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!

47. Epilogue part 3: Homecomings and Reveals

A/N: sithlorde1988 here, welcoming you to what should (keyword here being SHOULD) be the final chapter of Phantom Files, Book 2: Rise Of The Monarchs! Hard to believe, I know, but here we are! However, I'll try to save most of the lengthier stuff for the end-of-chapter (or end-of-story in this case) A/N, just to be on the safe side. But regardless, we still have to do the disclaimer once more, so here we go!

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, Albus, and Cthulhu, along with the Phantom Thief attire for Draconis, Pendragon, or Seraphim, all of which I do own. I do not, however, own the OC Personas Hester and Houdini, nor the Phantom Thief attire concepts for Shiho/Flare or Maruki/Messiah.

The OC Persona Hester and the Phantom Thief attire concepts for Shiho/flare 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. As for the OC Persona Houdini, that belongs to Flower Boy Jun over on Amino Apps. If you use that site, go look him up, since he has some very interesting OC Persona designs and also does amazing work.

As far as the Phantom Thief attire concept for Akane/Auburn, Atlus technically owns the attire that Akane/Auburn's Phantom Thief attire was based off of, aka her Monarch outfit, but I own the modifications made to the outfit to create her Phantom Thief attire, so I own Akane/Auburn's Phantom Thief attire, but not the outfit it's based on, if that makes sense at all. And with regards to Maruki/Messiah's Phantom Thief attire, it's basically Crow's 'Detective Prince'/'Light' outfit, but very slightly repurposed to fit Maruki, so everyone who developed and designed the Persona games basically owns Maruki/Messiah's Phantom Thief attire.

Also shout-out to jdimock for giving me the idea to make Akane/Auburn's Phantom Thief attire a color-swap of her Monarch outfit, even if I ended up making her Phantom Thief attire largely different from aforementioned Monarch outfit, it was still jdimock's idea, so shout-out and credit to him for having the idea)) 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.

And when it comes to 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.

There we are for what will most likely be the second to last time in this story, one disclaimer well-done! As a reminder, there is a poll up on my profile that can be voted on to decide what story I do next. Note that I plan to do both stories on that poll as the next two, so all this poll will affect is the order they get done in. I was going to end the poll when this chapter went live, but in light of this possibly no longer being the final chapter, I'll probably have to hold off for an extra couple of weeks or so, to match the true final chapter going up, as well as to allow extra time due to an ongoing (as of the time I typed this start-of-chapter) glitch that a lot of people using the site this story is up on (myself included) have run into that stops them from sending messages that are of a certain length or longer (basically messages that come close to hitting the message character limit), since that's going to delay this chapter going up.

Not only that, but if I'm right, Chapter 46 should have only just wrapped up the editorial process by the time you're reading this start-of-chapter A/N, even if it's only because myself and jdimock will likely want to have finished any edits on chapter 46 before starting in on looking this chapter over. But I'll acknowledge him more in the end-of-chapter A/N, when I give a special shout-out to all that were involved with this story. However, we're not at that point just yet. We have to get through this final chapter first, I think. So without further delay, here's the (hopefully) final chapter of Phantom Files, Book 2: Rise Of The Monarchs!

Chapter 47 - Changes, Planning, Meetings, and Lemony Pancakes! Epilogue part 3

PREVIOUSLY ON PHANTOM FILES, BOOK 2- RISE OF THE MONARCHS...

"Umm, hello? Is this place open?" Morgana heard, making him shake himself to focus as he looked around, eventually noticing a petite-looking redhead standing in the doorway and speaking up to get her attention while looking her over, taking note of the silky-looking white sleeveless dress the redhead had on that hugged her figure, even if it slightly accentuated and drew attention to the grey nylon fishnet leggings she had on under her dress, which fluttered a bit from the door closing behind her to show a pair of black short shorts under the dress that went to about three inches below her thighs. The fact that the redhead had the shorts on under her dress resulted in keeping her decently covered and framing her hips rather nicely while covering up the pair of slinky leather black panties underneath them.

Because of the fact the dress had spaghetti-straps for the shoulders, Morgana also got a tantalizingly teasing glimpse of the black strapless leather bra the redhead wore under her dress to cover her chest. Finally, Morgana took note of the black boots the redhead wore that had silver buckles on the ankles to distract from the white laces that were tied up to keep the boots on as he spoke.

"Oh, I'm sorry. You caught me taking inventory of the coffee beans for the manager. Hello there, and welcome to Leblanc Coffee and Curry. Can I take your order, ma'am?" Morgana asked as the redhead walked in closer to look at Morgana before giggling as she spoke up.

"Oh, wow. I didn't know you worked here, Meo-I mean, Morgana. Long time no see!" The redhead said as Morgana turned to the redhead and spoke up.

"Umm, do I know you? You do seem familiar to me. But at the same time, you seem a bit young to be who I think you are." Morgana said as the redhead smiled and spoke up.

"Don't be silly, Meowgana. I know we've not seen each other in a few months, and that this form might make me look a lot like Mom, but surely I've not changed so much that you don't recognize me?" The redhead said as Morgana spoke up, his eyes widening slightly as he started having a suspicion of who this redhead could be while he spoke, especially once he registered what the redhead in front of him had called him.

"Can I take your-wait, hold up. What did you just call me?" Morgana asked, blinking as the redhead smiled and spoke up.

"Err, sorry. I meant to say Morgana. I can't believe I still call you that, even now. I'm not a very good girlfriend if I can't stop referring to you by that nickname." The redhead said as Morgana gasped before he looked directly at the redhead, realizing why she looked familiar. Despite her petite yet model-worthy build, he immediately recognized the striking blue eyes looking at him, as well as the flowing red hair going straight down her back like a waterfall, with no trace of the hearts that once made up the twintails she once had her hair in. Once Morgana had realization occur to him, he spoke up to voice what he'd realized.

"Did...Did you just call me Meowgana!? And that hairstyle! No wonder I thought you were Sumire at first! You look a lot like her now, but there's only one person that I know who calls me 'Meowgana'! But if that's the case, is that really you, Lady Sophia!?" Morgana said in shock...

(Immediately after the end of Chapter 46, in the lower level of Leblanc, with Kusa, Sojiro, Morgana, and Sophia)

After smiling at Morgana's shocked reaction to realizing who she was, Sophia giggled and nodded in response as she spoke up.

"Yes, Morgana. It's me. I'm sorry it took me so long to find my way back to you, but I'm here now." Sophia said as Morgana, who had tears coming from his eyes, smiled and threw his arms around his girlfriend happily before wasting little time claiming her lips in his own as he hungrily kissed her, making her giggle as she spoke up into the kiss.

"My, my. If I had known you'd be this eager to see me, I would have made sure I caught you where there was likely not a crowd, Morgana. But I'm happy to see you missed me so much. Truth be told, I missed you too." Sophia said as Morgana broke the kiss and smiled at Sophia as he spoke up.

"Does it look like we have a crowd in here right now? Also, you have no idea how much I've missed you, Lady Sophia. I've tried to keep going, but things haven't really felt the same while you were gone. But at least you're back, even if it's only for now." Morgana said as Sophia blushed shyly and spoke up.

"Thank you, Morgana. It's nice to know you care for me so much." Sophia said as Morgana nodded before walking back to the counter and gesturing for Sophia to have a seat, which she did as Morgana spoke up.

"Anyways, this is a place of business, so I should at least try to be professional. Welcome to Leblanc Coffee and Curry. May I take your order, ma'am?" Morgana asked as Sophia smiled and spoke up.

"Indeed. If possible, I'd like to try a plate of the infamous Leblanc Curry, and maybe a cup of Leblanc Coffee." Sophia said as Morgana nodded and spoke up.

"No problem, Lady Sophia. I'll go in the back and let the others know we have an order to fill. Give me just a second." Morgana said as he walked into the back, where he found Kusa and Sojiro gently clinking their coffee mugs together as if having had a toast that only they were aware of. Morgana then spoke up.

"Sorry to interrupt, but we've got an order for the Leblanc special, or an order of Leblanc Curry and some Leblanc Coffee." Morgana said as Sojiro and Kusa nodded before the former turned to the latter and spoke up.

"Got it. Kusa, you make the curry while I help Morgana get the coffee going." Sojiro said as Kusa nodded his agreement and spoke up.

"Fair enough. After all, you have more experience with coffee brewing than I do, so it makes sense for you to help Morgana with that part." Kusa said as he disappeared into the kitchen to start on the curry while Sojiro walked out with Morgana, blinking as he spotted Sophia waiting at the counter. To Sophia's surprise, Sojiro didn't recognize her at first, but he soon concluded who this was based on the shade of red hair and blue eyes as he turned to Morgana and spoke up.

"Ah, so this is why you asked for the Leblanc special?" Sojiro asked as Morgana nodded before Sophia spoke up with a smile.

"Hello, Sojiro! Long time no see." Sophia said as Sojiro chuckled and spoke up.

"Well, I'll be. Although you look different from when I last saw you, your voice is one I will never forget. When did you get back into town, much less manage to get out of Ichinose's phone, Sophia?" Sojiro asked as Sophia spoke up.

"I got back into town yesterday. As far as your other question, I wasn't expecting it, but Ichinose-san, Mitsuru-san, Fuuka-san, and even Aunt Futaba all worked together to make physical human bodies for myself, Aigis-san, and Labrys-san. So I figure, if they're gonna go to the trouble to do that for me, I might as well accept their generosity." Sophia said as Sojiro nodded his understanding while putting on the brewer so that Sophia's coffee could start brewing. While he did that, Morgana spoke up.

"That's fair, Lady Sophia. Either way, I'm just glad to have you back where you belong." Morgana said as Sophia blushed shyly and nodded while Sojiro spoke up.

"Well said, Morgana. I think even Ryuji can tell how much you care for Sophia here. And I think even Ren and Sumire are okay with you two dating by now." Sojiro said as Kusa came out around that point with a plate full of curry, which he set down in front of Sophia.

"Here you go. One Leblanc Curry, served piping hot! Enjoy!" Kusa said as Sophia smiled and spoke up.

"Ah, right. I forgot you work here too at times, Uncle Kusa." Sophia said as Kusa's eyes widened at this and he spoke up.

"Wait, what did you just say?" Kusa said before looking at Sophia closely and smiling as he kept speaking up.

"Oh, I get it now. You might look quite a bit different than you did before, but I wouldn't mistake that voice. Not to mention, I only know of one person who calls me 'Uncle Kusa'. Welcome home, Sophia." Kusa said sagely as Morgana blushed and spoke up.

"You seem quite unbothered to see her back, Kusa." Morgana said as Kusa smirked and spoke up.

"That's because I'm not surprised. You do recall what I told you the day she left on that journey with Ichinose-san, right?" Kusa asked as Morgana spoke up.

"Yes. It was something like, 'If you love something, let it go. If it's meant to be, it'll find its way back to you', right?" Morgana asked as Kusa smiled and spoke up.

"Close. It was, 'If you love something OR someone, let them go. If it's meant to be, they'll find their way back to you eventually.' But you got the essential part right. Besides, we've all seen the way you and Sophia look at one another. Only an idiot wouldn't have realized by now that you two clearly have very strong feelings for one another." Kusa said as Sophia blushed and spoke up.

"Fair, but I don't think either myself or Morgana are rushing into anything too serious just yet. But I appreciate the thought." Sophia said as Sojiro spoke up while serving Sophia her coffee.

"Smart. Can't fault you for wanting to take things slow with Morgana." Sojiro said as Kusa spoke up.

"That's true. But I can't help but be curious. How were you able to get your own body, much less get out of Ichinose-san's phone?" Kusa asked as Sophia spoke up.

"As I just told Morgana and Sojiro, Ichinose-san was able to make a physical human body for myself with assistance from Mitsuru-san, Fuuka-san, and Aunt Futaba. They also did the same thing to both Aigis-san and Labrys-san as well." Sophia said as Kusa was shocked upon hearing his fiancee's name being mentioned as he spoke up.

"Wait, Taba was in on this? AND SHE DIDN'T TELL ME!? Oh, I'm definitely bringing this up when I see her later." Kusa said as Morgana spoke up.

"Relax, Kusa. Just be glad that your soon-to-be wife played a big part in bringing Lady Sophia back. And what are the odds that out of all the days for Lady Sophia to return, she'd choose Valentine's Day to do so?" Morgana said as Sophia smiled and spoke up slyly.

"I did that on purpose. I knew you would be happy to see me return on Valentine's Day in particular, since it'd be our first one as a couple." Sophia said as Morgana blushed and spoke up.

"Oh, I see. I should've known you planned that part." Morgana said as Kusa smirked and spoke up.

"Hmm. In that case, maybe I should head back with Sojiro tonight so I can spend at least SOME of Valentine's Day with Taba. That way, you two can have the attic to yourselves. And I'm sure you two would enjoy being able to have some nice one-on-one couple time since unless you count that time in Sapporo on that ferris wheel, I don't think you two have really ever been able to do anything remotely resembling going on a proper date. So maybe you can correct that here?" Kusa suggested slyly as both Morgana and Sophia blushed before nodding in unison to Kusa's suggestion as Sojiro spoke up.

"Heh, look at that. They're both blushing. How adorable. And I don't mind you coming to spend time with Futaba, but at least give me a heads-up if you two are gonna fool around so I can go out and not have to hear it." Sojiro said as Kusa smirked before speaking up.

"No need. I actually took the liberty of booking Taba and I a hotel room tonight for Valentine's Day, so you'll have the house to yourself, Sojiro." Kusa said as Sojiro smirked and spoke up.

"Ah, I see. Smart. Well, shall we let Morgana be alone with his girlfriend, then?" Sojiro said as Kusa smirked and nodded as he and Sojiro closed up the cafe, the latter of the two looking at Morgana as he spoke up.

"Okay, the shop is yours for tonight. Don't do anything too crazy if you and Sophia-chan get serious, Morgana." Sojiro said as Kusa smirked and spoke up.

"Also, assuming Sojiro didn't get rid of them, there should be plenty of protection in the desk drawer near where Ren's workspace was during the year he and I stayed in the attic of Leblanc together if you and Sophia need it at some point, Morgana. Just letting you know." Kusa said teasingly as Morgana and Sophia spoke up in unison, identical blushes on their faces.

"KUSA!/UNCLE KUSA!" Morgana and Sophia said in unison as Kusa laughed and spoke up.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist teasing you two a bit. But seriously, have fun. Oh, and don't worry about Ren and Sumire, you two. We can let them know about Sophia coming back later, as they are doing their own thing for Valentine's Day." Kusa said as he and Sojiro left, leaving Morgana and Sophia alone as the latter finished her meal...

(A couple hours later, in a hotel room at a certain buffet hotel, with Kusa and Futaba)

As they laid together on the bed of their shared hotel room, Futaba smiled at Kusa as she spoke up.

"I like that you reserved us such a nice room, Kusa. Thank you for that, by the way." Futaba said as Kusa nodded before kissing Futaba and speaking up.

"You're more than welcome, Taba. You should know by now that I enjoy making you as happy and loved as I can, after all. Besides, if I recall correctly, it was in this very same hotel room that we went all the way for the first time, was it not?" Kusa asked as Futaba blushed and nodded as she spoke up.

"That's true, it was indeed. But before we decide to go for a repeat of that, I think we need to discuss our wedding. I mean, we haven't really talked much about it since we got back from defeating EMMA." Futaba said as Kusa nodded and spoke up.

"I suppose that's fair that we should start discussing plans for it. So I guess the first thing to figure out is do we want to set a wedding date right away?" Kusa asked as Futaba smiled and spoke up.

"I honestly did have a date in mind, if you don't mind hearing me out." Futaba said as Kusa spoke up.

"Of course I'll hear you out, Taba. What date were you thinking of?" Kusa said as Futaba shyly spoke up.

"Well, to be honest? I was thinking we could set the wedding date to August 21st." Futaba said as Kusa's eyes widened and he spoke up.

"Oh? And why that date, specifically?" Kusa asked as Futaba spoke up.

"A handful of reasons. Firstly, it's the anniversary of our defeat of Medjed. For another, it was the day that you kissed me on the lips for the first time. Yes, I kissed you first before that, but you weren't the one to initiate it. Whereas I felt your lips on mine while you were tucking me in after I dealt with Medjed. I might have been half-asleep at the time, but even then, I still remember the feeling of you kissing me, Kusa. And before you say anything, I don't mind that you kissed me that day. If anything, that was what made me start to realize that I was in love with you, especially after how much I enjoyed that kiss." Futaba said as Kusa nodded and spoke up.

"Fair. And you said there were other reasons?" Kusa asked as Futaba nodded and spoke up.

"Correct. Putting aside the obvious reason of August 21st being your birthday, it also seems somehow symbolic that we get married on the anniversary of Mom's passing, which was also August 21st, as you might recall." Futaba said as Kusa nodded and spoke up.

"That's fair. I have no issues with August 21st being the date of our wedding. That being said, where did you want the wedding to happen?" Kusa asked as Futaba shyly smiled and spoke up.

"This might be a bit bold and presumptuous, but I was thinking we could have it at that church in Kanda. Y'know, the one Sojiro took the two of us and Ren to back in 2016 to pay respects to Mom?" Futaba said as Kusa smiled and spoke up.

"I know which church you mean. And I agree that it would be very symbolic to have it there. This way, to some extent, your mom can be there in spirit for it. So if that's where you want it, I have no objections to that, provided we can secure the venue for that day." Kusa said as Futaba nodded and spoke up.

"We can come back to that once we get a bit closer to the day in question, I think. Next, we should discuss our wedding party." Futaba said as Kusa nodded and spoke up.

"Right. I'm not sure who you had in mind for bridesmaids, but I have a pretty good idea of who I'm going to ask to be groomsmen for me. As far as my best man, I'll be honest and say that I'm torn between two people for that position. But I might be able to decide based on who you have in mind for your maid of honor." Kusa said as Futaba smiled and spoke up.

"To be honest, I'm between Ann, Haru, and Sumire for my maid of honor. As far as bridesmaids, I'm thinking that I'll most likely ask Makoto, Akane, Hifumi, and probably whichever two out of Ann, Haru, and Sumire don't end up being my maid of honor to be bridesmaids." Futaba said as Kusa smirked and spoke up.

"That's fair. Well, I guess in regards to my situation, I'm torn between Ren and Goro for who I want to ask to be my best man. At first, I considered Sojiro given my history with him, but opted not to go with him since he's supposed to walk you down the aisle as your father. Also, I feel like Goro is, with all apologies to him, not someone a lot of people are apt to consider when it comes to being their best man, which makes me lean slightly more towards him. But I also know that a lot of people would expect Ren to be my choice since he's been my brother far longer than Goro has. So you can see why this is a hard pick for me." Kusa said as Futaba smiled and spoke up.

"May I give some input on that?" Futaba asked as Kusa nodded and spoke up.

"By all means, Taba. I welcome any advice and/or input you care to give." Kusa said as Futaba smiled and spoke up.

"Good. That being said, I think you should pick Goro. And the reason why is that I feel like he makes more sense given what you two have been through together in the past few years. Sure, he's only your half-brother, but he's just as worthy of being your best man as Ren is. Also, I think Ren's far more likely to have some of the others choose him as their best man than Goro is." Futaba said as Kusa nodded and spoke up.

"Fair. I agree. Goro it is. Now I just have to find the right time to pull him aside and ask him to be my best man. I recall that Goro said he wasn't due back from his internship until May if I recall right, so I have a couple of months to figure things out. That being said, I suppose that would mean that you should consider making Haru your maid of honor if I make Goro my best man, just so they can escort one another to the wedding." Kusa suggested as Futaba nodded and spoke up.

"Good point. And I do think Sumire and Ann would be better as bridesmaids, plus that way I can also ask Shiho to be a bridesmaid as well." Futaba said as Kusa spoke up.

"Agreed. As far as the subject of our ring bearer and flower girl go, I feel like the smart move would be to have Morgana be the ring bearer and have Sophia be the flower girl, so they can escort one another. Failing that, the other option would be to have Akane and Nanako fill those spots so they have a legitimate excuse to escort one another to our wedding. But that's just my opinion." Kusa said as Futaba smiled and spoke up.

"Isn't Sophia still on that journey with Ichinose, though?" Futaba asked as Kusa smirked and spoke up.

"Taba, I love you to bits, but you are a terrible actor." Kusa said as Futaba raised an eyebrow and spoke up.

"Huh? What are you talking about." Futaba said as Kusa chuckled and spoke up.

"Might be a good time to mention that Sophia came by to Leblanc earlier in her new human body to surprise Morgana. And before you object that you have nothing to do with this, I was already told by Sophia that you helped Ichinose alongside Fuuka and Mitsuru in making human bodies for her along with both Aigis and Labrys. Granted, a part of me was annoyed that you kept this from me, but I appreciate you so much for doing what you did. After all, I don't think you realize just how happy you made both Sophia and Morgana due to the actions you have taken, especially now that those two have a chance to spend time together on Valentine's Day. So yeah, you did a great job with that, Taba." Kusa said as Futaba blushed shyly and spoke up.

"Aww, you're just sayin' that, Kusa. But I'll accept your praise just the same. Mwehehe. Nonetheless, we can ask Morgana and Sophia later if they want to be the ring bearer and flower girl, respectively. For now, I think we can put a pin in our wedding planning since we got a lot done so far. Granted, we're going to have to make sure we have a good bit of seating available since I wouldn't be surprised if quite a few people showed up to our wedding, if only because of your reputation as the 'Kung-Fu Dragon'." Futaba said as Kusa nodded and spoke up.

"That is true. I didn't consider that until now, but you're right. And as for the rest of our wedding plan discussions, I also agree that we can put a pause on that for now since I think you deserve a special sort of thank-you for your work in helping Sophia surprise Morgana. That, and it occurs to me we've not seriously fooled around in a while, and I feel we should rectify that if we can." Kusa said as Futaba giggled and spoke up.

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

"Mwehehe, good point. We are due for some quality time, aren't we?" Futaba said as she gently pulled Kusa down on top of her as she leaned up to claim his lips in her own, making Kusa smirk as he straddled Futaba's waist eagerly while he made out with her. After a few minutes of heated kissing, Kusa smirked and leaned in to lightly suck on Futaba's neckline, trailing kisses down her neck towards her collarbone, making Futaba subconsciously lick her lips in anticipation as she pushed her shirt up over her head, leaving it to lay above her head, allowing Kusa full access to her bra-clad chest as a result.

This rather bold action by Futaba had the result of making Kusa smile as he gently pressed a kiss to Futaba's slender and toned stomach, slowly trailing kisses upwards towards her upper chest, making Futaba smirk as she slid the straps of her bra down her shoulders to rest by her elbows, giving Kusa a tantalizing glimpse of her cleavage and the tops of her breasts, making Kusa gently lean in to kiss the tops of Futaba's breasts as she moaned involuntarily from how good Kusa's lips felt on her skin. Kusa smirked as he saw Futaba's reaction and spoke up.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself. Shall I go ahead and get rid of your bra for you so you can let 'the girls' breathe?" Kusa said slyly as Futaba blushed but nodded as she leaned forward to let Kusa un-clasp and discard Futaba's bra after removing it from her, letting her breasts fall free for him to see. As a result, Kusa smirked as he gently leaned in and pressed a very soft but very tender kiss to the closest nipple to him, making Futaba involuntarily shudder in excitement before she saw Kusa tug his shirt over his head, tossing it aside to let Futaba look at his bare chest as he let himself lavish attention on each of Futaba's breasts.

In response to Kusa's rather bold actions, Futaba giggled as she let herself run her hands along Kusa's chest, enjoying how in shape he was as she felt Kusa lightly suck on her nipples lovingly, making Futaba moan in response as she spoke up.

"Yes, I love it! Please keep driving me crazy, Kusa!" Futaba said as Kusa nodded before moving his face back and forth as he alternated between licking each of Futaba's breasts, making her shudder and moan happily as she ran a hand through Kusa's hair. After a bit, Kusa smirked at Futaba and gave her a look that seemed to be asking permission, making Futaba understand what he was asking and nodding her agreement to his unspoken question.

After he saw Futaba nod, Kusa reached over to unbutton, unzip and slide Futaba's shorts down, tossing them down next to the growing pile of his and Futaba's discarded clothes, where it was quickly joined by her panties after Kusa removed them as well before gently leaning in to press a kiss to the nub between Futaba's legs, making Futaba smile as she moaned happily. For a while, Kusa focused on lavishing attention on Futaba's womanhood, making her blush and moan at how dutifully Kusa was tending to her needs. After a few minutes, Futaba felt herself arc backwards as she spoke up.

"Ooh, I think I'm getting close. Keep going, Kusa. I want you to make me scream your name when I explode my release on your face or in your mouth." Futaba said as Kusa smirked, wrapping his mouth over Futaba's entrance, licking her walls furiously while using his fingers to gently stroke her nub, making her moan as she came undone, feeling her release explode into Kusa's mouth, making Kusa dutifully lap up every bit of Futaba's juices.

After Futaba was done, she panted but smiled up at Kusa as she pulled him into an intense kiss while using his distraction to remove his pants and boxers, leaving Kusa as naked as Futaba at that point. Once Kusa looked at her, Futaba smirked and flipped their positions so she was the one straddling Kusa, giving him a sexy smirk as she lined herself up with his erect cock and lowering herself onto it and burying it inside of her to the hilt, making Kusa smirk as he spoke up.

"Ah, you want to skip to the main event, then?" Kusa asked, getting a nod from Futaba, making him smile as he started thrusting into Futaba while shamelessly looking up into her eyes as he pulled her into a kiss to stifle her loud moans from Kusa thrusting into her. For a while, the only sound that was heard was the occasional 'thump' that came from Kusa's balls slapping against Futaba's thighs as he thrusted into her. Futaba giggled as she saw Kusa looking up at her and decided to tease him by lifting her breast to her mouth and licking it sexily, making Kusa grin as he thrusted faster and harder in response. After a while, Kusa grunted as he felt himself twitch inside of Futaba, who also moaned as she arced backwards slightly and spoke up.

"Ooh, yes! I'm getting close again, Kusa!" Futaba said as Kusa nodded and spoke up.

"Good, because so am I! However, I always put a woman's needs ahead of my own. Therefore, I want you to finish first, given how much I respect you." Kusa said as Futaba nodded and spoke up.

"That's good to know." Futaba said before giggling as she felt Kusa's hand deftly reach out and swat her on the ass, leaving a visible handprint where he'd spanked her, prompting her to moan as she felt her walls clench on Kusa's length as Kusa spanking her drove her over the edge into her climax, causing her walls and Kusa's cock to become slick with Futaba's juices as she released on Kusa, who grunted as he felt himself twitch in response to Futaba's walls clenching on his length, driving him to his own release, load after load shooting out into Futaba's womanhood and staining her walls white. After a bit, Kusa and Futaba both collapsed on top of each other, panting but smiling as Kusa pulled a blanket over them while draping an arm over Futaba's waist as she looked into his eyes and spoke up.

**M-RATED CONTENT ENDS HERE. STORY RESUMES AT THIS POINT IF YOU SKIPPED THE PRECEDING LEMON, SO READ ON FROM THIS POINT IF YOU SKIPPED DOWN HERE!**

"Wow, I forgot how good that felt to have you inside of me, and even to feel you releasing in me. Now I think I get what Sumire meant when she told me that she enjoys having Ren climax in her. But in all seriousness, that was amazing." Futaba said as Kusa smiled and spoke up.

"Good. Glad to hear you enjoyed it. It really has been far too long since the last time we did more than just feast on each other's private parts. Not that I mind that at all, because it's also fun. But sometimes you just have to go all the way for a change of pace. And I never get tired of ogling that naked body of yours, Taba." Kusa said as Futaba smiled and spoke up.

"I'm happy to hear that. Maybe next time we do it, we can shower together so we can wash each other off afterwards. Doesn't that sound super sexy to you?" Futaba asked as Kusa nodded and spoke up.

"Definitely. But maybe we should wait until we've moved in together to do that, or at the very least use the en-suite bathroom you have in this bedroom. The last thing we need is for Sojiro to have a heart attack from finding us showering together." Kusa said as Futaba giggled and spoke up.

"Of course. That goes without saying, Kusa. Or at least I hope it would, anyways. But yeah, I can't wait until we can do this after officially becoming husband and wife. I bet that our wedding night will be absolutely glorious! Mwehehe." Futaba said as Kusa spoke up with a nod.

"Agreed. But for now, we can enjoy doing it as fiancees. That's still pretty good, yeah?" Kusa said as Futaba nodded and spoke up.

"You're not wrong. That sex we had just now was pretty damn good, if I do say so myself." Futaba said as Kusa nodded in agreement while speaking up.

"Indeed. Once we rest up a bit, we can continue figuring out the particulars of our wedding, I think. After all, if we're going to have the wedding in August, we still have around 6 months to figure things out and secure the venue, plus send invitations and stuff." Kusa said as Futaba nodded before laying her head on Kusa's shoulder and smiling happily while yawning cutely as she spoke up.

"Good point. I guess we should get some rest for now." Futaba said as she got comfortable on Kusa's chest before falling asleep while using his pecs as a pillow. After watching Futaba doze off on him, Kusa smiled and spoke up.

"Sleep well, Taba. I've got you, now and always." Kusa said happily as he laid his head back on the pillow and dozed off, his arms happily wrapped around Futaba as he dozed off...

(The following afternoon, in the lower level of Leblanc, with Morgana, Kusa, Sophia, and Sojiro)

As Morgana and Sophia sat at the counter with Kusa, all three feasting on plates of curry that the latter had helped Sojiro make, Sojiro spoke up.

"So, did you and Sophia have fun last night, Morgana?" Sojiro asked as Morgana nodded before speaking up, Kusa smirking at the identical blushes on Morgana and Sophia's faces from Sojiro's question.

"Yep. Sure, we mostly kept it to cuddling and a bit of kissing, but it was a pretty good time. And while there was a point where we were tempted to get physical, we were able to refrain because Lady Sophia said she wasn't ready for that just yet, and I respect her wishes. Besides, it'll make it that much more special when she does decide she's ready for that step." Morgana said as Sophia blushed and swatted Morgana on the arm while she spoke up.

"HEY! No teasing me, Morgana! Besides, if I recall correctly, my exact words on the subject were, and I quote, 'I'm not against doing that, but should we really be in a big rush to do that so soon after I returned? Sure, you missed me a lot, but that doesn't mean we have to rush into getting serious.' And you left out the part where you had already taken your shirt off. That's kind of an important detail to include." Sophia said as Kusa grinned and spoke up.

"Right. I forgot you were so drawn to Morgana's chest, Sophia. I guess better that than a certain other part of his anatomy that Sumire would probably castrate him for flaunting around you too soon, to say nothing of what Ren would do to him." Kusa said as Morgana frowned and spoke up.

"RUDE! I would never do something so crass to a lady! Do I look like Shido or Kamoshida to you!?" Morgana snapped as Kusa winced and spoke up.

"Good point. I didn't think that joke through very well before I made it. Sorry, Morgana." Kusa said as Morgana forgave him at the same time that Sojiro spoke up.

"All jokes and teasing aside, did you invite Ren and Sumire to lunch, Kusa?" Sojiro asked as Kusa nodded and spoke up.

"Yep. I called them this morning. Ren said he'd have to check with Sumire to see what her schedule looked like, but he thinks they should be free today. So we'll have to wait and see if they end up showing up." Kusa said as Sophia shyly smiled and spoke up.

"Oh? Mom and Dad are coming for lunch?" Sophia said in surprise as Morgana smirked and spoke up.

"Ah, excited to see them again, Lady Sophia? Can't say that I blame you, honestly." Morgana said as Sophia pouted and spoke up.

"I refuse to dignify that remark with a response, Meowgana." Sophia said, sticking her tongue out at Morgana in a rare moment of immaturity, making Kusa laugh at the gesture before he spoke up.

"Heh, you definitely got that from your Aunt Futaba. But if she asks, I didn't say that." Kusa said as Sojiro smirked and spoke up.

"You're not wrong, though." Sojiro said as Sophia spoke up.

"And what if I did get it from her? I could think of worse people to emulate." Sophia said as Morgana spoke up.

"True. You could be emulating Ryuji the potty mouth. If I had 5,000 yen for every time Ren or Sumire, if not both of them, called Ryuji on his swearing around you, I'd be decently rich right now." Morgana said as Kusa frowned and spoke up.

"OI! That's a bit unfair to take shots at Ryuji when he's not here to defend himself, don't you think? Besides, I seem to recall you joking about our enemies not having a skill to turn his mouth into a literal toilet. Thus, you have no room to make fun of him, Morgana. And isn't that setting a bad example for your girlfriend?" Kusa pointed out as the door to Leblanc opened and a familiar voice spoke up.

"And how is that different from any other day, Kusa?" Ren said as he and Sumire walked into Leblanc, not seeing Sophia have to stifle both a gasp and a squeal as she recognized Ren's voice. Kusa then spoke up after noting his brother and his brother's girlfriend were in the door.

"Oh, I didn't know you two had arrived this soon. Yeah, don't mind what I said. I was just trying to call Morgana out on how many times Ryuji has sworn. But that being said, how was your Valentine's Day, you two?" Kusa asked as Sumire smiled and spoke up.

"It was great. Ren and I went to Destinyland for some fun, which was followed by a wonderful romantic dinner. And that's not even mentioning what we did afterwards when we got back to Ren's place." Sumire said as Ren spoke up.

"Overall, yesterday was pretty enjoyable. But getting back to why you wanted us to come to Leblanc for lunch, what's this surprise that you mentioned earlier this morning that you wanted to show us, Kusa?" Ren asked as Kusa smiled and spoke up.

"I'm glad you asked, brother. You see, while Sojiro, Morgana, and I were working the counter here yesterday afternoon, a certain someone showed up and shocked the three of us completely. Truth be told, both Sojiro and I were blown away by how different she looks now. But I think that was her plan. Morgana, if you wouldn't mind, can you move aside so Ren and Sumire can see who I mean?" Kusa said as both Ren and Sumire were confused just as Morgana smirked and moved out of the way. And before the two could realize what was happening, a red blur rushed towards them as Sophia wasted little time in proceeding to tackle-hug a shocked Sumire as she spoke up.

"MOM! DAD! Sorry I took so long to return, but better late than never, right?" Sophia said as Ren and Sumire gasped on realizing who was hugging Sumire as Ren, while still in shock, spoke up.

"It...It can't be. There's only one person that we know who is allowed to call us 'Mom' and 'Dad', respectively." Ren said as Sumire looked at the red-headed girl in front of her and upon noticing the familiar blue in her eyes, she felt tears forming in her own as she spoke up in a soft voice.

"Oh my god! Is it...really you, Sophia?" Sumire asked as Sophia nodded and spoke up.

"Mmhm! It really is me, Mom and Dad." Sophia said as Sumire now having tears running down her face, embraced Sophia tightly as Ren wrapped his arms around Sumire and Sophia, pinning the latter in a three-way hug between her mom and dad as Ren spoke up while trying to fight back his own tears.

"I...I can't believe this is happening." Ren said as Sumire spoke up.

"Me neither. I...I can't believe you are here, Sophia. Your Dad and I missed you so much." Sumire said as Sophia spoke up as tears came to her eyes as well.

"I missed you both as well. To be honest, I didn't think my journey with Ichinose-san would last longer than it should have. But I didn't regret my decision, as I was able to help her a lot throughout our journey." Sophia said as Sumire giggled and spoke up.

"You always did have a knack for helping people, sweetheart." Sumire said as Ren smiled and spoke up.

"Indeed. And I think I speak for both myself and Sumire when I say how happy we are to have you back where you belong, Sophia. Welcome home, my daughter." Ren said as the three continued to embrace each other as Kusa, Morgana, and Sojiro watched with smiles on their faces. After a moment of drying down their tears, Ren and Sumire pulled away and let Sophia take a seat next to a grinning Morgana, who spoke up.

"How's that for a reunion, Lady Sophia?" Morgana joked as Sophia, whose face was red from experiencing the three-way hug, huffed and spoke up.

"You hush! I was just shocked that Dad hugged me between him and Mom, that's all! At least now I go to Mom's shoulders, so it wasn't as awkward as it could've been getting hugged between them. After all, I was way shorter before I left on that journey." Sophia said as Sumire spoke up.

"Good point. You do look quite a bit different from what I remember, sweetie. What's the story there?" Sumire asked as Kusa spoke up.

"From what Sophia told myself, Morgana, and Sojiro, she had help from a few people getting herself a new body." Kusa said as Sophia spoke up.

"Indeed, thanks to the combined efforts of Ichinose-san, Mitsuru-san, Fuuka-san, and Aunt Futaba, I was able to get my own body alongside both Aigis-san and Labrys-san." Sophia said as both Ren and Sumire gasped in shock as the former spoke up.

"Wait, so Futaba was in on this project? When did this happen?" Ren asked just as the door to Leblanc opened up again and a familiar voice spoke up.

"Surprisingly, it was not too long ago. Ichinose-san wanted to have Sophia get an actual body, so she contacted myself, Mitsuru, and Fuuka, and we started brainstorming. After much discussion and careful thinking, we were able to come up with a more human body design for Sophia, Aigis, and Labrys, respectively. And thanks to the technology of the Kirijo Group, we were able to transfer our fellow AI/robot companions' minds into their new selves.

Although Sophia will be staying in her new body, both Mitsuru and Fuuka elected to keep the old bodies of Aigis and Labrys for the sake of business reasons regarding their Shadow Operatives group. This way, in case a new threat regarding Shadows arises, they can easily put both of them back in their old bodies so that they can be equipped for battle." Futaba said as she entered Leblanc to which after she sat in the open seat on Kusa's left, she spoke up again while addressing Ren and Sumire.

"So, what do you think of Sophia's..." Futaba began to say but was cut off as Sumire hugged her tightly much to the hacker's surprise as Sumire spoke up with a big smile on her face.

"Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! You have no idea how much this means to me and Ren, Futaba." Sumire said as Ren spoke up.

"Indeed. It was thanks to your actions, alongside Ichinose, Mitsuru, and Fuuka, that Sumire, Sophia, and I can have a chance to be a real family. I am so grateful for what you've done, little sis." Ren said as he also embraced Futaba alongside Sumire in a three-way hug. As both Ren and Sumire tightened their embrace on Futaba, the latter spoke up while struggling to breathe.

"No problem, big bro. I'm just glad I can help. Now can you both please let go before I pop like a balloon?" Futaba asked Kusa laughed at the display and spoke up.

"To be honest, you should've seen this coming, Taba. But I'll gladly help you out and say that you two better let go of my fiancee if you know what's good for you both." Kusa said as both Ren and Sumire complied and let go of Futaba who was able to take a huge breath and spoke up as her face was red just like how Sophia was earlier.

"Seriously, you two are demons when it comes to hugging people. It was like I was ham in a sandwich or something." Futaba said as Sophia giggled and spoke up.

"Now you know how I felt after what I had been through just moments ago." Sophia said as everyone laughed as Sumire spoke up.

"Still, it's great to have you back with us, Sophia. And you look better than ever. It's like you've aged up by a year or two." Sumire said as Morgana spoke up.

"From what Lady Sophia told me last night, her new body was designed with a 16 to 17-year-old woman in mind. So it's not that much of a shock that she looks a fair bit more mature and grown-up than she previously did. N-Not that I'm trying to take advantage of that at all, because I'm not." Morgana said as Sophia giggled and kissed Morgana on the cheek as she spoke up.

"It's all right, Morgana. You've been nothing but a perfect gentleman to me since I returned. So I don't mind that you made a bit of a crass remark just now." Sophia said as Ren frowned and spoke up.

"While Sophia isn't wrong, I do feel like I should point out that Morgana shouldn't make a habit of saying things like what he just said, regardless." Ren said as Morgana nodded his understanding before Sumire spoke up.

"So, is there plans for Sophia's return to be revealed to the others, or is it just us for now?" Sumire asked as Kusa spoke up.

"For now, it's just those of us in this room. Taba and I have plans to gather everyone up in Leblanc at a later date, and we can inform the others that Sophia's back when that day comes, provided no one objects to that?" Kusa said as no one made any objections. After that, Futaba spoke up.

"Good. I think that answers your question rather nicely." Futaba said as Sojiro spoke up.

"Well, since Ren and Sumire are here, I should probably cook up some fresh curry for everyone. Kusa, you wanna help out with that?" Sojiro asked as Kusa nodded and headed back into the kitchen with Sojiro to make curry while Ren spoke up.

"In all seriousness though, this is like the best day ever now that you are back with us, Sophia. You have no idea how much most of us missed you while you were away, some of us more than others." Ren said, waggling his eyebrows playfully before grunting a moment later as he found himself facedown on the floor after a coordinated back-attack from Sumire and Morgana, who high-fived as the former spoke up.

"Be nice, Ren! And don't tease me and Morgana! You missed Sophia as much as we did!" Sumire rebuked Ren as Morgana spoke up.

"She's right! Now quit teasing us!" Morgana said dryly as Sophia giggled before speaking up after helping Ren back into his seat.

"I think he was just being playful, Morgana. Besides, I think it's sweet that you two missed me so much." Sophia said as Ren and Sumire smiled at the same time that Kusa and Sojiro brought out curry for everyone, causing a rousing cheer of 'THANK YOU FOR THE FOOD!' from Kusa, Futaba, Ren, Sumire, Morgana, and Sophia as the six dug into their meals with gusto, and the atmosphere of Leblanc was filled with an amicable companionship as the group enjoyed having Sophia back home...

(Fast forward a few days, afternoon of February 20th, in the Hasegawa residence with Zenkichi and Akane)

As Zenkichi and Akane sat together at the table to have lunch, Zenkichi spoke up.

"Sorry if this request caught you by surprise, but I figured you should have a chance to meet my new girlfriend sooner, rather than later." Zenkichi said as Akane spoke up with a smile.

"That's fine, Dad. I don't mind that you waited to introduce me to your girlfriend. As long as you're happy, that's enough for me." Akane said as Zenkichi smiled and spoke up.

"Well said. She should be here anytime now, since I invited her to come have lunch with us." Zenkichi said as there was a knock at the door, prompting him to get up and go see who it was. A few minutes later, Zenkichi returned with a silver-haired woman in tow who had a well-pressed black business suit on, her brown eyes seemingly sizing Akane up as she sat down and spoke up.

"Sorry I'm late. Traffic was a bit of a nightmare out there." Zenkichi's girlfriend said as Zenkichi chuckled and spoke up.

"It's all right, beautiful. The important thing is you're here." Zenkichi said before turning to Akane as he spoke up.

"Akane? Meet my girlfriend, Sae Niijima. Sae, this is my daughter, Akane." Zenkichi said as he introduced his girlfriend to Akane, who blinked on recognizing Sae's last name as she spoke up.

"Ah, so you're Dad's girlfriend. Nice to meet you, Niijima-san. Although I can't help but notice you have the same last name as my friend Makoto. I'm guessing you two are related?" Akane asked as Sae smiled and spoke up.

"She's my younger sister, in fact. I've basically had to raise her myself since our father died in the line of duty in a hit-and-run accident. I'm sure Makoto already told you about that, though." Sae said as Akane nodded with a smile and spoke up.

"She did indeed. For what it's worth, I'm sorry for your loss. And at the same time, I'm grateful to you for what you did for my father last summer. If not for your intervention, he might still be in prison right now. So thank you." Akane said with a small bow as Sae chuckled and spoke up.

"I appreciate the formality, but you can just call me Sae. And you're welcome. Your father is a good man who didn't deserve to have his own co-workers treating him the way they did when he risked it all to save his 'partners' in the Phantom Thieves. He has a very impressive moral compass and firm sense of right and wrong, I've noticed." Sae said as Akane chuckled and spoke up.

"You're not wrong. Still, don't sell yourself short. The way Dad and even Makoto tell it, you're pretty cool yourself. After all, you're a defense attorney who does what she can to help others and stand up to the criminals and scumbags in the world. If nothing else, I respect you for that much. I also respect you for what you did for my dad as well, though." Akane said as Sae chuckled and spoke up.

"I just do what's right, that's all. And I used to be quite a different person a few years ago back when I was a prosecutor. I was once so consumed by my grief and anger that I almost put everything I had built to that point at risk just because I had an obsession with winning at any cost. Eventually, unbeknownst to me, my obsession to win became so bad that it not only caused my relationship with Makoto to become temporarily strained, but also led to me becoming a target for her and the Phantom Thieves." Sae said as Akane gasped and spoke up.

"No way! That almost parallels mine and Dad's relationship back when my Mom died, only I was more or less the one who caused the strain." Akane said as Sae spoke up.

"Your father actually told me about that during our first date, and you have my condolences for the loss of your mother, Akane. Trust me when I say that this isn't the only instance when I see people such as Owada using their power for their own personal gain. However, I'm glad you were able to reconcile with your father after all of that." Sae said as Akane smiled and spoke up.

"Thanks, Sae. Although I can't help but notice that you mentioned your sister and the other Phantom Thieves as if you were aware of their identities just now. I presume you became an ally of theirs after they changed your heart." Akane asked as Sae chuckled and spoke up.

"You're half-right. I became aware of my sister and the other Phantom Thieves shortly after they dealt with my Shadow self in the Metaverse. And to give you a heads-up, I'm also aware of you and your dad's identities as both Auburn and Wolf, respectively." Sae said much to Akane's surprise as she spoke up.

"I see. How much did Dad tell you after you rescued him from police custody?" Akane asked as Zenkichi spoke up.

"Everything. Since Sae gave me a rundown of her full story with the Phantom Thieves during our first date, I decided to do the same thing. So I told her everything from the time I rescued the others in the Kyoto Jail alongside Kusa, Futaba, and Goro, how I ended up reconciling with both you and your Shadow Self, respectively, and I even mentioned how you saved mine and the others bacon from almost being killed by that cognitive Owada in the Osaka Jail." Zenkichi said as Sae spoke up.

"I would admit that I was a bit shaken when your father told me what happened in the Osaka Jail. Normally, I would say that you were a bit reckless in trying to follow your dad and the others, which almost put you in grave danger, Akane. However, if it weren't for your actions, I don't think your father, my sister, and the others would still be with us right now. And I just want to say that the way your dad described you standing up to that cognitive Owada almost reminded me of Makoto in some cases." Sae said as Akane giggled and spoke up.

"Thanks. I learned a lot from Makoto, as well as Ren, Kusa, Goro, and the other Phantom Thieves during my time with them. However, I seem to be confused by what you said earlier. What do you mean by saying you were 'half-right' regarding becoming an ally of them? Didn't they change your heart?" Akane asked as Zenkichi spoke up.

"As a matter of fact, Akane? They technically did change Sae's heart, but at the same time they didn't." Zenkichi said as Akane raised an eyebrow and spoke up.

"Huh, what do you mean by that?" Akane asked as Sae spoke up.

"Let's just say that even though I was a target, the Phantom Thieves didn't actually steal the source of my own corrupted desires when they did their heist. During their first run, Makoto, Ren, and the others were neck-deep in trouble thanks to Masayoshi Shido orchestrating the death of Kunikazu Okumura and framing them for it. He wanted to make sure they were eliminated to ensure no one stood in his way. Thus, he ordered Goro to infiltrate the group all so they could get their leader out of the picture." Sae said as Akane spoke up upon realization hitting her face.

"Oh yeah. I remember hearing this from Ren, Kusa, and Goro at some point when I was with them. From what I recall, that plan failed due to Ren allowing himself to be captured after they stole a fake version of their target's corrupted desires and allowing everyone else who was with him to escape the police. This was then followed up with Ren going through an intense interrogation which led to Goro, who was still working for Shido at the time, being tricked into killing a cognitive version of Ren. And all of this just so Shido thinks that the leader of the Phantom Thieves has perished, which allowed them to launch a surprise attack to change his heart. Although, I didn't think that crazy plan happened when they targeted you, Sae." Akane said as Sae chuckled and spoke up.

"Funnily enough, I was the one who interrogated Ren during that time. At first, I didn't believe his story, but I slowly grew to understand what was really going on. If not for him, Makoto, and their friends making a very great risk to open my eyes to what I was becoming, I might have made a very grievous and irrevocable mistake a few years ago. This is kind of equivalent to them changing my heart if they were able to succeed in stealing the source of my desires. So I owe them a great deal, one that I'll probably never be able to fully repay." Sae said as Akane giggled and spoke up.

"I'm sure they don't keep score of such things, Sae. Also, you remind me a lot of this one guy Ren and the others introduced me to a few months ago. He also blamed himself for a lot, but in the end, Ren and the others convinced him that he needed to forgive himself. This went a long way as they were later able to recruit him to their team in time for the Phantom Thieves to take down the former AI app EMMA, who became a god-like entity near the end of their second run. You might have heard of a therapist by the name of Takuto Maruki, right?" Akane asked as Sae frowned and spoke up

"I'm aware of who he is, and I actually met him last Christmas during a party that Ren, Kusa, and Sojiro hosted. I can see how you may think I'm similar to him Akane, but he's way worse than I am. For starters, I don't go around taking grieving women and rewriting their memories to make them think they're their dead twin sister for months at a time, much less make them have to put their families through playing along with such a painful pretense! If not for Ren getting through to her, poor Sumire would've been stuck like that for who knows how long! And that's not even getting into the likely hell he put poor Kusa through near the end of the Phantom Thieves' first run. So while I can see how you'd view my self-blame as being similar to Maruki-san's, please don't lump us together like that." Sae said as Akane winced and spoke up.

"Right, sorry. I didn't think about that when I spoke." Akane said as Sae spoke up.

"That's quite all right, Akane." Sae said as the three heard a ding coming from the kitchen as Zenkichi spoke up.

"Ah, I think the food's ready. If you ladies can excuse me for a moment, I just need to put on the finishing touches." Zenkichi said as he disappeared into the kitchen to get the meal while Akane and Sae continued to swap stories and got to know one another. When he returned with the food, he heard Sae chuckling as she spoke up.

"I see. Somehow, I'm not surprised you'd be so impulsive as to basically entice your girlfriend to kiss you in a camper while on a road trip. But as long as you two are happy with each other, that's the important thing. After all, I'd rather not see you make the same mistakes I made, and put yourself in a position where you feel the need to take some questionable measures to win and get ahead in a male-dominated industry." Sae said as Akane smiled and spoke up.

"I understand. But Nanako and I wouldn't make such mistakes, Sae. After all, I feel like she and I are quite serious about one another by now. Granted, we're both still young, given Nanako's just under 16 and a half at this point, and I'm not quite 18 yet. But I do know that when we're old enough, I might ask her to move in with me. After all, I think she's made me happier than I can ever recall myself being. And considering that I always had thought myself to be straight, that's pretty surprising I'd find myself not only bisexual, but with a girlfriend. I almost said lesbian, but I've had a few different guys I had a crush on in the past, so I'm definitely bisexual." Akane said as Sae smiled and spoke up.

"And that's perfectly understandable. As long as you're happy, that's enough for me. I might be getting serious about your father, but I want you to know that I would never dream of trying to replace your late mother. After all, she was an irreplaceable part of your life for quite a few years. So I understand if you need time to accept us being together." Sae said to Akane, who smiled and spoke up.

"Nah, that's fine. I can see you're committed to my dad. And as I said before, you earned a lot of my respect when you got him out of jail last summer. So if you two find yourselves wanting to get serious with one another, I'm more than fine with it. Just, y'know, don't be offended if it takes me a while to refer to you as 'Mom' or anything like that. After all, I accept that you and Dad are dating and happy, but getting used to having you as a potential stepmother might take me a while to adjust." Akane said as Sae nodded and spoke up.

"That's quite all right, Akane. I wouldn't dream of making you refer to me as anything you're uncomfortable with. I just want us to be able to get along, that's all." Sae said, surprising herself and Akane as she gently pulled Akane into a hug, making Akane smile as she returned the hug briefly before pulling away and speaking up.

"Well, as long as we're on the same page, I approve of you and my father dating. Just pray you never do anything to hurt him, otherwise you might not like what I do to you, never mind what Ren and the others do to you." Akane said as Sae smiled and spoke up.

"Don't worry. I have no intention of ever hurting your father. He's a good man, as I said before." Sae said as Zenkichi spoke up at that point for the first time in a while.

"Funny you should mention us getting serious, Akane. To be honest? I asked Sae to move in with me recently and she said yes. So at some point in the near future, Sae is probably going to start living with us. Are you fine with that?" Zenkichi asked Akane, who blinked in surprise before she nodded and spoke up with a smile.

"I'm okay with it, Dad. Especially since I had a feeling it would happen at some point. Better to start getting used to having Sae around now rather than later, I suppose." Akane said as Sae smiled at Zenkichi's daughter as the two women settled into their meals, neither of them seeing an amused Zenkichi observing the two while enjoying his own meal...

(Time skip- late in the afternoon on March 5th, on the rooftop of Gekkoukan High School in Tatsumi Port Island, with Yukari, Junpei, Akihiko, Fuuka, Mitsuru, Aigis, Koromaru, Ken, Labrys, and Kotone)

As the group of former S.E.E.S members gathered on the roof of Gekkoukan High School, they didn't notice the woman standing in the corner of the rooftop standing by a makeshift memorial that had a picture of a young man with dark blue (almost black) hair, a vaguely uninterested look on his face, and icy grey eyes that seemed to be looking through the camera as he stared at the camera, with what appeared to be hints of a pair of headphones around his neck and an outfit similar to what the rest of the male now-former S.E.E.S members wore during their time as S.E.E.S (complete with the same armband that most of them wore, though his was on his upper left arm where most of the others had theirs either on their lower arms or their right arm) as they gathered near the memorial. At that point, Aigis walked up to the memorial and spoke up.

"Hello there, Arisato-san. I'm sorry we've taken so long to come and see you. Things have been busy over the past few years. Not just in terms of our lives outside of S.E.E.S, but even in our professional lives. Also, I suppose I should be the one to tell you this. S.E.E.S is no more. We have evolved from the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad into the Shadow Operatives, an elite unit that works with the authorities to keep the peace and crack down on Shadow activity. And not only have we become quite a formidable team, but we have even gained a few new members over the years, like my sister here. But why don't I let her speak for herself?" Aigis said as she stepped aside to let Labrys look at the picture and speak up.

"H-Hello. So you're the Arisato-kun that my sister thinks so highly of, eh? I can see why she'd be so attached. You are pretty easy on the eyes. Sure, you've got nothin' on Yosuke, but you'll pass muster in a pinch. All teasing aside though, I wanted to thank you for how much you were there for Aigis. It's at least partly because of your guidance and support that she turned out to be the kind and loving individual that she is today. And she wouldn't have even gotten that chance if not for your sacrifice, so thank you for laying down your life so that the others could live theirs. I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart.

Oh right, I almost forgot to introduce myself, didn't I? My name is Labrys, or to use my full name? I'm the 5th Generation Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon, Labrys. But since I'm an older model of the same series as Aigis, she and I just call each other 'sister' for short, while most of the others just call us by name. So yeah, don'tcha worry about a thing, Arisato-kun. We've got things under control. Rest in peace and thank you for your sacrifice." Labrys said as she walked back over to Aigis, who walked her back to stand with the others as Junpei walked over to the memorial next to speak.

"Hey, man. It's been too long since I came this way. Things have been pretty good since you left us. As Ai-chan said, we've kept up with our usual activities to a point, and most of us are still as hard-working as ever. Granted, some of us work harder than others. It probably won't surprise you to know that I'm the one who has worked the least out of everyone in the group, even if I did manage to find some steady work as well as a rewarding side job as a baseball coach.

Sure, there are some like Mitsuru-senpai and Akihiko-senpai who have been working like crazy, or training in Akihiko's case, but most of us just take things one day at a time. But yeah, I don't really have a lot else to say, so I'll let the next person come up and speak. Catch you later, man." Junpei said as he stepped back at the same time that Ken approached the memorial with Koromaru in tow, the latter of whom saw the picture of the now-identified Arisato and lowered his head in respect as Ken smiled and patted Koromaru on the head comfortingly while he spoke up.

"You miss him too, don't you? It's fine, Koromaru. I understand how you feel. After all, Arisato-senpai had a pretty big impact on our lives for the short time he was in them. Hard to believe he had to sacrifice everything to give us a chance to live our lives, but there you go." Ken said to Koromaru before turning to the memorial as he kept speaking.

"Sorry about that. Had to comfort Koromaru a bit, Arisato-senpai. Hard to believe it's already been 10 years since you left us, but here we are. As you can see, all of us have grown considerably since you left us, myself included. I didn't forget what you taught me about living my life to the fullest and making peace with my past. So thank you for everything. I'll never forget what you did for all of us. And I'm sure Koromaru won't either. Rest in peace." Ken said as Koromaru gave off a low but resolved 'woof' of agreement before they walked back to the group while Yukari approached the memorial and spoke up.

"Hi, Minato. Hard to believe you've already been gone for a whole decade now. It's funny how time flies sometimes, isn't it? Yet none of us, aside from maybe Aigis and Koromaru, are the same as we were back then. Akihiko's gotten way tougher and more buff, Mitsuru's gotten more dependable and strong-minded, Ken-kun's grown up and become very reliable and responsible, Fuuka is still as quiet and shy as ever but has gotten so much more skilled at what she does, and even Stupei's matured a lot.

Sure, he mostly spends his time coaching youth baseball and constantly hovering between jobs, but that's Stupei for you. As for me, I've managed to settle into a pretty consistent acting job. The fact that it's for a kids' show is both irrelevant and beside the point. I know you watched a lot of Featherman with Ken-kun during the time you were alive with us, but I think you'd be amused that I ended up being cast as Feather Pink.

If nothing else, Ken-kun was amused when he heard. But yeah, we're all doing well nowadays. Sure, none of us have seen your sister since that day, but I'm sure she's doing fine wherever she is. Granted, she was pretty shook up to lose you so soon after losing Aragaki-senpai, but I feel like she's still holding up well." Yukari said as a slow clapping from near the group caused everyone present to turn and face the woman that they'd overlooked.

Once the group spotted the woman in question, basically everyone took their time in noting the black leather strapless and sleeveless dress she had on with a black shawl lazily draped over her shoulders, and a black veil draped over her face to hide her identity, though if you looked closely enough you could just see a hint of the woman's hazel eyes under the veil. Mitsuru frowned at the woman and spoke up.

"Not to be rude, but this is a private gathering. And how long have you been here, anyways?" Mitsuru asked as the woman chuckled dryly and spoke up.

"Long enough to know that some things never change. For example, the fact that all of you are as unobservant as ever. Though, to his credit, Koromaru did notice me to some extent even though he didn't say anything. And while I'm aware of this being a private gathering, I have just as much right to be here as you do, Mitsuru-senpai." The woman said, making Akihiko blink and speak up.

"Did you just call Mitsuru 'senpai'?" Akihiko asked as Mitsuru slowly nodded and spoke up.

"That's right. She did. But if I'm your Senpai, that would mean that you also went to this school?" Mitsuru said as the veiled woman nodded and spoke up.

"Correct. Also, I didn't think I needed an invitation to come pay respects to a relative?" The woman said as Aigis frowned at this and spoke up.

"Relative, you say? Are you trying to say that-?" Aigis said as Labrys spoke up to finish Aigis' thought.

"You're related to Arisato-kun?" Labrys said as the woman chuckled and nodded as she spoke up.

"Correct, on both counts. That being said, I guess I can't fault you for not recognizing me between the veil I have on and the fact that it's been years since most of you saw me. But if anything, that's on me for keeping my distance. However, I know that Minato wouldn't want me to stay away forever, and I wouldn't want to disappoint my brother more than I likely already have." The woman said, slowly pulling back the veil to reveal a smiling face with distinctive hazel eyes and hints of brown hair that appeared to be pulled into a ponytail. Once the group saw the woman's face, Koromaru gave a happy bark as he ran towards the woman and gave a nuzzle on her knee to which the woman giggled as she petted him as Ken gasped and spoke up.

"No way! Is that really you, Kotone-senpai!?" Ken said as the woman nodded and smiled at Ken as the now-revealed Kotone smiled and spoke up.

"Yup, it's great to see all of you again, despite the circumstances. Oh, and like I told Fuuka earlier, please drop the formalities. We're all friends here." Kotone said as Aigis raised an eyebrow in confusion and spoke up.

"Wait? I don't recall Fuuka-san telling us about an encounter with you." Aigis said as everyone then turned towards Fuuka as she spoke up.

"Yeah, sorry about that everyone, but Kotone swore me to keep her return a secret while she was sorting things out. She's been back in town since October, when she showed up at Aragaki-senpai's memorial." Fuuka said as Junpei smirked and spoke up while Kotone smiled at Fuuka.

"Yeah, I could see that being something Koto-tan would do. But I think we're all just as happy to see her again after all these years." Junpei said as Labrys spoke up.

"So you're the sister of Arisato-kun that Aigis told me much about. It's a pleasure to meet you, Kotone." Labrys said as she held out her hand to which Kotone smiled and shook it as she spoke up.

"Likewise. Labrys, was it? Fuuka here has told me quite a bit about you. From what I've heard, you seem to have a similar personality to mine." Kotone said as Mitsuru spoke up.

"Labrys here does give us familiar vibes from when you were with us during our time as S.E.E.S, Kotone. And please accept my apologies for my harsh words before. But given that you were hiding your identity, can you fault me for being on guard?" Mitsuru said as Kotone chuckled and spoke up.

"No, I really can't. That's just who you are, Mitsuru. And Junpei, I know that both myself and Yukari have asked you multiple times to NOT call us by those nicknames! And you wonder why Yukari still calls you 'Stupei' at times." Kotone said as Yukari giggled and spoke up.

"Right!? He's such an ace defective at times." Yukari said as Junpei pouted and spoke up.

"RUDE! Also, is now REALLY the time to pick on me, you two!?" Junpei said as Kotone smiled and spoke up.

"You're right, Junpei. It's really not. I'm sorry." Kotone said as Junpei nodded and spoke up.

"Forgiven. After all, we're here for your brother. So it would be foolish to hold grudges in light of that." Junpei said as Akihiko smiled and spoke up.

"Well said, Junpei." Akihiko said as he turned to Kotone and kept speaking.

"Since you're here, would you like to go next, assuming Yukari's done saying her piece to your brother?" Akihiko asked as Kotone smiled wryly and spoke up.

"Of course. But if Yukari's not done, I can wait for her to finish." Kotone said as she stood next to Fuuka, who shyly smiled at her while hiding the subtle blush that had crept onto her face after Kotone stood next to her. Yukari then spoke up.

"It's fine. I was just about done, Kotone. So go for it." Yukari said as Kotone nodded and spoke up.

"Alright then. I suppose whoever hasn't gone up yet can go after me. Oh, and Mitsuru-san? I hope you don't mind, but I would like to discuss with you the matter of possibly having me join the Shadow Operatives. That is, if you have the time for it?" Kotone asked much to Mitsuru and everyone else's surprise as Mitsuru then smiled and spoke up.

"Not at all, Kotone. We can discuss this matter after we're done here." Mitsuru said as Kotone nodded as she then approached the memorial of her brother and spoke up.

"H-Hello, Minato. I know, I know. I've been avoiding this for too long. I apologize for my cowardice. I just wasn't ready to say goodbye to you back when you first passed. But now, I think I can do it. Still, I can't believe you're gone, Big Bro. I always figured you and I would outlive our parents, but you had other plans apparently. That being said, thank you for giving your life to spare the rest of us. That was very heroic and noble of you. But did you really have to do it only just months after Shinji's death?

The fact you timed it the way you did, even if it was mostly out of your control, was a bit unfair of you. And you can't even imagine how much it hurt to find out you were gone. Then again, the more that I think about it, I realize that I was being immature and unfair to blame you for how things turned out. So I'm sorry for that. But I've decided that I'm done running. Once I get things sorted out, I plan to help Mitsuru and the others out with their work, if they'll still have me.

I realize full well that I might be considerably out of practice compared to them, but I feel like I'll catch up to them quickly soon enough. So rest in peace Minato, and don't worry. I'll make sure your legacy lives on by helping our friends in your stead. Goodbye, my brother. And thanks for everything." Kotone said, walking back to the others as Fuuka smiled and gently reached up to use a finger to wipe the traces of unshed tears from Kotone's eyes, making her blush at both the close proximity she had to Fuuka, and how gentle Fuuka's touch was. Fuuka then smiled at Kotone and spoke up while lightly patting Kotone on the shoulder comfortingly.

"It's all right, Kotone. I don't think he hates you at all. If anything, he's probably proud of what you decided to do. So hold that head up, would you? We're all just happy to have you back with us." Fuuka said as Kotone nodded before Fuuka stepped up to the memorial and spoke up.

"How've you been, Arisato-senpai? Good, I hope. I know I've not been able to see you as much as I should have, and I apologize for that. I've just been busy with life. Also, I've not had a lot of free time since Mitsuru-senpai enlisted me into her group back in 2011, not that I should be making excuses. Still, I will say that I've found a lot more resolve than I thought I would with the Shadow Operatives. And I've confronted so much of my past. Hopefully, you're looking on with pride from wherever you are now alongside Aragaki-senpai. May you rest in peace." Fuuka said as she stepped back to the group in time for Mitsuru to walk forward and speak up.

"I'm sorry it's been so long, Minato. I've had a lot to deal with over the years. But that's no excuse for not making more time for you. So I apologize for disrespecting you in such a way. Thank you for all you did for us. You were truly an exemplary leader for the time you led S.E.E.S, Minato. And I bet you would have also been an exemplary leader for the Shadow Operatives as well.

However, given the circumstances, that's neither here nor there. I'd like to think I've done a passable job of stepping up to lead in your absence. But I know full well that you were a better leader than I am. However, I always strive to lead the group in the way that you no doubt would have done if you were still here with us. So rest easy, and trust me to keep the group going for you. For now, watch over us with Shinjiro until we see you two again someday." Mitsuru said solemnly, bowing her head for a moment in respect before walking back over to the group where Akihiko gave her a comforting hug.

While Akihiko had Mitsuru in his arms, he also kissed her on the cheek before he pulled away and walked up to the memorial to speak, ignoring the amused smile on Kotone's face at the sight of Akihiko kissing Mitsuru, though he did smirk as he saw Kotone discreetly pass some yen to Fuuka before he spoke up.

"Guess I'm the last one up, then. Oh well, they say you usually save the best for last, yeah? It's been too long, Minato. I've been training myself basically ever since the day you passed, since I felt I needed to get stronger to be able to protect the others in your absence. After all, it's partly because of you that I was able to realize my shortcomings, both as a man and as a fighter.

So I felt I owed it to you to toughen up so I could be better able to protect the world and even step up to help pick up the slack left in the wake of your untimely demise. And I was even able to not only get stronger, but also build up my resolve to finally tell Mitsuru how I felt about her in a romantic sense. Regardless, I don't blame you at all for your sacrifice. I would've done the same thing in your position.

As such, rather than be mad at you for leaving us the way you did, I respect you for having the resolve and courage to do what you had to as a man to keep us all safe. Thank you for your brave and noble sacrifice, Minato. I promise you I will keep the others safe until the time comes when all of us can see you again. So rest in peace and leave it all to me. And if he's with you, that goes double for Shinji as well. Both of you watch over us from wherever you are." Akihiko said, bowing to the memorial of Minato as Aigis came back up and spoke up once more.

"And there you go. As you've heard, we're all doing as well as we can in light of your passing. But I hope we're all making you proud of what we have accomplished so far, Minato. So once more, thank you for everything, and rest in peace. Until we see you again, goodbye." Aigis said as the others nodded their agreement to Aigis' finishing words and left both the memorial and Gekkoukan High together, with Mitsuru discussing with Kotone her potential future as a new member of the Shadow Operatives...

(Time skip- March 14th, in a modest little two-bedroom house in the Northern Shopping District of Inaba with Yu, Rise, Yosuke, and Kanji)

While Yu was in the living room entertaining Yosuke and Kanji, Rise sat in the bathroom, a certain test underneath her as she sat on the toilet, waiting for the results. As she did that, Yu sat on the couch in the living room, clinking his beer can with Yosuke and Kanji's as he spoke up.

"This is nice, isn't it? Just us three bros chilling in this amazing living room watching this awesome flat-screen while we enjoy the freedom we earned as our wives/girlfriends do their own thing." Yu said as Yosuke nodded and spoke up.

"Well said, partner. Although technically this isn't really a guy's hangout since not only is your wife here, but Teddie is off on a date with Marie. And sure, Labrys might only be my girlfriend compared to you and Kanji having made Rise and Naoto your wives, respectively. But at the same time, consider this? Labrys is an Anti-Shadow weapon, so I don't think she and Aigis are technically able to get married. Besides, we've not been dating nearly as long as you and Kanji have been with Rise and Naoto. If we're being honest, I think even Nanako-chan's been dating her girlfriend for longer than I've been dating Labrys. So I think I can be patient and wait a while to put a ring on Labrys, so to speak." Yosuke said as Kanji smirked and spoke up.

"That's fair. You were one of the last of our group to get a girlfriend if I recall right." Kanji said as Yu spoke up.

"Be honest, Kanji. Yosuke was probably the last of us to get into a relationship. But I'm sure he'd agree that it was worth the wait." Yu said as Yosuke nodded and spoke up.

"Got that right, partner. Sure, I wouldn't have thought when we first started the Investigation Team that my eventual girlfriend would be a robot, or rather an Anti-Shadow weapon. And that's not even mentioning my own struggle during the Inaba murder case regarding me trying to move on from Saki-senpai's death. But regardless, I don't care about whether or not I'm dating a human or a robot that much. Labrys is amazing in her own right." Yosuke said as Yu and Kanji nodded their agreement. Eventually, Rise came out, holding a small device in one hand. Yu looked at his wife and spoke up.

"Ah, you took the test, then?" Yu said as Rise nodded and spoke up.

"I did. Now to see what the result is once said results are ready." Rise said as Yosuke smirked and spoke up.

"Good luck, you two. As a movie Nanako once had me watch with her would say, 'May the odds ever be in your favor.' But I'm sure the results won't matter too much." Yosuke said as Yu nodded and spoke up.

"Thanks, partner. Granted, you're not the one who has to help Rise break the news to her grandmother if this result comes back the way we think it will." Yu said as Kanji spoke up.

"That does sound rough, but cheer up, Senpai. After all, Rise's grandmother is a very nice, very understanding woman. And it's not like you have to report the results to her father or anything. Apologies for the tactless remark there, but it needed to be said." Kanji said as Rise smiled and spoke up.

"It's fine, Kanji. You were just being real with my husband, so I can forgive you for bringing up my parents. Besides, I know they're watching over me in spirit anyways." Rise said as she looked down in time to see a result come up on the device she'd set on the table, which she and Yu looked at with bated breath. Rise then gasped as she saw the result before looking into Yu's eyes and speaking up.

"Looks like the test came back with a positive result, Yu. I trust you know what that means?" Rise said as Yu nodded with a smile and spoke up.

"I do indeed. It means we're most likely going to be parents in the near future. And as long as you're okay with that, then I'm happy too. After all, we're in this together. And if that means we end up being parents, then so be it." Yu said as Yosuke smirked and spoke up.

"So you're gonna be a dad, then? Nice! Congrats, partner. Looks like both Teddie and Naoto owe me money next time I see them. They're fools for not betting that you and Rise would end up parents with how often Rise's manager calls her in for those 'special' shoots with you. Honestly, I'm more surprised it took this long for it to happen." Yosuke said as Yu shook his head and spoke up.

"Why am I not surprised that you bet on when Rise was going to get pregnant, partner? But I suppose I'm willing to forgive you since you did bet on Rise getting pregnant sooner rather than later. Still, don't make a habit of betting on every big moment that Rise and I can possibly achieve. Although as of right now, my biggest concern is Rise being able to handle herself when it comes to being a mother." Yu said as Rise smiled and spoke up.

"Don't worry, Yu. As long as we're in this together, I can handle being a mother. And although this will force me to leave the idol business for a while since I will need to inform Inoue-san about this development at some point, I wouldn't have it any other way. After all, I have waited for quite a while to be your girlfriend and later your wife. So I think it was well worth it just so that I can be the bearer of our child, Yu." Rise said as Yu smiled and pulled Rise into a brief kiss, amid amused smirks from Yosuke and Kanji as the latter spoke up.

"Good stuff, Senpai. And I don't know this for certain, but I recall one of the guys at school once said that it was tradition for an expectant father to hand out cigars to his friends as a sort of celebratory gesture. But I think we can skip that since none of us smoke." Kanji said as Rise giggled and spoke up.

"I know what you're alluding to, Kanji. And yeah, you're right to say that none of us smoke. But we can probably sub in sodas or something, though." Rise pointed out as Yu spoke up.

"We'll see. I think that we should have a doctor confirm what that test says before we do any celebrating. And it's not like I'm trying to say that test is wrong. It's just that I want to make sure that this positive result that Rise had on her pregnancy test is legitimate." Yu said as Rise nodded her agreement before the quartet of Yu, Rise, Yosuke, and Kanji got immersed in enjoying their time together...

(At around the same time as the previous scene, in Kyoto, at the Hasegawa residence with Akane)

"...Really? Your big sis is taking a pregnancy test!?" Akane asked Nanako, who she was on a video call with. Nanako nodded and spoke up.

"Uh-huh. Way I see it, I'm surprised it took this long to happen if the test comes back how I think it will. But at the same time, I'm happy for Big Bro if he is about to be a father. Given how patient and understanding he was with me during the year he stayed with us in Inaba, I think he'll be a good dad. But that's just my opinion." Nanako said as Akane nodded and spoke up.

"I agree. Given what I've seen of him, Yu does seem like he'd be a good father. But don't forget, that would make his child your second cousin." Akane said as Nanako giggled and spoke up.

"I realize that, Akane. But enough about Big Bro and Big Sis for now. Let's talk about us." Nanako said as Akane blinked and spoke up.

"Us? What about us?" Akane asked in confusion as Nanako spoke up with a smile.

"You've got a birthday coming up in a couple of days, right? If I'm right, that'll be your 18th birthday. Once you have that, and then graduate, you'll basically be able to move out on your own. And when that happens, what's stopping you from moving closer to me?" Nanako said as Akane smiled and spoke up.

"Honestly? Nothing's stopping me, Nanako. But what would your dad think of me moving closer to you? After all, he might have given us the okay to date back in October. But that still doesn't mean he's going to be okay with it if I were to move closer to you, let alone move in with you. He's still somewhat getting used to us dating, I think. Also, would that really be fair to my dad if I suddenly decided that I wanted to move just like that? He's already having to deal with the idea that I'm probably leaving the metaphorical nest soon enough since I'm in my last year of high school and graduation is later this month. So let's not rush things too much, shall we?

That being said, I'm not against moving to Inaba eventually, since I will agree that I miss being close to you. To be fair, we did get to sneak a few quickies in while my dad and I were staying at your house, but not as many as either of us would have liked. So I will admit that it is tempting to move closer to you so we can do stuff like that more often. But I feel like this is something we should run by our respective dads first before we make any big plans. We should at least be considerate of our dads' feelings before we rush into things." Akane said as Nanako nodded and spoke up.

"You have a fair point, Akane. But that wasn't a denial of what I just asked you, right?" Nanako asked as Akane blushed and spoke up.

"No, it wasn't. However, I feel like it would be rude to leave Dad alone so suddenly. Sure, he and Sae are now dating at this point, but that doesn't mean that he's going to magically be ready to let me go out of nowhere. Nor would I expect him to be. After all, he and I spent years having a very contentious relationship before we finally managed to reconcile last summer, largely thanks to the efforts of the Phantom Thieves. So I feel like I should try to ease Dad into being used to not having me around the house." Akane said as Nanako giggled and spoke up.

"Ooh, so he finally asked Makoto's sister to be his girlfriend, then? How cute! However, that being said, you do realize that if your father and Sae-san get serious enough to head down the aisle together, wouldn't that make Makoto your step-aunt then? Sure, your dad is old enough to also be Makoto's dad, but that's not how family works as it turns out. You are aware of that, right?" Nanako asked as Akane chuckled and spoke up.

"I'm well aware of that, Nanako. But if they get married, then so be it. I already approve of Sae as Dad's girlfriend. They've both been through a lot in their lives, so they deserve to find happiness, even if it's with each other. And Sae's not a bad person once you get to know her. So I feel like she and Dad belong together, even if it did shock the heck out of me when Dad announced that he and Sae were moving in together the day he introduced me to her. But I find it amusing that you feel the need to point that out, Nanako." Akane said as Nanako giggled and spoke up.

"True. I could've had other things pointing, but I'm trying to behave. Besides, I seem to recall that you were rather reluctant the last time we took it all off on camera, even if you did end up enjoying yourself once we got down to business. So we can use that to tide us over until we eventually live close enough to be able to hang out in-person again. At that point, we can start going wild with one another a lot." Nanako said as Akane blushed and spoke up.

"NANAKO! Quit being a tease! And you know full well that I was only reluctant because I was embarrassed about being naked on camera. Granted, it was pretty thrilling once I actually stripped, but it was also kind of nerve-wracking. That being said, I suppose we should get going since I doubt either of us has the time to be talking dirty to each other right now." Akane said as Nanako reluctantly nodded her agreement before ending the call as the two went about the rest of their day...

(Time skip- The morning of April 21st, in a certain park in Kyoto, with Ren, Ryuji, and Kusa)

As Ren, Ryuji, and Kusa walked through a park in Kyoto, Ryuji yawned and stretched before he spoke up.

"As much as this is neat to be having an early-morning walk with some of my best friends, why are we out in a park?" Ryuji asked as Kusa grinned and spoke up.

"That's easy. A friend of ours asked us to meet him here so he could put you two through your paces, so to speak." Kusa said as Ren and Ryuji both groaned before the former spoke up.

"Right. Does this have to do with what Akihiko was saying about potentially helping me and Ryuji work out when we were scaling the Tree of Knowledge last summer?" Ren asked as Ryuji winced and spoke up.

"I think it does, RenRen! But if that is the case, then I'm more than okay with it. After all, I did say I wanted to try something different from my normal workout. So if Akihiko wants to introduce us to his training regimen, then bring it on." Ryuji said as Kusa laughed and spoke up.

"I appreciate the mature viewpoint you have, but I do hope you're prepared for a rough, grueling experience. Based on what I was told by him, Akihiko's idea of training once included sparring with fully-grown bears using just his fists along with going around and beating up street thugs in various other countries. I would dare say Akihiko is even tougher than I am, the fact I beat him in our only serious spar notwithstanding. So I wouldn't take his training lightly if I were the two of you." Kusa said sagely as Ren nodded before he spoke up.

"Fair enough, I suppose. But speaking of Akihiko-san, don't you think he and Ken should be here by now?" Ren asked as a familiar chuckle from nearby answered his question before Akihiko spoke up after he, Ken, and Koromaru walked into view.

"Correct. Sorry we're late. Had to catch up to you guys since we showed up a bit late due to Ken getting off to a sleepy start." Akihiko said as Ken blushed and spoke up in embarrassment.

"Eheh, yeah. My bad, Akihiko. I overslept by accident, so it's my fault we're late. And sorry for making you three wait as well." Ken said as Ren, Ryuji, and Kusa waved the apology off, the latter leaning down to lightly pet Koromaru on the head as he spoke up.

"Better late than never, Ken. Isn't that right, Koromaru? I take it you're here to get some exercise too?" Kusa said as Koromaru barked once in the affirmative as he wagged his tongue happily from Kusa petting him, making Ren, Ken, and Ryuji all chuckle before Akihiko spoke up.

"Exactly, Kusa. And as for you two, are you ready to be put through your paces?" Akihiko asked Ren and Ryuji, who looked at each other nervously as they then both nodded to each other as the two-faced Akihiko again as Ryuji spoke up.

"Well, we have been through the wringer when it comes to our time in the Metaverse, so I think we are more than capable of handling what you may throw at us." Ryuji said as Ren spoke up.

"In other words, do your worst, Akihiko." Ren said as Akihiko chuckled and spoke up.

"Good. I was hoping you'd say that. Ken can help guide Kusa through the routine, since I feel like Kusa won't struggle nearly as much as you two with it." Akihiko said as Ken nodded, taking Koromaru and Kusa off to the side to help the latter through the routine. It wasn't until some time had passed that both Kusa and Ken were laughing at the sight of Ren and Ryuji struggling to adapt to Akihiko's training regimen. Kusa smirked at this and spoke up.

"Somehow, I knew they would struggle through this." Kusa said as Ken chuckled and spoke up.

"In all honesty, I think the reason why Ren and Ryuji are having trouble is that they haven't trained with such intensity that it pushes them to their limits. As for you Kusa, you have experience pushing yourself to become stronger to the point where you are able to acclimate to our training regimen so easily." Ken said as Koromaru gave off a simple 'woof' of agreement as Kusa grinned and spoke up.

"Fair, but I train roughly this hard a lot to keep in shape for my martial arts. After all, I didn't get to be the 'Kung Fu Dragon' by sitting on my laurels. Although I have to ask Ken, are you happy with the way Akihiko trains you, or would you perhaps prefer to learn martial arts? I'm only asking this because I get the sense that you'd be pretty good at it." Kusa said as Ken spoke up.

"Nah, I prefer to work out with Akihiko since he and I have been through a lot together over the past few years. But I might also want to learn from you as well to further better myself as a man. That is, assuming you don't mind, Kusa?" Ken asked as Kusa smirked and spoke up.

"Not at all. However, don't expect me to go easy. The martial arts can be very demanding of newcomers. But if you put in the effort and time, you'll be surprised how rewarding they can be to learn. Meanwhile, I wonder if Ren and Ryuji are holding up as well as we are?" Kusa asked as Ken shrugged before the camera panned over to Ren and Ryuji both stopping to catch their breath as Akihiko chuckled and spoke up.

"Not bad, you guys. I expected you to not last nearly as long as you did. So I'm impressed. If you two keep at it, I think you have the potential to really make something of yourselves, even more than you already have. But it's up to you to put in the continued effort to get stronger. Does that sound like something you two would be interested in?" Akihiko asked as Ryuji grinned and spoke up.

"Hell yeah! It might be rough, but once we get used to it, I'm sure we'll start finding it more enjoyable. Plus I enjoyed that workout, even if it was rough at first." Ryuji said as Ren nodded and spoke up.

"I agree with Ryuji. You're a very good trainer Akihiko, even if said training is a bit persistent. But I respect that since it keeps us on our toes and in shape. So, provided you don't mind helping us out, I think I can convince Ryuji and Kusa to meet up with you every now and again to keep training like this so we can really get into good shape. Granted, I get the feeling that Kusa will also try to get Ken to train with him as well on the side." Ren said as Akihiko smirked and spoke up.

"I don't mind if he does. After all, it can only make Ken stronger if he's willing to push himself to learn. Not only that, but if this works out, then he'd be the only one who can say he trained under both myself and the Kung-Fu Dragon if he does decide to train with Kusa." Akihiko said as Ren winced and spoke up.

"Fair, but I should mention that Kusa has also trained quite intensely at times, as Goro can attest to this since he has trained with him some of the time. So I hope Ken's ready for that if he does agree to learn from Kusa." Ren said as Akihiko nodded and spoke up.

"Understandable. Besides, as I said before, you two and Kusa have a lot of potential. So keep training and honing that potential, and you might be surprised by the results." Akihiko said as Ren nodded and agreed to do more workouts with Akihiko, as did Ryuji, at which point the three shook hands and waited for Kusa and Ken to finish their training with Koromaru and catch up to them before the six of them went back to shower and refuel after their grueling training session...

(Time skip- May 4th, at a certain train station in Yongen-Jaya, with Haru, Kusa, Futaba, and Sojiro)

As Haru waited at the train station with Kusa, Futaba and Sojiro, she felt her body start to well up with excitement, since she was waiting for a specific train to arrive. Kusa smirked at Haru's reaction and spoke up.

"Chill out, Haru. He'll be here when he gets here. I know you're excited to see him again, but don't work yourself up over it." Kusa said gently as Sojiro nodded his agreement and spoke up.

"Kusa has a point, Haru. We're all ready to see him again, but he'll be here eventually. Let's just relax and wait for him, shall we?" Sojiro said as Futaba spoke up with a sly smirk.

"We might all be ready to see him again, but Haru's the one dating him, isn't she? So I think she's ready to have him back in her arms, and maybe even show him just how much she missed him while he was gone. Mwehehe." Futaba said as Haru blushed and spoke up.

"Futaba-chan! Behave! Whether or not I have ulterior motives aside from being excited to see my boyfriend again is none of your concern." Haru said in embarrassment, but before Futaba could reply to her past sticking her tongue out childishly at Haru, the train Haru had been waiting for pulled up. As the passengers started disembarking, Haru scanned the crowd nervously. Finally, as the last of the passengers disembarked, Haru spotted a familiar brown-haired male in the back of the departing crowd with an equally familiar cream-colored suit on, smiling happily. *1*

Once he spotted the familiar figure in the crowd, Kusa subtly nodded to Futaba and Sojiro, who got the unspoken cue and stepped aside with Kusa to give Haru some privacy as the brown-haired male she was awaiting approached her and smiled at her as he spoke up.

"Well, well. Looks like I have a welcoming party. And a very beautiful one at that. Sorry to keep you waiting so long, Haru." Goro said as Haru smiled and spoke up.

"I'm just happy to have you back, Goro. Welcome home!" Haru said as she gently pulled Goro into a heated kiss, wrapping her arms around him as she kissed him, making Goro smirk into the kiss before speaking up as the two pulled apart for air.

"Not bad. I see someone's been practicing while I was away. And now that I look closer at you, I see you decided to make yourself extra beautiful just for me. I love it." Goro said as Haru blushed and spoke up while Kusa led the others away from the station to allow Haru and Goro some privacy.

"Y-Yes, well, I was trying to surprise you on your return. And this isn't all of it. But the rest of it is the type of surprise that isn't necessarily suited for a public setting, if you get my drift. So if you'd like to follow me home, I can show you the rest of the surprise there." Haru said as Goro gave Haru a confused look, but smiled and nodded his agreement as the two detoured to Haru's house. Once there, Haru opened the door and led Goro inside, guiding him down the hall to her room, which Goro idly noted had a rather large bed in the center of it, likely a king or queen-size bed if Goro had to guess. As he was looking around, he missed Haru getting comfortable. So it was a surprise when Haru spoke up in a slightly sultry tone.

**M-RATED CONTENT STARTS HERE. IF YOU DISLIKE LEMONS OR ADULT CONTENT, SKIP DOWN TO THE PART MARKED *END OF M-RATED CONTENT* TO KEEP READING, OTHERWISE YOU KEEP READING PAST THIS WARNING AT YOUR OWN RISK. AND WITH THAT, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! LEMON STARTS NOW!**

"I'm surprised you're so distracted by my room, Goro. But you have to look at me if you want your surprise." Haru said in a sly, seductive sort of tone. Goro blushed at the tone of Haru's voice, but turned to look at her, his jaw dropping as he saw the slinky see-through light purple gown Haru had on, showing off the skin-tight silky dark purple bra and panties set that Ann and Shiho had helped her pick out, leaving the gown open to give Goro a tantalizing glimpse of her stomach and legs, and even a glimpse of her thighs and cleavage. Once Goro managed to get his blush under control, he spoke up.

"O-Oh, I see. I wasn't expecting it to be that sort of surprise, but at the same time? If that's what you want, I have no objections. After all, you and I have a lot of lost time to make up for." Goro said as he took off his suit jacket and gloves, tossing the former to the ground with the latter tucked in the pocket of the former, before walking over to press his lips to Haru's as he gently scooped her up bridal-style and laid her on top of him after he laid on the bed, smiling up at her as he kissed her. After the two came up for air again, Haru blushed prettily and spoke up.

"Can you blame me, Goro? I didn't realize how true it was when people say and I quote, 'Absence makes the heart grow fonder.' Also, I've waited long enough to find a man that I love enough to give myself to in every way that matters. So if you agree, then let's not waste any time and get intimate." Haru said as she looked lustfully into Goro's eyes while sneakily undoing the buttons on Goro's grey dress shirt, allowing her hands to slip into said dress shirt and wander along Goro's chest, getting a very nice feel for his four-pack abs and chiseled physique. For his part, Goro blushed, but smiled as he spoke up.

"If you're sure that's what you want, I am more than willing to take that step with you, Haru." Goro said as he removed his dress shirt, letting Haru ogle his bare chest. As he did so, Haru blushed as she slid her gown off, letting it hit the ground as she kicked it aside, sliding the straps of her bra down her shoulders and giving Goro a very impressive view of her upper chest, making Goro smirk as he lightly trailed kisses down the neckline of a blushing Haru, eventually landing on her collarbone.

Goro's bold actions had the result of making Haru give off a very involuntary, but also very husky-sounding moan as she leaned back to give Goro better access to her neck, making him smirk as he deftly reached behind Haru's back after getting a nod of consent from her to un-clasp and remove her bra before tossing it to the floor, letting him admire her ample yet perky mid-D cup breasts, which he gently ran his fingers over the surface off, making Haru shudder in a mix of anticipation, arousal, and desire as she spoke up.

"Mmm, that feels really nice. Keep going, Goro." Haru said as Goro nodded, straddling Haru's waist sexily as he started licking her nipples, making Haru moan more as she let Goro lavish attention on her chest, seductively grinding her hips against Goro's crotch, making him blush as he felt his pants tighten a bit in response to Haru's naughty actions. Goro grinned and spoke up, not caring that his tongue flicked back and forth across the breast in his mouth, simulating the feeling of tickling the nipple in his mouth, getting a sound from Haru that was a mix of a giggle, a moan, and a whimper as he spoke.

"Oh? Seems to me like you're getting rather into this. And I approve, Haru. We should've done this sooner, I think." Goro said, sucking lightly on Haru's nipple as he spoke, making Haru speak up in a husky voice.

"Indeed. I didn't think it could feel this good to have my breasts licked and sucked, but I also find myself totally yearning for more." Haru said as Goro nodded, alternating between each of Haru's breasts for a bit. After a few minutes, Haru looked into Goro's eyes and spoke up.

"I love that you're such a thorough lover, but perhaps we can start moving this further down, if you catch my drift?" Haru said, deftly sneaking a hand into Goro's pants to stroke his length inside his boxers, making Goro blush and let off an involuntary groan while he spoke up.

"If you say so, Haru. Your wish is my command." Goro said as he gently pulled Haru's hand out of his pants and boxers so he could undo his belt, unbutton and unzip his pants, then slide both them and his boxers off, tossing both to the ground and leaving him fully naked before Haru's slightly widened eyes, making her blush while licking her lips excitedly at how endowed Goro appeared to be.

"Wow. Look at that package of yours, Goro. So gloriously huge. I love it." Haru said as she found herself staring at Goro's cock. Goro smirked and spoke up.

"I showed you mine, so it's only fair you show me yours, Haru." Goro said as Haru blushed but shyly nodded as she reached down to slide her panties off, exposing her shaved nether regions, which were very lightly damp with the signs of her arousal. Goro looked at Haru and spoke up.

"Would you prefer we stimulate each other with our mouths first, or do you want to go straight for the big event?" Goro asked Haru, who briefly thought about it before smiling sexily at Goro as she spoke up.

"Big event, I think. I'm sure it would be glorious to feel your mouth on my damp womanhood, but I think in this case I just want you in me. So let's get it on." Haru said as Goro smirked and spoke up while taking advantage of Haru standing up to reach around and deftly swat her right on the ass, grinning at the involuntary yet husky sounding moan she gave off in response to his decision.

"As you wish. But it seems to me like you might just like it a bit rough, Haru. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong on that at all." Goro said as Haru giggled and spoke up.

"You're not wrong." Haru said as she pushed Goro down onto the bed before straddling his waist and lowering herself onto his cock after lining it up with her entrance so Goro was buried in her up to the metaphoric hilt. Once she was in position, Haru looked into Goro's eyes and spoke up.

"Ready, Goro? I need you to fuck me like there's no tomorrow." Haru said seductively as Goro spoke up.

"Are you sure? I know that the first penetration is often the most painful for a woman. So don't be shy about telling me so if you need time to adjust once I penetrate you." Goro said as Haru smirked and spoke up.

"Noted. Now give it to me nice and hard, Goro." Haru said sexily as Goro nodded and penetrated Haru with one good upward thrust, making her moan before whimpering slightly as she felt Goro break her barrier, leading Goro to smile as he leaned in to kiss Haru as he stopped to give her time to get used to having him inside her. After a couple minutes, Haru smiled at Goro and spoke up.

"Okay, keep going, Goro. I'm good now." Haru said as Goro nodded, resuming his thrusts, making Haru moan and smile at how rough yet efficient Goro was in his thrusts. Getting an idea, Haru made sure Goro was looking at her before lifting her breast to her mouth and sexily licking it, making Goro groan as he thrusted into her harder and faster in response, making Haru moan happily. For a while, the only sounds heard were the moans from Goro and Haru as they made love, and the occasional thumps from Goro's balls slapping Haru's thighs as he thrusted into her. After a bit, Haru moaned as she spoke up.

"Ohh, yesss! I love how you're making me feel, Goro! Keep going, please! I need more! I'm close, though. But still, I need more!" Haru said as Goro nodded, upping the speed and intensity of his thrusts, to appreciative moans as Haru moaned louder. After a bit, Goro spoke up as he felt himself twitch.

"You still need more, Haru? Or are you close? In my case, I think I'm starting to get close, but I want to try and make sure you get satisfied first since I was raised to be a gentleman and respect women." Goro said as Haru giggled and spoke up.

"I'm getting close too, Goro. So you don't need to hold back just for me." Haru said as Goro nodded, getting an idea as he reached his hands out to firmly yet sexily cup Haru's breasts, gently massaging her nipples with his hands as he kept thrusting into her. Haru smiled at the feeling of Goro's hands massaging her chest before moaning loudly as she spoke up, especially after she felt Goro take a nipple in each of his hands and pinch them firmly between his fingers sexily, making Haru moan happily at the feeling of Goro teasing her nipples.

"OHH, YES! FUCKING YES! I LOVE IT WHEN YOU GET ROUGH WITH ME! IT MAKES ME FEEL SO ALIVE! ALSO, I'M READY TO CUM, GORO!" Haru said as Goro smirked and spoke up.

"Then cum for me, Haru. Maybe that will drive me over the edge into my own release. Who knows?" Goro said as Haru smiled and nodded before fairly well screaming out Goro's name as she felt her walls clench on Goro's length as she released, her juices slicking up Goro's length as Goro grunted into his own release, shot after shot of his release exploding out into Haru's walls, making Haru smile as she felt Goro release into her womb, prompting her to carefully slide Goro out of her as she flopped down next to him on the bed, Goro smiling as he laid next to her and gently pulled her into his arms, looking lovingly into her eyes as he pulled a blanket over the two of them while speaking up.

**M-RATED CONTENT ENDS HERE. STORY RESUMES AT THIS POINT FOR THOSE WHO SKIPPED THE PRECEDING LEMON. CONTINUE READING FROM HERE IF YOU SKIPPED TO THIS POINT.**

"Well, that was certainly enjoyable, wouldn't you say? I hope I wasn't too rough on you, Haru. But you seemed to be enjoying the show from what I could see." Goro said as Haru blushed shyly and spoke up.

"You weren't too rough at all. But then again, I don't know if I'm the best judge of what's too rough or not. And this is given the fact that I half expected you to lightly nibble my breasts when you sucked on them before, and that I almost asked you to go harder near the end but then decided not to get too greedy. But I enjoyed it when you pinched my nipples. That felt so exhilarating to me. But I think that might be the sadomasochist in me talking." Haru said sheepishly as Goro laughed and spoke up.

"That's understandable, my dear. But need I remind you how much I used to live for the thrill of causing my opponent's pain back when I was the Black Mask? Even after I joined you guys, I had a pretty long stretch of time where I had to resist the urge to torture our opponents for the sake of hearing their screams. But I think I got a lot of catharsis from that when I got my Showtime with Kusa. So I don't mind if you want it a bit rougher from now on. I just want you to be happy. After all, I got to enjoy the glorious sight that is your naked body on this day.

As such, I consider myself truly fortunate right now, Haru. The other girls might say you're third in terms of sexiest bodies, but you're always going to be in first place in regards to me. Also, please accept my apologies for making you wait so long for me to return from the internship. I didn't realize it would be longer than I originally thought. But thankfully, that time is over now, and we're back in each other's arms where we rightfully belong." Goro said as Haru smiled happily and spoke up as she laid her head on Goro's chest.

"I agree. We belong in one another's arms, Goro. As such, I have a proposal of sorts for you." Haru said as Goro smirked and spoke up.

"Oh? Do go on. You have my attention, Haru." Goro said as Haru smiled and spoke up.

"I recall that before the internship, you mentioned needing a place to live long-term. Do you remember what I said in response?" Haru asked as Goro spoke up.

"Wasn't that when you offered to have me move in with you?" Goro asked as Haru nodded and spoke up.

"Correct! Well, seeing as how much we enjoyed our little romp just now, if you're willing to agree, I feel like you should move in with me. That way, we can be together all the time, and we'll even have easy access to each other if we end up in the same mood we were in just now." Haru said wryly as Goro spoke up.

"That is tempting, I will admit. But can you handle having me around all the time? If what we did just now is any indication, we can be quite rough with each other. So I could see us possibly having a lot of sex, depending on how often the mood strikes us. And considering that we apparently forgot protection this time, we'd have to make sure we take precautions going forward. That is, assuming you're not ready to be a mother yet?" Goro asked as Haru smiled and spoke up.

"I mean, I do have a company to run, but I wouldn't be opposed to being the mother of your children, Goro. If I end up pregnant from our negligence today, then I think we should consider that as both our faults and we can deal with the consequences together. And as far as your remark about us having sex a lot, I'll consider that a bonus. After all, you're clearly very gifted in the bedroom, considering how proficiently you were fucking me. Part of me almost regrets not letting us tease each other with our mouths beforehand, but there's always next time, I think. But anyways, what do you say? Will you move in with me, Goro?" Haru said as Goro thought about it and smiled wryly before speaking up.

"As long as you're offering, I suppose there's no reason to turn down your offer. So yes, I will move in with you, if you'll have me." Goro said as Haru smiled and kissed Goro happily before speaking up.

"Perfect! We can start moving you in whenever you're ready. Though I think we should probably have a nap first since I imagine we used quite a bit of energy with our activities just now." Haru said as Goro nodded, speaking up.

"I agree. We can take a nap, and then we can start moving me in. But regardless, I look forward to living with you, Haru." Goro said as Haru smiled and spoke up.

"Same here, Goro. I love you so much." Haru said as Goro spoke up while gently patting Haru on the head.

"I love you too. And truth be told, I could get quite used to feeling your naked body resting on my own. It feels quite amazing." Goro said as Haru smiled happily and kissed Goro on the cheek before cutely yawning as she dozed off on Goro's chest, making Goro chuckle as he wrapped his arms gently around Haru before laying his head on the pillow and also dozing off. After a nap, the two took two trips to move everything Goro owned from his hideaway into Haru's house, after which they rearranged Haru's closet so Goro could have half of it to put his clothes in. After that was done, they kissed again, excited for the start of their time living together...

TO BE CONTINUED/END OF CHAPTER

A/N: And boom, there we go! Despite what I said previously, it appears this is NOT the final chapter of Rise of the Monarchs! After talking things over with jdimock, we decided to split this chapter into two parts, so the final chapter wouldn't be over 32,000 words long. Regardless of the fact it would still be shorter than the final chapter of Persona 5: The Phantom Files (which was 53,863 words long after it was typed out with the end-of-story A/N included), we decided to make it easier to edit the last chapters with the split, plus it takes less time for people to read them this way. So yeah, sorry about that. But that's the way the cookie crumbles in this case.

Anyways, before I forget, since there's going to be one more chapter, let me go into more detail about the poll currently up on my profile! It's a simple two-option poll (which is of course a blind poll, for reasons), but rather than dictating what story I do next, it will determine the order in which the next two options happen! I plan to do both eventually, but I felt like letting my readers have a bit of say in the order in which those stories are tackled. Now then, allow me to go over said story options in detail. Since there are two options on the poll, allow me to break them down in detail now.

Option 1- PERSONA 4: THE GOLDEN APOSTLE (Persona Series) : As the name implies, this would be an adaptation of Persona 4 Golden.

Plot: After his parents get sent off the grid for yet another undercover mission (even if he's unaware of the true reason for said missions), Yu Narukami finds himself sent out to Inaba for a year to stay with his uncle and cousin, Ryotaro and Nanako Dojima. Unbeknownst to anyone involved, once Yu arrives in Inaba, a murder mystery begins. Not surprisingly, things happen so that Yu is forced to awaken to the power of mysterious beings called 'Personas' to try and solve the mystery. However, he won't have to do it alone. Along the way, he is joined by a group of friends, who eventually refer to themselves as the 'Investigation Team'.

Or so the plot of canon Persona 4 Golden goes.

But what happens when another character is added to the mix, one who is an older half-brother of Nanako's that resulted from a one-off hookup that her father Ryotaro took part of at a King's Game party around 10 years before Nanako was born? How will the addition of this extra character change the plot of Persona 4 Golden, especially when he has the stigma of being the last living member of the once-infamous (and now feared) Kusanagi yakuza clan? Can Gaignun overcome the stigma around his family name, and the pain of recent tragedies in his life, to be useful to the Investigation Team? Ratings, Pairings, and Release Date TBA

Option 2- FIRE EMBLEM: THREE HOUSES - SECRET OF THE CREATOR (Fire Emblem) : A slight rework of the game Fire Emblem: Three Houses, where both male AND female Byleth are in the game simultaneously.

Plot: In the Imperial year 69, the progenitor gods Lord Xanatos and Lady Shyla are enjoying a hard-earned peace with their young son Leicester, while their eldest child Sothis is out protecting the peace of the then-fledgling land of Fodlan. However, disaster strikes when the hand-picked champion of Sothis, the liberator king Nemesis, becomes corrupted by his own power and starts slaughtering everyone in the village of the progenitors.

However, in a bid to preserve the bloodline of the progenitors as well as potentially safeguard the future of Fodlan, Xanatos and Shyla make the difficult choice to have their son Leicester placed into an enchanted sleep.

Fast forward 1105 years to the Imperial year 1174, when a pair of well-meaning retainers of one Erwin Gloucester unearth the hidden cave that Leicester is sealed in, managing to remove his casket and carry it out, unaware of the person in the casket smacking his head on the ceiling when the casket is jostled, causing him to lose his memories and forget everything. Taking advantage of this, Erwin tries to coax Leicester (or Les, as the letter on his chest identified him, prompting Erwin to call him 'Les') to live with him and help him with odd jobs. Leicester accepts.

However, unbeknownst to Erwin, his retainers would inadvertently expose his plans to use Les as a pawn to oust the ruling house of the Alliance, House Riegan. In response, Les, who had just gotten back from a stay in an underground bunker run by a friend of Erwin's, or one Thales, where he had been experimented upon, with the results that his face ends up slightly disfigured, though with the trade-off he gets a second Crest.

But in the process of said experiments, he happens upon one of the Alliance heirs in a younger Lysithea (who he ends up calling 'Sithy' due to not being able to pronounce her name correctly, to Lysithea's amusement), with whom Les strikes up a fast friendship, even though they don't get a lot of time to chat then.

After the plans were exposed, Les ran away, ending up in House Riegan territory, where he was intercepted by the retainers of Lord Riegan who went by the names of Judith and Nader. Once they lead him to the head of House Riegan, Les explains his side of things. To his surprise, Lord Riegan (or Oswald as he introduced himself) not only understands, but offers Les both asylum and a chance to be adopted into House Riegan as a younger brother to his grandson Claude. Needless to say, Les accepts pretty readily. Claude then introduces Les to the children of the Alliance houses.

At the same time, over in Remire village, the leader of a pack of mercenaries, one Jeralt Eisner, and his twin children Byleth and Bylene (or female Byleth) are woken up by a trio of Garreg Mach students being besieged by bandits. Needless to say, when Byleth and Bylene act to save the house leaders, they earn not only the respect of said leaders, but a chance to choose their place of allegiance. What will Byleth and Bylene choose? And moreover, when given the chance to each pick one of Garreg Mach's three houses to lead, which houses will the two choose to lead? And how will Byleth and Bylene's decisions affect the flow of Three Houses? Pairings, ratings and release date TBA

And that's the two options on the poll. Assuming I haven't already closed the poll by the time this chapter goes live, I might give an extra week for people to vote on it. We'll see. But for those curious, to find the poll, scroll to the top of the page this chapter is on (if you're on a PC), and look for where it says 'sithlorde1988' in blue lettering next to a picture of Rock from the Ridonculous Race, which can be clicked to go to my profile.

Once there, you'll see a link at the top of that page that should read 'Poll: Which would you rather see go up next? (Since I can't decide which of these to do) (Will be up until the final chapter of Rise of the Monarchs goes live)' after which the words 'Vote Now!' should be shown in blue lettering which can be clicked to open the poll.

From there, you click whichever option you want to vote, and click where it says 'Vote' to lock your vote in. Note you can only vote one option this time due to it being a two-option poll. Whichever option gets the most votes will be the next story I do. Note that due to the extra chapter (or Chapter 48) happening as a result of this split, the poll will now be extended until the editorial process finishes for the final chapter, so as to give plenty of time for people to vote on the poll! For anyone curious, said poll currently sits at 0-0 (due to no one having voted on it). But you have plenty of time to change that! So go and vote now!

That being said, I'd like to thank anyone who's read not only this far into the chapter, but also the story as well, for sticking with it this long! The views and support are greatly appreciated! And as I don't have much else to say, I'll wrap up this A/N here. So until the final chapter is up, sithlorde1988 out!

NOTES

*1* - Yep, I referenced the 'true ending' to a point here. But I felt like it was an appropriate spot to reference it, given who Haru was waiting to reunite with in this scene. Also, before anyone objects to Goro having his usual business suit from Royal, consider this. Goro isn't Goro without at least one scene in that suit, at least in my opinion. As it is, I changed his last name from Akechi to Amamiya for the story. I would be pretty cruel to take Goro's signature drip from him too on top of that. Plus, I feel like Haru's the sort of girl who would appreciate her boyfriend looking good in a suit, and to be honest? Goro can rock the hell out of a business suit in my opinion. So yes, I went there for the reunion.