|| 7/18 Monday ||
|| Evening ||

At Shibuya Station, Akira, Yusuke, Morgana, and Ryuji waited for Mikono, Makoto, and Ann. The blonde looked around at the people passing by in order to distract himself from the heat. Eventually, his surroundings weren't enough to get his mind off the warmth. He hung his head with a drawn out groan. "It's so hooot..."

Morgana fell limp against Akira's shoulder. "I feel like I'm being baked..."

"Those girls are way too late..." Ryuji complained.

"Someone's impatient," Akira commented.

"It must be taking time for them to put on the yukata," Yusuke said.

"But even so, Mikky lives the closest out of all of us. She should've been here already..." Ryuji muttered.

"Mikono did mention her mother would possibly go overboard with the yukata," the artist said. He then analyzed his friends' appearances. "Why aren't you two wearing one?"

"I don't got clothes like yukata." The blonde's eyes trailed up and down Yusuke's navy blue yukata. "But man, you look way too normal in that."

"People often say that to me."

"Ah, by the way... The exams..."

Morgana grinned widely. "I bet you got a big fat F on them."

He glared at the feline. "Shuddup! We-We don't know that yet! I prolly got like a D o-or a C with all that studyin' Mikky made me do with her!"

Suddenly, the trio was approached by two girls. The one in the pink yukata was the first to address the boys. "Are you going to the fireworks festival?"

"That's right," Yusuke blandly replied.

"Us too! Wanna go together?" The girl in the black yukata asked.

Ryuji gaped at the two girls. "Are we...getting hit on?!"

"C'mon, let's go together," the girl in the pink yukata urged.

The black yukata-cladded girl took a step towards Yusuke. "Do you happen to be a model? You look great in that yukata."

"Waitin' around's a pain, so can we just go with these chicks?" Ryuji grinned.

"No way," Akira quickly retorted. "If you want, you can go with them. I'm still going to wait for Mikono, Ann, and Makoto. Besides, I already have a girlfriend."

"Oh, c'mon! S'not like you're gonna cheat on Mikky! Even if you did, I'd be there to kick your ass myself!"

"That's enough," Yusuke growled, his attention focused on the two girls. "You're disgracing your yukata. You should be more aware of your womanhood."

The two girls exchanged glances with one another before walking away. Ryuji stared in disbelief, hanging his head. "How could you?!"

"Why don't you go after them then?" Ann scoffed as she and Makoto walked over.

"So those are the kinds of girls you like, Ryuji," the crimson-eyed girl commented.

The fake blonde rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh, well... That's..."

"You know, Yusuke's such a pretty boy, but he is really missing out because of what he says," Ann sighed.

"I guess, but he's more likable since he stays true to his ideals. Definitely more than somebody I know," Makoto said. "At least Akira's staying loyal to Mikono. I would never forgive you if you went off with another girl."

Morgana popped his head from behind Akira's shoulder. "I heard that Ryuji's pretty much failed his exams."

"Oh?" She scowled at the chocolate-eyed boy.

Ryuji glowered at the feline. "Mona, you little-!"

"Sorry I'm late!" Mikono shouted as she promptly made her way down the stairwell towards her friends with Tivali by her side.

Akira was the first to spot her. His eyes widen as he admired her appearance. Her hair was pulled back into a braided bun with a cherry blossom hair ornament. She wore a black yukata with a bright design and a white sash. He couldn't help but stare at her. Ryuji and Yusuke shared the same expression. Ann and Makoto smiled at her.

"You look amazing, Mikono!" Ann chanted.

"The yukata really does suit you well," Makoto added.

"I told my mom the yukata was enough, but she wouldn't let me leave until she did my hair," Mikono confessed. "It's way too much, isn't it?"

"Not at all!" Morgana chimed in. He tapped his paw against Akira's cheek with a smirk. "Don't you agree, Akira?"

The messy-haired boy blinked, realizing he was staring. His cheeks turned bright red and he clamped a hand over his mouth. "I-I... Uhhh..."

The feline chuckled. "I'm pretty sure he agrees, Lady Mikono."

"You do look magnificent, Mikono," Yusuke commented.

"Y-Yeah..." Ryuji agreed, his cheeks slightly colored a rosy hue just like Akira's.

"Anway," Mikono ignored the two embarrassed boys. "Let's get going."

Ann nodded in agreement. "Yeah. It's gonna get crowded if we don't get going."

"Agreed," Yusuke said.

Ann, Makoto, and Yusuke went on ahead. Mikono was about to follow them when she noticed Akira and Ryuji hadn't budged. She reached out and took her boyfriend's hand into her own, tugging him along and making his cheeks even redder. Ryuji had been too busy complimenting the three girls that he didn't realize he was being left behind. He dashed off in order to catch up to his friends.

Leaving Shibuya Station, the group of friends searched the busy streets for a good place to watch the fireworks. Due to the immense crowd, it was difficult. Before they could find a good spot, they heard the announcement of the fireworks beginning. Stuck in a large crowd, they gazed up at the darkening sky as Ann muttered, "Oh, it started already," right before the first firework exploded.

The group stared up at the fireworks as they exploded one after another. Because of the crowd and the buildings, it was diffult to see the fireworks. Ann hopped up in an attempt to see them, but it was futile. She pursed her lips in defeat.

Mikono stood in between Makoto and Akira, her gaze being drawn away from the fireworks by Tivali. She looked down at the feline when hearing her hiss. "What's wrong, Tivali?" The cat crawled underneath the girl's yukata, hiding herself.

Just then, everyone felt a few droplets of water rain down on them. Morgana retreated into Akira's bag as it began to rain. Makoto held out her hand with her crimson eyes focused on the gloomy sky above. "Why now..."

The light drizzle soon turned into a heavy downpour. The group quickly ran to cover under the nearest store awning as they heard the announcement declaring the end of the fireworks festival and the threat of flooding in the area.

Mikono, who had scooped Tivali up in her arms the moment it started pouring, placed the cat down so she could wring out her yukata. Everyone followed suit, wringing out their own clothing. As Ann twisted the hem of her yukata, Makoto noticed three gazes were looking in their direction. She noticed Ryuji's and Yusuke's were focused on Ann's exposed leg and called out to her. "Ann..."

The pigtailed girl dropped the hem of her yukata and looked over at Makoto. "Yeah?"

With an innocent smile, she pointed towards the two boys. Ryuji and Yusuke quickly looked away when Ann turned her head in their direction. Her brows furrowed as she growled, "Come on!"

Ryuji, who was looking off into the distance, muttered, "Looks like you need help..."

Ann grabbed the boy by the straps of his tank top and shook him. "Then why don't you go buy me a towel already, huh?!"

Makoto closed her eyes, sighing at their behavior. When she reopened them, she realized Akira was still staring. Wondering what had his attention, she looked to her right and saw Mikono had undone her braided bun and was wringing out her long, sable locks. Because of the rain, the left sleeve of her yukata was drenched and sagging down her arm. It revealed her slender neck and part of her collarbone along with her upper arm. She could see the hadajuban she was wearing, but her eyes widened when seeing it was soaked and see-through. Seeing as the sleeve was continuing to slip down further and reveal even more skin, Makoto grabbed it. "Um, Mikono?"

"Hm?" The inky-haired girl hummed in acknowledgement.

"Your sleeve is slipping," Makoto said. "And a certain somebody is staring..."

Mikono glanced over at Akira and locked eyes with him. She glanced down at her exposed skin and her transparent hadajuban. Looking back up, she saw Akira averted his gaze. She frowned, glaring weakly at him as Makoto fixed her yukata.

Suddenly, a black car pulled up across the street and grabbed everyone's attention. A girl in a pink yukata entered the backseat while a man beside her held an umbrella over her head. The group watched the car pull away with the mysterious girl inside before entering the convenience store to wait out the storm.
Tivali remained hidden under Mikono's yukata due to pets being unwelcome in the store.

Ryuji looked around in shock at how many people were inside the store. "We're just tryin' to get outta the rain, but look how crowded it is."

"I guess everyone had the same idea..." Ann sighed. While glancing around at the various people in the store, she noticed the distant look in Makoto's eyes. "What's up?"

"Mm, I think I just saw someone I know," the short-haired girl answered.

"You mean the girl in that black car?"

"Well, she's got a ride..." Ryuji groaned. His eyes darted over toward Akira's bag, a grin manifesting on his face as he eyed the cat hidden inside. "Time to show your skills, Mona! We need you as a car!"

"It's not possible in the real world!" Morgana hissed.

Ann hung her head with a pout. "My feet hurt... It's cold... The festival's been cancelled... This sucks..."

"We made such a commotion with the public and this is what we get? Laaame..." Ryuji grumbled.

Mikono pushes her damp hair behind her shoulders. "We can't control the weather, Ryuji. It is the rainy season, after all."

"But still..." He grumbled before looking towards Akira. "Aren't heroes that lurk in the shadows boring?"

"I like the shade," their leader answered.

"What are you, moss?!" The blonde boy sighed, frowning sorrowfully. "I wanna change the world with a loud bang, like a huge firework! Then again, we aren't gonna find someone bigger than Kaneshiro that easily. Any luck on findin' that clue, Mikky?"

"Not yet. I'm reading the book a third time," she said. "I pretty much have all the tales memorized by now."

"We still have plenty of time to locate our next target," Akira said.

"Indeed." Yusuke looked outside to see how heavy the rain was. "The rain is letting up. Though it's regrettable, we should go our separate ways for today."

Morgana was in agreement. "Yeah. Let's go home."

Mikono said farewell to her friends and left the convenience store. Once outside, Tivali crawled out from underneath her yukata. Side by side, the two headed back to Mikono's house.

Arriving back home, Mikono took off her geta and headed upstairs to change into something more comfortable. Exchanging her yukata for a pair of shorts and a tank top, she headed back downstairs to watch some TV before her parents returned. The moment she sat down on the couch, Tivali hopped up and laid beside her.

Turning on the TV, Mikono flipped through the channels until stopping on a news station. Lowering the remote, she and the feline tuned in to the news report. "Regrettably, the cause behind the recent psychotic breakdown incidents is still unknown."

Mikono's eyes widen. "Psychotic breakdowns...?"

"Onto other news... 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 your 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.""

Mikono became more intrigued as the camera panned over to Goro. The reporter asked the detective, "Akechi-san, why do you think this announcement was made at this time?"

"I don't know the details, but there's no doubt that they were provoked by the Phantom Thieves. Whether it's a sense of rivalry or a simple attention grab given the recent trends, I cannot say," Goro answered. "Regardless, it's quite a nuisance."

"A nuisance?"

"Both Medjed and the Phantom Thieves are nothing more than groups that uphold an egoistic justice. It's possible that more people like these will continue to appear due to their influence. In that respect, the Phantom Thieves face a very serious crime."

"Okay," Mikono murmured, turning off the TV. "That's enough news for now. Let me go and make you your dinner, Tivali. You're probably starving."

The cat meowed in response, following the girl to the kitchen. She waited patiently, watching Mikono closely as her slitted eyes were trained on her back.

While preparing Tivali's dinner, Mikono heard the phone in her pocket go off. She quickly finished serving the cat before checking her phone.

Ryuji: We gotta talk about Medjed.

Mikono: I just saw a TV reporter talking about Medjed on the news.

Akira: Same here.

Ann: You mean those guys people online are going nuts over?

Yusuke: Medjed...

Yusuke: That name seems to come from one of the obscure gods from the Egyptian Book of the Dead.

Mikono: Obscure is putting it rather lightly...

Makoto: I saw the news too.

Makoto: For some reason they think we speak of false justice...

Yusuke: Now then, what exactly did you want to speak of regarding Medjed?

Ryuji: Well, why don't we go after them as our next target?

Yusuke: What a sudden suggestion.

Ryuji: I mean they're like, bad hackers or something, right?

Makoto: Technically, they're crackers.

Makoto: Those who use the internet to illegally access and alter data.

Makoto: Medjed is an organized group of such people recognized by the larger international community.

Yusuke: So they operate on a global scale?

Ann: That makes them even bigger than Kaneshiro!

Ryuji: Right?!

Ryuji: Then it's settled. Our next target's gonna be Medjed.

Ryuji: I wonder if the Nav'll get a hit if we put Medjed in.

Ann: Oh, right!

Akira: I don't know...

Mikono: There's no way that'll work.

Makoto: Yes, it would be impossible. It has to be a pseudonym. We don't even know how many people Medjed is.

Ann: Oh...

Ryuji: Wouldn't we get at least one member's info if we try and look into it though?

Makoto: Even is we did, how would we discover their location?

Makoto: The only confirmed presence of Medjed has been online.

Mikono: We're missing vital information needed to locate a palace.

Yusuke: This is a greater problem than simply finding their keywords.

Yusuke: Unless you have any more ideas, Ryuji?

Ann: Hellooo?

Mikono: Guess that's a big fat no...

Yusuke: ...It seems he had suggested this without putting much thought into it.

Ryuji: C'mon, we can't back down now! People are all excited about it!

Ryuji: Our reputation's gonna plummet if we don't face this shit.

Yusuke: That is true. If we remain silent, people would believe we simply chose to run away from the matter.

Makoto: Medjed has taunted us publicly, after all...

Yusuke: If they are criminals, we cannot just let them be.

Ann: Yeah.

Ann: And we don't have any other targets right now either.

Ryuji: Hey, Akira. Let's talk to Mishima tomorrow. This is more of his thing.

Akira: Let's do that.

Ryuji: Also, Makoto. Try seeing if your sister has any info on 'em.

Makoto: It's highly unlikely, but sure.

Ryuji: And Mikky, keep reading that mumbo jumbo and find the clue.

Mikono: It's not mumbo jumbo. It's Arabic...

|| 7/19 Tuesday ||
|| After School ||

At the museum, Mikono and Akira were manning the front desk. While the boy handled the visitors entering the museum, the inky-haired girl spun around in her chair as she read through One Thousand and One Nights for the third time. Halfway through the first tale, she began mumbling to herself. "There's no clue... There's no clue... There's no clue..."

Akira finished helping the next guest before turning towards his girlfriend. "Um, Mikono?"

"Why did I even think that long-nosed, beady-eyed man would ever help me...?" She mumbled, placing the book over her face. A small twinge of pain courses through her head, causing her to sigh. "Now I've got a headache..."

"That means it's time for a break." Akira took the book off her face and placed it on the desk.

"I guess so..." Mikono leaned forward resting her elbows on the desk. She stared at the entrance of the museum, wondering how their feline friends were doing. "Morgana has been more active with Tivali around. The two really get along with each other even though Morgana isn't really a cat."

"This is one of those cases where if it looks like a duck and sounds like one, it's not a duck," Akira stated.

She laughed at his words. "I couldn't have put it better myself." Pushing off the desk, she wheeled over to the computer to check the time. There were only twenty minutes left until their shift ended. While scrolling through the log of current exhibits on display, she suddenly stopped and looked over at the boy. "Oh, yeah. I know you and Ryuji said Mishima wasn't much help with Medjed, but he did text you a while back about a new target in Mementos, right?"

"Yeah. Some girl named Yumeko Mogami needs a minor change of heart. I was hoping all of us could head to Mementos tomorrow so we could deal with her."

"I'm available tomorrow. I really want to see what's in the next area of Mementos. Even though I know Bastet is the next fragment, I wonder if she also is currently trapped in Mementos."

Akira leaned forward in his seat. "I did never understand why you couldn't collect the fragments in Mementos. It seems it would be easier that way."

"It would definitely make all this easier. My theory is these fragments are trapped in Mementos and only I can free them. Once they're free, they flee to a place where they can grow their strength and regain their true forms. In this case, the only possible places they could go are palaces."

"Makes sense," he said.

Mikono returned her gaze to the entrance when she spotted Morgana and Tivali outside the transparent doors. She eyed the golden-eyed feline with uncertainty. "But something feels off..."

"What do you mean?" Akira asked.

"Tivali looks and acts like a normal cat. However, something about her presence feels strange. I can't quite put my finger on it, though..." She sighed, crossing her arms. "Morgana feels more like a normal cat than she does."

Akira followed her gaze and stared at Tivali. Unlike Mikono, he believed the cat was normal besides all the jewelry. "I can't say I feel something's off about her."

"It might be due to the fact she's one of Bastet's loyal servants. The goddess' servants aren't particularly special in any way. They're just normal cats. But I don't understand why I experience this feeling. It's confusing..."

"I wouldn't think too much about it." Akira patted her shoulder. "Anyway, did you want to come to Leblanc today?"

She cocked an eyebrow upward. "Are you asking me if I want to ride the train all the way to Yongen-Jaya and back to Shibuya just so I can have dinner with you?"

"Well, when you put it like that..."

She poked his cheek with a smile. "I'm just messing with you, Akira. I'd love to. I can also help you with that paper for English."

Akira blinked in confusion. "How did you...?"

"I saw how confused you were when Chouno sensei handed out the assignment."

He rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed. "I really would appreciate the help, Mikono."

Minutes passed by and it was time for the couple to clock out. They grabbed their things and left the museum. Morgana and Tivali hopped in their bags as they headed to the train station.

|| 7/19 Tuesday ||
|| Evening ||

When they arrived in Yongen-Jaya and entered Leblanc, they were greeted by Sojiro. The couple returned the gesture before letting Morgana and Tivali out of their bags. They sat down at one of the empty booths and pulled out what they needed to work on for school. Before they began working, Akira headed to the small kitchen to make some dinner for him and Mikono.

With Akira being distracted with cooking, Mikono pulled out One Thousand and One Nights and started reading where she left off. She read every detail closely before flipping to the next page. She wrote down a few notes, wondering if they were the clue or would lead her to it. In the middle of reading the next tale, the book was yanked out of her hands. She blinked in bewilderment before looking toward the culprit. "Hey, I was in the middle of reading that, Akira!"

"I'm going to hold on to this until you're ready to leave. I think you've read plenty of it today," he said. "For now, just eat. I heard your stomach growl on the train earlier."

Mikono pouted like a child. "I won't eat until you give me the book back."

Akira shook his head. "No deal."

She hung her head with a dramatic sigh. "You're really not going to give it back any time soon, are you...?"

"Nope. I might even give it to Morgana so he can hide it."

"Ugh..." She pushes aside her schoolwork and pulled the plate of curry closer to her. "Fine, you win. I'll eat and forget about the book...for now..."

Akira grinned victoriously. "It seems I finally won for once."

Morgana hopped up on the table with Tivali beside him. "True, but you're way behind on points. If you plan on catching up to beat Lady Mikono, you better think quicker and wittier. If not, you'll never be able to win let alone catch up."

The boy looked at the azure-eyed cat. "Are you keeping score?"

"Yes."

As Morgana and Akira chatted, Mikono's eyes focused on the book in the boy's hand. Her free hand twitched, itching to grab the novel and continue to read. She glanced down at her notes before picking up her pencil and adding to them. She circled a few of the names of the characters in the many tales, wondering what she was missing.

Deciding to abandon the book and notes for the time being, she finished eating and helped Akira with English. She even helped him with the social studies' assignment that is due Thursday.

By the time it was past seven o'clock, the two were finished with their work. Mikono gathered her things and thanked Akira for dinner. She was about to place her phone in her bag when she heard the familiar text tone and checked to see what was going on in the group chat as Akira did the same.

Yusuke: So, I looked into Medjed.

Ann: Did you find anything?

Yusuke: As you know, Medjed is a god that appears in the Egyptian Book of the Dead.

Ann: Huh?

Mikono: The Book of the Dead is an ancient Egyptian funerary text consisting of a number of magic spells. Ancient Egyptians believed these spells would assist a dead person's journey through the Duat, or what we refer to as the underworld, and into the afterlife.

Mikono: Medjed is one of the many gods who has been depicted in the text. However, he is still an enigma.

Yusuke: Its name apparently means "the smiter."

Yusuke: It seems nobody is actually sure that Medjed is a real name.

Yusuke: As Mikono said, almost everything else about him is unknown.

Yusuke: Even his form in unattainable.

Yusuke: An unseen god that flies through the sky and shoots from his eyes...

Yusuke: He truly is an elusive being.

Ryuji: Dude.

Yusuke: Everything about his existence is shrouded in mystery.

Ryuji: Wait.

Yusuke: Fundamentally speaking, ancient Egyptian art always depicted gods drawn in a side profile.

Yusuke: However, Medjed is facing straight ahead in all depictions of him.

Yusuke: Taking all of this into account, he seems to be quite the alien being.

Akira: I see...

Mikono: Looks like someone did some research.

Mikono: I bet this group of hackers chose the name because of how obscure and elusive the god Medjed is in the ancient Egyptian religion. Just like the god Medjed, we know practically nothing about these hackers...

Ann: True...

Mikono: But good job in locating some info on Medjed, Yusuke.

Yusuke: I hope that information was at least somewhat useful.

Makoto: Indeed it was.

Yusuke: Should I look into it more?

Makoto: That's enough, thank you.

Mikono: I doubt you'd find any more information, anyway.

Putting her phone away, Mikono looked up and smiled at Akira. "Well then, I'm heading out. See you tomorrow!"

Akira waved farewell to his girlfriend. "Bye, Mikono."

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