February 3rd. After confirming Sumire's conviction and their resolve to take the World Stage, Ren's true Persona evolves into Raoul, while Sumire's evolves into Ella. Ren speaks to Maruki and gives him the Calling Card. Akechi and Ren debate over the stakes, and Ren ultimately accepts that Akechi will cease to be when they return to reality.

"All right, we're all here," Makoto spoke as everyone took a seat in the numerous chairs scattered around Ren's attic room. As soon as classes ended, Ren texted everyone to meet at Leblanc.

"It's time… Our final battle," Haru commented with a stern look.

"Maruki came by Leblanc last night, so we gave him the calling card," Morgana updated the group on the situation.

"I doubt Maruki is still interested in discussion. You realize there's no backing out now, right?" Akechi glanced around the room with a piercing look.

"Heh, ain't no way we're gonna run now," Ryuji rotated his shoulder in a stretch. "We're gonna confront Doc in his Palace, show him what's up, and go back to our own reality-right, Ren?"

"This is our last heist as the Phantom Thieves. We're going to steal back our futures!" Ren eagerly jumped up, speaking to the room but looking at Sumire.

"Mmhm. Let's all go back, as a team!" Ann nodded.

"Yeah!" Futaba exclaimed.

"It appears we're all ready," Yusuke looked at Ren.

"Back to Odaiba." Ren stood up and led the group out. Sumire and Ren held hands the entire train ride there.

"Akechi, I'll let you do the honors," Ren gave a confident nod to Akechi, who smirked and pulled out his phone. Their last trip to the Metaverse had commenced.

As their vision distorted in a swirling visage of blue, green, and white, the Phantom Thieves found themselves standing outside of Maruki's Palace. They all felt immense pressure in the air.

Ren closed his eyes, took a deep breath, opened them, and looked at Sumire.

"I want you to hold onto this," from his sleeve emerged a small orb that was glowing with a blue hue.

"What is it, Senpai?"

"It will protect you from almost anything that Maruki will throw at us. I don't know what he can do, but I want to make sure that you're safe so I can completely focus." Ren looked at her with soul-piercing eyes, his expression blank.

Sumire hesitantly placed her hand on his. "Senpai… I should say the same to you," she furrowed her eyebrows and stared directly back at him.

"Please, Violet."

Sumire continued to stare at him, unflinching.

"Senpai. I-I refuse to lose anyone again."

Ren smirked and talked in a cocksure tone.

"You don't need to worry about me, remember? He's strong, but I'm stronger. This is a part of our promise. I'm going to ensure you continue to be who you want to be. Nothing will stop me until that's happened."

Sumire looked him up and down one more time, and took the omnipotent orb.

"Even after that, I won't let anything stop you, Senpai. Let's show Dr. Maruki, together."

"Right."

The Thieves dashed through the Palace, using all of the smoke bombs at their disposal to dodge past any shadows. Within minutes, they reached the Psientific Model Eden. As they took in the scenery again, a voice rang in their heads.

"I see you made it. Come on up… I'll meet with you at the center of paradise."

As Maruki spoke, their vision flashed for a second, and a spiraling staircase of thick glass circled around the tree. Massive branches extended in all directions, with distorted apples scattered along with a mass of leaves.

"Well, we can finally move on now that we've got some stairs," Akechi remarked, "Let's end this."

"...Right!" Sumire placed a hand on Ren's shoulder. Ren looked up, and with the flick of his wrist shot the grappling hook into a branch. In a smooth, underhanded motion he wrapped his arm around Sumire's hip and zipped up onto the staircase.

"There's no turning back for us.

"Because we will never give up!"

The couple smiled at one another as the rest of the thieves made their way up.

"Ya couldn't do that for everybody man?" Ryuji sarcastically commented.

"Reserved. Amamiyas only."

Sumire's face turned red.

"H-huh? S-s-senpai? W-wait… I-I'm not mentally prepared…"

That expression was all Ren needed to see to feel completely sure of his decision.

"Hey! As your brother, I should count too!" Morgana jumped up and down with a frown.

"Oh, right. Sorry, reserved for my wife."

Sumire felt her mask melting from the intense heat emanating from her face.

"W-w-w-ife? Huh? S-senpai… I can't take this embarrassment!"

Totally worth it. Alright, Maruki, you're on. Ren was completely mentally prepared now. Ren turned around and began running up the staircase.

"All right! We're all ready! Let's do it, Joker!" Ryuji ran side-by-side with Ren. They were on equal footing.

"I can see the top now! We're almost there!" Sumire exclaimed, taking in the view from the top of the Palace. Tokyo was just as lit up as it always was. In the center of the massive spire that the Phantom Thieves climbed, was a golden, cone-shaped structure. Lines of golden thread shot through the air, while an impossible jumble of thread tangled together rotated around the palace. As they reached the top, the light faded.

Maruki stood at the center of the room, facing away from the thieves. Dark blue tendrils sprang from every corner, matching the floor they stood upon. Distorted, rotting apples hung from the tendrils.

"Thank you for coming," Maruki slowly turned to face Ren, a somber expression on his face, "...It looks like I have your answer."

"Dr. Maruki... I'm so sorry," Ren replied to him with genuine sadness, his heart yearning for another way out of this. He felt Sumire's hand wrap around his own.

"Don't apologize… All this means is that we both have something we can't allow to fail."

Maruki dropped his somber tone and expression, donning a look of conviction.

"Let's begin," he took a few steps toward Ren, "If you win, my heart will be changed… However, if I win… My reality becomes the true reality. I will overwrite all of existence with my own cognition. I'm not holding back anymore."

The entire structure shook.

"Wh-what the…?" Ann's eyes darted around the room.

Maruki reached out his arm and looked Ren in the eyes.

"Just as you have your own beliefs, I too have no intention of changing my plans for reality. No matter what happens to me in the end, I will fix this torturous world. That… is my own rebellion!"

In a flash of blue and golden flame, Takuto Maruki's white suit morphed into a golden priest's garb, a large white shawl covering his torso. In his right hand, he held a long, golden staff which was tipped with a jagged, malformed tip. Like the Phantom Thieves, he donned a mask. It was golden and shaped like a shield. Maruki stepped forward again.

"And I believe you called forth your power like this:"

"Persona."

Maruki tore off his mask. A large, cross-shaped Persona with tendrils wrapped around and through its form appeared in a flash of blue flame behind him. The cross was golden, with a pair of beaded, blue eyes at the top. Massive tendrils expanded from it and shielded Maruki.

"No way… so Maruki really does have a Persona!" Morgana jumped back.

"I regret not pointing this out to you… You shouldn't mistake our powers as being equal." Maruki spoke in a resolute tone. "It's time… Azathoth… Our final battle has come."

"Dr. Maruki…" Sumire muttered in a restrained tone.

"I have to do this. My Persona guides me!" Maruki reached out his hand, and Ren's vision blurred for a moment. As he shook his head, he looked and only saw Akechi, Ryuji and Sumire standing beside him, with Futaba in Al Azif above. He turned his head behind him and saw a wall of tendrils.

"Morgana!"

"We're still here! There's shadows! We'll take them out! Focus on Maruki!"

Ren gritted his teeth and turned back. Three large tendrils shielded Maruki.

I can't tell their weaknesses, so I'll just target them all, Ren quickly decided.

"Raoul!"

A wave of dark energy swept over Maruki and his Persona. One tendril began to crack, while the rest remained. Shit, Ren thought.

"Skull!" Ren high-fived Ryuji, who called forth William and summoned a series of lightning strikes on the tendrils. One disintegrated.

"Violet!" Ryuji high-fived Sumire, who called forth Ella and summoned several beams of light on the tendrils. Another disintegrated.

"Crow-senpai!" Sumire high-fived Akechi, who called forth Hereward and struck the last tendril with a massive blade that manifested from Hereward.

With the tendrils gone, the four began to attack Azathoth.

"Enchant us, Ella!" Sumire called forth Ella again. The Persona did a backflip kick, leaving two massive gashes in Azathoth's form.

Maruki laughed and waved his arm. The room darkened, and several large, blue orbs appeared above Azathoth. They shot toward Ren and his friends, exploding upon impact. As they shook off the blow, three more tendrils spawned from the entangled maze of them that surrounded the area.

"We're just going to have to open up opportunities to attack his Persona!" Ren yelled, his advisor unavailable.

"Right!" the three buckled down for the long run.

Ren looked at his teammates and called forth Maria. "Maria, give us strength!"

The wave of green energy encompassed the four, leaving them rejuvenated. The group continued to employ the same tactics. Maruki stumbled, catching himself with his staff. He looked back to Azathoth.

"Not bad, but we've only just begun!" Maruki exclaimed, "So let's move on!"

The room shook again. More tendrils spawned from Azathoth's form, and the entire Persona grew. Waves of tendrils wriggled behind Azathoth, who was now more immense. Suddenly, everyone's vision blurred.

"Huh? What was that just now?" Futaba exclaimed, flying above the team, "His Persona is doing something! I don't know what! Everyone else is blocked off! Hang in there Joker!"

Ren grunted and summoned Raoul again. As he attempted to call forth another wave of dark energy, his vision blurred. Nothing happened.

"He-he's actualizing what we can and can't do with our Persona!" He yelled to Futaba.

"That's cheating! Hold on… I'll try and think of something!"

"Skull! Try using physical attacks!"

"William! Blast 'em!" Ryuji called forth William, shooting a massive, golden fist from his railgun arm. It rocketed into a tendril, causing it to explode. "Hey! That worked!"

"It's something, but it's not enough!" Ren yelled.

The team found that some of the tendrils took no physical damage. Unable to destroy them all, Maruki laughed again. He reached his arm out. In a flash of blue, a large ball formed in front of the thieves, and in another flash turned into a group of large eyes. From the eyes a series of sharp beams shot out, hitting the four and knocking Akechi down. Maruki repeated the attack and summoned the destroyed tendril.

"This is… a real problem…" Ren panted, starting to feel mental fatigue kicking in. "Raoul!"

Ren tore off his mask and called forth his ultimate Persona. "I gotcha now!" From Raoul's wings, a massive curtain sprawled out. It flew around Maruki and his Persona. Maruki blinked.
"Huh? You… countered my actualization?" Both Ren and Maruki felt the energy dissipate.

"You can dream all you want, Doc. I will not be shaken." Ren smirked.

"Very well…" Maruki sighed, holding his ground.

The thieves repeated their tactics, with Ren countering Maruki's actualization when necessary. Maruki continuously summoned the eyes, but ultimately found himself taking several hits. He turned to Ren, a pleading look on his face.

"Do you remember how every one of your dreams was granted in my reality? Not a single person is in pain here! Everyone is happy… Why would you deny them that opportunity?"

Ren gritted his teeth and tightened the grip on Paradise Lost R.
"Without pain, we don't grow. I don't see the point of being given happiness when I'm fighting to earn it."

As he finished his sentence, he nudged his head at Sumire. She looked at Maruki with a piercing glance.

"Dr. Maruki, you and I both know that I wouldn't be happy as Kasumi. I've realized that I can turn my pain into motivation, and how to respect Kasumi's wish, instead of running from it."

Maruki took a step back, shocked.

"I-I understand the difficulty of accepting such a huge change, but that's nothing more than your fears controlling you!" his voice turned to that of desperation, "Please, won't you please believe me?" he turned to Ryuji, whose leg had been wounded from the beams. "Sakamoto-kun! You dream of running… Running would make life so much easier for your mother! I can make that dream your reality!"

Ryuji panted and wiped the blood from his mouth and hit his leg.

"Yeah? Well, too bad for you-I'm done runnin' away from my problems!"

Ryuji tore off his mask, "William! Kick his ass!" and a series of comets struck the tendrils, burning them to ash. As the thieves continued to damage Azathoth, Maruki pleaded with them.

"Suffering and pain bring nothing to people except their ruin! Why would you force yourself into that? Just… Let me save you all, just this once!" he turned to Akechi, "Akechi-kun! Don't throw away your life! If you're with Amamiya-kun and his friends, you could begin to atone for what you've done!"

Akechi summoned Hereward and snarled at Maruki.

"Enough of this high-and-mighty bullshit! You're pissing me off!"

Hereward pulled back the bowstring and released an almighty attack against Azathoth. Maruki, with a despaired look on his face, looked at Sumire again.

"Yoshizawa-san! Please, don't lie to me! That pain you're suffering… it must be impossible to move on! Please… you showed me that I could save people like this when you became Kasumi! I want to save you from this awful life!"

Sumire glanced at him with a serious expression and spoke in a resolute tone.

"I am myself! I'll never forget that again! All the pain I felt and still feel, I share it with my Ren! There is love in that pain, Dr. Maruki! I want to move forward and take the world stage as Sumire! Kasumi is gone, but she lives on as a part of me! Her dream is my own, and it's also Ren's now, too!"

Maruki recoiled back, a harrowed look on his face, He gritted his teeth and slammed his staff down, creating a rippling noise through the chamber. His eyes flashed yellow.

"I can't deny that you're all strong-but that's exactly what's making you suffer. It's time to end this. I'm going to save all of you!"

Maruki lifted his staff and summoned a series of eyes that shot at the thieves in every direction. Ren tore off his mask and summoned Maria, but felt his vision blur again. "Maria! Salv-!" His vision rippled again and nothing happened.

"Seriously?" he called Maria back, "Raoul! Phantom Show!"
As he countered the actualization he glanced around and saw Sumire, Akechi, and Ryuji were heavily wounded. "Futaba!" he yelled.

"Right! This should do the trick!" Futaba flew around the thieves and, in a flash of her own green energy, restored their vitality. They continued to utilize their tactics until Azathoth stopped moving.
"Azathoth!?" Maruki cried. Akechi chuckled, "Hereward! Tear that thing apart!"

Hereward shot an arrow into the air which transformed into a massive sword, arcing directly into Azathoth's chest. The tendrils disappeared, and the golden cross that remained fell to the ground.

"Azathoth… Did I… fail?" Maruki spoke in anguish. In front of Joker, a massive, golden torch manifested.

"Is that…?" Ann stared in awe. "It's Maruki's Treasure," Morgana finished her line of thought.

Akechi grunted.

"A torch is a light to guide people-it may symbolize his perception of himself as the guide for the entire world." He looked to Ren. "We're here to change his heart, aren't we? Go on, take it."

Maruki stared at the two, barely able to stand. "So… this is it… Rumi… I'm sorry… I couldn't… No… I can still…!"

The Palace began to rumble, tendrils snapping and falling apart around the thieves. The ground and wall cracked.

"We gotta get outta here!" Morgana jumped up and transformed into his car form. Everyone got in, and Makoto floored it. They nosedived straight off of the platform, the glass staircase shattering around them. Morgana maneuvered himself and they landed on a golden arch, made of metal. The arch ended, and they flew off, landing on a highway outside of the palace.

"That was close…" Yusuke commented, stepping out of the car. The others followed, and Morgana transformed back.

"Dr. Maruki…" Sumire muttered in a sorrowful tone.

"This has gone too far past changing someone's heart… Is he even still alive?" Ann remarked, regret in her voice.

Akechi turned his head and looked up. "...Looks like that isn't a concern." Above the highway on the edge of a building, Maruki stood unscathed.
"Sorry, but I won't admit defeat just yet."

Ren stomped his foot in defiance. "You know this isn't right! Please, stop!"

Maruki shook his head. "I'm sorry-you know I can't do that." His eyes flashed yellow. "I've been chosen by the world itself… Granting this wish is my responsibility!" He reached out his hand, pulling the torch from Ren's grasp. He held it to his chest, and then hoisted it high. Azathoth appeared behind him and flew up surrounded by a golden, blinding light. A massive surge of tendrils spawned from its form, morphing, and changing shape. The tendrils seamlessly wrapped together until they created a smooth surface. This continued until Azathoth took the form of a massive, golden man, standing behind Maruki.

"No… You can't be serious…" Futaba muttered in awe, taking a step back. The others did the same..

"Maruki… he's done it… he's evolved his Persona!" Morgana jumped back in astonishment.

"Such strength of will…" Yusuke commented.

Maruki held out his hand, an aura of absolute conviction emanating from his expression and posture.

"If it is for everyone's happiness, I don't care what happens to me. Don't resist… Accept it. With my power… No…"

He slammed his staff against the ground.

"With mine and Adam Kadmon's together, our reality is nigh!"

"I refuse to let it end like this!" Maruki called for Adam Kadmon, who slammed its fist onto the ground. From within the smoke and debris, Maruki lunged at Ren with his staff. In a flash of sparks, Ren managed to catch the staff with Paradise Lost, the spikes inches from his face.

"Adam Kadmon!" A series of tendrils shot up from the ground, and Maruki disappeared.

"Focus on Maruki!" Ren yelled. "I don't know what his Persona can do now!" He looked around and found himself, Sumire, Akechi, and Ryuji separated from the others by a mass of tendrils. Using his third eye, he saw the entire building was wrapped in tendrils, stemming from Adom Kadmon.

"Adom Kadmon! Guide us all to our ideal reality!"

"You're wrong!" Sumire yelled. Ren dashed over to her and took her hand.

"We'll forge our own path forward, together!"

"Yeah! We refuse to let it end any other way, too!" Futaba reaffirms with confidence.

Maruki reached out his hand, and Ren felt his vision blur. He tore off his mask. "Raoul!" Raoul began to flap his wings, sending a dark shockwave at Maruki. As the smoke cleared, Maruki stood, barely scratched. "Damnit!" Ren yelled, "Use supportive moves for now!"

"All right! William! Charge us up!" Ryuji pumped a fist.

"Hereward! Slow him down!" Akechi clawed at his mask.

"Ella! Take us to the ball!" Sumire spun in a circle, and a golden aura encompassed the team.

"Raoul! Phantom Show!" Ren chuckled and negated Maruki's actualization. "Hit him with everything we've got!"

"I'm not holding back!"
Adom Kadmon palmed his hands together, and a massive ball of blue energy formed as he uncupped his palms. The blue ball split into a mass of eyes, which shot lasers in every direction. While the thieves dodged the lasers, Adom Kadmon slammed down its fist, hitting Sumire head-on.

"Sumire!" Ren yelled, losing his computer. A laser pierced him through the side as he stumbled.
"I'm okay, Ren!" she opened her palm, displaying the glowing orb.

"R-Right! Maria! Salvation!" The healing aura brought Ren back to his feet.

"William! Rain fire!"

"Hereward, slice and dice!"

The thieves whittled away at Maruki until he stumbled. "Adam Kadmon!" a burst of tendrils spewed from the Persona's chest, covering the battlefield. Maruki leaped over them and attacked Akechi with his staff.

"Hahaha! Up close and personal! This is my range!" Akechi laughed maniacally while blocking the attack with his sword.

"Adam!" Maruki jumped back into the heap of tendrils. As Ren caught sight of Maruki again, he clenched his fist in a downward motion. Raoul mimicked him, and a massive black snake head appeared under Maruki, biting into him

He screamed in pain and fell to a knee. "And my reality is right before my eyes…" Maruki panted for breath. "I'm sorry. I said I didn't care what'd happen to me… But I guess… I wasn't committed to my words…"

Adam Kadmon lowered its hand next to Maruki.

"You too, huh?"

Akechi pulled out his laser pistol.

"Crow-senpai, what are you-!?"

"Can't you tell?" Akechi attempted to shoot Maruki, but several tendrils blocked the shots. Maruki stepped onto Adam's hand while tendrils surrounded him.

"You think the same thing, don't you? Of course you do. After all…"

Akechi pulled out his sword and began to walk toward Maruki.

"Crow-senpai!" Sumire pleaded to him.

"We hesitate right now, we die!" he snarled at her.

Adam lifted Maruki up to his head, which opened in a mechanical fashion. Maruki stepped inside. "I'm all yours… Use me… however you want… Now show us… the reality… The reality… we wish for..." Tendrils surrounded Maruki, and one pierced the back of his neck. They pulsed red. Adam Kadmon's entire form turned red and gold, fire-spewing from its eyes.

"I am thou and…"

"THOU ART I"

Adam Kadmon lifted a fist, which began to glow and heat up. "Incoming!" Futaba warned the group. They braced for impact. He slammed his fist down, putting the entirety of his body weight into it.
"Shi-!" Ryuji exclaimed.

The fist impacted the battlefield, causing rippling shockwaves to crack and destroy the ground. Debris sidelined Ren and his friends, leaving them heavily wounded.

"Damnit! Maria!" Ren tore off his mask and healed his teammates.

Adam Kadmon looked down at Ren.

"This power is the source… and the destination. I will be the light that guides mankind. You can throw your mask away. Stop pretending. You've been tied down by your own fear."

Sumire stepped forward and swiped her arm, resolve written on her face. "We're going to beat you, and go back-to our OWN reality!"

Ryuji and Akechi attacked Adam Kadmon with their Personas, discovering it was nigh invincible.

"What the hell are we s'posed to do?"

"Don't stop! Kill him!"

Adam prepared for another attack with its fist.

"Hold on just a little bit longer guys! I'll try and find a weak point!" Futaba floated above them in Al Azif.

"I cannot fail… I must not fail you all! It doesn't have to be like this! Don't sleep through dreams that can't come true! Believe in us! So that you don't need to suffer from anything!"

Adam Kadmon slammed his fist down once more, causing a shockwave across the rooftop.

Ren fell to his knees. Sumire ran over to him and threw his arm around her shoulder.

"Ren! Get up!"

"I'm not done!"

"The time to end such strife is at hand! You all deserve better! May you forever be free."

As Adam Kadmon began to raise his fist again, Futaba called out to the group.

"I got it! I've found his weakness! Joker-the next time he attacks, that's your chance!"

Ren panted, clutching his side. He was bleeding heavily, a well-placed sharp piece of debris having pierced him.

"Alright. Maria!" Ren used the ultimate Persona of the Faith arcana to revitalize himself once more. He could tell by his mental fatigue that he was almost out of energy.

"Can you stand?" Sumire asked him, keeping a tight grip on him.

"Yeah. Let's create an opening."

Ren summoned Raoul one last time, creating another Phantom Show. From the curtain, Ryuji, Akechi, and Sumire all attacked Adam Kadmon. He went to raise his fist again and retracted all of the tendrils into his hand.

"Let's settle this… once and for all!"

Futaba rapidly tapped at the various holographic displays inside Al Azif.

"His head is his weak spot… though our attacks are ineffective in his normal state. But! Whenever he attacks, he drops his guard while concentrating all of his power! So, if we can target his head as he strikes… we might have a shot!"

Ren and Morgana silently nodded at one another. The Phantom Thieves ran in front of Ren, preparing to take the blow. Adam Kadmon's fist rocketed down with immense speed and pressure. The shockwave upon impact blinded Ren, forcing him to cover his eyes with an arm.

"What!? Impossible!"

As Ren regained his vision, he saw his allies utilizing all of their power to create a field to block the attack.

"We've come this far… we ain't gonna give up!" Ryuji growled between gritted teeth.

"Yeah! You gotta do way better than this!" Ann shouted, using all of her might not to cave under the pressure.

"Don't underestimate our tenacity!" Yusuke shouted.

"It's just another threat. We'll overcome it like we always do!" Makoto held her hands up next to Haru, clenching her teeth.

"If I run now, I know I'll regret it!"

Ren looked at Sumire, her ponytail flowing underneath the pressure. The orb and her heart ring glowed.

"We'll decide for ourselves what we want our lives to be!"

Akechi was bent down, holding both of his arms up, covering his head.

"I'm a bit occupied, so do your goddamn JOB!"

"Oracle, how does it look?" Morgana asked.

"Perfect! His head's defense level has dropped down to zero percent!" Futaba grinned. "Go for it!"

"Finish this, Joker!"

Ren sprinted forward, jumping and leaping over and across floating pieces of the building. He leaped off and flicked his grappling hook toward a crane. As it attached, Adam Kadmon noticed and turned his head to track Ren. Ren swung around him, using the momentum to fly up and do a backflip. Adam raised his head to face him, and Ren landed on it. Ren whipped out his pistol, aiming it directly at Adam Kadmon.

"Checkmate."

He shot a single bullet that penetrated Adam Kadmon's face, hitting Maruki directly in the mask. It cracked, and his link was severed. Adam Kadmon dissipated, turning into golden dust.

Ren jumped off and landed next to his friends. Maruki floated down and landed in front of them, on one knee. The torch returned to Ren's hand.

"Why… I gave up everything else… I dedicated all that I have to this… But I still… Why?" Maruki groveled, slamming his fist into the pavement.

"You're running from the pain, Dr. Maruki. Pain that you need to face. You're denying reality." Ren answered.

Maruki slowly stood, supporting himself with his staff. He was shocked.

"...I'm running from... " He laughed. "You nailed it. It's true that I turned my back on the original reality…" His expression grew stern. "But where's the harm in that!? When it grows to be too much, too painful… Every person deserves to escape that!"

Sumire sighed and grabbed Ren's hand.

"In all honesty, it's best for a person's growth when they tackle their own hardships… But reality doesn't always make that so feasible! No matter how much you try, or work for so long, the smallest injustice can wipe it all out, leave you with nothing… Don't you, of all people, understand that!?" He looked at Ren, sadness filling his eyes.

"I do, but I changed. I found new ways to move forward. Even if I'm a delinquent or a criminal, Sumire found some way to love me regardless. When life turns its back on you, you need to rebel against it. Take matters into your own hands. Don't just run from it. Without pain, you can't change, Dr. Maruki."

Maruki gasped, dropping his staff.

"You know, there probably are plenty of people who'd ultimately benefit from your "reality." But what about the people who want to take on the world themselves? How's it right to rob them of their opportunities?" Morgana stomped a paw.

Sumire stepped forward, a sad expression on her face.
"I don't think what you're saying is wrong either, Dr. Maruki. Some people want to run from their pain and cling to some other version of reality… Like I used to." She looked at Ren, still holding his hand. "But the knowledge I gained through that pain, the love I feel now, and my desire to move on… Those are even more precious to me! You can confide in others to address your problems. You could even start over with Rumi!" Sumire yelled in a heartfelt tone, pouring her soul out to reach Maruki. "I won't let anyone take them from me again!"

Maruki spoke in a defeated tone. "Yoshizawa-san… So you truly don't want it… Huh… Looks like I'm totally finished… My Apple… and my Eve…"

The entirety of the air and earth shook around them. The Palace began to completely collapse, the massive cameras and apples falling from the sky alongside the gold-threaded distortions.

"Dr. Maruki! Hurry! It's not safe there!" Sumire called out as Maruki took off his mask. As he went to stand, a large pile of debris fell in front of him.

"Dr. Maruki!"

"No! It's too late for him! Akechi grabbed her arm, and Ren held her hand.

"We're trapped here as well!"

As the Phantom Thieves stood on the collapsing bridge, rubble encompassing them, they frantically looked for an escape route.

"Everyone, get over here! Hurry!" Morgana transformed into his car form.

"Mona-san! What are you-?" Haru asked.

"This is no time to act tough!" Makoto yelled.

"Whoever-said it was an act? Heh…"

"Mona-senpai, can you fly?" Sumire pleaded.

"But I'm a car! There's no way I can-No. It's now or never- I HAVE to fly!"

In a flash of blue, the Phantom Thieves found themselves inside a helicopter.

"Whaaat?" The group simultaneously gasped.

"A helicopter?" Yusuke questioned, looking out the side.

"If you could do this, then SAY SO, DAMNIT!" Futaba yelled.

"Well, I didn't know!" Morgana retorted. "Now I'm downright priceless to the Phantom Thieves, hehehe…"

"Sorry to interrupt your little moment of triumph, but… Couldn't you have made yourself just a bit larger?" Akechi complained, squished prone on the floor of the Mona-copter.

"Hey, where'd Ren go!?" Ryuji asked, looking out the other side.

"Don't worry!"

Ryuji looked down and saw Ren dangling from his grappling hook.

"Thank goodness…" Sumire sighed in relief.

As the Mona-copter flew over the collapsing landscape, it suddenly came to a halt.

A large tendril wrapped around the edge and Maruki stood on a glass bridge.

"We're losing altitude!"

Ren looked down at Maruki, and up at his team. He retracted his grappling hook and dropped down.

As Ren landed on the bridge, snowflakes fell around him and Maruki. Massive shards of glass floated around them, refracting and reflecting the snow.

"Sorry to cut your flight short like that…. This place is done for, along with the entire reality I dreamed of… I… have lost. Even if I were to try that fight over, I'm sure I'd only lose again." Maruki sighed. "So I know… this is going to sound pretty stupid. I've been holding this all in for so long, just hiding it from myself… So, please… help me kill every last one of my regrets. You're the only one I can ask to help me with this, Amamiya-kun."

Ren slowly walked toward Maruki, a warm smile on his face.

"I'm here for you, don't worry."

Maruki's Rebellion attire disappeared, leaving him in his white suit. Ren's mask faded away into tiny blue shards, each shaped like a butterfly.

"The disappearance of my Palace-of the entire Metaverse-is drawing near. Seems like neither of us can summon our Personas anymore." Maruki commented, raising his fists. "Let's begin."

Maruki charged at Ren, punching him in the face with a left hook.

"I gave up everything!" He screamed. "EVERYTHING! So, why!?"

Ren ran right back at him with a right hook, hitting him in the jaw.

"You learned from your pain! You still can!"

"Why… Why Rumi!?" Maruki hit Ren with a right uppercut, sending him stumbling backward.

"You can.. Start over!" Ren returned the same punch.

"A reality where… No one suffers…" Maruki punched Ren in the gut in a downward motion.

"Is one where… we don't learn… we can't be truly happy…" Ren primed his right fist for a knockout punch. "If we don't… earn it!" Ren launched his right fist at Maruki, punching him square in the jaw again. "Let me see you… grit those teeth…"

Maruki stumbled forward and let out a soul-crushing scream, shaking. He fell to a knee and then onto his back, staring at the snowfall. He reached his right hand upward, and snowflakes fell onto his hand.

"I'm done… I get it now… All thanks to you."

The glass beneath Maruki cracked and shattered. Maruki closed his eyes. Ren dove forward and grabbed his hand as he began to fall. Maruki blinked, his glasses gone, and he looked back up. Ren groaned in pain, straining every last one of his exhausted muscles holding Maruki.

"Huh? Come on… I said I'm done. Please… let go of my hand." Maruki pleaded to Ren, his eyes devoid of life and emotion.

"I won't let it end like this. We're going back together. You can still… start over again… with Rumi!" Ren struggled to hold him, and he could feel his grip loosening.

"Your eyes are as bright and honest as ever… You keep your head up, no matter what… I must have always been… afraid… afraid you and I wouldn't wish for the same reality…"

Maruki looked toward his Palace, now a mass of floating broken glass, tendrils, apples, and cameras.

"Start over… huh…"

Ren smiled with his signature, win-all Joker grin at Maruki one last time as the light of the Mona-copter overtook his vision.

After a few seconds, Morgana positioned himself parallel to Maruki. Yusuke and Ryuji grabbed him and held him on the edge of the helicopter.

"C'mon, Joker!"

Ren stood up and looked over the helicopter.

"Just... go back to the entrance, I'll swing down! You don't really have any room." Ren said weakly.

"You're telling ME about room!" growled Akechi, stuck between the floor and his acquaintances.

Ryuji's face contorted to one of fear.

"You sure ma- oh shit!"

The ice beneath Ren began to crack, and the whole cognitive world violently shook. Ren quickly glanced around and saw the sky begin to split above them, the infinite void beyond.

"We don't have time! Go! Tell Sumi I'll be-" Before Ren could finish the sentence, the ice broke beneath him, shattering into a million pieces.

Sumire barreled past Yusuke and Ryuji, nearly knocking them and Maruki out of the Mona-copter.

"REN!"

He plunged.

"I'm going after -" Sumire exclaimed before feeling a series of hands grasping her shoulders and arms.

"Sumire. He's your treasured item. You can't lose it." Futaba tried to assure Sumire, her arms wrapped around Sumire's left arm.

"Sumi-chan, I know he'll be fine. He does these things all the time!" Haru pleaded, grasping Sumire's right arm.

"Sumire, believe in him." Ann held Sumire by the shoulders.

"I can't just watch, not again!" she screamed.

"Watch him like he watches you, Sumire!" Morgana yelled, rapidly descending.

"You better land this thing before I kill him myself!" yelled Akechi, banging his fist on the bottom window.

Ren continued to plunge, the air forcing his eyes open, his coat and hair pushed back by the immense pressure. I won't fail her, I can't fail! The world went dark as Ren activated his Third Eye, scanning the air for any sort of debris to grapple from.

There!

Ren swung his arm out, launching the grappling hook toward a large chunk of yellow, twisted tendrils. He swung through the air, looking for the next grapple point.

I see it!

Ren released the hook, plunging further. He flipped in the air and launched it again. He hears a distinct chnnk noise as the grappling hook finds purchase on a huge chunk of a bridge.

I'm coming, Sumire!

With one last launch, he saw a large railing encircling the outer elevator of the palace. He threw the grappling hook with a flick of his wrist and caught it on the railing. He found himself with a massive amount of momentum and elected to pace himself by running along the wall until he lost speed. Eventually, he found himself dangling from the grappling hook, roughly 40 feet above his comrades.

After a few more seconds of flying through giant, distorted apples, winding gold, twisted roads, and the cognitive night sky, the Phantom Thieves found themselves touching down near the entrance of the palace, which hadn't begun to collapse.

As their feet meet the ground, their outfits vanish in a familiar blue spark, for the last time. The Metaverse was nearly gone.

"Wait, where's Ren?" Sumire immediately cried. Her lover was nowhere in sight. She failed to watch him. Her ponytail fell loose against her back as her Metaverse attire disappeared.

"REN!?" she continued to yell, her voice growing hoarse.

The other Phantom Thieves joined her, frantically calling for their leader. Dr. Maruki laid limp on the ground, unconscious.
Sumire ran up to the elevator. "Please, work! Let me find him!"

A few seconds pass. The Phantom Thieves fell silent.

"Looking for me?"

Sumire turned around to find her lover, the Trickster, hanging from his grappling hook, directly in front of her.

He dangled upside down, his legs held in a diamond shape.

Sumire sprinted into him and embraced his form. He still wore his Phantom Thief attire.

"I'm sorr-"

Sumire cut his words short with a deep kiss, her hands pressed against his warm cheeks.

10 seconds pass.

20 seconds pass.

Finally, her lips leave his.

"I… we promised… I wouldn't cry," she muttered in a choked voice, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Joker flipped and retracted his grappling hook. Upon landing, his Trickster outfit disappeared in a flash of blue fire.

"I'm still here. Don't worry about it."

Ren wiped the tears from her eyes and picked her up in a bridal carry. He looked over at his friends.

"Sorry about that. No room, you know?"

Most of the Phantom Thieves sighed at their leader's cockiness, his desire for one last time to show off.

"We don't have any more time. This is the end of the Metaverse and our deal. I'll admit, it wasn't half-bad working with you all." Akechi stated, a half-cocked grin on his face.

Ren bit his lip, knowing this was the last time he'd see Akechi.

The group marched toward the entrance, Maruki's arms slung over the shoulders of Ryuji and Yusuke.

"This is checkmate," Ren whispered as he passed Akechi.

He wanted to say "I'm sorry" so desperately, but he knew this is what Akechi wanted. On top of that, his mind was made up, and this was the end.

Ren trudged forward. His next target was the World Stage, with Sumire at his side.

There was no place for Akechi, and he knew that.