The Spaceship.

— –Joker– —

As the Phantom Thieves stepped into Okumura's Palace, they were rendered speechless by the sight before them.

Through massive glass windows, the vast expanse of space stretched out before them. The cold darkness was pierced by distant stars, and far off, suspended in the void, was their home—the blue-and-green orb they knew as Earth. 

Through their explorations of the Metaverse, they had seen some strange things, from the Castle to the Museum's paintings. But nothing quite compared to being in space itself.

It was surreal.

"Damn…" Ryuji muttered under his breath, his mouth slightly open as he stared out the windows. 

The group stood in stunned silence for a moment before Mona scurried forward. The Thief leaped gracefully onto one of the metal supports, climbing up for a better view. His tail flicked anxiously as he peered through the glass.

"This is bad." Mona said, his voice tinged with unease. "It's growing. This room wasn't like this the last time I was here, and… that spaceship over there? That definitely wasn't here before."

Mona's words snapped Ren out of his trance. Narrowing his eyes, he activated his Third Eye skill, scanning the room with a practiced gaze. Subtle differences popped out immediately. There was newly constructed security infrastructure. There were turrets, cameras, even walls that hadn't fully integrated with the older systems.

"We took too long…" Ren whispered to himself.

The more power Okumura amassed, the stronger his Palace became. And as the metaphorical wielder of the Black Mask, Okumura's subconscious confidence was transforming his Palace into something far more dangerous.

"This place is nuts…" Futaba whispered, her fingers dancing over her Persona's console as she scanned the surroundings with her Necronomicon. "It's got tech I didn't even think was possible in the Metaverse. But don't worry, give me a bit, and I can work around it."

"What kind of tech?" Makoto asked, her brow furrowed.

Futaba tilted her head, her expression thoughtful but uneasy. 

"The security system here is… different. If one guard sends a distress signal, the whole system will react instantly. And unlike other Palaces, where guards tend to operate in isolated groups, these guys are all connected, like a hive mind." She hesitated, her frown deepening. "There are also features I can't decrypt from here, and that freaks me out a little."

"So we gotta be super sneaky? Got it." Ann said with a firm nod, trying to lift the mood. "It's not like we haven't done this before."

"It's not just that." Futaba said, her voice quieter. "I can't explain it, but… I don't like what I'm seeing. It feels off. Like there's something bigger we're not seeing yet."

The group fell into a quiet discussion, weighing their options. It wasn't until Ren finally spoke that a sense of direction settled over them.

"Let's do a test run." Ren said decisively, grounding the group. "We'll stay quiet, scope out the security, and get a better understanding of what we're dealing with. Plus, this will give us a chance to test the things we set up after our last announcement."

His words earned a round of nods from the group as he quickly chose Makoto, Mona, and Yusuke to follow him for their first exploration.

Futaba would be acting as their guide; she would be the key to unlocking any security checkpoints along the way. In addition, her Persona would keep them on guard should anyone approach them.

Makoto's role as a Secondary Leader required her to understand the Palace's security systems intimately, which made her an obvious choice. Mona's agility and stealth made him essential, and Yusuke's newfound grace, an unexpected gift from his weird golden flames Pseudo Awakening, put him as the second best at stealth behind Mona.

It was a small group, but it was the perfect size for an infiltration like this. And, with their path paved, they all went down through an elevator in the middle of the room—an elevator Futaba had to hack in order for them to control it.

Once the initial shock of being in a spaceship wore off, the Palace was relatively basic—at least the first rooms they stumbled upon. It consisted mainly of big rooms with futuristic holograms and fancy screens. They might as well have been on the set of a Sci-fi movie.

However, after passing through a few empty rooms and hallways, they stumbled onto their very first group of Shadows, or to be more exact, robots.

From above, they could see the operation in full swing. The room stretched endlessly, filled with conveyor belts, assembly lines, and countless robots. Each machine moved with precise synchronicity, lifting boxes, pushing carts, and stacking pallets with unrelenting efficiency. Every robot bore the familiar logo of Big Bang Burger emblazoned on their backs.

To the side, a taller robot stood motionless, clearly of higher status. Its cold, glowing eyes scanned the room, monitoring the workers like a foreman overseeing an assembly line.

The monotony was suddenly shattered by a loud crack. One of the worker robots, burdened by a heavy box, collapsed as the bolts in its arms snapped under the strain. The metallic limbs clattered to the ground, and the robot froze, its circuits sparking slightly.

Despite the commotion, the other robots didn't pause. They continued their tasks as if nothing had happened. Only when the box's contents spilled onto the floor did several nearby robots move in—not to assist the fallen machine, but to retrieve the box. They lifted it onto a cart and resumed their work, completely ignoring their broken comrade.

The disabled robot was left slumped on the floor until another cart arrived. Two robots hoisted the broken machine onto the cart, wheeling it away toward a different corridor.

"This… this is horrible," Futaba whispered, her voice trembling slightly as her Persona fed her information. "I can hear them. They're all connected, and they're… they're being worked to death. That big robot over there—it's saying that if they don't like it, they can quit, but they won't be compensated. They're all disposable."

Yusuke's expression darkened as he watched the broken robot disappear into the shadows.

"These robots… this is how Okumura sees his employees, isn't it?" He said coldly as he looked at the scene below.

"It's gotta be," Mona replied grimly, his tail flicking in agitation. "People with Palaces are always distorted. Kamoshida, Kaneshiro, Madarame… they all saw the people around them as less than human. Okumura's just another one of them."

Hearing Mona speak, Makoto's expression shifted. Though she cringed slightly in discomfort, she quickly masked it, letting out a quiet sigh before speaking with measured resolve.

"So be it. We already knew we needed to stop Okumura. This just solidifies our reasons," she interrupted, her voice cutting through the tense silence and drawing the group's attention. She pointed toward a single robot moving steadily up the hallway ahead. "For now, we should follow the guards and stay alert for cameras. We can't afford to linger in one place too long."

"Leave the cameras to me," Futaba whispered confidently, her hands already working at her console. After a nod from Ren, the group began creeping behind the robot, keeping their movements quiet and deliberate.

As the robot reached a large door, a robotic voice broke the silence:

[Only authorized personnel past this point.]

[Performing Biometric Identification…]

[Access Granted.]

The security gates slid open briefly, allowing the robot through before slamming shut again with a resounding clang.

"Biometric identification, huh," Ren muttered, studying the door's intricate design before turning toward Futaba.

"Already on it…" she replied, her fingers gliding over her console as she analyzed the system. After a moment of silence, she shook her head. "I can try messing with it, but this system is insane. It's not just a standalone checkpoint—this door is tied to two other security gates down the line. If I tamper with this one, it'll raise the alert levels elsewhere."

"So we can make things easier now, or we can make things easier later," Ren echoed, his tone contemplative. Futaba nodded in confirmation.

"Could we not use the Phantom Thieves card? In the video, we used it to break past security." Yusuke asked as he reached into one of his pockets and drew a crimson card out.

Futaba glanced over briefly before shaking her head. 

"Nope. This door scans a person's biometrics. Fingerprints, DNA, all that jazz. The card? Well… it's a card. If this was one of those card-scanner types, maybe we'd have a shot."

Makoto furrowed her brow, crossing her arms in thought. 

"Could we infiltrate Big Bang Burger, like we did with Kaneshiro's Palace? If we got a job there, we might be able to pass as employees." She asked.

It seemed like a reasonable suggestion, but Ren only thought about it for a few moments before shaking his head.

"That wouldn't work for at least two reasons. First, the robot we just saw wasn't one of the worker bots we saw in the warehouse below. We'd probably have to become managers—or even higher—to get clearance. Second, for us to be acknowledged by Okumura's cognition, he'd have to see us in uniform himself. And, well, I'm not sure how we would do that."

"Hm, true…" Makoto muttered, her expression tightening in frustration. "Maybe we could ask Haru?"

"No." Ren instantly denied the idea, leaving the group in silence as they tried to think of more ideas.

"I'll find us another way," Mona piped up, determination flashing in his eyes. He scrambled across the room, leaping onto shelves and supports to search for alternative entrances. He inspected ventilation panels, tugging at grates and peering into ducts.

But after a few minutes, it became clear that the vents were far too small. Even in his original cat form, Mona wouldn't be able to squeeze through.

"Sheesh," Futaba muttered with a wry smile, "maybe we should've made the video about a hamster Thief instead. A little guy who could crawl through vents. Mona's human transformation didn't exactly go as planned, anyway… who knew furries had that much influence over Mementos."

At her words, Mona froze, slowly looking back with a frown.

"Now's not the time," Ren said, his tone firm as he stepped in to stop the brewing tension between Futaba and Mona. "If there's no way through the main entrance, I can try impersonating one of the workers with my transformation skill. That should let me get all of you inside."

"That's a solid plan." Makoto agreed with a nod, quickly picking up on his suggestion. "Futaba, do you think you could isolate one of the guards, like you did back in Madarame's Palace?"

Futaba tilted her head, considering for a moment before nodding. 

"I should be able to pull that off. I haven't practiced that skill as much as I'd like, but isolating a few guards here and there shouldn't be too hard. The system's already weird enough to exploit."

"In that case…" Makoto continued, her voice steady as she analyzed the situation. "...we could follow the robots being sent for disposal. It'll likely lead to a trash room or maintenance area, and I doubt they'd bother assigning heavy security to monitor a place like that. Especially since we're still close to the entrance."

Ren turned toward her, his expression lightening slightly. 

"Good thinking." He said, his voice carrying genuine praise.

Makoto nodded in appreciation, though her focus remained sharp. Ren turned to Mona, gesturing toward the corridor where the broken robots had been wheeled down.

"Mona, you take the lead." Ren said. "Find the safest path, and we'll follow."

"Aye, aye, Captain!" Mona replied, his ears perking up as he scurried ahead with surprising agility. He moved swiftly, his small frame making it easy to slip into vantage points and scout the area.

"Alright, I'll be right behind you guys." Futaba nodded as she finally called forth Necronomicon, the small UFO appearing above her before it gently brought her inside. The next moment, the Persona became semi-transparent.

— — —

In the sterile, metallic halls of a massive spaceship, the rhythmic clank, clank, clank of metal feet echoed through the corridors. A singular robot, designated J-12025, moved with mechanical precision, its bright, unblinking sensors scanning its surroundings as it carried out its singular purpose: to build, maintain, and expand the ship.

Each step it took reverberated through the hollow structure, a sound that blended seamlessly with the hum of the ship's engines. J-12025 was a cog in the grand machine, one of countless identical units devoted to the same task. Yet, in its own way, it took pride in its work. The vessel it served was vast, growing larger by the day, a testament to its glorious leader, Okumura.

The ship was more than a means of transportation; it was a symbol of power, ambition, and conquest. Soon, it would engulf entire worlds, bringing them under Okumura's iron rule. J-12025's programming assured it of this destiny, and it carried out its duties with unwavering resolve.

Passing through a security checkpoint, the robot paused briefly. A red light scanned over it, verifying its identification before granting access. As it entered the next chamber, its sensors suddenly flared, its bright crimson eyes narrowing as it scanned the room.

"Security Breach Detected… Executing Emergency—"

The robot's voice, a hollow and monotonous tone, was abruptly silenced. A shadow spread across its vision, tendrils of darkness snaking through its circuits. Its mechanical body froze, its limbs twitching slightly as the oppressive force overwhelmed it.

For the first time, the robot experienced something it had never known: stillness. Its relentless drive to work, to fulfill its purpose, came to an abrupt halt. In the encroaching darkness, the robot felt… strange. There was no more noise, no clanking footsteps, no endless commands feeding into its processors. Just silence.

And in that silence, a foreign sensation emerged. It hadn't realized how weary it was, how its unyielding labor had drained it of energy. The darkness, though strange and unwelcome, brought with it a strange calmness.

J-12025, the ever-diligent servant of Okumura, experienced rest. It fell into a deep sleep, relaxing and everlasting.

And then, it was no more. The light in its eyes faded, leaving only the sound of distant machinery in the vast, cold expanse of the ship.

Ren let out a small sigh of relief. The skill he had awakened to consume weaker enemies had come quite handy. He wasn't quite sure as to how, but as long as he caught an enemy off guard, he could consume it without giving it much of a chance to fight back.

However, that relief was short-lived. Without warning, the door the robot had come through slammed shut with a deafening clang, cutting off their escape route. A tense silence fell over the group, broken only by Futaba's panicked shout through the comms.

[Shit! Look out, Joker! He managed to get the alarm off. There are four guards headed in this direction!] Futaba shouted as the lights above them turned bright crimson.

"I thought you blocked the alarms!" Mona exclaimed, leaping from his hiding spot, his fur puffed up in agitation.

[I did! But this damn security system—ugh, it's a nightmare! What kind of paranoid lunatic designs something like this?] Futaba groaned, her voice filled with frustration. [I blocked emergency protocol 2-32-B, but apparently, that triggered emergency protocol 5J-234. And because that was activated near a security personnel door, it also triggered 2-32-A!]

"What does any of that even mean?!" Mona snapped, pacing in agitation as his tail lashed behind him.

[It means Okumura's Palace is the worst!] Futaba shot back. [This dude must have been terrified of someone sneaking in. I'm trying to shut it all down, but it's like every system has a backup, and they all hate me! Give me a second!]

"Relax," Ren said calmly, his voice cutting through the chaos as he focused his attention on the end of the hallway. "We can handle the guards. Just focus on deactivating the alarm. Someone this paranoid must have made a mistake somewhere. You'll figure it out. I trust you."

His words seemed to steady Futaba, even if her frustration lingered.

Meanwhile, Makoto and Yusuke stepped out of their hiding spots. The tension was palpable, but just as they readied themselves for the incoming fight, something unexpected happened.

A sudden pulse of energy surged through the room, and Futaba's Persona shattered into fragments of light, leaving her to stumble forward and collapse onto the cold floor.

[Warning! Unauthorized Existence Detected. Suppression System Activated. Foreign Entities Will Now Be Suppressed According to Protocol 55-B1.]

Futaba groaned, scrambling to her feet as her holographic keyboard flickered back to life. She tried to summon her Persona again, but the keyboard was the most she could do.

"No way…" Makoto muttered, her voice low with disbelief. Her hand flew to her mask as she shouted, "Johanna!"

Yet nothing happened.

"He can suppress our Personas?" Mona asked, his voice a mix of shock and outrage. "How the hell is that even possible?!"

The question hung in the air for only a moment before it was replaced by the unmistakable sound of heavy, clanking footsteps drawing nearer. 

"Doesn't matter, we have weapons for a reason." Ren shouted to the group as he dashed forward. 

If he faltered, the group would follow suit. He had to lead by example, charging ahead to confront the threat.

"Right!" Makoto echoed, her resolve hardening as she moved to Ren's side. "We've trained for this!"

"Protect Oracle!" Mona called out to Yusuke, quickly scrambling behind the two leaders. As he ran, he glanced back to Futaba, who was frantically working on her console to deactivate the alarm.

Yusuke didn't hesitate, taking up a defensive stance in front of Futaba.

"I will ensure no harm befalls her." He said calmly, his piercing gaze locked on the direction of the approaching footsteps.

In an instant, the group of robots burst into view, their sleek, humanoid forms illuminated by the pulsating red lights. Their movements were eerily synchronized, their glowing eyes locked onto the intruders with cold precision.

"Intruders detected. Engage suppression protocol."

The metallic, monotone voice of the guards echoed across the crimson-lit corridor, followed by the unmistakable hum of energy charging up. Ren's eyes darted toward the closest enemy—a humanoid robot standing eerily still. Without hesitation, he shot his grappling hook directly at its face. The hook pierced through with a loud clang, its prongs digging into the metal.

The sound of whirring machinery filled the room as Ren's grappling hook retracted, pulling the robot forward with staggering force. But before the heavy machine could collide with him, its form began to shift. The metal chassis bubbled and warped unnaturally, glowing with an ominous light. Moments later, the robot's body burst apart, transforming into a massive creature—a Mothman with iridescent, multicolored wings that shimmered in the dim light.

The air around it crackled with static electricity, and the Mothman let out an ear-piercing wail. Its wings began to flap furiously, charging up an electrical attack.

Ren didn't flinch. Raising his pistol, he fired a shot directly into the creature's center mass. The sharp bang of the gun cut through the chaos, the bullet finding its mark. The Mothman screeched in pain, its body jerking erratically as it tried to stabilize itself.

Seizing the opportunity, Makoto moved. She darted past Ren with practiced precision, her eyes locked on the floundering Mothman. With a quick step forward, she delivered a powerful punch straight to its midsection. The impact sent the creature reeling backward, its wings flapping unevenly.

But Makoto didn't let up. Drawing on years of martial arts training, she pressed the attack. Her spiked brass knuckles glinted in the crimson light as she unleashed a flurry of punches, each strike landing with a sickening thud. The Mothman staggered under the relentless assault, its body trembling from the force of her blows.

Weaving between punches, Makoto incorporated swift, calculated kicks to keep her momentum while Ren continued to fire at it from behind. One kick struck the Mothman's side, causing it to stumble. She spun on her heel, delivering a roundhouse kick to its wing, sending it crashing into the wall. The spiked brass knuckles tore into the creature's fur with every strike, leaving jagged marks across its body.

The metallic echoes of heavy footsteps filled the room as the remaining three guards dropped their disguises. Their forms twisted and bubbled until they revealed their true shapes: a Kaiwan, its glowing star-like body pulsing ominously, and two hulking Kumbhanda, grotesque humanoid horses wielding U-shaped blades that glinted menacingly in the red light.

One of the Kumbhanda let out a guttural roar, breaking away from its group to charge directly toward Futaba and Yusuke at the back of the formation.

"Oracle, please take a step back." Yusuke said with surprising calm as he drew his katana in one fluid motion.

The Kumbhanda raised its massive blade overhead and swung it down with terrifying force. Yusuke sidestepped just in time, the blade slamming into the ground and sending sparks flying. Without hesitation, Yusuke retaliated with a sharp, diagonal slash across its torso, his katana biting deep into the creature's flesh.

"Your form is hideous." Yusuke muttered, his voice calm but sharp as he took a step back to dodge the enemy's attack.

Meanwhile, the second Kumbhanda and Kaiwan had set their sights on Makoto. The humanoid horse charged, its blade slicing through the air in a deadly arc aimed at her. Makoto ducked low, narrowly avoiding the swing. Her reflexes kicked in as she countered with a swift uppercut to the creature's jaw. The spiked brass knuckles connected with a satisfying crack, leaving jagged marks across its grotesque face.

The Kumbhanda staggered back, shaking its head, but quickly recovered. With a guttural snarl, it swung its blade again. Makoto braced herself to dodge, but before she could react, Ren's grappling hook shot out from behind her.

The hook coiled tightly around the Kumbhanda's arm, halting its attack mid-swing. For a moment, it seemed as though Ren had the upper hand. But the monstrous horse let out a distorted neigh of excitement, gripping the rope wrapped around its arm. With terrifying strength, it yanked hard, pulling Ren off his feet.

"Crap, Joker!" Makoto shouted as she watched Ren hit the ground with a grunt. The Kumbhanda wasted no time, leaping into the air with its blade raised, aiming to impale Ren.

Makoto's instinct screamed at her to help, but her attention was split. Kaiwan, who had been lurking behind the Kumbhanda, had begun charging a Psychic attack aimed directly at her. The hairs on the back of her head stood up in alarm as she felt just how much danger she was in.

As if on cue, Mona emerged from the darkness, his scimitar gleaming. With a powerful leap, he slashed at Kaiwan's glowing form, his blade biting deep into its star-like body. The Kaiwan let out a distorted screech as the energy it had been charging destabilized, bursting in a chaotic wave that sent Mona flying back, crashing directly onto Makoto and sending both of them onto the floor.

Meanwhile, Ren was locked in his own struggle. Twisting on the ground, he narrowly evaded the deadly thrust of the Kumbhanda's massive blade. The weapon slammed into the floor with a thunderous clang, the sheer force of the impact sending cracks rippling through the metal surface.

But the creature's strength worked against it. The blade became lodged in the floor, giving Ren a crucial opening. He wasted no time. Drawing his dagger, he sprang to his feet and lunged at the hulking shadow.

Without hesitation, Ren closed the distance, his instincts taking over. His movements were sharp and precise, his body moving on autopilot as he drove the dagger into the Kumbhanda's neck. The creature let out a guttural, distorted howl as the blade struck true, but Ren didn't stop. With each plunge, his strikes became more deliberate.

The shadow thrashed in desperation, but Ren's grip was unyielding. His dagger found its mark again and again, the blows relentless until, with a final piercing thrust, the Kumbhanda shuddered violently and burst apart into nothingness.

Ren barely had a moment to catch his breath before the air around him grew heavy with static. His instincts screamed at him, and he glanced upward in alarm. The Mothman, its multicolored wings now tattered and its body flickering with strain, hovered above him, its glowing eyes locked onto him in a baleful glare.

Ren reacted instantly, raising his pistol and firing off a shot. The sharp bang echoed in the room as the bullet tore through the Mothman's wing, causing it to screech in agony. But even wounded, the shadow retaliated. A surge of lightning burst from its body, arcing toward Ren with violent intensity.

The electricity struck him before he could fully dodge. His body tensed, muscles locking as the energy coursed through him, but he gritted his teeth and stayed standing. The Mothman wasn't so lucky. The exertion of its attack proved to be too much. Its form trembled and slowly dissolved, vanishing into nothingness as its last act failed to bring Ren down.

"You alright, Queen?" Mona's voice broke through the tension. He had already picked himself up, his sharp eyes locked on the Kaiwan, which was preparing another Psychic attack.

"I'll survive." Makoto said through gritted teeth, shaking off the lingering pain from the last assault. Her stance was firm as she prepared to defend herself against her weakness. "Get him."

With a quick nod, Mona launched into action. He dropped low, running on all fours to maximize his speed, his scimitar clutched tightly in his tail as he darted toward Kaiwan like a streak of shadow.

The star-like shadow turned its glowing gaze toward Mona, shifting its attention. Its form pulsed with energy as it released a concentrated burst of Psychic power. Mona sprang into the air at the last second, narrowly avoiding the attack as it scorched the ground where he had been moments before. Using the momentum of his leap, he pounced toward Kaiwan, tossing his scimitar from his tail to his paw mid-air.

With a sharp slash, Mona swung the blade in a precise Z-like pattern, each strike leaving glowing trails against Kaiwan's shimmering form. Though the blows weren't enough to destroy it outright, Mona's agility kept him one step ahead. He darted and danced around the star-like shadow, his small frame allowing him to evade its counterattacks with ease.

Kaiwan, realizing it was being overwhelmed, changed tactics. Its form pulsed violently as it prepared a desperate final strike. With a sudden burst of energy, it redirected its focus to Makoto, the glow of its Psychic attack building rapidly.

"Queen, look out!" Mona shouted, his voice filled with urgency.

Makoto's eyes widened as she saw the attack coming. She braced herself, her fists tightening as the glowing energy surged toward her. At the same moment, Mona made his move. Using Kaiwan's momentary focus shift, he lunged forward with his scimitar.

The attack from Kaiwan fired, a beam of psychic energy shooting toward Makoto. But just as the beam left the shadow's form, Mona's blade sliced cleanly through its glowing body. Kaiwan let out a distorted screech as its form shattered into pieces, dissipating into a flicker of light.

Makoto staggered back, the beam missing her by inches as it fizzled into nothingness. She let out a relieved breath, glancing at Mona with gratitude.

"Nice work, Mona." She praised as she turned to look at the final shadow.

Yusuke had been holding it off, his katana moving with its usual elegance, but the strain was starting to show. Years of malnourishment and improper care of his body were catching up to him. His movements, though still graceful, were becoming slower and less precise, his breaths labored. Despite his impeccable form and focus, the Kumbhanda was beginning to gain the upper hand, its attacks becoming more relentless and calculated.

Yusuke dodged a heavy swing from the creature's blade, but he stumbled slightly as he tried to counter. The Kumbhanda snarled, sensing weakness, and lunged forward with its massive weapon raised high, poised to deliver a decisive strike.

The Kumbhanda's blade came down with terrifying force, but just before it could connect, a sharp bang rang out through the room. The echo of the gunshot cut through the chaos, and the Kumbhanda froze mid-attack. A clean shot had struck it directly in the forehead, causing it to stagger backward. The shadow let out a guttural, distorted cry as it collapsed, its form disintegrating into black mist.

Yusuke stood frozen for a moment, his katana still raised as he processed what had just happened. Slowly, he turned to see the source of the shot.

Behind him, Futaba stood frozen, her small pistol trembling in her hands. Her arms shook as though they were carrying far more weight than just the weapon, and her wide eyes were locked on the spot where the shadow had fallen. Her uneven breathing filled the sudden quiet, and her fingers clung tightly to the weapon's grip as if afraid to let go.

"Oracle?" Yusuke muttered, the surprise evident in his voice as he turned to face her fully. "Your timing was impeccable." His voice softened as he offered her a faint but genuine smile. "Thank you."

"I… I didn't think I would hit it…" She admitted, somewhat unsure, as she put the gun down. "I just aimed and… it worked?"

"Damn, I didn't think you would ever have to use that gun." Ren said with a chuckle as he held onto his chest. He was somewhat rattled from the lighting, but his body was taking it surprisingly well. "I'm sorry."

"Huh?" Futaba blinked, startled by the sudden apology. The trembling in her hands began to subside as she processed his words. "No, no, don't worry about it! I—uh—I'm fine. I should probably focus on this before more shadows show up."

Snapping herself out of her fear, Futaba quickly turned her attention back to her console, fingers flying across the keyboard as she worked to disable the security system. The tension in the room eased slightly as the group took advantage of the brief reprieve.

Meanwhile, the rest of the team gathered around, rummaging through their supplies. They each took some of the medicine Takemi had provided them—simple over-the-counter remedies in the real world, but in the Metaverse, they functioned like healing potions from a game. Small vials of liquid and packets of pills were passed around as they silently tended to their injuries, the atmosphere heavy with relief and lingering unease.

The room fell into an unusual quiet, broken only by the soft tapping of Futaba's keyboard and the occasional sigh of relief as the medicine began to take effect. Finally, after a few tense moments, the crimson emergency lights flickered off, replaced by the softer white glow of normal lighting. The alarms silenced, and the locked doors clicked open. A wave of calm washed over the group as they felt the restrictions on their Personas lift.

"All done," Futaba announced, letting out a long breath as she leaned back against the wall. "I managed to shut everything down—well, for now, at least. But geez, Okumura's security is next-level paranoid."

"I think we should return for now," Ren suggested, his tone decisive but calm. "I can transform into one of the workers with clearance now. With what we've learned about their security and restrictions, we can set up a better plan for the next infiltration."

His words earned a round of nods from the group, though Futaba hesitated before raising her hand slightly.

"Hey, actually…" she began, her voice quieter than usual. "If you guys don't mind, could someone come with me to the Palace later? I want to experiment with hacking the security more. I wasn't ready for how chaotic and all over the place everything here was. It's like they built it to mess with people like me."

"Sounds good," Makoto replied, offering her an encouraging smile. "We can rotate support. This Palace is clearly more complicated than the others we've dealt with, so it's worth taking the time to fully understand it."

"We also have to prepare more in case they seal our Personas again. This time, we managed to beat them, but we need to be prepared for any other surprises Okumura might pull." Ren added, earning a nod from the group.

~ A/N ~

Yo, just wanted to say sorry for the massive gap after saying that there wouldn't be any more delays like this. Feels like I am always saying sorry for the delay lately lol. All my friends and I have been playing Marvel Rivals, so while I was doing that, I didn't have as much time to write.

Plus, to be honest, it feels nice to take a break. I did the math, and even though I took a whole month off from writing in November, I still had an average of 1.5k words written a day for 2024, or about 47k words a month. 

Now, I still plan on finishing both stories, just not gonna be quite like before, where I would write the moment I got home till I went to sleep.

— — —

Also, I don't remember who/where they said it, but they recommended having some battles without personas, and that kinda inspired the restriction in Okumura's palace. So, shoutout to you!