Persona 5: Shots Through the Heart
Shot 18: Collision of Pride
Last Target: My Justice
Back inside his consciousness, Joker stands in front of his Shadow, who took the form of Hellspawn, with Satan towering over him. His Shadow gives him a smile.
"So you finally remember," it says. Joker scratches his head.
"Yeah… You were kinda forceful though!" he complains. The Shadow shrugs.
"Hey, not all Shadows are as nice as your "sister's". It was necessary."
"Hm. You're right… Still… I didn't beat you on my own." Shadow Akira grins and crosses his arms.
"Damn straight! So, what did we re-learn today?" Joker puts his hand over his heart.
"My heart is my greatest weapon. As long as I follow it and have faith in myself, there's nothing I can't do. Especially when I have friends to help me do it." The Shadow nods as it and Satan start glowing in radiant red light.
"Don't go forgetting that again…" it says. "... Okay?"
"Don't worry. I won't." The two beings merge together in a ball of light, then shrink down into Akira's Joker mask.
You should get going. Your team's waiting for you. And remember. You are Joker, the unstoppable leader of the infamous Phantom Thieves. Go show Bastard Shido what that means.
Joker nods with determination, puts his mask back on, and its shine envelopes him to bring him back to reality.
xxx
In the public dining area of Shido's Palace, the human cognitions gather around a hole in the wall where Shido fell through.
He crawls out of the hole and glares at everyone. They all stare at him with zombified looks and nod before turning into black ooze.
"For the glory of Shido…" Shido smiles as the ooze surges into him, giving him back all of his strength.
xxx
Back on the roof, everyone is still trying to wake their leader up.
"Stop it, man!" Ryuji shouts. "This ain't funny! Wake up!"
Suddenly, Akira's body bursts into blue flames. Everyone jumps back and shield their eyes from the light. When it dies down, they look to see Akira back in his Phantom Thief outfit.
"... Uggggghhh…" Everyone rushes over to him with smiles on their faces as Akira slowly sits up.
"HE LIVES!" Oracle cheers. Akira looks around to see everyone gathered around.
"Eh? Guys? Ugh… how long was I out?" he groans.
"Just about a minute," Mona says. "But you looked like you had a mental shutdown! We all thought you were dead!" Ann places her hand on his shoulder.
"You okay?" she asks with the most concern. Akira stares at everyone, then hangs his head.
"Ah… ah…" Everyone leans in to hear what he's saying… Not expecting him to blow up so suddenly.
"... ARE YOU SHITTING ME?! THAT FUCKING HUUURT, GODDAMMIT! OWWWWWWWW!" Akira grips his face, suffering from the pain of Ann ripping his devil mask off.
"AWWW! DEAR LORD, THAT STUNG LIKE HELL! Ngh! Seriously, it was way worse than the first time!" Ann just looks at him with a deadpan smile.
"Yeah. You're fine." Akira scratches his cheek with his finger.
"But… I guess that's what I get for letting that monster use me like a puppet…" he sighs. "Sorry for freaking you guys out like that." Ann shakes her head.
"Don't worry about it. We're just glad you're okay." As he he looking at his friend, he feels something terribly amiss.
"Wait… Where did Bastard Shido go?!"
Right after those words pass his lips…
"Bravo. That was actually an impressive display of power."
Everyone is shocked to see Shadow Shido towering over Akira with a grin on his face, completely healed of his wounds.
"But it appears that power has been exhausted. And without it… you are no match for me!" Shido reels back to throw an energy punch at the group. To his shock and almost everyone else's, it was blocked.
"What?!" In an unexpected flash, Akira got to his feet, turned around, and snatched Shido's wrist with his right hand just before the attack was launched. Akira, with his eyes shrouded in the shadow of his hair, inhales sharply through his nose and crushes the tyrant's wrist by tightening his grip, making him kneel to the ground in pain.
"Nngaaaaah! How are you-"
"The true strength of your fists lie in their ability to inflict an intense case of fear in your enemies upon impact…" He yanks Shido towards him as his intense red eyed glare pierces through the shadow.
"But they're useless if you face an enemy that can rises above fear." A vicious stomp kick to the chest sends Shido flying into the wall, to the awe of the other thieves.
Akira hears the sound of glass breaking in his head, along with a familiar voice.
So… your mind is made up… and your heart has been steeled to take on the ordeal?
Akira shuts his eyes.
"No… It's steeled to overcome it with ease."
Hmhmhm hahahahaha… Very well. Then as one who holds the power of infinite possibility, it is time for the second contract.
Akira stretches his right hand and a glowing tarot card of the Judgement Arcana appears in his hand.
Angel of justice whose wings have been tainted black with sin, swear a blood oath to me.
I am thou, thou art I. You, who would rebel against the Heaven of this world for sake of freedom. You, who are willingly to perform all manner of sacrilegious acts, including slaying God himself, for the justice you believe in.
Let the Hell's inferno set your mighty wings of rebellion ablaze. Let the winds of disaster carry you beyond the limits of the sky.
In a distorted world where God holds humanity captive, become the Fallen Angel of Chaos that sets it free!
Joker crushes the card in his hand and a ring of blue flames and black chains forms under him. He stomps his left foot and slams his right palm into the ground with his signature devilish smile.
"Ascend from Hell! SATAN!" Akira's red phantom emerges from him again, but it gradually turns blue before it materializes as the monstrous Satan.
Considering the trouble it caused, it's not a surprise that the Phantom Thieves start stepping back in fear.
"Aw shit!" Skull screams. "Not that thing again!" Mona notices that his hairs aren't sticking up when he looks at Satan like the last time.
"Wait. It's different from before." Oracle scans Joker with her goggles to check his vitals.
"Whoa! He's stronger than when he went berserk… and he's in control!"
Joker glares at Shido as he struggles out of his crater.
"You got way too damn cocky," he growls in a deep tone. "I'm not the same boy you stomped all over way back then. Now, I won't hold back against anyone who pisses me off, no matter who they are. So this time, I'll be the one who steals everything from you." Shido growls as the other thieves join his side and he points at him.
"And if you're the one chosen by God to rule over the country with an iron fist as you say, then that makes me the one chosen by the devil to take you down! For the sake of all the lives you've snuffed out, I'll make you repent for all of your sins! Every! Last! One!" Shido lets his power explode with a roar. The troublemaking leader turns to his band of misfits and they all smile as he fixes his right glove.
"Alright, thieves! … Let's end this."
Same plan as before: Joker, Skull, Fox, and Queen for direct assaults; Panther, Mona, and Noir for long-distance attacks. The two leaders of pride rush at each other and enter a power struggle. This time, Joker maintains his composure and slowly overpowers Shido before headbutting him under his chin. in. He throws a flurry of punches and kicks that easily knock him around, then switches out with Skull so that he can lay the smackdown with his iron pipe. Shido tries to counter, but Joker slides in just time to block all of his attacks with no pain at all.
Skull switches in to shoot Shido in his face with the shotgun, then Fox and Queen switch in to rush him on both flanks. Everyone leaps away when Shido casts Deathbound. Panther hits him with a hail of submachine gun bullets, followed by an Agidyne blast, then dashes out of the way of his Diamond Dust attack. Mona and Noir attack from the front and back with Psiodyne and Garudyne, then dodge out of the way of his Megidola rays.
The direct assault team performs a unison elemental attack to blast him back. He recovers and fires off powerful elemental attacks everywhere in his peripheral vision. While everyone rushes out of the way, Joker dashes straight into it while infusing Bless and Curse magic into his knife. He activates his Third Eye senses, which have been amplified by Satan's power.
Focus… They won't touch me!
He sidesteps, leaps over, slides under, and cuts any shots that cross his path as he makes a beeline towards Shido. Before the tyrant knew it, he was right up in his face.
"What?! How did you-" Joker grins before vaulting over him.
"Hey! Eyes on me!" When Shido turns around, he doesn't have enough time to figure out that the black hole in front of his left eye is the inside of the barrel of Joker's pistol before a bullet pierces him. As he is cover his bloody eye and screaming in pain, Joker rolls onto the ground to land after his vault, then dashes back to him with several light jabs and kicks ready to go. Shido tries to counter, but his punches are way off their mark thanks to his injured eye. Joker slips past Shido's last counter and gives him a matching set of slashed eyes.
"GRAAAAAAAAAAH! NGH! Damn brat! Where are you?!" Joker starts laughing as he stores up power.
"Like I'd tell you! That'd ruin all the fun!" He resumes his beatdown, only this time he brings magic into the mix. Ice magic to harden his hands and feet for greater impact, fire and nuclear magic to blast him away for finishers, lighting magic to increase his speed to allow for more attacks and follow ups to finishers, wind magic to maneuver all around him, and psychic magic to manipulate Shido's punches into missing. Having loads of fun all the while, as if his fear had been turned into excitement.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! C'mon! Is that you got?!"
The Phantom Thieves are left in awe at their leader's new strength, feeling that any help they could give would just get in his way.
"Daaaaamn! Look at him go!" Skull shouts.
"Is that really the same Joker from before?!" Mona yells.
As Joker continues to attack, one of Shido's eyes has completely healed. The rebel narrowly dodges his backhanded hammer fist by ducking, then channels crimson red energy into his right hand.
"Fist of PRIDE!" Joker hits Shido with the same unique attack he used when he was Hellspawn, blasting him back and forcing him to his knees. The rebel feels a familiar tingle in his hand: Stored energy to start a Baton Pass.
The cold-hearted tyrant staggers to his feet, his consciousness starting to fade.
"Ugh… This is… impossible…! You lowlifes… can't defeat me…! I… am… an elite…! I am… Masayoshi Shido!" Joker stares at his arch enemy in disgust.
"Hmph… And that's exactly why you're gonna lose… ORACLE!"
"Gotcha! Super move! ULTRAAA CHARGE!" Prometheus shines like a star and its light gives the team a surge of power. Shido charges at Joker once again, but Joker uses his Down Shot to stop in his tracks.
"Your turn, Noir!" Joker holds his hand out and Noir rushes past him while slapping his hand, receiving the stored energy he had.
"Astarte, descend!" Her Persona emerges her as she pinches the tip of her Musketeer hat with her fingers.
"Triple Down!" Astarte fires a hail of gun attacks on Shido, forcing him to guard.
"Psiodyne!" The follow up Psychic attack smashes his guard. His other eye heals and he tries to counter.
"Anat, come!" Queen's Persona slides in front of Noir to protect her. The charming musketeer thief sees the Post-Apocalyptic Raider sprint towards.
"Queen, to you!" The two perform a Baton Pass and Queen sends Anat after Shido.
"Feel my rage! Flash Bomb!" The Persona hits the tyrant with a blast of light, blinding him again. Queen charges at him to deliver her brutal aikido beat down, then has her Persona do the finisher.
"Atomic Flare!" By some miracle, Shido isn't knocked down after the blast. He shakes off as much of his daze as he can, then tries joined hand hammer fist her.
"Kamu Susano-O!" Fox's Persona parries the strike with its sword, then stomp kicks him away. Queen turns to Fox as he rushes towards her.
"Rush him, Fox!" Another Baton Pass.
"Bufula!" The ice attack freeze Shido's feet in place.
"Deadly Fury!" The point blank sword attack covers Shido's body in bloody slashes, yet he still refuses to go down.
"Seiteeen Taisei!" Skull's Persona uses Zionga to paralyze the enemy as his master rushes towards Fox.
"Now! Skull!" Skull grins as he receives the Baton Pass.
"Get wrecked! God's Hand!" As the Persona prepares to strikes, Mona's Persona comes to its aid.
"Miracle Punch!" The two uppercut Shido into the air. Skull turns around and joins his hands together for launching position.
"Nice assist! Strut your stuff, Mona!" Mona leaps into Skull's hands for the Baton Pass before being launched into the air after Shido. The feline swings his over-sized sword around to slash him as he passes him, then grins as he calls his Persona to his side.
"Zorro, Garudyne!" The wind blast sends Shido crashing into the ground. Mona snickers as he dives towards Panther, who gets in position.
"Me-yeow! Get 'im, Panther!" The black cat dives into her hands for the Baton Pass, then leaps away. The absolutely livid Panther glares and growls at Shido with the intensity of a thousand suns with Hecate behind her, remembering how he tried to rape her right in front of Joker.
"I'm gonna love watching your skin melt right off your bones, you dick! BLA-ZING HELL!" She stomps her right foot on the ground and, like a violent eruption of an active volcano, lava erupts below him in a massive pillar that pierces the sky.
As the tyrant cries out in pain, Panther and Joker walk beside each other, with Joker preparing for his final attack and remembering the promise he made to Sojiro: Belt him a good one for him.
One good shot, he thinks. All I need is one good shot!
Panther smiles at him, holds his hand for the Baton Pass, kisses him on his cheek, and whispers in his ear.
"... Take him down, Joker." Joker puts on his signature devilish grin, crotches down, and jumps into the air in a veil of black feathers and Curse+Fire magic.
Shido blows away the lava with his power and glares at the thieves on the ground as he keeps himself on his feet through sheer force of will, even though his body is half charred. He charges up for one final Tyrant Wave.
"... Ugh… Grr… Ngah… Y-You… brats… won't… take… me… down…" Oracle descends from the sky, dismisses her Persona, and crosses his arms with a toothy grin on her face.
"You're right!" she says. "… We're not gonna take you down." Panther points ups at the sky.
"... He is."
Shido looks up and his eyes widen when he sees Akira soaring high above him with the light of the waning moon shining behind him, shrouding him in shadow to highlight his glowing evil red eyes. Looking at his foe, the rebel recalls everything this man has done. Robbing him of his future for such stupid reasons, causing the psychotic breakdown and mental shutdown crimes, killing Futaba's mother and Haru's father, having him tortured to the brink of death, and ruining the life of his late friend, Akechi. He even had to gall to stomp all over Futaba and try to take Ann by force right before his eyes. All that anger on the verge of bursting out. And it's given the signal to when Satan's voice echoes in his head.
… End him.
With a demonic roar blaring in the sky, Akira's rage causes his power to explode in a hellish inferno, clearing the sky of clouds completely, as he bomb dives down towards Shido with the force of a meteor.
I won't let you get away... with screwing up this country!
Shido fires his attack into the sky with all of his remaining strength.
I won't let you get away... with murdering my friends' parents!
Akira does a stationary barrel roll and takes the attack head on, roaring through the pain with ease with no sign of slowly down, and pierces straight through it, to Shido's utter shock.
"IMPOSSIBLE!"
I won't let you get away... with ruining me and Akechi's lives!
...
But... above all else...
Akira spins in a vicious counter clockwise rotation and the force of his descent allows his fist to fly straight into Shido's face. Shido, sliding backwards, tries to stand his ground and endure Akira's attack, trying to knock him away with a point-blank range energy punch to the face, but Akira's sheer force of will allows him to power through it and push harder.
I won't let you...! Get away...!
The Curse and Fire magic, the strength of the Phantom Thieves passed onto him through the Baton Pass, the Ultra Charge, and the power of his sin of Pride all surge into his blow and rapidly spirals around it, the raging influx of power in his arm and the resistance of Shido's skull against it making the bones in his arm crack. Even so, he imagines that the loud crack of his bones is the safety hammer of a gun being pulled back... and with all of his bottled up anger fueling it, increasing its power tenfold...
... WITH MAKING MY ANN CRYYY!
Akira roars as loud as he can as his fist shoots straight forward in a flash, like a bullet fired straight out of a gun, and blows his arch enemy away with a thunderous bang, making him crash extremely hard into the wall, trapping him within a massive crater and spreading large cracks to every edge… with what could only be described as his most powerful One-Shot Kill yet.
Akira lands on his feet, still spinning from the rapid rotation, and uses his left hand to stop his motion by planting it into the ground. Clothes torn from the punishment of the Tyrant Wave, right sleeve and glove blasted off from the spiraling energy of the godly One-Shot Kill, and body covered in blood, bruises, and burns, he takes a long moment to catch his breath before limping into the smoke ahead, favoring his injured right arm.
When it finally clear, Shadow Shido, after falling out of the crater in the wall, has been forced back into his normal form, completely beat to a pulp, with Akira standing directly in front of him. He slowly opens his eyes and hangs his head in disbelief.
"... H-How…?! H-H-How could I… lose…?! And… to… a mere boy, no less…?!" Shido slowly lifts his head and stares at the rebel who tore him down.
"... Akira… Kurusu…"
That's it. That's the name of one of his victims. When they first met, the last thing he saw of him was his shocked face of the boy as he was dragged away by the corrupted police for assault. Now, here he is, a full-grown man towering over him in triumph after ending his hideous ambition. All he could do was sigh and accept his defeat like a man.
"... I… I… acknowledge… that I incriminated you on false charges… I did it… to protect myself…" He shakes his head with a face of remorse.
"I am… truly sorry… for what I have done…" Akira just stands there, looking down on him. Those words were a long time coming, yet they didn't really satisfy him. The Shadow smiles weakly.
"It feels as though it's been some time… since I felt sincerely apologetic." The thought of killing certainly crossed the bad boy's mind a number of times, but he remembers what his beloved said to convince herself not to kill her enemy in the past.
If his mind shuts down, he'd think. He can't admit his crimes… right, Annie?
Akira closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, knowing exactly what he wants to say to Shido.
"... The crimes you've committed against Japan... are worthy of death... But... to be delivered by my hands...? ... That goes against my justice... So... let's make a deal…" Shido looks up at him.
"... In exchange… for me letting you… walk away with your life…" Akira opens his eyes and glares at his defeated arch enemy.
"... Atone for what you've done… you bastard son of a bitch…!" The Shadow openly nods, then hangs his head in penitence.
"Yes… That may be good… Hahaha… So… I've been defeated… For the first time… in a very long time… I… I've been defeated… Hahahaha... hahahahahahahahaha..."
The mischievous rebel shuts his eyes and hangs his head, trying to let the reality of what has just happened sink in. He beat Shido. After almost a whole year of cursing his existence and thinking he could never touch him, here he is, lying on the ground before him.
After everything he's gone through… he finally defeated Masayoshi Shido.
Akira grits his teeth and balls up his fists, trembling with built up emotion, then lets it all out in thunderous roar to the sky.
"... GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH- ...Eh?" That's when the adrenaline pumping through his body dies down, his vision starts to blur, and he feels himself swaying forward and back.
"... It all hurts and weighs a ton… How the hell am I standing up…? Everything's spinning… around…" He finally falls backwards, anticipating a hard impact to the floor…
But got a hard slam to the back of his head because Ann tried to dive catch him, but ended up crashing her forehead into him.
The other Phantom Thieves casually walk up to the couple as they scream and roll on the floor in pain. Akira sits up first and glares at her, rubbing the back of his head.
"Come on! As if I wasn't banged up enough already!" he yells. She sits up and glares back at him.
"Shut up! I was just trying to catch you! Stupid moron!" Ryuji crosses his arms and smirks at Akira.
"You alright, Leader?" Akira smiles at everyone and sprawls out on the floor.
"Despite how much hell I must look like right now… just peachy." Ann turns her glare to Ryuji.
"Hey, why aren't you asking if I'm okay?!" she yells.
"You just got a bump on your head! That's all!" Mona pads over to his crush with a smile.
"Here, Panther! Let me kiss it and make it feel better!" Akira slams his left palm on the ground.
"Mona! Restraint is gold! My gun is silver! Don't make me use it!" Makoto sighs and walks over Akira.
"Let's save the chatting for later," she says. "Why don't we heal Akira-kun so we can find the Treasure and leave?" Everyone nods in agreement and the healers gather around their leader to work their magic. Futaba skips over her bro and kneels down.
"By the by, that was coolest finishing move I've ever seen in my life," she says. "Even cooler than the all video games I play." Akira laughs as he stares at his battered right arm, burnt, bleeding, and broken due to to the recoil of the final blow.
"Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it, sis! ... My arm hurts like a mother, though..." He proudly balls his right up into a fist.
"Still... it was sooo worth it!"
xxx
Back in Shido's office in the real world, the real Shido feels a strong pulse surge through his body, forcing him to lean against the glass window, which his lackeys notice.
"Sir?!" Shido shakes his head in dread, knowing exactly what's going on.
"N-No…! Did they succeed?!" He slowly turns to the doctor he has on standby and points at him, focused on the pills he has in his hand.
"H-Hey!"
"Y-Yes sir?" He staggers over to him.
"W-Will I really be able… to kill the Phantom Thieves if I use that?!" The doctor hesitantly explains the meaning behind use of the drug.
"According to Wakaba Isshiki's research, temporarily collapsing a Palace will take down anyone inside it as well. The abrupt nature of the collapse means they will not be able to escape without extreme luck. However, the only way to purposely erase a cognitive world would by halting biological activity. This vile contains a cocktail of poison to stop one's heart and stimulus to start it again. In other words, this medicine will temporarily kill you… There are great risks involved…" Shido snatches the bottle away from the doctor and opens the bottle.
"Anything will do! Give it to me!" He forces it down his mouth like candy and it takes effect instantly. Shido's eyes gradually lose their light as he stares at the ceiling and slowly falls to the ground.
"Now… they're done for…"
xxx
Meanwhile inside the Palace, Akira's injuries are halfway healed when something glows from above. Everyone looks up to see a giant ship wheel shrink down to normal size and descend to them.
"Wait, a wheel?" Ann asks. "And its for a ship?" The Shadow slowly rises to his feet.
"I must... steer this country! If I don't… who will?!" Yusuke furrows his brow in disgust.
"What arrogance…"
"I-I… I…" Suddenly, the Shadow's form destabilizes and it cries out as it falls to the ground and disappears in a ball of fire, much to the shock of Phantom Thieves.
"What the-" Akira sits up in absolute panic.
"NO! HE WAS FINE! THAT SHOULDN'T HAVE KILLED HIM- NGH!" Ann lays him back down.
"Easy! You're not healed yet-"
The tense atmosphere gets worse with the sound of a loud bang and a tremor.
"An explosion…?" The tremor turns into a full on earthquake with another explosion going off. The Palace is definitely collapsing, but…
"But we haven't taken the Treasure yet!" Makoto points out. Mona hastily leaps up to grab it.
"We'll talk later! C'mon! Get Akira up and let's get the hell out of here!"
xxx
The cruiser ship tips over and slowly starts to sink into the sea as the Phantom Thieves rush through the labyrinth hallways with the healers carrying Akira, still tending to his wounds. They stop when they suddenly lose track of where they are going.
"Wait! Didn't we come from this way?!" Ann asks. Ryuji scratches his head.
"We can't get through like-" Everyone briefly screams at the sound of another explosion, escalating the situation.
"What is happening?!" Yusuke asks. Ryuji turns to their navigator.
"Hey Futaba!"
"The ship is exploding!" she says as she uses her goggles. "But why?!"
"What kinda sloppy explanation is that?!"
"I dunno what's happening either!" Akira recalls the time he spent as the out of control Hellspawn.
"Don't tell me… Is this my fault?!" Mona shakes his head.
"No! I told you already! You can't destroy a Palace without taking the Treasure or killing the Shadow!" he explains. "You definitely didn't kill him either, so… Something might've happened to Shido in the real world!"
"Whaddya mean something?!" Ryuji shouts.
"I dunno!" Akira makes a quick deduction. If Shido felt himself having a change of heart and wanted to prevent that at any cost, then…
"No… Don't tell me he killed himself!" Another explosion goes off.
"Standing around here isn't going to help!" Ann shouts.
"We have to run!" Haru yells.
"Futaba, are there any other escape routes?!" Makoto asks.
"I'm looking, but water's flooding in everywhere!" Makoto looks around and sees an open hallway.
"What about that way?!" Just when everyone looks, water immediately floods the way. Haru and Makoto gasp.
"No!"
"Our path…"
"Still, where else can we go?!" Yusuke asks. Ryuji sees water flooding in from where they came.
"Crap! This side too!" With water coming in on all sides, Ann can't help but get this dreadful feeling.
"Are we… sinking…?" Mona grits his teeth in frustration.
"We are not gonna die like this!" Akira suddenly struggles of out of the healers' hold and slams his right palm on the ground, ignoring the pain of his still healing arm.
"PLEASE! SATAN!"
Satan emerges from outside the sinking ship and cast Ice Age on it and the surrounding water to slow its destruction.
Everyone notices the water freeze, then see Akira's face dripping with sweat.
"Ngh! I… can't hold this… for very long…!" Ann kneels down to him.
"DON'T EVEN SAY IT! I'm not leaving without you!" Akira smiles at her.
"D-Don't worry! I'm not saying that…! Everybody brace yourselves!" The ship tips over and everyone slowly falls onto the ice and slides down the hallway to the other side. When they all reach the wall, Akira uses his Third Eye to look ahead of the hallway to his right. Beyond a few tight turns… a way out!
"This way!" Everyone follows him as he sprints up the tilted hallway.
xxx
Everyone finally makes it to the side deck near the bow, but with Satan's power expended, the ship is sinking faster than before. Futaba starts freaking out and pulling her hair.
"WE'RE GONNA DIEEE! I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SWIIIM~!"
"That's why you shoulda let me teach you!" Akira shouts. Makoto looks around and sees a lifeboat hanging off the front of the ship.
"Over there! A lifeboat!" Everyone rushes up to the front of the ship and stop at the top of the monument building, the lifeboat on the far end. Ryuji see the switch that will bring it down.
"We just gotta get there." Yusuke looks back at the rapidly rising water.
"It's too far! We won't reach it in time!" Ryuji glares at the release switch and the distance between them, knowing what he has to do. He shuts his eyes and takes a deep breath through the nose.
"... I got this." Everyone turns to Ryuji as he looks back at them.
"Hang tight! I'll nab the boat!" Ann reaches out to him as he leaps over the edge and onto the building face.
"Ryuji!" He gets himself into track running start position and focuses on the switch.
"It's now or never! Here goes!" The brawn of the group roars as he sprints towards the switch with lightning speed. He leaps over the water to the other side, almost slipping in, and another explosion goes off as he punishes his injured right leg and sprints up the tilted bow.
Everyone else gets on the monument face as the rest of the ship is almost completely sunken, making that their only foothold left, and watch their comrade run. Akira and Ann can't help but smile as the idiot of the group does the impossible, breaking through the limit that his handicapped leg put on him.
"DO IT, MAN!"
"GOOO!" Ryuji makes a big leap to grab onto the lever and uses his body weight to pull it down, releasing the boat. Everyone cheers as the crane moves and the boat swings down and lands in front of them.
Ryuji looks back as the team pulls the boat towards them and get on. When Ann smiles at him, he snickers, winks, and shoots a thumbs up at her. Akira is the last one to get on as Yusuke starts the boat.
"Ryuji, hang on!" Akira shouts. The boat starts moving forward. Yusuke steers it towards the almost sunken bow to pick up Ryuji, with everyone smiling at their brave teammate who just had his time to shine. Akira waves at him.
"Hahaha! Nice job, bro!"
At that moment, the bow is enveloped in fiery inferno. The thieves shield their eyes from the explosion, and when they uncover them, Ryuji, who was hanging on the lever, is nowhere to be found.
"Wha… Where'd he go?" Akira mumbles. Multiple explosions go off until the entire structure is blasted apart. Akira and Ann stand up and watch in horror as the ship burns away.
"... H-Huh...? R-Ryuji...?" Akira murmurs.
"... No way…" Ann mumbles. "... It's can't be… C'mon, what the hell, Ryuji?" The couple cry out for their friend as their are forced to exit the Metaverse.
"RYU-JIIIIIIIIII!"
xxx
Everyone awakens on the sidewalk outside the Diet Building in their normal clothes.
"We're back…" Ann mumbles. They remember what just happened and look around for their friend.
"Ryuji?!"
"Hey, Ryuji!" Akira shouts. "Where are you?! Answer me!" There is no answer and no sign of him anywhere.
"He didn't… make it out…" Haru mumbles.
"We gotta go back!" Futaba shouts. Morgana shakes his head.
"That's impossible."
"Then he has to be here! Ryuji! C'mon, bro! Talk to me! Give me a sign! Anything! Please! ... RYUJI!" Still nothing. After all that yelling and pleading, there's was nothing left but reality:
He really didn't make it out.
The leader hangs his head in disbelief, having already lost one dear friend to Shido's madness.
"... Is this… some kinda sick joke…?" he mumbles. Yusuke pretends to laugh.
"Ha… haha… If it is… it isn't funny at all…" Ann grits her teeth and balls her hands into fists.
"He was our fastest runner too!" Yusuke sees something tiny on the ground and picks it up.
"So, this is the Treasure…" Makoto sadly nods.
"... It's a legislator's pin." Akira feels his chest tighten as he sees Futaba take off her glasses and rub her eyes as she starts to cry.
"Futaba…" He pulls her head onto his right shoulder, then taps Ann on hers. Ann turns to her boyfriend, eyes red and flooded with tears, then throws herself into his embrace as she starts bawling out loud. He holds his sister and his lover as tight as he can and shuts his eyes, mourning his fallen friend. It was a tragedy of tragedies.
...
"Maaaaaan, that was too close!"
...
That one sentence alone destroyed the mood and plastered the dumbest deadpan look on Akira's face.
"... Eh?" The blonde, vulgar, carnal, below average intelligence monkey casually walks up to the group with his hands in his pocket.
"For real though, why do Palaces gotta explode so much?" he complains. "Can't they disappear normally? Y'know, like, just fade away and crap." Ryuji notices the shocked looks of all of his friends, besides Akira, and crosses his arms with a look of confusion.
"... What?" Akira doesn't even bother to join his friends in running to him.
"Didn't you… die…?" Haru mumbles. Ryuji's eyes pop as he is completely oblivious.
"WHAT?! NO!" He scratches his head.
"Well, I… I thought I did at first, but I guess I got blasted out from the explosion. When I woke up, I was lyin' on the grass..." He checks himself.
"I mean… ain't I alive?" Akira has never felt more annoyed since he thought Futaba had a mental shutdown after they help fix her heart because he found her unconscious and wouldn't respond, only to find out that she falls asleep for days like that all the time.
Of course you are, you fucking moron, he thinks. Dumb asses like you just don't know when to die.
Ryuji sees Ann's tear drenched face and swollen red eyes and laughs.
"What's this?! Your cryin' face is so not cute~!" Akira counts down as the idiot laughs and his girlfriend starts to tremble, knowing what's coming next.
"3, 2, 1…"
"UGH! IT'S YOUR GODDAMN FAULT!" Ann slaps the clueless loser as hard as she can, the sound of the impact making all the other guys flinch.
"GAH! OWWW! H-Hey! What the hell did I do?!" Haru rubs her eyes to dry her tears.
"We were worried about you!" she screams. Futaba angrily gets up in his face.
"YOU TROUBLEMAKER!" Ryuji backs up to the lamppost in fear.
"W-Wait, what's this all about?!" All of the girls surround him and crack their knuckles with glares flooding with murderous intent.
"H-H-Hold on, OK?!" Ryuji panics. "C-C-C'mon! I-I almost... k-kinda died!" They take two steps towards him to strike fear in his heart.
"Uh, you guys are joking… right?!" Desperate to escape, he calls out for help.
"Yusuke! Mona! A little hand here, guys?!" The two just turn away.
"Perhaps that spot would make a good scenery painting," Yusuke says, making a rectangle with his fingers towards a random area.
"Is that a mouse I see over there?" Mona asks as he gets into pouncing position.
"C'MON! FOR REAL?!" He calls out to his best bro.
"Hey, Akira! You'd never leave anyone to die, right?! Talk some sense into these girls!" It's true. Usually, Akira plays the upstanding hero that will help anyone in dire need, no matter how difficult or how small the task… but…
Akira pretends to wipe a tear from his eye.
"Oh, if only he had escaped from that ship before it exploded," he fake cries. "Fare thee well, Ryuji Sakamoto! You will be dearly missed… Probably."
Ryuji is left to accept his fate as the girls close in on him to give him the beating of a lifetime. A truly gruesome All-Out Attack.
xxx
Ryuji is left unconscious and beaten down about five minutes later as the girls, Yusuke, and Mona walk away with beaming smiles on their faces.
"I'm feeling rather hungry," Yusuke says.
"Why don't we stop by somewhere on the way home?" Haru suggests.
"Then I want sauteed foie gras!" Futaba declares.
"We're in reality right now, you know," Makoto points out.
It wasn't until they were almost at the station that Ann notices something amiss.
"Hey, where did Akira go?" As everyone is looking around, they hear voices behind them.
"Uggggh… Why are girls so eeeviiil~?"
"Shuddup! That was all on you and your tactless mouth!"
"But I almost diiied…"
"And we thought you did! The least you could've done is say you were sorry for worrying us like that! But nooo~! You just had to tease Ann about her crying face! Just count yourself lucky you have a friend who barely cares enough, you dumb monkey bastard!"
"Uggggggggh…"
Akira is carrying the pummeled and now unconscious Ryuji on his back as he walks towards the group. He didn't have to look at the girls to tell that they were giving him faces that say "Seriously?".
"Don't look at me like that," he groans. "I know, I know. He's a total dumb ass and he deserves to be left for dead…" He lets out a sigh and smiles as he looks at him over his shoulder.
"But… for whatever reason… he's my best bro. What are you gonna do?" The girls smile at his honesty.
"Oh, it's no trouble at all!" Haru says.
"We know it's in your nature to care about others," Makoto chuckles. "Nothing will change that."
"That's what we all love about you, Akira!" Futaba shouts. Ann skips to his side.
"Me especially," she giggles as she pecks his cheek. Akira chuckles and blushes as he leads the group to the station.
"... All who agree that dinner's on him," Akira says. "Say "I"."
All: "I!"
xxx
The next day…
Ann: Anyone hear anything?
Yusuke: Other than the talk of our calling card, I haven't received any new intel.
Ryuji: Me neither.
Haru: Nothing on my end.
Makoto: Sis hasn't heard anything.
Futaba: I've surfed all over the net. No new dets. :P
Ryuji: So ya think Shido's alright? Akira said he might've offed himself to stop his change of heart, didn't he?
Makoto: If he did in fact die, there's no way it wouldn't have made the news by now.
Futaba: Mona says something may have happened, but he was mostly likely revived a little later.
- Shido must've had something planned where he would be dead for a little while, but have his doctor lackeys around to revive so he could destroy the Palace with us in it.
Ann: Well, at least he's alive. Otherwise, all of this would've been for nothing.
Yusuke: And we would be in an even dire situation than before, if that were even possible.
Makoto: For now, we'll just have to wait for any updates on his condition. Hopefully, it's before, if not during, the elections tomorrow.
Ryuji: Hey, wait a sec…
- Yo, Akira! Where are you?!
Futaba : (Picture of Akira sprawled out on his bed)
- He's turned into a log.
- After we got home last night, he dropped straight to floor. He's been asleep ever since.
Ryuji: Not surprised. A lot of shit went down yesterday. That had to have left him pooped out of his mind.
Futaba: We fixed up his arm, though. Shouldn't take too long to be fully healed.
Makoto: Let's just let him rest. Hopefully, he'll be awake by tomorrow so that we can all see what happens.
Ann: Hey. I know it's kinda early, but why don't we get some stuff for a party at Leblanc tomorrow?
Haru: I think that's a great idea! Let's get together after school and search around.
Futaba: I'll force Sojiro to by us sushi! XD
Ryuji: Alright, but it's all on you guys to buy the stuff. I can't even if I wanted to. Know why?
- CUZ "SOMEBODY" SUCKED MY WALLET DRY WITH THE DINNER BILL LAST NIGHT!
- I get I messed up, but c'mon! I almost pissed my pants when I saw the receipt! And I barely even got anything!
...
Ryuji: Hey! Are you guys listening?!
...
Ryuji: HE-LLOOOO?!
xxx
Akira wakes to see that he has been summoned to the Velvet Room. He rose from bed and walks to the cell door with a triumphant smirk on his face. Igor and the twins are where they always are, waiting for him.
"I've reconsidered my opinion of you, Inmate," Caroline says with a smile. Justine nods.
"The look on your face seems to be that of a man who has accomplished a great deed," she says. Akira chuckles in confidence.
"To think you would use the trap they set against you to entrap them," Igor says with his usual grin. "I've never seen a dramatic resurgence such as that." The twin wardens turn to the prisoner.
"And I still can't believe you actually got that Persona to submit to you!" Caroline laughs. "A monster that could rip the whole world a new one and you took control of it!"
"It appears as though even a demon lord is no match for the power of your heart," Justine praises. Igor applauds.
"You have even overcome a mysterious misfortune. Truly marvelous- those are the only words I can think of to describe you." Akira shakes his head.
"Hmph. Once again, you three underestimate me," he says in a cocky tone.
"There should be no one left to hinder your rehabilitation, which should be completed shortly… That is… if everything goes well without problems."
"If any pop up, I'll take care of it in no time." Caroline laughs again.
"Y'know… I actually believe that now!" Akira looks down at the twins, remember how he treated them when let his anger get out of hand.
"Hey, you two… um… I owe you both an apology. I was pissed as hell and I treated you like crap. I'm sorry." Caroline shakes her head.
"Awww, don't worry about it. We'll just think of it as payback for times we may have gone a little overboard with our treatment."
"We are just relieved that you did not meet an untimely end," Justine admits.
… Akira? … Akira?
A voice echoes through the room.
"Sounds like they're calling you," Caroline says. "Get goin'." Akira returns to his bed.
"Right. Well… See you guys later."
xxx
Akira slowly awakens as someone lightly shakes his head.
"Akira? You up yet? C'mon, get up." He slowly sits up, shakes himself awake, and notices that he's sitting in a booth in the store.
He turns to see his band of thieves, Sojiro, and Makoto's sister, Sae, gathered together with a spread of food laid out on the tables.
"Guys? And… Nijima-san?" Sae shushes him and directs his attention to the TV. He sees Shido standing on a stage and a bunch of people cheering for him. He's relieved that he's alive, but only until he hears the tyrant speak.
My election is the result of every citizen's aid. Your support warms my heart.
"Wait… It's Election Day…?" He quickly concludes that he fell asleep after he got home from the hellish battle and was unconscious for about a day due to extreme fatigue. More importantly… Shido won? It's not that surprising since all of Japan was cheering for him all this time… But what about his change of heart? The Phantom Thieves took his Treasure and beat his Shadow.
He didn't have to worry for long as Shido frowns with regret and continues.
That… That is why… That is… exactly why… I cannot forgive myself!
Akira jumps from his seat and slams his hands on the table the instant he hears those last four words. His eyes could never be any wider with utter shock.
"... Huh…?" The thieves smile at him in sympathy, knowing exactly how he feels to see the same thing he is seeing: The sight of his arch enemy confessing his sins right before his eyes.
… The reason President Okumura passed away is… I am the one who killed him… I also… manipulated the information… that The Phantom Thieves were behind the series of mental shutdown incidents… The one who controlled the hearts of others… and gave rise to the countless victims… is myself… It was all for my own promotion… for my own selfish gain…
Akira very slowly walked up to the screen as his sorrow filled words ring through his ears, a maelstrom of emotions spiraling deep within him.
I've even used people's lives as stepping stones… in order to claim this country as my own ship… I… am a true criminal… that can be tried for any crime… And it still wouldn't be enough!
The falsely labeled criminal's body trembles, his chest tightens, and his breathing shallows as the memories of everything he has gone through this past year coming rushing back to him with a violent crash. Being dragged away by the police for assault, being found guilty in court, being forced to move to Tokyo for his one-year probation, awakening to his Persona, meeting Ryuji, Morgana, and Ann, taking down Kamoshida, forming the Phantom Thieves, taking down countless criminals, and making all sorts of friends. It eventually lead to the climax uncovering Akechi's true identity, escaping death, discovering the mastermind's identity, facing off against Akechi, watching him die, sending out the group's best calling card, and defeating the most powerful Shadow he's ever faced.
All of that fighting, all of that pain, all of that work… It all led up to the moment where he'd see Masayoshi Shido yelling into a microphone and begging to be punished with twin waterfalls of tears rolling down his face.
I will confess everything! … Please… I beg everyone… to pass judgement on me…! If I can… atone for… all I've done… with my life… I request that I be judged at once!
The sight of him collapsing on the stage into a bawling mess, his subordinates scrambling in panic, and the people crying out and rioting in disbelief. The boy took all of it in before the broadcast was cut.
Akira stands there for a moment, frozen in place, as the crash of reality gradually fades away.
"It… it's over…" he whispers. "It… it's really over…" He then turns to everyone, a smile slowly cracks on his face, and he starts to laugh. Ryuji stands up and joins him as he shuts his eyes, crotches down to let his happiness build, then screams as loud as he can as he shoots his fist straight into the air.
Ryuji: "HEEEEEEEEEEELL YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAH!
Akira: "WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Sojiro laughs as he hands Akira a glass of soda.
"Here, kid! Everyone, raise your glass!" Akira snatches the glass out of his hand as everyone holds their and Sojiro clears his throat.
"Allow me to say a few words… Now then-" Futaba has a deadpan look on her face.
"He's started taking charge," she sighs. Makoto chuckles as she turns to her.
"Come now. Don't be that way."
"If you're gonna complain, say it to Shido," Sojiro says. "A legislator's pin's worth almost nothing. Ahem. Well then, so, since the source of evil, Masayoshi Shido, has been-" Everyone notices Futaba suddenly start to cry.
"I-I got to avenge… my mom…" she sobs as she rubs her eyes. "I-It's all… thanks… to everyone… T-Thank…" Akira puts down his glass and the floodgates of her emotions break as he kneels down and pulls her in for a tight hug. Tears start rolling down Haru's face too.
"I was able to settle a debt in regards to my father as well," she sobs. Ann, who is sitting right next to her, smiles through her tears as she pulls her in for a hug too.
"We all worked so hard for this…" Ryuji turns to his best bro.
"Not that I'd mind, and I totally get it," he says. "But are you gonna start bawlin' too?" Akira shakes his head.
"Don't get your hopes up," he chuckles. "I'm not the type of person to cry in front of everybody." Makoto turns to her sister.
"Shido's guilty. right, Sis?" Makoto asks.
"It'll be difficult to prosecute him immediately," Sae says. "But I'll do this thoroughly until the causality between his other crimes can be proven. I believe Wakaba-san's research results will save Japan."
"We could testify too, y'know," Ryuji suggests. Sae smiles.
"Thank you, but I'll be fine. I don't want to add any more unwanted suspicions on any of you. It's about time you let us adults prove we can get our act together." Sojiro points to Akira.
"Hey, so what about this guy's education?" Sae turns to Akira.
"I believe it will be fine for him to return to school. It's true that your face will be recognized among those involved, but I doubt they'll take a firm action like suddenly coming to arrest him. At least, they won't do it until the uproar with your "suicide" and Shido's confession have died down." Akira lets go of Futaba.
"Good, cuz I was seriously starting to go stir crazy in this place!" he complains.
"Eventually though, the situation where you and I will be used as scapegoats can't be avoided…" Sojiro furrows his brow.
"You mean in regard to faking his death," he groans. "That wouldn't have happened to begin with had the police done their job properly."
"Of course I plan on doing everything I can. I will protect you all this time. Prosecuting Shido is that first step." Akira stands up.
"So um… what about my case? Is there really nothing you can do about my record?" Sae smiles at him.
"I said it would be barely possible if all the conditions I stated before were met. I didn't say it was completely impossible. Don't worry. I plan to expose the whole truth of that case as well. Japan's hero has the right to a bright future." Akira shrugs.
"I wouldn't call myself a hero. And I don't really care either way. It doesn't really matter anymore. This... is more than enough for me." Yusuke turns to Sojiro.
"Hey, when are we going to make the toast?" Sojiro smiles.
"Oh right. Let's get to it. Ahem. Today is truly-" Akira shoots his glass into the air.
"Blah-blah-blah-Shido-sucks-blah-Phantom-Thieves-rule-blah-blah-blah-blah! CHEERS!"
CHEERS!
"No, wai- HEY!" Sojiro objects.
"I just woke up from a day long sleep!" Akira whines. "I'm starvin', old man!" Sae receives a text on her phone.
"I need to go. It seem Shido's been transferred to a hospital." She quickly sips down her drink and turns to the door.
"Oh, one more thing. It's fine to celebrate, but keep it in moderation, OK? Considering that he's finally back, all of you need to take your education seriously again." With that, she leaves and the mood darkens a bit as most everyone hangs their head.
"Why'd she have to go and say that?" Ann sighs. Akira shrugs.
"Aw, I'm in too high of a mood to care," he says as he takes a sip of his drink.
"Still as carefree as ever," Mona sighs. "But you're still the best at everything." Ann shoots a deadpan look at Ryuji.
"That's why he gets to be… So what would that say about someone who's bad at everything?" Ryuji glares at her.
"Oh shuddup!" Akira suddenly feels a sharp pain in his right arm.
"Aw geez! Ow!"
"Are you okay?" Makoto asks him. Akira laughs as he examines his bandaged arm.
"Yeah. I just remembered how I messed up my arm punching Shido's Shadow so hard in the face."
"That must've been one hell of a punch," Sojiro chuckles.
"Yeah... and it felt pretty great." Akira suddenly recalls something.
"Oh right! I just remembered! What did you guys end doing with that pin anyway?" Futaba reaches into her jacket pocket.
"Check it out! Boom!" She pulls out a clip on bracelet with the legislator pin embedded into it.
"Since we couldn't sell it, we thought it better to turn it into a trophy… And we all agreed on who should have it." Everyone stares at Akira as Futaba offers him the bracelet.
"Huh? M-Me?"
"I think it's only fair," Mona says. "We were all there in fight against Shido, but you pushed yourself to the breaking point to take him down."
"And we believe you lost the most during all of this," Haru says. "Your future, as well as a good friend in Akechi-kun." Akira just stares at the bracelet in contemplation.
"C'mon, man," Ryuji urges. "Just take it already." Akira slowly nods, takes the bracelet, and puts it on his right wrist. The light reflected off the pin hits his face as he stares at his new trophy. The trophy he earned for defeating his arch enemy.
"Thanks guys… Um… 'Scuse me for minute…" The frizzy haired boy walks up the stairs to his room.
xxx
Akira sits on his bed alone in the dark as he continues to stare at his bracelet in deep thought. So many things have happened and they came with so many emotions to feel. He wasn't exactly sure how to deal with it.
He chuckles as he feels someone sit down beside him.
"I… For the longest time… I thought I'd never get my justice for what he did to me…" he mumbles. "One moment, he was there… then poof, gone… I really thought this would never happen…" He rubs the face of the pin with his left finger.
"But… this isn't a dream… We really got him… didn't we?" He puts his glasses away, stands up, walks to the center of the room, and hangs his head, his entire body trembling.
"H-Hey… um… I-I wasn't lying, alright…? I… I-I'm not t-the type of person to uh… c-c-cry in front of everyone… B-B-But…" Tears start flooding down his face and drop onto the floor and he sniffs as he tries to force his words out, smiling all the while.
"... B-But… i-if it's s-s-someone I care about… m-more than a-anything in this world… I-I wouldn't mind if... they s-saw me like this…! I-I… I never try to ask you for too much…! S-So… S-S-So um… D-Do me a huge favor…?!" He slowly puts a hand over his heart and shuts his eyes as he lazily attempts to hold back his sobs, still smiling.
"... L-Let me… L-L-Let me cry… this one time...! J-Just… J-J-Just let me cry in front of you… okay?!" Before she even came up the stairs, he already knew it was Ann.
She walks up to him, taps him on his shoulder, and opens her arms to him as he turns around, all with a tearful smile on her face. Akira doesn't even hesitate to tackle her to the bed with a bear hug. His head ends up on her chest as he lets himself cry tears of sheer happiness, which she doesn't mind at all. His grip on her waist slowly tightens as he sobs.
"... A-Ann…! I… I-I couldn't have done any of this without you…!" Ann slowly wraps her left arm around his waist and places her right hand on his head, rubbing his back and gently pressing his head into her breasts, happily letting him use them as his pillows to cry into.
"... T-Thank you so much…!" he sobs loudly. "... Thank you…! Thank you…!" Ann closes her eyes and pats his head as she lets out a whisper.
"... You seriously don't know how warm you are…"
After a couple minutes of crying, Akira pushes himself off of Ann and rubs his red, swollen eyes.
"S-Sorry…" he sniffs. "That wasn't really like me, was it…? God, I'm such a hot mess right now…" Ann shakes her head.
"Mm-mm. It was nice change of pace," she says. "Usually, it's the other way around." She leans forward, traps his face with both hands, and give him a big smile, with tears still streaming down her face.
"... Hey…" she giggles. "... I love you so much…" Akira puts his hands on her shoulders and they pull each other in for a passionate kiss and a tight embrace.
"... I love you too…"
That's all he says as his bracelet give off a faint gleam in the moonlight.
Last Target: Hit