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!

26. Interlude 4: Nanako's Past

A/N: sithlorde1988 here, with another chapter of Phantom Files, Book 2: Rise of the Monarchs! First and foremost, let me just say that while last night's Super Bowl (last night as of the point of typing this start-of-chapter A/N) had a disappointing ending, it wasn't an unexpected one given the 49ers' recent track record with conference championships/Super Bowls under Shanahan, but we still played a damn good game. In the end we only just missed the Lombardi, and only because our defense folded under the pressure.

Besides, even the Ravens (who also beat the Niners the one time that they played us this season) couldn't defeat the Chiefs, so I'm not that shocked we came up short as well. Do I think both Shanahan and Steve Wilks (if I have his last name spelled right, he's the 49ers' now-former defensive coordinator) have some questions to answer? Probably. Do I blame them, though? Not really. There's always next year. If we tighten up our defense in clutch moments, we have as good of a shot as anyone of getting that sixth Lombardi Trophy.

So while it's GG and RIP for our Super Bowl aspirations this year, I choose to focus on next season, rather than be frustrated over what could've been. But enough about the NFL, you're here for Persona if you've read this far, am I right? Let's get on the disclaimer, then.

Disclaimer: I, sithlorde1988, do not own the Persona series in any way, shape, or form ((excluding the OCs Kusa/Draconis, Taichi, Momoe, the OC Personas Malefor and Albus, and the Phantom Thief attire concepts for Draconis and Pendragon. I do not, however, own the OC Persona Hester, nor the Phantom Thief attire concept for Flare. Both of those belong to thalassatides (at symbol) bsky on X (or Twitter as it used to be called), who does really good work.

I am merely borrowing them to use in this story, and possibly future stories)) and the actual ownership credit for the Persona series belongs, for the most part, to Atlus and Sega, as well as to Koei Tecmo to a point (mainly where it concerns Strikers. I believe other studios own the other spinoffs, such as Phantom X, Tactica, the 'Arena' games, the 'Q' games, and the 'Dancing' games, and those who do know who they are and receive full credit for owning the spinoffs), so all credit to them!

Also, bit of a quick heads-up? I intend to have at least one M-rated scene in this chapter, and if I do, any such scenes will be clearly marked so those who have no interest in such things can easily skip over them, though they do so at their own risk in case there's minor plot elements within the M-rated scenes. That said, I think I've made this start-of-chapter A/N long enough, so without further ado, here's the Arc 5 Interlude!

Chapter 26- Discussions, Planning, and More? Arc 5 Interlude

(At the hideaway Zenkichi showed the group, with Ren, Morgana, Ryuji, Ann, Yusuke, Makoto, Futaba, Haru, Goro, Sumire, Kusa, Sophia, Sojiro, and Shiho)

"Well, now what? We touched bases with Nanako's friends, but because of how late it is, we're most likely not gonna be able to start heading back to Yongen until tomorrow." Sumire said as Sojiro spoke up with a thoughtful look.

"Hmm. Good question. I guess we can hang out here for now, and then try to figure out who gets to sleep where in a bit, since odds are we're gonna have to use the RV and tent for sleeping quarters for now." Sojiro said as Goro spoke up.

"Don't jump to conclusions just yet, Sojiro-san. If I recall, right before he left, Yu did mention that he would try to compensate us for the cost regarding the hotel and would try to see if he could allow us an extra night in there." Goro said as Ren spoke up.

"True, but that's assuming that he was able to do it and that the hotel didn't do the same thing to us that Nanako and Shiho's hotel did to them the night we had to lay low in the Okinawa Jail." Ren pointed out as Kusa nodded and went to speak up, only for his phone to ring and for him to blink as he saw the caller ID, answering it.

"Hello? Kusa Amamiya's phone, Kusa speaking." Kusa said, before blinking at the voice that spoke up on the other end.

"Amamiya the youngest? This is Rise Kujikawa. I wanted to call and let you know that Yu and I were able to talk it over with the hotel that you guys stayed at and that we were able to extend your rooms for another night as a sort of apology for basically forcing you all into a fight earlier. I hope this makes us even between our two groups since you stayed true to your word by allowing us to see if Nanako was alright. Wait, hang on. Yu wants to speak to you." Rise said as she handed the phone to Yu, who spoke up.

"Hello, Amamiya the youngest? This is Yu Narukami. I figured that I'd let you know that we talked, and as I mentioned to you and the others earlier, Rise and I feel we can trust you all to keep Nanako with you, especially if we're right about what's about to happen. You'll probably need all the manpower you can get. But let me also warn you on one very important matter. If we're right, and she does end up one of you guys? You'd better protect her with your lives! If anything, and I do mean ANYTHING, happens to her? We'll be coming for you again! And this time, we won't pull any punches! So consider that your warning." Yu said as Kusa nodded and spoke up.

"O-Okay then? That's actually more than fair, Narukami-san. But then again, I'm sure none of us would've let anything happen to Nanako anyway. It might not seem like it, but most of us are already quite fond of her. So I give you my word that we will protect Nanako with our lives." Kusa said as Yu spoke up.

"Thank you, Kusa. I appreciate your sincerity. Rise and I already spoke to Nanako about this shortly after we left your hideout, and she was more than willing to stay with your guys for the time being. But going back to my warning. The eight of us aren't the only ones who would take issue with you if something happened to Nanako. As we mentioned previously, we have allies in high places who also think the world of Nanako, and wouldn't hesitate to make you answer for it if anything happened to her. So just do your best to protect her, and we should have no problems." Yu said as Kusa winced and spoke up.

"I-I see then. I think I know who you're talking about, but even so, your warning is received loud and clear, Narukami-san." Kusa said warily before Yu gave a sound that sounded like a huff before he handed the phone to Rise, who spoke up again.

"Sorry about that. Yu is a bit protective of Nanako, as you might have guessed. Maybe that 'Sister-Complex Kingpin' tagline of his from back when we had to deal with an unusual case involving our high school, the world Teddie lives in, and an anti-Shadow weapon that was tossed into said TV world that Yosuke may or may not be carrying a torch for, was more than just idle BS?" Rise said as Kusa spoke up.

"Sister complex!? I thought Yu and Nanako were cousins, Kujikawa-san?" Kusa said as Rise giggled and spoke up.

"They are. Nanako just tends to call Yu her 'Big Bro' because Chie called him that once in front of her, and it kinda stuck with her after that. Then later on, after Yu and I became boyfriend and girlfriend, that was when Nanako started to call me 'Big Sis'. But anyway, I just wanted to let you guys know that you are set on staying in that hotel for one more night. And on that note, I'll let you go so you can tell the others and go enjoy your rooms. After everything you guys went through, regarding having to deal with that Jail that involved Zenkichi-san's daughter as well as battling with us, you guys deserve some rest." Rise said as Kusa nodded before speaking up.

"Fair enough. Thank you for doing that for us, Kujikawa-san. You and your husband are lifesavers. Good night." Kusa said as he hung up the phone and turned to the others as he kept speaking.

"Well, that's one bit of good news. That was Kujikawa-san, and she called to let us know that she and her husband have succeeded in extending our hotel room reservations for one more night as a thank-you for taking good care of Nanako. So at least we have a place to stay tonight. If it means some of us get to have some fun in the process, so be it. So I guess we can go back to the hot springs hotel." Kusa said as the others cheered and walked over to the hotel, where they were given the keys to their rooms and went to get comfortable...

(At the same time, at the Hasegawa house, with Zenkichi, Akane, and Nanako)

After finishing his explanation to Akane, and apologizing once more to her for not being a better dad, which she forgave him for, Zenkichi and Akane decided to go and see if Nanako had finished making dinner, since she'd opted to try and make the meal by herself while Zenkichi attempted to reconcile to some degree with Akane. Unbeknownst to them, Nanako had already finished making dinner and was preparing to make up everyone's plates. When Akane and Zenkichi came into the kitchen, they smiled as they saw Nanako making up everyone's plates as the former of the two spoke up.

"Ah, just about done cooking, Nanako? That's good. I was hoping the meal would be ready, so then that way you could have a meal with us. And after that, you and I will probably need to have a chat between us. My dad told me what you did while I was asleep." Akane said with a smile, resisting the urge to laugh at the adorably, at least to her, embarrassed look on Nanako's face as she spoke up.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about, Hasegawa-san. All I did was stay by your side the entire time you were out cold." Nanako said as Zenkichi grinned and spoke up.

"Uh-huh, sure. That's all you did, Dojima-san. And you didn't kiss Akane on the cheek in a moment of temptation." Zenkichi said facetiously, grinning at the identical pair of blushes on the faces of Nanako and Akane at his remark.

"DAD! Not helping." Akane said in embarrassment as Nanako spoke up in embarrassment.

"Oh, that. Yeah, I kissed Akane on the cheek, but in my defense? She looked so beautiful while she was sleeping, I couldn't help it. And if we're being fair, she started it when she kissed me on the lips the day before, after Goro ran an errand and left us alone together. So it's just as much Akane's fault as it is mine." Nanako said as Zenkichi blinked at this and spoke up.

"Wait, what? My daughter kissed you? On the lips? I didn't realize Akane liked women?" Zenkichi said as Akane blushed and spoke up.

"To be honest? I'm not sure if I like women specifically, or if I like both genders. What Nanako fails to mention is that I was curious what it would be like to kiss a girl when I kissed her. So that doesn't necessarily mean I have feelings for her. But at the same time, it also doesn't mean I don't have feelings for her. I'm just still figuring out how I feel about women in general. If anything, I'm likely bisexual, but leaning towards men." Akane said honestly as Zenkichi blinked before smiling as he spoke up.

"Oh? Well, if that's what makes you happy, I support your choice wholeheartedly, Akane. I just want to see you be happy. If nothing else, I owe you that after how much of a bad father I've been in recent years." Zenkichi said as Nanako giggled and spoke up.

"You, a bad father? I disagree with that. My dad was away from home a lot too when I was younger, and to a point, he still is. But despite that, I knew that he loved me, and was only gone so much for his job and in order to make ends meet. I'm sure the same is true for you. So give yourself more credit, Zenkichi." Nanako said as Akane spoke up.

"I agree with Nanako, Dad. You're a great father. You just lost your way a little bit, that's all." Akane said as Zenkichi smiled and spoke up.

"Yeah, you're probably right, Akane. Thank you for understanding." Zenkichi said as he turned to Nanako and kept speaking.

"And you, Nanako. You say you went through something similar to Akane when you were younger?" Zenkichi asked as Nanako nodded and spoke up.

"I did. I have quite an explanation behind that, but I'd rather wait for everyone to be together to give the big explanation so I don't have to repeat myself. For now, I'll explain that as I said before, my father was away a lot because of his job as a detective for the Inaba Police Department. At the time, he had a partner to help him, but that partner always struck me as a bit of a sketchy flake.

But then that was probably just how Adachi-san was. Then again, from what both Dad and Big Bro told me later, there was more to him than meets the eye. But I'll explain more about him later. Back to the subject of my dad, he had to do a lot of work for the Inaba Police Department, often causing him to have to break promises he made to me.

However, I knew deep down that he was just trying to be the best detective he could be, and was trying to put food on the table for us, so I didn't begrudge him his long hours at work. Yes, it meant that for a while, I had the house to myself, but once Big Bro came to stay with me and Dad for a year several years ago, I stopped being as lonely, especially after he started bringing his friends around to hang with him.

They were all pretty nice to me, even if Teddie did tend to hit on me a lot back then. I tried to humor him, since I knew that despite his body being the same age as Big Bro and the others, he seemed like he had the mind of what I would guess to be a five-to-six year old, and I myself was only around seven for most of the flirting he did, so I tolerated it for Teddie's sake, since I knew that either Big Bro or Dad, if not both of them, would probably throttle Teddie if they realized he was hitting on me.

At the same time, Teddie was basically like a little brother to Yosuke-kun. Yosuke was really cool, if I'm being honest. Not only was he kind and funny, but his dad ran the Inaba branch of Junes, which I may or may not have been a little too into going to Junes as a kid. And the fact that he was admittedly almost too handsome for his own good didn't help matters." Nanako said as Akane giggled and spoke up.

"Ooh, what's this? Did someone have themselves a crush and not know it back then? I could see it. Granted, I can tell you're not into him anymore, which is good. After all, didn't you say something about him meeting some robot chick and falling for her?" Akane asked as Nanako nodded and spoke up.

"Correct. That would be Labrys-san. Honestly, if Big Bro hadn't said she was a robot when he introduced her to me the one time he invited her over with the rest of his friends, I wouldn't have believed it. She doesn't look that robotic at first glance. It's only if you look at her long enough that you realize she has metallic parts.

And I honestly find it amusing Yosuke-kun can like her despite her metallic parts. Granted, I know for a fact that some of Inaba believe that the idea of Yosuke and Labrys' potential relationship is unusual, but I don't judge. If she makes him happy, that's what's important. Much like how if us being here makes you happy, that's the important bit, Akane." Nanako said as Zenkichi nodded and spoke up.

"Well said. But backing up a bit, you mentioned an Adachi-san? Would that be Tohru Adachi, the guy who was eventually arrested as the mastermind behind the string of serial murders that happened in Inaba the year your cousin came to stay with you and your dad?" Zenkichi asked Nanako, who slowly nodded and spoke up.

"That sounds correct, yes. Mind you, I have next to no memory of that time, since I spent lot of it in a near-death state. It got so bad, I even had a brief time where I got to go see my mother in heaven, and she told me she was proud of how kind and mature I was. Granted, she mentioned that it wasn't my time and she didn't want to see me again until it was, but we did have some fun catching up.

I can't really remember a lot of what happened back then, but I vaguely recall being kidnapped by a crazy deliveryman, who I think Big Bro and his friends called 'Namatame-san' when they saved me from him. Mind you, I only remember bits and pieces of that conversation, since I was kind of in and out of it at that point, because I remember having a hard time breathing where Namatame had taken me.

Eventually, I recall passing out and then the next thing I can remember is waking up in a hospital bed with Yu smiling at me and assuring me that he and Dad were there for me. I remember nodding to him and speaking a few incoherent sentences, passing back out, and then waking up again to Teddie sitting at my bedside, seemingly blaming himself for what had happened to me.

I think if I recall right, he took it the hardest when I briefly died, if I recall what Big Bro told me about that correctly. So, I owe a lot to Big Bro and his friends, including my life. I'll give a more in-depth explanation later when we catch up to the others, but for now, that's what I remember of my time having Big Bro as a houseguest and my past." Nanako said as Akane smiled and spoke up.

"Fair enough, Nanako. At least you were honest. And to be honest, I could see you easily being an adorable little cuddlebug as a kid. I bet you drove your big bro nuts with how often you tried to sneak into his bed for cuddles." Akane teased as Nanako blushed and spoke up.

"W-wha!? Nuh-uh! I never tried to sneak into Big Bro's room! You're wrong!" Nanako said in embarrassment as Akane spoke up.

"You don't have to deny it, Nanako. It's not a crime to be attached to your 'Big Bro' as you call him. Granted, I'm glad you got over that, since it might have made things awkward for you and your 'Big Sis' if you still were that attached to him. But that's just my opinion." Akane said as she turned to Zenkichi and spoke up.

"Come to think of it, would it be too inappropriate if I asked Nanako to join me for a bath, Dad?" Akane asked as Zenkichi considered it and spoke up.

"As long as you're not trying to force her into anything, I'll allow it, Akane. Besides, I have a feeling you might be surprised with how you might feel about her." Zenkichi said as both Akane and Nanako blushed profusely at Zenkichi's teasing comment before the latter of the two girls spoke up.

"H-Hey! Don't tease us like that, Zenkichi! And Akane? I'd be delighted to take a bath with you. Just don't be mad at me if I have to stop myself from ogling you too much while doing so." Nanako said with a smirk. Akane smiled and spoke up with a sly smile.

"Oh? And what if I might want you to look at me, Nanako? Maybe I don't mind if you stare at my figure?" Akane said playfully, teasingly leaning over to peck Nanako playfully on the cheek, making her blush shyly at Akane's gesture as she spoke up.

"H-Hey! Not in front of your dad, Akane! He might be nice, but I have a feeling Zenkichi would draw the line at you trying something with me in front of him." Nanako said as Zenkichi spoke up.

"Yes, I would. At least get a room if you're gonna do that! No dad wants to see his daughter being naughty like that." Zenkichi said as Akane smiled and spoke up.

"Fair enough. Well, since we're done eating, shall we go and take a bath together, Nanako?" Akane asked as Nanako could only blush prettily and nod as she was led from the room by the hand and followed Akane to the bathroom, leaving Zenkichi to smirk as he thought out loud to himself.

"Heh, Akane doesn't know how she feels about Nanako, huh? If I had to guess, I think Akane's already quite taken with Nanako, even if she won't admit it. And going by her reactions, I think Nanako feels the same. But we'll see what happens there, I think." Zenkichi said to himself as he went back to his meal...

(Around that same time, at the hot springs hotel, in the hot springs with Shiho and Ann)

As Ann and Shiho relaxed alone in the hot springs, Shiho giggled at Ann as she spoke up.

"Y'know, I know it's probably a common courtesy that we have to wear these towels into the hot springs, but wouldn't that make them ineffective for drying off after we got out of the hot springs?" Shiho asked as Ann spoke up with a smile.

"That's true. But I think it's also to prevent any potential incidents that could occur if some of the spring-goers were in a suitably frisky mood and decided to enter the hot springs naked to try and entice people to pleasure them." Ann said, blushing at her own remark, making Shiho give Ann a sly yet sexy grin as she spoke up.

"Hm? Is that your subtle way of throwing a hint to something, Ann?" Shiho asked as she walked closer to Ann, looking into Ann's eyes as Ann blushed and spoke up.

"Umm, maybe? I won't lie, it could be kinda fun to fool around with you in here and give ourselves a really pleasant memory of these hot springs." Ann said as Shiho smirked and spoke up.

**M-RATED CONTENT STARTS HERE. ANYONE WHO DISLIKES READING LEMONS, GIRL/GIRL SCENES, AND/OR SMUT IN GENERAL CAN SKIP ON DOWN TO THE SECTION MARKED ***END OF M-RATED CONTENT*** TO KEEP READING, OTHERWISE YOU KEEP READING PAST THIS WARNING AT YOUR OWN RISK. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! LEMON STARTS NOW!**

"Ohh, what's this? Are you feeling naughty, Ann?" Shiho asked slyly, leaning in to steal a kiss from Ann, who returned the kiss and spoke up.

"Perhaps. Or perhaps I just wanna get you naked in this hot spring." Ann said seductively, making Shiho smile as she undid her towel and tossed it onto the dry part of the girls' side of the hot springs before turning back to Ann as she spoke up.

"You mean like this?" Shiho asked, letting Ann get a good view of her body. Ann smiled and spoke up after tossing her own towel down next to Shiho's, eventually pulling her girlfriend into a hug while making out with her, giving off a low mewling sound as she enjoyed the feeling of their naked bodies pressing together, making Shiho giggle as she returned the kiss, eventually speaking up after Ann broke the kiss.

"You could've just asked, you know. I don't mind taking it all off for you anytime, provided we're alone and not apt to get each other into trouble. Now are we going to talk, or are we going to fool around?" Shiho asked as Ann chose to give a more non-verbal response as she eagerly wrapped her mouth around the closest breast to her before sucking on it hungrily as Shiho slyly smiled while giving off a slightly involuntary moan from Ann's actions as she spoke up.

"I had a feeling that's what you wanted. By all means, Ann, help yourself. After all, my body is yours to do with what you will, within reason." Shiho said as she started lightly pressing kisses to Ann's breasts as she started caressing each of her girlfriend's breasts in turn, making Ann moan as the two spent a good while pleasuring each others' chests. After getting their fill, Ann smiled as she decided to sit up on a nearby ledge and spread her legs slightly to give Shiho access to her inner thighs while speaking up.

"As much as I enjoy playing with those petite and glorious tits of yours, I think we should take our fun a bit further down. Or are you not in a mood to be naughty?" Ann said as Shiho walked forward and gently rubbed Ann's inner thighs before her hand settled on the area between Ann's legs, her finger slowly stroking the nub that was just visible between her legs, making Ann give off a very happy but approving moan while she spoke up.

"Ahh, there we go. Keep going, Shiho. I want you to make me scream that name of yours when you cause me to cum." Ann said seductively as Shiho smiled, slowly sliding a finger into Ann's entrance, smiling at the shy yet happy moans Ann was making as Shiho fingered her. Shiho smiled and spoke up.

"I think I can arrange that, Ann. Just relax and let me do my job." Shiho said as she kept fingering Ann, who could only moan as she relaxed into Shiho's touch. After a while, Shiho eventually added a second finger in, making Ann moan louder as Shiho upped the speed and intensity of her fingering, making Ann smile as she eagerly pulled Shiho into a steamy but passionate kiss, making Shiho smirk at Ann as she spoke up.

"You like it when I have my way with you, don't you Ann? Maybe next time I should use my breasts instead of my hands to stimulate you." Shiho said as Ann blushed at the mental image of Shiho's breasts rubbing against her thighs, making her give off an involuntary moan as she spoke up.

"Perhaps. Either way, I'm not gonna lie to you, Shiho. That sounds like it would be super-hot to have you basically fucking my pussy with your tits. But would you be able to reach that far down with how small yours are compared to mine? Then again, they're a good size for cupping and fondling, so I can't complain." Ann said before moaning as she felt Shiho's hand swat her on the ass as she spoke up.

"Behave! And I can so reach to rub my tits on you. Watch." Shiho said as she leaned forward to playfully rub her tits on a blushing Ann's face, making her moan as she felt Shiho's fingers move faster, making Ann whimper as she felt her walls slightly rub against Shiho's fingers, at which point she spoke up.

"Shiho, please drive me over the edge! I'm so close!" Ann said pitifully as Shiho giggled and decided to finish up by removing her fingers and replacing them with her tongue, eagerly sliding her tongue in and out of Ann's entrance, making her moan appreciatively as she felt Shiho eat her out. After a short time, Ann felt herself arc backwards as she spoke up.

"YESSSSS! OH, GOD, YES! SHIHO, YESSSS! I'M CUMMIN'!" Ann said as she felt her walls clench before Shiho wrapped her mouth over Ann's entrance as she felt Ann's release explode in her mouth, shooting a couple of loads of her juices down Shiho's throat, making her smile as she slurped up every drop of Ann's release as she removed her mouth and spoke up with a sexy smile.

"Well, now that I've satisfied you, now it's my turn for you to get me off, beautiful. Ravage me and make me scream your name!" Shiho said as she got out of the water and laid out on the ground, letting Ann see her naked body as Ann smiled and spoke up.

"I can do that. But I think I want to try a unique way of doing it." Ann said as she also got out, gently lifting up one of Shiho's legs so she could slide her own leg under it, eventually sliding her still-slick womanhood closer and closer to Shiho's, eventually stopping once her and Shiho's clits were rubbing together, making Ann smirk as she looked at Shiho and spoke up.

"Ready, Shiho?" Ann asked as Shiho nodded, before blushing and moaning as she started feeling Ann gyrating her hips against her own, making Shiho moan as she returned the motion, slowly getting into a good rhythm with Ann as the two ground against each other eagerly, both kissing passionately as they humped each other. They remained like this for a while until Ann and Shiho both moaned as they felt themselves arc slightly against each other as both spoke up.

"OOH, FUCK! I THINK I'M GETTING CLOSE AGAIN, SHIHO!" Ann said as Shiho spoke up.

"M-ME TOO, ANN! I THINK I'M REALLY CLOSE!" Shiho said as she and Ann made out, rubbing their chests together as they gyrated on each other, the extra motions making them scream out each other's names in simultaneous outbursts of euphoric bliss as they rode each other's rather messy climaxes to a synchronized finish, both panting in a surprisingly synchronized manner as they separated and went back into the hot springs to rinse themselves off, eventually getting out and sitting together as they pulled their towels on each other and soaked together.

**M-RATED CONTENT ENDS HERE. CONTINUE READING FROM THIS POINT IF YOU SKIPPED THE PRECEDING LEMON/YURI SCENE!**

"So, how was that?" Shiho asked Ann, who smiled at Shiho and spoke up while kissing her.

"That was amazing. I think we might have made a slight bit of a mess of the hot-springs with our little mutual climax, but as long as there's no cameras in here, we can try and blame it on Kusa and Futaba if anyone asks, yeah?" Ann said as Shiho nodded and spoke up.

"Agreed. But I think I know what I'm doing next time we're alone in a hot-springs together." Shiho said as Ann giggled and spoke up.

"You mean making love to me until we scream each other's names in ecstasy as we get our releases all over each other like we did just now?" Ann said slyly as Shiho blushed but nodded as she spoke up.

"Yes, that. To be honest, I've heard of a few more things girls do to each other when getting intimate, but I don't think we have either the tools or the means to do any of those just now. But just know there's plenty of other things we can do, both to and with each other." Shiho said slyly as Ann smiled and spoke up.

"And I have all the time in the world to do all of it with and to you, Shiho. But for now, let's go back to our room so we can lay together properly. I kinda wanna cuddle you with both of us naked, Shiho." Ann said as Shiho smiled and spoke up.

"Then let's go back to our room and lay naked together." Shiho said as Ann nodded, the two returning to their hotel room with eager smiles on their faces...

(Meanwhile, over in a different part of the hot springs hotel, in a hotel room with Ryuji and Makoto)

As Ryuji and Makoto eagerly made out in their hotel room, Ryuji looked at Makoto and spoke up.

"Not that I mind, but I wasn't aware you were in such a frisky mood, Makoto?" Ryuji asked as Makoto spoke up.

"Yes, well, I realize I've not been that attentive to you lately, and I wanted to make it up to you." Makoto said as she looked into Ryuji's eyes and spoke up.

**MORE M-RATED CONTENT STARTS HERE. AS BEFORE, IF YOU DISLIKE LEMONS, SKIP TO THE SECTION BELOW MARKED ***END OF M-RATED CONTENT*** TO KEEP READING THE STORY, OTHERWISE YOU READ ON AT YOUR OWN RISK FROM HERE. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! LEMON STARTS NOW!**

"Besides, I feel like it's way past time for us to take that certain next step in our relationship. Sure, we made out and and groped each other in the hot springs the other day, but I don't think we got to go all the way. And I say this because someone, I'm pretty sure it was Sumire given the voice I heard, interrupted us to tell us we had to hurry up and get out because the police were after all of us. But now we shouldn't have to worry about being interrupted, especially after I locked the door so no one can barge in on us." Makoto said before looking down into Ryuji's eyes eagerly as she kept speaking.

"Also, I kinda wanna see that physique of yours." Makoto said as Ryuji grinned and spoke up.

"No problem, babe! Let's get these clothes off then." Ryuji said as he slid his shirt over his head and tossed it to the ground, eventually reaching for the hem of Makoto's shirt while giving her a look as if asking permission, which Makoto saw and nodded her consent as Ryuji slipped his girlfriend's shirt over her head and tossed it to the ground, where it laid in a crumpled heap after Ryuji's decision to remove it. Makoto then smirked as she decided to boldly run her hands all over Ryuji's bare chest.

Makoto's boldness would end up earning her an amused kiss from Ryuji, before he eventually went about sliding off his pants, then hers, tossing both to the ground as Makoto got a glimpse of the prominent bulge in Ryuji's boxers, making her panties feel tighter on her as a result. Ryuji smiled as he sexily straddled Makoto's waist and started trailing loving kisses along her collarbone, making her smile as she moaned slightly and spoke up.

"Ooh, that feels nice, Ryuji. Keep going." Makoto said as Ryuji nodded and spoke up.

"Sure thing, babe. Your wish is my command, my lovely Queen." Ryuji said flirtatiously, smirking at his now-blushing girlfriend before slowly trailing kisses down Makoto's neck as she smiled and spoke up.

"You're such a gentle and considerate lover, Ryuji. I like it." Makoto said before reaching behind her back to unhook, remove, and discard her bra, letting her breasts fall free for Ryuji to ogle, making him smile as he looked at his girlfriend's very compact but distinct large-B cup breasts, shyly leaning in to press a kiss to the closest one, making Makoto smile at Ryuji as she spoke up.

"You don't have to be shy, sweetie. I don't mind if you suck on my breast or lick it. That's what they're there for. As long as you're not too rough and/or forceful, my body is yours to do with what you will right now, within reason." Makoto said as Ryuji nodded and spoke up.

"Is that right? Well, if you say so. I'll try not to be too rough on you then, Makoto. After all, I wouldn't want you to have anything less than fond memories of our first time together." Ryuji said kindly as he started sucking on Makoto's breast eagerly, tracing circles around the nipple in his mouth with his tongue, making Makoto smile as she moaned happily, blushing as Ryuji then popped her breast out of his mouth to start trailing kisses sexily down her stomach.

As he did so, Ryuji started trailing his kisses downwards towards the area just above her panties, making Makoto smile and nod as she slid off her slightly damp panties, tossing them to the ground and giving Ryuji a view of her shaved privates and toned legs as Ryuji smiled and kissed the just-visible nub between Makoto's legs lovingly as he slid his tongue into her entrance boldly, getting a shocked but pleased moan from Makoto as she felt Ryuji start eating her out.

For a while, Makoto just smiled into it as Ryuji devoted himself to making her feel great, gently putting a hand on Ryuji's head to keep him in place, making him grin as he eagerly kept working on his girlfriend's womanhood, using his hands to gently massage her breasts, making Makoto smile as she felt Ryuji lavish love and attention on her for some time. After several long, enjoyable minutes, Makoto whimpered slightly as she felt herself arc back from Ryuji's ministrations, eventually prompting her to speak up.

"Oh my god, I had no idea that something like what you're doing to me could feel so amazing, sweetie! I'm already getting close, Ryuji!" Makoto said as Ryuji nodded, smirking as he started rubbing the nub between Makoto's legs with his finger as he kept eating her, eventually wrapping his mouth over her womanhood as she moaned and spoke up loudly.

"YESSSS! FUCKING YES! I'M COMING, RYUJI!" Makoto said as she felt her release explode out into Ryuji's mouth, which he dutifully swallowed every drop of before removing his mouth and gently kissing Makoto so she could taste herself slightly before she smiled and spoke up.

"Well, since you did such a good job at servicing my womanhood Ryuji, I think it's only fair I return the favor for you." Makoto said as she eagerly yanked Ryuji's boxers down to his ankles, tossing them aside to smirk at what fell free for her to see as she spoke up.

"Hmm, looks to me like you're pretty big, Ryuji. But no matter. I'm sure you'll fit." Makoto said as she gently slid Ryuji's length into her entrance, burying him in her until she was up to his balls, smirking as Ryuji blushed before he spoke up.

"Oh? Is that how it feels to have a woman take me in hand? Not gonna lie, it feels pretty nice. I'll just have to make sure I behave myself so you're not tempted to bite it off while giving me blowjobs." Ryuji joked as Makoto giggled and spoke up.

"Very funny, but I would never do that to you. I'd sooner castrate you than bite your dick off, Ryuji." Makoto said, smirking at the horrified look on Ryuji's face before she kept speaking to try and pacify him.

"Not that I want to do that. You've been nothing but great to me since we got together. But enough talk about punishing you. Right now, we're more focused on becoming one, I think. That being said, I want you to keep in mind that once we start, you might have to pause momentarily once you penetrate me so I can get used to you being in me, but otherwise I want you to think of me as your plaything and dominate me as you see fit. Mind you, that ONLY applies in the bedroom, Ryuji. GOT IT?" Makoto said as Ryuji smiled and nodded as he spoke up.

"Of course, babe. I'm not naive enough to think you would let me take charge outside of the bedroom. But I love that you're such a take-charge woman, Makoto." Ryuji said as he smiled and kept speaking.

"That said, ready?" Ryuji asked as Makoto nodded, after which Ryuji smiled and broke through Makoto's barrier with one big thrust, making her whimper from the feeling of being penetrated as Ryuji stopped for her to get adjusted to him. When she said he could keep going, Ryuji nodded, thrusting into her at a consistent, yet rapid and rough pace, enjoying the appreciative moans Makoto was giving as he thrusted into her.

Ryuji especially found himself enjoying the sounds Makoto was making as he licked each of her nipples sexily while kissing her breasts, eventually teasing the aforementioned breasts for a bit as he thrusted, enjoying the cute little mewls of enjoyment he got from Makoto. After a bit, Ryuji slyly reached down and spanked Makoto playfully while thrusting into her, making her moan and blush as she spoke up.

"N-Not that I mind, but why spank me?" Makoto asked as Ryuji grinned and spoke up.

"Why spank you? How about because I can, and because being so sexy is a crime, babe." Ryuji said huskily as he leaned into eagerly kissing Makoto as he started thrusting harder and faster. After a few more minutes, Makoto started panting slightly as she felt herself arcing again, speaking up huskily.

"OH YES! I'M SO CLOSE, SWEETIE!" Makoto said as Ryuji spoke up with a grunt.

"Same here, babe!" Ryuji said as he kept thrusting, eventually smiling when he heard Makoto speak up.

"RYUUUUUJJJJIIIIII! YESSSSSSSS! I'M COMING, SWEETIE!" Makoto said as she felt her walls clench on Ryuji as she released on his shaft, her release driving Ryuji over the edge into his own release as he felt load after load of his seed shoot out into Makoto's womanhood, his cum staining the walls of her pussy as he pulled himself slowly out of her before collapsing on top of her, smiling at her as the two laid together for a bit, still riding the euphoric high of their lovemaking.

**M-RATED CONTENT ENDS HERE FOR NOW. STORY RESUMES HERE IF YOU SKIPPED THE PRECEDING LEMON. CONTINUE READING FROM THIS POINT IF YOU SKIPPED PAST THE PREVIOUS SECTION**

"Wow, that was amazing, don't you think?" Ryuji said as he pulled Makoto into his arms, making her smile as she spoke up.

"I agree. I wasn't sure what to expect, but what you and I just went through was definitely worth the long time we waited for it. You're a fantastic lover, Ryuji. I wasn't expecting you to be so good at it, given how slow on the uptake you usually are, but you're definitely a genius in the bedroom. So what if you're not as much of a gentleman as Ren, Kusa, or even Goro? I couldn't care less. You're perfect just as you are, Ryuji." Makoto said happily as Ryuji smiled and spoke up.

"Truth, babe! And you're pretty freakin' amazing yourself. After all, most girls would've probably slapped me for being as brazen and bold with them as I was with you. But you just let me do my thing and basically dominate you. And I love that about you. Don't worry though, we can trade off which of us gets to dominate the other. Wouldn't dream of making you the constant sub in the bedroom. After all, your code name is 'Queen' for a reason, babe." Ryuji said as Makoto smiled and spoke up.

"Good answer. And it was definitely worth the wait to be able to have you be my first lover. Sure, we could've probably done that sooner, but it is what it is. I love you, Ryuji." Makoto said as Ryuji spoke up with a grin.

"I love you too, babe. Every inch of you, from that sexy brain of yours to this incredible figure, and even that gloriously thick and firm ass of yours. All of your body is absolutely perfect, Makoto." Ryuji said as Makoto smiled and pulled a blanket over them as she spoke up.

"Are you sure my ass isn't 'thicc', as I've heard some people call it?" Makoto asked as Ryuji smirked and spoke up.

"Nah. It's sexy, if anything. But with apologies to you, I think we can both agree that if anyone has a 'thicc' ass, it's Sumire. But Ren can have her. You're all the woman I could want or need, Makoto." Ryuji said honestly as Makoto smiled and spoke up.

"Thank you, Ryuji. I'm glad to hear you say that." Makoto said as she pulled Ryuji into a kiss and the two made out for a while before eventually dozing off in one another's arms...

(The next morning, in another of the hotel rooms, with Kusa and Futaba)

**MORE M-RATED CONTENT STARTS HERE. SKIP TO THE SECTION BELOW MARKED ***END OF M-RATED CONTENT*** TO CONTINUE READING IF YOU DISLIKE READING SMUT/LEMONS. IF YOU DON'T MIND IT, READ ON. BUT DO SO AT YOUR OWN RISK! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! LEMON STARTS NOW!**

As Kusa dozed peacefully, his head burrowed into his pillow, Futaba smirked as she watched her boyfriend sleep, before smiling slyly as she got a naughty idea and disappeared beneath the blanket, gently sliding Kusa's boxers to his ankles as she wrapped her mouth around his shaft, deciding to give Kusa a bit of a naughty wake-up call as she eagerly sucked on Kusa's length like a particularly enjoyable lollipop, making sure to stroke his balls with her free hand as she did so.

After a lengthy period of time in which Futaba eagerly milked at least three climaxes out of her boyfriend, Kusa's eyes slowly cracked open as he looked around, not seeing Futaba, before blushing with widened eyes as he heard a low but contented humming under the blanket, lifting up the blanket to see his girlfriend sucking him off, smiling as he patted her on the head and spoke up.

"Ahh, decided to get me up properly, eh Taba?" Kusa asked slyly, as Futaba nodded sexily, deciding to speak up despite her mouth being full.

"Yep. I woke up and saw your bare chest and it put me in a naughty mood, so I figured why not? I don't think that you're that bothered by me waking you up to me sucking you off, however. Now to get back to sucking this massive cock of yours." Futaba said sexily as she returned to sucking Kusa's length. Kusa smirked as he spoke up while removing his boxers so he was naked.

"Oh, yeah? I don't mind that at all. But, you know, I can't help but wonder about something. Is it really fair that I'm naked and you're still at least partly dressed?" Kusa said, referring to the fact that Futaba still had her bra and panties on. Futaba giggled as she saw Kusa pouting and spoke up.

"True. But you do realize I don't care if you peel off my clothes, right? I believe I've said before I have no objections to you stripping me naked whenever you like, within reason. But here, let me make it a bit fairer to you." Futaba said as she sexily wiggled her way out of her panties and kicked them off of her while wordlessly sitting on Kusa's stomach, her back to him as she kept sucking his length, speaking up slyly.

"You know, I can't be the only one doing the stripping, Kusa. Why don't you peel my bra off so you can help yourself to my tits?" Futaba suggested huskily as Kusa nodded, wasting little time in hooking his arms around Futaba's waist to happily remove and discard Futaba's bra, leaving her just as naked as he was.

After kissing each of Futaba's breasts lovingly, Kusa smirked and started turning Futaba so her lower half was on his face, slowly lowering her so that his mouth was wrapped around her womanhood as he started licking her, using his tongue to part her folds as he started sliding his tongue in and out of her entrance, making her cutely squeak in shock as she spoke up once more.

"Oh? I didn't realize this went from a blowjob to a 69. Eh, fair enough. It IS your belated birthday present, so I guess I can't complain if you want to eat me out." Futaba said teasingly before smiling as she wrapped her legs lightly over Kusa's head to hold him in place as the two spent a very long, but very enjoyable, time lavishing attention on each other's private parts.

Once quite a bit of time had passed and the two released on and in each others' mouths, Kusa smirked and gently slid his cock out of Futaba's mouth before using the fact it was slicked up with her saliva to slide it easily into her, smirking as he spoke up.

"Thanks for slickin' me up, Taba. Now to reward you for being such a sexy brat." Kusa said as he started thrusting eagerly into Futaba, getting many excited moans from her as the two spent a while making out as Kusa thrusted into Futaba. While thrusting into her, Kusa smirked and playfully nuzzled his face into Futaba's cleavage, making her blink but moan appreciatively as Kusa kept thrusting into her. After a while, Futaba moaned and spoke up.

"Oh damn, I forgot how good of a lover you are. I'm getting close, Kusa!" Futaba said as Kusa smirked and spoke up.

"Same here, Taba. Let's drive you over that edge, shall we?" Kusa said, playfully spanking Futaba while thrusting into her, enjoying the rather throaty yet appreciative moan he got from Futaba for his efforts. After a little longer, Futaba arced backwards as she felt her walls clench themselves on Kusa's length, driving them both over the edge into yelling out each others names euphorically as they simultaneously hit release, climaxing in and on each other again, Kusa's release shooting out into Futaba's womanhood over and over as Futaba's release once again slicked up Kusa's length, which eventually slid out of her as the two laid together, both red-faced, but happy with the bout of lovemaking they'd just finished. As they laid together, Kusa spoke up.

**M-RATED CONTENT ENDS HERE. CONTINUE READING FROM HERE IF YOU SKIPPED THE PRECEDING LEMON TO CONTINUE READING THE STORY**

"Not that I'm complaining, but why wake me up by sucking me off, Taba?" Kusa asked as Futaba giggled and spoke up.

"For starters, I felt like I owed you a late birthday present. Also, I was horny and wanted to get you in the mood to ravage me like you just did. And to be honest? I may or may not have forgotten how incredibly gifted you are in the sack though, Kusa." Futaba said as Kusa grinned and spoke up.

"You could've just asked, you know. As long as we're not in a crowd or in public where others can see, I don't mind making love to you just about any time, any place, Taba. I hope you realize that. Also, if you were trying to get me up, you could've just jerked me off. You didn't have to basically give me a blowjob." Kusa said as Futaba smiled and spoke up.

"Maybe I wanted to. Mwehehe. But now that we're both awake, do you wanna go shower with me so we can wash each other off?" Futaba said as Kusa smirked and spoke up.

"Of course. I'm not gonna turn down a chance to get my hands all over that sexy body of yours, much less lather it with soap. Lead the way, Taba." Kusa said, coyly spanking his girlfriend's ass as she smirked and spoke up.

"Oh, still eager for another round? Save it for the shower, Kusa." Futaba said as Kusa nodded and followed his girlfriend into the shower...

(At the same time, in the lobby, with Ren, Sumire, Morgana, Sophia, Sojiro, and Yusuke)

"Wow. Soft, comfy beds, and an exquisite breakfast like this? I could get used to these conditions." Yusuke said, looking suspiciously close to tears at the sight of the breakfast laid out for the group as Sumire giggled and spoke up.

"Y'know, I bet you'd have enjoyed this hot-springs hotel a heck of a lot more if you'd had Togo-san in bed with you, Yusuke." Sumire said teasingly as Yusuke spoke up.

"True, but she's off elsewhere playing shogi, as you well know. So that's not an option. Besides, I'm surprised none of us heard you and Ren breaking the hotel room bed in last night." Yusuke said as Ren spoke up.

"Eh, we've been fooling around a lot lately. We decided we'd rather just cuddle and watch a movie together last night instead of fooling around yet again. Besides, Sumire and I had Sophia with us in Sumire's phone, so we couldn't really do that around her. Not to mention the fact we had to deal with Morgana sleeping on the sofa because Ann kicked him out of her and Shiho's room so she and Shiho could have the room to themselves. And if what we heard in the hot springs last night is any indication, I think I can guess why that was." Ren said as Morgana huffed and spoke up while frowning at Ren with a disapproving look on his face.

"Really!? Do you have to mention Lady Ann's sex life around me, Ren? I'm happy for her and Lady Shiho, but that doesn't mean I want to be reminded of what I lost out on. Sure, I have other options, but you know what they say about your first love." Morgana said as a 'BIP!' from Sumire's phone preceded Sophia speaking up.

"I believe that saying goes 'you always remember your first love', or something like that. Am I right?" Sophia asked as Morgana nodded and spoke up.

"Precisely, Lady Sophia. You're so smart and clever. If only you weren't an AI and were just a wee bit older." Morgana said with a smile as Sophia blushed and spoke up.

"U-Um, are you suggesting what I think you are, Morgana?" Sophia asked in a flustered tone as Morgana spoke up.

"Am I suggesting that you're adorable and very amazing? Yes. But I also know that you might see me as a brother. So I respect that." Morgana said as Sophia smiled and spoke up.

"Correction: I only THINK I see you as a brother. I don't know for sure that's how I see you yet. I'm still figuring out exactly how I feel about you. I will admit your new human form is a very nice upgrade, though." Sophia said honestly as Morgana smiled and spoke up.

"Thank you, Lady Sophia. But, let's not forget that Sumire's just over there. And I really don't think any of the others want to have their days started off by having Sumire chase me around the lobby to try and beat me up for being too bold with you. But I'm willing to wait as long as I have to for you to figure things out." Morgana said as Sophia smiled and nodded before speaking up.

"I appreciate that, Morgana. But regardless of how I might feel, we have to accept that with me being an AI, it would be very difficult for us to make a relationship work, even if I did want you to be my boyfriend." Sophia said as Morgana nodded and spoke up.

"I understand. But I'll always be here for you regardless." Morgana said as Sojiro smirked and spoke up.

"That's a good attitude to have, Morgana. Very mature, and very apt to keep you firmly in the forefront of Sophia's mind." Sojiro said approvingly as Morgana nodded at the same time that Goro, Haru, Ann, Shiho, Ryuji, and Makoto all filed into the dining room and made themselves plates while wordlessly eating their breakfast as Kusa and Futaba eventually filed in and started eating their breakfast. After everyone had finished their meal and gotten a gratuitous amount of coffee in their systems, though everyone present agreed that the coffee they had just partook of had nothing on Sojiro's coffee, Goro spoke up.

"So, what's our plan for today? I know we were supposed to start heading to Yongen eventually." Goro said as Ren spoke up.

"I know that Kusa, Sojiro, and I had discussed gathering everyone at the hideaway to compare notes to that end, plus we need to sort out who's driving the Ferrari this time, and who goes with that person. So I feel like for now, we finish our meals, make sure we get all of our stuff out of our hotel rooms, and then get ready to head back to the hideaway to make our next plan of attack. And then maybe after that, we start the drive back to Yongen." Ren said as Sojiro nodded before speaking up.

"Makes sense. But I was thinking about it last night, Ren. Are we going to still set up base in the RV while we're in Yongen? We could use Leblanc and/or mine and Futaba's house as a base, but I have the former closed down for the summer, so we'd have to do that at night. Also, do we have enough room to fit 16 people in the RV and/or Ferrari for sleeping arrangements while we're in Yongen? I doubt we'll be there for less than a day, after all." Sojiro said as Kusa spoke up.

"We can mostly have the girls share the RV if they want, other than maybe Taba sleeping in her room while we're in Yongen. Meanwhile, some of the guys can sleep in the rooftop tent, and some can crash at either Leblanc or on the hide-a-bed at your place. But Futaba's room is already claimed by myself and Futaba. After all, if she's gonna sleep in her own room while in Yongen, you can darn well bet I'm calling dibs on sharing a bed with her." Kusa said as Futaba smiled and spoke up.

"I'd have it no other way, Kusa." Futaba said as Ren spoke up.

"To expand on Kusa's idea, let's have Morgana, Ryuji, Yusuke, and maybe Goro share the tent on the roof of the RV, while Zenkichi can sleep on the hide-a-bed at Sojiro and Futaba's house, where Sojiro, Futaba, and Kusa will also sleep, using their respective bedrooms, or Futaba's room in Kusa's case. Meanwhile, Sumire and I can use the sofa on the attic of Leblanc to sleep on, while Makoto, Ann, Haru, Shiho, and probably Nanako will sleep inside the RV.

As for Sophia, she can share the attic with myself and Sumire, since she lives in Sumire's phone. Any objections to these sleeping arrangements for the duration of our time in Yongen?" Ren asked as no one raised any objections. Afterwards, the group finished their meal and dispersed to start packing their stuff to check out of the hotel rooms and prepare for the trip back to Yongen...

(A while later, in Zenkichi's secret basement hideaway, with Ren, Morgana, Ryuji, Ann, Yusuke, Makoto, Futaba, Haru, Goro, Sumire, Kusa, Sophia, Sojiro, Shiho, Zenkichi, and Nanako)

"So, is everyone ready for our trip to Yongen?" Ren asked as Zenkichi spoke up.

"Yes, but why are we headed back to Yongen specifically? Isn't Konoe's Jail in Osaka?" Zenkichi asked as Kusa spoke up.

"It is, but if you remember the end of Akane's Jail, both our group and the Investigation Team heard Konoe's voice taunt us that there was a barrier up over the Osaka Jail that wouldn't let anyone who's conquered less than six Jails through, thus we're heading back to Yongen to take care of the Jail there. And before you question there being a Jail there, Goro and I both know for a fact there's one there, as does Sojiro.

After all, the three of us got dragged into it when someone decided to pull a MetaNav on Goro's phone and basically drag him into that Jail, without so much as a 'by your leave'. As for who the Monarch of the Yongen Jail is? I have suspicions, but nothing concrete. After all, Goro and I, along with Sojiro, fought the Black Mask the last time we ventured into the Yongen Jail, but I wouldn't be surprised if that was just a facade to cover up the true identity of the Monarch of the Yongen Jail." Kusa said as Zenkichi spoke up with a nod.

"Ah, I see. So we're doing it as a formality to let us actually get into Konoe's Jail, then? But wait a minute, even if we do break that barrier, we still don't have the keyword." Zenkichi asked as Haru spoke up.

"Not to worry Zenkichi. While you were with Akane and Nanako last night, Sophia gave us the idea of asking Ichinose-san for help. Apparently, she got Konoe's keyword from him on a business card he gave to her sometime after he gave the lecture back in Sendai." Haru said as Goro groaned and spoke up.

"Unfortunately from the looks of things, Miss Monologues is having trouble finding said business card and told us she will contact us as soon as she finds it. However, as of the moment, there are no updates from her. Thus, we might as well deal with the Yongen Jail while we wait for her to contact us." Goro said as Zenkichi nodded and spoke up.

"Well then, I guess we got plenty of time to spare since we will need to go through another Jail anyway. Let's hope that Ichinose can find that card by the time we reach Osaka." Zenkichi said as Nanako spoke up.

"Well, if we're heading to the Yongen Jail, I suppose I should explain something to you guys before we go." Nanako said as Sumire spoke up.

"Oh? What might that be, Nanako?" Sumire asked as Nanako spoke up.

"It's about my past, and what I know of the stuff Big Bro and his friends went through when he stayed with Dad and I for a year when I was six, even though I turned seven before he went back home." Nanako said as Zenkichi spoke up with a nod.

"Is this about what you were going to explain to Akane and I before you decided to wait for the others for the full explanation?" Zenkichi asked, confusing everyone else except for Nanako, who nodded as she spoke up.

"Precisely. To start off, before Big Bro came along, it was just me and my dad at the house after Mom passed away in a hit-and-run accident when I was around four or five. After she passed away, Dad stepped up and did his best to raise me by himself. Big Bro made it easier when he came to stay with us for a year. But anyways, the reason why my Dad wasn't home as much as I'd have liked was due to him being a detective in the Inaba Police Department, a job that kept him busy for literal days at a time. But I knew he was giving his all for Inaba to make ends meet for us, so I understood why he had to be gone so much, even if it left me quite lonely at times." Nanako said as both Zenkichi and Futaba gasped as the latter spoke up.

"You lost your mother to a hit-and-run too, Nanako? That's wild. Both Akane and I went through that same thing when we were younger. What are the chances the three of us have that in common?" Futaba asked as Nanako blinked at Futaba's reveal as Zenkichi, while still in shock spoke up.

"I-I can't believe that you went through a similar situation to myself and Akane. Not to mention, you and your dad were exactly like how Akane and I were previously before we forgave each other. I am so deeply sorry for your loss Nanako." Zenkichi said while Kusa frowned at Futaba and spoke up.

"Taba? I realize that you were trying to be sympathetic, but let her finish her story before you interrupt her, yeah?" Kusa said as Futaba blushed and spoke up.

"Sorry, I got intrigued by that and had to chime in. Please continue, Nanako." Futaba said as Nanako spoke up.

"Thank you, Futaba, and you as well Zenkichi, for your condolences. As I was saying, Dad spent most of his time at work when I was younger, though sometimes he'd come home for dinner, occasionally with his partner Adachi in tow." Nanako said as Goro spoke up with a frown, recognizing the name Nanako had dropped.

"Forgive me for also interrupting you Nanako, but when you say Adachi, do you mean Tohru Adachi, the ex-detective?" Goro asked as Nanako nodded and spoke up.

**SPOILER ALERTS AHEAD FOR THE PLOT OF PERSONA 4 AND PERSONA 4 GOLDEN, AND PARTS OF PERSONA 4 ARENA START HERE. IF YOU HAVEN'T PLAYED THROUGH THOSE GAMES BUT HAVE READ THIS FAR, SKIP DOWN TO THE SECTION MARKED ***END OF SPOILER ALERTS*** TO CONTINUE READING, OTHERWISE CONTINUE READING AT YOUR OWN RISK! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! SPOILERS START NOW!**

"Correct. He was my dad's partner for a time, even if he tended to refer to himself as a gofer jokingly. Interestingly, even though Big Bro seemed to take a liking to Adachi, he also was wary of him. In the end, that apprehension would prove to be an unlikely asset in solving the serial murder case that Big Bro and his friends got involved in. I don't know a lot of the particulars, other than that they all had to save one another from another world, one that Teddie apparently was originally from based on what he told me once.

Getting back on topic, though. So as Big Bro worked this case, he slowly made friends with the rest of his friends, who would go on to refer to themselves as the 'Investigation Team'. First, there was Yosuke-kun. He's both funny and clever, if a bit prone to random bouts of bad luck. Then there was Chie, who is one of the biggest tomboys I've ever seen. After her was Yukiko, who nearly every guy in Inaba, except for Kanji, Yosuke, Dad and Big Bro, was crazy for at some point. Her family runs the Amagi Inn, even if she's not always that keen on following in the footsteps of the family business.

Once Yukiko joined up, the next to join was Kanji-kun. For a guy, he had an awfully pronounced feminine side. But he's cool despite that. Anyways, the next two to join after Kanji were Rise, who I tend to call 'Big Sis' since she's Big Bro's wife and all, as well as Teddie. Technically, Teddie joined up after Yosuke did, but it was only after Big Sis joined that Teddie was formally inducted into the Investigation Team. After those two, the last to join was Naoto, a girl who tried to hide her gender due to fear that it would hinder her chances of becoming a detective, which she apparently wants to be.

Anyways, once Naoto joined up, that's when things took a turn. For a time, it seemed as if everything was okay. However, that was when fate literally came knocking on my front door. One night, my dad actually had to take Big Bro to the Inaba Police Station due to him questioning some sort of letter that was sent to him and as a result, I was home alone. Later on, I heard a knock at the door and when I answered it, an old man in a deliveryman uniform saw me and said there was a package for me in his truck that I needed to go sign for.

Of course, with my being seven at the time, having had my seventh birthday the month before, I was naive enough to trust him. Once I followed him to his truck, I felt him press something small and square to my mouth that had an odd smell to it, at which point I passed out. The next thing I remember was waking up in a strange area that appeared to be based off of what I would imagine I viewed as heaven.

That being said, when I woke up, I saw Big Bro and his friends confronting the strange deliveryman, who they kept calling 'Namatame', at which point Namatame-san grabbed me and put his arm around my neck while using me as a meat shield. Of course, he didn't count on my passing out from being unable to breathe, after which he was tackled away from me by Yosuke and Kanji, as Big Bro caught me in his arms and passed me to Big Sis, who I remember passing out in the arms of.

From there, the next time I woke up, I was in a lot of pain and very scared. I remember seeing Big Bro smile at me and tell me to hold on, that Dad was coming and everything would be fine. I remember nodding as I fell asleep again after that. Afterwards, I recall waking up again with Mom looking at me, asking me why she was seeing me again so soon. I believe I recall telling her it wasn't on purpose and that I remember a lot of pain and then passing out.

Mom then told me it was probably a hereditary condition that runs on her side of the family, though she also said it could be that I gave myself something she called ulcers from worrying so much. Either way, it wasn't my time yet. After we spent a while catching up, she told me to stay strong and believe in Dad and Big Bro, after which she faded away once again and I felt myself pass out again.

I then remember waking up in a bed with Teddie smiling down at me. I can't say for sure to this day, but I think Teddie did something to save me that day. But I digress. After that, I slowly started getting better and better, until I was able to go home with Dad to spend Christmas and New Year's Day with Dad, Big Bro, and Big Bro's friends.

But I had to go back to the hospital again afterwards to be on the safe side. It wasn't fun, but while I was there, we found out my stomach cramps were in fact the result of stomach ulcers brought on by excessive stress, which Dad of course immediately blamed himself for. Big Bro and I both reassured him that wasn't true. And by the end of my second stay in the hospital, not only was I all better, but I was given medicine to keep the stomachaches at bay. I got to spend a couple more months with Big Bro after that before he had to go back home.

From what he told me when I asked him about the time he saved me, apparently he fought some creepy monster thing that looked like what he described as, and I quote, 'the creepy lovechild of a hippie and a demon' in order to save me. He never outright confirmed this, but I suspect that it was actually Namatame-san who he fought that day. Anyways, from what I found out later, both Namatame and Adachi were arrested as persons of interest in the serial murders.

Interestingly enough, it was revealed later that Adachi was the actual culprit, even if both he and Namatame, along with Big Bro, were all apparently pawns chosen by some depraved entity who was trying to test humanity to see what its true desires were. Apparently, Big Bro and his friends had one final battle that happened after rescuing another friend of theirs called Marie from the fog.

I never got to meet her, but I heard a lot about her. To sum up how this final battle happened, apparently Big Bro got a letter from Adachi, who'd apparently sent him a letter to express his regrets about how everything turned out, as well as point out a few thing he had misgivings about.

From there, Big Bro and his friends eventually did some detective work that led to him asking Dad and I about what happened the day we met him. Apparently from there, it led him to confronting a random gas station attendant he met the day he arrived in Inaba, who then was revealed to be a goddess in disguise. In the end, Big Bro and his friends defeated the goddess, who they called Izanami, and peace was restored to Inaba.

And the next day, Big Bro took a train home for a time, only to return two months later to spend Golden Week with me and Dad, much to my delight. It was actually around that same time that I decided to stop wearing my hair in pigtails, since Big Sis suggested it might make me look even more mature to wear it down. She even showed me this really pretty style where I got to have a clip in one side of my hair to make me look super adorable.

Anyways, Big Bro only stayed for the one week, but during that time, he and his friends apparently got wrapped up in another case, though I never got the details of that case, other than it leading to them meeting up with a new friend in Labrys, a robot girl who Yosuke had hit it off with pretty quickly. Even though they both deny it, I'm convinced they both have crushes on each other.

From there, nothing else of note happened until about four or five months ago, when Big Bro decided the time was right and proposed to Big Sis, who said yes, and the two were married. I got to go on the honeymoon with them, at which point we got a hotel room together, they ditched me, I ended up meeting Shiho who became my roommate, we went to a beach to surprise Shiho's girlfriend, and that's when I met most of you guys. I think you know the rest from there. " Nanako said with a giggle as she finished her explanation, fully expecting the gasp from Zenkichi that followed as he spoke up.

**END OF SPOILER ALERTS. CONTINUE READING FROM HERE IF YOU SKIPPED THE SECTION BETWEEN THIS PROMPT AND THE WARNING ABOVE**

"Wait, so when you say Namatame, do you mean Taro Namatame, the former mayor of Inaba?" Zenkichi asked as Nanako nodded and spoke up.

"Correct. I'm still shocked he was elected, but apparently he managed to win people over with his sincere words and determination to make Inaba a better place. To his credit, he was a pretty respectable mayor. Namatame-san even came around to apologize to us both after he finished his jail sentence for kidnapping me. I forgave him, but Dad wasn't so quick to do the same.

He told Namatame-san that he should try to strive to make the world a better place if he was so serious about showing his remorse for his previous actions. Namatame must have taken Dad's words to heart, given he was elected as Mayor not five months later, and had a successful eight years in office before leaving and going into a quiet retirement where he took over his family's delivery business." Nanako said as Sumire spoke up.

"I'm surprised his delivery license wasn't revoked when he got arrested for kidnapping you, Nanako. Also, I thought there was a law against criminals being allowed to hold elected office?" Sumire said as Goro spoke up with an annoyed look on his face.

"That only applies to felons, unfortunately. And most of what Namatame-san did was reduced to misdemeanors when the judge took mercy on him after his remorseful pleas for mercy following his guilty plea. I remember Sae-san being rather livid about it when she told me the story later, since apparently it was one of the few times the SIU had ever lost a case against a suspect.

Ironically, the next time they'd go on to lose a case would be when they let the leader of the Phantom Thieves fake a suicide to get out of captivity while he was their prisoner, leading to a rather massive lawsuit being filed against them by both Sojiro as well as Ren and Kusa's parents. From what Sae-san said later on, apparently the shock was so bad it gave the person serving as the former SIU Director, or her former boss, a fatal stroke. Interestingly, it happened not long before Shido-san was briefly elected Prime Minister of Japan. Of course, he lost everything after he confessed his crimes." Goro said as Shiho spoke up with a nod.

"Right, that was shortly after Shido's heart was changed." Shiho said as Ren nodded before Sojiro spoke up.

"Anyways, we were talking about Nanako's past, not how screwed up Ren's past was." Sojiro said as Morgana spoke up.

"True, but I feel like the two go hand-in-hand to some degree. I'm guessing that the reason Lady Nanako explained what she did is because she thinks it could come up at some point in the future." Morgana said as Nanako nodded and spoke up.

"Correct. For some reason, I feel this strange uneasy feeling within myself. From what was I told by Kusa, he as well as Goro and Sojiro ended up fighting past foes in this Yongen Jail. One was the doppelganger of Goro that you guys called the Black Mask, and the other was in the form of Sojiro and Futaba's late wife/mother. Then there was also the doppelganger that Kusa told me about before we came back here. The one known as Sinocard who Kusa fought while saving Akane in the Kyoto Jail but escaped back to whatever Jail he came from while swearing revenge.

That's the reason why I wanted to tell you guys all about my past from all those years ago since I wouldn't be surprised if this Jail had some sort of trap in which we all have to face facets of our past. If that theory is true, I want to have mine be known by all of you so no one will be caught by surprise by anything that might happen." Nanako said as Ren spoke up.

"Fair enough. We appreciate the heads-up, Nanako. Now that we've sorted that out, I think the next order of business is to sort out who's driving the Ferrari for the trip to Yongen." Ren said as Sojiro spoke up with a smirk.

"Correct me if I'm wrong here, but I think the only one of us who's yet to drive the Ferrari is actually Makoto-chan. I'd have said Haru, but after what she did behind the wheel of the RV, no way in hell are we letting her drive the Ferrari. I prefer keeping it in one piece, thanks. So I propose that Makoto drives the Ferrari and we have Shiho, Ryuji, and Ann go with her in the Ferrari while the rest of us ride in the RV, which we'll have Kusa drive with Futaba up front, if he agrees." Sojiro suggested as Kusa grinned and spoke up while putting an arm around Futaba's waist, which she happily leaned into, much to the amusement of the others.

"You want me driving the RV to Yongen, Sojiro? Don't frickin' mind if I do. And having Taba ridin' shotgun with me is just a bonus as far as I'm concerned." Kusa said as Futaba smiled and spoke up.

"Yay, I got to ride shotgun while my boyfriend drives!" Futaba said eagerly as Sumire, Nanako, and Haru all giggled at the adorably eager look on Futaba's face. Afterwards, Yusuke then spoke up for the first time in a while.

"Um, not to add more problems when it's not needed, but can the RV fit 12 people in it? I know there's a lot of seats, but I'm not sure if there's enough for a dozen people." Yusuke said as Zenkichi spoke up.

"No problem. I have my own car that I can drive, and I can have a couple people ride with me if they want. Let's say we have Goro, Haru, and Morgana riding with me?" Zenkichi said as Haru spoke up.

"If we do, I call dibs on sharing the backseat with Goro while Morgana sits up front!" Haru said as Goro smirked and spoke up.

"Hmm, either share the back with my lovely girlfriend, or share it with a cat-turned-human? I think this is a no-brainer. Of course I'll share the backseat with you, Haru." Goro said as Morgana sputtered and spoke up.

"H-HEY! I'm not a cat anymore, Goro! Don't treat me like I'm still a cat!" Morgana said in embarrassment, getting simultaneous giggles from Nanako and Sophia, the latter being inside of Sumire's phone. After the group agreed to the arrangements, they decided to finish their remaining preparations, such as Zenkichi agreeing to bring Akane to meet with them later on, eventually agreeing to reconvene in the hideaway in a couple of hours to fill Akane in on a few things before voting on if she could tag along with the group.

Little did the group know, in the long run, this one decision to allow Akane to tag along with them would be the catalyst for a series of very interesting events, many of which would have equally interesting consequences for the group...

END OF CHAPTER

A/N: Yeah, this is a bit of a shorter chapter, but as I recall, I did say the interlude chapters would be shorter ones by necessity. However, I did get everything I wanted to fit into this interlude, between the triple helping of lemons that were served up for AnnxShiho, KusaxFutaba, and most notably RyujixMakoto (the latter pair FINALLY getting an on-screen lemon. I can't believe it took me this long to give Ryuji and Makoto an on-screen lemon together. My apologies to any fans of that pairing that were anxiously waiting for a lemon with them for so long. Now you have one, so here you go), along with the dialogue with Nanako, Zenkichi, and Akane where the former explained a bit of her past to them.

Most importantly, I fit in the gathering in the hideaway where Nanako fully reveals to the others what she remembers of her past and to a point what happened to her after Persona 4/Persona 4 Golden ended. So yeah, got quite a bit in here despite the shorter length.

And to clarify why I mentioned Nanako getting a new hairstyle in the explanation, that was a nod to my potential headcanon as to why Nanako's hairstyle is so radically different when you see her in the 'Golden' epilogue that is exclusive to the ending of Persona 4 Golden (BUT ONLY IF YOU MET THE REQUIREMENTS TO GET THE GOLDEN ENDING), where a lot of characters had distinct changes to their character models. Pretty sure the only characters that got to the 'Golden' epilogue without significant changes to their character models were Dojima, Yu, and to a point both Yosuke and Teddie. Literally everyone else had some quite noticeable changes to their character models.

**SPOILER ALERT FOR THE 'GOLDEN' EPILOGUE FROM PERSONA 4 GOLDEN**

And for Nanako, in addition to her taking up piano lessons, she stopped wearing her hair in pigtails and wore it down (not unlike how a certain Royal-exclusive character wears her hair down for part of the third semester section of Royal after her true identity is revealed, even if she reverts to her ponytail model after a certain point in the third semester, which I disagree with. Yes, I can see why it's necessary for her Phantom Thief attire, but outside of that, she could've gotten away with keeping her hair down. But that might just be the part of me who thinks Sumire looks way prettier with her hair down talking, to be honest). To be honest, I think Nanako looked really adorable with her hair down, since it not only makes her look a lot more mature, but also makes it easier to see that even she changed slightly in the two months Yu was away from Inaba.

Granted, I think the 'Golden' epilogue should've been at least a year after Yu left, since a lot of the changes that happened would've made way more sense to be seen *coughKanjiNaotoChiecough*, considering the fact that I have a hard time believing that someone can not only get their hair dyed back to black, but also have their nose piercings removed and change their attire while also realistically recovering from it in a two-month timeframe. I feel like a lot of the changes the characters had in the 'Golden' epilogue make no sense otherwise. But I digress.

**END OF SPOILER ALERTS FOR THE 'GOLDEN' EPILOGUE FROM PERSONA 4 GOLDEN**

Back on the topic of this story, the next chapter will be the start of Arc 6, which will be interesting for me, since it's an arc that is entirely unique to this story and is not at all present in canon Strikers. Anyone who's read this far that paid attention to the first interlude might remember which Jail the group is about to enter, but if not, you'll have to wait for next chapter to see what I mean. And as a heads-up, this next Jail will be interesting. So keep your eyes open for lots of twists, surprises and more!

And with that bit of previewing out of the way, let me take this chance to thank anyone who's read this far into the story, along with anyone who's followed/favorited this story, as your continued support is much appreciated! Feel free to leave a review (or PM me if you aren't comfortable reviewing) with your thoughts/feedback/constructive criticism on the story so far! I enjoy hearing from my readers a lot! And until next chapter, sithlorde1988 out!

PHANTOM THIEF SKILL LISTINGS AND ALLY LIST AS OF THE END OF CHAPTER 26 AND THE ARC 5 INTERLUDE

JOKER (Ren) - Level: 54 Current Personas: Raoul (Level 32), Jack-O'-Lantern (Level 42), Jack Frost (Level 42), Okuninushi (Level 48), Pixie (Level 35), Pisaca (Level 35), Norn (Level 54), Ganesha (Level 54), Queen Mab (Level 51), Fortuna (Level 54) Equipped Persona: Queen Mab Persona Moveset: Mazionga (Elec), Bufudyne (Ice), Makajamaon (Ailment), Concentrate (Support/Buff), Mapsio (Psy), Makouga (Bless), Garula (Wind), Agidyne (Fire)

SKULL (Ryuji) - Level: 49 Current/Partner Persona: Seiten Taisei Persona Moveset: Zionga (Elec), Megaton Raid (Physical), Matarukaja (Support/Buff), Attack Master (Passive), Mazionga (Elec), Rebel Soul (Passive), Swift Strike (Physical), Shock Boost (Passive)

MONA (Morgana) - Level: 49 Current/Partner Persona: Diego Persona Moveset: Garula (Wind), Diarahan (Healing), Mediarama (Healing), Magarula (Wind), Wind Boost (Passive), Samarecarm (Healing), Masukunda (Support/Debuff), Dodge Elec (Passive)

PANTHER (Ann) - Level: 50 Current/Partner Persona: Hecate Persona Moveset: Agidyne (Fire), Burn Boost (Passive), Fire Boost (Passive), Soul Thief (Passive), Maragion (Fire), Matarunda (Support/Debuff), Marin Karin (Ailment), Diarama (Healing)

FOX (Yusuke) - Level: 50 Current/Partner Persona: Kamu Susano-o Persona Moveset: Bufula (Ice), Speed Master (Passive), Masukukaja (Support/Buff), Knockdown Style (Passive), Vicious Strike (Physical), Tempest Slash (Physical), Mabufula (Ice), Dodge Fire (Passive)

QUEEN (Makoto) - Level: 49 Current/Partner Persona: Anat Persona Moveset: Freila (Nuclear), Dekunda (Support/Buff), Marakukaja (Support/Buff), Mafreila (Nuclear), Diarama (Healing), Flash Bomb (Physical), Mediarama (Healing), Nuke Boost (Passive)

NOIR (Haru) - Level: 49 Current/Partner Persona: Lucy Persona Moveset: Psio (Psy), Psy Boost (Passive), Heat Riser (Support/Buff), Triple Down (Gun), Evil Smile (Ailment), Amrita Shower (Healing), Mapsio (Psy), Gun Boost (Passive)

ORACLE (Futaba) - Level: 54 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), Active Boost EX (Passive), Final Guard (Passive)

SEEKER (Sophia) - Level: 49 Current/Partner 'Persona': Pithos Persona Moveset: Kougaon? (Bless), Bless Amp? (Passive), Diarama? (Healing), Makouga? (Bless), Mediarama? (Healing), Marakunda? (Support/Debuff), Divine Grace? (Passive), Recarm? (Healing)

WOLF (Zenkichi) - Level: 53 Current/Partner Persona: Valjean Persona Moveset: Megido (Almighty), Gun Boost (Passive), Dekaja (Support/Debuff), Technical High (Passive), Triple Down (Gun), Heat Riser (Support/Buff), Enduring Soul (Passive), Sukukaja (Support/Buff)

VIOLET (Sumire) - Level: 50 Current/Partner Persona: Ella Persona Moveset: Kouga (Bless), Dodge Curse (Passive), Diarama (Healing), Bless Boost (Passive), Heat Wave (Physical), Makouga (Bless), Tempest Slash (Physical), Samarecarm (Healing)

DRACONIS (Kusa) - Level: 49 Current/Partner Persona: Malefor Persona Moveset: Agilao (Fire), Garula (Wind), Mediarama (Healing), Rising Slash (Physical), Masukunda (Support/Debuff), Vicious Strike (Physical), Megido (Almighty), Almighty Boost (Passive)

CROW (Goro) - Level: 49 Current/Partner Persona: Hereward Persona Moveset: Eiga (Curse), One-Shot Kill (Gun), Maeiga (Curse), Deathbound (Physical), Debilitate (Support/Debuff), Mudo (Curse/insta-kill), Megidola (Almighty), Curse Boost (Passive)

PENDRAGON (Sojiro) - Level: 49 Current/Partner Persona: Kohryu Persona Moveset: Psiodyne (Psy), Assault Dive (Physical), Concentrate (Support/Buff), Mediarama (Healing), Mapsio (Psy), Evade Nuke (Passive), Spell Master (Passive), Psy Boost (Passive)

FLARE (Shiho) - Level: 49 Current/Partner Persona: Hester Persona Moveset: Bufula (Ice), Oni-Kagura (Physical), Mediarama (Healing), Divine Grace (Passive), Recarm (Healing), Freila (Nuclear), Ice Boost (Passive), Nuke Boost (Passive)

Allies: Ichinose, Akane, Nanako, Taichi, Momoe, Sae, Yu, Yosuke, Chie, Yukiko, Kanji, Rise, Teddie, Naoto

LIST OF KNOWN TRIAD SPECIALS AS OF THE END OF THE ARC 5 INTERLUDE

DIVINE BLIZZARD (Draconis, Fox, Violet)

PURGATORY ARROW (Crow, Noir, Panther)

REBELLIOUS VENGEANCE BURST (Joker, Skull, Seeker)

SNOW CAT-JUTSU (Mona, Flare, Wolf)

JUDGEMENT STRIKE (Oracle, Queen, Pendragon)