay attention to them. Once up on the roof, Itsumi placed her bag on the floor and opened it, letting Morgana walk out of it.

The cat stretched like any cat would do, not really helping his case of not being a cat, and then walked to one of the empty desks and jumped on it to be closer to eye level with the two students.

“Quit messing around, cat.” Ryuji said, clearly frustrated with Morgana for taking his sweet time talking his plan. “You said you knew something we could do about Kamoshida, so spill it!”

“It’s got to do with what glasses over there said earlier. You have to attack his castle!” Morgana said matter-of-factly. “That castle is the way he views the school and, while he doesn’t realize what’s happening there, that place is deeply connected to the depths of his heart. Therefore, if the castle disappears, it’ll affect the real Kamoshida.”

“What would happen to him? And how can we make the castle disappear?” Itsumi asked, crossing her arms. From the corner of her eyes, she could see Ryuji mimicking her pose.

“Well, a Palace is the manifestation of a person’s distorted desires.” The cat said while tilting its head to the side. “So, if the castle were to disappear…”

“Then his desires would disappear.” The high school girl finished Morgana’s sentence. “And he’d become an honest man.”

“Exactly!” Morgana cheered on. “You pick things up fast.”

“I… don’t get it.” The ex-athlete said while scratching his head.

Itsumi sighed and looked around the roof for a pebble or something. Finding a suitable rock, she grabbed it and then handed it over to the blonde.

“Imagine this rock here is your desire to eat ramen, okay?” Ryuji nodded and, while he was busy paying attention to what she was saying, Itsumi snatched the rock from his hand. “And now that I have it…”

“I wouldn’t want to eat more ramen?” Itsumi nodded with a smile, dropping the rock in the process. “Oh!! I get it now. But wait… if we steal his distorted desires, he’d become good, right? How is that getting back at him?”

“Erasing a Palace means that we’d be forcing the owner to have a change of heart.” The cat said. “But that doesn’t mean that their crimes are gone. So that means that Kamoshida would become unable to bear the weight of his sins and confess them himself!”

“That can happen?!”

“Well considering what we’ve seen, and the fact that Morgana knows more than us about Palaces and stuff…” Itsumi hummed, tapping her chin with a finger. “Does that mean that, once the Palace is gone, he’ll forget what happened in there?”

“Correct again!” Morgana laughed, which was a very weird thing to see and hear. “And not only will we take him down, but there won’t be a trace of our involvement!”

“Man, that’s hella convenient!” Ryuji said, his voice returning to his usual setting: loud. “You are one amazing cat!”

“I’m NOT a cat!”

“Yeah, yeah, we know but…” Itsumi walks over to the desk Morgana is sitting on, and sits on the edge of it and looks down at the feline. “I get the feeling that you’re not telling us something. It can’t be that easy.”

“Hrgk” Morgana flinched, or as much as a cat could, and looked anywhere but at Itsumi’s eyes. “W-Well if… if we’re not careful we could end up k-killing him?”

“Wha-?!” Itsumi cut off Ryuji’s yell of surprise with a raise of her hand and intensified her glare.

“It’s just that if we take his desires, we’d be potentially also taking his good desires like the desire to eat, or to breathe, and so he’d end up dying!” And then morgana had the gall to curl up into a ball to avoid looking at Itsumi.

“And just, exactly, do you get rid of a Palace?”

“By stealing the Treasure. But! But I’ll tell you more if you agree to go ahead with this. I can’t reveal all my secrets now.” The feline stood up, stretched, and then jumped from the desk. “I’ll leave you two to think and consider things, I’ll meet you tomorrow after school by the main gates.”

With that bomb dropped over Ryuji and Itsumi, Morgana sneaked out of the school. Both students didn’t want to hang around the school any longer so, with a very heavy mood between them, they each went their separate ways with Ryuji saying that he had to run a couple of errands before heading home.

And so Itsumi decided to, obediently, return home by herself. That is until she got to the station square where she was met with an unusual sight: a distressed-looking Ann Takamaki talking on the phone with someone.

“Will you please give it a rest?! I told you, I’m not feeling up to it!”

“…”

“Wait, hold on! That’s not what you promised! And you dare call yourself a teacher?”

“Ah, Kamoshida.” Itsumi thought to herself as she stopped to listen to Takamaki’s half of the conversation. “Makes sense.”

“This has nothing to do with Shiho!”

“…”

“Ah…” It seemed that, whoever was on the other end of the line (read: a pervert), hung up and Takamaki curled up into herself. “Shiho’s starting position…”

Deciding that she had seen enough of Takamaki wallowing in self-pity, she pulled out a small handkerchief from her bag and walked up to the blonde girl.

“Here.” She said while offering the handkerchief to Takamaki and the girl turned to see who was talking to her. With a slight frown she grabbed the offered object and used it to get rid of the tears that were forming on her eyes. “You good?”

That’s when Takamaki quickly stood up (Itsumi had to take a step back to avoid getting headbutted), and took a step back looking worried. “Wait… were you listening?!”

“Not on purpose, if that’s what worries you.” Itsumi says while putting the handkerchief back into her bag after Takamaki gave it back.

“Haven’t you heard of privacy?”

“If you wanted privacy, you wouldn’t be answering a call from him in the middle of the subway station.” The black-haired girl remarked while motioning around with a finger. “Besides, you’re almost as loud as Ryuji.”

“I am-!” She shut up, pouted, and then sighed. “Okay, fine. I shouldn’t have been talking so loud in a public space. But that still doesn’t give you the right to listen to my private conversation. Also, how much did you hear?”

“You’re right, I’m sorry about that.” Itsumi bows a bit, apologizing to the blonde. “Just the end of it. Something about a friend?”

“Shiho…” Takamaki said with a sigh, sniffing a couple times, trying to hold back tears. “It’s nothing… nothing at all.”

The blonde girl then sniffed a few more times, cleaned her tears on the sleeve of her blazer, and took off running down into the subway. Itsumi, worried about her, decided to follow her into the underground mall. Following a blonde girl, who’s also wearing red tights was incredibly easy since she was easy to spot. When Itsumi found her she was leaning against a green pillar and, when the blonde heard her footsteps approaching, she turned around with a frown on her face.

“You really need to learn what privacy means.” The blond girl growled at her. “Stop following me, and leave me alone!”

“You know I can’t do that.” Itsumi said, approaching Takamaki but still leaving enough space for the girl to leave if she wanted to. “Are you okay?”

“Why?” Takamaki asked with a sob. “Why do you keep worrying about me when all I have done to you is being mean?”

“Because I just can’t leave a person that needs help. It’s what got me into this whole mess to begin with, but I will always help when I can. So, I just want to talk, okay?” The blonde girl nodded. “Alright. Now come on, let’s go somewhere safe, alright?”

And with another nod from the distressed high school girl, they both left the underground mall.

-o-

Now, Itsumi may be new to Tokyo, and she may not know the way people do things here, but if she knows one thing is that, if you’re in a crowded place, as long as you don’t make a scene, people won’t pay attention to you. And what better place to talk than one of the establishments that sees more foot traffic anywhere in Japan.

And so that’s how both girls found themselves, sitting at a lone booth in Big Bang Burger. Itsumi isn’t a big fan of this place, never really liked the slightly processed taste their food had back in the good days and, ever since the quality of their meals began to decrease, well she just had another reason to not go there. So, when Takamaki ordered a single glass of water for herself, the black-haired girl didn’t feel bad when she asked for the same thing.

“I don’t have anything to talk about with you.” Those were the first words the blonde said once they sat down at their table. “It was… it was just an argument. No big deal.”

“It kind of sounded like a big deal if it got you that emotional.” Itsumi didn’t flinch when Takamaki glared at her. Bonus points to her! “Let me guess: you were talking with Kamoshida?”

“How did you-?” The blonde turned to look at her, blue eyes wide with shock.

“It wasn’t that hard to guess.” The black-haired teen said with a casual shrug, fixing her glasses after that. “He’s the only member of the faculty that would have the gall to call and harass a student.”

The blonde girl sighed, placed her elbow on the table, and then rested her cheek against her hand. “You’ve heard the rumors, haven’t you?”

“About you? Or about me?”

“About Kamoshida, you dumbass.” She sighed. “Everyone says that we’re getting it on, that I’m his bitch. But that’s so not true!” The blonde girl began to play with the napkin on the table. “That was him on the other end of the line, I avoided giving him my number for the longest time, so I don’t know how he got it. He… he wanted me to go to his place after this and said that, if I turned him down, he’d take my friend off as a regular on the team.”

“I’ve been telling myself that it’s all for Shiho’s sake.” Takamaki leaned back, eyes now focused down on her lap. “But I can’t take it anymore, and I hate him with all my heart! But… but Shiho is still my best friend, and she’s all I have left at that sorry excuse for a school!” When she looked back up, Takamaki had tears welling at the corners of her eyes. “So please, tell me, what should I do? Am I being selfish for not doing what he says just so she can keep her spot?”

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked. It’s not your-“

“I think you’re not being selfish, Takamaki-san.” Itsumi cut her off with a stern voice. “I think that you shouldn’t be in this position in the first place. Not you, and not Suzui-san or anyone in the volleyball team for that matter. What he’s doing? Physically and emotionally abusing his students? That’s all kinds of messed up, thus making him a failure of a teacher and the worst kind of person there is: a fucking predator. So no, you’re not in the wrong here. Never have been, and never will.”

Takamaki looked at her, eyes once again wide with shock, before she cleaned her tears and sighed. “You’re right, you’re absolutely right. But that still doesn’t take away the fact that he has done those things with his students, even if they are just rumors… the fact they exist makes me sick. I don’t even know why I’m telling you this, we barely know each other.”

“Maybe that’s why.” At the blonde’s confused expression, Itsumi giggled and drank from her glass of water. “You probably feel more comfortable telling me this because we barely know each other. I have no expectations of you, and so you don’t have any image to uphold. It’s actually one of the reasons therapists do so well in their job.”

“You’re really weird.” Takamaki said with a chuckle, shaking her head a bit. “People usually just ignores me, but not you. You saw me at my lowest and, instead of ignoring me or, hell, making fun of me, you decided to help me… maybe you’re not as bad as the rumors say.”

“About that… they aren’t completely false.”

“Huh?”

“I do have a record, assault charges, but I guess that’s what I get for sticking my nose where it doesn’t belong.” Itsumi sighs and leans back on her chair. “Or at least that’s what my guardian says. But, if you want the full story, we have to become friends first. Don’t get me wrong, Ryuji is a nice guy and very loyal friend, but you have no idea how much I miss having female friends!”

Takamaki giggled, covering her mouth with the back of her hand, the sound of it making Itsumi smile and her chest swell with satisfaction.

“So weird, for real.” Takamaki laughed this time, with an actual smile on her face. “Alright, I guess we can be friends. But! But. You have to call me by my name.”

“Only if you use mine.”

“It’s a deal then, Itsumi.”

“Likewise, Ann.”

I am thou, thou art I…

Thou hast acquired a new vow.

It shall become the wings of rebellion

That breaketh thy chains of captivity.

With the birth of the Lovers Persona,

I have obtained the winds of blessing that

Shall lead to freedom and new power…

“Well then, see you around, Itsumi!” Ann grabbed her cup of water, walked out of the booth, and left Big Bang Burger with a smile and a wave to her new friend.

“A new bond, eh?” Itsumi murmured to herself once her second blonde friend walked out of the door. “And this time it’s the Lovers Arcana… guess I’ll have to do more research then.”

-o-

“You’re late.” Sojiro call out the moment she walked into Leblanc, looking up from the crossword he was filling. “I was starting to get worried.”

“I’m sorry for that.” Itsumi apologized while closing the door. “I was hanging out with a friend and lost track of the time.”

“A friend, eh?” Boss chuckled and placed the newspaper on the counter behind him. “Glad to see you made a friend.”

“Two of them, actually.”

“Two? Damn, that’s one more than I had expected.” Itsumi shot him a glare and he had the gall to chuckle. “You should bring them over for a cup of coffee. Anyway, now that you’re here I can finally leave. Don’t forget to lock up, alright?”

After Sojiro left, Itsumi got on with her nightly routine. A quick bath, teeth brushed, clothes changed, and then exchanging a few texts with Ryuji about what Morgana told them at the roof. Once she was done with that, the high school girl collapsed in her bed and fell asleep.

-o-

04/15

When Itsumi woke up the next morning, for some reason, she felt as if something was wrong. It wasn’t anything with her since she had a great rest without getting her consciousness kidnapped by Igor and the twins, her uniform was perfect as always, and the breakfast was good. Sojiro even offered to teach her sometime how to brew coffee! The trains were on time, the sky was clear but despite all that… she couldn’t shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen today.

Shaking it off as her being paranoid, Itsumi tried her best to pay attention to Ushimaru-sensei’s class but that nagging feeling in the back of her head kept her distracted. Not even finding Morgana hiding inside her desk and nagging her about their decision to dive into Kamoshida’s Palace and steal his Treasure.

“Hey… What’s that?!” And there it is, that single sentence proved that Itsumi wasn’t going crazy.

“She’s going to jump?!” But, fuck she wasn’t expecting that!!

Immediately the whole class turned to look out the window on the right side of the classroom and, yup, there was someone on the roof. The worrying part was that she recognized this girl.

“Suzui?” Mishima asked as he stoop up from his desk.

“Shiho?” Ann mimicked him and that was all the confirmation Itsumi needed: Shiho Suzui was standing on the roof, about to jump from it. The blonde girl wasted no time and bolted out of her seat, out of the classroom and towards the window in the hallway, Itsumi hot on her heels.

And man, she arrived at the worst time: right when Shiho let herself fall from the roof. Ushimaru was trying to get everyone back into the classroom, but every single student was more focused on watching what was happening outside. Ann rushed away and down the stairs, making her way towards the courtyard.

Itsumi, not one to not help a friend, rushed right behind her. Ryuji joined Itsumi just as she was about to get down the stairs, he looked shocked and confused, probably struggling to process what just happened. The two of them had to take the long way around, through the practice building, because there was a wall of students blocking the door to the courtyard.

When they got there, they found a pair of paramedics gently placing a still conscious Shiho on a stretcher. Thankfully the students were respectful enough to keep their distance, but not enough to keep their phones to themselves. She could see them snapping pictures and filming what was happening.

A few teachers were trying to usher the students back to their classrooms, but their efforts were being wasted. The student body was filled with a morbid curiosity and a desperate need to watch how they treated Shiho.

“We need someone to go with her.” One of the paramedics commented as they stepped towards the mass of students and teachers. “Are there any teachers around?”

A couple of useless teachers were saying that they should wait for the principal to handle this, which showed how foolish most of the staff are if they think he can solve anything.

“I’ll go!” Unsurprisingly, Ann stepped forward to accompany her best friend. “She’s my best friend, I’ll go with her.”

The paramedic ushered Ann towards Shiho and both Itsumi and Ryuji were too far to listen on the whispered conversation Ann was trying to have with Shiho. But there was one thing both of them managed to hear loud and clear: Kamoshida’s name.

Anger is usually described as hot and burning, a clear example of that was the fuming mess that was Ryuji right by her side. But for Itsumi, in that particular moment, it was a deep, deep cold that flowed through her veins. Her anger was calm and measured, waiting the exact moment to be unleashed upon her deserving target.

But before the two of them could march towards the PE Faculty Office, they spotted someone running away from the scene: Mishima. Both students looked at each other, nodded at the same time, and then rushed behind the fleeing boy.

Finding him wasn’t hard, and cornering him was easier, specially if one gets grabbed by the wrist with enough strength to stop him dead on his tracks, lest he injured his own wrist.

“Hey! That hurts!” Mishima complained as Ryuji shoved him towards a corner, with each of them cutting off his escape route and Morgana hanging on top of the lockers. “W-What do you two want from me?!”

“Why did you run like that, huh?!” Ryuji asked while stepping closer to Mishima. The blonde boy was so pissed that he was constantly tapping his left foot. “Ya got anithin’ to hide?!”

“I… I didn’t run.”

“Bullshit!” The blonde boy yelled while slamming his fist against the lockers. “She jumped and tried to kill herself! We saw you at the courtyard and we heard Ann sayin’ that bastard’s name!”

“And we know he’s been physically abusing the members of the volleyball team.” Itsumi spoke up, her voice even, dangerously so. “And this gives us further proof that something is going on. So, you either tell us what you know, or we’ll force the answers out of you.”

Mishima cowered into the corner, eyes frantically darting around, trying to find a way to escape. But her was trapped. He knew that if they tried to run, the two delinquents would stop him and then probably beat the answers out of him. So, deciding to pick self-preservation, he confessed.

“K-Kamoshida-sensei called her up yesterday after practice.” The scared boy said, eyes glued to the ground, not daring to make eye contact with any of them. Out shame or fear? Itsumi doesn’t care. “He… He was pissed off after practice and… and even after hitting me he wasn’t satisfied so… so he had me call her up to his office.”

That’s when something clicked within both Itsumi and Ryuji, the reason why Shiho Suzui tried to kill herself. Ryuji ran off with a yell of “that son of a bitch!” and both Itsumi and Mishima were hot on his heels with one destination in mind: the PE Faculty Office on the second floor.

When they got there the two of them found Ryuji, standing in the middle of the room, fuming, and the bastard of Kamoshida sitting in front of his desk, signing papers as if nothing had happened.

“Huh?” The PE teacher turned around when he heard the commotion of three students barging into his room unannounced. “Sakamoto, Amamiya, Mishima? What are you doing here?”

“You bastard!!” Ryuji yelled, barely containing his anger. “What the fuck did you do to that girl, you sick bastard?!”

“What are you talking about?” Kamoshida asked while waving his hand as if dismissing the question.

“Don’t play fucking dumb with me!” The blonde boy yelled while kicking a nearby foldable chair.

“That’s enough!” The bastard exclaimed while slamming his fist against his desk and turning to face the three students. “I won’t tolerate you three barging into my office and yelling baseless accusations!”

“W-What you did…” Well, it seems like Mishima suddenly grew a spine. “That wasn’t coaching!”

“What did you just say?” The pervert glared at them, turning his body so he was now facing them fully.

“You ordered me to call her up here!” Mishima’s spine was holding off. “I… I can only imagine what you did to her.”

“Oh, I’ll tell you what he did.” Itsumi finally spoke, her voice still even and calm. “He did the unthinkable, crossing a line he shouldn’t have crossed as an adult, and as a teacher.”

Kamoshida sighed and stood up, crossing his arms over his chest, the teacher glared at the three of them. He might have been taller than them, but at that moment, Itsumi felt that that difference didn’t matter.

“You keep going on and on, blaming me for things you have no proof of.” His glare was then focused on Mishima. “I bet you’re doing all of this just because you can’t be a regular on the team.”

“This has nothing to do with that!”

“And even if what you’re saying I did happen… what can you do about it?” He leaned forward to be closer to eye level with the three students. “We just got a call from the hospital. Shiho Suzui is in a coma and the doctors say her chances of recovering are slim. So how could someone like her make a statement?”

“No way…”

“This goddamn!” Ryuji was shaking with anger now, but she knew he knew better than to attack Kamoshida.

“What? Are we really doing this again, Sakamoto?” Kamoshida taunted Ryuji, turning his glare towards him. “Does this mean we’re going to have another case of “self-defense” in our hands?”

“You shut your mouth you son of a-“The blonde boy was winding up for a punch, but Itsumi was faster and stopped him right on time by grabbing his wrist. “Why you stopping me for?!”

“This isn’t the answer, Ryuji.” She said, voice still level and calm despite the cold anger she felt swimming through her veins. “There’s a time and place for everything, and this isn’t it.”

“Oh? You’re stopping him?” Kamoshida had the gall to look genuinely surprised “What a surprise! I thought that, with a record like yours, you’d be all in to solving your problems with violence.”

“Sakamoto and Mishima.” The “teacher” spoke as he sat back down on his chair. “The two of you will be expelled. I’m reporting this in the next board meeting. As for you, Amamiya, I suggest you start practicing volleyball because I will make it so that you’re forced to join the team as part of your conditions for attending my school. Now get out of my office!”

Ryuji glared a bit more at Kamoshida and it wasn’t until Itsumi pulled him along that the blonde boy began to walk with them. Mishima was walking ahead and, right behind them, was Morgana who had somehow managed to sneak in and hear the whole thing.

Both delinquents made their way to the courtyard, to their usual hanging spot by the vending machines, while Mishima simply walked out and away from the school. Ryuji was still shaking from unspent anger and he tried to blow some of it by smacking the poor vending machine.

“Damn it!” Ryuji turned to face both Morgana and Itsumi. “We can’t let that bastard get away with it!”

“And we won’t.” Itsumi ordered a drink for herself from one of the machines that Ryuji hasn’t smacked yet. “But, out here, we can’t do anything. Out here our hands are tied, but inside the Palace… we can change his heart and make him repent for his sins.”

“That’s right.” Morgana, for probably the first time since they’ve known him, sounded very serious as he spoke to the two teens. “If we steal his Treasure we could trigger a change of heart, stop him from committing more crimes, and even save you from facing expulsion.”

“Speaking off… is getting rid of a Palace hard?” Ryuji asked and, when Morgana hit him with a “when did I say I’ve done it before?” he groaned and almost lunged for him. “So, you’ve been pretending that you know your shit?!”

“I heard you’re going to be expelled, Sakamoto.” A girl’s voice cut through Ryuji’s yelling and, when the three of them turned to look at who it was, they were surprised to see Ann walking to where they were. “People have been talking about it.”

“Wow, the rumors do spread fast in this school.” Itsumi was genuinely surprised. “Guess he’s at it again, spreading information to ruin someone’s reputation.”

“Did ya come all the way here just to say that?” The blonde asked while stuffing his hands in his pockets. “Shouldn’t be at the hospital or something?”

“If you two are going to do something about Kamoshida… I want in.” Both Ryuji and Itsumi took a step back from the surprise of Ann’s statement. Morgana, thankfully, didn’t react since it would be weird if a cat reacted to a human’s words like a human would. “I just can’t sit back and do nothing anymore, specially not after what happened to Shiho.”

“Let me handle this.” Itsumi stepped in before Ryuji could piss Ann off. The black-haired girl then turned to look at her other friend and sighed. “Listen, Ann, In know we haven’t been friends for long, but I need you to trust me when I say that we’re going to handle this. It’s dangerous, and the last thing I want is for someone else to get hurt.”

“But then why the two of you can do… whatever it is you’re going to do and I can’t.”

“Because we can. I know it isn’t a satisfactory answer, but I need you to listen to me and stay out of it. Please.”

Ann stayed quiet for a moment; eyes locked with Itsumi’s as if she was searching for something within them. “Fine, but you owe me a shopping trip.”

And just as fast as she arrived, Ann was gone.

“Since when the two of you are friends?” And, of course, Ryuji was going to ask.

“Yesterday afternoon, long story.” Itsumi turned to where morgana was and opened her bag. “Come on, into the bag. It’ll be easier to sneak you out like this.”

Thankfully, Morgana didn’t complain this time and hopped quietly into the bag. With the cat hidden and secured, both teens walked out of the school and hid in their usual alleyway close to the front gates. Once there, Itsumi let the cat out of the bag and, with shared nods between the three of them, Itsumi activated the navigation app and dragged them into the Metaverse. Unbeknown to them, a certain blonde was nearby, right around the corner, watching their every move.

Chapter Text

“Alright then!” Ryuji, now wearing his Metaverse outfit, slammed his fists together in excitement. “Let’s get this over with!”

But it seems like this day was keen on throwing them curve ball after curve ball, because someone that shouldn’t be there, was now walking up to the three of them.

“What is this place?!” Ann Takamaki yelled, looking around and trying to process what she was seeing. “Where are we?!”

“Takamaki?!”

“Ann?!”

“Huh?” She turned and spotted Ryuji, Itsumi and Morgana standing right by the entrance of the castle. “Those voices… Sakamoto? Itsumi?”

“Frick, frick, frick!” Very eloquent, Ryuji. “What are you doing here?! How did you even get here!”

“I think…” Itsumi muttered, putting a hand on her chin. “I think she got dragged here when we used the app.”

“Well, it makes sense.” Morgana commented from his spot on the school sign. “If activating the app can drag all that are close to whoever used it, it makes sense it would take unrelated people as well. We have to be careful the next time we use the app.”

“Whoa!” Ann pointed at Morgana, eyes wide with shock, “The monster cat spoke!!”

“Ann, listen, you shouldn’t be here.” Itsumi could hear Morgana muttering about being called a monster. “This place is dangerous and, unlike Ryuji and I, you can’t defend yourself.”

“So this is related to Kamoshida…” She looked around once more. “But why is the school a castle?”

“Listen, Takamaki, we’ll explain everything once it’s over.” Ryuji, now calm, stuffed his hands inside the pockets of his pants. “But you need to get out of here… actually. How can she leave here?”

“The same way we left the last time.” Itsumi says while pointing at the alley they came from. “She just has to walk through there and she’s out.”

“Can you guys stop talking about me as if I’m not here?!” Ann stomped her feet in frustration. “And I’m not going anywhere! I want to help! Kamoshida’s got to pay for what he did to Shiho!”

“Trust me, Ann, I know. And we will make him repent for his sins. But you can’t be here right now.” Itsumi then turns to Ryuji and Morgana, pointing at Ann with her head. “I’ll take care of this, you two wait for me here.”

“Wait, Itsumi, what are you doing?” Ann took a step back as Itsumi began to walk towards her, not sure what the other girl was going to do. To everyone’s surprise, Itsumi included, the black-haired girl grabbed Ann by the waist, lifted her up with ease, and slung her over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes and began to walk towards the exit. “I-Itsumi!! Let me go! How can you even do this?!”

Walking to the exit was a bit hard, thanks to the fact that Ann just didn’t stay still. She was kicking, wiggling, and smacking Itsumi’s shoulder trying to escape her embarrassing situation. But the black-haired girl held on fast and, eventually, made it to the entrance of the alleyway where she placed Ann back on the ground.

“You’ll forgive me for this, I promise.” And with that, she gently pushed Ann backwards. Just as she suspected, the girl vanished in thin air, signaling that she had returned to the real world. Once that was dealt with, Itsumi walked back to her companions who were looking at her with shocked expressions. “What?”

“I didn’t know you were that strong, Itsumi!” Ryuji said with a chuckle. “You carried her like it was nothing!”

“I guess it’s got something to do with this outfit.” Itsumi says while pointing at her clothes. “I mean we can kinda do stuff we normally can’t do while wearing this, like fighting on equal footing with the Shadows.”

“That sounds about right, Joker!” Morgana chirped up, now standing on the floor by the gate of the castle. “This appearance not only protects you from the distortion of the Place, but it also makes you faster, stronger and even more agile!”

“What’s with the nickname?” Ryuji asked, looking down at Morgana. “Sounds kinda silly.”

“Its not a nickname! It’s a code name!” Morgana complained, doing that cute little jump cats do when angry. “What kind of phantom thief would we be without code names! Besides, we don’t know what effect it’ll have us yelling our name within the Palaces, so it’s for precaution as well.”

“Okay, yeah, that makes sense.” Both Itsumi and Ryuji nodded, Morgana’s logic was solid. “But why Joker?”

“Easy! Because you’re our wild card when it comes to strength!”

“Fair enough.” Joker shrugged, putting her hands in her pockets. “But what about Ryuji? What could his code name be?”

“Hmmm…” The three of them hummed at the same time, the girl and the cat turning to look at their blonde friend. That is until Morgana, somehow, snapped his fingers. “How about Skull? You know, because of your mask and the way your Persona looks?”

“Heck yeah!” Ryu-Skull pumped his fist, content with his code name. “That’s an amazing code name!”

“And then there was one left.” Both Joker and Skull turned to look at Morgana, both trying to come up with a suitable code name for their shorter friend. “Oh! How about Mona?”

“Mona. “ Morgana murmured, taking in the code name. “Sure, that works for me. Alright, then, let’s work our way through the castle! The first step: settle an infiltration route!”

With their goal set, the three thieves snuck into the castle through the hole in the wall they’ve been using all this time to sneak in. To their surprise (not) Shadow Kamoshida was addressing his knights, ordering them to be on high alert and search for “those pesky thieves” and bring them to him for execution.

Those same thieves were now sneaking their way through the hallways of the castle. It might have been a bit cliché to hide behind corners and objects to escape the Shadow’s detection, and both teens were surprised when one knight walked right in front of them and it didn’t even notice them. Mona explained that, just like their outfits protect them from the Palace’s distortion, it also enhances some of their basic abilities like strength, speed, flexibility and, most useful for this case, their stealth.

He also said that, since their perception of a thief is someone that sneaks through the shadows, hides behind corners and objects to avoid being seen, their outfits were making that a reality and that’s why the soldiers couldn’t see them.

They eventually found one soldier they wouldn’t be able to sneak by, as it was standing right only door leading out of the small room they were in. The three thieves were pressed right against the doorframe, outside of the room, with Mona and Joker in one side, and Skull in the other.

“Okay, let’s ambush this Shadow so that we can go through that door.” Mona whispered his instructions and both teens nodded. “And let’s try to negotiate with them to see if they can give us anything useful. Okay, Joker, do your thing!”

With the instructions given, Joker rushed out of cover, moving fast and precise, she jumped towards the Shadow and then used it as a spinning pole while she adjusted her position. Eventually she ended with her legs wrapped around the knight’s head, hand firmly grasping the mask.

“Show me your true form!”

With it’s masked ripped off, Joker pushed herself away from the melting body of the knight, doing a backflip in the air, and then performing a perfect landing. When the other two joined her, she got an “impressive!” from Mona and a “show off” from Skull. He’s just jealous she can do that and he can’t.

The red-and-black goop reformed into the shape of a small pixie, a Shadow she already knew how to deal with. A well-aimed shot from her gun and the small creature was now laying on the ground, wounded, but not dead.

“Alright, little one.” Joker said as she aimed at the Shadow, Mona and Skull surrounding it and doing the same thing with their respective guns. “Just give us what you’ve got, and you’ll walk out of here alive.”

“I-I don’t have anything to give.” The small pixie cried, hovering a few inches above the ground. “But… But I think I can give you something more useful! I don’t belong to this castle, you’ve helped me remember that, I belong to the Sea of Souls! I am thou, thou art I… My name is Pixie, and let me add my strength to yours!”

Pixie then vanished in a flash of blue light and, in its place, was now a mask just like Joker’s. The mask then floated towards the black-haired thief and fused with her own mask. The weirdest thing about this is that it all felt… natural, as if she was meant to do this right from the start.

“Woah.” Joker heard Mona and Skull’s gasps of bewilderment, snapping her out of the small trance she found herself in. “Did… did you just take a new Persona?!”

“I… I think I did.” Joker focused, searching deep into the recesses of her mind and, just as she expected, Arsène was there. But now there was another presence, that of Pixie. “And I think I didn’t just take them in… I think I can freely swap between them.”

“What’s that noise?!” A new guard barged into the room. “Intruders!!” And then it melted into goo, reforming into the shape of a Bicorn.

“Trial by fire it is!” Joker grabbed her mask and tore it off but, instead of calling her original Persona, she instead yelled. “Pixie!!”

Just as she expected, instead of the black-winged demon, the small fairy from before emerged and blasted the Bicorn with a Zio spell. The creature fell down and Joker called out for an All-Out-Attack to finish it off.

“I’d say that went well.” Joker then gasped and groaned. “I got swept in the moment and forgot to try and get that Shadow to join us!”

“Am sure you’ll get ‘nother chance to get one of those weird unicorns to join you, Joker.” Skull said while patting Joker on the back.

“Yeah!” Mona cheered. “Holding more than one Persona shouldn’t be possible… yet there you are, with two of them! Maybe you can have more than two?”

“Only one way to find out!” Joker turned towards the door, the tailcoat of her jacket flapping dramatically as she did so. “Let’s keep on going deeper.”

As the ventured deeper into the castle, Joker managed to add two new Personas to her roster: The small, flying, pumpkin-head wizard named Jack-O-Lantern and the unicorn with two horns: Bicorn. They eventually managed to find a safe room to rest and recover their strengths but, as they settled to relax, they heard the voices of a few guards that were walking close to the door of the safe room.

“It’s a good thing we found the princess when we did.” One of the guards said. “I thought we were following the signal of an intruder, but it turned out to be the princess.”

“We must take her to the King immediately.”

The three thieves looked amongst themselves, confused.

“Princess?” Skull was the first one to break the silence. “What could they be talking ‘bout?”

“I’ll head out to see if I can figure out what they were talking about.” Mona piped up.

“Alright then.” Joker opened the door just enough for the smaller thief to sneak out. “But be careful, and be fast.”

Mona nodded and walked out of the safe room, Joker closing the door behind him once he was gone.

“Man, I really am having a bit of a hard time wrapping my head ‘round all this weird stuff.” Skull said with a heavy sigh, scratching the back of his head. “But for all the weird things we do or see in here, Morgana’s got them beat!”

“Dude!” Joker slapped him in the arm. “It’s Mona, in here.”

“Oh, shit! Right. Uh… what was I again.” Joker simply leveled him an “are you serious” glare. “S-Skull, right. I remember now.”

The door opened, signaling Mona’s return, and his look of panic was cause enough for the other two thieves to be on high alert.

“Guys, this is bad!” The small thief said after closing the door behind him. “Your friend, Lady Ann, got captured by the Shadows!”

“Ann?!”

“Takamaki?!”

“How did she…?” And then it dawned on them, both teens turning to look at each other at the same time. “She’s got the app!”

“Come on!” Mona opened the door and walked a few steps out. “I know where they took her. Follow me!”

Without waiting for further instructions, the other two thieves rushed out of the safe room and followed Mona back from where they just came. Thankfully, the trio had just dealt with all the Shadows, so they didn’t have to worry about keeping their pace or sneaking around.

They eventually arrived to a long hallway they had previously passed through, with an exit to its side that they had ignored since the door at the other end of it was locked. The hallway in question was a straight line, with red carpet and walls, with a few suits of armor lining both sides of the hallway, though one of them was now crumpled on the floor. They stopped for a second to observe the crumpled set of armor, when the scream of a girl snapped them out of the stupor they were in and rushed through the door.

What greeted them inside the room was a scene draw straight out from the fantasies of a disgusting pervert: red curtains adorned the walls, hiding most of the room’s layout except for the far wall where a painting of the pervert himself hung on, right in front of it, and flanked by a series of lit candles, was Ann Takamaki herself, strapped to some weird contraption in the shape of an X. The red carpet on the floor was leading to her, along with a series of rose petals on the floor. But the most disgusting thing in there were the bunch of faceless girls that were wearing just incredibly short shorts.

“What’s going on here?!” Ann yelled out, struggling against the straps keeping her in place. “If you don’t stop this right now, I’m calling the police!”

“Huh, so this was the intruder.” Shadow Kamoshida made himself known, walking out from behind the curtain to the right of the room, and walked towards Ann with her cognitive self, right behind him.

“Kamoshida?! And who’s that?!” Ann struggled some more. “What’s this place?! Why’s the school turned into this weird castle?!”

“I seriously can’t believe you mistook my Ann for someone like her.” The Shadow monarch chuckled, wrapping an arm around the scantly dressed copy of Ann. “Tell me girl, are you afraid?”

“Oh, enough with your bullshit!” Ann yelled, trying again to set herself free. “This isn’t funny, Kamoshida!”

“Uh-oh” Cognitive Ann said from her place right by the pervert. “Talking like that to the king is, like, totally prohibited.”

“You saying she should be executed, then?” The double nodded and Kamoshida smiled with grim delight. “Alright then! Guards! Chop her up!”

That’s around the moment that the three thieves burst into the room and where disgusted by what they saw.

“Dude… this is so messed effed up!” Skull said as he looked at the half-naked girls on the floor. “Is this how he sees the girls of the volleyball team?”

“No.” Joker’s voice was now filled with barely contained anger. “I think this is how he sees every girl in the school.”

“Guys, look!” The two teens turned to look at where Mona was pointing, right at the bound Ann about to be executed. “We’ve got to help her!”

“Ugh, it’s you three again.” The King groaned as he turned to greet the thieves. “Why do you keep coming back?! Whatever, doesn’t matter.” He then turns to look at Ann. “It’s your fault she jumped; you know? That chick…. I keep forgetting her name.”

“Huh?” All four of the non-shadows asked at the same time.

“If you had just done as I told you and thrown yourself onto me, I wouldn’t have had her take your place.”

“You fucker!” Both blonds said at the exact same time.

The golden armored Shadow that was standing in front of Ann took a few steps forward, sword at the ready to execute the bound girl. Skull tried to take a step forward, but the moment he did so Shadow Kamoshida raised his hand and the guards that were flanking Ann raised their own and rested them against her neck.

“Take one more step and I’ll kill her on the spot!” Skull cursed at Kamoshida as he took a step back. “That’s it, just sit back and enjoy the show.”

“N-No! Don’t…. please, help me!”

“Grrr, what are we going to do?!” Skull stomped his foot on the ground. “At this rate she’s gonna get killed!!”

During this whole debacle, Joker never took her eyes off of Ann. She was worried for her friend, that much was obvious, but she was looking for something else. The signs were all there: she was stuck in an unfair position, the game rigged against her and everything seemed to be lost… but Itsumi knew better. She could see the embers of rebellion deep inside her heart, the will to fight and to set herself free. All she needs now is a push.

“Come on, Ann! Are you seriously going to listen to what that guy says?!” Itsumi yelled out to her friend, lifting her mask to reveal her face. “Don’t just give in, fight! Fight for yourself and stand up against the bastard that almost got your best friend killed!!”

“Huh?” Ann, surprised, turned to look at Itsumi. Her expression then turned into a frown and her hands balled into fists. “No… I don’t want that. You’re right, letting this piece of shit toy with me.” She chuckles and shakes her head. “What was I thinking?!”

“It’s like I always say.” The bastard turned fully to look at Ann. “Slaves should just behave and-“

“Shut the fuck up!!” She cut him off, anger clear and dripping from every word she said. “I’ve had enough of your bullshit. And you’ve made a big mistake: you’ve pissed me off, you son of a bitch!”

“Bingo.” Joker thought to herself, a manic grin on her face.

“My… It’s taken far too long.” A voice spoke within Ann’s head, shortly followed by a throbbing pain on her head. “Tell me: who’s going to avenge her if you don’t.” Ann began to writhe and struggle against her bounds; the pain was nothing like she’s ever felt before and all she wanted to do was to rip her own head off.

“Forgiving him was never the option.” Beads of sweat were running down her forehead, and drool running down her mouth. She was yelling and groaning in pain. “Such is the scream of the other you that dwells within.”

“I am thou, thou art I.” With a final yell, Ann let herself go limp from the exhaustion and pain in her head. “We can finally forge a contract”

“I hear you… Carmen.” She doesn’t know why she knew who Carmen was, all she knew was that it felt right to call her name. She then looked up and, in a flash of blue flames, the weight of a mask was now on her face. “You’re right! No more holding back!”

“There you go~” The voice in her head purred in approval. “Nothing can be solved by restraining yourself.” With matching flashes of blue flames in her hands, Ann now found the strength to break the clasps of metal binding her hands. “Understand? Then I’ll gladly lend you my strength.”

With swift moves, Ann gripped the side of her mask and tore it off, a spray of blood following right after it. A pillar of blue flames covered her body, melting away the rest of her restrains and the contraption she was tied to.  When they receded two figures became visible.

The most notorious one was the giant woman wearing a red and black dress, one foot on the ground and the other pressed on the back of a small man-like creature with it’s face in the shape of a heard and wearing a tuxedo. The Persona was wearing what it seemed to be a leather mask. She was holding a long chain that was tied to another man-looking creature that was floating in the air.

Standing in front of Carmen was Ann, now wearing her own thief suit: it was a red leotard with two zippers running down the side and one in the middle, the last one open just enough to leave a boob window. She had pink gloves that reached till mid forearm and thigh high boots that were a shade of red darker than the leotard. A red tail was clasped to a ring on Ann’s lower back.

The blonde immediately sprinted for one of the guards that was distracted looking at the glowing visage of her persona and kicked its sword right out of his hands. She then ran behind it, jumped high in the air, grabbed it, and used it to slice the cognitive version of herself right in half.

“I’m not some cheap girl you can toy with, you scumbag.” Ann turned to look at the now cowering form of Shadow Kamoshida, who had the great idea of calling Ann a bitch to her face. “You stole everything from Shiho, you destroyed her! And now it’s your turn.” Ann dropped a sword and, in a flash of crimson flames, a red whip appeared in her hands and she swung it, making it crack against the ground. “I will rob you of everything!”

“That’s it!” The three guards stood in formation, the golden one in front flanked by the other two. “I’ve had enough of your insolence!”

The three Shadows melted into goop, merged, and reformed into the shape of a big demon… who was also sitting on a toilet?

“No, I’ve had enough of you! No one’s gonna top me now.” She turned to look behind her and sent a nod to Itsumi and the other two who were now standing behind her, ready to fight. “Let’s dance, Carmen!”

-o-

After dealing with the toilet demon, Ann dealing most of the damage to it with a few well-placed Agi’s, the four thieves decided to retreat before reinforcements could swarm their location. Once back in front of the school Ann was, understandably, tired and confused. With Morgana’s suggestion, the three students agreed to relocate to a safer spot so that they could explain everything to Ann. Without thinking much about it, just before they left, Itsumi opened her bag and presented it to Morgana so that he could easily climb inside it.

Their safer spot turned out to be the subway where they could use the sound made by the people talking and the trains passing by to hide their conversation. While Ryuji went and got them something to drink, Itsumi and Morgana did their best to explain everything to Ann in simple terms.

“I’m back.” The blonde boy called out once he was close enough, holding a soda in each hand. “Which one you want?”

“Uhh… whichever isn’t carbonated.” The blonde girl said while turning to greet her old friend.

“Well they both are so…” Ann sighed in defeat and grabbed one of the sodas while Itsumi grabbed the other one while Morgana piped up from his spot right over Itsumi’s shoulder. “What about me?”

“Look I know it’s a lot to take in.” Itsumi decided to step in before the inevitable discussion of what Morgana is broke out. “We’ve had this information for a couple of days and even we are having a bit of trouble understanding everything.”

“I still can’t believe that happened. And that power… my Persona…”

“That’s your will of rebellion, Lady Ann.” The not cat explained. “With that power you’ll be able to fight in that other world.”

“So, if what you guys are saying is true, we can then make Kamoshida have a change of heart and confess his crimes?” Her grip on the bottle she was holding tightened and Itsumi feared that Ann would break the bottle. “Can we really do that?”

“Well if it ain’t us, no one will.” Ryuji said while crossing his arms. “The volleyball team’s keeping quiet about it and the parents and teachers are turning a blind eye to it.”

“Then let me help.” Ann said, looking between Ryuji, Itsumi and Morgana. “He keeps going on about what he did to Shiho, like nothing happened. I’ll never forgive him.”

“Wait, hold up! You said “let me help?” Ryuji looks at Ann as if she had just grown a second head.

“I did. What about it, Sakamoto?” The blonde girl crossed her arms, coked her hips to the side, and raised an eyebrow.

Deciding to save her friend from further embarrassing himself, Itsumi decided to step in.

“Sure.” Itsumi said with a casual shrug, both blondes turning to look at her at the same time. “She can fight, her Agi’s hit harder than anything Jack-O-Lantern could produce and Morgana said that we’d need a fourth member if we wanted to progress through the castle comfortably.”

“Even of you said no, I’d still go in alone.”

“Right.” Ryuji visibly deflated at Ann’s statement. “You can go by yourself… so it’d be more dangerous for you…. Ugh, fine. You can come!”

“It’s decided, then!” Ann said with a bright, cheeky smile. “Hope we can get along! I’m going to make him atone for what he did. And not just to Shiho, but for everything he’s done. I won’t let anyone else suffer because of him.”

“Then welcome aboard!” Itsumi says with a smile, raising her soda for a slight toast. “I’ll make a group chat so that we can coordinate better between us, I’ll do that once I get home.”

“Okay then, I’ll be seeing you guys! And you too, Morgana!” And with that, Ann was gone.

Morgana then proceeded to fawn over Ann, as if he wasn’t currently standing on the shoulders of another girl. How inconsiderate.

“Ya know, it’d be useful if we could gather ‘round quick from now on…”

“Then our solution is simple!”

“It is?” Both teens asked at the same time.

“Yup! We just have to choose a place as our hideout and we can gather there to discuss important things. The school rooftop could work since no one goes there.” Morgana piped up from his little perch (read: Itsumi’s shoulder.) “Also, since I can’t contact you from within the Palace, I’ll stay here in the real world. That said, I’ll need someone to take care of me.”

“And I’m personally nominating you!” The cat said while tapping Itsumi on the shoulder. “You should feel honored.”

“This one’s on you, dude.” Ryuji said with a shrug. “There’s no way I can take a cat back to my place, my mom would kill me.”

“Guess you’re coming with me, then.” Itsumi says with a chuckle, scratching Morgana behind the ears. “I’ll have to see how I can convince Sojiro about letting me keep you though…”

“Aright then!” The blonde boy said with a very casual smile, as if he hadn’t just dumped Morgana on her. “We’ve got our hideout, so I’ll see you guys tomorrow at school!”

And then, he was gone. Leaving Itsumi alone with a cat that she would need to bargain with her guardian to let her keep at the café. There’s no way this ends up going well.

-o-

To Itsumi’s surprise, when she got back to Leblanc, there were some costumers still inside. Although she says some… it’s really just one woman that looks like she just walked out of a metal concert. Incredibly pale skin, dark blue hair, black choker, black leather jacket, blue dress, ripped jeans and black boots… yeah, this woman is a bona fide Big Titty Goth Girl ™.

Itsumi doesn’t even have to wait for Sojiro’s instruction to head up while they still have costumers there because she was already hallway there when he spoke. Why? Because she didn’t want to make a fool of herself in front of the pretty woman, that’s why. Just as she was walking up the stairs, though, she heard an interesting piece of information: That woman is a doctor.

“Guess Ill have to make a doctor’s appointment, then.” She murmured to herself once she got to the attic. Opening her bag and putting it on the table by the stairs, Morgana jumped out of it and looked around the space. “Try not to make too much noise, alright? At least let’s wait for Boss to walk up to explain him why I’ve got a cat up here.”

“What’s with this place?” And Morgana immediately decided to ignore her advice. He even had the gall to hop on her bed! “Is this some kind of abandoned house?!”

Itsumi was just about to chastise the cat for not listening to her, when Sojiro walked up. At least Morgana had the decency to curl up on himself to make himself smaller.

“Hey kid, you alrigh…” And, of course, he spotted the cat on the bed. The man sighed and shook his head. “Why’s there a cat on your bed?”

“I found him on the street.” Itsumi half-lied to him, right on the spot. “I’ve been feeding him for the last couple of days after school and, before I knew it, the little guy followed me home. What has me surprised is that he somehow climbed up here… he was already there when I got up here.”

“Listen, this place is a restaurant and we’re dealing with food here. Animals are a no-go.” He placed a hand on his beard and hummed, eyes locked on Morgana. “But… I guess you can keep him. Just keep him quiet while we’re open and don’t let him wander around while we have costumers, otherwise I’ll toss him out. Got it?”

“Got it, Boss.” Itsumi said with a smirk.

“Alright, alright.” Sojiro said with a chuckle. “Does the little guy have a name?”

“Yeah, I already came up with one for him. His name is Morgana.”

“Dang, I was hoping I’d get to name him.” Huh. “Anyways, I left you a plate of curry downstairs for you to eat.”

With that said and done, Sojiro turned around and walked downstairs, probably to clean the place up and et it ready to close.

“Is he the owner of this place?” Morgana asked, to which Itsumi answered with a simple nod while she took her blazer off. “He seems like a pretty reasonable guy, even if he keeps you living in this cramped place.”

“Ah, yeah. That’s on me.” Itsumi said while folding her blazer and putting it in the box with her clean clothes. “Haven’t really had the time to properly clean this place up. Between starting school and the whole thing over there, organizing my room hasn’t been at the top of my list. Also, I think that, to him, you sound just like a normal cat.”

“Well, that makes sense. He hasn’t heard me talk, so he doesn’t know I can do that.”

At that moment, Sojiro walked back up with a plate of sliced fish on a plate.

“He really had to keep calling out with that cute voice of his.” The old man grumbled as he walked up to Morgana and placed the plate of food right in front of him. “Make sure you wash that plate, alright? I’m going to head home, now. Make sure to lock up the place when you come back from your shower.” He began to walk towards the stairs but stopped at the top of it. “Ah, almost forgot. I spoke with your mom today. What’s that about you not calling her? Seriously, kids these days.” And then her was gone.

“Crap… I knew I was forgetting something.” Itsumi muttered while slapping her forehead. “Guess we have do add “call mom” to the list of things I haven’t done.”

“The chief isn’t your dad?” Itsumi shook her head while she scrolled through her phone.

Once she found her mom’s contact, Itsumi dialed it and placed the phone against her ear, shushing Morgana and then walking a few steps forward. Itsumi has never been one to talk via phone call on the phone, that’s always been her mom’s thing, but for her mother she can always make an exception.

“Hey, mom.” And the high school girl had to immediately push the phone away to avoid having her eardrums broken. “Yeah… I’m sorry I didn’t call sooner it’s just that things have been hectic around here.”

“…”

“No no! I didn’t mean it like that! I’m fine, great even. What I meant was that with the whole moving out, moving in, starting at a new school, learning to navigate the subway, I haven’t really had the time to do much. You should see the state my room’s in.”

“…”

“Oh? He told you about the attic in the café?”

“…”

“Wait, wait, wait! You knew right from the start and didn’t warn me? Unbelievable! Betrayed by my own mother!” Itsumi chuckled, sitting on the bed and scratching Morgana behind the ears while he finished his food. “It’s mostly cleaned up, will probably finish organizing everything this weekend when I have a bit more of free time.”

“Hm! That was tasty!” And, of course, Morgana had to talk.

“…”

“…yeah, that was a cat.”

“…”

“Of course I’ll send you pictures. I’m not a monster! I have a heart, unlike a certain someone.”

“…”

“Okay, okay I will.” Itsumi chuckled once more and stood up again, pacing around the room while she spoke on the phone. “I’d love to talk some more, mom, but I have to go. There’s no bath here at the café, so I have to go to a public bathhouse to shower besides, gotta go to sleep early if I want to be rested for school.”

“…”

“Oh yeah, he makes the best coffee I’ve tasted. Any who, got to go. I’ll call you again next week, okay? Okay. Love you, mom.” Hanging up the call, she turned around to look at Morgana. Before saying anything, she pulled up her phone, snapped a picture of the cat, and sent it to her mom. “Alright, I’m going to go to the nearby bath house to shower and clean up, you stay here since I doubt they’ll allow cats in there.”

Itsumi then grabbed the plate that was still on her bed, took it downstairs, washed it, and then went off to the bath house to start her nightly routine. Once back at the café, and having locked up the door, she walked upstairs to drop her bath things and grab her nightgown. She threatened to skin Morgana alive if he turned around while she changed, and the cat was smart enough, and was enough of a gentleman to not turn around.

Once she was changed, Itsumi climbed into her make shift bed (she’s going to do something about it soon), got under the covers and Morgana immediately climbed on top of her and curled up into a little ball. She was going to tell him to get off of her… but he looked so cute like that, plus he was already asleep, so she didn’t have the heart to do that.

Resigning herself to her fate, Itsumi began to fall asleep. But just as she was slipping into unconsciousness, time froze around her.

I am thou, thou art I…

Thou hast acquired a new vow.

It shall become the wings of rebellion

That breaketh thy chains of captivity.

With the birth of the Magician Persona,

I have obtained the winds of blessing that

Shall lead to freedom and new power…

And then everything returned to normal. Seems like she just made a new bond with Morgana. She should’ve seen this one coming.

And then she finally fell asleep.

Chapter Text

04/16

The next morning, after having breakfast and changing into her school uniform, Itsumi didn’t have to try too hard to convince Morgana to go with her to school. She suspects that it’s got something to do with the fact that “Lady Ann” is also going to be there.

On their way to the school, they overheard some students talking about their well-being and Morgana made the comment about that one costumer from yesterday, the doctor. He said it would be good if we could figure out where here clinic was so that they could buy some of the best medicine for her and use it on the Palace.

In class, through the group chat they made last night, Itsumi and Ryuji notified Ann where the hideout was and that they were going to meet there after school. Unfortunately for her, Ushimaru-sensei saw her using her phone in class and, with amazing accuracy, the teacher threw the piece of chalk he was using right into her forehead.

Once class was over, and Itsumi emotionally recovered from getting sniped in the forehead with a piece of chalk, she snuck Morgana into her bag once more and made her way to the roof. Ann didn’t immediately follow after her, it would’ve been suspicious after all. When the bespectacled teen got to their meeting point, Ryuji was already waiting, sitting sideways on a chair.

Itsumi let Morgana out of her bag, the cat immediately jumping to a nearby desk and sitting on it, the black-haired teen decided to lean against the AC condenser that was there on the roof. Ann was the last one to arrive, holding a bottle of water in her hands, and sat on another desk, her feet dangling and swinging back and forth.

“Aright.” Ryuji spoke up once Ann was sitting. “Seems like we’re all here, let’s get going!”

“Hold up.” Morgana said, laying down and getting more comfortable on his spot. “I think it’s still to early to head into the Palace. Not with the resources we have right now, anyways.”

“Huh?” All three teens asked at the same time. Ann and Itsumi tilting their heads to the side in confusion.

“We need to prepare.” Morgana sat back up straight. “The last thing we want to do is underestimate the dangers of that place.”

“But ain’t the power of our Personas enough to deal with everything in there?”

“I think that’s what he’s talking about.” Itsumi piped up, turning to look at Morgana who simply nodded in approval. “If we mess up I there, we’re dead. And so is Kamoshida. If we want to do out job right, we need to be ready.”

“But what do you mean with “being ready”?” Ann asks, twisting the end of one of her pig tails with her hand.

“Glad you asked, Lady Ann.” Itsumi rolled her eyes. “Well first, we’re going to need to find better equipment for all of you. Second, we’re going to need medicine since fatigue is unavoidable in a Palace.”

“And where can we-“

“Ah.” Itsumi interrupted Ann with a snap of her fingers. “So that’s why you brought her up this morning. Smart.”

“What are you two even talking about?!” Both blondes chimed in at the same time.

“Don’t worry about it, Morgana and I got this covered.” The bespectacled girl said while scratching Morgana behind the ears. “But how can we get the equipment….”

“Let me take care of it.” Ryuji said with a confident smile. “I know a place where we can get more replicas like the one I gave you.”

“What about me?” Ann asks, kicking her legs back and forth. “What do I do?”

“We’ve got this… actually… during our last dive in I noticed that the sodas did a good job to heal up and cure some of the ailments the Shadows use… think you can get us a few sodas to test that out?”

“Alright! Leave it to me, Itsumi.” Ann beamed and nodded.

With instructions given, Morgana hopped back into Itsumi’s bag and the three students each went their own way. Ryuji said that he’d drop by the place he mentioned on the next day since he had to run a few errands for his mother, Ann mentioned that she would by the sodas between today and tomorrow, and Itsumi and Morgana took the train back to Yongen.

-o-

Once they walked off the station and walked the short distance to Yongen-Jaya, Itsumi began to walk and ask around the neighborhood for the doctor she was looking for. Turns out that she’s well known or, actually, infamous around the streets. A lot of weird and dark rumors seem to surround her name… which turns out to be something that neither Itsumi or Morgana mind since it could actually work in their favor.

Eventually they found the entrance to the clinic and, once inside, she didn’t have to waste time finding the person she was looking for. The woman was sitting behind a counter, wearing the same clothes that she saw her in at the café but, instead of the leather jacket, she was wearing a white robe. Itsumi had to gather her wits to even speak to the pretty goth doctor.

“E-Excuse me.” Smooth, Itsumi. She cleared her throat and tried again. “Excuse me.”

“Hm?” The doctor looked up from the magazine she was reading and leveled a tired glance at Itsumi. “Is this your first visit? Wait… have we met before?”

“Yes and no. You saw me at Leblanc yesterday?”

“Ah, yes. I remember now.” She languidly said. “The kid living on Leblanc’s attic. So, what are you here for today?”

“Well, I’m an athlete and it’s been some time since I had a general examination done.” Itsumi lied right trough her teeth. “And I heard that there was a doctor nearby so I was hoping you could do that.”

“…. alright, let’s go into the examination room.”

Once in the examination room, the doctor proceeded to do a routine checkup of Itsumi’s vitals, breathing, and other general things to properly stablish a medical record at her clinic. Once she was done, the doctor sat on a chair and Itsumi sat on a small red stool. The doctor asked some questions: what sport she practices? If she has felt pain or sore anywhere? Any medications? Itsumi answered honestly since she didn’t have anything to hide in those areas.

“Alright, I’m going to prescribe you some muscle relaxants for the soreness in your legs.” She said while scribbling on her notepad. “Okay then, why don’t we stop beating around the bush? I know you didn’t come here just to get a routinary checkup, you could’ve done so in any old clinic or hospital. I’m guessing you’re here because you heard the rumors about me, huh?”

“And?” Itsumi asked, keeping her composure. “Are they true?”

“Who’s to say? But, thanks to them, all I get now are patients with ulterior motives.” She placed the clipboard on her desk and leaned forward. “Guess that even high school students have it rough, huh? Okay, here’s the deal: I will prescribe you some medicine, but it will only keep you healthy. And don’t worry about me selling you any sketchy medicine or cheap knock off, I have my own license to produce medicines, you’ve probably seen them around in some hospitals.”

“Okay, thanks for everything.” Itsumi said with a nod, sorting out what medicines to buy and then paying for them. She’s grateful that the Shadows drop money when defeated, otherwise she would’ve had a hard time buying all those medicines with her allowance money.

Once she dealt with that, and walked her way back to Leblanc, Itsumi got a text from Ryuji asking her to go with him tomorrow to the weapons shop since he was nervous about going there alone.

-o-

04/17

The next morning, she meets bright and early with Ryuji on the Shibuya station and they made their way to the Main Street. Once there he led her to an alley and, on there, they found a store by the name of Untouchable Airsofts. Inside the store, and sitting behind the counter, was probably the roughest looking man she’s ever seen in her life.

As she half expected, Ryuji chickened out when trying to talk with the man behind the counter. So Itsumi had to take the lead on this and talk to him herself. Turns out that all she had to do to gain the guy’s trust, or enough of it so that he would sell them what they needed, was to show that she wasn’t a total rookie and that she understood how to use the model weapons that he was selling and, after ensuring him that they would be responsible with them, the two teens left the store and parted ways, with Ryuji taking the model weapons with him, promising to bring them with him the next day. How was he going to do that? Itsumi wasn’t sure, but the less she knows, the better for her.

One she got home, under the insistence of Morgana, Itsumi cleaned up her room and fixed up the desk that sat in the corner. Once it was clean, she bought a few tools and made it into a proper workbench that she could now use to make tools for their infiltration. The first one she learned was how to make a lockpick, she even managed to make an extra one from the spare materials.

With her room finally cleaned up, the workbench set and stocked, and the plant that was buried under all the random things Sojiro kept there was watered, Itsumi went about her night routine and prayed that she wouldn’t get kidnapped by the demon twins.

-o-

04/18

The school day was, in one word, boring. Classes went right over her head, though she still took notes and had Morgana hidden inside her desk to help her keep record of everything the teachers were saying. She even got pulled into the counseling room by Kawakami where they talked (read: received a lecture about how she should just keep her head down) and then the day was finally over.

Just as they agreed, the three students met up at their hideout and used the Metanav to transport themselves to the Palace. Once there they took their chance to sort through their supplies. They agreed that Joker would carry the medicines since she was the most careful of the group.

“Alright, then!” Mona called out with a wide smile. “Let’s get go-“

Suddenly, everything froze in place. Everything but Itsumi. Instinctively she pulled out her knife and gun, looking around for any kind of threat.

“Hey, inmate!” Oh no. “Get yourself over here!”

Itsumi turned around and, standing there in front of a glowing blue door, where the demonic twins themselves.

“Our Master wants to speak with you.” Justine said as the door opened on its own. “This way, please.”

“And what if I don’t want to go?” Joker put away her weapons and walked towards them, hands stuffed inside the pockets of her coat. “Is he going to drag me in there himself?”

“No.” Caroline said as she walked forward, slapping the baton against her hand. “I will.”

Faster than her eyes could follow, Caroline was gone and, shortly after, she felt someone kick her from behind and pushing her into the void that awaited on the other side of the doorframe. When her vison cleared up, she was wearing her prison uniform and found herself inside a familiar cage.

“Ow.” She complained, glaring at Caroline who simply pointed at the sitting form of Igor. “So, you can make access points to the Velvet Room inside Palaces now?”

“Not inside of them, but in front.” He said, his smile never faltering. “Even my powers have their limits, Wildcard.”

“But that’s not the reason I had my attendants call you in here.” (More like force me in here) “The reason I brought you here was to teach you about one of the useful tools you’ll have at your disposal here in the Velvet Room. Wardens, if you would?”

And so, the twins explained to her the process of executing Personas to fuse them and create stronger ones, born from the essence of the old ones. They called it Execution, she would rather call it Fusion… mostly for the good of her mental health since she is, technically speaking, killing parts of herself to make new ones and that… that’s too much for her still developing teenage brain to properly handle.

Before he sent her away, Igor gave her one final gift: Third Eye or, as Itsumi has decided to call it because it’s cooler, Thief’s Sight. The way that he explains it is that, with this new ability, she’ll be able to see things that are meant to stay hidden, things worth stealing, and other important things like the threat level of a Shadow.

Her vision darkened once more and, when it cleared, she found herself right where she was when the world froze in time. But, unlike always, now that ominous blue door stood there with one of the twins standing by.

“-ing! There’s something I want to show you all.” Mona finished their sentence, totally unaware that they were being observed by Justine. Seems like only Joker can see them.

“Something else? Whatcha got for us, Mona?” Skull asked, hands inside the pockets of his pants as he followed Mona towards the vent that they’ve been using to sneak in.

Joker noticed that Ann stayed behind fiddling with her suit and that’s when she remembered they were missing something. “Hey, guys! Come back here. Ann doesn’t have a codename.”

“A codename? What for?” The blonde in question asked.

“Oh, right! Almost forgot about it.” Both boys walked back to where the ladies were waiting.

“Well, there’s two reasons for using codenames.” Joker spoke up once they caught up to them. “The first one is that we don’t know what consequences it could have to be yelling our names within someone’s heart.”

“And the other reason is because no phantom thief is, well, a phantom thief without one!” Mona finished the idea. “Mine’s Mona, he’s Skull, and she’s Joker!”

“Oh, that’s so cool!” she said, clearly excited. “Just don’t make mine something lame, alright?”

While Skull and Mona argued between themselves what Ann’s codename could be, Itsumi taught in silence. She looked at the other girl of the group, at her mask, her outfit, and even the accessories it had and an idea formed into her head.

“How about Panther?” Everyone turned to look at her, waiting for her reasoning. “Well, she’s got that cat-looking mask and that tail clipped to her lower back. Plus, from her fight against that Toilet Demon, we know that she’s fast and agile like one so… why not Panther?”

“I love it!” Panther said with a wide smile. “Nice work, Joker!”

With the codename situation sorted out, the four thieves snuck into the castle and went into the safe room just by their entry point. Once inside Mona told Joker to grab the doorknob but not open it immediately, instead she should think first of the safe room they last visited, past the hallway where Panther awakened to her Persona.

With that image clear in her head, she opened the door… and found out that they had, instead, walked out right where she thought they would. Turns out, as Mona explained, that all safe rooms were connected and that you only had to think from which one you wanted to walk out from, and it would happen. Pretty convenient if you ask her.

Once they reached their desired starting point, they taught Panther the basics of infiltration, about weaknesses, and about Joker’s ability to hold more than one Persona at a time. Just like Joker, Panther enjoyed the All-Out Attacks and was always itching to do one with her friends.

They eventually reached a ruined spiraled staircase and Joker was about to call it a day… that is until Mona said that he had one final gift for the new thieves. Now outfitted with grappling hooks, the four thieves made their way up the staircase with ease. In the next room they found a table locked away in the middle of the room, surrounded by bars.

Using the Thief’s Sight (she’s calling it that, Igor can bite it) she noticed a trail of footprints on the floor that seemed to lead towards specific bull heads that were hanging on the wall. Pulling their chains, she managed to get the bars to lift up and, over the table, they found half a map of the castle.

Pushing forward and crossing an intricate labyrinth of closed gates and cut off passages, they arrived to a series of corridors and small rooms, a safe room included amongst them. There was a door at the end of one of the hallways that was locked and it seemed like a circular object could be placed on the statue’s hands that was besides the door.

They explored the other rooms, dispatching of any Shadow that crossed their paths, and found four books: The King Book, The Queen Book, The Slave Book, and The Beefcake Book. Not knowing what to do with them, Joker simply stashed them away in her little pocket dimension that was the inside of her coat and they went on their way.

The last room they checked was suspiciously empty. Using her Thief’s Sigh, Joker was able to spot three empty spots in the shelves. She walked up towards the nearest group of familiar-looking books and began to read the titles engraved in the spines.

“Guys, you might want to check this out.” The other three walked up to her and she handed Skull and Panther a book each. “See something familiar?”

“What the-?” Skull read the title and grunted. “These are the names of the guys in the volleyball team! What the heck?!”

“Hey… isn’t there one book missing?” Panther asked while she turned to Joker. “You don’t think?”

“Only one way to find out. Guys, put those books back on the shelf.” Both blondes nodded and placed the books back on the shelf, leaving only an empty space. Since these were the names of the boys of the team then the missing book must be… She pulled out The Slave Book and placed it on the shelf. A click was heard but nothing happened. “Alright so we were right. There’s two other shelves’ with books missing and we’ve got three more books, safe to say that two of these belong in there.”

With that target in mind, the group looked for the other two empty slots. Once they found them it was only a matter of reading the titles of the surrounding books and placing the correct one in the empty slot. Needless to say, both Itsumi and Ann where a bit disgusted when the former placed The Queen Book in between two lists of books with the names of the girls of the volleyball team.

Once the books were in their respective place, two bookshelves on the wall opposite to the wall opened up to reveal the most disgusting room Joker had ever seen in her life. It was filled with pictures of many of the girls in the whole school but, for some reason the one person that seemed to be repeating the most was none other than herself.

“What’s this pervert’s obsession with me?!” She asked as she burned a photo she was just holding. “I don’t get it at all!”

“Well.” Panther stepped in before both boys could comment. “You are a new student, you’re also an athlete, and you’ve got a great body. Besides, you’ve been constantly stopping his advances on you so he’s probably thinking you’re some grand prize to win over.”

“Or force himself on to me. What a bastard.”

After grabbing the second half of the map, the two of them burned that nook of debauchery to the ground. It felt good to do that… a bit too good. She’ll have to talk with Morgana about that tonight. Needless to say that all the ruckus they made attracted the attention of a very strong Shadow, one of the Golden Guards. After defeating it they tracked back to the safe room and decided to call it a day, using the special properties of the safe rooms to jump back down to the one by the entrance and leaving that atrocious castle behind.

Chapter Text

Itsumi got to Leblanc later than she would’ve liked, and that meant that Sojiro was more than likely to be waiting for her with a small lecture about staying out so late. Taking a deep breath and bracing herself for the incoming lecture, she walked in.

“You’re late.” Her guardian said from his post behind the bar. “You should try to not stay out till late so often.”

“Why? It’s because I’m a girl?”

“Because of your probation” Sojio immediately shot back with an unamused expression. “If you’re anything like your mother, then you’re more than capable of taking care of yourself. I suggest you focus on your studies and keep your head down. If there aren’t any costumers, you can use one of the booths to study if you want.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Those tables certainly look like are way better to study than the desk I’ve got upstairs.”

“Ah, speaking of furniture.” Her guardian walked around the bar and leaned on a stool close to where she was. “Are you free this weekend? I was thinking we could finally go and get the things you’re missing like a closet and a mirror, can’t keep using the small one in the bathroom forever, right?”

 Itsumi smiled at Sojiro, slightly surprised at this sudden act of kindness. Then again, if he’s friends with her mom, he can’t be that much of a bad guy.

“Sure, I can clear up my schedule.” Itsumi fixed her bag and walked past him. “Boss… thanks, for letting me stay here.”

“Bah, there’s no need to thank me, kid. I’m just repaying an old favor.” He dismissed her gratitude with a wave of his hand, though there was a shine in his eyes that showed he appreciated it anyways. “Now get on going, you need to get ready to settle in for the night, right? I’ll get out of your way then, good night.”

-o-

04/19

That morning before heading to school, Itsumi sent a message to Ryuji and Ann, letting them know that they should take that day off and relax from yesterday’s explorations and Morgana agreed with her decision. All of them had something at stake, something to lose if they didn’t hurry, but nothing would be accomplished if they burned themselves off and got killed within the Palace because they were too tired to fight properly.

Ann agreed immediately, saying that she had a photoshoot today so it was best if they dived in tomorrow instead. They had to fight Ryuji a bit to convince him but, after Itsumi promised that she would hang out with him after school, he calmed down.

School day was… slightly less boring than usual. Mostly because Itsumi was called up to answer a question in front of the class about the length of two lines that, despite them looking like they were of different lengths because of their distance to the edges of a cone they were inside of, they were of the same length.

Once classes were over, but before she met up with Ryuji, Itsumi decided to stop by the library and check out a few books. For some reason (she actually knows why and it pisses her off), the girl in charge of the was incredibly weary of her, but she was as professional as she could be and still let her borrow the book she wanted.

As she walked out of the library and made her way towards the stairs to find her blond boy friend, she was surprised to find him leaning against the wall just by the stairs.

“Yo, Itsumi!” Ryuji called out to her when she got close enough. “Took you long enough! I was gonna ditch ya!”

“No, you weren’t.” Itsumi says with a smirk while she claps her first friend’s hand. “So, what do you have planned for today?”

“It’s a surprise, mah dude. Just go and get changed into your sports uniform and meet me in the courtyard!” And then he was gone, giving Itsumi no more explanation than that. Though knowing the boy, it’s probably got something to do with running.

Resigning herself to her fate, she went to the girl’s locker room, told Morgana to head home and she’ll meet him there, and then changed into the girls’ sports uniform and then went to the courtyard. It took some searching and looking around the place but she eventually found him in a hidden segment of the courtyard.

“Alright!” He celebrated once Itsumi was right by his side, also wearing the uniform: his was a white tank top and red shorts with white horizontal stripes running down the sides. “Wait… why are you wearing the jacket?”

“Uh because I’m not a psycho that wears almost nothing when it’s still cold outside?” The girl’s uniform, or at least the version Itsumi was wearing, consisted of a white shirt, a red sweater and red pants, both with horizontal white stripes running along the sides. She also ditched the glasses and had her hair tied up in a ponytail to keep it out of her face. “But that doesn’t matter. Are you finally going to tell me what’s your plan for today?”

“Well ever since we’ve begun going to that other place, I noticed that I can’t move my body the way I used to so, I thought, that maybe I should get back to running!” Ryuji says with a confident smile. “Anything’s gotta be better than this, flimsy body.”

“Ah, yeah that makes sense. You want to get back in shape.” Itsumi chuckles and then smirks. “I’ll be looking forward to the results, then.”

“Oh, trust me, I’mma knock your expectations away! And you’re gonna get front row seats to my improvement!!” *At Itsumi’s confused expression, Ryuji chuckled and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Oh, don’t act like it’s just going to be just me doing this, you’re getting in on this too! It’ll help you out as well, ya know?”

“Uh… you do know that I’m a swimmer, right? I don’t need to build up my stamina or get back in shape because I already am… but, can’t deny that running some laps around the school won’t help, specially since I’m not swimming anymore, not currently at least since this school doesn’t have a pool.”

“The school doesn’t, but there’s a few public ones you could use.”

That thought made Itsumi stop… she hadn’t even considered going to a public pool and train there. But deep down she knows why, because the last time she went to a public pool to train, her life got ruined for wanting to do the right thing. She shakes her head and sighs.

"Alright, fine. I'll run laps with you."

"Let's go!! Alright, so, I’ll be doing some knee lift sprints, you can just run like normal.”

With their spirits high, both teens ran a few laps around the school. As was expected, Ryuji’s legs ended up hurting him and being all tight once they finished their run. While they cooled down, the blonde boy told her about how, before Kamoshida got to the school, the track team was the biggest thing the school had going on.

But ever since he got their coach fired, it was clear to him that the bastard had it out for them. Giving them impossible workouts, no breaks for water, and other things that made it very clear to Ryuji that he was trying to get rid of them.

He then told them about how his dad was a good for nothing drunk that would occasionally beat him or, worse yet, his mom. Somehow Kamoshida found out, taunted him with that… and well Itsumi is smart enough to put the rest of the pieces together on her own.

She asked him if he regrets what he did, and he answered that he does… but also, he doesn’t. He doesn’t regret standing up against the bastard of Kamoshida. What he regrets is ruining the chance of a championship for the rest of the team, that because of his selfish actions, he ruined their future.

They left the depressing conversation at that and decided to leave with a more upbeat note. Before leaving the school though, Itsumi felt her bond with Ryuji get stronger.

“So that’s how those improve… guess all I needed was to be a decent human being.”

After showering and changing back into her school uniform, Itsumi made the way back to Leblanc, Ryuji called her just before she walked in to both let her know that he got home alright, despite his shaking legs, and to make sure she had gotten home alright.

Since she already showered at school, Itsumi took advantage of that extra time to finish cleaning up her room and to work on some assignments and to study ahead. She knows they’re going to be very busy tackling Kamoshida’s Castle, so reading up a bit ahead and preparing herself won’t hurt.

-o-

04/20

Nothing really interesting happened during school day, what really mattered is what comes after the final bell rings. When the students were set free for the day, Itsumi sneaked Morgana into her bag and made her way up to the roof. Ryuji was already waiting there for her with a can of soda in his hands, another one was placed on a nearby desk and a bottle of juice right beside it.

“Morgana likes to call Ryuji a tactless monkey.” Itsumi thought to herself while letting the cat out of the bag and grabbing the can of soda. “But then the guy pulls small gestures like this and that’s where I know that he’s a good guy.”

Ann arrived soon after Itsumi did, thanked Ryuji for the juice, and then the four of them activated the app once they had finished their drinks. Once back in the castle they jumped back to the last saferoom they used the last time they went in, defeated the Shadows that were lurking around the halls, and opened the locked door using a medal they found on that small shrine that both Panther and Joker burned to the ground.

On the other side of the door, they found some more hallways and a set of stairs that le them down. The thieves found a safe room at the end of them and, according to the map, they should be arriving to a big, open room. The size and distribution of everything had Joker on edge. If this place was a castle, and then only three rooms she could think of that could be a place this big are the throne room, a dining room and…

“A chapel.” Joker groans out once they walk into what can only be described as a chapel dedicated to Kamoshida. As they stepped further in, the distortion faded for a second and the image of the volleyball court field replaced that of the chapel before reverting back. “Of course, this bastard thinks of the gym as a chapel dedicated to him.”

 Panther walked up towards a statue of the bastard in question and made a disgusted expression before turning to look at the group.

“You think he’ll notice if we trash this piece of garbage?”

“Oh, I’m so down.” Skull cracked his knuckles and began to walk towards the statue, weapon in his hands, ready to do some trashing.

“Hey! We don’t have time to waste, guys!” Mona pipped up, catching up to the two blondes and standing in front of them. “We shouldn’t spend too much time here, we’ll get caught!”

“Mona’s right.” Joker nodded, fixing her gloves while looking around the room. “I know we have a collective hate towards the pervert, but we shouldn’t stay too long in an open room like this one.”

And just because the universe exists solely to prover right at the wrong time, on of the side doors opened and a golden guard walked in.

“Oh, now you listen!” Joker turned to look at the guard who was in the process of melting into goo and reforming into an armored angel. “Alright, guys! Let’s trash this fool!”

“The sentence for defying King Kamoshida.” The angel drew its sword, a powerful gust of wind emanating form it when it did that. “Is death!!”

The battle that followed was a tough one, specially because the angel wasn’t weak to any kind of damage that the four thieves dished out at it. No matter what they hit it with: fire, wind, thunder, cursed energy, even their guns and physical attacks didn’t seem to phase the winged guard. So that combat became a race of who could deal more damage than the other.

The thieves hit it hard, the angle hit them harder. But eventually, after a couple of close calls and a lot of healing, they managed to defeat the guardian. Joker was a bit disappointed that she didn’t get a chance to negotiate with it, it seemed like a powerful Shadow so she was sure it would make for a very good and versatile Persona.

Once they caught their breath and used some of the doctor’s medicines to heal themselves, they continued their path. Since they had to keep climbing up, the four of them used the statue as a stepping stone to get to the upper floor.

Once up there they used the chandeliers and rafting on the ceilings to get to a door that would keep them on their path towards the top of the castle. They were checking some rooms, nabbing some treasure along the way, and just as they were about to pass the entrance to a balcony, Mona suddenly stopped, sniffed the air a couple of times, and turned to look towards what seemed to be a sealed door in the distance.

“Huh… guess his distortion was that strong.” He murmured.

“What’cha talking about, Mona?” Skull asked once the other three thieves caught back up with him. “What’s over there?”

“A Will Seed.”

“A Will Seed?” The three of them asked at the same time.

“Yeah. While the Treasure is the source of the distortion of a person’s heart, Will Seeds embody very strong points of distortion. We might even learn valuable information if we collect them!”

“Them?” Joker asked as she walked forward towards the railing of the balcony. She looked up and saw a hook where they could pull themselves with their grappling hooks on a wall at the other end of the chasm, and then turned to look back and up, spotting another ring on their side. “There’s more than one?”

“Yup! I can smell other two! One is higher up and the other one is… down. Way down.”

“Lower than the dungeons?” Mona nodded. “Alright then, we’ll keep on exploring while also looking for a way to find these other Seeds.”

She got a chorus of affirmations and that was all she needed to hear. She used her grappling hook to cross to the other side and, while the rest of the team crossed, Joker walked forward and cut the vines keeping the door sealed with her knife and pushed them open.

On the other side of the doors, they found a room with no other doors or windows, the walls were covered in vines and, at the end of the room, there seemed to be some sort of altar with something placed on top of it. When they got closer to the object Joker realized it looked like a skull…mixed with a potato. Or more like a potato that had a skull on one of its sides.

“So what? We just pick it up and take it with us?” Joker asked, looking at the Seed through both her normal sight and her Thief’s Sight.

“But is it okay for us to do so, though?” Panther asked, still looking around the room.

“Yeah, won’t we trigger some sort of trap or curse or some crap like that?” Skull asked, leaning forward and glaring at the potato.

“I’m… not sure. All I know is that it’s a strong point of distortion and it might be valuable for us.”

“Well then, only one way to find out.” And without wasting a second, Joker grabbed the seed.

The moment she pulled it out from the pedestal, images began flashing through her head. No… not images… memories. She was looking through the eyes of someone else, someone that was standing right behind a volleyball net. Her h̸̺̺̐i̶͕͆̃s̴̤͇͙̀̀ team had just qualified for the Olympics and it was all because of her h̸̺̺̐i̶͕͆̃s̴̤͇͙̀̀ efforts. Without her ḫ̶̽̊͘í̶̤͍͚͑̿m̴̟͇̝̓͠ they wouldn’t have made it. After all she h̶̜͐̀e̴̘̅ was their captain and star player.

Just as the memories suddenly surged through her head, they were gone. She stumbled back and felt a hand on her lower back. There were some voices around her but they sounded muffled and worried. Itsumi shook her head a couple times and coughed.

“Yo, Joker! You alright?” Ryu- no, Skull asked, looking at her with worry in his eyes. She didn’t really thrust her voice at the moment so she simply nodded.

A pink-gloved hand entered her field of vision with a can of soda. Ann… no, Panther. Her thoughts were getting clearer.

“Thanks.” Her voice was strangely rough, as if she hadn’t spoken in days. The soda helped soother her throat. “What happened?”

“Well, you grabbed the seed, froze in place, and then you got super pale!” Panther said while taking off the glove in her left hand and pressing her bare hand against Joker’s forehead. “At least you didn’t get a fever… what happened?”

“The moment I pulled the Seed out of its pedestal some weird memories began to flow into my head.” She turns to look at Mona. “Were those… his memories?”

“I… I’m not sure. But it makes sense that some memories would be tied to the Seed. Think about it: these represent the coalescence of a Palace, three points where the distortion is very strong and is closely tied to the owner of the place. What you saw are probably memories of Kamoshida, memories that led to the distortion of his heart.”

“So if we find the other two…”

“We might learn why he became such a bastard!”

“But why would we want that?” Skull asked, glaring at the potato. “I mean I don’t know about you, but I couldn’t really care about that bastard’s memories.”

“I agree.” Joker said while putting the Seed within the infinite space within her coat. “But in this case, we’re not after the memories. These Seeds hold some form of power and, I’m guessing here, that if we find all three something’s going to happen and we could use it on our favor.”

“Alright, alright. At least we now know to keep an eye out on you in case you almost pass out on us.” Panther and Mona nodded to Skull’s statement.

“Thanks, guys.” Joker rolled her eyes and turned around, walking out of the room covered in vines. “Let’s keep going, then! We have a Treasure to find, and two more Seeds to steal.”

And so, with a new goal in mind, the thieves continued delving deeper into the castle. Just as Mona had told them earlier, they found the second Seed way up in the castle after having climbed up from the outside of the tower closest to the highest structure of the castle.

From the second seed Joker saw how Kamoshida led his team to victory, earning him the golden medal and the title of Olympic champion. This time her friends were ready and, once she was back into her own body, Panther was already waiting for her with a soda in her hands.

Getting the third Seed proved to be a more difficult task. Not only did they have to take two elevators to get to the lowest point of the castle, they also had to fight a Golden Guard to get through the vined door. After defeating their foe and healing up, they snatched the third Seed and Joker finally understood why Kamoshida had ended like this: after achieving victory in the Olympics, all that glory got to his head. Add to those unreasonable expectations placed on him by everyone around him that, since he had a gold medal, he couldn’t fail and produce results, plus that fat blob they call a principal of their school feeding to his ego as the future savior of his school, and he got it into his head that, without him, Shujin was doomed.

But having understood that didn’t change her mind. Sure, she felt a tiny beet of sympathy for the poor bastard, but the rage and furious justice burning within her trampled over that flicker of good emotion.  With the final seed in hand, the group made their way back up the elevators and deactivated the final trap… after having fought a few more Golden Guards to find the keys that controlled the device within the bust of Kamoshida right before the bridge with the swinging blades.

“We’re close!” Mona exclaimed with excitement as the other three thieves sat around the table in the middle of the final safe room just before the throne room. “The Treasure is just behind the throne room. I can smell it!”

“Thank, god!” Skull complained as he flopped onto a chair. Panther sat right by his ide and practically melted right on the spot, her head landing on his shoulder. “Why did those freaking Golden Guards all have to look the same?!”

“Dunno, ask Kamoshida.” Panther muttered; her eyes closed as she caught her breath. “Are we sure that killing him isn’t an option?”

“No, it isn’t.” The other three thieves all answered at the same time, all in different moods. “Alright, just checking we’re all in the same page.”

“Alright, guys. I know we’re all tired.” Joker said while actively ignoring Mona who was two seconds away from bouncing from the excitement. “But we’re close to our target. So, let’s get to it.”

Both Skull and Panther groaned, but they still stood up and stretched, ready to finish their mission. They obviously couldn’t walk through the front door of the throne room, what kind of thief does that? Instead, they climbed up through a small hole high in the wall that dropped them on the second floor of the throne room, and on the same room as the last set of doors they would need to cross.

On the other side, just as Joker expected, was the treasury of the castle. A big pile of gold, jewels, and other pieces of valuable treasure was piled into that one room. But the most interesting thing within that room was the slivery orb that was floating at the top of the pile.

“Is that it?” Mona nodded. “It doesn’t look… solid.”

“That’s because it isn’t.” At the confused expression of the other three, a sight that was becoming way too common for the smallest of the thieves, he sighed and walked up to it. “Desires don’t have physical form, instead they look like this. If we want them to have a physical form, we need to make the owner of the Palace aware that they are a thing and that it’s in danger of being stolen.”

“So, you’re saying that we need to tell Kamoshida that we’re about to steal his desires? Isn’t the whole point of us doing this, in this place, is to, you know, avoid getting our identities exposed?” Panther asked, pointing out the obvious.

“And that’s why we send a calling card!”

“A what now?” Skull asked while kicking away a golden coin.

“It’s basically a card that tells him that we’re going to steal something. It’s part of the whole phantom thief persona, to announce their crime and still getting away with it. Part of the show.”

“Correct, Joker!” Mona said with a smile. “We send the card, make sure he reads it, and then we steal the Treasure that same day. Because if we fail then we can’t pull this stunt again since the card won’t have the same impact if we do it a second time.”

“So, the day we send the card is the same day we steal the Treasure?” Mona nodded. “Then here’s the plan:  we’ve got our route and there’s a safe room close so that’s our access point. We take the day off tomorrow and use it to stack up on medicines and supplies because the security in this place will probably rise up to the max once we announce our crime. The day after tomorrow is the day we send the card.”

“Oh, oh! Can I be in charge of making them?” Skull asked with all the excitement of a five-year-old.

“Sure, I guess. That means that Mona, Panther and I are in charge of supplies.”

“Guess I’m going on another soda buying spree, then.” Panther said, shrugging while she began to walk down the pile of gold.

“That means you and I are hitting the doctor once more, Joker!”

“Seems like it. We’ve got our plan! Now let’s get out of this place, I’m close to passing out!”

The other two teens agreed with dulled cheers and, after skipping back to the entrance and fusing a few personas for the upcoming heist, the small group of four left the Palace knowing that, the next time they cam here, it would be the end for the Castle of Lust.

Chapter Text

Itsumi got to Leblanc that night feeling quite good with herself. They had made a lot of progress with Kamoshida’s Castle and had finally secured an infiltration route to the Treasure, and with a few days to spare as well!

Before everyone went their separate ways, they agreed to take the next day off to give Ryuji some time to work on the calling card. Itsumi and Ann decided to use that free day of Palace diving to go and restock on medicine and supplies. Ann had also insisted that the two of them should also go shopping. For some reason Ryuji gave her a look of pity before leaving and going to his home.

When Itsumi opened the door to the café she noticed that it was empty, which makes sense given that it was kind of late and not many people come in at this hour. Sojiro, who was standing behind the bar cleaning some glasses, looked up from what he was doing to look at his ward.

“Hey, kid. Take a seat.” He nodded towards one of the high chairs in front of the bar. At Itsumi’s worried expression he simply chuckled. “Don’t look too sacred, kid. Just want to have a little chat, that’s all.”

“Alright, let me just drop my bag upstairs and I’ll come back down.” Sojiro nodded and Itsumi walked through the café, climbed up the stairs and dropped her bag at the table by the stairs.

Morgana jumped out of her bag and stretched, before sitting and looking at Itsumi.

“What do you think Boss wants to talk to you about?”

“I’m not sure.” Itsumi said while taking off her blazer and putting it on the back of the chair of her desk. “But whatever it is, it sounds important and personal. You mind staying up here while we talk?”

“Sure! Oh, but don’t take too long! I’m getting hungry!”

Itsumi simply chuckled, rolled her eyes, and then walked downstairs. When she returned to the main floor, Sojiro had finished cleaning the dishes and was currently brewing two cups of coffee.

“Did you know that it was your mother the one that got me into drinking coffee?” He said while serving the coffees into two cups and then handing one to Itsumi. “I wasn’t much of a coffee drinker until your mom got me hooked on the stuff.”

“Well, she’s always liked her coffee. Speaking off… how did the two of you meet? And what’s this favor you owed her that was so big you agreed to take me in?”

“We met during college, shared a few classes together and we hit it off. We were… close.” The way he said that let Itsumi know just how close they had been. “During my third year I went trough a rough patch and had no place to live. She offered me her couch until I could pick myself back up. It took me a full year before I moved back to a place of my own. It was during that time that she got me into drinking coffee.”

“You remind me a bit of her, you know?” Itsumi raised an eyebrow. “You look a lot like her. The hair, eyes and face are similar to hers… but your personality is more like your dad’s.”

“You knew him?”

“Knew him? I evaluated the guy! I tried to play the part of zealous friend with him, see if I could scare him off, but I couldn’t hold the façade for too long, not when Itsuki was such a great guy.” Sojiro took a long sip of his coffee before placing the cup back on the bar. “But we’re getting away from the thing I wanted to talk about with you.”

“Listen if you’re going to be staying here… well I think you should help around the place during the weekends. I’ll pay you both with money and by teaching you how to brew a perfect cup of coffee. You’ll be getting a part-time salary, though.”

“And what about you curry? Will you teach me how to make that as well?” Itsumi asked with a smirk, trying to lighten the mood a little bit.

“Heh, don’t push your luck, kid.” Sojiro chuckled while shaking his head. “How about this: when you manage to brew the perfect cup, I’ll see about teaching you how to cook my curry. Deal?”

“Deal.” Itsumi said while raising her cup of coffee in a mock toast.

I am thou, thou art I…

Thou hast acquired a new vow.

It shall become the wings of rebellion

 that breaketh thy chains of captivity.

With the birth of the Hierophant Persona,

 I have obtained the winds of blessing that

 shall lead to freedom and new power…

“Good.” He sipped from his cup and was about to say something else when his phone rang. Sojiro placed his cup back on the bar and picked up the call. “Hello?”

“…”

“Yeah, I’m heading out now. Sorry about that.”

“…”

“You want the usual?”

“…”

“Alright, then. I’ll be there in a few.” He then hung up the call and sighed. “I’ve got to go; can you handle the last few dishes? I promise I’ll start teaching you this weekend after we buy your things.”

“That sounds good to me, Boss.” Itsumi said as she stood up, grabbing Sojiro’s empty cup and taking them to the sink to clean them along with the last few dishes that were soaking. “I’ll take care of these, don’t keep your date waiting!”

“Oh, I wish it was a date.” Sojiro chuckled while he took off his apron and fetched his suit and hat and then walked to the front door. “No, that was my daughter. See you tomorrow, kid.”

“See ya, Boss!” Itsumi continued to wash the cups and dishes… until her brain fully processed what Sojiro had just said. She stopped abruptly what she was doing as her brain re-booted and all basic functions got back online.

She, gently, dropped what she had in her hands and sprinted for the front door, hoping that Sojiro wasn’t too far gone. When Itsumi opened the door and didn’t see her guardian close to the café se cursed, closed the door, locked it, and went back to finish cleaning the dishes. “What does he mean he has a daughter?! Huh?! But… hmm… that actually explains a lot… kinda? Ugh! I’m going to ask so many questions tomorrow morning.”

After finishing with the dishes, she went through her nightly routine of showering and bathing at the bath house and then went back to Leblanc to settle for the night.

When Itsumi got to her room she found Morgana already sitting on her bed, tail flicking from side to side.

“I’m sure you heard, don’t ask. I don’t even have the mental faculties to process what he just said so… let’s just go to sleep.”

-o-

04/22

Itsumi woke up the next day an hour earlier than usual with the sole purpose of being ready before Sojiro walked into the café. She was going to find out everything she could (read: everything he felt comfortable telling her) about him having a daughter.

She got changed, prepared her own breakfast, washed her teeth and then sat on one of the stools in front of the bar. Waiting. Prowling like a predator stalking its prey. Prey that walked her hunting ground willingly. The little bell on top of the door chimed, signaling the arrival of the person she was waiting for: Sojiro Sakura.

“Morning, kid.” He said, casually, hanging his suit and hat on a nearby hanger. He grabbed his apron, put it on, and then walked behind the bar. “Want me to make you a cup of coffee while you interrogate me?”

“Good to see that you know what’s going to happen, Sojiro.” Itsumi said while resting her elbows on the bar and clasping her hands together, giving her guardian a deadpan stare.

“Sheesh, you really are Kiria’s daughter.” The pray said while scratching the back of his neck. “So? What do you want to know?”

“What’s her name?”

“Futaba.”

“Age?”

“Fifteen.”

“One year younger than me… huh.” Itsumi grabbed the cup of coffee Sojiro offered her and took a sip. “Last question: is she the reason you can’t let me stay at your place?”

“Yes.” He said with a sigh. “She’s going through a… rough moment. Some things happened, her parents aren’t in the picture and, after a series of unfortunate events, I ended up with her custody. But not more questions. We can talk more another day; you get going to school.”

Itsumi stared at Sojiro for a bit longer before sighing and relenting. She understands the pain of losing a parent, so she can relate a bit with Futaba and Sojiro’s position of not wanting to talk about it.

“Alright.” Itsumi stood up and made her way towards the stairs to fetch her bag and Morgana. “Thanks for trusting me with this, Boss. I know it mustn’t have been easy.”

“No need to thank me, kid. You’re a good girl, I know that. After all, there’s no way that Kiria and Itsuki could’ve raised a bad kid. Tell you what: after we’re done buying your things, we can talk a bit more about this.”

“If you’re oaky with it, then I’ll gladly lend you an ear.” She said whit a smile and then went upstairs to fetch her bag. After walking down once more, she said goodbye to Sojiro and left for school.

-o-

The final bell of the day rang and Itsumi couldn’t be happier about it. She’s been keeping up with her studies despite everything that’s been going on her life besides school. The bespectacled girl sent a quick message to Ann, telling her that she was going to run a couple of errands and that they could meet up later at the underground mall of Shibuya once she was done.

After receiving a confirmatory text from the blonde girl, Itsumi went to the library to return the book she had been reading and picked another one for her to read on the subway or in her free nights at Leblanc. She crossed paths with Ryuji on her way out, shared a few words with him and then made her way to the metro and back to Yongen-Jaya to visit a certain doctor.

Once inside, she walked up to the counter and cleared her throat to get the attention of the pretty doctor sitting behind.

“Hm?” She looked up from her magazine, frowned and then relaxed her expression. “Ah, the kid that’s staying at Leblanc. What do you need?”

“Do you have any “special” medicine?” She could feel Morgana squirming within her bag, silently complaining about her being this direct.

“Regular medicine ain’t doing the trick?” She closed her magazine and placed it on a nearby stack. “An athlete like you should know the risks of taking shady medicine.”

“I do… but I seriously need this. Please.”

“…” The doctor stayed silent for a moment, studying Itsumi’s expression. “Very well, head into the examination room.”

Takemi gestured with her head to the door at Itsumi’s right and then stood up from her chair, walking to the examination room.

Itsumi did as instructed and walked inside. Once there she found the doctor standing by the door she just walked into, motioning for the empty stool she took the last time. After taking a seat, Takemi closed the door and then leaned against it.

“That “medicine”, huh?” The doctor then locked the door and Itsumi knew she was in trouble. “So, which conversation did you eavesdrop on to hear about that medicine?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Itsumi said, like a liar.

“Don’t play dumb, kid. It was kind of obvious.” Takemi said while scratching the back of her head. “Not that I really care. I was going to dispose of that medicine anyway. But what I can’t really wrap my head around, is why would you want that medicine?”

“Um…” Real smooth, Itsumi.

“You’re already in shape, and I’ve got your records from the test I did to you a few days ago right here.” She said while tapping the papers she had on her clipboard, and then glaring at the girl sitting on her stool. “So, what, exactly, are you up to?”

“I need it for my exams.” Itsumi said, thinking of something half-true on the spot. “I’m still on my second year, but I need to catch up on a few courses and want to be ready for college exams.”

“So, you’re looking to improve your concentration and fatigue? Hm, that’s not the best idea.” She unlocked the door and Itsumi relaxed a little bit. “But if it that you want it for, get yourself an energy drink.”

“I know, I know. But… but I need that medicine.” Itsumi did something she never thought she would do: plead.

“Tch, you’re really annoying, you know that?” Takemi pushed herself away from the door and walked to the side. “The medicine is really expensive. It’s nothing a schoolgirl like you could afford.”

“I could work for it.” The girl in question fired back immediately.

“And persistent, too.” The goth doctor sighed and then looked back at Itsumi. “Would you say you have good stamina? No, wait, don’t answer. Of course you do. I’ve been looking for a person about your age to help me out but I haven’t gotten any response, even after putting an ad in the paper. Are you up to it?”

“That depends, what will I be doing?” Itsumi crossed her arms. She may be slightly desperate, but she won’t be trampled by an adult never again. “If you want me to cooperate, I need to know what I’m getting myself into.”

“Let’s add clever to the list as well.” Takemi chuckled while shaking her head. “You’ll be participating in clinical trials. There’s a medicine that I need to perfect, but I can’t do that without some data from human subjects.”

“So, you want me to be your guinea pig?”

“Precisely!” The way she smiled at her… it gave her the impression of a mad doctor. The big question is: why did she like that?

“A-Alright.” She internally cursed herself for acting so flustered. “I’ll do it.”

“Good.” The doctor walked past her, heading deeper into the clinic. “Stay right there.”

While the goth doctor went to the back, Itsumi opened the bag a little bit, just enough so that Morgana could climb out of it. “Can you find a way out?”

Morgana, being a clever boy, simply nodded.

“Go back home, I’ll be fine.”

The cat shot her a worried look before slipping away through the curtain that separates the front desk to the examination room. Itsumi hoped that Morgana would be able to get out without a problem. When she heard the steps of the doctor walking back, she turned to look at her.

“Alright, drink this.” Takemi gave her a glass cup with a red viscous liquid. At the face Itsumi made, the doctor chuckled and sat on her chair. “What? Getting cold feet? If you don’t want it, you can always walk away.”

The doctor was right, the door was unlocked and there was nothing standing in between herself and the exit… but the doctor was testing her resolve. And she needed her medicines. If not for herself, for her friends.

And so, after steeling her resolve, Itsumi took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and swallowed the liquid in gone go. The taste was…. Peculiar. It was bitter, yet sour at the same time. But, so far, she felt nothing bad.

“Huh… can’t believe you actually took it.” The doctor commented, surprised at Itsumi’s bravery… or maybe at her stupidity. “No side effects, yet.”

As if summoned, Itsumi felt a massive stomach ache and a painful headache that knocked her out of the stool she was sitting on. As her sight grew dark and her consciousness began to fade, she heard the doctor speaking.

“I guess the autopsy will tell me what killed you.”

And then she was knocked out.

…

…

…

“Ugh…” Her head hurts, her stomach feels weird, and her mouth felt as dry as a desert. Opening her eyes and sitting up, she spotted the devilish doctor sitting right in front of her, taking notes on her clipboard. “What…. What happened?”

“The mixture released a foul stench within your stomach when the gastric acids came in contact with the medicine. Your body was unable to handle it properly so, to save energy and to be able to properly filter the substance, it knocked you out.”

The doctor looked up from her notes to look Itsumi in the eyes. The girl stiffened up and sat up just a bit straighter.

“Do you remember anything from the moment you took the medicine and now.” Itsumi shook her head, not trusting her words at the moment. “Figures. You briefly woke up from your coma, but you were completely dazed during the entire examination. Once I was done with you, you passed out.”

“But I guess it’s time for me to hold my end of the deal.” She uncrossed her legs and turned to face Itsumi properly, leaning forward until her elbows were resting on her knees. “I don’t want the general public to know about this medicine, not now at least. So you’re absolutely forbidden to speak with anyone about what happens in here, understood?”

“Y-Yes ma’am!”

“Good.” Takemi relaxed a bit and leaned back up. “You keep coming around for these medical trials, and I’ll sell you my medicines at a lower price to you. And, if you prove yourself useful as a guinea pig, I might even expand my selection. Deal?”

“Deal” Wait for it…

I am thou, thou art I…

Thou hast acquired a new vow.

It shall become the wings of rebellion

 that breaketh thy chains of captivity.

With the birth of the Deatht Persona,

 I have obtained the winds of blessing that

 shall lead to freedom and new power…

“I look forward to your continued patronage, then. Also, you should check your phone, I left my contact there. It’s also been ringing like crazy so I turned the volume down.”

Ann

“Thanks for everything, doctor.” Itsumi stood up, put her shoes back on (when did she even take them off?) and then walked out of the clinic. Once out the first thing she saw was Morgana, sitting across the street and waiting for her.

“Joker! You’re alright!!” The not cat walked over to where she was and hopped into her arms. “I was worried about you! You spent a lot of time there and I wasn’t sure if you were to walk back out. That doctor is a bit scary…”

“Yeah, she is. But the good thing is that I got a deal with her, my body is fine… even if I don’t want to eat anything for dinner right now.” She opened her bag and Morgana slipped himself there with ease. “Now if you don’t mind… I have one blonde girl to call. Hopefully she won’t be too worried.”

Turns out, she was. After apologizing seven times and enduring a lecture from her friend, Itsumi finally managed to placate Ann’s anger by promising that they would go out the day after tomorrow for crepes. But, today, they would meet up at Leblanc because there was something Itsumi needed to talk with Ann and she preferred to have this talk sooner rather than later.

When she got into the café, Itsumi notified Sojiro that she was going to have a friend over for a quick chat. He told her that it was alright as long as they kept it quiet and didn’t disturb the few patrons that were in. About five minutes later, Ann arrived at the small café and Itsumi guided her upstairs, picking up two cups of coffee that Sojiro insisted were on the house.

“So?” The blonde girl asked while she sat down on the couch in her room while Itsumi sat on her bed, Morgana curled up on her lap. “What did you want to talk about, Itsumi?”

“Um… well...” Itsumi heard Morgana purring on her lap, silently giving her courage. “What’s your opinion on gay people? More specifically, lesbians?”

“Hm? Why do you… oh. Oh.” Ann smacked herself on the forehead. “Well, that explains a lot! Can’t believe I never connected the dots!”

Itsumi was unsure how to take Ann’s reaction, since it didn’t really give anything away. “So?”

“So? Girl that changes nothing! Sure, that explains why you avoid looking at me too much while we’re there, and also the looks you sometimes send to a few of our classmates. But if you’re worried about our friendship.” Ann smiled and shrugged, keeping the mood light and casual. “Then don’t be. You being a lesbian doesn’t change the fact that you’re still my friend, that you helped me when I was at my lowest, and then gave me the push I needed to change. That is what I care about. Besides, I know you don’t lust after me like the boys do.”

“How did you…”

“Easy! You would’ve made a comment when I got my suit, like Ryuji and Morgana did.” The cat in question opted to stay quiet this time around.

“Well, you got me there… busted. Don’t get me wrong you are pretty, like unfairly so. You’re just not my type.”

“And what is your type, then?” Ann asked, scooching over with a smirk on her face, yearning for some gossip.

“I’ll tell you if you tell me yours after.” Ann nodded and Itsumi sighed as she placed the empty cup away. “I like them strong, not just physically but also of character. Someone who isn’t afraid of going for what they want and hold nothing back. Smart, kind and, hopefully, a bit goofy.”

“Damn… you really know what you want.”

“Hey, I’m a woman of simple tastes. If she can instill fear deep into my bones, then she’s got my respect. Though that’s going to be a bit hard now whit all that we’ve lived through.”

“Hm, yeah. Good luck with that.” Ann says, grabbing her bag and standing up. “I gotta go, it’s getting late. But, before I go, I won’t tell you what’s my type… but I will tell you that I do have a crush on someone. Bye!”

And then, like the wind, Ann Takamaki was gone. Once the blond girl was out of earshot, Morgana perked up and looked at Itsumi with wide, hopeful eyes.

“Do you think Lady Ann was talking about me?” He asked, hoping that he was right.

“I…” Itsumi sighs and looks straight at Morgana. “Listen I… we both know that there’s a chance you might be human. But the truth is that, right now, you look like a cat. I know you don’t like to be called one but… well we can’t do nothing about it right now until you recover your memories. I know you adore Ann, and trust me I can see why, but… god I hat doing this but, I don’t think you’ve got a chance with her.”

Morgana looked devastated, distraught even, but she knew this was something that had to be done. Preferably sooner rather than later because, the later this conversation happened, the worse results it could bring. She needed to prepare Morgana for the eventuality that he might not be human.

“I…” He sighed and then curled up into himself, looking small and frail. “You’re right, Joker. I guess I was using my infatuation with Lady Ann as a way to reaffirm that I am human but… but you’re right. We might not know for sure; I might not know for sure.”

“I know, buddy. But, no matter what, know that I’ll be right by your side.” Itsumi smiled, sat back down on her bed, and ran a gentle hand along Morgana’s back. “We’re together in this, okay?”

She heard Morgana purring, a slight smile on his feline face. “Together.”

Itsumi could feel her bond with him deepening, getting stronger. With a smile on her face, she stood up once more, grabbed her things for showering, the two cups and then walked towards the stairs.

“I’m heading out to bath really quick, okay? I’ll be back.” She heard a soft humming as her answer and then walked downstairs, silently hoping that Morgana wouldn’t do anything dumb.

When Itsumi returned to her room she found him still curled up, now fast asleep, and breathed a sigh of relief. After changing into her night gown, she climbed up, careful not to wake him up, and then fell asleep with him laying on her chest, right where he belongs.

-o-

04/23

Itsumi was incredibly nervous the whole trip towards the school. She trusted Ryuji, knew that he was a guy in which she could trust with her eyes closed, but that still didn’t take away the fact that she was mortified out of her mind. The only way they had to know that this had worked it was to see Kamoshida read the card and hope that would get a reaction out of him.

Once she walked through the front door, the first thing she noticed was the wall of students standing in front of the notice board. And it wasn’t hard to see why. Pasted all over it were a lot or red notes. Just how many did Ryuji make?! She was about to walk forward to grab one and inspect it when she felt Morgana tapping her from within her bag. She glared at him, but saw that he was pointing with his head to the left. Turning to look there she found her two blondes by a corner, watching everything from their spot with one of the cards in Ann’s hands.

Itsumi walked up to them, exchanging greetings, and then turning to look at the mass of students swarmed up. Ann handed her the card and she chuckled when she saw the text written with newspaper scraps.

“You outdid yourself, dude.” Itsumi chuckled, tapping Ryuji with her foot instead of bumping his shoulder.

“Sir Suguru Kamoshida, the utter bastard of lust. We know how shitty you are, and that you put your twisted desires on students that can’t fight back. That’s why we have decided to steal away those desires and make you confess your sins. This will be done tomorrow, so we hope you’ll be ready. From: The Phantom Thieves of Hearts.”

“Pretty cool, eh?” Ryuji said while rubbing his nose with his hand. “Looked up a bunch of references online for this.”

“I know what you wanted to say.” Ann pushed herself away from the wall she was leaning on and fixed one of her pig tails. “But it sounded more like an idiot trying to be an adult.”

Morgana climbed out a bit more from Itsumi’s bag, looking over her shoulder towards Ryuji. “Your logo is a bit lacking, too.”

“Now that’s just rude, you two.” Itsumi stepped in. “We all know Ryuji isn’t the most… eloquent out of the four of us.” She heard her friend protesting. “But he did his best and, in my opinion, I think this is going to do it’s job. But we’re about to find out anyways if it worked or not.”

The glasses wearing girl nodded towards the board where one Suguru Kamoshida was stepping up towards the board. He looked at the calling cards, hands balled into fists.

“Who’s responsible for this?!” He asked towards no one in particular. “Did you do this?! Or was it you?!”

Itsumi could hear her two male friends commenting about the apparent success of the calling card, but she was busy keeping her eyes on their target and the retreating mob of students. He kept glaring at them until his eyes landed on them. Thankfully Morgana had hidden back into her bag and Ryuji had stopped talking, because Kamoshida walked towards them with a deep frown in his face.

“Was it you two?!” He asked, completely ignoring Ann’s presence. Good.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, sir.” Itsumi said, in a completely neutral tone. “Are you talking about those cards on the board?”

“Oh? Playing dumb, eh?” He scoffed. “Eh, it’s not a problem. You’ll be expelled soon enough.” Kamoshida said while looking at Ryuji. “And you’ll be joining the volleyball team. So it doesn’t really matter.”

Suddenly, the three students felt the air around shift and distort. Everything turned black and, standing in place of Kamoshida, was his Shadow, glaring at them. “Come! Steal it, if you can!!”

And just like that, everything went back to normal. They were back in the school, and Kamoshida was still glaring at them. The teacher scoffed, and then walked away. Once they didn’t hear his steps anymore, Morgana popped out from her bag with a serious expression on his face.

“Judging from his reaction, I’m sure that we had an effect on his Palace!”

“Then that means that his Treasure will appear today? Will we be able to steal it?”

“It’s not just “today.” It’s only today.”

“Right.” Ryuji nodded. “Cus you said that the calling card would only work once cus it wouldn’t have the same effect if we did it again.”

Morgana nodded and Itsumi then pushed him into her bag as soon as the bell signaling the start of classes rang. The three of them agreed to meet on their usual spot after classes to carry out their final infiltration within Kamoshida’s Palace, and then each retreated to their own classroom.

-o-

The moment the four thieves stepped into the Palace they knew that the calling card had worked. The atmosphere felt different, charged dangerous the Shadows were surely on high alert, and the Ruler would probably be waiting for them or, worse yet, hunting.

Thankfully for the four invaders, they had a way to skip most of the trip towards the throne room by skipping from the Safe Room by the entrance, to the Safe Room that was at the top of the castle. Once up there they made their way towards the throne room, looking towards the small vent they used the last time to climb in, only to find it closed. The front doors to the room were wide open and, after Joker peaked inside and found it empty, gave the signal to the other three to rush in after her.

They made it to the top of the stairs and into the vault and, floating right where the silver orb was the last time they got in here, was a giant crown.

“Aww yeeaah!” Mona exclaimed, eyes wide and shining with enthusiasm. “The Treasure has appeared!!”

“Holy cow… it’s huge!” Skull said while walking around it, looking at it from every angle.

“It kinda pisses me of.” Panther murmured, glaring at the thing as if it had offended her.

“Agreed. It’s way too… flashy.” Joker commented, flipping her braided hair over her shoulder. She was about to say something else when a loud “meow” surprised her and, when she came to realize, Mona was rubbing himself all over the crown while purring and meowing like a drugged cat. “Mona… that’s not catnip. Get off the Treasure!”

It took the three of them to pull Mona off from the crown, and Skull had to keep him pinned for a bit while he calmed down. Once he stopped trying to hug the Treasure once more, he was finally set free.

“Um… apologies. I don’t know what came over me. I just saw the Treasure and had this irresistible urge to grab it.”

“You good, then?” Joker asked while looking at the shortest member of the team. “We good to go?”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m fine.” Mona stood up and then pointed a finger to each of them in turn. “Since it’s too big, you three are going to need to carry it! I’ll guide you out.”

The three students looked between themselves before groaning in unison and. Between the three of them, grabbed the Treasure. Despite its size, the crown was surprisingly light… or they’re stronger in here. Itsumi’s going to go with them being stronger, better for her ego.

It was a bit of a struggle getting the crown down the stairs behind the throne but, with a bit of teamwork and maximum effort, they made it. Mona guided them around the throne and, not even three steps after that, trouble found them.

“Go, go! Let’s go! Ka-mo-shida!” A chorus of feminine voices cheered on from somewhere in front of Itsumi (she couldn’t see because of the giant crown right on her face) and then the sound of smacking something was followed by the crown flying out of their hands.

As they recovered from losing their balance, Shadow Kamoshida jumped over them and landed in front of the throne with a disgusting smirk on his face. Raising a hand, the crown flew towards him and shrunk in size until it was a regular-sized crown. Shadow Ann ran towards him and hugged him. Disgusting.

“I won’t let you filthy thieves take this!” He said wile tossing the crown up and down on his right hand. “This is the proof that I’m the king of this castle! It’s the core of this world!!”

“Yo, pervert!” Skull called out, standing tall and proud. “Were you waiting to ambush us?”

“I just made it easy to find you.” He chuckled and then frowned. “And since my guards are incompetent, I’ll dispose of you myself. Right here, right now.”

“That’s our line, you bastard.” Joker said, hand reaching for her knife and gun but not pulling them out just yet.”

Shadow Kamoshida sighed and shook his head as if disappointed in them. “Oh, what a selfish misunderstanding.”

“How is all of this a misunderstanding?!” Panther was seething, furious with the pervert standing in front of them. “You were doing disgusting things to your students that you kept in secret from others!!”

“Oh, but I wasn’t the one keeping it secret.” The four thieves all glared at him simultaneously. “Adults wanting to share my accomplishments, students that have the drive to become winners… they all protected me so that we all may profit from it.”

“Profit?! Whatcha mean profit!?”

“Easy! I give results, the school gets noticed for its volleyball program, we make more money, and the kids on the teams learn how to play proper volleyball. All thanks to Suguru Kamoshida!!” He laughed for a bit before turning to glare at them once again. “But it’s thanks to naïve brats like you four or that chick that tried to kill herself, that this school is filled with good for nothing trash!”

“True, she’s a total idiot… letting you manipulate her like that, trying to commit suicide. And I’m more of a dumbass for not realizing that and letting you toy with me as well!” Panther closed her eyes and, when she opened them, they were filled with determination to bring him down. “But that ends today!”

“Oh, drop the attitude, you common whore! There’s nothing wrong with me using my gifts for my own gain!” He laughed once again, like the mad king that he is. “I’m a cut above all other humans!!”

“Above?” Joker scoffed, amused that he would think himself so great. “You’re nothing more than a lowly demon obsessed with his own sick, twisted desires!”

“A demon, eh?” He began to chuckle, taking off the small, circular crown on his head as red energy began to build up around him. He placed the Treasure on his head and then looked down on them with a smirk on his face and his voice distorted even further. “That’s right. I’m not like you! I’m the demon king that rules this world!!”

He pulled Shadow Ann against himself and then the red energy enveloped them both. His form began to grow in size and expand, taller and wider until the top of the crown was almost touching the roof and his body was so thick that his legs couldn’t support himself any longer. An additional pair of arms grew right beneath the original ones, horns grew on his head and his mouth was wide open, letting his obscenely long tongue draw out.

I one hand he was holding a giant glass of wine in which Shadow Ann was swimming in, he had a knife in other, a fork on another, and a riding crop on his last hand. A golden cup was sitting in front of him filled with a bunch of legs, most surely girl’s legs, and four tiny creatures wearing metal helmets were on his side, two on each side, and each pair was chained to a giant golden weight.

“Hahaha! Gyahaha!” The demon laughed, bulging eyes closed in sick pleasure. “I’m the king of this castle! I’m allowed to do whatever the hell I want!”

“Let’s finish this!!” Joker pulled out her knife and gun. She heard the sound of Panther’s whip cracking behind her, Skull’s shotgun, and Mona’s scimitar being sheathed out. “Everyone, spread out!”

“Mona, talk to me” Joker called out while dodging a barrage of volleyballs the grunts sent her way and shooting a couple of bullets towards the being now known as Suguru Asmodeus Kamoshida (dang, what a cool name). “Any plans?”

“The crown’s giving him power. We should try and catch him off guard and steal it!” He said, avoiding a very close call from Kamoshida’s knife and then retaliating with a Garu of his own.

“Got it.” Joker took a moment to analyze the situation: Panther was staying away from the reach of Kamoshida’s weapons, launching Agi after Agi whenever she had the chance while dodging the occasional volleyball that was sent her way. Skull was bringing the pain up close and personal, bashing him with his mace and shotgun. Mona was using his small size and speed to weave between Kamoshida’s attacks and strike whenever he had an opening and, between him and Panther, they made sure to keep the team in good health. “So far, so good.”

As the team kept on hitting him, Kamoshida’s movements began to get sluggish and started to get slower, sloppier. They were making good progress on him! It was at that moment that he decided to prove them wrong by stabbing one of the legs in the trophy and eat it like a snack. After he swallowed then, the scrapes and bruises on his body began to heal and he moved like nothing had happened.

“Shit!” Joker cursed out, ripping of her mask and launching an Eiha. “Guys! He’s using the cup to heal himself! Skull, Panther, hit it with all you’ve got! Mona, you and I are on pestering duty!” A chorus of approvals sounded like music to her ears.

Skull and Panther began their immediate assault on the Cup of Obsession, shooting at it, hitting it with their weapons and even some spells. All with the sole purpose of getting rid of that disgusting cup. Meanwhile Joker and Mona used their speed and agility to draw away attention from Asmodeus and to protect their teammates whenever an attack got too close.

“Ora!!” Skull shouted as he ripped his mask off, summoning his persona and having it ram the cup, toppling it over and shattering it in pieced. “Cup’s down, Joker!”

“No!!!” Kamoshida roared, lamenting the loss of his precious cup. Without it, he couldn’t heal anymore. And the signs of their fight were now obvious on his body. “Don’t you rats know that I’m the king! I won that back in the nationals!”

“Oh, who cares?!” Panther growled while the thieves surrounded him, all aiming their guns at him. “We came here to steal that crown. So do us all a favor and just hand it over!”

“Never!!”

“Then I guess we’re going to have to go all-out.” Joker smirked and jumped back, the knife spinning in her hand until she stopped it in a dramatic flair. “Get ‘im, boys!!”

They all rushed him at once, taking the chance that he seemed to be lamenting the loss of his precious cup and delivering an All-Out Attack. The four of them rushed all around him, moving fast and precise like a group of professional dancers, all in perfect synchrony. Seeming to have snapped out of it, Kamoshida roared and a blast of wind pushed them all away from him, sending them all crashing against the wall or a nearby column.

“That’s enough!” Asmodeus cracked his riding crop against the floor. “Slaves, fetch me you-know-what! It’s time for my killshot from when I was active and rockin’it!”

The four thieves groaned as they stood up, Joker shaking her head. She was a bit disoriented from the impact, but this was a good moment to asses the situation. Mona seemed to be in good shape since he was the one to take less hits. Skull looked pretty roughed up, having used his own strength to summon his Persona and from taking a few hits from Kamoshida’s weapons. Panther was tired, summoning Carmen so many times was starting to take its toll on her mind. And joker wasn’t faring any better: she had taken a few hits herself, both from Kamoshida and the grunts’ volleyballs. She had also used her Personas a lot, and the mental fatigue was starting to settle in. They had to finish this, and fast.

Taking a look around the room, inspiration suddenly struck her. She looked at one of the columns that were designed to look like the torso of a woman leaning slightly forward, then at the balcony on the second floor, and then at the crown. She then looked at her friends and she made her decision. Joker rushed over to where Mona was and pulled him behind a cracked column.

“Mona, I’ve got a plan. See that column over there?” Mona nodded. “I want you to climb up on it and head up the second floor. You’re going to hide up there until you get a chance to jump towards him and knock that crown off of his head, alight? We’ll keep him distracted.”

“You got it, Joker.” And without another word, Mona rushed behind the columns towards one closer to Kamoshida and hid behind it, waiting for them to distract it.

“Grrr, what’s the hold up!” Kamoshida growled, stabbing the floor with his golden knife. “Where’s my ball?”

A cognitive version of Mishima ran past the other three thieves that had grouped up in front of Asmodeus. “I-I’m sorry, King Kamoshida! I-I have it right here!”

“Bah, too slow, Mishima!” He slapped his riding crop on the ground, right besides Cognitive Mishima, making the boy flinch in fear. “Worthless chump! Now pass it to me. Don’t tell me you can’t do something as simple as that!”

The dots connected in Joker’s head, but it was too late. The boy was already setting the ball, tossing it up and placing it for Kamoshida to spike it. “Brace yourselves!!”

Joker called out while raising her arms to block the incoming hit, from the corners of her eyes she could see Skull and Panther doing the same. As she expected, Kamoshida jumped up and slammed the ball down, sending it flying down like a deadly rocket. The ball grew in size on its way down and, once it collided with the floor right in front of Joker, it exploded, creating a huge blast.

Once the smoke cleared, the three thieves were still standing, but looking a bit worse for wear. Joker tossed a few pills wile Kamoshida complained that he couldn’t unleash his full potential with a loser like Mishima providing the backup for him and dismissed him, calling in the next slave.

The girl that ran in with a ball in her hands was wearing almost no clothes: what could only be described as a bunny-themed swimsuit, with a white, fluffy strapless bra and matching white bottoms with a bunny tail on her back. She had a headband with white ears on top of her head, adorned with a silver tiara with red gems. Red heels and white fluffy bracers completed the outfit of the Cognitive Version of Shiho Suzui.

“Shiho…” Joker heard Panther whispering the name of her best friend, and she could see a single tear forming in the corner of her eye before she brushed it away and glared at the bastard in front of her. “I know this isn’t real but…”

“But we have to take her down.” Joker cut in, eyes focused forward as Kamoshida gloated and drank from his glass of wine. “As long as she’s there, he’s going to have someone setting the ball for his killshot, and I’m not sure we can take more than one of those.” From the corner of her eye she spotted Mona climbing over the railing of the second floor and hiding on the flowers. “We need to stop him from using that move, one way or another!”

“You’re right… let’s do it. For Shiho!” She lashed out with her whip at her and, when she flinched more than expected from the attack, Joker knew that she wasn’t very good at handling physical attacks.

“Skull, you’re up!” She called out, knowing that he was the strongest physically out of the group. “Bash at her with Captain Kid and stop her from setting that ball up!”

With a serious look in his face, he tore off his mask and sent his Persona crashing against her, knocking the ball out of her hands. They continued their assault on the cognitive fake until she vanished from the throne room. None of them felt good about this, even if she was a fake of her…. It still felt wrong.

“Hmph, so not even Suzui was good enough. I’ll have to have some one-on-one training with… huh?” Kamoshida squinted his bulging eyes and looked at them. “Wasn’t there for of you? Where’s the cat?”

Mona took that chance to execute their plan. Jumping from his vantage point, he crashed against the crown and sent them both tumbling to the ground. Without his crown, Kamoshida’s body shrank a bit and the four of them took that chance to attack him with everything they had. Once defeated, Kamoshida’s body returned to normal and the crown shrunk back to a regular size.

“Don’t mind if I do.” Joker said while taking a step forward, making her way towards the crown. But Kamoshida, who still had enough force in him, jumped and grabbed the crown, running towards the only open gate: one leading to a balcony.

“What’s wrong? Not going to run?” Panther taunted him, stepping forward and stalking toward her prey. Skull took a step forward as well, but Joker stopped him. This was her moment. “Weren’t you supposed to be a great athlete?”

“Hgh, it’s always been like this!! All those damn hyenas forcing their expectations on me!” He turned around; crown clutched in between his hands. “I did this for them! What’s wrong with demanding a reward for that?!”

“Scared?” Panther… no, Ann said, voice bubbling with anger. “Right now, you’re seeing the same view Shiho did. I’m sure she was scared too, except that you left her no other choice but to jump. So? Will you jump? Or would you rather die here by my hand?”

Ann ripped off her mask, summoning Carmen, and readied one ball of fire on each hand. Mona let her know that the choice of finishing him off was hers to take. Kamoshida’s life was on Ann’s hands at this very moment.

“No, please wait!” He cowered, sweat dripping down his face, trembling with fear. “I beg you, just forgive me!!”

“Shut up!” Kamoshida had enough reason to do as she asked. “I’m sure that everyone asked for mercy, just like you’re doing right now. And yet you still took everything away from them!” One of the fireballs surged forward, impacting against the wall right by his head, singing it and leaving a charred mark.

Kamoshida fell to his knees, legs no longer able to hold himself standing due to the fear he was feeling. “Fine, fine! I accept defeat! You want this? Take it.”

He tossed the crown forwards and Joker caught it, putting it away within the void inside her coat. “Go ahead and finish me off… you do that, and my real self will go down too. It’s your right as the winner.

Ann’s hands were shaking with fury, anger, and pure rage. She lifted one hand, and the second Agi sailed through the air…

…and crashing behind him.

“If his mind shuts down, he can’t admit his crimes.” Her mask back on, Panther stalked forward, using the handle of her whip to lift his face. “But don’t mistake my kindness for weakness, bastard. You will go back, and he will confess his sins. Understood?”

Shadow Kamoshida nodded and then vanished. Once he was gone Panther sighed and stood straight up, turning to look at her friends with a sad smile on her face. But they didn’t have time to rest. As soon as the Shadow was gone, the whole castle began to tremble and shake.

“Hey, just so you guys know, we don’t have time to rest.” The three students turned to look at Mona. “This place is about to collapse!”

“And you’re telling us now?!” Joker glared at him and slapped Mona over his head. “Everyone, run!!”

-o-

They barely made it out. Ryuji had tripped and fell, though Itsumi suspects that it was because of the pain in his leg. Once back in the real world they were all in various states of disarray: Ryuji was slumped against a wall, Ann was sitting on the floor, Morgana was sprawled out like a rug, and Itsumi was bended over, hands on her knees as she caught her breath.

“All accounted for?” She asked, eyes closed while she calmed down.

“Here.” One blonde.

“Ouch.” Two blondes.

“Meow…” And a cat. Everyone was safe and sound.

“Man… everything hurts.” Ryuji complained while pushing himself off from the wall and then helped Ann standing up. “You, okay?”

“Yeah.” She took his hand and pulled herself up to her feet. “Mostly tired. Emotionally, physically and mentally.”

“In other news.” Itsumi’s voice caught their attention and they turned to look at her. She had her phone in her hands and turned it so they could see at the screen. “The Palace is gone from the Nav.”

“And what about the Treasure?!” Morgana meowed, climbing up on the AC condensers that were nearby and then leaping to Itsumi’s shoulders. “Do you have it.”

“It’s right…” She pulled the Treasure from the inside pocket of her blazer… only to pull out a gold medal. “Here?”

“Huh? Where’d the crown go?”

“What’s that mean?”

“It means, that was the source of his desires.”

“That checks out.” Itsumi said while putting it away once more. “This is most probably a replica of the gold medal he got in the Olympics. The thing tat got him his reputation, and where all his desires and expectations were placed on.”

“That bastard was clinging to his past glory and couldn’t let go… what a sad man.”

“Does this mean that his heart must have changed, right?” Ann asked, looking at Morgana for answers.

“I’m… I’m not sure. We did everything we could: stole the Treasure, sent his Shadow back to his body… I think all we can do now is wait and see what happens.”

“He’s right. For now, we should go, we look very suspicious.” Itsumi grabbed her bag, opened it, and Morgana slipped inside. “Let’s lay low for now, continue acting the part of responsible students and not be suspicious.”

The pair of blondes nodded and each went their separate ways. Itsumi spent the rest of her Saturday and most of the Sunday helping Sojiro at the café, cleaning dishes and serving food. But she was also learning how to brew coffee and, whenever he was too busy preparing the curry, Itsumi kept stealing glances at him while he worked, trying to figure out the recipe of it on her own.

-o-

04/25

This Monday of school was odd. Everything was normal, the rumors about her delinquent record were still roaming the halls, some were still talking about Suzui’s suicide attempt, and a few other rumors were making their rounds around the mill. If she ever wanted to confirm any of those rumors, she could always ask Ann about them since she seemed to be well informed in that subject.

Kawakami approached her and Ryuji during lunchbreak, letting them know that PE would be canceled today since Kamoshida had placed himself under suspension. The principal supposedly went to talk to him, but, according to Kobayakawa, he wasn’t making any sense. It seems like their work paid off. Probably. So far, his condition didn’t sound like a mental shutdown, so they hoped they had done things right.

When school let up, Itsumi sent a message to her friends, letting them know that she was going to take a quick trip to the airsoft shop in Shibuya to sell some of the things they “found” on the Palace (read: Itsumi looted that place clean.) Just as she was rounding the corner to the alley where Untouchable was, she found a familiar blue door in the corner and two little girls in blue uniforms standing in front of it.

“Hey, Inmate!” Caroline called out to her and everything turned blue around Itsumi.

“Our master awaits.” The cell door opened on its own and Justine gestured towards it. “Please, come this way.”

“Okay, okay I got it.” Itsumi said while walking forward and standing in between the twins. “Just don’t kick-“

Her vision got filled with bright blue, slight pain on her behind, and when her vision returned to normal, she was wearing her prison uniform. “-me again. Caroline! I’m perfectly fine of walking here by myself.”

“Hpmh, you were taking too long, Inmate.” Twin #1 crossed her arms. “Now pay attention to my master, he has some words for you.”

“Indeed, indeed.” Igor spoke, and Itsumi turned to look at him. “How does it feel? Slipping into the unusual from your usual life?”

“It’s okay… I guess. I mean I do it all the time whenever I use the app.”

“That’s correct. But, so far, you’ve used the app to access the Palaces. Our master has arranged an access point to assist you in coming here directly from the real world.” Justine said with a nod. “That door you went through is it! Use it well!” Caroline shouted, smacking her baton against the gate of her cell.

Taking the chance that she was already in the Velvet Room, Itsumi took this chance to fuse some Personas and summon a few old ones that had helped her out greatly during the fight against Asmodeus. Once she was done with her business, Itsumi retreated back to the real world.

Itsumi spent the next few days trying to do anything to keep herself distracted: hitting the bating center, starting the Big Bang Challenge, running with Ryuji, learning the perils of going on a shopping trip with Ann, learning to brew some more coffee from Sojiro. By the end of the month, she was running out of things to do! New books in the library? None that she could withdraw. Trying to figure out Ann’s secret crush? No luck so far.

Something did happen that changed her perspective on a few things in her new life. She and Sojiro had a talk one night while they were cleaning and closing Leblanc for the night. He told her a bit about Futaba’s situation, that he had adopted her, and that she hadn’t had a great life ever since her mother died. Ever since he took her in, she doesn’t leave her room that much, only to go to the bathroom and for food… sometimes. Most of the times he has to take the food up to her room and leave it in front of her door. He also confessed that he was worried for her and would like for Itsumi to try and help Futaba out. She agreed, obviously, and he told her that they should start small, baby steps, to build Futaba’s confidence and reduce the weariness she might have around the new person in her life. And so, Itsumi had a new item in her daily routine: take the dinner’s up to Futaba’s room and leave either the plate of curry or the instant ramen in front of her door. She didn’t say much, just introducing herself the first time and then simply announcing that she had left the plate there and then leaving.

On the first day of May when she got a message from Takemi saying that she was ready to perform a new clinical trial. With nothing better to do, she headed to the small clinic that very day. Since it was Sunday, she would have the entire day to deal with whatever side effects the drug would give her. When she walked in, Tae looked at her and nodded towards the examination room, letting her know that everything was ready.

Once inside the doctor did a quick check up of her vitals before ingesting the medicine. Then she handed her a cup with a new medicine and Itsumi, without wasting a second, downed it all. Thankfully she was sitting on the cot Takemi had there because she passed out immediately.

When she woke up about half an hour later, the doctor performed some quick tests before an arrogant officer walked into the doctor’s clinic, demanding a detailed statement of medical expenses and full medical records. With a heavy sigh, Tae produced a few papers from one of the pockets of her coat, clearly, she was expecting this. As expected, the officer got confused and then turned her sights towards Itsumi who was now sitting on the cot.

“Hey, you!” Itsumi flinched when he turned his glare towards her. “You don’t look sick. Are you up to something illegal?”

Itsumi kept her hands balled up into fists, not trusting them since she knew they would be shaking a lot right now if she had them open.

“I came here to perform a regular checkup, sir.” Itsumi said, trying to keep her voice as stable as possible. “Doctor Takemi was the best, and cheapest option I could find.”

That seemed to be enough for the officer who left shortly after in a huffing fit. She talked some more with the Doctor, though she avoided her question about the nickname the police used with her. “The Plague.” (What a cool nickname). Takemi drew some blood, told her to take it easy for the rest of the day, and sent her home.

Itsumi then went home, took a nap, delivered dinner to Futaba and, as she was walking towards the exit, she heard some rustling within her room, as if the girl was getting off of bed to pick up the food. Not wanting to spook her, Itsumi simply kept on walking and left the Sakura’s residence and went back to Leblanc, ready to shower and then sleep.

-o-

05/02

That day the whole school got called for a sudden morning assembly, every single student from Shujin had been called in to the gymnasium for a reason that only the principal knew about. Itsumi and Ryuji stood close to each other, silently supporting themselves and hoping that their plan had worked. Within the crow she could spot the mass of blonde hair that belonged to Ann, that red-haired student whom she had crossed paths a couple times and a few others that caught her eye like a girl with the fluffiest hair she had ever seen. When the principal walked towards the podium, the murmuring crowd died out.

“Let’s begin this school-wide morning assembly. As you all know, a tragic event took place the other day.” Itsumi could hear the crowd murmuring, speculating about whether he was talking about Suzui’s suicide attempt, or the calling card sent to Kamoshida. “Thankfully, we have been informed that she has pulled through, but it will take some time until she recovers. Everyone here has a bright future ahead of themselves. I implore that you rethink the importance of life and-“

Suddenly the crows to the gymnasium busted open and a dejected Suguru Kamoshida walked inside. “I have been reborn.” He murmured. “That is why I will confess everything to you all.”

He walked slowly, arms hanging down, eyes locked with the floor as he stood on the stage and turned to look at the whole school.

“I have… repeatedly done things that were unbecoming of a teacher: verbally abusing students, physically abusing my team and… and sexually harassing the female students.” Itsumi could hear a gasp of shock running through the crowd. “I am the reason Shiho Suzui tried to kill herself!” He fell on his knees and began sobbing like the pathetic excuse of a man that he is. “I thought of this school as my own castle. There were students that I sentenced to expulsion, simply because I didn’t like them. I will, of course, rescind those.” Itsumi heard a sigh of relief coming from Ryuji. “I am truly sorry for putting innocent youths through such horrible acts. I am an arrogant, shallow and shameful person. I will take responsibility and kill myself for it!”

Another gasp came from the crowd, the murmurs of whispering students grew into a deafening sound. The principal ran around the podium towards the bastard who was now groveling on the ground. “Mr. Kamoshida! Please get off the stage for now!”

A teacher tried to corral the students back to their classes, but a singular voice rose from amongst the murmuring crowd.

“Don’t you dare run, you bastard!” Ann yelled; eyes locked on the groveling form of Suguru Kamoshida. “Shiho’s still alive despite the things you did to her, so don’t you dare take the easy way out! You don’t have that right.”

“You’re… you’re right.” The criminal sat back up, hands placed on his lap, eyes still looking down. “I should be punished under law and atone for my crimes. I did horrible things to Takamaki-san, as well. I tried to force myself on her and, when she didn’t let me, I turned to Suzui-san. I also had the records of Itsumi Amamiya leaked in an effort to force her into the volleyball team so that I could have my way with her, just like I did with most of the girls in the team.”

“As of today, I will resign from my position as an instructor and turn myself in.” He then raised his hands, pressed together by the wrists, presenting himself ready to be arrested. “Someone, please call the police!”

And with this, the three students knew that their plan had worked. They had successfully stolen Kamoshida’s heart, he publicly confessed to his crimes in front of the whole school, and justice had been served.

Chapter Text

05/03

Itsumi had a simple plan for that day: wake up, get dressed, breakfast and then head to Untouchables to sell the medal. If there was one place that she knew they would buy that thing was at the sketchy airsoft store. After that… probably work on some homework and then deliver Futaba’s dinner like she had been doing for the past few weeks. 

Of course it all came crashing down the moment she finished getting changed. 

“I can hear you’re awake, kid.” Sojiro called out from downstairs. “Come help me out here in the morning and then you can do whatever you want after lunch.”

…well not totally ruined since helping at the cafe meant that she was going to, probably, learn new things about how to make good coffee, and that was always a win in her book.

“Coming!”

And so that’s how Itsumi spent most of her morning:  cleaning dishes and making coffee. It wasn’t until around noon that a little something disturbed their peace and quiet. As always, the news channel was on the screen and Sojiro was watching while Itsumi washed a few final dishes, when something caught the girl’s attention.

“And now to our next topic… Fall from grace: the story of a dishonored Olympic medalist.” Oh no. “Just recently, a high school coach confessed at an assembly that he had been repeatedly abusing students. Given his prior Olympic achievements, this has caused quite a stir. What caused this habitual offender to suddenly confess to these heinous crimes to his entire school? The police are hoping that the upcoming interrogations will bring light to this question.”

Itsumi heard Sojiro leaning forward and murmuring under his breath. She’s sure he recognized the picture of Kamoshida they had put on display. But the nail on her metaphorical coffin was when they began to show the statements from various students and she could feel his eyes on her after the girl spoke about the sexual harassment.

“That was your school, wasn’t it?.”

“It was, yes.”

“And you knew about this?” She nodded. “Did he try anything with you?”

Itsumi stopped what she was doing for a second and turned to look at her guardian.

“He tried to force me into the volleyball team, I’m assuming to do… whatever it is he did with the girls of the team. But I didn’t budge, didn’t give him the chance. He did threaten me with forcing me into the team after an assembly the teachers were going to have but… well you heard what happened: he confessed his crimes and turned himself in.”

He stared at her for a few more seconds before sighing and leaning back once again, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Well as long as he didn’t do anything to you, I’m fine. You should call your mother though, just to let her know you’re fine.”

“Right, I’ll do that tonight.” Itsumi finished washing the dishes, dried her hands, and then took off her apron. “I’m going out for a bit, going to look for some reference books in Shibuya. Do you want anything?”

“No, I’m fine. Just don’t stay out until late.”

Itsumi walked back upstairs, grabbing her bag after Morgana jumped inside of it, and left the café, taking the train towards Shibuya. Once there she made her way towards the alleyway that led to Untouchables, walking past a couple of men that were whispering to each other. She didn’t really pay any attention to them and instead walked into the store.

Once inside she managed to sell the medal, though the manager was a bit skeptical at first, he agreed to buy the medal for about the same amount she saw one of these cost online. Then he gave her a paper bag, saying that it was a thanks for selling him the medal but that she shouldn’t open it, instead to bring it with her the next time she came to the store. Then a pair of detectives walked into the store, Iwai (the manager) told her to go and, just as she was about to leave, one of the detectives told her to stay right there and show her what was in the bag.

Thankfully the manager stepped in, said that she was a regular customer and that they could check the tapes to see what had happened during that day. Itsumi took that chance and slipped out of the store without being seen. Perks of being a thief, she guessed.

-o-

05/04

Since she had managed to sell the medal the day before, Itsumi decided to stay home that day and help Sojiro around Leblanc the whole day. Just as she was putting her apron on, the front door opened, the bell signaling the arrival of a customer, and inside walked a woman: she was wearing a black business suit with a black turtleneck, he ashen-brown hair was styled to fall over her right side and her eyes, while they looked brown, had a hit of mauve red in them. She sat on the bar, right by the yellow telephone that was at the corner of the bar, and ordered a house blend. 

“The cause of the runaway-train incident in the subway the other day still has not been found.” A newscaster said, his voice coming out from the small TV. “Police are hurrying to solve the matter as it may relate to the rise in psychotic breakdown incidents.”

“Is that what everyone’s been talking about?” Sojiro asked, eyes fixed on the TV.

“Doesn’t it make you curious?” The woman spoke, drawing the attention of both employees. “People who were living normal lives, suddenly going mad or deranged out of the blue… not to mention that’s been happening one after another. Could they really be coincidental?”

She then turned to look at Itsumi and raised an eyebrow, as if surprised that this place had other employees beside Sojiro.

“You’re a part-timer?” So she was surprised. “I’m surprised this place can afford one.”

“Hmm, she’s not exactly a part-timer.” The woman turned to look at Sojiro. “She’s staying with me as a favor from her mother and, as a condition, she’s gotta help me with the shop.”

“I see.” She turned back to look at Itsumi. “Are you a student? Where do you attend?”

“Shujin Academy, second year.”

“Oh? Someone I know goes there.” She stayed silent for a bit before speaking again. “I’ve heard that things are rough right now. A teacher confessed his crimes like he was a completely different person, and it happened “all of a sudden.” She turned to look forward, leaning on the bar. “Can a person’s mental state change so easily? …is my drink ready yet?”

“Coming right up.” Sojiro said with a smirk. Itsumi watched closely how he worked, taking mental notes on how he made the coffee.

Once the lady had her coffee she paid and then left. After that the rest of the day went by, slow and steady with a few customers coming in and out, all ordering their serving of coffee and curry. He even let her make a cup for herself before closing time! They then had dinner together, probably the first time they both ate at the same time, and then she went and took Futaba’s dinner to her room.

Like always, she placed the plate by the door, announced it was there, and then left.

-o-

05/05

Who would’ve thought that eating so much food would cause one to get sick? Well not Ryuji, that’s for sure. The three teenagers and the cat had gone to a buffet at a fancy hotel to celebrate their success with the Kamoshida Heist and, to her absolute surprise, both blondes ate abysmal amounts of food: Ann tackled the sweets like there was no tomorrow, while Ryuji stacked his plate with all sorts of meat.

About half an hour later, he had to go to the bathroom to puke because he had eaten too much. Morgana wasn’t safe either, though he managed to hold it all in. Itsumi, wanting to support her bro, went with him and stood just outside of the men’s bathroom cus there was no way she was going to walk in there.

They were waiting in front of the elevator when someone bumped into Itsumi, shoving her out of the way, and then doing the same with Ryuji. The guy that bumped into them seemed to be part of a group escorting a bald man with glasses.

“Hey! You’re cutting the line!” Itsumi checked over her shoulder from the corner of her eye, making sure that Morgana was safely hidden within her bag.

“What do you want?” Asked one of the guys following the distinguished man.

“We were here first.” Itsumi said, keeping one hand clutching the strap of her bag and the other in her pocket.

“I’m sorry, but we’re in a hurry.” The man said, the bald guy wasn’t even looking at them.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Didn’t know you could butt in front of other people if you’re in a hurry.” Ryuji shot back, staring directly at the guy’s eyes.

“I didn’t know that the customer base had changed since I was here last.” The bald man finally spoke and there was something in his voice that felt familiar to Itsumi. “Have they started a daycare?”

The elevator arrived and, just as Ryuji began to walk forward to get in, the guy that was talking with them shoved him back with way more force than he really needed. Itsumi caught her friend and helped him keep his balance.

“Don’t bother with them, let’s go.” The bald man said as he walked into the elevator.

The three of them had to wait for another elevator to arrive before they could go back down and meet up with Ann once again.

“What took you two so long?!” Ann seemed pissed about something.

“What’s got you all pissy?” And, of course, Ryuji had to ask.

“Sorry. I just had a run-in with some woman a while ago.” Ann sighed and relaxed a bit more on her seat. “She bumped into me, but then said that it was my fault that she dropped her plate.”

“Sounds like a real piece of work.” Itsumi said while the two of them sat back down on their seats.

“yeah… the restaurant workers even looked at me with disapproving expressions, like we don’t belong here.”

The three of them stayed silent for a bit more until Ryuji leaned forward and looked at Itsumi’s closed bag.

“Hey, Morgana.”

“Yeah?” The cat said, slipping his head out of the bag.

“Anyone can have a Palace, right?”

“Anyone with a strong, distorted desire.”

“And the same thing would happen to them if they got their Treasure stolen, correct?” Morgana nodded.

”Ryuji… where are you getting to with all these questions?” Ann asked, leaning forward as well.

“Yeah, I’m curious as well.” Itsumi said while removing her glasses and cleaning them with the hem of her shirt.

“Well we had a bit of trouble too. A selfish shithead that looked down on everyone else… was just wondering if we’d be able to change those kindsa people too.”

“You mean… you wanna continue this whole Phantom Thieves thing?” Ann asked, her attention on the blonde boy.

“You know… it’s not a bad idea.” Now both blondes turned to look at Itsumi, both surprised. “I’m just saying that we’ve got the means to do some real good, bring justice to those that can’t fight for themselves and rebel against the unjust system that protects these bastards.”

“I… I guess you’re right.” The fashionista nodded. “If we ignore people who are in trouble, I’d go back to being the same as I was before. And I swore that I would never be that girl ever again.”

“So I guess that means we all agree, then.” Morgana said from his pot within Itsumi’s bag. When all turned to look at him, he simply shrugged (as much as a cat can shrug) and smiled. “I’m sure that, if we continue to steal Treasures, I’ll get my memories back! So it’s a win-win for all of us.”

“Aright! It 's settled. We’re gonna catch all these shitty adults by surprise, and make ourselves known to the world!”

“Are you okay with being our leader?” Ann asked, looking straight at Itsumi.

“Who? Me?”

“Yeah! There’s no one I’d trust the most to lead us other than you.” Ryuji said, sporting a wide, wide grin on his face.

“You may still be fledgeling, but you’ve got the makings of a great leader!” Morgana meowed, looking up at Itsumi with a smile.

“You’ve already proven yourself to be a great leader.” Ann shrugged. “It was about time we made it official.”

“Then it’s settled! The Phantom Thieves of Hearts are official!” Morgana looked very pleased with himself. “There’s a place I want to show you guys, can we go there tomorrow after school?”

“Sure I’ve got nothing going on.” Ryuji shrugged.

“I’m free tomorrow.” Ann said after checking her schedule.

“Alright then, tomorrow it is.” Itsumi checked her phone and, seeing they were almost done with their time in the buffet, stood up and picked her bag up. “Well since our time is almost up, let's go before they kick us out. I’ll see you all at school tomorrow.”

That night, just as she was falling asleep, she felt her consciousness getting pulled towards a place she didn’t really want to be in. When iTsumi opened her eyes and saw the familiar roof of the Velvet Room, she cursed internally and got off her cot.

“What do you want?” She asked while she grabbed the bars of her cell door.

“First off, I’d like to congratulate you. “The twins made a comment on how she should be grateful that their Master was giving her words of praise. “You have encountered allies who share your ideals, and have found your place in reality. The time for your rehabilitation is near.”

“What’s this rehabilitation you keep going on about?”

“I think it’s time for me to explain it to you.” Igor leaned forward on his desk, resting his elbows on it. “You have a special power. However, it must be refined into a useful power. Right now it is weak, but refining it shall grant you the strength to stand against the coming ruin. That is your rehabilitation.”

“I… still don’t understand, but alright.” Itsumi sighs and then looks at the Twins. More specifically at Justine. “Say, Justine, I have a question? How come I can’t use Arsene for fusions.”

“Well that’s simple: You got the other Personas either by negotiating with them or by fusion, they aren’t your original “other self.” Arsene, on the other hand, is the other you that lives within and that part of yourself will never leave. So that’s why he can lend his powers for fusion, but it will never disappear like the others.”

“Huh, that makes a lot of sense. Thanks, Justine.” Itsumi smiled at the nicer twin.

“Before you leave, I have a gift for you.” Igor nodded and she felt her bond with him deepening and, at the same time, she felt something within herself change. “You’ll now be able to carry more Personas with you in your upcoming trials.”

And with that gift, Itsumi was sent back to the real world.

05/06

Once school was over, she was making her way down the halls when Mishima stopped her, saying that he wanted to talk to her. He apologized for taking part in leaking her records, thing that she didn’t really held against him since the poor guy was blackmailed by Kamoshida, and told her that he had created a website to support the Phantom Thieves called The Phantom Thieves Aficionado Site, or Phansite for short. By the way he was talking to her she knew that he knew who the Phantom Thieves were but, since he didn’t outright say it, she knew that he was going to keep their secret quiet. She unlocked the Moon Arcana after they struck a deal to help each other out, and then made her way to the school’s rooftop.

The pair of blondes were waiting for them there, each with a drink in their hands. Ryuji crushed his can of Monta once he was finished with it and then disposed of it in the nearby trash can. Ann did the same thing with her bottle of juice and Morgana slipped out of her bag, sitting over his usual desk.

Ryuji pulled out his phone and scrolled through the Phansite, looking for any potential new targets but, so far, they hadn’t had any luck with that. All the posts were people complaining about their parents or their boyfriends.

They knew that finding a name and location would be hard and, while they might find answers online, they knew that finding a target that even the police had overlooked would be impossible. They were about to discuss something more when they heard someone walking up to the door. Morgana wasted no time in jumping onto Ryuji’s head and then up to the AC unit, hiding from the girl that just walked onto the roof.

The girl was wearing the school uniform, though instead of wearing the jacket she was wearing a black vest. She also had very familiar looking eyes, brown with a shade of red. Her brown hair framed her face perfectly and it was braided in the middle like a headband.

“This place is off-limits, you know?” The girl said, looking at the little group assembled on the roof.

“We’ll leave once we’re done chatting.” Ryuji said with a bit more bark than he should’ve. “Anyways, what’s Miss Council President want with us?”

“The troublemaker, the center of gossip, and the infamous transfer student.” She looked at each of them. “What an interesting combination.”

“What a great way to start a conversation.” Ann said, glaring at the Council President. “What do you want?”

“By the way.” She turned to look at Itsumi, ignoring the two blondes. “It seems like you got to know Mr. Kamoshida pretty well.”

“Not really, no.” Itsumi said, pushing herself away from the AC unit she was leaning against.  “The bastard tried to force himself on me, I didn’t let me, he got mad, tried to force me into the team and… well you know the rest. He came clean about his crimes.”

“Hm.” The Pres hummed while she fixed a bit of hair behind her ear. “I heard he used a student to spread the details of your past record. Don’t you hate him? Mr. Kamoshida, I mean.”

“Oh, I do. He’s the worst kind of scum, but if you’re implying that we had anything to do with his confession… then you’re wrong. It’s exactly because of guys like him that I’m trying to keep my head down and stay out of trouble. I’ve already got a criminal record, the last thing I want to do is add more fuel to the fire.”

“Oh I don’t mean to offend. I’m sorry if it came out that way.” She said, looking a bit apologetic. “A lot of students were shaken up by what happened with Mr. Kamoshida. And the rumors about that tactless, odd card aren’t going away either.”

“Huh… I didn’t take you to care about tactless things like that, Niijima-senpai.” Itsumi heard Ryuji mumbling about how it wasn’t tactless in his opinion.

“Anyway, we done here? We can’t leave if you keep talkin’ to us.”

“At least try to understand my position. Being forced to deal with this horseplay…” She flinched a bit when Ann complained about the situation being labeled as simple horseplay. “By the way, this place will be closed off due to the incident. I heard some people were coming up here without permission after all. I’m sorry to have interrupted you.”

And just like that, the Student Council President turned around and walked away. Morgana waited a few seconds after she left through the door to jump back down to his spot.

“She 's onto us. We should be cautious of her, she seems sharp.”

“Okay I know this might be a stupid question, given she’s our Council President but… who is she?” Itsumi asked, picking up her bag and getting ready to leave.

“That 's Makoto Niijima. Why you asking?” Ann asks, turning to look at Itsumi with a raised eyebrow. “Are you interested in her?”

“What? No! I just don’t want to be rude to the girl that’s going to hunt us, that’s all.” Morgana jumped into her bag and she zipped it closed.  “Besides, we’ve already got enough rude people in our group.”

“Hey!” The two blondes answered at the same time, which made Itsumi laugh.

“Wait, I have something interesting to show you guys!” Morgana’s muffled voice came from within Itsumi’s bag and she opened it so that he could slip out and put his paws on her shoulder. “You guys agreed to help me out with my mission, after all.”

“True, true.” Itsumi nodded. “So? what is it?”

“Let’s go to the train station in Shibuya and I’ll show you guys!”

With nothing else to do the rest of the day, the small group of four left the school and made their way toward Shibuya Station, all eager to know what Morgana had to show them there.

Chapter Text

“What’re we doing here again?”

Following Morgana’s instructions, the three teens made their way to Shibuya’s subway station. What for? They had no idea. Morgana had kept its mouth shut about whatever it was that he wanted to show them and, even then, he was being all cryptic and secretive about it.

“Stop your whining and just do as I told you.”

Both blondes turned to look at Itsumi. She simply shrugged and took a bit out of the granola bar she had packed in her bag.

“Don’t look at me, do as he says.”

Ryuji grumbled while he fiddled with his phone.

“Aright, got the Phantom Aficionado Website up. Now what?”

“Now look for a post with a full name on it.”

And so the three of them spent the next few minutes combing through the website, looking for a post that met their criteria. Ann and Ryuji read a few of them out loud, but it was all small and petty things, nothing really worth their time. Eventually, Itsumi snatched Ryuji’s phone from his hands and began to look thorugh the website herself.

“Think I got one: I don’t know what to do about my ex who’s stalking me. His name is Natsuhiko Nakanohara.” Itsumi gave the phone back to Ryuji. “Post says the guy is a teller at City Hall.”

“He sounds like a suitable target!” Morgana said with a satisfied hum. “Now get the Meta-Nav ready.”

“We diving straight into a Palace? Sweet!”

“Hey.” Ann pocketed her phone. “What happened to the whole “unanimous decision” thing?”

“Well I say we should do this.” Itsumi shrugged once more. “Whatever “this” is, of course.”

“Well if you’re okay with it, then fine by me.” The blonde model said while fiddling with her hair.

“Aright!! So now we need a name and place. The name we’ve got and place…” Ryuji wrote the name of their target in the Nav and, when he was about to tap on the location segment, Morgana spoke up.

“We don’t need a location this time, just enter exactly what I say: Mementos”

With a bit of skepticism, Ryuji typed into the Nav what Morgana told him to type in and, to everyone’s surprise (including Morgana) they got a hit. When he activated the Nav, they felt the usual disorienting feeling when they slipped into a Palace… but when it passed they were still in Shibuya but there were no people walking around. When Ryuji asked if they were inside Nakanohara’s Palace, Morgana said that he was half-right and half-wrong.

He then jumped off from the wall he was resting on and ran downstairs, saying that the Shadows lurked underground in this place. The three teens looked between themselves, incredibly confused, and then they rushed downstairs. The moment they stepped into the station proper, Itsumi felt the usual rush that came when her Phantom Thief outfit.

When the initial shock of finding themselves in a new place, already with their combat gear on, Morgana explained where they were: Mementos or, as Mona explained, everyone’s Palace. Once he said that Itsumi rationalized that this must be what some call the collective unconscious.

He then explained that those that have a strong distortion, but not strong enough to form a Palace, would find their Shadows manifesting their own separate segment within Mementos. He then popped out another surprise: he transformed into a black van. Why? Itsumi felt as if she knew the answer, and Mona saying that, for some reason, the image of cats turning into buses here was a very big clue. But she couldn’t still figure out why.

After an awkward moment where the three of them sat in the backseat, Itsumi sighed and took it upon herself to drive the Monabus. She was a bit apprehensive at first because she had never driven a car before but, as it turned out, it was easier than she expected. Maybe because Mona was helping her, but she likes to think that she’s just a natural at this.

They drove around the place, fighting all the Shadows they found in their way and eventually, they found the place where Nakanohara’s Shadow was waiting for them. Before they fought him, he complained that they were changing his heart and let guys like a certain Madarame off the hook. The fight was short and efficient, the four of them smoothing out the process of fighting as a team. After they defeated him, and just before his Shadow vanished, he requested them: to change Madarame’s heart before anyone else fell victim to him.

Once his Shadow was gone the group collected what Mona called the beginnings of a Treasure, and then left the strange room they were in. Once outside Mona shifted back onto a bus and told them that he had one last thing to show them a bit deeper in.

With nothing better to do, the three teens agreed and delved deeper into Mementos. When they got to the bottom they found what Mona wanted to show them. It seemed to be some sort of transfer station that would lead them deeper into the dungeon… if the gate at the end wasn't covered by a massive wall.

“Is this what you wanted to show us?” Joker asked, walking up to the wall and looking at it. “It's a wall.”

“It's not just a wall.” Mona said, walking forward and standing right in front of the wall. “If my hunch is correct…”

The cat touched the wall and the whole floor began to shake. Panther grabbed onto Skull to keep her balance and Joker steadied herself against a nearby column. When the shaking stopped, the wall moved and shifted, opening up the path forward and deeper into Mementos.

“Aha! I knew it would work!” Mona cheered, jumping in celebration.

“It opened!” Panther said, letting go from Skull’s shoulder. “But how?”

“With Kamoshida’s Palace gone and people starting to talk more about us.” Mona stayed silent, looking up at Joker with a smirk.

“People are thinking about us, and since Mementos is the collective subconscious… the more they talk and think about us the deeper we can go?”

“Correct! I think… that was my theory, but I think this proves it.”

“Huh, neat.” Skull said, eloquently. 

“What should we do? Should we head down?”

“No, we should head back.” Mona said, turning away from the gate and walking away. “We already accomplished our mission, I'll explain more once we're home.”

“Yeah I was going to say the same, Imma head out tomorrow with Boss to buy some things and we're leaving early.” Joker said before looking back at Panther. “Maybe I could repay you that shopping trip I owe you after that?”

“Sure!” Panther says with a smile, while Skull looks at her as if pondering how to plan her funeral. “Just text me when you're done and we can meet up in Shibuya!”

The gang made their way back up to the first floor through the same method they would use in a Palace to hop in between Safe Rooms. As they walked up to the top floor the group encountered something… peculiar. Standing right by the exit was a small boy, some flowers floating in a bubble right in front of him, and a blue buggy with a lot of boxes strapped to its back. The little boy then reached forward and the flowers turned into a glass of juice, which he immediately drank from.

The little boy introduced himself as Jose and, after striking a deal with him (Itsumi was surprised to see that she didn’t form a new Arcana with him); he agreed to make their trip into Mementos smoother if they brought him some more flowers, which he said were human emotions. Which… kinda made sense considering where they were.

Once their deal was struck and the little boy left, the group disbanded and each went their own way. Itsumi didn’t feel as exhausted as she usually would after a dive in the Metaverse, so she used that bit of free time she had before going back to Leblanc and decided to stop by the flower shop that was in the underground mall in Shibuya.

The owner was a nice lady who accepted her job application despite the blemish on her background. She said something that really stuck with her: “Just because you have a record, it doesn’t mean you’re automatically a bad person. Besides, someone interested in selling flowers can’t be too bad of a person.”

With a part-time job secured, Itsumi walked back to Leblanc with a satisfied smile on her face, she was even feeling so happy that she agreed to buy a snack for Morgana. When she got back home, Itsumi made her way upstairs and worked to get some of her reading out of the way, continuing to learn how to brew coffee from Sojiro, and delivered Futaba’s dinner.

“ Thanks .” A muffled voice came from the other end of the door.

“You’re welcome.” Itsumi answered out of impulse, not really paying attention to what she was saying, or to who she was talking to. It wasn’t until she got all the way back to Leblanc that it dawned on her.

Futaba had just spoken to her. It had been low and mumbled, almost like she was focused on something and answered out of reflex. But she had answered… so maybe that meant that Itsumi really was making progress with her. 

-o-

05/07

The next morning Itsumi wakes up early and gets ready before Sojiro gets to Leblanc. He teases her, saying that she must have been very excited because they were going shopping. He was half-right. She told her about her plans after they bought her closet and he joked saying that she was going to abandon him to do the hardest task: carrying the thing upstairs.

As it turns out, their shopping trip was shorter than expected: the man that runs the vintage store just down the street had a closet that Itsumi liked the moment she saw it. It was big enough to fit her clothes, and it had a mirror on the inside of one of its doors. Since they were so close to Leblanc, Itsumi helped Sojiiro take the thing up to her room.

After dealing with that she called Ann to let her know she was ready. They met up in Shibuya station and then spent the rest of the day checking out all th stores, trying out outfits, and buying a few. Itsumi didn’t understand why Ryuji was acting like going shopping with Ann was the worst thing in the world, she enoyed the experience and felt that she was getting closer to her friend (the Arcana ranked up, so she know’s what she’s talking about.)

When Itsumi got back to Leblanc she had three new tops, a new pair of pants and a new skirt. Sojiro simply chuckled while shaking his head when he saw her new additions hanging form her arms while she walked towards the stairs with a satisfied smile.

She took her time organizing her closet, sorting thorugh the clothes she had stashed in the box and deciding what could stay in ther, and what would go to the closet. That alone took her the rest of the day and, when she was finished, it was already dark out and Sojiro was closing shop.

After getting her nightly routine out of the way (Futaba didn’t speak to her this time) she went to sleep at a reasonable hour, which Morgana was very happy about since he kept on insisting that she should do that moer often, and wasn’t pulled into the Velvet Room. All in all: a very good day.

-o-

05/09

Itsumi meets up with Ann that morning on the subway, at the transference line in Shibuya. She comments on how her friend isn’t looking so good. Ann said that it might be allergies but she also feels like someone was watching her. Itsumi looked around the station but didn’t spot someone that would be looking at them, so she stuck by her friend’s side the rest of the way.

School as absolutely boring and her only solace was that they would be heading into Mementos to deal with a case of serial bullying within their school. In their dive the group learned that the mood of the general public also affected what was going on in Mementos. For example: since they were in allergy season, many people would be sleepy on the streets because they couldn’t sleep well. So that meant that many of the Shadows that were roaming around Mementos were sleeping peacerfully against the walls of the subway.

They eventually found their target, dealt with it, and then continued diving deeper down into Mementos until they found another transfer station with a sealed exit. This time the wall didn’t move or shift, so they would need to get aknowledged by more people if they wanted to continue forward.

Once they got back to the real world she sent everyone home, went on about her nightly routine, and then went to bed.

-o-

05/13

Finally!! Exams wer over!! Itsumi is going to buy a nice, fatty tuna to Morgana as a thanks for all the help he gave her during their study sessions. She owed him a big one for that, and she doesn’t like to leave debts unpaid. Sadly the cat would have to wait because they had an assembly  after the last exam and some more classes. She’s not sure about what it could be though, since they haven’t changed the heart of a big target ever since Kamoshida.

When the assembly was finished, the Phantom Thieves decided to be the most inconspicuous group… and theyall grouped up together by the edge of the sport’s hall to discuss what had just happened: their principal, in a desperate effort to save face, had hired a doctor to offer psychological counseling to his students. The doctor was a middle-aged man named Takuto Maruki and he was… incredibly plain on sight.

Once they were given the chance to exit the sport’s hall, the group of teenagers wasted no time in getting out of there. They gathered at the courtyard, deciding to stop there for a bit to talk about the recent announcement.

“So… you guys think he’ll do us any good?”

Both girls sighed and shoor their heads, not at all surprised that their friend would be running his mouth. 

“Hey there.” Just as the doctor in question approached their group. He looked at the three students with a neutral expression. “Sakamoto-kun and Takamaki-san, right? So that must make you Amamiya-san, right?”

“I’d ask why you know our names.” Itsumi said, making eye contact with the doctor. “But I’m sure that you were informed about us beforehand, right?”

“That’s correct.” He said with a solemn tone of voice. “Since you three had previous interactions with Mr. Kamoshida.” He then turned to look at Itsumi. “It must have been especially rough for you, Amamiya-san after having just transferred here.”

“Not really, no.” She shrugged. “He was just very insistent on having me join the volleyball team. Guess we now know why he wanted me there.”

He then proceeded to ask them if they would be interested in counceling, with Ryuji immediately shitting him down to no one’s surprise, and then he tried to bribe them with snacks and drinks. Ann seemed on board with the idea, or at least more so than the other blonde of the group. Truth be told Itsumi had a few things she wanted to get off her chest, things that she just couldn’t tell her friends or her guardian. Unsurprisingly to herself, she unlocked the Councilor Arcana from this interaction with the doctor.

During the next recess Ann texted through the group chat that she had gone to Maruki’s office and had a session with him. She highly recomended him and urged them to go, even if it was just once. Itsumi decided to go to him after school and, just like she suspected, the guy was harmless and genuinely wanted to help them.

Sure he was a bit quirky and quick to offer up his treats to her, but that just proved that he was serious about his job. Otherwise he wouldn’t try so hard to et people to come to him voluntarily. 

After their session was finished, Itsumi went back home, feeling a bit better about herself.

-o-

05/14 

Itsumi wasn’t surprised to find Ryuji at the transer station that morning on her way to school. What was a surprise was that he seemed to be very, very sleepy.

“Morning, Ryuji.” She greeted him once she was close by.

The blonde boy yawned and then looked at her. “Morning, Itsumi.”

“Oi, monkey, why are you so sleepy?” 

“I stayed up´all night since today’s the lastdays of exams.”

“Oh? You stayed all night studying? That’s unloike you.” Itsumi said, taking off her glasses to clean them up.

“Nah, I tried to study, gave up halfway, and then stayed up all night playing games.”

“That sounds more like you.” Both Morgana and Itsumi said at the same time.

Right around that same moment Ann waled up to them, covering her mouth as she yawned as well.

“Morning…” The model said while rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

“Let me guess: stayed up all night studying?” The Leader of the group asked, a smirk on her face. Smirk that grew when Ann nodded.

“I’d ask you if you did the same, but we both know you didn’t.” The blonde girl said, voice barely audible over the bickering of Ryuji and Morgana. “Can you two shut up? You’re going to make me forget all that I memo-”

She suddenly stopped talking and turned around, blue eyes scanning the crowd behind her. “Am I imagining things?”

Itsumi immediately picked up on what her friend was talking about. After all, she had told her about it the last time they hung up together before examns began. She felt like she was being followed. The blonde girl brushed it off as if it was nothing, but Itsumi knew better.

When they got off the train at their station and were going up the escalators, Ann turned again and gasped. It seems like they guy she thought was following her had gotten off at the same station as them.

She locked eyes with Ryuji and, after Ann complained about his lack of interest, they came up with a plan on the spot: Ann wold be the bait since the guy was following her, and Itsumi and Ryuji would step in once they were sure who was the creep.

The trio of students walked forward and set up their trap just by the exit of the subway station. Itsumi hung off the side of the road, phone in hand and acting as uninterested as she could. Which wasn’t hard, if she was being honest. Ryuji, meanwhile, stood by the shop she had used a month ago to shelter herself from the rain during her first day of school

Their target was a tall boy, just a bit taller than Ryuji himself, with black hair and eyes and a long, sharp face. He was wearing the uniform of a school she didn’t know: white, long sleeved button up shirt; black pants and shoes. When the boy made to reach for Ann’s shoulder, she turned around and her two friends stepped between them.

“Oi, you sure it’s him?” Ryuji broke the silence after they boy simply stared at them. “Or you’re just that self conscious.”

“Why you-” Ann huffed and was about to say something else to Ryuji when the boy spoke.

“Is there something you want?”

“Why you-” Ann huffed as she pushed past and stood in front of the boy, pointing a finger right at his face. “That’s my line! You’re the one that’s been stalking me!”

“Stalking you?” The stalker asked while he fixed his hair. “That’s outrageous.”

“You’re the one that’s been following me! Ever since the train!”

“That’s because…” The boy stopped talking when he heard a car stopping by their side, the rest of the students turning to look at the black car that had parked right by them.

The window of the left side back seat rolled down to reveal on old man, with a slight mustache and a bit of beard, that was wearing a traditional Japanese clothing.

“My goodnessI had wondered why you left the car.” The old man said, a small smile on his face. He then turned to look towards Ann. “So this is where your passion led you. All’s well that ends well, hahahahahaha!”

“I saw you from the car.” The boy’s words snapped the attention of the small group towards him once more. “And I couldn’t help myself from chasing after you. I was so engrossed on my chace that I didn’t even notice Sensei’s callings.”

“But it’s a great thing I caught up to you.” Itsumi was starting to dislike this boy with every word he said. He may speak all weird and fancy, as Ryuji would say, but she didn’t trust him one bit. “You’re the woman I’ve been searching all this time for! Please, won’t you be the model for my next art piece?!”

The three teens stood there, in silence, shocked by the sudden question of the strange boy.

“ Huh?! ” The four of them asked at the same time. Ann and Itsumi were surprised, Ryuji and Morgana were pissed off.

“All that I’ve draw till now has been lacking, but I feel a passion from you unlike anyone else. Will you cooperate with me? What do you say?” Ann looked at Ryuji and then Itsumi, not really sure what to do at the boy’s insistence. 

“Oi! Hold your horses!” Ryuji stepped forward, cutting the boy off from Ann once more. “Who’re you anyways!”

“Oh, where are my maners?” The boy bowed in a perfect ninety degree angle and then back up. “I’m a second year at Kosei High’s fine arts division. My name is Yusuke Kitagawa.” He then shoved Ryuji aside and Itsumi stood in front of Ann instead. “I’m Madarame-sensei’s pupil, and I am being allowed residence at his place.”

“Wait… you mean that Madarame? The one that was on “Good Morning Japan” the other day?” She then tapped Itsumi’s shoulder and whispered. “Didn’t we-”

Itsumi nodded slightly, letting Ann know that she had understood her question. A plan was forming on her head. This could be their way in, their way to figure out if Madarame was a possible target for the Phantom Thieves.

The artist in question called off to Kitagawa-kun, urging him to move on sicne they were all going to be late to class at their respective schools.

“Madarame-sensei’s exhibition will begin at the department store near the train station tomorrow.” He said while closing up the distance between himself and Anne a bit more, totally ignoring Itsumi thatw as standing right there and glaring daggers at him. “I’ll be there tomorrow, helping during the  opening. I’d like it if you’d come and give me your answer regarding being my model then.”

“I bet you have no real interest in the fine arts.” From his pocket he pulled out three tickets to the event. “But I’m giving you tickets so you and your friends can attend and witness the genius of Sense’s work.”

With that said and done, the boy climbed up into the car and drove off, leaving the group of four standing there, al confused about what just happened. When Morgana pointed out that they were going to be late for their final day of exams, the three students rushed towards the school, not wanting to get into any more trouble.

The gang met up after school at the train station, all three of them glad that exams were finally over. Ann seemed more relaxed and content now that they were free of them, Ryuji had a cloud of gloominess following him wherever he went, and Itsumi felt confident about her results.

Before everyone went their separate ways for the rest of the day, they agreed to go as a group to Madarame’s art exhibit. Theyu could use it to either gather intel on him, see if the things they heard on Mementos about him were true. Or simply turn it into a small outing as friends to appreciate the fine arts. Either way, Itsumi considered it a win-win for them. Plus the tickets were free, and it would be a shame letting them go to waste.

With their plans for the next day settled, the small group of three went their separate ways. Ryuji offered to walk Ann home since he had to buy some groceries, and Itsumi took this chance to explore the neighborhood around Leblanc a bit more, surprising herself when she found batting cages not far from the cafe. Maybe she should invite her blonde kids there one day.

-o-

05/15

The next day came sooner than she would’ve liked (guess that’s what happens when you spend all night playing old videogames on a repaired console) but it came, and that was a fact. After eating breakfast and informing Sojiro about her plan for the day, she went out to meet her friends at the venue for the art exhibit.

They met at the entrance of the venue and warned Morgana to try and not stick his head out too much or they might get in trouble. To no one’s surprise, Kitagawa-kun walked up tp them and offered to show Ann around the place, saying that he also wanted to discuss about the piece he wanted to do.

That left Itsumi, Ryuji and Morgana to wander on thier own devices, which turne dout to be a good thing because they caught Madarame duing an interview with a few reporters. They learned that he lives in a shack, and that he used it as his atelier and studio, which also meant that it was where Kitagawa-kun as staying. The three of them eventually had to leave the venue because it was getting crowded once the general public learned that Madarame was there. They barely escaped with their lives, Morgana almost didn’t make it.

After their successful escape, Itsumin and Ryuji walked towards the walkway of the Shibuya station to settle own after their horrific experience.

“Oh man, that old lady elbowed me. I’m sure of it.” Ryuji said while rubbing his ribs, sitting on the floor while looking through his phone. “But thanks to that, I remembered something.”

“You remembered something when you got elbowed by an old lady?” Itsumi asked, fixing up her shirt and making sure nothing was riped. “I might have to elbow you more often then.”

“Ha, ha very funny, Itsumi.” Ryuji shook his head and turned his phone towards her. “But check this post out.”

Itsumi was going to lean down and read from the screen when she heard footsteps coming their way.

“I can’t believe you, guys! You left without me!”

“Sorry, Ann. We didn't have much of a choice.” Itsumi said, rubbing the back of her head. “The place got incredibly crowded and we basically got pushed out of the venue.”

“Yeah… sorry ‘bout that. But you should read this post too.” He turned his phone towards Ann.

“What’s it about?” The blonde model asked, getting closer to the group and squatting to be at eye level with Ryuji.

“A master of the Japanese arts is plagiarizing his pupil’s work. Only his public face is shown on TV,” He said, reading the post from the Phansite. “I think this might be about Madarame.”

“Plagiarizing?! That’s a serious crime.” Itsumi commented, eyes looking out the window at the rain thatw as falling outside.

“Didn’t think much of the post at first, but hearing the words “shack” and “Madarame” made me remember about it.” He then turned to the screen once more. “His treatment of the pupils who live with him is awful. He teaches nothing and bosses them around. He treats the inhumanely, as if disciplining a dog.”

“Abuse on top of plagiarism, hm?” Morgana said, his head peaking outside of the bag he was in. “His crimes keep piling up.”

“If this crap turns out to be real, it’d be a huge scandal!”

“Hm, I wonder if Kitagawa-kun posted this.” All eyes turned to Ann. “I mean he is a pupil of his.”

“Dunno, the posts are anonymous after all.”

“In that case, the Madarame we heard in Mementos and the artist might be the same person.” Morgana said, stepping out a bit more from his bag.

“A man like that, doing such a thign?” Ann murmured, looking down at the floor. “Hmmm, I wonder… could we ask that Shadow from earlier about this?”

“Once we change a Shadow’s heart, they return to the mass of people in the sidelines of Mementos.” Itsumi said, turning to look at a nodding Morgana for confirmation.

“Then how about we ask the guy himself.”

“If we make a move out in the open, Madarame might hear about it.”

“Oh… right.”

“Whatcha think about it, Itsumi?” Ryuji asked, turning to look at their leader.

“I don’t know. Sure we might have a few leads and clues here and there, but we don’t have concrete evidence of it. And until we do, I’m not sure if we should target him. Hell, we don’t even know if he has a Palace.”

“Well there’s only one way to know.” Ryuji opened the MetaNav and typed in Madarame’s name. The group waited with baited breath until…

“ Target, accepted. ”

“....where did you say he lives?” Itsumi asked, ignoring Ryuji’s shit-eatting grin.

“In a shack, not too far from the city.”

“Speaking off.” Ann caught the attention of everyone once more. “Kitagawa-kun gave me his contact info, and the address to his sensei’s atelier.”

“Then it’s settled! Let’s try goin’ tomorrow. We’re off to Madarame’s house right after school!” Ryuji stood up, with Ann doing the same thing.

“Huh?! You want me to model tomorrow?!”

“What? No! We’re just going there to talk to Kitagawa, that’s all.”

“Oh.” Ann visibly relaxed. “That’s what you meant.”

-o-

05/16

Once school was over they took the train to Shibuya and then walked the rest of the way to Madarame’s shack. Ryuji complained the whole way, saying that this wasn’t the way a Phantom thief should get to their target. After checking the plate by the door and making sure that they were on the right place. The big “Madarame” on it confirmed it.

The place looked run down and shabby, Morgana joked that if they sneezed they would probably blow the place away. Ann stepped forward and, with a shaking finger, she pressed the doorbell.

“Who is it?” Kitagawa-kun’s voice came out form the intercom. “Sensei is currently out.”

“It’s Takamaki.”

“Oh, I’ll be right out!”

The group heard approaching footsteps and the door slid open, revealing Kitagawa standing there, wearing his school uniform.

“Takamaki-sa-” He then noticed thatItsumi and Ryuji were standing there as well and glared at them. “You two are here as well.”

“Yo.” Ryuji waved at Kitagawa with a wide smile. “Sorry but, we ain’t here to talk about the modeling thing. There’s something we gotta ask you.”

“Is it true your Sense’s plagiarizin’ stuff?” And there’s Ryuji’s characteristic bluntness. “He’s abusin’ people too, yeah?”

Itsumi wanted to punch him, probably Ann wanted to do the same as well.

“Are you serious?” Kitagawa-kun spat out.

“I read about it online.” Ryuji pulled out his phone and showed the post to him.

Kitagawa stepped forward and leaned to read the post. He then chuckled, and then began to outright laugh.

“Preposterous! Not only is plagiarism impossible, but abuse?” He glared at Ryuji as if he wanted to slap him. “He welcomes pupils into his own home! This is no act of violence; it is charity! And I’m the one residing here and studying under him. I’m saying it’s not true, so it’s beyond doubt.”

“You might be covering for him, though.” Itsumi said, casually, with no problem at all.

“That…” He stayed quiet for a second and that’s when she knew that he probably knew more than he let on. “That is utter rubbish. I had no family when Sense took me in and raised me into what you see before you! You will rue this day if you continue to ridicule the man I ow my life to.”

Ann looked at him, pitty in her eyes.

“What’s going on out here” The voice opf the artist cauht everyone’s attention, the four teenagers turning to look at the entrance of the shack. “I heard you yelling and came to see what was happening.”

“These people are slandering you with baseless rumors, Sensei!”

“Forgive them, Yusuke.” Madarame said while shaking his head. “They probably heard some bar dumors and came in worry for their friend’s safety.”

“I…” Kitagawa sighed and looked at the ground in shame. “Understood, Sensei.”

“Well even I doubt that a cranky old man like myself could be liked by everyone.” The artist said with a chuckle. “I’m sorry to have butt in on your conversation. However, I do have neighbors around. Won’t you please keep it down? Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

The artist bowed his head and then disappeared into his own home. Kitagawa turned to look at them and then bowed, apologizing for the way he reacted.

“I know!” He exclaimed while pulling out his phone and looked through it. “I think you’ll be able to believe in Sensei if you saw that painting.”

he turned the screen to them to show a picture of a gorgeous painting. It showed a woman with pale skin, black hair and black eyes, wearing a simple red shirt. The background was a light yellow with a white circle in the center, right where the woman was. Behind her head, a branch without leaves crossed the canvas, and the lower half of it was covered by clouds. What captivated Itsumi the most about it was her expression, as if she were looking at the most precious thing in the world.

“It’s his maiden work as well as his most representative piece. It’s titled “Sayuri.” Kitagawa-kun explained, his voice dripping with admiration for the man that raised him. “This was the painting that inspired me to become an artist.”

The Phantom Thieves all murmured their appreciation for the piece, even Ryuji had to admit that it was impressive. Ktagawa-kun then turned to look at Ann once more.

“When I first saw you I felt the same powerful emotion as when I saw this painting.” He closed his eyes with a smile. “I wish to pursue beauty like this.” He then bowed once more, offering his respects to Ann. “And I believe drawing you will be part of that pursuit. I implore you: please consider my offer of being my model. I’m sorry that you took the time to come all this way, but I must assist Sensei today. I hope thatwe can discuss this further another time. If you’ll excuse me, then.”

And witht hat said and done, Kitagawa-kun returned to his house and closed the door. The group, confused and not knowing what to do, crossed the street and gathered at the other side of the road. Itsumi let Morgana out of the bag and the cat sat perfectly balance on the railing Ryuji was leaning against.

“Those two... they seem like nice guys, don’t they?”

“Maybe the Madarame we heard in Mementos is a different person.”

“I’d agree with you on that one, Ann.” Itsumi said while turning her phone around, showing them the display screen of the MetaNav. “But I think we might be on to something. I typed down his name, his major crime, and the word “shack” and got a hit.”

“It seems like those are the keywords.” Morgana said, not moving from his spot. “All we need now is to find out what he sees this shack as.”

“I might have an idea.” The group looks at Itsumi, waiting for her words. “Well he’s an artist, so it’s got to be something related to art. We know that it isn’t “atelier” or it would’ve been a hit already. And the only other thing that comes to mind is a museum.”

“Target found, commencing navigation.”

And that’s when she knew she was right. The world around them shifted and morphed, signaling that they were about to dive into a brand-new Palace.

Chapter Text

When her sight was hers once again, and the world had stopped blurring and melting around her, she first noticed the big, shining golden museum standing before her. It would be impossible not to see it, considering that it was night all around them and the museum was the only thing the spotlights were hitting.

“That’s so bad taste.” She heard Panther comment by her side, eyes locked on the shining building before them. “And so pretentious! Who does he think he is?!”

“Well, he is a famous artist.” Skull piped up, hands stuffed in his pockets while he tapped his foot. “Makes sense that a bastard like him would think of a museum like this one.”

“Enough talking, we’re wasting time.” Mona said while he walked forward, towards the main entrance. “We can’t go through there, it’d be too obvious.”

“Then why don’t we go through there?” Joker pointed to a gap in the wall. “Could climb up from that truck and then make our way through there.”

“Great job, Joker! Let’s go!” Mona ran towards the truck that was parked right in front of the wall, jumped on it, and then jumped to the gap in the wall. The rest of the thieves followed Mona’s lead and infiltrated into the premises.

With the guards focused on the main entrance, trying to keep the huge crowd from storming the place, the Phantom Thieves took that chance to sneak through the side, crossing through a garden. They eventually reached a side of the building, where they found a window partially open on the roof of one of the ground levels of the museum. Joker turned to Mona, knowing that the small thief would have the right tool for the job, and, as expected, he was handing her a rope.

They secure the rope to the roof, drop the rest of it down, and then successfully infiltrate into the museum itself. The exhibition room they were in was filled with nothing but portraits of young people, which confused Joker a whole lot because this looked nothing like the things that Madarame likes to paint.

While the rest of the crew drops by one by one, she walks up to one of the paintings and reads the metal plaque that stands right by the painting. But, instead of the usual explanation, there was only the person's name and age. They checked the rest of the paintings and found that they were all the same: just the person's name and age.

They kept on exploring the exhibit and all the paintings were the same: A portrait of a person, their name, and their age engraved on the plaque that stood right by its side. They even found a painting of the guy they heard of Madarame in the first place, back when they delved into Mementos for the first time. 

But it wasn’t until they reached further down the hall that Joker’s suspicions were confirmed: a painting of Yusuke Kitagawa stood as the final piece in the collection of distorted portraits. Those paintings represent current and former pupils of the “artist” Ichiryusai Madarame.

“Well if we wanted proof of his crimes, I think we might be on the right track.” Joker said while looking at the painting. “Let’s keep moving, maybe we’ll find a bit more.”

The other three nodded and they walked down the stairs, reaching the main lobby of the museum. They found a couple of chests and a pamphlet with half of the museum’s map. While Joker and Skull were busy checking the map out and studying the layout of the museum, Mona and Panther walked into the next room.

“Um, guys? You might want to see this.” Panther called out to the other two. “I think we found our proof.”

Joker walks up to the golden sculpture that sits in the middle of the room: It depicts a downward spiral with people sliding down it.

“The Infinite Spring.” She reads the name of the sculpture out loud. “A conglomerate work of art that the great director Madarame created with his own funds. These individuals must offer their ideas to the director for the rest of their lives. Those who cannot do so have no worth living.”

Joker takes a step back, looks up at the statue, and has to do her best not to try and tear the thing down that very instant.

“Well, there’s our definitive proof: Ichhiryusai Madarame is not only plagiarizing the works of his students, but he’s also an abusive bastard.” She turns to look at her friends. “All in favor of knocking him down a peg or two?”

When she only got affirmations from her team, Itsumi couldn’t help the sadistic smile that formed on her face. There’s only one thing she hates more than a disgusting pervert, and that is an abusive mentor.

“One thing, though.” Mona spoke up, getting everyone’s attention. “We’re going to need real evidence that these crimes happened in the first place, and, currently, we have no way of getting that kind of information.”

“Well… I might be able to get some information from Kitagawa-kun if I accept his modeling offer.” Panther said, twisting one of her pigtails around her hand.

“Are you sure you want to take his offer? I could come with you if you want to.” Joker said, looking at her unsure friend.

“I’d appreciate it.”

“What about me?” Skull said, butting into the conversation. “There’s no way I’m going to let you two be alone with that weird guy.”

“That’s nice of you to offer, but I can take care of him if it ever becomes a problem. Besides, I have a different task for you. I’m going to need you to get us some supplies since we used most of our healing items during our last trip to Mementos.”

“Monta?” He asked with a wide grin on his face.

“Yes, Monta. Do make sure to get other stuff too, cus I get bored of the flavor fast.” Joker then slips her hand into the interdimensional pocket that is her jacket and pulls out a big wad of bills. “This should be more than enough to buy as many sodas and drinks as you can find. Leave no vending machine standing, soldier.”

“Yes ma’am!”

“Then let’s head out. It's getting late and we have school tomorrow.” The two blondes groaned at the mention of school, which made Joker and Mona laugh a bit.

-o-

05/17

Ann let the group know that she had contacted Kitagawa-kun during morning classes and, during lunchtime when they gathered at their usual spot in the schoolyard, she gave them confirmation that he had agreed to meet with her today to work on the piece. They also spotted Niijima-senpai talking with Mishima, which could mean that she was on the right track to, maybe, finding out about them. They decided not to worry too much about it and continued with their plan of acting like normal students during the day.

When school was over Itsumi and Ann met up at the station and took the train to Shibuya and then walked the rest of the way to Madarame’s shack, speculating on the way about what kind of painting Yusuke wanted to do.

Once they got there, he was surprised to see that Itsumi had decided to come along. When she explained that she was there to support her friend, he simply nodded and guided them towards his studio within the shack.

Itsumi then spent the next few hours sitting on a plastic chair, going through her phone and checking social media while Yusuke worked on painting Ann. They tried to talk to him a bit after he had begun his rough sketch, but he was too focused on what he was doing that he simply didn’t listen to them. Morgana, bored out of his mind, decided to slip out of Itsumi’s bag and went around the house to explore a little bit, see if he could find any form of evidence.

The leader of the Phantom Thieves wasn’t sure how many hours had passed, but eventually, Kitagawa-kun sighed and proclaimed that all the work he had done was of no use. Itsumi had to take a deep breath and count to ten so that she wouldn’t smack the artist for wasting their time.

That’s when they decided to confront him about the rumors, again, and they learned that he was willingly letting his sensei present his art under his name, stating that the man was going under an “artist’s block”... but that still didn’t explain why Madarame had claimed his other student’s works as his own. Things seemed to escalate after that and Kitagawa was about to report her to the police since he only invited Ann to the shack.

Thankfully she managed to calm him down… at the cost of her posing nude for him. Itsumi is sure that she would’ve broken her phone if she had it in her hands at that precise moment. Thankfully Ann managed to calm her down before she punched the living lights out of Yusuke. In the end, they agreed to think it over in the next couple of days.

When the two girls left Madarame’s shack, they met back up with Morgana who told them about the weird, fancy locked door within the shack. The two girls found it odd as well and concluded that there must be something important locked in there.

Once outside the three of them discussed the current situation, deciding to wait until tomorrow to dive into the Palace one more to investigate some more. Ann left first and, before she could get going, a woman with a camera approached her, said that she was a reporter and that, if she ever learned of something interesting, to contact her while giving Itsumi a business card with her number on it.

-o-

05/18

The next day, after school, the Phantom Thieves met with Nakanohara (thank you Mishima for contacting him!) who not only confirmed their suspicions of his plagiarism in the real world but also told them how a pupil who used to live there at the same time as he committed suicide after not being able to cope with his works being praised under Maarame’s name and then pleaded at them, begging the Phantom Thieves to change Madarame’s heart to save the life of the last remaining pupil.

After their conversation with Nakanohara, the group gathered at their new hideout: the Shibuya Station Walkway, and, after confirming that their deadline for this job was the same day the exhibit ends (that being June 5th), the gang gathered their things and made their way close to the shack and jumped back into the Palace.

Once they got to the entrance of the Museum, Joker spotted the glowing blue door that leads to the Velvet Room, sent a small wave to Justine, and then made her way into the Pupil’s Wing but, unlike last time, this time the security was turned on and, at varying points of the exhibit, they found laser grids that would most surely alert security of their position. Speaking of security! They defeated a few Shadows on their exploration, and Joker even got some new Personas to add to her increasing collection.

They kept on exploring until they eventually reached an open wide room with two glass walls that formed a single hallway connecting the entrance and exit to the room. There were some weird sculptures on the floor, a couple of arches (one blue and one yellow), and a golden vace in the middle of the room as the centerpiece of the exhibition. Mona, in a fit of uncharacteristic greed at the sight of a pretty, shining object, jumped onto the dais the vase was standing on and accidentally triggered the security: a laser grid that split the group up.

Joker sighed and took the time to rescue her friends one by one, sneaking into the exhibits on the other sides of the glass walls and deactivating the laser grid. Once everyone was free she walked up to Mona, flicked him on the forehead, and then hugged the little guy. After a few more close calls with the Shadows and finding the first Will Seed (this one was Vanity), the group reached an open space that seemed to connect the building they were on with a second, gaudier one. The problem? The courtyard that connects them both is locked by a huge blue door adorned with golden peacock feathers.

“Hmm.” Mona hummed, standing in front of the laser that appeared in front of them when they got close to the door. “I’ve seen that door before.”

“Wait… this looks like the door you described to us, Mona.” The leader of the Phantom Thieves said, turning to look at her cat. “Didn’t you say something about things in the real world affecting things here inside the Palaces?”

“Correct!”

“Then… if Madarame sees this door open in the real world…” Panther said, looking up at the big door.

“It should open here as well, right?” Skull finished up with an excited smile on his face.

“Exactly! You guys are learning fast, that’s great!” Mona looked like a proud parent. 

“Well seeing as we can’t move on forward, let’s go to the Safe Room that Mona felt up earlier and get out, I’ve got an idea on how we can get that door open.” Joker says while turning to look at Panther.

The blonde girl looks at Joker confused for a whole second before she gasps and points a finger at her.

“Absolutely not! Nu-uh! I am not doing it.”

“Come on! It’s the only way and you know it. Besides, I’ve got a plan.”

“Um… what are you two talking about?” Oh, poor Skull.

“Nothing!” Panther turned to yell at him this time and then stormed away, back into the building with Joker hot on her heels.

Skull turned to look at Mona for answers and the cat simply shrugged and both of them followed after the two girls.

-o-

05/19

When Itsumi woke up that morning she did so with a heavy sigh. Getting her consciousness yanked into the Velvet Room without her consent is never a pleasant experience. At least, this time, she got something more useful than just a few new Personas: a new Arcana. More specifically, the Strenght Arcana after making a deal with the twin wardens. All they ask of her is that she brings them Personas with specific skills and abilities on them and they’ll reward her with new powers and useful stuff.

After getting ready, coffee and breakfast included, Itsumi went to school and did the one thing she promised her mother to never do at school: spend most of her lecture chatting on the phone.

[Three dorks and a cat]

[Purrfectgirl]  “...fine, I’ll do it. But you owe me a crepe, Itsumi. And it has to be an expensive one.”

[Bonehead] “Can someone please tell me what you two are talking about?!?!?!?!”

[NotAPlumber] “Deal! Yusuke asked Ann to pose nude for him in exchange for not calling the police on us the last time we were there. But, before you freak out, I have a plan for that.”

[Purrfectgirl] “You keep saying that… what’s the plan?”

[NotAPlumber] “You’re going to do the opposite thing. Wear as many clothes as you can, stall for time while Morgana picks the lock to the door, and Madarame gets there. We need to make sure he sees the door open.”

[Bonehead] “And what’re we gonna be doing?”

[NotAPlumber] “Us? Waiting in the Palace for the door to open and disable the security protocol that keeps the grid activated and the door closed so that we can come in and out whenever we want.”

[Bonehead] “Aright! Best bros back together!”

[NotAPlumber] “I’m not a… forget it.”

[Purrfectgirl] “Just talked with Kitagawa-kun, and he agreed to meet me today”

[NotAPlumber] “Perfect! Now put your phones away, we’re in class.”

-NotAPlumber has gone offline-

[Purrfectgirl] “The nerve…”

-Purrfectgirl has gone offline-

-Bonehead has gone offline-

-o-

“Are you sure this plan is going to work?” If Joker heard Skull complaining one more time… she’s going to go crazy.

“We’ve been over this! Mona is good at what he does and, despite Ann’s very bad acting skills, I’m sure Kitagawa-kun will fall for it because he doesn’t seem to be very sharp. The only thing that probably goes through his head is art.”

“I know, I know. Am just worried ‘bout them, that’s all.”

“More like you’re worried about Panther.” Itsumi laughed when she heard Ryuji sputtering. She didn’t turn to look at him, but she knew the boy was a mess. “You think I wouldn’t notice? I may wear glasses, but they’re fake! My sight is very good, and I know when one of my best friends is crushing on my other best friend.”

“I - You… ugh.” Joker turned her head to see Skull slump down with a sigh. “You think she knows?”

“Nah, you hide it well. I just know what to look for.” She was going to say something else but was interrupted when the whole ground began to shake and the rods that kept the laser grid lowered themselves into the ground, and the massive door opened wide open. “Run!! We don’t have much time!”

And so they rushed, crossing the courtyard in record time. Unfortunately for them, a Shadow was guarding the entrance to the control room… and there were just two of them… needless to say it was a tough fight but they pulled through. Once inside they disabled the security and rushed out of the building before more guards could arrive.

They were catching their breath when they heard something unusual. Someone was screaming and it came… from above?

The two teens turned to look up, only to see Kitagawa-kun falling from the sky and landing in front of them. Panther then followed, lading on his arms… and Mona fell right on top of his head.

“I thought I was gonna die…” Panther mumbled, still in Yusuke-s arms. “Will you let go already!”

She then pushed him and knocked him over. Ann freaked out, apologized, and helped him to his feet.

“Who are you all?!” He freaked out, as expected.

“Caml down, Kitagawa-kun! It’s me, Takamaki.”

“Takamaki-san?” He then turned to look at Skull and Joker. “Then you two must be…” He then directed his eyes to Mona and frowned. “I don’t recall seeing this cat costume before though. What is this place?”

“We’re inside Madarame’s heart.” Joker kept her hands inside the pockets of her coat, trying to appear as calm as she could. “This is the way he sees the world.”

“Inside Sensei’s heart… are you sure you’re all feeling okay?”

“She ain’t lyin’. This is what that bastard truly feels. He’s nothin’ but a greed-filled moneygrubber.”

“Nonsense! Enough of this rubbish!”

“Kitagawa-kun! Didn’t you think that something was wrong with Madarame?”

“I… just who are you people?”

 “Eh, guess you could say that we’re a group of crooks that change the hearts of rotten people.”

Suddenly, Yusuke grunted and dropped to the ground.

“Shit, the corruption must be getting to him. We need to take him out of here, now!” Joker barked her order and Panther moved to help Kitagawa stand up, but he insisted he was fine on his own.

Since he was with them, the Phantom Thieves had to avoid fighting as much as they could. Yusuke was silent most of the trip, only talking when he saw the interior of the museum for the first time, and then when he recognized a girl in a painting. They explained what those paintings meant; that Madarame didn’t see his pupils as nothing more than objects to be used.

They managed to get to the room with the golden sculpture, “The Infinite Spring”, and things went south for them. A pair of Shadows materialized right by the exit, cutting off their path and then the footsteps behind them forced the group to turn around… only to come face-to-face with the one thing she didn’t want to see during this heist: Madarame’s Shadow.

It was wearing clothes fit for a shogun: a golden kimono, with white makeup on his face, lips painted red, and his hair styled in a topknot that resembled a paintbrush.

“Welcome, to the museum of the master artist Madarame.” The Shadow looked at them with disgust in its eyes.

“Sensei? Is that you?” Yusuke asked one hand still pressed against his chest.

“That’s not him… or, at least, not the real him.” Joker said, standing right behind Yusuke to keep the Shadows behind them away from him. “That’s his Shadow, the other side of him that lives within his heart.”

“This… this is one big lie, isn’t it? There’s no way that sensei would ever dress like this.”

“My usual ragged attire is nothing but an act.” The Shadow scoffed. “Besides, a famous person living in that shack? I have another home… under a mistress’s name, of course.”

“Why am I not surprised?”

“If the “Sayuri” was stolen, why was it in the storage room?” Yusuke kept on trying to reason with the Shadow. “And if you had the real one, why make copies?”

“You still don’t see? Foolish child.” The director scoffed and chuckled. “The painting being stolen was just a fake rumor I spread! It was all a perfectly calculated staging!”

“What do you mean?!”

“Let me see… _How does this sound?” Madarame cleared his throat. “I found the real painting, but it can’t go public. You can have it for a special price, though.” He then laughed and smiled at his pupil. “How’s that for preferential treatment?! Art snobs’ll eat it up, and pay good cash at that!”

Yusuke yelled in disapproval, unable to comprehend the evil deeds of the ma he calls his sensei.

“The value of art is purely an illusion. What’s the matter with providing that illusion to eager customers?” The shogun was talking with his arms spread out as if it was preaching to a crowd. “Though I doubt a brat like you would ever come up with such a brilliant scheme!”

-o-

Yusuke felt sick to his stomach. He couldn’t believe that the… thing standing in front of him represented the truth behind Sense’s heart. All this greed and vanity… this isn’t the man that’s his father in everything but name.

He could hear that blonde boy and Takamaki-san speaking, but everything was background noise for him, everything but the twisted words of his teacher. Art? Nothing but a tool to gain money and fame? That went against everything he had taught him, that art was the way of expressing one’s soul into the world, a way of pursuing and showing true beauty to the world.

“But what about the people who believe in you?” It took everything he had not to throw up right that instant. “Who think you’re a master artist?!”

“I’ll tell you this, Yusuke. If you wish to succeed in the world of art, I suggest you don’t raise against me.” Its voice dropped, taking on a menacing tone. “Do you believe anyone could find success with my objection holding them down?”

“To think I was under the care of this wretched man!”

“You thought I took you in out of the goodness in my heart? Then you’re a bigger fool than I thought!” Madarame scoffed and shook his head. “Plucking talented, yet troubled artists allows me to find promising pupils and take their ideas. After all, it’s much easier to steal the futures of children who can’t fight back!”

“I… I can’t believe this.” Yusuke felt despair clinging to his heart, his body felt cold and numb…

“Livestock are killed for their hide and meat! This is no different, you fool! But I tire of this little chat. It’s time I-”

“You are unforgivable.” He didn’t know from where he had the strength to stand up anymore, but he would not bow to this man anymore. “It doesn’t matter who you are… I won’t forgive you!”

“So that’s it, then? You’re repaying all those years I kept you in with ingratitude? You damn brat!” The monster raised a hand in a commanding gesture. “Men! Dispose of these thieves!”

The guards took a step forward, he could hear Takamaki and her friends all standing ready to fight but, despite everything, he felt… calm.

“How amusing…” This moment was so absurd that he could only laugh. “It seems that truth is stranger than fiction, hm? I wanted to believe that it wasn’t true… I had clouded my vision for so long. My eyes were truly blind... Blind, and unable to see the true self behind this one horrible man!”

“Have you finally come to your senses?” A voice spoke right into his head. But he felt no fear, only… recognition.

A headache, stronger than any he could have felt before, began pounding into his head. His body felt cold, oh so cold, it was creeping, growing, covering his body.

“How foolishly you averted your eyes from the truth.” The voice said, a bit disappointed in Yusuke. “A deplorable imitation indeed. Best you part from that aspect of yourself!”

His legs could not keep him standing anymore, body falling to the ground and falling onto his hands and knees.

“Let us now forge a contract.” Yusuke dragged his left hand along the ground. He could feel how the floor broke his skin and his fingers left a bloody trail. “I am thou, thou art I. The world is filled with both beauty and vice. It is time you teach people which is which!”

Despite the cold covering his body… he realized that it didn’t bother him at all. In fact… it was welcoming, empowering his body with newfound strength. He felt a weight on his face, a mask by the looks of it.

“Very well.” His voice was calm and serene, speaking as he stood tall and proud. Yusuke dragged his bloody left hand along the mask, grabbed it by the edge on the opposite side of his face, and tore the mask out of his face. “Come, Goemon!” 

-o-

“There we go!” Itsumi thought to herself as she saw Yusuke getting enveloped by the blue flames that came with the awakening of one’s Persona.

When the flames receded, she got her first look at Yusuke’s Persona, Goemon. He was wearing a blue kimono with white accents, above that was a blue hakama. A wide obi cinched his waits and, on its feet, were black geta sandals. It also carried an oversized white smoking pipe in its hands.

Yusuke’s outfit wasn’t anything to laugh at either: a black high-collared puff-sleeved jumpsuit covered his body. A stripped sash was wrapped around his hips, white motorcycle boots on his feet, bright blue gloves, and a white foxtail was attached to his suit to compliment the white kitsune mask he was wearing earlier.

“A breathtaking sight… Imitations they may be, but together they make a fine spectacle.” The artist was overflowing with confidence, his movements were now sure and determined. “Though the flowers of evil blossom, be it known: Abominations are fated to perish!”

With a swipe of his arm, the Shadows that were surrounding them got covered in ince in an instant.

Madarame summoned more Shadows, but Yusuke stood his ground.

“The children who adored you as “father”, the prospects of your pupils. How many did you trample upon? How many did you exchange for riches?!” He raised a hand, declaring war on the man he once called Sensei.

“You got this?” Joker asked and, when all she got was a signal from the artist that she was ready, Joker pulled out her knife and pistol and stood ready. “Then let’s see what you’re made of!”

Chapter Text

Itsumi arrived home that night tired but also weirdly energized. They had successfully escaped Madarame’s Palace with the recently awakened Yusuke in tow. They took shelter in a small family restaurant in Shibuya where they discussed their next plans, welcomed Yusuke into the group, and found out that Madarame was going to take legal actions against all of them (Yusuke excluded since Madarame believed he was still chasing after Ann), but reassured them that they had until the end of the exhibit since the artist was going to be busy until then.

With their deadline established, seventeen days from today, the group agreed to meet up in two days to give Yusuke some time to recover from the awakening and to give him time to lay low and not raise any suspicion when they delve again into the Palace since Itsumi is planning on making the infiltration route in one go the next time they dive in. The sooner they deal with this plagiarizing asshole, the better.

“Say, Joker.” Morgana called out from her bed after he jumped out of her bag. “With Yusuke now joining the team… don’t you think it’ll be a bit complicated to fight around a Palace with five of us and not draw too much attention to ourselves?”

“I’ve been thinking the same thing, Mona.” Itsumi answered, dropping her bag and taking off her blazer. “And I think I have a solution for that. Yusuke, Annl, Ryuji, and I will do all the fighting, and I want you on recon and support. You’ve got the best pair of eyes on the team, you know what you’re looking for inside a Palace, and you have the best healing spells out of anyone. If there’s someone I trust to watch our backs, that’s you.”

Mona looked at her for a second, shocked at what he heard. Ever since waking up without his memories inside Kamoshida’s Palace he’s felt like trusting people would be hard. And yet here Itsumi was a month into their friendship and showing him just how much she trusts him. It made him happy in a way that he couldn’t describe.

“Besides, you’re my best friend. And I trust you with my eyes closed.”

“Me? Your best friend? I thought that was Monkey Brain.” Itsumi tapped his nose with the tip of her finger.

“Don’t call him that, he’s smarter than you give him credit for. But you’re wrong… kinda.” Itsumi sat on the bed and tapped her lap, signaling Morgana to get on it. “Ryuji is my best bro, he’s the guy I work out with, go and spend money on ramen because we both love it and just have a great time.”

“What about Lady Ann?”

“She’s my bestie, and yes there’s a difference. With Ann, I can talk about things I can’t with Ryuji, stuff that he most probably finds boring like crushes and stuff like that. She’s the friend I can go clothes shopping with, and get my nails done. Girl stuff.”

“Then if Ryuji is your best bro, Lady Ann is your bestie… then why am I your best friend?

“Oh, that’s an easy one.” She picks Morgana up and turns him so that he’s facing her. “Tell me, oh great cat of wisdom, who’s the one that makes sure I eat a balanced diet? Who reminds me to go to sleep at a reasonable time? Who keeps me grounded when I can’t sleep well? Who has stayed by my side ever since we began this whole Phantom Thief business?”

“Me?”

“Correct!” Itsumi says with a giggle. “Sure, Ann and Ryuji also worry about me, but you’re always here for me, lending me an ear when I need it. You encouraged me to get a part-time job because it would be beneficial for me. You’re constantly looking out for me and I appreciate that. A lot. So, when our days as thieves are over and I have to head back home after my probation year is over, you’re coming with me. It’s going to take some serious convincing, but I’m sure my mom will come around.”

“Oh! Speaking of your mom, you need to call her.” The little shit said with an adorable smile. Itsumi placed him back on her lap and leaned back with a groan. 

“Fuuuuck, I haven’t called her in almost a month… she’s probably worried.” Mona jumped off from her lap and then, a few seconds later, walked up to her and dropped something right by her head. Itsumi turned around and saw her phone right by her head. “Thanks, buddy.”

“It’s just a phone call, you can do this.” Itsumi picked up her phone, sat up, and then stood up from the bed. The contact of her mother, Kiria Amamiya, glared at her on the screen. With a deep breath, she dialed her number.

The phone rang once, twice…

“Itsumi?” Kiria’s voice spoke through the speakers. “It’s been almost a month since you last called.”

“Hi, mom.” The high school girl said, pacing around her room. “I… I know, I’m sorry. I’ve been busy with school, friends, and a part-time I found at a flower shop.”

“I’m glad you’re enjoying your time there in Tokyo.” A few seconds of silence. “I’m guessing you took this job so you wouldn’t be a burden on Sojiro, right?”

“That’s right. He’s been nice enough to let me stay here at his café, he’s even teaching me how to brew a good cup of coffee.” She says with a smile.

“Oh really?” Her mom chuckled. “I’ll have to try a cup when I go visit you during the summer, then.”

Itsumi almost dropped her phone from the shock when she heard the news.

“Y-You’re coming over? I… I didn’t know that.” B̵̞̐́é̵̲̄c̷̱̚ā̵͉u̸͍̔̋ś̵̖͊ë̵̯͕ ̷̨̘́̔ȳ̸̲̚o̶͎͠͝u̶͕̇̆ ̸̳̯̌ḋ̸̮͝ǒ̵̜ñ̴̢̪'̴̥̼̊̾t̸̡̫͂̓ ̶̬͇͆t̶͐̿͜ä̶̖̳l̴̼̪͑k̵̛̪ ̸̩͌t̷̛̺͕́o̷̺͋ ̴̙̀̂h̶̝͘ẻ̴͇̞͗r̸͓͐ ̶͙̼̽a̷̭̩̓s̶͎͆̋ ̸̬͋͜m̵͉͊͗u̴̫̳̐c̵̳͔̏̕h̵̢̫͌ ̷͐͘ͅǎ̶̢̓ṡ̶̭̕ ̸͍̞̈́́ȳ̸̲̐ō̵̩̼ù̵̹ ̶̛͔̿ś̸̺͌h̶̻̱͊̀ȯ̵͎u̶͖͠l̶͈̊d̵̖̙͝. “Why’s that?”

She cringed. What kind of question was that?!

“What? Can’t a mother go and check on her daughter?” Her mom said with a huff. “Or drop by to check on an old friend and thank him for taking in my daughter?”

“N-No! You can… it’s just. Well I thought you’d be busy with work so you probably wouldn’t have time to come here, that’s all. I just… wasn’t expecting it.”

Itsumi heard her mom sigh and she could see in her mind the sight of her shaking her head.

“Oh, my little Dropplet.” Itsumi almost choked once more. It’s been years since… “I know things are rough between us right now, have been for years since your dad passed away. But know that I still love you, more than anything. You’re my daughter and… and all I want for you is to be okay.”

Itsumi had to take a few seconds to recompose herself. She could feel tears forming in the corners of her eyes. Once she calmed down, Itsumi placed the phone back to her ear.

“I’m… I’m fine, mom. Tokyo is very nice, my friends are… dorks. And we just made a new one, he’s an artist. He’s also very… extravagant is the word I think describes him perfectly. I also picked up a stray cat and he’s the sweetest thing ever.”

“Hey!”

“Was that him?” Kiria asked with a chuckle.

“Yup, that was him. He’s very vocal, almost as if he could speak and understand us. I’ll introduce you to him when you come, you’re going to love him.”

“Can’t wait to meet him and your friends.” Itsumi heard a second voice in the background for a few seconds before her mother spoke to her again. “Sorry, I have to go. I have a meeting to attend to. Don’t take too long to call me again, okay?”

“I won’t, that’s a promise.” She smiled and sat back on her bed. “I love you, mom.”

“Love you too, Droplet. Take care.” And the line went dead.

Itsumi stared at her phone for a few seconds with a smile on her face. She felt Morgana rubbing his head against the side of her body and she turned to look at him.

“Everything okay?” He asked, a bit worried.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just a bit… emotional.” She scratched behind his ears, in that little spot he loved so much. “She used a nickname I haven’t heard since my dad died and… and it just… hurt a bit. That’s all. But not in a bad way! More like… it just reminded me of him.”

“You’ve talked about your dad a couple of times. You mind if I asked what happened to him?”

“I’ll tell you, but not today.” Itsumi stood up and gathered her things for bathing. “That call with mom left me exhausted and I just want to rest for the night. But I promise I’ll tell you about it soon, okay?”

Morgana nodded and Itsumi left for the bathhouse. After today’s events and the phone call with her mom, she needed to relax in a nice, hot bath.

-o-

05/23

They had decided to give Yusuke the whole weekend to rest and to continue playing the part of the subservient disciple, to clear him of any suspicion in the eyes of Madarame. They would tackle the other half of the Palace tomorrow, so she talked with her friends in the group chat, letting everyone know of the date they were going diving.

Ryuji asked then if she had anything to do after school that day, which she didn’t, so he asked if she wanted to hang out with him today at the arcade. Since she didn’t have anything else to do, Itsumi agreed to meet him after school.

As usual, nothing interesting happened other than the principal calling for the Student President over the intercom during lunch. What could he want of her? Itsumi didn’t mind. Unless it was something about them… that could be slightly worrying. But since there was no physical evidence of their involvement in the Kamoshida case, not in this world at least, Itsumi wasn’t really worried.

Once school was over and she met up with Ryuji by the stairs, she could feel a pair of eyes on her when they got to the bottom of it. Itsumi looked around and spotted no one watching them… but she did spot something unusual. Deciding not to pay too much attention to it, she shrugged and followed her blonde friend.

During their walk towards the metro station, during the ride to Shibuya, and even when they walked out of the train and into the district itself, Itsumi still felt eyes on them. Her suspicions were confirmed when she heard Morgana calling to her.

“We’ve got a tail, Joker.” The cat whispered from within her bag.

“What’s that mean?” Ryuji asked, still walking and looking forward.

“It means that someone’s following us. Have been since we left the school.” When he tried to turn around, Itsumi smacked him on the top of his head. “Don’t turn around. Whoever is following us… is probably using you to guide themselves since I blend in quite easily.”

In a flash of inspiration, Itsumi quickly took off her blazer and then handed it, and her bag, to Ryuji.

“Whatever you do, don’t stop walking. I’ll meet you two at the arcade.” And then she was gone, blending into the crowd like a ghost. Ever since she awakened to Arsene, Itsumi found that she had gotten quite good at being stealthier, often scaring Sojiro whenever she walked downstairs without making a sound.

Once she was sure that she was, most probably, out of sight of her pursuer, Itsumi closed her eyes, focused, and then used her Thief’s Sight. usually, whenever she used it in the real world, it would only reveal to her where she could find shops or places where she could use her money to buy useful things. But, sometimes, whenever she focused on trying to find something, it would highlight that something in the same way it would within a Palace. She had never tried it trying to find a person… but when she saw the silhouette of someone shining bright blue, Itsumi smirked and moved forward.

-o-

“What am I doing, what am I doing, what am I doing?!”

That was the question that kept on repeating in Makoto Niijima’s head as she followed Amamiya and Sakamoto through the streets of Shibuya. Well, more like she followed Ryuji since he was easier to spot within a crowd thanks to his blonde hair.

The youngest Niijima clutched the magazine she was using as cover a bit harder, keeping it just below her eyes so that she could track them without losing sight of him.

The principal had called her to his office during lunch to ask her if she had made any progress in discovering who the Phantom Thieves were. When she told her that she hadn’t made any progress, he reminded her that her chances of getting into a good college depended on her getting results and finding who these “scoundrels” were.

Makoto had her suspicions, a group of three students had been close to Kamoshida during the few weeks that led to his sudden change and the reveal of his crimes: Ann Takamaki, Ryuiji Sakamoto and the newcomer Itsumi Amamiya.

 Just remembering his confession made her sick to her stomach. To think that a teacher was doing something so disgusting as sexually abusing his students… and worse was that he had been covered up by the parents of those students and even the principal himself!

The Council President shook her head, clearing her thoughts from that particular case. It had already passed, Kamoshida had been arrested, and Suzui was recovering after… another shake of her head. No use thinking about that right now when she had other things to worry about.

When she looked back at Sakamoto, Makoto frowned and stared at him a bit more. Something was off… he was carrying an extra bag and a blazer that wasn’t his.

“Where is Amamiya…?” Makoto murmured, trying to spot Itsumi's head.

“You know, Senpai…” Suddenly a voice spoke right behind. Makoto did not yelp, and she did not almost drop the magazine.

Makoto turned around and found herself face to face with the same woman she was trying to find. She had ditched her blazer and jacket and was looking at her with a smirk that made her stomach do weird flips. Something to analyze later.

“If you're going to follow someone, at least make sure that the magazine you're using as cover isn’t upside-down.”

Itsumi then snatched the magazine from her hands, twisted it around, and then placed it correctly in her hands. Makoto had been so busy following them that she hadn't even noticed the magazine wasn't in the right position.

“T-Thanks… I mean.” Makoto shook her head while closing the magazine and stuffing it in her bag. “I wasn't following you. I just came to Shibuya because I needed to buy some reference books at the bookstore.”

“Sure, that excuse could work.” Her smirk grew a bit, her eyes shining with mischief. “If we weren't half a block past the bookstore.”

The black-haired girl pointed behind her back and Makoto paled when she saw that they were, in fact, half a block past the bookstore.

Her options were running out, her excuses as to why she was, in fact, following them were running thin.

“Uh… um.” Makoto was getting flustered, something that hadn't happened in a while. Her options were few.

“I know you're probably keeping an eye on the school’s most notorious delinquents.” Itsumi admitted with a chuckle as if amused by that thought. “But if you wanted to know more about me, all you had to do was ask. Tell you what, hand me your phone.”

Makoto tilted her head, confused by the sudden request. So baffled by it that she hadn't realized she was doing as Itsumi asked until the girl had her phone in her hands.

After typing on it for a bit, Itsumi handed her phone back with a smile. On the screen was the girl's contact information saved under the name “Shujin’s Best Delinquent.”

“Don't be a stranger, Prez.” Itsumi winked at her and then walked away with a wave of her hand. “See ya, around!”

And then she was gone, blending into the crowd like a shadow melting into darkness.

Her previous thoughts had been replaced, a new phrase now running in her head.

“What just happened?”

Chapter Text

05/25

Once reality stopped shifting and they found themselves standing in front of the museum again, Itsumi took a second to take a proper look at Yusuke’s Phantom Thief outfit and liked what she saw. The dark colors contrasted nicely with the white of the collar and his boots, as well as the little fox tail clipped to his belt.

“Oh, right.” Mona caught everyone’s attention. “We haven't decided on a codename for the recruit yet!”

“Codename?” Yusuke asked, tearing his eyes from the museum. “If I may ask, what’s the purpose of codenames if I already know yours?”

“Well… one: they sound cool.” Joker chuckled, a gesture that her two blondes mimicked. “And second: we don’t know what effect will have if we scream our names out loud within someone’s heart, so they’re also there as a failsafe.”

“I see, very clever.” Yusuke nodded. “Mind if I ask what are your codenames?”

“Sure! I was going to list them anyway, but good to know you have initiative!” Mona smiled and then proceeded to name all the codenames while pointing at their respective owner. “Now we’re just missing yours… any ideas?”

And so, Skull and Panther began to brainstorm some ideas here and there, with Mona and Yusuke providing commentary on what they thought about them. However, it was mostly Mona rejecting Skull’s ideas while Yusuke agreed to them. When the four of them realized that they were getting nowhere, they all turned to Joker who had taken a quick trip to the Velvet Room to fuse some Persona’s and add them to the Compendium.

“What do you think, Joker?” Panther asked. “Any suggestions?”

Thankfully, Itsumi was smart enough to figure out that her friends were still trying to figure out a codename for Yusuke, so she wasn’t totally lost on what they were talking about. The leader of the Phantom Thieves narrowed her eyes and inspected Yusuke’s outfit once more, her eyes focusing on the tail clipped on his belt and the shape of his mask.

“How about: Fox?” Joker saw her friends smile, liking the idea. “You know, because of his mask and the tail clipped to his belt?”

“Keep it literal, I like it!”

“Sounds good!”

“What do you think, Fox?” Mona asked, looking up at the newly named Fox.

“It’s acceptable.” Joker smiled to herself, pleased that he had liked it.

“It’s set, then. Let’s go!” Skull, ever the enthusiast, was vibrating with excitement.

“One last thing before we start our infiltration.” Joker spoke up, her voice taking a more serious tone. “Now that there’s five of us, our formation will be a bit different than we’re used to. Fox, Panther, and Skull, you guys will join me on the front line, we’re going to be the main attack force and it’ll be our duty to deal with any Shadow we encounter. Mona will be playing support, staying on the back, and keeping us healed as well as providing information and guidance, understood?”

She got four simultaneous nods. Seems like they still respect her as their leader. Good. With that information out of the way, they taught Fox the way they used the Safe Rooms to warm from one place in the Palace to another.

-o-

After they walked into the second building, the group found another brochure that had the rest of the Palace’s map. Mona and Joker memorized it and concluded that the Treasure must be at the very back of the Palace, right in the middle of the main hall. The path wouldn’t be easy. They would need to pass through the lounge and the gallery if they wanted to reach their target and the deeper they went, the tighter security would be.

But there were five of them, now. Things would probably be easier for them with the addition of Fox to their team. He was fast and precise with his sword, his physical attacks dealt a lot of damage to downed Shadows, and his Bufu spells, which dealt ice damage, were strong as well.

The team sneaked through the lounge, avoiding the laser grid to not alert the guards, and nicked some valuables from a few locked treasure chests they found here and there. Their progress was halted when they encountered a strong Shadow just… straight up blocking a hallway, right by the entrance of another security room.

Without other options to take, the group did the only reasonable thing they could do: fight their way through. The fight was tough, but thanks to their exceptional teamwork (and some luck) they made it through with no casualties! And they also got some nice loot! A card that had a skill engraved on it, which meant that she could use it to teach that skill to either one of her many Personas or have one of her friends learn a new skill. Very dope.

After swiping a new katana for Fox from a nearby locked chest, they walked into the security room… and the computer in there had a password. Because of course, it did! They could never get easy puzzles. With a round of grumbling and complaining, the group backtracked a bit and eavesdropped on the conversation between two Shadows, one of them mentioning that it had changed to password to the number on Lord Madarame’s feet.

“Any idea what that could mean?” Panther asked, clearly confused by the guard’s slip-up. “Maybe his shoe size?”

“Yo, Fox! You know the bastard’s shoe size?”

“He never mentioned it.” Fox rubbed his chin, thinking. “But I don’t think that’s the correct answer. I remember seeing a statue of Sensei at the entrance of this building. Maybe we could find our answer there.”

“Yeah, I remember the statue. Skul and I fought a Shadow in front of it when Panther opened the path for us a few days ago.” Joker nodded to Fox, a silent praise for his deduction. “Let’s get going, then. Let’s see if Fox is right.”

The five of them backtracked through the lounge, avoiding the lasers once more and dealing with the two guards that were patrolling the area. Just as Fox had said, there was a statue of Madarame with a plaque by its feet.

“Here we praise our most holy lord Ichiryusai Madarame, the one ray of hope in this depraved world.” Joker read out loud. “He stands alone as his two adept hands paint into the future. None shall ever match his excellence.”

“Pfffft!” Skull laughed once Joker stopped reading. “He’s really tooting his own horn, ain’t he?”

“Thus must be the spot those two Shadows were talking about.” Panther said, looking at the statue. “But isn’t the password supposed to be numbers? I don’t see any!”

“I do believe there are numbers here, though.” Fox stepped right by Joker’s side to read the plaque. “One” ray of hope stands “alone” with “two adept hands.” “None” shall match him.”

“So it would be 1120, correct?” Joker asked, both Fox and Mona nodding their heads. “Alright, then. We’ve got what we came looking for, let’s head back and turn off the security.”

And back to the security room they went. Just like they suspected, the password was correct and the iron grates that were blocking their path opened up, and were able to continue… or they would be able to if there were a path for them to take. According to the map, there’s supposed to be a path right at the end of that side of the lounge. And there is! The problem is, it’s blocked by a laser grid they can’t either jump over or slide below.

After knocking their heads for a bit, trying to figure out a way to cross, Joker gave up and decided to use her Thief Sight to find a solution. And she did find one… just not in the way she was expecting. On the left side of the wall was a giant painting partially embedded into the ground and, for some reason, her Sight was telling her that there was something she could do with it. Curiosity got the best of her and she touched it

The surface felt liquid, like water, and her hand passed through the paint and into the other end. She pulled it back and, after seeing that it was perfectly normal, she called the rest of the team to inform them of her findings.

“So you think we can, what, walk into the painting?” Skull asked, looking at the painting as if it would come to life and attack them.

“That’s my theory, yes.” Joker says while stepping closer to it once more and slipping her hand through. “And I think we can use this painting to get to that one over there.”

Joker then points to another painting up to the right, one that shares a similar art style, and one of its corners is placed above the ground on a platform on the next floor.

“Hm, a plausible theory.” Fox looked at the painting in front of them, and then at the one Joker was pointing at. “I think you may be right, Joker.”

“One way to find out, then.” Without wasting a second, Joker walked into the painting. It felt odd as if she were walking through water. But other than that, she was perfectly fine. “All good, guys. Come on in!”

The rest of the Thieves jump after her and, after they get used to walking within the painting, they make their way to the edge of the canvas, and just as they are about to bump against the invisible edge, they find themselves walking on the painting that Joker had pointed out a few seconds ago.

After jumping out of the painting they find an air vent that they crawl into and, once they come out through the other end, find themselves on the other side of the laser grid that was blocking their path. They walked a few feet forward and found a Shadow patrolling the area. They dealt with it quickly and walked into the nearby Safe Room.

“Alright gang, let’s take a moment to relax. We’ve been working hard and deserve a small break.” Joker speaks while pulling out a few cans of soda from the pocket dimension within her coat and distributing them to her friends. Skull and Panther sat by the table that was there while Mona climbed up on it.

Joker was going to join her friends y the table when a hand grabbed her shoulder. Turning around, she found herself face-to-face with Fox who was looking at her with a sort of serious expression.

“Joker, may I speak with you for a moment?” He asked, motioning with his head to a corner further away from the group.

“Sure.” She follows him, cracking open her soda on the way. “What do you need?”

“I’ve seen the way you fight and it is truly magnificent.” Itsumi almost spilled her soda, not expecting the compliment. “I can’t help but admire the way you move, such speed and precision… magnificent! and I’ve come up with a magnificent idea, an attack that combines our shared talents of speed and accuracy.”

And so, Fox starts to describe to her what he had envisioned in his mind. And Joker can’t help but feel excited about it, it sounded amazing! But what he spoke of… with their current abilities… it would be impossible to realize. Just as that thought crossed her mind, she felt the start that Jose, the little boy they met in Mementos, began to glow. He said that it would grant their wishes… maybe… She communicated this to Fox and told him about who gave it to them and what it could do. This only served to excite him more, the prospect of their joint attack being possible, it was a thrilling thought.

Once the team was rested enough, they ventured out once more. 

On the other side of the door at the end of the small hall they were in the group found what Joker could only assume was the gallery. There were a few more big paintings and she didn’t see another way of crossing to the other side of the gallery without walking through them. Solving the puzzle took a bit of time, but eventually, they figured out which exits they should take to reveal the other paintings, and thus managed to cross to the other side. And no, she won't talk about how they got tossed out of a painting by an angry octopus.

The next room turned out to be the storage room and, within it, they found the room that contained the Green Vanity Seed, thus collecting their second Will Seed of this Palace.

The next room was… incredibly confused. It reminded Joker of that painting with various stairs and gateways in different positions. And, just like the painting, the layout of this room was confusing. Thankfully for them, Fox figured out the path. All they had to do was take the paths with the correct replica of the Sayuri. Once they crossed the labyrinth they finally arrived at their destination: the main room.

Just like they expected, the silvery orb that would become the Treasure was sitting in the middle of the room, surrounded by guards, a laser grid, and Shadow Madarame himself. There was also a second floor with a few balconies that overlooked the center so that everyone could gaze upon the magnificent form of a silver orb. They found a Safe Room and a control room with an unlocked computer. Someone’s going to get fired~

From the computer, they could either turn off the lasers, shut down the main power or open the shutters. After fiddling around, they discovered that, if they shut off the main power, it would stay like that for a few seconds before the backup power source turned everything back on, it wasn’t much but could be more than enough for them. Deciding to just open the shutters for now, the group found their way to the second floor where they found a Safe Room up there and, through a secret tunnel, they found the third and final Will Seed.

But their greatest finds were the access to the rafters that hung up on the ceiling, right above the exhibition, and a lever that lowered a hook right above the Treasure itself. And, suddenly, the group had their heist planned: someone would turn off the lights, while someone else got lowered with the hook directly above the Treasure, grab it, and then get pulled back up once more before the lights get turned on once more. With their plan made, and their route set, the group traced their way back to the nearest Safe Room and used it to leave the Palace.

-o-

05/26

School that day was an afterthought for Itsumi, her mind was focused on the more pressing task she had at hand: stealing Madarame’s Treasure.

The scale of this operation was bigger than Kamoshida’s, and there was no room for any mistake. Everything must happen at the right time, or they risk getting caught. And they only have one shot at this, so everything must be perfect.

Itsumi sent a text through the group chat, asking if someone could go on a supply run while she checked Untouchables for any new weapons or armor they could buy (she also wanted to stop by the Velvet Room to complete the latest task the twins gave her and fuse some new Personas.)

Once school let up and everyone got their tasks done and out of the way, the gang met at their usual meeting spot.

“If I remember correctly, we now must send a “calling card”, correct?” Yusuke asked, and the other four thieves nodded. “Why’s that? I remember the explanation but still don’t quite understand it.”

“Oh, that’s an easy one!” Ann piped up, a proud smile on her face. “You remember that glowing, silvery orb that Shadow Madarame was guarding? Well, that’s the Treasure. But in the way it was, we can’t steal it. To do that it needs to have a solid shape, something we can actually grab. That’s what the calling card’s for! We make him aware that his desires are a thing to be stolen, and that they’re in danger!”

“But wouldn’t that raise the security level of the Palace?”

“Yup, but we’re counting on that!” Ryuji said with a smirk. “Why do you think we taught you the whole Safe Room jumping thing?”

“I see, that makes sense.” Yusuke nodded, approving of their smart plan. “Then I’d like to make a request. May I handle the making of the calling card? I think that, with my skills, I could make something worth of the Phantom Thieves themselves!”

“Alright, sounds good.” Itsumi turned to Ryuji. “Wanna help him out? You know since you did the first one.”

“Sure thing, boss.”

“Ew, no. Sojiro is “Boss”, that’s his thing.”Leader works for me.”

“Heh, gotcha!” Ryuji stood up and patted Yusuke on the shoulder. “Let’s get going, rookie!”

The two boys left, leaving the girls and Morgana behind. Itsumi looked at them and hummed, picking up her bag and scratching him behind the ear.

“Why don’t you go with them, Mona? Make it a boys' night or something like that?”

“Oh! Great idea, Joker!” Morgana jumped out of the bag, stretched his little body, and then sat on the floor. “That way I can make sure they do things properly and, once the card is done, I can go and deliver it immediately! After that I’m coming back home, so leave the window open okay?”

“Sure thing, little man. Now go, watch over them.”

Morgana smiled at her and then ran after Ryuji and Yusuke.

“That was nice of you, Itsumi.” Ann said once the cat was out of earshot.

“I know.” She says with a smile. “He likes having things to do, to feel useful. He’s also very prideful and likes to think that everything is his idea. All I did was give him a slight push.”

“Again, nice.” Both girls were interrupted by the sound of a notification from a phone. Ann checked hers and frowned. “Wasn’t mine.”

Itsumi pulled her phone out from her bag and had to fight back the smile that was forming on her face. It was a message from an unknown number. A simple thing, just a few words, but it made her smile nonetheless.

[UnknownNumber] “Hi, it’s Makoto.”

“Who is it? Why are you smiling like that?!” Ann squinted her eyes and tried to sneak a glance at the screen, but Itsumi locked her phone which made the blonde glare at her. “Okay, that's it! I’m cashing in that crepe you owe me, and you’re going to tell me who texted you to make you smile like that!”

And it was at that precise moment that Itsumi regretted giving her number to Makoto.

-o-

Makoto Niijima was pacing back and forth inside the safe confines of her room, questioning the decisions that had led her to this very moment: texting the delinquent that might or might not be part of the Phantom Thieves.

She doesn’t really know why she did it, honestly. It was an impulse decision. A spur of moment thing. Sis wasn’t home, she had done all the homework and studying she could and even worked on the material from her prep school.

So, in a word, Makoto had nothing to do. It was a first for her, having no impending tasks other than waiting for the principal to answer the email she sent him about the trip to the park they were organizing to try and build the school’s credibility back up.

It had been a few hours since she sent the message. Something short and simple, nothing too complicated. Not even she could screw up something as easy as a simple text message.

Her phone pinged with a new notification and the sound almost made her jump.

[Shujin’sBestDelinquent] “Hey! Sorry for taking so long to answer. Ann kidnapped me for crepes and now my wallet is screaming for help.”

Makoto read the message a couple of times, silently wondering why she hadn’t changed the name of Amamiya’s contact.

[Makoto] “It’s okay. I texted you out of impulse but didn’t want to sound rude so I just… didn’t delete the message.”

[Shujin’sBestDelinquent] “Out of impulse, eh? I’m hurt, Prez! Wounded, even.”

Makoto scoffed and shook her head. Why does Amamiya like to be so dramatic?

[Makoto] “Oh, shut up. Don’t make a big deal out of it.”

And that’s how she spent the rest of her evening, texting the school’s newest troublemaker instead of studying. 

What a bad girl.

-o-

05/27

The job had been done, the card had been sent, and the museum’s alarms were blasting at full volume. This may be the second time she sees a Palace in full alert, and she’s thankful that they don’t have to sneak the whole way in once again. Joker doesn’t want to deal with a Palace on high alert.

The operation itself went great, without a hitch. They snuck in, Skull and Panther handled the lights, Fox was standing by on the lever, and Mona was the lucky guy who got suspended on the cable to steal the covered painting. With the Treasure safely in their hands and a horde of guards running behind them, the gang was forced to escape through a window they had access to from the rafters.

After some roof jumping and running, the five thieves found themselves back in the garden in between the two buildings. Within this relative safety, the gang decided they should take a look at the Treasure.

“Come on, come on. Hurry!” Mona murmured as he unwrapped the painting. “Aja! Huh?”

Huh was an appropriate reaction, one that was mimicked by the rest of the thieves. The painting was… wholly underwhelming. Just a simple, crude sketch of a face.

“Get back!” Fox yelled and everyone jumped back at the same time. And glad they did it because an electric fence closed the space around the Treasure (?).

“Meddlesome vermin.” Shadow Madarame spoke from behind them, and Joker cursed. They had been set up. “Where you looking for this?”

Right there, in the hands of a guard, was another painting. The real Treasure.

“So you had a fake prepped, huh?! Crafty bastard.”

“Counterfeits are accepted in the world of Japanese art.” The Shadow chuckled. “Besides, did you really expect me to just leave my Treasure there, unguarded? I knew you vermins would try to steal it, so I simply laid out some bait.”

“Sense! What made you change like this?! Is it because you became famous?!” Fox yelled, hurt and distraught at the sight of his foster father’s scheme and machinations. “Can’t you understand how much it pains me to inquire about the crimes of my foster father?!”

Madarame stood there in complete silence for a few seconds. He then turned his head to look at Yusuke with a cruel smile and Itsumi felt a shiver running down her spine.

“Hm, now that I remember… the only reason I took you in was because of my ties with your mother. That woman never lost her passion for painting, not even after her husband died.” Shadow Madarame chuckled. “Her skills and talents were quite astonishing, that’s why I decided to look after her. Her and the artwork she created, they’re all MY works of art!”

“I suppose I can grant you a gift before you die.” He said, motioning with his head to the guard that was holding it. “A glimpse of the genuine “Sayuri!”

When the guard lifted the painting and revealed to them what was on it… Itsumi could understand why something like it could inspire many others to try and become artists. But there was something different with this Sayuri something it was lacking that all the others they had seen had: the clouds covering the bottom half of the painting were gone. Instead, in their place, they saw that the woman in the painting was holding a baby, revealing to all of them what she had been gazing a all this time.

“It can’t be… mom” Fox murmured, loud enough for everyone to hear.

“Indeed it is. This was painted by your mother, a portrait of herself.” Madarame chuckled, tilting his chin up. “A woman who, in her final days, painted her last wishes for the son she would leave behind. That is the mystery behind “Sayuri”’s expression!”

“How dare you?!” Itsumi was livid, furious. How dare he steal something as intimate as a mother’s last wish. “How dare you steal something so intimate!”

“Shut your mouth, vermin. I did what I had to do to obtain glory.” The Shadow lowered the painting and tucked it safely under its arm. “I knew at first glance, that it would be a huge success if I added a touch to the painting and announced it under my name!”

“Then why paint over the baby?” Itsumi asked with anger. “Why cover it up?”

“To stage it, of course.” The Shadow shrugged. “If the babe was covered, the reason for the woman’s expression would become a mystery! And that’s exactly what each parasitic critic wrote about!”

While the rest of the group yelled insults at the “artist”, Itsumi shifted her focus to Yusuke, who had become oddly quiet. The boy simply gazed at the ground, thinking.

“You said that once your “art” outlived its usefulness, you disposed of it.” His words silenced the crowd, all turning to look at him. “Did that include my mother as well?”

“Not at all!” Madarame smiled once more, making the blood within Itsumi’s vein boil even more. “She just so happened to have a seizure right in front of me. That’s when a thought crossed my mind! If I don’t call for help and leave her be, I could obtain her painting without any strings atta-”

Madarame’s rambling was cut off but the sound of a gun firing, closely followed by a Shadow disintegrating into smoke, the painting fell to the ground as the guard that was guarding it jumped in front of him to take the bullet in his place.

All eyes turned to look at Joker who had her gun raised, aimed straight at the bastard himself, smoke coming out from the barrel. She was glaring at him, eyes filled with anger and hate as she shot three more bullets at him. His other guard jumped as well, taking the shots for him, and dissolving once its body fell dead to the ground.

“You stood there and watched her die.” Itsumi’s voice was dripping with venom and anger. “You did nothing as she suffered, dying right in front of you. And you did nothing!! I’ve had enough of you, Madarame. We’re stealing the “Sayuri” and we’re going to make you confess your crimes.”

“I’d like to see you try.” Shadow Madarame began to laugh, his body morphing and distorting until it burst out in an explosion of black goop. When it reformed, it took the shape of four floating paintings: two eyes, a nose, and a mouth with a mustache on top of it. “Since my guards were so incompetent, I’ll kill you myself!!”

The fight against the four paintings was tough: the eyes would absorb any elemental damage they ditched at them, while the mouth would absorb any physical damage they inflicted upon it. To make matters worse, they had to defeat the four of them at the same time or they would start to recover one by one. But once they figured out how to deal with them, it was easy.

When the four pieces of The Painter were defeated, they melted into a pool of black goop and reformed into the shape of Shadow Madarame.

“I’m the great artist Madarame!” It yelled, breathing hard after being forced to reform. “I’m not someone that worthless brats like you are allowed to defy!”

“I’ve had enough of your egoistic ranting!” Fox cut him off, aiming at the Shadow with his rifle. “Taste the wrath of all those you’ve preyed upon!”

That’s when Joker felt it, a surge of power coming from the star within her jacket. It glowed and pulsed and Itsumi knew that, if there was a perfect moment to use that move… it would be now. She pulled it out from within her jacket and smiled.

“Fox!” The boy turned to look at her, and then at the star in her hand, “Let’s show him what we’ve got!”

The other three thieves jumped back in confusion when Joker tossed the star up in the air. It began to glow and, when it subsided, the landscape around them had changed. 

Instead of the courtyard of the Museum, the gang now stood in the courtyard of an old Japanese mansion, a sakura tree in full boom served as the backdrop for what seemed some sort of last stand between two samurai. On one end of the courtyard stood Joker, her dagger clutched in her right hand.

“I wish it didn't have to be this way, my friend.” She said, readying her weapon.

“So do I.” Fox spoke from the other end, weapon drawn and ready to strike. “But this was our fate, all along. To face each other, a fight to the death.”

The two thieves stood still for a moment, pink petals falling to the ground… and then they dashed at each other, weapons poised and ready to kill themselves. But they never collided. Their weapons never touched. Instead, their true target was Madarame who had been standing in between them. After a second passed, ice flowers bloomed all over his body and then burst out in black flames.

Everything flashed once more and they were back at the museum, Madarame standing, clutching his abdomen, black ooze leaking from a wound on his side.

“Holy shit! What was that?!” Skull yelled, obviously excited.

“We’ll explain later, battle’s not over yet.”

True to her word, Madarame was still standing and glaring at them.

“I’m the great artist, Madarame!” He yelled, black ooze dripping from his mouth. “If you brats can't fathom that, then you’ll witness it for yourselves! Behold my master craft!”

He swiped his hand toward them and, in a flash of gold and black energy, four clones stood by his side: one was yellow and was surrounded by lightning, a red one surrounded by fire, a blue one surrounded by ice, and a green one surrounded by wind.

“Of course, he would make duplicates of himself.” Joker said, rolling her eyes. “Panther; go for the blue one! Skull, you take green! Fox, red! Mona, deal with the yellow one! I’ll handle the real one.”

“Roger!”

And so, with orders given and received, each one went to fight against their designated target. Her team each dealt with their respective counterfeit in no time, her assessment of their weakness had been correct. Which meant that she had the focus of the real one all to herself. And between her relentless assault and his focus on creating more and more copies, he was bound to fail at some point.

True to her expectations, his copies began to come out as failures, each one weaker than the other one, some even were created asleep. Her team, god bless them, had taken to switch targets whenever the copy they were facing wasn’t a good match for them. It's thanks to things like this that she’s glad to have them covering her back.

Eventually, Shadow Madarame ran out of ink to use, having wasted it all in creating counterfeits and trying to attack Joker. And once he was all out of gas… they ganged up on him, Fox delivering the final blow of their All-Out Attack, and sealing Madarame’s fate.

Now that he was defeated, and with no way to defend himself, Shadow Madarame began to crawl away from Fox, the “Sayuri” held within his hands.

“No one cares for true art… all they want are easily recognizable brands!” He whimpered, trying to get away from the Fox that was hunting him. “I’m a victim in this too!”

“Trying to make excuses no?” Fox growled, slowly making his way towards his former sensei. “Pathetic.”

“The world revolves around money, you can’t rise without it!” The Shadow lifted the “Sayuri” using it as a sort of shield. “Yusuke, my boy, you understand, don’t you?! The life of a poor artist is truly miserable!”

Yusuke snatched the Treasure from the Shadow’s hands and then grabbed him by the collar of his kimono.

“A fiend like you has no right to speak about the world of art! You’re done for, along with this whole wretched world!” His grip tightened and Madaramefeared for his life.

“Please, don’t kill me!”

“Killing you would be too easy, vermin .” Yusuke spat out, pushing the Shadow back to the ground. “You will crawl back to reality and confess your sins. Swear it!”

“W-What about the other one? The one with the black mask?” Fox turned to look at the rest of the group, confusion written all over his face.

“We don’t know anyone with a black mask… other than Mona. But he’s been with us the whole time.”

They would’ve stayed to try and get more information out of Madarame, but the Palace was starting to collapse. Mona transformed into the Monabus and everyone, with the Treasure safe in Yusuke’s hands, left the Palace.

-o-

Itsumi arrived incredibly tired and sore at Leblanc that night, Morgana fell asleep as soon as his whole body touched her bed. She performed her nightly routine on autopilot, even the bath she took at the bathhouse wasn’t enough to pull her out of the stupor she found herself in.

Before she fell asleep, Itsumi sent a text message to her mom. Four words. Nothing more, nothing else.

“I love you, mom.”

Chapter Text

05/30

Itsumi woke up early that day feeling strangely refreshed, despite the boring activity the school had prepared for them today, Itsumi had a feeling that today would be a great day. 

She got into her PE uniform and decided to wear pants instead of shorts because there was no way she would walk through the streets of Tokyo in her shorts. There were too many creeps out there, and she wasn’t going to give them a free meal.

Speaking of creeps, Itsumi saw the Yoshizawa girl getting harassed by an old man. Ew. Being the good girl that she (allegedly) is, Istumi stepped in to save the day. The old man also tried to flirt with her, but a single glare sent him running away scared. Thanks, Mom, for giving her the scary genes she needed to scare creepy men away.

With her good deed of the day done, Itsumi waved goodbye to the younger girl and went and walked the rest of the way to the park by herself.

The activity itself was fairly simple: find your assigned group, collect trash, and then report to a member of the faculty once the time was over, After they finished, some other teachers and students had prepared lunch for all of them. During all the time they were cleaning, Itsumi felt a pair of eyes on her.

More specifically, a pair of reddish-brown eyes.

Itsumi spent her lunchtime talking with Yoshizawa (her name’s Kasumi, but she just found that out) and the other girl agreed to teach Itsumi a bit of gymnastics. With her work as a Phantom Thief, a bit of flexibility would come in very handy and it also gave her a new Arcana: the Faith Arcana. But for some reason, when this one formed, it felt… odd. Almost broken.

Peculiar. She might ask Igor about it later.

-o-

06/01

The Phantom Thieves spent the next few days clearing a few targets in Mementos, as well as taking the chance to train and bond further as a team. But her mind was on a new subject, a new mission. Or, more importantly, stopping her friends from doing something stupid.

She overheard Ryuji and Mishima talking about something they called “Operation Maidwatch.” Whatever it was, it was bound to be dumb and probably get them into a lot of trouble.

So, with her incredible stealth skills, she stalked and followed her friends. Turns out, she was right about them doing something stupid. They decided to call a personal maid to… she didn’t even want to think about it, but she kicked them out of the empty apartment before the unlucky woman could arrive.

Itsumi then stayed inside the apartment, waiting for the maid to appear and tell her that it was all a misunderstanding. To her incredible surprise, the woman who walked into the apartment was none other than her Homeroom Teacher Sadayo Kawakami.

After swearing up and down that she wouldn’t reveal her teacher’s work as “Becky”, Sensei left her her personal phone number and told her that if she ever planned out on calling it, to use a phone where the call record wouldn’t show and then left the apartment.

Itsumi was going to smack Ryuji a couple of times for this.

06/05

Today was the day, if everything went according to plan, Madarame should be confessing his crimes sometime soon. To distract herself from her phone (she loves her friends, she really does, but when they get nervous they seem to share a brain cell, and it is dedicated to blowing up her phone) Itsumi decided to spend the day working at the café. She had spent the last few days behaving like a normal student would and even took some time off to hang out with her friends, she even deepened her bonds with them and made some good progress with her Confidants.

They also tackled a few targets in Mementos and took a few trips there to keep themselves in shape, just in case they found their next target sooner than expected. All in all, good progress.

Sojiro, like the old man that he is, liked to keep the news channel on the TV in the café at all times. Itsumi would usually not pay attention to whatever was being said on the news, preferring to keep it as background noise for whatever task she was performing at the moment. So when she heard the announcer say that the “Great Artist” Madarame was giving a press conference, Itsumi decided it was a good moment to pay attention to what the old man was going to say.

“I… I have committed crimes that are unbecoming of an artist.” The old man spoke, looking straight into a camera. “Plainly put… I, um… plagiarized work. I-I tainted this country’s art world and… even “Sayuri! H-How could I possibly apologize to-to everyone for what I’ve done!!”

Then the old man burst out in tears and the transmission cut off, returning once more to the usual newscaster who proceeded to comment about the odd confession of the artist.

But Itsumi didn’t care about what the caster was saying, what she cared about was that they had done their job correctly, and Madarame had confessed his own sins all by himself.

“What a shame.” An old lady who was eating at the café that morning. “He was such a great man… would say he was a great artist, but I guess he never really published anything he made with his own hands. What do you think about it, young lady?”

“Well, I think it’s a bit sad, that he had to retort to steal art from his pupils. Who knows what else he did just to “publish” more art.” Itsumi dried her hands on a nearby towel after washing a few plates and mugs. “I’m friends with his last pupil and he told us a bit about the situation, but he asked us not to talk too much about it.”

“It’s that Kitagawa kid, isn’t he?” Sojiro asked, closing a newspaper he was reading and turning to look at her. “How is he?”

“My friends have been blowing up my phone all morning but I haven't had the time to check my phone.”

“Go on, then. Take a break.” Her guardian nodded towards the stairs. “Not like we’ll get any more customers today. Take the rest of the day off, I’ll teach you some more another day.”

“Thanks, Boss!” Itsumi said with a smile as she took off her apron, hung it up, and then rushed upstairs to fetch her phone.

Just as expected, her friends had filled up the group chats with messages. At first, it was Ryuji and Ann asking Yusuke if he knew something about Madarame, and then it shifted to them talking about the live confession he did. She sent a quick message to the group, letting her friends know that they would meet at their usual spot, grabbed her bag (with Morgana already in it), and then made her way towards the walkway in Shibuya’s metro station.

“Yo, did y’all see the news?! It happened just like it did with Kamoshida!” Ryuji yelled (because that boy only has a single tone of voice) once everyone got together. “They even mentioned the Phantom Thieves in the news!”

“Yeah, we saw. I was working at the café when the press conference was shown on TV.” Itsumi opened her bag so that Morgana could stand on her shoulder and be able to talk to the rest of the gang. “And you guys were blowing up my phone the whole morning!”

“Sorry.” Ann said with a sheepish smile. “We were just so nervous…”

“It was the first time I witnessed something like that.” Yusuke spoke up, leaning against the railing. “Was it like this the last time?”

“Yup!” The blonde boy of the group said with a smile. “Kamoshida walked into the assembly and spilled his crimes in front of the whole school!”

“I think it’s great that we’re getting a bit more recognition since we’re giving a bit of hope to those that can’t fend for themselves.” Ann said while checking her makeup in a small mirror.

“And since it’s happened twice already, people can’t discard it as a coincidence!” Morgana laughed, perched up on Itsumi’s shoulder.

The group kept discussing what their next step should be when something caught Itsumi’s attention from the corner of her eye. A pair of officers were walking towards them. The second she spotted them, Itsumi tensed up and tightened the grip she had on the strap of her bag. Ann noticed this and was about to ask her what was wrong when Yusuke, God bless him, spoke up and warned the rest of the team about the officers.

“Hello there.” One of the officers said once they got close to them. “May I speak with you for a moment?”

“Sure thing!” Ann’s monotonous acting surfaced once again. “How can we help you?”

“What are you all doing here?” The officer asked, and Itsumi could feel her pulse picking up. “Are you all friends?”

“T-That’s right… we were just meeting up to go for some t-tea.” What is wrong with me?!

“Is that so? Then why are you all gathered here like this?”

Itsumi’s brain was running on all cylinders, panic settling into her body the longer the officers stayed by their side. She had nothing to say, no witty banter or smart comeback. She had nothing.

“We were just deciding where to go, officer.” Yusuke, once again, to the rescue. “Since we all arrived through the subway, we thought it best to meet up here and decide where we would go next.”

“Well, all right. But be sure to disperse before it gets too late, okay?” She could feel her friends relaxing, but Itsumi was still tense. “There have been some odd happenings lately, and the news about that artist has caused quite the stir.”

With that, the officers turned around and walked away. Everyone waited a few seconds before sighing, Morgana included, but Itsumi, for some reason, still felt her pulse throbbing in her ears.

She could hear her friends talking, but their voices sounded muddled and distant. It wasn’t until she felt a hand in hers that she registered that Ann was talking to her.

“Itsumi, breathe. Follow my lead.” The blonde girl began to breathe slowly, in and out, at an even pace. It took a few seconds but Itsumi matched her friend’s breathing and she could feel herself starting to calm down. The feeling of Ann’s thumb rubbing soft circles on the back of her hand kept her grounded until she relaxed. “Everything okay?”

“Y-Yeah I just…” Itsumi sighed and leaned against her friend. “I panicked, I think. Seeing those officers took me back to that night and I just… locked up.”

To keep their newest friend in the loop of all things happening within their little group, Ryuji told Yusuke about her situation. Itsumi was glad to know that it changed nothing in the way the artist saw her. She didn’t want to lose another friend because life decided to screw her over.

“Want me to take you back to Leblanc?” Ann asked and Itsumi nodded. “Alright, let’s go. See you later, boys.”

Itsumi waved goodbye to Ryuji and Yusuke and leaned on Ann the whole trip to the café. She has the best friends in the world.

-o-

Itsumi spent the rest of the day with Ann in her room at Leblanc. Her best friend had proclaimed that they had earned themselves a relaxation day and, after the blonde girl took a quick trip to her home while Itsumi got permission from Sojiro for the blonde to sleep there, the two girls plus Morgana spent the rest of the doing normal teenager stuff.

When Ann found out that Itsumi wasn’t one to usually paint her nails (the water and chlorine from the pool would peel the paint too fast anyway) she decided at that moment that they would have matching nails. Itsumi didn’t have the heart to say no so she let the blonde girl work her magic.

They went with something simple, nothing too flashy so the teachers at school wouldn’t make a fuss about it. Then they went to the bathhouse and took a relaxing bath together. They ate dinner together at the café and, once they were done, Itsumi excused herself saying that she had something to do at Sojiro’s house, and instructed Ann to make herself comfortable upstairs.

When she got to the Sakura residence, Futaba’s plate was already waiting at the kitchen counter for Itsumi to grab and take to the girl’s room. Itsumi grabbed the plate of curry, the utensils, and the glass of water and walked upstairs.

Once there she placed everything on the floor and was about to walk away when something compelled her to talk. She doesn’t know what… but she’s been meaning to try to reach out to the girl anyway.

“Futaba, I’ve brought your food.” She stayed silent, waiting to see if the girl would answer once more but got no answer. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you. You don’t have to answer me if you don’t want to just…”

Itsumi sighed and sat on the floor with her back against the door.

“I just wanted to tell you that I’m sorry for your loss. Sojiro told me about your mother… or, at least, just enough for me to understand that there were things he didn’t want to say to me because that’s your story to tell. All he told me was that he took you in after your mom passed away.” Itsumi took off her glasses, not really needing them since there was no one else here with her. “I know what it’s like, to lose a parent, to lose the one person that understands you the most. My father died a few years ago, got run over by a speeding driver. He was saving me… I was just a kid, excited because I had done well in a swimming meet, I was euphoric.”

Itsumi heard the sound of soft footsteps approaching the door and then the sound of fabric sliding against it. She may not be able to see what’s going on inside Futaba’s room, but she can make a very good guess as to where the girl is right now.

“I didn’t look when I went to cross the street.” Itsumi could feel the tears building in her eyes, the familiar pain and guilt brewing in her chest. “He… he pushed me away… but he didn’t make it. Killed right on the spot… dead because of my carelessness.” Î̸͉̜͉t̴̪̳͊̚'̷̡̙̄̈́̓s̵͎͇͓̔̚ ̵̤̑́̈a̶͈̾́l̶̟̗̼̄l̸͓̭̭̈́ ̸͙̓m̷̹̐̈́̕y̶̰̗̐̆ ̸̱̻̉͒̍f̸̱̹̃͆ͅâ̸͔̤ǘ̵̱l̷̢̯̩͒ţ̷̺̿.̷̺͖̺͐͂͝ ̵̡̤̫̑̈́͝Ǐ̷̡͇̅͐ṭ̶̘̀͌͝ ̵̛̥́͘s̸̹͑̚̚h̸͙͇͎̎o̵̗̪͗͜u̵̘̩̤̐́l̸̞̀͒d̴̡͒̋'̵̢͔͑v̷̤͖̾e̵̱̫̽͘͠ ̵̪͕͑̾͛b̵̖̳́ẻ̴̮̖e̸̞͌͝n̵̻̟͍̉ ̴̉̽̈͜m̸͔̥͕̈́e̶̫͇͔̾͑̈́ “He was my best friend, my closest friend. My dad used to work from home and my mom from her office, so I was closer to him than her. She never blamed me for it, and said it was an accident… but ever since that day, our relationship became a bit strained. We’ve been working on it but it’s been a bit difficult since we were not that close.”

Itsumi sniffed and swiped the tears away from her eyes, doing her best to keep her emotions in check.

“I guess what I wanted to say was that if you ever want to talk… I’m here for you.” Itsumi stood up and took a single step away when something stopped her in her tracks.

“I’m… I’m sorry for your loss.” And then she heard the sound of someone shuffling away from the door.

Itsumi stood there, frozen in the hallway for a few seconds before her body decided to move.

Futaba had talked to her! The isolated girl had made the conscious decision to speak to her. That meant a lot to Itsumi.

When Itsumi got to the ground floor of Sojiro’s house, she found him at the bottom of the stairs. The look in his eyes told her he had heard everything and, when he opened his arms and offered her a hug, she didn’t even think about accepting it and crying into his shoulder.

She may be the tough leader of the infamous Phantom Thieves, a wielder of multiple Personas, and an all-around badass. But right now? She was just a high school girl who missed her father so, so much.

Chapter Text

06/11

The day's final bell rang and Makoto Niijima stood up from her seat with a sigh. There was a certain tension in her shoulders that refused to go, even after she took a relaxing bath the night before, it was still there. The Student Council President didn’t have to wonder too much as to why she was so tense: the whole hunt for the Phantom Thieves had her stressed out and, to add insult to injury, the Principal now wanted her to investigate some students being blackmailed by the mafia and, somehow, put a stop to it.

As if she had any real power outside the school. Or, worse yet, any power within the school. Truthfully, Makoto felt like the Principal’s puppet most of the time. Just a figurehead that held no real power and was just there to do the Fat Man’s bidding.

Thankfully her conversations with Itsumi (they were on a given-name basis now, even if she hadn’t changed her contact name on her phone) were a nice breath of fresh air from all the stress. The delinquent had a way of making her forget all her troubles: prep school, her sister, and even her “duties” as the Council President. All it took was a joke or a snarky response and Makoto was all smiles.

She had found out that, despite her laid-back nature and her fascination with making bad jokes, Itsumi was very intelligent. First of her class even, Makoto was ashamed to admit that she wasn’t expecting it from the girl the whole school had labeled as a delinquent. The more she learned of Amamiya, the less she was inclined to believe that she was as bad or scary as the rumors said she was.

Makoto was walking through the courtyard when a group of voices caught her attention. Usually, she wouldn’t bother going over to check it out, but the reason she sneaked over there was the group of people who were talking in a secluded corner of the courtyard. And, without really thinking much about why she was doing it, Makoto pulled out her phone and began to record their conversation.

“...if someone else could help ‘em, we wouldn’t be doin’ stuff as the Phantom Thieves to start with!” Sakamoto said, and Makoto had to hold back a loud gasp. Her suspicions were correct! Amamiya and her friends were the Phantom Thieves.

“So you think it’s true? We’ll be okay if we keep doing this, right?” And that was Takamaki! There to seal their fate.

Makoto stopped the recording and, with trembling hands, saved it. Her thoughts were running wild inside her head. This was it, she found them. The Phantom Thieves were right around that corner… she should show this recording to the Principal. But something told her that she should keep this information to herself. Maybe they could even help her…

With a deep breath, she opened the camera of her phone, rounded the corner, and snapped a picture of the three students that she knew would be talking in front of the vending machines.

The flash of her camera caught their attention and they all turned to look at her as she put her phone away.

“You three seem to be having so much fun. I'm a little jealous.” Why am I talking to them like this?!

“Makoto… what’s the meaning of this?” Itsumi asked, eyes filled with so many questions.

“We said before, we don’t know nothin’.” Sakamoto spat out, a glare present on his face.

“And what makes you think I’m here to question you?” Stop it! “Could it be… that you’re hiding something? My ears are always open to the problems of my peers, you know.”

“Oh really? Just like they were open while Kamoshida tortured the boy’s volleyball team and abused the girls?” Takamaki shot and Makoto had to hide how much that comment hurt her.

“This has nothing to do with that. Until that day, he was just a regular teacher.” This, at least, is true.

“Oh, but you always take the teacher’s side, don’t you?” Takamaki asked, vitriol dripping from every word. “That’s what a good council president does, right?”

“Ann, drop it.” That’s right, listen to her. Please.

“Then… how about you? What did you do for your friend?” Makoto! What are you doing?! “You were much closer to her than I was, so how did you help?”

Takamaki was about to yell at her but, thankfully, Itsumi saved her from the worst of it.

“That's enough!” All three of them turned to look at Itsumi and her expression was… not what Makoto wanted to see. “If those Phantom Thieves are out there helping people, I’d root for them, no questions asked. Now, if you don’t have anything else to say, I ask that you leave me and my friends alone, Niijima-senpai.”

Or maybe not.

Hearing Itsumi call her that with that impassive face and that dead tone of voice almost broke her. Makoto isn’t sure why it hurts so much, but she knows when she’s not wanted somewhere.

“Just… be sure to show up to your classes, alright?” Makoto hurried out of there, tears threatening to roll down her cheeks as she walked as fast as she could away from them.

Today Makoto has made the biggest mistake of her life. Today, Makoto Niijima has lost the only person she could call a friend.

-o-

06/13

Makoto was waiting anxiously in the Student Council room. Itsumi hadn’t texted her last Sunday, and she was too scared to text her first. Her solution? Summon Itsumi to the Student Council room through her Homeroom Teacher.

Was it a cowardly move? Absolutely. Was she desperate to talk to her? Also, yes.

When the door slid open Makoto perked up… only to immediately regret having called Itsumi to meet her. The younger girl had no trace of emotion on her face, her expression was impassive, betraying nothing. Not even anger or disappointment and Makoto wasn’t sure what hurt more: not being able to see her reaction, or that Itsumi still hadn’t said a word to her.

“Ah. Earlier than expected.” Makoto said, trying to keep her voice level and calm. “Please, have a seat.”

Itsumi nodded and sat on the chair she had motioned to, being careful to place her bag on the chair next to her. What could she have in there that she had to be this careful?

“I’ll get straight to the point.” Maybe, that way, I’ll stop feeling terrible about myself. “Won’t you admit the truth behind the Phantom Thieves' involvement with Kamoshida and Madarame?

Her reaction was almost imperceptible, but Makoto noticed the way Itsumi’s eyes widened in fear for a split second.

“Of course, you can’t answer that. There’s no way you would admit it out loud.” She pulled out her phone and placed it on the table. “Please, have a listen.”

Makoto played the recording she had taken of Takamaki and Sakamoto talking out loud of them being the Phantom Thieves. The worst thing? She got to see in first row how Itsumi’s frow burrowed, then looked at her, and the light dying behind her grey eyes.

“My biggest question I have right now is… how did you do it? How can three, maybe four high school students corner an adult into making them confess? Was it blackmail? Hypnosis?”

“Why don’t you ask the culprits? I’m sure they could tell you that we had nothing to do with it.” Even in the face of such damning evidence, Itsumi was still trying to deny the truth. “Is that everything, Niijima-senpai? Did you call me here to falsely accuse me and my friends of doing something we didn’t do?”

“No, that’s not all. I believe you three are the Phantom Thieves, along with Yusuke Kitagawa, Madarame’s former pupil.” Makoto pulled her phone away and sighed. “I wonder what the police would have to say if they heard this recording?”

Istumi stayed silent, eyes locked with hers, as she thought about the implications of Makoto’s question.

“If you confess the truth… I don’t mind keeping this between us.” The Council President extended an olive branch, praying that Itsumi would take it. “Won’t you tell me, Itsumi?”

The black-haired girl stayed silent for a moment, analyzing her options but, for Makoto, that was all she needed.

“Your silence speaks for itself.”

Then, one timely call from Sakamoto put the final nail in their coffin.

“As loud as ever… but his timing couldn’t have been better.” Makoto fixed a few strands of hair behind her ear. “I’d like everyone else to hear this as well. Won’t you take me to them?”

Itsumi glared at her, sighed, and then stood up, picking up her bag with as much care as she did when she put it down.

“Follow me, Miss President. I’ll take you to them.”

And so, with a heavy heart and a guilty conscience, Makoto followed Itsmi to meet with the rest of the Phantom Thieves.

-o-

06/20

It had been a full week since she talked with the Thieves and asked them (read: blackmailed them) to help her with the situation of the students being blackmailed by the yakuza. A full week of almost radio silence since she had encountered Itsumi asking around Shibuya, looking for information. Other than that, Makoto had no idea how much the Thieves had found out.

Just as she expected, the four teenagers were gathered at the same spot she had last seen them, at the Shibuya Station walkway. When Kitagawa-kun saw her approaching, the rest of them turned to look at her and, as if they were all a single being, they all glared at her.

“What do you want?” Takamaki was the first one to speak, always ready to confront her with harsh words.

“I just saw you all gathered here.” She said, being half honest with them.

“That so?” Sakamoto spoke up, she knew that he knew that she was lying. “So you didn’t come to check on us, eh?”

“Well, yes. You guys seem to be having quite a bit of trouble.”

“Well you may be the student council president but, for what we do, you’re pretty useless.”

“ Ann. ” Itsumi growled, and Makoto was fully caught off guard. Een after everything…?

“Quite frankly? Yes” Itsumi turned her glare towards Kitagawa, but the damage was done.

She knew they were right, just like her Sis was right. She was useless, even people younger than her could see it. Makoto gripped her bag, determination (and desperation) filling her body.

“So you wish to get in contact with Kaneshiro?” The four of them nodded. The last conversation she had with Akechi flashed through her mind, he called her a good girl type of pushover. Her sister’s words echoed through her head once more: you’re useless to me, all you do is eat away at my life. “I’m not…”

Makoto shook her head and turned around, turning her head over her shoulder to look at the four students behind her.

“Fine. I’ll help you meet Kaneshiro.”

And then she walked away.

-o-

“What exactly is she planning on doing?”

“She had a dead-serious expression on her face…”

Itsumi watched as Makoto walked away, almost running, and disappeared into the crowd of people. Once she lost sight of her, the leader of the Phantom Thieves turned around and smacked all three of her friends on the back of the head.

“What were you guys thinking?! Scratch that. You guys weren’t even thinking!” At least they had the good mind of looking ashamed. “You don’t call someone useless to their face. She’s probably going to do something stupid!”

Itsumi didn’t wait for her friends, she simply turned around and ran in the direction Makoto had gone. She used her powers to try and find her, they had worked once, and they would have to work again. But she had no such luck. Makoto Niijima was nowhere to be found.

She was about to yell in frustration when her phone rang. Itsumi was equal parts relieved and angry when she saw that Makoto was calling her phone. She picked up and was about to talk when Makoto spoke first.

“No time to talk, just listen to me. Stay on the call and make sure you record the call as well.” The runaway President said and Itsumi did as told. She even put her phone on speaker as her friends gathered around her. “Do you guys know Kaneshiro?”

A man’s voice spoke through the other side. Makoto kept on talking, revealing that she was somewhere within Shibuya’s Central Street. With that information, they ran towards it, all the while Itsumi kept on listening to the conversation happening on the other side of the call.

“What’s Makoto thinking?! This is too much, even for her.”

When they arrived at Central Street and saw no signs of Makoto, the group kept on running until they reached the entrance of an alley, the one where the gym known as Protein Lovers was. The same place where a thug had bothered her and Makoto a few days ago.

And right there, getting pushed into a black car, was Makoto. When the car drove away with her inside, something flipped within Itsumi.

“Fox, get the plaque!” 

“Already got it, leader!”

“Skull, get us a cab!”

“On it!” Her friend said while running ahead of them, towards the incoming traffic and he stopped right in front of a cab that was going to pass by without stopping for them. “Get in!” 

He yelled at them once they caught up with him and Itsumi filed the worried look Ann sent his way to process later. Right now, all she could think about was finding Makoto and making sure she was fine.

The taxi driver followed the car they had pointed out (Itsumi promised him to pay him extra and the man agreed) and then stopped a block before the other car did. The four teens rushed into the building the black car had stopped in front of and when Itsumi kicked the door open, she found Makoto getting pinned down by the same sketchy man from the other day.

What happened next was a blur of words and conflicting emotions for Itsumi. All she knows is that now Makoto owes Kaneshiro a lot of money and, just as a precaution, the bastard snapped a picture of them with a lot of alcohol and drugs on the frame. So their hands were tied.

The only good thing that came out of this was that they now had a client of Kaneshiro’s in their hands and, with Makoto’s help, they were able to walk into the floating bank.

-o-

Amamiya opened the door to the reception room and gestured for her to walk inside. She was still struggling to wrap her head around what was going on. Where were they? How could a place this big be floating in the sky? And why were they wearing such outfits? Makoto would’ve loved to get some answers, but the cat said they didn’t have much time for that now.

Inside the reception room, they were met with a large table, four black chairs around it, and a large pile of cash was sitting on top of the table. The five teenagers gathered around the table while the cat climbed on top of it.

“That’s a lotta cash…” Sakamoto said while looking at the huge pile of money. “I wonder how many beef bowls I could eat with this?”

“Really?” Takamaki piped in, cocking her hips to the side and putting one hand on it. “That’s all you think about? Food”

Sakamoto was about to protest when the sound of a speaker coming to life caught all their attention.

“Unauthorized entry, property damage, and other disturbances.” Kaneshiro’s voice came out from within the speakers. But it sounded… weird. “That comes to three million yen in total. You’re here regarding that, correct, Miss Beautiful President?”

The six of them turned towards the source of the voice, a TV mounted on the wall parallel to the door they just walked into. On the screen, wearing a grey suit, a white shirt, and a purple tie, was Kaneshiro. Though his hair was now black and it was slicked and combed back. He also had a small mustache, his skin was a weird lavender and his eyes were glowing yellow. “It must be quite tough gathering so much money. I’d be willing to give you a loan, you know.”

“So, what? You calling it off?” Sakamoto asked, putting his hands in the pockets of his pants.

“No, a loan.” Kaneshiro scoffed. “With an interest rate of ten percent a day.”

“So that would be… uhh…” Takamaki placed a hand on her chin, trying to figure out how much money that would be. She then turned to look at Amamiya with pleading eyes. “Joker, help me out here. You know math isn’t my strongest subject.”

“It’s-” 

“Three hundred thousand yen.” Makoto cut in, wanting to prove her usefulness.

“Oh don’t sound so alarmed. I have a more manageable option for people like you.” What could he… oh .

“So that was your plan from the start, wasn’t it?” Makoto said, glaring at the purple man behind the screen.

Kaneshiro smirked and chuckled. “Quite the impressive insight. It's a shame it’s wasted on a girl like you, Niijima-san.” His smirk grew, his eyes focusing on her. “Or should I say: the younger sister of the beautiful prosecutor Sae Niijima?”

Makoto could feel the eyes of the Phantom Thieves turn to look at her, a wide range of expressions on their faces.

“H-How do you know that?!” She opted to ignore them, instead focusing on the man who was threatening to ruin her life.

“Please, don’t underestimate our intelligence network.” He said with a scoff, insulted that they were “looking down on him.” He then smirked once more and Makoto felt shivers running down her spine. “My, what wonderful goods have come falling into my lap.”

“Young women are such great assets. They lack strength; be it social,” He turned to look at Amamiya. “physical,” then at herself, “or mental.” And last, Takamaki.

“You’re despicable.” Makoto heard Kitagawa snarl at the mafia boss.

“You better be ready Kaneshiro!” Makoto heard Sakamoto yelling from behind her. “We’re gunna snatch your Treasure from you!”

“Oh, don’t make me laugh, petty thieves.” Kaneshiro snickered as three guards suddenly appeared in the room. “My citadel has the best security money can buy. I’ll rob you of your lives as easily as I breathe air.”

Makoto could hear the rustling of fabric, and subtle shifts of movement all around her that told her that the Phantom Thieves were getting ready for a fight. Whatever it was that they were about to fight, she only hoped they could deal with it since the cat told her that her skills would be of no use in here… wherever here was.

“...get them.” Kaneshiro barked his order and the guards spasmed, melted into black goo, and reformed into the shape of three demons. Two of them, identical, had red skin, blue robes, and a singular horn atop their bald head. The other one was taller, its skin was the color of dry mud, was wearing a green robe, and had long, black hair that fell to the sides. Atop its head, it had eight horns that protruded horizontally, four on each side.

“Niijima-senpai, stand back. Skull, Mona you two deal with the one on the right.” Makoto did as Amamiya said, stepping back as the cat and Sakamoto rushed to fight against the demon on the right. “Fox, Panther you guys take the left one.” Takamaki and Kitagawa dashed forward without a question. Amamiya then turned to look at the biggest one in the room, pulling a knife out from somewhere with a smirk on her face. “I’ll deal with the big one.”

To say that all hell broke loose would be an understatement. Makoto liked to pride herself on her ability to understand any situation she found herself in, but this? Elements flying through the air, ghosts being summed whenever one of them ripped the mask off their face… if she wasn’t seeing it with her own two eyes, she’d believe it all to be a lie.

Eventually, all the demos were dealt with, and, just as they were about to relax and regroup, a new set of demons took their place. Makoto looked at Amamiya, and saw the way her eyes darted around the room: at her group, at the demons, at Makoto, and then at the door.

“Everyone, get to the door!” The rest of the group dashed to where Makoto was, Amamiya following a second after them while throwing a smoke bomb at the demons. When the smoke cleared, they were asleep.

“Mona, Fox you two go on ahead and clear a path for us. Skull, Panther you two cover our backs.” Amamiya then turned to look at her and, for whatever reason, smiled at her. “Niijima-senpai, stay close to me. We’ll get you out here safe and sound.”

With the orders given and received by the respective member of their group, they rushed out of the reception room and rushed their way toward the entrance. They found no guards in their path, a thing that Makoto found suspicious, and when they appeared right by the entrance, it became clear why: Kaneshiro wasn’t going to let them leave alive.

“You seem to be in quite a pickle.” Kaneshiro’s distorted voice came from behind them and, when they turned around, found that he had decided to come and greet them in person. The Thieves fanned out behind her, keeping the guards on their backs away from her… but that meant that nothing was standing between her and Kaneshiro. 

“Sneaking around… how dare you, Kaneshiro!” Morgana said right by her side.

“Those would be my words,” Kaneshiro said with a sigh. “However, I do thank you for providing me with such wonderful goods. But I think it’s time the rest of you disappear.”

Kaneshiro clapped and more guards appeared in front of them, effectively cutting off any path they could have to retreat.

“Managing a bank is tough as it is. So it’s my policy to kill clients who are more trouble than they’re worth.”

“Please, stop!” Makoto rushed forward hoping that, if she put distance between herself and the Phantom Thieves, maybe they could fight their way out without worrying about her.

“Oh, I wouldn’t damage an asset like you. But your friends? They’re dead men walking, but you’ll be just fine.” The guards took a step closer. “Your sister is quite a beauty though. I’ll make sure to make her my personal slave.”

“Once I get bored, I’ll just sell her off. Oh, poor Sis…” Kaneshiro said with fake empathy. “She could’ve been successful if only her younger sister wasn’t so dumb.”

“My sister has nothing to do with this! It’s me who you want, not her.” This was her mistake, not her sister’s.

“Then you better start taking customers tomorrow.” Makoto could hear Takamaki gasp behind her. “All you gotta do is endure it and do as you’re told.”

“Ednure it…” Makoto murmured, those words hitting something deep within herself. “Do as I’m told…”

“You’ll earn three million yen in no time!” He said with a disgusting smile on his face. “Although, your life and everything along with it will be a complete wreck by then!”

Kaneshiro then began to laugh… and Makoto was getting tired of hearing him talk. Of hearing him decide what she must do with her life… Makoto was getting tired of pretending. Makoto was getting angry… and she was tired of holding back. There was a weird pulsing in her head, a small whisper calling her name.

“I’ve been listening to you go on and on…” Her hands were shaking from barely restrained anger. “Shut your damn mouth, you money-grubbing son of a bitch!!”

Makoto heard multiple gasps from the people around them, the loudest ones coming from the Phantom Thieves, specifically the trio of Shujin Academy students who weren’t expecting their robot of a Council President to curse the way she just did.

“Have you decided to tread the path of strife?” The voice that had been calling to her was no longer a whisper.

“Yes… come to me!” Makoto raised her head and glared forward, anger and determination filling her veins.

“Very well. Let us proceed with our contract at once.”

-o-

Joker may not be able to hear what was going on inside Makoto’s head, but she had a very good guess of what was about to happen.

“Yes… come to me!” There was a beat of silence and then she could see the moment the pounding headache began to pound within her skull when she raised a hand to her head.

Having gone through the process herself, just like the rest of her crew, she knew that there was nothing she could do right now but trust that Makoto would form her contract with her Persona and join their team. She could make a very good advisor…

Itsumi kept her eyes on Makoto, amazed that the girl had managed to stay on her feet through the whole process. She knows for sure that, had she and Ann not been restrained during their respective awakenings, they would’ve fallen to the ground like Ryuji and Yusuke had done during their own awakening.

But then something incredible happened, something that made Itsumi reach out and grab Ann’s arm unconsciously to keep herself steady because she didn’t trust her legs to keep herself standing if she didn’t: Makoto stomped the ground and it shattered beneath her feet.

“Oh…” Itsumi whimpered, and she was sure her cheeks would be deep red if she didn’t have her mask on. Though, knowing Ann, she was sure the blonde had caught on to what was probably happening inside her head.

She got distracted out of her lesbian panic when the girl who was giving her said panic got engulfed in a pillar of blue flames and things only got worse for her little gay heart from there on. The roaring of the flames was replaced with the roaring of a motorcycle engine, Itsumi was sure she would leave marks on Ann’s arm from how hard she was squeezing. But then it got worse and she had to actively look away because she was sure she would get a heart attack when the flames died down to reveal Makoto wearing her Phantom Thief outfit.

Why did the Metaverse have a thing with giving the girls skin-tight outfits? She didn’t know. But the way Makoto looked in that biker’s getup was unfair. The leader of the Phantom Thieves took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and then looked back at the girl who was probably going to be the end of her short life.

Makoto rushed forward on her bike and rammed against the pair of Shadows standing in front of her, Shadow Kaneshiro was nowhere to be seen, he probably ran away while Itsumi was having a gay moment.

After fighting a few Shadows that had stayed behind, and discovering that Makoto could wield Nuclear magic, the newly awakened girl led the charge out of the bank by speeding through the front gate like it was nothing. The rest of the group had no choice but to get in the Monabus and follow behind.

-o-

Once out of the Palace, Itsumi took a few seconds to compose herself. She was still reeling from everything that had happened in such a short time frame. She was sure that she would get a heart sometime soon. Between the rush of following Makoto and then whatever had happened during her awakening , Itsumi was sure she would die sometime soon.

But she could perish later. Right now she had to make sure that Makoto was alright. Or, at least she would if Ann hadn’t beat her to it.

“Okay guys, this isn’t a safe place to stay. And Miss Prez over there looks like she’s going to pass out at any moment. Ryuji, could you make sure she gets home safe?”

“Sure thing.” The blonde boy walked up to Makoto. “Come on, Prez. Let’s get you home.”

Makoto, still a bit disoriented and tired from awakening to her Persona, simply nodded and waved them goodbye with the cutest pout on her face.

Ann then turned to look at Itsumi with a smile that she didn’t like at all.

“Bestie~” Oh, she’s so dead. “Hope you don’t mind, but I’ll be staying over with you tonight.”

“Uh… s-sure. I guess.”

Ann smiled once more, waved goodbye to Yusuke, and then grabbed her arm to make sure that she couldn’t escape. Not like she would’ve tried anyway since Ann knows where she sleeps.

When they got back to Leblanc, Itsumi sent a pleading look to Sojiro, begging for help. The traitor simply chuckled and said that she was on her own this time and that dinner was on him.

Once both girls finished eating their dinners and bathed at the bathhouse, Itsumi knew what was going to happen even before Ann spoke up.

“Mind telling what was that back at Kaneshiro’s Palace, Itsumi?” The smile her blonde friend had, while warm, sent cold shivers down Itsumi’s spine.

“I-I have no idea what you’re talking about, Ann.” Fake it till you make it.

“Oh? So I’m imagining you’re reaction to Makoto’s awakening? Or the way you looked at her in that tight suit?” Fuck.

“Yeah! I saw it too, Lady Ann. Joker was beet red!” The little feline bastard even had the gall to laugh!

“Can you blame me?! One moment she’s standing there, struggling with the headache that comes with the awakening, a thing that we know is no easy feat by the way, and the next she cracks the floor with a single stomp! And then, when the blue flames die out, she’s riding a motorcycle and wearing a bodysuit that accentuates the way her hips look, and oh my god why am I so fucking gay!!”

“And she finally admits it!! Itsumi Amamiya has a crush on Makoto Niijima!” Ann cheered in celebration, looking way too satisfied and pleased with herself.

Meanwhile, Itsumi buried her face within her pillow in absolute shame of being caught simping.

“Wait… is that why you were so depressed the last few days? Because of Makoto?” Itsumi simply nodded. “That makes sense, I guess. I mean I would be like that too if the boy I liked was blackmailing me and my friends.”

“Speaking off.” Itsumi said while pulling her face out of the pillow. “I’ve finally figured it out.”

“Oh?” Both Ann and Morgana asked at the same time.

“Don’t know how I didn’t realize this sooner, but I can understand why you’d have a crush on Ryuji.” Itsumi smiled the moment she saw the way Ann’s eyes were blown wide and a massive flush covered her whole face.

“W-What? How? When?!”

“Today.”

“Him jumping in front of a taxi?”

“Yup.”

“What was he thinking?!” Ann said with a groan. “But that’s just so… him. He’s selfless, loyal, and just… gosh I just like him so, so much! And sure, I’m mad at him right now because that was so dumb, but I know that the moment he smiles that stupid smile of his I’m going to forgive him.”

“Oh, same.” Itsumi nodded. “What Makoto did today was incredibly dumb… but I know she will come to us tomorrow, all bashful, and ask for forgiveness and I’ll give it to her because…”

“You’re a simp?”

“That’s right.” Itsumi admitted without an ounce of shame.

Their situation may be a bit dire, but now they have a way to get into Kaneshiro’s Palace and, hopefully, a new and powerful ally.

Chapter Text

06/21

[Dork Squad]

NotAPlumber has changed the name of the group to Dork Squad.

NotAPlumber has added Makoto Niijima.

NotAPlumber changed Makoto Niijima’s nickname to Paisen

[NotAPlumber] “Welcome to the squad, Paisen.”

[Paisen] “...what's with the nicknames?”

[Purrfectgirl] “You can blame our fearless leader for that. She came up with them.”

[StarvingMan] “I think they are quite fitting, though I still disagree with mine.”

[NotAPlumber] “Dude, you almost cleaned my fridge the days you stayed with us!”

[StarvingMan] “Not my fault that Boss keeps that fridge well stocked.”

[Paisen] “So I'm guessing that Purrfectgirl is Takamaki-san, StarvingMan is Kitagawa-kun, Bonehead is Sakamoto-san and NotAPlumber is Amamiya-san, correct?”

[Bonehead] “Correct! But since you're one of us, you can use our names. Right guys?”

[Purrfectgirl] “Yup! You can drop the formalities.”

[Paisen] “Then please use my name as well.”

[NotAPlumber] “Okay, enough wasting time and we're all in class! I declare that we won't dive into the Palace today to give Makoto time to fully recover from her awakening. So, to make use of our time, I'm assigning some tasks: Ryuji and Ann, you two are on soda run. Leave no vending machine untouched.”

[NotAPlumber] “Yusuke, I want you to go to work on those cards we spoke about a few days ago. As for our newest member… are you free after school today? Morgana and I would like to run you through some basic concepts you'll need to get yourself familiar with.”

[Bonehead] “Gotcha!”

[Purrfectgirl] “Okay! I'll meet you at the gates, Ryuji. Don't keep me waiting.”

[StarvingMan] “I won't let you down, Itsumi.”

[Paisen] “I am free today, yes. Also, I wanted to thank you guys for letting me help, I promise to do my best. And I'm sorry for blackmailing you.”

[NotAPlumber] “Water under the bridge, Makoto. You can explain everything tomorrow if you want to. For now, focus on resting.”

[NotAPlumber] “Also! Meet me at the Shibuya Station, we have to keep appearances for now.”

[Paisen] “Thank you. And okay, I'll meet you there.”

-o-

Finding Makoto in the crowd of the station was easy (thank you, Thief’s Sight!) and the reaction she got out of the girl when she spooked her was priceless. The cutest “eep” she’s ever heard, It also justified the punch she got to the face.

“Oh my god! I’m so sorry!” Her senior apologized once she realized who she had punched in the face. “Are you okay?”

“Yup, I’m okay.” Itsumi said while holding her (broken) nose. “Nothing a little healing won’t fix. Mona, can you do that here?”

“Of course!” The cat said while he popped out of her bag and rested his paws on her shoulder. Morgana closed his eyes and Itsumi felt a soft breeze running through her body and, just like that, her nose was fixed. “All done, Joker.”

“Has he been there this whole time?” Makoto asked while she scratched him behind his ears. “And you… we can use our abilities outside of Palaces?”

“Yes and no… sorta.” Itsumi chuckled and then nodded her head, signaling that they should start walking. “We can use incredibly weak versions of our skills.”

“Normally I’d be able to heal a lot of things! But out here the best I can do is fix a broken nose or small cuts.”

“So I did hurt you.”

“And I scared you, so that’s on me.”

Makoto stayed silent for a second and then kept walking, catching up to them.

“Mind if I ask where are we going? Or are you enjoying playing mysterious?”

“What? You don’t trust me?” Itsumi turns around with a smirk on her face, and the slight blush on Makoto’s face makes it widen a bit more. “I’m hurt, Prez. Wounded, even.”

The rest of their trip to Leblanc was spent in relative silence. Morgana had to hide in the bag when they took the train to Yongen because Itsumi hadn’t paid the pet fine and, at this point, she wasn’t going to bother with it. Itsumi didn’t miss the worried look Makoto gave her when they walked into the alley leading to the café.

Once they got there she opened the door for her while doing an exaggerated bow. Makoto smiled and then walked inside with Itsumi right behind her.

“Yo, Boss! I’m home.” Another look of slight panic that flashed in Makoto’s eyes was another collection of Itsumi’s ever-growing list of funny reactions. “And I brought a friend.”

“Heya Blon-” Sojiro stopped himself when he turned around and spotted someone else who wasn’t Ann by Itsumi’s side. “Huh, she’s new. Glad to see you’re making friends despite being a dangerous criminal.”

“What can I say? I got a certain charm that makes people want to be my friend.” Itsumi shot back with a smile. “Makoto, meet the man responsible for me while I stay here in Tokyo.”

“Sojiro Sakura, pleased to meet you.” Sojiro nodded and then walked towards them, still on the other side of the counter. “You drink coffee?”

“Makoto Niijima, the pleasure’s mine.” Makoto bowed. “I do, sir.”

“Please, call me Boss.” He turned to look at Itsumi and then nodded towards the stairs. “Get going, I’ll call you when your coffee’s ready.”

Itsumi nodded and then took Makoto upstairs. Once they got to her room, Morgana jumped from her bag and stretched. He then climbed onto the bed, curled up, and fell asleep. Seems like explaining everything to Makoto will be Itsumi’s job.

And so she spent the next few minutes explaining to Makoto everything she needed to know about fighting within a Palace: weaknesses, technical hits, All-Out Attacks (Itsumi’s favorite move), and everything that wasn’t related to fighting as well. That included the true nature of the outfits, what they could do and what couldn’t do, and the Will Seeds and what they represented.

Makoto, being the diligent student that she is, wrote everything down in a little notebook and even asked her own set of questions whenever she didn’t understand something.

They took a little break once Sojiro called to let them know that their coffees were ready and Itsumi walked down to grab them.

“So. Who’s the girl?” Sojiro, the rat that he is, kept the coffees out of her reach, trapped and kidnapped. “Cus I don’t remember you mentioning a Niijima before.”

“She’s my Senpai in school and also the Council President.” Itsumi, despite all her skills as Joker, wasn’t able to deal with her one true weakness: tall people. “Since I’m top of my class and the rest of her council do nothing, she asked me for help.”

“And you couldn’t do that at school?”

“We could, yes, but with my reputation, we didn’t want to risk hers getting dragged down.” At his questioning raised eyebrow, Itsumi sighed. “Remember the whole Kamoshida thing? Well, he leaked my record in one of his efforts to get me to join the team. So now everyone at school knows that I’ve been arrested.”

“And you’re still keeping your head down?”

“I’m doing my best. Hard to do so with all those rumors following me while also being top of my class. Now, can I get my coffee back? Please?”

“Alright, here you go.” She was going to grab them but he then pulled them back once more. “And we have to talk about what happened the other day. Maybe not today, but soon.”

Itsumi sighed, grabbed the two cups of coffee, and then nodded. She didn’t say anything else as she walked up the stairs, back to her room. Before Makoto could see her slightly sad expression, she took a deep breath and then smiled just a bit.

“Ready to taste the best cup of coffee you’ll ever have?” Itsumi handed Makoto her cup and then sat back down on the couch, just a few inches away from her senior. “I know my opinion might be biased because I live on top of the café, but I swear this is the best coffee you’ll ever have.”

“Thank you.” Makoto murmured when she got her cup and then took a sip of it. The girl hummed and then smiled. “You weren’t kidding, this is very good coffee.”

“And you’ve seen nothing. If you stay here late enough, you’ll probably get to taste it with his curry.”

“Coffee and curry? Now that’s an unusual combination.”

“My thoughts exactly but, get this, the curry he makes is scientifically designed to mix well with his coffee! I’m still trying to guess and figure it out… but I think I’m getting close.”

“Oh? You cook?” Makoto asked, apparently surprised that Itsumi knew how to cook.

“Yup, learned a few years ago. After my dad died I had to learn how to do so cus my mom… well let's just say she isn’t the best cook there is.”

“I’m sorry about your dad, I lost mine a few years ago.”

Both teens stayed in silence, a bit uncomfortable. They both took a sip of their coffee before Makoto cleared her throat which woke Morgana up from his nap.

“You said that Treasures are the source of one’s distortion.” Another sip. “Does that mean that they are physical objects?”

“Correct.” Morgana jumped onto Itsumi’s lap and then curled up once more, though he kept one eye open. “Each Treasure we’ve stolen has been something valuable and important for the Palace Ruler.”

“For example, within his Palace, Kamoshida’s Treasure looked like a crown, which was fitting since he saw Shujin as his castle. When we took it out into the real world it was a replica of his gold medal. As for Madarame… his Palace was a museum and his Treasure was the original version of The Sayuri.”

“And what did you do with them?”

“Well, we sold the medal and used that money to pay for a buffet at a fancy hotel. As for The Sayuri… well you probably saw it downstairs.”

Makoto almost spilled her coffee when Itsumi broke the news about the location of one of the most influential paintings in modern Japanese art.

“You have the original version of The Sayuri downstairs? Just… hanging on the wall?”

“Yup, Yusuke gave it to us. If you want to know more about it, ask him. That’s his story to tell.”

“I’ll probably do that once we’re done with Kaneshiro’s Palace… I wonder what his Treasure will look like.”

“Probably something related to money, given that his Palace is a floating bank.”

Both girls kept talking for a bit longer, deviating from the classified topics of Palaces and the Metaverse and instead, they decided to get to know each other a bit better. When they realized that it was getting dark out Itsumi insisted on walking Makoto back to the station. Her friend might be stubborn, but so is she.

When she got back to Leblanc Sojiro was waiting for her with a raised eyebrow and a slight smirk on his face.

“So? That her?” He had his arms crossed, leaning against the counter.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, old man.” Deflection, her best strategy for now.

“Don’t play games with me, kid. You may be a girl but I know the look of someone that’s in love.” Dang it, busted.

“...how?”

“Told ya, I know the look. Seen it enough times on the mirror a few years back.” He chuckled while shaking his head. “And also cus I heard you talking with Blondie the other day.”

“Damn. Just like Ryuji… she speaks too loud.” Itsumi sat on one of the booths with a sigh. “Yeah, she’s the one. Though I don’t know if I’ll even confess. Heck, I don’t even know if she likes girls at all. Besides, she has a lot going on and the last thing I want to do is to add more things to her plate.”

“Can’t believe it. It’s like looking in a mirror.” When she gave him a confused look, Sojiro simply chuckled, walked over to where she was, and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Take this piece of advice from an old man: don’t take too long, alright? Otherwise, you might end up regretting it.”

And then he walked out and left the café, once again leaving her with more questions than answers. That’s two times he’s done this. Itsumi is starting to think that he likes messing with her on purpose.

-o-

06/22

Makoto and the Phantom Thieves arrived back into the Metaverse, now standing right in front of the “repaired” gates of Kaneshiro’s Bank. They were all wearing their outfits which meant that Kaneshiro recognized them as threats. For some reason, Itsumi was trying not to look in her direction. The leader of the Phantom Thieves cleared her throat and everyone gathered around her.

“Okay so, before we start, we need to figure out Makoto’s codename.”

“Codename?”

“Yeah! Everyone here has one.” Morgana, now looking once again like a cat mascot, spoke with a wide smile. “We don’t know what would happen if we screamed our names a lot of times within someone’s heart so, as a precaution, end because it’s cool, we use codenames!”

“I see, that makes sense.” Makoto nodded. “If I may ask: what are your codenames?”

“Mine’s Mona!” Morgana said while pointing at himself. “Lady Ann is Panther, Ryuji is Skull, Yusuke is Fox and Itsumi is Joker!”

“So everyone got one based off of their mask, and yours is just a play on your real name.” Makoto then turned to look at Itsu-Joker who had her hands stuffed inside the pockets of her coat (she has pockets, lucky her) and was just… standing there. “So why is hers different?”

“That’s because she likes to make a lot of jokes when she’s wearing that suit.” Panther spoke sitting on the floor and leaning back against a nearby tree. “It’s actually because she can use multiple Personas, so she’s a bit of a wildcard.”

“I see… is it also normal for her to just… stand there like that?”

“Oh yeah, totally normal.” Skull walked up to her, hands behind his back. “Joker stays like this for a while before we start any dive, we like to make bets to see who can guess how long she stays like that?”

“The current record is twenty minutes.” Fox spoke, one hand holding a notebook while the other had a pen. Seems like he was sketching something. “Mona holds the title for now.”

“And what is she doing?” Makoto walks up to Joker, staring into her grey, unfocused eyes. “It’s like she’s dissociating.”

“We don’t know. Though she sometimes wakes up muttering something about demon twins.” Mona shrugged as he walked up to Makoto. “But while we wait for her, we could try to figure out your codename.”

“Oh, we’re figuring out Makoto’s codename?” The older girl turned to look at Joker and found herself standing face-to-face with that insufferable smirk of hers. “Okay, let's hear those suggestions!”

“Shoulder Pads!” Skull said with a smirk.

“No.”

“Oh! How ‘bout Fist of the North Star?”

“Denied.”

“Damn… this princess is hard to please.” Makoto sent a glare to Skull that sent him cowering away. “Sheesh! Relax! I’m just messing ‘round!”

“Maybe not princess… but I think you’re on the right path, Skull.” Joker steps in his friend’s defense, deviating Makoto’s attention to the leader of their small group. “She’s got this royalty vibe to her… how about… Queen?”

Makoto blinked back a slight surprise. She… actually liked this codename. It felt right. She also liked how Joker looked: slightly embarrassed with a slight flush to her cheeks.

“Queen.” Makoto repeated it as if tasting her codename on her tongue. “Yeah, I like it.”

“Then welcome to the team, Queen!” The rest of her teammates cheered and Ma-Queen smiled. “And now that she’s one of us, I propose we name her our new strategist. All in favor?”

Mona, Fox, and Skull all raised their hands immediately. Panther observed her for a second before raising her hand as well.

“Aright!” Skull and Mona cheered. “Let’s get this show on the road!”

“Hold on, aren’t we going to talk about our strategy?” Queen asked, and both guys stopped dead in their tracks. She turned to look at Joker with a worried look on her face. “Please don’t tell me you guys have been barging in without a plan?”

Joker cleared her throat and looked away, not meeting her eyes. And that was all the answer that Makoto needed: this group was full of idiots.

“In our defense.” Joker spoke up, still not meeting her eyes. “We can’t plan much because the layout of each Palace is different and we won’t know how it’s structured until we have the whole map.”

Makoto sighed and shook her head, slightly disappointed that the “criminal group” was nothing more than a group of impulsive kids… how fitting, then, that she joined their group under these circumstances.

After that, Joker took the lead once more and organized the team into the most optimal formation that she could think of considering their abilities: Skull and herself would take the lead, acting as a buffer and keeping the enemy’s attention away from the rest of the group. Panther and Mona would stand back, providing cover fire and healing whenever needed. Joker and Fox would roam around, finding gaps in the enemy’s defense and striking whenever they got a chance.

With their formation set and their plan made, the six thieves snuck into the bank via a secret entrance that Joker discovered under a statue by the entrance. Once inside they began their exploration of what they would end up calling the Bank of Glutony (Makoto was informed that they had given each Palace their name based on the nature of the Will seeds they had found inside: the Castle of Lust, the Museum of Vanity and, now, the Bank of Glutony.)

The deeper they went, the stronger the Shadows became. But they weren’t a match for their teamwork and Joker’s strategies. Queen would comment here and there, pointing out things that their leader had missed, but she realized that Joker… no, Itsumi, was a brilliant person. She knew everyone’s strengths and weaknesses and planned for each encounter accordingly and, if there was something that everyone was lacking, she would step in and fill that role with one of her different Personas. It also helped that she was nice to look at, the way that suit fit her… why is she thinking these things?!

As they rode the elevator deeper into the Bank, Makoto looked at the inner vault and noticed something peculiar about the way that everything was arranged. When they got to the bottom and everyone walked out, she stopped right by Joker’s side and tapped her shoulder.

“Do you mind if we ride the elevator once more? I want to be certain of something.”

“Sure thing.” Joker turned to look at the rest of their group and then nodded her head to a nearby door, a Safe Room. “You guys go on ahead, Queen and I will ride the elevator up and back down.”

The other four Thieves all gave their call of recognition and shuffled their way into the Safe Room. They’ve been doing this for a few hours now and everyone was getting tired, but Joker wanted to secure their infiltration route today, so they all kept on going. They had prepared enough resources for today, anyway.

“You noticed something, didn’t you?” Joker asked once they stepped into the elevator and began to ride it back up. “What is it?”

“Well at first I thought the way the vault was shaped was just a way to make entering and leaving more complicated for thieves like us.” Queen said while stepping closer to the glass window. “But now that I look at it again I realized why the shape seems familiar: it’s arranged like a giant lock.”

Joker walked up to where she was standing and gazed down at the inner vault, hands stuffed within the pockets of her coat. Queen tried not to look, but her treacherous eyes still turned to admire look at her leader.

“You’re right, it does resemble a lock.” Her words snapped Queen out of her stupor, eyes moving up to look straight into Joker’s own. A smirk appeared on the girl’s face and Queen could feel her own heating up a bit. “Guess that mean’s we’ll have to find a way to pick this lock and get to the center. Nice job, Queen.”

The ride back down was spent in silence, Joker was checking their inventory (she had discovered that she could access the team’s shared inventory thorugh her scraf. How does thawork? She has no idea, but won’t question it.), so she had decided to keep herself busy by going over her notes.

When they arrived to the Safe Room, they found the rest of the team sitting around a table. A few empty cans of soda were resting on the table and they seemed tobe talking about something.

“Yo, Leader!” Skull calle dout once they noticed both of them walking in. “Help us setle somethin’!”

“Sure, shoot.” Joker sat on an empty chair, pulled a soda out of her coat, cracked it open and then drank some of it. “What bet are you two doing now?”

“Well, Bonehead over here thinks he’s the strongest of the group.” Panther said, pointing a finger at Skull. “As in, physically strongest. And I say that he’s full of shit because clearly you’re the strongest here.”

“I’d agree with you… but I think you’re forgetting something, Panther.” The girl in question tilted her head in confusion and Makoto got a slight chill running down her spine. “We’ve got Queen in our group, now. And I, for one, think that she’s the strongest out of us.”

Panther’s face went through a mix of emotions so fast that Makoto had a hard time even recognizing some of them. In the end she turned to look at her with a wide smile, while Skull was looking at her with slight terror in his.

“You’re right!” Panther stood up, walked over to Makoto, and then dragged her to the table. “Alright! Skull, Queen, arm wrestle, now!”

“Oh, hell naw!” Skull protested, arms crossed. “I’m not arm wrestling Queen, what if I hurt her?”

“Oh please, like you could.” Panther taunted him, a smirk on her face as she sauntered her way to his side and Makoto could’ve swornt hat she saw Panther’s clip-on tail flicking on its own. “I think you’re just afraid of losing~”

Skull blushed so hard that even his ears turned red. The boy sputtered as Mona and Joker snickered at his embarrasement. He hummed for a while and then sighed, deflating as he realized that there was nothing he could do.

“Aright.” The blonde boy put his elbow on the table and offered his hand to Queen, resigning himself to his fate. “Let’s get this effin over with.”

“You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to, Skull.” Queen tried to offer him a way out, an olive branch.

“Nah, it’s okay.” They both knew it was hopeless, but he silently thanked her. “Let’s just do this.”

Queen nodded and clasped his hand in hers, elbow on the table and ready to arm wrestle Skull. Mona, who was standing on the table, served as the referee for this little contest fo them.

To everyone’s surprise, the match was more even than they had thought. Makoto, to her absolute surprise, hadn’t lost immediatley. In fact, she was starting to push the blonde boy back! The match ended when Queen, with a triumphant roar, slammed Skull’s hand against the table. Everyone cheered, Joker’s face was oddly flushed, and Panther was laughing. Queen wa shaving fun, all things said.

Once their break was over they resumed their dive, eentually finding the final Will Seed and securing their infiltration route. Now all what was left was to send the calling card and steal Kaneshiro’s Treasure to change his heart.

-o-

When they arrived back to the real world it was dark out, though Itsumi was counting on that, she was still surprised to see how quickly night had fallen. Before everyone went home she instructed Yusuke to take Makoto home and for Ryuji to do the same thing with Ann. When they asked who was going to take her home she simply said that she had Morgana with her, so she would be safe.

When she got back to Leblanc, Sojiro was already waiting for her. She explained why she was late, studying with Ann and Ryuji since both were struggling a bit with their notes (not a complete lie, but one believeble enough.)

“Oh, by they way, I have a question for you.” Sojiro said as they walked towards his home for dinner. “You own a yukata?”

“I do, but I left it back home. Why?”

“Well there’s a festival coming around soon and, well, if you didn’t have one then I could give you some money to buy one.” Her guardian said while scratching the back of his head. “Mostly cus I talked to your mom the other day and she said that your old one was a bit smaller for you so she sent some money for you to spend on.”

“I… thanks, Sojiro.” Itsumi smiled, stepping into the Sakura Residence. “I’ll text my mom to thank her as well. I may take Ann and Makoto with me when I go out to shop for the yukata.”

“Good idea taking Blondie with you, she seems to have a good eye for that kind of stuff.” He handed her a plate full of curry, some utensils and a glass of water. “Can you take this up to Futaba first?”

“Sure thing.” Itsumi grabbed the plate and made her way to the door of Futaba’s room. She’s taken this route so many times she could probably do it with her eyes closed. “Futaba, I brought you dinner. It’s right by your door.”

When she kneeled to leave the plate by the door, Itsumi spotted something. A small piece of paper was lying on the ground, not too far from Futaba’s door. It was a small square with two words on it: for Itsumi.

The highschool girl placed the plate on the floor and then unfolded the piece of paper to reveal a small note from Futaba.

“Thank you for bringing me my dinner every day, and for telling me about your dad. I know how it feels like….”

There wasn’t anything else written on the note, but Itsumi could feel there were more things Futaba wanted to talk about. But she wouldn’t push. Instead, Itsumi folded the paper, stood back up and spoke.

“You’re welcome, Futaba. If you ever want to talk about it… feel free to leave me another note, okay?”

With that offer made she walked back downstairs to eat dinner with Sojiro before retreating back to Leblanc.

Chapter Text

Makoto used to believe that checking one’s phone in class was a huge disrespect to the teacher and had always frowned on those who did it. But ever since she joined the Phantom Thieves and discovered that they have a bad habit of texting in class (mostly Ann and Ryuji, which was to be expected, but she was also surprised to see Itsumi frequently texting there as well) she can now understand the appeal of talking to her friends while a teacher is talking.

And so, when she felt her phone vibrate, Makoto didn’t think twice to check it. When she did, she was surprised to find out that Ann had texted her. And it wasn’t a mention in the group chat, but a message straight to her.

“Hey, need to talk to you.”

Makoto read the message a couple of times, not really sure what Ann wanted to talk to her about, before sending her reply.

“I’m busy after school today, but we could eat lunch in the student council room. No one will bother us there.”

She got her reply shortly after, Ann had agreed to meet her there during lunch. Makoto spent the rest of the morning trying to think of the reason behind the model’s request to talk to her alone. She had a suspicion, but until she talked to her, there was no way to be completely sure.

When lunch rolled around, she made her way to the council room, opened it, and waited for her friend to arrive. While she waited, Makoto placed her lunch on the table and was so focused on her task that she snapped out of it when someone knocked on the door.

“I-It’s open!” Makoto called out after calming herself down.

The door opened and Ann walked in, a small bento in her hands. The blonde girl closed the door behind her and sat on the table, right in front of the spot that Makoto had prepared for herself. The Council President sat down, starting to get nervous at the uncharacteristic silence of her friend.

“I’mma be honest and skip the small talk.” Ann spoke after she had settled herself on her seat. “I’m going to ask you a question and I want you to answer me with the truth and nothing but the truth, alright?”

“I have an idea of what you’re going to ask me, and I swear I’ll be truthful.”

“Good.” Ann stayed silent for a few seconds before asking her question. “Did you know?”

It was as she suspected: Ann wanted to know if Makoto knew about Kamoshida’s abuse and had been helping to cover it up. The girl didn’t even hesitate with her answer.

“I didn’t. I meant what I said back then.” Makoto answered, looking at Ann straight into her eyes. “Up until he confessed his crimes, he seemed like a good teacher to me. Itsumi explained to me the other day that the principal, and even the fathers, were covering him up. And the students don’t trust me enough to come to the council with their problems.”

“And I’m ashamed of myself for not noticing sooner. Had I done my job correctly, I would’ve tried to stop him. Not that it would have mattered since he had the principal’s support, but I still would’ve tried to do something .”

Makoto never broke eye contact with Ann. So, when she saw them fill up with relief, she knew that being honest with her had been the right call.

“I’m glad, then. I used to be so angry at you until a few days ago, you know? I thought that, maybe, you knew about the whole fiasco but decided to do nothing to secure a letter of recommendation.” Ann spoke as she began to eat. “But at least now I know that even you were in the dark. What a scumbag.”

“But enough with the serious talk! I wanna know more about you, Prez!” Makoto almost choked from the sudden shift in her friend’s demeanor. “What kind of boys are you into? Or girls, I don’t judge.”

“W-W-What?” Makoto felt herself flush, caught completely off guard by the sudden question. “Wait… why would you ask about girls? Girls can’t like girls… right?”

“Of course they can! Look at Itsumi, for example. She’s the very definition of a walking lesbian disaster. Heck, she fits one of the molds of a stereotypical lesbian: great sense of humor, even if most of her jokes are terrible, is a barista and a great cook!” Ann spoke, using her chopsticks to gesture instead of her hands. “You have no idea how many times I’ve caught her staring at a pretty woman when she’s accompanied me to a few photoshoots.”

“I don’t… wait… she’s gone with you to your photoshoots?” Makoto tried to change the topic.

“Yeah, she’s helping me gain some confidence in myself. But don’t change the subject, Makoto.” Crap, she noticed.

Makoto sighed and leaned back on her chair.

“I’m not sure. I used to think that I liked just boys but… well recently I’ve found myself with some strange feelings for someone. A… a girl.” Makoto murmured those last words, this time not meeting Ann’s eyes.

“Oh… oh! I see. Well, this is something that you’re gonna have to figure out on your own, Prez. Just know that there’s nothing wrong with liking both as well.” Ann packed her things and stood up. When did she finish her lunch? “I gotta go, Makoto. Thanks for talking with me today and good luck with your own thing!”

And with a smile, Ann was gone. She left Makoto with a whirlwind of emotions, all conflicting within herself, trying to figure out what’s the right thing to do or, in this case, feel.

“Why do feelings have to be so complicated…” Makoto grumbled to herself while she finished her food, thinking about what Ann had said.

But from all of that, only one thing caught her attention: Itsumi likes girls.

-o-

Once school was over, Makoto decided that she needed some time to herself before heading back home. She had a lot to think about and knew that, if she went home right now, she would spend her time studying and avoid the problem all day long. And so, not wanting to be bothered, she went to the only place in the school where no one would bother her: the roof.

Once up there she sighed and leaned against the closed door. The last time she was here, she had talked to Itsumi, asking for any progress on their investigation of the blackmailing case. She was holding blackmail on them as well, how ironic.

Makoto pushed herself off the wall and took a few steps forward when she heard someone humming. Which was odd because no one should be allowed to be up here. Following the voice, she found a girl kneeling on the ground, tending to the soil of a small garden that wasn’t here a week ago.

She was about to ask who she was and what she was doing here when her mind did the work for her, recognizing that head of fluffy auburn hair immediately. Not wanting to spook the girl, she cleared her throat first.

Haru Okumura turned around with a small smile on her face.

“Oh, Niijima-san.” The heiress stood up and cleaned off her knees. “What a lovely surprise to see you up here.”

“I was about to say the same thing, Okumura-san. As far as I know, no students are allowed up here on the roof.”

“Oh, the principal gave me permission to use a small portion of it as my personal garden.” She motioned to the small plot of soil behind her. “He didn’t tell you”

“He did not.” Makoto said with a sigh. “Though this wouldn’t be the first time he’s failed to tell me something.”

“Oh, that’s a shame. Not communicating with their employees is a sign of a bad manager.” Okumura said as if reciting a mantra. “Though I could ask you the same question, Niijima-san. If no students are allowed up here, then what are you doing here?”

“I guess I needed someplace to think. Some place I could go and not be bothered.”

“Oh, I’m sorry if I bothered you.”

“No, no, quite the contrary! You were here before me, so it’s me who should be apologizing for bothering you.” She apologized while doing a small bow. “I just needed to think and thought that coming up here would be the best idea.”

“Well if you need to think… why not help me out?” Okumura asked with a smile. “I’ve found out that doing a simple task helps me focus and process my ideas, and emotions, with ease!”

“Oh no, no way. I’m no good at this kind of thing.” She tried to take a step back but Haru grabbed her by the wrist.

“Nonsense! I’ll teach you, tending the soil is very easy and quite therapeutic as well!”

The girl dragged Makoto down with surprising ease, handed her a pair of spare gloves before putting on her own pair, and handed her a small shovel.

“Just do as I do and you’ll be fine!” Haru said with a smile at the same time that she stabbed the soil. “See? It’s easy!”

Makoto looked at the floofy-haired girl with apprehension, then at her own plot of soil, and began to do as her classmate was doing. She began to stab the earth, gently at first, but as she went on Makoto began to let out her frustrations on it, and applied more and more strength to it. She was so focused on what she was doing that, in no time, she had run out of soil to stab.

When she turned around to look at her classmate, she found the girl looking at her with a gentle smile.

“Feeling better?” Haru asked, having already finished with her own plot of soil.

“Yeah. I… wow. You weren’t kidding when you said that this could be very therapeutic.”

“It helps a lot, having something to unleash your frustrations on.” The heiress said with a giggle. “Say, do you mind if I call you Mako-chan? Because I’d love to have a friend to talk to about my little project up here.”

“S-Sure. But only if you let me call you by your name, Haru-chan.” Makoto giggled as well, feeling the turmoil of emotions within her settling down.

“That’s fine by me!” Her new friend said with a smile.

They exchanged contact information and agreed to meet up there every other day, whenever Makoto had the time between cram school and her duties as the strategist for the Phantom Thieves (she didn’t mention this last bit to Haru because she doesn’t need to know about that.)

Makoto left that rooftop with a new friend, and her thoughts are a bit more in order. She has time to think about this, just like Ann said, and won’t rush it. She’s learned her lesson about rushing into things.

-o-

Darkness.

Just like how she liked it, just like how she deserves it.

The only source of light in her room came from the screen in front of her. The girl was reading through some news, about the mysterious group called the Phantom Thieves.

She’s been reading about them ever since they first made the news with that case with the perverted teacher at Shujin Academy… isn’t that the same school Itsumi goes to?

Did he do something to her? The small girl hoped he didn’t. He would pay if he did.

Speaking of Itsumi… Futaba had let curiosity get the better of her and she had looked up her… friend? Were they friends? She doesn’t know. A small part of her hopes they are. Itsumi is nice, she likes her.

She’s getting distracted again, ḫ̶̝̞͘͘ḛ̴̓͝r̸̡̰̤̖͆ voice had been getting insistent once more. Makes it hard to think.

Futaba had decided to look up all she could about Itsumi because she needed something new to think about. So she took the easy way out and began her research on the girl Sojiro had taken in. 

Itsumi Amamiya was a normal girl, a good swimmer who had made the news a couple of times back in her hometown. Speaking of it, she comes from a small place called Inaba, a bit in the middle of nowhere with the most interesting thing there being a big shopping mall called Junes and a series of murders that happened a few years ago.

If she didn’t know how Itsumi’s father had died (because her friend (?) told her about him) she would’ve suspected he had been one of the victims of this serial murder. Futaba tried to dig a bit into that case but didn’t find much information. All she could find was the names of a few victims and then that the perpetrator had been caught.

She also found out about her arrest, her time in the detention center, and her parole which is why she’s here in Tokyo and not back home in Inaba. She also found some information on her mother, Kiria Amamiya. But that’s all she looked at. She didn’t want to intrude more and scare her friend (?) away.

Futaba pushed herself away from the computer and curled up on her chair, the news of the Phantom Thieves sending a calling card to a crime lord named Junya Kaneshiro and partially exposing his crimes was displayed on her screen.

They claim they’re going to steal his heart, just like they did with that teacher and that fake painter. Maybe… maybe they could help her.

Maybe if they steal her heart…

But she has no way to contact them! That website of theirs… well not theirs, they wouldn’t be that dumb to make that webpage themselves. That page is full of fans and useless people that all they do is beg for them to solve their problems.

But she’s seen the way they work, all the posts with a person’s name get noticed. More specifically, their target’s name. Maybe they need a calling card and a person’s name to do what they do.

It’s all a bunch of “maybes”, nothing concrete. And having ḫ̶̝̞͘͘ḛ̴̓͝r̸̡̰̤̖͆ yelling in her ear isn’t helping! 

She needs to sleep and needs to rest. She can’t look over Sojiro if she’s tired. She can’t look over Itsumi if she’s tired… Itsumi’s been getting better at making coffee, or so Sojiro says… maybe… maybe she could ask for some?

No, it would be cold once she brought it to her room. Waste of time, a waste of good coffee. She’s not worth it.

Futaba stood from her chair, grabbed a bottle with pills, downed some with what was left of an energy drink she had, and went to bed. At least, in her sleep, s̵̬̯̔h̸͈̗͊̍͆ͅͅě̶̲͕̌̀͜ can’t bother her.

Chapter Text

06/24

“Everyone, out of the way!” Joker yelled at her team as she jumped out of the way of the rolling pig. “Stupid Piggytron… why does it have to be so big?!”

“Is everyone alright?” Queen checked on their team once she got back on her feet. “Anyone needs healing?”

When no one answered, Joker relaxed a bit. Despite the trouble that was dealing with the constant barrage of lasers and missiles the Piggytron could launch (adding its rolling attacks to that mix as well), they were doing mostly okay in the healing department. Mona, Panther, and Queen were doing their job splendidly.

That also meant that Joker, Skull, and Fox could focus completely on attacking Kaneshiro’s robot with everything they had. Thanks to that, it took them no time to bust up the silver piggy bank and force Shadow Kaneshiro out of his mech.

Once the fly was out, two Shadows joined him in the fight. A Bodyguard-for-Hire and a Hitman-for-Hire stood right in front of him, paid by his own cash to defend him and fight in his stead.

The presence of those two goons lasted until he ran out of money, having wasted it all throwing it at the Phantom Thieves as a means to try and bury them. In an attempt to continue fighting, he tried to use the Piggytron once more but only managed to blow himself up, destroying the robot for good and revealing the physical shape of his Treasure: huge bars of gold.

Now, alone, and defeated, Kaneshiro lays atop the gold bars, finally defeated. Joker walked up to him, pulled out her gun, and aimed it at the trembling Shadow.

“Junya “Bael” Kaneshiro, your punishment for committing the sin of gluttony, your sentence is…” She saw the way he tensed and held his breath, waiting for the final bullet that would put an end to his life. Instead, Joker pulled her gun back and holstered it. “Is to return to the real world and pay for your crimes.”

“Y-Yes… I’ll go back and confess my crimes!” The coward said, trembling upon his pile of gold. “But ya guys are fools, I tell ya. Here you are, with powers beyond normal understanding… and you guys ain’t taking advantage of it! Ya know there’s someone out there already using this place to do what they want, right?”

“We know, the black mask.” Skull stepped up and then leaned down to get level with the purple fly. “Whatcha know about him?”

“As if I’d tell you.” Shadow Kaneshiro chuckled as he vanished, returning to his other self.

Not a second after he did that, the whole place began to rumble and tremble, signaling that it was about to be destroyed.

“Shit! Mona, bus, now!” Joker barked the order while she and Skull picked up one of the gold bars and then stuffed it into the back seats of the Monabus. “Queen, hit the gas! Get us out of here!”

Queen, ever the dutiful second-in-command that she is, followed Joker’s order and drove them out of the Palace in record time. Thank God for the absence of real cops within the Metaverse, because Makoto just broke every single traffic rule there is.

When the Phantom Thieves returned to the real world, they crash-landed in the middle of the road, all piled up on top of poor Ryuji. Morgana was a few feet away from them, right beneath a golden case, and he wasn’t moving.

Itsumi rushed to get out of the body pile (she’s sure she kicked either Ryuji or Yusuke in the balls) and ran toward Morgana. She picked him, and the briefcase, up and then got out of the street and onto the sidewalk. The rest of her team got there a second later.

“Come on, Mona. Wake up, buddy.” Itsumi murmured as she cradled the unconscious cat in her arms after handing the case to Makoto. “You’re not allowed to die on me, you hear?”

“Ugh… why’s everything so loud?” Morgana grumbled, his eyes fluttering open. “Why are you looking at me like that, Joker.”

“Cus I thought you were dead, dumbass.” She hugged him, tightly, and then lowered him to the ground. “Let’s… Let’s get out of here. We’re drawing too much attention to ourselves. Spread out, meet me in Leblanc in two hours.”

The other four teenagers nodded and each of them went their separate ways, with Ann taking the case with her because she had no one that would question her about it.

-o-

07/03

It had been a few days since they stole Kaneshiro’s Treasure and still hadn’t received word from the mafia boss. The group had kept themselves busy by going into Mementos and dealing with a few targets, as well as going as deep as they could go within Everyone’s Palace.

Itsumi had also took this time to spend some time with her friends and some of her other Confidants. Takemi’s clinical trials were getting better, now she spent less time passed out in her examination room than before. She had taken the Twins out for a couple of expeditions and had delivered a few of their specific Persona requests. 

She had also managed to talk with Futaba a couple more times. The girl always spoke through paper notes, but she was fine with it. It was better than nothing. They spoke mostly about mundane things, nothing too deep, nothing too interesting, but Itsumi still enjoyed those few minutes she had with her.

Today was a quiet Sunday, with not too many customers walking in and out of Leblanc, so Sojiro had left her in charge of the café while he did some errands. He trusted her with the good beans now, which meant that she was getting better at brewing coffee the way he liked it. He also left a pot of curry ready to be served. She still hadn’t nailed the recipe, but she was sure that she was getting close to getting it right sometime soon.

She had let her friends know that she wasn’t going to be able to go out and meet them today since she was working in the café all day long. Itsumi knew that that most of her friends were busy that day, Ann had a shooting, Ryuji was spending time with his mom, Yusuke had said that he had finally been filled with inspiration and had locked himself up inside his dorm room, and Morgana was upstairs, napping. Makoto was the only one who hadn’t said anything about being busy today, but Itsumi assumed that her second-in-command was a busy woman, so she wasn’t expecting to see her at all today.

So imagine her surprise when the door to Leblanc opened and she walked in. Makoto was wearing a white dress blouse with a black belt, black capris, and black low-heeled shoes. In Itsumi’s humble (and unbiased) opinion, she looked fantastic. Certainly better than she did, that’s for sure. 

Itsumi was wearing a simple white dress shirt over a black shirt, beige pants, and black shoes. Her hair was done up in a ponytail after Sojiro insisted that she tie it up to avoid getting hair on the customer’s food. Long story short: she looked like a dork.

Still, that didn’t stop her from greeting her friend (and crush) with a smile.

“Makoto! What a nice surprise, I wasn’t expecting to see you today.”

“It’s nice to see you too, Itsumi.” Her senior sat on a stool by the bar, not too far from where Itsumi was standing. “I spent most of my morning studying and thought that I needed a change, distract myself for a bit.”

“And I was the first person you thought about? Aww, how cute!” She said with a smirk, enjoying the way her senior flushed. “Well, you have, for now, my undivided attention as Leblanc’s sole customer. What can I get you?”

“Just a coffee, for now.”

“For now?” Itsumi asked, raising an eyebrow. “You plan on staying for longer?”

“Maybe. If the company is good…” Whatever sort of bravery Makoto was relying upon seemed to vanish, and she simply looked down a the counter. “If I’m bothering you, I can leave after I drink my cup of coffee.”

“What? No, no, no! I love having you around.” Itsumi quickly worked to dispel her doubts. “I was just surprised since you said you were studying. So I thought you were just going to take your coffee, stay for a bit, and then leave. That’s all.”

“Oh… Okay.” And that was that. Makoto sat there, waiting patiently for her coffee.

Meanwhile, inside Itsumi’s head, she was beating herself up for making Makoto feel like a burden. She knows her senior is still struggling with not feeling useless, or like she’s a burden to others, and yet here she was, making her feel like one.

“Great job, Itsumi. Way to go.”

Once the coffee was ready, she placed the cup in front of Makoto with a gentle smile.

“Here you go and don’t worry about paying. It’s on the house.” She saw Makoto starting to talk and, in a bold move, pressed her index finger on the girl’s lips to shut her up. “Boss’ orders. He told me that, if any of my dumb friends dropped by for a coffee, it would be on the house. Within reason, of course.”

Itsumi removed her finger and took a step back, a smirk on her face, and she simply watched as Makoto’s face grew red. She was going to say something else but the bell above the door rang, signaling that someone had arrived. 

“Ah, I see one of your friends decided to show up.” Sojiro walked into the café with a couple of bags in his hands. “You treating her well?”

“Well she’s got a cup of coffee right in front of her, doesn't she?”

“And where’s the curry?”

“I’m fine with just the coffee, Boss.” Makoto spoke up, bowing slightly to him. “I asked her to give me just that, for now.”

“For now?” He turned to look at Itsumi with a raised eyebrow when she heard her chuckling. “What’s so funny, kid?”

“Nothing, nothing. I just had this same conversation with her.”

“Huh… well serve her a plate when she asks for one.” Sojiro took the vegetables he had inside the bag into the fridge. “Bought some more groceries. And I decided to get you out of your misery and finally teach you the curry recipe. You’ve been getting very close, now it’s time I teach you the real secret behind it.”

“Holy shit, for real?! Makoto, I’ve been deemed worthy!”

“Congratulations, Itsumi.” The Council President said with a smile, raising her cup in a small toast. “I also think that your attempts have been very good.”

“Oh? You’ve tried some?” Uh oh

“I have, yes.” Makoto, please stop talking. “We’ve had lunch together a few times and she’s given me some of her curry to taste it.”

“Has she, now?” Sojiro turned to look at Itsumi with a slight smirk on his face. She could feel her face growing warm. “Interesting. Anyway, I was just dropping by to restock the fridge. I’m going back home to sort a few things there and will be back for closing time.”

And just like that, he was gone. Itsumi waited a second after he walked through the door to groan and deflate a bit.

“When my mom comes… I’ll need to ask her if she remembers any embarrassing stories about him.”

“Your mother is coming to Tokyo? And she knows Boss?”

“Yes, to both. She’s coming over during summer break, and she knows Sojiro from her college days. It’s actually the reason I’m staying with him and not a complete stranger. He owed her a favor and, well, here I am.”

“That’s very nice of him.” She drank was was left of her coffee and Itsumi worked on getting her another cup. “I’d like to meet your mother. If it’s not a problem.”

“Not at all!” A few seconds later, Itsumi was placing another cup of coffee in front of Makoto. “I was actually planning on introducing you all to her once she got here. She still hasn’t told me exactly what day she’s coming over, but I’m guessing it should be somewhere around the end of the month.”

After that they spent the rest of the afternoon talking, Itsumi eventually served up a plate of curry for Makoto, and the girl left after finishing and paying for her second cup of coffee. Itsumi tried to refuse but, s it turns out, Makoto was more stubborn than herself.

-o-

07/09

After almost three weeks of waiting, the day had finally arrived. Today was the day that Kaneshrio would leak their photos… or, at least, that’s what would have happened if they hadn’t stolen his treasure. Last night she received a message from him, telling her that he had deleted the photos and their debt didn’t exist anymore. The next morning the news were reporting that he had walked to the police station all by himself and got arrested. 

That same morning she had submitted her report to the principal. Her investigation of the Phantom Thieves was over, she had seen their justice with her own two eyes. They… Them were good people.

When school was over, as she expected, the principal had called her over to his office to talk about the contents of her report. She knows that he expected her to find who they were (which she did) and expose their identities, and she wasn’t about to expose her and her friends.

“Care to explain?” Principal Kobayakawa asked as soon as she was standing in front of his desk.

“I believe in what I wrote, sir.” She says, her voice steady. “The Phantom Thieves are just.”

“And have you figured out who they are?” He asked, leaning a bit forward on his desk.

“I, I’m nowhere close.” Makoto lied through her teeth. “However, after considering all facts, I concluded that there are no errors in their acts or principles. Thus, upon deeming them to be on the side of justice, I have decided to end my investigation.”

“B-But that’s impossible!” He protested, and Makoto had to bite back a snort.

“Impossible?” She asks while leaning a bit to the side. “May I see the evidence you have that leads you to believe so?”

He clicked his tongue twice and shook his head.

“And here I was, speaking to the director of a prestigious college about your letter of recommendation…”

“There will be no need for that, sir. I intend on getting into a good college by my own merit.” Makoto then felt the presence of Johana at the back of her mind, giving her a boost of confidence. “Besides, what would my sister, a prosecutor, think of you, an adult, blackmailing a minor into doing your dirty work? I’m sure she would have a great day after hearing about it. Have a good day, sir.”

Makoto bowed, turned, and walked away. She even ignored him when Kobayakawa yelled about not being done with their conversation.

-o-

That same evening Makoto found herself alone in her apartment. She had texted her friends about not needing to worry about the principal trying to figure out who they were anymore. The other members expressed their cheers in the group chat and then commented that, once exams were over, they should go out and celebrate completing their job and welcome Makoto to the group.

Makoto was currently sitting in the living room, watching the news, when her sister arrived home. She looked tired, exhausted even.

“Welcome home, sis.” Makoto said while she fixed her skirt. “You look… tired. Is everything okay?”

“Don’t worry about me.” Sae tried to dismiss her worries with a simple wave of her hand. It would’ve worked if she didn’t look like a walking corpse. “How about you? Have you been keeping up with your studies?”

“Yes, of course. I’ve also taken up tutoring a few underclassmen, that way I can help them improve their grades and I can study at the same time by refreshing older content while keeping up with the new material I’m given.”

“Hm, while I admire your decision to help others, remember that you are your priority. Your studies come first, so I hope your grades won’t suffer from this.”

“Though I’ve been wondering…” Makoto crossed her arms under her chest and looked forward, away from her sister. “What is the point of studying?”

“What do you mean?”

“I was just wondering what will be waiting for me at the end.” She closed her eyes, sighed, and then opened them again. “Even if I manage to push through entrance exams, I’m still thrust into a competitive society.”

“What else is there besides success?” Her sister huffed. “Don’t ask me such childish questions.”

Sensing that that conversation was over, Makoto turned her attention to the television. The news was talking about Kaneshiro and his arrest. Makoto decided to take this opportunity to do some subtle probing.

“Isn’t this the man the Phantom Thieves sent a calling card for? I heard he confessed his crimes.” Bait, set.

“Even the police couldn’t figure out why.” Sae spoke after letting out a heavy sigh. “It really… was out of nowhere. This would only make sense if his personality changed… but that would be impossible.”

“Why does it matter? The police still caught him in the end, right?” She asked, hoping her sister would talk some more.

“I had plans set for a promotion, busting this case would have been my opportunity.” Sae sighed once more and Makoto worried that her sister might deflate like a balloon. “But with that confession, no one can take credit for his arrest. Not that a child would understand.”

She then turned around and walked out of the apartment. Makoto wasn’t sure where she was going, probably going to sleep somewhere else like she has been doing for the last few weeks.

“So she was pursuing the case after all.” Makoto spoke once she was sure her big sis was far enough. “A promotion… Sis, you’ve changed.”

Makoto then closed her eyes and smiled, a warm feeling spreading through her chest.

“But I’ll be fine, I finally found a place where I belong.” A slight blush then spread on her cheeks when the face of a glasses-wearing girl flashed through her mind. “And… maybe… someone that I could call a partner…” Another sigh. “I still need to figure that out… my feelings for her… for Itsumi… why do feelings have to be so complicated?”

Chapter Text

07/10

Today had been a long and boring Sunday for Itsumi. Nothing to do other than watch the store… and on a slow day, as well. But not for Futaba. Ever since the arrest of Junya Kaneshiro was announced, she doubled up on her research about the Phantom Thieves, trying her best to figure out who they are.

So far she’s managed to narrow down a few things: they must be students from Shujin Academy, they need their target’s full name (theory pending, might be a coincidence), and they need a calling card. Other than that… she’s stumped.

The various rumors around the internet aren’t very precise, and she couldn’t find much information on the Phansite other than messages of support and requests. Speaking of that website… whoever made it, really needs to upgrade its defenses. She could hack that website with her eyes closed!

The sound of multiple voices coming from her speakers caught her attention. Seems like Itsumi has her friends over to study, not like she needs it since Futaba is sure that her friend (?) is very smart. 

“But ya know, I’m still surprised that Itsumi scored as high as she did.” The one they call Ryuji spoke up. She’s been getting better at differentiating between Itsumi’s friends' voices.

“Just because you’re lazy, doesn’t mean we all are, Ryuji.” One of the girls spoke, Ann if she remembers correctly. 

“I wouldn’t say that with that much confidence, Ann.” Yup, she was right. Huzza! “Need I remind you, my dear bestie, that you confessed having spent the night before the exams watching series?”

The other girl devolved into a series of sputters and attempts to retort while the rest of them laughed. She had to lower the volume of her speakers, their laughter was a bit too much for her. 

Ț̷̰̤̂̋̊̀̕o̵̟̠̯̪̐̑̂͘ͅo̵̻̳͚̤̩̒̄͘ ̶̢̪̬̫̤͑̔͑͐̔̋ͅh̷̢̧͓̩̍̉̀́͝ả̵̦̳̉͜p̸̡͍̻̣̐̈͜͜p̷̨̩̟͉͛ÿ̶͇̯́̀̓̏͌,̵̩͌̄̍̚ ̶̦̒a̵̢̹̠̭͓͌͋n̸̦̗͂̉͑̈d̷͇͍̱̈́̍̂͋̾ ̶̛̖̽̈̓s̸͚̊̿̐͝͠ḣ̵̛͎̇̆̑͠ḙ̵̦̤͛̐̓ ̷̢͎̻͔́̿̀d̸̩̤̣̯̹͑̾o̴̙̯͚̲̾̏́͝e̵͈̰̾͌s̵͇͎̿́̽̒̕ṇ̷͈̎͋̔̊͊'̶͎̯͛̋͆̇͑̆t̷̤̺̞̮̖̱̀ ̷͔̘̃͛̊̆d̸̮͗e̵̡̦̹̙͖̩͂̾͂̄̑͝s̷̨̲͝e̴̡̲͉̳͐͒͛͑́́ͅr̸̮̗̥̼̘̍̀̓̋͆͊v̵̧̡͉͉̱͔̒ḙ̴̡̨̛̈́̆̑̈́͜ ̵̙̰͛͆h̵̭̙̥̅͊̈́̉͝ḁ̸͑͐̾ͅp̷̟̜̦͇̳͕̃͊p̷̯̀͗́̃̀i̵͓̼̣̰͗̀͠n̸͉̬̺͑̽̃e̸͇̍s̶̳̓̾̉̏͛͝s̷̮͍̳̣͌̒.̸͈̮̗͋̔̈́

After they calmed down, the new girl (Makoto was her name, if she remembers correctly), sighed and wondered what she was doing there since she was a year older than the rest. Turns out, they wanted her to teach them (them being Ryuji and Ann since Itsumi is fine on her own) while Itsumi and Yusuke (another friend, from another school and Madarame’s last pupil) studied on their own.

Midway through their session, they took a break to relax and let their (Ryuji and Ann’s) brains rest. Itsumi offered to make them some coffee, and her friends took her on the offer. She seems to be good enough that Sojiro lets her use the good beans.

While she did that, Itsumi talked about her situation, why she was staying at the café, and why she had left her hometown and moved to Tokyo. Futaba had already heard this story once, Itsumi told her about it a few days ago after she brought her dinner.

“That’s… that’s terrible…” Makoto murmured, low enough that her bugs almost didn’t pick it up.

“Ann, Yusuke, and me are pretty much the same too. I mean, it’s not as bad as her though.” Ryuji spoke, and what he said next made Futaba perk up. “There’s just something we can’t ever put up with. That’s why we all became Phantom Thieves .”

Holy crap! She found them! The Phantom Thieves were hiding right under her nose… and now that she thinks about it, everything made so much sense! The timelines matched, all the bits and pieces of evidence she found were coming together to reveal the truth.

The reason she hadn’t made the connection was that she hadn't even dared to think that Itsumi and her friends could be the infamous Phantom Thieves! Now that she’s found them, all she needs is to find something she can use as a calling card and send it to them… maybe by the mail? Yeah, that sounds like a good plan.

-o-

07/11

Itsumi is thankful that they’re allowed to use the school’s summer uniforms since it's been getting hotter with every single day that passed. It’s during times like this that she missed swimming. Maybe she’ll ask Kasumi if she knows about a good swimming pool that meets the basic measurements.

“Oh, Amamiya-senpai.” Speaking of the devil. “What a pleasant surprise. Are you headed home too?”

Itsumi turned around with a smile on her face, one hand grabbing the strap of her bag while she used the other one to fix her (fake) glasses.

“Kasumi, hi!” Itsumi greeted her junior with a chuckle. “I was just thinking about asking you something. Do you know any places nearby that have an olympic pool?”

“I do!” The red-haired girl said with a smile. “There’s an all-purpose gym not too far from Inokashira Park! I could take you there for our next lesson if you want.”

“That’d be fan-”

“Huh? Amamiya-chan?” The voice of Goro Akechi cut her off and Itsumi had to restrain a groan. She’s been hanging with Akechi a few times after the small encounter they had on the TV station a few months ago. “And you are…?”

“It’s been quite a while, Akechi-san?” Kasumi said with her usual smile.

“And the same for you… Yoshizawa-san, right?” When Kasumi nodded, Akechi smiled again. “You resemble your father.”

Once introductions, and explanations, were out of the way, Yoshizawa revealed that she had been chosen as the school’s representative for a prestigious gymnastics competition. As a way to celebrate, Akechi said that he knew of a good café nearby and that he was willing to pay for the three of them. And if Akechi was offering… Itsumi wouldn’t say no to draining the guy’s wallet just a bit.

Once there, and after they had placed their orders (Itsumi refused to order the coffee since none would be able to beat Sojiro’s), Akechi asked the same question he had asked her the day they met at the TV station. what was her opinion on the Phantom Thieves?

Kasumi’s answer caught her off guard: she admits that the assistance of others in need is a great act, but that she can’t agree to their methods. She also said that, in the long run, the existence of the Phantom Thieves would be harmful to society. Having that “safety net” could impair people’s capability to overcome their own problems. With the conclusion being that a society that relies on the Phantom Thieves to resolve all their problems wouldn’t last for long.

Itsumi had to think fast after that because Akechi put her on the spot by asking what she thought about that.

“She’s not entirely wrong.” Itsumi said after fixing her glasses. “I think that the Phantom Thieves are doing good things for the people but, just like Kasumi said, if everyone expects them to solve all their problems then their existence might become a hindrance for humanity. I think that if they stick to the pattern they have of only targeting big targets, and taking on cases where the police have failed to act, then there should be no issue. But, no matter what happens, they can’t exist for too long or they might become a problem.”

“I see, I see.” Akechi says while nodding.

”Wait… could you be a fan of the Phantom Thieves, Amamiya-senpai?”

“That’s a complicated answer, Kasumi.” Itsumi says while scratching the back of her head. “I’m grateful for them dealing with Kamoshida since he insisted quite a lot on me joining the volleyball team, and we both know what he did.”

From there on their conversation was a short one since Kasumi had to head back home. When the red-headed girl left, Itsumi and Akechi talked some more before she had to leave as well. She might sorta tolerate the guy, but talking to him always leaves her mentally exhausted. Stupid Ace Detective and his mind games.

-o-

07/17

It was during times like this that she was thankful for being a girl. Summer hadn’t even started and they were already suffering from a heat wave, so that meant that it was socially acceptable to wear something like a skirt and a thin shirt because she would rather die than wear pants when it was this hot outside. She had also done her hair up in a ponytail because, again, heat wave.

“Sooo hot!!” Ryuji complained, voicing out what she was thinking.

“It’s as if we’re walking around in an enormous sauna…” Yusuke, the absolute mad lad who was wearing pants and a long-sleeved shirt, complained as well.

“And yet here you are, wearing long sleeves and pants.” Itsumi spoke up, using a paper fan she had bought when they arrived at the fair to cool herself. “I’m surprised you haven’t passed out from dehydration, Yusuke.”

“Ugh… who’s bright idea was to come here?”

“Yours.” The three of them, because Morgana was hiding within her bag as usual, spoke at the same time.

Just as they were about to go and buy the thing they were here for, kebabs, a TV host approached their group. Ryuji handled them by being as cringe as he could be, a feat considering Ann wasn’t with them, and assured them that they probably wouldn’t air on TV since it was a broadcasting disaster.

The lines to get their food were horrible, doubly so since Itsumi felt like she was choking from all the heat. Morgana, the dumb not-cat that he is, didn’t eat breakfast because he was sure they were going to eat a lot of meat. Which was true, but now he was getting lightheaded and thus suffering the consequences of his actions.

After acquiring their priced meat, the group ate their meals and decided to go and check the construction site of a stadium they were building in Odaiba, not too far from where the festival was taking place. When they got there, just as she suspected, the place was still in the early stages of construction, so there wasn’t much to see. What did surprise her though was running into Kasumi.

Turns out that, when she’s feeling down, she likes to go to the construction site to think. After talking for a bit, she asked her out for lunch, an offer that Itsumi accepted even though she just ate something.

What she wasn’t expecting was to witness Kasumi eating more food than she’d ever seen someone digest in a single sitting. Not even Ryuji could eat as much as that girl did. The only reason Kasu had stopped eating was because, if she ate any more, it could harm her performance!! After that, they spoke about how she was starting to get into the swing of things once more but that, at the moment of truth, her body wouldn’t act like it was supposed to.

Itsumi thought that it could be a mental thing, and Kasumi agreed with her. The gymnast told her that she had gone through something similar during middle school and that she had someone that kept her going. When Kasumi revealed that she had a younger sister who had died last spring, Itsumi couldn’t help but reach out and grab the girl’s hand, telling her that she understood what it felt like losing someone close and that, if she ever needed someone to talk too, she would always be there to listen. They talked some more, and Kasumi promised that she would continue to do her best to improve.

-o-

07/18

Today was the day they had agreed to meet up and celebrate Makoto joining the team and a job well done by forcing Kaneshiro’s change of heart. Their plan? Attending a fireworks festival! Itsumi had bought a new yukata with the money her mom had sent her and, by her friend’s suggestion, she even left her glasses at home. They had agreed to meet at the train station in Shibuya about an hour before the fireworks show. Itsumi had to be thankful that Makoto was with them now because everyone seemed to listen to her… she will never admit it out loud, but she kind of thinks that seeing Makoto take charge of a situation was sexy as fuck.

Before she left to meet up he friends, Mishima texted her to tell her that he had heard some rumors online about a strange group. Supposedly they were planning on making a move against the Phantom Thieves, but he wasn’t sure. It didn’t sit right with him to know this information and not share it with her, so he just passed the message and then apologized for bothering her.

To her surprise, Ryuji and Yusuke had arrived at the meeting place before everyone else. The former was wearing a yellow tank top with beige cargo shorts and blue sneakers, while the latter was wearing a dark blue yukata with a yellow sash around his waist. No surprise that her friend with a fixation on old japanese culture had a yukata to wear.

“Hello there, guys.” Itsumi greeted them with a smile, opening her paper fan to keep herself cool. Her hair was done up in a simple bun held by a hairpin that her mother gifted her when she turned sixteen. “I’m surprised to see you two early, and not surprised to see Yusuke in a yukata and you without one.”

“That’s cus I don’t own one, dumbass.” Ryuji scoffed.

“It seems like my assumptions were correct.” Yusuke spoke, nodding as he looked at her. “You are a true japanese beauty, Itsumi.”

“Thank you!” The only girl in the group smiled as she folded her fan and stashed it in her sleeves. “Speaking of yukatas… where’s Ann and Makoto?”

“I talked to Ann a couple of minutes ago.” Ryuji leaned against a nearby pillar and sighed. “She said she’s helping Makoto put her yukata on, or somethin’ like that.”

Itsumi was filled with a temporary sense of dread… but it quickly passed when she looked at her blonde friend and smirked.

“And let me guess, you’re looking miserable because you’re dying to see Ann all dolled up, eh?” Ryuji sputtered and looked away. “Or could it be because you failed your exams?”

“Sh-shut up! We don’t know that yet, okay?!”

Itsumi and Morgana were going to tease him up some more, but that’s when two girls wearing yukatas approached them. One of them was wearing a pink one and the other one was wearing a black one. They looked kind of cute, not really her type. So Itsumi simply tunned out their conversation with Yusuke (because of course they were flirting with him but the guy, dense as he is) simply ushered them away saying that they should respect themselves a bit more.

“Aww man, how could you?!” Ryuji, dumbass that he is, complained about it.

“Why don’t you go after them then?” Oh karma, you nasty woman.

The three of them turned to look in the direction of Ann’s voice and Itsumi could’ve sworn that she felt her had stopped working. Sure, Ann looked fantastic in her blue yukata, but it was Makoto the one that stole the show. The older girl was wearing a white one with red and pink flowers on it and a yellow obi around her waist. Itsumi noticed that her friend was wearing just a little bit of makeup, not too much, but enough so that she would notice it.

The leader of the Phantom Thieves noticed the slight smirk on the face of her bestie (traitor!) and that brought her back to the real world. Ann’s smirk didn’t last though, because she then turned to glare at Ryuji. Poor guy just fucked up and he doesn’t even know it. And Morgana, being the little bastard that he his, sealed his fate when he revealed that Ryuji, most probably, failed his exams.

Thankfully, Ann decided to be merciful and ushered their group along, otherwise the streets might get too crowded and they might not find a good spot to watch the show.

When they got outside, the group of teenagers realized that the show had already started and, thanks to the literal sea of people, they had missed the chance to find a good spot to watch the show. Worse yet, it had begun to rain. They decided to take shelter in front of a convenience store nearby.

Aside from missing most of the show, they were now wet. Fantastic.

After Ryuji bought a few towels for her and the other two girls (Ann had to almost force him to buy them after she caught him and Yusuke staring at her while she tried to squeeze the water out of her yukata) they agreed to go their separate ways and head home. Itsumi offered to walk Makoto home, but the girl told her that they weren’t far from her place and that she would be fine by herself. Itsumi walked back to Leblanc with only Morgana for company.

When she got to the café, Itsumi was surprised to see the woman with the ashen-brown hair and red eyes from the other day.

“So you won’t tell me, no matter what?” The woman asked after finishing the cup of coffee she was drinking out of.

“I have nothing more to say to you about that.” Her guardian said, glaring at the woman.

“I see.” She spoke as she stood. “in that case, I have ways of making you talk.”

“Huh? What’s that supposed to-”

“Thanks for the drink.” The woman interrupted him, grabbed her bag, and left Leblanc.

“Uh… what was that?” Itsumi asked once the woman had left the store.

“Tch, it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.” Sojirothen picked up the cup and sighed. “It’s past closing time. I’ll clean up the place, you go and take a hot shower since I’m sure you got wet from the rain.”

“Nonsense, let me help you out. It’ll be faster that way.” Itsumi, despite Sojiro’s protest, put on an apron and helped him pick everything up and clean some dishes.

While they cleaned up, Sojiro had put up the news, and Itsumi, as she tends to do, tuned them out while she worked. That was until she heard something that caught her attention.

“The international hacktivist group Medjed has released a statement to the Phantom Thieves. These are the details of the message that are posted on Medjed’s website.”

“To the Phantom Thieves causing an uproar in Japan: do not speak of false justice. We do not need the spread of such falsehood. We are the true executors of justice. However, we are magnanimous. We will give you an opportunity to repent your ways. If you agree to a change of heart, we will accept you as our own. If you reject our offer, the hammer of justice will find you. We are Medjed. We are unseen. We will eliminate evil.”

Itsumi filed that threat for later when she could talk to her friends. She tuned out the rest of the talk, including Akechi’s talk about them being evil and whatnot. Sojiro did ask her if she knew about them, but she easily threw him off by saying that she’s heard of them, but isn’t interested.

With that conversation over and dealt with, they locked up the place and Itsumi ate dinner that night with Morgana in Leblanc.

-o-

07/20

On her way to school, Itsumi reflected on her talk with Igor the night before. She was dealing with a foe with an “unseen” form, and he had said that it would come to an end through the appearance of an unexpected force. She didn’t know what to make of it but, then again, most of what he said to her didn’t make much sense anyways.

To top it all off, she had a run-in with Akechi at the station and, of course, he would do this, wanted to talk to her about the declaration of war against the Phantom Thieves from Medjed. Since she didn’t feel like talking much with him, she simply decided to limit her answer to the bare minimum. Thankfully for her, he seemed to be running late so he didn’t stick around for too long.

It wasn’t until lunchtime that something… odd happened.

“Hey, your phone was buzzing earlier.” Morgana spoke from beneath her desk. “You should check it out.”

She pulled out her phone and noticed that she had a lot of messages from an unknown contact.

[???] “Nice to meet you.”

[???] ”I am the one they call Alibaba.”

[???] “I was to ask you something.”

[???] “You’re a phantom thief, aren’t you?”

[???] “Can you really steal hearts?”

Itsumi panicked and almost dropped her phone in the process. Morgana looked at her, with fear in his eyes. Both of them were asking themselves the same question: How did they know that she was a phantom thief?

[???] “There is someone whose heart I would like you to steal.”

[???] “But I’m not asking for charity. Let’s make a deal.”

[???] “You wish to know about Medjed, correct?”

[???] “I can give you information on them if the change of heart is successful.”

[???] “If you so desire, I can take care of them as well.”

[???] “Do you believe in my skills?”

[???] “I can track down their accounts, just as I have with yours.”

[???] “But this is all I can prove at the moment.”

[???] “I’ve prepared the necessary tools on my end.”

[???] “Look forward to it.”

Itsumi tried to send a message to this Alibaba person, but all she got was an error message saying that the account she was trying to message didn’t exist. She messaged her team after that, letting them know that she needed to talk to them about something important after school.

Once school was over they met at their hideout, the crossing of Shibuya station. There she told them about the strange messages from Alibaba and they all concluded that, whoever he was, this person was a hacker and had somehow gotten a hold of their identities. Or, at least Itsumi’s.

Since Alibaba had said that they would contact her later, they all decided to head back to Leblanc since they could wait there for hours without seeming suspicious. When they got to the café, Sojiro was standing by the main bar, reading the newspaper, and with a letter by his side.

“Oh? What’s with the big group?” Sojiro asked once he realized they had arrived.

“Well, we were thinking of putting up plans for the summer and decided to bring them here. I hope it’s not a bother.”

“Bah, you know I like it when you bring your friends over.” He said, closing the newspaper and putting it away. “Especially since I don’t have customers around, so you guys can take over one of the tables if you want to. By the way, this arrived in the mail for you.”

He motioned to the letter on the counter and Itsumi had a feeling this was related to Alibaba in some way.

“Well, I’ll get going. Since you’re here you can take over the store. Curry’s on the stove and you can give your friends a cup of coffee, just don’t use any of the exotic beans alright?”

With that said and done, Sojiro left them. 

“Okay then, guess the store is all ours.” Itsumi turned to her friends. “Ryuji, Yusuke, can you two guys go and buy some snacks? And soda. If we’re going to be here for a few hours, we’re going to need something to eat.”

“You got it!”

“Sure thing.”

“What about us?” Ann asked while sitting in one of the booths.

“We are going to wait here, of course. What use is there to have guys on our team and not make them run our errands?”

Ryuji was about to complain when Makoto spoke up.

“Besides, I think Ryuji owes it to us after failing his exams. Don’t you girls agree?” The three girls turned to look at him with innocent smiles and the blonde simply sighed and walked out of the store with Yusuke following behind him.

Both boys returned a few minutes later with a couple of bags in their hands. Once their snacks had been secured, they all sat down around a table and began to talk about whatever crossed their minds. Itsumi, used to tuning out the TV but still keeping an ear focused on it, asked her friends to make silence once she heard the reporter talk about Medjed.

“We have late-breaking news on Medjed, whose notoriety rose since their statement the other day. Just moments ago, a new message has been released on their website. They have announced their victory over the Phantom Thieves. Medjed also warns any japanese citizens who praised the Phantom Thieves to stop doing so. We will report any further actions by Medjed as they arrive.”

Ann and Ryuji both pulled out their phones to check the new message but, since it was in english, it was Ann the one that read it to the group.

“The Phantom Thieves remain silent at our question. This proves that we are just. People of Japan, wake up. You must not worship the Phantom Thieves. We will discipline any who worship them. The punishment is the confiscation of possessions. We are Medjed. We are unseen. We will eliminate evil.”

The group stayed silent for a second, taking in the bad news.

“What does that even mean?” Ryuji asked, being the first one to break the ice.

“It means that they’ll target sympathizers of the Phantom Thieves. And by confiscating possessions they most likely mean bank accounts or personal information… either way, it won’t be anything pleasant.” Makoto explained to all.

“And why the hell are we being singled out?!”

“Perhaps all they care about is labeling the Phantom Thieves as criminals.” Itsumi said, leaning back on her seat while crossing her arms.

“And isn’t there anything we can do?” Ann leaned forward, fetching a chip from the open bag.

“It’s certain that we can’t do anything. At least, not on our own.”

They all sighed at the same time. That’s when Itsumi remembered the letter Sojiro had given her. She leaned up, opened it, and pulled out a single, red calling card.

“A calling card?” Morgana asked, leaning close to it and smelling it.

“Anything else?” Ann asked. “Who’s it from?”

“Well, there’s no seal on this thing.” Itsumi said, shaking the empty envelope. “So it was probably dropped directly into the mailbox.”

“Could it have been Alibaba?” Yousuke pointed out.

“I was thinking the same thing ever since Sojiro told me it was sent to me. Not many people know I’m here… except for you guys, my mom, and everyone else I’ve met here in Tokyo. And even fewer people know where I’m staying at.”

“Well he did mention something about preparing the necessary tools.” Morgana spoke, clearly resisting the urge to jump on the table. “Could this be what he was talking about?”

“Probably…” Itsumi hummed and grabbed the calling card once more. “But without the other details, this card is useless. We still need the name and everything else.”

Once they decided that there was nothing else they could do at the moment, the Phantom Thieves cleaned up the shop and Itsumi locked it up after she had gone for a bath. Itsumi spent the rest of her evening studying before heading to bed. This whole thing just got a lot more complicated.

-o-

07/21

Itsumi most of her day checking her phone, waiting for the impending message from Alibaba. Her torture was cut off that afternoon when he finally contacted her.

[???] “Good day.”

[Itsumi Amamiya] “Let me guess… Alibaba?”

[???] “Ah, you responded today.”

[???] “That’s right, it’s me.”

[???] “You’re the leader of the Phantom Thieves, correct?”

[Itsumi Amamiya] “Seems like you did your homework.”

[???] “I take it you received the calling card?”

[???] “Are you at school right now?”

[Itsumi Amamiya] “That’s right, I’m in class right now.”

[???] “Now then, I have prepared the calling card for you.”

[???] “When are you going to steal it?”

[Itsumi Amamiya] “Huh… seems like you don’t know everything after all. You see, we’re missing a vital piece of information.”

[???] “And what would that be?”

[Itsumi Amamiya] “Our target’s name.”

[???] “...I was dreading this.”

[???] “Fine, I’ll tell you the name. After school, gather the rest of your team. Once you’re all gathered, I’ll tell you the name.”

Itsumi tried to answer them but was unable to do so. She sent a quick text to the rest of her team, letting them know that they should meet at Leblanc after school.

Once school was over she rushed back to the café to wait for her friends. They all arrived shortly after she did, with Yusuke being the last one to arrive. Since they were going to spend the rest of the day there, Sojiro left her in charge once more under the condition that they clean up once they were finished.

“Alibaba texted me again, and said that he would give us the name of our target once I had gathered you all.” Itsumi explained to her friends once Sojiro was gone.

“So now we’re just waiting on him?” Ryuji asked as he sat down on one of the stools by the counter.

Itsumi nodded as she pulled out her phone and placed it on the table she was sitting at, waiting for the message to arrive. Turns out, she didn’t have to wait for too long.

[???] “Have you gathered the rest of your team?”

[Itsumi Amamiya] “Yes, I have.”

[???] “Good. I suggest you sit down before I reveal the name of your target.”

[Itsumi Amamiya] “I’m already sitting down. Now give us the name.”

[???] “The name of your target is Sakura Futaba and, if you don’t steal her heart, she’s going to die.”

It was at that moment that she understood why Alibaba asked her to sit down because if she wasn’t, she was sure that she would’ve fallen off. All her friends immediately looked worried, Makoto most of all, but she couldn’t hear their words. Everything sounded muddled, their voice distant whispers as she focused on the name on the screen.

Itsumi felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Ann by her side s she began to guide her out of the panic attack she was most certainly having. Once she calmed down, she explained to her friends who Futaba was, and what her connection to her was.

Just as she was about to stand up and rush to Sojiro’s place, her phone buzzed with another notification.

“Oh crap…” Itsumi said after reading the message.

“What’s wrong? What happened?” Makoto, still worried, asked.

“It was a message from my mom.” Itsumi sent a quick message to her mom and then locked the phone, leaning back in her seat. “And she just told me that she’s here in Tokyo.”

Chapter Text

“It was a message from my mom.” Ann saw Itsumi send a quick message and then lock her phone. Her best friend leaned back after doing that. “And she just told me that she’s here in Tokyo.”

The rest of the Phantom Thieves looked at themselves, noting that their leader was going through something complicated. Clearly, Itsumi knew who this Sakura Futaba was, and she had a slight suspicion as to why. Makoto cleared her throat, and everyone but Itsumi turned to look at her.

“It’s clear that Itsumi isn’t in any condition to continue with today’s meeting, so I think we each should go our way.” Their senior then reached out and gently tapped Itsumi on her arm. Their leader looked up at her with confused eyes. “Itsumi, could you make a cup of coffee for me?”

Itsumi nodded, stood up, and walked towards the bar to prepare the order. While she did that, everyone else packed everything up and cleaned the table they were sitting at. Once they finished, Itsumi returned with the cup of coffee and looked at them, confused.

“When did you guys clean everything up?” She asked, putting the cup on the table they were talking by. “Are you leaving? What about your coffee?”

“Yes, we are. And the cup is for you to drink.” Makoto shouldered her bag while Ryuji and Yusuke walked out of Leblanc. Their senior waited until they were gone to talk again. “Ever since Ann told me about your panic attacks, though in this case, it would be more like… dissociation. I’ve been investigating ways to help people get through them. Performing a familiar, routinary task helps in grounding yourself.”

“That’s… huh.” Itusmi simply hummed and drank some of the coffee, humming and smiling. “That’s very nice of you, Makoto. Thanks.”

“No need to mention it, Itsumi.” Makoto said with a smile and waved Itsumi goodbye as she left the local.

Ann was about to say goodbye to her friend when Itsumi spoke first.

“Um… Ann? Could you come with me?”

At that moment, Ann wasn’t talking to Joker, the fearless leader of the Phantom Thieves, the girl who laughs in the face of death and always has a quick quip at the tip of her tongue. Instead, she was talking to Itsumi Amamiya, a girl who was dealing with a lot of things in her life and who, at that moment, needed the support of her best friend. How could she say no to that?

“Of course!” She answered without even thinking about it. It’s not like she had anyone waiting for her back home.

Ann went upstairs to leave her bag, fetching Itsumi’s on the way so that they could bring Morgana with them, and then walked back downstairs. When she got there, her best friend had already finished drinking her coffee and was washing and drying the cup she had just used. After Itsumi had dried her hands, the blonde handed the bag to her. Morgana climbed into it without asking questions, and the three of them left the café.

According to Kiria, Itsumi’s mother, she was going to stay in Tokyo for the entire summer vacation and was going to be staying at a small apartment she was renting. Their task? Accompany her to the place where she will be staying and then probably head back to Leblanc. Easy-peasy!

They arrived in Shibuya, arms locked together, Itsumi led them through the mass of people. Her mom had sent a message letting her know that she would be waiting for them in front of Buchiko’s Statue. Once they got there, it didn’t take her friend too long to find her mother, and Ann could see why.

Aside from the small suitcase she was carrying, Kiria Amamiya was almost identical to her daughter or, more precisely, Itsumi looked a lot like her mother. She was half a head taller than Itsumi, which meant that she was slightly taller than Ann, and looked every bit the serious businesswoman Itsumi had told them she was. The major difference between them was the eyes: Kiria has brown eyes whereas Itsumi has grey ones. Other than that, they were nearly identical.

“Mom!” Itsumi called out to her once they were close enough. She let go of her arm, gave her bag to Ann, and then rushed to hug her mother.

“Itsumi!” The older woman gave her daughter a tight hug once she was within arm’s reach. “How are you, Droplet? Are you doing okay?”

“Yup, I’m fine. Nothing new since the last time we talked.” She let go of her mother and then motioned for Ann to approach. “Mom, this is my best friend! She’s a professional model.”

“I’m Ann Takamaki. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Amamiya-san” She bowed, paying her respects to the older woman. She then handed Itsumi back her bag and used every single ounce of self-control she had to not smack the smirk off her friend’s face. “I’m not a professional model… yet. I’ve done a few shoots, but it's mostly a hobby.”

“The pleasure is all mine, Takamaki-san.” The older woman turned to look at her and a look of recognition crossed through her face. She then pulled out a business card and handed it to her. “I’ve seen you before, in a few magazines. You’ve got great potential. If you ever need a modeling job, have your agent call me.”

“Mom, you’re here on vacation? Switch off the work mode of?” Itsumi chuckled while rolling her eyes. “Besides, there’s someone else I want you to meet.”

“Right, sorry. It was an automatic response.” Ann still grabbed the offered card while Kiria turned to look at her daughter… who was holding an unimpressed Morgana in her hands. Kiria looked at the cat, then back at her daughter, then back at the cat. “Itsumi, darling, did you adopt a cat?”

“More like he adopted me.” Itsumi said with a huge smile. “I found him near the school, gave him a bit of food, and next thing I know I’ve got him following me on my way back to Sojiro’s place.”

“And he let you keep him?” Kiria reached a hand forward, letting Morgana sniff her hand, before giving him a few scratches under his chin. The poor guy immediately melted. He stood no chance.

“It took some convincing, but I managed to do it as long as he didn’t walk around the store while there were customers in.”

“And does he have a name?”

“Yup, his name is Morgana.”

“Cute name for a cute cat.” She pulled back and then cleared her throat. “Well given the circumstances, I think we should head to Sojiro’s place first. It’s been a few years since I last talked to him in person and I’d like to catch up.” Kira then turned to look at Ann. “Will you be joining us, Takamaki-san?”

“I’d like to, but I think I’ll head back home.” Ann said with a smile. “It’s getting late and I have a shoot early tomorrow, so I want to be super rested!”

“In that case, it was a pleasure to meet my daughter’s best friend.” Kiria turned and gave Ann a small smile. “If you ever consider doing modeling as a professional, give me a call. Let’s go, Itsumi.”

“Right behind you, mom! Bye, Ann. I’ll text you guys later.” Itsumi stuffed Morgana back into her bag and then caught up to her mother.

Ann watched the both of them leave for a bit before looking at the business card in her hands. It was a simple white card with Kiria’s name on it, her phone number, and the name of the company. The logo, a blue pegasus, was engraved on the right side of it.

“Fortuna Entertainment… where have I heard that name before?”

-o-

Kiria followed Itsumi through the narrow streets of Yongen-Jaya, looking around and taking in the sights of the small district. She had to admit that it surprised her that Sojiro had taken residence in such a place, last she knew about him he was working with the government as a liaison. But now he lives in such a place? And running a café? Suspicious.

The mother and daughter duo eventually arrived at what Kiria assumed to be their destination: Café Leblanc.

“Is this the place?” She asked, looking around the hallway they were in.

“Yup.” Her daughter answered while she closed her bag almost entirely, leaving a small opening for Morgana to breathe.

During their walk the black cat had popped out of the bag and placed his front paws on Itsumi’s shoulders, thus letting him see where they were going. She had scratched him a couple more times, smiling every time the little guy meowed in response to it as if he were talking.

“This is also the place where I’m staying, up in the attic of the café.”

“Oh? And why not stay at his home?”

“I think I’ll let him explain that one since it’s a bit of a complicated situation.” Itsumi grabbed the handle of the door and pushed it open, a small bell ringing to announce they had arrived. “Boss, I’m back! And look who I brought with me!”

When Kiria walked inside, it didn’t take her too much time to find her old friend. He was standing behind the counter, reading through a newspaper, leaning against the back wall. He looked the same way as he did the last time she saw him, just a few years older and with his hairline further back than she remembered.

When he spotted her, he did a double take and folded his newspaper, his eyes wide with surprise.

“Well, someone’s early.” He said with a chuckle, walking around the counter to greet her with a hug. One that she was happy to return. “So this the important thing you went out to do?”

“Surprise!” Her daughter laughed, shaking her head as she stepped away. “Anywho, I’m going upstairs real quick to let Morgana out and feed him. The little bastard has been complaining for a bit now.”

Kiria heard the cat meow in protest as Itsumi walked towards a set of stairs in the back. Morgana really is chatty.

“Yeah, yeah whatever. Just don’t forget to come downstairs for dinner time, alright?”

They heard Itsumi’s affirmative response as he led her toward the main counter, pulling out a stool for her to sit down on and then offered to make a cup of coffee for her.

“So you go by Boss, now?” Kiria asked with a chuckle. “What happened to your old nicknames? Did you grow out of them?”

“Heh, sorta. My customers took to calling me Boss once I opened this place and it just stuck. Now everyone either calls me that or Sojiro.”

“So no more Casanova, got it.” Kiria tapped the counter a couple of times before speaking once more. “So, Boss, mind explaining to me why my daughter is sleeping in the attic of your shop?”

“I knew this would come.” Sojiro sighed and turned around, starting to work on that cup of coffee he promised her. “The situation at my home is a bit… complicated. Back when I was working for the government I met this woman named Wakaba Ishiki, the smartest woman I ever knew. A couple of years back she… took her own life, leaving a little girl behind. She got passed around her family like she were some kind of cursed thing and… well I stepped in. Adopted her and now she’s living with me, and has been for a few years now. The problem is that she’s become a shut-in and I don’t know what to do. Your kid has been helping, taking her dinner every night, talking to her, but she still won’t leave her room. And I’m worried that, maybe, I haven’t done the best job as her father, ya know?”

Kiria hummed and listened as she drank from the cup of coffee Sojiro had served her mid-rant. She could understand the feeling he was going through, she has thought the same thing about herself ever since Itsuki passed away a few years ago. Kiria was about to speak when the sounds of footsteps interrupted her.

“And I already told you that you’re doing a great job, Boss.” Her daughter spoke the words that Kiria was about to say. “The fact that you care is more than enough. Trust me, I would know. I’m heading on ahead, you two can stay here and chat. After taking her dinner I’m going to the bath house.”

And without waiting for an answer from one of the two adults, she was walking out of the café.

“She’s right, you know?” Kiria was the first one to speak, and she felt Sojiro’s eyes on her while she kept hers pinned on the door her daughter just walked out from. “You may think that you’re not doing a good job, that you’re making more mistakes than you can count, or that you feel as if you don’t know your kid as well as you do.”

“But the fact that you’re asking yourself that question? That you’re worried you’re not doing enough for her? It lets me know that you are doing a good job.” She turned to look at him and then down at the half-empty mug in her hands. “I’ve been asking myself that very question every day ever since we lost Itsuki, ever since she lost her father. He was the one she went to when she had a problem, the one she relied upon whenever she needed help, I was just… the other parent. Don’t get me wrong, I love my Droplet more than anything in this world, and I know she loves me as well. But when I woke up one morning and realized that I didn’t know my daughter as well as I thought I did… it nearly broke me.”

“Ever since then, I’ve been doing my best to be there for her whenever she needs me, the same way he was there for her. I went to every swimming competition I could, I signed her up for a specialist when she told me that she felt guilty about his death. And when she got arrested… I was there to defend her because I knew that my little girl is, without a shadow of a doubt, a good person. So, if you want my advice as the parent of a teenage girl… just be there for her. It helps more than you might think.”

Sojiro stayed silent for a moment, looking at her, then he looked up, sighed, and looked back down with a small smile on his face.

“Seems like the years have only made you wiser, Kiria. But you’re right,,, Itsumi’s a great girl. Sure she’s a bit of a brat with a sassy attitude and a huge dork, but she’s also the kindest girl I’ve ever met. Heck, the reason she’s made so many friends here is because she’s helped them out one way or another!”

“That sounds like her, alright.” Kiria chuckled and then finished her drink. “I had the chance to meet one of them today, a girl named Ann.”

“Ah yes, Blondie.” He chuckled as he took the cup away and placed it on the sink to clean it. “I’m sure the brat will introduce you to the others while you stay here, so might as well give you a heads-up. There’s another blonde, loudest, bluntest boy you’ll meet nut with a heart as big as your kid’s; there’s the starving artist, and I mean that quite literally, the poor kid barely eats a thing cus he sucks at saving his money. I’m sure Itsumi’s got a little fund set up for him from all the cash she makes at her couple of part-time jobs she’s got. And then there’s the gal your child is crushing on: Miss Council President. She’s smart and very sharp, kinda reminds me of you back in the day.”

“Itsumi has a crush? And you’re just telling me now? Well, now you’re obligated to tell me while you drive me to my hotel, Sojiro.”

“And what makes you think I’ve got a car?” The only answer he got was a raised eyebrow. “Alright, you got me. Let me change my clothes and let the kid know I’ll be closing shop to drive you.”

-o-

Itsumi read the message Sojiro had sent her and replied with a simple “okay”, letting him know that she had her keys with her so he could lock the place without any issue. After sending the message, the leader of the Phantom Thieves grabbed the plate of curry that was in front of her, grabbed a spoon and a glass of water, and walked upstairs towards her target: Futaba’s room.

Once she got there she placed the plate of food in front of the door and then knocked on it a couple of times. 

“Futaba, it’s me. Itsumi.” She waited for a few seconds for an answer and, when she got none, she sighed and rested her forehead against the door. “I know my words will make no sense to you, but I swear that I’m going to steal your heart and help you. I’m going to ask you a question, one that you don’t have to answer right now, and I need you to be honest with me about it, okay?”

She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and then spoke.

“What do you see this house as?” She waited again for a few seconds before speaking again. “I’ll drop by tomorrow with my team to hear your answer. Stay strong.”

Itsumi pushed herself off the door and walked down the hallway. She heard the sound of the door opening and had to fight the urge to turn around to look at her. 

“I know you will…” She heard Futaba’s voice behind her and she turned around. Standing by the door was a short, thin girl with long orange hair, huge glasses, and pale skin. “I-It’s why I… reached out to you. If anyone can help… that’s you.”

Itsumi stood there, stunned silent. Futaba was Alibaba?! That… made a lot of sense, now that she thinks about it.

“I’ll give you my answer tomorrow. Goodbye.” Futaba then turned aorund, grabbed her plate, spoon and glass of water, and retreated back into her room.

Itsumi stayed still for a few more seconds, though it felt like an eternity to her, before she willed her body to turn around and walk away. She had a lot to think about, but the one thought that occupied most of her mind was that she wasn’t going to let Futaba die. Not while she can do something about it.

Chapter Text

“So all we’re missing is the distortion, right?” Ryuji asked, his mouth half full of sushi. 

To celebrate their victory over Kaneshiro’s confession and Makoto joining their group, the Phantom Thieves decided to celebrate by going out and eating sushi. Perks of delving into the minds of criminals and the collective subconscious are that the Shadows drop money, lots of it. Thankfully, Itsumi is in charge of handling their finances… she shudders at the thought of letting her friends (she loves them but doesn’t trust over half of them to be responsible with their money) handle their group’s money. Makoto and Ryuji are safe.

“Yup.” Itsumi spoke, trying not to chuckle at the slap Ann just gave to the back of her other blonde friend. “She told me she would give me her answer today, so I’ll take the leftover sushi to Sojiro’s place.”

“Do you mind if I come with?” Itsumi (and Ann) turned to look at Makoto. “I want to thank him for everything he has done for us.”

She must have been staring for too long because she felt an elbow hitting her ribs. Itsumi will have her revenge against Ann.

“S-Sure!” Nice save.

Makoto smiled and gave a slight nod. Itsumi isn’t sure how long she will last before she accidentally spills the beans and confesses her feelings like a fool.

When the group finished their meal and packed what was left, they each went their way. Except for Itsumi and Makoto, they had a different destination. 

On their way to the Sakura residence, Itsumi told Makoto all that she could tell her about Futaba. Granted, she didn’t know much herself, but it didn’t take a genius to know that the girl had a rough childhood. When they got to Sojiro’s place, Itsumi stopped in front of the small gate and turned to look at Makoto.

“Listen, I… thanks for coming with me, but… I think it will be best if I do this by myself. It took me a long time to gain her trust, and I don’t know how she will react if there’s someone she doesn’t know with me and-”

A single finger on her lips shut her up. Makoto was smiling at her with a gentle smile, and Itsumi could feel her knees almost give out under her. 

“It’s okay, I was expecting this. I just wanted to make sure you would get home safe.” Her senior stepped back and smiled again. “We’re meeting here tomorrow, right? I’ll see you, then.”

And with that, Makoto was gone. Itsumi spent a solid two minutes standing there, looking in the direction the woman of her dreams had left, before her body rebooted and decided to function once more.

Before becoming a blushing mess, Itsumi packed this interaction deep into her brain to analyze it later. Right now, she had someone else waiting for her.

Itsumi stepped into Sojiro’s home, placed the leftover sushi on the kitchen counter, and then walked upstairs towards Futaba’s room. When she got there, Itsumi stopped in front of the door, took a deep breath, and knocked. She waited for a few seconds before the door opened, and Futaba peeked her head through the small opening. She looked at Itsumi for a few seconds in silence.

“I… have the answer to your question.” Futaba spoke after she fully opened the door. “I’m going to die here… might as well make this house my tomb.”

Itsumi heard a sound coming from her phone, indicating that the word had been accepted as the distortion. They had found their target.

“What was that?” The girl asked, confused by the strange sound.

“Nothing you need to worry about, just know that, in a few days, everything will be better. I promise.”

Itsumi turned around and took a few more steps before she stopped again.

“A person’s name… their distortion… a location…” Shit “Those are the things you need… right?”

Itsumi didn’t answer, she couldn’t. Instead, she simply kept walking, hoping that her silence would be a good enough answer for her. She just hoped that Futaba wouldn’t do anything stupid… It’s not like she has the Metanav anyway.

-o-

Futaba watched Itsumi walking away, her question left unanswered. But was it, though? She saw the way the other girl stopped and flinched just a bit, which means that her assumptions were correct. The thing that still eluded her was the need for a calling card?

Why announce their crime? Why state that they are going to steal someone’s desires? It makes no sense… or, at least, it shouldn’t. To anyone but her, it wouldn’t make much sense. She may not have access to her research, but she still remembers what little she told her about it.

Now the bigger questions… is it worth it for her to appear once more? Ever since Itsumi began to talk to her, really talk to her, she has made herself notice less and less. But she can still hear it, her voice.

"̶̥̬̓́I̸̪̐̆͜͠ţ̷̳̅̄̾'̷̰̆͗̐s̶͓͒̕̕ ̸̮̘̖͐̽y̸̢̗̐̈́ỏ̸̢u̵͖̔̉r̴͔͔̓̀ ̴̨̯͌̑̕f̴͖́̅͜ǎ̶̢͎̣͒u̵͍͝ľ̸͖t̵̯̀͒̐!̵̤̙̟̀͐"̸̨̱̝̾̿

"̶̯̤͂̓̈́Y̴̡̹̾ö̴̧̮̫̅û̷͔̩̟ ̵̢̱̲̆d̶̢̪͍́͠o̴͔̘̲͗̐͘ṉ̸̞͍̍͊͠'̸̮̥̈́̚t̷̝͍̓̇ ̴̤̪̲̂d̴̠͐̆e̸̝͚̅ş̸̡̼̓̔e̷͖͛͘r̴̮̯̃̑v̵̲̱̚̕̕e̸͇̚ ̴̨͇͇̽͝t̴̫̤̃̈́̕ó̶͔̰̽͜͠ ̸͉̘͑̒̀l̴̥̜͛̒͊ȋ̵̟͆v̵͚̹̥̓e̶̦͎͍̍̄!̷̪͊̕"̶̮̪̻͋͌

And she may be right… but, for once, Futaba would like to think that, maybe, there might be something good out there.

-o-

The next morning, Itsumi and her friends gathered in front of the Sakura residence. She wouldn’t have to worry about her mom for today, since she told her she would be busy hanging out with her friends all day long. Not a total lie, but it wasn’t the truth either. A healthy in between.

“Alright, guys. Yesterday, Futaba gave me the last keyword. Are you all ready?” Everyone nodded. “Our plan for today is to make as much progress as we can. Our priority? Securing the infiltration route.”

After another round of nods and affirmations from her friends, Itsumi activated the Metanav. She was already used to the disorientation that came whenever they transported themselves to the cognitive world (Makoto was still struggling, and she did not take this chance to help her stay on her feet), and was incredibly surprised when they found themselves in the middle of a desert… and still wearing their school uniforms.

“Where the eff are we?” Ryuji, always so eloquent. “And where’s the Palace?”

“And why are we still in our uniforms?” Makoto asked, wiping her brow.

“To answer all your questions, in order: a desert. I’m guessing it’s over there.” Itsumi pointed towards the pyramid with the shining beacon on the top. “And we’re still wearing our normal clothes because Futaba’s Shadow doesn’t think we might be a threat to her.” 

“Which makes sense, considering she came to us for help.” Mona continued with the explanation. “Though that doesn’t mean we should let our guards down. Now, let's get going!”

Mona transformed into the Monabus, and the five teenagers climbed inside. The trip to the pyramid was hellish. Even with the AC on (Itsumi won’t question how Morgana is even able to produce cool air in his bus form), the five of them were still suffering from the heat. Itsumi was thankful to be the one driving, which meant that she had to keep her eyes on the road instead of Makoto, whose shirt had become transparent due to the heat. So were hers and Ann’s, but she was less worried about that.

Once they got to their destination and everyone got off the Monabus, they walked up towards the front gate.

“The architecture of this pyramid is magnificent!” Yusuke seemed very passionate about it, must be truly amazing if her art-crazed friend was admiring it so much. “Though it is a shame that the front gate seems to have eroded this much, it must have looked fantastic in its pristine state.” 

Itsumi turned to look at the door and, to her surprise, he was right. The edges of the gates were rounded, smoothed out, and in the middle of them, there was a hole big enough for one person to walk in.

“Huh, that’s weird.” Itsumi walked forward, towards the hole, when her foot brushed against something. She looked down and tilted her head in confusion when she saw a bunch of stone disks lying on the floor. “What are these?”

Itsumi picked one up and showed it to the rest.

“Doesn’t it resemble a plate?” Ann asked, grabbing another disk and looking it over.

“It does, yes.” Yusuke murmured, inspecting a plate of his own.

“But what are they doing here? Who even left them there?” Ryuji asked, pushing one away with his foot.

“I think it was me.” She felt her friends turning to look at her as if she had gone crazy. “Well, not exactly… Ann, remember that cognitive version of yourself in Kamoshida’s Palace?”

“Ugh, yeah. Don’t remind me about it.” Her friend shivered in disgust.

“Well, what if it's something similar?” Another round of confused looks. “Over the last few months, I’ve been delivering Futaba’s dinner to her room, hence the plates.”

“But that still doesn’t explain the eroded doors.” Makoto spoke up, brushing one hand against the smooth edges of the hole in the doors.

“I think it does.” Morgana jumped as he spoke, grabbing everyone’s attention. “Joker has been slowly eroding Futaba’s mental defenses, so that would explain the erosion on the doors and the hole in the gate.”

“So that means that there’s a cognitive version of Itsumi somewhere within the pyramid?”

“That’s my guess, yeah.” Joker placed the plate back on the floor. “Now, let’s get moving. Maybe if we find me… her… my cognitive double, she’ll be able to help us.”

The group stepped into the pyramid and, not even a few steps into it, they encountered their first problem: a huge wall was blocking the way. They also spotted someone else in the room with them.

“ So, you actually came. ” Shadow Futaba spoke. She was wearing a sleeveless top made of wraps that also covered her neck, and a white floor-length skirt. “ I’ve been waiting for you. ”

“Well, you called for help, so here we are.” Itsumi spoke, stepping closer to the Shadow. “We need to secure a route to the Treasure. I was hoping you’d be able to help.”

“I know what it is that you desire, but my hands are tied. I cannot help.” The Shadow shook its head and then pointed to the wall behind it. “But what I can do is tell you how to move forward. Something was stolen from within these halls, taken by a thief to the nearby town. Retrieve the object, and the way forward shall open. You’ll need your powers to do that, correct?”

In a flash of blue flames, all six of the Phantom Thieves found themselves wearing their costumes and their masks. Seems like, even if it is to help her, the Shadow has recognized them as a threat.

“ I’ll be waiting for your return. ” After saying that, the Shadow floated up and disappeared.

Joker and her team watched the Shadow leave before they all turned to look at each other.

“Well, this is new. A Palace Ruler that’s nice to us.” Skull joked, chuckling as he stuffed his hands inside the pockets of his pants.

“It makes sense, though.” Panther leaned on Skull, his face gaining a slight pink dusting on his cheeks. “Futaba-chan did as for our help.”

“Then let’s do our best, people!” Joker smiled, turning around towards the door. “Let’s go catch that thief!”

The group didn’t make it too far, though, because right on the entrance to the pyramid, there was a tube made of reed and a small note under it. Joker picked up the cylinder and the note and chuckled.

“Seems like someone was listening to our conversation with Futaba.” Joker handed the note to the others.

“Already caught the thief for you. This is what you’re looking for. You don’t have time to waste.

-I”

“I? Who is this 'I' person?” Skull, bless your heart, 'cus you’re dumb.

“That’s Itsumi, dumbass.” Panther spoke what everyone else was thinking, though she did so with a fond smile. “Or, at least, the Cognitive version of herself.”

“I see, I see… so that means that she’s going to help us?”

“It's a safe bet, Skull. After all… I’ve always wanted to help Futaba.” Joker said, turning to look at her friends. “Well, we’ve got what she asked for. Let’s go back in.”

-o-

“So tell me, Sojiro, is it usual for my daughter to spend the entire Sunday out with her friends?”

Since her daughter had sent a message telling her she would be spending the day with her friends, Kiria had decided to spend some time at Leblanc. Catching up with her old friend.

“Surprising, I know.” Sojiro chuckled from behind the café’s counter. “Reminds me of someone I know.”

“The apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree, I guess. Itsuki always was the more sociable out of the two of us.” Kiria sighed and leaned back a bit on the stool she was sitting on. “It’s… weird, being here, talking with you after all these years… and not having him by my side.”

“Was about to say the same thing, Ki.” She chuckled at the mention of her old nickname. “Feels odd not to have the whole gang together, even if some of them drove me mad.”

“I wouldn’t know, I had a very annoying roommate, so I was sanitized against those people.” Kiria said with a smirk, something not too common these days.

“Me? Annoying? I have no idea what you’re talking about! I was the best roommate ever. Ignoring all the girls I brought over, I was a saint.”

“You say that as if you hadn’t locked me out more than twenty times.”

“In my defense…” She raised a single eyebrow at him, and that shut him up. “Yeah, I got nothing.”

“Exactly.” Kiria smiled, feeling at ease around him. “Say, Sojiro, have you ever wondered how things would have turned out if we ever got together? If we ever crossed that line?”

Sojiro sighed and walked towards the sink to clean the mugs he had there. An old habit of his not to look at someone when a conversation got awkward.

“I’ll admit that the thought crossed my mind once or twice, even recently, now that I’ve been seeing your kid every day for the last two months. We would’ve made an amazing couple, probably good parents even.” He sighs and stops what he was doing. “But now… now I’m not even sure what I want anymore. After Wakaba’s death, I’ve been a mess. My life is better now, sure, but I’ve got a kid to deal with and…”

“Sojiro, you’re overthinking again. I just asked the “what if”, not that if you would like to date me now. Besides, I’ve got my things to worry about.” Kiria busied herself with her cup of coffee.

“I’ve got a contact at a nice restaurant… want me to pick you up at 8pm?” Sojiro asked while scratching his cheek.

“That sounds reasonable, I’ll be waiting.” Kiria nodded, paid for her coffee, and then left the café.

She wasn’t expecting to walk out of Leblanc with a date… but she won’t deny that it wasn’t an exciting idea.

Chapter Text

The Phantom Thieves all followed after their leader. They had delivered the package to Shadow Futaba, and inside it, she revealed a picture of a younger Futaba with a woman who resembled her a lot. It didn’t take a genius to connect the dots and figure out that they were looking at a picture of the redhead and her mother.

After talking some more with the Shadow, she granted them access to the rest of the pyramid. According to Morgana, the Treasure was located somewhere at the top of the stairs, so the six of them began to climb the very long staircase.

On their way to the top, they kept finding things that pointed to the existence of her Cognitive copy. Every once in a while, they would find a small note on the floor or stuck to the wall. Though they found their biggest sign once they got to the top. 

Littered right in front of what Joker knew to be a duplicate of the door to Futaba’s room were piles and piles of empty plates.

“Dude, what’s with all these plates?” Skull asked, crouching to pick one of them.

“That would be me… or, well, Cognitive me.” Joker picked another plate and chuckled. “I’ve been delivering dinner to Futaba ever since I got here. Seems like the other me has been doing the same.”

“Aww, that’s so sweet!” Panther gave her a one-armed hug. “So kind and considerate! That’s my bestie!”

Joker saw that Queen was about to say something, but the sound of footsteps caught their attention. They all turned to look, weapons drawn, ready to fight. But, instead of finding a Shadow, they found something else.

Someone else.

Cognitive Itsumi was dressed similarly to Shadow Futaba, but she was a bit more covered by silk robes and had fewer accessories than the Ruler. Her hair was fully straightened out, and she wasn’t wearing her (fake) glasses.

“I’d run, if I were you.” They all tilted their heads in confusion, and when she pointed up, they all turned to look at what she was pointing at.

It would be an understatement to say that they all screamed and ran back down when they saw the giant boulder coming their way.

Joker paled when she remembered the pool of sand at the bottom of the stairs; she wasn’t sure everyone would be able to make the jump, or if they’d even have time to try to make it.

In the end, the decision was made for her when the boulder crashed against them and pushed the whole group into the pit of sand. Joker tried to pull herself out of it, but the pull of the sand was stronger, and it ended up dragging her and her friends to the bottom.

-o-

It took a bit of effort and hard work to get all of her friends out of the pit they found themselves in after falling through the hole in the first pit of sand. The stuff had gotten everywhere, and she was sure that she had sand in places that she didn’t want to have sand in. Itsumi looked at Ann and Makoto and cringed when she remembered that their suits were made of latex or leather.

“Ugh, I hate the sand!” Panther complained, threading her fingers through her hair, trying to get as much sand out of her hair as possible. “It’s rough, coarse, and it gets everywhere!”

“I got sand where the sun don’t shine!” Skull spoke, shaking his legs and jacket, sand falling out of it like dust.

“As inelegant as that trap was, it served its purpose.” Fox, seemingly unbothered, spoke while he looked around the hall they were in. “We seem to be deep within the pyramid’s structure with no visible way out.”

“I think that if we make our way up, we might find a way to go back to the main entrance.” Queen, having resigned herself to her fate, began to look for a way out as well. “Though we’d have to make our way through a few of the guards.”

“I should’ve guessed they’d look like mummies.” Joker walked up to where Queen was. “Can’t wait to see what Shadows we’ll see here. Can’t wait to add some more to my list!”

“Lucky you, being able to use more than one Persona.” Skull grumbled.

“What can I say? I’m a very special gal!” She bumped her shoulder against Queen’s, and that got a chuckle out of the older girl. “Now come on, let’s stop wasting time. We’ve got to climb out of this hole if we want to make some progress. Gotta climb our way back up those stairs.”

-o-

It took them about thirty minutes to finally be able to see the outside of the pyramid. 

Joker never thought she’d be this grateful for feeling the searing heat of the desert.

“You know… for someone asking for help, Futaba does like to make things difficult for us.” Panther spoke up once everyone was back outside.

“I think it’s because she’s used to pushing everyone away that, even though she wants our help, subconsciously, she’s fighting us.” She turned to look at the town in the distance. “I mean, just look at the town over there. I can bet whatever you want that it resembles Yongen.”

“It makes sense, in a way.” Queen stepped right by her side, putting a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sure that we’ll find out more about why she’s like this when we explore more of her Palace.”

“I hope you’re right… and if we find nothing, I’m sure that we’ll learn something when we find the Will Seeds.” She turned back to her friends and sighed. “Okay, guys. Let’s take ten minutes to rest, and then we’ll head back inside, understood?”

All her friends cheered, Panther was the loudest of them all, and took their time to do their own thing. Ann took some time to rest her legs, and Ryuji sat right next to her, engaging in small talk with her. Yusuke decided to admire the architecture of the pyramid, sketching in his notebook from time to time. Morgana found a nice shade to rest under.

“Are you okay?” Queen asked, still standing by her side. While her tone was neutral, Itsumi could see the slight hint of worry in her friend’s eyes.

“I am… for now, at least.”  It was the truth. She knew they would find information regarding Futaba’s past, learning more about her the deeper they delved. She just wasn’t sure if she was ready to face whatever it could be. “I’m just worried about what we could find.”

“I know that her childhood was a rough one, and I know that we’ll figure out why when we go back in there. My problem is that I’m not sure if I’ll be able to deal with it…”

“You’re worried about how you may react.” It wasn’t a question, it was a statement. Itsumi could only nod. “I can’t predict the future, none of us can. But what we can do is to be there for you… all of us. We’re you’re friends, and we will always be there for you.”

Itsum kept her gaze forward, watching her friends resting and just being themselves. Because, sure, they may have the ability to change people’s hearts, using strange powers and wearing ridiculous outfits (she still thinks she looks fantastic, and nothing can change that thought).

But they’re still teenagers, they’re just kids.

“Thank you, Makoto.” She turns to look at the girl who sneaked her way into her heart. “It means a lot to me to hear that.”

The two girls hold each other’s gaze before Itsumi feels a blush building in her cheeks. So, like the useless lesbian that she is, Itsumi looks away.

“Okay, guys! Break time’s over!” Joker called out, clapping a couple of times to get everyone’s attention. “Let’s get to it! I want to clear as much of this pyramid before taking a break. I know we still have a full month before our deadline arrives, but I’d like to give Futaba as much time as she needs to recover after stealing her heart.”

Everyone stopped doing what they were doing and gathered around their leader (Mona was the last one to arrive because he was stretching), and, with their strengths renewed, they delved back into the pyramid.

-o-

They continued exploring the halls of the pyramid, avoiding traps, dealing with the Shadows in their path, and solving puzzles. They arrived at a sealed room with a screen on the wall. It was currently turned off, but after they fixed the mirror that was in front of it so that the beam of light was hitting it, it flickered to life, showing a series of pictures. However, they seemed to be out of order, so after shuffling them around, she managed to get the pictures in the correct order.

“What do you guys think that means?” Panther asked, stepping closer, inspecting the image. “Cus that one’s obviously Futaba.”

“That looks like she’s being handed something by those men in black… but what could it be?” Fox asked.

“I… may have an idea.” Everyone turned to look at Joker. “Her mother committed suicide right in front of her. I’m guessing those “men” are handing her the suicide note.”

“If that’s the case… then it makes sense we’d be seeing this here. Losing your parent can be a very traumatic experience for a child; most of us know that pain personally.”

“But that doesn’t explain the Palace. None of us had one before awakening our Personas, not even those of us who lost a parent.” Queen commented, and Joker filed that information for later.

“Guess we’ll find out more about this .” Joker gestured to the image on the wall. “The deeper we go into the Palace. Everyone good to go?”

Her team nodded, and they resumed their exploration. As they delved deeper into the Palace, they kept encountering tips and hints left there by the Cognitive version of herself. Thanks to that, they saved a lot of time they would have wasted trying to figure out how some of the puzzles worked.

They eventually reached another room with a screen on the wall and a mirror in the middle of the room. That meant another puzzle, and more information about Futaba’s distortion. This puzzle was a bit harder than the previous one since some of the pieces were flipped. Once everything was in place, Itsumi was starting to feel sick to her stomach.

The sight of Futaba kneeling, watching her mother jump onto an incoming car? It hit her a bit close to home. She felt a few pairs of eyes on her, most probably Panther, Mona, and Queen.

“So, Futaba watched her mother kill herself? Suck a tragic tale for someone so young.” Fox mused, eyeing the mural. “What I fail to understand are the reasons behind it. Why would a mother take her own life in front of her child?”

“I don’t know… but I’m sure we’ll find our answers soon enough.” Joker wasted no time, jumping back to the main floor and climbing up the stairs.

She’s starting to have an idea of what happened, and if the voices are to be trusted (which she doesn’t), then there’s more than meets the eye with the suicide of Futaba’s mother.

-o-

It took them around thirty minutes to find the final puzzle, and it took Itsumi another two to solve it. When she did, they all waited for the voices to speak once more. This time, they heard Futaba asking for something else to eat other than convenience store bentos, and then asking to go on a trip. Her mother answered by dismissing her pleas and complaining about how much she was working just to sustain them.

With this last piece of information, and the fact that she saw nothing when she picked up the Will Seeds, Itsumi was sure that the suicide of Futaba’s mother had been staged. Or, at least, everything that came after it. She had no concrete clues, no solid evidence about this. After all, she had never met the woman in question.

But there was one thing she was sure of: if Sojiro was willing to go to such lengths, of deciding to take care of this woman’s daughter… then she must have been a great mother. Of that she had no doubt.

They were finally able to reach the top of the stairs once more, Cognitive Itsumi was waiting for them right by the door.

“Good to see you all in one piece.” She pushed herself away from the door she was leaning on. “Have you figured everything out?”

“I have a solid theory, yes.” Joker walked up to her double, offering her hand to the Cognition. “Thanks for all the help you gave us. We would’ve taken longer to get here if it weren’t for your help.”

“I did what I could. The Pharaoh forbade me from interfering, she never said anything about pointing you in the right direction. Though this is as far as I can help you.” The copy let go of Joker’s hand and turned to look at the closed door. “I’ve never been able to walk into her private chambers, so not even I know what you will find in there.”

“Then that means that Futaba will need to let us inside her room.” She turned to look at Mona for confirmation, and he nodded. Joker then turned to look at the rest of her crew. They were tired, and she couldn’t blame them. She would give them the next few days free, they deserved to rest. “Okay, everyone. This is as far as we’ll get. We’ve got our route, let’s head back home.”

She was about to walk along with the rest of her friends when she felt a hand grabbing her wrist. She turned to look at herself, her grey eyes filled with worry.

“I have no idea what you’re going to find there… but I can give you one final piece of advice. A final puzzle: what’s missing?”

With that, the Cognitive version of herself let go of her hand and walked away, back to her spot in front of Futaba’s bedroom door. Itsumi looked at her copy, confused. What could be missing? She had no idea.

What she did know is that they were close to figuring out the truth… and even closer to saving Futaba. She would give her team time to rest, a few days to relax and focus on their lives. After all… they’re just humans.

Chapter Text

The group had dispersed for the day, everyone taking their own road home. Makoto decided she wanted to take the long way home. Maybe, that way, she wouldn’t run into her sister. She knew she was being unfair, avoiding Sae like that. Still, with everything that was going on between her and her friends, and the complicated situation she was living with her sister, Makoto wasn’t in the mood to answer questions she didn’t have the answer for.

Makoto was about to walk onto the main street of Shibuya when a notification on her phone caught her attention.

[Ann Takamaki] Hey, Makoto, can we meet? There’s something I want to talk about with you. I’m at Big Bang Burger in Shibuya.

Makoto sent a quick affirmative reply to the blonde girl, wondering what she might want to talk about. Finding Ann wasn’t hard, not when all she had to look for was a head of blond hair with twin tails, and she would see her friend (?).

“Makoto! Thanks for coming.” The blonde girl greeted her with a smile. “Sit, sit!”

The student council president sat down in front of Ann, trying to figure out what her friend wanted to talk to her about before she spoke.

“Thanks for inviting me, though I’m a bit confused. Why me?”

“Straight to the point, that’s so like you.” The blonde girl leaned forward a bit, her expression turning serious. “Has Itsumi been helping you with something?”

“Huh?” Makoto leaned back, blinking a couple of times. “Well, yes. She’s been helping me with a few things related to the student council.”

She didn’t want to mention that they were “secretly” dating while she helped her deal with the situation of Eiko and her “boyfriend.”

Ann sighed at the same time that she leaned back on her seat and shook her head.

“Just as I thought… she’s been helping me with my modeling career. She’s also been doing the same thing with Ryuji and Yusuke, and I’ve caught her hanging out with other people, plus a couple of part-time jobs.” Makoto was shocked. Itsumi was doing all of that on top of keeping up with her studies and her duties as the leader of the Phantom Thieves. How had she not collapsed?! “I’m worried she’s stretching herself too thin.”

“I agree… she’s doing too much. And has she been doing this ever since the start?” Ann nodded. “I… I don’t know what to say. I’d like to say that it’s impressive that she’s able to do this without collapsing, but I fear she’s letting it all pile up on her shoulders and it will all come crashing down sooner or later.”

“Exactly! That’s why I want you to do something about it.”

“Me?”

“Yes, you. She won’t listen to me, even though I’ve told her to take it easy more times than I can count, but I’m sure that if it’s you… well, I have a suspicion she’ll listen to you.”

“But what could I even do? It’s not like I’m the best person at “taking things easy.” I mean, the student body likes to call me a robot.”

“You could ask her out on a date.” Makoto felt herself blushing hard and looked away. “What? You thought I wouldn’t notice? Girl, I’ve known for a while now! It’s not like you were doing a good job at hiding your feelings, Mako-chan.”

“I-I’m not… I…” Makoto sighed and slumped into her seat a bit. “Since when?”

“Since we had that talk in the student council room.” Makoto sighed once more. “If it makes you feel any better, I’m 99% sure that she also has a massive crush on you. So your chances of being rejected are close to zero!”

“I… huh? Hold on, back up a little. You think she has a crush on me?”

“Well, she told me as much about a month ago after your awakening. But I had my suspicions ever since she got all depressed when you were blackmailing us.”

“Don’t remind me about that… that wasn’t my best moment.” Makoto sighed (she was going to deflate if she kept sighing this much.) “But are you sure she will say yes? What if she doesn’t? Or what if…”

Makoto stopped talking. She was just making excuses, jumping to conclusions all on her own. Ever since she awoke to her Persona, Makoto swore that she would be more assertive and stop doubting herself so much.

Maybe this was a good place to start.

“I’ll do it.” She said with a nod.

“Atta girl! Though maybe don’t do that today. I know for a fact she’s got tomorrow free, which is a miracle. So, tomorrow morning, you’re going to text her and make it absolutely clear that you’re asking her out on a date.”

“Okay, okay… but on one condition.” Makoto said with a smile. “You have to ask Ryuji out on a date as well.”

“You too?!” It seems that someone else had figured it out. If she had to bet, she’d say it was Itsumi. “ How?! ”

“You’re not as subtle as you think you are.” Oh, sweet, sweet irony. 

“Ugh!” Ann groaned, placed her forehead on the table, and then sat back up. “Okay, fine! I’ll do it. But I demand to know how the date goes. I want every detail!”

Makoto chuckled, shaking her head.

“Okay, okay, I’ll make sure to call you once I return from my date if she says yes.”

“Deal!”

-o-

The youngest Niijima stared at her phone like it had offended her, glaring at it as she thought about what would be the best way to start a conversation with Itsumi. After her conversation with Ann, Makoto went back home and took a shower.

She pondered what her friend had said about how Itsumi had a crush on her. Makoto tried to remember if anything Itsumi had said in the past gave her away, but she seemed to behave the same way with everyone. That teasing smile, the same stupid jokes… that smirk of hers that brought butterflies to her stomach…

Makoto shook her head. This was no time to be daydreaming about Itsumi! Especially when she was trying to find a way to ask her out without fumbling or stuttering like a lovestruck fool.

Finally gathering her resolve, Makoto picked up her phone and dialed Itsumi’s number.

“Hello? Makoto? Is everything okay?”

“Yes, everything’s fine.” She smiled. “I got home a bit later because I took a small detour, nothing to worry about.”

“Okay, okay. I was worried since you never told us you got home safe.”

“I… forgot, sorry. I just… have a lot in my mind, that’s all.” Makoto’s feet began to walk on their own, pacing along the expanse of her bedroom. “Thanks for worrying about me.”

“No need to thank me! So, what do you need from little old me?”

Something about Itsumi’s question made Makoto frown.

“Have… Have I only called you when I needed something from you?”

“Yup, you and everyone else. Except for Ann. She likes to call to gossip and talk about Shiho.”

Huh…

“But it’s okay! I prefer to talk through text anyway! Like, I enjoy reading your texts. You sound like an old man.”

“I do not! I just like being formal on my texts, that’s all…” She cleared her throat and stopped walking. “But I did call you for a reason… um, w-would you l-like to go on a d-date with me?” She heard nothing but silence from the other end of the line. “Hello?”

“Sorry, sorry, could you repeat that? I didn’t hear you because someone was being a pest.” Makoto could hear Morgana’s voice faintly in the background.

Makoto took a deep breath, calming herself down. She had done it once; she could do it again.

“I wanted to know if you would like to go on a date with me.”

“So I wasn’t hearing things… You just asked me out on a date.”

“Wait… you heard me the first time?!”

“I did. Sorry. I was just… surprised. I’m usually the one who makes the first move. Though Morgana did speak up.”

“I see… yet you still haven’t given me your answer.”

“Shoot! You’re right! I’d love to go on that date with you. I’ve got a few things in mi-”

“As amazing as that sounds, I am the one who asked you out. So why don’t you let me plan everything?

“You sure? You already have a lot on your plate.”

“As if you didn’t have maybe even more on your plate. I’ll pick you up tomorrow around noon, until then!”

And then she hung up the phone. Makoto didn’t realize she was smiling until her cheeks began to hurt. Itsumi had said yes! To her! A date, just the two of them!

Oh crap… she was going on a date tomorrow. She had zero idea what she was going to do. Or, worse yet, what she was going to wear.

-o-

The next day arrived, and Makoto was still stressing over her date with Itsumi. She had called Ann last night and told her about her situation. Once the blonde girl had stopped screaming in excitement over her two best friends finally going on a date together, she agreed to help her pick an outfit for today.

Makoto tried to dissuade her, but Ann insisted that she had to come over to her house and help her get ready. In the end, she conceded. Ann Takamaki was a force of nature, and she couldn’t be stopped.

Thanks to her friend’s help, Makoto had found an outfit that, according to Ann, would leave Itsumi speechless. She had settled for a short-sleeved black leather crop top jacket over a white T-shirt, black leather pants, and black shoes. The jacket and pants belonged to Ann, but her friend had told her she could keep them since she barely even used them and, in her words, they fit Makoto better than her anyway.

She still wasn’t sure about it… but Makoto had to admit that she liked the way these clothes fit on her.

When she was deemed ready, Ann left her apartment with a smile and demanded that she be told all about the date once it was over. Makoto simply chuckled, hugged her friend, and then made her way towards LeBlanc.

On her way there, she gave herself one final look at her phone’s screen. Ann had told her that she wouldn’t need too much makeup, and she had to agree with her on that front. A little bit of blush, some lip gloss, and eyeliner were all she needed.

When she got to the café, Makoto stopped in front of the door, took a deep breath to calm her nerves, and then walked into the store. Itsumi was standing behind the counter, wearing black pants and a white shirt. She had the green apron over everything and had her hair tied up in a low ponytail. Needless to say that she looked amazing.

When the girl of her dreams spotted her, she did a double-take before a slight blush dusted her cheeks. Seems like Ann was right, Itsumi loved the look.

“Good afternoon, Boss.” Makoto greeted Sojiro, who was standing closer to the door, and then walked up to where Itsumi was still standing, looking at her like a deer in headlights. “Hello, Itsumi.”

The girl in question shook her head, snapping out of whatever trance she was in, and smiled at Makoto with that smirk that made her insides feel all warm and mushy.

“Hey, Makoto. You look… amazing. Fantastic, even!” Makoto could feel her cheeks getting warm. She would never get used to hearing Itsumi compliment her. “Well, Boss, I’m going up to change. My date is here and I’ve got to look my best.”

Itsumi took off her apron and then rushed upstairs. Sojiro chuckled and walked up to stand in front of Makoto, already starting to work on preparing a cup of coffee for her.

“Seems like she’s going to take a while, might as well make yourself comfortable, kid.” Makoto sat on a stool and watched the news while Sojiro worked on her coffee.

About ten minutes later, Itsumi walked back down, and Makoto was glad that she had finished her cup of coffee; otherwise, she would’ve spit it out.

She was wearing tight blue jeans, matching shoes, and a sleeveless white crop top that showed off her toned abdomen! Makoto could feel her face growing warm, and the grip she had on the cup tightening. The swimmer also kept her hair up in the ponytail from before.

Thesmirk Itsumi had on her face told her that her friend knew exactly what she was doing. But, before either of them could say something, Sojiro stepped in.

“You’re going out like that? Without a jacket? I don’t think so. What would your mother think?” The old man spoke with a light frown on his face. Though Makoto knew him enough to know that Boss was joking.

“She would think that her daughter looks amazing, and that she’s fine to go out like this.” Itsumi huffed with pride.

“Her mother would agree and tell her rebellious daughter to go and put on a jacket.” The voice of a woman speaking caught Makoto’s attention. She had just walked in while they were talking, and the youngest Niijima could tell where Itsumi had gotten her good looks from.

“Mooooom! Don’t embarrass me in front of my date!” Her leader whined (what was she? a little kid? though Makoto found it adorable) while turning around and going back up.

“Date?” Itsumi’s Mother looked at Makoto, and she immediately jumped to her feet and bowed.

“My name is Makoto Niijima, a pleasure to meet you, Amamiya-san.”

“The pleasure is all mine, Niijima-chan.” She then turned to look at Sojiro. “Thoughts on this one?”

“She’s a good kid, a bit strict and kind of reminds me of a certain someone back in our college years.”

“Then I have nothing to worry about.” Itsumi’s mother turned to look at Makoto once more and smiled at her. “Please, take care of my daughter.”

She felt a flush covering her cheeks, but despite that, she locked eyes with Amamiya-san and nodded. “I will.”

“What weird things are you making her promise, mom?” Itsumi walked back down, this time wearing a white button-up shirt with a black jacket over it. “Anyway, ignore these two. There’s something they’re hiding from me, and I will figure out what it is! ”

“Anyway!” Itsumi grabbed Makoto’s hand, and she had to fight incredibly hard not to melt into a puddle right that very instant. “We’re leaving! I’ll be back before… when are we coming back?”

“B-Before dinner.” Great job, Niijima. Great work.

“What she said. Bye!” And then, the girl of her dreams pulled her out of the café, ready to start their first date.

Chapter Text

“You said you had a plan, right?” Itsumi asked the moment they had left the café behind. “Mind telling me what it is?”

“Well, I was thinking we could go to the movies and then eat somewhere.” Makoto caught up to Itsumi, now walking side by side with her. Their hands stayed clasped together, and she was feeling amazing. 

“A movie and then food? You spoil me, Niijima.” Itsumi chuckled, using her free hand to fan herself. So dramatic. “What movie are we watching?”

“Well, there’s a new 'Like a Dragon' movie that I’ve been meaning to watch for a while now…” Makoto stopped talking when she heard Itsumi snort and chuckle. “What?”

“Nothing, nothing! I just… well, I’ve been meaning to invite you to watch that movie for a while, and… well, I was too much of a coward to ask you out. Speaking of, and I’m not questioning it, but what made you ask me out?”

“Ann did. She told me how you’ve been dedicating all your time to helping everyone, in addition to holding part-time jobs and attending school… we got worried that you weren’t taking any time for yourself.”

“It was then that she gave me the idea to ask you out on a date and make sure that you would take it easy. So, as your date for today, I forbid you from checking your phone, unless it’s an urgent call, or to talk about our extracurricular activities.”

“So you asked me out because Ann told you to?” Makoto didn’t need to look at Itsumi’s face to notice the hurt in her words.

“I… should’ve worded that better. Yes, she told me to ask you out, but the truth is that, just like you, I’ve been wanting to ask you out on a date. She just gave me the push I needed. But, I agreed on one condition: that she ask Ryuji out on a date.”

“Oh my god! So I wasn’t the only one, then?!” Itsumi looked relieved, as if she had been holding that information for a while. “They’re both crushing hard on each other for months! Ann won’t say a thing cus she wants Ryuji to ask her out, and he thinks that she doesn’t feel the same, so he does nothing!”

“It’s a good thing that I forced her hand, then,” Makoto says with a small giggle. “I promised her I’d give her all the details of our date in exchange for her details on her date with Ryuji. Which, I’m hoping, will be sooner rather than later.”

“Well, summer vacation is around the corner, so we’re going to have a lot of free time on our hands.”

“And it’s my duty as our school’s Student Council President to remind you to do your homework on time and not leave it all for the last minute.”

“Oh, ye of little faith! I was planning on getting that done as soon as we finished with our current assignment from our extracurricular activities.”

“Right after?” Makoto asked, raising a single eyebrow.

“Swear on my honor as a Phantom Thief.”

Both girls broke down in a fit of giggles at the absurdity of their conversation. Before she realized it, they had arrived at their destination. It seems that what they say about time and having fun is true; it goes by incredibly fast. Makoto tried to pay for the snacks, but Itsumi insisted, saying that since she was paying for the tickets, she should pay for the snacks at least.

-o-

Itsumi was going to buy all the crépes Ann wanted the next time they got to hang out, after smacking her over the head for interfering in her love life. The date had been great so far: they walked to the cinema holding hands, the conversation was amazing, and Itsumi was having the time of her life.

She tried concentrating on the movie, but she was having a hard time focusing on it when she was having way more fun watching Makoto’s expressions and reactions to whatever was happening on the screen. She looked so cute that Itsumi was wondering if she could get away with snapping a picture of her without getting caught.

But they’re in a cinema, where the only source of light was the screen in front of her, which meant that it would be very probable that she would need to use the flash… and that was a big no-no and a surefire method of getting caught.

It seems she will have to settle for committing the sight to memory.

When the movie was over, Itsumi was subjected to what she could only describe as the cutest rambling ever. Makoto was gushing about the movie, talking about plot points that referenced older movies, cameo appearances of some older characters, and some of the others that were either mentioned or referenced in the dialogue.

Most of it flew right over her head, not being that familiar with the series (she would need to watch the other movies sometime soon), so she was simply content with listening to Makoto talk while they walked to their next destination. 

Itsumi wasn’t surprised when they arrived at the family restaurant she used to frequent with her friends after school. The place was good, cheap, and pretty, a great choice in Itsumi’s book.

“Seems like you loved the movie, eh?” Makoto flushed a bit and nodded. “I guessed so.”

“It's just… I used to always watch these movies with my dad. So whenever I watch one, they remind me of him.”

“Ah… yeah, I get what you mean,” Itsumi sighed and leaned back a bit on her seat. “My dad loved superhero movies, and we would always watch the Featherman movies whenever I was feeling down.”

“You? Watching Featherman?” Makoto asked. “You didn’t strike me as someone who would watch that series.”

“Hey, I may be a cool lesbian. But I’m also one of the biggest dorks you’ll ever meet.” Itsumi leaned forward with a smirk on her face. “But you already knew that, Miss Stalker.”

“Itsumi!” Makoto sighed, covering her face with her hands. “You’ll never let that drop, will you?”

“Nope!”

Their food arrived shortly after that, and they both ate in silence, relishing in their company while eating good food. When they finished their meals, Itsumi leaned back once more before speaking once more.

“I know you said no talking about our extracurricular activities, but hear me out, I need your help with something.” When Makoto motioned for her to keep talking, Itsumi knew that she was interested. “Before we left the last time we went in, my… double, told me something that’s been bothering me ever since. She told me that she didn’t know what else we would find inside Futaba’s room, which makes sense because I haven’t been inside. But then she said something else, a question: what’s missing?”

Makoto frowned, and it was at that moment that Itsumi knew that the other girl was interested in this as well.

“What’s missing?” Queen murmured, repeating the question. “What could she have meant with that?”

“I’ve been asking myself the same thing ever since last night, and I think I have the answer… maybe. After everything that we found out about Futaba’s past, and after meeting with my cognitive copy, I began to think of other possible people we could run into within her Palace. Me? Makes sense. Sojiro? Surprised we didn’t see him in there. That leaves us with one more person.”

“Her mother.” Itsumi nodded. “It makes sense, now that I think about it. Futaba was made to believe that she was responsible for her mother’s death, so it would make sense if we found her somewhere within the Palace.”

“Not only that, but I think we’re going to have to fight her instead of Futaba's Shadow. Hold up, hear me out.” Itsumi stopped Makoto before she could interrupt. “Let me explain, I’m going somewhere with this crazy theory of mine. Futaba must be feeling guilty over the whole thing, and that guilt could manifest within her Palace in the form of her mother. In what shape or form, exactly, I’m not sure.”

“But how can you be so sure about it?”

“Because I blamed myself for my father’s death when he died in that accident.”

-o-

Makoto dropped Itsumi home right on time as she promised. They walked slower, not wanting this date to end.

When they arrived at Leblanc, Itsumi stopped in front of the door and turned to look at her date. 

“Hey, uh… sorry for bringing the mood down back at the restaurant.”

“It’s… It’s okay.”

Both of them stood there, awkwardly, when a funny idea crossed into Itsumi’s head.

“Well, I guess this is it, then,” Itsumi pointed to the café behind her with her thumb. “Our date’s officially over… does that mean I’ll get a good night kiss?”

Itsumi watched as Makoto’s face went from pale to slightly flushed, to fully red in the span of a second. She got a bit worried for a second.

“Hey, hey, it’s fine! You don’t have to do it if you don’t feel ready for it. I was just teasing and-”

That’s when she felt it. It happened so fast that, if she hadn’t been looking at Makoto, she would’ve thought she had imagined it.

Makoto had kissed her.

It was a quick peck on the lips, so quick and featherlight that it didn’t feel real.

But it happened. Makoto wasn’t looking at her, her face still flushed. The youngest Niijima mumbled something, probably saying goodbye and wishing her a good night. Itsumi wasn’t sure; her mind was still rebooting after that kiss.

Makoto waved goodbye, she did the same, and then watched as the other girl walked away towards the end of the alley. Itsumi didn’t move from her spot until her crush was out of sight.

She turned and walked into the café, immediately spotting Sojiro’s smirk and her mother’s small but smug smile.

“Not a single word from you two!” Itsumi saw Morgana sitting at the foot of the stairs, and she pointed at him. “Or you.”

“I wasn’t going to say anything.” The little bastard then escaped upstairs. She was sure he was going to tease the shit out of her when she walked up.

“He is chatty, isn’t he?” Her mother asked, nodding towards the stairs before standing up. “It was nice talking with you, Sojiro. And thanks for the coffee.”

Kiria then walked up to her daughter and hugged her.

“Good night, my little droplet.” Her mother then pulled back and smiled. “She seems like a nice girl, treat her well.”

“I will… and she is.”

Her mother then turned, said goodbye to Sojiro once more, and left the store.

“Well, I guess I should leave as well.” The old man pushed himself off from the wall and began to walk towards the door, but Itsumi refused to move and let him pass.

“Uh, no? You’re not going anywhere. I need some answers, and you’re the only one who can give them to me.” Itsumi pointed to the nearest stool, and Sojiro sighed as he sat on it. “I need you to tell me everything about Futaba, her mother, and the day she killed herself.”

Sojiro glared at her, testing her resolve. But she didn’t flinch, she didn’t even move. Itsumi deserved to know, and she wasn’t moving until she got her answers. In the end, he sighed and began to talk.

He told her about Wakaba Isshiki, about the relationship they had. Or the one they never had. They were good friends, very close, and she knew from the way he spoke about her that he used to have feelings for Wakaba. He told her about the custody battle for Futaba, how she had been passed around family members as if she were cursed, never staying in one place before being moved to another home. He told her about the last place she stayed before he took her in, about the uncle who barely took care of a younger Futaba.

When he finished talking, Itsumi was seething with anger. Fists shaking with anger. She wanted to punch something, or someone. But she also understood Futaba’s situation better and understood why the girl acted the way she did, why she felt the emotions she was feeling. And why she had developed a Palace and was thinking of killing herself.

Satisfied with her answers, Itsumi let Sojiro walk away. He had a daughter to take care of, and she wasn’t going to get in the way of that. God knew Futaba deserved to have someone who cared so much about her the way he did. He may not be her biological father, but Itsumi was sure that he treated that kid as if she were his own.

With renewed determination, Itsumi walked up to her room. She knew what they had to do, and she swore that she would become the best friend Futaba could have once they stole her heart.

Chapter Text

Today was the day; today, they were going to steal Futaba’s heart. Today, Itsumi was going to save a life. 

She had slipped a note under her room’s door this morning, letting Futaba know that they were going there later today and what they were going to do. She deserves to know what’s happening. Itsumi didn’t tell her what they saw in there, and if everything went according to plan, she never would. But everything else? She was sure there would be no risk in telling her about the Metaverse and what they were going to do inside her Palace. Would that make her Treasure take physical form now that she knew they were going to steal it? Most likely. Would they still send the calling card? Of course! They’re Phantom Thieves, and there’s a certain order to these things.

Speaking of their group, they had agreed to meet in Leblanc at noon, and so far, the only one who had arrived was Makoto.

“I’m not surprised I’m the first one to arrive.” The girl said when she sat on a stool in front of Itsumi. “Not even Yusuke is here, and he’s usually on time.”

“He texted me, said that he was going to be late because he finally decided to use the money I gave him to buy food.” Itsumi slid a cup of coffee in front of Makoto, an action she’s done so much that it has become routine at this point. 

“How did you get him to agree?” She asked, accepting the cup with a smile.

“She threatened to burn his art supplies.” Morgana, ever the snitch, spoke from his spot at the foot of the stairs.

“Itsumi…” The girl in question would feel threatened if she didn’t find Makoto talking to her like that, hot as fuck.

“I wasn’t going to, I swear!” She raised her hands, trying to prove her innocence. “I was just going to hide them, that’s all.”

“I see.” And then, she said nothing else. The audacity!

The others arrived shortly after that, so Itsumi didn’t have a chance to defend her honor. She noticed that Ann and Ryuji arrived at the same time, with a slight flush on her best friend’s cheeks. Itsumi was going to dig into that on a later date. Today, they were going to steal Futaba’s heart.

“Everyone ready to go?” Her friends nodded. “Then it’s show time!”

-o-

Futaba had received Itsumi’s note and read through it. In it, she read about the Metaverse, about Palaces, and about Personas. The more she read what Itsumi was telling her about, the more certain she became that she had read this somewhere before.

Or, at least, heard about it.

Ỳ̶̪̱̗͗̆ǫ̶̛̞͑͊u̴̢̟̍͑̌r̷̝̗̾̿ ̸̙̣̈́̀f̵̟̊̀a̵̜̯͑̆̇ù̶͎͛l̷̨̨͉͑t̴͈̭́̈́͒!̶͙̱̪̍͂̇

Ah, so that’s where she’s heard it before. Her mother’s research.

Cognitive Psience, if she remembered correctly.

M̷̹̜̫̈́̕ǘ̵̻͔r̴̙͔̔d̶̡̕ê̸̢͚̭̽r̵͔͊̃̽͜e̴̬̲̾̈r̸̘͕͎͑

What she still doesn’t understand is: why do they need to walk into her room for them to continue?

Futaba can understand the concept of the Metaverse and everything else because she heard her mother talking about it years ago… but them needing to enter her room and, worse still, seeing her? Futaba doesn’t understand.

The hacker was going to continue pondering this question when a soft knock pulled her out of her own head.

“Futaba? It’s me, Itsumi.” Crap, time’s up. “I left you a note this morning, explaining why we’re here.”

She scrambled to her computer, hacked into Itsumi’s phone once more (when they steal her heart and make everything better, she’s going to upgrade Itsumi’s cyber defences), and sent her a message.

“Yeah, I got your letter. What I don’t understand is why you need to step into my room.”

“Well, sometimes, we’ll find a door or a blockade or something similar within a Person’s heart. Sometimes we can use the rules of the Palace to open these gates. But sometimes, some can only be opened from this side. And the way for us to open it… is for the owner to see us on the other side of that door.”

“And why my room specifically? I’ve seen you guys inside the house.”

“Well, in this case… well, we’re being blocked by the door of your room. For us to proceed, you need to see us inside your room.”

Futaba stayed silent for a bit, thinking. If everything that Itsumi said was true… then it made sense that they would find themselves in that situation. She’s never let anyone inside her room. It’s the only place in the house she can call her own. It’s also the place where she’s going to die…

“Okay. Give me a moment.”

After sending the message, Futaba stood up from her chair and walked to the door. Her hand trembled as she reached for the doorknob.

Was she going to do this?

Letting them into her room?

The thought of it frightened her to no measure… but the thought of dying and not having tried to help herself scared her even more.

She took a deep breath, grabbed the doorknob, and opened the door.

-o-

Itsumi had to suppress her urges to lunge forward and hug Futaba the moment the door opened wide. She had seen the girl’s Shadow, so she thought she was prepared to see Futaba face-to-face for the first time. Itsumi knew that Futaba was short… but what she wasn’t expecting was for her to be this small.

She had seen her Shadow, saw the way it floated with a regal posture. The girl standing in front of her was hunched over, her arms wrapped around her torso, making herself look as small as possible.

“C-Come in…”

“That.” Itsumi swallowed. “That won’t be necessary. You opened the door and invited us in; that should be enough. Am I right, Morgana?”

“Correct, Joker.” The cat responded from within her bag.

“Also, here you go.” She pulled out the calling card from her bag and handed it to Futaba. “Your calling card. With this, things will be fine in a few minutes. Guys, let’s go.”

Her team began to walk away, not wanting to be near Futaba when they crossed into the Metaverse. Itsumi was about to do the same when she felt a hand wrap around her wrist.

She turned to look at Futaba, who shrank a bit when she did so (and that broke Itsumi’s heart.)

“How… how do you cross over to the Metaverse?”

Itsumi felt Morgana moving within her bag and then felt his paws on her shoulder.

“I don’t think it would be a good idea to tell her, Joker.”

She listened to the advice, then locked eyes with Futaba, and took a (possibly) dumb decision.

“I won’t tell you how… but you should check your phone for any weird apps.” She felt Futaba’s grip around her wrist loosen, and she took that chance ot walk away. “I’ll be back, I promise.”

Did she just raise a potential death flag? Probably. 

But, truth is, she doesn’t care. Itsumi swore she would help Futaba, and she never goes back on her word.

-o-

Futaba watched Itsumi leave. Her friends had already left the house, which meant that she was back to being alone with her thoughts.

And that cryptic clue that Itsumi gave her.

Futaba walked back into her room and closed the door. Once inside, she grabbed her phone and checked it for any unusual apps. 

Just as Itsumi told her, there was one that she didn’t recognize. 

“Huh… I don’t remember installing this on my phone.” She opened the app and was greeted with the interface of a navigation app. “A navigator?”

Fuataba checked through the app's functions and found that there was an option to manually input a destination. It only required three things.

[TARGET]

[LOCATION]

[DISTORTION]

The target was easy: herself. The location was another easy slot to fill: the house. What she couldn’t understand was what it meant by distortion. She tried to think, to figure out what it could mean.

That’s when she remembered the conversation she had with Itsumi before they began the dive into her Palace. She had asked her what she saw the house as. Futaba, at the time, had thought that was a strange question, but now she knew more. She had context.

Futaba filled in the slots, one by one. When everything was placed in the navigator, she heard a voice speaking through her phone.

Target, accepted. Commencing navigation.

-o-

“Aw man, how are we going to deal with that?!” Skull pointed at the flying creature.

Just as Joker had predicted, they were fighting a monster version of Futaba’s mother. In this case, it was a sphinx. And, currently, she was flying around the top of the pyramid, well outside the range of their weapons and spells.

“Is that my mom?!” Crap.

Itsumi turned and, unfortunately, found Futaba standing not too far from where they were.

“I told you it was a bad idea to tell her about it!” Mona complained while dodging one of the sphinx attacks.

“Is that the cat?!”

“I’m not a cat!”

Itsumi hurried towards Futaba, pulling her mask up as she closed the distance between them.

“Futaba, what are you doing here?!”

“Whoa… looking good, sis.” This is not the moment. “How can I he-”

“So you’ve come. Unexpected, but not surprising.”

“Wha-” Futaba then grabbed her head and fell to her knees. “AHHHH!”

Great! Fantastic!

“Everyone! Cover Futaba! She’s awakening to her Persona!”

As it turns out, they didn’t need to provide cover for the hacker for too long. It only took about a minute before Itsumi heard something happening behind her. When she turned, she almost had a heart attack when she saw Futaba getting pulled up into some sort of UFO.

“Guys, I’m okay! This is my persona! Meet Necronomicon!!” Futaba’s voice spoke directly into her head. “Mwehehehe. Man, the specs on this thing are insane!”

“Holy shit, that’s awesome,” Itsumi murmured before locking back in. “Quick rundown! Don’t use our names; we use codenames here. Joker, Mona Skull, Panther, Fox, and Queen.”

Joker pointed at each one as she named them.

“We don’t have time to come up with a proper codename for you, so, for now, we’ll stick with Operator. Can you provide support from inside Necro?”

“Damn right! In fact, let me bring that ugly bird down to the ground for you.”

From then on, the fight against Cognitive Wakaba went smoothly. As it turns out, Futaba can’t fight; her Persona isn’t built for combat. Instead, she’s able to provide information, cover, and healing. A true support from outside the field.

Once the cognition was defeated and Futaba left the Palace, the rest of the Phantom Thieves had to run like crazy to escape the crumbling pyramid. It was close, way too close for comfort, but they managed to escape safely.

-o-

When Itsumi’s world stopped spinning, she wasn’t surprised to find herself lying on the floor in front of Sojiro’s house. Or that her friends were sprawled around her (Morgana was resting on top of Ryuji, and she found that hilarious for some reason). What surprised her was to find Futaba right next to her, passed out and with cold sweat on her forehead.

At that moment, she felt as if a bucket of cold water had washed over her, snapping her back to reality faster than Ryuji could eat a steak. She got up and checked for a pulse. When she felt it thrumming beneath her fingers, Itsumi relaxed just a little bit.

Itsumi placed a hand on her back, another one under Futaba’s knees, and lifted her.

“Someone, go get Sojiro!” Ryuji jumped to his feet and rushed towards the café, Ann hot on his trail. “Makoto, grab my phone. The pattern is from the top left corner to the top right corner, and then all the way down. Call a contact named Goth Doc and tell her that her guinea pig needs help. Yusuke, come with me! Help me get her to her room.”

It was moments like this one that she appreciated the loyalty her friends had, and that Makoto didn’t ask questions about the instruction she had just received. Itsumi is sure that, when they’re alone, she’s going to ask what that was about.

That’s going to be one awkward conversation. Problems for future Itsumi. Right now, she needed to make sure that Futaba was safe.

-o-

“She’ll be fine, she’s just exhausted,” Takemi said after taking off her stethoscope and placing it around her neck. “Let her rest, and she should be fine.”

“Thanks for coming, Dr. Takemi,” Sojiro spoke from the entrance to Futaba’s room. “I’ll make sure she gets enough rest.”

“Yeah, thanks, Doc. And sorry for calling so out of the blue.”

“It’s no problem. I’ll be going now.” Takemi walked out of the room and left the house. Seconds after, Itsumi got a text from Tae saying that she would charge for this with more trials.

Joy

All of her friends had left, opting to leave the three of them by themselves once the doctor had arrived. They all asked her to let them know what the doctor’s diagnosis would be.

“Hey, kid.” Itsumi turned to look at Sojiro. The old man pointed with his head away. “I wanna talk to you.”

Itsumi followed Sojiro to the living room and sat on a chair.

“Thanks for looking out for her.” He spoke once they were both seated. “You got good friends. That blonde boy rushed to my store and told me about it, and Blondie explained what happened.”

“Yeah, they’re good friends. And I know those two are hiding something from me. Gonna ask Ann later about it, though.”

“Heh, yeah. But I’m more interested in knowing how you know the doctor, and how you got her number.”

“Well, she’s a regular at the store.” Sojiro raised an eyebrow. “Aaaaand I’m also helping her with some medical studies.”

“And let me guess: she’s charging us for this by asking for more studies?” Itsumi nodded, which made him sigh. “Well, it could be worse. Still, thanks for looking out for her.”

“Now come on, let’s go back to the café. I’ve decided to finally teach you the curry recipe.” Sojiro stood up and casually walked out, leaving a dumbfounded Itsumi behind.

“W-Wait! Don’t leave me behind!!”

Chapter Text

Just as she expected, Futaba would need a few days of rest after awakening to her Persona and getting her heart stolen at the same time. Turns out that, in the end, the orange-haired girl was the Treasure of the Palace. Incredibly cliché if you asked her. 

She spent the first few days obsessively checking up on Futaba, walking up to her room at least three times per day just to make sure she was okay. It all came to a sudden stop when Sojiro (the traitor) sold her out to Makoto. Her girlfriend (label pending) found it cute that she worried so much for Futaba’s well-being, but chastised her because she should also be looking out for herself.

And so that’s how she found herself forced (she loves it) to spend time with her friends: doing exercise with Ryuji; modeling for Yusuke’s paintings; shopping with Ann; walking around the neighborhood with Morgana; hanging out with Kasumi; going on small dates with Makoto, and spending time with her mom.

But she also took this time to spend time by herself (Morgana was always in her bag, but in these cases, he was napping inside her bag instead of actively participating in the walk). It was during one of these walks that she was reminded of some fundamental truths: humans need air to survive, water is wet, fire burns, and the Amamiyas have fluffy hair.

Itsumi is no exception to this universal rule. Sure, she has straight now. But it wasn’t always like that. Her hair used to be fluffy, soft, and wild like her dad’s. After he died… she couldn’t look herself in the mirror without remembering him and crying. Her mother agreed to let her straighten he hair out and, after years of having it like that, she got used to the look.

This fundamental truth is something that no one knows about except her and her mom. She hasn’t told her friends about it, mostly because it’s something she just doesn’t talk about… but also because she’s forgotten about it. She has made a conscious effort not to tell Ann, but only because she will demand seeing it, and Itsumi just… doesn’t want to deal with straightening it out again.

It’s also why she has avoided leaving her and her mom alone in the same room together, because Itsumi knows that, at the first chance she gets, her mother will bring out the baby photos and reveal her (not)shameful past to her bestie.

Which is why she almost had a heart attack when she walked into Leblanc and spotted her mom, Ann, and Sojiro, all looking at something on her mother’s phone. When the bell rang to signal her arrival, her best friend turned to look at her with a huge grin on her face.

“Itsumi! How come you never told me you had fluffy hair!” Her best friend rushed towards her at mach gossip speed. “I need to see it. Please, please, please!”

Morgana stirred from his nap, peaking his head out from within the bag. “What are we begging for?”

“Her hair is naturally fluffy, and she didn’t tell us!” Ann scratched the cat behind the ear. “Did you know about it?”

“No, he didn’t.” Itsumi interrupted, walking past the blonde girl and towards her mother, who was still showing baby pictures to Sojiro! “Hey, Mom.”

“Hello, my little droplet.” This is it. Today is the day she dies. Not because of a Shadow, but out of sheer embarrassment. “How was your walk?”

“Relaxing. And, apparently, you’ve been having fun while I was gone.” Sojiro had the decency to walk away when she approached her mother.

“Just showing your friend and caretaker a few pictures of my little girl when she was, well, little.” Kiria smiled, and Itsumi couldn’t stay “mad” at her for too long anyway. “You looked just like your father.”

“Now I look more like you.” She turns to look at Ann and then sighs. “But I guess I could let you get the fluff back online, Ann.”

Her best friend squealed in excitement, content with having a “fun project” to work on in the next few days.

Ann, against her will, managed to convince her mother and Sojiro to let her stay at the blonde’s place for the weekend. Itsumi pácked light, just a change of clothes and nothing else. Ann assured her that she had everything they would need at her place, and if she didn’t have it, they would buy it on their way to Ann’s apartment.

This would also be their first ever sleepover (Ann announced that it was a crime they hadn’t done that before, and Itsumi had to agree), so they also bought some snacks and a bottle of soda to share.

The process was simple: to get her natural curls back, all she had to do was shower and let her hair dry naturally. Of course, there’s other stuff to, like using the proper shampoo and whatnot, but to get her hair to curl once more, she would need to stop ironing her hair out.

Itsumi woke up the next morning and, just as they knew would happen, her hair was curly and, once more, fluffy. The leader of the Phantom Thieves knew what would happen next: Ann would wake up, see her hair, and freak out.

It didn’t take a fortune teller to know what would happen.

As she knew would happen, the blonde girl spent some good thirty minutes freaking out about her hair and how much better she looked with the curls. She even took a picture and sent it to Makoto. And, as expected, the Council President sent a robot-looking message.

But Itsumi had gotten better at understanding Makoto-talk, and she knew that her very polite “They suit her.”, was sent after an internal panic, a slight flush on the girl’s face, and maybe some pacing around while she thought what to send.

Perhaps it’s time she embraced the natural shape of her hair instead of running away from it.

-o-

It took two more weeks of waiting, spending time with her friends, and catching up with her studies for Futaba to fully wake up. The day it happened began like any normal Sunday: Sojiro gave her the day off, so she decided to spend that morning relaxing at the café, watching the news. She was fiddling with her hair when the bell atop the door rang, signaling that someone had walked inside. 

Itsumi turned to look and almost spilled her coffee when she saw Futaba walking into the store. Sojiro wasn’t so lucky and did end up spilling a bit of it. The orange-haired girl sat on the stool next to Itsumi.

“Morning.” She mumbled while fixing her glasses.

“Hey, kid.” The old man prepared a cup and slid it in front of Futaba. “You feeling better?”

“Yup, better than ever.” The short girl turned to look at Itsumi and then back at Sojiro. “I’m kidnapping this one for the day, hope you don’t mind.”

“She’s got the day off, so she’s all yours.”

“Neat.” She turned to look at Itsumi once more. “Come on, let’s go.”

Itsumi turned to look at Sojiro, who simply shrugged. She followed after Futaba, walking a few steps behind the other girl. They made their way to the hacker’s room, and Itsumi sat on the bed after Futaba sat on her chair.

“Gonna take care of Medjed, you’re free to do… whatever you want.” The hacker turned around in her chair and began to work on her computer, eyes focused on the screen.

Itsumi watched in bewilderment as Futaba did her thing, Morgana sitting by her side.

“Man, this room is a mess!” The cat complained. “Hey! Why don’t we clean around while Futaba works?”

Itsumi, still out of words to say, simply shrugged and got to work: dusting the shelves, taking out bags of trash, cleaning the floor. About two hours later, she was done cleaning up Futaba’s room, and the other girl still wasn’t finished. So, with a bit more time to kill, she began to scroll through her phone.

Twenty minutes later, Itsumi heard Futaba groan as she stretched her arms above her head.

“Done!” The hacker spun around to face Itsumi, and her face scrunched up in confusion. “Whoa… what happened here? It’s like a cleaning tornado swept through my room!”

“You’re welcome,” Itsumiu spoke up with a smirk. “Should thank Morgana since he’s the one who came up with the idea.”

Itsumi scratched the cat behind his ears, making him purr.

“Huh… thanks, Mona.”

“You’re welcome!”

“Whoa! Kitty can speak.”

“I’m not a c-” Itsumi scratched him once more, and he purred again.

“You heard him talk in the Metaverse, so now you can hear him out as well.” Itsumi stopped petting him. “Welcome to the club.”

“You said you were done? No more threats from Medjed?”

“Noup! Found the guy and doxed him so hard he won’t be getting new jobs any time soon, mwehehe.” Furtaba chuckled and then pulled her knees up towards herself, curling up on the chair. “Listen, I… I wanted to thank you… for everything.”

“Hold on, let me speak,” Futaba spoke before Itsumi could say something else. “I wasn’t just talking ‘bout the whole “stealing my heart thing”, I was also talking about, you know… being there for me. Bringing my food, talking to me, it… It helped. A lot.” Futaba sniffed, and Itsumi had to fight the urge to go and hug the girl. “I know it wasn’t easy… heck, I didn’t make it easy… but you still stayed, like a persistent NPC, or an annoying companion. But you stayed so… thanks. Gotta ask though: is this how it feels to have a big sister?”

Itsumi chuckled, swiping a stray tear from her eyes.

“Wouldn’t know, I’ve always been an only child. Always wanted to have a sibling, though.”

“Funny you should mention that, cus your mom and my dad are dating.” Itsumi almost choked on air, and Futaba turned around to play an audio from her computer. “Got bugs in the shop, the old man let me put them there so I would feel… close to him.”

The girl played the audio of the day they agreed to go on a date, and Itsumi almost had a heart attack when she heard it. Then Futaba played another one, a LIVE audio, and Itsumi swore she was going to pass out right then and there.

“So, are the girls getting along?” Her mother spoke. “From what you told me, Futaba specifically came to get her.”

“Heh, I was surprised too.” Sojiro, the traitor, chuckled. “But I’m not surprised, you know? I mean, your kid spent months talking to her and bringing her food. If one thing I know is that Futaba is easily bought with food.”

“Hey!” Itsumi turned to look at her. “He’s not wrong, though.”

“Well, Itsumi is a great cook, so I’m sure they’ll get along fine.”

“Tell me about it! The kid came close to figuring out the recipe for my curry on her own! She finally won me over, and I thought her the damn thing. I swear, one of these days she’s going to run me out of the shop.”

“Wouldn’t that be nice? That way, you’ll be able to retire and finally rest. We both know you’ve been working hard… which is surprising since you were lazy back in college.”

“Speaking of our college days.” Her mom continued talking. “Remember that sushi restaurant we used to go to? With the conveyor belt and cheap rolls? Turns out, they’re still open.”

“Sounds like you’re asking me out, Kiria.”

“And what if I am?”

“Then I’d say that it sounds like a great plan. Let me call the girls so they can look over the shop.” Itsumi heard Sojiro moving, and a slight sense of dread filled her body. “Oi, punk. I know both of you are listening to this, so come on over.”

“They can hear us?”

“Yeah, Futaba got small microphones installed for security. So I know they’re hearing this.”

“Well, cat’s outta the bag.” Futaba spun around her chair and hopped off. “Come on, Joker. Let’s get going!”

So this was the big secret? They’re dating?! She knew they were hiding something, but this… she can deal with this. Heck, she’s happy for them! God knows her mom’s love life has been dead since her father died, and if there’s anyone she would approve of dating her mother, that would be Sojiro.

Seems like, if things go well, she might end up getting a sister after all.

Chapter Text

NotAPluber has added Sakura Futaba.

NotAPluber has changed Sakura Futaba's nickname to TechGrenlin.

[TechGremlin] I see you've taken good care of this chat. Good, good. ^_^

[Purrfectgirl] Futaba-chan!! Welcome to the group chat!

[Bonehead] That means you’re gonna work with us? Neat!

[StarvingArtist] Welcome to our team, Futaba.

[Paisen] We’re all glad you’re better.

[TechGremlin] (⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄)

[TechGremlin] Sheesh, I’m not used to all this attention!!

[TechGremlin] But thanks for having me, fam. Dunno how I’ll be able to help, but I’ll do what I can.

[NotAPlumber] Speaking of you not used to attention… we gotta help you get used to dealing with people.

[NotAPlumber] And that’s why I’m making it our next official mission to help Futaba feel comfortable around people. All in favor?

[Purrfectgirl] Yes!

[Bonehead] Aye

[StarvingArtist] Agreed.

[Paisen] Sounds like a good plan.

[TechGremlin] Do I get a say in this? (／ロ°)／

[NotAPlumber] Noup! I’m using my powers as the leader of this group to help you once more.

[TechGremlin] More like abusing… (._.)

[Purrfectgirl] I’m assuming you got a plan?

[NotAPlumber] That I do, my darling Panther! We’ll be taking Futaba to the beach in one week.

[NotAPlumber] BEFORE YOU FREAK OUT, hear me out.

[TechGremlin] …go on.

[Paisen] I’m also curious about what you’ve planned.

[NotAPlumber] For the next few days before the beach trip, each one of us will spend time with Futaba. That way, she’ll get used to being with us and won’t feel uncomfortable when we’re on the beach.

[Purrfectgirl] Oh! That sounds like an amazing plan!

[Bonehead] I’m all in for this

[StarvingArtist] Sounds reasonable enough. I wouldn’t expect anything from our leader.

[TechGremlin] Okay, fine. I’ll do it. But I have one condition! (´･ω･`)

[TechGremlin] Itsumi, you’ve gotta come with me to every hangout.

[NotAPlumber] Sounds reasonable, I’ll even bring Morgana with me.

[NotAPlumber] You guys can figure out the order; I’mma go down to work. Got bills to pay and children to look after.

NotAPlumber has disconnected.

-o-

Today’s shift at Leblanc was an easy one, just a few customers to deal with. And, since they were regular clients, she already knew their order and didn’t have to think too much about making what they wanted.

Her mother stopped by around lunchtime to spend time with them. After Itsumi discovered that she and Sojiro were dating, they had a lengthy talk about the subject. The first thing she did was to let her mother know that she was 100% happy for them and that she supported their relationship.

Itsumi knows that Futaba had the same conversation with Sojiro because the hacker told her as much, and both had arrived at the same conclusion: their parents made a cute couple.

When her shift was over and she had showered and changed into her sleepwear, Itsumi received the phone call that she had been waiting for all day long.

“Hello to you, too, beautiful.”

“As charming as you are, you know your smooth talk doesn’t work with me, bestie.” Ann chuckled, and Itsumi could imagine the blonde had rolled her eyes as well.

“Can’t fault me for trying, Ann.” Itsumi sat on her bed and began to care for her hair. “So, whatcha want to talk about?”

“Straight to the point, ironic. Your plan to help Futaba-chan is great, I like it. There’s just one thing I’m wondering… is this your roundabout way of getting to watch Makoto in a swimsuit?”

Itsumi stopped what she was doing, almost dropping the comb she was holding.

“What?”

“You didn’t think this through, did you?”

Itsumi’s eyes widened in panic, silently processing Ann’s words.

“Oh my god, you didn’t!” Her best friend then proceeded to laugh for approximately two minutes. “Oh, Itsumi. For how smart and clever you are, you really are a dumbass just like us.”

“I was only thinking about helping Futaba! Why didn’t I think about that?! I won’t survive, I’ll be dead right on the spot. Cause of death: gay panic.”

“Don’t worry, Itsumi. I’ll make sure you don’t make a fool of yourself. I will record everything, though.”

“Ann Takamaki, I swear to god. If you record it, I will make you regret it.”

“You’ve got nothing on me, Itsumi Amamiya. You can’t threaten me in any way that matters.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, my friend. I’ve got more than you think. Or do I need to remind you that I know who you have a crush on?”

“You wouldn’t dare!”

“Don’t test me, then. You stay still and I say nothing.”

The line stayed silent for a few seconds.

“Fine.”

“It was a pleasure doing business with you, Takamaki-san.” Itsumi chuckled and cut the call.

But, as much as she didn’t want to admit it, Ann was right. Itsumi hadn’t thought things through. On the other hand, though… this could be a perfect opportunity for her to see Makoto flustered.

Which then begs the question: Does she have any swimsuits with her?

After going through her things, she discovered that the answer was no; she didn’t. Other than her one-piece swimsuit she used for swimming practice. And while she looks great in that, it might not be enough to get the reaction she wants to get out of Makoto.

So, with a new plan in mind, which included lots of evil chuckling and Morgana looking at her like she was crazy, Itsumi went to bed.

-o-

The next few days, Itsumi spent time with Futaba and all her friends.  They came one each day, and they either hung out at Futaba’s room or at Leblanc's. During Yusuke’s visit, they had a bit of a discussion after the artist, with nothing but good intentions, changed the pieces of Futaba’s Featherman figurines.

But other than that, everything went well!

There’s someone else Itsumi would like to introduce to Futaba, but that might be something for another day. Maybe when her unofficial sister gets more comfortable with the idea of hanging out with people she doesn’t know.

Eventually, the day they were going to the beach had arrived, and Itsumi was (hopefully) mentally prepared to watch Makoto in a swimsuit. She wasn’t worried about having some sort of reaction with Ann since she was used to seeing her friend wearing all kinds of clothes whenever she accompanied the blonde to her modeling gigs, so she was desensitized to her friend’s look.

In Futaba’s case… yeah, there was no way she’d feel something remotely close to lust or desire towards the hacker. She was starting to consider Futaba as her little sister, so those kinds of thoughts made her feel weird and wrong inside.

To avoid any… awkward moments in the changing rooms, Itsumi was already wearing her swimsuit under her clothes. No problem in being ready, right? Right?

When they got to the beach and the girls went to change, Itsumi had a funny moment of watching Ryuji freaking out when she took her shirt off. Can’t blame him since she told no one that she was going to be already changed, so it was funny to see him freaking out.

She didn’t get much of a reaction from Yusuke, but she was starting to wonder if the artist reacted to anything other than art. Which would explain a lot, now that she thought about it.

When the girls walked out of the changing room, Itsumi thought she was mentally ready for it. She had done breathing exercises, she thought she was ready… but the second she saw Makoto walking out wearing that bikini, she felt her brain blue screen and fail her.

Itsumi was so lost within her own head that she didn’t notice Makoto’s own blush until Ann snapped her out of it by drawing attention to Futaba. The girl was hiding behind the blonde, trying to draw as little attention to her as possible.

“Looking good, Futaba,” Itsumi spoke to the girl, walking up to her with a smile. “Now let’s go, we’ve got a whole day of beach fun ahead of us!”

And they had fun indeed! They played volleyball, teased Ryuji when he failed to pick up girls (even though Ann was right there), and, for some reason, they weren’t surprised when Yusuke walked over to them with two lobsters in his hands, claiming that they would serve as inspiration for his art.

-o-

They returned to Tokyo before sundown, not wanting to stay out for too long. And because Futaba’s social battery was dead, they wanted to give her time to recover in a place she was comfortable with.

After they arrived at Leblanc, Itsumi walked around the counter and prepared a cup for herself and one for the hacker. They spent the time in silence, just drinking their coffee and doing nothing else.

“Say… Itsumi.” Futaba spoke, eyes locked on the cup in front of her. “I… I wanted to thank you for helping me and being there when yo-our friends came over. I know it couldn’t have been easy… dealing with me.”

“It’s nothing, really.” Itsumi smiled at Futaba, even though the hacker wasn’t looking at her. “I said I would help you, and I never go back on my word.”

“I know, and that’s why you’re a great friend.” Futaba turned to look up at her. “It’s why I wanted to ask you to keep helping me… I want to be able to go out once more… will you continue to help me?”

“Of course, Futaba.” Itsumi placed a hand on Futaba’s shoulder. “I’ll help you for as long as you want me to. And that’s a deal.”

I am thou, thou art I…

Thou hast acquired a new vow.

It shall become the wings of rebellion

 that breaketh thy chains of captivity.

With the birth of the Hermit Persona,

 I have obtained the winds of blessing that

 shall lead to freedom and new power…

“Good, good.” Futaba finished her coffee and stood up. “Welp, time for me to make like a tree and leaf!”

Itsumi chuckled and watched Futaba walk towards the door.

“See ya, sis!” And then, she was gone.

It took a second for Itsumi to process what Futaba had said, and a sense of deja vu filled her body.

“She called me sis…” For some reason, Itsumi couldn’t stop smiling the rest of the day.