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

32. Sisterhood

A/N Alright, this chapter marks the bow on top of the latest story arc. Hopefully you all found it enjoyable! As an FYI, the next chapter won't be posted for around 3-4 weeks since I have to outline the next chunk of the story like I usually do towards the end of an arc.

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

Chapter 32

August 8th – Tokyo: Upscale Apartment Building

Sae walked out into the kitchen where she quickly caught sight of her sister as she sat at the table finishing up her breakfast.

"Oh, sis," Makoto spoke, looking oddly surprised. "I made breakfast for two, but I wasn't sure how much longer you'd be asleep, so I just put yours in the fridge."

"It's not a problem, I'll just heat it up," Sae replied as she walked to the refrigerator. "Did you sleep well?"

"I completely passed out the second I landed on my bed," Makoto admitted with a laugh. Her expression still pleasant, she asked, "And you?"

"Same here. Although after last night, I wasn't expecting to fall to sleep so easily," Sae stated.

The silver-haired beauty had responded absentmindedly, but her words themselves caused an awkward silence to take place. It simply brought up something that the two sisters couldn't bring themselves to discuss, though they knew at the same time they desperately wanted to.

"Well, I'm glad you slept well all the same," Makoto began, trying to move past the momentary silence.

Sae walked to the table, her food now heated and on a plate. "Yes, I as well."

Only a few short seconds passed, yet the felt like minutes on end. The continuous awkward tension simply made it so.

"Do you have any plans for today?" Sae inquired, forcing a smile.

"Yes, I'm actually meeting up with Haru for tea this morning," Makoto replied.

Her sister quirked a curious brow.

"That's… a bit strange," Sae remarked.

"Well, it does feel a bit out of the blue, but she probably just wants to check on me after… well, you know," Makoto replied.

Yet again the subject was brought up and the two went silent. The discomforting atmosphere only continued to grow.

Makoto looked at her phone, "I actually should get going unless I want to risk missing my train."

"Don't worry about your plate, I'll take care of it," Sae assured.

"Thanks."

The two sisters smiled at one another, but beneath it all the two knew that their interaction just now was done purely out of a desire to end their conversation. It seemed to be the only way either could think of to get out from under the weight of the invisible tension that strangled the air.

Sae continued to eat her breakfast as her sister walked out the door, and just like that, the weight was lifted. Everything was by all accounts normal again, but Sae knew things were far from 'okay'.

'I knew it,' Sae thought, sinking into her seat. 'It was naïve of me to think in any way that she might be able to move past what happened last night so easily. She clearly has so much that she wants to say—I can see it in her eyes. Whatever it is she wants to say, though… she's too afraid to say it out loud. Both to me, and to herself.'

Sadly, it was a feeling that Sae was more than familiar with, and so she more than knew what the root of that fear was. It came from dark, horrible thoughts that ate away at the soul so heavily that the only thing you could think to do was deny them and bottle them up.

It was the same way Sae felt after their father died, and to an extent it was the same way she felt right now.

That, however, only meant that she knew where this would lead when all was said and done.

'I can't let that happen,' Sae thought. 'Not again, and least of all not to her.'

Knowing what she had to do, she grabbed her phone and prepared to turn to the one person she believed could truly help her.

Tokyo: Shinjuku Central Hospital

Yu, Naoto, and Akihiko stood in an intensive care unit looking down on a hospital bed that held Eiji Sasaki, though you almost couldn't tell that by looking at him. The raven-haired man was strapped the bed, his expression completely blank. His eyes were open and his breathing was normal, but he said not a word and moved not a muscle.

He was little more than a husk.

"I almost can't believe my eyes," Akihiko muttered. He turned to the doctor that had accompanied them into the room. "Is he in some kind of vegetative state?"

"Seemingly, no," the man replied. "We've had him go through numerous MRI's, brain scans, emergency blood work—pretty much any test you can think of. For all intents and purposes, this is a perfectly healthy man."

"Psychopathy notwithstanding," Naoto remarked to herself. "Can he speak? Does he respond to any human contact whatsoever?"

The doctor scratched his head as if surprised by his own would-be answer. "We've had no issues getting him to eat, drink, and perform other bodily necessities. However, the closest he comes to speaking is—"

"G-Ghhhh!"

Abruptly, Sasaki's body started to seize. His arms struggled to break free from his restraints and his entire body started to shake. Pained, agonized grunts escaped his lips, and his eyes seemed to roll into the back of his head. The nurses went to work trying to calm him down, if not sedate him, all the while Yu and the others looked on in shock.

"A seizure?" Naoto reasoned, once again looking toward the doctor.

"We're not sure," he replied through a sigh. "It certainly appears that way, but he's had this happen to him every hour on the dot. There are some breaks, during which time it seems like he sleeps, but then when he wakes it happens all over again. It's like he's caught in some kind of loop, but how something like that could happen…"

"You don't have to speculate," Yu chimed in. "You don't know what you don't know, right?"

The doctor nodded. "True, though we'll continue to try and figure it out. I know he's a key suspect in the recent criminal activity in Shinjuku, so we'll try to get him lucid, but I can't make any promises."

"Just keep us appraised of his status," Naoto said.

With that, the trio took their leave, though they made their way to a seating area outside the room. They knew full-well that there was more for them to discuss, because even if the doctors hadn't the slightest idea of what was happening to Sasaki, they did.

"…that's gotta be our 'friend's' handiwork, right?" Akihiko mused.

"Without a doubt," Yu answered. "Though why he went after Sasaki and what he did to him, I couldn't say."

"Knowing him, probably something twisted."

"If my hunch is correct, I think it's beyond what could be called 'twisted'," Naoto cut in. "The way his body moved wasn't caused by pain. It was fear, and it was being actively experienced at that."

"You mean to say he was dreaming?" Akihiko inquired.

"A nightmare would be more accurate, and one that he's forced into," she replied grimly. "And given the fact that he still eats, drinks, and sleeps, I'd say it's one he's meant to endure for a long, long time."

"That's a hell of a punishment, though it doesn't surprise me given who we're dealing with," Akihiko commented.

"As far as I'm concerned, it's poetic justice," Naoto stated, her eyes becoming as cold as ice as she spoke. "He could be experiencing hell itself and I still consider that too good for him."

"…I don't disagree," Yu admitted. "Though at the very least we should be glad that his hold on Shinjuku was broken as soon as his stronghold in the Metaverse went down. Reports of people flocking to local hospitals with amnesia have skyrocketed, but from what I've seen, initial findings indicate that they're perfectly fine health-wise."

Akihiko quirked a brow. "Speaking of which, does his current condition affect your legal case against him?"

Before the question could be answered, Naoto's phone started to buzz. The blue-haired Persona user smiled once she'd read the message, clearly having good news to communicate to the others.

"That shouldn't be a problem, now more so than ever," Naoto spoke. Her eyes shifted towards her partner. "It looks like Yumiko Hebiza is ready to speak to us."

Now it was Yu's phone that rang and prevented a direct response. He initially expected to get right back to their conversation, but he quickly changed his mind upon reading the actual message.

"…I'll catch up with you at the hospital. Something just came up," Yu stated.

The blue-haired detective nodded in understanding. She of course knew just by the look on his face when he'd looked at his phone that he'd be saying that, so it didn't come as a surprise to her whatsoever.

"Take your time," Naoto said reassuringly. "I'll head to the SPD precinct and help sort out what's left of this mess. Just message me when you're ready."

"Got it, thanks."

Shibuya: Upscale Teahouse

At a table on the outside of a pleasant tea shop sat the two college-aged Phantom Thieves. They were mostly quiet on account of just having sat down, and each eagerly awaited to try their drinks, though for different reasons.

In Haru's case, it was because she hadn't had the chance to go to this particular teahouse since she'd started college. She took a sip from her cup, enjoying it to the fullest extent that she could after what had been nearly four entire months.

"Just as good as I remember," Haru couldn't help but remark. "How's yours, Mako-chan?"

"Really good," she replied with a cheerful laugh. "You weren't kidding when you said the tea here was amazing. I'm actually surprised you've never mentioned it before."

"Good, I'm glad," the heiress replied.

The mood of the conversation was good, the outside weather was perfect, and for all intents and purposes the two were having a lovely time. However, beneath the comfortable silence as the two enjoyed was a question that begged to be asked.

"Not to sound ungrateful for the invite," Makoto began, opting to address the elephant in the room. "But why did you ask me out here this morning? To check up on me?"

At first, instead of answering the question, Haru looked at her phone in order to check the time. Her friend was understandably confused, but when she looked back at her with a warm smile, she brushed it off as unimportant.

"Well, yes and no," Haru ultimately replied. "I did want to check up on you and make sure you were doing okay. However, I also assumed I would need some help in that regard."

The heiress looked past Makoto's shoulder and seemed to wave at someone. With reflexive curiosity, she turned around and quickly realized what her friend was doing when she saw Ren walking towards the shop from down the streetway. Needless to say, she jerked back around to look at Haru, who was already checking her purse in what was an obvious sign that she was about to leave.

"W-Wait, huh?!" Makoto stammered, clearly flustered.

"Oh don't look so surprised," Haru said amusedly. Seconds later, their mutual friend had arrived at the table, and she stood to greet him in turn. "Thanks for coming, Ren. I'll leave the rest to you."

"You're heading out already?" asked Ren surprisedly.

"Yes, sadly I have a few things to take care of, but I'm sure I can rest easy leaving Mako-chan in your capable hands," Haru stated cheerfully.

"I'll try not to let you down," he replied with a chuckle.

The two switched places, though as pink-haired teen was walking way, she turned over her shoulder and gave possibly the most mischievous, knowing smirk that Makoto had ever seen in her entire life. Her face started to go red at the sight.

"I take it based on your reaction she didn't tell you she invited me," Ren mused.

"Right on the nose," Makoto replied. "Out of curiosity, what exactly did Haru tell you?"

"Just that you needed someone to talk to. Honestly, she was pretty vague on the details," Ren answered. His voice laced with a bit of confusion, he added, "Although I've got no idea why she wouldn't tell you about that, or why she just left when I got here."

Just as she was starting to get herself a bit under control, Makoto felt her heart start to race and a flood of embarrassment wash over her yet again. She knew exactly why Haru hadn't told her, but there was no way in hell she'd explain that to him.

Still, in spite of the white lies Haru told to get things to this point, things had gone exactly as she'd intended them to.

'How someone so sweet can be so devious is beyond me…' Makoto thought. 'But I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. This isn't the first time she's done stuff like this, and I'm sure it won't be the last.'

As the brief silence continued, Makoto awkwardly replied, "O-Oh, you know, that's just how Haru is sometimes."

She hoped that he'd move right past it, and thankfully, he did.

"Either way," began Ren, choosing not to dwell on it. "I figured she wasn't lying when she said you needed someone to talk to, am I right?"

"Well, yes, but…"

Makoto had trailed off, and it was obvious by the look on her face that she struggled to say what was actually on her mind. Her raven-haired friend was more than kind enough to give her the time she needed, but despite his patience, it seemed as if she truly couldn't give a proper response.

"Sorry," Makoto suddenly blurted out, hanging her head in disappointment.

"Don't apologize, it's not like I'm in any rush. Just take as much time as you need," Ren replied.

"I don't think it's a matter of time," Makoto sighed. "It's just… I know what it is I want to say, but it's something so horrible that I honestly just can't bring myself to say it."

Those words were more than enough for Ren to understand what it was that she was struggling to say.

"You wanted Sasaki to die last night, didn't you?" Ren asked quietly. "A part of you, at least."

"…yes," Makoto replied. She shifted uncomfortably in her chair, clearly struggling to continue on. "That's the first time I've ever had a thought like that. Even with Kaneshiro, Akechi, or Shido, my mind never went there. I always fought with the intent of bringing them down and making them face justice by way of the law. But this time… it was different."

"If you need to know it's not just you, then I may as well tell you that I feel the same way," Ren abruptly stated, earning a surprised look on the part of his friend. "We've fought people who've done horrible, horrible things before, and I've always wanted them to pay for their crimes, but never like that. Last night though, when he was standing in front of that window… a part of me wanted to see him be pushed out of it."

Though it was at least comforting to hear that she wasn't alone in her thoughts, to Makoto, it didn't solve her underlying problem. She took a deep breath of tired frustration and continued on.

"But I can't feel that way. If I want to be a police officer, then no matter my personal feelings, I can't let them get in the way of bringing people to justice. It might not be fair, but that's just the way it is—the way it needs to be," Makoto stated. Her gaze became downcast and her voice quiet as she continued, "I was always so sure that was the one thing I wouldn't have to worry about. I thought that after everything we've been through, after all the scumbags we've taken down as the Phantom Thieves, that I could hold my head high and say I'd never cross the line. Clearly, I was wrong."

Here voice was so heavy with emotion and she looked more devastated in that moment than Ren had ever seen her before. It was a sight that pained him in the worst way imaginable—right in his heart. But how could it not? He hadn't seen her so hopeless and lost since before she became a Phantom Thief.

Still, he couldn't let that moment distract him. And he didn't.

"I don't think you were wrong at all," Ren stated, his voice soft and sincere.

The raven-haired teen was clearly about to say more, but his friend beat him to the punch.

"How can you be so sure? Every time I think about what he did and how he nearly took away my friends, my sister—everything I care about… I just get so angry, Ren," Makoto admitted. Her fists balled and shook violently at a certain memory that she couldn't get out of her head. "There was one moment in particular when he laid his hands on sis while we were still trapped. I saw the look of agony on her face, and in that moment, I knew for a fact that if my hands were free, I'd have wrapped them around his neck and held them there until he wasn't breathing anymore. That kind of anger and hate… if I felt it this time, how can I be sure I won't again in the future? I'd really like to hear your answer, by the way; that wasn't meant to be rhetorical."

"I think it's almost a guarantee that one day you'll feel like that again. Still, you said it before, right? You knew how hard it was going to be to become a cop. A part of that is understanding that thoughts like that exist but still having the strength to push them away," Ren answered. He offered her a genuine smile, looking her directly in her beautiful red eyes as he said, "You managed to do that this time around, didn't you? And there's no doubt in my mind that even when those moments come, you'll do exactly that all over again."

Even though she'd been filled with such self-doubt, hearing him say those words filled the brunet young woman with a sense of comfort. It was as if a dark cloud within her mind was forcibly parted then and there.

'Why is it that just hearing him say that makes me believe it?' Makoto wondered.

It made so little sense that she almost wanted to laugh, but all she could really do was smile.

"Oh, and not for nothing," Ren continued, his lips curling into a cheeky smirk, "but if you of all people aren't qualified to be a police officer, then no one is. Just sayin'."

Makoto laughed, though she tried to hide it. "Now you're just trying to suck up to me."

"I meant every word," Ren stated reassuringly.

There it was again—that soft look to his eyes and the sincerity in his voice. Makoto couldn't help but feel her face heat up, and she inwardly cursed the fact that he could manage to do that so easily.

"Y-Yes, well," Makoto began, clearing her throat. "Do you have anything else to do this morning? I was… I was wondering if maybe you wanted to hang out."

"Sure thing," Ren answered. "Have anything specific in mind?"

"I um… no, not really," Makoto admitted with a bashful laugh.

"Having plans are overrated anyway," Ren stated with a shrug. He got up from his chair, smiling as he looked towards his friend. "Let's start with a walk and we'll figure something out on the way."

"…you know what, that sounds lovely," Makoto replied.

Tokyo: Upscale Apartment Complex

A knock on her door stirred a patiently-waiting Sae Nijima. She walked towards it knowing who was on the other end, and when she'd opened it, her beliefs were proved true when she saw Yu on the other side.

"Please, come in," Sae invited.

"Thanks," he replied.

The two walked silently towards the dining room table and took a seat next to one another, though even then things were still quiet. Awkwardly quiet. Worse was that it continued for at least a minute, with neither of the two saying so much as a word.

'Great start,' Shadow Sae remarked to her other-self.

'Shup. Up,' Sae immediately replied.

Just hearing the heavy sarcasm in her Shadow's voice when she spoke nearly made her growl in anger, but Sae knew that she had a point. It annoyed her to admit it though.

"It's about Makoto, or at least it is by extension," Sae began evenly. "Last night when we arrived back home, I could tell that there was something bothering her, though it seemed as if she had trouble talking to me about it directly. I'll admit that's nothing new, but unlike any other time I can recall, I… I just couldn't bring myself to press her on it. It was the same this morning, too."

By that point the silver-haired wielder of the Fool started to get a rough idea of what it was that Sae had called him over to talk about so urgently. Still, he didn't want to assume too much.

"I take it you know why?" Yu half-inquired.

"I do."

The pause that followed was telling in and of itself, and the discomfort showing on her face even more so. By that point, Yu knew for a fact that it centered around what happened last night, but anyone with two brain cells to rub together could've guessed as much.

"Do you know what Makoto wants to be when she graduates college?" Sae asked.

Yu shook his head, saying, "She never mentioned it to me, no."

"She wants to be a police officer. More specifically, her dream is to one day become a police commissioner," Sae explained. There was a soft smile on her face that held a hint of pride to it, but that cheer vanished quickly and her gaze became downcast. "However, after last night… I think she's started to question that dream. Not because she no longer wants it, of course. It's because last night she had a desire that no officer of the law can be allowed to act on, least of all one as principled as Makoto is. Deep, deep down, there's a part of her that wanted to see Sasaki die last night. I know this… because I felt the same way."

"Last I checked, you let Sasaki live, and not for nothing, but I'd say your sister did too," Yu stated pointedly.

"That's true, but sadly that isn't good enough for either of us to feel at ease. We're very similar in some regards, and sadly this is one case where I'm afraid that works against me," Sae said through a sigh. "I keep playing out that theoretical conversation in my head over and over again, but each and every time, it ends with her asking me: if you were in that position again, are you sure you'd make the same choice? She'll look at me, desperate to hear me say I'd let him live time and time again just so that she can feel some kind of self-assurance that she'd do the same… but no matter what, I can't bring myself to say anything other than 'I don't know'."

In the quiet that followed, Yu felt a pain echo in his chest at the sight of how lost Sae appeared to be. Eventually, she sighed, averting her gaze awkwardly before next she spoke.

"Sorry," Sae apologized. "I must sound completely neurotic right now. Asking you to understand when things have been done and dusted is—"

"I understand better than you think," Yu interjected.

His words quickly caught the silver-haired young woman's curiosity. She took notice of the serious look in his eyes and found herself waiting patiently for him to continue on.

"Are you familiar with the serial murder cases that happened in Inaba around five years ago?" Yu inquired.

"To a degree, yes," Sae replied. "If I remember correctly, they started with the death of a television announcer who'd cheated on their spouse."

"Right on the nose," Yu stated. "They weren't ordinary murders, though. The police couldn't find any evidence or anything resembling a trail because the killer had used the Metaverse to do their dirty work. Back then, instead of an app on our phones, people who'd awakened to their abilities as a Persona user would access the Metaverse by climbing through a TV. The killer, though… they discovered that they could push people through the TV into the other world."

Just the thought of something so horribly sadistic made even Sae's skin crawl. As someone who'd seen the other side herself, she couldn't have possibly thought of something more horrifying to an average person. Although perhaps it did explain why the reports on the bodies noted that they were so mangled. Shadows weren't known for their mercy, after all.

"Two murders had already happened before I'd awakened to my Persona, and everyone in my group followed as a would-be victim if the rest of us didn't work together to save them. Eventually, we finally tracked down the killer. However…"

Somewhat to the silver-haired beauties' surprise, Yu took a picture out of his wallet and gestured it towards her. It was the image of a girl that hardly looked a day older than ten years old. She had brown hair and brown eyes, and across her lips was a bright smile that warmed the heart in spite of it being a simple photo.

"Who is that?" Sae couldn't help but ask.

"Nanako; she's my cousin. I say that, but after all the time I spent living in Inaba with her and my uncle, she's more like a sister to me," Yu replied as he retracted the picture. "Eventually, we found out that the man who'd been running around shoving people into the Metaverse was a man named Taro Namatame. He thought somehow by doing what he was doing that he was saving the people he'd shoved in, and Nanako became one of those people he tried to save."

There was a meaningful pause in the conversation, and this time it was Sae who did Yu the courtesy of letting him take as much time as he needed. She could tell that even as he remembered those events, the feelings he held at that time still struck a chord in him.

And it went without saying that she couldn't blame him for that.

"He took Nanako into the Metaverse, and my friends and I immediately went in to stop him. After a tough fight, we took him down and rescued Nanako. At least, we thought we did…" Yu stated, his gaze falling at the memory of that moment. "It turns out that exposure to the Metaverse was too much for Nanako's body to take. She ended up in a hospital bed, fighting for her life at barely six years old. The doctors said she didn't have much of a chance at recovery and that they'd done all they could. I'm sure you can imagine how devastating that was to hear."

"…yes, I can," Sae replied somberly.

"The night the doctors had given us that news, we found out that Namatame was staying at that exact same hospital. His room was even near Nanako's if you can believe that," Yu went on. His eyes were steely as he asked, "Care to take a guess as to what I did after that?"

"You went to confront him," Sae uttered, knowing her response as truth even before the words left her mouth.

Yu nodded. "I did. The others went with me, and we found him trying to crawl his way into the TV, muttering all kinds of nonsense. It would turn out that he wasn't the true killer and that by some miracle Nanako would eventually pull through, but we didn't know that at the time. All we knew was that he'd been throwing people into the Metaverse and that he was the reason Nanako was on death's door. I grabbed his shirt and slammed him up against the TV, and I won't lie, I genuinely thought about throwing him in. In the end, I didn't. I knew it wasn't the right thing to do, and when we finally confronted the real killer, I was strong enough to do the same thing when the time came."

An ominous quiet gripped the air. For her part, Sae was both touched that he'd shared his story given how clearly personal it was for him to speak about, but on the other, she found herself frustrated. The reason was simple: even without him telling her what he had, Sae already believed that if Yu had been in her position, he'd have stepped back from the ledge. Her problem was that she didn't think she'd do the same.

"If we rewound time… do you think I'd let Sasaki live again?" Sae questioned, uncertainty clear in her voice.

"There's not a doubt in my mind."

"If you're just saying that for the sake of comforting me, I swear to god I'll…!" Sae trailed off annoyedly.

"You know I wouldn't have said that if I didn't mean it," Yu stated. "Sae, the truth is that you're one of if not the strongest person I've ever met in my life. I trusted you to make the choice of whether Sasaki lived or died even more than I did myself. That was halfthe reason that I wanted you to be the one to make the choice. The other half was that I wanted you to know for a fact that it was the choice you'd make."

Sae felt a tightness in her chest that had her reflexively placing her hand over it. She could feel her face start to heat up and a groundswell of emotions well up inside her, and the truth was she found it difficult to even speak for a short while.

The sincere faith he had in her quite literally took her breath away.

"Honestly, you're just so…" Sae trailed off.

A split-second later the silver-haired young woman clenched her head as a groan escaped her lips. For a moment it looked like she was about to pass out, which of course worried the man in her company.

"Sae? What's—"

Yu stood up immediately and went to check on her, though before he could even finish his sentence, Sae too stood up. Her arms were crossed in a clearly annoyed manner, and she stared daggers at him all the while a scowl marked her lips. Her change in mood greatly confused Yu, who couldn't help but wonder what had just happened.

That was until he took notice of Sae's now-golden eyes.

It went without saying that Yu had no idea what was going on or how what was happening was even possible, but before he could even say so much as a word, the Shadow beat him to the punch.

"No need to put on the White Knight routine, I'm perfectly fine," Shadow Sae stated dismissively.

"But you're… how are you here right now?" Yu uttered confusedly.

"I took control, that's how," she simply explained. "As for the why, let's just say I got tired of hearing you spew lie after lie right at my face."

"I don't recall lying," Yu replied.

Shadow Sae jammed a finger into his chest, her glare intensifying. "Don't even try to play innocent with me. I'm nowhere near as gullible as she is."

No matter what he'd say at that point, Yu knew deep down that there was no chance that the Shadow would take his words to heart. No, the Shadow had something it needed to get off of its chest—he knew that. Otherwise, there was no reason taking over when she did.

"I doubt you went through all this effort just to tell me that," Yu mused, remaining calm and collected even when under the full weight of her venomous glare. "Whatever you have to say, I'm more than happy to listen."

Shadow Sae retracted her hand and seemed to become slightly less agitated in the wake of his words. Though she'd never admit it, she appreciated the fact that he was giving her the same level of respect as he had her other self.

"You seem so certain that Sae Nijima would make the choice to let Sasaki live time and time again, but I'm here to tell you that you're wrong," she began, her fists balling as her frustration began to flare. "I'm living proof of our hate, and I know better than anyone, even her,that deep down is a strong desire to kill Sasaki with our own bare hands. That was true of last night, and it's still true now."

"Like I was trying to tell Sae, just because you feel things like that doesn't mean they have to be all-consuming," Yu replied.

"Maybe the odds are even. Maybe the scales are perfectly balanced that it could go either way," Shadow Sae began, her expression becoming ever more serious by the second. "Whenever you step up to the roulette wheel and bet on red, there are equal odds that the result will be black, and yet you annoyingly insist that you know the outcome regardless of the odds. You even have the audacity to say that no matter how many times the same moment with the same odds repeats itself, that our decision wouldn't change. Do I understand you correctly?"

Yu nodded firmly. "Yes, you do."

As soon as those words had left the silver-haired young man's lips, Sae's Shadow stepped directly in front of him, placing her face barely a foot away from his own. Her fiery golden eyes stared deeply into his own.

"I want to hear you say it. I want you to look me, not her, in the eye and tell me what the hell gives you that level of confidence? What makes you think our hate will never win out—that I would never win out?" Shadow Sae questioned.

The pressure of her gaze was so intimidating that even Yu himself felt its weight. However, he knew that then and there, she needed to hear his honest answer, devoid of any fear or hesitation.

And that's exactly what he did.

"Because there's no part of Sae Nijima that I don't believe in, and that includes you," Yu stated.

No sooner than those words had left his mouth did Shadow Sae's jaw lightly drop. She looked to be in a state of complete disbelief, though it was precisely because she believed him. As she stared into the pits of his shimmering gray eyes, she could see into the depths of his very soul.

It hadn't been a line. It hadn't been said lightly.

He'd meant each and every word from the very bottom of his heart.

"I'm starting to understand why she was so easily convinced," Shadow Sae uttered breathlessly. She caught herself getting lost in the moment and tore her own eyes away from his, shaking her head to clear her thoughts. "Honestly, you're just so unbelievable, I can't even…!"

"I hope you're not saying that because you don't belie—"

Faster than he could even blink, Shadow Sae moved forward and crashed her lips against his own. At first he didn't even understand what was happening and on instinct started to pull away, though he found his head forcibly kept in place by the young woman's hand.

Yu's eyes went wide as he felt her tongue dance against his own. The kiss he found himself locked into was filled with so much raw passion and desire that it stunned him beyond belief.

It quite literally took his breath away.

When their lips finally parted, Yu still stood perfectly still and with cheeks so red they'd have been able to light up a street on a starless night. His eyes looked towards Shadow Sae, and though he still couldn't bring himself to utter so much as a word, he could see her turn her head away with her face covered in a light blush.

"Don't get it twisted. I just wanted to get you to stop talking for once, got it?" Shadow Sae remarked, casually flipping her hair as she turned her back to him. She peered over her shoulder, and though she tried to hide the smile on her lips, the cheerful look in her golden orbs more than betrayed her feelings. "You really are the most frustrating man I've ever met…"

In that moment, in the literal blink of an eye, gold gave way to crimson and it appeared that Sae Nijima was back in control of her own body. She blinked, clearly confused as to what had just happened.

"S-Sae?" Yu uttered, his voice cracking. He cleared his throat, asking, "Everything okay?"

"Yes, I think. I was just…"

She trailed off and grabbed her head in an effort to avoid the dizziness that had suddenly sunk in. It was only minor, but it was still enough for her to notice.

"You were spacing out for a bit," Yu stated. "It wasn't too long, but looks like snapping back to reality gave you a bit of a headrush, huh?"

By her body language, it was obvious that Sae hadn't the slightest idea of what had really happened. Eventually she nodded as if to accept his explanation.

"My apologies then," Sae replied. She looked at the Wild Card's face with a raised brow. "What happened to your face? You look a bit red…"

"J-Just feeling a bit hot all of a sudden. It's nothing to worry about," said Yu, keeping his composure as best as he could. "More importantly, I take it you're feeling a bit more confident about talking to Makoto now?"

Sae smiled and gave him a firm nod. "Thanks to you, yes."

"Good, I'm glad to hear it," Yu replied, sporting a smile of his own. "Anyway, I should be going. Take care, Sae, and try not to put off that talk with your sister any more than you already have."

"Don't worry, I won't," she said. "Take care, Yu."

With that, the Wild Card walked out of the apartment and down the hallway without issue. He patiently waited for the elevator and stepped into it once its doors opened, himself being the only occupant.

With the coast clear, it took less than a split second for him to lean against the back wall and release a deep sigh. He ran a hand through his silky silver hair in a clear fit of frustration. He looked at the elevator's ceiling, taking several deep breaths to calm himself down.

Yu wasn't an idiot. He fully understood what that kiss meant, even if it did come from Sae's Shadow.

'Actually, the meaning might be even deeper because it came from her Shadow,' thought Yu.

Honestly, it came as a surprise to him, at least for the most part. He'd had his suspicions before, but the truth was that he'd always shaken it off without much issue. Now, however…

"No way to shake off a kiss like that," Yu grumbled. He let out a deep sigh. "Why does life have to be so complicated…?"

*Bzzzzzzt*

When he heard his phone start to ring, Yu closed his eyes out of frustration. With the luck he had right about now, he wouldn't have been shocked if that was Rise on the other side. Of course, it was Naoto, which though obvious still had him feeling a bit relieved.

"Hey, what's up?" Yu answered.

"Nothing of interest. I'm just taking care of a few things at the SPD," Naoto replied. "How did things go with Sae-san?"

"It went well," Yu replied. He quirked a curious brow upon realizing one minor detail. "How exactly did you know I was—"

"I had a hunch," she replied. "Though by your wording, I take it you're finished?"

"That I am," Yu stated. The elevator hit the bottom floor, allowing him to walk out into the main lobby. "Did you want to meet at the hospital?"

"Sounds good. I'll go grab Akihiko-san," said Naoto. "Oh, and since you'll more than likely arrive first, don't begin the questioning without us."

Yu chuckled. "Don't worry, I wasn't planning on it."

Tokyo: Akihabara

Both Ann and Futaba took their seats at the outdoor section of a cafe. The many shopping bags they'd carried with them throughout the morning hit the ground for the first time, giving their arms some much-needed rest.

"Geez, I'm beat!" Futaba muttered, hanging her upper body on the table surface. She looked towards her blonde friend. "After three hours on my feet, my legs feel like hunks of wood. How're you holding up?"

"This is nothing," Ann proclaimed proudly. "Did I ever tell you about the time Shiho and I went out shopping for fifteen hours straight? Granted we went back to my place to drop off our bags after lunch, but I like to think that doesn't count."

"How do you even stay standing through something like that…?" Futaba said in disturbed astonishment.

"Barely. That's how," Ann replied with a giggle. "I could take you out for the full experience some time if you want."

"You'd be dragging around my dead body after the fifth hour," Futaba stated, laughing at her half-joke. She smiled warmly, saying, "So that'll be a hard pass from me."

"Well, if you ever change your mind, feel free to let me know," said Ann cheerfully.

"Hello, masters~ Have you decided on what to order, nya~?"

A waitress had come over and immediately caught the two off-guard. The older of the two in particular

"H-Huh?" Ann stammered.

A playful giggle escaped the waitresses' lips, "I was just wondering what you wanted to order, nya~. So, what'll it me, masters?"

The blonde's discomfort could not have been more obvious. She stiffened visibly, though that was understandable given that a girl wearing cat-ears and a maid outfit was calling her 'master' out in broad daylight.

Futaba couldn't help but frown at the sight. It was just another reminder that Akihabara was definitely outside of Ann's usual element.

'I guess it just goes to show how kind she really is that she agreed to come in the first place,' Futaba thought. She turned to the maid and spoke up so that her friend wouldn't have to. "I'll just have a small cup of coffee. Anything for you, Ann?"

"Um, yeah, that works for me too," she replied.

"Coming right up, nya~"

The cheerful young woman walked off to get their order seconds later, though Ann was left looking as if she'd seen an alien.

"Not used to maid cafes, I take it?" Futaba reasoned.

"Well, not totally," Ann replied as she seemed to regain her composure. "I mean, our class did one at last year's school festival, so it's not like I'm not used to what they're all about. Being at a real one is seriously different though."

"Can't argue with that," Futaba thought aloud. She perked up in realization. "Oh, wait a sec! Before I forget… here!"

The orange-haired teen pulled a video game out of one of her shopping bags and handed it over to Ann, who took it and began to read it over since it wasn't one she recognized.

"It's got a great story, and its mechanics aren't overly complicated so it's nice for both casual gamers and hardcore gamers. I think you'll really like it," Futaba explained with a bright smile.

"It does look pretty cool, but… you know you didn't have to get me anything, right?" said Ann as she placed the box in one of her own shopping bags.

"Just think of it as a thank you for coming out with me today. I, um… I know Akihabara isn't really your 'thing', so… thanks," Futaba stated. Her gaze became downcast as she added, "Also, sorry if I was a bit quiet when we first got here. I wasn't really in the best of moods, b-but I'm better now, so… thanks. You know, again."

"You don't have to thank me. I'm having an awesome time hanging out with you as it is, and there's nothing wrong with feeling a little down and wanting a pick-me-up, ya know," Ann replied reassuringly.

The blue-eyed young woman's overwhelming positivity was infectious. Just looking at the warm, comforting smile on her face made Futaba feel as if she were being bathed in the purest of sunlight that warmed her heart just as much as it did her body.

Truthfully, she'd wanted to invite Ren like she usually did, but she knew he had something a bit more important to take care of courtesy of the spyware she had on his phone and didn't want to intrude. However, there was still a reason that Ann came to mind immediately thereafter.

"Um, can I… can I talk to you about something personal?" Futaba abruptly asked. "I-I mean, you don't have to say yes, of course. I was just—"

"My ears are always available to listen to a friend," Ann stated firmly.

The young teen nodded gratefully. She took a moment to prepare herself, building up her courage to say something she felt a bit embarrassed about.

"Last night, after Mona let us out of those cages, I don't think I've ever felt weaker in my life. I know as a navigator I don't have to be on the front lines or anything, but that whole time during that fight it felt like there were two anchors strapped to my legs," Futaba began. Her gaze became downcast as she pulled a knee into her chest and hid half her face behind her leg. "That feels even worse to admit considering my Persona can literally fly. After a while, every second of that battle started to feel like I was about to keel over. Even when I woke up this morning, that feeling was the only think I could think about. I even felt so crappy about it that I could barely manage to get myself out of bed."

"Hey, don't go beating yourself up about feeling tired. I'm pretty sure that was the case for everyone. I mean, we were all drugged beforehand, remember?" Ann lightly chided.

"I mean, you say that, but I'm pretty sure some of us managed to handle it better than others."

"If you're talking about Sae-san or Makoto, I don't think—"

Futaba sighed in frustration on account of her earlier remark going misunderstood. "I was talking about you, Ann."

The aspiring model couldn't believe her ears for a moment on account of that being one of the last things she'd expected to hear. She looked at her younger friend with confusion written all over her face.

"Come again?" Ann uttered.

"Oh c'mon, don't give me that," Futaba grumbled, rolling her eyes all the while. "The only ones who beat out your recovery time were Ren, Makoto, and Sae-san. Preeetty good company to be in as far as I'm concerned."

"…really?"

"Yes, really," Futaba replied in exasperation. "This whole go-around in the Metaverse, you've been topping your old performance numbers. Honestly, I wanted to ask how managed to do it."

"Hmm, well," began Ann, cupping her chin in deep consideration. "I have been taking my exercise routine pretty seriously for a while. I've been pretty good about my diet, too, b-but maybe not a hundred percent. Eighty percent at least though!"

"You don't have to convince me, ya know," Futaba muttered, giving the blonde a deadpanned expression.

"R-Right."

Futaba furrowed her brows when realization suddenly struck. "Hey, wait a sec, why were you saying all that like dieting and exercise are new to you? Aren't models always supposed to do that stuff anyway?"

"Um, well… the thing is, I hadn't really started all that stuff until about maybe eight or so months ago? And I'll admit it took me a bit longer to really dive in, so… maybe like six months?"

"So when I first met you, you looked like that with no exercise and no diet?" Futaba pressed.

"Well, not none."

Futaba's eyes narrowed into a scornful, envious glare while her jaw dropped out of agitated surprise. To think that when she first saw Ann, her flawless skin and slim figure were the product of no effort whatever filled her with a deep-seeded jealous rage that wouldn't die down anytime soon.

The blonde averted her eyes and played with the ends of one of her twintails hoping she'd stop after a few seconds, but she just kept at it.

"D-Don't give me that look! I didn't used to take my modeling job seriously, okay?!" Ann exclaimed.

"Wait, you're kidding, right?" Futaba asked, confusion replacing her previous rage. She received a nod, again surprising her. "I didn't know that. With how passionate you are about fashion and stuff, I just assumed you'd always been super into being a model. Any particular reason why?"

"I guess because it was something I sorta just fell into randomly because of my parents' connections. It was never something I chased after myself, so it never really felt like my passion or anything like that," Ann explained.

"So what changed that?"

Futaba hadn't really meant anything deep by her question, but it was clear from the emotion on Ann's face that somehow her answer would be one that was near and dear to her heart. Of course, that's exactly what it was.

"You could say I met Ren," she said through a giggle.

"Never before have six words explained so much," Futaba joked in response.

"Right?" Ann replied, doing her best to get her laughter under control. "He'd occasionally come to modeling gigs with me, but one time I got shown just how much of a joke my effort had been and it got thrown right at my face. It pissed me off so much, and talking to Ren helped me realize why that was. I'd found my drive, and after that I felt more motivated than I ever had before."

Every world of her friend's tory filled the orange-haired teen with nostalgia. It reminded her of Ren would take her out all over the place to help her tame her social anxiety. No matter how much of a pain she was, he was always so patient, and when everything was said and done, she felt like a whole new person.

It was textbook Ren Amamiya.

"It's amazing how he just has that ability with people, isn't it?" Futaba asked.

She had meant her question to be rhetorical, which was why Ann's reaction to it surprised her as much as it did. The blonde looked towards her hands with a soft smile, and in her serene blue eyes she could see such genuine emotion that she was at a loss for words.

"It really is. Honestly, since the day we met, I can't tell you just how much I've grown as a person, and even if I was the one who put in the effort to make it happen, he was there with me every step of the way," Ann stated, almost absentmindedly. "He's always been the light shining in front of me wherever I go."

Though it took a while, eventually Ann realized how Futaba was looking at her and realized that she'd perhaps said too much. She awkwardly turned her head away, all the while her cheeks started to flush.

"Geez, t-that was definitely a bit more embarrassing to admit out loud than I thought it'd be…" Ann muttered.

"No, no! I totally get you! It's nothing to be embarrassed about. I actually think all of us think the same thing when it comes to Ren," Futaba stated urgently, having left her trance. She quickly moved to change the subject to avoid even more awkwardness. "But anyway, about the fitness and dieting and stuff… I was wondering if you could, like, maybe walk me through one of your workouts the next time you go to the gym, or something."

"Really?" Ann uttered surprisedly. "Don't get me wrong, I'd be happy to, but, uh… are you sure you wanna learn that kind of stuff from me?"

"Who better than you?" Futaba said with a shrug. She held up her fingers going down the list. "I'd rather not ask Ren, Haru would be a no, Yusuke probably doesn't even know what exercise is, Mona's a cat, Ryuji is Ryuji, and I think if I asked Makoto for help on this, my body would disintegrate after going through whatever next-level giga-workouts she does in her free time."

"I don't think Makoto's workouts are that unreasonable… probably," Ann replied with a sweatdrop. "But okay, fair enough. I'll message you the address of my gym and we can meet up whenever you feel like starting."

"The sooner the better as far as I'm concerned!" Futaba stated energetically. "When's the next time you're going?"

"Well, I was gonna take a few days off after all the craziness lately, but if you're that up for it, it's kinda making me motivated too," Ann thought aloud. "You know what, let's do it! Does tomorrow work for you?"

"Hell yeah! What time?"

"Six thirty in the morning."

The navigator's excitement vanished immediately.

"…there's a six thirty in the morning?"

Tokyo: Shibuya Central Hospital

Yu leaned against a wall just outside a well-guarded hospital room. He glanced at his phone, reading a message from Naoto saying that she and Akihiko had arrived, and judging by how long ago the message was sent, they'd be in the hallway in a matter of seconds.

And he was perfectly right in assuming that.

"Hey there," Akihiko said, straightening his tie as he approached alongside his fellow detective. "Hope we didn't keep you long."

"Not at all," he replied in a friendly manner.

"Pleasantries aside, I believe we've kept Hebiza-san waiting long enough, no?" Naoto mused.

As all of them were in agreement, they approached the squad of officers guarding the room and presented their identification to them, allowing them entry. When they were finally through the doors, they were greeted by the sight of a bed-bound Yumiko Hebiza with her two attendants sitting by her bedside.

At first, the raven-haired woman was pleasantly surprised to see them. That was until he caught a glimpse of a face she didn't recognize.

"I see you've brought another friend," Yumiko remarked. "I'd get up to shake your hand, but walking is a bit rough for me at the moment."

"Nothing too serious, I hope," said Yu.

"Slight nerve damage, I'm afraid," she explained with a shrug. "Me left leg is mostly fine, though my right will need some work. Either way, my physical condition isn't why you're here, no?"

"Then getting back to the matter of introductions," Naoto began, gesturing towards the silver-haired detective to her right. "This is Detective Akihiko Sanada. He's also a Persona user and he fought with us against Sasaki during our battle against him in the Metaverse."

"I like him already," Yumiko said through a laugh.

"In any case, I suppose we should get right to it," said Naoto, her expression turning as she prepared to ask what would be the first of many questions. "Do you know how Sasaki gained access to evidence collected in the White Mask's raid?"

Yumiko nodded. "I do. And if you've taken down Sasaki, should I assume that means you've also met Tetsuo Jirikishi?"

"We have," replied Yu.

"Then you can probably guess the rest," Yumiko stated plainly. "Jirikishi had been tasked with transporting the evidence from the White Mask raid back to the SPD. He assigned other officers that were still in debt to Sasaki to key positions in the convoy, and ultimately, they dropped off the equipment to a warehouse on the southern side of central Shinjuku. The boxes themselves were then transported back to the SPD where they bribed an officer to sign off on it. An Officer Ichinose, I believe."

"What was his relation to all of this?" Naoto inquired.

"He was even less than a pawn," Yumiko answered, speaking about as bluntly as she could have. "As I understand it, they chose him because they knew he regularly stole evidence himself, so if an investigation were to occur, no one would ever think that anyone else was involved. Whether Sasaki intended to kill him to tie up loose ends from the start or whether that was decided once he realized the potential of the Metaverse, I can't say."

"And regarding the Metaverse," began Naoto. "Do you know how he managed to take control the way he did?"

"Not firsthand," Yumiko admitted. "However, at one point when he called me in to see him…"

---

The doors to the central Sasaki compound in the Metaverse opened, giving way to a perpetually scowling Yumiko as she approached the center of the room. She stopped in place, however, upon seeing the large metal cannister that was occupying most of the room's far wall.

Sasaki himself could be seen right in front of it, and the quiet sounds of his voice echoing around the room gave off the appearance he was speaking to it.

"I'd wait back here if I were you."

A calm voice called out to her from off to the side, and shockingly it was a presence that she hadn't noticed. She glanced over to see who she knew to be Detective Tetsuo Jirikishi walking towards her about as casually as he could.

Her mood didn't exactly improve upon recognizing him, but still she at least knew she could interact with him somewhat normally. He was the person she hated the least under Sasaki's employ for a reason.

"What is he doing?" Yumiko inquired curiously.

"Talking to it," Jirikishi replied.

Yumiko raised a curious brow. "It?"

"Yep, 'it', as in a thing," he replied, lighting a cigarette in his mouth. "As in a 'dunno what the fuck it is' kinda thing."

Whether it was because she just couldn't help her own hearing or because she genuinely wanted to hear what was being said, Yumiko began to focus her senses on the conversation between Sasaki and what appeared to be an inanimate object. After only a few seconds of listening, however, she knew that last part wasn't exactly correct.

The container—or more precisely whatever was inside of it—was speaking.

'That voice,' Yumiko thought, a cold bead of sweat dripping down her neck. 'It's just so…'

The raven-haired woman's senses were far better than most, and her ability to understand a speaker's emotions from their voice alone was second to none. That's how she knew that though the voice she was listening to sounded pleasant enough, it was filled with so much darkness and malice that it made her skin crawl.

Whatever it was, she knew then and there it wasn't human.

And she knew it wasn't friendly.

"I told you not to listen in," Jirikishi stated, taking the woman's attention away from her eavesdropping. "The less of us that hear a word that thing speaks, the better."

"Do you really have no idea what it is?" Yumiko asked.

In the seconds that passed, the brown-haired detective mulled over his response, taking a deep puff of his cigarette as he did so.

"It's as creepy-lookin' as a Shadow, but something tells me it's a hell of a lot more than that," Jirikishi replied. He calmly looked towards the cannister and by extension his brother. "Its power is what's letting Eiji take over the city like he is, and as long as it's trapped in that cannister, it'll continue to be that way whether it wants to help or not. Hell, I'm sure Eiji will have enough control of his own that he may not even need it anymore."

"Then the brainwashings…?"

Jirikishi nodded lazily. "Yep. Brainwashings, creating those bases, the Shadows, and even that creepy-ass graffiti—all thanks to our dark wispy friend over there. That we found him in the Metaverse already trapped in one of those damn cannisters was nothing short of a miracle. Kinda crazy when you think about it, really. Without him, none of this would even be possible."

Though she appreciated the information, Yumiko started to eye the brown-haired man with clear suspicion. He spoke to her with far too much honesty for her liking, especially given his position.

"Should you really be telling me all this?" Yumiko questioned.

"Meh, I don't think it matters," Jirikishi shrugged. He threw his cigarette on the ground and put it out with his shoe. "I mean, who'd you tell even if you could, right?"

"Fair point," she muttered, her tone clearly a bit bitter.

"Anyway, I'll leave you to it," he began as he started to walk off. "It looks like Eiji is just about done with our creepy Shadow friend. Best not to keep him waiting, right?"

"…right."

---

The room was quiet as the trio of law enforcement operatives stood by in stern silence. At the very least they now understood how Sasaki was able to gain such vast amounts of knowledge so quickly.

Of course, it also explained his fate when all was said and done.

"I suppose that explains things nicely," mused Naoto.

"Except for one thing," Yu abruptly spoke up. "How exactly did the Black Biker fit into all of this? Do you know anything about him, or…?"

"No," Yumiko replied plainly. "I wish I could, but the truth is that he just showed up out of nowhere and started interfering with our operations. Outside of the fact that they worked completely alone, I know next to nothing else about them."

"That's about what I expected," Naoto admitted. "I suppose this settles things well enough. Although, we'll of course need the names of any officers you know to be affiliates of Sasaki."

"Don't worry, you'll get them from old to new, from A-Z, or in any other order you want," Yumiko firmly replied, her eyes holding a steely look to them. "And while we're on the subject, I know that even now Sasaki is likely trying to worm his way out of a stronger sentence with a plea deal. There isn't any information—and I mean any—that he could give you that I wouldn't be able to give you with no strings attached."

"Actually, as of this morning, that won't be an issue," Yu stated, eliciting a confused look from the former info broker. "Eiji Sasaki was attacked last night. We assume by our mutual Shadow friend."

The current situation was then explained to Yumiko and her companions in full. Although the details themselves would have been unnerving to most, it did little more than put the brightest of smiles squarely on the greed-eyed woman's face.

"I should thank you for making my day," Yumiko stated cheerfully. "Although whatever hell he's living in, it's too good for him."

"I'm sensing there's really not a lot of lost love between you two," Akihiko commented.

Yumiko glared reflexively. "Believe me, there's none whatsoever."

"Well, regardless of his health, he'll still be facing trail for everything that he's done," Yu interjected. "And to that end…"

The young lawyer reached into the satchel he'd let rest on the floor near the bedside and took out a folder before giving it over towards Yumiko. She took it and began to examine the documents within with evident curiosity.

"It's a plea bargain I finished arranging with the director of the SIU himself just this morning," Yu explained. "The conditions are pretty strict, but provided you comply with the terms of the agreement, it grants you full immunity from prospection regarding any of Sasaki's criminal activities. This immunity also extends to two other witnesses named in the documents, and I'm sure you can guess who they might be."

Lanya and Eury looked at one another with happiness shining in their eyes, all the while Yumiko was at a loss for words.

It had been more generous than any of them had expected.

It was more generous than any of them believed they deserved.

"I… I don't know what to say," Yumiko muttered through a laugh of disbelief.

"You can save words for your official statements, of which there will be many," Yu said half-jokingly. "Like I said, the deal has strict requirements. The expectation is that you'll be able to help dismantle everything Sasaki ever built up, and of course to name out most everyone that helped him do it. Although, something tells me you're more than capable of doing just that."

"You're not wrong, but I'd have helped you do as much anyway with or without immunity," Yumiko countered.

"I know," replied Yu, sporting his trademark charming smile. "Why else do you think I pushed to have the deal written up in the first place?"

In a rare turn of events, a slight blush appeared on the raven-haired woman's cheeks. Naoto could only roll her eyes while Yumiko's two attendants looked at their mistress with amused smirks.

Akihiko stood as if nothing was happening whatsoever, though that was because he actually hadn't noticed.

"Ehem, yes, well," said Yumiko, regaining her composure in the immediate term. "In that case, I accept. Whatever conditions you've set, I'm sure I won't have any issues with them."

Seconds later, she took a pen that was offered to her and signed the agreement before she then handed the papers back to Yu. When the folder was finally handed off, it felt like a weight had been lifted from the three-women's shoulders. Now, they knew their fate was no longer left up in the air, and though each knew the light at the end of the tunnel wouldn't be reached anytime soon, they could at least see it on the horizon.

"I think that just about wraps things up here, no?" Naoto reasoned.

"Actually, there was one other thing," Yumiko stated. Her vision shifted towards the silver-haired young man once again. "If you don't mind, I'd like to speak to you. Alone."

Yu looked back at his friends, "That's fine by me."

Both Naoto and Akihiko gave their non-verbal approval before silently heading off to the door. It was clear they'd be waiting outside until they finished whatever discussion was to be had.

Soon it was just Yu and the trio of young women alone in a quiet room, though even that was too people more than the raven-haired woman had wanted.

"Lanaya, would you mind taking Eury out in the hall to get a snack or something?" Yumiko requested.

The blonde blinked confusedly. "W-Wait, you even want us to—"

"C'mon, less talk, more snack!" Eury exclaimed, grabbing her older friend's hand.

The duo were out of the room in seconds with Eury sporting a mischievous look all the while Lanaya tried to get her to stop dragging her along. Even when they were out in the hallway, their bickering was still audible for a time.

It was a scene that Yumiko couldn't help but laugh at.

"It's comforting, isn't it?" Yu asked rhetorically. "To see them act so normally, I mean. You know, given everything that's happened."

"I couldn't have said it better myself," she admitted. "But still, they aren't what I wanted to talk about. You are."

Yu quirked a curious brow. "How do you mean?"

"Think on it for a second. I'm sure you'll understand what I mean, Yu Narukami."

Just hearing her say his name in such an overly-emphasized way was enough to jog his memory. In the heat of recent events, it had slipped Yu's mind, but then and there he remembered that when he and Yumiko had first fought one another, she'd been out to find him—to find 'Yu Narukami'.

"That's right," he muttered to himself. "Back then, you knew my name, but I got the feeling you had no idea who I really was."

"There it is," Yumiko said with a cheeky smirk. "Honestly, I was shocked you hadn't asked me that question yourself earlier."

"Then I'll ask now," Yu began. "How did you know my name?"

"It came up in a conversation between Sasaki and the Shadow that he kept locked away in his compound. I remember the Shadow telling him that you were the only person he needed to be afraid of," explained Yumiko. "Sasaki seemed to take that to heart, too. That's why before I passed out, I tried to warn you. He wanted you dead maybe even more so than the Nijima sisters."

"Yeah, I got that impression," Yu thought aloud.

"Him aside, I was much more tuned in to the way the Shadow spoke about you," Yumiko said. Her aura became deathly serious, something that caught even the Wild Card off guard somewhat. "When I heard that thing speak your name, I was able to feel a dark obsession that I don't think I could properly describe with words alone. I don't know what your history with it is, but I wanted to warn you to be careful."

At a glance, she could tell that her words of warning had no effect on Yu whatsoever. It was almost frightening how mentally prepared for them he seemed to be.

"I appreciate the heads up," Yu replied. "Still, that still doesn't explain why you were trying to find me specifically."

"That's…"

As she trailed off, Yumiko's eyes met those of Yu's, and in that moment she felt as if his soul was reaching out to her own. She knew that if she lied, he'd know, but even so the truth that he was after wasn't something she was proud of.

She wanted to find Yu Narukami.

She wanted to draw him into the Tower of Torment.

She wanted him to meet her at its apex to cut the shackles that bound her soul and bring her living hell to a blood-soaked end.

"I wanted you to end my misery," Yumiko admitted, her fists balling in self-hatred. "I'm not proud of it, but I'd given up completely. I wanted nothing more than to be freed, and the only way I could imagine that happening was if someone came along that was strong enough to kill me. I had thought that person to be you."

"It's okay to have moments of weakness, you know. It's just what makes us human," Yu said reassuringly. "And I guess either way, things didn't end up that way, right?"

"Yes, thankfully, things worked out differently," Yumiko said. She offered a wry grin. "Although that's not for my lack of trying. A certain someone wouldn't take the bait."

"To be fair, there wasn't any chance I'd have tried to kill you even if I had," Yu replied.

Yumiko laughed dryly. "Oh, I believe you. After all, I'd expect nothing less from one of the most frustrating men I've ever met."

Just the mention of the word brought back memories of not even an hour ago. He shifted awkwardly and his face started to heat up, though he fought to keep his composure as best as he could.

"That seems to be a popular opinion today…" Yu muttered under his breath, his voice barely even a whisper.

"Glad to see I'm not the only woman who thinks so," stated Yumiko in a knowing tone.

The young layer's eyes went wide in surprise, though he soon remembered just how incredible her hearing was.

"…looks like your hearing wasn't just some ability you gained in the Metaverse, huh?" Yu reasoned.

"Nope," she replied, sporting a cheeky smirk. "Still, however tempting it may be to dig deeper on all those subtle feelings in your voice just now… I'll give you a pass just this once. I more than owe you that much after everything you've done."

In the moments that followed, the green-eyed young woman looked at Yu in such a way that left him speechless. She didn't need to speak so much as a word for him to understand her level of gratitude. The bright, genuine smile crossing her lips said it all.

"Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. I can't say that enough to show just how grateful I am for everything that you and all of the others have done for me," Yumiko stated, her voice holding a rare touch of honest emotion to it. "I'd appreciate it if you could tell your friends that as well. I'd make a point of doing it in person, but something tells me our paths won't be crossing again anytime soon."

"Well, you never know," Yu said in a friendly manner. "I'll be sure to tell them you said that, though."

"Good," Yumiko replied with a nod. "That's just about everything I wanted to say. I'd walk you out myself, but…"

"No need," Yu said, chuckling at her admittedly dark joke.

As the Wild Card began to walk away, he paused one final time as the sound of the woman's voice graced his ear yet again.

"Ah, actually, there was one other thing…" Yumiko began, her tone as mischievous as they came. "I do love that perfume you're wearing."

"Hm?" Yu muttered confusedly as he glanced over his shoulder. "But I'm not wearing any per… fume…"

He realized at the tail end of his reply that it was true that he wasn't wearing any perfume. Sae, on the other hand, had. And it was clear to him that enough of it was on his body from their 'moment' that she'd picked up on it.

"I wonder who the lucky lady might be~" Yumiko said teasingly, though it was clear she knew the answer. "And is she the only one, I wonder? So many questions left unanswered…"

"Whatever happened to giving me a pass?" Yu joked good-naturedly.

Yumiko giggled. "What can I say? Sometimes I just can't help myself."

"Clearly."

With that, the conversation came to an end. Yu walked out of the room and into the company of Naoto and Akihiko, who were conversing with the two young women that were perpetually at Yumiko's side.

"Everything settled?" Akihiko asked conversationally.

"Yep, we're all good," Yu replied. His gaze shifted to the blonde and the bespectacled teen. "Sorry you two were kicked out, by the way."

"Meh, it's all good," Eury replied.

She elbowed her fairer-skinned counterpart.

"Y-Yes, it's not a problem," Lanaya stated.

"We'll leave you to it, then," Yu said with a friendly smile. "I'm sure she misses you already."

Eury nodded. "You're probably right, but before we do…"

The raven-haired teen came up to Yu caught him in a surprise hug. It was clear she found it embarrassing to do so, but it was also clear that she could think of no better way of expression her gratitude.

"Thanks for everything, Narukami-san," Eury said cheerfully. She pulled back, offering a bright smile. "I'm sure Lanaya feels the same, but you'll have to excuse her. She's always been kind of an ice queen, but she's a big softie on the inside."

"I most certainly am not," Lanaya stated defiantly, though the blush on her cheeks told a different story. Her amethyst eyes locked with the Wild Card's gray orbs before she cleared her throat. "And while we're on the subject, thank you—all of you. Without your help, none of this would even be possible. So… thanks."

Eury smirked. "See what I mean? So stiff."

The blonde's razor-thin glare showed in full force, though Eury paid no attention to it and casually walked back towards their mutual friend's hospital room.

"Honestly, that child…" Lanaya grumbled. "Her antics aside, if you should ever happen to need anything from us, please don't hesitate to ask. As for the means of contacting us…"

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a business card that she then gave over to Naoto. She nodded in understanding before she took it in her hands and placed it within her own blazer for safe keeping.

With that done, Lanaya began to walk away, leaving the trio to their own devices while she rejoined her two friends.

"I'm glad we were able to help those three in the end," Yu abruptly stated.

"As am I," admitted Naoto, a small but telling smile showing on her features. "But this is still just the start of a busy day; better to not spend any more time here than we need to."

"Right."

Tokyo — Upscale Apartment Building

Sae sat patiently on her couch, and though her eyes were staring blankly at the television, her focus was entirely fixated on her apartment door. She'd been like that for some time, just stuck anxiously awaiting the return of her sister.

Her wait soon came to an end as seconds later Sae's ears picked up the sound of a key entering the lock.

After the door had opened, the two locked eyes and froze in place for a moment. Then, without uttering so much as a word, they began to walk towards one another with clear conviction shining in each of their crimson orbs.

"Makoto, I wanted to—"

"Sis, I think we need—"

They stopped mid-sentence upon hearing the other speak, and it became more than obvious that they were both thinking the same thing.

"Seems we're of one mind," Sae remarked, donning an amused smirk for a short few seconds before her expression became serious once more. "Though if it's all the same to you, I'd like to say what it is that I have to say."

Her choice of words caught Makoto's interest to the point that even if she'd wanted to, she really couldn't have refused. She was simply too curious as to what it is her sister had to say.

"I know what must be going through your head right now, and you're not alone. After everything Eiji Sasaki did to us, it's only natural for you to want him dead… And the truth is, a part of me does too. I won't deny it, or it's more correct to say that I can't," spoke Sae softly. "But it's different for you, isn't it? Because of your dream of becoming a police chief."

Just those few words spoke volumes. Makoto realized that her sister understood what was going through her head perfectly. No, more than perfectly.

Makoto let loose a bittersweet sigh. "Am I really that much of an open book?"

"Not to most, I'm sure. But I am your sister, you now," Sae replied teasingly. "And on that note, there's only one thing I want to tell you…"

Before Makoto could utter so much as a word, Sae stepped towards her and wrapped her arms around her in a tight embrace. It caught her so off guard that she didn't even get the chance to return it before her sister started to speak again.

"I have complete faith that no matter what, you'll have the strength of character to not act on those feelings no matter how many times they show up. If I'm strong enough to turn away from killing Sasaki time and time again, then I know you are," Sae stated. She pulled back from her hug so she could look at her sister directly in her crimson eyes, wanting her to know that what she was about to say came from the very bottom of her heart. "There's not a doubt in my mind that you'll make an incredible police officer. You've grown up to be so strong and intelligent, yet you're also kind and compassionate. I couldn't be prouder of the young woman you've become, Makoto, and… and I know that dad would feel the same way if he were still with us."

That moment didn't feel real to Makoto for what felt like quite some time. As she processed that she wasn't in a dream and that the person in front of her, looking at her with such soft, loving eyes was her sister, she felt a rush of emotion that was so overwhelming that tears started to fall from her eyes.

Without warning, the brunette captured her sister in a hug of her own and buried her head into her chest. Sae wrapped her arms around her in return, saying nothing and just letting her sister's quiet sobs die down until her emotions finally died down.

Not that she could blame her though. Even Sae felt tears starting to pool in her own eyes, though her pride as an older sister wouldn't allow them to fall.

The Nijima sisters had shared many hugs over the years, but never one like in that moment. Somehow, it felt so much different than any time before. It was warmer. It was more comforting.

It was as if they were holding on to the one thing in the world that they cherished more than anything else, and that they were being held exactly the same way in return.

"Thank you, sis," Makoto said, her voice still heavy with emotion. "It means so much to hear that from you. I-I…"

"It's okay, Makoto, I understand. And you don't need to hold back. I'm your older sister, and I will always be here for you," came Sae's soft reply. She started to gently caress the back of her sister's head, and she could feel her burry further into her chest.

Eventually, the brunette's crimson orbs perked up and revealed a bright, genuine smile that had taken its place on her face. It was a sight that warmed Sae's heart, that much she could say for a fact.

"So," spoke Makoto cheerfully, "do you feel like getting lunch?"

Sae nodded, now sporting a genuine smile of her own. "That sounds lovely. There's a nice sushi restaurant I've been wanting to try, though I've been waiting for a special occasion."

"I-In that case, I'll go get changed into something a bit nicer," Makoto replied.

As the brunette walked off with a bit of childish excitement in her step, Sae could only laugh. No matter how mature she was, moments like this reminded the silver-haired beauty that Makoto was still a kid at heart.

"Though I wouldn't have it any other way," Sae whispered to herself.

She walked towards her own room seconds later. Upon entering, she went straight towards the vanity to pick up a few of her things, and she was ready to turn her back and walk out into the kitchen to wait to her sister…

At least until she heard her voice.

"You handled that well."

Sae's ears perked up as she turned around, seeing the reflection of her Shadow in the mirror like she had many times before. Unlike most times, however, the gothic woman was smiling.

"Thank you," Sae replied. She took a seat in front of the mirror, saying, "Although it's rare to get a compliment from you of all people."

"Says the woman who takes 'being hard on yourself' to whole new levels," Shadow Sae replied.

As the golden-eyed woman gestured to herself, the two shared a laugh. It was a fair point, after all.

The mood didn't stay upbeat for long, however. The Shadow broke eye contact and looked off wistfully, something that immediately caught the attention of her other half.

"Is something wrong?" Sae pressed.

"Yes… and also no."

"Have I ever told you how helpful you are?"

A sarcastic remark like that would've ordinarily gotten her some kind of response, but when her Shadow gave her a bittersweet smile, Sae knew that this was about something serious.

"This is it," Shadow Sae replied. "This is the last time we'll be speaking like this."

Sae's eyes went wide. "What do you mean? You're—"

"A part of you, yes," the Shadow interjected. "But… a part of you that you've completely accepted. There's not a shred of me that you repress. Right here, right now… we're practically the same person. You get my meaning, I take it?"

At first Sae couldn't help but wonder what could've changed that, but then she realized—all the hatred in her heart and the doubt that came with it was no longer rotting in the pit of her soul.

That was a good thing, of course. It just gave her an odd feeling to see things end so abruptly.

"…I see," Sae muttered to herself.

"Don't give me that look. I'll still be with you, you know," Shadow Sae remarked cheekily. She gave her other-self a soft smile. "I am thou, and thou art I, remember?"

There was a meaningful silence as the two locked eyes. They each understood that while it was certainly an odd feeling to know that this was the 'end' that this wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

"Right," Sae replied, sporting a smile.

The edges of Shadow Sae's body started to fade away in a black mist, making it obvious what was about to happen in the coming seconds.

"Try not to miss me too much," Shadow Sae remarked.

Sae scoffed, "I'd miss you like I would the flu."

"Charming. It's no wonder you haven't gotten Yu to fall for you yet," Shadow Sae shot back. "Speaking of which, try not to let him slip through your fingers. I'd rather not have to feel the bitter sting of regret if you let him get away. You know, again."

Sae blushed slightly, but she held her ground well. "I thought you didn't like him."

"A woman's heart is a fickle thing."

"When it comes to you, that's an understatement."

The Shadow's eyes narrowed in annoyance, but her expression flipped in a split-second as a mischievous smirk crossed her lips. It immediately put Sae on edge, and with good reason.

"Oh, there was one last thing…" Shadow Sae began, a sadistic pleasure in her voice. "You were right after all. His lips were soft."

Those were the last words the Shadow said before she faded away completely. At first, Sae blinked confusedly, but as she fully absorbed her other selves' words, she jumped up in a panic.

"W-Wait, what did you mean?!" Sae exclaimed, her cheeks going a bit red.

No response was given.

"Y-You…!" Sae grumbled annoyedly. She clasped the edges of the mirror and shook it out of sheer frustration. "Get back here right now! I'm not through with you!"

It was only seconds later when she took a good look at the mirror that Sae realized the reflection of Makoto standing in the doorway. With her eyes widened in disbelief, she turned around hoping that the mirror was playing tricks on her.

Needless to say, it wasn't.

Her sister had been standing there likely watching her scream into the mirror for the past few seconds.

"U-Um…" Makoto stammered, awkwardness breathing through her body language. She averted her eyes, doing her best to look at anything but her sister. "I'll, uh… I'll give you a few more minutes."

As her younger sibling started to walk away, the silver-haired beauties face went crimson.

"W-Wait, Makoto, I was just…!" Sae called out.

Realizing there was almost no way she could explain the situation, she just stayed in place at a loss for words.

All she could hear in the silence that followed was a familiar laughter that gradually faded away more and more with each passing second.

A/N With that, we're all done! This chapter had a bit of heavier more emotional dialogue obviously, which makes sense given what happened the last few chapters, but my-freakin'-god it took forever to get the dialogue here just right.

Anyway, next chapter will be 3-4 weeks from now ideally. So, see ya then!

Explanations:

Next Chapters: A heavy slice of life section, which hopefully people are looking forward to. Won't spoil anything just yet, but it'll be a good number of chapters of just the straight slice of life stuff. Few breadcrumbs will be laid out for the future 'real' plot, but the focus will mainly be SoL stuff.

Haru: So I don't think this has been directly stated before, but she does know that Makoto has a crush on Ren. This will also not be the only time she does this, and is not the only time that she has done this. But more on the past later.

Makoto & Sae: I wanted to have a sweet moment between the two feeling like 'actual' family at the end of this arc given that it is centered entirely around them. Sae more so for obvious reasons, but I always felt that in the main game it didn't focus as much as the two of them coming together as actual family after years of having a massive wall built up between them. That wall is essentially gone and from this point onward that's going to show more and more.

Shadow Sae: So yeah, she's gone for the foreseeable future, which makes sense given that this marks the end of Sae's major character arc within the story. She only had her Shadow from the start because she never really did let go of her father's death in the way that she needed to, and now with Sasaki being taken down, she has. I felt that I gave her a good send-off though. I especially felt her parting words suited her, so hopefully everyone else thinks so too xD

Sasaki's 'Coma': Just so everyone is aware, no one outside of Naoto, Yu, and Akihiko know about this because it inevitably forces an explanation about the Shade, which the three of them are consciously trying to avoid brining up until they need to. This will not change for quite some time.