AN: I'm finally coming back to Duality, the first chapter in over two years. Don't worry, there won't be as long a gap until 113. Gnosis is still being worked on, but I wanted to finally get back to the last arc of Duality and truly end the story.

One thing I have wondered about is how I would fit Psychic and Nuclear in this story if I were to have started it after Persona 5 included those elements. Sophie/Stella would have Psychic for sure, but beyond that, I'm not entirely sure how I'd do it. Food for thought, I suppose. Anyway, here we go. Read, review, whatever you want to do!

Chapter 112: Why We're Here

|Museum of Memories – Duality's Destiny|

The group finally reached the apex of this surreal structure, which was a big flat roof, with a gigantic circular floor. Amara could see the eerie sky that had plagued the city since the worlds fused together, and far above, she saw a gigantic purple 'moon'. It was bright, radiating its lurid hue over the museum and everyone on top of it. She looked it over carefully, but couldn't make sense of it.

"What is that thing?" Serena asked, apparently equally confused. "It's not our moon, is it?"

"Doesn't have any craters on it like ours..." Richard said.

"Look! There's a patch of light right there in the centre!" Kyle cried, pointing up at the sphere. "And it looks like our island. Our home."

"What?!" Nathan said. "Then that means the entire world is gone! We're the only city left?!"

"The entire planet is at risk of disappearing now." Ethan said, calmly. "We've got to save planet Earth from whatever is trying to get rid of it."

"You don't look too worried, Ethan…" Zao said, confident.

"Neither do you." Ethan replied. "I've gotten better at controlling my emotions, that's all. And I know for sure that Janus will never sway my heart again."

Ashi smiled, and held his hand. "That's right. We're the only hope this magnificent city has left. Fear won't be our sword, will it? Only our resolve can cut through that dual-headed beast!"

"Sounds good to me! Where is Janus, anyway? Show yourself, you bastard!" Blaine demanded.

Appearing out of nowhere was a pale, transparent white orb. It flashed, but then divided into two. With a flash, they expanded, releasing two human shapes. The male wore a white tunic with blue cuffs and collar, the while female wore a black long vest with silver buttons and a small white ribbon. The male's hair and face strongly resembled Jahan Kronos, while the female was identical to Ashi – except for their purple, vacant eyes.

"We meet once again." The two of them said together, holding hands.

"Good evening, Janus." Amara said, disgusted. "...Wish I didn't have to see you again."

Kazuya frowned, looking at both new faces enraged. "How are you still alive?"

"The Masquerade provided us with the means to restore ourself. While we were soundly defeated last December, our consciousness remained, albeit too weak to do anything but rest. The Trauma Shadows were in the same state. Alas, the Nullity Masquerade had yet to be slain. It sought to resurrect us, if it were unable to defeat you itself." Janus said.

"So the Masquerade was acting on its own?" Priscilla asked.

"Precisely. We never once gave it any orders. We lacked any power to communicate with it." Janus said. "Yet thanks to the Masquerade's work, we now exist once more...and the world is on the verge of disappearing completely."

"Janus, heed my words!" Ashi said. "Why is it so hard for you to leave us humans alone? Does our existence cause you this much pain?"

"Humanity's malevolence is what pains us. Not humanity itself." Janus said. "Alas, humanity cannot seem to purify their own malevolence. True, there are outstanding individuals out there. All of you are. If more of humanity was like you, then we would indeed leave you in peace."

"I cannot deny that mankind has a lot of issues they need to face nowadays." Sophie said. "But we won't be able to tackle them if you destroy us."

"And do you really want to disappear yourself?" Aimee asked. "You exist because of makind's duality. But why throw away your existence? You could accomplish something far greater than complete annihilation!"

"Perhaps so." Janus said. "But no matter how much of a token effort you people make, the human race as a whole will never truly change. Technology may advance, medicine may cure more diseases, but people will always come into conflict with one another over. It's meaningless to try to aid humans. It will only bring us to more pain and horror, as we watch mankind sink even lower into despair."

"Is this really how it has to be?" Karen asked. "You never asked to be brought back to life, but you won't let the worlds separate from one another? You want things to end like this?"

"Your persistence in saving both dimensions has kept them from being deleted." Janus said. "I failed in my last venture to cease all life. If all of the collective unconsciousness is gone, then my mind disappears too. So will the Trauma Shadows, my beloved brethren. The planet itself will vanish. Millennia of chaos directly caused by humans will be forgotten. An eternal road to nothingness, that is what I hope to build."

"You dumb fuck!" Dan, irritated, pointed angrily at Janus. "Who the hell cares what you want? We just wanna get our lives back on track! You keep getting in the way of that!"

Other Blaine nodded, standing next to Dan, both men tall and strong. "Being the Commander of the Ornatu Legion was a pretty horrible time of my life. But it taught me a lot of things. That sadness is just something you gonna smash to pieces until happiness comes home."

"I'm sick of their crap too, y'know." Lucy said. "Maybe if they tried to help us, rather than get rid of us, they might enjoy life a little!"

"Humanity's evolution is what created you." Alastair said. "You should give us a chance to evolve further, so that in turn, you can progress. Is that not more ideal than total oblivion?"

"You're all so hell-bent on leading 'normal' lives." Janus said. "But we will never be able to come to an agreement. It's unfortunate... We've grown fond of you. Humans that were able to destroy us, even if only for a short time..."

"That's enough!" Amara said. "I don't give a damn what you think of us any more. It's time we got rid of you once and for all! Because all I want is to live!"

There was a long silence, and everyone stood there, unsure how to act. There was nothing but animosity between the two sides, and the sparks of a new conflict were about to ignite.

"Very well."

The two forms of Janus changed form via a flurry of dark purple smoke. Now, both of them were in the forms they had become when they were Nihane's Personae. The male one was wearing an elegant, yet foreboding, dark cloak, equipped with a brutal scythe. The female one had angelic features, and a large staff to match its more heavenly appearance.

"If you want both worlds to be free so much, then we will give you your chance to best us. If humanity never changes, I can never truly change either. Prove to me your worth!"

"Then I'll remind you what my Persona can do! Tefnut's Raze!"

Isis smiled, and twirled high into the air, clicking her fingers. Burning ruby flames erupted beneath the female Janus, spinning around and trapping it with fierce resolution. Amara then tried to rush forward, sword out, but her blade was blocked by the male Janus. His scythe broke through, and slashed her fiercely.

"Amara!" Nathan cried out. He tried to strike with his staff, but was hit by an energy beam. It seemed that the female Janus had gained some new power since its last encounter. "Cu Chulainn, strike with the Gae Bolg!"

Heroically, the knight leapt up into the air, perhaps without needing the usual winds that enveloped him. Then, he drove the spear right into the male Janus. There was a flash of 'blood', but that quickly faded, as it began to strike Serena.

"Oi!" Serena shouted, whipping wildly at her foe. The female Janus was distracted, firing energy beams from her staff indiscriminately. "Selene, it's time to shine!"

Shrouded by moonlight, the beautiful Selene put her hands together, and sounds of waves could be heard from afar. These were the Moonstone Waves, sparkling in the moonlight the Titan had created. These crashed into both forms of Janus, sending them into Blaine's path.

"Alright! Here we go, Quetzacoatl! Kanaloa's hero needs you!"

The thunder god emerged, and with a smug smile – very much like Blaine's – he raised his weapon to the sky. Storm clouds appeared in the air, despite the ceiling above them. These clouds grew darker and darker, and looked like they would burst any second. Then, they did, and ferocious lightning bolts came down with them, shocking Janus to its core.

"A formidable start… You've become quite comfortable in wielding these powers over the elements. Calling upon Gods and Goddesses to strike down the evil Shadow must have been a distraction from how mundane your lives were. Would you have been happy, Amara, just working as an artist at that stupid magazine? Had Stella never given you that strange fortune, you would have led a meaningless life! Serena would just be another disaffected high school student! Nathan, going through the motions of the upper class! Blaine, stuck in dead-end jobs, with no hope to get out of the slums of Kanaloa!"

I do think about it sometimes. What my life would be like if I had never gone to the other world. I'd probably have still enjoyed my time there, hung out with Colette, Juan, Sheila, Lucy, Karen and Stella, and looked for the next opportunity. Would I have still met Zao?

"If you get rid of us, you'll also get rid of your true selves. The side of you that craves the thrill of fighting Shadows, and being the heroes you never could be in real life!"

"Stop messing with our minds!" The other Amara yelled. "I did like having my Persona. But I want a normal life now. We all want that! I want to go back to my art!"

Janus laughed.

"The inferno shall burn even courage to ash."

The entire group were transported to an imaginary landscape, one Amara had seen before when fighting for her life. They were stood around the crater of a giant volcano, and surrounding them were scores of ruined shacks, where fire had consumed every spot of land around. However, the volcano erupted, and lava gushed down and crashed onto everybody. The velocity of the eruption was so much, the crater's top broke apart and melted.

"Bastard!" Other Blaine shouted, in deep pain. "Just when we thought we could be happy again! Away from this nightmare!"

The Other Serena looked on. "Janus, you've become stagnant. We won't give up just because you throw these magic spells at us."

"Exactly. It's not too late to change your thinking, either." Other Nathan said gently. "Why won't you believe in the future? We don't want yours!"

"Behold a land where nothingness shines."

The atmosphere had completely changed, and all Amara could see was an Arctic tundra. Nothing but snow falling everywhere, with a dark cloudy sky above. The cold was unbearable. Far worse than any winter she had experienced. Just then, the snow turned into a great blizzard, raining down on everyone like knives. The cold brought Amara to her knees – it would forever be her nemesis, no matter how much time would pass.

"Amara! No!" Zao yelled, rushing to her side. "Hang in there!"

"I...I can still fight." Amara uttered, as he helped her up. "Right, me…?

"Oh! Right!" Other Amara yelled. "Nepthys, please aid me!"

The mirror of Isis, Nepthys created a gargantuan red rectangular Danger Zone around the two fiends. Then, from within, there were countless bright flashes, until the enclosure collapsed with one final burst. Both victims fell to their knees, a rare sight for the omnipotent enemy.

"Well done, Amara!" The Other Nathan said, still weary from the combined onslaught of ice and fire. "Cu Chulainn, I'm counting on you!"

The famed hero of Celtic legend emerged again, in a different form, and with his strength, crafted an emerald luminescent sphere. He thunderously soared it into the clouds, absorbing them and thus creating a Brave Storm, engulfing Janus.

The Other Serena's whip darted at the two, and while the energy rays fired were getting stronger, the girl had plenty of her own energy to spare. She leaped athletically above them, and looked up.

"Selene! Remember, no matter what happens, the moon will always be there!"

The Titan nodded, and descended from her chair to gracefully tap the ground with her toes, creating an immediate ripple. The area momentarily became a beautiful, serene plain with the moon shimmering in the night sky. Then waves of water crashed into Janus to form a grand sea, rippling vibrantly.

"Hell yeah, Serena!" Other Blaine said. With his gun, he hit the male Janus right in the head, temporarily halting his scythe swings. The female one, however, had created several energy bombs around the Holy Cross, who were narrowly dodging them. "Even without this power, I'm strong enough to carve out a new chapter of my life! Quetzalcoatl, show him what I mean!"

The grand hammer of the electric god was charged up, sparking from the excess power. It then was crashed down upon Janus, sending shockwaves throughout the area. The museum beneath them seemed to flash from the sheer volume of electricity.

"So this is the strength of your impudence, is it? What future does your New Motus City even have? It will never recover from the decade of isolation! Your people will never prosper again. It would be far kinder to let them all vanish forever."

"Giving up wouldn't be kind at all! Everyone's working so hard to bring the city into a new era, free from the horrors of Aeternus. Why should we give up on that because of you?" Other Nathan said, angry.

"We went through hell for ten years!" Other Serena shouted. "What would be the point of stopping right now? All our fighting would have been for nothing. We're not letting you delete everything!"

"Let the heavens divide the earth."

Once again, the world changed, and the sky was almost charcoal, covered in clouds. A huge nondescript city was around them, trembling from the sheer power that was about to come. Deafening thunder could be herd all over. Then finally, there was a huge flash of light, and a gigantic storm of lightning bolts ripped apart the city and the ground.

"H...Holy shit!" Matthew said, sparks flying off him. "I don't remember that one being so strong!"

"Janus really worked hard on their Greatest Hits compilation, didn't he?" Tara asked.

"Oh god, I think another one's coming!" Karl said, bracing himself.

"You and your hope shall be suffocated."

The atmosphere changed again, to a barren plain being ravaged by tornadoes. Dead trees lay everywhere. Suddenly, all of the tornadoes combined into one tremendous twister, engulfing everybody high in the sky, only to bring them down as the storm subsided.

"Ugh..." Sophie winced. Her resilience to magic was powerful, but even these brutal spells was taking its toll. Thankfully, the team had many healers to heal the injured and revive the fallen, but they must attack and deliver a fatal strike to Janus. Thus, Sophie knew what to do. "Sophia, our wisdom must prevail!"

True power flowed through the Persona, and with small gestures of her hand, she created a sextet of arcane comets, burning with purple energy. The Starry Heavens divided, three hitting the male form, and the other hitting the female.

However, Janus had upped the ante. They had become firing projectiles of other elements – Karen had been hit by a fierce fireball, and icicles narrowly missed Lucy. The male's scythe had become rather vicious, every swing creating a trail of red light. The sight of this spurred Priscilla into action.

"You won't claim any more lives, Janus! Not with Scathach inside me!"

Scathach, the warrior queen, concentrated heavy amounts of frost and ice around her, forming what could only be described as a giant crystal. Then she soared above this crystal, and fired a pale blue light upon it - and it grew more and more, then shattered around both parts of Janus, piercing them with severely sharp ice spears.

Kyle, impressed, used his wheelchair to fly closer to Janus, and slashed vividly. His genius was his true weapon, however, and he was able to fire some high-speed rockets, forged via Vulcanus. These rockets exploded, leaving the Janus duo rather vulnerable.

"Okay, Vulcanus, we'll win this and get back home! There's way too much I still need to do!"

The blacksmith agreed, lifted up his visor, revealing his twinkling pair of blue and green eyes. Vulcanus ignited his blade, and with the Volcanic Divide, swung it sharply down, and the blade of flame grew, colliding with the female Janus.

"Dan, you're not going to let a kid steal your thunder, are you?" Kyle said, smirking.

The man chuckled loudly. "Hell no, boy! Mictlantehcuhtli, show him how it's done!"

The death god was brandishing his scythe with murderous intent, and then he glided towards the female Janus. He swung the scythe in one brutal crimson swing, enough to send bloody ripples throughout the atmosphere. The female was sent flying backwards, but remained intact.

"You're all so insufferable. If only we had succeeded last time. Then we wouldn't have had this agonising wait until now. I shall make you suffer in your final moments! It shall be your punishment for not submitting to Nihane Kronos and the Aeter Vox!"

"They didn't want the world to end, either!" Sophie said, arms outstretched. "Even after being twisted so horribly, they still sought a future! Your fearsome powers could be used for so much more than banishing the future altogether. Yet you continue to seek our demise..."

"Humans don't just give up in the face of disaster! They fight to survive, seeking a better tomorrow! That's all we had over the last ten years. But it lead us to victory, and it will again! So perhaps it's time you gave up!" Priscilla cheered.

"We cannot die while humans still live. Your kind is an incurable poison, destroying the world. Why do you think the Shadows exist? If your species is so full of potential, how come it created me to begin with?"

"We have to decide for ourselves why we exist." Kyle said, wisely. "That's simply part of life. I never chose to be unable to walk, after all. But I'm not going to obsess over why that is. Instead, I found another reason to keep going."

"Listen to this kid, Janus!" Dan said. "He's one of the toughest men I know. You're a fucking pussy compared to him! He's reached heights you or I never will!"

"Even the highest of heights will be dragged down to hell."

Everyone was whisked away to the top of a huge peak. All around them was a burnt, dried up landscape, with ominous craters around then. Next, the mountain started to break away, and the fragments of parched earth rained on everybody. The entire area completely disintegrated, and when the Museum reappeared, everyone was in agony.

Ugh. Even if it wasn't the ice one, it still hurts like hell!

"Be drowned by sorrow and regret."

Amara, still in deep pain, had appeared with everyone else on what appeared to be a boat being knocked back and forth by waves in a the middle of a huge storm at sea. The water was dark and murky, and the rain was torrential. Suddenly, the waves grew in intensity, and crashed intensely, breaking apart the boat and flooding everything that remained.

"Bastard..." Lucy moaned.

"How did they come up with these spells, anyway…?" Shirley asked, supporting her friend.

"It must have thought of nothing but apocalyptic scenarios to psychologically traumatise us with." Ethan said, on his knees. Ashi helped him up slowly.

"How mature." Alastair said. The male Janus was targeting him now, and his deadly scythe swings were clashing furiously with Alastair's broadsword. Finally, however, the Holy Cross leader broke through, slashing him across the chest, and managed to gain some distance. "Michael, please bring us salvation!"

The divine Seraph was bathed in light, and its sword, already pure in energy, was a blinding beacon of penance. The angel threw it harshly into the air, and extended out its palm, firing a beam of light at Janus. The sword did the same, and the twin lasers pierced through the dual-headed god's defences.

"Fabulous, Alastair!" Bianca said cheerily. "Now I must do my part. So that flowers of hope may bloom once again. Gabriel, I beg of thee!"

The graceful Seraph threw her rose into the sky, and it shined divinely. Crystals of pure ice appeared from the surface, and were drawn into a ball of light, radiating pink and yellow. Combined, they created a flower of cold ice, releasing mist. The glacial flower flew over the two Janus, and shattered, crushing them with icy elegance.

Richard, meanwhile, was dodging the increasingly dangerous projectiles being hurled by Janus. His footwork was unmatched, and he almost seemed to be dancing. This had given his Normal World counterpart extremely honed goalkeeper skills, and was serving him very well now.

"Guys, give it up! You can't touch me!" Richard said. However, in his moment of arrogance, a lightning bolt hit him from above. "Well, one out of a hundred and forty seven isn't bad. Raphael, give them a 'reward'!"

The Saint of Lovers appeared, and chuckled, flapping his wings. Several small miniature tornadoes appeared around the two Janus, who looked up in alarm. Each one was a different colour; White, Blue, Red and Green. The latter was much brighter than the others, and soon sucked in the other three. Now a multicoloured mighty tornado, it collided with the two, and they actually screamed in pain as the winds tore through their bodies.

"Nice work, Rich." Kazuya said, giving him a high five. "Now, here we go! Uriel, it's time for some fire!"

Uriel Ignis appeared, and seven holy candles surrounded the male Janus. They all created a star-shaped pyre, and these burned brilliantly, scorching the grim figure with the Sacred Flame.

"Damn you all to hell! Can you even survive in the new world you seek to forge? You won't have anyone to cling to any more. You were saviours for your city under Aeternus' guidance, but with your powers, what can you do for them?"

"That's for us to find out!" Alastair declared. "Even without my Persona, there's plenty I can do. And there won't be any Shadows, so there will be plenty of time to explore my other talents."

"No one's useless." Kazuya said. "Except the ones who try to tell us we're useless."

"Yeah, you don't know until you try. And you haven't tried anything but try to destroy the world with some convoluted bullshit." Richard said, hands on his hips.

"We made it out of the darkness before, and we're going to do it again, no matter how many ordeals you force upon us!" Bianca shouted.

"The howls of the dark cannot be silenced."

All Amara and the others could see was darkness. Suddenly, a pair of red eyes opened, and they were pure evil. They fixated upon everyone, who froze, glancing at the decaying fingers in fear, and no matter how hard they tried, they were forced below into the dark. Finally, it faded.

"Damn..." Blaine groaned.

"These spells are...so fucked up." Other Blaine said.

"I think there's...another one coming..." Kazuya uttered.

"Even the prestigious cannot flee from death."

Another new environment appeared before the team. Fluffy clouds were beneath their feet, and before them were golden gates to heaven. Suddenly, those gates flung open, and a gigantic godly fist grabbed everybody and took them into paradise – and there was a huge flash of light, blinding everybody and hitting them with divine force.

"Shit..." Roger said, looking worse for wear. "How's everyone holding up?"

"These spells are brutal..." Karen said, ducking under a bloodthirsty scythe. Her own sword struck her foe, but a fireball volley ceased her attack. "Damn! We need to think of something!"

"Then let me try, with the might of Apsu!"

The mighty god of fresh water held down his trident, controlling the primordial seas. A trio of chaotic watery spheres appeared in front of Apsu, and this Fjord Tempest was thrust sharply at the male Janus, preventing it from slicing Ashi.

"T-Thank you!" Ashi said, stabbing the female Janus. Everyone was using all their force, with 'dyne' spells hitting Janus from every direction. Yet they hadn't fallen.

"We must prove to Janus our own strength. Daena, I'll need yours to see me through!"

The Eternal Law's mirror released a huge cloud of green and blue mist, of Antarctic temperatures. This Hypothermia swirled around the Male Janus, causing it to cease moving, and freeze over. Karl and Zao took this chance to attack, each striking at the same rhythm.

"How do you like that?!" Karl said, his strong fist hitting Janus in the 'stomach'.

"Ouch." Zao said, impressed. "You gonna end up boxing someday? Those jabs are pretty damn fierce."

"Nah. I've got to work on winning us the World Cup someday." Karl said, as Janus finally broke free from its deep freeze. It twirled its scythe, hitting both men across the chest.

Shirley, however, managed to escape, and leapt up, kicking both Janus by stretching out her legs as far as she could. She then rolled out of the way, just as Lucy and the other Blaine fired their bullets.

"Lucy, how are you holding up?" Shirley asked, jumping up to her feet.

"It's just an ordinary day. Fighting Shadows, saving the world from complete annihilation, that kind of thing."

The other Blaine, bemused, turned to his beloved. "...You are taking this seriously, aint'cha?"

Lucy smirked. "More than anything."

"Then me and Ceridwen better get even more serious!"

The supreme enchantress cast a huge oval of shadow, resembling an eerie puddle of oil, onto the ground. A seal lit up below in a blend of pale blue and purple, resembling ancient runes. The energy sent the female Janus flying in the air, and thus Lucy's bullets went higher.

"Alright!" Lucy cheered. Despite her injuries, she seemed to be in her element. "I haven't missed a shot yet! Blaine, I've surpassed your marksmanship! How about that?" She smiled at him smugly, sticking out her tongue.

Other Blaine laughed. "That was the plan, babe! But you've got ammo better than what's in that gun, don'tcha?"

"Oh, I'm just warming up. Ishtar, burn Janus to ashes, and scatter them to the wind!"

The fiery goddess of passion, with a sultry twirl, set her axe aflame with a click of the fingers – creating a vivid red flame. Ishtar quickly threw the Rosso Corsa Burial at the male Janus, and it erupted into a pillar of flames.

"You've become quite a team. An army of idealistic lunatics, deluding themselves that they are saviours. Your existence torments ourselves and our brethren! The longer you attempt to resist me, the more painful your demise will be!"

"You're too damn confident, you douchebag." Lucy said, reloading. "If you end everything, that's it. There won't be any more people, any more Shadows. This universe will be a cold, dead place, without any of our passion! That sounds like torment to me!"

"We'll resist you to the very end, no matter what pain you attempt to inflict on us." Shirley declared, fists raised. "So come on, just try to stop us!"

Janus laughed, their two voices equally menacing.

The fields shall dry up, never to yield life even from your blood.

Male Janus held his scythe in both hands, and the blade became bright red. The land beneath the ground became the same bloody colour. Amara gulped. Before she could move, the scythe suddenly flashed through her and her allies – and the pain took a few seconds to arrive. When it did, it felt like her whole body was being sliced apart.

"Ouch!" Kyle screamed.

"Janus, you bastard!" Other Nathan cried. "Your brutality is truly disgusting. You'll regret this once we've destroyed you yet again!"

"None shall live to call our equal."

A great white and purple column of light engulfed both Janus, fuelling them with masses of power. It contained the essence of all three 'kaja' spells, and much more.

"Oh god. They're planning something even worse than before!" Serena said, horrified.

"I think everyone could figure that one out..." Alastair said.

"Then we have to redouble our efforts, don't we?" Tara said, looking at Matthew. "So that we can return to Clairdol proud. I want to have a life after this day, so I can spend the rest of it with you. The sweetest man I've ever met."

"Course he is. He's my kid brother, the one who inherited the best of the Kingsley bloodline!" Dan said, confidently.

"Rest of your life with me, huh? Well, Tara Kingsley sounds like a cool name..."

"Wait, are you two proposing to each other now?!" Karl asked, stunned.

"Um..." Tara mumbled, blushing. "Well...I suppose so, but -"

"Yeah!" Matthew cheered. "Of course I'll marry you! But killing Janus will have to come first. Once we've done that, let's get married on our favourite beach. It'll be the best day ever! Right?"

There was a moment of silence. Even Janus was stunned, although it quickly resumed its assault.

"...Matthew. That sounds like heaven. And I'll make sure everyone will survive until that day, with the help of Chehooit!"

The Mother Goddess nodded, and with a flash of light, took the team to a beautiful new place. For a time, Tara and her allies beheld the titular area - a beautiful, grassy meadow filled with flowers, tall trees, and birds chirping as they flew across the blue sky. Their bodies were rejuvenated, just by looking at the breathtaking scenery. Tara's love seemed to empower this vision, and Matthew seemed to feel a surge of energy after the area turned back.

"Hiyah!"

Matthew twirled, slicing through the male Janus with his knives. He managed some swift kicks as well, more nimble than he had ever been. "Ehecatl, this is our greatest crisis! Let's end it already, so we can get ready for the big day!"

The wind god's ferocious energy released a Primal Twister, the turbulence sending both halves of Janus high into the air. The winds grew faster, sending them all over the area – until they eventually were dropped onto the ground with a heavy thud.

"Sis!" Karl cried. "We've got so many things to look forward to. Let's make sure we live to accomplish everything we want!"

"Of course I will!" Aimee said, her heart soaring. "I didn't go through the last decade just for everyone I know to be destroyed! Concordia, I need you now more than ever!"

Concordia summoned the entire Big Dipper from the cosmos into the battle arena. Except this time, all the stars shone, and the Persona finally reached for the brightest one– Polaris.

With an insane level of light and kinetic energy, the great Pole Star began to expand, enveloping the entire ring. Then, having reached its maximum magnitude, the mighty star combusted – with a deafening and blinding explosion, one that would be felt across the galaxy.

"Yes!" Karl said, exuberant. He ruffled his sister's hair. "We'll win this for sure now! After that, Janus will be at death's door!"

"You think so?" Aimee asked. "...Finish him off, then!"

"I sure will! Aeneas! You're with me until the end! Protect our future!"

The mighty hero brandished his great sword, firmly in both hands. The two Janus were still reeling from the previous attack, and thus, when the sword turned gold, they were far too late to dodge. Three great slashes struck them both, each radiating a golden hue of glory.

"...Is that it, Janus?" Amara asked. "You have to accept this. That we're not going to give up on our future. That we''ll do everything we can to seize it! If we have to fight you a hundred times, we will!"

"A hundred, you say? Your confidence is impressive. Alas, this is the final encounter between us. Now that you've driven us to this, we have no choice but to pass down our Final Judgment on you fools. Farewell."

Despite the sheer power they had rained down on everyone prior, Janus managed to find even more strength. The male flew to the left of the arena, and the female flew to his right. They fired an albescent ray of light at each other, and it collided in the centre of the field. A blue sphere began to grow there, as the rays intensified. Finally, they were done, and the sphere exploded.

"No!" Amara screamed. Her body was sent flying, almost off the roof of the Museum. This power had been heightened considerably, leaving sparks of light hanging in the air. The pain she felt was unreal – she could barely move. Her sword was right next to her, but she could barely grab it. "I...I can't..."

She looked up, and saw only three others still standing before Janus. Zao, Ethan, and Ashi.

Zao, I'm sorry. I couldn't do it.

"So you three survived that attack? Each one of you should have stayed dead, but you just had to return to life in this dimension. Well, the stage is set. Nothing you do will change what is to come. All of you shall die imminently, and thus everything will finally be gone – including myself. That is the only way you shall be rid of me!"

Zao looked up at Janus, and laughed in both their faces – leaving Ethan and Ashi very confused.

"You really are a boor, you know that? Like I said once before. Have a glass of chianti, and lighten up!"

"Zao…?" Ashi began. "What have you got planned?"

"The same thing that finally got rid of Nihane. Remember?"

"Oh?" Ethan said. "Can we really reach that same level of power?"

"Hell yeah. And you won't need Janus to get there. All you need is yourself. Rashnu, let's go!"

"Sraosha, come forth!"

"Mithra, I summon you!"

Sraosha appeared, and span his blade in a perfect circle, creating a glyph of blue light that shimmered brightly. Rashnu followed suit, creating a blue emblem. Mithra in turn did the same with her staff, resulting in a red circle. The three of them seemed to shine in perfect sync, and soon enough began to overlap with one another, resulting in a tremendous flash of light. The circles began to spin in opposite directions, and let loose tremendous volleys of energy beams.

"No!"

The combined emblem of energy started to shine brightly, gathering energy from the area around it. Sraosha, Mithra and Rashnu flew towards it, preparing to strike it with their weapons. Their roles of judgment had taken them this far.

"Excelion Apocalypse!"

The Judges' combined strength launched not just one ray of light, but a tremendous beam of omnipotence. It gathered the lingering sparks of light, and amplifying it even further. This ray of hope smashed straight into Janus, and they were consumed by the energy entirely.

When everything had settled, Amara finally was able to get to her feet, and rush as fast as she could to Zao. Everyone else around her followed suit, exhausted – but overjoyed.

"You did it!" Aimee said, hugging Zao close.

"H-Hey, not so tight!" Zao said, smiling widely. "I just did what I had to do. One last chance to show everybody what I'm really made of."

"But..." Karl began. "Now that Janus is defeated, we...have to say goodbye again, don't we?"

Zao nodded. "Yeah. Any moment now, the two worlds will move forward in time again. That means I'll disappear. But I'm done with regrets. I had a reason to exist." As he said this, he stared straight at Amara. "And I know for sure that everyone will be fine even after I'm gone. Or maybe I'm never really gone?"

"We will never forget you." Nathan said, happily. "When my child is old enough, I'll tell them all about you. Maybe we'll go fishing together…."

"It was a blast knowing ya. Zao, I...I hate goodbyes. But this one isn't so bad."

"Zao, I'm going to write a book about all of us! I...I hope you can read it somehow." Serena said, cheerily.

"Ethan, I..." Ashi was looking exhausted, but relieved. "We've conquered Janus once and for all, haven't we? The embodiment of our despair?"

Ethan thought hard, hand resting on his chin. "I hope so. Although you'll fade away as well. Hopefully, you can rest peacefully from now on."

Ashi nodded. "Yes. The future of New Motus City is going to be prosperous, in either of the two worlds. What will become of you, however?"

"...What?" Ethan asked.

"Yeah, I was wondering about that myself..." Other Amara began. "Your body and soul are from two separate worlds. When the worlds separate, will you be in our world, or the others?"

This question had silenced Ethan, and he looked up at the 'sky', pondering this carefully. After all, his soul had left his body to inhabit his counterpart's. While the worlds were linked, this wasn't an issue. Yet the worlds were to separate imminently.

"I...might not end up in either world." Ethan finally said.

"What?!" Amara shouted. "You mean, after all of this, you'll die too?!"

"I don't know. It's not like I want to perish, but...I may not have a choice. Whatever happens, either world will go on. I...I wanted to be there for the city's ressurection, but -"

"No! You have to survive!" Amara yelled. "You've suffered far too much! I don't want it to end like this. Neither do Archibald, Nina, Pierre, Carlos nor Josephine!"

Ethan, tearfully, looked up at her.

"I'm sorry, Amara, but I can't guarantee that -"

"So, it has come to this..."

Ethan gasped, turning around. The two selves of Janus suddenly re-emerged in a burst of red smoke, and flew across the battlefield to join hands.

"No!" Ashi wailed. "Not again!"

"What are they gonna try now?" Blaine said, confused.

"Don't tell me they're going to turn into those giant doors again?!" Bianca shouted.

"We must refocus our efforts if we are to defeat you."

Their bodies began to pulsate, and as they moved, a ghosting effect remained. A red electricity surrounded them, causing their glowing eyes to shine brighter. Without warning, the two bodies collided into each other, revealing only the eyes, now a pair. Mammoth amounts of white light swirled around them, causing the land below to tremble from the sheer force accumulating.

"Crap!" Zao said, struggling to hold on. "This is even worse than before!"

"What are you saying?!" Aimee demanded.

"It's energy is coming from the city itself!" Zao said. "It can finally reach its full potential..."

"You're kidding, right?!" Serena said, shocked. "We gave it our all, and we barely won last time..."

The white light shaped itself into a giant white disc. The light disappeared as the new body hardened, leaving a gigantic golden intricate coin. Around the perimeter were the names of the six districts of the city. On one side was the image of Jahan Kronos, or rather, Janus aping his form, and grinning wildly. The other side was a portrait of Ashi Kronos, albeit with a sinister smile.

"Huh?" Kazuya said. "Wait, what the -"

The energy that Janus had gathered didn't stop there. A gigantic golden ring appeared, and spikes shot out in the inner ring that the coin latched onto, allowing it to spin constantly. On the outer ring were even longer spikes, with elegant white-gold flame like patterns between all of them. Throughout the ring, however, were giant holes, with what looked like golden Tarot cards inside each one. From The Fool to Judgement, each one was there. Their designs seemed to incorporate the traditional imagery...yet Amara saw her face on 'The Sun'. Blaine was 'The Magician. Serena's face was on 'The Moon'. Nathan was the beast being tamed in the image for 'Strength'. And Zao was the Fool, standing on a cliff overlooking the sea.

"We've finally reached our limit. Everyone is part of us now. The Trauma Shadows have perished, but their essences have merged with us completely! You will never be able to understand how outmatched you all are now. Neither of your Personas will ever damage us...one by one, you shall be slaughtered. Your suffering will end that of all humans!"

Amara stood silently. Then, she smiled, staring at the new Janus. Of all the emotions flowing through her mind right now, fear was not one of them.

"That's not going to happen, Janus. You should know by now...we believe in the future. That's the only reason we're here. Right, everyone?"

One by one, her comrades around her nodded. Zao stood closest to her, and from the look in his eyes, she could tell how proud he was of her.

She swung her sword, emboldened.

"We only have one more chance to save our city – no, our world! Everyone, we'll get our true city back for sure. I know it!"