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!

34. Akane's Stand! CEO's Downfall part 2

A/N: sithlorde1988 here, with another chapter of Phantom Files, Book 2: Rise Of The Monarchs! To be honest, I don't have a whole lot to say here, so let's get on with the disclaimer!

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 with that disclaimer out of the way, let me just say before we start this chapter that there will more than likely be a lot going on in said chapter, so get ready for a ride. Also, as a warning, there is an M-rated scene in this chapter, which will be clearly marked so anyone who doesn't like reading such scenes can easily skip it. I'll probably go into more detail on what I mean when we get to the end-of-chapter A/N, so let's leave it at that for now. And with that having been said, and without further ado, here's chapter 34!

Chapter 34: Infiltrating the Osaka Jail! Sightseeing, Encounters, and Surprises! CEO's Downfall part 2

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

As Ren looked around the RV, he cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. Once he'd gotten the group's attention, he spoke up.

"All right, now that we've had a break to rest up from our small level-grinding session, I think it's finally time we get into the Osaka Jail. Akane, you'll have to stay here while the rest of us head to Tenboto to access the Jail. Please don't be angry with us for this, but without a way for you to defend yourself, bringing you along is just too dangerous." Ren said as Akane frowned and spoke up.

"You say that as if I can't at least provide moral support, or even help Futaba with her navigation somehow. I don't have to necessarily help on the front lines, you know. Surely there's a way I can come along and be of help?" Akane said as Futaba spoke up.

"Sorry, Akane. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't mind if you were assisting me. However, the way I help navigate the group is more or less a one-person job. Besides, I don't think there's enough room for both of us inside of Al Azif anyway." Futaba said as Akane spoke up with a disappointed look on her face.

"I see." Akane said as Zenkichi spoke up with a frown, not sure he liked the look in Akane's eyes.

"Honestly? I don't think you see the bigger picture here, Akane. I understand that you're eager to help out in any way you can, but we're likely talking about confronting the people who, at the absolute minimum, framed us for both murder and potentially corporate espionage. And this is all because of Konoe's claims that we're hacking EMMA. Not only that, we could potentially be going up against Owada as well, and I refuse to let him take you away from me like he did with your mom!" Zenkichi said as Akane huffed and spoke up.

"I appreciate the concern, but I'm not a little girl anymore, Dad! I'm 17 now. I can handle myself! Besides, I believe I have just as much right as you do to want to see Mom's killer brought to justice." Akane said as Makoto spoke up.

"With all due respect, I feel as if your definition of 'justice' could be a bit skewed right now due to your feelings of likely hatred towards Owada. And to be honest with you, I'm not entirely convinced that you can keep your anger in check if you were to face him, Akane-chan." Makoto said as Akane gave her an irate glare and spoke up in a tone of voice that was both colder and also more blunt than most of the group remembered it ever being.

"Makoto? I respect you and all, but kindly stay the hell out of this! This is a personal matter between me and my father." Akane said, making Makoto and Ryuji both frown in disappointment at how rudely Akane spoke to Makoto. However, before either one of them could speak up to refute her words, Kusa cut Makoto and Ryuji off when he gave them both a look that seemed to scream 'let me do the talking!' and turned to face Akane while he spoke up in a surprisingly blunt and curt tone of voice.

As he did so, everyone who looked at Kusa blinked as they noticed the decidedly disappointed-looking frown on his face as he looked Akane in the eyes with his arms crossed to convey how annoyed and disappointed he was with her, ignoring the looks of surprise he got from the others for how harsh and icy-sounding his tone was while he spoke.

"Is that really what you think, Akane? I'm sorry, but if you think that, you're not only a fool, but an idiot! Besides, this is just as much our problem as it is yours and Zenkichi-san's! Or did you forget about the part where Konoe, and I'm guessing also Owada, basically framed every single one of us who are currently sitting in this RV, aside from both you and Nanako, for their crimes? Not only that, but Konoe had the audacity to also manipulate Nanako's cousin and his friends into fighting us after we defeated your Shadow! So he's basically trying to turn groups of Persona-users against one another in order to eliminate any opposition to his plans!

And this is on top of the fact that Konoe might have set up that maze from hell that most of us had to go through in the Yongen Jail where a lot of us had to deal with painful memories of our past! Not to mention the part where he tried using Goro's Persona against us! So no, Akane! This is not, in fact, a personal matter between you and your father, as you claim! We have a stake in all of this as well. Also, I know you think we're being unfair by making you stay here while we go and deal with Konoe's Jail, but we're really not. These Jails are dangerous for anyone who doesn't have a means of self-protection, Akane!

As Morgana proved with his little act of selflessness in Kukojima, one false step can lead to life-changing consequences! So despite what you might think, what we do is NOT a game! I'm sorry that you feel singled out and excluded, but none of us want to see you get hurt because you weren't taking this seriously! I know this is a lot to ask of you given what I just said, but can you accept that we're just trying to look out for your best interest and protect you? Or are you going to fight us on this every step of the way, Akane?" Kusa asked with a frown as Akane spoke up with a sigh, reluctantly conceding as she spoke that Kusa had a valid point with his previous words, even if she didn't like to accept defeat.

"Yes, I can accept that. And no, I won't keep fighting you guys on this. But why am I the only one having to sit out?" Akane asked, looking suspiciously close to crying. Nanako looked at Akane and spoke up, having to resist the inexplicable urge she had to pull her into her arms to comfort her as she spoke, since she knew that Zenkichi, Makoto, Ren, and Kusa all had valid points.

"You're not the only one in this room who's had to sit out of a Jail recently, though. Or do I need to remind you that I had to sit out for at least two Jails myself before I got the power to join the Phantom Thieves? Trust me to know what I'm talking about when I tell you this, Akane. If you're meant to help us out, you'll get the power to do so soon enough. Now please, listen to us and stay behind. It really is for your own good that we ask this." Nanako said as Akane sniffled a bit but nodded, speaking up in a reluctant tone.

"Alright then. Although I'm not pleased with it, I understand your point. I'll do what Ren says and stay behind again, that way you all don't have to worry." Akane said as Nanako hugged Akane and spoke up, ignoring the fact that her cheeks were turning slightly red as she hugged Akane close to her to focus on looking into Akane's eyes as she spoke.

"Thank you, Akane. I was hoping you'd see it our way. I'd rather not have to get into a fight with you before going into a new Jail." Nanako said as Akane smiled and returned Nanako's hug, prompting Kusa to smile at the bonding moment between the two young ladies as he spoke up.

"Nice to see that you're at least willing to listen to Nanako's advice, Akane. I'm sorry for being so harsh with you just now, but my past experiences have taught me that sometimes the best way to get through to someone who has their metaphoric hackles raised is with a bit of a harsh reality check. But I want you to know that I said what I said earlier while speaking from a place of concern and worry, rather than a place of anger. That being said, I understand that you just want to help, but if it's fate's plan that you're destined to be one of us, time will give you a means of doing so soon enough. So just try and be patient for now, Akane.

Also, don't forget what I told you back when we spent the night at your house before going to Kukojima. It might not be easy, but you should try to make the most of the time you have with your father. After all, who knows when you won't have that chance anymore?

There could come a time when Zenkichi has to put it all on the line to protect what he cares about, as he did already when buying us the time we needed to escape that ambush his boss set for us. Trust in your father, and heed the guidance of your heart. Do that, and you'll know what to do when the time comes, Akane." Kusa said sagely as Akane nodded and spoke up after shocking most of the group as she walked forward and lightly hugged a surprised Kusa, who just returned the hug, mostly out of not really feeling comfortable doing much else, while she spoke.

"I forgive you, Kusa. Also, I understand what you're trying to say. I won't stop you guys. Go on and stop Konoe! Good luck." Akane said as the group nodded and left the RV in groups to start walking towards Tenboto. As soon as Akane noticed that the group was a good distance away she sighed to herself and spoke up.

"I'm sorry guys, but I can't just stand by any longer." Akane said to herself as she tucked her phone into her pocket before slipping out of the RV and following behind the closest pair to her at a distance as she tailed the group into Tenboto...

(A short time later, in Shinsekai, with Ren and Sophia)

As Ren got close to the entry point Sophia previously indicated, he was then caught off guard as he heard his name called.

"Well as I'll live and breathe. Is that you Ren?" the voice, and as Ren turned around, his eyes widened slightly as he recognized the two men walking towards him, even though he'd not seen either one in years.

"Doctor Maruki!? And not just you, but Shibusawa-san too!? What're you guys doing here?" Ren asked as Maruki spoke up with a smile.

"It certainly has been a while, Amamiya the elder. I thought your friends would be with you, though?" Maruki said as Ren spoke up.

"We're all here, but we split up to look around Osaka for a bit. I take it you patched things up with Shibusawa-san, here? Good stuff, if it's true." Ren said as Shibusawa spoke up.

"Yeah, we talked things out. Granted, I may or may not have had to punch a couple of lessons into Takuto here while we talked things out, but he understood his mistakes eventually. We actually have two others with us too, but they're elsewhere in the city. Maybe your girlfriend ran into them by chance, Amamiya the elder?" Shibusawa said as Ren spoke up.

"Not to correct you both, but I go by 'Amamiya the middle' now." Ren said as Maruki spoke up.

"Oh? I thought you only had the one brother?" Maruki asked as Ren spoke up.

"That was true three years ago. However, shortly after our last encounter, mine and Kusa's mother adopted a man about a year or so older than myself as mine and Kusa's older brother, even though he's moreso Kusa's brother than my own." Ren explained as Maruki's eyes widened in realization before he spoke up.

"Ah, I see. I guess then my earlier assumption from three and half years ago was wrong if it's who I think it is. But out of respect for our friendship and for you all getting through to me, I won't pry into your business further." Maruki said as Ren spoke up.

"Thank you for your consideration. Now, not to be rude, but I told the others to meet me in Tenboto, so I don't have time to chat for very long just now. Maybe a little later on, if your group is still in town, we can arrange a get-together so you can see the whole group and we can catch up more. How's that sound?" Ren asked as Maruki spoke up.

"Sounds fair to me. I'd have to run it by the others in my group, but I think we can agree to that." Maruki said as Shibusawa spoke up.

"I think that's doable. I'd have to speak to my wife first before committing, but I don't see her having a problem with it. Hiraguchi-san might be a harder sell, but I think Takuto might be able to convince her to agree to it." Shibusawa said with a sly smirk as Maruki frowned and spoke up.

"Very funny, Shibusawa. Just because Hiraguchi-san and I might have somewhat hit it off, that does not mean I have any sort of increased clout with her compared to you and your wife. So I'll thank you not to over-exaggerate my capabilities to people." Maruki said with a frown. Ren frowned at the name that both Maruki and Shibusawa had dropped and spoke up.

"Hiraguchi-san? Isn't that Sumire's coach?" Ren asked as Maruki nodded and spoke up.

"Correct. Relena-san mentioned that she helps young adults and children with gymnastics in her spare time. Truly, she's a kindhearted woman, Relena is." Maruki said before blushing in embarrassment at what he'd said, making both Ren and Shibusawa grin as the latter spoke up.

"Relena, huh? I wasn't aware you were on a first name basis with her, Takuto? Mayhaps you're more in there with her than you think?" Shibusawa teased Maruki, who huffed and spoke up.

"Maybe. But I don't know if she's even interested in a relationship in general. Never mind the fact that I feel like making any move on her would betray what Rumi and I had." Maruki said as Shibusawa spoke up.

"I already told you that you were the one who chose to let Rumi go, didn't I? So unless you intend to go seek out Rumi and beg her to give you another chance, you need to accept that you missed your chance with her, Takuto." Shibusawa said as Maruki sighed and spoke up.

"Good point, Shibusawa. I suppose I can't keep clinging to the past forever, can I?" Maruki said to Shibusawa before looking at Ren as he spoke up.

"Amamiya the middle? Here's a bit of advice. Cherish what you have with Yoshizawa-san while you still can. You never know when it can all be taken from you in an instant, like it was for me and Rumi. If you truly love her, don't be afraid to make a few bold moves to let her know how much you care about her. Also, you two have been together for a few years now, right?" Markui asked as Ren nodded and spoke up.

"Yes, we have. And I wouldn't change it any other way." Ren said as Maruki chuckled and spoke up

"Then if that's the case, then maybe it's time for you to consider the possibility that you may have found the woman that you want to spend the rest of your life with. Just some food for thought. And with that, Shibusawa and I will get out of your hair so you can catch up with your friends. Nice seeing you again, Amamiya the middle." Maruki said as Ren blinked but nodded as Shibusawa and Maruki walked off, leaving Ren alone with his thoughts, or so he thought. Right after Maruki and Shibusawa were completely out of earshot, a 'BIP!' from Sumire's phone, which Ren still had on him, preceded Sophia speaking up with a perplexed look on her face while she spoke.

"Hey, Dad? Who were those two men that you spoke to just now?" Sophia asked as Ren spoke up.

"Those were some old friends of mine. Do you remember the time that Sumire mentioned seeing a therapist after your Aunt Kasumi passed away to help her cope with the loss?" Ren asked as Sophia spoke up with a nod.

"Based on what Mom told me, she went to see a therapist to heal from her pain and suffering. But you also mentioned how that therapist basically took advantage of Mom's emotional state to mess around with her mind and make her think she was Aunt Kasumi for the longest time. However, that was the case until she was forcibly reminded of the truth. But then, you were able to help heal her properly through the pain and sadness that her reality check caused her. Are you saying that one of those men was the therapist?" Sophia asked as Ren nodded once and spoke up.

"Correct. Those men were Doctor Takuto Maruki and his friend, Shibusawa. Maruki was the one who not only had a Palace near the end of our initial run as Phantom Thieves, but also put both your Mom and your Uncle Kusa through hell while they were his unwilling captives in said Palace. To be honest, he tried putting me in a rough position as well. Fortunately for me, your Uncle Kusa and Uncle Goro are as clever as they are persuasive, since they managed to prevent a catastrophe from happening. But enough about that for now, we need to meet up with the others in Tenboto." Ren said decisively as Sophia nodded before the two headed to Tenboto...

(Meanwhile, around the same time, in another part of Shinsekai, with Kusa and Sumire)

As Kusa and Sumire walked towards Tenboto together, the former of the two spoke up.

"Well, here we go. Almost time to take the fight to Konoe, finally." Kusa said as Sumire nodded and spoke up.

"Agreed. It's about time we put an end to this, for everyone's sake." Sumire said as Kusa nodded approvingly. However, before he could verbally answer Sumire, another voice spoke up, one that caused Sumire's eyes to widen in recognition as she realized she knew this voice.

"Sumire? Is that you? I didn't think I'd run into you here?" Kusa and Sumire heard, turning around in time to see a familiar dark-haired woman approach them, making Sumire smile as she hugged the woman and spoke up.

"Coach Hiraguchi!? I didn't think you were in Osaka? What a coincidence." Sumire said as Hiraguchi spoke up.

"I just happened to be here with some other people I met up with in Sendai. Apparently at least one of them knows you, since they had quite a lot to say about you." Hiraguchi said as Sumire spoke up.

"Oh? And who were these people you met up with, if I may ask?" Sumire asked as Hiraguchi spoke up, surprising both Kusa and Sumire with the subtle hint of pink in her cheeks as she spoke, before being surprised herself by the sight of Kusa's eyes narrowing after he heard her response.

"Let's see, one was a man named Shibusawa, another was Shibusawa's wife, and the last one was a brown-haired man with glasses and a short, scruffy beard, who Shibusawa kept calling Takuto for some reason." Hiraguchi said as Sumire and Kusa both gasped as the latter spoke up with narrowed eyes.

"Is that right? Was the one that Shibusawa called 'Takuto' a doctor by the name of Takuto Maruki, by any chance?" Kusa asked, trying to keep his tone civil, despite the clearly present hint of disdain it held. Hiraguchi blinked but nodded as she spoke up, probably as surprised by the slightly pointed tone that Kusa had in his voice as Sumire was.

"Yeah, now that you mention it, I think his last name was Maruki. And judging from the surprisingly harsh edge in your voice when speaking of him just now, I take it you know him, Amamiya the youngest?" Hiraguchi asked as Kusa's eyes narrowed while he nodded and spoke up.

"Unfortunately, I know him all too well. But I do hope that you'll forgive me if I don't immediately jump for joy at knowing he's in Osaka." Kusa deadpanned as Sumire chuckled and spoke up nervously.

"Uhh, don't mind Kusa, Coach. He's just a bit bitter with Maruki-san, that's all. But I can't blame him for feeling that way, given what Maruki put him through a few years ago. I can't really say more than that though, since that's not my story to tell. I'll leave it up to Kusa if he wants to mention that or not." Sumire said as Kusa spoke up.

"Honestly, Sumire? I don't think your coach would believe us if we DID tell her the truth. After all, the last two people we tried explaining it to had to be shown proof of the truth, and I don't know that it'd be worth the danger we'd be putting her in just to let her in on what Maruki put me through." Kusa pointed out as Hiraguchi spoke up.

"Is this related to that 'Metaverse' stuff that Tak-err, I mean Maruki-san, was telling me about?" Hiraguchi said as both Sumire and Kusa's eyes widened in shock as both of them spoke up.

"WHAT!?" Sumire and Kusa said as the latter continued to speak.

"You are aware of the Metaverse, Hiraguchi-san?" Kusa asked as Hiraguchi nodded and spoke up.

"Yes, I am aware, although I was only told about the concept just recently. Maruki-san was trying to explain his research to me once, and while I'll admit that it was confusing, it was also intriguing as well. But I'm guessing from your tone that he used you as a test subject in a way you weren't comfortable with." Hiraguchi said as Kusa blinked and spoke up.

"You're not wrong, Hiraguchi-san. Suffice it to say, he took something important from me without my consent and tried to use me to change my friends' lives forever. Thankfully, we were able to talk sense into him and make him change his mind on his plan before the worst could happen. But still, you'll forgive me if I'm a bit annoyed at him for basically trying to manipulate me into taking everything away from my friends and family." Kusa said bluntly as Hiraguchi nodded and spoke up.

"Understandable. We all have our own demons to face. The important thing is how you choose to handle said demons. But I get the sense you're a strong-willed young man, so I think you'll figure it out for yourself just fine, Amamiya the youngest. But enough about that. How's your training going, Sumire?" Hiraguchi asked as Sumire spoke up with a smile.

"Pretty good, actually. I've been doing a lot of training with Ren and the others, and it's borne a lot of good results already. Unfortunately, I don't have time to show you said results now, since Kusa and I are supposed to be meeting the others in Tenboto soon. But maybe if we run into each other again while we're here, we can discuss it more then?" Sumire said as Hiraguchi nodded and spoke up.

"Fair enough. I actually need to go find Shibusawa's wife anyway, so that she and I can catch up with her husband and Taku-I mean Maruki." Hiraguchi said as Sumire spoke up.

"Wait, hold up. You almost called Doctor Maruki by his first name again just now. Are you and he on a first-name basis, Coach Hiraguchi?" Sumire asked as Hiraguchi spoke up, surprising Sumire and Kusa with the sudden hints of a blush on her face while she spoke.

"Maybe. For all that his explanations can be confusing, Maruki-san can also be very charming and enthusiastic about explaining stuff." Hiraguchi said, making Sumire giggle as she spoke up.

"How cute. You like him, don't you?" Sumire said as Kusa's eyes widened and he spoke up.

"I'm sorry, but WHAT THE HELL!? Your coach might have a crush on Doc!? I don't think any of us would've seen that one coming, Sumire." Kusa said as Hiraguchi spoke up.

"Well, I might have a tiny bit of a crush on him. But I don't think he feels the same. From what Shibusawa once said, Maruki-san seems hung up on some girl from his past called Rumi." Hiraguchi said as Kusa spoke up.

"Ah, right. He's still carrying a torch for his ex-girlfriend, then. That makes sense. But surely Doc has to realize that he lost his chance with her eventually. And to be honest? Just because I have my issues with what Doc did to me about three and a half years ago, that doesn't mean he doesn't deserve to find happiness like the rest of us. My best advice is to not give up on him, Hiraguchi-san. I think if you stay persistent and keep being there for him, you'll make him notice you eventually. After all, look at Sumire.

She spent months nursing what she thought to be an unrequited crush on my brother Ren the year that he and I had to live in Yongen-Jaya for Ren's probation, only to be shocked when Ren kissed her on the cheek that summer after they went glasses shopping. And we won't even discuss the memory they made together on the school trip to Hawaii, out of respect for their privacy. Suffice it to say, Sumire was able to land her crush eventually. And if she can do it, then so can you, Hiraguchi-san. So don't give up." Kusa said as both Sumire and Hiraguchi looked at him in shock before the latter smiled and spoke up.

"Y'know? You're right, Amamiya the younger. Sumire never mentioned the fact that you hide a very wise interior beneath that soft-spoken, man-of-few-words exterior of yours. I respect it, though. But anyway, I gotta get going. It was nice seeing you again, Sumire. You too, Amamiya the younger. Oh and if either of you see Amamiya the elder, tell him I wish him well with his relationship with Sumire here." Hiraguchi said as Kusa spoke up.

"Will do, Hiraguchi-san. However, I do want to point out that Ren is technically not my only older brother anymore due to a sudden addition to my family. But that's a story for another day. Maybe we'll see each other again before we all leave Osaka?" Kusa said as Sumire spoke up.

"That'll be up to our schedules, I think. That, and up to what the group decides. Either way, good luck with Doctor Maruki, Coach! And it was nice seeing you again." Sumire said as she and Hiraguchi hugged again before Hiraguchi left and Sumire walked over to Kusa, blinking as she noticed a serious look on Kusa's face that had her speaking up once Hiraguchi was well out of earshot.

"Kusa? Why the serious expression? Was it that painful bringing up what Doctor Maruki did to you?" Sumire asked as Kusa spoke up.

"No, that's not it at all, Sumire. Yes, that sucked, but I'm used to it. What has me on edge now is that I thought I sensed someone following us, but when I went to look, I didn't see anyone. Are we being tailed, I wonder?" Kusa said as Sumire spoke up.

"I doubt it. Who would want to tail us? The only one I can think of that would want to tail us has agreed to stay at the RV." Sumire said as Kusa spoke up.

"I hope you're right, Sumire. Even so, I have a feeling that we need to be extra-vigilant when going into this next Jail, just to be on the safe side." Kusa said as he and Sumire headed into Tenboto...

(Back with Ren and Sophia)

As Ren reached Tenboto, a 'BIP!' from Sumire's phone prompted Ren to fish said phone out of his pocket in time for Sophia to speak up.

"Dad, this is it. I can confirm this is our safest entry point for Jail access." Sophia said as Morgana walked over to Ren and Sophia and spoke up.

"All right, with that settled, we can finally infiltrate Konoe's Jail. So, what's the plan? Should we gather everyone and get started?" Morgana asked as Ren spoke up.

"Yep, that's the plan. Let's do it." Ren said with a nod. Morgana nodded and spoke up.

"Great. Alright then Lady Sophia, you heard our leader. Ring the others up and get them over here!" Morgana said as Sophia spoke up.

"Okay, I've got it. Leave it to me!" Sophia said as she gathered everyone together...

(A short time later, in Tenboto, with Ryuji, Zenkichi, Makoto, Goro, Haru, Shiho, Ann, Sojiro, Futaba, Kusa, Yusuke, Ren, Morgana, Sophia, Sumire, and Nanako)

After the group gathered together in Tenboto, Yusuke spoke up with a serious look on his face.

"I see. So this is our entry point this time. If his keyword is indeed the name of a superhero, one can only wonder what his Jail will look like." Yusuke said as Ryuji spoke up.

"Good point. Whatever it is, it ain't gonna be pretty, that's for sure." Ryuji said as Kusa spoke up.

"Agreed. I feel like a scumbag like Konoe's going to have a very warped Jail. Call it paranoia or apprehension, but that's what my instincts are telling me." Kusa said as Goro spoke up.

"I'm sure of it. Truth be told, I wouldn't be shocked if we somehow encounter all manner of tough obstacles in this Jail." Goro said as Morgana spoke up.

"Good point. But that doesn't change what we have to do. All right, we're going in. Is everyone ready?" Morgana asked as the others nodded and a resolute-looking Haru spoke up with a frown.

"Yes, let's go!" Haru said as Shiho spoke up with a determined look on her face.

"Let's go put Konoe in his place!" Shiho said as Ann nodded and spoke up, her face matching Shiho's, but with extra resolve and anger..

"What Shiho said! We're gonna settle this thing once and for all!" Ann said as Futaba spoke up with a nod.

"Agreed. This is for everyone, even those who got turned into Monarchs!" Futaba said as Goro nodded, feeling a slight stirring within his heart, no doubt Loki's way of voicing his approval of Futaba's sentiment. Before Goro could speak up, Zenkichi beat him to it with a determined look on his face.

"For sure! Konoe's gonna pay big time for toying with people's hearts like that." Zenkichi said as Ren pulled out Sumire's phone from his pocket, which he handed back to Sumire in time for a 'BIP!' from it to precede a determined-looking Sophia speaking up.

"Beginning the operation. Entering the keyword into EMMA now. The keyword is...'Zephyrman'!" Sophia said as Kusa spoke up.

"Am I the only one who thinks 'Zephyrman' is kind of a stupid keyword?" Kusa asked as Goro smirked but said nothing as EMMA spoke up from Ren's phone.

"Keyword successfully entered. Beginning navigation." EMMA said as the group was pulled into the Metaverse. Shortly after the group was whisked into the Metaverse, Akane caught up to where they'd been, frowning as she saw the traces of their departure vanish before smirking as she recalled she still had EMMA installed on her phone and pulled out her phone and spoke up into it, having managed to overhear Sophia speaking the keyword aloud, as well as hearing Ichinose say it during the call she made to the group..

"EMMA? Add Akira Konoe to my friend registry. The keyword is 'Zephyrman'!'" Akane said as EMMA spoke up from her phone.

"Keyword successfully entered. Beginning navigation." EMMA said once more as Akane was whisked into the Metaverse after the group...

(Inside of the Osaka Jail, with Joker, Mona, Skull, Panther, Fox, Queen, Oracle, Noir, Crow, Violet, Draconis, Seeker, Pendragon, Flare, Wolf, and Seraphim)

After the group landed in the Osaka Jail, they took a look around at the scene that greeted them. As far as the eye could see were skyscrapers that were almost made out of neon, and a lot of other high-tech looking things. As Seeker looked out into the distance, she looked up and her eyes went wide in awe at the sight of a giant blimp going past, making her speak up involuntarily.

"Whoa, look at this view." Seeker said as Mona nodded and spoke up from next to her.

"Yeah, it sure is a pretty view, isn't it, Lady Seeker? Not as pretty as you, of course, but still very beautiful." Mona said as Seeker blushed and nodded as the rest of the group walked over to look out at the scenery in the distance, as well as the pretty view of the starry sky in the background. As another blimp went by, Fox frowned and spoke up.

"Very interesting. Everything in this Jail seems so, well, high-tech." Fox said as Skull nodded and spoke up.

"Yeah, agreed. Figures it'd be another crazy one, am I right?" Skull said as Draconis spoke up with a wary look on his face.

"You're not wrong, Skull. But I think, if anything, this just confirms this is likely the Osaka Jail." Draconis said as Crow spoke up.

"Perhaps, but that still doesn't confirm that Konoe is our mastermind just yet." Crow said wisely, making the group nod and fall silent until Panther gasped and pointed to a building way out in the distance as she spoke up.

"See that?" Panther said as the group looked out in the distance at what was easily the tallest of the skyscrapers, glowing a neon blue with a lot of similar-colored rings arching out from the building in mention. The camera zoomed in to show that the building that Panther had pointed out had a giant 'M' on it with the word 'Madicce' written underneath. Wolf smirked at this and spoke up.

"Even if Draconis is right about his theory, I think we can agree on one thing." Wolf said as Seraphim spoke up.

"What's that?" Seraphim asked as Wolf spoke up.

"Not only is this definitely the Osaka Jail, but I'd say that we just found Konoe's castle." Wolf said as Pendragon spoke up.

"So I think it's safe to say that Konoe is the Monarch of this Jail, then." Pendragon said with a frown as Violet spoke up.

"I think that was already the unspoken consensus, Pendragon. But yes, you're right. Good thing Draconis, Wolf, Queen, and Seraphim convinced Akane-chan to stay behind. I'd hate to imagine her following us in here and somehow getting lost in this Jail." Violet said as Wolf frowned and spoke up.

"Violet? Can you not speak such unimaginable horrors into this Jail?" Wolf said as Violet winced and spoke up.

"Err, right. Sorry, Wolf. I forgot to think before I spoke that time." Violet said as Wolf smiled and spoke up.

"That's okay, Violet. I get what you meant. In any case, we're almost there. Only one job left, team: bring the villain to justice." Wolf said as Crow spoke up.

"Yes, I agree wholeheartedly, Wolf. It's time to bring our enemies to justice. Every last one of them. Whether they be Konoe, Owada, or even Miss Monologues, it makes little difference to me. Whoever the villain ultimately turns out to be, we'll bring them down, together." Crow said as Draconis spoke up with a nod.

"You've got that right, Crow! Let's finish this one strong and bring home the win for the Phantom Thieves." Draconis said as the others all gave off various cries of 'Yeah!', 'Right!', or 'Hell yeah!' as the group looked out at the Osaka Jail, knowing their greatest test yet was just getting started. Joker then spoke up.

"All right, before anything else, let's establish our groups for this Jail. In Group A, which I will personally lead, will be myself, Mona, Fox, Seeker, and Violet. In Group B, which Draconis will lead, will be Draconis, Queen, Skull, Wolf, and Seraphim. Finally, in Group C, which Crow will lead, will be Crow, Pendragon, Noir, Panther, and Flare. As for Oracle, she will assume her usual post of navigator and go-between for our three groups as we move forward. Any objections?" Joker said as no one raised a question or objection, though Draconis did speak up with a wary look on his face.

"I don't have any questions or objections to the group assignments, though I do have a concern I should raise." Draconis said as Wolf spoke up.

"What's up?" Wolf asked. Draconis spoke up with a frown on his face, making Joker wonder if Draconis was bothered about something.

"While Violet and I were on our way to rendezvous with the rest of you, I had a feeling like we were being followed, yet when I looked behind me, I couldn't see anyone. So I think we need to be vigilant in case we were followed into the Metaverse again." Draconis said as Joker spoke up with a frown.

"You're probably still just on edge from the times that both Flare and Seraphim tailed us into the Metaverse without our awareness, Draconis. Relax, would you? I doubt something like that would happen a third time." Joker said as Draconis spoke up with a sigh.

"Very well, as you wish. That being said, I hope you're right, Joker. Even so, I can't help but be worried. But maybe that's just the part of me that's on edge after how much Akane protested against us leaving her behind talking." Draconis said as Wolf frowned and spoke up.

"You have a point there, Draconis. I could see my daughter being willful enough to try tailing us into the Metaverse. However, as she has no way to access it, I doubt she'd be able to come after us." Wolf said as the others nodded before Crow winced and spoke up.

"That's not entirely true, Wolf. Or did you forget that Akane has EMMA on her phone? After all, it was that app that allowed Konoe to turn her into a Monarch for the Kyoto Jail." Crow pointed out as Wolf spoke up.

"Good point. Well, hopefully she didn't follow us. But it's too late to worry about it now. Let's get going." Wolf said as the group nodded and kept moving...

(Shortly afterwards, in the entrance of the Osaka Jail, with Akane)

As Akane landed in the Osaka Jail, she looked around and spoke up.

"Wow, this place is so high-tech. If it weren't for the fact that it's the Jail of a scumbag like Konoe, I would say this place is rather pretty. But never mind that, I need to try to keep up with the others." Akane said as she tucked her phone away and continued to look around for the others. Eventually, she spotted a group of familiar figures and followed them from a distance...

(Back with Joker, Mona, Skull, Panther, Fox, Queen, Oracle, Noir, Crow, Violet, Draconis, Seeker, Pendragon, Flare, Wolf, and Seraphim)

As the group started exploring the Jail, Skull spoke up with a frown.

"Well, the infiltration went well, at least." Skull said as Crow spoke up dryly.

"Yeah, you're not wrong, Skull. So far, so good." Crow said as Wolf spoke up.

"We're not in the clear yet, so let's stay on alert." Wolf said as Mona spoke up.

"Wolf's right. Stay sharp, everybody. This could potentially be the mastermind behind everything that we've faced thus far. Security's bound to be tight." Mona said as Draconis spoke up.

"Okay, two things to mention about what you just said, Mona. First of all, POTENTIALLY is definitely the keyword in your remark about the mastermind. Secondly, no shit the security's bound to be tight! Might I remind you that we're talking about the Jail of one of the scumbags who tried to frame all of us for murder, Mona? Or did you take that into account when you made your last remark?" Draconis said bluntly as Queen nodded in response of Draconis' words as she spoke up.

"Draconis has a point. Also, Mona's right. We should expect that Konoe knows how Jails work, too." Queen said as Fox spoke up.

"Indeed. By the way, I assume that the tall building in the distance is Konoe's castle? If so, we have our destination." Fox said as Flare spoke up.

"I believe that's what Wolf said earlier when taking note of the giant tall building in the distance." Flare said as Skull groaned and spoke up.

"Great. That's gonna be a lot of walkin' for us. Never thought I'd say this, but I kinda miss ridin' around inside the Mona-bus." Skull said as Mona spoke up.

"Is that so? Too bad for you, I am a human now. So I'm pretty sure I can't turn into a bus anymore, even if I wanted to. So suck it up and get walkin', Skull!" Mona said as Skull glared at Mona, but Wolf spoke up before Skull could snap at Mona, to the relief of the others.

So, with that being said, it's time to get moving. Show me how it's done, guys." Wolf said as Joker nodded and spoke up.

"Don't count yourself short there Wolf. You, Flare, and Seraphim have already gone through one full infiltration before back in the Yongen Jail, so all of you have some knowledge of how this works. Be that as it may, let's go everyone! Time to change Konoe's heart!" Joker said as he leapt down off the building the group had been standing on to start the proper infiltration of the Jail, followed by the others. Once everyone was safely on the ground, Oracle frowned and spoke up.

"Hang on a sec! Stop!" Oracle asked as Fox spoke up worriedly.

"What is it, Oracle?" Fox said as Oracle spoke up uneasily.

"Over there! Check it out." Oracle pointed to where the group could see several searchlights, and what had drawn Oracle's attention was the fact that under each one, the same thing was mounted, which Wolf's eyes widened behind his mask as he spoke up.

"Wait, what the hell is that underneath those searchlights? Is that a machine gun?" Wolf said as Draconis frowned and spoke up.

"Probably sentry turrets, if I had to guess. I must say, I'm actually impressed right now. I didn't think Konoe knew what those were, but I guess he did." Draconis said as Oracle spoke up.

"Yup. Those are sentry turrets, all right. And each one of them is topped with a security camera, too. It'll probably open fire if you get too close." Oracle said as Mona frowned and spoke up.

"I see. So it's essentially the same setup we saw in the Shibuya Jail, then." Mona said as Violet shuddered and spoke up.

"Are you saying that Konoe is taking pages out of Alice's playbook?" Violet asked as Mona spoke up.

"Perhaps. Hard to say for sure offhand, though. However, what I can say for sure is that the castle is beyond here. So we're gonna have to do something about that thing first." Mona said as Draconis spoke up.

"Aha, so we're at the part of things where we have to disable the security. And somehow I doubt that it'll be as simple as unleashing Joker's mighty boot on this setup. So I don't think we'll be seeing 'Joker The Turret Slayer' anytime soon, if ever." Draconis said with a smirk. Oracle nodded and spoke up.

"Draconis is right. These things aren't going to be so easily disabled to the point where you can knock them down with a boot. If I had to guess, I'd say there's a core somewhere around here that's powering it. To be honest, I saw something that looked like a Prison Keep up top. If this is business as usual, it's probably there." Oracle said as Skull spoke up.

"Alright then, I guess that's our first stop. Let's get goin'!" Skull said as Wolf blinked and spoke up.

"Wait, did you say Prison Keep? Well, I guess I'll know for sure once I get there." Wolf said as Crow spoke up.

"You were paying attention back in the Yongen Jail when Joker went over how Prison Keeps work with you, Flare, and Seraphim, right Wolf?" Crow asked as Wolf nodded and Crow kept speaking.

"If you were listening to what we discussed, then you already know everything you need to know." Crow said, but before Wolf could reply, an unfamiliar sound was heard as an intercom came to a life with a slightly familiar voice coming from it.

"Greetings, good citizens. Have you seen any evildoers nearby?" A voice, which most of the group instantly recognized as that of EMMA, said over the intercom before it kept speaking in order to prevent the group from speaking.

"If you do see any evildoers, please report it immediately. Our hero will then come to change their hearts. Akira is our one true hero. He is the only one who can save the world. Akira will keep everyone safe with the power to change hearts. He will protect our way of life." EMMA said over the intercom as Panther blinked and spoke up in surprise.

"Akira? Did that voice say Akira?" Panther said as Mona spoke up, the group collectively blinking at EMMA saying 'Akira will eliminate evildoers! Justice is not optional!' while Mona spoke.

"That's right, Panther. It must be referring to Konoe. I guess he's a superhero in this world." Mona said as Crow smirked and spoke up.

"Right. If Konoe's really a superhero, then Skull's the next Prime Minister." Crow deadpanned as Skull grinned, thinking Crow was endorsing him, before eventually frowning as he realized Crow was teasing him and spoke up.

"HEY! That's messed up, Crow! Don't get my hopes up like that, man!" Skull said as Draconis spoke up.

"Skull? Don't take this the wrong way, but I think Seeker has a better shot at being Prime Minister than you do with your current understanding of politics. If anything, I could see you becoming a track star. And to what Mona just said? I agree that whoever that was speaking over the intercom, they were probably referring to Konoe when they said Akira. That said, Konoe's a superhero, my ass! Crow's more of a superhero than Konoe could ever be. And we all know how much of an anti-hero he is. No offense to you Crow, but it's true." Draconis said as Crow shrugged and spoke up.

"Eh, you're not wrong. Also, you have a point that Skull would make a better track star than a politician. But that was part of the joke, I think." Crow said as Fox spoke up while EMMA was giving what was apparently a daily reminder that it was one's civic duty to admonish evil.

"Perhaps. But in the end, we know that Konoe is the Monarch of this Jail. So this is how he views himself, then? Ironic that the villain is playing the hero." Fox said as Seraphim frowned and spoke up.

"I hate it when I'm right. This is starting to sound like Namatame-san all over again." Seraphim said as Makoto frowned and spoke up.

"You might be right. But more importantly, what was the voice on the intercom saying about 'keeping everyone safe with the power to change hearts'? What does it mean by that?" Queen asked as Noir spoke up as EMMA was heard in the background, saying that 'With the great hero Akira, your Desires are in good hands,' making the group frown as Noir spoke.

"Good question, Queen. And this voice that's on the intercoms sounds familiar. Is that EMMA?" Noir asked as Flare spoke up, drowning out EMMA's reminder that 'the great hero Akira will always be there to vanquish evil'.

"I believe that's correct, yes. But more importantly, why is Konoe-san styling himself as a hero?" Flare asked as Pendragon grunted and spoke up.

"He probably thinks that he's the only one capable of saving this world. Honestly, it reminds me too much of Shido prior to his change of heart." Pendragon said as Oracle scoffed and spoke up.

"Well said Pendragon, this has serious cliche energy all over it. A phony hero parading himself around in a futuristic city like some divine-sent miracle. Not gonna lie, I'm getting some major dystopia vibes from this one." Oracle said as Wolf smirked and spoke up.

"I see. So if Konoe fancies himself a hero, does that mean we're the villains? Heh, what a load of crap." Wolf said as Draconis smirked and spoke up.

"I dunno, Wolf. Crow used to be kind of a low-key villain a few years ago, so maybe it's on the mark to say we're villains, at least in Crow's case." Draconis joked as Crow scoffed and spoke up.

"Oh, ha freaking ha, Draconis. You have no room to talk. I seem to recall Joker telling me about a time when you lost it, decked Skull with one punch, and stormed off like a little kid throwing a tantrum just because you thought Skull was insulting Oracle's honor after Mona basically told a lie about Joker staking claim to Oracle. And on top of that, you then proceeded to ream both Skull and Joker when you ran into them a few days later before getting your ass handed to you in an epic duel by Joker shortly afterwards, basically humbling you and bringing your ego back down to Earth." Crow said as Skull grinned and spoke up.

"Crow has a point, Draconis. Granted, we forgave you for that years ago, but he has a point." Skull said as Draconis glared at Skull and spoke up.

"Shuddup! And Crow, stop being an instigating prick already. I was only teasing with my remark. You didn't have to bring up the time when Mona and I both ran off like idiots. Neither one of us is proud of that day, since it wasn't either one of our proudest moments." Draconis said with a huff as Mona spoke up over EMMA's announcement about Desires being danger.

"Draconis has a point, but Crow was also only teasing, I think. Still, let's not fight right now, yeah?" Mona said as Draconis and Crow sighed and nodded as Joker spoke up.

"Regardless, it doesn't matter what Konoe thinks he is. We'll expose him for what he really is in the end." Joker said confidently. Queen nodded her agreement and spoke up with a resolved look.

"Yes. Everyone will know the truth." Queen said as Violet spoke up over EMMA's rambling about how 'the great Akira will protect this city'.

"Indeed. And if we're lucky, we can find some evidence that can link Konoe to Owada, so we can help Wolf bring him to justice too, and maybe help bring Akane-chan a bit of closure on that part of her past." Violet said as Seeker nodded and spoke up.

"Yes, that would be the ideal outcome. Regardless of what happens in this Jail, we'll show Konoe who the real villain is in this story." Seeker said as Seraphim nodded and spoke up.

"Dang straight we will, Seeker. We owe it to Akane to bring these scum to justice quickly." Seraphim said as the camera panned to a path in one direction as Oracle spoke up.

"Mmhm, mmhm! Seraphim's right! Also, I saw the Prison Keep over that way. Let's head east first. As Skull noted before, this is gonna be kind of a trek. So we'd better brace ourselves." Oracle said as Draconis and Joker nodded before the group kept moving. As Joker tried finding a way around, he was repelled by the sentry turrets shooting at him, prompting a wide-eyed Skull to speak up as Joker landed safely away from the sentry turrets.

"Whoa! Holy shit, it actually shot at us!" Skull said as Mona spoke up.

"Very observant, Skull. It seems as if forcing our way through won't do us any good." Mona said as Oracle spoke up.

"Right. Over here! I'm gonna look for a safer route and put it up on our map. Might be kinda roundabout, but it's better than being blown to smithereens." Oracle said sagely as Joker nodded and the group kept moving. As the group took the roundabout route Oracle laid out, Skull spoke up.

"Man, there's cameras friggin everywhere." Skull said as Violet spoke up.

"You know, for a Jail that portrays him to be a superhero, he seems to be reliant on a lot of machinery instead of doing it himself." Violet said as Fox spoke up.

"Those who refuse to do as they're told will be eliminated without exception. I imagine that's Konoe's goal here." Fox said as Seeker spoke up.

"Why would he go so far? He's nothing like the Phantom Thieves." Seeker said as Draconis spoke up.

"To be honest Seeker, I'm not so sure myself. Hopefully, we can find an answer somewhere in the Jail." Draconis said as the group kept moving until they were eventually stopped by an ambush, led by a sentry that spoke up.

"Hey! What are you doing!?" The sentry said as a fight began! Joker quickly made short work of the Shadows by working with the others. Afterwards, the group continued onwards, and after a bit of walking, Wolf spoke up.

"So this is what cities might look like in the future, huh? Place is so rigid and orderly it's giving me the creeps" Wolf said as Seeker spoke up.

"I don't like it either. Not to mention, there's not one sweet old lady in sight." Seeker said as Flare spoke up.

"I don't think there would be anyone in this place unless you count the Shadows and the Monarch. But other than that, this place is like a ghost town." Flare said as Panther laughed and spoke up.

"Ahahah. Gotta say I have to agree with Flare and Seeker too. I prefer cities with actual people in them." Panther said as Seraphim spoke up.

"For me, I prefer the countryside like Inaba, as it's more calm and relaxing." Seraphim said and soon after, the group eventually made their way to the end of the area, where Oracle spoke up.

"All right, looks like we can make our way to the Prison Keep from here." Oracle said as Pendragon spoke up.

"From the looks of the area ahead of us, we seem to be entering some form of a zoo." Pendragon said as Fox spoke up with a frown.

"Yes. We've arrived at Juoji Zoo. Would the Prison Keep be somewhere in Mount Chashiro, then?" Fox asked as Queen spoke up.

"Mount Chashiro it is, then. Let's go everyone." Queen said as the group kept moving, unaware of the lone presence carefully following close behind, being careful not to trip the security as she tailed the group. As the group entered the Juoji Zoo, a strong enemy spoke up.

"Hm, something's not right about you guys. Wait, I see! You must be villains!" The 'Believer of Justice', as Oracle's scan identified it, said as Skull frowned and spoke up.

"Say what? If anyone's a villain here, it's you, pal!" Skull said as the 'Believer of Justice' spoke up with a frown.

"Enough talk! In the name of our hero, Akira, I will execute you here and now!" The 'Believer of Justice' said as it shifted forms into a being that Joker recognized from having owned one for a while as a 'Ganesha'. At that point, Oracle spoke up.

"Here it comes! Take it out!" Oracle said as Joker nodded and a fight began! After an intense, if back-and-forth, struggle, the group won. From the ensuing EXP gains, Mona hit level 57 and gained the high-tier healing move 'Mediarahan', making him grin and spoke up.

"Mwehehe! Get a load of my new skill!" Mona said as Seeker smiled and spoke up.

"Very impressive, Mona. And very appropriate. An amazing skill for an amazing guy." Seeker said coyly as she pulled Mona into a hug, making him blush but speak up.

"Thank you, Lady Seeker. Nice to know you appreciate me." Mona said as Seeker blushed once it registered to her that she was holding Mona close to her, making Mona smile as he wrapped his arms around Seeker happily, embracing her as Diego acquired 'Mediarahan'. After moving around and finding a checkpoint, Joker stumbled upon a cage with a trio of very familiar figures inside, making Panther's eyes widen as she spoke up.

"Are these Alice Hiiragi, Ango Natsume, and Mariko Hyodo? Are these the people who were made into full-on Monarchs by Konoe? This was all just some big show to him!?" Panther asked as Draconis spoke up.

"If it was, Konoe's even more of a screwed-up piece of shit than we thought. Also, good thing you added that full-on bit, Panther. Otherwise, I was about to have to point out that if it was really everyone that was a Monarch, then there were at least two people missing, three if we count the Yongen Jail's Monarch." Draconis said as Mona frowned and spoke up.

"Your rather pointed phrasing aside, I agree with you, Draconis. In reality, Konoe likely saw them as a means to an end. And to him, they likely weren't much more than that." Mona said as Skull growled and spoke up.

"Rrgh, is this for real!? So this dickhead uses these people for all they're worth, and this is how he treats 'em? What an asshole." Skull said as Wolf spoke up.

"I have a feeling this part wasn't strictly Konoe's idea alone, Skull. So we should be wary of that possibility." Wolf said as at that moment, alarms started blaring around the area, after which Oracle looked around and suddenly spoke up, her eyes widening in horror behind her visor.

"WHAT!? Guys, we have a problem! There's a huge swarm of Shadows approaching from nearby, and they appear to be heading straight for us!" Oracle said as Joker spoke up.

"How many of them are there, Oracle?" Joker asked as Oracle spoke up with a frown.

"A lot. I think there's easily over a thousand of them." Oracle said as Crow gritted his teeth and spoke up.

"I see. Go figure that Konoe would be desperate enough to actually throw a whole goddamn army at us. Well, no one said getting to him would be easy." Crow said as Skull spoke up with an eager grin.

"Hell yeah, Crow! We'll fight our way through these effin' grunts!" Skull said as the group charged into battle! However, despite Skull's bravado, victory would not come easily for the Phantom Thieves on this occasion, as much like what had happened when the group ran into Kamoshida's Shadow in the Okinawa Jail, every time the group seemed to cut down a half-dozen Shadows, two dozen would spawn in to replace the defeated ones.

The Phantom Thieves put up a valiant struggle in the battle that ensued, but after a while, all of them were subdued, restrained and bound after being forced to their knees. After everyone but Joker, Wolf, Draconis, and Crow were restrained and bound, the four remaining Phantom Thieves were backed into a corner as both Crow and Draconis had their hands tied behind their back and shoved against a wall as Joker spoke up with a frustrated look on his face as he turned to look at Wolf.

"Dammit! How are there so many of them! Were we not prepared enough, Wolf!?" Joker asked as Wolf spoke up.

"No. We were plenty prepared, Joker. I think we just got unlucky and this was just someone's trap that we sprang unwittingly." Wolf said as Crow spoke up.

"So how much do you want to bet that Konoe is leading the charge in this attack." Crow as Draconis spoke up.

"Now's not the time Crow. Besides, I have a feeling that he wouldn't show his face to us so easily." Draconis said confidently as Crow nodded his agreement, but it was at that moment that an unknown voice spoke up to the group.

"You are correct in your observation. I'm afraid that Mr. Konoe has no time to be dealing with you petty Thieves." the voice said as the sounds of slow clapping nearby drew everyone's attention as the leader of the ambush came out to reveal themselves, and to the shock of not only the group but the figure hiding in an alley observing the entire exchange, it wasn't Akira Konoe leading the ambush. It was instead an older-looking man in a business suit with a stern expression who approached the group, making Wolf's eyes widen in shock as Flare spoke up with a frown.

"Wait, why do I feel like I've seen that guy somewhere before?" Flare asked as Draconis' eyes widened in realization before he spoke up.

"Because we have, Flare! Remember that picture Wolf showed us when we were forced to hole up in that hideaway? And who he said it was?" Draconis asked as Flare's eyes widened when she realized what Draconis was referring to, though it would be Pendragon who spoke up with a growl.

"No! Are you trying to say that..." Pendragon said as Skull spoke up.

"...This schemey-lookin' old-ass shitbag..." Skull followed up as Seraphim spoke up to pick up where Skull left off, ignoring the shocked looks that Joker, Queen and Violet exchanged with Flare at how strong the language was that she was using.

"...is the piece of shit that Wolf was after? As well as the son of a bitch who took poor Akane's mom from her!?" Seraphim said, only barely refraining herself from screeching the last few words she said as Wolf nodded and spoke up.

"Afraid so, guys. If I'm right, this man can only be the one and only Jyun Owada." Wolf said as Joker's eyes widened in surprise behind his mask before he spoke up in shock.

"WHAT!? That's Owada!? He looks like a bastard, yes, but I didn't think he'd be the legislator that we were after?" Joker said in surprise as the now-identified Owada smirked and spoke up.

"That just goes to show that appearances aren't everything, doesn't it, Phantom Thief? Or should I call you Joker?" Owada said as Joker's eyes widened at Owada knowing his code name.

"How-?" Joker asked as Owada chuckled evilly and spoke up to answer Joker's unasked question, his expression making it clear that he found Joker's shock and disbelief amusing as he spoke.

"You really are a fool, aren't you, Joker? The way you fools always say each other's code names while on missions makes it easy to ascertain which code name belongs to which Thief. That, and with the technology myself and Konoe-san have at our disposal, figuring out your code names is a simple task. If we really wanted to, we could also easily figure out your real identities, but we aren't trying to take it that far, yet. We believe that you have some incredible talents, and that said talents are being wasted trying to change the hearts of the wicked. However, you could be so much more impressive than you are now if you were to join us and help us create a better world." Owada said as Wolf scoffed and spoke up.

"Bullshit! Why should we trust a word that comes out of your lying mouth, Owada!? All you do is use people and appoint scapegoats to take the fall for your crimes! And one name readily springs to my mind as a perfect example of an especially unfortunate past victim of yours." Wolf said as Owada spoke up.

"Oh, yeah? And who would that be?" Owada asked. Wolf then spoke up, not hearing the gasp the hidden figure gave over all the gasps the other Thieves gave off from what he said next as he spoke.

"Aoi Hasegawa! You got drunk and got behind the wheel of your car, and because of that, your actions resulted in the death of my wife, and my daughter's mother! And instead of owning up to it like a decent human being, you used your secretary to cover up what you did! You let them commit suicide to protect you from legal action! Not only that, but you made an unsuspecting 12-year old girl watch in horror as you drunkenly ran her mother down with your car!

And what do you think happened when she told everyone she could think of!? No one believed her! All because you're so influential and corrupt, people would literally bend over backwards to protect you! Meanwhile, no one so much as bats an eyelid when a man gets arrested for trying to save his allies! Never mind when that man's daughter is literally turned into a goddamn Monarch as a way to send a message to him!" Wolf snarled as Owada blinked before laughing evilly as he smirked at Wolf and spoke up.

"Oh? Are you trying to say that underneath that mask, you're Inspector Zenkichi Hasegawa from Public Security?" Owada asked as Wolf spoke up with a frown.

"So what if I am!? We're not here to discuss me, Owada! We're here to stop Akira Konoe and bring him to justice for his crimes! If we can somehow bring your crooked ass in as part of the bargain, then all the better! The only thing I don't get is why you would bother allying with someone like Akira Konoe?" Wolf asked as Owada spoke up, a sly yet evil smirk on his face as he spoke.

"Very good, you've got me. I made an alliance with Akira Konoe in order to move ever closer to my ambitions. The fact that Konoe-san and I had to make a few minor sacrifices, such as the director of the EMMA testing lab in Kukojima, was just a necessary evil in the bigger picture. Moreover, I acknowledge that I was the one to run over Aoi Hasegawa five years ago. Not that any of that matters now.

Even if you knew of all my crimes, there's not a damn thing you can do about it, Inspector Hasegawa! However, it is rather fortunate for me that you're here. Saves me the trouble of having to track you down. You see, your little stunt in Kyoto really screwed up a lot of mine and Konoe-san's well-laid plans. The Phantom Thieves weren't supposed to escape that ambush!

Moreover, you had the gall to help foil our plan to turn that little sniveling brat you call a daughter into a Monarch and use her to eliminate the Phantom Thieves after letting her believe that the Phantom Thieves hacked EMMA and murdered Shuzo Ubukata. The truth is that EMMA was never hacked, rather it was all a lie to have all of you be scapegoats for mine and Konoe-san's plans.

As for Ubukata, he tried to kill himself, but he was murdered by way of a mental shutdown that was enacted at just the right time to prevent him from interfering with our plans to subjugate the population of Kukojima using EMMA. Fortunately for me, this was back when an old friend of mine was still in the political scene. A friend that I think some of you might know of quite well." Owada said as Draconis' eyes narrowed behind his mask as he spoke up after exchanging a look with a suitably-guilty looking Crow, who had performed the aforementioned mental shutdown at the behest of one Masayoshi Shido during his stint as the Black Mask about four years ago.

"You son of a-! You're talking about Masayoshi Shido, aren't you!?" Draconis said as Crow spoke up.

"Tch, I can see you being a supporter of his, Owada-san. After all, from what you've admitted to, you're easily as big of a piece of shit as Shido-san was, if not bigger." Crow scoffed as Owada frowned and spoke up.

"Was? You mean to say that someone actually ended that miserable failure's existence? Good. He didn't deserve to be alive after what he did anyways. Anyone who can turn their back on their beliefs as quickly as Masayoshi Shido did is the worst sort of failure imaginable, and as such, doesn't deserve to be allowed to continue living." Owada said as Wolf spoke up before Crow and Draconis could do more than aim their iciest death glares at Owada, both pissed at the cheap shot he took at their father.

"You'd be the expert on that, wouldn't you, Owada? After all, it takes scum to know scum, or so they say." Wolf said as Owada spoke up.

"Ah, yes. I remember you now, Hasegawa. I see you didn't heed my warning before. What a pity. Oh, well. Maybe this will help you finally get the message that I don't tolerate people meddling in my affairs?" Owada said as he shocked everyone present, including the person watching the confrontation from in the shadows, by pulling out a 45 caliber handgun and aiming it at Wolf's chest before squeezing the trigger ruthlessly, making Wolf wince as he felt something metallic enter his stomach and then exit out of his lower back, roughly in the middle of the gap between his right kidney and his spine.

Wolf's subsequent grunt of pain as he felt the bullet pass through him would wind up causing the entire group to gasp in horror, only for most of their gasps to be drowned out by the sound of the ensuing secondary gunshot, which had the result of making Wolf, who the bullet hit in the chest, grunt as he went to a knee while clutching his stomach. Wolf's sudden drop to the ground had the additional result of making everyone else, including the unseen observer, gasp as at least six voices spoke up while Mona was standing so that Seeker had no way to see what Owada had just done, leaving her perplexed at the sudden spike in hostility from the rest of the group.

"WOLF!" Joker, Violet, Mona, Queen, Panther, Draconis, Pendragon, and Crow all yelled out as Skull spoke up in anger.

"Owada, you son of a bitch! How dare you shoot our friend? You wait until we get out of these bonds and I'll show you what I think of cowardly assholes like you!" Skull said as Owada spoke up coldly.

"Go ahead, Phantom Thief. Threaten me all you like. Your efforts are futile. There's nothing you can do to stop mine and Konoe-san's plans! But just to be sure there's no loose ends to tie up later, maybe I should finish you off here and now?" Owada said coldly as he then smirked and spoke up.

"No, I'll let you live for now. After all, why kill you now when I can tell you the truth and let the truth die with all of you? Yes, I am aligned with Akira Konoe! And yes, I was the one who ran over Aoi Hasegawa, as well as sent that threatening note to her husband warning him to call off his investigation unless he wants his daughter to suffer the same fate as what I did to her mother. Moreover, it was my idea to frame you lot for the death of that director from Kukojima.

The only thing that was NOT my plan was for that other group of Persona-users to show up in that brat's Jail to try and kill you. Sure, if they'd managed to eliminate you, it'd have been the proverbial icing on the equally proverbial cake, since we could just turn around and frame them for the potential death of Akane Hasegawa.

Not only that, but I could turn around and frame those other Persona-users for the death of the the CEO of Madicce, after the latter would end up having a little 'accident' after outliving his usefulness." Owada said as Fox gasped and spoke up.

"Unbelievable! You mean to say that you would have your own ally killed once he outlived his usefulness to you!? You truly are a vile fiend!" Fox said angrily as Panther spoke up.

"No, Fox. He's worse than a vile fiend. He's a soulless monster! After all, we've seen what he did to poor Wolf and Akane-chan." Panther said as an angry Queen nodded and spoke up.

"Agreed. He made both of their lives a veritable hell when he murdered Wolf's wife! I can't imagine why someone could do something so monstrous!" Queen said as Oracle spoke up.

"It's classic bad-guy logic, Queen. Make a temporary alliance with another bad guy, then stick a knife in their back the moment they're of no further use to them." Oracle said as Noir winced and spoke up.

"Umm, that's kind of a graphic example to use, don't you think, Oracle-chan?" Noir asked as Pendragon frowned and spoke up.

"That's Oracle for you, Noir. She doesn't pull punches in her explanations. But she also is very thorough in her explanations." Pendragon said as Flare winced and spoke up.

"Perhaps a bit TOO thorough. But I guess it's fine." Flare said as Violet spoke up.

"Yes, well, at least she wasn't swearing in this explanation, so that's something." Violet said as a confused Seeker spoke up.

"Why is everyone blocking my view? I wanna see what's going on." Seeker said as Mona shook his head and spoke up.

"Sorry Lady Seeker, but that's a big no-can-do until Violet gives the okay for us to let you see again." Mona said as Seeker pouted and spoke up.

"Aww, no fair. Is it because I'm too young?" Seeker asked as Violet shook her head and spoke up without turning to look at Seeker.

"No, it's because this isn't something you should be seeing. Besides, I think you can get a good idea of what's going on given how explicit Seraphim, Skull, and even your father were with their previous outbursts." Violet said dryly as Draconis spoke up.

"That is true. But I think we're interrupting Owada's little monologue. We should really let him finish, if only so we can get an idea of why he did some of the shit he's done to Wolf and Akane." Draconis pointed out dryly as Owada spoke up.

"Thank you. Now where was I? Ah, yes. I was talking about that little opportunist, Akira Konoe. You see, I might have made an alignment with him for the sake of us having a common goal and a mutual enemy, but there's no way that a foolish young opportunist like Akira Konoe could understand my vision! And in regards to what two of you said before about me being as bad as Shido, I take that as a compliment. Truth be told, I fancy myself as a successor of sorts to Masayoshi Shido's vision of Japan! Once I wrap up the 'Change of Heart' epidemic and help Konoe-san bring you terrorists to justice, I'll be branded a hero! I can then use that to run for Prime Minister!

And after I'm elected, I can then remake Japan in my image! But obviously, all those plans are out the window now, since that other group that Konoe hired failed to eliminate all of you. And so, here we are now, with you all bound and helpless at my mercy. Not only that, but once I get rid of you, I can put an end to those miserable fools that call themselves an Investigation Team.

So just a little more to go now, and my plans will be unstoppable. And the best part is that there's not a damn thing any of you can do about it! And why, you may ask? Simple! None of you are leaving this place alive! Since he was fool enough to not only defy me, but also continue to meddle in my affairs, we'll start by finishing off Hasegawa-san the elder here, then I'll work my way through all of you until you all lay dead at my feet." Owada said as Seraphim growled and spoke up, ignoring the shocked looks her next outburst would get from Joker, Queen, Violet, Wolf, and Mona.

"You cowardly, low-life, cocksucking son of a bitch! How dare you threaten to kill all of us, never mind the fact you made the mistake of threatening my Big Bro and his friends! Worst of all, you made the blunder of threatening Akane in my presence! You won't get away with this!" Seraphim snapped as Skull spoke up with a grin.

"Hell yeah, Seraphim! You tell that silver-haired overconfident bastard! Once we get out of these ropes, we're gonna take great pleasure in putting the fear of God into this ugly-lookin', wrinkled-ass motherfu-" Skull said as Violet, Queen, and Joker all cut Skull off mid-sentence before his rant could get too explicit.

"LANGUAGE, SKULL!" Joker, Violet, and Queen rebuked Skull as Violet kept speaking.

"Look, I understand that our predicament might make you feel like cussing, but we have already asked you several times not to cuss around Seeker! Even if she is fine with it, it is still not acceptable." Violet said, while Skull spoke up with a frown, clearly unimpressed by Violet's reprimand.

"Oh, so I'm supposed to just stand here and friggin' take it while Owada's over there talkin' shit about what he plans to do to us, Violet? Excuse me for wanting to back up Seraphim as she stands up for Akane and Wolf while telling this wrinkly-ass bastard to go fuck himself." Skull said as Owada frowned and spoke up.

"Seeker? Seraphim? Who are-?" Owada asked before his eyes landed on Seraphim and Seeker, and his face split into a sadistic smirk as he kept speaking.

"Oh, ho! Who are these two beautiful young ladies? I'm sure my associates and I can find a good use for the two of you. The same could be said for the rest of the female Phantom Thieves that want to be spared by offering yourselves up as willing servants for the amusement and enjoyment of myself and my allies." Owada said as Joker frowned and spoke up, the look on his face conveying how much he was struggling with his sudden and extreme urge to cuss Owada out, along with having to resist the urge to brandish his knife and put it to Owada's throat while he spoke.

"Owada, you sick bastard! You lay one hand on ANY of these women, and all of us men will personally make sure you live to regret it for the rest of your days! And that's not talking about what the ladies will do to you afterwards! So if I were you, I would immediately abandon any idea of making ANY of these women into your unwilling sex slaves! Because I would rather take a bullet for all of these people than let you lay one finger on any of them! In other words, if you mean to force yourself onto these ladies, you do it over the dead bodies of every single one of us men!" Joker snapped as Owada smirked and spoke up.

"How perceptive, Joker. That's exactly my plan. Starting with Inspector Hasegawa here, I'm going to kill each and every one of you meddling fools, one by one, as the rest of you watch and wait your turn to die. So let's start with you, Hasegawa. Do you have any last words before I end your miserable life?" Owada asked as he aimed the gun at Wolf's head, to the horror of all the Phantom Thieves. At that exact moment, in the shadows, Akane gasped as she saw the gun Owada held being aimed at her father's head, leaving her with both an unsettling sense of horror as well as resulting in her flashing back to words she'd once heard Kusa say, as well as a bit of encouragement that Nanako had recently given her while hugging her.

(Flashback 1 - Chapter 19, during the scenes at the Hasegawa residence)

"My point is that even though you might be mad at your father now, you should try to forgive him so you can cherish the time you have with him while you still can, since you never know when you won't have your dad around anymore." Kusa had said to Akane...

(Flashback 2 - Earlier in Chapter 34)

"Trust in your father, and heed the guidance of your heart. Do that, and you'll know what to do when the time comes, Akane." Kusa had said...

(Flashback 3- Also earlier in Chapter 34)

"Trust me on this. If you're meant to help us out, you'll get the power to do so soon enough." Nanako had gently, but firmly, advised Akane, making Akane smile, her resolve building as she smiled happily at the memory of the caring look on Nanako's face while she'd hugged her in that memory...

(Flashback end-Back in the present, in the shadows with Akane)

After flashing back on a few things she'd been told in the past, a horrified Akane spoke up, careful not to be heard by the rest of the group.

"No! Could this have been what Kusa meant back then? Is Dad really about to die!? No, I can't let that happen, I have to save him. I have to save all of them!" Akane said firmly to herself before she gasped as she saw Owada's finger move to rest on the trigger. Making a split-second decision, Akane ran out of hiding, shocking literally everyone else present, Owada and the Shadows included, when she ran out and stepped between Owada and Wolf, calling out as she spoke up, stopping Owada from pulling the trigger in his shock at her appearance.

"DAD, NO! I WON'T LET OWADA TAKE YOU FROM ME LIKE HE TOOK MOM!" Akane yelled out as she sprinted into view, shielding the downed Wolf with her body. Mona, Draconis, and Seraphim all spoke up at once, their eyes all wide in shock at the sudden appearance of Akane.

"AKANE/LADY AKANE!?" Draconis, Seraphim, and Mona all said as Joker frowned and spoke up.

"What the hell are you doing here!? We told you to stay back at the RV!" Joker said as Draconis spoke up, his eyes narrowing in frustration at being proven right yet again about his gut feelings while he spoke.

"Dammit! I hate it when I'm right!" Draconis said in frustration before turning to look at Joker with a vindicated look on his face as he kept speaking.

"Well? What do you say now, Joker!? Do you still think I was worried about nothing!?" Draconis rebuked Joker as Queen spoke up.

"Not now, Draconis! There are more important matters to be worried about, like the mortal peril that both Wolf and Akane-chan are in!" Queen rebuked Draconis before looking towards Akane as she kept speaking.

"I don't know how you followed us here or why, but listen to me! It's too dangerous for you to be here! Hurry up and get out of here, Akane-chan! This isn't a game! Save yourself before Owada-san kills you like he's likely about to kill the rest of us, starting with your father!" Queen said as Akane scoffed and spoke up.

"Not happening, Queen! I'm not going to stand by and do nothing while this miserable old bastard takes Dad away from me! It's bad enough that I was powerless to stop Owada from taking Mom from us five years ago, but I refuse to allow him to take Dad from me too!" Akane said as Wolf gasped in horror on hearing Akane's voice and spoke up.

"Akane!? Why are you here? Get out of here while you can! It's too dangerous to be here!" Wolf said as Owada spoke up before Akane could reply to Wolf.

"Silence, Inspector!" Owada snapped at Wolf before turning to look towards Akane as he kept speaking, moving the gun so it was pointing at Akane instead of Wolf as he spoke, smiling sinisterly while looking at Akane.

"As for you, my dear! How brave of you, young lady, stepping between your father and my gun. Foolish, but brave. Hold on a moment, though. Do I know you from somewhere, by any chance? You look familiar." Owada said as Akane spoke up with an angry glare.

"Yes, you do, you decrepit old bastard! Remember Aoi Hasegawa!? I was the little girl who could only watch as your drunk ass ruthlessly ran her down in cold blood! And now you're about to try and take my father from me too!? I don't think so!" Akane said as Owada smirked and spoke up.

"Ahh, yes, I remember you. The daughter of the Public Inspector that I just shot, Akane Hasegawa. You were that cute little girl who was walking with that woman that I ran down with my car all those years ago. In retrospect, I should've had you killed back then so you couldn't try and blow the whistle on what I did, but that's irrelevant now. Truth be told, you've grown from that cute and adorable little girl into quite the lovely young woman. So maybe it was for the best that I spared you back then? But never mind that for now. It's too bad that your mother had to die because your father didn't know when to quit sniffing around my affairs.

But who knows? Maybe if I take his daughter from him too, that'll finally drive him to leave well enough alone? Not that it matters, since he's going to die here. And if you don't get out of my way, I'll just kill you too. It makes no difference to me if I have to kill one more person to end the Phantom Thieves. After all, all of you are little more than sacrifices to get to my ultimate goal of ruling Japan as Prime Minister.

Much as that director and his secretary were sacrifices to cover my tracks, and to a point Konoe-san's, you all will be the sacrifices to finally sweep all of this bad business under the rug once and for all. I'll just have to spin it so that Konoe-san was the one to kill you all so that I can be rid of him too. He's getting too opportunistic for his own good. Both Konoe and that damned virtual assistant of his are starting to outlive their usefulness to me!

Who needs a sentient AI like EMMA, anyways!? All AI are good for is being our mindless servants that do as we tell them to do! The idea of an AI that can think for itself and have feelings, much less a heart, is absurd! And once I'm rid of all of you, there will be no one left to stand in my way!" The cognitive Owada said, laughing maniacally as Akane spoke up before Mona, Seraphim, and Wolf could do more than growl at Owada for his harsh words about both Akane and Seeker, not to mention Owada shamelessly hitting on Akane.

"So you say. However, all you've done is rile my anger, Owada! Not only did you murder my mom and basically drive that poor secretary to end their life, but you also caused immeasurable amounts of grief, not just for me and my father, but for the family of that poor secretary! More than that, your schemes caused me to think, even if was just for a short time, that the Phantom Thieves were murderers and terrorists! The truth is that if anyone's a murderer and/or terrorist here, it's you and that jerk Akira Konoe!" Akane said as Draconis turned to Crow and spoke up.

"I have to admit, Crow. I think you might be right. Owada might be just as bad as Shido was, if not worse." Draconis said as Owada laughed and spoke up, having heard Draconis' remark comparing him to Shido, finding it amusing if the sinister smirk on his face as he spoke was any indication.

"Oh? I'm as bad as Masayoshi Shido, you say? I'll take that as a compliment, I think. After all, you did hear what I said about essentially being his successor, right? Once I get rid of all of you, there will be no one left to stand in my way of rising to the top, especially once I have Konoe put away for murdering all of you. And to that end, I will warn you one last time, young lady. Step away from that man, or I will be forced to shoot you as well. Don't think I won't do it." Owada said as Wolf and Draconis both growled and spoke up, both of them incensed at the blatant threat to Akane's life that Owada had just delivered.

"OWADA, YOU COWARDLY ASSHOLE! LEAVE HER ALONE!" Wolf and Draconis said as Seraphim spoke up.

"Akane, please! I know you won't, but please listen to Wolf and Queen! Get out of here and save yourself! Don't try and be a hero! There's nothing you can do as you are now!" Seraphim said as Akane scoffed and spoke up.

"You say that, but I won't know if I can do anything about this situation or not unless I try, and you know it, Seraphim! I'm sorry to worry you all like this, but I'm not backing down! Not only am I staring down the bastard who killed my mom, but I'm currently the only thing standing between said bastard and my dad! And I will not let him take both of my parents from me if I can help it! He'll have to go through me first!" Akane said to Seraphim, shocking her and the others with the sight of tears falling from Akane's eyes as she turned to glare at Owada as she kept speaking.

"And as for YOU, you disgusting old pedophilic piece of shit! I will NEVER forgive you for everything that you've done! Not only did you take my mom from me, but you've been making my dad's life hell! And if that wasn't bad enough, you forced your own secretary to take their own life and leave a note confessing to YOUR crimes! Never mind the grief you've caused me AND my father for a moment, who knows how much grief the family of that poor secretary's been through because of you!?

And that's not even the worst of your crimes! Not only did you kill a woman while driving drunk and force your own secretary to take their own life, but you compounded that by having the audacity to try and work with Akira Konoe to frame the Phantom Thieves for yet another of your crimes, namely the murder of Shuzo Ubukata!

Because of that, YOUR ACTIONS have caused me to not only spend several very painful days believing that the Phantom Thieves, whom I idolized for so long were murderers, but also indirectly allow Konoe and EMMA to use my moment of vulnerability to try and murder the Phantom Thieves! If not for Wolf, Queen, and to a lesser extent both Joker and Draconis snapping my Shadow out of it and bringing me back to my senses, I could've had their blood on my hands and actually become a murderer without even realizing it.

So for all of those crimes, and so many more that I am more than likely unaware of, you deserve no mercy, Owada! The Phantom Thieves have done so much to give back to society over the past few years! And even with assholes like you trying to undermine their efforts, they still keep on doing what they do best! Well, if they can fight the good fight in the face of adversity, then so can I!

Therefore, if you want to harm ANY of them, you do it OVER MY DEAD BODY! Of course, don't expect it to be so easy! I might not have powers like they do, but that won't stop me from doing everything in my power to bring you down! And why, you may ask!? Because I owe it to them after how close they came to meeting their end at what would have technically been 'my' hand to save them here!

Not to mention the fact that I especially owe it to my father to save him after how much of an ungrateful brat I've behaved like in recent years! I was unfairly blaming him for stuff that was in no way, shape, or form his fault! In actuality, all of it was YOUR fault! So prepare yourself, Owada! You're going down! It's time to settle things with you, ONCE AND FOR ALL!" Akane said fiercely before wincing as she felt a pronounced throbbing in her head as she went to a knee clutching her forehead, seconds before she heard a distinctly masculine sounding voice speak to her, ignoring the shocked looks most of the group exchanged at what happened next.

(Awakening Start-Akane)

"My, my. Such a fiery resolve and determination you have, young lady. I like it. Granted, it took you long enough to finally wise up and accept the truth, but it matters not. We got to where we needed to be in the end, so all is as it should be. But tell me this, my fated partner. Have you the resolve to do what's necessary for the sake of avenging those you've lost and saving those who you can still save!? Or was your last outburst nothing more than a bunch of adrenaline-fueled bravado?" Akane heard as she screamed out due to the pain in her hand as she spoke up with gritted teeth.

"You say you're my partner, so surely you can see into my heart, or something like that. So if that's the case, even though I initially assumed my partner to be female thanks to my Shadow, you should know how deep my resolve runs in this instance." Akane said as the voice chuckled and spoke up once more.

"Ah, I see. Your resolve truly does run deep, young one. And I can also tell that you are very sincere in your determination to right your past wrongs. As such, I am prepared to lend you my power in the name of that most noble and admirable endeavor. At this point, you only need to vow to me and call my name. I am thou...thou art I...Though thou has spent many of thine recent years bemoaning thy losses and trying to shut thyself off from he who thou hath blamed for said losses, thou hath only now finally opened thine eyes to the truth and pledged to reforge the bonds that thou hath damaged with thine own hurtful words and anger-fueled actions.

Now, with my power, show the world that thou are no longer that scared little girl. Show them that thou art a brave young woman who hath plenty of righteous fury to spare to strike down those who wronged not only thee, but countless other innocents all over the world! Call my name and take center stage, and accept the power being offered unto thee at last!" Akane heard the voice say as she spoke up, spitting out a bit of blood from her mouth from where she'd bitten her lip hard enough to draw blood in an attempt to not give herself away with her reaction to Owada's declarations while she was observing from the shadows.

"I understand. So be it! Let us seal our contract!" Akane said as a flash of blue light preceded a mask materializing over her face that was similar to both Joker's and Seraphim's, with the only difference being that where Joker's was black and white and Seraphim's was white and silver, Akane's was blood red with black lining. Also, where both Joker's and Seraphim's were more akin to domino masks, Akane's was far closer to a masquerade mask with what appeared to be pointed edges on each side, much to the collective shock of the Phantom Thieves, but especially Wolf, who spoke up through gritted teeth.

"N-No! Could it be!? Is this what I think it is!?" Wolf asked as Joker spoke up with a wary, if uncertain, look on his face.

"Let's keep watching for now, Wolf. If it is what we think it is, we'll know soon enough." Mona said as the others nodded while watching as Akane reached for the mask on her face, and after a few seconds of rather clumsy struggling, her mask started to rip off her face as she screamed out one sentence.

"IT'S SHOWTIME, HOUDINI!" Akane yelled out as she succeeded in ripping it off her face, causing a splatter of blood to cover her face in the shape of the mask she'd just ripped off briefly before a burst of blue flame blocked Akane from view. While in the blue flame, Akane spoke up to address the name of the being that she just announced.

"Just as I rip this mask off my face to symbolize my determination to rebel against the wrongs perpetrated onto me and those closest to me, let the name I now call serve to symbolize the birth of the new and improved me! The me that won't just sit back and take it as evil has its way with the world! Much as the rest of the Phantom Thieves have taken their stand for what's right and decent, so too will I! Now, heed my call and appear before me, Houdini! BEHOLD, THE GREATEST OF ALL MAGICIANS!" Akane said as to the shock of the Phantom Thieves, a being materialized into existence next to Akane.

One of the most striking features of this being was the fact that unlike most of the Personas wielded by the other Phantom Thieves, aside from Noir's first-stage Persona Milady, this being had no visible face to speak of. It was just a mask and hat floating seemingly in mid-air. The top hat was mostly black with a purple stripe towards the bottom, and the mask was nearly entirely dark purple, with the only bit that wasn't purple being the new being's striking yellow eyes.

Other than the aforementioned yellow eyes, the group noted that Akane's new Persona mostly wore black and silver, aside from the cape trailing behind it, which was black on the front, but the inside layering of the cape was distinctly purple. Apart from that, nearly all of Akane's new Persona was black, including the claw-like hands and pointed cowboy-esque boots the being had. Despite most of the being's body being invisible it had on a striped dark-grey sweater which had the cape tied around the neck, which was matched by black dress pants.

As for Akane herself, the burst of blue fire had transformed her attire as well. Where once she had been wearing a simple black two-piece high school uniform, Akane now wore a dark red shawl-esque mini-cloak draped around her shoulders which had a matching-colored cape going down her back, covering her otherwise-bare upper arms, stopping a couple of inches above where her bare upper arms ended and the black leather fingerless gloves began, going from Akane's hands up to just short of her elbows, with Akane's shawl partially covering up the form-fitting and skintight strapless black leather corset she'd gained as part of her new attire, which had red laces lacing it up all along the corest.

However, unlike most corsets, Akane's new corset ended at her midriff, leaving her stomach and hips exposed, along with offering a modest if noticeable amount of cleavage, much to Seraphim's mixed intrigue/approval and Wolf's annoyance. Not only that, but the corset was paired with a black leather miniskirt that covered all the way from the end of Akane's stomach down to an area about two and a half, possibly three inches above her knees, barely keeping her decently covered.

Underneath the miniskirt, you could see hints of what was supposed to be a pair of black leather panties peeking out of the bottom of the miniskirt, along with a pair of almost see-through brown fishnet tights going down the length of her legs and feet, covering her lower body in a similar manner to pantyhose, much to Seraphim's inward amusement, despite the fact she found herself almost mesmerized by how breathtakingly beautiful Akane's new attire looked on her. Needless to say, as a result of how Akane's new attire looked on her, Seraphim's eyes remained firmly locked onto Akane, much to the amusement of Skull, Mona, Draconis, and Crow, and the mixed irritation and disappointment of Queen, Violet, and Wolf, the latter of the three being only minorly shocked at Seraphim's reaction to Akane's attire.

And to cover her feet, Akane had gained a pair of black stiletto heel boots that went to her ankles, with her ensemble being topped off by her mask from before reappearing on her face and drawing attention to the dark red top hat with a black stripe near the base, similar to Houdini's hat, that had appeared over the mask, covering up the fact that her hair had also been partially transformed like Seraphim's.

However, in Akane's case, her hair was in the same style as before, just with a change to the color. Where her hair was previously brown, it was now a dark brown with dark-red, almost crimson, highlights on top and strawberry-blonde streaks on the tips, making Joker gasp at the similarities between Akane's new attire and the attire her Shadow had been wearing. After Akane finished being covered in blue flame, she glared at Owada and spoke up as she raised a hand and waved one of the two fan-like objects she had, one in each hand, pointing it threateningly at Owada as she spoke.

(Awakening End-Akane)

"OWADA! Are you prepared to face the consequences of your actions!? The time of your reckoning is finally nigh! HOUDINI! FREE THE OTHERS!" Akane said as Houdini smirked and nodded his head before waving a hand, causing a torrent of mixed Fire and Curse energy to blast the Shadows back that were restraining Draconis and Crow, as well as knocking aside the Shadows standing guard over the bound Thieves, who Crow and Draconis quickly cut loose as they rushed to Joker and Wolf's side, all while Seraphim, Seeker, Mona, and Queen attempted to get the rest of the Thieves up as they took advantage of the distraction Houdini had created to free the bound Phantom Thieves. After everyone was freed, a very irate looking Akane glared at Owada before she spoke up.

"I hope you've made your peace with your higher power! Because we're about to show you no mercy, Owada!" Akane said as Houdini turned to Wolf and waved a hand, shocking the group as a burst of healing energy came from Houdini's hand and healed a surprised Wolf's gunshot wound, allowing him to get to his feet and move to the front lines while also being joined by Seraphim, thereby sending Mona, Fox, and Seeker to Group B to fill in Draconis, Wolf, and Seraphim's places as Violet moved to fill Crow's spot in Group C. Wolf then spoke up with a surprised look at Akane.

"Akane, is this really happening? Did you just now manage to finally awaken to the same power that the rest of us have?" Wolf asked as Seraphim smirked and spoke up while nodding to Wolf.

"She sure did, Wolf! And you know what that means!" Seraphim said as Joker spoke up.

"Not now, Seraphim! Let's worry about finishing this battle before we sort out the consequences of Akane's reckless and brazen disobedience of our wishes, and the results said actions had for Akane." Joker said as Wolf nodded and spoke up.

"Right. I might not like it, but if Akane's managed to get a Persona, then that means she's meant to fight at our side. So I can't be protective of her forever. Akane? If you're that determined to be one of us, then show us what you can do! Are you ready to help us deal with Owada?" Wolf said as Akane nodded and spoke up.

"Yep! It's well past time that someone put him in his place! Oh, and before you get any ideas about trying any cheap tricks? Let me show you what else I can do!" Akane said as she reached down to one of the twin holsters that had materialized on her mini-skirt, and pulled out an eerily familiar-looking gun as she aimed the gun at Owada. Once Akane pulled the trigger, she blasted Owada with three successive energy magic blasts from the gun, causing him to wince in pain as he was pushed backwards. In addition, much to the Thieves shock, the damage caused by these blasts seems to seep out of Owada and transfer to Akane, allowing her to gain a small bit of health. Seeing the look of mixed confusion and pain on his face Owada snarled and spoke up in anger.

"What did you do to me?!" Owada said as Akane spoke up.

"Confused, you bastard? Let me explain! These are my Arcane Guns! Unlike normal Arcane Guns, these have been modified slightly! In addition to dealing damage to my enemies, the energy bullets on my Arcane Gun allow me to recover a small portion of the damage dealt with each shot. It's not a lot of recovery, but hey, enough direct hits, and the results can start to add up after a while. So don't underestimate what the little things in life can do!" Akane said as Owada gritted her teeth and spoke up.

"How dare you shoot at me, you uppity bitch? I think it's well past the time that I put you all down!" Owada said before shifting forms into what Joker immediately recognized as another Ganesha. However, unlike normal Ganesha, the Owada-turned-Ganesha had an ominous red aura flaring from him, making Draconis' eyes widen as he spoke up.

"Shit! That's not good! He's giving off the same aura as most of those strong Shadows we've fought thus far!" Draconis said as the Owada-turned-Ganesha laughed and spoke up.

"Very observant, for a fool! I'm stronger than any mere Ganesha! And not only that, but I can summon in backup too!" The Owada-turned-Ganesha, or the 'Destroyer Pachyderm' as Oracle's scan identified Owada's monster form, said as he summoned a bunch of Shadows to assist him, ones that Joker recognized as Valkyries. The 'Destroyer Pachyderm' laughed mockingly at the group and spoke up.

"Ready to die, Phantom Thieves? Even with your extra member, you won't be able to escape!" The 'Destroyer Pachyderm' said as Joker spoke up.

"We'll see about that, Owada! Wolf, Draconis, Crow, and Seraphim, you're with me and Akane. The rest of you guys take care of the other Shadows, and I want Oracle to try to scan this Ganesha." Joker said as Oracle spoke up.

"I just did. Although this one has an increase in stats unlike that other Ganesha that we fought earlier, its weaknesses and affinities are still the same." Oracle said as Crow spoke up with a smirk.

"So he's weak to Elec, Psy, and Curse, all while he resists Physical, blocks Wind, and absorbs Nuke. I'm going to enjoy this." Crow said Seraphim spoke up.

"Not as much as me. Owada's going to pay for what he's done to Akane and Wolf." Seraphim said as Wolf readied his sword and looked at Akane as he spoke up.

"You ready to give this guy justice for your mom?" Wolf said as Akane smirked and spoke up.

"You bet Dad. It's one thing to idolize the Phantom Thieves, but it's another when it comes to becoming one yourself. And I'm determined not to waste this opportunity." Akane said as she readied her new fan weapons as Draconis spoke up.

"Then let's get this done and shut this guy down for good." Draconis said as a fight began! As the fight started, the 'Destroyer Pachyderm' spoke up with a laugh.

"Good, time to end you all myself! And I think I'll start with the Hasegawas! Since the dear Inspector and his pretty daughter want to defy me so much, they can both die together by my hand!" The 'Destroyer Pachyderm' said as the Valkyries charged forward towards the group, forcing Groups B and C to dodge to the side to avoid the oncoming assault. As they fought, Seraphim glared at the 'Destroyer Pachyderm' and spoke up.

"Hey, Owada! Here's a news flash, you sick, disgusting son of a bitch! I can handle you threatening me, and even to a point the others here, but I will NOT stand for you thinking you have any sort of permission to try and hit on either Akane OR Seeker!

Both of them are far too innocent, precious, and amazing to have their virtue desecrated by the likes of you! And as for Wolf? He's easily twice, no, three times, the man you'll ever be! So do not think you're even remotely on their level! As for the offer you made to us ladies earlier? To reiterate what Skull said before, you can take that offer and go fuck yourself!" Seraphim said as Akane smiled and spoke up before Violet and Wolf could do more than gape at the strong and heated language coming from Seraphim's mouth at that moment.

"Seraphim, thank you." Akane said, feeling herself subtly blush under her mask at the kind words Seraphim had said about her as she primed her fans back and glared at Owada as she kept speaking.

"And as for YOU! Your backup might look tough Owada, but I bet I can bring them down to size easily enough!" Akane said as she tossed her fans expertly, slicing through three of the Valkyries with each fan, smirking as the struck Valkyries dropped to the ground and dissolved to black mist. She then turned to Houdini and spoke up.

"HOUDINI! Show our enemies what you can do!" Akane said as Houdini nodded, racing forward as he readied a fireball in one hand and an orb of Curse energy in the other, hurling both at the enemies, smirking as the orb of Curse energy hit the ground and exploded, loosing a wide burst of Curse power around the immediate vicinity, destroying any Valkyries and/or Shadows unlucky enough to be caught in the blast radius.

At the same time, the fireball hit one of the Valkyries in the face, making them burst into flames as they ran around trying to put the flames out, unintentionally setting several other Valkyries aflame as well. After a bit, the improvised Fire and Curse moves from Houdini had all but eliminated the army of Valkyries. Once it was just the 'Destroyer Pachyderm' and a few of the Valkyries left, the 'Destroyer Pachyderm' spoke up once more.

"Not bad. You've put up more of a resistance than I expected you would. But all of that ends here, Phantom Thieves! It's time to finish you all off!" The 'Destroyer Pachyderm' said as he smirked at the group and then kept speaking with a sinister smile on his face.

"But, you know, to be honest? I must admit that there are quite a few of you female Phantom Thieves who are pretty enough that it would be a shame to kill you. Wouldn't you lovely ladies rather be spared, even if it means having to be sold off to the highest bidder? Surely you'd prefer that over death?" The 'Destroyer Pachyderm' said as Akane frowned and spoke up.

"EWW! Shut your disgusting mouth, you creepy old bastard! I think I speak for all of us ladies when I say we'd rather die than spend the rest of our lives living a life of being pimped out by the likes of you! So like both Skull and Seraphim said before, you can take your offer and shove it where the sun don't shine, and then go fuck yourself while you're at it!" Akane snarled as Queen spoke up.

"You tell him, Akane-chan!" Queen said as Panther spoke up.

"Show that freak that we ladies are not to be underestimated." Panther said as Seeker spoke up.

"Don't let this opportunity go to waste." Seeker said as Noir spoke up

"Make him see justice for your mom's death." Noir said as Violet spoke up.

"Although I'm not thrilled with the earlier language by Akane, I'll make an exception since this is personal for her." Violet said as the 'Destroyer Pachyderm' snarled and spoke up.

"You brat, you will pay for your insolence." the 'Destroyer Pachyderm' said, and just as he was about to charge at Akane, an electrified arrow was launched just short of the 'Destroyer Pachyderm', making it jump back in surprise as Seraphim spoke up with an enraged glare on her face.

"How dare you!? Maybe you haven't noticed, but several of us girls aren't even all that into men these days! And I know for a fact that Panther and Flare are very happy with one another. And truth be told, I find myself increasingly drawn to Akane here. Does that mean I like both women and men? Probably. Will I turn Akane away if she were to ask me to be her girlfriend? Absolutely not!

I care for Akane a great deal, more than I thought I would! So if making her mine makes her happy, then that's just what I'm going to do! So keep your filthy hands off of her! Otherwise, the next arrow will go right through your forehead! No one threatens the woman I love and gets away with it!" Seraphim said as Akane blushed at Seraphim's bold admission of her feelings for her. Wolf then smirked and spoke up.

"Well, what do you know? I knew you had a crush on my daughter, Seraphim." Wolf said before noticing the stunned look on Akane's face as he kept speaking.

"You all right, Akane?" Wolf asked, gently patting his daughter on the shoulder and making her shake herself as she spoke up.

"Hm? Oh, yes. Sorry. I was just stunned by what Seraphim just said. And truth be told? I think I love Seraphim as well. But we can leave it at that for now. There'll be plenty of time for Seraphim and I to talk about our feelings for one another later. For now, let's stay focused and see what we can do about beating this asshole!" Akane said, getting approving nods from Joker, Queen, Pendragon, Fox, Panther, Flare, Draconis, and most importantly Seraphim and Wolf as she swung at the 'Destroyer Pachyderm' with her fans, pushing it back for a good bit of damage. It was at that moment that Akane spoke up.

"HOUDINI! Drain this bastard of his life energy." Akane as Houdini nodded and with a wave of his hand, more life energy seeped out of the 'Destroyer Pachyderm' as it flowed into Akane as she gained health as Fox spoke up.

"How interesting. The Persona also has a similar ability to that of Akane's ranged weapons. I do wish to sketch it sometime." Fox said as Mona spoke up.

"Fight now, admire later Fox!" Mona said as Draconis spoke up.

"This isn't the time for you to be in one of your art inspiration phases." Draconis said as Oracle spoke up.

"Draconis is right, Fox. Trust me on this when I say that you will have plenty of time later to consider sketches for Akane's new Persona." Oracle said as the fight proceeded onwards.

From there, Joker, Crow, and Draconis let loose a triple header of attacks with Seth, Malefor, and Hereward, blasting more of the Valkyries into black mist while making the 'Destroyer Pachyderm' stagger backwards as the last of its' down gauge broke, prompting Joker to turn to Akane and speak up.

"Well, we've got him on the ropes. This would be the point where we hit the enemy with an All-Out Attack. However, since this is a fight that has more meaning for you than for most of us, I feel like it's only right to offer you first crack at an All-Out Attack. Care to do the honors, Akane?" Joker asked as Akane nodded and spoke up.

"Gladly." Akane said before glaring at the 'Destroyer Pachyderm' as she kept speaking, fans in hand.

"Ready for me to teach you a lesson, Owada!? No? Well, TOO BAD! Payback time, you bastard! NOW, EVERYONE! ALL-OUT ATTACK!" Akane snapped while waving her fans forward as if signaling for a charge, as the others rushed forward to repeatedly strike the 'Destroyer Pachyderm', before the screen flashed red and cut to a shot of Akane raising her fans up above her head, one of them becoming coated in Fire energy, and the other in Curse energy.

"Time to feel the wrath of the accursed flame!" Akane said as she flung the fans forward, both impacting into the gut of the 'Destroyer Pachyderm', where they exploded, coating him in mixed Fire and Curse energy and damaging him severely as Akane's fans returned to her in one piece, at which point Akane ran forward and did a cross-slash across the chest of the 'Destroyer Pachyderm' while speaking up.

"TIME TO BURN!" Akane said as she slammed her fans together, causing a pillar of Curse and Fire energy to shoot up from underneath the 'Destroyer Pachyderm' and launching him high into the air, burning him as it threw him up high. After a bit, the 'Destroyer Pachyderm' crashed to the ground in pain as the All-Out Attack ended, at the same time that Akane felt a flash of light run over her body, making Joker smirk as he spoke up.

"Good timing. Looks like you managed to charge up your Showtime with that All-Out Attack, Akane! Wanna finish this guy off for us?" Joker asked as Akane nodded and spoke up.

"Don't mind if I do!" Akane said as she turned to give the 'Destroyer Pachyderm' her best death glare while she kept speaking.

"Hey, asshole! You're not out of the woods yet! Now to show you my true power! IT'S SHOWTIME!" Akane said as she brandished her fans while her Showtime started! As it began, Akane turned to Houdini and spoke up.

"Care to get our brave volunteer ready for our next trick, Houdini?" Akane asked as Houdini nodded once, snapping his fingers as the 'Destroyer Pachyderm' was lifted into the air and shacked to the wall by his hands and feet. At that point, Akane spoke up while tossing aside her fans and brandishing her Arcane Guns, which she aimed right at the face of the Destroyer Pachyderm while speaking up.

"I could so easily end you right now, but I won't. Instead, I'll give you the indignity of a long, drawn-out defeat!" Akane said as Houdini nodded, taking this as his cue as he waved his hand and twin boxes appeared, one covering Houdini and the other covering the 'Destroyer Pachyderm'. As the rest of the group looked on in confusion, the box that Houdini was in was suddenly run through with countless swords, half of said swords being coated with Fire energy and the other with Curse energy. As this was happening, Flare spoke up.

"Oh, I've seen this trick before in a magic show that I went to once." Flare said as Pendragon spoke up in confusion.

"Uhh, don't these things usually have the magician being skewered by its assistant?" Pendragon said as Skull spoke up with wide eyes as the boxes opened up.

"You might wanna hold that thought, Pendragon. LOOK!" Skull said as the boxes opened up and an unharmed Houdini escaped out from the box that the 'Destroyer Pachyderm' was previously in, all while nearly all of the Phantom Thieves grimaced at what appeared to be the 'Destroyer Pachyderm' being ran through by a number of swords in the other box that Houdini previously resided in. Crow gave a chuckle and spoke up.

"My my, I've done a lot of cruel methods myself when it comes to destroying my enemies. But what Akane-san is doing is on a whole other level." Crow said and at that point, Akane grinned and spoke up.

"Had enough yet? Time to put you out of your misery! NOW, HOUDINI!" Akane said as Houdini nodded and clapped his hands together, causing both boxes to vanish in an explosion of Curse energy, leaving behind a badly-damaged and burnt 'Destroyer Pachyderm' after the torrential wave of Fire energy swept the battlefield and eliminated the rest of the Valkyries. Akane then spoke up.

"Thank you for volunteering, but I'm afraid the show's over for you!" Akane said as she posed with a flourish and a bow in time for one last burst of Fire energy to strike the 'Destroyer Pachyderm', sending it to the ground, where it groaned and slumped over to end both the Showtime and the battle. After the fight, the 'Destroyer Pachyderm' groaned as it reverted back into the cognitive Owada, who spoke up in annoyance after struggling to his feet.

"Dammit! This cannot be happening! How did I manage to lose a fight to a bunch of meddling scum like you!?" Owada snapped as Wolf spoke up with an amused smirk on his face, trying not to let on how proud he was of his daughter for sticking it to Owada the way she had while he spoke.

"Isn't it obvious? It's because you underestimated us. But more to the point, you underestimated the power of our teamwork, and that proved to be your undoing in this instance, Owada. But I'll let Akane be the one to finish you off, since she has more of a right than most of us to do so, given what you've put her through." Wolf said as Akane nodded and spoke up, pointing her Arcane Gun right at Owada's head, making the Phantom Thieves gasp as Akane spoke.

"You're lucky I'm in a merciful mood, Owada! If I wasn't, it'd be child's play to pull this trigger and end you where you stand. However, my father raised me right! He and Mom both taught me that revenge isn't always the answer. So I'll spare you this time, not only because I refuse to stoop to your level, but also so that you have a chance to hopefully reflect on your actions. And with any luck, you'll actually have the decency to legitimately repent for your crimes!" Akane said as Owada spoke up, shocking everyone as he pulled his gun out once more while he spoke.

"Thank you. Rather nice of you, as well as foolish." Owada said as he pointed the gun at Akane's chest, making Wolf and the others gasp. However, before he could pull the trigger, Owada groaned and fell backwards to the ground after being tackled by both Mona and Skull, his gun slipping free from his hands as he was knocked down, managing to leer at Akane one last time as he kept speaking.

"Damn. Looks like this is the end for me. Well, at least I can say I got to go out looking at a beautiful woman. So it's not all bad, right?" Owada said, leering up at Akane while he looked her over, before groaning in pain as two different boots connected with his groin courtesy of Violet and Seraphim, making him groan in pain as an arrow from Seraphim's bow went through the cognitive Owada's forehead, causing the cognitive Owada to dissolve into a black mist while meeting its end.

Owada's rather abrupt demise had the result of leaving most of the group in stunned silence as well as leaving Akane to shudder in horror once she realized how close she'd come to being preyed on by Owada. Before she could do more than gasp, she felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around her, looking to her left to see a gently smiling Seraphim hugging her close for comfort as she spoke up while looking directly into Akane's eyes.

"Shh, it's all right. Owada can't hurt you anymore, Akane. He's gone." Seraphim said comfortingly as Akane spoke up while blushing at how intently Seraphim was gazing into her eyes while she spoke.

"Thank you, Seraphim. I appreciate what you did during the battle earlier, and for standing up for me." Akane said as she then gasped and kept speaking to voice a realization she'd had.

"Oh no! Even if he was a creepy old scumbag, isn't what Seraphim just did to Owada basically murder?" Akane asked as Mona spoke up with a reassuring smile.

"No. That wasn't the real Jyun Owada. It was a cognitive copy of him based on the real one. But that's not to say that the real one might also take an interest in you in the same way the fake did, Akane. But no, Seraphim's not a murderer, if that's what you're worried about." Mona said as Akane nodded and spoke up, starting to look a bit unsteady on her feet, to the horror of both Wolf and Seraphim, as she spoke.

"Oh, that's good. What...a relief..." Akane said as she sighed in relief before shocking the group as she started swaying unsteadily back and forth on her feet, eventually starting to keel over before finding herself scooped up into a psuedo bridal-style carry by Seraphim, who smiled as she spoke up.

"It's okay, Akane. I've got you." Seraphim said as Akane nodded and spoke up.

"Good. But why am I suddenly so tired? I rested a lot before coming here, didn't I?" Akane asked as Mona smiled and spoke up.

"That's how the Metaverse works, Lady Akane. Once you've awakened to a Persona, that process usually takes a significant toll on your psyche. And adding on the fact that you did an All-Out Attack and Showtime one after another has caused you to become so fatigued. Furthermore, you're probably also emotionally exhausted from all the stuff you had to confront while facing Owada.

So in hindsight, don't feel bad if you need a bit of rest, Akane. All of us were the same way when we first awakened to our Personas, aside from myself and Crow. But we're special cases. I'll leave that at that for now, mainly since I don't think you're awake enough for that explanation." Mona said as Joker spoke up once Akane eventually passed out in Seraphim's arms, much to Seraphim's mixed worry, embarrassment and horror.

"Well, I guess none of us have anticipated Akane awakening to a Persona, as well as being the one to save us from that ambush set by Owada. But, I think it was a blessing that she did, otherwise we would all be in a different place right now. At this point, I think it's obvious that we have to go back to the real world and let Akane rest up and recover from that fight. After that, we can discuss formally inducting her into the Phantom Thieves, since I can already tell that Wolf will have his misgivings about it." Joker said as the others nodded and returned to the real world at that point, an anxious-looking Seraphim carrying the unconscious Akane in her arms...

(Back in the real world, in a side street of Shinsekai, with Ren, Morgana, Ryuji, Ann, Yusuke, Makoto, Futaba, Haru, Goro, Sumire, Kusa, Sophia, Sojiro, Shiho, and Zenkichi)

As the group gathered in a side street of Shinsekai, Ryuji frowned and spoke up with a confused look on his face.

"Why are we gatherin' here instead of in the RV, again?" Ryuji asked as Kusa spoke up.

"Because Akane's taking a nap there to try and regain her energy with Nanako watching over her, hence why they're not with us, Ryuji." Kusa said as Zenkichi spoke up.

"I know we agreed that Nanako can be trusted to take good care of Akane, but at the same time, I'm not sure how I feel about Nanako being left alone with my daughter after what she and Akane admitted about each other. However, I also acknowledge I can't be protective of Akane forever since she's almost a grown woman, so I suppose I have to trust Nanako to not take advantage of the situation too much." Zenkichi said as Shiho spoke up with a reassuring smile.

"It's all right, Zenkichi-san. Nanako's professional enough not to take advantage of a situation." Shiho said as Zenkichi nodded and spoke up.

"Fair enough. Still, I can't help but notice that we didn't get very far into Konoe's Jail before we had to leave, did we?" Zenkichi asked as Ren spoke up with a nod and an understanding look.

"True. But we did get a new ally as a trade-off, so I consider it worth the early interruption to our progress. And the best part is that with Akane now able to use a Persona, we no longer have to worry about leaving anyone behind when going into the Metaverse." Ren said sagely as Ryuji high-fived him and spoke up.

"Truth, RenRen! We can all stick together!" Ryuji said as Goro smirked and spoke up, seeing a chance to make up for the bet he lost to Kusa.

"Hey, Kusa. Wanna make another bet?" Goro asked as Kusa spoke up warily, not sure if he liked how abruptly Goro was bringing up making bets.

"What sort of bet did you have in mind, Goro?" Kusa asked uneasily as Goro spoke up, deciding to explain the bet before either Kusa or Ren could question it too much.

"Oh, just a small little follow-up to our other outstanding bet. Y'know, the one where you bet 2,000 yen that Nanako and Akane would hook up by the end of Konoe's Jail and I bet 4,000 that it'd be by the end of the last Jail. Well, instead of me losing that bet, let's go double-or-nothing. 8,000 yen, plus the original 4,000, that says Nanako ends up asking Akane to be her girlfriend." Goro said as Kusa laughed and spoke up.

"You're trying to be an opportunist, aren't you? Too bad for you that's a sucker's bet, and I don't take sucker's bets. Now, if you wanted to make it an interesting bet, like let's say 20,000 yen that says Nanako ends up getting Akane into bed with her by the end of our time in Osaka, then that would be a bet that I'd consider making with you, Goro." Kusa said as Goro smirked and spoke up, seeing a chance to try and use Kusa's suggestion to his advantage.

"Why not? But let's make it 45,000 yen instead. Make it a real double-or-nothing on the last bet you won." Goro said as Kusa thought about it and nodded his agreement while speaking up.

"Y'know what? Done. I'll take that bet. Any other takers?" Kusa asked as Sojiro spoke up.

"I suppose I can take part in this. Honestly, after what I noticed while we were back in Yongen, I have a feeling those two are about to give into each other at any point, so I'm on your side for this one, Kusa." Sojiro said as Morgana spoke up.

"Same for me, Lady Akane and Lady Nanako are very relatable to one another, so I sense that they will get intimate very soon." Morgana said as Ryuji spoke up.

"Well as for me, I'm actually on Goro's side for this one. Don't get me wrong, Nanako and Akane are good for each other, but I don't see them going as far as doing stuff like that." Ryuji said as Goro smirked as he spoke up.

"Huh, I didn't think you be on my side for this one, Ryuji. I'm impressed." Goro said as Ren spoke up.

"He's not the only one, I'm joining in on your side as well Goro." Ren said as Kusa blinked as he spoke up.

"Uh Ren. Are you sure about this? Given the fact that you lost bets against me before, I think you may need to reconsider your position." Kusa said as Ren spoke up.

"Don't get me wrong Kusa, I know this is a surprise seeing me siding with Goro, but I don't think Nanako and Akane are ready to go as far as doing the same stuff that you and I normally do with our respective girlfriends. Even though those two are probably on the verge of becoming a couple, I don't think it will go as far as just asking the other if they want to be their girlfriend." Ren said as Kusa sighed and spoke up.

"Very well then. It's your funeral brother." Kusa said as he, Goro, Ren, Morgana, Ryuji, and Sojiro deposited their money inside a safe deposit box that Sojiro had conveniently happened to have on him at that moment, with Kusa, Sojiro, and Morgana placing their yen inside one end of the box and Goro, Ren, and Ryuji placing their yen on the other. Kusa smirked and gave a low whistle as he saw the massive wad of yen inside the now-filled box as he spoke up.

"Damn, hard to believe that's over a quarter of a million yen sitting up for grabs right there. Talk about your high-stakes bets. Granted, whichever side wins has to split the take three ways, but that's still a nice wad of yen to split." Kusa said as Ryuji, Goro, Sojiro, Morgana, and Ren nodded their agreement before all six shook hands to seal the wager while Sumire sighed and spoke up.

"What am I going to do with you, Ren? If it's not Kusa making foolish bets, it's you." Sumire said as a 'BIP!' from her phone preceded Sophia speaking up.

"True, but that's just Dad for you, Mom. Besides, it's not like he can't afford to lose that much yen given how lucrative our current line of work is." Sophia pointed out wisely as Morgana smiled at her and spoke up.

"Very wise of you, Lady Sophia. However, Ren doesn't always make such foolish bets. This is just a special occasion." Morgana said as Ren nodded while Sophia spoke up.

"I see. If you say so, Morgana. Thank you for being so honest with me. I admire that about you a lot." Sophia said as Morgana blushed and spoke up.

"R-Really? Thank you, Lady Sophia." Morgana said as Sumire giggled and spoke up.

"Aww, how cute. Look, everyone! Morgana's totally blushing." Sumire said as everyone else minus Sophia and Morgana laughed, the latter pouting as he spoke up.

"HEY! Don't tease me like that, Sumire! Can I help it if you and Ren's influence have made it so Lady Sophia is such a sweet and beautiful person that she always has a kind word for everyone she sees for the most part?" Morgana said as Sophia blushed and spoke up.

"A sweet and beautiful person, you say? I didn't think you had that high of an opinion of me, Morgana?" Sophia said as Morgana just smirked as everyone laughed, leaving Ren to smile as he felt an increased sense of closeness to his allies, even the absent Nanako and Akane. It was then followed by Kusa speaking up.

"So since we're waiting for Akane to recover, am I to assume that we're all in agreement to bring Akane into the Crew?" Kusa said as Makoto spoke up.

"From the looks of it Kusa, I can say that just about all of us want Akane-chan to officially join the group. But I think the biggest factor comes from Zenkichi-san." Makoto said as everyone turned to the man in question as Yusuke spoke up.

"Well, Zenkichi? Are you ok with your daughter fighting alongside us now that she has a Persona?" Yusuke said as Ren spoke up.

"You were the one who was hesitant about this earlier, so it only makes sense for you to have the final say." Ren said as Zenkichi smiled and spoke up.

"Not to worry, Ren. After seeing for myself what Akane is capable of in the Jail, I can say that I'm ok with having her fight alongside the rest of us. In addition, Akane's desire to make Konoe see justice for what his actions have done to her is just as real as ours. Since Konoe is responsible for causing our recent predicaments, it's only right that all of us see through this endeavor to the end, and that includes my daughter." Zenkcihi said as Ann spoke up.

"I agree This fight against Konoe is just as much to Akane as it is to us. It makes sense to have her with us." Ann said as Haru nodded and spoke up.

"Yes. With all of us working together, there's nothing we can overcome." Haru said as Futaba spoke up.

"This isn't about clearing our names anymore, this is for all the Monarchs that were being used, including Akane." Futaba said as everyone nodded Ren smiled and spoke up.

"Alright then. Since all of us are in agreement, once Akane recovers and we reconvene with her and Nanako, we'll officially induct her into the Crew." Ren said as everyone nodded and soon after, the group decided to disperse and look around for a while, all while Ren's thoughts idly turned to Nanako, wondering how she and Akane were holding up at the RV...

(Meanwhile, inside the RV at the same time as the conversation with the rest of the group, with Akane and Nanako)

While carrying a sleeping Akane to the RV and gently setting her down so she could unlock the RV and carry Akane inside before laying her on the bottom bunk, Nanako went to set Akane down on the bottom bunk to take a nap before slyly smiling and giggling to herself as she saw a chance to get back at Akane for embarrassing her before by gently stripping Akane down to her bra and panties before laying her on the bottom bunk and covering her with a blanket, smiling at how adorably peaceful Akane looked while sleeping. While Akane rested, Nanako stretched out across one of the booth seats, deciding to relax a bit while she kept vigil by Akane's side while she recovered from her Awakening.

Eventually, after about two or so hours of napping, Akane eventually yawned cutely and sat up, frowning when she realized she was back in the RV, before her frown turned into embarrassment as she saw her clothes strewn across the ground, making her lift up the blanket and go bright red in embarrassment as she realized she was only wearing a bra and panties. After looking around, Akane smirked as she saw the back of a familiar head of pseudo strawberry-blonde hair leaned backwards over one of the booth seats, getting up and walking over to check on Nanako out of idle curiosity.

However, when Akane went to check on Nanako, her embarrassment would only grow further when she saw that Nanako, presumably having gotten warm while waiting for Akane to get up, had removed every bit of her clothing except for her silky silver panties, leaving her topless and nearly naked before the widened eyes of Akane, who eventually smirked as she saw a chance to tease Nanako a bit and quietly giggled as she sneakily climbed on top of Nanako and got comfortable on her after removing her own bra, deciding on some skin-to-skin contact for a bit.

After a few minutes of Akane enjoying being in Nanako's arms, Nanako yawned cutely and opened her eyes, before blushing as she felt something resting against her chest, looking down in time for her blush to deepen when she realized that Akane was in her arms, seemingly dozing peacefully. Nanako's blush deepened when she realized Akane had seen her in just her panties and decided to match her state of dress by removing her own bra.

Blushing prettily at the sight of a topless and very content-looking Akane cuddled close to her, Nanako just wrapped an arm around Akane, who smiled as she yawned and woke up. After waking up, Akane spoke up after looking up into Nanako's eyes and also blushing as she registered what she'd done, as well as the close proximity she and Nanako had to one another, in addition to their current states of dress.

"Ah, finally awake there, Sleeping Beauty?" Akane asked as Nanako blushed more and spoke up after registering what Akane had referred to her as.

"S-Sleeping Beauty?" Nanako asked as Akane nodded and spoke up, giggling at the adorable look on Nanako's face.

"Yep. I woke up and saw you laying across the booth seats, sleeping in your underwear, or part of it. Could that be connected to the reason why I woke up wearing only my bra and panties?" Akane asked as Nanako blushed and sheepishly nodded before speaking up.

"Yeah. I decided to get a bit of payback on you for the time you stripped us both down without asking me. As for why I was only wearing panties when you woke up? Welll, I may or may not have accidentally gotten myself aroused when I stripped you down to your bra and panties, causing me to have to get creative in giving myself the 'outlet' of sorts that I needed without waking you up. But I wasn't trying to take advantage of you being unconscious just so I could mess around with you." Nanako said honestly as Akane giggled and spoke up.

"Silly Nanako. I wouldn't have minded too much. Or were you listening before when I told Owada that I care about you?" Akane said as Nanako spoke up in shock.

"You care about me? I thought I was the one who admitted to caring about you?" Nanako asked as Akane smiled and spoke up.

"We both did, if we're being entirely honest with each other right now. But in all seriousness, you have nothing to be embarrassed about, Nanako. You're a beautiful woman with an amazing figure, and I love you." Akane said as Nanako's eyes widened in surprise at Akane's admission before she blushed and spoke up.

"Really, Akane? You love me!?" Nanako asked in surprise. Akane nodded and spoke up, deciding to be honest with Nanako about her feelings for her.

"Yup. I think I've loved you since at least the time you stayed the night with me. You know, the time where I kissed you?" Akane said as Nanako nodded before she blushed prettily at remembering the night in question, which had been an interesting one for her, and spoke up.

"Yes, I remember that. But you said you were just curious about what it was like to kiss a girl that night, didn't you?" Nanako asked as Akane spoke up.

"I lied about that. To be honest, I already had a crush on you at that point, but I didn't want to scare you off by admitting it so soon. Besides, I heard you telling Ren and Kusa that you were straight, so I didn't think you were attracted to women at all, much less that you might have feelings for me, Nanako." Akane said as Nanako smiled and spoke up.

"I didn't think I did at the time. But after spending time with you, and even after you kissed me, I gradually realized that I actually do like both genders, and that I was falling in love with you in particular. To be honest with you? I love you too, Akane." Nanako said as Akane smiled and spoke up.

"I thought you might say that. Well, since we've both admitted that we love each other and have a mutual crush on each other, I'd say all that's left now is for us to decide if we want to try being more than friends with each other. So what do you think? Do you want to try being my girlfriend, Nanako?" Akane asked as Nanako blushed and spoke up, feeling her heart start to beat faster as she pondered Akane's suggestion before smiling as she knew what she wanted to do while she spoke.

"You know what? There's no reason not to that I can see, so why not? The answer is yes, Akane. I would be very honored and delighted to be your girlfriend." Nanako said before gently pulling Akane into an intense kiss that Akane eagerly returned, the two spending a few very enjoyable minutes passionately making out before Akane giggled and spoke up with a look in her eyes that appeared to be a cross of seductive, happy, and coy.

**M-RATED CONTENT STARTS HERE. THOSE WHO DON'T LIKE ADULT SCENES AND/OR LEMONS SKIP AHEAD TO THE SECTION MARKED *END OF M-RATED CONTENT* TO KEEP READING, OTHERWISE YOU READ ON AT YOUR OWN RISK. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! M-RATED CONTENT STARTS NOW!**

"Well, as nice as it is that we're girlfriends now, is the booth seat really the best place for us to be getting intimate with each other?" Akane asked as Nanako spoke up.

"Not really, no. But there's not really a good place for that inside this RV, unless we do it on the floor or against one of the walls." Nanako said as Akane spoke up.

"We could also make love outside the RV, if you prefer." Akane said slyly as Nanako's face went bright red while she spoke up.

"Y-You mean out in the open where anyone could walk by and catch us having sex? Isn't that a bit too bold?" Nanako asked as Akane spoke up.

"Says the girl who probably chickened out of stripping me down bare-ass naked when you brought me back here." Akane said before leaning in to give Nanako a sexy smile as she kept speaking in a husky voice.

"Which I believe I told you once before that I don't mind if you do that to me if we're alone." Akane said as she decided to tease Nanako by lightly peppering kisses along her neckline and collarbone, making Nanako blush as she spoke up in a rather throaty yet husky voice, finding herself inexplicably aroused by Akane's seductive actions and wanting more.

"A-Akane! Behave! You're supposed to be recovering from your Awakening and getting your strength back! And I'm supposed to be watching over you while you rest and get your strength back! You make that difficult to do when you're over here basically trying to seduce me." Nanako mildly rebuked Akane, who smirked and spoke up even as Nanako blushed when she felt Akane's lips brush against her breasts teasingly, making Nanako have to stifle a moan as she felt Akane start to sexily run her tongue along Nanako's slightly oversized areolae and nipples while she spoke up in a sly yet suggestive tone.

"I don't hear you complaining about it too much, though." Akane said as Nanako pouted and spoke up, torn between needing to scold Akane for being naughty and wanting to drag her over to the bottom bunk and throw caution to the wind by stripping her naked and having her way with her. As she spoke, Akane giggled when she heard the conflicted tone in Nanako's voice, knowing she was breaking Nanako down bit by bit and making her get increasingly aroused. Nanako's next words inadvertently confirmed this for Akane as she spoke.

"That's because you're so sexy, it's difficult to say no to you Akane, and you know it." Nanako said while pouting adorably as Akane gave her a seductive yet coy smile before speaking up with an amused giggle.

"Of course I know that. That being said, you say that like I want you to say no to me, Nanako. For all you know, maybe I want you to push me down on this bed and ravage my naked body. Or, maybe I want you to get naked with me so I can lavish you with all the love, attention, and satisfaction that you deserve." Akane said before deciding to go for the metaphoric kill by 'accidentally' slipping a hand into Nanako's panties to stroke Nanako's lightly damp womanhood in a very suggestive yet seductive manner, occasionally slipping a fingertip or two into Nanako's entrance for good measure and making Nanako shudder in a mix of pleasure, desire, and arousal while she gave off an appreciative yet involuntary moan from the feelings that Akane's touch was generating in her as she sighed and spoke up.

"Really!? You're trying to seduce me now, Akane? Are you that horny right now that you need my naked body pressed against yours?" Nanako asked, getting a shy yet sexy nod from Akane as Nanako sighed and then kept speaking in a rather reluctant sounding voice, realizing that she couldn't resist her arousal and desire for Akane's body any longer and pouting as she conceded defeat while she spoke.

"I hate that you're making me feel so damn good right now when I'm over here trying to be the responsible one of the two of us and scold you for being such a naughty slut! Ugh, dammit, I give up. You want me so badly, then fine! FINE! You win, you desperate little whore! Go get your sexy ass on that fucking bed before I change my mind about this if you're serious about wanting to have sex with me, Akane." Nanako said as Akane smiled and nodded, teasing Nanako as she did so by dropping her panties to her ankles and stepping out of them while deciding to tease Nanako by sexily wiggling her bare ass in Nanako's face with a coy giggle.

Eventually, Akane snatched her discarded panties up and threw them aside, leaving her naked body on full viewing display for Nanako, who shyly blushed and did the same as she smirked sexily and pulled off her own panties and threw them to the ground before she tackle-hugged a surprised Akane backwards onto the bed, kissing her passionately before gently rubbing her tongue along Akane's mouth.

From there, Nanako gave Akane an inquiring glance as if asking permission to proceed as Akane nodded and opened her mouth so Nanako could aggressively stick her tongue into Akane's mouth, the two moaning happily as their tongues wrestled with one another for dominance, the two girls' naked bodies rubbing together as they made out. Eventually, Akane giggled and spoke up while looking into Nanako's eyes as she enjoyed the feeling of Nanako's bare breasts pressed up flush against her own, causing their nipples to brush together as they made out.

"That feels incredible. But I don't think we're doing this just to rub our breasts against each other. I know! Let's make this more interesting, shall we?" Akane said as she leaned down to wrap her mouth around one of Nanako's breasts and suck gently but eagerly on it while tracing circles on the exposed nipple and areola on the breast in her mouth with her tongue, using her hands to caress and stroke the other breast, prompting Nanako to give off a rather throaty, if involuntary, moan from Akane's bold actions, eventually smiling as she let Akane lavish attention on her breasts for a while. Eventually, Nanako's hands reached out to cup Akane's breasts, gently caressing each of them lovingly and making Akane also moan happily as she let Nanako lavish attention on her breasts while she returned the favor with Nanako's breasts.

After several long minutes of playing with each other's breasts, Akane's eyes traveled downward towards Nanako's shaven nub, before looking into Nanako's eyes in an unspoken request for permission, which Nanako saw with a smile and nodded once to give her consent for Akane to proceed before Akane smiled and gently pushed Nanako's legs apart enough to run her tongue along the nub poking out of the folds between Nanako's legs, making Nanako shudder and moan at the feeling of Akane's tongue on her nether regions as she gently ran her fingers through Akane's hair with one hand, using the other to gently hold Akane's head in place as she used her mouth and tongue to pleasure Nanako's womanhood.

After a bit, Akane slyly smiled before upping the stakes as she slowly inserted a finger into the entrance of a shocked Nanako, who blushed at the feeling of Akane's finger going into her as she moaned happily. After that, Akane spent several enjoyable minutes fingering Nanako, who eventually spoke up in a husky voice while she moaned sensually.

"HOLY SHIT, AKANE! I don't know where you learned how to do that, but whatever you do, don't stop doing what you're doing to me! I didn't think it'd feel this good to have another woman using her tongue and fingers to ravage my warm, juicy womanhood." Nanako said as Akane nodded and spoke up.

"Can do, Nanako. Just relax and let your girlfriend do her best to make you feel good and worship this sexy fucking body of yours. That being said, I dunno if I want to say where I learned this, just in case Futaba has listening devices planted somewhere in this RV." Akane said as she added a second finger in as she kept fingering Nanako, who could only nod, her eyes closing as she let herself enjoy what Akane was doing to her. Eventually, Nanako spoke up in a husky voice as she felt her walls start to clench around Akane's fingers.

"Oh shit! Keep going, dammit! I think I'm getting close, Akane!" Nanako said as Akane nodded, removing her finger and replacing it with her tongue, deciding she wanted to taste Nanako at least once, making Nanako blush but accept it as she gently wrapped her legs around Akane's head to keep her in place as Akane spent a few more minutes eating Nanako out, eventually driving Nanako over the edge as she spoke up in a decidedly euphoric and ecstatic tone.

"Ohh, fuck! That feels so fucking good, Akane! I think I'm-! OHHH, YESSS! YES, I AM! I'M COMIN', AKANE!" Nanako said as she moaned out Akane's name before feeling herself climax into Akane's mouth, making Akane smile as she got to taste Nanako's sweet yet creamy juices as they slid down her throat before leaning up to kiss Nanako, letting Nanako indirectly taste herself. Akane then looked into Nanako's eyes as she spoke up.

"Are you comfortable enough to eat me out, Nanako? Or do you want to stop here? I respect whatever you decide." Akane said as Nanako blushed prettily and spoke up, the look in her eyes making it clear she had no interest in stopping at that point.

"N-No, we're not stopping. Now that you've shown me what it feels like to be eaten out, I wonder how it feels to be the one doing the eating out. So shut up and lay on that bed so I can ravage you, dammit! I want to feast on that sexy womanhood of yours." Nanako said huskily and sexily as Akane coyly smiled and nodded as she spoke up encouragingly as she laid down in the spot that Nanako had vacated, pleased that she got Nanako comfortable enough to want to explore her naked body.

"I understand. Well, here you go. Eat up!" Akane said as she spread her legs for Nanako so Nanako could see her shaven nether regions, allowing Nanako to smile as she sexily straddled Akane's waist, purposely setting her ass on Akane's breasts while she lowered her face between Akane's legs to lightly trail kisses along her inner thighs towards the very distinct nub between Akane's legs.

Nanako's rather naughty display had the result of making Akane blush at how assertive Nanako was being before giving off a moan as she smiled and spoke up as she gently ran a hand through Nanako's hair as Nanako trailed kisses towards Akane's damp folds. Nanako smirked as she saw the look on Akane's face and decided to tease her by sexily rubbing her ass on Akane's breasts seductively, making Akane smirk and giggle coyly as she deftly swatted Nanako on the ass once, making Nanako yelp and then giggle before sexily moaning as she spoke up.

"Ooh, how very sexy of you. That's not what I thought you'd do to me when I rubbed my ass on those sexy breasts of yours, Akane. Yet at the same time, I somehow yearn for it too." Nanako said as she lightly nibbled on the visible nub between Akane's legs, making Akane whimper a bit from the surprise show of roughness from Nanako before moaning as she spoke up.

"Y-Yes, that's right. Punish me for being a naughty brat as you make me your personal sexual plaything, Nanako. I deserve to be punished like the horny fucking whore that I'm being right now." Akane said seductively yet huskily as she decided to tease Nanako by playing with her own breasts. Nanako smirked at this and got an idea, using her fingers to part the rather moist folds between Akane's legs and slide her tongue into Akane's entrance while tracing circles on Akane's inner walls as she licked around inside of Akane's womanhood, making Akane gasp and then give off a visible shudder from Nanako's brazen display of sensuality, as well as an appreciative moan, as she spoke up in a very husky, and slightly aroused, voice.

"Ooh? Are you going to do what I think you are? If so, go for it. Feast on my womanhood, Nanako! Go wild as you make me have a messy fucking orgasm all over that sexy ass face of yours from your loving!" Akane said enticingly as Nanako blushed before nodding as she lifted Akane's legs so they were draped over her shoulders as she eagerly started sliding her tongue in and out of Akane, making Akane smile and moan huskily and appreciatively as Nanako kept going. After a while, Akane blushed and spoke up while giving Nanako a coy smile.

"Who knew you had such a talented tongue, Nanako? I love it, though. Go on, make me scream your name after you make me cum in that sexy fucking mouth of yours." Akane said as Nanako blushed but nodded as she started rubbing her fingers on Akane's nub while sliding her tongue in and out of her entrance, making Akane moan happily as she let Nanako have her way with her. After a while longer, Akane moaned and spoke up as she felt herself twitch a bit under Nanako's mouth.

"Ooh, wow. I think I might be getting close, Nanako. Keep going and try to make me climax on your face if you want." Akane said as Nanako smirked and kept doing what she was doing, eventually wrapping her mouth around Akane's entrance as she heard Akane starting to pant a bit. Eventually, Akane spoke up.

"Oh shit, I think this is-! OHH, FUCK YES! YES, IT DEFINITELY IS! I FEEL IT! I'M COMIN', NANAKO!" Akane said as she felt her walls clench down on Akane's tongue and fingers before having a bit of a messy release all over the inside of Nanako's mouth once her climax hit, making her juices slide down the back of Nanako's throat, which she swallowed all of, savoring every drop of Akane's rich yet flavorful cum, only removing her mouth after she felt the torrents of Akane's release stop as she sat up to look into Akane's eyes lovingly before sitting upright as she straddled Akane's stomach and let her breasts dangle tantalizingly at Akane's eye level.

Nanako's rather brazen, if somewhat sensual, actions would wind up leaving a panting, but happy Akane to sexily smile at Nanako as she pushed Nanako down onto the bed next to her, after which she pulled her newly broken-in girlfriend into her arms, pressing her mouth against Nanako's and giving her a heated kiss before gently and lovingly wrapping her arms around her smiling girlfriend's slender waist as Akane laid her head on Nanako's shoulder contentedly with a very dreamily content smile, the two newly-minted lovers not even bothered in the slightest by the fact they were both naked as they laid together, both happy with what they'd just done.

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

As she laid on Akane, Nanako blushed prettily and spoke up as she looked over her very naked girlfriend's body before kissing Akane cutely on the cheek while she spoke.

"W-Wow. Just wow. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but that was pretty intense, to be honest. Maybe I was more into women than I thought?" Nanako mused as Akane smiled slyly at Nanako as she spoke up.

"I'm glad you enjoyed that, Nanako. I'm also glad these are mine now." Akane said as she playfully nuzzled her face into Nanako's breasts, making Nanako blush and speak up.

"Why are you such a naughty tease, Akane? You're lucky that I don't mind you doing that. But what if the others were to come back and see us like this?" Nanako said as Akane giggled and spoke up.

"I bet most of them will be more shocked than anything. But I doubt they'll be back anytime soon, Nanako. So relax. We can get dressed before they get back, if you're that anxious about the others seeing us naked together." Akane said as Nanako spoke up.

"Oh, right. I forgot you were both shameless and wild, Akane. You're lucky I love you, you know." Nanako said as she kissed Akane, who giggled and spoke up after returning Nanako's kiss eagerly.

"I know. But I also believe that you like that I'm so shameless and wild. I bet for all that you blush, you're more embarrassed than scared to be seen laying here naked with an equally naked woman in your arms. Which is fine that you are naked right now, since you're pretty beautiful to me just the way you are, Nanako." Akane said as Nanako smiled and spoke up.

"I hate that you're right about that, Akane. However, I also love that you know just how to make me feel better about things. But whatever. At least you're my girlfriend now, so that's what matters." Nanako said as Akane nodded and spoke up as she got comfortable while laying her head happily on her smiling girlfriend's bare chest to use her breasts for a pillow.

"I'm usually right about these things. But for now, let's just get comfortable in each other's arms and try to get a bit of a power nap while we still can before the others come back. I love you, Nanako." Akane said as Nanako blushed but smiled as she spoke up.

"I love you too, Akane. Thank you for asking me to be your girlfriend. I hope we stay happy like this with each other for a long time to come." Nanako said, getting a satisfied nod from Akane in response before Akane settled for pulling a blanket over the two to cover their naked bodies as they fell asleep together in each other's embrace, both Akane and Nananko sporting a matching pair of dreamily contented smiles, neither one regretting their decision to become girlfriends and then consummate their relationship for an instant...

(A couple of hours later, outside the RV with Goro and Kusa)

As they stood outside the front door of the RV, Kusa spoke up, unaware of Nanako and Akane both napping inside the RV as he spoke, and thus not lowering his volume.

"I wonder if Nanako and Akane are actually decent in here, Goro?" Kusa asked as Goro scoffed and spoke up.

"Don't be stupid, Kusa! Of course they're both decent! Akane just awakened to her Persona, for fuck's sake! There's no way in hell that she has the strength, or the energy for that matter, to-" Goro said, before being cut off mid-sentence as he opened the door to the RV, only for Goro and Kusa both to gape in shock at the sight of two piles of discarded women's clothes being strewn across the floor of the RV as Goro opened the door, making Goro frown and speak up.

"Are you serious? Did we really just walk in on what appears to be clear and definitive proof of me being proven wrong!?" Goro said as Kusa grinned and spoke up.

"I dunno, Goro. But to be honest with you? While this isn't confirmation yet, I think the fact that we walked in on what seems to be a bunch of clothes lying on the floor doesn't exactly paint a good picture for your chances of winning our bet, Goro." Kusa said as Goro huffed and set about picking up the discarded clothes and separating them into two piles, one for Nanako and the other for Akane.

As he did that, Kusa walked over to the bed, where he smirked as he saw a dreamily content-looking Akane fast asleep on Nanako, his grin widening as he realized Akane's head was adorably resting on a smiling Nanako's bare chest. Goro walked over to Kusa, in time to see the same thing that Kusa saw and proceed to swear quite profusely as he spoke up.

"Son of a-! Did they seriously do what we think they did!? Did I just lose ANOTHER bet to you, Kusa!?" Goro asked in annoyance as Kusa spoke up.

"If we're going off of just what we're seeing here? Then I would concur that it's a fair bet to assume that's the case, Goro. But just because they fell asleep together while both of them are totally naked, that doesn't mean anything yet." Kusa said as Goro spoke up.

"True, but the fact that their clothes were strewn so haphazardly across the ground suggests that they probably got together, and even managed to consummate their new relationship. As such, I'm pretty sure that means I lose our bet, since consummating one's relationship is often a euphemism for having sex." Goro said as Kusa spoke up with a nod.

"Perhaps, but I say we should wait and ask them about it when they wake up to settle it for sure. For now, let's cover them up so that they have some semblance of decency, and so that none of the others have fits and/or heart attacks when they come back.

Furthermore, if I'm right, I'm quite certain that Nanako and Akane would rather not have everyone see them both naked together. Besides, I always thought they made a cute couple." Kusa said as he heard a low groan and turned in time to see Akane's eyes flutter open slowly, having been woken up by the sounds of Goro and Kusa's discussion, making her look around in confusion before gasping in a mix of horror, shock, and embarrassment as she saw that both Goro and Kusa were back, making to cover herself up as Kusa chuckled and spoke up.

"It's all right, Akane. You don't have to be embarrassed. I have a good idea of what you and Nanako did together while we were gone, and we're not mad. If anything, I'm pleased you two finally admitted to what the rest of us knew, that being that you're both clearly crazy about each other. So congrats on finally getting your crush into bed with you." Kusa said as Akane blushed and spoke up while realizing that Kusa had been looking in on her and Nanako, even though Goro had moved to the other side of the room without Kusa noticing as she spoke.

"Thank you, Kusa. But uh, maybe you shouldn't be standing over us like that while Nanako and I are sleeping? As it is, Nanako was almost having anxiety earlier that we might get in trouble if we were caught making love. I told her that no one would mind, but you know how easily embarrassed she gets." Akane said as Kusa nodded and spoke up.

"I quite understand. I take it from your last statement that you did end up getting together and becoming intimate with her, then?" Kusa asked as Akane shyly nodded and spoke up with a smile on her face.

"Yes. But before you say anything. What we did earlier was very much a consensual and beautiful experience between Nanako and myself." Akane said as Kusa laughed and spoke up while giving Akane a reassuring smile.

"Don't be so scared, Akane. I think it's wonderful that you and Nanako finally staked claim to each other. And now, I'll leave you two to the rest of your well-earned nap while I go tell Goro that he now owes me 45,000 yen, like the foolish fool that he is for betting against me." Kusa said before walking off to stand with Goro on the other side of the room, leaving a red-faced Akane to eventually smile in relief and eventually doze back off on the bare chest of Nanako, who somehow slept through the entire discussion. Once he caught back up to Goro, Kusa grinned and spoke up.

"Okay, NOW we can make it official. You owe me 45,000 yen, Goro! Why do you insist on trying to bet against me, you foolish fool?" Kusa said as Goro swore under his breath and nodded as he spoke up.

"Fair enough. You win the bet this time, Kusa. When we get everyone together, you can split the pot with Morgana and Sojiro while I hold the proverbial L yet again along with Ren and Ryuji." Goro said as Kusa nodded before he spoke up.

"I just hope you learned your lesson about wasting time when trying to make bets with me, Goro. That being said, I suppose we should go ahead and give Nanako and Akane some privacy so they can get dressed before we gather everyone back at the RV." Kusa said as Goro nodded and left with Kusa...

(Another hour later, inside the RV, with Ren, Morgana, Ryuji, Ann, Yusuke, Makoto, Futaba, Haru, Goro, Sumire, Kusa, Sophia, Sojiro, Shiho, Zenkichi, Nanako, and Akane)

After everyone had gathered inside of the RV once both Nanako and Akane woke up from their nap and hurriedly got dressed, Zenkichi spoke up while giving Akane a concerned look, somehow not noticing a very happy Nanako cuddling into an equally satisfied Akane as he spoke.

"So, how are you feeling, Akane?" Zenkichi asked Akane, who smiled and spoke up.

"Much better, Dad. But thank you for asking. Also, for whatever it's worth? I'm sorry for not listening to all of you when you asked me to stay in the RV before. But it was probably to everyone's benefit that I didn't listen, since I'm pretty sure I was the only reason that we were able to fight off Owada before." Akane said as Nanako smiled and spoke up while leaning her head happily on Akane's shoulder, prompting an amused Akane to snake an arm around Nanako's waist as she cuddled her girlfriend while she spoke.

"True. You were pretty brave to stand up to Owada like that, Akane. I respect you a lot for it." Nanako said as Akane smiled and spoke up.

"I wasn't the only brave one. You were the one swearing up a storm back there while you cussed out Owada. But I respect that you were doing it in my defense." Akane said as Nanako pouted and spoke up.

"Stop teasing me like that, Akane. You know that's not fair when you do that." Nanako said in a rare whiny tone as Akane giggled and spoke up.

"I'm sorry, Nanako. Am I not allowed to tease my lovely girlfriend once in a while?" Akane said slyly as at that point, at least half the collective jaws of the group in the room dropped at Akane's remark. Once all the dropped jaws had been picked upoff the proverbial floor, Ren blinked in shock and spoke up, his eyes having gotten rather wide behind his glasses at Akane's referring to Nanako as her girlfriend as he spoke, much as Zenkichi and Kusa's eyes were.

"Wait, WHAT!? Did you just call Nanako your girlfriend, Akane!?" Ren asked as Akane shyly nodded and both Morgana and Ryuji spoke up together in a rare moment of synchronicity, making half the room laugh at what they said next.

"FOR REAL!?" Morgana and Ryuji asked as Kusa grinned and spoke up.

"Oh, it's for real, all right. Goro and I may or may not have walked into the RV and accidentally found proof of Akane and Nanako consummating their new relationship as a way of finally transitioning from being friends to being girlfriends. But I won't go into detail, out of respect for Akane and Nanako. Suffice it to say, Ren, Ryuji, and Goro all lost our bet. So that means myself, Sojiro, and Morgana just netted the easiest 45,000 yen apiece ever made." Kusa said smugly as Ryuji's jaw dropped and he spoke up.

"WHAT THE HECK!? Are you friggin' kidding me? Good thing we paid the bet up-front, so it's not that big of a deal, but still, that sucks. Oh, well. You guys won fair and square. Good game." Ryuji said as he, Ren, and Goro congratulated Kusa, Morgana, and Sojiro on winning the bet. At that point, Morgana smirked and spoke up.

"Well, let this be a lesson to you, Ryuji. Do not make a bet against Kusa. He nearly always wins when he makes bets. I feel like Goro in particular learned that lesson the hard way several times over by now." Morgana said as Goro frowned and spoke up.

"Don't remind me. I still can't believe I've only ever won one bet against Kusa so far. And even then, I think that was only because I got insanely lucky." Goro said, clearly bemoaning his lack of success in winning bets against Kusa. Ren just shook his head and spoke up.

"I'm not surprised. Kusa even warned me against it before I chose to back Goro's bet, so I only have myself to blame right now." Ren said as Sumire sighed and spoke up.

"See Ren, I told you multiple times that it was foolish of you to make bets like that. Please try to set a better example for Sophia?" Sumire said as Ren nodded and spoke up.

"Yes, beautiful. I'm sorry for being reckless. I'll know better for next time." Ren said before Sumire smiled and gave Ren a quick kiss on the cheek as Sojiro smirked and spoke up.

"Y'know, with the kind of luck Kusa has with bets, maybe we should send him to a casino to see how much money he can win?" Sojiro suggested jokingly as several voices spoke up at the same time.

"NO!/HELL NO!" Ren, Ryuji, Morgana, Ann, Yusuke, Makoto, Futaba, Haru, Goro, and Kusa all said at the same time, making Sojiro's eyes widen at the emphatic response he got from most of the group.

"Sorry. It was only a joke." Sojiro said as Kusa spoke up.

"It's fine. I think we're all just leery of casinos after the hell that Makoto's sister put us through inside of her Palace to get her Treasure. Needless to say, all of us who were on the team for that Palace know full well that gambling is not a joking matter, and neither is addiction." Kusa said, shooting both Ann and Morgana a pointed look, making both wince at being called out for their poorly timed attempts at humor. Sojiro blinked and spoke up.

"I see. I apologize for bringing up painful memories with my poor attempt at humor." Sojiro said as everyone who was on the team during Sae's Palace waved off the apology, affirming no harm had been done before Zenkichi smiled and spoke up.

"Yes, well, that happened. Not to be rude, but can we get back to the more important subject here, namely my daughter?" Zenkichi said, getting nods from the others as he turned to Akane and kept speaking.

"So it finally happened then, Akane? You finally found the one for you?" Zenkichi asked as Akane shyly nodded and spoke up.

"Mmhm. I know it's probably unusual for Nanako and I to be dating, especially since she and I are both women, but I love Nanako. And I don't care who knows. I want Nanako by my side as my girlfriend." Akane said honestly as Nanako smiled and spoke up.

"I feel the same, Akane. Why else would I agree to go out with a mischievous and naughty brat like you? And before you have the chance to say anything, the fact that you're irresistibly sexy isn't a good enough reason." Nanako said as Zenkichi spoke up with a smile as he watched Nanako briefly steal a kiss from Akane, who cutely blushed at Nanako's bold display.

"Well, I guess since it finally happened. I can say that I approve of you both dating each other. You both work well together, so I don't have anything to worry about." Zenkichi said as Nanako smiled and spoke up.

"Thank you Zenkichi. I promise I will do whatever it takes to make Akane happy." Nanako said as Akane giggled and spoke up.

"The same thing applies to you as well, Nanako. I want to do all I can to make you the happiest girl that I always love to see." Akane said as Sumire spoke up with a sigh as she watched Nanako boldly lay her head on Akane's shoulder, making Akane smile as she draped an arm around her girlfriend's waist while coyly leaning in to steal a kiss.

"Why am I not surprised that this would happen so soon after Akane awakened to her powers? But then again, we all knew that this was going to happen eventually. That being said, congrats on your newfound relationship, you two. But just for the sake of my sanity, please try not to let Sophia see you two fooling around if you can help it. Sure, I don't think she's into women that way, but I'd rather not have her exposed to it just to be on the safe side." Sumire said as a 'BIP!' from her phone preceded a cutely blushing Sophia speaking up with an equally adorable pout on her face.

"MOM! Don't tease me like that! I would hope that you know full well by now that I'm attracted to men, and ONLY to men! And to be honest? I'm not sure yet, but I might even have my eyes on a certain man in particular." Sophia said, looking down as her cheeks burned bright red from her admission as Ren, Goro, Kusa, and Ryuji all smirked and took turns winking at a dumbfounded and confused Morgana, who blushed and spoke up.

"Uh, guys? Why are you all winking at me?" Morgana asked with a perplexed expression on his face as Kusa spoke up with a smirk on his face.

"Oh, no reason in particular. Other than Sophia's last remark all but confirming that she still seems to have a crush on you. If you play your cards right, you and her might very well be able to get together after all, Morgana." Kusa said as Morgana smiled and spoke up.

"Hopefully you're right, Kusa." Morgana said as Ren spoke up.

"If you guys are done busting Morgana's balls, let's get to the important topic here! Namely, the fact that Akane has awakened to a Persona and managed to save us all while doing so. As per the Phantom Thief code, that usually only means one thing." Ren said as Futaba spoke up.

"Mwehehe, all right! It's once again time to figure out a code name!" Futaba said as Akane blinked and spoke up.

"Code name!? Wait, does that mean-?" Akane asked as Nanako smiled and spoke up.

"Yep. It means you're about to become a full-fledged Phantom Thief, Akane. I told you that you would become one of us eventually." Nanako said as she hugged her smiling girlfriend, who blushed and spoke up with a shy smile on her face.

"You weren't wrong, Nanako. As I mentioned before back in the Jail, it's one thing to admire the Phantom Thieves for all they have done, but becoming one is like a dream come true. Thank you for believing in me." Akane said as she smiled at Nanako, who nodded and spoke up.

"You're welcome. So, does anyone have any suggestions for Akane's code name?" Nanako asked as Futaba giggled and spoke up.

"How about Orochi? After all, when she's mad, she has a temper to rival that of a warrior princess." Futaba suggested as Akane frowned and spoke up.

"Yeeeeah, no. Pretty sure Orochi was also a demon that preyed on the souls of the innocent in addition to being a seductress. Not sure I want that as my code name." Akane said as Futaba nodded before Makoto spoke up. *1*

"How about Demeter? After all, you seem like a rather down-to-earth sort of person at your core, and you were very firm in your beliefs when you stood up to myself, Kusa-kun, and your father earlier. So how does Demeter sound?" Makoto suggested as Haru giggled and spoke up.

"What Mako-chan fails to mention is that Demeter is a goddess of harvest and agriculture, or a goddess of the land." Haru said sagely as Akane smiled and spoke up.

"Thank you for the extra bit of clarification, Haru. Also, Makoto? I think your suggestion is flattering, but wouldn't it be considered sacrilege if I were to let myself be named for a deity like that?" Akane asked as both Goro and Kusa spoke up as one, both sporting identical looks of indignation on their faces as they spoke.

"YES, IT WOULD!" Goro and Kusa said as the latter kept speaking while giving Akane an impressed smile even as he frowned at Makoto while he spoke.

"It absolutely is sacrilege! I'm impressed you knew that, Akane. However, I'm sure Makoto had good intentions with that suggestion. But surely she's aware of why you're vetoing it?" Kusa said as Akane nodded and spoke up.

"I'm definitely vetoing it. I appreciate the input, but I'd rather not have all of us be struck by lightning over a code name, Makoto." Akane said as Makoto nodded her understanding. After a bit, Goro spoke up with a pensive look on his face.

"Well, if Orochi and Demeter are out as options, what about a more fantasy-esque name, such as Demona? After all, you were going pretty borderline demonic on Owada with those Arcane Guns of yours, as well as that stunt you pulled when you were doing your Showtime. With that in mind, I don't think Demona is that inaccurate of a suggestion." Goro said as Ryuji spoke up with a frown.

"Yeeeah, nuh-uh. I doubt that Zenkichi wants his daughter's code name to be derived from the word 'demon', Goro. And before you ask how I know that, let's just say that Makoto's a very good teacher, who is very thorough at what she does. That, and she makes sure that I'm well rewarded for paying attention." Ryuji said as Makoto blushed and spoke up.

"RYUJI! Not around Nanako-chan, Akane-chan, and Sophia-chan! That's not an appropriate thing to mention around them!" Makoto said as Morgana spoke up.

"Cut Ryuji a break, Makoto. It's not his fault that he's so proud of his girlfriend that he probably gets a hard-on from waxing poetic about you." Morgana joked as Kusa groaned and spoke up.

"Dude, really!? At least make sure Ryuji's not in earshot if you're gonna throw that kind of shade at him! And also, that's a dick move calling him out like that around his girlfriend, Morgana! What happened to the bro code?" Kusa said as Yusuke spoke up.

"I don't think the bro code applies when the ladies are around, Kusa. Besides, does the 'bro code' apply to Morgana, given how long he spent as a cat?" Yusuke joked, causing Goro, Ren, and Sojiro to all have to fight the urge to burst out laughing at the shocked look on Morgana's face at Yusuke's unintentional roast of Morgana as Kusa frowned and spoke up.

"Perhaps not, but that's also a dick move to bring that up like that, Yusuke." Kusa said as Sojiro spoke up.

"I find it ironic how we went from discussing Akane's code name to having Goro have his suggestion get shot down by Ryuji, which then somehow led to shots being fired at both Ryuji and Morgana by both the latter and Yusuke respectively. Also, I feel like we should let someone who hasn't said much else so far offer a suggestion. Like maybe Sophia? I feel like she could have an interesting suggestion to offer?" Sojiro said as an awkward silence ensued after apologies were exchanged between Morgana, Ryuji, and Yusuke. Eventually, a 'BIP!' from Sumire's phone preceded a pensive Sophia speaking up to break the silence.

"Hmm. What if we kept it simple and used something easy for Akane's code name, like a color or a material? Let's go with 'Jade' as an example." Sophia said as Zenkichi smirked and spoke up.

"That's a pretty good suggestion, Sophia. However, the biggest issue with that suggestion is the fact that I feel like Jade is far too common sounding for it to be worth much as a potential code name. But we'll keep it on the short-list, I think." Zenkichi said as Nanako spoke up.

"While I don't agree with the specific suggestion that Sophia offered, I think her mention of a color has merit. After all, wasn't Violet the last one to join your team on your original run, and her name was a color? Seems rather symbolic to do the same for Akane here, since she's most likely our final new recruit. But I'm not sure what color to use." Nanako said as Ann spoke up.

"To be fair, Violet's code name was my idea. And I only suggested it because Sumire in English is 'Violet', or so I heard. The fact it's also a color was just a coincidence." Ann said as Sumire spoke up.

"Yes, well, to be fair, you suggested that code name before we started Shido's Palace. However, I was still out of my mind at that time and didn't want to go by that code name. Thus we had to use a temporary placeholder code name until I finally came to my senses and allowed myself to be called Violet in time for Doctor Maruki's Palace." Sumire said as Ann winced but nodded as Shiho spoke up.

"True. Hmm...well, what about 'Auburn'? After all, a lot of Akane's transformed attire was varying shades of red, and some of the darker red shades were similar to auburn if I recall correctly. Plus, isn't 'Auburn' both a Japanese and an English word?" Shiho said as Nanako smiled and spoke up, giggling at the embarrassed look on her girlfriend's face at what she said next.

"That's not bad, Shiho. And Auburn is a pretty name, so that makes it suitable for a sexy lady like Akane." Nanako said as Akane blushed and spoke up.

"NANAKO! Don't flirt with me like that around Sophia! I'd rather not have Sumire be pissed at the two of us if I can help it. That said, I must admit that I like the sound of 'Auburn' too." Akane said as Zenkichi smiled and spoke up.

"True. And according to an article I read once, Auburn also means 'child', meaning I could call you Auburn and have it be accurate since even though you're almost a grown woman, you're still my daughter, Akane." Zenkichi said as Akane smiled and spoke up.

"Thank you, Dad. I appreciate you caring for me." Akane said as Ren smiled and spoke up.

"Well, in any case, it sounds like we have a potential name. All in favor of 'Auburn' as Akane's code name?" Ren asked as nearly everyone else simultaneously called out 'AYE!', prompting Ren to smile as he looked at Akane before he kept speaking.

"Sounds like the 'AYE's have it, to me. In that case, there's only one thing left to say. Congratulations on earning a spot in the ranks of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, or the Phantom Crew as we sometimes go by in our calling cards. Welcome to the Crew, Auburn." Ren said as Akane shyly smiled and spoke up.

"Thanks, Joker. I'm glad to officially be a full member of the team now." Akane said as Zenkichi spoke up.

"Yes, well, you might be a Phantom Thief now, but don't think that means we're not going to still be protective of you and have your back, because we still are gonna do both of those things. You're just on a more equal basis with the rest of us for such things now." Zenkichi said as Akane spoke up.

"I get it, Dad. But thank you for the honesty." Akane said as Kusa then spoke up.

"Well, the only thing left to do now is to add both Nanako and Akane to the Phantom Thieves group chat, especially since we haven't even gotten Nanako's number during the time that she was with us. Not only is this something that we were overdue to do, but I feel like none of us want a repeat of the fiasco that went down the last time any of us were in a group chat with someone posing as Akane, and ultimately, that scenario wound up playing out with almost all of us being tricked into getting captured back in the Kyoto Jail. So if they want to swap contact info with us, we can go about doing that." Kusa said as Nanako and Akane nodded, swapping contact info with the others while Kusa added the two newest Thieves into the group chat. After that, Ren then spoke up.

"As much as I want to say we should get back into the Jail, it's getting late. Not only that, but it's a safe bet that the security levels will be through the roof in Konoe's Jail right now after that ambush Owada laid out for us. So it's probably for the best if we wait until tomorrow to go back into the Osaka Jail. So I guess we have some time to rest and relax for the rest of the night. Let's make the most of it, shall we?" Ren said as the others nodded and got comfortable to figure out what to do with their newfound free time, while Akane spent her time with her new girlfriend reveling in her newfound status as a Phantom Thief...

END OF CHAPTER

A/N: And boom, there we go! Another chapter done and dusted! And let me just say, HOLY CRAP! I was NOT expecting the scenes with Owada's ambush and the newest Phantom Thief's awakening to take up over half the total chapter length. I was at around 8,700 words worth of length on this chapter before I started the Owada ambush part of the chapter.

However, by the time I got to the group returning to the real world, I had it up to around 20,000 words in length (give or take about 1000 words from that length, since I'm estimating that the lemon and the scenes after it leading up to the end of the chapter added around 4000 to 5000 words to the chapter length), so the Owada section wound up adding a bit over 10,000 words to the chapter length, which blows my mind when I think about it.

And to be honest, something like that is wild to think about, especially since that's roughly 1/3rd of the length of a longer chapter of mine. And before anyone races to point out that that's not a longer chapter, we're not counting the about half-dozen times I broke 40,000 and even 50,000 words in total chapter length across the entire of Persona 5-The Phantom Files, since it was an adaptation of Persona 5 Royal, and that game is designed to span the space of pretty much a full in-game year, whereas Strikers is only designed to span the space of about five weeks of in-game time (I believe the first day of Strikers is 7/24 in-game, and the last day is either 8/31 or 9/1), but I could be wrong on that estimation. Anyone who's played all of canon Strikers and knows the answer to my estimate can feel free to correct me on it in the reviews if I'm wrong on that.

That being said, with Akane having joined up as a Phantom Thief, we are now done with new Phantom Thieves for this story. HOWEVER, there might still be one more Awakening left to observe, as anyone reading this who's played through canon Persona 5 Strikers at least once knows. But I won't go into more detail than that, since I'd be risking spoilers if I did. But trust me when I say that this Awakening will be an interesting one.

However, let me point out that the aforementioned Awakening isn't gonna happen anytime in the near future, since it doesn't happen until after the Osaka Jail. Again, can't say more than that to avoid spoiling anything. That said, next chapter will be the return to the Osaka Jail, along with Akane/Auburn's first full infiltration as a Phantom Thief. Might have more, might not. You'll have to wait for next chapter to see for sure. And there's your previewing for the chapter.

On that note, let me take this chance to give a shout-out to Flower Boy Jun over on Amino Apps for being the one to create the design that I based Houdini off of, as well as a shout-out to jdimock for finding me the link to said design. For those curious, here's a link to the design in mention so you can see it for yourself:

https (colon) (slash) (slash) aminoapps (dooot) com (slash) c (slash) smtp5 (slash) page (slash) blog (slash) more-personas (slash) jPWj_20uKu3dYlkMYbZ64pG8MnzzRBR3n8

Note that when pasting the link, replace the (colon) with a (:), the (slash) with a (/), and the (dooot) with a period, otherwise the link might not work. Also, when the link loads, scroll down towards the bottom of the page to find the design that pops up (it should have the word 'Houdini' next to it). But yes, for the sake of doing all due diligence, the design and creative credit for Houdini's design belongs to Flower Boy Jun. I merely borrowed it briefly for the sake of the story. I do not intend to take credit for making or owning it in any way, shape, or form at all.

On the other hand, I do feel the need to mention that Akane's Phantom Thief attire is loosely inspired by her Monarch outfit, but with a few adjustments that I made while planning her Awakening out (such as excluding the jacket Akane had in her Monarch attire, which I did both for aesthetic reasons and to make Seraphim's reaction to Akane's attire funnier), so in a nutshell, I own Akane's Phantom Thief attire concept, even if I took cues from her Monarch outfit for it. In all honesty, it was jdimock's idea to make Akane's Phantom Thief attire a color-swap of her Monarch attire, so he gets partial creative credit as well for the Phantom Thief attire concept for Akane.

So yeah, there's that bit of disclaimer work done for the time being. Also, kudos to anyone who spots at least one of the references I made to various video games/anime with Akane's Phantom Thief attire, along with the references that are present in Akane's Showtime.

And with that out of the way, let me take this opportunity to thank everyone who's read this far not only into this chapter, but the story as a whole, since the amount of support this story has gotten is pretty impressive for what it is, especially when considering it's intended to be a shorter story than Persona 5-The Phantom Files was. Thanks as always to everyone who's either followed or favorited this story, as well as everyone who's left a review on the story so far, as all the feedback/input/support I've gotten thus far has been incredible. So thank you all.

Anyone who's reading this that's so inclined can feel free to drop a review below with their thoughts/feedback/constructive criticism/suggestions for this story, as I enjoy hearing from my readers. Also, if some of you are uncomfortable with leaving reviews for whatever reason, I also invite those people to send their thoughts/feedback/constructive criticism/suggestions to me in a PM, since I enjoy hearing from my readers, and usually make it a point to reply to people when I remember to and am able to do so. So don't be shy about hitting me up! Until next chapter, sithlorde1988 out!

NOTES

*1* - I could be wrong on this, but I seem to recall there being an anime (I think it might have been Naruto?) where there was a character called Orochi who had a very dark and almost demonic plot attached to them, which is where I got the idea for Akane's reason for vetoing Futaba's suggestion for Akane's code name. If anyone reading this can clarify what I'm thinking of, feel free to let me know either in a review or by PM. But figured I'd clarify this so I don't have a ton of confused readers wondering what I'm getting at with this bit.

PHANTOM THIEF SKILL LISTINGS, ALLY LIST, AND LIST OF KNOWN TRIAD SPECIALS AS OF THE END OF CHAPTER 34

JOKER (Ren) - Level: 61 Current Personas: Raoul (Level 46), Jack Frost (Level 45), Okuninushi (Level 49), Norn (Level 61), Seth (Level 57), Forneus (Level 61), Thor (Level 61), Ganesha (Level 60), Fortuna (Level 60), Mot (Level 61) Equipped Persona: Seth Persona Moveset: One-Shot Kill (Gun), Eigaon (Curse), Resist Bless (Passive), Gun Boost (Passive), Knockdown Style (Passive), Concentrate (Support/Buff), Freidyne (Nuclear), Gun Amp (Passive)

SKULL (Ryuji) - Level: 56 Current/Partner Persona: William Persona Moveset: Ziodyne (Elec), Megaton Raid (Physical), Matarukaja (Support/Buff), Elec Boost (Passive), Mazionga (Elec), Rebel Soul (Passive), Deathbound (Physical), Shock Boost (Passive)

MONA (Morgana) - Level: 57 Current/Partner Persona: Diego Persona Moveset: Garudyne (Wind), Diarahan (Healing), Mediarahan (Healing), Magarula (Wind), Wind Boost (Passive), Samarecarm (Healing), Masukunda (Support/Debuff), Dodge Elec (Passive)

PANTHER (Ann) - Level: 56 Current/Partner Persona: Celestine Persona Moveset: Agidyne (Fire), Burn Boost (Passive), Fire Boost (Passive), Soul Thief (Passive), Maragidyne (Fire), Matarunda (Support/Debuff), Marin Karin (Ailment), Diarama (Healing)

FOX (Yusuke) - Level: 57 Current/Partner Persona: Gorokichi Persona Moveset: Bufudyne (Ice), Speed Master (Passive), Masukukaja (Support/Buff), Knockdown Style (Passive), Vicious Strike (Physical), Tempest Slash (Physical), Mabufula (Ice), Evade Fire (Passive)

QUEEN (Makoto) - Level: 56 Current/Partner Persona: Agnes Persona Moveset: Freidyne (Nuclear), Dekunda (Support/Buff), Marakukaja (Support/Buff), Mafreila (Nuclear), Diarahan (Healing), Flash Bomb (Physical), Mediarama (Healing), Nuke Boost (Passive)

NOIR (Haru) - Level: 56 Current/Partner Persona: Lucy Persona Moveset: Psiodyne (Psy), Psy Boost (Passive), Heat Riser (Support/Buff), One-Shot Kill (Gun), Evil Smile (Ailment), Amrita Shower (Healing), Mapsio (Psy), Gun Boost (Passive)

ORACLE (Futaba) - Level: 61 Current Personas: Al Azif and Albus Equipped Persona: Albus Persona Moveset: Ziodyne (Elec), Matarukaja (Support/Buff), Megido (Almighty), Marakukaja (Support/Buff), Psio (Psy), Sukukaja (Support/Buff), Invigorate 2 (Passive), Spell Master (Passive)

SEEKER (Sophia) - Level: 57 Current/Partner 'Persona': Pithos Persona Moveset: Kougaon? (Bless), Bless Amp? (Passive), Diarahan? (Healing), Makouga? (Bless), Mediarama? (Healing), Marakunda? (Support/Debuff), Rebel Soul? (Passive), Recarm? (Healing)

WOLF (Zenkichi) - Level: 57 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), Tetraja (Support/Barrier)

VIOLET (Sumire) - Level: 61 Current/Partner Persona: Ella Persona Moveset: Kougaon (Bless), Dodge Curse (Passive), Diarahan (Healing), Bless Boost (Passive), Vorpal Blade (Physical), Makouga (Bless), Tempest Slash (Physical), Samarecarm (Healing)

DRACONIS (Kusa) - Level: 56 Current/Partner Persona: Malefor Persona Moveset: Agilao (Fire), Garula (Wind), Mediarama (Healing), Assault Dive (Physical), Masukunda (Support/Debuff), Vicious Strike (Physical), Megidola (Almighty), Almighty Boost (Passive)

CROW (Goro) - Level: 56 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), Mudoon (Curse/insta-kill), Megidola (Almighty), Curse Boost (Passive)

PENDRAGON (Sojiro) - Level: 56 Current/Partner Persona: Kohryu Persona Moveset: Psiodyne (Psy), One-Shot Kill (Gun), Concentrate (Support/Buff), Mediarahan (Healing), Mapsio (Psy), Evade Nuke (Passive), Spell Master (Passive), Psy Boost (Passive)

FLARE (Shiho) - Level: 56 Current/Partner Persona: Hester Persona Moveset: Bufudyne (Ice), Oni-Kagura (Physical), Mediarama (Healing), Soul Thief (Passive), Samarecarm (Healing), Freila (Nuclear), Ice Boost (Passive), Nuke Boost (Passive)

SERAPHIM (Nanako) - Level: 56 Current/Partner Persona: Sraosha Persona Moveset: Ziodyne (Elec), Heat Wave (Physical), Divine Grace (Passive), Mazionga (Elec), Samarecarm (Healing), Elec Boost (Passive), Hama (Bless/insta-kill), Dodge Curse (Passive)

AUBURN (Akane) - Level: 55 Current/Partner Persona: Houdini Persona Moveset: Agilao (Fire), Diarama (Healing), Triple Down (Gun), Maeiga (Curse), Regenerate 2 (Passive), Life Drain (Almighty), Dodge Ice (Passive), Dodge Bless (Passive)

Allies: Ichinose, Taichi, Momoe, Sae, Yu, Yosuke, Chie, Yukiko, Kanji, Rise, Teddie, Naoto, Mishima, Minako, Shinichi

LIST OF KNOWN TRIAD SPECIALS AS OF THE END OF CHAPTER 34

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)