The trio left the Safe Room and went to the staircase that led to the fourth floor. Where the previous one was in a zig-zag pattern going up, this one was more like a spiral. The three climbed up, stopping right outside the door when they heard voices.

"One of our guards reported a disturbance. It could be the rebels."

"It most likely is. Have our guards on high alert marshal."

"They always are sir. How would you like for us to respond?"

"Wait for them to make the first move, then crush them with overwhelming numbers."

"By your command, President Kobayakawa."

"Do you have anything else to report?"

Yu was ready to kick the door open, but Morgana stopped him.

"Wait. This is a special Shadow, one that will no doubt be much stronger than any others we've faced. Make sure your ready."

"Ready as I'll ever be." Yu replied, kicking the door open. There was only one Shadow in the room, and he wore a bullet-proof vest and carried a shotgun, and his badge proudly showed 'Special Forces' on his shoulder.

"Akechi. I should have known you would strike once you had another accomplice!" Shadow Kobayakawa snarled from behind a TV screen.

"Your days are numbered Kobayakawa! With our righteous might, our crusade will end your reign of tyranny!" Akechi yelled, showing his cognitive side as he struck a dramatic pose.

"You are welcome to try, as you always have. Marshal! Show no mercy!" Shadow Kobayakawa ordered. The TV screen turned off as the marshal transformed into a warrior with bright red armor mounted on top of a horse holding a spear, and two girls flying with demon wings flanked him.

"Let's do this. Izanagi! Zio!" Yu cried out, his Persona striking at the crimson warrior with a lightning bolt, only for it to bounce off harmlessly.

"That all you got scum?!" the warrior yelled, raising his spear and calling a lightning strike on Morgana, who collapsed and fell to one knee.

Akechi pulled out his gun and started to fire, but the bullets ricocheted right off the armor. The two demon girls made their move, one grabbing Morgana and launching her into the ceiling and kneeing her in the gut when she fell back down. Before Morgana had a chance to recover, the demon wrapped both of her hands around Morgana's neck, preventing the Trickster from calling her inner self. The second one twirled in the air, and the ground beneath Akechi erupted with what could only be described as dark magic. Akechi let out a scream of agony and fell to his knees, coughing up blood. Yu stood alone now.

Damnit! Come on Narukami, you can win this!

Yu ordered Izanagi to attack with his blade, since lightning was clearly this warrior's element. Izanagi charged, but the warrior was ready, locking blades with the god of Japan. The other demon woman took advantage of Yu's vulnerability, spinning again, dark magic enveloping Yu shortly after. With his concentration disrupted by the sudden pain, Izanagi faltered for a second. But a second was all the warrior needed. Casting Izanagi to the side, the warrior then impaled the Persona on his spear, turning it to ash, and Yu screamed, holding his head and clawing at it like he was possessed. The warrior saw his opportunity, and ordered his horse to charge. Yu was able to null the pain just enough to process his opponent coming straight for him, but it was too late to do anything. The spear pierced Yu's chest, just barely missing his left lung, and the Wild Card was pushed to the floor by the impact.

"How disappointing. I expected more." The warrior taunted as he got off of his horse.

Yu reached for the spear and grabbed hold, what little strength he had dedicated to getting it out of his body. His eyes widened as the reality sunk in; he was going to die here, and there was nothing he could do about it. He didn't honor his promise to stay out of trouble with Sae, and he had forgotten his promise to send even one letter to Nanako. Thousands of thoughts poured into his brain, all at once.

'Why did you have to get involved?'

'Stay out of trouble.'

'You didn't think about potential consequences.'

'Another victim of Akechi's crusade.'

'You can't save the world. You can only save yourself.'

Yu closed his eyes and let a single tear flow down his cheek. They were right. He only came here at first for answers, but when the opportunity to help presented itself, Yu was all too happy to go. Just like that night. He had one job; stay out of trouble, and he couldn't do that right. Now, he was going to die, and it would have been prevented if he was smart enough to remember that just because he wanted to do good, didn't mean he was going to win. Just like that night. He was wrong earlier, when he first awakened Izanagi and thought he could fight back. It was just a false hope, another test he failed, nothing but more proof that he powerless. Just like he was on that night.

Why? Why me?

Yu turned to his soon-to-be dead allies. Morgana was struggling, but the demon's hold was too strong, and she had already tossed Morgana's scimitar across the room. Every time their guide tried to fight back, physically, or with her Persona, the demon would slap her, twist her wrist, or something else to control her, enjoying her pain like it was a delicious meal. Yu knew that she was just as powerless as he was.

Looking over to Akechi, the man who got them into this mess just to satiate his own personal need for justice, Yu found the detective had tried to rush the warrior with his bare hands. The warrior, who left his spear in Yu, simply backhanded Akechi's cheek, and before the teen could recover, grabbed the back of his neck. Dragging him over to the other side of the room, the warrior turned on the TV.

"President Kobayakawa. The rebels have been crushed, and their leader awaits your judgment." The warrior stated, taking a bow as he spoke, the two demon women following suit.

"Excellent work Marshal. I knew my faith in you was well-founded. Normally, I'd tell you to make Akechi watch, but after everything, I doubt the brat's learned that opposing me only leads to death and destruction by now. Kill his companions, and bring me Goro Akechi's heart on a pike." Kobayakawa ordered.

The warrior nodded and with an aggressive turn, threw Akechi into a wall, and walked to Yu, pulling out his spear as Akechi struggled to even stay on all fours.

"Narukami-san, I am so, so sorry. Had I known it would turn out like this, I never would have asked to come here." Akechi apologized, looking over at his fallen leader.

"What did you think would happen rebel? Did you really think you would win simply because you thought you were heroic? Did you think that you'd be the victor of any battle because your motivations were doing the right thing? Do you not know the definition of insanity? It's doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results. And you have done the same thing, vermin; taken good and honorable citizens and turned them into scum, simply because you think you know better, because you want to be a hero. But you're no hero. Not to me, not to the other piles of trash you call friends, and certainly not the people who you want to save! You are a naive brat who needs to be put down like the insane animal you are!" Kobayakawa taunted with glee.

Akechi stood up, refusing to let his enemy see his weakness. The warrior raised his spear to separate Yu's head from his body.

"You're right about one thing; I was naive and stupid. I thought that no matter how powerful the villain was, they could be beaten. I mistook a work of fiction for real life. But I was wrong. So very wrong. This is an unfair world where mercy is seen as weakness, friends are nothing more than stepping stones to greater power, and kindness is the same as foolishness."

Yu closed his eyes, accepting of the hand fate had dealt him. He and Akechi were alike after all. And now, they were both going to meet a truly foolish end because of it.

"But you know what? I know better now. I know that I can't win if I play your game. Shujin is your nation, after all."

"Wait Marshal. Has this trash finally learned his lesson?" Kobayakawa asked, a smirk forming on his face.

"And because of that fact, you are allowed to do whatever you please without fear of the consequences, and with every life, every future you stomp out, you do so to stop me from fighting. But I won't stop, not now, not ever. I refuse to give in to a tyrant, I refuse to bow to a ruler that doesn't remember his power comes from the people! I will never stop fighting, and with each ally of mine you hurt, you only double my resolve. I will stop you Kobayakawa, and I no longer care what lines I must cross to do it!"

"So, you finally admit the truth." A spectral voice bellowed, a voice that carried some familiarity as Yu heard it speak. After Akechi those words, his eyes suddenly widened, and his eyes glowed an unnatural yellow. There was a THUMP in the air, like a heartbeat.

"This world is a hive of corruption, a place where the rigged system rewards the vile and punishes the honorable."

Akechi let out a scream of pain and grabbed his head. Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing to watch.

"Justice cannot be done by playing by the rules of such a system. The only way to win a rigged game is to cheat. If the rulers of society decree that you do evil, then their rule must come to an end. And now that you know you cannot do the right thing by following the law, you will have the power to do what the law cannot."

The agony only seemed to increase with every word, and so did Akechi's screams.

"At long last, the time has come for us to seal our contract."

Akechi collapsed to the floor, his veins seemed to be popping out of his neck and skull as the pressure in his head doubled.

"I am thou. Thou art I."

Akechi howled from a pain that Yu knew all too well.

"The weak need a protector, a warrior with few rivals and no equal. The righteous need a champion, a sword to cut down those who would bring ruin to others for their own selfish desires."

Akechi felt something on his face. A crimson mask with a very long nose in the shape of a woodpecker's beak. The detective smiled as he imitated Yu, grabbing the mask and beginning to tear it off, ignoring the searing pain and the pouring blood. The voice continued on.

"The world needs a hero. And you. Are. That. HERO!"

Akechi felt the most pain he had ever felt in his whole life at that moment as he finished tearing the mask off. His smirk stretched from ear to ear as a column of blue flames erupted underneath, consuming him completely.

When the flames vanished, gone was the tan pea coat with a police badge, and instead, he wore a royal outfit mixed with a cavalry uniform that was pure white with a red collar and small red cape that was about half his torso in length. Dotted vertically on his chest were golden straps in the shape of a bow that reached to his belt, which had an "A" embroidered on it in the center of a laurel. With the fire gone, a figure stood behind him. His Persona.

His Persona was a tall, silver, muscular figure standing at attention, with a golden bow and arrow in his right hand, ready to fire. He was dressed in medieval archer costume colored with white, gold, and dark grey, with a massive blue cape flowing through a breeze that wasn't there. On his chest was a blue plaque with the letters "RH" emblazoned proudly in yellow on his chest, as if he was a superhero in costume. Finally, on his head was a red, pointed hat with two small golden wings attached to the sides, and the gold extended to a chin guard.

"Let the wicked tremble before us… ROBIN HOOD!" Akechi declared with a dramatic pose.

The new power forced all three Shadows to abandon what they were doing and take up battle formations. Morgana coughed and wheezed before whispering her Persona's name. Lady Trieu raised her sword, and Yu felt his wound close, but the pain was still there, and it burned. Morgana forced herself up and dragged her legs over to Yu and flung him over her shoulder. Her voice rasped as it formed words.

"Come on Seeker. We can't die here."

"Akechi, can you handle these?" Yu wheezed out.

"Of course. I got us into this train wreck, I'll get us out." Akechi replied, clapping his hands together, and when they separated, a blue flame formed between them. Reaching into the flame like Yu did before, the fire vanished, leaving only an azure lightsaber in Akechi's grip.

"Do not be so confi-" one of the demons started, only to be interrupted when Robin Hood twirled his bow, at the command of Akechi, and two rays of light collided into her. Before the other demon could respond, Robin Hood repeated the action.

"Help him, or we're not getting through this." Yu ordered, feeling some of his strength return.

"I can't… focus. Healing you used the last of my power. He's on his own." Morgana replied, trying to get them to the door as fast as she could.

The warrior charged Akechi, and Robin Hood pulled back the arrow attached to his bow and let loose. The arrow managed to hit the little space between the helmet and body armor, cutting right through the Shadow's neck. The warrior vanished in a cloud of ash immediately afterwards, and Akechi ignited his lightsaber and charged at one of the demon girls, the hot plasma cutting through her with ease. The other demon recovered from the previous attack, and tried to fight back. The ground erupted with the same black magic as before, but Akechi was ready, sidestepping it like it was a slow bowling ball. Taking off his mask to summon Robin Hood again, the demon was dead, and she knew it. After repeating the same spell as before, Akechi ran over to Yu and helped Morgana carry him.

"Wait, the code!" She yowled.

"I picked it up while running to get in striking distance of those demons. We must concentrate on leaving while we still can." Akechi replied.

The three hobbled their way down, and all Yu could think about was what just happened. If Akechi didn't have the potential, they would have died. If the warrior had moved his spear a little to the left, Yu would have died. And for what? Revenge? Justice? People he hardly knew? None of those things were worth dying for. Yu felt his anger bubble more and more, both at how he should have known better, and at how his family back home would have been devastated if he had perished here. He remembered all the times he had to drag his father away from the bar after mom died. Yu remembered how hard the two of them tried to help Dojima get over the loss of his wife, how he would always make excuses to not see Nanako because she reminded him of her mother, and how happy the three were when he finally moved on. The two men shared a bond that could only be broken by death, and if that bond was broken, it would in turn break Dojima and Nanako, maybe beyond repair.

The three finally made it to the Safe Room. Yu pulled out his phone and pushed the 'Palace Entrance' button, teleporting them out of the hotel. Once they were out, Yu had enough strength to stand on his own again. He turned to Akechi. Everything about Narukami spoke of barely contained fury, from how his hands were clenched so tight that the claws drew blood, to his twitching eye, to how he grinded his jaw.

"I'm so sorry Seeker." He began with an apologetic look.

"Stop. Just stop Akechi." Yu ordered, doing everything he could not to yell.

"Seeker! Codena-"

"No Morgana. I'm out." Yu replied hastily.

"W-what?! No, that's… but… wait!" Morgana stuttered out, caught off guard.

"You can't be serious! You can't abandon us!" Akechi yelled, a mix of fury and terror in his voice.

"I'm very serious Akechi. That was far too close. The only reason we survived was because of dumb luck, and next time, we won't have someone to awaken to a new Persona. Coming here was a mistake." Yu said, his frustration starting to bleed into his words.

"But… but, you're our ace! If we don't have you, we won't be able to infiltrate the Palace!" Morgana explained.

"Not my problem. Besides, you and Akechi have Personas. You can do just fine." Yu countered.

"You'd let justice-"

"Mention justice, the greater good, or any other cliche bullshit, and I'll punch you in the groin Akechi." Yu threatened.

"You can't do this! We need you! Please!" Morgana begged.

"Narukami-san, please, think this through!" Akechi also pleaded.

"I have Akechi. Not thinking this through is what almost got me killed."

"I warned you about the dangers! You still wanted to help!" Morgana reminded.

"I made a bad decision. One that I won't repeat."

"Narukami-san-"

"Listen to me Akechi. When I left for Tokyo, I promised my little sister that I'd write to her. I have yet to write a single letter, or call to either her or my dad. Can you imagine how terrified they would be if they didn't get any word from me?"

"That's perfectly reasonable Narukami-san, but-"

"NO! I'm not dying for your crusade Akechi!" Yu yelled as his cool and collected mask finally broke. Both Akechi and Morgana recoiled from the sudden outburst.

"I heard what you said loud and clear. That every death only doubles your resolve. Neither you nor your Persona voiced any concern or care for those lives. You never said you'd bring Kobayakawa down to avenge those who were hurt by him, only so that you could be satisfied with your idea of justice. Neither of you said that you wished you could've saved them, or that you cared about what happened to them. Everyone that helps you is just a soldier to you, and you send them to the meat grinder while you watch from safety. You're no hero. In fact, you're no different than Kobayakawa!" Yu roared with every bit of strength in his lungs.

Akechi's eyes widened, and his jaw went slack from Yu's words. Then his eyes narrowed, his hands clenched into fists, and he felt his teeth grind against each other. Yu turned around to return into the real world, but Akechi grabbed his shoulder. Yu spun around and landed a solid right hook on Akechi's face, sending the detective to the ground.

"I'm out Akechi. You want to make a difference? Do it yourself." Yu said before getting out his phone and leaving his teammates behind.