January 27th. After training in Mementos and defeating Lavenza, the Phantom Thieves are determined to secure the route to Maruki's treasure. They gathered at Leblanc and went to Odaiba together, where they entered Maruki's Palace. As they entered the monitoring prep room where the tendrils blocked their path, they saw that the tendrils were gone.

The Phantom Thieves continued to navigate the palace, walking through the white laboratory walls, lined with mental health posters. In a side room filled to the brim with storage units, they found a part of Maruki's journal. Written inside was Maruki grieving over the loss of his girlfriend's parents and the collapse of her mental state. He complained of migraines and swore to help her.

After crawling through a vent, they found a monitoring room covered in tendrils. After jumping over various shelves, they found themselves in front of a holographic blue door, covered in tendrils. Joker cut through them and opened the door. Inside was a will seed. Maruki's voice echoed through the Phantom Thieves' heads.

"Please, just let me save you."

"A world where everyone can be happy…"

Joker took the will seed and continued moving forward. He didn't need to be saved. After navigating back, they found a blue holographic door with the symbol of a lock on it.

"Security lock engaged. Please answer the following question. What did Takuto Maruki lose in exchange for the power to rewrite cognitions?"

"Huh, so it's like a riddle?" Skull asked, rubbing the back of his head.

"Given that this is Maruki's palace, there should be some clues around here. Let's keep looking!" Mona jumped up and down in reply.

"Well, let's keep going." Joker ruffled his coat and turned around. They continued forward, continuously using smokescreens to avoid any shadows, as they had nothing to gain from fighting. They continued into another large control room, filled with monitors and cubicles with tendrils leading into the ceiling. It was a dead end. They walked back into the hallway, entered another data storage room, and found another vent. They crawled through it and found a room that existed in what felt like an entirely different space. The walls were brown and wooden, covered in pieces of paper. Boxes were littered around, and old bookshelves lined a corner of the room. In another corner was an old table. On it was a CRT TV.

"A CRT TV, huh? Talk about old school." Oracle commented while approaching it. "Look, it's even got a built-in VCR."

Skull placed a hand on his chin. "Hmmm… Maybe we've gotta watch some TV first?"

Panther turned to him. "I highly doubt that."

Fox pointed to the table. "Actually… there's a chance he's right. There appears to be a tape by the VCR."

Crow sighed. "Well, it appears we don't have any choice but to watch the tape, do we? Of course, it could possibly just be a trap."

Joker approached the table and picked up the VCR. It was labeled with a piece of tape. "Eve."

"Alright, Maruki, let's see what you're hiding." He inserted it. The screen flashed gray and black, a static wave crossing the screen. After a few seconds, the tape began to play.

On the small screen, a video of Maruki in a hospital room played. He talked to a woman, who he called Rumi. He tried speaking with her, but she only replied with sad grunts and whispers. Eventually, he mentioned "family," causing her to have a panic attack. A doctor gave her sedatives, and Maruki grieved to himself. He begged for a way to help her, and his head pounded in response.

"Seek me… I am that who manifests thought itself. I shall echo your blasphemous fury with reality so that we may together change the world… Now, call me forth!"

Maruki took Rumi's hand, an intense expression on his face. "Yes… I'll do it. I don't care who you may be… lend me your strength! Please… help me save Rumi's life!"

The room shook briefly, and Maruki lost his sense of vision. As he opened his eyes, he saw Rumi looking at him. They talked, and she couldn't remember who he was. She had no memory of her parent's death, or of her relationship to Maruki. Maruki bit his lip and bade her farewell. The tape cut as he left.

The thieves looked at each other with confused looks on their faces. Panther spoke first.

"That was… Dr. Maruki, right?"

Mona looked at her with a serious expression. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure it was."

Crow crossed his arms. "Based on what we've seen, we can surmise that Dr. Maruki's memory was somehow on that videotape."

Violet shook her head sadly. "The way that woman was acting at the end… That's just how it went for me, too…"

Queen brushed her hand across her hair. "So he rewrote her cognition…"

Crow continued. "Considering what he was saying in the video, that might have been the moment he first awakened to his ability."

"Could Dr. Maruki possibly have wanted us to watch this memory?" Violet asked in response. Mona looked at her. "Eh, I don't think that's the case… It's possible that this is just an old memory he tried to bury in his unconscious mind."

"Still, if this actually occurred, there's no mistaking it for a trivial memory-this is clearly important to Maruki," Akechi stated in a gruff tone.

"Whether for good or bad, it appears that this incident is what led Dr. Maruki to his current mission…" Fox commented. "You're right," Noir nodded in response.

The group exited the room and found themselves in the palace proper. Joker approached the holographic locked door and answered the question.

"His lover." The door disappeared, and the group proceeded forward. With haste, they made their way through the Research Ward, with Joker swiftly taking out any shadows. They were too weak to be a threat. After navigating up and down a series of staircases, they saw another old wooden door. Oracle and Crow dedicated that the room likely housed another VCR. They continued forward and found several small rooms with plants growing in them. The lights under which the plants grew varied between being red, green, and blue. After commenting upon it, they pressed forward.

Several staircases later, and the group found themselves in a large office, with pieces of paper lining the floor. Joker used his third eye and saw another piece of Maruki's journal. It detailed his resolve to help people like Rumi with his newfound power. He promised her he would make a better reality. They pressed on and found a staircase leading down to a side door. Inside, they found themselves in another old room with a CRT TV. They inserted the videotape, which was unlabeled this time, and watched Maruki speak with Shibusawa at a bar. The two spoke about how Maruki's funding was cut for unknown reasons, as was the funding for the research lab where the Palace emerged from. Shibusawa left, and Maruki, at least fifteen drinks deep, vowed that he would rescue everyone and create a reality where everyone is happy. The tape ended there.

"...So that was another of Dr. Maruki's memories?" Noir began.

"Yes, I believe so. It seemed to be a much more recent memory than the first one we saw, though…" Queen answered, a hand cupped under her chin.

"His research was cut off…" Oracle whispered in an angry tone.

Crow sighed, and the group turned to him.

"So, after the incident with his girlfriend, he progressed in his research to harness cognitive psience as a healing practice… However, his research was shut down, and his career along with it. All he had left was his resolve to prove his research valid, then use it to save people… That seems to be the message delivered by the videos we've found."

Violet shivered. "It must have been his dream… To use his research to save people here…"

"If that sounds good to you, would you prefer we just turn around and go home?" Crow retorted with a cocky grin.

"That isn't an option." Noir shook her head.

"Yeah, what she says. If anything, we've gotta pull out all the stops to win this one." Skull pumped his fist.

Violet reached out her hand, and Joker took it.

"Well, the vote was unanimous."

Everyone nodded and proceeded to exit the room. They continued upward, and Joker saw a series of scaffoldings above an open section of the room. He flicked his grappling hook and swung up. After crawling through a vent, he hopped down and saw a large cracked window. On a whim, he broke it and saw a path below that led to another will seed. He jumped down and opened the door.

"Isn't there some way we can come to an understanding?"

They entered the room and took the Green Will Seed.

Joker backtracked and regrouped with the rest. They continued forward and came across the next holographic locked door.

"What was missing that caused the research into cognitive psience to be shut down?"

"Evidence," Joker answered. The door opened, and they continued forward.
Crow shook his head. "What is it going to ask next? "What is Maruki's favorite snack?" Give me a break." he spoke in a disappointed tone.

Joker shrugged, and they pressed forward. Upon opening the next door, they found themselves in a reception room. Several white couches were neatly scattered around the room, and two shadows stood behind a counter.

"This is quite the change in environment. Where are we now?" Fox remarked, looking around. Joker looked to a receptionist and listened in.

"This is the Psychological Exam Room. We conduct psychological tests so that we can offer patients the happiest and most ideal realities. If you are interested, please proceed down the hall and through the door to access the information panel."

"An exam room?" Panther cocked her head, puzzled. "Like… a hospital exam room?"

Noir clutched a hand to her chest. "Perhaps? What an odd place. The shadows here aren't attacking us. Don't they want to stop us?"

"Strange as it may be, they do not seem hostile to us at all… Furthermore, I admit I'm curious as to what this "exam" entails." Fox answered. "Joker, perhaps we can talk to these shadows and gather some useful information."

Joker approached the shadows and questioned them. One answered that they use these facilities to determine if patients are mentally sound or not, and guide them toward their "ideal reality." The patients were presented with a scenario, and given several choices. Their answer would determine if they were "happy" or not. The Phantom Thieves debated over their best way to progress and agreed that they'd ultimately have to fake the answers.

The first scenario involved watching a friend be led away by a group of scary people. They had to choose between A: Go help the friend alone, or B: Go find help. After a brief discussion, they chose B. It appeared to be correct, as nothing hindered their progression.

This process repeated itself two more times, each scenario with more options than the last. Eventually, they find themselves "successful" patients. Finding they couldn't move past a barrier due to the fact that they faked the answers, they found another vent and pressed onward.

After opening another door, the group found themselves in a Counselling Room. Cognitive men and women sat around the room, their heads adorned with yellow helmets that covered their eyes.

Directly in front of the group was another barrier, and on their right, they saw another room with a passage leading forward and two staircases on both sides leading upward. Joker tried to enter the barrier to no avail, and then led everyone down the right path. Mental health posters lined the walls, which were now gray.

To the right, Joker spotted another old, wooden door. He attempted to open it and found that it was unlocked. Upon entering, they investigated and found no videotape. Crow assumed that they needed to find it, and so they proceeded up the stairs. Once they reached the top they saw a walkway in the shape of an octagon, with several doors lining the walls. Powerful shadows roamed the walkway, but they easily dodged them with several well-placed smoke bombs.

Inside one of the rooms, Joker found another entry in Maruki's journal. Written were Maruki's suspicions regarding his research funding being taken, and his determination to save everyone with his power. After a few minutes of searching, two powerful shadows emerged from a locked door. One mentioned to the other to keep the door guarded. Joker figured that would be the place to look. He found a vent and snuck in. Tucked in one of the boxes was the videotape.

It was labeled with a piece of tape.

"Apple."

The group backtracked to the old room and inserted the tape.

A static blur overtook the CRT TV screen, and then the group saw Maruki and Sumire, sitting at a table in a dull-yellow room.

"So, you're Sumire Yoshizawa, huh? I'm Dr. Maruki. I'll be your counselor. First of all, thank you for coming to see me." Maruki spoke in the same cheerful tone the group remembered from his days at Shujin.

Sumire looked up, her ruby red eyes lifeless, staring off into the distance.

"...Yes. Thank you for seeing me." Her voice was monotone, lacking any life.

Joker felt a hand tightly grip his own.

"Um… I'm sorry, I'm not sure what to discuss… I only came here today because my parents wanted me to."

Maruki's tone did not change at all.

"That's fine. So, do you wanna just chat until our time's up, then?"

"Chat, huh…" The lack of emotion in her own voice sent a chill down Sumire's spine. This session took place roughly two weeks after the accident, and soon after that, she began attending Shujin as Kasumi. She felt like she was watching the husk of a person speak.

"Of course. It's not really possible for us to talk about things you don't want to discuss, anyway. I've also got some sweets and some salty snacks there-feel free to have at them."

Ren remembered that Rumi loved snacks. Maruki truly couldn't move past her, he thought to himself.

"Oh, yes… Thank you so much."
"So, let's start with… Ah. How about, what'd you eat for lunch yesterday?"

Sumire lightly whined, and the view shifted to show Maruki.

"I'll go first. The other day, a friend of mine gave me a ton of apples. I've grown tired of just eating them by themselves-yesterday I thought, why not try using them as a meal ingredient? So, I tried making an apple dish for lunch, but that didn't turn out too hot… What do you think I ended up making?"

"I… have no clue," Sumire replied.

"Shrimp in chili sauce-with apples. You know how sweet-and-sour pork can have pineapple in it? I was going for that, but…"
"Sounds like it didn't work for you. Apples do make for good ingredients, though. If you grate them, you can make a surprisingly versatile sauce. I use it in plenty of my food. It's pretty nutritious and good for digestion."

Ren remembered she used them to make curry before.

"You cook, Yoshizawa-san? I'm impressed that you care so much about nutrition. You must really be on top of things."

Sumire sighed. "I'm just active, that's all. I'm a gymnast. My coach has told me more than once to be conscious of everything I eat."

"I see… How's practice going for you? Has it been rough lately?"
"It has been rough… I mean, it's nothing I can't handle. But, it's… not going well. I don't even know what I want to do anymore."
"Sorry to hear it… Do you enjoy gymnastics?"
"...I'm not even sure of that. My… older sister and I made a promise. We'd both compete and win the biggest gymnastics awards in the world. But… She… Passed away. She protected me from a car… I stole Kasumi's dream away from her."

Sumire spoke with her tone full of grief, tears welling in her eyes.

"I can't do it anymore. I can't just go on like this… If Kasumi were here instead, I know she'd make her dream come true… Only Kasumi could have done it. No matter how long I try to compete… it's not going to change anything…"
Joker could feel Violet's fingers digging into his hand, her grip more solid than steel. Maruki and Sumire continued to speak as the tape went on.

"I'm sorry…"

"There's no need for you to apologize in here. If there's something you need to get off your chest, please do so."

"...Sometimes, I can't help but think things would've been better if I were Kasumi Yoshizawa. After all… just wishing to make her dream come true does nothing for her in reality."
"Making dreams come true, huh… Well, I don't think your train of thought is strange at all, Yoshizawa-san. In fact, wanting to become somebody else isn't necessarily an entirely bad thing."
"You… You think so?"

"Everyone is capable of changing themselves-your imagination's your only limit. That's why, if you aspire to be more like another person, it's actually possible. Thought exercises like, 'Would that person do this?' or realizations like 'That person wouldn't do that…' These sorts of thoughts can lead people to change themselves in ways that more closely mirror the target person."

Sumire closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Can you still imagine what your sister was like?"

"Yes…" she replied to his question.

"If your sister were in your shoes, what do you think she'd do?"
"Well… She wouldn't cry. If she had the time to do that, she'd just practice more instead."

Sumire opened her eyes. "

"Dr. Maruki, I… I want to become Kasumi."

Joker felt his hand growing numb from the grip that held it.

"...I know. And, I'm sure you can, too. Just… believe in yourself."

Sumire closed her eyes, and in a flash of greenish energy, opened them again. She smiled.

"How about it? Are you feeling any better now?"

"Yes… I feel like a weight's been lifted off of me! You're amazing, Doctor!"

Sumire's tone was much more cheerful and reminiscent of the girl Ren spent many months together with.

"Haha, it's no big deal… Still, it seems like my counseling approach does some good after all.

Sumire zipped open the blue bag sitting next to her, and pulled out a red ribbon. She took off her glasses and tied it neatly around her hair into a ponytail."

"All right! I'm not sure how to put it, but… I feel like I've been reborn all over again."

"Really? I'm very glad to hear it. Feel free to drop by again sometime should anything come up. We can even just have a chat, like today."

Kasumi beamed a smile. "Thank you! Then we could pick up where we left off talking about-hmm…"

"Something the matter?"

"Now that I think about it, I'm not any good at cooking. I don't know why I said those things earlier… My younger sister's the one who was really great at it."

Maruki grunted an "Mhm!" and spoke. "That's right, 'Kasumi Yoshizawa.'"

"...Yes? What is it?"
"Oh, nothing. I'm so glad I was able to help you. Good luck with your training."

"Right-I'll do my best! For Sumire's sake and mine!"

The tape ended.

"Was that…?" Noir asked, holding her arm reluctantly. Violet held herself steady, but Joker could feel something was off.

"Yes. It was a counseling session I had with Dr. Maruki. It was just after Kasumi… after my sister passed away. From that moment on, I lived my life really believing I was Kasumi."

Fox spoke up.

"It was all due to the rewriting of your cognition-his "actualization," as we've started calling it?"

"Okay, but I've been wondering something…" Panther chimed in, "So it was only Sumire who believed that she was Kasumi, right? I assumed someone in your family or one of your friends would've noticed you going by the wrong name right away…"

Violet took a step back. "Well, I can certainly remember being called "Kasumi" by everyone else, too…"

Oracle lifted a finger.

"It might be more accurate to say you misheard or misunderstood the name you were being called. Like everyone kept callin' you "Sumire," but your cognition made you hear it as 'Kasumi.'"

Skull rubbed the back of his head.

"So that's why nobody thought it was weird, including her folks and herself… Damn…"

"This must be part of the whole "salvation" nonsense Maruki's trying to pull over on us," Crow remarked gruffly.

"The memory may have been kept here in video form because he truly does wish for Violet to be happy with life," Fox stated in a sad tone.

Violet hung her head low, and she kept her grip on Joker's hand.

"I admit, I really did feel saved in that moment when I became Kasumi… But at the same time, I ran from my life as Sumire… I'm genuinely grateful for what Dr. Maruki did for me, but I'm done running… Let's get going."

Joker looked to his teammates. "Hey, could you all step out for a minute. When Violet comes out, Crow, I want you to enter."

"Very well, Joker." Crow wittingly scoffed at him and walked out. The rest followed. Joker turned to Violet and took her other hand. He exhaled a deep breath.

"I know you said you were done running, but, do you… want to talk more about this later? I know you're staying strong because we're in the Palace, but I can't stand to see you in pain, physical or mental."

Violet looked at him and squeezed both his hands.
"I… would like that, yes. Senpai… I don't want to run, but… the thought still crosses my mind. It always comes back…"

He pulled her in for a hug.

"I won't let that happen. We promised, right? I'll hold you to this until we've taken the world."

Violet took in his warmth. She smelled a sweet fragrance on him, which faded a few seconds after she sniffed.

"I just need to remember that warm place in the back of my mind."

"I'll always be here to help."

Joker released the hug and patted her head.

"I need to talk with Crow. We'll discuss this after we've secured the route."

"Thank you, Senpai."

Violet walked out of the room, and Crow stepped in.

"You noticed it too, didn't you?" Joker began.

"The labels on the tapes? If I remember correctly, the name Eve is connected to Biblical mythology." Crow mockingly replied.

"Right. Given your knowledge and my experience with the Persona compendium, I wanted to figure this out. Eve ends up eating an apple after being tricked by a serpent, and then Adam eats it, tempting them to sin. Given that the tape about Rumi was labeled "Eve" and the tape with Violet was labeled "Apple," then their cases of actualization are what tempted Maruki to sin."

"I would assume that to be the case, yes. Maruki is tempted by sin to "save" humanity through a blissful, ignorant existence. Given the extreme nature of his distortion and beliefs, I believe that your observation will likely be reflected as we get closer to the treasure. Stay focused."

"I always am, Crow."

"Tch… I know you're worried about Violet, but do not get slowed down by her. For what it's worth, I value her as the antithesis to Maruki's ideals. You've shown her how to find her own happiness without Maruki's "salvation," and I revel in the opportunity to prove Maruki wrong with it. Let's keep moving."

"Thank you, Crow."

"You know what we have to do."

The two exited the old room and regrouped with the rest of the Phantom Thieves. They marched down the long hallway and confronted a powerful shadow that Joker identified as Surt.

With relative ease, the Phantom Thieves defeated the shadow. Fox focused on using ice attacks, while Noir, Joker, and Violet all focused on knocking it down and pummeling it. Past the defeated shadow was another blue, holographic locked door.

"How do many adolescents react when they are close to another who is more talented than themselves?"

"They… wish to be that person," Joker answered reluctantly. The door opened.
"...We did it. I never would've thought I'd be the password to someone's security…

In front of the Phantom Thieves was another elevator. Joker hit the button, and they proceeded to take it upward. As the elevator door opened, the sight that greeted them shook the group to their core.

As they stepped off of the elevator, they set foot upon grassy terrain. Flowers bloomed from the ground, with large branches holding several platforms scattered throughout the area in place. Giant tree branches arched and stretched through the open air, with all of them stemming from the sky above. Joker couldn't tell specifically where, as a bright light shined through the massive branches. Giant, blue, camera-like orbs adorned the branches, all pointed toward and following the movement of the Phantom Thieves. Below them, a vast lake spanned as far as they could see.

Positioned on their platforms were giant statues of Rumi, each one holding an apple in one hand and a bowl with more apples in the other.. Cognitive men and women wearing white suits and dresses slowly ascended upward, like balloons. Each platform was separated by a staircase with three lights above it, One light was red, one green, and one blue. In the center of each platform was a device with a small piece of paper tacked onto it, and three dials.

"Where… are we?" Fox asked, half-fascinated and half-appalled.

"What a change in scenery. We were just in a science lab, and now… it's just as we predicted, Joker." Crow commented.

"Quite. It's almost as if we're in-" Fox continued before being interrupted.

"Woah! Look over there!" Skull took notice of the floating cognitive figures.

"Uhhh, those people are floating away…" Violet remarked, confused, "What on earth is going on?"

"It's exactly as Crow and I feared," Joker remarked. "This is Maruki's Garden of Eden."

"Garden of Eden? So he actually thinks he's sending them to paradise? Hmph. Maruki must really be convinced he's doing the right thing." Mona scoffed.

"Dr. Maruki…" Violet gripped her fist and swallowed her anxiety. She looked at Mona with a determined face. "Mona-senpai, the Treasure's above this room, right?"

"Yeah, I think we're pretty close."

"The real problem is actually getting up there," Oracle commented while scanning the lights and device in the center of the platform.

The group deduced that the dials were directly connected to the staircases. After a quick test, they realized that mixing the colors caused vines to grow, allowing them to proceed up and down the stairs. After several sessions of trial and error, they ascended up a long, violet staircase to the next section. Along the way, vines began to block off the staircases depending on the color.

This next section was more of the same, except for the fact that there was a Will Seed. After some more testing, they reached it. A large shadow guarded it. However, they managed to defeat it without much trouble. Joker observed Violet carefully and noticed that, while hesitant, she appeared determined to keep moving forward. Upon defeating the shadow, Joker cut the vines blocking the door away.

"Why? Why? What can I do to make you understand?"

Joker picked up the third Will Seed, and the three fused to make a crystal.

With the final Will Seed stolen, the Phantom Thieves ran through, adjusting dials and colors as needed, and ascended one last staircase, only to find themselves in a lab-like setting once more. There was one long hallway, with two doors on the right side. At the end of the hallway, past another holographic locked door, another large shadow waited.

"We're very close, Joker. That shadow is probably guarding the last elevator to the treasure. Make sure you're ready. We'll need to watch another tape, too." Mona commented.

"Right…"

The thieves entered the last of the old rooms and found the tape already in the VCR. Joker activated it, and it played a video of Maruki confronting his old professor. While he argued, Maruki mentioned that he knew it was Shido that shut down his research. Not long after, the sky turned red, and Maruki's persona awakened. The tape ended with Maruki claiming he had a clear path set before him.

"...Shido!" Panther bitterly exclaimed.

"To think he was the one who stymied Dr. Maruki's research…" Fox bit his lip.

"Y'know, I've been wondering ever since we saw the earlier video… Do you think there was some kinda connection between my mom's cognitive psience research and Dr. Maruki's?" A wave of anxiety emanated from Oracle.

"After he crushed Maruki's chance at researching the field, he had his own pawns do it for him instead… Although, I doubt Shido's researchers knew anything about the subject in the way Maruki did… That sounds like exactly the kind of plan that man would scheme up." Crow gritted his teeth.

"That bastard!" Skull rotated his arm, stretching his shoulder, "...Wait, now's not the time to get pissed about that."

Mona turned to Joker.

"There's another thing about that video nobody's mentioned yet… That being that appeared near the end was most likely Maruki's Persona."

Queen nodded.

"The sky did turn red like that… I wonder if that was the day we fought against the God of Control?"

"Lady Lavenza did tell us that reality and Mementos were merged together during that time… As you've all seen for yourselves, a full awakening to a Persona can't happen unless you're in the Metaverse. That would mean Maruki really did awaken to his Persona in that video."

"And at the same time, he attained the ability to meddle with Mementos… the cognition of the masses. So it is just as Lavenza had told us…" Queen replied to Mona.

Joker wanted to smack himself. It was his fault, too. If he hadn't helped Maruki finish that paper, he never would have gone to see the professor. Personas awaken in the heat of the moment when a person wants to rebel the most, and that argument was it. He mentioned cognitive psience so much, too. But, deep down, he knew Maruki meant well. He's misguided… by something.

"The sheer number of coincidences necessary for this to happen is just…" Noir shook her head.

"At any rate, now we have a better grasp of past events. I'm fairly certain that was a memory Maruki wouldn't want us to have seen, either."

Ren clenched his fist and bit his lip.

"I… we need to stop him. Let's go."

The group exited the old room and approached the locked holographic door.

"What happened to Maruki the day the sky turned red?"

"His Persona fully awakened."

The door opened, and the group battled the final shadow in their way. Joker recognized it as Siegfried. The battle was grueling, requiring the thieves to use the last of their energy to defeat the shadow. It fell like the rest at the end, and they stepped onto the final elevator.

"What the..!?" Skull blurted in shock.

"This is…" Violet shivered as she took in the view.

The group found themselves in a grassy field, flowers of all shapes and sizes blooming. Small pools of water surrounded the area. The cognitive people here wore nothing white loincloths, with plant-like wreathes covering their eyes. They sung and danced, drinking wine. Giant tree branches encompassed the area, leading further up into a massive structure they could not yet make out. They approached a glass staircase which was incomplete.

"This appears to be quite the paradise," Crow kicked his foot in disgust. "I assume Maruki's trying to convey that the world will turn into something like this if we allow him to abuse his research."

"A paradise…" Noir held her hand over her mouth.

They stepped closer to the glass staircase. Each step was like a thick glass window and did not shatter when they set foot on it.

"Wait, but this is a dead-end, right? And we still haven't found the Treasure…" Panther commented in frustration.

"Look again," Mona replied while looking directly upward.

Everyone looked up and saw the source of the branches. A massive tree, spiraling impossibly upward sat in front of them. The massive glass staircase encircled it, and in the center was a massive, shimmering object.

"The shimmery thing?" Oracle asked.

"No doubt about it-that's our Treasure!"

"That also means we've secured our route," Queen noted.

Skull pumped his fist. "All right! All we got left is sending the calling card-Oh, wait. How are we suppose'ta do that this time?"

"That's right, Dr. Maruki's been here in the Palace this entire time, hasn't he?" Noir sighed.

"I'm sure Maruki's well aware that the Phantom Thieves send out their calling cars the day before their heists. Considering his actions up until now, I highly suspect he'll attempt to directly intervene in some way that day… My money's on him trying it with Joker." Crow answered in a matter-of-fact tone.

Fox nodded to himself. "Good point. In that case, I'll leave the calling card in your hands, Joker."

Crow smirked. "We could just set up an ambush and destroy him once he steps into our trap, too."

"No way are we doin that!" Skull hastily replied.

"Our goal in coming here is to return reality to its original state, not to beat up Dr. Maruki." Queen retorted.

"It was merely a joke. After all, you're all well-aware that Maruki's influence on reality goes well beyond this Palace… If we make the wrong move in here, we could get eliminated outside the Palace, since we lack our Personas there. It'd be a safer strategy to chance Maruki's heart, just as you all wish."

"We're finally changing his heart… If we steal Dr. Maruki's treasure, everything'll go back to the way it was, right?" Panther worriedly asked.

Mona answered her. "I don't know for sure, but most likely."

Joker turned to her, while also looking at Violet.

"We will change his heart and return to our reality. You can count on it. Let's go get some rest, now."

He pulled out a Goho-M from his pocket and threw it. The Phantom Thieves returned to the entrance and exited the Metaverse.

Ren looked at Sumire as their vision became their own again.

"Senpai, I want to go change first. I'll be over soon."

"Got it. I'll be waiting."

The members made their respective ways home, and after about an hour, Ren heard the door bell chime as he sat in a booth seat.

"Sumi-"

As he looked up, he saw Sumire wearing an outfit similar to the one she had worn on one of their dates. She wore a pink turtleneck sweater and a red, knee-length skirt. What shocked him was that she had her hair tied up into a ponytail, and she wasn't wearing her glasses.

"Hello, Senpai."

"Sumire." Ren looked at her with a serious expression. "What's wrong?"

"Let's talk upstairs."

"Sure."

Ren and Sumire walked upstairs and sat on the couch. Sumire took a deep breath and began.

"After watching that videotape inside the Palace, the one about me, I didn't know what to think. I don't want to be the Sumire in that video anymore, and I don't want to be the Kasumi she should she could be. Now… I'm trying to be a new Sumire… but… I've lived in Kasumi's shadow for so long I don't even know if I can figure out what that is. I tried, I did. You loved how I looked in that blue dress, yet… I feel lost. I guess I tied up my hair because I wanted to see if it would change anything, with how you or I felt."

Ren wiped away the tear forming at her eye.

"I will love you no matter how you dress or how you may tie up your hair. I love the girl I'm sitting next to, the one who struggles magnificently, the one who is trying to find herself. The pain you go through and the grace you show in spite of it make you the Sumire I love. I'll always be here to help you through that pain, because that's how we grow. Together, that's how we'll take the world stage. You're adorable with your hair down or tied up. Glasses or no glasses. You can dress however you want, and I'll still cheer you on."

"R-Ren-senpai…" Sumire was at a loss for words. All of her worries washed away in an instant, and she felt like a fool for ever thinking that Ren would dislike her for being so pathetic.

She wrapped her fingers around his and looked at him directly.

"Thank you."

Ren lost himself in her garnet, sincere eyes, and Sumire lost herself in his determined, onyx ones.

After a minute, Sumire broke the silence.

"Can I… rest my head on your chest? I feel mentally exhausted after all of that."

Ren adjusted himself on the couch, placing his back against the armrest.

"Of course you can."

Sumire laid her head against his chest and closed her eyes. Ren could smell the fragrance of violets in her hair. Her right hand was wrapped into his left, and she fell asleep. Her left arm was tucked between her chest and his, and on the ring finger of her left hand, Ren noticed she still wore the heart ring.

He smiled, two missions accomplished, and pulled out a pamphlet for Destinyland, preparing for a third.