Persona 5: The Phantom Files

by sithlorde1988

Will cover the events of Persona 5 Royal, with the sequel set to cover Strikers. What happens when in addition to Ren being sentenced to go live in the care of Sojiro Sakura for a year after being sued for assault, his younger brother is also ordered to go and oversee him? How will this extra character change things? Read to find out! More info in chapter 1! Read and review! Enjoy!

43. Pyramid Traps! Traumatized Oracle part 7

A/N: sithlorde1988 here, with another chapter of Persona 5- The Phantom Files! Normally I have stuff to say for these start-of-chapter A/Ns, but not here. Well, actually no, I will say that this chapter should have the return to Futaba's Palace and the end of the prep week in it at the minimum, maybe some other stuff too depending on how far into the Palace I get this chapter. That said, let's get to the disclaimer.

Disclaimer: sithlorde1988 does NOT own the Persona series in any way, shape, or form, (barring the OC Kusa/Draconis who he made and thus owns, along with the occasionally recurring minor OCs Slim, Mimille, Lumine, and Akira, who he also made and thus owns. Basically any OC that appears in this story was made and owned by sithlorde1988 unless otherwise stated in an A/N) and the actual credit for owning the Persona series belongs to Sega, Atlus and Koei Tecmo, so all credit to them for owning the Persona series!

That said, on with the chapter!

Chapter 43- End of the Prep Week! Back to the Pyramid! Traumatized Oracle part 7

(At Leblanc, with Ren, Kusa, Morgana and Yusuke)

Ren and Kusa came downstairs to see Yusuke sitting at a table near the entryway of Leblanc, looking at a book. However, he looked up as he heard the approaching footfalls and blinked as he saw Kusa walking rather carefully up to him with Ren, smiling as he spoke up.

"Morning, you two. And welcome home, Kusa. Here, have a seat if you like." Yusuke said as Kusa shook his head.

"Thanks, but I don't mind standing. So, you're here reading a book then?" Kusa asked Yusuke, who nodded.

"That, and to get away from the heat." Yusuke said as Kusa laughed and spoke up.

"Heat!? Yusuke, it's raining outside. Do you not hear it coming down out there? That said, I think Ren might have other people he needs to hang out with today, but that doesn't mean that you and I can't hang out in the interim. Besides, it's not like I've got a lot else to do, considering that I'm having to keep my walking to a relative minimum while I rest my sprained knee. But that doesn't mean I'm going to let it hinder me from still doing what I do. Hence, the knee brace instead of the crutches." Kusa said as Ren and Yusuke nodded, the former speaking up.

"True, but you still have to take it relatively easy today, Kusa. You just got out of the hospital yesterday, after all." Ren pointed out sagely as Kusa nodded before Yusuke spoke up.

"I don't mind hanging out with you, Kusa. It could be fun." Yusuke said as Ren smiled and spoke up.

"Good. You can make sure he doesn't over-tax his bad knee, which is his right knee. He's lucky it wasn't fractured. That said, I should probably get going, since I've got places to be and people to hang out with." Ren said as Yusuke and Kusa nodded, the latter speaking up.

"Fair enough, Ren. And Yusuke, if you like, we can hang out upstairs so you don't have to slouch in a corner booth. You can even sit on the sofa to read if you like." Kusa said as Yusuke nodded and spoke up.

"Good call. That way, you can use the bed to rest your leg." Yusuke sent as Kusa nodded, the two heading upstairs to hang out while Ren and Morgana went to Aoyama-Itchome to meet up with Makoto...

(In Aoyama-Itchome, with Ren and Morgana)

As they got to the school gate, Ren saw Makoto standing nearby under an umbrella and walked over to her before speaking up.

"Hey." Ren said to Makoto who looked over and smiled as she spoke up.

"Oh, Ren-kun. Hello. Have you decided on our plans for today?" Makoto asked Ren, who nodded.

"I have. I figured we could hang out since I realize I've not spent as much time with you of late as I should have, so I'm hoping to rectify that where I can." Ren said as Makoto sighed and spoke up.

"Wait, now? I mean, I guess if that's really what you want to do. Is this a part of your grand strategy?" Makoto said as Ren nodded and spoke up.

"Pretty much. It's also a good way to spend the day since we're on the tail end of the prep week. Actually, today's the last day of it. So why not hang out and build ranks where I can, while also sizing up our prep for the Palace? Granted, I reserve the right to add on an extra day if needed so Kusa can rest his leg, since he's out of the hospital, but has to be careful not to aggravate his knee sprain in his right knee." Ren said to Makoto, who nodded and smiled as she spoke up.

"Ah, I see. But I'm glad he's out of the hospital. That shocked and horrified me when I heard that he'd gotten beaten up, if I'm being honest. That said, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to take things a little slower. As such, if you've got time, there's something I'd like to talk to you about." Makoto said to Ren, who nodded before he spoke up.

"Yeah, I've got time for you, Makoto. What's on your mind?" Ren said to Makoto who shrugged and spoke up.

"Well, it feels like I just don't know anything anymore. Um, let's talk more in the student council room. We can get in through the back entrance." Makoto said as Ren nodded and followed Makoto to the Student Council Room. Once inside, Makoto sighed before speaking up.

"Ugh...So, my class had a practice entrance exam, and my score was significantly lower than last time. I'm concerned." Makoto said as Ren frowned before speaking up.

"Hmm, that is quite unlike you, Makoto. That said, are you sure it wasn't all the extra work the principal was forcing onto you for him while you were having to tail us?" Ren said in concern. Makoto nodded as she spoke up.

"I couldn't agree more that a lower score is unlike me, Ren-kun. But at the same time, I don't think it was because of the project I was tackling for Principal Kobayakawa. Actually, the truth is, recently I've started questioning the entire point of my education. What do I stand to gain from getting good grades and living up to the high expectations my sister has set for me? I spoke to Eiko about this matter as well, but the answer hasn't become any clearer..." Makoto said, trailing off as Ren nodded before speaking up.

"Eiko? I didn't know you and Takao-san were on first name basis? Also, I take it you've been keeping in contact with her if you were able to speak to her on this matter." Ren said. Makoto nodded and spoke up.

"Hm? You don't remember Takao-san? We asked her about the job she has at the 'salon' in Shinjuku. But given your comment just now, I'd say you do remember her. And yes, we've been in contact. Us being on a first name basis was a fairly recent decision we made. You'd be surprised how much having a common interest can let people bond. I mean, look at you and Yoshizawa-san. Way I hear it, you two bonded rather quickly over gymnastics. Not to mention, Kusa and Futaba bonded over gaming, from what you've said." Makoto said as Ren nodded and spoke up.

"That's true. Not to mention, you and Ryuji seemed to bond somewhat over your shared tastes in music, tastes that you both share with Kusa. And for the record? I think you and Ryuji, if things happen between you two, would be a rather interesting couple." Ren said with a laugh as Makoto flushed slightly before speaking up.

"Th-That's beside the point, Ren-kun! We were talking about Eiko, not Ryuji, no matter how handsome and surprisingly gentlemanly he can be when he chooses to be. Ugh, nevermind!" Makoto said, her face going a bit red before she calmed herself and kept speaking, pointedly not looking at Ren, sure he was probably smirking at her red face while she spoke.

"Anyway, Eiko and I've been calling each other every so often since we exchanged contact information. Because of those calls, we've actually grown somewhat close. So, when I voiced my concerns to her, she asked me how I would benefit from going to a top university. But, I was unable to come up with a good answer to that. And as for Eiko, her grades are...not the best, but she claims that she doesn't even think about all that stuff. Apparently her parents can use their connections to find her a job." Makoto said as Ren nodded and spoke up.

"I see. I'm not sure if that moreso points to her parents possibly having either very influential or very dangerous contacts, if not both, or if it just points to her being a rich girl." Ren said with a frown as Makoto nodded and spoke up.

"Probably just a rich girl. As far as I'm aware, Eiko's parents don't have any particularly unsavory or dangerous contacts, but then she hasn't said much about them past them having connections that could help them get her a job. So I'm guessing they're just really influential contacts. But anyways, isn't that a little irresponsible? It's nice she can rely on her parents, but this is her life, not theirs. Still, I guess that's just a different way of approaching things. Even at that, her vision of the future is still clearer than mine." Makoto said as Ren nodded before stroking his chin in thought as he ponder his response carefully before speaking up.

"What do you mean? I would figure that if nothing else, you had goals you set for yourself, Makoto?" Ren asked Makoto uncertainly, making her sigh before she frowned and spoke up.

"I do have goals, Ren-kun. That said, I used to think doing what others expected of me was the best way forward. I was going to major in law, just like my sister did. And after that, I would simply have headed down whatever path society had made for me. But, everything changed after I joined the Phantom Thieves. I've realized now there are more important things in life than being a prim and proper honors student. Honestly, I would have looked down on Eiko's line of thinking in the past. But I know better now." Makoto said as her phone chose that moment to go off, looking at the chat ID and giggling as she saw that by some crazy coincidence, it was Eiko, making her smile as she spoke up.

"Heh, she must have known I was talking about her. Lately, Eiko's been telling me whenever she buys makeup or finds a cute new outfit. That reminds me, she asked me the other day what hand cream I use. I sent her a picture, and it's apparently the same brand they use in the nurse's office at school." Makoto said as Ren nodded before he spoke up, smiling at Makoto while he spoke.

"I see. That makes sense that you use it, but the better question would probably be WHY you use it. So, why do you use it?" Ren said. Makoto nodded and spoke up.

"Yes, I agree that asking why I use it is a good question. To answer that question, that stuff works wonders for dry skin, and it's great value, too. Actually, my father used to use it all the time. Speaking of my father, did I ever tell you he was a police officer? He detested the corruption in our society, and worked tirelessly to bring it to justice. But, despite his rough exterior, he was extremely gentle deep down.

That reminds me. When I was little, I told him I wanted to grow up to be a police officer, just like he was. He was glad to hear me say that, but he was also quick to point out that he didn't want me doing something so dangerous. I had completely forgotten about that dream, to be honest..." Makoto said trailing off as Ren spoke up, giving Makoto a reassuring smile while he spoke.

"Honestly? I think that's an amazing goal to have. And if nothing else, being a Phantom Thief can only benefit you in that goal since when you get down to it, that's fundamentally what we're about, is going into the hearts of corrupt/distorted people and changing their hearts to banish that corruption. So you could argue you're getting good practice at bringing the corrupt to justice. And I won't bother pointing out that some guys like a woman in uniform. I'll leave that sort of inane flirty banter for Ryuji, since that seems more like a line he'd use if I'm being honest." Ren said with a wry smirk. Makoto laughed at Ren's remark about Ryuji as she spoke up.

"Yeah, you're right. That IS something he'd probably say. Then again, he's not exactly subtle about hiding the fact he at least thinks I'm cute. To be honest, he's not bad looking himself. His only real flaw is that he's so unashamedly vulgar most of the time, and doesn't always think before he speaks. But despite that, he's got a good heart where it counts. And yeah, I suppose it's a good goal to have. Either way, after everything that happened recently, I have no intention of working with the police. Besides, they're trying to stop the Phantom Thieves. What am I supposed to do, arrest myself?" Makoto said as Ren frowned and looked down before speaking up.

"Good point. I suppose that would pose just a tiny bit of a conflict of interest, assuming that's the term I'm thinking of for when you have two jobs that conflict with one another. But that said, only you can truly decide what's best for your future, Makoto." Ren said as Makoto nodded before speaking up.

"Hm, good point. I think I need to re-examine what my goals for the future are, outside of just plain studying. Thank you very much for letting me vent to you, Ren-kun. You know, it feels like I remembered something important today, thanks to you. I guess you could say my viewpoint has been broadened yet again." Makoto said as Ren nodded, smiling as he could sense a quiet resolve coming from Makoto, which he instinctively knew translated to their bond growing.

At that point, the 'Priestess' card appeared in his mind's eye, the 'III' becoming a 'IV' to signify that his Priestess Confidant link with Makoto had reached rank 4. Surprisingly, thanks to the rank-up, Makoto gained the ability to use Follow Up, much like every other Phantom Thief except Ren had gotten before her. Afterwards, Makoto kept speaking.

"Hey. When I met Eiko, I realized how narrow my viewpoint really was. I only just learned recently that a chemise is called a camisole, and a button-down sweater is a cardigan. Why does the same thing have to have multiple names?" Makoto asked as Ren spoke up with a shrug.

"Not sure. Maybe it's an instinctive thing for most everyday things to have code names, much like how we have them?" Ren suggested. Makoto thought about it and nodded before she spoke up.

"That's possible. Regardless, I guess in the end, I'm just becoming more aware of how little I really know. So, please, help me keep fighting back against that ignorance." Makoto said to Ren, who nodded while he spoke up.

"I think I can do that, Makoto. Between myself and the others, you won't remain ignorant for much longer if you don't want to be." Ren said sagely as Makoto nodded and spoke up.

"I see. Well, thank you very much. And thanks again for today! See you later, Ren-kun." Makoto said with a smile as she and Ren headed their separate ways for the day, Ren heading back to Leblanc...

(That evening, at Leblanc, with Ren, Morgana and Kusa)

Once Ren got back to Leblanc, he went upstairs to check on Kusa, smiling as he saw Kusa resting on the bed, apparently immersed in a private chat. Ren smiled as he set down his bag next to the sofa, making Kusa look up as he saw Ren was home.

"Ah, you're home. How was your day, Ren?" Kusa asked as Ren smiled and spoke up.

"It was pretty good, all told. I hung out with Makoto. Apparently she needed a sounding board, and it gave me a good excuse to spend time with her, since I'll admit I've not spent near as much time with her as I have with any of the others, with the possible exception of you. But in part, that's because you're away from Leblanc a lot. Actually, speaking of that, how's your knee?" Ren asked Kusa, who smiled as he spoke up.

"It's pretty solid right now, actually. Why do you ask?" Kusa said as Ren spoke up.

"I was thinking, if you felt up to it, you and I could go do a bit of studying at the diner, since we've not really gone out and done anything, just you and me, in awhile. Granted, one could argue we went to the Big Bang Burger together, but we had Morgana with us then, so was that REALLY just the two of us?" Ren said as Kusa ndoded and spoke up.

"True. And yeah, I'm down to spend time with you at the diner, if you want that Ren. I'm sure we can convince Morgana to stay here and hold down the fort, so to speak, if you want it to just be the two of us." Kusa said as Morgana nodded and spoke up.

"I can do that. I'll keep the bed warm for Kusa while you two have some quality brother time." Morgana said agreeably as Kusa nodded, before checking that his knee brace was still firmly in place, which it was, and looking at Ren while speaking up.

"Well, there you have it. Shall we head to the diner then?" Kusa said as Ren nodded. The two then headed to the diner, where Ren and Kusa got a table. Kusa then spoke up.

"Wow, I'm surprised we managed to find seats. As crowded as this place is, you'd think it was full." Kusa remarked off-handedly as Ren nodded before a waitress approached the two and spoke up.

"Welcome. May I take your order?" The waitress said as Ren nodded and spoke up.

"Yes. I'd like the Surprise Sando, and I'll get a Pepsi to drink if you've got it. And I'll let my brother here make his own order." Ren said as Kusa nodded.

"Hi. I'd like to try the Frui-Tea, and then I'll order the Nostalgic Steak, since I find myself in a bit of a meat-eating mood for some reason." Kusa said. The waitress nodded as she spoke up with a smile.

"Got it. I'll be right back with both your orders." The waitress said as she walked off, allowing Ren to look over at Kusa.

"Well, this is nice. Just you and me hanging out, like we used to do back home." Ren said as Kusa nodded.

"I concur. We don't do this nearly often enough since we've moved to Yongen-Jaya, Ren. But I'll admit that's just as much my fault for being busy and spending time with others as it is yours for also being busy. But that's not a bad thing in and of itself, if you think about it." Kusa said, smiling as Ren noticed three sparkling blue music notes pop up over his head, indicating that Kusa was probably ready for a rank-up in the fairly near future. But before Ren could say much more, the waitress returned with their orders.

"Here we are. One Surprise Sando with a Pepsi, and one Nostalgic Steak with Frui-Tea for the drink." The waitress said as she set the orders down and left. Kusa winced as he saw the sandwiches set out in front of Ren and spoke up.

"Uhh, are sandwiches even supposed to be that color? I mean sure, it looks tasty, but I dunno. Actually yeah, it's probably tasty. Ugh, just grit your teeth and get through it, bro. As for me, I have this appetizing looking steak to get into." Kusa said happily as more music notes went up over his head as he carefully dug into his steak eagerly. Once he finished it, he chased it with the Frui-Tea he'd ordered, smiling as he tried it.

"Oh yeah, that steak hit the spot. And this tea's actually not that bad for something that is mostly ordered by ladies. Also, damn! You scarfed those sandwiches down with no hesitation. I'm impressed by the Guts you showed doing that, bro." Kusa said as Ren nodded, his Guts getting a modest boost from the food. The two then did a bit of studying while they were there and got the rest of their summer homework done, making Kusa speak up.

"Huh, for how crowded this place is, we did good to get the amount of studying done that we did, I'd say. Still, there's too much noise to expect more than what we accomplished. Still, good work." Kusa said to Ren, who nodded as he got a boost to his Knowledge, that to his surprise, was enough to increase it from Rank 4, which was 'Encyclopedic', to Rank 5, which was 'Erudite'. More surprisingly, he noticed that his Knowledge was marked as 'MAX' now. Ren smirked as he spoke up.

"Hmm, methinks I might have maxed my Knowledge potential, or come close to it." Ren said as Kusa shrugged and spoke up.

"Perhaps. Anything's possible, Ren. Hopefully that translates well for you when it comes time for the next round of exams." Kusa said before wincing slightly making Ren frown as he spoke up.

"You all right, Kusa?" Ren asked Kusa, who nodded while he spoke up.

"Yeah, I'm good. I think I underestimated how taxing it can be to put pressure on my bad knee for too long, though, since it's bugging a bit, but it's tolerable. That said, congrats on possibly maxing your Knowledge potential, Ren." Kusa said as Ren smiled and fist-bumped Kusa before speaking up.

"Thanks, Kusa. One max stat down, four to go I think. That said, we've been here for awhile. So finish your Frui-Tea, and I'll settle the bill before we head back to Leblanc." Ren said to Kusa, who nodded as more blue music notes popped up over his head as he spoke up, these ones sparkling to signify that Kusa was ready to hit rank 5 at some point in the future, to Ren's surprise.

"Right. Sounds good to me. Hopefully my leg will cooperate if we resume our infiltration tomorrow. Since I believe you said today is the last day of the prep week." Kusa said as Ren nodded before speaking up once more.

"I did say that, but we can add another day or two to it if you need time to make sure your leg's up to infiltrating the Palace, Kusa." Ren said as Kusa shook his head before speaking up stubbornly.

"Nonsense! I'm not going to be the reason you guys possibly procrastinate long enough to miss the deadline. Besides, Taba needs us. And I refuse to let her down. Maybe one extra day if it's needed, but that's it. We need to get that Palace done though." Kusa said resolutely as Ren nodded. After Kusa finished his Frui-Tea, Ren and Kusa paid the bill and headed back to Leblanc, where Ren got comfortable on the sofa while Kusa gently lifted up Morgana so he could get laid down on the bed, using the spare pillow to prop his bad leg up as he laid down for the night, gently setting Morgana on his chest so the not-cat could curl up happily as the three went to sleep for the night...

(The next day, in the attic of Leblanc with Ren, Kusa and Morgana)

Ren and Kusa woke up, the former stretching as his phone went off with Kusa's to signify a group chat from Ryuji, Ann, Yusuke, and Makoto, with the first message coming from Alibaba, who had once more hacked the chat to take part.

"Are you still not done?" Alibaba sent as Kusa sent a response.

"We're getting ready to go back in today to continue the infiltration. We've spent the last week getting prepared for it. After all, a change of heart takes time. Not to mention, some of us might've gotten jumped and saddled with a bum knee and a messed-up nose. But we'll change your heart. Have no fear of that, oh wise and irreverent Alibaba." Kusa sent as Alibaba rolled her eyes and sent a response.

"Fair enough. But still, I thought I told you, I'm not a patient person." Alibaba sent as Ryuji sent a response at that point.

"Yeah, no kidding. I swear, I wonder who's the more impatient one here: you or Kusa?" Ryuji sent as Kusa sent a response.

"OI! No fair comparing me to Alibaba, Ryuji! And I'm not too proud to say I'm probably far less impatient than Alibaba." Kusa sent as Yusuke sent a response.

"You told us you would wait. This is going against your word." Yusuke sent as Alibaba sent a response.

"You're not wrong, Kusa. You are a far more patient, and probably all-around better, person than I am. That aside, that doesn't matter Yusuke. Do you think I won't report you to the police?" Alibaba sent as Ren sent a response.

"You wouldn't dare! If you did report us, how would we be able to change your heart from prison? Besides, I don't believe you'd truly do anything to hurt Kusa, at the very least. But if you want to prove me wrong, then do it, by all means." Ren sent. Kusa sent a response at that point.

"Ren, don't antagonize Alibaba. She's just frustrated that we're not showing quick enough progress. But that's my fault, if anything, for being dumb enough to let myself get beat up by those cowards. So she's entitled to be a bit annoyed and threaten to report us. However, I believe she wouldn't report us, if only because she knows deep down we do want to see her be free of her suffering and pain. She just needs to have more patience and believe in us. If anything, she can take her frustrations out on me, since I'd deserve it for being the likely reason we get slowed down." Kusa sent as Alibaba sent a response.

"You'd better not be taking me lightly with all the evidence I have against you guys. And Kusa, stop being so noble and selfless. You're making it difficult to stay angry at you!" Alibaba sent as Ann sent a response.

"Huh!? You have evidence?" Ann sent as Kusa sent a response at that point.

"Of course she has evidence! Need I remind you she's a hacker who's virtually without peer. So it'd probably be child's play for her to get dirt on all of us. As such, underestimating her would be a bad idea, Ann. That said, excuse me for caring about people close to me, Alibaba. Heh, hopefully changing your heart makes you a bit less uptight and a lot more fun-loving, since I think you'd be amazing if you learned to lighten up every now and again." Kusa sent as Alibaba blinked, gaping for a bit before sending a response, huffing at how sweet Kusa's response was and trying to ignore her now red cheeks as she sent a response.

"Why are you so nice, Kusa!? And that's besides the point! You're right, however, that I shouldn't be underestimated. Leaking your chat logs to the police would be quite simple." Alibaba sent as Ryuji sent a response.

"Dude, don't. We're done for if you do that." Ryuji sent as Kusa sent a response.

"She's not gonna, provided we get a move on with changing her heart. Besides, she'd be hurting herself as much as us if she did that, since I'm sure at least one of these chat logs might or might not link Boss to us, albeit indirectly." Kusa sent sagely. Alibaba blinked before sending a response.

"No fair dragging Sojiro into this, Kusa! Ugh, fine." Alibaba sent as Makoto sent a response.

"Please don't misunderstand. We really do want your help. As such, we will do whatever it takes to fulfill our promise. Please believe us in that respect. We just need a little more time, that's all." Makoto sent as Alibaba pouted a bit before sending a response.

"Very well, I won't report you, for now. But you better get to it soon!" Alibaba sent as Ren and Kusa put their phones away and Morgana spoke up.

"She doesn't seem to understand our circumstances. This might be a problem." Morgana said as Ren and Kusa nodded, the former speaking up.

"Agreed. And to be honest, my knee feels fine right now. I say we end the prep week and get back to the Palace, if only to placate Alibaba. That, and the deadline's not getting any longer." Kusa said as Ren thought about it and nodded.

"You're right, Kusa. We need to get back to it. Worse comes to worse, we can put you on backups so you don't over-tax your knee." Ren said as Morgana and Kusa nodded and Ren sent another message to the group chat.

"All right, listen up! Kusa and I discussed it with Morgana, and we decided that the prep week is now over! So if no one has objections to it, let's meet up at the hideout to resume our infiltration of the Palace." Ren sent, getting a chorus of affirmative responses as the group gathered at the hideout...

(A short time later, in the attic of Leblanc with Ann, Makoto, Ren, Ryuji, Kusa, Morgana, and Yusuke)

"It's so hot today! Is everyone okay? Be careful not to let the summer heat wear you down. And in Kusa's case, he should also be careful not to over-stress his bad knee too much. But if he feels up to joining us on this infiltration, he's more than welcome." Makoto said. The others nodded as Ren spoke up.

"Agreed. Kusa already told me he's good to join on the infiltration, but knows I reserve the right to put him on backups if needed so he can rest his leg somewhat." Ren said before Kusa nodded and Ren kept speaking.

"That said, I think we've idled long enough. Let's get back to it! To the Palace, everyone!" Ren said. The others nodded as Kusa spoke up.

"Excellent! Let us proceed with our infiltration! I'm gonna give it all I've got!" Kusa said as the group headed into the Metaverse...

(Outside of Futaba's Palace with Fox, Mona, Draconis, Joker, Queen, Panther, and Skull)

"Oh! Hey, we've changed into our Phantom Thief costumes." Panther said as Draconis nodded and spoke up.

"Naturally. That's to be expected when the Palace Ruler herself sees us as threats. But it's not like it's our first time being seen as threats." Draconis pointed out. Mona nodded as he spoke up.

"Exactly, Draconis. That proves she sees us as a threat now! As such, we must be cautious. So, let's be careful!" Mona said as Skull nodded and spoke up.

"Right! Like Draconis said before we came here, let's give it our all, Joker!" Skull said as Joker nodded and spoke up.

"Fair enough. That said, a quick note before we head inside. For now, we'll have Draconis, Mona and Queen out on the front lines while Skull, Panther and Fox are on backups." Joker said decisively, getting nods from the group and tagging the necessary people out to ensure that Mona, Draconis and Queen joined Joker on the front lines. Once inside, the group headed back to the sealed door from before and examined it, making Mona sigh as he spoke up.

"Ugh, so it still won't open. We might just have to give up on it." Mona said as Skull and Draconis frowned, the former speaking up.

"No point sittin' around though. Whaddya wanna do, Joker?" Skull said as Joker thought about it before speaking up.

"What else can we do, except try to find a way to open it, or failing that, seek out an alternative entrance to use." Joker said as Panther smiled, nodded and spoke up.

"That makes sense. But, we don't have any idea how to do that." Panther said as Fox nodded and spoke up.

"Indeed. In that case, we will simply have to investigate every suspicious place we see, both inside the pyramid and out." Fox said as Skull huffed and spoke up.

"Ugh...FOR REAL!? Outside!? You mean we gotta deal with that heat again!?" Skull said as Draconis spoke up.

"I'm not thrilled about it either Skull, but sometimes we gotta do what we gotta do to get the job done." Draconis said sagely. Queen nodded as she spoke up.

"Exactly! You get it, Draconis. No complaining, Skull! Let's begin our investigation right away." Queen said as the group kept moving. After looking around, they realized there was little they could do in their current location, so they decided to go out to the entrance to see if there was another spot to enter the pyramid from. As they reached the doors to go outside, they heard a voice call out to them.

"Are you leaving?" The group heard Futaba's Shadow call to them, making Joker turn the group around as they heard Futaba's Shadow keep speaking.

"Come back here. Let's talk for a moment." Futaba's Shadow said as the others nodded and turned around to head towards her, Joker and Skull giving Draconis knowing grins as they saw the subtle hints of red on his face as he realized they'd be talking to Futaba's Shadow. Draconis frowned at the two as he spoke up, giving Joker and Skull both a pointed glare while he spoke.

"I see those grins, you two. Don't make me smack the stupid out of you guys. My knee may be sprained, but my fists aren't." Draconis huffed as the group walked over to Futaba's Shadow, who spoke up as the group approached her.

"Welcome back. I had thought I would never see you again." Futaba's Shadow said as Draconis huffed and spoke up.

"Hardly. You're gonna have to do better than some vintage boulder trap to get rid of us, Queen Taba. We're in this for the long haul. Sure, we disappeared for a bit, but that was moreso to prepare ourselves for a thorough infiltration of this place so as to best map out how to help you." Draconis said before Skull huffed and spoke up.

"Shuddup, Draconis! I get it, you think she's hot. And honestly, she kinda is, though I'm not really sure girls who try to smash us with boulders are my type. That said, so you thought you'd never see us again. Yeah, I wonder why. I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU TRIED TO CRUSH US WITH AN EFFING BOULDER! YOU WANT US TO STEAL YOUR GODDAMN TREASURE OR NOT!?" Skull said in frustration, ignoring the simultaneous facefaults of Mona, Draconis and Joker at Skull's words, as Draconis glared and spoke up.

"Not helping, Skull! And what did I say about blasphemizing in here!?" Draconis rebuked Skull. Futaba's Shadow chuckled as she spoke up.

"It's quite all right, I can understand his frustrations. Hm, why don't we make a deal? You wish to proceed further, yes?" Futaba's Shadow said as Fox raised an eyebrow behind his mask before he spoke up.

"A deal, you say?" Fox asked as Draconis nodded.

"Yes, Fox. A deal. And really, I don't think we have a reason to refuse at this point. Especially since I think it's safe to say Queen Taba here holds most, if not all of, the cards in this instance." Draconis pointed out bluntly as Futaba's Shadow nodded and spoke up.

"And you are quite wise to realize this, Draconis was it? That said, there's a town nearby. I would like you to take back that which the bandit there stole from me." Futaba's Shadow said as Panther blinked and spoke up.

"Ohh yeah, that's right. I think I remember seeing a town on the way here." Panther said as Draconis spoke up.

"Yes, that's right. I am Draconis. And you say there was a bandit here recently!? Did you see what they looked like by chance? Were they wearing any sort of mask?" Draconis asked as the others blinked, wondering if Draconis might be thinking that Black Mask was the bandit, but doubting it as well. Futaba's Shadow nodded and spoke up.

"Alas, I did not. They were wearing a thick headwrap, and were too far away to see clearly. All I know is they stole something from here. Back on topic, if you can bring what was stolen back to me, I will give you a reward. I'll even tell you how to proceed." Futaba's Shadow said as Skull smirked and spoke up, looking at Draconis as he spoke, his words causing most of the others to gape at what he said next.

"A reward, eh? Maybe she wants alone time with Draconis?" Skull suggested as Draconis facefaulted along with Futaba's Shadow, the former glaring at Skull as he spoke up, glad that most of his face was hidden behind his mask so the others couldn't see how red his cheeks were from Skull's joking remark while he spoke.

"Shut up, Skull! Also, I don't think she meant THAT type of a reward, you buffoon! Get your effing head outta the gutter! Otherwise, good luck trying to make Queen M take any notice of you." Draconis huffed as Queen nodded before she smacked the back of Skull's head and spoke up.

"Focus, Skull! Anyways, can't you tell us any more details, Queen Futaba? Anything about this bandit, or what was stolen?" Queen asked Futaba's Shadow, who frowned at Skull as she spoke up.

"Silence, you impudent whelp! I do not abide insolence! That said, you'll learn all the information you need to know once you arrive." Futaba's Shadow said as Draconis nodded before speaking up.

"Very well, Queen Taba. We shall go and find this bandit and deal with them, after which we shall endeavor to return that which was stolen to where it belongs. Wait for our return." Draconis said as Queen spoke up.

"In that case, we'll need to head outside if we want to go to the town. We can go when you're ready, Joker." Queen said as Joker nodded and Futaba's Shadow spoke up once more.

"Very well. I shall await your return. Pray you don't disappoint me by failing." Futaba's Shadow said ominously as the group headed towards the exit. Once outside, Draconis huffed and glared at Skull as he spoke up.

"Now that we're out of Queen Taba's earshot, WHAT. THE. FUCK!? Why would you put me on the spot like that, Skull!? Are you trying to piss her off? Never mind what your inane idea of teasing could possibly do to her cognition! What happens if you manage to inadvertently make Futaba's Shadow fall for me? Or did you think of that when you decided to poke fun at me!? You absolute buffoon!" Draconis snapped at Skull as the group lined up outside of the pyramid and Skull spoke up.

"Yeah, sorry, didn't think about that. You just left me too good of a set-up not to use. But anyways...So, how're we supposed to get to this town?" Skull asked as Panther spoke up, smiling slightly as she spoke even while Joker and Queen tried to calm Draconis, lest he accidentally aggravate his bad knee in his anger at Skull.

"She said it's nearby. If that's true, we could probably see it from here, right?" Panther asked as Fox nodded and spoke up.

"Yes, good point. Let us observe the surroundings and search for any towns that may lie about here." Fox said as the group nodded and kept moving. After walking around a bit, they saw a viewing platform off to the right a bit, ahd headed for it to examine the surrounding area, at which point Panther spoke up.

"Hey, isn't that a town off in the distance?" Panther asked as both Fox and Draconis nodded, the former speaking up.

"Yes, I can see what appear to be buildings over there." Fox said as Mona looked at Joker and spoke up.

"So, whaddya want to do? Want to head over to the town, Joker? It's pretty far away, so this is my chance to shine!" Mona said as Draconis smirked and spoke up.

"Agreed, provided we don't have to go through Skull getting smacked around by Panther again. Once was quite plenty! And I, for one, have no interest in ending up face-down on the ground again, especially with a bad knee." Draconis said dryly, making Panther frown at the mention of Skull ogling her on the ride to the pyramid. Joker nodded and spoke up.

"Agreed, Draconis. But yes, we should probably head that way, if only to find that bandit and get back what was stolen. And it's not like we've got a better lead to follow. But yes, no ogling Panther this time, Skull! Otherwise, I'll let Draconis deal with you, and I'm sure he's got some frustrations to vent on you!" Joker said rebukingly as Draconis grinned ferally as he nodded his agreement, making Skull wince as Mona nodded and turned into the Mona-Bus, which the others filed into as he drove them off towards the town...

(A short time later, at the entrance of the far-off town)

"We've arrived. This has to be the city Futaba's Shadow mentioned." Mona said as Draconis nodded.

"Agreed. And the sheer amount of barrenness in this place tracks with her shut-in ways. I wouldn't be surprised at all, though, if we end up running into a cognitive version of me at some point in this Palace, given how close she and I are." Draconis said as the others nodded and Fox spoke up.

"Indeed. Also, it looks quite desolate for a town. She said only bandits reside here, but still." Fox said as Draconis spoke up once more.

"True. At this point, Smaug could probably dust the place with one well-placed Megido, or two. But let's keep moving, yeah?" Draconis said as the group kept moving. After looking aroudn the town for a bit, the group eventually came to an area near the back that was more or less walled off aside from a small gap in the wall that served as an entryway to the apparent room, allowing the group to go inside to look around at which point Mona frowned and spoke up.

"Hmm...I have to say, the mood of this town is definitely strange. I can't sense anyone around." Mona said as a voice spoke up behind the group.

"Hey, guys. You lookin' for something?" The group heard as they turned around to see a bandit wearing mostly white, swinging around a sword. The bandit spoke up.

"Heh, I thought I heard someone rustlin' around out here...and here y'all are. Welcome to the desert, fellow trader." The bandit said as Fox frowned and spoke up.

"WHAT!? Hm? What does he mean by 'trader'?" Fox asked as Draconis spoke up.

"Not sure, but if he's treating us as traders, I'd put money down that we've probably found the guy who robbed the pyramid." Draconis said as Skull nodded and glared at the bandit.

"We don't care about your welcomes. You're a bandit, right? Just cough up the thing you stole." Skull said as the bandit laughed before speaking up.

"Ha! Well, ain't this interestin'! A group of criminals comin' after a fellow trader." The bandit said as Draconis' eye twitched behind his mask slightly before he spoke up.

"CRIMINALS!? How dare you? We are NOT like you, you cowardly tomb-robbing scumbag! Now give back whatever you took from the pyramid!" Draconis snapped as the bandit smirked and spoke up.

"Bold, aren't you? Well, too bad. You're gonna have to catch me if you want it!" The bandit taunted the group before running off, leaving Panther to huff at the bandit's retreating figure before glaring at Skull and Draconis.

"WAIT! Ugh, crap! Nice going, Skull! You just HAD to scare him off!" Panther snapped at Skull who huffed and spoke up.

"ME!? Draconis was the one who all but threatened the guy! Not to mention he called him a coward and a scumbag! I just told the guy to give the goods back!" Skull said as Draconis huffed and spoke up.

"Whatever! I won't apologize for what I said. That guy had it coming! He's lucky I didn't toss a knife after him to slow him down! But this isn't the time for blaming! Let's chase that scumbag down!" Draconis said as Queen nodded and spoke up.

"I agree. We'll have time to talk about this later. Let's get after him." Queen said as the group kept moving. After a bit, the group caught up to the bandit and Skull spoke up.

"Hey, I said WAIT! We're-" Skull said as the bandit cut him off by laughing as he spoke up.

"You're too slow, moron. You'll never catch me at this rate." The bandit said as he ran off, at which point Mona spoke up.

"Dammit! He ran off again! Hurry up and catch him, fast!" Mona said as the group kept moving. The group quickly caught up to the bandit who laughed in their faces as he spoke up.

"Hahaha, you tired already? What a bunch of losers...Grave-robbing is a game of stamina, y'know?" The thief said before running off as Panther huffed and growled before speaking up.

"UGH! Urghhh, he got away again! This is really pissing me off!" Panther said as Draconis got a thoughtful look on his face before speaking up.

"I concur. However, what if, instead of trying to catch him, we instead lure him back into that closed-off area, and have some of us block the entrance so he can't escape while the rest of us deal with him? Say have the backups block the exit after we trap him, and the front lines rough the guy up?" Draconis suggested. Queen nodded and spoke up.

"Great idea, Draconis! We can corner him in that closed off spot from before. That said, we'll never catch him if we do nothing but follow his path, so cornering him somewhere makes a lot of sense." Queen said. Fox nodded.

"True, but how would we corner him if he just darts off whenever we approach him?" Fox said as Joker spoke up.

"We use the square from before, as Queen and Draconis said." Joker said as Queen nodded and spoke up.

"Agreed. And we use Draconis' suggestion of a divide and conquer strategy in that we have the backups sneak around behind him while the rest of us approach him from in front so he can't run anywhere but the square." Queen said. The group kept moving. A short time later, the plan was executed and the bandit dashed into the square, making Panther cheer as she spoke up.

"YES! There he goes! We've finally chased him into the square! Now to get in there, seal off his exit, and make him cough up whatever he took!" Panther said as Queen nodded and spoke up.

"Perfect. He has nowhere to run now...Let's do this, Joker!" Queen said as Joker and Draconis both nodded, and the group followed the bandit into the square. Once inside, Fox, Panther, and Skull all blocked the exit while Joker, Mona, Queen and Draconis surrounded the bandit as Skull spoke up from the exit.

"Yo, bandit! What's the matter? Not runnin' anymore?" Skull said as the bandit spoke up.

"Tch...Don't even think about comin' one step closer." The bandit said as Draconis spoke up.

"Or else what? You're gonna try to fight us? Good luck! I doubt you'll be able to take on the four of us, not to mention our backups over there! Face it, you'll be lucky to get out of here in one piece!" Draconis said as Joker spoke up.

"Let's talk about this. We can be reasonable, surely? All you have to do is return whatever you stole from the pyramid and you're free to go." Joker said. The bandit laughed as he spoke up.

"Heh, don't be ridiculous! You've gotta let me go. I mean, you guys came to raid that tomb too, right? Why don't we work together and share the plunder?" The bandit suggested as both Panther and Draconis growled at the bandit presuming to compare himself to the group as the former spoke up.

"UGH! Don't talk to us like we're the same as you! We came here to save Futaba-chan! Now give us back what you stole!" Panther said as Draconis spoke up.

"Exactly! Return whatever you stole from the pyramid, if you want to live! Otherwise, we won't hesitate to beat you down and seize it from your beat-down corpse." Draconis said dryly as the bandit huffed and spoke up.

"So you wanna do this no matter what, huh? Well, in that case, I guess I don't have a choice!" The bandit said as he transformed into a monster form and the fight began. After battering the enemy with attacks, a lucky Critical in the form of a well-aimed knife to the monster's leg from Draconis put the 'Raging Bird God', as the monster was called, on it's knees.

At that point, Joker signaled for the All-Out Attack, which Draconis nodded and obliged with, carefully striding forward to slam his staff into the chest of the monster to stagger it a bit more before taking careful aim and hefting several knives into the monster's chest, before spinning on his good leg and flexing as he spoke up while the monster twitched a few times before slumping over and dissolving into black mist as Draconis spoke up.

"Hmph! Ain't nothin' to it but to do it! Good riddance!" Draconis said as the caption 'THE DRAGON HAS JUDGED YOU AND YOU WERE FOUND LACKING. FAREWELL!' appeared over his head as he posed like a badass and the fight ended. From the massive EXP gain that followed from the fight, everyone except for Draconis and Joker reached level 28, and Joker's Shiki-Ouji Persona reached level 21. On top of that, Shiki-Ouji learned the Dekaja support skill, Zorro learned Recarm, and Carmen learned Diarama. Draconis then spoke up for the group.

"Not bad, lots of new skills for everyone! Good job Joker, Mona and Panther!" Draconis said. After the fight, Skull spoke up.

"ALL RIGHT! We won! Oh wait, he dropped something." Skull said as Draconis leaned down and picked up the 'Stolen Papyrus'. Draconis then spoke up.

"Excellent! This is surely what was stolen from Queen Taba's tomb. Mission accomplished, everyone!" Draconis said as Mona frowned and spoke up.

"Hold on! Is this...some kind of papyrus parchment? It looks like there's something written inside." Mona said as Panther frowned and spoke up.

"HEY! No peeking at a girl's belongings without her permission!" Panther said as Skull spoke up.

"Y'know, just what the hell's happenin' inside her heart?" Skull said as Draconis sighed and spoke up.

"Honestly, Skull? Exactly that. She's been through some real hell the past few years. Not only did she have to watch her mother die in front of her, she also had people blaming her for it! Not to mention her supposed family, instead of comforting and reassuring her, ostracize her and made her feel unwanted and made her feel like she killed her mom. Some of them even took it to quite unhealthy levels, but I'll leave it at that for now since we ARE in the middle of an infiltration." Draconis said as Skull frowned and spoke up.

"Still! There's this bandit, those weird voices saying 'You killed her!' and who knows what else. It's a total freakin' mess." Skull said as Draconis spoke up once more.

"Each of has our own demons to face, Skull. And not all of us can neatly manage them. So I'm not surprised that Futaba's heart is a bit cluttered and barren as a result of what she's been through. Still, if I have my druthers about it, that will change! She's got to realize that not everyone close to her's a heartless scumbag! Some of us actually care about her and want to see her happy and successful! And if I see her uncle, hoo boy that man's got one hell of a reckoning coming from me, if Coffee Daddy doesn't get to him first that is." Draconis said as Panther nodded and spoke up, smiling as she spoke up.

"In other words, you're outraged on her behalf because all you can do is be there for her and try to make her feel better. Granted, I think she knows you're there for her, even if she hasn't realized you love her yet. You don't have to deny it, Draconis, Even Skull can see you care for her." Panther said as Draconis sighed and nodded.

"I believe I've already admitted that I love her before, Panther. So I don't see the sense in restating it here. And really, what good would it do talking about how much I want to take that suffering from her and put a smile on that face of hers? But I think trying to push for too much too soon could be quite detrimental to changing her heart. So I have to put my own personal desires and feelings aside for now, for the sake of making sure Futaba's heart is safely and successfully changed." Draconis said resolutely as Panther smiled and nodded before she spoke up more.

"Exactly! That said, does this mean that even though she's the Palace ruler, she can't control what happens in here?" Panther asked as Draconis frowned and spoke up.

"That's just it, though. I don't know that she IS the Palace ruler, pharaoh outfit aside. I think those voices she's hearing suggests that even if it's her Palace, someone else might be the true ruler of this place, or more accurately something. But let's leave that at that for now until we have more proof to my theory." Draconis said as Mona frowned and spoke up.

"Agreed, Draconis. I have to say though, I don't know. I've never seen a case like this before and it worries me." Mona said honestly as Fox spoke up.

"Indeed. However, that aside, we have no more business in this city. Shall we head back, Joker?" Fox said as Joker nodded and the group started the trek back out of town, which didn't take that long given they had to cut around a couple of corners and they were right back by the entrance of the town. Once at the entrance, Skull spoke up.

"Sweet, we did what we had to do. Let's start headin' back to the pyramid." Skull said as Joker nodded and the group filed into the Mona-bus as it drove them back to the pyramid. Once back, Skull spoke up.

"Well, what now?" Skull asked as Queen spoke up.

"Well, we've completed Futaba-chan's request. Let's go see her again." Queen said as Draconis spoke up.

"You mean we've completed Queen Taba's request. After all, it was her Shadow that gave us that request, not the real Taba. Best not to confuse those two for one another. But I agree that the smart course of action is to return the papyrus to her, since we told her we would do so. And she did promise to help us if we did that, so I say we get going." Draconis said as Mona nodded and spoke up.

"Sounds good. I'm curious about that reward, too!" Mona said as Draconis spoke up.

"Odds are, since we've not found one yet, it'll probably be a map of the pyramid. After all, every other Palace so far has had one, so it would track this one has a map too." Draconis said sagely as the group kept moving. The group wasted no time in heading back into the pyramid and approaching Futaba's Shadow, at which point Skull spoke up.

"We're back. This is the thing you said they stole, right?" Skull asked Futaba's Shadow, who nodded as she spoke up.

"Well done. It is yours now." Futaba's Shadow said as Panther blinked and spoke up.

"Wait...what? Didn't you want us to get it back because it's important?" Panther said as Futaba's Shadow nodded and spoke up.

"And it is. That is a map of the tomb, stolen by the bandit to aid in his ransacking of the place." Futaba's Shadow said as Queen spoke up with a frown.

"Wait, why are you letting them just do whatever they want? This is your Palace, isn't it?" Queen asked Futaba's Shadow, who spoke up.

"All that matters is that the map is now yours. Just come further in and...Oh." Futaba's Shadow said, recalling that the doorway was sealed, at which point the room rumbled making the others blanch as Fox spoke up.

"What in the-?" Fox said as Futaba's Shadow mysteriously vanished, leaving Panther to gape as she spoke up.

"HUH!? Futaba-chan disa-" Panther said before being cut-off mid-sentence as the ground literally opened up underneath the stunned group who all plunged into the unseen darkness below, Skull speaking up as the group fell.

"Oh, come on! Goddmmiiiiiiiiiit!" Skull yelled as the group fell. The group then fell through a small passageway, making Draconis swear under his breath as his bad knee lightly impacted with the edge of the opening, making him grunt slightly as the group fell, and Skull yelled once more.

"SHIIIIIIIT!" Skull yelled as the group landed, being surprised that the group's fall had been broken before Fox's eyes widened in realization as he spoke up.

"Ngh, is this..." Fox said as Mona gasped and finished his sentence for him.

"Oh no! Quicksand! Everyone, swim with all your might!" Mona said as the group furiously paddled their way out of the quicksand, eventually reaching a nearby ledge they used to climb out of said quicksand, all stopping to catch their breath as Skull spoke up.

"Hey, you guys still alive?" Skull said as the others nodded, though Draconis winced as he spoke up.

"Yeah, I think we're all good, except for the fact I think I smacked my bad knee on that opening we fell through, and now it's acting like it's kind of wobbly. I hate saying this, but I might have to switch to backup while I make sure it's not going to buckle on me! Last thing I need is to have my leg give out while we're here." Draconis said as Joker nodded and gestured for Fox to swap out with Draconis, which he did. At that point, Panther spoke up.

"Oww...First a boulder, then this. Did we piss her off somehow?" Panther said as Draconis laughed and spoke up.

"WE!? I think you mean did Skull piss her off? And given how pissy he was with her before, I'd say yes. Seriously man, you didn't have to yell at her like that! I don't think she meant for that to happen. Just like she likely had no idea about that quicksand trap that was set off. I think whoever's causing those voices set those traps off." Draconis said as Mona nodded and spoke up.

"Agreed. Also, I don't think it has anything to do with us, or rather Skull, angering her. I suspect that her problem is that she can't control her instinct to push people away from her." Mona said as Draconis sighed but nodded to that as he spoke up.

"You're probably right. I think I was lucky that she let herself get close to me, or I'd have probably been pushed away as well. But hopefully we can help her get over that instinct to some extent before the end of this." Draconis said as Queen smiled and nodded as she spoke up.

"Agreed, Draconis. But still, what a simple defense mechanism." Queen said as Draconis spoke up.

"I'd hardly call a boulder trap and a near-lethal quicksand pit simple, Queen. But that said, I agree." Draconis said as Queen nodded and kept speaking.

"Fair. But anyways, considering what she's been through, I don't blame her for mistrusting others. I think it's impressive that she even trusts you, much less Boss." Queen said. Panther nodded as she smiled.

"Joker, let's save her! We've gotta help Futaba-chan open the door to her heart, if for no other reason than so she doesn't have to suffer like this anymore. If it happens to help ease her into falling for Draconis, that's just a bonus." Panther said as Draconis frowned and spoke up.

"I think Taba's well-being is more important than whether she has the same feelings for me that I have for her or not, Panther." Draconis said dryly as Joker nodded.

"Agreed. Also, first we have to escape this place we fell into before we can do anything else. Once that's done, I agree with saving Futaba." Joker said. Mona nodded as he spoke up.

"Right, we should worry about ourselves first and foremost. Come on, let's look for a way back above ground. Otherwise? This place is going to end up OUR tomb, too." Mona said as Draconis frowned and spoke up.

"Mona, don't talk like that. This place ain't gonna be ANYONE's tomb! Not ours, not Taba's, NO ONE'S!" Draconis said firmly as Joker nodded and the group kept moving. After beating down some Shadows as they looked for a way out, Joker and Draconis hit level 29. Joker smirked as he spoke up.

"Nice! I leveled up!" Joker said as he felt himself get stronger from the level up. After a bit of walking, Skull spoke up as the group navigated a section a bit up the path.

"Hey, ain't that light the exit? I'm kinda surprised how close it ended up!" Skull said as Draconis spoke up.

"It might be close, but that doesn't mean it'll be a straight shot there! Let's keep moving and be ready to pound whatever Shadows get in our way." Draconis said as Mona nodded and spoke up.

"Agreed. Ugh, thank god we can finally get out of here. This was all around a horrible experience." Mona said as the group kept moving. As the group fought, Skull and Fox looked at one another and nodded, Fox speaking up.

"Here we go! IT'S SHOWTIME!" Fox said as Skull nodded, the screen cutting to a shot of Skull sitting at a counter with Fox standing behind it as Skull spoke up.

"Ugh, I'm runnin' on empty, man!" Skull said as Fox smirked and spoke up.

"Not to worry! BEHOLD!" Fox said as he set a ramen bowl in front of Skull and started applying the seasonings as he kept speaking.

"A saucy! Zesty! MASTERPIECE!" Fox said as Skull grinned and smiled as he got ready to dig in.

"Sounds good to me! Huh?" Skull said as the door opened behind them, showing the Shadow they were fighting. Skull glared as he spoke up, hefting his shotgun while he spoke.

"UGH! GET OUT, DUMBASS!' Skull said as Fox whipped out his assault rifle and aimed at the Shadow before dumping a couple of clips into it as Ryuji pulled out a grenade and pulled the pin, speaking up as he tossed it at the stunned Shadow.

"Here ya go! MY TREAT!" Skull said as the grenade hit and exploded in the Shadow's face, while Fox fist-bumped Skull as Skull hungrily ate the ramen.

"Mmm! So good!" Skull said appreciatively as the Showtime ended.

After the Showtime, Mona laughed as he spoke up.

"Haha! That was pretty silly, you two!" Mona said as Draconis spoke up while smirking at how efficient Skull and Fox's Showtime was.

"Silly or not, that did a number on that Shadow! Now let's keep fighting!" Draconis said. A while later, the group beat the Shadow while reliving it of a 'Sooty Wolf's Coat' in the process. After a bit more walking, the group finally found the exit. Once outside, Skull spoke up.

"We made it out! Damn, it's hot though! My ass is all sweaty..." Skull said as Panther and Draconis both visibly cringed at hearing that but Fox spoke up before either could rebuke Skull.

"At least we have secured our escape route. We can finally go about exploring this place now." Fox said as Queen nodded and spoke up.

"Let's use this as our entrance from here forward. It should be more stable than the front." Queen said as the group nodded and kept moving. Joker then recalled that one of the battles the group had waged caused a Fusion Alarm to trigger, so he headed into the Velvet Room to see to it. However, he didn't count on the wardens speaking up when he arrived.

"There you are, Inmate!" Caroline said as Justine spoke up.

"Our master admires the progress of your rehabilitation, and hence has given you use of a special ritual." Justine said as Caroline smirked and spoke up.

"It's the 'Gallows', used to strengthen Persona abilities!" Caroline said as Justine spoke up.

"Any further questions about this ritual can be directed toward our master himself." Justine said as Caroline nodded and spoke up.

"True. And not only that, he's apparently gonna consider making even more rituals if your rehabilitation goes as planned. Work hard for it, Inmate!" Caroline said as Ren nodded. Igor then spoke up.

"It would seem an alarm has been raised. Choose your next course wisely...for the sake of your rehabilitation. Pursue rehabilitation with all your body and soul." Igor said as Ren nodded. Ren then did some fusion stuff, and ended up having it end in a Fusion Accident that instead of creating a 'Dekaja' skill card instead created an 'Incense LU' which Joker accepted readily. He then left the Velvet Room.

After looking around a bit, the group descended back into the lower area of the pyramid after Draconis recalled seeing an ominous looking Shadow that was stationary near where they'd exited the pyramid, so the group headed that way and Queen spoke up as she spotted the Shadow that Draconis had mentioned.

"Hey! Hold on, there's something ahead." Queen said as the group looked at the apparently-idling Shadow before Fox spoke up.

"Look how tranquil it is. It appears to be different form the Shadows we've encountered prior." Fox said as Skull grinned and spoke up.

"Heh, you don't gotta freak out about it! Let's beat its ass!" Skull said as Draconis frowned and spoke up.

"Let's try fighting it, you mean. There's no guarantees we'll win. Just because that thing is idle, does NOT mean it'll be an easy win. Let's not underestimate it. As it is, we've already paid for underestimating the traps around here." Draconis said dryly, glaring at Skull as he finished speaking. Joker nodded and spoke up.

"I agree, Draconis. But we have to at least try. That might be the way forward for all we know. Welp, here goes nothing. Here we go!" Joker said. Mona nodded.

"YES! Brace yourselves! This is definitely no normal enemy! Draconis is right, we have to be cautious!" Mona said as the Shadow then spoke up.

"FOOLISH GRAVE ROBBERS! YOU HAVE ENRAGED THE GUARDIAN OF THIS PLACE. HENCE, THERE SHALL BE NO PATH FORWARD. IT IS TIME YOU ALL PERISH!" The Shadow said as it assumed a monster form and the battle began! After a long, but brutal fight, in which Joker and Mona made good use of their wind skills, along with some chip damage from Fox and Queen, the group won, and the ensuing EXP gains brought Mona and Queen to level 29. After the battle, Panther cheered and spoke up.

"YES! All right, we managed to scrape through that somehow! Let's keep it up and head for the Treasure!" Panther said as Queen spoke up.

"We should make sure we don't get reckless though. It's better to proceed one step at a time. As it is, we've already had to rotate out one party member because we underestimated a trap that forced Draconis onto the sidelines after it aggravated his bad knee. To be honest, I'm impressed he's still walking on it." Queen said. Draconis winced and spoke up.

"To be honest? I'm impressed too. But then I think it's also partly my determination to make sure that Taba is okay that's keeping me going." Draconis said, but before anyone could reply, a Shadow tried to jump the group only for Joker to deftly leap aside and smack it to start the fight. As the fight went on, Skull and Queen nodded to each other.

"Let's do it! I'll help you finish them off, Queen!" Skull said as Queen nodded and spoke up.

"Agreed. IT'S SHOWTIME!" Queen said as she and Skull got into position as Skull rushed forward and smacked his mace into the enemy's face, staggering it as he spoke up.

"Heheh, make way for the Fist of The Phantom-OOF!" Skull said as the 'OOF!' came from Queen elbowing him in the gut before speaking up.

"Focus! That's NOT my name!" Queen said as she rushed forward and glared at the Shadow and flexed while speaking up.

"Here we go! Time to go...FULL! POWER! AH-YAH-YAH-YAH-YAH-YA-YAH! HAAAA!" Queen said as she unleashed a flurry of attacks on the stunned Shadow, eventually stopping to catch her breath as Skull ran up with a can of grape soda and handed it to Queen while he spoke up.

"Here you go, Queen!" Skull said as Queen smirked and crushed the can in front of the surprised Shadow and watched as at the same moment, the Shadow crumpled in on itself from the damage she'd dealt it, and slumped over into a pile of black mist as the battle ended, leaning on Skull to steady herself as she caught her breath. After the fight, the ensuing EXP gains brought Skull, Fox, and Panther to level 29, and also brought Joker and Draconis both to level 30. Joker grinned and spoke up.

"HA! Power courses through me!" Joker said as his level increased. On top of that, Captain Kidd learned Zionga, which was an upgraded Zio, and Goemon gained Bufula, which was an upgraded Bufu. Draconis then spoke up.

"Nice job, guys! About time we start getting mid-tier elemental moves! For a second there I thought that Smaug might be the only one aside from Johanna with a mid-tier move since Megido is technically classed as a mid-tier move." Draconis said as the group kept moving. After jumping up some conveniently placed sarcophagi, the group found another path forward, eventually turning right and running into what appeared to be a giant crossbow, making Skull blink and speak up.

"What's this? Some kinda giant bow and arrow thing?" Skull asked as Draconis and Queen both groaned before the latter spoke up.

"Oh, that's a stationary weapon back from the middle ages called a ballista." Queen said as Panther gasped in surprise and spoke up.

"This is amazing! You even know about stuff like this, Queen? I guess that's pretty fitting for you." Panther said as Draconis frowned and spoke up.

"It's not that big of a deal, Panther. Anyone who knows about weapons to some extent knows what a ballista is. I even knew what it was, and I dabble in throwing knives." Draconis said dryly as Queen nodded before frowning at Panther as she spoke up.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Queen asked as Skull spoke up.

"Come on Queen, don't you get it? She's probably just admiring how wicked smart and badass you are! That said, hold up, that thing at gonna shoot us or nothing, right?" Skull asked Queen who nodded and spoke up.

"Exactly. Well, there's a bolt in here, but it seems to be broken. On top of that, it's slanted away." Queen said as the group kept moving. After a bit of moving around, and a grapple from Joker, the group found a button at which point Skull spoke up.

"Hey. What's this thing, some kinda button?" Skull asked as Draconis dryly nodded and spoke up.

"Well done, Skull. You've stated the obvious. Yes, that's a button. More likely, it's a switch, though I've no clue what it's a switch for." Draconis deadpanned as Mona spoke up.

"True. Think before you go touching that, okay? It might be a trap. Although, I'm curious about it myself." Mona said. Joker thought about it and spoke up.

"No reason not to, really. Let's press it." Joker said. Queen nodded and spoke up as well.

"You're right, Joker! As they say, 'nothing ventured, nothing gained.' Very well." Queen said as Joker punched the button, making the ballista fire an arrow through the wall, allowing a beam of light to shine through and open up the way forward, making Skull gasp and speak up.

"GAH! Holy crap, that scared the shit outta me! It totally WAS a trap!" Skull said as Mona frowned and spoke up.

"I'm not so sure about that...It looks like pressing that button has changed something in here." Mona said as Fox spoke up.

"HEY! Yes, there is now light being cast on that door. It is a markedly obvious difference." Fox said as Queen nodded and spoke up.

"You're right. Let's go take a closer look." Queen said as the group dropped down to the door and examined it, causing it to open up as Panther cheered.

"YES! Oh, hey! It's open!" Panther said as Fox spoke up in surprise.

"So, shining light upon the door is what caused it to unlock. Interesting." Fox said as Panther did a closed-eye smile and spoke up.

"Wait, doesn't that mean we can open the door at the great stairs the same way!?" Panther said as Draconis crossed his arms and spoke up.

"We should be able to do so, at least in theory." Draconis said as Queen spoke up.

"I agree. That's a definite possibility. In any case, we should push on." Queen said. The group then kept moving. In the next room, Panther saw writing and spoke up.

"Hey, there's something written here." Panther said as Queen and Draconis exchanged surprised looks as the former spoke up.

"Hm, let me see. It says 'The light shed by the god of the underworld shall become the sign for those who traverse the pits.' What could this mean?" Queen asked as Draconis spoke up.

"If I had to guess? It's probably a warning to deter would-be thieves, most likely." Draconis said sagely as the group kept moving. After a bit, the group stopped as Skull spotted a statue with an orb in its hand. Skull then spoke up.

"It's holdin' something. Wait, what is this statue anyways? Some kinda dog-thing?" Skull asked as Queen spoke up.

"That's Anubis, the Egyptian god of the underworld. It seems to have some kind of shining orb." Queen said as Panther spoke up.

"That sounds kinda familiar. Something about light from the god of the underworld?" Panther said as Draconis gasped and spoke up.

"Panther, that's it! The 'light shed by the god of the underworld' that writing spoke of was probably that orb in the statue's hand! I'm willing to bet if we grab that orb, we'll find another spot to place it that we can use to open our way forward." Draconis said as Fox nodded and spoke up.

"Indeed. I agree, Draconis. Hm, this may come in handy somewhere. Shall we take it?" Fox asked as Draconis and Joker looked at each other before nodding as Joker spoke up.

"If Draconis thinks we should take it, then we shall take it. I believe in Draconis' instincts. And if he thinks we can use that orb to open a path forward, then that's what we're gonna do." Joker said. Fox nodded as he spoke up.

"Indeed? Very well. This may prove to be an object of great import." Fox said as Joker managed to pry the 'Abyss Gem' out of the statue's hand. The group kept moving. As they leapt down after some grapples, an ominous scream from behind the group made Draconis frown as a casket opened up to add another Shadow to the room. After fighting off the Shadows, the group eventually found another room with a statue in it. Skull then spoke up.

"Huh, this statue's the same weird dog thing as before. And look, it's got one of them gems too!" Skull said as Draconis and Mona winced before the latter of the two winced at how clueless Skull could be before he spoke up.

"The god's name is Anubis. It really isn't that hard to remember, Skull." Mona said as Draconis spoke up.

"I think Skull knows, but he doesn't really have the best capacity for memorizing things at times if I had to guess." Draconis said sagely. Mona nodded and spoke up.

"Fair enough. So Joker, do you think we should take this gem?" Mona asked as Draconis and Joker nodded, the latter speaking up.

"Yep. Like Draconis said before, these might be our way forward. So we're taking it." Joker said. Mona nodded and cheered as he spoke up.

"YES! All right. Let's grab it and continue onward." Mona said as Joker nodded, seizing the 'Abyss Gem' from the statue's hand. The group then kept moving. In the next room, the group saw two pedestals with open spots on them, making Skull blink as he spoke up.

"Hey, is that a pair of pedestals?" Skull asked as the group saw what was on the right and Fox gasped while speaking up.

"No way! That's the door to the great stairs! I see. That means we are directly above where we ended up after coming through the front entrance." Fox said as the group kept moving. As the group moved forward, Queen spoke up as she looked at the pedestals.

"There's a cavity here. Looks to me like something might fit inside." Queen said as Panther spoke up, not seeing the smug grin on Draconis' face as she spoke.

"Maybe we should put that thing from the Anubis statue in there." Ann said as Joker spoke up.

"Worth a try. Maybe Draconis was right when he said those orbs were our way forward." Joker said as he put the first Abyss Gem into the cavity. Fox frowned when nothing happened afterwards, speaking up in frustration.

"Nothing is happening." Fox said as Mona spoke up.

"Calm down. From the looks of it, there's more than one pedestal." Mona said as Draconis spoke up with a grin.

"Indeed. There are TWO platforms, and coincidentally, we have TWO Abyss Gems with us. I think I was right." Draconis said. Joker inspected the other pedestal as Mona spoke up.

"This one's just like the other. It has the exact same cavity." Mona said as Skull spoke up.

"Hey, weren't there two of those gem-holdin' dog things? Let's try puttin' the other one in!" Skull said as Draconis huffed and spoke up.

"They were statues of Anubis, Skull! Get it right. But yes, let's put the other Abyss Gem into the cavity." Draconis said. Joker fitted the other Abyss Gem into the cavity and a rumbling was heard as Queen spoke up.

"Sounds like something's moving." Queen said as the wall receded and the beam of light swiveled to face the door, making the first door open, and having Skull grin as he spoke up.

"All right, we got it! Go figure Draconis called those orbs helping us advance. I swear those instincts of his are so overpowered sometimes." Skull said as Mona frowned and spoke up.

"You mean like that 'is OP, pls nerf' thing I saw Futaba looking at when I was scoping out her room?" Mona asked as Draconis groaned before he spoke up.

"Was she looking at that meme again? I swear that's a favorite of hers. And NO! We are not nerfing my instincts! Those have at least partially gotten us this far! And Mona, that meme actually goes 'Mona's simping is OP. Please nerf," but Taba likes to shorten things with her text speak. But that's Taba for you. She has her adorable little quirks, just like the rest of us." Draconis said with a smile, ignoring the amused chuckles from Queen and Panther behind him as they saw the fond look on Draconis' face behind his mask as he spoke. Fox then spoke up.

"Fair enough. That said, so shining light upon those doors causes them to open. That is the same as the door underground." Fox said as Queen spoke up.

"True. However, we can't rest on our laurels though. Let's stay cautious and proceed forward." Queen said as the group kept moving. After returning to the door of the great stairs, Joker examined the door and it opened up, making Panther cheer as she spoke up.

"YES! It's open!" Panther said as Fox chuckled and spoke up.

"Indeed. Well done, Draconis, for finding the way through that first door. That said, we seem to be pushing our way through the doors of her heart." Fox said as Panther winced and spoke up, seeing the unamused look in Draconis' eyes as he glared at Fox while she spoke to cut him off.

"Um, I don't know if I'd phrase it like that. Anyway, let's keep going before Draconis can roast Fox!" Panther said as the group kept moving. After starting to climb the Great Stairs, Mona spoke up.

"This feeling...there might be a Safe Room around here!" Mona said as Joker smirked and inspected the wall in front of him, and sure enough it was a door, that led to a Safe Room. The group filed inside as Fox spoke up.

"We appear to have found a new Safe Room." Fox said while Draconis blinked as he recognized the room that the Safe Room flickered into an image of.

"Maybe it's because the Palace is based on it, but why is the Safe Room flickering to show the inside of Taba's bedroom? I'd know what that looks like since I've been in there a couple of times." Draconis asked as the others shrugged while the 'Corridor Bottom' was added to the fast-travel list. Fox then spoke up.

"In any event, I expect this would be a great place from which to resume our infiltration." Fox said as the group sat for a bit to rest and catch their breath, Draconis wincing as he pulled a box over to set his bad leg on so he could rest the knee a bit briefly. Joker left the group to rest in the Safe Room while he fast-traveled on his own to the Velvet Room to do some Persona management.

He wasn't gone long, as he had a Fusion Accident three usages in that created a mighty Jikokuten. Afterwards, he returned and saw the group still resting, so he walked over to the table and called a meeting. Once everyone was seated, Draconis sticking his bad leg on the box behind him while turning to face the others, Mona spoke up, looking at Joker as he spoke.

"What are you gonna do, Joker?" Mona asked as Joker spoke up.

"I think this would be a good time to touch bases with everyone since we're a little ways into the pyramid." Joker said as Mona nodded and kept speaking.

"Okay. What did you want to talk about?" Mona asked as Joker spoke up.

"For starters, how is everyone?" Joker asked as Draconis spoke up.

"I'm fine, my bad knee aside. Damn that trap aggravating it anyways. But I'm determined not to let that stop us from succeeding here. If I have to extra recover afterwards, so be it." Draconis said stubbornly as Mona frowned and spoke up.

"I think most of us are OK. You, on the other hand...Joker, you look tired. Is everything all right?" Mona said as Panther smiled and spoke up.

"I can still keep going. My power is yours, Joker!" Panther said. Mona frowned as he spoke up.

"Our starting lineup seems to be running out of gas. Don't push them too hard, got it? At the very least, why don't you switch out anyone who's tired?" Mona said before he kept speaking.

"That said, was there anything else you wanted to discuss?" Mona said as Joker nodded.

"How's our progress, exactly? I'd wager we're still less than half-done with the Palace, but not by a big amount." Joker said as Draconis gritted his teeth and spoke up.

"Don't be naive, Joker! We've not even found so much as one Will Seed yet! We're at best a fourth of the way done, if that. So we've got a long way to go still." Draconis said as Skull huffed and spoke up.

"For real, Draconis! Also, goddammit, what's with her? She totally set us up in that trap." Skull said as Draconis huffed and spoke up.

"Let's be fair here, Skull. You DID aggravate her first by basically yelling at her." Draconis said dryly as Queen spoke up.

"That said, that doesn't necessarily mean she's hostile towards us. There might be a reason for her actions." Queen said as Mona nodded.

"Good point, Queen. Well, hopefully that becomes clearer the further we go." Mona said as Joker nodded.

"Very well. And on that note, I'm calling this meeting to a close. However, I will take what Queen and Mona said about tagging people out under advisement." Joker said as Queen nodded and spoke up.

"Very well, shall we go? You're right. We should get going." Queen said. Joker then spoke up.

"After thinking it over, I'm going to have Queen and Fox tag out with Panther and Skull. As for Mona, you'll remain on the front lines for now, since I'm not going to put Draconis out on the front lines if I can avoid it with his knee like it is." Joker said as Mona, Panther, and Skull nodded while making the necessary switches so Skull and Panther joined Mona and Joker on the front lines. Joker then walked over and spoke to Fox.

"Something on your mind, Fox? You look deep in thought." Joker said to Fox who spoke up.

"Hm? Ah, it's nothing. I have to say though, a pyramid as a Palace? This would make an appealing motif in my art." Fox said as Joker smirked and spoke up.

"Got an itch to sketch, Fox?" Joker asked. Fox chuckled and nodded as he spoke up.

"Indeed. And yes, most assuredly so. If it weren't for our current situation, Id' take all the time I'd need for sketches." Fox said as Joker nodded, walking over to Panther next.

"Something wrong? You look a bit bothered, Panther." Joker said as Panther spoke up.

"It's just, those Shadows looked like mummies. Ugh, so creepy..." Panther said, shuddering as Joker nodded, walking over to Queen at that point as he spoke up.

"Penny for your thoughts, Queen?" Joker asked teasingly as Queen spoke up.

"They're worth a lot more than that, but sure. To be honest, my mind went totally blank when we got caught in that quicksand. Let's watch our step from here on out." Queen said. Joker then finished by walking over to Draconis and speaking up.

"Sorry to hear your bad knee got aggravated by that trap, bro. We'll try to be careful from here on, so as not to potentially exacerbate it further. That said, I'd never dream of making you sit out while we try to rescue your crush." Joker said as Draconis pouted and spoke up with his arms crossed.

"Not fair, bringing Taba up when she's not here to defend herself. Ugh, but you're not wrong either. And it doesn't freaking help matters that her Shadow is totally hot. I'm already appreciative of her looks as it is. I swear though, first time I hear Skull hitting on either Taba or her Shadow, I reserve the right to punch the effing idiot." Draconis said huffily as Joker chuckled and spoke up.

"Whatever you say, Draconis. Whatever you say. You gonna be good to keep going?" Joker said as Draconis nodded and Joker headed to the door.

"Let's keep going, guys." Joker said as Queen nodded and spoke up.

"Got it. Let's get back to work, guys." Queen said as the group kept moving. Once the group went into the next area, Mona spoke up.

"Did you notice? I'm sensing Shadows. Lots of them." Mona said. Panther nodded and spoke up.

"That's to be expected. We're basically raiding her tomb, after all. We'd better be cautious as we go, you guys!" Panther said as the group kept moving. A little ways on, Panther gasped and spoke up as she saw someone up ahead.

"Wait, is that Futaba-chan!?" Panther said as Draconis spoke up.

"No, more likely it's Queen Taba, or Futaba's Shadow." Draconis said as Futaba's Shadow spoke up when she spotted the group.

"So you've come. Follow me." Futaba's Shadow said as the group made to follow but jumped back fairly quickly as the floor ahead crumbled away. Panther sighed and spoke up.

"Ugh, talk about a close call...We almost found out what life's like for a pincushion." Panther said as Skull frowned and spoke up.

"How're we suppose dot get to the other side with the floor like this?" Skull asked as Mona spoke up with a smile.

"This is the point where we check our surroundings carefully. There has to be something we can use...Ooh! HEY!" Mona said as he saw a glinting spot up above the group. Mona then turned to Joker as he kept speaking.

"I'd bet your grappling hook could catch that just fine, Joker. Give it a shot!" Mona said as the group kept moving. The group then turned right, as they'd seen Futaba's Shadow do so, only to jump back once more, Draconis wincing as he landed on his bad leg after jumping back while Skull frowned and spoke up.

"FOR REAL!? Holy shit! Is she tryin' to kill us or something!?" Skull asked as Queen spoke up.

"Wait, look. There's some light up above. It's another one of those reflective boards." Queen said as Fox spoke up.

"Indeed, but unless we can do something about this trap, we will not be able to proceed." Fox said as Skull grunted and spoke up.

"Ugh, what a pain in the ass!" Skull said as the group kept moving. After a bit of exploring, the group found a open area with a dog statue and a slab with an inscription on it. Skull then spoke up.

"YO, this statue's got a gem. We should take it, yeah?" Skull said as Panther spoke up.

"Hold on, there's an inscription on this stone slab here. It says 'Any who attempts to steal this gem shall be cursed.' Uhh..." Panther said, trailing off as Skull spoke up.

"Dude, we can't let this 'curse' shit get to us, right? C'mon, let's just take it." Skull said as Joker nodded.

"Yeah, if it's like before, we need this to keep advancing. We can deal with any consequences of taking the orb later on." Joker said decisively as he seized the 'Rejection Gem' from its pedestal. Skull grinned and spoke up at that point.

"Yeah! Sweet, we got it. Let's go." Skull said as an ominous, yet deep-toned voice spoke up.

"A curse shall befall you, infidels!" The group heard as they kept moving, Draconis frowning at the fact that the ominous and deep voice that had spoken was a bit like his own, if also a bit distorted as well. As the group kept advancing they had to carefully backstep as a volley of arrows nearly ran them through. Skull spoke up in shock.

"Whoa, that was TOO close!" Skull said as Panther spoke up.

"We're not getting past here with those arrows. Maybe the 'curse' is real after all..." Panther said as Skull growled and spoke up.

"Ughhh, what the hell're we supposed to do! Goddammit!" Skull said before yelping a moment later as he felt Draconis punch him before frowning as he spoke up.

"Dammit Skull, what did I say about not resorting to blasphemy in here!?" Draconis said as the group kept moving. After replacing the orb briefly, the group found a button past the now inactive arrow trap and Mona spoke up.

"Oh! Hey, it's a button. Do you want to try pressing it, Joker?" Mona asked as Joker nodded and spoke up.

"Yes, let's push it. With some luck it'll open another path for us so we can go grab that orb again." Joker said as he pushed the button and caused the pillars to either side of the entryway Futaba's Shadow had gone down to turn green and made Fox speak up.

"Isn't that where Futaba's Shadow went? Hm? The ambiance of that corridor has changed somehow." Fox said as Mona nodded.

"That might do it. Let's go and see if we can go after Futaba's Shadow now. Let's hurry, you guys!" Mona said as the group nodded. After beating a Scone of Stone, which was the Treasure Demon of Futaba's Palace, the ensuing EXP gains brought Queen, Fox and Mona to level 30 and Joker's Shiki-Ouji Persona to level 23. As a result, Shiki-Ouji acquired the Psio skill. Queen smirked as she spoke up.

"Nice, a new skill! Let's see that in action soon, okay?" Queen said as Shiki-Ouji acquired Psio. After a rough battle against a strong Shadow, the EXP from the fight brought Joker and Draconis to level 31, Panther and Skull to level 30, and Joker's Shiki-Ouji Persona to level 24. Joker grinned and spoke up.

"All right! Level up!" Joker said as his level increased. From the level up, Shiki-Ouji learned the Physical skill Oni-Kagura. Mona spoke up at that point.

"All right, a new skill for our mission!" Mona said. On top of that, Carmen learned Lullaby. Panther smirked and spoke up.

"All right! I gotta use this next time!" Panther said happily. After some more exploring, the group reached a button and Skull spoke up.

"Izzat a switch? Maybe we oughta press it." Skull said as Joker spoke up.

"I agree. For the most part, good things have happened when we hit these switches so far, so why not press this one?" Joker said as he pressed the switch while Panther spoke up.

"True, why not? I mean, we won't know unless we try it, after all. I'm pretty curious to see what it does." Panther said as the light beam swiveled around to hit the door across from it as Skull spoke up in surprise and excitement.

"Ohhh, so it's one of those things that lets the light in!" Skull said as Mona nodded and spoke up.

"Looks that way to me too. Hmm, looks like we can keep going now. Let's go check out that door." Mona said as Draconis nodded his agreement and the group kept moving. After beating some more Shadows, Mona hit level 31. After the group reached the door with the light shining on it, Joker examined it and it opened, making Fox speak up.

"Ah, it seems as if we can proceed now." Fox said as the group kept going, eventually finding another Anubis statue as Queen spoke up.

"Hm, it's another Anubis statue. There seems to be an inscription here as well." Queen said as Panther spoke up.

"Hmm, let's see. It says, 'Any who attempts to steal this gem will be cursed...' Wait, it says the same thing as the other one!?" Panther said in shock as Queen spoke up.

"But this statue isn't actually holding a gem that I can see. What could be the meaning of this?" Queen said as Skull blinked and spoke up.

"Wait, hold up. We got a gem with us. Wanna try puttin' it in there?" Ryuji asked as Joker spoke up and nodded.

"Might as well." Joker said as he placed the gem and Fox smiled as he spoke up.

"Hm, the atmosphere has changed in some intangible way. I wonder, perhaps the 'curse' has been lifted?" Fox mused as Skull huffed and spoke up.

"Maybe, but that thing wasn't even holdin' a gem to start with! It ain't fair makin' us put one in! I't don't matter if this is some dog god or whatever else, it just ain't fair!" Skull said as the group kept moving, eventually finding the previously blocked area and finding a button past it as Mona spoke up.

"It's a button, Joker! Do you think it'll activate something else?" Mona asked Joker, who shrugged and spoke up.

"It might. Only one way to know for sure, and that's to press it." Joker said as he pushed the button as it made the ballista fire a round through the nearby wall allowing the path forward to be revealed. Panther blinked as she spoke up.

"Wait, what was that noise?" Panther asked as Queen spoke up with a frown.

"That must've been the ballista. It sounded like quite an impact!" Queen said as Draconis nodded and spoke up.

"Indeed. That sounded like something crumbled nearby." Draconis said off-handedly as Skull nodded and spoke up.

"Mkay, let's go find out if anything happened!" Skull said as the group kept moving. After hopping up some sarcophagi, the group turned left instead of through the open path, seeing a locked treasure chest that Joker opened to get a 'Mut Cutlass' weapon, then the group hopped up to find a taped off door making Skull speak up with a grin.

"All right, a Will Seed! Let's get it!" Skull said as Draconis spoke up at that point.

"Finally, we found the first of Taba's Will Seeds. We've reached the approximate 1/3rd point of this Palace." Draconis said. The group went through the door where Joker seized the 'Red Wrath Seed' from its pedestal. Skull then spoke up with a grin.

"All right, we've got a Will Seed. And we're comin' for the rest!" Skull said as Draconis spoke up.

"Indeed. One down, and two to go. Hang in there Taba, we're getting there. We'll have your heart changed as soon as we can." Draconis said to himself as the group kept moving. After passing through the open passage, the group saw another light beam shooting through the wall in front of it and a mirror across from the beam, making Queen frown as she spoke up as Joker looked at the pedestal the beam was on.

"There's some kind of control panel here. Should we try doing something with it?" Makoto asked. Joker nodded and spoke up.

"Sure. We might as well try and do something. It might let us proceed further up the great stairs if nothing else." Joker said sagely as he pushed the button on the panel as Panther spoke up, seeing a picture appear on what the group had previously thought to be a mirror.

"Hm? Is this...some kind of picture?" Panther said as Fox frowned and spoke up.

"Odd. The design seems to be scrambled somehow." Fox said as Draconis blinked before stroking his chin in thought and then gasping as he spoke up.

"That's because this is one of those sliding puzzles that you have to solve in some games. Odds are we have to solve it to advance." Draconis said as Panther spoke up.

"Good guess. Maybe it is like a puzzle? Joker, can you change the picture?" Panther asked as Joker shrugged and spoke up.

"I can at least try, if nothing else." Joker said as Draconis spoke up dryly, a smirk on his face while he spoke.

"Are your puzzle skills the same as they were the time you tried to solve that one fancy puzzle to try and impress that cute red-head back in fifth grade?" Draconis asked Joker, who flushed and spoke up.

"First of all, I was 11! Secondly, she was cute, and you have no room to rib me for trying to solve that puzzle to impress her, since you're basically being stupid in forcing yourself to press on through that knee injury to help save Futaba." Joker said as Draconis huffed and glared at Joker before he spoke up, ignoring the confused looks on the faces of the others as he focused on lighting into Joker.

"RUDE! First off, there's a difference between trying and failing to solve a complex puzzle to impress a cute girl, and being willing to brave pain to help save a friend from their own suffering. Besides, I'm not doing it to impress Taba. I'm doing it because it's the right thing to do and because if I don't, you lot are short-handed and that could put everything at risk. Thus, I put my own suffering aside for the greater good.

So do NOT try to lump this in with the time your dumb ass embarrassed yourself to impress a girl who wasn't even into guys in the first place, Joker! Or need I remind you that the girl you tried to impress was found making out with her best female friend a week later?" Draconis snapped as Joker huffed and spoke up.

"Fine. And to answer your question, better than back then, but probably not as good as yours. So I suppose it makes sense for you to do the puzzle, Draconis." Joker said. Draconis smirked and spoke up.

"That's what I thought." Draconis said as he stepped over, looked the controls over, and less than two minutes later, the puzzle was fixed so everything was slid into place perfectly, causing a rumbling to echo as Skull spoke up with a grin.

"Aw, yeah! There we go! Score one for Draconis the puzzle lord!" Skull said as Draconis grinned and did a mock bow as he spoke up.

"Thank you, thank you. It was nothing. Luckily for us, I happen to be gifted at solving sliding puzzles. Probably because I occasionally do them on my own time for fun? Because they can be fun to mess with, if you're good at them like I am." Draconis said happily as Panther nodded before frowning as she spoke up.

"But...what is it a picture of?" Panther asked as Draconis spoke up.

"Clearly, it's a picture of Futaba, given that the girl on the left standing with the tropical bird is clearly Futaba's Shadow. The other people look like they're wearing suits, though. Maybe this is a reference to when her mother passed away?" Draconis guessed. Fox spoke up as he studied the photo.

"Hm, this adult seems to be reading something to a crying child? Hm, the emotions of the artist are oft depicted in the art they produce. I can sense...serious pain harbored in her heart." Fox said as Draconis huffed and spoke up.

"No shit she has pain in her heart, Fox! You'd have pain too if you watched your mom die in front of your eyes and then got blamed for it later! And that's just what she went through that day!" Draconis snapped as another voice could be heard echoing at that point.

"Let's see here...this says 'I should never have had Futaba.' Interesting." The group heard as Queen spoke up, her eyes wide in shock.

"Is that voice coming from the mural!?" Queen asked as the voice could be heard once more.

"As I was saying...'She was always such a bother.' It seems you caused your mother a great deal of trouble, Futaba-chan. If I had to guess, I'd say she must have had some kind of maternity neurosis." The group heard as the room rumbled and the light beam swiveled to shoot across the hall to the door on the other side, making Panther gape in surprise as she spoke up, looking as confused as the others felt while she spoke.

"What was that?" Panther said as Queen frowned and spoke up.

"I could be wrong, but based on its contents, it sounded almost like a suicide note. But what was that voice that read the note to her?" Queen asked as Fox spoke up.

"Could that be what Futaba remembers of her mother's suicide?" Fox asked as Draconis huffed and spoke up.

"Maybe it's a memory of the aftermath. When she told me of her mother's death, Taba said they were out in public when it happened. As such, I would daresay that there's no way there was time for some suit-wearing bastard to have read that to her at the time. Speaking of, who WAS that asshat we heard just now? I kinda want to find him and kick his freaking ass for talking to Taba like that! Not to mention those lies he told!

I might not have known her, but if Taba's any indication, her mother was probably an amazing person as well. And I doubt very much she's the sort to have left such a fucked-up note for her daughter, much less try to blame her death on her. And people wonder why Taba is the way she is. Sheesh." Draconis snarked, huffing as he got his anger in check, knowing it wouldn't help anything at the moment. Skull nodded and spoke up.

"Truth, man! But that's the shittiest thing to do to a kid, if that's really how it all went down." Skull said as Draconis frowned and spoke up, fixing Skull with a pointed glare that had the others wincing while he spoke.

"Are you suggesting that Futaba faked that memory, Skull?" Draconis said icily, the glare he gave Skull being very unimpressed and irritated. Luckily for Skull, Draconis just huffed and turned away as the group kept moving. As the group approached the now lit-up door, it opened up, making Fox speak up.

"Indeed. We have opened the second door, but the mystery has only intensified." Fox said as Mona nodded and spoke up.

"True, but there's no doubt we're getting closer to the Treasure. Come on, let's keep moving!" Mona said as the others nodded and kept moving. Once the group kept going, they found another Safe Room, which they entered and caused the 'Corridor Middle' to be added to the fast-travel list. Joker then walked over to Mona and spoke up.

"What's wrong, Mona?" Joker asked as Mona spoke up.

"The curse of the Anubis statue. Is it real?" Mona asked as Skull grinned and spoke up, turning an amused smirk in Mona's direction while he spoke.

"Oh-ho, what's this!? Is the widdle kitty cat scared of an itty-bitty curse?" Skull said with a laugh as Draconis frowned and spoke up.

"Shut up, Skull! First of all, that curse is not itty-bitty. Second off, Mona's NOT a cat! And thirdly, do not make fun of him around me! I'm already annoyed enough as it is after that shit we heard back there. I don't need you adding to it by picking on Mona!" Draconis snapped at Skull as Mona nodded and spoke up, wide-eyed as Skull's words sank in.

"What!? I'm not scared! I-It's just a stupid, made-up curse. I'm not scared at all! And, I'M NOT A CAT! Get that right, Skull! Otherwise, I'LL kick your ass for Draconis, since his knee is kind of messed up at the moment." Mona said. Joker nodded and walked over to Draconis who was resting his leg and spoke up.

"How's it holding up, Draconis?" Joker asked as Draconis sighed and spoke up.

"Honestly? About as well as can be expected. But I refuse to give up on Taba when she needs me! And I think you, of all people, know that we Amamiya men can be quite effing stubborn when we choose to be. I've seen you dig YOUR heels in before on things, Joker. So do not try to lecture me on being stubborn or stupid! You're lucky that I didn't punch you back there, when you had the audacity to compare what we're doing to that asinine stunt you pulled several years ago!" Draconis huffed as Panther gently patted his good leg comfortingly as she spoke up reassuringly.

"There, there, brother. We're working as hard as we can to get to the Treasure quickly. Just be patient. We've only got at most a few more doors to open to reach the top. Don't worry Draconis, we won't let Futaba-chan suffer more than we have to. We want to see her happy as much as you do. So let's keep going." Panther said as Draconis smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, you're right, sis. I shouldn't be such a grouch to the others. But both Skull and Joker can make that quite effing difficult when they want to." Draconis huffed as Joker nodded and spoke up.

"Yeah, you're not wrong. And I suppose I can't lecture you on taking foolish risks to help Futaba when I basically took a similar risk when we had to chase that effing creeper off of Yoshizawa the day of the clean-up. I'm actually impressed you didn't try to chase that man down and kick his ass, to be honest." Joker said as Draconis spoke up.

"True, but you forget, I knew Yoshizawa needed us at that time. You also forget, she's as good as my sister, especially if you and her have it your way." Draconis said as Joker rolled his eyes and nodded.

"Yeah, yeah. You're right." Joker said as the others laughed, and decided to take a bit of a break to rest in the Safe Room so Draconis' leg could heal up some...

END OF CHAPTER

A/N: And boom, another chapter done! Just like that, we're at the roughly 1/3 of the way point, not quite halfway done, but close to it, of the fourth Palace. I'm guessing if we keep the current pace, we might have the Palace done in the next two to three chapters, and then after that will probably be a few more chapters covering some after-Palace stuff with the Thieves that will probably lead up to the 'change of heart' for Futaba which will then lead to one more sequence of events that will bring up the end of Arc 4. Yeah, Arc 4 might be the longest arc yet if I had to guess. So there's that to look forward to.

That said, thanks to those who've favorited/followed this story thus far, as that means so much that you like the story enough to favorite/follow it! Also thanks to AKANOS for being the only one who leaves a review faithfully on this story, as of this chapter anyways.

Seriously, if anyone else wants to leave a review with what they think of the story, feedback on how it could be better, or even just talk about your favorite parts, basically anything I can use to make the story even better, please feel free to do so!

Reviews are always appreciated and welcomed! Of course, if you'd prefer to send that in a PM, that's fine as well! I welcome both! I also appreciate the support either way! And until next chapter, sithlorde1988 out!

CONFIDANT RANKS AS OF THE END OF CHAPTER 43

FOOL (Igor/Prison Master) - Rank 6

MAGICIAN (Morgana/Mona) - Rank 6

PRIESTESS (Makoto/Queen) - Rank 4

EMPEROR (Yusuke/Fox) - Rank 4

HIEROPHANT (Sojiro/Boss/Coffee Daddy) - Rank 4

LOVERS (Ann/Panther) - Rank 5

CHARIOT (Ryuji) - Rank 5

JUSTICE (Akechi) - Rank 5

STRENGTH (Caroline and Justine/Twin Wardens) - Rank 5

DEATH (Takemi/Back-Alley Doctor) - Rank 6

TEMPERANCE (Kawakami) - Rank 3

STAR (Hifumi) - Rank 4

MOON (Mishima) - Rank 4

SUN (Yoshida/Man Of The People) - Rank 5

JUDGMENT (Sae/Prosecutor) - Rank 2

WORLD (Kusa/Draconis) - Rank 4

FAITH (Kasumi/Sumi/Yoshizawa) - Rank 5 'MAX'

COUNCILLOR (Maruki) - Rank 5

YET TO BE UNLOCKED - HANGED MAN, DEVIL, FORTUNE, HERMIT, TOWER, EMPRESS