Professor Violet: Hello class! Normally, I've been doing updates every month, but I decided it'll be two updates a month from this chapter on just to make things a little quicker. So, with that said, let's start!

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

[Opening Scene: Shibuya – Okumura Residence (Morning)
Theme of Okumura Residence: Have a Short Rest from Persona 5]

"YOU FUCKING WHAT?!"

Haru winced at everyone's unified scream of shock. "I…Died…." Haru slowly repeated. "That spell that Lilith hit me with. I died and it was….rough."

"This is….Holy shit," Ann whispered. "I knew there were risks to this, but I never thought….." Ann drifted off as she leaned closer to Ryuji, who looked utterly lost.

"Do you remember anything?" Hifumi asked. "Anything at all? Was there a Heaven or Hell?"

"No, it was so much more different than I imagined," Haru said.

Haru's mind then drifted as her mind recounted what she saw.

[Theme of Sea of Souls: Poem of Everyone's Soul (Arrange Version) from Megami Ibunroku Persona]

"It was breathtaking," Haru whispered. "Imagine, floating in the middle of the milky way, while the water below you is so crystal clear, that you can't even tell that it's water. And in the distance, you see a golden door."

"Whoa…." Ryuji and Mishima breathed while everyone else looked completely enraptured, except for Yusuke, who immediately pulled out a pen and paper to start drawing.

"You know what's funny?" Haru noted. "Milady, she was there with me. And she was dressed as herself but had my body. She explained where we were." Haru then turned to Hifumi and said, "The place that I went to was the Sea of Souls. Milady explained that It's the place where all souls come from and where all souls will return to it when the person it belongs to dies. And the stars that were around us were actually souls!"

"Get the fuck out of here," Ryuji said. "Souls. Real life in the world souls?"

Haru nodded.

"That can't be," Hifumi exclaimed as she rose out of her seat beside Haru and paced. "We were all taught that there is a Heaven and Hell and yet….Where you went, was neither. What happens to the souls?"

"They are born anew," Haru answered, repeating Milady's answer to her.

Milady…

"Wait, there is more!" Haru exclaimed. "She said something after she told me where we were. Said that she failed again and apologized to some Captain."

"Failed again?" Ren asked as Morgana, who was situated on Shiho's lap, frowned.

"A captain?" Shiho questioned. "Did she say his name?"

"No, she didn't," Haru answered. "Before I could ask more, Mishima-kun's Recarm Butterfly brought me back. And right before I came back, there was a figure in the distance where the door was positioned. Someone was sitting there with a bright and large golden butterfly."

"Did you see what they looked like?" Ren asked.

Haru shook her head. "No, but they waved at me," Haru replied.

"Man, all of this shit sounds like a trip," Ren sighed as he rubbed his forehead. "From how it sounds, Milady went through it before."

"Yes," Haru agreed. "That's how it sounded to me too. But if she reincarnated, she shouldn't have any memories of her former life, right?"

"And who is this captain she mentioned?" Hifumi murmured.

"This is quite a conundrum," Yusuke said, voicing the swirling confusion the Phantom Thieves felt.

"Wait a second," Ann spoke after a minute of silence. "Ren, you once told me when we were dealing with Kamoshida that you had feelings of déjà vu. Remember?"

Not seeing where she was going with this, Ren nodded. "Yo," Ryuji started. "I remember you saying something like that too the first day you used Arsène. You said you didn't know what was going on, but your body knew."

"Not only that, you were able to predict what Shiho was going to do. And you even described the three of us finding Haru bleeding on the ground" Ann breathed before she whipped her attention to Haru. "And Haru, you said Milady spoke as if she had gone through with this before?"

"She did," Haru confirmed.

"What if…." Ann paused for a moment. "Okay, this may sound stupid as hell, but what if that is connected? Milady's comments, Ren's gut feelings?"

"Wait….You guys aren't thinking this is all happened before, are you?" Mishima questioned. "This sounds like something from 'Thirteen Sentinals.'"

"You played that game?" Ren asked.

"I love that game. It's why I love Yakisoba Pan so much," Mishima gushed.

"She really was his Yakisoba Pan Angel," Ryuji wistfully said.

Ren, Ryuji, and Mishima gave a soft sigh.

"Hey! Can we focus?" Morgana exclaimed, his paws batting at Ren's left leg. "This is something different."

"Right, right, sorry," Ren sheepishly said. "I admit, something has been troubling me lately, which could prove this theory.."

This time, it was Ren who stood up and paced.

"Arsène, he's been telling me things. Just last night, he referred to Shiho, Mishima, and Hifumi as "Newe Thieves" which could explain why we've been having more trouble with the enemies in the palaces. He even told me to be careful because, in his words, I can't afford to die again. He also told me that things were not supposed to happen in the way that they have. Madarame and Kamoshida were supposed to happen, but Mitsuyo was not."

Ren smacked the side of his fist into his palm as he said, "And if that's the case, that explains the gut feelings! They were working with Kamoshida and Madarame, but not with Mitsuyo! This had to have happened before!"

Thunderstruck.

That was the look on the faces of the Phantom Thieves.

"Maybe this is like Thirteen Sentinals," Mishima whispered.

"Wait, wait," Morgana urged before things got too far. "If that's the case, then why would this happen again? Why would Arsène and Milady be so worried about you two dying?"

"Okay!" Ryuji exclaimed. "I'm just spitballing here but let me take a crack at this shit. Let's think of a different way. Let's say we played Mass Effect and we got through the first game just fine, but when we hit the collector's base in the second game, everyone died. What happens after that?"

"I would start Mass Effect Two over and do it right," Mishima answered. "I couldn't allow Garrus and Tali to d—" Mishima interrupted himself with a sharp gasp."You're saying, if this theory is sound, that we're New Game Plus?"

"That, and that we're the New Game Plus after the bad ending," Ryuji confirmed.

[Theme of Tension: Troubled from Persona 3]

"Well! Thank goodness it's all a theory!" Ann exclaimed with a hint of panic in her voice.

"It's also a sound one," Hifumi muttered. "But that is too outlandish. There is no way something like that could be possible."

"Everything we've gone through has been pretty impossible, Hifumi-chan," Haru softly remarked. "If this is true, why would it be any different?"

"This is all over my head," Shiho admitted.

"Mine too," Morgana whined.

"But, it would explain a few things too," Shiho continued. "Like how Boudicca and Makoto's shadow spoke as if they knew each other already…"

"Wait, they did?" Ren asked.

Shiho nodded. "It was right before things went to hell. I was saving Makoto when Shadow Makoto attacked. Bouicca and her spoke to each other with so much familiarity…It was startling."

"Hold up! Shadow Makoto said something to me around that time too," Ann revealed. "She said that I was smarter this time around."

"That settles it. our personas must know more about this, " Hifumi voiced. "Do you think we should speak with them?"

"I doubt it," Ren answered. "Arsène only speaks in cryptic. Even then, we don't talk often, unless I'm hurt or something….And even then, I doubt he'd come out and say it."

"Well, if we can't speak to them, perhaps we should testRen's gut feelings," Yusuke announced.

"Test it? How?" Ryuji asked.

"I don't know," Yusuke shrugged. "This is very much outside of my realm."

"I think we should let this lay for a while," Ren told them. "At least until we can confirm that the hearts of Madarame and Mitsuyo were changed. After that…."

The group nodded.

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

[Theme of Okumura Residence: Have a Short Rest from Persona 5]

"Whoops. That's me!" Ryuji exclaimed with a sheepish tone.

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

"Sakamoto in full effect! What's up?" Ryuji greeted.

"Hey, it's Makoto," Makoto revealed. "Eleanora and I are at the old Go-Ryu Building. Eleanora was just called for her payment."

"Oh shit! Alright, I'll be right there, Niijima!" Ryuji exclaimed before he announced, "I gotta jet. Makoto needs me for something!"

"For something?" Ann asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah. I ran into her yesterday while I was waiting to hear from you guys. She has some project that she and her friends are doing and I offered my help since I'm without Captain Kidd for a while."

"Just be safe," Ren told him. "Can't afford any game overs."

"Speaking of which, I should get going too," Morgana announced as he hopped off of Shiho's lap. "Got a mission to do."

"Good luck, Mona-chan," Haru said with a smile as Shiho offered him pets.

"I should get going too," Ren announced. "My mom is in town and I don't need her to worry about me."

"Your mom is in town?" Ryuji, Shiho, and Ann asked in unison.

"Trust me, I'm surprised by it too," Ren laughed. "Maybe we can all meet after the change of heart happens."

Ann glowered and said, "Oh, I can't wait to meet her."

Ren smiled at Ann's protectiveness as Ryuji exclaimed, "We'll see you guys later. Come on dudes, let's mosey!"

"Did he say let's mosey in 2016?" Mishima murmured.

"He did," Ann sighed as Ren, Ryuji, and Morgana left the apartment. "He's such a dork….Well, since things should calm down….Wanna play some DnD?"

"Without Makoto, Ren, and Ryuji?" Mishima asked. "How will I explain their absence?"

"Well, Mr. DM, you'll just have to come up with something," Hifumi teased.

"Oh!" Mishima huffed. "Okay. I think I have an idea…."

[Scene Change: Shibuya - Old Go-Ryu Clan Building (Morning)
Theme of Looming Danger: Darkness from Tokyo Mirage Sessions FE]

Makoto hung up her phone and said to Eleanora, "Alright, Ryuji will be here momentarily. I'm surprised they reached out so soon."

"So am I," Eleanora yawned and then slumped against the wall of the building beside her.

"Didn't sleep well last night?" Makoto questioned.

"No. It felt like someone was watching me the entire night," Eleanora answered."But I'm wide awake to get through this."

Makoto frowned. Something felt both familiar and off about this, but Makoto couldn't figure out what. "As long as you see yourself fit to do this, then the mission continues," Makoto said. "But, where is Oribe?"

Eleanora frowned and said, "I didn't want her to come….This is too dangerous for someone like her…" Eleanora grinned and asked, "Speaking of missing party members, where is Eiko?"

Makoto frowned and said, "I told her to stay home today. I don't want her in the crossfire in case something happens."

"Seems we're alike in the way, huh?" Eleanora questioned. "Not wanting to see our girls in danger?"

"Something like that," Makoto somewhat confirmed. Eiko was quickly becoming her friend in this turbulent time in her life, and that was something Makoto couldn't afford to have.

She didn't want another person to mourn her after she died. Therefore, Like Ren and Shiho, she had to keep Eiko at arm's length, even if the girl was the Watson to her Sherlock at this point.

But despite this, Makoto felt a little sad that the girl wasn't beside her. "Oh, you got to be kidding me," Eleanora groaned.

Makoto turned to Eleanora and followed her disgruntled expression to see Oribe, Eiko, and Ryuji, running up to them.

"Sorry, we're late," Ryuji announced with a pant and a smile. "I bumped into these two on my way here. Apparently, they didn't know about the mission today."

"Yeah, what's that all about, Koto-chan?" Eiko asked with a stern look while Oribe pouted.

Makoto and Eleanora exchanged a look.

"Welp, looks like you two are in the dog house," Ryuji laughed.

Makoto glowered at him and then turned to Eiko. "I'm sorry," Makoto said. "But I felt like it would be too dangerous for you to come, Eiko."

"Same with me, Ori-chan," Eleanora added. "You're too pure for this. I didn't want you to get caught in the crossfire."

"We're a team, Ellie-chan," Oribe told her with her pout deepening.

"What if you three got into danger and couldn't reach anyone?" Eiko asked. "Then you three would be without help."

"Hey, don't put me into this quarrel, I just got here," Ryuji said as he took a step back.

"We're friends," Oribe finished. "And we look out for one another. Especially because it's so dangerous. Please don't try and exclude us again."

Feeling properly chastised, both Makoto and Eleanora said, "Okay…."

"Now let's go!" Eiko exclaimed as she and Oribe walked ahead, leaving Eleanora, Makoto, and Ryuji behind.

"Ah, a lover's quarrel. Once you've seen one, you've seen them all," Ryuji said with a sage tone as he bobbed his head up and down.

Ryuji didn't even see Eleanora's or Makoto's fists slamming into the top of his head. "What part of that was a lover's quarrel?!" The two girls screamed in unison as Ryuji bent down and grasped his head.

"Ow…." He whined.

[Scene Change: Shibuya - Odaiba Construction Site (Morning)
Theme of Looming Danger: Darkness from Tokyo Mirage Sessions FE]

"Alright, we're close to our split-off point," Morgana told Ren as the two crossed the street as two people walked past them. "I can't believe Znekichi's place is so close to Café LeBlanc."

"Neither can I," Ren replied. "Hopefully we can just relax for a bit and…."

Morgana poked his head out of Ren's bookbag and pawed at his shoulder. "Ren, what's wrong?" Morgana asked. The tiny Phantom Thief followed Ren's gaze and noticed a red-head girl with a red bow standing in front of a construction site.

"What is she doing just standing there?" Ren asked.

"You know her?" Morgana asked.

"Unfortunately," Ren grumbled. "Let's just walk past in silence. I don't need her trying to talk to me."

Morgana was surprised.

He had never heard such bitterness from Ren before. It was abnormal.

As Ren walked behind the girl as quietly as he could, Morgana experienced two things. The first was soft whispers coming from the girl. It was similar to what he heard from Akane but it was more pronounced.

And the second thing?

"Ren…." Morgana whispered. "The atmosphere...Prepare yourself. Something is goi—"

"Beginning Navigation…."

Professor Violet: Class dismissed :)