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!

31. Arc 6 Finale: Monarchs and Hangouts

A/N: sithlorde1988 here, with another chapter of Phantom Files, Book 2: Rise Of The Monarchs! With any luck, this chapter will be the final chapter of the Yongen Jail Arc, leading into the next chapter being the Arc 6 Interlude, after which we go back to content that is actually adapted from Persona 5 Strikers with Arc 7. So that'll be neat to get back to that. But in any case, before we do much else, let's deal with the disclaimer, yeah?

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 for Draconis, Pendragon, and Seraphim, all of which I do own. I do not, however, own the OC Persona Hester, nor the Phantom Thief attire concepts for Shiho/Flare.

Both of these were created by, and thus belong to, thalassatides (at symbol) bsky on X (or Twitter as it used to be called). If you happen to be on X, feel free to look up thelassatides (at symbol) bsky's work, as they do some good work.)) and the actual ownership credit for the Persona series belongs to Atlus and Sega (where it comes to Persona 3, Persona 4, Persona 5, Persona 3 Portable, Persona 4 Golden, and Persona 5 Royal, as well as Persona 3 FES and Persona 3 Reload), as well as to a point Koei Tecmo (where it pertains to Strikers). The rest of the spinoffs belong to various other companies, all of whom know who they are.

As far as Persona 1, Persona 2-Eternal Punishment, and Persona 2-Innocent Sin? As far as I know, they were made by a different studio, who also knows who they are. Full ownership credit for the Persona spinoffs (Phantom X, Tactica, the 'Arena' games, the 'Dancing' games, and the 'Q' games) belong to the studios that helped make them, as well as Atlus and possibly Sega. And full ownership credits for Persona 1, Persona 2- Eternal Punishment, and Persona 2-Innocent Sin belong to the studios that made those games, so all credit to them.

And now that the disclaimer is done and dusted, I want to take this chance to mention a new poll I plan to put up on my profile page once I start posting Arc 7, or more likely once I post the Arc 6 interlude. That poll, once it goes up, will remain up for the duration of Arcs 7, 8, and 9, and will be to decide what story I do next after this. There are seven options on the poll, but since it's not up yet, I won't go into detail on them just yet.

I'll probably do that during one of the A/Ns in the Arc 6 interlude, if anything. But there will be seven options, and you will have the option to vote for up to three of those options. Once the poll closes (which will most likely be after I post the final chapter of Arc 9), I'll look at the results, and the top 3 options, as was the case with the poll that this story won when I ran it near the end of Persona 5: The Phantom Files, will be the ones I eventually work on.

Note that none of the options will be Persona stories this time. I made that choice for a couple of reasons. Firstly, once I finish this story, I'll have finished working on back-to-back Persona stories that will have likely been worked on over the past two years, so I'll likely have earned at least a brief break from adapting Persona stuff.

However, that's not to say that there's not a diverse array of options, because there are. There might only be seven options on the poll, but between them, there are a total of five franchises represented (Mario, Digimon, Fire Emblem, Legend of Dragoon, and Harry Potter) between those options. I was going to have eight options, but couldn't think of a good idea for an eighth option, and thus left it at seven options.

So I figured I'd mention that briefly. But enough about a poll that I haven't listed on my profile page (which is where the poll will be once it goes up, so people know where to go for it), we're here for Rise of The Monarchs, yeah? Let's get on with the chapter! Keep reading afterwards for an end-of-chapter A/N, where I possibly mention more stuff. For now, here's chapter 31!

Chapter 31- The Yongen Monarch Unmasked! Revelations, Showdowns, and More! Masked Memories part 5

(In the evening, in the RV with Ren, Morgana, Ryuji, Ann, Yusuke, Makoto, Futaba, Haru, Goro, Sumire, Kusa, Sophia, Sojiro, Shiho, Zenkichi, Nanako, and Akane)

As the group gathered together in the RV after returning from the intense battle that had happened in the Trauma Cell, with Futaba taking her usual spot in the cubby bunk with Morgana sitting near the top of the ladder, Kusa leaning on the ladder, and the booth seats having Makoto, Haru, and Goro on one side and Ryuji, Yusuke, and Ren on the other side, with Zenkichi and Sojiro taking seats on the open seats across from the booth seats and next to the sink with Ann and Shiho leaning on the wall behind the booth seats and Sumire having to share the bottom bunk seats with Nanako and Akane while Sophia, who as always was inside Sumire's phone, was in a stand that had been set up on the table between Ren and Goro, Ren looked over the others and spoke up.

"Well, now that we've dealt with the Trauma Cell, all that's left is to take on the Monarch of the Yongen Jail." Ren said as Goro spoke up.

"Indeed. The time draws ever closer for us to finally settle the score with the Black Mask once and for all." Goro said as the others nodded before Morgana frowned and spoke up.

"True. However, I can't help but notice that there were a few things throughout the Jail that struck me as inconsistent to the M.O. of the Black Mask as we knew it." Morgana said as Kusa blinked and spoke up.

"Yeah? And what would those be, pray tell?" Kusa said as Morgana spoke up after a moment.

"Well, for starters, despite all of his bravado and bluster, not once did we actually see him roaming the Jail in person." Morgana said as Goro frowned and spoke up.

"I dunno about that one, Morgana. You were paying attention when Ren and I told everyone who we fought as our maze obstacle, right?" Goro pointed out as Ren spoke up.

"If he wasn't, it was probably because he was too busy looking at Seeker like he so often does when he thinks none of us are looking." Ren said as Kusa spoke up.

"Ignoring you teasing Morgana, you also raise a good point. You guys did run into the Monarch as your maze obstacle. Also, I feel I would be remiss not to point out that neither Natsume nor Hyodo were seen at all until the very end of their Jails, so it could be that he was just trying to make his Jail more like theirs." Kusa pointed out as Morgana winced and spoke up.

"Good point. My previous remark contradicts a few things about past Jails, doesn't it?" Morgana said as the others nodded before he spoke up.

"Right, my bad. But anyways, even if I'm wrong about my guess on the matter of not seeing the Monarch in the Jail, that still doesn't change the fact that he mostly just communicated over the intercoms. Secondly, unlike most past Monarchs, this guy actually killed one of the Shadows that we defeated by burning it to ashes in front of us. And then there was all those graphic instances of showing prisoners being whipped savagely, some of them to within an inch of their lives.

And then, let's not ignore the fact that a lot of the obstacles in this Jail thus far have been centered around the theme of memories and/or the past. All of these things together make me wonder about something." Morgana said as Makoto spoke up.

"Oh? What might that something be?" Makoto asked as Morgana spoke up.

"Well you see, Makoto, if the Monarch of the Yongen Jail really is the Black Mask, why would he go to all the trouble of forcing most of us to confront some of the more painful aspects of our past? Would it not make more sense for him to have obstacles be more centrally focused on trying to actually kill us, rather than just break us?" Morgana said as a 'BIP!' from Sumire's phone, which was on its stand on the table in-between Ren and Goro, preceded Sophia speaking up.

"Hmm, so are you suggesting that there could be more to the Monarch of Yongen Jail than meets the eye, so to speak? If so, that's an interesting take on things to have, Morgana." Sophia said as Goro frowned and spoke up.

"Now that you say that, you have a point, Sophia. I did feel like the Monarch was trying way too hard to convince Ren and I that he was my other half. If it was as he says, and he really is my dark half, then he wouldn't need to try so hard to convince me. I'd be able to sense it instinctively, since as the saying goes, 'I am thou, thou art I...', meaning he and I should be one in the same. So, why then would he feel the need to go to such lengths to convince me that he is me?" Goro said as Zenkichi spoke up, getting what Goro was getting at.

"Ah, so you think he might only be pretending to be your other half to mask his true identity?" Zenkichi said as Goro nodded and spoke up.

"Precisely, Zenkichi. I do think he's not being entirely honest about his identity. Sure, I didn't feel any inherent deception or falsehood in his words, but at the same time, I don't think he was being entirely truthful. Perhaps we'll get the truth of it when we face him. But for now, I propose that we not take this Monarch lightly." Goro said as Sojiro spoke up.

"I agree. I may have only fought him the one time before with you and Kusa, but I could feel a stronger power lying dormant in the Monarch when we fought him. Also, considering the fact that the Monarch, who might or might not be pretending to be the Black Mask, was using a Persona to basically torture Goro when Kusa and I walked into his inner sanctum the first time, I think we can rule out the idea of the Monarch of Yongen Jail being your Shadow. But I wonder why Kusa seemed to recognize the Persona that the Monarch used?" Sojiro asked as Kusa spoke up.

"That's because it was the same Persona Goro used during his initial reveal as the Black Mask, or his 'Loki' Persona. Although, now that I'm thinking more about it, I think I recall reading something once about Loki. I believe I read that Loki is the Norse god of mischief and is a shape-shifter, or a changeling as some call it. Hmm, I wonder if the Monarch chose that specific Persona on purpose?" Kusa said as Ann spoke up.

"It's possible. After all, we've seen stranger things in the Metaverse, such as the Palace Rulers, and even cats who can turn into things like tour buses and/or helicopters. Umm, sorry to put your previous form on blast like that, Morgana. But it was the most prominent example of strange things that I could think of." Ann said as Morgana spoke up.

"That's fine, Lady Ann. You were making a point, so I'll let it slide." Morgana said as Ryuji grinned and spoke up.

"Ahh, so it's true what they say. 'Once a simp, always a simp.' Hopefully you can get that in check sooner or later, especially if you and a certain someone ever decide to get serious about one another." Ryuji said, aiming a sly grin towards Morgana while winking in the direction of Sumire's phone, causing Sophia's cheeks to go red inside of said phone at Ryuji's indirect mention of her and Morgana. Morgana frowned at Ryuji and spoke up.

"Shut up! I'm allowed to agree with Lady Ann without it automatically being considered simping. Besides, I'm sure Lady Sophia knows I do it in the most friendly and platonic way possible. Not to mention the fact that I'd never want to get in the way of Lady Ann and Lady Shiho's happiness with each other. So you can shut your instigating mouth before I have Kusa help me send Makoto that video clip you sent Ren of you spending a good half-hour waxing poetic about all of Risette's finer points, and about how Makoto-" Morgana said as a red-faced Ryuji spoke up.

"GAH! I get it, Morgana. I'll stop busting your balls for now." Ryuji said as Makoto aimed an inquiring look at Morgana before she spoke up.

"Wait, what video clip are you talking about, Morgana? And since when is Ryuji so passionate about Risette?" Makoto asked in confusion as Nanako giggled and spoke up.

"Sounds to me like Ryuji, like countless other guys before him, has found himself in the position of being one of a growing legion of Risette fanboys." Nanako said teasingly as Makoto frowned and went to speak up, only for Yusuke to beat her to it after realizing she might be about to refute Nanako's remark.

"If I might interject here before Makoto says something she might regret later? I think that the video clip that Morgana's alluding to was taken during the Kyoto trip, before all hell broke loose at the hot springs. I think that was a conversation that Ren and Ryuji had over ramen with Kusa and Morgana tagging along for fun. I only know about it because Kusa mentioned it in passing later. But Morgana's exaggerating it a lot if it is the conversation I think it is. And Morgana left out the part where there was plenty of good said about you as well, Makoto. But I'll leave it at that, out of respect for Ryuji and Ren's privacy." Yusuke said as Ryuji grinned and high-fived Yusuke while speaking up.

"Hell yeah, Yusuke! Way to have my back when I need it, dude! Now that's what I call bein' a good wingman!" Ryuji said to Yusuke before looking at Makoto as he spoke up.

"Also, I don't think it's an open secret that I'm something of a huge Risette fan. But even then, she could never hold a candle to you, Makoto. You're the only girl I want to be with." Ryuji said smoothly as Makoto spoke up with a blush.

"Good answer, Ryuji. But you know, I don't mind that you're a fan of Risette, since she is a pretty good performer. Besides, it would be kind of hypocritical of me to judge you for being interested in her music when I basically had Ren pretend to date me for a time a few years ago in order to save a friend from an abusive relationship. So if anything, I owe you a bit of latitude after that." Makoto said as Ryuji smiled and spoke up.

"True, but I forgave you for that a while ago, babe. But anyways, we were talking about the Monarch of Yongen, not my potential status as a Risette fan." Ryuji said as Sumire spoke up with a smile.

"Who says we can't do both, Ryuji-senpai? After all, we were able to bust Nanako and Akane's chops, so to speak, pretty efficiently while planning out the former's code name after her Awakening. So if we can do that, who's to say that we can't plan for this Monarch and also bust your chops a bit at the same time?" Sumire said as Shiho spoke up.

"You mean aside from the fact that those two things have nothing to do with one another? Probably very little." Shiho said as a blushing Nanako spoke up.

"HEY! Did you really have to bring me and Akane into this, Sumire? I get it was done as an example, but still. Not cool." Nanako said as Akane giggled and spoke up.

"Aww, come on. You say that like we're not totally cute together, Nanako. Besides, she only mentioned us to illustrate that multitasking is possible." Akane said as Futaba grinned and spoke up.

"I think she also did it to embarrass you two a bit, but I could be wrong. Mwehehe." Futaba said helpfully as Haru spoke up.

"I don't think your last remark was necessary or at all helpful, Futaba-chan. But you're also not wrong." Haru said as Goro spoke up.

"Anyways! So, now that we're back on track, do we just march in and confront the Monarch now that his Birdcage is open? Or do we have to figure out some sort of calling card first?" Goro asked as Akane spoke up.

"Didn't you all tell me earlier that after you guys dealt with that Trauma Cell, you guys would send a calling card out to the Monarch?" Akane asked as a 'BIP!' from Sumire's phone preceded Sophia speaking up.

"Correct, Akane. This would be the point where we discuss sending a calling card. However, I can't help but notice that Morgana never once mentioned getting any sort of Treasure-like scent from any part of the Yongen Jail. Also, there haven't been any reports of phenomenon that could pass as changes of heart around the Yongen area that I could find." Sophia said as Futaba spoke up.

"I think that might be because we scared off any would-be Monarchs when we changed Alice Hiiragi's heart. Also, if Goro's theory is right, this Monarch might not have a real-world counterpart to send a calling card to anyway. I mean, we could always send the card to Goro, but there's no guarantee that would even have the same impact as the other Monarchs, aside from Akane since her Jail was only recently created." Futaba said as Ren spoke up.

"Actually, I might have a theory as to who the Monarch of the Yongen Jail could be, but I dunno if I want to share it yet, since if I'm right, it'd be something that is quite unprecedented for us." Ren said as Kusa frowned and spoke up.

"Unprecedented? What exactly is this theory of yours, Ren? The way you're saying it, it sounds to me like you think the Monarch was a Persona or something." Kusa said as Sojiro spoke up, noticing the unreadable expression on Ren's face and speaking up to voice what he figured Ren was thinking.

"I think that might be exactly what Ren thinks is going on, Kusa. After all, you and I both saw the Monarch use a Persona to torture Goro. And given what you said before about that Persona being called 'Loki', I don't think we can rule out the possibility that this Monarch is in fact a Persona rather than a person." Sojiro said as Morgana, Zenkichi, and Goro's jaws all dropped at this as the former spoke up with a frown.

"Well, I mean, it's not impossible. But what sort of mastermind are we dealing with, if they were even able to make Personas into Monarchs? And if that is the case, what's next, an AI becoming a Monarch? Umm, no offense to you, Lady Sophia." Morgana said as a 'BIP!' from Sumire's phone preceded Sophia speaking up while giving Morgana a reassuring smile as she spoke that made him grin a bit even as he felt his heart skip a beat from how cute Sophia's smile was to him.

"That's fine, Morgana. I know you were just using an example. But I don't think AIs would be good Monarchs, if only because it'd be almost impossible to give an AI a calling card." Sophia said as Zenkichi spoke up.

"Sophia has a point. Not to mention, it'd be pretty well impossible to arrest an AI if they were a Monarch." Zenkichi said as the others nodded before Ren spoke up.

"Good point. I say we sleep on it for tonight, and then reconvene in the morning to discuss things. But if there are no objections, I'd like to go back into the Jail tomorrow afternoon to try and confront the Monarch if possible." Ren said as he was greeted with a chorus of affirmative nods as Goro spoke up.

"I agree. The sooner we put an end to this Jail, the better. After all, the longer we take on this, the more time that Konoe and presumably Owada have to do who-knows-what to the rest of the country." Goro said as Zenkichi spoke up with a nod.

"Right. The quicker we can clear out this Jail, the quicker we can get back to the real task at hand, namely bringing Konoe and Owada to justice. After all, it seems likely that one, or even both of them could be our mastermind." Zenkichi said as Goro spoke up.

"Perhaps. But I still maintain the notion that Miss Monologues could be the mastermind. She definitely acts shady enough for it if nothing else." Goro said as Kusa spoke up before Akane could interject.

"True, but let's not bring that up right now, if only because there's likely not enough time to explain the particulars of that nickname to Akane." Kusa pointed out as Morgana spoke up.

"Probably a good call, Kusa. We can always fill Akane in on the way to our next destination about that after we defeat the Monarch of the Yongen Jail." Morgana said as the others nodded and the group dispersed for the evening, with Ren, Sumire, and Sophia heading to Leblanc, while Sojiro, Kusa, Futaba, and Zenkichi headed to the Sakura residence and the remaining guys (Goro, Yusuke, Morgana, Ryuji) headed outside to share the rooftop tent, leaving Ann, Makoto, Haru, Shiho, Nanako, and Akane to share the RV...

(A short time later, in the Velvet Room, with Ren and Lavenza)

After Ren regained consciousness, he looked around and realized he was back inside of his cell in the Velvet Room. As he got up and walked over to the bars of his cell, Lavenza walked over to him with a smile on her face and spoke up.

"You've done an admirable job thus far, Trickster. Not only have you cleared a path to taking on the true entity behind the enigma that is the Yongen Jail, but you also were able to help the secondary Justice in your midst to finally awaken to the long-dormant power that slumbered within her. As you might have heard during her Awakening, she should've gotten that power years ago, but due to how young she was at the time, she wasn't emotionally or mentally prepared for having such powers due to her current state.

Which is quite understandable given the fact that she would've only been around seven years old at the time. However, the fact that such a young girl was able to keep such power dormant inside her for over eight and a half years is astonishing. Most people don't usually manage something like that for so long. And the fact that your secondary Justice did so while only currently being fifteen and a half is nothing short of impressive. That being said, I wouldn't in the slightest bit believe it inaccurate to say that she has potential to rival that of her cousin's when he was her age." Lavenza said as Ren spoke up.

"Good point. Nanako's Awakening was rather impressive, to be sure. Yet, I can't help but feel as if the Phantom Thieves aren't quite at full strength yet." Ren said as Lavenza smiled and spoke up.

"That's understandable. You see, you do still have the secondary 'Magician' and the 'Aeon' within your ranks that have yet to awaken their full potential still. But the time that your group will be fully awakened isn't far off, Trickster. Just have patience, and in time, the last two Awakenings you're waiting on will happen." Lavenza said as Ren spoke up.

"I see. I suppose that's all I can do for now is be patient, isn't it? After all, we're close to clearing out our sixth Jail, after which we can finally confront the potential mastermind behind all of the recent incidents we've stumbled across." Ren said as Lavenza spoke up with a nod.

"Indeed. The time for the true form of your ordeal to be known is drawing nearer, my Trickster. For now, just keep on doing what you're doing. That being said, I also summoned you here to inform you of another new method for strengthening your Personas. I have managed to find the instruments needed to re-create the 'Electric Chair' ritual. Simply put, you now have the ability to itemize your unwanted Personas to turn them into useful items, such as skill cards or even in some cases weapons and/or armor. Experiment with it at your leisure and see what happens, Trickster." Lavenza said as Ren nodded and spoke up.

"Very well, Lady Lavenza. I will experiment with it when I get time. But I make no promises on how often I utilize the 'Electric Chair'." Ren said as Lavenza spoke up.

"I see. That is your choice, after all. But for now, the time has come for you to head back to your bed and return to your rest. I'm sure we'll meet again soon enough." Lavenza said as Ren nodded and walked back over to his cot, where he laid down and eventually fell asleep again...

(The following afternoon, in the RV with Ren, Morgana, Ryuji, Ann, Yusuke, Makoto, Futaba, Haru, Goro, Sumire, Kusa, Sophia, Sojiro, Shiho, Zenkichi, Nanako, and Akane)

As Ren gathered everyone in the RV the next afternoon, he looked around the room, taking note of all the resolved faces looking at him, and spoke up.

"Well, this is it. It's time to go back in and take out the Monarch of the Yongen Jail. After all, we can't clear that Jail unless we defeat the Monarch and change his heart." Ren said as Sumire spoke up.

"That's assuming this Monarch has a heart to change." Sumire pointed out as Goro spoke up.

"Good point. If we're right about what he actually is, it might not be as simple as a change of heart." Goro said as Zenkichi spoke up.

"Agreed. Not to mention, it'll make our job easier if we don't have to deal with him turning himself in afterwards." Zenkichi said as Morgana spoke up.

"Fair, but can one REALLY turn oneself in if they're a Persona?" Morgana asked as Kusa spoke up.

"I wouldn't think so, but it's not impossible. We'll just have to wait and see what happens." Kusa said as Nanako frowned and spoke up.

"That's fair. But that being said, can we circle back around to what was said last night about the idea of not sending the Monarch of the Yongen Jail a calling card? You all had a good explanation for why you didn't do it, but did you ever really properly explain how a calling card works for those of us, like myself and Akane, who might know the full specifics of how a calling card works?" Nanako asked as Morgana nodded and spoke up.

"Good point. We probably should explain that for the two of you, shouldn't we? Well, to give the simple explanation, a calling card is usually what we use to cause the Treasure of our target, or in the case of our more recent missions, the stolen Desires our targets hoard, to manifest so we can take them back after changing the Monarch's heart." Morgana said as Kusa nodded and spoke up.

"Precisely. And if you want a more technical explanation, allow me. Simply put, a calling card makes our target aware we're coming for them. As such, their Treasures and/or Desires, which usually have a non-substantial form, typically either mist-like or fog-like, appear in a more corporeal or solid form so that we can easily seize them after defeating the Monarch. However in the case of the Desires, typically they tend to break apart into smaller Desires that return to their owners after the Monarch has been defeated and had their heart changed while being returned to their real self.

But in the instance of the Yongen Jail, not only have there been no reports of hearts being changed, but as Sophia pointed out last night, Mona hasn't smelled anything remotely Treasure or Desire like within the Yongen Jail, and I feel like he would've done so by now if there was anything like that, especially once we reached the birdcage. So as such, there shouldn't be any Desires to take back, just a Monarch to defeat. As such, that's why we're not bothering with a calling card this time, in addition to the previously stated explanation of not being sure who we'd give the card to. Does that answer your question, Nanako?" Kusa asked as Nanako spoke up.

"Yeah, that clears it up a bit more. Thank you." Nanako said as Goro spoke up.

"And now that we've cleared that up for Nanako and Akane, I think now is the time for us to confront the Monarch of the Yongen Jail." Goro said as the rest of the group nodded while Ren spoke up.

"Exactly. I agree with Goro. For now, let's go ahead and head back into the Metaverse. Hopefully, this'll be the last time you have to be left behind for a bit, Akane. And for what it's worth, we really are sorry you keep getting left out. I have a feeling there'll be a time in the not too distant future where you'll be part of us in a more substantial way." Ren said as Akane smiled and spoke up.

"I hope you're right, Ren. But in all seriousness, I don't mind being left out for now. After all, you guys came back safely the last few times, so I think I can trust you all to come back safely this time as well. But maybe get a ways away from the RV before you go into the Metaverse, just to be on the safe side." Akane said as Zenkichi spoke up.

"You do bring up a good point, Akane. After all, the last time we did that, Nanako got pulled in when she went after us. Still, in that particular instance, our negligence, which should have had more serious consequences when Nanako got pulled in with us, instead proved to be very beneficial to us, especially since instead of ending up in peril, Nanako instead awakened to a Persona when she needed it the most, and managed to save all of us while doing so." Zenkichi said as Nanako spoke up

"Right, everything worked out for the best on that occasion. However, that's just one instance. That being said, I can't help but notice that unlike us, Akane does not have a Persona, and the last thing any of us wants is for her to be thrown into danger accidentally." Nanako said as Akane nodded and spoke up.

"Just be careful in there, all of you. Although I have not been into this Jail myself, from what I've been told, it's not pretty. But aside from that, good luck." Akane said as Ren nodded before he led the others towards the back of the cabin near the RV so that they were far enough away from Akane before heading into the Metaverse...

(A short time later, inside the Yongen Jail, with Joker, Mona, Skull, Panther, Fox, Queen, Oracle, Noir, Crow, Violet, Draconis, Seeker, Pendragon, Flare, Wolf, and Seraphim)

After landing back in the Yongen Jail, the group made their way back to the Birdcage, where Crow spoke up.

"Well, this is it. This is where we take the fight to the Black Mask and finish him off once and for all. It's time to take on the Monarch of the Yongen Jail." Crow said as the others nodded before Joker spoke up.

"I agree. However, before that, let me lay out our attack groups for this fight. In Group A, which I myself will lead, will be myself, Crow, Draconis, Wolf, and Pendragon. In Group B, which Queen will lead, will be Queen, Skull, Panther, Flare, and Noir. Finally, in Group C, which Mona will lead, will be Mona, Violet, Seeker, Fox, and Seraphim. As for Oracle, she'll be our navigator and act as a go-between for our groups. Any objections?" Joker said as no one raised an objection. Eventually, Mona spoke up.

"I believe Joker made the right call with the group allotments, but we should be cautious. We have no idea what this Monarch is really capable of, largely since aside from maybe three or four of us, none of us have really seen him face-to-face. So far, he's mostly just spoken to us through his intercoms. So we should be ready for anything." Mona said as Seeker spoke up with a nod.

"I agree with Mona. We should be cautious." Seeker said agreeably as Violet smirked and spoke up.

"Pretty sure you only agree with Mona so much because you like him, Seeker. But you're also not wrong that we should be on our guard." Violet said as Joker grinned and spoke up.

"Aw, c'mon, Violet. Let the two of them have this moment. After all, I seem to recall you saying that they looked cute together." Joker pointed out as Violet blushed and spoke up.

"Yes, well, in my defense, they are cute together." Violet said as Crow pushed the doors to the inner sanctum, which was in the back of the Birdcage, open so the group could keep going. Once they got inside of the inner sanctum, they gasped as they saw the wide-open floor area they walked into, with the only real backdrop being the lonely throne in the back of the room, on which a familiar masked figure could be seen sitting, though the figure quickly got to their feet and spoke up as he saw the group file into the room, giving them a slow clap while grinning sadistically as he spoke.

"Well, well. It seems you have made your way here after all. Not bad. But I'm afraid that's where your luck runs out, Phantom Thieves. Even if you were able to conquer all of my obstacles and reach me here, now you face me. And as I agreed, I will be your opponent now. You say you're going to clear out my Jail and change my heart? Prove it! But I think in the end, you'll all abandon me, just like that spineless coward who calls himself my other half did. And to think, he was once a very ruthless and feared hitman." Black Mask said as he turned to Crow and kept speaking.

"My, how the mighty have fallen. Isn't that right, me? You used to be one of the most infamous warriors in the entire Metaverse. Now you're just a pathetic joke that went soft. As if it wasn't bad enough that you cast me aside and threw me away like some sort of unwanted item, you then let yourself go soft and try to change your ways. Don't you realize that you can't outgrow or run from the sadistic and dark side of yourself, Crow?" Black Mask said as Crow spoke up.

"So you say. But I think you're just jaded because you're the part of me that never had anyone care enough to extend the hand of friendship to them and show them that there's more to life than murder, chaos, and senseless violence, not to mention revenge. I don't know why you think I abandoned you, but you're wrong. I would never abandon anyone. Sure, I've betrayed more than a few people in the past, but I never abandoned anyone if I could help it. But here, maybe you need to be reminded of what you truly are!" Crow said as Oracle spoke up with a confused look on her face.

"Speaking of what this Monarch truly is, why is he wearing your old 'Prince' outfit, Crow?" Oracle asked as Draconis spoke up.

"Pendragon and I asked that same question after we fought the Monarch with Crow before. Apparently, since Crow is using the actual Black Mask outfit, or the 'Dark Suit' as he once called it, apparently the Monarch thought that Crow's 'Prince' attire was an acceptable substitute. But maybe it's also just another mind game on his part? Could be either one." Draconis said as Black Mask snarled and spoke up.

"Shut up, Draconis! And if you all must know, I chose this outfit because, like me, it was also something that Crow over there was quick to discard once he had no further use for it. After all, that seems to be a typical habit of Crow's to get rid of anything he no longer has any need for. I seem to recall he attempted to do the same to your leader a few years ago, even if he didn't succeed at it." Black Mask said derisively as he kept speaking before anyone could do more than blink at his revelation.

"But enough about the past. You say you want to remind me of what I truly am, Crow? Very well, then. So be it. It would seem we are at an impasse. Since it's rather plain that neither of us is going to sway the other with our words, that only leaves us to fight it out to decide which of us is right. So be it. EN GUARDE!" Black Mask said as he brandished a familiar beam sword, prompting the entire group's eyes to widen as Fox spoke up.

"Well, that's not good. It seems he's preparing to charge right at us!" Fox said as Skull spoke up.

"Son of a-! Guys, he's attacking! Let's prepare to meet him head-on!" Skull said as Joker spoke up.

"Everyone, CHARGE!" Joker said as the rest of the group nodded, charging towards Black Mask as a fight started! As the battle started, Black Mask spoke up.

"So, you all mean to stand against me? What a pity. I had hoped I could maybe sway a few of you to my side, but I see now that's not happening. Very well. Let's do this!" Black Mask said as he slashed his sword forward to cause an aura of power to ripple over him, seemingly charging up for an attack. Joker turned to Oracle and spoke up.

"Oracle? Can you do an analysis on the enemy?" Joker asked as Oracle spoke up, trying to look braver than she felt..

"I can try. Give me a sec!" Oracle said warily as Joker nodded. While the others prepared to battle Black Mask, he leapt up and slammed his sword into the ground, causing a massive shockwave that shot forth from where his sword impacted the ground, rushing ahead until it slammed into the group and threw several of the Thieves, such as Fox, Pendragon, Seeker, Flare, and Noir backwards, only for Mona, Panther, and Crow to catch their respective crush/girlfriend in their arms and set them safely on the ground.

Unfortunately for the two of them, due to not having a girlfriend and/or having their girlfriend not be present to catch them, Fox and Pendragon both hit the nearby wall and slid down with a grunt as Violet and Queen rushed over to look them over and perform any needed first-aid as the Black Mask stared down Crow, Joker and Draconis as he spoke up.

"As for you three, you are the ones I have the biggest grudge against. Crow, you turned your back on me, and by extension, our friendship. Draconis and Joker, you two turned Crow against me." Black Mask said as he hefted his sword and charged forward, making to stab Draconis, only for Joker to intercept Black Mask's sword with his dagger, pushing the attack back and driving Black Mask off of Draconis. After the others caught up to Joker, Draconis, and Crow, Oracle spoke up.

"Well, I have good news and bad news. The good news is that he only resists Curse moves. But the bad news is that his only weakness is Bless attacks. So most of us will be able to hit for neutral damage, though both Crow and Joker might be hard-pressed to damage the Black Mask with magic, while Violet, Seeker, and possibly Seraphim should have a fairly easy time hitting the Black Mask." Oracle said as the others nodded, working together to attack the Black Mask. After a bit, a combined burst of twin Bless attacks from Violet and Seeker broke through the last of Black Mask's down gauge as Joker turned to Crow.

"Looks like he's down. Want to hit him with your All-Out Attack?" Joker asked Crow, who nodded and spoke up.

"Gladly, Joker. I relish the chance to teach this fool a lesson." Crow said as the group charged in as one to attack Black Mask repeatedly until the screen cut to a shot of Crow doing a little jig before brandishing his saw blade and slashing at Black Mask repeatedly before he spoke up.

"AHAHAHA! TIME TO BREAK YOU!" Crow said as he charged forward, blade extended, managing to slash his blade at Black Mask, knocking him backwards before charging up a torrent of energy as he spoke up.

"TIME FOR YOU TO BE PUNISHED! NOW, HEREWARD!" Crow said as Hereward nodded, brandishing his own blade as Crow and Hereward both slashed repeatedly at the Black Mask, knocking him to a knee as Crow leapt up and slashed at Black Mask, causing the wave of charged energy to fly from his sword, slamming head-on into the shocked Black Mask, slamming him to the ground with a groan as Crow epically sheathed his sword and spoke up.

"HMPH! AND STAY DOWN, YOU MEASLY WORM!" Crow said as he posted like a badass to both end the All-Out Attack and cause the battle to pause as Black Mask struggled to his feet and spoke up with a grunt while glaring at the group.

"URGH! Not bad. Maybe I've underestimated your power more than I thought, Phantom Thieves. Impressive. I didn't think I'd have to use my full power, but desperate times call for desperate measures." Black Mask said dryly as Crow spoke up while shaking his head in exasperation.

"If you say so, I suppose. Also, you can drop the facade, you know. The real Black Mask was never so apt to make people accept who he was, unlike you. So whoever you are, you are most certainly NOT the Black Mask. Why don't you show us who you really are behind that facade of claiming to be me?" Crow said as the Black Mask surprised everyone by cackling darkly as he spoke up with his eyes flashing yellow as he spoke up, his voice seeming to distort slightly as he spoke.

"Would you look at that? You actually saw through my ruse. Not bad. You're correct. I'm not actually the Black Mask. However, I wasn't lying before when I said I am part of you. For you see, as the saying goes, I am thou, and..." Black Mask said before standing up as a red aura flared from him, making Mona gasp and speak up as the Black Mask's form started distorting and beginning to change.

"What the!? His power readings are immense! It's almost like he was hiding a darker power inside himself!" Mona said as Oracle spoke up.

"Good catch, Mona. But I think it's more accurate to say that we've forced him to change back into his true form!" Oracle said as the being that appeared to be Black Mask cackled sadistically as he slowly started shifting forms, the familiar appearance of the Black Mask disappearing and gradually changing until it was finally replaced by a familiar black and white striped being with long black dreadlocks that reached his feet, a long double-ended sword that he held in both hands, and horns that were also black and white striped that protruded from his head. After he was finished transforming, Crow, Joker, Draconis, Mona, Panther, Fox, Skull, Queen, Oracle, Violet, and Noir gasped in shock at what they saw.

"No effin' way! Is that who I think it is!?" Skull asked in shock as Fox spoke up.

"It certainly appears that way, Skull. I do believe that Joker's theory from before was right, and our Monarch seems to be none other than Crow's former Persona, Loki! But how is this possible!? I thought that he was assimilated into Crow's Persona when Crow gained the power of Hereward?" Fox said as Noir spoke up.

"If nothing else, it explains why he was able to use Crow's 'Loki' Persona so well before. Of course it'd be easy for him to wield himself as a Persona." Noir said dryly as Queen spoke up.

"Even so, that's not good. He was a formidable foe the last time we fought him, and even then we only won because we all worked together. Granted, that was after he blasted Draconis aside and sent him flying into the room behind him, but my point still stands." Queen said as Violet spoke up.

"True, but we have a lot more allies now than we did then, so surely we have a better shot at beating him now?" Violet said as Seeker nodded and spoke up.

"Right you are, Mom. If we work together, there's no foe we can't take out." Seeker said confidently. Before anyone else could spoke up, the transformation had finished and the being that had replaced the Black Mask spoke up, his voice being both slightly deeper and somehow more deranged sounding than it had been before.

"...THOU ART I! But it would seem that you forgot that little fact when you were so quick to throw me away just to upgrade to a shiny new Persona, weren't you Crow? How dare you abandon me like that? I thought we were partners! Besides, how can anyone willingly abandon me!? That said, I'm impressed that the one in the kitsune mask was able to figure out who I am! You're correct! I am Loki, the God of Mischief!" The now-identified Loki said as Crow spoke up.

"Are you serious!? You think I abandoned you when I got Hereward!? You're out of your damn mind if you think I'd abandon you! I still had you in my heart, Loki! You just became a part of my new Persona, that's all! I don't know who told you otherwise, but whoever it is? They're full of shi-I mean crap! I would never abandon you!" Crow said as Loki scoffed and spoke up, keeping Crow's attention on him and off of the approving nods Joker and Violet gave him for censoring himself for Seeker's sake.

"Sure you wouldn't! That's why you were so quick to forget that I existed after you got Hereward! Also, you were very quick to make nice with your friends there, weren't you!? I'm not a fool! Besides, the one who enlisted my assistance as the Monarch of this Jail told me that all I had to do was defeat you in combat to bring you to your senses! But who gives a friggin' shit about that!?

I'm out to end you and those meddling fools that turned you away from the path of darkness and destruction! Back in the day, we used to wreak so much gloriously beautiful carnage together, Crow! But now, I'm little more than a memory to you! You'd rather use that flashy show-off Hereward instead! Well, it's time to remind you of exactly what it was that you gave up for that power!" Loki said as he hefted the double-edged sword he was carrying in both hands before staring down the Phantom Thieves as Skull spoke up with a look of worry and horror on his face.

"Aw, crap! He looks like he means business, you guys!" Skull said as Pendragon spoke up.

"Yeah? Well, so do we! And between all of us, we should be able to defeat him! Let's do this!" Pendragon said as Wolf spoke up.

"Crap, we're out of time to talk! Here he comes!" Wolf said as Loki rushed forward, blade extended, to resume the fight! As the battle resumed, Loki spoke up.

"Hmm, how shall I punish you all first? Ahh, I know. How about I give you fools a taste of my true power?" Loki said as he smirked and swung his sword forwards, causing an ominous red mist to move towards the group, with most of the group managing to duck out of the way of the mist. However, there were some, like Crow, Draconis, Flare, Seraphim, and Mona, who couldn't avoid the attack in time and found themselves inflicted with the 'Brainwash' status ailment, causing them to glare as they turned on the others. Oracle gasped and spoke up.

"That's not good! Loki's totally brainwashed Crow, Draconis, Flare, Seraphim and Mona! They can't distinguish friends from foes right now!" Oracle said as she had to duck an angry attack aimed at her by a brainwashed Flare, only barely avoiding the attack as Noir spoke up.

"Not for long! LUCY, COME! TAKE CARE OF THAT STATUS AILMENT!" Noir said as Lucy nodded, waving the briefcase in her free hand and letting a wave of 'Amrita Shower' energy wash over the battlefield, curing all the brainwashed Thieves of their status ailments, prompting Loki to glare as he spoke up.

"Dammit! I didn't know you could cure status ailments!?" Loki said as Draconis huffed and spoke up.

"You didn't? Well, here's a news flash, Loki! Don't underestimate what we can do! Also, weren't you told that it's rude to brainwash people without their consent?" Draconis said as Flare nodded and spoke up.

"Draconis is right! That was uncalled for, you asshole! You're lucky that our leaders probably want to leave you for Crow to finish off, or I'd probably be kicking your ass myself." Flare said as Loki scoffed and spoke up.

"So you say, Flare. But can you actually back up your words with actions? Let's find out! Have a taste of my Rebellion Blade!" Loki said as he swung his massive sword at the group, prompting Joker, Draconis, and Mona to have to leap into the path of the attack and shield Violet, Oracle, and Seeker respectively, knocking all three guys backwards as they skidded along the ground a bit before rolling to a stop. At that point, both Seeker and Violet raced to patch up the downed trio as Skull spoke up with a frown.

"What the eff, man!? Are you tryin' to kill us? Not cool!" Skull said as Loki spoke up.

"Trying? No, I'm not trying to kill you! I'm AIMING to end you! There's a difference between those two things!" Loki said as he glared and slashed his sword downwards, covering him in a rush of energy, indicating he was charging up for another attack. Oracle winced and spoke up.

"Oh, that's not good! He just charged up his magical attack power! Be careful!" Oracle said as Loki spoke up.

"Very observant, Oracle. And you're wise not to underestimate me! But let me demonstrate that for you." Loki said derisively as he pulled his blade back and charged energy into it before flying forward and swinging it sideways as he kept speaking.

"FALL BEFORE THE MIGHT OF LAEVATEINN!" Loki said as he launched an energy slash from his sword that flew forward, slamming into Fox, Noir, Queen, Seeker, and Violet, sending all five crashing to the ground at which point Seraphim glared at Loki and spoke up.

"Dammit! I can't believe you just downed more of our allies, Loki! That does it! I don't care if you are a god! You're still going down for that!" Seraphim said as she readied her bow and took aim at Loki as she spoke up.

"SRAOSHA! LIGHT ME!" Seraphim said as she nocked an arrow on her bow while Sraosha nodded, coating the arrow in Bless energy as Seraphim slowly took aim at her target, which was Loki's arm in this case.

"AND NOW TO SMITE YOU! DIVINE ARROW!" Seraphim said, loosing the arrow, which embedded itself in Loki's arm, making him wince and stagger backwards as he slowly fished the arrow out of his arm, wincing as he felt a bit of black mist shoot out of where he removed the arrow. He then spoke up.

"Impudent little brat! You call THAT an attack! Pitiful! Now THIS is an attack!" Loki said as he pumped his arms together and caused a massive burst of energy to shoot at the group, slamming into most of them and blasting them backwards as the group took a lot of damage while Joker spoke up through gritted teeth as he struggled to his feet.

"Ugh! T-That was a Megidolaon after being enhanced with Concentrate! We can't take another of those hits if we can help it!" Joker said warily as Crow nodded and spoke up while Mona, Panther, and Draconis worked together to get the downed Thieves back up and patch up their wounds so they could get back to their feet.

"Good point. I think we need to end this before he can do any more damage! Panther? Noir? Care to help me try and log some damage on the enemy?" Crow asked as Noir smiled and spoke up once Draconis helped her to her feet.

"I'd be delighted, Crow-kun." Noir said as Panther spoke up once she finished getting Violet and Seeker on their feet.

"Hmm, it's been a bit since I got to really do much. Why not? I'm in too." Panther said as Crow nodded and spoke up while Mona helped Fox and Queen to their feet.

"Good. All right, let's do this!" Crow said as Panther and Noir nodded before all three spoke up in unison.

"GO, TRIAD SPECIAL!" Crow, Panther and Noir said as their Triad Special started! To start, Crow spoke up.

"HEREWARD! PREPARE AN ARROW!" Crow said as Hereward nodded and pulled an arrow from his quiver and placed it on the bow as Noir spoke up.

"COME, LUCY! POWER UP THAT ARROW!" Noir said as Lucy nodded and waved her briefcase, coating Hereward's arrow in Psy energy as Panther spoke up.

"DON'T FORGET ABOUT US! COME, CELESTINE! LIGHT UP THAT ARROW!" Panther said as Celestine nodded and waved her hand, causing the arrow to crackle with Psy and Fire energy as Crow spoke up.

"AND NOW TO FINISH IT! HEREWARD, ADD YOUR POWER TO THE ARROW AND TAKE AIM!" Crow said as Hereward nodded, coating the arrow in Curse energy as it now crackled and glowed orange, red, and pink as Panther, Crow, and Noir all spoke up.

"HA! STILL HUNGRY!? HAVE A TASTE OF THIS! GO, PURGATORY ARROW!" Crow, Panther, and Noir said as Hereward fired the charged-up arrow, managing to nail Loki square in the forehead, sending him reeling backwards from the impact of the arrow, making him grunt as he pulled the arrow out of his forehead but groaned as he staggered backwards and collapsed to the ground with a thud, ending both the Triad Special and the battle. After the fight, Loki struggled to his feet and spoke up.

"O-Ow. That hurt. But very well. I concede defeat. Impressive, Phantom Thieves. You have bested me fair and square. Maybe Crow was right to toss me out?" Loki said as Crow scoffed and spoke up as he strode forward, advancing towards Loki with a visibly pissed off look on his face.

"WILL YOU QUIT SAYING I THREW YOU OUT!?" Crow said as he shocked everyone by huffing before walking over and back-handing Loki across the face, making Loki blink in shock and look at Crow in confusion as Crow kept speaking.

"Good, I see that got your attention. And now that you're actually somewhat listening, I want you to hear this. You might think I tossed you out before, but that's not true! I only traded in for Hereward because it was a needed power boost to stop Maruki from achieving his goals of rewriting reality in his sick, twisted image! I would never willingly give you up, Loki. You are my partner, but more than that, you're part of me. It's like you said before. I am thou...and thou art I.

We are one, Loki. Now and always. I'm sorry you felt like I didn't want you, because that is not true. You were my first Persona, you know. I might have used Robin Hood for a time, but that was a needed means to an end when it came to infiltrating the ranks of the Phantom Thieves. Little did I realize though, that would end up being the best decision I ever made, since I grew so much after becoming a full-fledged Phantom Thief.

So please, can you try and forgive me for not realizing sooner that I hurt your feelings when I traded you in for Hereward? I'd rather not have you continue to be upset with me over a misunderstanding anymore." Crow said, slowly extending a hand to help Loki up, which Loki reluctantly took as he got to his feet and spoke up.

"Y-yeah. I believe you, Crow. I'm sorry too. I guess for being a so-called 'God of Mischief', I'm not that mature or professional, much less godly." Loki said as he turned to the rest of the group and kept speaking with a contrite look on his face.

"That being said, I do believe that I owe all of you an apology. I unfairly took my anger at Crow out on all of you. But I was wrong to do that, and I'm sorry." Loki said as the others nodded approvingly as Draconis spoke up with a frown.

"Hmph. Took you long enough to stop denying the truth, Loki. I can understand how you feel, but you could've at least let Crow have a chance to say his piece before having an irrational hatred of him." Draconis said as Loki spoke up.

"That's true. I was a bit hasty in handling things the way I did. You're not wrong. I'm sorry." Loki said as Joker smiled at Loki before he spoke up.

"There now. Was that so hard? I can't speak for the other Phantom Thieves, but I forgive you, Loki. Maybe you can try and be one with Crow again? After all, Crow has the same sort of Wild Card potential as I do. So who's to say he couldn't take you back into himself and manage to make use of you, Robin Hood, AND Hereward at the same time? Of course, this all assumes you're willing to work with Crow again. I think we all understand if you'd rather not work with Crow any more." Joker said as Loki thought about it before looking at Crow and speaking up.

"I'm not opposed to it. I guess in reality, Crow has walked a different path while I was still on the same one that he previously was on when he was still the Black Mask. Perhaps, like with him, I need to walk the path of redemption as well. What do you say, Crow? Shall we team up again? Show the world what the two of us can do together? After all, don't they say three Personas are better than one?" Loki said as Crow slowly nodded and spoke up.

"I agree. After all, you've always been a part of me, just as Robin Hood has. So I'm not going to turn you away if you want to work with me again." Crow said as Loki slowly nodded before vanishing back into Crow in a flash of white light. Afterwards, Crow grunted as he felt something stirring inside of him. Draconis saw this and spoke up in surprise.

"Wait, what's up with Crow? Did he get hit harder than we thought with Loki's last attack?" Draconis asked as Crow spoke up.

"No, it's not an attack. I grunted because of the sheer amount of energy that just surged through me. In fact, I think I can feel a new power awakening in me." Crow said before gasping as he felt something shift inside of him before he felt his soul expand slightly as he felt two new presences in it that made him gasp and speak up.

"No way! I think my power of the Wild Card powered up slightly. I can feel not only Hereward's power inside of me, but also both Loki and Robin Hood." Crow said as his phone, along with those of the others, aside from Seraphim who wasn't in the group chat yet, pinged to signify that Crow's 'Wild Card' power had expanded, making it so he could now swap between 'Robin Hood', 'Loki', and 'Hereward' at will. Mona then spoke up. *1*

"Huh, for a downfall of a Monarch, that was surprisingly anti-climactic. But either way, I believe that makes six Jails we've conquered by this point. I wonder if we can get into the Osaka Jail once we get Konoe's keyword?" Mona asked as Flare spoke up.

"I would assume so. Unless Konoe lied about there being a barrier that prevents access to his Jail without having cleared six other Jails first, which I doubt he did." Flare said as Fox spoke up.

"If I might interject? I agree with your assessment, Flare. However, that still doesn't answer the question of how our mastermind was able to turn a Persona, of all things, into a Monarch. That's not something any of us probably thought was possible." Fox said as Pendragon spoke up.

"Then again, we also didn't think it was possible to defeat a god by shooting it in the head with an arrow." Pendragon said as Joker grinned and spoke up.

"Pfft, you mean that finisher that Crow, Panther, and Noir just did, Pendragon? It was pretty good, but compared to some of the finishers we've done, that was rather tame. You should've seen how I got rid of that wanna-be god of control, Yaldabaoth. Now THAT was epic. I got to summon a huge freaking demon lord and the two of us shot Yaldabaoth through the frickin' face. His expression afterwards was both priceless and insanely glorious. By comparison, shooting a god in the forehead with an arrow seems rather mild to me. But at least we beat him." Joker said as Seeker spoke up.

"Yes, well, since we did that, do we need to be here anymore? I feel like we should head back to the real world so we can recuperate from our injuries and report our success to Akane." Seeker said as Seraphim nodded and spoke up with a smile on her face.

"Good call, Seeker. If I know Akane, she'll probably be worried sick about us right now, if I had to guess. So I suppose we should get back so that Akane can quit worrying that pretty head of hers." Seraphim said as Pendragon chuckled and spoke up.

"Then if that's the case, why don't we all head to Leblanc once we return to the real world? We can rest and unwind there after all, and we can even bring Akane-chan with us." Pendragon said as Oracle spoke up.

"As long as there's curry involved, I'm in." Oracle said excitedly as Draconis spoke up.

"You and your love for curry." Draconis said but it was at that moment that the inner sanctum started to shake as Wolf spoke up.

"Uh, is this supposed to be normal?" Wolf asked as Joker spoke up.

"Oh yeah, I forgot that you and Seraphim were not included in the group whenever this happens, Wolf. Not counting the one for Akane, but whenever we clear a Jail, the main fortress of the Monarch will collapse, even though this won't get rid of the Jail entirely." Joker said as Mona spoke up.

"Typically, that's the point where the Desires that were taken often return to their owners after being broken away from the bigger Desire that the Monarch had amassed. But as Joker pointed out, the Desires returning to their victims hasn't usually caused the rest of the Jail to collapse afterwards." Mona said as Joker spoke up again.

"Mona has a good point. And with that being said, I say we book it out of here." Joker said others nodded before they quickly and hurriedly exited the Yongen Jail...

(Back in the real world a little while later, in the lower level of Leblanc, with Ren, Morgana, Ryuji, Ann, Yusuke, Makoto, Futaba, Haru, Goro, Sumire, Kusa, Sophia, Sojiro, Shiho, Zenkichi, Nanako, and Akane)

As the group gathered together in Leblanc, Ren smiled and spoke up.

"Well, that was rough, but I think it's safe to say that we conquered the Yongen Jail, you guys. So now all that's left is to relax for now and then start heading back towards Osaka, all while hoping that our ally can get us Konoe's keyword by the time we get there. We need that to get into Konoe's Jail, after all." Ren said sagely as Morgana spoke up.

"True. But who would've guessed that the Monarch of that Jail was actually Goro's old Persona this entire time? I don't think that even I would've predicted that." Morgana said as Kusa huffed and spoke up.

"Pretty sure none of us would've been able to entirely predict that, Morgana. Granted, I think Goro may have had his suspicions, but I'm positive that he didn't want to say anything until he had more definitive proof." Kusa said before smiling at Goro as he kept speaking.

"But that being said, good job on not giving in to what I'm sure was the urge to end Loki back there, Goro. I'm proud of how you handled yourself against him. And you definitely came out of that encounter all the stronger for your efforts." Kusa said as Goro nodded with a smile as Sojiro spoke up.

"Heh, seems like all's well that ends well in this case. And since we're here, why don't I make us some curry and coffee for old times' sake?" Sojiro suggested as Futaba smiled widely at the mention of Sojiro making coffee and curry while Shiho spoke up with a look of surprise on her face.

"Although this is my first time being here, I still can't believe that we're sitting in the main hideout where Ann and the others used to hold their Phantom Thieves meetings during their initial run." Shiho said as Nanako and Akane both had identical wide-eyed looks of shock on their faces as Akane spoke up.

"Wait, what? Are you trying to tell me that we're sitting in the honest-to-God main hideout of the Phantom Thieves right now? For real!?" Akane asked as Makoto chuckled and lightly poked Ryuji before she spoke up.

"Sound familiar, sweetie?" Makoto asked Ryuji, who spoke up with a huff.

"Shuddup! And I do not sound like that when I say 'for real!?', just for the record." Ryuji said while crossing his arms, getting giggles from Sophia, Sumire, and Nanako for his actions while Makoto smiled and spoke up.

"No, you sound way cuter when you say it, Ryuji. Cheer up. And yes Akane, it's true. This was our main hideout. Granted, some of our other hideouts weren't as creative as this one was." Makoto said as Ren smirked and spoke up.

"No kidding. Our other hideouts were a rooftop, a public accessway, and the attic Kusa and I shared for a year while I lived in Yongen for probation. I think I might have missed one or two others, but I'm fairly sure I got them all." Ren said as Makoto spoke up.

"No, you got them all, Ren. I mean, sure, we could technically count the Phantomobile as a hideout as well, but does it really count as a hideout if we drive it around?" Makoto asked as she gave Ryuji a kiss on the cheek to cheer him up. Yusuke chose that moment to speak up.

"Would you look at that? And here I thought Makoto wasn't really one for public displays of affection? Shame I didn't bring my canvas to capture the moment for all of eternity, like I did for Ren and Sumire a few years ago on the former's birthday." Yusuke said as Futaba huffed and spoke up.

"Oh, shut up, Inari! Also, that's the 'Feathermobile' to you, Makoto! And what do you mean by 'old times' sake', Sojiro? It's only been maybe a couple of weeks since we were last here, Sojiro. But sure, if you want to make some of that delicious curry of yours, I don't think any of us will object." Futaba said as Nanako spoke up in confusion before Morgana could chime in with his opinion on the 'Phantomobile' VS 'Feathermobile' debate that was looking likely to start between Futaba and Makoto.

"Oh? Sojiro makes curry? I don't think I've ever gotten to try any before?" Nanako said as Futaba turned to Nanako in surprise and spoke up.

"What? You mean to tell me you've never gotten to try Leblanc-brand curry before!? That's madness, Nanako! But no matter, we can fix that up real easily. And trust me on this. Once you've had Leblanc curry, you never go back. Sojiro's cooking will change your life." Futaba said as Akane blinked and spoke up.

"Really? It's that good?" Akane asked as Zenkichi nodded and spoke up.

"Oh yeah, it's amazing. I've had it quite a few times myself. I'd have brought you a sample if I'd thought of it, but I seem to recall reading that curry doesn't exactly keep very well long-term, so it'd be a coin-flip at best if it keeps long enough to get it home to you before it starts to go bad. But you can definitely try some now for yourself, Akane." Zenkichi said as Akane smiled at Zenkichi and spoke up.

"That's okay, Dad. I know you're busy a lot with your job, so I can understand you not having time to bring me any. So don't feel bad." Akane said kindly to Zenkichi, who smiled at her and spoke up.

"Thank you. It's nice to see you being so mature and understanding, Akane. Makes me feel slightly worse that I wasn't there for you more recently." Zenkichi said as Akane spoke up with a smile.

"At least you regret it, Dad. But don't worry. There's plenty of time to make up for that now, so we can easily make up for lost time going forward." Akane said as she got up and briefly hugged Zenkichi before sitting back down in her booth seat next to Nanako and across from Ann, who was sitting next to Shiho. At that point, Haru spoke up.

"Isn't that just the most adorable thing ever, seeing Akane-chan and Zenkichi-san patching things up with one another?" Haru said as Makoto smiled and spoke up.

"I agree with you, Haru. It's nice to see the two of them resolving their differences. It's times like this that really both remind us of what we're fighting for as Phantom Thieves and help to drive it home that what we do really is worth it in the end." Makoto said wisely as Ann smiled and spoke up.

"Hear, hear! Sure, we have moments where we have to deal with jerks like Konoe and even Kamoshida, but usually it just makes it that much more satisfying when we can change our target's heart and make them see the error of their ways. Granted, in a couple of cases, we either didn't change our target's heart directly or there wasn't a heart to change. And of course, there was that one notable instance where we were just straight-up unable to save our target." Ann said, nothing the identical winces on Haru and Goro's faces at Ann's indirect mention of the group's failure to change the heart of one Kunikazu Okumura, or Haru's father.

All the people in the room that had been on the team for that Palace or appeared therein all bowed their heads in an unspoken moment of silence for Haru's father, joined by the others. After a bit, Goro spoke up.

"Well, now that we've taken a moment to remember what we lost thus far, as well as reminding me of what I consider to be my greatest regret, I suppose now we figure out our next move?" Goro said as Haru smiled at Goro and spoke up.

"I had no idea you considered what you did to my father to be your greatest regret, Goro?" Haru asked as Goro nodded and spoke up.

"I do. I should never have listened to Shido-san when he gave the order to terminate your father. But at that time I was so consumed with wanting revenge, I didn't think about anything but getting the chance to make Shido acknowledge me and then make him suffer for what he did to me and my mom. But even then, I should never have taken that out on you like I did, Haru. I will probably always have to live with the guilt of taking your father from you like I did, but hopefully I'll learn to forgive myself for it in time." Goro said as Haru smiled and hugged Goro to comfort him as she spoke up.

"It's fine, Goro. Yes, it hurt like crazy at the time, but looking back on it now, you actually did me a favor without meaning to by doing what you did. Had you not done that, there's no guarantee that I would have been able to get out of my engagement to Sugimura, if only because of the possibility that he might've tried to guilt my father into honoring the arrangement even after his change of heart, which would've been very unfortunate for both myself and for my Father.

Therefore, if you think about it, when you killed my father, you actually took the choice out of his hands, Goro. So thank you for saving me from what would surely have been a loveless and miserable marriage to Sugimura. I love you so much for freeing me from that man. You are the man I want to be with, Goro. I hope you never forget that." Haru said as she looked into Goro's eyes before shocking not only Goro, but everyone else by gently pulling Goro into a grateful kiss, making Goro blush a bit but smile as he returned the kiss for a bit before the two broke apart. After a bit, Shiho giggled at the blushing Haru and Goro and spoke up.

"Aww, how cute. Goro and Haru are so adorable together. Then again we have a lot of cute couples in this group." Shiho said as Ryuji grinned and spoke up while raising his glass and motioning as if he was toasting Shiho while he spoke.

"Truth, Shiho! Other than Sojiro, Zenkichi, Akane, Morgana, Sophia, and Nanako, who are all single for now, and Yusuke, whose girlfriend is away for a shogi tournament, all of us in this group have a special someone to be happy with. Granted, I don't think any of us could've anticipated that our group would potentially have two same-gender couples in our ranks in the forms of Ann and Shiho, and potentially Akane and Nanako.

Never mind the idea of a cat-turned-human and an AI possibly being together in the form of Morgana and Sophia. So we have a lot of adorableness in this group." Ryuji said as a 'BIP!' from Sumire's phone, which was on a stand in the middle booth seat, where it was placed in-between Ren and Kusa, the former sitting with Sumire and the latter sitting with Futaba, preceded a red-faced Sophia speaking up.

"Ignoring Ryuji basically implying that Morgana and I could work as a couple, he's not wrong that there's a lot of couples within the Phantom Crew." Sophia said as Sumire spoke up with a smile while Kusa grinned at Sophia using the nickname that he'd coined for the Phantom Thieves.

"Good point, sweetie. But you know that Ren and I approve of it wholeheartedly if you do decide to give it a try with Morgana, as I'm sure does the rest of the group. Besides, I think I can trust Morgana to not hurt you if you two did get together and become a couple." Sumire said as Morgana spoke up in surprise.

"W-What? You approve? Of me and Lady Sophia!? That's a shock to me. But I'll take it." Morgana said as Kusa smirked and spoke up.

"Why the tone of surprise? Of course Ren and Sumire approve of you and Sophia, Morgana. They just want her to be happy, and I think even Ryuji can see that she's happiest when she's hanging with you, even if you two are just friends for now. At this point, I think it's just the two of you who are in denial of how you feel for one another.

So it's just a question of when you two stop ignoring the metaphoric elephant in the room and admit that you both have more than mere friendly and/or platonic feelings for each other. Besides, you know you're moving too slow towards a relationship when even Nanako and Akane are closer to dating than you two are." Kusa said slyly as Nanako pouted and crossed her arms while blushing as Futaba lightly smacked Kusa on the arm and spoke up.

"Hey! Don't tease them like that, Kusa. Pretty sure both Ren and Sojiro do that enough anyways." Futaba said as Kusa spoke up.

"True, but I do it because I care. I thought you knew that by now." Kusa said as Futaba blushed and spoke up.

"I do know that. Doesn't mean I can't stick up for them, though." Futaba said as Zenkichi spoke up.

"Actually, that gives me an idea." Zenkichi said as all eyes turned to look at him as he blinked and kept speaking.

"Umm, wasn't expecting that much interest, but okay? Anyways, I was figuring that it's already probably close to mid-afternoon. Unless we go ahead and head out now, it's a safe bet we'd be driving in the dark to get back to Osaka. As such, I was thinking we could stay one more night in Yongen and then head out in the late morning or early afternoon to start the trip towards Osaka. That way, we can have one last chance for people to do things in this area before we move on to our next destination." Zenkichi said as Ren smiled and spoke up.

"I like that idea. What if we split up into groups of 3 and/or 4 and do stuff the rest of the afternoon and possibly part of the evening?" Ren suggested. Sumire smiled and spoke up.

"That's not a bad idea, Ren. However, can I propose that Sophia and I be part of one of the groups of 3 with you?" Sumire said as Ren nodded his agreement before a 'BIP!' from Sumire's phone preceded Sophia speaking up again.

"Ah, so we're going to hang out together, then? Cool." Sophia said as Morgana spoke up.

"So, one of the groups is Ren, Sumire, and Lady Sophia. Sounds about right. What about the others?" Morgana asked as Zenkichi looked at Nanako and Akane while speaking up.

"If they have no objections, maybe Akane and Nanako can form a trio with me and we can go do something together? Besides, if they're going to get serious about each other, it only seems fitting that I take the chance to get to know Akane's potential girlfriend a bit more while I can." Zenkichi said with a wry grin as Akane blushed and spoke up.

"DAAAAAD! Nanako and I aren't dating yet! So you can quit embarrassing me already." Akane said while crossing her arms over her chest childishly, making Nanako giggle and speak up.

"Aww, c'mon. Cheer up, Akane. I don't think Zenkichi-san meant to embarrass you in any way with his last comment. Besides, I can do that just fine on my own if I chose to. Now stop being such an adorable brat about this. I think it'd be neat to spend time getting to know you and your dad more. After all, if you and I do end up dating at some point, he'd be my potential father-in-law way down the line if we ever decided to really get serious with each other. So I agree that this is a good chance to get to know each other while it's in a relatively light-hearted scenario." Nanako said before leaning over to hug Akane to try and cheer her up, making Akane blush as she spoke up.

"I hate that you make so much sense right now, Nanako. Ugh, fiiiine. We're in, Dad." Akane said as Zenkichi smiled and nodded as Makoto looked towards Ann and Shiho while she spoke up.

"Well, if neither of you have any objections, maybe you two could form a group with myself and Ryuji? You know, sort of like a double date type scenario?" Makoto said as Shiho smiled and spoke up.

"I can't speak for Ann here, but I find the idea intriguing." Shiho said as Ann blushed and swatted Shiho on the arm lightly while she spoke up.

"Don't act like you can't speak for me, Shiho! But I agree that it could be fun to form a group with Ryuji and Makoto." Ann said as Ryuji grinned and spoke up.

"Sweet! So it sounds like you two are onboard with being a group of 4 with myself and Makoto, then?" Ryuji said as Ann and Shiho nodded their agreement. At that point, Sojiro turned to Kusa and Morgana before he spoke up.

"Hmm. Since we're figuring out groups, why not have the three of us be a trio for the time being. You guys down for that?" Sojiro said as Kusa spoke up.

"Wait, what? You want to be in a trio with myself and Morgana? Kinda surprised you didn't consider Futaba first, but okay?" Kusa said as Morgana spoke up.

"I think the chief was probably wanting some guy time with us, if I were to venture a guess as to why he asked the two of us specifically. Granted, given the other groups that have already formed, if we do agree to be a trio, that would leave Goro, Haru, Yusuke, and Futaba to be the other quartet by default. For the record, I'm not opposed to it, but it's also up to you, Kusa. I'll respect your decision on this." Morgana said as Kusa spoke up after a bit.

"Fair. Well, I'm not against it either, I suppose. But I don't like forcing Goro into a group with Haru, Yusuke, and Futaba without asking his opinion on it." Kusa said as Goro smiled and spoke up.

"I don't mind it that much, Kusa. Worst case, we can just foist Futaba off on Yusuke while Haru and I go do our own thing." Goro said as Futaba glared at Goro and spoke up.

"HEY! Whaddya mean you'd foist me off on Inari!? I don't think Inari could handle having that much one-on-one time with me. Besides, as far as I'm aware, isn't he happily committed to Togo-san?" Futaba said as Yusuke spoke up.

"I am very happily committed to Hifumi, yes. But I take offense to you saying that I can't handle that much one-on-one time with you, Futaba. Sure, we're both rather eccentric in our own ways, but I think we could get along for a while if we had to." Yusuke said as Kusa spoke up.

"Yeah, but would that be before or after you drive Taba to punt you in the nads in annoyance?" Kusa asked as Futaba pouted and spoke up.

"Dammit! I hate that you know me so well, Kusa." Futaba said as Kusa smirked and spoke up.

"That's a filthy lie Taba, and we both know it. The only time you actually hate me is when I ground you from fun time." Kusa said as Goro spoke up, pointedly ignoring the back half of Kusa's words as he spoke.

"Besides, I think we all know you'd sooner have Sojiro do the actual beating up of Yusuke, or even Kusa. Or was Kusa lying before when he said something about you playing an 'Angry Coffee Daddy' card on Yusuke, Futaba?" Goro asked as to his surprise, several people were heard laughing as Kusa, Ren, Ryuji, Futaba, and even Yusuke all laughed at Goro's question before Kusa spoke up.

"No, that was all true. But it was also a metaphor for the fact that Taba pretended to cry for Sojiro after Yusuke seemed to be hitting on her at one point. But in Yusuke's defense, there was a brief time when Yusuke did have a legitimate crush on Futaba when we first saved her from her Palace. Naturally, he got over it pretty fast once he realized that he confused sibling-like affection for romantic affection, and that he was actually in love with Togo-san. Good thing too, since he and Togo-san are great together in my opinion." Kusa said as Ryuji grinned and spoke up.

"Truth, Kusa! One's a beauty of shogi and the others a beast of an artist!" Ryuji said as Yusuke frowned and spoke up.

"Should I take that as an insult, Ryuji? Or was that supposed to be a compliment? Because I very much hope it was the latter, so that I don't have to demand an honor duel from you for slighting my girlfriend's honor." Yusuke said as Kusa and Ren, along with Morgana, Goro, Zenkichi, Sojiro, and even most of the girls got wide-eyed while Sojiro spoke up.

"Hoo boy. Get a load of Yusuke going for the throat here. I like it." Sojiro said as Goro spoke up.

"Agreed. Not only do I approve, I'm also totally here for it. I could see Yusuke taking Ryuji in a fight." Goro said as Ryuji frowned and spoke up.

"Shuddup! Just because I got laid out by Kusa that one time doesn't mean I'm going to be an easy win in a fight, Goro! Besides, I seem to recall that you didn't fare that much better when Kusa turned that group attack on you the time we kicked your ass in Shido's Palace a few years ago." Ryuji pointed out as Goro winced and spoke up.

"Ah. Your point is...surprisingly well-made. Very well, I retract my last comment. Well played." Goro said as Kusa frowned at Ryuji and spoke up.

"I don't agree with you using that group attack I used on Goro as an example, Ryuji. Besides, I only notched that win because all of you helped me. So I don't think that's fair to Goro if we count that as a win." Kusa said as Goro smiled and spoke up.

"Well said, Kusa. But let's get back on topic. I think we'd discussed breaking into five groups for now, yes?" Goro said as Ren nodded and spoke up.

"Correct. And to recap, barring any objections, our groups seem to be as follows. In Group A is myself, Sumire, and Sophia. In Group B, we have Zenkichi, Akane, and Nanako. In Group C, we have Makoto, Ryuji, Ann and Shiho. In Group D, we have Morgana, Sojiro, and Kusa. Finally, in Group E, we have Goro, Haru, Yusuke, and Futaba. Do I have it about right, or are there any objections?" Ren asked. When no one spoke up to voice an objection, Ren kept speaking.

"Very well, it seems we have our groups. I think that at this point, we break into those groups and go ahead out elsewhere to do stuff for now, and then tomorrow, we start heading back towards Osaka and hoping that our ally comes through with that keyword we need." Ren said as Goro spoke up dryly.

"Agreed. Though, I still say that it's rather bold of you to call her an ally, Ren." Goro pointed out as Ren spoke up with a nod.

"Your opinion is noted, Goro. But for now, she's still our best shot at getting into Konoe's Jail, so we'll have to put our opinions of her aside for the good of the mission." Ren pointed out, getting a nod of agreement from Goro as the groups split off into the smaller groups that had been decided upon and decided to go split off in various directions for the time being...

(Eventually, on Central Street in Shibuya, with Ryuji, Ann, Makoto, and Shiho)

After arriving in Shibuya at Makoto's suggestion, the group looked around as Ryuji spoke up.

"Why did you want us to come here again, babe? I don't think there's much to do here, is there?" Ryuji asked as Makoto spoke up.

"I did it for Shiho's sake, Ryuji. Also, I seem to recall that Ann loves the crepes that are sold around here, so I figured that could be a good place to start. We can have ourselves some crepes, and then we can go from there." Makoto said as Ann and Shiho both cheered and Ann spoke up.

"Crepes!? Yes, please! Sorry, but you're out-voted on this one, Ryuji!" Ann said with a closed-eye smile as Shiho giggled and spoke up.

"I agree with Ann. Sorry, Ryuji, but I've not had one of these crepes in years." Shiho said as Ryuji sighed and spoke up.

"Eh, that's fair. Let's go have some crepes then. Maybe after that, we can go try and find a good ramen shop around here to chase our sweet food with some salty food." Ryuji said as Makoto spoke up with a nod.

"Yes, that does sound reasonable, sweetie. We can probably do that." Makoto said as Shiho and Ann nodded their agreement. After that, the group got some crepes and enjoyed a round of crepes. After paying for their food after eating their fill, Ann turned to Makoto and spoke up.

"Umm, Makoto? Any chance I could pull you aside to get your help with something? And then while we do that, Ryuji and Shiho can find a good ramen place for us to go to while they get caught up?" Ann said, giving Ryuji and Makoto a wink that they both understood as Makoto spoke up.

"Sure. I don't mind helping you out with whatever you need help with, Ann. And I'm sure Ryuji has no objections to keeping Shiho company in the meantime, do you Ryuji?" Makoto said, subtly nudging Ryuji in the side and giving him a significant look, prompting Ryuji to speak up.

"N-No, not at all, babe! I'll keep Shiho company while you two go do whatever you have to do." Ryuji said as Makoto nodded approvingly before she and Ann walked off, leaving a confused Shiho to blink at Ryuji as she spoke up after Ann and Makoto were well out of earshot.

"Uhh, what was that about?" Shiho asked as Ryuji spoke up with an uncertain look on his face.

"No idea, Shiho. Knowing those two, it could be a lot of things." Ryuji said knowingly. Shiho spoke up.

"Fair enough. Shall we go find a ramen place, then?" Shiho said as Ryuji nodded and went looking for ramen places with Shiho...

(Meanwhile, elsewhere with Ann and Makoto)

After the two were far enough away from Ryuji and Shiho, Makoto looked at Ann and spoke up.

"So, what exactly am I helping you with, Ann?" Makoto asked as Ann seemed to hesitate before she spoke up.

"To be honest, these last two run-ins I've had with that bastard Kamoshida have made me do some thinking. And that thinking helped me to realize something. I'm very serious about Shiho. So much so, that I think it's high time I take a risk and try to make her my wife, rather than just my girlfriend." Ann said as Makoto's eyes widened at this, not expecting Ann to decide something like this out of nowhere. Makoto eventually spoke up.

"I see. I won't stop you if your mind is made up. But what does that have to do with me?" Makoto asked, her head tilted to the side in confusion. Ann spoke up.

"I might be a model, but I don't know much about where to get a good deal on engagement rings. But I figured that maybe you at least had some insights on a good place to get one for a decent price. Preferably under 100,000 yen. I might make a good income as a model, but a lot of that is tied up into paying for my job and my living expenses. But at the same time, I don't want to cheap out on this ring, either. So that's why I was hoping you might know a good place to shop." Ann said as Makoto smiled and spoke up.

"I'd be delighted to do all I can to help, Ann. But for now, our best bet is probably going to be the Underground Mall to start out. I seem to recall there being a shop down there that sells rings. Maybe we can find one in your price range, or have one made for a fairly reasonable price." Makoto said as Ann spoke up with a nod.

"Good thinking, Makoto! Let's get going." Ann said as Makoto nodded, heading into the Underground Mall with Ann...

(Meanwhile, in Inokashira Park, with Ren, Sumire, and Sophia)

As the trio of Ren, Sumire, and Sophia walked around Inokashira Park together, the latter observing from inside of Sumire's phone, Sumire spoke up.

"Isn't the view here lovely, Ren? It's been so long since we came here together." Sumire said as Ren nodded and spoke up once the two found a bench to sit down and get comfortable on.

"Indeed. I assume that's why you wanted us to come here?" Ren said as Sumire spoke up with a smile.

"That's part of it. But the other part is that I felt like taking advantage of the nice weather outside. Also, we're not too far from Kichijoji, so I was thinking maybe we could surprise my parents with a visit. And if circumstances permit, I can potentially introduce Sophia to her Grandma Minako and Grandpa Shinichi." Sumire said as Ren pondered Sumire's suggestion. While he considered her words, a 'BIP!' from Sumire's phone led to a confused Sophia speaking up, her head cutely tilted to the side in a perplexed expression.

"Grandma Minako? Grandpa Shinichi? I thought my grandparents were Grandma Momoe and Grandpa Taichi?" Sophia asked as Ren chuckled and spoke up.

"They are. But those are your grandparents on my side of things. Minako and Shinichi are Sumire's mom and dad, and by extension they were also Kasumi's parents when she was alive." Ren said as Sumire winced and spoke up.

"Yeah. They were also the mom and dad of your late Aunt Kasumi as well." Sumire said with a sad sigh, making Ren blink and speak up.

"Uhh, why the sigh, beautiful? Is this related to what you faced in that maze, by chance?" Ren asked as Sumire nodded sadly and spoke up.

"Yeah. I did mention the part where Sophia and I had to fight off a corrupted version of Kasumi that was using Vanadis as her Persona, right?" Sumire said as Ren's eyes widened and he spoke up.

"If you did, I don't recall the details. But regardless of if you did or not, I can't imagine that it was easy for you to face an enemy that looked just like your twin sister, Sumi. But I'm here for you if you want to talk about it." Ren said as Sumire smiled at hearing the familiar nickname Ren had coined for her back when they first met before she spoke up.

"It really wasn't. But I made myself fight anyways, for Sophia's sake. It helped that she angered me by back-handing Sophia across the face in front of me. That set off my mama bear instincts, as Futaba calls them. But it wasn't easy, despite that. And on top of that, after we defeated the corrupted Kasumi, she dissolved into black mist, and then after that, the spirit of the real Kasumi surprised me and Sophia with a visit." Sumire said as Ren gasped and spoke up.

"WHAT!? The corrupted Kasumi back-handed Sophia!? She's lucky I didn't see that, or I would have had some choice words for her over it. I think the fact that I may or may not have lost it on Adachi when he tried hitting on Sophia is proof enough that I'm protective of her. Also, did you really get to see the spirit of the real Kasumi? I bet that was heartwarming for you, Sumire. Getting to see your sister again, even if it was just her spirit." Ren said as Sumire smiled and spoke up.

"It was rather cathartic to a point, yes. Granted, I think I shocked both her and Sophia when I introduced Kasumi to Sophia as her 'Aunt Kasumi'." Sumire said, giggling as a 'BIP!' from her phone preceded a pouting Sophia speaking up.

"It wasn't that funny, Mom. You actually shocked me when you told me she was my Aunt Kasumi. But at the same time, it made sense that she'd be my aunt, since I think of you and Ren as a mom and dad at this point. The fact that you proceeded to glare at the corrupted Kasumi and yell out, and I quote, 'I will not stand by and let you hurt someone that I love like they're my daughter, you distorted bitch!' at the top of your lungs before you let her have it with your Showtime after she back-handed me across the face also makes it easier to think of you as being like a mother to me, Sumire. It was so cool, even if I'm not used to you swearing so openly. But I was moreso impressed with how you handled her." Sophia said as Sumire blushed and spoke up with a sheepish look on her face at being called out by Sophia.

"Ohh, yeah. I did cuss in front of you during that fight, didn't I? Eheh, oops? Sorry about that, sweetie. I guess I can't yell at Ryuji for doing that now without being a hypocrite. But still, don't use that kind of language, Sophia! I'll let it slide this time since you were just repeating what I said, but you're a young lady, and ladies usually don't swear unless they're really upset, and even then it's better to try and not use profanity." Sumire said as Sophia spoke up with a sheepish look on her face.

"Right, that's a good point. Sorry, Mom. But that was literally what you said to that corrupted version of Aunt Kasumi. And the real Aunt Kasumi seriously embarrassed me with that talk you had her give me, and you know it. After all, why would I need to know all that about the female anatomy and how to pleasure women?" Sophia asked as Ren's eyes widened at the mention of Sophia being taught about pleasuring women, at which point he turned to Sumire and spoke up.

"Uhh, exactly WHAT did you have Kasumi's spirit tell Sophia, Sumi? And why was she telling Sophia about how to pleasure women, anyways?" Ren asked in surprise as Sumire blushed and spoke up.

"I may or may not have asked her to give Sophia 'The Talk', since Kasumi pointed out that Sophia is around the same age that she and I were when Mom and Dad gave us that same talk. Granted, Kasumi went into way more detail than Mom did. When I asked her about the extra stuff she added, she said she did it to cover the off chance that Sophia ends up bisexual or even lesbian. As if that's gonna happen with the way she and Morgana look at each other." Sumire said as a blushing Sophia spoke up.

"W-Wait, what? What do you mean, 'the way she and Morgana look at each other', Mom? Are you saying Morgana looks at me differently than he used to?" Sophia asked in surprise. Sumire smiled and spoke up.

"I'm not surprised you haven't realized it yet, since it's a surprisingly common trait in men for them to drag their heels when it comes to admitting their feelings. But I'm fairly sure that Morgana has found himself starting to fall for you more since he got his new human form in Kukojima. And unless I'm wrong, I've seen you watching Morgana a lot more recently as well, with a certain rather appreciative and admiring look on your face.

Before anything else, let me just say this. As someone who's been there as well, I'm quite sure you have a genuine crush on Morgana, which is surprising that an AI can develop a crush, to be honest. Then again, I guess there's a first time for everything, for the most part. And to be honest, you could do a lot worse than Morgana for your first crush, so I do approve." Sumire said as Sophia blushed and spoke up.

"W-What? M-Me? Have a crush on Morgana!? Is that possible, when I'm not even sure I know what a crush is?" Sophia asked as Ren smiled and spoke up.

"None of us really knows they have a crush at first. It was the same for me when I first fell for Sumire here. The first time I looked at her, I knew she was the one for me, even though Kusa did spend a good while busting my balls for, and these were the exact words he used at the time, 'gawking at Yoshizawa-san like a lovestruck buffoon.' Basically, even if your brain's not initially cognizant of it, your heart can often make the call for you, and often in ways you wouldn't expect. After all, look at Goro and Haru.

Considering all he did to Haru and a lot of others, you wouldn't think Haru would be able to fall for, much less be in love with, Goro. Yet, she manages to look past what he did and manage to love the real Goro that's hidden under all that angsty, pancake-fueled snark of his. Not to mention the fact that before we saw it for ourselves, none of us would have expected Akane to not only swing both ways, but to manage to fall for a girl she had only just met a short while beforehand.

And yet despite that, Akane seems quite serious about Nanako already. So it's possible for love to come in many forms, as I once said to Yusuke a few years ago. As such, you can be honest with us, Sophia. If you have feelings for Morgana, we respect that. We just want you to be happy, that's all." Ren said kindly as Sophia blushed and spoke up.

"Honestly? I don't know how I feel about Morgana. I feel like part of me thinks of him as a brother. But there's another part of me that always gets ridiculously excited and elated when he aims that smile of his at me. I know I'm an AI, but when he smiles at me like that, there's a part of me that just wants him to keep smiling at me like that. Also, when you and Morgana came to my defense before, I think that was the happiest I remember feeling, Dad. And I do know I'm generally happier when I hang with him. Maybe I do like him? I'm not sure." Sophia said as Sumire smiled and spoke up.

"Let me ask you this. When you spend time with him in the Metaverse, do you feel your face getting warm and/or feel your heart beating faster when you're with Morgana?" Sumire asked as Sophia seemed to consider this question carefully before she eventually spoke up.

"To be honest, Mom? I think I do feel that way around him, even though I'm still learning about the concept of having a heart. If nothing else, I know I enjoy spending time with him." Sophia said as Sumire smiled and spoke up.

"Sounds to me like you, as they say, 'have got it bad' for Morgana. Now it's just a matter of getting you a chance to speak to him alone so you can find out if he feels the same." Sumire said as Ren grinned and spoke up.

"And considering the fact that there's been like four or five times, if not more, that either myself or Kusa has caught Morgana gaping at you like a lovestruck fool, I think it's a fair bet he has a crush on you as well. But you'll have to ask him about that yourself to know for sure." Ren said as Sophia spoke up.

"I see. I'll definitely keep that in mind then, Dad. But even if he does like me too, wouldn't the fact that I'm an AI make it difficult for us to work as boyfriend and girlfriend?" Sophia said as Sumire nodded and spoke up.

"Good question, sweetie. I honestly have no idea how that would affect any relationship you two might try to have. I guess there's only one way to find out, though, isn't there?" Sumire asked as Ren spoke up.

"Yep. The only way to know for sure is for Sophia to work up the nerve to pull Morgana aside in the Metaverse and confess her feelings to him and hope he feels the same. If nothing else, they can take things slowly if they were to start dating, much as you and I did, Sumire." Ren said as Sumire smiled at Ren and spoke up.

"Good point, Ren. I'd ask what you fought in that maze, but I think we all know it was that distorted version of Goro's other half, or rather his 'Loki' Persona impersonating his other half. So that'd be a rather redundant question. I think what I'll instead ask is how you're holding up." Sumire said as Ren spoke up.

"I'm fine. I was shocked by the reveal that Personas can be Monarchs, but otherwise I'm okay. We're definitely gonna need this downtime though, so we can all take it easy a bit and make sure none of us took any lasting damage from those attacks Loki nailed us all with when we fought him." Ren said as Sumire nodded and spoke up.

"Good thinking. Well, I guess we've discussed all we wanted to here. What say we go and surprise my parents now?" Sumire said as Ren nodded and spoke up.

"Sounds like a plan to me, Sumire." Ren said before he looked towards Sophia and kept speaking.

"What do you think, sweetie? Ready to go meet your other grandparents?" Ren asked Sophia, who blinked before speaking up.

"I still can't believe you actually think of me as a daughter, much less that I could have two sets of potential pseudo-grandparents. But I suppose there's no reason not to go along with this, so sure. I'm ready." Sophia said as Ren nodded and the trio left Inokashira Park to start the trip to Sumire's house...

(Meanwhile, at a rather remote lake near Goro's former cabin hideaway, with Kusa, Sojiro, and Morgana)

As he sat out by a lake with Sojiro and Morgana casting out fishing lines, Kusa spoke up.

"Who knew that Goro's hideaway was so close to a solid fishing spot like this? I was surprised by that." Kusa said as Sojiro smirked and spoke up.

"Clearly, you and Goro didn't do enough research when picking out his hideaway location. If you had, you'd have known there was a fishing spot close to the cabin, as well as a lot of scenic spots to take in the view from. But I can't be mad that you and Goro, as well as Taichi and Momoe, were in a hurry to get Goro off the grid. So I'll cut you a bit of slack on that basis. But enough about that. How are you holding up, Kusa? All three of us know good and well you couldn't have had an easy time of it against that clone of yours." Sojiro said as Kusa seemed to hesitate before sighing as he spoke up.

"Honestly? I really didn't. I thought I'd assimilated him back into myself. So it was quite the shock when he reappeared during the Kyoto Jail. Fortunately, I was able to put him down with relative ease in the Yongen Jail. But even so, how dare he drag up the past like he did!? I could've easily gone the rest of my life without being reminded of how much of an utter fool I was in the past, as well as having so many painful memories dragged up in front of not only myself, but both of you and Taba.

Fortunately for me, you were all pretty cool about it when Sinocard brought up the fact that I carry slight resentment towards Ren, even though I've been working quite diligently on trying to let go of that over the past couple years. But it's not an easy process, so it'll of course take time to get over that. And that's not even getting into that run-in we had with Shido in the Trauma Cell. On the one hand, I got some needed closure on that part of my past. But on the other hand, I don't know that I like how he was implying he favored me over Goro.

As someone who's been on the other end of something like that themselves, that's not at all fair to him. So I kinda feel bad for Goro, who likely was stunned by hearing Shido basically say that he didn't care about him. And having to re-hash all the crap I've been through over his absence from my life wasn't fun either. But it's all in the past now, where it belongs." Kusa said as Sojiro smiled and spoke up.

"That's true. But at the same time, that doesn't mean you can't talk about it to people if it bothers you. Not to mention, you don't have to deal with whatever issues you might have picked up from what Maruki did to you alone. Even if you don't want a lot of people knowing about it, you should be able to feel like you have someone you can talk to about it. I'd have said Maruki, but I don't think that'll work, for obvious reasons. If nothing else, you can talk to myself, Morgana, and even Futaba about it, and none of us will tell anyone else about it. You shouldn't have to deal with things like that alone, Kusa." Sojiro said as Kusa seemed to consider that before eventually sighing and speaking up.

"I realize that. But that man did so much to me while I was his prisoner, I'm not even sure I'd know where to start sorting through it all. And that's just what he did to me. He also did quite a bit to hurt most of you as well. So there's a lot I'd have to sort through. But I mean, I guess I can try to talk about it to the two of you to some extent." Kusa said as Morgana spoke up.

"It's all right, Kusa. There's no rush. You can take your time doing this. Sojiro and I just wanted to let you know that we're here for you if you want to talk to us." Morgana said as Kusa spoke up with a nod.

"I see. Thank you for that, Morgana. That means a lot. I'll probably open up to you guys eventually, but for now, I'm still sorting through a lot of things in my head." Kusa said as Sojiro nodded approvingly and spoke up.

"Good. That's all we wanted to hear. That being said, let's move on from talking about Kusa for a bit and talk about Morgana. Or perhaps more specifically, the fact that he clearly seems to be developing a serious crush on a certain red-headed AI we all know." Sojiro said with a smirk as Kusa grinned and spoke up.

"That's an understatement, Sojiro. The way Morgana looks at Sophia, it's pretty easy to see that he's in love with her, even if he doesn't want to tell her so. And to be fair, I can't fault him for that, since he's probably wary of her not feeling the same way about him. After all, who's to say that Sophia hasn't given up and moved on from her crush on Morgana? That would be pretty painful for Morgana if he were to tell Sophia he loves her, only for her to have fallen out of love with him. But at the same time, I know he can bounce back from heartbreak pretty easily. If nothing else, the fact he got over his crush on Ann so readily is proof of that." Kusa said as Morgana blushed and spoke up.

"H-Hey! Don't bring up my feelings for Lady Ann like that, Kusa! And besides, wasn't it you yourself who told me that the main thing was that she was happy, even if it wasn't with me? So you can't act like you're surprised by how much I've bounced back, especially when it was your advice that helped me to get to that point in the first place. However, you're not wrong that I do have feelings for Lady Sophia.

That being said, can you blame me for being in love with Lady Sophia? She's so pure, innocent, and beautiful. Not to mention it's easy to get lost in those strikingly beautiful eyes of hers. Honestly, Lady Sophia has a lot of good features. But we'd be here for hours if I listed all of them. Plus, I get a feeling Sumire would probably want to shave me if she heard all of what I thought of Lady Sophia. Besides, Lady Sophia is also a little young for me to be getting serious with just yet." Morgana said as Sojiro laughed and spoke up with a smirk on his face.

"Ha! You do realize age is just a number, right Morgana? As long as you and her both feel the same way about one another, and as long as Ren and Sumire don't object, there's really not much stopping you and Sophia from giving serious thought to being boyfriend and girlfriend." Sojiro pointed out as Kusa spoke up.

"And I doubt Ren and Sumire are going to object to you and Sophia being together, since I think even they know that being around you makes Sophia happier than she's ever been. So I think you have a legitimate shot with her, Morgana. But that's up to you if you want to pluck up the courage to tell her how you feel about her. And for what it's worth, you know we're here for you if the worst does happen, which I doubt it will." Kusa said as Morgana smiled and spoke up.

"Yeah, good point. Thank you, Kusa. But you know, I must say that this is a new experience for me, going fishing. I'm not even sure if I still like fish now that I'm not a cat anymore. But there's only one way to find out, isn't there?" Morgana said as Sojiro nodded and spoke up.

"Indeed. Next time we have the means for it, we'll get you a nice assortment of seafood and you can try all of it and see if you still like seafood as a human or not. But quit trying to change the subject. What's stopping you from pulling Sophia aside the next time a chance presents itself while we're in the Metaverse and admitting to her that you love her and want to be with her?

After all, the worst case scenario is she gently rejects you because she doesn't feel the same. Best case, she still loves you back, and you can then ask her to be your girlfriend, which if she does still love you, she should accept pretty readily. So I think all that's left is for you to man up and talk to Sophia about your feelings for her. So you've got no reason not to give it a shot." Sojiro said as Morgana thought about it before smiling as he spoke up.

"Hmm, good point. You know what? You're right, Sojiro! Next time the chance presents itself, I'm going to tell her how I feel about her. And with any luck, I won't end up looking like a fool afterwards. Thank you, Kusa and Sojiro. That's one heck of a pep talk you two gave me." Morgana said as Sojiro grinned and spoke up.

"Of course. I might not have had a lot of chances to give this sort of pep talk to Futaba, but the way I see it? Kusa did that for me pretty effectively anyways. So I figure I can return the favor by helping him give a pep talk to you, someone who he no doubt thinks of as the younger sibling he doesn't have." Sojiro said as Morgana smiled and spoke up.

"Good point. Kusa does view me as a little brother, doesn't he? But then, I already knew that. He basically admitted as much the night before Ren and I went back to Kukojima together. Granted, he may or may not have also had a breakdown before that where he-" Morgana said as a wide-eyed Kusa spoke up, making Sojiro smirk at the visible hints of red on Kusa's face that were the only indicator of how embarrassed he was.

"ENOUGH, MORGANA! I don't think Sojiro needs to hear how I basically broke down crying into your fur like a baby that night. As it was, it was everything I could do to keep a straight face while saying goodbye to Ren before that. So I think I was allowed a bit of an undignified moment where I broke down crying. Besides, I didn't hear you judging me back then, even though I got you a bit wet with my tears. So you can quit your instigating right there, little bro." Kusa said, his face slightly pink from embarrassment as Sojiro laughed and spoke up.

"Heh, you don't need to be embarrassed, Kusa. It's not a crime for a man to cry at times, you know. To be honest? I cried a lot on and off for the first couple of weeks after Wakaba died. But then again, she was the first woman I ever seriously loved. But I did all my crying while I was alone, since I knew I'd have to be strong for Futaba once I took her in. So I got it out of my system while I was able to do it alone." Sojiro said as Kusa spoke up with a laugh.

"Good point. But then again, who could ever imagine the great and venerable Coffee Daddy to ever break down crying? Seems pretty wild to me. But I can understand you needing to grieve as well, Sojiro. At least you know you have me and Futaba to lean on, as well as the others. So it's not like you're alone anymore." Kusa said before he blinked and kept speaking as he recalled something.

"Come to think of it, didn't you mention something about how you and Taba had to face the Shadow of that dirtbag who calls himself her uncle as your obstacle in the Labyrinth of Memories, Sojiro?" Kusa asked as Sojiro nodded and spoke up.

"That's correct. Youji's Shadow made an appearance as mine and Futaba's obstacle. For being as hyped-up as you made him seem, he wasn't that tough to take down, if a bit of a close call at various points thanks to his lack of any sort of weakness to exploit. But in the end, we defeated him with our Showtimes, and then after he tried taunting us, the spirit of the real Wakaba appeared and read him the riot act. And hoo boy, she was seriously pissed off when she did it too. But then after Youji apologized and vanished back to his real self, she then turned to me and Futaba and laid one hell of a bombshell on us." Sojiro said as Kusa spoke up.

"Oh? Is that right? If you don't mind me asking, what was it that she revealed to you and Taba?" Kusa asked as Sojiro spoke up.

"Glad you asked. As it turns out, after Futaba was born, Wakaba had her suspicions and had a DNA test run using mine and Futaba's DNA. Lo and behold, it came back a match. So that means that I am, in fact, Futaba's biological father." Sojiro said as Kusa's eyes widened slightly at this before he laughed and spoke up.

"Is that right? You know, somehow I'm not surprised by that, Sojiro. After all, I've always said that you and Futaba were as good as father and daughter anyways. So I can see you being her actual biological father. And I'm happy for the both of you. You two deserve to have something nice happen to you. And I do believe I've said more than once before that you're a man I'd be proud to call my father figure, Sojiro. So I don't mind you being her biological dad one bit. So congrats on being a father, Sojiro. Maybe you'll have someone calling you 'Dad' after all." Kusa said as Sojiro smirked and spoke up.

"Idiot. You say that like you and Ren haven't each called me 'Dad' or some variant thereof at least once since you moved to Yongen-Jaya, Kusa." Sojiro pointed out as Kusa spoke up.

"Good point. And to be honest, I do think of you as a father, so I guess it's not so bad that I call you 'Dad' occasionally." Kusa said as Morgana grinned and spoke up.

"Mwehehe, why so embarrassed about it? Didn't most of our group call Sojiro 'Coffee Daddy' for a while anyways? So if you think about it, you could say he was like a father figure of sorts to most of the Phantom Thieves. Granted, most of the group have actual fathers in their lives. I think that out of all the people in our group, the only ones whose fathers aren't in their lives are Kusa, Makoto, Ryuji, Yusuke, Haru, and Goro.

I guess technically both Zenkichi and Lady Sophia can also be counted as well, and even you, Sojiro. But then again, I'm pretty sure both you and Zenkichi have good reasons that your fathers aren't around." Morgana said as Sojiro winced and spoke up.

"Yeah, that's true. I can't speak for Zenkichi, but my father died many years ago." Sojiro said as Kusa spoke up with a smile.

"That's too bad. Sorry to hear that, Sojiro. But if he was even half the man that you are, then he was surely a good man. And I'm sure he's proud of the man you've become." Kusa said as Sojiro nodded and spoke up.

"Yeah, you're right, Kusa. Thank you." Sojiro said as Morgana spoke up with a grin on his face.

"Mwehehe, get a load of Kusa and Sojiro having something akin to a father-son bonding moment over here." Morgana said as Kusa frowned at him and spoke up.

"Morgana? Shut it before I decide to dunk you in the lake and use you as fishing bait. This isn't something for you to be teasing us about." Kusa said bluntly as Sojiro nodded his agreement of Kusa's words as Morgana spoke up sheepishly.

"Eheh, yeah, that's a pretty good point, Kusa. Sorry." Morgana said as Sojiro and Kusa forgave him before the latter spoke up.

"Well, I guess for now we can keep fishing. But do we want to do anything else afterwards? Or were we just content to spend our time fishing?" Kusa asked as Sojiro spoke up.

"What else is there to do? Morgana's not old enough for us to go drinking, and I don't think there's much else to do." Sojiro said as Kusa spoke up.

"Maybe if Penguin Sniper is still open, I can pay to reserve a table and show you two how to shoot some billiards. That could be fun, right?" Kusa said as Morgana spoke up with an excited grin on his face.

"Ooh, that's an idea. We've not played billiards in years, and probably even longer than that for Sojiro." Morgana said as Sojiro spoke up.

"Wait, you played billiards before, Morgana? Wouldn't that be tricky for you to do that before, since you were stuck in the form of a cat for years?" Sojiro asked as Morgana huffed and spoke up.

"You're lucky it's you asking that, Sojiro, so I can't be mad at you for calling me a cat. But yes, I did play a round or two while I was in my other form. I wasn't great at it, but I at least gave it a shot." Morgana said as Kusa laughed and spoke up.

"To be fair, despite your previous form being a hindrance, you were still better at billiards than both Yusuke and Ryuji." Kusa pointed out as Morgana grinned and spoke up.

"Good point. I did beat those two at billiards before, didn't I?" Morgana said as Kusa nodded and spoke up.

"Yep. You sure did. Granted, you're still in the bottom half of the group rankings, Morgana. I think everyone agrees that the top 3 of our group at billiards is myself, Goro, and Ren, in that order." Kusa said as Morgana nodded before Sojiro spoke up.

"Kusa has a point. Anyways, with that being said, it has been a few years since the last time I played billiards. That could be fun. Yeah, why not? Let's go see if Penguin Sniper is open, and if it is, you can pay for us to get some billiards tables tonight." Sojiro suggested as Kusa nodded his agreement and the trio put away their fishing gear and headed off to Kichijoji to check if Penguin Sniper was still open...

(Back at the Underground Mall, with Ann and Makoto)

"Wow, why does one store have so many options? Good thing you know how to check price ranges, Makoto." Ann said as Makoto spoke up.

"It helps that I do a lot of browsing of shops. And it helps that you already have a set price range in mind that you want to stick to." Makoto said as Ann spoke up.

"Right. Luckily for us, Ryuji's good at keeping people busy, so we have a good bit of time to pick out a good ring." Ann said as the ring salesman walked over and spoke up.

"Hello there. Can I help you, ladies?" The salesman asked as Makoto spoke up.

"Yes, you can. My friend and I were looking for a decently priced engagement ring. My friend here is considering popping the question to her girlfriend, and asked for my help in finding a suitable ring." Makoto explained as the salesman blinked but spoke up.

"Huh, what do you know? Congrats, I suppose. But yes, I do think I can help your friend out. Our engagement rings are over here, and if you can quote a price range to stay in, I can probably give you a good recommendation." The salesman said as Makoto spoke up.

"Ideally, my friend wants to keep it between 50,000 and 100,000 yen if possible." Makoto said as the salesman nodded and spoke up.

"Ah, I see. In that case, might I suggest this ring here?" The salesman said as he reached into the display and pulled out a sparkling gold ring with twin gemstones, one greenish colored and the other a blue gemstone. Makoto looked at the ring and spoke up, having recognized the gemstones in the ring.

"Are those gemstones blue topaz and peridot?" Makoto asked as the salesman nodded and spoke up.

"Very good catch, young lady. These are the birthstones of November and August, respectively." The salesman said as Ann smiled and spoke up. *2*

"Perfect. My girlfriend is born in August, and I was born in November. How much do you want for the ring?" Ann asked as the salesman spoke up.

"Hmm, let's see. For a case, the ring, and if you wanted any fancy engravings on it, I could set you up pretty nicely for about 75,000 yen. And if you wanted the matching twin, I could just offer you a 100,000 yen deal for both rings with engravings, cases and the whole shebang." The salesman said as Ann thought about it and nodded.

"Sounds good. That way, Shiho and I can match. I'll take the set." Ann said as she produced 100,000 yen from her purse and laid it on the counter, which the salesman smiled at and nodded as he spoke up.

"Good. Now, what specifically did you want the rings to read for the engravings?" The salesman asked as Ann spoke up.

"I want the one for Shiho to read 'Ice', and I want the one for me to have 'Fire' engraved into it, both in elegant kanji if possible." Ann said as the salesman nodded and spoke up.

"Very well. I'll go get on that now. Give me like 30-45 minutes and I'll have the engravings done for you." The salesman said as Ann nodded before she and Makoto went to have a seat and wait out the time frame quoted. While they waited, Makoto and Ann chatted about various topics, such as wedding details and what they'd been through to that point. After a bit, the salesman called for Ann and handed her two boxes, one red and one blue.

The salesman explained Ann's ring was in the red box and Shiho's was in the blue. Ann nodded and pocketed the rings in her jeans pockets before paying for the rings as she and Makoto left the shop. On the way out, Ann asked Makoto to go wait with Ryuji and Shiho so she could go and stash the rings at Leblanc for safekeeping, getting a nod from Makoto as Ann ran to put the rings away before heading to join Shiho and Ryuji at the ramen place they picked out...

(A short time later, outside of Leblanc, with Ann, Ryuji, Shiho, and Makoto)

As the group of four headed back to Leblanc, Shiho frowned and spoke up after Ann disappeared into Leblanc.

"Why did we have to come back here?" Shiho asked as Makoto spoke up.

"Ann thought it'd be fun to walk around the city a bit, and she figured Leblanc was as good a place as any to start. But she's checking to see if anyone's inside of Leblanc, and if they are, she's going to invite them to join us." Makoto said as Shiho nodded her understanding as Ryuji leaned in to whisper into Makoto's ear so only she could hear.

"Ann's not really checking if anyone's inside Leblanc, is she?" Ryuji asked as Makoto spoke up with a shake of her head, leaning in to whisper into Ryuji's ear so only he could hear.

"Nope. She's not. She's going in to get a surprise for Shiho. Suffice it to say, Ann has something special planned for Shiho. But that's all I'm going to say on the matter." Makoto said as Ryuji nodded his understanding before Ann came back out and asked Makoto and Ryuji to wait at Leblanc for her and Shiho, which they agreed to with a nod as Ann gestured for Shiho to follow her, which she did with a confused look on her face. After a bit, Ann and Shiho arrived at an out-of-the-way spot in the woods near Goro's former hideaway cabin. Once there, Shiho looked at Ann and spoke up.

"Ann, you've been acting rather odd since we split up on Central Street. Are you keeping something from me?" Shiho asked as Ann spoke up.

"Honestly? Yes. But it's a good sort of something. You see, after these last two run-ins we've had with Kamoshida's Shadow, I've been doing a lot of thinking, and I've realized something. Not only do I cherish our relationship a great deal, but I don't think I could imagine my life without you in it, Shiho. So that's why, here and now, I have a question for you." Ann said as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small, square blue box, which she popped open to reveal a sparkling golden ring with twin gemstones embedded into the top of the ring that Ann presented to Shiho. Shiho gasped as she realized what was going on and spoke up.

"Wait, hold on. Ann, are you-?" Shiho asked as Ann got down on one knee and spoke up with a nod, making Shiho's jaw drop with the next words to come from her mouth, and leaving her flabbergasted and unable to speak for a time.

"Yes, I am. Shiho Suzui, you're the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with. Will you do me the honor of being my wife? Will you marry me?" Ann said with anticipation...

END OF CHAPTER AND OF ARC 6-MASKED MEMORIES

A/N: Yep, I went there! Y'all have to deal with a cliffhanger to end Arc 6! But at least this cliffhanger isn't as tense as the last cliffhanger I did. So that's something, right? Also, I'm sure anyone who was reading this series probably saw this coming, but whatever. Anyways, there we go, that's another Arc in the books! We are now roughly 60% of the way through Phantom Files, and also down to the final three Jails of the story.

Before I forget, I should probably address what a lot of you are likely thinking after reading this chapter. 'Why have Crow's 'Loki' Persona as the Monarch of the Yongen Jail?' Well, to explain that, I need to preface my answer to some extent by bringing up a guest review from Ryustin that was posted during chapter 28 of Persona 5-The Phantom Files. For the sake of easier reference, I will copy-paste that guest review below.

If you can you could make Kusa beat up akechi for insulting his brother about him living in a Attic (in that encounter in shido's palace and try to make him free from Loki because that persona was GIVEN to him not born from him)

To start out, I had to turn this request down back in Phantom Files, since there wasn't really a good way to do it at the time. But now that we're in the Yongen Jail, it seemed like a good spot to have Goro finally get some closure on his past, as well as clear the air, so to speak, with his 'Loki' Persona. Plus I thought having a Persona as a Monarch could be an interesting way to illustrate just how formidable the mastermind the group's chasing really is. Without going into spoilers, let's just say that I doubt very much it'd be a problem for the mastermind to have made a Persona into a Monarch if they'd wanted to do so. So I think that Loki being a Monarch is rather realistic by comparison.

And more importantly, I liked the idea of being able to delve a bit into the complex relationship, for lack of a better description, between Goro/Crow and Loki. Also, it seemed like a good way for me to 'free' Goro/Crow from the regrets that he and Loki may have had, as well as somewhat show a potential scenario of a redeemed Loki, to a point. But mainly it's my story, and I can, so that's why I had Loki be a Monarch. So hopefully if that guest reviewer is reading this story, this will somewhat satisfy that review. As to the bit about Kusa beating Goro/Crow up, that's already been handled several times over since that review was posted. Hopefully that clears up the confusion of anyone reading this chapter about Loki being a Monarch.

Moving right along, the next Arc will be the Osaka Arc, where the group takes on the Osaka Jail. However, that's not to say there won't be differences to how the Jail plays out. What do I mean? You'll just have to wait for Arc 7 to find out! However, what you WON'T have to wait until Arc 7 for is the resolution of that cliffhanger I left you on.

That'll be in the next chapter, which will be the Arc 6 Interlude, where a lot more dialogues and stuff will happen. And then after that, the chapter after next is the start of Arc 7, wherein a lot of things are about to happen, many involving a certain CEO's Jail. However, that's not to say there won't be a few surprises along the way, because there will. But you'll have to wait for Arc 7 to see what surprises I mean.

For now, let me take this chance to thank everyone who's read this far, both into this chapter, and into the story as a whole. Your support is much appreciated. And also, as always, extra special shout-out to jdimock for their help with editing the story and pointing out corrections that need to be made. Additionally, a lot of the stuff in this recent Arc were suggested by and/or improved by him from stuff I had in mind. So if they're reading this, thanks for your work! Your contributions and work are appreciated!

That said, to anyone reading this, if you want to make your opinions heard and/or known, feel free to either go down into the reviews (or leave a PM if that's what you prefer) with your thoughts/feedback/input/constructive criticism on this story, as I enjoy hearing from my readers, even if I don't always make it a point to reply right away to some readers. I try to get all messages as I see them, but sometimes I just get busy with edits and stuff and don't remember to reply to people.

But I'll do my best to reply to any reviews and/or PMs I get that I'm able to reply to. I do occasionally have guests post reviews on this story, which is fine, but I have to copy-paste the review in the following chapter and reply to it there. So yeah, I enjoy hearing from my readers! And with that said, until the next chapter, sithlorde1988 out!

NOTES

*1* - I should probably mention this for clarification's sake. The way Goro/Crow's upgrade that he got at the end of the Yongen Jail works is simple. He has a limited version of Ren/Joker's Wild Card power, but unlike Ren, he only has the ability to use three different Personas, even though it was technically two at one point before his upgrade to being able to use three different Personas.

Along with his Tier 3 Persona, Hereward, he can now also switch between Hereward and his original two Personas, Robin Hood and Loki, at will. As you might have guessed, each of those two has their own unique movesets to use. BUT, as a trade-off, neither Robin Hood nor Loki will gain any additional level-up skills past those default skills unless I decide otherwise. For reference, here are those movesets.

MOVESETS FOR ROBIN HOOD AND LOKI

ROBIN HOOD'S MOVESET

-Kougaon (Bless)

-Bless Amp (Passive)

-Samarecarm (Healing)

-Hamaon (Bless/insta-kill)

-One-Shot Kill (Gun)

-Gun Amp (Passive)

-Evade Curse (Passive)

-Heat Riser (Support/Buff)

LOKI'S MOVESET

-Laevateinn (Physical)

-Eigaon (Curse)

-Curse Amp (Passive)

-Debilitate (Support/Debuff)

-Megidolaon (Almighty)

-Rebel Soul (Passive)

-Charge (Support/Buff)

-Evade Bless (Passive)

For now, that's the set in stone movesets for both Robin Hood and Loki unless I decide otherwise. Thoughts? Also, before I get any questions about it, Robin Hood has the same affinities as both Violet and Seeker, for the most part, while Loki has the same affinities as Crow and to a point both Joker and Draconis.

*2* - Based on some research I did while typing the last part of the chapter out, November apparently has two different birthstones in the Topaz and the Citrine. Apparently, the Topaz comes in a variety of colors, while Citrine is usually a variant of orange or brown, according to a Google article I found on the November birthstone. As for the August birthstone, it's a greenish gemstone called the peridot. I would know, as someone who was actually born in August themselves. So there's your neat little bit of random trivia for the chapter.

PHANTOM THIEF SKILL LISTINGS, ALLY LIST, AND LIST OF KNOWN TRIAD SPECIALS AS OF THE END OF CHAPTER 31 AND ARC 6

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: William 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: Celestine 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: Gorokichi 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: Agnes 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 Personas: Robin Hood, Loki, and Hereward Equipped 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)

SERAPHIM (Nanako) - Level: 48 Current/Partner Persona: Sraosha Persona Moveset: Zionga (Elec), Heat Wave (Physical), Divine Grace (Passive), Mazionga (Elec), Recarm (Healing), Elec Boost (Passive), Hama (Bless/insta-kill), Dodge Curse (Passive)

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

LIST OF KNOWN TRIAD SPECIALS AS OF THE END OF CHAPTER 31

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)

STORM OF HEAVEN (Violet, Mona, Seeker)

HELLISH ELEMENTAL TRINITY (Skull, Panther, Flare)

MIRROR OF THE ORDAINED (Pendragon, Mona, Draconis)

KARMA STINGERS (Seraphim, Fox, Noir)

WRATH OF THE CHOSEN ONES (Draconis, Crow, Joker)