The hidden room connected to the Shibuya Jail in Shujin contained a creature unlike anything the Phantom Thieves had seen before. This Lock Keeper was far different from any Shadow they'd encountered before, and each swing from one of its four axes was clearly deadly. If that wasn't enough, the surroundings completely changed; what was once a classroom felt like a prison cell, surrounded by other cells. On top of that, the room was filled with Shadows as well, meaning the numbers game was constantly against the Phantom Thieves. "What the hell is this thing!?" Skull grunted while narrowly avoiding a swing of the Lock Keeper's axe.

"Your face really pisses me off! Why won't you just go off and die for us already!?" The voice of the arrogant schoolgirl came from the Lock Keeper. Just after it said this, it swung all four axes down towards Noir and Skull, but Dragon used Bella's Shield to block the attack. "Aren't you supposed to be down in the dumps!? What're you doing batting your lashes at some guy?"

"W-What is this…!?" Dragon said while holding her ground against the Lock Keeper.

"William!"

"Lucy!"

Skull and Noir summoned their Personas at the same time. William pointed his arm cannon forward, blasting the Lock Keeper with a potent bolt of lightning. This was enough to force it back away from Dragon, while Lucy followed up with a bombardment of explosives. Each explosive round pushed the Lock Keeper backwards away from Dragon.

"What is WITH this thing…!?" Panther was in shock while using her whip to bar away a few of the minor Shadows. But she couldn't ignore the cutting words that came from their target.

"What's wrong with this room, too!? I thought it was supposed to have the birdcage key?" Violet's question was just as valid as all the others. She and Sophie spun around with their Personas active, light shooting out in every direction to knock away numerous Shadows. The Lock Keeper broke through this assault and swiped its axe at the two of them, succeeding in a direct hit that sent them flying. "Agh!"

Joker and Fox moved in after this. Joker made sure to catch Violet, while Fox grabbed Sophie. "Are you two alright?" Joker asked.

"It hurt, but I'll live…" Violet said with a weary smile. "It hits hard…"

"Damage sustained…but all systems are still green." Sophie replied. "The key is most assuredly here. It must be hidden within the cell."

"We don't have the time to look for it." Queen stated while riding forward on Agnes. She performed a donut in the middle of a horde of Shadows, knocking them all away. Following this were several blast of nuclear magic, clearing out a path.

"Diego!" Mona followed up after Queen. Diego appeared in front of Mona, swinging his saber in such a way that a gust of wind was created. This tornado fired towards the Lock Keeper and it seemed to have some effect. The multi armed Shadow found itself digging its axes into the ground to prevent itself from being knocked over.

"It's still a Shadow like anything else!" Oracle reported. "Watch out for its wide swings!" Just to ensure she was doing her part, she made herself comfortable in Al Azif, casting Matarukaja on the group to buff their attack power. "Now show it who's boss!"

"I'd like to think my axe is BETTER!" Noir approached the Lock Keeper, dragging her axe along the ground to sharpen it. The moment she was within range, she swung it forward, only to clash with one of the four axes the opposition held. She narrowed her eyes, shifted her stance, and swung again, deflecting that axe entirely. As a result, a second axe was coming her way, but she put forth that same effort into deflecting it. This time, the Lock Keeper planned to bring its remaining two axes down, but it was blocked by the sword that belonged to Bella.

"I don't think so!" Dragon said with a slight glare. Physical attacks would not break through her!

"Thank you!" Noir said before chucking her axe at the Lock Keeper, the sharpened weapon embedding itself into the chest of the Lock Keeper, forcing it to stagger back.

"Celestine!" Panther took this chance. Celestine appeared in front of her, tossing a potent fireball at the Lock Keeper. It was a direct it! A fiery explosion occurred and the strange Shadow continued to stagger, now on the backfoot.

"Ahaha! That's SO good! You think a guy would actually be into someone like YOU!? Get real!" The voice from the Lock Keeper continued to spew vile, scornful words, even as it was backed into a corner. "Huh? You're here? Oh! You're so bland, I didn't even notice you, ahahaha!"

"Were these words Alice had to endure?" Panther thought to herself. "Is this stuff from Alice's past? Did she really have to go through all this!?" The words had her distracted, but Fox was able strike down the Shadow that attempted to attack her from behind.

"There were some truly awful things said in the classroom as well…" Noir said while keeping her gaze on the slowly recovering Lock Keeper. They were managing to beat it down without too much difficulty, but they knew if they got hit more than once, it would be a different story.

"I believe we've seen why Alice strove so fa to wipe out the records of her time at school…" Fox surmised. If this was what Alice had to endure every day, then…

"How horrible…" Queen shook her head. Shujin was never really the shining example of a healthy student body, but to think it could be so much worse. She didn't let this distract her, as she punched the space in front of her and cleared out a few Shadows in the process.

"If this is what she had to hear day after day, it's no surprise she started to hate herself…" Violet said. She was using Ella to wipe out a few of the lower rank Shadows. Those numbers were starting to thin out.

"We should make this quick then!" Joker called forth Raoul, thrusting his knife forward. This sent a shockwave of curse magic forward to strike the Lock Keeper, followed up with Raoul himself slamming into the enemy to knock it into the wall violently.

"Watch out!" Dragon said while raising her hand up, pointing it directly at the Lock Keeper. Everyone knew what this meant and cleared out of the way as she casted Megidoloan. This gigantic explosion caught the Lock Keeper directly, but it didn't take it down just yet. "Ah?!"

"Damn, that's one tough bastard…" Skull grunted. They'd been giving it quite the beat down, but it was still standing. What came next was a surprise. The Lock Keeper got up and began twirling all of its axe's around, violently approaching and stampeding those in its way!

"Look out!" Oracle warned.

"Shit…!" Skull gasped. He tried to move, but he was caught and knocked down, along with Queen, Fox, and Mona in the process. They were flung into the opposite walls from how strong it was.

"Are you, just, like, obsessed with guys now or something? It's not like you'd ever make a good couple. In fact, I think I'll take him off your hands for you! Ahahahaha!" The Lock Keeper said.

"So…all of this bullying was over affairs of the heart…" Fox grimaced.

Panther clenched her hand into a fist. She couldn't take this anymore. "What a bunch of bullies! They were just too mean to Alice!" If that's how it was going to be, she knew what she had to do. The Lock Keeper was approaching her but she didn't falter. Instead, she cracked her whip once, flames blazing around the weapon. She then began to strike the Lock Keeper over, the effective strikes slowing it down until its stance was broken.

"Now's your chance! It's time for the old classic!" Oracle said! The All Out Attack!

The moment the order was given, the Phantom Thieves lunged at the Lock Keeper. With 11 Phantom Thieves jumping the Lock Keeper from every angle, the guardian Shadow truly didn't stand a chance. Panther was the one who delivered the finishing blow. Her whip was still ignited and she violently cracked it against the chest of the Lock Keeper, pillars of flame erupting from the contact. "This ends now!" She declared, the Lock Keeper exploding within the flames of her rage. When the Lock Keeper was defeated…it left a lock in its place. A lock that fell to the ground. "Eh…?"

"What…is that…?" Dragon knelt down and tapped the lock, but it shattered and the area began to rumble violently. "Ack!? Was that a bad thing to do…!?"

"Why is the room shaking…!?" Violet asked. While they couldn't see it, there were big changes occurring in the main part of the Shibuya Jail. The birdcage lock shattered and was unlocked. Sophie confirmed this.

"It appears that our target held the key." Sophie added.

"Wait, seriously…?" Joker was shocked to hear this.

"So you could say we defeated the Warden holding the key…" Fox said.

"A warden in Alice's memories, a key to the cage in her Jail. So a different Shadow held the key and not Alice's…?" Mona was trying to make sense of this, but it didn't make sense.

"I understand the confusion." Dragon was in agreement with Mona. "Palaces were never like this."

"It's as if the more we learn, the messier the situation gets." Queen's statement was right on the money. The only thing keeping them in the game so far was their past experience.

"We've only even managed to get this far because of Sophie, too." Panther added.

"Have I been useful to the Phantom Thieves?" Sophie asked.

"You sure have!" Violet smiled.

Hearing this, Sophie happily bounced around. "Praise accepted." And then she began to hum that little tune again as well.

"We'll praise ya all you want later. First, we got a calling card to deliver." Skull said.

"He's right. Let's back and write a calling card so we can take back those Desires." Mona declared.

.

.

They group returned to Leblanc after a long day in the Metaverse. They were now discussing their next step, which was the calling card. "We're after the Desires that Alice has stolen, right? So maybe we should write something like…we'll take those Desires back!" Futaba suggested.

"Smart." Morgana nodded. "Using the same logic as Treasures should work here."

"Once the Desire takes form, we can steal it." Makoto said. "If we return the victims their own Desires…"

"Everyone should return to normal." Haru finished that thought.

Ann lingered in silence for a moment. They were taking back the Desires of others, but…they weren't fixing the problem of Alice herself. "So…what'll happen to Alice?"

"Well…she should be havin' a change of heart and confession soon after." Ryuji assumed. That's how it worked in the past after all.

"Actually, that's not set stone." Morgana clarified. "What we're stealing this time is the Desires that Alice has stolen from others. This isn't her own desire or ambition – or the Treasure found in Palaces. There's no way of knowing if her heart will be changed."

"So if we can't change her heart, nothing will change." Sumire said while closing her eyes.

"But if the calling card works, her Desire will manifest inside the birdcage." Yusuke stated.

"And just as before, I do not doubt that Alice's Shadow will be waiting for us." Hifumi added. "They always do when they know what they possess is being threatened."

"We did cause quite a scene destroying the lock." Sophia remarked from Sumire's phone.

Hifumi took a glance at Ann, already knowing her reaction to what she was about to say next. "If Alice is going to be there, we are still presented with the chance to change her heart."

"Then let's do it!" Ann said while shooting up from her seat. "Let's take her head on and change her heart!" Realizing this outburst, she felt a bit embarrassed and sat back down. "Erm…sorry…I know that's the dangerous approach, but if you're all up for it, I want to rescue Alice too."

"Ann-senpai…" Sumire looked over to Ann.

"Alice said she wanted to be a ray of light that could inspire people suffering through life." Ann couldn't forget those words.

"You mean when she was on TV? I dunno if she really meant all that…" Ryuji said, but he stopped when Hifumi gave him a glare that pierced into his very soul.

"Well I do." Ann said firmly. I get why she said it: because of all the bullying in her past. I mean, doesn't it seem like we saw part of her trauma in the secret room?"

"Trauma…?" This was the first time Sophia heard of the word.

"It's like an invisible wound in the heart." Haru said. "It comes from living through painful experiences. It's something all of us in this room carry somehow, one way or another. It's a wound that doesn't entirely heal, but it helps when you're with the right people."

"A wound in the heart…" Sophia repeated, making sure to take note of Haru's words.

"Maybe that trauma's the whole reason that Jail formed." Ann suggested.

"It is similar to Palace generation…" Mona said. He couldn't refute the idea that it was possible.

"But how is this trauma related to her current behavior?" Yusuke asked.

"Well, this is just a hunch…" Ann began. "But I think Alice sees what she's doing as revenge for what happened to her. Stealing the men of other woman, I mean."

"That's pretty sick." Ryuji had no words.

"But her Shadow's operation is way too massive for that to be it." Futaba said. This was going merely beyond stealing someone's boyfriend.

"What if it kept escalating because there was no one there to stop her?" Haru suggested. "Being a Monarch must create an awful amount of distortion."

"That's just another reason I want to help her." Ann said with determination. "If her heart's grown that distorted, I want her to at least remember how it feels being a ray of light for somebody. Is she beyond helping at this point? I don't know…but there has to be someone who at least tries! We can't just abandon Alice…!"

"Lady Ann…" Morgana was stunned at Ann's compassion.

Hifumi, however, wasn't. She just smiled and took Ann's hand within her own. "That's one of your best qualities, you know…? You really know how to be a ray of light to someone. And it's that attitude that has me sitting here now. Your compassion is truly hard to match, and I know full well just how impactful one person's extended hand can be. I'm with you, always."

"Aheh…" Ann felt herself blush faintly. Ryuji was watching Morgana's expression carefully, waiting for the cat to get the hint. No, not yet…

"I'm with you, Ann-senpai!" Sumire also stood up from her seat, hands balled into determined fists. "I want to help Alice, too. Even if we don't know the full story behind her trauma, her words still stick in my head. I don't want her to run away from her past self…I want to help her face it and overcome it. I think everyone deserves that chance."

"…You're both really nice." Ren said with a slight smile. Seeing how far the two of them had come…

"I'm with you. Let's do it." Makoto was on board.

"No objections here either." Yusuke said. "But if we do fight her, we must avoid taking her life at all costs."

"I know." Ann nodded.

"At best we can just talk her out of it." Ryuji leaned back. "At worst, we'll just have to club her over the head a few times. Business as usual."

"I'm already mentally prepared for the worst case scenario." Hifumi said. "It always comes to blows."

"Hey, guys. Do you think I could write the calling card this time? There's something I need to tell her personally." Ann asked.

"Can I help?" Sumire asked.

"Of course." Ann smiled.

"Writing a calling card? Need any help?" Sophia asked.

"Ooh, you can help me with the phrasing, Sophia!" Ann beamed.

"Awesome!" Ryuji said. "Now all we gotta do is figure out the delivery."

"Mwhehehe…" Futaba was chuckling in the corner. "You can leave that to me. This is our first calling card in a while! We've gotta do it just right!"

.

.

July 29th – WE'RE TAKING THE DESIRES BACK!

It was a silent day in Shibuya. The day was coming to an end as people did their daily commutes. The news on TV was interrupted by a symbol that hadn't been seen in a long time. Anyone who noticed it early snapped to attention, seeing the infamous symbol of the Phantom Thieves on TV, coupled with their signature phrase: Take Your Heart!

"Hey, look!"

"Is that…!?

"Okay, folks! Listen up!" Skull said.

"Good evening!" Noir said politely.

"Been a while, huh?" Panther said with a smile.

"Did you miss us?" Violet asked.

"We hope you remember us." Fox said. At this point, this broadcast easily captured the attention of everyone in Shibuya, and going even further beyond that reach as well.

"We are the Phantom Thieves." Queen spoke.

"And we're back in action with a new target in our sights!" Panther stated.

"A wicked witch who treats people like toys! Alice Hiiragi!" Oracle named dropped their target for the world to hear.

"You pretend you're a ray of light, but all you do is hurt people to indulge your own darkness. You're a bad person, and bad people have to be stopped!" Sophie said.

"It's time for you to stop looking away from your wrongdoings. We're going to make you face the light." Dragon said, making sure her voice carried as much as possible. She had her shogi mode tone of voice active after all. While this announcement was playing, Zenkichi was in Shibuya, watching with an amused smile as the Phantom Thieves rocked the boat with the most intense method possible.

Mika was also in Shibuya, and she had the widest grin on her face. This was the moment she was waiting for, and she was just too eager to see Alice crash and burn with the follow up. "Now we're talking."

"And all those Desires you stole…?" Panther lingered.

The screen flickered and Joker appeared on screen, soon followed by the rest of the Phantom Thieves. "Tonight. We're taking them all back." The footage ended with Joker throwing the calling card on screen, for everyone to read.

.

.

Alice was blissfully ignorant to the news. She was too busy working along her schedule to even look at her phone. "Let's see…next I'm scheduled at…" But she stopped as her phone rang. It was her manager, so she answered. "Helllllo?"

"Ah! This is bad, Ms. Alice! Look at the email I forwarded you!" The Manager was in a panic and understandably so.

"Huh…?" Alice was confused, but she checked the email. The moment she read it, her eyes widened. "What!? Phantom Thieves?!"

"They're taking MY Desires!?" Shadow Alice reacted viseraclly to this news. "All the Desires I've collected!? No, you can't! I need those…that's what makes me the Monarch..! Without those, I'll…no, alright. I'll wait for you. I don't want toys that don't do as they're told. I'll smash you under my heel for certain this time."

.

.

The Phantom Thieves were already in action. Shortly after their announcement, they went straight into the Jail. They were fully aware of the stir they caused, and that Alice likely received the calling card as well. So the only thing left to do was head up to the birdcage and take those Desires back. On their way to Alice's Castle, they noticed a gigantic chain had fallen from above. "I think we can use that to save us some time!"

"Hell yeah!" Skull was glad to not have to through that Castle again. They all hurried up the chain which saved them a lot of time. It didn't take long for them to arrive at the top of the birdcage once again. When they arrived…

"WHOA!" Oracle gasped at the size of the solidified Desire. "WHY IS IT SO BIG!?"

"At least it actually materialized for us. I was a little worried it wouldn't work…" Noir admitted.

"Me too. Good to see our usual procedures work here." That was one worry Mona could scratch off.

"Alright! Get to lifting, Skull!" Oracle pointed.

"Uh, hell no." Skull shook his head. "Look at the size of that thing. I don't even think all 12 of us could lift that."

"This does present an issue…" Dragon muttered.

"Yeah…I didn't think about this." Panther frowned. "How in the world do you steal something like that?"

"I…don't know either." Queen admitted.

"Any ideas, Sophie?" Violet had to ask.

"I do not have an immediate solution available. I'm sorry." Sophie lamented that she could not be more useful in this situation.

There was a loud sound that caught everyone's attention. When they turned, they spotted Shadow Alice sitting on her throne, waiting for the Phantom Thieves. "Oh dear…you thought you'd just sneak in like that?" She said, sauntering forward. "And just what exactly do you think you're doing with those Desires?"

"Alice…!" Panther gasped.

"So it's a fight after all." Fox said.

"When isn't it?" Dragon said with a small scoff.

Shadow Alice fixated her gaze on Joker. "Hey you – Joker, right? Did you come back to me so you could be mine?"

"Hell no." Joker scoffed, somewhat glad that they were getting a fight. He had to pay Alice back after all. "We're changing your heart and stealing your Desires."

"Aw, what a grump." Shadow Alice pouted playfully. "You should try being nicer to girls."

"That's an ironic statement if I've ever heard one…" Violet couldn't help but mutter that.

"Alice Hiiragi! We know all about the horrible things you've done!" Mona declared.

"You've seized people's Desires by force and turned them into your puppets." Fox said.

"You toyed with people's emotions and make them mistreat one another." Queen said with disgust.

"You even opened up your own stores so you could bilk all the people you've brainwashed!" Oracle shouted.

"We can no longer overlook the wicked changes of heart you've forced on people!" Noir exclaimed while pointing at Shadow Alice.

"The Phantom Thieves are about to beat the distortion out of you!" Panther shouted.

Shadow Alice seemed unfazed by these words. "Takamaki-san, you're so beautiful. There's no way you could understand. You have no idea what I've been through."

"You mean, what happened to you at Shujin?" Panther asked.

Shadow Alice's eyes widened. They knew!? "Wha…where…how…?"

"We know all of it." Panther said solemnly. "How you were bullied…how it was torture for you. But I still-!"

"Oh, okay. You found out!" Shadow Alice said with a scornful frown. "No matter how much I try to hide it, the past always comes back to haunt me!"

"You can't run from your past…" Violet shook her head. It was a lesson she knew very well. But that's why…. "But you can't let your past control you! Even it's hard, you can still….!"

"None of that matters." Shadow Alice cut Violet off. "With this power, I can have everything. Everything I've always wanted! MINE!" She took a step forward, a reddish/black aura beginning to form around her. "And now…I'm gonna make you mine? ALL MINE!" The aura exploded and everyone took a step back. Alice's very form began to change, similar to how Palace Ruler's did in the past. To no surprise…Shadow Alice turned into a gigantic pink rabbit.

"Geez!?" Skull took a step back. This was probably one of the freakiest transformations he's seen yet!

Panther wasn't going to back down from this. No matter what form Alice took, she was determined to save her no matter what. "Alice…I'm gonna make you see the light! I swear it!"