Yu walked to school with renewed purpose. Before, he saw Shujin as a prison, a place where he would be tortured for the rest of his time on probation. A place where no one would touch him with a ten foot pole and escalating rumors were made left and right with no credibility whatsoever. But now, he saw the school as a hideout, a place where he can lay low while he went to work changing Kobayakawa's heart. And now, the students started to rethink their opinions of him, if the whispers were any indication.

"Are we sure he's that bad?"

"I mean, he stopped Suzui-san from jumping."

"Yea. I thought he was the reason she was going to jump in the first place."

"Maybe he's not that bad a guy. For a criminal."

Well, they weren't exactly throwing him a life preserver, but they were at least not peppering him mercilessly with foul talk behind his back. That alone gave him a sigh of relief. He would need as much mental fortitude as possible for the coming infiltration. He felt Izanagi stir within him in anticipation as the seconds of the final class ticked by, and when the bell finally rang, he grabbed his bag and borderline ran out of the building. In his bag weren't just his text and notebooks, but also his model weapon, lockpicks, and medicine. He also made sure that, once dinner was over yesterday, he texted both Akechi and Morgana the time they should meet him in the alleyway.

"Pssst! Leader! Over here!" A familiar voice called from the alleyway. Yu looked and saw a blob of black hair peeking out from a trash can.

"Morgana, why are you hiding behind a trash can?"

"So that the enemy can't see us! Akechi told me that Kobayakawa guy goes here too!"

"Morgana, he's not going to attack us in the real world. Hopefully Akechi meets us with us soon. I don't want to push our luck with Makoto any more than we have to."

"Oh! There he is!" Morgana pointed, jumping out like a pet that saw its owner.

"Are you sure it's wise to come so soon after school? There are plenty of people who can see us if we enter the Metaverse." Akechi criticized.

"Which is why we'll go deeper into the alleyway. It'll look like we're just taking a shortcut." Yu countered.

Akechi simply nodded and stretched out his hand, signaling for Yu to lead the way. After getting further in, the group turned around and saw that no one was looking. Pulling out their phones, they all activated the Metaverse app, ignorant of the girl behind them who just turned the corner and was walking towards them in the precious few moments they turned around.

Shiho had to struggle a great deal to get past the doctors at the hospital, but she had to get to Shujin. Yu had come back to check up on her, but she had closed her eyes to try to rest after the doctors gave her the news. She'd have to give up playing volleyball for a few weeks to prevent the damage in her arms from getting worse. So, when Yu first came in, she wasn't awake until he started talking with Akechi, judging by the voice on the other end. Then he mentioned a backup plan, and she heard Akechi mention Kobayakawa. Sadly, she didn't get to press for answers, as the sedatives had already done their job. The last thing she heard was "I'll make this right. I promise."

The next day, she decided to walk to Shujin to confront the man. She wasn't sure what, exactly, this backup plan was, but if they got hurt, it would be because she wasn't strong enough to keep herself together. If they got hurt because of her, she never would forgive herself, especially since she owed Yu for what he did. The face of relief from Ann, the shocked and horrified expressions of her parents, even Ryuji's inappropriate jokes, all opened her eyes to how much she had to live for. All thanks to a kindness she intended to repay.

So when she saw Akechi and Yu waiting in an alleyway, she didn't waste her chance. Almost sprinting to them, she was about to call out to them until she felt a sharp throbbing in her head. Then the world started to spin and shift and it became hard for her to stand as colors seemed to bleed together. She grabbed her head and closed her eyes tight, trying to force the pain to stop. Then she heard the chirping of a bird, and opened her eyes, all the pain ceasing instantly. She then felt much warmer, and looking around, she understood why. She was in the middle of a road leading to a resort and coming from a forest. And in front of her were Akechi, Narukami, and Morgana. But what happened to their clothes? Why were there weapons with him? Why did Yu pull out a gun?

"Alright, let's get to work." Yu ordered.

"Yes, but before we go, I would like to have a codename." Akechi raised.

"But you already have one, evil-eye." Morgana pointed out.

"Then let me rephrase. I want a better codename."

Codenames? What was going on? She tried to speak, but her jaw refused to pick itself up.

"Alright. Let's see, maybe Prince, if we're going by your attire?" Yu suggested.

"No, I'm nothing like a prince. In fact, my Persona is named after an individual who stole from a prince."

"Well then, how about… Crow, since your mask has a long nose?" Morgana replied.

"If we're going by the length of his mask's nose, we might as well call him Woodpecker." Yu retorted.

"No and no."

"Then what do you want to be called Mr. Detective?" Morgana demanded, irritated.

"Hmmm… detective. How about Ace?" Yu replied after some thought.

"Ace?" Morgana pondered.

"Yes. Yes, that's perfect. From now on, my codename is Ace."

"Alright, then let's get going. We'll pick up where we left off in the hotel." Yu told his team members, pulling out his phone and teleporting the group to the last Safe Room they entered.

Shiho was too dumbstruck to say anything. One moment, she was about to get their attention in the alleyway, the next, she was standing in a tropical forest on the outskirts of something straight out of a travel brochure. And now, she was alone, her only company having literally vanished into thin air. She shook her head, trying to get the confusion out of her mind. She had to focus. They said they'd be leaving from a hotel, so that's where she'd go. She'd get her answers, both to her original questions and the new ones that now filled her mind. With a fiery determination swelling up in her, she started to walk towards civilization, ignoring the welcome sign.

After the distortion in the Safe Room settled itself, the three left, and thankfully, the door in the hall remained unlocked. Fighting through the Shadows that stood in their way, they soon found themselves in the lobby of the hotel they were in. This time, they didn't bother to sneak through, Akechi's Persona and Yu's gun gave them a leg up over their enemies. The Shadows that patrolled the lobby surrounded the group. Five men with owl heads and owl wings on their backs began to simultaneously assault them with barrages of ice spells. Yu was careful not to have Incubus, as that was weak to ice. Summoning Izanagi, his persona went to work, battling two of owl-men while Morgana and Akechi handled the other three. Using his gun, he was able to stun them long enough to let up the unending attacks, giving Izanagi the opening to cut down one and use a lightning bolt to fry the other.

Yu looked over to the other two Tricksters. Akechi had Robin Hood launch an arrow to the one on the right, the sharp object puncturing the creature's throat and turning it to ash. Taking advantage of the opening, Akechi lept to the side, causing the two to split their attention. Morgana ordered Lady Trieu to cleave the one on the left and before the center could react, Yu launched another lightning bolt. The owl-man fell to the floor, still alive, and this time, it was the intruders that surrounded it, guns holstered and out of arm's reach. Yu decided to negotiate.

"The hell are you doing?" The Shadow asked.

"I want you to join my cause."

"Why the hell would I do that?"

"Because it means you get to live."

"Heh, as if. But you know sonny, if you're gonna kill me, think ya could grant me one last request?"

"No."

"Heh. That's cold sonny. But I'd do the-WAIT! I remember!"

The owl-man stood up and at attention.

"I am thou. Thou art I. From the Sea of Souls I cometh. I am Andras, and I shall lend you my strength." the now claimed Persona declared as he joined the other residence of Yu's heart. Suddenly, Yu felt a burst of energy spread across his chest, and there was a new word of power within him, a word whispered in Izanagi's voice. Tarukaja. It would appear that the more he fought, the more powerful he and his personas would become.

Yu smiled and gave a small wave, signaling for them to move forward, but quickly noticed something out of the corner of his eye. A golden chest on a pedestal. Turning and walking to it, he opened it slowly, expecting a trap, but instead saw a soft glow emerge from the cracked opening. Lifting the roof of the case completely, he saw that there were a few items in it. Stones, with a green heart on them and a gem with a small galaxy trapped inside.

"Oooooo, we got lucky. Three Life Stones and a Megido Bomb. Very nice."

"What does the Medigo Bomb do? I'm guessing the Life Stones heal us?"

"Correct Ace! The Medigo Bomb deals Almighty damage, the greatest kind of damage that can't be blocked or resisted. So this is an amazing find!"

"Alright then. Let's go. Other Shadows are bound to come here, and we need to start to infiltrate the second hotel." Yu ordered, stepping out into the outdoors. It was a good walk to the other hotel, but Morgana pulled out her whistle and summoned the Mona-mobile. Meanwhile, someone else was roaming the place.

Shiho still couldn't make heads or tails of this strange place. There were people in Shujin uniforms roaming around, but whenever she tried to talk to them, she'd get nowhere, their conversations with her and each other going on a loop forever. What was even stranger was the fact that Kobayakawa's face was everywhere, and non-stop propaganda with his voice could be heard for miles on end. Whatever this place was, it seemed to hold Kobayakawa in high regard, and that made Shiho sick to no end. Then she noticed something even stranger. There were two police officers here, but they had tar in the shape of heads hiding behind riot masks, with two red orbs where the eyes should be. Upon seeing these strange things, Shiho decided it would be best if she left. She didn't know anything about where she was, or what she was dealing with.

She turned around and bumped right into what she wanted to avoid. The monster dressed like a cop sounded as disturbing as it looked.

"Hello citizen. Are you lost?"

"Um, n-no, I'm just leaving."

"I hope you mean returning to your home. No one leaves Shujin Nation alive without our amazing President Kobayakawa's say-so."

"I'm sorry, what do you mean 'amazing'?" Shiho asked, disgust in her voice.

"He is the glorious man who took Shujin from a sorry village into the utopia you see now."

"Oh yea? And does he stomp all over students here too?"

"The citizens here are unruly, and require the benevolent Kobayakawa's hand to show them the way to maintaining Shujin's reputation. And he won't stop with just this resort. Once that troublesome rabble Akechi and his new acomplaces are removed, he will help expand Shujin's reputation across the seas. The world will be green with envy once our beloved President has had his appetite satiated."

Shiho did her best not to vomit at the officer's words. Kobayakawa wanted to go even further? He had driven her to almost attempting suicide in the name of Shujin, and he didn't feel an ounce of remorse. Instead, he decided to go even further, expanding Shujin's reputation to the point it was known across the world? And if he was going to go this far to make Shujin look the best in just Tokyo, who knows what damage he'd do to make Shujin renowned in the world.

"What a load of crap." She spat.

"What did you say citizen?"

"You heard me. Kobayakawa? Benevolent? Don't give me that rehearsed garbage. He doesn't offer a guided hand to suggest what path people should take, he offers a clenched fist to force them into a way of life that only benefits him."

"How dare you?!"

The officer gave her cheek a swift backhanded strike that drew blood from the impact. Shiho would have normally backed down after that, begged for forgiveness. But not this time. This time, she returned the slap, and struck with just as much force as the officer. The cop looked at her with contempt, and rubbed his jaw.

"Very well. It's now clear that you are a sympathizer of the rebel Akechi. For that, you will be punished."

"Go to hell." Was Shiho's retort, followed by a swift kick to the officer's groin. She then turned around to run, but much to her surprise, the kick didn't do anything to the cop, who swiftly forced her to the ground, snapping cuffs on her.

"Command, this is Unit 234. I have captured and detained a rebel sympathizer."

"Good work. We have had reports of intruders that have rampaged through the north hotel. All available units have been ordered to barricade and fortify the entrance of the south hotel to stop them once they arrive. Bring the sympathizer there. We can use them as bait."

"Understood. On your feet, scum."

Yu had managed to finish lockpicking a golden chest in one of the hotel rooms. The second hotel was far larger, and as a result, infiltration took longer. His plan to divert their attention worked perfectly. By tearing through the lobby, rather than sneaking through, he managed to get the security to focus their efforts on the other hotel. And since they thought he was the kind of person to go in guns blazing, they set up shop right at the entrance. Betting on the idea that the second building would have a vent like the first, his gamble paid off, and now, they were free to roam through the hotel. There were a few Shadows, but he and the other two were able to deal with them before they could cause a ruckus. He even got an angel and slime Persona out of it.

"What's inside Seeker?" Morgana asked, peering over his shoulder.

"Let me see. A piece of gum called 'Chewing Soul'. And… a few precious jewels.."

"If we can find a pawn shop, I'm sure we can earn a hefty sum for those." Akechi replied.

Yu pocketed the jewels, and turned to leave. They climbed up to the sixth floor, not running into anymore Shadows. Yu saw one of the doors start to simmer and melt before returning to normal. Entering, they felt the familiar weak distortion of a Safe Room.

"Alright, let's take a small break. How's everyone feeling?" Yu asked.

"I'm still good to go. How about you Carmen?" Akechi asked

"I'm doing fine as well. We should be only four floors away from the Marshal's room. After that, we can fly to Kobayakawa's island."

"What's our plan of infiltration there? Cognitive me said that the mansion's most protected door could only be unlocked by a key held by what I assume is Cognitive Morooka."

"We'll cross that bridge when we reach it. For now, let's get through this hotel. If there's nothing-" Yu was interrupted by the PA system blaring on.

"Attention rebel scum! This is the Marshal of the south hotel! We have one of your sympathizers at our mercy. Say your name, scum."

There was silence for a few moments before a slap was heard, followed by a grunt of pain.

"I said, speak your name!"

"Or what?"

There was another slap, louder this time, and it was a yelp, rather than a grunt, of pain.

"If you wish to see your sympathizer alive, turn yourself in at once. You have three hours to comply."

The three turned to each other.

"It looks like we have a new objective. Once we reach the Marshal, we get him to tell us where to find our 'sympathizer'. Let's hurry." Yu ordered.

The three left the Safe Room, and began to make their way up the floors. Thankfully, most of the Shadows were still downstairs, so they had no problems climbing up. Any obstacles like locked doors were circumvented, either by climbing outside like last time, or by crawling through the vents.

In no time, they found themselves standing outside the double doors that would lead them to the Marshal. Pulling out the medicine bottle he got yesterday, he passed a single pill to each of them. Thankfully, they didn't need any water, but the pill tasted almost as bad as the orange sludge in Shoichi's clinic. Almost. The rest of the team shared his distaste, with Morgana gagging and Akechi covering his mouth to keep him from vomiting the medicine up. But it did its work, Yu could feel the pain from previous battles starting to lessen.

"Everyone ready?"

"Always Seeker." Was Morgana's answer.

"I act on your orders." Was Akechi's.

They heard a scream of pain from the other side of the door, followed by muffled voices.

"Alright. Have your Personas ready, and no guns. We can't risk a stray bullet hitting whoever it is."

The others nodded in acknowledgement, and Yu delivered a swift kick to the door.

Shiho had just finished being tied up to a wall in a spread eagle, fresh bruises forming on her face from the recent slaps and a metal collar decorating her neck. The Marshal was bigger than the other cops, and was dressed in full military equipment. She already knew who the intruders were, and she knew that at least Akechi would try to save her. But would Morgana or Yu? True, both seemed nice, and they visited her in the hospital, but that didn't mean they'd be willing to risk their lives for her. The Marshal walked over to a screen and in a few moments, the face of the person she hated the most in this world appeared on it. While his eyes were a glowing yellow, it did nothing to abate the unease that came from their gaze.

"President Kobayakawa, I have captured a rebel sympathizer, and sent the message."

"Excellent. Once the rebels are dealt with, you may let her go."

"Sir, pardon me for questioning your wisdom, but I believe the law states that all rebel sympathizers are to be jailed or executed."

"True. But I have already broken this one. She is docile, and will cause no further problems once the rebels have been removed."

"Will she not become a rebel herself to avenge them?"

"No. Shiho is about as threatening as a hamster once you remind her of her place."

Shiho clenched her fist at the insult.

"Not only that, but she always waits for someone else to do something for her. She only works with the rebels because she's too pathetic to get what she wants herself."

"The same could be said about you, Mr. I-use-high-schoolers-to-do-my-dirty-work." Shiho retorted. The collar on her neck lit up and gave a loud hum, and she soon felt electricity surging through her every vein in her body. With an agonizing scream, she slumped as much as her binding would allow, smoke wafting off of her neck.

"See Marshal? Weak and pathetic once you remind her how low she is."

That was when the door burst open, and she looked up, both hopeful and scared. Standing in the doorway were Akechi, Morgana, and Yu, dressed like a prince, cat burglar, and a crime boss at a masquerade party, respectively. And she had to admit, Yu wore his outfit well.

"Ah, there you are. Come to turn yourselves in?"

"No. We're here to find and rescue- SHIHO?!" Akechi gasped.

"I'm sorry guys."

"Don't be. In fact, this saves us the trouble of having to look for you. Now, we don't have to hold back." Yu replied.

"Don't be so sure. Sitting around her neck is a shock collar. Very recently, I gave her a small dosage of what it's capable of. If you don't turn yourselves in right now, I will turn up the dosage to lethal levels."

The three looked at each other.

"No! Don't do it. You have to take him down, no matter what!" Shiho yelled, her energy returning, only to be stopped by another shock.

"Stop! Stop! We yield!" Yu said, putting up his hands.

"Haha, as I suspected. Marshal, you may fire when ready."

"NO! No, you can't! Don't give up just to save me! You have to take him down!" Shiho pleaded.

"Quiet!" the Marshal ordered, turning up the voltage for the next shock.

Something snapped inside Shiho at that moment.

"I. Will. NOT." Shiho's voice boomed, the pain from the shock collar barely registering for her as the sheer power of her voice forced everyone to stagger.

"I'm done being weak! I won't be the pathetic runt that everyone has to look out for! I will not be the reason you survive Kobayakawa! I will have my revenge, no matter what price I have to pay to get it!" Shiho yelled, her resolution almost palatable as the Marshal tried frantically to put her down with the collar. Then, there was a THUMP heard in the air.

Music: Awakening + willpower)

At long last. You have finally decided to show your strength.

Shiho let out a scream as her eyes turned yellow, but Akechi and Yu knew it wasn't from the electricity.

No longer will you obey and squirm simply because you are told to do so. The rage, the power, that you have bottled up for so long, is finally ready to be unleashed. If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. To achieve a goal, you must act.

Shiho started to squirm, her arms and legs writhing in untold pain.

Vengeance will not come to those who wait. If you wish to punish those who have wronged you, you will need a firm hand and a conviction of steel. You will need the power to save yourself. A power I can give you."

"Whatever… it… takes." Shiho grunted out through a clenched jaw.

Excellent.

Suddenly, Shiho tore off her restraints, screaming like a madwoman.

I am thou. Thou art I.

With her newfound strength, Shiho grabbed the still active shock collar and tore it in two. As she did, there was a blinding flash of light. It vanished as suddenly as it appeared, and on Shiho's face was a roman emperor masquerade mask, its colors white and gold. Shiho grabbed and began to pull.

The time to take control is now. Those who have used you will no longer have a say in your life. Those who have showed you no mercy will get none in return. From this moment forth, your power is yours alone, to be displayed for all to see.

Shiho finished tearing the mask, a blue column of flames erupting at her feet.

Now, use that power, and set the world on fire!

"Oh, I intend to… Boudicca!" Shiho screamed as the flames vanished.

Shiho's clothes were gone, and in their place was a gladiator outfit. On her chest was an armored torso that was sculpted to accommodate her feminine figure, with a torn crimson cape held by one strap. The armor was decorated with cuts and burns with its crimson paint starting to fade. Around her waist, a torn red skirt with steel belts decorating it, and on her arms, steel bracers with broken steel chains wrapped around them. On her feet were leather sandals with spiked soles. Across her chest was a black sash with the words ' violence begets violence ' written in red on it. Shiho clapped her hands, and grabbing into the fire, she pulled out a morning star flail.

Standing behind her was her Persona, Boudica. A woman standing on a pile of ash, with a wooden pole behind her. She wore a tattered, tan cloak that reached down to her knees and was torn from her collarbone to her midriff. Around her hands were loosely tied ropes that looked like they were used to restrain her, but were now torn in half. Dotting across her entire body, from her legs, arms, chest were several cuts, bruises and scars. On her face was a burn that took up her whole mouth, and her black hair was ragged, messy, and full of sweat, while on her neck was a rusted torc.

"Another one?! Marshal! Kill them! Kill them all!" Kobayakawa ordered before cutting the transmission. The Marshal transformed, as well as the other Shadows that were with him. In their place were a male angel with red wings and full armor, and by his side were two small men with long beards and holding two leaves bigger than themselves.

"I hope you're ready Kobayakawa. Once I'm done with these, I'm coming for you!"

"Well, someone's excited. Carmen, hit those guys with the beards!"

"On it! Garru!" Morgana yelled, only to have the green vortex barely affect the small men.

"Please, allow me. Agi!" Shiho commanded, and Boudica snapped her fingers in response.

Small explosions of fire knocked him off his feet, and she repeated the process with the other man. The archangel, however, was occupied with Akechi, who was trying to get a shot off, but found his arrows constantly deflected by the warrior's sword. The angel lifted his weapon, and two small arrows collided into Akechi, doing next to nothing. Yu summoned Izanagi and decided to put the new spell to the test.

"Tarukaja!"

Izanagi twirled his blade, and suddenly, Yu felt stronger, both mentally and physically. With newfound strength, he charged the archangel from behind, slashing three times with his katana before doing a backflip and shooting the archangel square in the face when it turned around. With all enemies on the ground, Yu gave the order.

"All-Out Attack! Show no mercy!"

The four leapt into the air like professional acrobats, the Shadows as good as gone. Once the smoke cleared, Yu looked to the fading corpse of the Marshal and saw a card lying on the floor. Picking it up, he saw 'code' written in bold print. Putting it in his pocket, he turned to Shiho.

"You alright?"

"You kidding? I've never felt more alive! Though, I have a lot of questions."

"I'm sure you do. But chances are Kobayakawa has ordered all those Shadows at the entrance to come up. We made sure to leave some of the doors locked, but we shouldn't tempt fate. Follow me." Yu ordered with a wave of his hand.

The group made their way into a Safe Room, Yu swiftly teleporting them out of there, and then to the real world. Back in relative safety, he turned to their latest addition.

"So… what do you want to know?" Yu asked her.