Ahead of them was more floor puzzles and enemies. Joker was starting to hate these damn puzzles as they only seemed to slow them down. Even so, the group pressed ever onward despite the slight annoyances. The end had to be near right? Joker had stop counting how many puzzles they seemed to have solved before the way before they suddenly opened and sloped downward. The leader of the Phantom Thieves could only praise his good luck as they descended the slope and were greeted with a new view. A large tower with many windows. Joker didn't know what to make of it, but Oracle had told them they were super close so they all pressed on downwards, on to what looked like some strange bone bridge.
"It's up ahead there! I can feel it!" Mona darted forward into the strange structure.
Joker looked among his companion before they all nodded. This seemed to be the end and they were all ready to push forward. Joker crossed the threshold taking charge and heading down into the depths that were before them. However, what greeted him was something he wasn't quite expecting. Joker stared up at the mechanical monstrosity before them that was in the vague shape of a cup that had all those strange red lines converging into its basin. Around him, everyone else seemed to be marveling at the thing before them. But that wasn't all. There were prison cells all around them stacked from floor to as far up as Joker could see. A single occupant in each one looked even more lifeless than all the other prisoners they had come across. It cemented Joker's uneasiness about this whole trip even more than anything before it.
"The hell?" Skull shouted as he looked around.
"Look at how many there are. Are these all prison cells?" Panther gasped.
"Who knows, but I'm gettin' a real bad vibe about this place." Yosuke gripped his weapons tighter.
"This is it. This is where all that energy pools. Right into that cup!" Oracle pointed to the large mechanical structure.
"That is disturbingly grand." Fox admired.
"Are there any other passages out of this room?" Crow asked.
"No, this is the end." Rise stepped up to stare up at the cup.
"We hit bedrock folks," Oracle explained.
"In that case, is there treasure somewhere around here?" Noir looked towards the navigators depending on them for answers.
"Should be. How you feelin' about it, Mona?" Oracle stepped up to Mona and hovered over him.
"I think you're right. I've never been here, but I can sense it. There's no mistaking that presence. If we get rid of it… If we get rid of it the public should come to their senses, but I don't know how this will save Kingpin." Mona looked towards Joker.
"There should be something here." Joker visually swept the room.
"I only see this eyesore. We just gotta make it disappear right? If we can't move it, then we'll just hafta destroy it!" Skull cracked his knuckles looking ready to wreck something.
"Good thing we got a good wreckin' crew." Kanji stepped up next to Skull looking just as eager to destroy the cup.
"Yeah, that should do it." Mona nodded.
"What do you think is supposed to be here Joker?" Queen inquired as she looked around as well.
"The piece of the impostor that is sleeping here," Aigis explained.
"The impostor?" Naoto seemed interested in that.
Suddenly an alarm sounded in the air as warning lights flashed. They were starting to lose their credibility as thieves with their recent lack of stealth. Joker looked up at the machine as its clockwork exterior spun before them as if there was some life to the seemingly random machine. Joker had to wonder what it was for and what it was doing down here.
"Discovered again," Oracle said deadpanned.
"Well looks like we just need ta wreck it before those shadows show up." Skull reached for his club.
"Slow your roll Ralph, I'm starting to get new readings from this thing." Oracle put a hand to her visor.
"What do you see Oracle?" Joker questioned.
"This thing. Guys, I don't think it's the treasure." Oracle took a step away from the cup. "It's still waking up! Take it out now!" There was a bit of fear in Oracle's voice.
Joker looked back up at the machine. It currently seemed innocuous, but Joker trusted Oracle with his life. If she said to take it out then that's what he was going to do. "Everyone attack!" Joker commanded.
Joker closed the gap between him and the machine, his dagger ringing off the hard metal the thing was composed of. It left a scratch upon its once pristine surface which meant there was a way to destroy this thing, but it was going to be death by 1000 cuts. There was a slight hesitation among Joker's ranks before slowly everyone joined him at the base of the cup to start chipping away at it. The gears started to produce an unnatural sound before a beam of light came out of the cup striking Joker square in the chest. Joker skidded back, but the hit wasn't too bad. Since he had fought Yu back in Mementos; what seemed like a lifetime ago, things just hadn't been hitting him as hard. Like the damage was cut in half. Even during the fight with Akechi, things seemed to not be half as bad. Joker never had time to analyze the power. Now renewed with vigor to take out this machine Joker charged forward smacking the object again with his dagger.
"Holy Grail?" Oracle seemed to mutter as Prometheus shadowed overhead. "No freakin' way. This thing is about to cheat!"
Joker brought his attention back to the cup as something seemed to happen. There was a flow of energy through it and instantly the grinding sound the gears had been making vanished. Coincidentally all the small dents the others had made instantly fixed themselves. Joker leaped back and glanced up at Oracle looking for some possible explanation to the object's regenerative abilities.
"Don't tell me. The prisoners are giving their strength to it. What the hell kind of OP bullshit is this?" Oracle fumed from her spot in her Persona.
Everyone retreated back a few feet to look at the machine before turning to Joker for instructions. Joker didn't have a clue at all what to do. If the thing could just regenerate through their assault then what was there to do? Joker needed minds brighter than his to help him figure this out, good thing those weren't in short supply.
"What do you guys think?" Joker questioned.
"Dammit!" Skull growled as he smashed his club against the ground in clear frustration. "This is never gonna end if it just keeps freakin' healin' itself!"
"It does seem rather hopeless to repeatedly attack it if so many inmates are supporting it," Fox added.
"Perhaps there is a way we can all attack at once and overcome its regeneration." Crow mused.
"Too late! It wo-" Oracle was cut off.
"You fools, Humans, yet wishing to eradicate the desires of humanity." A new voice called out from everywhere at once in a lofty echoed tone.
"What is this thing?" Ken's brow furrowed.
"I am revered as the granter of dreams for all who behold me." The voice announced. "A being most commonly known as the Holy Grail."
"The Holy Grail," Noir repeated
"The Prison of Regression is representative of the collective desires of humanity. They wish to be chained down, surrender their cognition and neglect the world around them. The feebleminded common folk will make your 'social reform' all for naught. The shared heart of the masses had fallen into an excess of indolence and transformed into a prison." The voice explained calmly as the masses in the cages around them begun to yell; worshiping the Grail.
"It's just like the fog in Inaba!" Naoto yelled.
"No! I have fought off this nihilism once before and lost someone because of it. I won't lose anyone ever again!" Aigis raised her hands before several more guns started to appear across her body.
"You can't do this to people!" Yosuke shouted.
"Futile. The only suitable end for them is to perish within the prison they wished for themselves." The Grail echoed as it started to charge up.
Aigis suddenly with unmatched speed unleashed a torrent of fire at the cup. There was a fire to the android that Joker had never seen before as explosions echoed across the exterior of the Grail. If Aigis was going to give her all, Joker would give his. Reaching down into his sea of souls, Joker once again called forth his most battle-ready Persona. Yoshitsune answered with an energy of enthusiasm as he appeared next to Joker. No command was needed as the swordsman darted towards the cup, blades sparking against the metal. Joker's and Aigis' resolve was met by everyone else as they started to throw their hearts into the battle. The Grail looked damaged all for a few seconds before once again it started to heal itself. Joker kept pressing the attack but again was foiled as the Grail healed. Were they truly nothing against its might? It was only as Aigis fell to her knees, steam coming off every part of her did the party pause. Ken quickly darted towards his ally and knelt beside her.
"Aigis!" The concern in Ken's voice was clear.
"Even… Orgia mode…" Aigis sounded weak.
That's when the chatting started as the mass of prisoners began to chant at them to go away.
"If this is really how people feel, there's no way we'll be able to steal their hearts," Mona informed everyone. "We've come here for nothing."
"No that can't be!" Rise cried out.
"This is horrible." Noir put her hand over her heart.
"You imbeciles are intoxicated by an undesired 'justice.' This is the will of the children of man who have fallen into sloth. My shine is proof they desire my existence. As long as humanity yearns for me, I shall never perish!" The Grail proclaimed.
"Is this really what everyone wants? To stop thinking and be guided by the Holy Grail?" Queen sounded heartbroken and lost.
"We can't accept that!" Joker used his words to try and cut through the despair that was threatening to engulf them all.
"Yes. It's so frustrating it makes me want to cry." Queen balled her fists. "But I… I will never agree." There was the Queen that Joker was in love with.
"The humans I look up to aren't like that!" Mona glared towards the Grail. "No matter how painful reality is, it's all over if you don't try to change how things are! I'm not the only one who believes that. Everyone here agrees. We don't want to turn back into the people we used to be! That's why we risked our lives coming here!" Joker could only agree with what he was saying.
"Mona-chan…" Noir seemed to be uplifted by Mona's very bold word.
"Humanity already wishes for their distortions to be actualized. I am merely a being that will ultimately grant those wishes. Now, it is time I refrain from my place in this world, and begin to encroach upon reality itself."
Suddenly the Grail started to glow as a warm humming sound filled the area. The wind begins to pick up around them. Joker didn't know what was happening but his gut told him it wasn't good. He wanted to try something else to stop the Grail but nothing seemed to be springing to mind. Thus he was left to watch as the Grail collected power while electricity crackled around it.
"That's not good," Oracle called.
"Encroach? What could that possibly mean?!" Naoto was panicking.
"… I don't know what you are but you can't keep arbitrarily deciding all this on your own. Humans aren't all that stupid like you say they are!" Mona took a step forward bracing against the wind.
"Hmph. Indolent, foolish humans. You shall offer your hearts to me!" The Grail declared.
The energy that it had been gathering burst forth and hit everyone like a wave crashing on a beach. There was no fighting against it as everyone was thrown back and up against the prisons. Even Joker's vision seemed to go dark a second or two before he willed himself to focus. The attack hit him hard but he started to force his body to move. He had to do something. He was the wild card after all! He had to continue, he had to fight.
"Now, the time for the fusion has come…" The Grail informed them.
"The ground…" Crow called out to everyone.
"It's vanishing?!" Haru cried out.
"Aw Hell No!" Skull growled
Then everything went white…
Ren held his head as he staggered to his feet. He felt disoriented and weak at the knees as if he had been on one too many roller-coasters and was just now getting off. He forced himself to focus as the world around him slowly came into view. The first thing he noticed was that he wasn't Joker anymore. Ren was clothed in the Shujin Academy uniform he had been wearing when he jumped into the Metaverse with his friends to escape from the school. The second thing he noticed was his friends all around him including the adults and the shadow operatives. A slight pressure evaporated from his chest as he counted off everyone.
"Everyone okay?" Ann looked to the group.
A chorus of answers came back, each one confirming they were alright. Ren allowed himself to take that small victory. For the moment everyone was safe, even if the Holy Grail was still out there. They were all available to fight again. Even if they were all alive there was still fatigue written across everyone's face. They needed to rest then regroup and talk about what their next move was. The problem was this world wasn't safe.
'We regret to inform everyone that Prime Minster candidate Masayoshi Shido passed away last night. The cold he had been suffering from took an unexpected turn and it's believed he died of a heart attack. A memorial for Senator Shido has been planned for tonight in Shibuya Crossing. His campaign manager had this to say. 'We will not let Masayoshi's dream end with him, his legacy will continue. The people he touched will live on and I, Keiki Honda, will carry on what he started. Let's not get distracted by petty things. Instead, citizens of Japan, turn your eyes to the future that is still in front of us. Together we will overcome any obstacle!'"
Ren looked up at the large screen TV that broadcast over them. A man he had never seen before seemed to be preaching with all the flair of a religious man calling to his flock. He wore a plastic smile as he extended his arms and faced the camera as if he was some sort of savior to all of them. Around him Ren could hear the murmurs of people, they were believing the garbage that was spewing out of this man's mouth. This was Shido 2.0 and the masses where eating it up. Again uneasiness swept over Ren's soul. The very will of the public wanted to remain entranced by Shido's ideals and be bound in their own personal prisons.
It truly was the masses that were their real enemy.
"What? He's not blaming us for Shido?" Ryuji asked as he joined Ren looking up at the screen.
"Then why did they come to the school…" Ann paused.
"They want to take us out discreetly. If people knew they were rounding up a bunch of kids for Shido's death, that could reflect badly and this is a delicate time now that a new person is trying to rise to power." Naoto explained.
"That would appear to be the case. I have no doubts that we are still very much wanted by the police." Goro chimed in after Naoto.
"So the general public doesn't know there is a manhunt out for us…" Makoto glanced around them. "also why are we back in Shibuya and our normal clothes?"
"We didn't come back ourselves. We must have been driven out by the Holy Grail." Mona flicked his tail before he sat down on his haunches.
"We lost." Ken's tone drove like a spike.
Those words stuck to the hearts of everyone. Ren could see it in their downcast gazes. They were all starting to lose hope. Ren felt as if he needed to do something, maybe say something that would give them hope once again. This wasn't the time to despair, this was the time to regroup and get everyone together to plan another their next move. There had to be some way to fight the Holy Grail. They just hadn't had time to think of it yet.
"We're all still alive, so we can always try again." Ren firmly told everyone.
"I know but… That thing…" Makoto's voice sounded shaky and uncertain.
"..Huh?" Futaba blinked and suddenly looked around.
The sound of raindrops hitting the ground was the first thing Ren noticed. Thinking back, the weather report said nothing about rain, but as Ren looked up he realized these were no ordinary raindrops, they were a pinkish hue in color. This wasn't normal rain. Goosebumps ran up Ren's arm before a bony spike rammed up from the ground cutting through the middle of the group. Almost instantaneously several other bony structures started to appear all around them. The rain intensified and everything seemed to become bathed in that red hue. The buildings, the ground, the people… Even the sky. It was all happening so fast.
"This must be what the Holy Grail meant when it said encroach," Aigis said. "Our failure has brought ruin."
"It's the dark hour all over again." Ken sounded shocked as fear started to well up in his eyes.
Ren looked around himself before he noticed it. While they were all freaking out over the sudden rain and bone monoliths, no one else was. Around them, the public just went on as if everything was normal. They didn't even bother bringing out umbrellas. It was as if the supernatural rain didn't affect them. Did they not see it? Or were they all blind to the sudden shift? Ren's heart froze as someone commented on how great the weather was, making him realize just how blind the populace truly was.
"How is no one not noticing this abnormality?!" Yusuke looked around him.
"Because they either can't see it or rather they chose not to see it." Ken took a step forward. "I take it back. This isn't the dark hour. This is worse."
Ken suddenly collapsed holding his head.
Futaba and Rise quickly followed in succession.
"Futaba!" Ren was quickly at his sister's side.
"I… Ren… I feel woozy.." Futaba's voice sounded weak as if she was fading.
"Rise come on… Wha..?" Naoto then collapsed.
Haru, Aigis, Yosuke, Kanji, Yusuke, and Ann all collapsed next. Ren could only watch on in horror as his friend collapsed around him one by one. Everyone else collapsed around him before a sudden pain shot through Ren's head. It was an instant migraine as all of the pain receptors in the brain were cranked up to 11. The pain was blinding and all-encompassing, he couldn't focus.
"This must be the Holy Grail's doing." Goro's surprisingly calm voice washed over Ren's ears.
Ren looked towards Goro and while he had a pained expression on his face, he had not collapsed like the rest of them. Instead, he remained upright only staggered slightly as he held his head. While there was a pain in his eyes, there was also a ponderous look. Again that unnatural pain tolerance appeared to be working for his favor.
"How can you sound so calm?" Ryuji shot out with a bit of a grunt. "Damn it! What's going on?" Suddenly he collapsed to the ground fully. "My… My hand!"
Ren tried to focus his pain throttled mind towards Ryuji. Even in the fog of pain Ren was surprised taken aback by what he saw. Ryuji's hand was disappearing! Ren struggled to get to his feet, but his body didn't want to obey his command. The pain was far too great. Instead, Ren was forced to watch as everyone around him started to disappear.
"Don't tell me." Morgana struggled.
"Indeed. But this isn't my doing. You imbeciles are about to disappear from the people's cognitions. Mementos and reality have become one. Thus, those who have disappeared from cognition cannot exist anywhere." The words of the Holy Grail grated in Ren's head like a bell being struck violently.
Ren had to shut his eyes as the pain was becoming too much to bear. He longed for an escape from this pain, but something told him that if he did give in, that would be it. He would be gone. So Ren struggled through forcing his eyes open only to watch his friends disappear before his eyes. First, it was Ryuji, then Ann, trailed by Rise and Yusuke followed by Futaba. Ren tried to reach out to her but as he did she faded away. His hand hung in the air as everyone else continued to disappear around him. To his left Haru then Makoto. No not them… Ren tried to fight against the pain but now it wasn't just physical pain… It was emotional too. People he cared about… People he loved were gone.
"Is this… because I brought you all there?" Morgana's voice seemed to be searching for answers.
"I don't know." Ren managed to get out despite the pain.
"No, this is something that has been building for a long time." Goro finally collapsed. There was a limit to even his pain tolerance. "I have to believe it would have happened with or without our intervention."
"I can't believe that... I'm sor…" Morgana never got to finish as he disappeared too.
Ren realized it was only him and Goro now, everyone else was gone. Ren felt the last of his strength start to ebb as he fully collapsed to the ground. A strong thud next to him must have meant Goro had dropped as well. Ren didn't know how much longer he could hold out, as the pain only seemed to be intensifying. With some of the last of his remaining energy, Ren opened his eyes one last time to glance towards Goro.
"So this is how it all ends." Goro held a hint of humor in his pained voice.
"You don't seem upset." Ren countered even if talking hurt more.
"Whatever lies on the other side, be it oblivion or salvation, we are all going together. So I'll see you on the other side Ren... Whatever is there… Let's give them hell." Goro smirked as he disappeared.
Despite it all, Ren couldn't help but chuckle lightly. Goro had a point. Even if they were all dying. They were at least all dying together. No matter what was on the other side, they'd all be there together. Ren stopped struggling and flipped onto his back. He could feel himself continuing to disappear but he didn't care. He wanted to go where the rest of his friends were.
Looking up at the red-tinted sky; Ren gave the world one last debonair smirk…
Sorry about this coming out so late. I life happened and with this COVID stuff it's only gotten worse on my end... Cat got really sick for 3 weeks and was in and out of the hospital, when you are depressed about your pet it's hard to edit. She is finally better now, out of the woods at least but still sick. She sat on my lap the whole time I was editing. There might still be a few things wrong because I didn't go over it with a fine-tooth comb like I normally do. Shout at me if there is a glaring flaw. I'll redo that part and reupload this chapter.