AN: This chapter ended up being longer than expected. Honestly, I feel like I kind of squeezed in the Museum Mode outfits at the end since I'd promised to include it. Still, I feel good about what I wrote.

FF – Thanks reinDank and NightmareKnight1. Good to know.

AO3 – Thank you Korias and psycheTerminal. Also, I'm just going to say right now that I don't know nearly enough about paintings to base Museum Mode on it.

Museum of Vanity — Part 3

May 23 – Monday

Ann Takamaki's PoV

"To think you'd really come…" said Yusuke as he organized his art supplies. "I assumed you were lying when you contacted me."

His instincts were right. She wasn't actually planning to model nude, only to distract him while Morgana picked the lock on the peacock door in Madarame's shack.

"I'm sorry it was so sudden," apologized Ann. Even though she wasn't actually going to bare anything to the artist, the model still felt very self-conscious.

"Oh, it's not a problem," he replied. "But as I told you yesterday, Sensei will be returning in about twenty or thirty minutes. So, um… I'm sorry if that causes some anxiety on your part."

Huh. It felt weird that Yusuke was trying to be considerate of Ann despite demanding that she model nude for him. Was it possible he'd only been bluffing about reporting her and the others?

"Still, I don't see why she has to be here, too," continued the artist, taking a moment to glare at Urano.

"You might not be interested in Ann as someone of the opposite sex right now, but seeing her naked could awaken something in you," answered the bookworm, returning his glare. "That's why I'm here, to make sure you don't do anything to Ann."

Urano had come along to support Ann and Morgana. The bookworm had been oddly insistent about the fact that she'd be in the room with Ann the whole time, leaving the lockpicking to the not-cat. It was a nice gesture, even if Urano's presence actually made Ann more nervous rather than less.

"Does your rudeness never end?" retorted Yusuke, his scowl deepening. "I'm not some sort of debaucherous beast! I won't lay a hand on her!"

"Then I won't have to do anything, and you'll be free to paint in peace," said Urano.

The two continued to stare at one another, until Yusuke finally sighed and turned back to his art supplies.

"Very well," he conceded. "As long as you don't interfere with my painting or go snooping around the building again, you may stay. I suppose it's better than having that blonde oaf or intimidating girl present…"

"I won't," replied Urano. Ann could practically hear her saying 'Because Morgana's the one whose breaking into Madarame's private room.'

"By the way…" started Yusuke, looking at Ann. "Have you gained some weight?"

If the model wasn't wearing tons of layers of clothing, she'd be offending by the question. Wearing more wouldn't change the fact that Yusuke wanted her naked, but it would buy Ann more time. If all went well, Madarame would get back and see the door open before the model had to take off everything.

Urano Motosu's PoV

"I keep telling you, you can't…!" cried Yusuke, freaking out as Ann led us closer to the gaudy door.

We were running out of time before Madarame got here, and Ann was running out of clothes to take off. Hopefully, Morgana had already finished opening the door.

"You're still not done!?" hissed Ann.

I was close enough to hear her, but fortunately Yusuke was a few feet away, panting. Huh, I guess all that exercise was finally paying off.

"It's hard to do this… with cat paws!" retorted the not-cat, a tinge of desperation in his voice.

"Is something the matter?" asked Yusuke, approaching the two of us.

We formed a wall to hide Morgana from the artist. As the not-cat continued to struggle with the lock, Ann attempted to convince Yusuke to paint her in the locked room – which was a storage room for old paintings, according to him – by making flirty comments. Though, her bad acting was a bit painful to watch.

"You can do it," I whispered to Morgana encouragingly.

My hope was that him picking the lock would boost his confidence. It bothered me that someone so important to me felt so troubled. Although, I was beginning to wonder if I might've been asking too much of the not-cat. I hadn't realized it until now, but the fact that he wasn't human meant that he had to dangle from the lock as he tried to pick it.

"Kitagawa, do you not like girls like me…?"

"N-no, that's not true…"

Shockingly enough, Yusuke was buying Ann's acting. He was even wavering about not entering the locked room, although I shouldn't be surprised considering how pretty Ann is.

"Urgh!" hissed Morgana. "Open, damnit!"

Unfortunately, the not-cat wasn't having nearly as much luck undoing the lock. I was beginning to wonder if I should step in. Morgana had taught me about picking locks, and the fact that I had opposable thumbs and didn't need to dangle from the padlock would make it easier for me…

"Argh!" yelled the not-cat, his frustration boiling over.

…But it would also be a huge blow to the not-cat's already-shaky confidence. I couldn't stand the thought of him feeling even sadder, so my only option was to keep trusting that he'd succeed eventually. Fortunately, we still had time until Madarame arrived.

"I'm home," announced Madarame, entering the shack.

…Damnit! Why did I think that!? I've read more than enough books and seen more than enough TV shows to know that you never tempt fate!

"It's now or never, Morgana," I told the not-cat. "I believe it you!"

Makoto Niijima's PoV

While the others were doing their part in the real world, Queen, Skull, and Oracle stood by in Madarame's Palace, ready to move through the currently-impassible section of the museum as soon as the security was disabled.

"They seriously gonna be able to pull this off…?" asked Skull. "Panther was saying stuff like 'I'll just seduce him with my acting,' but that sounds outta her league…"

"…I'm sure that the three of them will be able to manage," said Queen, trying to sound confident. Sadly, the strategist was as bad of an actor as Panther when it came to lying on the spot.

"If only there was a way to contact them from within the Palace," sighed Oracle. "Why does magi-tech have to interfere with regular tech? Shouldn't they be compatible!? They're both tech!"

If Queen had to guess, the answer to Oracle's question was 'cognition.' Supernatural phenomena interfering with technology was a common trope, especially when it came to electronic communication.

"Focus, Oracle," Skull told the hacker. "Madarame should be coming home soon. If this room really is important to him, then he'll close it right up again once he sees that it's open. So we've only got a few seconds to get in. Although, to be blunt, it'll be a miracle if this works."

"It'll definitely work!" declared Oracle. "I have complete faith in Harlequin and Mona, and almost-complete faith in Panther! Like, 85 or 90 percent!"

Skull made a confused face and opened his mouth, undoubtedly planning to ask about the percentage of faith Oracle had in him.

"All we can do is wait and see," injected Queen hurriedly, hoping to avoid the argument that would inevitably break out after Oracle gave Skull an unflattering answer.

Fortunately, her efforts paid off. Skull closed his mouth, and the three of them continued to watch the impassible security grid and wait for their opportunity to act.

Watching and waiting.

Watching and waiting…

Watching… and waiting…

…

…But nothing happened.

Ryuji Sakamoto's PoV

"I know things don't look good right now…" started Makoto, her voice full of forced optimism. "…but our current predicament isn't hopeless. All we need is a new plan."

After the plan failed, the Phantom Thieves regrouped at their temporary hideout. They were currently engulfed in a gloomy aura.

"Like what?" replied Ann sourly. "Madarame threatened to call the cops on us just for being near that door and I doubt that Yusuke will be letting us back in after what happened."

Apparently, Yusuke had convinced Madarame not to involve the police by confirming that the girls had never actually entered the room. Nonetheless, Madarame had become suspicious of them and kicked the girls out, threatening to treat them as trespassers if he ever saw them in the shack again.

"Sorry, everyone," apologized Urano guiltily. "We really messed up."

It was frustrating. This shitty adult abused his students and even pushed one to suicide, just like Kamoshida did, and there wasn't anything they could do about it! Ryuji had been so pumped up to change more assholes' hearts, only to end up feeling powerless again!

"…More like Morgana screwed up."

The words slipped out of the former athlete's mouth before he realized it. Everyone looked at him, stunned.

"What was that, you blonde monkey!?" snarled the not-cat.

Ever since they met, Morgana had been pissing off Ryuji with his arrogant attitude and frequent insults. The former athlete had been bottling up his frustration, unable to fire back since Urano – convinced that the not-cat was a little kid – was protective of Morgana. But, either because of the current negative atmosphere or simple due to hitting his limit, all of Ryuji's suppressed rage came bursting out.

"I said that it's all your fault!" shouted Ryuji. "You had one job to do and you screwed it up!"

"Ryuji, that's enough," interjected Urano firmly, trying to break up the argument.

"What a surprise," said the former athlete, his voice dripping with sarcasm as his rage shifted to the bookworm. "That brat can hurl insults at me all he wants, but the moment I give him a taste of his own medicine – that's when it's enough! It's no wonder he's so arrogant when you keep spoiling him like that!"

Urano was taken aback by Ryuji's venomous words. The look of hurt on her face made him wonder if he'd gone too far, though that realization was quickly forgotten when Morgana spoke up.

"Don't you dare insult Urano, you loud-mouthed ape!" he yelled, furious. "She hasn't done anything wrong! You don't have any right to complain about our leader, not when you couldn't lead a monkey to a banana grove!"

Every… single… TIME…! Even when defending Urano, the not-cat still took the time to insult Ryuji. And Ryuji was sick of it!

"Like you have any room to talk! You're our weakest fighter and keep messing up our infiltration, yet you keep getting on my case about not screwing up! You're nothing but a hypocrite and a burden to us, you… you… useless cat!"

A change went over Morgana at the word 'cat.' He became rigid, his burning rage morphing into something cold.

"…So that's what you really think of me, huh? Just a good-for-nothing cat who deluded himself into thinking he was human. Looks like I don't belong here after all…"

Having said his piece, Morgana turned away from the group and ran, quickly disappearing from sight. Everyone had been caught off guard by the sudden shift in his demeanor, too stunned by his unexpected and unusual behavior to react before he was gone.

Once the not-cat had left, however, Urano was the first act, turning her attention to Ryuji.

"Ryuji, you might have a point about me coddling Morgana…" she started in a terrifyingly calm tone that almost made the former athlete shit his pants. "…But you crossed a line with him. Morgana may insult you a lot, but never about Kamoshida or your father."

What was Urano's point? Of course Morgana wouldn't heckle Ryuji about those things. That was common decency.

"And yet you target the things he's most insecure about – being useless and having the body of a cat – when he was already so miserable about failing to pick the lock that he cried on the way over here."

…Oh. Ryuji… he hadn't realized those were touchy subjects for Morgana, or that the not-cat had already been beating himself up over his failure. He'd been an asshole to Morgana, hadn't he? That really took the wind out of his sails.

"You owe him an apology… a sincere one," concluded Urano.

"…Yeah," agreed Ryuji, his blazing anger now nothing but ashy regret. "I'll do it the next time I see him."

"And he owes you one, too, assuming we can find him."

The bookworm's calm façade cracked, revealing worry about the not-cat.

"Don't worry… I'm sure Morgana'll be back," replied Ryuji weakly, hoping he was right.

May 24 – Tuesday

Futaba Sakura's PoV

Morgana wasn't back.

He didn't return Monday night, or this morning, or while Urano was at school.

Futaba was worried about the not-cat. Was he hungry? Cold? Did he have any place to sleep? Could he survive on his own?

(The answer to the last one was probably 'yes' since Morgana had been just fine on his own before Urano found him, though the hacker couldn't help but worry.)

However, how Futaba felt seemed like nothing compared to how distraught Urano was. The hacker had heard her sister crying in her room last night, and the bookworm had been gloomy and red-eyed all morning. After school, she'd come home, sat at the desk in her room, and begun mechanically and wordlessly doing her homework as Futaba watched.

Most significantly, Urano hadn't so much as touched a book since Morgana ran away. Futaba could hardly believe her eyes when her sister went to school while leaving behind the novel she was currently reading, but Ann confirmed via text that the bookworm's lack of literary appetite had lasted all day.

Futaba had never thought that Urano was capable of feeling so miserable. So lifeless and fragile. So… so much like how the hacker had been when they first met.

For the entire time Futaba had known her – even if it was less than two months – Urano had been so vibrant. Whether she was happy or sad, angry or scared, the bookworm was always so full of energy. It had felt like nothing could keep her down for long, which had led Futaba to subconsciously start seeing her sister as some sort of unstoppable protagonist who could accomplish anything.

…But that was only a fantasy. By looking at how despondent Urano was now, it was obvious that she was just like any other human – she needed support from the people around her.

"Sis, I'm here for you," Futaba told her sister, putting a hand on the bookworm's shoulder. "You can let it all out."

Which meant that it was now Futaba's turn to care for Urano.

Urano stopped doing her homework. Wordlessly, she put down her pen, stood up, and turned around to hug Futaba tightly. It was a little painful to the hacker, but she endured it because she knew that her sister was hurting more. While Futaba couldn't see the bookworm's face, the sobs that she started to hear made it clear what sort of expression had replaced the previous emptiness of depression.

"He… He's gone! Morgana was so upset that he left…! How could I have failed him like that!? I'm the worst!"

"We're all to blame. None of us noticed how he was feeling."

"But… but I did know! I knew he was questioning his self-worth… yet all I did was tell him about his value to the Phantom Thieves! I should've told him how important he was to me… But I didn't, just like I failed to do with Shuu. Both of them died without me ever telling them 'thank you' for everything them did for me. I'm such a terrible, selfish person…"

"No. It's not too late for Morgana! You can still tell him everything and thank him! All we have to do it find him."

"But what if… if he's still upset? What if he doesn't want to see—?"

"Since when are you one of those brain-dead romance protagonists who always misunderstands everything and can't spit out their feelings for entire seasons!? You said that you wanted him to understand how important he is to you! How is he supposed to know that if you don't tell him!?"

"…You're right. The only way to find out is to ask. I need to have a conversation with Morgana. I'll let him know everything… and see if he hates me."

"Great! I'll help you find him!"

"Thank, but there's no need."

"Do you know where he is?"

"No, but I know who will."

Morgana's PoV

"What am I supposed to do now…?" Morgana asked himself.

After leaving the Phantom Thieves, the not-cat had wandered aimlessly through Shibuya. After a bit, he realized that he needed to find somewhere to spend the night. Going back to Urano's home wasn't an option. Morgana spent some time thinking about it before settling on a temporary home/base.

The place in question was secluded corner of the Yongen-Jaya subway station. The subway reminded him of Mementos, which felt comforting (although that feeling of comfort was another indication that he wasn't human). Also, it was nearby Urano's home.

Despite cutting ties with the Phantom Thieves, Morgana couldn't bring himself to abandon Urano completely. Even if he knew that it would be best for her, he couldn't help but feel attached to Urano.

"Morgana!"

The not-cat could practically hear the bookworm's voice. It was like she was right in front of… wait a second…

"I found you!" declared Urano, actually right in front of Morgana. Her eyes were a bit red and puffy and had small bags under them that most would overlook, yet the bookworm's voice contained nothing but joy and relief.

"What are you doing here!?" exclaimed the not-cat in disbelief. "How did you find me?"

"I asked Chihaya," answered Urano. "She told me you'd be at this station tonight, so I searched it until I found you."

…Right, the fortune-teller. Tracking down someone she'd never met… as always, Chihaya's power was impressive.

"So then, what do you want from me?" asked Morgana.

"I wanted to say, 'thank you,'" replied Urano. Seeing the confusion on his face, she continued. "Ever since we met, you've been caring for me. And not just in the Metaverse. You make sure I don't skip sleep or meals or exercise. You let me know when to stop reading because class is about to start or because it's time to get off the train. Honestly, sometimes it feels like Shuu is still around, so thank you for that, too."

Ah, so that was what this was about. The reason she'd been so attached to him despite his uselessness was because he reminded her of her deceased friend.

"But I'm not Shuu…" responded Morgana. Urano needed to accept that and say goodbye to both of them. It would be his final lesson to her.

"No, you're not," agreed the bookworm. "You're Morgana – my little brother."

.

"What!?" cried the not-cat, his gloominess blown away by confusion (and a burst of joy that he had to push down). "What are you talking about!?"

"Well, you're a boy who's younger than me, so—"

"Not that part! Why are you acting like I'm a part of your family!? What did I do to earn something like that!? Is it because I acted like your babysitter!? Because that's way too easy of a reason to declare somebody family!"

"It's not that!" denied Urano. She huffed, incensed by Morgana's accusation. "Honestly, I don't when it happened or why, but it did. You're family to me, and that's all that matter."

.

Rank Up!

Confidant: Morgana. Arcana: Magician. Rank: 7.

.

"But it's not that simple!" insisted the not-cat. "I don't deserve to be a part of your family! We made a deal, me helping you in the Metaverse in exchange for you helping me regain my memories and become human, yet I've failed to uphold my end of the bargain. Lately, I've been nothing but a burden to you."

"So what? It's not like I'm doing anything special either. Helping you out might be one of my reasons for entering the Metaverse, but I'd still be going there regardless. Besides, even if we didn't have a deal, I'd still want to help you regain everything you've lost."

"…But what if I haven't lost anything?" replied Morgana, hesitantly. He never wanted to tell Urano this, but it seemed like it would be the only way to make her understand. "I've been having dreams lately. Dreams… no, memories of me being born in Mementos like a Shadow. I… I'm not human. I've never been human, so I can't be a part of your family."

"That doesn't matter to me," responded Urano, so indifferent by the not-cat's big reveal that he was actually a bit dumbfounded. How could she care so little about something so huge!?

"Plus," continued the bookworm. "Even if you aren't human, we could always find a way to make you one. There are plenty of stories of non-humans becoming human, so the idea is definitely embedded in human cognition! And I'm sure we could convince Sojiro to adopt you, so stop trying to deny that we're family! We are, and that's final!"

Family. They… were family.

.

I am thou, thou art I…

Thou hast turned a vow into a blood oath.

.

Thy bond shall become the wings of rebellion

And break the yoke of thy heart.

.

Thou hast awakened to the ultimate secret of

The Magician, granting thee infinite power…

.

Rank Up! Rank Up! Rank Up!

Confidant: Morgana. Arcana: Magician. Rank: 10.

.

"…In that case, I have no choice but to concede," said the not-cat, barely holding back tears. He felt like he was going to explode from the sheer amount of happiness and love swelling up within him. The emotions were so intense that he felt his Persona transform as its true power awakened.

Although, in that moment, becoming stronger didn't matter to Morgana nearly as much as it had since Kamoshida's Palace. His mind was occupied with something far more important.

"Let's go home."

To the place where he belonged, no matter what.

May 25 – Wednesday

Urano Motosu's PoV

Now that Morgana was back, I was bursting at the seams with motivation! I'd get us into Madarame's locked room if it was the last thing I did! And I know exactly how, too.

"Please help me get into Madarame's locked room," I said to Yusuke, bowing deeply.

I'd been so caught up in trying to boost Morgana's spirits that I'd immediately agreed to his lock-picking plan, which in hindsight was poorly thought-out. We only had one chance to succeed, it damaged our already-poor relationship with Yusuke, Ann almost ended up naked, and even if we'd succeeded, Yusuke could've re-locked the door before Madarame got home.

I had been acting on my emotions instead of logic and almost ruined our chances of stealing Madarame's Treasure. Now, however, I was trying to look at the problem rationally.

Getting Yusuke's help was the most effective (and only legal) method of opening that door. Plus, as one of Madarame's victims, the artist deserved to be involved. For those reasons, I returned to the shack and asked for his assistance.

"Are you serious?" replied Yusuke, incredulous. "After all the insults toward my master and me? The lies about modelling for me? And that's not even going into the invasion of our privacy! Why would I ever agree to something like that!?"

Of course, 'most effective' and 'easiest' weren't the same thing.

"You're right," I admitted sincerely. "And I'm sorry about what we did. We should've been upfront with you instead of fishing for information. But you saw how freaked out Madarame got about us just being near that door. There's no way it's just a storage room. So please, let me pick the padlock and check out what's inside."

A flicker of doubt crossed Yusuke's face, only for it to turn cold again.

"I refuse. Leave now or I'll call the police. And don't come back here again. Any of you."

I sighed. So much for asking directly, though I couldn't really blame Yusuke for his choice. The mentor who'd raised him, or the strangers who'd lied to and insulted him. We'd just have to come up with another (probably illegal) plan.

"For what it's worth, I wish you the best of luck with your painting," I told the artist, turning to leave. "Hopefully, you'll make a painting just as famous as Sayuri and her motherly smile…"

I began to walk away, only for a hand to suddenly grip my forearm like a vice. The hand yanked me, forcibly turning me around to face Yusuke, who had a strange intensity in his eyes.

"What did you say!?" he exclaimed, freaking me out.

"Bwuh!?" I cried. That wasn't what he was looking for, however, and he started to shake me. "Wha-what are you ta-talking abou-out!?"

"The Sayuri's smile! Why did you call it motherly!?"

"Because it is!" I shouted, hoping that an answer would get him to stop shaking me. "Futaba said that the smile reminded her of her mother's, and that made me realize that it also looked like my mom's smile!"

Mercifully, the shaking stopped. Yusuke took on a pensive expression.

"…A motherly smile," he murmured, engrossed in his thoughts. The artist seemed to have come to a conclusion, though, because he looked at me with a serious face. "…I've changed my mind. Sensei won't be home for hours, so let's open that door now."

Bwuh!? What could have made him change his mind?

I was curious, but I got the feeling that it was something personal. Maybe I should wait on asking until afterward…

"Um, actually… I'm going to need a day to prepare. Also, this might sound a bit weird, but I need Madarame to see that the door is open."

"…Very well?" responded Yusuke. He was predictably confused, but it seemed that he was willing to accommodate my requests."

"Good. I'll be back here after school tomorrow."

May 26 – Thursday

Ryuji Sakamoto's PoV

Yet again, the Phantom Thieves were in Madarame's Palace waiting for the security grid to shut down. Only this time Mona was here, which was awkward as hell.

"So…" started Skull, not quite sure what to say. "…I guess you really aren't a cat if you were born in Mementos."

To the side, he saw Panther sigh, Oracle facepalm, and Queen shake her head in disapproval. Skull could almost hear them saying he was hopeless.

"…Sorry, that came out wrong," he apologized self-consciously. "Urgh, I'm not used to this sort of thing, so I'm just going to come out and say it. I'm sorry about calling you a cat and saying you were useless, Mona. I was mad about the setback in infiltrating the Palace and took it out on you like an asshole. You're not useless or a cat."

Skull felt relieved to get that off his chest. It had been weighing on him even since Harlequin told him off, and the guilt had only grown worse the longer that Mona had been missing.

"I owe you an apology, too," admitted the not-cat. "I was just as much of a jerk to you. Besides, you didn't know that those were sensitive subjects. How could you, when I never even explained why being a human was so important to me – because I wanted to somewhere to belong."

…Skull felt like facepalming. How'd he fail to realize that Mona was also an outcast? It should've been obvious given the not-cat's… well… everything. Geez, the Phantom Thieves of Heart was basically a club for people who didn't fit in, wasn't it?

"At first, I only thought of my agreement with Harlequin as a temporary alliance until I regained my memories," continued Mona. "But then our group became the place that I wanted to belong to. I was worried I didn't belong. I don't have anyone I want to save or get revenge on, and my combat skills were lagging behind everyone else's…"

The latter wasn't really relevant anymore. The not-cat's Zorro had evolved into a stronger Persona called Mercurius, which had already demonstrated its power against some Shadows on their way to the security grid.

"…but it's fine now. Even if I become a burden and have to quit the Phantom Thieves, I've got a place in Urano's family, so you… you don't have to worry about keeping me around if you don't want to. Really."

Wow, Mona sucked at lying. He clearly still cared about being in the Phantom Thieves.

"Are you stupid?" asked Skull, causing the not-cat to wince and lower his head. "You don't just have Harlequin… We're your friends, too! You'll always have a place in the Phantom Thieves, no matter what!"

Mona perked up at that. Skull saw the girls nodding in agreement, too.

"Good," the not-cat said softly. "Because… I wanna stay here forever! It's the place where I belong!"

"You shoulda just said so from the start!" replied Skull with a smile. "Geez!"

Yusuke Kitagawa's PoV

"Aaand… there!" declared Urano, a click signaling the padlock's release. "Now to see what's behind door number one."

Yusuke felt sick to his stomach. In ten minutes, Sensei would arrive home and learn of Yusuke's betrayal. The guilt felt like it was crushing him…

"Indeed," he replied, entering the forbidden room.

…and yet, the artist needed to know the truth. 'A motherly smile.' Could it be that Sayuri was really…?

"I found the lights," said Urano. Yusuke heard the flicking of a switch, and suddenly the room was illuminated, exposing countless copies of Sayuri.

"What the…!?" cried Yusuke, horrified by what he saw. While the sight didn't confirm his suspicions, it certainly made them more likely.

"A bunch of Sayuris?" commented Urano, contemplative. "Didn't Futaba mention something about counterfeits going around? Is Madarame actually the counterfeiter!?"

Yusuke would normally deny the accusation, even with his current doubts and uncertainties, but he was distracted by a painting that was on an easel and covered by a sheet. The artist felt inexplicably drawn to it. As if hypnotized, he walked over to the easel and pulled off the sheet, revealing…

"Sayuri!" gasped Yusuke, aghast at the sight of the genuine article. He'd hoped to learn the truth in this room, but he was starting to fear that the answers he was seeking were more atrocious than he'd realized. The artist desperately wished that his suspicions to be wrong and that Sensei had an explanation for all of this!

"What are you doing there!?" shouted Sensei furiously as he entered the room. Either Sensei was back home early, or Yusuke and Urano had spent longer in the room than he'd realized.

Whichever was the case, Yusuke was about to get the answers that he desired. However, the artist had a bad feeling that he would only be disappointed.

Sadly, Yusuke's instincts proved correct. Sensei attempted to lie to them, but they saw through his deceptions. He then called the police, prompting Urano to grab Yusuke, run, and transport them both to a peculiar and repulsive world.

There, they met up with Ann, the people who'd accompanied Urano and Ann during their first visit, and some sort of cat-like thing. Yusuke tried to process the sudden turn of event, only to have his efforts derailed by a severe headache.

Ann, Urano, and the others began guiding him to the exit, fighting monsters called Shadows as they explained this 'cognitive world' to him. Their little group walked through a vain museum containing only portraits of Sensei's pupils and arrived at a horrid golden sculpture that Urano identified as The Infinite Spring.

(Was that truly all that they were – that he was – to Sensei? Did the man who raised him and was like a father to him truly care so little?)

It was there that the group was halted by a group of Shadows dressed as security guards and came face-to-face with Sensei.

"Welcome to the museum of the master artist Madarame…" he announced, dressed in a tasteless, gold-colored shogun's outfit.

Or rather, Sensei's 'Shadow Self,' as the others had described it. The Shadow Self proceeded to reveal that his usual ragged attire was nothing but an act, that he owned a second home under a mistress's name, and that Sayuri was hidden in that room because he'd lied about it being stolen to sell counterfeits.

"Art is nothing but a tool… A tool to gain money and fame!" declared Shadow Sensei. "You helped me greatly as well, Yusuke…"

Yusuke fell to his knees, crushed by the harshness of reality. Despair threatened to consume him entirely. Nonetheless, the artist forced himself to ask his mentor one last question. The one that had immediately entered his mind upon learning that the secret behind Sayuri's smile was motherly love.

"…So then, was my mother also a tool?" asked Yusuke, glaring directly into Shadow Sensei's eyes. The artist already knew the answer, yet he needed to hear his mentor say it personally in order to sever the bond between them. "Sayuri is her self-portrait, isn't it?"

The others gasped, but Shadow Sensei merely laughed and confirmed it. He explained how he'd modified Sayuri to conceal the true nature of her smile, and even admitted that he was responsible for the death of Yusuke's mother, leaving her to die when she had a seizure.

"…You are unforgiveable," stated Yusuke, rising to his feet. His fury toward Shadow Madarame had reached its peak. "It doesn't matter who you were to me… I won't forgive you!"

The artist's former mentor ordered the other Shadows to attack, which made Yusuke chuckle.

"How amusing… It seems the truth is stranger than fiction, hm? I wanted to believe it wasn't true… I had clouded my vision for so long… My eyes were truly blind… Blind, and unable to see the true self behind this one horrible man…!"

"Have you finally come to your senses?"

Today, the student would give the teacher a lesson that he would never forget, no matter how hard he tried.

With the power of his newly awakened Persona, Goemon, and the support of the 'Phantom Thieves of Heart,' Yusuke was able to eliminate Shadow Madarame's subordinates. He tried to challenge the Palace ruler, too, only to drop to his knees from exhaustion. It seemed that fighting the Shadows had taken more of a toll than he'd realized.

After resting for a bit and exchanging information with the Phantom Thieves, Yusuke was ready to go back home. It was frustrating to wait on taking his revenge, but the artist knew that, like with painting, he would have to be patient in order create a masterpiece.

Wait a moment…

"When did my clothes change…?" wondered Yusuke aloud.

"You just noticed that now…?" replied the vulg… blonde one.

"Ah, right!" cried Ann excitedly. "That reminds me… Panther Mode Change to… Museum Mode!"

She struck an odd pose, then emitted a flash of light. When the light subsided, Ann's outfit (aside from her mask) had been replaced with a geisha's kimono, colored primarily red.

"If the Palace ruler is dressed as a shogun, then Museum Mode would be traditional outfits," explained Ann. Or at least it sounded like an explanation, because Yusuke had no idea what had just happened or what she was talking about.

Nevertheless, the others followed suit. Urano became a miko, her sister turned into an onmyouji – complete with the tall hat – and the remaining two transformed into samurai, garbed in classical Japanese armor. Even the 'not-cat' joined in, albeit only gaining a kabuto helmet.

…Was Yusuke actually just dreaming this? Had the strain of awakening his Persona caused him to faint? Or was even that part but a fantasy?

AN: Rest assured, Yusuke's Museum Mode will appear next chapter.

Also, I'd mentioned earlier that Urano could've instantly maxed out Sojiro's Confidant by calling him 'Dad,' and you can see that in effect here. I wouldn't expect too many instant blood oaths, though.

Confidants: Morgana (Magician, Rank 10), Igor (Fool, Rank 4), Sojiro Sakura (Hierophant, Rank 10), Ryuji Sakamoto (Chariot, Rank 10), Tae Takemi (Death, Rank 3), Futaba Sakura (Hermit, Rank 3), Makoto Niijima (High Priestess, Rank 3), Shinya Oda (Tower, Rank 1), Caroline and Justine (Strength, Rank 2), Toranosuke Yoshida (Sun, Rank 3), Ann Takamaki (Lovers, Rank 10), Haru Okumura (Empress, Rank 1), Sadayo Kawakami (Temperance, Rank 1), Hifumi Togo (Star, Rank 2), Chihaya Mifune (Fortune, Rank 1), Yuuki Mishima (Moon, Rank 1).