After the defeat of Shadow Alice, all of the Desires she stole returned to the masses. It was a beautiful sight within the Metaverse, one the Phantom Thieves could not help but stare at in awe. Now, they stood within the Shibuya Jail. "That was effin' amazing…" Skull said in response to what they just saw.

"Did we just witness the Desires be returned to the rightful owners?" Fox asked a valid question. They hadn't seen anything like this before.

"Yeah, that's what it looked like to me." Panther nodded. "Everyone who got a Desire disappeared afterward."

"I hope that means their real-life counterparts return to normal." That was Queen's only concern.

"I'm sure they have. We'll just have to wait and see." Joker replied. Queen nodded in agreement.

For Mona, there was a lot to take in. But the most pressing matter in his eyes, was that despite the fact the Monarch was no longer present, and the Desires were gone… "Wait, what the…it's not collapsing?"

"But the giant Desire blew up! Like Pwaaah!" Oracle threw her arms out for extra effect.

"Huh…you're right. Nothing's happening." Violet was looking around, anxiously awaiting for something to happen. But there was nothing.

"How strange." Dragon tapped her foot. "I have many memories of having to hurriedly escape the Metaverse every time we stole a Treasure."

"Yeah, we always had to haul ass outta there." Skull said in agreement with Dragon.

"Instead, it is eerily quiet…" Fox added, feeling a little uneasy from this rare sense of calm. It wasn't something he was used to.

"I suppose this is how Palaces and Jails differ…" Noir surmised. There was still a little bit of information they were lacking, but they did pretty well for their first attempt at this.

"There is a chance we haven't fully resolved the issue yet." Fox said aloud. It wasn't anything they could prove yet.

"I wonder how Alice will react to this." Queen said aloud.

"Think she'll talk to Panther?" Skull said.

"E-eh, me…?" Panther pointed at herself.

"Well, she does know you, Panther-senpai." Violet said, hands placed behind her back. "Even if she took my part of our speech to heart, you really stand out, and you were the one who wanted to save her first."

"She also did say that she loves her." Fox said.

"Hey. Watch it." Dragon said defensively.

Panther gave a nervous laugh. "I mean, it was worth going that far for her to come to her senses. Alice really is a one of a kind talent. And her dream is definitely something worth fighting for. I just hope she can remember how that dream first made her feel, so she can bring that feeling to the people who need it."

"Well said, Ann." Joker gave Panther a smile. "I'm sure she can change."

"I don't know if there's anything I can actually do to help her, but I want to be there for her." Panther replied.

"That's your best quality." Dragon said with a gentle smile.

"Fascinating…" Sophie said. "Just as the Phantom Thieves predicted, Alice changed her heart…"

"We didn't really predict it." Queen waved that notion away. "Being able to change is what makes someone human."

"Someone is human…because they can change…?" Sophie repeated.

"The human heart is very complex." Noir placed a hand on her chest. "For example, even if you think you've gotten over your pain, the smallest thing can bring you down again. Or, the smallest thing can bring you up again."

"The human heart is indeed difficult to comprehend." Sophie nodded. "It's filled with many mysteries."

"You're pretty high up on the charts there yourself, Sophie, my dear." Oracle joked.

"No, I'm…"

"Sophie, humanity's companion." Skull finished that for her.

"You got it, Skull." Sophie replied, and everyone shared a laugh together.

"There's still one thing I have to understand…" The biggest thing on Mona's mind…he pointed to Panther and Dragon. "You two…are…"

"Yeah, you heard me before." Panther smiled, taking Dragon's hand to link their fingers together. "We're dating!"

"Huh…have we really been gone that long?" Joker was only surprised.

"Yes." Dragon said. "Although, we did start trying a little something shortly after Valentine's Day. So you could say we were together before your departure."

"…I…I see." Mona was trying his best not to fall to his knees. He was happy that Panther was happy, but at the same time, he couldn't help but feel distraught. It was clear on his expression.

"Hah…that's what I was waiting to see." Skull was enjoying this just as much as he thought he would. The others could only really watch with mild amusement as Mona's dream was shattered.

On a rooftop above, he watched the Desires return to their rightful owners. He was a little too late to join the fight, but even if he wasn't…he still wouldn't have intervened. Clearly, they didn't need his help. Did they even want his help? Standing on the sidelines was the best option. But now, he could simply leave…

.

.

After a long, hard fought battle, Sumire returned home. She was lying on her bed, eyes closed as she prepared to go to sleep. But she opened her eyes when Sophia called out to her. "Hey."

"Hm?" Sumire turned over, holding her phone up so she could face Sophia. "Is something bothering you?"

"I had a question. You and Ann seemed very angry at Shadow Alice. But by the end, you both seemed happy. Why is that? Weren't you angry at her?" Sophia asked, attempting to understand the emotional train that played out before her. The human heart was complex, and she was doing her best to figure it all out.

"We were angry." Sumire acknowledged. "Ann-senpai was upset because Alice lost sight of herself and hurt people. I was upset because she felt as if she had to change into something horrible, using her past as motivation for that. When we got those feelings out, and when Alice accepted she was wrong…we were glad she understood it."

"Okay…." Sophia sounded as if she was following the logic. "Anger is not just for hurting people. It is also able to save people. If someone is in the wrong, anger can be used to show them the error of their ways. The human heart is such a mystery."

"Something like that." Sumire nodded. "It wasn't just anger, though. It was also compassion. Ann-senpai's heart is big, so she has much more of it than I do. I hope to learn from her example."

"Compassion…" Sophia repeated. "I see. I hope I can learn compassion and much else from you, Ren, and the others."

"I'm sure you will. You learn fast." Sumire said with a soft smile.

"Thank you for talking with me." Sophia smiled. She had much to think about tonight.

.

.

July 30th.

It was a little past morning. Ren woke up a little later than usual. That's what happens after a tough fight; a feeling that he had almost forgotten. "Did Leblanc open already?"

"No, there's still a bit time." Morgana said.

Ren looked at his phone. There was a bit of a conversation while he was asleep, but the plan was to meet up at Leblanc and watch the TV broadcast Alice announced sometime last night. So he got dressed and made his way downstairs. "Good mor…" He saw Sojiro and Futaba, but…there was one other person he was absolutely not expecting to see sitting in Leblanc after everything that's happened.

"Good morning. You seem to have overslept a bit." That person was…Goro Akechi. There was no fake smile on his face during his greeting; just a neutral expression devoid of any kind of negative or positive emotion.

"How did you…!? You…!?" Ren was at a loss for words. Morgana and Futaba were as well.

"He just…waltzed right in here…!" Futaba said, unsure how to feel about what was happening in front of her. "This isn't a dream, I pinched myself twice…!"

"Akechi…how are you…" Morgana started to ask. Sojiro was just looking on in confusion. He was never told the explicit details, so he had no idea why Ren and Futaba were so confused about Akechi's appearance. As far as he was aware, they were…somewhat on mutual terms.

"I'm sure you both have a myriad of questions." Akechi said while gesturing to the cup of coffee on the counter. "But I think it would be best to save them until your team arrives, do you not agree? It would save me the trouble of explaining twice. Right now, I'm just a customer."

"…Is this something I should ask about?" Sojiro finally asked.

"N…No, it's fine…" Ren shook his head.

"I will say: I'm not surprised to see you all lose your flair over the last few months." Akechi said to Futaba, Ren, and Morgana. "That calling card was flashy. How could anyone ignore it?" If anything, he had to give his praise for that, but that's as far as his compliments and small talk went. After this comment, not a single word came from him. He just sat and enjoyed the coffee. The atmosphere in Leblanc was tense for a number of reasons…

Eventually, the others began to pour in, unaware of the situation. "Yoo! We're he…!" Ryuji stopped in his tracks. Because he was the first one coming in through the door, the others just stopped behind him.

"Agh, Ryuji. What's the hold up?!" Ann said, mildly annoyed that Ryuji just stopped in place. So she and Makoto had to awkwardly shove him forward so they all could funnel in. They were just as equally shocked and couldn't say a single word.

"I'm gonna step out for a bit. Something tells me you all need the time to talk." Sojiro made his exit. This was some of the cons of not knowing the full details of the Phantom Thieves, but he could sense that this was important and gave them the space needed.

"What…is going on here…?" Hifumi asked while staring at Akechi. Despite everything that happened, he was sitting here in Leblanc as if it were nothing.

"There is some time before Alice goes on TV, so I'll fill you in on everything now that you're here." Akechi said while finishing his coffee. "Let's go back to the beginning, why you all may be shocked. As it turns out, I didn't perish in Shido's Palace after all…I made it by the skin of my teeth. Lucky or unlucky? I haven't the slightest clue…and I thought that the fall of Maruki's Palace would be the end of me. Unfortunately, here I still am."

"That's…" Yusuke was in shock.

"…I suppose that isn't so farfetched in the end." Hifumi rubbed her arm. "After all, I'm still here. That alone should be proof enough that Akechi can be as well."

"You're rather quick to accept it." Akechi said to Hifumi, who just nodded. "Although, I wasn't going to go through the trouble of attempting to convince you of my proof of existence either way."

"Why are you here?" Haru asked. Seeing Akechi again brought…some mixed feelings here. She wasn't exactly sure how she felt seeing him again, but she did know that without any sort of common goal, she had no reason to tolerate his presence.

"Oh, I've been here for a while." Akechi replied. "Truth be told, I actually intended to put a stop to Alice Hiiragi myself. But imagine my surprise when I see old faces stepping into her Jail."

"Wait, what do you mean?" Makoto stared at Akechi, confused.

"Let us go back in time a few days. I encountered Alice Hiiragi in Shibuya, hours before she opened her store." Akechi explained. "She noticed me, and is apparently one of the few people who recall of the craze of the Detective Prince, so she approached and asked to be my friend on EMMA. She was rather persistent about it, I found it quite annoying. So after she left, I decided to humor the notion just to say that I did it…and behold my surprise when I end up in the Metaverse of all places. Truly, that place is much like myself, unable to stay gone."

"Wait…you were in Alice's Jail that day too?" Sumire asked. She did vaguely recall hearing something about another person being inside of Alice's Jail, but…

"Indeed. I realized quickly that it was quite different from a Palace, and that it wouldn't be something I could undertake on my own. And yet, only a short while later, I see the Phantom Thieves return to scope out the place." Akechi said.

"…So that reading really was you." Futaba said. "And all that other stuff we saw in the Jail, was that also you?"

"That was me." Akechi admitted. "Clearly you all didn't need my help at the time, but I had already done enough work on my own. That said, I do recall seeing one more person…"

Sumire's phone beeped and Sophia spoked. "Hello, that was me. I am Sophia, humanity's companion. Who are you?"

"Wha…?" Akechi stared at Sumire, because the noise was coming from her. So she pulled out her phone to show off Sophia. "…What is that?"

"Didn't you hear her? Sophia. Humanity's companion." Ren said. It was a joke, but Akechi didn't really react to it. Akechi really was extremely different than the last time they'd seen him.

"I see. I am Goro Akechi." Akechi introduced himself at the very least. He had no idea what Sophia's deal was, but she was clearly some sort of advanced AI and he could partially understand that at least.

"You never truly answered why you're here." Haru said again.

"Yeah…it sounds like you just showed up here because we did." Ann pointed out.

Akechi was silent for a moment, feeling all eyes on him. "Following the agreement with Haru, I did attempt to turn myself over to the police. However, because Shido's trial had already ended, and since he admitted all of his crimes while not dropping my name whatsoever, they merely stared at me as if I was playing some sort of prank. I even tried to get Shido to talk himself, but he simply refused. As such, I am cursed to wander around as a free man once more."

"Is that so…?" Haru furrowed her brows. Even when Akechi was no longer obligated to follow Haru's demands from before, he still at least tried. However, just trying wasn't enough to absolve him of all the pain he inflicted upon her and Futaba. They all knew that. The effort, while appreciated, ultimately contributed nothing.

Akechi then turned his attention to the TV. "I do have another reason. But I believe Alice is about to be on now. So, I think saving that explanation is better used after we hear what she has to say."

.

.

"And now, for the Hottest Meet and Greet. Alice Hiiragi has returned as our special guest." The female newscaster was a completely different person this time, due to the drama occurring with the engaged couple. "Miss Alice, thank you so much for coming in today despite the last visit's conclusion. From what I hear, there's something you wish to share?"

"Yes," Alice nodded. "I need to confess something. The incident that occurred with the previous hosts' that was all my fault. I forced him to proclaim to his love to me during the broadcast." This news shocked everyone present. "When I heard he was engaged to his co-host, I just wanted to ruin their relationship…"

"Wh – Miss Alice…!?" The newscaster was stunned to hear this from Alice herself.

"Anytime I see a happy woman, I just get so jealous…" Alice admitted sadly. "I do whatever it takes to ruin their lives."

"Ah…er…um…" The newscaster wasn't sure how to react to this information. It just felt too surreal and came out of the blue. "Is this a prank or something…?"

Alice continued on. "In the past, my previous managers tried to stop me. But then I'd lash out at them too, and…and I'd assault them until they'd back down. The only reason I've changed managers is because my last one had a total breakdown."

The heaviness in Alice's tone made reality set it. "Are you…is this real…?" The newcaster's jaw dropped.

"Everything I've said here is the truth." Alice said, feeling the tears beginning to well up in her eyes and roll down her cheeks. It was truly setting in how awful of a person she'd been. "I've lied, and I've…I've hurt so many people. And I'm just so sorry for it all!"

"I…Is this the Phantom Thieves?"

"I'M the one who did it all!" Alice cried. "No one but me did these horrible things! No one but me! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

Suddenly, one man ran in front of the camera in a panic. "CUT! CUT! CUT TO STANDBY RIGHT NOW!"

.

.

"Alice…." Ann let out a quiet sigh. That was hard to watch, but she knew it was for the best.

"This is gonna blow way up…" Futaba said. "That lady even name checked the Phantom Thieves."

"Why are you acting so surprised?" Akechi quirked a brow. "You were the ones to publicly call her out just last night. It's only natural she would come to that conclusion. And I doubt she will be the only person who does. Why do you think I showed up here today?"

"He has a point. I felt as if this was always going to be the end result." Hifumi said.

"Well whatever may come, at least our job's done." Morgana said.

"Hm, I wonder about that…" Akechi said quietly.

"Right. We may have gone through something quite different from a Palace, but there's no mistaking Alice had a change of heart." Makoto stated.

"The people with the stolen Desires seem to be better too. It's all over the internet." Ryuji pointed out.

Yusuke pulled out his phone to check said news. "'My son was about to blow our savings on Alice merch, but the Phantom Thieves rescued him. Thank you, Phantom Thieves…'"

"I'm just seeing a lot of 'I want my money back'." Futaba rolled her eyes. "There's not much we can do there."

"I'm not sure everyone's actually a victim here…" Ann said with a sweat drop.

"Nevertheless: Mission Complete." Sophia said.

"I wonder what'll happen to Alice next…" Haru wondered.

Hifumi's phone buzzed at that moment. She checked it, only to see a message from Mika. It read:

"Haha, I was waiting for that. I wish she would've cried harder, though. Don't worry, Hifumi-chan, I'll take care of the rest." Finished off with a smiling emoji with the halo on top. Hifumi was sweating.

"It's probably next to impossible for her to make it in the industry now. This scandal is big news." Ann let out another sigh. "But if Alice really can find that feeling she had when she first discovered fashion, I think she'll be okay. She can still be a ray of light for others…"

"That reminds me, we should press her for info." Makoto brought up.

"Ah, good point…" Ren adjusted his glasses a bit. "She could know something about EMMA, or the Jail, or something."

"I doubt you'll have the chance to meet her under normal circumstances." Akechi said while standing from his seat. "After all, she's more than likely quite busy as of right now."

"Ah, that's a good point…" Ann said. "Her agency's definitely not going to want to deal with her now either."

The door opened and Zenkichi stepped inside. "An enlightening conversation as always in here." Everyone turned the moment he spoke. "Sup guys?"

"Aw, you again, Gramps!?" Futaba groaned.

"Hey, I won't deny I'm older than you guys, but that still stings, you know!" Zenkichi sighed. But his gaze did drift to Akechi and they made eye contact. "Huh? You're…" "

"On my way out." Akechi said while starting to leave. "You must be that rumored Public Security officer I've heard about."

"Ah, so you've heard of me?" Zenkichi said while adjusting his tie, feeling a bit proud now. "I suppose my reputation precedes me."

"Your reputation is not great." Akechi added.

Zenkichi deflated from that one. "Oh, ouch. You definitely don't mince your words…but…" He recognized Akechi for multiple reasons. One of reasons was due to him taking credit for the arrest of the Leader of the Phantom Thieves, and yet…he was here now?

"I am not a Phantom Thief." Akechi said bluntly. It wasn't a false statement, and he could already gather that Zenkichi was aware of the group's identities, he would come to the conclusion that Akechi was one as well simply for being here. With that, Akechi made his exit, not allowing Zenkichi to think about that anymore.

It was too late, Akechi was already gone. "Well, isn't he a ball of sunshine?" Zenkichi said after Akechi made his exit.

"You don't know the half of it…" Ren shook his head.

"Anyway, you guys really get to work, don't you?" Zenkichi said with a knowing smile.

"Whatever do you mean?" Was Makoto's coy response.

"Don't play stupid. I gave you solid intel, yeah?" Zenkichi said smugly.

"Well, yes…" Hifumi furrowed her brows. They couldn't deny that Zenkichi's information was indeed helpful to them. Crucial, even. But they couldn't admit that to him, since they barely wanted his help to begin with.

"Well that's good news!" Zenkichi exclaimed. "Looks like I'll be getting my own in return. I'm here today to get your response on my offer. You know, the deal?"

"We already told you, we don't work with cops-!" Ryuji started.

"And what if I threw in a little bonus?" Zenkichi said quickly. "Like…throwing some questions in for you for Alice?" He watched their expressions shift to intrigue and a bit of shock that he would do that. This is how he swayed the situation in his favor. "You were just saying you wanted some info from her, right?"

"That's…accurate…" Yusuke looked away.

"But Alice has already confessed!" Ann objected. "Our names have been cleared!"

"Yeah! We don't need you for shit!" Ryuji said.

"I wouldn't phrase it like that…but I think they're right." Sumire added.

"If only that were true!" Zenkichi said knowingly, hands placed upon his hips. Nobody liked the way this conversation was about to turn.

"…I don't like the way you said that." Hifumi said with a sweat drop. "You're making it sound as if the case isn't over."

"Oh, it is far from over." Zenkichi said. "This Change of Heart epidemic is happening allllll over the country! And we know they can't all be Alice's victims. Therefore, you still have plenty to get pinned on you, don'tcha? Not only that, you already know how badly you've stirred the pot. That little calling card stunt's fired up the public more than ever. 'These change of heart cases have to be the Phantom Thieves!'. It's the only thing I hear down at the station now."

"Is that why Akechi came by…?" Ren thought to himself. If Akechi was still working with the police, it made sense he would know about the specifics like Zenkichi did. He also did vaguely hint that there was more to this issue than just Alice…

"Do you really not realize how dangerous a position you're in?" Zenkichi asked.

"What bullshit! What did we even do!?" Ryuji shouted angrily. It sounded as if the police were once again just waiting for any reason to get Ren arrested, and he wouldn't stand for it.

"Whoa, calm down." Zenkichi waved a hand. "Why do you think I'm here? If I wanted to, I could cuff Amamiya right now and take him down to the station…but the only reason I'm not, is because I know you aren't the culprit."

"…Thanks." Ren rolled his eyes.

"…" Hifumi was silent.

"To catch the true perpetrator, I need your help." Zenkichi said. "There was someone controlling Alice behind the scenes. The M.O in this recent epidemic doesn't mesh with the Phantom Thieves ideology. The motives also appear very different. These are two separate cases. At least, that's what I believe."

Makoto let out a somewhat defeated sigh. She could see that they were pushed into a corner by the situation they found themselves in, by no fault of their own either. "Can we have a moment to ourselves? We need to discuss this."

"Sure, I'll be right outside. Just holler at me when you're done." Zenkichi then left Leblanc, waiting outside.

"So, Fumi…?" Ann looked over to Hifumi. "Is he trying to trick us?"

"Maybe." Hifumi closed her eyes. "But he was not lying when he said the police were planning to pin something else on us if they could. I truly believe we are in a dire situation if we sit and do nothing."

"Now this is unexpected." Yusuke said. "We assumed Alice's confession would clear our names."

"So they really weren't just trolling…" Futaba muttered. "I was browsing the web and heard about numerous things happening all over. Almost none of them made the news, and it seems like everyone's just trying to ignore it, but…"

"I wonder if that's why Akechi came by…do you think he was trying to warn us?" Sumire suggested.

"…It's possible. He left when Zenkichi got here, so I can only assume what he wanted to tell us wasn't something he wanted anyone from PubSec to hear." Ren surmised. It was their best guest.

"Well, if Hifumi is saying it, and everything all around us too, I guess what Gramps was saying wasn't bullshit after all." Ryuji had to concede that Zenkichi was telling the truth.

"What should we do?" Haru asked the others. "If they decide to scapegoat us, we'll never be able to clear our name."

"They're not even changing hearts for the same reasons as us!" Futaba grunted.

"If there really people being brainwashed, maybe that means there are more Monarchs and Jails out there, too." Morgana suggested. It tracked logically.

"Then what would we do?" Yusuke questioned. "Considering what we've gathered, going along with that man could be a viable option."

"Are we seriously gonna trust that dude!?" Ryuji hated the idea.

"We don't really have much choice." Hifumi looked at Ryuji. She knew how he felt, but…

"His intel about Alice was useful…" Ann admitted.

"Yeah, we have to go with the deal. Even if this ends up being some kind of trap, we don't really have much choice. I'd rather at least try and do something than nothing." Ren said. The others could agree with the sentiment.

"No, wait – even if we DO level with him, how would we explain it?" Morgana asked. "If he's going to understand what we've been doing, he has to see the Metaverse for himself."

"What?! But…it's the METAVERSE!" Ryuji loudly objected. "You think some thickheaded copy is gonna buy that!?"

"But we have no choice other than to MAKE him believe." Yusuke shook his head. It was a wild idea, but… "If we don't, it's Ren on the line."

"The only way to make him believe is to show him." Makoto stated. The others looked at her in a bit of shock. "You said it yourself, Morgana. If he's going to understand what we've been doing, he has to see it with his own eyes. We can work on the explanation to ease him into it on the way."

"I hope he doesn't think we're crazy." Hifumi shuddered at the thought.

"I'll call him back in." Makoto turned to the door. "Come on back! We're ready for you."

Hearing Makoto's voice, Zenkichi waltzed back into Leblanc. "That was quick! So, what's your decision?"

"There's…a place we have to show you before we do anything else." Ren said. They had to take Zenkichi to Alice's Jail if he was going to understand how the Phantom Thieves truly worked.

.

.

As for Akechi, he was lingering in Yongen, simply gathering his thoughts. "So they've already made contact with Public Security. I see…if that's the case, the situations already starting to look sticky. That limits my options. I don't really have much of a choice now at this point. So be it…I've already made it this far to show myself to them. If I want to do this right…I should put in the full effort."