Phantom Files Book 2: Rise Of The Monarchs

by sithlorde1988

The sequel to Persona 5-The Phantom Files. A few years after Ren returns home, the Phantom Thieves find themselves drawn back into the Metaverse once again out of nowhere after a mysterious app surfaces with the powers to access the Metaverse. Can the Phantom Thieves stop a mysterious new group of individuals called Monarchs? Better summary in chapter 1! BOTH STORY AND EDITS DONE!

13. Interlude 2: Goro and Kusa's Story

A/N: sithlorde1988 here, with another chapter of Phantom Files, Book 2: Rise Of the Monarchs! And as last chapter was the end of Arc 2, this chapter is therefore another 'interlude' chapter. However, unlike the last interlude chapter, this one will have pretty much all of the Phantom Thieves in it to some extent. That said, I should also mention that a lot of this interlude will be flashbacks.

But at the same time, this is a chapter that anyone who's read the original Phantom Files (which I'd hope is everyone reading this story, since what are you doing reading this if you didn't already read the prequel!? If you didn't, and you're still reading this far into the story, it's your own fault that you might be confused at this point) should be excited for, since it's going to involve a certain explanation that Crow promised Joker before the battle with Maruki near the end of the original Phantom Files. So yeah, hopefully, people will enjoy this interlude. Before anything else, I suppose we should take care of the disclaimer, so let's get that done now, yeah?

Disclaimer: I, sithlorde1988, do not own the Persona series in any way, shape, or form (excluding the OC Kusa/Draconis, and any other OCs that might pop up in the story, all of which are made by, and thus belong, to me unless otherwise noted), and the actual ownership credit for the Persona series belongs to Atlus, Sega, and to a point Koei Tecmo ((at least insofar as the spinoffs (such as Strikers, Tactica, Phantom X, the 'Arena' games, the 'Dancing' games, and the 'Q' games) are concerned)), so all ownership credit goes to them!

With that disclaimer out of the way, I don't think I have much else to say at this point, so let's get on with the chapter. I'll probably have another A/N after the chapter where I say more stuff, so feel free to keep reading after the chapter if you're interested, otherwise here's chapter 13!

Chapter 13: The End of Goro Akechi? Goro and Kusa's Story! Arc 2 Interlude

(Shortly after the end of chapter 12, in the RV with Makoto, Haru, Futaba, Morgana, Yusuke, Ann, Goro, Ren, Sophia, Sumire, Kusa, Sojiro, and Ryuji)

"Okay, so we're all gathered here at your request, Goro. So what's up? Last I checked, we were supposed to be getting ready for the drive to Sapporo?" Makoto asked as Goro spoke up with a slow nod.

"I realize that. However, Kusa and I had a little chat on the way back here, and we both agreed that it was long past time that all of you learned the truth about why I fell off the grid the way I did for the past just over three years, as well as why I did what I did to you all after Sae-san's Palace. The only reason we're not including Zenkichi on this explanation is that, at least for now, I'd prefer for certain people to believe that I died. Granted, all of us in this room, as well as Zenkichi, know otherwise.

As for Zenkichi spilling the beans of me being alive? Most of his explanation would involve the Metaverse, and who's going to believe him if he tries mentioning it anyways? If we hadn't seen it, we'd probably all also think that such a place as the Metaverse existing is pretty farfetched." Goro said sagely as Kusa frowned at Goro's remark before he spoke up with a slow yet wary nod.

"That's true. However, at the same time, we can't keep this pretense going forever, Goro. If nothing else, getting caught out by Zenkichi proved that rather neatly." Kusa said sagely as Futaba spoke up.

"True. But what's this explanation you guys said you have for us? I'm sure we're all curious to hear it." Futaba said as Goro and Kusa exchanged a nod as the former spoke up.

"You wish to get into the story? Very well. But fair warning? It's going to be a bit of a long story, since we're talking about a bit over three years' worth of activities here. So we'll be here for a bit once I get into the story. So if anyone needs the bathroom or to do any shopping, now is the time to do so." Goro said as he and Kusa waited for a short time. When no one made a move to get up or leave, Goro kept speaking.

"Very well, I take that to mean that you're all ready. Know that you CAN get up if you need to do stuff and leave during the story, but please do so in a non-disruptive way, and be aware that you do so at the risk of missing out on parts of the story." Goro said as the others nodded their understanding as Kusa spoke up.

"OK, let's begin the story. To start with, this all began shortly after that battle we had with Goro here inside of Shido's Palace over three and a half years ago." Kusa said as the story began...

(Flashback, about three and a half years prior, outside of the now-former location of Maruki's Palace, with Draconis and Crow)

"Not bad, Draconis. You've improved quite a bit since our last 'spar' inside of Okumura's Palace. But even so, you've still got a ways to go before you legitimately surpass me as a warrior, even if you've surpassed me as a man. But regardless, this is your win. Well played." Crow said as Draconis helped Crow to his feet before speaking up.

"Be that as it may, you fought hard there. I daresay that's the most someone's made me work for a win since that narrow victory I pulled off against Drapophis in Oracle's Palace." Draconis said as Crow frowned at the unfamiliar name Draconis had said and spoke up with a confused look on his face.

"Drapophis? Who's that?" Crow asked as Draconis scoffed and spoke up.

"Plainly put? Drapophis was a cognitive copy of me that was conjured by the ruler of the fourth Palace we infiltrated to try and defeat myself and Oracle, who hadn't yet awoken to her Persona at the time. However, once we drove back Drapophis and Fu-Ta-Patra, who was a monster version of Oracle's Shadow, Drapophis leapt up to help the true ruler of that Palace, or one Wakaba-Sphinx, fight the others, only to be savagely and cruelly torn apart and devoured by the Wakaba-Sphinx shortly after to recover the health she'd lost after the others logged some decent damage with their guns and ranged skills.

Needless to say, both Oracle and Oracle's Shadow took this hard when they learned of it later, and this would in part lead to the latter becoming one with the former and becoming the former's support-specced Persona, Necronomicon. However, due to the bond Oracle and I had unknowingly forged by that point, when she had her Awakening, she also awoke to a second, more battle-specced Persona in Nostradamus, though I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if she's successfully evolved them both by this point. Either way, for all that he was copied from me, Drapophis was nowhere near my skill level, despite being based on me." Draconis said as Crow slowly nodded and spoke up.

"I see. That makes a lot of sense. Now, I believe you asked me about why I felt the need to do all I've done thus far?" Crow asked as Draconis nodded and spoke up.

"That's correct. I did ask about that, mainly since I have a hard time believing that you might possibly have sufficient levels of hatred for Joker to actually want him dead of your own volition, Crow. Care to explain yourself?" Draconis asked as Crow sighed and spoke up.

"Very well. To start with, you know better than most how difficult, if not outright frustrating, it is to live with not knowing your father for most of your life. But now you also know the pain of knowing your father couldn't be bothered to be there for you because he was too busy worrying about his own agenda, or whatever other rhetoric and/or bullshit reason Masayoshi Shido might have for not being there for either one of us.

However, what you likely are NOT aware of is that he has his own circle of vicious associates who have a very dim view of traitors. As such, if it were to get out that I, even indirectly, helped in the effort to bring down Masayoshi Shido from power, I could have a large number of hits put out on me, and then eventually also put out on all of you. So, it was for the protection of the collective whole of the Phantom Thieves that I pushed you all away after Sae-san's Palace. Truth be told, I found myself quite drawn to you all, and enjoyed working with you.

As for why I tried to kill Joker? I'll admit, that part was in part me acting on a mix of jilted pride and resentment of Joker. As I said in Shido's Palace, I feel like he has everything I tried so hard to get for myself- friends, people who love and respect him, recognition, and more importantly, people he can count on and rely upon. Whereas I, by comparison, only had whatever fleeting fans I made with my facade of being an ace detective. So once Joker managed to successfully surpass me in every way possible, I let my anger guide me forward from that point on, and I agreed to Shido's request to eliminate the Phantom Thieves, starting with the leader.

However, what neither myself nor Shido-san accounted for, much less expected, was for you to step up as such a capable interim leader and second-in-command. Truthfully, I respect that you were able to keep a level head after that trap I set for you and your friends. I can't say I blame you for being livid with me when it came out that I tricked you all into a trap. So, I suppose, in the end it came down to me being unable to resist my bitter and jealous desires to surpass and conquer Joker. Does that make any sense?" Crow asked as Draconis spoke up with a nod.

"It does. You just wanted to have people who would support and be there for you unconditionally. And to be frank, that's not a bad thing at all. But what I think you failed to realize was that even before your trap, most of us were genuinely impressed with your charisma, levelheadedness, and confidence. I'll even admit that for a time, I was a bit jealous and resentful of you because of it, because I felt like you had true talent.

However, I found it frustrating that it seemed to me like you were wasting it on things like revenge, evil, and even pointless bloodshed. I understand you were lashing out because Masayoshi Shido turned out to be worse than human trash and is in no way, shape, or form fit to call himself any sort of a parent, much less a man, but even then, you have to admit that what you've done is wrong. That being said, though, I think you need to understand something." Draconis said as Crow blinked and spoke up in surprise and confusion.

"Oh? And what might that be?" Crow asked as Draconis surprised Crow by smiling softly at him when he spoke up.

"This. No matter what you've done so far, or that you tried to kill Joker, you're still family to me. And I never, NEVER, turn my back on family! Even if said family attacks the rest of my family. So as long as you're willing to turn your back on your old ways and make an honest attempt to turn over a new leaf while atoning for your sins, I will always have your back in whatever way I can, Crow. And why is that, you might ask?

Simply put? It's because that's what a real family does for one another. They're there to pick one another up, and always have one another's backs unconditionally. So don't feel like you're alone, Crow. Because guess what? You're not alone anymore. I might be disappointed in what you've done recently, but you've still got me. And I'm not going anywhere unless you ask me to, Crow. Not now, not ever." Draconis said as Crow gasped at Draconis' response before smiling wryly as he spoke up.

"Well, well. I wasn't expecting that from you, Draconis. But to be honest? Maybe you're right. It might well be time for me to turn my back on my old ways and start truly and sincerely walking the path of justice, as I've claimed to do all along. However, I don't see it being an easy road to walk, partly since I wholly accept that it's a fairly good bet that not only Joker, Oracle, and Noir, but also Sumi and the others, might never forgive me, if only because of what I tried to do to Joker, not even mentioning how I hurt both Noir and Oracle. And honestly, I'm shocked you don't hate me for the amount of pain and suffering I caused your girlfriend when I took her mother from her. I half-expected you to be out for my head because of that." Crow said as Draconis spoke up with a rather sheepish wince.

"Yes, well, that would be the me of a few months ago, or the me that I was before coming to Yongen-Jaya and meeting the others. Since then, I've matured a good bit, and realized I can't just blindly hate those who wrong me and those I'm close to. I've had to learn to see the 'grey', so to speak, in people's actions. And a lot of your actions are very much steeped in grey areas, Crow.

Nowadays, I realize you've had a lot to deal with, so I'm trying to be sympathetic with your situation as best I can. As far as the others forgiving you? You might be surprised how forgiving most of them can be. However, I'll admit you might have a tough time getting Oracle, Sumi, and Noir to forgive you, since you did some pretty fucked-up shit to people close to each of them.

As for Joker? I think he's a chill enough guy that he'd forgive you if you're honest with him and tell him most, if not all, of what you just told me. But the best I can tell you with Oracle, Sumi, and Noir is to give them time after you apologize to figure out for themselves how they'll react to your apology. And then accept whatever they decide, even if it's not a favorable decision for you. Overall, just be patient and stay the course, and I have confidence that you can eventually atone for your sins." Draconis said as Crow smiled and spoke up.

"Hmm. Maybe you're right. But enough about that. What say we get out of here? I dunno about you, but I don't think this is a decision we should be having in a more or less unknown section of the Metaverse." Crow said as Draconis nodded and the two made to leave the Metaverse...

*Time Skip- shortly before the third semester of Royal, in the detention level of Maruki's Palace, with Draconis and Crow*

After Draconis came to, he found himself chained to a wall and groaned as he spoke up.

"Why am I chained to a freakin' wall?" Draconis said as a familiar voice spoke up.

"You mean, besides the fact that you foolishly gave yourself up to try and save me?" Crow asked as he stepped into view outside of the bars of Draconis' cell, making him blink as he spoke up.

"Crow!? Why are you here? I gave myself up so you could escape!" Draconis said as Crow spoke up.

"And I did. However, I knew I couldn't leave you here after what you did for me the other day, so here I am to try and rescue you." Crow said as Draconis spoke up.

"Thanks. But might I suggest you wear a disguise? Or maybe you want Maruki's goons to snuff you if they spot you? After all, I heard him telling his goons to send some actualized clone of you out to work with Joker and the others as a Phantom Thief. Something to do with it being Joker's actualization that he wanted to settle his rivalry with you and keep some promise you two made? I didn't get it, but either way? I know you're putting yourself in danger just by being here." Draconis said as Crow spoke up.

"So freaking what? Did you or did you not just tell me recently that family sticks by each other no matter what? As for this clone you mentioned, if I can get you out of there, we can take him out together." Crow said as Draconis scoffed and spoke up.

"Riiiight. And you can totally break through these shackles keeping me stuck to the wall. Damn Maruki's goons anyways for doing this to me! I didn't think he had such a vicious side to him. He's usually so kind and understanding. Yet, there's no mistaking that it was the actual Maruki and not his Shadow that rules this Palace, as unlikely as that should be to happen. So, the way I see it? That means one of two things.

Either: A)Maruki was playing us all this entire time and was really evil and using us to achieve whatever ambition he currently has, or B)His desire to make others happy has distorted him to the point that he's become obsessed with achieving his goals at any cost. Either way, whatever his reasons, his current plans are not good for us. However, if we can manage to get you off the path of darkness and hatred, then we can likelier than not do the same for him. Of course, for now, we have to let him think his plans are proceeding as expected, if only so as to lull him into a false sense of security while we work to undermine said plans from behind the scenes.

As it is, I've already taken steps to ensure several key people get letters that will hopefully jog their memories of me, since I'm nearly positive that Maruki, the scumbag that he's turned out to somewhat be, will have no doubt tied most of his actualizations to having a trade-off involved, and I'd be shocked if he didn't make that trade-off wiping people's memories of me, for those who have actualizations that know me. And unfortunately, if I'm right? I fear that only Joker, you, and Sumi will even somewhat remember me, though I'm hopeful that Oracle at least remembers the love we share if she sees the letter I left her and the others.

Yes, I'm aware that doing that is a calculated risk, but I was told recently that I'll have to take a few of said risks in order for things to play out as they're intended to. But, at the same time? I have faith that the others will remember me soon enough, Boss included." Draconis said as Crow blinked and spoke up.

"Good point. Ugh, I don't like it, but you're right. I'll have to leave you be for now, and come back later to save you. But that doesn't mean I can't take my own steps to undermine Maruki's plans too." Crow said as Draconis blinked at this, but before he could voice his confusion and/or concern, another voice spoke up.

"Well, well. It seems as if the rumors of another intruder in the detention level were true. But who would've thought it'd be one such as yourself, Crow?" Crow and Draconis heard, both turning as one to face the new arrival, before they gasped at the apparent identity of the new arrival. Crow frowned and spoke up.

"Wait, are you Maruki's version of me!?" Crow asked the figure, now revealed to be another cognitive Akechi, who nodded and spoke up.

"Correct. However, my lord has instructed me that not only do I have to bring you to him alive, but I'm also not supposed to allow any harm to come to either of you. Truth be told, I'm not sure why he wants another of us, but I suppose far be it from me to question my lord's benevolent and profound wisdom." The cognitive Akechi said as Draconis and Crow exchanged a nod as Crow spoke up.

"Very well, you win. Take me as your prisoner." Crow said, faking like he was surrendering. The cognitive Akechi nodded and spoke up.

"Ah, so you surrender? A very astute decision of us, if I do say so myself." The cognitive Akechi said as he went in to seize Crow, only to stagger back and groan as he felt something sharp embed itself into his chest, followed by a flash of light and another sharp object driving itself through his chest, and a third object going through his back, making him grunt as he staggered to the side, slumped over, and dissolved into black mist from the unlikely triple assault from Thailog, Crow, and Loki. After dismissing their Personas, Draconis looked at Crow and spoke up.

"Hurry! Get out of here before reinforcements arrive, Crow! After all, you have to survive to help guide the rest of the team here! And if I'm right, you and Joker will be back here with Sumi later to investigate this place. Do nothing to interfere with what happens that day, other than to give Joker a nudge if needed to ensure he does what needs to be done, as it might hurt him in the short-term, but if he does what needs to be done, it'll be immensely beneficial to both himself and Sumi in the long run. And I think I can trust you to ensure things happen as they're meant to happen." Draconis said as Crow gave Draconis a confused look and spoke up.

"Sumi? Who the hell is that, and why do you keep mentioning them when bringing up the past few times we saw each other? Also, what does my leaving you captive here have to do with how things are meant to happen?" Crow asked as Draconis frowned and spoke up.

"Think about it, Crow! If I escape with you, Maruki will realize we're on to his plans and change them so we can't interfere with them any further. No, as much as it's not a fun time nor a pleasure cruise here, my remaining here will let Maruki think his plans are on track and thus encourage him to hopefully let down his guard, making it significantly easier to infiltrate his Palace if needed. Also, someone's going to need to keep the other Thieves in check so that most of them don't try and kill Maruki once they see what he's been doing in his Palace, to say nothing of what I suspect he's put poor Yoshizawa-san through.

And to answer your question? Sumi is the code name Joker and the others agreed to give Kasumi as a place-holder code name once she joined the team. But I think you might've surmised that already, given you taunted Joker and Sumi both about it when we ran into you in Shido's Palace. Now go! If you take too long, Maruki might send more reinforcements, and you'll have a harder time getting away." Draconis said as Crow gritted his teeth and nodded as he spoke up.

"Ugh. Grr! FINE! But I'll be back for you eventually! I'm not leaving my brother to rot in here like this, dammit." Crow said as he vanished into the shadows to make his escape from the Palace, leaving Draconis to smile to himself, knowing that was another of the risks he had to take being taken successfully. Draconis then smiled to himself as he relaxed, knowing he was going to be here awhile...

*End Flashback-back in present for now, with Ren, Morgana, Ryuji, Ann, Yusuke, Makoto, Futaba, Haru, Goro, Sumire, Kusa, Sophia, and Sojiro*

"Wait, hold up. WHAT!? What do you mean you made Goro leave you prisoner in Maruki's Palace, Kusa!? Were you out of your mind when you asked that of Goro?" A very visibly stunned and horrified Futaba asked, clearly shocked at what the group had heard so far. Kusa winced but nodded as he spoke up.

"Exactly as it sounds. I knew it wasn't a popular choice, but I also knew that if I had escaped with Goro that day, there was way too high of a chance that Maruki might suspect something and either move up his plans or change them to allow for my escaping. And if he did that, who's to say what effect it might have had on his Palace? No, the way I look at it? I think I made the choice that gave you guys the greatest chances of successfully infiltrating the Palace and saving me, which you did both of.

The fact that Sumire and I both ended up getting true Awakenings in Maruki's Palace before we cleared it out and changed Maruki's heart was just an added bonus in my opinion. I understand if most of you are upset with me for how I chose to handle that situation, but I did what I felt was the best thing for the mission. So I'm sorry for upsetting everyone, but I'm not going to lie to you all." Kusa said as Goro nodded and spoke up.

"Kusa is right. I wasn't a fan of his choice either at first, but after I sat and thought about it more, I realized he was wise in how he handled the situation. In addition to what he said about Maruki's reaction, there was the fact that he was expecting a version of me to appear as Joker's actualization. The reason I say this is that apparently Maruki, in all of his so-called benevolence and wisdom, believed Joker's ideal reality to be one in which he got to try and settle the rivalry he and I have going. As if he could hope to realistically do so without one hell of a fight." Goro said as Kusa frowned and spoke up.

"True, but let's stay on the subject, yeah? I believe we were discussing the particulars of your involvement in Maruki's Palace, not my questionable decision-making." Kusa said as Goro winced and nodded before he spoke up.

"Ah, yes, so we were. I believe the next part of the story was the night you and I somewhat settled the score over a game of billiards, yes?" Goro asked as Kusa nodded and Goro kept speaking.

"Very well, I'll take this part of the story as well. You see, it happened a bit like this." Goro said as he began telling the next part of the story...

*Flashback-Two nights before Maruki's calling card, at the Penguin Sniper with Goro and Kusa*

"Not bad, Amamiya-kun the younger. You're getting better. I believe that's your win? And you notched it fair and square, even. Well done." Goro said cheerfully as Kusa spoke up with a nod.

"Indeed. I had a feeling I was good at billiards, but I didn't think I was good enough to beat you. We'll ignore the quibble of if you used your off hand or not, since that's not important. The point is, I got a win over you, fair and square. I'm improving." Kusa said happily as Goro nodded and spoke up.

"You sure are. Now, we have more serious matters to discuss. And, to be honest with you? I think you might be the only one I feel comfortable discussing these matters with, so if you're agreeable to it, can we move this discussion to my place?" Goro asked as Kusa blinked but spoke up.

"Your place!? That's interesting. You don't usually invite us over. But sure, we can do that." Kusa said as Goro spoke up.

"That's true. But to be fair, I don't usually have reason to invite others over, but it's a necessity in this case." Goro said as Kusa nodded and the two relocated to Goro's house to continue their discussion. As it turns out, Goro's house was in actuality a modest, but quaint, two-bedroom apartment on the other side of Yongen-Jaya, not too far from the train station he and Ren head for to take the train to school.

After heading inside, Kusa looked around, taking in the rather austere dark green walls and very appropriate dark blue and black curtains as he noticed the rather simple but elegant table set by the kitchen, with four chairs set around it, plus the recliner in the front room with a TV in front of it. With a smirk, Kusa made note of the blue and black custom colored PS4 that Goro currently had hooked up to his TV. Kusa then spoke up.

"Ah, I see. So you do a bit of gaming in the little bit of free time you have, then?" Kusa asked Goro, pointing at the PS4 with a grin. Goro blinked and spoke up.

"Oh, that? I game a little, yes. But I moreso use that as my TV, since I can't afford cable with most of my spare money going into the rent and other various bills, plus living expenses. Not to mention, having to cover school fees. I was lucky to afford this, truth be told." Goro said before he turned serious and kept speaking.

"But in all seriousness, I invited you here, because I wanted to ensure we couldn't be overheard discussing what I'm about to share with you." Goro said as Kusa nodded and spoke up.

"Ah, I see. More of that 'highly top-secret, do not tell anyone' type of thing, then?" Kusa asked as Goro nodded and spoke up.

"Just so. But for real, listen closely. When I told you before that our father's associates take a dim view of anyone they perceive to be traitors to them, I wasn't lying. I don't know how, but somehow it got out that I helped bring Shido down. Probably when I testified against him to get Ren out of more jail time after he and the others saved the world defeating some false God of Control or something like that.

Either way, all I know for sure is that now a lot of Shido's former associates want me dead for being the reason that Shido got taken down. So now, I'm in the position where I have to seemingly go into hiding once we defeat Maruki. But to do that, I'll need your help, since I'm going to need someone to help cover my tracks so there's not a trail leading back to me.

So, will you do it, Kusa? Will you help me pull off the illusion that I'm dead? I know we can't spin it so that I died to protect the others, but surely there's a way we can make it seem like I passed away, so that the world will believe me to be gone, and thus throw Shido's former associates off my trail long enough for me to get away and slowly start to make a fresh start for myself under a different name." Goro said as Kusa's jaw dropped and he spoke up with wide eyes.

"Wait, WHAAAAT!? Let me make sure I'm understanding you right, Goro. You want me to help you make a lot of people think you've died, and get them off your trail so that you can manage to start over anew and atone for all your sins? You do realize how badly this could go for us both if I agree to help with this, and we both get caught, right?" Kusa asked as Goro spoke up.

"I realize that. But as long as it stays just between us for now, that should go a long way in keeping others from finding out about this. Unfortunately, that means that you're not going to have a choice but to keep it from the others for now, since I know for a fact that Ryuji and Morgana both would probably inadvertently draw attention to it with those mouths of theirs, and I'm not sure if either Haru or Futaba would try to use this to get revenge on me somehow." Goro said warily as Kusa spoke up.

"Perhaps. But I don't think either of them would do that. Of course, I could be entirely wrong about that. But very well. I did say I would do what I can to help you before, didn't I? I'm not happy about having to keep this from Ren and the others, but I'll abide by your wishes in this matter. But what DO I tell them if they ask about what happened to you?" Kusa asked as Goro smirked and spoke up.

"I was hoping you'd ask that. As for what to tell them, just tell them I gave myself up to buy you time to escape or something like that, then say you were sworn to secrecy if pressed about it, since I feel like that's a rather you response to that sort of question. And as for Futaba, when the time comes, you can tell her it was my fault you couldn't tell her sooner, and I'll back you on that, since I wouldn't want to cause problems with you and your girlfriend. After all, you've been there for me through a lot recently, so it's only fair that I'm there for you in return where applicable, at least to some extent." Goro said as Kusa nodded and spoke up.

"Ahhh, I see. That makes sense. But then the other question I have is this. How do we pull off the illusion that you passed away? After all, surely someone's going to come around here looking for your body to confirm your demise. Or was your plan to fake it in such a way as there being no remains to recover?" Kusa asked as Goro spoke up.

"I was thinking something along the lines of the authorities responding to a fire and then conveniently dragging a body out wearing my clothes, so as to make them believe it's me. Risky, yes, not to mention illegal as hell, but if we can pull it off? I can not only make the world believe that Goro Akechi is no more, but also be able to have a relatively clean slate with which to be able to begin to make amends for all the sins I've committed in my young life." Goro said as Kusa blinked and spoke up.

"I mean, I see how that makes sense. And I guess it would be foolish to assume it's as simple as going into a church and asking for forgiveness that way after confessing your sins. And somehow, I doubt a heavenly pardon is going to get you a pardon here on Earth. Very well, we'll do it your way. But I want it on the record that this was YOUR idea. And I also want it known that I would never willingly agree to kill my family, nor would I ever willingly do anything to deceive them.

As long as you realize these three things, I'll agree to help you, however reluctantly I might be doing so. After all, I agree that you deserve the chance to right your wrongs as much as you can. Also, you're not very well gonna be able to do that for anyone if you get yourself killed." Kusa said. Goro spoke up.

"Very well, it seems we're in agreement. Shake on it?" Goro asked as Kusa nodded and shook Goro's hand, sealing the pact between them...

*End flashback-back in the present once more with Ren, Morgana, Ryuji, Ann, Yusuke, Makoto, Futaba, Haru, Goro, Sumire, Kusa, Sophia, and Sojiro*

"Wait, so that story Morgana told us before about Goro giving himself up to give you time to escape was a carefully-calculated lie by you, Kusa? How DID you get back out then, if not with Goro's help?" Ren asked as Kusa spoke up, turning to look Ren in the eyes as he spoke, surprising Ren with the amount of seriousness that was visible in his eyes..

"I never said it was all a lie. He did help me to escape, Ren. However, we both got out together. Goro's actual disappearance into hiding came later, and this is the part where I'm still amazed to this day that we didn't almost blow Goro's cover with how close we came to you walking in on Goro talking to our parents." Kusa said as Ren's eyes widened rather comically on hearing this before he turned to look at Kusa and spoke up.

"Wait, WHAAAAATTTT!? For real!? You mean to tell me that that shuffling I heard the day I came home was our parents scooting you and Goro out the back way? Were they in on whatever you two did to get Goro hidden away from the world for the past few years?" Ren asked as Kusa spoke up with a slow nod.

"Yes, that's correct. It's a bit of a long story, but I'll take this part. See, it happened like this." Kusa said as he began explaining the story of how he had enlisted his and Ren's mom, along with Ren's dad, to help him pull off the ruse of Goro seemingly being dead to the world...

*Flashback- during Ren's stint in jail, in an apartment in Okinawa, with Kusa, Goro, and an unfamiliar man and woman*

"Is this place REALLY where you and your brother used to live, Kusa? I find that hard to believe." Goro said as Kusa laughed and spoke up as the two approached the apartment building that Kusa and Ren had once lived in, which was a rather modest two-story apartment complex. Fortunately for Ren and Kusa, their apartment had been on the second floor when they lived here with Ren's dad along with Ren and Kusa's mom.

"That's entirely fair, Goro. And, believe it or not? I get that a lot. But sure enough, we lived in an apartment. Heck, we barely had enough rooms for Ren and I to have our own rooms. Our mom, for her part, slept on the couch most of the time, even though she deserved to have one of the rooms. I'd have willingly shared with Ren if needed just so she didn't have to sleep on the damn couch so often, since that shouldn't be something a mother has to do for her kids.

Even so, she insisted on doing it this way since she didn't want to make us share a room. Say what you will about her and how she may have resented me at times, but when the chips were down, I could tell that she loved Ren and I both a great deal. Also, I think she was okay with the sofa since she and Ren's dad got to cuddle together a lot with that setup." Kusa said as Goro took in the upstairs apartment that he was standing in front of while Kusa knocked on the door before Goro spoke up.

"So, your mom lives here with Ren's father? Do I have that right?" Goro asked as Kusa nodded and spoke up.

"Precisely. And they seem rather comfortable with the arrangement. Thankfully, with what I suspect she and Sojiro discussed, she'll have her own room to share with Dad, by which I mean Ren's dad, soon enough." Kusa said as Goro blinked and spoke up.

"Wait, what? What do you-!?" Goro asked, but was cut off before Kusa could reply to him by the sound of a rather confused voice at the door.

"Yeah, who's there?" Goro heard an unfamiliar voice ask as Kusa smiled, almost as if recognizing the voice that had spoken, before he eventually spoke up.

"Sorry for the sudden visit. It's Kusa, and I brought a friend along." Kusa replied, turning to give Goro a look that clearly said 'play along and let ME do the talking for the most part!', which Goro wisely nodded to as the door opened to reveal a man at the door who was around 5'7 or so, or at least that's what Goro would estimate the man's height to be if he'd had to guess. But you could tell by the easygoing expression and striking brown eyes that this was clearly Ren's father, mainly because of how similar this man's facial structure was to Ren's. The man then blinked as he saw Kusa and spoke up.

"Kusa? I wasn't expecting you to stop by. Much less to stop by with a friend. But I know you well enough to know you wouldn't do so without a reason, so come on in." Ren's father said as Kusa nodded and led Goro inside, where the man got them situated at the table before he disappeared into the back to retrieve Kusa and Ren's mom from the room in the back. After a bit, Ren's father returned with a smiling, if rather short, woman who Goro had mentally clocked as being about 5'5 or so, maybe around an inch or two shorter than Ren's father. Goro blinked at the woman's striking brown eyes and easygoing, if slightly wan, smile.

Goro could tell at a glance that Kusa got most of his facial features and his hair color from this woman, along with his eyes, since this woman had the same defined but pointed cheekbones, wise yet knowing expression, and shoulder-length brown hair, that like Kusa's, was pulled into a loose ponytail that hung at her back. While Goro was appraising the new arrival, she walked over to Kusa and hugged him eagerly as she spoke up.

"Kusa! I was hoping you'd come to see me eventually. I know you and Ren are probably still upset at us for not doing more to stop you from being sent away, but I need you to understand, our hands were tied. If we hadn't agreed to send you two into exile for a year for Ren's probation, they were going to have you arrested alongside Ren, and probably put on your own probation, just for what they deemed to be you threatening a public official. Never mind the fact that we're all in agreement that such a claim is a total crock of absolute horse shit, but good luck convincing the government of that. Either way, I'm so happy to see you." The woman said to Kusa, who smiled wryly at her and spoke up.

"I know, Mom. I realize full well why you did what you did. I hold no ill will towards you for doing what you felt you had to. Am I disappointed you didn't try harder to protect Ren? Yes, I am. But I can understand how you had no choice but to go along with what the system did to me and Ren. But I'm not here to talk about that night, believe it or not. The reason I'm here has everything to do with my friend here. Goro, meet Ren and I's mother, Momoe Amamiya. The gentleman next to her is Ren's father, Taichi Amamiya.

Mom, Dad, meet my friend Goro Akechi. And yes, before you ask, he is the same Goro Akechi you think he is. However, he feels terrible for everything he's done and wants to be able to make amends for what he's done, but he's not really in a position to be able to do that. If you'll hear us out, I can explain to you exactly why we're here in detail." Kusa said as Momoe and Taichi nodded their understanding as Momoe spoke up.

"Oh? Well, I trust your judgement, son. So if you think we need to hear you out, then we will. Right, Taichi?" Momoe asked Taichi, who nodded and spoke up.

"Right. Besides, if anyone here has a right to be upset at him for what he did, it's you, Kusa. Not only did Goro here try and kill your older brother, he also killed your girlfriend's mother. But you're here trying to help him. So that tells me that you've mostly forgiven him. And if you can find it in your heart to do so, then so can we. So please, explain everything to us." Taichi said sagely as Kusa nodded and proceeded to relate the same story to his parents that Goro had previously told him about Shido's associates being out for his blood and wanting him dead. Once he was finished, Taichi frowned and spoke up.

"I don't like what you've told us, Kusa. But I also don't believe you to be the type to lie, especially about such serious matters as the ones you've spoken of, so I believe you. Still, why the hell do they allow pieces of shit like Masayoshi Shido to hold any sort of authority? I've always maintained that corrupt asshats like that shouldn't be allowed into positions of power! And come to think of it, wasn't Masayoshi Shido also the man who forced you and Ren into exile in the first place?" Taichi asked as Kusa spoke up with a slow nod, expecting the question that Taichi had asked.

"Yes, that's correct. However, as it turns out, we've also since learned that he's also my biological father, though through some VERY unconventional, and frankly fucked-up means. I'm not going to go into detail on those means, out of respect for Mom's peace of mind, and because I feel like mentioning them is only going to make us all get off topic and want Masayoshi Shido's head mounted on a friggin' pike.

However, we are going to be circling back to the bit about Shido turning out to be my biological father, since it's relevant to why I'm helping out Goro like I am despite what he's done to several people I care about. As it turns out, I'm not the only illicit child Shido has running around that's currently sitting in this room." Kusa said as Momoe blinked at this before gasping as her eyes looked from a thinly-smiling Kusa, to a pensive looking Goro, and then back to Kusa before they widened in realization of what Kusa was alluding to, prompting her to give Goro a sympathetic smile as she spoke up.

"NO! Are you trying to tell me that Goro here is actually your half-brother by that asshole?" Momoe asked as Kusa nodded and spoke up.

"Just so, Mother. Apparently, Shido took up a fairly short-lived relationship of sorts with Goro's mom, but dumped her when he found out she was expecting Goro. Needless to say, it didn't have any good consequences for Goro. And in part, because Goro helped to bring Shido down, now he has several hits out on his head. But all Goro here wants is to be able to get that heat off his back so he can have a fresh start and be able to try and start atoning for his many sins. But as you can imagine, that's not easy to do for someone who's dead. So we need to be able to convince the world he's dead, preferably without having to stoop to illegal means to do so.

After all, to be honest? I'd much rather not have Goro, let alone yourselves, being arrested for helping to stage Goro's death using illegal methods. And I damn sure don't want Ren and the others caught up in that. That's entirely unfair to them!" Kusa said as Taichi and Momoe exchanged a look and Taichi spoke up.

"I don't know about the whole faking Goro's demise angle, but if he doesn't mind a dingy two-bedroom apartment, we don't mind putting him up here for a while, provided he's okay with taking Ren's room for now, since your mom and I may or may not have taken your old room over, Kusa." Taichi said as Kusa smiled and spoke up with a nod.

"I'm more than fine with that, Dad. I've been saying Mom didn't need to be stuck sleeping on that damn couch for months now, anyways. So if it means she has a bed to sleep in, I don't mind giving up my room for her, and for you. So by all means, keep using my room. Besides, it's not like I need it just now anyways, considering the fact that Ren and I are still living in Yongen-Jaya until late March, I think it's the 20th that we're supposed to take the train back here?" Kusa said as Momoe nodded and spoke up.

"That's true. It's March 20th in the morning, to be precise, that you and Ren are supposed to be moving back here. However, between us? I might be having a chat with Sojiro about that soon. I think we might need to rearrange those plans slightly. But I want that to be a surprise, so forget I mentioned that for now, yeah?" Momoe said as Kusa nodded and spoke up.

"That's fair. Well, I guess for now, I'll take Goro home to get what he needs for a few weeks and then bring him back out this way so he can get settled in living with you guys for a time. Thanks for being so willing to help out. I know that's a lot to ask, especially considering what Goro tried to do to Ren. But I'm glad we can all agree to forgive him for that. And sorry for showing up uninvited like I did. I should've at least called ahead, but I wasn't sure if you'd have been up or not, and there wasn't really time to call ahead at the time." Kusa said as Taichi smiled and spoke up.

"That's okay, Kusa. I'm just happy to see that you're trying to do the right thing, even if it is through slightly questionable means. But sometimes a real man has to do questionable things for what he believes in. I'm glad you remembered that lesson when I imparted it to you." Taichi said as Kusa nodded and spoke up.

"Of course I did. I remember all the lessons you taught me, Dad. You might not be my biological father, but you're one of the two men I most consider to be a father figure in this world, the other being Sojiro Sakura." Kusa said honestly as Momoe smiled and spoke up.

"Truly? I'm both surprised and impressed. But then again, at the same time, from what we've heard about you and Sojiro's daughter hooking up, maybe it's not so surprising you'd have a close relationship with Sojiro. Actually, I'm impressed he's so accepting of you dating his daughter." Momoe said as Kusa spoke up with a wince.

"Yes, well, he wasn't accepting of it at first. However, once I convinced him that I had nothing but the purest and most noble of intentions towards Futaba, he relented, especially after he saw for himself how much of a good influence I am on her. Of course, it helps that I may or may not have had to help drive off the asshat who calls himself Futaba's uncle.

That person's seriously friggin' lucky I have restraint nowadays, much less respect for both Sojiro and Futaba. He was so close to getting the crap beat out of him the other day, but I refrained from pummeling him out of respect for Sojiro and Futaba. Even so, how dare he call Futaba damaged goods and a bitch in front of me?" Kusa said irately as a wide-eyed Taichi spoke up in shock.

"He said WHAT!? To be honest, I'm actually impressed that you didn't hit him, Kusa. I know I taught you that a real man doesn't disrespect, much less mistreat, a woman. And it sounds like Futaba's uncle did both. But I suppose it's enough that you're there for her as much as you can be. So I can't be too surprised you're trying to be mature for her." Taichi said as Kusa nodded slowly, making both Momoe and Goro exchange identical smirks at how red Kusa's cheeks got when he spoke up.

"That's true. But at the same time, it's not exactly difficult to restrain myself, when I think about how much having Futaba in my arms feels absolutely right, and even almost like she was meant to be there, if that makes sense." Kusa said sagely as Momoe smiled and spoke up.

"Oh, I see what's going on here. Not only are you committed to this Futaba girl, but you're totally in love with her. Good thing you two are already dating, or I'd be telling you to get a freakin' move on. Still, I have the sense that you two are serious about one another. So much so, even, that I think it's a question of WHEN, not IF, you end up deciding to put a ring on her finger. I know you think your brother will get there with his girlfriend first, or that this Ann you told me about will pop the question to her girlfriend first, but I have a hunch that you'll pop the question before any of the others do, even with the inclusion of the surprise pairing that is your friends Ryuji and Makoto." Momoe said knowingly as a red-faced Kusa spoke up.

"Wh-WHAT!? Mom, why would you even bring that up around Goro!? It's bad enough that Goro has dirt on Ren and his girlfriend. Does he need to have it on me and Taba, too?" Kusa said as Goro smirked and spoke up.

"True, but in Ren and Sumire's case, Ren was the one who was stupid enough to brazenly nuzzle his face into his girlfriend's cleavage with an entire room of people watching. So he only has himself to blame for being a fool. Also, to his credit, he at least has enough common sense to know when to fight for his lady's honor.

So I think we can forgive him for being a bit prone to having bouts of P.D.A. with his girlfriend. As for Kusa, I could tell plenty of stories about him and Futaba, but I won't, since he's been really good to me recently, even after what I did to several people close to him." Goro said sagely as Momoe nodded, catching the unspoken hint that he'd tell them about it later, but not voicing it. Taichi laughed and spoke up.

"HA! That's my boy! I can't even begin to get mad at Ren for that, since Momoe and I have done way worse when we were younger. Or am I the only one who remembers the time she and I stripped it all off and streaked bare ass naked across a cruise ship on a dare, as well as the time we-" Taichi said as a red-faced Momoe spoke up to cut off Taichi before he could finish his sentence, much to the relief of a mortified Kusa.

"TAICHI! Enough! Need I remind you that we're talking to my son and his half-brother here? I very much doubt Kusa wants to have those sorts of mental images of his mother going around acting like a wild child." Momoe rebuked Taichi as an embarrassed Kusa spoke up, his face bright red in embarrassment.

"Y-Yeah. What Mom said. If I wanted to have mental images of a girl doing stuff like that, I'd have let Taba have her way with me by now. As it is, I'm trying to wait for her to be ready for it before we take that step, since Mom here made it quite clear to Ren and I that we were to respect a lady's wishes and not force her into anything she's not comfortable with or doesn't want to do.

Now then, while I can't speak for Ren, those lessons took quite readily for me. And on that note, Goro and I will take our leave before you can spout any more embarrassing stories. Bye!" Kusa said as he pulled Goro to his feet and the two left after Momoe and Taichi exchanged goodbyes with Kusa and Goro, and exchanged contact info with the latter so they could be in contact to arrange Goro moving in with them, after which Goro and Kusa returned to Goro's house...

*Flashback end-return to present, with Ren, Morgana, Ryuji, Ann, Yusuke, Makoto, Futaba, Haru, Goro, Sumire, Kusa, Sophia, and Sojiro*

"For real!? You brought Goro to our parents' house to hide out for a time!? I'm not sure if I should be more impressed you did that, or annoyed you chose our parents' house to take him to. At least from what you told us, they seemed to be doing well at that point." Ren said as Sumire spoke up with a smile.

"I can see that being a move Kusa-kun would make. After all, Kusa's not the type to willingly risk legal problems if he can avoid it. So it makes sense he'd seek out your parents' advice, Ren." Sumire said sagely as Ren nodded before Goro spoke up.

"Yes, well, that was all in the timespan between defeating Maruki, and the rest of the group getting you out of jail, Ren. How Kusa was able to both help me out and still be able to help the others out with you baffles me, but I suppose that's just how he is." Goro said as Kusa spoke up.

"In my defense, I also had to spin that ruse you asked me to spin about your demise to them anyways, so it was one of those 'two birds with one stone' moments, if you catch my drift." Kusa said as Futaba spoke up.

"Yep, that seems just like you to be efficient with your planning, Kusa. Mwehehe." Futaba said as Goro spoke up.

"True, but at the same time, I still can't believe Ren's dad suggested that I grow my hair out while Kusa gets his trimmed back so as to make the world think I was Kusa while Kusa posed as a relative. Needless to say, it didn't really work, since Kusa didn't allow for the off chance that his loyal fans would still be able to recognize him even with his shorter hair. But at least it worked enough that I fell off the grid successfully. So I guess it worked out as it was meant to?" Goro said as Kusa spoke up.

"True, minus the part where I might have gotten everyone in this room except you pissed at me for not trusting them to let them in the loop on all of this before now, and that's not even talking about the part where Mom and Dad had to scoot you out the back door the day Ren came home so he didn't see you there and accidentally blow your cover then and there." Kusa said before turning to the others as he kept speaking.

"Anyways, sorry I didn't tell any of you guys about this until now. But you have to understand, Goro literally swore me to secrecy for that whole time. And much like the fact I would never betray any of your confidence, I also want Goro to feel he can trust us not to betray his confidence either. Sure, he's done some bad things in his life, but surely we don't begrudge him the chance to right his wrongs and get a fresh start with a clean slate?

Yes, I'm aware that at least three of you have good reason to be upset at Goro, but hopefully you can find it in yourselves to at least try and make peace with what he did and hopefully be able to move past it, even if you don't necessarily forgive him for it. Because you have no idea how much Goro's tormented himself about how he let all of us down by doing what he did.

Surely Haru, Futaba, and Sumire aren't so mad at Goro that they can't at least try to make nice with him for the sake of the team. I'm not even really asking them to try and be his friends if they don't think they can do that. All I ask is that they try and tolerate him for the team. If they want to hate him on their own time for what he did to each of them, that's their choice and I won't stop them. But hopefully they can at least handle his presence, for the sake of team solidarity and morale." Kusa said as Sumire exchanged a surprised look with Haru and Futaba, who winced as the former spoke up.

"I can't speak for Futaba or Sumire, but I for one have no problems with tolerating his presence on the team. And if he wants to come up to personally apologize to me, I won't stop him. However, I also want him to at least make the attempt to approach me himself, since I feel like that's reasonable. After all, he and I are both civilized adults here, so surely he can speak to me himself." Haru said with a surprisingly kind smile on her face as Goro spoke up.

"That's more than fair, Okumura-san. And also quite generous of you. Truth be told, I feel like it's more than I deserve, but I'll do my best to abide by your wishes." Goro said humbly as Futaba spoke up.

"I already said this, but I have no issues with forgiving Goro if he wants me to. Sure, it hurt when he took Mom from me, but I can see he was just trying to do what he had to. So I'm not mad at him." Futaba said as Sumire spoke up.

"While it is true I'm still a bit mad at him for trying to kill Ren, I also forgive him to some extent, especially since he has done a lot to make amends for that ever since he resurfaced during the third semester when we changed Maruki's heart three years ago. So if he wants us to make nice with him, I can accept that." Sumire said honestly as Goro nodded his understanding while Haru spoke up.

"Goro? After this, if we get a chance, you and I are putting some time aside to have a sit down and get to speaking one-on-one. I think you're being too hard on yourself, but I won't drag that out in front of everyone else, out of respect for you. And I'm sorry that you've spent so long feeling guilty for what you did, when I can clearly see you're remorseful for what you did." Haru said kindly while walking over and shocking everyone else, but especially Goro, when she wrapped her arms gently around Goro and hugged him as she kept speaking.

"I think you need to learn to forgive yourself, Goro. If you can't forgive yourself, then how can you expect others to be able to forgive you? But I am here for you, if you ever want someone to talk to." Haru said kindly, smiling at Goro, who gave her a shocked look and spoke up.

"Okumura-san!? I don't know why you're being so nice to me, but thank you. Feel free to let me know when you want to have that one-on-one talk. I think I owe that to you, at the very least." Goro said as Haru nodded before looking into Goro's eyes as she spoke up.

"Very well, Goro. Also, you can call me Haru if you want. I'm not going to make you be on an informal basis with me." Haru said as Goro spoke up with a nod.

"Uhh, okay. If you say so, Haru. Do forgive me if that takes me a bit to get used to, but I'll do my best to call you by your name." Goro said as Haru nodded her understanding before sitting back down, ignoring the many shocked glances she got from most of the others, as well as the knowing smirks on both Futaba and Sumire's faces as they had seen the very subtle hint of pink on her cheeks when she'd hugged Goro to comfort him.

After Haru sat back down, Ren spoke up at that point, making sure to look the entire room over as he spoke.

"Okay, so with Kusa and Goro's story more or less over, presumably, I suppose all that's left is to start the drive to Sapporo?" Ren said as Kusa shook his head once in the negative to signal that Ren was mistaken in his assessment before he spoke up.

"No, our story isn't quite finished. Yes, we got to the point where Goro fell off the grid successfully, but what we didn't mention was the fact that Maruki wasn't entirely lying when he said he'd brought Goro back to try and give Ren an actualized reality. However, what Maruki didn't realize was that we'd already foiled that actualization when Goro, Loki, and Thailog all ran that actualized Akechi through and destroyed him.

At that point, Goro then posed as the actualized version of himself so as to not tip Maruki off to his plans being foiled too soon. Once that was done, the rest played out as you all are aware of it playing out. However, the next big change was after Maruki's heart was changed and reality was set back onto its correct course. That's when things took an unexpected turn." Kusa said as he prepared to tell the story of his second escape from Maruki's Palace...

*Flashback-shortly after the final battles with Maruki and Azathoth, Maruki and Adam Kadmon, and later just Adam Kadmon, in the abandoned Palace with Draconis*

As Draconis came to, he swore as he found himself once again stuck to a wall. He then spoke up.

"Legit, why the friggin' hell am I back here!? Shouldn't this place have collapsed once Maruki's heart was changed?" Draconis grumbled as he heard a voice from the shadows speak up.

"That is true. However, this was originally an abandoned location before it turned into his Palace, yes? So of course you'd end up back here with reality being placed back on it's intended course. But, now that you no longer have to be trapped here, the time is nigh to save you from this place." Draconis heard as a figure slowly stepped out of the shadows, eventually revealing itself to be Crow, who easily broke the rusted shackles and freed Draconis.

Once Draconis was unchained, he and Crow slowly started the process of escaping the Palace. Once the two reached the entrance, they found themselves surrounded by a swarm of Shadows. At that point, one of the bigger Shadow sentries spoke up.

"Halt! What are you doing with our prisoner? He's meant to be an offering to our lord." The bigger Shadow said, his lab coat visibly straining on his body. Crow scoffed and spoke up.

"Pah! Your lord is no more. So you're wasting your time trying to stop us from escaping. So I suggest you back off now and let us go, so we don't have to end your miserable existences." Crow said irately as the lead Shadow bristled and spoke up.

"Why, you little impudent brat! No one disrespects us like that! All Shadows! Get them! Don't let either of them leave here alive!" The lead Shadow said as Goro and Draconis found themselves standing back to back amidst a veritable sea of approaching Shadows as Draconis spoke up.

"Well, shit. That didn't go to plan, did it? Guess we gotta fight our way out, yeah?" Draconis said as Crow nodded and spoke up.

"Seems like it to me." Crow said before a sadistic smirk made its way onto his face as he kept speaking.

"However, to tell you the truth, Draconis? I almost prefer it this way. Gives me one last chance to hear the exquisite sounds of death and carnage before I have to go into hiding." Crow said as Draconis nodded and spoke up.

"I see. Well, let's do this. DESCEND, MALEFOR!" Draconis said as he summoned his Persona. Crow nodded and spoke up.

"Agreed. TO ME, HEREWARD!" Crow said as he summoned Hereward to assist him. As Draconis and Crow seamlessly worked side by side to whittle down the enemy numbers, they could not be stopped, and eventually it was just them and the lead Shadow left. At that point, Crow smirked at Draconis and spoke up.

"Well, it's just us and that overgrown blowhard left. What say we team up and show that fool the true meaning of pain?" Crow said as Draconis spoke up with a nod.

"I agree, Crow. I believe we need to make an example out of him. Shall we?" Draconis said as Crow nodded and the two spoke up in unison.

"HA! IT'S SHOWTIME!" Crow and Draconis said as their Showtime began! At that point, Draconis spoke up.

"Crow! Make sure you don't miss your mark! This one calls for extra precision." Draconis said sagely as Crow nodded, tossing the paper backdrop of a dartboard out behind him and Draconis, who then grabbed some throwing knives and hefted them with uncanny precision, pinning the lead Shadow to the dartboard by his hands and feet, as the knives then turned into shackles that fastened themselves in place, sticking the unfortunate Shadow to the wall fast. At that point, Crow looked at Draconis and spoke up.

"And now, the finisher! Ready?" Crow said as Draconis nodded and spoke up.

"Of course." Draconis said before scaring the lead Shadow by tossing a throwing knife into the top of the dartboard, just missing the lead Shadow's head, making it flinch. While it was flinching, Draconis and Crow smirked at each other while readying their blades as Crow spoke up.

"And now, to end it! HAVE AT YOU!" Crow said as Draconis spoke up with a smirk.

"Very well, Crow. EN GUARDE!" Draconis said as the two charged at each other, leaping into the air to seemingly clash blades with one another, only to do a pair of superhero landings on either side of the confused lead Shadow, who then groaned before looking down in horror as many gashes opened up on their stomach and torso, leaving them just enough time to yell out "WHAT THE-!?" before dissolving into black mist, making Draconis smirk as he spoke up.

"Heh, nice. It's been a bit since we did that move, but we still have our timing down as solidly as always." Draconis said as Crow spoke up with a nod.

"I concur. That said, target neutralized. Now to find the next target." Crow said as Draconis nodded before he and Crow bowed to one another for effect as their Showtime and the battle ended. Afterwards, Draconis spoke up.

"Whew, now that they're gone, let's get out of here, yeah?" Draconis said to Crow, who nodded as the two exited the Metaverse together...

(Outside of the Metaverse, a few days later, with Goro and Kusa)

"Well, now that we've dealt with that detail, I suppose this is the part where we part ways so you can get back to the house and prepare for your departure into exile. Did Mom and Dad make sure to bring you to the cabin we found for you to lie low in?" Kusa asked Goro, who nodded and spoke up.

"Indeed they did. And for being abandoned, it's not that bad of a location. A bit of a fixer-upper to be sure, but that'll give me something to do in my newfound isolation. Now to hope that the plan works and Shido's associates believe the stories of my demise. I still can't believe your mom had the idea to use the story that I died in a fire. As if anyone's going to buy that story without a body." Goro said as Kusa spoke up.

"I have no idea how, but she and Dad actually did find a body to dress in your clothes, so there actually was a body pulled out of the burnt wreckage of your old house. I also have no clue whose body it was, but I think I prefer it that way, for the sake of plausible deniability. Well, good luck, Goro. I hope that you find peace and fulfillment in your solitude." Kusa said, surprising Goro by extending a hand outwards for Goro to shake as Goro nodded and spoke up while eventually shaking the outstretched hand with a genuine smile on his face.

"Thank you, Kusa. And I, in turn, hope that you manage to achieve all your goals and then some. Good luck, and farewell, little brother." Goro said before he and Kusa exchanged one last manly hug before parting ways at that point, Goro disappearing in one direction without a trace, and Kusa heading the other to start the long walk back to Yongen-Jaya...

*End flashback-back in the present once more with Ren, Morgana, Ryuji, Ann, Yusuke, Makoto, Futaba, Haru, Goro, Sumire, Kusa, Sophia, and Sojiro*

"And that's the story of how Goro went into hiding to fool people into believing he died. From that point on, he stopped going by the name 'Goro Akechi', and became 'Goro Amamiya' instead after I convinced Ren and I's parents to formally adopt Goro into the family as an older brother to Ren and I. Goro, of course, was reluctant to do so, but agreed to it eventually after realizing that it was the best chance he had for a fresh start." Kusa said sagely as he finished the story. Goro huffed and spoke up.

"Yes, well, I wasn't trying to disrespect anyone by brazenly claiming you and Ren's family name out of nowhere. Also, why would I want to give Ren such a big shock as to have him coming home to the news that he has a new older brother in the form of the guy who once tried to kill him for a frankly idiotic and immature reason? Excuse me for not wanting to hurt Ren more than I already have.

Also, if we're going to work together long-term, I suppose I should allow you all the courtesy of being on a first-name basis with me, provided you're all comfortable with me doing the same with each of you." Goro said huffily, getting nods of affirmation from everyone else present to signify they agreed with Goro's request as Sojiro spoke up.

"At least you own your mistakes, Goro. That's a big first step. So you've definitely got the potential to get your life back on track with any luck." Sojiro said as Makoto spoke up with a nod.

"I agree. And the fact you came back and helped us says a lot for how sincere you are about wanting to help. So as far as I'm concerned, if our leaders are willing to accept you as a Phantom Thief, then the rest of us have no room to complain about it. Also, on a different note, what was that triple combo thing you had Sumire and Yusuke help you with against Natsume's Shadow before, Kusa?" Makoto asked as Ryuji nodded his agreement and spoke up.

"Good question, babe. I think most of us want to know the answer to that." Ryuji said as Morgana spoke up.

"True. From what little we know, Triad Specials, as Draconis referred to them, appear to be three-person variants of how Showtimes used to work for us. But it's probably something to do with the new version of the Metaverse that we're dealing with." Morgana said as Yusuke spoke up with a smile.

"I agree. Granted, I do believe that the Triad Special that I helped Sumire and Kusa with was quite artistic indeed. If only there was a way to depict it on canvas while partaking, because I believe it would make for a truly breathtaking work of art." Yusuke said as Ann winced and spoke up.

"Uhh, I'd say a selfie stick, but I don't think they have something like that for art?" Ann said with a frown as Sumire spoke up with a grin, having had an idea.

"Well, he can't capture his own Triad Special on canvas, but maybe if we get others, he can have a canvas with him to catch those. And if I'm right, he'll probably want to be sure that the next one is one he has a canvas handy for, since I get a sense that Ann will be involved in it." Sumire said as Ann spoke up.

"You think so, Sumire? That'd be interesting, if it does happen." Ann said as Ren spoke up.

"Yeah, but who would you be doing that Triad Special with? That, I think, is the real question." Ren said as Kusa blinked at the line of discussion that had come up and eventually spoke up.

"We'll have to wait for the next time a Triad Special comes up to see who Ann has it with, if she is in fact in the next one. But let's get back to the question that Makoto asked, shall we? And if I recall, you were asking me about a triple combo move that I used with Sojiro and Goro? I'm not sure what you mean, to be honest." Kusa said before his eyes widened in realization as Makoto spoke up with a nod.

"Yes, that's correct. I was curious as to how you three had managed to stumble upon this technique you spoke of." Makoto said as Kusa nodded and spoke up, seemingly getting what Makoto was asking about.

"Oh wait, hold up, I think I get what you're getting at, Makoto. Did you mean the Triad Special we used before? Yeah, that was a technique that Goro and I accidentally stumbled into while fighting an unexpected enemy recently. If you remember, I told you about how the Black Mask apparently not only has his own body separate from Goro's, but is also a Monarch for some reason.

Anyways, to answer your question? As it turns out, when the two of us were fighting the Black Mask before, Goro and I accidentally stumbled onto a triple person combo move similar to how our Showtimes used to work, but retooled to accommodate three people rather than two. Also, before anyone asks, Sojiro was the third one to help us try out the 'Triad Special' when we stumbled into it, hence the demo Triad Special we initially used against Natsume.

And in the case of the one I did with Yusuke and Sumire, that was purely instinct and spur of the moment impulse. If I'm right, that's how most of these Triad Specials will likely work in terms of unlocking them. But that's purely a guess on my part. I could be entirely wrong about that. But I suppose we can just keep an eye open as we keep travelling to find more Jails and/or Monarchs and see what other Triad Specials we can unlock for the group. I suppose we'll see what happens as we keep going forward." Kusa said as a 'BIP!' from Sumire's phone preceded Sophia speaking up.

"Sojiro? I don't recall any of you introducing yourselves by that name? Or am I mistaken?" Sophia asked as Sojiro chuckled and spoke up.

"That's because Kusa and Goro forgot to introduce me before when they were telling their story. Also, even though I know that Kusa introduced me to you before, I can do it again for the sake of ensuring you memorize everyone's names, Sophia. And just so you know, my name is Sojiro Sakura, though a lot of people tend to call me 'Boss' when I wait on them at Leblanc. And judging from your voice, I'm guessing you'd be the 'Sophia' I heard both Ren and Futaba name-dropping the other day when I got my shop snatched out from under me." Sojiro said to Sophia, who nodded as Sumire turned her phone so Sojiro could see Sophia before she spoke up.

"Ah, I see. Nice to meet you, Sojiro. I am Sophia, humanity's companion. I'm guessing that you're the one that both Goro and Kusa referred to as 'Coffee Daddy' when the three of you first unmasked yourselves as the Ordained Guides before?" Sophia said as Sojiro nodded and spoke up.

"That's right, little lady. So you're humanity's companion, eh? I see. Well, it's nice to meet you, Sophia. Hopefully you'll find what you're looking for while working with this motley crew." Sojiro said as Kusa spoke up with a nod.

"Well said, Sojiro. Also, to the question that you asked before? That's correct, Sophia. But that's a bit of a long story in and of itself. Suffice it to say, the Ordained Guides disguises were a means to keep an eye on you guys from a distance so we could be prepared to step in if needed, but we wanted to see for ourselves how well you were getting on against the Monarchs before deciding on if we needed to step in and intervene. And your initial performance against Natsume's Shadow tells me that you guys, if I'm being bluntly honest, more than likely lucked your way into beating Alice's Shadow.

That being said, you guys are still very strong and capable. You just got unlucky that Natsume's Shadow was one devious bastard. Had I not anticipated that he would try what he did and accordingly had the three of us hold back in case we were needed, I'm pretty sure we'd have gotten caught in that trap too, and where would we all be now if that had happened? No, I believe that I made the right call by keeping myself, Goro, and Sojiro in reserve as a last-ditch desperation play, which ended up being needed.

But enough about Natsume's Shadow. We're on our way to Sapporo, where the next Monarch no doubt awaits. Let's just agree that we're all together now, and that we're going to stick together to give ourselves the best possible odds of beating the Monarchs. If we happen to pick up another teammate or two along the way? All the better, and I consider such an event coming to pass to be icing on the cake, so to speak. Everyone agreed?" Kusa said as the others nodded, while everyone's phones pinged with the notification that 'Triad Specials', as well as 'Yusuke, Kusa, and Sumire's Triad Special' were unlocked. Afterwards, Sumire spoke up.

"Well, assuming that's everything we needed to discuss, what say we make our final preparations for the next city, yeah?" Sumire suggested as the others nodded and proceeded to do just that, all thinking that while the first two Monarchs were beaten, the rest were likely to be progressively harder as they got to them, so careful preparation was almost assuredly a must for the Phantom Thieves to continue having success against the rest of the Monarchs...

END OF CHAPTER

A/N: And boom, there we go! Another chapter done and dusted! Not as long as most of the others, I'm aware, but I did say before that these interlude chapters would more than likely be shorter than the rest as a result of how little I had planned to squeeze in for the chapter. So hopefully this is still long enough for most people's standards. Real quick, while I've got you reading, time to give a quick update on the poll that's currently up on my profile page.

As of the time I'm typing this part of the end-of-chapter A/N (or 1:47AM on Sunday, December 31st, 2023, aka New Year's Eve), there are currently around 5 days left before the poll is targeted to be closed, and the poll currently sits at a 2-2-2-1-0 tally. I won't say who's involved in the 3-way tie for 1st, but I will say that I'm surprised at who is sitting at 0 votes, since I expected them to be one of the three at 2 votes, rather than being at 0 votes. Similarly, I wasn't expecting one of the three in the three-way tie to be who they were, but that just goes to show that life throws you curveballs.

Anyways, if you want to vote on that poll, it's on my profile page, and you can vote for up to two of the options listed. It's a blind poll, so that's why I'm not going into a detailed summary of the results for now. But I want anyone reading this to know that it's still anyone's poll to win, even the person at 0 votes. There's a lot of time left, so feel free to vote on it! However, be sure to make a note of the fact that the deadline to do so is January 5th, at which point I'm closing the poll. You'll have to wait for me to start uploading Arc 4 to see who wins the poll, since I'll have closed the poll and finalized the results by then.

That being said, I've already typed out all of Arc 3 as of this point, but I'm waiting for the poll to end so I can have the finalized results at a glance when typing the first chapter of Arc 4. But that's enough about Arc 4, since I've yet to even post any of Arc 3. In any case, the next chapter will be the start of Arc 3, which as of this point I'm undecided on a name for it. I'm leaning towards Icy Redemption as the tentative title for Arc 3, but we'll see if I use that or not.

But back on topic, if I'm right? The next chapter will also be when the first of the two (YES, you read that right. TWO!) group hot-springs scenes that Strikers has happens, which will obviously be changed up some to allow for the extra characters included in this adaptation, as well as the slight tweaks it gets to be more Royal-compatible. So there's that to look forward to. Hopefully everyone's enjoying the story so far.

And if you are, feel free to either leave a review or shoot me a PM with your thoughts/feedback/constructive criticism/suggestions for the story. I appreciate hearing from my readers either way. And feel free to shoot me a PM if you're interested in it, and I'll give you an invite link to my Discord I made for my fanfiction stories, where I tend to discuss my stories with people. So definitely feel free to let me know if you're interested in being invited to my Discord server. Either way, I like hearing from my readers. And until next chapter, sithlorde1988 out!

PHANTOM THIEVES LISTING AS OF THE END OF CHAPTER 13 AND THE ARC 2 INTERLUDE

JOKER (Ren) - Level: 30 Current Personas: Raoul (Level 18), Jack Frost (Level 30), Orthrus (Level 26), Mothman (Level 30), Ame-No-Uzume (Level 29), Kaiwan (Level 30), Lilim (Level 27) Equipped Persona: Kaiwan Persona Moveset: Concentrate (Support/Buff), Mapsio (Psy), Garula (Wind), Diarama (Healing), Bufula (Ice)

SKULL (Ryuji) - Level: 26 Current/Partner Persona: Seiten Taisei Persona Moveset: Zio (Elec), Lunge (Physical), Tarukaja (Support), Headbutt (Physical), Mazio (Elec), Rebel Soul (Passive), Zionga (Elec)

MONA (Morgana) - Level: 26 Current/Partner Persona: Diego Persona Moveset: Garu (Wind), Dia (Healing), Media (Healing), Magaru (Wind), Technical Adept (Passive), Recarm (Healing), Diarama (Healing), Garula (Wind)

PANTHER (Ann) - Level: 27 Current/Partner Persona: Hecate Persona Moveset: Agilao (Fire), Agi (Fire), Tarunda (Support/Debuff), Soul Thief (Passive), Maragi (Fire), Dekaja (Support/Debuff), Marin Karin (Ailment), Diarama (Healing)

FOX (Yusuke) - Level: 27 Current/Partner Persona: Kamu Susano-o Persona Moveset: Bufula (Ice), Freeze Boost (Passive), Sukukaja (Support/Buff), Knockdown Style (Passive), Giant Slice (Physical), Vicious Strike (Physical), Mabufu (Ice), Dodge Fire (Passive)

QUEEN (Makoto) - Level: 27 Current/Partner Persona: Anat Persona Moveset: Frei (Nuclear), Dia (Healing), Rakukaja (Support/Buff), Mafrei (Nuclear), Media (Healing), Sledgehammer (Physical), Diarama (Healing), Freila (Nuclear)

NOIR (Haru) - Level: 28 Current/Partner Persona: Astarte Persona Moveset: Psio (Psy), Evil Touch (Ailment), Snap (Gun), Hysterical Slap (Physical), Technical Adept (Passive), Amrita Drop (Healing), Mapsi (Psy), Gun Boost (Physical)

ORACLE (Futaba) - Level: 30 Current Personas: Al Azif and *REDACTED* Equipped Persona: Al Azif Persona Moveset: Analysis (Passive), Moral Support (Passive), Active Support (Passive), Moral Boost (Passive)

SEEKER (Sophia) - Level 26 Current 'Persona': Pithos Persona Moveset: Kouga? (Bless), Rakunda? (Support/Debuff), Diarama? (Healing), Makouha? (Bless), Media? (Healing), Bless Boost? (Passive), Tetraja? (Support/Barrier), Recarm? (Healing)

VIOLET (Sumire) - Level: 27 Current/Partner Persona: Ella Persona Moveset: Kouha (Bless), Cleave (Physical), Rebellion (Support/Buff), Dream Needle (Physical), Dia (Healing), Kouga (Bless), Makouha (Bless), Recarm (Healing)

DRACONIS (Kusa) - Level: 26 Current/Partner Persona- Malefor Persona Moveset: Double Fangs (Physical), Agi (Fire), Rising Slash (Physical), Media (Healing), Almighty Boost (Passive), Garu (Wind), Megido (Almighty), Vicious Strike (Physical)

CROW (Goro) - Level: 26 Current/Partner Persona: Hereward Persona Moveset: Eiha (Curse), Giant Slice (Physical), Mudo (Curse/insta-kill), Rakunda (Support/Debuff), Triple Down (Gun), Megido (Almighty), Maeiha (Curse), Eiga (Curse)

PENDRAGON (Sojiro) - Level: 26 Current/Partner Persona: Kohryu Persona Moveset: Psio (Psy), Headbutt (Physical), Psy Boost (Passive), Spell Master (Passive), Psy Wall (Support/Wall), Snap (Gun), Dekunda (Support/Buff), Mapsi (Psy)

ALLIES: Zenkichi, Shiho, Ichinose