It was early afternoon when Mia & the others were about to leave Ueno, and were interrupted by Rin & Yamato: the former of whom was reserved.
"Mia." said Yamato. "Need to... speak to you."
Mia glanced at Matoi. "What is it?"
Matoi gestured for Marisa & Samuel to go ahead for a minute. "(What is it?)"
Rin seemed a little nervous, but replied to Matoi in Japanese. They went back and forth for a while, and Matoi relayed to Mia that, due to Japan's taboos against decapitation (partially from the 1998 Kobe murders, in which two children were found decapitated by a handsaw), it was possible Rin could be expelled had it been found she killed a host in such a way. Mia agreed to receive the blame, and this would later play part of the justification for the Japanese government's decision to ban her from the country entirely. (Though she is still eight from beating Ryumi's record.)
Afterwards, Yamato went to eat lunch with Ueno's students, and Rin asked if she could come along with the 4; Matoi allowed this. After some discussion, she showed them to a local beef bowl restaurant, the concept of which seemed a magical invention to Samuel, and they sat down with their meals.
As Marisa checked her meal, she seemed to find something amiss with it. "Aren't these places supposed to have ramen?"
Matoi cracked into laughter and Rin mimicked her. "It's a beef bowl shop, not a ramen shop."
"It's a wonderful place." muttered Samuel, having bought an XL.
Rin nodded and looked to Mia. "Erm, Mia. Thank you for... And, everyone at Ueno believes you. So you know."
Mia smiled. "Thank you. I appreciate it."
Rin's eyes turned to Matoi, who told her: "(She appreciates it.)"
Rin nodded, and as she began eating, she saw a television in the corner tuned to more stories about Mia. She nudged Matoi. "(Is this the second Mia or the first Mia?)"
Matoi laughed. Rin was referencing a conspiracy theory one of the Ueno students had found in a tabloid he brought to dinner the night prior; that the original Mia had died in that neighborhood, and the second was a clone that would be announced as fake after the four left Japan.
But unfortunately for Aimee, there was only one Mia to dominate her.
As they finished their meals, Matoi's phone vibrated, and she took it quick. "(Yes? …yes, we'll head back.)" She stood up, still on her phone. Rin was worried and asked if it involved her, but Matoi shook her head, then hung up. "Elite Four -- Daishi wants us to return to Ueno. He didn't mention why, but it's clear urgent."
They said goodbye to Rin, and took Marisa's bumpy & swinging ride back over the streets and to Ueno. Mia nearly vomited when they hit the ground and steadied herself against the gate, which soon opened and nearly caused her to fall in, groaning as she followed after the others to Ueno's middle tower. Daishi was already waiting outside and began speaking as they walked to the elevator. "(Apologies on the short notice, but this is an emergency. I just received word that Representative Goro's daughter Haru has been kidnapped -- the House is privately convening to discuss a course of action.)"
"(Are they in contact with the kidnappers?)" said Matoi as they went up.
"(Not yet. They first found out a half-hour ago, and have assumed for now it's Revenant-linked. I am still waiting on further news, but I ask that you be on standby for whatever may be needed.)"
"(Of course.)"
As they came to Daishi's office, Matoi relayed it to her squadron, then looked to Daishi, who seemed genuinely concerned for Haru's possible safety. This was again something Matoi could not understand: why most people pretended they cared about the dead or potentially dead they did not really know. She scorned such idealism.
"(My squadron and I were discussing something, earlier.)" said Matoi. "(After Mia was interviewed, I'm sure you remember the Revenant that attacked us. Mia says she was attacked by a second Revenant on her way back to Ueno -- and that she was forced to kill him, before Rin and Yamato arrived.)"
Daishi frowned. "(I understand why she would do so, but you certainly must agree that breaches the agreement she made to not fight any hosts.)"
"(Perhaps she was testy after Hagakure refused to heal her.)"
"(I suppose I cannot blame her for that.)"
"(Regardless, she also says she took a detour afterwards, and encountered no other host on her way back to Ueno. She's uncertain whether there would have been more waiting for her, but we thought it may have been an attempt to provoke her again.)"
"(…certainly plausible. Still, they would have needed to mobilize quite quickly, given when the interview was announced, and it seems foolish, to me, that any host would attempt to fight her after her... last fight. It's possible they were attempting to provoke her, as you mention, but I don't see any particular purpose for it: even if they succeed, it's simply destruction, and then what?)"
"(Have the police theorized any motives?)"
"(Well, one recent thread they're examining is the possibility of economic hardship. Some of the hosts are in debt, or had recently declared bankruptcy. If that were so, then it's likely Katuhisa is somehow paying them - yet from where is still unknown. Perhaps a sort of terrorist organization, but.. well. Faced with my own intuition of the matter or the government's, I'll naturally choose the government's.)"
Matoi nodded and relayed this to her three. In the middle of it, Daishi took a call and stepped out, and Mia asked afterwards: "Matoi, er, about the ransom... You don't think they'll ask for me to deliver it, will they?"
"Not unless they didn't have enough the first time." said Samuel.
"It's possible, though I doubt the government would allow it if there were another option." said Matoi. "And as Samuel so offensively put it, I doubt there's a host on the planet who actually wants to fight you now."
"I wouldn't want to fight myself either." Mia fanned herself and smiled.
Marisa frowned. "…hey, Matoi. You said they were thinking like, terrorism or something, right?"
"That was Daishi's theory, yes."
"Okay, but why wouldn't they have like, demanded something by now? I mean, all they're doing by doing this is just scaring people and making them think Mia's Satan or whatever. What's the point of that?"
Daishi came back. "(Matoi, it'll be you and myself delivering the ransom.)"
"(Not Mia, then.)"
Daishi shook his head and kneeled down. "(It's unusual for the government to pay ransoms, but given the circumstances... The ransom will have two chemicals embedded within it: one triggers a geyser of smoke if the money is placed in to water, and the other tints the smoke if the money is burned.)"
"(Is there no tracking device?)"
"(The assumption was that the briefcase would be destroyed afterwards, and they... may check for a device before handing Haru over.)"