A few minutes later, in the subway station…
"Which one you want?" asked Ryuji to Ann as he's holding several soda bottles in his hands after he bought them from a nearby convenience store in the station.
"Whichever's not carbonated." replied Ann.
"Uh, they're all carbonated actually." said Ryuji with a slightly sheepish look on his face.
"Then…" said Ann as she take the pepsi one from Ryuji before he hold out the other 3 bottles to Akira, Minato and Kanakubo-sensei and they take the bottles and thanked him for it.
"What about me?" asked Morgana as he popped out of Akira's bag and glance at Ryuji.
"Huh? But you're a cat." said Ryuji as he crossed his arms (which make Morgana scowled at him before he glance at Ann).
"…Have you calmed down, Lady Ann?" asked Morgana concernly to Ann.
"Yeah, I am. Um… Morgana, right?" replied Ann before she turned to glance at Morgana with a surprise look on her face. "I really am talking to a cat… This feels so strange…"
"Yeah, it is. But at least it's better than us being taken into the castle earlier by the knights of that vulgar king Kamoshida, Takamaki-san." said Kanakubo-sensei.
"Yeah, I guess, sensei." said Ann as she nodded at him.
"Don't be, Takamaki-san and Kanakubo-sensei. You 2 will get used to it soon enough like us." said Akira reassuringly to both Ann and Kanakubo-sensei about Morgana.
"It's only natural that you 2 are confused. Demanding that you 2 understand all of this right after what you 2 went through is asking too much." said Morgana.
"Honestly, I still can't believe what happened… And that power… my Persona…" said Ann as she shake her head in disbelief a little.
"Same goes for me too. To think that something like that would happen to us…" said Kanakubo-sensei with a pondering look on his face.
"It's the will of your rebellions, Lady Ann, Kanakubo-sensei. With it, you 2 will be able to fight with us in that other world." explained Morgana.
"I see. So if what you told me is true, we can make Kamoshida have a change of heart, right?" asked Ann as she glance at Akira. "Is it really possible…? Can we actually force him to confess his crimes?" added Ann anxiously to them.
"Yes. We can if we try, Takamaki-san. Because no one else will." replied Akira while Minato nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, Kurusu's right. The volleyball team's keepin' quiet about this, while teachers and parents turn a blind eye, except you, Kanakubo-sensei. If guys and girls and a teacher like us complain, they're just gonna shot us down. Goin' all in on this plan is the only choice we got." said Ryuji as he clench his fists.
"Then let me help too. I want to make him pay for what happened to Shiho. He just keeps going like nothing happened, even after what he did to her… I'll never forgive him." said Ann determinedly to them.
"Wait, did you just said, "let me help"? You mean you want us to take you along?" asked Ryuji in a surprise tone of voice to Ann.
"Are you sure about that, Takamaki-san?" added Akira concernly to her.
"Yes, I'm sure, Kurusu-kun." said Ann as she nodded at Akira.
"What about you, sensei?" asked Ryuji as he glance at Kanakubo-sensei.
"I'll help too. No way I'm gonna let you students do such a dangerous thing by yourselves." replied Kanakubo-sensei as he glance and nodded back at Ryuji.
"Guess that settles it. I think we should let them come with us to help out, you guys. Because they awaken to their Personas before we leave that bastard's palace." said Minato.
"Thanks, Arisato-kun." said Kanakubo-sensei as he nodded at Minato (who nodded back to him before he froze when he felt the same familiar feeling of time around him stopped and he heard the same girl's voice spoke to him from within his head).
To you who has bear,
And endured the weight of the Universe,
We of the Aeon Arcana,
Give you our blessings, Messiah.
After the girl's voice fell silent, Minato look up and saw a card (a five-coloured (blue, red, green, yellow and white) card with the black figure of a woman holding two swords on her outstretched hands with the black figure of a serpent wrapped around her body) appearing and floating above Kanakubo-sensei's head before it fell and landed accurately on his hand and he quickly put the cards into his pocket before time resumed around him and the others.
"Yeah, thank you, senpai. Also don't act like I'm gonna drag you guys down. Weren't you guys watching? I can fight too." replied Ann as she scowled at Ryuji (who had a worry look on his face before he glance at Akira).
"Hey, what should we do?" asked Ryuji hesitantly at Akira.
"I'll admit that it's dangerous to bring her and sensei but… that is because they're not like us up until a few minutes ago. And like what Arisato-senpai just said to us, they did awaken to their Personas like we did and they can fight so I don't see any reason on why we shouldn't bring them with us." replied Akira with a small yet firm nod of his head to Ryuji about Ann and Kanakubo-sensei.
"I agree as well. The more the merrier, after all." said Morgana in an agreeing tone of voice to Akira. "Don't worry, I'll protect her." added Morgana firmly to Akira about him protecting Ann.
"Good to see that we have made up our minds about Takamaki-san and Kanakubo-sensei." said Minato.
"Yeah, we know, senpai." said Akira.
"Even if you guys or sensei say no, I'd just go in alone." said Ann as she scowled at them.
"Oh no, you don't! Not on my watch, Takamaki-san!" said Kanakubo-sensei as he scowled at Ann.
"Oh right, she can enter the palace by herself now that she and probably sensei has the app too… Rgh, fine." said Ryuji as he scratch his head in slight exasperation at Ann's decision.
"Then it's decided. Well, I hope we'll get along!" said Ann as she smiled at Ryuji before she turned to glance at Akira. "I'm going to make Kamoshida pay and atone for what he did. Not just for Shiho's sake… but for everything he's done. I won't let any more people suffer because of him. I'll do whatever it takes!" added Ann sternly and firmly to Akira.
"Yes, we all will, Takamaki-san. Together." said Akira as he nodded to Ann before he felt a strong fighting resolve from Ann, which Minato noticed as he saw Akira froze and stand still for a moment then saw a card forming above Ann's head before the card flew down toward Akira, who take it and put it into his blazer pocket.
"Just let me know when you guys and sensei are heading back in… Oh wait! We don't have each other's info. Hey, give me your number and chat ID. And, um…" said Ann to them before Minato, Akira, Ryuji and Kanakubo-sensei take out their phones and exchange numbers and chat ID with each other. "I'll be counting on you guys and sensei, then. Same goes for you, Morgana. And also, there's something that I want to talk to you about, Arisato-senpai." added Ann as she smiled and nodded to Akira, Ryuji, Morgana and Kanakubo-sensei.
"Yeah, right back at you too, Takamaki-san." said Akira as both he and Ryuji smiled back at Ann.
"The pleasure is all mine, Lady Ann." said Morgana as he smiled back at her as well.
"We know, Takamaki-san." said Kanakubo-sensei, smiling as well.
"Something that you want to tell me about? Is it about your friend Suzui-san, Takamaki-san?" asked Minato sadly to Ann.
"…Yeah, you're right." replied Ann as she nodded at Minato. "But can we talk about it in a different place instead of here?"
"Sure. Lead the way then, Takamaki-san." said Minato before both he and Ann bade farewell to Akira, Ryuji, Morgana and Kanakubo-sensei and they left the station.
XXXX
A few minutes later, in Inokashira Park…
"Well, here we are, Arisato-senpai. Inokashira Park." said Ann as she turned and gestured with her hand at the quiet, peaceful park next to a large and deep-looking pool around her and Minato.
"Here I am back in this park for another private conversation, this time with Takamaki-san." thought Minato as he briefly look around the park before he glance at Ann. "Okay, now for our talk about Suzui-san."
"Yeah. Shiho… She wanted me to tell you that she's sorry for rejecting your help and hurting you on the rooftop back in Shujin Academy before the ambulance came and take her to the hospital." said Ann sadly to Minato.
"She said that, huh? That's kind of her but it's still meaningless because I failed to helped and prevent her from falling from the roof and I'm sorry for that, Takamaki-san." said Minato sadly and guiltily to Ann.
"Why are you apologizing to me for, Arisato-senpai? It's not your fault because you did try your best to stop her." said Ann reassuringly to Minato.
"She's right, Minato. So don't blame yourself too much for what happened to Shiho Suzui. It's that damn bastard fault for making her do that." said Pharos in agreement with Ann.
"Yeah, I know, Pharos. Thanks." said Minato slightly thankfully to Pharos before he glance at Ann. "Thanks for saying that to me, Takamaki-san. I appreciate it." said Minato thankfully to Ann, which make her smiled at him before he froze when he felt the same familiar feeling of time around him stopped and he heard the same familiar girl's voice spoke to him from within his head for the second time.
To you who has bear,
And endured the weight of the Universe,
We of the Lovers Arcana,
Give you our blessing, Messiah.
After the familiar girl's voice fell silent, Minato look up and saw a single purple and pink-coloured card with the two black figures of a man and a woman standing opposite each other and staring up at a huge, purple-coloured heart floating in the sky above them appearing and floating above Ann's head before the card fell and landed accurately on Minato's hand and he quickly put the card into his blazer pocket next to the Aeon card he obtained from Kanakubo-sensei before time resumed around him and Ann.
Both Minato and Ann then bade farewell to each other, left the park and take separate trains to head home. After another few minutes, the train that Minato is on with the other passengers stopped in the next station and he got off the train with them, left the station, bought a large bag of groceries from a nearby supermarket store for dinner before head back and went into the apartment only to be bombarded with concern questions from Makoto and a stern lecture from Sae for what he did in Shujin Academy after he stepped into the apartment.
Minato spend the next-half hour answering Makoto's questions and explained his action calmly to Sae and also reassured them both that he's alright but worry for Shiho Suzui until he's done (and also establish Priestess and Judgement social links with them) before he head to the kitchen to cooked dinner for himself, Sae and Makoto and once he's done cooking, they had and finish their quiet and solemn dinner before Makoto take out and gave a shopping bag with the Buchimaru logo on it to Minato and told him that it's her late birthday present for him (which he thanked her gratefully as he take the shopping bag from her, take a look and saw that she gave him a Buchimaru hoodie jacket) before they take their separate baths then head back to their rooms to sleep.
XXXX
Meanwhile, somewhere in Ikebukuro…
"We've arrived and landed on the rooftop of the other manor that belongs to the Kirijo group in Ikebukuro now, everyone." said a fair-skinned, short dark purple-haired, brown-eyed woman named Kikuno Saikawa (who's wearing a long sleeve white button up shirt with a black button up vest over it, white gloves on her hands, long black pants with black shoes on her feet) to Minako, Shinjiro, Aigis, Junpei, Yukari, Ken and Koromaru sitting beside and behind her in the helicopter after she safely and securely landed the helicopter that she's piloting on the helipad located on the huge garden behind the manor before she turned off the helicopter's engine while Minako, Shinjiro, Aigis, Junpei, Yukari, Ken and Koromaru got off the helicopter.
"Finally, my arms and legs are quite stiff after being inside the helicopter for hours." groaned Junpei as he start stretching his arms and legs.
"Uh huh. Whatever." said Yukari as she rolled her eyes at Junpei.
"Now now, please don't start another argument, Yukari, Junpei." said Minako.
"Yeah, I agreed with Minako-san so don't start another childish argument." said Ken in agreement with Minako.
"Fine." sighed Junpei.
"Come on, let's get into the manor so we can all have an early rest before we begin our search for whoever it is that's the new vessel of Death tomorrow." said Shinjiro slightly sternly to them and they all nodded to him before they went into the manor for their early rest.