[12/5/2018]

[21:30] Ryuji: Hey, has anyone heard anything from Ren lately?

[21:30] Futaba: Nope

[21:32] Makoto: No

[21:32] Ann: I wish

[21:32] Sumire: No...

[21:33] Yusuke: I'm afraid not

[21:33] Haru: I'm getting worried

[21:33] Ryuji: Godammit

[21:33] Ryuji: Didn't he tell your sis he'll move to Tokyo soon, Makoto?

[21:34] Makoto: Yeah, but sis hasn't heard anything from him either

[21:34] Makoto: He said he had something to take care of before coming, but he didn't tell her what exactly

[21:35] Ann: I noticed he became rather dry answered whenever I texted him, even for his standards, so I figured he might needed some space

[21:35] Haru: I think we all did

[21:35] Haru: At first he was so talkative when he left Tokyo, but now he's completely missing

[21:35] Sumire: Maybe something happen to him? Like an accident or something?

[21:36] Futaba: If something did happen, why did he slowly stopped talking to us instead of being overnight?

[21:36] Yusuke: I agree it is unusual

[21:38] Ryuji: Aghh!

[21:38] Ryuji: Screw it

[21:38] Ryuji: I'm gonna spam him until I get some answers!

[21:38] Ryuji: And if he doesn't respond I'll see him myself!

[21:38] Futaba: I can help with that

[21:39] Makoto: Let's not do anything hasty

[21:39] Makoto: Tomorrow we'll try talk to him, and then we'll see what we do from there

[21:39] Haru: Ren knows a lot of people in Tokyo, perhaps they know something or they can at least help us with it?

[21:39] Makoto: Good idea, I'll ask sis for the contacts. She'll probably want to help as well

[13/5/2018]

[12:42] Ryuji: I never thought I'd say this about Ren, but he's full of shit

[12:42] Ann: I... have to agree with that

[12:42] Ann: It's obvious that he isn't telling us something

[12:42] Ann: At least we know he's well enough to pick up the phone, though that's not saying much

[12:43] Futaba: Ren...

[12:43] Sumire: What do we do, then?

[12:43] Sumire: Normally, I'd believe him when sempai says he has everything under control. But now I can't shake the feeling that he's keeping something

[12:44] Haru: Maybe we should go see him. If we talk in person he will have to give us a straight answer

[12:44] Makoto: Can we, though?

[12:44] Makoto: Is anyone right now in a position to take several days off to go see Ren at his hometown?

[12:45] Ryuji: Right! Ren is living in his hometown!

[12:45] Ann: No shit, Ryuji. Did you just figure that out now?

[12:45] Ryuji: What? No! I mean Ren is in his hometown, surely he knows more people there than in Tokyo, right?

[12:45] Ryuji: He must have other people that look out for him there. Maybe he did get into some trouble and the people from there are already helping or maybe he's helping someone out there before leaving

[12:46] Yusuke: That's a surprising deep hypothesis coming from you

[12:46] Yusuke: I do subscribe to it. It would fall in line with our leader. He did aid a lot of people without asking for our help until it came down to changing someone's heart

[12:46] Makoto: Perhaps...

[12:46] Makoto: It's not a wild assumption

[12:47] Sumire: Yeah! That sounds like him!

[12:47] Sumire: Someone like sempai must have people that care for him in his hometown, be it family or friends

[12:47] Futaba: I second that

[12:47] Futaba: But still, I would like to see him, just to make sure

[12:47] Makoto: The midterm break is in two months. You're coming back by then, don't you, Ann?

[12:47] Ann: Yes!

[12:47] Makoto: We can wait until then to see him if we don't get any news

[12:48] Haru: But if something does happen, we'll be there as fast as possible, right?

[12:48] Makoto: Of course

[12:48] Ryuji: You can count on that!

[12:48] Futaba: I take the back seat!

[12/6/2018]

[20:45] Ren: Guys, listen. I'm Morgana, Ren is not ok. He asked me to keep this secret, but I don't think he can keep up with this anymore

[20:45] Ren: His parents are worst than I thought, and the people here aren't any better

[20:45] Ren: But something changed, everyone around him, including his parents suddenly changed and began to treat him nice overnight

[20:45] Ren: I don't what this means, bu

[20:48] Ryuji: Morgana?

[20:50] Ann: Mona, are you there?

[20:51] Futaba: Ren, if this is a joke it isn't funny

[21:00] Ren: Yes, sorry

[21:00] Ren: Morgana woke up funny today and grabbed my phone while I wasn't looking

[21:00] Ren: Forget what he said, he's just messing with you

[21:00] Haru: Ren, is everything okay there?

[21:10] Futaba: Aaaand he ignored us again

[15/6/2018]

[08:57] Ann: Ren did what?!

[08:57] Futaba: Like you heard, he kicked Mona out

[08:57] Futaba: He sent him back to Tokyo, and since then he's been trying to come back to Leblanc

[08:57] Haru: Is he okay?

[08:58] Futaba: A little dirty and hungry, but he's fine

[08:58] Haru: Thank goodness

[08:58] Makoto: I can't believe it. Did he actually kicked him? Was it because of the other day?

[08:58] Futaba: Yeah, Ren seriously didn't like Mona texting us those messages

[08:58] Ryuji: So something IS happening

[08:58] Futaba: A lot, from what Mona's telling me

[08:59] Futaba: But the main issue right now seems to be that his parents had a change of heart

[08:59] Ann: As in, someone stole their treasures?

[08:59] Futaba: Yeah. From what Mona says, they had it coming, but Ren denied having done anything

[08:59] Yusuke: That is unusual. For him to engage on a mission on his own...

[08:59] Sumire: Wait. How would sempai even change their hearts? Don't you need the Metaverse for that?

[09:00] Makoto: Right, assuming he did it. How did he do it?

[09:00] Makoto: Does anyone have the nav-app?

[09:00] Sumire: No

[09:00] Ryuji: No

[09:00] Yusuke: Me neither

[09:00] Ann: Nop

[09:00] Haru: No...

[09:01] Futaba: Mona says he felt something when he passed by the subway's stations

[09:01] Haru: The subway? But that's...

[09:01] Makoto: Mementos

[09:01] Ryuji: Godammit! This again?

[09:02] Makoto: Okay, everyone, if the Metaverse is involved, that changes things. We have to act as soon as possible, but we can't be hasty about it.

[09:02] Makoto: Ann, you were coming back for the holiday break, correct?

[09:02] Ann: Yeah, I'll be in Tokyo late next month

[09:02] Makoto: Very well. We'll reunite at Leblanc as soon as everyone is back in Tokyo. Until then, Futaba, can you and Morgana gather any information you can? If the Metaverse returned we have to be able to enter Mementos, even if we don't have the nav-app

[09:03] Futaba: On it

[09:03] Haru: Let's just hope we don't arrive too late

[21/7/2018]

[08:49] Makoto: Everyone, we have good and bad news

[08:49] Ryuji: Hey! The nav-app appeared on my phone

[08:49] Makoto: That were the good news

[08:49] Makoto: Miss Lavenza called me today and explained me the overall Ren situation

[08:50] Ann: Lavenza, Lavenza... Oh, wasn't her the one that helped us with that giant mech and with doctor Maruki?

[08:50] Sumire: Giant mech?

[08:50] Yusuke: She means Yaldabaoth, the blasphemous deity that ruled over Mementos

[08:50] Futaba: Did she tell you what was happening to Ren?

[08:50] Makoto: Yes. And that's the bad news

[08:50] Haru: Miss Lavenza told us a lot, but said she wanted to talk to us all in person before we go into Mementos

[08:50] Makoto: Needles to say, if Lavenza is asking for our help, is because the situation with Ren might be worse than we thought

[08:51] Ann: I'll be leaving for Tokyo today. I refuse to keep Ren dealing with whatever shit he's been dealing alone

[08:51] Ryuji: That makes us two

[08:51] Yusuke: I won't leave him alone either

[08:51] Sumire: Me neither

[08:51] Futaba: Make it five

[08:51] Makoto: There's also something else Miss Lavenza told us, something we'll have to deal with if we want to increase our chances

[08:52] Ryuji: What is it?

[08:52] Makoto: Akechi

The sign said closed, yet when Sumire pushed the door, it opened with the familiar clinging of bells, announcing her arrival. She should be nervous. The task ahead of her was colossal and the stakes were as high as they could be. But for some reason, she was as calm as one can be. Maybe her brain hadn't still grasped the magnitude of the situation. Maybe she was just that confident that everything would go well. Or maybe it's just the atmosphere of Leblanc during the rain. So comfy, so warm, so relaxing.

After putting her umbrella to the side, Sumire stepped forward being welcomed by 5 gazes lying on her. Ann and Ryuji sitting on one side of one of the tables, Makoto and Haru sitting on the other, Yusuke sitting in the counter facing them. She was the last one to arrive, but she wasn't late.

—Sumire! It's been so long!— Ann greeted as soon as she laid her eyes on her. Her energy and caring from the first moment always managing to light up the mood from the get go.

—Ann-sempai! Is good to see you!— Sumire reciprocated with the gentle and firmness she came to be known for.

—Come, we'll make some space for you.

—Don't worry, I'll just take a bench.— Sumire denied Haru's offering as she did exactly what she said.

Normally in this kind of reunion, everyone would start talking, catching each other up to speed with how their lives have been during the past year and a half. But for them that was unnecessary. Daily were the chats they had in the group. Chats about Ann adjusting to the life abroad; about Haru's horrible sense of money and Makoto's constant worry about it; about how incredible is that Ryuji managed to graduate; about how much Sumire was killing it with her latest performances; about how cute Futaba looked in her Shujin uniform. The list went on and on.

Everyone was well up to date with anything any of the others had to tell. Everyone except one.

—You're gonna keep sitting back there like a weirdo or are you coming?— Ryuji wished Ann didn't say anything, Yusuke was indifferent, Haru was only slightly nervous and both Sumire and Makoto silently supported Ann's initiative, although for different reasons.

—I rather not.— Cup of steamy coffee in hand, Akechi rejected Ann's offering from his bench at the other extreme of the bar.

—Akechi, if you're going to come with us to Mementos, you have to cooperate as part of team. You understand that, right?— Makoto had conflictive feelings about him coming. He was strong, but the animosity between him and the rest of the group was a problem.

—We've already cooperated before. I don't see how my attitude, which is the same as it was before, will cause any problem.— Akechi was annoyed, that's just the perpetual state he seem to exist in.

—Then, I can take that as you'll obey my orders?— For the first time, Akechi bothered to look over the border of his eye at the group. Especially, Makoto.

Ren's absence made itself more noticeable than ever. It was clear for the others that him and Akechi had a kind of mutual understanding, a respect Akechi had for no one else other than him, one that Ren reciprocated and allowed him to give orders to Akechi in battle without a single complain. Makoto didn't have that. She couldn't begin to wish Akechi gave that to her. But now Ren is gone, and with that the seat for the leader of the team was vacant, and Akechi knew better than anyone he wouldn't be taking that place.

Clingling*

—We have returned!— Futaba announced their arrival as if the bells of Leblanc weren't enough. Behind her, Sojiro and Sae went inside along with Morgana and a fourth unexpected visitor. —And...! We are not alone!— Like an enthusiastic TV announcer, Futaba posed with her hands presenting the one no one expected to see today.

—Dr. Maruki?!— Sumire was the first to call out to him and the only to stand up to greet him.

—Hello, Sumire. Hello, everyone, it's been a while.— His voice as quiet and friendly as it had always been.

—What are you doing here?— Sumire asked, condensing the thoughts of the rest with her words. It was a surprise to see him here, but not an unpleasant one if you're not Akechi.

—The same as you, although I don't think I'll be as helpful as I would like to.

—But... You know about sempai? How?

—Because I told him.— Behind the newly arrived, yet another guest arrive, this time an expected one.

—Lady Lavenza...

—Please take a seat, everyone. Time is of essence.

Without exchanging a single word, everyone understood the urgency of the situation. Quickly but organized, everyone gather around the table already taken, the recently arrived sitting on bar benches while Futaba sat backwards in the seat behind Ann and Ryuji, while Sojiro went behind the bar, preparing the coffee for what it would be a long talk.

—...And before I could say anything, he disappeared, as if he was never there.— Only once Maruki finished telling what happened, he realized the heavy atmosphere his words put the cafe under.

—God...— Sojiro couldn't help his vocal reaction. He didn't even care that everyone else had barely touched the drinks in front of them.

—Tsk...— Akechi clicked his tongue, only him understanding the true meaning behind his involuntary reaction.

—Dammit!— Ryuji punched the leather seat between him and Ann. Normally she would calm him down before he hurt himself, but right now even she wanted to punch something.

—Liar.— Sae whisper under her breath. Remorse and an ounce of spite coming out of her tongue like poison. Was it against herself for not keeping her promise, or was it against him for not trusting her?

—He was dealing with all that... and didn't even think about asking for help?— Makoto felt her heart having trouble beating, as if a spectral claw had taken a hold on it and squeezed it like a lemon. Her pain only overshadowed by her regret, her frustration. Frustration at the world for putting Ren in this situation, frustration at him for being such an idiot, but most importantly, frustration at herself for not doing something sooner.

—Why...? Why didn't he trust us to help him?— Sumire had trouble speaking, her tears stuck in her throat as of glue stopped her for making a sentence too long.

—I don't think he didn't trust us... I think he just wanted to protect us.— Haru tried to reassure everyone, including herself, but her words only worked as yet another stake in their hearts.

—...— Morgana remained silent, his paws visibly shanking. No words that came out of his mouth could conceive the sheer rage directed at himself.

—I still have trouble understanding... What exactly was he trying to accomplish?— Yusuke's voice faltered. He never felt his voice this weak since he faced Maradame's shadow for the first time.

—I think I understand what happened, but I believe your grasp on the situation is better than mine.— Maruki looked at Lavenza, as the rest of the present. She wasn't crying, her solitude had already been the only witness to her countless tears. She took a deep breath, and then began. Her voice drier and more lifeless as it had ever been.

—Throughout the ages, and specially the last few centuries, for reasons I still don't fully understand, humanity grew progressively lazy in their decisions, relegating them to someone else. This phenomenon cause a powerful shift in the Metaverse, creating what we know as Mementos.

—Yeah, yeah, and Mementos was ruled by this giant cup that was actually the people's treasure-... Ouh!— Ann jabed Ryuji for interrupting Lavenza. Nobody was in the mood for his usual demeanor.

—Yes. Yaldabaoth, the god of control. He came to be because of humanity collective desire of being controlled in safety, without having to worry about making decisions or think for themselves. But that changed two years ago.

—That's when we came in and defeated him, right?— Ann asked.

—Correct. His defeat marked the end of the game him and my master settled. With his demise, humanity was now free to think and act for themselves... At least, that's how it should have been.

—What happened instead is that humanity traded one icon for another. From Yaldabaoth to the Phantom Thieves.— Akechi spoke. He could already see where this was going.

—Yes...— Lavenza let that out with a heavy sigh. —Instead of waking man up with their actions, the Phantom Thieves managed to take the place of authority in their eyes. Back then we didn't realized it because doctor Maruki took that position. But after he was defeated, it was only a matter of time before Re-... the Trickster realized that he had been chosen.

—But why him?! Shouldn't we all had taken that position?!— Makoto lashed out, her frustration getting the better of her. —I'm sorry...— Lavenza gave her a sad smile. She understood perfectly what she was going through.

—Most likely for the same reason as Maruki, because you chose him. As the leader of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, ultimately all the power given to you by the masses fell on his shoulders...

—Wait...— Haru stopped her, an expression of horror twisting her face. —You're saying... We did this to him?— The faces of the rest morphed the moment Haru spoke her realization, eyes almost coming out of its sockets and their irises shirking into tiny dots. Was this their fault? Had Ren suffered all this time because of them? Was him still suffering because of them?

Lavenza looked back at Haru, the calm sadness in her face had disappeared, instead the same silent sight of horror took over her as well. No, it wasn't their fault, their only sin was trusting on their friend to guide them. But her? She now realized what she did, her sisters had made her realize. She tried to help him and all it did was push him even deeper in a pit of despair and insanity. She offered herself to relief him, and all it did was broke him further. If anyone deserved to be blamed, it was her.

—No, you didn't.— Sojiro intervened. —Sometimes in life we accidentally hurt people. Sometimes our good intentions don't translate well into the consequences of our actions. But this isn't like that. You trusted him, you believed from the bottom of your hearts that you could rely on him and that's why you made him your leader, correct?— They nodded. —Everything you did was trust your friend, and a very good one at that. So I'll say it again: this isn't your fault.— Sojiro diverted his gaze from the general group of teenagers and focus on one that has been quiet for a while. —Understood?

—Yeah...— Futaba nodded, hardly able to speak with the joint in her throat.

—...I still don't get it... What happened to him?— Ryuji pressed on.

Of course he wouldn't know, he wasn't there like Lavenza was to see Ren deteriorate day by day, while she did nothing but be a nuisance to-... No. She had to focus. She could bury herself in guilt all she wanted later. Right now she needed to tell them what they needed. She needed them to go save him.

—Since our discovery of his new powers as a man's god a year and half ago, we worked together trying to break mankind free of the prison they had imposed on themselves. Day after day, we reunited in the depths of Mementos, investing, experimenting, spending all our energy attempting to set humanity free. But we failed. Again and again, the shadows refused to leave Mementos. And for each one that returned, the Trickster lost his hope little by little... Until four days ago, when he completely gave up on our mission.

—He... gave up?— Sae asked. —What does it mean he gave up?— The rest stared at Lavenza for the question they feared the answer to.

—The Trickster is not in his right mind anymore. I'm not certain of what he's planning, but considering he has expelled me from Mementos, it's safe to assume is doing something, something he assumes I'll try to stop...

—Wait, wait, wait!— Ann stood up and looked at everyone around her as she talked. —We are assuming Ren will do something bad. Ren. Our Ren. Doesn't that sound a bit extreme?— Just a look at her was enough to realize she was trying harder to convince herself than the others. —I-I mean, Ren has always been the strongest, right?! At our worst time he was always the first one to get up! Isn't it ridiculous to think he might have gone the deep end now? After everything we already went through?

—He already has.— Lavenza whispered involuntary, but unfortunately, loud enough for everyone to hear.

—W-what do you mean...?— Haru was fearful to ask, as the rest were fearful to listen.

—He...— Lavenza stopped herself. Should she say it? Was it the right thing? If she wanted them to save Ren, should she tell them what he did? What if they don't react well? What if they give up on him? What if they...?

—Lady Lavenza?— Lavenza looked back at everyone, now more worried than before thanks to her hesitance. This wasn't the moment to hold back. They deserved to know, they had to if they were really going to face him.

—Ren... he...— The words didn't come out as the air didn't come in. Her chest pained, as if a ball of spikes was stuck in her chest, piercing her lungs and heart. She had to be strong, the had to get it out, even if she made a pathetic show in the process. The others were uncomfortable seeing a child like her fighting so hard to not break down. But they needed to know. They had to. What did Ren do? —He... He killed his parents.

...

...

...

...

...

—...Huh?— Ryuji was the first to come out of his shock, yet everything he could muster was confused noise. His ears knew what they heard, and his brain understood the information perfectly, but his soul refused to believe it.

—Are you certain?— Akechi asked, noticeable more composed than the rest.

—I saw it... Right in front of me... four days ag-...

BAMP!*

—LIKE HELL HE DID!— Ryuji punched the table in a fit of rage, his fist numb after the powerful impact. He couldn't believe it, he couldn't accept it. His best friend... a murderer? Bullshit! This has to be a mistake! Lavenza must be wrong! Ren would never...!

Lavenza looked down, tears finally forming in her shining eyes. The heavy weight of her chest carrying both the sorrow of a widow and the shame of criminal. She wasn't wrong. She wished she was. She wished it was all just a nightmare, a trick of the mind playing a prank on her. But this was reality, and when everyone else understood that...

Silence.

And then, the sound of Ann falling back to her seat.

Everyone had something to say, everyone wanted to say something. But the words simply didn't come out. At moments like this, Ren would be the one to speak up, say something brief but inspiring and motivate everyone to stand up and keep going. But Ren wasn't there. Not anymore. And a part of them feared person they knew no longer existed.

Akechi, as distant as when he arrived, looked to the side, unwilling to show his expression to anyone. Sojiro wanted to be disappointed, yet failed miserably. He couldn't possibly blame his kid more than he blamed himself for not being there for him. Sumire was in shock, her gaze lost somewhere on the table and her brain unable to make sense of anything. Her sempai? Killing someone? In a game, of course! Her sempai would never hurt anyone, let alone kill them! His probably having a good time with his parents, eating lunch like the happy family they must be!

Yusuke's unconscious unwillingness to show his pain forced his body to remain still, his hand covering the lower half of his face, his fingers going white with the strength he was using to hold his tears, a strength none of his pencils or brushes could withstand. Ryuji was also unusually still. His body screaming to stand up, scream, punch something, scream again, kick, move, punch, something. Yet his brain was so overwhelmed by this burning, agonizing frustration, he could only remain still, his sight lost in nowhere at all and his mind refusing to accept the reality laid in front of him. Ann's legs lost all their strength, unable to keep herself standing. Her entire body felt numb, fatigued, barely able to lift its own weight. Not even after a day of stealing someone's treasure, did she feel so exhausted, so powerless. So weak. Once again, she had failed someone she loved.

Haru let her emotions accumulate in her eyes until tears fell down. She remained silent, her expression as neutral as she could keep it, just like she used to be in front of her father after years of silently obeying his orders. Futaba desperately tried to keep that silence to no avail, as own broken voice escaped out of her lips like a wild animal breaking out its cell. The result was the pathetic sob of a child, muffed by her arms hugging her knees while she buried her face between them. She wasn't at fault for what happened to her mother. She wasn't at fault for what happened to Ren. Then why? Why did she feel like this? Why wouldn't her own mouth just shut up?

Sae bit down on her lip with her fang until blood started coming out. An effort to distract her brain with physical before the salty water became too heavy for her eyes to hold. The memory of her promise to Ren wondering in her mind like some kind of cruel joke. A promise she made with her soul and heart and that fate turned into a meaningless set up for a horrible punchline. A duty she subjected herself into not only for Ren's, but for Makoto's sake. Her baby sister, all grown up to a woman with responsibilities, and yet unable to do anything for the man that had done so much for her. Her uselessness laid shameful by fate for the world to see, and her beautiful face ruined by the red traces of her tears and an ugly expression distorted by sorrow.

Amongst everyone, Maruki was holding it together the best, even if that didn't mean much. Conflicting emotions taking his mind from one place to another, none of them worth lingering on for too long, at least not for now. For better or worse, his experience with pain allowed him to take this kind of situations without falling apart as much, yet that didn't mean it hurt any less. The same couldn't be said about Morgana.

—DAMMIT!— Finally, he exploded. Morgana's high pitch voice bursting out of his lung like lava out of a volcano. Its pain wasn't as big as its rage, its earth-shattering fury directed at no one other than himself. Frustration, disappointment and regret. This was the third time Morgana let Ren, his first and best friend, down, as if he was destined to always be nothing but a nuisance to him. All that mighty talk about helping each other, just to let Ren do all the work while Morgana only made things worst. How could he dare call himself his friend? How could he dare call himself anyone's friend?!

—Ren... He really...— Ann tried to muster something, yet her brain failed at forming a cohesive sentence.

—This can't be happening... sempai...

—Preposterous. I refuse to believe such thing!— Yusuke took his hand out of his face, confident his tears wouldn't come out anymore.

—Nobody cares if you believe it not. It happened, accept it.— Akechi slightly turned his head, picking from the corner of his eye at Yusuke.

Futaba made an attempt at screaming at Akechi, but her own sobbing and lack of air stopped her, forcing her to choke in her own anger and frustration against that piece of shit.

—So... we just... have to accept Ren killed two people?— Her sticky throat troubled Haru's voice, yet still she managed to pull through it.

—Godammit...— Ryuji's voice left his mouth like an exhausted exhale. His characteristic high energy crushed under the weight of his frustration against the world and himself.

—If he did...— Makoto tried to put herself together. She had to fight back the tears, crying wouldn't solve anything, let along save Ren. She had to think, think harder than she ever did. Ren was down there, in Mementos, alone and suffering while the imprisoned shadows worshiped him. Their mission was to save him, to pull him out into the light again, but if he has already gone this far then... —Then what does he intent to do now?— Makoto looked at Lavenza, waiting for answer, waiting to continue the conversation and dry her tears.

"I'LL MAKE YOU ALL SUFFER LIKE YOU MADE TO! I'LL RETURN ALL THE PAIN A THOUSAND TIMES OVER!"

His deranged screams still echoed in Lavenza's head. Even after all of this was over, those cries would continue to haunt her dreams for years to come. But sharing that trauma with them was pointless.

—I'm not sure... My vision and passage to Mementos is blocked, most likely caused by his influence. I can't tell you what he's doing there, or what his objective is. All I can tell you... is that he is furious, and there's nothing anymore to hold him from acting on that rage.

—What exactly is the scope of his power within Mementos?— Akechi joined Makoto's efforts to move forward. Licking each other's wounds was already too pathetic for him.

—Absolute. He can mold, shift and bend it to his will. Dr. Maruki never fully realized the true potential he had over it, but the Trickster has, for over a year already. It's likely that the Mementos you find down there is unrecognizable from the one we knew.

—So... Our great plan is to: enter a completely unknown version of Mementos, go all the way down, and then do what? Have a pet talk with Amamiya? If he had the resolve to kill his parents then I'm sure he wouldn't change his mind easily.— Makoto locked her sight on Akechi. His lack of tact was as annoying as ever, but she couldn't say he was wrong. Ren was a decisive person. He never changes his mind easily and once he has an objective, he pushes forward against the world until he achieves it. Even if all of them came together to talk to him, it was possible he would just shut them down.

—I believe there might be a better solution. Nijima, could you show me your phone?— Makoto abided with Lavenza's request, pulling her phone out for her to open the Nav-App.

—Ren Amamiya.

«Match found»

—Of course.— Akechi was irritated, almost disappointed that he didn't figure that out by himself.

—Ren... has a palace?— Yet, Haru, as well as the rest, were caught completely off guard.

—I felt it shortly after he casted me away from Mementos. I can't look into it, but I can feel it... Deep within the collective subconscious, there's the entrance to the Trickster's own distorted cognition.

—It must be similar to my case. He has control over Mementos, while his palace functions as some sort of headquarters.

—I don't understand. How does the kid have one of these palaces helps in any way?— Sojiro was out of the loop, and he wasn't the only one.

—I don't get it either... Isn't that just more work?— Ryuji was as lost as the old man was.

—It is. But it's also a chance.— Makoto explained. —Because if Ren has a palace-...

—He has a treasure!— Ann picked up on it quickly.

—And if he has a treasure...!— Sumire followed her, her scarlet eyes regaining its shine.

—We can steal it!— Futaba stood up from her seat, no longer a pathetic crying ball. Her eyes were red, her skin wet, but her face shined with determination.

—That way you can awaken his heart again... A solid plan, considering your streak.— Sae drew a little smile on her face as hope began to light up everyone's faces.

If they took who the target was from the equation, this was just another mission. Another palace to infiltrate, another treasure to steal, another shadow to defeat. When they put it that way, this was no different from all the times they had they back against the wall and yet succeeded nonetheless. Ren would have time to deal with his actions once is all over. But right now, at this precise moment, it fell on them to return everything he had done for them and go save him from himself.

—UUOOOGGHHHHH!— Out of nowhere, Ryuji jumped out of his seat and screamed at the top of his lungs, his body unable to contain his own hype. —Let's effing do this! Ouch!

—Don't scream!— Ann kicked Ryuji in the butt. Her ears unwilling to put up with his screams right next to her.

—Hehe...— A chuckle and a faint smile, Lavenza had forgotten how good they felt. Even more, she had forgotten how it felt to actually have genuine hope for the future instead of gaslighting herself out of desperation. Thinking back at it, this is was they should have done from the beginning. The Trickster was never meant to complete his journey alone. Even if he had her by her side, he needed his friends, his true family to be there and aid him. Had she remembered that before, none of this would've happened... But this wasn't the time for regret. Now, it's the time for action.

—Everyone brought their equipment, right?— Makoto's question was answered by a collective nod, except for one. —Mona?

—Oh... Yeah, Haru has it...— Hearing Morgana actually speaking words was still a bizarre experience for both Sojiro and Sae. Futaba was the one who took them into the Metaverse with Morgana so that they could understand him, so she took their reactions to his voice like a trophy to be proud of.

—Very well. Boss, the coffee...

—Served and ready.— Sojiro laid a collection of five thermoses on the counter, all filled with warm, fresh coffee. —Honestly, I'm surprised this actually helps you.

—More than you can imagine.— Ann thanked him, while Makoto stood up and took them into her bag.

—Alright... Equipment, checked. Coffee, checked... If anyone needs to go to the bathroom, is now or never.— Ryuji disappeared with the noise of the bathroom door closing.

—Second!— Futaba yelled.

—I assume I'll have to be patient then...— And Yusuke waited.

—Makoto, do you want me to carry the bag? You move a lot more during battle.

—I was about to ask you the same, thanks Ann.

—Makoto-sempai, are you sure we won't need any medicine apart from the coffee?

—It shouldn't be necessary, even without Ren, Mona's healing is already effective enough. Though we'll have to make sure to keep him safe.

—I'll take care of him. My persona is more of a long range one.

—Good call, Haru. In that case, you and Ann can be on the back lines.

—Sakamoto should be with them as well. In case a shadow gets too close, he can retain it while they deal damage from the distance.

—Not a bad idea... Akechi. That would leave you, Yusuke, Sumire and me at the front line.

—An agile and quick composition. Perfect for avoiding damage while dealing heavy strikes.

—Getting quite cooperative, aren't you~?

—I beg of you, don't ever say it like that, Takamaki...

—They have a lot of energy, don't they?— Sojiro commented as the adults watched over the chaotic natural habitat of the Phantom Thieves.

—It's contagious too. It makes you want to do things right.— Sae followed the sentiment. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they changed her life forever.

—The youth, I guess.— The three chuckled with Maruki's comment.

—They are the chosen ones by fate. They are destined to save the world, just like the ones that came before them.— Pride filled Lavenza's eyes, and a warm love bended her lips into a smile.

—Huh? The ones that came before them? What does that mean?— Maruki asked, and now Lavenza chuckled.

—Stories for another day.

The blanket of darkness in front of them. The blood-red lights lighting what little they could see. The cold wind making a shiver ran down their spines. The metallic smell of the train tracks. The whisper and distant moans of agony in the distance, overshadowed only by the occasional train passing by.

This was Mementos, the curse mankind put on itself, a place none of them wished to ever see again and yet they must, for one of their own needed them now more than ever.

—It doesn't matter how much time passes, this place still gives me chills.— Panther stepped forward into the train racks along with the rest, the bag with the coffee on her back. The ambient of Mementos having tampered with her motivation, but not enough to kill her resolved.

—Is it just me or does it feel more unnerving than it used to?— An unusual uneasiness spread amongst them like a toxin, Noir being the first to call notice of it.

—You're autosuggesting yourself. This place hasn't changed at all yet.— Crow was right, but that didn't stopped his brain from doing the same thing.

—The idea of our leader waiting for us at the end of our journey does unsettle me. Considering his domain over this realm, he might already know we're here. Perhaps he is already watching us...— A shiver made everyone stop on their feet.

—Lalalalala! I don't hear you! Stop being weird, Inari!— Oracle jumped quickly on it, the idea of Joker watching the like some sort of evil mastermind freaked her out. She was used to being the one watching, not the one being watched.

—You think sempai might be spying on us?— Genuine fear lighted Violet eyes. In her mind, the memories of her sempai competed with the information of the past few hours, in an effort to form a cohesive image of what kind of person Joker had become. Him spying on them, in silence, as they talked about him, did not help that image at all.

—It's feasible, considering what Lavenza told us.— Crow sounded far calmer than what he actually was.

—Heeeeeey! Jooooookeeer! Can youuuuuu heeeeeeear uuuuuuus!? Ouch!

—Are you actually an idiot!?— Panther jabbed Skull (again).

—Your stupidity never ceases to amaze me.

—I must agree with Crow.

—As if you're one to talk, Inari.

—Can we please keep it together?— Queen's demand was obeyed instantly, everyone knew better than disobeying her.

Whether Joker was spying on them or not was inconsequential. If he was watching them and not doing anything, it was the same as if he didn't. And if he was watching and actively trying to stop them, then she'll have to find a workaround. Either way, it was too soon to jump into conclusions, and hence, too soon for her to worry about it. Priority number one at the moment, was to make their way down to the depths. Hopefully the upper layers weren't too different from what they knew.

—Mona, could you...?— Queen's voice died out as Mona stared unreactive at the black void in front of them.

—Mona-chan? Are you okay?— Noir's voice brought Mona back to reality, seemingly unaware of his surroundings.

—Ah! Yes... Sorry.— Without much of a show, the cat-like creature turned into his van form, ready to venture forward into the darkness. The darkness from which two twin lights began to emerge, gaining strength and clarity as they grew bigger and bigger, and the strangely cute noise of an engine drew closer.

—Wait, it's that...?— Answering Ann's question, a familiar oversized toy truck came out of the darkness like a wall of fog, stopping right next to the Phantom Thieves.

—Oh, it's you! It's been a long time!— Jose, greeted the Phantom Thieves as someone would greet a neighbor. His energic neutrality proper of a child shining like his golden eyes.

—Jose! Long time no see! How've you been?— Ann greeted him back as he got out of his truck and the rest gathered around him.

—I'm still collecting flowers, as always.— A lightbulb lighted up over Queen's head.

—Have the taste of the flowers changed again?

—Yes, actually. They stopped tasting like plastic shortly after you left last time, but since then its taste has grown... how to put it... stronger? More like sour.

—Could that be because of Joker?— Noir asked at no one in particular.

—Probably, but go figure out what that's supposed to mean.— Much like Crow said, Queen had no clue what a sour taste is supposed to mean.

—Have you seen Joker lately?

—Oh, the mister? Yes, I've seen him. He and miss Lavenza have been roaming around for some time, though last time I saw him he was alone.— Ignoring her initial curiosity, Queen focused on the second part.

—When did you last saw him? How was he?

—A while ago...? There was so much noise down below, so I went to check the gate and found him. He said he was... uhh... remodeling? He was being a little weird so I left and soon after the noises stopped.

—Weird? Weird how?— Crow was the fastest to jump at that.

—He acted as friendly as he normally did, but he had this weird look in his eyes that made me feel...— Jose troubled trying to find a word withing his limited vocabulary.

—Funny?

—Lonely?

—Hungry?

—Sleepy?

—Angry?

—Scared.— Panther, Oracle, Fox, Skull and Noir liked their options better. —Mister usually has grey eyes, doesn't he? But when I saw him they were this glowing red.

—Red? Not yellow?— Crow raised an eyebrow, his initial hypothesis discarded.

—No, red. I didn't say anything because I think humans don't like to be said that, but it was hard trying to look him in the eyes without flinching.

—Welp...— Panther looked to the side, a single drop of cold sweat falling of her forehead. —That doesn't sound ominous at all...— The sarcasm in her words was palpable.

—Still, our objective hasn't changed. Thank you, Jose, we'll take it from here.— As Queen thanked the kid and turned around for the Mona-mobile, the other followed her. Jose's witness confirmed what Lavenza said about Mementos. Joker probably was or had already made significant changes to the depths. Whatever that meant for their mission was still uncertain, but she wouldn't bet it'll make it any easier. And the eyes... Joker's eyes tended to flash red from time to time, but the way Jose described it was, at the very least, worrying. At least it confirmed that they were going to face him directly and not his shadow, though it was hard to tell which option was worst.

—Did something bad happened to him?— Jose's voice irrupted Queen's train of thought. The innocence in his expression giving light into his ignorance about any of the current events.

—Something like that, that's why we came to help him!— Haru answered quickly. The others fell short trying to put out the words adequate for the innocence of a kid without running the risk of making him cry.

—Oh! Very well, then.— As if Jose were a normal kid. —If you need something, don't forget to pick up the flowers. I'll trade them for anything you need.

—Sure.— Another thing Queen had to consider...

—Also... Please help mister. When I last saw him... it felt wrong. Something about him seemed off, and I didn't like how it made me feel.— Was that Jose's way of worrying? Or was it something much deeper? Either way, everyone could agree in their hearts with his sentiment.

This was wrong. None of this should have ever happened. Maybe if they took it more seriously before, it would have never come to this. Maybe if they didn't rely on Joker at every chance they got, they would have realized he needed help. Had he just talked to them once, had he just asked for help, they all would have left everything in their lives just to help him like he did not so long ago. But things ended this way nonetheless. Now it was up to them to set things right and pull Ren out of the hellhole he dug for himself.

—Don't worry...— Queen smiled, and so did the rest. Without words, without gazes, without a single gesture, they all understood each other in perfectly harmony. That's what it meant to be a part of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts.

We'll save him, that's a promise.

The echo of heavy footsteps resonanted on the concrete floor below the strength of her legs. The noise bouncing off the gigantic walls of the hallway, so stretched apart from one another that made it look more like a throne room than an actual prison corridor. To each side, 9 vault doors went past her as she continued her walk forward. 4 in one side, 5 on the other. The darknes surrounding them only broken by the scarlet light coming from the red sky beyond the skylight going across across the glass celling, illuminating the individual drawings in each door, drawings belonging to a tarot deck.

At the end of the corridor, the final, tenth vault, bigger than any of the others, with a jester carved on its steel. Even with her two-meter height, the door in front of her was massive, funny considering that she topped over the man behind that door.

—They've entered Mementos. It won't take long before they reach the depths.— Her mature, deep voice overpowered the soon to be gone echo of her footsteps. The authority her vocal cords imposed could only belong to a woman like her. An authority proper of a warden.

—...— Behind the door was only silence, yet she heard his voice in her head as he answered back.

—Should I interfere before they reach the gate?

—...

—I understand. I'll prepare the prisoners of the upper levels the-...

—...

—You believe they'll reach that far?

—...

—No, I honestly don't. And even if they did, they wouldn't be able to pass through them.

—...

—I see. If you believe so, then I'll prepare them as well. May the situation get out of hand, I myself will intervene.

—...

—You rest assure, my Trickster... I won't let anyone lay a finger on you.