Tokyo's Phantom Thief

Asakura Rinto could, to some extent, manipulate the power of his Persona even in the real world.

Of course, that wasn't something he'd ever told anyone.

Kamoshida's wrist had absolutely swollen from Rinto's grip—he still felt the pain.

But visually, Rinto had subtly interfered with everyone's perception.

No one could see the mark anymore.

As the musclebound gorilla stood there, confused by the mismatch between what he felt and what he saw, Takamaki Ann rushed to Rinto's side.

"I think there must've been a misunderstanding."

Yoshizawa Kasumi responded quickly too, speaking up with a calm, measured tone.

She really was a perfect little sister figure for Rinto—she immediately zeroed in on the heart of the issue.

She didn't address Kamoshida, but turned instead to the principal.

"Principal-sensei, this upperclassman—Asakura-senpai—was with us today. My father personally asked him to keep an eye on us while we're at school, so we were just waiting to head home together."

"I think what happened earlier was a misunderstanding with Kamoshida-sensei. Please don't mind it. My sister and I actually have something urgent this afternoon, so we'll be heading off now."

"Ah... of course, of course!"

The bald, gourd-shaped principal wiped his sweating forehead furiously with a silk handkerchief, forcing an oily smile between folds of fat.

He bowed toward the Yoshizawa twins repeatedly, the epitome of obsequiousness.

"Definitely a misunderstanding—yes, I saw it too! I'll talk to Kamoshida-sensei myself. Yoshizawa-san, you and your sister go on ahead."

"And please, give my regards to your father! I'll be sure to pay him a visit next time—er, I mean, schedule a home visit, yes. Take care on your way home~!"

He waved his handkerchief as he watched the girls hurry off.

Meanwhile, Rinto leaned close to Ann and Shiho and said quietly:

"Stick with me. Close."

"Mm...!"

They both nodded, understanding immediately, each grabbing one of Rinto's sleeves and walking closely alongside the Yoshizawa twins.

"—Hey! I'm not done talking yet!"

Kamoshida's voice echoed behind them in impotent fury, growing fainter with distance:

"You're ignoring me!? Do you have any idea who I am!? I'm Kamoshida—!"

Principal: "Kamoshida-sensei, please! Let it go! Those twins' father is... well..."

The adults kept murmuring and scheming behind them, but that had nothing to do with Rinto and the others anymore.

Rinto, the Yoshizawa sisters, Ann, and Shiho made it out of the school together at a brisk pace.

Only when they finally left the school grounds did everyone let out a collective sigh of relief.

Yoshizawa Sumire was flapping her hands at her face.

"I was so nervous... I thought Asakura-senpai was really going to fight that Kamoshida guy. I broke out in a cold sweat! Are you okay, senpai? Are you hurt? Take off your shirt, let me check!"

Kasumi: "Seriously! Thank goodness Dad's reputation still carries weight. Seeing it in person today really confirmed it—Kamoshida-senpai is completely unhinged! No wonder he has a Palace... his mind is totally twisted—ah."

Kasumi froze mid-sentence, realizing that Ann and Shiho were still right there. She quickly clapped a hand over her mouth.

Luckily, both girls were still too frazzled to catch the slip.

Especially Shiho.

Confronting Kamoshida had shaken her deeply—she was practically hyperventilating now, cold sweat trailing down her face.

"Shiho-san, it's okay now."

Rinto and Ann gently tried to calm her down, rubbing soothing circles along her back.

At the same time, Rinto subtly activated his Persona again—his pupils shimmering faintly with gold.

His words carried an unnatural calm, a power laced with psychic comfort:

"Follow my breathing. Take it slow. There's no one here who can hurt you now. You're safe."

"H-Haa... Haa...!"

Shiho bit her pale lips as the frantic pounding in her chest finally began to ease.

She felt something strange—like a cool, calming sensation spreading from Rinto's hand on her back, sinking deep into her core.

It felt so comforting that she nearly shivered—and almost let out a sound.

...And just like that, her panic receded. Her heart settled.

She looked up at Rinto with tearful eyes, full of gratitude.

"Thank you, Asakura-kun... I... I actually saw it. When you stopped Kamoshida-sensei. You pulled him away... but when he started yelling, I got so scared. My mind just went blank..."

"It's okay. You did nothing wrong, Shiho-san."

Rinto's voice was warm and kind, gently guiding her out of her trauma.

After enduring so much verbal and physical abuse from her coach—without ever having a safe outlet—it was clear Shiho's mental wounds ran deep.

Which made Rinto look at her with even more sympathy... and strengthened his resolve against Kamoshida.

That man can't be allowed to continue.

Kamoshida's current mental state was already teetering toward a dangerous threshold. His Shadow had become wildly unstable.

If they didn't destroy his Palace soon, he'd spiral further into delusion—until he could no longer distinguish fantasy from reality.

"Ann, you two should head back for now."

Seeing that Shiho had mostly calmed down, Rinto made the call.

"I'll walk Kasumi and Sumire home. We'll talk more at school tomorrow. That pervert's losing control—don't meet with him alone, no matter what."

"Mhm! You be careful too, Rinto-kun!"

Ann frowned, clearly worried.

"That freak's eyes just now—they were completely unhinged. I think he's got it out for you now. He'll probably try to mess with you... I'll help however I can, but seriously, don't walk around school alone. What if the volleyball guys jump you with a sack or something?"

Jump me with a sack—the phrase was so ridiculous Rinto almost burst out laughing.

He thanked Ann for her concern and, after a quick goodbye, they parted ways at the school gate.

"Shiho, are you okay? Can you walk?"

Takamaki Ann kept a firm arm around her friend as they made their way to the subway, her concern clear in every step.

She herself was alright—but Shiho had clearly been terrified.

It really hit home: Kamoshida's abuse had gone way beyond any acceptable boundaries for school training.

Ann's teeth clenched at the thought. She wanted to beat the hell out of that guy.

Hell, she wanted to jump him with a sack.

…Actually, now that she thought about it, maybe that wasn't such a bad idea.

She couldn't do it alone—she was still just a girl, after all.

But Asakura-kun seemed strong. Tall too—probably over 180cm. And kind of cool.

"If he's willing to help… the two of us could probably—no, wait. We'd still need more people. That gorilla's too huge to take down with just two."