Hey. I'm back. Please read the author's note at the end. It'll be after the chapter notes.

Akira shouldn't have been surprised when Yusuke told her Madarame was talking to a lawyer when he spotted her the next morning in the station. A random teenager had broken into his house and pretty much exposed his shady dealings.

"I don't think we should go into the Palace yet. We need to prepare and you only just got your Persona Yusuke."

Yusuke nodded.

"True. And from what I observed, you never know what will happen in a place like that. Please prepare thoroughly."

"Thank you for understanding."

Yusuke smiled softly at her.

"It's good to have a calm, rational person nearby. I'm counting on you Akira."

'Haha… No pressure…'

Akira only gave a sheepish smile and boarded her train.

As the day droned on, Madarame circulated in her mind. Even one of her teachers, Ms. Chouno, was discussing the artist in today's lecture. She honestly paid them no mind. Her notes became riddled with incoherent phrases most people wouldn't follow, detailing different plans and tactics for traversing the Palace.

'I really hope we don't encounter any more locked doors. There's no way we can risk returning to Madarame's home.'

She couldn't risk getting caught or making the others take the fall for her. She scribbled down more notes, trying to outline basic strategies and formations.

When class let out for the day, she spent her afternoon buying medicine, getting weapons and equipment, then heading to her part-time job at the beef bowl shop. The day was rather uneventful. During one of her breaks, she snuck a peek at the Phan-Site.

'Mishima really did a great job on the website.'

As she browsed, she couldn't help but look at the poll.

Do you believe in the Phantom Thieves?

07.1% Say Yes

-Anon: Never even heard of them

-Anon: Thieves should be arrested! HELLO?

-Anon: sauce plz

-Anon: Isn't it just a prank?

-Anon: gtfo with this shit LOL

-Anon: All CAP

-Anon: BET

Akira shook her head as the number continued fluctuating between 7.1 and 7.3%.

A part of her was happy they were still so obscure. But something inside her yearned for more.

"Break time's over! Can you help out with tables?"

She smiled at her coworker, pocketing her phone.

"Of course."

TAKE YOUR TIME

Ann and Akira chatted amongst themselves as they sat beside the lake in Inokashira Park. Ann had suggested the two hang out, and when Akira mentioned missing the countryside a bit, she'd recommended the park.

"Wow..." Akira said, awe-struck.

"Right! This place is really an oasis in the middle of the city!"

Akira found herself nodding in agreement.

It felt nice not to be surrounded by crowds and towering structures. She missed this honestly.

"I honestly enjoy relaxing like this?" Ann sighed, stretching her arms over her head.

The two sat together on the log fence.

"I would've thought you'd be a full-on city girl." Akira giggled.

"Nah! I love the energy from the trees!"

That only made her giggle more.

"If I had known that, I would've made a picnic for us. Some sandwiches and onigiri sound nice right about now." She grinned.

Ann groaned.

"And now I'm craving sandwiches…"

"What kind?"

"The sweet kind. You know, the ones with whipped cream and custard inside…? I'd love that~"

"Noted. Maybe I'll make you some for next time."

"Really!?"

Akira smiled and laughed. Ann pouted, but that pout quickly morphed in a sly smirk.

"Bet if Ryuji asked you'd do it."

"ANN!"

"I'm not as dumb as I look ok? Don't think I don't see the way you look at him."

Akira flushed red.

"It's… It's not like that. We've been through a lot together, that's all."

Ann shot her a look.

"So have we, but I don't look at Ryuji like that."

Her blush only grew darker.

"I… I GUESS I'LL BE MAKING THOSE SANDWICHES FOR YOU SOONER THAN I THOUGHT!"

The girls burst into laughter and chatted into the late evening. They gossiped, talked, and teased one another. For Ann, it felt nice to have a close relationship with another girl again. And for Akira, it felt like the friendships she was making were genuine.

Things may be rough but they're certainly taking a turn for the better.

TAKE YOUR TIME

"We meet again."

Or so she thought.

Akira held back a grimace as the student council president, Makoto, approached her on the station platform.

"Hello Niijima-san." She said curtly.

She turned back towards the line.

"It appears you're lying low lately. What's with the change?"

Akira's eyebrow twitched. She turned back to Makoto.

"Excuse me?"

Makoto only stared at her intently. Akira bit her lip, urging herself to keep her voice level.

"What do you mean?" She pressed.

The president's eyes flick over her, as if inspecting her for some arbitrary reason. She brought her hand to her chin, only to shake her head at her lacking results.

"...Don't worry about it. It must've been my imagination."

Akira narrowed her eyes.

'This bitch…'

"Anyway… I wish the culprit would come forward soon… It's absurd to pretend I can do the police's job, but I wish he considered my feelings before asking me this."

Something inside Akira snapped. All the spite and anger washed over her. She adjusts her glasses, allowing the light to glint off them as she glared at Makoto.

"In case you forgot, me and my friend were directly hurt by Kamoshida. Stop talking about it as if it's some game for you." She growled.

"I…"

"Bye."

She walks into the crowd, never looking back.

Makoto looked down, the grip on her bag tightening.

"That's not what I meant… You just don't understand the position I'm in."

Once again, she had earned the ire of her underclassmen. No matter what she did, it was never enough. She was never enough for anyone.

Her mood soured.

Her chest ached.

But she took a deep breath.

She relaxed and pulled herself into a neutral state. The mask of the stoic student council president returned.

"I'd better hurry along." She said to herself.

Akira, on the other hand, was livid.

'How dare she...How heartless is she!?'

She muttered more curses under her breath. The more she interacted with her, the more pissed off she was with her attitude. Why did she feel the need to act like everyone was beneath her? People had been hurt. People had been harassed and assaulted. Someone almost died and here she was, mocking all the suffering a major part of Shujin had faced.

'Student council president my ass… She doesn't even care about us!'

Pi-Pi-Pi!

Pulling her head out of her thoughts, she turned her attention to her phone.

It was Ann.

Ann: You wanna head into the Palace after class today?

Akira: Definitely

She needed to let off some steam.

Ann: Cool! I'll tell the guys!

Akira stared at Yusuke.

"I got nothing," Ryuji said with a shrug.

"Figures…" Ann says with a shake of her head. "Do you have any ideas, Joker?"

She nods.

"Fox. With the tail and the mask, I think it's a good fit."

"It's acceptable."

"Nice. With that settled, let's get goin'." Ryuji grins.

And with that, the group heads into the Palace. With all the notes she's been taking for potential Palace traversing tactics, she had already decided to take Ryuji, Ann, and Yusuke with her as her main team. Morgana had more support style skills, and he would likely do better as a backup. She had also made sure to summon and fusion specific Personas not only for herself but because Caroline and Justine had requested specific Personas in exchange for better fusions.

With all this planning, Palace infiltration went very well.

And secretly, Akira was in awe of the environment. In Kamoshida's, she always felt on edge, disgusted, and honest to god, terrified what other disturbing or vile sex object they'd find next. While she was still on edge at what Shadows lurked behind every corner, she marveled at the art and scenery.

Being able to travel within the portraits on the wall, looking at detailed imagery of the legendary Sayuri…

It was amazing.

That being said, it still had definite downsides.

There was so much security. Not just the insanely strong security guard Shadows, but also trigger lasers and how much sneaking around they had to do. Security was just so tight and one misstep led to even higher threat levels.

Every time they came in, this threat loomed in her head.

But this was likely it. Nine days until legal action, and the group pushes through large golden doors. As they all file in, Yusuke stiffens.

"A-Ah, that is…!"

The group looks ahead.

Through the room and past the gold-tinted corridor was Madarame. He stood in front of a large display case surrounded by security lasers.

'The treasure!'

She could clearly see the foggy distortion behind him.

"Come on, let's get a closer look!" Ryuji urges.

The group inches towards the entrance, peeking around the corner to examine the room. Guards stood before Madarame, and they appeared strong.

"Once we send the card and make Madarame aware it'll be stolen, it'll materialize like 'Yoohoo'!" Morgana grins.

Yusuke crossed his arms thoughtfully.

"I wonder what form it will take…" He mumbled.

"Who knows? Bet it's something like a self-portrait." Ryuji responds.

"I don't think it'll be that, but who knows," Akira adds.

"The source of what distorted Madarame's reality this much…" Yusuke says, looking down.

Akira puts a comforting hand on Yusuke's shoulder but says nothing. He nods and shakes his head.

"I'm alright…"

The group converges a bit away from the door in a huddle.

"So, what now? Think it's safe to say we got our route set?" Ryuji asks.

"Hmm… We know where the Treasure is, but I'm not sure that we've necessarily secured the route." Morgana says.

"Huh? Why's that?" Ryuji frowns.

"You must be talking about the infrared lasers surrounding it." Yusuke deducts.

"That, and the outer perimeter is swarming with guards. Forcing our way through will be difficult."

"So we'll need to find a way to steal it too… This is tougher than it was with Kamoshida..." Ann sighs.

"We'll need to find some kind of route on this floor. Let's look around." Akira suggests.

The group then moves to look around. To the left, they find a safe room for Akira to mark on the map. Further on, they find a security room with a control panel.

"Hey, we don't need a password for this one! Whaddya wanna do?" Ryuji asks.

"Let's see what it can do," Akira says firmly.

Upon further inspection, the panel had options to turn off the lasers, shut down the main power, and open the shutters. Without hesitating, Akira attempted the first option.

But nothing happened.

ERROR! ONLY LORD MADARAME CAN ACCESS THIS TERMINAL DUE TO MAXIMUM SECURITY PROTOCOL!

'Of course things can't be easy…'

"The hell? There was no point in even comin' here then!" Ryuji cursed.

"So disabling the infrared lasers is not within the realm of possibility for us…" Yusuke said.

"Let's try the other ones too. Maybe they'll work?" Ann adds.

Akira nods and decides to open the shutters this time. The group distinctly hears the sound of the metal shutters clattering as they rise.

"Now there are more places we can explore," Morgana says.

'Maybe we'll find a secure route now.'

With one option left, she attempts to shut down the main power. She was genuinely surprised when the power went out, cloaking the room in darkness. Through the security room window, she could see the lasers were still on despite the main power being turned off.

"Shit… they're still on." She hears Ryuji say.

"Wh-What is the meaning of this!?"

Shadow Madarame's voice could clearly be heard amongst the thieves. Though he sounded irritated, Akira could catch a hint of nervousness. The guards sounded nervous too. When the lights returned, Madarame sneered.

"What a nasty surprise…"

He crossed his arms, tucking them into his sleeves.

"Hm… Could this also be…?" He mumbled.

Meanwhile, Akira had been counting the seconds for how long the lights had remained off. It hadn't been off long but it was still useful. Perhaps to be used as a diversion? She thought to herself, her mind swimming with potential ideas. She was tugged out of her own mind at the sound of Ann's frantic voice.

"Aren't those guards that just ran out headed this way!?"

She didn't get a chance to get everyone to scatter before the Shadow guard ran in and attacked.

"Let's silence him! Fast!" Morgana demanded.

The fight blindsided her. She wasn't ready. No one was.

There were three enemies. Akira took a few critical hits, landing flat on her back. With the wind knocked out of her, she struggled to get up, much less move. Ann took a lot of damage too.

'No… Not like this... "

Every time she stood, she got knocked right back down.

"Come on Joker! Hang in there!" Morgana screamed.

"I'm… I'm trying!" She shouted back.

"Dia!" Ann called, and a wave of health rushed back into Akira.

But right after, Ann took another hit, and she crumpled to the ground.

"PANTHER!"

And right after, another double fang hit hard, cutting Ryuji's health. He choked back a yell, clutching his side as he slouched. Painfully, Akira finally managed to get back on her feet.

This was bad.

Ann was down, and Ryuji was seconds away from getting taken out too.

'Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit…. Do I heal or attack?'

She shook her head.

"Fox! Skull! Cover me as I help Panther!"

"Got it!"

"Of course!"

She rushed over to Ann's crumbled body, getting her up and conscious as Ryuji and Yusuke piled on the damage.

"Come on Ann… please get up!" She whispered.

Ann's eyes fluttered as she came too.

"It's ok. I got you." She said, giving Ann medicine.

"ARGH!"

Next to her, Ryuji flopped to the ground. Akira froze and her blood boiled over.

"SKULL!" She screamed.

She turned to Yusuke, looking him over. He was still standing.

Her eyes blazed as she eyed the last Shadow. With no remorse, she summoned forth Obariyon, and snapped her fingers.

"Snap." She said coldly.

And in a flash, the last Shadow burst into muck and blood.

That was that. They were all dead.

"Joker!"

Akira blinked and looked back at her team. Ann was up and healing Yusuke, and Morgana was trying to get up-

'Ryuji!'

She knelt to his side, checking him over. He was coming to (Thank God) by the time she came over.

"I'm fine… Just a lucky shot." He said.

A light green light surrounded his body. He sighed in relief as Morgana healed him. Her hand twitched as she watched.

She didn't have any Personas with Dia, so she was no help. She'd used a decent amount of her healing items to help Ann, and it was likely safer to save the remaining ones she had left. But still, she wished she could've done more.

They hadn't been careful.

She hadn't been careful.

"Thanks Mona." Ryuji grunts as he stands.

"Phew… That was a surprise…" Ann said.

"We've gotta be more careful in the future. That was too close." Akira said.

"You're tellin' me."

Akira winced but nodded.

"If everyone's good and ready, shall we keep exploring?" Morgana asks.

"I don't know… We all took some heavy hits." Akira frowned.

"Come on! We're so close!" Ryuji pushed.

She falls silent at his insistence.

"I don't think-" She starts.

"Please, let's continue. I know we'll find something if we continue." Yusuke adds.

Akira bites her lips.

'To turn back now would be a waste of time when we're so close to the treasure…'

"Fine… Just watch yourselves. We don't want to be ambushed again."

With her warning in place, they go investigate the area behind the shutters. It wasn't long before they discovered another security room. The room vents led to the top of the display holding the treasure. Luckily, there were pillars that ended right about the treasure. The security lasers didn't protect the top of the treasure either.

They had a way in.

That knowledge, combined with a lever mechanism to move a hook into the space, they had a plan. And they finally secured a route to steal Madarame's treasure.

"Let's head out."

Later that night, Akira sat on her bed, taking notes and typing in their group chat.

Ann: All we have to do now is send the calling card to Madarame.

Ryuji: All right, it's finally time!

Ryuji: Now all we gotta do is decide when we're gonna do it.

Ann: Shouldn't we talk to Yusuke about that first?

Ryuji: Umm why?

Ann: I mean Madarame was his teacher.

Ann: It's not our place to be deciding something like this.

Akira: He's also one of us now. He should also have a say in decisions.

Ryuji: Oh yeah…

Ann: Did you hit your head too hard today or did you seriously not consider that?

Akira cringed as she remembered watching both Ann and Ryuji get knocked out in the Palace earlier.

'He probably did hit his head pretty badly…'

Akira: Let's talk to Yusuke about it at the hideout.

Ryuji: Sounds good.

Ann: OK. Lemme know when to meet so I can tell Yusuke.

Akira: OK.

As the conversation died, Akira hesitantly began typing.

Akira: How are you guys feeling?

She stopped and deleted it.

'Let me try that again.'

Akira: Feeling ok after the fights today?

She deleted it and restarted.

Akira: Everything ok after today's infiltration?

She groaned as she deleted it again.

"Come on Akira…" She said, scolding herself.

She jumped when her phone rang. Looking at the caller ID, she answered.

"Hey Ann."

"Any reason why you've spent 10 minutes typing?"

She blinked.

"...Has it really been 10 minutes?" She asked bashfully.

Ann chuckled.

"No, but you usually are a fast typer. What's up?"

"I just… I wanted to ask how you were. You know… after we got ambushed I was really worried."

"I know… Personally, I'm fine but I could see that fight got to you."

"Really?"

"You looked so freaked out."

"Yeah… This Palace was just so different. Kamoshida's Palace felt so much easier."

"Akira, don't worry. You know we trust you. What happened today could've happened to any of us."

"...Thanks Ann."

"Of course."

They chatted a bit longer but ultimately hung up once it started getting late. Akira peered around the room.

"Morgana's not back yet."

He had a habit of wandering at night, and he'd be back when he's ready. She untied her braids and went on to care for her plant. It wasn't long til she prepped for bed, readying herself to send the calling card the next day.

TAKE YOUR TIME

Madarame smiled jovially at the onlookers of his exhibit. Yusuke stood a few paces behind, watching. The elderly man grinned to himself. Since that day, Yusuke hadn't brought up that girl or what he discovered in that room. When he asked the boy about it, he simply replied he wouldn't be seeing her again.

'That's my boy. He's mine.'

"Pardon me, sir."

Madarame turned to the staff member speaking to him.

"There's a matter we need to notify you about…"

Madarame nodded and smiled at his guests.

"Please excuse me for a moment."

He followed the staff member to the side, allowing his guests to continue their own conversations and gushings over his work. Unknowingly, Yusuke followed slightly to remain in earshot.

"What is it…?"

The staff member discreetly passed him a piece of paper.

"We found this outside…"

"A letter?" Madarame asked.

The staff member coughed awkwardly.

"It's… uh…"

The black and red letter had a blood-red insignia on it. He'd never seen a letter like this before.

Sir Ichiryusai Madarame,

a great sinner of vanity whose talent has been exhausted.

You are an artist who uses his authority to shamelessly steal the ideas of his pupils

We have decided to make you confess all your crimes with your own mouth.

We will take your distorted desires without fail.

From,

The Phantom Thieves of Heart

Rage surged through Madarame's body. He did not hesitate to rip up and destroy the letter. His eyes sharpened, scanning the room for anyone suspicious.

But he saw nothing of the sort.

Flustered, he faced the staff member.

"Whose doing is this…!?"

"We don't know! The same letter has been posted everywhere…" He responded frantically.

'Everywhere!?'

"What about the security cameras!?"

The staff member shook his head.

"There were no signs of the culprit… All we saw was a cat in the recordings…"

And suddenly, all the anger boiled over.

"REMOVE THESE AT ONCE!"

"Y-Yes, sir!"

Hesitantly, the staff member spoke again.

"W-We believe this is a prank… but what about the mass media?"

Madarame stamped his foot angrily.

"Are you insinuating that this slander is true!?" He snapped.

"O-Of course not!"

As Madarame seethed and raged, Yusuke watched on silently. The world around them grew dark, leaving only him and Madarame.

Or at least, Shadow Madarame, who was equally angry.

"It's those damn brats' doing, isn't it?"

The Shadow rubbed its chin in displeasure.

"Well, it means nothing… They'll only be able to do as they please until this exhibit is over…"

Yusuke blinked, only for the world to return to normal. He moved away from the crowd, returning to his group of friends.

"Will that do?" He asked.

"Good job," Akira said with a nod.

"Yup! It was perfect! The composition was way cooler too!" Ann cheered.

"The Treasure should appear right about now," Morgana says, poking out of Akira's bag.

"D'you guys check online? People are already talkin' about that callin' card." Ryuji said excitedly.

"Then we'd better not let them down. Let's do this."

The group nodded at their leader and left the exhibit.

TAKE YOUR TIME

'Here goes nothing!'

"Everyone get in position!"

The team spread out, ready for the heist.

Ryuji would draw the guards out, and Ann would handle the control panel. Akira would man the lever mechanism. Yusuke would tie and untie Morgana from the hook, and Morgana would be lowered into the display to snag the Treasure.

The plan was perfect, if not risky. When Ann kills the lights, Akira would lower the lever for Morgana. Their best bet is once the cat grabs the Treasure, they can escape without anyone noticing. Worse case, someone notices the missing Treasure, but she's hoping it doesn't come to that.

Akira takes a deep breath, calming her beating heart.

The lights go out and the lever goes down. When the group reconvenes, Morgana arrives with the Treasure. But there's no time to celebrate. The lights flicker back on and everything starts flashing red.

"Lord Madarame! Th-The piece is gone!"

"Lock all the doors at once! They have nowhere to hide!" He bellows.

But of course, Akira had already planned for this. If they couldn't go out the door, they'd escape through the window. They jumped through, making it back to the courtyard.

"It seems we managed to escape their siege," Yusuke says.

"Mrrr….Meowwww…"

"Mona?"

"Dude… Why's Mona gettin' excited now of all times…? Ryuji sighed.

Morgana twitched and shuffled, finally dropping the Treasure in front of him.

"I just can't take it anymore! Let's take a look at this Treasure!"

Without delaying any further, he whipped off the curtain.

"HUH?!"

Rather than a priceless painting or sculpture under the curtain, it was a gag painting of a face.

"THIS is the treasure!?" Ryuji exclaimed.

"There's no way… It must be-" Akira started.

"Get back!" Yusuke yells.

Everyone jumps back, barely missing the electrical fences turning back on.

"Meddlesome vermin."

The group turns and behind them stands Shadow Madarame backed by two guard Shadows. One of the guards holds a golden frame under his arm. Mockingly, Madarame turns to the guard.

"Is this what you're looking for?"

"So you had a fake prepped, huh?!" Ryuji taunted.

'Damn it… I would've never thought he'd put up a fake!'

Madarame shrugged.

"Counterfeits are accepted in the world of Japanese art."

"What made you change like this?! Is it because you became famous!?" Yusuke asked.

He continued, moving closer to the Shadow.

"Can't you understand how much it pains me to inquire about the crimes of my foster father!?"

Despite the pleas from Yusuke, Madarame is unmoved.

"...Now that I think back, the only reason why I took you in was due to my ties with your mother. That woman never lost her passion for painting even after her husband died. Her skills and talents were quite astonishing… That's why I decided to look after her."

A sinister grin spread across his porcelain face.

"Your mother and the artwork she created-they're all MY works of art!"

Ann shook her head in disgust.

"How low can you sink…?"

The Shadow only chuckled.

"I suppose I can grant you a gift before you die-a glimpse of the genuine "Sayuri"!"

"Genuine…?" Yusuke asked.

Confusion colored his features. But that confusion only grew when the true Sayuri was presented by the guard.

A woman in red, carrying a baby.

There was never a baby in any of the "Sayuri" pictures in art books and magazine

"That's… the real "Sayuri"...?" Yusuke stuttered, "This can't be…! Mom!"

Yusuke sank to his knees.

He didn't understand. Nothing was making sense.

"Huh?!" Ryuji said.

"Fox! What's wrong?" Akira said, stepping in front of him protectively.

"That… That's… my mother…"

"What?" Ann asked.

"Indeed it is! This was painted by your mother. It's a portrait of herself. A woman who knew her death was coming painted her last wishes, for the son she would leave behind. That is the truth behind the mystery of "Sayuri"'s expression!" Madarame sneered gleefully.

"You stole something THAT personal..!?" Ryuji growled.

Akira remembered how much "Sayuri" meant to Yusuke. How he gushed about it and how that singular piece made him pursue art. He looked at the image with such admiration.

"It's his maiden work as well as his most representative piece-it's titled "Sayuri." This was the painting that inspired me to become an artist."

'How heartless…'

"How could you do something like that?!" Akira spat angrily.

"I knew at first glance. I knew it'd be a huge success… if I added a touch to the painting and announced it under my name!"

"But the baby in the picture… Why did you paint over it…?"

'Why did you paint over me?'

Madarame tutted at Yusuke and smiled.

"It was all to stage it. If the babe is erased, the reason for the woman's expression will become a mystery! That is what the general public is drawn to! Each of those parasitic critics wrote the same thing!"

Yusuke was stunned into silence.

The woman who didn't get to raise him…

His mother…

She left him this wonderful painting…

Only for the man he idolized to trample all over it.

He felt cold. As if he was plunged into frigid waters.

'This… This is too much…'

"If you really treasured that painting, you wouldn't be replicating it for profit!" Akira said coldly.

"You don't love art at all! It's all a lie!" Ann added.

"Though you have a real Treasure, your true skills are nothing more than those scribbles on that fake!" Morgana said, crossing his arms.

"It makes me laugh ASSHOLE!"

Madarame shakes his head.

"So you'll defy me no matter what… Well then, since you're my work of art, Yusuke, I'm going to reap you for the sake of my future. Along with those insolent friends of yours there."

"I can't believe you're treating both mother and son like they're objects… You're inhuman!" Ann growls.

"I've heard that you destroy your "art" once they outlive their usefulness. Did that include my mother as well?"

Yusuke's quiet brings silence to the Phantom Thieves. They all turn to Yusuke, horror washing over them.

Yusuke turns to Madarame.

They stare one another down.

"She just so happened to have a seizure in front of me. That's when a thought crossed my mind… If I don't call for help and leave her be, I could obtain her painting without any strings attached."

Akira's gut sank. She had no words.

"No… You let her die!?" Ann said in disbelief.

"She was physically weak. No one would doubt if she just dropped dead because of a seizure. Above all Yusuke, didn't you think it was odd that I "discovered" your talent when you were only three? The reason I kept you around was to keep you from realizing the truth behind "Sayuri"."

Yusuke pressed his palm against his forehead. It pulsed in pain.

"You killed her…!"

"I'm surprised you don't remember Yusuke. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. You were so young. You so blindly believed me when I told you anything. So of course you listened when I told you she was just sleeping."

Yusuke could only look away in pain.

"The artistic talents you inherited from your mother were a delightful miscalculation though. If I'm to steal ideas, it's much easier robbing the future of brats who won't talk back than adults. It's thanks to you that I came up with the idea. You have my gratitude!"

"You're… You're sick!" Akira spat.

She would've continued if not for Yusuke's sudden chuckling. He stood, no longer shaking or lost in thought.

"I thank you, Madarame. Every reason for me to forgive you has disappeared without a trace. You aren't some rotten artist… You're a despicable fiend who wears the skin of an artist!" Yusuke glares.

Madarame glares back. The world begins darkening around him and his amber eyes only seem to glow brighter. The world shakes but Madarame doesn't flinch.

"Those who have the connections make the rules; those who don't follow them. Not to mention, the value of art is all subjective! I make the rules in the art scene! I am the supreme being! I am the God of the art world!"

The shaking grows, forcing the team to get back. Madarame's laughter echoes in their ears. The more it continues, the more distorted it becomes.

Until it suddenly splatters into a Shadow. One the team has never seen before.

He shifts into four 3D paintings. One for each eye, a nose, and a mouth.

I'lL pAiNt AlL oVeR yOu!

Akira points her gun at him, undeterred.

"Now… let's begin, you vermin!" He bellows.

The rest of the Phantom Thieves step up and follow suit, standing beside their leader.

"You used others for your own despicable desires, Madarame… You aren't even worth the art you "create"!" Yusuke says.

"Phantom Thieves. Let's steal his heart!" Akira calls.

"Right!"

The fight was long and hard. The switching and memorizing of what did damage and damage he absorbed was a challenge, but a challenge the team refused to back down from. Even when painted and weak, no one would back down. Every regenerated painting would be killed. Every time one of them would be knocked down, another would be ready to pick them up.

They moved as a perfect unit.

"All Out Attack!"

And with that final move, Shadow Madarame was finished.

All he could do was cower in fear as Yusuke approached him.

"Eek!" He cried, trying to protect himself with the "Sayuri".

"No one cares for true art… All they want are easily recognizable brands! I'm a victim in this too! Wouldn't you agree!?"

"Excuses now..? Lame." Ryuji said, shaking his head.

"The art world revolves around money. You can't rise up without any money… Yusuke, you understand, don't you!? Being a poor artist is truly miserable. I just didn't want to return to that life!"

"And you were willing to let someone die for that!?" Akira frowned.

Yusuke grabbed the Shadow by the collar.

"A fiend like you has no right to speak about the world of art! You're done for, along with this abhorrent world!"

"No, please! Just… don't kill me!" Madarame shrieked.

Yusuke throws him away, sending him sprawling across the gilded floors, gasping for breath like a dying man. But his former student shows him no mercy.

"Return to yourself in reality." He demands, "And confess to your crimes-all of them!"

"Y-You're not going to kill me?"

"Swear it!" Yusuke pushes.

"All right… All right…!"

The broken Shadow looks around frantically.

"Wh-What about the other one though. The one with the black mask?"

Akira frowns at this.

'Black mask?'

"Who?" She asks.

"There was another intruder besides us within the Palace?! This can't be…"

'Someone else… has powers like us?'

Before any more questions can be asked, the foundation shakes. They look up and see the world crumbling down.

"There's no time! Hurry!" Ryuji yells.

Morgana nods, transforming himself into a car.

"Get on!"

Akira nods and turns to Yusuke, who was still standing above Madarame, now holding "Sayuri".

Madarame looks up at him.

"Hey Yusuke… What should I do?' He asks quietly.

Yusuke pauses before answering.

"...Put an end to all this. And use your own artwork for once."

"Yusuke!"

He turns away from Madarame.

His idol.

His mentor.

His sensei

And walks forward…

towards his new family.

The destination has been deleted.

TAKE YOUR TIME

The group gathered at the hideout, drinking canned beverages from the vending machine and discussing the events of the past few hours.

"I guess the mission was a success. All that's left is to see if he had a change of heart or not." Ryuji said between sips of his drink.

He suddenly choked and gasped.

"Ugh, so bitter… Why'd you get it black?" He cried.

No one answered him, as the girls were focused on Yusuke. He hadn't made a peep since they left the now deleted Palace. All he did was stare at "Sayuri".

Akira sighed as she continued to look at the young artist worriedly. Ryuji bit back the jealousy in his heart. He knew she was concerned about him. If he did the same, she'd stare the same way.

"The "Sayuri"..."

"You're not gonna get all teary-eyed and say stuff like "Mom..!" are you?"

Akira shot Ryuji a look along with Ann, but it seemed his comment didn't offend Yusuke. Instead, he smiled.

"To think that this painting was the source of Madarame's distorted desires… The only saving grace is that my mother won't know of what transpired…" Yusuke said softly.

"The genuine painting at his atelier has been altered, after all...Ironic as it may be, this one here is her true self-portrait now." Morgana says, poking his head out of the bag.

"It's a wonderful painting. And… although it took some time, it's in your hands now, Yusuke." Ann says with a smile.

Yusuke nods back at her, a small smile growing on his face.

"I'm thankful for that. However, it's impossible for this painting to be acknowledged by society anymore…"

"Perhaps it's better that way," Akira says, taking a sip of her mocha.

"Yes…"

The group sat in silence for a bit, only for Ryuji to loudly belch in Ann's face a moment or two later. He and Ann immediately began to bicker, with Akira giggling on the side. Yusuke smiled at the scene before him. He was never very popular, as he found it hard to get along with most people when he had to hide who Madarame truly was. But seeing this scene unfold before him, he felt strange…

As if he finally belonged.

Eventually, the blondes stopped, bringing in a new conversation.

"So, what're you gonna do now? We're gonna keep targetin' big shots." Ryuji said, turning his attention to Yusuke.

"Why do you do these things?"

"Someone has to," Akira responds.

"To get back at scumbags and like… society and general?" Ryuji adds. "We also wanna give courage to the people that're sufferin' 'cause of selfish adults."

"Courage, hm… What good does that do? Will acquiring that make them happy?" Yusuke asks.

"Probably. At least, I hope so." She says as she bends to pick up Mona.

"There's no way of knowing. We just have to give it a try." Ann says.

Yusuke pushes himself off the banister.

"In other words, it all depends on the person, hm?"

The group nods.

And it wasn't long until Yusuke agreed to become a permanent member of the Phantom Thieves. The Palace was gone and everything was looking good. Albeit, Akira and the others were concerned about the other intruder.

'A black mask…'

Akira pondered it as she combed through her hair that night.

There was no way Madarame would lie about that. Maybe he would've before they beat him, but lying when he thought Yusuke would kill him…?

It didn't make sense.

If there were other intruders, they must be working on their side then. Why else would someone come into the Palace? The question lingered in her mind as she drifted off to sleep. But when she opened her eyes again, no longer was she in the attic of Leblanc.

'Shit… Not tonight..'

She sat up and moved to the jail bars. The faster she spoke to Igor and the twins, the faster she could go back to sleep.

TAKE YOUR TIME

"Come on Ryuji, what do you think? I could really use your help!"

The blonde stared dumbfounded at Mishima. Frankly, he would've never thought the boy would have the balls to do or talk to anyone about stuff like this. Ryuji looked down at the flyer Mishima had cornered him to talk about at the vending machines.

It was pink, frilly, and had a maid on it.

A "Housekeeping Service" flyer.

It details if you call the number, a cute maid will show up and do anything for you.

Like anything, anything.

Absolutely anything.

'Anything huh?'

He looks back at Mishima.

"I dunno man… I didn't know you were into this stuff…"

"Hey, I heard that! I-I'm not into it! It's just for research!" Mishima stuttered.

"Research huh? Ok…"

Ryuji shot him a skeptical look. That was a typical excuse for people looking at porn. He focused back on the pink paper, tuning out whatever excuse the kid was telling him. Looking at the flyer, he couldn't help but stare at the maid. Suddenly, the woman on the flyer was replaced with Akira. He had to rub his eyes for the picture to go back to normal.

'No. I'm not into this. I don't care about maids. Stop it brain.'

After silencing his brain, he tuned back into Mishima's long-winded explanation.

"What does it mean that they'll do anything? And do the maids look exactly as advertised? We need to determine whether or not this company just pretends to offer housekeeping services."

"I don't know man… Just tell me the truth… You're into some kink-"

"Hey guys!"

"GAH!"

Ryuji whirled around and there stood Akira, looking at him expectantly. He watched as her eyes zeroed in on the flyer in his hand.

'SHIT NO NO NO NO!'

"WAIT! Akira! It's not what it looks like!" He yelled, waving his arms frantically.

She raises her brow at him.

"Ok? Any reason why you guys are interested in a…" She leans towards Ryuji, whose cheeks pinken, to read the flyer. "Housekeeper service?"

"Oh, THIS? It's just-! Well- I...er, well-!"

The blonde flounders with his words.

"I-I… Just wanna punish the bad guys!" Mishima blurts out.

Akira looks at Mishima in concern.

"What?"

"I wanna meet the maids! I want to interview one of the maids to make sure the workers aren't being abused!" He said.

There's a beat of silence, but Ryuji quickly notices Akira softens up. Her eyes become warm and she moves to hug Mishima. The blonde and Mishima both go red, each for different reasons.

"That's so sweet Mishima. You don't want to see anyone hurt the way Kamoshida hurt us." She says, leaning her head against his shoulder.

He stiffly nods.

"Then count me in too! If we can stop people from being abused, then I'll do everything I can." She declares.

"WHAT?!" Ryuji yells.

"Y-You want to join us?" Mishima asks.

"Mmhm!"

Ryuji tries to make Mishima understand this is a bad idea through hand signals, but no message or abundance of hand signals seems to convey his words enough.

"We'll have to do this at night. But we should probably find a safe place to do this. It wouldn't be smart to do it in some shady area." The girl said, pushing back her glasses.

A wave of dirty thoughts rushes through Ryuji's mind, and he opens his mouth without thinking.

"Some guy just moved off my floor! And I know where the key is. It's totally safe and secluded."

"Good thinking Ryuji!"

'Aw shit… Me and my big mouth…'

"Operation Maidwatch is a go!" Mishima cheers.

"Operation Maidwatch!" Akira giggles.

Ryuji can only groan as Mishima and Akira trade contact info and chat ID so she can make a group chat later. She then waves and heads off.

Once she disappears around the corner, Ryuji pounces.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING INVITING AKIRA!? YOU DUMBASS!"

He shakes Mishima's shoulders aggressively before slightly shoving him away.

"Wh-Why'd you do that?!"

"Are you insane!? You invite A GIRL to come hang out with a sex maid!" He screeches.

"We-We're not doing any of that stuff!"

"Are you-!" Ryuji growls in frustration. "A maid that'll do ANYTHING. She's gonna show up and start strippin' or somethin'!"

That makes Mishima blush.

"I'm… I'm not interested in that.

Ryuji punches the vending machine.

"But… Why does that bother you?"

The blonde looks back at him.

"The hell's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean… I kinda thought you'd be into that kinda stuff… No offense."

Ryuji just stares at Mishima.

"Whatever. I'll see ya."

He stomps off back to class, leaving Mishima calling after him.

Maybe if he had gotten that flyer months ago he'd be interested…

But not anymore.

He groaned, running his hand through his hair.

'How am I gonna get out of this…?'

By now, Ryuji had acknowledged his feelings for Akira. And they only seem to be growing the more time they spend together. He wasn't really interested in other girls anymore. There was only one who drove his mind wild and made his heart feel like it was going to burst from his chest.

He groaned again as he made his way to the roof. As he stared up at the sky, he couldn't help but daydream about his best friend/crush and how she'd look in a maid costume. He'd never admit it but having these kinds of thoughts made him feel both guilty and euphoric.

A true double-edged sword.

He didn't know how long he'd been daydreaming until he heard the door creak open.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know people still used the roof." A soft voice said.

When he looked over to the door, the first thing he noticed was her poofy hair. She was also very pink. When he didn't respond, she spoke again.

"If you'd like, I can leave."

"No, you don't gotta do that. I'm just daydreamin'..."

"Alright then."

The girl shuffles in and moves to the corner. He can hear the sounds of water trickling. The sound was so relaxing that he couldn't help but doze off…

"Excuse me?"

"Huh?"

The poofy-haired girl was right beside him.

"Woah!"

"Sorry. It wasn't my intention to scare you, but I didn't think it would be right to leave you sleeping outside alone."

"Oh. Thanks."

He sits up and yawns, pushing himself back in the chair.

"Is this Akira-chan important to you?"

"WOAH!" He yelled.

The mention of Akira caught him off guard, making him accidentally tip his chair over.

"Are you alright?"

Ryuji blushed and got up.

"H-How'd you guess that?"

The girl smiled sheepishly at him.

"You were talking about her in your sleep."

"For real!?"

"Among other things."

He ran his hands over his face. He was down bad.

"Man…"

"Are you sure you're alright?" She asked in concern.

"Don't mind me… I just… my mind's all over the place."

"Sounds like you're having girl trouble."

He didn't know why but he found himself agreeing.

"Yeah…"

"I'm sure it's not as bad as you think."

"Thanks-"

"Oh! I'm Haru."

"Thanks Haru. Ryuji."

TAKE YOUR TIME

After that brief chat with Haru and the nap, he felt much better after school. His mom was working so he had the house to himself. He sprawled out of his bed, reading some manga.

Bzzt-Bzzt!

He reached for his phone and scowled.

Mishima: Hey you didn't forget did you!?

Akira: Of course not! Operation Maidwatch is happening tonight.

Akira: Send me the address?

'Shit…'

Reluctantly, he sent the address. He sat up and quickly began to change.

'Maybe I still have a chance to change her mind!'

He rushed out his door to check the vacant room.

He cursed.

The room hadn't been taken and the key was exactly where it was the last time he checked. If he hid it, he knew Akira would just break in. He's seen how many lockpicks she carries around with her.

Suddenly, an idea came to mind.

An idea so crazy it just might work.

He quickly pulled at his phone and called Akira.

'Pick up! Pick up! Pick up! Pick up! Pick up!'

"Ryuji?"

"Don't come!"

"Why?"

"Well… I'm… I'm worried."

"Are you ok?" Her voice softened

He sighed.

"You're not into kinky shit."

"...What?"

"The maid might assume we're into some weird kinky shit if there's another girl involved!"

"That's… a good point."

"We wanna make this a professional interview, not the setup for some smutty cam video!"

The line went silent for a moment.

'Is this… Is this gonna work?'

"You're right."

Ryuji grinned.

"Exactly! So I-"

"I've got it covered. I'll meet you there!"

And then she hung up.

'Fuck.'

Ryuji paced back and forth in the room. Mishima was there but Akira hadn't shown up yet. Anxiety ate at him.

And then the door opened.

"I'm here!" A rough voice called.

Both boys turned to the door and their jaws dropped. There stood Akira...

With a fake mustache on her face.

"Wha-What are you doing?" Mishima asked.

Akira cleared her voice, only to answer in that rough masculine voice again.

"I'm one of the boys tonight!"

"For real?"

"Yes!"

"You look dumb!"

Akira pouted and dug into her bag, pulling out two more fake mustaches.

"Not if all of us wore one."

Ryuji sighed.

'The things I do for her…'

"Gimme a damn mustache…"

"Yay! I mean-! Sick!" She rasped.


I've mentioned this before but Madarame's Palace is my favorite because I love how beautiful some parts of it are, but it was also the first Palace I genuinely struggled with. I was under-leveled a lot, so there were several times my team got jumped and I had to debate what was the best move to make. Hence why I made Akira question her decisions since clearly, every Palace gets harder from here.

The part where Madarame left Yusuke's mom to die also was extremely awful to me. In the game, they only say she died while having a seizure. However, in real life, it's usually pretty rare to die from a seizure. Seizures can be fatal if the person hurts themselves or drowns during it, which is where almost all fatalities come from. If you do die from a seizure, it likely means you died from apnea (pauses in breathing). If these pauses last too long, they can reduce the oxygen in the blood to a life-threatening level. During convulsive seizures, a person's airway sometimes may get covered or obstructed, leading to suffocation. So Yusuke's mom likely died in an extremely painful way. I also added that Yusuke was somewhat present when his mother died, but may have repressed it. Him not remembering much of his mother may also be due to repressed memories of it due to trauma. Originally, I was going to make it so Yusuke was present when she was having the seizure, told Madarame, and Madarame lied to Yusuke about what was happening, allowing both of them to leave her to die. But decided to scrap it at the last minute. It felt like too much.

Also, while I do plan on making Ryuji and Akira get together, I don't want to discard or ignore characters because of that. The friendships they make mean a lot to them. I tend to get a bit irritated when writers do this, where they neglect friendship over pursuing romance, so I strive to keep the best of both worlds. Hopefully. Fingers crossed.

Hey. It's been a while. Last time I updated it was 2020.

Firstly, I owe you all an apology. I'm so sorry to just disappear without a word. It really wasn't my intention to do so. Most of you who've been reading the story knew it took me months to write because of school, health, and other obligations. But it must've been worrying for me to disappear doing peak COVID-19. I'm sorry to everyone who was seriously worried about my health. I am still with my own health issues, but I'm fine.

Let me explain why I've been gone for so long. For those of you who don't know, I, for the most part, write using the app to write. It was easier for me to write on the go and everywhere instead of on a computer. Only for this chapter to be erased not once, not twice, but a total of 5 times. I've rewritten this chapter 5 separate times and the app kept deleting it. At the time, I had a pretty wonky phone so I had no clue if it was the app or my phone, me rewriting the same thing over and over ate at me and I quickly got burnt out. (These errors don't even include my other stories). So I took a break and school resumed. I returned to school and life got hectic. My Junior year of college was a struggle and had a ton of work, and then to graduate I needed to continue doing coursework throughout the summer of 2021.

And then, my best friend died early May of 2021. And my whole world literally crashed down around me. To say I broke down was an understatement. When I went to the funeral and saw him in a casket, and spoke to his sister who told me how much I meant to him, sent me spiraling. Everything I enjoyed and loved didn't mean anything to me anymore. Nothing mattered to me, and it truly felt like the only person I loved and cared about, who felt the same about me, was gone. It was very difficult for me to get out of bed for a long time.

That being said, I'm getting better and that's not to say these months weren't only filled with strife. I started doing content creation again, while not Youtube but have started streaming on Twitch as a Vtuber, I've also taken up learning how to draw, and getting very much into certain games (Genshin impact, FFXIV, Hades, etc). It's been helping me a lot honestly.

I'd also say I never forgot you guys. I always saw the reviews. I saw the PMs. And it meant so much to me that people still enjoyed the story. Seeing people in reviews worry for my health, telling me to take my time, and telling me their ideas for plot points and favorite moments. My favorite is definitely when people directly PM me and tell me things. It's just so sweet.

Sorry for this long tangent, but please know that I am back and I do wanna keep working on my stories. I wanna make work that people love to read and inspire other work. I can't say I'll be updating quickly. Y'all know me, I've never been the fastest updater. But that doesn't mean I won't try.

Thank you to all for giving me and my stories the time of day.

Big thank you to kvsyaoran for speaking with me and for commissioning an amazing art collage that has some parts of the story in it ( /010w5h6svtwm if you wanna see the amazing art). To wxyzsteria and foxchick1 for showing and reminding me that people are still out there that do care about my work.

Have a nice day!