Tokyo's Phantom Thief

During their previous meeting, Rinto had exchanged some basic information with Morgana, establishing a mutual understanding.

Though Morgana was clearly some kind of mysterious being, it possessed the intelligence, common sense, and Persona abilities equal to a human. This was reassuring.

Just like Rinto had once been, Morgana had no idea where it originally came from.

As it had explained, Morgana had woken up already inside Kamoshida's Palace and gotten captured while exploring.

Apart from that, however, it had retained one deeply rooted conviction:

"I clearly remember that I exist to assist the Phantom Thieves. My very being must be connected to you two—Boss Rinto and Ann-san!"

In the real world, Morgana appeared as nothing more than an ordinary cat.

Yet because it could communicate so naturally, its expressions were vivid enough that Rinto and Ann could clearly see its smile.

Ann was right—every story like theirs definitely needed a reliable mascot.

Rinto smiled warmly and nodded:

"Glad to have you with us, Morgana. Of course, we'll gladly accept your help. We'll do everything we can to help you regain your memories, too."

"Speaking of which, how's that blond hedgehog-haired guy from yesterday? You talked to him, right?"

"Mmm, yup!"

Morgana waved its tail proudly.

"I made sure to warn him to rest properly and not touch that weird navigation app again. He was hurt pretty badly but kept grilling me with questions until late at night. I waited until morning to be sure he was okay before leaving."

"…Wait, what are you guys talking about?" Ann tilted her head, completely lost.

She had no idea someone else had stumbled into Kamoshida's Palace yesterday along with her.

Rinto filled her in about the blond-haired boy who'd gotten beaten by Shadows. Once she heard his name from Morgana, Ann suddenly understood:

"Sakamoto Ryuji? That Sakamoto Ryuji? Whoa... no wonder he didn't show up for the opening ceremony. He fell into Kamoshida's Palace too? Poor guy…"

Rinto felt the same way.

Ann had been relatively lucky—Shiho had immediately noticed her disappearance and, in her panic, reached out to Rinto just after getting his contact info.

One wrong move anywhere along that line, and Ann might've ended up trapped there with no help coming. That could've ended badly.

Sakamoto had been much less fortunate—there was nobody to rescue him.

Only by sheer luck had Rinto stumbled upon him, preventing a far worse fate.

For now, he decided to hold off talking more about Ryuji.

Considering how severe his injuries were, it was clear Ryuji wouldn't be attending school for a while anyway.

"So, if we're going to start moving, I suggest we do it after school today."

As the leader, Rinto took initiative:

"To conquer the Palace, we need to practice using our Personas in combat. Plus, I've always worked solo—this will be my first time fighting alongside others."

"We'll need some practice to synchronize our teamwork. Ann, Morgana—from now on, we're comrades who'll face life and death together. At least until we've handled Kamoshida, let's give it our best."

"Yeah~!"

Ann placed her hand over Rinto's, joined shortly afterward by Morgana's paw.

Thus, their first official Phantom Thieves team was born—everything began right here.

Having decided to launch their first mission after school, the two people and one cat prepared to return to class.

Lunch break was nearly over, and afternoon classes awaited—might as well get their money's worth for tuition fees…

"…Rinto-senpai!"

A voice from behind stopped Rinto in his tracks.

His initial instinct was that it was Sumire Yoshizawa—but he quickly realized it wasn't.

The voice was different.

It was newer, less familiar, yet somehow fresh to his ears.

Ann let out an amused gasp as Rinto turned around, suddenly finding himself caught in a soft, warm embrace.

A petite first-year girl with long flowing hair threw herself directly into Rinto's arms, her slender arms tightly wrapped around his back.

Completely caught off guard, Rinto instinctively spoke her name:

"Sakiko…? You're Togawa Sakiko, right? What's wrong? Why are you so worked up?"

He gently rested his hands on her shoulders, careful not to overstep.

Togawa Sakiko was a junior he'd met a few days ago while working customer support. He knew she was attending Shujin, though they hadn't crossed paths yet since school started. It hadn't bothered him particularly.

Yet their first reunion at school unfolded dramatically—like a girlfriend finally reunited after endless waiting, Sakiko had thrown herself into his embrace right in full view of countless students.

"…Senpai, please help me," Sakiko whispered very softly, face pressed against Rinto's chest.

"Don't say anything. Just hold me, please… I'm begging you."

"…Alright."

Although Rinto had no clue why she was suddenly pleading like this, how could he refuse such a gentle, earnest request from this polite and adorable junior?

He embraced her as naturally and intimately as he could without crossing any lines.

The scene made Ann's eyes sparkle excitedly, barely holding back her squeals of delight.

Meanwhile, as Rinto passively enjoyed the warm, delicate sensation of his cute junior's body pressed against him, he quickly realized why she had asked for his help.

"Sakiko~!"

A short-haired girl with delicate, lovely features dashed from the school building, calling Sakiko's name urgently, her voice edged with tears.

But the moment she saw the scene—Sakiko warmly wrapped in an older boy's arms—her face immediately turned a deep shade of crimson.

"Sakiko… ah, I… you…"

Clearly, Sakiko had sought Rinto's help to avoid this girl, using him as a convenient shield.

What kind of relationship is this, exactly…?

Before Rinto could ponder further, his thoughts suddenly froze.

Because he realized—he knew that girl too.

Those sensitive, animal-like eyes. That soft, rounded face.

A slender frame hiding intense emotions, turbulent as a storm.

"…Will you be my friend for a lifetime?"

Those painful words echoed clearly in his mind, as did his answer.

He had accepted instantly, without hesitation—pulling her free from the brink of an emotional abyss of shadows.

"…Tomori?"

When he quietly spoke her name, the only one who heard—Sakiko, still nestled in his arms—began to tremble violently.