Akane no Mai

by Kanius

A man from the world of Vein drops into a world of Thieves. He meets a pragmatic woman. She greets him with a calm smile. "My name is Togo Hifumi." Following the fateful encounter, a host of monsters arrive, disrupting the peace. The Thieves return to confront these entities outside their realm and ultimately cross paths with the Revenant man.

24. Reawakenings

Chapter II: Reawakenings

---

Amamiya-Takamaki Residence (奄美・高崎 レジデンス)/Shibuya, Tokyo (渋谷区, 東京)/December 5, 2018 (2018年12月5日) (Reality: December 2020)/6:15 AM (JST)

The sound of their alarm clock awoke him. Turning over on his back, Ren opened his eyes. He pushed a button and shut off the annoying ring of the clock. He awoke to another day of his daily work routine.

Although he didn't mind going to work, he dreaded waking up from bed. Nonetheless, he got up and put his glasses on. He turned and noticed his wife Ann wasn't in bed.

Did she wake up? He wondered as he washed his face. He wiped his face with a towel and brushed his teeth. He headed into the kitchen to find Ann staring horrified at the television.

"Good morning, Ann." He leaned over to kiss her, but he paused and noticed her apprehensive state. "Ann? Is something wrong?"

"Ren. Take a look at the date."

"Um, ok?" Ren turned and eyed the TV broadcast, which displayed not just the time but today's date.

6:50 AM.

December 5, 2018.

What?! Ren internally thought. He rubbed his eyes thinking he was still asleep.

The date was still December 5, 2018.

"You did see the date, right?"

Ren nodded, almost baffled by this. "Yeah, but how? Tell me it's not a mistake."

"It's not. Look!" She turned her laptop to show them the date on the browser's bottom right corner. There was no mistaking it. It was December 5, 2018.

"December 5, 2018, but that's impossible! Isn't it?" Ren shouted while trying to grasp this strange occurrence.

"I wish I knew what this means," Ann expressed her own deepest concerns over this dilemma.

"Were we just thrown back in time?"

"I don't know. I don't feel any different."

"Me either."

Ren and Ann checked their daily schedules. Everything was set according to their schedules. Ren still has to go to work for half the day. Ann still has her scheduled modeling appointment. Ren and Ann checked and were relieved to find their wedding rings still on. The couple deeply sighed with relief. They turned to each other and considered contacting the others.

---

Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department (警視庁)/Kasumigaseki (霞が関)/Chiyoda, Japan (千代田区, 東京)/7:45 AM (JST)

Having been instilled with the shock of the sudden time reset, Makoto sat in her chair while feverishly tapping her foot. She maintained an intense glare at her monitor screen, not taking her eye off the date displayed on the bottom right screen.

"2018? No, that can't be right," Makoto mumbled, biting her bottom lip. She reflected on Haru's terrified shriek early in the morning. "Gosh, imagine starting your birthday like that, Haru-chan. Oh, I'll have to make you feel better with a big 'surprise present'." Makoto instinctively readied her gun to use as a security measure in their household but found that Haru simply cried at the realization of the sudden date change. Makoto ruled out the possibility of Yaldabaoth or Datenshi manipulating time and space. Both were already eliminated by the Thieves.

Suddenly, she heard a couple of co-workers having a conversation about two fellow officers. To her surprise, she overheard the names Tsunemori Akane and Asada Shino mentioned as if they've been working in the department for a while.

Makoto carefully picked out the two names. "Wait, but there's no one named Tsunemori Akane and Asada Shino working here. Where have I heard those names before though?" She wandered until she realized. "They're the names of characters from shows." She wondered if this was a mere coincidence. "Excuse me."

"Yes, Ms. Niijima?" The rookie officer that Makoto had been training quickly responded.

"Since when has Tsunemori Akane and Asada Shino been working here?"

"Um, I believe since you first started here, Ms. Niijima."

That can't be, realized Makoto. She knows every officer in the department. She has never seen or met those two aforementioned individuals.

"Is something wrong, Ms. Niijima?"

"No…" Makoto forcefully lied through her teeth. She sat down to recollect her thoughts. "Get it together. They're just playing you… or what if? That would explain the sudden year reset." She also realized every other officer and worker in the department failed to notice the year change. They're diligently working as if it were a normal workday. "Today's Wednesday the 5th when it should be Saturday the 5th. Something is definitely not right!"

---

Tokyo Institute of Technology (東京工業大学)/Futaba's Dormitory/Meguro, Tokyo (目黒区, 東京)/8:30 AM (JST)

"So, it's not just me, Inari?! I thought I was the only one losing their mind!" Futaba cried out, glancing over the date on her computer monitor. "I think we're caught in some kind of time loop. No, more like a time reset."

"What else could it be? Were we thrown back two years in the past?"

"No, because everything is still playing out exactly as it were today. We're still living in 2020. I haven't changed a single bit."

"And I remember our last phone conversation from a few nights ago."

"Yeah, and I still remember going to that art show from a couple of months back!" She glanced over her figures and collectibles during the phone conversation. She stared awkwardly at the Ultraman (Netflix) figurine. "Hmm, I don't remember how I got this one. And I don't recall which version of Ultraman this is… did I get some rare collectible?"

"What's that? Futaba?"

"Oh, it's nothing. Never mind. Look, I can start contacting the others since we're that concerned."

"That would be wise."

"It's strange that no one else seems to notice the year is wrong."

"Then, it's just affecting us. Could this be the workings of Datenshi? Yaldabaoth?"

Futaba sighed. "I wish I knew, Inari. It's all so confusing right now! I'll contact Ren and see if he notices…"

Just then, Futaba's cell phone rang and she checked the caller ID.

"Well speaking of…" Futaba mumbled. "Hey, Inari. I'll call you back."

"Is it Ren?"

"Yeah, I'll call you back."

---

Toranomon Hills (虎ノ門ヒルズ)/Toranomon (虎ノ門)/Ren's Cubicle (レンのキュービクル)/Minato, Tokyo, Japan (港区, 東京)/8:45 AM (JST)

"I see. So, the students there haven't even noticed it's 2018?" Ren asked Futaba on the other line.

"Not a single one! It's crazy! They think I'm losing my mind. My roommate just told me I need to stop staring at my screen all the time and get some more sleep, but I know what I saw!"

"Well, I'd agree you shouldn't stare at your computer screen all day and you do need good rest."

"Ok 'Sojiro'."

Ren chuckled at being compared to his former caretaker four years ago. "Well, he'd say the same thing."

"Yeah, but anyway… I just wanted to relay this to ya. I just talked with Inari."

"So, he's noticed the sudden time reset?"

"Yeah. He thought maybe it's Mementos coming back, but I doubt it."

"I would agree, but what else could it be? Ann's been freaking out since this morning."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Don't worry. We'll get to the bottom of this, Ren!"

"Right," he said, determined to find out the source behind this time reset.

---

Protein Lovers Gym (プロテインラバーズジム)/Shibuya, Tokyo (渋谷区, 東京)/9:05 AM (JST)

"There's no freakin' way it's 2018. I know it's still 2020!" Ryuji grumbled.

"Hey, Ryuji!" Miyako cried out, quickening her pace on the treadmill.

"Huh? Yeah?"

"You're spacing out for some reason. Is everything ok?"

"I'm alright. Say, can you tell me the year?"

"The year we're in?"

"Yeah."

"Silly, it's 2018. Almost 2019."

Hearing this from Miyako greatly disturbed him. He didn't know what to make of this unusual situation. He swore it was 2020.

What the hell's going on here? Thought Ryuji.

---

Café Leblanc (純喫茶ルブラン)/Yongen-Jaya, Tokyo (四軒茶屋, 東京)/9:30 AM (JST)

Morgana dropped by to visit Sojiro. With no customers in at the hour, Sojiro invited him in to feed him leftovers. Morgana observed Sojiro's behavior and carefully noted that he, like every other civilian, hadn't noticed the time reset.

Looks like ordinary civilians haven't noticed it's 2018 when it should be 2020. I've got to find the Thieves and see if they've been affected! Morgana thought until he noticed misshapen black shadows passing by the window. He sprinted toward the window and checked outside.

"Hey, what's wrong with you, Morgana? What did you see?" Sojiro asked the cat as he looked outside the same window. Not noticing the black shadows, the man merely shrugged. "Don't know what spooked you."

Morgana frowned. Of course, he wouldn't see it. They looked like some kind of black matter to me… like shadows. Surely, this can't be the workings of Datenshi or Yaldabaoth. They're gone. Or, are they?

Once customers started coming into Café Leblanc for lunch, Morgana scoured Yongen-Jaya for more peculiar events. He noticed more weird shadows materializing in various places. To his surprise, no one else seemed to notice these shadows.

How is no one seeing them?! Morgana wondered. Just then, he noticed a familiar face not far from where he was sitting. Ah, the hot doctor!

He spotted the famous (or infamous to some) owner of Takemi Medical Clinic. She wore other accessories, including a black studded necklace that connected with several necklaces around her neck. Her brown eyes scanned her black leather watch, which she wore on her right wrist. She wore casual attire consisting of a short black jacket, a blue dress with an emblazoned white spider web design, black ripped leggings, and black heels. At first glance, she appeared more like a punk rocker than a registered professional doctor.

Morgana meticulously waited for a response from Takemi.

As expected, she elicited the same response as Sojiro. She didn't evoke any look of shock when she checked for the time and date on her watch.

That confirms my suspicions. Ordinary civilians aren't affected, but what about the Thieves? Morgana wondered, hoping his friends knew what was going on.

"It's called the Yami Matter… it's finally manifested…and it's growing from humanity's darkness," a woman quietly whispered in an ether behind Morgana.

What?! Morgana panicked as he turned around and saw Io's ghostly essence behind him. "Hey, it's you! You're Io but what are you doing here?!"

The pale-skinned woman slowly nodded. "I'm communicating through you externally out of Hifumi. I'm here to warn you about the Yami Matter."

The cat gawked at her with perplexity, confused over what Io was referring to. "The Yami Matter?"

"They're the side effects of the darkness left in people's hearts. They're remnants of Datenshi's former presence and the remaining essence of the alternate Yaldabaoth currently residing within Togo Hifumi."

"That's what's causing this time reset?"

"If you wish to know more, follow me."

Morgana frowned. "We should go and tell my friends. They have every right to know."

"The Thieves are aware of the time reset caused by the Yami Matter."

"What?!" Morgana looked around and sprinted into an alleyway. "Are Ren, Lady Ann, and my other friends ok?!"

"They're confused, but rightfully so. Not just them, but Skyler and the others have noticed the time reset."

"Them, too?"

The pale-skinned being responded. "Yes, and very soon Skyler and his colleagues are about to be reawakened."

"Reawakened?"

"With the Yami Matter manifesting, Skyler and the others' natures are about to be revitalized. Their memories must return."

"Whatever that means. Do they have Personas, too? Wait, Skyler was Sion before! That means his memories might return?"

"The Thieves and the Revenants must be reawakened to neutralize the Yami Matter overtaking this city. You noticed the shadows?"

"Yeah, I did, but no one else noticed them!"

"It's the Yami Matter. It's becoming active and spreading through this city."

"Then, I better get to Ren and Lady Ann. I have to let them know!"

"And I will reach Skyler, Hifumi, and the other Revenants. My presence will be all that's needed to reawaken Skyler and his group."

"I'll take your word you'll do just that and you're not just some Yami Matter trying to trick me."

"You can trust me," Io calmly reassured Morgana. Her ghostly presence gained color and solidified, revealing her presence to the cat. A demure smile adorned her pale face. "Leave them to me, Morgana."

"Yes, now this is how I remember you. It is good to see you again, Io," Morgana genuinely smiled at Io. He watched her vanish into thin air. "I've gotta get going and tell them what's been going on!" He turned to leave to convene with the former Joker and Panther.

---

The black essences spread over Tokyo undetected by the general public. However, they were soon being felt by the Thieves and Revenants.

---

Toranomon Hills (虎ノ門ヒルズ)/Ren's Cubicle (レンのキュービクル)/Minato, Tokyo, Japan (港区, 東京)/2:30 PM (JST)

As Ren prepared to leave for the day, he felt the disturbing aura released by the Yami Matters. He palmed his face and gritted his teeth hard. His face became unnerved after sensing the spread of these dark essences.

This feels familiar but yet so different… is this what's been causing this time reset? Thought Ren.

---

Roppongi (六本木)/Minato, Tokyo (港区, 東京)/Okumura Café (奥村カフェ)/2:40 PM (JST)

Haru also sensed the disturbing aura that's been manifesting across the Tokyo districts.

"Mako-chan…" Haru whispered, feeling a cold shiver spreading down her body.

---

Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department (警視庁)/Kasumigaseki (霞が関)/Chiyoda, Japan (千代田区, 東京)/2:50 PM (JST)

"Sis, I've called and checked in with Haru-chan. She can vouch for me that it's 2020. How can it be 2018?" Makoto quietly argued with Sae over the phone. "No, we're not working too hard! And we haven't lost track of time!"

"Mako-chan, get as much rest as you can. I know you're hoping it's 2020 so you'll have enough experience under your belt, but take one step at a time."

Makoto sighed hard. "Thanks, sis, I needed the talk." She hung up and lied back in her seat. Before she could get up to get water, she felt the same disturbing vibes as Ren and Haru did. She whipped around in her chair and noticed dark essences spreading over the police department. She wore a petrified expression. "...what the hell was that?"

---

Tokyo National Museum (東京国立博物館)/Taitō, Tokyo (台東区, 東京)/2:55 PM (JST)

Yusuke grasped his head like he had gotten a headache. He noticed dark essences spreading through the museum. Unbeknownst to him, an essence crept over a painting. The eyes on the painting twitched and shifted toward Yusuke's way. When Yusuke turned, the eyes were back to normal.

"That disturbing feeling just now… odd…" Yusuke muttered.

---

Tokyo Institute of Technology (東京工業大学)/Meguro, Tokyo (目黒区, 東京)/3:00 PM (JST)

Taking advice from her roommate and Ren, Futaba walked outside to give her eyes some rest. Since it was a beautiful day, she opted to get some fresh air outside on the campus.

Her relaxation time abruptly ended as she felt the dark essences nearby. She folded her arms around her as if she were cold.

"I don't like this feeling." She shivered and grabbed her head. "What's doing this?"

---

Shinjuku Toho Building (新宿東宝ビル)/Kabukichō (歌舞伎町)/Shinjuku, Tokyo (新宿区, 東京)/3:02 PM (JST)

Ann was in the middle of finishing her photoshoot. She turned around showing off her red belted overcoat, which covered up whatever else clothing she had underneath. The only accessories she was able to show off were her black high heels that went with her long legs. Her long blonde hair waved back and forth as she turned her head and body in a seductive pose.

"Great pose, Amamiya-Takamaki!" The photographer yelled out, snapping several quick photos of the model.

Suddenly, Ann noticed the dark essences spreading over the vicinity. Before she can anything, the essences spread past the photographers and reached her. She covered up and shuddered as if cold air breezed by her.

"Ms. Amamiya-Takamaki, are you ok? You just dropped out of your pose."

Ann was baffled by the photographers and the film crew hadn't noticed the dark shadows that went by them. There was an ounce of apprehension on their faces. Only Ann saw the shadows.

"Ann?"

She shook her head. "...yeah?" She snapped out of her brief trance. "Yeah, sorry. Let's do it again." She rubbed her left temple. How did they not see what I just saw? I know what I saw!

---

Ryuji's House (竜二の家)/Shibuya, Tokyo (渋谷区, 東京)/3:15 PM (JST)

As Ryuji walked out of his home, he waited for Miyako to get her belongings. He heard his cell phone ring as he went to answer. It was Ren trying to reach him.

"Yo, man," Ryuji answered.

"Ryuji, have you noticed anything strange lately?"

"Dude, define strange." As he said this, Ryuji noticed dark essences spreading across the area. His mouth dropped at the sight of these disturbances. "...uh…"

"I take it based on that sudden silence and delayed response."

Ryuji replied. "...yeah, I definitely saw it. What the hell was that?"

"You're not the only one. Only we can see them. The general public can't."

"So, just us Phantom Thieves?"

"Possibly. I'm going to call Hifumi and Skyler to confirm if they've seen any shadows."

"Good call, man. You do that…" Ryuji muttered as Miyako walked out and noticed her boyfriend on the phone.

"Who are you calling, Ryuji?"

"Listen, buddy. I'll call you back. If you're planning a get-together about this, I'm in."

"Sure, I'll text you."

"Cool. Later," Ryuji turned off his cell as he turned and addressed Miyako. "That was just my buddy Ren."

"Oh, how is he?"

"He's just getting off work, but don't worry there's no plans that'll cut into our time now."

"I don't mind. Ren's a cool guy…" As Miyako rambled on, Ryuji noticed the black essences spreading past her. He wanted to say something, but the shadows didn't seem to affect her nor did she notice them.

Ryuji noticed this and confirmed Ren's warning. These essences were spreading citywide and so far all of the Thieves have confirmed sightings.

---

Shinjuku, Tokyo (新宿区, 東京)/3:20 PM (JST)

As Akechi headed across a crosswalk, he briefly noticed dark shadows slipping through the glass windows of the infrastructure surrounding him. He noticed no one but he paid any mind to these mysterious entities.

"Shadows? No, the Metaverse ceases to operate. This is something entirely different," Akechi quietly and keenly observed the mysterious shadows. "Very peculiar. I wonder if Ren and his friends have noticed?" He brushed his hair away as he watched the shadows fade away.

---

Yongen-Jaya, Tokyo (四軒茶屋, 東京)/3:26 PM (JST)

Sumire was in the middle of a walk into the familiar side of town where Ren used to reside. As she made her way toward the Shibuya Shopping District, the red-haired ex-gymnast was on the phone with her boyfriend Eugene.

"Yes, I'm heading over there right now, sweetie. Sorry, I was just revisiting some old and familiar grounds," Sumire conversed while walking toward the nearest train stop. Before stepping inside a train, she and the passengers hardly noticed some dark shadows creeping inside the train.

In that instant, Sumire quickly turned and noticed the shadows. However, only she was able to see them clear as day. She knew what she saw.

Narrowing her eyes, Sumire took off her glasses. "That was strange. Did they not notice that shadow?" She whispered as she kept to herself and sat down. What could this mean? I don't like this. Should I tell senpai and the others? She deeply mused over what she witnessed.

---

Skyler and Hifumi's Apartment/Hamamatsuchō (浜松町)/Minato, Tokyo (港区, 東京)/3:30 PM (JST)

Just then, Skyler and Hifumi received a surprise visit.

"Hey, guys. Didn't expect you all to come?" Skyler opened the door for Louis, Mia, and Yakumo.

"What? We can't come and visit anymore?" Mia sardonically remarked.

"No, you're more than welcome to see us," Hifumi said.

"The reason why we came here," Louis then turned to Skyler. "Did you notice the year?"

Skyler nodded. "It's all so strange. Why is it 2018? We're supposed to be in 2020."

Yakumo deduced. "My thought process is that we've been caught in some kind of time loop. No one else seems to notice this but us."

"Hifumi, you know what we're referring to, right?" Mia asked the Shogi woman.

"I do. I thought something was playing tricks with us, but I'm glad we're not the only ones to notice," Hifumi stated. "We just got a quick call from Ren. It appears we're not the only ones."

"The Thieves, too?" Louis queried while tapping his chin. "There has to be a reason why we and the Thieves are only noticing this sudden time reset and these black shadows."

"You noticed those, too?" Skyler asked him.

"What were those anyway?" Yakumo wondered.

"They're called the Yami Matter." The same disembodied voice that reached Morgana was heard.

Skyler, Hifumi, and the others sensed a presence within the room. Suddenly, a white aura materialized over Hifumi's body. All eyes quickly turned toward the Shogi woman. She glowed in the white light from head to toe. Skyler instinctively reached for her, but Hifumi's eyes opened and turned gold. Hifumi raised her head and seemingly released an essence from her own body. Hifumi collapsed into Skyler's arms. The essence released from Hifumi solidified and shifted into a humanoid form.

Louis and Yakumo readied stances. They prepared to fight off whatever came out of Hifumi. Mia stayed beside Skyler and Hifumi's side.

"Revenants, I've not come here to fight you." The figure addressed them in a soft-spoken voice. As they discerned her appearance, she became the pale-skinned, white-haired, and golden-eyed Revenant woman. She appeared in a worn and torn article of white clothing making up the top half of a dress; her voluptuous breasts poked out through the topmost part of her dress. Her entire right leg was heavily bandaged up to the thigh.

"What the hell are you?" Skyler snarled toward the mysterious Revenant. "Why were you inside Hifumi?! And what are Revenants?!"

"Io, it's you!" Hifumi called out to the white Revenant much to the shock of Skyler and the others.

Picking up on the familiarity between the two, Skyler faced Hifumi with confusion. "Wait, you know her, Hifumi?!"

"Yes, we've made contact before."

"It's true I've been living within Hifumi for these past couple of months. I came into contact with Hifumi when she died." She revealed her initial merger with Hifumi.

"You died before?!" Mia asked Hifumi. "What is she talking about?"

Louis queried to the pale Revenant. "You're going to need to explain this to us."

The pale-skinned Revenant openly addressed the Shogi woman. "Hifumi, I'm sorry I've had to use you as a vessel after our Shin-Io merger. Since then, I have required a body to restore the form you see."

With a smile spread across her face, Hifumi nodded. "No, you don't need to apologize. All you needed to do was ask…"

"And you couldn't come forward to begin with?! Telling us Hifumi died before is a big red flag!" Skyler protested.

"You're right, but there's no time for us to argue, Sion."

Upon hearing this, Skyler froze. "Only my friends call me Sion."

"Starting today, we can be considered friends. In fact…" Io scanned the others in the room. "All of us are friends."

"Says who?!" Mia angrily rebuked.

"Hang on, Mia. We don't know what she's capable of," Yakumo warned.

"This will be much easier once I restore the bulk of your former memories that have been suppressed by Shin-Io's power," Io said as her yellow eyes glowed. "As the Persona Vein, I break the chains binding your memories, Revenants!" The healthy white glow leaked from her and resonated with Skyler and his friends. Even Hifumi was enveloped in the Persona Vein's aura.

Suddenly, as he howled with pain, Skyler collapsed to his knees. With the white light's energies burned through their bodies, Louis, Mia, and Yakumo quickly followed. Louis was on the floor writhing. With arms folded over his chest, Yakumo rolled on his left side. Mia was on her knees holding her head. Hifumi witnessed Skyler and the others being converted by the Persona Vein's light.

"Skyler!" Hifumi cried as she reached for him, but the mysterious Revenant got between the two. The Persona Vein gently grasped Hifumi's hand.

"Have no fear, Hifumi. It'll be over soon for them."

"What's happening to them?"

"I'm reawakening their true selves and unlocking their full memories. I'm giving them back everything they've lost." She whispered reassuringly, keeping Hifumi from interfering with Skyler and company's conversion process. Io looked at Hifumi, who clamped her own mouth with her hand and let her tears fall. She pulled Hifumi close, even letting her lean on her ample-sized breasts.

Clutching his carpet, Skyler wheezed and grunted hard. His face, dampened with sweat, contorted with pain showing on his face. The pain threshold escalated when Skyler felt and heard the crackling pops of his bones. His bones got dense. His muscles tightened. Shearing pain ran through his body. His human physiology seemingly mutated with these physical changes. He felt something growing and twitching inside his chest, causing him great pain. It felt as if a parasite was growing inside him and changing his human nature. His face contorted as the parasite pulsated in him like a human heart. He heard the loud and violent rhythm beats of a new heart in his newly sensitive ears. Grinding his teeth together, Skyler's front canine teeth lengthened and sharpened, changing said teeth into vampire-like fangs. The sweat that covered his face and other bodily fluids changed into steam, seeping out from all of his pores. As he reared his head back, faint memories of someone resembling him cleared in his mind. Initially confused, Skyler then recognized himself wearing a metallic mouthguard. He had another vision; one that showed the Attendant calling herself Io and another of Io feeding him blood and accompanying him on a journey up to Io sacrificing herself and turning into a bright white tree.

Likewise, Louis, Mia, and Yakumo saw visions of themselves. Each one had on similar metallic mouthguards. Just like Skyler, they underwent painful physical changes. Their bones became denser. Vampire-like teeth grew inside their mouths. Similar parasitic creatures grew inside their chests. The heavy sweat and blood fluids seeping from their body's pores turned into steam, covering the living room. Louis writhed on his knees. Yakumo was flat on his back. Mia lied on the floor in a fetal position, crying herself through the pain of her already mutating body.

In Louis's vision, he saw himself leading a group of people resembling Skyler, Mia, and Yakumo. Based on the vision he saw, he and the group confronted a woman resembling his sister inside a cathedral. With her hands clasped in prayer, the woman's body was covered in a shawl and tubes hooked to her body, siphoning blood from her and feeding a white tree. Mia saw herself with a child aged Nicola, protecting him from a group of men resembling Louis, Skyler, and Yakumo, and later seemingly befriending these same men and Io. Yakumo witnessed a vision of him accompanying a young woman who looked like Emily on missions and eating cylindrical-shaped rice balls. More visions flashed inside the four individual's minds, showing them numerous bloody skirmishes with horrific and malformed creatures. More visions had the words 'BOR Parasites', 'Blood Beads, 'Lost', 'Revenants', 'Blood Veils', 'Gifts', 'Successors', 'the horrors', 'the Queen', 'Juzo Mido', and other terms only their lookalikes would know being instilled in their minds. As these memories continued to fill their minds, each of their eyes glowed bright red, nearly scaring Hifumi.

As their blood-curdling screams filled the apartment, Skyler, Louis, Mia, and Yakumo became motionless on the floor. Their faces fuming steam-like mist and veins exposed on their side temples. After coughing out blood, their bodies suddenly lost their functional mobility. They seemingly passed out. However, Hifumi noticed their shallow breathing.

Growing worried, Hifumi headed over to Skyler's side, but Io grabbed her arm.

"Please, I need to know if he's going to be…!" However, a nod from Io silenced Hifumi, causing her to stand down.

As he rose like a reanimated corpse coming to life, Skyler turned toward the mysterious Revenant. "I...I…" He raised his eyes, furrowing his brows. "I remember, Io." He addressed the Persona Vein with familiarity as the flood of memories he saw poured into his mind. He finally revealed the Persona Vein's identity, her body materialized and solidified out of her intangible form.

"It's been a long time, Successor of the Blood," Io replied genuinely. Her voice was no longer distorted and she could speak much clearer.

"Yes, that's who I am…" Skyler nodded. "But, how are you here? The last I remember you…"

Io vaguely smiled. "Don't worry about it, Sion."

Turning away from Io, Skyler slowly pivoted his view on Hifumi.

"Skyler? So, you know and remember everything related to Io?" Hifumi looked at both Skyler and Io.

"I do now. It's thanks to Shin-Io's power why we were brought here," Skyler said as Louis, Mia, and Yakumo awakened similarly. "Here in this reality I'm Skyler Jones, but where I came from, I was a Revenant who lost his memories before meeting these four here." He gazed over to Io, Louis, Yakumo, and Mia. "I didn't have a name but adopted the codename Sion. Hifumi, although the Sion you knew is not me, he retained my identity. When he died, you not just used Shin-Io's power to restore your dimension, but effectively pulled me and my friends from our dimension. You'd ensured I'd take over after the Sion that died."

Louis interjected. "Yes, I remember when you and I met, you had no recollections of your name and past."

"I later remembered I was part of Operation Queenslayer, but not so much my real name. I do try and still seek it out," Skyler said as Io grasped his hands and smiled at him.

"The most important thing now is you and your friends have your memories back now." The pale-skinned Revenant said, genuinely smiling before turning an eye toward the other Revenants. "I understand you each have your full memories?"

"Yes, we remember everything before being brought here," Louis stated. "After seeing Sion and the others here, everything came back to me. I remember being the leader of our group. I recall our journey to locate Blood Beads, trying to slay the Lost, finding out my sister, Karen, was the Successor of the Heart, and that I previously knew Cruz before."

"I was once a mercenary and was a close friend of Louis here before Sion joined us. I also recall being Emily's closest friend." Yakumo plainly said.

"I remember when I first met you three, I attacked you believing you were trying to hurt my brother, Nicola," Mia faced Skyler, Louis, and Yakumo.

"And I remember it all being a big misunderstanding," Louis stated.

Mia opened her mouth to speak. "Then, you took me in and we went to look for my brother, who was the Successor of the Breath. After you helped me with my brother, I ended up joining you guys for good. We had one heck of a journey, didn't we?" Shifting over to Io, Mia smiled. "Tell me my brother, Nicola, has recovered his memories now?"

Nodding, Io kindly responded. "Yes, perhaps. It'll take time before the others from our dimension regain their full memories."

"Thank goodness," Mia replied with relief. "Although, my brother in this dimension has already grown into a teenager. That makes him human in these modern times. If his memories have been restored, his Successor powers should resurface, too. In our native dimension, the Nicola I knew was an unaged child."

Hifumi asked. "What are you saying?"

"That I question whether the kid I've been caring for is really Nicola or not."

"That boy is Nicola," Io reassured her.

"And Karen? Could she be my real sister in this dimension? I'd venture to say she is," Louis smirked. "Since you restored our memories, then we've been turned back into Revenants." He sensed a difference in his physiology than before Io's white aura converted them. "Yes, I feel my strength returning to me. Almost like we've been liberated from these human forms we've been given."

Io nodded. "That's right. Once your full memories are returned to you, your Revenant strengths and abilities will come back. Your human bodies changed to accommodate with your restored Revenant powers."

"I believe you, Io. For some reason, I don't seem to have the thirst for blood," Skyler noted the vampiric-like trait was noticeably missing from when he was full Revenant.

"Wow, now that you mention it. I don't feel the need for blood!" Yakumo realized.

"I'm glad Io helped quench our thirst! We might not even need to drink blood! God, am I relieved!" Mia was thrilled to have such a hindrance possibly suppressed.

"That's because I've recharged your need to drink for a while, but your thirst for blood will overtake your need for solid foods," Io informed them.

"I see. Unless my sister finds a way, then there can't possibly produce Blood Beads," Louis said.

"That's not true. Recall that I produced Blood Beads when I became the Weeping Tree," Io kindly reminded the Revenants of her sacrifice. "So, I'm able to supply you with Blood Beads to suppress your thirst."

"Well, we've got that covered at least!" Mia said.

"Though, that shouldn't stop us from eating solid foods like normal in this dimension. If I was able to eat onigiri, then anything else should be fine." Yakumo stated.

Skyler turned to Hifumi. "Are you aware of our thirst for blood and the Blood Beads?"

"Based on my interactions with the previous Sion, I've been made aware of your thirst for bloodthirst and the Blood Beads," Hifumi whispered. "I'm also well already familiar with Sion's Revenant friends."

"That's right, Hifumi," Io addressed the Shogi woman. She offered a hand to Hifumi. "Thanks to you and Shin-Io's power, you altered reality so much you willfully brought Sion, myself, and our friends to this dimension."

As Hifumi stared at the pale Revenant's hand, Io tilted her head and softly smiled. Hifumi reached over, grabbed Io's hand, and got propped up on her feet by the Persona Vein.

"Tell me, Io. Are you now a Persona or still a Revenant Attendant like before?" Hifumi asked Io.

"A Revenant, but I am now the Persona Vein. So, I can be classified as a Persona. I used your body as a vessel for these past few months, so in essence, I could be considered your Persona now, Hifumi."

Once Io pressed her hands with Hifumi's, their palms contacted and interlocked their fingers.

"I do apologize for not asking you to let me occupy your body, but my essence required a vessel to maintain my form."

Wearing a broadened smile, Hifumi nodded. "It's ok. You only needed my body to survive. It wouldn't hurt to ask first though."

"So, you're back with us for good this time, Io? Like, you won't become a tree again?" Mia asked the pale Revenant.

"For the time being."

"Ok, so our thirst has been suppressed, but what about the BOR Parasites inside us?" Louis asked.

"I can feel mine inside. If I have mine, then so should every Revenant awakened in this dimension. They're what keeps us alive," Skyler revealed, pressing a hand on the chest area where his heartbeat. As he said this, he turned to Hifumi. "And thanks to you, Hifumi, you kept Sion under control and helped facilitate his emotions. I trust you'll do the same for me."

"Of course," Hifumi complied to his wishes.

"That's reassuring," Louis said.

"It's there alright," Yakumo sensed the BOR Parasite with a hand on his chest.

"As long as nothing happens to them, we should be ok," Io stated.

"Right. My only concern is if one of us goes into a frenzy and turns into a Lost." Mia added her gravest fear.

"What I remember is the BOR Parasites double as your hearts. You won't need food or water to survive. It only requires blood or those Blood Beads to help it sustain you." Hifumi recalled everything Io already told her. "If one doesn't feed blood…"

Mia quickly interjected Hifumi. "Yeah, we know. We frenzy and turn into a Lost if we don't drink any blood. That's what we want to avoid."

"Although, you will require some blood internally while in your Revenant states. And so long as I exist in this realm, my reality warping influence will give you all the necessary recharge to prevent your powers from weakening, or worse turn into Lost. You'll have your regenerative capabilities and superhuman traits again. Furthermore, you still should be able to invoke your Blood Veils."

As Io explained her ability to the Revenants' abilities, Skyler and his friends took this all in, accepting the curses and blessings of becoming Revenants again.

"So, we're physically immortal again." Skyler affectionately smiled at the Persona Vein. "Thanks, Io. We appreciate you telling us what we need to know. Thank you for reviving our Revenant abilities."

"But, you wouldn't have revived our Revenant powers and memories without a good reason," Louis firmly said, folding both arms. "Tell us what enemy we're facing?"

"Is it the Lost?" Yakumo queried.

"Whatever it is, we're ready," Mia nodded.

"The main threat we face is referred to as the Yami Matter…" Io relayed everything she already told Morgana to the Revenants.

"So, they're essences created from the darkness of people's hearts?" Louis asked. "And yet none of the masses noticed?"

"Only a few of us have," Skyler replied. "That even includes the Phantom Thieves."

"This is starting to sound awfully like Kanashī Seishin and Yaldabaoth again," Hifumi expressed her deepest concerns. This managed to get Io's attention.

"Hifumi, since you've been a vessel for me, I've assessed your abilities. Your powers are derived from the alternate Yaldabaoth." Io took Hifumi's hands and pressed her head against Hifumi's forehead. A white aura surfaced and enveloped Hifumi. "You seem to not have access to Shin-Io's powers now. I know you wish to help Skyler and his friends."

"I do, but what can I do to help?"

"Since your body doubled as my vessel, my Revenant powers have resonated with you. As a result, you have access to your Tennyo abilities again."

Hearing this, an exhilarating rush filled Hifumi to her core. "Is that so? Then, I wish to join you, Skyler, and the others here. I want to fight with you all."

"Are you sure, Togo Hifumi?"

Hifumi turned over to Skyler and genuinely smiled. "Yes, I am."

Skyler nodded. "If this is what you think you need to do, I won't stop you."

"Very well," the Persona Vein whispered as the white aura shrouding Hifumi changed her attire into the one she wore when she was Tennyo.

Once the glow from the white aura faded, Hifumi opened her eyes. She was back in her full Tennyo appearance. With a satisfied smile on her face, she examined her restored wardrobe and admired it.

"Thank you, Io," Hifumi said. "Since Skyler is going by Sion, I've already decided on my codename."

Io curiously asked. "And that is?"

"I will be Tennyo."

"Not bad. I like it," Skyler replied. "The name matches your elegance and grace in Shogi."

"Thank you, Skyler."

"If we're giving out codenames, why don't we give ourselves titles?" Louis suggested. "Sekiken is fitting for me since I was known as the Crimson Sword."

Yakumo added. "I'm recalling my liking for onigiri when Emily and I shared some. Because of that, I've come up with my codename. So, I shall be Omusubi."

Mia pushed her long blonde hair back. "Based on my and Nicola's memories, I remember someone very special to us. Her name was Carmilla. In her honor, my codename will be Mircalla."

"Sion, Tennyo, Sekiken, Omusubi, and Mircalla. Yes, perfect," Io nodded. "And my codename shall be Moonlight." She veered toward Hifumi and grabbed her hand. "Tennyo, since you wield my power, you'll be able to access my Blood Veil: Ivy."

"Thank you, Io. I'll wield it to your satisfaction. Perhaps it's a weapon better than the ko-naginata I used?"

Io vaguely smiled. "You'll see sooner than later. Me giving you my Blood Veil will be proof of our new bond, Togo Hifumi." With that, she and Tennyo exchanged affectionate smiles.

"We should give ourselves a group name. Since Ren and his friends are the Phantom Thieves. Skyler, you got anything in mind?" asked Mia.

"Well…" Skyler mulled while being given the responsibility of establishing a new team name for them.

"Just calling us Revenants is just too plain," Louis shrugged.

"Hmmm, Blood Revenants?" Yakumo suggested another name.

"Eh, that makes us sound like an emo goth band," Mia disproved.

"Well, we are leftovers moved from another dimension. You know, remnants." Louis said until a lightbulb flared in his head. "That's it. Remnants."

"Needs a little more," Skyler interjected. "Vein Remnants. What do you think?"

"An excellent choice, my friend," Yakumo nodded.

"Yep, I can go with that!" Mia delightedly concurred.

"Whatever you choose, I'm fine with it. Just remember I get partial credit for the name," Louis coolly smiled.

Skyler turned to Io and Hifumi. "Does Vein Remnants sound fine?"

"Yes, it's fine with me," Io replied.

"It's a great start," Hifumi smiled. "Ren and the others will be surprised to see us like this."

"Speaking of the Thieves, it should be a matter of time before my power reaches them," Io said. "Very soon, the Vein Remnants will unite with the Phantom Thieves."

Skyler muttered. "I am curious, Io. There are others from our time who've been moved here. That includes Jack, Eva, Nicola, Aurora, Karen, Emily, and a few others. Have their memories been restored like us?" He internally thought about the possibility of others who could be sleeping Revenants, who've yet to reawaken.

"Yes, as I've told Mia, everyone should have their full memories restored," the Persona Vein clarified.

"Does this include Cruz, Gregorio, and…" Louis paused as his teeth gritted hard, almost pausing as if purposefully neglecting to say a certain individual's name. "...and Juzo Mido?" This name gave unsettling vibes to everyone.

A low growl escaped Yakumo's mouth. "We know Cruz and her father live in this dimension, but we know nothing about Mido's whereabouts. As far as we're aware, he wasn't brought to this dimension with us."

Frowning, Mia expressed her reproval of the aforementioned Mido. "If that's true, then good riddance."

"We can't say for certain if he's here, but we'll need to keep our eyes open. As for Cruz and Gregorio, based on my interactions with their human selves in this dimension and my old memories of them, it should be interesting to see if they have their memories restored." Louis advised everyone in the apartment.

"I'm afraid those three will not have their memories restored. My presence has not reached them. Perhaps it's best as you will recall Cruz was the Queen from our dimension." Io stated.

Upon hearing this, Louis sighed. "You probably made the right call, Io. The last thing I want is to pull Cruz back into our situation. I'd rather she forget anything related to the Queen from our former dimension. As for Gregorio, he'd become our ally in the end after we defeated the Virgin Born, but I'd prefer if he lived his life peacefully as a human."

Yakumo turned to Louis with concern. "Are you sure about this? I agree about keeping Cruz out, but why not have Gregorio help us?"

"Yeah, I am. There's no need to get either of them involved in our affairs. Anyway, since we're here, I believe I should declare myself as leader of the Vein Remnants."

"Hey, you won't get any argument from me," Skyler complied, making eye contact with Hifumi as they both smiled. "Why don't we pay the Phantom Thieves a visit later?"

"Sure, I'd like that."

Crossing his arms, Louis quickly addressed his team. "However, as the Vein Remnant leader, my first order of business is checking in with our reawakened Revenant friends."

---

Inokashira Park (井の頭恩賜公園)/Musashino, Mitaka, Tokyo (武蔵野市, 三鷹市, 東京)/4:15 PM (JST)

Elsewhere, Jack and Eva both collapsed at the same time. They dropped to their knees and seemingly went through a similar phenomenon the Vein Remnants just underwent.

Jack grimaced as a hot sensation filled his body. He and Eva went through a similar painful experience as Skyler and the others went through. Both heard their bones audibly cracking and coughing up blood. Through this excruciating process, their human physiologies mutated into Revenant natures.

"Jack…! What's happening to us?!"

"I don't know…!" Jack tried not to yell out so much to cause a commotion. He tried covering his mouth as the blood spilled from his mouth.

It took a few moments, but images of their former lives resurfaced in their minds and their Revenant natures took full effect. Jack grabbed his head as his left eye glowed pale blue. He slowly turned over to Eva, who stopped doubling over in pain.

"Eva?"

The woman responded. "Jack, I remember… everything. I remember Skyler being Sion. I remember Louis, Mia, Yakumo, and the others. I remember we're Revenants and Io sacrificing herself to give life to the Weeping Tree."

"Yeah, me, too. I especially remember us fighting together with Sion's allies and Sion leaving with the amber bead," Jack said as he and Eva stood together with Jack's eyes glowing pale blue, while Eva's eyes briefly glowed red. "This has to be Sion and his friends have awakened and become aware."

---

Yaksha Weaponries (ヤクシャの武器)/Shibuya, Tokyo (渋谷区, 東京)/5:15 PM (JST)

The sound of a bell rang as the shop door opened.

"Welcome to Yasha Weaponries! Please, have a look… oh, hey, Iwai," a young woman's voice spoke up, cordially greeting Iwai. He wore the same light gray cap. His clothing consisted of the same black turtleneck sweater, a long gray coat with a red peace symbol emblazoned on it, blue jeans, and dark boots. He wore earrings and bit on a lollipop stick.

As Iwai Munehisa walked into the weapon shop, a pale-skinned, short dark-haired woman styled in a concave-cut, and sporting a white medical eyepatch covering her left eye noticed Iwai's gecko tattoo on the left side of the neck near the back. She wore dark punk rocker clothing, consisting of a sleeveless violet shirt with a black skull and crossbones emblazoned on the front. She also had on black jeans, dark boots, and black bracelets covered with spiky studs. Her face has several piercings; two under her mouth, on the left side, one piercing on both ears, and when she opened her mouth a tongue piercing.

The female shop owner, who greeted Iwai, stood behind a counter. For a shop owner, she appeared very young, almost appearing to be in her early 20s. The youthful woman has tangerine-colored hair tied back into a ponytail. She wore a black t-shirt with an army camouflage hoodie coupled with blue jeans and brown boots. She also wore other accessories; black fingerless gloves and a silver belt around her thin waistline. Her dark brown eyes scanned Iwai and the punk rocker-clothed woman, who were the only customers present.

"Were you expecting Shinonome Yakumo? Sorry to disappoint you, Rin," Iwai addressed the young shop owner.

"No, I'm glad you're here, Iwai. It's been a while, hasn't it?" Rin widened her smile.

"And how is it when I come here, you're always here?" Iwai turned to the punk rocker. "Well, Ikishima Midari?"

"And why is it I come here, you arrive? You've been stalking me?" scoffed Midari.

"Why would I waste my time stalking you? Besides, I always see you in my shop, too. Looking for something particular?" Iwai offered to help Midari.

"Iwai! That's our customer you're dealing with!" A heavy voice belonging to a man hollered from a backroom behind Rin.

Rin chuckled nervously as she backed off, letting two individuals step out of the backroom. A large brown-skinned bald man with thick black eyebrows and a goatee walked out with muscular arms folded. He wore a form-fitting light blue dress shirt with a black tie, khaki pants, and brown dress shoes. The man was so large he needed to tuck his head slightly to get through.

Standing opposite the large man is a smaller fair-skinned woman with shoulder-length blonde hair. She wore a sleeveless orange shirt, dark gray leather pants, and black boots. She had on a rose-colored cap. She wore thick black eyeliner and seemed to have thinned her eyebrows. Other accessories included a black neck choker and dark fingerless gloves.

"Davis and Coco," Iwai's scowl turned into a smirk. "Don't worry about her. She stops by my shop, too."

Flicking strands of her blonde hair off her shoulder, Coco rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, Iwai. Remember I'm the merchant of this shop. You wouldn't be here if you were looking to buy something or sell a piece of merchandise to us. What'll be, Iwai?"

"You better be quick, Iwai, because what she says goes here," Davis said.

"Right, I'll make this quick," Iwai approached the counter. After buying the merchandise, he left the shop.

"Sorry about that, Midari. He's a regular here just like you," Rin apologetically said.

"Yeah, I'm a regular at Untouchable Airsofts and we pretty much are acquainted. He can be such an ass," Midari scoffed as she walked up to the counter with her gun license and purchased a small ammunition box.

"Hehehe, that's what makes Iwai 'Iwai'. Will that be all, Midari?" Rin asked after putting the ammo box in a paper bag.

"Yeah, thanks," Midari said as she noticed Rin grasping her head. "Hey, you're not looking so well. You've been drinking?"

"Nah, I don't drink… maybe I'm coming down with something?"

"Ah, I'd take it easy then. Ya never know what jerks are passing around a bug."

"Thanks for the concern. Have a nice day," Rin said as Midari walked out with her merchandise. After her lightheadedness subsided, her headaches got worse. She then felt pain intensify in her chest as she howled with pain.

"Rin, what's wrong?!" Davis called out as he and Coco doubled over and underwent similar pains as Skyler and the others.

"What's happening to us?!" Coco screamed in pain, grasping her head as blood leaked from her mouth.

Feeling her insides mutating, Rin grasped her chest where her heart transformed and twitched as something parasitic grew inside her. With heavy breaths, Rin muttered. "...I'm… I'm remembering it all…" Then, her mind became flooded with images of herself wearing a Revenant mask and interacting with Louis, Skyler, Io, Yakumo, Mia, Davis, and Coco in an unfamiliar location that resembled an old mansion.

As they struggled through their Revenant mutations, Davis and Coco received similar memories.

"Is this who we were…?!" Davis questioned, doubling over and leaning against a chair.

"It's all coming back to me!" Coco cried out while curling up into a fetal position while grasping the stinging throbs in her abdominal area.

"Louis… Skyler…" Rin gritted, remembering everything related to the aforementioned Revenants in her previous life.

---

Passersby started taking notice of a group of six walking past them. These six walked together with purpose and scanned their urban environment. The Vein Remnants and Hifumi walked down the street and faced the front of Yaksha Weaponries.

"What do you think, Skyler?" Louis asked his colleague.

"Only one way to find out."

---

Heading their way toward the shop, Skyler pushed open the shop door. The Vein Remnants and Hifumi entered as everyone turned toward their direction.

"Skyler? Louis? Yakumo? Mia?" Coco turned and noticed them. As the Remnants and Hifumi noticed some blood smeared on her side lip, Coco wiped the evidence of her Revenant mutation. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Don't try and hide the fact, Coco," Louis stated, catching her wiping the blood from her lip and mouth. Having taken notice of this, he knew she was hiding more than she was letting on. "It happened to you, too."

"What are you talking about?"

"Your body's changed, didn't it? Have you regained all of your memories?" Yakumo asked her directly, prompting Coco to press her hand against her chest where she felt her parasitic 'heart' twitching inside her.

"I understand this is a lot to take in. Just having our B.O.R. Parasites again will take some getting used to," Skyler stated.

"It's no use, Coco. They already went through what we just did," Rin said as she walked out from the backroom having cleaned herself up. "And we remember it all. Our experiences together and us being Revenants."

"So, what's it like having a creepy parasite inside your chest, Rin?" Yakumo chuckled.

"Ugh, don't remind me. It's being very antsy," Rin placed her hands over her chest where her B.O.R. Parasite slightly twitched.

"It's strange that our memories have returned to us," Davis spoke out as he, too, walked out of the backroom. "Still, I remember us being Revenants, but we were just regular humans with hearts a few moments ago."

"I see. Then, you guys just reawakened into your Revenant selves," Skyler noted the timing between their mutations.

Just then, Rin turned and noticed Io standing between Skyler and Hifumi. Her mouth gaped and her face paled as if she had seen a ghost from the past. Coco and Davis were also taken aback by Io's presence.

"Io?! You're here, too?! But, you're supposed to be…!" Rin cried out in shock.

"Io sacrificed herself to create the Weeping Tree! How is she here?!" Coco asked the Vein Remnants.

Louis smirked as he turned to Skyler. "Oh yeah, looks like they have all their memories back if they recognize Io."

"It's going to take a bit to explain, but Io revived herself thanks to my friend here," Skyler pointed to Hifumi, who bowed toward Davis, Coco, and Rin.

Skyler took a deep breath. "I understand you three felt some kind of weird jolt spark up some memories not too long ago."

"That's exactly what happened as our bodies changed. I understand you all went through similar pains we did?" Davis asked them.

"In more ways than one," Mia answered.

"I was in the middle of minding the shop and it started with this weird headache. I knew it wasn't just the flu because I didn't show any symptoms," Rin explained. "Then, I went through excruciating body pains. I thought I was going to die! Then, my memories came back. I started remembering things," Rin pivoted over to Io. "And as soon as I saw her, I knew I wasn't being delusional."

"Io, did you have something to do with this?" Coco asked the pale Revenant, who looked away almost feeling guilty for restoring the memories of the people closely associated with Skyler and his friends.

"Don't blame her. She did it because she needs us to deal with an enemy presence," Skyler defended Io's reasonings.

"Please, I ask you not to be upset with Io. She did what she thought was right," Hifumi bowed, standing up for Io's position. The Shogi woman's polite gesture was able to appease the shopkeepers.

"We're not upset with Io," Davis replied.

"Of course, we wouldn't be upset with her! She had to have a good reason to restore our memories and Revenant nature!" Rin added.

"We were just worried if we were losing our minds when all those lost memories came back to us. Now that we know Io was behind it, it had to be for an important reason," Coco stated.

"Yeah, and since you guys have your memories back, then we can depend on you all to supply us weapons," Louis said.

Davis grunted and folded his arms. "Just know we're not a charity. You'll need to supply the money so we can give you the goods."

"Supply and demand is our store motto!" Rin cheerily said.

"We understand. After all, you have a business to run," Yakumo nodded.

"And don't worry, we've got plenty of cash to spend," Mia said.

"Mind telling me what kind of enemy are you all facing? Is it Lost?" Coco asked the Vein Remnants.

"There aren't Lost as far as we're aware for the time being," Skyler verified.

Io finally spoke up. "The enemy we face is far more ambiguous. It's called the Yami Matter." As she explained what has happened to this point, the shopkeepers were flabbergasted to learn that time reset by two years.

"It's 2018? It doesn't feel like it," Rin nodded in confusion.

"The calendar year is still clearly 2020. It'll be 2021 soon."

Skyler nodded dismissively. "Believe us when we say it's 2018. As far as regular folks go, they're still living in 2020, but we know better."

"And you're going to find and team up with the Phantom Thieves to get to the bottom of this?" Davis queried. "I find it mind-boggling you know the Phantom Thieves."

Coco smirked as she leaned on the counter. "Well, Vein Remnants, it'll be a pleasure to do business with you." She said, winking at them.

"Yeah! If y'all need some arsenal to take down whatever these Yami Matter things are, don't be a stranger! We'll supply you with anything you need!" Rin gleefully shouted. "And besides, it'll be great for us to talk about our memories."

"With time we'll remember everything crucial that happened to us," Louis said.

"So, are you going to meet the Phantom Thieves?" Rin asked the group.

"Yeah, we'll be heading out to meet them," Skyler replied.

Hifumi asked the Persona Vein. "Io, you said your presence should be able to restore their Persona abilities, including their Persona's Ascendancy forms?"

Io nodded. "I conversed with the being named Morgana. He said he'd reach them. By now, my presence should've reached and reawakened their dormant Persona powers."

"There's only way one to find out," Hifumi took out her cell and dialed Ren's number. "Hello? Ren?"

"Hifumi? Are you and Skyler ok?"

"We're fine," Hifumi made sure the others heard Ren. "I'm with Skyler and his friends. Listen, I need to ask…"

"Morgana came by our place. He told us about the irregularities causing this time reset. Something called the Yami Matter. He asked for the others to come and meet with us. When we did, something came over us…" Ren explained over the phone. "And then…"

"And then what?"

"Our Persona abilities have resurfaced."

Upon hearing this, Hifumi briefly fell silent.

"Hifumi?" Skyler whispered. "Hey, you're spacing out."

"Ren just said he and the Thieves' Persona abilities have returned."

Io smiled. "So, it worked."

"Hifumi, are you still there?"

Hifumi came to and answered her phone. "Yes, I'm sorry for that, Ren."

"It's ok. So, our Persona abilities have resurfaced. Did Shin-Io's powers return to you?"

"No, but I gained something else. I'm not the only one who's had their abilities restored."

"You mean Skyler?"

"And his friends."

"Can you put Skyler on?"

As Hifumi gave her phone to Skyler, he spoke with Ren.

"Ren, are all of you ok?"

"Just a little overwhelmed, that's all, but we're fine. Listen, we need a place to meet."

"Good idea. By the way, we've decided to call ourselves the Vein Remnants."

"So, the Phantom Thieves and the Vein Remnants will meet. I know the perfect place for us to convene."

Skyler nodded. "Name it."

---

Meiji Shrine (明治神宮)/Shibuya, Tokyo (渋谷区, 東京)/6:45 PM (JST)

Yumeko, Mary, and Ryōta resumed their sightseeing. They were in the dark regarding the Yami Matter spreading. However, Ryōta was the first of the trio to notice the weird time reset. When he told his two friends, they couldn't believe it. Yumeko's thought this was a practical joke and took it at face value. Once they ventured out into Tokyo, they saw it was the year was '2018'.

To take their minds off the weird time reset, the trio visited the majestic and historical grounds of the Meiji Shrine. They scoured through the famous Shinto shrine.

"Isn't this place so pretty?!" Yumeko passionately cried out, spinning around and throwing her hands into the air.

"This is a great place to take our minds off the weird stuff happening, but I'm worried about this sudden time reset," Ryōta asked the long dark-haired compulsive woman.

"How can you be so carefree about what's been happening, Yumeko?" Mary asked her friend, who faced the shrine without responding to her friend. "C'mon, you could at least say something?"

"We have company," Yumeko muttered as the trio watched glowing orbs floating in front of them.

"It looks like we aren't the only ones to notice something amiss," Ryōta said, observing the orbs as they slowly took on human form and one miniature cat spirit

"Well, well, nice to see you again, Nekomata," Mary remarked.

"Nekomata! How's it going?! It's me Yumeko!" The compulsive gambler called out to the seemingly disembodied spirit.

"Ah, yes. It's good to see you three." The source of the sagely grandfather-like voice materialized in front of the three.

A sphere of divine light resembling the cat spirit floated above them. The sphere opened as Nekomata emerged.

"Greetings, young ones."

"Good evening, Nekomata!" Yumeko casually greeted him.

"It's so good to see you again, honored sage," Ryōta politely said.

"Did you have a good long cat nap?" Mary sardonically said with a chuckle.

"Miss Yumeko, you're looking well. Suzui Ryōta, thank you for the kind greeting. I do wish Miss Saotome was as polite as you."

Mary sighed. "Ok, maybe what I said was a bit out of line."

"No worries, Miss Saotome. You three couldn't have arrived at a better time."

The Compulsive Gambler blinked in confusion. "Really? How do you mean?"

Mary quietly watched Yumeko and Nekomata's interactions. I swear, it's like seeing one cat talking to another.

"Before I begin, I didn't come alone. Yumeko and your friends will remember them well." With that, Nekomata beckoned several other spheres of light to materialize before Yumeko, Mary, and Ryōta.

These spheres of light transformed into spiritual energies. These energies formed and took on human forms. Mary and Ryōta watched in awe as the spirits of the Sengoku Era's historical figures appeared. Seven of them appeared: William, Hanzo, Okatsu, Masamune, Hide, Tokichiro, and Mumyo.

"Greetings once again, young spiritual wielders," William opened up.

"You're looking more vibrant than before, Miss Yumeko," Tokichiro acknowledged the Compulsive Gambler looking livelier.

"It's good you three are here. There is much to discuss," Hide added.

Yumeko gleefully clamped her hands. "It's great to see you all here, ancient spirits." She bowed politely to the famous historical figures. Mary and Ryōta, too, bowed to the honored spirits.

"I hope you're ready to take on the task of wielding the Guardian Spirits again," Masamune said.

"So, it's that serious, isn't it?" Mary asked.

"Indeed, but you won't be taking this task on alone," Hanzo said.

"Well, that's good to know. We'll need the Phantom Thieves to possibly help us again," Ryōta suggested.

"Hmm, we're missing a few others," Nekomata just noticed.

"Don't worry, my friend. They're coming," William reassured the nekomata spirit.

As William acknowledged this, two more spirits appeared: Yukimura and Lady Chacha.

"We humbly apologize for being late, my friends," Yukimura stated apologetically. "Miss Saotome, it's good that you're here."

"Likewise, honored spirit," Mary interacted with Janomecho's previous wielder.

"Miss Yumeko, I'm pleased to see you here as well," Lady Chacha acknowledged the Compulsive Gambler, who bowed her head.

"Yes, same here, Lady Chacha," Yumeko referred to the Nine Tails' previous wielder.

Just then, the spirits sensed a presence approaching their location. Okatsu quickly turned and faced the presence.

"Seems we're not alone," Okatsu eyed a figure walking behind the gamblers.

"Indeed, we have company," concurred Mumyo, who also spotted the aforementioned presence near the gamblers.

"Well, I knew I recognized those voices from somewhere. I'm glad to be right," a calm-manner woman's voice interjected, causing the trio to turn around.

"Wait, that voice sounds familiar!" Yumeko cried out. "Can it be?"

"Nishinotōin Yuriko?!" Ryōta called out.

Standing several yards from them is a former fellow student of Hyakkaou Private Academy. She is a long dark-haired modest shrine maiden. Her eyes remained closed as they were before; although she is not blind. She wore a traditional shrine maiden garb.

"Well, if it isn't Yuriko?" Yumeko purred, giving a sardonic grin. "How's life been since losing to me?"

"My manipulative days are behind me," Yuriko formally stated, revealing her changed attitude post-graduation. "I'm now a tour guide and one of the maiden keepers of Meiji Shrine."

"So, I take it you've been in contact with these spirits, too?" Mary asked the shrine maiden.

"Yes, in fact not too long since working here, we've been in communications with each other," Yuriko said as her smile faded. "There's been a weird disturbance going on lately. I sensed an evil aura spreading over the city."

"What kind of evil aura?" Ryōta curiously queried.

"Essences of darkness are being released from people's hearts and have been slowly overtaking Tokyo," Nekomata warned them. "I've been in contact with Miss Yuriko. I knew simply defeating Datenshi wouldn't resolve the issue of people containing darkness in humanity's hearts. Now the darkness is manifesting into entities. These entities will take shape and assume the appearance of iconic figureheads. Historical, cultural, or fantasy otherwise."

"Iconic figureheads?" Ryōta mulled.

"Thanks to Nekomata and his colleagues, they gave me two Guardian Spirits I can use to guard this shrine from these malicious entities," Yuriko revealed much to Yumeko's curiosity.

"You have two Guardian Spirits?! Wow, show us!" Yumeko gleefully squeaked. "But, can they top the Nine-Tailed Fox?"

"Why don't I show you then?" Yuriko smirked as she raised a hand. "Come forth Izuna and Kara-jishi!"

With that, two beams of spiritual light materialized on Yuriko's opposite sides. On the shrine maiden's right, a white-furred, long-bodied fox spirit, appeared. The tips of its ears and long bushy tail are covered with red rigid hair.

"This is Izuna," Yuriko showed off her white fox spirit. On the left side, a red and white shisa beast appeared bellowing. "And this is Kara-jishi."

"Wow, a fox spirit and a shisa!" Ryōta cried out in shock.

"Whoa, ok this is something else!" Mary exclaimed.

"Not bad, Yuriko," Yumeko smirked coolly. "Granted, you have your own fox spirit, but it's still small compared to my Nine-Tailed Fox."

Yuriko chuckled. "Well, you don't have the Nine-Tailed Fox now. Don't worry you'll have a chance to summon her again."

"Really?!"

"Indeed. We also must not forget Miss Saotome and Mr. Suzui's Guardian Spirits," Nekomata proclaimed.

"Saotome Mary and Suzui Ryōta, receive your Guardian Spirits once again," Yukimura said.

"They're more than happy to return and assist you, my friends," William sincerely added.

With that, two spiritual balls were conjured in front of Mary. The balls formed into Janomecho and Enku. Two spiritual spheres appeared in front of Ryōta, materializing Kato and Genbu.

"I can't believe it! Our Guardian Spirits have returned!" Ryōta became elated with the revival of Kato and Genbu.

While petting Kato, Mary smirked as Janomecho floated around her. "I'm so happy to see you two again. You ready to take on evil again?"

"And you, Jabami Yumeko. Are you ready to reclaim the Nine-Tailed Fox as your Guardian Spirit?" Yuriko asked the Compulsive Gambler.

"Are you kidding?! Yeah, bring her back to me!" Yumeko shouted.

As she made her demand, a bigger sphere of spirit energy floated in front of Yumeko. The dark-haired woman grabbed the glowing ball and caressed it like a cat wanting to play with a ball of yarn.

"Yes, that's right, my lovely Nine-Tails. I hear you. Your handler is here again," Yumeko whispered as she let the sphere release the legendary nine-tailed beast. She then kissed the sphere as its mystic energies resonated with her.

The sphere exploded into a pillar of white smoke mixed with fiery mist. The legendary fox emerged. Her eyes gleamed red and gave a terrifying glare that scared Yumeko's friends and Yuriko. Even as the Nine-Tails breathed into Yumeko, the Compulsive Gambler's found herself turned on by the beast's aura. Her red eyes gleamed and her face contorted with ecstasy.

"Welcome back, my Nine-Tailed baby. Mommy's ready to take you back," Yumeko stared deeply into the Nine-Tailed Fox's eyes.

Mary, Ryōta, and Yuriko each shuddered at being even remotely close to the legendary fox's presence. However, they, especially Mary, learned to venerate the spirits, whose stories have been passed down from generation to generation.

"Seems Miss Yumeko and the Nine-Tails' bond hasn't wavered despite their brief separation," William said. "What do you think, Lady Chacha?"

Lady Chacha nodded, smiling over the fact someone's managed to tame the Nine-Tailed Fox better than she ever could. "Miss Yumeko has the fox well on a leash. If she can learn to temper her emotions better, the Nine-Tails will become a great asset for her and her friends."

"Listen up, you three," Yuriko addressed Yumeko, Ryōta, and Mary. "I thought I should let you know that some of the other graduates from Hyakkaou Private came here and received their own Guardian Spirits."

"Really? Like who?" asked Ryōta.

"Remember Ikishima Midari and Sumeragi Itsuki? They've each gained Guardian Spirits." The shrine maiden reminded them.

Masamune spoke up. "Yes, that woman with the eyepatch received my Guardian Spirits."

Okatsu calmly added. "The one named Yomozuki Runa received my Guardian Spirit."

Tokichiro nodded. "My Guardian Spirit has been passed over to Totobami Terano."

Mumyo revealed. "And my Guardian Spirit's successor is named Batsubami Rei."

"Whoa, you hear that, Yumeko?! Sounds like some of our former classmates have their own Guardian Spirits!" Mary called out to the Compulsive Gambler.

Devilishly smirking, Yumeko replied. "Yeah, things are starting to liven up again. At least I won't get bored. If even Batsubami Rei has a Guardian Spirit, then things are bound to get fun. Even better if Momobami Kirari gets one, too."

Nekomata interjected. "I'm glad you and your friends returned here. With the dark entities preparing to resurface, the Guardian Spirits are required more than ever. I have no doubt your collective groups can find and team up with the Phantom Thieves and their new allies headed up by Hifumi and the new Sion."

"Oh yeah. Skyler and Hifumi," Yumeko was quickly reminded of her friends. She turned wearing a serious glare, not one to take her friendship with Skyler and Hifumi for granted. "Will you two help me fight with Hifumi, Skyler, and the Phantom Thieves?"

Hearing this, Mary and Ryōta turned to each other. They exchanged serious looks and nodded.

"It's best you find the Thieves and their allies. All I can say is be vigilant. My intuitions tell me tumultuous events are about to affect Tokyo in these coming months," Yuriko gave them a vague foreshadowing of what's to come in the future of Tokyo.

"With these Guardian Spirits aiding us again, we're ready for anything. Right, you two?" Ryōta asked his two friends.

"You bet your ass we're ready," Mary smirked.

Yumeko concurred with her friends. "Oh yeah, things are bound to get very interesting. Just don't any of you start getting cold feet now."

---

Yoyogi Park (代々木公園)/Shibuya, Tokyo (渋谷区, 東京)/7:30 PM (JST)

The Phantom Thieves and the Vein Remnants arrived at their arranged meeting spot. If one could describe this moment, it was consequential. Ren and Louis walked up to each other and gave each other firm handshakes.

"So, we're doing this? Thieves and Remnants working together?" Louis asked him.

"Consider this a beginning of a new alliance," genuinely smiled Ren.

"I'm all for this," Ann said as Hifumi and Skyler nodded in agreement.

"Whoa, it really is Io in the flesh!" Futaba noticed Io noticeably standing next to Hifumi.

"Correct, she's been able to manifest herself after spending time inside Hifumi. She's now freely able to come out of Hifumi. She's the one responsible for restoring me and my friends' memories and our Revenant abilities. She's also responsible for reviving your Persona powers, Phantom Thieves," Skyler introduced Io to the Thieves.

"Hi, nice to meet you!" Ann greeted Io.

"I hope we'll be able to work well together, Io," Sumire cordially greeted the pale-skinned Revenant woman.

Haru noticed Io's skin condition and also noted her yellow eyes. "Her appearance is so distinct that I can recognize her."

"Yeah, she's not very hard to distinguish from the rest of us," Skyler replied, noticing Io standing behind him. "Hey, you want to introduce yourself?"

As Io walked up, she bowed politely to the Thieves.

"It's an honor, Phantom Thieves." As she bowed, her large breasts bounced a bit, causing the male Thieves to blink and turn away.

Being a married man, Ren did his best to ignore Io's well-endowed chest and made sure Ann didn't suspect anything. Likewise, Yusuke looked away so Futaba didn't notice. Ryuji's cheeks slightly became pink, but he quickly averted his view from Io's chest. Akechi was unfazed by Io's overly overt assets.

The female Thieves gave annoyed glares toward Io's large breasts. Futaba, especially, shot an irked look reminding herself of her small, modest chest.

Hifumi, on the other hand, blushed over Io's chest. She already got a close-up of Io's chest while the pale Revenant held her close and calmed her down during Skyler's Revenant conversion.

"...anyway, I wanted to thank you for restoring our Persona powers, Io," Makoto stated.

"You're welcome," modestly replied Io.

"Hey, at least you now have a physical presence!" Morgana chimed in, greeting Io again.

The Remnants quickly realized the black cat just spoke.

"Whoa, did Morgana just speak?!" Mia exclaimed.

"A talking cat, huh? We've seen weirder from our dimension," Louis coolly smirked.

"Yo, you guys really were from another dimension?" Ryuji asked. "Dudes, that's crazy."

"Yeah, and thanks to Shin-Io's power, we've been brought here for a purpose. We were probably meant to team with you to stop these Yami Matter entities," Skyler plainly stated. "And now thanks to Io, we can fight with you, Thieves."

Ren nodded. "So, have you given yourselves codenames?"

"We have. I'm Sion."

"Like our friend," Ann smiled, quickly reminded of the original Revenant they've met before.

"You could say I'm the reincarnation of the Sion you knew," Skyler said. "Thinking about it, I'll be honoring his name."

Louis added. "I'm Sekiken and I'm the leader of the Vein Remnants." He then turned over to Makoto and Haru. "And who knew my closest lady friends are legendary Phantom Thieves?

Mia chimed. "Call me Mircalla. It's going to be great working alongside the Phantom Thieves!"

Yakumo nodded. "Call me Omusubi. It's an honor, Phantom Thieves. While my undying loyalty lies with the Remnants, I won't hesitate to fight on your behalf, Thieves."

Just then, Jack and Eva stepped forward, finally breaking their silence during the entire exchange.

"Well, we just met not too long ago. Yeah, I'm a Revenant just like Skyler and the others. You may call me Hunter" Jack readdressed himself.

"And I am Songstress," Eva revealed her codename.

"And my codename will be Moonlight," Io said.

"So, Joker, Panther, Skull, Queen, Fox, Noir, Oracle, Mona, Crow, and Violet," Louis accounted for the Phantom Thieves.

"Sekiken, Sion, Tennyo, Mircalla, Omusubi, Hunter, Songstress, and Moonlight," Ren counted the Vein Remnants. "That's an 18-person alliance."

"Not too big, but it would help to split into smaller groups for some missions," Makoto suggested in case of certain members' lack of availability.

"How about a 21-person alliance?" A woman's voice belonging to one Compulsive Gambler chimed in, causing the Thieves and Remnants to turn around. They saw Yumeko, Mary, and Ryōta.

"Yumeko?" Hifumi was taken aback by the gambler and her friends' arrivals.

"Guess what? Not only do Mary and Ryōta have their Guardian Spirits again, but I have my Nine-Tails back!" Yumeko boasted as the aura of the legendary fox materialized next to her.

Mary and Ryōta revealed their Guardian Spirits.

"So, you three are in, too?" Ren asked Yumeko and her two friends.

"Why not? We were there with you during the whole Datenshi thing. We've been on the frontlines of danger already," Mary reminded them.

"Yes, I think it was only inevitable we'd work together again," Ryōta stated.

"Well? Can we join you again?" Yumeko asked, almost pleading to Ren as she walked up to him with her gleaming red-eyed gaze, slightly putting him off.

"I'm fine with it, but you three need to keep our activities low profile. Heads up, things are going to get dangerous. If you can't handle it, feel free to back off. We won't hold it against you." The Thief leader intensely stared at the three gamblers.

Hifumi smirked. "Welcome back to our alliance, you three."

"If we're going to fight these Yami Matter entities, I suggest some side training," Mona said.

"That's a good idea," Ren concurred. "More importantly, when we're out there fighting, we have to mind our surroundings and prevent any collateral damage if we can help it."

"Since our enemies might not be distortions and we're not fighting in Mementos, I agree with those concerns. Good thinking, Ren," Mona agreed with his sentiments regarding civilians being put in danger and public property damaged amid heated battles.

"Oh, if you guys are looking for a place to train, we can use the Meiji Shrine. We just met the spirits there. Our shrine maiden friend will even let us use the property to train on," Yumeko offered to the Thieves and Remnants.

"Is that so? We accept then," Skyler said.

"Alright, we've got our bases covered so far," Makoto added. "One more thing, none of us fight these Yami Matter things alone. We fight in groups. We don't know what kind of aberrations we're fighting here."

"This is a team effort. There's no I in this alliance," Ren declared as he finalized their alliance. As he said this though, the Phantom Thief and a few of his friends cautiously eyed Akechi, who was standing feet apart from them. Considering his previous actions made toward their group, a few of the Thieves still cast doubt about Akechi's loyalty.

"That's right! We're in this together!" Sumire energetically rallied everyone together, pumping her right fist into the air.

Skyler smirked as he and Ren put their hands on top of each other. "Thieves. Remnants. And now Guardian Spirit gamblers."

Then, every Thief and Remnant put their hands on top of Ren and Skyler's. Yumeko, Ryōta, and Mary joined in, too.

A new alliance was born. Not only that, but a new urban adventure awaited for the Thieves with their new vampiric and spirit gamblers.

---

Skyler and Hifumi's Apartment/Hamamatsuchō (浜松町)/Minato, Tokyo (港区, 東京)/8:30 PM (JST)

Later that evening, Skyler, Hifumi, and Io returned to the apartment. Before arriving home, Skyler had gotten calls from Mia, Louis, and Yakumo about Nicola, Karen, Aurora, and Emily's memories restored. According to those four; Nicola, Karen, Aurora, and Emily have already recovered their memories from the events based on their original dimension.

Io looked around the apartment for a sleeping spot.

"You know, Io. I could lend you some of my clothes instead of walking out looking like that," Hifumi generously offered to give her unused wear for the pale Revenant.

"Thank you, Hifumi," Io kindly accepted.

"Sorry, there's not a place for you to sleep. We only have a room for two," Skyler apologized. "There's our couch."

Io merely nodded. "No, I don't think that'll be necessary." She turned to Hifumi. "It appears I can't stay outside for too long, so I'll still need you as a vessel to conserve my energy. Is that ok with you, Hifumi?"

The Shogi woman smiled and grasped Io's hands. "Of course, take as much rest inside me as you need."

"In that case, goodnight…" Io closed her eyes as she leaned on Hifumi and accidentally knocked her to the floor.

Hifumi fell with Io on top of her. She got a faceful of Io's large breasts as the pale Revenant faded and reentered the Shogi woman's body. Hifumi once again blushed, but quickly came to.

Skyler helped Hifumi up. "I'd say she exhausted herself restoring our memories and lending you some of her power, Hifumi."

"Yes, I just hope my body being her vessel will sustain her."

"Don't worry. She'll be fine as long as you're here, Hifumi."

"Perhaps, but I fear if something happens to me. If I were to die, she would as well."

"Let's not worry about such dire situations, Hifumi," the Revenant kissed Hifumi. "We should focus our concerns on these Yami Matter entities."

"Yes, of course. By the way, how's your hunger? Can you control your thirst?"

"I'm good now."

"I see. But, should you ever require anything to quench your thirst, I'd be happy to give you some blood."

"Hifumi, I'd never ask…"

Hifumi silenced him with a kiss. "Will you accept if I voluntarily give you my blood?"

The Revenant was quiet for a moment until he gave a straight answer. "Yeah, but only your blood, Hifumi."

---

Public Prosecutors Office/Tokyo District Special Investigation Department/Roppongi (六本木)/Minato, Tokyo (港区, 東京)/9:15 PM (JST)

"Is that so, Hojo? My, you have quite a passionate group of students," Sae chuckled as she conversed with her husband over the phone. As Hojo rambled on, a genuine smirk adorned the usually astute and collective woman's face. "Uh-huh? Well, one of them was bound to be a slacker. I hope that kid keeps his head high."

Suddenly, a knock ceased the pleasant conversation. Upon facing the door, Sae deeply sighed.

"I'm sorry, Hojo, but looks like I have a visitor. I'll be home late, Hojo. I love you," Sae smirked as she shut her smartphone off. Losing her smile, the SIU Director firmly addressed the person behind her office door. "It's open."

As the door slowly opened, Sae's eyes widened with disbelief at who was standing a few feet apart from her. She looked at this person like she had seen a ghost.

"YOU?!" Sae yelled out.

"My, is that any way to greet your former partner-in-crime, Prosecutor Niijima? Oh, I deeply apologize. You prefer to be called the SIU Director these days," the calm voice belonging to Akechi Goro addressed Sae, who was up out of her chair. He noted her blanched expression, especially her widened eyes. "Oh, my. How did I forget? As far as I'm concerned, I'm supposed to be either dead or missing based on your reports, right?"

"AKECHI?!"

"Yes, that would be me as far as I remember."

"But, how the hell…?! How the hell are you still alive?! You shouldn't even be here!" Sae yelled out at the former junior detective.

"Please, do not speak so loudly, you'll cause a commotion."

"That was my intention," Sae frowned as her lips curled into a fierce scowl. "Close the door behind you now."

"Oof, you sound pretty mad right now, don't you?"

"Now."

Shrugging, Akechi closed her office door and opened his arms wide, looking for an embrace. "It's been such a long time, Niijima Sae. You're looking well and congratulations on your promotion to becoming the SIU Director. I always knew you cou-" He was abruptly cut off when Sae furiously punched her desk.

"Save it, Akechi," Sae scowled in a menacing tone while glaring him dead in his eyes. "Explain how you're even here. Our records state that you went missing."

"Well, it appears I proved the reports wrong."

"Don't think I won't call the authorities to come and take you away! I'll see to it you pay for your crimes for putting my sister's life in danger and betraying my trust!" Sae snapped at the baffled Akechi, who took this hard.

"You're one to talk considering you were just another pawn in our scheme," Akechi scoffed, shrugging off her open threats. "And who are you to look down on me, Sae? Did you not forget all the wonderful cases we've worked on together? Or, is that in the past now?"

"Our partnership ended the minute you placed Makoto and her friends' lives in danger! I'll see to it and I swear that your ass is going behind bars!" Sae pushed her chair away and walked right to him. "As far as I'm concerned, you're just Shido's hellspawn!"

Quickly smacked in the face with this revelation, Akechi's calm demeanor subsided. It was quickly replaced with a look of pure contempt.

"How dare you…! You dare say that to me without a second notion, Niijima Sae?!"

"I know all there is to know about your relations with Shido Masayoshi, Akechi! Not only were you in league with him and the Antisocial Force, but you deliberately blackmailed and conned the Phantom Thieves, coercing them to help you, but later to betray them! If I had known before, I'd taken your ass down!" Sae ground her teeth, clenching her hands into fists as she confronted Akechi, who slowly backed off. "How couldn't have I not known you were Shido's son?!"

"Well, it's too late for that now," Akechi chuckled while finding himself backed into a corner in the room. Just one look at Sae's tense expression said it all: he kissed any chances of mending differences with Sae goodbye once he placed Makoto's life in danger.

"I wish I could care about your relations with Shido, but quite frankly…" Sae's angry scowl faded, replaced with a calm and sardonic grin. She then addressed him in a cold and demeaning manner. "But, I could give a damn. All you are to him is a spitting image of that bastard. I don't even see a former partner, but Shido's hellspawn. Don't think you're going to get away after all of those mental shutdowns either."

"Sae, listen…"

"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT!" Sae punched the sidewall, ignoring the pain she sustained from her now bruised knuckles. "You shouldn't have come here. I'll give you to the count of 20 to get the fuck out of my office now! Or, so help me I'll make sure you never find a hiding spot in this city again!"

"Then go ahead and do your worst, you bitch!" Akechi angrily retorted, his collective demeanor all but gone and replaced with an unhinged expression he showed when Joker and his friends beat him. "And I'd like to see you try and find me! If you couldn't find me for the last couple of years, what makes you think you'll succeed now?! Go on! I DARE YOU TO TEST ME! I WON'T YIELD TO YOU, YOU FUCKING BITCH! CALL ME A FUCKING HELLSPAWN AGAIN!"

Sae was taken aback by Akechi's blunt and rude response. This is the first time she's seen this side of Akechi before: his true personality.

Amidst the shock and confusion, the former detective stormed out of her office. Sae immediately pursued him. Quickly calling for assistance, Sae hoped to capture her former partner. When she circled toward the back of the building with two security guards, she pushed through the door Akechi used to escape.

Following heavy breaths from running, Sae was baffled to find no one around. She had lost Akechi Goro.

Balling her fists, Sae gritted and cursed. "Damn it all! He's gone! Makoto, I'm sorry I couldn't get him for you." She noticed the two security guards behind her. "Get the police! Now that we've seen him alive, I want a search warrant put out for Akechi Goro!"

---

The Velvet Room (ベルベット・ルーム)

"Welcome back, Trickster," greeted Igor sitting in a chair in front of the desk.

"We've been expecting you in light of the recent events happening," chimed Lavenza. Her golden eyes scanned Ren, who approached the desk as the bulb's light unveiled his presence.

"What do you know about these Yami Matter entities, Igor? Lavenza? They're responsible for this weird time reset," he asked, removing his glasses so the duo can look him in the eyes while giving the most straightforward answer they can reasonably come up with.

Igor and Lavenza both fell silent, leaving Ren in the dark for a moment.

"Is it some essence of Yaldabaoth responsible for this? Of Datenshi? Or, something else entirely?"

Igor answered as best as he possibly could. "Well, as you and your colleagues have already surmised, this darkness has been manifesting from human hearts. These entities have not only surfaced but have begun altering people's perceptions. The lines of fantasy are being blurred with reality."

"Fantasy is being blurred with reality?" Ren meticulously picked out the last part of Igor's response. He recalled Makoto mentioning two names belonging to nonexistent characters and people casually talking about them as if they were real people.

"Be vigilant of your surroundings. You and the Phantom Thieves must be prepared when these Yami Matter entities materialize," Lavenza warned Ren. "Also understand the nature of these entities will be more physical than abstract."

"So like those Yokai and Lost we've fought not too long ago," Ren referred to him and his friends' battles with the Yokai and Lost at the time Sion arrived. "Except now, we won't be fighting these Yami Matter entities alone. We've allied with the Vein Remnants and the Spiritual Gamblers."

"Which will be very beneficial for you, Phantom Thieves."

Igor added. "Even now, you've acquired the trust of new confidants, including these Revenants from another dimension. I can't give specifics of the nature of these Yami Matter abnormalities. However, I can say the source is a darkness that has no origins in this reality."

"No origins in this reality? Like what? These Yami Matter entities came from something that's never existed in our world?" Ren was perplexed. "Wait, but you did hint at lines of fantasy and reality somehow being intertwined. Well, since we are fighting physical entities again, we'll have to be mindful of our surroundings. People will get hurt if they get caught in our battles. Incidentally, that means I'll have to be careful not to go King Ghidorah in Tokyo full of people."

"We trust you and your colleagues can assess and handle the situations. Return to us if you need or we'll summon for you if we've found anything more related to the source behind the Yami Matters," Lavenza logically stated.

"Until next time," Igor nodded as Ren closed his eyes and the Velvet Room started to distort away.

---

Silva Estate/Roppongi Hills Mori Tower (六本木ヒルズ森タワー)/December 11, 2018 (2018年12月11日) (Reality: December 2020))/6:45 PM (JST)

In a spacious luxurious room, a group of seven individuals turned as a door opened. A large coffee brown-skinned man with long white mane-like hair arrived from the door. The man had a face that showed his age, including wrinkled skin around his red eyes. Thick white eyebrows and goatee made up his face. He wore a dark blue civilian uniform that is governmental and business-like for a foreign politician.

"Mr. Silva, we've been waiting for you," a bespectacled middle-aged bald man spoke. His glasses with circular lenses framed the better part of his eyes. His choice of clothing is a white lab coat with a business casual beige shirt, a black tie, light gray pants, and black shoes.

A young woman with long dark violet hair styled in a ponytail got up from a seat. She garbed in a light pink women's business suit with a red tie, a matching colored business skirt, and white high heel shoes. Her dark violet vacant-looking eyes greeted the large man. "Good evening, Gregorio Silva."

"Juzo Mido. Igarashi Sayaka," Gregorio addressed them. He glanced to the opposite side of the room and noticed the other two guests.

The other guests are identical twin sisters with similar pale skin and long platinum hair. They share similar facial features right down to the same blue eyes and lipstick.

The sister on the left wore her long platinum hair loose. She's garbed in a white business suit with a blue tie, matching colored dress pants, and azure-colored high heel shoes.

The other sister on the opposite side wore her hair in knotted rings with intertwining ribbons. She wore a white business suit with a red tie, matching white dress pants, and red high heel shoes.

"Good evening, Mr. Silva," the loose-haired twin sister greeted him in a collective tone.

"You're looking sharp this evening, Mr. Silva," the knotted-haired sister smoothly spoke.

Gregorio gruffed. "Yes, I can say the same to you, Momobami Kirari and Momobami Ririka."

"Father," a young woman spoke up, garnering Gregorio's attention from his colleagues.

Gregorio quickly turned to the sound of his daughter's voice. Standing in front of him is an alluring young woman with long white hair and red eyes. Her skin complexion is similar to her father's. She wore a light blue political dress and white high heels.

Accompanying the young woman are two other ladies.

On the brown-skinned woman's left side is a Catholic nun with long, back-length Canary yellow hair and Persian orange eyes behind a pair of glasses. She is seen in a black tunic and dress coupled with a white neck collar, a black & white headdress, black dress shoes, and a notable silver cross necklace seen displayed on the front.

On her right side is a tall, dark-skinned woman with long, back-length magic mint hair and jasper eyes. Unlike the nun, this woman has a tough-looking demeanor, befitting her choice clothing, consisting of a black corset top under a blood red leather coat, torn blue jeans, and dark purple dress shoes. Adorning her neckline is a black necklace chain with a red gem.

"You look beautiful as ever in that dress, Cruz," Gregorio acknowledged his daughter's presence.

"Oh, father, you flatter me," Cruz smiled coolly, giggling.

"Thank you for occupying my daughter here, Sister Carolyn and Jocelyn."

With a serene smile, the nun bowed. "Anything to help you, Mr. Silva."

Nodding her head, Jocelyn folded her arms. "That should account everyone for this meeting, Mr. Silva."

"Wait, what about our newest member Nakamura Miki?" Sayaka asked the other members.

"Unfortunately, the mistress won't be able to make it to our meeting today," Carolyn apologized.

"Oh well, there's always the next meeting. Carolyn Angelsmith and Jocelyn Feles, it's so good for you to join us in Miki's place," Kirari coolly greeted the nun and the tall bodyguard.

"Now that I've called you here. I've decided on our organization's name," Gregorio announced. He paused, taking notice of six Guardian Spirits appearing next to Kirari, Sayaka, and Ririka.

The Tengen Kujaku, a transparent white and bluish green peacock, and Hyobishin, a black panther with shining blue eyes and a red cloth tied by a dark golden chain floating around its neck, materialized next to Kirari. "Codename: Mayura."

The Usura-hicho, a swarm of frost-colored butterflies excreting hazy ice air, and Hiyokucho, a two-headed steel blue-feathered waterfowl, surrounded Sayaka. "Codename: Frosthra."

The Atlas Bear, a large black bear covered with golden garments, and Rokugezo, a pale gray elephant with gold & ivory large tusks, two sets of smaller tasks, and a carriage on its back, stood near Ririka. "Codename: Defender."

Seemingly unfazed by the ladies' Spirit Guardians, Gregorio cleared his throat. "I've chosen a name for our organization."

Kirari calmly smirked. "Oh? And what name have you chosen for us, Mr. Silva?"

"We will be known as The Consortium."

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Chapter Soundtrack

Persona 5 OST - Tension - The shock of the time resets.
Persona 5 OST - Butterfly Kiss - Morgana scouring. Takemi's cameo.
Shin Megami Tensei IV OST - Tokyo - - The presence of the Yami Matter affecting Tokyo's districts that the Phantom Thieves sensed.
Code Vein OST - Code Vein (Main Theme) - The reawakening of Skyler and his friends, alongside the interactions upon their awakening.
Persona 5 OST - Layer Cake - Yaksha Weaponries.
Persona 5 The Animation - Infinity - Lyn (1:20 - 1:42) - The Vein Remnants are going inside Yaksha Weaponries.
Persona 5 OST - Restlessness - Discussions in Yaksha Weaponries.
Muramasa: The Demon Blade OST - Seasonal Beauties A - Meiji Shrine.
Nioh 仁王 OST - Tokai Region Map Theme - Meeting the Japanese historical figures.
Kakegurui OST - Kakegurui - Yumeko regains her Nine Tails Guardian Spirit.
Owari no Seraph Opening FULL - ｢X.U.｣ » 終わりのセラフ OP - The alliance of the Phantom Thieves, Vein Remnants, and Spiritual Gamblers is formed.
Persona 5 OST - High Pressure- Akechi confronts Sae in an unpleasant reunion.
Persona 5 OST - Trick - Akechi cornered after being called 'Shido's Hellspawn' and goes off on Sae.
Persona 5 OST - Aria Of The Soul - The Velvet Room.
Kakegurui OST - One Who Wields Authority - The Consortium gathers.

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A/N: Yes, I've completed this just in time for the 1st anniversary of Akane no Mai, and the English release of Persona 5 Royal!

Book II has started and already events are happening quickly. We have a time reset with our group of protagonists having to re-experience 2018, even though it's still 2020 in the eyes and minds of the masses.

More importantly, we've had a ton of reawakenings happen. With the help of Io (the Persona Vein), the Code Vein cast have regained their memories. The only CV characters who haven't experienced reawakenings are the ones involved with the Consortium (Gregorio, Cruz, and Mido).

On top of regaining their memories, Skyler and his friends have also regained their Revenant nature.

Io's presence has also rekindled the Phantom Thieves's Persona powers, including their Persona's Ascendancy. However, don't expect the PTs to utilize their Persona's Ascendancy forms anytime soon.

More on Io; she will come and go as she pleases using Hifumi as her vessel. On top of becoming Hifumi's vessel, Io doubles like a Persona and has given Hifumi her Tennyo powers again. Although, it's just Io requiring a body to keep her form alive until she regains enough energy to walk around freely for longer periods. She can probably stay outside of Hifumi for about a day or two tops before needing to go back inside the Shogi woman.

Also, if you didn't already notice, Io's breasts are already becoming a running gag (which I won't beat y'all over the head with too long after this). The PT boys and Hifumi are the ones blushing, but it's Hifumi who's gotten a close-up of Io's 'Ioobs'. The name 'Ioobs' may be a thing though.

Since the PTs have their group name, we decided Skyler and his friends need their own title: the Vein Remnants. They've also decided on their codenames. And they also have their go-to weapons shop/intel site whose shopkeepers also reawakened and recall the Vein Remnant members.

The PTs and VRs have also gained more assistance: the Spiritual Gamblers. Yumeko, Mary, and Ryōta regain their Guardian Spirits. The other Kakegurui characters have also gained their own Guardian Spirits. The three Consortium members (Kirari, Ririka, and Sayaka) have shown their Guardian Spirits; what are the chances of them crossing paths with the Spiritual Gamblers? I'd say pretty good.

On the subject of the Yami Matters; their nature is being produced by the darkness in people's hearts. Yeah, that's what our characters mostly know. It's not known if Yaldabaoth (or Datenshi) is responsible. There isn't much to say now. However, forces linked to them are distorting reality and fiction. Characters are being mentioned as if they're real people (i.e. Tsunemori Akane from Psycho-Pass and Asada Shino from Sword Art Online) and 'Urban Myths' are appearing unbeknownst to the protagonists' perceptions.

The final scene shows Book II's central antagonists (with the Yami Matter entities and related events linked to the Greater-Scope Villain): The Consortium. A nice mix of Code Vein and Kakegurui antagonists to oppose the Thieves, the Remnants, and the Gamblers. Additionally, there's a nun and a bodyguard to assist them. Expect our heroes to cross paths with the Consortium sooner than later.

Finally, that reunion between Sae and Akechi turned out swell, didn't it? Not. Now Akechi's on the run. He's going to need a great hiding spot before Sae catches him. He'll need it.

That's about it for this commentary. If you have questions or concerns, I'll do my best to answer. Ford can even answer questions since he helped outline this story with me.

As always, leave a comment and review. Until the next time!