Well, I'm getting really bad at updating, aren't I? Haven't been all that motivated lately, and I'd rather take a break and think things through than write some idiocy just to publish a new chapter on schedule. And I've been very busy, too! I'm going to travel a lot the following two/three months, so I hope I can have some time to type something for you guys :)

But I do want to thank each and everyone of you for following this story and reviewing it even after all this time! I still can't believe I have hit 10K+ views and gathered so many followers and reviews :O You guys are awesome and keep me motivated to finish this! On the other hand, I believe a couple more chapters and this story will (finally?) end. I just hope I won't disappoint any of you :)

Well then, enjoy!

Akechi didn't return to Mementos right away. Instead, he walked around Shinjuku Gyoen making sure no one would recognize him. His heart was burning with impatience and revenge against Shido, but he also felt like he was a burden for the rest of the Phantom Thieves: he had sworn he'd help them take Shido down, but he currently wasn't able to because Igor had taken his Personas away from him. He balled his fists as he thought of it all, and at how powerless he felt. But hadn't Cho-Cho-chan said something about a rebirth?
"Yes, I have."
"CRAP!"
Akechi put a hand on his heart, feeling the fast and loud thumps against his ribcage, and ignoring the many heads that turned to stare at him worriedly. "You should really stop doing that" he yell-whispered to the butterfly, which was invisible to everyone else's eyes. "Doing what?" the girlish voice said, sounding very pleased. "Sneaking up on me and just suddenly start talking!"
"Yeah well, sorry about that" Cho-Cho-chan replied, obviously not sorry at all. "Now, about that rebirth…"
"Yes, what is it exactly?"
"Well, I thought I had been clear enough" the butterfly replied with a hint of annoyance in its voice. "You cannot get your old Personas back at this point, but you may summon them under a different name and different features."
When Akechi frowned with an unspoken question lingering in the air, Cho-Cho-chan sighed. "Your heart has the power and the will to create a whole new Persona, Goro-kun. However, you must find that power deep within yourself. I cannot help you with that, but your friends and Makoto may."
"How?"
"I don't know" Cho-Cho-chan replied sadly "I'm really sorry, but I don't know. I have never encountered anyone who made it. Or maybe I have, but can't recall it right now."
"I see…" Akechi looked away, thinking hard. His friends and Makoto could help find the strength necessary to call forth a new Persona. He remembered how angry and frustrated he had felt the first time Robin revealed itself, and Akechi highly doubted this was what he was supposed to feel again to summon his powers. Could Cho-Cho-chan possibly mean he needed to feel the opposite? Because his friends and Makoto definitely didn't make him angry or frustrated…
"I know you're confused, I'd be too" Cho-Cho-chan interrupted his train of thoughts. "But trust in the people you hold dear, and everything will be fine."
Akechi thought it was easier said than done, but didn't say anything. He knew Cho-Cho-chan had read his thoughts, anyway.

When he finally returned to Mementos, Akechi was welcomed with the scene of a group of teenagers, a large cat and two adults sat in circle, with Okumura laying close to them, and could smell grilled meat.

"Goro-kun, you're back!" Haru gave him the largest smile he had seen on her, and he too smiled when she used his first name. The others moved to the left to make some space for him, making sure he would end up sitting beside Makoto who was eying him carefully. When he sat down, he made sure to squeeze her hand to inform her he was alright. She gave him a small side-smile. "So, what have I missed?" he asked as his stomach twitched pleasantly when the smell of meat intensified.

"Our briefing about the calling card" Futaba replied without looking up from her laptop. "I've been working on this for ages now, but I just know I did a good job!"

"She's very humble, ain't she?" everyone heard Ryuji comment with a smirk, which instantly faded when Ann elbowed him in the side.

"So basically" the hacker continued as if nothing had happened "We're going to broadcast this nice little video I made during the busiest hour. Every single screen in every single square, as well as every TV in every home, regardless of the channel people are watching, is going to show our message to Masayoshi Shido. This will act as our calling card to him."
"That's theatrical" Akechi said with a smile, though he couldn't agree more with the idea. The mere thought of the whole nation knowing the truth about his father was already starting to make him feel better.

"You don't like it?" Futaba asked, raising an eyebrow at him.
"I love it" Akechi said, grabbing a few chips that Haru had placed at the center for everyone to take and stuffed them in his mouth. His appetite was coming back and he was feeling more and more hopeful.

"Then get ready for a spectacular show tomorrow evening!" Futaba announced happily as she typed with one hand, the other too busy getting a plate with chips for herself. Haru and Sae were busy grilling the meat and the vegetables on the newest grill Makoto had brought back from the real world with the help of Akira and Yusuke, while Ann and Ryuji had apparently been out buying the meat. Akechi felt at peace as he ate the food and enjoying his friends' company, talking about trivial things and feeling Makoto's body heat right next to him. Sojiro ended their dinner with an excellent cup of coffee prepared with one of his secret recipes on an odd-looking machine that had taken most of the available space in his backpack. Akechi was almost feeling in heaven surrounded by the aroma of coffee and the company until Ryuji brought up the topic. "…you can't use your Personas, Goro."
It took him a while to realize they were talking to him until his brain processed someone was using his first name. It would still take some time getting used to it.
"Uh?" he blinked a few times until he understood what Ryuji was talking about. "Right…"
"Hey, it's gonna be fine" Akira smiled kindly at him and Akechi nodded, though without looking at any of them in particular. He dropped his head as he thought once more of Cho-Cho-chan's words about a rebirth, and how his friends might help.
"You don't need to do anything, you know" he heard Makoto say gently. "We can take care of your father. I can only imagine how hard it must be for you right now. And he is, after all, your father."
"No, it's not that" Akechi said. "I do want to help."
"Well, we'll figure something out" Akira said as he stood up and stretched, a satisfied smile plastered on his face. The smile of a boy who had enjoyed every bit of his dinner. "For now, we should rest. Tomorrow we are announcing the truth to the world, including the fact that I am, in fact, not dead."
"It's gonna be a blast!" Ryuji jumped up to his feet and rested an arm on Akira's shoulder.

"I got some extra pillows, by the way" Yusuke pointed at a pile of white and soft-looking pillows in a corner. "Got plenty of those at the dormitories, so I imagine no one's going to miss them."
"That's going to be of huge help. Heaven knows how stiff my neck has been the past nights" Makoto grinned at the sight as she instinctively massaged her neck.

"At least you managed to sleep" Akechi confessed with a tiny smirk as he lowered his voice, so that Makoto was the only one hearing. "How have you been?" she asked, visibly worried. "We can go downstairs if you want to talk in private."
"No, my gosh no" he chuckled. "Wanna end up like last time? The Reaper is still down there somewhere, y'know."
She smiled weakly, but her eyes definitely told him she wanted to know what was going on in his head.
"I was at the funeral, as you know" he sighed after a moment of silence. "It was horrible… to watch all those people who loved her. And it's all my fault."
"Stop saying that" she interrupted him, though her voice was soft and kind. She rubbed his arm as she got closer to him. "She knew the risks."
"Heh, you sound like Cho-Cho-chan now" he smiled.
"Who?"
"Nothing. Nevermind" he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her closer, sighing satisfied when he inhaled her scent. "My life might be a wreck, but you keep it all together. Thank you."
Makoto smiled widely as she buried her head in his shirt, returning the hug. When someone- probably Ryuji- whistled loudly, they both stepped back, their faces flushed red. "Oh c'mon, that was getting interesting!"
"Ryuji, shut up and turn the light on your screen off!"

The broadcast went as planned, though it wasn't as successful as they had hoped it'd be: people watching enthralled in Shibuya were mostly interested in seeing the face of the leader of the Phantom Thieves, forgetting to get outraged when they revealed the truth about Shido on live TV. Some people were commenting how Shido had always seemed fishy, while others were discussing excitedly about whom the young people on the screen could really be.
"One of them must be really short, though. Maybe like six or seven years old!"
"Yeah, or maybe it's a costume. I mean, it did look like a monster cat or something!"
"Grrrr" Morgana was fuming angrily in Akira's bag, the boy smirking slightly at the cat's reaction. "I'll show them who's six years old!"
"Ah well" Makoto sighed "At least the truth's out and Shido must have seen this. We can start the preparations to infiltrate the Palace now."
The teenagers quickly returned to Mementos to inform Sae and Sojiro that their plan was proceeding well, and they were ready to take Shido down. "Sis, just because I'm letting you do this I want you to know I do not wish for you to get hurt. Please, just promise me you'll be careful and you'll come back in one piece" Sae said, visibly worried for her little sister who smiled determinedly at her and nodded. "I will, sis."
Akechi wouldn't say he was eavesdropping on their conversation; he was simply close enough to hear, and Sae wasn't exactly keeping her voice down. However, he turned the other way, realizing more than ever that he wouldn't be able to do much to save Makoto if she found herself in trouble. After all, he could only count on his own fighting skills…
"Well then, gather up" Akira announced once Sojiro was done with his paternal speech to both Futaba and himself for the umpteenth time. The man was still glancing at them worriedly, but didn't dare to speak up again after Futaba sent him a warning look. "We have all the elements in our favor to win this" the black-haired boy was saying with his usual confident smile. "A great Nav, amazing fighters and excellent communication skills and co-op. However, do not underestimate the enemy. Remember he is at his maximum alert right now, and that Shido is indeed a powerful man. We have had the chance to see what his Palace looks like and what the Shadows he's using are capable of. They're not easy opponents, and I don't expect Shido to be any less powerful." Akira then stopped to glance at Akechi, who was stubbornly looking ahead. "Goro, I know you won't change your mind and therefore I won't stop you from joining us. After all, this is your battle. Just remember we're here for you, and you can always count on us. If you ever feel like you need a break, feel free to say so."
Akechi lifted his chin to meet Akira's kind eyes, and he nodded. "Thanks, Akira."
"Spoken like a true leader!" Morgana chirped. "Now, whenever you're ready…"

Makoto refused to leave his side, sending him careful looks whenever she thought he was distracted. He knew she was very worried about him and his feelings but at the same time, it made him feel like a sick child being held under surveillance by his mother. "Let's head to the central passage and take the elevator up from there" Akechi announced, more as a way to break the unnerving silence. "Right. This way" Akira nodded approvingly and ran down the hallway where they took a left, pushing past the guests who were amiably sipping their champagne. They all stepped inside the elevator, squeezing against each other to make sure everyone would fit and someone pushed the button. The doors closed and the elevator was shooting up at a high speed until it suddenly stopped, revealing what looked like an amphitheater. The eight teenagers and Mona stopped at the very top, watching down the large chamber where Masayoshi Shido himself was standing. The man knew about their presence, but was purposely ignoring them until they descended the stairs and finally faced him.
"Shido!" Ryuji shouted angrily once he was close enough.
Akechi could feel his companions' eyes on him, but he remained silent and wore a stoic expression. His eyes wouldn't leave Shido's face, as the man glared at him sourly before diverting his eyes. "Congratulations on getting out of here alive the first time, Akechi."
Akechi simply lifted his chin, his lips forming a tight line. He felt Makoto brush her hand against his and he slowly intertwined his fingers with hers. He quickly let go, however, when he noticed Shido was staring intently at them, an evil smirk playing on his lips.
The man diverted his eyes once again and looked at each one of them lazily, as if he couldn't wait to get rid of them once and for all. "You may have escaped once Akechi, but I will make sure this place will be your tomb."
"How dare you?!" Yusuke intervened outraged. "He is your son!"
"Is he now?" Shido asked, lifting a brow and giving him a bored look. "Thought so. He reminds me too much of that woman." He spat the last word, making Akechi's blood boil with rage.
"I must admit, kid. You're sharp, but not enough. How could you possibly think a child like you could trap the great Masayoshi Shido? What an "ace" detective you are" Shido laughed mockingly "standing beside me all this time, yet you couldn't see through my plans."
The man's smirk grew even wider when he saw his son's hands ball into fists. "I will kill you, Akechi. I cannot allow you to live. You know too much about my past. I was planning on getting rid of you as soon as I became prime minister anyway."
"He's completely out of his mind!" Ann whispered, tears in her blue eyes. Haru was as shocked to hear a father speak such words to his own son, and the girl brought both hands to her chest. "Goro-kun…"
Akechi could feel Makoto shaking with pure rage beside him, but he forced himself to remain calm. "Let him talk" he said simply "He will be confessing all his crimes soon enough."
"Ah ah ah!" Shido laughed loudly, his voice echoing throughout the large chamber. "Me confessing my crimes?! I may not be innocent, my boy, but you are as guilty as I am, if not more!"
"Let's just finish this" Akira shook his head, visibly disappointed. He had hoped that telling the truth about his son to Shido could've brought some sense into the man, but he had obviously been mistaken. He should've known that men like him never changed when their hearts were rotten to the core.
"I was willing to spare your lives, apart from my precious son's of course, and grant you wealth and status. But I see it is useless. Very well, it seems the ignorant masses are doomed to remain as such. I have no choice but to eliminate you all. A small leak will sink a great ship. Great nations have fallen to such lenience. I will not make such incautious mistakes!"
The Phantom Thieves all jumped and looked behind their backs when they heard a big round of applause echoing all around them, people in dark suits standing from their seats around the chamber to give their approval to Shido. And then they all realized: the placer was not a real amphitheater after all, more like the chamber where the prime minister of Japan himself made his speeches to the world. When Shido gestured for them to return to their seats with a smirk, the men disappeared as the chamber shifted, and Shido's station moved higher up. Yusuke was the first to act, as he jumped forward and landed on one of the moving platforms, before the ceiling above them would close completely, blocking them from Shido. The others followed suit, swiftly jumping on the platform until they reached the last level and just in time to see Shido's transformation: he still had a humanoid form, however his outfit had changed into those of a high rank commander, and his face was covered by a spiky, white mask. The man crossed his arm, challenging them as he sat on top of a gigantic golden lion. "Holy shit" Ryuji said as he struggled to keep Shido in his field of vision, for the lion occupied most of the space available. "Goro, you ready for this?" Akechi heard Akira call his name, and he nodded. "I've waited all my life for this." When Shido's lion roared ferociously, they all know it was on. The Phantom Thieves called forth their Personas, and Akechi could do nothin but watch as the creatures appeared one by one. Robin or Loki never came, no matter how hard he focused, and yet he wasn't expecting them to. He tightened the grip around the only weapon he had to defend himself, his sword and ran after the others to dodge Shido's deadly attacks. His eyes were scanning his surroundings as he tried to keep a close watch on his companions and, particularly, Makoto. He would not allow her to get hurt or worse because of his father, and he was ready to take the shot for her if that meant saving her. "Goro-kun."
A soft voice spoke into his ear and he turned to look at Cho-Cho-chan, flapping its wings above his shoulders. "What're you doing here?!"
"I thought I could guide you, though I must be honest with you and tell you I don't know how. But I will do my best and won't leave your side."
Now he had to watch out for Cho-Cho-chan too. Just great.
"I can take care of myself" it said, a hint of annoyance in her voice. "Can you?"
Akechi ignored it as he ran toward the large golden lion and lifted his sword, using all the strength he had. He didn't even scratch the solid surface, however, and he looked up with wide eyes. All the others seemed to be doing an alright job, considering that the lion Shido was controlling was almost the size of the entire room, and it looked untouchable. When Yusuke and Makoto both landed a successful attack with their Personas, Shido gritted his teeth and the lion jumped high up in the air. They all repaired their heads with their arms, expecting the lion to try and land on them but the beast never did: when they all looked up moments later, the lion had developed wings and was flapping them to keep itself hovering above them.
"I will destroy you!" Shido shouted with a creepy smirk, and his eyes focused on Akechi, burning with an unsettling light. "Starting from the weakest!"
The lion lifted a claw, preparing to strike him but Akechi was faster and managed to roll away from it before it could hit him. Shido wouldn't stop there, though and ordered the beast to chase him down. The boy could do nothing but run in circle and jump out of the way whenever he felt Shido was about to strike again, and could only hope the others would do something to help.
"Goro, are you alright?!"
He could only give the thumb-up as he panted loudly, out of breath from running so much. "Very well, let's try this then!" Shido exclaimed triumphantly, as a beam of light was shot from the lion's mouth directly at him. "Crap, crap, crap!" he screamed louder and louder as he watched powerlessly as the killing light approached him. He shut his eyes before it could hit him, but he never got to know what he'd have felt if the attack had been successful for Makoto's Persona had intercepted it and created a shield between the boy and his opponent, a shield which promptly shattered with the intense impact. "You little bitch!" Shido said through gritted teeth, his eyes flashing dangerously and now fully focused on Makoto, who stepped back in fear. "Why are you even risking your life for such a worthless scumbag? Let him die and be reunited with that whore of a suicidal mother of his!"
Akechi was breathing heavily again, though it had nothing to do with the intense physical activity. His heart was pounding loudly against his chest, the blood in his veins boiling with such rage he was sure he had never felt before, and if that was not enough to summon a new Persona he didn't know what would work at that point.
"Goro-kun, do something!"
Cho-Cho-chan was screaming at him and Akechi followed everyone's gaze until his eyes fell on a paralyzed Makoto, who was watching as Shido dismounted from the lion and graciously landed in front of her, his yellow eyes never leaving her scared ones. With a lazy wave of his hand, the golden beast quickly disappeared and he took a few more steps toward her. "STAY AWAY FROM HER!" Akechi shouted as the scene in front of him unfolded in slow motion: the other Phantom Thieves had shot forward to help their friend pretty much at the same time, but he was ahead of them all, and Shido had taken the cloak off himself and tossed it to the side to reveal a mountain of muscles and metallic tubes wrapped around his torso. His glasses had fallen off somewhere after he had dismissed the large lion, but he didn't seem to be needing them at the moment. He lifted his right arm and hit her square in the face, making her spin around and land several feet away, unconscious. Akechi stopped after the shock of watching the man he hated the most hitting the girl he loved with such violence and brutality. A murderous instinct awoke deep within, as a mix of hatred, rage, guilt and pity burned inside him.
"I think this is it" Cho-Cho-chan whispered in awe. "I think that's what it takes…"
Akechi was feeling dizzy, his head was spinning like crazy and he brought a hand to his forehead to try and steady himself. His vision blurred and he instinctively closed his eyes to avoid getting sick, and he heard the voices of the others calling his name, though they felt weak and distant. He could feel every vein in his body pulsate and his heart thump in his ears. And then everything around him stopped. He felt nothing but calmness. All was quiet, and dark. He was breathing normally now as he stood right where he was, at the center of darkness.
"Goro..! Goro..! GORO!"
He opened his eyes, and whoever was standing in front of him trying to shake him out of his trance widened his eyes in fear and fell backwards. When Akechi looked up, meeting his father's eyes he smirked triumphantly at how horrified he looked, and he knew he had succeeded. A new Persona was born. Or better, reborn.
"What's happening to him?" Haru asked in awe to no one in particular, for the others looked just as enthralled and had completely forgotten about the battle they had been fighting mere moments before. "It ends here, father" Akechi said with disdain but he spoke the next words with pride, almost shaking with excitement. "Come, Alastor!"
The circular chamber slowly darkened as if they were suddenly under the night sky with no moon nor stars. Just pure darkness that seeped through and surrounded them until none of them could see their own friends or Personas. The Phantom Thieves could only hear their own, terrified voices calling each other or their creatures. They all heard Shido yell "what's happening?!" in a horrified tone that only amused Akechi even more. Then everything was quiet again when they heard a rattling noise from behind them and someone actually screamed when a pair of blood-red eyes floated past them.
"What's that?!"
"Reveal yourself" Akechi commended and, as slowly as before, the room became immersed into light again, though a very dim one. His companions gasped when they saw what was in front of them: a humanoid creature –around eight feet tall- wearing a pitch black and scaly armor from head to toe was floating beside Akechi with the help of large wings, deep red eyes flashing from behind the dark helmet. The creature was wielding a long, black lance with red runes carved into the blade and its red cloak fluttered elegantly behind it. After a long silence, Shido finally burst into a high-pitched laughter. "Well congrats, kid! You got yourself one of those monsters, so what? I'm gonna crush you no matter what!"
The others kept turning their heads from Shido to Akechi, unsure of what to do. Akira's eyes briefly met Akechi's, and the black-haired boy nodded. "Stay back, everyone" he ordered, earning himself a confused look from the others. "This is his battle."
No one dared to contradict their leader, probably still shocked from the sudden appearance of the almighty-looking creature in Akechi's control. If Loki had been intimidating, Alastor was definitely giving off invincible vibes, and none of them wanted to be in Shido's shoes in that moment.
They all had to give the man credits for his courage- or just plain stupidity- in front of the new Persona, for Shido was still standing proudly and holding eye-contact with his son.
Akechi briefly glanced at the unconscious body of Makoto lying a few feet from him, where Ann was currently crouched to check up on her friend, then he nodded a silent command like he used to do with Loki. Alastor simply cocked a head to the side, then it slowly raised its left arm, the one free from the lance, and pointed three fingers at Shido before dropping the arm by its side as slowly. Shido blinked a few times, expecting something to happen. However, when several seconds had passed without nothing happening, the man laughed hard again and mocked his son. "Is that all you can do? You look all scary and stuff, but are incapable of even harming a fly! What a disappointment!"
The other Phantom Thieves looked at each other worriedly, some of them biting their lower lip in distress because, even though no one dared to utter a word, they were secretly wondering what Akechi was playing at.
The brown-haired boy smirked imperceptibly and remained rooted to the spot, allowing Shido to jump forward and punch him right in the stomach. The boy doubled over and kneeled down with a low grunt, but didn't counterattack. Instead, he looked up at Alastor, which suddenly hit the cold floor once with the butt of its lance, and then stared ahead at its enemy without moving.
Akechi stood up and repositioned himself next to Alastor, obviously not going to make another move which gave Shido a new chance to land a series of painful combos on the teenager. Akechi stoically resisted as a few drops of blood trailed down from his nose. He wiped it away with his hand and smiled at Shido, opening both his arms as to invite him to hit him again. Shido was now as confused as the others seeing that his son was not doing anything to attack or defend himself, but merely placed himself by the dark-armored creature after sustaining another attack. The Persona hit the floor again, this time twice and then returned still.
"What the hell is he doin'?!" Ryuji asked angrily, ready to step in to help but Akira blocked him with his arm and shook his head. "I fully trust him" he said simply.
"Wise young man" Cho-Cho-chan commented proudly, causing Ryuji to look at it. "And what the hell are you?!"
"Shut up and look!"
Shido attempted one last attack, which Akechi endured as usual, and then watched as Alastor hit its lance against the floor three times.
"Ops" Akechi suddenly announced with a smirk. "Countdown's over, daddy."
Shido frowned upon hearing his words, and seemed to be about to open his mouth to say something when he suddenly froze, his eyes widening with fear. He was definitely seeing something they couldn't see, because when he finally did open his mouth it was to scream a long, horrible scream. He was still yelling desperately, begging "it" to stop as he brought both his hands to his head, holding it as if he were about to lose it anytime. "What's happening to him?" Haru whispered as she instinctively wrapped her hands around Akira's arm, watching the terrible scene in front of her. "MAKE IT STOP! PLEASE, MAKE IT STOP! NO MORE…" As Shido kept screaming at whatever he was seeing, his body slowly returned to its normal shape as the metallic tubes detached from it and fell to the floor with a loud thud. "YES, I'LL CONFESS!" Shido was saying. "I SWEAR, JUST MAKE IT STOP!"
When Akechi nodded at Alastor, the creature lifted its free arm again and opened the palm of its hand. As suddenly as it had started, the pain and the sorrow Shido was experiencing ceased and the man- now in his normal state- fell to his knees, still sobbing desperately. "Please, no more…"
"It's over, you bastard. Now you must make amend for all the shit you caused" Ryuji said as the others made a circle around the crying Shadow. "I will" Shido said. "I promise. And you…" he looked at Akira, tears streaming down his cheeks. "I am so sorry for what I did to you. You're that kid I brought to court, I remember now… And Goro…" Shido turned to look at his son, a silent apology in his eyes, but Akechi's job was over. He wasn't interested in listening to that man apologize for driving his mother crazy and offering him a life of sadness and abandonment, before turning him into a killer. He would have to live the rest of his life in regret. "See you on the other side, Shido" he spat out before turning around to pick up Makoto, who was still laying on the floor unconscious, and leave.

"May I at least know how serious it is?"
Akechi nearly rolled his eyes when Sae asked him about her sister's conditions for the umpteenth time. He perfectly understood her concern- for he too was worried- but she was literally assailing him with questions or angry statements every few seconds. He couldn't recount how many times he had been forced to hear "You promised she'd be safe!" and "Can you tell me exactly what happened?" and he patiently answered every time as he waited for Makoto to wake up. He refused to leave her side ever since he had returned to Mementos with her, regularly checking up on her and watching as she breathed softly. He smiled at Sakura-san when he too kneeled down beside him to observe Makoto.
"She looks like she's sleeping" the man said kindly. He then placed a hand on the girl's forehead and smiled at Sae. "Do not worry, she will be fine. Though she will probably wake up with a bad headache."
"Bah" was Sae's comment as she crossed her arms and bit her lower lip, staring at her little sister. "What did you get yourself into, Mako..?"
As she finished muttering the words, the rest of the teenagers made their sudden entrance to Mementos too, followed as usual by Morgana. "You're back!" Sakura-san exclaimed merrily when he saw them step inside the room, his eyes particularly focused on Futaba and Akira. "Goro said you did it."
"We did" Akira nodded, a hint of pride in his voice. "Shido will finally confess all his crimes."
"The authorities owe you quite some apologies" Haru commented, but Akira shook his head. "It's ok. I would never have met you guys had it not been for this experience. Of course, it will be nice not to be addressed to as a criminal any longer, but still…"
"Yeah, yeah. We get it!" Ryuji nudged him in the side with his usual punk-smirk. "Oh, how about Mako-chan?" Ann interrupted them as she ran by her friend's side.
"She'll recover, though she needs to rest for now" Akechi reassured, taking Makoto's warm hand in his. It made him so incredibly relieved her pulse was regular and her conditions seemed stable after a hit like that. She was indeed a strong girl…
He felt Ann's stare and turned just in time to see her smile warmly at him, and he quickly looked away. He still felt awkward when he showed affection towards other human beings whenever someone was watching, though he definitely made some progress ever since he met them all.
"So what's the plan, now?" Yusuke asked.
"Well, I thought we could stay here a little longer" Akira replied. "After all, it always takes some days if not weeks before the person whose heart has been changed to confess. And Shido's men are still after us, so we're better off keeping a low profile until he has made his move."
"Well said!"
Apparently Cho-Cho-chan had appeared out of the blue without anyone noticing, but her excited voice grabbed everyone's attention.
"I'm still not sure you've introduced yourself…" Ryuji said as he eyed the butterfly suspiciously.
Cho-Cho-chan turned to Akechi, pressing him to continue and the boy sighed. "Guys, that is ehm… a creature that saved my life in Shido's Palace. Remember when I got shot by Shido's cognition of me?"
"So I am that creature?" Cho-Cho-chan puffed up outraged, and her bluish aura momentarily flashed red. "Ehm…" Akechi wasn't sure what to say, for the butterfly never really told him what exactly it was, or where it came from. After all, it did say it didn't have any memories. "I'm sorry, you have been extremely helpful!"
"You bet I have!" Cho-Cho-chan raised its voice as its tiny eyes flashed with anger. It then cleared its voice, which returned to being much softer. "It seems like your friend has no respect for others, particularly for those who saved his life" the creature eyed him with disdain before proceeding. "I unfortunately do not possess any memories of my past self, nor do I recall my real name. So I have decided to keep the name that boor gave to me. So I am Cho-Cho-chan. At least for the time being, and yes, I saved the boor when he lost his mind and then got shot by his own self."
"Being a little too harsh there, aren't we?" Akechi commented rolling his eyes, but the butterfly sent him a threatening look. "Don't interrupt me, boor."
Akechi mouthed the word "boor" before deciding It would be best not to upset the creature further, and returned to focus on Makoto. "I know you" Akira suddenly said. "You're that mystical butterfly that advised me during Sae-san's interrogation. You cleared my thoughts and helped me find the answer I was looking for…"
"See?" Cho-Cho-chan was speaking directly to Akechi again, its voice sour. "Someone here has manners!"
"Oh thank you, I know that!" Akechi gave the butterfly a wide smile, which made it send red sparkles everywhere. "Woah, calm down, jeez!" Ryuji exclaimed through gritted teeth after dodging one.

"Mhm…"
Makoto's faint grunt made everyone fall silent instantly. Every single pair of eyes was set on her figure sprawled on several layers of bed sheets Akechi had taken from the others to make sure she'd be comfortable. The girl slowly opened her eyes, frowning at the faint light in the room and grunting even more once she had regained consciousness. "Mako!" Sae instantly ran by her side and crouched down beside her sister. "How are you feeling?"
Everyone stepped a little bit closer, though keeping a certain distance just to make sure she'd have enough oxygen and wouldn't panic after being surrounded by a crowd of worried faces. Makoto tried sitting up, but a pair of strong arms held her down. She lazily looked up and was met with Akechi's reddish-brown ones that both radiated concern and an intense happiness. "Rest" he said softly. "You've had a tough day."
Sae nodded approvingly as Sakura-san poured some water for her in a tall glass, and then handed it to her. She was allowed to assume a somewhat sitting position just for enough time to drink a few sips of the water, before being pushed down onto the soft sheets and pillow again. "I'm fine, really!" she complained, though her head was pounding non-stop. "You are" Morgana said. "But take it easy, alright?"
"But hey!" Makoto suddenly widened her eyes and almost spilled the rest of the water on her. "What happened with Shido? Last thing I remember was being attacked by him…"
She trailed off, a mix of sadness and disappointment in her voice. Maybe she didn't like admitting she had been instantly knocked out and consequently unable to help her friends during the battle.
"Well" Akira smirked proudly again as he glanced at Akechi. "I guess your boyfriend will be more than happy to give you the details when you're feeling better. All you need to know for now is that we did it."
Akechi and Makoto both blushed furiously at Akira's words. After all, they never really made their relationship official, though everyone knew about it. "S-so, Shido has been defeated" she stuttered awkwardly, trying to change topic.

"Yes, thanks to Goro-kun!" Haru smiled victoriously, followed by the others.

"He was aaaawesome!" Ryuji butted inn excitedly, a light in his eyes the others had only seen whenever he was about to start one of his long rambles about a videogame or manga he loved.
"But that's a story for another time, yes?" Ann interrupted him by pressing a hand against his mouth, the blond boy frowning and trying to break free as he was being forcefully pushed away from Makoto's spot. One by one, everyone walked the opposite way to give Makoto some privacy. The teenagers were all engaged in their favorite activities, while Morgana talked animatedly with Cho-Cho-chan to question it about its residual memories of its past self. Sakura-san was brewing some coffee and Sae would constantly make sure her little sister was comfortable. "How's your headache?" Akechi asked after several minutes, seeing as the girl couldn't manage to go back to sleep after the news she had received.
"It's quite bad, but I am not complaining. I'm happy Shido has been dealt with. Now we can all live a better life. You can live a better life" she said with a bright smile. He could see she was genuinely happy for him, but he couldn't return that smile. He lowered his head and began fumbling with the hems of his shirt. "What's wrong?" she asked, after observing him for a while. "I-" he thought about telling her there and then, but he also realized how bad an idea it was. She was still recovering, and they were surrounded by all of their loved ones…
"Nothing" he smiled at her and took her hand again, feeling some hope burning inside him when she squeezed his. "I thought we could go out when this is all over. When Shido has confessed, that is."
"Oh, like a proper date?" she asked, her eyes lighting up with excitement and he chuckled. "Like a proper date."
"We've been through so much, haven't we?" Makoto said again after a long pause, during which she had been drawing invisible circles on the palm of his hand. "It's going to be nice to relax a bit."
"Yeah" he whispered, Makoto unable to catch the sadness in his voice. "It is…"

So, just a few trivia for the most curious :)

I chose Alastor as Akechi's reborn Persona (or ultimate Persona, as I like to call it!) because Alastor was, according to Greek mythology, the personification of revenge and family disputes, so I thought it was quite perfect to represent Akechi's fight against his father. He has two main attacks: one is the ability to enter and manipulate someone's mind (Bull's Eye), and the other is called Finis Vitae (or The End), and I won't reveal just yet what it does :P But yeah, Alastor is pretty badass and OP. When it comes to the way it looks, I have been inspired by a few amazing drawings I found on Google while I was researching! Also, when it comes to summoning "ultimate" Personas, I like to think that rage and hatred are not enough, unlike the "normal" Personas. As Cho-Cho-chan says, a Trickster needs the aid of their friends and loved ones too in order to call forth such a powerful entity. And so, I thought that one has to feel the anger and frustration that naturally come from injustice, as well as pity for the one who commits the crime and love for the ones who give them strength. These together will give the Trickster enough power to summon an ultimate Persona.

Also, uhm... right, a date in next chapter! And... what is Akechi suddenly so sad for? Any ideas, anyone? No? Then, tune in to find out what's going on in our poor ace detective's mind!