When Shiina opened her eyes, she was in neither heaven or hell, but then again, did either of them even exist?

She shook the thought out of her head as she took in her surroundings. Three cold and blue walls encased all around her, and the forth was a set of bars. 

She was in a prison cell.

With a soft grunt, she got off the hard floor and sat down on a bench, staring down at the fabric of her skirt. She didn't spare the bars a second glance, she felt like she deserved to be trapped in here after everything she had done.

Before she could fully think about it, a voice whispered her name.

Numbly, she turned to the left and saw Akira, dressed in his Thief garb and grasping the bars with his bright red gloves.

She allowed herself to smile in relief. "You're alive... You know, back then, I thought for sure we would all die..."

"We're all alive," he told her, but his features grew worried. "But what about you? Are you okay, Shiina?"

"I..." She grabbed the hem of her skirt, fighting back the urge to inch away from him. "I don't think I should leave."

"Why do you think that?" He asked.

"Come on, Akira," she laughed bitterly. "I deserve to be here... Endeavor's right. I'm an abomination. All I do is fuck things up. I failed to change his heart and I failed to save my family. I'm a bad daughter, a bad sister, and a shitty hero."

"None of those are true," he said firmly. "You are not an abomination, Shiina. Sure, you couldn't change Endeavor's heart but that's because we didn't have any time to do it. Hell, we didn't even have time for a break. It was always one bad thing after another, especially for you. But you didn't fail your family, Shiina, you can still save them..."

"No I can't..." She disagreed softly.

He shook his head. "Yes you can. Do you remember your last moments before you disappeared?"

"Yes... Shouto... he looked... scared..." She whispered, an uncomfortable feeling twisting in her stomach.

"Exactly, he was scared. He was scared for you. After you left, he was begging me for help because he didn't know what to do. Everything was falling apart right in front of him, and it's only going to grow worse. You can't give up now, because Shouto still needs you."

"Shouto..." She said his name with longing before she frowned again. "No. He doesn't need me. I... I'm an abomination."

"Don't listen to your father's words!" He shouted, angry from just the thought of him. He shook the bars. "He's the abomination, not you! Never you, Shiina! Whatever happened to breaking yourself free from him? I thought you didn't want to delude yourself anymore?"

"I... I don't..." She mumbled, slowly raising from the bench. She stared down at herself, drawing near him.

I'm getting to her, he thought. Just one more push. One more and I can get her to snap out of this!

He reached out through the bars and grasped her hand, causing her to look up in surprise.

"The Holy Grail will win," Akira said, trying to catch her gaze. He found her hand tightening around his from his words. "He'll win and conquer over your brother and your whole family. And he won't just stop at Japan—he'll take over the whole world too. Everyone, including your mother and siblings will lose their lives to that twisted thing. They'll be under his control, is that what you want? Even though you can save them, you'll step back because of the horrible words Endeavor threw at you?"

"No!" She snapped, and Akira found himself grinning at the familiar fierce look in her eyes. "I'm not gonna let that piece of shit rule over my life anymore!"

She was suddenly enveloped in a bright flash of blue and when the flames dispersed, she was donning her familiar Thief suit. Her cell door promptly disappeared and he didn't hesitate to yank her forward, bringing her in his arms.

"Thanks for that," she breathed out, holding him tightly. "I don't even know what got into me..."

"Don't worry," he assured as they pulled away. "The Holy Grail was affecting you somehow; keeping you prisoner. But you got yourself out."

"Thanks to your help," she pointed out, smiling brightly. "Where's everyone else?"

"You're the only one left except for Morgana, but I think he'll show himself soon. So, I guess I saved the best for last." He grinned back.

"You sure did," she beamed.

He reached down to grab her hand again, feeling weird whenever he wasn't holding it. "You ready to take the Holy Grail down?"

"There's nothing holy about that thing." She said seriously.

"That's the spirit." He encouraged. "Now come on, I'll take you back to where everyone else is."

She nodded and they began walking down the dark prison hallway. "By the way," she spoke up. "Where exactly are we?"

"This is the Velvet Room," he answered.

"The Velvet Room," she echoed, looking around. She made a face. "I know you told us the Velvet Room's a prison, but I always imagined it to look like some sort of sexy boudoir."

"What?"

"Can you blame me?" She said defensively. "I mean, 'the Velvet Room' sounds like something you'd title a porno."

He let out a laugh, squeezing her hand tighter from the joy he was feeling. "God, I'm so glad you're back to normal."

Akira led her to this grand, circular room surrounded by empty jail cells just like her own. At the center of it was a table, where a man with a freakishly long nose sat.

Igor, she realized, blinking in surprise. She knew Akira described him as a 'long-nosed dude', but she didn't think his nose would be that long...

"Shiina!" Ryuji cried out, barreling past Akechi (probably on purpose too) to embrace the shorter girl which forcefully pried her and Akira's hands apart. Akira shoved his hands in his pocket, feeling a bit disgruntled but not showing it.

"Finally! Geez, it took Akira forever to get you out!" Ryuji grumbled, shooting the leader an annoyed look.

"That was sorta my fault," she admitted sheepishly. "I was kinda hard to convince."

"But I got to you anyways," Akira said proudly.

"Now that we're all here," Akechi spoke up. "May you explain what's going on?"

Everyone turned to face Igor and the smaller girl standing beside him. She reminded Shiina a lot of Elizabeth. They both had the same silvery hair and yellow eyes. Plus, their outfits were the same shade of royal blue.

"My name is Igor," the long nosed man introduced. "I am the master of the Velvet Room."

The little girl spoke up next. "I am Lavenza, a resident of this place as well. We have been waiting for all of you. My master has just been released from a long period of imprisonment. His powers have not fully returned. Though it may be presumptuous of me, I will speak on his—"

Ann interrupted her. "—Wait, where's Morgana?"

"Would you like to see him?" Lavenza asked.

Akira nodded. "Of course we do."

She turned her head. "...He's right over there."

They all whirled around to see their beloved cat walk out of one of the prison cells.

"That's where you were hidin'?!" Ryuji exclaimed.

"I... was born here." Morgana stated. "It was to dispel an evil being from man's spiritual world..."

"Mona...?" Futaba trailed off curiously.

"My role was to find the Trickster and help him defeat it." He continued. "That's why I was created here by my master."

Trickster? Shiina thought. Isn't that what Elizabeth called Akira?

"Indeed," Igor confirmed, and Shiina wondered if he was confirming her thoughts or Morgana's statements. Could Igor read minds?

"I really remember everything..." Morgana said. "When this place was about to be taken over, my master gathered the last traces of mankind's hope... He mustered up his remaining strength to make me."

"The entity that calls itself a god is a malevolent will that forces man into everlasting servitude." Lavenza explained. "It hopes to attain eternal peace by filling reality with those who have stopped thinking for themselves... That is the ruin of man that this evil god envisions."

"I... um... don't get what you're sayin' at all—" Ryuji blurted out.

Lavenza stepped forward and snapped, "—Be quiet and listen! We don't have much time left!"

"Wait a moment..." Makoto spoke up. "The Holy Grail... is a god? I was wondering why it had a will of its own, but are you implying that it isn't a Treasure?"

"No." Lavenza answered. "As the distorted desires of the masses, it is most certainly the core of Mementos itself."

"Then... did the Treasure become a god because people wished to be ruled over...?" Haru asked.

"That is correct," she confirmed. "To decide the fate of the world, it chose two people with potential and pitted them against each other."

Akechi and Akira snapped their heads up.

"That's...!" Akechi whispered.

Lavenza simply nodded solemnly. "One—Akechi Goro—incited the masses' distortion. Had you won, the world would've been destroyed and remade. But you did not win, nor did you lose. You carved a path of your own and joined forces with the other chosen one, the Trickster, who would stand up against that evil force... That was Kurusu Akira."

"If Akira won, the human world would be left as is..." Morgana smiled. "Those were the conditions of the game—at least, that's what should've happened."

"That malevolent being knew that a revolution would not occur within indolent humans. After all, it is the masses' distorted desires incarnate." Lavenza stated. "However, my true master believed in humanity. He believed that a Trickster would rise among the people and accomplish this change. But that evil entity laughed at the prospect, and sought to prove the powerlessness of man with the game. And Kurusu Akira had great potential... which is why it approached him. It helped train the Trickster, only to cast him into despair, using the masses who rejected their savior. This was likely its means to nip in the bud anything that would pose a threat. Now that I think back to when I was separated, I felt a disagreement to the word 'rehabilitation'."

She shook her head. "Of course I did... It was just a means for the fake to keep you under surveillance."

Morgana crossed his arms. "So basically these guys," he jutted his chin towards Akechi and Akira. "Were dragged into a game where the evil god rigged the outcome."

"It used me as it's puppet." Akechi said darkly. He was more than ready to face the Holy Grail now.

"We were just chess pieces to it..." Akira mumbled, equally as dark.

"Dammit, what the hell!" Ryuji growled in frustration.

Lavenza sighed sadly. "Your real world has already been fused with Mementos. You do not exist because reality is replete with the cognition of those who deny the Phantom Thieves. It can be said that the world is one step away from the evil god's machinations. However... there is still hope: Kurusu Akira, it's opposing piece, and Akechi Goro, the one who was once it's Champion."

"Champion, huh...?" Akechi muttered bitterly.

Lavenza continued. "Now that the evil god's identity has bee exposed, you can see your rehabilitation to its completion. You all can leave this prison, and you can save this distorted world and its captive people..."

Only us... Shiina thought with a worried expression. We're the only ones who can stop this. We're up against a literal god... If we fail... No, I shouldn't think that way. We have to defeat him.

Lavenza turned to the two Wild Cards. "Young man, guided by Morgana and worthy of the Trickster name... and you, surviving alone and given the title of the god's Champion... The two of you must work together and challenge the evil god in order to reclaim your existence in reality. Are you up to the task?"

"Of course." They answered in unison, their voices steely and full of determination.

Ryuji whooped and fist-pumped. "Let's destroy that annoying, shiny Treasure jerk for sure this time!"

Igor chuckled. "Excellent. There is nothing to fear. You already possess the strength to oppose this evil god. I am truly looking forward to this!"

"Our mutual friend knows where the exit is." Lavenza said, looking at Morgana. She bowed. "Morgana, please guide them. And thank you for all that you've done. It's a cruel responsibility that's been cast upon you...

"I will accept your words of appreciation fully when everything is over." He responded seriously. "Now follow me!"

He quickly led him back into the dark hallway and stopped in front of a set of long stairs.

"It's all the way up here," he said as they all bolted up. They ran passed a few floors before finally reaching the top, where they were met with a creepy stone door with an eerie red light placed above it.

"What's this...? It's one hell of a door..." Ryuji commented.

Morgana just smiled. "That's our exit. Come on, let's go."

They opened the door and were met with a blinding white light. Squinting, they all stepped out only for the light to disappear. They opened their eyes and were met with the worsening conditions of Shibuya. There were more bones surrounding them and everything was redder than normal, as if someone had put a colored filter all over the city.

"Huh? We're back in Shibuya again?!" Ann exclaimed in confusion.

"This is where we were when our bodies disappeared," Akechi reminded her. "It's the exact spot actually."

"Wait," Shiina spoke up, wildly looking around. "If this is it, then..." She looked around for a familiar head of dual colored hair and gasped when she finally spotted it. He looked to be arguing with a worried looking Fuyumi about something. Cupping her hands around her mouth, she shouted, "SHOUTO!"

Shouto jerked at the sound of his name and whipped his head to her direction. Pure relief stretched across his face and without a second's hesitation, he sprinted for her.

She grinned widely and spread out her arms only to let out a small shriek when he very nearly tackled her to the ground. So this is how he feels whenever I do this, she thought as he squeezed her to the point of breaking all her bones.

"Dude, I think I just heard her back break." Ryuji muttered to Yusuke, who looked a bit concerned over his muse.

"This is so cute." Haru gushed at the sibling moment, unaware that Shiina was losing air.

"Uh, Todoroki-kun, she's turning blue!" Akechi pointed out hastily.

"...Sorry," the younger boy muttered, pulling away. Shiina greedily breathed in the air, waving off her brother's concerned face.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," she struggled to say.

"What happened? I thought you all... died." Shouto said the last word quietly.

"We thought so too," Shiina said grimly as the rest of her team nodded in agreement. "But we were actually imprisoned in the Velvet Room—you remember what that was, right?"

He nodded, remembering that very long and very confusing conversation they had. "Akira said something about a man with a long nose and a... loli? A lollipop?"

Akira stifled a laugh. "Close enough. Igor—the long nosed man—turned out to a huge fake the entire time. He was actually the Holy Grail in disguise and he was using both Akechi and I in his sick and twisted game. Caroline and Justine—the two lollies—are actually Lavenza, who the fake split in half."

"I'm so confused." Shouto admitted bluntly.

Shiina shrugged unhelpfully.

Akira continued on. "After I fused the twins, Igor escaped and I freed your sister and everyone else and we had a talk with Lavenza and the real Igor."

"It turns out the Holy Grail is actually a god." Makoto stated with a dismal face.

"A... god...?" Shouto repeated with an unsure face.

"A false god," Haru corrected. "It was born from the will of the people. According to him, humanity wishes to lose their wills to live."

"It wants to control everyone." Ann added.

"Which is exactly what it's doing now." Yusuke said, looking around. "It seems like the people still haven't realized that this abnormality has taken over the city..."

Futaba glanced behind them. "Guys look! The door we just came through...!"

Shouto tilted his head. "What's wrong with i—Wait, what is that even doing here...?" He was so lost.

Akechi inspected it and nodded to himself. "If I remember correctly, this is that Quarantine Cell..."

Shouto eyed them all warily. They weren't diseased or anything, right?

"That's right," Morgana confirmed (Akechi's statement, not Shouto's thoughts). "It was actually the Velvet Room, which had been swallowed by the distortions."

"You did say you were born in there... It makes so much sense now." Haru said.

"Wait..." Ryuji said slowly. "So if we came outta there, does that mean WE'RE the criminals...?! No, it's more like Akira! Since he was kept in here!"

Morgana spoke up again, prompting everyone to look at him. Everyone's eyes bugged out at the sight of him glowing. "Most likely, Joker had been under the malicious guidance of the evil god for quite some time. The Velvet Room originally existed to nurture the human mind, but after it was taken over... It was sealed inside that bastard's nest... Inside Mementos."

"Uh, Mona... More importantly..." Futaba was quickly interrupted by Shouto.

"That's Morgana?" He said, looking flabbergasted. "The cat? Why's it glowing? Why's it talking?"

Shiina whirled around to face him. "You can understand him now?! Oh wait... We're technically in Mementos so of course you can..."

"It really talks..." Shouto murmured. "Why does he look like he just walked out of a cartoon?"

"Hey!" Morgana exclaimed angrily.

Haru giggled, "This is what he really looks like when we're in the Metaverse. Except for the shiny glow around him..."

"Yeah, can you explain that?" Shiina asked, scratching her head.

Morgana just shrugged. "It's probably because my memories have returned. I know what my duty is now."

"A cat with amnesia..." Shouto muttered to himself.

A random civilian began to speak, his words catching their attention. "Huh...? Whoa. Do you see something... shining? Wait a sec, how are those guys all dressed up? Are they heroes or something...?"

"I feel like... I've seen them before..."

"Oh! Aren't they... the Phantom Thieves? I kind of remember seeing a silhouette of them on a jumbo-screen in the city..."

"The Phantom Thieves?"

"Oh yeah, that's right! I completely forgot about them!"

"Shit," Shiina cursed under her breath, yanking Shouto's hood over his head. "Keep that on. If someone recognizes you, they'll wonder what you're doing with us."

He nodded in understanding and kept his head bowed down so none of them could see his distinguishable scar.

"This is different from how it was before. Do they see us...?" Ann wondered.

Makoto shook her head and pointed out, "It doesn't seem to be everyone though. Only a handful of people in this large crowd."

"Maybe it's 'cause of Mona's light!" Ryuji suggested.

Haru smiled. "Either way, they remember the Phantom Thieves!"

"The key of hope..." Futaba trailed off.

Yusuke turned to Morgana. "Mona, guide us. Where must we go?"

"Over there," Morgana said, pointing to a familiar temple. "The bastard from earlier should be in that temple!"

"We need to get all the way up there..." Akira sighed, dreading the long and tall walk. "We'll have to use one of the spines to climb up."

"You're going to go all the way up there?" Shouto said unsurely, feeling uncomfortable just from looking up at it. "Shiina... it's passed the clouds."

"We'll be okay," she assured. "Just stay here and watch over Fuyumi. We'll take care of the false god."

"My Quirk is gone," he told her, causing everyone to look at him, shocked. "If something bad happens..."

"It must be because Mementos has fused with reality," Morgana surmised. "Quirks don't exist in the Metaverse."

"Don't stay around here and wait for us." Shiina told Shouto firmly. "If anything bad happens... If any Shadows appear... then just grab Fuyumi and run."

He nodded, feeling nervous and scared for her. For all of them. He was confused by literally everything that was going on but there was one thing that he fully understood: they were going up against a god. An actual, almighty god. And the only people who could take it down was them.

"Are you sure you'll...?" He asked.

She nodded. "I'll be okay."

"You said that before," he pointed out bitterly. "And then you faded away right in front of me."

"But I came back, didn't I?" She asked cheekily.

He glared at her. "I'm serious, Shiina. I'm scared for you—for all of you. I don't want anything to happen to you guys while you're up against that... thing."

"Chin up, dude," Ryuji grinned, gripping his shoulder. It was a testament of how truly scared Shouto was for them because he didn't even bother to shake the blonde off or glare at him for the physical contact. "We're the Phantom Thieves. We've gotten this far. We're not dying now."

"Yeah," Shiina agreed, smiling at her brother. "Besides, if we fail, the world's doomed, so there's also that incentive."

"Way to put it bluntly..." Akira muttered.

"I... I believe in you guys." Shouto said.

Shiina grinned. "That's the spirit!" She cheered before throwing her arms around him. They hugged, and Shouto ingrained it in his head that this wouldn't be their last one. Because the Phantom Thieves were going to defeat the false god for sure and they would come back alive.

He knew they would. He believed in them after all.

Morgana couldn't help but smile at the scene before he schooled his expression. "Are we all ready to go?"

Shiina pulled away from Shouto and nodded her head. Giving him one last reassuring grin, they parted ways, him returning to Fuyumi, and her joining her friends up the surprisingly sturdy spinal bridge.

"Can you see that further in? That's the temple." Morgana stated as they dashed upwards.

"Heh, it's nice knowin' there aren't gonna be any bullshit traps or nothing this time!" Ryuji exclaimed. "Alright, let's pick up the pace!"

"Ooh, I see a treasure chest up here!" Futaba squealed, dashing to the right. She impatiently waited for Akira to open it, and he pocketed the Over Guard he received.

There were many other treasure chests that they found as they ventured upwards, jumping onto platforms and such. It was quite enjoyable up until they reached a set of stairs.

"Hold on, guys," Morgana froze, warily looking up the steps. "I'm sensing something up ahead."

Ryuji let out a long sigh. "I guess we can't just go waltzin' in here, huh... Whaddya say, Joker?"

"Let's push onward." He stated.

They hurried up, and Futaba shouted, "Careful! Enemy incoming! It's pretty dangerous...!"

Just then, an angel appeared in a dark flash. He was golden eyed, with blonde hair, and he was donning a pink warrior's suit. There was a long sword in his hand, while the other was held up. Behind him was a fluttering pair of white wings.

"Absconding from your cells is forbidden. Return to your prison posthaste." He ordered, and Shiina almost considered his voice velvety if it hadn't been for the distortion. "Those who wish to disturb society shall be slain on the very spot they stand."

"You're the one who's disturbing it!" Ann snapped.

"Dissenters must be destroyed." He stated.

Morgana huffed. "It's useless trying to reason with this guy!"

"I'll handle him," Ryuji spoke up, glaring fiercely at the angel.

Shiina faced him. "What?!"

"I'll be fine," he assured. "Lemme at this guy and when I'm done, I'll catch up to you."

"You wish to challenge me alone?" The angel question, staring intently at the blonde. "I am Uriel, the Light of God, and one of his strongest archangels."

"Yeah, I don't care." Ryuji said dryly. "Just shut up and fight me already."

"If that's what you wish." Uriel nodded.

Ryuji motioned for his friends to hurry on.

"Good luck," Shiina whispered to him before chasing after the rest. Surprisingly, Uriel didn't do anything to stop them.

"Why'd you let them go?" Ryuji asked curiously once they were all gone.

"My other fellow Archangels will kill them before they could reach the top. Just as I will do with you." Uriel answered, pointing his sword at him.

Ryuji just grinned. "The only ones dyin' here are you angels and your fucked up god." And with that, he ripped off his mask.

For the rest of the Phantom Thieves, they soon discovered that the archangels weren't all they had to worry about. Shadow Guards were stationed in almost every inch of their path, and they were quite annoying to fight with. After they finished clearing out the floor, they met up at the center platform just to hear screaming coming from the very bottom.

— ❤ —

"What was that?!" A tired office worker freaked out, looking all around him with wide eyes.

"Th-the city!" Another man gasped.

"Wh-what's going on here?!"

"Shouto...!" Fuyumi gripped his arm tightly, her wide eyes taking in all the destruction. "How is this...?!"

"You're finally seeing it," Shouto sighed in... relief? He didn't really know. He was just glad people were beginning to notice what was going on.

"What do you mean? Do you know what's going on?! Oh god, I have to call dad and Natsuo!" Fuyumi breathed erratically as she fumbled around for her phone.

— ❤ —

"It seems they finally realized their lives are in danger!" Yusuke fumed as they stood off at the edge.

"Took them long enough," Shiina sighed as she overlooked the hysteria. She tried looking for her siblings, but she was too far away to see clearly.

Makoto just shook her head in disappointment. "I can't believe they didn't notice until the danger was so close to them..."

"Things are going to get even worse from here on out..." Morgana trailed off. "The entire city has stopped functioning. At least they can still panic for now..."

"If people still don't act for themselves after seeing all this... I'm sorry, but they're hopeless!" Ann exclaimed.

Akechi nodded in agreement. "In any case, let's head to the temple. I'm pretty sure Skull just defeated Uriel, so he'll catch up to us soon."

They continued their not-so-merry way up the path, defeating whatever Shadows got into their way. Shiina wanted nothing more than for them to stop and wait for Ryuji, but she knew time was of the essence in their situation. Besides, she knew he would catch up to them fast and that he could handle the Shadows on his own.

"I'm picking up a reading up ahead," Futaba warned them. "Judging from how powerful it feels, it's most likely another archangel."

"I wonder how many there are," Yusuke mused.

"I guess we'll find out as we go on." Makoto sighed heavily.

As expected, the second they reached a spacious platform, an angel appeared.

This angel was dressed in pure white and silver unlike Uriel. His hair was a platinum blonde and his eyes were the same gold as the previous archangel. Instead of holding a weapon, he was holding a set of scales in one hand and a gavel in the other.

"You should not have come forward." He said, his voice deep and powerful. "Your refusal to heed to the law deems you as criminals. As Archangel Raguel, I must bring you all to justice."

"He's the Angel of Justice," Yusuke murmured in recognition. "His name translates to 'Friend of God'."

"Angel of Justice my ass," Morgana scowled. "Alright guys, you continue on forward. I'll deal with him."

"You sure?" Akira asked worriedly.

Morgana nodded, his eyes never straying from his opponent. "Absolutely. Now hurry."

They tried to get away, but Raguel raised his gavel. "You will not go any further!" He announced, his gavel glowing. An attack was coming.

"Oh no you don't!" Morgana shouted, summoning Mercurius and blasting him back with a strong Wind attack. He looked back at his friends, "Go!"

Quickly, they scrambled up to reach the higher platform. Yusuke, Akira, and Akechi helped give the girls a boost before climbing up themselves.

"Meet you at the top, Mona!" Futaba yelled out.

"You got it!" He called back.

They continued running before they were quickly surrounded by more enemies that appeared out of nowhere.

"Ugh, more Shadows." Shiina hissed in annoyance, cutting through them with ease. Her gauntlets were coating thickly in black blood before she lunged at another unfortunate Shadow.

A Kali Shadow stepped in front of her, slashing at her arm with one of her four swords. Shiina grunted slightly from the pain before she thrust her arms out, her claws sinking into Kali's four arms and raising her leg out for a front kick. As it stumbled, Shiina darted forward and stabbed her claws deep into it's chest, killing it instantly.

"You okay?" Makoto asked, glancing at her cut.

She nodded. "Just fine. Heal us afterwards."

The amount of Shadows that ambushed them were rapidly dwindling until there was just one—but Ann successfully incinerated it to death.

"All done," Ann smiled as Makoto did as she promised and healed everyone.

Akechi dusted off his gloves. "Now that we're done here, let's continue forward—"

"Halt!" A woman's voice boomed, followed by a figure emerging from a dark flash. This angel was a woman and was literally bathed in gold except for her wings, which were pure white like the rest of them.

"You've gotta be kidding me..." Ann grumbled under her breath.

"I did not expect you humans to defeat my dear horde," she spoke, but Shiina interrupted.

"You set up that ambush?" She scowled.

The female angel nodded. "I am the Lioness of God, Ariel. I cannot allow you to come any higher. Prepare yourselves, for I will not hesitate."

And she was completely serious about it too. The second the words left her lips, she raised her hand and sent a wave of bright light at them. They braced themselves for the impact, but then they heard a loud cry.

"Hecate!"

Before the attack could hit them, it was suddenly pushed back by a wall of flames.

"I guess it's my turn to stay behind," Ann said as the flames and smoke cleared out. "You guys go on ahead. I'll take on this supposed Lioness."

"You can do it," Yusuke gave her an encouraging nod before they all dashed away. Ariel didn't make a move to stop them and simply glared at Ann.

"You think you can take me on?" She questioned.

"Oh I know I can." Ann sneered before lashing out her whip.

A few feet above them, the other Phantom Thieves were fuming in annoyance.

"Honestly is there going to be an Archangel for each of us?!" Shiina glared as she aggressively slashed her claws through a Shadow over and over again.

In the corner of her eye, she saw Akira sprint away from the battle.

"Hey! Joker, you better not be ditching us!" She said as she pelted another Shadow with bullets.

He shook his head, his curly black hair flying every which way. "No, but I see a Treasure Chest!"

"Dude..." Futaba rolled her eyes.

"Figures you'd be so obsessed with Treasure." Akechi just sighed as he casually ran his laser saber through a Dominion.

"They're important," Akira defended. He let out a soft 'ahah!' once he managed to to pick the chest open. He pulled out whatever was inside. "Look, a Bead Chain. It'll be useful for later."

"You could always open the Treasure Chest after we finish these Shadows off..." Haru suggested, but knew he wasn't going to listen. She giggled at her leader's before before hacking a Shadow's head off.

Once they finished massacring the Shadows, they continued walking only to reach a dead end.

"Hmm..." Akira glanced over to the side and saw a levitating platform. He trailed his eyes over it and saw another walkway just a few feet above it. "We'll go over there." He decided. They hopped down, careful not to fall, and the boys climbed up first before helping the girls. The last one left was Shiina.

"Here," three male voices said, followed by three hands stretching out for her to take. They retracted immediately afterwards though as they began to stare the other down. Behind them, Haru and Futaba watched on in amusement while Makoto facepalmed.

Poor Shiina, however, was still waiting for someone to help her. 

Makoto took pity on her and heartlessly barreled through the boys, lending her a hand. "Here," she said before pulling her up.

"Thanks." Shiina smiled.

Makoto nodded before turning away, muttering something under her breath. "Men. Always thinking with their other head even in a situation like this."

Akira, Akechi, and Yusuke had the decency to look embarrassed. 

They cleared out the next few floors and found another flight of stairs. Before they could take a single step, Futaba let out an annoyed groan. 

"Lemme guess," Shiina said sarcastically. "Another Archangel?" 

"Yep." Futaba droned. 

"Wonderful." The red haired girl sighed. 

"I'll go against this one." Yusuke offered and nobody argued. 

Akira nodded in acceptance. "Alright then, let's go up." 

When they reached the next floor, an archangel appeared as expected. This one looked a lot less elegant than the others, but that was mainly because he had one of those really terrible 90s fade hairstyles. In Shiina's opinion—and her opinion was usually right about things like these—the hairdo just wasn't working for him. 

"Halt, rebels! I shall not allow you to continue forth!" He ordered. 

Yusuke swiftly unsheathed his katanas and pointed one at him. "Apologies for the inconvenience, but your battle is with me." 

"...As you wish," the angel decided, raising his blade. "I, Archangel Raphael, accept your challenge." And then, he swooped down. 

CLANG! Yusuke effortlessly blocked the attack and parried. As the two engaged in a sword fight, the remaining Phantom Thieves sneaked away to the bridge undetected. 

"And now there's only five of us left," Makoto murmured while they crossed the bridge. After several more minutes they finally made it to the other side, which was full of—you guessed it—Shadows. 

Luckily there weren't too many so it only took them around ten or so minutes to kill them all. Their path broke off at the end, and a few feet ahead they could see levitating platforms that led towards yet another long path up. 

Ever so carefully, they jumped forward to get onto each platform. The only one who was having problems was Futaba, who looked pretty terrified when she looked down. 

"Oh my god," she whimpered, falling to her knees and clutching the ground desperately. "How high up do you think we are now?" 

"Er..." Shiina risked a downwards glance at the edge and quickly pulled her head back, gulping. "Pretty high... Everything looks like ants. Also, I'm beginning to feel a bit woozy from the altitude..." 

Makoto looked behind them and frowned. "I can't even see how the others are doing... But I do see Yusuke. Raphael's not around anymore, so I'm pretty sure he defeated him." 

"Good," Akira sighed in relief. "Futaba, you think you can try and contact the others through the Persona Comm?" 

Futaba nodded, glad that she had something to do that could take her mind off her newfound fear of heights. Green holographic screens appeared in front of her, showcasing the other five Phantom Thieves. Ryuji had already met up with Morgana and were quickly gaining in on Ann while Yusuke was still crossing the bridge. 

"Skull, Mona, Panther, and Fox, you copy?" Futaba asked. 

"Futaba?!" They all winced as Ryuji's loud voice echoed in their heads. 

"Ugh, Skull lower your voice! You know there's no volume control in the Persona Comm!" Shiina scolded. 

"Right, right, sorry." He apologized sheepishly. 

"Where are you guys?" Morgana asked quickly. 

"We're way up ahead of you guys." Akira answered. "How are things going on your end? No fatal injuries?" 

"Nope," Ann replied. "I'm good to go." 

"Same here with us," Ryuji said. 

"I'm fine as well." Yusuke answered. "I just defeated Raphael. He wasn't much of a challenge." 

"Way to go, Yusuke! That's my man!" Ryuji whooped. 

Everyone winced. 

"Skull... Volume, please..." Haru begged. 

"Oops. Sorry, guys." 

"How many archangels have you encountered so far?" Morgana inquired. 

"Four. Fox just defeated the fourth one. It won't surprise me if there's more coming." Akechi sighed. 

"Do you guys want us to stop and wait to regroup?" Makoto asked. 

"No," Morgana could be seen shaking his head on the screen. "You guys keep on going. We'll regroup later." 

Akira nodded. "If you're certain. We'll see you guys later." 

They all exchanged goodbyes before Futaba cut off the contact. 

Shiina looked ahead of them and sighed heavily. "Well... we still got four more platforms to jump. Let's go, shall we?" 

Futaba made a whiny voice in the back of her throat and forced herself to stand. "I wonder how the people at the bottom are doing..." She muttered, wishing she were there. 

— ❤ —

"Shouto is your phone working?" Fuyumi asked desperately, staring down at the black screen with despair. 

He didn't need to look at his phone to know the answer. He had seen other people trying to call for help only for their screens to stay black. He knew it would be the same for his phone. 

"No," he said, trying to stay calm. 

"Dammit...!" Fuyumi uncharacteristically cursed, her wide eyes looking around for help. "I can't contact dad or Natsuo!" 

"Natsuo has a late class, remember? He should still be in his college, which is most likely under lock down." He informed her. 

"And dad?!" Fuyumi asked. 

He shrugged uncaringly. 

"And why aren't the heroes doing anything...?!" Fuyumi asked hopelessly, looking amongst the huge crowds of panicking civilians. At the very center of those crowds were Pro Heroes that were stationed nearby, and they were currently being bombarded by terrified civilians begging for help. Unfortunately, not even the Pros knew what to do. 

Shouto opened his mouth to tell her to stay calm, but then she suddenly let out a horrified gasp, stumbling back. 

"What is it?" He asked in concern. 

"Tha—that person... They just disappeared!" She nearly shrieked, catching the attention of a few nearby people. "Th-they just turned into some kind of black fog..." 

Shouto tensed and quickly gripped her arm, afraid to lose her too. "Black fog? You saw them fade away into a black fog?" He asked sharply. 

She nodded furiously. 

"...Shit." 

— ❤ —

"We're way passed the skyscrapers now..." Futaba said in a small voice. "Heck, all I can see below us are clouds!" 

"Hopefully these bones don't break down." Akechi said cheerfully as he looked at the spinal cord they were walking upon. 

Shiina smacked his shoulder. "Goro!" She chided. 

He gave her an innocent smile in return.

"How many miles have we climbed up?" Futaba whined. "Man, I hate exercising!" 

"On the bright sight, our legs will be like steel once we're finished with this!" Haru chirped. 

"How many hours has it been?" Makoto wondered. 

"Not too many. The sun's just setting." Akira answered. "At least the sun will stop burning us." 

They trudged on until the reached yet another familiar platform. Futaba opened her mouth, but they already knew what she was about to say. 

"Archangel." They said in unison. 

Futaba nodded wordlessly. 

"I'll deal with it..." Makoto volunteered herself, sighing as she did so. The fifth archangel appeared as they stepped onto the floor. It was another woman, but she was dressed in an attire more fitted for battle unlike Ariel. She wore a golden breastplate and a long red and white skirt. She held a sword in one hand and a flower-shaped scepter in the other. 

"Hold," she commanded, and her voice was somewhat gentle and motherly if you ignored the distortion. "I have not the intention of fighting you, children of man. Return from whence you came. Proceeding further shall only serve to shorten your lives. I advise you not as a guardian, but out of the mercy of my heart." 

"Mercy?" Makoto said coldly. "You have a twisted definition of the word 'mercy'. I expected better from an angel." 

"Ah... Greet me with weapons in hand...?" The angel said softly. "Me seemeth I have no choice... I, Gabriel, shall take personal responsibility for the misconduct of my childre—Argh!"

Makoto, with her tekkos around her fists, lunged forward and interrupted her little speech by punching her straight in the face, black blood spilling from the angel's nose. 

"I'm getting sick of hearing your voice," Makoto growled, pulling her other fists back. She noticed the other Phantom Thieves still watching her and barked, "GO!" 

"Yes ma'am!" Shiina squeaked, scrambling away as the rest of them followed after her. 

"Sometimes she frightens me more than Sae-san..." Akechi said under his breath. 

Even though they managed to cross several bone bridges and hopped off of multiple platforms, they could still faintly hear Makoto and Gabriel's fierce battle cries. 

"I hope we still have some energy left to face the Holy Grail," Shiina said as she tried to catch a glimpse of Makoto but there were too many clouds in the way. 

"I just hope none of us fall." Akira said bluntly. 

"Well I'm hoping that there's not too many of those angels around here," Futaba said as they crossed yet another bone bridge. 

Akechi nodded in agreement. "Though they may not be true 'servants of God', they do live up to that moniker..." 

"I wonder if the people in the city are okay..." Haru trailed off. 

"They'll be fine once we get to the top and defeat that stupid cup." Shiina said, glaring at the tower. It was a lot closer to them now. 

Akira nodded. "What she said. Now let's move on." 

— ❤ —

Shouto watched as a frantic man ran passed them, shouting for help. "D-does anyone know where my friend is?! He was right next to me...!" 

"NO!" A woman shrieked. "A person disappeared right in front of my eyes!" 

"P-please save us! Someone! Anyone!" 

"You're a Hero aren't you?! Do something!" 

"Is anyone's car working?! Are we just trapped here?!" 

There was chaos all around as the bleeding sky darkened even more. The bones ripping through the city were turning into pure black and the rain that was falling was looking more and more like blood as the hours passed. Cellphones, cars, and electronics weren't working anymore. People were disappearing left and right and Shouto had no idea if they would ever return. 

He looked up at the red sky, his heart pounding. 

Shiina... Please be safe... 

— ❤ —

"AAAAAAAARGHHHH!" Shiina howled as she rammed her claws through a Shadow out of pure frustration. "These Shadows are getting so fucking annoying!" 

"The higher we go, the more there are." Akira grumbled, sharing the sentiment. 

"Not too mention there are those pesky angels too!" Futaba added as she shielded Haru from a sneak attack. 

"Thanks!" The older girl breathed out before swinging her axe around again. 

Futaba opened her mouth to say 'your welcome' but nearly choked on her gasp. "Sh-shit! Guys, incoming!" 

Haru reacted quickly, summoning her Persona and shouting, "Mapsiodyne!" 

The pink blast destroyed the remaining Shadows, but one evaded it. As the dust died down, they saw the sixth angel. His skin was as orange as the sky and he wore a golden breastplate with a long white skirt. In his hand was a golden spear. 

"How unexpected. To think you would come this far." He stated in a powerful voice. 

"You should learn not to underestimate humans." Haru stated. "Don't get in our way, or you'll have me to deal with." 

He harrumphed. "Dare you destroy the very ruler you wished for? Humans are truly arrogant..." 

"Not everyone wants that thing ruling over us!" She said angrily. 

"Wish you to be free? Love you diversity? Since the dawn of time, man hath failed to put an end to quarrel. Now they finally desire a strong ruler. What justice have you in disturbing that wish?!" 

Akira scoffed. "Like granting that wish is justice either. How can you say people are free when they're chained up in prisons in this broken world?" 

Haru glared defiantly at him. "If someone has lost their way, it's our job to help them come to their senses!" 

He continued to look at them with disdain. "So, you commit any degree of sacrilege for your justice... I, Michael, deem you beyond salvation!" He roared, swinging his spear. A wave of light flew towards them and they all dove to the side to dodge it. Shiina hid behind a large bone structure, grimacing as the attack made the pillar shake. 

Suddenly, she heard the sound of gunshots and a loud groan. She dared to peek and was pleasantly surprised to see Michael on the ground, his wings in complete tatters. Haru stood before him with her Persona out. 

"Hurry on, you four!" She said to them. 

"You got this, Noir!" Shiina cheered for her, running out of her hiding spot and towards the trail. 

Michael glared at them and turned to attack. "You shall not—Ack!" The blade of an axe was deeply embedded to his back, right between his wings. 

"Your fight," came Haru's sweet voice. "Is with me." 

Michael couldn't help but shiver. 

Meanwhile, a few yards away from them, the remaining four Phantom Thieves were platform hopping. 

"The next angel to show up is mine," Shiina stated once she hopped off the last platform. 

"You sure?" Akechi asked as he landed beside her. Akira followed afterwards, and made sure Futaba made it to the other side safely. 

Shiina nodded. "Yep. Plus I could give myself a short break before catching up to you guys." 

"We're really close to the top of the temple now..." Akira murmured, looking up. 

"I can see a platform up ahead too," Futaba pointed at it. There were a few clouds in the way, but not too much that the next stage was covered. "No doubt the next angel's going to show up there." 

It didn't take them that long to reach it. The Shadows that got in their way were quickly dealt with and soon enough, they were standing on the next circular platform. In a dark flash, the seventh archangel appeared. 

This one had curly chestnut brown hair that reached the back of his pale neck. He wore a loose blue dress and had golden circlets around his forearms. He was holding a spear. 

"Please," the angel spoke, his tone pleading. "Stop what you are doing and return to your cells. I am Zadkiel, and as the Angel of Benevolence, I do not wish to fight any of you." 

Shiina stepped forward, smiling sweetly as her gauntlets appeared in her hands. "How about this then," she began in a saccharine voice. "Since you hate violence so much, step aside and let us go, or fight me and die." 

"Is violence really what you desire?" He frowned. 

"I guess so." She shrugged. 

"Then you shall die." He stated, readying his spear. 

"Uh, Diablo?" Futaba said in a meek voice. "Just so you know, his strength lies in Bless Skills..." 

"That's fine," Shiina purred. "Because that only means he's weak to Curse. Now go!" She ordered, ripping off her mask to call forth Tullia. 

Tullia emerged from the blue flames and automatically struck the angel with Mudoon. As it flew back from the impact, Shiina turned to the final three Phantom Thieves and impatiently motioned for them to leave. 

"Have fun, Diablo!" Akira smirked, sending her a good-luck-wink which she returned with a cocky grin. She waited until they were completely gone and turned to face the Archangel, who was wiping off dirt from his face. 

"Guess it's just you and me now, Zadkiel." She said. 

He gave her a cold glare in return.

Damn, he's actually kinda hot. She thought, discreetly checking him out. Too bad I gotta kill him. 

"No matter," he said, forcing himself to school his expression. "My brethren will kill yours before they could make it to my lord. In the meanwhile, I will destroy you." 

He pointed his spear at her, and a dozen more spears bathed in golden light appeared all around him. Without a moment's hesitation, they all launched towards her. She quickly darted to the side, dodging a few, but one of them managed to nick her in the back of her calf. She deflected the rest with her claws and ordered Tullia to counter with another Mudoon. 

I hate Bless Skills, I absolute hate them! She thought, scrambling around the platform in order to dodge his Hamaon. 

"As a newborn member of the Phantom Thieves, I did not expect you to last even a minute against me." Zadkiel admitted as he cast Divine Judgement on her. 

She quickly rolled to dodge the enlarged gavel that appeared out of nowhere, but was too slow. With a pained cry, the attack struck her. She forced herself to jump back and up and lunged at the angel, claws raised as Tullia followed. With a strong swipe, Zadkiel was sent crashing into a bone pillar. 

"You should learn not to underestimate people then." She panted, her body still suffering from his previous attack. 

Zadkiel clicked his tongue in annoyance as he shook off his wings and took flight. "You should learn your place," he scolded, swooping downwards with his spear pointed at her. 

CLANG! She quickly turned her head to the side, her claws fingers wrapping around the staff while her other hand sunk its claws deep into his abdomen. 

He let out a short laugh. "Hah. You got me... But I jest." 

"Wha—Whoa!" With a sudden force of strength, he pushed his arms forward despite the stab wound on his body. His arms were glowing white, making his push a lot more powerful than Shiina wished. She was flying backwards, screaming as she fell and there was nowhere for her to land. He had pushed her off the edge. Her hands flailed desperately—and then she caught something. 

It was part of the platform, another goddamn bone, but she was so glad that it existed. Quickly, she grabbed another nearby bone and concealed herself underneath the platform. 

Don't look down, don't look down! She pleaded with herself, knowing that all she would see were clouds. And after that, a long, long fall to the bottom. 

Above, she could hear Zadkiel perfectly and wanted nothing more than to punch him in the face. 

But not yet, she told herself. 

"I must commend the little human," Zadkiel said. "She put up a good fight." 

The fight's not over yet, you stupid son of a bitch! She mentally snarked. There were rows of bones at the bottom of the platform and she grabbed each of them like they were a set of monkey bars. She ignored the way the muscles on her arms protested and forced herself to continue. 

She finally made it to the other side and climbed the edge to steal a peek at the surface. Zadkiel's back was turned to her. Perfect. With one hand holding on, she used the other to summon Tullia. 

The look on Zadkiel's face when he whirled around and saw her would be perfectly engrained into memory. 

With a loud screech, Tullia surged down, claws extended. The sharp nails ripped through Zadkiel's wings, causing him to scream in pain as he fell.  

"Take that, you piece of shit!" Shiina cried out hoarsely as she finally made it to the surface, breathing heavily. God, she was a mess. And in front of such a good looking dude too. 

"You're like a cockroach!" Zadkiel spat as he managed to get away from Tullia. He stood up, his poor white wings limp and ruined. 

"I learned a new move," Tullia whispered to Shiina, sounding maliciously excited. 

Demonic Decree, the words echoed in her head. It cuts their life in half. Grinning victoriously, Shiina ordered her to do it. 

The whole world went dark and that was when Shiina knew Demonic Decree would be the coolest move ever. Their scenery changed in an instant, and they looked as if they had been transferred over to some creepy dark forest. A large scythe with a red blade appeared out of nowhere and slashed at Zadkiel. 

Shiina's excited grin faded into an expression of pure disbelief. 

"YOU FUCKING MISSED?!" *

"Sometimes the move is inaccurate." Was all Tullia said. 

"THAT WAS OUR ONE GOOD CURSE MOVE AND YOU MISSED!" 

"Sorry." 

"Oh, enough of this!" Zadkiel yelled out, looking angry and amused at the same time if it was even possible. "As entertaining as this was, dear Shiina, I must end this." He raised his arm and a familiar golden gavel appeared above her. 

Oh god, not this shit again—! Was all she could think before the gavel smashed down, crushing her into the ground. When it lifted up, Shiina let out a weak groan. 

"You really are like a cockroach..." Zadkiel said, staring at her warily. "No matter how many times I use Divine Judgement on you, you just never die." 

"I'll take that as a compliment... I guess..." She said begrudgingly, standing back up. She summoned Tullia again and cast, "Makajama!" It was a move to make someone forget certain attacks. 

Like Divine Judgement for instance, she thought with a victorious smirk as Zadkiel struggled to use magic on her. 

"Where's your Divine Judgement now?" She cooed mockingly. 

He didn't say anything and angrily vaulted his spear at her. It caught her on the shoulder and she flew back, pinned on the ground. 

"Fuck you!" She cursed, wrenching the spear out of her flesh, biting back a cry as she did so. Crimson flowed out of her wound like a waterfall, so she pressed one hand against it as she got back up. 

"It was a big mistake to throw your only weapon at me," she snarled, grabbing the accursed polearm and snapping it in half with her knee. She tossed it aside. She would've thrown them over the edge but she didn't want to accidentally stab someone who was on the ground. 

Zadkiel let out an angry noise from the back of his throat—which made him sound more like a demon than an angel—before sprinting at her, arms out. His hands wrapped around her throat and she fought the urge to laugh. She had been strangled before and his vice grip was nothing compared to Endeavor's. 

The two of them tumbled to the ground, with him on top of her. Choked noises escaped her lips as his grip tightened and tightened. Black dots began to enter her vision and a ringing noise echoed in her mind. Sloppily, she raised her legs and stabbed him in the neck with the claws attached to her shoes. His black blood spilled all over her face, but her neck was finally released. She raised her other leg and kicked him on the chest in order to create more distance. 

"AID ME!" He gurgled, and two Shadows appeared at his side. Two more angels joined the fight, but they were minor compared to Zadkiel. 

"Oh come on!" Shriina complained. 

The two angels attacked her with Hama, sending her stumbling back several feet. 

"Tullia! Wage War!" She ordered, and Tullia exchanged taunting words with the three Shadows. Only the two Angels were affected by it, quickly growing angry by her taunts. Their attacks increased tremendously, but that was exactly what Shiina was planning. "Brainjack the two Angels!" 

Too deep into their rage, the two Angels couldn't dodge the pink attack from Tullia and were easily brainwashed. Within seconds, they were attacking their summoner, Zadkiel, who was growing frustrated with them. 

He attacked them individually with Life Drain, killing them and draining their own life force. His wings were repaired and his neck healed in an instant as the two other Shadows died at his feet. 

"That was cruel of you to make me kill my own allies." He told her, striking her and Tullia down with Mahamaon. 

She scoffed at him. "I didn't make you do anything. Tullia!" 

Tullia appeared at Zadkiel's side, whispering words that made his eyes widen in horror. He dropped to his knees, his wings fluttering weakly. She had cast him into despair with Ominous Words, rendering him incapacitated until it wore off. 

I have to make this quick! Shiina thought as she spewed orders from her mouth. Zadkiel was hit over and over again by a multitude of Curse attacks, and he never once bothered to do anything about it. Black blood was oozing out of every orifice of his body and he looked to be in absolute ruins. 

"Let's try this again, Tullia! Demonic Decree! And please don't miss!" They were soon engulfed in darkness, covered by the shadows of trees. A scythe appeared behind Zadkiel and made a swift swish. 

"YES!" She cheered as Zadkiel was successfully sliced in half. 

She promptly fell to the floor, completely spent after that fight. She rummaged through her pocket and pulled out a bead. She crushed it in her palm and felt a cooling wave of Healing magic surge through her. The various wounds she sustained were healed in an instant. 

Relieved of her pain, she stood up and dusted herself off. 

Looks like I should catch up with the rest of them. I hope they're okay, though. She began lightly jogging onto the bone bridge, crossing through clouds as she did so. 

There were two circular platforms she passed by, but they were both empty save for the mix of red and black blood. She knew Akira and Akechi engaged in a fight with the two Archangels and Futaba must have stayed to assist one of them. 

As she made her way out of the second circular platform, she paused when she saw Futaba, Akechi, and Akira walking her way. 

"Uh, hey?" She greeted them lamely. 

"Hey," Akechi returned pleasantly. "I'm glad to see you're safe." 

"Me too," Akira added, not wanting to be ignored. 

"Did you guys fight any Archangels?" She asked curiously. 

Futaba nodded. "Mmhm! Akechi went against Metatron and I helped Akira out against Sandalphon. Funny, they're both called the Angel Twins. No surprise Akechi and Akira were reserved for them." 

"Why are you guys walking back...? I thought we were going to meet up..." Shiina asked wearily, catching the scathing looks Akechi and Futaba gave Akira. 

"Well?" Akechi said tensely. "Tell her, dear Leader." 

Akira rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to speak, only to be cut off. 

"HEY!" Ryuji's excited voice greeted them. 

Shiina spun around, a wide smile on her face. Ryuji stepped onto the platform, followed by Morgana, Ann, Yusuke, Makoto, and Haru. They all looked relatively unharmed. 

"You guys made it!" Shiina exclaimed gleefully. 

"Yes, now we can finally move on to the top together." Makoto stated, smiling. 

Akechi let out a scoff. "Come on, Joker. Tell everyone what you're planning." 

Haru looked between them with a frown. "Is something... wrong...?" 

"Er, well..." Akira scratched the back of his head. "I kinda need to go back down to the Velvet Room to fuse some Personas." 

"What." Ann said blankly. 

"Tell me you're joking dude, 'cause this ain't funny." Ryuji said with a serious face. 

"After we made it literally this far up..." Yusuke trailed off, looking at him in pure disbelief. 

"You should've fused BEFOREHAND!" Morgana scolded him loudly, jumping up to yank on his ear. 

"I know, I know! But I got a couple of Shadows to join me and now I need to fuse them..." 

"You can't seriously think we're gonna go all the way back down there with you!" Shiina seethed. 

Akira gave them all a feeble look. "But... the Shadows—" 

"—Are all dead." Haru cut in with a dark smile. "So you'll be fine." 

"...But I'll be lonely." 

"Not our problem." Akechi shrugged.

"But—" 

"—Go before we send you down the hard way." Haru threatened. 

Akira backed away. "Alright, alright. I'll just... go all the way back down by myself then..." 

"We'll meet you here." Futaba promised. 

— ❤ —

After what felt like forever, Akira finally returned, sweaty and completely out of breath. 

"It's absolute chaos down there," Akira panted. "It's bad guys, really bad. Everyone's running around screaming, the Pros can't do anything, and people are disappearing." 

Akechi sat up from where he was laying. "Like what happened to us?" 

He nodded in confirmation. "Exactly what happened to us." 

"What about Shouto?" Shiina asked worriedly. "D-did you see him down there?" 

He hesitated to answer but decided on telling her the truth. "No," he said, and her face fell. "But everyone was going wild down there. That doesn't mean they disappeared. I just couldn't find them from all the disarray." 

"Yeah, or they could be hiding somewhere safely." Ryuji added helpfully. 

"Y-yeah..." Shiina said shakily. "You're probably right. He and Fuyumi are most likely fine... Natsuo and my mom too." 

"Come on, let's go face the Holy Grail." Akechi said. "Once he's defeated, everything will be okay." 

"Yeah," Morgana agreed. "The path to the temple is open now!" 

"No more of that Holy Grail shit doing whatever it wants!" Ryuji exclaimed. 

And with that, they entered the temple.

— author's note —

I know in the game the team only faces like, four angels, but I made more cuz I think at this point, the thieves could handle fighting solo now so yeah

* Demonic Decree is one of those moves with an awesome animation, but game wise, the move just sucks for some reason... Like, it never hits. Why?????!!!!

༼ つ ಥ_ಥ ༽つ

If you're curious about the angels just search up "archangel zodianz" and the first link (titled Archangel 101) should be it. I'd paste the link on here but wattpad won't let me D: