The Queen's Test.

(Ya'll, I have found the absolutely most perfect second form for Tartuffe. Ever since beginning the story, I have had a few ideas floating around in my head but today I stumbled upon it by accident while listening to random videos.

It's probably not going to appear until the start of the last third of the story, but hoo boy. Imma start placing hints about it throughout the rest of the story, though I'll be surprised if anyone actually guesses it before the reveal. Anyways, ramble over, enjoy.)

— — —

Outside, the Phantom Thieves shuffled anxiously, their eyes scanning the imposing facade of the bank. Suddenly, one of the large golden piggybank statues began to shift, unveiling a hidden staircase beneath it.

Exchanging bewildered looks, their attention snapped to Ren's grinning face peeking out from the passage, waving them over.

"What the eff?" Ryuji blurted, drawn to the secret entrance, his gaze tracing the ladder into the bank's hidden depths.

"A secret entrance?" Ann echoed, curiosity piqued as she peered down.

Ren, with a playful shrug, joked.

"What can I say? I am a man of many talents." He let out a short chuckle before gesturing for the team to follow.

Guiding them through the hidden path, Ren led the group into the bank. They navigated a series of unguarded stairways, their steps hushed and cautious. Before long, they found themselves at an elevator, its doors opening silently to beckon them deeper into the heart of Kaneshiro's palace.

Ren had used the influence he had over the guards to order them around to watch over specific areas of the top floor, giving the group just enough room to sneak past all of them. Like shadows in the night, they all moved without alerting anyone.

After reaching a safe room on the lower floors, Ren and Mona informed the group of their plan to secure an infiltration route: to sneak from security room to security room, disabling all of the cameras and alarms on their way.

"What about the cameras on this floor? They should still be active, no?" Shiho questioned, recalling the cameras they had snuck past after exiting the elevator.

"I found a loophole in the camera system in one of the manuals. Mona showed me how to exploit it to shut them off for about a minute, without setting off any alarms. So, I can clear a path for us to move undetected." Ren revealed as he pointed to one of the manuals they had brought down.

Makoto looked lost in thought for a moment as she grabbed the map.

"There is an area hidden from the map."

Their attention shifted to Makoto as she pointed out what she had found.

"The structure of the top floor and this floor are all pretty consistent. But if you look over here, there is a part of the map where there should be an extra room, but there isn't. There's probably something hidden there."

"Could it be a will seed?" Shiho speculated, the possibility igniting a spark of intrigue among the group.

"If that's the case, we absolutely need to check it out." Mona said, his eyes gleaming with greed.

Ryuji, catching onto the conversation's direction, turned to Ren. 

"Hey, you still got that crystal from Kamoshida's palace?"

Ren nodded, producing the crystal from his pocket, its glow dim but present.

"Yes, I haven't used it since it takes a lot of time to recharge, but judging by the brightness, it probably has about two or three uses right now. I'm sure there's gotta be a way to refine them into more useful items but for now we have to save it for emergencies." 

After thinking for a moment he placed the crystal in the table before adding.

"Someone else should hold it since I have my other personas as backup."

The Thieves discussed it for a moment before deciding to give it to Shiho. Since she would stay in the backline, she would have a full view of the battle ahead and could use the crystal to save anyone who needed it.

— — —

The task of neutralizing the guards overseeing the security system unfolded with a familiar rhythm. Ren would make his way in and make sure that no one would be able to disturb them, and then the group would barge in and attack once the coast was clear. Working together, they were able to keep the uproar contained in the room.

After that, Morgana expertly navigated the security system, disabling any of the cameras and alarms that covered the floor. However, since this area was separated from the rest of the bank via an elevator and a strong metal vault door, the entire floor was effectively prevented from reaching the rest of the bank, which opened another option for them. To use this floor as a battleground for Makoto to get some practice with her persona.

The Phantom Thieves embraced the chaos as they engaged every shadow that crossed their path. The cacophony of battle echoed through the corridors, with the roaring sounds of Johanna filling the air as Makoto used her persona as both a battering ram and a source of nuclear blue flames.

"Queen! Look out!" Shiho's warning pierced the chaos as two twin-headed lions, their bodies a menacing blend of feline grace and draconic ferocity, surged past Ryuji, targeting Makoto. In the heat of the battle, Mona's code name, Queen, given due to her new status as a strategist and Ren's second in command, echoed through the air.

With urgency fueling her actions, Makoto summoned Johanna. The persona's engine roared to life, swerving dramatically, positioning Makoto squarely against the incoming assault. Her reaction was swift, yet the dual fireballs unleashed by the lions allowed her no escape; she could only shield herself with Johanna as the flames enveloped them.

Grimacing from the searing pain, Makoto revved Johanna, propelling them into a counterattack as she became enveloped in a wave of healing light. But the agile lions dodged with a graceful leap, forcing Makoto to overshoot her mark. Without missing a beat, she shifted her focus to a bizarre humanoid horse entangled in battle with Ryuji.

"Skull, focus on the lions! The halls are not wide enough for me to maneuver Johanna to fight them! " Makoto shouted as she rode past the blonde-haired boy before lifting the front of her bike and crashing against the horse-like shadow. Surprisingly, rather than being sent flying off the bike, the full force of the attack was passed to the unfortunate shadow. Showcasing the true strength of Johanna's powers.

Ryuji's eyes snapped to Shiho as the lions redirected their fury towards her.

"Damn it, Captain Kidd!" he bellowed, summoning his spectral captain to steer his ghostly ship toward the threat. Cannons ablaze with sparking energy aimed directly at the lions.

Simultaneously, Shiho's composed demeanor hid her readiness. As Circe materialized behind her, a disorienting wave of magic ensnared the lions, turning them against one another in a fiery frenzy of confusion and self-assault.

Amid their self-inflicted chaos, a tempest of thunder and lightning, heralded by Captain Kidd's imposing ship, descended upon them.

"Megido," Shiho whispered, as Circe's silver gaze hardened, unleashing orbs of purplish-silver energy that detonated upon impact, erasing the lion shadows from existence.

Meanwhile, Makoto's relentless pursuit of the horse-like shadow through the labyrinthine hallways intensified, eventually ending in the shadow's defeat. 

"More incoming!" she alerted, her voice laced with urgency as she spotted additional foes converging on their position.

Makoto revved the engine in Johanna as some sweat began to form on her forehead. 

Johanna's eyes burst open with one more rev of the engine before a massive wave of purplish energy shot towards the approaching white lion surrounded by a group of different colored oni. The massive wave of energy caused around half of the approaching forces to slow down and look around in confusion, almost as if they had forgotten what they were doing.

But the white lion, undeterred and furious, unleashed a colossal fireball at Makoto. In a flash, Mona intervened, his wind summoning a barrier that collided with the inferno, birthing a fiery vortex that spiraled harmlessly away from Makoto.

Away from the battle, Ren nodded at Mona.

"Good call. She wouldn't have been able to dodge the flames, and it would've just spiraled downhill from there." he remarked, his voice calm yet focused.

Beside him, Ann's worry broke through the tension.

"Are you sure we shouldn't step in? It's starting to look bad."

Ren shook his head, responding with confidence.

"No, she hasn't requested us yet, and I still think she can handle it. Remember, we dealt with things like this in Kamoshida's castle and Mementos. If we step in when things get hard for her, we will only weaken her in the long run."

Ren had previously entrusted Makoto with the choice to select her combat support for this specific floor's assault, resulting in her choosing Ryuji for his melee prowess and Shiho for her strategic magic support.

Initially, she had hoped to deal with each group of shadows individually, but the heavy roar that came whenever she used Johanna ended up catching the attention of the other guards across the floor.

"Though, she should be more mindful not to leave the rest of her team behind." Morgana chimed in, his eyes never leaving the unfolding battle.

Heeding Morgana's critique, Ren raised his voice to bridge the distance. 

"Queen! Remember, you have a team!"

Caught in the momentum of her solo charge, Makoto's focus was abruptly redirected by Ren's reminder. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw her teammates navigating through the chaos, lagging behind Johanna's swift pace. 

With adept control, she executed a swift 180-degree turn, the bike's tires screeching against the floor as she made her way back to her team. This maneuver wasn't just a simple retreat. It was a strategic repositioning, allowing her to evade an incoming onslaught of fireballs and ice shards with precision.

"It is a shame that this isn't an open space," Morgana mused, eyeing the battlefield with a tactician's gaze. "If it were, she wouldn't struggle so much with changing directions."

Once she had reunited with the rest of her team, Makoto let out a few heavy breaths before wiping the sweat off her forehead.

"Siren, your skills in crowd control surpass mine. I need you to focus on the white lion and keep it at bay. It appears to be the strongest one. Ryuji and I will tackle the other shadows. Also, look for any chance to sow confusion among them, too." she instructed with urgency, her strategic acumen shining through as she directed their next move.

Shiho, understanding the gravity of her role, nodded firmly. With a focused call, she summoned Circe, who, casting a confusion skill, managed to throw the formidable white lion off balance.

With a shared look of resolve, Ryuji and Makoto prepared for their assault. Ryuji summoned Captain Kidd, and with a firm grip on the spectral ship, he charged alongside Makoto towards the advancing shadows.

As Ryuji and Makoto charged forward with Captain Kidd leading the vanguard, their combined assault against the shadow horde was a spectacle of precision and raw power. Captain Kidd's spectral ship cleaved through the shadows, its cannons blasting apart any resistance with lightning, while Makoto, riding Johanna, weaved through the chaos, her persona constantly releasing explosions of chaotic blue energy across her path.

The white lion, momentarily staggered by Circe's skill under Shiho's command, found itself unable to rally its forces. The confusion sown among its ranks turned the tide, allowing the Phantom Thieves to capitalize on their disarray. Shiho, from her vantage point, continued to manipulate the battlefield, her persona's skills keeping the lion and its minions at bay and disrupting any attempts at coordination.

In this orchestrated chaos, the group of shadows dwindled rapidly under the relentless assault until the white lion let out a large roar, making one final stand. However, by that point, it was too late, as the three Thieves focused their attacks on it, causing it to turn into dust not long after.

Once the battle was over, Ann, Mona, and Ren rejoined the group. Arriving just as Makoto, with a final act of resolve, dismissed Johanna. She sank to the ground, her breaths coming in heavy gasps. The battle had tested her limits; throughout the chaos, she had been besieged by a relentless assault of sharp winds, ice, and fire. Yet, she persisted, guiding Johanna through the fray with unwavering determination until the very end.

Ryuji had also sustained some injuries, but for the most part, he had been able to use his persona as a shield, and with his high durability, he was able to shrug off most of the damage. Finally, Shiho, while physically unphased, was also letting out a few heavy breaths. The continuous exertion of her skills had taken its toll, leaving her feeling a profound fatigue that went beyond the physical.

"Are you okay?" Ann's voice was laced with worry as she knelt beside Makoto. Calling forth Carmen to begin healing the team.

"Yeah, just give me a moment," Makoto managed between breaths, her determination shining through the exhaustion. 

"You all did great in this fight," Ren said, offering a smile of approval as he, too, called upon Angel, amplifying the healing energy enveloping the team.

"Honestly, I didn't expect you to do so well on what's practically one of your first proper fights." he admitted, drawing a smile from Makoto, her fatigue momentarily forgotten.

Ryuji, leaning against a wall, managed a tired chuckle as he said.

"Looks like we made it through another one, huh? What do you think of your first horde, Makoto? I remember the first time we had to deal with one. All because someone accidentally fell off the beam we were walking over." he recounted, humor lacing his voice, drawing an embarrassed look from Ann.

"I already said I was sorry, okay? Plus, that time, we didn't even beat them all, we ended up running after Shi- I mean- Siren confused them." Ann retorted, her blush deepening at the memory.

Laughter filled the room as the Thieves relocated to the safety of the security room. Morgana ensured the rest of the floors hadn't been alerted by the battle, letting out a sigh of relief after noting that no alarms had been raised.

Once the group had finished recovering, they would head over to check out the location Makoto had pointed out before continuing their infiltration into the Palace's depths.