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Chapter Text

Prologue: In the Sea of Souls

Sense of self is a concept that is both foreign and oddly familiar.

Stretching the body and the soul into the Great Seal gives Makoto little time for reprieve after his death. He feels nothing, hears only the soft whirs of the space as it stirs all around and inside him, sees nothing but the occasional twinkling of the distant stars, and the sensation — if it could even be called so — he often feels is akin to sinking into the endless sea of little murmurs and memories of countless souls.

Amusingly enough, he still retains the memories from when he was alive — of friends irreplaceable, of love reciprocated, of life lived to the fullest. They keep him company when nothing but the deafening dark surrounds him, when there is naught to look but the sea of stars clustered at the horizon, when there is naught to feel but the lukewarm heat that engulfs him.

Makoto still hears Ryoji, from time to time, from the distant. From around him and within him. Whispers of encouraging words to keep him company, or hums of songs that are familiar to him. He could speak not a word, but Ryoji talks all the same, as if aware that he could hear what he says. When he thinks of an answer, he would get a reply, as odd as it sounds. It is as if Fate is allowing him a little window of rest from the weariness of infinitely drowning in the Sea of Souls.

And from the Sea of Souls are those that were born from the hearts of the people; of Personas both called upon and unseen Shadows, concealed under the invisible veils of darkness and stars. He could sometimes feel something hums and stirs inside him. He isn't sure how the Sea of Souls works, and it was only from what little conversations he'd had with the residents of the Velvet Room that he knows at all that he's drowning inside it – the bottomless abyss born from all humans' hearts.

Not long – he thinks, since time is as defined as the endless expanse of stars before him, here – after his death, he thinks someone pulls something out of his soul. Pulled Orpheus away. The strums of Orpheus' lyre can no longer be felt, and he's left with emptiness that is soon filled by the sludge-like texture of the void that encases him. It feels strange, maybe even a little unsettling, but he finds the aspect of his power being drawn by someone else as worrying as it is exciting. Who could it have been, that drew from him the power he manifested by his fearlessness against Death?

Could it perhaps have been one of his family, his friends, his life, that called for it? Or could it have been someone else entirely, a stranger that is connected to him by the strands of fate that the Nornir seems to weave in mysterious ways? Alas, all he knows is that, before it departed, Orpheus played him a song he knows not by name, but by the lyrics sang to him directly into his own exhausted soul. And one part of the words, in particular, makes him feel lighter – if such an expression could be used to describe what he's feeling, without a body, floating through the vast void of space.

Loves in your life, Live ever on. Home – is not where you live, but who cares when you're gone.

He wonders, if Orpheus knows, just how much the words ring true, just how elating and painful they are to him?

A great stretch of time later, he hears a voice, thunderous and demanding, from around him.

You are the Universe. I see now, that Fate is as cruel to you as it is fair.

He frowns – or, something of the like, seeing that he's nothing but the lingering consciousness deep inside the sea of countless souls – at the mention of the Universe. He knows not who it is, or why the voice could reach him. But, he supposes, since Ryoji's whispers could be heard from time to time, that it is not as far-fetch as he thinks it is. And, since the Sea of Souls is where he drew the many masks that are Personas from, he thinks… this one might be just that – a part of a person's psyche, stands ready to be called upon.

As if it has heard his inquiry, the voice speaks again, a little softer, like the rumbling of the lightning cloud after a fierce storm. I am Izanagi, the God of Lightning. Let me ask this of you; what stirs you to make such a sacrifice, what drives you towards this height of absolute power? What allows you to reach the deepest part of the Sea, where few could even hope to steal a glance from?

He ponders on the many questions this one asked. And then, he wills his thoughts to focus on forming words that might allow him to reply to the whispered inquiry. I want to protect the bonds I've made, the people I love. I think… without them, without my friends, I wouldn't have been able to achieve this miracle.

Interesting, he hears the voice, Izanagi, hums. There is a pause of silence, where nothing but the constant hum of the endless macrocosm could be felt, where Makoto isn't quite certain just what he should think of next. After what feels like not as long as before Orpheus was stripped away from him, Izanagi hums again, the feeling of the sound no more than mere whispers, soothing, soft, unlike the thunderous barks or the rumbles from before. Is this existence… torturous?

He doesn't think so. It is strange, neither painful nor painless, neither joyous nor excruciating. It is a simple existence that leaves him wishing to return and feel things like he used to, but not so much that he would wish to relinquish the making of the Seal just to escape from it. It's like… walking in between the line of life and death, of light and dark, where nothing is bound by the rules of the universe, but is shackled by the unspoken decree of the Fate.

Fate is a fickle thing, Izanagi voices, and for the first time in forever, he could see – the visage of a king of steel, sitting on the throne of swords and lightning, yellow eyes boring into his nonexistent ones. When he does take in the image before him, the voice continues, from around and within, like always. It creates gods and monsters, yet it weaves the threads to aid those that would fight against those deities, against the very existences it has given birth to.

He isn't quite used to the concept of Fate, but Igor often speaks of it, as the beaten path that he is destined to take since the day he was born. Yet, Fate can sometimes be changed, like how he prevented Shinjirou's death from ever coming to pass, like how he forced himself to live after being shot and beaten and broken, when he should've fallen and died.

Yet again, Izanagi speaks, legs crossed, the long sword-spear hanging from the emptiness beside his form, his fingers curling slightly. And here you are, as Fate would have it. Sacrificed like a lamb, to give the world a chance, to stop the Darkness from ever reaching Death, to stop Mankind from seeking their own demise by the countless, hidden desires for salvation through destruction. Fate is indeed a cruel and unforgiving master, like the biting cold of winter, like the searing heat of the sun.

He isn't sure what to make of it. But, even if Fate hadn't dictated him to do so, he would have created the Great Seal again anyway, since the duty of becoming the barrier between Erebus and Nyx is not something he would allow anyone else to do. He had lived a good life, no matter how brief – and to give it all up to become the gate that stops the Fall is something he would choose to do again and again, even without Fate's wicked influence.

A chuckle, low, echoes and bounces around the invisible walls of his boundless prison. I see now, why you are the one who gains the approval of the Universe. You fought against inevitable Fate, but when Fate decreed upon you to relinquish your life for it in order to protect people that are both dear and strangers, you did so without a doubt. Sink further now, my boy, and you may yet find the one who stands above even the Thread Weaver. I have little doubt we shall meet again, no matter how long it may be.

He's then left in the dark once more.

The endless whispers of both good and evil, of murderers and kingmakers, of saviors and destroyers, is driving his mind into the brink of insanity.

Indeed, such would be the case, where no voices could be subdued, no thoughts could be guarded against, no agonizing screams or cries of orders could be stifled. Figuratively, being here has allowed him to see it all – the darkness within one's souls, the brightness of hope and humility. Both sides of the spectrums are clashing and whirling, mixing into the pools of tar-like sludge within his soul, where maddening thoughts are turned into crazed roars that ricochet inside him endlessly.

He is thankful, for Ryoji's voice that is anchoring him to what he would call the isle of sanity, where he could think and retain the sense of self, where he could still remember soft words and kind embraces that used to be with him. Sometimes, he would hear the low rumbling that sounds like the masks he used to wear – like the Personas he used to call, that would drive away the devouring lunacy that often threatens to swallow whole his already shattered soul.

Sometimes, it would be Kohryu, the gentle dragon that growls and rumbles all around him, curling around his ethereal body, giving him intangible warmth that soothes his soul. Sometimes, it would be the Sisters of Fate – the Norns – that would conjure up the breeze in the windless void to pacify his raging mind. Sometimes, it would be the devil – Lucifer – with his great wingspans that keeps him under his protection and gives him a little chance of free thoughts.

After a few cycles of insane laughter and comforting hums of the Personas, he hears Ryoji again, his voice perhaps a little… strained, is the best word he could come up with. Like always, it echoes and bounces around and inside him. Makoto, are you alright?

Alright is a term that couldn't be used to describe his state any longer. He doesn't even have a tangible, material body to begin with. He could neither be alright nor in great agony as is. But, as far as the remnants of his memories and his sense of self go, he supposes such word could still be applied. So he wills his mind to think, loud enough for Ryoji to hear. I think so.

There is a pause, where only the low buzzing of the space fills the windless void, before Ryoji speaks again, a little pensive, perhaps. I see… I'm sorry, for not being of much help. I… don't know what else I could've done, except for…

It's alright, he thinks. You are here, sometimes. That is enough to keep me grounded – even if there is no such thing as ground here in this void.

A fond chuckle. That is true. Well, I am here now. Let me keep you company for as long as I'm able.

He would've smiled if such thing is possible, but he settles for letting his soul lets out a reverberating hum that echoes softly into the abyss. He is then left with little but his thoughts and the ever presence whispers of numerous wandering souls that occupy and make this very Sea. After a moment – a moment he is no longer certain takes how much time in the real world, since time has lost its regularity and linearity a long while ago – he asks. Why are you still here with me?

Why can't I be? comes the immediate reply that he gets, his voice filled with mirth. There is another moment of silence, before his voice dances into his soul again, softer, this time. I owe you everything. And you are important to me, so I want to be here. You gave me a part of you, Makoto. Finding you in the abyss is actually easier than you might think. But wading through so many voices and souls is a bit of work, so when I lost you, it'd take me a while to find you again.

That… actually explains the occasional absence of his voice. Then, what he said really strikes him – find him again? He's lost Ryoji's voices more times than he cares to count, but to keep hearing him over and over means – So, you keep seeking me out, over and over? Just to stay by my side?

It's the least I could do for you, after all the pain I've caused, Ryoji voices sadly. There is a small sigh before he continues. You've given me much already. This is the least I could've done, for your sake. Besides, I have all eternity here, and not a single thing to do. Even if there are things to keep me distracted, finding you is still my priority.

He wants to laugh, he really does, at the absurdity of his reasonings. Ryoji had done nothing wrong; he didn't have a choice when he became what he is, when he was created as Nyx Avatar. Yet, despite the circumstances, he didn't embrace his role entirely – he helped them, gave them information, gave him the push he needed to carry out the miracle that allowed him to mold his soul into the Great Seal.

Instead, he settles for what he could – a few words, communicated through the corridor between their souls created by the bond that they share. You know, Ryoji, if I was a girl, that would've made me head over heels for you. Flirtiness really is in your nature, even like this.

Oh, shut up, He could imagine a pout on Ryoji's face as he thinks – or says, or whatever – that line. But then, his voice softens ever so slightly. I'm trying to find a way to free you – without breaking the Seal, of course, since that would defy who and what you are – but I'm stuck. I want to at least pull you out of here, to at least save you from going insane. You would, eventually, sooner or later.

There is a grim truth not so hidden in those words, and Makoto knows this best. Even the temporary reprieves he would get from the Personas he used to wear and call for won't be enough to push back the waves of insanity that would creep ever closer. He knows this, and he's afraid – afraid of losing his loves for his friends (and of a certain girl in pink), afraid of forgetting what made him. If those ever happened—

Makoto, Ryoji calls again, pulling him out from the musing he's having. He focuses on his voice as they bounce inside him again, gently. I'll try my best to help you. I'll keep finding you, wherever you are. So, don't give in, okay? I promise, I'll try to pull you out of there. You deserve better than this. You should have had a better fate than this.

I'll hold you onto that, He replies, before letting his consciousness drifts back into the bottomless pits of the abyss.

A great while later, where the drones of the endless void has already settled in, another voice stirs him, this time as carefree as it is cautious.

The Universe! Why, such audacity, as to reach so far into the Sea of Souls!

He still couldn't see a thing, but feels the strange pull, like strands of webs, of curses hissed and whispered into his mind. The feeling soon fades away, and he hears laughter of a trickster, joyous, rebellious, as the sounds of fluttering wings fills the void in his being. Makoto thinks he hears the familiar voice of Ryoji reaching him, more curious than furious, and the new voice quickly swats him away.

No wonder you are favored by the Universe itself! Such heroism, such bravery, as to face the absolute Death and defy it! Such a pity that Fate would fling you into this endless void, with countless, meaningless voices buzzing around you like insignificant insects! The voice rumbles with enthusiasm, like a collector finding a new artifact of great worth, or perhaps of a child gifted a new toy. The voice then says, just a little softer. Ah! Pardon my rudeness. How uncivilized of me! I am Arsene, or Raoul, if you would prefer. The great Phantom Thief, at your service!

Unlike Izanagi, with the bearings of a king and an emperor, this… Arsene seems a character of a deceiver, of someone who takes great pleasure in deceptions and rebellions. He would have blinked twice, had he the eyelids to do so. Instead, he just lets the hum resonates through the great void that stirs around and beyond him, signaling that indeed, he has heard that.

Not a talkative one, I see, Arsene hums, seemingly amused. Then, much like with Izanagi, he could see more than just glittering starts at the edge of his visions – a gentleman thief, with face and horns like the devil himself, wings of rebellion adorning his back. He bows, the everlasting grin widening just a little more. But I understand. Retaining your sense of self at all, this deep in the Sea of Souls, where both virtues and malice brew and mix together, is already an impressive feat in and of itself. I wonder – do you perhaps have someone to keep you company?

I do, He decides to answer, seeing no point in lying. He has learned by now, through the time he has spent drowning and sinking deeper and deeper in here, that every Personas are connected. It would be of no surprise to him that this Arsene would already have known about an existence that is tied to him in ways that couldn't be severed. His name is Mochizuki Ryoji… although, he is better known as Nyx Avatar.

There is a pause, before a surprised hum escapes Arsene. The thief then rears back and laughs, the sound thundering inside him. Nyx Avatar! You mean Thanatos, that God of Death? No wonder I see him around so often! That strange creature is tied to you, then! Marvelous! To think you befriend even Death, boy! I am very pleased with this information!

He isn't even sure how this Arsene could've pieced together that Ryoji is Thanatos in the first place, but he is more surprised by what it said – that he is seen in the Sea of Souls, probably looking for him and staying by his side, even when he couldn't see or feel him through any means except for the low hums that would accompany his arrival – hums that sounds like soft whistles of the clarinet. He's pleasantly taken aback by the knowledge of the extend in which his Death would go for him. He'll ask Ryoji about this later, whenever next they meet… if he still retains his sanity, that is.

You see, Arsene begins again, drawing his attention to him. I am about to sign a contract with a rebel, a trickster, of a kind. I've seen Wild Cards come and go, but none are quite like you. This one, too – he is strong, both heart and soul, although he doesn't come close to what you are, what you were. But Fate dictates that you are to remain here for an eternity, the time that would strip you of who you are, that would turn you into no more than dusts floating in this dim Sea, being swallowed whole by the expanding darkness. Yet, your Death still tirelessly searches for a way to rescue you from such a grim fate. Many have tried, I have seen so – but none have succeeded. I wonder – would he be able to do so? Or would a miracle be no more than mere past achievement of yours, now?

It doesn't matter, he responds, resolutely. It doesn't matter if he was to lose his sense of self, sooner or later. If it's inevitable, then so be it. And, much like before, it doesn't mean that he would allow such thing to come to pass without putting up a fight. I will still fight. It's what I know how to do best. And having hope is not such a bad thing, is it?

…Interesting, boy, Arsene hums. Then, he approaches where he — who is but a speck of consciousness that has nothing akin to a body to speak of — is. Perhaps you would be able to hold out, after all. There is a single entity that is capable of granting you such miracle, that could make happen what we deem an impossibility. You have called once a miracle no one thought possible through your bonds. Who is to say that something of that nature won't occur again, with the bond you have between you and your Death?

What do you mean? He decides to ask, more curious than hopeful. He would hope for it to happen, of course, since he doesn't want to lose the memories of his precious ones, but he is no longer afraid of it. What do you mean, by an entity that would grant me a miracle of that scale?

It is but a speculation. The High One cannot be fathomed, not by you, not by us. But, if he takes interest in you, then perhaps… Ah! But that is just a speculation! I've wasted too much time talking nonsense with you, boy! Let us return to what I originally intend to inquire you! The Persona dances gleefully, taking up all of his field of visions. If you would allow me to, of course.

I do, He replies. He has nothing better to do — not that he could, in the first place — right now, anyways, and a talk with a Persona that would sign a contract with another Wild Card could prove interesting and entertaining on its own.

Wild Cards all draw their powers from this place, from this Sea of Souls. I've seen you interacted with many strong ones before. If you're given the chance to wind back time itself, would you still sign the contract and fight, knowing that one day, you would end just like this? In a state where oblivion is your final destination? Arsene asks, its voice curious. Even a bit sympathetic, if he is to be honest.

The question, fortunately, is something he could readily answer without so much as a thought. I will, no matter how painful it is, or how much it hurts. They are important to me.

Even if they have already forgotten about you?

Even then, he replies firmly.

There is a long beat of nothingness, where Arsene puts his slender fingers on his chin, the perpetual grin on his visage shifting just slightly, no longer as delighted as moments prior. Then, he snaps his fingers once before pointing at him, or where his sense of self, is. We shall meet again, of that I am certain. But when, or how, that is beyond me. Keep your wits with you, boy. If you lost your mind to this ceaseless flow of insignificant souls first, then it's all over.

He isn't given the chance to reply when Arsene melts into the void, returning the maddening darkness back to his senses once more.

It isn't long after that when a change happens.

He sees a hand, with the cross-strapped wristwatch — unmistakably Ryoji's — reaching out in his direction, and then he feels his wrist, that should've been no more than soups of shadows, being grasped by fingers, cold like ice, but gentle. He's overwhelmed — the very sense of being touched by a tangible body has long since become foreign to him, at this point, where time lost its continuity, where whispers lost their meanings, where the incessant buzzes of souls are inescapable.

He is then pulled — he isn't sure, it's been eons since he's felt anything remotely human — upwards, and the next sensation he feels is fire in the middle of his chest and the dampness and the tingles on his limbs. He then breathes in the stale, rancid air that makes him coughs and coughs until everything that's blurred is focusing themselves back into shapes.

"Makoto!" Ryoji thinks, or says, or — whatever, but the voice is not from everywhere, but from a direction, right by his side. Then, hands — hands on his should be ethereal arms and shoulders, touching, soothing, cold and hot at the same time. "I've got you! I've got you!"

"I'm pleasantly surprised to see that the thief and the kingpin decided to aid you in your search, Death," A foreign voice calls from behind him, he thinks, as his hands remain on the invisible floor that he could feel but not see. "I've seen this boy for quite some time now. To actually meet him with a material body is… somewhat of an astonishment. You are younger, and perhaps more broken, than I thought you would be, for a Wild Card that could tap into the powers from the endless well of the Universe."

He blinks — he could blink, and see, that under his hand are the stars, like diamond dusts and aurora veils and beauty beyond what he could describe. Numerous swirling dots of light are melded into galaxies of many shapes and colours, scattering across the endless canvas of space. He then breathes once, twice, before looking up—

"Ryo… ji…?" He says — he can speak and he has a voice, not just a thought floating in the dark anymore. But he could bear uttering no more than a few words before the fire returns to his core, and he's gasping again, for — something. Air, he thinks.

"Shh, take it easy, take it easy," Ryoji says, firm hands steadying him. He then sees the boy shifts his head up, looking at something behind him. "I still can't believe it. That there's someone who could do this. The rumours are true, then? That you…"

"What? You Personas can spread rumours, now?" The voice barks out a laughter, delighted. "But then again, you were all born from the Sea of Souls. You are all born from humans. Being like humans should've been a given, should it not?"

"I… guess so," Ryoji murmurs, seemingly distracted, his cold hand placed on Makoto's heaving chest as he tries to make head and tail out of things. His hands then find what he thinks to be Ryoji's shirt and grab it, as a confirmation that he now has a body, perhaps. "When you were drowning in the Sea of Souls, I… found someone, at the very bottom. That's where we are — at the deepest pits of the Sea. This is where, uh, he resides."

"Let the boy centre himself a moment, Death," The voice says, amused. Makoto looks to the side, still too dazed and too pained to look up, to see orbs of dim but warm light lingering around the place. He could faintly hear excited whispers of languages unknown, and could see the shifting and flickering images of man-like creatures and beasts from heaven and hell. Then he sees someone comes into his field of view, very much human-like, with brown trench coat and mahogany vest, a gentle smile and grayed-out hair and beard. "We're at where the souls are the most powerful. He will need time to adjust."

He feels Ryoji nods as his cold hands keep Makoto up. He could see and feel droplets of black water dripping from his hair and his body, scarred beyond repair. He then glances at his right hand, shot open from that day during the Dark Hour, where he manages to save Shinjirou from Takaya, with blackened, warped skin and crooked fingers. He's… "I… I'm the… same?"

"Not quite same, my boy," The old man chuckles. "Your body, so to speak, is created from your own memories. This is the state you last remember yourself as. And I must say, you're thoroughly trampled and broken, body and soul. I could only imagine the pain you have to go through."

He only shakes his head, unsure of what to think or say, instead clutching onto the fabric under his fingers like a lifeline, his body cold, the lukewarm heat from before has long since gone. After another set of quickened breaths, he tries to — do something. Sit up, or stand, or whatever, but he finds himself lacking any sort of strength, and he falls right into Ryoji's waiting arms. The other boy then pats his back lightly, in reassurance, before he murmurs. "Take your time, Makoto. No need to rush."

He nods again, leaning his head against his Death's surprisingly toned chest. A few more breaths, and he murmurs. "What… happened…?"

"He found me, your Death," The old man says, and he turns his head enough to see a smile. It is only then does he realizes that the man's sclera is pitch black, like the void, his irises as red as blood. The man then smiles wider, and before long his eyes are all but concealed under his lids. "But of course, I only help those I deem interesting and worthy enough. You, fortunately, are both! You are the first from the Sea of Souls I'll be more than willing to form a Pact with, you see."

"…Pact?" He repeats, eyes turning back to Ryoji, his face pale and his eyes wide.

"You said nothing about a contract!" Ryoji quickly protests, holding his form just a little tighter. He still couldn't move much, but he shifts his head a little, to take a better look at the man.

"Of course I have not, since I hadn't intended to form the Pact with you to begin with, Death," The man laughs, kneeling down beside him, his smile directed at Makoto. "You see, my boy, equivalent exchange is the key to everything in the universe. I intend not to just pull you out of the Sea — and directly saving you from being consumed by madness — but also giving you both a chance to walk in the world of the living again! I won't be ordering you to do something that goes against your beings, of course. I am not so much of a sadist as the Fate, as to force you against your wish."

A second chance to… live? For the both of them? It seems too good to be true, even if it's possible. He turns to look at Ryoji, who's giving him an expression that's a mixed of pain, worry, and hope. Makoto knows he doesn't mind staying dead forever, but — he wants to give Ryoji a chance to live, too, since his previous life had been written into stone, forcing him to relinquish his humanity just to become the dreaded Avatar of Death.

So, he breathes, before murmuring. "…What… about… the Seal…?

"Cautious, I see," The man hums, amused. "But, very well. Worry not about the Seal, I shan't allow it to break. The end of the world would make for a dull and colourless ending, and such is not my taste. This is the Pact, where you are bound to me, to do as I say. Of course, I'll not ask you to kill a person or something of that nature. It is not me to force people's hands. But I do need someone, from time to time, to help regulate the world from becoming too chaotic."

"Regulate… the world…?"

"Ah, I apologize, I have not spoken to both of you about this yet," The man bows, and his smiles widen, more sinister, more… nerve-wrecking. "I am what some people called the High One, but I'm more commonly known by my name. I am Chaos, the All Father, the first Primordial God to ever exists."

He isn't sure what the man speaks of, but Ryoji knows — he tenses almost instantly, and his arms are tighter around his still drenched frame. Then, Ryoji hisses, his voice low and threatening. "I don't care who you are, but I won't allow you to put him through any more pain. If you do, I'll kill you."

A chuckle. "How bold of you, to challenge the Original Primordial. But then again, this just makes all of this even more interesting. Rest assured, I do not intend to bring you both back to the earth just to plunge you back into the abyss, no. That would be boring, would it not?"

Ryoji scoots back, and draws him closer to his chest still. Makoto couldn't quite see much, but he knows under his skin that, while the man's words are warped with indecipherable goals, they're the truth. So, he pulls at Ryoji's shirt a little, and the other boy glances down at him, confused. He groans, still not used to physical exertions or the strains of talking, and murmurs. "He's… telling… the truth…"

"Makoto…?"

"Your intuition is much shaper than what I've originally thought, my boy," The man hums, seemingly satisfied, the murmurs of light and souls floating around them a bit softer. "Why would I mince words, when I could just force you to do my biddings at a snap of my fingers? But that would be boorish and dull. So, I extend my offer to you, Yuuki Makoto — not just a chance to live, but a chance to stop the uncontrolled chaos from expanding. The Pacts of Punishments are reserved only for those I've deemed interesting enough, and you are the first in a while, my boy. Are you ready?"

He isn't sure of what would transpire, should he be bound to this Pact of Punishment, but… what he knows, deep in his soul, is that this is the only way that would allow him to give Ryoji a chance to live to the fullest, to enjoy life that he's only had a few weeks' worth to live. Still, words from a God is not something to be believed at face value. "Not… yet… I want… to know… more…"

"Ah, did I forget to mention, boy?" He says with a grin, and suddenly, he's thrown back, Ryoji kneeling between him and Chaos. But the man doesn't flinch, only smiling a little wider. "I am giving neither of you a choice."

Searing pain rips through the back of his left hand, and he could see a mark of some sort, a ship's wheel-like mark with ridges and sharp edges, being burnt into his skin. He looks up, to see Ryoji's terrified face, and the old man's wicked grin.

"You are now bound to me. Now go out there and live, boy. There's still a long road ahead of you yet."

And with that, all he could feel is the rapidly expanding darkness that engulfs him whole.

Chapter Text

Death's Arrival

November 26th, 2016 [Saturday]

Ren is, unfortunately, stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Not like it's the first, per se, but he still doesn't enjoy the feeling of helplessness.

He was beaten and drugged, the physical pain is always accompanied by the mental weariness against the harsh words and the empty lies. Luckily enough, he has friends he could lean on, so for now, the repercussions of being tortured are still minimal.

But sleep doesn't come as easily as it used to, and even if it does, he would end up bolting awake on his own bed, sweating. It has been less than a week since he first returned here (returned home), but the dreams and the memories are starting to become haunting, making him as listless as he is exhausted. Not to mention that everything itches, and he could do nothing but to scratch at the newly-forming scars to quell it.

Today, he wakes up a little earlier than he had set his alarm to, with Morgana purring worriedly up at him from his lap. He only smiles, patting the not-cat's head lightly. He then glances towards his phone, the clock reading three and a half in the afternoon. He should've been at school right now, but he's dead to the world — he can't return, not yet, not until Shido's brought down from his throne.

He sighs. "Sorry, Morgana. Did I wake you?"

"No," He says, pawing at Ren's hand until he puts it under Morgana's feet. "Are you sure you're okay, Ren? Makoto thinks you should visit a psychiatrist for this."

"I've talked with Takemi-san," He says, reaching for a bottle and popping out of it a pill. "I have medication for it now, and I have you guys with me. I'll be alright."

"…Just, don't keep things to yourself, okay?" Morgana murmurs, patting his hand with his soft paw. "We're here for you, Ren."

He smiles. "I know."

He decides to go about showering and brushing his teeth, his broken ribs and his injuries from before can still be felt. He grumbles a little as he puts on his cloth and returns to the bed, with Morgana beside him, his hand being hogged under the black fur and the snow-white paws.

He lets himself relaxes and closes his eyes, his other hand absently patting at the not-cat's back. He smiles; Morgana is right, he has friends with him, friends who would help him through the darkest times. He'll be alright, he's sure.

He takes his time just mulling over things, biding the time for the clock to tick the hours away. And before long, he hears the bells of Leblanc rings, and the sounds of footsteps approaching them.

"Ren-kun," A voice calls, and he looks up to see Makoto walking up the stairs to the attic, her smile slight and strained. He only gives her a small nod, his hand absently patting Morgana's black fur, eliciting a mewl or two out of him. When he doesn't move away from the bed, the Priestess walks over, reluctant. When she reaches them, she sits down beside him and murmurs, "Are you okay?"

"…Okay would be a stretch," He mumbles, rubbing at his eyes. Morgana looks up at him, but he only gives the cat another reassuring smile. "But I'm managing, somehow. I… feel a little strange, however."

"How so?" She questions, tilting her head slightly, a hand careful on his shoulder, calming him down somewhat.

He takes a moment to formulate a response; not long after they found a way to enter Shido's Palace, he could feel Arsene humming in contemplation deep within him. No words are spoken, but it feels like the thief is… pleasantly surprised, and perhaps shivering with anticipation, of something inside the Palace. Not a Shadow, or even another Persona User, but of something else entirely.

"I… I don't know how to put this, but Arsene has been… a little on the edge and a little… happy, ever since we secured the entry route into Shido's Palace," He says, drawing both Makoto's and Morgana's gazes to him. He looks up at the dust-filled ceiling and frowns a little more. "Not about a Shadow or a Persona User, but about… hm, something else entirely?"

"…Should that be worrying?" Morgana asks, head nuzzling his hand lightly.

"I'm not sure," He says, honest, leaning his head slightly against his clenched fists. "But it should not be so much as a hindrance for us. We'll go into the Palace again today. We're almost done with securing the route, after all."

"Don't push yourself too hard, okay?" Makoto murmurs, a hand patting his matted hair lightly, carefully, always so kind. She has been his most stalwart mental support, even amongst the Thieves, thus far. "We still have a little breathing room. Taking a step back every now and then is imperative."

"Alright," He hums, exhaling and closing his eyes. "Two more letters of recommendation, and the route to the Treasure should be secured."

"Mhm."

"That should be doable within today."

Makoto pauses at that, and frowns at him.

"Do I have to remind you just how much you seem to be hurting every time you take a hit?" She asks, and when he doesn't respond, she quickly jabs his side — right into his still broken ribs, making him yelps and hunches down with a hiss. "This, exactly."

"Senpai, could you hit harder?" He mutters under his breath, making extra sure to emphasize on the word Senpai as he forces himself to evening out his ragged pants as he tries to reduce the pain. Makoto seems a little apologetic (and also a little annoyed), so he just smiles. "But… thanks, for worrying. I'll be fine, don't worry. I have friends that look out for me better than I for myself, so everything is going to be okay."

She pauses, looking at him for a while, before sighing quietly. "You know, you're really bull-headed at times. No wonder you make an excellent Leader. But you're making us worry ourselves to death here."

He chuckles lightly. "Sorry."

Morgana curls up on his lap, and draws his hand back to his head. He hums, scratching his ear lightly, while Makoto keeps patting his shoulder and his hair (like a mother, Ren muses), keeping his mind somewhat off the discomfort and the pain. He hums, content, as he relaxes his shoulders.

It takes the others a few moments later to arrive at the attics, and by then, he's already a bit more awake and less in pain, fingers rubbing at his eyes lightly. When they all gather around, they all remain silent, waiting for his orders.

"Today, we're going to finish acquiring the rest of the letters. And, while we're at it — Futaba?"

"Yeah?"

"I want you to try to look for something—" He pauses, frowning a little. He isn't even sure what kind of thing he (or Arsene, if he's to be precise) wants to look for. But then, as if sensing his question, Arsene hums from deep inside his chest, and the words enter his mind without so much as being heard. He then recites them exactly as they are. "—For something that is Shadow-like, that's unusually strong, in there."

"Shadow-like?" She stresses the last word. "What do you mean by Shadow-like? What you're looking for isn't a Shadow?"

He shakes his head. "I'm not sure myself, but Arsene insists. He says… that its Arcana is Death, and that was that."

Futaba contemplates on this information for a while before nodding slowly. "I'll try, but I don't guarantee the results, Ren. Although, Death… should be easy to find, since we see so little of them inside any Palace anyways. No false alarm to worry about."

"True," He hums, lightly scratching at his leg. "Well then, everyone… let's do this."

The air in the Palace is unusually stale, even by Ren's standard.

There are Shadows, true, but they seem… tense, even afraid, of something. When he gets caught by one, it just… looks his way, before looking around and running with tail between its legs. Not all of them act this way, which makes it even more suspicious. But it makes his venture towards the remaining letters easier, so he counts his blessing and moves on.

Oracle's scans can never pinpoint what is wrong, exactly, but there have been trails of darkness and curses and half-dead Shadows scattered in some areas, particularly in the outermost hallways. And the destruction has been pretty thorough — some of the Shadows are left alive, that is true, but a poke of a knife is enough to kill them. Fox thinks whatever lay waste to these monsters are powerful; maybe even Ren's rival, or perhaps stronger.

He decides to dwell on it later while also avoiding any trails of deaths along the way. So, with a sigh, he orders the others forward, to find the IT company president.

…Who, it turns out, ticks Oracle off so much that it's actually kind of hilarious.

After his long, painful monologue about manipulating the information for their people's own gain, Oracle just drops her act altogether (not that he could really blame her), and soon they're face to face with the Shadow, who's ready to fight against them.

Or so he thought.

"You! Are you the ones who bring that thing here!?" The president growls, backing away, not transforming just yet. Ren pauses, looking at the others, who's giving him myriads of confused expressions. "You've been laying waste to our outer defences for the past two days! What did you do!?"

"…Laying… waste…?" He repeats slowly. "What thing are you talking about?"

Before the president could say anything, there's a bestial roar coming from afar, echoing through the halls and the steels, ricocheting endlessly until they're surrounded by it. Fierce, demanding, and in pain. Ren frowns, then glances at the president who, much to his surprise, is shoving a recommendation letter into his hand before he runs off.

"Wait—!" Skull begins, but he stops him with a raised hand.

"Don't bother, Skull. He's gone," Queen supplies, walking up to him and taking a looking at the genuine article of a recommendation letter. Ren shoves it into his coat then looks up, focusing briefly on the sound of thunderous bellow. "Is that perhaps the thing the president was talking about?"

"Possibly," He nods, and as if to confirm his suspicions, Arsene hums in the pit of his soul. He frowns a little deeper, this time. "He even gave us the letter without so much as a fight after hearing that roar, so I guess that might've been the Shadow-like that Arsene mentioned."

"If this entity fought against the Shadows of this place, is it perhaps our ally?" Fox says, a finger on his chin, thoughtful. "If so, recruiting it might be a better play for us in the long run."

"We won't know for sure until we meet the thing," Ren murmurs. "Oracle, can you pinpoint its location?"

A pause, then she shakes her head. "Unfortunately, no. I can't seem to pick apart any particularly strong signals. At least, not from here."

"Then, we continue with our search. One letter remains, ladies, gentlemen."

He pushes the feeling of restlessness away, fully aware of what it is. All he could do now is getting ready for whatever is going to happen.

The Cleaner doesn't care diddly squat about the mysterious entity that's been terrorizing the place.

He knows about it, that is for certain. While Fox's drawing the best tattoo he could've conjured in the spur of the moment, there's a roar again, from further away, this time. He glances at the Cleaner, who just smirks at him. "You hear that, boy? That thing's been making my cleaning jobs a living hell. I wonder what it's aiming for, rampaging around the ship like this."

"I thought it was with you," Ren decides to say, relaxing his stance as to not seem on guard, enough to pull the Cleaner's tongue a little looser.

"Of course not. I don't have anyone under me that hit like a freight train like that," He says with a grin, as if amused, his hands on his hips. "I thought that thing might be your ally."

"Uh, no, we're not even sure what it even is," Queen mutters, a finger on her chin, contemplating. "What happened?"

"Oh, y'know, this and that," The Cleaner drawls, his grin lop-sided, as he waves his hands about. "The thing came outta nowhere and did a number on the left wing of the ship, at first. Almost flattened me, even. Looks weird for a monster, though, and pretty intimidating, with crooked mask and coffins for wings and all that."

"Coffins for wings…?" Ren repeats, frowning slightly. That sounds as ominous as it could get, not to mention the occasional beast-like roar and the fact that, due to this man and the IT company president's words, it nearly levelled the Palace by itself.

"Yeah, like Death incarnate, or something."

And this, the voice inside him laughs, and before long Arsene's amused and delighted hum is echoing inside his mind, sending shiver of anticipation that is not his, and dread that definitely belongs to him, down his spine. Delightful! He is here, Trickster! Death is right here with us! Find him. You need to find him!

He frowns deeper at that. Arsene is never talkative with him, at least, not like this. But now, it seems like he wants to find this mysterious entity, and knows just what the thing is, exactly. He decides to murmur to himself, asking his own mask for information he needs, information that Arsene decides to keep from him.

"What is this thing? Why do you want me to even find it? Do you want to indirectly kill me or something?"

Laughter rings through his mind, and he steps back slightly, waving for Noir and Queen to take his place. When he has a bit of a distance from the Cleaner, he hears Arsene says with a flair fitting for the King of Thieves. Of course not! I am Thou, and Thou art I! Why would I want for my other self to perish? I do not amuse myself in the suffering of the just and the innocent, my boy. Only that of the wicked and the cruel.

"Uh-huh," He mumbles, but smiles slightly. He knows what Arsene said is the truth, even if he is a little… mad? Insane? Unhinged? "Yeah, you're right. But still, you have to answer my question, man. What's the deal with this Death that you seek?"

An interesting specimen, Arsene muses, but he sounds a little… worried, Ren thinks. He's a good person at heart, as terrifying as he may be. But what irks me is the fact that he's somehow been separated from his other half. We must find him first, and then… only then will I tell you more.

"You're unbelievable," Ren mutters under his breath, but nods resolutely. "But if you think it—he is of any worth and not a danger to my friends, then we'll find him for you."

Much appreciated, Trickster. And… keep this from Igor and the Twin Wardens. Do not let them know of this Death, of Thanatos, just yet.

He pauses a little at the name, Thanatos. Sounds like a Persona, but strange on his tongue. Arsene gives him no other chance to continue his pursuit, as he hears sounds of handclaps, and Arsene's presence is back into the deepest corner of his soul, waiting to be called upon when asked.

He sighs as he turns to face the Cleaner, then glances at Fox as he continues to brandish his brush against the white canvas, conjuring up what Ren thinks looks like a phoenix… he hopes. Because he doesn't want to get into a fight with this one, thanks.

After an eternity and a half, Fox finishes, his drawing garnering the approval of the Cleaner, who asks for Fox to become his tattoo artist. Ren tries to grab Fox's tail and tell him to just pretend to accept it. But he knows Fox better than this; he is an artist with pride, after all. So he sighs when Fox immediately refuses, and a fight breaks out right then and there.

"Do you know the word pretend, Fox?" Ren grumbles, a hand on his mask, flame dancing across the edge. He shuffles through his Personas and lands himself at no other than Arsene, who readily answers to his call.

"I do know what the word means, Joker. But I refuse to bow down and put my artistic soul to shame!" Fox declares, striking what Ren thinks is a… pose? "I shall not allow anyone to trample on my art as he pleases like so!"

He sighs. "You're unbelievable. But I guess that's why Noir likes you."

At this, he hears a grenade going off, and sees Noir decapitating a Shadow with her axe, her face beet red. She then stutters. "H-h-how did you know—?"

"It's pretty obvious, Noir," Panther giggles as she whips one of the demons into shape, then engulfs it in a high column of searing heat. "The only ones who'd be blinded to this is Skull and Fox himself!"

"Hey! I know she likes him!" Skull retorts while hitting a flying fireball hard, sending it back to the demon and hitting it right between the eyes. "Home-run!"

"If even Skull can tell, then I can say that you are pretty obvious, Noir," Ren chuckles, carefully ordering Arsene to keep his distance, wings ready to spread and fly.

"What are you all talking about?" Fox inquires. "I do not think that anyone here dislikes me, am I wrong?"

"Jesus, Inari, you're dumb," Oracle hisses.

"What is the meaning of that?"

"Guys!" Queen's sharp, exasperated voice cut through their banters. "Please focus on the task at hands first? And please leave Noir a breathing room. Any more than this and she's going to burst into flame."

Ren chuckles, fingers absently rubbing at the wound on his arm, scratching it. "Roger that."

With the Cleaner defeated and the last letter in hand, Ren decides to call it a day.

But, as Fate would have it, their trek back outside through the engine room gives him a chance encounter with someone he'd call a friend, who seems so lost in the idea of revenge.

"Long time no see."

Ren turns to the man in question, his red mask retaining the luster it once has, his expression partially concealed, yet it is clear to him that there is both relief and anger in his dark red eyes. Ren puts his hand up to stop the other Thieves from attacking right away (sentimentality and all that), and he smiles slightly despite the situation before murmuring. "Been awhile since you put a bullet in my head, Akechi."

The man snorts, arms crossed, as he leans back in his stance slightly, carefree. "You said that, yet here you are, alive and well. I must congratulate you, though, for managing to deceive me."

"It's not like I could manage it alone, or anything," Ren says quietly, eyes glancing to the side as he watches his friends' reactions. They're hiding their disgusts, but all of them also have a little empathy for this boy, too. He's glad they all agree with him. "Without these guys, I would've been dead."

"You say that, but it's you yourself who come up with the plan, no?" He says, shaking his head slightly. There is both mirth and annoyance dancing in his eyes, which remain locked onto his, unflinching. "You truly are interesting… Quiet, yet possessing the courage and determination to take actions."

He stays silent, narrowing his eyes ever so slightly. Arsene stirs inside him, ready to lash and claw, but he stops him with a hand to his chest. He believes that Akechi is just like him, and perhaps, had they met a bit earlier, or in a different circumstance, things could've worked out much better than this.

From all the conversations and the subtle expressions that he's had with and seen from him, Ren knows, almost at an instinctual level, that Akechi is a good person warped by the corruption of the system. And, Akechi confirms his suspicions with the next sentence. "Under different circumstances, we could have been great rivals… or perhaps even friends."

It pains him to see the darkness of the world taking its roots so deep and so thoroughly. He wants to save this boy, he really does, but he isn't sure just words are going to work. Still, he has to try, because rebelling against the injustice in this world is what he's destined to do. So, he wears his best mask, the Joker, and grins, forcing himself to relax slightly. "Aren't we already friends, though?"

Whatever Akechi was expecting, it certainly isn't what he had just said. He doesn't laugh, he doesn't lash out, he just… blinks stupidly a few times, eyes narrowing. Then, his voice rips out between his teeth, like poison rotting the air around him. "You must be joking, you damn clown. Friends? I was just using you in my investigations, and you were simply enabling me, were you not?"

"I genuinely enjoy my time with you," He says quietly, taking a step closer. Akechi's immediate response to his advance is to back away. Ren pauses. "I consider you a friend still, Akechi. A very close friend."

At this, he pauses, before bursting out laughing. At the irony of his words, perhaps… or at himself. "Hah! How wonderful… you don't allow yourself to be enslaved by human relations or past selves. That is perhaps why your heart is always free, unlike mine…"

"We were just born into different circumstances, is all," Ren says. "I can't say I know about what you have to go through, but… if I had been in your shoes, I might have already given up a long time ago. You still haven't, right? It's not too late, Akechi. You don't have to fight us."

He only sighs. "I wonder why we couldn't have met a few years earlier… Amamiya."

"It's still not too late to turn back," He tries to reason, but Akechi will not have it.

Ren opts to stay silent as Akechi unveils his true purpose; that he is Shido's bastard son, that he wants nothing more than to put the bullet between the man's eyes, that he would go to great lengths to exact his revenge on the man who wronged him. Ren understands that; he is the rebel, after all. Wanting to get back at the man who wronged you is something he would do, too, even if his methods are different from what Akechi had planned.

He's consumed by fury and hatred that he's seeing nothing else, hearing no one's calls. He's locking his cries for help deep within his own heart, silenced it with a gun, as he trudges forward into hellfire in order to carry out what he had set out to do. Commendable determination, but it will destroy him, and Ren can't have that. Deep down, they both are the same – someone wronged by the system. Someone beaten down by those who would manipulate their powers for their own selfish gains.

Ren breathes, Arsene's voice ringing inside his head, contemplative. He's unhinged. He's gone mad, and his hands are stained. Are you certain you're willing to risk it all to save him?

Yes, he answers, without a second thought, without doubt. Even like this, even when he's smiling madly, his dark red eyes crazed, there's pain behind them. He's desperate, and Ren wants to save him, because that's what friends do. He is just like me. If I had been in his shoes, who'd know what I would've done? I want to save him; with all that I've got.

Very well. I have heeded your resolve, Arsene laughs as flame dances from his mask, and from the blaze of blue comes the original thief, with his ever-laughing visage and the midnight wings. I shall lend you my aid, boy. Whether he lives or dies now depends on you.

He nods, before steeling himself. The others try to join in as Akechi sends the other Shadows berserk, but he puts up a hand to stop them. Panther's looking his way, and he only gives her a smile. "Joker…?"

"Take care of the Shadows for me," He says quietly, his hands cold as anxiety crawls down to his fingertips. He then turns back to Akechi, and points his blade at him. "You and me, Akechi. We're going to settle this, once and for all." I'm going to save you, whether you want to be saved or not.

The others are reluctant, but then they nod. Skull pats his back lightly before muttering. "Then we'll leave him to you, Joker. Good luck."

"…Thanks."

Despite his attempt to sabotage the Thieves earlier, Akechi seems to let the others do whatever they want with the Shadows this time. Soon, they're standing opposite from each other, silent, alone. But words are unnecessary; right now, all they can do is fight, and whoever comes out on top will be able to do whatever they want.

Arsene laughs a little as he hovers behind Ren, his dark, slender fingers moving just slightly, drawing little lines of red and black, of curses and darkness, in the air. Akechi seems to contemplate on something, but he only grins as he calls for Robin Hood, which is not what he had just used to cause those monsters to go berserk before.

And then, they clash.

Being left-handed makes Ren a little uncomfortable, his southpaw stance matching all too well with his right-sided one, dagger and blade clashing and sending sparks into the air. Arsene and Robin Hood, too, are exchanging blows – or rather, not so much blows but blessings and curses, darkness and light curling around each other, contrasting, complimenting each other like light and shadow, yin and yang.

But Ren knows that this is not who Akechi truly is. The goody-two-shoes is nothing but an act, and Ren will drag his true self out of the darkness and beat the living shit out of it. That's what Akechi needs, right at this moment – a proper, unrelenting thrashing that would make him see that there's yet chance for him to change, even if there's blood on his hands, even if he's done things absolutely unforgivable.

He flips over Akechi as the other thrusts his blade, and nicks the boy on the cheek just below his blood-red eyes. The man grins, maddened, licking the descending blood as he waves Ren forward, enticing him to continue his assault. And assault he does, with his hand grabbing onto the scruff of the other's neck, knife pointing at his throat, creating a thin line of red as he, in turn, counters with a rapier jab to his leg, drawing a long, shallow gash on his calf.

He then headbutts Akechi, causing Arsene to laugh delightfully, and making the culprit flinches through the shear suddenness of the act. He then reaches to grab his wrist as he falls backward, and pulls him up to his feet, only to smash the hilt of his blade on his solar plexus. Akechi doubles over, and when Ren reaches for a finishing blow, Akechi swings up into a skyward strike, glancing his chest and barely missing his face.

"Not bad, Joker," Akechi grins, and his smile – they're not fake. This time, it is real, and this is the genuine Akechi Goro that he has grown to love.

"Same goes for you," He grins back, making a point of brandishing his blade tauntingly. "Come on, man, this all you got?"

"Of course not," The other boy bares his teeth, primal instinct taking over. "I'm going to show you the real me this time, Joker! Don't die just yet, not until I show you just how much better I am against some attic-trash with shitty friends like you!"

Just how much envious I am of you and your bonds.

Those aren't the words Akechi has spoken, but Ren knows that they're his true wish. Deep down, he wants to have friends, too. And Ren knows that Akechi's also afraid of bonds, because bonds have never been kind to him. They're cruel and ruthless and twisted and vile, and Ren will do everything to make him see that the bonds that they share are real, that Akechi is his friend.

Akechi calls for that vile power again, and black envelops him as his laughter rings into the engine room. He sees Queen and Morgana looking back at him, but he shakes his head; he will succeed, and they will not get in his way, no matter who they are. He points at them, signalling that they are not to interfere, before he turns back to the laughing Akechi, now donning black mask—

—Like what Madarame, Kaneshiro and Okumura had told them.

He could hear some gasps from the others, but choose to ignore it as Arsene returns to his side. Akechi then smirks before turning his mask into his original — no, his other Persona, his other self, much like Ren's Wild Card power. The horns and the blade and the arrogant stance as it sits in the air, its chin on its curled hand, is just like what he'd expect of Akechi. The boy grins, and the name slips through his mouth like poison. "Loki."

If you're going to do this, then I'll stay by you, my boy, Arsene whispers into his ear as he unfurls his wings, black feathers adorning with dark flames of the curses he always wears like badges of honor. Now come, let us show this cur what we're capable of!

"Yeah!" He shouts. One strike, one exchange of blow, and he will end this.

Akechi seems to share his sentiment, as Loki pulls its searing blade backward, as if preparing for a single strike that would either win him all or lose it all. Ren stands up straight, a hand on his face as his mask no longer exists, as Arsene draws the power from deep within his Sea of Souls, from his endless possibility, from his unbreakable bonds.

And then, their darkness collide.

He walks over to the kneeling Akechi, the man himself spent and exhausted to the bone, his mask half-shattered, his smile softening slightly.

"I won," He says quietly, and glances sideways to see the others returning to him. It seems like their fights were over a while back, but they've stayed true to his order and simply kept watch as he duked it out with his best friend (his greatest rival) and settled their differences through fistfight.

Akechi laughs, his breath slightly ragged. Probably some broken ribs, judging from the way he clutches his flank tightly as the laughter rumbles through his being. After a moment, the man looks up at him, his eyes freer than ever before. "You won."

He waits for a moment, eyes gauging the man's expressions. Skull then says from the side, arms crossed over his chest. "You've had enough?"

"I know," He whispers, subdued and quiet. He then eyes Ren then speaks wistfully. "I know. You're so lucky, Amamiya… to be surrounded by friends and teammates who acknowledges you. And once Shido confesses his crimes, you'll all be heroes. As for me? People will find out what kind of atrocities I've been doing, that all my deductions were simply charade. Everything I've built will vanish."

"…Turning people psychotic, then solving the cases yourself," Ren mutters quietly, pushing the mask off his face. He doesn't want to talk to Akechi as Joker, this time, but as Amamiya Ren, a friend, a rival. "And you did that by joining forces with Shido."

A self-deprecating laughter. "In the end, I couldn't be special."

Skull half-rolls his eyes. "Dude, you're more than special, y'know?"

Akechi looks up.

Queen continues, half torn between admiration and annoyance. "It pains me to admit, but your wit and strength far exceeds ours. Well, not exceeding Joker's, but he has that power through his bonds with us, while you have no one. You're strong, Akechi-kun… and I'm honestly envious, if I'm going to be honest. It is frustrating, to see just how much my sister trusted you."

He glances to Noir as the girl speaks softly. "I have no intention of forgiving you for what you did to my father, but I sympathize with you. I wholeheartedly understand wanting to get back at all those people who've wronged you. The thoughts have crossed my mind, too, sometimes."

"But when you gained the power to fulfil that desire," Fox says, his voice low. Ren doesn't stop him – Akechi doesn't need just reassuring words, but the truth that he had a choice, but chose to go down this path on his own, too. He has to face his own mistakes, if he's going to have a chance to redeem himself. "You only used it for your own self-benefit."

"If you have the ability to use multiple Personas, you probably have the same talents as Joker – the power to turn bonds into strengths. But because you went through life alone, the power you awakened to was fuelled by lies and hatred," Oracle mutters. "Still, you thought that was enough. And that part, I totally get."

"You excelled at everything over us, but one," Fox says.

Akechi is looking at him, his eyes knowing. He has already realized their difference, it seems.

"…Friends, huh…?" He murmurs, looking down at his hand. Ren glances at the other, asking for approval with a silent gaze. They seem reluctant, but ultimately nod. Each and every one of them agrees with him, this time; that he, too, could've turned out the way Akechi has, had it not been for them here, by his side.

"Alright! Let's get that Calling Card ready!" Skull says, then turns to Akechi. "Dude, we're gonna be taking Shit-do down, what yer gonna do?"

Panther seems a bit reluctant, but since they all have the same mind on how to do this, he nods as a reassurance. She inhales once. "It'd be a problem if you kept getting in our way, so… wanna come along and help us settle things?"

This time, Akechi seems absolutely stupefied by that sentence. Ren concurs; the people he had just tried to kill are offering him a spot in their team still. But there's something more in his eyes, something that Ren knows all too well – hope. But the boy bites back the first thing that comes to mind, and says with his logic instead of his heart. "Are you all idiots? You should just get rid of me—"

"—Nuh-uh, not happening," Ren says with a chuckle as he walks over. Then, he holds out a hand to the boy, while the other just looks at him idiotically. "Come on up. We're still friends, even if the word is a bit of a stretch. But we can always start over, correcting things. You're not alone, Akechi. Not anymore."

"…You all are truly beyond my comprehension," Akechi chuckles slightly. "Especially you, Amamiya."

"…Ren."

"Huh?"

"Call me Ren… Goro," He smirks. Truthfully, he has been referring to the Thieves by their first names for a while, now. But he has never gotten to call Akechi by one, even when they are so close. And since he thinks he knows Akechi enough, and that he considers him a friend – a very close, very dear friend – then he'll extend this offer to him, too. "All my close friends call me that."

"…Hah," Akechi laughs, before reaching out and grabbing onto his hand. "Alright… Ren."

Before he could pull Goro to his feet, however, someone claps their hands. And when Ren looks up, he sees cognitive Goro there, followed by battalions of Shadows. And soon, they're completely and utterly surrounded.

The cognitive Goro pulls out its gun, then points at the real Goro, who pulls his hand off Ren's (no, don't run now. He's right here, ready to help, Goro) and turns to face the Shadow. It then says flatly. "Captain Shido's orders… He has no need for losers. Well, this just moves up the plan a little. He was just going to get rid of you after the elections, anyway."

"What?" Goro growls, disbelief clear in his tone.

The cognition shakes its head. "Did you truly believe you'll be spared after all the things you undertook? Don't tell me… were you actually feeling good, having someone relying on you for once?" And then, it smirks, "By the way; the captain said it's time to receive retribution for causing the mental shutdowns."

They played him; Ren realizes. He is seen as nothing more than a tool, and that causes anger to bubble inside his chest like boiling water, and Arsene is hissing, having felt the same fury he's feeling right now.

Surprisingly, Skull speaks up, furious. "What the hell, man!? That bastard's the one who put him up to it! If anyone's gonna be getting any retribution, then it's him, not Akechi!"

Goro then shakily stands up and pushes Ren away a little, his smile so kind, so broken. Ren's breath catches in his throat as Goro laughs. "I see…"

He could barely contain himself as the cognitive Goro drones on and on and on about how useless he is, how he is nothing more than a tool that would soon be discarded, even if he's Shido own son. The only thing stopping him from doing anything is the Shadows looming before him, eyes blood red, ready to lash out, ready to tear through them.

His team, too; the anger radiating from them is palpable and suffocating. He could feel Queen clenching her fists as she growls out between her teeth, at how messed up all of this is, at how painful it is to even know that Goro has been so wronged like this. It shouldn't have been so; he is just a kid. He's Ren's age, for fuck's sake. He shouldn't be seen as tools as discarded like some trash—

He must've failed to notice what they were saying, because next he knows, Goro is pointing a gun at him as the cognitive Shadow eggs him on.

But he knows, from the look in his eyes, that it's not Ren who he's going to shoot.

Then, he says with a smile. "…Goodbye… Ren."

"No—!"

He reaches for Goro as he shoots the Shadow, and then aims at the emergency button at the side. He has to stop, or he'll be trapping himself in with the Shadows, and he won't survive with those injuries—

I refuse to lose a friend like this!

As if hearing his silent wish, something tears through the Shadows and stops Goro cold in his track.

Ren looks up as darkness swirls around and rips the lives right out of the Shadows, turning them into nothing but dusts. The sarcophagi shift on its back, forming into a half-circle, its visage is of hollow eyes and steel and black cloak of despair. The jagged blade is lodged into the floor as it descends and stands just behind the detective, its breaths guttural and animalistic.

He looks behind it, to see that in the span of a few seconds from being somewhere else to standing there in all its unearthly glory, it has ripped and torn everything it its path that has not been claimed by the darkness to shreds. And then, Arsene laughs as he appears without Ren's consent.

Understanding dawns on him as he breathes the word Arsene sends directly into his mind, causing his soul to quake in fear of the manifestation of Mankind's most dreaded existent—

"Death."

Chapter Text

The Gentle Awakening

"Death."

As he breathes that word, the others gasp. But they are unable to even get into a fighting stance, rooted by fear, just like he is. But Arsene is laughing, and Ren sees Goro looking at him in surprise. He forces himself to move and tries to walk closer. Much to his luck, Death doesn't even twitch, so he quickly pulls Goro away from underneath its towering frame and throwing his arm around his shoulders. "You good, Goro?"

"…I'm breathing," He murmurs quietly, looking up at the thing. "…What is that thing?"

Arsene answers in his stead, delighted laughter ringing through the dead-filled hall of the engine room as he bows, voice part gleeful, part worried. "I'm glad you see you here, my dear Thanatos! It took you quite a while. But why here? And where is your other half?"

To their surprises, Death staggers, a hand on its mask as it breathes, low growl and frigid air and decay following every puffs. After a moment, it says, its voice much kinder than what Ren thinks Death would have. "…Gone. Separated. He's… gone."

"What happened to you?"

Death doesn't respond, but it's slowly burning inside the flame of blue, much like a Persona would. And then, with a sound of shattering glasses, its form breaks and melts into—

—A human…?

It – he is pale and slender, his hair midnight black, swept back and slightly dishevelled. His eyes are a colour of striking, shining sapphire, like summer ocean shimmering under the afternoon sun, and he's wearing a white shirt with rolled up sleeves, yellow flowing scarf that perfectly encompasses his frame, and black pants. He then staggers forward a few steps before collapsing.

Queen rushes forward and catches him in time, surprised and concerned in equal measures. Ren has never seen something like this before – not a Shadow turning back to a human while enveloped in blue, just like a Persona. And he has never seen Arsene taking point and talking to one on his own before. He looks up as the Prince of Thieves flies down to the ground, high heels touching the steel, the everlasting grin shifting and faltering just slightly.

"Trickster," He says, drawing everyone's attention to him. He then glances at Ren, then back at this strange boy as he moans and gasps in Queen's arms. She turns to him and back, her hand careful on the stranger's neck, feeling his pulse. When Ren hums, Arsene continues, addressing all of them. "This is worse than I had originally thought. Take care of him, nurse him. We have to be fast, or all will be for nothing."

"What the hell's going on here? Arsene?" He asks.

"He is Death," Arsene explains. "And he has another half of his soul, who should've been here with him. That another half is gone. I do not know more, only he would. Take care of him. I refuse to let that boy die, not when he deserves life more than anyone here combined."

With a puff of smoke, Arsene is gone.

He isn't even sure what Arsene means by that – another half? What boy? There are so many more questions springing out from the answers. He looks at the others, as lost as he is, before he glances at Goro. After a moment, the boy murmurs. "…It – he did save me, after all. I… think, if he's… if there's a part of him that is human, then we should be able to pull him out of this place."

Ren hums in acknowledgement.

"He's stable, for now," Queen interjects. Skull walks over and sling the stranger's arm over his shoulders, hoisting him up. He stirs slightly, but doesn't seem to be conscious enough to hold anything remotely conversational with them. "Let's retreat. We have to take care of Crow as well."

He agrees.

The stranger can indeed be pulled into the real world, tangible and human.

He shifts, so that Goro could put his weight on the ground a little better, a bit more painless. He glances back to see Makoto trying to rouse the scarfed boy, to no avail.

"He's out cold. Where should we put him?"

"In my attic is fine," Ren says quietly, holding Goro up just a little bit more. The detective grunts a little, but accepts his help all the same. "I can sleep on the couch. And you, you're going to Takemi-san's clinic today then my room later. And no, you are not denying me."

Goro huffs a little, amused, before murmuring. "I hear you, Ren."

Ann and Yusuke are looking around, to see if the coast is clear or not, while Haru and Futaba are busy looking over the information in hand, trying to find as much leverage as they could against Shido. He hums quietly, seeing Ryuji keeping the strange boy on his feet just fine on his own.

The others go to Leblanc as he part ways with them, Goro limping beside him. Their walk is silent, save for the occasional pained grunts from the detective. Then, to Ren's surprise, the boy murmurs. "…Thanks."

"It's what friends do," He says with a smile. "But, you know, I really hate fighting a lefty like you. It's a change of pace I do not need."

Goro snorts. "Nor your Megidola on my hide, but I concur. We're a match made in hell, or something of the like."

Ren laughs. "You can say that again."

There is a short, content pause, before Goro frowns, his eyes darting into the direction of Ren's home. "…So, that person is Death? He doesn't look like one. He seems pretty human to me. If it hadn't been for the fact that we had witnessed him inside the Metaverse, I wouldn't have believed it."

"I'm as clueless about this as you are," Ren says. "My Arsene said nothing about this, only that he is Death, and all that. I'm tempted to punch Arsene sometimes, to be fair."

"Death, huh…" Goro mutters to himself. Then he says, a little louder. "We also have Shido to take care of. But you've already secured the route, so I don't think the timing would be a problem. We still have a bit of a breathing room."

"We," Ren hums, causing the detective to growl a little, defensive. He only laughs. "It's just, I'm glad I managed to beat some senses into you. Don't forget this, Goro; we are friends. This is what friends do."

"You are indecipherable," Goro mutters.

"So are you, to be honest."

"Shut up, Joker."

He continues to exchange light banters with Goro, and after a few minutes, they reach the clinic. He braces himself before knocking on the door, and Takemi, as if expecting him, opens it promptly. She opens her mouth to say something but stops, alternating her gaze between him and the boy is his arm.

The first thing she says is, "It's not you this time?"

Ren smiles slightly. "It's not me this time."

As per usual, she decides to not ask any questions, and pulls the both of them in. He's been in here too many times before, so he just puts Goro down onto the bed, careful not to touch his broken ribs and the large, blooming bruises on every little bit of his skin. Takemi disappears behind her counter for a little, and he uses this time to sit down on the stool just a little bit away from him.

The detective keeps his eyes on the ground, mouth pressed into a thin line, fingers nervously fidgeting at the frayed hem of his shirt. Ren doesn't push the issue; Goro will come around whenever he wants to, Ren's certain. For now, he will give the man time. To contemplate, to reflect, to see the wrongs that he's done… and to realize that he has a place he belongs to – at least, in Ren's point of view.

Goro sighs, rubbing the bridge of his nose slightly. "…I can't go back to my place."

"You can stay at mine," Ren shrugs nonchalantly, a hand reaching up to graze his nails across a fading line of knife wound on his cheek, one that he got from that accursed interrogation room. "It'll be a bit cramped, though, with that stranger with us. So, sorry in advance."

"Don't apologize," Goro mutters, still not looking Ren's way. He opens his mouth, as if to say something, but stops himself midway. After a pause, he smiles a little, this time genuine. "…Thank you."

"I've told you this before, and I'll tell you again; you're welcome," Ren says, patting the boy's knee lightly, careful not to touch his injuries. "We're friends. Although… don't expect everyone to be all buddy-buddy with you. I'm the exception because I'm, well, me."

Goro rolls his eyes at that, but chuckles a little. "I won't. I'm fine with them not forgiving me. But you and them giving me a chance… that's quite enough."

He smiles.

Takemi comes back in, many equipment cradled in her hands, a disapproving look pointing at the two of them. Ren decides to scoot a bit away from Goro, and the look the detective is giving him is absolutely scandalous as Takemi starts berating both of them, pointing more at Goro than at Ren himself, before she starts examining the injuries.

Ren simply waits.

When he walks back to Leblanc with Goro in tow, he's greeted with Boss' absolutely furious yell as he nearly climbs over the counter to rip the detective a new one.

He takes a moment (a long moment) to calm Boss down, explaining his – their – reasonings, and letting Goro say whatever he wants to. As Ren expects, Goro does apologize, quite sincerely so. And that takes Boss aback enough for the older man to let him occupy the floor on the attic – Ren's attic – but not without threatening to rip his tongue off his mouth and shove it up his ass if he ever does anything even remotely suspicious.

After that, when he walks (Goro limps) upstairs, he's greeted by the other Thieves, who's looking almost contemplative at the detective's subdued bearings. Ren nudges Goro towards the group, and he complies, albeit with discomfort and guilt in his expression. Ren then glances over to his bed, where Makoto is nursing the stranger, dabbing wet towels on his forehead.

"What've we got?" Ren asks, sitting down next to Goro, resting his cheek on his hand.

"As expected, he's got no phone, no IDs, nothing," Futaba says with a sigh, scratching the back of her head lightly in annoyance. "Dunno when he'll be up, although… he doesn't feel like a Shadow to me. But I've never seen anything like this before, so, yeah."

"Beats me, too," Ren shrugs. "I guess we'll have to wait and see. And what about the Calling Card? Are the setups ready?"

"Yup!" Ryuki cackles. "Futaba's gonna be dropping a bomb into the whole damn system, man! It's going to be awesome."

"Wait," Goro says, a hand held in the air. "Into the – what?"

"Oh yeah, you wouldn't have known," Futaba says before spinning the laptop into Goro's direction. "You see, I think this is Ren's idea? Or maybe ours, who cares, but look! If we're going to take down someone who's at the veeeeeery top of the food chain, then you can be sure we're going to go big."

Goro takes his time to look at the screen, first with a scowl, before his face grows into a crazed grin. He then laughs. "Oh! Haha! This! This is a masterpiece! Shido will be so pissed seeing the opposition challenging him in the middle of the crowds!"

"I am glad we're in agreement on that front, at least," Yusuke says, crossing his arms slightly. "As always, we will leave the timing to you, Ren. Do you wish to proceed right away?"

"Not yet," Ren says, glancing towards the sleeping boy, towards Death. "…We still have time, right? I want to… wait, and see if he's awake by then. We might get some answers to our questions, or maybe intel he might've had on him. Or—"

"—Even an ally," Makoto finishes. "I don't know about that, but I suppose being a little hopeful wouldn't hurt."

"Yeah," Ren hums. He then looks Goro's way before continuing. "Let's wait for our injuries to heal first, and we'll strike when we're at our best. Let's go get some rest, everyone. Good work today."

After choruses of goodnights and a few glances his way (he's going to ignore Haru's murderous smile at Goro, nope, he sees nothing), the only ones left are him, Goro, Morgana, and the stranger (Death), who seems to shift and stir slightly in his nightmarish stupor. Ren takes a good, long look at him, then at Morgana who seems uneasy, and finally, at an oddly quiet Goro.

"…Not going to sleep tonight?" Ren asks quietly. Even if he's dead tired, he knows Goro has much to think about, much to contemplate and consider.

A pause, then the detective sighs. "I guess not."

"…Want to play chess?"

"…Sure."

After maybe the fourth round, where their scores end at 2 wins, 2 loses, and Morgana's fallen asleep due to tiredness, Goro sighs and leans back against his seat.

Ren merely pushes the can of black coffee his way, his eyes closely watching Goro's reactions. He's tired, even defeated to some degree, but he looks free, the last lines of worries and scowls finally leaving his feature. What remains is the contemplative look as the boy thinks through all the things that had happened, Ren supposes; he, too, wouldn't have thought it possible that they'd end up here like they are now — friends, at long last, with no ulterior motives in their shadows.

Ren then glances towards the stranger on his bed, his face sporting a near-permanent scowl that refuses to leave, even when his consciousness is in another place entirely. He's pale, inhumanly so, and he reminds Ren of the Twin Wardens — pale, but not sickly. He's tall and lean, his shirt concealing muscles that would escape his eyes, had he not seen and helped Makoto taken care of him before.

Shido can wait a while longer — the election is still a bit away. They need time to think, to figure things out, and to find answers. Arsene still hasn't told him what he wants to know, instead retreating back into the vast, endless void that exists everywhere and nowhere all at once. He will have to wait, with no available choice in his hands. He sighs, tipping the content of the stale coffee can down his throat.

Goro takes a careful sip before murmuring, wincing ever so slightly as he twists his body wrong. "So… how do I do this?"

Ren tilts his head. "Do what?"

"Make amends," He says slowly, neither bashful nor condescending. His red eyes find Ren's, and Goro gives him a small smile. "I don't intend to leave things as they are. I have crimes to pay for, things to right. I want to… I don't know, make it better, somehow. For all of them, who chose to give me a chance. And for you, who forgive me."

Ren takes a moment to consider. Truthfully, he doesn't have a clue what the others would think. But he knows what he wants Goro to do, so he settles with that as the answer. "You'll have to ask the others their opinions on this one, but for me… live your best. Help those who are wronged. Do what your heart think is right—"

"My heart has been wrong so far, though," Goro says with what Ren thinks is self-depreciation. "I don't think trusting my heart is—"

"You haven't been trusting it," Ren corrects him. When Goro looks up, he continues. "When you killed a person in there, in the Metaverse. Did you feel guilt?"

Goro is about to retort, but he pulls back, seemingly taking Ren's inquiry seriously. After a moment, he nods slightly. "…Surprisingly, yes."

"Then that means your heart still knows right from wrong," Ren says as he takes a sip. "You just chose to ignore it, and let your rage and hatred took control."

Goro pauses, frowning, a finger rubbing at his chin. Ren eyes him carefully, and smiles in relief as the worries and the confusions in his eyes are gone, melting back into the pool of crimson. Then, Goro murmurs. "Okay. I think… I can do that."

Ren laughs quietly. "Don't worry, you've got this. And I'll be with you all the way."

Goro snorts. "You certainly are the most interesting person I've ever had both the displeasure and the delight to meet, Ren."

He decides to ignore the backhand compliment. "Thanks."

Afterwards, they share little talks about nothings, providing them both with a sense of normalcy, helping them forget about all the things that have been going on. Ren's sure as hell he's not going to be getting any sleep tonight, so might as well.

Goro is… actually quite intense, and even a bit of a sarcastic person, when he drops his little goody-two-shoes mask. Ren finds it entertaining and a little bit annoying, but he supposes Goro doesn't share his flair for dramatics. But he enjoys their conversations regardless (and, to be frank, he's also a bit unnerved at how violent Goro's words are, sometimes), and soon finds himself feeling like talking to an old, dear friend he's never had the chance to have before.

Ren shivers when Goro suggests ripping off Shido's tongue, shoving it up his ass then kicking him off the helm of his boat. Ren has to quickly put that line of thought to rest while reminding Goro that no, they will not be murdering anyone, no matter how vile they are. Ren's elated to see that Goro takes Shido's accusation about him harming the man quite seriously (how do you not know of this before?) – it's a proof that his heart is in the right place, just that it's been covered up by circumstances that were out of his control.

Goro is alright. He's a good person.

And Ren'll make damn sure to help him as much as he could, from here on out.

The strange boy wakes up at the edge of dawn.

Goro's half dozing off, and Ren's halfway leaning down onto the couch when the boy stirs with a groan. He nudges Goro awake and walks over. Those striking blue eyes look a little dazed, but they clear up with surprising speed. The stranger's gaze then shifts around the room as he mouths something under his breath. When he catches Ren's eyes, he frowns a little, but doesn't openly turn hostile or, hell, even surprised.

His voice is a bit different from when he wore the visage of Death in the Palace, although Ren's sure he could've remembered such a kind yet commanding tone right away, regardless of his form. And the first thing he says after slumbering for a few hours is, "…Thank you?"

At this, he hears Goro snorts a laughter and sits down at the foot of the bed. Ren takes the chair that Morgana's curling on, pushes him off (sorry not sorry) and drags it to the bedside before sitting on it. He then smiles slightly. Instead of asking questions, the boy seems surprisingly quick at adapting to new and unfamiliar environment. And to thank them, first thing first, says a lot about who he is.

"You're welcome," Ren says. "I'm Amamiya Ren. And that's Akechi Goro."

The boy's eyes shift between the two of them, contemplative. Then something clicks, and the boy smiles, bowing his head slightly, a hand on his chest. "My name is Mochizuki Ryoji. A pleasure to make your acquaintances."

Mochizuki seems very pleasant, for someone who wears the cloak of Death. Before Ren could ask about that, Goro beats him to it. "I'll not beat around the bushes, then. You're Death? A Shadow? What are you, really?"

Ren throws Goro a stink eye, but he's ignored. He then looks towards Mochizuki, whose smile doesn't waver as he shifts slightly. Morgana hops onto Ren's lap, keeping watch, not uttering a word. To Ren's surprise, the strange boy actually answers those questions quite nonchalantly, as if aware that they know just enough about him. "I… am not exactly a Shadow. A part of me is human, after all. But yes – I am Death, and I was once the Avatar that carried out a certain entity's will."

"That creates even more questions than it answers them," Goro frowns.

"Goro, could you be cruder?" Ren hisses and bows apologetically. "Sorry about that, we've been in some tough spots recently, so we're all on edges."

The boy puts up a hand and smiles. "It's quite alright, Amamiya-san. We didn't exactly meet on what could be considered a normal circumstance. So, you're the Wild Card, I presume?"

Ren flinches back slightly at that, and looks at Goro, who's frowning. "How did you—"

"Arsene told me about you," Mochizuki says. At this, Ren tilts his head in confusion, and the boy is quick and not hesitant to explain. "I… am a Persona, if you could believe me, bound to someone very dear. And Personas – we're all connected, in a way. But only few could actually approach or even talk to me, considering my… complicated relationship with the Sea of Souls as a whole."

The Sea – he's heard the Wardens talked about it, once or twice. Some of his summoned masks even claimed they're from the Sea of Souls, so he supposes it isn't as far-fetched that Personas would be able to communicate with each other, seeing that they come from the same place.

There're a lot of questions at the tip of his tongue, but Mochizuki looks deeply troubled, even with that admittedly charming smile on his face, so he drops it. Goro does the same, relaxing slightly, his red eyes glancing towards Ren. When the silence starts to set in, Ren breaks it. "It would be better to wait for my friends to arrive first, so we… can discuss things. It's already Sunday, so you hopefully won't have to wait long."

The boy tilts his head slightly before nodding once. "I understand. And… I know there's no point asking this, since he would've been here by now, had you found him, but… have you seen him? My friend, Yuuki Makoto?"

Ren knows Makoto is a very common name, so he immediately thinks that yes, he might've heard of or seen him before. But after a second, that isn't it – he doesn't know someone with that particular surname and first name. So, he shakes his head. "I'm sorry, but I haven't."

Mochizuki looks down slightly, his smile faltering. "I… see. But he's alive, that much I'm certain. Although, I know nothing else more. My connection with him is… hampered, somewhat."

Ren frowns. "You said you're a Persona, so is he—?"

"A Wild Card? Yes."

To be fair, Mochizuki seems extremely trusting, saying things without delays, without reluctance. But Ren knows better – Arsene is chuckling in his head. The only reason this person, this Persona, this Death, is saying these things is because he knows Ren's other self, knows Arsene. Without that, he doubts the boy will say anything to anyone at all.

And Ren's surprised, too, to learn that there is another Wild Card out there. But he supposes, given the magnitude of Personas he could summon, and many more that exist as Shadows and out of his reaches, it would come as no surprise that there'd be more people who'd be able to call for their aids like he could. He's special, but he's not entirely unique, after all.

"Much like you and I, then?" Goro says. When Ren nods, he catches Mochizuki's curious gaze. Goro then sighs a little. "It's complicated, but I think I might be a Wild Card, just not given whatever this contract Ren's been spouting about."

"Dude, could you please word it a little nicer?"

Mochizuki chuckles a little at that before speaking lightly. "I see. I won't ask more than necessary, don't worry. And thank you again, for helping me."

"He still hasn't told us why we found him in there," Morgana chips in, and Ren agrees.

To his surprise, the boy readily answers, "I am not quite sure about that, myself. I apologize for not being able to explain more."

A pause, then all three of them say simultaneously. "You understood that?"

He tilts his head. "Why wouldn't I?"

Ren gapes, but remembers that they met inside the Metaverse. He facepalms himself. "Right, I forgot we met where Morgana was a monster cat, and not a cat."

"I'm not a cat!"

"I'll keep the questions to myself until the others arrive," Goro says as he yawns. "I'm going to take a nap. You do whatever you want to do, I suppose. But know that I still don't trust you yet, Mochizuki-san."

The boy casually smiles and waves his hand. "I don't dare enough to ask for you to trust me, when you know so little about me. But I do hope I will be able to gain that trust afterwards, Akechi-san."

Goro lets out a hmph before he walks back to the dingy couch and curls up, ready to fall asleep, the mental and physical exhaustions finally catching up to him.

Ren takes a moment to study Mochizuki, who's breathing calmly, his eyes glancing out the window and to the dim sky beyond the tinted glass. For someone called Death, he looks so soft, so gentle, so kind. Ren feels like he'd be able to trust this man with his own life, and won't ever regret it. Logically, that shouldn't be the case – hell, he's called Death, trusting him should've been out of the question. And yet, his heart knows that this boy is a good person, maybe even a better person than Ren is.

When he catches Ren watching, he doesn't react negatively, only smiling slightly, so kind yet so sorrowful, the deep-seated sadness hidden behind the veil of shimmering blue, like the morning sky hiding the forming clouds of rain behind the sunlight. Ren thinks he forgets to breathe for a few seconds, and only inhales when the boy does the same. The smile widens a little before Mochizuki looks away, thoughtful.

Ren offers, first, knowing exactly what he needs. "Would you like to take a shower? And maybe, with breakfast and coffee, too?"

He seems a little surprised, but soon chuckles, all the tenseness leaving his feature. "I'd love to."

Boss doesn't seem surprised when he asks for the shop to be closed for the day, and he almost prostates himself thanking the man for it.

Mochizuki, once properly showered and dressed, comes out of the bathroom, hair slightly damped and losing a bit of their swept-back shape. He curls his long, yellow scarf over his neck, tugging half of his face under, as if seeking some kind of warmth. Ren's cloths seem a bit too small for him, so he makes a mental note about buying the boy a few new sets of attires later on.

He sniffs, and seems to liven up a little at the smell of caffeine. Ren smiles and waves him over to the counter, the simmering hot curry already served up. When Mochizuki half-confusedly settles into the seat, Ren asks. "What kind of coffee?"

Mochizuki thinks a little before smiling. "Black would be preferable."

"A man after my own heart," Ren says with a cheeky grin. He's brewing his own anyways, so he doesn't have to do more work with this. Silently thanking Mochizuki's preferred choice of beverage, he pours the content of the glass jar into two cups, and pushes one in Mochizuki's way. The boy nods once before clapping his hands and muttering Ittadakimasu under his breath.

Ren cleans up before walking over to join him, his own curry already half stale. When he finally sits down, Mochizuki speaks up softly, slowly. "Your fights still haven't reached their ends yet, I assume?"

"Nope, but I think we're pretty close," Ren says with a confident grin. Only Shido stands in their way, now, and when they put up that Calling Card, they'll hit him fast and hard, dragging him down from his blood-covered throne and making him atone for his crimes.

"…Allow me to aid you," Mochizuki offers. When Ren's staring at him, wide-eye, he elaborates. "I have my urgencies, true, but no clues to work with. Besides… I do think that you could use a hand or two. If you think you can trust me enough to utilize my service, that is."

"I know I can trust you," Ren says. "Death or human, Personas or Shadows… you did save us and Goro back then. Even if you did it to find a way out of the Metaverse, I don't think any bad person would just casually throw his half-conscious body into the fray like that."

Mochizuki blinks a little before laughing lightly. "Wild Cards really are the same. You are just like him. Like Makoto."

"What's he like?"

There're so many emotions brewing inside those eyes – regrets, joy, sorrow. The one thing that's absent from the pool is anger. Then he speaks, softly, with pain and proudness under his tone. "He is infinitely patient, and kind – kinder than anyone I know. He values other's lives – even mine – more than his own. I see that you, too, cherish your bonds more than anything else, Amamiya-san."

Ren smiles a little, patting the boy's shoulder in reassurance. "Let us hear your stories, and we'll help you find him. And – please do drop the honorifics. I don't think our ages are that different?"

"Thank you… Amamiya," Mochizuki says. "I'm… not sure if my age works the same way as yours or not, but before I—" At this, he stops himself from saying something, before he shifts his tongue a little and says something else, instead "—Before this, or rather, after I'm here… I was — am — seventeen."

He's pretty confused about that, huh.

"Same age," Ren decides to say, chuckling lightly, not commenting on the stutters the boy has just shown him and drawing the boy into another set of laughter. "School?"

"…I've been through many," He says reluctantly, his brows furrowing. "I'd… rather not talk about them, if you don't mind?"

First roadblock, Ren notes, but he understands that. There are things Ren doesn't like talking about, too, not for any particular reasons except for the pain or the uneasiness that accompanies saying them. Much like how he doesn't like talking about how he hates that his parents have to work away from home or in some other places all the time, leaving him half-rotting in Inaba with practically nowhere else to go. And when he does think about that, let alone talk… it makes his scars itch almost uncontrollably.

Speaking of Inaba, he thinks he won't be able to return there, since the rumors have already settled in, and his old friends have all but cut contacts with him, now. Maybe he should ask for his parents to transfer him to Shujin for another year. And he just knows that they would accept it without a second thought, seeing just how livid they were when they heard he pushed that drunken bastard to the ground.

It wasn't my fault, mom, dad! Believe me! She was crying for help—

—Silence, you ungrateful brat! You're a fucking failure of a son! You know what, I have friends in places that will take a violent little shit like you in. You're transferring, and no objections! Not until all the rumors die down so that we can live in peace!

He sighs slightly and shakes his head, focusing himself on the task at hand. He smiles in understanding and waves his hand. "I don't. I know exactly what it feels like, not wanting to talk about things."

"Thank you."

"Are you sure you're okay now?" Ren asks again. Judging from the look of his face, Ren thinks he's alright now. But what happened yesterday doesn't really convince him. "You were pretty bad yesterday."

"I'm quite alright," He says with a small smile. "Without my connection to Makoto, I can't maintain my form as Death for too long. I've been in there for over a week, and… I was discovered on that ship during the final two or three days, so I had no choice but to turn into… that, and fight to survive."

"…I see," Ren hums. "Turning back into your human form is like recharging, then?"

"Somewhat, yes," Mochizuki smiles. "This is quite new to me, as well. Alas, I'm confident that I can lend you my aid against whoever it is that owns that ship. To have a place of his own just so – his heart must've been incorrigibly twisted, no?"

"You've got that right," Ren says. "He's the worst. I'll tell you about him later, when everyone's here. They – we need to hear your stories as much as you do ours."

"I agree," Mochizuki hums. "But, Amamiya… I do apologize in advance if I have to lie by omissions about something — many things. The circumstances in which I was separated from Makoto leaves me with little rooms for error."

"Got it," Ren says. To say that he'd have to lie by omission means that he'll be telling things that are necessary, and Ren understands the need for secrecy. After all, that's what he did with Goro, too. Not exactly lying by omission, but by faking his own death through plans not discussed in front of him. "If you say clearly that you'll be lying, then I think that's enough of an indication that you're not exactly comfortable with deceiving people."

"I'm not," Mochizuki affirms, his smile slightly pained at that. "I've lied and deceived and hurt many people dear to me before, Makoto included. I don't want to do that again, not if I can help it."

He seems to have gone through a lot, Ren thinks. He spies Morgana coming down, looking at them strangely, but ignores them and goes onto one of the tables and curls up there, waiting. Ren then glances up at the clock, and sees that it wouldn't take too long for his friends to arrive now. Then, remembering that his friend is also called Makoto, he adds, "And huh… my friend's name is also Makoto (maybe he has to refer to her as Queen just to not confuse his own ass), so… I'll be referring to yours as Yuuki for a while, if that's alright with you?"

"He's not mine," Mochizuki says, his cheek slightly dusted with pink. At this, Ren's mischievous spirit acts up, and he knows on an instinctual level that this Yuuki is much more than just a friend to Mochizuki. And when he spots Ren's grin, his face reddens even more. "I'm serious, he's not mine."

"If you say so," Ren says with a chuckle. "Well, regardless, you can refer to him as Makoto just fine. I'll call him Yuuki, as to not confuse the people within the group… at least, until I get to know him better."

"Duly noted," Mochizuki hums. "And… thank you, again, for doing this… for me."

"You're welcome, Mochizuki," He says. "You are a good person; I just know it. Let us help you."

"Thank you," The boy beams.

Ren hums and continues savoring the taste of his coffee.

It looks like he'll be getting his hands full for the next month, as well.

Chapter Text

Formal Introduction

The first one to arrive is Makoto, impeccable in her timing, as always.

"Hey," He greets with a hand up. She returns his gesture before she catches the boy behind him, and before she could say anything, he cuts her off. "This here is Mochizuki Ryoji. She's Niijima Makoto."

Mochizuki stands up and bows slightly, a hand on his chest. Ren thinks that it's more of a habit than anything. "Thank you for helping me, Niijima-san."

"It's no problem," She says with a small smile. "I'm glad you're looking better now. You look quite terrible yesterday… in the, uh…"

"He's like, part human, part Persona, or something," Ren quickly chips in, lightly scratching his chin in thoughts. Makoto makes a confused noise, but after a pause, she seems to accept that explanation. "Let's wait for everybody first, so we can discuss this at lengths. Looks like today's going to be dedicated to talking."

"I'm sorry—"

"Ah! Don't," Ren says, punching the boy's shoulder lightly. "Don't apologize, this isn't your fault. And I know for a fact that we can use a bit of a downtime. We're way ahead of schedules, after all."

"…I see," Mochizuki mumbles. Ren points at the seat on the table, and the boy takes it, his hands careful not to touch Morgana. "I'm glad to hear that."

"Would you mind if I ask you a few questions?" Makoto says, and Ren shoots her a questioning look. It seems like her curious mind is getting the better of her, being a scholar that she is. He glances at Death, who seems more amused than anything, and nods at Makoto. She beams at that. "Nothing personal, of course. I just want to clarify something."

"If it is not something I'll have to repeat, then go right on ahead," Mochizuki says, placing his cheek on his waiting palm. "And I do apologize in advance for the confusion; my friend is named Makoto, as well."

"Ah," Is all she says. After a moment, given to Mochizuki to ready himself, she begins. "I understand that you are Death… I'll leave you to explain everything when the others come, but… I have to know; are you an enemy?"

"Not anymore," He says with a rueful smile. Ren pauses a little at that.

Not anymore, which means he was. Ren frowns a little, but says nothing as he watches the boy's reactions and facial expressions. Makoto seems to think the same, but she looks more uncomfortable than he is. Ren raises an eyebrow when he realizes that Mochizuki doesn't seem upset, but rather… accepting, of their slight distrust and uneasiness.

"I'll get to that in due time, but not today," He adds with a small bow. "But rest assured, I don't intend to bring you any harm. I'm Death, but I don't condone irrational uses of violence. I wish to offer you all aid against this Shido character, as well."

"I see," She hums, relaxing slightly. "I'll be looking forward to that, then."

At this, Mochizuki only smiles, and says nothing else more.

Once everyone's in Leblanc, and Goro's awake (he's actually a pretty deep sleeper, Ren muses), he claps his hands to draw their attentions.

"First thing first," He begins. "Discuss about Mochizuki here first, then move to Goro, then Shido?"

They all nod in agreement, Goro with much less enthusiasm than the rest. Ren pats the detective's back lightly in reassurance and gestures towards Mochizuki. Most of the Thieves seem on edge sitting so close to him, and Ren really doesn't blame them. But the pleasant smile and the kind air around him really helps easing everyone up a little.

The boy takes a moment, as if to gauge their reactions, before speaking up, voice low. "I know all of you hold some degree of distrust, and even apprehension, towards me. But I cross my heart that I am not your enemy. I might be Shadow-like, but I only was one. I am now a Persona, bound to another person's will."

"A Persona?" Ann says, tilting his head slightly. "Shadows and Personas are two sides of the same coin, so that isn't far-fetch. But how can you be here, and look so… human?"

"Because I share my soul with one," The boy says, his smile forlorn. He takes a moment before he chooses to elaborate, his voice trembling almost imperceptibly. But Ren could hear it, deep in there. "His name is Yuuki Makoto (goddamnit, I have to start calling Makoto as Queen for real now), and… he is my light, and I, his shadow."

"…So you are his mask, in a sense," Yusuke says, humming quietly. "But if so, you said you share your soul with him? What does that mean?"

"Our circumstances are a little… complicated," Mochizuki says with a sigh. "Before I became his shadow at all, I was a Shadow in a monster-like sense. I was born to… reap people, so to speak, but I was then defeated and sealed inside him for a decade."

This is much more to take in that Ren had originally thought, and he isn't sure if a few hours would be enough for him to wrap his head around it. He looks around, and everyone's contemplating the same way he is. After a moment, he nods. "I… think I am following, thus far. You can continue."

The boy nods. "During that time, being sealed – I've witnessed him live his life, if what happened during his formative years can be called such. We grew… closer, even if our interactions during that time were limited. But then, when he arrived at a certain place where it all began, we began to talk more, and formed a bond over the months. My Arcana, to him and him alone, is Death."

"Convoluted, and really not making much sense," Goro says. Ren kicks his shin lightly, but the detective doesn't faze. "But I understand, that talking of such things to strangers are not exactly productive. Go on, continue."

"Thank you," The boy nods slightly, a genuine smile on his lips. Ren thinks his situations are much more than he's telling, and he feels like it's not something he should pry. This… this feels too important a tale to be imparted mere hours after meeting someone. Then, the boy brings him out of his musing by proceeding on with his tale, sounding outlandish, yet he knows it to be true. "After he… found my missing pieces, which were disguising themselves as Shadows, I was made whole again. And with his humanity, given to me through sharing our souls, I gained this form, I became human."

A pause, a smile.

"We got along right away. It's true that such is in no small part due to being together for a decade, even without his knowledge. But it's in larger part due to his kind, understanding nature. He is also a genius, and talented in many ways, even in understanding others. And during his life, he's been wronged by so many people, been trampled upon and discarded again and again. How someone so broken could be so kind, I could never understand, and he fascinated me, at first. But as I grew to know him, I found that I like him, as a dear friend."

No, Ren muses, a small smile on his face. The way he said those words, the way he looks – so forlorn, so proud – those are not an expression a friend would have speaking about each other. But, from the looks of things… it might've been more one-sided than Ren realizes. And after a moment's pause, the boy continues, this time sorrowful, and pained beyond measures.

"…But then, I was… reminded, of my role as a monster, to bring destruction upon them. And even so, when I have no choice but to kill them, when the time comes – he forgave me. He still called me a friend. He still considered our bonds true, and… because of that, he succeeded in stopping me."

There is something more, something he isn't saying. But Ren understands, so he just smiles. And the use of present tenses — Mochizuki still feels undeserving of that forgiveness, it seems. And… he thinks this is what he means by lying by omissions; his tales are more than they could stomach, could hope to understand. At least, not yet, not right now.

"It put the both of us… in a delicate situation. But then something changes, and we seem to have been caught in another storm. When we came to, we were… in some place I don't recognize. There were many people around us, most of whom I think are scientists. I remember them trying to do something to him, and in the confusions, he forced me to escape into his shadow – that's probably why I was in this Metaverse this whole time. And after that – the connections to him I used to feel is somewhat blocked."

"What do you mean by that?" Makoto (goddamnit, Queen, Ren corrects himself) asks, tilting her head. So far, his friends seem to more or less understand what the boy had said, albeit with many unanswered questions still.

"Our bond, our Corridor of Souls, is intact still. He's alive, of that I am certain. But I cannot find where he is – which is something I used to be able to do before. They did something to him. And, since I woke up inside this Shido's place… I presume that it's only because he was there, when Makoto was… captured. I have no other clues as to where he is, but he is here, in the real world. But where…?"

They all fall silent at that, unsure of what to say. Ren sighs before smiling slightly. "There's still lots of questions about all of that, but we can leave it for later. If you think you waking up in Shido's Palace has something to do with all of this, then tag along with us. When we defeat his Shadow, you can ask him – I'm sure that, if he was there like you thought, and he's involved… his Shadow would know, and he might be able to answer you."

"An ingenious solution to all our problems at once," Goro hums, nodding slightly. "Will you help us?"

"Most certainly," Mochizuki smiles. At this, his smile turns chilling, and Ren has to resist the urge to gulp or shy away. This time, Arsene laughs in the back of his head. "I am Death, and… as his Persona, as his shadow, I'm called Thanatos. It's a pleasure making you all acquaintances."

"Pleasure's all ours," Yusuke says with a smile. "You seem like the reliable sort. I'll be counting on you, Mochizuki-san."

"Hell yeah!" Ryuji cheers. "I really don't understand half the stuff, but it ain't matter who you are. You're a good guy, my gut says so. Let's do our best, man!"

"I agree with Ryuji on this one," Ann grins, and Futaba nods slightly at that.

Haru, Queen and Morgana exchange a glance before the former speaks up softly. "So do we. We'll be in your care as well, Mochizuki-kun."

The boy in question blinks a little dazedly at that, but before long, he's smiling brightly. It's the first smile Ren's seen from him that isn't tainted by his sorrow and his sadness. "I see. Thank you for your vote of confidence, everyone. I'll do my best."

"Alright, then welcome aboard, Mochizuki," Ren says. "We're the Phantom Thieves of Heart. Palaces are places born from the distortions inside one's hearts. If a person is corrupted enough, a Palace is born. And by defeating their Shadows and stealing their Treasure, their wicked desires – and not killing them – we can force them to confess their crimes, to atone for their sins. That's what we do."

The boy rubs his chin slightly, but nods. "I understand. Shadows are but another part of a person's psyche, a sense of self, after all. If you can change one's Shadows, you can change one's hearts."

"Man, you caught on quick," Ryuji grumbles.

"It's true. But that's to be expected of a former Shadow, I guess?" Morgana hums. "Not to mention that everyone would catch on quick, using you as a standard, Ryuji."

"Say what, you freak cat!?"

"I'm not a cat!"

Ren laughs at their banters while Queen and Ann just sigh and shake their heads. Mochizuki seems slightly amused as he looks on. Ren decides to ignore them as he continues. "Anyways, that's the short version of things. I'll not bore you with the details, but we've already secured the route to steal this Shido's heart. I'll be counting on your help fighting him."

"I'll do my best to live up to that expectation."

"Now then, next," Ren says, scratching the back of his head. He then glances towards Goro, who seems more or less mentally prepared. "About Goro—"

"Not forgiven," Ryuji says quickly, making Goro winces.

Ren understands – while he wants nothing more than for everything to be all sunshines and daisies, that is not how it works. Goro has works cut out for him, if he's to gain anyone else's trust, if he's going to redeem himself and his blood-covered hands. Ren internally sighs; the sins of killing is not something so easily forgotten and forgiven, after all.

Still, the speed in which Ryuji said that makes him a little nervous, so Ren clears his throat and speaks up, with Goro looking down at his own feet. "Uh, Ryuji, listen—"

"—But!" He cuts Ren off while looking sideways. Haru and Futaba, the two most hurt by Goro's previous conducts, don't look too upset, which actually surprises him. He tilts his head slightly as the blonde continues. "We've discussed this before you two came back from the clinic. We're willing to give him – you, Akechi, dude. Yes, you – another chance. Everyone deserves one, and all that."

"…Are you sure?" It's Goro who speaks up, confused, hopeful. "I've done terrible things. Especially to the two of you. I practically robbed you of your only families, after all."

"Not really, but it's worth a shot," Futaba says, curling up next to Queen, who's patting her head oh-so-softly. "You're wronged by the adults, just like us. I and Haru think you could use a chance."

Ren thinks he sees a drop of tear, quickly wiped away by his finger. Goro then smiles, genuine. "…If you think so, then I'll try my best to atone for what I've done."

"That's all we could ever ask for!" Ann laughs. "Alright, then the Calling Card?"

"Next Saturday," Ren says. "Let's do it when we're properly prepared. Send the Card on Saturday. And… record it, just in case? I want to see the crowd go wild."

Futaba grins. "Will do!"

All the pieces are set. The only thing left for them now is to wait.

Mochizuki walks over to join him at the bench only a few meters away from Leblanc' entrance.

"It is true, that not everyone is created equal," He says a moment after he sits down, half of his face snuggly hidden under the folds of yellow scarf. "But to think Mankind's darkness would run this deep… I guess that explains the state of the Sea of Souls."

"…What is it like?" Ren asks, the coffee can in his hand long since empty. He's tempted to throw it, but he has not the mind to even lift his arms right now, so he instead scrapes his fingertips along the back of his hand, as if to put the tingling on his skin away.

"The Sea?" Mochizuki repeats. When Ren nods, the boy smiles and looks up at the sky above. "It's more or less a place formed from people's hearts. Both the good and the bad are mixed in there, a pool of endless void that would drive you mad, and grant you wisdom beyond comprehension."

"Reminds me of H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythologies," Ren hums.

"That might be the closest explanation one could come up with," Mochizuki laughs lightly. "But, if you are a Persona… you're more or less immune from being driven insane, since it was amongst all those voices that Personas were born from."

Ren hums. "Well, enough of the depressing stuffs! Tell me more about yourself."

"…Eh?" His voice is soft and short, dumbstruck more than anything else. After almost a full minute of him hilariously blinking at Ren, and Ren giving him the cheekiest grin he could've mustered, the boy continues with a tilted head and wide eyes. "Uh… I mean, I've told you pretty much everything there is to know about me? Well, not actually everything, since I did leave out many details, but—"

"Hold it right there," Ren stops him from droning on and grins. "I didn't mean like that. I mean stuffs like – what's your favorite food, favorite movies, or something like that."

"…Ah," He says quietly, his eyes returning to the cloud lazily floating across the canvas of bright blue sky. It takes him a few moments to speak up again. "I'll do that, only if you do the same, Amamiya."

"Alright," He says with a grin. "So, who goes first? You? Or me?"

"You," Mochizuki hums. "We can take turns, if you'd like. And… my taste would be a bit old, so please, don't tease me about it?"

"No promises," Ren laughs.

They spend the next half an hour shooting questions about mundane things, like musics or books, at each other. As it turns out, Mochizuki takes his taste in many things from Yuuki, who he called his light (not romantic at all, dude, not at all), but he claims his preferences differ from his other self a little. Ren just shrugs as they move on to the next topics.

He's gentle, too gentle to be called Death incarnate, and kind. His demeanor is that of someone who's afraid to hurt people, of someone who cares about what the other person thinks or feels. Careful, but not cold nor skeptical. Ren couldn't even begin to imagine what this Yuuki person would be like, if even this gentle soul would call him kinder than anyone else.

After getting to know him more, Ren gets to the real question. "So… one-sided love?"

Mochizuki actually spits out his coffee (which he's brought with him when?) through his nose at this, and Ren laughs his head off as the boy hurriedly wipes droplets of caffeine away from his face. After a moment of snorting the remnants of brown liquid out of his nose, he says in a high-pitched voice, no longer calm and leveled. "What!?"

Ren grins. "Oh, come on, it's clear as day from here. The others might not've noticed, but man, you're easy to read as all hell. You love this Yuuki, don't you?"

Even if he wants to deny it, Mochizuki seems to realize the futility of that thought; he's red from the hairlines down to his neck, and him tumbling over his own tongue is not helping the situation. Ren just grins at him until he relents on his own and mumbles something under his breath, curling the scarf tighter around his frame. After a sigh, he nods numbly. "…Yes."

"Why not just tell him?"

A frown. "It's complicated. In more ways than one."

"He's not into guys?" Ren prods a little, but doesn't smile this time. Unrequited love can be… painful. In hindsight, maybe he shouldn't have asked anything. But his curiosity is getting the better of him, not to mention that… the boy seems like he needs this talk, if his instinct is to be trusted.

"I don't know," He mumbles, his eyes glancing up to the sky again. He then smiles and laughs a little, as if whatever shreds of sorrow is suddenly gone. "I'm quite alright with the way things are, actually. He loves me as a friend, and that is quite enough. And…"

"And?"

"He already has someone else," Mochizuki hums as he looks back down. Before Ren could apologize, the boy continues, amused. "…Had, rather. And that was before we officially met, so… there is that."

"You know," Ren begins, patting Death's shoulder lightly. "I think, when we find him again, you should just tell him this. Get the weight off your chest, or the like. If what you said about him is true… I don't think he would hate you for it. I don't think confessing this to him will change what you have, either."

"I…" He trails off, gaping like a fish for a little. His eyes then widen a little, before he finally settles into a small smile. "…When I think about it, I guess you're right. I'll do just that when we find him, then."

Ren laughs and shares the rest of the afternoon with this gentle soul in silence.

"Shujin? Me?"

It's the first thing Mochizuki asks when he and Futaba give the man papers necessary for admission to Shujin. It's true that the timing is a bit… odd, but with Futaba's magic touches and Iwai's… not so lawful business, forging documents are actually pretty easy. "Yeah. I mean, you said you botched your second year, right? Might as well finish it. Give you some nice down time, too."

He seems to be a little hesitant as he scans the contents of the documents. He's mouthing something under his breath, and Ren has to strain a little to hear what he is saying. "…Makoto had already finished his second year, although he… ah, that was on graduation day, huh… timing's not too far off, as well…"

"You don't need to, if you don't want," Ren quickly says, raising both his hands. "I still can't go back to school yet, but I think you going there might be good for you. Getting a grasp on things, getting along with the others, and all that. They're trusting, but not as much as I am. This will help you get along with the team, too."

"A sound reasoning," He hums, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "…But I know not whether Makoto's captors will have their footholds in the school or not. Judging from my brief glances at them, though… I think they're mostly government agents, officers and doctors. Fortunately, I was wearing my Thanatos skin back then, so the chance of me being found out is mostly none."

"And it might give you a chance to find out more about where your friend might be, too," Ren finishes for him, a smile on his lips. He then extends his hand. "Welcome aboard, then."

The boy laughs and takes his hand, shaking it firmly. "Thank you for your generosity, Amamiya, and you too, Sakura-san."

"Just call me Futaba," She mutters, scratching her cheek lightly. "And hey! Why don't we take him to Mementos a little in the evening? We've got some requests left unfulfilled, anyways! Seems like as good a time as any!"

"Oh yeah," Ren hums, checking the Phan-Site. When Mochizuki gives him a confused look, he quickly elaborates. "I told you about Mementos functioning as everyone's Palace, right? These requests are for us to change the hearts of those who are distorted, but not enough to have a Palace of their own. Small timers, if you will."

"I see. Fascinating," He hums. "So, just like the Palace Ruler, we just beat some sense into them, yes?"

"Yep. That just about sums it up."

"Then I'll message the others," Futaba says, tapping away rapidly at her phone. She then stretches a little before saying, "I'll go with Sojirou for a meal. I'll get you something later on, Ren. See ya."

Ren nods as she goes downstairs and motions for Mochizuki to sit down on the couch. When he does, Ren just hands him a chess board, which he promptly accepts. He spies Goro sleeping in the corner, so he leaves the man be – that bastard needs rest, after all the thorough beating he's given him. And when he starts to think, Ren speaks up quietly. "Have you ever seen your friend leading others before? Since he's a Wild Card and all that."

"Indirectly, yes," Mochizuki says. After a moment's thought, he moves a piece, and gestures for Ren to make his. "I've seen him ordered the others around before. And I've seen him almost throwing his life away to save another person in a heartbeat."

"What happened?" Ren inquires as his piece hovers between one tile and the other. He just sighs and places it on one he thinks is best.

"…Long story short, he got shot," He says, a little pensive. When he sees Ren pauses, Mochizuki just gives him a small smile. "Five times total. He didn't come out unscathed, but… he came out alive."

Ren winces. He knows he would save his friends no matter what, but it's easier said than done. To throw himself in front of a hail of bullets to save another – he wonders if he could do it, should the need ever arise. "…He's very brave, huh."

As if reading his mind, Mochizuki smiles softly. "I believe you would do the same thing he did, Amamiya. Don't doubt yourself. When the time to act comes, I have no doubt you will move before you can even think. I believe that is what you and him share – you value your bonds above all else, maybe even more so than your own life."

"…Huh," Ren hums, moving a piece to eat the black one on the board. Mochizuki makes a surprised hum, but nothing more after. But who is he, really, to doubt death? So he puts his budding insecurities to rest and continues. "I'm going to ask you to compare me to him. I'm curious."

"If you so wish," He laughs lightly. "But, from what I've seen inside Shido's Palace… you are just about the same, with you being a bit more dramatic than he is."

"Oh, shut up."

They share the rest of their free time playing chess after that.

"So, this is Mementos…"

Mochizuki looks up at the high ceiling and the sprawling tunnels that make up the people's Palace, the red veins scattering all across the walls and the floors, just like usual. Crow is here, in all his black mask glory, albeit a bit quieter and less sadistic than usual. Ren then coughs, drawing his attention before gesturing towards his friends.

"In here, we go by codenames. You know, to not give away our identity and all that jazz," Ren explains with a flare he couldn't help but flaunt around as a point of pride. Mochizuki seems amused, more than anything. "I'm called Joker."

"The Wild Card, the trump card, the unpredictable," Mochizuki muses with a smile. "Very fitting. Does donning the garbs of the Phantom Thieves make you more dramatic as well?"

"Yes," Comes the answers from all of his teammates, even Crow. He chances them a glare before Crow decides to add with a scoff. "In here, everyone changes a little. Or rather, we get to be who we really are, no longer bound to the façades we have to put up out there."

"It turns him into a sarcastic murder bird," Ren points at Crow, who immediately tries to grab his coat. He ducks out of the way in time. "Something like this."

"Interesting," Mochizuki hums. "Makoto's way of summoning Personas is much different from yours. You said you call forth your other self when your spirits of rebellion manifest, yes?"

"Yes," Queen says, crossing her arms and touching her chin, deep in thoughts. "What is his, if I may ask?"

"Facing Death," Mochizuki laughs, humorless. "By accepting that Death comes for everyone, he's able to call out his Personas. His other friends, too. A tad morbid, if you ask me."

Ren feels a chill running down his spine, and Arsene hums, not in surprise, but in confirmation that Death is telling them the truth. He exchanges uneasy looks with the others before coughing slightly. "…Yeah, that's very dark. I'm just glad you guys came out alive and all, even if… your situations are a bit delicate?"

There's a single second's worth of pause, where those sapphire blue eyes look so sorrowful. But the look soon melts into a gentle smile as Mochizuki laughs lightly. "Thank you, Joker. Well, give me a run down on everyone's names, then I suppose we can get going."

After a quick introduction, and Mochizuki's uncanny ability to match the names to the faces, Mona hops around and turns into a bus. When Mochizuki blinks idiotically up at the cat-bus, he explains. "Mona said something along the line of cat turning into a bus is a popular cognition, or something. So yeah."

"Curious," Mochizuki hums, and makes a dying cat noise when the Thieves start loading themselves into Mona. "…Uh, would you all really fit in there?"

He exchanges a look with Crow, who looks absolutely uncomfortable being seated next to Queen, whose spikes are poking his shoulder. He stifles a laughter before waving Death closer. "It'll be fine. It's actually pretty comfy in here, as long as you don't sit next to Queen, don't have a tail, or shoulder pads with spikes."

Then come the protests from said Thieves with the gadgets he's just mentioned. Queen looks betrayed, and he only laughs harder, while Panther and Fox try their hardest to stuff their tails somewhere else. Crow just groans something inaudible, which somehow gains Queen's approval. He then climbs into the driver's seat, and points at the seat besides him. "For today, you're our guest of honor. Come on in, make yourself at home."

"Thank you," The boy beams before patting Mona's door lightly, murmuring thank you under his breath, before climbing up into his designate seat. Once inside and after Ren has started driving, he says, loud enough for everyone to hear. "These paths are certainly strange. I could feel all these veins and vines connecting to something much bigger than a simple Shadow."

"What something?" Oracle asks, probing her face in between their seats.

"I don't know," He hums. "Sadly, the… whatever the hell happened to me and Makoto leaves me in quite a pickle. I'm regrettably not at my full power, not right now, not until my Corridor of Souls with Makoto is restored. I'm blocked, and the feeling's as unpleasant as it could get."

"If you not being at full power can still mow down Shadows like you did back in the Palace, I don't want to even begin to imagine what you can actually accomplish!" Panther says, patting his shoulder from behind. Mochizuki laughs as she continues. "We're glad to have you on board, Mochizuki!"

"Are we not going to refer to him by a codename?" Fox inquires. "Alas, he does not have a Thief's clothes, so I suppose it would be quite hard to conceal his identity."

"You can call me Thanatos, if you'd like," Mochizuki says. "I might prefer looking like this, and I might not be able to use my power to the fullest, but I can transform into Death for an extended period of time. Or, if Thanatos is a mouthful, Than should work, too."

"Then, we'll call you just that," Noir says with a gentle smile. "Thanatos…"

"Glad to have you with us, Thanatos," Ren laughs lightly. "Might call you Than in the heat of battle, though, if it ever comes to that. So… what can you do now, exactly?"

Mochizuki is about to reply when he grabs the seat tightly, and Ren applauds him for seeing the curves and the treacherous paths before Ren even does. He nearly breaks the steering wheel as he navigates through the tight corridors, and into the deeper part of the Mementos, earning himself all sorts of colorful curses from the back. He laughs and lifts a hand in apology.

"For someone without a driver's license, your driving is tamer than I thought," Mochizuki comments.

Crow yowls. "Tame? How could you call this tame! This – urf, nope, my stomach can't take this."

"Who'd know Crow's actually got a pretty weak gut?" Skull snickers.

"Shut up, numbskull," Crow hisses.

Ren lets them bicker, trusting Queen to keep them orderly enough not to upset Mona's stomach. He then turns to Mochizuki – Thanatos, he's got to get used to that – who simply smiles before saying. "Back to your question; my specialties are physical attacks and darkness… which, I suppose, now include curses, too. Since that is what I instinctively know how to use, after watching the Shadows inside the palace."

"Just like Arsene, then," Ren says. And he immediately hears Arsene hisses inside his head.

We are not the same, boy! Why would you mistake a gentle thief like me with a violent death bringer like him!? Comes the ferocious cry, and Ren could imagine the thief crossing his arms and looking as dismayed as a Persona could've been. We are not the same, thank you.

Ren grumbles, scratching the head of his brow lightly, and when Thanatos looks at him with a curious gaze, he just waves his hand. "Well, Arsene is being a baby (I was not, you brat!) – yeah, yeah, you totally are – and he said not to mix you with him. Calling you violent, or something."

"Not like he's wrong," Thanatos muses. "Arsene is a trickster, after all. I am Death. We might lurk in the dark, but our darkness serves different purposes. Mine is used to kill – his, to disorient."

There's a short, proud huff ringing in the back of his head. At least he knows the different. See, boy? We are not the same. Don't mix a gentleman like me with a beast like him.

"It just called you a beast, how tasteless," Ren says, taking the rare opportunity that Arsene talks to tease the shit right out of him. The others look lost, and he couldn't really blame them. But he couldn't stop himself, either. "Don't go calling people names, Arsene."

"Not that I mind," Thanatos chuckles. "He did help me… before, after all. Calling me names is quite a cheap price, compares to the favor."

Ren frowns a little at his pauses and his wordings, but Arsene doesn't elaborate on it, only giving him a low, approving hum, more somber than anything before. He decides not to ask, and promptly changes the subjects. "Have you got any weaknesses?"

"Not really," He hums. "One would think I'd be weak to light, but no… I am Death, after all. Nothing really escapes me, nothing could beat me into submission, either."

"Except for your friend," Ren concludes.

"Except for him," He parrots.

He has to bench Thanatos after a few batches of really unfortunate Shadows, because him and Ren alone are making it almost impossible for any Shadows to survive the first few seconds of the encounters.

"Man, you're super strong!" Oracle voices his thoughts as they get back into Mona, their last requests done way ahead of the schedule. They've only been here for an hour and a half, and he's crossed out three of his remaining requests already. "The others rarely get a chance to show off because of that!"

"Not that I hate having you as an ally," Crow says. "But… there goes my relax time, I guess."

"I must agree with Crow on this one," Noir says as she runs her slender fingers along the blade of the axe, which barely gets to taste any blood at all today.

"…Sorry?" Thanatos says, rubbing the back of his neck slightly. "Would you believe me if I say… I am quite angry at the people that had separated me from Makoto?"

"You are angry?" Queen says. "You… don't look it."

"Oh, I don't usually get furious with anyone, if at all," Death says with a small laughter before he looks away and into the sprawling tunnels. He then says, a little quieter. "…Many things have gone wrong, and even with my connection with him hampered like this, I could still feel his distress through the corridor. I am… I think I am angry at them. Beating up Shadows is… a good way to stop myself from getting worked up, I suppose."

Ren exchanges a look with the rest. None of them, not even him, not even Crow, saw that coming. Thanatos – Mochizuki, rather, seems like a calm and kind individual. For him to admit anger is a little, just a little, unsettling. Ren then pats his shoulder lightly, drawing those sapphire blue eyes back to him. He then smiles. "I'm glad that helped. We'll find your friend, I promise. Once we hit Shido, the questionings are all yours and Crow's over there."

"Indeed. I, too, have a few scores I need to settle with him," Crow snarls.

"Thank you, all of you," Thanatos hums. "And sorry about stealing the spotlight. I'll try to tone down my, uh, ferocity next time."

They laugh.

With this man by their sides, and with his bonds right behind him, Ren's pretty sure they're going to do just fine against Shido Masayoshi.

They will win and end his corruption, once and for all.

Chapter Text

Revolution

"Shido's getting pretty angsty."

Goro says as soon as he sees Ren coming down from the attic, while Mochizuki simply gives him a small nod as he reads what Ren reckons to be the thirteenth book, so far. The boy's reading speed is scary as all hell, seriously.

"What happened?" Ren asks, sitting down on the stool next to Goro, who gives him his phone. There is a screenshot from Futaba's lengthy video of the Calling Card being dropped all around Japan, and the reactions from the people and the internet are priceless. But what really strikes him is the next screenshot, possibly from a security camera. "…Where is that?"

"The office, of course. They're beginning to panic and starting to gather," Goro says, pulling back his phone and changing it to another screen. This time, it's more or less another one of Futaba's inside information. It's secret orders from Shido, directed towards what the paper called The Splinter Cell, and then the others such as the IT company and the Cleaner, as well. How Futaba got her fingers on that, Ren'll never know.

"Means he's primed for a strike today, just like we've planned," Ren hums, glancing towards Mochizuki, who's sipping a cup of coffee leisurely. "You ready, Mochizuki?"

"Yes," The boy says. "Akechi-san has already shown me the leaked information. It seems like I might get to know more about Makoto's whereabout – or at least about his captors – by the end of today."

"You will," Ren says. "What about you, Goro?"

"I can't wait to beat the crap right out of his sorry hide and then flay him alive," He snarls, but then sets himself straight and composes his facial expression almost instantly. "…But I know that is not the way I should do it, not anymore. So… I'll leave the aftermath to you. Just make sure to let me get a punch – or ten – in."

"Will do," Ren laughs lightly, his finger drawing absent lines on his knee to put away the forming crawl on his skin. "And how's it been? For you two to live with me here, that is."

"It's quite alright," Mochizuki says. "I don't require that much sleep to begin with, anyway. And Sakura-san is very kind, allowing me to spend most of my days downstairs just so."

"I'm fine," Goro murmurs. "Could've been better, I suppose, but I know you did your best."

Ren pats the detective's shoulder lightly with a small laughter. "Sorry about that. Anyways, I… admittedly am a bit nervous, about all of this. You too, huh, Goro?"

"Mhm," The detective hums. "Though not as much as you, Ren. Your jitters are showing."

He sighs. "Yeah, they are, huh."

Fortunately, both of them decide to keep to themselves, letting Ren finds solace in the silence and in their companies. The date is today, and he's just waiting for the others to get ready. Once in, he's not going to back down until Shido's face is planted into the floor. He also has a personal score to settle, since his little accusation makes it impossible for Ren to return home (house, rather. His home is right here, with the Thieves), not that his parents would want him to.

He sighs, rubbing the bridge of his nose lightly. There is also Mochizuki's friend, Yuuki Makoto. He isn't sure what to make of their situations – it certainly is strange, for them both to be put into some kind of temporary daze (and that is his wild guess, too) only to come to their senses in enemy territory. Shido's involvements with Isshiki Wakaba's researches and the abuses of the Metaverse second the idea that, indeed, he might've been the one to facilitate Yuuki's captivity.

But something feels wrong. It's not like Mochizuki is lying about something important, but like the boy has said before, he's lying by omission about some details that would make gathering information easier, if Ren knows. But then again, if he said that there are little room for errors, Ren knowing as little as he is now might've been for the best.

He looks up at Mochizuki, who's seemingly engrossed with his book – it's the book Futaba had lent him a few months back, computer sciences, he thinks – his eyes as amused as they are intrigued by the content. When he catches Ren's gaze, the boy only smiles, but doesn't do anything before turning his attention back towards the papers.

Ren sighs and flops his head onto the counter, groaning into himself. He really is starting to think in circles now. Any more than this, and he'll probably get a headache.

"Overthinking things?" Goro muses. When Ren grunts, the boy chuckles. "This is not like you at all, Ren. What? Worried about Mochizuki-san over there?"

"A bit, yeah," He says in a low voice, soft enough to probably escape Death's hearing range. "But if he thinks Shido will have his answers, then I guess that's what we'll believe… unless proven otherwise."

"Even if we don't believe so, it's our only option," Goro hums, taking a sip of the coffee in front of him. After he licks his lips clean of the liquid, he continues, a hand subtly patting Ren's knee. "But that's what you do best, right? Believing, I mean."

"…I dunno, probably," He shrugs. "At least he's on our side. I dread even thinking about facing him as a foe."

"As much as I hate to admit, yes, fighting Mochizuki-san might spell an instant death for you."

He grumbles. "Can't you at least sugar coat it for me?"

"Never."

He huffs out a laughter, his anxiety somewhat calming down.

No point thinking about the far future. Now is his main focus.

Even without turning into Thanatos, Mochizuki – goddamnit, gotta call him Thanatos in here! – is quite a capable fighter, punching and tearing through things with his human hands like they were made of butter and not steel.

"Remind me not to cross you, man," Skull says as he shivers from head to toe. Ren glances back to see the trail of destructions the boy alone has left, tendrils of darkness dancing softly around his fingers.

"You guys can never make me mad," He laughs lightly, carefree, even, as he ducks and lets Noir slams her axe into a Shadow. "The only people I'll be angry at are the rotten and the vile. You lot could never, in a million years, fit into that description."

"…What about me?" Crow says, a bit pensive.

"You're just brought up in unfortunate environment, but your heart is alright," Thanatos says with a wave of his hand and a bright, warm smile – a smile that is a stark contrast to the deaths he's leaving on his trail. "Admittedly, your upbringings are a little worse than Makoto's. That is why I understand and sympathize with your actions, as… uncalled for as they may be."

"…Thank you, I guess, not that I deserve any of that," Crow mumbles before sighing into his suit. And when they reach something that resembles an auditorium of a parliament, Crow says. "…Here we are."

The red carpet, the high ceiling, the circular hall – this place looks as much like a parliament as it could've been, with replicas of humans scattering along the rows of seats. They spot a single, hairless bastard on the podium, and Ren could feel Crow and Thanatos' eyes boring into the back of his head. He gives them a hand, stopping them, as they all walk closer.

Shadow Shido is as much of an asshole as the real one, but even more sinister and upfront with his ideals and goals. Ren snarls while the man makes a speech, and he has to use every little bit of control in his being to stop himself from stabbing this man's eyeball out of his skull.

"This country needs a steady hand to guide them. The masses cannot think for themselves; you should know this! I'm merely sacrificing those people for the greater good, you see. Necessary, for the progress of this esteemed nation. And this nation has no needs for thieves like yourselves."

Before he or his friends could retort, Thanatos' calm, cold voice cuts through, his smile still as pleasant, but the stillness and the lack of life in his tone makes Ren shivers. "Sacrifice for the greater good, you say? My friend had done the same thing… but he did not sacrifice others – he put himself in harm's way to achieve his goals. The means matter as much as the ends, and someone like you, who'd sacrifice anything but yourself, is nothing more than a hypocrite, who needs to be shackled and silenced."

Ren flinches, and he sees Crow sharing his sentiment, as he seems to withdraw a little at that.

It seems, from just that piece of dialogue alone, that Yuuki must've relinquish something important, if it spurs Thanatos to say something like that so coldly that Ren could feel it bites into the core of his bones. He then turns to Shido, who seems to have been struck silenced by that, as well. The man then tries to act brave as he sneers. "What would a brat like you know about sacrifice? And who are you, to question me?"

"I am something you should fear," Thanatos says, and then he erupts and turns into Death, the black cloak and the hollow mask and the sarcophagi emitting foul aura that makes the air unbreathable. When Shido gapes, Ren hears Thanatos laughs. "I will not kill you, but I cannot promise the experience to be painless. You know nothing of sacrifice, Shido Masayoshi… let me teach you that with my own two hands."

"Clam down a little, Than!" Ren says, shortening his name mostly due to his nervousness, fingers raking across his chest through his cloth to calm himself down, as well. He sees Crow crackling his knuckles, so he falls back and pats the detective's back lightly. "You and him take point. The rest of you, keep watch – I'll provide support."

Before they could do anything, however, Shido bellows. "Silence! I will be the one to guide the foolish mass, and you shall not stop me!"

The area then shifts and changes, circular steps encircling and cutting their accesses to the top. Ren growls before he orders the Thieves to climb up. Fortunately, the contraptions are slow, and before long they're at the top, the parliament now turn into large arena with nothing and nowhere to hide. Ren clicks his tongue, but before he could say anything, both Thanatos and Crow have already stepped forward.

"Let us take care of this, Joker," Crow says, and Thanatos hums in agreement as he draws the jagged blade from its sheathe. "I'll make sure not to kill him. Promise."

"As do I," Thanatos seconds. "Let us handle this."

Ren is reluctant, if he's to be honest, as Shido's Shadows call forth the masses that form themselves into a prideful lion, and Shido sits atop of it, much like a tyrant who builds his empire on the blood and sweat of his people would. But when he sees Crow's almost pleading expression, he could do nothing but to give in with a small nod (he thinks Crow really has him wrapped around his fingers, but that's something to muse another time) before murmuring. "I've got your back. Go."

"Much obliged," Crow says. Ren nods at the others, who seems less content, but still allow the two of them free reign of this fight.

"We'll butt in if you guys eff up, though," Skull says. "Kick his ass, you two!"

There's a single second of stillness, before the two of them let loose their inner frustrations onto the unfortunate man.

He knows Crow can be sadistic, at times (albeit a bit less than Noir), and fierce. But he hasn't accounted just how much his hatred for Shido would change his battle style, and only realize the depth of his anger when Loki lets out multiple Megidolaons, all at once, sweeping the politician under the bright light and the unforgiving blast.

And Thanatos – he's seen him fight in the Mementos, true, but that was without his anger fueling his movements. But now that Thanatos is rightfully and wholly furious, the degree of destruction he's bringing out far outweighs anything Crow could've conjured. Ren reckons that Beelzebub's powers might rival Thanatos' prowess now… and he shudders to think what would happen if his power returns in full.

Ren decides not to chip in. Shido would die if he does.

It takes mere minutes for Shido to fall, human-like once again, and battered.

Crow is heaving, all his anger finally seeping away, his revenge fulfilled. Thanatos looks satisfied with the results as he reverts back to his human form, a hand on his chest like he always does, and a cold smile (that Ren still couldn't get used to) on his lips. His sapphire blue eyes then turn to Ren, and he nods his head in Shido's direction, beckoning Ren forward.

The others slowly make their ways towards Shido, each having their own bones to pick with the man, and a righteous fury burning in their hearts. But before they do their usual routine of coercing the Shadow to finally repents, there is a question that needs an answer. Ren gestures to Thanatos and says, "Ask your questions right away, Than. He won't be able to lie now."

"Thank you," The boy (Death) nods slightly before grabbing Shido by the scruff of his neck and pulls him up until his knees leave the floor. With surprising strength, he holds the politician in place, and he slowly utters each and every syllable with care. "Where is Yuuki Makoto?"

"Who?" Is what the man says as a reflex. Ren could feel his bloodlust seeping through his shaking hands, and Crow puts a hand on the boy's shoulder to shake him out of his anger. But that display is enough to stir something in Shido as the man says. "…You mean, that boy I saw under those researchers' custody? With unkempt dark blue hair and a bang parted to the right?"

"And steel gray eyes, and scars on his right hand and across his entire body, yes," Thanatos adds, his voice dripping with venom. "So, you've seen him. Where did you take him?"

"I don't know—I-I'm honest!" Shido says, and quickly adds when Thanatos lifts up his other hand. "I'm being serious here! They're a splinter cell of researchers from a certain company, a branch I have only a degree of direct control over! I was there because the head researcher asked me to, to see his new guinea pigs!"

There is a deafening silence, where even breathing is taboo. Ren chances a glance at Thanatos, whose eyes darken, stone cold murderous intent brewing deep inside his usually kind pools of sapphire. Ren has to step in and murmurs hurriedly, "You can't kill him, or he'll die in the real world, and our goal will—"

"I know, Joker," He says sternly. Then, louder, he asks. "What do you mean, guinea pigs?"

Shido looks a little lost, and even afraid, at that. He stumbles on his own words before he manages to calm himself down enough to speak properly. "I-I don't know. He said there were two of them, then one just disappeared. He said it's unforeseen, but he said something about the Wild Card being an ideal test subject for his new drugs and interrogation techniques and cognitive psience researches, so I gave him a green light."

Ren could feel his own anger boiling in the pit of his stomach. To speak of test subjects and tortures against someone Ren assumes to be his age, at best, is making him sees red. He quickly squeezes Thanatos' arm, and he turns to see Thanatos' curled fist stopping mere inches from Shido's pale face. Quickly, he pulls Thanatos away, leaving Crow and the others to coerce Shido into confessing.

He puts both his hands on Thanatos' arms as he looks away, his initial anger now replaced with worry and fear, for his friend. When Ren shakes his arms lightly, he looks up, lips pressed into a thin line. "Joker… he is alive. Distressed. In pain. We—we have to—"

"I understand," He says, voice low. "We'll look that up as soon as we can. Just – I don't know if you could, but, breathe. We'll get him back. I promise."

Thanatos looks up at him and inhales deeply once. He then nods. "…Yeah. Yeah. They won't kill him, because if they're aware that he's a Wild Card… then he'll be invaluable. He still has time, but—"

"The sooner we find him, the better, I know," Ren adds, glancing back to see Skull and Crow giving him a short nod, signaling that they are done. "…Let's go take the treasure and bring him down for good. We'll find your friend, I promise."

We'll find your loved one, Ren corrects mentally, as he orders the others to finish the heist.

It seems, even after taking Shido down, the clock is still ticking, and their time is running short.

After a close escape attempt (where Ryuji almost died… somehow), they all return to Leblanc.

Mochizuki immediately seats himself into the wall, his hands clasped together, his brows furrowed. None of the Thieves say anything, and after a brief discussion, he lets the others go, leaving Leblanc with just those who reside in them.

Once the others are gone (and with Morgana just conveniently leaves with Futaba), he sits down beside Death, while Goro takes the seat opposite from him. He gives Boss a brief smile before he places a careful hand on Mochizuki's shoulder. Once he gets the boy's attention, he murmurs. "…If there's anything I can do, just say so. I'm here for you."

The boy sighs and shakes his head. "…It's alright. At least—at least we can be sure they won't kill Makoto, because he's an… invaluable guinea pig," Mochizuki grits out that word like it's poison, and he seems to force himself to breathe before continuing lowly. "But—even with our connection twisted like this, I can still feel his distress, if I focus hard enough. He's in pain, Amamiya. Every single time I checked after we left the Palace – he's always in pain."

He doesn't know what he should say, if at all, so he just gives the boy a sympathetic look as he squeezes his shoulder lightly. After literal minutes of nothing but bated breaths and tensions, Ren murmurs. "…I'm sorry, Mochizuki. I… I wish I'd be able to help more."

"You're doing all that you can," He whispers, tired and defeated, as he rests his head on his joint hands, heaving out a long-suffering sigh. "…I can do nothing but wait for information. Hopefully, Futaba-san will be able to dig up one. And… even so, I'll help see your journey through to the very end."

"You don't have to, if—"

"—Makoto wouldn't have wanted me to abandon a friend in need," Mochizuki cuts him off with a small, rueful smile. "It's the least I can do for you, Amamiya. So… let me. If not for that, I'm afraid… I wouldn't have anything else I could do."

Ren just nods at that, accepting his offer, with no way to refuse. So instead, he opts for promising this; "If you are sure. And I promise, I'll do my best to find him, Mochizuki. This time, Shido's gone too far."

"I agree," Goro says. "I… have heard a thing or two about this splinter cell, so I'll help look around, too. I might be able to find something."

"…Thank you, all of you… truly…" Mochizuki half-sobs into his hand as he bows his head. "Thank you."

"It's no problem," Ren says, patting the man's shoulder lightly, in reassurance. "We'll find him. I promise."

After a moment, he hears Arsene calls from the back of his mind, his voice not the same cheerful, arrogant tone he once knows. Trickster, make haste. But be careful, do not let the Twins or Igor catch wind of this. Not until everything is revealed.

Revealed? What does that even mean? He asks with his thoughts as he gets up to make coffee, maybe to distract Death, or to keep himself occupied. He isn't quite sure.

You will see, in due time, is all the answer he gets as Arsene retreats back into the void once more. Ren could only sigh at Arsene' cryptic nature, but he thinks wallowing over it now would do him no good. So he simply shoves the feeling of restlessness and impending doom away.

He looks up at his two friends, one drowning in guilt that shouldn't be there, the other deep in thoughts as he thinks of a way to gain more information. Ren couldn't have asked Goro for more – the man, while having wronged the Thieves, are already doing the best he could to atone. Lack of Shido's support and his disappearance from Shido's circle must've hurt his situation more than Goro's letting on, and Ren wants nothing more than to reassure his greatest rival that he's doing fine as he is now.

With a heavy heart, he decides to help keep the two of them calm, as much as he could. With swift, practiced motions, he starts brewing three cups of pure black coffee, silently working his ways through preparing the beans and making the beverage with care.

After minutes of heavy silence, Mochizuki speaks up first, his eyes remaining on the table. "…Amamiya, I… I think I'll take it up. The offer."

"What offer?" Ren asks, genuinely curious, as he wipes the steam off his glasses.

"The school. Shujin," He murmurs, looking up slightly with a small smile. "Seems like as good a time as any, I suppose, and… if – when we find Makoto, he would've loved to finish high school, too."

The way he words that is a bit strange, and Goro seems to think the same, his eyebrows shooting up just minutely. But Ren decides to smile, trusting Mochizuki enough that he'll tell them more when he's ready. Whatever he and this Yuuki have gone through, and are going through still, is something he knows by his heart that it's not what he should ever pry.

"Glad to hear it. I'll go back to school once Shido's confessed, because then I won't have to fear polices knocking at the door anymore," He says with a chuckle. "I kinda miss school, to be honest. My friends – my family – are there, not to mention that messing around is kind of fun."

That drags out a laughter out of Death. "On that, I can agree."

"What about you, Goro?" He asks, pouring the pure black into each cup, the steam rising slowly and dissipating into the air. "School?"

"I'll go back roughly at the same time as you," He murmurs. "…Yes, that is probably for the best. If I go now, even if Shido's heart has already changed… it's still a bit too dangerous for me."

"I see," He hums before setting the cups in front of the two, then sits down himself. "I hope this will help you a little. Just… both of you, if I can help with anything at all, do say the word, m'kay?"

"Thank you," Mochizuki hums with a small smile.

Goro nods, but Ren detects a subtle quirk of his lips before he lifts the cup up.

They'll be fine, he thinks.

December 24th, 2016 [Saturday]

After the election comes the uproar.

Ren knows Shido confessing is a good thing, but… he feels like the air is unusually hostile towards all of the Thieves, even though it should've been returned to normal by now, and it sometimes makes his skin crawls with unease. Mochizuki doesn't say anything more regarding the Palace's heist, but he mentions in passing his worries, stating that something feels off. Ren is inclined to agree, but he knows not what exactly that has gone wrong.

And he's surprised, to put it lightly, that despite his love for Yuuki, he actually loves putting up the act of a flirt and a charming prince. Arsene is laughing his ass off, Ren could feel it, with how much Death's actions contrast his true feelings. His love is no joke, he could tell that just from a glance. But then again, he thinks this is just the way Mochizuki is in front of people he doesn't know. Putting up a farce like this is a good way to throw people's suspicions out the window.

But then Ren's reminded that exams are coming, and he could only sigh as they set up a study group back at Leblanc just mere hours after their celebrations.

But soon, that becomes nothing more than a trivial concern, once Christmas Eve rolls around.

Suddenly, it is as if the confession hasn't happened – nothing makes it into the news. Nothing at all, not down in the grapevines, either. The news only say that Shido won by a landslide, but not what he had said during the conference itself. And not even a mention of the Thieves; everything's just… weird. And when Ann brought up the fact that the mass treats the Thieves as if they never exist, it just gets much, much worst.

And before he knows it, they're already inside the Mementos yet again, this time to find the root cause of everything and get rid of it for good.

As soon as they step in, Thanatos visibly flinches, his eyes narrowed. When Ren turns to him, Death speaks up, loud enough for them to hear. "…Yes, the causes of the mass' distorted thoughts are within this place. I can feel it in my bones."

"Then we're on the right track," Ren says, more to himself than anything. He looks at Crow, who nods once, before turning his attention towards the expanding sprawl. "I really don't like the feeling of this."

"Neither do I," Thanatos says, crossing his arms. "After you, Joker."

Without further delay, they descend down the coils of veins and tracks and darkness, all of which becoming thicker and viler as they progress. Ren thinks he remembers quite well the state of the Mementos he last seen, and he could say with absolute confidence that this was not how it looked like before.

And then, when they reach the very bottom, seeing the Shadows of those they've changed hearts, of the people wishing to be controlled, they're faced with the People's prison cells, and in the middle of it all is the Palace's treasure—

"Get ready!" Thanatos commands before he could, his form melting into that of Death, blade ready in his grip. "That thing is—"

Before he could finish, a cold, calculating voice cut him off. And when Ren looks up, he sees that the thing is the origin of that voice. "…Hmph. You indeed are an unseen factor to my game. What are you, to be able to withstand humanity's desires, despite not being one of the Thieves?"

At this, Thanatos laughs, the rough edges of the hollow-eyed mask splitting apart, the crows of laughter filling the sky-high cells. Then, as if changing his personality altogether, he points the blade at the thing, then hisses lowly. "You have nothing on me, whatever you are. I am Death itself, and I bow to no one."

"The damn Treasure's talking," Ren hisses, a hand on his mask, Arsene ready at his beck and call. His finger twitches over a faint scar as he asks Death. "Than, what is that thing?"

"Not a Shadow, that's for certain," He says lowly. "I don't know, but I do have an idea. And whichever theories is correct makes little difference in what we have to do, Joker."

"…That's true."

As if hearing their banters, the thing speaks up, much like a condescending god would to a child. "I am revered as the granter of dreams, for all who behold me… A being commonly known as the Holy Grail. And this Prison of Regression is representative of the collective desires of humanity. They wish to be chained down, surrender their cognition, and neglect the world around them. And these feebleminded commonfolk will make your social reform all for naught."

"As much as it pained me to say… this has happened before, in a different form, in a different time," Thanatos speaks up, stance relaxing ever so slightly, acceptance and defiance mixing equally in his tone. Ren turns to see those hollow eyes bearing an emotion he reckons to be understanding. When Ren just gives him a wide-eyed look, Thanatos laughs mirthlessly. "Humanity can be… weak-willed, at times. But they have potential."

"…I see, so you are…" The Grail echoes through the high prison, recognition in its deep voice. Then, it continues, "Then you understand. Yet, here you are, against I, the Wish-Granter. You should know better than anyone, that the masses cannot be changed – it had happened so before, and it will happen again."

"True," Thanatos says. Then he swiftly lifts his blade and points it at the Grail. "But I've seen, and have learnt, of mankind's potential. To let the masses fall down to the pits of darkness is not something I can allow to come to pass, Wish-Granter."

The Grail laughs, the sound reverberating into Ren's very being. He looks up as the red-hued light shines and shimmers all around it like blazing halo. "The shared heart of the masses has fallen into an excess of indolence and transformed into a prison already, Death. Can you hear their voices? The potential that you have claimed to see is naught but fantasies, now."

As if responding to the command, the voices of the masses ring into his head, worshipping the thing. Ren snarls. "I will not allow this. I understand the masses wishing for it, but not all of them want to be shepherded like sheep! No matter how painful or how thorny the roads are, we humans will forge a path forward on our own!"

"My sentiment exactly, Joker," Crow grits out, a maddened grin on his face.

"That's right! We ain't gonna let some oversized cup dictate our lives!" Skull crows, and the others follow suit.

He then turns to Thanatos, whose visage holds something akin to nostalgia, as if seeing something oddly familiar. He isn't given the time to muse on it when Thanatos speaks up. "See? That's why I've always believed in mankind's potential to grow."

"Let's do this, guys!" Ren shouts.

"It matters not who or what you are. I am born of their wishes, and I exist to grant them. Humanity's distortion is mine to actualize, and granting them those wishes is my duty, fools."

Before they could do anything, the Grail emits rays of blinding lights, and everything is gone.

They are fooled.

Expelled from Mementos, only for it to merge with the real world. And with the masses' cognition of their nonexistence, they are all banished into the void.

He couldn't see where Mochizuki ends up, but he didn't see the man disappearing before his eyes like the others. Maybe, because he isn't exactly a part of the Thieves, or because he is Death, that he is spared from this fate?

Ren blinks – how could he still blink? – to find himself in the damn prison yet again, his hands and feet chained together like a prisoner to the Fate that he is. And when he sits up, the Wardens are looking at him, burning golden eyes boring into his soul, while Igor says with disappointment. "In the end, it seems that your rehabilitation was not carried through. It appears that I have overestimated you, Trickster."

Ren groans, a hand on his head, nails digging past the healed scar on his temple. Everything's spinning, his mind heavy, his fingertips cold like ice. He – he isn't dead, yet, but it seems he's walking the fine line. When he growls, the Wardens reprimand him, calling him a fool and an incompetent prisoner, while Igor simply chuckles.

"Humanity are more apathetic and more foolish than I had thought them to be. The world will soon see its ruins. You have lost, Trickster. Changing mankind's heart is beyond you, and the cost of losing the game is death. Your life, Trickster… is forfeit."

"…What!?"

Igor grins. "I sentence you to death, Trickster. God's decree is absolute."

He looks down at the Wardens, who seem conflicted. But then, Caroline says quietly. "…If that is our master's wishes."

"You've got to be kidding me!" He growls, fists hitting the steel bar, ignoring the blooming pain in his knuckles as he does. "I will not give up this easily! This is not what people truly wish for! They have the potential to change, Igor!"

"Silence!" Caroline bellows, less fierce and more reluctant than he's ever heard her. "Don't – don't be such a sour loser and accept your fate!"

"I don't believe in fate that's set in stones," He snarls. Justine is looking at him, her eyes unreadable. But she seems to be having an inkling of hope for him. "This path, I will carve on my own!"

"Your fate is already sealed, Trickster," Igor muses. "Carry out his sentence at once."

There are unspoken doubts in the air as he's dragged onto the floor, and set before the gallow, its blade raised up into the sky. But he can't fall here – he refuses to fall here. Fate is his to shape and to make, and to rebel is his nature.

He will not accept this fate such as it is!

I heard you loud and clear, Trickster! Arsene laughs as fire of rebellion covers his body once more. When he looks up again, he could see the laughing visage before him. You are not giving up. I've heard your resolve, and now, let me guide you! I am Arsene, but my true name is this—!

"Raoul!"

The flame erupts, and once more, he's covered in his Thief's garb, his mask already shattered and turned into his rebellious spirit's true form. Steel mask, metallic wings spread wide, smokes erupting from its ever-grinning mouth, and a posture of a true insurgent. When Ren stands up fully, Raoul speaks, with flairs befitting the title of the King of Thieves.

"I am Raoul, the King of Thieves, the Spirit of Freedom! One's path is none but one's own to shape and mold! None of you – no gods, nor kings – shall rob the people of their free will! I am the wings of rebellion! Now come, Trickster! Show them who you really are, and walk forward without falter, with your heart as your guide!"

His path is his to make, and he will not allow some god to choose it for him.

He lets himself bares his teeth into a savage grin, mimicking Raoul's own.

"It's Showtime!"

Chapter Text

Of Gods and Demons

Caroline and Justine are strong.

But he will not yield.

He could see hesitation in their eyes, see that glimmer of hope dancing within those pools of bright gold like the sun that would burn the darkness away. Raoul hums, content, as he pulls the magnificently-crafted curtain over their eyes and fools them into thinking that he's disappeared. Ren keeps a keen eye on Igor, who's standing there, watching with a grin that is less noticeable and a frown that's slowly forming on his usually smug face.

He ducks out of the way of a Diamond Dust, and briefly changes Raoul into Jack Frost as another ice-clad projectile reaches him. Jack Frost simply absorbs it, before he shifts Raoul back into the forefront of his mind, and calls forth the strings of curses and darkness that clash into the Twin Wardens, stopping them in their tracks, but refrains himself from putting in too much power.

Don't hurt them. They are your allies. We will make them see the truth, Raoul says from within him as the Thief-King summons a thin, elegant cane from nothingness, and unsheathing from the cane a long blade that looks like it belongs in the museum, and not the battlefield. When Ren nods, he explains further. Don't worry about Igor. Help is on the way.

He isn't given the time to think on it as Raoul pulls him out of the way, the scorching inferno burning just where he was a moment prior. He growls, shooting a few bullets at the large tomes in their hands, stopping them from calling out more Personas. When he lands, he sees that they have already stopped trying to kill him, and are both thinking, hesitating.

"I believe I ordered his execution," Igor commands, his arms crossed.

There is a beat of silence, before Justine speaks up. "…Something speaks to me in my mind. We are… Wardens, who see through the rehabilitation of prisoners… our true duty is not to kill."

At that, a small, gentle voice he's heard times and times again rings in his ears, and he looks up, to see Raoul nodding at him, for him to listen.

Help… Please, help.

"How can I help?" He says to the darkness and the Shadows, to the owner of the disembodied voice, who is asking for help. He is the rebel, the Trickster, the Wild Card… to revolt against the injustice is his beck and call. And this – this is what he knows that he must do.

Our desire is for you to complete your rehabilitation.

He looks up at Justine and Caroline, whose eyes are following the glowing blue butterfly, much like his. He then knows what he has to do – they are no executioners, and the term wardens are not right, either. They are more; they are the one who would help him through this path, he knows this much. And when Justine and Caroline look at him, he knows what they want him to do.

"We will not forsake humanity!" She declares, for the both of them. And that is when a glimpse of a small human-like being to flash into their minds. And Ren doesn't need to have anything else spelled out to him to know what this means—

They were once one, torn apart and separated by a malevolent power, Raoul says, confirming his suspicion, and he whirls around to face Igor, whose visage is no longer that of a calm, composed prison master, but of a malignant being that doesn't belong in this place. Raoul then brandishes his blade. I will not let him stop you, Trickster! Make them whole again, you must!

He nods and reaches for the Twins. And when they look at him, he says resolutely. "I'll help you. Trust me."

"We will."

He hurriedly places their necks onto the waiting platform of the gallows, and turns in time to see Igor already sending Raoul into the far corner, his hand dancing with vile light. Ren hisses as he tries to activate the gallows as Igor says slowly. "It seems I will have to execute you myself, Trickster."

"Fuck you!" He snaps, as that hand reaches for him—

Only for trails of black and sarcophagi to crash and stand between him and Igor.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Joker!" Thanatos calls, brandishing his black-clad blade, forcing Igor to back away. Ren then turns to Raoul, who gets up and joins Death in standing between him and that vile thing.

"Took you a while, Death," Raoul states, seemingly amused (even though him being sent into the wall after declaring don't worry is also kind of funny on its own) (I did not get sent into the wall, Trickster) (Sure, sure, liar). "But, as expected of Death itself… even the Mementos cannot erase you, it seems."

"Death is indestructible," Thanatos says with a low growl as he stands straight up, the coffin-wings on his back spreading wide, shielding him. "Do what you must, Joker."

He needs no more incentive than that as he activates the gallows. And instead of blood, the Wardens dissolves into storms of butterflies, and from the shimmering light comes a long-haired, kind looking child who holds a single tome that reeks of more power than the Twins combined. And when she stands before him, she smiles and says with that voice he's heard hundreds, thousands of times before.

"I am Lavenza. I was torn apart by the malevolent will, and took the form of those twins."

"Figure as much," Ren says, turning to Igor once more. "I daresay he's not really your master, is he?"

"He is not," She confirms, and opens the tome, the pages flipping through, ice and fire seeping out of the papers. "Thank you for helping me, Trickster. Then… you who'd swindled my master's name – your lies will no longer work on us."

Igor laughs, and the two Personas back away as spouts of vile lights engulf him. He rises up, and his voice is now that of the Grail – the Grail is Igor.

"…Rather than the Holy Grail… I suppose it would be more accurate to say that I am a god that responds to the desires, and hold dominion over man. Whether the world lives or dies… are but sports to me. I had hoped that seeing righteous thieves vanquishing evil would spur mankind to change, but I was wrong."

"Nonsense," Thanatos says, swinging his blade once, letting the moldable dark dances and cuts off the tendrils of vile light that threatens the hall of the Velvet Room. "We are the same, you and I. You rigged this game of yours, I can tell it even with my power reduced to this."

The Grail laughs again. "That matters little. Now that I have my answers, that man seeks nothing but ruins, then that is what I shall grant them. And if you so choose freedom and death over my control, over order, then so be it."

And with that, the Grail disappears.

When they look behind them, there is another light, and from it comes—

"…Is this some kind of joke?"

Ren says as he sees Igor, again, who's stirring up from sleeping on his desk and his velvet-covered chair. He turns to see Raoul shrugging at him before disappearing back into his mask, while Thanatos looks at Igor silently for a while before reverting back to his human form, his sapphire blue eyes gentle and hopeful, no longer hostile. Ren's finger twitches over the old scar on his thigh.

Luckily enough, Lavenza steps in and explains. "…He is the rightful master of this Velvet Room, the true aid on your Journey."

Ren just looks at him, dubious. But the man's voice is soothing, his posture betraying nothing but kindness and gentle curiosity, something he's never seen from that thing before. This Igor then bows his head slightly. "It has been a while since I last stepped foot into this place. Welcome to the Velvet Room. My name is Igor."

"So… the real one?" He asks, making Thanatos laughs a little as he walks over to Ren's side.

"Yes. I've met him before, so I remember how he feels like," He hums, a hand on his chest, like always, before he says with a sad, sad smile. "…It has been a while, Igor-san."

"Indeed, it has, Mochizuki Ryoji-san," Igor says, slightly taken aback, Ren thinks. After a short pause, he then adds. "…But it should not have been possible. The Fate—"

"—This is not by Fate's hands," Thanatos says with a slight frown. "I will tell you more, but… not right now, not until I find him, find Makoto. Where is he?"

There is a deafening silence, in which none of them move. And then, Igor waves his hand slightly. "…I will find Elizabeth. If there is someone who'd know, it'd be her. My connection to Makoto-san is… hampered."

Much like what Thanatos had said before. Ren scowls slightly, but says nothing. Thanatos then voices what Ren is thinking. "…Someone did something to him. Is doing something to him. Whoever they are, they must know about Personas, to be able to twist my connection to him like this."

"I apologize for my inability to assist you, Death," Igor says with a small bow.

Thanatos lifts up a hand and smiles sadly. "You're doing your best, you've no need to apologize. But… before we get to anything… all of his friends are here, right? Since I got booted to this place, same as he was."

"Indeed," Lavenza says. "They are most certainly confined in this place, a place that exists between dreams and reality, mind and matter. And since you've deepened your bonds with them, I am certain you can release them, Trickster."

"I'll get to that right away," He says. "Crow's probably pretty pissed right now."

"He is, I can confirm," Thanatos chuckles. "I caught glimpses of him while rushing here. I wasn't sure, since Crow's the only one I saw, but they're alright, I think. And Crow is yelling profanities at me to help him out, but I… well, I was coming to help you."

"I'll talk him out of his murderous streaks," Ren huffs before looking to Igor and Lavenza, who are both smiling gently at him. "I'll bring my friends here."

"I'll wait, then," Thanatos says. When Ren shoots him a curious look, he adds. "I… have something I need to ask Igor. You go ahead. I don't think you're going to use that much time anyways."

"Alright," Ren hums. "Then, see you all in a bit."

"Yes," Lavenza smiles. "I'll be seeing you later, Trickster."

Everything's convoluted as all hell.

Morgana is born from this place, and all those tales about a god that would force order upon mankind, to stop them from ever thinking for themselves. The Holy Grail… is a god—

—And that Mochizuki Ryoji, too, is one such entity.

But, from Igor's words, Mochizuki Ryoji is a part of a whole, a being given humanity by Yuuki, which makes him a person, separating him and his sense of self from a Goddess called Nyx. He knows not what that deity represents, but a wild guess (not so much as a wild guess but a suspicion he's had since first they met) would be death, since Mochizuki calls himself Death and Thanatos, Death incarnate.

He will not pry for more, not even after he kicks Yaldabaoth's ass into oblivion, because this is not what he should be doing. Thanatos had saved them, and is still helping them despite the worry and the fear for his light that ail him so. Ren will leave the man to set his own pace; he believes that Thanatos will tell him the whole story in time, and even if he does not, he wouldn't have blamed him.

After a whole lot of walking later, they find themselves at the sprawls created from chaos manifested, tendrils of black and spines spiraling upwards into the sky, where the Grail – where the damn god resides. Before Ren takes one step further, Thanatos coughs lightly, drawing everyone's attentions.

"Before we do this," He says quietly, looking up at the sky, his eyes forlorn. "…I want to apologize, for not telling you what I really am. For not telling you that I, too, was born – and is a part – of a god."

"Hey, chill, dude," Skull says with a grin. "Not that you can spill something so important to us after we've only just met. You're a cool guy. I don't care what you really are, man."

"What he said," Panther laughs. "You're a really nice guy, and pleasant to be around, too."

Ren smiles a little, relieved that their thoughts align with his. He then pats Thanatos' back lightly. "Don't worry about it, Than! Let's go kick this god's ass, then we'll find your friend."

"…Yes," He nods. "Let's."

The climb up the spires is eerily quiet, and Ren could feel a chill crawling up his spine. Thanatos notes the absence of Shadows, which irks him, too. Raoul isn't saying anything, but he's giddy, to put it lightly. His jitters only grow, and it must've shown, because Crow slaps his back hard, once.

"Ow!?"

"Calm down, Joker," He says quietly, his eyes looking forward, at the gateway to face the god. When Ren turns to look him in the eyes, he only smiles. "You'll be fine. I'm right behind you."

It takes him a moment, but that notion alone sends his heart into the sky, and he smiles back. "Thanks."

When they reach the very peak, they are faced by four Shadows, disguising themselves as angels who would punish the wicked, just like ones often mentioned in the bibles and the old books. Ren clicks his tongue; the representation that Yaldabaoth is a benevolent god through the use of angels are irksome not to mention that they've got no time left to lose, if they're going to destroy a god. The real world will merge with the Mementos soon – any delay, and they might fail—

"Don't worry," Thanatos suddenly says as he steps in between the Thieves and the angels. When Ren gives him a wide-eye look, the boy smiles as veils of darkness surround him. "I've got your back. Go take the world, guys – I'll see you when it's done."

There is no time nor room for hesitation, and Ren thinks he'd know better than anyone, that a weakened god is still a god. If Death is going to watch their backs, then nothing would be able to follow them.

So he nods, and calls to everyone. "Let's go, people! We have the world to steal!"

(It is such a trivial thing, a tiny gesture, but it serves as a guide for the Thieves, who would rebel against the distorted mass.

Ryoji cannot say that he's surprised, to see their leader so resolute and steadfast in his ideals. He reminds him of Makoto, like a splitting image of his light, even if their personalities are in the opposite directions.

He thinks… even if their promised aid to find Makoto fails (something he hopes doesn't come true), he'd still choose to remain friends with them all the same.

These people are those Makoto had fought to protect, after all. And seeing these people reminds him just how beautiful life truly is.

"To live, is to bond, huh…"

Makoto often spoke of that, before his death. His life was never his alone, he said, and that it belonged to everyone he's ever formed a bond with. To live, is to bond, to connect. His life was shaped by the people (The SEES) that he's met, and in turn, he gave it to them, willingly, without falter.

Ryoji knows, deep down, that Amamiya is the same.

"Go out there and take back your freedom, Amamiya," He hums, smiling lightly, as his eyes trail after the fluttering cloak of the Heart-Taker. "I'll be rooting for you, and I'll watch your back, right here."

He is Death, and now…

…Now, he chooses to let these people live their lives of their own free will.

The freedom to choose one's own path — that's what you had always insisted, had you not, Makoto?)

If a god wishes to shepherd you, what will you do?

"We fight."

Ren knows that the mass might've wished for this, deep inside their hearts. He knows he does, too, sometimes, for things to just… be easy, for him to live thoughtlessly, so he wouldn't have to suffer. It is such a little thing – a glimpse of his darker selves, of his Shadow – and that of the others. But it is because this tiny thing that a god was born from, and said god is here, right before his eyes.

A god, formed from the will to submit themselves to fate without putting up a fight. Ren knows he used to be like that, that his friends here used to be like that. Even Crow (Goro), too. But he also knows that, in the end, they'd still choose to fight for their freedom. And the mass – if they're humans, then they still have potential to grow, to fight.

To live is to be free, to be able to choose your own path. Without freedom, what would life be? It would end as mere servitude for a god that cares little for their well-being, for their happiness. And they would drone endlessly, toil for no end, for an eternity or more.

There are many definitions as what living truly means, Raoul hums while Ren stares up into the towering armor-clad god, wingspan cowering the sky like the blight, the hovering halo spinning endlessly. That person, that Savior, that Yuuki Makoto… he often spoke, prior to his grim fate, that to live is to bond, to connect. To live, is to give a part of you to the others. To live, is to feel both joy and suffering, both happiness and regrets.

I agree with that, too, Ren thinks, calling forth Norn, the Weaver of Fate. The gale pushes Loki forward, as the trickster god leaps to plunge its blade into the steel-shell of Yaldabaoth. Crow gives him a brief nod, and he responds with a raised thumb.

But that is not all, is it?

Of course not, He thinks, teeth bared into a grin as he calls for another – Lucifer, this time. Six wings, taking flight into the holy tome and crashing into it, before the Morning Star falls onto the tainted tome, sending it spiraling down into the sea of clouds. What is life, without freedom? I will let neither god nor man guide my path. I will carve the road forward with my own two hands.

Even when they're felled, even when this damn god mocks them, he refuses to let his – their – fates be dictated by some power just because. He will change the Fate, even if it kills him. That is what he, what the Thieves, are. To live, is to be free, to revolt against something that seems so absolute, so undefeatable, so undeniable.

And his hope for humans is proven right when the hopeless calls turn into cheers, for them to keep fighting against this madness that is the god born from mankind's fickle malicious wills.

I've heard you loud and clear, Trickster. And for this god, only one thing will take it down. My power – as the Spirit of Freedom, is yours. Now break the chains, and call forth my name, once more!

"Satanael!"

He shatters the chains, and Raoul laughs, blue flame engulfing the King of Thieves whole. After a moment of silence, the cloud thickens, and descending from the heaven is the devil himself. When Satanael reaches where they are, he could hear the commanding, but soothing, voice echoing through his very soul, dancing along the wisps of the white cloud and booming past the void beyond time.

I am Thou, Thou art I. To live, is to be free of any shackles, and to be able to forge thy own path. I am the Freedom-Seeker, the Rebel, the Punisher of the Wicked. I am Satanael, the Spirit of Rebellion. I was born from thee, and I shall walk by thy side, through whichever path thee chooseth.

"You and I," He says, pointing his gun at the god. Satanael mimics him, the long barrel facing against the visage of madness, of control. "We are one and the same."

He pulls the trigger, and Sinful Shell pierces through Yaldaboath like it is nothing.

And with that, he shatters the dregs of mankind's malevolent will, freeing them from the grip of despair, from the control they do not wish for.

And now… they're free.

The world has returned to its normal state.

And he is surprised, to put it very, very lightly, to see Morgana in Mochizuki's arms, since they all saw him poof'ed out of existence just a minute ago.

"Monaaaaa!" Futaba practically bawls as she scoops Morgana out of Death's hold, the latter as amused as he is startled, and the not-cat is squirming as he's hugged tight. "I-I thought you—Wahhhhh!"

Ren smiles as the others swarm the not-cat, he himself hanging back a little. He would greet Morgana and expresses his happiness to the not-cat in private later. When he hears a small chuckle, he turns to see Mochizuki looking on at the scene fondly. "It's great to see a happy ending like this."

"It sure is," Ren hums, foot carefully nudging Goro, who's left out of the whole thing. Ren turns to the detective and smiles warmly at him. "I'm glad we got a happy ending."

Goro blinks, a little taken aback. Ren catches a glimpse of a smile, but he isn't too sure, since Goro just turns away from him with a low hum.

"…You know, my and Makoto's story… it's not a happy one," Mochizuki says quietly, his hand places above his heart, like he always does. Ren turns to the boy, eyebrows shooting up minutely, the celebrations and the tears of joy of the others reduced into a buzz in the background. "I'll tell you in full when we are done resting and celebrating, but… Makoto ended up dead because of me."

It takes Ren's brain a solid minute to actually comprehend that, and then everything makes sense. But, at the same time, everything also makes no sense. "…If he's dead, then how—"

"We're… well, he is forced into a contract with a god, who gave him back his life," Mochizuki says, his eyes forlorn, pained, and angered at something Ren assumes to be said god that had made this contract with Yuuki. He turns to look at Ren fully, to give him a rueful look. "Everything is my fault. But, at the same time… I'm glad he's given another chance to live."

A god, huh…

As much as it pains me to say, Raoul hums from the back of his mind, and he perks his head slightly upward, as if to hear the voice better. Such power is necessary for his return. He sacrificed his body and his soul to stop the inevitable end of mankind, after all. While I am… glad, even, that it worked, I am also mortified to know that the contract was forced upon him, without his consent.

"…All the more reason for us to find him as soon as we can, then," Ren says quietly. "I'll—"

"You have all the rights to celebrate your victory first, Amamiya," Mochizuki says, laughing lightly. His sapphire blue eyes then glance upward into the sky, and he reaches up, grasping a tiny flake of snow into his palm, humming minutely as it melts into nothing. "But after that, it would be best if you'd continue the investigation."

"About that," Goro says suddenly, pulling out his phone and tapping on a few images. "I've found out something – a name, I think. Those scientists Shido talked about? They're probably the ones appointed to research about Metaverse and Personas, in particular. And most of them hailed from a certain place."

"What place?" Mochizuki asks, tilting his head slightly.

Goro turns the phone to them, and it's the photo of one of the scientists, he thinks – profile, previous workplace, specialty.

Then, Mochizuki gasps. "…Kirijou Group…?"

"You know about them, then?" Goro says, pulling his device back. "Multinational trading company, under the current heiress of the Kirijou Group—"

"—Kirijou Mitsuru," Mochizuki says suddenly, making Ren and Goro turn to him. There are many things swarming in those pair of sapphire; the most forefront of all is shock, then followed by recognition and fear and a streak of anger. He then takes in a deep breath before continuing. "…Do they work for her?"

He knows that person, Ren thinks, brows furrowing slightly, arms crossed. He must have known her, and quite personally, too. He turns to Goro, who has come to the same conclusion as he is. There is a pregnant pause before Goro breaks it with a shake of his head. "No. After a little digging, I found out that they were called a splinter cell for a reason. They all went against the Group – or rather, Kirijou Mitsuru's – codes of conduct, so they were ordered to stop. That's when they quitted and went to work indirectly under Shido. They are from the Kirijou Group, not with them."

Indirectly is what strikes Ren as odd, but he doesn't say anything when he sees that Mochizuki seems to think the same, only for something else to cross his mind.

After a while, Mochizuki sighs in relief at that, as if he's glad something doesn't happen. "…I see. Well, I know that Mitsuru-san is a good person at heart. Had she known that her people are deployed to conduct such diabolical experiments, she would've executed them all by now."

"You know her," Ren states simply, scratching lightly on his neck. "Personally."

"Yes," There is no reluctance in the way he replies, but there is a bit of discomfort, and his face scrunches up slightly. "…It's a long story. I suppose… I'll tell you once we're back at the café. Tomorrow, perhaps – then, we'll go from there."

"Sounds good to me," Goro says. "…We should call it a day. We're all tired as hell, after all."

"Yeah, we should," Ren hums. "I'm going to walk around a bit. See you at Leblanc?"

Mochizuki smiles. "See you there."

After everyone's left ("Let's go shopping, Makoto!" "Wait, Ann, I don't think—" "Aw, don't be such a spoil sports! Come on!"), he remains at the square, and…

"Why aren't you leaving?"

He asks Goro, who hangs back right beside him, his hands tugged inside his coat. Ren doesn't mind his company, though – he's actually glad Goro wants to stay, but at the same time, he's baffled. Goro is known for not being a team player, so him actively offering company is a bit strange to see. But Ren'll take it any day; he likes Goro here with him.

"And leave you to mope on your own?" Goro sneers, kicking his heel slightly. Ren gives out a dignified huff, and the man simply rolls his eyes at him before saying a bit quieter. "…Thought you'd like a friend by you. I know you've got a lot on your mind. Yaldabaoth, Mochizuki-san… and the case against Shido."

"I do," Ren confesses, nodding his head towards the less-crowded spot on the streets. Once they find themselves a nice pocket of quiet to stand and take in the sights of multi-colored lights adorning the buildings and the sky, Ren murmurs. "I'm worried about Mochizuki and his friend, in particular. It has been a month, and even if he's alive, we have no way to know what they're doing to him."

"Haste makes waste," Goro chides lightly, but his eyes are understanding. Ren just smiles; he knows that Goro is pretty inept, when it comes to… expressing his concerns, but he also knows that Goro does have a heart. When he hasn't said anything, the detective adds. "We'll have to listen to the whole story, and I believe Mochizuki-san will tell us everything, this time. After seeing him, and getting to know him a little, I think he's the kind of person who would spare nothing to save a friend."

"Yeah," Ren hums. "I know he's that kind of guy, alright. Much like you, but you're less sociable about it."

Goro doesn't reply right away, and Ren turns to see him thinking, his brows knotted. After a moment and a few misty-clouded breaths, he says quietly. "…That's what I've never understood about you, Ren. Something that irks me."

"What thing?"

"You. Trusting me, as if I have never done anything wrong," He says, pensive, his red eyes searching. "I don't understand you. Why are you forgiving me, after all that I've done? Hell, I would've killed you in a heartbeat, back then."

"You and I, we're the same," Ren says with a grin, knocking his knuckles against Goro's heart, and then his own. "Besides, I can see that you were conflicted about being an enemy, see that you too are feeling all the guilt in the world, even before we were fighting. I'm the kind of person who'd jump right in when I see a person in need of saving, you know."

Goro is looking at him like deer in the headlights, at a loss for words. Ren couldn't quite understand Goro himself – why would he be so skeptical about this? Since this is what friends would do for each other, he knows this much. He'd spare no efforts to help someone in need, a friend in need…

…Someone even more important than a friend, who needs his help.

Ren actually blinks at this little realization, and he unknowingly tilts his head to the side. He isn't quite sure why or how, but… yeah, he thinks Goro is much more important to him than just a friend. A few seconds later, he realizes that he enjoys Goro's company more than the rest of the Thieves, and that – and that he doesn't just like him as a friend, but might actually love him…?

Holy fucking shit!

He barks out a laughter into the air at that, startling the detective.

"What are you laughing at?" Goro says slowly, a small but noticeable grimace on his face.

Ren only smiles and shrugs at him. "Nothing. I just thought of something funny, is all."

"What thing?"

"Wouldn't you like to know, pancake-boy?" Ren teases, nudging his rib slightly with his elbow. When Goro throws him an annoyed look, his grin widens with mischief. "It's not something you'd be interested in, and no, it's not about how all your plans fell apart because you slipped when Morgana mentioned something about a pancake shop, either."

Goro groans. "Ugh, I hate you, Ren. Wish I could just blow your head off right now."

"You've already done that, dude," Ren laughs. He then stops when Goro looks away, all the frowns at the anger seeping out of him like snow melting away in the sunlight. He turns a little to face Goro and carefully touches his shoulder. "…Hey, you know, I don't really blame you for it. I mean, I am still kinda salty, but what's done is done. I'm still here, so I don't really care about the past."

"…You should," Goro mumbles. "…If I had succeeded, you wouldn't be here, and… Shido would've already killed me, and the people will really fall into the hands of the wicked."

"There, see?" Ren says, patting his chest with the back of his hand, making Goro look up at him. "You said the people will fall into the hands of the wicked, not I will not get my revenge. Your heart has always been in the right place. I've always known that."

There is a heartbeat of nothing, and then Goro shakes his head, but he's smiling slightly. Genuine, with no ulterior motive. A sigh, and he murmurs. "…You're incredibly trusting and unbelievably steadfast, Ren. I… I'm sorry, for everything."

"I know," He laughs.

They spend some quiet minutes there, standing together, a finger breadth's worth of space between them. Ren knows he enjoys this, and if the serene look on Goro's face and his relaxed shoulders are anything to go by, he thinks… Goro is appreciating the company, too.

After a moment, Ren notices a familiar figure walking towards him. He looks down, and Goro does the same. Niijima Sae pauses in her track, and after a moment of silence, she smiles, strained. "…It is strange, to see the savior of the world and his should-be arch nemesis enjoying Christmas Eve together."

"Hey, don't call him that," Ren says, slinging his arm over Goro's shoulders to make a point. He hears some splutters and an indignant hiss, but he ignores it. When he sees her expression, however, he slides his arm off the boy's frame. "…It's about Shido's case, isn't it?"

"…Yes," She says, looking up at the night sky. "We can, of course, press charges of all the things he had confessed. The problem comes—"

"—With how to prove him guilty," Ren finishes. Goro, as always, has come to the same conclusion as he did. And Ren doesn't need superior deduction skills to know what will have to come next. He steps forward as he places a firm hand on Goro's chest, stopping him from moving. "…I'll testify."

Niijima eyes Goro at this, frowning. "But he's—"

"Please," Ren emphasizes, his hand pressing harder against the boy that's still trying to force his way forward. "Let me."

"Ren!" Goro protests, but Ren turns to stop him with a look he only wears as Joker – do not stop me, he words silently.

"…You already know what would happen, don't you?" The older Niijima says with a sad smile. When Ren nods, she closes her eyes and sighs. "…I'm sorry. And thank you, Amamiya. But… you can turn yourself in after tomorrow. You should spend your time with your friends first."

"Yeah, I'll do that," He says, and eyes Goro with his best glare, stopping the detective (the culprit) (the Thief and a friend) even for a second longer. "Tomorrow night. I'll have to wrap something up, first. I can't afford to leave loose ends."

"Very well," She says, and then surprises him with a deep, deep bow. "…I'm sorry I'm asking this of you, Amamiya. And… thank you."

"Ren!" Goro hisses, grabbing the scruff of his shirt and whirling him to face the man, leaving Niijima in stunned silence at the usually calm detective's sudden outburst. "What the hell!? Why would you—"

"I have my reasons," Ren forces out. "Please."

Ren couldn't say that he does this for two reasons.

One is obvious; they need to take Shido down. And between Ren and Goro, one would work just as well as the other. But Goro is a part of the team, now, and that means he's also Ren's responsibility. He wants to give Goro a chance to redeem himself. If he turns himself in, he'd be sentenced to jail time, there is no doubt about it. And between that, and Ren simply spending at most two or three years in Juvenile prison and a few more years of jail, at best, he'd choose the latter.

And the other… is because he couldn't let Goro – the person he loves – do that.

His heart just won't allow it.

Chapter Text

A Silent Christmas

Their walk back to Leblanc is... uncomfortable.

They spend the first half of the trek back in heavy, unbreathable silence. Ren couldn't bring himself to say anything, and Goro is… contemplating, his brows never angling upward, his lips always set into a tense line, his teeth grinding themselves to dust. He wants to tell Goro that he does it for his own selfish wish, so that Goro would not blame himself or be angry with Ren. But he couldn't. In the end, all he manages is scratching away at the forming itches on his scars, old and new.

After they reach the subway station, Ren pauses, letting Goro walk past him. When the detective notices this, he stops as well, turning just minutely to look at Ren. He dares looking up at those dark red eyes, and flinches inwardly at how angry they seem. Of course, Goro would be; he's been led by the nose his whole life, why would he want his future to be dictated by another person, now?

But Ren's heart refuses to let Goro take the fall, because the consequences for his crimes will be much more severe than what Ren'll ever get. So, after a long, breathless second, he speaks up first. "…I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it for myself."

Goro's eyes are searching, scrutinizing, dissecting him apart and trying to find an easier-to-understand explanation that Ren will probably never get around to say. He thinks he understands Mochizuki a little better, now; when you love someone dearly, and you'll inevitably have to hurt them… you would never be able to bring yourself to say those three little words that flitter and bounce inside the mouth like a caged songbird.

"…You're not making sense," Goro says. "You're throwing away your future, for a murderer like me—"

"I don't have much future to begin with, with my records stained as is," He says with a humorless laughter, his eyes flickering away from those intense red, like blood. He keeps his gaze on the missing brick on the wall, tongue listlessly licking at his lips. "Don't know who the woman is, don't think she'll come out to testify against Shido, either. My future is already fucked, either way – but yours can still—"

"You're not giving me a choice, Ren," Goro growls, and grabs the edge of his shirt before dragging him away, into the furthest corner where there are no passersby. When they're finally alone, his face loses its hostile edge, ever so slightly – it's subtle, and Ren thinks, without the light of the subway, he wouldn't have been able to tell. "I will be the one who chooses my future—"

"—Which will cause you to rot in jail for years," Ren finishes, shifting his head so the light would bounce off his glasses and conceal his eyes. "Rationally, between the two choices, my punishments seem much, much milder than yours, Goro."

"That's beside the point—"

"—That is the entire point," He snaps back, instinctively grabbing Goro's arm, maybe a bit harder than he had intended. He forces himself to breathe and let go, looking down. He can't face Goro's eyes. "I don't want my friend – I don't want you – to lose your future like that."

"Nor I you," Goro states firmly, his breath tickling Ren's hair. He glances up, surprised, to see that Goro is very, very close. "You'll lose every opportunity you had left to—"

"As I said, I'm fucked either way," Ren says as he inches back slightly. "You deserve a chance, Goro. Please, please, don't waste it. I'm already fucked by helping that woman from Shido's drunken assault – not that I regret it, but still – so a few years in juv would probably means nothing. I know you and I both deserve these chances, but we will be better off if I testify."

There is another deafening silence, and Ren couldn't breathe, so he forces himself to take a few mouthfuls of air. Three heartbeats later, he hears Goro mutters. "…Tomorrow."

"…What?"

"I'll treat you to a meal, tomorrow," Goro says, looking him in the eyes as he adjusts his own coat, and then Ren's. He hasn't even realized that all the grabbing and pulling and whatever else have crumbled their attires. "What would you like?"

Ren just blinks. Again. And again. And again. "…Wait, excuse you what."

"A meal, tomorrow," Goro repeats firmly. Ren thinks his voice is a bit funny, but he couldn't quite put a finger on why, or what. "Just… we can go in the early morning. Or after school for you. I know a few places, then we can go back and tie the loose ends before you have to… go."

Ren isn't quite sure what to make of that, but he decides not to look a gift horse in the mouth and smiles slightly. "…Alright. Some high end restaurants then? I've been eating curry for an eternity and I'm dying to try something a bit fancier."

Goro sighs and hits Ren's shoulder lightly at that. "Are you trying to swindle me out of my life's saving?"

"Not really, but that's a fun thought!" Ren laughs.

"Unbelievable."

If Goro's still angry, he doesn't show it, his face now settled with a soft, thin smile as he walks side by side with Ren, making their way back home.

Yeah… it's okay like this. Ren doesn't mind it.

After arriving and going about showering, Ren finds himself fiddling over his phone on the couch, Morgana on his lap, sleeping peacefully.

Mochizuki sits beside him, reading yet another book – how fast could he read!? That's probably the twentieth one this month! – his fingers tracing the paper absently. After the sound of shower reaches them, he begins, a little amused. "So… have you confessed yet, Amamiya?"

Ren just blinks a few times, unsure of what he means – until he does. He almost splutters on his own saliva, and his ears are burning, same as his cheeks. He turns, to see Mochizuki looking at him, mischievous and amused. Ren just gapes for a few seconds before forcing out a disbelieving, "How did you—"

"I've seen that kind of look before, with Makoto and his loved one," Mochizuki laughs merrily, patting Ren's shoulder as he grumbles. But then, more solemnly, he adds. "…I did not mean to pry, but… Raoul told me about your needed testimony."

Of course Raoul does. Ren gives his Persona a growl, to which he receives a sound that seems like a shrug to him in return. Don't ask him how – he just knows that Raoul's shrugging. "That damn loudmouth."

"What you decided to do just verifies my view of you," Mochizuki says quietly. "Makoto would've done the same thing. After all, he did choose an eternity of suffering to save this world, instead of letting it die and be at peace."

"It's not even on the same scale," Ren murmurs, nervously rubbing a wound on his chest, one he's got from the interrogation. Even now, they still itch, they still sting… and he hates it.

"It is, from his point of view," Mochizuki hums. When Ren turns to look quizzically, Death elaborates, the book closed and placed back onto the table. "The world means little to him. He often equates his life to the bonds he's made. His life has never been his alone, but belonging to his friends. He said that, even if it'd be just his friends, or even one person he'd be saving by sacrificing his body and soul and expanding them across space and time, he'd still do it in a heartbeat."

"…I'm not sure I'd do that if I was in his shoes, though."

"But you just did," Mochizuki smiles. "With your friend, Akechi-san. You just offered your future, for his. It is true that the scale of severity might seem different, but this is in no way a decision someone who doesn't put his friends — his love — over himself would make. Makoto would've done the same thing; you can trust me on this."

Ren exhales the breath he's been holding, and somehow… he feels elated, light, and… he feels like this is the highest compliment he could've achieved. So, he smiles, closing his eyes and leaning his head back against the wall. "…Thank you, Mochizuki."

"You're welcome," He says with a gentle smile, so kind, so warm. Then, his face shifts a little. "…Don't worry about the promise, I'm sure I can find another way to find Makoto. I could seek Mitsuru-san out and—"

"Not a good idea," Ren hums. "They were from her group, right? If you seek her out, who is to say that there will be no more turncoats deep within her organization? If they find you, or they're tipped off in any way, I don't think… I don't think it's a good idea. Not unless you can contact her face-to-face. If that can be done, then yeah… having her on board might be a good call."

"…Unfortunately, you are right," Mochizuki mumbles after a pause, a hand on his chin. "But seriously, don't fret about it. I'll find the way. You don't have to—"

"—Nuh! I did promise to help," Ren stops him with a raised hand and glares the man back down. "I'll clear everything, as much as I could tomorrow. If I know my friends well – and I believe I do – they'll continue to help you even after my… custody. So, I'll set everything up as much as I could for you."

"And I'll take it from there."

They turn to see Goro coming up the stairs, his hair slightly damp and his shirt clinging to his frame a little tighter than they should. He's hot, Ren thinks absently, and he hears Raoul laughs like a madman at that. He just squishes Raoul back into whatever corner of the Sea he came from and makes his mouth move, as to not betray the slight embarrassment he's feeling from seeing Goro, well, wet. "You—"

"—Don't have to, but I will anyway," Goro shrugs, sitting down on the chair opposite from them. "Don't argue with me on this one, Ren. I'll take it from there, and I'll put my life on the line to see it through."

"Please don't throw your life away," Mochizuki says before Ren even could. When Goro looks at him, Death shakes his head. "Makoto wouldn't have wanted that. If this was up to me alone, I would take that promise without even blinking, but… Makoto's wills are my own, and he will not allow anyone to sacrifice themselves to save him. So… I'm grateful for your help, but I cannot allow you to throw your life away for our sakes like so."

Goro glances Ren's way a little, and he knows instinctively that when Goro said that, he didn't mean dying for Yuuki – he means dying in order to see the promised through. So, Ren adds, "Even if that's not the case, I'm not going to let you get your sorry ass killed to keep a promise I made, either. Got it?"

This seems to get through, because Goro sighs and absently dries his hair with the towel on his neck. "…I understand. But rest assured, I will do my damn best to see it through."

"That's all I could ask for," Mochizuki hums. "…I suppose I will tell you two the full version of things when everybody's here in the afternoon, since we regrettably still have school to attend tomorrow."

Ren winces. "…Yeaaaaah, I forgot about that. Eh, I'll skip, why not, no one's gonna care anyway."

Goro throws him a stink eye, but he just shrugs back – Goro did promise to get him a meal, and he knows that Goro won't be going to his own school tomorrow, with all the… fiasco with Shido like this. And since he'll be going into custody anyway, Ren doesn't see the harm.

"Alright," Mochizuki finally says, seemingly quite entertained by something. "I'll be walking the streets a little before coming back. See you all tomorrow afternoon."

"Yeah," Ren hums. "See you."

Once Mochizuki's footsteps fade away, Ren turns to see Goro looking at him quite intensely. He has to flinch a little, and when he does, Goro only sighs and continues rubbing the drops of water off of his hair. "I still don't like you testifying instead of me, but you're not going to back down, are you?"

"Not now, not ever," Ren grins, leaning back and relaxing, his hand absently patting Morgana's fur. The not-cat doesn't wake up, but purrs contently instead. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. I've had it worse under the police's custody – and no, before you say anything, I still don't blame or hate you for it."

Goro looks down at his own feet as he pulls the towel off of his shoulders. He opens his mouth, as if to say something, but seems to change his mind and says something else, something less morbid. "…So, I have a few places in mind. How much can you eat without feeling terrible?"

"I can devour two Big Bang Burgers in one sitting and will still be asking for seconds," Ren says. When Goro throws him an incredulous look, he just grins wider. "I'm not shitting. You can ask any of the Thieves, or god forbid, even Lavenza. They've seen me do just that before."

"…Is your stomach perhaps a black hole?"

"Nope! I'm not Yoshizawa, and I'm not as bad as she is, trust me."

Goro pauses a little, then grins as he holds up his phone, which has a record button on the screen. Ren pales as Goro sneers at him. "I'll be showing this to Yoshizawa-san later, Ren. I'll be delighted to inform you later on what her reactions are."

"She isn't going to kill me, but I have a face to uphold, dude!" Ren manages out amongst the peels of laughter that have escaped his chest, his hands lunging forward in a futile attempt to grab the device (and pushing Morgana off of his lap. Gently). Goro isn't laughing – and Ren doesn't expect him to, since that'd be creepy as all hell – but he's chuckling, at least, seemingly enjoying every second of it.

"I'm sure it'll be fine," He says, holding the phone just an inch out of Ren's reach. "She likes you, like, really likes you, from the way it looks, as a very capable, very reliable Senpai. I'm sure such things wouldn't cause her to think less of you."

"That's exactly what she will think if she heard that from you," He growls. "Come on! Gimme that and delete the damn thing!"

"Never."

Laughter fills the air of the attic, and Ren thinks that, yeah… everything's gonna be just fine like this.

December 25th, 2016 [Sunday]

Christmas morning with Goro is oddly romantic, even without Goro's showing of affection involved.

Granted, Ren doesn't really think that Goro would have it in him to, well, show affection, or even a reason to show one to begin with. He's just not capable of something so sappy and useless, but his company is much appreciated. For the first time since they first met, this is the real Goro – sarcastic, blunt, sinister – he's talking to, he's joking with. This is the Goro, who he always wants to see. And this is the real Goro that he'd love nothing more than to spend the last few hours of his hard-won freedom with.

Christmas morning streets are crowded, but they still manage to find themselves a path without many pedestrians walking on. After that, he lets Goro takes the lead, since Ren himself isn't quite… familiar with food stores like Goro does. He had asked, once, and Goro said he knows as much as he does because he often uses food as a topic to start a conversation and get to people's good side.

Quite devious, if you ask Ren.

After a few minutes, Goro gestures at a restaurant named Aragaki, a name he's often heard mentioned on the TV as a shop owned by Aragaki Shinjirou, one of the most sought-after chefs in Japan. Ren has seen Boss watching the man's shows a few times, now, and he can say with confidence that this chef is renowned for a reason.

"…Aren't this place's reservations a pain to get? And like, with months of waiting time?"

"It is, but… I have earned the keeper's favor," Goro grins, waving his phone. "Now come. There are a few menus I'd recommend you to try. They're the best."

"Do they beat Boss' curry?"

"Definitely."

"Huh."

Once they're in, Ren takes a few seconds to take in the sight of the restaurant; the decorations are far less luxuriant than Ren thought a place of great renown would have. It looks simple, with bare minimums of ornaments on the walls and the counters and the tables. But what strikes him most is that it feels both intimidating and welcoming, somehow, even though that should not be a thing.

The waiter guides them inside, and they end up at the counter right next to the one and only Aragaki Shinjirou, and Ren immediately understands why the air feels oddly intimidating; the man is buffed, his features rugged and warrior-like. But there is this air of softness, of warmth and kindness, around him, a stark contrast to his constant scowl.

Ren blinks a few times as the man regards the two of them with a strange look. But then, he huffs slightly and pats the counter on his side once. "Have a menu in mind yet? Or do you want me to surprise your sorry asses, punks?"

That isn't exactly the way to treat a customer, is it? Ren muses, but he finds himself smiling slightly. From what he's heard – at least from the TV – the man's surprise dishes are sometimes even better than what one could find in the menus. Some people might not like surprises, but Ren? Oh, he does, he loves surprise very much.

So, with a grin, he waves to the man's kitchen wears. "Go on ahead, sir. Might order something afterward later, but I'd like to try your notorious Surprise Special."

Aragaki seems to pause a little, tilting his head to the side, as if reminded of something. He just shrugs and nods before turning to Goro, who hums. "Same as he is. We have spare spaces in our stomachs, after all. And I think we will be asking you to cook quite a lot for us today, Aragaki-san."

"Hmph," The man scoffs, but nods. "Alright, punks. Make yourself at home. And if you make trouble in here, I'mma boot you out myself, got it?"

"Got it."

Once the man goes about prepping their meals, Ren turns to Goro, who regards him with an amused look. Before Ren could ask why, Goro just shrugs and says, "I've been here a few times before, courtesy of Shido's many underground connections. Aragaki-san's actually a pretty knowledgeable and pleasant guy... eh, sometimes. And he knows a lot of things through his grapevines – like who the Cleaner is, for example."

"Seriously?" Ren gapes, looking back at the chef, who's expertly sending the food into the sky and back into his waiting pan. "No, I mean – you serious? He's an information broker?"

"Only if it strikes his fancy, yes," Goro hums. "He seems to have his own code of conduct. I've seen Shido's men trying to bribe him, or to ask him for something to use against other people before. He never spilled, and he actually has a pretty good backer to stop anyone from trying anything funny, too."

"Who?"

"I don't know, yet," Goro says, his cheek on his palm, fingers tapping his skin rhythmically. "But I'll be counting on his help to find his friend. So I thought you might want to know – that, and that his cooking is exceptionally good. Consider it a thanks, for taking down Shido for good, before… before your testimony."

"…Thanks," Ren says, unsure of how to word his gratitude, so he instead rubs his thumb along the faint scar on his knuckles. He spies Aragaki looking at him from the corner of his eyes, but isn't too sure what to make of it. The man soon turns back to the stoves, so he just shrugs and plays with the cool glass of water before him. "Appreciate it, Goro."

After about ten minutes of idly chatting, the surprise meals arrived; for Goro, surprisingly it's pastas and pancakes and coffee, with the pancakes itself sporting an alluring aroma he's never smelt before. Goro makes a face at him, as if daring him to tease the detective. Ren just smirks as he looks down at his own, to see a simple, yet pleasantly-smelling, bowl of Nikudon.

"Eat up. These two're on the house," Aragaki mutters, glancing around as if to check if everything's okay before sitting down on his own seat inside the counter, a hand propped on the wood. When Ren gives him a look, the man adds. "You two look like you're gonna be thrown into some deep shit or something. And I can make up for those two in the next fifteen minutes, so why not."

"…You're really kind, Aragaki-san," Ren says with a small smile. His look contrasts with the man's personality, it seems. And looks like he could be sure that Aragaki will help Goro with his mission. "Thank you for the meal."

"What's your name, kid?" The man asks, making Goro perks up a little.

Ren finds it rather strange, since the man doesn't seem the chatter sort, but decides to talk anyways. And his choice seems to be the correct one, since Raoul hums approvingly. Ren hears a distinct sound of hooves clattering and low growls from within his mind, but he isn't sure what or why, so he just shrugs before he answers. "Amamiya Ren."

"School?"

"Shujin, second year."

"Huh," The man makes a surprised hum, before he nods and scribbles something down into a notepad close at hand. Then he gets up, and points at him with the pen he had just used. "If you've got the time, ring the shop up. Will make sure you get a seat whenever you want, just like that guy."

"Hey!" Goro says, betrayed. "It took me months of hard work – months! – to earn that kinda favor! That's not fair, Ren! Damn you!"

Ren grins, but deep down, he finds it rather odd for the man to be giving him this kind of free seat whenever he wants. Before he could voice his inquiry, Aragaki chips in, seemingly amused. "Fuck off, you pancake-face. I do whatever I well pleased, and it looks as though the kid needs it. I have a keen eye for a person who's worthy of my favors, remember?"

"Ugh, fine," Goro says. "You win this time, Ren. But don't think I'll let you win the next."

"Why the hell are you so angry at me for, dude? And why is this even a competition to you?" Ren says with a laugh as he pats Goro's shoulder extra hard, earning him another glare and a yelp.

The spend the rest of the morning enjoying their meals and chatting nonsense, for once, their worries briefly forgotten.

Ren hasn't missed the strange, observing look Aragaki is throwing at him, but he decides not to dwell too much on it.

When school ends, and everyone has gathered inside Leblanc, Mochizuki starts his tale.

It is, indeed, as dreadful as Ren's feared.

Yuuki – orphaned since age six, thrown around foster homes and beaten and broken – managed to find himself friends, much like Ren did, only for his happiness to be stripped away by the coming of Nyx, the Goddess of Death, who Mochizuki had become the Avatar of. The tale is heart-wrenching, and to know that the gentle soul before him had been forced to cause so much pain without being given a choice, and that the person this Death loves had been subjected to those kind of torments… it really is something he couldn't quite stomach.

He tells them many things; of the existence of the Dark Hour, a mysterious period where Shadows exist and Personas can be called. Of the existence of the Kirijou Group and their involvement with both causing and solving the Dark Hour. Of the way the so-called SEES summoned their masks – by mimicking suicide, using devices called Evokers to forcibly call out their other selves. The only thing he doesn't tell them are the names of the members, perhaps for fear that those people, who might've already moved on with their lives, would be forced back to the world of war.

And then, he tells them of his real involvement, that he is born from the congregation of twelve Shadows, each representing the reversal of an Arcana. He doesn't go into too deep the details, perhaps because recalling is painful, or perhaps they're short on time, but he tells him of all the major events that leads to why him and Yuuki ends up alive, again. And to think even being alive again is not a decision they make on their own – their choices, their free wills, were all stripped away from them.

They weren't given the choice to live the first time. After that, they weren't given a choice to remain dead, either. Even if the circumstances turn out somewhat fortuitous, Ren still feels anger bubbling up his throat at the aspect of their souls being toyed with by forces larger than their own. They didn't have the freedom of choice, not since the beginning, and not even now – it makes the scars and his skin itch and crawl, some sort of discomfort pickling at his arms and legs. And Ren sees, from the corner of his eyes, that his friends (especially Goro, who hates being controlled more than anyone) share his sentiment, too.

After the tale ends, they spend heavy minutes in the stale air, the absence of any noises beside breathing and rustling of cloths almost too maddening to bear. Ren closes his eyes, and he could feel Raoul speaks within him. I did realize that the High One might not have given him the choice, but to bind the boy and Death to his own will like so still mortifies me. Looking back, I am not quite certain what was the right course of actions. Izanagi would've thought the same, too, had he known that the boy would be subjected to a contract against his will, in exchange for the help to bring them both back from death.

Not that I can blame you. I mean, you were trying to save him, Ren replies, eyes flickering around, trying to get a handle of how everyone's feeling. He knows asking what this High One is, or what the contract is about, isn't his place, not yet. But from what Raoul and Mochizuki just told him – this is far, far worse than being subjected to Yaldabaoth's control. No blaming yourself. I'll have to turn myself in soon, so I had better get everything ready.

…Thank you, Trickster, Raoul murmurs quietly, a hum inside his chest, soothing and calm, unlike his usual flamboyant self. I will be by your side. Even if I cannot manifest into the real world – yet – know that I will be with you, always.

Thanks, Ren responds with a smile before he looks up at Mochizuki, who seems pained recalling those tales, those memories. The guilt of many things he'd done is painted clear in his eyes. Ren then taps the table twice, calling for everyone's attentions. "So, just a quick check – what d'you all feel, about helping him?"

"Of course we will!" Ann says first, a scowl on her face, with tears prickling at the corner of her eyes. Mochizuki seems surprised, and becomes even more astonished when she continues. "You weren't even given an option of what you have to do back then. You didn't choose to become Death, you just are! This Yuuki guy was right – you deserve love, too, you know!"

"Exactly!" Ryuji says loudly. And, as if to make a point, slapping the table hard, pointing a finger at Death, who seems more startled than anything. "You are just wronged by the whole damn world, dude! That's more than enough reasons for me to help you!"

"I have to agree with Ann and Ryuji, here," Yusuke says with a solemn nod. "All the choices you could make, you make it for his – for all of our – sakes. I don't see the reason to blame you for the things that had transpired, and I am grateful for Yuuki-san's sacrifice to save the world. I should say that it is only fair that we save him, too, this time."

"My sentiment, exactly," Queen nods, and Morgana purrs in agreement at that. "I don't see a greater calling for us than to save our unknown savior just so. I want to do this, for the both of you."

"It would be nice to get to know this Yuuki-kun, too," Haru adds, a gentle smile on his lips. "He sounds like such a kind, gentle person, much like you are, Mochizuki-kun. I'd love to get to know you both better."

"Your lives really suck," Futaba says from her seat at the far end. "You are toyed with, just like us, only on a bigger scale. I'll help! This is the time for my hacking skills to shine!"

Ren smiles at all of them, who shares his thoughts, his convictions, before he turns to Goro. And he just knows that Goro will help out of his own free will, too, not just to follow Ren's wish, not anymore. And he is soon proven correct when Goro says quietly. "…You both are the same as some of us, here. Your paths were chosen for you, and you were thrown into the pits to fight each other to the death – and died for it. But you are alive, right now – the least we could do is to help you out."

Ren subtly pats Goro's knee, causing the detective to look up at him. He gives Goro a warm smile before he turns back to Mochizuki, who's been stunned to silence. When the boy gapes, Ren laughs. "Hey, don't look so surprise! Who could blame you for all the shitshow that's happened? You didn't choose those kinda fates, did you? You just were. Are, rather."

At this, Mochizuki blinks, once, twice, before his face breaks into a small, gentle smile. "…You said the same thing he did, back then. Worded it perfectly the same, even. He said; You didn't choose this. You simply are. And… you really believe what you've just said, don't you?"

"I do," Ren confirms. "So, let us help you out, 'kay? You two deserve happiness. Raoul agrees, too."

"You know, Ren, you talking with your Persona in your head is really creepy sometimes," Goro mutters from the side, and this time, Ren is genuinely offended.

"Goro, that stings!"

"I've gotta agree with Akechi on this one, RenRen," Ryuji snickers. "I mean, you just kinda space out while sitting there, and you look really, really outta it. Like you're high or something."

"That's not true!" Ren tries, but then Raoul laughs at him and says, I think that is exactly the case, boy. You do look like you're high on magic mushrooms whenever you try to respond to me. "Oh shut up, Raoul! Dude! You were supposed to be on my side! The betrayal."

"See? This is what I mean, exactly," Goro says, to which Raoul just laughs at him more.

Ren tries to come up with a more dignified response, but fails miserably, and he ends up groaning into his own hands and mumbles through his teeth. "God, I hate you all."

And through all the laughter, Ren catches Mochizuki smiling gently at all of them. And when all the giggles and the chatters die down, Mochizuki bows his head to all of them, his hand placed above his heart, like he always does. "…Thank you, truly, all of you. I cannot express my gratitude enough, and I will repay you however I can, I promise."

"You've already helped us plenty before, no need to feel indebted," Ren says. "Besides, this is what friends do for each other."

Mochizuki laughs lightly. "Is that so? You honor me, Phantom Thieves."

"Well then!" Ren then claps his hands. "We've got some planning to do, ladies and gents, before Nijiima-san and Yoshizawa come to celebrate Christmas with us."

"Awwww yeah!" Ryuji cheers.

Ren doesn't miss the pained acceptance on Goro's face, nor the sad glint in Mochizuki's eyes, so he gives them both a reassuring smile. They really don't have to worry about him, since he'll be fine – he does this of his own free will, after all.

And he won't ever regret choosing it.

The others simply think that he's walking with Niijima Sae to discuss the case, not that he's going to turn himself in.

Unsurprisingly, Mochizuki and Goro decide to walk with him and the older Niijima to the police station, silent, contemplative. He is grateful, because he thinks the walk would be much worse than this, had he come alone with her. He does have a nerve of steel, true, but not all the time, damn it.

The trek is silent, but not suffocating, he thinks; there are undoubtedly certain kind of lights in their eyes and their expressions. Both of them, Goro more so than Death, are wearing some sort of acceptance. The way they move, too, suggests as much – forced relaxations of their shoulders and facial muscles, and occasional glances his way.

When they see the police station, his two friends stop, so he does as well, tugging at Niijima's sleeve slightly to signal the halt. He then gives her a small smile and says, "Lemme say goodbye first, m'kay? See you at the station."

"…Very well," She hums, fingers tugging at her gray locks slightly. "I'll see you there, Amamiya."

When she resumes her walk anew, he turns to the two. Mochizuki is giving him a knowing smile as he walks over to pat his arm lightly, carefully, before murmuring. "I'm so sorry this happened to you. You do not deserve this for helping those in need."

"Hey, shit happens. Fates can be dicks sometimes, right?" Ren jests, tapping the boy's chest lightly once. "I mean, Fates were also a major pain in the ass to you and your friend, too. Don't see why they won't be an asshole with me."

"That is unfortunately true," Mochizuki laughs lightly. "We'll try to find the woman you helped back then. If we do, we might be able to overturn or lessen your sentences, somewhat."

"I'm not counting on it, but it'd be nice if you succeed, yeah," Ren says, before turning to a rather quiet Goro. He touches the detective's shoulder lightly, making the other look up. He then gives his dear friend (his beloved) a small smile. "I'm going to be fine. Remember; I choose this of my own free will. Don't you dare blame anyone or anything for this."

"I'm still going to curse Shido for this, thank you," Goro mutters. "He deserves all the middle fingers."

Ren grins. "Yeah, he does."

"So… see you soon, I suppose," Goro states, eyes darting anywhere but at Ren. "As soon as you can."

"As soon as I can," He echoes. "Well then. Happy New Year in advance, you two. Introduce Yuuki to me once you get him back, yeah? I'm sure you can find some spare time to visit me."

"I will," Mochizuki hums, a hand above his heart, like always. "See you later."

He turns away from them, and walks towards his next trial, with Raoul humming deep within his soul.

They're all going to be fine, he's sure.

And… his instinct is telling him, that they'll meet again much sooner than Ren could've hoped for.

("…It's strange, for you to call me at this time of the day like this, Shinjirou."

"Yeah," Shinjirou says quietly as he idly cleans up his shop. All employees are gone, and all information is in his hands. He makes doubly sure that the burner phone in his hand will not give any information away, and just in case, he deploys Fuuka's jammers and decryption codes, too. "I've got something you might be interested in."

"Is this perhaps about Shido Masayoshi and the Phantom Thieves? If so, you have my full attention."

He snorts a little, then lets the silence reigns over for a bit. "I think I know the identity of one of the Phantom Thieves who took down Shido, and it looks like he's going to go into custody to testify, from the bits and pieces I picked up during their conversation. If you ask me, I feel like it's unfounded. 'Sides, Chiron reacted when he told me his name."

A pause. Mitsuru then says slowly. "We already know they are Persona Users, Shinjirou."

"Yeah, but that ain't the only point," He says. "He gave off the same feeling Makoto did, years ago. Chiron stirred like this when Makoto was around, so I guess he's a Wild Card, much like that kid was. Actually, come to think of it, this happened with Narukami, too."

"Ah," Mitsuru says, her voice unusually emotional. Forlorn. Then, "So he will be testifying against Shido, hm? That would mean the police will charge him, since they will never allow a Phantom Thief to become a hero."

"Yep," Shinjirou mutters. "You want to do this? Help him, I mean."

"Yes," The reply is as immediate as it comes. Shinjirou smiles, slightly relieved that their thoughts align on this particular topic. "In honor of Yuuki, and as a thank you for taking down such a malign individual like Shido. Who is he?"

"Amamiya Ren, Shujin, second year," He says. "You have it from here, right?"

"Affirmative," Mitsuru says. "I'll update you when I'm done. And hopefully, I'll be able to help him before New Year strikes. It'd be a shame to spend such an eventful day in juvenile prison, no?"

"Yeah," He snorts a laughter. "See you around, Mitsuru. Will call again at the usual time."

When she hangs up, Shinjirou breathes and looks up at the night sky.

Seeing that boy reminds him of Makoto… and he knows that helping that boy is the right thing to do.

Even Chiron agrees with him as he stirs in Shinjirou's chest for the second time that day.)

Chapter Text

Disturbance

December 31st, 2016 [Saturday]

The interrogations and the questionings and the detentions are boring.

Ren sighs as he leans back down onto his little cot, the cold, hard surface pressing deep into his spine as he looks up at the blank ceiling above, the itch a constant presence in the back of his head. At least Raoul is giving him company. But, the last two days, he's been feeling a bit more listless than usual, as if something's happening, something that he might have something he could do to change, or to stop.

Raoul often stirs in discomfort within his chest, whenever they're not talking. His irritation affects Ren somewhat, as well, making him a bit more jittery than he usually would be. Ren isn't quite sure what kind of event could've riled Raoul – the unfazeable Thief-King – this much, and Ren is kind of worried.

What makes you this restless, Raoul? Ren decides to ask, his eyes still glued to the same black spot on the damn ceiling. You're never like this, not even when we were fighting a god.

Something is not right with the real world, boy, Raoul growls lowly. Ren could faintly see the flickering image of the Thief-King right beside him, and he almost shoots up fast enough to give himself a swimming vision. When he blinks again, the image is gone, but that is so not normal. You could see me, just now, could you not?

Yeah, He replies, blinking a few more times. He then frowns as he tilts his head upward. But how?

Something is happening to the real world, Raoul repeats again, rattled by something far beyond the scope of Ren's vision. He scowls a little, but couldn't offer his mask any retort, and Raoul takes his silence as a chance to elaborate. It feels much like before, when the Mementos are merging into the real world. But more than that – something that shouldn't have happened is occurring. Memories — many memories — are being manipulated.

Memories? Manipulated? What do you mean? And wait – wait, wait, what? Ren asks, and backtracks when each and every word's meanings finally reach him. Feels like the real world and the should-have-vanished Mementos merging? And memories being manipulated? Whoa, back up, hold up, Raoul. What the hell do you mean by all of those?

I do not rightly know. This power is beyond what I've ever seen, Raoul hums quietly, uncertain, for the first time in forever. Be very careful, Trickster. I will inform you more if I know anything else about any of this. Tread carefully.

I will, He promises silently before leaning back down onto the bed.

To be frank, he also thinks everything seems a bit… stranger than they used to be. People are less hostile towards him in general, even in a place like this. Juvenile prisons are not known to treat their detainees well, but what he's been experiencing so far contrasts everything he's heard of the place. At first, guards and detainees are obnoxious, true, but ever since yesterday, thing's been a lot nicer than they should. It's a subtle change, but it's something he notices, nonetheless.

The news doesn't change, though, so everything seems fine on the surface. But with Raoul being as listless as he is, coupled with his cryptic words about the real world being different, Ren couldn't help but think; do these people treat him nicer because of that? The changes are subtle, but they are there, where they shouldn't be.

He's brought out of his musing when his door creaks open, and one of the younger, nicer guards comes in with a small smile. "Amamiya. Someone wants to talk to you."

"My friends?" He asks idly as he gets up. Have they found Yuuki?

"No," The guard shakes his head, pushing the door open a little wider. "…Trust me, you don't want to keep this person waiting. Ever."

Ren scowls slightly, but nods regardless, pushing himself off the hard surface of the bed and stretches his arms above his head. He kicks his legs in the air a few times to get rid of the tingles before he walks over to the guard, who starts leading him out. "Who is it?"

"Kirijou Mitsuru-san," The guard says, and that almost makes Ren drops his jaw into the floor. Raoul is making a surprised hum, too. And, upon seeing whatever expression Ren's having, the guard laughs. "I'm surprised as much as you are, it seems. She doesn't come here often, but when she does, she'd either blackmail the hell out of someone, or get someone out. Either or."

Ren has never met the woman before, and neither he nor his team has ever crossed path with any of her associates – at least the known ones – or the Kirijou Group at large. So what could she possible wants with him? Although, since she's a Persona User and the founder of the SEES, he supposes she might know that the Phantom Thieves are Persona Users, too. But what could she possibly want with him still?

The walk to the designated room is fairly short, so Ren isn't given much time to think about the reasons for Kirijou Mitsuru's sudden appearance. When the guard opens the door and he's ushered in, he's almost suffocated to death by the sheer amount of pressure three occupants give out.

One of them is a man with white-silver hair, a patch of stubble on his chin, and a look of a fighter. The other is a short-haired blonde woman, her striking blue eyes as piercing as Mochizuki's own, a strange headphone on her head. And last but not least, a woman with long burgundy hair and fur coat, every little bit of her – from her clothing to the way she carries herself – screams of royalty and nobility.

Ren gulps, and makes his way to the small chair opposite from the one and only Kirijou Mitsuru. When he's properly seated, the blonde woman looks up at the cameras, and he follows only to notice that the red dots of light – lights that mean that the device is operational – is gone. He turns to them as Kirijou says to the blonde. "Are we in the clear, Aigis?"

"Positive," The blonde, Aigis, nods, her voice leveled. He chances a glance at the man, who takes a brief look at his phone before giving his companions a thumb up. "All communication devices within the area are disabled. You are clear to proceed."

"Very well," The woman begins as she looks up at him, and Ren has to gulp down the oppressive air, to make himself a little room to breathe. "This is the first time we've met, Amamiya Ren. I am Kirijou Mitsuru, as you may have known. The blonde woman here is my close aide, Aigis, and this man is my closest friend and confidant, Sanada Akihiko."

The SEES, Ren whispers inside his head. Raoul stirs and hums in agreement, low buzz of nothingness echoing inside his ribcage. Mochizuki might not have given them all the names of the members of that particular group, but he instinctively knows this to be true. But he decides to keep that to himself, for now, and nods. "…A pleasure, I guess? Uh, and… what do you want with me?"

"Let me cut to the chase, then," Kirijou says. "First and foremost, thank you, truly, for taking down Shido Masayoshi."

That actually surprises Ren, he's not going to lie. Futaba told him once that, from what her internet surfing (it's less surfing and more ravaging, if anyone asks for his opinion) had told her, Shido had been dealing shady deals and blackmailing lots of people, not to mention obstructing justices. If what Mochizuki told him about the SEES and Kirijou is true, then it is highly plausible for her group to have crossed path with such a man before.

He chews on his tongue a little, and decides to wear the mask of a Trickster – no point lying about Personas and Shadows now, if he is to take an educated guess. And since they seem to have taken measures to make sure what is said in this room will stay in this room, he might as well mention Mochizuki's name, so that they will have more cards to play with in their attempts to find Yuuki.

He relaxes back, Raoul cackling quietly in the back of his mind, and smiles wryly. "It's my pleasure. And, before you ask, yes, I can also use Personas. But how I changed his heart will have to remain a trade secret."

There is a slight pause, probably shock more than anything else, before Kirijou nods, while the girl, Aigis, eyes him with part suspicion, part awe. Then, Kirijou says, "So you assume we are Persona Users as well, then? How astute."

"It's complicated, but let's just say that I know," He says with a small smile. Raoul hums, and he grins a little wider. "Yeah, my Persona agrees."

"I will not pry," She says as she leans slightly forward, her eyes searching. Ren would have flinched back, had it not been for Raoul's voice keeping him grounded. "Then, I'll be straightforward with you. I require no payment – for taking down Shido, and for being accused unjustly, I've made it my goal to release you."

Oh. "…Thank you, I guess? But, wouldn't this, like… cause you to step on some big toes?"

"I do that all the time. A few more won't make much difference," She says. He spies the man, Sanada, coughing into his hands and mumbling something, while Aigis just smiles. "I've searched for all the necessary evidences to overturn your sentence, and I'll hand it to Niijima Sae later on. I've also found the eye witness. The polices have now received from us some… reassurances, so you will be released after our discussion here is over."

"…Do I want to know what kind of reassurances you had handed out?"

"No," The two behind Kirijou say simultaneously, making Raoul laughs delightedly.

"…Okay?"

"Well then, that is all, I suppose," She says as she stands up. "Do not tell anyone of what you know, and we will keep out lips sealed just the same. And, if you should require assistance, or find something that might be related to Shadows and Personas, you can contact me."

She pushes an elaborate business card his way, and he examines it. No names, only numbers. Ren takes it and blinks dazedly at it a few times before looking up at her again. "Uh… there is one thing I'd like to talk to you about, right now, if you're alright?"

"Go right on ahead," She says as she gestures for the other two to stop.

Ren glances at the camera again, and then listens to the silence beyond the steel door. When he's quite sure they won't be overheard, he whispers, "A friend of mine's named Mochizuki Ryoji."

Whatever reactions he is expecting from her, he hasn't expected that single word that would've made everything Mochizuki told him a lie.

"Who?"

He just sits there on the sidewalk, dazedly tapping away at his phone for Goro to pick him up.

After that single word, Ren tries again by invoking the name Yuuki Makoto, their supposed Leader, but they look genuinely surprised and confused. Their reactions don't lie – they don't know them. And Ren just knows that Mochizuki didn't lie, either. How could that be a lie, when his claim that Kirijou knows about Personas is true? How could it be a lie, when Mochizuki has been upfront with them since the beginning? How could it be a lie, when all those emotions in his eyes he saw back then were so real and so genuine?"

Goro's reply comes as a phone call, and when he picks up, he's greeted with angry yells and cries and whatever else he's pretty sure he deserves it all. After twenty straight seconds of cacophony, the call quiets down, and Goro's voice rings through. "How are you calling me, when you should still be locked up in juvenile prison?"

"Dude, aren't you going to be, like, glad for a second?" Ren jests, but even he himself could tell that his voice is not as jovial as it should be. He suppresses the urge to sigh and scratches his arm lightly before continuing. "I'll give you the long version later, but the thing is, Kirijou Mitsuru released me."

"Who did what," Goro deadpans, and this time, Ren laughs, genuine. "Ren, what? Really? Kirijou Mitsuru released you out of the blue, just like that?"

"Yep," He affirms, playing with the hem of his shirt. The air is freezing, and if he stays out here for too long, he's going to catch a cold. "I'll give you the long version of things later. But I've got not a single yen on me, so come pick me up?"

There is a pause, followed by a hushed whisper, before Goro returns to the line. "I and Mochizuki-san will be there to pick you up at the station. Just wait at the gate. And…"

"And what? You miss me or something?" Ren takes the moment to tease Goro, trying his best to hide his discomfort about the startling discovery that Kirijou does not know Mochizuki and his friend.

Goro, however, sees through his attempt and derailing the topic and growls out. "Ren, something big is bothering you. What is it?"

Ren sighs. "Yeah, something is, but… it'd be best if I tell the two of you face to face. It's kinda hard, talking about this through the phone."

"…Alright," Goro concedes, his voice low. "Then we'll see you there. And, Ren?"

"Yeah?"

"Congratulations on the early release."

He laughs at this. "Thanks, man."

Once the line is cut, he lets his legs carry him towards his designated area. And, soon after he starts walking back to his home, Raoul calls, his voice as strained and joyless as it could've been. It is as I fear, Trickster. Something, or perhaps someone, is affecting the real world. I have witnessed through Death's eyes before, and I can say with certainty that his stories are true. They should've remembered both Death and the Seal.

Then why did they have that kind of reactions? Ren inquires, brows furrowing, hands tugged inside his shirt as the biting cold starts settling it. The only sound around him now is the sound of his shoes scuffing the ground beneath. Their faces are genuine. I don't think they faked it. They have no reason to. What happened? What could make them forget like that?

A god, comes Raoul's stern voice. The only thing capable of changing the fabric of reality and memories would be a god, or something of equal power.

Mochizuki said that, when Yuuki conquered Nyx and sealed her into the void, the memories of the Dark Hour are briefly forgotten, Ren thinks, recalling the details of the events leading to Yuuki's first death. But those memories were returned on the day they promised to see each other, and it should've stayed that way. So that means, either Nyx has been vanquished for good, which is not possible, since Death cannot be denied—

—Or this is the work of another god entirely, a god with a will of its own, like Yaldabaoth, Raoul affirms, the hum filling and drowning out the background traffics. I know not what caused this. But I don't sense any hostility or intend to harm from the air.

A benevolent god? Ren asks.

Nonsense, Raoul replies immediately, his voice scornful. No benevolent god would rob people of their free wills. Would you call Yaldabaoth a benevolent one, then?

Ew, no, Ren scrunches his nose. But once the notion is gone, he rubs his chin. A god who would erase a specific memory? And come to think of it, maybe the way the detainees and the guards treated him during the last few days… it might be connected to this. Or it might not.

He has nothing to work on, so he simply sighs; all he could do now is discusses with the others on what to do next. And then?

And then, he guesses he'll see.

Goro punches his gut and makes him doubles over as soon as he's within range.

"Ow!?"

"That's for pulling the rugs under me the first time," Goro hisses, leaving Ren curling on the footpath. And Mochizuki isn't helping, either; the man just laughs at him, delighted and relieved. When Ren looks up, he sees Goro's eyes glint with something he couldn't quite name, but he looks… pleased, he thinks. And, after a heartbeat, he says with a smile. "Welcome back."

"It's… ow," He grunts, shifting up to his feet, Death silently pulling him up by the arm. "It's good to be back. Damn it, dude, you punched me like you wanted to kill me."

"Of course not," The detective smirks amusedly at him. But then, his smirk devolves into something more genuine as his gloved hand pats Ren's shoulder. "But I speak the truth. Welcome back."

"You wouldn't believe just how glad he actually was, back when he received your call," Mochizuki says with a laughter, and Ren catches Goro going a bit redder at that. "He's a Tsundere, that's for sure—"

"I'm not!"

Mochizuki ignores Goro's indignant protest, favoring his conversation with Ren over bantering. "But I share his sentiment. I'm glad it all worked out, but – Mitsuru-san? Really? How did she even know about you?"

"I dunno," Ren confesses, rubbing the spot Goro decked him (which, by chance, is his solar plexus. Explains the pain, alright), a hand on Mochizuki's shoulder to ground himself. "But she figured out I'm the Phantom Thief, said she released me as a thank you for taking down Shido."

"How nice of her," Goro muses, crossing his arms. After a moment, he continues in a more somber voice, veering the topics of their discussions into Ren's original goal. "And what is it that bothers you?"

"Oh, yeah," He mutters, standing up straight and exhaling, centering himself. Once his breath returns to him in full, he turns to Mochizuki with a frown. "…I know you have no cause to lie, and you've been nothing but truthful with us since the beginning."

Mochizuki's smile goes away at that, worry dancing in his sapphire blue eyes. "…And?"

"Kirijou-san and her associates made sure to secure the room, and I mentioned your name."

There is a long, long pause, where Goro nods in quiet agreement, while Mochizuki doesn't look surprise nor upset, but a little uncomfortable. Given his history with the SEES, that is to be expected, Ren supposes. But at his silence, Mochizuki nudges, stern. "…Did she say something that bothers you? Did she—"

"That's the problem," He cuts Mochizuki off. "When I mentioned your name, and even Yuuki Makoto, all she said was, who?"

Mochizuki gapes, his voice raw as he whispers, "…What?"

"They don't know either of you," Ren concludes, glancing at Goro once before he continues. "I'm sure you didn't lie, but… they genuinely don't remember you nor your friend. But they remember everything about Personas and Shadows."

"That's… that's impossible," Mochizuki gasps out, his eyes wide. "Amamiya, that – they not remembering me might be feasible, since I merged with Nyx, but they should remember Makoto – they must, because he's an important family to all of them. They should've remembered. This—"

"Raoul said that the real world seems different," He continues, making Death blinks. "He said something had happened to the real world, much like when Yaldabaoth was in control. He still isn't sure what, but he said that it's likely that—"

"—Their memories were manipulated," Mochizuki and Goro conclude at the same time, the former more petrified than anything, while the latter seems to try to think this through, like a detective that he is. Then, Death murmurs quietly. "My ability to feel things are… well, they're not the same, not yet, but I do feel something strange in the air. To think that something like this could happen…"

"A new god?" Goro asks, beckoning them to start walking as the hour starts to tick by.

"That, or a power equal to one," Ren says with a small nod. "Raoul can briefly manifest into the real world, too, but only for a few seconds. It looks like Yaldabaoth had left a huge damn mess for us to clean up."

"We should convene with the others to discuss our next move," Goro says, pulling out his phone. His face then twists into an expression of annoyance, and before Ren could even thinks about asking, he's turning the phone his way. After a moment of blinking at the phone stupidly, he notices it – an app, grayed out, but with the same eye-like icon. "I suppose it has something to do with this."

Ren only nods before he gestures for Mochizuki to take a look. While the boy still hasn't gotten himself a smartphone of his own due to his circumstances and his lack of funds, he has been entering the Metaverse with the Thieves since he first offered them his aid, so he, of course, would know about the existence of the MetaNav.

"…Hadn't it disappeared along with Yaldabaoth, though?" Mochizuki asks, pensive, before Goro pulls his device away. Death then turns to Ren, frowning. "I haven't seen it when Akechi-san showed the phone to me after the battle, but that could've been just me."

"It had disappeared," Goro adds, swiping his fingers across the screen with a frown. "I just noticed it when Ren called me, and that was by chance, no less. What about you?"

"Haven't checked," Ren confesses as he pulls out his own device. True enough, the app has manifested into his phone without his knowledge. At this, Raoul seems to shift uncomfortably inside his ribcage and knocks at his spine, urging him to investigate further. "…Yeah, it's here."

"Did we fail in destroying that damn god?" Goro hisses, his anger clear in his blood red eyes. And then, he sighs, fingers rubbing at his temple as if to quell the stress piling up under his skin. Ren pats his shoulder lightly, his other hand still massaging the spot he was punched (he isn't quite sure if he should be surprised or not that Goro's got some serious right straight punch).

"No," Ren says, chewing on the inside of his cheek. "I'm pretty sure that thing's no more. Raoul doesn't feel Yaldabaoth's equivalent of sticky fingers on the fabric of reality anymore, but he said that the feeling is familiar."

"This is just great," Goro mutters.

"…At least we've got a lead, as… dubious as it may be," Ren hums, glancing back at Mochizuki. "Dude, what do you think? We investigate this, or go after your friend first?"

He tilts his head to the side, genuinely confused. "…Why are you asking me?"

"Far as I'm concerned, there isn't anything urgent that needs our immediate attentions just yet, but the matter concerning your friend does. Then again, this might evolve into something worse. So, I wanna know your opinion, too, since you know best the state your friend's currently in," Ren reasons before turning slightly to Goro, getting himself an approving nod.

At this, Mochizuki shifts his focus away from them, his eyes wandering upward into the sky, his lips pressed into a thin line. Each and every time he checks upon his friend's state, his expression would turn the same, into worry and fear and discomfort. And each time, his anger – cold and calculating – would only grow even colder still.

Then, he sighs and looks down, a flat smile that doesn't reach his eyes on his lips. "…The same. He's not currently in pain, but in a lot of discomfort. And, as always… I cannot pinpoint just what is wrong, or where he is."

"So that hasn't changed, huh," Ren hums, looking forward, slowing his pace a little more. The other two follow, with Mochizuki hanging just a little behind, deep in thoughts. "The others are at Leblanc, right? Since I heard them yelling profanities at me through the phone and all that."

"Yes," Goro says with a small nod as he glances at his wristwatch. "Should we gather and discuss about this now?"

"Tomorrow should be fine, I think," Ren says. It's almost midnight, after all. Besides, tomorrow is New Year, so he doesn't think discussing this now is such a good time. The change hasn't been that big, so he supposes a few more hours wouldn't make much of a difference. "It's New Year after all. But I guess I'll give them a short run down first, then we could begin our investigations tomorrow."

"Carefree as always," Goro shakes his head.

"What would a few hours change anything?" Ren says, crossing his arms behind his head, a grin plastered on his lips. "Come one, Goro. I know you aren't the type to celebrate, but let loose once in a while, yeah?"

The boy sighs, exasperated, but nods. "Sure, sure."

"What are you planning on doing tomorrow?" Mochizuki asks, his eyes shifting upward again.

He exchanges a look with Goro, who only rolls his eyes, so Ren takes that as an invitation to make a plan for Goro himself. "Visit the Meiji Shrine, I think. And you're coming with me, dude."

"No," Goro snarls at him, with less bite than usual.

"Come on, we both know you aren't planning on doing anything tomorrow anyway!"

"Ugh, fine!" The detective growls, throwing both his hands up in the air, defeated. Mochizuki laughs a little, the lines of worries leaving his features just a little more. "Curse you and your flamboyancy and your spontaneity, Ren."

"I know you love those about me," Ren teases, knocking his elbow into Goro's side before he turns to Mochizuki. "You can come with us, if you want. Your last New Year didn't end very well, right? Might as well correct that."

There is a pause, and then Death smiles. "How considerate of you, Amamiya. I accept."

"Great!" Ren laughs, stretching his arms up into the air as clouds of frigid cold leaves his lips at every breath, painting the dark sky with dusts of white.

With that, the atmosphere as they make their way back to his home (or theirs, Ren thinks) becomes lighter than ever before.

He decides to end the meeting after a brief discussion with the Thieves, who agree to continue their talk after their own New Year visits tomorrow afternoon.

As usual, Morgana goes to Futaba's, claiming that he, and Ren quotes, does not what to be a third wheel, and Ren just knows that the not-cat must've heard something from Mochizuki. That guy's unconcealed gleeful smile upon hearing Morgana saying that is just a huge red flag that, yes, Morgana seems to somehow knows about his not-really-piddly crush on Goro.

He only rolls his eyes and half-yeets the not-cat into Futaba's waiting arms before he returns upstairs.

Mochizuki is already fast asleep at the edge of the couch, arms crossed, which Ren finds to be unusual – the man isn't even wholly human, after all. He has never konk'ed out like this, so Ren tilts his head instinctively as a way to question what he's seeing. He spies Goro sitting on the other edge, eyes glued to the cursed app, his brows furrowing.

Ren decides to break the silence by pointing at Mochizuki. "Why is he asleep?"

"After you were detained, he spent most of his time trying to connect to Yuuki-san," Goro explains as Ren walks over to sit beside Goro, careful not to move the couch too much. Mochizuki stirs, but doesn't wake up, his face burying deeper into his yellow scarf. "Of course, no luck. Something kept blocking him. He almost had a breakthrough once, but then his connection suddenly went away."

"It sounds like whatever the captors did to Yuuki, it's not something permanent," Ren observes, a finger on his chin.

"Mochizuki-san said something about drugs the Kirijou Group used to manufacture before," Goro says with a small nod. "He said that Yuuki-san used to mention something about Persona Suppressors, a type of drug used in order to reign rampaging Personas in."

Ah. He remembered Mochizuki talking about a certain group called Strega, who stemmed from the previous experimentations done by the past head of the Kirijou Group, Kirijou Mitsuru's grandfather. And since these captors splintered from the Kirijou Group itself, he could see them having the necessary knowledge to reproduce such things, and the resources to do so – through Shido, that is.

"So, these people must've been using Persona Suppressors on him, huh?" He muses quietly. Raoul stirs again, this time with a streak of anger and a tiny bit of fear, something that the Thief-King has never before shown. Ren frowns. "…I wonder what kind of effect it would have on someone's body. And I'm not keen to find out."

"Neither do I," Goro hums. "I thought Futaba-san might be able to find information pertaining this particular concoction inside the Kirijou Group's database, so I'm having her look into that right now. So far, there's barely any traces, but there are a few mentions about the substance here and there."

"…Not to question your judgement, Goro, but—"

"—How does that have anything to do with finding Yuuki-san, right?" Goro finishes in his stead. He doesn't seem angry or irritated, more like understanding. When Ren nods, he continues, "I thought so, too, at first. But remember this – they're using something so specific to keep severing Yuuki-san's ties with Mochizuki-san, so if we could find the source, wouldn't it be possible for us to trace it to where the drugs are sent, or better yet, where they are used?"

He follows, and hums in agreement, eyebrows shooting slightly upward. "…Oh yeah, that sounds solid. But it's kinda convoluted, though."

"Do you think we have any other lead?" Goro growls.

"…I suppose not."

"And, to answer your original question," Goro says, waving his hand towards the sleeping boy, who seems bothered, even under the spell of the sandman. "He has been running himself ragged – not just trying to reestablish his connection with his dear friend, but also with finding your witness. He's also quite the worrywart – so when he heard that you were released, it seems like all those mental fatigues has finally caught up to him."

…Ren feels a little guilty at that. And he knows all too well that Goro must've felt the same. There are rings of discoloration under his crimson eyes, and he looks a little worse for wear. So Ren places a careful hand on his knee, squeezing gently. Goro doesn't look up, but he nods in acknowledgement. Ren waits for a few moments before murmuring. "Thank you."

Goro snorts. "I did promise you to see your promise through, didn't I?"

"Yeah," He hums, pulling back and leaning his head against the wall behind the couch, his eyes trailing upward at nowhere in particular. He decides to focus on the light bulb as he relaxes. Raoul stirs within him as Ren lets his worry goes for today. "God, I'm tired."

"So am I," Goro mumbles, yawning. He then grabs Ren's shirt and pulls him off the couch. He gives Goro a look, to which the detective replies, "You go sleep on the damn bed already. The couch's mine."

"Not like I'm against sharing the bed with you," Ren grins, fully intending on teasing Goro.

However, he hasn't expected Goro's face to go beet red at that, and he laughs as the detective tries (and fails) to grab him a second time. "Oh, shut the hell up, Ren! Don't make me punch the lights out of you!"

"Sorry, sorry," He laughs as he retreats away, still mindful to not cackle too loud as to wake Mochizuki up. "Alright, I'll see you tomorrow, then. G'night."

Goro nods as he unfolds the blankets and settles down.

Things are starting to look up, at last.

Ren couldn't wait for the new year to come.

It has been a while since Ryoji's passed out the way he did.

The last time was probably before fighting against Makoto. He had tried to resist Nyx's calling, but of course, he failed. Although, he was given enough time to give the SEES enough information to fight, and to give Makoto one last goodbye before they had to clash on that faithful day.

And here, he dreamed – of the Sea of Souls, and saw Makoto, who had been reduced to nothing but a small speck of consciousness, drifting amongst mankind's malice and heroism, driving him towards the inevitable end that is insanity. It felt to him like wading through thick, foul muck, and each time he found Makoto at long last, it would take but a moment, a slip of attention, for his soul to drift away and back into the Sea again.

But no matter how many times it happened, Ryoji had never given up – he had given up on Makoto before, when he tried to persuade his best friend (his beloved) into relinquishing his memories. Memories and bonds that make and define his very being. He refuses to give up on Makoto a second time. He is Death, and nothing else but Makoto's terrible fate terrifies him, so he tried, and tried, and tried again, trying to keep his light company, trying to free him from drowning forevermore into the Sea of Souls, where all but those who were born from it that dare venture into will undoubtedly disappear.

When he sought out that old man, the High One, the Progenitor God, upon Izanagi and Arsene's suggestion, all he could think of was that the god will help Makoto from disappearing into nothingness, into the void of madness that creeps ever closer still. He didn't care about anything else. He would gladly disappear in Makoto's place, if he could. But he had never thought the Progenitor God to be just so; a God who exists before all others. He thought the man, whose name remained unknown to him at the time, to simply be a Persona that was born at the very dawn of time.

Pulling Makoto out of the Sea is the one thing that he doesn't regret, from all of this. He regrets having Makoto thrown back into the world, bound to a contract, against his own will. He regrets being unable to deny the Pact of Punishment. But one thing that he feels like he's done right, is to save Makoto from the Sea's devouring waves.

His eyes snap open, and he gasps, coughing dryly into his scarf before he places a hand to his own chest, calming down his beating heart (he has one) and centering his thoughts. He glances around, to see the absence of any kind of light in the room. He then squints through the darkness, and the clock reads just a few minutes past four in the morning.

He's… overslept, not that the notion means anything to him; he has never had the need for much rest, ever since back then. An hour or two had always been enough, but he supposes after all the failed attempts to find his light (his light, his life, his other half), it would come as no surprises that he would pass out the way he did.

With a sigh, he gets up, the chill wind of winter nothing more than a cool, comfortable breeze on his skin. He glances out the window, to see the moon – Nyx – in her wicked splendor, before he looks down at the Wild Card, who's sleeping soundly.

He smiles slightly.

They'll help me find you, Makoto. Wait for me, okay? I'll be there as soon as I can. Please don't give up until then, because I never will.

Chapter Text

The Distorted Reality

The world is different.

He wakes up inside a place that looks oddly familiar to the counseling room, down to the minutest of details – from the way the couch turns slightly to the left, or the way there's a coffee stain on the woods of the coffee table. He looks down, and he's wearing his prisoner strips he used to adorn during his days under the False God's guidance.

He looks around. The world seems… distorted, darkened. Raoul doesn't stir nor move inside him, or rather, he isn't here. But his connection with the Sea of Souls remains, so he wonders what would cause Raoul to not respond at all.

He gets up, feeling light, as if floating in the air, his bare feet pressing against the cold floor. He makes his way out of the room, and true enough, he seems to be inside Shujin. But there is not a single soul here with him, and his only friend in the vast, expanding hallways are his own footsteps as he pads his way dazedly down the hall, the familiar feeling of the pulls of the Metaverse, infinitesimal as it is, paws at the back of his mind.

He could hear voices – his friends, talking about their regrets, about things they wish were different, about the past that can no longer be corrected. They lament, they recall – and then, he moves on. They – all of them – know that clinging to the past will help with nothing but brewing their hatred for the world, so they all realize that the best they could do is to move on and live their lives the best they could.

The only voices that do not make it into his senses are those of Goro, who knows better than anyone the bitter taste of clinging to the idea of revenge, and of Mochizuki, whose existence alone provides all the answers to life's questions.

He follows the faint glow of the blue butterfly as it guides him further and further, into the familiar road that takes him to the exit of the school. And before he could step out of the school, his hand placed against the cool glass beneath his fingers, a voice calls to him.

"Where are you going?"

"Home," He replies, without so much as missing a single second. His home – and home is where his friends, his family, are. Leblanc, Boss, the Thieves – they are all his home. And he wants to go back to them.

There is a brief moment of nothing but statics behind the curtains of stale air before the voice speaks again, pensive, thoughtful. "I see… So you haven't accepted it yet, then."

Accept what?

But before he could voice it aloud, the door finally gives in under his palm, and as he walks out, the voice calls out after him.

"Then… let's meet again, Amamiya-kun."

January 1st, 2017 [Sunday]

He wakes up to the crisp, cold air of New Year's morning.

It takes him a while to blink the sleepiness away, his bed half-frozen by the temperature outside. He could see neither Goro nor Mochizuki up here, so he thinks they might've already waited for him downstairs. But then he remembers that he, too, has to get up to work for a little bit this morning, since Boss had asked him to, yesterday. With a dejected sigh, he steels himself to wake up fully.

He yawns and stretches before sitting up, only to feel his phone buzzes beside his leg. Without looking at the name of the caller, he picks up, murmuring out a meek, "Hello?"

"Oh, uh… hello, Senpai!" Rings out Yoshizawa's cheerful voice. He wakes up a bit more, his hand palming the bedside table for his damnable not-really-functioning glasses. "…I'm sorry, did I wake you up?"

"Yep," He says flatly as he finally finds his accursed object and pushes it up his face. With another two seconds dedicate to blinking, he says, his voice a little clearer. "But it's okay, I've gotta be up now anyway. You wanna hang out with me or something?"

He could hear the other splutters and stumbles on her own words, and it takes everything in him to resist teasing his Kouhai. "Um! I mean, we did kind of talk about that before? But it's been a while, and I hadn't put too much intent behind my words so—"

Ren laughs. "No need to get so flustered, Yoshizawa. But I, Goro and Mochizuki plan on visiting Meiji Shrine this morning, so you'll have to deal with a murderous bird and an overexcited, hyperactive goof of a man, if you wanna join us."

She giggles. "It actually sounds nice! I'll meet you at the station, then?"

"Yeah, I'll meet you there in a bit, so you don't have to hurry, m'kay?"

"Okay! See you there, Amamiya-senpai!"

After that, he makes himself presentable (shower during this freaking weather is for the bold, and he isn't going to be one today) before coming down, only to be greeted by Mochizuki and Goro, who has more or less taken a table next to the old couples for themselves, cups of coffees and empty plates on the table. He then spots a stranger he's never seen, who's chatting quite animatedly with Boss, before he bows his head a little and makes his way to the booth—

"Hey, you don't need to work today," Boss says, holding up a hand and stopping him from reaching the other side of the counter. When he tilts his head, the old man adds with a gentle smile. "You promised your friends to visit the Shrine, right? They've been waiting for you for an hour, now. Might as well go, and don't worry; I've got it from here."

"…You sure, Boss?" Ren asks. While he's pleasantly surprised and glad, he still feels responsible. "I mean, I did tell you I'll help—"

"This is a New Year, kid, don't argue with me," Sojirou says with a small smile, his eyes always so kind despite the initial coldness. "You can just help me once you're done celebrating."

"Alright, if you insist," Ren relents, bowing his head again. "Thanks, Boss."

"You really have to work on waking a little earlier, Ren," The stranger says with a laughter, his shoulders relaxed, his eyes glinting with amusement.

Ren blinks stupidly, and he turns to the other two, both of whom are giving him the I don't know him either look. So, he frowns a little, and weighs his words carefully. "Um… It's a pleasure making you acquaintance, sir…?"

The stranger snorts. "Funny, Ren. Very funny."

He just blinks stupidly before excusing himself and walking to the table, his eyes lingering at the stranger just a little longer. He then sits down beside Goro and points quite rudely. "Who's that?"

"I don't know, but he seems to be a regular," Goro muses, taking another sip. Mochizuki closes the small book (where the hell did you get that from, dude?) and puts in on the table before downing the last of the coffee. After a second, Goro continues, "You want to head out yet?"

"Sure," He nods. And then, his phone buzzes, so he looks down to see Yoshizawa texting him. "Oh. It seems like Yoshizawa's reached the Shrine faster than usual. Might as well go – it's rude to keep your Kouhai waiting, right?"

"Aren't you going to say anything about you leaving us waiting?" The detective bites back before he nudges Ren with his knee. He complies, and Goro gets up soon after, with Mochizuki right behind them.

Ren grins. "Never."

They step out, and the cool breeze of the first day of the year washes over him. He hums, tugging his hands inside his pockets as they leisurely make their ways towards the shrine.

Raoul stirs as he continues his walk, chatting and making jokes with the other two. The air seems light, carefree, kind, and luck has been on their sides, thus far; there aren't many people in the train, which arrives right after they step into the platform. The lights at the intersections are also very kind today; they all turn green whenever they reach the crossroads. Mochizuki makes a note about that, his eyes a little amused, and Ren has to agree – this is the best start of the year, as far as he could tell.

When they reach the Meiji Shrine, he spots Yoshizawa waving at them, she herself wearing a yellow kimono with red blossoms scattering across the silk. And as soon as they spot her, Mochizuki starts wearing his flirtatious mask and whistles, hands behind his head. "Oh my, she looks mighty fine."

"Hey, don't hit on her so brazenly," Ren says, punching the taller boy lightly on his flank, making the boy yelps and pulls away, laughing merrily. Then, once they reach her, Ren grins. "Happy New Year."

"Happy New Year, Amamiya-senpai!" She says enthusiastically, before withering a little under Goro's passive face. "…Happy New Year, Akechi-san."

"To you as well, Yoshizawa-san," He says with a small nod, his face filled with nothing but boredom. To be honest, Ren is already surprised that Goro would actually accompany him today, since the man is one of the most anti-social human being he's ever had the pleasure to know. After a moment, Ren follows his red eyes only to see Mochizuki rubbing his chin, looking thoughtful. "Mochizuki-san, you are not going to do something questionable, are you?"

"Mm? What do you mean, something questionable?" The boy repeats, genuinely confused, before he turns his gaze back towards Yoshizawa. And then, as if snapping out of his thoughts, he blinks and smiles charmingly at his Kouhai before bowing his head slightly. "I'm sorry, that was rude of me. Happy New Year, Yoshizawa-san."

"Um! Happy New Year as well, Mochizuki-senpai."

"Are we done with the pleasantries yet?" Goro mutters, giving Ren an annoyed look. "You know I'm not one for this kind of thing, Ren. Please hurry up and—"

"Nuh-uh!" Ren cuts him off, patting his back and waving at Yoshizawa to don't mind him. "We're not even halfway there yet, and you are so not refusing me. We are going to celebrate this together, and I'm not letting you quit until you're spent!"

Goro's face pales comically at that, and he scoots away, only for Ren to catch him by the sleeve. "Ren, good god, no—"

"Come on! Let's go!" He laughs and drags the boy towards the shrine, leaving the other two trailing right behind them.

…Something's wrong.

Something's very wrong.

After the others, who seems to be talking about things that shouldn't have been possible – Ryuji's track team, the stay of Suzui Shiho, Queen's father, Okumura, Isshiki Wakaba – have left, he promptly looks to Goro and Mochizuki for inputs, even as his scars scream for him to do something. And, as expected, he's met with nothing but dumbfounded looks and alarm in their eyes.

"…But it's only been a few hours since then," Mochizuki suddenly says, his eyes thoughtful, a finger on his lips as his gaze shifts to nowhere in particular. "I didn't detect any major changes in the air, either. How could things be like this so quickly?"

"An overnight change like this – and to change reality to such a degree," Goro says, eyeing Ren with a permanent scowl on his feature. He shifts his eyes towards Death a little before continuing, the sense of urgency lying in the undertone. "…I'm sorry, Mochizuki-san, but Yuuki-san's investigation will have to be put on hold, for now."

"I understand," The boy nods. "Even though I still want to continue, I simply can't ignore something like this. If reality is changed to this degree, what is to say that it won't become worse, or won't affect Makoto, as well? We have to find the cause of this first, and correct it."

"The app," Ren breathes, looking down at the strange grayed-out application on his phone. "That's our only lead. But—"

"—We have no targets," Goro finishes with a sigh as he taps at the app. "Yes, that's our one major roadblock. We do have a search history, but with the name crossed out, so we should be able to enter their Palace… if what's causing this is a human, and if we know where."

Ren crosses his arms before he recalls something that he saw this morning – a dream. The school, the voices telling him he's not accepted this yet, the blue butterfly— "…The Velvet Room."

"…What?"

"Come on, let's go," Ren says, grabbing both of their wrists and dragging them with him. "I dunno, but I dreamt of something this morning. I'm not going to bore you with the details, but I supposed… the Velvet Room residents would know something about any of this."

Goro seems to ponder a little at that, and he nods. "It's our only lead so far. Might as well."

Their walk to the Velvet Room (his Velvet Room) is hurried, and silent. Mochizuki seems perturbed by all of this, and rightfully so – for someone with deep ties towards Metaverse and Shadows and the Sea of Souls, for the change in the fabric of reality itself to happen right under his nose is something that should not have been possible. Hell, he could even tell that Yaldabaoth – something vile – was at the heart of the Mementos, back then. Even with his power still not in full, he should've been able to notice strange happenstances of this magnitude.

And Goro – the always careful, always thinking Goro, whose ties to the darker side of a person's psyche are much stronger than Ren's – expresses his concern in the fact that the things that are happening aren't necessarily a bad thing; all the things that has been changed, has somehow been changed for the better. Resurrections of the people who do not deserve death, the change in their personalities that allow them to be the selves that they've always wished for, like Futaba's more outgoing nature – all of those things are not bad, but to change someone without their own knowledge, that's what bugging Goro most.

And Ren agrees; while he realizes that the circumstances are actually pretty ideal, there is no denying the facts that all of these changes are not the results of one's free will, and he – the rebel, the thief, who values freedom of choices above all else – does not like the implications of these events. Without free wills, people cannot evolve; they cannot change for the better, they cannot strive towards their ideals, they cannot fight against their own darkness.

People simply do not evolve without tackling their own darkness and fears, and while those processes might take months, years, decades – or god forbids, even a lifetime – it is a universal fact that lives are made out of the trials and choices that one will inevitably have to face and make.

He cannot allow this to continue, even if it hurts – because what is life, without freedom?

And, to be fair… he hasn't expected this.

"What's wrong, Ren?" Goro asks when he stops in the same alleyway he has visited times and times before, for the services of the Velvet Room, for bringing forth the masks that dwells within the Sea of Souls. "Where are you looking—"

"It's not here," He breathes, Goro's words falling on deaf ear, his eyes wide. He's looking at the same damn spot, he's sure – the same knocked-over trash can, which has never once been set upright, the same damn sign with a missing letter and flickering light. Everything is the same, except for one glaring fact that the blue cell door, the door he'd often used to access the place between dreams and reality, mind and matter, is not here. "The Velvet Room isn't here."

It's gone. The Velvet Room is gone—

"It hasn't disappeared," Mochizuki says, making Ren looks back. Death is having his eyes closed, brows slightly scrunched in concentration. "…It just changed its entrance, that's all. Possibly to avoid detection, or because the change in reality shifts its placement."

"Do you know where it is?" Ren asks, forcibly swallowing back the wad of air bubbling up his throat. "Igor and Lavenza might know what happened. I have to talk to them."

A moment, and Mochizuki nods. "…Yes, I think I can find it. And… this is a bit concerning, but…"

Instead of continuing with words, Mochizuki lifts his hands up for them to see. And after a single inhalation of frigid, unbreathable air, his fingers are enveloped with darkness.

Goro gasps. "…You can use your power in the real world?"

"I could do it before I went back to the Sea of Souls the first time," He says quietly as he pulls his hand back, tugging it inside his pants pocket. "I shouldn't be able to do it now, not without Makoto by my side. If I can, it would mean that—"

"—Much like when Yaldabaoth tried to fuse the two worlds together, the Metaverse and the real world are merging," Ren finishes, the true weight of the situation sinking deep into his bones. "Fuck."

"No point wallowing in it just yet," Goro quickly says, patting Ren's back twice. When he turns to look at him, Goro is giving him a firm, unyielding look. "You have a plan. We'll follow. Mochizuki-san, please lead us to the Velvet Room's entrance?"

"Yes," The boy nods and quickly turns on his heels, leading their ways forward.

When Mochizuki is three steps ahead, Goro puts a firm hand on his shoulder, and he sees those striking red eyes boring into him. Goro then says with an almost imperceptible smile, that of confidence and defiance. "You'll be fine, Ren. All of us will. We're not alone."

He laughs a little at that. "Yeah."

That's right. They have each other – they'll find a way.

The door to the Velvet Room ended up in the alleyway right outside of school.

Thankfully, the alley's traffic is minimum at best, due to the alley itself being a dead end. Ren knows he couldn't bring the other two with him, so he asks for them to wait as he steps into the Velvet Room.

He opens his eyes to the same prison, with its cold, hard bed and steel bars and leaking pipes. He looks down, and is mildly surprised to see that he is no longer a prisoner, with his clothing remaining just as he's entered this place. He gets up fully, eyes darting around, and smiles when he spots two familiar faces in the dead center of the hall.

He steps through the door, and Igor greets him, his everlasting grin still as unsettling as ever, although less sinister than when Yaldabaoth wears it. "Welcome to the Velvet Room, my dear guest."

"…Oh! I'm here, too?"

Ren whips around and almost sprains his neck at the voice, only to see Mochizuki there, his arms crossed, a pleasant smile on his face. Ren turns his questioning look towards Igor, who nods in Death's way. "I am pleased to meet you again, Ryoji-san. It is fortuitous that I can call you into this place along with Ren-san, and that is in no small part due to the strange occurrence in the real world."

"So you know something's up," Ren says, turning to Igor and his warden – no, his attendant – fully. Lavenza gives him a small nod, so he returns that with one of his own before continuing. "What happened?"

"I do not rightly know, but it is similar to something that happened during Christmas Eve," The old man states, waving his hand slightly. "Someone is actualizing their dreams, injecting their worlds into reality, changing it. The power of actualization, that is only possible through channeling the power the God of Control left behind."

"…Someone," Ren repeats slowly. "So, this is a doing of a human."

Just as we've suspected.

"Yes, as unlikely as it is," Another voice says, and Ren looks behind Igor to see a woman with short silver hair and piercing golden eyes, adorning a small blue hat and sleeveless blue dress. He hears Mochizuki laughs a little at her appearance. The newcomer then bows. "I hope I am not too late, Master."

"You are not," Igor confirms, and upon Ren's confused look, waves towards the woman. "This here is another of the Velvet Room's resident, who has just returned from her journey across your world. Her name is Elizabeth, Makoto-san's retainer."

Ren looks at Mochizuki at this, and the boy nods. "She and Igor were the ones who helped Makoto during his own Fool's Journey. You can trust her."

"Ah," Ren mutters. "Um, Amamiya Ren. Nice to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine."

"Sister, please do not steal my guest," Lavenza says flatly, causing Ren to jump under his skin. She's smiling at him, but… it's a bit murderous, he thinks? "But, back to our original topic, Trickster. We, sadly, do not know who it is that is tampering with your world. We apologize for that."

"It can't be helped, then," Ren says, rubbing his chin. "Anywhere we can look?"

"There is a strong change in the fabric of reality at the place you humans called Odaiba Stadium, or rather, its construction site," Elizabeth says, opening the tome in her hand and calling out a single Arcana card. "But even I am not certain as to what or how you will be able to investigate this further."

"That's plenty," Ren says, lifting a hand. "At least we've got something to work with."

"I agree," Mochizuki hums, glancing at Ren briefly before redirecting his gaze to Yuuki's attendant, the eccentric woman. "Elizabeth-san, since you're here, now… can you find him? Or is there any clue I can work with, at all?"

"Sadly, I cannot," Elizabeth says with a shake of her head. "What or whoever took him, they have hidden themselves very well. But one thing is unquestionable."

"What thing?" Mochizuki half-growls, and seems to remember himself seconds later, as he then wears an apologetic look and looks away.

Elizabeth snaps the tome shut, shattering the Arcana card within it. "That Makoto-san had come into contact with someone that I am certain also bears the power to call forth Persona. At least one of them, who is holding him under captivity, is—"

"—A Persona User…?" Mochizuki says, and at this, Ren could feel his life being too close to danger, chill of dread and fear crawling up his spine and settling at the nape of his neck, ready to force him to turn tail and run. He tries to force himself to look at Death, whose expression seems calm, but the deep, freezing anger is just palpable in the air. "…They're not someone I know, are they?"

"I don't think so," Lavenza answers, this time. "I and Sister could sometime see into the world, and while your friend remains hidden from our eyes, due to some circumstances I am not quite sure what, we could still see the rest – your friends are doing quite well, and are all fighting to uphold their ideals, just as they have before... at least, they were, before reality is changed, that is."

Mochizuki sighs a little at that, the seeping anger and the squared shoulders gone. "…That's good, at least. But as long as there's no new clue to work with, I cannot find him. Please tell me anything, anything at all, should something come up to you."

"We will, Ryoji-san," Igor says before directing his attention to Ren once more. "Trickster, the change in reality at this time might benefit you and your friends in the short run, but—"

"Without freedom, there's no life," Ren cuts him off, and Raoul hums in agreement, proud. He smiles at his attendant, who seems relieved upon his declaration. "If we can't face the truth and live in a beautiful lie, it would mean that we're not truly living our lives, right? I know that much. To live, is to live and learn through your own choices. Without the ability to choose, humans would become nothing. I will not allow a god or a man to dictate my path, not now, not ever."

"You truly are the greatest man I know, Trickster," Lavenza hums with a small smile. "Then, please return to your world, and proceed with caution. Should I know anything more, you will be the first to know."

"I'll hold you onto that," Ren says with a grin.

And now… they have a mystery to solve.

The three of them decide to head for the construction site first thing afterwards.

Goro seems a little peeved that he's barred from the Velvet Room, but since Mochizuki's special in ways no human can hope to replicate, he has no choice but to accept it and let it slide. And to think that the person (people?) holding Yuuki captive is a Persona User – that just complicate things to no end, not to mention explain their knowledges about Personas and Persona Suppressors.

Mochizuki said that he'd be fine, and rechecked Yuuki right after only to find that he could feel just the same – pain and discomfort, but no more information pertaining his whereabouts or his physical states. Ren sighs; he sure hopes they'd be able to do more. Both matters require their immediate attentions, and both are equally life-threatening, in their own ways – one threatens to strip them of their freedoms, the other to torture and possibly kill a person.

Once they step foot along the path to the station, Goro speaks up. "…Something doesn't fit."

"What thing?" Ren asks.

"Why aren't the three of us affected?" He says, and further elaborates after Ren nods. "Everyone – not just the Thieves, but the general populaces – seems to be having the perfect lives. But we still remember the real reality. And Yuuki-san, too, from Mochizuki-san's words – his circumstances never change. Isn't that right, Mochizuki-san?"

"…Yes," He confirms with a nod, his sapphire blue eyes glancing towards their destination. "It is strange, when you think about it. And you can't say it's because we're satisfied with our current situations, either."

"Maybe because our wills are too strong to be swayed," Ren reasons. "Not that our friends are weak-willed or anything, but I suppose deep down, they all wish for things to be different. I did, too, but I just accepted it and headed towards the future without looking back. The same goes for you, Goro."

"That… is certainly true," Goro nods. "What about Yuuki-san?"

"Makoto is strong," Mochizuki says with a proud smile. "He even chose an eternity of nothingness and possible madness over letting the world die. He didn't choose the easy way out by killing me. He chose to forgive me and everything, so I think there's no doubt about it. But if his status isn't changing, that would mean his current state is ideal to someone. And that's making me sick."

"You can't please everyone, is what people say all the time," Ren muses, fingers clawing at the scar on his chest until he could feel the sting as they bleed. "Well, whatever or whoever it is, or what their reasons are, we need to stop them."

"My sentiment exactly," Goro says as they reach the construction site.

Much to Ren's chagrin, there is seemingly nothing wrong here – all he could see are the aluminum walls and the materials and the workers' hats left lying around, since it's already sunset when they arrive. He sighs and fishes for his phone. Luckily enough, the app is here.

He vaguely remembers this place to be where he met Yoshizawa, having stumble upon a Palace that he knows not whom it belongs to. And to think that such a place where he met her by chance might be the source of the disruption in reality – he couldn't rightly explain why, but his gut is twisting and churning, making him sick. His instinct is whispering, that it's someone he knows.

"Check the search history, then?" Goro suggests, eyeing his own phone. "Maybe—"

"Amamiya-senpai!"

They turn to see Yoshizawa running towards them. Mochizuki does seem a little alarmed, but Ren raises a hand before turning his attention back to her. "Yoshizawa. A surprise seeing you here. Don't you have your New Year Party to attend to, though?"

"I did, but… I don't know, I just want to come here, for some reason."

"How very odd," Goro says with his voice betraying none of his distrust. Ren understands that, but Yoshizawa – back then, as a Persona User – helped him escapes from Niijima Sae's casino, after all. And when Goro catches his pleading look, he finally relents and lifts his ever-scrutinizing gaze off of the poor girl. "But, very well. Just don't weigh us down."

"Goro, don't be mean," Ren chides, hitting his shoulder a bit harder than intended, causing Goro to yelp out his protest and backs away.

"Ow!"

"Sorry not sorry," He says flatly, his fingers hovering over the damnable app. "So, you guys ready?"

"Um! Ready for what?" Yoshizawa asks.

Ren smacks himself mentally, having forgotten the fact that he hasn't told the girl anything yet. He gives her a quick rundown, and she seems like she doesn't believe him. So he adds, with exasperation behind his tone. "I know it sounds really wild, but I don't think it's far-fetched. I mean, aren't talking cat-monster and people calling forth some mythological bullshits by ripping their faces off more surreal?"

"…That is true," Yoshizawa relents. "Then yes, I am ready. If it is as you say, then I don't think leaving it any longer will be wise for us."

She then looks towards Mochizuki, who only smiles. "Let's just say that I am a Persona, of a kind. I am different from you, but let's leave that for another day. Time's wasting."

"On that, we can agree," Goro says. "Let's go, Joker."

The place seems different. Feels different. More powerful. More hostile.

Raoul is uneasy in his chest, his scars tingling almost uncontrollably, mimicking Mochizuki's increasing unrest. He doesn't like the way the two feel and look, but he has to keep his feelings in check as they battle their ways through this laboratory, of sort, infested with Shadows more powerful than any of the minions he's ever faced before.

And the damn place is filled to the brim with them.

After he hacks the last Shadow to bits, he puts up a finger, panting slightly. "Timeout! Timeout! Fuck, it's only been five days. I'm outta practice."

"It's not just you, though," Crow says, his hands on his hips, face tipping upward, panting. Ren spies Yoshizawa trying to catch her breath not far from him. As always, Death is the one and only person (thing?) that doesn't seem to be affected by the concept of exhaustion. "They're stronger than I thought they would be. I wonder why."

"I have a few theories, but this is no such place to discuss it," Thanatos says, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms. "After you get your bearings, let us find a place to rest, first of all. Fighting our way through with this much enthusiasm will do us no good in the long run."

"I agree," Crow hums. He then pauses, before looking at Yoshizawa, who's staring at him intensely. "…Do you wish to say something to me, Yoshizawa-san?"

"Um! Nothing!" She says, quickly turning away, her cheeks turn rosy pink.

"You're thinking along the line of – has he always been this sort of a ruthless, sadistic person? – isn't that right?" Ren teases, and laughs when he makes her jump. Crow throws him a dirty look, while Yoshizawa flusters and fails miserably at hiding her blush. "I mean, he's always been this way. Just everyday Goro. Don't mind him."

"Joker, one of these days, I swear to god I'm going to kick you in the behind and send you into the next week with a broken coccyx," Crow growls, the red eyes of his mask glinting.

"Oh, spank me, daddy," Ren teases as he gets up straight. He hears some sort of choking noise from Crow, but decides to ignore it as he brandishes his blade again. "Alright, I'm set. You three ready?"

Yoshizawa and Thanatos readily reply, but he notes the absence of the sarcastic murder-bird's voice, so he turns to see Crow turning away from him, a hand over his mouth, coughing. When Ren tilts his head, the man just lifts up a finger before inhaling sharply twice. Then, a bit hoarsely, he mutters, "…Okay, I'm good. Let's find a safe room first."

Kinda weird, but Ren decides to prioritize finding a safe room first and foremost.

It takes them a long while (maybe an hour, he guesstimates), but they finally find themselves a safe room right before an elevator. He lets Crow explains how the safe room comes to be to Yoshizawa as he sits down on the small white chair, letting his body have its much-needed rest. Thanatos sits to his right, tendrils of darkness recalled back into his soul, his eyes curiously take in the state of the room.

"Oh yeah, this is your second or third time in a safe room, right?" Ren says, pushing his mask off his eyes and fishing out a bar of Snickers from his coat. He throws one each to his friends before munching on his own. When Thanatos nods, he waves his hand around. "Pretty handy place. Let us catch our breaths and prepare for whatever else that's going to come with it."

"A gap in a person's cognition, huh…" He murmurs, the chocolate bar lies forgotten in his palm. His blue eyes shift around again, this time slower, more thoughts behind his gaze. "Even if I've been in one a few times, I still couldn't quite get used to it. Such an amazing place. The Dark Hour had no such thing as a safe place for you, because it didn't come to be from just cognition of the masses alone, but of that in combination with Nyx's own power."

"Sounds like a hard time to be alive and awake in," Ren says, his mind recalling Thanatos' tales of the SEES and their battles with Death itself. At this, he sees the other two paying a bit more attention to them than he thinks they would, so he just gives them a small smile. "So, Than… what do you think of this place?"

He chews on the insides of his cheeks a little, his head tilted in deep contemplation, before he hums out, his voice low, his speech slowed. "…I think I can understand the Palace's Ruler a little better. He is just like me, back then, when I offered the SEES a choice to kill me in order to forget it all."

"…SEES? Choice to kill you?" Yoshizawa asks.

Ren briefly smacks himself – he totally forgets that she knows nothing about this. He glances at Crow, who promptly says, "It's a long story, Yoshizawa-san. We'll get there another time."

"Oh."

"…Aside from that," Ren says, turning his eyes back to Death, who's looking down at his own hands, his fingers restless. "Why do you think so?"

"This person wants what he thinks is the best for the people – for me, for you, for your friends – much like how I was. I used to think that Death cannot be defied, so I gave them, I pleaded for them, to kill me, so that they'd be able to live their final days in peace. What I didn't know at the time is that the human wills are strong – enough to change their own futures."

He lets the words sink in, and smiles – that is the Thieves' code of conduct, after all. To rebel against the forces that thought themselves absolute and unchangeable, and prove them wrong. He then pats Thanatos' shoulder lightly, and when the boy's blue eyes turn to him, he grins. "And now that you know, you're fighting to keep our freedom of choices safe. I've said this before, but thanks, for standing with us, even with your own quest unresolved."

"His wills are my own. We share them," He says with a light smile. "It is what he would've done. And this is what friends do for each other, no?"

He laughs. "That's true."

"We should keep moving," Crow interjects. "We should be all rested up now. Unless you want to spend more time chatting up nonsense?"

"Crow, be nice," Ren chides lightly as he gets up. Thanatos does the same.

Crow snorts, but then the tenseness leaves his body for a split second, and he puts a hand forward towards Thanatos. When the latter gives Crow a questioning look, the murder-bird says, "I said I hadn't trusted you yet. But from what you've done for us, and from all the things you've told us; nothing but the truth, even though it would put your position in jeopardy, even though it would mean risking us turning our backs on you… I think I can safely say, now, that you've earned my trust, Mochizuki Ryoji-san."

…Ren didn't see that coming. Crow doesn't trust people easily, and he still has doubts sometimes that the boy trusts him, even after he's declared his friendship towards Ren. But then, Ren smiles – this is just another proof that Crow's changing for the better. Or rather, that's he's opening up his true heart more.

And Thanatos takes that hand and shakes it firmly. "Thank you, Akechi-san. You've done much for me as well. I'll not let you down."

"Well then!" Ren says, clapping his hands lightly. "I'm glad you've got that sorted out. Now then, lady and gents… we have a heart to change."

It's Yoshizawa Sumire, not Kasumi.

He knows why she's running away from the truth; because reality hurts. And he knows better than anyone, that Maruki Takuto means the best for them – hell, Ren's pretty sure most, if not all, of the Thieves had come out of their therapy sessions with him better and lighter, Ren himself included. But to think that Maruki would be warped enough, and to disregard freedom just enough, to actually manifest a Palace of his own, and for his desires to be so powerful that he'd take Yaldabaoth's place and powers.

Thanatos isn't doing – or saying – anything, and his eyes convey everything Ren needs to know; he thinks Ren should sort this out first, because Thanatos values their friendships enough that he understands the necessity for him to try to talk this out with Maruki on his own.

"Change it back," Ren says, trying to keep his voice leveled, his heart calm. His fingers twitch again, and he has to put a part of him to stop himself from reaching for the scars. To change reality so drastically, to alter the fabric of space and time so absolutely, means that he's going to shackle everyone to his own will, because allowing them to think freely will make his reality as warped as the real one. "Maruki-san, you have to change it back—"

Then he stops himself, glancing to the kneeling, crying Yoshizawa. A fragile, broken girl, wrecked with guilt of causing the death of her own sister. Ren couldn't claim he understands that, because he doesn't. But what he knows (he thinks he knows) is that without facing your own pain, you can't move forward. He should be steady in his ideals, he should not back down, and yet—

—And yet, he finds himself hesitating.

Luckily for him, Crow steps in, practically growing under his breath. "I've had enough of your high-and-mighty attitude. All you did was using her to validate your ideas, that is all. You have not a clue about what the world, what humans are. And you claim you're saving everyone? You haven't. All you are doing, here and now, is running away."

"…It is unfortunate, that you see things like that," Maruki says, clearly and genuinely saddened. Ren gulps, but finds himself having not enough resolve to say anything, even though he was just so steadfast and so unbending before coming fact-to-face with this man. "But, can't you see? My research will turn the people's wishes into reality. No one will have to suffer under this unfair world, ever again!"

He just couldn't say anything.

And with his refusal to acknowledge Maruki's reality (it's wrong, and yet—), nor to reject it outright, the man forcibly takes Yoshizawa into his own care, and just disappears.

But not after telling them to see his self-made reality, first.

Ren's still in a dazed, uncertain. He knows he values freedom more than anyone. He should be valuing it more than this absurd reality, and yet—

"You're hesitating."

There's no bite, no malice. Just pure, simple truth carved into his soul with Goro's firm words. He dares not looking up, but he nods, biting his lower lip a little as to stop his mind from wandering off, nails digging deep into his own arms. "I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't, but… I know how cruel reality can be. I don't like us not having a freedom of choice, but is it wrong—"

"To live, is to die."

They both turns towards Mochizuki, who has remained on the sidelines, all this time, except for that last battle with Maruki's lackey in their attempts to get Yoshizawa back. When the silence stretches, Ren decides to ask, his voice scratchy. "…What do you mean?"

"To live is to die, to bond, to connect. To live, is to experience both joy and sorrow, both happiness and pain. Because without one, the other cannot exist," Mochizuki says with a small smile. He sees Goro nods a little at that before looking back down at Ren, his gloved hand careful on his shoulder. "Amamiya, I know how this seems to you. I've told you before, yes? That I was just the same as that man – I used to think that I know best how to help humans."

He nods, trying to focus himself on what Mochizuki had said before – that he was proven wrong before, when the SEES refused him and won. That humans can change and grow. And what he's just said, too—

"It's normal to feel conflicted. At least, for someone like you," Goro says. When Ren looks at him in the eyes, this time, those orbs of scarlet are unusually kind. "But what Mochizuki-san said is the truth. And I think I know you enough, that this is just a temporary moment of weakness. You know, better than any of us, that—"

"—Without freedom, there's no life," He murmurs, smiling slightly, his eyes shifting towards the dark sky, towards the scattering starlight. "…Yeah. It's not wrong to wish for a world where no one suffers, but that isn't how humans should live. By facing hardships, we grow."

"Not to mention that Maruki-san is just that – a human. A mortal," Goro says. "He's just running away from the truth."

"There's something I also want to say to him, but let's save that for another time," Mochizuki says, his smile so warm, so kind. "Before we do anything else, let's see his reality, first hand. But I know you're not going to hesitate anymore, are you?"

"No," He says resolutely.

Because while reality is cruel, while life is unfair… they can be kind in its stead.

Their lives should be theirs to live, not dictated by someone else, no matter how well they mean.

A man – a god – should have no say over their paths forward.

No more. Not again.

Chapter Text

To Face Your Pain

January 2nd, 2017 [Monday]

He wakes up to Mochizuki singing under his breath, low enough to not disturb Goro, but loud enough for the words to be clearly heard.

Fates, weave their threads. Our lives are sewn,

Born, to a life, all but our own.

His voice is soft, sorrowful. Ren could feel something that is not one of the Personas he's ever seen or heard of before strumming its instrument in tune with the words, creating a melancholic melody that fills him with a deep sadness. But that sorrow is tinted with a bit of hope and warmth. He doesn't sit up right away, instead choosing to remain on the bed, listening to the lyrics and the low, barely audible notes he now recognizes to have come from a lyre.

We feel it inside, our bones.

It's in the blood, oh, it's in the blood.

It's in the blood.

He chances a glance, and is mildly surprised to see those blue eyes, now shining like the northern stars in the dead of the night, strangely untainted by the usual sadness that he'd always see in them, looking straight at him. He blinks before giving Mochizuki a smile, and the boy nods slightly in return before closing his eyes and continuing to hum in time with the lyre, played by someone or something from the Sea of Soul itself.

Loves, in your life, live ever on.

Home, is not where you live, but who cares when you're gone.

He lets his mind wander, pondering over the words. He finds that it describes him – all of them – almost too perfectly. That home is where the heart is, and Ren's heart is with them, with the Thieves, with Sojirou, and Goro… and now, that includes Mochizuki, too. And Ren remembers, that this Yuuki person is just the same as he is; that his home is where his friends are.

They'll follow you to, the beyond.

It's in the blood. It's in the blood.

…From what little Mochizuki told them, of Yuuki spending the following years after becoming the Seal drowning in the Sea, where the voices of man manifest as Personas, Ren has to wonder if he remembers it all, if his love and his friends (his life) have followed him there. He hopes they did, because it would be maddening, to sacrifice himself only for nothing but darkness to dominate his thoughts.

But, Ren thinks, that the thoughts of his friends are always there for him. He has no solid proof of this, but his heart just knows. And, as if to confirm his musing, the lyre strums a little louder than it used to, and the name of a Persona that doesn't belong to anything he's seen enters his mind, and his lips move and utter the name before his heart even registers it; Orpheus.

Mochizuki looks up at that, but doesn't stop murmuring, his lips stretch into a thin smile at the name.

Run all you like, from the place you belong.

It's always there, it's in the air,

Your dearest kin, below your skin.

The song reaches its finale, and as the sound of the lyre dies down, Ren sits up, looking into those pool of shimmering blue that seems to ease his mind almost against his own will. They remain there, staring into each other's souls in the dark, for what feels like an eternity. Mochizuki then smiles. "He played the song to you too, hadn't he? Orpheus, I mean."

"…Yeah," Ren murmurs, a hand on his chest. He feels Raoul shifts and stirs as the strange Persona – the Master of Strings, Orpheus – sits inside his chest and drums the strings softly, nameless soothing melody bouncing around his soul. It feels like cool, fresh water washing over his skin. "…Orpheus, the Master of String…"

"According to mythology, his songs could charm even stones into doing his biddings. But, sadly, he failed to retrieve Eurydice from the underworld, and later was killed by Dionysus' maenads – his female followers, if you will – who were tired of his mourning for his late wife," Mochizuki whispers softly, his fingers running over the cover of the book Ren's seen him read multiple times before – Greco-Roman Mythology.

"He belongs to Yuuki?" Ren asks, throwing his legs off the bed and setting his feet against the cold, hard wood. But, if he does, then Mochizuki should be able to find the boy—

"He used to," Mochizuki hums sadly. "Makoto let him go when he answered to the call of another. His dear friend. Aigis was – is – her name."

That blonde girl who was with Kirijou. Ren remembers.

"…Wait, if he's Yuuki's original Persona, then how…?" Ren asks. His experiences might've been limited regarding the matter, but Personas are a person's other self. Wild Card simply can change their faces to suit the situations, but his own Persona – Raoul – is his true self, so how? "Personas are a person's sense of self, even for a Wild Card. So how—"

"Aigis woke up to the power of the Wild Card after his death, becoming his successor by pulling Orpheus away. And since he's the Seal, and that he's ready to let go, Orpheus answered," Mochizuki smiles. After a moment, he continues quietly. "He is not just the Fool. Makoto is also the Universe – he encompasses all, he could call for anyone and anything. His heart is just that big, that kind. And… I'm not quite sure, but it seems like his true self is yet hidden inside the Sea of Souls, waiting to be called upon."

"Igor told you this?" Ren asks.

"That, and my own deductions, too," He says, placing the book down on the table. "But I cannot be certain. My connection to the Sea of Souls right now is very limited, in no small part due to Makoto's predicament. I want to save him right away, but I don't know where he is…"

"We'll find him, I promise," Ren says sternly. While Maruki's bullshits are an urgent concern, he has to keep reminding himself that so does Yuuki's captivity. Who knows what's being done to him? Even if he's alive, being in pain and discomfort all the time doesn't bold very well. "Shit, now I just want nothing more than to find Maruki and beat some senses into him."

"Thank you, Amamiya," Mochizuki says, standing up, curling his yellow scarf tightly over his neck. "I know you're doing your best. The faster the better, but without any information, I suppose this is the best we could've done. Not to mention that we still need Futaba-san's skills. But—"

"She's stuck in this ideal reality," Ren finishes flatly. "Yeah… I'll check this reality Maruki-san mentioned. And then, on the 9th, we'll give him our answer."

"You've come to your own, correct?" Mochizuki says with a small smile.

"Yeah," He breathes, a grin on his lips. "We're in the same boat on this one. Don't worry."

When Goro is awake, Ren offers him a cup of coffee.

"Thank you," The boy hums, taking the cup in between his palms after he curls a scarf around his neck. Ren nods and sits on his bed, legs crossed, eyes on the phone as the Thieves start chatting up their usual shenanigans, fingers gently tracing the edge of the scar on his knee. Goro seems to have muted his phone, for it to not have buzzed crazy like his is doing. As for Mochizuki, he doesn't have one (yet), so he's free from all of that.

"We have to wait until the date Maruki-san has set to strike," Ren says, taking a sip from his own cup, the bitter taste of caffeine washing away any remains of his unrest down his throat. He puts the cup down on the floor as he swipes on his phone, opening up their social pages. And, true enough, their realities have been changed, and their cognitions of such events have been corrected back to as earliest a point as Maruki could manage.

"Check in with the others, then? See if they're really happy living in this reality?" Mochizuki offers from Ren's study desk, dozens of shortened pencils left lying on the woods. The boy seems to have taken some researches upon himself, and whenever he comes up with anything, he'd write them down. And those numbers of stationaries on the desk alone is pretty jarring.

"I think they might be, on the surface," Ren says, putting his phone away and leaning back on his palms, his eyes up at the light in the ceiling. "But I know them better than that. Deep down, even if it hurts, they would've wanted for the world to stay as it was. Because without that world, without their pain, they would never have grown to be who they are today."

"Blind faith," Goro hums. Ren throws him a dirty look, but the boy just casually shrugs him off. "But I will have to take your words for it. You know them better than I do."

Ren lets silence takes over for a moment. He then looks at Mochizuki, then at Goro, before he says loud enough for both of them to hear. "I have faith that they will regain their free wills. And when they do, we fight."

"You don't want to," Goro states simply. He must've noticed Ren's unease. While it is true that this world cannot be allowed to continue, he still doesn't enjoy the idea of fighting the therapist. The man means well, not to mention that he's helped the Thieves plenty of times before.

So, Ren sighs and murmurs. "I don't. But I have to, and rest assured, I will."

Goro glances up at the ceiling before turning his face downward again, lips against the edge of the cup. He inhales once before taking a long, careful sip. Then, he murmurs. "I'll trust you on that."

"Thanks."

The next fifteen minutes are spent in hushed whispers and contemplations. But even without those, Ren is already certain that he will decline Maruki's reality. He will not allow his will, his determination, to bend ever again, no matter how tempting it truly is. Raoul hums, content, as he says lightly. This is the reason why you and I are one and the same, boy. We are the Spirit of Freedom. Without liberty, there is no life. Neither god nor man will chain us down.

Ren smiles, shifting off of his bed and joining Goro on the couch. The boy doesn't protest much except for some weird eye and a tense shoulder. Ren just laughs and waves before leaning back into the backrest, his arms draped over the couch carelessly. After another minute, he says softly. "You know, Goro, I'm glad you're here with me right now."

Goro tilts his head. "How so?"

"Aside from you being a blunt, sarcastic murder bird with no regard for social cues," He begins, earning himself a snicker from Mochizuki, who promptly looks away upon receiving a glare from Goro. The boy then smacks his leg hard, and Ren half-laughs, half yelps at that. "Ow! Anyways – aside from that, you've been steadfast since we, you know, made up inside Shido's Palace. My survival up 'til now is in no small part thanks to you. You too, Mochizuki!"

Death laughs lightly, giving him a thumb up before returning his attention to the tome in hand. Goro, on the other hand, seems to actually mull over what he's just said. Before Ren could say anything more, the detective snorts out a laughter before shaking his head. "You're unbelievable. It's me who should be thanking you."

Ren tilts his head. "What for?"

"Saving me," Goro hums, his smirk melting into a rare, gentle smile. Ren absently thinks that, indeed, that smile is the most genuine one he's ever seen, and it makes butterflies flutter wildly in his stomach. Goro then shifts his scarlet eyes upward towards the rafter. "You've done that more times than I could thank you for."

"…Wait, wait, hold up," Ren quickly backpedals when his mind has stopped admiring Goro's smile (god fucking damnit, hormones! And he's so fucking gay and head over heels for no obvious reasons, too!) and starts catching up to his words. "Dude, I only, like, saved you once. Not to mention that you've helped me plenty before, too! Nope! You're not thanking me more than necessary!"

"I'm not," Goro quickly defends, and gives Mochizuki a glare as the other boy fails miserably at hiding his peals of laughter. Ren wants to hide under the blanket at the way Mochizuki watches him, so amused and so teasing. "You—"

"We're not doing this! No getting emotional now, the time's long since passed, man!" Ren quickly says, throwing his pillow into Mochizuki's face. Death just laughs harder before putting the pillow neatly down at the foot of his bed. "And you, Mister Charming, stop laughing for no good reason!"

"I have a reason, though," Mochizuki grins, mirth dancing in his piercing blue. He then shrugs. "But, oh well, I'll concede. It's not often I'd see you all flustered and panicked, you know."

Ren only does what he thinks, at the time, is best; pouting.

They all, even Goro, fall into a fit of laughter afterwards.

It is quite unfortunate, that the light atmosphere they've managed to build up crumbles right after they've all seen just how blissful his friends seem, living in this alternate reality.

But, as he's promised to himself before; he will not falter. Never again.

"Maruki-san really means the best for you all," Mochizuki hums as they find themselves inside a park not too far from the station. The taller boy plays with his scarf a little before exhaling softly, the puff of white mist encompassing his frames. "This is what makes choosing the right thing so hard; what would it be, an ugly truth, or a beautiful lie?"

"I'm not going to live under someone's control any longer," Goro says, crossing his arms. "My life is my own. I've spent enough years under the control of my own hatred and anger and Shido. This time, I'm going to make a path for myself."

"Same," Ren agrees, leaning back and watching the night sky. "Living in a lie is just running away. If I have to guess, Maruki-san might've been just that; the victim of the Fates. All it takes to break a person is either a lifetime of abuse, or one bad day."

"Still doesn't justify his actions," Goro snarls under his breath. "I'm not going to kill him, of course, but you can be sure that I'm going to beat his sorry behind back to where he came from and then some."

"Violent much, are we?" Ren laughs, hitting Goro lightly with the back of his hand. He then lets his chuckle dies down as he shifts his eyes away towards the general populace, oblivious to the lies before them, living their days in peace. "…But, even if it's the right thing, it still feels painful – to rob the people of their peace like this."

"Don't think like that," Mochizuki offers. "You're not robbing them of their peace; you're stealing back their freedom."

"…Huh," Ren hums, a finger under his chin, running it along his lower jaw lightly. When Mochizuki puts it that way, it makes all of this hurts a little less. So, he smiles, and takes those words to heart. "I guess you're right. Alright; then, next week, let's take back our freedom."

"Before that," Goro interjects, pulling out a phone that's not his own out of his pocket. He then thrusts it in Mochizuki's direction. The latter just stares at the device, undeniably dumbfounded, mimicking what Ren's feeling.

"Um… what is this?"

"I bought the cheapest model for you to use," Goro says, successfully shoving the device into Mochizuki's hands before quickly pulling away, as if to deny any chance to return. "No, you're not going to be paying anything, since that barely costs me anything."

Mochizuki blinks a few times, alternating his gaze between Goro and the thing in his hands. Then, his lips stretch into a warm smile as he bows his head lightly. "Then… thank you, Akechi-san. This is a very kind thing of you to do."

"Hmph."

"I didn't know you were saving up for this," Ren comments, leaning into Goro's personal space. "You coulda just told me. I wanna chip in, too."

"I'd rather you not," Goro says quietly. "It's… a thank you, for saving me back in Shido's Palace, intentional or otherwise."

"Ah," Is all Mochizuki says as he starts fiddling with the phone. He's been out of the loop for seven long years, but he seems more at ease with it than Ren thought he would. And, as if managing to read his mind, Mochizuki says, "I've seen you using yours for months, Amamiya. It's only natural that I'd be comfortable with it."

"…Well, that's true," Ren says. "But it's not often (if at all, rather) that you'd meet someone who has died and then came back to life years later, you know."

Mochizuki laughs. "Fair point."

After that, Death just busies himself with getting used to his new device, while Ren and Goro sit there, side by side, the latter seemingly more relaxed than he's ever been. Ren hums, closing his eyes and letting the cold wind of winter ruffles his hair and biting lightly on his skin, the strange itch he's always felt on his skin tempered under the breeze.

There is a second of nothingness, light and carefree, before Goro breaks it with a whisper. "What is this Maruki Takuto like?"

He's surprised Goro would ask that, since he has never, ever inquired about the enemies before. He's the type of person who'd judge a man by his own standards, something Ren finds both disturbing and charming – to be unflappable in the way he looks at the world is something he'd never be able to do, after all.

Ren tilts his head slightly before saying his thoughts out loud. "Let's see… I think he's a pretty socially awkward. Not that it's wrong or anything, but kinda funny, if you've had the chance to see him struggling with talking over a mic."

Goro snorts. "Go on."

"He's also soft-spoken and caring," Ren continues, recalling all of his sessions and talks with Maruki. The doctor is someone who cares a lot more than maybe he should, Ren just knows this. He's reminded of Mochizuki's description of Yuuki Makoto, and he only just understands now why that boy sounds so, so familiar to him – because he reminds him of Maruki, in a sense. "Kind unlike anyone I've met before. Very patient and understanding, too."

Goro only nods, arms crossed. He seems to be pondering over something, and if Ren has to guess from the glint in his eyes, he'd say that Goro's trying to understand the man. "That actually reminds me of Mochizuki-san's description of his friend."

"I know, right?" Ren hums, smiling slightly. "Aside from that… I feel like he's regretting something he's done – or maybe unable to do, I don't know – in his life. It's hard to miss the shadow of remorse that's following his footsteps, you see."

"Aren't we all, though?" Goro says, looking down at his feet as he absently scruffs his soles across the concrete. "We all regret something we did or didn't do. It's just something human. It's our nature."

"…Yeah, good point," Ren hums, patting Goro's shoulder lightly. "But, in all seriousness – it feels like that guilt is eating at him more than it should. Maybe, if we know more, we might be able to understand him."

"I see," The other says slowly, red eyes flickering his way. "Let me ask you this, Ren; I'm trying to do what you've always done before – trying to understand your enemies. Can I ask you—"

"—Why would I waste time doing that, right?" He finishes. Goro is, by all account, easy to understand. Note that being easy to understand doesn't mean he's easy to get along. But he finds Goro's company quite valuable (not to mention his secret crush?) (Fuck you, Mochizuki, don't laugh, thanks), and that he's easy to tease the hell out of.

Goro blinks, surprised, before nodding slowly.

Ren laughs. "You know, the world isn't all black and white. It's all shades of gray. When you get to know, to understand someone… you might be able to find a way that could help you both."

Goro takes a minute, nodding along once, head tilted to the side. He then says, "I see… you're interesting, as always."

"Thanks," Ren hums.

Right now, all they can do is wait; for the promised date, for his friends to remember.

Ren also doesn't miss the way Goro's looking at him, but he isn't quite sure what to make of it, so he just leaves it be.

January 9th, 2017 [Monday]

Maruki is waiting patiently, Yoshizawa on the chair beside him.

His eyes are watching Thanatos, who keeps to his human form, with curiosity. Ren chances a glance, to see that Thanatos is clenching his fingers hard around his arm, nails digging into his flesh, even if his face still retains a small smile – smile that doesn't reach his piercing pair of sapphire blue that seems to go straight through the soul.

"…May I ask who you are?" Maruki directs his question at Death, who forcibly takes his hands off his own flesh, fingertip-shaped folds left on the sleeves of his shirt. "I believe you are the new transfer student at Shujin, although I've already left it before then."

"Why would you want to know?" Thanatos says, his voice frigid cold. Ren shivers, his body taking a step back on its own. Raoul shifts and stirs again, roused by the sudden hostility this gentle soul suddenly gives out. "But I'll humor you. My name is Mochizuki Ryoji."

"It's a pleasure knowing you, Mochizuki-kun," Maruki says with a smile. Crow scoffs at that, probably thinking it fake, but Ren knows better – that expression is as genuine as it comes, even if the person wearing it has ulterior or questionable motives behind it. "I'm surprised I didn't detect your presence in my reality. Would you not also like for the world to be kind?"

"As tempting as that offer is," Thanatos says slowly. "I will not accept it. I cannot."

"Neither will I," Crow adds. "Word it as you like – you're merely brainwashing people for your own damn satisfaction. Help people? Don't be ridiculous. All that you're doing is forcing people under a life of lie and deceit."

"…I'm afraid some people would see it that way, but I assure you, my sole objective is to save everyone from pain and suffering! Wouldn't you also like to live such a life, where there's no pain?" Maruki says. Ren glances to see Yoshizawa looking at them with pleading eyes – for them to accept this reality, perhaps – as Maruki continues. "So please… for the sake of Yoshizawa-san and your friends, accept this gift of mine. I beg of you."

"No," Ren shakes his head, and as soon as he does, he sees a ghost of the blue, glowing butterfly floating by him before disappearing into specks of light. When Maruki gives out a surprised hum, Ren continues with a small smile. "Maruki-san, I know you wish for us to be happy, but this is not how happiness is obtained. To live is to face your own pain and conquer it, no matter how long that process may take. I – we will not run from the truth, from our darkness."

"To live is to die, to experience both joy and sorrow, happiness and suffering," Thanatos adds. "One cannot exist without the other. If you rob them of their memories, of the times they bond over their trials and vanquish their weaknesses, that would've meant that they've never lived at all."

Maruki seems to contemplate a little before he shakes his head, steeling his eyes. "I know that is how you see it, but I can control reality as I see fit! I can help you – all of you!"

"And yet, my friend, my light, is not here," Thanatos says, making Maruki looks at him in confusion. "You said you want to save everyone, but Makoto isn't here. I still couldn't find him, except feeling him in pain and distressed. You cannot save everyone, Maruki-san. That is not how the world works. And even if you have saved him – I still cannot allow you to reshape the world and rule it under your own thumb."

"But that is not my intention, not in the least! I don't wish to govern the world as a god—"

"But that's exactly what you're trying to do, Maruki-san," Ren says. "You're forcing us to accept the world that will rob us of our free will, to live as you see fit, no matter how good your intentions are."

"You're asking us to put you on a throne and revere you as a god," Crow sneers. "We can't do that."

"…I see," Maruki murmurs, looking down, eyes casted with regrets. "We still haven't reached and understanding then, it seems."

"There's no understanding to be reached," Crow spits out. Ren decides not to stop him – much like how his friends talk to Crow, Maruki needs to hear the flaws in his logics and actions, as well. "You are not even trying to understand us. You just want us to dance in your palm, Maruki-san. As long as you maintain that little belief of yours, then there's nothing left to talk about."

"I see," Maruki hums as he glances towards Yoshizawa, who's looking at him pleadingly. "But with that, you're denying her of her wishes. She wants nothing more than to live as Kasumi, and I can do that for her! She wants that!"

"He's right, Amamiya-senpai," Yoshizawa says as she gets up from her seat on shaky legs, her eyes wide and begging him to reconsider something he's already set his mind to. "Please, don't get in my way! I don't – I can't live as someone who killed her own sister!"

"…Joker," Crow whispers, stepping back. "Do you want us to help?"

He looks at Crow, then at Thanatos, both of whom are putting some distances between him and them, their expressions steeled. They're ready to help, but they also know – maybe even better than Ren does – that this isn't something as easy as to beat some sense into someone like he did Crow (Goro) before. She is refusing the truth because it is painful, and she's blindly escaping the wisps of the harsh reality that's reaching out to her to accept it.

This is something Ren has to get across on his own, because if anyone's going to be able to get through to her – it will have to be him. Crow and Thanatos can, but they don't know her – at least, not her personality, not who she truly is – as well as he does. So, Ren shakes his head, lifting up an arm as he steps forward, his blade ready as Yoshizawa's clad in her Metaverse uniform.

"I've got this," He says, walking carefully forward.

"Please… don't make me do this," She says, her voice breaking apart like glass, shattered and scattered onto the cold floor underneath their soles. "I can't stop this! I refuse to live as Kasumi's killer!"

"You didn't kill her," Ren says, not leaving his feet or changing his stances as her rapier comes flying his way. He merely defects it with a flick of his wrist, sometime possible only because she's not coming at him like she wants to kill him. She's terrified of changes; somethings he's experienced before himself. "Yoshi—no, Sumire, you're not her killer. You're the sister who feels responsible for her death because she saved you. That doesn't mean you want her to die, doesn't mean you killed her."

"There's no difference in that, is there!?" She says, her mask shattering into Cendrillon. "It's the same thing! I killed her because I ran off into the traffic, and she died saving me!"

"She did, didn't she?" He smiles slightly as Cendrillon charges at him. Raoul's roaring laughter shakes his being as he springs forth from his mask and flings Cendrillon away, fracturing her back into the Sea of Souls. "Then ask yourself this – why did she do that?"

"Because—" Yoshizawa stops at this, her hands trembling. "Because I forced her—"

"No," Thanatos cuts her off as Ren takes a step back. Then, gentler, Death whispers. "Because she loved you. I don't think she had ever blamed you for all of this. I think she's glad that you're safe and sound."

"How could you know something only the dead could answer?" She says weakly, eyes darting back and forth between him and Thanatos, who only smiles sadly at her.

"Because Life and Death are two sides of the same coin," He says quietly. "I know because I'm the conduit that connect both sides together. Trust me, Yoshizawa-san… your sister loved you. Loves you. She has never blamed you for any of this."

"But I…" She murmurs, nails digging into her own arm. "I can't… I can't go back there, go back to being Sumire. Even if she forgave me… I can't forgive myself. I can't live as someone who stripped away a bright future from a sister who deserves better than I do…"

Ren opens his mouth – they're getting through, a bit more, then perhaps…

But Maruki, who's been silent all this time, steps forth. Thanatos suddenly tenses up, and Crow steps up beside him as the man says. "Yoshizawa-san… I can give you strength, so you don't have to suffer!"

"Doctor…"

"Your wish…" He says, wisps of foulness rising from the floor. Ren is about to move forward, but Crow stops him. "If you want your pain to end, and desire to live as Kasumi… I'll actualize it!"

Then springs forth from the ground are tentacles, maddening whispers of muffled cries and beating of vile, violent drums and flutes echoing alongside their blighted, flawless skin as they whip around and curl their shapeless form around Yoshizawa's shivering body. Ren could only watch in terror as the things lift her off the ground, and one of the hand-like tip reaches for her mask and rips it away, forcing her other self to manifest, dragging and beating it alongside the road of the Sea of Souls and into the world against her will.

Cendrillon is tainted, tolling of midnight clock striking against his eardrums and vibrating the very air like drums of war. She writhes and cries, cinders of resolve and soot of denial covering from her fingertips to her toes. Raoul comes out before Ren could utter the word, and the gentle Thief draws out a blade from his cane, slender fingers touching along the sharp edge like a man would to fragile glass.

"I refuse to go back! I'm happy here… This is where I belong!" Cendrillon cries.

Raoul's response is sharp and immediate, the wisps of smoke rise through the gap in his mask like mists as he says. "No, my dear Cinder-Princess. The bell has already tolled, and your reality beckons. You mustn't deny your own origin. If you do, then what is left?"

"Shut up! Shut up! I refuse to turn back into that soot-coated pathetic weakling I once was!" She cries, blades of smoldering flames shifting and descending down on them with speed that could rival Raoul's own quick-draw—

"Oh, I don't think so!"

The flash of light blinds them momentarily, but something stops the blades from advancing, and they shatter into oblivion. When the light dies down—

Ren grins. "Took you guys long enough."

"Our apologies, Joker, Crow, Thanatos," Fox says, drawing the katana from the sheathe and brandishing it with grace, flakes of snow drawn across the thin air like a painting.

"What the hell are all these!?" Skull says, growling. "This makes no sense, but that ain't the point now – we gotta deal with this now, right, Joker?"

"Yeah!"

"Don't run away!"

Crow snaps as Maruki turns his back to them. Ren wants to do the same, but Yoshizawa takes priority – her breath is quick, unsteady. Warmness on her forehead, sweats rolling down her brows and encasing her feature in weariness that doesn't seem intent to leave any time soon. He glances over at Queen, who takes a knee beside him, her hand carefully administering Diarahan through her palm.

Maruki turns to them, a slight frown adorning his feature, shoulders tense, voice controlled. "We can get back to fighting, if you really want… but I think you're rather exhausted at the moment, are you not?"

Crow clicks his tongue. Maruki just spoke the truth that they can't deny.

Thanatos walks over and pats Crow's shoulder lightly, the latter responding by a scoff as he shakes the hand off his arm. Thanatos then walks back over to him, his expression leveled, before he looks back at Maruki, who is holding his curious gaze at Death. Then, Thanatos speaks slowly. "…As much as I'd like to settle this as fast as I'm able, that would only put these guys at risk."

"I can fight!" Ren says, but stops when he feels Crow's shaking hand on his. He looks down, then back at that black visage of madness and resentment, only to see a calm look and scarlet pools that reach into the deepest corner of his souls. "…Crow?"

"You can barely stand on your legs, Joker," Crow murmurs before turning to Thanatos. "…But, your friend's safety—"

"Yeah," Thanatos sighs.

At this, Maruki whirls around, a deep scowl unbefitting of his kindness plasters deep into his skin and settles onto his lips. The man then says, curious, confused. "…I could not feel you – could not influence you, even when I hold this much power within."

"Because I am the same as the thing that you took that position from," Thanatos replies flatly, brows furrowed, jaws tense. He forcibly relaxes them. "…And Makoto – he is much, much stronger than I am, I ever will be. But he remains trapped somewhere, in captivity, in pain."

"Who is he? Where is he? I can help!" Maruki rushes out, panicked. But that concern is genuine, Ren could tell. "Please, Mochizuki-kun, I might not know what you were talking about, just now – but I do want to help, I really do—"

"By bringing back the dead and allowing criminals to have their ways with my light?" Thanatos bites out with foulness and sounds of soul-string and warmth being sundered. "By creating this world of yours, you are running away from the truth. You are taking me away from him. You're giving people who do not care for others' sakes lives that they are using to trample on the weak!"

Maruki gapes, taking in the words Ren thinks have never crossed his mind. Ren glances to Crow, who seems as taken aback as he is, agreeing to Thanatos' cold outburst. Then, as if to diffuse the cold fury that has already made itself home inside the coffin-wings and the serrated blade, Maruki begins. "That—"

"This discussion is over," Thanatos cuts him off, shaking his head. "Maruki-san, you mean well, I know that much. But you're harming him. You're killing him. This is not the way the world works."

"…I cannot stop, not now," Maruki says quietly. "I'll use this power to save lives. All of them, including yours and your friend's. I cannot back down from this."

Thanatos seems about to spit out curses, but he stops, closing his eyes and digging his nails into his flesh, drawing life-blood out of his being and letting the drops fall to the ground. Then, quietly, he murmurs. "I see… we'll never agree on this, then."

Maruki pauses. "…There's still time for you to see what my research can do. February 3rd. I'll hear your final decision on the 3rd."

"That's too long—" Ren begins. Yuuki won't have that much time.

But Maruki's already gone.

Queen looks at him, Crow, and Thanatos, her eyes saddened. Ren offers her a smile and shakes his head, forbidding her from worrying. She smiles then whispers, her voice loud and clear against the still air of the Palace. "…I want to pursue him, but he's right. We're all exhausted, especially the three of you. It looks like we'll have to wait."

Skull grumbles. "Let's get outta here, Yoshizawa's gotta rest anyways."

"I agree," Thanatos says, and the Thieves' attentions are on him. His smile is gentle and calm, a stark contrast to the winter-cold rage and the biting fangs of his cindered shadows from earlier. When he sees their expressions, their eyes that say but we need to hurry for you, he only shakes his head. "We cannot pursue a man like that as we are now. We know nothing of him – not as an enemy. And I'm chained down by the fact that I've lost my Corridor of Souls with Makoto, so I am not much stronger than any of you here, at the moment."

"But Maruki's date is almost a month away," Panther says, worry clear in her voice as she exchanges looks with Noir and Fox, who both hum in agreement. "We've already wasted too much time, and taking away too much of your attention with you helping us—"

"It's alright, Panther," The boy says, eyes casting downward, half his face hidden under the fold of yellow that's now pale and battered. "We could just explore his Palace and find out about Makoto during that time. I'm useless anyway, with no connections to speak of, no information to work with."

They couldn't say anything, so, silently, Ren nods, using the detestable app to pull them out of the Palace and back to the living world once more.

(Time is running out, but we have no ways to speed things up. I have no other ways to find you.

Please… hold on a bit longer, Makoto.

I will save you, without fail. I promise.)

Chapter Text

Preparation

"Azathoth is his Persona's name."

Mochizuki says as soon as they step into the real world, his eyes clouded by sadness unreachable by any man's understanding. Ren gulps, tightening his arms around Yoshizawa's legs, shifting her body weight so that she could rest a bit more snuggly against his shoulder. He looks to others for input, but there are none to be given, even from Crow. So, he asks, "Azathoth?"

"An Outer God in Cthulhu Mythology," Mochizuki explains, taking a few deep breaths before continuing with his voice as steady as he could manage, Ren thinks. "Ancestors of all the Outer Gods. That amorphous blight of nethermost confusion which blasphemes and bubbles at the center of all infinity, the boundless daemon sultan Azathoth."

Ren is not very well-versed in mythologies, but that description sends chills of dread down to the marrow of his bones and sinking deep under his veins. He gulps, his scars itching yet again, and Raoul quietly stirs, responding to his silent distress with an input of his own; We were all born from your hearts, shaped by your factual and imaginary interpretations of all things in your world. The Sea of Souls are where the myths in your world came to be. Azathoth is very old, as ancient as some like Kohryu or Lucifer, very powerful… and vile. He is known as the Sultan – the King, the Ancestor… for those Outer Gods born from collective madness and hunger for unreachable heights, anyhow.

"Wait," Goro says, a finger in the air, before he repeats slowly. "…Persona?"

"Yes," Mochizuki says, eyes scanning the others for their reactions. After a brief pause, he nods and looks back towards the sky-high Palace that reaches to the heavens. "He has a Persona. He is a Persona User."

"A Persona User and a Palace Ruler as the same person," Yusuke murmurs, a finger on his bottom lip. "How is that possible? Having a Palace means your heart is twisted, but—"

"He's not twisted the same way the others are," Goro interjects, folding his arms over his chest. "I do believe him now, when he said that he meant for us to live free of pain. I disagree, of course, but I can't deny his intentions. They are genuine."

"Fuck," Ren breathes, knocking his head to the side with a long sigh. "I'm too hurt and too tired to think. Let's get some rest, for now."

As if hearing his words, Yoshizawa stirs, mumbling quietly next to his ear. He turns his face slightly as her hand comes up to his shoulder, gripping it as a way to anchor herself, maybe. Ren decides to push all the talks about Azathoth and Outer Gods away from his mind, for now, as he focuses his attention on his Kouhai as she breathes. "…Uh."

"Yoshizawa!" Morgana (oh, he's now a cat) (Slow on the uptake, are you, boy?) (Shut up) says from the ground, face tipping upward. "Are you alright?"

"I…" She trails off, unsure. Ren could see from the corner of his eyes her uneasiness, since they have just fought her Persona and denying her the chance to live in the blissful, alternate reality, after all. He sighs, glancing at Goro, who simply nods at him.

After a moment spent chewing on his own tongue, he says quietly. "Are you okay? Can you stand?"

"Oh, yes," She murmurs, and Ren carefully lowers her down on the floor before spinning around to grab her arms before she falls over. "…Thank you, Amamiya-senpai. I—"

"We can talk tomorrow," Ren says with a small smile. And then, he remembers that tomorrow is— "Holy shit, tomorrow is the start of the third semester, isn't it?"

"Yes," Mochizuki hums. Ryuji groans indignantly at that, while Ann just instantly deflates. Death laughs, but the sound is scratchy and parched, not as jovial and light as it used to be. "It would be best if all of you sleep on what happened today first."

All of you, not us, Ren notes, eyeing Death as he briefly checks on Yoshizawa. He has tugged most of his expression, his fear, his sorrow, under the folds of the diluted yellow, his eyes dulled with worry. Ren thinks it might be best to check on him when they're alone, so he simply nods at the boy before turning his focus back to the Thieves. "Let's go back to our homes, for now. We'll discuss this later."

He stays to make sure Yoshizawa can walk before letting Queen and Haru take her back home, and once everyone but those who resides in Leblanc leaves, he turns to Goro, who sighs. "This is much more troublesome than I'd like. But I supposed all we can do for now is wait. The Palace won't go anywhere, nor will Maruki-san, after all."

"That's true," Ren hums, patting Futaba's head. She's thinking about her mother, there's not doubt about that, so he'll give her time. As much as she needs. "Let's head back. We're all tired, especially the two of you, Futaba, Morgana."

The girl hums flatly, her voice soft and broken. "…Yeah."

"Ren," Goro nudges his ribs, and when Ren turns, the boy murmurs, just enough for him and him alone to hear through the cacophony of cars and whispers and drums of this false reality against his ears. "…Are you sure you're alright?"

He forces out a smile – of course he's not, not exactly, but it's not as bad as he thought it would. For all the good Maruki means, his rebellious heart and his masks will not allow his freedom to be taken, even if fighting against the chains of captivity is painful. He just shrugs, knowing that saying he's fine is not something he should, and not something Goro wants to hear.

Goro takes a moment to look at his face, brows slightly furrowed, but he ultimately nods and pats at his shoulder as he nudges Ren to start walking back to their home (theirs, since Goro has to ditch his Shido-provided apartment entirely due to loss of support), and once they start making their ways through the barren street, the boy murmurs quietly. "I'm here."

I'm here for you.

Ren smiles. "I know."

He sends Futaba back to her house with Morgana to keep her company (three people under the same damn attic is already too many, thanks) before locking the door.

Instead of going back to sleep like he's promised Sojirou he would, he walks behind the counter and puts on the apron, hands deftly gathering his tools to make himself something to keep him company for the night. Mochizuki and Goro exchange a look before quietly taking their seats on the counter opposite from him, with the former's face lined with worry more than everyone in the Thieves combined.

He leaves his phone on mute after he's read the first few messages. His friends, who's been led by the nose inside the reality Maruki creates, are a little… disoriented, and he couldn't quite blame them. Anyone would, after believing so absolutely that everything they were experiencing before were the truths and the only truths. But, given time that's slowly running out and down the storm drain, they'll come around.

…They have to, for Yuuki's safety.

"…Checking on him?" Ren decides to say, steam rising from the cup as he pours all their black coffee in, one at a time, careful not to spill the liquid to the woods. He decides to ignore the rising itch that prickles at the edge of his scars.

Mochizuki nods solemnly, his arms crossed on the cold wood. Ren silently places the cup before the boy and then to Goro before pulling off his apron, taking his own cup into his hand and walking back towards the other side of the counter. Ren doesn't nudge for him to speak more – god knows how much the boy has to sacrifice to help them with their fights, with so little received in return.

After a moment, where Death takes a long, careful sip out of his cup, his expression unchanging, he says under his breath with as much life in it as Death would have – practically none. "…The same. In pain and distressed and exhausted. I can't read him very well like this, but… sometimes I can feel him clear enough to hear him begging for help."

Begging for help. Torture, then. Ren swallows that wad of air that's built up and pushes it down his windpipe, his eyes glancing towards Goro, who seems thoughtful. Carefully, he places his hand on the boy's shoulder and says with as much sincerity as he could. "…I'm so sorry."

Mochizuki shakes his head. "It's nothing you should be apologizing for. I know this would happen, but it doesn't make this hurt any less. But why would they torture him, and not kill him? And using Persona Suppressors on him? If I have to guess… they're—"

"—Experimenting on him," Goro finishes quietly. Mochizuki doesn't seem angered by Goro's bluntness, rather, he's more or less resigned. Once Mochizuki nods, Goro continues. "That means we might have more time than we normally would. Still, it's been months. We should hurry."

"I've told Futaba as much," Ren says, waving towards the direction of the door. "She said tracing the locations of the shipments are a bit hard, but she seems to be making some progress. Will need more time to actually pinpoint where Yuuki is exactly, though, since she said she found more than a few dozen shipment locations."

"Underground organization, then, and seemingly a large one at that," Goro hums, finger tracing along the rim of the cup. "We'll need to take time that we don't have to make sure they can't retaliate. But it's been too long since his captivity. Maybe we should take some risks, exchanging the time we use to cover our tracks to find out Yuuki-san's whereabouts—"

"No," Mochizuki says flatly. "I will not allow any of you to risk your lives for us. While his safety takes priority for me, first and foremost… I cannot allow that. I cannot let you put so much on the line for us."

"But—" Ren begins, but pauses when Mochizuki looks his way, determined, unfaltering.

"Amamiya, Akechi-san… we can't. I'm not going to ask you to sacrifice yourself for my – our – sakes. I've asked that of Makoto once, to sacrifice the world to fulfill my selfish wish, to save him from pain. I'll not ask another person for something like that ever again," he stands his ground, and Ren is reminded of one of the tales Mochizuki had said, about him asking Yuuki to kill him in order to erase his memories. And then, Mochizuki adds, a little softer. "…Not to mention that Makoto would scold me if I do."

"…If you insist," Goro relents, taking a sip of his own before placing the cup back onto the counter. "My search is faring no better, although I think I might've picked up something. We'll see what I can do about that."

"Speaking of which," Ren says suddenly. "When are your school's third semester?"

"January 12th," the detective replies. "I have a bit more free time than you do. And, Mochizuki-san?"

"…Yes?"

"I'll do my best to help you. On that, you can trust me."

Goro is changing – or rather, having his kindness pulled out from the abyss of his own anger and hatred and near-apathy. Ren smiles to himself; Goro is getting better at sympathizing with others, and he's not doing this to keep a promise to Ren anymore. He's doing this out of his own free will, with nothing to steer his decisions but his own two hands.

Mochizuki seems a little taken aback, and it is no surprise, since Ren thinks most people don't understand Goro like he does. Hell, the Thieves are still a bit skeptical around him, even if they're slowly warming up to his blunt, sarcastic, murderous (his true self) side. Before long, though, Death is smiling, warm and gentle and genuine as he whispers to the still wind. "…Thank you, Akechi-san. You as well, Amamiya."

"No problem, man," he says, squeezing the boy's shoulder lightly before letting go. "…Welp, looks like I'm not going to be sleeping tonight, but I gotta try to crash or I'm not going to be up for school tomorrow."

"I'll wake you up," Mochizuki hums. "Just make sure to get enough rest to not fall asleep in class."

He laughs. "Alright, mom."

January 11th, 2017 [Wednesday]

To think that the Phantom Thieves are the ones who give Maruki powers.

It scares him, that deep down, all of them – even him – want Maruki to become their savior. They all wish for the reality Maruki had created through the counseling, where he made them revealed their deepest wishes, their unreachable dreams. They all walked into the spiders' webs, and the desires for his world, his actualization, is why all of this is happening.

After Lavenza has finished her explanations of the world, they now have what they need to proceed – Maruki is continuing to actualize the world of the mass, and is merging the two worlds together. They are racing against time, and Maruki's final date is probably right before his plan, his ascension to the throne left behind by the God of Control, would be completed.

So that's probably the last day they have to secure their route towards the Treasure.

After they've made their plans, Lavenza turns to Mochizuki, who has been listening in silence for all this time. Once he looks at her, the attendant says. "As for you, Death… my sister said that she hasn't found Yuuki Makoto-san yet, but there is something she wished for me to pass on to you."

"…I see," he murmurs, saddened, before he steels expression back into one of neutrality. He kneels down to Lavenza's eye level before asking. "What is it that she wanted to give me?"

"She said that she will await your information about his possible whereabouts first," She explains, and then hands Mochizuki a gun – but, unlike real guns or the Thieves' model ones, it looks… odd. There is a scribbled SEES on the barrel, and the shining silver of the material and the seeming lightness as Mochizuki takes it into his palm gives him an impression that this must be what Death has called an Evoker, the instrument the SEES used in order to bring out their Personas.

"…It's his, isn't it?" Mochizuki says quietly, fingers tracing along the barrel, his eyes forlorn. "…Hasn't Aigis been keeping it as a memento, though?"

"She had, for a while… but she had put it back where Makoto-san passed away—"

"On the roof of Gekkoukan," Mochizuki finishes, his brows furrowing. He glances up at Ren before looking back down, absently putting the gun away under his school's blazer. "Is that where we ended up? On that roof? Then why are those people there?"

"This, I cannot readily answer. But Elizabeth-Neesama doesn't believe you were there," Lavenza shakes her head, her eyes downcast. "There is no trace of struggles, only a peaceful garden and various flowers. However, we do know a little of the people who captured him. Elizabeth-Neesama told me that some of them are Persona Users, just like all of you here."

And that scares Ren – Persona Users are those who have overcome their darkness, stepping past their boundaries and rebelling against the world's injustices and lies. For ones like that to turn to something other than doing good and getting revenges, as in Goro's case, makes his skin crawl with disgust. They have a theory that those people know about Persona, but to actually have it confirmed that they're Persona Users scares Ren a lot more than it should.

Mochizuki's eyes are hard and cold, frozen fury bubbling and bursting in his pool of sapphire that dim and dull at every passing second. He then heaves out a sigh then stands up, forcing himself to smile through the turmoil raging under his skin. One look at Ren, a finger to his lips – I'll discuss this with you later – before he turns back to Lavenza and nods. "…That helped a lot, Lavenza-san. Thank you."

"It's the least we could do for you," She smiles slightly. "We owe you the survival of this world, after all."

"Not me," he hums. "Him, not me."

"You helped him fight for this world by giving him the info he needed and the power of Thanatos, right?" Ann suddenly says. When Mochizuki gives a reluctant nod, the blonde smiles warmly. "Then you are to thank for this world, too. Indirectly, but still responsible for our lives!"

"I agree with her on that one," Ren adds, patting Death's shoulder. "Come on, man, take the credits when it's due. You've earned our thanks."

"I concur," Goro adds sternly, a bit reluctantly, drawing out a surprised hum from Ryuji. "If your stories are to be trusted (dude, don't put it like that!), then I suppose it's no over-exaggeration to say that you had played an important part in Yuuki-san's success. So, I agree with them, here – this is the credit that you can take for yourself."

"Sorry about this guy's bluntness," Ren says, ruffling Goro's hair lightly with a laughter. Then, quieter, he murmurs. "But yeah. You deserve our thanks as much as your friend does."

"And this doesn't mean I'll stop looking for your friend, either!" Futaba declares, determined. When Mochizuki gives her an odd look, the girl smiles brightly. "I mean, why would I? Even if I know there are other people who're helping you find him, that doesn't mean I'm going stop! The more the better, right?"

Death remains silent for a while before he smiles brightly. "Thank you, all of you. I cannot express my gratitude enough."

"You've helped us plenty, as well," Yusuke adds with a small smile of his own. "We're even now, I should think. Wouldn't you agree, Ren?"

"Yep!" He says brightly. "Now then, let's go Palace-exploring tomorrow, guys!"

"Yeah!"

Mochizuki decides to look more into mythologies upstairs while Goro helps him with closing up the shop, much to Sojirou's surprise.

But Boss doesn't complain, so Goro makes no fuss about it, his movement careful and efficient, helping them closing up the shop faster than the two of them could manage on their own. After a while, the door rings, and Ren's we're closed dies in his throat when he sees those red hair and the glasses and the pale, guilt-ridden face.

He exchanges a glance with Goro, who takes a momentary pause before nodding at him while he takes over Ren's share of work. Boss hums, patting his shoulder silently before leaving the keys on the counter and leaving the three (four, counting Mochizuki) of them alone.

"Evening," He says with a small smile, gesturing for her to sit as he goes about preparing a cup that she's not asking for but probably will. When he finally serves her the coffee, he says before she gets the chance to. "Don't apologize. You look like you need a talk."

She blinks, before smiling thinly, her shoulders slightly squared and her eyes downcast towards the steaming cup. "…I suppose that is true. Would you mind if I… got something off my chest?"

"I don't," he says, resting his arms on the counter.

And so, she says, slowly, reluctantly, admitting her faults and her fears, things that Ren understand would take courage to face. He listens without uttering a word with Goro in the background, cleaning up the shop and stocking the shelves. She is lost, rightfully so, and she isn't sure what she should do.

But the hums in his chest from Raoul's everlasting grin tells him enough.

"Senpai," she murmurs softly, eyes looking up at him for something – confirmation, perhaps. So he looks back at her as she asks, "What should I do?"

"Only you can decide for yourself," Ren says with a smile, taking back the emptied cup of coffee, which Goro promptly takes from him. He gives the man a look, but the detective just shrugs before going about cleaning it. He takes another pause before continuing. "We Thieves fight for freedom, after all. And freedom of choice is one such things. You admit to yourself, to me, that you're running away, and you don't want to anymore, right? So I think the choice you'll make will be a good one."

She blinks, dumbfounded, as if his words – the truth, unchained and unmasked – are something she hasn't been expecting. He hears Goro hums from the back, and Raoul laughs delightedly in the back of his mind as Yoshizawa lets out a small puff and smiles. "…You can be awfully firm sometimes, Amamiya-senpai."

"That is unfortunately the truth we'll have to deal with," Goro says, and Ren throws him a stink eye, only for the other to give him a smirk that taunts him. Yoshizawa tilts her head as Goro continues. "But I suppose that is one of his charms, his strong points. If he isn't firm in his ideals, he wouldn't have made this many friends, and wouldn't have won against a god."

"Is that some kind of backhand compliment, dude?" Ren pouts, laughing lightly, then turns back to Yoshizawa as she blinks. The girl takes a moment, smiling to herself, before pushing herself up. Ren hums and asks quietly. "Anyway, you sure you're good, Yoshizawa?"

"Yes, I am," She says with a bow. "I must thank you, for allowing me to unload all of this on you. I'm still not completely sure what I should do, but I plan to think more on it."

"Take all the time you need," Ren says. "I'll be here whenever you need me."

"…Thank you, Senpai."

Once she leaves, Goro speaks up from where he is, his hands busy scrubbing away at the plates and the cups. "You are quite a reliable person, aren't you?"

Ren, being who he is, immediately thinks that Goro is being sarcastic. So he replies skeptically, "What? Are you going to give me another backhand compliment or something?"

Goro snorts. "I mean exactly what I said. Don't twist my words."

Ren hums, putting the last of the ingredients and the boxes away. Goro finishes at the same time, and after he puts the apron on the hanger, he turns to Ren and leans against the counter. Ren just sits on it, swinging his legs absently. After the both of them have settled into a comfortable silence, Ren says, his eyes looking straight at Goro. "I'm not that reliable. I only meant what I said; I want to help as much as I can."

"I don't think I've asked you this before," Goro hums, rubbing at his chin. When Ren motions for him to continue, the boy states, curiosity clear in his voice. "I've asked you why you'd want to understand your enemy. Me. Maruki-san. But I've never known exactly why or what it is that spurs you to help others. Haven't you been given nothing but misery after you save that woman from Shido?"

That brings up a sour memory he could do without. But when he looks into those crimson eyes that now never betray the feelings Goro's having, all he could see in genuine curiosity and something he thinks is a hand, reaching out. And then, he realizes, that Goro wants to help him.

He blinks, unsure of what to say or do, since this is probably some of the rarest moments he's ever seen from Goro. It is true that the boy's been offering him help multiple times before, but this feels different, to him. More personal, he thinks. Raoul hums quietly, stirring and pulling the curtain of curses over his mindscape, as if to say that he should continue the conversation. Ren sighs and rubs the bridge of his nose for a few seconds.

"If you don't want to talk, then you don't have to," Goro says slowly. "I do realize that this is a sensitive topic."

"No, no, it's not that," Ren quickly adds, holding up a hand. "Just… yeah, it's kinda touchy. But I think talking about this with someone might be good for my mental health in the long run."

Ren leans back, eyes glued to a blight on the ceiling, his nails deep into the scars on his thigh – one that's stomped over months ago in that interrogation room – through his pants. He's told his friends – Ryuji is the first, actually – about that incident before. But he thinks he's never said why he'd help the woman. They all just assume that he is that good a person, to help someone without any ulterior motives or any personal causes. He scoffs at the thoughts; in hindsight, his friends are all too trusting of a backwater-originated delinquent like himself.

He lets out a long breath, filling the air with fog of cold, before saying reluctantly, his brows furrowed. "Do you know I came from Inaba? A small town in the middle of nowhere, where everyone knows everyone?"

"…I do," Goro hums quietly.

"Before that incident, I think I don't have that many friends to begin with," He says. "I really hated it there, you know? My parents are almost never home, but have enough money for me to live comfortably. The neighbors talked about us all the time, about how perfect a family we were—" The words feel like poison at the tip of his tongue "—and that I'm lucky. Truth be told, though, that's loads of bullshits."

Parents who are working all the time and never home. No relatives to speak of, no friends to lean on – just the three of them in the world. And using that sentence is a stretch, since mom never came back before eleven in the evening while dad would come back from his oversea job once every three months for a day. He growls quietly, before remembering himself, that he shouldn't be swept up by the storms of emotions, of something that should've been left well alone.

"I was always alone, and I know all too well how that feels. Parents who're never home, parents who've never taken your side when the others are wrong, parents who scold you for not coming out the way they wanted you to, blaming you and not their shitty parenting," He growls. All too often they'd blame him for things he wasn't in the wrong, too often they'd say he's a failure and a disappointment. That time with the woman and Shido, too. He frowns. "Being alone is scary. You remember what Mochizuki said, when he told us about Yuuki and his description of life?"

Goro tilts his head slightly and nods upon recalling the exact words. "I think he said, and I quote; "To live is to bond, to connect. Without bonds, there is no life. We are defined by the connections we've shared with others, and through these connections, you will get stronger"."

"What do you think of those phrases?" Ren asks.

He's not sure what Goro thinks of bonds, since he is a Wild Card who's never offered a contract, a man defined by hatred and lust for revenge that will never be enough. Ren knows how that must've felt, since it isn't a lie if one says that he, too, might've wanted to exact revenge on the system, on everyone who's abandoned him, once.

"I would've thought it's a bunch of lies created for the weak," Goro says, and Ren is about to scoff when he notices Goro using the words would have, so he continues to listen. "Relying on other people have never crossed my mind before. There are many other ways to find strength, so why would one insist that only through bonds will power comes to you?"

"You think differently now, don't you?" Ren asks, smiling slightly.

"…Begrudgingly, I do," Goro hums. "These past few months… make me realizes that revenge and anger aren't the only thing that can give me power. And do not tell anyone this – but I think my friendship with you in particular changes the way I see the world."

Ren blinks, humbled by Goro's response. He then laughs, infinitely delighted. And then, his face falls as he sighs and gets himself back on track; Goro asked a question, and he intends to answer. "I agree with it, too. I feel like Yuuki is… much too kind. Kinder than I ever will be, helping people without any underlying motives in mind. Helping just for the sake of helping and making the world better. Who else could've done that? I know I couldn't."

"But you're doing it right now," Goro says, a statement fused with confusion.

"You think too highly of me, man," Ren laughs mirthlessly, the sound grating his eardrums and making his stomach shifts and churns. "I'm not helping just cuz I'm a good person or anything. I just don't wanna see people going through what I had. Getting abandoned sucks, I can guarantee you that. And I help because I can, and it makes me feel like I'm worth something."

Goro says nothing, and Ren couldn't bring himself to look up, so he just lets the silence blankets them and quiets his beating heart that's getting too loud to bear.

But then, a third voice comes from the staircase, jolting him out of his thoughts. "That is exactly what Makoto said back then, too."

They turn. Mochizuki is standing there, the monstrosity of a tome in his arm, his smile so kind and so gentle. Ren gapes for a moment before managing out quietly. "…What do you mean?"

"You said you helped people because you don't want anyone to feel things you have, to experience what you've gone through before," Mochizuki says, leaning against the wall and tugging half his face down into the folds of fading yellow. "If that is not your definition of kindness, then what is? There are no ulterior motives behind your actions but to genuinely help those in need, Amamiya. Don't sell yourself short."

"But—"

"He is right, and you know that," Goro cuts him off, his tone surprisingly soft, considering that he usually would've bitten Ren's head off with sarcasm by now. "You're thinking you're not the kind of person we thought you are just because you feel wrong validating your actions with your past. I would've decked you by now, had Mochizuki-san not come down in time."

He winces at the memory of being gut-punched, but then cracks out a laughter. Mochizuki smiles softly as he says, "He said the same thing you did. He helped people – even used himself as a shield to prevent a man he barely knows from getting killed – and he said that's because he didn't want to feel useless, and that he wanted to feel needed. But his actions – and yours, too – aren't something people who'd help just to validate their existences would do. It goes beyond that. If you doubt yourself, that's alright, but don't doubt those around you, Amamiya."

Those words couldn't quite reach him, settling themselves in his chest and clinging to him like tar, but not enough to get into him. But he thinks – maybe, just maybe, that's okay.

He'd need time to sleep on all of this.

So, he grins, wearing his Joker-mask once more, with Raoul by his side. "If you say so. Who am I to doubt a murder bird and Death?"

And, for the day, he lets all of his insecurities go.

A lot of things happened during the following weeks.

First and foremost, Yoshizawa – Violet – has rebelled against her own weakness, awakening to her true self. He is proud (damnit, just like with Futaba, he's becoming a doting fucking brother) (Be honest, little one, you do not regret it one bit) (Don't shove words into his mouth, thank you) and to see her dance like that – not fiercely, but softly, and freely, different from when she wore the mask of Kasumi – is a sight to behold, indeed.

Exploring that damn Palace has been kind of a drag that makes him want to shove all the responsibility to Goro, for some reason. But aside from that, this Palace does nothing but confirms what he already knows about Maruki – that he is kind, and that he's broken and wronged on the inside. He's lost something, or rather, someone dear through the injustices of the Fates and the trauma. He's restlessly trying to correct the world the best he know how. And even if it's wrong, Ren has to agree that, indeed, Maruki is just the same as them, but with difference in company and choices.

He spent the weeks talking to his friends – and all of them are as he remembers; they're willing to discard this blissful future for a life they can walk by themselves, and thus, their power grows, their bonds deepen, their convictions steeled. Mochizuki said that the SEES were much the same; that it took them a while, but they all come to the conclusion that their lives are theirs to live, that none will allow a god or a man to dictate it for them.

Futaba has been making a certain progress regarding Yuuki. The Suppressors were originated right under Kirijou Mitsuru's nose – that one is to be expected, but still surprising all the same – and that they were distributed along the Kirijou Group's branches under the false pretense of being a performance enhancer for athletes. It doesn't seem like Kirijou is aware of its true nature, or even aware that it exists, but that is beside the point – what the point is, is that she is unaware that something that could be used against her and her team (the so-called Shadow Operatives) is manufactured with the resources of her company.

To make matters worse, Futaba managed to dig out a name that Mochizuki said is unfamiliar to him. A name that is not the scientists involved in the affair, but the name of a person that's becoming a hindrance to the operation – Shirogane Naoto, the first Detective Prince (Princess?). So Ren arranges for an appointment to meet with this Shirogane in a few days, in order to glean into something, to find any place at all that would hold Mochizuki's light under chains and shackles.

There are a lot of things to think about, a lot of things to do – but he supposes that's just to be expected when a man tries to be a god.

Today, he's having the pleasure of welcoming Lavenza into his home. After he stops her from blowing the whole place up with a Megidolaon (Oh, screw it. Megido—) (oh please god no don't do that), they sit together on the couch, with Goro silently making his way back downstairs when he walks up to see the both of them.

Lavenza then begins, "I've heard that you've found a lead to Makoto-san's whereabouts?"

"Yeah, hope so," He says, rubbing the tip of his nose lightly. Mochizuki has practically holed himself up in Futaba's room just to work the details out. They'd meet with this Shirogane Naoto on February 1st, exactly two days before the date Maruki has set as the deadline. He's not worried much, though; the route to the Treasure is already secured, after all. "How do I update Elizabeth?"

"I will do that for you," The girl hums, leaning back against the old couch that has become home for two people, her lips quirking up into a small smile. "I believe Elizabeth-Neesama might want to speak to you about this after you meet with Shirogane Naoto-san, since timing is most important when the world is trying to merge with Mementos still."

"Please don't remind me," Ren groans. "But wait – how did you know—?"

"Shirogane Naoto-san is a companion of another Wild Card who dispelled the fogs of lies years ago," She answers his unspoken question, and his mind suddenly clicks as to why the name Shirogane brings a note of familiarity out of his masks, from his Personas. She is— "She is a Persona User, much like all of you are."

"Holy shit," He breathes. "We just hit a jackpot?"

"Possibly," Lavenza hums, dusting the tome in her hand before opening it. And she draws out from the pages an Arcana number XXI – the World. "Margaret-Neesama is speaking with the Truth Seeker at the moment. When you meet, do not be alarmed – they might know that you are Persona Users, and they are friends with the old members of the SEES, but no more."

"More help outside the Kirijou Group, the better," Ren nods. "Thank you for your help, Lavenza. I'm sure Mochizuki would want to thank you in person, as well."

"There is no need," She smiles. "We owe him and Makoto-san this world, after all."

"Yeah," He laughs. "We do."

"Lavenza-san said that?"

Mochizuki says, his eyes alight with hope that shimmer and shine like moonlight on the quiet, waveless pool of pure water, and it makes Ren absently thinks that it's beautiful. Ren nods, handling him a can of BOSS no-sugar black coffee, one he claims Yuuki likes, before he sits down beside the boy on Futaba's increasingly disorderly bed as the girl taps away into the computer, with Morgana sleeping in her lap.

"She did," He nods, glancing at Futaba as she rummages through the files, tracing back as far as Shirogane Naoto's high school year, trying to find this Truth-Seeker ahead of time. "I don't think we need to bother looking for this Truth Seeker, but in an off chance that our meeting with Shirogane-san is fruitless, having his name with us might prove a useful bait."

"You are pretty cunning, Amamiya," Mochizuki smiles, fingers gently tracing along the edge of his phone, his eyes shifting between the black screen and the lights of Futaba's various monitors. "But this gives me hope. If a Persona User who works independently from the Kirijou Group exists, then they will be our first and possibly only ally in this endeavor. I fear that if Mitsuru-san knows, those people will also catch wind of this, and it will put all of you in danger, as well."

"A risk we all are willing to take," Ren says. "Right, Futaba?"

"Yeah!" She says, munching on a Snickers as she furiously taps the keys off of her keyboard. She then turns to Mochizuki. "You are a good guy, Mochi! Your and your pal's lives suck, and helping you two seems like a right thing! Not to mention that this is a good way to flex my skills!"

Mochizuki laughs, delighted. "If you insist, Futaba-san. And… You're shortening my name?"

"Why not? It sounds cute," She hums. "Like the soft, small, fluffy mochi ball. You are like that. Er, outside of the Metaverse, anyway. In there, you're just a different person entirely."

"A person is a bit of a stretch, but who am I to rebuff you?" He says with a small smile and leans back on his hands, humming a tune he says is the song Yuuki used to listen to a lot in the past – Burn My Dread.

"Anyways, Lavenza said that after we meet with Shirogane-san, her sister – uh, Elizabeth, I mean – might or might not come visit us. Said something about the timing having to be perfect because of the whole mess Maruki's causing," He explains what Lavenza had told him just a few days ago.

At this, Mochizuki makes a slow, surprised hum. "Oh. That actually makes sense, but why wait then, and not tell us now? Then again… Elizabeth-san is the most eccentric being I have ever had the pleasure to meet, so I don't think this is too out of character for her. It could also mean that—"

"—She might do it for a reason," Ren finishes. "We won't know until then. We'll meet Shirogane-san in ten days anyway, so there really is no need for us to fret, right?"

"I suppose not."

"Found it!" Futaba says suddenly, clapping the table hard enough to jolt Morgana out of his sleep and sending him tumbling off her lap and into the floor. The not-cat yowls, but he stops when Futaba spins the chair around and scoots it to the side, showing them all the screen. "I think I found him! His profile is just like yours and Yuuki – a transfer student at Yasogami High, during the same year Shirogane Naoto enrolled!"

The screen depicts a man, now in his early twenties – sharp silver eyes, silver bowl-cut hair, lean. Even through the picture, he reeks of authority and determination Ren would often see in Raoul's body language. And, to confirm their findings, Raoul gives out a laughter and flaunts around inside his mind, steam billowing out through his mask and eyes as the crows of laughter grows louder with delight. It is this person's Persona that had helped me and Thanatos reach Yuuki Makoto within the Sea, Trickster. He is the one you are looking for.

"This is him," Ren says, getting off the bed to get a closer look. "Raoul confirms it, that he was the one who helped you and Raoul find Yuuki back then?"

"Not exactly him, no," Mochizuki says, a finger to his lip. The boy absently pulls Morgana up and holds him in his arm, and the not-cat purrs, satisfied. "His Persona? Yes. The only other one there was Izanagi, the Original God of Lightning."

"So that must be his original Persona, and he, the Wild Card?" Morgana says from Mochizuki's hold. When Ren gives him a thoughtful hum, the not-cat continues. "So, we have the names of our potential allies. But are you sure we can trust these guys? If something like the old Akechi happens, we might end up dead."

"Lavenza confirms it herself, and that Igor and another attendant of his is communicating with him at the moment," Ren says. "I don't doubt Lavenza's words."

"Neither do I," Morgana says softly.

"So, his profile…" Mochizuki murmurs, leaning in a little closer. "22 years old, currently studying Master's degree in Criminal Psychology at Tokyo University. That sounds like something a Wild Card would do."

"Not what I'd do, though," Ren chuckles. Then, a little quieter, he adds, "Not that Tokyo University would allow me in to begin with."

"Hey!" Futaba hits his arm. "Stop with the pessimism!"

"Ow!"

Morgana sighs, exasperated, while Mochizuki scrolls down the data Futaba has dug up, absorbing in the new information that would help him find Yuuki. Ren has been impressed by Death multiple times, but his focus is indeed unparalleled. And when he leans a little closer, he hears the boy murmurs under his breath, "…No name comes to mind, but that is beside the point… Shirogane Naoto, Tatsumi Kanji, Kujikawa Rise—"

"Wait a minute," Ren whispers to Futaba, who's bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet. "Kujikawa Rise? As in Risette?"

"Yep," She says flatly. "Color me surprised, too."

"—jima Ryotarou as his guardian… well, at least he has a family looking out for him," Mochizuki sighs, his expression heavy, before he pulls himself away, carefully patting Morgana's fur, making the not-cat hums out in contentment. "…Thank you, Futaba-san. Then, what do we do next?"

"We meet with Shirogane-san," Futaba says. "And by we I mean you, Morgana, Ren, and Akechi. I'll keep tap, and will call if the coast is clear or if something happens. And then, we hope for the best."

February 1st, 2017 [Wednesday]

Yu thinks this is the first time in a while that the Investigation Team is investigating something on their own, without a request from the Shadow Operatives.

As it turns out, whatever conspiracy they stumbled upon a few months ago have their fangs and claws and roots inside the Kirijou Group itself. While he knows not the full extend of their reaches, if Kirijou knows, there is a chance these people would move before they can, and he couldn't risk that.

Thinking back, he thinks it was the first time Izanagi was angry.

A few months ago, Izanagi suddenly glowered and snarled and snapped as lightning rumbled inside his chest, and he was almost thrown off his seat during lecture. And it wasn't just him, either – Margaret and Marie had called him to the Velvet Room immediately after. Not only had Igor disappeared without their knowledge a few months ago and trapped somewhere they couldn't reach, there were people that had appeared at Doujima's (and all their neighbors') front door, asking about the murders in the fog from his fighting days.

Who were they? He doesn't know, but not good people, Izanagi confirmed as much. Margaret said that there is another Wild Card who was held captive – the Wild Card Elizabeth used to attend to. Not Aigis, she said. But her predecessor is dead, so Yu wonders who it could've been. Although Margaret did tell him his name; Yuuki Makoto. Come to think of it, he's never asked Kirijou what their previous leader's name was – it's such a crass, heartless question, after all – but he suspects that this person might be their deceased leader. How could he be alive after he's buried, though? No idea. Still, that changes little in what he had to do – the stranger is held in captivity, and Margaret thinks they were doing something to him, something that no humans should have to experience.

When Shirogane started her investigations, they stumbled upon a single name of the person who visited Doujima – a name of a scientist who was under the Kirijou Group. And from then, the name of the drug that Aragaki used to take before his Persona evolved from Castor to Chiron – Persona Suppressors. From what the man said before, it shouldn't do anything more than to help a person control their other selves, but the documents Shirogane manages to acquire allude to the fact that these new batch is designed to do more.

It makes him sick.

When someone named Alibaba suddenly called them, though, everything changes.

Shirogane said that they wanted to help with the Investigation Team's current mission, too, and had claimed that they could help. Yu was skeptical, and Yosuke objected the idea, but when Alibaba said Shirogane's name is marked as a danger to their operations, they're practically forced into working with these strangers – strangers that Margaret told him are also Persona Users. He sighs and pulls out his phone, as if to distract himself, only to see that Shirogane is calling him.

"Can you find your way to Café Leblanc?" Shirogane asks as soon as Yu picks up the phone. He tugs the scarf closer to next mouth and digs his fingers down the pockets of his coat.

"Yeah, I think so. Where are you?"

"In front of the Café," She says. "Kanji-kun is not happy about only the two of us here, but I suppose it is better than I alone."

"Keep your hand on the gun," Yu hums, making his ways down the dark alley and walking past eerily silent buildings. "We don't know who they are, or what they want. Even the fact that your name is on the radar might be a lie, for all we can tell."

"I doubt that," She says. "If they are actually with this group we're investigating, then why call us and alert us at all? They could've easily tracked us down and take care of us – of me, in particular – without setting off the alarm. I think, these people might have the same goal we do."

"You mean – to save that stranger? The Wild Card?" Yu asks. When he thinks about it, that would explain almost everything about Alibaba. "…Hm, that might explain it. They are Persona Users, after all. They might even be this person's allies. You can't let your guard down yet, though."

"Roger that."

It takes him about ten or so minutes to arrive at the café. He waves as Shirogane bows slightly at him, his nose picking up the scent of coffee from inside the shop.

"Shall we?"

When they enter, there are five cups of coffee on the table. On the side facing them are three boys – one with eyes piercing blue that reminds him of Aigis' own, one who he recalls to be Shirogane's protégé, the second coming of detective prince Akechi Goro, and the third is a boy with frizzly black hair and black eyes that screams I will not yield to him.

Izanagi stirs, but doesn't lash out, so he sighs before walking over.

"Good evening," Yu says, sitting at the innermost seat of the chair and allowing Shirogane to settle herself at the edge, ready to bolt if needed be. "I'm Narukami Yu. This here is Shirogane Naoto."

"Amamiya Ren," The frizzly-haired says, and he pulls up from his lap a black cat that shifts and purrs before curling up on the table next to his steaming cup. Yu tilts his head slightly, but doesn't comment on it as the boy continues. "Here is Akechi Goro, and that over there is Mochizuki Ryoji."

"Well then," Akechi says, putting the cup to his lips and taking a small sip before continuing. "Shall we begin?"

Yu thinks… they're in for a wild, wild ride like no other.

Chapter Text

To Take Back What Was Stolen

Mochizuki is quiet, his eyes searching, judging their every action, scrutinizing their every move.

"Anyway," Ren begins, trying to ease their shoulders for a bit. Narukami Yu is tall, and he has that aura of a leader, of a kingpin, with him (Raoul laughs at this, and he faintly wonders why) while the other one, Shirogane Naoto, looks much like how Goro is – calm, calculating, careful. He coughs again. "Thank you for coming here. It's a pleasure making your acquaintances, Shirogane-san, Narukami-san. How are the rest of your team? Risette, for instance?"

Narukami stiffens slightly at that, but he soon relaxes and gives out a small smile, the cup of coffee forgotten between his palms. "You did your research, I see. I'll be blunt, then – are you—"

"—your enemies? It depends on your answers," Goro says. Ren subtly kicks his shin, but the boy pulls his leg back in time. He sees Narukami frowns, and Shirogane's hand going deeper into her purse. He tenses, but Goro just pats his knee lightly, so he relaxes back and takes a careful sip. "We have proofs that your name is on their list, Shirogane-san. Here."

At this, Goro pushes the folder over to the two of them, of the information Futaba's dug up from god knows where with her unearthly skills. And the looks on both of their faces turn from confusion to genuine awe, mixed with concern, as they should. A moment, and Narukami speaks up. "…I see. Thank you for bringing this up to us."

"Our pleasure," Ren says with a small nod. "We might have to do something about that, or you may be in danger. But before that – we need to find him. Yuuki Makoto."

Narukami blinks. "…That's exactly the same name Margaret said."

"The Velvet Room attendant, I presume?" Ren says.

There is one long, near-infinite pause where Shirogane just gapes at him, Mochizuki alternating glances between him and Narukami, and Goro sighing and muttering here we go again under his breath. Then, the man nods slowly. "…I see. So you are a fellow Wild Card."

"One and only," Ren says with a small smile, and he's glad to see that he's played the right card – Narukami is more relaxed at the mention of the Velvet Room. "Although, I hope the Kirijou Group and Kirijou Mitsuru don’t know about any of this? At least, not through a phone call?"

Shirogane scowls slightly before shaking her head. "They do not. I'm afraid these people might have their fangs and claws much deeper into the group's network than we thought. They know about the Shadow Operatives – even if it's only on the surface – Shadows and Personas. And if they have my name – then there is a chance they might know about every Investigation Team's member, too."

"We'll deal with that," Ren offers. "We have a hacker – a godly one – on our side. I'll see what I can do. But if they have physical copies, then that would be impossible. So… I asked you here for one reason. Help us find that person – he's this guy's friend, after all."

"That's what we planned to do from the beginning," Narukami says, crossing his arms and leaning back against the seat, his eyes shifting between the three of them. He then sighs. "…I suppose we should start by sharing information. But before that – your friend, huh? Does Yuuki Makoto have a connection with Kirijou Mitsuru?"

At this, Mochizuki smiles solemnly and nods. "Yes. It's a long story, so please do make yourself at home. But promise me you'll tell us everything – as I am about to do now."

"We promise," the two say simultaneously.

Mochizuki starts his tale, shortening and omitting and cutting out parts unnecessary – they are all short on time, and the faster they can work with this, the better – and Ren could see both recognition and sadness in Narukami's eyes. From what Lavenza told him, the man is at least an acquaintance with Kirijou Mitsuru, so this tale might've explained something he's seen. And when Mochizuki finishes, they let silence fill the air for a while before Narukami starts his own side of the story.

As it turns out, those people might be hunting for Persona Users. But since most of them look ordinary, feel ordinary, there is no sure way to determine who is one. His show with the Phantom Thieves might've drawn attentions to him, but Futaba has been doing a spectacular job at hiding his and everyone's, including Goro's, tracks, so the possibility of them being found is significantly lowered.

…And man, the tales about the whole red fog, Arena inside the TV world, and two other gods? The world really is a fucking circus. Not to mention two more Wild Cards? Shiomi Kotone and Aigis?

"Anyways, that's all we know," Ren murmurs, cleaning out his cup with a long gulp before patting Morgana's head lightly, the feline's eyes careful around the two still. "Thing is, Futaba finds lots of places the so-called Suppressors were sent to, all across Japan, but we're not sure which one would be where he's held at."

"I've managed to secure a few places," Shirogane says as she pulls out her phone. "While investigating about these people, I came across records of missing people in their documents."

Ren frowns. "Kidnapping?"

"Most likely," Narukami says. "We don't know for sure, but if they're really hunting Persona Users, I don't see this as something surprising. What strikes me odd is why are all the Shadow Operatives left untouched."

"One theory is that the Shadow Operative members can summon their Personas into the real world, most with little aid. They won't be completely defenseless, not to mention that if one of them disappears, there is no lengths Kirijou-san will not go to find them," The woman says, her eyes glancing towards Mochizuki. "I will have to be blunt, Mochizuki-kun. There are so many things in your stories I simply cannot trust, but I can't just ask Kirijou-san any of this, either."

"I understand," he hums quietly. "But I assure you, my one and only priority right now is to rescue him. I will not risk the chance by lying about something like this, something so inconsequential."

"Shirogane," Narukami nudges his companion lightly before holding up a hand. "Sorry about that. It's in her nature."

Mochizuki shakes his head. "I'd be disappointed if I'm trusted so thoroughly after but a few minutes. Which makes me curious — why are you trusting me?"

"Because Izanagi trusts you," Narukami smiles. And it occurs to Ren that Raoul (who was Arsene back then) had done the same thing, reassuring him through smokes and flames, too. "He is a part of me as much as I am a part of him. I do trust myself, so if he says that you are trustworthy, then I don't see why not."

Mochizuki blinks numbly a few times before sighing into his hand, with Shirogane and Goro looking at their respective Wild Cards with resignation. Ren is about to ask why they're looking like that when Death answers his unspoken inquiry in an exasperated sigh. "I think Wild Cards all have some screws loose in their heads, seriously."

"Hey, that stings!" Ren protests.

"I do agree with him, though," Goro says.

Shirogane giggles a little, "I do have to agree with you on this, Mochizuki-kun. No sane person would trust a stranger so easily like you would, Narukami-senpai."

"Shirogane, you wound me!" Narukami exclaims with all the hurt that screams sarcasm. Ren laughs lightly at that. The older man then clears his throat. "But, back to the topic at hand. I do trust you and your story. And now that we're all here – you said your hacker found locations the Suppressors were sent to, right?"

Shirogane pulls out a USB and slides it over to him. "Try cross-matching those locations with these. There might be more than one match, but it'll give us our targets."

"…Do you know when these people were, hm, shipped to those places?" Goro asks, a little pensive, his nose scrunched up slightly. Ren shivers – he has briefly forgotten that those missing people are probably faced with the same thing Yuuki currently is; human experimentation.

"Not the exact date, no, but I do have some estimates attached within the files," Shirogane answers.

"That's better than nothing," Ren hums. "Futaba, you want me to plug it into my phone or something?"

At this, the two older Persona Users look strangely at them, only to both raise their eyebrows upon Futaba's voice ringing through the bug he had hidden in his collar. "Yeah, since I can access your phone just fine. And oh! I am the hacker, by the way."

"It's… nice making your acquaintance?" Narukami says, his lips curling up into a small, amused smile. "I suppose I don't have to re-introduce myself, do I?"

"You don't. We've already known about you since before the meeting anyway," Futaba chirps as Ren pulls out the extension plugs and proceeds to connect the small USB drive with his device. Then, he lets Futaba do her magic trick. "I am Alibaba, by the way. Or Futaba. Whichever you prefer, you're probably not going to see much of me."

"She's a shy one," Ren murmurs amusedly, covering the hidden mic with his hand to stop her protest from getting out. "Anyways, thanks for the help—"

"You're not going to cut us out of this, are you?"

Narukami's voice is absolute, his eyes a little commanding. Ren feels cold to the bone, and he could hear Goro gulping beside him. Mochizuki, however, is making a oh-oh sound, leaning in with curiosity and half-glee in his eyes. He seems to take a liking to this person. Ren takes a deep breath before murmuring. "I… didn't mean to. He is Mochizuki's friend, and this is probably a little dangerous and personal—"

"It feels wrong to not help a person in need. You should know this, Amamiya," Narukami says, a hand under his chin. He then drops the intimidating act and smiles warmly. "I'd understand if you don't want help, but I want to. We want to. A kid being kidnapped and possibly experimented upon is a gut-turning thought, and my team has already agreed that we want to see this through until the end."

"A Wild Card is a Wild Card, indeed."

That is not any of their voices.

He blinks, and sees a woman with hair and eyes the same color as that of Lavenza's, dress deep blue like the evening sky. He vaguely remembers this person—

"Elizabeth-san!?" He, Narukami and Mochizuki say simultaneously. It's strange enough for her to butt into their conversation unannounced, but she's carrying that dusty old tome much larger than what Lavenza had, not to mention that she has already made herself at home by shooing Narukami further in before sitting beside the man. Ren hears Narukami adds. "What—Why are you—"

"Oh! The air smells nice," she practically ignores them all and takes a whiff. Ren looks to Mochizuki, who only shrugs and mouths I don't know either back at him. Before he could stop her, the woman bolts up and walks over to look around. "And this place! It must be where people come to relax and drink the so-called coffee! Is this perhaps a café?"

"Ye…s…?" Narukami says reluctantly, halfway standing up from the seat. "Elizabeth-san—"

"Ah! My apologies, I must've side-tracked myself," she laughs, bowing at Shirogane and Goro, who looks so lost that Ren couldn't help but feel sorry for them. He just shrugs at Goro as Elizabeth continues. "I am Elizabeth. A friend, of a kind."

"I'm… glad to see you well, Elizabeth-san," Mochizuki says quietly, frowning. "Why are you—"

"I'm here to inform you about the certain timing – or rather, the time you'd have the best chance to rescue Makoto-san from whoever they are that had taken him under their custody," Elizabeth says, all the light, air-headedness suddenly replaced by seriousness that makes Ren jump under his skin.

"Timing?" Narukami asks.

"There is something wrong happening in the world," Elizabeth says with a small nod. "I cannot inform you of these changes, Yu-san, Naoto-san. This is the Journey that these people will have to undertake by themselves."

Narukami makes a small ah at this, and he nods, giving Ren a subtle smile.

She must've meant Maruki's meddling. The date is in two days – that means their timing would be as tight as it could've gotten. Goro seems to think the same, his brows knotted together, his lips pressed into a thin line. A tense silence, and then Elizabeth continues. "I have to inform you that, once the fight is over, probably on February 3rd – that will be the time when the Metaverse and the real world split apart, but not before the merging gets significantly stronger. It will be your only chance of securing Makoto-san from them, whoever they are."

It doesn't take long for it to click, and Ren says what he manages to figure out under his breath, the air feeling suddenly so unbearably cold. "We can use Personas in the real world then."

"Yes," she confirms. "I will help. I cannot use my powers freely here, but during that short window of time, I will be able to aid you. I've heard that you have narrowed down his possible whereabouts, yes?"

"We have," Goro says. "Why?"

"I think I can use my power to help determine where he is, if I don't have to look at too many places at once," she says with a slight bow. "But after that, I'm afraid you are on your own, because even with the two worlds merging just so, using my powers to look for him with as big a radius as Japan itself will possibly hinder my movements."

"That should be enough, since it means we don't have to check every possible place by ourselves," Narukami says. "…I have a lot of questions, but I'll save that for later. How long do we have?"

"After the fight is over?" Elizabeth says, her smile faltering just minutely.

A pause, and the next words make their deadline that much tighter.

"Two hours, at most."

February 2rd, 2017 [T hursday]

So much new information to chew on, too little time to think.

Both Ren and Narukami decide to quickly contact their own teams to get ready. He'll have to fight against Maruki first, and after the Palace collapses, whoever can move best, and only the best of them, will have to do. Narukami's friends couldn't be here in time due to various life circumstances, but their help alone is already appreciated. There is hope, but that hope is so thin and frail that he's afraid it would snap with just a wrongly-placed breath upon its thin thread.

Mochizuki takes this better than he thought the boy would, and at the same time, his focus has been much sharper than it used to be – which is saying something, considering that he's one of the most task-focused people he's ever met – and now, the only thing stopping the boy from rescuing his light is the date that Maruki had set upon them.

The cross-matching search has proven quite useful, but the sheer distances between each location proves to be disheartening all on its own; they found four places that appear in both the documents Shirogane mentioned and the one that Futaba found. And when Ren told Elizabeth this (through Lavenza, all within the span of an hour), the attendant confirmed his fear – that he's going to be limited with the people he has in hands, since those places are each located in the different parts of Japan altogether.

After ten straight hours of brainstorming, they all agree that Mochizuki will be the one to use his Persona self – Thanatos – to carry them. If the displacement of the real world from the Mementos would give them momentary boosts, then it would be in their best bet to use the person who's connected most deeply to the Metaverse to traverse whatever distances there are between them and their destination. And with the four places in different regions entirely – Elizabeth really has her work cut out for her.

And the locations are located so far away from Tokyo that Ren fears mere two hours wouldn't be enough time for them to even locate Yuuki to begin with, but it's their only hope, and he doubts this will dissuade Mochizuki from running head-first down the maws of the abyss, either. He glances at his phone and recites the four locations in his head; Hokkaido, Miyagi, Kochi and Nagasaki, of all the places, with as much precision in the information as a baby's hand drawings. All at the four corners of Japan, hundreds of kilometers separating them, each with at least a few dozen kilometers of radius to cover. He shudders to think what would happen, should Elizabeth not able to pinpoint Yuuki's location in time.

But right now, he has to focus; after he's said goodbye to Narukami, who goes on ahead to ready himself and Shirogane for the battle to come, he's left sitting on the coffee table with Morgana in his lap and Goro by his side, Mochizuki occupying himself upstairs ("I might end up doing something I'll regret later, so I'll leave Maruki-san to you" "What the hell do you mean, something you'll regret later?"), avoiding any confrontations altogether. His skin is itching like never before, and he decides to instead repeatedly stomp his foot in order to push the feeling away from his head.

"Why are you nervous, Ren?" Goro says, patting his knee lightly. Ren blinks, glancing towards his own slightly trembling hands. "Do you think the chance of us succeeding in rescuing Yuuki-san is low?"

"…Yeah," he sighs, finally allowing himself to claw on his scars. He couldn't remain optimistic after all the obstacles thrown at them. They have their work cut out for them, and half of the rescue team – him, Goro, Mochizuki, Narukami and Shirogane with Futaba for support – would already have been involved in a major fistfight before then. "The odds are seriously stacked against us. And it's not like everything's going to be over after the rescue, either."

"Do you regret your decision, then?"

"Hell no," he hisses, Morgana purring in his lap in agreement. "It's just – I feel like the two of them deserve at least some semblance of happiness. Having been thrown back to life like this against their will, then separated and experimented upon feels wrong. It makes me sick."

"On that front, we can agree," Goro muses, tapping his fingers in time with the ticking clock. "Not to mention that what Shirogane-san has brought up is worrying. If they are truly hunting for Persona Users, then none of us will be safe until we uproot them all."

"Yeah," he sighs.

"Oh come on, you two, don't be so down," Morgana quips, pawing Ren's hand lightly, careful not to spring his claws (they're so fucking sharp goddamnit) on his skin this time. "We've taken down a god before. I'm sure we'll be fine. Not to mention that Death likes you."

Ren snorts a laughter at this. "That's true."

"But Life hates all of us," Goro says.

"…That is also true," Ren mutters before punching Goro's shoulder lightly, drawing out an undignified yelp from him. "Don't be so fucking blunt, man, I like it but I also hate it."

"Pick one or the other, not both," Goro rolls his eyes, but his tone lack any hostility in it.

The clock slowly ticks, ticks, ticks the time away, and soon Maruki will come here. He could feel tension in his bones and nervousness creeping up his fingertips, sharp tinge of uneasiness resting snuggly upon his shoulder blades and lodging itself deep into his spine. He is certain of his answer; that he will not give in to this world that Maruki had created. But at the same time, he also wants to save the man – maybe from the Fate so unkind and unfair, or maybe from himself and his self-imposed duty as a god that shouldn't have graced the earth.

Trust your heart, Trickster, Raoul hums, deep voice rumbling inside his skull in ways that sooth his raging mind and still his frantic heartbeats. Ren blinks, a little taken aback, before he smiles and nods thinly as the Thief-King continues, his usually flamboyant self replaced by father-like figure, top hat twirling on his clawed fingers gently. Much like how you save Akechi Goro before, you can save Maruki Takuto, as well. I am Thou, Thou art I… let my wings guide your rebellious heart to strip away the yoke of darkness within this man's soul.

Thank you, Ren hums to himself, feeling the fluttering of Raoul's steel wings surrounding his form, the smoke and the flame so gentle and warm like the first sun of spring. His other self is much like how Narukami described it – while the other Persona Users possess only one Persona, the Wild Cards have it differently; they can change their faces at will, as such, sometimes, it is easy to forget that they, too, have things that separate them from another. And now that he's reminded of that fact, that he is a man who wants nothing more than to save those in need from pain that he has before felt, his resolve is steeled from any doubts, and all that's left for him to do now is wait.

He will beat some sense into Maruki if needed be.

The door of Leblanc then slowly creaks open, and the man comes into view – his eyes full of determination that will not bow, and his smile kind and genuine. Ren returns one of his own while Goro simply crosses his arms and wait for Maruki to sit down. When he does, Ren offers him a cup of coffee, and the man graciously accepts it.

He eyes them for a moment before sighing. "…I see. So you don't intend to back down."

"There are things that shouldn't be forgotten, no matter how painful," Ren says quietly, his fingers tracing along the rim of the cup. Then, he murmurs. "…How have you been? Are you suffering like you have before?"

Maruki seems to blink a little at this before he smiles thinly. "So you saw."

Morgana murmurs under his whiskers as he shifts in Ren's lap, while Goro simply sighs. When Maruki's eyes are on him, Goro says, "We have seen everything that you have been through. While I cannot say with certainty that I understand you, I think I can rationalize your actions."

Maruki's smile falters. "And yet, you disagree with me."

"We disagree with you," Ren corrects him. He feels Goro looking at him, so he gives the man a subtle smile. "…You're not facing yourself, Maruki-san. You're just running away by creating a world that goes according to your every whim. We can't have that – because it would invalidate the progress that all of us have made. It would undo everything that everyone has ever fought for."

The man seems to think seriously about this, his brows furrowing, the content of the cup turning stale as the air grows heavy. Morgana mewls, so Ren absently pats his head, while Goro takes a sip from his own cup silently. "…I've come too far to stop now. This research of mine, the goal of making people happy, of making the world better – I will see it through."

"Then I'll beat some senses into you," Ren says, the mask of the trickster returning to his face. Goro snorts a laughter, and Morgana grins. When Maruki stands up, he pulls out the calling card and throws it towards the man. "Here. So that we can meet again."

He picks it up, flipping it between his fingers, a thin smile on his lips as he whispers the words out for all of them to hear, even if there is no need to. Then, "that's right. I've heard your calling. I'll wait in the Palace tomorrow, Amamiya-kun."

When Maruki leaves, Goro exhales shakily, his eyes closed. Ren has never seen that – a form of uncertainty in the way he breathes. It's certainly strange, and a tad unnerving. And then, he opens his eyes, looking up at something far, far away. "…I have to admit, this reality of his has a certain beauty to it."

"Much as I hate to admit, yeah," Ren sighs. "But I'm surprised you'd admit that."

"I would be a fool to not see something so obvious," Goro murmurs, his posture unusually relaxed. The boy then turns to look at Ren fully. "…I want to ask something of you, Ren."

"Shoot away."

"After we've rescued Yuuki-san," he says, pensive, brows knotting together. He seems to taste his own words on his tongue before he says quietly, his tone careful. "I want to know more."

"…Know more of what?"

"Everything. About you," he says. "I've been manipulated. I've cared about no other but myself and my revenge, and look where those get me. And seeing you leading them for myself, seeing you steadfast in your childish ideals for myself – I want to know more. Understand more. So… if it is alright with you, then I want to know you better than this. As a friend, and perhaps…"

Ren tilts his head, waiting for Goro to continue, only for the boy to stop himself. "…Perhaps what?"

"Nothing," Goro cuts him off curtly as he stands up. "Let us rest. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow, and Mochizuki-san will have our heads if we do not deliver on our promises."

Ren decides to not press Goro for the unspoken question and grins. "Yeah. We do."

February 3rd, 2017 [Friday]

The path up to the final battlefield is beautiful.

The Garden of Eden, and the tree sitting amidst the towering buildings and sky-high towers, adorning with golden leaves and translucent staircases that spiral upwards to the heaven itself, are the epitome of otherworld beauty. The only thing he has against these damn things are how high the fucking stairs are leading them to!

"You look winded, Joker," Crow sneers, expertly dodging Skull's hands, as he has more or less insulted Ren's best friend earlier. The same old blunt, sarcastic, murderous, socially-inept Akechi Goro at his finest, as always. "Are you sure you needn't exercise more?"

Hereward said the same thing, Raoul hums, annoyance clear in his intonation. Ren clicks his tongue and shoots Crow a glare before he speaks what Raoul is speaking. "Fuck off, man. You can say for yourself, since you have a bow to cover the distance!"

"You have an entire armory with you," Crow snorts, and Ren feels Raoul jump at that. Yep, his Persona seems to have forgotten that Ren is a Wild Card? Somehow? "I have only a bow, a few tricks up my sleeves, and bloodlust waiting to be released. How is it that a bow could top that?"

"Oh my god, I hate you people!" Skull moans. "Stop with this flexing competition, wouldja?"

Thanatos laughs, his human visage shifting as he readies to spring forth as Death at the drop of a hat. "It is just so them, though. It's quite fun to watch."

"Seconded," Panther adds.

"Third!" Oracle giggles.

"Okay, okay! You guys like cool people with strong Personas and wicked personalities, I get it!" Skull snaps back, scratching the back of his head as he half-pants, following closely after the group. "Goddamn it, I love you guys, but sometimes I hate you all."

"Love you too, Skull!" Ren shouts.

Crows of laughter decorate the air as they bicker and banter, light and carefree, even if what comes after this would require his absolute attention and devotion to the cause. But like this, he could for a moment forget that he's a Wild Card, a Phantom Thief, the Trickster – like this, he could believe for a brief second that he is a normal high schooler, who is loved, who has friends.

And he intends to keep his friends and his love this way, no matter what.

"Maruki-san is the same as all of us, in a way," he hears Thanatos says, addressing all of them as their paces slowed when they near the topside, gold-clad and light-filled. Ren looks up as he stops, steeling his heart and readying himself to fight until one of them fall. And when he turns to Thanatos, the man – Death – smiles. "We cope with changes differently, that is all. I wish to make him face his own darkness, so that he may grow. What about you?"

"I don't care either way," Crow snorts. A moment, then he sighs, motioning his hand in the direction Maruki awaits them. "But… For once, I think I'll try to do what you all have been doing so far. Change the heart of a man, twisted by grief and lost."

"That's the nicest things you've ever said, man," Skull chuckles, and he isn't fazed when Crow throws him a murderous glare. "But hey! I'm with you on this one. We're changing his heart, so that he can move on. He ain't like the rest of them adults we've beaten, though… so I feel kinda bad fighting him."

"Same," Queen sighs. "But I suppose this is what we must do. What he's doing is wrong, and it's our job to make him see that."

"I agree," Noir hums. "He means the best for us, but his best is not the same as ours."

"Yeah," Oracle murmurs. "Even if it hurts, our real reality is what I want to live in. Cuz I don't want to forget everything I've done with you guys."

"Indeed, discarding our trials and tribulations that we've faced and conquered in favor of allowing such a reality, no matter how twistedly beautiful, to exist is not something I wish for," Fox declares. "I shall see this through to the very end."

"Let's go back, then!" Morgana shouts. "To the world that is ours!"

"Yeah!" Ren says, lifting up his fist into the air. They follow, and he looks all of them in the eye – there are no more clouds of doubts. "We will see this through. And after that, I will keep my promise to Than and get back the person stolen from him. Tonight, we Thieves are going to get back all that were stolen from us!"

We are with you, Trickster, Raoul crows, and he could hear voices of his many masks under his skin, sending shiver of anticipation up his spine and drawing a smirk on his lips. Let it be known that we shall bow to no man nor god, and that we are here to take back what is ours at all cost!

He bares his teeth into a savage grin.

"It's Showtime!"

Azathoth, the Idiot God.

Ryoji has admittedly seen little of the Outer Gods, ones who slither at the edge of the Sea of Souls, at the seams between the void and the hearts of men. But he does know that they are dangerous, unstable, and reek of nothing but insanity. This one, too, preys on the heart of a man controlled by grief, using him to plunge the world into chaos, sowing strives underneath the pretense of peace that makes him sick. And this is but one of the many, the Idiot God who feasts upon all things within its reach, even light. But here, in the real world, its form is nothing more than a meek interpretation of what it truly is, to deceive the man called Maruki Takuto.

His darkness shifts and churns uneasily under his masks, the cold, stale air puncturing through his hollow eyes and invading inside the confines of his coffin-wings as the lids slide open to allow his power to break free. These Outer Gods… he feels like this will not be the last he will see one of their kind, and he doubts that this will be the last he will see the Nuclear Chaos, either.

But for now, he will fight, for Makoto's sake. Makoto, who's suffering under the fingertips of those who slithers in the dark, waiting to bring their vile ideals to fruition under the light of the moon. He will not allow that to come to pass. He will not allow his light to suffer much longer – and while he understands and even sympathizes with Maruki to some degree, he will spare nothing to save Makoto. He will not allow mercy to hamper his mission. He will not allow anyone to stand in his way.

He has had enough sitting around doing nothing, waiting for a miracle that will never come for a third time, waiting for the signal that has already been snuffed under the tendrils of darkness.

He could hear Azathoth laugh in his mindscape, its shapeless form shifting and churning like rancid sludge oozing from rotting corpses, plumes and smokes reeking of death that are no stranger to him surrounding his form, hugging him in their sickening arms.

He growls.

"Do not get in my way. No matter who you are, I will have your head."

Azathoth only laughs louder, the sound bouncing endlessly inside his ribcage and tearing away at his skull and into the nothingness of the void.

Ryoji has had enough. He will bring this Idiot God down with his own two hands, and then, he will get Makoto back, no matter the cost.

Much like how everyone of them were before – Maruki's will is not something to be looked down upon.

He could feel Thanatos' anger ripping through his chest and covering the entire area in hostility that makes even Raoul recoil from merely breathing in the same air. The Palace half-collapses, but then Maruki refuses to give up, tearing the torchlight away from Ren's grasp and back into his own hand, his Persona (he could hear Thanatos' curses under his skin – and so, the Idiot God calls for power beyond the Sea of Souls to evolve itself) has changed into the Primordial Man, Adam Kadmon.

Raoul is uneasy in his heart as they stare back up at the humongous creature born from the strength of Maruki's will – his will to become the guide for the world. He feels cold sweat running down his brows and settling deep at the tip of his tongue – such power, such tenacity… he wonders if he could ever reach that level of will, he wonders if he could ever make it to the same power that Maruki has.

And then, Raoul bellows inside him, followed by cries of the beasts of many origins he has called upon for aid countless times before. Do not doubt yourself, Trickster! His strength is great, but yours are even greater still! Do not doubt our words – with us standing here beside you, there is nothing for you to fear! Now come, discard the last of your doubts, and let us bring this show to a certain end!

Ren bares his teeth as his mask cracks and bursts into azure flame, and Raoul bellows, smoke and flame of rebellion swirling around him. He sees Thanatos coiling the coffin-wings tighter around his back as he bellows into the sky above, the vile plumes of dusks surging forward into Maruki, who guards it with the same tendrils that Adam Kadmon is made from.

Ren draws out his pistol and chances a few shot, glancing Maruki's mask with one, putting a dent in his white robe with the other. And then, Raoul spreads his wing wide, covering Maruki under the shadows casted by the artificial moonlight above. When Thanatos draws away, Ren orders at the top of his lungs – he cannot hesitate now. He'll not allow his reality to be stripped away, he'll not allow himself forced under another man's thumb ever again. "Raoul! Vorpal Blade!"

The sword-cane is unsheathed in an instant, arcs of light tearing the tendrils to shreds. He then turns to Crow, who nods and calls for Hereward in his night-clad glory. With a swift motion bearing grace deserving the mantle of the noble rebel, he lets loose an arrow that strikes Maruki in the chest, sending him skidding across the floor.

"Not yet—!" Maruki gasps, refusing to fall, as he calls upon beams of light. Thanatos shields the Thieves from it with the sarcophagi on his back, smoke rising from the gaps of the lids, deep cold of foreign winter invading Ren's senses. He shifts his eyes and nods at Crow, who draws his own gun and shoots at Maruki to tear his concentration away, stopping the light from crashing down.

And after the light suddenly dissipates when Maruki's distracted, Thanatos lets out a haughty roar before pulling at the chain on his shoulder and swinging one of his coffins as a weapon, striking Maruki's midsection without mercy, sending him flying into Adam Kadmon's fingers.

There is an infinite pause, when he could hear resignation in the way Maruki breathes. But then he's struck by a splitting headache that fills his heart with nothing but dread.

Trickster! Cacophony of his many masks' cries echo and bleed into each other, fusing into one horrifying accretion of gurgles that screech and silence everything around him, and he looks up to see the blue-glow of Adam Kadmon turning blood red. Raoul's voice rises above all others, Trickster, that Outer God is going to use Maruki as its source of power! Stop it!

"Than!" He calls out, his legs giving way under the invisible weight of the gestalt consciousnesses of his Personas. Ren vaguely feels Crow pulling him up by the arm, but the alarm blaring inside his skull is too loud to be ignored. Adam Kadmon must be stopped. "Stop it! Don't let that thing use Maruki-san!"

Thanatos wastes little time as he flies forward, bulldozing his way through the gust of wind that rises from the primordial man and to Maruki's form in its humongous palm. The reddish fingers curl around Maruki's body, shielding him from Thanatos' reach. And in a slow, wide arc, Adam Kadmon's other arm slams into Death's coffin-wings and sends him spiraling into the nearest building, crashing through it and collapsing the construction into the ground.

"He's fine!" Oracle calls, quelling Ren's worry only for a little as his eyes are glued to the beast as it takes Maruki inside its skull-like face, the doctor's voice muffled into an infinitesimal cry under the boom of madness that rises through the hollow eyes of the Outer God. Oracle's small voice then cut through the vile drums beating in his ears. "It can't be—is that thing really a Persona?"

Adam Kadmon then moves, roaring into the heavens, its voice twisted and sharp and not Maruki, "I am Thou, Thou art I – This power is the source, and the destination. I will be the light that guides mankind!"

That doesn't sound like Maruki's controlling that thing anymore. And its sounds vile, profaned, something that shouldn't happen upon this world, something that shouldn't be allowed to flourish.

An Outer God is a vile manifestation of madness from within the Sea of Souls, Raoul supplies before he tears through the fabric of reality and manifests beside Ren, his clawed fingers resting on his shoulder, calming his rapid breathing. "But that doesn't mean that it will be stronger than us. Trust in your bonds and your family, Trickster – there is no better time than now to show them who we are!"

"Maruki-san is in there!" Oracle says as the wind dies down, and leaves them with the still, unbreathable air that constricts around them like a serpent coiling around its prey. "This doesn't feel right – we have to get him out!"

"If that thing hasn't crushed us by then, that is," Crow growls, and Ren feels the air twists around Adam Kadmon's fist as he hooks its massive arm backward. He instinctively knows that if that hits any of them, they're going to be turned into red splatter on the concrete. "Incoming!"

"I've got it!" Thanatos bellows, and Ren whips around in time to see trail of darkness shooting away from the rubble like a meteor and crashes into Adam Kadmon's shoulder, sending sparks flying across the pitch-black sky and making whites spread across his vision. Raoul laughs, and Ren sees that the crash does indeed sway the fist from its intended path, making the red glow chips the edge of the building they are on and burning the concrete into nothingness.

"Thanks!" Ren manages out, nodding at Queen, silently ordering her to heal them up and boosts their defenses. He then quickly gauges his options – he knows there are more Personas he could use, but something like Satanael will instantly kills Maruki. But when he turns to Raoul, at his grinning mask and the billowing flame, his heart has already decided – both he and his other self will be the ones to finish this. "…You with me, Raoul?"

"All the way, Trickster!" He bellows, his sword-cane drawing lines of light across the sky that scatter into thousands needle-like shapes that pierce through the gaps in Adam Kadmon's golden armor, sending it staggering back just minutely. "I, and the rest of us! The Sea of Souls and its deepest corners are yours to command!"

And then, he feels it – what Mochizuki has described before; the thing Yuuki has achieved as the only person who has ever reached the deepest reach of the Sea of Souls. The vast field of endless possibility, right before his eyes, and he feels like he could, for a moment, achieve anything – nothing is an impossible feat, not at this very moment.

Then he hears a voice, soft yet authoritative, invading into his senses. We see none but that person as our equal, and he will be the only one we will gladly take orders from. But you are our only hope. This once, we shall be at your command, Trickster. Call mine name – and I shall carve you your path forward!

For the sake of that boy – we shall lend you our aid.

"They are those who reside in the deepest reach of the Sea, the ones who command power greater than my own," Raoul says at those foreign name forms on his lips, and he snarls, his mouth curls into a savage grin as he allows their powers – free of any chains – to course through him. "Yuuki Makoto is the only person they have ever agreed to kneel to, but for now, their powers are yours. Use it at will, Trickster!"

And when Raoul dissipates and reforms himself into the mask that Ren wears, he tears it off again and lets the name falls from his lips and into the sky. "Asterius!"

Thanatos turns at that as he falls back into their ranks. Adam Kadmon's hand falls onto them like a hammer of judgement, only to be stopped by large, beast-like figure of profaned flames and heavy chains of penance, its hollow horns spewing out lavas and smokes. Its eyes turn to Ren, and the Bull of Minos snorts out licks of fire that burns away the crisp, cool air. "Make haste, brats. Send that thing back to whence it came, so we can finally get that boy back on his feet."

"R-right!" Oracle seems stunned for but a moment before she allows herself to be engulfed by her Persona – Al Azif. Ten clicks of the hands of a clock, and then, "give me a moment! Keep fighting, guys! I'll inform you when I've got its weakness down pat!"

"Got it!" Thanatos affirms, his sword fully cloaked under the essence of the night itself, reeking out vile, dark blue-colored flame from the wisps of midnight sky. He then turns to Asterius. "I thought you would be the one to not want to fall under anyone's command."

"That Makoto kid is different," the bull says, voice low and rumbling right into his very being. There are choruses of agreements and symphonies of anticipations beyond what his mind could feel as the bull pulls himself off his place on the ground, rising well over Ren's head, his rough-edged hooves and spiked chains dragging trails of flame on the concrete beneath their feet. "What? Do you wish to question my allegiance, Death? I will be happy to beat that into your skull."

"No, no, that's unnecessary," Thanatos seems to laugh at this as the lids of the rightmost coffin slides open slightly, spewing out flakes of snow that chills Ren's fingers to the very bones upon a single touch. "I'm just curious, since you seem to dislike your previous vessel very much."

"That brat can go to hell for all I care," Asterius bares his lipless teeth at a distant memory. Then he turns to Ren, and points a bloodied, flame-cloaked finger at him. "But you – you look promising enough. If I find you entertaining, then I might lend you my aid just yet."

"Uh… thanks?" Ren says, and quickly yells when Adam's hand starts to fall down on them. "Watch out!"

Another explosion whites him out, and when his vision clears, he could see that Asterius has taken the hit for them, both hands pushing back against the large, armored hand of the primordial man – or rather, from Raoul's fervent whisper in his mind, a pretense Azathoth is using to hide itself – that has crashed down upon them seconds ago. With a grunt, Asterius pushes Adam Kadmon's fist back into the sky.

Asterius bellows, the very sound of his battle cry able to shatter the air itself, making Adam Kadmon pause it its assault briefly. Ren's lips stretch a little wider into a cruel, unforgiving grin as the bull of Minos slams his hoof down and summoning the flame of purgatory to his side.

This time, the bull follows Ren's command and throws off a single punch that shatter his own arm and send Adam Kadmon's fist flying high into the air. Ren quickly pulls the bull back into his mask and turns to Oracle. "Oracle!"

"I found it!" Oracle shouts, and he keeps Asterius' name on his tongue for a moment longer to ward off any attempts at interruption, and Adam Kadmon wails like a banshee at his defense. "When it attacks, every power it has goes into its strike! There is no weakness but one – the head! You'll have to strike immediately after it has fired off an attack to bring it down. And Maruki is in there, in its head!"

"I won't be able to defend if the window is that tight," Ren growls. But he knows and trusts his friends well enough, so he turns to them. "I'll leave the defense to you. Trust me – I'll bring this thing down, just like any other targets we've faced before, just like how I shot Yaldabaoth's face open!"

"Got it, Joker!" Skull cackles. "Bring it on, ya oversized skeleton!"

Ren couldn't help but laughs as he pulls Arthur back and lets Raoul occupies his mind once more. And when he does, Raoul says. Let us take down this Idiot God together, Trickster!

"Yeah!" He cries out as the fist falls down upon them.

His friends rush past him, and the knuckles of Adam Kadmon crash with their Personas, steels and claws and light and darkness mingling into one blinding pool of power that puts the unrelenting assault to a halt. He listens to Oracle as she gives him the signal, and Raoul comes forth in midair as Ren draws himself closer to the giant's head with his grappling hook upon a crane. With a twist of his body and a tug at the lines of the grappling hook and Raoul's flap of wings, he takes a sharp turn towards Adam Kadmon's now exposed head.

Raoul laughs and beats his wings again, flame and darkness converging into one single spear that strikes between its eyes, sending Adam Kadmon's head rearing backward. And with another pull of his device, he and Raoul land on its fleshless face, his eyes now staring beyond its red-tinted eyes and into the pools of swirling madness and storms brewing underneath the cold, unmoving surface. And even beyond that, he sees Maruki's body amidst shapeless tentacles that cling to him like parasites, sapping out his strength and puppeteering him under their ruthless command.

Ren draws out his gun, and Raoul mimics his motion with his left hand, bringing out an intricate, onyx flintlock pistol with lines of gold and rising smokes.

He grins, and feels Raoul does the same as his finger slowly presses down on the trigger.

"Checkmate."