The Lock Keeper in the Sendai Jail Trauma Cell charged at the Phantom Thieves with the four machetes it held in each hand. Each swing of these blades sliced through the air itself, signifying how dangerous it was to even be near it. With four machetes, it was able to strike at the Phantom Thieves from any angle. It wasn't alone either, as it had multiple smaller shadows with it as well. "You'd better cling to that name of yours! The way I see it, that's all you'll ever have!" The voice from the Lock Keeper was from Natsume's editor, spewing cutting words that wounded the aspiring author some time ago.

Crow, Noir, Violet, and Fox were using their swords to try and keep the Lock Keeper busy. They couldn't find an opening, but they could at least provide one by clashing their weapons against the enemies. Queen noticed this and drove forward on Agnes, leaping off to aim a punch towards the Lock Keeper's back. "Haaah!" Just before she could swing, the Lock Keeper suddenly vanished. Not expecting this, Queen had no choice but to tuck and roll, just narrowly managing to break her own fall. "It vanished!?"

"Where'd it go!?" Skull frantically looked around. They wouldn't have to wait for much longer, for the Lock Keeper reappeared behind five that tried to attack it. They noticed just in time, as the large Shadow swung all four of its machetes at them by spinning around, aiming to cut its foes down in a single swoop. They were able to block the attack, but the overall force of it still sent them flying from the impact. "Gah!"

"Such strength!" Fox grunted when his back hit the ground.

"I see these things are no trifling matter…" Crow shook off the impact and stood back up. It really was a Shadow with some bite into it. That would at least keep things from getting too boring.

"It vanishes with sneak attacks? Is this what they call Ninja?" Sophie asked. She had Pithos firing off a few beams of light to strike the Lock Keeper as she did so, but it was able to deflect her attacks with its machetes, much to her surprise.

"Last time I checked, Ninjas don't use giant machetes!" Oracle warned.

The Lock Keeper vanished once again, only to reappear in front of Joker, Dragon, Sophie, and Mona. It thrust its blades forward to try and stab at them, but its efforts were blocked by Bella's Aegis. Dragon and her Persona held their ground while fending off the Lock Keeper's attack. Eventually she was able to break through, Bella shifting from the defensive shield to the offensive sword, using the damage sustained to strike back. Bella's sword struck the defending Lock Keeper. It was a stalemate until she was finally able to break its stance, causing the Lock Keeper to stagger backwards.

"Archangel!" Joker was quick to follow up on this. Archangel appeared in front of him, lighting its sword up in light magic before forward, passing the Lock Keeper while slashing at it. The large Shadow recoiled from the attack, and Joker himself followed up with a spinning slash from his knife to add to the damage. This was effective and the Lock Keeper swung a blade at him to knock him back. He was able to defend against the attack, but like the others, the force of it made him stagger backwards in response. "Gah!"

"This thing is just as strong as the one in Shibuya…" Panther mumbled.

"These cages…" Mona was looking around at the cages that served as walls for the battlefield. Something about them looked eerily familiar. It was the same in Shibuya as well, but the pace of the battle didn't really allow him much time to think about it, as he had to slash away several enemies to keep himself safe.

"I might not like that Natsume guy much, but…it's those assholes who were usin' him the whole time, right!?" Skull wound up a strike, swinging for the fences at a group of Shadows. It was a hit, and he knocked them away, right into the Lock Keeper to stagger it a bit more.

"Yeah…" Noir said, mindlessly swinging her axe to chop down the Shadows. They weren't too much of a problem, as the Lock Keeper was the more pressing opponent. "I feel kind of sorry for him. They only chose him for who he was, not what he wrote…" A pain she could relate to. All the people that smiled at her just to get on her father's good side in the past…she didn't think she would find something to relate to Natsume with, but here they were…

The Lock Keeper swung at Fox and Crow once again, but they used their respective Personas to block the attacks. Gorokichi froze one of the blades, while Hereward parried the other. Unfortunately for them, this didn't provide any openings and they had to contend with the second set of blades. "Authors are just chips in a bigger game! They exist solely for us to win!" The Lock Keeper's scathing words continued, even as Violet managed to pelt it with a flurry of light beams, courtesy of Ella.

"From what I can tell, his editor was a real scumbag!" Oracle huffed.

"I know his pain more than anyone…for that reason; I refuse to let this go on any longer." Fox, with a deeper insight into Natsume's creative anguish, now had even more of a reason to change his heart. Summoning Gorokichi once more, his Persona slashed the air a few times; sending crescent slashes of ice in the Lock Keeper's direction. Each one hit, causing the Lock Keeper to slowly stagger back, but each step was slower than the last due to it being frozen over. Fox was putting forth so much effort, that the ground was starting to freeze, and even nearby Shadows were beginning to freeze as well.

"Oooooh!" Sophie watched with widened eyes. She was drawn into Fox's efforts!

"Hmph…" Crow kept his guard up, but did occasionally glance to see what Fox had in mind.

"Hey, cheer up…!" The Lock Keeper still spoke, but it just wasn't as active as it could be. "You might be a shit writer, but at least you've got a knack for stringing yourself along! Hahahaha! Y'know, I said I was in this for the money, but holy hell, reading through this shit is tortuuuuuure!"

"These words…" Dragon felt angry at them. A person's passion being ridiculed and mocked, by those that were trusted, too!

"I'm putting an end to this!" Fox held his hand out, the frigidity of his attacks increasing thanks to Gorokichi. The others were keeping the lingering Shadows at bay to let Fox focus on his target.

"Even worthless trash like yours can sell well! And as long as there's a buyer, I'll be there to bleed you dry!" The Lock Keeper wasn't able to move. At this point, it was completely frozen over, unable to even swing a single blade.

"A sword is nothing if you lack the conviction to swing it! Such a dull blade is worthless against me." Fox stated while lunging forward, swinging his own blade at high speeds. Multiple lines appeared from how fast he was attacking with his sword, quite literally chopping the Lock Keeper to pieces. The final slash cut the Lock Keeper down the middle, causing it to collapse to the ground slowly.

"You're my ticket to the bigtime, eh…Mr. Natsume…Ahahahaha…!" Those were the last words it spoke before it vanished into nothing, completely defeated.

Fox let out a heavy sigh before landing on the ground and sheathing his blade. Cutting down the Warden wasn't enough, he could already feel that. It was a start, at the very least. "Whew…"

"Well, I guess that does it." Mona said. It was a pretty cut and dry situation.

"So we can enter the birdcage now, right? Let's get going!" Skull was in a rush to get going.

"Wait…" Panther couldn't just let things go that easily. "What was that we just saw?"

"It seems Ango Natsume wasn't given that aware on his own merit." Queen did feel how painful it was just to say that. "Those editors just used him for his name…"

"So there was a secret to the book after all." Dragon let out a quiet sigh. "I feel sorry for him. Being used for his name, for what he had to offer…I wonder if they saw his true efforts at all." Even she could relate to Natsume's struggle. Learning that her shogi matches were rigged and that she wasn't succeeding on her own merit was almost enough to break her in the past. If it wasn't for Panther… "He's had to endure such pain on his own…"

"But…he's not a bad guy, is he?" Panther felt conflicted. Sure, he came off as arrogant when they met in reality, but… "It sounded like he entered the competition a whole bunch of times."

"And he didn't win a single time." Crow said bluntly. "Those editors then took it upon themselves to pull some strings, tidy up public image, and thus, the Ango Natsume we see today has been born. No matter where you look, it appears that people are always trying to use others for their own selfish gains…" But then he scoffed at himself, as if he had any right to even utter those words.

"Those editors are horrible…" Noir looked down at the ground. "They knew his writing wasn't good enough, but they still gave him the prize just so they could make money."

"Yeah. They're the ones to blame." Joker said. "Not that it makes what Natsume is doing any better, but…at least we can see why he's been doing this now."

"It's frustrating to know that your efforts aren't enough. Even more so when people continuously look down on them, demanding more and more for their own reasons…" Violet felt a hint of anger towards that. The way Natsume was treated reminded her a little too much of Shujin…

"I'm beginning to understand how he feels. Rising to fame atop stolen ideas, pulling at people's emotions with a fabricated story; even worse, robbing others of their free will, changing their hearts, and wallowing in his own vanity." Fox shook his head. "There's no denying that his crimes are unforgivable. He's been a fool. And yet, I spite of all that, it doesn't change the fact that Natsume spent years giving it everything he had. Creative work is often a lonely endeavor, and battling against that loneliness is truly a challenge in and of itself. As if it wasn't hard enough, if you don't produce results, no one will even think twice about you. One might even begin to think that such dark and unfulfilling times are all that's in store." The art world was no different.

"Fox…" Dragon frowned.

Creativity was always boundless for some people, but in the end…people want to be validated for what they created. It was a natural response when putting something out into the world: to see how it's received. "Had I taken a wrong step, I may very well have turned out to be just as hideous as him."

"Inari…." Even Oracle couldn't help but frown.

"It's thanks to your friendship that I didn't stray from the path." Fox looked to the others. As he did, Crow simply turned his back, because he knew damn well he wasn't included in this overall statement. "He, however, doesn't seem to have anyone..."

"I think he just needs one person." Dragon spoke up. Sophie looked over in her direction.

"One person?" Sophie tilted her head. "But why only one…?"

"Well, one person is just a starting point." Dragon gave Panther a slight smile. "I learned something very important a little while ago. It's that a single person can make a world of difference. One helping hand can change so much."

"Is that true?" Sophie blinked.

"Hehe, yeah." Panther gave a wide grin. "Shiho, a really good friend of mine, extended a hand to me when I felt alone. And then I did the same for Fumi a little later!"

"And my life was better for it." Dragon giggled. "And then I extended that hand to Haru, Akechi, and Sumire. It doesn't seem like much, but a single person, a single action, can do so much for a person."

"…." Crow didn't respond to that. Admittedly, Dragon extending her hand to him when she did…did change a lot, but that wasn't something he would openly admit. It was more like a silent understanding between the two of them.

"A single kind action…" Sophie repeated to herself. Based on what she'd seen thus far, it was big actions that spurred people to change, big actions that really affected the heart. But smaller ones worked just as well, if not better?"

"Hah, yes…I do agree." Fox said with a slight chuckle. "He's lost sight of himself, turning his back on what truly wants to write for the sake of spinning this infernal novel of lies. Someone has to bring him back to his senses."

"You seem pretty motivated this time, Inari." Oracle teased.

"As one who's dedicated his lift to art, I simply cannot condone his actions. Now, let us bring this to an end. We'll send the calling card, then wrest the Overlord from his throne!" Fox exclaimed.

"The final battle with the Overlord approaches!" Dragon nodded firmly. "…I dislike how inconsistent the name has been across the novel. But that's a moot point…let us prepare for the final battle, for the fallen heroes before us!"

"I suppose we couldn't go one trip into the Metaverse without that." Panther laughed a little. Dragon was charming in her silliness sometimes…

.

.

Now that they returned to reality and the RV, the only thing left was to plan out their next step. It was nightfall now, meaning they would have to find some way to deliver the calling card so Natsume would see it come morning. "Okay, all that's left is the calling card…" Ryuji said.

"We know how the process works. So the only thing we have to decide is how to send it." Akechi remarked.

"Right. What's the best way to make sure he gets the message?" Makoto asked.

"Uh…" Ren had to think about this one. "This one is actually kind of difficult, isn't it? We don't have many options this time around, do we?"

"Yeah…" Haru pouted. "What should we do?" Everyone was silent. This was going to be a lot harder than they thought.

But as they were thinking, the silence was broken by the wail of a lost child. "Waaaaah! Mommy!" Hearing this cry, everyone turned.

"He could be lost, maybe? I'll go take a look." Makoto offered. They could see the lost child, but just before she could start walking…..

Zenkichi approached the child with a friendly smile. "Hey, what's the matter, kid? Oh, you got separated from your mom, huh? Don't worry, I got you."

"Is that…Zenkichi?" Morgana was surprised to see him.

"I almost forgot that he was here." Sumire admittedly bashfully. But she wouldn't let Zenkichi hear that.

Zenkichi stood up and dialed a number on his own. "Hey, it's me. I got a lost kid who was separated from his mom here. Send someone over to look after him, would ya? I'm over at…" Before he could even finish, the response on the other end was not something he wanted to hear. "Huh!? Whaddya mean it's not worth PubSec's time? Quit screwing around! You call yourself an officer of the law?! Or are you saying you'd abandon your own kid, too, is that it!? A lost kid's no joke, you know!" His heart was in the right place; he just wanted to do the right thing! How was that so hard for anyone else!?

The child, however, didn't think this man was going to be any help at all. "Ugh…" With a groan, he just started to walk off from the old man.

Zenkichi realized this and started to panic. "Hey, wait, where ae you going?! It's okay, I'm not gonna hurt you or anything!" And he gave chase.

"…That kid totally thinks he's a creep." Futaba rolled her eyes.

"That was a strong sense of secondhand embarrassment." Akechi couldn't believe what he witnessed.

Eventually, Zenkichi made his way over to the group, mildly exhausted after that ordeal. "That kid sure made things difficult. He didn't have to run away like that, right? …Right?"

"Are you looking to us for validation?" Akechi quirked a brow. "Because you will find none here."

"Um." Hifumi wasn't sure what to say. She didn't have anything nice to say, so she decided to say nothing.

"You're not exactly cute and cuddle, Gramps. Honestly, I don't blame him." Futaba was blunt enough to say it, at least.

"Will you stop calling me Gramps." Zenkichi wasn't that old!

"This is perfect timing, though, actually." Morgana piped up. "Let's ask Zenkichi what he thinks."

"Sure, we're supposed to be working together, anyway." Because of their deal, Zenkichi was more than willing to hear them out. Of course, Akechi did roll his eyes at the officer's words.

"Okay, so…" Ren began. "We're ready to strike Natsume. The problem is, we have no idea how to send our calling card this time."

"Calling card…?" Zenkichi scratched his head until it clicked a second later. "Oh, like that thing you did with the screens in Shibuya? Yeah, if you want my advice, avoid high profile stuff like that. The police aren't that stupid – eventually you'll get caught. I know I'm supposed to help you and all, but I gotta draw the line at breaking the law."

"Hm, so the adult's the voice of reason here. You really are a Gramps, you know that?" Futaba had plenty of sass in store.

Zenkichi let out a resigned sigh. "You really are determined to keep calling me that, aren't you?"

"Just let it happen." Sumire suggested. Once Futaba was set on something, it wasn't easy to sway her.

"Whatever…" Zenkichi wasn't going to fight it right now. "My point is, go with something simpler."

"Simple is fine, but we need to ensure that Natsume receives the calling card and takes it seriously." Hifumi crossed her arms. "If it doesn't leave an impact, we'll be in trouble."

"Maybe if we knew where he was going to be, we could set something up before he arrived." Haru was spit balling ideas.

"In that case, I found just the event." Sophia chimed in. It was sudden, so Sumire jumped a bit from surprise before pulling her phone out. "Natsume is holding another book-signing at the bookstore near the station. Natsume will most certainly be there. It starts as soon as the store opens at 10AM."

"Ooh, that sounds doable!" Ryuji grinned. "I bet it would be easy to set up if we went overnight!"

"Hey, didn't you hear what I said!?" Zenkichi scolded the group. "Breaking and entering's a crime, you know!"

"Well, it is a good thing we have such a valuable ally on our side in a moment like this," Hifumi smiled at Zenkichi. Zenkichi did not like that smile, despite how reserved Hifumi appeared.

"Huh?" Zenkichi wasn't sure he was going to appreciate where this was going.

"Yeah, if we did it and got caught, they'd lock us up." Ann said.

"THEY'D LOCK ME UP TOO!" Zenkichi exclaimed. Did these kids think he was invincible from the law or something!?

"You sayin' you can't do it? Some help the police turned out to be." Ryuji let out a scoff. It was a childish taunt in the grand scheme of things, but it was still an effective one. Sometimes, he knew just what buttons to push on person.

"Wasn't the deal that you'd cooperate with us?" Futaba tilted her head. "I thought adults kept their word?"

"We are trusting you, after all…" Sumire's sweet tone was only applying more pressure.

"Are you reliable or not?" Akechi was just blunt about it.

Zenkichi could feel the pressure from all sides. Damn it! He couldn't believe he was about to do this… "Ugh…you kids." He didn't verbally agree, but his defeated tone said it all.

"It's settled, then. I'll prepare the calling card." Yusuke said.

"That goes for you too, Zenkichi. We'll leave the timing to you." Morgana said.

Zenkichi really couldn't believe this. Was he taking orders from a cat, about when to post the calling card for the Phantom Thieves? "…Am I really gonna go through with this…?"

"Yes." Everyone answered for him.

.

.

Everyone was resting up for the big mission tomorrow. Everyone was asleep in the RV, everyone except Haru. She was in the RV, thoughts lingering in her head. It kept her awake. "…."

"Haru…are you still awake?" That voice came from a sleepy Futaba. She was up for a drink of water.

"Oh, Futaba-chan…" Haru gave Futaba a small smile. "I'm just taking a little while to fall asleep, that's all." Her voice was quiet, she didn't want to disturb the others.

"You look like you can't sleep." Futaba decided to sit down as well. "What's wrong?"

Haru remained quiet for a moment. Maybe it was a good thing that Futaba was awake, because she was the only other person she could talk to about what was on her mind right now. "What do you think about Akechi working with us…?"

"Oh, that…" Futaba pursed her lips for a bit. "I'm…not entirely sure yet. I mean, he's been kinda helpful so far. Considering everything that's happened…you know…"

"Mmm…" Haru nodded in agreement.

"I was the one who said it didn't matter where he started over…" Futaba said. "And we came up with that deal. Things didn't exactly pan out the way we thought, but…I think he's trying? It's hard to say, he's just been playing along with us so far." It was a confusing subject. "I…I feel a little bad if I said I didn't hate it so far…" Akechi was responsible for her mother's death, and now, years later…they were working together again. He was trying to be a better person, she could see that, and she's moved on from her mother's death too…

"I envy you." Haru said with a sad smile. "I wish I knew how to feel about it. I'm still angry at him, but it's an exhausting feeling as well. Just when I thought I was finally moving on, he comes back into my life and offers to help us. Ugh…" A feeling that was made stronger when she looked up at the roof of the RV. The boys were asleep…Akechi was there…

"It's only been two days." Futaba said with a meek smile. They weren't obligated to forgive Akechi, but they were at least giving him the chance to prove that he really did want to do better. "Maybe we just need a little more time?"

"Mm…you're right." Haru's smile softened a bit, but she was still conflicted. "I'm sorry to keep you up with my concerns. We have a mission to do tomorrow."

"It's alright. That's what I'm here for." Futaba gave Haru a tired thumbs up. Talking about it helped her too, even if her feelings were still a bit muddled…

.

.

August 4th: We'll take your heart, Natsume!

There was a crowd for Natsume's book signing event, but the appearance of the author wasn't what truly had people's attention. There were numerous calling cards scattered about the store. Natsume's editor noticed the man himself approaching and quickly approached in a panic. "M-Mr. Natsume…!"

"Good morning!" Natsume said with a smile, oblivious to everything just yet. His eyes were only focused on the crowd of people coming to see him. "I see there's quite a crowd today as well."

"Um, yes, about that…" The editor stuttered.

"What is it?" Natsume lifted a brow. That's when he noticed. "W-What…what is this!?" Shocked, he looked at the wall behind the desk he was supposed to be sitting at.

"Well, when the staff came to open the store this morning, it was already like this…." The editor said quietly. "They called the police, but they were told to leave it as is…to preserve the crime scene."

Natsume wasn't paying attention to that. His eyes were glued to the calling card and he began to read it aloud, because it was addressed to him. "To the ostentatious swindler, Mr. Ango Natsume: You are a depraved miscreant who holds others in contempt and steals their work, lining your own pockets all the while. We refuse to overlook the crimes you commit as you wear a false crown. Tonight, we take back the Desires you've stolen." The audacity of this message…he couldn't help but laugh. "Hah…heheh…hahahaha! Honestly, how stupid can you get!?" But when the laughter faded, rage soon replaced it. "Dammit, what utter nonsense!"

The calling card worked. Shadow Natsume responded to it as predicted. "I am the Monarch. My followers are loyal. That is…as long as I hold these Desires No…having those Desires is proof of my claim to power! Proof of my sovereignty! I won't hand them over. I WON'T GIVE THEM UP! Foolish heroes are nothing but talk! Come then, I'll crush EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU!"

.

.

"If the timing worked out well, he should have read it by now." Akechi said. The group was gathered in Sendai Station, preparing to head into Sendai Jail.

"Thanks for your help, Mr. Detective." Haru gave Zenkichi a smile. It was an upgrade from Gramps; he deserved it after his hard work.

Zenkichi let out a heavy sigh. "And with that, I'm officially an accomplice of the Phantom Thieves." There really was no going back for him at this point.

"I don't understand why you're complaining when you already offered to help us. Besides, you've already been an accomplice." Hifumi said with a smile.

"As a reward, I'll try to start calling you Zenkichi instead of Gramps from now on, kay?" Futaba said with a smug grin.

"Inspector Hasegawa IS quite a mouthful…" Yusuke said.

"Yeah, Zenkichi's good, don't you think?" Ann snickered.

"Zenkichi works." Ren added.

"From now on, we'll call you Zenkichi-san, okay?" Haru smiled.

"Thank you very much, Zenkichi-san!" Sumire beamed.

"I'm looking forward to working together, Zenkichi." Sophie said.

At least these kids were finally calling to him by his name. But first name basis already? These brats. Whatever. He was too tired to argue. "Fine, whatever. You've already dragged me along this far, dammit…"

"Now then, the Desire should have materialized at this point." Yusuke was getting back on track. "It's up to us to take them back and return them to their rightful owners. And in doing so, we'll set his distorted heart straight."

"At last, it's time to face off against the Overlord!" Hifumi was pumped. The showdown against the Prince of Nightmares himself was finally approaching!

.

.

The Phantom Thieves rushed to Natsume's Castle. The bird cage was sufficiently broken and a large chain collapsed to the ground. "Whoa! Check out that statue that totally ate it!" Oracle laughed, pointing at the remains of a crushed Natsume statue.

"This chain…how convenient." Crow looked up along the chain, noting how it led a path to the top of the castle where they were before.

"Yup. I'm glad it looks to be consistent too." Joker said while approaching the chain. "It'll be a bit of a climb, but easier than crawling through the Castle a second time. Let's go." The others followed Joker up the chain to the top of the castle, where they could also see the large Desire.

"So it manifested after all. Good!" Dragon said with a nod. "With that confirmation, there is only one thing left for us to do!" She pointed to the door. Behind that door, the Overlord dwelled…

"It's time to bring this to an end." Fox said. With that, the Phantom Thieves rushed through the door, stepping onto the Overlord's throne room. When they arrived, Shadow Natsume was waiting for them at the top of the staircase.

"Hmph. You certainly took your time, Phantom Thieves." Shadow Natsume scoffed. "Or should I say, chosen heroes?"

"Bout time we met, eh, Mr. Overlord?" Skull said while rotating his arm.

"You're gonna give back all those Desires you stole!" Panther exclaimed.

"That's right – your longstanding reign is coming to an end on this very day!" Dragon pointed at Shadow Natsume. "We'll be taking those Desires off your hands!"

"Hahahahahaha!" Shadow Natsume laughed mockingly at their words. "Such foolishness. You haven't the slightest idea of what you've just walked into!"

"That appearance, that stance…this is no doubt this is the Prince of Nightmares." Fox stated. Shadow Natsume's grandiose posture and attire gave it away.

"I think that was obvious." Crow said with an exhale.

"He certainly gives off that impression, but weren't the Fearsome Four just dressed like normal people?" Noir asked. It was quite a glaring difference.

"Yeah, thinkin' about it, those guys didn't get much love from the author, did they?" Oracle quietly snorted.

"They can't all be winners." Joker shrugged.

Shadow Natsume, however, was just going to continue on. "Heh. You've come all this way only to fall right into my trap! This world belongs to me and me alone. It takes shape solely according to MY design. Here, the Overlord rains justice upon the holier-than-thou heroes who would dare brand him as evil. Here, you are nothing more than flies to be swatted! I'll enjoy hearing those filthy screams as you atone for your transgressions!" The Overlord laughed.

"I wonder how many times he's had to say that…" Violet muttered quietly. It felt very rehearsed, nor did she feel too threatened by it.

"That's bold for someone who stole others' Desires just to satisfy their selfish wants!" Queen fired back.

"Yeah, if you're really the Overlord, ain't this the part where you get your ass kicked!?" Skull smirked.

"Hmph." Shadow Natsume shook his head. "Tell me, how many of my demon brethren have you slaughtered while spouting such despicable hypocrisies?!"

"Do not try and twist this as if we are the villains!" Dragon was still pointing at the Monarch. "That does not change what you have done!"

"Don't let him get to you, Dragon. He's just reading from the handbook at this point." It was so painfully obvious to Oracle.

"Enough of this! It's time we fought!" Fox said while drawing his blade. "No matter how brave a façade you put on, it's clear you're just afraid of losing that hollow throne you're so proud of!"

Shadow Natsume's expression twisted into a scowl at Fox's words. "What was that….?"

"Your reign is not but an illusion." Fox declared. "Allow us to show you the truth!"

Shadow Natsume's eyes narrowed in anger. His gaze flickered to all of the Phantom Thieves staring at him. "I'm sick and tired of everyone looking down on me. Yes…the time has come to show my true power. You wretches shall witness…MY FINAL FORM!"

"OH COME ON!" Oracle groaned.

Although the time for any jokes passed as Shadow Natsume was enveloped in a red and black aura that completely swallowed him. He vanished and the entire throne room began to tremble violently. The Phantom Thieves struggled to keep their footing. Shadow Natsume reappeared, crashing through the ceiling in the form of a dragon that donned golden armor. He flew around the throne room before coming to a stop, striking a pose identical to a certain bizarre anime villian. The golden shine from his armor was so brilliant; the Phantom Thieves couldn't help but cover their eyes from it. "You ignorant whelps dare to challenge the great Overlord himself!? Imbeciles! I WILL FEAST UPON YOUR BONES!"

"Haha, it's time!" Dragon twirled her staff around, giving Shadow Natsume a grin. "Dear Overlord…you are going to experience your worst nightmare!" At long last, it was time for the climatic final showdown of Prince of Nightmares! The Phantom Thieves vs the Overlord. Whose Desire would come to win the day?

Find out in the exciting final chapter of Prince of Nightmares!