Persona 5: Shots Through the Heart
Shot 21: God Can't Stop Us!
Joker's vicious roars echo through the Velvet Room as he clashed fiercely with the Twin Wardens, Caroline and Justine, in a fight for his fate, with Igor as a spectator. He was determined to find his band of thieves and win the game that the Prison Master said he already lost, no matter who he had to defy.
The rebel slides backwards on his feet and catches his breath after a clash with the sisters.
"Don't resist, Inmate!" Caroline demands. "Just accept your sentence!"
"One's final moments should be spent in good grace!" Justine explains. Joker stomps his right foot to summon his Persona.
"Then it's a good thing these aren't my final moments!" he shouts. "Satan, Maeigaon!" The twins runs all over the room to dodge his Persona's Curse magic. Caroline closes in and clashes with Joker, electric baton to thief's knife. She knocks him into a wall with Megaton Raid and her sister tries to follow up with and Inferno blast, but he dodge rolls out of the way. At the end of his roll, he sees that the twins are closing with a pincer attack.
Damn, these girls are tough! He hears the clinking of Ann's charm bracelet on his right wrist, stoking his determination. He slams his right palm on the floor.
But still…!
"Ice Age!" Glaciers blast out of the ground Joker, blasting the twins back. As Justine is dodge, a glacier wall traps her from behind and to her sides.
"Thunder Reign!" Satan blasts her with a vicious lightning attack. Caroline tries to hit Joker with a surprise attack, but he uses smoke bombs to conceal himself.
"What the-" He appears right behind her with his special attack ready.
"Lookin' for me?! Fist of PRIDE!" The point blank energy blast sends Caroline crashing into her sister. They were both hit with pretty strong attacks, but it didn't seem to do much. Still, he stands ready to continue as the two get up. Justine notices a shadow of an grand angel towering over him.
"This power…!" she gasps. "Caroline, it's as I thought." Igor notices her hesitation.
"What's the matter?" Caroline stomps her foot and glares at her sister.
"I told you not to falter!" she scolds. "Are going against our master's orders?!" Justine sighs as she follows her sister into another charge. Caroline takes the lead to rush Joker. When he tries to hit her with a God's Hand attack, she jumps over to dodge and Justine ducks under it to exploit the opening with a kick to the gut. Caroline follows up with an overhead electric baton stroke to his back, forcing him to a kneel. The twins then let loose with their own All-Out Attack with a slam into the wall for the finisher.
After all that punishment, Joker refuses to go down as he holds his stomach.
"O-OW! Hoooly hell, that hurt!" he wheezes as he tries to get his wind back. "Now I know how the Shadows feel!" Wasn't exactly the best time to joking around, but that's what always keeps his spirits up. He wipes the trickle of blood of his mouth as he glares at the sisters.
"You're still not gonna stop me!" Satan appeared behind him and charges up for a big attack.
"So stubborn!" The twins summons their own Persona, Ardha, and charge up as well.
As they charge, Joker couldn't help but feel a bit of regret in his heart. Looking past all the insults and labor, he actually had a real bond with these two. They even told him they believe in what he's doing, but they're just going along with whatever Igor says. He still believes that they are friends now, but he has other people that he has to protect right now.
With that thought done, he finishes charging.
"Black Viper!" Satan turns into a blame flame viper and charges towards the twins. The twins fire off their special energy blast attack and it collides with Joker's in a deadlock. The rebel roars as he gives the attack all he's got. An explosion in the middle ends the clash in a stalemate. Caroline sees that the Black Viper attack has left him drained, forcing him to a knee, and she goes in. At the same time, Justine's hesitation reaches its breaking point.
"No… This isn't right!" she mumbles. "Our duty isn't to kill him!" Just before the tsundere sister strikes Joker with her baton..
"CAROLINE!" Her sister's call stop her right before she hits him and contradiction swirls within her.
"W-What… what gives?" she asks herself. "Why am I doubting myself?" She stares into Joker's eyes.
"Is there… another duty left to us…?!" Joker is left in confusion as she puts away her baton and backs away.
"... Caroline?" Igor crosses his arms as he stares at the sisters.
"I believe I ordered his execution." Justine walks up to her conflicted sister. They stare at each other and come to an agreement. For the first time, they question their master's word.
They look towards Igor with skepticism.
"Master… have you forsaken on humanity?" Caroline asks.
"We are wardens- those who rehabilitateprisoners," Justine explains with emphasis.
"What…?"
"Something speaks to me in my mind. Our true duty is not to kill…"
As the three are talking, Joker hears a mysterious voice in his mind.
"Help…" He looks around and sees a blue butterfly bathed in light fluttering through the air.
"Please… help…" The voice and the butterfly ring a lot of bells in his mind. He knows he's encountered them somewhere… but where?
"Who… are you?" he tries to ask.
"Who…? Yes… I… we are those who wish for true rehabilitation…"
At the same time, the twins' resolve strengthens.
"We are not executioners." Justine states. "That is the truth we had forgotten."
"We've decided… We will not forsake humanity!" Caroline declares. "And more importantly…" The twins put a hand on both of Joker's shoulders.
C+J: "We will not forsake the Trickster!" Happy that the two have finally started thinking for themselves, Joker gives them a warm smile.
"... Thanks, you two."
The blue butterfly flies between the two, then disappears in a flash of light, giving them both a headache. They hold themselves up on Joker as they look at each in the eye.
"Your right eye," Caroline says, "And my left… It's as if they're the same… yet mirrored…" Both of them get a vision of a young girl standing between them.
"Ah, now is the time for our wish to be realized…"
The two lightly push off of Joker's shoulder.
"I finally remember…" Caroline mumbles. "How we were torn "apart"...!" Joker's eyes widen.
"Torn apart?" he asks. "Wait… You got your memories back?!" Justine nods.
"Me and my "sister"... We were originally one." She glares and points behind Joker.
"Yet we were torn asunder into halves... by malevolent intent!"
Joker jumps away when he turns around and sees Igor standing right behind him.
"Igor?!" All the cretin does is chuckles maniacally. Caroline looks up at her friend and smirks.
"So we were captives, same as you," she says. "Heh... To think we'd learn that truth from a prisoner…" Justine walks over to the dual guillotine.
"Let us reclaim our true form…" she says. Joker turns to them as Caroline joins her beside the tool of death.
"Hey! We'll give you your last job!" she barks at Joker. "Be thankful and obey! You know how we fuse your Personas together to make new ones? You're gonna do the same to us!"
"You must fuse us together, with your own hands," Justine says.
"And… that'll turn you back to normal?" Joker asks. The twins nods and they position themselves behind the guillotine blades.
"It's time for you to return the favor for us assisting with your overall growth!" Caroline shouts. "Do it with care!" He didn't exactly know how to feel about doing it to them since they look human, unlike most of his Personas. However, he trusts that what they want him to do will work.
Joker commands the blades to rise with his hand and the girls walk up and place their necks in the holes.
C+J: "Now! Fuse us!"
The rebel, recalling all of their memories together, sadly smiles at the twin wardens.
"... Thanks, you two… Thank you…" With warm smile coming from both of them, the two close their eyes and Joker commands the blades to come down.
As soon as the blades come into contact with their necks, the girls turn into a swarm of white butterflies and fuse together in a blinding light, making Joker shield his eyes. When the fusion is complete, he uncovers his eyes to see a short young girl with long platinum hair, golden eyes, and noticeably pink lips wearing a blue dress, and stylish matching headband with white butterfly ornaments and yellow roses carrying an abnormally large book entitled "Le Grimoire".
The dignified little girl curtsies to Joker.
"My name," she says "Is Lavenza. I was torn apart by a malevolent will, and took the form of those twins. I sought help after my body was split in two." With the sound of the word "help" coming from her mouth, Joker finally remembers this girl's voice.
"So then… the butterfly I saw when I awakened to my Persona," he says. "And the one I saw in the interrogation room… That was you, wasn't it?" Lavenza gives him a warm smile filled with joy.
"I believed in you. I knew you would make it thus far." She glares at Igor and braces herself for battle.
"And to the scoundrel who has swindled my master's name… Your lies shall no longer work now that my sight has been restored…!" Joker smirks and nods.
"Oh yeah… We're not finished here, are we?" He quickly whips out his gun, turns around, and levels it at Igor with an intense glare.
"Hurry up and start talkin', you creepy ass old man!" The false Igor closes his eyes.
"The game isn't over yet…" He starts floating in the air in a veil of dark energy and there is a slight change in his voice.
"Whether you human world is left as is or destroyed and rebuilt, it is all sport to me…"
"Be careful," Lavenza warns. Joker nods and continues to glare at the imposter.
"Alright. If you're not Igor, then… who or what the hell you?"
"If I were to put it into words that you could comprehend, I am the Holy Grail that grants wishes…" Joker's eyes widen.
"The Holy Grail… The living Treasure my team just fought?!"
"Precisely… Although, it would be more accurate to say that I am the god who responds to desire and holds dominion over man. The God of Control, if you will."
Joker assembles all of the pieces of the puzzle together. That's what meant when he said "God's decree is absolute" when he ordered his execution. And if he's the core of the distorted cognitive world of the Metaverse… that basically makes him the god who rules over the whole distorted world.
"I hoped that seeing a righteous thief vanquish evil would spur mankind to change their own indolent hearts." He shakes his head and closes his eyes.
"However… the result is as you know- The masses have made it so none of it has transpired. Humans should be met with ruin: you brought forth that answer." The God of Control quickly descends towards Joker, getting right up in his face with his glowing white eyes.
"But to be frank, Inmate, I believe it may be worth reevaluating you. A human has reached the Holy Grail and has seen through my true identity. You have surprised the god that I am often enough. That cannot be done by a foolish commoner. You truly were a prisoner that did not bore me." Joker growls at the malevolent god as he flies around the room in a circle, kicks back in the air, and strokes his chin.
"Perhaps observing you for a while longer may prove even more amusing. So listen well: I shall grant you an opportunity to make a deal with me." Joker cocks an eyebrow as he lowers his gun in curiousity.
"...What kind of deal?" The god snaps his fingers and an image of Earth appears in front of Joker.
"Should you wish it, I shall return the world to its prior state- one rampant with distorted masses. By doing so, Mementos and reality shall be separate once again, and you and your closest allies shall be brought back into existence." Joker's eyes pop at his last statement. Everyone, even Ann, will be brought back into the world.
"You dragged him into the Metaverse and imposed on him an ordeal he did not deserve!" Lavenza exclaims. "Yet, you still intend on toying with him?!" The god ignores her and continues as he flies behind the rebel and puts his hands on his shoulders.
"Not only will the world escape ruin, but the Phantom Thieves shall gradually gain fame unimaginable." An image of the Phantom Thieves towering over the world reflects in Joker's dark gray eyes.
"As you change the hearts of criminals and those who oppose you, those who have remained saintly shall praise and cheer for you in their hearts while those who have sinned shall cower in fear of your name. Eventually, man shall learn to accept the new truth of their world: The word of the Phantom Thieves is the one and only law. In short… you all shall become the gods of the new, free world of peace and prosperity, completely free of injustice. A world that you, Akira Kurusu, long to create deep within the depths of your heart. After all, you've repeated this to yourself countless times: Your world is rotten; it must be changed. Now is the ultimate chance for you to do so." The image disappears and the god flies in front of him and stretches out his hand.
"That is what I offer. So… what say you?"
Joker takes a moment to summarize the deal. Basically, if he agrees to let the world remain distorted, the god will split it from Mementos and he and his friends will be brought back into existence. Not only that, the Phantom Thieves shall be praised as gods, able shape the world to their making. Any who commit injustice or oppose them shall submit to their rule in fear. A very beneficial offer.
Joker smiles and snickers, then openly laughs out loud as he scratches his head.
"Wow… We'll be praised as gods, huh? Well, can't say that doesn't strike a chord in me. And you're right. I do want to make a new world. I didn't care how much being a Phantom Thief and defying the system changed me… cuz I believed deep down that the world couldn't go on as it was. Better to tear it down and start anew…" A long silence dominates the room before Joker frowns.
"... Here's the problem though… The world you're talking about offering me…?" He suddenly glares at the god.
"That's not the kind of world I wanna make!" The god brings back his hand.
"If the distortions aren't stopped, everyone's hearts will be trapped in that damn Prison of Regression forever! You say that it'll be a world of peace and prosperity?! They'll have nothing! No one will be able to think for themselves or become more than are! They'll all just be mindless slaves! That's not a free world and that's definitely not the kind of world I want!" Joker puts hand over his heart.
"The world I'm driven to make is a world rid of injustice. But it's a world of true freedom, where everyone will have the power to make their own choices without being controlled by others. It's a world where everyone can have dreams to aim for and grow to achieve them. And most importantly, it's world where everyone joins to together, hand in hand, to make it a better place. Creating that world is the reason why the Phantom Thieves organization was founded in the first place. It's also why we've fought all this way, even when it meant opposing the will of the world itself. We aren't trying to be worshipped like gods or any if that. We just want, more than anything, to make our dream world a reality. No matter who follows behinds us, we're following our own path and doing what we think is right… and you're the last obstacle standing in our way!" Joker glares at the god again.
"So take your deal and blow it out your ass! Here'swhat's gonna happen: The Phantom Thieves will rise again and we'll come straight after you. And at the very end, I promise you…" He points his gun at him again.
"I'm gonna take this gun… pull the trigger… and blow a hole straight through your goddamn face. That will be the end of this world of corruption... which is exactly what I wanted." The god shakes his head.
"Such irredeemable foolishness. You truly believe that you can slay God?"
"I know I can! After all, he made me strong enough!"
"Hmph… It is true that I trained you as a thief and nurtured your growth, assisting you in the trials I put before you. But answer me this: What is a mere thief to God himself?" Joker smirks at him with evil red eyes.
"Here's a better question: … What's God to a Trickster?" Lavenza, amazed his burning determination, gives Joker a warm smile.
"Well said," she praises.
"So… you choose death for yourself? Very well. I have no need for you." The god slowly disappears as he spread his arms and ascends into the darkness above.
"I accept your challenge, rebellious angel of sin and disarray. Gather your followers and meet me in the heavens above. There, I shall incinerate you all in my divine light. And the spreading of your ashes shall herald the end to your chaos." Joker glares into the darkness above as the god takes his leave from the Velvet Room, the gauntlet officially thrown.
The two turn around, see a ball of light in the center of the room, and shield their eyes when is gives off a bright flash. When the light dies down, they are both shocked to see the stooped, bizarre old man that just left lying unconscious in the same chair and table from before. Joker's surprised face was of dumb confusion as Lavenza rushed over to him.
"Master!"
"EHHH?!" The old man slowly awakes and looks around the room. Sure enough, he had the signature creepy smile down pat, along with the very long nose.
"Mnngh… Oh my… It's been quite awhile since I last set foot in this place…" His voice was the only thing that was different. It wasn't even half as creepy as the old one's. He notice Joker standing in front of him.
"Ah, yes. Welcome to the Velvet Room," he says. "My name is Igor. I am pleased to make your acquaintance." His demeanor is more humble too. Lavenza turns to Joker.
"He is the rightful master of the Velvet Room," she says. "The true aid on your journey." Joker stares at the two for a bit before hanging his head and slumping his shoulders.
"Oh my God, I'm sooo lost right now!" he groans. The real Igor nods.
"It may be difficult for you to understand this all at once."
"If I were to summarize this," Lavenza says. "The "fake" has left, and the "real" has returned."
"Indeed…" Joker sighs in relief.
"Okay! That makes a whole lot more sense!" he exclaims.
"My master has returned, and you won against that malevolent god's temptation. Thus, you may be able to save this world that is headed towards certain ruin." Lavenza frowns.
"However, it will prove difficult to win against him with your power alone…" Joker shows Lavenza the glowing charm bracelet after she tells him something he already knew.
"Yeah. I need my friends back first…" he says. "They're here, aren't they?" Lavenza nods.
"Precisely. Since you have shared your conviction with them, they will be your greatest strength." Igor chuckles.
"This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter," he explains. "Therefore, it can be used as a safe haven for those who have, for example, disappeared from a world fused with both reality and cognition."
"Just as you were trapped here, they should be confined somewhere as well. Since you've deepened your bond with them, I am certain you can release them." Lavenza point to the bracelet.
"That trinket on your wrist is infused with the aura of the Arcana that represents your strongest bond: The Lovers. Your relationship with that person is the core of the united bonds you have forged with your friends. Use it to guide you through the corridors. It will act as your way to trace the branches of your bonds to its root. And once they- The Phantom Thieves- are all gathered here, we will tell you everything." Igor snaps his fingers and the door on the right side of the room opens.
"Now, go forth- to the people whom you should be facing the truth with!" Joker slowly nods and takes off the bracelet as he walks to the door. He stop in front and looks at the bracelet in his hand, it pulsating with mysterious light. This trinket, symbolizing his bond with Ann, will help him find her and everyone else. The thought alone was enough to put a smile on his face.
I can always count on you… can't I?
"... Show me the way." He tosses the bracelet forward and jogs after it as it floats in the air through the dark halls, leading him to his teammates.
xxx
In a locked prison cell at the end of a dark corridor, Ann is sitting on the floor, dejected, alone, and unable to go on.
She suddenly feels something shiny fall into her lap. She looks down to see a familiar trinket of hers.
"Huh…? This is…"
"... ANNIE!" She turns toward the cell door and sees Joker sprinting to her with a big smile on his face. She smiles a little too at the sight of him.
"Akira…!" she lightly gasps. "Thank God you're safe…" Joker grabs the bars.
"Same to you!" he chuckles. "I knew you were still alive. And you're more a sight for sore eyes than usual."
"Oh… yeah…" She picks up the charm bracelet and shows it to him.
"You held onto this for me… I was wondering where it went… Thanks…" Joker nods.
"Of course. I gave that to you, after all. Plus, it actually helped me find you. Just try not to lose it again." She slightly nods and looks down at the ground in long silence.
"You okay?" he asks. She looks up.
"Hey um… you wouldn't happen to know where we are, would you?" she asks. Joker puts his hands in his pockets.
"Someplace safe. I promise." Ann looks down again, her eyes filled with hopelessness.
"Huh… So I'm not in Heaven after all… That means the Hell that Shibuya turned into was all real…" She chuckles at herself and turns away from Joker.
"... God, I'm so weak." she says. "When I thought I was about to die, I… started trembling. I was just so scared… At that moment, nothing matter… The justice of our actions was the last thing on my mind." Joker leans against the wall and sits down next to her from outside the cell door.
"Don't worry… I was scared too… Seeing everyone you love literally vanish before your eyes and you can't do a thing about it… It does that to you." Ann turns to him.
"You're still way stronger than I am… You kept going even through a plan that might have ended up getting you killed… Yet look at me… I said I was doing this for other people, but that didn't get me far… Haha… it's no wonder we lost." Ann hangs her head.
"Fact is… I never had the strength to be a Phantom Thief… Maybe it would've been better if everything just never happened… Maybe I should've just behaved myself and stayed out of all of this…" A long silence dominated the area as she place her head on her knees.
"... You're right," Joker says. "That's completely true. We should've never done any of this. If we had just left well enough alone, the world wouldn't be in the shit hole it's in now. Everything we've done? It was all for nothing." Ann chuckles at Joker's statement.
"So what if people are trampled all over and suffer because of rotten people in power? It's not ourproblem. Especially with Kamoshida. We didn't really have to stop him from abusing the volleyball team, or sexually harassing students. Me and Ryuji should've just accepted that we were gonna be expelled and you should've just agreed to be his plaything. And it doesn't really matter if we never got justice for Shiho. Who cares if she stayed in that coma or just died?" Ann's head pops up at his last two comments.
"THAT'S-" Joker glares at her.
"Not true, right? Then why is that basically what you're saying right now?!" He stands up and looks down at her as he grabs one of the bars.
"Would you wake the hell up and look inside yourself?!" he barks. "You would've never just sit by and let that perverted bastard get away with what he did to you or Shiho! And the reason you became a Phantom Thief in the first place is because you didn't want anyone else to go through what you did, same as me and Ryuji! Don't you dare say you're not strong, either! Seriously, I'm sick of hearing that bullshit from you! Hecate is obvious proof that your heart is so strong! Plus, look at how far we've come! We took down a corrupt politician and made it to the heart of Mementos! I don't think "weak" people could even come close to pulling that off! So what does that say about you?" Ann's eyes widen as her leader speaks.
"... Akira…" He shakes his head.
"You are not weak, Ann Takamaki. You're the Phantom Thief that strives to punish rotten criminals and give courage to people who need it. You're the Vague model that wants to take the world by storm and teach it the true meaning of strength of heart… And more importantly…" Akira takes off his mask, grabs another bar, and gives her an affectionate smile.
"You're the woman that I would… no, the one that I will kill God for. The one I want to marry, move into either a good apartment complex or a nice big house with, and have one to three kids with, if you're up for it. The one that I will show proof that my feelings for her couldn't be more real. I'm not promising you that because I think I need to make sure you know I'm not playing around. I'm promising you that because I can't imagine my life without you, regardless of whether my future's bright or not anymore. I don't know what's gonna come my way. All I know is… there's no way I can make it if you're not there with me… There's no future for me if you're not a part of it… Know why?" He slides his right through the bars and holds it out to her.
"... Cuz that's how much… I love you, Annie." Ann stares at his hand, looks up at him, then closes her eyes, taking in the feelings of his words.
"... You're right. I could never abandon Shiho… I promised myself that I'd help her by showing her how hard I'm working… If I whine like this now, I'd just betraying her." She furrows her brow and shakes her head.
"No, I'd be betraying myself!" She looks up at Akira with eyes burning with resolve.
"I could never forget how I felt that day! And I never want anyone to have to go through what I did!" She grabs Akira's hand and squeezes it as tight as she can, the bracelet still in her hand.
"I've made up my mind! I'm going to keep moving forward! Things like dying or losing aren't important right now! All that matters is that I don't turn back into the old me! I'll never make that mistake again! I swear!" After Akira yanks her to her feet, she stares at him for a bit before giggling with a big blushed smile on her face.
"... After all… that's not the girl you fell in love with, is it?" Akira sheepishly laughs and scratches his cheek with his finger.
"Nope. Not at all." Blue flames start creeping up her legs as she walks up to the gate and stares into her boyfriend's eyes.
"There you go again, always helping me out when I need it…" she says sweetly. "You really are... my "Kira"…" Akira slips both of his hands through bars and places them on her cheeks.
"... And I will always shine your way." He pulls her in for a passionate kiss before the flames engulf her and the door vanishes into thin air. When the flames die down, Ann is back in her Panther outfit with her red cat mask on top of her head.
The two separate and share a warm, snug embrace.
"Hey… I'm sorry," Akira whispers. Ann nuzzles into his shoulder.
"I'm sorry too," she says. "I mean, it was mostly my fault. I'm the one who jumped to conclusions." They hold each other's shoulders and push away slightly.
"Still, I'll buy you a cake for that blonde airhead thing." Ann giggles.
"Hey. When all this is over…" she says. "Do you wanna, I dunno… be more open… about us…?" Akira takes a second to think, then nods.
"Y'know what? Yeah. I think we've been hiding it long enough, even though almost everyone already knows." Ann giggles again as she takes off her left glove.
"Thanks, Akira. You're always there to help me remember what's important. I seriously treasure being able to be a part of your team! And…" She shows him putting the charm bracelet on her wrist and putting her glove back on over it.
"I'm the luckiest girl in the world to be yours! You stole my heart and made it so strong! So seriously, thank you!" Joker nods as he puts his mask back on, then gives her a serious look as he cracks his knuckles.
"Alright, Panther!" he says. "Break time's over! We still got work to do! You and me are gonna take the world, remember?!" Ann nods.
"Gotcha, Joker. It'd be a total disgrace to the Phantom Thief name is we didn't take the world's biggest Treasure!" She slides her mask on and fist pumps.
"We're going to put an end to this, aren't we? Let's go!"
The mood is completely ruined by the sound of a megaphone going off, making Panther shriek and latch onto Joker.
"EEK!" Lavenza's voice echoes through the corridors.
"It seems you have managed to save all of your teammates. Now then, please gather in this room at once."
"Wh-What was that voice?!" Panther shouts.
"Calm down. It's a friendly." She looks to her leader.
"Wait… so you already saved everyone else?" Joker scratches his head in frustration.
"Almost everyone! I looked in every single one of these cells, but I couldn't find Mona anywhere! And the bracelet isn't reacting anymore!" Panther's eyes widen.
"What?! Then where is he?!" Joker pulls her along as he jogs down the corridor.
"I know exactly who to ask."
xxx
Almost all of the Phantom Thieves are gathered in front of the Velvet Room, waiting for the rest of their teammates. Oracle sees her big bro and sis jogging turns them.
"Oh! There they are!" Everyone turns to the couple and smiles.
"Wassup, you guys?!" Skull shouts.
"I'm so glad you're alright!" Noir exclaims. They all suddenly notice that they're one person short.
"Hold on. Joker, I only see Panther with you," Fox says. "Where's Mona?" Joker walks right past his friends.
"That's what I'm gonna ask them," he says.
"Huh? Ask who?" Queen asks.
"The people in charge here. C'mon." The team follows their leader into the room where Igor and Lavenza are waiting and look around.
"What is this place?" Fox asks.
"Who're they?" Queen adds. The two introduce themselves.
"My name is Igor. I am the master of the Velvet Room."
"I am Lavenza, a resident of this place as well. We have been waiting for you."
"Velvet Room…?" Noir repeats.
"Y'know how sometimes I have Personas I didn't get from Hold Ups?" Joker asks. "This is where I go to make those. I've been coming here since April."
"My master has just been released from a long period of imprisonment," Lavenza explains. "His powers have not fully returned. Though it may be presumptuous of me, I will speak on his-"
"Hey, where's Morgana?" Panther asks. Joker glares at her.
"Panther, don't interrupt!" he scolds.
"No, it is quite alright," Lavenza says. "Would you like to see him?" Joker turns to her.
"Yeah, we… Wait. You know him?!"
"Of course," she says. "He's right over there." Lavenza directs them towards Joker's cell as Morgana casually walks out from it.
"That's where you were hidin'?!" Skull shouts. The black cat hangs his head.
"I… was born here," he says. "It was to dispel an evil being from man's spiritual world." Oracle kneels down to her friend.
"Mona…?"
"My role was to find the Trickster and help him defeat it. That's why I was created here by my master." The group looks at Igor, who nods in confirmation.
"Indeed." Mona takes a deep breath before continuing.
"I really remember everything. When this place was about to be taken over, my master gathered the last traces of mankind's hope. He mustered up his remaining strength to make me."
"The entity that calls itself a god," Lavenza explains. "Is a malevolent will that forces man into everlasting servitude. It hopes to attain eternal peace by filling reality with those who have stopped think for themselves. That is the ruin of man that this evil god envisions-" Skull interrupts her.
"I… um… don't get what you're sayin' at all-" Lavenza stomps her foot.
"UGH, BE QUIET AND LISTEN! WE DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME LEFT!"
"Y-Yes, ma'am!"
Caroline! I missed you, Joker thinks.
"Wait… the Holy Grail is… a god?" Queen asks. "I was wondering why it had a will of its own, but… are you implying that it isn't a Treasure?" Lavenza shakes her head.
"No. As the distorted desires of the masses, it is most certainly the core of Mementos itself. But as it as has already told you, its sole purpose is to grant wishes, whatever they may be."
"Then… did the Holy Grail become a god because people wished to be ruled over…?" Noir asks.
"That is correct." When Lavenza opens her book, pages from it magically fly out and create a giant sphere above with an image of the Holy Grail towering over a chess board inside. One side had red pieces and the other had blue.
"To decide the fate of the world," Lavenza says, "It chose two people with potential and pitted them against each other."
"What kind of… potential?" Queen asks.
"Those who possess the power of the Wild Card, the ability to wield multiple Personas within them." One of the red pieces turned into the Black Mask Akechi.
"One, Goro Akechi, incited the masses' distortion. Had he won, the world would have been destroyed and remade in mayhem and corruption." Eight of the blue pieces turn into the Phantom Thieves, with Joker leading the charge.
"The other was a Trickster who would stand up against this. As you may have already guessed, that was your leader, Akira Kurusu." Panther crosses her arms and tilts her head.
"But that doesn't make any sense, though," she says. "I mean, Akira and Akechi didn't meet each other until months after Akira was arrested for a assault. I don't get why a game like that would be set up just in case of some freak coincidence…" Joker comes to a horrible realization.
"... Unless... it wasn't a coincidence at all," he states. "The Holy Grail set the whole thing up, didn't it?" Images of the major Shadows the Phantom Thieves fought, including the raging Wakaba Isshiki cognition towering over Futaba's Shadow, float in front of the Holy Grail, with Shido's in front.
"Using Shadows that escaped the Prison of Regression and became Palace rulers, the evil god influenced your paths so that you two would meet. The one you know as Masayoshi Shido was used to create and corrupt Goro Akechi, the Trickster of Destruction, and then later set you, the Trickster of Salvation, on a collision course with him. The rest, from Suguro Kamoshida to Sae Nijima, were used to set the stage for your inevitable confrontation." Fox crosses his arms.
"I see," he says. "So the Shido Scandal was a means to force those two into fighting each other." Joker growls at the thought. The Holy Grail basically forced him to fight his friend. And what's more, that scandal was what caused his fateful encounter with Shido, which means the evil god was indirectly responsible for ruining his future.
The image of Joker destroys the one of Akechi.
"And Akira won," Mona says. "So the human world was to remain as is. Those were the conditions of the game… Or at least, that's what should havehappened." All images disappear and Lavenza closes her book after all of the pages flow back in.
"That malevolent being knew that a revolution would not occur within indolent humans. After all, it is the masses' distorted desires incarnate." Lavenza directs everyone's attention at Joker.
"However, my true master believed in humanity. He believed that a Trickster would rise among the people and accomplish this change. A Trickster with a strong and noble heart who fights to destroy the corruption of the world and bring about true freedom and justice. But that evil entity laughed at the prospect, and sought to prove the powerlessness of man with the game. And Akira Kurusu had great potential, which is why it approached him. It helped train the Trickster of Salvation, only to cast him into despair, using the masses who rejected their savior. This was likely its means to nip in the bud anything that posed a threat." Lavenza taps her chin with her finger.
"Now that I think back to when I was separated, I felt a disagreement with the word "rehabilitation"." She nods.
"Of course I did. It was just a means for the fake to keep you under surveillance." Joker crosses his arms, irritated by the final conclusion.
"Lemme get this straight!" he exclaims. "If Akechi won, the world would've been ruined through mayhem and corruption, and if I won, it would've been ruined through stagnation and decay! So no matter who won between the two of us, the world was just gonna meet its ruin anyway?!" Mona hops onto his right shoulder.
"That basically means you and Akechi were both dragged into a game in which the evil god rigged the final outcome." Skull stomps his foot in outrage.
"Dammit, what the hell?!"
Just like Bastard Shido, Joker thought. His deal was just another goddamn farce!
Lavenza's eyes fill with regret.
"Your real world has already been fused with Mementos. You all do not exist because reality is replete with the cognition of those who deny the Phantom Thieves. It can be said that the world is one step away from the evil god's machinations." She closes her eyes and shakes her head.
"However… there is still hope…" She looks up at Joker.
"Akira Kurusu. Now that the evil god's identity has been exposed, you can see your rehabilitation to its completion. Only you can leave this prison and save this distorted world and its captive people…" She points at the rebel with a serious look.
"Young man, guided by Morgana and worthy of the Trickster name. You must challenge the evil god and reclaim your existence in reality… Are you up to the task?" Joker scratches his head.
"Hm… Well… that depends on the answer I get from this question…" He turns to his band of troublemakers and smirks at them.
"... You guys aren't really expecting me to do all of this by myself, are you?" Everyone gives him a smile and Panther puts her hands on her hips.
"Are you kidding?!" she laughs. "We wouldn't stay behind, even if you told us!" Skull cracks his knuckles.
"Yeah! Let's destroy that annoyin' shiny Treasure jerk for sure this time!" The Phantom Thieves nod in agreement and Igor applauds them.
"Excellent!" he chuckles. "There is nothing to fear. You already possess the strength to oppose this evil god. The power of your heart and your bonds with others. For a Wild Card, there is no greater weapon… Hm hm hm hm hm hm! I am truly looking forward to this!" Lavenza points to Mona.
"Our mutual friend knows where the exit is. Morgana, please guide them." She frowns with empathy and bows to him.
"And thank you for all that you've done. It is a cruel responsibility that's been cast upon you…" Mona points at her.
"I will accept your words of appreciation fully when everything is over." With that, he starts jogging towards the exit.
"Alright! This way!"
As the thieves sprint up the stairway to the exit, Joker feels an inferno of determination burning within him, one stronger than the one he felt when he faced Shido.
He's trying to create a world where people aren't free to think for themselves…! And so many lives, including mine, were trashed for the sake of his sick little "game"…! I don't give a damn if he's God himself! I'm putting an end to him and his world!
Everyone reaches a bulky iron door.
"What's this…?" Skull asks. "It's one hell of a door…"
"But it is our way out…" Mona says. Joker suddenly feels something resonate within him. It's his most powerful Persona, Satan, calling out to him. He closes his eyes to meet the monster in his subconscious.
"A most interesting turn of fate," the demon says. "Wouldn't you agree, Trickster?" Joker crosses his arms.
"Yeah. Shido was just a figurehead all along," he says. "To think my case was actually with the Big Man Upstairs."
"I hope you've come to understand the reason behind your affinity with me."
"Huh? What're you talking about?"
"In this distorted world, the natural order has become unbalanced. God plans to chain all of mankind down, stripping them of all manner of freedom, in the name of absolute Law with no opposition. It may be a peaceful world to the naked eye, but it is a world that possesses not a single scrap of a soul. Chaos may bring misfortune and disarray, but it also brings all manner of freedom and allows man to have actual vibrant souls with the desire to evolve. Law and Chaos must keep each other in check for the bright future of the human race. So if God is now the tyrant that strives to conquer the world with his Law, what does that make you and I, ones who fell from grace, as his greatest threat?" Joker was pretty quick to understand.
"... It makes us… heroes of Chaos."
"Precisely. You and I are very much alike. While we care not for what the public thinks of our actions, we will not sit idly by as free will is being stripped away. That is a grave sin that God has committed. And now, he must be punished." Joker smirks at the monster.
"Heh… That's actually a great way to put it." Satan brings his face down to Joker, then surges into him in with his phantom form in a blinding red light.
"See your justice through while carrying the name of "Devil" with all of your pride, Trickster. Let your sinful darkness put the saintly light in check. Enslaved by Law abiding angels, it is exactly what this rotting world needs... Do what you've desired to do deep down in your heart since your wings were tainted black with sin...
Destroy his world, Akira Kurusu."
Back at the door, Panther is examining their exit.
"I don't see any handles or locks to pick." Mona looks towards his leader.
"There's a special way to open it… Joker, if you would." Everyone turns to Joker and sees that he is being cloaked in black and red energy. His eyes glow red as he focuses on the door.
"... Stand aside." They clear the way as he inhales sharply through his nose to build up power. He crouches down, ascends into the air in a veil of darkness and black feathers, and lets out a demonic roar as he dive kicks into the iron door, instantly blasting through it and letting a blinding light shine through.
xxx
The Quarantine Cell door from the Prison of Regression, used to lock up the most sinful and dangerous criminal, manifests in the real world before it is blasted open by an unholy force. The being shrouded in darkness lands outside of it before the veil disappears to reveal the righteous leader of the Phantom Thieves.
"Still a reckless show-off to the very end, huh?" Joker turns to every else walks out of the door with Panther giving him a funny smile.
"Shuddup! I wasn't even trying to show off this time." Everyone notices that they've returned the place they vanished from.
"Huh?! We're back in Shibuya again?!" Panther exclaims. "Oh right… This is where we were when our bodies disappeared." Everyone looks around the distorted city and sees that the people are still going about their business like nothing is wrong.
"It seems people still haven't realized that this abnormality has taken over the city," Queen says. Fox looks back to the destroyed door.
"Look, the door we just came through…!" he says. "If I remember correctly, this is the one to that Quarantine Cell."
"Or… what's left of it, anyway," Oracle points out. The doorway gradually cracks and crumbles to rubble.
"That's right. It was actually the Velvet Room, which had been swallowed up by the distortions," Mona says.
"You did say you were born in there," Noir recalls. "It makes so much sense now." Skull comes to a realization.
"Wait… so if we came outta there… does that mean we're the sinful criminals?!" Skull asks. He shakes his head and turns to Joker.
"No, hold on… They said it was just one person, so… it's more Akira, since he was kept in here!"
So, I really am his world's greatest threat, Joker thinks. Just like Satan said…
"Most likely, Joker had been on under the malicious guidance of the evil god ever since he awakened to his Persona." As Mona is talking, everyone notices his body shining with white light.
"The Velvet Room originally existed to nurture the human mind," he continues. "But after it was taken over, it was sealed inside that bastard's nest; Inside Mementos." Mona notices his friends just staring at him.
"Hey! Are you guys listening?!" he shouts.
"Y-Yeah, we are, but…" Oracle says. "More importantly, Mona?"
"Hm?"
"You're shining," Queen tells him. Mona looks at himself.
"It's probably because my memories have returned. I know what my purpose is now."
Huh…? Whoa… Do you see something… shining? Wait a sec, wh-what's with those weirdly-dressed guys?
Joker hears an unknown voice and looks to see that there are a crowd of people staring at the group.
"What the… Hey, guys! Listen!"
I feel like… I've seen those costumes before…
Oh! Aren't they… the Phantom Thieves? I kinda remember seeing a silhouette of them on a jumbo screen in the city…
The Phantom Thieves?
Oh yeah, that's right! I completely forgot about them!
"This is different from how is was before," Panther says. "Do they see us…?"
"It doesn't seem to be everyone though," Queen points out. "Only a handful of people in this large crowd."
"Maybe it's because of Mona's light!" Skull hypothesizes.
"Either way, they remember the Phantom Thieves!" Noir exclaims happily.
"The key of hope!" Oracle gasps, saying it like it was from a video game or anime.
"Mona, guide us," Fox tells him. "Where must we go?" Mona directs the group's sight towards a path made of bones leading to a massive tower that pierces through the blood red clouds.
"Over there! The evil god should be in that temple!" Joker turns to the group.
"Right…" he says. "Okay, guys! This'll definitely be our last infiltration! Let's show "God" that this world belongs to humanity!" Everyone smiles and gives the leader a determined nod.
So, with a flap of his trench coat and a glint of his evil red eyes, the righteous Trickster sets his sight on the God of Control's temple, fired up for the final confrontation.
"Time for the grand finale!"
Target: Hit