Welp, here we are with Chapter 31 folks!

So, here's the rundown of why the whole chapter-a-day thing went to shit.

On the fifth of July my computer of 8 years finally pooped itself, god bless and I had to order a new one and with everything being closed in Australia at the time, I ended up ordering internationally.

Bad idea.

Got stuck in customs cause Australia was getting hit by second wave of Covid then got lost after around twenty-five or so days. It was only a few days ago that I got another one with express shipping as apology and then proceeded to get ass-reamed by Uni.

This chapter came because of thanks to those in the discord Church of Kasumi know here at the moment as Right, previously Sumi, and is currently on ao3 as some1upoyo. She wrote everything from the Metaverse onwards while I went back and added details.

Updates will happen sporadically because of Uni but I'll try to do better than a month and a bit update.

"All I've heard today is talk about Akechi and Kurusu… it's all anyone's been talkin' 'bout. Barely a thing about the Phantom Thieves…" Ryuji bemoaned as Rem sat on the wooden bench beside the vending machines in the school courtyard, a can of orange soda in her hands.

"We're not doing any of this stuff as Phantom Thieves for fame, remember?" Ann reminded as she popped a snack into her mouth.

"I know… it's just annoyin' is all," Ryuji slumped. "We changed Madarame's heart and everythin' but after yesterday all anyone wants to talk about is Akechi and Kurusu."

"I overheard the meet-and-greet was pretty well-received so they're going to air a recording of it again tonight," Rem piped up as she took a sip of her soda. "It could've been worse, though."

"How exactly, could it have been worse?" Ryuji questioned as he tilted his head upwards from his slump.

"Well, Akechi-kun could've said we were evil?" Ann supplied, "All the two of them really did was worry over how we did it. Neither of them said what we were doing was bad."

Rem nodded.

Ryuji perked up. "Oh yeah, he said he didn' think we were good or evil, didn' he? And Kurusu said we've done a lot of good, yeah!" Ryuji nodded only to have a piece of Ann's snack dinking off his head softly.

"Quiet down, would you?" Ann scolded as she sighed, setting her now empty container of snack off to the side. "Kurusu-san also said we could do a lot of bad though…" Ann added, "But like Rem said yesterday, we've been saving people and that isn't something to regret."

"Yeah, you're right…" Ryuji scratched the back of his head. "Actually, bout savin' people and all…"

"You're wondering when we'll be going back into Mementos?" Morgana asked as he popped out of Rem's bag beside her.

Ryuji and Ann nodded while Rem continued to enjoy her beverage.

"We agreed that we'd be going after the social studies trip after all," Morgana reminded which caused twin grins to appear on Ann and Ryuji's faces. "We will be facing off against the Remnant alongside the requests that Mishima has been sending us, so I'd suggest you come prepared," Morgana advised as Ann and Ryuji's grins vanished.

"Aw man… was so excited to kick some ass as well…" Ryuji pouted before grinning, "Least I'll sleep like a rock tonight."

"Seriously, that's what you're taking out of this?" Ann let out a suffering sigh as she shook her head before looking at Rem. "Would you mind letting Yusuke know to meet us in Shibuya?"

Rem nodded, downing the rest of her soda and throwing it into the trash without looking. The comforting sound of aluminium clanking against steel resounded in their corner of the courtyard as Rem pulled out her phone and began to send out a group text.

"We'll use today to see if Remnant is the person with the black mask that Madarame mentioned as well, agreed?" Morgana asked.

"Yeah, I gotcha," Ryuji nodded with a grin, Morgan satisfied returning into Rem's bag.

A flash and the click of a camera caused the three students to wince, Rem looking up from her phone and the two blondes to whirl around in surprise.

"The hell?" Ryuji questioned, rubbing the little white spots in the corner of his vision as his eyes settled on the familiar form of the Student Council President.

"You three seem to be having so much fun. I'm a little jealous," the brown-haired third-year simpered as she tucked away her phone.

"Can we help you?" Rem asked calmly.

Eyes narrowing slightly as she tucked away her own phone and stared at the similarly red-eyed girl, "You seem to have been keeping a close eye on us for a while now."

Twin orbs of red continued to stare at each other. "Can I not look after my peers?" the council-president asked.

"You've been following us everywhere. All the way from Shibuya to Kichijoji," Rem shook her head as she stood up. "Looking after your peers doesn't involve stalking and taking photos of them without permission," she continued evenly.

"When you say it like that it does make it seem wrong," Makoto conceded but didn't back down. "It also makes it seem like you have something to hide with how much you try to avoid me. My ears are always open to the troubles of my peers, you know."

The third-year was slightly taken aback by a snort from Ann.

"Is something funny, Takamaki-san?" the brown-haired girl asked with the tilt of her head. Her response was a frosty glare.

"Yes, actually," Ann said quietly. "You say you're willing to listen but when we ask you to leave us alone, you ignore us and say we're hiding something. Why are you so insistent that we're bad?" she asked as she stood up straight.

"Because three of Kamoshida's victims and the only known victim of Madarame start to become friends? It is certainly suspicious," she replied.

"So what?" Ryuji shrugged. "Doesn't prove anythin'. Why wouldn't we stick together, not like anyone here likes us anyway."

The student council president reeled back slightly, as if stunned. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at Ryuji now. "And what about Kitagawa-san? How exactly would you three have gotten involved with him?"

"Guy stalked Rem and Ann for days, wanted them to be his models," Ryuji allowed his shoulders to droop as he told her the truth. "The two of them accepted and after everything happened, we became friends,"

"So, it's just simple coincidence, is it?" red-eyes questioned.

"Not everything has to fit into your little narrative, Niijima-san," Rem finally addressed her properly as she walked forward until they we just ten feet apart. "We're all outcasts. Kamoshida shattered Ryuji's leg, harassed Ann, and leaked my records. Yusuke's ostracised at his school as well because Madarame used him."

"I don't know what you're doing but leave us out of it," Rem continued, her tone never leaving its even intonation. "We've already suffered enough as it is because of those with authority. If you're not going to do your job properly and help your peers, the least you could do is stop trying to create problems."

Niijima's red-eyes widened, shock and hurt flickering in her irises, tension leaking from hr shoulders and they just slumped.

"Just… make sure you show up to your classes, all right?" Niijima said quietly before turning on her heel and leaving.

"Why does she have to make everything harder…" Ryuji exhaled heavily as he sank against the vending machine behind him, Ann doing the same against the table.

"Do you think that will be enough to get her off our backs?" Ann asked wearily, looking at Rem who was still staring at the retreating back of the Student Council President. She knew her words were harsh, much harsher than she'd originally intended but after weeks of being stalked and accused, she just really wanted to stop needing to look over her shoulder.

But she had the feeling it'd only lit a spark under the third-year, a spark that would light a pile of kindling within her. Beneath the shock and hurt in the third-year's eyes had been a deep sense of frustration and ire.

The same sense that she'd gotten from Ann months ago.

"I don't think so… or for now, at least," Rem shook her head. Her thoughts were thankfully blindsided as her phone vibrated in our pocket revealing it to be a message from Yusuke explaining that he would meet them in Shibuya come the afternoon. Looking up revealed that the other two had gotten the same message.

"Come on, we should head back to class while there's still time," Rem announced, Ann and Ryuji nodding in agreement.

The five phantom thieves found themselves in Shibuya, standing just outside the train station with Yusuke looking at his phone.

"Comments are coming in at an alarming rate," the blue-haired teen spoke as he rose is phone to display the comments to the three humans and cat-thing. "However, there is an even balance between the supporting the Phantom thieves and those condemning."

Ryuji leaned forward as he squinted his eyes. "'A criminal group with unknown goals that does whatever it wants in the name of justice'. Man… some people don't trust us, huh…" the blonde murmured.

"Oh, what about this one?" Ann leaned forward to read and squint. "'They're a group of heroes that bring that bad guys to justice, no way they're evil!', this one's positive…" she nodded.

"It would seem that due to the interview yesterday between the detective and student yesterday has caused a divide within the comments as neither clearly supported nor denounced us," Yusuke stated as he tucked away his phone. "At the very least, it has not caused a significant change in the comments compared to before the interview."

"At least it means some people still believe in us," Ann pointed out, Yusuke nodding in agreement.

"Indeed."

"Well, we just gotta continue helpin' don't we?" Ryuji grinned as he rolled his shoulders. "Both small-fry and big-ones."

"That would be the best course of action," Yusuke nodded. "However, finding a significant target such as Kamoshida or Madarame would prove that we are just."

"Only problem is it's difficult to find one as it is," Rem added. "I haven't seen anything on the Phantom Aficionado Website…"

"I haven't heard anythin' either," Ryuji growled in slight annoyance but shook his head to point out something strange. "By the way man… what's up with that luggage?" he nodded toward the luggage trolley by Yusuke's side.

"Oh, I made the decision to leave the school dorms," Yusuke looked down at his luggage. "They were not only filthy, but too noisy as well. No true art could come from such a place."

Rem quirked a brow. "Where exactly are you planning on staying? The shack that was owned by Madarame is owned by the bank, isn't it?" Rem asked.

"Well, I was planning on staying at either Takamaki-san's – I mean, Ann's or your own house," Yusuke said simply. "I've even prepared a thank-you gift!"

"Excuse me?" Rem asked taken aback.

"What?! Uh-uh, there's no way that's happening!" Ann shook her head, Rem doing the same.

"I'm in a probationary lodging, I don't exactly have permission to bring anyone over, much less long-term," Rem denied.

"But… that's impossible…" Yusuke said shocked, stunned, and confused all at the same time form the swift denials.

"Dude, the hell were you expectin'?" Ryuji asked unimpressed. "You did sorta just spring it on them without lettin' 'em know…"

"But… I spent everything I had on those delectable Japanese sweets…" Yusuke said crestfallen.

"Can't we check with Boss to make sure?" Morgana asked curiously, trying to help the blue-haired teen as he asked Rem.

"If Sojiro did say yes… where would he sleep exactly? There's only one room," Rem asked Morgana seriously, open to any alternatives.

"Ugh… seriously though… what're we gonna do about him?" Ann asked with concern.

The three teens were left in contemplation as Yusuke continued to bemoan about the sweets he bought.

"Dammit…" Ryuji cursed as he kicked his foot against the ground. "Fine, you can come with me. My house had a spare bedroom cause… well, we've got a spare…" the blonde said to the bluenette.

"Truly? Thank you!" Yusuke thanked Ryuji joyously.

"Hey, don't thank me yet man," Ryuji shook his head. "You an' me are gonna have to explain to my mom what's goin' on."

Ryuji looked at Rem with a pleading grimace as he jerked his head towards Yusuke. "You mind if I make a quick stop at my house to explain to my mom what's goin' on and move Yusuke's stuff in?" he asked.

"Go ahead, do you want us to come along?" Rem asked.

"Nah, don't worry 'bout it. We'll be back quick then we can head into Mementos," Ryuji shook his head with a grin before the two boys began to head down into the subway to catch a train to his house, leaving the two girls and cat behind.

"So… what do we do now?" Ann asked their leader curiously.

"Well… want to get some crepes while we wait for them?" Rem asked, the question causing a broad grin to spread across Ann's face at the prospect of sweets.

"Oooh, can I get a banana crepe?" Morgana asked in excitement, stomach grumbling, hungry for food.

"So, this is where we will find the individual with the black mask…" Fox murmured as he looked around the eerie red subway of the public unconscious. "This place would make for a fine art piece…"

"One track mind, I swear…" Skull bemoaned as he grasped his head with a hand, shaking his head from side-to-side in disbelief.

"So… how are we going to find the Remnant?" Panther eventually asked after a moment of silence, asking the question that was on everyone's mind.

"We don't have to."

Joker rose a quizzical brow as the four teens looked at their resident expert on all things related to the metaverse. Morgana noticing the strange looks he was getting continued to explain.

"The Remnant said that every time we made ourselves noticed and gathered fame, he'd be ready," Mona's bulbous head tilted as a small paw scratched at his chin. "If I remember correctly… he said he'd wait for us at the end of Aiyatsbus?"

"Aiya-whatnow?" Skull scratched his head.

"Aiyatsbus," their raven-haired leader repeated pulling out her phone and opening the metaverse-navigation application as she did so, quickly swiping through it to the map of Mementos before presenting it to the group.

"The… path of Aiyatsbus?" Fox questioned, blue eyes absorbing the information like a sponge as he read aloud.

"I think that's where he'll be waiting for us, and lucky for us, there are some requests we can fulfill along the way," Mona nodded his head as he pounced onto Fox's shoulder, unbalancing the thin teen for a moment before he regained his footing slightly.

"Wait… look!" Panther exclaimed as she pushed Yusuke to the side to look at the Metanav, further unbalancing the two and sending them sprawling to the ground in a small puff of dirt. "Sorry!" the red leather-clad fire-user winced as she noticed what she'd inadvertently done.

Skull waved her off as he moved over to help the two up. "So, what'd ya find that made you push the two of 'em outta the way?" the blonde wondered as he looked at Joker and Panther.

"Oh, right! Look at the nav!" Panther whirled around to look back at Joker's phone, a new maze of paths forming on the map, indicating that they could theoretically venture even deeper into Mementos rather than finishing at Aiyatsbus.

The newly added map to the Metanav read as the path of Chemdah.

This, of course, meant that they'd need to reach the end of Aiyatsbus first.

"This path of Chemdah likely leads further into Mementos…" Morgana surmised as he stood on Fox's shoulder.

"But why did it suddenly appear? Shouldn't it have been there when we first came here?" Panther asked with a tilt of her head.

"Maybe it's like a checkpoint! Y'know like a video game!" Skull exclaimed, slamming a fist into the palm of his hand with excitement which only caused the other Phantom Thieves to look at him in confusion.

"What?" their skull-faced teammate asked, taken aback by their blank stares.

"Skull… I think I can say for all of us… that you've lost us…" Morgana said with a wince, the others nodding along with Joker and Panther barely understanding what Skull might have been talking about.

"Well… it just sorta reminded me of like old-school role-playin' games, you know?" Skull tried to explain. "Some places in games were locked and you needed to do like a sidequest or go through a cutscene before you can enter a new area… sorta like… that old animal catchin' game except the animals were like these weird monsters you could capture with these red and white orbs-"

"Skull!" Joker cut him off with a slight shout, startling him enough to halt in his tracks. She pinched the bridge of her nose in exasperation. "Focus please," she pleaded lightly.

"Right," Skull nodded with an apologetic grin. "Well, I dunno, Mementos just sorta reminded me of those old games with checkpoints and all that. We gotta do somethin' first before we can go deeper and deeper. Clear a cutscene or event and a new location unlocks here."

"That… makes sense," Mona nodded in understanding. "The last time we were here the Remnant did place a strange amount of emphasis on fame and being known to the public… maybe that's what allows us to move deeper?"

"It would tie in Mementos being the public unconscious. As we become more well-known, we'll gain more access to the deeper levels…" Rem added. However, she shook her head. "We're getting side-tracked, we still need to complete the requests that Mishima sent us and find out if Remnant is the one with the black-mask."

"Right!"

The Phantom Thieves nodded in unison before Mona took point, relaying the requests they still needed to fulfill in Mementos. "There are four requests we need to complete that are on the Path of Aiyatsbus, the most notable being a plea from a boyfriend asking to change the heart of a sadistic girlfriend…"

As it turned out, doing multiple requests at the same time was not the most intelligent decision Joker's made, and it was with Hikari Shimuzu's Shadow that she was beginning to regret her decision, especially since it was the fourth consecutive request of the day.

However, as it turned out gymnastics training with Sumire had turned out to be one of her better decisions as she jumped backwards into a basic somersault, the twin swords that Shimuzu's shadow wielded passing beneath her as she dodged a swipe. Landing with her hand and quickly clambering with the barest amount of grace, her other hand grasped the edges of her mask ready to tear it off.

In the corner of her eyes, red landed beside her.

It was time to end this.

Joker pulled downwards on her mask, blood spurting as it was ripped off as the mask itself dissolved into motes of dark red and reforming into a golden lion-beast with a mane of jade green.

"Makouha!"

"Agilao!"

Joker and Panther yelled in unison as Shiisaa and Carmen emerged from their respective masks, solid beams of light and balls of fire flying towards the Shadow, landing the final blow against it and sending it reeling.

The Shadow of Yaksini dissolved into motes of black leaving behind a black-haired girl wearing Shujin Academy's summer uniform. The Phantom Thieves allowed a breath of relief to flow through them as they finally subdued Hikari Shimuzu's Shadow.

While they'd largely kept the use of spells to a minimum to limit mental fatigue in order to keep themselves in as ideal condition as they could for their coming battle against Remnant, it didn't change the fact that the battle had been arduous with everyone sustain some type of physical injury from the swords that Shimuzu's shadow had wielded.

"No, no, no… No! I don't want to lose him," Shadow Shimizu cried, knees slumped against the ground with sightless eyes directed downwards.

"He's mine. He's mine, isn't he?"

Rem gave a sigh as she decided to state the blunt truth, "Keep this up, and he'll no longer be yours."

"What made you start acting like that?" Ann asked, her curiosity getting the better of her despite the dangers of the Metaverse.

"He never protested when I did it, so I started thinking that I could get away with doing anything to him…" Shimuzu's Shadow whispered hoarsely. "It started to escalate without me knowing that I was hurting him more than I thought…"

"You gotta go back and apologize to him… What you did just ain't right," Ryuji shook his head, trying to keep his head in the moment. Even as much as he wanted to wrap up the request, jittery nerves were leaving him restless for the coming encounter.

Shadow-yellow eyes looked up at the Phantom thieves, wide-eyed. It was easily discernible to tell that they'd gotten through to her. Shimuzu's shadow nodded, motes of light rising from beneath her feet as she stood up and nodded, "Okay, I'll do just that. Wait for me, M-kun!" Shadow Shimizu faded in one final burst of light before reforming into the bud of a Palace just as the Shadows of their previous requests all had done.

With the threats on the seventh floor of Aiyatsbus cleared for the moment, Joker took the time to move over to one of the stamps stands Jose had placed around Mementos to stamp the book she'd been given while everyone else took the time to treat their wounds with the various different soft drinks and medicines they'd all brought along. After getting the stamp from this floor, she turned to the red-etched wall with the others moving up beside her, their wounds fully healed and watched as it opened up exactly like the one Mona had interacted with during their first trip into Mementos.

"Fascinating..." Yusuke murmured wonderingly as he approached where the wall had slid into the floor and ceiling, feeling at the seamlessly smooth ground. "For such smooth elegance to appear in a place of imagination and bloodshed… if not for our upcoming battle with this 'Remnant' figure, I would head directly to Ryuji's house to paint the raw emotions I feel in here," Yusuke remarked idly.

Joker tensed as she felt a slight prickle on the back of her neck, a noticeable difference from the first time where she hadn't been able to place what was happening but now she knew. Around her, her fellow Phantom Thieves noticed their leader's tenseness and prepared themselves.

Remnant had arrived.

A light applause echoed from the staircase behind them, footsteps stepping lightly but audibly in the clenched silence.

"Impressive… you sensed me rather than heard me this time… you've grown…" the deep timbre of Remnant's voice echoed throughout the floor, only broken by the movements of trains on either side.

The black mask on Remnant's face looked at them, red lenses not showing their wearers emotions as he stopped in his steps just before them, almost like a repeat of when they'd first met with the distance the exact same.

But the ever-so-noticeable small smirk that played across his lips showed his true feelings.

"I see your resolve has yet to falter," the Remnant said, it's timber sending shivers down the Thieves' spines before he sent an inclined tilt of his head towards Fox but the gaze of his mask kept solely on Joker. "However, I see there is one among you who I have not yet tested. Will you continue to honor our contract, yes?"

Joker nodded.

"Wonderful…"

That smirk grew the tiniest bit larger as a familiar demonic short sword slipped into the grasp of his right hand while his winged pistol slid into his left. "You who have stolen the distorted desires of the Fallen Angel of Vanity… show me the newfound might among your ranks. Hold nothing back and show to me the strength of your convictions."

The Phantom Thieves drew their weapons and prepared themselves for the fight of their lives.

On an unspoken signal Panther and Morgana immediately fell back as Carmen and Zorro threw forth balls of fire and ripping winds in a bid to create distance, Skull and Fox taking advantage of the cover given to them to charge forward all-the-while their Persona's buffing their strength and agility respectively.

Joker found herself in the middle of the group, readying herself for any coming attacks sent Panther and Mona's way while quietly commanding Shiisa to use Marakukaja to increase everyone's innate defense.

"Captain Kidd! Tarukaja!"

"Goemon! Sukukaja!"

Remnant didn't even move in the face of the two charging thieves, simply standing their while holding his weapons loosely in his grasp.

"Headbutt 'im, Captain!"

"Cleanse the world of his ugliness, Goemon! Giant Slash!"

The boys' personas surged forward as they barrelled forward, Captain Kidd reeling his head back before sending it forward whilst Goemon slashed at Remnant, his pipe wreathed in kinetic energy.

Joker was only able to hear a small sigh escape Remnant's lips as he all but disappeared, fading away as Skull's and Fox's Persona failed to reach their mark.

The Thieves looked around warily as they searched for him. Joker's senses were barely able to catch the flapping of fabric behind her and the sharp intake of breath from Ann.

But it was enough.

Joker lashed out behind her while releasing one of her chain-nails, sending it wrapping around Remnant while her mask burst into blue light, her Persona changing to suit her needs.

"Selina! Eiga!"

As dark energy began to coalesce in Selina's hands, she focused the energy into the chain-nail still in her hands

"NOW!" Rem shouted, tugging on the chain to ensure it had snagged her quarry.

On Rem's order, Panther and Mona released the spells they'd silently been charging while Skull and Fox still radiating the red and green auras of their respective spells charged at their chained foe, mace and katana raised. With everyone attacking simultaneously Rem allowed Selina to release her own spell, a bolt of cursed energy sent hurtling towards Remnant's head.

But Remnant's head wasn't chained like the rest of his body.

All it took was for him to tilt his head to the left and allow the bolt of curse magic to pass harmlessly beside his head, only cutting a few strands of slicked-hair before contacting with the fire and wind sent by Panther and Mna with the oncoming fire and wind, the three magics canceling each other out while Remnant was left wholly unharmed.

Joker realized this was an almost repeat of what had happened the last time and it seemed she wasn't the only one as Skull diverted his momentum just to the left so he'd miss Remnant who was already using the chain he was wrapped in to catch Fox's strike.

Fox's fighting style relied on long flowing strikes, akin to a painter. His strikes lacked power but it made up for that with precision, and with the help of his Persona, agility, and speed.

A mouse would never be able to harm a tiger.

Fox found his precise strike stuck between the chains, a lack of strength preventing them from cutting through Rem's chains much less into Remnant.

Said chained-up persona-user only let out a sigh, his lips curling into a disappointed frown as he spoke with an ever-present timbre. "I thought you would have learned from your prior mistakes, however… it seems I hoped for too much."

Joker had realized it would be an almost repeat of their last fight… but that hadn't meant she'd remembered to prevent that. With her remaining chain-nail curled around the length of her wrist in order to keep her grip secure, she hadn't been able to untangle herself and was soon flung into the air as Remnant pivoted his body abruptly.

Fox was sent hurtling towards Skull, the two falling over in a tangle of limbs while Panther and Mona dodged backward in an effort to stay clear of their leader being flung through the air in a circle. There was a clink as Fox's katana was sent free of the chains upwards with such speed it was impaled into the ceiling.

The chain unraveled around Remnant as Joker finished multiple circled through the air, almost unable to orient herself enough to land on her feet as she skid across the floor trying to regain her balance. With their leader clear of harm's way for the moment, the four remaining thieves had been able to ready themselves and release their Persona's while she'd been swung around helplessly.

"Goemon! Bufula!"

"Carmen! Agilao!"

"Captain Kidd! Zionga!"

"Zorro! Garula!"

The four thieves sent a quarter of elemental magic hurtling towards Remnant. There was a loud boom as the fire and wind combined together to create a giant conflagration, melting the ice sent forth by Fox into water before being struck by Skull's lightning.

A large plume of smoke erupted from the center of the four elements, the thieves blinded from the dust wafting through the air. The five huddled closer together as the dust began to settle, the melted ice from Yusuke's attack puddling around them, their feet becoming lightly drenched.

"I asked you to not hold back and you didn't…" a voice echoed out, the thieves not even needing to see to tell it was Remnant that was speaking.

Footsteps echoed loudly, crunching against wet gravel and stone, tiny chunks of earth being ground into the floor beneath heavy footfalls.

"…Yet I find myself disappointed at your growth," Remnant said as the dust settled showing him to be unaffected with the exception of his now wet clothes and electricity sparking across his body. Somehow, his slicked-back hair managed to stay the same.

"A move that would have been devastating if used purposefully, reduced to little more than a puddle of water and a few sparks…" Remnant murmured as he looked at himself. "And even with all that, there's are two things you all forget…"

Red lenses stared at them.

"I have a Persona."

The water around them froze clear, a cold so intense wrapping around their feet and ankles, or in Mona's face, up to his knees. Joker's head whipped around so fast her long ponytail of hair blinded Skull and Panther for a moment as her eyes rested on the little dancing ice-demon behind them, a clear line of ice leading towards the water on the ground and freezing it a clear solid.

"And everything you do, can and will be used against you."

Remnant's voice was like a haunting reminder, Jack Frost disappearing without a sound and leaving a small mound of snow in his wake before reappearing at Remnant's side.

Rem was really growing sick of the disappointed sigh that kept leaving Remnant's mouth. At least one thing that's left his mouth hadn't left her feeling sick. With how everyone had huddled together, it'd left them well within touching-range and out-of-sight of their foe.

She silently tapped Ann's wrist before her hands moved over to Yusuke and Ryuji, grasping the rings on their hands, the three skulls on both of them feeling vaguely ominous in her grasp since she knew where they'd come from.

A sharp intake of breath told her that they'd gotten the message and it was easy to assume that with Morgana and his height, he was able to look up and understand what she was saying.

If he was going to say anything they did could and would be used against them? She'd prove him right.

"Carmen!" Panther shouted as her hands quickly whipped and tore her mask free, the eruption of flame signaling the arrival of the femme fatale of the Opera was hot enough to weaken the ice around their feet enough for them to pull themselves free.

"Agilao!"

"Zorro! Garula!"

Another fiery conflagration was sent hurtling towards Remnant whose only response was a tilt of his head, red lenses reflecting the oncoming flames before a single word left his mouth.

"Champion's Cup!"

"Bufula?" the order that left Remnant's lips was almost like a question as red lenses snapped in Ryuji's direction. It was the only thing that left his lips as a golden cup hovered above him and dumped a blue liquid onto the black-masked man, the liquid itself quickly soaking into his skin before a red aura erupted around him.

But an order was an order and his Persona, Jack Frost sent ice crystals shattering their way. Fractals of cold ice larger than Yusuke and sharper than any of their weapons, the effect only being amplified by the effects of the Ring of Lust's Champion Cup that Jose had been kind enough to forge for them from the Kamoshida's will seeds.

The wave of ice crystals quickly dispersed the conflagration of fire, the flames doing nothing against the sheer cold other than to lick at the hoarfrost that coated each ice crystal and melting them, but the cold causing the melted hoarfrost to freeze once more in less than a second. The wave of ice was sent by an ice spell that only focused on a singular user, and with Ann being the first one to cast her spell, the wave of ice erupted through the ground and rushed towards her.

Rem held her breath as Yusuke's voice resounded through the air in an almost victorious cry.

"Bleeding Dry Brush!"

Slashes of paint and color appeared in front of Ann, each slash akin to a stroke of a paintbrush and each stroke a different colour with there being seven strokes in total.

Red.

Orange.

Yellow.

Green.

Blue.

Indigo.

Violet.

Each stroke represented one color of the rainbow.

The strokes of ephemeral paint floated in front of Ann for a half-second before flashing a bright iridescent rainbow before fading away.

The wave of Champion's Cup-enhanced ice struck Ann with the force of a hurricane and the cold of the arctic winds. With Ann's weakness to ice attacks, an attack of this caliber rendered her unconscious immediately.

Or at least it would have.

The incandescent rainbow strokes of paint flashed harshly before the fractals of sheer cold ice, keeping it at bay for a breath-taking moment as Ann stared at a particular crystal of ice that would have pierced her throat.

An explosion of cold and icy mist was sent into the air as the eruption of ice was sent hurtling back towards Remnant in an instant, the black-masked foe was wholly unprepared for the sudden reversal and found himself struck by his own attack.

A diamond dust of ice and mist hung in the air as Ryuji gave a big whoop of glee and Yusuke gave a satisfied nod. Ann crumpled bonelessly to the ground from the amount of adrenaline running through her veins, Morgana squashed helplessly beneath her. Rem allowed a silent sigh of relief to leave her lips as Shiisa faded away beside her, reforming into her mask. The blue aura of Rakukaja leaving Ann, the worst-case scenario of protection no longer needed.

Relief and joy sing through the air as minuscule shards of ice and mist hung in the air, glittering a shining white in the darkness of Mementos. It was only with the light cold and adrenaline leaving their veins did the Phantom Thieves finally realize their injuries, largely being in the form of mental fatigue.

In truth they'd barely even been touched by Remnant, the most being Rem swung through the air or Yusuke sent barrelling into Ryuji. Maybe having been frozen but otherwise, they'd been left unharmed physically. However, the number of spells they'd used left them all stumbling and weak with adrenaline no longer keeping the pounding of blood rushing through their skulls at bay and sending them to their knees.

*Clap clap*

The sound of slow applause caused the Phantom Thieves to look up blearily, Ryuji letting out a pained groan of frustration as a black duster swished through the icy mist showing Remnant unharmed aside from his previously wet clothes now dusted with frost.

"I think I can now say I'm pleased with your performance," Remnant remarked as he stood a few feet away from the quintet, hands clasped behind his back as a small smirk played once more upon his lips. "It seems you've truly grown somewhat, not in strength but in adaptability and cunning," he praised lightly.

"You even took my advice and used it against me, something I find myself surprised in your execution," red-lenses rounded on Ryuji who was slumped against Ann. "Increasing your enemies' strength in order for the resulting rebound to be stronger and deadlier, clever."

He looked at Rem, "However, one thing you should know is normally not to attack a Persona or Shadow with their respective element. Chances are they are either null to said element or can absorb it."

He walked forward looming over them. "However, as much as you've grown… there is still much for you to learn. There may always be more to your opponent than what simply lies upon the surface. If you do not know your opponent, never assume you have seen everything they have to offer… for even as rigid as your resolve may be, there shall always be someone out there to ground you into the earth."

Remnant's gaze shifted towards Yusuke, red lenses being stared back by eyes the color of steel behind the mask of a fox. Slowly, he knelt down in front of Yusuke.

"You, who joined in cleansing the Fallen Angel of Vanity, I pose the same question I asked your allies once before. The path ahead is fraught with danger. There are many players in this game, larger and stronger than you can expect," a meaningful silence passed between the two as contemplative grey looked into a blank red mask.

"You could not touch me, even when you'd used my own strength against me. As you are now, you will die. Is this the path you wish to tread? If you do, there is no point of return."

"Madarame's exploitation of my art has left me with a strong desire to fight the injustices left in the wake of foul individuals such as him," Yusuke's response was calm and concise but held an undercurrent of steel. "I would not back down to let the ugliness of the heart destroy the world we see as our own abode."

A moment passed before the small smirk upon Remnant's lips grew the slightest bit wider as he lunged forward.

The sound of rasping steel caused the five of them to stiffen as Remnant pulled back, Yusuke shakily looking down at his waist at his katana with wide-eyes. The same katana which had last been impaled up to the hilt in the ceiling.

"Know this, newest member of the Phantom Thieves. I acknowledge your resolve, but only time will tell if you have the will to fight for your own fate. It will not be me who tests you, but you yourself," Remnant rasped, his words floating eerily now rather than simply as a deep timbre.

Rem felt as if despite how Remnant had been talking to Yusuke, his words were directed at all of them. She and the others watched as Remnant slowly stood up from his kneeling position to pull out the same golden bottle he'd crushed last time, and in a repeat of events, crushed it within his hands.

Glass clinked and crinkled between black gloves, a golden mist seeping between his fingers and into the air. Just like last time, it felt as the weight of the world disappeared from their skulls, blood no longer pulsing through at the rate of a jackhammer and the fatigue of both body and mind lifting away.

Wordlessly, he moved past them with a grace Rem hadn't seen last time, moving between the thieves as they slowly got up and seemed as if he was going to venture further into the depths of Mementos. However, that all came to a halt as Ann called out.

"Wait!"

Remnant paused in his steps, a turn of his head and a single red-lens looking back at them being the only sign of his acknowledgment.

"Yes?"

It was Rem that took the turn to speak, as leader of the group she felt as if it fell to her to ask the question they were searching for. "In Madarame Palace… after we defeated him, he said something about a Persona-user with a black mask that was seen there… was it you he was talking about?"

Remnant didn't say anything, but his head moved slightly to look ahead of him, something which caused Rem to feel as if he was taking a great deal of consideration for his words.

"The mask I wear is black, the much is indeed true… however, there are many individuals that participate in this game, some closer to you than you'd think," Remnant said, his voice almost ringing in the silence. "The black-masked individual the Fallen Angel of Vanity was talking about was not myself, but one of the many pawns in this game. You already know this pawn by name, however, their nature has not yet been revealed to you. A time will come when you will figure out their identity, however, it is not my place to tell you."

"What?" Rem uttered in confusion as she got up on shaky feet, "Why not?"

"Because as much of a wildcard I am in this game of chess we play… I cannot break the rules," the words left his lips which cause Rem to still, her brow furrowing in contemplative confusion.

"I will await you at the end of Chemdah."

With his last piece said, Remnant disappeared into the depths of Mementos, his words stuck in the minds of the Phantom Thieves.

"Joker?"

"Yeah?"

Rem was snapped out of her thoughts by Morgana tugging at her leg. Everyone was confused by what the Remnant said, and suspicion largely faded from their faces at the revelation he gave them.

"He said you know them by name…" Morgana murmured with a troubled look upon his feline face. "Do you have any idea who it could be?"

Ryuji piped up, "I ain't got no effin' clue, but then again, thinkin' isn't my thing."

"I don't know who you're acquainted with, so I don't believe I can assist you in this matter as of yet," Yusuke added simply, however, he seemed distracted with a hand fingering the hilt of his sword.

Rem looked down at Morgana. "Sorry, Mona, no one really pops into mind. Everyone that I know is either you guys or just doesn't fit the description of being a metaverse-user…" Rem shook her head apologetically. She looked around, noting their weary postures. "I think for now, we all need some rest."

"Well, we should probably head back after we give Jose those flowers we collected. We've done enough Mementos exploration today." Morgana said as the Thieves slumped in exhaustion after their fight.

World Arcana – Rank 2!

+5 all stats!

"Falling asleep sounds like a great plan to me," Ann murmured, exhaustion setting in before her eyes shot open slightly. "Wait… don't we have to celebrate Yusuke joining the team?"

The Monabus came into view as Morgana poofed into his bus form, everyone clambering in tiredly.

"We'll do it tm'rw…" Ryuji grunted already half asleep. Beside him, Yusuke's head was already lolling back and forth as he reclined into Morgana's cushions, Morpheus quickly taking him into the land of dreams.

"Just do it at Leblanc…" Morgana said quietly, his own form of exhaustion showing with the low purr of his engine.

Rem didn't have the energy to argue and simply allowed her head to bonk quietly between the seat and the glass window, falling asleep quickly.

Rem gave a small sullen glare at her room, looking at the layer of dust she'd yet to get around to cleaning and the small number of cobwebs interspersed around the corners of Leblanc's attic.

"I'm too tired to clean…" Rem grumbled as she fell face-first into her mattress, regretting the decision to not argue with Morgana about having Yusuke's celebration at Leblanc. Said cat opened a bleary blue eye as he laid off to the side, the moonlight shining down on them.

It was late afternoon the saw the two returning home, Sojiro ordering them to close up after he left since the business was slow and he'd decided to close early for the day. Rem had ended up spending the time between then and night sleeping like a log, and even with the two-hour power nap, she was still dead-tired.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Ryuji…"

Crimson eyes blinked open, Rem slowly getting up to send Morgana an incredulous look of confusion. "Do I want to know why you're suddenly talking about Ryuji?" Rem asked with a raised brow only for a blue feline pupil to stare at her unimpressed.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Mishima…"

Rem blinked once more, Morgana's words only furthering to exacerbate her confusion, red eyes continuing to look at the feline trying to sleep in confusion. Blue eyes opened once more, this time in minor annoyance before drifting over to the table next to the sofa.

"Maid… watch…" Morgana managed to utter out in annoyance before drowsiness caused his eyelids to fall slowly as he succumbed to sleep, having been unable to sleep in Mementos since he was the transportation and Ann was the driver.

Rem blinked and thought about it before slowly moving up from the bed and over to the table to look at the pink flyer Mishima and Ryuji had talked about using before for some stupid operation which sounded sleazy at best and downright perverted at worst. Looking at the maid flyer now, however, and all Rem could see was a god-sent way for her room to be cleaned while she could sleep.

Grabbing the pink flyer, she sat down on the sofa and pulled out her phone to dial the number displayed on the flyer, barely taking a few moments to accept the first maid they'd offered for cleaning services. Checking she had the correct amount of change, Rem allowed herself to relax as she waited for whichever maid they sent to come, her eyelids feeling heavy, a warmth only known by the extremely tired wrapping around her as she sunk into the lumpy sofa.

*Knock Knock*

Rem's eyes fluttered open briefly as she blearily registered the sound of knock coming from downstairs. With great reluctance and quite a bit of difficulty, Rem drowsily made her way downstairs and over to the front door of the café to let the maid in.

The overhead bell jingled as Rem opened the door.

"What… the fuck…" Rem muttered, blinking the sleep out of her eyes as she stared at her homeroom teacher dressed in a maid outfit.

Once again, big shoutout to some1upoyo for helping out with this chapter and giving me the motivation to write again after like a month without a computer.