December 11th, 20XX (Sunday)
Afternoon - The Velvet Room
After rushing out of the Palace and into the door, Toya and Akechi found themselves in… a weird place. There were prison cells scattered around the room, and in the middle of them all, there was a desk. Sitting at the desk was a man with a long nose, wearing a black suit. Next to the man was the small girl who escorted Toya and Akechi out of the Palace, with long blonde hair and golden eyes, wearing a blue dress.
"Where are we…?" Toya asked, looking around.
"Welcome to the Velvet Room. My name is Igor. I am pleased to make your acquaintance." The man said, interlocking his fingers as his arms pressed against the desk.
"Since the others left, we have been awaiting for the two of you to finish your trial." The girl spoke… and when she did, Toya felt a headache. That voice… he knew where he recognized it from.
"I… I've heard your voice before…" Toya held on to his head for a moment while speaking. "I've heard you calling out to me… in my times of need, I always heard your voice. Even just a little while ago… just who are you…?"
"My name... is Lavenza. Forgive me for this, but… I do not recall ever calling out to you."
"What…? That's impossible… I know I heard your voice. There's… no way I'm mixing this up…"
"The voice you heard was most likely the malevolent God, leading you along." Toya's eyes widened for a moment. A malevolent God… after all of Osiris's talk about how it was a God who created him, things started to finally click into place.
"Do you mean… the God of Control…?" Toya said, taking his hand off of his head.
"God of Control… isn't that who Osiris was talking about?" Akechi asked, looking towards him.
"That is all correct." Lavenza said in a calm voice, looking at the two of them. "The God of Control, Yaldabaoth, manipulated your Shadow. Thanks to his influence, he was able to turn your mind into a hell… in the hopes that you would succumb to your darkness."
"But… why? Why did he go through that trouble? If he's a God, then… why does he need someone else to do his work for him? Shouldn't he be more than strong enough to handle me on my own? I'm just a human…"
"That's because he was under a disguise. He sealed away my master, and took his form. He tried to lead along the Persona users that have the power of the Wild Card."
"Wild Card? I'm… not familiar with that term." Akechi said, putting a hand to his chin.
"The Wild Card is what allows certain Persona users to summon different Personas. If Yaldabaoth influenced your Shadow… then that means he tried to influence all 3 Wild Cards."
"3? So wait… Toya, Akira, and… me…?"
"That is correct. Yaldabaoth is the one who answered your call and gave you a Persona originally." Lavenza closed her eyes for a moment, taking a look at Igor, then looked back towards Toya and Akechi. "As we speak, the other Wild Card and his allies are fighting against the malevolent god."
"T-They're fighting him!? But… I saw them disappear…! All of them just… vanished into thin air!" Toya was sure that they had all died, and he had been trying to hide how he felt about it due to the circumstances, but… hearing that they were okay put him in a state of shock.
"When they disappeared from the real world, they were all sent here. In fact, when they came here, they were all looking for you."
Makoto: "Did… did any of you see Toya…?"
Akira: "He's not here. I looked everywhere… there's no sign of him, or Akechi."
Ryuji: "Where the hell did they come from, anyway? Toya was gone for weeks!"
Ann: "They came out when the real world and Mementos fused… maybe he was hiding out there?"
Makoto: "T-That's not as important! I just… I just want to know where they are…"
Lavenza: "They didn't disappear like the rest of you did. The reason that you all disappeared was because to society, you all exist as nothing more than Phantom Thieves. They had begun to forget about the Phantom Thieves, so they forgot about you. That means you didn't exist in their cognition anymore… and due to the laws of Mementos, that caused you all to disappear."
Haru: "So Toya and Akechi… they didn't disappear because the public sees them as something more than just Phantom Thieves?"
Yusuke: :They were called enemies of state, were they not? I imagine that society has a hard time forgetting people who are labeled as that."
"They disappeared… because the public forgot about the Phantom Thieves? And they remembered me and Akechi because we're criminals…"
"That is correct. It's why neither of you ended up here, and went through that trial." Toya closed his eyes and tried to process this, but… Akechi was skeptical.
"Does something feel… off to you, Toya?"
"Off? What do you mean?"
"We both get labeled as criminals… we don't disappear when everyone else does, and we end up in your Palace… but the thing is, we couldn't normally get there. The only way we could ever get there is if the real world fused with the Metaverse. Maybe I'm just too skeptical, but… I don't think that can be a coincidence."
"I guess. But… is that even possible? Can something that big even be staged?"
"It's certainly possible." Lavenza said, cutting off both of their trains of thought. "The malevolent god… if he influenced your Shadow, it's reasonable to believe that he did the same thing to others."
"When we fought against Shido's Shadow… he said that he was chosen by God. Did he mean…?" Toya paused for a moment. Everything felt… strange, all of a sudden. This God that he had heard of only 2 weeks ago… suddenly seemed like a puppet master that was behind everything. Even his own path… was influenced by him. "Lavenza, you said everyone else was fighting this guy on their own, right?"
"Indeed, they are. Though… I worry for their survival."
"You need to get us out there. Now!"
"You really want to go out there and fight a god!?"
"I made a promise to Osiris that I would take him down. And… everyone else is out there, fighting him. I can't let them risk their lives on their own. I'm going out there, and I'm tearing that God apart, no matter what it takes!"
"...You really are beyond my comprehension…" Akechi closed his eyes and chuckled. "You stuck by my side, despite all the wrongs I committed… you kept your faith in me. It's time I return the favor." Akechi opened his eyes, looking at Toya and nodding, then looking towards Lavenza. "Take both of us there. To wherever they're fighting this God!"
"They're doing battle in the real world, the one that's been fused with the Metaverse." Lavenza turned around and started walking towards a staircase, and at the top of it was a large, red door. "This will take you directly there. We shouldn't waste any time."
"Say no more. Let's do this." Toya said, walking towards the door with Akechi right by his side. They were still nervous, but… they knew what they had to do.
December 11th, 20XX (Sunday)
Afternoon - Shibuya Station Square
Immediately after walking through the door, Toya and Akechi found themselves in the middle of Shibuya… where everyone else seemed to disappear.
"This place looks even worse than it did before…" Toya said, looking around. There were fossils everywhere, as well as blood raining down from the sky… and people were starting to notice it. There was panic in the streets now, as people started running around… eventually, they saw people vanish into thin air.
"...They're not going to end up in the Velvet Room, are they…?" Akechi said, taking a step back.
"Unfortunately, no. I do not have the power to bring all of those lost souls there. Furthermore, I don't think they would be able to comprehend what's happening…" Lavenza said, as she looked towards the sky, pointing. "Look, up there." She said, as Toya and Akechi both looked up. And what they saw… frightened them. It was a large, metallic body of some kind… it had wings, and a halo above its head.
"What the hell is that!?" Toya yelled out in shock, and a bit of fear.
"That is the malevolent god, Yaldabaoth."
"Wait, THAT thing is a God!? How the hell is everyone supposed to be fighting it!?"
"You better not be getting second thoughts, Jester!"
"O-Osiris…!?" Toya heard Osiris's voice in his head, seemingly out of nowhere. "You've been here this entire time!?"
"You didn't think I just vanished into nothingness, did you? I'm a part of you, remember? A part of you that's going to be around for a while. But that's not the point, damn it! You can't start getting cold feet now that I've entrusted you to do this!"
"I'm not! It's just…"
"Makoto's up there, you realize. Do you want her fighting that thing without you there?"
"Okay, I get it!" Toya grit his teeth and looked back towards Yaldabaoth.
"You two…!" Suddenly, Toya and Akechi heard a different voice from behind them. They turned around… only to see Sae, standing behind them with a shocked look on her face. "Where the hell have you been!? And what's going on here!?"
"Sae, you need to get out of here and get somewhere safe."
"Just… what is this!?"
"The real world fused with the Metaverse, and everyone is off fighting God right now!" Toya pointed towards the figure in the sky, causing Sae to look at it and… show a bit of fear, for once.
"You mean… Makoto's up there…!?"
"Yeah. We're getting up there now, and we're gonna take that thing down! So please, just… get somewhere safe!"
"...Fine. But you and Makoto better not get hurt!"
"That goes to you, too. Stay indoors, and… think about other people, alright? People who aren't popular. You might save a life…"
"...I won't pretend to understand what that means." Sae turned around, giving Toya one last look. The look… it said a lot more than anything she could ever put into words. She was genuinely concerned for Toya… in a way that was much more than just a legal guardian. It was… more like a parent than anything else. Toya never felt that from her before, but in that one moment, with that one look that she gave him… he knew it was there. He didn't really know how to process it, but… he enjoyed it. He felt a real bond with Sae at that moment, more so than ever before.
"You ready?" Akechi asked, looking towards Toya. He snapped out of the mini trance that he was in, looking back to him.
"Yeah. I am." Toya looked up towards Yaldabaoth one more time… before reaching for his father's hookshot, his Treasure… and handing it to Akechi. "You're gonna need this."
"You're… letting me use this…?"
"I trust you, Akechi. Let's go!" Toya aimed his hookshot towards one of the higher platforms, zipping up towards it and bringing himself closer to the area where everyone was fighting Yaldabaoth.
"Trust… I don't know if I'll ever be used to that…" Akechi closed his eyes for a moment, smiling to himself. "I won't let you down." He said, before firing the hookshot to the same area Toya did, following behind him.
December 11th, 20XX (Sunday)
Afternoon - Holy Grail Temple
"Foolish humans. Since you've been forsaken by the world, there is nowhere that you can belong." Yaldabaoth's voice echoes throughout the sky, as he unleashed a blast onto all of the Phantom Thieves, sending them down to the ground.
"We… can't lose… like this…"
"If we lose… the world is…"
"I need to… get back up…" The Phantom Thieves struggled to get up from Yaldabaoth's attack, but he didn't care about that. With a loud, condescending laughter, Yaldabaoth blasted them all once again.
"Ngh… My strength…"
"I can't… go on…"
"Is this it…?" The Phantom Thieves found themselves down on their knees at this point. They could barely even move… let alone fight.
"Not even one sliver of unpredictability can be permitted under my control. The voices of the masses… they mock you for revolting against a god. Humans are naught but clumps of desire. Logic dictates that a world filled with them will decline. The sin of rebelling against a god is severe. As punishment, you will taste pain everlasting."
"...That's not… happening…!" Akira yelled out, getting on his feet.
"The trickster who failed to restore my hope in humanity, hm...? It is impossible for a petty existence like you to overrule my precedent."
"I'm still standing here, against you! And nothing… nothing's gonna stop me from defeating you!" Akira grit his teeth and reached for his mask. "I have hope… hope in all of my allies, and everyone I've made bonds with… I KNOW that there are more people willing to rebel against your will!"
"The will to rebel against a god... Such a mockery has to place in my world."
"And YOU don't have a place in ours!"
Someone yelled out, someone who wasn't with the rest of them. Yaldabaoth was caught off guard by the sudden voice, before an even more sudden blast of dark magic hit him in his face. While he wasn't particularly hurt by this… it was enough to catch him off guard.
"Was that…!?" Akira turned around, as he saw two figured running forward.
"Who dares defy my will…!?" Yaldabaoth called out, staring at the two people running forth. They jumped into the air, soaring past everyone else, and landing in front of Akira. Toya and Akechi… they barely made it in time, standing in front of everyone else.
"Toya! And… Akechi!? When did you two…"
"We'll explain later…" Akechi said, keeping his eyes on Yaldabaoth. "First, we're taking this false god down!"
"The rest of you just stay back and try to recollect your strength!" Toya yelled out as he ripped off his mask. "Mephisto!" He yelled out, as suddenly, Mephisto appeared behind him, surrounded by a purple flame.
"T-Toya…?" A weak voice called out from behind him. Toya turned his head and saw Makoto on the ground, struggling to get up… nearly unconscious. Toya quickly got close to her, taking her hand.
"H-Hey, easy!" Toya said, holding her hand a bit tighter. "You've done enough… okay? Let us handle this now."
"Where… were you…?"
"I was… in my Palace."
"But… h-how…? How did you get there…?"
"...I'll explain everything later, okay?" Toya clenched Makoto's hand a bit tighter, before slowly putting it back to the ground. "Please… just save your strength, okay? I promise I'll answer everything after I end this." Feeling herself get weaker, Makoto didn't verbally respond… she simply closed her eyes and nodded, as Toya turned around once more.
"Since when did you control that Persona…?" Akira asked, looking towards Toya.
"You wouldn't believe what we went through… if you think my change was drastic, you have no idea what he went through." Toya said, looking towards Akechi. He smirked, before taking a hold of his own mask, quickly ripping it off and summoning his own Persona as a red flame appeared around him.
"What the hell did we miss…!?" Ryuji asked from the back, still trying to pick himself up.
"More rebels have shown themselves. Tell me… why do you desire to throw your life away like this?"
"It's not throwing our lives away! We're just not gonna let you treat us like we're some puppets!" Akechi yelled, staring Yaldabaoth down.
"You want us to conform to your sorry excuse for justice… like hell we'll do that! We're humans, so we're gonna fight for what we believe in, no matter what!" Toya stood by Akechi, yelling out alongside him.
"Foolish children of man… very well. Those who wish to defy a god shall be punished all the same."
"I'll cover you two…" Akira said, standing behind the two of them. "You guys think you can handle this?"
"Absolutely." Akechi responded, sounding as confident as ever.
"I know we can." Toya sounded just as confident as Akechi did, as he held onto his mask once more. Akechi and Akira did the same, as three flames, purple, red, and blue, all rose into the air, engulfing them. The time was now… they were about to face their greatest challenge ever. The Wild Cards… against the malevolent god that had been treating them like pawns for months on end.
And at last, the time has come. Toya, Akechi, and Akira... facing off against the malevolent god himself, Yaldabaoth.
It's weird to think about. At the beginning of this story, I doubt anyone could have EVER predicted that somehing like this was going to happen at the end. But... here we are. They're all fighting against the final boss together, while everyone else desperately tries to regain their strength.
"Are you skipping the Twins fight and Igor being holy Grail entirely?"
All of that happened while Toya and Akechi were going through Toya's Palace. Time was still moving while they were running through the Palace, and during that timeframe, the Phantom Thieves got all the way to their fight against Yaldabaoth, including when they all got blasted at the very end, which is when Toya and Akechi finally made it to them.
This story is going to end soon. More than likely it will be over before Christmas at this rate... it's surreal. For everyone who's been around for a while, thank you. Writing this has been amazing, and I hope you all enjoy this final act.
And, one (probably) final time, here are the stats, and the Confidants:
Mephisto
LV 69
Skills:
Devil Trigger - Colossal Gun damage to 1 foe.
Hell's Lullaby - Severe Curse damage to all foes.
Thunder Reign - Severe Electric damage to 1 foe.
Phata Rhei - Severe Wind damage to 1 foe.
Atomic Flare - Severe Nuclear damage to 1 foe.
Charge - Next physical attack inflicts 2.5x damage.
Concentrate - Next magic attack inflicts 2.5x damage.
Heat Riser - Buff attack, defense, and agility of 1 ally for 3 turns.
Mastema
LV 69
Skills:
Brave Blade - Colossal Physical damage to 1 foe.
Heaven's Requiem - Severe Bless damage to all foes.
Inferno - Severe Fire damage to 1 foe.
Diamond Dust - Severe Ice damage to 1 foe.
Psycho Force - Severe Psy damage to 1 foe.
Tetrakarn - Erect shield on 1 ally to repel 1 Physical/Gun attack.
Makarakarn - Erect shield on 1 ally to repel 1 Magical attack.
Debilitate - Decrease 1 foe's Attack, Defense and Agility for 3 turns.
Orpheus-Picaro
LV 63
Skills:
Cadenza - Restore 50% HP of party.
Inferno - Severe Fire damage to 1 foe.
Maragidyne - Heavy Fire damage to all foes.
Matarukaja - Buff party attack power for 3 turns.
Izanagi-Picaro
LV 64
Skills:
Cross Slash - Heavy Physical damage to 1 foe 2x, high accuracy.
Ziodyne - Heavy Electric damage to 1 foe.
Wild Thunder - Severe Electric damage to all foes.
Marakukaja - Increase party's Defense for 3 turns.
Arsene
LV 65
Skills:
Negative Pile - Heavy Physical damage to 1 foe.
Eigaon - Heavy Curse damage to 1 foe.
Abyssal Wings - Severe Curse damage to all foes.
Debilitate - Decrease 1 foe's Attack, Defense and Agility for 3 turns.
Yaldabaoth* [The JESTER] - Rank 10 (MAX)
Akira Kurusu [The FOOL] - Rank 10 (MAX)
Makoto Niijima [The HIGH PRIESTESS] - Rank 10 (MAX)
Haru Okumura [The EMPRESS] - Rank 10 (MAX)
Goro Akechi [JUSTICE] - Rank 10 (MAX)
Sae Niijima [JUDGEMENT] - Rank 10 (MAX)
Ken Kazero [The AEON] - Rank 10 (MAX)
*Let me clear this up real quick. In the original game, even though Joker spends the entire game talking to Yaldabaoth while he's disguised as Igor, the Fool Confidant is still with the real Igor. We know this because it says that Joker becomes a Velvet attendant in the description of the Rank 10 Confidant. However, in this case, the true Igor and Lavenza never called out to Toya. Instead, Yaldabaoth was playing tricks on his mind, leading him along.