Persona Trinity

by IIIIIIIIII

Six months have passed since the defeat of Yaldabaoth and the disbandment of the Phantom Thieves. Ren Amamiya now enjoys a normal high-school life, hard-won though it may be. For once, normalcy started to feel normal. However, the whims of fate would set the Wild Card User on another path. And he would be far from the only one fate would call on. Pairing: Pseudo RenxHarem YuxHarem

27. The Tower of Torment

A/N As promised, here's the sort-of part two of the last chapter. I decided to split them off because they're so radically different, but feel free to let me know if you thought they just work better together. Anyway, without further ado…

Disclaimer: I do not own Persona, or any of its characters, and I make no money off of this.

Chapter 27

Metaverse: Southeastern Shinjuku, Outside the Other Tower…

Joker looked back at his other teammates motioning for them to come forward as he observed a nearby patrol of guards pass them by. The Phantom Thieves made their move with the poise of expert infiltrators, none of them making so much as a sound as they approached the doorway to the tower of their choice.

The entrance itself was a massive gate, though fortunately it wasn't blocked off. Without so much as uttering a word, Ren, Ryuji, Makoto, and Ann split up between each side of the door and put all of their strength into opening it for the others. They managed to do so successfully, with Joker standing guard and ushering the others in before he finally stepped inside with them, closing the entrance behind him as they did so.

They began observing their surroundings and almost immediately found it odd how plain the ground floor appeared. It was a large and had a floor made up of massive intricately-designed tiles, and several luxurious-looking chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Other than that, the space was barren.

"Anyone else feel underwhelmed?" Skull asked.

"Don't let appearances fool you," cautioned Queen as her eyes keenly surveyed the room. "Remember, if that cryptic message is to be believed, this tower is filled with traps."

"…how's that, exactly?" Skull uttered confusedly. He gestured towards their surroundings. "There ain't even anything here. What, am I supposed to jump up to the chandeliers to trigger the trap or somethin'?"

"Not everything has to be a booby trap," Panther chastised.

"Yeah, yeah," he replied, waving her off uncaringly.

"Looks like there's only one way forward, too," Joker pointed out.

Everyone's eyes soon shifted to the ordinary-looking doorway on the room's far side. Skull, as careless as ever, started to walk forward.

"Then what're we waitin' f—"

A firm hand courtesy of Ren stopped his advance, which came somewhat to his surprise.

"Not so fast," Joker stated. He reached into his coat pocket, pulling out a few coins and shuffling them around in the palm of his hand.

The Trickster began to flick the coins one by one onto the tiles lining the floor. Most in his party understood what he was doing, and before long he'd marked a presumably safe path to the doorway.

"Good thinking," Queen complimented, smiling proudly. "I admit, I'm surprised you had that level of foresight to bring those with you. Even I hadn't thought of something like that."

"I just happened to have a hunch," he replied with a shrug, all the while sporting his characteristic cocky smirk.

"There he goes again," sighed Panther, albeit with an amused smile of her own.

"In any case, let us follow the path lain out ahead," Fox cut in.

In no time at all, the Phantom Thieves had made their way to the door and began to observe it cautiously. Well, most of them did. One among them in particular didn't really think much of it, and for one very good reason.

"Yep, definitely a door. That's the most door-ey door that's ever doored," the thuggish Persona user remarked mockingly.

"Dial it back, Skull," Oracle replied, her eyes half-lidded in annoyance.

"Oh come on, can't I have some fun?" he chuckled, clearly amused by his own joke. "Plus, it ain't like there's anything interesting about it, right? Huh, 'cept maybe the spider webs on the upper corner."

"Spider? W-Where?!" Panther exclaimed.

Everyone outside of the obvious trio of Ren, Haru, and Ryuji took a step backwards, though the three girls' reaction had been the most visible. Only Ryuji found it amusing, though, and quickly made that fact known.

"For real? Spiders?" Skull asked, a bit of a chuckle underlaying his words. "Wow."

"Shut up!" Panther growled.

"What she said," Oracle uttered with a scowl. "No one likes spiders! It's perfectly natural to be afraid of them!"

"On that, I can't help but agree," Fox chimed in.

"I'm not exactly crazy about spiders either," Joker admitted.

"Wha—dudes!"

"Thank you," Queen stated with an appreciative smile.

"See?" Panther uttered triumphantly. "Joker and Fox know what's up."

"Yeah, well, if I were you, I'd start thinkin' about what's down. 'Specially considerin' there's a spider on the floor right in front of ya."

Just the thought of the blond's words being true sent a shiver up Ann's spine. She would have jolted backwards, but both Makoto and Futaba had reflexively cowered behind her and were practically using her as a human shield.

They all quickly realized that there was nothing even resembling a spider nearby. The annoying look of amusement on Ryuji's face was proof enough of that.

"Pfft—hahahaha!" cackled Skull. He gestured a taunting finger at the trio. "Aw wow, that's rich! Man, you shoulda seen the look on your faces!"

"You know, it's things like this that cause them to physically harm you," Fox stated with disdain.

"Who cares? Totally worth it as far as I'm concerned."

"I'll make sure to remember you said that," Panther replied with a glare. She peered over her shoulder. "But more importantly, I wanna know why you guys always hide behind me whenever stuff like this happens!"

"Um… because your tall?" Queen uttered quietly, if not a bit nervously.

"What does that matter?! I'm probably twice as freaked out by spiders as either of you two are!"

"Not scientifically possible," Oracle protested.

"Getting back on topic…" Noir began, sounding a bit unsure of herself as she cleared her throat. "Perhaps we should focus on the path ahead?"

"Agreed," Joker replied. "Oracle, mind taking a look?"

The navigator called on her Persona and lowered her goggles, giving every bit of her focus to the first barrier the tower had presented to them. She remained like that for a time as the others stayed perfectly silent so as to ensure she was able to concentrate properly.

"…yep, it's the most doorey door that ever doored."

Skull quickly became lost to a fit of laughter while everyone else remained far less amused.

"Really? That only got one of you?" Oracle asked rhetorically. "Man, talk about a tough crowd."

"Ignore 'em. They're probably still salty about the spider thing," Skull said uncaringly.

"No, we're just taking this a bit more seriously than you clearly are," Panther countered, her eyes narrowed.

"Guys, for real, what else do we need to do to make sure this is just a normal freakin' door? If Oracle took a look and ain't seein' anything, then what gives?"

"…I hate it when he makes sense," Mona grumbled.

"And I will take that as a win," Skull uttered proudly.

"First of all," began Queen, her tone indicating a lecture was incoming. "The door itself isn't something that I'm worried about. It's what will happen after we open it."

"Beware of trap before door and the beasts that lurk below," Noir recited.

"Exactly so."

"Hmm… isn't that worded a bit weirdly?" Panther wondered aloud with her chin cupped in thought. "I mean, 'trap before door' is such a weird way to put a warning like that, don't you think?"

"Huh, now that I think about it, yeah," Joker said in agreement.

"Right?"

The two Phantom Thieves bore identical postures and expressions as they began to give far too much consideration to such a minor, irrelevant detail. Several began to think that they were joking, or at the very least Queen seemed to given her response was to pinch the bridge of her nose and sigh.

"Is Joker messing with Panther or are they both just messing with us?" Oracle inquired.

Noir added, "Or are they both being serious?"

"Don't know and don't care," Skull sighed. "Anyway, executive decision time. I'm goin' for it."

It would come as no surprise that his choice would prove to be a horrific mistake within seconds. The moment his hand touched the surface of the wooden frame, a series of bright green orbs appeared before the door. It was clear that they swirled with energy of some kind, and their perpetually-growing brightness and the loud unstable buzzing noise they emitted acted as a clear indication as to what they were.

Joker quickly reached for his mask, whisking it across his hands. "Odin!"

His Persona was half-summoned by the time the spheres finally erupted in a powerful burst of wind. Some of the damage had thankfully been absorbed, but nowhere near enough to prevent the blowback that sent the unprepared group of Phantom Thieves flying across the room.

Thankfully, all of them manage to land on their feet, save for Ryuji, who in a karmic twist of fate landed flat on his ass.

"…ow!" Skull groaned, rubbing his tailbone.

"Everyone okay?" Joker asked. He gave a cheeky smirk the way of his blond-haired best friend. "Anyone that didn't land ass-first, I mean."

"Thanks bro."

"Seems like it," Queen answered as she surveyed the room.

"I'd hate to see how bad the damage would've been if you hadn't managed to act as quickly as you did," an appreciative Panther remarked.

"All in a day's work," he replied.

"Actually, I don't think the trap was that bad," Mona chimed in. His expression was visibly puzzled as he observed the far end of the room. "I mean, Skull probably would've taken a harder hit since that was a wind attack, but it's nothing a mid-level healing spell wouldn't be able to fix. I can't help but wonder what the point of all that was…"

A loud me mechanical jerking sound gave the feline pause. Each of them now knew that the trap was far from finished, and yet at the same time none of them were prepared for the floor beneath their feet to vanish entirely.

Each of the square tiles receded into the wooden beams, leaving nothing between the Phantom Thieves and a seemingly bottomless abyss that revealed itself below. Everyone was thrust into a state of free fall with Haru and Futaba in particular being in the worst position on account of being nowhere near any of the beams and thus having nothing to grab on to.

The Beauty Thief acted on instinct and wrapped an arm around the navigator, prepared for the worst-case scenario. Thankfully, Makoto was fast to act and caught her hand before she fell out of reach.

"Nice save," said a very relieved Noir.

"Thank me later. For now, just make sure you hold on tight," Queen replied. "Everyone else okay?!"

"All good over here," Joker answered.

"Same," Panther added.

"Mona and I are hangin' in over here," Skull replied.

"Fox, how about you?" Queen pressed.

When no response was given, all eyes shifted towards the aspiring artist, who was currently wrapping his entire body around a wooden beam as if he'd turned into a cat.

"I guess he's not so great with heights," Joker mused.

Oracle took another look at the abyss below. "If I have to stare down there for much longer, I won't be either."

"I ain't doin' much better over here," Skull remarked. "So, uh, what exactly do we do now? Cuz' I feel like dropping down ain't an option."

Queen took a glance at presumably their only path forward. "The door looks like it's a no go-either. It's covered in some kind of barrier that must've triggered when the floor disappeared."

"Geez, slow it down. I can only take so much good news, ya know," Oracle stated, her voice heavy with sarcasm.

"Relax, we'll figure it out," said Joker, as calm and collected as ever. "But first thing's first…"

Their leader pulled himself up and skillfully balanced his body on the relatively thin wooden beam. The others followed his lead and did much the same, and even Fox managed to battle through on his end.

The Trickster surveyed the room observationally for a moment.

"Ooh, hey, I think I've got it," he abruptly stated.

"Huh? Wait, you know how to get us out of here?!" a stunned Panther inquired.

"No, not that," he replied. "I just realized what the note was trying to say: Beware of trap before door. You know, like 'trap door'?"

"I mean, you're not wrong, but time and a place dude," Skull muttered, shaking his head in exasperation as if illustrating the reaction of the group at large. A loud cracking sound echoed from beneath his feet. He froze completely, panic written in his eyes. "Uh, Mona…"

"Yeah?"

"Please don't tell me that sound was what I think it was."

"So, when you say that…"

Another far louder pop sounded off, and with it the beam started to sink beneath their feet. Ryuji didn't even need to look down to know what was about to happen. Nevertheless, he stayed perfectly calm and went over his options.

"Mona, follow my lead and don't hesitate, 'kay?"

"Wait, what are—"

With balance and poise that was impressive by his standards, Ryuji leapt a fair distance away from the crack to another portion of the beam just across. Mona followed suit, jumping mere seconds before the total collapse of the section of wood he'd been standing on.

"Crap that was close," Skull muttered, taking a breath of absolute relief. His safety assured, he moved on to his second priority: gloating. "Can I get some props here? C'mon, you guys gotta admit that was impressive."

"Well, for you, yes, but that isn't saying much," Morgana replied.

"Thank you."

"I see he's just ignoring the obvious insult Mona snuck in…" Oracle thought aloud.

"Just let him have his moment," Noir said with a giggle.

Said moment lasted less than half a second more before another snap echoed beneath his feet. Worse was that it was far louder than before, adding to the blond's annoyance with what was obviously about to happen.

"Aw, son of a bi—"

The beam gave out so quickly it left no room for he and Morgana to react, leaving them to fall straight to the depths below.

"Skull! Mona!" Panther exclaimed.

She leapt into action and rushed across a nearby section of the beam in front of her, grabbing her whip with the intent of either latching it onto them or giving them something to hold on to. Sadly, after just a few short steps, the beam on which she stood began to crack in much the same manner.

The red-clad Phantom thief felt herself sinking, and for a moment it appeared as if she was going to meet the same fate as her two comrades. Joker, however, leapt into action and caught her wrist, pulling her back into his arms and onto hopefully safer terrain.

Ann had been saved, but her attempt to rescue Ryuji and Morgana had failed. They continued their plummet into the dark unknown, leaving behind their worry-stricken teammates to watch until their forms were no longer visible.

"Well, the good news is that it looks like they landed okay. I can sense them moving around," Oracle remarked. "Definitely ruined Skull's moment though. But at least he and Mona made it down there okay."

"Thank god," sighed Queen. "I'm sure they'll manage to find a way back up top, but in the meantime, we need to get to work. Otherwise, I have a hunch we'll be forced to join them soon enough."

"Which means this is the part where Joker manages to figure out whatever puzzle there is in this room," Oracle stated. She stared at her 'not' older brother with half-lidded eyes. "That is unless he's too busy basking in the afterglow of saving Panther. Feel free to separate anytime, by the way."

It was that that point that the blonde realized that she was still being firmly held in Joker's arms. Her face heated up in an instant, and panicked as she was, she broke the embrace and started to back away. As a result, she nearly ended up falling into the abyss yet again, though once more her ever-ready hero managed to wrap an arm around her and prevent her fall.

"Watch your step," Joker cautioned as she helped her to solid ground.

To say she was embarrassed was an understatement, and yet again she was thankful her red mask likely hid the blush on her cheeks.

"S-Sorry, and thanks again," Panther replied. He abruptly started to laugh, which of course confused her given that she'd been entirely sincere in her gratitude. "Uh, is something funny?"

"It's just that this kinda reminds me of a few months back when we went to that fishing place in Ichigaya. Although at least this time I was able to react in time," he explained.

"You promised to never bring that up! And what's with that smirk?!" Panther exclaimed.

"I'm not smirking."

He was.

"Yes you are!"

She was correct.

"Wait, what's this about?" Oracle pressed, almost sadistic curiosity in her tone given the likely dirt she sensed. "What'd Ann do at the fishing hole? Was it something embarrassing?"

The orange-haired teen wasn't alone in her list for gossip. Even Makoto of all people had her interest piqued, mainly on account of the fact that she'd never seen her blonde-haired friend so embarrassed before. In fact, she could even see the red of her cheeks through her crimson mask.

"I'm kind of curious, too," said Queen.

Fox nodded in agreement, "In which case, I feel far less guilt in admitting to my own curiosity."

"A friendly reminder that a black abyss awaits us if we don't solve our current predicament," Noir remarked, her pleasant tone a direct contrast to the grim warning she'd provided.

She was completely ignored.

"Fall to our dooms, eternal darkness, beasts that lurk below. Yeah, yeah, yeah—but this somehow seems way more important," Oracle stated.

"It one-hundred percent isn't!" Panther shouted back.

"Ya see, when you say stuff like that, it only makes me more curious."

Though still embarrassed even at the memory of the 'fishing hole' incident, Ann managed to look Joker dead in the eye with a ferocious expression that put even apex predators to shame.

"If you say so much as a word…!" Panther growled.

"As much as I'd love to, I have to go hit the switch hidden on top of one of the chandeliers before what's left of the floor collapses," Joker replied.

No one even got a chance to speak before he rushed into action. He ran a short distance up a nearby wall before grabbing ahold of the plating that sat atop one of the nearby chandeliers. He pulled himself up and platformed his way over to his target, at which point he simply flipped a switch.

His teammates on the bottom level were stunned as they watched the floor return to normal. Even by Joker's standards, what they'd just witnessed was a master-class of agility and finesse. It became clear that no one knew this better than the man himself, who leapt down from the ceiling with a grin that put the word 'cocky' to shame.

"…whose turn is it to say the line?" Oracle asked.

"I think that one was so over the top that it calls for a group effort," Panther stated.

"Don't be so dramatic," Joker replied, playfully ruling his eyes. "And at least the door's unlocked now."

"True," Oracle admitted passively. "You're still a showoff though."

"Definitely."

"Agreed."

"Need we say more?" Panther asked.

"Tough crowd," he chuckled.

"I for one believed it to be a magnificent display of skill," Fox proclaimed.

"Thanks, Fox. At least someone appreciated the show."

"I'm still trying to figure out how you always seem to know where hidden switches and stuff are…" Panther remarked.

"Join. The. Club," Queen grumbled.

"It's just a Wild Card thing," he explained.

There was a lull in the conversation as Futaba camped herself out directly in front of Joker. She looked at him expectantly, though he in turn had absolutely no idea what she was trying to get at.

"…everything okay?"

"The fishing incident thing," Oracle stated pointedly. "I sense dirt, so spill it."

He took one quick glance at Panther just to see if the glare she sported was as fear-inducing as he assumed it would be. It was.

"It's not my place to say. I did promise I wouldn't ever blab," Joker replied.

"Damn right you did," Panther muttered.

"Ugh, fine," Oracle sighed. She leaned in and whispered, "So you'll tell me later?"

"No dice. Good effort though," he said through a laugh.

"Boriiiiing~!" she booed.

"Sorry, but I'm not in the habit of making promises I know I can't keep."

"You stole that from a video game."

"Maybe I did and maybe I didn't. Point is, I'm not telling."

"Getting back on track…" Noir muttered.

All eyes drifted towards their one path forward, and without the need for any further discussion, they approached the door, knowing that they were past the initial traps. Thankfully this turned out to be the case as they were able to enter the next room—which was in fact much less a room and more so a large staircase leading to an even larger door.

"Looks like we were in some kind of antechamber," Queen mused.

"A what now?" Oracle inquired.

"A small room that leads to an even bigger one," Joker explained.

"I wonder if more traps await us here as well," said Fox.

"I'm not sensing anything. You, Oracle?"

"No traps that I can see," she replied, her goggles dropped and her demeanor deathly serious. "Though I can actually sense just past the door, too. It feels like we've got a good number of Shadows waiting for us, but on the bright side, it doesn't look like they're on alert, so I doubt they know we're coming."

Their leader examined the nearby area to check if there were any alternative entrances for them to sneak through. Ideally, he'd prefer them to get the drop on whatever was patrolling ahead, but sadly it didn't seem like that would be an option.

"Looks like there's only one way in."

"I believe this is where Skull would say 'good enough for me' before doing something brash and impulsive," Fox stated with a smirk. "Shall we honor him in spirit?"

"Let's," Queen replied.

The group of Persona users entered a battle-ready formation and proceeded to burst through the door. They were met with dozens of unsuspecting Succubae, and while they quickly took notice of their attackers, it did them little good. Dozens of the Shadows perished in the first wave while the rest scrambled to mount anything resembling a proper defense.

"Carmen!"

"Surt!"

A twin attack of raging fire courtesy of Joker and Panther blew away the remaining enemies that were present. The blaze soon died down, though it left nothing—not even their ashen corpses—in its wake.

The blonde high-fived her co-attacker excitedly. "Yes!"

"Nice work," remarked Joker.

"Indeed. I can see how with speed like that you were able to make it past the first room."

The raspy, feminine voice echoed around them, though none of them were able to find the speaker. They formed a circle around their navigator, knowing she was likely the only one among them that could detect an impending attack.

"Oracle, what are you seeing?" Fox inquired.

"Just give me a minute—no, twenty seconds max."

It soon became apparent that the orange-haired teen didn't need to so much as lift a finger to find the Shadow that had spoken. Just a short distance away up a mid-level staircase, the Shadow made its presence known.

The air ran cold as a mass of dark fog spiraled from nothingness into a humanoid form. It revealed the figure of a surprisingly tall, pale-skinned woman. Her red demonic wings rested at her side, coiling around her revealing dark-purple dress. She possessed curly, snowy white hair which swept off her left side and stopped just short of her shoulder, leaving only her right elf-like ear visible.

Her pale amethyst eyes capped of an almost human-like appearance. Or at least as human-like as a Shadow could appear.

"You must be the pests we were warned about," she mused, cupping her chin in consideration. Oddly, she scanned over them several times. "Funny. You're not what I was expecting."

She turned her back and began to walk away, quickly earning the confusion of the Persona users present.

"What, you're just gonna leave after making an entrance like that?!" Oracle exclaimed.

The demoness looked over her shoulder, smiling coyly. "Don't worry, I leave you in good company."

An innumerable number of dark portals began to appear from the walls, floors, and ceilings all throughout the room. The Phantom Thieves braced for a fight, all the while the pale-skinned Shadow continued its casual exit.

"Welcome to the Tower of Torment. Do enjoy your stay."

She faded away a moment thereafter, leaving a sea of twisted creatures in the wake of her departure.

---

Within what could only be called a lavish office space, two women sat attentively. The first, a tall blonde woman who was clearly of non-Japanese descent. She had flawless skin, captivating eyes, and an aura of mystique.

The other was significantly younger, being in her early teens at best. She was also far shorter, and unlike the other who appeared purely foreign, she appeared to be of mixed blood. She possessed long, flawless black hair, and a pair of striking crimson eyes which were hidden behind a think, stylish pair of glasses.

They sat almost inhumanly still, that was until they both heard and saw the door open and another woman enter. Hope shined in their eyes as if they were little more than puppies witnessing their owner's return.

That wasn't far off from the truth, either, as none other than the ever-stunning Yumiko Hebiza had entered the room.

"Welcome back," the two said in unison.

"Have you two even moved since I left?" she asked with an amused grin. They looked at one another, clearly embarrassed and unsure of how to respond. "…I was joking. Please tell me you haven't just been sitting here the whole time."

"Not the entire time," the black-haired teen replied. "Just most of it."

The other rolled her eyes. "An excellent save, Eury."

"Better than anything you offered, Lanaya," Yumiko teased. "And don't be so hard on her. Eury's quite a sensitive young woman, you know."

The mentioned raven-haired woman directed a smug look towards her blonde 'friend' that elicited an immediate and intense glare.

"In any case," began Lanaya. "How did your appointment go with the representative from the third district?"

"I got what I wanted, but we'll go over that later. Ugh, the less I have to talk about our interaction, the better," she groaned, sinking into a nearby office chair. "He's such a bore. But thankfully, also an idiot."

"I still don't know why you bother with people like him."

"Because idiots in high places tend to have the most useful information to give. And it's so painfully easy to get it out of them," Yumiko replied. "The men are especially easy. Just give them a little boost to their ego, and their tongues become looser than a Shinjuku hooker."

"Your metaphors always have so much class," Eury joked.

"Anyway," she spoke casually, a laugh escaping her lips. "What's next on the docket for today, Lanaya?"

The mentioned assistant pulled out a book to check for her employers next appointment, though her expression fell the moment that she read the line item in the schedule.

Eury picked up on this and grimaced. "Him again, huh?"

"Yes, it would seem so…" she replied through gritted teeth.

"Ah, is that so?" Yumiko questioned rhetorically.

The evident smile on their boss's face and the upbeat and playful nature of her tone was met with immediate frowns on the parts of the two women. She couldn't help but chuckle at the sight.

"You could at least try to make it less obvious that you dislike him," Yumiko said.

"It's not that we dislike him, more like…"

Eury simply trailed off, having nothing to add. She adjusted her glasses and looked to the blonde for help.

"I dislike how informally he acts with you," Lanaya stated pointedly.

Within seconds, Yumiko sauntered towards the young woman and cupped her chin, bringing her own face dangerously close to hers. She stared directly into her eyes, a teasing smirk placed upon her lips all the while.

"You're adorable when you're jealous."

"I-It's not that," she replied, averting her gaze as her cheeks continued to redden. "I simply don't trust him. He's a snake, plain and simple."

"We're both snakes, Lanaya," Yumiko uttered, her eyes remaining ever-locked on the face of her trusted assistant. "Regardless of how you might try to sugar-coat it, we're cut from the same cloth. I'm just the snake you happen to know."

The blonde went silent, though it was clear she was trying to make something up to counteract that particular point. When it was apparent that she had nothing more to add, Yumiko pulled her hand back and headed towards the exit.

"I'll be going now," she said. "Please at least try to make it out of the room before I get back."

And with that, she was gone, willingly unaware of the concerned look her subordinates shared.

---

The once luxurious room was now a sea of burn and slash marks, and the furniture, once pristine, was now little more than scattered debris. Little if any sound echoed from the room as the Phantom Thieves surveyed the area for any stragglers or perhaps yet another wave.

"…did we get them all?" Noir inquired, her axe still held tightly within her grip.

"I think so. I'm not seeing any other incoming signatures," Oracle replied. She breathed a sigh of relief before exiting her Persona and rejoining the others. "Took them long enough to stop coming at us. It felt like that was never gonna end."

"Stalling us was probably the whole point," said Queen. "Which kind of confuses me given that the pale-skinned Shadow seemed quite strong."

Joker shrugged his shoulders. "I don't think it really matters."

"True," said Panther. "We're headed to the top of the tower either way, right?"

Without warning, another volley of shimmering portals began to open up around them for what felt like the thousandth time. The Phantom Thieves shared a collective groan of disbelief at the mere sight of it.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Oracle exclaimed.

"They'll just keep coming if we stay in this room," Queen stated pointedly. "Our best move is to ignore them and keep moving forward."

"Agreed," said Joker.

They moved as quickly as they could towards the exit, mowing down a few Shadows that had spawned in while ignoring those that had yet to fully form. Their raspy cries resonated in the hallway they then entered, sending a chill down their spine even as the sound became further and further out of reach.

"Do you think they'll follow us?" Panther asked.

"That's a strong possib—"

Joker hadn't even been able to finish his sentence before the staircase beneath their feet flattened into a curve, creating a slide that caused each of the thieves to lose their grip.

Thinking quickly, the Trickster brought out his knife and drove it into the surface of the former-staircase, skidding a few feet but managing to stabilize his position to keep himself from sliding any further. He grabbed Panther's arm as she passed by him, who in turn grabbed Futaba. Noir had done the same for Queen and Fox, effectively saving all of them from the trap they'd sprung.

"I hate this place," Oracle grumbled.

As if responding to her remark, the ceiling towards the bottom of the staircase started to slam down into the ground, pancaking the surface below bit by bit as it gradually crept upwards.

"I really hate this place."

Though he shared the sentiment, Joker had no time to waste. He went to work searching for anything that would reset the hallway. His Third Eye found exactly that, though for the moment he had no idea how he was going to get to it. He turned to Makoto, believing he had a plan.

"Queen," Joker called out urgently. "Can Johanna make it up to the top of the staircase?"

"Yes, definitely," she replied.

"Then get her ready, I'm gonna need a lift."

Queen put her wits to good use and dropped herself downwards, giving Joker ample time to set himself and also ensure that Panther would be able to grab ahold of the knife he'd embedded into the ramp.

She waited for the right moment, revving Johanna's engine with everything she had. Her Persona's tires burned on the surface of what was formerly the staircase as she sped up, though she was ultimately able to move forwards. When enough momentum had built, Joker let himself fall, eventually being swept up by Queen as she and her Persona raced on by.

"Anywhere in particular I need to steer towards?" Queen asked.

Joker smirked, taking out his pistol and priming it towards a nearby section of the wall. "Nope."

Only one shot was fired and only one shot was needed. The Wild Card's bullet packed enough of a punch to force a pressure plate to activate, which just as he'd hoped, immediately returned the space to normal. The stairs returned, and the others were able to make their ways towards their teammates.

"Nice work," Noir complimented. "And you had ample time to spare, too. I'd say we had at least thirty seconds more before we were turned into pancakes."

"Ahh, pancakes…" Fox muttered blissfully. To the surprise of no one, his stomach started to grumble. "It seems that just the thought of them is making me hungry."

"Shocking," Panther muttered, her voice heavy with sarcasm.

A symphony of empty, lifeless cries echoed from the bottom of the stairwell, a clear indication that the Shadows they were previously running from hadn't given up their pursuit.

"Guess that's our cue to get moving," Joker mused.

"Into another trap?" asked Oracle tiredly.

"Most likely."

"Uggh," she groaned. "I hope Skull and Mona are having better luck than we are…"

Tower of Torment: Catacombs, Some Time Earlier…

Both Skull and Mona screamed in unison as they continued to sink deeper and deeper into the shadowy abyss. Still, each knew their fall wasn't likely to last much longer.

"Mona, get over here!" Skull exclaimed. "We're probably gonna land soon, and there's only one way I see us sticking it!"

"You actually have a plan?!"

"Yeah, so shut your trap and get over here!"

"Alright, but if your plan kills me, I'm haunting you for the rest of your life!"

"If my plan doesn't work, you probably won't get the chance!"

Though his response had been beyond unreassuring, Morgana made his way over to Ryuji as quickly as he was able. The blonde then took him in his arms and turned his back towards the ground they were likely about to hit.

"Captain Kidd!" Skull exclaimed.

His Persona appeared as ordered and wrapped both its master and thereby Mona in a shielding grip. They slammed into the ground with the grace of a bolder in free-fall, marking their landing spot with a small crater.

Dust and smoke shot out in all directions following the impact, though they wouldn't know it. The darkness that surrounded them was far too thick of that to even be possible.

"…ow," Skull groaned. He rolled over on his side, releasing his feline companion. "My freakin' ass is still sore from earlier."

"You really need to work on your phrasing," sighed Mona. "But thank you. Y-You didn't need to take the fall, you know."

"Did you have any better ideas?" Skull asked.

The cat's silence was answer enough.

"Didn't think so." He began to look around, immediately realizing one key problem with their current situation. "Yep, can't see shit."

"I can kinda see okay, actually…"

"Dude, where the hell even are you?"

"Right over here."

"That helps zero percent."

"Are you serious? Skull, I'm literally right next to you."

The teen looked to his left.

"Your other side."

"Okay, why are you acting like I'm supposed to be able to see you easily?!" Skull exclaimed. "Your fur is black, and there literally ain't any light in here."

"You say that like I can change either of those things."

"I know you…! Hang on, wait a sec!"

A metaphorical lightbulb went off in Ryuji's head, and he was rightly excited on account of the fact that he knew all too well this rarely happened. He called on Captain Kidd yet again, who upon answering the summons charged his canon-arm with electric energy. The light that shined from it illuminated the area a fair distance, appearing to be just as good if not better than a torch.

"Damn, I'm on a roll!" Skull cheered.

"Uh, Skull…"

"Oh come on, no props? Why do I never get any… credit… for…"

The thuggish Persona user's sentence died in his throat as he gazed upon the gargantuan spider webs that were strewn across the walls and the corners of the pit. If a spider did in fact make them, he didn't want to even imagine just how big it would have needed to be.

Mona cleared his throat, "I'm putting myself on the record in saying that this can't be good."

"Ya think?" Skull uttered rhetorically. He walked forwards and stared at one of the webs a bit more closely. "What the hell do you think made 'em?"

"If we stick around much longer, we'll probably find out."

"Hard pass," he replied.

"Then our best bet is to head down one of the tunnels. Which one do you think we should take?"

Skull inwardly groaned when he considered the question. Both of the exists ahead that he could see were equally covered in the same horrific webbing that made his skin crawl. Choosing between them was like having the choice of being slapped on either the left or the right cheek.

"They both look like they suck, so let's just go with this one."

The blonde headed towards the nearest exit, and it was at that point that his 'hot streak' came to an end. He took thereabouts of two steps forward before a massive weight slammed into his torso.

Skull felt a series of thin finger-like limbs start to crawl over his shoulders as if trying to wrap around his body. He eventually gazed at the creature that had attacked him as he struggled to keep it at bay, and the sight made his blood run cold. Not even two feet away from his face was the head of spider the size of his entire upper body. Its face was covered by a white mask typical of a Shadow, but even that only accentuated its horrifying, beady black eyes that stared down at its prey with predatory intensity.

The spider's muscly jaws mashed together as it tried to force its face closer to that of its prey, a sound that was far more horrific and terrifying than anything Ryuji had ever heard before. Thankfully, it would get no chance to taste his flesh, as Zoro's rapier pierced through its mask from its flank. The beast went limp within seconds, allowing a very relieved blond-haired teen to push its decaying body over to the side.

Skull panted heavily, feeling his heart pounding as if he'd ran a marathon at full sprint. "Son of a fuckin' bitch—what the hell was that?!"

"Some kind of Shadow spider, clearly," Mona replied. His ears twitched as he heard chittering off in the distance. "And that wasn't the only one, either. Come on, we've gotta get moving. Now."

Though still stricken with fear, Ryuji's lack of desire to see more of the Spiders outweighed all other thoughts on his mind. He wasted no time in moving forward, allowing Mona to lead the way.

---

Lanaya and Eury took their places out in the open lobby of their office space, the former pacing around while the other sat on a comfortable chair reading a book. They appeared perfectly calm, but that was all an act.

"…she's taking longer than usual," Eury remarked, not an ounce of emotion in her voice. "That's very unlike her."

"I know," Lanaya replied. She noticed the venom that was in her voice and cleared her throat. "Sorry."

"It's fine, I get it."

Another five minutes went by, and the pairs concern grew more and more with each passing second. The blonde looked at her watch, then at her phone simply to double-confirm the time was reflecting correctly.

The twisting of the doorknob to the office drew their attention, and like puppies that were witnessing the return of their owner, they flocked to Yumiko as she crossed the threshold of the room's entrance. A wave of relief like no other washed over them at just the sight of her, though that was soon replaced by concern once more upon noticing the look on her face.

Never before had they seen their employer and friend so conflicted.

"Y-Yumiko-sama…?" Lanaya uttered confusedly.

"I take it your meeting didn't go well?" the bespectacled teen mused.

"Not quite," she replied, though she sounded unsure. She took her seat and wasted no time on getting to the point. "Eury."

"Yes?"

"What can you tell me about Akashi Nijima?"

"Detective first class, works at the Shinjuku Police Department and has for over fifteen years. Two daughters, wife deceased. Well-liked by most of his colleagues," she answered, reciting from memory alone.

"He's also considered virtually incorruptible," Lanaya remarked. "And I know for a fact that several have tried."

"I see…"

"Why did you ask, by the way?" Eury inquired.

"Because our illustrious friend put forth a request to put together a full report on him," Yumiko answered. "Any information we can dig up on him. His habits, conduct history—you know, the works."

"That seems a bit excessive," Lanaya stated, raising a curious brow. "He's just one police officer."

"My thoughts exactly. But evidently, Akashi Nijima is quickly becoming a problem for him."

It was then that both Lanaya and Eury realized why their fearless leader appeared so out of sorts. The reason the request was made was likely a set up for a hit, or possibly worse. They weren't a hundred percent sure, but even so it was the most likely reason by a mile.

"If we do this," spoke Lanaya, "we'd be co-signing his death warrant."

There was a bit of edge to the blonde's tone, and with good reason. Akashi Nijima was a man whose hands were clean of any of the vile corruption that plagued Shinjuku. He wasn't a player in the 'game', and so by all accounts he was off limits.

Those were the rules they played by. They always had. They always would.

"He gave his word he didn't have malicious intent and that this was more of a preventative measure. Though I admit, I have my doubts," Yumiko replied.

"If you're unsure, then refuse," Eury stated pointedly.

"I don't think I need to remind you that ours is a relationship of mutual benefit. Refusing his request without being certain isn't quite so simple. For example, what if I—what if we are just being paranoid?" she countered. "The truth is, he's always played by the same rules that we do. He's never once stooped to this before, so why now? He should be more than capable of dealing with Akashi Nijima some other way, even if he does end up posing a threat."

"People change," Lanaya said simply.

There wasn't much that either of the other two women could say to that. Yumiko considered the counsel she'd received, though even so, she was still no more and no less convinced of what the best course of action was. She pulled out her cellphone set out to put the matter to rest.

"Ah, Yumiko-san. I assume this is with regards to my request?"

"It is," she answered. "I have your word that you don't intend to harm Akashi Nijima?"

"Of course. I said as much before."

"And would you care to know the consequences if you're lying to me?"

"Enlighten me."

"Trust me," she spoke, venom breathing through her voice. "They're beyond what even you could imagine."

"Well, I'm not lying, so I won't be finding out either way."

"Good."

Yumiko hung up before a single word could be uttered in response. She looked to her attendants, who understood her decision well enough.

Still, not a single one of the three could shake the nagging feeling in the back of their minds.

---

Joker and Fox opened yet another large door, rushing their teammates through before slamming it shut. Given that Shadows were still hot on their trail, they began to look for something, anything, that would help them block the doorway to buy them more time.

"Guys, step back for a second," said Oracle.

Trusting in their teammate, they complied, allowing the orange-haired teen to get to work. She called forth her Persona, and within seconds its steely tendrils seeped into the surface of both the door and the walls around it. A gradual shield consisting of feint 0's and 1's began to form, much to the navigator's content.

"Hell yeah, it worked!" Oracle exclaimed proudly. "Cognitive override does it again."

"Wait, so did you just seal the door?" Panther asked surprisedly.

"Yep!"

"Impressive," Queen remarked.

"Praise me more~"

Fox rolled his eyes. "You know, I've always admired your humility."

"Inari, can you please just once—"

"Hold that fight for a minute," Joker cut in. "Or for however long it takes for you to figure out what that is supposed to be."

The Trickster had been referring to a large dark sphere that was floating in the center of the room high above their current position. It swirled around in a twisted manner, appearing to be made out of a familiar black ichor.

"…uh, well, it's circular?" Oracle replied.

"Is that really all you have to offer?" Fox sighed.

"I'm sorry, do you have any useful observations?"

"Hm, this is a fair point."

"I kinda get the feeling it's about to turn into something and attack us," Panther uttered pensively. "It looks like it's made of the gunk we usually see when Shadows start to seep through walls and stuff."

"Now that you mention it, yeah, it does," Noir remarked. "But if it were a Shadow, surely Oracle would have sensed something, no?"

"Well, the sphere itself definitely isn't a Shadow. That I can say for sure."

"Okay then," said Joker.

He calmly took out his pistol and fired off several shots directly into its surface. The bullets did little more than cause a shimmering splash as they were absorbed into the surface, causing no damage whatsoever.

"Was that really necessary?" Queen asked.

"Well, now we at least know it's not directly hostile," he replied matter-of-factly. "I'm sure it'll end up being important for another reason though."

Noir nodded. "It ispretty hard to believe that it's entirely pointless."

"There's a terminal over there," Oracle pointed out. "With any luck, I'll be able to get some answers from it."

The other Phantom Thieves followed her and observed quietly as the prodigy went to work. In no time at all, she was able to pull up a series of schematics that mapped out the Tower of Torment in its entirety.

"Well, that's one piece of good news," she uttered with a devilish grin. "Whatever that sphere thing is, I'm sure it's not the core. That's apparently waaay up top, and we'd need an elevator to get there. Speaking of which…"

With a finishing 'boop' she slotted the key combination to activate a mechanical lift which soon descended from the far end of the room. It was a pure circular platform, devoid of any coverings or any visible mechanisms that would have made it actually look like an elevator. Still, if it got them where they needed to go, none of them really cared.

"Nice work," complimented Joker. "But one question: can you find out where Skull and Mona are?"

"…I feel kinda guilty that they slipped my mind for a sec," Oracle muttered. She ran her hand across the screen in search of the proper passageway. "It looks like right here. Maybe."

"Is there a reason you sound uncertain?" Fox asked, doing so as politely as he could.

"Well, there isn't a specific area that's named 'underground trap door place' so it's kinda guesswork," Oracle admitted. "Be that as it may, this access point looks like it's the only thing that's not connected to anything on this floor. So that's our best bet."

Joker opened his mouth to speak, but a powerful curse attack shot towards both he and the others like a raging bull. Thankfully, they were all aware enough of their surroundings to sense the attack coming and thus evade it without much issue.

"Persona!" they cried out in unison.

Their other selves were called out as they readied for battle, though they didn't quite know from where their attack had come from. They had a pretty good idea of who it was, though. And sure enough, the pale-skinned silver-haired Succubus appeared in a swirl of obsidian wind, taking her place just in front of the lift they'd called down.

"You're a persistent bunch."

"We get that a lot," Joker replied. "Speaking of which."

Arsène returned the favor of the Succubus' prior attack and fired off a wide-reaching curse attack. The Shadow was completely unaffected and hadn't even bothered to dodge, though little did she know that this was exactly what Joker had hoped for. A storm of bullets pierced through the pitch-black energy that still polluted her line of sight, many of which grazed her body from the initial volley.

She vanished in a blur of black fog and reappeared in the airs above, but her retreat soon proved insufficient. The massive tri-barreled gatling guns that protruded from beneath Milady's dress shifted positions and continued to rain hellfire down on the Succubus, forcing her to spread her wings and fly around haphazardly in an attempt to avoid any damage.

Just as she readied to make a counterattack, a trio of Skull, Panther, and Fox were quickly getting into position so as to pincer her from all angles.

"Pests!" the demoness hissed.

The Shadow stretched out her wings, releasing an eruption of blinding light that put a stop to any ongoing or would-be attacks. She vanished under the cover thereof, escaping her opponents' vision even when their sight finally returned to them.

'Where did she…?' Joker wondered.

Soon enough he, and seemingly many of the others, found her hovering in the air just in front of the swirling black sphere. She made no move against them and simply stayed in place, gazing down on them as if lost in thought.

"…I see now that my hand is forced."

With those simple words, she began to float backwards into the mysterious object. As her flesh touched its surface, a black ooze-like ichor coated her body, absorbing her further into the sphere until she was no longer visible. It began to twist and turn with even more intensity, setting off alarm bells for the Persona users present.

"I believe this is where Skull would say 'that can't be good'," Noir uttered.

"And he'd be right," spoke Oracle, a bead of sweat dripping down her cheek as she began to analyze the object. "Its energy signature is getting stronger and stronger. Whatever's going to happen, it's going to be big. And I mean big."

"How long do we have?" Queen inquired.

"A few minutes max, I'd say."

"Do you think you might be able to put a stop to it?" Joker asked. "With cognitive override, I mean."

"Even if I can't, it's definitely worth a shot. All I'd need to do is get close enough to it with Necronomicon."

An audible bubbling sound emanated from the swirling black object hovering atop the room. Shadows began to crawl out from the ooze, filling the skies with the beginnings of a large mass of Succubae.

"That may be easier said than done…" Fox muttered.

"I think we'll still manage it just fine," Joker replied confidently. "We'll draw out the Shadows and take them down while Oracle looks for an opening. Sound good?"

Firm confident nods were given all around. With that, the enigmatic Trickster stepped forward and adjusted his glove, staring eagerly at the massing swarm of Succubae that flew before them.

"Let's get to work."

---

Two men stood guard on the interior of a small nightclub, each enjoying a causal conversation with one another. Or at least they were before the the doors suddenly burst open.

A trio of young women marched in without any warning, causing them to reach for their weapons. They paused upon recognizing who the leader of the group was, though they may also have done so out of fear due to the murderous aura that surrounded her.

"Hebiza-san, you can't just—"

"I can and have," she growled, her tone causing the two to shift uncomfortably. "Is he here?"

The other spoke up, "Like he said, you can't just—"

She drew a knife and held it to the man's throat faster than he could even blink. He was forced into stillness, and as he gazed into her venom-filled green eyes, he could feel the cold hand of death tapping his shoulder.

"Is. He. Here?" Yumiko pressed.

Her tone made it clear she would not be asking again. Unable to actually form a verbal response, the man slowly gestured to the back room. Without missing a beat, she retracted her blade and proceeded forward, followed closely by her two attendants. The guards felt a wave of frost colder than even the heart of winter breeze by them as the three women passed them by.

They looked at one another, needing no words to express the worry that they felt creep up inside.

In the Back Room…

Within a large, luxurious room sat a lone man at a meeting table, clearly on a conference call with an unknown number of people. The back of his chair faced the room's entrance, while several guards remained standing at his side.

His men stood at attention the moment the door was kicked open. They readied to draw their weapons, but their master intervened.

"No need," the man in the chair spoke. "I've been expecting this."

"Oh, have you now?" Yumiko asked, her voice filled with blatant hostility. "And here I thought I was interrupting something."

"You are, but we both know you couldn't care less."

The raven-haired beauty marched towards the man, her rage echoing through the room's atmosphere with each passing step. When she stopped in place, all was silent for a time, though no one was stupid enough to think of that as a good thing.

"I'll get right to the point," began Yumiko, her eyes narrowed more thinly than the knives she kept hidden on her person. "Was it you?"

A thick tension coated the room immediately, and even though the answer to said question came in a matter of seconds, it felt like an eternity before a response was finally given.

"Yes, it was," he said.

Yumiko's fists balled and her blood boiled. "You've blatantly lied to me, violated my trust, and broken the most important of the unwritten rules."

The man didn't deny any of what she'd said. Doing so would have been pointless anyway; they both knew her words to be true.

"Exactly what are you expecting me to say?" he asked. "Why did you bother coming here?"

Both Eury and Lanaya looked at their mistress with concern. They could tell her fury was reaching a fever pitch, and were she to finally erupt, there was no telling exactly what would happen.

Yumiko took several steps forward, and while several of the guards reacted slightly, one in particular placed himself directly between her and the seated man. She eyed who she knew to be Genzo Hagane, who was perhaps the only person in the room that could have remained calm and collected even under the full weight of her venomous gaze.

"Please, don't do anything rash," Genzo stated evenly.

"Trust me, I wasn't planning to. I just wanted to look him in the eyes and let him know that everything that's about to happen is all his fault," Yumiko replied. She glared heavily, looking past the former Yakuza and towards his boss. "The purge is real."

Those four simple words caused all of the men present to look at one another with clear worry written all over their faces, and for good reason.

There wasn't a soul who didn't know what that meant.

"I'm aware."

"Are you now?" Yumiko asked rhetorically, almost laughing openly at his response. "You seem awfully calm about it, if that's the case. Because you have to realize it, right? This is it. Everything is about to come crashing down. You, me—all of those idiotic Yakuza factions and corrupt government officials—it's all over. Done."

"It can be stopped."

"And how's that?"

"If you were to help me—"

"Go fuck yourself," she spat angrily. "Even if I believed you, you're the one whohad Akashi Nijima killed. You failed to realize the potential consequences of that decision. This is your mess, not mine, and I'll be damned if I'm going to help clean it up. Good luck."

Yumiko prepared to leave, as did her companions. The moment she turned their heels, two men quickly moved in to grab ahold of her assistants. One of them managed to get ahold of Eury, who panicked reflexively when she was grabbed from behind. Lanaya, however, immediately turned on her attacker and delivered a roundhouse kick to his midsection that held so much strength that you could literally hear the shattering of his ribs on impact. She then dealt with the other, punching him square in his nose and more than likely breaking it. When he recoiled, grasping at his fresh blood-soaked injury, she delivered a kick to the side of his head, knocking him out cold in the process.

Several of the other guards off in the corners of the room moved in, their guns drawn on the pair of young women. The blonde pulled a frightened Eury into her chest, wrapping her in her arms in an instinctive attempt at keeping her safe. Thinking withher literal feet, she found a gun on the floor belonging to one of the nearby henchmen and kicked it up into the air towards her mistress, who was quick to grab hold of it and prime its barrel directly towards the man hidden behind the back of a chair.

"Enough," the man spoke tiredly. "I gave explicit orders not to draw weapons, didn't I?"

His men backed down in an instant and shifted focus to their unconscious and injured comrades.

"Clearly you told them not to let us leave," Yumiko stated, holding the gun steady. "Are you really that desperate for my help?"

"Without it, I don't think it's possible to avoid what's coming," he replied. "I've always thought highly of your abilities, you know that."

"Then you should have thought about that before you lied to me and ordered the death of an innocent man," she replied, her tone colder than a blizzard.

"A mistake on my part," he admitted. "But if you really won't help me, then I take it you've already accepted what's to come?"

"I have."

"I see. I'm… disappointed. I thought better of you."

"That makes two of us," Yumiko shot back. She tossed the gun on the floor with evident scorn. "Leave Shinjuku, and don't come back. That's the only advice I can give you."

"I intend to fight until the bitter end."

"Then the only thing that's left for you is a bitter end."

The green-eyed beauty marched towards the exit, taking with her both Lanaya and Eury. Some of the guards looked for guidance from their boss, though he just waved his hand off to signal that it was fine to let them leave.

"I apologize for dragging you two in there with me. I didn't think they'd try to grab you like that," Yumiko stated. Her concerned gaze focused in on her bespectacled young friend. "Are you alright, Eury?"

"I'm fine," she replied, forcing a smile. "Just a bit out of it."

The trio walked down the street in silence, but it was at that point that the blonde could no longer hold her tongue.

"Do you really think the purge will be the end, Yumiko-sama?" Lanaya questioned.

"I do."

"Then… what's happens to us?"

It had been a question that Yumiko had fully expected to hear, and yet that made it no less difficult to answer. She stopped in place, and though she intended to face them directly, she at first found it difficult to do so.

That of course was because of what she knew she needed to say.

"I'll be staying here in Shinjuku," Yumiko replied, eventually turning around towards her closest friends. "The police will launch an investigation soon enough, and I'll be the target. They won't be able to make a case, but it could last for quite some time. Even so, the prospect of an investigation could cause certain people to get… nervous. There's no telling what they might do, so…"

The woman's green eyes shifted away uncomfortably as she trailed off. What she was about to say was clearly something that bothered her right down to her very core, but ironically enough, her reaction seemed to convey her words without the need for her to speak them.

"…you think it's best for us to leave, don't you?" Lanaya reasoned.

Yumiko nodded solemnly. "Yes, I do."

Though there were cars in the streets and though there were other pedestrians walking nearby, none of the three women could register their presence in the slightest. To them, everything went silent.

"What if we refuse?" Eury plainly asked.

"I don't think you under—" began Yumiko, only to be cut off.

"It's not your decision," she stated, her tone firm even in spite of the emotion written all over her expression. "What we do isn't your decision. So, I'm asking you… if we choose not to leave, what happens?"

"Eury…" Lanaya uttered quietly, clearly in an attempt at getting her to pull back.

"Come on, don't act like you aren't thinking the same thing!" the raven-haired teen exclaimed. "We deserve an answer, don't we?! I'm not going to just stand around and act like I don't have any other options but to run away! I understand what she's saying, but… b-but sometimes, the correct thing to do isn't always the right thing to do!"

It seemed that both Yumiko and Lanaya were stunned into silence. Neither of them had ever heard so much passion before in Eury's voice; she'd always been a fairly quiet child, after all. Now, before their very eyes, she spoke on the verge of tears, all but demanding that her question be answered and that her wants he taken seriously.

Yumiko sighed, having not the heart to shoot her down.

"I… I suppose it is ultimately your decision to make. If the both of you wanted to stay, I can—"

Without any warning, Eury marched forward and captured her much taller friend in as strong a bear-hug as she could manage.

"I'm not leaving," declared the teen, burring her face into the woman's suit. "No matter what, got it?"

Her grip was warm, and Yumiko couldn't help but liken it to a child holding on to their parent. Though she herself had never known that feeling, she had to imagine it would've been something like this. There's no way it couldn't.

Lanaya suddenly spoke up, "We're not leaving."

The blonde them moved forward and did much the same as Eury. Yumiko immediately felt the difference, though. The gesture was stiff and rigid as if it were being carried out by a half-robot. She smiled all the same. Lanaya had always been awkward after all, but she'd always found that awkwardness endearing, and now was no different.

Yumiko wrapped the pair in her own arms and and finally returned the gesture.

"I guess that settles that."

---

Tower of Torment: Catacombs

"Webs, webs, and oh hey—more webs."

"Your commentary isn't helping," Mona stated.

"I mean, it's helpin' me."

The feline groaned as they rounded a corner, doing so into a suspiciously wide-open area. Thankfully, he sensed no Shadows in the immediate area, but given that the room looked like a massive nest for the Spiders, he doubted that would remain the case for very long.

"Come on, and keep your eyes peeled," Mona cautioned.

"Not to be a Debbie downer, but havin' Captain Kidd keep that light up is starting to wear me out a bit," Skull replied.

"Yeah, that'll end up being a pretty big problem… Oh, wait, hang on!"

"You got somethin'?"

"Yep! Just a sec!"

Mona scurried over towards a nearby pile of wood, finding a long wooden plank and holding it up triumphantly into the air. Seeing this only made Ryuji stare at him confusedly.

"Uh, you wanna play fetch or something? Ain't that kinda more like a dog thing?"

"No, you moron," he shot back with derision. "Just hold this up, okay? But not too close to yourself, got it?!"

"Uh, sure…"

He produced a small pebble like object and flung it towards the end of the stick. It erupted in a blaze of fire, effectively creating a makeshift torch while also scaring the living hell out of Ryuji in the process.

"Bro, you coulda just told me you were gonna launch a fireball at it!" Skull exclaimed.

"Where would be the fun in that?" he replied haughtily.

"…let's just keep movin'."

"A-Aaaaah…!"

The echoes of a pained scream reached their ears. Normally it would've freaked them out, but normally in the Metaverse, a cry like that came from a Shadow.

This one sounded distinctly human.

"You heard that too, right?" Skull asked.

"Yeah, I did," Mona replied, his tone deathly serious. His ears twitched once more. "It sounded like a woman. We need to hurry."

"Don't have to tell me twice."

With a torch now in hand as their guiding light, they sprinted forward in search of the source of the sound. Thankfully, the feminine cries continued to ebb and flow, allowing them to track it down without much difficulty. Eventually, they arrived at another wide-open area which itself was bathed in a slight amount of light.

"Ghhhhh…!"

Another agonizing hiss drew their eyes to a woman that lay curled up on the ground. Courtesy of the pale light that shined down from above, they managed to make out her long black hair and overall human appearance. She seemed young, likely being either Ryuji's age or only slightly older.

Without missing a beat, they ran to her side.

"Hey, hang in there," Skull said in an attempt to reassure the ailing teen. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and tried to get a better look at her. "It's alright, we're here to help."

It was obvious she couldn't give a verbal reply. Her face was so contorted in pain that there was almost no way she could have. With her eyes barely opened, she looked towards her two rescuers, her mouth clenched and sweat dripping down her temple.

"She's human, too. As in human-human," Mona stated.

"S-So, what do we do?" Skull asked, clear panic in his tone.

"I uh… I mean…"

"Dammit," Skull uttered plainly. "Shoulda paid more attention in health class…"

"I did, and trust me, you weren't missing much," Mona replied. "The very least we can do is try to get her out of here. Even if we can't help her, if she's just left here, those Spiders will eventually find her and—"

"Ya don't have to say it, I get the picture just fine," Skull interjected. He shoved the torch over his way. "Here, hold this. I'll pick her up."

As Morgana grabbed their source of light, he helped the raven-haired young woman to her feet. He managed to prop her up underneath his shoulder, and though she was still clearly in pain, she seemed appreciative of the gesture.

"Okay, which way?" Skull asked.

"I think our best bets over there. I'll lead the way."

After they'd moved a short distance forward, the girl's cries became even more pained. A concerned Ryuji felt a deep frustration build up inside him on account of not being able to help, but he knew that getting mad wasn't going to do any good.

"A-Aaah!" she screamed breathlessly. "The voices… i-it hurts…!"

"Hang in there," Skull said, doing his best to offer a comforting tone. "We'll get out of here soon. I promise."

Mona couldn't help but feed off of the blond's efforts. If Ryuji of all people was putting in this much effort to keep his emotions in check, then of course he had to give it his all as well. Otherwise, he'd never let himself live it down.

He focused his efforts on feeling out a possible exit to the catacombs, but in doing so, a funny thing happened. The feline could sense the presence of a Shadow fast approaching, though as he looked out in all directions, he was unable to find it.

That was until his eyes landed back on the woman that Ryuji carried over across his shoulders.

"Khhh…!"

"Uh… Skull…" Mona spoke, his voice high-pitched and squeaky.

"What's up?" he asked. "Wait, hang on a sec, why're you stopping? C'mon man, we got important shit to take care of! This girl is…!"

His head shifted over to check on the woman and came face to face with a smile full of fanged teeth. Her skin had started to become deathly pale, and two sets of ruby-red eyes grew on her forehead.

"…shit," Skull simply muttered.

The blond-haired teen could not have dropped the woman fast enough, ducking under her shoulder and backing away as far as was physically possible. Morgana took position at his side, all the while the previously ordinary teenage girl stared at them with predatory intent.

Her body abruptly began to twitch and shift in ways that shouldn't have been possible. It was as if her bones themselves were cracking and reforming constantly more and more with each passing second. Her lower-half eventually formed the beginnings of a spider's abdomen, sprouting legs as her ghoulish screams echoed throughout the entirety of the catacombs. The very sight sent an unwanted chill down the seasoned Persona users' spines.

When the spider-woman's transformation was complete, she licked her lips, obviously looking forward to her next meal.

"Raaaaa!"

"Skull, now!" Mona exclaimed.

The creature lunged with all its might, though as it did so, Morgana threw down a smoke bomb and littered the area with a thick ashen cloud, which caused her to miss the mark. The feline hopped onto his teammate's shoulder and gave him the signal to run and run fast.

'Mona, if we actually get out of this alive, I'm buying you fish,' Skull thought.

Ryuji put his gains of his physical therapy to good use and set off in a sprint with everything he had. They bolted away through room after room, even doing so through small pockets of Spiders that could barely react to their presence, let alone chase them down.

"I thought you said she was human!" Skull exclaimed.

"I did, b-but it's not my fault!" replied the feline defensively. "She definitely felt like one, but then suddenly… L-Look, I don't have all the answers, okay?!"

"You know what, fair enough. Just make up for it by gettin' us the hell outta here!"

"Raaaaaaaaa!"

The chilling cry was far closer than they'd expected it to be.

"Assuming we don't get eaten first," Skull grimaced.

Tower of Torment: Central Lift

All throughout the wide-open area, the Phantom Thieves were fast at work dispatching Shadow after Shadow. Be it with use of gun, magic, or a simple melee weapon, they moved with grace and efficiency.

Joker correctly observed the splintering off of the Shadows courtesy of the good work his teammates had put in thus far.

'Alright, looks like it's go-time,' Joker thought. "Shiva!"

The Destroyer answered the call and immediately lived up to its name. A number of massive bright-orange projectiles formed at its side before launching directly towards the central swarm of Succubae. The attack tore through them like a meteor shower through paper, killing most of them and leaving those few that did survive flying away for their lives.

"Nice work!" Oracle exclaimed.

"Thanks, but you better act fast," Joker replied. His eyes narrowed as he saw the surface of the sphere begin to bubble once again. "It looks like more will be on their way soon, so take advantage while you can!"

"Roger that!"

Bringing all her speed left to bare and utilizing the space created for her, Oracle rushed forwards and brought Necronomicon directly in front of the twisted mass of ooze. Wasting no time, she gave the order for her Persona to extend its tendrils.

'C'mon baby, don't fail me now…!' Oracle thought.

Anxiety filled her very being as the mechanical limbs approached the outside of the large black ball, and when they began to seep into it successfully, she breathed a sigh of relief. She could feel her Persona interfacing the object just as she was used to.

"Alright!" she exclaimed in joy. "Now I just need to—"

Anger.

That one word flooded her consciousness with the fury of a thousand screams. Futaba's vision faded. She froze. Everything went dark—pitch black, even. She winced, or at least she wanted to. Her body was unresponsive, though she could still feel.

Weakness.

Again, her mind was assaulted under the force of an unknown speaker. Though this time she recognized something else that came with it. Images began to flash, though not before her eyes. It was as if they were penetrating her mind itself.

Longing.

More images, moving too fast for even her brain to process. At least they should have been, and yet she somehow, she was made to understand. Two women, each with black hair, and one with a set of familiar green eyes. There was one other woman, too. Tall, blond-haired, and inhumanly beautiful. She was happy. She was smiling.

Then it all faded away.

Darkness.

Everything went black again. All that was left was a cold, unrelenting chill that struck at the soul itself.

'W-What the hell is this?' Oracle wondered.

She could sense another consciousness creep into her own. At first, it felt as if it was trying to attack her somehow, but the more she was able to recognize it, the more she started to realize it was trying to do the opposite.

A hand was being extended to her. A hand that was so desperate to be grabbed that it simply lashed out in all directions, just hoping that someone would take it into their own.

'I hope I live to regret this,' Oracle thought.

Futaba followed the call, and in an instant, the darkness had gone. She found herself standing in an office space, but before she could fully take in its appearance, her eyes were drawn to a woman who sat on a nearby sofa, completely silent.

It was the same blonde-haired woman that Futaba had seen before, though this one was far from smiling. In fact, she had the appearance of someone that would have been opening weeping if only they still had tears left to cry.

She made brief contact with her defeated, soulless eyes for only a moment…

And then it all vanished.

Though dazed and disoriented, she returned to within the confines of Necronomicon, her eyes locked on the main dashboard. She took notice that her Persona's mechanical tendrils began to recede back into its frame, a clear indication that the link she'd formed with the sphere had been broken.

"Everything okay up there, Oracle?" Panther asked.

"On your left," warned Joker.

The red-clad beauty brought up her machine gun and unloaded half a clip into an incoming Succubus. Though this didn't finish the job, Carmen was more than happy to deal the finishing blow, burning the retreating Shadow to cinders.

"Oracle, can you hear us?" Fox inquired.

"Y-Yeah, I'm just…"

Before she could manage to find a way to properly summarize her out of body experience, a warning siren accompanied by a bright red flashing light sounded off from her Persona's cockpit.

'That can't be good,' Oracle thought. She soon realized what the source of the alert had been and grimaced. The energy signature of the sphere was reaching a critical point, and was in all likelihood about to explode. 'Yep, definitely not good!'

The navigator backed away as quickly as she could, simultaneously forming a barrier around her just in case the eruption triggered sooner than she was expecting. She watched as the surface began to crack and a black liquid began to flood out of the small fissures.

"Guys, get ready! It's a chrysalis, and it's about to hatch!" Oracle exclaimed.

Each of the Phantom Thieves watched as more and more of the black ichor poured forth. Eventually, a pair of far-reaching obsidian wings shattered through the now-known chrysalis with the rest breaking apart shortly thereafter.

The creature that hovered in the airs that remained in the wake of the hatching could only be described as demonic. She sported thick metal armor that seemed to be a dark purple in color, and a pitch-black eyeless mask covered everything below her forehead. Her snowy white hair was now a dark gray, and far more manic in nature, and, lastly, a pair of red-tipped black horns rise up from the side of her head.

Panther frowned at the sight. "I really hope she's not as tough as she looks."

"With our luck, she's probably even tougher than that," Joker remarked. "Oracle, any idea about her weaknesses?"

"I'll try to figure it out, but no matter what, don't hit her too hard, okay?! Just… just try to knock her out!"

"Come again," a very confused Joker replied.

"I… I can't really explain it, but there's a real person somewhere in there! She's human, I'm sure of it!" Oracle exclaimed. "Don't ask me how I know or what happened to make her like that, but if you give me an opening so I can safely interface with her cognition again, I might be able to save her. But if you just beat her like a normal Shadow…"

"That means non-lethal force only, everyone," Queen uttered, a spark of conviction lighting in her eyes.

"Understood," Fox replied.

"Got it," said Panther. She winced slightly at the intimidating appearance of the demoness. "Although something tells me she won't be doing the same for us."

"Most likely not," Joker replied. "Keep to using lighter elemental attacks and find her weakness. Once we have that, I'll hit her with enough force to hopefully knock her down."

The Persona users marched forward with that plan in mind, taking up their positions on the perimeter around the winged demoness. They intended to make the first move, but she had other plans.

Flexing her wings, the armored Shadow released a powerful roar that sent a shockwave throughout the area. The Phantom Thieves buckled, the pressure alone almost being enough to force them back.

'Looks like taking her out will be easier said than done…' Joker thought with a scowl.

---

Yumiko Hebiza crossed the threshold of Shangri La Spa's entrance. She was immediately greeted by several of her workers, who bowed respectfully at the suited woman's presence.

She soon approached the front desk to address the receptionist.

"Good morning, Yumiko-sama," one of the staff greeted.

"Good morning, Sakuya. Are Lanaya and Eury in?" she asked.

"Yes, they arrived some time ago."

"Thank you."

As Yumiko walked through the spa, she couldn't help but take in the monotony and ordinary nature of it. She didn't view that as a bad thing, however. In fact, she found it somewhat calming.

'I wonder when I started to feel that way…' she thought, chuckling to herself. 'Now that I consider it, I'm honestly not sure I ever felt differently.'

The green-eyed beauty arrived at her office with a genuine smile crossing her lips, eager as ever to see her loyal friends on the other side.

"Good morning, Lanaya, Eur—"

An unrelenting pressure slammed into her the moment that she stepped into her office. She gasped for air, nearly unable to breathe as her vision started to blur. She half-expected to black out, but instead everything turned an off-shade of red.

'W-What on earth?!' Yumiko thought in a panic.

Through sheer force of will alone, the former information broker rose to her feet and gained some semblance of stability. She managed to fight back the otherworldly pressure, or perhaps it was more correct to say that her body simply started to get used to it.

Now no longer under a terrible strain, she was finally able to look around the room. Her green eyes looked on in fear and confusion as she noticed the red tint to the office, alongside what appeared to be street graffiti that was so widespread it may as well have been wallpaper. It said only one thing, over, and over again…

Mine.

"What is this? I must be hallucinating, t-there's no way this can be—"

"Y-Yumi…sama…!"

The young woman's eyes went wide upon recognizing the pained voice to belong to one of her most trusted friends. Wasting no time whatsoever, she rushed forwards to find wherever her voice had come from.

Behind a set of furniture, she discovered Eury curled up on the ground while Lanaya lay by her side. The strained look on their faces and the constant seizing up of their bodies made it beyond obvious they were in unbelievable pain.

The blonde struggled to keep her eyes open. "Yu…mi…"

"It's okay, Lanaya. I'm right here," Yumiko stated. She knelt down, worry plastered across her features as she attended to her friends. "W-What's happening to you? Your skin is so pale, and… E-Eury, are you conscious? Please, say something if you can hear me!"

In a touching display, the bespectacled woman opened her eyes as best as she could and attempted to give Yumiko some sign that she was still alive. Though momentary relief washed over her thereafter, the critical matter of helping her two attendants still remained.

"What happened?" Yumiko questioned.

"Never saw… c-coming… he…!" Lanaya uttered through pained breaths.

Not wanting her to speak needlessly, Yumiko cut in. "Someone did this to you? Who? And what did they do?!"

A cold hand placed itself on her shoulder. Strangely, Yumiko couldn't react in the slightest. She couldn't bring herself to speak or move a muscle—everything seemed to suddenly freeze.

"Relax, they'll live, and so will you," spoke a familiar voice. "Though that should be the least of your concerns."

---

Noir and Queen fired off a series of zoning projectiles at the winged Shadow, forcing into a perfect position wherein a volley of lesser fireballs slammed into it courtesy of Carmen. Its torso absorbed the attack, shortly after which it clasped its hands together before ripping them apart and sending a wave of fire blazing out in all directions.

Taking full advantage of his position outside the scope of the attack, Fox mounted an assault of his own. He fired off a series of minor ice attacks using his Persona, each of which landed and each of which were absorbed within the creature's body on impact.

"Weak!" the Shadow spat.

In another display to simply outdo its attackers, the demoness charged its wings with a bright blue light. They extended moments thereafter, launching an icy wind that encompassed virtually all of the battlefield within seconds.

"I've got you covered!" Oracle announced.

Reacting with ample time to spare, the navigator set up barriers on all of her comrades and protected them from any incoming damage. That, however, did not go unnoticed by the Shadow, who vanished in a fog of black smoke before reappearing directly in front of Necronomicon.

'Crap!' Oracle thought.

A twisted darkness started to form within the palm of the creature's outstretched hand, but before she could fire it off, a blinding flare appeared directly in front of her.

"Gah!" she yelped, covering her eyes momentarily in the wake of the flash of light.

Oracle gave an appreciative glance towards Queen as she retreated, knowing it had been her who gave her the opening to escape. Though her actions did have the unfortunate effect of enraging the demoness even more so.

The Shadow extended its arms, forming two enormous bright white spheres in the palms of her hands. "No more games!"

"Megidolan incoming!" Queen shouted.

Virtually everyone ran off to take cover, knowing that the charged nature of the attack meant that it was going to decimate anyone and anything that it came into contact with. One among them, however, did the exact opposite. Joker instead chose to run directly towards the nexus of energy.

Panther looked at him in disbelief as she noticed him run off in the opposite direction. "W-Wait, what are you doing?!"

"Just trust me!" he replied.

"But you…!"

The blonde's protest died in her throat. She knew that by that point, the die had already been cast and Joker was going to live or die by his own decision. She joined the others in the search for cover, though she did so with an evident scowl on her face.

"Embrace oblivion!" the Shadow roared.

A series of ring-shaped waves of raw energy blasted out in all directions, being less all-encompassing than a typical Megidolan but more than making up for it with their range. The pulses seemed unending as the energy began to crash into the corners of the room, tearing apart everything it touched.

And yet even so, Joker still rushed headlong towards the source.

The Trickster dodged ring after ring, often only by the skin of his teeth, but when all was said and done, he found himself exactly where he wanted to be; directly below the Shadow itself.

One final hurdle remained: dodging two of the rings at once. Joker smirked as he saw his final barrier to success fire off, and when the time was right, he performed his final jump, knife in hand as he zoomed towards the beast that hovered in the airs above.

Even though it was clear that his timing needed to be perfect, somehow it came as no surprise that the Trickster made it through unharmed. Relief washed over his teammates as their eyes confirmed their hopes, and it was then that they knew the fight was about to be over.

'Gotcha,' Joker thought.

His knife, charged with a bless attack, ran directly across the Shadow's armored torso. She recoiled, releasing a pained grunt and reflexively clasping the wound. Though injured, she was clearly far from finished, though so too was Joker.

In a matter of seconds, the Wild Card spring boarded expertly off of every surface he landed on, launching himself back towards the Shadow and repeating the same attack. It seemed a dozen slashes landed all at once when all was said and done, and under the pressure of the repeated blows, the Shadow's wings gave in and it started to fall towards the ground.

"G-Graa…!" she grunted in pain.

The demoness crashed into the ground a mere moment later, unconscious, and for the moment unable to fight.

"Good work, Joker!" Oracle shouted cheerfully.

She wasted no time in rushing towards the Shadow's side and putting Cognitive Override to use. Necronomicon's tendrils extended yet again, seeping into the monstrous being's torso. The same dark sensation ripped into Futaba's psyche, but this time she was prepared. She battled through the darkness that clouded her mind and reached out for the soul within the near-endless abyss.

Eventually, the Succubus' outward body began to melt, turning into the same black ooze they were sadly so accustomed to seeing by that point. The muck eventually faded entirely, giving way to what was unmistakably a human woman.

Necronomicon faded away without warning, allowing its owner to fall to the floor, clearly too fatigued to maintain her Persona's form any longer. Joker of course moved in to catch her and save her a fall, helping the orange-haired teen to her feet shortly thereafter.

"Is it over…?" Oracle questioned, still clearly in the throes of fatigue. "Did I do it?"

"See for yourself," replied Joker.

Though it took all of her current strength to do, Futaba walked towards to see the very same woman she'd encountered in her mindscape. She lay on the floor, unconscious but now completely devoid of any demonic features.

"So, she really was human…" Queen uttered in disbelief. "But who is she?"

"Her name is Lanaya," Oracle stated. She knelt down by the woman's side, her goggles dropped over her eyes as she checked her vitals. "I don't know much else, but I do know that she's been through a lot."

"I can imagine," Fox said solemnly. "To think that a human could be turned outright into a Shadow… how is that even possible?"

"I'm not sure, but…"

A small tired groan escaped the blonde woman's lips. Her eyes gradually came open and her body started to stir. Though obviously fatigued, she at least possessed the strength to prop up her upper body and observe her surroundings.

"Aw man, she's probably gonna freak out…" Oracle muttered.

"Hardly." She winced and rubbed her head. "I may not have been in control, but I was still conscious the entire time."

In a show of strength and willpower that genuinely took the Phantom Thieves by surprise, Lanaya stood up on her own two feet. She then looked towards Futaba, emotion nearly overcoming her at the sight of the orange-haired teen. In her, she could sense the soul of her savior—the guiding hand that dragged her out of the darkness that surrounded her for what felt like an eternity.

"Thank you," Lanaya stated, her voice holding obvious gratitude. "I owe you a debt that I doubt I can ever replay. And for that, I apologize, because… there is something I want to ask of you."

Oracle frowned, knowing what it was likely to be about. "It's about the third woman, right? Eury?"

"…yes," was her quiet reply.

"I feel we're missing context," said Joker.

"Eury and I were Yumikio-sama's attendants," Lanaya explained. "The same fate was dealt out to both of us. Turned into those… creatures."

"How, exactly?" Queen inquired.

"I confess I don't know the mechanics of what happened, nor do I truly know much about this 'Metaverse'," she answered. A fire soon lit in the pits of her amethyst eyes. "However, I do know who did this. To Eury, myself… and to Yumiko-sama."

"She doesn't know his name though," Oracle quickly interjected, drawing a few quirked brows from her teammates. She sighed. "I just know, okay? Still, if my hunch is correct, your boss does, isn't that right?"

"If anyone were to, it'd be her," Lanaya replied. "He's notoriously evasive, but the two of them were on oddly good terms for a time. In fact, it may have been the closest I've seen Yumiko-sama come to trusting a client, and I believe that trust was reciprocated."

"Getting back to Eury-san," spoke Queen. "I take it she's somewhere roaming around in this tower?"

"She's in the catacombs beneath the surface level."

Everyone froze.

"Um… and is she as strong as you were, by chance?" Panther inquired.

Lanaya frowned, a sadness filling her eyes. "More so. However, her strength comes from the savagery of her transformed state. Her mere existence makes the catacombs the equivalent of a death trap."

It took very little time for her to notice how deflated the Phantom Thieves became once she'd given her answer. Even if both Ryuji and Morgana weren't holding back in the slightest, they couldn't imagine them standing much of a chance on their own.

"I believe this is where Skull would say 'oh crap'," Fox commented.

"Skull can handle himself," Joker stated pointedly. "Plus Mona is with him. I'm more than sure they're still alive and kicking."

"Same here," chirped Panther in agreement.

"Though it couldn't hurt to mount a rescue mission as soon as is possible," Noir added.

"That depends on how many people you intend to send out," Lanaya pointed out.

Joker quirked a brow, "Not sure I follow."

"…I think I do," Oracle grumbled, agitation in her voice. She turned to the fair-skinned woman. "He knows I set you free, doesn't he?"

Lanaya's gaze became downcast in an instant. "Almost certainly, yes."

"I had a feeling that'd be the case," sighed the navigator. "Whoever twisted Lanaya-san and the others, they're aware I was able to undo whatever it is they did. I can't imagine they'd just sit back after finding that out, and if they're capable of something like this, then I don't wanna find out how they'd retaliate."

"Meaning we're on a clock," Joker mused.

"And one with an unknown amount of time on it," Queen added grimly. "That, and we have one inconvenient constraint…"

Everyone understood what she was referring to, which was why all eyes landed on Futaba. The truth was that the navigator simply couldn't be in two places at once, meaning that even though they had two targets they needed to get to, a simple splitting up just wouldn't cut it.

They could of course not split up at all and go after one target, but then there was just no telling what would happen to Yumiko Hebiza in the meantime. They could also go after her as one group instead of head into the catacombs, but then they may be dooming their own teammates in the process.

Oracle abruptly spoke up, a rare firmness to her voice, "Whatever we decide to do, I'm not willing to settle for anything less than saving both Eury-san and Hebiza-san."

"I understand your feelings, but allow me to offer a very possible scenario," began Fox evenly. "What if in the process of our saving Eury-san, our 'time' were to expire and something happens to Hebiza-san? If we only have the time to save one, should we not focus on Hebiza-san given the information she likely has?"

"We'll manage to help them both anyway."

"I feel as if you're not understanding the premise of my—"

"No, you're the one who isn't understanding me," Oracle stated defiantly. "I was inside Lanaya-san's head. I saw firsthand what happened to them—I felt what happened to them! That suffocating darkness that choked out even the slightest hint of light, and that cold hopeless voice gnawing at the fabric of my mind… I-I wouldn't wish something like that on my worst enemy! So, if you think for even a second that I'll accept anything less than curing them both, then I can only assume you've lost your mind!"

Most were stunned by the response, but how could they not be? It was rare to hear such emotion coming from Futaba in the first place, and rarer still for her to speak it out loud. Even so, Yusuke, who was on the receiving end of it, smiled cheerfully and nodded his head.

"…I don't think I could bring myself to disagree after hearing a response as passionate as that," Fox replied. "With Oracle's desires in mind, I believe the ball is in your court, Joker and Queen."

That was just as well considering that they both shared Futaba's sentiment. They gave each other a brief glance simply to ensure that they were of one mind before either spoke.

"We'll split up," began Joker plainly. "Oracle can lead a team into the catacombs. I can head up the lift with a few others to make sure that we've got eyes on Yumiko Hebiza in case something happens."

"I'm our best support outside of Oracle and Mona, so I'll be going up with you," Queen stated. "And Lanaya-san, I'd like for you to come with us. If possible, I'd like you to talk her down."

"I actually believe it best if I head towards the catacombs with the rest of you," she replied. "Outside of knowing how to get into them in the first place, I may very well be one of the only people that Eury won't assault on sight. Trust me when I say those two things can't be overappreciated."

"I'm sure just mentioning your names will be good enough to convince her," Joker mused.

"I'm not so sure she'd believe us, but it's a risk we probably have to take," Panther muttered. She locked eyes with the Wild Card. "In case she goes all out, you'll need some firepower, so I'll come with the two of you."

Joker nodded. "No objections here."

"Then we're agreed," said Oracle firmly. "C'mon, you should get going. I'll make sure the elevator sets off properly."

Joker, Panther, and Queen stepped on to the lift. They took one last look at their teammates, finding comfort in the confidence shining in their eyes. That was all they needed to see to know they'd be just fine, just like always. Thus, the black-clad Trickster pressed the button to send them straight to the apex of the tower.

"Good luck," Noir said, waving them off. "Though if it's them, I'm sure they don't need it."

"And on that note…" began Fox, turning to their guide-to-be. "Shall we get going?"

"Follow closely. Oh, and… I do hope you're not scared of spiders."

In spite of her earlier passion, Oracle instantly went stiff as a board.

"Blonde lady says what now?"

Tower of Torment: Apex

Yumiko stood at the far end of the tower's highest room, the only other thing in the room to keep her company being a floating black sphere floating overhead. She looked out at the vast hellscape that was Shinjuku and sighed, hanging her head solemnly.

'However depressing things look here, the sad truth is that the real world won't be much different if given enough time,' she thought.

The green-eyed woman's ears perked up upon hearing the elevator arrive just below the staircase leading to the room. She zoned in on the footsteps and scowled, knowing that her visitors were short the lone, singular person she so desperately wanted to see.

"Typical," Yumiko spat.

Though disappointed, she turned to face the door as her guests as they made their formal entrance. She eyed them with clear disinterest, her mood clearly soured when her eyes confirmed what she'd already known.

"Where's the rest of your little dress-up club? Or perhaps the three of you didn't learn your lesson the last time and think you can actually beat me all on your own?" Yumiko asked. She shrugged her shoulders uncaringly. "I suppose it doesn't matter."

In a flash of red flames, Medusa appeared behind her wielder. Even an idiot could have seen that they were both ready to pounce at a moment's notice, and yet an odd thing happened.

None of the three Persona users before her showed any signs they were ready for a fight.

Yumiko couldn't help but look on in curiosity. She didn't see even the slightest trace of hostility in their eyes, but even so, they clearly came in with a sense of purpose. Meaning that if their intent wasn't to fight…

"You can't possibly be serious," Yumiko uttered in disbelief, dropping her stance. "You actually came here to try talking me down?"

"You really are as perceptive as they come," Queen said absentmindedly. "And yes, you're right."

"What on earth could possibly give you that level of confidence?"

"Well, for one, you don't seem like you want to fight us either."

"Is that so?" she asked, her eyes narrowed. Two separate throwing knives fell from her sleeves and she expertly caught them within the palm of her hands. "Make this quick. Just say whatever it is you came here to say and then let's get this over with."

Queen nodded. "We saved your friend, and we want to do the same for you. Lanaya is—"

A knife came flying squarely at the brunette's face. The sole reason it hadn't hit its mark was on account of Joker moving in front of her to block it with his own weapon.

"Don't insult my intelligence," Yumiko hissed. "And if you were going to come up with a lie to try and trick me, the least you could have done was make it more believable."

"It's not a trick," stated Joker. "We—"

A wave of invisible pressure tore through the entire room. It seemed to be emanating from the shimmering obsidian sphere on the room's far end, which had begun to swirl with even greater intensity. Its surface began to bubble, erupting with patches of ooze that fell to the ground to signify a Shadow's birth.

The fresh army of twisted creatures sprawled out as soon as their physical forms were made manifest and quickly surrounded the intruders. Still, they kept their distance and stood at attention as if awaiting the orders of their master to move in for the kill.

"You know, if you'd just told me you managed to put her out of her misery, I honestly would've been grateful. Not to mentioned I'd believe you," Yumiko admitted. There was heavy emotion in her eyes, though it quickly gave way to a burning rage. "But dangling false hope in front of me is a decision I'm afraid you won't live to regret."

Panther stepped forward and was ready to give one final attempt at reasoning with the raven-haired woman, but the appearance of red flames gave her pause.

Medusa made its appearance just behind its master, all the while Yumiko herself changed drastically in appearance. Her flawless skin now had the beginnings of green scales scattered randomly across her arms, and her pupils narrowed and became slits like those of a serpent.

The most chilling thing about her transformation had nothing to do with her physical appearance itself. It had more to do with the aura that resonated around her. Every fiber of her being was screaming out for blood.

Whatever switch had been flipped within Yumiko Hebiza's soul, one thing was clear: there wasn't any going back. Not anymore.

And so it was that with no options left before them, the three Phantom Thieves placed their hands on their masks, and readied for battle.

A/N Alright, so the next chapter will be another two weeks away which will be the conclusion of the Twin Towers fights. Until then!

Explanations:

Yumiko & Co.: Hopefully people aren't too annoyed with the inserting of these OC's, but I wanted the ones I fit in to have at least some impact. Hopefully people enjoyed the way I wrote them in.

Apologies to Arachnophobes: Yeah, there's spiders in here, sorry about that. I know some people really can't handle spiders, so I'll at least say I'm sorry if there not your cup of tea.

The Fishing Hole Incident: To anyone curious if this will actually be covered in the future, the answer is yes… yes it will be. It's not really a casual drop though, it's saved for a broader flash back semi-arc where the clock rewinds to the summer when Ren left and then obviously came back. That'll take some time to get to, though.

Ryuji's Subtle Growth: I hope this has been shown a bit subtly, but I wanted to gradually show off that he's getting more competent in various regards. I felt that in large part at the end of the base game, he changed the least, and his character arc felt criminally incomplete. I want to give him a solid transition to 'grow up' in a way, but also still have him feel like the Ryuji we all know, love, and sometimes get really really annoyed. Perfect example is how even though he's grown, he's still looking for his props (lmao).

I just don't want it to feel rushed more than anything else, and the reason is mainly because when I played Persona Strikers, I felt like there were plenty of moments when Ryuji talked that I was just like 'uhhhhh that ain't Ryuji'. He'd just say things that seemed waaaaay more mature/introspective than I'd expect to hear based on where we left him, which would've been like, what, less than three months ago in that timeline? Anyway, love Ryuji, and just wanted to say that him having an arc where he actually takes gradual steps forward is something I wanted to really show off.