The rain didn't stop in Tokyo that day.
It streaked the windows of Leblanc, carved silence into the city, and mirrored the atmosphere among the gathered Phantom Thieves. Steam rose from cups of coffee. The television muttered something vague about mirror sightings again. No one listened.
Sae Niijima sat across from them all—arms folded, eyes narrowed, suit jacket hung neatly behind her on a chair. But the slight tremble in her fingers didn't go unnoticed by Ren.
"So," Sae said finally, voice taut. "You're saying the distortions are now bleeding into this world. That your descent into the mirror realm uncovered some divine architecture behind it all… and Eiko is part of a rival team led by an ancient being calling herself Veluria."
Ren nodded once. Calm. Measured. Waiting.
"And what exactly do you want from me?"
Makoto was the one to answer. "We want you to come with us. Into Mementos."
Silence. Then laughter—sharp and bitter. "I'm a prosecutor, not a shadow-hunting teenager."
But beneath that—Ren could see it. The pull. The curiosity. The tug on her soul. She had already begun to dream strange things. To sense herself in mirrors.
To wonder.
Entry Into Mementos
Later that evening, Sae found herself descending for the first time, accompanied by Ren, Makoto, and Tae. The moment her foot touched the ground inside the mirror-layered realm, a pulse rushed through the group.
"She's attuned," Futaba said from the navigator console. "Like... super attuned."
Reality twisted briefly—just for her. The corridor around them shimmered and shifted, forming into a distorted courtroom.
A gavel struck. A massive figure loomed on the throne—a twisted version of Sae herself, blindfolded and cold, with a mirror gavel clutched in skeletal hands.
"Sae!" Makoto stepped forward, but the shadow hissed.
"She clings to judgment, but will not judge herself."
Persona Awakening: Maat
As the Phantom Thieves prepared for battle, Sae staggered back. Her breath came shallow, her thoughts spinning. That thing—was her.
No. A piece of her. The part that had always clung to law, to punishment, to righteousness without introspection. Her hands balled into fists.
"I did everything right," she said aloud.
"You did everything by the book," the shadow sneered. "Even when the book served injustice."
And then—
The chains broke.
A searing wind erupted around her, golden light tearing through the illusion. Feathers scattered like burning embers.
A voice echoed in her soul:
"I am thou… thou art I… I am Maat, the feather of truth and the scales of judgment weighed in empathy."
Her clothes burned away, replaced by sleek armor woven with law scripts and ceremonial gold. A mask formed over her face, cracked in the center—but strong.
Behind her, Maat emerged—a radiant goddess cloaked in starlight, holding a scale in one hand and a flaming pen in the other.
The Battle and Beyond
With Sae's awakening, the mirror-shadow of her past crumbled quickly—its power no match for truth willingly embraced.
The rest of the team rallied to support her, and her skillset emerged fluidly:
Balance of Reason – Equalizes buffs and debuffs across the field.
Final Sentence – An almighty strike that deals more damage the more unjust acts a shadow has committed.
Feather of Truth – Reveals the real identity or hidden trait of any shadow once per battle.
Afterward, the group stood breathless. Tae offered Sae a potion. Makoto offered a trembling smile.
"I always thought you'd make a good Phantom Thief," she said quietly.
Sae just exhaled and nodded once.
"Then let's steal something far worse than hearts."