12/01/17 – Thursday

All across the country had their grand return been announced. Now they knew the Phantom Thieves were never down or out. The hour of reckoning. Cutting off the head of the proverbial snake at long last. Even when cornered within the confines of his very down Palace did Shido's shadow hold onto his arrogant. Not even batting an eye at the revelation of Akechi being his son. Turning his own plan against him by playing to his insecurities. Congratulate him on doing a job well done and Akechi took to his leash even when trying to kill him. And for what purpose? Just to hide from his past shame, to keep his record spotless. It only further twisted the knife Akira had embedded into his shoulder. That he had to heavily steeped blame on Akechi despite Shido's massive hand in it.

Turned out that Shido's ego was even larger than Akira ever could've imagined. Ravings and rantings about being ordained by "God" himself to fix the sickened country. A complete and utter lack of remorse for all he had orchestrated just to appease some insane fantasy of obtaining divinity. He had stepped up to the plate through the apathy that plagued the people of Japan. They were all complacent with giving up responsibilities and decision-making to him just so they can have peace of mind. To live as slaves embracing ignorance and simplicity. Hard work was underappreciated, and apathy had eaten away at people's dreams, aspirations, goals, and sense of right. Better to live in the shadows than stand in the spotlight to fix what was wrong. But Shido didn't care about making other lives better. Rather than fixing the system, he would only adopt the mantle of what was wrong with it. A politician through and through. But it all only made what Akira had planned sweeter…

The fight against him was backbreaking. Almost earthshattering in how many tricks Shido had up his sleeve. Not one but two forms revealing the inner self. The first was the mental image of himself, a caped crusader standing atop a construct of the people. The other a musclebound meathead, reflecting the true inner self. A bully that would snap the necks of any around him just to stand tall. His forms huge and awe-inspiring. But his twisted malformed guises failed to stay Akira's hand. The bigger they were, the harder they would fall. And Shido's fall would echo across the entire world.

"How could I… lose?" Shido groaned, leaning on his elbows after his shadowy form faded away before their very eyes. Nowhere to run, nowhere to go. Shido was at the mercy of the Phantom Thieves now. And soon his plans would be undone. Years of work and all the lives he had stepped on. Brought to heel by some kids. Beaten and bruised by these mere teenagers, lacking even the strength to stand. "This shouldn't be possible. I had God on my side."

"Then your God has abandoned you." Shido looked up to meet the steely glare of Akira. The Phantom Thief had discarded his mask to the side so Shido can take a long look at his face. To burn it into his memory. It felt like an absolute rush to stare down at the defeated Shido. After so long and so much torment, it would soon be over.

"Don'tcha got something to say to our leader before you go passin' out?" Ryuji taunted smugly. In his head, the blond was planning the largest celebration of all time. He nudged his leader with a wicked grin, but Akira remained unresponsive. What was to happen after this was over would be anyone's guess. There would be bonds broken, and they would surely split after this. But it was a risk he was willing to take. For once, he was going to be a little selfish.

"Yes…" Shadow Shido clutched his chest as he coughed, still reeling from how hard they had knocked the wind right out. A look of remorse hung upon his face as he looked up at Akira. From the position he was in, Shido appeared to be kneeling. Akira resisted the smirk threatening to curl the corners of his lips from this display of levity. "I acknowledge… that I incriminated you on false charges. I did it to protect myself…" For the first time in his life, the man bowed his head in reverence and solace. True repentance in his final moments before cleansing. "I'm so sorry for what I've done…" Surprisingly enough, Shido felt a smile appear on his face. Not one borne of the exploitation of others or through selfishness, for once. "It feels as though it's been quite some time since I have felt sincerely apologetic…"

"You're not sorry. Not yet. But you will be." Akira's words chilled the man to the bone. He hadn't felt this creeping sensation descend down his spine in years. Decades, even. And it was at the hands of some kid. It all felt so strange. The fire of rebellion and egotism were gone. It felt good. Unexpected.

"So, I've been defeated…" A soft sad little laugh escaped the man. Defeat had never been an option in his mind. Now it was all he could think about. In a way, he had to thank the Phantom Thieves for liberating him. Freeing him from his own self.

"Get up," Akira ordered. Shido mustered the strength to rise. He met the disapproving stares lined up to bury him. Ann had her arms folded, tapping a finger on her forearm while she sized him up. They wouldn't be able to clear Akira's name. Even after Shido confessed, he would still be forced to shoulder the unfair burden thrust upon him. But this felt like a solid victory. A way to finally put all of this behind them. Save Tokyo, avenge the fallen, end this conspiracy once and for all, and deliver Akira the justice he deserved.

"What will you do now?" Shido asked. They all were so young in his eyes. So much to live for and he had tried to take it away. It still didn't seem to stick. Those that had opposed him back with Madarame were just high school students. Younger than his own son.

"Whatever we want," Akira growled coldly. He was biding his time. Allowing Shido to marinate before he went through with it. The others looked to him for some sort of guidance. With Shido now gone, what was the next goal? Head home and celebrate? Press deeper into Mementos to help Morgana become human? The sky was the limit now. At last they were free. Maybe things could finally go somewhat back to normal. Slowly, Akira turned away as though he was going to lead them out. Looking back at them for a brief second before swinging around and clocking Shido right in his face.

POW!

Blood and spit flew across the room along with the shattered glass of Shido's spectacles. This punch had been more satisfying than when he had punched Akechi yesterday. The old man's head yanked back as he fell onto the floor, cupping his face.

"My nose!" he cried out, blood leaking out from behind them. Akira's fingers were gnarled like claws as he reached out to grab Shido by the collar. Left and right did he alternate, clocking Shido right in the face relentlessly. His silver eyes manic with fury now that all the anger finally was let free. Kicks and punches to the stomach in rapid succession, before slamming his head against the podium. As Shido tried to crawl away, he was met with Akira's boot kicking him in the side of the head. Slamming it repeatedly against the wood. Shido felt as though he was on the verge of a concussion from the beating. But Akira wasn't done.

From beneath his shadow did Arsene rise, ensnaring the politician in his claws. The Persona hovered in the air while Shido was dangled by the throat. Gasping for air, eyes widened with fear. Akira clenched his fist, prompting Arsene to mirror in kind. Nearly choking the life from the politician above. He could end it there. Strangle him or even snap his neck with a flick of his wrist. But this was only the beginning. He planned to take his time. At his command did Arsene throw Shido towards the cabinet seat at the back of the room. The wooden structure shattered when the old man crashed right into it. Splinters and shards of wood flew through the air, sawdust raining over the Phantom Thieves.

The others stood back and beheld the display of ferocity. Shido deserved all the abuse given towards him. For everything he had done to them all. Even so, it was a hard display to behold. No one wanted to step in though. To ask him to stay his hand and let it go. The old man needed to suffer, to feel the weight of his decisions firsthand. And no one would dare try and stop Akira after all he had been through. But none of them could shake the feeling of something sinister afoot.

Akira dismissed Arsene and walked towards the battered Shido, slumped up against the wall. His entire body ached from being thrown like a ragdoll. Could barely lift his arms to shield himself from Akira as he approached. The teenager ripped a leg off one of the scattered wooden chairs and swung for his head.

"No, please! Spare me! Have mercy-"

The loud thud of the wood against his head halted his words. It was such a clean swing that the leg had even snapped in half.

"Mercy?!" Akira snapped as he stomped on Shido's knees. "Where was the mercy that you denied to Akechi?! To Okumura?! Futaba's mom?! Now you're begging for it?!" The boy grabbed a discarded desk lamp and smashed it against Shido's head. Sparks and shattered glass leapt from the both of them. Shido writhed in pain from the flash singing his skin. Some shards had even been embedded in his head. "Did it feel good? To kill him?! To kill all of them?!" Akira swung around and hit Shido in the right side of his face with the metal part of the lamp. A hefty black eye sat there, mirroring the one he had given Akechi. "You get all you wanted out of the world?! Huh? Did you?!" The boy pounced upon him and began to strangle him with his own two hands. Teeth bared and eyes widened like a feral animal. Not an ounce of remorse in them. Only a cold-blooded killer's. As though Shido was staring down a shark.

"Please! Spare me, I beg you!" he managed, spitting out the blood pooling in his mouth. "I'll give you anything you want! Money, power, women, booze! Whatever you ask for, I can make it happen!"

"I want answers." He growled between gritted teeth, nearly tearing the clothes right off Shido his arms were shaking so much. It was right there before him. Akira could end this now. But he wasn't ready just yet. Bleed him dry. Make him confess to all his sins.

"Y-yes!" Shido managed to wheeze out. "Anything! I'll tell you everything!" Akira hoisted him up by his collar and threw him onto the ground behind him. The other Phantom Thieves had gathered at the bottom of the stairs to witness. And they all thoroughly shocked by what Akira had done to Shido's face. It was barely recognizable from how he had beaten and stomped him so. The shards of glass embedded into the side of his head were gruesome, blood and sweat shimmering in the lights above them. This was a display of brutality even Akechi hadn't been subjected to. Lethal intent.

"Wakaba Isshiki," Akira growled while he held Shido by the collar, as though he was escorting a dog by the scruff of its neck. "Say it out loud." The old man was trembling in fear, his breaths shaky as his body tried to settle. But Akira bore him no sort of reprieve, punching him in the side of the face. "I said talk!" His head snapped so swiftly to the side that the others feared Akira had killed him. But he still had life in his body. For now.

"Okay, okay!" Shido responded frantically. "Yes! Yes, I orchestrated her killing! She knew too much about my crimes! That's why I ordered Akechi to do it!"

Futaba's eyes went wide at this revelation, the breath leaving her very body. It was bad enough to finally hear him say he had killed her mother. But the murder had come from one of their own? Even with the knowledge that Akechi had been manipulated all this time, the pain wasn't any less bearable. The young girl felt her knees give out, tears leaking down her face from beneath the goggles. It took all of her strength to resist sobbing. Futaba felt herself blindsided by Yusuke, who held her tight in his comforting embrace. She let out muffled cries into his chest, grateful to have him there. Akira's heart ached with remorse at seeing Futaba be rendered to this state. Even on his knees, Shido found new ways to hurt him. Which he took out on him by stomping on the back of his knee.

"Okumura! Tell us why you killed him!" He knew why. Toranosuke had clued him in with his own hypothesis. But he needed to hear it aloud. To hear all his dirty little secrets be made public to them.

"We were working together! Business partners!" Shido gagged on some blood that had welled up in his mouth. The taste of iron had dried his tongue and lips completely. "Had an arrangement to prop him up as the Administrator of Food Safety! After we bumped off the other guy! But he got greedy! He kept attracting too much media coverage! Way too many for us to cover! After Kaneshiro, it became too difficult to damage control!"

Haru held a hand to her mouth, breath caught in her throat. Her father had been roped into a government conspiracy with such an evil man and paid the price. Using Akechi as his own little attack dog to cover up his crimes in order not to get caught. It sickened her to the very core of her stomach.

"Madarame!" Akira demanded. "Did you know about Yusuke? About Madarame exploiting his pupils?" Kaneshiro was of no real concern to Akira. Just some thug street trash they had been wrapped up in.

"I did!" Shido groaned through gritted teeth as Akira applied the pressure. "We would work with local schools to find talented artists and send Madarame after them! He took care of the rest, and we made sure to bury any that tried to speak up in litigation!"

Yusuke clenched his fist in anger at his words, distracted from Futaba. They had known all this time that that young artists were being worked like in a sweatshop. Even supplied Madarame the means to further his operations. Hundreds of artworks manufactured while the true significance and artists were buried in the back like trash. And to know they could've stopped it at any point. Instead, just content to let them be ground into dust for a government conspiracy. He growled in pain through his teeth at the sting of this betrayal. The artist felt dragged back to reality by the comforting touch of Futaba, who had dragged him in for an embrace. Her soft apologies helped soothe the rebel's soul. But Akira met his eyes and could see the pain plain as day. This earned another beating for Shido.

"Now Kobayakawa! Why did you target him?!" Now here was the real moment of truth. The mystery that had plagued him since coming back from Hawaii. What exactly had his connection been to Shido?

"He was an investor!" Shido confessed, lip numbed and bloodied. "In exchange for supporting my campaign, he would've had a seat on the Ministry of Education! All he needed to do was make sure Shujin kept its pristine image! Having the best volleyball team in the country, even keeping you at school! Reforming a criminal on probation would've bolstered his image and therefore up enrollment! In exchange for this clean image, I would endorse the school and net him tons of money! A legacy!"

"And Kamoshida?"

"We had known all about his exploits for the longest time! He was the reason we brought Kobayakawa into the fold! We helped cover up any potential allegations that leaked out of the school! Paying off journalists and the parents of the abused just to further our plans! All that changed when you took his heart!"

Ryuji and Ann could hardly believe his words. For the longest time, they had assumed Kamoshida was some isolated incident. But to know that their school had been in the midst of this conspiracy and their abuses being covered completely? It had already been bad enough knowing Kobayakawa had been complicit in it. Shiho, Mishima, Ann, Ryuji, Akira. They had all been pawns.

"You goddamn…" Ryuji growled as he cracked his knuckles. "If Akira hadn't already done so, I'd kick your head in!" It was all too tempting to get a couple hits in. But Shido looked barely coherent as it was. Akira was thoroughly efficient, Ryuji had to credit. Ruthlessly so.

"You bastard!" Ann shouted, sparks of fire leaping from her hands. The thought of Shiho being swept under the rug to further some corrupt agenda put in place by a lunatic believing he was ordained by God. Had they not needed him to confess, she might've just burned him at the stake. "Just standing by and doing nothing… You're scum! Worse than Kamoshida!"

"I know!" Shido begged, falling onto his elbows as he cried out in anguish. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorr-"

"SHUT UP!" Akira wasted no time in punching Shido in the back of the head. It hit the wooden stairs with a loud thud. "You don't get to be sorry! You lost that right the second you threw innocents under the bus!"

"For causing countless mental shutdowns in others, you will atone… with your life." It disgusted Makoto to know that her sister had been under the thumb of his vile old man. With him put away for good, Sae could restore the police to their former glory. "Confess all of your crimes and spend the rest of your life in jail."

"Come, Joker," Yusuke beckoned. "Let us depart." Akira stared down at them from atop the stairs, trenchcoat flowing in the nonexistent wind. They were all eager to put this behind them. With the Palace not collapsing just yet, it seemed like it would be an easy walk out.

"Y-Yes," Shido weakly stammered. "I'll c-confess… to everything." Back down on his elbows, barely managing to hold himself up. This teenage boy really packed a punch. Made sense given he had to do battle with shadows all the time. He could barely see through his swollen eyes. There was hardly any feeling in his hands from Akira stepping on his fingers. But soon it would all be over and he could confess.

"No. You won't." The click of the hammer caused the others to spin around, almost giving them whiplash. None of them had expected Akira to be holding Shido down, a gun pointed at his head.

"Joker!" Futaba yelled.

"Huh?! W-wait!" Makoto cried out.

"What are you doin', man?!" Ryuji attempted to reason.

"No! Please! Don't kill me!" Shido's begging was interrupted as Akira smacked him in the side of the head with the pistol. "Y-you can't! It's not the Phantom Thief way!" Wrong choice of words as Shido quickly found Akira's hand around his throat.

"You tried to frame us for murder! Tried to pin the death of Okumura on his own daughter! Rewrite the books on all we've done when it was your doing! Well, if you want me to be a murderer, maybe I should start with you…"

"No! Please, I swear I'll confess! I'll give away every dollar I ever made, I'll reveal everyone involved in my regime! I'll donate my shares to Sojiro's coffee shop or to the school! Anything you want!"

"What I want is your life! Now open your mouth…" When he refused, Akira punched him in the throat and held the karambit to his chin. The tip drew warm blood, trickling down his neck. "Open your mouth!" This time, he obeyed, and Akira shoved the entire barrel of the desert eagle down his throat. Shido could feel himself gagging as the metal hit the back of his throat. Akira's hand was shaking in anger, having thrown the trigger discipline Iwai had instilled into him completely out the window. The gun could go off at any moment, but he didn't care.

"Now's not the time to lose your head, Joker!" Yusuke called out. But he refused, his back still turned to them. Shido's eyes were watering, tears streaming down his face while the boy threatened to choke him out. "Joker, you can't do this!"

"That ain't what we're about, remember?!" Ryuji chimed in. "We're not murderers!"

"If he dies, then no one will ever know the truth!" Haru added. "The public will always think of us as killers! And we will be if you kill Shido!"

"So what?!" His scoffing at their pleas hurt. "You've seen how they all turned against us at the drop of a hat! They never cared about us! They only wanted a distraction from their dull boring lives! Who cares what they think?!" In a sense, Shido had actually been right. Apathy had become ever prevalent in their society, with tragedy and misfortune becoming a spectacle to behold. His had been. None of the other students at Shujin had given him any sort of time. Aloof to any sort of loneliness being an outcast would entail. Same with all the high society layabouts at the Wilton Hotel. Kamoshida's confessing and exploitation of the students merely a distraction for them. And all the others who had hopped on the Phantom Thieves bandwagon with Okumura. Just seen as a commodity and then attack dogs. Everything they had done was to protect the masses, and none of them had ever truly appreciated it. Not enough to matter. So what was wrong with being a little selfish? He had lived this entire life for other people. "Why should he live while we have to pick up his pieces?! Clean up his mess?! While he gets to sleep and eat easy inside the walls of a prison, safe from the outside world! Taken care of with our money! What about us? Who's going to fix us?! Nobody! So I say we take what we deserve! Stop doing things for the unappreciative public that turned its back on us! Just this once, can't we have that?!"

They had all been rendered into stunned silence. Shido had really opened his eyes. Twisted the knife so deep into his heart that it was starting to rot. Consumed by his anger. Akira had always harbored that chip on his shoulder from being expelled. It had manifested itself many times in his angered rants lecturing other people. But none of them could ever have known how far it went. He had always kept the extent of it to himself. Now they were seeing it fully unleashed. And it would cost them their chance at redemption in the eyes of the public. The truth, justice, even their leader's very soul.

"This is bad!" Makoto said among the others, frantically. "He's gonna throw away everything!"

"N-no!" Ann feverishly shook his head, blonde twintails jostling about. "H-he can't! I-I know he won't!" But it was hard to say. She could see the restraint he held himself back with when he drew his gun on Akechi. The blonde wouldn't have taken the risk and left him to his own devices, but she knew the man she trusted was still in control. Now she wasn't so sure. Shido had done so much. To all of them. She too burned with righteous indignation at what they all had been subjected to. But to see him throw away all they believed in out of being so consumed by anger. It broke her heart.

"Well, we gotta do something!" Ryuji shouted. None of them were sure what to do. How exactly they could stop him. Akira had always been a man of sound reason and judgment. He was their leader for a reason, after all. But he absolutely refused to hear their pleas. "Queen, what do we do?" Makoto felt herself freeze up at seeing Ryuji stare at her with worry.

"I-I dunno!" Her confession only caused them to worry further. When Akira was normally stumped, Makoto had always been there to compensate. Futaba was hurrying with her computer to get a lock onto Akira's signal. Pull the same sort of trick she had on Sae and Akechi during the interrogation. But something was interfering with her signal. She couldn't effectively hone in on him. Maybe it had something to do with the Palace. Shido was a lot more self-aware of his cognition and the Metaverse as a whole. That could possibly have been a reason, but her lack of progress only served to further stress the young girl. Far above, Akira had taken a break from strangling Shido just to punch him in the head. At this rate, he'd be dead from blunt force trauma before a single bullet needed to be fired.

"We must do something if we wish to save Shido's life! Perhaps he deserves death, but that is not ours to decide!" Even with his certainty, Yusuke wasn't sure what to do. Though they all soon found their guidance in the form of Morgana.

"It pains me to say it, but it we're gonna stop Joker…" The cat let out a heavy sigh and drew his slingshot. "Then we'll need to fight him." Their blood collectively ran cold at his words. Having to duke it out with their own leader. None of them had ever thought it would come to this. Akechi's betrayal had already been enough of a shock to endure. Their hands acted on their own as they drew their weapons. Albeit reluctantly.

"What a twisted fate," Yusuke mused remorsefully to himself as his hand rested on the hilt of his katana.

"Mona-chan…" Haru's axe felt like it was bolted to the floor. She wasn't sure if she had the strength. But the look on the cat's face let her know they had to do this. Stop their leader from losing himself.

"Dammit…" Ryuji stepped forward and pointed at Akira, yelling nearly to the heavens. "Come on, man! This ain't you, Joker! This isn't the Phantom Thief way! You know this!"

"It is now…"

That hurt more than anything. To have that solid punch to the gut from his best friend. The first among them. Ryuji winced in pain before twisting the bat in his hands. The blond debated between pulling his punches or not. Sure, Akira was about to turn his back on everything they stood for and was the toughest among them. This fight was going to happen one way or another. But he was still their friend.

"Then we have to do what we must," Makoto reasoned. She gulped and cracked her knuckles, signaling the others to fall in line. One by one did they muster up the closest thing to courage they had to stand up to Akira. They had to save Shido to save Akira. "Let's go!" All besides Ann began to charge up the stairs. Weapons drawn, eyes burning, footsteps heavy. The longest sprint they had ever run as they narrowed the gap between them and Akira. Halfway up they were stopped dead in their tracks.

FWOOM!

A wall of blue fire shot across the room. It burned hotter than anything they had ever felt. Even Ann's flames paled in comparison. Before the wall stood Arsene, arms folded while he glowered over them. Other Personas stood behind the wall, their forms obscured and intangible. Yusuke cast his magic at the wall, but his ice evaporated before it could even come close. Morgana attempted to buffet the flames away with his wind. Yet the flames persisted. And the wall showed no sort of opening for them to cross.

"Ngh!" Makoto cried, shielding her face from the heat of the flames. It was too hot to even get close to.

"Seiten Taisei!" Ryuji's Persona floated on its cloud above the room, swinging at Arsene with his mighty staff. As the weapon came rocketing towards its head, it was caught between Arsene's fingers like a mere toothpick. Ryuji stared at the display with complete shock and awe. "For real?! He can do that?!"

"His Persona is really powerful!" Futaba warned as she scanned Arsene up and down. His strength was quite immense despite being Akira's base Persona. He had clearly been bulking it up. "But it's weak to ice! Fox!"

"The flames burn too bright!" The frozen touch of Kamu Susano-o was rendered to steam no matter how fast and how much Yusuke cast. These were no normal flames. The poison of anger and the lust for revenge fueled the inferno before them. A fire that just refused to be doused. As their progress slowed to a crawl, it began to sink in just how truly outclassed they all were.

"This isn't good," Morgana muttered to himself aloud. "With the Wild Card, even if we take Arsene out, he can just swap someone else in."

"And he knows all our weak points." They all had definitive weaknesses, but Akira could swap in and out and keep them at bay with his arsenal. And he had a lot.

"Dammit, what do we do?!" Ryuji growled in anger, swinging at the firewall with his bat. But the weapon was harmlessly deflected off the flames like it was a rubber ball bouncing off the concrete. Their efforts bore no progress as they tried to chip away at Arsene's strength. While the others kept fighting and continued trying to shout Akira down, Ann stood behind them in silence.

The blonde was too shocked to register what was happening before her. This couldn't be real. She had made the promise to stand up to Akira if she had to back with Akechi. Now she was expected to make good on it. How could she? If she was to fight, it would be the hardest battle of her entire career as a Phantom Thief. But she couldn't bring herself to draw her whip against him. All that talk with herself fell upon deaf ears. It tore at her heart to be thrust into the thick of this. To see him like this. But what alternative did they have? Either they fought, or Shido died. And with his death would all they had strived for gone up in smoke. She was ripped back to reality at the sound of Shido being beaten further.

"Dammit, we're running out of time!" Makoto said. And they were already out of options. There was no feasible way they could fight all of Akira's Personas simultaneously. Perhaps one by one but not before Shido was beaten to death. Some continued to pour on the pressure while others kept shouting for Akira to listen. Attempting to appeal to his sense of reason. But all of their attempts at fallen flat, and the outcome was looking rather bleak. The truth will have vanished into darkness.

Not on her watch.

"Panther, wait!" Haru called out.

"Lady Ann!"

But without hesitation did she approach Arsene with Hecate drawn. Even with the harlequin gaze staring down at her, Ann held her ground. Boots firmly planted and unshaking in her stance. Rock solid. The others stood in silence as they watched her, completely unsure on how to proceed. There was no way she could face Arsene on her own. The blonde raised a hand to halt the others as they attempted to approach. From the look in her blue eyes, she was dead serious. Which reflected in the eyes of Hecate as they locked onto Arsene.

Personas were not supposed to love. They were just a reflection the inner rebel soul and true potential. But they changed as their masters grew, in both strength and spirit. What their masters felt was reflected in them. Including love and heartache. Arsene and Hecate watched one another without blinking, eyes filled with determination and remorse. Like Ann, Hecate had no desire to do battle. It tore at her nonexistent heart to be at odds with the being she had come to attach herself to. Arsene stood unmoving with hands clenched. Slowly did Hecate slide forward to offer an outstretched hand. The Persona did nothing as Hecate held her hand to his steel plated face. Her six eyes hung sadly over him, begging him to reconsider the actions at hand. Personas were not wholly subservient to their masters, after all. With great hesitation did Arsene raise his hand to hold hers before tilting his gaze towards Ann. The blonde stared back at him. Human and Persona locked in place. He slowly turned his sights back to Hecate, and the flames began to part. Hecate guided a hand along Arsene's face as she departed before fading. The blonde tentatively approached the flames, unsure of whether they would remain. As Ann finally passed behind him, she took sight of the stairs. Her path to Akira was completely uninhibited. The others were bestowed no such fortune as the flame wall returned when they tried to approach.

"Hey, what gives?!" Ryuji shouted in anger, Seiten Taisei materializing behind him once more.

"Hold it!" Ann's voice rang out over the flames. "It's okay! Let me do this!" None of them could see her from behind the flame wall. A prospect that only made them even more nervous. Splitting the party was not done often, especially in situations as tense as this. But somehow she had managed to get through and had a clear line of sight to Akira. There wasn't a better chance than now to stop him. So all the others could do now was see what she had planned. The blonde ascended the stairs at a steady pace, all by her lonesome. She had to get to him as quick as she could but also not make any sudden moves. Being this unhinged, Akira could do something completely irrational as much as it pained her to admit. "Akira, wait!"

He spun his head around to see her standing behind him. Just a few feet away while he remained on top of Shido, hand at his throat and gun shoved into his mouth. His manic, almost bloodshot eyes scanned her curiously, wondering how she had gotten past Arsene. For a brief moment had he felt that connection between them waver a bit. As though he couldn't sense his Persona.

"How the hell did you-"

"Let him go! Stop this! We've already won! There's no need to do this!"

"No need?! He would've done the same to us! He deserves this!" The blonde looked down at Shido's pleading face. He hardly looked recognizable from the beating Akira had administered to him.

"That's not for us to decide!"

"Why shouldn't it be?!"

"Because you said so!" His breathing stopped at her words. "You said we should always know what our limits are. We're here to improve the system. Not replace it. Fix things the right way. No killing or torture but using our powers the right way. And this isn't right!" Her acknowledging of his blatant hypocrisy stung like salt in an open wound. But shouldn't he be allowed to be? Just once be a little selfish?

The blonde worked up the courage to take one step forward. She kept her hands up and palms open. Completely unarmed. She was determined to reach out to him through his heart. Fight him with brains not violence. At least she hoped she could. Ann wasn't sure she could forgive herself if she had to hurt him.

"But everything he did! To Akechi, Okumura-"

"Wasn't right! I'm not fighting you on that! Especially to what he did to you. I will never forgive Shido for all that he's done to us." Another step forward, this time in a much larger stride. Akira kept his vice grip on the gun while his eyes never left her. He couldn't force himself to look away from the feeling of anguish that hung deep in her blue eyes. "You can't kill him! You're not a murderer, and you don't have to be. You'd just be proving what Shido said true if you kill him. Then the public's trust in us will disappear forever. The world has to see justice done the right way. So people don't have to be afraid anymore. They don't have to hide and so that the corrupt can't hide their shame. Like what we did with Kamoshida!"

Kamoshida. It was hard to remember anything outside of Shido now. But he had been where this all started. How Ann could've chosen to kill him atop his castle. Maybe she should have. But she didn't, instead choosing to leave him alive as an example to the world that evil won't be tolerated. To have him repent all his life a ruined man.

"Please, Akira…" Again did she take a single step forward. Slowly narrowing the gap inch by inch. Better to be slow and deliberate than risk setting him off. The fact that she had gotten this close was already a miracle as is. "Put the gun down. Come back to Leblanc with us. Your friends, with me. Don't let your anger get the best of you. You're better than that, I know you are. You're kind and smart and so full of love." A solitary tear descended down her mask as she watched him. "Don't let him take that away too. Don't let his ugliness taint you."

The chip in his shoulder he had carried cracked deep into his very foundation. More than he could've ever realized. How could he have known? Akira had never expected to see him again after getting expelled, having his family and community turn their backs on him. That his record could never truly be cleansed. The opportunity to get ahold of Shido after so much torment had really gotten to him.

One more step had brought the blonde close to him. He had turned away from her completely, instead now staring down at the battered Shido. Eyes swollen shut, eyes leaking from his gagging on the pistol. What else was there to beat on him anyhow? His hands began to ache from having beaten him so senselessly. His attention was swiftly ripped away to the sense of a hand softly touching his shoulder.

"Please. You're not a murderer, Akira. I love you…"

Ann's voice. So urgent, fragile, pained. She was scared. Scared that she might lose him and see him throw out everything he stood for. Become what he hated. A hypocrite. If she couldn't save him from himself, their legacy would only be one of failure.

As Akira met her anguished gaze, he felt the tension evaporate from his chest. His mind began to drift out of the irrationally angry haze that had clouded him. He could now think straight. And there was so much to reflect on. Perhaps this is what Akechi had felt. Planning his revenge, using his powers to get ahead, to get even. They truly weren't so different after all. Both victimized by the same man, driven to the deep end and even willing to throw away all they had just for vengeance. It felt so jarring to be on the other side. To be shouted at to remember their code, an opportunity Akechi hadn't had. It didn't seem fair, this stroke of luck. Having an opportunity that Akechi didn't despite being wrong much more severely. In good conscience could he throw away all he had after lecturing Akechi on doing the same? On the crime of murder just for self-entitled revenge?

The gun fell from his hand and clattered onto the floor. He climbed off Shido, whose shadow began to dissipate. Akira leaned forward on his hands as his body began to tremble from the whiplash his emotional shift was giving him.

"I'm… not… a murderer…" Being angry, being worried, paranoid, vengeful, lost. Persona or no, he just wanted to be a teenager again. To have his innocence back and live a carefree life. Dating Ann, hanging out with his friends, going to school. Every day while his friends were at school did he feel like an animal in a cage. Alone and stir-crazy. No more pain, betrayal, secrets. Just to let himself have that innocence he was robbed of once again.

Ann could hardly believe it. Against all odds, she had managed to talk him down. Farther down the stairs did the firewall dissipate and Arsene fade. With the coast clear, the other Phantom Thieves raced up to meet them. The blonde leaned down to face a teary-eyed Akira. He looked so exhausted there on the ground. She had nearly been knocked onto her back as he wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm sorry!" Ann held him tight and rocked him like he did her upon their reunion. "I can't believe I almost destroyed all we had worked for! I was just so angry at everything, and I just lost control-"

"It's okay." She gently ran her fingers through his hair, voice falling to a whisper so only her sweet words could kiss his ears. "You didn't. You did the right thing like you always do." The blonde rested her cheek against his to feel the soft tears on her skin. "I love you, Akira." Akira pulled her in tighter, his cries reduced to soft sniffles. It was embarrassing to be reduced to this state. Their strong leader and wannabe murderer now crying. But at the end of the day, he was just a kid. They all were. Kids were allowed to be weak now and then. No shame in it.

The shuffle of footsteps drew his attention over to the others, who stood over him with relieved looks on their faces.

"We thought we almost lost you, big guy." Ryuji yanked him up and hugged him. The others dogpiled on him with embraces of their own. To squeeze the poison having manifested in him from Shido's influence right out of him. "Had us scared."

"I'm sorry…" It didn't sound good enough. So juvenile. But he was at a lost for words, his usual eloquence having failed him.

"You've been sitting on this for a long time, haven't you?" Akira delivered a nod to Futaba's words. "I've been there myself. It's easy to do and sometimes cathartic, to stew and feel better about being a victim. But trust me, it's a poison. You guys saved me from myself so you'd know better than anyone."

"Don't smother yourself, Akira," Makoto offered with warm concern. "Take it from me as well. You were the one to teach me that."

"I'm sorry…"

"And try not to be so hard on yourself," Yusuke said with a teasing smirk. "Knowing you, you'll angst about this and hold it over your head like with the Reaper. You're only human, you know. You're allowed to make mistakes. That's why you have good friends at your side to help catch you when you fall." He couldn't help but huff with amusement through his nose. It seemed the artist had picked up on his sense of comedic levity in times of tenseness."

"I'm so proud of you, Akira," Haru doted with a beaming expression. "I knew deep down in my heart that you could make the right decision."

"He's the best for a reason, after all," Ann sweetly teased. Now all this praise was starting to cause a fine blush to kick up on Akira's cheeks. He wasn't the kind of person that was used to being doted on. It was embarrassing but in a good way.

"Well, what can I say?" he managed to speak. "I had a good teacher." Akira delivered a wink to Morgana who could only giggle with a cheeky grin.

"What can I say? I have a good team."


Today had been the most exhausting day of Akira's entire life. For all of them. The battle with Shido, the standoff with Akira. They had even thought Ryuji had been lost in the chaos. The girls had gotten swept up in all the emotions that they had rattled him silly. Though as penance for their actions and relief for his well-being, they did pepper him with kisses on the cheek. Something he made sure to showboat about all the way back to Leblanc. Despite having come to terms with his rejection, Morgana still couldn't help but be jealous. Just a little bit.

"Make way," Ryuji said as he burst through the front door. "Big hero comin' through. Absolute coolest guy in the world." The girls collectively rolled their eyes with enough force to nearly lob them out of their skulls.

"Gimme a break," Makoto said while shaking her head.

"Maybe we should've left him on the ground," Ann dryly delivered. He was never going to let them live this down. No doubt the next thing they'd hear at school was Ryuji getting marinated in kisses by the three most attractive girls at Shujin. And Futaba. Not that she'd fight to stop him. They did kind of unfairly rough Ryuji up, after all. Though when the blond made a passing comment about how hormonal women could be, he nearly had another one coming.

"Whoa! What the-" Morgana's outcry had suddenly made them realize. Leblanc had been utterly trashed. Broken plates, garbage all over the floor. It was as though this place had been abandoned for years. The TV still droned on in the corner, seemingly untouched. As was Saiyuri, thankfully.

"What the hell happened?" Akira asked.

"Judging from his lacerations, it would appear he was kidnapped, then killed at another location, and-"

Akira didn't know any of the context behind the story. But the brief snippet he had snatched up sent a jolt of fear through his heart. Shido did know where this location was, after all. The realization that he had made slowly began to dawn on all of them one by one. And their hearts began to sink deep into the pits of their stomach.

"Don't tell me…" the cat fidgeted.

"Sojiro!" Akira nearly scaled the walls as he swung up the stairs. His room was untouched, and there was not a sign of the old man to be found. Futaba was trembling in fear at the prospect. "I'm gonna get angry if you don't come out!" If this was some sort of prank, she bore no amusement from it. The lingering silence only furthered her desire for a punchline. The reveal that everything was a ruse. The girl felt her heart breaking, on the verge of tears.

"We were too late…" Akira slammed his fist against the wall in anguish. So caught up in his anger at beating Shido's shadow, they had forgotten the world still turned outside. No, he had forgotten. No way he would allow the others to share the blame. And now, his caretaker who had asked for nothing in return was gone. Perhaps killed.

"Hey. Didn't know you guys were back."

The little bell downstairs that rang went off like a gong in their heads. Slowly did the lot of them descend down the stairs, looking as though they were staring at a ghost. Sojiro stood before them without so much as a scratch on him.

"You're the same as Ryuji!" Futaba cried out before nearly pouncing the old man.

"What're you talking about…?" The old man found himself blindsided by a group hug from the teenagers. Each and every one of them declaring their relief for his well-being. As much as it warmed the old man's heart, he had a reputation to uphold so he brushed them off in an attempt to preserve his tough outer shell. Needless to say, didn't work.

"What the hell happened?" Ryuji asked.

"I was taken to that asshole Shido's place, but they suddenly told me I could go home." The Phantom Thieves were nearly doubled over from the collective sighs of relief that left their bodies. The situation on the news was completely unrelated. Still unfortunate for the apparent victim though. "That's thanks to his change of heart, right?"

"We came, we saw, we kicked his ass!" Futaba declared, holding her fingers up like devil horns. Sojiro couldn't help but laugh. She always did have that spunky energy about her, something that he had missed for years. And it was all thanks to them.

"Thought as much," he commended. "They had me blindfolded the whole time, so I've got no idea where they took me. Though it sounded like they were oddly bustling about."

"Looks like it's going well." Morgana popped out of the satchel and teasingly pawed at Akira's cheek with a wink.

"But man, my handsome mug was nearly ruined." It took little time for Sojiro to cater to his ego, framing his chin with a finger and thumb while inspecting himself in the mirror. "Thank goodness. Not a hair out of place. Hope you at least roughed Shido up a bit." Akira wouldn't help but wince with discomfort as he remembered how unhinged he had been. They might not even be there together had they not pulled him back down to earth.

"You could say that…" The others looked over to him with solemn but comforting looks, sympathetic to his discomfort. Ann gently placed a hand on his upper arm and held it softly. Her little thumb grazing his skin earned a content and sleepy smile from him. Nevertheless, his answer seemed to satisfy Sojiro.

"That's all fine and dandy, but they really did a number on this place." His gaze grew crestfallen as he turned his attention over to his beautiful store. A few coffee jars were rattled but nothing that would require an extensive vacuuming, thankfully. The old man still clung to a few childish ways such as the tedium of using a vacuum. But it didn't take the sting out of seeing the soil he tilled endlessly be tainted by Shido. Wasn't enough to have done so much more to him but had to rough the store up as well. He pointed two fingers at both Akira and Futaba. "Sorry to bother you two when you're tired, but I need you to help me clean up."

"We'll help too!" Ann volunteered. The others all chipped in at once which earned a relieved sigh from Sojiro. It meant less work for him so he wouldn't complain. And sure enough, the kids had the store looking right as rain in no time. Practically better than new. Ryuji worked harder cleaning Leblanc than he did his own room. The old man thanked them for their help with a round of drinks on the house before leaving them the store. With Shido behind him and the kids safe, he'd sleep like a rock for the first time since October. They all funneled upstairs to unwind in Akira's room. It still hadn't really set in yet that they had beaten Shido. That it would soon be all over.

"We just have to wait like usual now," Morgana assured them as he stretched on the table. Haru wasted no time in scratching his little ears.

"I could go for a nap," Akira groaned before slumping onto his bed. When and if he could go to school again was a question he couldn't wait to have answered.

"Ugh, me toooooo…" Ann whined, collapsing back onto the bed right next to him. Futaba didn't share their lack of enthusiasm as she was practically jumping off the walls.

"This is gonna be the sweetest confession yet! How should we celebrate? Destinyland again? Trip to Hawaii for Christmas? All of us?"

"But we don't have any money." Ryuji's statement caused the little otaku to deflate. Selling the Treasure they had collected was their biggest source of income. And a little legislator's pen wouldn't really be worth much. Akira still had plenty of yen on hand but not for anything to the extent that Futaba was wanting. Not that any of them would complain all that much. Christmas was around the corner, and what better gift could there be than Shido's confession? Maybe Akira could spend the last of his petty cash on a big Christmas party at Leblanc. It was the least he could do.

"It's finally over," Makoto breathed with relief. The texts she read from Sae filled her with a content warmth, like that of a sleepy baby. Her sister was fine and had been let go scot free on Shido's orders. No one at the station said a word to her. Though she was hard at work looking into burying him. Even without powers, Sae was still working as hard as they were.

"Last thing on our list is to help Morgana become human, and then it's all behind us…" They still weren't any closer to discovering who or what Morgana truly was. It ate away at Akira especially after Morgana told him about his dream. Of a blob forming into a yellow-eyed Morgana. He wasn't a shadow. It was impossible. The answer could only be found in Mementos. But right now, he didn't even want to think about the Metaverse. He knew what he had to focus on. The boy sat up and forced himself to look at the others. "So… things got a little out of hand in there. With me. I…"

"Forget about it." Ryuji casually leaned back in his seat with a grin. Yusuke couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

"Indeed."

"Water under the dam or over the bridge, whatever you wish to call it," Haru assured him.

"B-but… but I…" After everything they had seen, to just let it go? He couldn't abide by that. He had to put himself in his place. "I lost control and was supposed to maintain the standard I set for this group, and I failed." His head hung solemnly down towards the ground. Morgana let out a silent sigh. He had known this would be coming.

"You made a mistake, Akira," the cat assured him. "I've done it, Akechi did it, Ryuji's done it too. You have to learn to forgive yourself."

"But I'm not supposed to. I'm supposed to set an example. If I can't do that, then it makes me look like a hypocrite."

"I understand what that's like…" Akira hadn't exactly been the most forthcoming about his past life, but from the way he acted and carried himself, Makoto could make out a lot. Definitely put all the stress and self-loathing they had seen after the Reaper incident into context. "But doing this to yourself every time you make a mistake isn't good for you. You deserve peace of mind."

"If I may…" Yusuke interrupted before clearing his throat. "Perhaps the reason you have such a high standard of yourself is that it's tied to a large ego?" Akira and the others did a double take at the artist. "Don't misconstrue that as me calling you arrogant. You are quite humble." Akira scratched his head as he searched his friend's words. He had an ego but wasn't arrogant. How exactly did that work, the boy couldn't say.

"…I think I might know what he means." Ann had stepped up to the plate. It was something she had been mulling over for the longest time. The Reaper incident, his plan to get himself captured. But the blonde felt she just didn't possess the eloquence to say it. Now the blonde knew how Futaba felt. "Like, he's not saying you're full of yourself or anything like that. You're not at all like that. It's just you put yourself on too high of a pedestal. Like you have to always be a hero and any small mistake means you're a failure. You'll always be someone we respect, but you really need to accept that you're still, like… a person. A teenager like all of us." The blonde swiftly glanced over to Yusuke through her peripheral and was relieved to see him deliver a nod. Thank goodness, she was glad to know she wasn't rambling or not making sense. Which prompted some of the others to step up.

"You do have some symptoms of a martyr complex," Makoto stated. "Where you strive too hard to help others even at the detriment of yourself. Trying too hard to live up to the perfect ideal means you forget yourself. And one single mistake makes you feel like you've derailed everything in your life and how it all means nothing." She delivered a sad smile. "Like I said, I know what that's like."

"…Yeah, I can a little too…" Ryuji confessed. Coming from a family with an abusive father, dealing with Kamoshida's exploits. Combined with a lust for vengeance had helped speed along his decision to become a Phantom Thief in the first place. "But nobody's sayin' you're arrogant or full of yourself. Nobody in the whole world I think is as chill as you. But just… be chiller, you know? Stop beatin' yourself up. You taught us that. Me and the old track team."

"Me blaming myself for mom's death."

"For not being the same shining example as my sister and even seeing the flaws she possessed."

"I even stopped blaming myself for what happened to Shiho…"

So that was it. What they all truly felt. Akira felt his pride wilt a little. It wasn't a secret he tried to hide from himself. His hyper-fixation on doing the right thing, even at the detriment of his own person. Ultimately noble but also ultimately harmful to himself.

"I guess I…" Now he felt himself tongue-tied. Having let them down by not being good to himself like they wanted. And all of this was sourced from him feeling he let them down by showing flaws as a leader. Almost laughable the irony was. "I… I suppose you're right. One of many reasons I turned to helping you guys and others was because I couldn't help myself. B-but don't think that I don't care about doing the right thing because I always do-"

"Akira." He turned to look at Morgana who merely delivered him a teasing smirk. "You're doing it again." He couldn't help but snicker.

"You can still be a good person and have flaws," Haru noted. "No one will ever be perfect, including you. But you're still a good person with a strong sense of justice, whether because of your flaws or in spite of them. A good way to be a good person is to be good to yourself." Akira felt the smile returning to his face. He hadn't let them down. He had been doing the injustice to himself all along. Shido had started the fire that burned him alive, but he also threw wood on it here and there. What felt like a massive weight pressing down onto his chest began to dissipate. For what felt like forever did he start to feel free. In truth, this was kind of fun. To be on the receiving end for once. Only they were significantly nicer about it. Perhaps that's what also fueled his tirades. Anger and frustration at the world and himself. Maybe now, he could finally let that all go.

"Plus, it ain't like you beat up the real Shido. It was just his shadow." Ryuji casually leaned back in his seat. His nonchalance ripped a snicker right out of Akira. The blond was just as much the heart of this team as he and Ann were. Ann wiped her brow and let out an exasperated sigh of relief.

"You don't know how long I've wanted to try and address that." She beamed at him before taking his hand in hers, clutching it close to her heart. "So now that we've cleared the air, will you promise to try and be good to yourself? Do the right thing as a hero but not try too hard to be one?" Slowly did he close his eyes and administered a nod. His smile was the most content she had ever seen since they made love in the Metaverse for the first time.

"Only if you guys help me."

"Group hug!" Futaba declared before nearly pouncing on him. This was the third time today, but none of them would catch him complaining. They all ruffled his hair and nudged his ribs, finally glad to knock some sense into their fearless leader. He would always be their hero. But he was also their friend and a person. Just like them.

"Thanks for the helping me get through to him, guys," Ann said before they all let him go.

"You're the one who helped open the way, after all," Makoto jested with a smile. "Literally, in fact. No way we could've gotten through that wall without you."

"By the way, I was wondering how you managed to pull that off in the first place," Yusuke said curiously. "None of our attacks made a dent, and you got through without even drawing your weapon." The tension that had just been dissolved slowly began to creep right back in for Akira as he glanced over to Ann. She had pursed her lips warily, avoiding eye contact. And keeping her hands very close to herself despite how much she wanted to hold his.

"Yeah, come on!" Ryuji pressed with a curious grin. "What's your secret? How'd you get through to him?" They were all dying to know how she pulled it off without even saying a single world. Just walked right past Arsene. Though the truth would be hard to explain. Ann wasn't quite sure she could. But the look she saw on Akira's face as he took her in. It changed her mind in a heartbeat. Such an adoring comfortable gaze that stole her heart. She could see in his eyes what he felt, and she honestly felt the same. So much had already been laid on the table. Why not go all out, throw caution to the wind?

"Well…" She bit her lip as she bashfully smiled, cheeks rendered rosy from what she was about to confess. "…Because I love him." And with those words did Akira take the plunge. By pulling her by the back of her head into his lips with a purr. Ann's eyes widened with surprise to match the shock of the others in the room. But the looks of astonishment on their faces only kicked up the giddiness in her stomach. Her eyes closed to return the kiss, snaking her fingers through his shaggy black hair.

"For real?!" Ryuji declared in shock. Haru cupped her mouth to suppress the gasp, followed swiftly by adoring coos at their display. She just found the both of them so cute. Akira and Ann were absolute blushing messes as they finally broke their kiss, unable to even face the others. The former had never been redder in all his life. Despite the butterflies that raged a storm in both their stomachs, there was something so liberating of being able to let go. "When did this happen?"

"After the Reaper incident," Akira stated. "Like, right after." This only further rendered the others gobsmacked. Having been able to keep their relationship a secret from them for nearly four months. Though it slowly began to don upon them one by one. Ryuji found himself visualizing the math being done in his head right before his very eyes as he put the pieces together. Her managing to talk sense into him all the time, feeding each other food before the trip, them always leaving together after their group split, the fight at the reveal of the plan, touching his cheek.

"It was right in front of us the whole time…" Ryuji leaned into his palm at how obvious it had all been. And how oblivious they all were. "We are so stupid." Makoto was giggling to herself, holding a hand to her mouth in order to stifle her amusement.

"I had heard some gossip spring up after the festival, but I didn't think much of it. Too worried about Akechi at the time. Guess it really wasn't just gossip after all." She was absolutely living for the chance to tease Ann to bits. It was a rather logical choice for the two of them to be together. They fit like a glove, especially when they shared the same class.

"I knew there was a greater reason for being so protective of her," Yusuke commented with a knowing smile. "I have to commend you on your slyness."

"So you weren't kiddin' when you said you were with Ann in Hawaii…" He and Mishima had come up completely empty-handed while Akira had snuck away to gallivant with Ann right under their noses. Played both of them like a fiddle.

"OTP! OTP!" Futaba chanted, holding her clenched hands against her cheeks. They all sang their praises and astonishment to them both, but their sole focus lingered on the reaction of one such cat. Who had remained calm and quiet throughout the ordeal.

"So, Morgana…" Akira winced awkwardly as he nursed the back of his head. Ann twirled a finger around her twintail sheepishly. This had been the part of the eventual reveal they had dreaded the most. Sure, Morgana had backed down and apologized for his behavior, but by no means did it make things any more palatable. He sat patiently on the corner of the table while the others watched him with concern. And what they received was an amused huff.

"Never saw this coming…"

"Morgana, I don't want you to think I was trying to force you away so I could have her or anything like that." He held his hands up as he scrambled to clarify his image. "Like, I would never do that. I was just looking out for my friend-"

"I know." Akira blinked in surprised at how down to earth Morgana was being. The cat delivered him a wink in response. "I know you're not that kind of person, and I would never think of you as such. You worry too much."

"We kept it from you all because we were a little embarrassed," Ann confessed. "And we didn't want to break your heart even more, Morgana. Maybe we should've told you from the beginning."

"You don't have to explain yourselves to me, Lady Ann. I just wasn't the one you were into. And Akira was." It hurt to say that aloud. Despite having come to terms with it a while ago, he still pined and longed for her. His crush on her still held out pretty strong. But her friendship meant more to him, and he would be damned to almost ruin it again.

"You're not upset?" Ann asked precariously. The cat merely shook his head.

"You're my friend, Lady Ann. And you've found someone that makes you genuinely happy." He delivered his biggest grin yet, teeth shining in the light. "Congratulations to both of you!" The both of them collapsed back onto the bed with relief at this turn of events. Morgana didn't think Akira had tried to sabotage him, and he accepted them. It couldn't have turned out any more perfect.

"Way to go, little man," Ryuji lauded while ruffling the fur on Morgana's head. "Real talk, though. Good job on both of you guys endin' up together. You really belong together." He winked and delivered Akira thumbs up and an excitable grin. "Since I've known her the longest, I'm orderin' you to take care of her." Akira chuckled and delivered him a two-finger salute.

"Love blossoming in the darkest of times, in the face of mystery and intrigue," Yusuke mused, framing the both of them with his fingers. They fit so perfectly in the center of his eye. "I feel so inspired. Please, let me paint the both of you! Be the muses for my next piece!" If there was anything that captivated the artist so thoroughly, it was the prospect of love. Only fueled by them being vigilante rogues battling against the forces of darkness. It was all so picaresque in his mind, it practically sent him reeling. A kaleidoscope of emotion and possibilities.

"It sounds so romantic!" Haru said, clasping her hands with a sigh. "An adventure between two brave heroes acting as secret lovers. And what better stars? You guys are so cute together!"

"You really do bring out the best in one another." Makoto smiled softly to herself. To bask in the warm glow of their mutual love and comfort. It just felt so cozy, like she was a little girl sitting in front of the fire. "Suppose it makes sense for at least one couple on this team to exist. I'm proud of both of you, and I'll make sure none of us get too nosy."

"I ship it!" Futaba jumped for joy as though she was a little girl again. "There's a fanfic I can make outta this, I know it!"

"Now hold on." Akira took joy in her unbridled enthusiasm, but he had some reservations about he and Ann being the focus pieces of her writings. Knowing Futaba's perverse sense of humor, she would definitely pull some degree of trickery. And there was no way he'd take it. Not unless he had some creative influence.

"Heh heh," Ryuji chuckled to himself, delivering a taunting smug grin to Akira. "You know your girlfriend kissed me, right?" Ann rolled her eyes and let out a heavy sigh. Of course, it didn't take him long to try and tease them. But Akira didn't flinch at the statement.

"It was a pity kiss," he ribbed. To be fair, it was a pretty sweet reward to get after nearly dying in the Metaverse and being thanklessly chastised by scared hormonal girls. But there was no way he was going to let Ryuji have this one. And he knew his ace in the hole. "Besides, I fucked her." Ann nearly choked from hearing his bold proclamation, the blonde cupping her mouth and blushing a furious storm. She couldn't believe he had the nerve to say that in front of everyone.

"Damn, dude!" Ryuji said, like he had just been slapped. "You didn't have to lay me out like that!" What could he possibly say in response? He had gotten all the way to home plate while Ryuji was trying to get up to bat. And Akira was reveling in it as he smugly stared back at them, hands behind his head as he laid back in bed.

"Wait. L-Lady Ann and Akira had-"

"Cover your ears, Mona-chan!" Haru took it upon herself to cover his furry ears for him. All while her face maintained a consistent beet redness to it. Makoto was too flustered for words while Yusuke framed them once more with his fingers.

"And just what are you thinking about?!" Ann pressed defensively in Yusuke's direction.

"What a power move!" Futaba declared with admiration. Though the gears in her head began to turn at this revelation. If the both of them were having sex, where would they be having it? No way they could do it here. Sojiro would catch them immediately and skin Akira alive. And it couldn't be at Ann's. The blonde had mentioned she had a caretaker on premises at all times. The only other option was to head somewhere more private like a love hotel. But they weren't old enough to get into one. That was when it hit her. "Oh my God! You guys were having sex in the Metaverse!" If Akira had a drink to spit, he'd have emptied it all over the walls. Today had just been one emotional twist after another. Anger, fear, sorrow, repentance, joy, freedom, love, and shock. "I had tracked some signals inside the Metaverse to a love hotel! And I heard them going at it in there!" As the others turned for confirmation, they quickly found their answers in the form of their mortified faces.

"Damn…" Ryuji said with a grin. Ann had buried her face into her hands, the blush having spread all the way to her ears. While Akira sported a look of utter defeat and just leaned against his hand. Of all the times to get cocky and try to show Ryuji up.

"Such decadence," Yusuke breathed, deep in thought. "Making love inside an ethereal realm. The atmosphere, the flair, the emotion. One couldn't ask for such a more intimate encounter. I have to draw you next time! Please, invite me!" Now Akira was the one to choke. Ann nearly berated him to death for even considering such a request.

"What are you? Some sort of weirdo cuckold?!" she stammered, absolutely mortified.

"Mweheheheh! So kinky~"

"Stop it!" They were never going to hear the end of this now. Ann wished Ryuji would just go back to getting kissed by four girls at once. At least that was much more tolerable. Though the teasing swiftly subsided with Makoto's intervention, which took the form of taking both teenagers by the earlobes.

"Akira Kurusu, Ann Takamaki! Neither one of you are old enough nor prepared enough to be having sex so callously!"

"Owww!" Ann whined, tears in her eyes from the vice grip. "Makoto, please!"

"Not so fun, is it?" Akira winced through his teeth. This only caused her to tug on them even harder.

"If you had gotten her pregnant, do you know how deep in trouble the both of you would be? The both of you should wait until marriage! And even then, you should have a proper retirement fund set back and…" She ranted on and on, channeling the spirit of her sister.

"Where's the fun in all that?" Ryuji muttered aside to Futaba. The target of Makoto's wrath swiftly shifted to the blond in question, now strung up by his ear.

"I heard that! Do we need to arrange a sexual education class for you all?" The two young lovers nursed their sore ears, grateful that Ryuji was in the line of fire now.

"Hey, I almost died! Come on, man!"

"You'll wish you had if you can't control what's in your pants, Ryuji!"

Sometimes, it really did feel like Makoto was the leader. She earned her nickname Queen for a reason, after all. As the two teenagers watched her lecture the others and get lost in her own words, they couldn't help but share a bashful laugh together.

"This wasn't exactly how I planned it," Akira confessed. Ann merely beamed at him with joy.

"Me neither. But isn't it great not to have to hide anymore? That we can be open with ourselves?" Akira glanced over to Ryuji before delivering her a wry teasing look.

"I have some doubts."

"Oh, shut up and kiss me," she said between giggles. Makoto and the others be damned, Akira was getting some of his. He wrapped his arms around her and locked their lips nice and deep. Much to the surprise and bashfulness of the others.

"Oh my!" Haru exclaimed.

"Ooooh~" Futaba leaned in with voyeuristic excitement, which caused Yusuke to cover her eyes. Much to her protests. Though the artist definitely had the desire to capture their shared romance in art form. He hadn't felt this rush of inspiration since completing that piece for the competition. Meanwhile, Makoto was far too flustered to interrupt them. It was her job to interrupt any public displays of affection back in Shujin. Instinctively grained into her from training. But they weren't in Shujin now.

"Dude, come on!" Ryuji flicked his wrist at them dismissively. "Get a room! At least give us a chance to clear out!"

"Come on, Kitty." Futaba reluctantly scooped the cat up in her arms and followed the others out. "Akira's getting him some." Neither one of them wanted to really leave. This was far too hot to pass up, but societal convention and pressure from the others forced them out. Akira's room was abandoned as the others conversed downstairs and awaited them to finish their make-out session. Though if even so much as a moan broke out, Makoto would rocket right through the roof and have their rears on a silver platter.

"I can't believe that worked," Akira managed between breaths. Somehow, the both of them had fallen back onto his bed. She was in his bed. His bed. It was bound to happen eventually. Though he had planned it out in his head with less clothes. And significantly less people.

"It's gonna be hard to do this now. Without them teasing the fuck out of us." Akira chuckled at her profanity. All he did was rub the tip of his nose against her. Eskimo kisses, a little display that had quickly become one of their favorite things to share together. Although, real kisses still held the crown. Especially the ones where she took his bottom lip in her teeth. Drove him absolutely wild.

"Then we'll just have to get creative." The blonde giggled before leaning further into him, obscuring both of them with her golden locks. It felt childish to do so, to hide in her hair. Such a display took her back to when she was a little girl. Only furthering the giddiness she felt when with him. "I love you, Ann."

"I know," she taunted with bedroom eyes, leaning in close to stick her tongue out. Akira grinned and retaliated by tickling her into submission. He had her pinned nice and good in order to protect himself from her tickles. For he knew that once she took hold of his ribs, it was all over. "Okay, okay! I love you too!"

Victory. In more ways than one today.