|| 7/4 Monday ||
|| Evening ||

At Leblanc, Mikono sat at one of the booths across from Akira. She was messing around with Morgana, using her thumbs to massage his ears. When hearing him purr, she couldn't help but laugh. "Does that feel good, Morgana?"

"Mhmm..." The cat hummed in content. He fell on his back with his paws in the air as he enjoyed being petted by the girl. His tail swished back and forth as her hands moved from his ears to his belly. She trailed her fingernails gently across the soft fur, eliciting another purr from the feline.

"After our date on Sunday, I noticed an odd cat on my way home," Mikono said.

"What made it odd?" Akira asked.

"It wore an intricate collar, an earring, and golden bands around its tail and front legs. I could've sworn it was staring right at me. For a moment, I thought I was Morgana, but this cat had no white on its body."

"Maybe some rich person lost their cat," he replied.

"I thought so too, but something just felt off about it. It felt...familiar."

"Do you think it has to do with-"

The bell above the door rang, signaling someone had entered the café. The couple glanced over at the person and couldn't believe who they saw.

"Akechi-kun...?" Mikono mumbled. "What brings you all the way to Yongen-Jaya at this hour?"

"I was working on a case nearby. Before heading home, I was simply looking for a place to sit and enjoy a warm beverage," Goro responded with a kind smile on his face. However, when he noticed Akira's presence, his smile faltered but remained strong. "We meet again. A pleasure, Kurusu-san."

"Likewise," Akira blandly replied with a bored expression.

Mikono glanced between the two when she felt the tension growing from their stares. She swallowed nervously, knowing Akira wasn't a huge fan of Goro's. However, she wasn't aware of Goro's distaste in the bespectacled boy. Since Sojiro left Akira in charge of Leblanc for the rest of the evening, she knew there was nothing stopping the two from starting a verbal fight. She doubted the boys would even listen to her if she tried to stop any argument between them.

Morgana, who could also sense the tension between Akira and Goro, ceases purring and opened his eyes. "What's with these two?"

"I-I have no idea," Mikono whispered back. Her eyes widened when looking back at the boys and noticing Akira was now glaring at Goro. On the other hand, the shaggy-haired boy was smiling eerily at the messy-haired teen. "I feel like someone's going to be murdered..."

Morgana didn't fight against Mikono as she pulled him into her arms, hugging him gently. He looked up at her and noticed how uncomfortable she was. "Are you okay, Lady Mikono?"

"Fine," she whispered, doing her best to smile down at the cat in her arms. Hearing Akira move, she looked up to see him begrudgingly climb out of the booth to tend to Goro. She saw his glare sharpen as the detective ordered a cup of coffee. "O-Okay, I take that back. I'm feeling even more uncomfortable."

"Come up with an excuse to leave," the feline said.

Mikono nodded and stood up with Morgana in her arms. She forced a smile as she called out to the two boys. "Sorry, Akira, Akechi-kun. I need to head to the store for a few things. Do you two need anything?"

Goro was the first to reply. The murderous smile that was on his face morphed into a genuine one when he looked over at her. "No. Thank you, Tsutsui-chan."

Akira, even though he acted like he didn't, knew why she was leaving and didn't argue. "Thanks, Mikono, but I think I'm fine."

She grabbed her bag. "Well, if you remember something, text me. I'll be back shortly." She made a quick exit with Morgana. She headed to the nearby store with the feline in her bag. Browsing the aisles of the store, she looked around to see if anyone was nearby before asking if Morgana wanted anything. He jubilantly told her what he wanted and she had to shush him when she received confused glances from someone who was walking by. She smiled at them, zipping her bag up before they could see the cat inside.

Once Mikono grabbed what she and Morgana needed, she paid for them and left the store. Before returning to Leblanc, she stopped in the middle of the street and contemplated to herself. In the end, she decided to sit down on the stairwell leading to the batting cages. She sighed, unzipping her bag and letting Morgana out. He hopped on to her lap, peering up at her. "I don't blame you for not wanting to return just yet. It was getting heated earlier by the way those two were looking at each other..."

"I just hope there's not a body to hide once we return," Mikono replied. "Or two..."

Morgana chuckled. "It would really be a tough cleaning job."

The two continued to chat for a few minutes until they heard a 'meow.' Looking around, they found a black cat with golden eyes watching them from across the street. Mikono's eyes widen as a gasp fell from her lips. "H-Hey, that's the cat I saw!"

Morgana looked toward the cat and analyzed its appearance. "What's with the bling?" He hopped off the girl's lap and approached the other feline. It immediately took off and Mikono chased after it. "L-Lady Mikono, wait!"

She ignored his cry and chased the cat through the streets of Yongen-Jaya. She passed by a few people, earning questioning glances from them. Ignoring their stares, she focused on the animal.

After a few minutes of chasing the cat, it hopped onto the fence of a house located in an alleyway. Walking towards the abode, she read the name located by the gate. "Sakura? Is this Sojiro-san's house?" She remembers Akira mentioning boss lived in the area and wondered if this was his place. She saw the lights were on, but decided not to disturb the man as she waltzed towards the cat. "You were the cat I saw in Shibuya. I thought maybe I imagined you, but you're real."

Now that Mikono got a better look at what the cat was wearing, she saw the Eye of Horus symbol on its Egyptian-styled collar. "How strange. Are you lost?" She realized what she was doing and laughed at herself. "I'm talking to a cat..."

The feline meowed as it laid down on top of the fence. That's when an idea came to mind. "If you understand me, meow once." It did just that. She gaped in awe before saying. "Okay, I'm going to ask a few questions. Meow once for yes, meow twice for no. Are you lost?"

The cat meowed twice.

"Were you looking for me?"

It meowed once.

Mikono thought for a few seconds. Remembering back to the two statues that remained in the Velvet room, another question came to mind. "Are you here because of Bastet?"

The feline meowed once.

"So Bastet is the next fragment..." She hummed, intrigued by the revelation. "Will you be my guide?"

It meowed once.

"Great! All that we need to do now is find the next palace. But lemme guess, you can't help with that, huh?"

It meowed twice.

Mikono sighed, hanging her head. "Nothing is ever easy..." Lifting her head, she smiled at the animal. "Putting that aside, will you stay with me?"

The feline meowed once.

"That might cause some issues, but I can handle them. Do you have name?"

The animal meowed twice.

"Okay. So first thing's first. Let's give you a name." Mikono tapped her finger against her cheek, rolling her bottom lip between her teeth. "What would be a good name..."

The cat stood up, its golden eyes focused on the girl's form.

"You're a girl, so...how about Tivali? It was the name of one of Cleopatra's cats. Seeing your appearance, a name like that would fit you perfectly! What do you think? Do you like it?"

It leapt off the fence and into Mikono's arms with a single meow. The girl giggled at the cat's friendliness and response. "Guess it's settled then, Tivali. Let's head back to Morgana."

Tivali got comfortable in Mikono's arms, purring as she rubbed her head against the girl's chest. The girl held her gently, walking back to where she left Morgana. She found him sitting by the groceries, patiently waiting for her. When he spotted her, he flew to his feet. "Lady Mikono! Where did...?!" His azure eyes moved to the cat in her arms. "You caught it!"

"She led me to Sojiro-san's house. We had a small chat and I learned a few things." She squatted down and released the feline. "Morgana, meet Tivali. She'll be staying with me for a while. She's going to be my guide to the next fragment."

Morgana smiled. "That's great! We have to tell Akira."

"Uh...right now?"

"It would probably be best. If things do get out of hand, you're the only one who can handle things."

"I'm not so sure about that..."

"But if you're around, they wouldn't dare raise a hand against one another!"

She sighed. "You might be right." She picked up the bags and gestures to the two cats. "Come on, Morgana, Tivali. Let's return to Leblanc. Hopefully the boys are still in one piece."

The trio returned to the café. When they walked through the door, Mikono was relieved to see everything was still in pristine condition as when they left. She saw Goro sitting at the counter enjoying a cup of coffee. Akira was on the other side, his expression unreadable.

Mikono placed the bags at one of the tables. "Sorry for taking so long, you two."

Akira looked away from Goro as she took a few things out of the bags. "It's fine. Welcome back, Mikono."

"You wouldn't mind if I used the kitchen, would you? I want to prepare something for Morgana and Tivali."

The bespectacled boy blinked in confusion. "That's fine, but...who's Tivali?"

"I'll tell you all about it later."

Mikono walked into the kitchen and began preparing a small meal for the two cats. She tried to focus on cooking when she could feel both boys staring at her. Luckily, she managed to complete the meal without any hiccups. She fed the two cats before addressing the boys. "So, did I miss an interesting conversation while I was gone?"

"We were merely discussing recent events," Goro replied.

"And a few other things..." Akira grumbled, his sharp glare returning.

The detective took a sip of his coffee before standing up. He grabbed his briefcase, turning to smile at the cerulean-eyed girl. With his free hand, he reached out and grabbed one of hers. Bringing her hand to his lips, he kissed the top of it. "I do hope to get to discuss more matters with you soon, Tsutsui-chan."

Before Mikono could reply, an arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her backwards. She nearly lost her footing, but luckily her back collided with Akira's chest to prevent her from falling. She craned her head backwards, gazing up at him. "A-Akira...?"

Akira didn't address her and glared daggers at Goro. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't touch my girlfriend so casually."

The detective offered him a forced smile. "My apologies. I will be on my way. Farewell, Kurusu-san, Tsutsui-chan." He placed some yen on the counter before leaving Leblanc.

Once Goro was gone, Akira sighed in relief. Instead of releasing Mikono, he wrapped his other arm around her and buried his face into the crook of her neck. He hugged her tighter as he muttered, "Sorry for making you uncomfortable earlier. Akechi isn't my favorite person..."

"It's okay. I know you and Ryuji aren't big fans of Akechi-kun, which is understandable," she responded. "What all did you talk about with him?"

"The Phantom Thieves and you. It was difficult, but I remained level-headed."

"Why'd you talk about me?"

"He saw the video from last week..."

"Why am I not surprised..." she sighed. "I did see someone posted it online."

"Putting that aside..." Akira lifted his head and glanced at the golden-eyed cat. "Who's cat is that?"

"This is Tivali. She'll be my guide to the next fragment. I'll be taking care of her for a while until I can locate Bastet."

"Will your parents be okay with you bringing a cat home?" Akira questioned.

"I'll come up with a story."

As they sat back down at the booth, their phones buzzed. Checking to see who was messaging them, they saw activity in the group chat.

Ann: Kaneshiro got rid of those photos, right?

Makoto: That's what he said.

Ryuji: You think we can trust him?

Makoto: I doubt he'd lie if he really had a change of heart.

Ryuji: Looks like we're all clear then.

Mikono: I wouldn't say that just yet.

Yusuke: Yes. We can't be sure of that just yet.

Ann: You mean he might not have had a change of heart?

Yusuke: No. I'm relatively certain he did. That is not the issue.

Yusuke: Despite Kaneshiro's change, his organization remains intact.

Yusuke: I can only hope they don't abscond with the photographs.

Ryuji: Y'mean like, run off with it? I guess that is possible...

Yusuke: After all, loss of the leader does not necessarily spell out the demise of the group.

Yusuke: That is merely common knowledge.

Makoto: But the opposite sometimes holds true as well.

Makoto: Some groups that lack a strong guiding hand will simply crumble.

Ann: So this all depends on which way it goes...

Akira: We'll be fine.

Makoto: All we can do now is pray the pieces fall in our favor.

Yusuke: Hopefully Kaneshiro's confession motivates the police to crack down on the mafia...

Yusuke: I would love nothing more than to see them defeated once and for all.

Mikono: I would love to see the same thing, but the mafia is a large and powerful organization.

Mikono: But even if the police do begin cracking down on the mafia, it's not guaranteed to wipe away their existence entirely.

Ann: True...

Ryuji: Guess the whole bustin' the mafia part'll be up to Makoto's sis.

Makoto: That aside, we've done everything we can for the time being.

Makoto: All that remains is to wait until the result becomes clear.

Mikono and Akira lowered their phones. Tivali made her way over and curled up in the girl's lap. She trailed her fingers through the feline's soft fur with a sigh. "Five more days, huh?"

Akira nodded. "Yeah."

"I know we've done this twice already, but it's always nerve-wracking. There's a part of me that fears what we did wasn't enough and everything will fall apart at the seams even though I know we did all we could."

"I'd be lying if I said it doesn't make me a little nervous," he replied. "But I have faith we did succeed. There's no need to worry, Mikono. Everything will be fine."

She smiled at him. "Seeing how confident you are washes away my worries. Thank you, Akira."

|| 7/9 Saturday ||
|| After School ||

At the hideout, Akira, Ryuji, Mikono, Ann, and Morgana waited for Makoto and Yusuke. Mikono scrolled through the newsfeed on her phone and came across a video. She watches Kaneshiro's confession before he's escorted away by the police. She couldn't help but smile as the tension was released from her muscles.

Once Yusuke arrived, Ryuji couldn't hold back his excitement any longer. "Hell yeah! Kaneshiro finally confessed! People've been makin' a huge deal of it since the police announcement!"

Yusuke frowned as he recalled the information he read. "It's difficult to accept that the authorities are taking all of the credit for his arrest."

Ann was the complete opposite of the artist. She was smiling happily. "People are going nuts about the Phantom Thieves online though. Look!" She showed them the various new posts on social media about the Phantom Thieves.

Ryuji's smile widened. "It's all comin' together for us!"

"This is quite the turnaround. All of a sudden, people are expressing their long-standing belief in us," Yusuke commented after reading some of the posts.

"So this is why Makoto told us to post the calling card anywhere that might stand out," Ann said.

"Pretty smart move on her part," Ryuji stated. "Oh, where is our amazing Miss President?"

"She has a meeting with Principal Kobayakawa. She told me that she was going to call Akira to tell him," Mikono said. That's when said boy's phone began to ring. "And I bet that's her now."

Akira pulled out his phone and saw Makoto's number. "It is her." He picked up and was greeted by the voice of the student council president. Ann moves in closer to listen to their conversation.

"Hello? It's Makoto. My apologies, but I won't be able to join you today. I've been called into a meeting with the principal. There's no need to worry though. More importantly, there is a special on TV about the Phantom Thieves!" Makoto exuberantly explained.

"Huh? What did it say?!" Ann shrieked.

"They were talking all about our calling cards."

"For real?!"

"Anyway, my apologies about today. I'll have to see you all another time."

Akira hung up and placed his phone back into his pocket. "Makoto said there's nothing to worry about and that there was a special on the Phantom Thieves on TV."

"Really?! That's freakin' crazy!" Ryuji grinned.

"I hope all this excitement doesn't place us on the police's radar," Yusuke worriedly said.

"Yeah. Especially since Ryuji's been pretty much shouting the entire time..." Mikono groaned.

"It'll be fine!" The fake blonde retorts. "No way they'd find out about that weird other world!"

"True, but..." Yusuke looked down, his frown from earlier returning. "Do you remember what the fake Kaneshiro said towards the end?"

Akira's eyes narrowed. "Another Metaverse user..."

"Yeah, he said we're not the only ones who are doing it..." Ann mumbled in concern.

Ryuji shrugged his shoulders. "Eh, not gonna let it bother me. Far as we know, he was just pullin' that shit out of his ass."

"We should still be careful," Akira said.

"Yeah. After all, Madarame mentioned the same person after we defeated him," Mikono added. "It can't be a coincidence."

"Still, I ain't gonna let it bother me," Ryuji replied.

She sighed in defeat. "Carefree as always..."

"Anyways, in your face, Akechi!" Ryuji crossed his arms, grinning from ear to ear. "Now whaddya wanna do about our next target?"

"Don't get ahead of yourself," Ann scolded him. "Still, people might expect a lot from our next move considering how excited they're getting."

"We can't just pick any old schmo now."

"I think you're moving way too fast, Ryuji," Mikono spoke up.

"I agree. There is no need to hurry. Counting Kamoshida, we've claimed three consecutive victories, right? We should just lay low and wait for all this excitement to blow over," Yusuke said.

Ann smiled as an idea popped into her head. "In that case, how about we have another celebration?"

Ryuji was already onboard with the idea before hearing the details. "Good idea! We can make it a welcomin' party for Miss President too. By the way, that briefcase? It's pretty damn expensive! Let's sell it and drop the cash on our party!"

Morgana sighed. "Wow... Seems like the "lay low and wait" idea has gone completely out the window."

"So can we count you out then, Morgana?" Ann questioned.

"Uh... What are you talking about? I was just saying we should try and keep our party on the down low."

The pigtailed girl laughed. "That's the spirit. Well, I'm gonna let Makoto know!" She pulled out her phone and called the student council president. "Hi, Makoto? There's something we forgot to tell you! So... Oh..."

Yusuke was taken aback at Ann's mood suddenly becoming dampened. "What's wrong?"

Ann put Makoto on speakerphone for everyone else to hear. "Hello? I hope you remember we have finals next week. Yusuke and Morgana excluded, of course. If you wish not to stand out, you had best not get bad grades, okay? That is something I simply would not be able to overlook as student council president! For now, behave and concentrate on your studies. We can have fun once finals are over. Understood?"

All the excitement in Ryuji was siphoned from his body. He hung his head with a dramatic sigh. "Urrrgh..."

Mikono was the one now grinning widely. "Time for our vigorous study lessons to resume!"

"Nooo!" He whined.

|| 7/9 Saturday ||
|| Evening ||

Once arriving back home, Mikono called out to Tivali. Thanks to the story she fabricated, her parents believed the cat to be lost. Because of the feline's gold jewelry, Isaac and Ichika believed the owner would be searching for her. However, Mikono knew no one was looking for the cat. Even with knowing that, she made found posters and posted them everywhere to make sure her parents knew she was trying to find Tivali's owner. Of course, she hadn't received any calls.

Tivali trotted down the stairs and patiently waited for Mikono to prepare her dinner. Once the cat was feasting down on her food, the girl headed to the living room and sat on the sofa. She turned on the TV and was immediately greeted by a reporter covering Kaneshiro's confession. A smile blossomed on her face knowing she and her friends saved many people from the sinister man's clutches.

While enjoying the program, Mikono heard her text tone go off. She scrounged around in her school bag to locate her phone and managed to find it underneath her notebook. Pulling it out, she saw the group chat blowing up with messages.

Makoto: This reaction is incredible. I'm honestly shocked to see it.

Yusuke: It is only natural that people are surprised. Even the police were struggling to catch him.

Ann: Yeah. By the way, you said you were called in by the principal?

Ann: Did something happen?

Makoto: It was regarding my investigation of the incident with Mr. Kamoshida.

Makoto: Don't worry. I didn't mention a word about any of you.

Makoto: I essentially told him I was unable to find any information.

Akira: Are you going to be okay?

Makoto: I will.

Makoto: I've graduated from my role as the exemplary honor student.

Makoto: From now on, I'm going to be more honest with myself.

Makoto: It's quite a refreshing feeling.

Ryuji: What're you gonna do now? Wanna stay with the Phantom Thieves?

Makoto: That's my intention, assuming it wouldn't be any trouble.

Mikono: I've got no issues with you joining. You're strong, Makoto.

Akira: Welcome aboard.

Ryuji: It'd actually be a big problem if you didn't stick with us.

Yusuke: We should allow her to join us. It would be greatly convenient.

Makoto: Well then, I hope I can continue getting along with all of you.

Mikono put her phone away just as Tivali sauntered into the living room. The cat hopped up on to the couch and curled up against her thigh. Unconsciously, the girl stroked her new furry acquaintance. She reverted her attention back to the TV, watching as the reporter showed footage of Kaneshiro being taken away by the police. "We've brought down a big-name criminal. I don't think many people get the opportunity to say that." She glanced down at Tivali and saw she was sleeping peacefully. "I wonder who our next target is gonna be..."

*****
Confidant: Mikono Tsutsui
Arcana: The Puppeteer
Rank: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
*****