Not even half an hour had passed after Niko left Paradise Hall, Cecilia and Shinju in tow. The residents now had more room to breathe, if nothing else, but Yui was uneasy. The final battle was clearly approaching, and she knew frighteningly little about what she was up against. After fifteen minutes of pacing around her boxing ring, she nodded, hopping down and finding her target in her office with Koharu. Tapping Yosuke on the shoulder, she looked down at Koharu.

Yui: I’mma borrow this for a sec, ‘kay?

Koharu: (without looking up from her screen, showing a satellite photo of the city’s harbor district) What do you need it for?

Yosuke: Oh, come on, man!

Yui: (ignoring Yosuke) It’ll only take a sec, then I’ll bring it back in one piece. Promise.

Koharu: … Suit yourself, then.

Yosuke: You two are doing a bit, right?

Yui: Thanks, man. (she picks up Yosuke’s camera, then starts out of the office) Oi, come along, you. I got questions.

Yosuke: What the— H-Hey, careful with that! (he chases after Yui)

Yui: (she sits down on the metal steps on the outside corner of the ring, then hands it back to him) You were mumbling something about a power back when I had a gun to your head. I’m cashin’ in on that now. So it’s tied to you, or specifically, this camera, right? One or the other?

Yosuke: I-I told you what it does, didn’t I? And you were all like, “I don’t care how the camera works, I care how you work”, but, like — it’s the camera. I can’t do it with any other device. I don’t know why, but it’s the camera.

Yui: Classifyin’ this as a Conductor Artifact, then. I’ll come up with a title for you later. 

Yosuke: A what the—Whu…?

Yui: Jokes aside, I care how it works now. Just to be clear, it’s that every picture you take shows its full history or whatever, right?

Yosuke: Well, it depends on what you focus on… Like, if I took a picture of you right now, I could get a history of you, but I could also find out more about, like, this place, or that boxing ring, or really, anything or anyone that is in the picture.

Yui: Public question. I assume, given your double-agent routine, that you got pictures of the Balancers before you parted ways for good, right? I also assume you have them on you?

Yosuke: I-I mean, they’re in the camera. It’s a digital camera. I haven’t changed the SD card since then.

Yui: ‘Kay. I need a picture of that quiet girl, Punisher. That’s the public request.

Yosuke: S-Sure. I, uh, I haven’t really had the time to look at her past myself yet, but I’m sure there’s gotta be something interesting, right? (he activates the camera, browsing through the pictures on it until he’s found what he’s looking for, and hands it over to Yui)

Yui: (she stares at the picture, her eyes widening as it begins playing back) Whoa… okay, this might be the coolest Conductor Artifact yet. God damn. Okay, come in close. Private requests time. …Don’t fuckin’ look at me like that, kid, it’s just more pictures of people so I can see their history too.

Yosuke: U-Uh… Just make sure senpai doesn’t see this… (he scoots up a bit closer to Yui)

Yui: (she sighs and rolls her eyes) Koharu knows I’m a lesbian, and I’m taken. Fucking hell… (she then lowers her voice) I need two pictures. Discreet, but with the subjects being the full focus of the image. Can you do that?

Yosuke: I… I’ve done harder things, I guess…

Yui: Cool cool. So for your first task as a Conductor, then, I need a picture of Kyubey, and another of that Red Riding Hood girl, Kiwako Kobayashi.

Yosuke: Err, sorry, but… What’s a Conductor?

Yui: It’s our little group. Me, Alice, Yuzu, et cetera. I stole the name from a group of old assholes that fucked up my life pretty bad. Also, I hated the old name of our group. 

Yosuke: That doesn’t explain anything—

Yui: Anyway, focus. Kyubey, and Kiwa. Can ya do that?

Yosuke: (he stammers) I-I’m pretty sure I’ve caught Kyubey on film before… Gotta be somewhere on there… but, err, … Isn’t Kiwako, like… a little girl? 

Yui: She was, when she made her wish a couple decades ago.

Yosuke: It’s still weird, man!

Yui: And you’re not suspicious of her? At all? ‘Cause she doesn’t deny that the whole “I’m a wittle baby” shtick is an act. Her abilities, and her insistence on teaching them to as many of us as she can doesn’t sit right with me.

Yosuke: I-I dunno, you’re… all kinda weird and fucked up to me, if I’m brutally honest. (he shrugs) But sure, I’ll, err, come up with something.

Yui: Not denyin’ ya on that one. But that Kiwa… somethin’ doesn’t sit right. I just wanna know her story, that’s all. Can ya do it?

Yosuke: (he sighs) Guess I’ll give it a shot… (he clears his throat) … a creepshot…

Yui: Dude, like… chill, okay? ‘Cause what if she turns out to be somethin’ like a Balancer later down the line? Think of it like that, will ya?

Yosuke: Maybe senpai’s got an idea… She is pretty shameless… I think.

Yui: I have no idea what Koharu thinks of her. The two never interact. But yeah, just watchin’ out for the gym, that’s all. Any questions?

Yosuke: I mean, if you don’t trust this girl, why’d you even keep her around? You care about this place, right? I… I assume you don’t just let anyone in. Unlike Kyubey, I guess…

Yui: A few reasons. Her power is handy and saved our asses a few times. Hanako trusts her, but it’s obvious she doesn’t trust her completely either. But also, I didn’t actually let her in, so much as she was guided in by someone else. I let her stay because while we got a powerful enemy like this, I’m not one to be picky about who’s on our side. But I’m lookin’ beyond the Balancers now. …Short answer, she’s not one of mine, but one of my Sis’s. Cecilia Ambrosi… I love her, but I trust her as far as I can throw her. An’ she sent Kiwa to us. So I wanna know exactly what kinda gift I’ve been given.

Yosuke: Guess I’m not really in any position to ask questions… As long as I can be useful. If I have to be an errand boy, I’d rather be the mule for the Lesbian Magic Mafia than for Kyubey and his cronies…

Yui: …Lesbian Magic Mafia, huh? If this Conductors thing falls through, I know what I’m calling us. But anyway, more to the point, you’re not just an errand boy or whatever. My bit of calling you a Conductor was half-serious. I don’t use people.

Yosuke: (slightly too loud) I-I don’t mind being you girls’ errand boy!

Yui: Well, hope you don’t mind bein’ on the same level as us then. ‘Cause I don’t do the hired help thing.

Yosuke: I-I won’t let you down!

Yui: (she pats him on the shoulder, then continues watching the image of Liu Fei through his camera)