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!

18. Interlude 3: Sparks Fly In Suzushino

A/N: sithlorde1988 here, with another chapter of Phantom Files, Book 2: Rise Of The Monarchs! In this case, we have arrived at the Arc 3 interlude. But this interlude is one I've been patiently waiting to type out, since there's going to be a lot of good stuff in it. Put simply, if you're a fan of fluff, romance, and even slight helpings of lemon, this is going to be the interlude for you, since all of these things and probably more will be in this interlude if I had to guess.

But before anything else, let me go ahead and take this chance to lay down a moveset and affinity listing for both Kohryu and Albus (aka Pendragon's Persona and Oracle's combat-specced Persona), since I've not done one so far. And I've had at least a couple of requests for them so far, so here we go.

EDIT: Before I forget, let me give a quick shout-out to jdimock for his improvements on the movesets shown below, since he did a lot of work in improving them from what I originally had down, so credit to him for helping to make the movesets shown below. And now, on with the movesets!

LEARNSETS FOR KOHRYU AND ALBUS

LEARNSET FOR KOHRYU

• Psi (Innate)
• Headbutt (Innate)
• Snap (Innate)
• Rebel Soul (Innate)
• Mapsi (Innate)
• Dekunda (Innate)
• Spell Master (Lv. 16)
• Psy Wall (Lv. 20)
• Psy Boost (Lv. 22)
• Psio (Lv. 25)
• Evade Nuke (Lv. 28)
• Mediarama (Lv. 30)
• Mapsio (Lv. 34)
• Assault Dive (Lv. 37)
• Concentrate (Lv. 40)
• Psiodyne (Lv. 46)
• Mediarahan (Lv. 50)
• One-Shot Kill (Lv. 56)
• Mapsiodyne (Lv. 61)
• Gigantomachia (Lv. 65)
• Psy Amp (Lv. 70)
• Psycho Force (Lv. 74)

LEARNSET FOR ALBUS

• Zionga (Innate)
• Tarukaja (Innate)
• Memory Blow (Innate)
• Rakukaja (Innate)
• Psio (Innate)
• Sukukaja (Innate)
• Invigorate 2 (Innate)
• Flash Bomb (Innate)
• Matarukaja (Lv. 49)
• Megido (Lv. 52)
• Marakukaja (Lv. 55)
• Spell Master (Lv. 58)
• Ziodyne (Lv. 60)
• Masukukaja (Lv. 64)
• Psiodyne (Lv. 67)
• Megidola (Lv. 70)
• Invigorate 3 (Lv. 72)
• Concentrate (Lv. 75)
• Megidolaon (Lv. 77)
• Arcane Bolt (Lv. 80)

And that's the movesets for both Kohryu and Albus! Now to list their affinities!

AFFINITIES FOR KOHRYU

Physical-Neutral Gun-Neutral Fire-Neutral Ice-Neutral Elec-Strong Wind-Neutral Psy-Null Nuke-Weak Bless-Strong Curse-Neutral

AFFINITIES FOR ALBUS

Physical-Weak Gun-Neutral Fire-Neutral Ice-Neutral Elec-Neutral Wind-Weak Psy-Null Nuke-Neutral Bless-Null Curse-Weak

And there's the affinities for Kohryu and Albus! Albus (or the Tier 3 form of Nostradamus), for anyone curious, is the combat-specced secondary Persona that Futaba/Oracle awakened to alongside Al Azif (the Tier 3 form of Necronomicon) during the fourth Palace of the first book of Phantom Files.

For anyone curious about it, the reason Albus has three weaknesses is that he has arguably one of the most diverse movesets of any Phantom Thief member's Persona, outside of maybe Malefor, but even then, Malefor doesn't get Heavy-tier versions of the different elements it can learn, whereas Albus gets up to Heavy-tier Elec moves, and Colossal-tier Psy moves, and even Heavy-tier Almighty moves.

Hence, it has the most weaknesses of any Phantom Thief member's Persona at three (Physical, Wind, and Curse), but also has the most Nulls of any Phantom Thief member's Persona at two (Not counting Joker, since he's a wild-card and can theoretically summon Personas with as many as four Nulls and three Strongs, so Joker's in a tier of his own) as a trade-off for how diverse its movepool is.

But anyways, there's the movesets and affinities for both Kohryu and Albus! Now let's get to the disclaimer, yeah?

Disclaimer: I, sithlorde1988, do not own the Persona series in any way, shape, or form (excluding the OCs Kusa/Draconis, Momoe, Taichi, the OC Personas Albus, Malefor, and any other OCs/OC Personas that might crop up later 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 Koei Tecmo (at least insofar as the spinoffs, such as Strikers, Tactica, Phantom X, the 'Arena' games, the 'Q' games, and the 'Dancing' games are concerned), so all credit belongs to them!

And with that disclaimer out of the way, let me real quick throw out a heads-up, since there will probably be at least one M-rated scene in this chapter, but I will be sure to clearly mark when any such scenes start so those who don't like reading such things can safely skip over them and continue reading, though there may be minimal plot points mentioned therein, so you skip the M-rated scenes at your own risk.

With that being said, seems like it's time to get into the chapter, yeah? Without further ado, here's chapter 18, or the Arc 3 Interlude!

Chapter 18- Sparks Fly In Sapporo! Ferris Wheels, Romance, and More! Arc 3 Interlude

(Outside of the RV, with Morgana, Sumire, Sophia, Ren, Kusa, Futaba, Yusuke, Haru, Makoto, Ann, Goro, Ryuji, and Sojiro)

"Soo, why are we gathered outside again late at night like this?" Ryuji asked as Morgana spoke up from on the hood of the RV, where he was sitting next to Sumire.

"Because Sophia suggested that one of the things we could do to take advantage of our current free time is to go and check out the nearby Ferris wheel. However, as is expected of a Ferris wheel, it's a more predominantly couples-based activity. In addition, since they're all either single or don't have their girlfriends here to enjoy the Ferris wheel with, I suggest that Ann, Yusuke, and Sojiro find ways to keep themselves entertained.

As for the rest of us, I was figuring we could pair off into couples and/or potential couples to check out the Ferris wheel. Meaning Ren would go with Sumire, Kusa would go with Futaba, Ryuji would go with Makoto, I would probably accompany Lady Sophia more than likely, and then Goro could go with Haru if they want to go together." Morgana said as Sumire smiled and spoke up after cutely resting her head on Ren's shoulder, giggling quietly as she felt Ren's hand lightly pat her on the head fondly, much to Ren's amusement.

"I already have dibs on going with Ren!" Sumire said with a giggle as Futaba spoke up with a grin after wrapping her arms around the waist of a smirking Kusa, who patted her on the head as she spoke up.

"I got dibs on Kusa!" Futaba said as Kusa smirked and spoke up.

"And I wouldn't have it any other way, Taba." Kusa said as Makoto spoke up with a sly smirk at Ryuji.

"What do you think, sweetie? Wanna go check out the Ferris wheel with me?" Makoto asked as Ryuji grinned and spoke up.

"Of course I do, babe! I'm always down to spend time with my girlfriend!" Ryuji said with a grin as a slightly flustered-looking Goro blushed at all the expectant looks aimed at him by everyone else, other than Sojiro, Haru, and Morgana, before he nodded, most likely to himself, and turned to a softly-smiling Haru, and looked into her eyes as he spoke up.

"Yes, well. I suppose that puts the ball in my court now, doesn't it? So, how about it? Would you care to join me in checking out the Ferris wheel, Haru?" Goro asked as smoothly and confidently as he could, making Haru smile happily at Goro as she spoke up.

"Goro? I'd be delighted to go with you to see the Ferris wheel." Haru said, smiling happily at Goro. Unseen to either Goro or Haru, a pouting Futaba discreetly passed some yen to a grinning Kusa, who'd clearly won a bet with her. At that point, Sojiro spoke up.

"So, while the couples are off checking out the Ferris wheel, the rest of us are meant to do what, exactly?" Sojiro asked as Ann spoke up with a smirk.

"We could just walk around Sapporo together, all three of us. Unless you'd rather we stick close to the car and RV and hang out?" Ann suggested as Yusuke spoke up.

"Ah, a walk to take in the scenery of Sapporo at night? And without any fact-gathering to hinder it? I admit the idea has a certain appeal to it." Yusuke said as Sojiro spoke up.

"Eh, a walk around Sapporo at night doesn't sound so bad, I suppose." Sojiro said as Kusa blinked and spoke up.

"Wait, hold up. Am I the only one who noticed that Morgana didn't actually ask Sophia if she wanted to join him in checking out the Ferris wheel? Pretty sneaky of him." Kusa said as Sumire spoke up with a nod, having also noticed Morgana's attempt to not have to ask Sophia to check out the Ferris wheel with him.

"Good point. He wasn't just assuming she'd want to go with him, was he?" Sumire asked as Morgana spoke up with a nervous chuckle.

"N-No, not at all. I was just waiting for the right moment, that's all. Plus, I also have no interest in incurring the wrath of that which we call the 'Angry Mama Sumire', if it can be avoided." Morgana said as Goro, Kusa, and Ren all looked at each other while stifling a laugh at the mixed offended/embarrassed look on Sumire's face as a 'BIP!' from her phone preceded Sophia speaking up.

"Waiting for the right moment? Is that so? Interesting. But I'm listening if there was something you needed to ask me, Morgana." Sophia said, cutely smiling as Morgana steeled himself and spoke up.

"R-Right. Would you accompany me in checking out the Ferris wheel, Lady Sophia? Maybe we can get a cabin together on the wheel?" Morgana asked nervously as Sophia giggled at Morgana's nervousness and spoke up while looking at Morgana.

"Silly Morgana. I'd be delighted to join you on the Ferris wheel, providing neither Ren nor Sumire have any objections to it." Sophia said with a wide, beaming smile at Morgana basically asking her to hang out with him. Ren then blinked and spoke up as a thought occurred to him.

"Wait, so if we're pairing off to check out different cabins of the Ferris wheel, does this mean that we could count this as a date?" Ren asked warily. Nearby, Goro smirked and gave Ren a slow clap while speaking up.

"Bravo, Ren. You've figured out what a date is! Everyone, give Ren a round of applause for learning something new." Goro said dryly as he proceeded to slow-clap some more, followed closely by Ren huffing and speaking up.

"Oh, shut up, Goro! That was a serious question! After all, if this is counted as a date, wouldn't that make this Sophia's first date? And what are the chances that her first date would be with, and I apologize in advance to you for this Morgana, but with a cat?" Ren asked as Ryuji and Futaba laughed, the latter slyly smirking and speaking up.

"Hmm. I wonder. Would this qualify as a real-life 'Beauty and the Beast' scenario?" Futaba asked as both Goro and Kusa almost choked on their laughter at Futaba's question, while Morgana sputtered and spoke up.

"Wh-WHAT!? Are you calling me a beast, Futaba? I am NOT a beast! Besides, have we not SEEN Goro and Kusa's tempers? If anyone here is a beast, it's those two! After all, they certainly did a good job of making Haru and Futaba their respective beauties. Though, I won't disagree with you implying Lady Sophia is a beauty, since she is quite cute for an AI." Morgana said, making Sophia smile and speak up from Sumire's phone.

"Really!? You think I'm cute, Morgana? Thank you!" Sophia said happily as Sumire glared at Morgana and spoke up.

"Be that as it may, I think I need to make something clear real quick. You can take Sophia out on a date if you like. But make sure you remember this, Morgana. You do one thing to make Sophia cry or upset her, and I might just be having me some new cat-fur boots made. Can I trust you not to hurt Sophia?" Sumire said bluntly as a wide-eyed Morgana nodded fearfully and spoke up.

"Y-Yes, Lady Sumire! I'll treat Lady Sophia as the precious Treasure she is. Just don't skin me and use my fur to make boots! That would be so humiliating to run around fur-less until my fur grows back!" Morgana said placatingly as both Kusa and Ren lost it at that point and burst out laughing, the mental image of a hairless Morgana trying to be a Phantom Thief being too much for them both. Goro then smirked as he spoke up to seemingly try and be the voice of reason.

"Let's be fair here, Sumire-san. Would you really be able to get enough fur for two boots from Morgana? He is a bit on the scrawny and wiry side, after all. I feel like you'd be lucky to get enough fur for ONE boot. Maybe you could make yourself a cat-fur purse instead?" Goro suggested, ignoring the amused chuckles from Ren and Kusa at Goro's subtle dig at Morgana while Sumire gave Goro an appraising glance before nodding her agreement as she spoke up.

"Hmm, you do raise a very good point there, Goro. And a cat-fur bag does sound better than cat-fur boots. Mind you, only the top parts of the boots would actually be made of cat-fur." Sumire said as Morgana looked at both Sumire and Goro in horror before a 'BIP!' from Sumire's phone preceded Sophia speaking up.

"I don't get it. Why are you two talking about shaving Morgana, Sumire and Goro? Isn't he our friend and teammate? That seems a bit harsh, don't you think?" Sophia asked innocently, making Morgana turn to face her as he spoke up, his gratitude for Sophia's unintentional intervention plain to hear in his tone while he spoke.

"I think they were more saying that to get me to behave myself and be a perfect gentleman while with you. But I already had every intention of being a perfect gentleman for you anyways, so they didn't need to threaten me." Morgana said honestly as Ren grinned and spoke up.

"They really didn't. Also, why would you skin Mona, beautiful? You do realize you'd be ruining the interior of the Mona-bus if you do that, I hope? And to be honest, I think at least some of us like the cushy black swag interior in there, even if it's a bit cramped inside with so many of us." Ren said honestly as Kusa smirked and spoke up.

"Luckily for us, this is exactly why Malefor is designed to be able to transport others if needed. I can probably seat as many as three, maybe four, others on him if necessary." Kusa pointed out smugly as Sojiro spoke up.

"True. And since he and Malefor are similar sorts of dragons, I could probably transport some people on the back of Kohryu as well, at least in theory. So we're not hurting for transportation, to say the least." Sojiro said as Kusa nodded his agreement before the group dispersed at that point to figure out their plans. Unbeknownst to the couples, Sojiro had booked several cabins on the Ferris wheel for the couples of the group ahead of time, two yellow and three red. As the groups spread out, the 'singles' of the group, or Yusuke, Ann, and Sojiro, headed off to explore Sapporo together...

(A short time later, at the Ferris wheel, with Ren, Sumire, Sophia, Morgana, Kusa, Futaba, Ryuji, Makoto, Goro, and Haru)

"Here we go. Let's get into these cabins, yeah?" Ren said as the others nodded, the first available cabin being claimed by Goro and Haru. After that, Sumire stopped the next car and placed her phone in it before loading Morgana into it and closing the door after sitting Morgana next to her phone, which she'd left on so Sophia and Morgana could talk. Once that car had left, Ryuji and Makoto claimed the third cabin. Afterwards, Kusa and Futaba claimed the fourth cabin, leaving Ren and Sumire to claim the final reserved cabin by default. As the Ferris wheel started moving around once everyone was settled inside the wheel, the group settled in to enjoy the ride, along with some one-on-one time for each of the 'couples' that got a cabin on the Ferris wheel...

(In the second claimed cabin, with Sophia and Morgana)

"S-so, it's just you and me here, Lady Sophia. How nice, don't you think?" Morgana said as a 'BIP!' from Sumire's phone preceded Sophia speaking up with a pleased smile as she spoke up while looking up at Morgana.

"Yes, I quite agree that this is nice. A little awkward that I have to talk to you through this phone, but we do what we must to make things work, I suppose. But it is nice to have some alone time with you, Morgana." Sophia said as Morgana spoke up with a nod.

"Agreed. I know I don't pay you as much attention as I probably should, and I'm sorry about that, Lady Sophia. However, to be fair, I'm a bit of an equal-opportunity flirt when it comes to the ladies. I tend to flirt with all girls I see, unless they're blatantly taken, like Makoto, Futaba, and Sumire are, in which case I leave 'em be. But you seem to be quite surprisingly single. Then again, maybe that's partly because you're an AI, and partly because you're so young-looking. Not that either of those things are your fault, mind. Because they're totally not." Morgana said as Sophia sighed and spoke up.

"That's true. But at the same time, doesn't the fact that you are a cat and I am an AI make it tough to see us being able to really work out that well as a couple, Morgana?" Sophia asked Morgana, who thought about it and spoke up with a nod.

"You do raise a good point. I mean, I did briefly have a human form a few years ago when a certain counselor that most of the group got to have sessions with at Shujin tried to use cognitive psience to rewrite reality in his image. Granted, I think I might have scared a few years off of Ren's life expectancy when he woke up to me cuddling him in my human form.

In Ren's defense, I will freely admit that I didn't really consider how awkward that might be for Ren to have another man basically spooning him in his own bed. To be honest, I'm lucky Sumire didn't try to shave me on the spot when Ren told her about that incident. Instead, she just had a big old giggling fit and said she thought it was funny that I tried to snuggle up to Ren. Needless to say, Ren wasn't amused and told Sumire to stop teasing him.

That having been said, the reason I brought that up was to illustrate that I could potentially have a human form, maybe. But for now, I have to make do with the form I do have. So I suppose we can stick to being close friends for now, and maybe if the day ever comes and I get a human form, we can consider being more than that if you still feel the same way about me then that you do now. How does that sound, Lady Sophia?" Morgana said as Sophia smiled happily and spoke up.

"That sounds wonderful, Morgana. I'm so happy you're not rejecting me out of hand because of my age and me being an AI. I was honestly worried that might be the case." Sophia said as Morgana spoke up with a smile.

"I would never do such a thing to you. And no, it's not because I fear Sumire trying to skin me if I do. It's because I know that no matter your age, you are still a lady, Sophia. And as such, a lady like you doesn't deserve that sort of disrespect." Morgana said as Sophia smiled and spoke up.

"Thank you, Morgana. If I were there with you in person right now, I'd probably be giving you a lot of head pats and letting you lay in my lap." Sophia said honestly, blushing a bit at her own admission as Morgana smiled and spoke up.

"Heh, somehow that sounds like you, Lady Sophia. And to be honest? I wouldn't mind it that much. You do have such gentle and soft hands for being an AI, after all." Morgana said as Sophia smiled and spoke up.

"Thank you. That's quite the compliment, Morgana. Y'know, now that I think about it? I recall reading something before that said anyone who gets into a yellow cabin of a Ferris wheel with someone is likely to have a very blessed relationship with that person. Did you catch what color the cabin we were put in was?" Sophia asked as Morgana spoke up.

"Now that I think about it, I think it was actually a yellow cabin." Morgana said after a bit, making Sophia smile brightly and speak up.

"Really!? How lucky for us then. I'm so glad I got to join you in this cabin, Morgana." Sophia said as Morgana smiled and spoke up.

"I'm glad I got a cabin with you too, Lady Sophia." Morgana said honestly, making Sophia give Morgana a very beaming and cute closed-eye smile as she sighed happily and relaxed inside of Sumire's phone as Morgana curled up by the phone, the two relaxing together as they let the Ferris wheel go by from the inside of the yellow cabin they'd been inadvertently given...

(At the same time, in the third claimed cabin, with Makoto and Ryuji)

"Mmm, this is so nice, don't you think, sweetie? Just you and me, enjoying a cozy Ferris wheel ride together." Makoto said happily, leaning her head onto Ryuji's shoulder as the two sat together on the Ferris wheel. Ryuji grinned at his girlfriend and spoke up while putting an arm around Makoto's waist.

"Good point, babe. This is pretty awesome. And for what it's worth? I'm sorry we don't do this more often. I'm just not good at plannin' these sorts of things out, you see. But I know you love me for more than my rather lacking ability to plan things out. You love me for my kind heart and considerate nature. Besides, I know you and I are great for one another.

We might not do a lot together, but I can tell we have one another's backs. And to be honest? I don't think there's any girl I'd rather call my girlfriend than you, Makoto. I realize I'm rather vulgar and crass most of the time, but I am trying to cut back on it somewhat. But I want you to know, I appreciate you being willing to be with me and love me for me, rather than trying to change me. It means a lot." Ryuji said, smiling as he looked into the eyes of a blushing Makoto, who spoke up happily.

"You're quite welcome, sweetie. You do have your flaws, but you also have a lot of redeeming qualities that more than make up for them. For example, you have a heart of gold, you never give up on your friends, and most important of all, you're always there to try and pick them back up as best you can. Not to mention, you always know how to make people smile with your unique sense of humor.

Also, you're always so considerate of how I feel. I don't think I could've done much better for a boyfriend than I did with you, Ryuji. Sure, a lot of people would say Ren or Yusuke are better, but I disagree. They might be pretty boys, but you're a handsome man who has a good heart. And I have no problems being with you as long as you'll have me." Makoto said, laying her head happily on Ryuji's shoulder, making him smile as he leaned down to steal a kiss from her. After the two came up for air a short time later, Ryuji smiled and spoke up.

"I'm glad you're happy with me, Makoto. I count myself blessed and happy each day to have a girlfriend like you, which makes me appreciate each day that we're together more than the day before it. And on the rare occasions that we get to hold each other close, like right now? I find myself just wanting to hold you close, make you feel as loved and happy as I can, and not let go unless you ask me to. Or is that too awkward for you?" Ryuji said as Makoto smiled and spoke up.

"Not at all, sweetie. I'm quite pleased you feel that way, if anything. Now quit talking and c'mere, so I can enjoy the time we have together." Makoto said happily as she pulled Ryuji into another heated kiss, making Ryuji smile as he returned the kiss, letting himself enjoy making out with Makoto inside of the red cabin they'd claimed as the Ferris wheel kept going...

(At the same time, in the fifth claimed cabin, with Ren and Sumire)

"Well, well. Looks like I got rather lucky this time. Just me, my super-sexy girlfriend, and this very spacious cabin that we're sharing. Whatever shall we do with the time we have together?" Ren said slyly as Sumire giggled and spoke up.

"Quit being a dork, Ren. Then again, I do love that about you. But seriously, you know full well exactly what we're gonna do. Now shut up and kiss me, you big handsome man." Sumire said as Ren grinned eagerly and spoke up.

"Yes, ma'am. Don't mind if I do!" Ren said as he and Sumire eagerly made out for a while. After coming up for air several breathless minutes later, Ren kept speaking.

"But for real? I continue to consider myself fortunate and very blessed to be able to call such an amazing and wonderful woman like you my girlfriend, Sumire. I think we had the blessing of divine intervention the day we met. Then again, maybe I'm just biased because you're my girlfriend. But I'd like to think that there was a reason we ended up together. Sure, we had some ups and downs along the way, but I'd say that it was worth it to be able to have this time with you right now, beautiful." Ren said as Sumire smiled and spoke up while leaning into Ren's chest happily.

"I agree. I think we were fated to find one another, given how happy we've been together thus far. And really, I feel like I couldn't have asked for a better and more amazing person to be my boyfriend than you, Ren. Thank you for always being so wonderful and amazing to me. I appreciate it a lot." Sumire said as she cuddled close to Ren, who smiled and spoke up.

"You're welcome, Sumi. This might come off as possessive, but so be it. To be honest? I have no plans of letting you go any time soon. As far as I'm concerned, you're mine for the long haul, Sumire. I don't know how far out you've been thinking, but I feel like we could really make what we have work in the long term. But I also know you have your gymnastics aspirations to consider, as well as whatever you want to do with your life.

So I understand if you want to take things slow and keep going as we've been going. But I'd like to think that maybe the day could come sometime down the line where we end up living together and maybe, fate willing, even start a family together at some point down the line." Ren said as Sumire blushed at Ren's honesty before speaking up.

"Ren? I honestly wouldn't mind any of that. But you have a point when you said I have gymnastics to consider. After all, before she passed away, I made Kasumi a promise that I'd fulfill our dream for her sake as well as for my own. So as much as I could very happily see myself growing old with you and probably having a very happy life with you, I also know I want to make it big on the gymnastics scene first before I give too much thought to anything serious like marriage and/or a family.

But don't think I'm not agreeable to it, Ren. I'm just saying we should be patient about such things. On the other hand, I love that you're so comfortable being honest with me. I respect that a lot." Sumire said happily as she leaned up to capture Ren's lips in her own once more, greedily kissing him as he returned the kiss, the two getting comfy together as the rest of the ride went by in the red cabin they'd gotten on the Ferris wheel...

(Over in the fourth claimed cabin, with Kusa and Futaba)

"Wow, look at this view! It's so beautiful right now!" Futaba said happily as she leaned out the window, blushing slightly as she felt Kusa's arms wrap around her while he gently pulled her into his lap and looked into her eyes as he spoke up.

"True. This night sky is lovely, but at the same time? It's not nearly as beautiful as you are, Taba. But I am glad we got to enjoy such a picturesque view together like this. Almost makes up for how much I've been away over the past couple years, between trying to juggle coaxing Goro out of solitude, sorting out the transfer of leadership for both the student council and the karate team of Shujin, and even making sure Ren had enough spending money while he was back home.

But now, it's just you, me, and this gorgeous view. And I have no intentions of missing out on either you or the view, Taba." Kusa said as Futaba smiled happily and pulled Kusa into a heated kiss, the two being lip-locked for several minutes expressing their feelings for one another. After several long minutes, the two breathlessly came up for air, both blushing. Eventually, a smiling Futaba spoke up, looking into Kusa's eyes as she spoke.

"I'm glad you're so committed to me, Kusa. To be honest? Before I met you, I used to fear that I'd grow up and not have anyone to call my own, and that I'd spend most of my life being a solitary shut-in whose only friends are the ones she makes through online gaming. But after meeting you, I knew I'd never have to fear that. So thank you for giving my life some positive meaning, Kusa. I love you so much." Futaba said as Kusa spoke up with a smile while gently pulling a smiling Futaba into a hug.

"You're welcome, Taba. I love you too. Truth be told? Sometimes I question how I got so lucky to land such an amazing girl like you as my girlfriend. And then I remind myself how blessed I am every day that I have you in my life." Kusa said as Futaba smiled and spoke up.

"I feel the same, Kusa. I feel like you could've had any woman you wanted, but you went with someone like me, who is probably far from the prettiest girl you know, and who is probably the last girl anyone would expect you to fall in love with, much less make your girlfriend. But I'm also very happy you chose me. The day we got together was one of the happiest in my life so far, and I've loved every moment since." Futaba said as Kusa smirked and spoke up.

"As you should. And if you think things are great for us now while we're boyfriend and girlfriend, just imagine how much better they might be when the day comes that we decide to change that boyfriend/girlfriend status to husband/wife. But that's not going to be for quite a long while, since I would imagine neither one of us is quite yet ready to put a ring on the other or walk each other down that aisle.

Not to mention, the fact we'd probably give poor Sojiro a heart attack if he saw us wearing matching rings right now. But I assure you, if fate wills it, there'll probably be a ring in your future at some point, Taba. But for now, let's just enjoy holding each other close and making the most of this amazing view that we have in front of us, shall we?" Kusa said as Futaba nodded and pulled Kusa into an eager kiss, which he returned, as the two made out rather happily, not having noticed they'd been given one of the three red cabins at all...

(Meanwhile, in the first claimed cabin, with Goro and Haru)

"Wow, look at how lovely the moon looks tonight!" Haru said happily as she looked out the window from her seat next to Goro, who smiled and spoke up.

"True. The night sky does look rather pretty right now. But to be honest? It pales in comparison to the stunning woman that it currently illuminates. Or in other words? It's not nearly as pretty as you are, Haru." Goro said as Haru blushed at Goro's sincere words and spoke up.

"D-Do you mean that, Goro?" Haru asked as Goro spoke up with a nod.

"I sure do. I know I probably have no right to say such things to you after what I did to you, but I'm saying it anyway. You're an amazing person, Haru. I know I don't say it enough, but you are truly a beautiful person, both inside and out. Any man who manages to land you as their girlfriend is truly a lucky man indeed." Goro said as Haru smiled and spoke up while gently locking her fingers with Goro's, giggling at the adorably shy look on Goro's face as he registered what she was doing while she spoke.

"Thank you, Goro. But, truth be told? There's really only one man I want to be with at this point." Haru said honestly as Goro spoke up.

"Oh? Is it someone I know? Whoever they are, they're a lucky person indeed." Goro said as Haru giggled at Goro's coy response before smiling prettily at Goro while she spoke up.

"Are you really that dense, Goro? Maybe I should just let actions speak for me?" Haru said, smirking at the confused look on Goro's face while she gently grabbed the collar of Goro's shirt, pulling him in close as she steeled herself before greedily pressing her lips to Goro's, boldly kissing the stunned former ace detective.

After he realized what was going on, Goro smiled and eagerly returned the kiss, gently snaking his arms around Haru's waist as he gently held her close to him as he enjoyed kissing her. As the two kissed, Haru smiled as she felt her foot go straight up in the air, hearing a barely-audible 'pop' in her left ankle as she kissed Goro. Once the two pulled apart for air, Goro blushed and spoke up.

"W-Wow. That was certainly something. But it was something nice, to be sure. Are you sure you want to be with me, Haru? I can't imagine you have a good opinion of relationships after the disaster that was your short-lived engagement to that scumbag Sugimura. And to think you'd choose to kiss someone like me, who is probably almost as flawed and undeserving of you as Sugimura was." Goro said as Haru smiled and spoke up.

"I don't think you're flawed at all, Goro. I think you're just struggling to deal with the guilt you feel for all the sins you've committed. And I can understand why you'd feel you don't deserve me. But I truly do forgive you for what you did. I might be a fool to do so, but I feel you deserve that from me. So stop hating yourself over something you did years ago. It's in the past now. What matters now is that you and I are here together, in this place holding each other close right now.

And to be honest with you, I don't care if you're flawed. I want you as my boyfriend, Goro. So what do you say? Can you put your guilt and self-doubt aside and let yourself find happiness with me? I think you love me, at least somewhat, or else you wouldn't have kissed me as eagerly as you just did." Haru said as Goro briefly hesitated before smiling as he looked into Haru's eyes and spoke up.

"Haru? I would be honored to call you my girlfriend, if that's truly what you want. But you'll have to be patient with me if I accidentally slip into self-deprecating tendencies without realizing it. It's not going to be an easy process, forgiving myself. But I promise to do my best at it for you. So if you're absolutely sure that you want me as your boyfriend, then I vow to do the best I can to make sure you never have reason to regret choosing to be with me. I love you, Haru." Goro said sincerely as Haru smiled, laying her head on Goro's shoulder as she spoke up.

"Really!? I'm so happy right now, Goro. I love you too." Haru said, kissing her newly-minted boyfriend once more, feeling an indescribable sense of comfort, elation, and happiness in her heart at that moment, as the camera panned to zoom in on the inside of her heart, where both Milady and Astarte appeared, bowed to each other, and in a flash of light, slowly fused together into a new being. Once the light had receded, in place of Milady and Astarte stood an entirely different Persona.

The new being had visibly blonde hair that was held up with a striking purple ribbon. Interestingly enough, much like the one that Milady once had, this new Persona held a mask up to her face. But more telling was the cream-colored petticoat the new Persona had, one that put Goro eerily in mind of his former detective attire back when he was still a detective before he renounced everything he once was after going into hiding to try and get a fresh start to atone for his sins.

And through the wide openings of the khaki-colored sleeves, you could see a pair of arm-length black gloved hands protruding out from the red inner lining of the sleeves. After blinking at the mixed purple and black stripes on the sides of the skirt of the new Persona's petticoat, Goro blinked at the distinctive silver and black briefcase with gold edges that was in the being's left hand. After noticing the new being, Haru smiled and spoke up.

"Oh! Is this a new depth to the power of my heart!?" Haru said as Goro smiled and spoke up.

"Perhaps. But I also think it could be a sign of the powers that be giving their blessings to our newfound relationship. Because, correct me if I'm wrong? I think that new Persona's outfit is rather similar to the one I myself once wore, down to the briefcase in one hand. But I believe that your new Persona is a symbol of our newfound love, Haru." Goro said encouragingly as Haru smiled before speaking up, unaware that at that same moment, the entire group's phones pinged as one with the notification that Haru's 'Astarte' Persona had transformed into 'Lucy'.

"Good point, Goro. I hadn't thought of it like that. But truth be told? I think I definitely found that spark I was looking for. After all, I sure as heck didn't feel any spark with that jerk Sugimura. But you? You seem to cause something to stir deep within me that creates that extremely satisfying and pleasant rush of happiness in my heart. Truly, I think this was what was meant by 'sparks fly'." Haru said as Goro smiled and nodded, gently cuddling his new girlfriend close to him as they enjoyed the Ferris wheel together for a while before Haru blinked and spoke up, having a thought occur to her.

"Um, Goro? Did you happen to see what color the cabin we claimed was?" Haru asked as Goro smiled and spoke up.

"I thought you might ask that, so I made sure to check on the way in. We are in a yellow cabin as it so happens. Why do you ask?" Goro said as Haru smiled and spoke up.

"I ask because I once read that couples who get into a yellow cabin of a Ferris wheel are destined to have a long and blessed relationship. So the fact we got together here feels all the more right in light of hearing we're in a yellow cabin." Haru said with a smile, leaning her head happily on Goro's shoulder as the happy new couple just enjoyed holding one another close...

(A short time later, after the Ferris wheel, in Suzushino with Ren and Sumire)

"Heh, good thing Kusa and Futaba were willing to watch Morgana and Sophia for us so we could have some private time right now. And I seem to recall promising you a tour of a certain sweets shop." Ren said wisely as Sumire smiled and spoke up.

"That's true. You did promise that, didn't you? Shall we go check it out, Ren?" Sumire asked as Ren nodded and the two went into the nearby sweets shop, smiling as they took in the sights of the various sweets on offer, along with a selection of parfaits that Sumire couldn't take her eyes off of. After enjoying the wares on offer for a while, Sumire and Ren bought a few sweets, including the 'Masquerade Parfait' and 'Reunion Parfait', which they bought one of each. Once they'd rung up their purchases, Ren and Sumire went back to store the sweets at the RV before heading back into town to redeem their reservations at the bathhouse in Suzushino.

After they'd safely arrived at the Suzushino bathhouse, Sumire eagerly pulled Ren into the girls' baths with her after making sure no one else was in either bath, and confirming that they had the baths to themselves. After she got Ren into the baths, she stopped short of getting into the water as she looked greedily into Ren's eyes and spoke up.

**M-RATED CONTENT STARTS HERE. ANYONE NOT INTERESTED IN LEMONS AND/OR NAUGHTY SCENES CAN SKIP AHEAD NOW TO THE SECTION MARKED **END OF M-RATED CONTENT** TO CONTINUE READING THE STORY, BUT YOU DO SO AT YOUR OWN RISK, AS THERE MIGHT BE PLOT STUFF IN THE M-RATED CONTENT. BUT YOU ALSO READ ON AT YOUR OWN RISK IF YOU KEEP READING. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! M-RATED SCENE STARTS NOW!**

"Say, Ren? Is it me, or are we a bit over-dressed for this steamy sort of place?" Sumire asked Ren coyly as she pulled him into a kiss before abruptly tugging her shirt over her head and tossing it aside, before also removing her pants, shoes, and socks, leaving her in just her underwear. After blushing profusely at the bold gesture from Sumire, Ren started undressing himself. Once he was down to his boxers, Sumire started letting her hands wander over Ren's bare chest, smiling at how fit he kept himself.

After a bit of eager groping and caressing. Sumire found herself tossing her bra aside so as to give Ren unrestricted access to her breasts, which he eagerly wrapped his mouth around the closest breast to him as he lightly trailed kisses over the surface of the exposed flesh in his mouth, making Sumire give off a very throaty, if involuntary, moan in response to Ren's bold action as she started rubbing her hand sensually over the prominent bulge in Ren's boxers.

As she did so, Sumire found herself smirking at how much of a reaction he has to seeing her body. Eventually, Ren and Sumire had divested themselves of their last bits of clothing and both went into the water together, letting the warmth of the bathhouse water relax their naked bodies as they made out a bit, enjoying the feeling of the skin-on-skin contact they had.

After a bit. Sumire started playfully jerking her hand up and down on Ren's length, making him smirk at Sumire's naughty action before he lightly started trailing kisses along Sumire's neckline, enjoying the shuddering moans she gave off in response as the two explored each other's bodies. A short time later, Sumire smiled as she playfully backed into Ren, sexily wiggling her ass against his crotch, enjoying the low groan he gave off as he spoke up.

"Ooh, someone's in a naughty mood, eh? Don't think I won't bend you over and take you in this bath, because I will. Now quit being a bad girl unless you want me to punish you for it." Ren said huskily, swiftly whipping his hand back and deftly swatting Sumire right on the ass with it, smirking at both the audible 'smack' that echoed when he spanked her as well as the visible handprint on the buttcheek he'd swatted. Sumire, for her part, smiled sexily as she sexily giggled and spoke up in a throaty yet sultry voice.

"Oh, what's this? Is Senpai feeling naughty? Hee hee, I like it. By all means, treat me like a bad girl. I've been so totally naughty by trying to have my way with you, Senpai. So by all means, punish me for it. I've been such a naughty brat." Sumire said huskily, purposely teasing Ren by sexily rubbing her breasts up and down on his manhood, making Ren blush but moan in response to Sumire's bold actions as he reached down to start rubbing his fingers on the visible nub between Sumire's legs, rubbing his fingers up and down on the nub, making Sumire moan happily as she spoke up.

"Ooh, that feels so nice, Senpai! Keep going. I want you to make me scream your name." Sumire said happily as she relaxed into Ren stimulating her, smiling as she felt Ren insert first one, then two, fingers into her slightly moist entrance, using her arousal to get easier entrance as he started fingering her, drawing even louder moans from Sumire as she eagerly got into the feel of what Ren was doing, sexily grinding her hips against Ren's hand suggestively as he pleasured her. She then spoke up in a throaty, but husky, voice.

"Wow, someone's a selfless person. I'm impressed you want me to be satisfied before you. Not a lot of guys are so selfless these days. But I love that about you, Ren. Keep going, please." Sumire said eagerly, getting a nod from Ren as he playfully buried his face in his girlfriend's ample cleavage, making her blush prettily but also smiling slyly at Ren letting himself go a bit wild. She then grinned sexily as she spoke up.

"I love that you're so willing to cut loose and go wild with me, Senpai. It makes me so happy. But you really should be getting satisfaction here, too." Sumire said, leaning a hand down to start pumping it up and down on Ren's manhood a bit, her other hand moving to stimulate Ren's balls, getting a husky and approving groan from Ren at her actions. For some time, the only sounds that were heard were the mixed pleasured/euphoric moans that Ren and Sumire gave off as they serviced each other's private parts. After a while, Sumire whimpered slightly as she felt herself arc backwards, her walls clenching slightly on Ren's fingers as she spoke up.

"Ohh, god yes! I think I'm getting close, Senpai! Please, drive me over the edge so I can scream out your name like the naughty brat you've made me into." Sumire said pitifully as Ren kept going, increasing his thrusting speed as his fingers worked on Sumire's womanhood, groaning as he felt her hands going to town on his manhood, making him feel himself twitch a bit, a tiny bit of white shooting from his tip onto Sumire's hand, making her smile as she briefly lifted the hand in question to let Ren watch as she sexily licked that hand clean with her tongue. After she was done, she kept servicing Ren's manhood with her hands. Ren then spoke up breathlessly.

"Oof, I think I'm gettin' close too, Sumire!" Ren said at the same time that Sumire shuddered happily and arced backwards before speaking up in a euphoric scream.

"YESSS! OH, YES! RENNNNNN! I'M COMIN', SENPAI!" Sumire said as she felt herself release all over Ren's hand, coating his hand with her juices, which she eagerly put into her mouth to lick Ren's hand clean using the hand that had been stroking Ren's balls. After she licked Ren's hands clean, she went back to stroking Ren's manhood with both hands. After a little longer, Ren spoke up in a husky voice.

"I'M COMIN', SUMI!" Ren said as he felt himself twitch a bit before exploding onto Sumire's breasts, which was where she'd aimed him, smiling as she watched load after load of white release splash on her breasts, making Ren smile as he watched his release coating the tops of Sumire's breasts, which she then held up to her own mouth to lick clean, making Ren smile at the sight of Sumire licking her own breasts to clean off his release. After a bit, Sumire looked into Ren's eyes as she spoke up.

"And now comes the fun part." Sumire said as she backed up against him, shifting him so that Ren's length easily slid into her slick entrance, sliding right into her womanhood without much effort being needed. After she felt it inside of her, Sumire smiled at Ren as she knelt down doggy-style on her hands and knees and spoke up.

"Well? I seem to recall you once said you wanted to try taking me doggy-style, right Senpai? No time like the present, am I right?" Sumire said as Ren nodded and started thrusting eagerly into Sumire, using his hands to hold her head steady as he started pounding her walls with his length, making her moan out happily as she spoke up.

"Ohh, shit, that's amazing! Keep going, Senpai! I love how you're making me feel!" Sumire said huskily as she bucked in time to Ren's thrusts, giving the illusion she was riding him as Ren spanked Sumire's ass again and spoke up.

"Bad Sumi! You said you wanted it doggy-style! And I don't think you can ride me if you're getting it doggy-style?" Ren said as Sumire blushed and spoke up.

"Good point, Senpai. I'm such a naughty whore. Please punish me some more, Ren." Sumire said huskily as Ren nodded, pulling her into a steamy and passionate kiss which she eagerly returned, letting Ren get a pleasant view of her breasts jiggling in time to his thrusts. For some time, all that was heard was the sound of Ren's balls slapping against Sumire's thighs as he took her doggy-style. After a while, Sumire moaned and spoke up.

"Yes! Oh Senpai, I'm so close again! Make me scream your name out once more as you drive me over the edge again!" Sumire said huskily as Ren nodded his agreement and spoke up.

"Your wish is my command, Sumi." Ren said, spanking her again as he thrusted faster and harder, making Sumire moan happily as she let Ren set the pace of the moment. After a few more minutes. Ren grunted and spoke up.

"Now I'm getting close again. Hopefully you're not far off, Sumi." Ren said as Sumire blushed, speaking up huskily.

"I'm always close to you, Senpai. Ooh, shit, I think I'm-! OOH, YES! YES, I AM! I'M COMIN', RENNNN!" Sumire yelled out as she felt herself release on Ren again, and this time her release and gyrations were enough to drive Ren over the edge into his own release, making Sumire smile as she felt load after load of Ren's release shoot into her walls, slicking up the inside of her womanhood with Ren's seed. Eventually, Ren slid himself out of Sumire, who smiled and eagerly sat with Ren, leaning into him as she looked into his eyes, both very slick with sweat from their exertions, but very happy with the moment they'd just shared.

**END OF M-RATED CONTENT. STORY RESUMES HERE FOR THOSE WHO SKIPPED THE PRECEDING LEMON**

"Wow, that was so totally hot, Ren. I didn't think doing it in a bathhouse like this would be so exciting and thrilling! But now I think I see why Futaba likes it so much. We might have to start doing this more often, truth be told. Also, to be honest? I kinda can't help myself but feel fulfilled when I feel you releasing into me without protection. Yes, I know we're taking a lot of risks doing it that way, but at the same time?

I can't bring myself to care about it that much. If it means we end up parents sooner than planned, so be it. I think we can juggle a family and both have jobs at the same time. So even though it might cost me my gymnastic aspirations, and a chance to fulfill my promise to Kasumi? I'm not that bothered by it if we end up having a family together, Ren." Sumire said happily as Ren spoke up, looking down into Sumire's eyes as he spoke up.

"I'm glad to hear you say that, Sumire. And I am going to promise you something, right here and now. Even if it's not right away, I plan on eventually making you my wife someday. But we can wait until you've fulfilled your promise to Kasumi first before making any big moves towards matrimony. I just want you to know how much I cherish our relationship, beautiful. So never doubt that I'm entirely committed to you, because I am. I love you so much." Ren said as he eagerly kissed Sumire, who spoke up with a smile after returning the kiss.

"I love you too, Ren. But we don't have to hurry into anything. If we decide to get married this year, that's fine. If we decide to wait a few more years so I can win the Olympics for Kasumi, that's also fine. I'm just happy knowing that you want to be by my side for the long haul, Ren." Sumire said happily as Ren smiled and spoke up.

"I will always be by your side, Sumire. I promise you that, and that's not a promise I will ever break." Ren said honestly as Sumire spoke up happily.

"I'm so happy to hear that, Ren. I suppose we should get back though before someone sends a search party for us. Also, I feel like we might have made a wee bit of a mess here." Sumire said as Ren nodded and the two got dressed after drying off, eventually heading back to the RV together...

(A short time later, back at the RV, with Zenkichi, Morgana, Sojiro, Makoto, Kusa, Futaba, Goro, Haru, Ann, Sumire, Sophia, Ren, Ryuji, and Yusuke)

"Sorry it took so long. I didn't realize how long of a drive it was. Anyways, so I went to talk to Hyodo, but nothing new came out of it. All she explained is that she could control whoever added her as a friend on EMMA." Zenkichi said as Ren spoke up.

"That's unfortunate, but not surprising." Ren said honestly. Zenkichi frowned at the disappointed looks on most of the gathered faces as he spoke up.

"Come on, don't you guys give me that look. Here, I at least got her smartphone." Zenkichi said as Futaba spoke up eagerly while pumping her fists adorably.

"Mwehehe! Now that's what I wanna see!" Futaba said as she seized the phone before the group moved into the RV...

(Inside the RV, with Zenkichi, Yusuke, Morgana, Futaba, Kusa, Makoto, Goro, Haru, Ann, Sumire, Ryuji, Ren, Sophia, and Sojiro)

"After reviewing the facts, I've just about confirmed it. Each of these so-called incidents we've been hearing about? I think they all stemmed from a mastermind." Morgana said, making Zenkichi speak up in curiosity.

"Oh? I'm curious as to why you think so." Zenkichi said as Morgana spoke up.

"Hyodo, Natsume, Alice, and probably however many other Monarchs that are out there which we don't know about were changing people's hearts to do bad things. However, deep down? None of the three Monarchs that we stopped so far were truly evil. At the very least, they're not the same as the rulers who distorted reality for their own selfish reasons and ended up spawning Palaces." Morgana said as Yusuke spoke up with a frown.

"Good point. Truth be told, I'd been considering that as well. Before Natsume lost sight of his writing, he was diligently working towards his dreams." Yusuke said as Ann spoke up with a frown.

"Yeah, him and Alice too. She was doing her very best to be a ray of light and hope for other people." Ann said as Sumire spoke up sadly.

"True. It's just too bad she got caught up in the hype and popularity and started letting herself turn into a homewrecker. She really is a nice person deep down, but let herself get so consumed in vengeance, hatred, and anger that she turned to such things as forcing guys to fall for her just to spite their girlfriends. It's sad, really." Sumire said as Haru nodded and spoke up.

"True, it's not that different from what happened to Mari-san. Mari-san was also striving for the betterment of everyone in Sapporo at one point, before losing sight of her goals after getting betrayed." Haru said as Morgana nodded and spoke up.

"Right, Haru. They're different from criminal scum like Kamoshida and Madarame, who acted only for their own benefit." Morgana said as Zenkichi spoke up with a frown before Ann, Ryuji, and Yusuke could do more than frown at the mentions of the Monarchs they'd joined up to help defeat.

"Okay, but how does a handful of not-so-evil Monarchs prove there's a mastermind behind all this?" Zenkichi asked as Morgana spoke up.

"Well, for starters? The fact that Jails are fundamentally different from Palaces provides us with a big clue. First of all, Jails don't have any Treasures for the taking. All we've found are people's stolen Desires. That means Monarchs don't have twisted enough wills to reshape reality and form Treasures." Morgana said as Makoto spoke up, not seeing the wince that Goro and Kusa exchanged in the front seat as she spoke, both thinking of a certain jail that they and Sojiro had barely escaped from before meeting up with the others in Sendai after enlisting Sojiro to help them out.

"Which would mean that Jails aren't created by the Monarchs themselves, which as a result suggests that someone else must be doing the creating." Makoto said as Morgana spoke up again.

"Our final clue is the locks on all those birdcages. In order to get to the Monarch, we've always had to unlock a door that gives us passage. I had thought this was just a security measure designed to protect the Monarch and the Desires held within the cage. But if that were the case, why would traumatic memories the Monarch would rather erase be the key to unlocking it?" Morgana asked as Makoto spoke up with a frown.

"Given that these are cognitive worlds, maybe it means Monarchs think their trauma will protect them." Makoto said as Kusa frowned and spoke up.

"I'm sorry, but WHAT!? What kind of twisted-ass logic is that!? Who draws protection from things they find painful? With apologies to Sumire, since I know she went through something similar to this, but that'd be like if I'd have died along with Haru's father's Shadow, and either Ren or Haru, if not both, used the pain from the loss to try and somehow protect themselves from further suffering. That's such stupid and asinine logic, it sickens me." Kusa scoffed as Goro nodded his agreement and spoke up from his spot in the driver's seat behind Haru.

"Ignoring you using Haru as an example like you did, I agree that this seems like rather circular logic from the Monarchs." Goro said as Sojiro smirked and spoke up, noticing the rare pleased tone in Goro's voice, and correctly guessing that the poofy-haired brunette in front of him was likely the reason for that pleased tone, as he spoke.

"Ah, sounds like someone finally went and got serious with Haru. But this isn't the time to tease you for it. Let's stay on topic." Sojiro said as Yusuke spoke up with a nod.

"I find what you said rather odd, Makoto. Also, I have to agree with Kusa's words before. If anything, I would think it's the other way around." Yusuke said as Morgana nodded approvingly and spoke up.

"Correct. What if it is the other way around? Why might a door like that exist?" Morgana asked as Sumire spoke up.

"I get why you used the example you did, Kusa, but I also have to say that you did pick a painful example to use. That said, maybe it's a way to keep the Monarchs restrained?" Sumire suggested as Ren spoke up with a smile.

"You mean, like to keep the Monarch confined? I have to admit, that makes a lot of sense, Sumire." Ren said as Morgana nodded and spoke up.

"That's right, you two. I think so, too. What if that door isn't to keep intruders out, but to trap Monarchs in?" Morgana said as Haru gasped and spoke up.

"No! You mean they're trapped in that birdcage?" Haru asked as a wide-eyed Ryuji spoke up.

"For real!? I thought the Monarchs were the ones in charge of the Jails." Ryuji said as Morgana frowned and spoke up.

"Think about it. What would happen if a Monarch tried leaving their cage?" Morgana asked as Ann frowned and spoke up.

"Hmm. They'd touch the door to try and get out, only to fail, and then hear the voices of their trauma?" Ann suggested as Morgana nodded and spoke up.

"Exactly. They'll remember what made them so warped in the first place, and stick to their guns as a Monarch. And thus, the cycle continues unbroken. If you think about it in that respect, the Monarchs really are birds in a cage." Morgana said as Yusuke grimaced and spoke up.

"I see. From that perspective, the Shadows protecting the keys inside the Trauma Cell hold a far more sinister purpose. They aren't there to prevent the Monarch's trauma from being discovered by others at all. They're wardens guarding an elaborate system to ensure the Monarch's imprisonment." Yusuke said as Zenkichi frowned and spoke up.

"Let me get this straight, you guys. You're basically saying these Monarchs are being manipulated. And by virtue of that, someone's doing all the manipulating." Zenkichi said as the others nodded before Ann turned to Futaba and spoke up.

"How's Hyodo-san's smartphone looking?" Ann asked as Futaba spoke up with a frown.

"Much like Alice and Natsume, there's nothing wrong with her phone or the EMMA installed. But I did find traces of surveillance. I'll bet it's the same snooper we keep running into, though I'm lost as to who it might be." Futaba said as Goro spoke up with a frown.

"I doubt it, but what if Miss Monologue is the one doing the surveillance, and offering to help us find the person to keep us off her trail?" Goro asked warily as Kusa spoke up with a frown.

"Miss-? Ohh, you mean Ichinose-san? That makes sense, but I feel like you're giving her way too much credit with that theory, Goro. For one, she doesn't monologue, per se. And for another, pretty sure she doesn't really have the authority to manipulate EMMA enough to be able to plant surveillance on each of the Monarchs through their smartphones. Granted, she DID mention that she made the base for EMMA, so it's not impossible." Kusa said as Zenkichi spoke up with a smirk.

"I agree with Kusa on this. So, this observer and our mastermind may just be one in the same here. Not counting Goro, since he already guessed, does anyone have any guesses?" Zenkichi asked as Morgana spoke up with a nod.

"We do. Our first suspect is Madicce, the company in charge of EMMA. Since you can't get into Jails without EMMA, I can't write it off as mere coincidence." Morgana said as Zenkichi blinked at this and spoke up.

"Madicce, huh? Interesting. Too bad we can't just storm their headquarters." Zenkichi said as Ryuji spoke up.

"Y'mean the cops can't actually do that?" Ryuji asked as Goro frowned and spoke up.

"Use your head for once, Ryuji. They need this little thing called EVIDENCE to do that! That, and a search warrant." Goro said dryly as Zenkichi spoke up.

"Very observant, Goro. And Ryuji? Of course not. How could we even put out a warrant on them? By saying they go around turning people into Monarchs?" Zenkichi said dryly. However, before anyone could respond to his potentially rhetorical question, a 'BIP!' from Sumire's phone preceded Sophia speaking up at the same time that Ren's phone rang.

"Ren, you have a call from Ichinose." Sophia said as Goro groaned and spoke up.

"Oh, great. Speak of the devil. Me and my big mouth." Goro mused as Ren answered the phone.

"Hello? Ren Amamiya's phone, Ren speaking." Ren said, blinking as he recognized the voice on the other end as that of one Kuon Ichinose.

"Hello! Sorry for the relative lapse in communication. But I did turn up some info that I thought you guys might like to know! So I've been looking into EMMA all this time, and I still have yet to find any differences between her past and present versions. I mean, this is state-of-the-art tech. Not something just anybody could pry open and take a look inside of easily. But then I took a peek at EMMA's changelog, just on a whim, and that's where things got interesting. It seems EMMA was transported to Okinawa at some point after I sold her to Madicce." Ichinose said as Ren spoke up.

"Wait, WHAT!? For real!? Why Okinawa, specifically?" Ren asked, not seeing it when Goro and Kusa's eyes both widened at the mention of Ren and Kusa's hometown. Ichinose spoke up at that point, her tone decidedly happy as she spoke.

"Yes! Exactly! 'Why' was the first thing that popped into my head! So I dug around some more. And I found that off the coast of Okinawa, on the island of Kukojima, deep out of the way, Madicce apparently has a research lab! Oddly enough, its existence is unknown to the public, and when I called to ask for records, nothing came up. Basically, they're running a secret research lab! How crazy is that? So, if EMMA's been altered in any way, I would think it had to have been done on that island. Well, guys? Wasn't I a super-stellar source of information!?" Ichinose said as Ren spoke up with a sigh.

"Well done. You got us some good intel this time. Now keep it up, Ichinose-san. We might need more intel from you in case we run into another dead end down the road." Ren said as Ichinose smiled and spoke up with a slight cheer in her voice.

"Ooh, is that praise I hear? You mean I did a good job!? Woohoo, go me! Welp, guess it's bye for now, Phantom Thieves! Please regale me with tales of your adventure another time!" Ichinose said as Ren hung up and turned back to the others in time for Ann to speak up.

"So, what'd Ichinose-san say?" Ann asked as Ren spoke up.

"According to what she just told me, apparently EMMA was transported to Okinawa at some point after Ichinose sold her to Madicce. And as if that's not bad enough, apparently they have a secret research lab in Okinawa, on an island off the coast of it called Kukojima. Furthermore, Ichinose theorizes that if EMMA was altered, it would've had to have been done on that island. So it sounds like we might be making a trip to an island next." Ren said as Sumire gasped and spoke up.

"Okinawa? Isn't that where you and Kusa used to live for a time before moving to Yongen for a year about four years ago?" Sumire asked, getting approving nods from Ren and Kusa both as Makoto spoke up with wide eyes.

"Okinawa!?" Makoto said as Goro and Kusa spoke up.

"WHAT!?" Goro and Kusa said as the latter kept speaking in surprise.

"Did she seriously say Kukojima!? Ren, Sumire has a point in what she brought up just now. After all, that's not that far from where you and I used to live! Sure, we lived moreso on the mainland, but we both know Mom had a vacation house on Kukojima for a time too. Eventually, she had to sell it when your dad got laid off from his job with some super-rich conglomerate that was primarily based out of someplace called Tatsumi Port Island." Kusa said as Goro spoke up in shock.

"Wait, a group from Tatsumi Port Island!? Do you mean the Kirijo Group!? If so, that's interesting. Shido-san once tried to have me do research into them before you changed his heart. Had you not done it when you did, he was probably going to buy them out and absorb their assets into his own to increase his influence and power, even with the protests of the young CEO of the company, who is apparently the daughter of the former CEO." Goro said as Zenkichi spoke up.

"You mean Mitsuru Kirijo!? PubSec's been doing a lot of investigating on them, but hasn't turned up jack-all for our troubles. Supposedly, we lost our jurisdiction to stop them when they absorbed us into their new group that they formed several years ago. Or, that's at least what I've been able to gather from some discreet inquiries into the subject." Zenkichi said as the others all gave him shocked looks before Ann spoke up.

"Wait, Okinawa!? As in the location with crystal-clear waters!?" Ann said as Haru spoke up in shock.

"And Shiisaa statues!?" Haru said as Futaba spoke up with wide eyes.

"Wait, didn't you take me to Okinawa once, Kusa? Wasn't that the place with juicy pineapples!?" Futaba asked as Kusa spoke up.

"True. I'd almost forgotten that Mom treated us to pineapples and Chinsuko cookies when we went out to visit her about two years ago." Kusa said as a wide-eyed Yusuke spoke up.

"Chinsuko cookies!?" Yusuke said as Ren grinned and spoke up.

"Hey, if you're gonna list all the stuff that Okinawa is known for, don't leave out the Okinawa soba!" Ren said as Ryuji grinned and spoke up eagerly.

"Ooh, that too! It's that ramen-like thing, yeah?" Ryuji asked as Moragna growled and spoke up.

"Guys, can you snap out of it?" Morgana asked as Zenkichi spoke up, having spent the past few minutes stroking his beard contemplatively.

"Hm. If it's an unregistered facility, we could always say we're conducting a field survey. That way, we could ensure their cooperation. We may even find proper evidence that could be used in court. It may be well worth going for that alone." Zenkichi said as Kusa nodded and spoke up with a smirk.

"Good point. Still, Ren and I both went there less than a year ago. Who'd have thought we'd be back so soon, and under these circumstances!?" Kusa said as Zenkichi spoke up.

"True. I'm honestly surprised your mom had a vacation home in Kukojima, considering it's a bit far from the Okinawa mainland, Amamiya the youngest. Well, I say that, but that's only true if you do anything but go by boat, and if you go by boat, it's only a couple hours away. However, given that there's no way we can get a boat on such short notice, I guess we'd have to go by plane, if we go at all." Zenkichi said as Futaba spoke up in surprise.

"By plane!? Wait, what about our precious Feathermobile!? We've taken it all this way!" Futaba said as Ryuji spoke up in surprise with a frown.

"THAT's what you're namin' this thing!?" Ryuji asked as Kusa spoke up.

"I agree with Ryuji. I feel like the Phantomobile makes more sense as a name for this RV, if anything. But that's just my opinion." Kusa said as Sojiro frowned and spoke up.

"True. But not only that, what about the Ferrari I gave Kusa for his 17th birthday that we've been driving around along with the RV? We can't leave that either." Sojiro said wisely. Haru spoke up with a smile.

"Not only that, but I seem to recall you were leery of how we went around before, Zenkichi-san. Plus, you said it'd be dangerous using public transportation to get around, didn't you?" Haru asked as Yusuke spoke up with a frown.

"Even so, wouldn't it be too complicated to try and reach Okinawa by car?" Yusuke asked as the sound of a phone ringing could be heard, making Zenkichi wince as he spoke up.

"Oh, that's mine. Umm, gimme a sec." Zenkichi said before answering his phone.

"Hey, what's up? Yeah. Yeah. Of course I'm aware! But I also have a job to do, you know. I can't just abandon that either. Hahaha, eheh." Zenkichi said to someone on the other end as Ryuji spoke up.

"Who's he talkin' to?" Ryuji asked as Kusa spoke up.

"If I had to guess? Probably his kid. The first time I met him at Leblanc, I indirectly got Zenkichi to admit he had a kid that he was trying to do this job to make ends meet for. So maybe it's that kid checking in on their father? Either way, unless he asks us, it's not a matter for us to butt into." Kusa said firmly. At that point, Zenkichi spoke up with wide eyes.

"WHAT!? Why would I lie? I'm being honest, I swear. Yeah, of course I remember! Thing is, I'm a little, um, well, busy? Yeah, busy. I'm busy with work. I'm trying to make my way there on time, but it might still take me some time." Zenkichi said before wincing as he heard a dial tone, which was his hint that he'd been hung up on, causing him to wince.

"Oh." Zenkichi said as Futaba spoke up sympathetically.

"Ouch. Sounds like you got hung up on." Futaba said as Zenkichi spoke up in a suddenly urgent tone of voice.

"Uhh, okay guys, looks like going by plane's a no-go. We're driving." Zenkichi said as Ryuji spoke up with wide eyes.

"HUH?" Ryuji said as Goro spoke up.

"We're driving all the way to Okinawa? That's gonna be one hell of a drive, isn't it? Good thing we have a lot of licensed drivers we can rotate through so as to keep our drivers all fresh." Goro said sagely as Sojiro and Kusa nodded their agreement. Ann then spoke up with wide eyes at that point.

"Wait, WHAT!? You mean we're going all the way to Okinawa by car!?" Ann said as Zenkichi nervously nodded and spoke up.

"Eheh, yeah. You see, the thing is, I need to make a stop along the way. So we'll be going to Kyoto first." Zenkichi said as Sumire once again gasped and spoke up.

"Seriously? We're going to Kyoto before Okinawa? That's going to be interesting." Sumire said as Ren looked at Sumire and spoke up.

"How so, beautiful?" Ren asked Sumire, who sadly smiled and spoke up.

"I don't know if I mentioned it to you Ren, but I haven't been to Kyoto since the time I went there on a field trip with Kasumi when we were in middle school to do some intensive gymnastics training." Sumire said as Ren smiled and spoke up.

"Ah, I see. Are you gonna be able to handle that, beautiful?" Ren asked Sumire, who nodded with a wry smile as a wide-eyed Yusuke spoke up.

"WHAT!? Did you say Kyoto!?" Yusuke asked as Ren spoke up.

"Never mind that for now, Yusuke. What's this about, Zenkichi?" Ren asked, but surprisingly, it was not Zenkichi, but rather Kusa, who answered him, his arms crossed in a no-nonsense sort of way while he spoke.

"Probably family issues, if I had to guess. But unless he wants us to know, we won't be nosing into his business, even if it's only out of respect for how much he's helped us so far." Kusa said firmly, but his tone made it clear that despite only technically being the second-in-command of the Phantom Thieves, he would brook no arguments on the decision. Zenkichi nodded gratefully to Kusa's intervention and spoke up.

"Yeah, I primarily work for the Kyoto Police Department. I thought I'd take a moment to catch up, share intel, touch bases on cases, y'know, cop stuff. After that, we head to Kobe. And once we're there, we can take a direct ferry to Okinawa from there. That ought to be able to help us somewhat cut down on time." Zenkichi said as Makoto frowned and spoke up.

"But that's still quite a distance, even to Kyoto. Granted, we have several licensed drivers in the car, between myself, Goro, Kusa, and Sojiro. But even so, that's a lot for any one of us to shoulder in one go." Makoto said as Zenkichi spoke up.

"Not to worry. I'll do all the driving, this time." Zenkichi said as Kusa spoke up with a blink.

"You're going with us!? That's surprising." Kusa said as Sojiro spoke up.

"Not when you think about it being easier to stick together than to have to constantly plan out rendezvous points, it's not." Sojiro said bluntly as Zenkichi nodded approvingly. Ryuji spoke up with widened eyes at that point.

"I agree with Kusa on this. You're tagging along!?" Ryuji said as Zenkichi frowned at the group's reactions and spoke up.

"Wait, am I to believe that Niijima's been doing all the driving? Okumura, I thought you already had your license." Zenkichi said as Haru winced and spoke up.

"I do have it, it's just that despite having a license, I don't have much experience behind the wheel." Haru said as Goro spoke up reassuringly.

"Relax, Haru. We'll get you plenty of experience soon enough. Just not in an important situation like this one." Goro said, getting a grateful smile from Haru as Makoto spoke up.

"Plus, Haru's driving is not exactly, how do I put it? Uhm, it's not the safest driving. But I think that's just a result of her inexperience behind the wheel." Makoto said as Zenkichi spoke up.

"Well, in any case, we're taking off immediately." Zenkichi said urgently as for the first time in a while, a 'BIP!' from Sumire's phone preceded Sophia speaking up.

"Oh? If we're leaving directly from here, you'll need to take the Hokuriku expressway. The estimated travelling time will be-" Sophia said as Zenkichi spoke up to finish her sentence.

"About 21 hours, give or take." Zenkichi said as Sophia spoke up with wide eyes.

"Wow, that's impressive. Zenkichi is correct." Sophia said as Ryuji spoke up in shock.

"WHAT!? 21 HOURS!? Are you nuts?" Ryuji said as Zenkichi grinned and spoke up.

"You forget I'm an officer of the law? We're badass at driving." Zenkichi said as Goro snorted and spoke up.

"Yeah, badass at not following the speed limit, more like." Goro said in amusement. Kusa spoke up with a laugh.

"Nah, I believe in Zenkichi. He's probably a good driver, if he's an officer of the law. Despite what we've heard, I don't think all officers ignore traffic laws when it suits them." Kusa said cheerfully, ignoring the confused looks that Ren, Sumire, and Sojiro all gave him after his remark. Ryuji spoke up with wide eyes.

"Anyways, back on the main subject? What's with him all of a sudden, I wonder? It's like he lit a fire under his ass." Ryuji said as Yusuke smiled and spoke up.

"Fine by me, so long as I can visit Kyoto at last!" Yusuke said as Sumire sighed and spoke up.

"Well, I guess if nothing else, at least we're getting to see more parts of Japan on this trip, so that's good, I guess?" Sumire said uncertainly as Ren smiled and spoke up from the other side of Ryuji, who'd sat between Ren and Sumire out of there being nowhere else to sit.

"Nah, you've got it right, beautiful." Ren said as Sumire smiled gratefully at him. Futaba smirked and spoke up.

"Heh, there goes Inari, revealing his true colors." Futaba said as Kusa grinned and spoke up.

"Don't lie, Taba. You know you like seeing more of Japan. So don't act like it's just Yusuke who's excited to see Kyoto." Kusa said knowingly as Futaba huffed and spoke up.

"I hate that you know me so well, Kusa." Futaba said while pouting as Ren spoke up.

"Ready when you are, Zenkichi." Ren said as Zenkichi grinned and spoke up.

"All right, then let's hit the road! I'll get you rascals there in record time!" Zenkichi said as the group dispersed to make their final preparations before starting the trip to their next destination. Once outside, Morgana spoke up with a smirk.

"It's been a wild ride, but now we're even closer to the truth. Let's head out as soon as you're ready. Make sure you leave nothing undone." Morgana said as Ren nodded, checking his map to see where everyone had gotten off to. After consulting his map, Ren noticed that Goro, Haru, Kusa, and Futaba were all hanging out near the fountain in Odori Park, while Yusuke and Ryuji were walking together near the pharmacy and bathhouse, Ann and Makoto were surveying the sweets shop.

Finally, and probably the most amusing to Ren, Sojiro was in the south part of Suzushino with Sumire, presumably scouting out the curry shop there to see if they were a threat to Leblanc's curry or not. After considering his options, Ren decided to speak to Sojiro and Sumire first. On getting close to the curry shop, Ren smirked as he heard Sumire's voice speaking up.

"Umm, do we really have to be scouting this place out, Sojiro? I know you're worried that they might try to compete with your curry, but unless they open up a branch in Yongen or you open a Leblanc in Sapporo and/or Suzushino, I don't think you have anything to worry about." Sumire said as Sojiro scoffed and spoke up.

"Maybe you're right, Sumire. But be that as it may, I still feel like it can't hurt to scout the place out. And who knows? Maybe it could even work out that I can get them to advertise Leblanc products and we work together to better both our brands somehow? Sometimes, things work out like that in the business world." Sojiro said sagely as Ren walked over and spoke up.

"That's true, Sojiro. But at the same time, what's to say they don't view your curry as a threat to them? After all, we all know Leblanc has the best coffee and curry around." Ren said wisely as Sojiro nodded approvingly and spoke up.

"Hmm, good point, Ren. I guess it doesn't matter that much anyways." Sojiro said before turning to Sumire while he kept speaking.

"Eh, since we're here anyways, would you like me to treat you to some curry as my way of apologizing for basically putting you through all this?" Sojiro asked Sumire, who smiled and spoke up.

"Hmm, y'know? I think that could be arranged. But we should also treat Ren as well, since he's here." Sumire said as Sojiro nodded and spoke up.

"Fair enough." Sojiro said as he bought curry for the three of them, which they savored and enjoyed. After finishing his meal, Ren nodded to Sumire and Sojiro before he kept moving, deciding to go catch up to Ryuji and Yusuke, who were the closest to his current spot. After walking over to Yusuke and Ryuji, Ren spoke up.

"So you two are walking around Suzushino together, eh Ryuji? What's bonkin'?" Ren asked Ryuji, who high-fived Ren and spoke up.

"Yo, RenRen! Zenkichi is gonna be drivin' all night, yeah? We should prolly get him somethin' to help him stay awake." Ryuji said as Yusuke spoke up.

"Indeed. Hmm, well, how about this one? 'Eight heads of sleep-slaying terror! Unstoppable Orochi 50ml.' Could be effective." Yusuke said as Ryuji frowned and spoke up.

"Um, that's an energy drink, Yusuke. And if you ask me, that shit sounds kinda dangerous. Makoto once told me horror stories about people who did crazy shit after getting hooked on energy drinks. Aw, man. We are not turning Zenkichi into an addict! Anyhow, I don't really wanna go in here. Wonder if we can just order it online or somethin', perhaps?" Ryuji asked as Ren spoke up.

"Perhaps. But I feel as if it's a safer bet to figure that we could just have Sojiro whip up some of his famous coffee and let Zenkichi sip on that as needed while driving. I can vouch that Sojiro's coffee can keep anyone awake if downed enough. I lost count of how many nights I managed to get a lot done because of that coffee." Ren said as Yusuke and Ryuji shrugged and Ren kept moving, heading over to speak to Ann and Makoto. Once Ren found the two, he spoke to Makoto first.

"Ah, so you and Ann are walking around Sapporo together, eh Makoto? Finishing your last unfinished business for the area?" Ren asked as Makoto spoke up with a nod.

"Exactly. Still, I suppose we should start saying our goodbyes to Sapporo. It's too bad we couldn't stay a little bit longer." Makoto said as a 'BIP' from Sumire's phone, which Ren was using as he and Sumire had temporarily swapped phones so Ren could show Sophia around Sapporo, preceded Sophia speaking up in confusion.

"Hmm, well that's sad. Nothing came out. I was really hoping we'd see one." Sophia said as Makoto spoke up with what appeared to be a closed eye smile.

"Came out? What do you mean?" Makoto asked as Sophia spoke up, not seeing Ren resist the urge to facefault at what she said next.

"Futaba told me that ghosts have been known to appear in Suzushino." Sophia said as Makoto winced and spoke up with a frown.

"Uh, c-can we maybe save this conversation for later? In any case, F-Futaba gets pretty excited about urban legends and stuff. They're just rumors though, as far as I know. I also know that Kusa-kun's been trying to reel in that tendency of Futaba's, though even he admits that it's a work in progress. They are just legends, right?" Makoto said as Ren spoke up.

"Should be. Then again, I do recall a couple of instances where we ran into ghost-like entities in the Metaverse, between that distorted spirit of Futaba's mom and the cognitive echo of Sumire's deceased twin sister Kasumi. So it's not impossible that there are beings similar to ghosts in the Metaverse." Ren said wisely as he turned to Ann and spoke up.

"So, why so happy, Ann? I know we're about to go hit Okinawa up, but are you really that excited for it?" Ren asked as Ann giggled and spoke up.

"Of course I am, hee hee! Oh, but sorry to tell you? Makoto and I already tried this place earlier, Ren. They're sold out now, but we were able to get some of their food before they sold out." Ann said as Makoto spoke up with a closed-eye smile.

"And the food tasted just as amazing as it looked. We really had a great time." Makoto said as Ann spoke up.

"True. Though when we tried to buy stuff just now, we were told that some tourist couple bought the last of their products recently. Apparently some dark-haired guy with glasses and a rather spunky redhead with her hair in a ponytail that was sporting an athletic figure were the ones to buy the last of their product?" Ann said, before she kept speaking without noticing the guilty wince on Ren's face as he realized that he and Sumire must've bought out the rest of the supplies on offer when they sampled the wares of the store in question the night of their date in Suzushino.

"Anyways, that food had the calories to match, too, which can't be good for one's figure. We should probably get our butts in gear and work it all off!" Ann said as Makoto spoke up.

"Good point. That parfait probably had around 500 calories or so, therefore I figure it's nothing that around an hour of running won't fix." Makoto said as Ann spoke up with a wide-eyed look of shock.

"WHAT!? An hour!? That's worse than I thought it was gonna be, truth be told." Ann said as Ren grinned and spoke up.

"Yeah? And what was your plan, Ann? Burn the calories off by jumping Shiho's bones over and over, working up a sweat that way?" Ren said as Ann blushed and spoke up while swatting Ren on the arm.

"REN! Shush! Ix-nay on the iho-Shay alk-tay in ublic-pay! But anyways, maybe we could just spend some time exploring the Jail instead to burn the calories?" Ann suggested as Ren grinned and spoke up.

"That's possible, Ann. I'm always up to put us through more training to beef up our skills before the next Jail. But in all seriousness, I'm sorry. That was a terrible joke. However, I do believe you and Shiho are meant for one another, so don't think I don't support you two, because I do." Ren said as Ann smiled and thanked Ren before he headed back to Odori Park to speak to the rest of the group, or Kusa, Futaba, Goro, and Haru. Once he got to Odori Park, he found Haru, Futaba, Goro, and Kusa all hanging out near the fountain. Ren started off by walking over to Haru and speaking up.

"Heh, so you decided to hang out with Futaba, Kusa, and Goro this time, eh big sis? How's that going for you?" Ren asked as Haru smiled at Ren and spoke up.

"Good evening, little bro. Sapporo's given me some wonderful memories to look back on, in my opinion. Which reminds me of something. Here. I bought this at the general store, and I was hoping you'd hold on to it for me. If I ever fall down and start crying again, I want you to hold on to this. It will remind me of all that happened here, and that people can always get back up again, no matter what." Haru said as Ren accepted a 'Salvia Charm' accessory from Haru before speaking up with a smirk.

"I can do that, but wouldn't it be more accurate to figure that you could just have Goro kiss your injuries all better within reason, given how much closer you two seem to be of late?" Ren said slyly as Goro spoke up with a glare.

"Not that it's any of your business, but just because Haru and I are a couple now, that doesn't mean we're always going to be super lovey-dovey with one another, like you and Kusa are with your girlfriends." Goro said icily as Kusa smirked and spoke up.

"Sure, Goro. You tell yourself that. I give it by the end of the Okinawa trip, and we'll probably hear you and Haru going at it in a private spot like a pair of horny friggin' rabbits. Or would that just be Ren and Sumire again? Could be either one, really." Kusa joked as Futaba chuckled and spoke up.

"You say that like you and I aren't like that too, Kusa." Futaba pointed out to Kusa, who merely shrugged in response, mostly out of not being able to argue with what Futaba had said as Haru spoke up.

"Anyways, now that we've gotten that digression out of the way, thank you for everything, Ren-kun. I truly hope we come back here someday." Haru said as Kusa grinned and spoke up.

"You say that like you can't just have Goro bring you back here for the honeymoon when and/or if you two tie the knot someday, Haru. But I can't blame you for liking it here. This is a pretty nice place, once you get to explore it a bit." Kusa said as Haru nodded sagely while Ren walked over to Futaba and spoke up.

"You seem rather happy, little sis. You having fun with Goro, Haru, and Kusa?" Ren asked Futaba, who nodded and spoke up with an amused smile.

"You know it, big bro! Oh, but yo! Check this out, Ren! The detailing on this thing is unreal!" Futaba said as Ren noted that Futaba was holding up a wooden bear statue for some reason. Before Ren could do more than give Futaba an amused smile, she kept speaking excitedly.

"Crazy, right? I find myself constantly looking at those eyes, that face, and these expressions. And see how it looks like it's actually moving? Inari'd prolly have a lot to say about that. I saw it and just had to have it. Apparently, they carve these from the trees around here. Makes sense, seein' how it's solid wood and all. I'm more into collecting PVC figures and stuff, so I've never had too much interest in this kind of thing. Still, I know cool when I see it! Do me a favor and put this in the hideout, okay!?" Futaba said as Ren nodded while accepting the 'Wooden Bear Statue' key item from Futaba as she kept speaking.

"Heh, think I might've found myself a new favorite! And it's all thanks to this trip." Futaba said as Kusa smirked and spoke up.

"Yeah? Sounds to me like you got a lot out of our time in Sapporo, Taba. I approve." Kusa said wisely as Ren nodded and turned to Kusa and spoke to him next.

"You seem rather talkative today, Kusa. Not that you're not always talkative, mind you. I'm just noting that you seem more lively than usual." Ren said as Kusa smiled before nodding as he spoke up.

"You have a point there, Ren. That said, can you blame me, though? This place is totally scenic as hell! Not to mention, all the fun memories we made here. Heck, I even found myself one of these bad boys." Kusa said, smirking as he held up the intricately-carved length of bamboo that was in his right hand, smirking as he kept speaking.

"Surprised, Ren? It's a 100% genuine and authentic bamboo jingu staff! I didn't think these things existed outside of video games. But it seems like it fits in my hands real nice. Pretty sure I scored me a new weapon. And I was even able to score a new sword for Goro over there.

Who knew they made swords in the image of pimp canes? Not I, that's for sure. But Goro seems to enjoy it well enough. Then again, maybe he's just high on the euphoria of having a girlfriend now. I knew he and Haru were meant for each other." Kusa said slyly as Goro merely flipped him off, getting laughs from Ren and Kusa as the former acquired the 'Jingu Staff' and 'Mack Blade' weapons, which he promptly equipped on Kusa and Goro. Kusa then kept speaking at that point.

"But in all seriousness, who'd have thought our next destination would be so close to where we used to live, Ren? I wasn't expecting that. But I suppose it makes sense. And the fact it's near a beach can only mean we get to see our girlfriends modelling their bikinis again. Yep, I think there's no question that summer is definitely the best time of the year. And I'm not biased in saying that just because I was born in the middle of the summer." Kusa said as Goro spoke up with a laugh and a wryly amused grin.

"Sure you aren't, Kusa. Sure you aren't. To be fair though, I won't deny that the mental image of Haru in a sexy bikini is a rather appealing one, to be sure. Much like you're probably excited to see Futaba in a bikini and Ren's likely excited to see Sumire-san in a bikini." Goro said as Haru blushed while Kusa spoke up.

"Oh, shut up. At least I didn't take three effing years to finally stake claim to my crush like you did, Goro." Kusa pointed out slyly as Goro huffed and spoke up.

"Maybe the best things in life are worth waiting for sometimes, Kusa. Ever think of that?" Goro said as Ren laughed and turned to speak to Goro.

"Well said, Goro. By the way? Congratulations on finally asking Haru out and getting her to say yes. I wish you both all the best in your newfound relationship. But in all seriousness, what do you make of this turn of events involving Okinawa?" Ren asked Goro, who spoke up with a grin.

"I think it's an interesting turn of events. But at the same time, I have a feeling this next Jail's gonna be an especially large doozy for us. So we should go in cautiously. Oh, and by the way? I found this while shopping earlier, and figured you could make use of it, since you're the primary cook for the group. Interested?" Goro said as he handed Ren a 'Sapporo Takoyaki' recipe, which Ren accepted.

An interesting tidbit that Ren noted by checking the description of his newly acquired recipe was that the 'Sapporo Takoyaki' was a rare instance of a powerful group healing item for HP, in that the label read as thus: 'The flavor of this recipe is profound. But why is one of the takoyaki differently colored than the rest? Restores 70 HP to all allies and applies the 'Tetraja' effect.' After seeing this, Ren smirked and spoke up.

"Nice find, Goro. Not only is this a good source of healing, but the fact it lets one put up a barrier to prevent insta-kills is also good. Impressive." Ren said sagely to Goro, who nodded and spoke up.

"Glad you approve, Ren. Hopefully we can have as much success in Okinawa as we've had here." Goro said as Ren nodded and headed back towards the trailers to figure his next move. After he got to the trailers, Ren decided to go in and sit for a bit to reflect on his time in Sapporo, knowing that once the group left, it was going to be off to a place Ren never once thought he'd be bringing his friends to...

END OF CHAPTER

A/N: And boom, another chapter done and dusted! Yeah, I also had part of the follow-up to Hyodo's change of heart in this chapter, but that was mainly to pad chapter length. That said, anyone with eyes probably spotted the surprise Tier 3 evolution I gave Haru's Persona in the interlude. As anyone who read the original Phantom Files no doubt noticed, not all of the Thieves got their Tier 3 evolutions in that story, in part due to having to sack some of them for the sake of getting as many Confidants maxed out as possible.

It's in part because of that decision that I came up short a couple of Confidants from maxing out all of them. But to be fair, that was in large part my own fault for being too lazy about ranking up Shinya in particular during the back half of that story as I was focusing on fitting plenty of character development for all involved characters. That being said, as this chapter hopefully indicated, I intend to give the Thieves who didn't get their Personas to their Tier 3 evolutions (e.g. Skull, Panther, Fox, Queen, and Noir) up to Tier 3 in this story, as Lucy's appearance in this chapter proved.

But to be fair, I felt like Haru finding contentment with Goro was a good spot to slot in Astarte evolving into Lucy, given the whole Haru reaching a sort of fulfillment by making Goro her boyfriend and the fact that Lucy has a lot of aesthetic similarities to Goro's outfit in Persona 5 Royal/vanilla Persona 5, in that both have a briefcase in one hand, both wear khaki jackets, and both dress like detectives to a point. So consider this a heads-up that there will be evolutions along the way for Panther, Skull, Fox, and Queen's Personas at some point later in this story. But enough foreshadowing of the long-term, I believe we were supposed to be previewing the next chapter, yeah?

And on that note, as anyone who's been paying attention probably realizes, the next chapter is the start of the Okinawa arc, or the arc with the oh-so-infamous beach scene (which may or may not have quite a few surprises in it that weren't in canon Strikers) where virtually every female Phantom Thief (not counting Seeker, who lives in a phone) wears a bikini, some of which are more revealing than others *coughAnnsbikinicough*, and where we see many of the guys in swim trunks, with the possible exceptions of Sojiro and Zenkichi, but we'll see.

As for what Goro, Sumire, and Kusa will wear? You'll have to wait for the chapter with the beach scene to find out! Not sure yet if the next chapter or the chapter after next will have the beach scene in question. Probably the chapter after next, dependent on how much of the next chapter is taken up by events that happen before actually arriving in Okinawa.

Oh, almost forgot, but the next chapter will more than likely be introducing a new character to the mix (though anyone who's played through canon Strikers at least once already knows which character I'm alluding to there). However, bear in mind as a heads-up, she may or may not be slightly different to how she was in canon Strikers (in part due to this adaptation being set three years later than canon Strikers was). So there's that bit of previewing to look forward to.

As always, thanks to everyone who's been showing this story support, either through following and/or favoriting it, or through leaving a review and/or PM with their feedback/opinions/input/constructive criticism on the story thus far, as it's been very much appreciated. Feel free to keep reviewing and/or PMing me, as I enjoy hearing from my readers, and try to reply when I can. So keep on making your voice heard, and until the next chapter and next arc, sithlorde1988 out!

PHANTOM THIEF LEVELS AND ALLIES LISTING AS OF THE END OF CHAPTER 18

JOKER (Ren) - Level: 46 Current Personas: Raoul (Level 29), Orthrus (Level 36), Okuninushi (Level 46), Queen Mab (Level 46), Naga (Level 46), Valkyrie (Level 46), Hecatoncheires (Level 46) Equipped Persona: Okuninushi Persona Moveset: Psio (Psy), Tempest Slash (Physical), Matarukaja (Support/Buff), Concentrate (Support/Buff), Dodge Nuke (Passive), Dodge Wind (Passive), Makouga (Bless), Psy Boost (Passive)

SKULL (Ryuji) - Level: 43 Current/Partner Persona: Seiten Taisei Persona Moveset: Zionga (Elec), Headbutt (Physical), Tarukaja (Support/Buff), Attack Master (Passive), Mazionga (Elec), Rebel Soul (Passive), Swift Strike (Physical), Shock Boost (Passive)

MONA (Morgana) - Level: 42 Current/Partner Persona: Diego Persona Moveset: Garula (Wind), Dormin Rush (Physical), Mediarama (Healing), Magarula (Wind), Diarama (Healing), Recarm (Healing), Masukunda (Support/Debuff), Dodge Elec (Passive)

PANTHER (Ann) - Level: 42 Current/Partner Persona: Hecate Persona Moveset: Agilao (Fire), Dodge Ice (Passive), Fire Boost (Passive), Soul Thief (Passive), Maragion (Fire), Matarunda (Support/Debuff), Marin Karin (Ailment), Diarama (Healing)

FOX (Yusuke) - Level: 42 Current/Partner Persona: Kamu Susano-o Persona Moveset: Bufula (Ice), Speed Master (Passive), Taunt (Ailment), Knockdown Style (Passive), Vicious Strike (Physical), Tempest Slash (Physical), Mabufula (Ice), Dodge Fire (Passive)

QUEEN (Makoto) - Level: 42 Current/Partner Persona: Anat Persona Moveset: Freila (Nuclear), Defense Master (Passive), Marakukaja (Support/Buff), Mafreila (Nuclear), Diarama (Healing), Flash Bomb (Physical), Mediarama (Healing), Sledgehammer (Physical)

NOIR (Haru) - Level: 44 Current/Partner Persona: Lucy Persona Moveset: Psio (Psy), Psy Boost (Passive), Evil Smile (Ailment), Triple Down (Gun), Technical Adept (Passive), Amrita Shower (Healing), Mapsio (Psy), Gun Boost (Passive)

ORACLE (Futaba) - Level: 46 Current Personas: Al Azif and Albus Equipped Persona: Al Azif Persona Moveset: Analysis (Passive), Moral Support (Passive), Active Support (Passive), Moral Boost (Passive), Active Boost (Passive), Moral Boost EX (Passive)

SEEKER (Sophia) - Level: 42 Current/Partner 'Persona': Pithos Persona Moveset: Kouga? (Bless), Rakunda? (Support/Debuff), Diarama? (Healing), Makouga? (Bless), Mediarama? (Healing), Bless Boost? (Passive), Divine Grace? (Passive), Recarm? (Healing)

VIOLET (Sumire) - Level: 44 Current/Partner Persona: Ella Persona Moveset: Kouga (Bless), Dodge Curse (Passive), Diarama (Healing), Bless Boost (Passive), Heat Wave (Physical), Makouga (Bless), Tempest Slash (Physical), Recarm (Healing)

DRACONIS (Kusa) - Level: 42 Current/Partner Persona: Malefor Persona Moveset: Agilao (Fire), Garula (Wind), Mediarama (Healing), Rising Slash (Physical), Megido (Almighty), Vicious Strike (Physical), Almighty Boost (Passive), Sukunda (Support/Debuff)

CROW (Goro) - Level: 42 Current/Partner Persona: Hereward Persona Moveset: Eiga (Curse), One-Shot Kill (Gun), Maeiga (Curse), Deathbound (Physical), Rakunda (Support/Debuff), Mudo (Curse/insta-kill), Megido (Almighty), Curse Boost (Passive)

PENDRAGON (Sojiro) - Level: 42 Current/Partner Persona: Kohryu Persona Moveset: Psio (Psy), Assault Dive (Physical), Mapsio (Psy), Spell Master (Passive), Psy Boost (Passive), Mediarama (Healing), Evade Nuke (Passive), Concentrate (Support/Buff)

Allies: Zenkichi, Ichinose, Shiho