Miss Violet: Hello Class. Let's start the lesson!

Persona V: Reversing the Wheel of Fate
Chapter Seventy-Two

[Opening Scene: Shibuya – Big Bang Burger (Afternoon)
Theme of Tension: Troubled from Persona 3]

"And that is the gist of it," Makoto concluded after explaining the entire situation to Ryuji, who saw gobsmacked at the entire tale. Of course, Makoto left several things outs, such as the dwindling time she had left in this world, but she had given him the important stuff.

'Because if I fail, I'll need someone to take my place,' Makoto thought to herself. But she wasn't going to fail. She was going to succeed at something for the first time in her life, no matter what pain it bought

"Well, ain't that a kick in the balls," Ryuji commented as he leaned back in his seat. "So, this guy is blackmailing people and using that to force them to either fork over a lot of money or have them work for him."

"That's a good summarization of the events," Eleanora confirmed.

"So, what's the actual plan here?" Ryuji asked Makoto. "I mean, you guys know their meeting spot. But what's the actual goal?"

"Today, it was finding where Ellie would meet with them," Makoto answered. "When it is time to hand over the payment, we plan to voice record this to gather proof of his sins. From there, I'm still in thought."

"But how will you guys voice record it?" Ryuji asked.

Makoto chuckled and said, "Well, that is a plan for—"

(Wow, Breakin' the law
Breakin' the world kowase!
(breaking the world)
Kirisake Tenderness)

"Hold on, that's my phone," Makoto said.

"You have Judgement as your ringtone?" Ryuji asked. His eyes then bugged out as he asked, "Wait, are you a Ryu Ga Gotoku fan?!"

Makoto's eyes widened.

Another Ryu Ga Gotoku fan?!

Makoto shook her head and glanced at the phone.

It was Shiho calling her. "I'll be back," Makoto said as she stood up and walked out of Big Bang Burger.

(Wow, Breakin' the rule
Roppou zensho ja shibarenai (Breaking the Law)
hanran bunshi sa
Furiageta nigiri kobushi ga oretachi no JUDGE—)

"Hey Shiho," Makoto greeted.

"Hey, Makoto….I-I just wanted to say that we've done it. We've successfully defeated Madarame," Shiho told her.

Makoto sighed in relief. While her focus had been elsewhere, she had been worried about her friends dealing with two palaces at the same time. "I'm glad that you are unharmed."

"We should be at Haru's home once we hear back from her and her team…..I know that you're busy but Ren and I were hoping you'd like to meet us there and hang out in celebration," Shiho explained. Makoto could practically see the shy smile on Shiho's face and it made her smile.

But that smile dwindled.

She couldn't go there….She couldn't allow herself to get further attached to everyone, especially knowing how hurt they would become when her time came. "I wish I could but….My sister wants me to be home today," Makoto lied. "She's been pretty strict since….well…me "finding" our friends…."

"Oh….I understand," Shiho said with disappointment in her voice. "Well….I guess next time, right?"

"Yeah…." Makoto whispered. "Next time….I'll talk to you later."

"Bye…." Shiho mumbled before Makoto hung up the phone. She stared at it for a moment and then shook her head.

She walked back into Big Bang Burger just in time to see Ryuji explaining one of her favorite game series of all time.

"And that's the story of how Kiryu helped a shy dominatrix dominate someone," Ryuji finished.

"And you said that was a side plot?" Eiko asked with confusion.

"Yeah, it's pretty great," Ryuji replied.

"I'll have to play it sometime," Eleanora said with interest.

"I'd love to watch you play it, too," Oribe said with a small clap of excitement.

Ryuji spotted her and said, "Hey, you're back. I was just telling them about the greatest game series ever."

"I heard," Makoto said as she sat back down beside Eiko. "We'll have to talk more in-depth about Ryu Ga Gotoku at some point."

"Hell yeah!" Ryuji exclaimed. "Who knew the student council president was into Bad Boys."

Makoto snorted but smiled. "I can be rebellious sometimes," Makoto said.

"So, who called you, Makoto-chan?" Eiko asked.

"It was Shiho," Makoto answered.

"Whoa, Shiho called you?" Ryuji asked.

"…..Shiho? Suzui Shiho? Why would she be calling Makoto?" Eiko questioned. Makoto could hear the hesitation in her friend's voice at the question. What was that about?

"She's a good friend of ours," Ryuji answered with a relieved smile. "And if she called you, that means everything went well?"

Makoto nodded.

Ryuji smiled and moments later, his ringtone went off.

(Oh oh oh - I just want to see you smile
Oh oh oh - If only for a little while!)

He pulled out his phone and Makoto watched his eyes brighten.

(Oh oh oh - Let the music put you in a trance
Oh oh oh - Come on and pump and do the Jamaican da-)

"Ann, I just heard the news, you guys did great," Ryuji happily greeted. "Have you guys heard from the others? Not yet? They may not be done with what they're doing. I'll head over there to check things out. Alright, I'll meet you guys there. Later."

Ryuji hung up and stood up from the booth. "Well, I have to jet but you four are not going to do your mission alone. I'm in this now, alright?"

"The more, the merrier" Oribe cheered.

"I don't see a problem with this," Eleanora said.

"Neither do I," Eiko said.

"Then welcome to the group," Makoto told Ryuji, who grinned in response. "Now get out of here. I'll reach out to your tomorrow."

Ryuji grinned and quickly left the restaurant.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to let him on the case?" Eiko asked once Ryuji was out of earshot.

"I'm positive," Makoto said. "Sakamoto is far more than what his delinquent status shows. I trust him with our secret mission. Now, let's return and head home. It's been a long day."

[Scene Change: Aoharu City - Sanada Residence (Afternoon)
Theme of the Sanada Residence: Confessions from Persona 3: The Movie]

"So, when are you and Akihiko-san coming to visit Shibuya?"

Fuuka hummed to herself in thought as she changed Shinji's diaper the sounds of combat from the backyard filtered into the living room. Sitting beside the changing table was her cell phone, which had her longtime friend, Moriyama Natsuki, on speakerphone.

Natsuki had kept in touch with Fuuka after the former had moved away from Iwatodai and had even returned after Kotone's passing in order to support her during her time of grief. The two had even visited one another during college but lost touch after an….incident.

But as recently as three years ago, Natsuki had gotten back in contact with her and despite that incident, the two had picked up exactly where they left off. So much so that Natsuki had thrown the idea of her, Akihiko, and baby Shinji coming to visit her.

Akihiko thought the idea was fantastic, seeing as they needed a vacation from their respective jobs and that idea had only deepened due to Aigis' need to go to Shibuya to find Kotone's nephew, Amamiya Ren.

"We just confirmed our vacation with our bosses and will be there to visit in two weeks," Fuuka answered as Shinji babbled with a gummy smile. Fuuka smiled and nuzzled Shinji's stomach, causing Shinji to let out a bubbly laugh.

"I can't wait to see you three. All of you looked so cute in the pictures," Natsuki cooed. A large explosion suddenly rocked the house, causing Natsuki to ask, "What the hell was that?"

Fuuka let out a sigh as a loving smile formed on her face. "That would be Aki-kun. He's been working on some experiments. It's been pretty noisy here for days."

"Well, I hope he decides to leave that there. I don't think my neighbors would enjoy explosions at any time of the day," Natsuki joked.

Fuuka looked in the direction of the backyard and said, "Knowing him? He might cause some other type of chaos while he's there."

Akihiko Sanada fell on his back with sweat dripping down his face, his short gray hair swaying in the breeze. It had been so long since he was able to let loose and fight to his heart's content against a true challenge.

Sure, he had his fill of battle as an MMA fighter and police officer, but compared to Aigis, they were lightweights.

"Akihiko, you've gotten slower," Aigis teased. "But your hits have gotten harder. Are you going up a weight class?"

Akihiko grinned and leaned off the ground. His scarred bare chest had the results of his spar with Aigis which consisted of several bleeding scratches and bruises. "Yeah, I was already undefeated as a welterweight so I wanted to try out being a middleweight. Plus, it's not often I get to spar with you anymore, Aigis," Akihiko answered as Aigis walked over to him and held out her hand.

Akihiko took the hand and Aigis hoisted him to her feet. "So, have you decided on Mitsuru's offer on getting an adult form?" Akihiko asked.

Before Mitsuru's marriage to Yukari in the united states, Akihiko had been there when Mitsuru had discussed with Aigis about changing her body to match that of her adult compatriots.

"I've been thinking about it," Aigis admitted. "I suppose that I should since a bunch of adults being around one that still looks like a child would be strange in this world. But I….I don't know why I hesitate…."

Akihiko frowned in thought. He had his theory on why but he knew that bringing Kotone up would only hurt Aigis. Despite her making peace with Kotone's death, he knew that losing her would always haunt Aigis for as long as she lived.

"Come on, let's get inside. It looks like it's about to start raining," Akihiko said, noting the gray overcast. The two walked into the house as Fuuka, holding Shinji, walked into the kitchen with a smile on her face.

"I told Nat-chan that our vacation has been confirmed," Fuuka informed him as he walked over, kissed her left temple, and carefully took Shinji out of her arms. "Aigis, if you can wait two weeks, we'll be able to go with you to Shibuya."

"I can wait two weeks. It will give me time to think about what I will say to Amamiya-san," Aigis told her.

Akihiko frowned at the mention of Amamiya Ren. Everyone in the city knew about the youth and the so-called assault on a local politician, Shido Masayoshi. Akihiko was out of town dealing with business with Mitsuru at the time but when he returned to the report, something about his case had rubbed Akihiko the wrong way.

From witnesses being able to corroborate the youth's side of the events to them immediately vilifying him, to his girlfriend, her parents, and his parents advocating his guilt when originally, none of them had been around, told him that he was being set up somehow.

Not only that, he had heard rumors about how cruel his co-workers had treated the youth in terms of trying to beat a confession out of him.

While he wasn't expecting to actually meet the kid to conduct his secret case, now that he knew that he was the mysterious nephew of his deceased friend, he hoped that he would be able to talk to the youth while they were there.

The sooner he did that, the sooner he could start his secret plan of revealing the setup, and the corruption, and clear the youth's name. "I guess we should start preparing ourselves for our trip," Akihiko said with a smile to his wife, who smiled in return.

[Scene Change: TMS Arena (Afternoon)
Theme of TMS Arena: Class Change fromTokyo Mirage Sessions FE]

"Thank fuck you guys are safe," Ryuji said as he immediately embraced Ann and Ren, who returned his embrace. He then embraced Shiho and Yusuke, with the latter looking surprised by the sudden affection from the delinquent.

"You guys look like shit though," Ryuji noted as he stared at the haggard group. "After this, we're so getting some food and some sleep."

"Forgo the food, I just want to sleep," Ann said with a yawn.

"Same here," Shiho grumbled. "But I doubt I'll be able to sleep tonight….."

"Why? Nightmares?" Ren asked with concern.

Shiho nodded but as Ren opened his mouth, she said, "We'll talk about it later. I promise."

Ren nodded.

"If I could eat and sleep at the same time, I would," Yusuke said. "But at this moment, I more worried about our allies. They have yet to appear."

"Yeah, this is concerning," Ren said. "But Morgana is there and he'll be able to get everyone out safely."

No one wanted to ask the question of what would happen if they failed in defeating the Palace Ruler.

Thankfully, a portal opened up and the four screaming Phantom Thieves members flew out of it and landed in a pile. With Mishima sitting at the bottom of the pile and Morgana on the top. "That was far too close," Morgana grumbled.

"But we made it. Yay," Mishima woozily cheered.

"Can we never do that again?" Hifumi asked with sweat falling down her face. "I thought I was a goner."

"I thought I was going to die again when I saw the portal starting to shrink," Haru commented with an exhausted tone.

"Wait….Again?" Ren, Ryuji, Yusuke, and Ann asked while Shiho gasped in alarm.

The four downed phantom thieves members immediately separated and got off the ground as Haru said, "It's a long story. But trust me, we'll talk about it."

She then paused and then gave a tired laugh.

"But after we sleep. I think we're all wiped."

[Scene Change: Yumizuru Mansion (Afternoon)
Theme of Yumizuru Mansion: Steel Heart fromTokyo Mirage Sessions FE]

"You have returned, Lady Eleanora," an older gentleman with long gray hair on the sides and back of his head with a bald front and center, wearing a suit with a black bow tie, white shirt, and black dress shoes.

"Hello, Sebastian," Eleanora greeted the kindly old butler with a small smile as she stepped inside her home, a three-story mansion that was filled to the brim with the latest electronics, a bowling alley in the basement, a large pool and hot tube in the back yard, along with a tennis court and soccer field.

While many would love to be in her position, none of it mattered asd her home was emptier than Kaneshiro's soul.

"I see that Oribe-san has not joined you tonight," Sebastian noted as the two walked through the foyer and toward the kitchen. "I figured you would bring your friend here."

"I invited her here but she promised her friend Itsuki that they would study together," Eleanora explained with a slight edge to her voice, trying to keep the jealousy from seeping in. "Have Mother and Father called at all?"

"They did call some time ago," Sebastian answered. Eleanora's eyes sparkled with excitement, only for them to die when she saw Sebastian's sympathetic frown. She knew that bad news was coming. "They called to inform me that they will be remaining in Sweden for another month. Their film hit a snag."

Eleanora, who was already in a down mood by Tsubasa turning her down her invite to hang out and the mess between her and Kaneshiro, sighed as she slumped her shoulders. "Oh…." Eleanora whispered.

"I know that you were hoping they would be here in time for the first episode of Dandelion in Love, but they gave their good wishes all the same," Sebastian told her.

"W-Well, that's quite alright. Thank you, Sebastian," Eleanora thanked while trying to give her caretaker a smile, but it only crumbled. "I'll be in my room."

"I will inform you when dinner is ready," Sebastian told her. Eleanora turned to the staircase on her left and walked toward it, only for Sebastian to call out, "Lady Eleanora?"

Eleanora turned around to face Sebastian. "For whatever it is worth, I know that despite the distance between you and them, they are proud of you."

Eleanora nodded and sniffled. "Thank you," Eleanora murmured and then walked upstairs to the second floor, where her room was located.

But as she walked past a mirror, a flash of yellow in the mirror caused her to pause. Eleanora took a few steps back at faced the mirror in confusion. It was just her reflection.

Strange, where did she see the yellow?

Eleanora walked away from the mirror, never aware that her reflection remained, her blue eyes slowly turning yellow as a smirk formed on her face.

Miss Violet: Class is dismissed