I own nothing.

"Which one is right: Shido or the Phantom Thieves?" an office worker near them asked, looking conflicted.

"I hear what Shido-san is saying, but is it true?" a nearby woman askedThe Phantom Thieves were walking through the city only half an hour after they had broadcast their calling card. They had wanted to be in the city earlier, but Futaba had needed to make sure there were no complications, and no one had wanted to get a headstart and make the girl walk through the city herself. Instead, they had left immediately after the broadcast had finished, gotten onto a subway, and made it into Tokyo as fast as they could manage.

None of them could let go of the fact that Sojiro had seemed so concerned with them broadcasting in Leblanc, but they decided not to dwell on it. There was no time to linger on regret or worry, as they were forced to watch and listen as Shido tried to do damage control by making his own broadcast. They all stopped at one point, trying to hold back their glares as Shido spoke.

"The notice put forth by these so-called Phantom Thieves is absolutely groundless," Shido said, his words obviously fake. "It is nothing more than a wicked terrorist act, aimed at obstructing the elections. What we need now is a powerful, unyielding leader. I am willing to risk my life to fight them."

. The Phantom Thieves felt slightly discouraged from the uncertainty of the audience, but they supposed that was to be expected.

"I speak now to those who call themselves Phantom Thieves. Your actions are gravely serious crimes," Shido spoke with conviction now, his "noble message" that was meant to inspire making the thieves feel all the more angry. "You are rebelling against the laws of this country and unnecessarily causing alarm among its citizens. I call on you to surrender yourselves at once and apologize to the people of this proud nation."

"The Phantom Thieves cut into a live broadcast signal, didn't they? They're crazy…" A gaudy young man nearby commented, looking down at the ground and shaking his head.

"But don't you think that Shido looks like a criminal too?" A flashy girl asked, looking up at the monitor nervously. "And if what the Phantom Thieves were saying earlier was true, that means Shido is a murderer…"

"Or a conspirator," the man muttered, before gaining a thoughtful look on his face. "But aren't the Phantom Thieves murderers, too? Which side is telling the truth?"

"I don't know what to believe anymore…" the office worker mumbled, looking tired.

"I hope they catch them soon…" the woman said sadly, shaking her head.

The Phantom Thieves all sighed, slightly disappointed, but not expecting much more.

Ryuji scowled and whispered so that only his teammates could hear, "That bastard Shido's tryin' to act all calm, but he's prolly freakin' out on the inside."

"'Apologize'? Quite the funny joke," Yusuke remarked coldly.

"If we were actually dumb enough to fall for that, he'd just dispose of us, and the public would never be the wiser…" Sayori mumbled, pulling the jacket that Sae had lent to her tighter around her, hugging herself.

"We've spoken out, but the public won't know who the real criminal is unless we win…" Haru said, glaring up at the monitor.

"Don't talk like that," Ann said lightly, smiling. "Of course we'll win." The blond hugged Sayori around her shoulders. "We have a promise to keep, after all…"

"Let's not waste another second here," Makoto said sternly. Everyone nodded and turned away from the giant monitor, resuming their walk to the Diet Building.


The Phantom Thieves ran into the Palace as quickly as they could, managing to make it to the elevator that would take them to the Representative's Chamber. They all stood in silence as the elevator ascended, seeming to go so fast, and yet so slow at the same time. No one could think of anything to say. Their hearts pounded in their chest as everyone thought about how they would only have one shot at this. There was no turning back or trying again.

But it's fine… I know I can do this… I know that we can do this! Valiant thought to herself, glancing at her teammates from the corner of her eye, but never turning to face them. It still… feels so hard to breathe around everyone… Or maybe I'm still just nervous. It's embarrassing, how everything feels so awkward between us even now…

Over the past week, her friends had done so much to earn back her forgiveness and respect. Valiant had even found herself relying on them more than once in the past couple of days… The past day…

Goro has been dead for almost an entire day… It feels like it only just happened a few seconds ago, yet it also feels like it's been an eternity. Thinking about that made the girl's lip quiver, and her body shiver, but she forced her body to stay still.

Without him… Who do I have to rely on in this place? The Phantom Thieves… and Mai, but who knows when she'll be back? So that just leaves the thieves… Valiant glanced at them all once more just as the elevator came to a stop. The door began to slowly open, and the girl sighed as everyone began to walk out. I'd like to forgive them… After we're done with this… Maybe…

The Phantom Thieves ran down the rows of seats in the Representative's Chamber. At the front of the room, they could see the Treasure floating high above, and Shido standing right below it. Already, adrenaline and anger was pushing the Phantom Thieves forward, until they were standing right in front of the podium Shido was standing on.

"Shido!" Skull shouted angrily.

"Where did you lowlives obtain that power…?" Shido asked, his voice imperious. Then he smirked, shaking his head. "Not that it matters. If you have a complaint, I'm willing to listen."

Fox glared at the man. He was incredibly aware that Valiant was standing right beside him as he shouted at Shido. "What did you do to Akechi!? He… He was your own son!" When Fox glanced back, he noticed that Valiant's eyes seemed to be trying to burn a hole through Shido's head, fighting the urge to scream at the man as she bit her lip.

"Hmph, I had a feeling it was something like that. He reminded me too much of that woman," Shido said, grimacing in remembered disgust. I also have an idea as to why he approached me. He was hoping to trap me, was he not? He was sharp, but in the end he was just a kid. I controlled him merely by offering praise."

Every word that left Shido's mouth set Valiant's nerves on edge, as her brain froze momentarily, before instantly whirring into action as she processed the meaning of his words. "You knew…?" Valiant whispered, her hands clenched into fists, itching and burning as the fabric of her gloves rubbed against the scabs on her knuckles. Her teeth clenched as she forced the words out of her mouth. "You had a feeling that he was your son, you knew he was just a teenager, yet you still had him do all of those things!? You manipulated a teenager to do your dirty work!" The accusation hung in the air as her anger lit a fire in Valiant's head. She closed her eyes as her head began to pound and ache.

"I suppose if you want to give him more credit, I will admit he got harder to control near the end. It took threatening a little girl to get him to stay in line… Still, it was so easy… A base desire I never expected a kid like him could even have…" Shido said, pretentious and mocking as the thieves all paused.

"You threatened… a girl?" Mona asked, his voice small, as though he couldn't wrap his head around it. There was a heavy tension among the group as everyone looked at Valiant in shock. The girl's lip quivered as she closed her eyes tighter, in pain at knowing the truth.

"It looks like we were right…" Queen mumbled, before glaring back up at Shido's Shadow.

Now that attention had been pulled back to him, the Shadow smirked. "I intended to dispose of him as soon as I became prime minister… So I sincerely hope he had his fill of her before-"

"HOW DARE YOU!?" Valiant exploded, gripping at the sides of her head as she glared back up at Shido. Rage was suddenly eating away at her, and she couldn't begin to articulate all the things she wanted to do to Shido in this moment. "I'm going to… g-g-g… I…"

"Valiant?" Oracle asked, looking at her in concern.

"What the hell!?" Skull yelled at Shido, stamping his foot against the ground, wanting to walk over to the man and beat the living crap out of him. Skull was stopped as Panther grabbed hold of his arm and glared at Shido as well.

"You disgusting piece of shit!" the girl screamed at Shido, barely keeping herself together as well. "How could you do something like that to your own son?"

"I could never keep someone with such intimate knowledge of my past alive," Shido replied boredly, as though it made perfect sense. He smiled as a new thought entered his head. "What an 'ace' detective. He was standing beside me all this time, yet couldn't see through my plans."

"But he did," Mona stated, lifting up and pointing an accusatory paw at Shido. "He's been planning on betraying you for a long time now. Right, Valiant? Tell Shido what you told us!"

Mona's call to action was only met with silence as Valiant was fighting back a fresh wave of tears, emotions switching between anger at Shido for all that he had done, and the guilt he had placed on her, confirming that she was part of the reason Goro hadn't been able to escape.

"Valiant?" Mona asked in concern, looking over as the girl shook silently. "I'm sorry. Asking that is too much. I'll tell him inste-"

"Does it really make a difference? The brat is dead either way, and even if he did want to betray me… He obviously couldn't outmaneuver me," Shido observed, sending spikes of rage through all of the thieves. "His destroying himself saved me quite a bit of effort though."

I hate him I hate him I hate him I hatehatehatehatehatehatehate- Valiant's head felt like it was going to split open as she pulled on her hair and glared down at the ground.

"How could you…!?" Panther shouted, set on edge as she struggled to hold herself and Skull back.

"You stole my mom's research… and took her life!" Oracle screamed.

"Everything you've done has been for your own selfish gains!" Noir accused, closing her eyes tightly. "You even killed my father…! I will never forgive you!"

"Sacrifices are inevitable in the path of reform," Shido said nonchalantly. "I only require that the foolish entrust themselves to their superiors. I shall guide them."

"The hell makes you think you're so much better than anyone else!?" Skull questioned, fighting once more to rush forward and end it already.

"You never would have been able to make it this far without Akechi's help!" Panther added, knowing in her heart that it was true, wanting to say so much more than that, but not wanting to accidentally hurt Valiant's feelings as the girl struggled to hold herself together.

"He only appeared because of the expectations God held for me," Shido dismissed,his next words were ones of pride. "Moreover, it was thanks to me that Akechi was able to properly use his power to begin with. The 'changing of hearts' that you've been doing… was nothing more than provoking the public."

"What do you mean…?" Valiant asked, her voice intense as her eyes seemed to bug out of her mask to look at Shido. "'Because of you, Akechi could properly use his powers'? What did you do to him!?"

"Such an emotional girl… Yet you seem smart enough to figure it out. Use your imagination!" Shido said, enjoying as the girl seemed to back down once again, closing her eyes. It really was pathetic. "It is what it is. He's dead, right? So it's not like it affects him anymore."

Valiant's heart seemed to pick up speed as she tried and failed to take calming deep breaths. Panic filled her at the same time her rage felt like it possibly couldn't get any worse. What did he do to Goro? "G-g-g-" I'm sorry! I don't know! I don't know if I can do this… If I can just steal Shido's heart…!

"Then don't," a voice in her head spoke calmly, and Valiant couldn't tell if it was her Persona, and some other inner demon that she didn't know about.

"How selfish!" Fox seethed, glancing over as Valiant seemed trapped in her own thoughts. "You were unable to win by honest means, so you used foul tricks to ascend the political ladder! You say you're going to help everyone… Yet, the list of all the people you have hurt and killed far outweighs any reform you can achieve!"

"A cruel person like you has no right to stand leading the citizens of this country," Queen stated coldly. Her fists clenched as she too glanced back at Valiant. "You're nothing but a criminal who rose above others by climbing a staircase of sin. Valiant said it best. There is no room in your heart for anyone… Not for your son, your colleagues, or this country's citizens… There's only room for yourself!"

"The life of a nation as opposed to those of a few sacrifices… There can be no comparison," Shido said, shaking his head and holding up his fist. "The ignorant masses only care about their own personal happiness. I am merely granting that for them. That is the social reform that only I, as the one chosen by God, can enact!"

"I can't believe you look down on everyone so harshly…" Noir said, looking down at the ground.

"I'd never accept a leader who makes a teenager murder people!" Panther screamed. "You say it's for the country, but I bet it's all for yourself. Nobody would wish for something like that!"

"Nobody?" Shadow Shido asked, before walking further up the podium, until he was standing at the very top.

"Then why was I chosen? Why are they surrendering the seat of prime minister to me?" Shido questioned, grinning in determination. "Everyone denies the value of hard work these days. Instead, they seek to effortlessly gain wealth. That is why I must reestablish this mighty country. One that does not waver… One that others bow to."

"Mighty, my ass! That's just a crooked country made by a crook!" Skull shouted, taking another step forward in his slow progress toward the hated man.

"We cannot let you do this. You are a disgrace to Japan," Fox declared, his voice full of cold fury. "Hence, we will take your deranged heart."

"Hmph. Those who betray me must be eliminated," Shido stated, before looking down thoughtfully and smiling. "However… considering the loss of Akechi, it would be a waste to kill those who are actually capable. I will allow you to choose between life or death one last time. Devote your power to my social reform. I will give you anything you want, be it wealth or status."

"I decline."

"Do you really mean it…?"

"Shut up!" Valiant finally screamed, ripping off her mask angrily. Kore grew into existence behind her, ready to fight. "If anyone here has to die, then I'll kill you myself!"

"Valiant!" The Phantom Thieves were all horrified at her declaration, watching as their once sweet friend genuinely looked ready to kill.

"Don't hold me back!" Valiant shouted at them, her tone now one of desperation. "No matter what happens… Don't hold me back… I can't do this anymore. Please… I need you to…"

"W-we promise," Noir stuttered nervously, before reaching over and putting a cautious hand on her shoulder. "But please, Valiant… Don't let this man make you defile yourself, or your principles."

"Yeah," Mona agreed uneasily. "We'll trust you… After all, if there's one thing that's for certain, we would never follow Shido!"

"It's not even an option," Joker said simply, before turning to glare up at Shido.

"No matter how many times you ask, our answer's not gonna change!" Panther declared, spitting at Shido.

"You say you're chosen… But how could you be? You're nothing but an abuser, a murderer, and a criminal!" Valiant screamed, her eyes seeming to shine bright blue in the room's light. "What's so special about you that you think you deserve any position of power over other people…?" the girl questioned, before stiffly shaking her head. "Actually… Don't even bother to answer, because I don't care! It doesn't matter if you'll lead us to salvation or purgatory! No matter what you say, or do, or offer, it doesn't change the fact that you've done things… Done something that I will not show any mercy for!"

The Phantom Thieves all agreed, but couldn't help but worry at Valiant's declaration.

"It seems the ignorant masses are doomed to remain as such… I thought you were smarter than that," Shido said, shaking his head in disapproval. "This is unfortunate… I have no choice but to eliminate you all. A small leak will sink a great ship. Great nations have fallen to such lenience. I will not make such incautious mistakes," he declared, raising his fist once again.

A crowd was sudde;y applauding Shido, having formed without the Phantom Thieves noticing. Valiant closed her eyes, paying them no mind. Her head was starting to feel like it may split open, and she couldn't understand why.

"Since when…!?" Queen asked quietly, her voice hoarse as she looked at the crowd.

Shido waved his hands to settle the crowd, chuckling to himself. Mechanical whirs were heard, and the room began to change. The right eye on the Daruma doll behind him suddenly filled itself in as the podium Shido was standing on began to rise higher. The floor the Phantom Thieves were standing on began to sink, and a platform began to emerge from the side of the room, meant to trap the Thieves as multiple levels began to emerge.

Valiant's Persona suddenly wrapped it's viny arms around the girl's waist, before lunging up the platforms. Valiant herself looked furious. Fox jumped up after her, gesturing for everyone else to follow him. Everyone was shocked and worried, wondering if Valiant would really go that far. They were relieved to find her standing in one place, waiting for the rest of them to join her. The floors finally closed together, making a click sound. The Phantom Thieves gathered together quickly, as a voice suddenly caught their attention.

"Let me make myself clear." Shido's Shadow said, walking up a golden set of stairs as black matter surrounded him, clothing him in royal regalia and a spiked helmet formed on his head. "Do not think of me as you did my foolish son who acted so brashly!"

"You little…!" Skull grunted.

"Die… Without further delay!" Shido declared, as below the stairs a large golden lion rose up and revealed itself.

"You put all of us through a livin' hell! You're not walkin' away from this... It's on!" Skull declared. Joker got into a fighting stance, followed quickly by everyone else.

Valiant felt like her head was spinning all over the place, ready to split open and reveal her thoughts to the world. Kill him, hurt him, dismember, torture... Make him pay…

It was all so loud, drowning out every other thought as she only felt that urge… that anger that she just wanted to stop. But until Shido stopped being a part of her life… A name she always would have to hear… It wasn't going to. Every second he was here reminded her of what she had lost… and it hurt so much knowing that this pain was so intense in such a short amount of time.

The Ignorant Masses that carried Shido roared, and the fight began as the Phantom Thieves ran ahead to engage the monster, and the beast that carried him. Valiant took a deep breath, gripping her mask tightly at her side as she ran forward as well, Kore rocketing ahead of her.

As soon as the Phantom Thieves were close enough, they shot several spells towards the beast carrying Shido, only to bounce off as the beast lunged towards the thieves, swatting at them. Everyone leapt back, stumbling a bit as the beast just barely slashed at them.

The Beast of Human Sacrifice still wasn't done, roaring loudly and clawing at the recovering teens. Skull and Noir both fell to their knees. Mona and Panther went to work healing everyone the best that they could, while Joker tried once more to attack, barely making a dent in the Shadow's health.

And on and on the fight continued, the Phantom Thieves barely managing to stay alive while Shido laughed atop his horrid steed. He dominated over them, making it clear that at their current level, the thieves wouldn't be able to defeat him.

Valiant coughed violently on the ground, her arms too weak to even hold herself up, or even to protect herself. Her grasp on the back of her shield weakened, before it fell to the floor. Almost everyone was in a similarly weakened state as her, too many of her teammates lying still on the ground, with only Joker and Queen remaining weakly on their feet.

Seeing the horrible state that her friends were in, Valiant knew this was the end. They had never done this badly before, and they had never lost a battle. One like this was too important to lose.

Was there something we could have done to be more prepared? Valiant asked herself, sorrow drowning her as she knew there had to be something that they could have done… Something she could have done. Why could she still not do what was needed of her? This was the most important thing she could do… She had promised to do it.

But the Phantom Thieves were going to fail because of her weakness...Because she had failed to keep everyone well guarded, when their best fighters needed to be as well as they could be.

Shido's laughter echoed in her ears, and Valiant felt her anger spark back to life, reminded by him of all the ways she had failed. She had no control over herself, and Shido had used her to keep Goro at her side without her being able to do anything about it. Now he was dead, and his entire life would amount to nothing. Goro's ambitions would end here, because Shido would win. All of the Phantom Thieves would die, and no one who knew Goro would be left to remember him… Sayori wouldn't be able to remember the memories that only they shared… No one would remember her, either.

And it was Sayori's fault.

"Don't tell me that's all that you're capable of!" Shido's Shadow roared, his beastly steed knocking Queen down as well, leaving Joker once again as the only one standing with barely any health. "You disappoint me! My imcompetant son failed to defeat even the likes of you in battle? How pathetic…"

"He's right you know. Is this really all you're capable of?" A silent voice whispered into Valiant's head, causing the girl to groan, trying to block out the noise she knew she was going to be forced to hear.

"Are you really going to die here, like this? You'll go to your grave hating yourself when you know your dearest's killer is standing right there? You are determined to kill him, so what is with this inaction?"

"I can't beat him…" Valiant whispered. "It's my fault that I'm weak… I may not have killed Goro… But I caused-"

"That's not true, and you know it…"

"I do…"

"Do you think he'd want this for you? I know you certainly don't want it… This guilty feeling… It's sickening, how you're always so willing to die in a witch's hunt, falsely accused of crimes you didn't commit. So what if you can't keep your promise to Goro? Keep your promise to yourself first, and everything else will follow."

"My promise… to myself?" Sayori questioned, leaning her head up. "How can I live for myself when I'm about to die like this?"

"You promised yourself you were going to be selfish right? You weren't going to feel so guilty…? That you were going to fight for what you want!? What do you want right now?"

"I can't have what I want the most right now…" Sayori whispered to herself. "But… the thing I want after that… I want to make Shido pay…" Her body burned, and she began to test the limits of her movement, feeling suddenly coherent as she made an effort to stand.

"Good… He's right there, standing atop a filthy golden beast of human sacrifice. Take that as payment for what he's done," the soft voice said wickedly.

Valiant nodded, looking up at the golden lion with an ashen expression. "I don't want anymore sacrifices… I want to destroy it…"

"You already have all of the tools necessary to do so. Just remember your feelings from before…"

The voice was gone, and Valiant groaned as her side ached, blood dripping from a large scratch on her hip. But her mind suddenly felt so much clearer, no longer foggy after so much blood loss. She bit her lip as she forced her arms to push against the floor, lifting her body up and peeling her bloody exposed skin off of the ship's floor. Then she used her hands to push up, and suddenly she was on her feet, shaking unsteadily as the entire ship seemed to spin.

"Valiant!" Joker shouted in relief, running over to her, only to pause as he noticed how his teammate looked like she honestly shouldn't be standing. "Hey, is there any way I can heal you…? I think… I think we may need to leave with everyone," the leader said, frowning as he knew if they left then they would never get this chance again.

"I... " Valiant struggled to focus, tipping from side to side as though the ship they were on was passing through a storm. "I… remember…"

"What…?"

The agony of dying, in pain and desperate to survive as she clawed at her neck…Loving her friends back in her home… and her friends here so much that it hurt not to be able to do everything she could for them… Loving Goro so much that it tore her apart inside knowing that she couldn't do anything to help him… Yet, she always felt happy… felt loved because that was what they gave each other. She wanted so many people to be happy that it came at the cost of her own happiness, but for Goro to be happy, she had to be happy, too. It was a relationship of giving and taking, and not just her being the only one to give…

And then there was the grief of losing that relationship, losing Goro, but in his last moments he had done his best… He wanted her to live and be happy, and keep the promise they had all made to him.

And Sayori was so angry, because Shido had done this to Goro… Shido had killed him and taken their happiness away. He had threatened Sayori's life and held Goro in a position against Sayori, manipulating them both and abusing Goro and… ruining Sayori's life… Because Shido had ruined the lives of everyone here that she cared so much about.

"I'm not going to die pathetically before him… and I'm not running away either," Valiant mumbled. She managed to stand tall and walk past Joker, who tried to stop her before she got too close to Shido, only for the girl to turn to face her leader. "Remember that all of you guys made me a promise. Don't hold me back…"

Joker refused to oblige, knowing his friend would die if she got too close. Valiant smiled and forced his hand off, even though her arms still felt so pained. "Joker… I know what I'm doing…"

The girl jogged- unable to run- until she was directly before the giant golden beast of ignorant masses. She frowned and screamed up at Shido. "Come down here and fight! Goro at least was brave enough to face us head-on!"

"Brave… but foolish," Shido sneered, causing Valiant to practically growl. "Just as you are both brave and foolish. I'll crush you like a bug!"

The Ignorant Masses got up on its hind legs and released a loud roar, knocking everyone back even further, except Valiant, who stayed stubbornly in place near the head of the beast. The feet came back down, aimed to come right down on top of Valiant.

Joker ran forward, desperately trying to reach the girl, only for the loud crack of the ship's floor to meet his ears as two golden paws pounded into the ground.

"Sayori!" Joker screamed, ripping off his mask and trying to think of something, anything that he could do… Only for his mind to come up blank. He blinked back tears and sank to his knees, ashamed.

He didn't notice how the floor below the Shadow continued to crack as Shido chuckled, ordering the Ignorant Masses to lift its foot so he could get a look at the mess.

Kore has learned a new skill…

Vines formed a solid barrier around Valiant, covered in thorns and flowers. They rippled out like a current, sending the weakened girl slightly further away from the monster as the plants sprouted from where the source of the spell had been planted. Shido grunted and ordered his steed to stomp out the cluster of weeds under him as Joker hurriedly grabbed Valiant and ran.

Bringer of Death…

The beast roared in pain as vines shot out and dug into his foot, wrapping around and growing into any crevice it could find. The Ignorant Masses tried to pull away, but the vines wrapped around all of its legs, digging into them and constricting tighter and tighter, growing further until it was nearly to the beast's body.

Joker got to the rest of his weakened friends, who were all looking up in shock at what was happening to the Shadow. Joker set Valiant down, and they were all able to get a good look at her. There was no longer a scratch on her, though she did appear to be physically weakened. An expression of deep concentration was on her face, her breathing matching the rhythm of the writhing plants that were seeking to overtake the Beast of Human Sacrifice.

"Valiant… is really the one who is doing all of this?" Panther asked, working to heal herself and all of her teammates, now that they had this break from the fighting.

Suddenly, the large golden lion sprouted wings, attempting to fly upwards and escape it's bonds. It didn't get far, as the plants were remaining stubbornly rooted to the floor of the battleground. Only a few seconds later, even more vines sprung up, covered in thorns that looked razor sharp, piercing through the wings easily.

Panther and Mona moved to work on Valiant, only to discover to their dismay that, for as much as they tried to heal Valiant, her health and strength went down in a matter of seconds.

"This is Valiant's power, alright," Oracle observed, flipping her goggles down over her eyes and looking at the data that was piling up. "It's a new ability…and from the looks of it, it does a huge amount of damage, in exchange for Valiant's health and stamina… It won't stop until whatever its targeting is destroyed."

"Valiant's gonna be alright in the meantime, though, right?" Skull asked. "Mona and Panther keep tryin' to heal her, and it keeps going right back down. If they stop, she won't… die, right?"

"Um…No!" Oracle said, finishing up her own examination. "It will stop draining her before it kills her… But after this she's definitely going to have to sit out for a bit… No more fighting for her.'

As Oracle finished talking, the giant flying golden lion released an incredibly loud, pained roar, which died down to a whimper. The vines had almost completely overtaken it, leaving it curled on the ground with only its head free. Shido remained untouched on the saddle, looking incredibly angry with the way things were turning out.

The beast struggled helplessly, weakly moving its legs back and forth like a bug on the verge of death. After a moment, it went through another transformation, it's beastly form disappearing completely, replaced by a pyramid that held Shido inside. The transformation still did nothing, as the pyramid struggled helplessly to lift off of the ground, only to remain firmly grounded.

The vines reached the point of the pyramid, and after a moment, the entire mass began to shake and vibrate viciously. Cracking sounds were heard, and suddenly, the bits of gold that made up the Ignorant Masses began to crumble. The shape fell apart in a pile of gold nuggets and vines which were already starting to decay, having completed its job of destroying the golden lion.

Shido lay untouched in the middle, though he was shaken and angry. He began tearing his way through the piles of wealth and foliage, intent on getting to the group of teenagers that had caused this humiliation. "Useless Ignorant Masses," he griped.

Quickly, most of the group stood up. Queen laid Valiant's head gently on the ground, only for the girl's eyes to suddenly open, and for her to struggle to stand up. Queen stubbornly held her down as the girl argued fruitlessly, wanting to still fight.

"Queen! I'm not finished with him, yet! I don't want to just take out that monster he was riding on! I-"

"And yet, that's what you did," Queen countered. "I give my sincere thanks for that, but that doesn't mean I'm going to let you recklessly charge in when you can barely move now. That's not the kind of thing I should owe you for saving our lives again." Queen stood up, leaving Valiant to lay helplessly on her back, where she realized her friend was right. She could barely move.

"But… I want to fight!" Valiant yelled, struggling to sit up once again.

"You'll get your opportunity to deal with Shido however you want later," Joker promised her. "Feel proud of yourself now, though. Shido doesn't have anyone to back him up or protect him now, and it's because of you."

Valiant continued to pout, frustrated with her predicament. Before Shido arrived, she sighed in resignation. "At least sit me up so I can watch you guys beat him up."

Skull grinned, going over to her quickly and pulling her arms and upper body up. "Can-do! Let's see…" He used Valiant's shield to awkwardly prop her up, setting one of their backpacks of healing supplies behind her back for comfort. "That should do it. Now relax for a bit and enjoy the show!"

Skull ran back to the other thieves as Oracle reassured the girl that she would recover with time, before ascending into her UFO and hovering above the group.

"It seems even thieves should not be taken lightly if they come in great enough numbers…" Shido's Shadow remarked, crossing his arms as he walked over.

"Once you're losin', you're puttin' all the blame on the masses, huh!?" Skull shouted, gesturing over to the now dead golden pile.

Shido looked at each member of the group, before his eyes settled on Joker. "So, you're the one unifying them…"

"A touching reunion, isn't it?" Panther snarled, swinging her arm out at Shido.

"The next time you crush a foe, I suggest you do it in a more certain manner," Fox said coldly.

"I would also suggest you know exactly who you're dealing with before you decide to use them as your pawns!" Noir exclaimed, glancing back at Valiant worriedly. The girl was currently glaring at Shido with murder in her eyes, wiggling her arms and legs and clearly still struggling to get up as she waited for her strength to return.

"Not like there'll be another chance to take these lessons to heart," Oracle muttered, working on coming up with the means to help Valiant recover that missing strength.

"Hm?" Shido looked more closely at Joker. "You… You're more than just a member of the Phantom Thieves, aren't you?"

"Long time no see," Joker said, taking off his mask and letting the Shadow get a clear look at his face.

"This ain't the first time you failed to finish this guy off," Skull snarked, walking over and putting his hand on Joker's shoulder.

"You took him to court, and you don't even remember? You truly don't care about the fate of others," Queen said angrily.

"Wait… Could you be… the one from back then!? And her…" Shido looked from Joker down to Valiant, who was sitting calmly. "She was awfully passionate when I was talking about my unimpressive son… Could you be…?"

"You never even saw my face, but you still decided to use me to hurt Goro…" Valiant whispered, leaning her head down and letting her mask fall from her face. She gritted her teeth and yelled at him, "Don't you dare call him that! He… He was not unimpressive! And you don't deserve to call him your son!"

"That damned brat who showed up and stood against me when I was with that woman… And the naive little girl who got involved with a pesky little stain on my past…" Shadow Shido muttered, before looking down and chuckling. "I see… It truly is you. What an interesting turn of fate. Perhaps right now you both think karma has finally caught up with me, but you couldn't possibly be further from the truth… Your efforts will be worthless in the end. This is simply the world's way of bringing you both to me, so I can dispose of you once and for all!"

"What!?" Skull shouted, his hands dropping to his sides and clenching into fists.

"If you don't shut up about Goro Akechi I'm going to crawl over there and rip your throat out!" Valiant hissed, her eyes glowing yellow as Kore weakly flickered into existence behind her. "You know I could, too!"

Shido growled in response, an almost predatory sound that sent shivers down the spines of the teens. "Do you really think it makes any difference? At least I am talking about him! Soon enough, society as a whole will forget the boy ever even existed. No one will talk about him or gush or scream about him… Even you will only ever think about him in passing. It was only because of me that he got the praise he always desired. He served his purpose. You should be thankful for what I did. Without wanting to get revenge on me, that brat probably would have died a long time ago."

"He was his own person, and you don't get to talk about him like you owned him!" Valiant shouted back, struggling once again to pick herself back up. "You were part of his conception, so how could you see his death with such coldness!? How does it not even make you stop and think… Someone that you helped to create… you killed him… He's gone!" The girl looked down, angry as a sobbing sound escaped her mouth. I don't even have parents, or a family… But I know that's not how you're supposed to think of them.

"Small sacrifices are inescapable for those wishing to be powerful, competent leaders," Shido said, dismissively. "How would you ever reach your destination if you stopped to count every ant you crushed on the road?"

"Are you saying that the people you killed deserved to die!?" Noir shouted angrily.

"He's totally insane…" Panther muttered, looking back at Valiant worriedly. They all really wished she would just try to relax.

"I wouldn't expect the ignorant masses of this country to understand," Shido scoffed. "Thus, I will offer proof…" He reached up to his shoulder and ripped off his cap with a flourish. When they could see Shi do clearly again, he was shirtless, with gray silver bands covering his ridiculously buff muscles.

Valiant closed her eyes in disgust. I can tell Goro got everything from his mother… It makes me happy that he didn't look anything like the man he hated so much… I can't wait to finish Shido… If only I could get more of my movement back…

"Now, I will forcefully crush you Phantom Thieves!" Shadow Shido yelled, flexing his arms and chest as he scowled at the team of thieves.

"Sorta like how Valiant crushed your lion?" Skull smirked, unimpressed with the wicked man's display.

"We can totally take him, you guys," Panther said with determination, already reaching for her whip.

"Let's let Valiant rest easy right now!" Fox agreed, unsheathing his sword.

"I… shall win this game!" Shadow Shido declared, punching the air.

"Our lives aren't a game!" Queen shouted angrily, "Not to the likes of you!"

"But hey… He is pretty powerful right now," Oracle observed anxiously, looking down at all of her friends from within her Persona. "Careful! Those muscles aren't just for show!"

Valiant watched from the sidelines as the Phantom Thieves used their strongest abilities to attack Shido. The battle was vicious, neither side giving each other even a second to recover. Valiant was scared that the thieves might once again lose in this battle of will and survival, because it seemed like it would all come down to who the last person standing was.

Just as Noir was forced onto her knees, looking ready to hit the floor, Valiant felt just enough strength begin to return to her arms. For a second, the girl flexed her arms, testing them to see if she felt confident in her throwing abilities, before reaching into the bag behind her and pulling out some medicine. Her arm ached as she wound back and threw the plastic bottle, landing just shy of Noir's hand, drooped against the ground.

Noir quickly noticed and grabbed the bottle, gulping down the safe amount and standing back up. "Thank you!"

"It was no problem," Valiant tried to speak up, only to grunt and moan, tears suddenly coming to her eyes as her arms ached horribly after her movement.

Oracle hovered above her for a moment in her UFO. For a few seconds, tsk-ing noises could be heard from the navigator, before a warm light lit up Valiant's body for a few moments. "I can only get rid of the pain… So you should be resting so you can get better!" The girl scolded as Valiant sighed in brief relief, the aching fading from her arms.

"I'll try and remember that…" Valiant mumbled as Oracle returned to her position above the rest of the team, immediately performing a group healing spell on the thieves, before adding to the strength of their attacks.

After a few minutes of battling, Shido's Shadow grunted. "How are these low-life brats beating me?" The Shadow looked unsteady on his feet, swaying slightly and weakly glaring at the group.

"Now's our chance! Let's take his Treasure!" Oracle shouted.

Shido's Shadow laughed maniacally, red energy exploding out of him. He quickly got back into a fighting stance. "Don't think you've won. The power held by the most elite is what rules over our society… It's vexing that I have to use this on some foolish brats… But I will educate you through and through!"

"He's still gonna come at us!?" Oracle exclaimed nervously.

"Let's take his heart," Joker said calmly in response, his eyes never leaving Shido, for fear of what he might do once Joker took his eyes off of him.

"Did you hear that, Shido!?" Oracle yelled at the man.

The harness-like armor burst off of Shido's chest as he leant forward and burst back up, his skin turning a deep shade of red as he continued to laugh. Once he settled, he resumed his fighting stance, sneering at the teens.

"No way! He's even stronger now!?" Oracle questioned, incredibly worried as she felt it deep within her bones that if they allowed themselves to get hit by Shido, the phantom thieves would be done for.

"...Die," Shido said, his voice cold and low.

The fight began with the Phantom Thieves refusing to give the man a moment to breathe. They shot and slashed, and sent their Personas towards him without mercy. Panther, Mona, and Queen kept everyone's health high, while Oracle offered as many boosts as she could.

Valiant felt much stronger after this, watching her friends fight with such determination filled her in kind. It hurt a lot less to move now, and without much thought she took out some of the medication she needed, and a snack, and began to work on restoring her health and strength in a quicker way. It was still a strain to stand up, but the girl knew it wouldn't be long before she could rejoin the fight.

Shido practically roared in pain as one of Queen's well-placed attacks nearly sent him to the ground. "You will regret your actions… You've angered me for the last time!"

Shido's attacks suddenly became a lot more vicious, and the Phantom Thieves' rate of attacking decreased as they were forced to spend more time making sure they had the health and strength to keep going.

Still, they soldiered on, and they were about to finally have a lucky break. As soon as she was confident in her ability to do so, Valiant shakily rose to her feet and ran over to where the rest of the group. Her entire body was shaking, and the girl wasn't sure if it was because her body was still in so much pain, or if it was because she was simply jittery and excited that Shido was so close to being beaten.

"Valiant!?" Panther exclaimed worriedly. "Are you sure you can handle this right now? The strain-"

"I won't miss out on this no matter what!" Valiant said insistently. "I'm going to get back at Shido… for every instance of abuse and negligence that he's been behind!"

Everyone still looked nervous, but that didn't stop them from nodding. Skull gave her a thumbs up. "Hell yeah! With that attack from earlier, I know we'll finish this!... Remind me never to get on your bad side…"

Valiant smiled and giggled, before taking off her mask and raising her sword daringly.

"No holding back!" Joker yelled, turning to face Shido with everyone else.

However, it seemed that Masayoshi Shido had other plans.

The man growled pathetically, raising his fist and lightly shaking it in the air. "To think you'd put up this much of a fight… You bastard! I won't let you have this!" To everyone's confusion, he seemed to only be looking at Joker.

Time seemed to pass so slowly, and yet went by all at once in that moment. Shido raised his fist high in the air, the fist seemingly charged with that same red energy he had been exuding, before bringing it down hard on the floor of the arena.

Tremors shook out from where he punched the floor, blue fire erupting from that spot like a solid wall being pushed outwards. The Phantom Thieves all tried to guard, but it proved to be all for naught as everyone but Joker was forced to the very edge of the battlefield.

"NO!" Valiant screamed, reaching her hand out in front of her as Shido became smaller and smaller in her line of sight. She landed hard on the ground, nearly rolling off the edge of the arena that had formed in what was supposed to be an assembly room.

Before Valiant went flying off, Queen grabbed her roughly, digging her free hand, armed with a spiky weapon, into the floor.

"Are you alright?" Queen asked worriedly, helping Valiant get back on her feet. The two girls looked around, glad to see everyone safely on the arena floor with them, managing to catch themselves before they fell.

...Well, almost everyone.

"Wh-What happened!?" Oracle asked in a panicked tone of voice. "Are you alright, Joker!?"

A wall of fire so hot that it burned blue separated Joker from the rest of his friends, and unfortunately, he was trapped alone in the side with Shido, and they were kept on the other side, unable to help their leader.

Valiant ran forward almost immediately, and probably would have tried to run through the wall of fire if Queen didn't immediately pull her back. The strategist was about to ask exactly what the hell Valiant was thinking, when they noticed the miserable expression of heartbreak on the girl's face.

"No… No, no, no, NO!" Valiant yelled, trying to run forward again. "This can't be happening! I have to be able to help…! I can't… I can't just…"

Valiant sank to her knees and stared at the floor in silence. Noir got onto her knees as well and hugged the girl around her shoulders, knowing she felt much the same as what Valiant had to be feeling in that moment.

"Shido can't even let me have this one bit of satisfaction…!" Valiant cried, pounding her fists into the ground. "I don't care if he knows I exist or not, or even that I helped to bring him down… But I can't even be allowed to keep my promise!?"

"Joker can still keep it," Noir tried to soothe, only for Valiant to practically vibrate as she trembled with rage.

"But I wanted to be the one to do it!" Valiant screamed. "Instead, I'm still letting everyone down… Goro… I can't even let him re-"

"Joker will take care of it," Oracle assured her again. "I know it's not the same, but you don't have to finish the fight to keep your promise…"

"And Valiant… Are you…?" Fox began to ask, before shaking his head. "Nevermind…"

"No… What did you want to say?" Valiant asked after a second, Hardly feeling calm.

"I think you know deep down that you've already done more than enough to keep your promise," Fox began. "...So I don't think that's the only reason for you wanting to finish the fight… It's also because you want the satisfaction for yourself, right?"

"Wha-!" Valiant looked shocked at the implication, until giving it a moment of thought and looking down, feeling ashamed.

"It's okay to feel that way," Panther assured. "But Joker also needs some vindication right now…"

"You'll get your chance, alright?" Skull said, patting the girl on the shoulder.

However, despite knowing that what her friends said was true, and believing in them too, Valiant didn't at all feel at ease. Ever since they had confronted Shido, her heart had been unable to stop racing, and she couldn't calm down at all.

"Guys… Thanks… But I still… I can't…"

"That's okay, too," Noir said. "I understand, but I still want to make Shido suffer right now… Just try to be patient… Until then it's okay to be angry…" the girl lifted Valiant's hands away from the hard floors, "...as long as you don't hurt yourself in the process."

Valiant took a moment to take a deep breath and consider this, before slightly nodding.

On the other side of the wall of blue flames, Shido's Shadow sneered and raised his fist, flexing as his body tried to get used to all of the power coursing through his body. "I never would've imagined… That impertinent brat from so long ago, managing to get in my way this much! Honestly unbelievable… I should've finished you off before this could've happened…" The man laughed. "It seems I too was naive. However-my dream has been attained! My desire to steer this country has finally come to fruition! But, my ambition has only yet begun! I WILL NOT stumble over mere minutia like yourself! This time, I'll be dead certain to seal your fate. I will reduce you to nothing!" Shido now cackled, getting once more into a fighting stance.

"We've come so far… We have to do something!" Oracle shouted at Joker, before looking down at Valiant. "Joker… Please, don't lose!"

...I have to finish this myself, Joker thought to himself, looking at the hated man in front of him. Masayoshi Shido… Joker knew he would always hate the man, with everything he had. Over and over again, people he cared about had been hurt badly, all because of Shido's ambitions.

I need to finish this myself! Joker thought angrily to himself, ripping off his mask. This was first everyone he knew and didn't know who had been forced into hell because of Shido's actions. This was for the living and the dead, and for the good of everyone…

Joker quickly summoned his most powerful Persona, and immediately picked out his strongest abilities to use. Shido was already nearly finished, still unsteadily swaying and looking very disoriented. Joker knew he was in better shape than Shido, so it was an easy decision to go all out.

Still, with a sense of nervous dread, Joker made his next moves quick, not wanting to be overly cocky. He struck Shido with an ice spell, freezing him in place, before running forward and delivering several hard and heavy blows. With one final shot from his model gun, the ice encasing Shido shattered. With a yell of agony, Masayoshi Shido hit the ground.

The Phantom Thieves gave several cries of relief as the wall of flames that had been separating them from their leader lowered. Everyone ran forward and hugged Joker.

Almost everyone… Joker observed, watching as Valiant was still kneeling on the ground, though now she was staring straight ahead, looking right through the thieves. Her eyes were empty and surprisingly cold, and Joker got that sense again that something was going to go horribly wrong.

Valiant thought that maybe she had calmed down since initially talking to Shido, but the instant the gates of flame lowered and she saw him knocked out on the ground she felt something break again just by looking at him. Somewhere in her mind, she was happy that Joker was alright and that they had won, but it was buried deep as anger, grief, and frustration became heavy clouds in her head.

Before anyone could stop her, and before she could even stop herself, Valiant was on her feet and running forward, dizzy but not tripping, until she was right in front of Masayoshi Shido and hauling him up by the front of his suit jacket.

The other thieves had only just begun to react to what was going on when Valiant was already drawing her sword. Before, only cold rage had shown in her eyes. Now, it was nothing short of murderous.

Joker calmly held her wrist for a few seconds, making it obvious that any moment she could slip her hand free and finish what she was currently intending to do. He gave her a silent, pleading look to wait for a moment, and Valiant begrudgingly agreed.

Queen stepped forward as well, making sure she was within Shido's line of sight. "For causing countless mental shutdowns in others, you will atone… with your life."

The cold feeling in Valiant's heart became even colder. Perhaps it was a sense of vindication, hearing her friends not even trying to argue. She could sense that they were worried, but they were also not going to try to hold her back. Still, maybe that feeling of increasing coldness in her chest was something else…

The girl's grip on Shido's jacket tightened, and she raised her sword angrily, her throat feeling dry, even as her mind raced with words to say about how much she hated Shido for what he had done, how much he had hurt her, and how much he had taken from her.

Her thoughts, as well as her actions, were stopped abruptly as Shido reached up his hands and grasped loosely at her arm. Perhaps it was a weak attempt at escape, or perhaps he was only begging for mercy, but the only thing it ended up accomplishing was making Valiant lose her control temporarily. Without warning, the girl swung back and threw Shido against the ground, before kicking him hard in the chest.

"Don't you have any shame?" Valiant whispered. "You know you deserve this!" Her body felt like it was suddenly on autopilot as she swung her leg back and kicked the man even harder. He coughed weakly, and Valiant closed her eyes, taking deep breaths as she felt her whole body trembling.

"Say something!" The girl screamed. "You were talking all about how great you were when you were trying to kill us, but when the tables are turned you've suddenly become too pathetic to say a word!?"

Shido chuckled bitterly. "I guess I must be pathetic to you… In this situation, no matter how hypocritical you really are, you still have the moral high ground, so now you get to stand tall… How does it feel?"

"What are you talking about?" Valiant questioned through gritted teeth.

Shido smiled insidiously. "All of you kids… Ganging up on an old man and beating him up… I may have hurt people in order to steer this country back in the right direction… But I only ever did what was necessary…" He looked back up at Valiant. "What is this, then? How is beating me and trying to kill me when you've already won necessary?"

"The only reason you can say that… is because you were never the one doing the dirty work..." Valiant said, her voice strained as she felt frozen. "You got to be the asshole sitting behind a desk, while your son got his hands dirty for you… How was recruiting a teenager to murder for you necessary!?"

Shido was silent for a moment, before shaking his head. "Honestly… I'm surprised you don't realize the irony in that statement. Goro Akechi came to me, wanting to aid me with his unique skills… If anything, you should be thanking me."

Those words lit a fire under Valiant's feet. Before anyone could blink she had tackled the man to the ground. "Thank you!? What should I be thanking you for?"

"Sayori Matsu… Do you really think he would have lived this long if he hadn't been helping me? You probably never would have been able to meet him, much less become involved with him, if I hadn't given his empty life purpose… His desire for revenge sustained him long past his intended expiration da-"

"SHUT UP!" Sayori yelled, and there was a loud crack as she pounded her fists hard into Shido's arms.

"That's bullshit!" Skull agreed. "Obviously we know the guy better than even you! Even if he couldn't get revenge… He would have continued on out of spite!"

"Doubtful…" Shido continued, looking pained now, "I'm surprised, but also not. Just like I suspected, you are naive. My son was never driven to live because of love or some other pathetic emotion like that… It didn't save his mother… No, just like me he was driven to live by a goal… And that goal was made out of hatred and filthy desires."

"Did you think I don't know that?" Valiant asked quietly. "Of course I knew that. And why do you think I'm naive? Because I never knew what you were doing to keep Goro in line? He never told me! So what makes you think you know me!?"

"Because you are so predictable," Shido stated. "You stayed with Akechi even when you found out about the things he had done. You would believe anything that fits in with your narrow view of reality. But reality isn't a happy little story where you get your happy prince. He was broken, and in the end he chose his revenge over you. Why? Maybe because you lied to him for so long, or maybe because he had just lost interest in you. Whatever the reason, it doesn't change the fact that you are the worst kind of terrible person. You hide your selfishness beneath a layer of deceit, convincing even yourself that you're a good person."

Valiant was silent for a moment, head hurting as she looked down at Shido angrily. The thieves were silent and worried as they watched her get up from the man, standing over him. They wondered if she was just going to walk away for a moment, remembering her words during the entire fight.

The answer came when Sayori drew her sword and held it up to the man's neck. Everyone froze, as the girl began to cry.

"How come you're still like this? We beat you, so why can't you just see what you did was horrible? Why are you still holding on to this disgusting pride? After everything you've done…" Sayori sobbed, before gritting her teeth and pressing her blade harder into the man's neck.

"I hate you…" Sayori said. "So much… We just want to be happy, but you killed him, and he won't get a second chance… Why did I…?"

"Sayori…?" Panther asked, walking over to check on the girl, only for Sayori to once again increase the pressure on the sword. A faint trickle of blood began spilling from the wound.

"My fears were realized because of you… All this pain and agony you've spread, so I know I have to do this…" The girl whispered.

I don't care if he's going to be reformed… I don't care what happens to me after this… I just want this all to end. I don't want Shido to be free to do something horrible again later…

"Do you really want to kill someone, though?" he whispered in her ear, and Sayori felt herself freeze, though she never took her sword away from Shido's neck.

Am I… going to hear his voice now, too? Is he going to become a part of the endless noise that will never leave me alone?

"I'll leave you alone after this… It's your decision, I just want you to know that… Think about it more yourself."

Just as he promised, his voice disappeared, and Sayori was left alone with her own thoughts. Memories of Goro seemed to fade away, and Sayori thought of herself, and how she always felt. She stopped arguments and protected her friends… but she had never failed before, like she had now. What was she supposed to do when she failed and couldn't fix it.

Images of blood and gore filled her mind, and Sayori wretched, almost throwing up all over Shido. To her own surprise, she could picture Shido's death so clearly… How he would start to bleed and cough, suffocating on his own blood and being unable to stop it… And in the real world he would be an unresponsive husk, before blood would ooze out of his eyes, nose, and mouth as he went brain dead…

It was so easy for her to imagine, and Sayori got a weird feeling that made her skin crawl…

It… It's disgusting… I can't… I can't do it! The girl's grip on her sword loosened. Is this… all that I am? Am I pathetic for being unable to do this?

"No," and now it was her Persona's voice that seemed to speak in her head. "It just means that you are kind… Kinder than this man deserves. No matter what may happen in the future, this is the real you, and you are simply not meant to be a killer… You love, and you care. You protect, and you defend, just as you are meant to."

Then why is it so easy to feel like I am losing myself… I still feel like I could kill Shido… I could picture it so clearly just a second ago… Why were you raging in my head about killing him? Sayori asked in her mind.

"Because I am you, and I share your pain and anger, and even if you know you can't kill, it is possible for everyone to do so… And I will lend you my strength to carry out whatever it is that you want most…"

Sayori smiled as her eyes watered, and she nodded her head… She didn't want to lose herself because of a man like Masayoshi Shido. She was who she wanted to be most right now… A person who loved and cared for others, and was loved and cared for in return, and she didn't feel selfish for it at all. She knew, when she thought of everything that had happened, and everything she had been a part of, that she deserved it.

I wouldn't be keeping my promise, either, if I did this… I promised to bring Shido to justice for Goro… and Shido dying would only make the Phantom Thieves look bad… They must know that, too, yet they are still standing back, and waiting to see what I'll do…?

I'll give them my answer then… Valiant smiled to herself, taking the sword gently away from Shido's neck, before getting off of him. The Phantom Thieves looked at her, slightly in shock, but mostly smiling in relief as she walked back towards them.

"Valiant, are you alright?" Noir asked, putting her hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Yeah… just, real quick I have a… confession to make," Valiant said with a giggle. She looked back at Shido and smiled.

"I hate you, and I hope you suffer for everything you've done," she stated, startling the thieves with her abruptness. "You really are scum… Killing Goro… Taking him away from me, making his life a hell, making him kill for you… Killing Futaba Sakura's mom, and Haru Okumura's father, and making a teenager kill so many other people alongside that… Then also, of course, ruining our leader's life."

"I know… I'm so sorry for what I've done…" The Shadow said pitifully. "It feels as though it's been quite some time since I have felt sincerely apologetic…"

"Confess your crimes," Joker demanded angrily.

"Hmph… That may be good…" The Shadow said with a sigh.


"Will I really be able to kill the Phantom Thieves if I take that!?" Shido asked nervously, his head aching as he sensed the change in his Metaverse self.

"According to Wakaba Isshiki's research…" One of his researchers began, "Temporarily collapsing a Palace will take down anyone inside it as well. The abrupt nature of the collapse means they will be unable to escape without extreme luck. However, the only way to purposely erase a cognitive world is by halting biological activity. In other words, this medicine will temporarily kill you. There are great risks involved…"

"Anything will do! Give it to me!" Shido shouted, grabbing the cup that the man had been holding.

The researcher shouted in surprise.

Shido moaned in agony as he felt the life drain from him, the drugs taking immediate effect. "Now… they're done for…"

Masayoshi Shido collapsed.


The room flashed, and from the ceiling materialized a wooden steering wheel. Everyone watched somberly as it hovered high off of the ground.

"Wait, why a wheel!? And it's for a ship…?" Panther asked, confused by the simplicity of the item.

"I must… steer this country!" Shadow Shido mumbled, suddenly disoriented as he swayed on his feet, clutching his chest. "If I don't, who will…!?"

"What arrogance…" Fox said, his glare cold as the man fell to his knees. Everyone watched, waiting for him to finally fade.

"I-I.." Shadow Shido stuttered, before screaming in pain and flashing out of existence. The Phantom Thieves watched in shock, used to a Shadow fading being more serene looking.

"What the-" Skull was interrupted as a loud echo suddenly echoed through the ship, followed by the sound of a nearby explosion, and then finally a loud ripping sound that made the thieves all cover their ears. "Huh!?"

"An explosion…?" Panther asked faintly, when suddenly an even louder explosion echoed. Everyone gasped as the floor underneath them suddenly began to shift, their center of gravity being thrown off.

"But we haven't taken the Treasure yet…" Queen gasped, looking stunned.

"Well, we need to," Valiant declared, summoning Kore. The Persona reached out with its vine arms and plucked the steering wheel from the air, before dropping the Treasure into Valiant's waiting arms.

"Right! Save talking for later!" Mona agreed, waving his arm in the direction of the room's exit. "We need to get out of here!"

The Phantom Thieves all ran from the meeting room and back down the way they had cme, only to find it blocked and beginning to flood.

"Huh!? Didn't we come from this way!?" Panther asked, looking down what they had once expected to be a safe path, confused to see if they had gone the right way.

"We can't get through like-" Skull was interrupted once again by an explosion, and then even more rumbling. Everyone looked down at the ground nervously, practically able to feel as the ship they were on continued to tilt.

"What is happening!?" Fox shouted in shock and panic, leaning over his knees.

The Palace is… collapsing… Valiant thought to herself, once again looking at her feet, knowing this instinctively. Below her feet, in one of the rooms of the ship, she also knew that the engine room had to be completely flooded with water now. I didn't really think of it before, but soon it will cease to exist. What will happen to-

"Hey, Oracle!" Skull shouted, interrupting Valiant's thoughts as Oracle snapped to attention, though still frantically analyzed the Palace information that rushed into her head a mile a minute.

Oracle shook her head, sweat dripping down her forehead. "The ship is exploding… But why!?"

"What kinda sloppy explanation is that!?" Skull asked angrily.

"I don't know what's happening either!" Oracle defended, beginning to panic as she calculated different routes on the map. Will those mouse rooms still work while the ship is practically sinking beneath everyone's feet!? We shouldn't risk it… What about...

"Something might've happened to Shido in the real world!" Mona exclaimed in realization, looking around the collapsing hallways in worry.

"Whaddya mean 'something'!?" Skull shouted, frustrated with all of the unclear answers he was being given.

"I don't know!" Mona shouted back, before another explosion somewhere on the ship knocked them all slightly off balance.

"Standing around here isn't going to help!" Panther exclaimed, looking around frantically for a direction they could go in, but everywhere there seemed to be water flooding in.

"We have to run!" Noir shouted, knowing it was obvious, but too terrified to think of any other insight.

"Oracle! Are there any other escape routes!?" Queen questioned desperately.

"I'm looking, but…" Oracle struggled to answer, sweating dripping heavily off her face.

"What about that way!?" Queen pointed in another direction, only to find that it was completely flooded, and now inaccessible because of that.

"No!" Noir shouted, upset and beginning to panic.

"Our path…" Queen trailed off, feeling as though her head might suddenly stop working, unable to think of a solution.

"Still, where else can we go…!?" Fox asked, glancing around.

Skull looked to the side and grimaced in shock as he saw water continuing to pour into the hallway they were crowded into. "Crap! This side too!"

"Are we… sinking…?" Panther asked, stunned and worried.

"Oracle, what about heading up!?" Valiant asked, suddenly inspired as she pointed down a different hallway that now felt like it would be a trek up a steep mountain. "If we just keep heading that way at the very least we'll be far away from the water, and maybe we'll even find a window!"

"It's the only thing we have to go on," Joker agreed, though he still waited for Oracle to give approval. When the girl nodded, finally pinpointing a route to take, Joker looked at all of his team members with complete faith and determination. "Let's hurry!"

"We are not going to die like this!" Mona shouted in agreement as they all grouped together and held hands, running up the slanted, slippery hallway that was their only option of escape. They ran until they could see the outside, suddenly surrounded by gray and silver stone walls, and wide glassless windows. Many parts of the ship seemed to be on fire, the ship tilting so far back that the thieves thought they might even begin to sink upside down.

"We're going to die!" Oracle shouted, panic finally seizing her heart as she pulled at her hair and began to scream. "I don't know how to swim!"

"Over there!" Queen shouted, suddenly pointing ahead of them at the opposite end of the ship. "A lifeboat!"

"Let's go!" Skull shouted, and everyone made it to the front of the gray stone room that they were currently stuck in. Everyone suddenly noticed how truly far away they were from the lifeboat that dangled high above the water. What was worse was that the sinking ship continued to tip, making reaching it seem even more difficult.

"We just gotta get there…" Skull said in determination, looking out the window and noticing that what had once been the wall of the ship had now tilted so far back it was now more of a slanted floor.

"It's too far!" Fox said, turning his head away, feeling as though all of their efforts had been in vain. "We won't reach it in time!" Most of the others were scared that he was right, still able to feel as the boat continued to sink further into the water.

"I got this," Skull suddenly stated, looking forward with a grim expression of determination.

"Huh?" Panther asked, looking at the boy in concern, thinking maybe she had misheard him.

"Ryuji, no!" Sayori shouted in the same second, having heard him very clearly. She grabbed the boy's wrist. "That's too dangerous!"

"Now's not the time to argue!" Ryuji pulled his wrist out of the girl's grasp, beginning to climb out of the window.

Sayori grabbed him by the shoulders and roughly pulled him back in, hugging him tightly as he struggled. "No, you can't! I don't… I don't… I can't lose…" the girl started to sob again as she felt ashamed of herself. "We're… already… leaving him behind…"

"Sayori…" Skull frowned, knowing he still had to do this. Gingerly, he escaped from the girl's death grip and tried to make eye contact with her, giving a small smile. "it will be fine. I told you, I've got this!" Then, before the girl could try to stop him again, he turned around and took off running as everyone else screamed. "Hang tight! I'll nab the boat!"

"Ryuji!" Ann shouted after him in worry. "Wait! Sayori has a point! This is-" Her voice was suddenly drowned out as everyone else started to argue against the boy's decision as well.

"I either risk it all now, or we all die here," Ryuji shouted back, and smiled as his friends finally seemed to realize what he was trying to get across. He got into a crouched position, his leg for once not giving him pain, and he suddenly felt like it was the old days on the track team again. "It's now or never… Here goes!" He pushed off just like he would in a race, screaming the entire time he raced down the side of a pillar that led to the bottom of the building that had once protruded from the top of the Palace. Now, it was at an angle so that water separated the building from the rest of the ship's deck. Without stopping, Ryuji leapt over the pool, catching himself on the other side and pushing himself back onto his feet and back into a run. He felt shaken, as when he had made the jump an explosion had gone off behind him.

Meanwhile, everyone else had struggled to make it to the bottom of the ship, standing at the very edge of the water, now watching in worry as Ryuji sized up exactly how fast he would need to go to make it up the side of the ship, continuously picking up his pace as he ran up.

"Ryuji!" Yusuke shouted in worry.

"GO!" Ann screamed, propelling the boy to push himself so far that his legs began to ache despite the adrenaline coursing through his body. But his whole body ached, so he kept going.

Ryuji ran up until he was just below the lever that he saw would release the lifeboat and then pushed off of the ship's surface, jumping and grabbing onto the lever, pulling himself up and then dropping all of his weight so that the lever would go down. The boat was released, falling into the water near his teammates with a splash. He could hear everyone cheering and sighed in relief.

Akira pumped his fist in the air, while Yusuke simply smiled. Futaba hugged Makoto, and Haru hugged Sayori, who was currently biting her lip in worry as a pit formed in her stomach.

"All right!" Ann shouted, hugging Morgana

The thieves stopped their celebration in order to pull the ropes attached to the lifeboat closer before it floated away. Ryuji looked back at all of them, happy to see that they were alright. Ann was helping everyone into the boat, Futaba hopping in first and hugging her knees. Sayori was one of the last, continuing to look up at him worriedly with wide, panicked eyes. Ryuji suddenly felt horrible for making her upset… Especially after everything that they had gone through in the past twenty-four hours. The boy resolved to apologize to Sayori again after they all escaped, before making eye contact with Ann, who was also looking up at him in worry, never seeming to blink, or look away from him even as she took her place in the boat. Ryuji smiled in an effort to reassure her, and Sayori, and everyone else, winking and giving them a thumbs up.

Yusuke pulled the engine cord, and the boat roared to life as everyone else piled onto one side to keep an eye on Ryuji, nearly capsizing the boat in the process. Futaba whimpered as the boat swayed violently to one side before settling in place.

"Hang on!" Akira shouted up at the waiting blond, who was currently still hanging from the lever he had pulled like a pullup bar.

"We're moving!" Yusuke shouted, doing his best to guide the boat. If he hadn't been so concerned for everyone's safety, he would have bitterly remembered that apparently Madarame had owned a yacht, and how helpful it would have been in that moment if Yusuke knew how to drive a boat or ship.

The boat sped forward, Yusuke doing his best to steer it as close to Ryuji as possible, that way when he fell into the water, they wouldn't be that far away from him. However, before they could get that close, a deafening explosion suddenly blew up right underneath Ryuji, nearly blinding the others and forcing them to look away as they yelled in shock. They looked back up after a few moments, mouths falling open in horror as the smoke finally cleared. Ryuji was no longer hanging from the lever like he had been, and was nowhere to be seen in the murky sea water as the fire that had resulted from the explosion burned right where he would have fallen. Seconds later, even more explosions burst across the ship's hull, engulfing the ship in flames.

Akira gasped in horror, unable to say a word as his hands dug into the side of the boat.

"No way… it can't be…" Ann quietly, her voice sounding so calm because of the shock. "Come on, what the hell, Ryuji…" The girl shook her head desperately and inhaled. "RYUJI!" She screamed out.

Tears spilled down Sayori's face as she began to silently sob. It… it happened… again. Ryuji is gone now, too… And I never even got to tell him that I forgive him! She looked back up at the burning ship again, her expression one of pure agony. No more hesitating… As soon as we get out of here… She nodded her head, determined at the thought, only for her endless tears to drip off of her face and into the ocean water with the momentum as she gasped soundlessly.

We lost two…

The thieves failed to fight back their tears, looking at the burning ship, and then at the steering wheel clutched in Sayori's hand. The Cognitive world bled away, the night slowly fading away, as the sounds of explosions and smouldering was slowly replaced with sounds of a busy city.


Ann made a desperate gasping sound, shaking her head to clear away the dizziness "We're back…" She suddenly looked up in shock, realizing someone was still not there with the rest of them. She looked around frantically. "Ryuji!?"

"He didn't… make it out…" Haru said anxiously, her voice cracking as she looked around as well.

"We gotta go back!" Futaba shouted, a frown on her face even as she knew it was fruitless.

"That's impossible…" Morgana somberly reminded her.

Yusuke looked down in grief, unable to handle the sudden sadness. "Ha… haha… This isn't funny at all…"

"He was our fastest runner too…!" Ann shouted, unable to comprehend how they could have lost him. As she did so, Sayori got onto her feet from where she had been sitting on the sidewalk, holding back tears for a moment in order to clear her vision, before looking down at what she had clasped in her hand.

"So that is the Treasure…" Yusuke said, walking over to look at the cheap looking pin in the girl's hand.

"It's a legislator's pin," Makoto observed, looking at it for a moment until Sayori clenched her first around it and brought what had once been the Treasure closer to her own face.

Sayori gazed down at the pin, confused and hurt as this horrible symbol of Shido's pride seemed to burn a hole in her hand, yet she also wanted to hold it close to her heart. Is this… all that's left of that place… all that's left of Ryuji and Goro? That thought sent her spiralling, and she used her free hand to cover her eyes as fresh fears trickled down already existing tear tracks.

Futaba began to cry as well, and soon everyone was a mess of tears and sobs as they mourned what they had lost.

"Man… that was close…" A familiar voice said from behind them all. Everyone looked up in shock as Ryuji walked up to join them, grinning as he saw the glint of the Treasure reflecting from Sayori's hand.

"For real though, why do Palaces gotta explode so much? Can't they disappear normally?" Ryuji mumbled, closing his eyes and feeling slightly annoyed. After that explosion from right below him, he felt exhausted from the terror alone, as well as the battle they had fought through. He opened his eyes and noticed everyone staring at him, which honestly creeped him out. The boy crossed his arms and frowned, "...What?"

Everyone ran closer to him, needing to get a closer look, unable to quite believe that he was really alive. Sayori remained silent, unable to say or do anything at that moment. The pin in her hand was still heavy in her hand, but not as heavy, knowing that at least Ryuji was okay.

"Didn't you… die?" Haru asked timidly, still trying to comprehend how the boy could have possibly made it out.

"What!?" Ryuji shouted, his eyes widening in shock, before rubbing his head sheepishly. "I got blasted out from the explosion… When I woke up, I was lyin' on the grass… I mean, ain't I alive?" He looked over to see the girls still teary-eyed, before smiling teasingly. "What's this? Your cryin' face is so not cute."

"It's your damn fault!" Ann shouted, walking over and slapping Ryuji in the face. The boy grunted and stepped back slightly. Sayori watched in shock and worry as everyone suddenly got the same irritated look on their face, sensing that she would need to step in.

"What'd I do?" Ryuji asked, annoyed as he rubbed his stinging cheek.

"We were worried about you!" Haru shouted, taking an angry step forward.

"You troublemaker!" Futaba screamed indignantly. She, Ann, Haru, and Makoto all glared and walked towards him.

"Wait, what's this about…?" Ryuji asked, his eyes widening in worry as he backed away, getting the feeling that he knew what was about to happen. He raised his arms up in protest. "H-Hold on… OK? I-I-" He was interrupted as suddenly Sayori was standing right in front of him, facing the other girls and surprising everyone. The girls all seemed to lose their tense and angry stances, looking at Sayori in worry as tears made steady tracks down her face, bottom lip quivering. "S-Sayori!?" Ryuji asked in surprise, before remembering what he had told himself to do in the Palace when he saw that she was still crying. "Listen, I really am so-" He was interrupted again as Sayori suddenly hugged him tightly, quiet sobs shaking her frame and officially stopping the other girls in their tracks.

Sayori continued crying for a few more seconds as Ryuji awkwardly hugged her back, looking back at everyone else for help in what he was supposed to do. However, before he could fret for long, Sayori released her almost suffocating hold on him and turned to face everyone else again. "Guys… Let's not ruin this happy moment with violence… We didn't lose Ryuji…" The girl took a deep breath, before giving them all a watery smile. "And… It's also happy because… I've decided o-officially… that I forgive all of you, and Ryuji… We almost really died today, and it doesn't feel good… holding a grudge against all of you for tricking me and Goro, when I guess it doesn't really matter now…"

"Sayori, of course it matters…" Yusuke said gently, stepping closer to her and placing his hand on her shoulder. "Please tell me that isn't the only reason you've decided to forgive us…"

Sayori shook her head, splattering tears everywhere again. "Again, it's not… We almost died today, and this entire week I've felt so horrible… and icky… keeping this grudge, especially after all of you have apologized… So I forgive you…" She smiled even wider again, before gently taking Yusuke's hand off of her shoulder.

She turned around again, now facing the street in front of the Diet Building, which was thankfully practically empty now. "And… I have somewhere that I need to go." Not really wanting to give an explanation, the girl began to walk away.

"Should we go with you?" Makoto asked nervously, worried that Sayori seemed even more sad than she had a few seconds ago.

"No… I want to be alone right now," Sayori answered calmly, hugging herself a bit as she only had one more goal in mind for the day. Because of the Palace, she almost felt too tired to try, but she also knew she had already been putting it off for too long. So she continued to walk, not looking back as the thieves all glanced at each other in silent worry for the girl.

Ryuji rubbed his head again, frowning as he suddenly noticed something odd about the entire conversation that they had just had. "Hey guys, did anyone notice Sayori was never really talkin' to me, or even lookin' at me…?"

Futaba shrugged nonchalantly, before glaring at him and shaking her head. "I think she was giving you the silent treatment. She's probably upset at you for making all of us worry/"

"Sorry…" Ryuji moaned, understanding why he made them all upset. He probably should have made it seem like a big deal when he saw them, but he had already calmed down from the adrenaline of the run up to release the lifeboat.

"Don't be… Sayori was right… We should all just be happy you're alive," Morgana said, smiling up at the boy, before frowning and looking back at Sayori, who was practically shambling away like a zombie. "I think she just needs some time for herself right now."

"I mean yeah, she hasn't been alone since she ran off to Mementos, and with what just happened yesterday, and what just happened…" Ann gestured to Ryuji, before crossing her arms and shaking her head. Just thinking about the past twenty-four hours made her feel twice as exhausted as she already was.

"Let's all go to our homes then," Yusuke suggested, followed by a couple of tired nods and yawns from Akira and Futaba.

"Ann, she'll most likely show up at your house since that's where she's staying. Text us when she gets back," Akira said, rubbing away sleepy tears from his eyes, before turning in the direction to his own home again.

"Definitely," Ann said, nodding in agreement. The Phantom Thieves all swiftly departed after that, ready to go back to their homes and sleep for the rest of the night, and possibly into the next day.

Sayori hadn't been listening to the conversation behind her, even when she was close enough to still hear them. She was lost in her own little world, staring at Shido's Treasure until she got to the end of the street, where she saw a trash can. She glances at it for a few moments, before looking back down at the legislator's pin. No… This isn't all that I have left… this isn't even a part of him… And even if it was, it's not a part that I want… Without hesitating, Sayori threw the pin into the garbage bin and resumed her walk, knowing she had a long way to go.


Shido woke up in his office, sitting with his head tilted up on one of his fine leather couches. He moaned and gasped as he came to, looking around in confusion as a horrible feeling took hold of him. He didn't quite remember what he was looking for, but he soon realized he wasn't going to find it.

"Sir!" one of his secretaries shouted in relief, happy that he had woken up. If he had died, all of their plans for his campaign would be ruined!

"What have I…?" Shido mumbled, before covering his face with his hands, the horrible feeling began to feel overwhelming as certain memories that he had never thought much of before suddenly fell on him like a ton of bricks. "Su… Ah…"

"Huh?" the secretary was now confused, and a little bit worried.

"Is the medicine still affecting you?" a researcher asked, kneeling down to try and examine the man, but he couldn't get a clear look at his face.

"Medicine…?" Shido asked in confusion, looking around nervously again as he remembered exactly what medicine he had taken. He suddenly felt as though he had seen a ghost, those horrible feelings turning into ice cold hands around his throat, and a wrathful voice whispering in his ears. The weight of his sins was becoming too much to bear.

"Should we get him to a hospital…?" the secretary asked the doctor quietly.

"We should probably wait and see a little longer…" the doctor replied, an eye on the rate of the man's breathing as he had been for nearly half an hour.

"I-I…" Shido began, before a moan, and then a sob tore its way through his throat. He couldn't take it anymore, burying his face deep into his hands as her voice haunted his mind. "Suki…G-Goro… I must… atone…"

Everyone else in the room looked at the man in horror. However, Shido couldn't care less as they screamed and argued with each other, unable to listen as they shouted about how his campaign was ruined, and about how they would get caught. Honestly, he figured it would be better if they did. As they all ran from the room, he became swept up even deeper in his sorrow, sobbing uncontrollably over his desk and into his hands, tears catching in his hands. "Suki… I-I… I'm sorry. I promise… I will pay for what I've done… to him… and to everyone else…"


Sayori walked up the stairs to the second floor of the apartment building with a sense of nostalgia. She was quiet on the steps, staying at the edges where she knew they wouldn't creak so she wouldn't wake up any of the other tenants. Despite how long it had been since she had been here, it was surprisingly easy to remember how best to be as silent as possible. She remembered she had always been that way, not wanting to draw too much attention to the fact that she was living with Goro Akechi. However, that hadn't stopped one of the older ladies that lived there from giving her some snacks for her and Goro to share. It had been because she thought both of them looked "too thin" or something along those lines.

Sayori took a deep breath and shook her head, not wanting to get caught up in these memories when she wasn't even in his apartment yet, safe from being noticed. She steeled herself and walked the rest of the way, down the hallway which suddenly seemed to be a mile long. Finally, she stopped in front of the door to the apartment she had shared with Goro Akechi for nearly half a year.

Her heartbeat felt like it was beating a mile a minute as she reached into the pocket of Akira's pants, panicking for a moment when she didn't find them right away. Sayori felt the biggest sense of relief she had ever felt when her hands wrapped around the cool metal of the apartment key, taking it out and thumbing it gently, before sliding it into the door's lock and turning it. The doorknob twisted easily, and Sayori gently opened the door, remembering that the hinges would sometimes squeak.

Sayori quickly found the lightswitch and flipped it, illuminating the small living room with a faint light. She supposed the lightbulb would need to be changed soon, noticing as it flickered, watching small dust motes float around and then disappear in the flickering light.

Sayori closed the door and turned around to lock it. As she did so, her eyes caught sight of a note that had been pinned to the wall with a small knife, which was a gesture that Sayori found both terrifying, and incredibly over dramatic.

"Akechi," it read…

"Shido wants you in his office. The Phantom Thieves just broadcast their calling card for him, though I'm sure you already know that.

It's time to answer for your mistakes, or else we'll just go find the girl."

Sayori closed her eyes tightly, gritting her teeth together in anger. Of course he wouldn't know! Of course Shido doesn't even know that he killed Goro! She ripped the note off of the door and crumbled it into a tight ball, before throwing it on the ground. She stared at the ball of paper on the floor for a few moments, simmering with rage, before she suddenly sighed, letting the anger drain out of her for the umpteenth time in the past day.

Without really thinking, she picked up the crumpled paper and smoothed it out, sighing as she read the words over and over. She crumpled it back up and slipped it into the pocket of Sae's jacket pocket, and then pried the knife out of the wood. She looked at it for a few more seconds, and knew it definitely wasn't one of Goro's kitchen knives. She threw it in the trash bin, before looking around the small living room, still covered in dust.

Sayori knew she was stalling for time as she continued to wander around the apartment, a little wistful, silently letting memories dance through her head of the days she had spent here, spending quiet hours with Goro. She knew he had given her a goal one of the last times they had really spoken, which was the sole reason she was here to begin with, and she knew with the note that had been posted on the door that it wasn't safe to be here for long… But she also knew that Shido's heart would be changed soon, so even if she was caught here, it wouldn't matter.

After looking around the living room and kitchen area for a few moments, almost marvelling at how untouched it all seemed, she made her way into the living room and sat on the couch. She had been trying to avoid looking at what was laying on the small coffee table the entire time she had been here, knowing that it had been intentionally placed in plain view of where Goro knew she always sat, but now she couldn't avoid it.

A small flash drive sat on the table, and next to it was the journal he had told her he had gotten a few months ago. Sayori stared at them solemnly. Her mind was split between being confused, and simply grieving. It was hard to think about it, knowing Goro must have left these here right before he had confronted them in Shido's Palace and tried to kill all of them… But he had…

"Did he know…?" Sayori asked the silent room, before shaking her head. "No, there's no way he could have known he was going to die… Right?" Did he know that even if he defeated the Phantom Thieves, he wouldn't be leaving Shido's Palace alive.

Sayori denied the possibility, even as she remembered Goro had given her specific instructions on where he normally kept the flashdrive, and yet before he left, he had left these things out for her.

Her hands trembled as she picked up the flashdrive and journal, slipping the flash drive into Sae's jacket pocket, and held onto the journal, not having a big enough space on her person to stash it.

I guess… I'm done here… Sayori thought to herself, standing up just in time for exhaustion and grief to crash down on her. She sat back on the couch and leant her head back, trying to synthesize the feeling of his body sitting next to hers. It was so weird not to have him sitting next to her, and it made the hole in her heart begin to gape. She closed her eyes tightly and held in her tears and sobs.

"I honestly don't know how it's possible, Sayori. But somehow you're even more affectionate then you were yesterday," Goro murmured, leaning back on the couch.

"We were only still friends though, and besides, you're the one to talk," Sayori giggled. "You probably didn't even notice, but your arm practically gravitates to my waist now… And I thought you were shy last night."

Goro looked down, and noticed that Sayori was correct. His arm was wrapped tightly around her waist, and he began to wonder how long it had been there. The detective's lack of self control was concerning, because Sae had requested he at least be professional tonight. His grip began to loosen, only for Sayori to stubbornly shake her head.

"Goro, pay attention to me," the girl whined, causing the detective to sigh.

"When you're not being a depressed bundle of blankets, you really seem to enjoy the attention people give you," Goro teased, complying with the request for the moment.

"Don't lie to me, Goro! You like this more than I do. You just don't like admitting it," the girl huffed, slightly annoyed.

"That's true," he replied, leaning into her touch.

A moment passed before Sayori stood up, taking a shaking breath, before walking over to the door to Goro's room. Her hands were trembling so badly that it took her a few moments to get a grip on the doorknob, and then also even more trouble to turn it. When she finally managed, Sayori practically threw the door open, stepping quickly into the bedroom and shutting the door behind her.

I'm such a mess right now… Sayori thought to herself, wiping at her face, beginning to wonder if there would ever be a moment in her life where she wouldn't be crying. I know I should leave… It's probably not even safe here anymore… But she felt it deep down in her bones… She was exhausted, and heartbroken, and she knew that soon enough she wouldn't be able to do this anymore. A journal and a flash drive simply wasn't enough right now, and soon enough Goro's landlord would see that he hadn't paid his rent and come to check on him, and then he would either sell the apartment to someone else, or it would be considered a crime scene because Goro had gone missing in the eyes of the public…

I won't get a chance like this again… Sayori thought to herself, closing her eyes tightly and grimacing, before opening her eyes and stumbling around in the dark for a moment. After taking a couple of steps, she bumped into his bed and nearly lit up at the same time that she wanted to sob, having bumped her legs particularly hard into the frame of his bed.

Still, Sayori found her heart beat beginning to stop feeling so rapid. A second thought occurred to her, and the girl wandered away from the bed and over to the door, finding the lightswitch and turning it on. As light illuminated the room, she walked over to Goro's closet and tore it open, finding several of the jackets Goro had worn. She grabbed one and folded it up neatly, before setting it on the chair at Goro's desk and placing his journal on top of it.

The girl spent several minutes rifling through the boy's things, taking several bits and baubles that she knew would remind her of him. Sayori did her best to take it slow, wanting to find anything she thought might have meant a lot to Goro. At one point she wondered about the morality of her actions, knowing that in the eyes of many this would be counted as stealing, especially when she grabbed a simple but beautiful silver necklace that she was ninety percent sure belonged to his mother. Though at the same time, she knew if she didn't take them, this stuff would probably be auctioned off by the landlord to people who wouldn't bother trying to understand the meaning these items had to Goro Akechi. The girl nearly gagged at the thought of a few of his fangirls buying his precious things.

Finally, the girl found in one of the bottom drawers, on top of a bunch of suspicious looking papers that she didn't even want to bother looking at, an old tea bag box, dusty and clearly already used. The girl held her breath and quietly took it out, opening the lid and pulling out an old dusty photograph of a woman in a hospital bed, smiling as she held a small infant in her arms.

There were plenty of other photographs like these in the box, but Sayori already felt like this in particular was a breach of privacy. She carefully put the old photograph back into the teabox, before setting it on top of the pile of things she had put together to take with her tomorrow. She would keep them, if only so that they wouldn't be thrown away by someone who didn't care later.

"She was beautiful, Goro," Sayori said to the empty room, before finally walking over to the light switch again and turning it off. She stumbled her way over to the bed again and carefully took off her shoes, setting them on the floor by the bed. In her grief and nostalgia, she had forgotten to take her shoes off by the front door like she was supposed to. The threatening note from Shido's goons certainly hadn't helped either.

Sayori took a deep breath as she unclasped her bow from her hair and slipped it into Sae's jacket pocket, right next to the flashdrive. After a few moments of hesitation, she slipped under the covers and laid down, snuggling into them and finding that she didn't feel as terrible as she thought would doing this. Even as she thought about how she was sleeping in a dead person's bed, she found herself beginning to feel more at peace than she had for the past few weeks.

It even smells like him… Sayori thought to herself tiredly, a happy blush forming on her face as she breathed in maple and sugar and pine. Tears began to fall down her face, as her heart ached and cried for the boy who this scent belonged to, but the grief couldn't defeat the overwhelming sense of peace that she suddenly felt, sleeping by herself in his bed.

It was a pleasant surprise when Sayori managed to fall asleep, feeling warm and safe, assured in her knowledge that she had kept her promise, knowing that just as she was doing right then, Goro could finally rest, too.


The next morning, after waking up and going back to Ann's apartment to finally change into her own clothes, and also drop off the things she had taken from Goro's apartment, Sayori went to Leblanc. Sojiro looked at her with frustration as he wiped off counters and served customers their orders.

"Mind telling me where you were last night? Akira and Futaba were both panicking this morning because you never got back to Ann's last night," The man grumbled when he managed to pull her off to the side.

"Sorry. I was somewhere… safe, but I was just too exhausted to leave when I was ready to go,' Sayori said with a wince. She suddenly remembered something, reaching into the schoolbag she had brought with her and taking out Sae's jacket. "Can you give this to Sae-san when you see her? I would wait until I see Makoto, but I have something important I need to do. Is Futaba here?"

Sojiro huffed, but took Sae's jacket and nodded, deciding to let her vague answer go for now. Sayori was alright, which was what mattered in the moment. "Futaba is at the house today. She was pretty exhausted after yesterday, so she's taking the day to relax and get her energy back. Why?" Sojiro looked at Sayori with suspicion. "You aren't going to ask her to do anything that's too taxing, are you?"

"I am going to ask her to do something, but if it's too hard to do all at once, she can take as much time as she needs. There's no pressure," Sayori assured, smiling nervously. "So… Do I have permission to go into your house then?"

Sojiro nodded, but kept a stern expression on his face. "Yeah, but when you come back I want a full explanation of where you were last night."

Sayori frowned and sighed. "I'll tell you right now." She looked around and said quietly, so that only Sojiro could hear, "I was at Goro's apartment last night, getting some stuff that he told me he needed me to get the last time we actually talked…"

"Nothing dangerous? He's not asking you to do something like… burn evidence, right?"

"No… I think what he wanted me to have already belonged to me… maybe…" Sayori shook her head to stop herself from thinking too hard about it. "Goro could do dirty work like that on his own… Asking me to take this stuff was more for my sake than it was for his, I'm sure… Something that would help me if he suddenly died…"

"Alright… If you're sure," Sojiro said, accepting that answer. "I won't interrogate you anymore. Go on ahead, and make something for you and Futaba to eat while you're there."

"Can do, Boss," Sayori said with a sweet smile, before leaving Leblanc. She walked down the street towards the man's home and let herself in, glad but also concerned that he had left his door unlocked again.

Sayori walked up the flight of stairs and down the hall to where she remembered Futaba's bedroom was. She was rather amazed at how the area seemed so much less oppressive than she remembered it being. The crack at the bottom of the door revealed flashing lights, and Sayori could hear the sounds of some sort of fight scene playing, and felt bad to have to interrupt. She raised her fist to the door and knocked lightly.

Almost immediately the lights paused in their flashing, as did the audio, and the sounds of scrambling was heard as on the other side Futaba slid out of her chair and quickly stumbled over to the door.

"Sojiro, aren't you supposed to be work-" Futaba began to good naturedly lecture, only to pause when she opened the door and found Sayori waiting with a sheepish smile. "Oh, Sayori! Come in! Why didn't you just let yourself in? I was hoping for some company to watch this movie with!"

"Oh… Well actually I came here to ask for a favor," Sayori explained, reaching into her skirt pocket. "I have use for your talents!"

"Want me to hack Shujin's System and change your grades? Sorry, but no can do!" Futaba said jokingly, sitting on her swivelling chair and spinning playfully. "You have to earn that plus sign on the end of your plain-A in History class!" She slowed her spinning and grinned. "Though… perhaps I could be persuaded with a bit of… compensation?"

"Sorry, but that's not what I need from you," Sayori paused as her hands wrapped around what she had been searching for. "Wait, how do you know I have an A in History?"

"Lucky guess!" Futaba said quickly, stopping her spinning completely, before quickly shuffling so she was seated in front of her computer monitor. "So what do you want?"

Sayori frowned at Futaba, but decided to let it go, taking what she needed from her pocket and placing it on Futaba's desk, in plain view for the girl to see.

"A flashdrive?" Futaba asked, picking it up and holding it close to her eyes to examine it.

"Yeah… Goro found it in my Palace, and tried to see the contents of it… But it's locked, somehow. I tried to access it this morning, but I can't get into it either," Sayori explained.

"So you want me to try to figure it out?" Futaba asked, looking back at Sayori to see the girl's hopeful nod.

"You don't have to do it right away… But I think it's really important that I see what's inside eventually," Sayori explained. "I don't know what to do with it right now, so I'm giving it to you to work on. Just call me over whenever you manage to unlock it!"

"I'm not sure…" Futaba looked up to see Sayori beginning to look downtrodden.

"...Is what an amateur would say!" the girl continued, grinning and sticking the flash drive into her PC. "I guarantee it will be unlocked in two weeks or less, or you get your unlockable flash drive back for free!"

"Thanks, Futaba!" Sayori shouted, leaning down and pulling the girl into a tight hug. Releasing Futaba a second later, Sayori smiled and thought to herself. "Sojiro asked me to cook something for us both to eat, so I could actually do that right now and let you finish your movie… Or is it a game?"

"It's got a lot of cutscenes, so I guess you could say it's both," Futaba muttered as a thought occurred to her. "Wait… You got this drive from somewhere Goro would keep it, and you tried to get access to its contents this morning… And I know Ann doesn't have a computer, or even a laptop… So…" The girl's eyes became wide and sad as she looked at Sayori, who was now sheepishly avoiding her gaze. "You spent the night in Goro's apartment…?"

"Y-yeah…" Sayori admitted. "That's not a bad thing, right?"

"I mean, was it a bad thing for you?" Futaba asked, realizing she might have sounded accusing.

"N-No… Actually, I think I actually felt better after going there," Sayori said, hugging herself. "It still hurts to lose him, but it was nice to go over there again."

Futaba stood up and hugged Sayori lightly, leaning her head against the girl. "I'm glad you're okay… and I'm sorry… I know you've already forgiven us, but still…"

"It's okay… I- I will be okay," Sayori smiled and hugged Futaba back, enjoying the comfort, and starting to really believe that she would be okay.


Almost a week later, on the eighteenth of December, Sayori waited in Leblanc with the rest of the Phantom Thieves. In each of their hands was an alcohol free drink. The TV was on Shido's live acceptance speech, and for once the thieves were anticipating what the man would say.

"My election is the result of every citizen's aid. Your support warms my heart!" Shido started with a smile, before looking down in shame. The Phantom Thieves grinned as the men standing beside him looked confused. "That is why… That is exactly why… I cannot forgive myself! The reason President Okumura passed away is… I am the one who killed him. I also manipulated the information that the Phantom Thieves were behind the series of incidents. The one who controlled the hearts of others and gave rise to the countless victims… is myself. It was all for my own promotion… for my own selfish gain. I've even used people's lives as stepping stones in order to claim this country as my own ship. I am a true criminal that can be tried for any crime, and it still wouldn't be enough! I will confess everything! Please, I beg everyone to pass judgement on me… If I could atone for all I've done with my life, I request that I be judged at once…" The broadcast was cut off as Shido cried, and the teens all smiled at Sojiro and Sae and each other.

The mood was somber but jovial as everyone raised their cups in anticipation. "We did it!" Ryuji shouted with a grin.

Sojiro smiled happily. "Allow me to say a few words… Now then…"

"He's started taking charge…" Futaba commented slyly.

"Come now, don't be that way," Makoto chided with a knowing smile that the girl most likely would continue to be that way.

"If you're gonna complain, say it to Shido. A legislator's pin's worth almost nothing, so it's probably better Sayori just threw it away," Sojiro commented, nodding his head over to the girl, who gave everyone a calm, light smile.

"Thank you for making all of this for us, Boss," Sayori said kindly, looking at the spread of expensive looking food that the man had spent so long on. They would be feasting like kings that night, especially with the desserts table.

"No problem," Sojiro said humbly, before clearing his throat. "Anyway, since the source evil, Masayoshi Shido, has been-"

"I got to avenge… my mom. It's all… thanks… to everyone," Futaba interrupted, her voice breaking. "Thank-" Her own sobs interrupted her as she started crying.

"I was able to settle a debt in regard to my father as well," Haru said, feeling tears prick at the corner of her eyes.

"We all worked so hard for this…" Ann said, teary-eyed as well as she smiled at everyone.

Sayori sniffled, feeling the happiness of everyone beginning to dissipate the somberness weighing on her shoulders. "I'm so happy… I got to help everyone… and I helped Goro in the end…It feels… Good." She covered her mouth and nose as she started weeping once again. She had been doing much of the same this past week.

Everyone broke, feeling the weight of each admission each girl had made, the knowledge of all the lives they had helped to avenge fully being realized.

Yusuke took a shuddering breath, deciding now was a good time to bring out his little surprise. He got out his sketchpad and flipped it to one of the most recent pages, still looking over his work with a critical eye even as he prepared to give it to the girl it was meant to be a gift for. "Sayori… The picture is... finished by the way… Maybe I should save it until after… we're done… crying. I don't want it to get smeared." The heavy layers of lead felt all the more vulnerable, and Yusuke cursed himself for not having it framed, until Sayori practically yanked the sketchpad out of his hands and set it on the table top, looking at the picture of Goro Akechi from a safe distance.

"Thank you… for caring so much…" Sayori whimpered as she hugged the artist, and then looked at everyone else. "Everyone… Thank you for being there for me… I wish I could thank Goro, too…"

"A toast to his memory, too…" Sae added, raising her glass, and everyone followed suit. The discussions of what the next day would bring began in full swing after that. Sae would be working hard to make sure Shido was charged, and Akira would be returning to school.

"Also," Sae added. "As soon as tomorrow, I will be working on finding your home, Sayori. It may be some time, so if needed I'll also work on finding you a temporary residence for you to live in. Still, with your connection to Akechi, the media will probably have you more in the spotlight right now… Maybe your family or friends will see the coverage and be able to find you."

"Okay…" Sayori said, accepting of the answer even as she knew it wouldn't matter in the end.

Shido had just admitted to his crimes. Futaba and Haru had both avenged their parents, and could move on with their lives, and Akira was on his way to clearing the charges Shido had placed on him. Ryuji and Ann would both be pursuing their interests in track and modelling again, Makoto had mended her relationship with her sister, and Yusuke could now pursue beauty in a world that would be slowly starting to mend itself. For almost everyone it was the perfect ending. All that was left was to find what Morgana was looking for in the depths of Mementos.

We're almost to that perfect ending… After that the game will end, and I'll be able to go home, Sayori thought to herself, drinking her cup dry and smiling cheerfully. It's… the perfect ending… Almost… Still, she knew that for herself it would never be truly perfect or happy. Maybe in this tale, her ending was meant to be moving beyond her sadness and depression and grief through losing Akechi… She supposed in this game, where her friends had each been burdened with the responsibility of moving beyond their trauma, it was fitting.

I can finally go home and live my life… And be happy… Sayori thought to herself with hope in her heart.

Thank you, everyone. Thank you, Goro.

Hope you enjoyed this! We're heading into the final arc of this fanfic, so I hope you're all excited! Please let me know what you think, and I'll see you next time!