Smile (P5/Royal Story x OC/Male reader)

Chapter 77 Final Negotiations

No one's POV

After continuing on through Maruki's Palace, everyone made it to what looked like to be a garden like area.

Skull: What the...?!

Violet: This is...

Crow: This seems to be quite the paradise. I assume Maruki's trying to convey that the world will turn into something like this if we allow him to abuse his research.

Noir: A paradise...

Panther: Wait, but this is a dead end, right? And we still haven't found the Treasure...

Joker: I wouldn't say that.

Tenor: Look up.

Everyone then looked up and saw Maruki's Treasure in a tower above them.

Mona: No doubt about it. That's our Treasure!

Queen: That also means we've secured our route.

Skull: Alright! All we got left is sending the Calling Card. Wait, how are we supposed to do that this time?

Noir: That's right, Dr. Maruki's been here in the Palace this entire time, hasn't he?

Crow: I'm sure Maruki's well aware that the Phantom Thieves send out their Calling Cards the day before their heist. Considering his actions until now, I highly suspect he'll attempt to directly intervene in some way that day...My money's on him trying it with Tenor.

Joker: That's a good point.

Fox: In that case, I'll leave the Calling Card with Tenor.

Crow: We could just set up an ambush and destroy him once he steps in our trap too.

Tenor: Crow...

Crow: It was merely a joke...

Tenor: ...-_-... We definitely need to work on that...

Crow: Besides, you're all aware that Maruki's influence on reality goes well beyond this Palace. If we make the wrong move in here, we could get eliminated outside the Palace, since we lack our Personas there. It'd be a safer strategy to change Maruki's heart, just as you all wish.

Panther: So we're finally changing his heart...If we steal Dr. Maruki's Treasure, then everything will go back to the way it was before he changed everything, right?

Mona: I don't know for sure, but most likely.

Tenor: Then let's get as prepared as we possibly can. This fight won't be easy...

(Timeskip)

It's been a few days since securing the route to Maruki's Treasure and everyone was currently waiting for Maruki to make contact with Nhazul and currently, Nhazul is in Sumire's room after she had asked to speak with him.

Sumire: This is the first time I've invited a boy over to my house, so I'm kinda nervous...

Nhazul: It's so tidy. Reminds me of Makoto's room.

Sumire: Thank you. People always say a messy room means a messy heart, so...But any way, I asked you here today because I wanted to tell you my decision.

Nhazul: Decision?

Sumire: Yes. This is where Kasumi and I promised each other we'd be the best in the world. Pretty much everything in here is the same as Kasumi's room. The colors are different, but not much else. That's how it always was. Kasumi kept saying we should get the same styles, the same clothes...

Nhazul: You two were really close. Reminds me a lot of me and my sister.

Sumire: Yes...So when I lost her, I went into shook... I can talk about it now that I have some distance from it, but before, I was too...Honestly...in the grand scheme of things, I'm grateful to Dr. Maruki.