A New Route

by Nevermore-the-Dragon-Sings

Something strange happens after Sayori is deleted. Now she's fallen into a new environment with no clue how she's gotten there. Luckily, a seemingly harmless detective has her back. Soon a new mystery arises, connections are made, and Sayori has to decide. Who should she trust? Unfortunately, not everything is as it seems.

77. Chapter 76

I own nothing!

The Phantom Thieves and their group of newcomers creeped into the temple that sat atop of Tokyo. Monika, Natsuki, and Yuri all watched as Sayori moved with the utmost control and diligence, a stern frown on her face. Monika was somber, knowing how much her old friend had changed, as beside her, even the most vulgar and silly member of her new team, Ryuji Sakamoto, looked on sternly. They were all keeping an eye on each other, as well as the teenage girls they were suddenly escorting. Several times, Monika saw them pat each other on the back, or the shoulder, or even the occasional head pat, reminding each other that they were all still there, perhaps.

Monika attempted a small smile as Goro Akechi looked stunned at the physical contact when it happened to him only once. Fortunately, the teens all seemed to understand that too much touch might seem overwhelming, and let Sayori take care of the reassurance for them. Futaba and Yusuke were the first to recognize this.

Seeing the group of heroes become so in sync with each other made a familiar, yet strange feeling rise in Monika. She immediately recognized the feeling for what it was; jealousy. She took a deep breath and calmed herself, knowing she couldn't let the feeling become as intense as it once had been. She turned to Natsuki and Yuri behind her, smiling at the shocked expressions on their faces. They weren't used to seeing Sayori in this way. The only hint of the clumsy girl she normally was could only be found in the slight nervous twitch of her hands, and the way her legs only slightly trembled in nervousness.

"Yuri, Natsuki, stay behind me and Sayori," Monika said lowly, getting their attention. They gave her a look that made her regret speaking, as Natsuki looked away in defiance.

"That thing… god… Whatever you called it, already knows we're here," Natsuki whispered back. She crossed her arms and looked down. "I don't see the point…" Still, there was a resigned slump in her shoulders that told Monika that even though the girl didn't like it, she would do what Monika said.

"Well, I think that proves Monika's point then," Yuri commented quietly, her naturally shy voice already closer to a whisper in its natural tone, "We don't see the point, but Sayori and Monika know far more about what is going on."

"Don't be such a kissup, Yuri," Natsuki hissed sharply. She looked at Yuri's startled and hurt expression, before looking pointedly at Monika.

"Before you think of starting an argument, I will say that it would not be wise to make Sayori feel inclined to break it up. She is much stronger than all of us right now, but she still will need all she can spare for what's about to happen," Monika silently cautioned. She shivered as a constant ripple in the air pushed against her back like a powerful wave, threatening to knock her over. I can practically feel the Holy Grail's power. It could kill all four of us if it wanted. It knows what we are and that this is all a game… and that we are invading its territory…

Natsuki begrudgingly backed down, happy to see that at least Yuri seemed to understand she wasn't trying to antagonise her. Natsuki would rather just not deal with Monika, despite not having a choice in the matter. She remembered enough of the game she had been in to know Monika had seriously screwed with Yuri and Sayori, causing both of their deaths. Yuri shouldn't be trying to impress someone like that.

Still, Monika did seem to truly care about keeping them safe, though Natsuki had to wonder if it was for some horrible reason. A way to clear a guilty conscience? Or perhaps she only cared about what they thought now that they knew as much as she did about their pointless existence.

Yuri was also being cautious, but towards an entirely different group of people. Goro Akechi and the other teens that Sayori had gotten close to seemed to be alright. But she knew Akechi had been a serial killer, and the other teens, and the weird cat thing called Morgana, were all criminals as well. Yuri knew that she should be fearful of Monika as well, but at least the former club president was a familiar kind of threat. These other people were new, and Yuri did not know how to feel about what Sayori was involved with now, thanks to them.

The three girls grouped together, watching in relief as a small, happy smile slipped onto Sayori's face. She seemed happier than she had before. They could feel it as she covered her mouth with her hand to prevent herself from laughing at some joke Ann had said, that made Haru, Makoto, Ryuji, Akira, Morgana, and Akechi all blush. Meanwhile, Futaba also resisted the urge to laugh, and Yusuke seemed clueless about the meaning of the raunchy punchline. Despite the caution Yuri and Natsuki both felt, Monika was happy that they could recognize that Sayori truly was doing better.

I finally feel like… just maybe, I can have everything I have worked so hard for, Sayori thought to herself, looking to her side, and then behind her, where her friends were following at a safe distance. Goro is alive, and he is working with us, and everyone accepts him. Monika, Natsuki, and Yuri are here, and no matter how bad I feel just being around Monika… it's nice to finally see them all again, and let them know I am alright… That feeling of happiness, if only for a moment, pushed away all of the fear and darkness gathering in her head and heart. Without realizing it, she was whispering something that only Goro could hear.

"I'm not going to let anything be taken away…" It was a thought nearly too big to express to everyone, but she also couldn't contain it. Sayori knew Goro would understand. She didn't want to lose him, or the Phantom Thieves, or her clubmates. If it weren't for the impending peril that awaited them, she would wish that they could stay in this moment forever. Sayori wanted to be with him… Be with all of her friends, more than anything in the world.

Yet, she knew she would have to let go eventually. For now, she wouldn't let that stop her from holding on as tightly as she could. She gripped Goro's hand so tightly she was sure it had to hurt, yet he only squeezed back. Looking at his face, Sayori could tell he was a million miles away, but trying to stay right here, in this moment. Looking around at all of her friends, she could tell they were all performing a similar balancing act, with their heads lost in thoughts and worries and fears. Even Akira didn't seem to be all there. Sayori knew at that moment that for as long as she could, she would be there, keeping her friends close. They needed her, as much as she needed them.

"I know," Goro whispered back, squeezing her hand tightly as they rounded a corner. Everyone could feel that this was it. The God of Control would practically be breathing down their necks now. All of the thieves began to fiddle with their masks, ready to rip them off at a moment's notice.

Goro took the deepest breath he could manage, as once again, that horrible feeling of desperation welled in him. He shared Sayori's sentiment wholeheartedly. The conviction ached inside of him. I don't want to lose her, I don't want to lose her, the voices in his head echoed up and down and back and forth. It felt like his conviction back in the engine room. He was willing to drive himself psychotic because he didn't want to lose to them… to her. But now it was something much greater and intense than that.

I might lose myself… This desperation… One false step and I will lose any and all control that I have over myself… and that could lead to one of my… allies getting hurt. He was being tethered by the dainty, but strong hand that kept a firm grip on his own. As long as Sayori was there, Goro would hold onto himself.

Suddenly, they were there. A wide open space, perfect for battle, was laid out before the center of two large golden statues of hands was a familiar figure, turned away from them. Not-Igor suddenly turned, that grin on his face now much more sinister and threatening as the teens all knew it for what it was. Even scarier was that it had been waiting for them. There was no reason for them to be sneaky in the first place.

"Rebels who choose to deny the Prison of Regression…" The God of Control boomed, "Why do you mere humans still dare oppose me? What makes you think it is within your right, when the people have already made their decision. When even this pathetic little setting rejects nearly half of you simply for existing?"

"This place rejects all of us, but that doesn't mean we have lost our right to our lives," Sayori replied, unease practically suffocating her as she felt her weak tether to this game be purposefully pushed this way and that by the God, its smile leering at it tried to glitch her out of existence. Sayori strained against the pain to get her last sentence out, "Y-you say you have humanity's best interests at heart, b-but how can that be true when you try to kill us?"

"Stop acting like you have any right to tell us how to live our lives!" Ann screamed, stepping in front of Sayori alongside Ryuji. "You're just a Treasure! Just shut up and let us destroy you!" she yelled, putting her foot down. She could feel it in the murderous rage that flooded out of her and all of her other teammates, and from the feral sound that Goro Akechi was somehow able to make, that they all had thoughts of murder and destruction on their mind.

knees, looking at the large golden grail in front of the group. Is it… like what I am to the literature club? Is it that we both have the same role, and that is why I can't touch him? Natsuki and Yuri

"Fools… Do you still not understand? Your actions shall not save a single soul. You are not in control," The fake Igor said, floating backwards and laughing as it transformed into its true Grail form. "How do you think it is that I became a god to begin with?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Makoto snapped, her gut feeling telling her that this was somehow a distraction to keep this stupid being from facing her fists. Behind the group of thieves, Monika had suddenly frozen as a horrifying thought occurred to her.

No… could it be that the Holy Grail is… Monika put her hand on her forehead and fell to the ground. Sayori put her hands on Monika's shoulders in concern, but Monika quickly stood and forced her to back up. They truly were invaders here… Perhaps Yaldabaoth was an antibody to their antigens, able to completely destroy them because it had all of their traits...

"The freedom not to choose… The freedom not to think…" the Holy Grail began in a gravelly voice, its choice of words resonating with every teen. Even if they didn't want to, they understood where he was going with this. "If every person pushed the burdens of their lives upon others, nobody would have to act for themselves. And who should be there to receive those burdens?"

"Are you saying… That's you?" Haru asked, breathless and uneasy as she put together how the masses healed him so easily.

"Precisely! Humanity itself wished for the Holy Grail to be a god that would rule over them!" the Holy Grail probably would have beamed if it had a face, "This game, where I am the administrator above all, is what was programmed!"

Administrator…? Is that what we are? Monika asked herself, looking at her hands. In front of her, Sayori seemed to be convulsing with Grail's words hit closer to home, and she was probably the one who had the strongest reason to deny what the Grail was trying to push onto them.

"No! That's not freedom! That's the exact opposite! With someone like you controlling my thoughts and my actions, I can't decide anything! I can't even… decide to live…" Sayori screamed, her breathing becoming panicked. She hated the god's line of thinking, knowing that she had once felt that exact sentiment to be true. She felt Goro's hand tighten around her own, that same feral growl coming from him like some animal. She appreciated it, the crazy and animalistic personality beside her a familiar comfort.

No… No, no, no! I know it's hypocritical… I've felt this exact way before, thinking that it would be better if I didn't have my free will, but I need it! I need it more than air or water. If I didn't have control over myself, I would die… I would never have gotten to where I am without it… I'm here high above the city, with all my beloved friends, and… my beloved… Goro.

The Holy Grail dismissed the teens' words, not that they expected him to listen anyway. He began to spell out a warning to part of the group, and thus the entire group. "If you continue to reject that order, there will no longer be a place for you in this world! Viruses like you four girls and Goro Akechi, shouldn't even be alive! There is no longer any place for you anywhere!"

"Shut your mouth! Think carefully about what path you are deciding before you call members of the Phantom Thieves viruses!" Yusuke threatened his voice quiet and cold as his hand tightened around the hilt of his sword.

"...We don't want a place in a world run by you… Rather, we'll destroy you and start from the ground up! Then we'll find our place!" Morgana declared, standing up tall and pointing an accusing paw at the god.

Monika raised her head slightly from where she had been hiding with Natsuki and Yuri. "I get it now… You really are… just like me," she said, her voice quiet and disheartened. "You have the exact same type of control over this world as I had over mine… No matter how powerful that makes you feel, eventually someone is going to stand up to that tyranny, and you'll fall, harder and faster than even Icarus." She sent a bone chilling glare towards the god, thankful that she could say all of this from experience. She would never allow herself to return to how she used to be. "You'll be left with nothing… Not even your own existence, and you'll regret all you tried to do!"

"You treat us like trash… What makes you think we want your goddamned approval?" Goro snapped, scowling at the mere audacity of this Treasure to assume that it had the right to decide whether they continued to exist or not.

"We're not welcome here anyway, and honestly I feel so free despite that! I can think and feel for myself. I can want things… And I can feel proud of myself," Sayori shouted, pride visible in the perfectness of her posture and the determined smile on her face. She breathed deeply, feeling relief among all of the stress."I… am so strong, and I'm not afraid to fight to get back what is rightfully ours!"

The teens stood together proudly, though the moment of faith and courage they had was dismissed. The Holy Grail was clearly only able to look down on all that the teens were. "Hmph. So you wish to reject me… Even if it means forgoing praise from those you want to 'save'..." The Treasure commented. Once again, it insisted on striking a nerve. "I know you and your desires. Your hearts are all screaming about how you want to be loved, whether by the player, or by the public, or by these viruses…"

"We don't let what others think hold us down anymore!" Haru screamed, intent on cutting through its words. "You may be right that we want love, but the people who love me are on my side in this! They are standing right by my side, ready to defeat you!"

"That's right!" Makoto agreed, readily backing up her best friend. "We don't want anything you have to offer, except for surrender!"

"If you are not going to obey… then you shall suffer once again," the Holy Grail threatened, power beginning to build from within it. "I shall bring down the hammer of judgement upon you who dare disrupt my world order!" It turned its attention towards Goro Akechi, who sneered at in return as he sensed it was doing so.

"And you… you're nothing but a flighty traitor that can't seem to pick a side. You'll suffer far more than these rebels if you continue on this path, with these unwelcome glitches. If I win, that still counts as you 'beating' Joker. You'll remain here, and what will become of you when your father and his men find you? It will be something far worse than the 'death' you experienced earlier. Join me again, and I'll make sure they can't touch you…" The offer being given at such a late moment, when Goro had already made his allegiance clear, was alarming to the Phantom Thieves. The Treasure seemed oddly attached to the idea of wanting Goro on its side. The teens all looked at Goro in fear and worry, only for Goro to wave away their concerns with a fierce slash of his clawed gloves.

"I don't want meaningless praise from the likes of you or that bastard ever again! Nor do I want your bullshit protection!" Goro raged at the god. His eyes flickered to Sayori and the thieves, as he had one important declaration to make."I will never join your side again! I'll break this game into nothingness, and destroy everything, if that's what it takes to rid ourselves of you!" He didn't care at all about this world. It could just be him and Sayori and the rest of this team, or maybe even just him and Sayori, and he would be fine with it. The Phantom Thieves were definitely concerned with his statement, but they also seemed to understand it was his intention in the case of a last resort.

Their uncertainty in the thieves, and the literature club members, and the worry in Sayori's eyes, only boosted his determination to act if need be. I'm… too fortunate to have even a single good thing in my life. After everything I have done, the fact that I can have someone still look at me and worry about me like that… Goro froze as Sayori smiled at him anyway. Protecting myself has no point if it rids the world of that smile…

"These shitty insults against our girls make it seem like you're holdin' a grudge!" Ryuji griped, pointing an accusing finger at the Holy Grail, holding onto a heavy pipe with the same hand. He grinned, cocky and determined to annoy their enemy. "Don't tell me you have so much malice against Sayori for using her feminine charms to woo away your little chess piece?"

"You're just butthurt that you lost some divine bet… Because you miscalculated," Futaba added, her voice taking on a mocking tone. "'Oh… My little game piece is going to be a lonely teenage boy with no friends, who's probably awkward and touch starved, and has never been loved before… What's this? He's loved now? Oh no!'"

"Aren't you making fun of Goro Akechi now, too?" Yuri inquired curiously from her hiding spot, looking at the former hitman in slight fear.

"Yeah, but Crow will let me get away with it once… I think he even agrees!" Futaba said cheerfully, pointing at the boy so everyone knew to look.

"N-No!" Goro stuttered, turning his head away from the navigator. However, that only meant he gave everyone else, particularly Natsuki, a good view of his red face.

"Aww!" Natsuki cooed sarcastically. "He's blushing! He definitely agrees!"

"Of course he does!" Ann pointed to Goro and Sayori with their hands interlocked like a proud parent. She then winked at a blushing Sayori, before continuing to tease. "Not to mention that kiss from earlier… Pretty hot, right?"

"Panther!" Sayori squealed, covering her eyes with one of her hands as her face went red in intense embarrassment. Goro was no better off, avoiding eye contact with everyone as his own embarrassment. All of the other teens were laughing, the situation bringing them a surprising amount of levity. Their sudden refusal to acknowledge the seriousness of the important battle they were about to have seemed to enrage the Holy Grail.

"DO NOT MOCK ME!" the Treasure boomed, a shockwave knocking the Phantom Thieves a bit off balance. Though none of them fell, it did cause their laughter to immediately cease. However, they quickly recovered, realizing how they could get to the Treasure if they tried.

"Interrupting a conversation? How rude," Joker commented with a disapproving shake of his head. He smirked, pulling on the wrist of his gloves. "I definitely don't want to be ruled by the likes of you, so why don't we get this party started?"

"Yeah," Morgana struck a heroic pose, a stern frown on his face.

"This... doesn't seem to be improving the atmosphere…" Yusuke commented, easily able to realize the cat's intentions when it came to the reputation of their group.

"I hardly think we need to improve it… It's fitting for us," Makoto said, raising her fists in the air and striking a pose of her own. The other Phantom Thieves looked at the normally serious girl with amusement, before going along with it, striking poses they had seen in popular anime. If Sayori remembered correctly, as she splayed her hand flat against her face, they all had similar powers to the characters of this particular anime as well.

"You are nothing but a pestilence!" the Holy Grail raged, its power swirling around it and causing what felt like the earth itself to tremble.

The Phantom Thieves stood strong, angering it even further.

"I will purge you from this world!"

The battle began, the Holy Grail recharging its already full energy using the vines that the thieves had seen earlier. Goro looked at the enemy, assessing what was going on, and put together that the vines were providing the Holy Grail with some form of energy. As all of the thieves raised their arms above their faces to shield themselves from the massive amount of energy, Sayori looked behind her nervously. Her clubmates were peeking their heads out from around a corner, looking nervously at the fight, and staying dangerously within view of the Holy Grail.

Dammit, Monika! You need to make sure they stay hidden! Sayori cursed the club president, before being forced to focus on building her shields around the Phantom Thieves.

"I am the one who grants the desires of the masses… I give life to their voices…" the Holy Grail declared, one of the obnoxiously bright gemstones on its surface absorbing the light of the power around itself. Seconds later, a lightning bolt shot out from the gem, arching over the thieves and aiming for Sayori's clubmates.

Everyone looked in panic as Sayori cried out, only to see Monika standing in front of Yuri and Monika, a barrier of pixelated space between the three girls and the shot that definitely would have killed them.

"Monika…?" Sayori asked, her tone betraying her concern.

"Don't look back at us, you guys!" Monika shouted, lowering her barrier and shoving Yuri and Natsuki's concerned faces out of the thieves' view. "No matter what, I'll keep the club safe! Just focus on beating this thing!" She joined Yuri and Natsuki, bringing up her barrier again. She breathed shakily, worried even more now that the Holy Grail knew Yuri and Natsuki were there.

Or maybe it had always known…?

Fortunately, the Phantom Thieves took Monika's advice, forcing themselves to focus on their strategy for this battle. They had the advantage of having battled and lost to the Holy Grail before. They could learn from their mistakes.

Futaba was quick to point out the objective they absolutely had to focus on first, whispering so that only the thieves could hear, "If we don't do something about those blood-pumping supply line things, this'll never end! We'll need to send someone in to cut the lines. Then while they're out , everyone else will have to keep attacking to distract the Holy Grail!"

Monika, from where she was hiding, decided she wanted to test something, just so she could be sure she really couldn't do much more than she already was. She quickly went into the game's code, and tried to simply delete the vines.

This action has been blocked.

Monika's efforts were rewarded with a stabbing headache, starting so suddenly that the edges of her vision went white. The girl collapsed, an audible moan escaping her mouth.

"Monika!" Natsuki and Yuri shouted, quickly sitting by the girl and lifting her head off of the ground. Monika closed her eyes, ashamed, as Yuri and Natsuki checked on her. She was already screwing up, wasn't she?

"What were you trying to do just now?" Natsuki asked, her frustration clearas she pouted. She would have had her hands on her hips, if she wasn't investigating Monika for any head injury.

"I was trying to delete those vines outright, but it seems I can't even touch that part of the Holy Grail," Monika grumbled, forcing herself to sit up. Despite her mistake, she still had to do her job and keep her club members safe like she said she would do.

"Of course you couldn't," Yuri snapped, making Monika and Natsuki raise their eyebrows at her outburst. The girl didn't seem to care, scowling at Monika and putting her fist on her heart like how she always did. "It should be apparent that, as outsiders, we don't have the jurisdiction to hurt a being in control of this place! You already came to that conclusion, right?"

"Wait… What's going on?" Natsuki asked, not having put together what it meant for the Holy Grail to be of equal power, or even stronger than Monika, to mean.

Monika sighed, taking her pen out of her pocket and staring at it pensively. "I couldn't even attack the man he was pretending to be earlier, either... not even physically."

"Well…" Natsuki trailed off thoughtfully. "Maybe it has less to do with us being outsiders, and more with both you and that thing being 'administrators' or whatever…"

"Natsuki, what makes you think that?" Yuri asked, realizing that Natsuki seemed to be going down a slightly different train of though than herself.

"Well, Sayori is technically an 'outsider' too, and she can still fight and defeat Shadows in this place. I mean, her Persona thingy means she fits in here more than we do, but she still glitches." Natsuki began, her voice hesitant as she scratched the back of her head. She said her theory with caution, not wanting it to turn out she really was stupid and that the others had already figured it out. She sighed, looking down as she began to backtrack. "Though, it could also be that the Grail thing is just way too powerful, but then if Monika can't even touch it for only that reason, I don't get how the Phantom Thieves could even attempt to defeat it."

"I see…" Monika said, nodding her head as Natsuki talked. "So you think the issue I am having is isolated between me and the Holy Grail?"

"I mean… Yeah? I could be completely wrong, though…" Natsuki said, holding her hands in front of her defensively. "So you don't have to believe anything I say…"

"Actually, I think the conclusions you've drawn not only make the most logical sense, but provides the most hope for this situation," Yuri said, smiling sweetly at Natsuki. This gesture startled the shorter girl into timid silence for a moment. Yuri giggled in amusement. "Thank you for raising my spirits, Natsuki…"

"Oh… Um, no problem," Natsuki replied, clearing her throat and trying to push down a blush. "Who do you think Joker is going to send to cut the lines? I hope it's not Sayori. Just being around that Holy Grail makes me feel all icky inside." All of the literature club members felt the same sensation of being rejected by the game they were in, when it came to the Holy Grail. How Sayori could stand that sensation for so long, none of the girls knew.

The three girls glanced around the corner, as Joker seemed to be taking his time with who to send. Goro Akechi probably had one of the most personal reasons to go after the Holy Grail. It had been puppeting him around for over two years of his life, and now that he was out of the God's hold, it was overly clear that his life was as good as over. Sayori was being specifically targeted by the God, basically being slowly killed for many months by it. Those two, however, refused to separate, and sending them both to cut the lines would surely get their scheme caught.

However, Joker already knew the perfect team member to send. He was small and fast, and also had an incredibly personal reason for being sent after the Holy Grail. The false god had destroyed his home, and erased his memories, after all.

"Mona," the leader called.

"I'm on it," Mona confirmed, making his way to the edge of the group and beginning to cautiously but quickly make his way over to one of the giant golden hand statues by the Grail.

With that decision made, the Phantom Thieves began what they knew would at first be a pointless struggle to deal damage to the Holy Grail. In this part of the battle, they were more of a distraction than anything. They occasionally ran forward and tried to hit and knock over the Grail, needing to save their energy for spells for when they could actually hurt the Treasure. Futaba worked on debuffing the Holy Grail whenever she saw the opportunity, trying to save her teammates from unnecessary extra pain. Sayori also worked on keeping her shields around everyone up. All of the other teens did their best to distract the Grail, shooting at it and running up to scratch their blades up and down its shiny surface. That never failed to piss off the prisoners that saw it happen. One thing that the group had also noticed during their first fight with the Grail was that when it healed, it seemed unable to move. Perhaps it was also briefly unaware?

"The happiness of the populace rests in my regulation…" the Holy Grail said, his voice menacing. It healed itself. Mona used this opportunity to hop onto the palm of the golden hand statue.

"Those who cannot understand must be eliminated." With those words from the Grail, it shot out a particularly harsh beam of light, passing over all of the Phantom Thieves, who quickly guarded themselves. Luckily, they weren't too hurt.

"I just need to get a little closer," Morgana mumbled, planning the next move he would make that would get him closer to his target. He knew he had to make it on top of the top, balance himself, and jump across to slice through the healing vines.

Meanwhile, Sayori felt comfortable with the shields she had put up. She knew they would stand strong for a bit, before she would need to begin rebuilding them again. For now, though, she had a chance to help attack.

"Kore!" Sayori ripped off her mask, sending her Persona to send several thorny lashes across its metal surface. For a moment at least, its luster was ruined. Indignant cries from the imprisoned Shadows were heard all around as the Persona swiveled around the Grail like a demented top. With a giddy smile, Sayori had her Persona tighten its entangled vines around the Grail. A few seconds later, the vines cleared to reveal a dented, slightly crushed Grail.

Goro cleared his throat, a blush forming on his face as he looked at the panting girl beside him. "So… um," All of the unnecessary flair, simply to create a distraction… It's so… "You've gotten a lot more… intense since the last time I witnessed you fight…"

"I guess so…" Sayori seemed to calm down, shrugging a bit. "It's weird, because I always see myself as this kind and gentle person. Even though there are people we've fought that I definitely dislike, I never thought I would…"

"Is something wrong?" Goro asked, noticing the girl look down in slight shame.

"It's not really the time to go into this… But when we fought Shido… I honestly get scared when I think about it, now. I almost murdered him…" Sayori closed her eyes, not looking forward to her boyfriend's reaction. Murder was not the same as bringing him to justice, and Sayori knew she had betrayed her own values. If nothing else, her disappointment in herself was certain.

"...Cool."

"Not cool!" Sayori cried out, realizing she was not in the least bit shocked. She remembered what Goro had said earlier. He didn't give a damn about Shido anymore...

"Right… It's cool in a horrible, tragic sort of way," Goro replied sarcastically, looking over and smiling gently at the scrunched up expression on Sayori's face. "Don't pout, Sayori. Honestly, I'm just impressed, and realizing that I'm in love with you…" I knew that before, but it is moments like these that make it really sink in… She hates Shido so much, all because I died. She nearly abandoned her morals… for me. It makes me feel guilty... and guiltily giddy.

"I'm… in love with you, too. Losing you, and getting you back, and the thought that I could lose you again any moment with the Holy Grail around… Or that I might die… It makes me feel so-" Sayori sniffed and wiped at her misty eyes, refusing to cry. Instead, she summoned Kore, who quickly blocked an attack from the Holy Grail, and then began to maim it some more. Goro frowned, taking the chance to take his mask off. While Aidoneus fought as well, Goro had the benefit of not having to deal with the pointy tip of his mask as he brought Sayori a bit closer. He was nervous for a few moments, before Sayori went the rest of the way and leaned into his chest, making Goro release a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

"Keep your strength up, everybody!" Futaba yelled out in encouragement, watching Morgana continue to struggle up the statue. The Holy Grail healed itself again, and everyone knew it must feel so confident, having not discovered their field agent yet.

"The masses that praise the Holy Grail are infinite!" The Treasure shouted. "Their desires and power in turn grant me immortality."

"...I'll show you the real desire of the masses!" Morgana shouted from atop the fingertips of one of the golden statues. He got into a pouncing position and bounded forward. "I'm cutting them!" he launched himself off of the statue and towards the vines, holding his sword out and slicing cleanly through them.

"It worked! How's that?" Futaba shouted victoriously,her UFO shaking slightly from her excitement.

"Go, Mona!" Sayori and Ryuji both cheered, raising their fists in the air as their teammate landed gracefully on the floor, running back to rejoin the team.

"Thank you very much for the kind words," Morgana replied, his voice cocky as he smirked at the Holy Grail.

"Hm I am no longer receiving the strength of the inmates!" the false god said with a scorching anger. If an inanimate object could sneer, the thieves were sure it would be doing exactly that. "You repugnant rebels…"

"It can't heal itself anymore! This'll be a head-to-head fight from now on! Take it down!" Futaba shouted, not wasting any time that would let the enemy try to defend itself.

"With pleasure," Goro said, a wicked smile appearing on his face as he ripped his mask off and clenched and unclenched his fist. The claws on his gloves felt like extensions of his own fingers, ready to tear apart and kill. He and everyone else glared viciously at the Holy Grail.

"I'll destroy you… Smash you and pulverize you into dust for the mere audacity of what you've done!" Goro screamed, rushing forward with Sayori, who ran alongside him and released her own Persona, just as eager to defeat the Treasure, but not as wickedly pleased.

"Let's beat the crap out of it!" Ann yelled, causing the rest of the Phantom Thieves to charge forward.

The rest of the battle went by almost too quickly. Mere minutes went by as the Grail was lit on fire, and then encased in ice. Everyone released elemental hell on the thing with wind, lightning, and cutting vines. Swords and claws alike slashed. Guns were fired, and clubs and fists bashed against the Grail's once smooth surface.

Monika, Natsuki, and Yuri watched with relief as the Phantom Thieves defeated the Holy Grail. The chains on the monstrous treasure shattered, and it ceased to move, an ugly scream escaping from it. The thieves panted, feeling absolutely drained after the fight they had just gone through.

"Hey… We did get him, yeah?" Ryuji asked, looking around for one of his smart friends that might be able to tell him for sure.

"Oracle!?" Makoto asked the navigator, hoping the girl would be able to read the signs.

"It's silent, but… I dunno…" Futaba trailed off, causing most of the teens to prematurely flinch.

Monika and Sayori shared the same thought. It was too simple to be over. This wasn't final enough to be the last fight… Not to mention "beating" that thing had changed nothing. The temple should have been collapsing at the very least.

The temple began to rumble and shake, and for a second Sayori thought that perhaps she had been wrong, and the fight truly was over. However, the binding blue lights that lit up the temple proved her wrong. The temple did begin to come apart, but in such a uniform way that Sayori knew this could only be a metamorphosis into something much worse.

"Get over here, you guys!" Sayori screamed at her clubmates, watching with dread as the corner wall the three girls had been hiding behind began to tilt back, threatening to have the girls slide off or hang for their dear lives. Monika grabbed Natsuki and Yuri by their wrists and began to run. Natsuki matched and even exceeded Monika's pace a moment later. Yuri was overwhelmed and frozen in fear, barely able to keep up.

The gap that separated the tilting wall and the platform the thieves were on was getting wider by the minute, the space the girls had to cross getting steeper and steeper. Monika, Natsuki, and Yuri reached the very edge, jumping and doing their best to propel themselves forward. In the end, they just barely made it onto the platform, with Sayori, Goro, and Ryuji helping them up and making sure the three were turned away from the sheer drop they had narrowly missed.

Meanwhile, a monster was forming in front of the Phantom Thieves, seemingly made of the temple itself. White, bronze, black, and gold metal contorted and whirred, forming a large bulky body that seemed to float above the ground as silver metal limbs extended out.

"What the eff is goin' on…? This looks bad, you guys!" Ryuji shouted, returning his attention to the foe as he helped Yuri onto her feet. The girl actually began to whimper as she turned towards the foe herself, the massive shadow it cast covering all of the thieves in its darkness.

"Really? I hadn't noticed!" Goro shouted sarcastically, hating how his voice was suddenly trembling. He looked around, his eyes going frantically side to side, like a cornered wild animal. The walls, hallways, and stairs were all gone, leaving the teens stranded, fully in view of the judging beast towering over them. There's no longer a way to escape… If those girls had stayed in their hiding spot, they probably would have fallen off and died… He hated how exposed they were, trembling and bringing Sayori closer to his side, hoping she wouldn't mind being hiding the awkward trembles he felt running down his spine.

"Could it be?" Haru whispered from somewhere behind him, covering her mouth with her hand, eyes wide in awe. Golden angel wings, and red and black wings, extended from the Holy Grail's back.

"I… think so…" Sayori mumbled back, standing frozen in place. She desperately wanted to close her eyes, yet she couldn't look away. the enemy's final form… It's to be expected at this point, but it just keeps getting… bigger. The size was truly the most overwhelming part, as well as the faceless hand that poked out of the top.

"What's going on?" Yusuke asked, backing away only a tiny bit, too overwhelmed by the sight in front of him to watch where he was going. If he went too far, he might fall right off the edge.

"It's the Holy Grail in its entirety…" Haru answered, knowing that it was the only explanation. A halo of golden wings rose to float above the being's head, reflecting the sunlight behind the Grail.

"Is this real?" Ann asked, her voice aghast.

"Guys, pull it together!" Ryuji shouted, a nervous grunt revealing his true feelings about the situation.

Like you aren't scared shitless yourself, Sakamoto! Goro griped, keeping the snide comment to himself given the threat now facing the teens.

"G-give me a break!" Futaba stuttered, unable to turn away from the rising monster that made her hair blow upwards with the force of the wind.

"What's going to happen now?" Natsuki asked, clinging on to her friends for dear life.

"Just stay close to Sayori, now… That's all we can do if we want to survive this," Monika responded, her voice quiet and pained as she closed her eyes. She didn't enjoy this feeling of helplessness.

"I don't like the thought of putting so much pressure on her," Yuri managed to mumble, despite her own fear keeping her rooted to her spot. "W-we should have just gone down to the ground when we woke up!"

"Now isn't the time to argue… Just do what Monika says," Sayori replied, managing to take her eyes off of the Holy Grail to give her friends a smile that she hoped was reassuring.

"Let's hope that will be enough…" Goro replied, bringing Sayori and his clasped hands up to his chest. He stared at them for a few seconds. If not… Sorry, everyone, but I'm going to have to be selfish...

A tremor up the precarious platform the teens were standing on interrupted everyone's thoughts, overcome with fear and awe. There was no mouth on the Holy Grail, yet just as before a voice began to speak from it.

"I am the administrator born of the collective human unconscious." the Holy Grail announced, his attention focused on the Phantom Thieves, as well as the entirety of the world. "The God of Control, Yaldabaoth."

"This is crazy! It's like a building!" Futaba screamed, tilting her head all the way back to get a glimpse of the halo that floated above the god's head.

"It was already huge back when it was the Holy Grail!" Ann exclaimed, trying to joke to herself that they definitely wouldn't be able to pick up and steal the Treasure in this form. However, the way her body was shaking told her panicking brain to be quiet.

"That may be, but keep in mind that size isn't as important as power level," Monika said, her voice calm and gentle as she looked at the Treasure. Sure, it was intimidating, but it was much easier for her to separate the size of the enemy from the status of its strength.

"Th-that's right!" Sayori echoed, trying to calm herself down with the thought but not really succeeding. "It's a video game character… It's just how it's designed… nothing more."

"Well… it's power level is nothing to sneeze at either," Futaba said, her voice nervous as she assessed the crazy high stats being displayed on her monitor. All of them were trying and failing to temper their fear of their opponent's final form.

A strange wave of calm had fallen over Goro Akechi, despite still being terrified. He tilted his head all the way up, fully taking in the sight of Yaldabaoth. So this is the true form of the being that has been guiding me all this time, he thought to himself, frowning at the overwhelmed feeling in his chest. I feel so small… I hate this vulnerable feeling, knowing that he's seen my thoughts so deeply as to use me as he did…

Goro refused to let himself be manipulated any further, though the ability to be ruthless was one he knew he still possessed. If it came down to it, there was only one person he was absolutely determined to keep safe, and he would sacrifice everyone else to do it… even himself. He was supposed to be dead anyway, after all. He glanced at Sayori, knowing that if she weren't so distracted by Yaldabaoth, she would realize his thoughts and chastise him in an instant.

"The administrator must guide mankind toward proper development," Yaldabaoth's voice rumbled. The sun was setting behind him, leaving the world in shadow. "And now that the foolishness of man has been proven, it is the administrator's duty to purge them."

"You kidding? This is just some kinda rigged game you started!" Ryuji protested, managing to find his ground and put his foot down. His eyes widened, a heaviness on his tongue being lifted as he exploded. "Literally! What kind of point are you trying to make?"

"You don't have the right to delete anything! It doesn't mean anything even if you are an administrator!" Monika shouted, standing in front of Natsuki and Yuri with a self righteous glare on her face. "You'll be paid back in equal measure! This is your last warning!"

"The foolish masses merely spread indolent thoughts and force the progress of society backward," Yaldabaoth continued, unperturbed by the comments of those he deemed inferior. "If left to humanity, the world would slowly meet its demise. Rehabilitation is impossible now."

"That doesn't mean humans are evil though!" Makoto shouted, raising her fist up as though she could punch the god and leave a mark. "Even if we are just characters, we have a right to our lives!"

"So what? Either way we get destroyed!" Sayori questioned Yaldabaoth, its logic astounding her with all of its flaws. "Why are you so obsessed with speeding up the process?"

"Indeed. There are many upstanding citizens. However, they merely take the sole path before them," Yaldabaoth replied, answering their questions in the haughty way that all gods probably favored. "The act of making decisions is accompanied by nothing but pain. Even if a cliff of ruin lie ahead, these lemmings would march on without a second thought… It is time to end the cycle once and for all."

"Bullshit! You're just forcin' your selfish ideas on people!" Ryuji shouted, scowling at the audacity of this being. "It's not your problem to worry about!"

"For a god, you're pretty damn prejudiced!" Futaba stated, glaring up at Yaldabaoth and pointing out a fault that no god should have. Another realization occurred to her. "As though half the problems in the past two years weren't caused by the Metaverse!"

While everyone else argued with Yaldabaoth's logic, Goro looked down in conflict, reviewing what the being had said. I… don't think I could argue with him there, Goro thought, the painful reality being revealed that he might even agree with part of what Yaldabaoth had said. My mother was like that. There was only ruin awaiting her after I was born, and yet she kept marching… until it led her over the edge… For me. He chanced a glance at Sayori, who surprisingly also seemed to be conflicted, twisting her lips into a grimace. Though at the same time she was determined to ignore whatever part agreed with the god, her eyes wide and glaring with a deadly force.

Sayori has hurt herself for her friends, too. They both died because they felt some twisted obligation, like it would help others…

"That's not what people mean at all when they talk about ending the cycle of suffering!" Sayori screamed, shocking Goro out of his thoughts as she screeched with such ferocity, he thought it might deafen the whole world. "You're nothing but a false god built on nothing but the misconceptions of society! You have no idea how hard we have all struggled to rise up!" She spread one of her arms out wide, gesturing to the Phantom Thieves and her clubmates, her other hand wrapping around Goro's shoulders. "I don't care what you or anyone says! I will live alongside my friends! It's nobody's choice but mine!"

"Sayori…" Yuri said quietly, shock painting her features, before a calm smile settled on her face as she closed her eyes. Finally, Yuri could feel her constant fear since she had woken up begin to subside. Such wise words… I feel like she wants these words to reach all of our hearts, and it definitely is reaching mine… The shy girl looked at the Phantom Thieves, and all of her friends, noticing they also were in awe of the booming declaration. Though, she frowned a bit when she noticed Goro Akechi still looked a bit troubled by something.

But it was hardly their choice… Monika messed with Sayori until she couldn't bear to live any longer, and my mother…

A new realization suddenly dawned on Goro Akechi, shattering any conflict he had once had. He looked up at Yaldabaoth and snarled, recognizing the manipulation for what it was.

"Whose fucking fault is that? You gave my mother a Palace! She could have lived if you had just kept your shitty metaverse to yourself! Shido backed her into a corner she couldn't escape from, and you didn't do anything to stop it! Because you wanted to manipulate me into taking the 'sole path in front of me'!"

"What…?" Sayori took a second to process this new information, figuring this issue with his mother might have been something he wanted to talk about later. She clasped his hand in a way she hoped was comforting. "Goro… I…" I didn't know… But how could I?

"And she got one, too!" Goro screamed, jabbing his thumb in Sayori's direction. "And Monika messed with her brain like it was any of her fucking business! I don't care if we're evil or not! Mind your fucking business and let us humans rot in peace!"

"You horrible hypocrite!" Sayori suddenly screamed, turning the force of her anger back on Yaldabaoth. "You act like it's a problem that you dislike, but you've let it happen all this time because it benefits you! Stop acting like you want us to rehabilitate, or that you have any right to be disappointed in us! You're a deceitful God of Control, and we don't want you here!"

"If this is all for the sake of humanity, wouldn't being beaten by humans satisfy you?" Haru questioned, wanting to help in pointing out every logical fallacy the God of Control was trying to use. "We aren't asleep to the world around us anymore! We see reality for what it is, and we can change it!"

"I am the entity which governs this world. Its future depends wholly on my leadership" Yaldabaoth was steadfast, refusing to listen to the Phantom Thieves. "Those who dare defy this natural order shall be met with punishment raining down from the heavens." A powerful wind suddenly came from the god, blowing against the Phantom Thieves and the literature club. It threatened to blow them right off the platform, but the thieves remained standing, grabbing onto Natsuki, Yuri, and Monika's wrists to keep them grounded as well.

Makoto grunted and panted, looking up at Yaldabaoth with frustration and unease. It's so stubborn about controlling us… but how can it hope to do that when we know what we know?

"You… don't have the right…" Monika grunted, wanting to get it through to the stubborn god what the teens all believed. "To control…"

"Monika...Stop talking and just sit down!" Natsuki snapped, dragging the girl to the ground with Yuri, save at the back of the group.

Futaba growled in frustration, noticing that Yaldabaoth's power level had actually risen in those split seconds of wind. "That thing's on a totally different level!" A horrifying thought suddenly occurred to her. What if it learns how to delete us? It probably doesn't since Sayori could only glitch out every once in a while… It could also reload a save again to make sure we lose...

"Can we defeat something like him?" Yusuke asked in uncertainty, trying to gather his bearings for the hellish fight they were most likely about to be a part of. He looked at all of his friends, sad and fearful about what they were about to face. We all have something we want to say to each other… Sayori and Akechi are right, and I want to hear the Phantom Thieves say such heartfelt words again and again and again…

"This is the best possible outcome!" Morgana shouted, turning to look at Joker, who had been silent this entire time. The cat raised his paw up confidently. "We're fighting against a god who's not holding anything back, right? What bigger target could there be for the Phantom Thieves to tackle? This is a fight against our reality… against the very game we live in itself!"

"Besides, we are the heroes! We'll win no matter what, because we are the underdogs against reality itself" Sayori exclaimed, seeing what Morgana was trying to do, and joining in with an even peppier attitude. "So what's there to worry about? Let's destroy God and then go have a farewell party or something!"

"Why so eager?" Goro asked with a playful pout, cupping her chin with his free hand. "First, we should dance on its corpse and paint the town red… or gold… I feel like I heard somewhere that gods have golden blood…"

"You're such a cute, sinister dork," Sayori responded with a teasing wink, knowing her boyfriend was serious about making the god's death as painful as possible. Still, she enjoyed this moment of rest they had before the storm began. She refused to let her smile slip off of her face, even as a sad thought occurred to her. I wish I could just pause the game and spend a little more time like this… We have to destroy this thing… Let's just hope there is still time for a farewell party after that…"

"You're such a poet, with your adorable oxymorons," Goro replied, putting his forehead against Sayori's, enjoying the feeling of being close. Though her enthusiasm had shocked him, Sayori's words had filled him with adrenaline, almost excited for the brutal fight ahead. I'm going to destroy Yaldabaoth and end all of this nonsense… I can do anything if it's for a worthy cause.

Makoto lightly smiled as she looked at the couple, shaking her head playfully. "I worry what your idea of a wedding is… You all make good points. Although… that thing is still way too big for my liking."

"All right, I'll give the navigation everything I've got!" Futaba exclaimed, enthusiastic about the idea with the new knowledge that she was in a video game. This was going to be so fun! "I'm going to push my hacking to the very limits!"

"We can do this if we all work together!" Haru cheered, striking a pose and pulling the brim of her hat further up her head. She smiled at Futaba teasingly. "So Oracle, make sure we have a chance to be useful in this situation!" The girl nodded and gave Haru a thumbs up.

"Let's take him down!" Ann shouted, pounding her fist into her hand. "Kick ass and take names!"

"Hell yeah!" Ryuji cheered, fist bumping the girl with a cocksure grin.

"Crowning our glory by defeating a god… Now that is true art," Yusuke said with a satisfied smile.

The enthusiastic shift in attitude had taken the literature club members by surprise. They stared at the thieves, wondering if the stress had finally made them lose their minds. However, they knew better than to bring down the team spirit. If they became too depressed, it would definitely negatively impact their fighting ability. In an attempt to engage in the mood, Yuri looked at Yusuke tentatively.

"For an artist, you're somehow very predictable," the girl said, closing her eyes tightly as she immediately felt that she had been too mean.

"Predictable?!" Yusuke sounded shocked, and even a little bit panicked.

"I-I mean… It's just easy to tell when you're going to comment on something being a work of art… or something like that…" Yuri replied, her voice suddenly a lot more quiet.

"Maybe so… But I must speak the truth," Yusuke stated, a grand laugh erupting from him, dramatic as always. He grinned, spreading his arms out wide to gesture to Yaldabaoth behind him. "And the truth is… painting the town red or gold by beating this god sounds like a true masterpiece."

Yuri actually gave an agreeable nod, smiling. Natsuki stared at the girl in shock, and then at the boy in jealousy. "What are we going to do with you two?" Natsuki asked, trying not to pout and instead pinning a smile onto her face.

"We basically just gotta beat that thing, right?" Ryuji questioned, jabbing a finger towards Yaldabaoth as though he were a particularly weak enemy, and not an actual god.

"It's confusing how confident you guys can suddenly become…" Monika said with a grin, sticking her hand in the air with her index finger pointing up, just like her days in the club when she would discuss club activities. She giggled, looking at all of them. "Still, I love the spirit!"

"Man… You guys are the best, stupidest group I could have asked for," Morgana said fondly, looking around at all of his beloved teammates, before his eyes settled on Joker with a sincere smile that seemed to hold a deeper meaning, like the cat was about to purposefully leave something out. "I'm so glad I was able to be a part of your team…"

"Me too… Thank you for always being there for me when I needed it, Phantom Thieves," Sayori said, smiling happily, closing her eyes so she wouldn't cry. When this was all over… She was going to miss everyone so much!

"It's not over yet," Akira stated, letting a rare smile slip onto his face as he regarded everyone.

It truly is a stunning thing, how happy and confident they all are in this situation… Goro said, not acknowledging that he was happy as well. He smiled thoughtfully to himself, studying his still clasped hand. It was honestly starting to cramp… But he wasn't about to stop. I'm going to do my best… So I can make sure she always has the ability to smile and be happy...

"We'll take it all back..." Morgana suddenly declared, drawing his sword from his scabbard, and then pointing it up at Yaldabaoth. The other Phantom Thieves followed suit with their own weapons, glaring up at the god.

"Our future… And this world!"

"Rebels who dare defy my rule," Yaldabaoth began, gathering his massive strength. "You shall perish." His voice carried on the wind, booming into the teens' ears like a shouted declaration.

It was practically routine at this point. The Phantom Thieves began preparing themselves, making sure they were as strong as could be, and also doing their best to bring down Yaldabaoth's strengths and defensive capabilities as well.

"This guy's behind everything…" Futaba stated, her senses on high alert for any attack. Still, just as they had been doing, she tried her best to encourage her teammates, looking down at them fondly. "But we're all together! We can win! It's going to be just like beating a video game!"

Yaldabaoth was silent, except for sudden whirring sounds that echoed from within. A long, spindly golden arm suddenly extended from its back, holding a gigantic pistol in a mechanical grip. "I release upon you the deadly sin of have no means of escape, humans. The insanity of mankind shall bring forth the demise…"

"It grew an arm!?" Morgana exclaimed, almost comically dumbfounded by what was occurring. "And it has a gun?" Just as he did so, the arm attacked. Futaba barely realized that it was some kind of ailment, before it struck down on part of the group. Goro fell to his knees, an uneasy blush spreading on his face.

"Ugh!" Goro groaned, not enjoying the feeling building up inside of him at all, nor the insatiable desire he felt for the innocent girl holding his hand. Those horrid, dirty thoughts, and the lack of control, grated on him. He looked up at Sayori helplessly, wanting to warn her. "Shit… Sayori, now might be a good time to… to…"

"I'm not letting go. You can control yourself," Sayori said, her reassuring voice not doing much to help. She smiled at Goro in sympathy, reaching her other hand towards his shoulder, only for him to shudder and shake his head, his face going even redder. The girl retracted her hand, and instead lifted Goro onto his feet with their already clasped hands. "Besides, I am not leaving you to deal with these feelings on your own."

"Oh shit!" Ryuji suddenly shouted, getting nearly knocked off of his feet from behind. "What the heck? Get offa me!"

"Yuri got hit, too?" Natsuki shouted in confusion, not realizing that Yaldabaoth would target them as well. The shorter girl watched only for a moment longer as Yuri clung to Ryuji in an awkward fashion. She remembered all too clearly how obsessed Yuri had gotten for the main character of their game, and did not wish the same misfortune on Ryuji. "Hey, calm down!" Natsuki ran forward and latched onto Yuri by her waist, tugging on the taller, and thus heavier girl. After a full thirty seconds of fighting, Yuri suddenly let go of Ryuji, her expression unreadable. Natsuki sighed in relief, only to gasp as suddenly she was the one being hugged. Natsuki gulped nervously, before her tsundere instincts kicked in, and she began to shove and push at Yuri, who had very obviously not had the ability to resist the lust she was inflicted with.

Futaba looked at their now disorganized group in worry, struggling to get through the onslaught of sudden hormones. Her eyes in particular were on Goro and Sayori. The boy seemed to be holding his reactions in, but at this time it was taking all of his focus. "Hey! You need to focus on the battle!"

Luckily, Akira, Makoto, Ann, Yusuke, Harur, and Morgana had not been hit or being bothered by someone that had gotten hit. They were able to continue attacking Yaldabaoth, actually managing to deliver a considerable amount of damage to it.

"I've got him!" Sayori shouted to Futaba, smiling sweetly as Goro was not doing so well. It made her sad that any more physical comfort would probably only distress him more. Still, her trust in him was doing a service for Goro's morale. Sayori turned her attention away from him briefly in order to try attacking as well, only for a wave of ice to roll over her, making her feel tired, lost in a snowstorm in which she was blind. "Ugh!" she groaned, slumping over. All her cares in the world suddenly left her, and not in a good way.

"I release upon you the deadly sin of sloth," Yaldabaoth declared, having grown another spindly arm, this time holding a large bell. "You have no means of escape, humans. The omissions of mankind's desire shall bring forth ruin…"

"Sayori?" Haru asked, noticing how motionless the girl had suddenly become as Yaldabaoth began to prepare an attack. Goro was struggling to move as well, every sensation an uncomfortable stimulus that made him tremble as he poked and prodded at Sayori to get her to move. Haru panicked and began to run forward to help. "Hey, you both need to move!"

"The sin she was hit with…" Morgana speculated, glaring up at Yaldabaoth. "I don't think she can move very far when she has no desire to do anything…"

Makoto grunted and ran forward, faster than Haru. "I'll get them!" she declared, grabbing both teens and quickly dragging them away, watching in dismay as yet another arm began to grow from Yaldabaoth.

"I release upon you the deadly sin of wrath," Yaldabaoth announced, repeating his promise to the Phantom Thieves that they had already heard quite a few times. "You have no means of escape, humans. The shortsightedness of mankind shall bring forth ruin…" The arm reached over to the god's side and unsheathed an absolute biblically sized sword, which it held above the teens with a menacing promise.

It says the same damn thing every time, Goro thought to himself bitterly, gritting his teeth. I'm pissed off even without getting hit by wrath… And that sword… He dreaded the lethal edge that it sported, glinting in the evening light. Still, this dread and anger alerted him to the fact that the ailment placed on him had likely worn off.

"A sword this time? Getting hit by that would be dangerous for sure…" Morgana observed, looking up nervously at the weapon.

"I said get offa me!" Ryuji said, as Yuri had unlatched from Natsuki at some point. He was about to just shove her off, when Yaldabaoth finally delivered another ailment onto certain members of the group.

"Hey! Piss off, buddy!" Natsuki raged, stomping over with every intention of punching Ryuji in the face. She had utterly forgotten her earlier sentiment of not wanting the poor boy to get hurt, and was now angry at the boy for bullying Yuri. The wrath had clearly hit her.

"A surge of wrath? You may be tempted to act rashly! Calm down and think through your moves so you don't use all of your energy." Futaba shouted at her able bodied teammates, Natsuki's behavior giving her an idea of what could happen. However, the sound of breaking stone on the temple made it clear that her warning had went unheard.

"Argh!" Sayori growled. Kore materializing behind her. The Persona began to attack the arena, smashing against it with the full force of her body, and digging vines into it woth uncontained frustration. Sayori was panting tiredly as the Persona continued its rampage, her energy now utterly drained. Before anyone could get a concerned word out, she was turning her anger on Natsuki and Ryuji. "Stop, fighting! It's getting on my last nerve!"

"Sayori!" Goro shouted, waving a hand in front of her focused, fiery glare. "Hey, this will wear off… I've already seemed to have recovered. Please calm down"

"Good for you!" But I can't seem to do anything, and I hate it!" Sayori screamed in his face, the effects of both sloth and wrath conflicting within her and making it impossible to do any sort of fighting. Angry tears flooded her eyes as Goro patted her shoulder.

"Another one? It looks like this is how his main body attacks…" Morgana observed, looking at all three arms. Two were currently inactive due to Yusuke and Ann being free to attack, but it wasn't impossible that Yaldabaoth could heal himself. In fact, it was most likely. Also, the wide variety of arms meant plenty of things, like how it would always have a way of attacking them."He may keep switching up his moves! Let's be careful!"

The fight continued for a very long, arduous time, draining the thieves of their energy. Yaldabaoth seemed to cycle through every single deadly sin, inflicting the Phantom Thieves and the literature club time and time again. At one point it even grew a fourth and final arm, holding a book of some kind. When Sayori recovered from her ailments, which didn't take very long at all, it had become clear that the thieves were losing. Yaldabaoth was toying with them. Still, despite his confident and tortuous methods, Futaba was able to deduce that they were getting close to draining the being's health. It was simply a matter of who the last ones standing would be. It wasn't looking good for the teens in that regard.

"The abyss of the unconscious yearns for ultimate ruin…" Yaldabaoth suddenly began. He had gotten his fill of fun with the teens, it seemed. "You have no means of escape, humans." a heavy gust of wind suddenly blew around the thieves and club members, screaming in their ears. "Punishment shall strike you all… As you pass through the gates of destruction…"

The four golden spindly arms took up decisive positions in front of Yaldabaoth, a black and red beam forming in their center and forming a massive ball of power at its intersection. Futaba read that this was called the "Divine Apex."

"What's this spike in energy?" Futaba asked nervously, looking in dread at the attack that Yaldabaoth was preparing. She looked down to warn her friends. "Some kind of insane attack's coming! Watch out!" But there's nowhere to go on that platform… What should we do?

I can practically feel it in every molecule of my body… Goro thought, knowing that the end was probably coming. He gripped Sayori's hand tightly, disappointed that he may have to carry through on the promise he had made to himself earlier.

"So… this is the power that resists ruin…" Yaldabaoth said callously. There was no way to tell, but the teens knew the god was looking down on them, pitying and hating them.

With a cry, Joker released one final attack. It struck Yaldabaoth head on, making him grunt in heavy pain. It was obviously hurting him quite a bit, but even so… It wasn't enough.

Futaba released a hiss of air through her teeth, her anxiety at an all time high. "...No, not yet!"

"My control shall not bow down to ruin." Yaldabaoth said, now imperious, raising his golden arms as though in preparation to release the momentum and send the attack the teens' way. "My control is the ultimate truth of this world."

The attack was released, hurtling towards the thieves. Along with that, he swung his sword, determined to rid his world of the viruses that had overstayed their welcome. He aimed for the closest one, eager to slice it right down the middle.

But his old pawn was somehow quicker, grabbing the virus and pulling her behind him, using his Persona to push both of them back and out of the sword's reach.

It wasn't far enough.

The tip of Yaldabaoth's sword sliced downward, cutting through Goro Akechi's chest in one swift second. The screaming of the rest of the phantom thieves as they were knocked down covered up any reaction Goro Akechi might have made.

It didn't cover Sayori's scream though.

"Goro!" Sayori screeched, sobbing as he fell backwards. She was in hysterics, the rapid beating in her chest, and the burning rage making it impossible to tell if Goro was okay. Kore shot out from her. That same move that had nearly completely destroyed Shido- Bringer of Death- was revealed. Sayori used it, vines exploding outward and wrapping around Yaldabaoth's spindly arms and his head.

I'll rip it apart! Sayori thought in rage, tears sliding down her eyes. However, she forgot whose game she was in. Glitches shot through her body, Kore shrivelling away as she fell down as well.

"S-Sayori" Goro whispered, luckily still alive. A burning pain was shooting through his entire chest, and the right side of his body, touching the floor, felt very wet and sticky. Still, the pain and discomfort was the last thing on his mind as he pulled Sayori close to him, wrapping her in a hug as she screamed in blind fury, angry that she was so helpless.

It's so damn cliche… but I feel cold… Goro thought to himself, wincing at the pain running through his body. He was sure the wound must have been an ugly sight. "Hey… Sayori. Please calm down…"

"I-I can't… It hurts… It won't stop…" Sayori whimpered, glitches spasming down her body like an electric current. It felt like she was being eaten alive.

"Hey, asshole!" Natsuki shouted, stepping forward and pointing an accusing finger at Yaldabaoth. "Quit messing with our friend!"

"Yes!" Yuri shouted in agreement, crossing her arms over her chest and doing her best not to feel intimidated. "Punishing her for being a virus, when she is more helpful to the inhabitants of this game then you could ever hope to be, is not only despicable, but it is also hypocritical!"

"Yuri, where are you going with this?" Natsuki asked, suddenly quiet as she began to feel odd.

"Monika is interfering with your goals, as well. We are also invaders, yet you are punishing the Phantom Thieves-people who are actually part of this game-even more than-"

Yuri suddenly yelped, collapsing to the ground, glitching in and out of the game as well.

"Why would you do that?" Monika asked incredulously, running over to check on Yuri, only to trip and fall on her face, her feet and entire body having glitched. Monika screamed as the torture continued.

"Just because she uses big words, I guess that doesn't mean she's smart," Natsuki quipped, falling down on one knee and gritting her teeth to keep from yelling out as well. Now all of the literature club members were experiencing the same torture.

"E-everyone…" Sayori whimpered, her vision fading around the edges as she looked at her club members. Yaldabaoth is just purposefully trying to make us suffer now... Maybe Yuri was trying to help the rest of the thieves by having us receive the most of its attention, but Yaldabaoth is too powerful for that to work… Even more people are getting hurt, because we were put here… Where we don't belong.

"Dammit… It's too damn strong" Ryuji yelled, looking down in horror at the fallen teenagers. The twitching and thrashing teenage girls were already uncomfortable to watch, but the stillness of Goro Akechi was almost unbearable. He looked dead, if not for the slight unsteady breaths that made his chest rise and fall. It was hard to tell where the wound even was, his chest covered in so much blood that pooled around him, and stained both Akechi and Sayori's clothes.

"If you're really a god, you should be guiding humans to your ideals!" Morgana shouted at Yaldabaoth, as though he could reprimand the stubborn god. Still, the cat gestured towards the glitching girls, and the former hitman that was bleeding heavily on the ground. "You're killing them, and for what? Because you can't do that! So that you can flaunt your own existence. That's why you were observing us! You had to because the reaction of the 'masses' worried you!"

Yusuke stood as tall as his exhausted body would allow, glaring at Yaldabaoth coldly through half-lidded eyes. "That sounds accurate. This is all a game to you, isn't it?"

"I don't know how long you've been around, but you definitely act like a pain-in-the-ass old man!" Ryuji snapped, shaking his fist up at the enemy.

"We've gone against so many people exactly like that," Ann said, taking deep, calming breaths. She suddenly had the urge to run wild and wreak havoc, fury burning hot in her heart… Maybe even hotter than when she had faced Kamoshida so long ago.

"Yeah… Honestly this isn't the first scar I am getting from some old fart that thinks he's worth shit," Goro hissed between gritted teeth. He tried to lift his head up, only for that to prove too strenuous. Damn… I feel dizzy. That can't be good.

"Goro… I… I'm sor-" Sayori began to whisper, looking sadly at his ripped outfit. It had been new, and he was proud of himself, and now they were all going to...

"Don't even start," Goro interrupted, placing a finger on her lips with a tired smile. "You're one of the only good parts of my life… I will gladly risk it to protect you…"

"I'm… a part of your life?" Sayori asked, her breath catching as her glitches briefly paused. I knew that… But somehow thinking about that now only makes me feel even more terrible. Everyone is getting hurt, because I was a part of this.

"Yes… of course you-" Goro stopped as his heart sank. Sayori screamed so loud that his head began to throb, though it couldn't have been more painful than what Sayori was going through. Her glitching had suddenly become much more rapid, to the point that he could barely tell she was there anymore. He heard the screams behind him and knew the same must be happening to Monika, Yuri, and Natsuki. The Phantom Thieves ran over to help them all.

"What drivel…" Yaldabaoth spat, red and black clouds forming around him, being sent towards the thieves and knocking them all off of their feet.

"What's going on?" Ann shouted, getting onto her feet and shielding her face with her arms. A strong gust of smoky, stinging wind was blowing into her face.

"Dammit, I can't see!" Ryuji shouted, forced to close his eyes.

"Do you want to delete us that much?" Haru questioned Yaldabaoth, devastated as she moved along the platform like a blind woman, still trying to find her friends through some means.

"G-guys!" Morgana shouted, looking around for the teens through the thick black air.

"I'm going to try to check on the others," Makoto said, looking through squinted eyes at the ground and moving around cautiously, knowing Haru was likely doing the same. There were so many of them collapsed on the ground that it shouldn't be too difficult to find at least one of them.

"Be careful, Mako-chan!" Haru warned, kind as ever.

"I'll go with you!" Ann volunteered, beginning to move forward.

"We're fine…" Sayori said, her voice quiet and definitely slurred.

"No… We're not," Goro countered, reaching over a weak, bloody hand and brushing hair away from Sayori's forehead, which was utterly soaked in sweat. She sounds tired… I wonder if her mind is getting messed with, with all this torture. Normally, she would only insist that she was alright, but that I need help… Seeing her like this infuriated Goro, and he found the strength to start screaming. "I would be a lot better if Yaldabaoth would just go to hell already!"

"We're working on it," Akira shouted back, keeping his eyes trained on the god, not that there was much Akira could do if the god decided to hurt them even more.

"Since you've been forsaken by the world, there is no where that you can belong," Yaldabaoth seethed, the clouds suddenly gathering above the teens and sending bolts of lightning down towards them. Anyone who had been standing was knocked down flat, and anyone moving was quickly stilled.

"We… can't lose… Not… like this…" Ryuji groaned, his body feeling like it was on actual fire.

"If we lose… the world will be…" Makoto shuddered, her thoughts going to her sister, who she felt she had let down. One last time, she was a disappointment...

"I need to… stand up again…" Ann cried, reaching out a gloved hand and feeling the sole of someone's shoe. The girl wanted to help… She needed to stand up so that she could.

Sayori began to cry and choke, her chest feeling weighed down by an enormous force on top of her… Was this Yaldabaoth still trying to destroy her? Or her own self? Why am I here? I… I just…

Morgana's ears flicked, and he turned over and looked at her as Sayori closed her eyes, tears steadily streaming down her face.

The girl felt a hand cling into the fabric on her stomach, and swallowed. Maybe… that's why… Sayori turned her head and opened her eyes slightly, looking at Goro who for some reason was worried more for her, clinging tightly onto her.

A thunderous laugh echoed above the thieves, and to accompany that, another bolt of lightning. The Phantom Thieves screamed as Yaldabaoth continued to find amusement in their suffering.

Yusuke grunted, flat on the ground. "My strength…" It's like I am being pressed against the ground… Correction, it felt like he was a big being flattened by a shoe.

"I can't… go any further," Futaba gasped, her limbs going still as she could tell she had exhausted all of her energy.

"Is this it?" Haru asked, not receiving any answer. She sighed, and lid her head on the ground in resignation. Her sad thoughts were a storm in her head. No… We just found our will to go on…

I won't let this be the end… Sayori thought to herself, her throat too sore and scratchy for her to speak. Instead she let her actions do the talking, ripping off the sleeve of her coat and pushing it to where she assumed the wound on Goro's chest was, eliciting a grunt and a hiss of air from the boy.

"Not even one sliver of unpredictability can be permitted under my control," Yaldabaoth declared. To accompany this proclamation, many voices that seemed to come from all around them echoed into the Phantom Thieves' hopeless ears.

"I guess it was impossible…"

"It was fun while it lasted…"

"It's humans against a god after all…"

"Damn… I really wanted the thieves to win. They were my favorite public characters…"

"Do you hear the voices of the masses?" Yaldabaoth asked, voice gloating. "They mock you for revolting against a god. Humans are naught but clumps of desire. Logic dictates that a world filled with them will decline. The sin of rebelling against a god is severe. As punishment, you shall taste pain everlasting."

"I won't let that happen!" Morgana said suddenly, managing to stand up and pointedly turn away from the god.

"The attendant created from the dregs of human hope, hm?" Yaldabaoth asked, his tone one of pity. "It is impossible for a petty existence like you to overrule my precedent."

"Human hope is a form of desire too! You better not underestimate it! It's the will to keep going!" Morgana shouted, turning to face Yaldabaoth for this. "The Phantom Thieves won't bow for anyone, no matter what they do! Even if there's only one of us left, we'll stand and fight to the very end." Morgana looked down before standing to his full height, wanting to scream his declaration so that the entire world would hear.

"And we will definitely… definitely…!"

"Take the world!" Morgana finished, pointing a righteous paw at Yaldabaoth. The god was silent for a few moments, and the teens all seemed to realize that there was a method to Morgana's madness. He was waiting for something, and so they waited, too, having complete faith in their friend.

After a few moments, the voices of those who had given up on the thieves changed their tone and were replaced. Suddenly, shouts of indignation and encouragement roared, the thieves gasping as they heard them all. Sayori heard everyone, and each word of encouragement sent little shivers of happiness through her body.

"I'm not letting you lose after getting this far. You better finish what you started" Sayori could hear Doctor Takemi say, and could feel the meaning of the words in her heart. It made her remember her earlier goals and declarations at the beginning of this mission.

"It's you guys' fault I don't know when to quit either. Get back up! Don't lose to that thing!" Sojiro shouted, reaching all of the Phantom Thieves with the memories of the kindness he had shown them.

Finish what we started…? Sayori thought to herself, tilting her head as though she would be able to look through the platform they were standing on and be able to see all the tiny specks clearly enough to catch each individual face. Even the people around us want us to do that too? They want an ending?

"I'm counting on you, everyone… I will believe in you to the very end…!" Sae shouted, though her voice sounded calm.

"Sae…?" Goro asked, weakly, his eyes wide. He hadn't expected to hear words of encouragement from her ever again. It saddened him… that they were no longer friends. Still, her words did finally reach him, after he had been ignoring them for so long. I know that she isn't talking about me, but she's right. She always is… There are people who are relying on me… Who believe in me… He looked to his side and tapped Sayori, coaxing her into focus. He knew that with his wound, and with her glitching, tired body, that they were going to need help to get back up.

"You hear that? Those are the voices of the humans you mocked and looked down on!" Morgana shouted, having his turn to gloat. "No one wants you to dictate the rules of this game! Isn't that right, Akira?"

Akira struggled and gasped, and in the end found the strength to stand up again. The cheers for the Phantom Thieves seemed to grow louder.

Ryuji soon followed, nursing one of his arms at his side. Still, he found the will to chuckle and grin. "Why do they gotta word it like we're just a buncha kids?"

Haru then got up, her fluffy hair now frizzy with static, and her clothes sooty. She seemed a little out of sorts, but otherwise didn't make it obvious if she was in pain. "But, they are still cheering for us…"

Futaba stood up unsteadily, summoning her Persona to help support her stance. The persona itself seemed to have trouble staying present. "Heh… It doesn't feel too bad…"

"There is no need to overstate it..." Yusuke muttered, voice weak. There was a gash somewhere on his head that made the longer side of his hair stick to his head in an awkward fashion, the shorter side matted and sticking up.

"We won't let ourselves be erased or deleted!" Makoto declared, pounding a fist into her hand, wincing as she irritated the cuts and scrapes on her knuckles.

"Don't count us out just yet," Goro added weakly, gesturing to himself and Sayori, as the girl slung one of his arms around her shoulder. He repeated the action with her arm and his. "I'll be a hero to the public… for real this time…" He chuckled at the declaration, and their clumsy attempt to stand up, and also probably just because of the blood loss.

"Was that Goro's first 'for real'?" Futaba asked, her voice shocked and teasing as she glanced at the pair.

"I think it was," Sayori said with a grin, leaning her tired head on Goro's shoulder as she finally pushed them both up with her knees and then feet. Finally, they were standing as well. She finally looked over the side of the platform, happy to hear their supporters. "That kind of change, and the kind of change I hear below us… I won't let myself disappear and miss that…"

"That's right! We're going all out to the very end, dammit!" Ann shouted, springing up and swaying unsteadily, cold patches on her body from where she had once been frozen making it difficult to balance. "We can't just take naps on the job!"

"God is the one who creates the world!" Yaldabaoth shouted, enraged at the teens' defiance. Still, it wasn't over yet.

"Well, it looks like you're not God, then," Monika muttered, pushing herself into a sitting position and giving Yaldabaoth an inquisitive, superior look. "You forgot you didn't create any of this…" Natsuki chuckled, and Yuri smiled with a silent, breathy giggle. The two girls also managed to get into sitting positions, Natsuki cross legged and bouncy, while Yuri crossed one leg over the other and put her hands behind her on the ground, looking up at the god.

"I've come to a decision that I hope all of you can agree with," Morgana said suddenly, looking at the teens seriously. "I will see my justice through for the sake of protecting what I care about." Everyone's heart was warmed to find he wasn't just looking at Ann when he said that.

"Morgana…" Ann said in shock, though smiled because she was happy for her friend.

"Heh… I wish I had thought of that first," Goro said, sounding a bit absent minded. "It sounds like something I would say in a moment like this… after going through so much…"

"You could just be humble and agree with Morgana," Sayori chided, though she smiled through the worry she felt. "I agree with him… I will see my justice through, so that all of you guys can be safe and happy with me!"

"Well… maybe actions speak louder than words?" Goro asked, gesturing with his free hand at the wound on his chest. He saw Sayori pouting good naturedly, and smiled, shaking his head. "I'm kidding of course! I will see my justice through…" So that I can be with you… As myself. He looked only at Sayori, never speaking the words, but knowing that she understood him as she rubbed his shoulder with the arm that he had draped across his back.

Morgana nodded, before turning away from the thieves, and towards Yaldabaoth. "If you've decided to take the world back from him, don't compromise your justice to the very end!"

"We wouldn't dream of it," Sayori shouted, nodding firmly.

"Let's defeat him together!" Ann declared, gritting her teeth. "No one hurts my friends and gets away with it!"

"Hey, god. Foolish humans are prayin' down there," Ryuji shouted, now being the one to mock as he grinned at Yaldabaoth. "They're prayin' for us to beat you, and steal the world from you!"

"Give that evil god his final warning, Akira!" Morgana shouted, making sure the god never left his sight. A strange sensation was making his hair stand on end.

"We're saving this world," Akira declared, pointing at Yaldabaoth with a dramatic flourish.

"That is where you are mistaken," Yaldabaoth suddenly said, his voice rumbling.

Monika jolted into a standing position, looking around herself in fear. What? I suddenly have this weird feeling…

"The hell are you talking about, old-timer?" Ryuji snapped, not yet feeling what everyone else was slowly starting to feel.

"I had hoped that it would not come to this, but I am a patient God. I have waited nearly three years to gain full control over this world, and I can wait one more… The world will accept me. I won't lose," Yaldabaoth said, his words cryptic and unclear. The world around the group seemed to have briefly paused, leaving only the group of teens and the god unfrozen.

"After what just happened, you can't expect that you will be able to easily hide, do you? We will seek you out," Yusuke said, finding a logical assumption for what it meant by waiting another year. "We made a promise to release humanity from your captivity, and I doubt we can do that until you are no more." Monika and Goro both were looking around them though, distracted and trying to still deduce something in their heads.

"I am disappointed in you, humans. Not only have you driven me to the point where I must do this, but you don't even realize what will happen, and at this rate you never will," Yaldabaoth said, his voice once again pitying. "No matter… Perhaps you will prove to be less of a disappointment soon."

"It's going to do something to us?" Haru asked, looking at their navigator for help. "Oracle, can you tell what he's doing?"

"Probably not… But I can," Goro whispered, looking up with wide eyes, his heart picking up speed as fear began to course through him. "It's the God of Control, who is also aware that this is a video game, and can control the video game to some extent… More importantly… it can control the save files…"

"Get on with it then," Morgana prompted, his fear making him unwilling for dramatic buildup.

Monika breathed deeply, trying to calm her own racing heartbeat, "It's going to restart the game, and delete all of our progress…"

"We will most likely lose our memories of this timeline," Goro continued with their shared conclusion. Yaldabaoth said nothing to confirm or deny this, and the rest of the teens looked at him and Monika in utter terror for a fate they could do nothing to stop. "And he won't waste this opportunity to get rid of Sayori, Monika, Natsuki, and Yuri from the game's files. We will all be none the wiser, and be forced to play this game the way it was meant to be played."

"All the way back to a year ago, when I first came to Japan," Akira finished, his voice a panicked whisper as he shuddered at the thought of going through all of that again. "We have to stop it!"

"It seems some of you simpletons are smarter than the others," Yaldabaoth observed, the superiority he felt very obvious. "Though, you will be disappointed if you hope to stop me. None of you thieving peons hold any power over me, and the only virus with the ability to do so, cannot affect me because of the rules of this game. It is my domain… To do with what I please."

"No!" Natsuki screamed, suddenly bringing Monika, Yuri, and Sayori close to her and hugging them. Sayori was still refusing to separate from Goro, so he stuck nervously to the pile, feeling as Sayori went still, giving no reaction. Natsuki noticed none of this, fearful and taking it upon herself to be selfish and surround herself with her friends. I don't want to die… Not here. Just… I can at least be with them, right?

'How could a being be so cruel?" Yuri asked, her voice scathing as she glared at Yaldabaoth. She patted Natsuki's head in a rather patronizing way, her eyes never leaving the god towering above. "You would erase our existence, and make everyone relive their worst trauma, over and over again… Just to get your way?"

"As many times as it takes for the world to reach its proper fate by my hand," Yaldabaoth confirmed, before it stood straight and stopped leaning over the thieves, focusing on something out of the teens' reach. "I will see you Phantom Thieves again, eventually…"

MENU

SYSTEM

RESTART

"Hi, Monika here!

Welcome to the Literature Club! It's always been a dream of mine to make something special out of the things I love. Now that you're a club member, you can help me make that dream come true in this cute game!

Every day is full of chit-chat and fun activities with all of my adorable and unique club members:

Sayori, the youthful bundle of sunshine who values happiness the most;

Natsuki, the deceivingly cute girl who packs an assertive punch;

Yuri, the timid and mysterious one who finds comfort in the world of books;

...And, of course, Monika, the leader of the club! That's me!

I'm super excited for you to make friends with everyone and help the Literature Club become a more intimate place for all my members. But I can tell already that you're a sweetheart—will you promise to spend the most time with me? "

"Hm?" Yaldabaoth mumbled, the message popup getting in the way of the button.

"It seems… confused…" Makoto observed. Everyone was still on edge as they looked at Yaldabaoth. The confusion was a surprise, and they all hoped for a miracle.

"I… didn't do that…" Monika said, able to see the popup and recognizing it as a trick she had pulled, back when she had killed Yuri.

"Wait, something happened?" Goro asked the girl, a spark of hope making him act almost giddy.

"Yeah… Something is blocking Yaldabaoth from accessing the menu," Monika replied, crossing her arms and trying to figure out how the description of her game had gotten into Persona 5.

"Wait," Goro said, realization dawning on him as he looked to his side. Sayori has been awfully quiet…

"I will not allow the world to continue to rot," Yaldabaoth shouted angrily, before trying once again to restart the game.

"Hi, Monika here!

Welcome to the Literature Club! It's always been a dream of mine to make something special out of the things I love. Now that you're a club member, you can help me make that dream come true in this cute game!

Every day is full of chit-chat and fun activities with all of my adorable and unique club members:

Sayori, the youthful bundle of sunshine who values happiness the most;

Natsuki, the deceivingly cute girl who packs an assertive punch;

Yuri, the timid and mysterious one who finds comfort in the world of books;

...And, of course, Monika, the leader of the club! That's me!

I'm super excited for you to make friends with everyone and help the Literature Club become a more intimate place for all my members. But I can tell already that you're a sweetheart—will you promise to spend the most time with me? "

"What?" Yaldabaoth actually asked aloud. Below him, Sayori separated from her literature club friends, and stood up proud and tall.

"I… won't let you!" Sayori screamed. Her head ached and roared as she pushed herself to new limits. Though she had known this was a video game, she had never been able to access and code things like Monika did. "You don't get to control our lives, and you don't get to force us to relive everything! We're… going to bring an end to this game, right now!"

"What does it matter to you?" Yaldabaoth asked, his tone silent and sinister. "You won't be around to see it!"

"Because… I will always remember. I don't know about the rest of the Phantom Thieves, but I will always remember that our reality is a game, so I will always remember the events of this game, no matter how many times you try to undo everything, and I wouldn't wish that on even my worst enemy!" Sayori shouted back, meaning it as she thought of all their enemies… of Shido, who was definitely the worst. And just like in Shido's Palace, when they had fought against Goro, Sayori controlled the menu. Back then it had been impulsive and sudden, but now...

The torture Akira has gone through, the loss that Haru experienced, Futaba shutting herself away, Ann almost losing her best friend to suicide, Yusuke getting abused and then struggling to survive, Morgana's struggle with his identity, Ryuji having to deal with his body being unable to run like it used to… and Goro… Everything that you and I went through together, that you helped me through…

"You don't get to make us relive all of this tragedy, and you don't get to undo all of our growth!" Sayori screamed her declaration, panting at the sudden exertion it took to keep this up. "I am taking away your right to do that! It's now or never! Finish the game!"

"H-How?" Yaldabaoth questioned, looking down at the tiny invader in front of him. "You aren't even a part of this game! You shouldn't be able to touch me!"

"I am a part of this game!" Sayori argued, touching a hand to her heart and glaring at the false god and his audacity. "I've touched everyone's hearts, and they have all touched mine! I belong here because I say I do! It's home, and I won't let some third-rate god say that I don't belong here when I have done more for this place than you ever could!"

"Urgh," Yaldabaoth grunted, clouds gathering and lightning flashing from within the mass. "We'll just have to let you know your place!"

Sayori glitched… Or at least, she was supposed to. The girl was like a statue, the glitch passing through her and falling away like nothing had ever happened. A sound like shattering glass cracked the air as Yaldabaoth attempted to glitch her, again and again. Her companions all stared in astonishment, their confidence building as Yaldabaoth seemed to be rendered practically powerless.

"Sayori belongs here with us!" Ann shouted, a grin on her face as she patted the girl's shoulder.

"And she's right… about everything!" Makoto said, reviewing everything the girl had said. She was their friend who had touched all of them, and she had a place here!

"You've stolen more from her than we have stolen from others!" Morgana growled, thinking of every time they had been forced to witness her pain.

"And we can't let that slide," Ryuji said between a forced grin. He then put his hands on his hips and yelled, "We have a reputation to keep!"

"I won't let you take our ending away!" Futaba began, voicing her own declaration that her teammates continued.

"We've all worked so hard, and gone through so much," Haru said, thinking of how hard the past year had been. Even if she hadn't been with the thieves for most of it, she had heard of all their troubles, and had experienced her own during that time, with her engagement to Sugimura and all that entailed.

"We won't let you belittle that," Yusuke declared, staring intensely at Yaldabaoth as he fixed his hair.

Does that mean Sayori won't go home with us? Natsuki asked herself, unsure. However, she frowned and mentally slapped herself. No, I can't think selfishly or doubt her right now… She's our friend, and she won't abandon us! Then the girl grinned snarkily, and crossed her arms at the god. "Why are you so surprised? Sayori has always protected everyone and their happiness, and she's not about to stop!"

"She never will!" Yuri yelled in agreement. "Honestly, it's amusing that you thought you could get away with hurting us… That you thought her kind soul could be so easily pushed down!"

"She has a place here!" Monika shouted, believing it with her whole heart. "And though it may have taken a while, she has the same ability to change things for her own benefit as you or me…" It's an amazing miracle that she was able to figure out how… I didn't even think of such a thing being able to happen...

"If Sayori has the strength to stand on her own two feet against you, even as you hurt her and threaten her, then she's earned her right to be here!" Akira shouted angrily, knowing that at any time during all of these declarations that Sayori had been keeping a strong front. If she had stopped what she was doing at any moment, no doubt Yaldabaoth would leap at the opportunity and restart the game.

"It doesn't matter what you do, or what you take from her!" Goro "We won't ever go back! And you aren't going to cheapen those experiences or change them on a whim!" If everything goes back to before, and Sayori isn't there… No, it's not going to happen, because she is protecting all of us!

Goro glared at the god with all the hatred he had, which was a lot! "The only one that is not wanted here, is you!" he screamed at Yaldabaoth.

"Everyone…" Sayori's eyes went misty as she forced herself to concentrate, unable to lift even a muscle to wipe the gathering tears away.

"Hey… No crying. You should have a clear view as we win," Goro said, wiping at her eyes and making her giggle,

"I… know that," Sayori struggled to say. She blushed slightly at Goro's gentle hold, before whipping around and looking at the team leader. "Akira! I have a hold over him and the menu right now. Finish him off like you were going to… and sorry for stealing your thunder…"

"We're a team… We all share the spotlight," Akira said, giving a solemn nod.

"Everyone, let's end this game!" Morgana declared jumping up and pointing at the sky, unsheathing his sword.

"Yeah!" The Phantom Thieves all cheered, before getting into fighting stances.

Below them, crowds continued to cheer, louder than ever before. It was hard to measure as not everyone was online at the moment, but the poll on the Phansite skyrocketed. Everyone believed in the Phantom Thieves, screaming it to the world, and the teens ate it up.

On the platform, Arsene materialized behind Akira, his chains drifting in invisible wind and flying over Akira's shoulder. The leader grabbed one and pulled, his first Persona roaring and bursting into flame, seemingly exploding into nothingness. The other teens all stared in mute shock, as Akira's expression was unreadable.

"So you have failed to harness the power," Yaldabaoth laughed. "No matter how many prayers of those foolish masses come together…" As it continued to talk, a shadow slowly covered him, until he could no longer ignore it. "Hm?"

"What in the…?" Ann trailed off, incredulous at the thing lowering itself to stand behind them all.

A massive being descended from the sky on three sets of black wings, one side feathery, and the other like the wings of a bat. The being wore a black coat with a red sash, and clad in black and silver armor, and spread his arms out like a cross. Red eyes beamed out from a golden face with devil horns on either side, and a halo to match Yaldabaoth hovered over its face. Yaldabaoth gasped as it beheld the being.

"That's-" Yusuke was at a loss for words, looking at the massive being that had come to float behind them, caging the teens between the two massive beings.

"Man, it's effin' huge!" Ryuji exclaimed, only able to think about how awesome this all was.

"What an immense power!" Morgana cried, realizing at once what it was as he looked at Akira in amazement. "No way… It's a Persona?" Below, amazed shouts from the crowd could be heard, and Akira blushed sheepishly at all the compliments he was getting. Still, the awe brought perks with it. The public's support restored the Phantom Thieves to full health, though they still had marks from the battle.

"Heh…" Goro chuckled lightly, unable to say anything at all. He stared at the massive Persona, making sure his expression was unreadable even to those who knew him well. I'm jealous… I don't think I have it in me to do something like that… Or to be amazing as Sayori… He was captivated with her boundless strength, as she concentrated constantly on making sure Yaldabaoth wouldn't send them all back to a year ago. Once again, she was saving him from that horrible past, and he would always be thankful for her.

"Thank you," Sayori said, somehow still able to read his thoughts. She brought his hand off of her shoulder and squeezed it, as they were both feeling well enough to stand on their own. She giggled when she saw Goro's confused look, as he was smiling so she wouldn't know that there was something he wasn't putting together. "Thank you for supporting me, for being there for me… defending me… I couldn't be strong without you by my side…"

"You underestimate yourself," Goro said, his voice serene as he brought her hand up and kissed her knuckles, a playful, chivalrous prince. "Don't do that… Because you were strong without me, before us, and you will be when we inevitably go our separate ways again…"

"That's exactly what I am talking about," Sayori replied, equally teasing as she did a curtsy. However, her smile turned into a small frown. "Still, let's not talk about that right now… I love you, Goro."

"I love you, too."

Meanwhile, Yaldabaoth was still angrily protesting over its fate. "Fools…!" it shouted, preparing an attack against the thieves. "This is why man is doomed…" He sent the massive attack towards them, only for it to be revealed that the public's belief in them was a lso acting as a strong shield.

"Impossible!" Yaldabaoth shouted, aghast at this revelation as the crowd continued to cheer.

"I see… If a god plays naughty, then it's a demon lord's duty to rebel against him…!" Morgana said with a renewed confidence, looking at Akira, who had a look of catty pride. "What better way is there for a finale as a Trickster! Joker, we're entrusting our strength and wishes, and the people's hopes to you! Put an end to this!"

Akira looked at Morgana seriously and nodded, holding a hand out and gathering power. Satanael's movements suddenly matched the leader's movements. "Pillage him... Satanael!" the boy declared with a dramatic flourish of his cape and a wave of his hand. The attack menu was opened, and the Persona's only move was activated. Joker brought out his gun and pointed it at Yaldabaoth, Satanael matching the movements with his own massive gun.

Akira glared at the False God of Control. "Begone!"

"Preposterous… You dare rob the people's wishes?" Yaldabaoth shouted in desperate protest, unable to accept that the people had abandoned him.

Akira ignored the god's protests, pulling the trigger of his gun and smirking as his Persona did so too, sending a massive bullet point blank towards Yaldabaoth's head. The sun shone through the magnificent hole in the being's head as the clouds that had gathered in the sky began to disperse on a new day.

"What power…" Yaldabaoth said in awe as its body weakened and he began to buckle. "It surpasses my own... A god born from the wish of the masses… So this… is the true Trickster… Damn that Igor… It seems he wasn't spouting nonsense…" It went limp and faded into golden dust that blew away into nothingness.

"Is this the end?" Goro asked, taking in the sudden silence in his head. Aidoneus was gone… or at least much more quiet… and it was sad to see him go.

Sayori gave him a cheerful smile that he thankfully returned, Kore silent as well. But the girl knew none of their Personas were gone, always there as their inner voice… Their inner rebel's strength. She would carry the voice with her through the rest of her existence. To Goro's question, Sayori answered, "Almost… Let's see what happens..."

"Together."

Once again, I have lied! There is still one more chapter and then an epilogue! However, I have the entire next chapter written, and will post it sometime next week! Thank you for all of your patience while waiting for this chapter, and I hope you have all been doing well! Honestly, I haven't. Personal family stuff really knocked me out and took my focus off of writing for a couple of weeks. So again, thank you for your patience and support. All the likes, follows, and reviews helped. I guess in less depressing news, I am very excited for DDLC +! It's very funny that both Sayori and Goro will have vanilla games soon!

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please let me know your thoughts! I'll see you all next time!