Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

A familiar hymn reached Ren's ears; a piano completed by a woman's voice. It was a sound that once filled Ren's mind with distrust but became a place of peace.

Ren opened his eyes to the familiar jail and chains above him. He sat up from what was barely a bed, expecting the clothes of a prisoner on him. To his surprise, rather than an inmate's uniform, he wore a black tailcoat, a waistcoat that reached his neck, and red gloves. He reached up to his eyes to make sure that it wasn't his glasses that completed his look, and he was right. On his face was a bird-like mask that covered his eyes, a black-and-white domino mask that he knew so well.

He was relieved. He was wearing his complete Metaverse outfit.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room, Trickster," a high-pitched voice rang out to him. Ren looked up and out the jail cell, and there were two people in the middle of the room. A man with a very long nose, bulging eyes, and a wide smile sat in the middle of the room. His table had both a lamp and a large book. In front of the table was a little girl with long platinum hair, completed by a blue headband and butterfly hairpin.

"My name is Igor. I am delighted to meet you once again," the man said as he chuckled. "You already know, but this is Lavenza," he said as he pointed at the little girl.

Lavenza curtsied. "Compared to last time, it has not been a while, hasn't it?" Lavenza said with a worried smile.

Ren got off his bed and stood up, walking past the open jail cell door. "Good to see you guys too.” He greeted them both before focusing on Lavenza. “It has only been a week since we last met. What's with the look?" he asked as he stopped in front of her. "Worried I'll be in trouble again within a week?"

Lavenza broke into a small fit of giggles before facing Ren. "No, of course not. I fully believe you will be able to surpass any trials you face. It is something else that worries me..." She looked away as she trailed off.

Igor chuckled. "What she means, Trickster, is that she worries about your bleeding heart."

Lavenza whipped her head as Igor finished, glaring at her master. "Is this necessary?"

'That's weird. Lavenza's usually respectful to Igor, and a lot more patient,' Ren thought, raising an eyebrow at the exchange. 'The only time she got mad was when we kept interrupting her right after everyone in the Phantom Thieves gathered here.'

"Bleeding heart?" Ren asked.

Igor and Lavenza kept staring at each other as if sharing a quiet conversation. It only lasted another second before Lavenza sighed and looked at Ren.

"Trickster," Lavenza began, "know that this is not a command nor an order. It is a request, one that you may decline."

Igor nodded. "Indeed. While we offer this request, we would like you to remember that you must take responsibility for all your actions."

"Of course, I'd remember that. I have to ascertain everything with my own will, that I would follow my path of justice. I promised myself that in the beginning." Ren repeated what he promised to Arsene, his Persona, the manifestation of his rebellious soul. Ren could only smile sheepishly as he saw Lavenza beam with happiness at his words, as if she were a parent proudly looking at her own child. "Still, what's the request?"

"Of course. We would like to send you to help someone, a fellow Guest of the Velvet Room." Igor requested.

Ren gulped. He always had a feeling that he wasn't the first Guest, nor would he be the last. After all, as Igor once said, the Velvet Room was a room that existed between dream and reality, mind and matter. A Guest should be able to complete their journey. He's done it 3 times after all, though Ren knows that may not be normal. If Igor thought that they needed help, then their situation must be serious.

Igor chuckled again. "Worry not, their journey has not ended," Igor reassured him. Ren's worry must have appeared on his face. "Rather, we will be sending you to a time when said Guest has just begun their journey. We ask that you help them."

"What about my life here?" Ren asked. After all, he had a life right now. He was a 3rd-year student in Yasogami High with plans to move to Tokyo to study psychology and cognitive pscience. "I have plans, you know."

Igor nodded. "Again, worry not. You will continue to live here as you help the other Guest."

"Trickster, don't think about it too much. We will deal with that on our end," Lavenza added.

'Still, doesn't explain why Lavenza is off today.' "Then, why don't you tell me what's on your mind, Lavenza?" Ren asked.

Lavenza's face squirmed as if she swallowed a lemon. She sighed a second later. "Because I know your answer, Trickster. If someone is in trouble, I have no doubt you will help them."

"Then what seems to be the problem? You think I can't help them?"

Lavenza shook her head. "No. Rather, you've done so much, one after another. You've fought again and again with barely any rest in between! Even if you are the Trickster, you are still human. I-"

"I know, Lavenza," Ren stopped her before she got even more riled up. "I know. But I can't sit still knowing that someone out there needs my help. If I do, I'll be abandoning my promise to myself."

Ren could only chuckle as Lavenza's face couldn't choose between being proud of him or being even more worried for him.

Ren reached out to her and patted her head. "C'mon, Lavenza. Trust in me. I'll be fine. I'll help them, whoever they are. I will get them through their Journey."

"I-I understand. All that I ask is that you try," Lavenza said.

"And what is your answer?" Igor, who had been watching the two, asked.

Ren looked at Igor with a knowing smirk. "You know my answer; of course, I'll help." Ren saw Igor's smile grow wider a tiny bit.

"Very well, Trickster. I have heard your answer," Igor nodded, accepting Ren's answer. "You have received your Velvet Key, so you will still have access to the Velvet Room functions you once had. When you arrive, you will know where to find us. Let us know when you are ready."

"Well, it's not like I have anything to do now. I have everything ready."

Igor gestured to Lavenza. "Very well, let us begin."

Lavenza reached for the book on the table and began flipping through it. She stopped at a certain page and the book began to glow.

"Trickster, I truly believe that you will conquer what is to come," Lavenza said. "Or, rather, help your fellow Guest do so."

"Yeah, I know that. I'll see you guys soon." Ren closed his eyes as everything turned to white.

---Take Your Time---

Ren woke up blearily, still mentally tired from his visit to the Velvet Room. As he closed his eyes to try and stop the sunlight from stinging his eyes, he realized something.

His bed was far too comfy than normal. His bed in LeBlanc was a thin mattress placed on top of crates. Right now, it felt like he was sinking into clouds.

Then, the memories from the Velvet Room began to flood his mind. He remembered Igor's grin, Lavenza's proud smile, and his promise to help a fellow Guest.

He groaned as he sat straight up on his bed, already missing the feeling of falling when he rested. However, he knew he had work to do.

That same feeling of regret getting up from his bed reminded him of another time-

Waking up in pain.

Forcing a smirk across his face in front of his friends to reassure them he was fine.

The feeling of needles piercing his arms as the bruises across got worse by the second.

Ren shook his head. It wasn't the time to get lost in his memories again, not now. He knew they were just phantom pains; his body had already healed what was recoverable. On top of that, he had Morgana back then to get help. He was alone right now, and if his memories got the ball rolling, it would be hard to stop, even with the concentration techniques Maruki taught him.

For the first time, Ren took note of the room around him. It seemed to be a small, yet decent, hotel room. Nothing fancy, but it wasn't shoddy either. A window that lets the sunlight in was on his right. From his bed, on the other side of his room, there was a table with a neat stack of papers, a manila folder, and a closed laptop. He saw a large, black luggage bag next to the table. On his left were 2 doors, most likely leading to the outside and another to the bathroom.

He got off his bed as he started getting ready for the day.

---Take Your Time---

Ren flipped through another page. 'This one talks about the Apathy Syndrome too.'

Currently, Ren was going through the stack of papers on top of the table. It was a stack of newspaper clippings and most were about the mysterious Apathy Syndrome, a condition that rendered people in a vegetative state. At times, it also led to suicide. It was centered in Tatsumi Port Island, the city he was currently located in. While the numbers did climb in general, they dipped twice in recent times. However, it was on the slow rise again, slated to go even higher before the end of the current month.

While the person wasn't dead at that point, they practically were, since they couldn't feed nor care for themselves, staring at nothing in space. The only times anyone ever recovered were when the cases dipped.

'At least they have a chance at coming back,' Ren thought. 'A mental shutdown was a guaranteed death for someone.' It may have been over a year already, but Ren still remembered the mistake of the Phantom Thieves, a mistake that, as the leader, he must bear. Okumura Kunikazu. He could still remember Haru's face when they saw the live conference.

Okumura began to choke, gasping for air. He drew his head back, though the attempt for even a little bit of air was futile. Black sludge began leaking from his eyes, nose, ears, and mouth. He suddenly looked at the camera and black eyes stared right back at Ren through his phone screen. Something went wrong with their operation, but Ren couldn't think of anything that they had done differently this time around.

Ren shook his head. He was getting lost again.

From what Ren read in the papers, Apathy Syndrome began approximately 10 years ago. The numbers weren't significant back then, but they did climb slowly over the years, ramping up only recently. Ren knew that this Apathy Syndrome was directly related to the Guest's journey.

Ren flipped through another page. However, instead of another bit on the Apathy Syndrome, it was about the Kirijo Group, the group that practically owned the city. Everything about the company smelled of suspicion. After all, how much money did a company have to own the city? On top of that, there was an explosion in the city, which happened 10 years ago. At this point, Ren could only be suspicious. While this practically screamed of something going on, it could just be a coincidence. As a Phantom Thief, he shouldn’t make a conclusion from just a coincidence. 

While thinking about the Kirijo Group, he reached for the coffee he had ordered from the hotel. He sipped, but his face grimaced. It wasn't bad, but Sojiro had taught him there are better. Still, he can't be choosy at the moment. He'll need whatever he can get to help him get through the day.

Ren finally reached the end of the stack. He sighed as he leaned back on his chair. He looked at his phone, noting that the time was noon and his stomach grumbled.

'I guess it's time for a field investigation.' Ren turned on the laptop and began searching up for places to eat. He had 2 choices: Paulownia Mall and Iwatodai Station. His hotel was located in Iwatodai Station and it would do well not to be out for long since it's only noon. Who knows if truant officers are roaming around. 'Then I guess I can try the Wild-Duck Burger.'

He reached into the manila folder that was beside the laptop and took out 3,000 yen and his I.D., which he assumed was just enough for lunch. Lavenza was nice enough to give him enough to start him off. About 200,000 yen in cash, all the documents about him that were updated for the current era, and a note saying that if he needed more, all he has to do is visit her and she'll get him it, within reasonable demands.

For now, his main goal is to get food. The investigation can resume later in the afternoon and evening when he has more freedom.

'Let's see if this Wild-Duck beats Big Bang.’

Chapter Text

"Seems like I lost again," Ren sighed as the old man in front of him took his winnings. He was currently in one of Port Island Station's back alleys, a seedier part of the city. He had spent the afternoon going through Iwatodai Station, then Paulownia Mall, and finally finishing the day in Port Island Station. He essentially toured the city on his own. He also visited Lavenza and Igor for a quick hello.

As for the actual investigation, Ren found people affected by Apathy Syndrome everywhere in the city. A couple was in Iwatodai Station and another in Paulownia Mall. He tried to get their attention, but all they did was groan and look at him. In all honesty, it was creepy, even if he compared it to what he saw in Palaces or Jails, the manifestations of someone's distorted view of the world. Mummies and walking ATMs were creepy, but actual dead-living people are a category of their own. It made his skin crawl.

After that, he wound up in Port Island Station as the sun began to set. While the line-up for the movies wasn't new to him, they were the type of movies he'd rent in Shibuya and watch with his friends. While he did start reminiscing, he cut himself short again. After walking around, he noticed the back alley and entered it. He saw a couple of guys, and while they eyed him, they mostly ignored him. At that point, he saw two doors, one down a set of stairs and another one up 2 sets of stairs. The one up seemed to lead to Red Hawks, a place to play mahjong, but the one down didn't have any sort of sign. He asked the two what the doors downstairs led to, but the guys didn't give anything concrete. He decided to come to that one later.

With that choice gone, the only other thing to do was check out Red Hawks. That decision led him to play with a bunch of old people. While he did know how to play, courtesy of Mune and Sadayo, he wasn't a master at it. He learned it to make conversations, and, at this time, it was perfect. Play good enough that the game wasn't a wipeout but play bad enough that the other players could see a chance of winning. These two helped keep the game from being cut short and while the game played, Ren made small talk with the others. Soon enough, he already blended in with the crowd.

"Ah, my grandchild is going to be graduating this year. He's so excited to move out."

"That's good, you know. Just remind him to visit once in a while."

"Did ya' hear? Some kids were found unconscious in front of their high school."

"What is this world coming to?"

"Bet ‘cha that Hokkaido team will take the series this year!"

"It's too damned early to tell!"

"Boss left damned early too! But everyone else stayed to fix his damned mess..."

Rumors, complaints, and trash talks flew through the room. Ren, taking the skills he learned working under Lala, kept conversations running when they died down, but, for the most part, there was no need. Everyone was here to unwind, and everyone was talking about something. However, a certain bit called out to him.

"What was that about the high school kids? Something about them knocked out in front of their school," Ren asked the old lady next to him.

"Hmm? Oh, that? Apparently, some people found 2 girls lying in front of Gekkoukan High School. No matter what they did, they wouldn't wake up. They had to call the hospital nearby for help."

Ren nodded as he absorbed her words. "Anything come up from that?"

"I heard that they have Apathy Syndrome," the old lady said mournfully. "Thankfully, my daughter is still fine. Seriously, it's probably just stress..."

"I see, thank you for letting me know.” Ren checked the clock in the room. ‘8:13. Better start moving.’ “It's getting late; I should get going." Ren rose from the table and said his good-byes to everyone. While the people were nice, the room was filled with the heavy smell of cigarettes. As he walked down the stairs, he started breathing a bit more deeply of the fresher air. He was relieved to get a breath of fresh air; it was heaven compared to inside Red Hawks. He’ll have to find some way to wash his casual summer clothes soon, seeing as how the smell of cigarettes could have stuck to him. It was an open white button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to near his elbows while underneath was a black short-sleeved T-shirt. Blue jeans and brown shoes completed the outfit. To help with the glare, he wore his glasses, though if anyone were close enough, it would be easy for them to know it was fake.

When he reached the bottom of the first set of stairs, he saw a group of people hanging around the back alley. Still, that wasn't what caught his eye; it was the group of 3 teenagers in their midst.

The first was a boy with a baseball cap. He had a goatee, an unbuttoned short-sleeved dress shirt, black pants, and what seemed to be a gold necklace.

The second was a girl with curling, light-brown hair and a pink sweater wrapped around her waist. She also wore the same dress shirt, though it was obviously for women, a black skirt, and a choker that completed her look.

The third was another girl with auburn hair in a high ponytail, though her hair was close to red. Same as the other girl, she wore the same dress shirt, though she had a red ribbon tie and red clip-on headphones.

"Check out those rags... They're from Gekkou High," one of the guys said. Seems like they forgot to change out of their uniforms. Ren let out a small smirk, remembering that time when a truant officer found him and Ryuji in Shinjuku at night. The only reason they got found out was because a police officer recognized Ryuji's uniform when Shujin Academy was getting popular. It was a night to remember.

"Come on, don't be intimidated by these scum!" Pink said.

"What was that?!" the thugs said as they started to encroach on the students.

Ren sighed. 'If you're going to be around these parts of the city, at least tread carefully. You're clearly not in your element.' The group surrounding them was getting riled up. 'Better do something here before they get physical.'

"Hey," Ren called out to everyone. Normally, Ren is a silent person. He doesn't like yelling too much, but after spending time with Yoshida, he was able to speak out with a commanding voice, even when he spoke softly. "Behave yourselves. Don’t let what she says get to you, or are you just going to let a kid rile you up?

His words only riled up the group. One of the guys, a man with a ring and chain on his nose, began to approach him. "What was that? You oughta learn to shut that trap of yours!" When he was on the same level as Ren, he pulled back his right fist for a punch.

'Slow.' Ren moved to his left, grabbed the wrist of the incoming punch, got behind the man, and held the man's right arm on his back. "As for you Gekkou High students, don't go around insulting people, more so when you're so out of your element." His voice carried out through the back alley.

"And what's it to you?" Pink shot back. "Why should I listen to what scum like you would say?"

Ren sighed. She is way too headstrong. "Do you think you can get away here unharmed, with all these guys? They've got around 10 people here. You will get beaten to a pulp. These guys don't care if you came from a good school like Gekkou High. You can think what you like but be smart and assess your situation."

Pink grimaced. At least his words were finally getting to her.

"Let him go," a new voice commanded. Ren kept his hold on the man while he peeked behind him.

On the other side of the alley was a new person. He wore a maroon peacoat and kept his brown hair under a beanie. Even when he was slouching, he still towered over everyone in the alley. His sunken eyes glared at Ren.

'Definitely not a guy to mess around right now...' "Sure. I'm not here to fight anyways." He let the man go while backing away, making sure there was enough space for him to react.

The man rotated his right shoulder and growled. "Damned brat. I'll beat the shit out of you."

Damn brat, I'll-

"Wanna give it a try?" Peacoat said. Somehow, he was already halfway through the alley.

'That's way too fast! How did he get there?' Ren had never seen someone that big move so fast. 

"Damn you, Shinjiro... I thought you were one of us!" one of the man's friends yelled. "That's right, you're from Gekkou High too, aren't ya?!"

Shinjiro's only response was to glare back.

"Y-you two better grow eyes behind your head!" the man yelled, before running away with his friends in tow.

Ren sighed at the threat. 'Futaba would have called that a generic NPC's final words before the game forgot about them.'

"Oh man, Senpai, that was awesome! You didn't do anything, and they still ran!" Baseball Cap praised Shinjiro.

"Hey, I remember you... You clowns were in Aki's room at the hospital. You idiots!" Shinjiro reprimanded them before turning to Ren. "And you! What were you doing, making yourself their target? You’re an idiot too! Get outta here. This place isn't for you." Shinjiro began to walk away from them.

However, before he got any further...

"Wait!" Pink yelled, catching Shinjiro's attention. "We came here for a reason!" Ren stayed quiet as the rest of them forgot about him.

"Did Aki tell you to come here?" Shinjiro asked.

Ponytail responded with a laugh. "Nope! We came on our own. Pretty sure he'd get mad at us!"

Shinjiro huffed at her response; seems like he accepted it. He turned to Ren. "And what about you?"

Ren shrugged. "I'm from out of town and I'm just snooping around," he replied. "You guys know anything about the Apathy Syndrome?"

The three students stiffened at his question. Ren internally facepalmed. "You guys need to get better at your poker faces; you're too easy to read."

Shinjiro moved between Ren and the students. "What's it to you?"

"Look, I'm not here to fight; I'm just curious. I won't say anything, I'll just listen to whatever you guys are talking about. I’m not really expecting to know much anyways," Ren answered.

Shinjiro continued to glare at Ren, then slightly loosened his tension. "Fine," he answered before sitting on the first set of stairs, facing the 3 students. "What do you wanna know? About that ghost story?"

Pink glanced at Ren, before facing Shinjiro. "Yeah, how'd you know?"

"It's a rumor. Those girls who wound up in the hospital were here talkin' shit every night about all the things they'd done to some girl named Fuuka."

'Bullying? And those girls who wound up in the hospital, were they the two with the Apathy Syndrome?'

"Fuuka...?" Baseball Cap repeated the name to himself. "Wait, you mean Yamagishi Fuuka from 2-E? They were picking on her?"

Shinjiro nodded. "That's why people are saying it's Fuuka's spirit that did it."

"Fuuka's spirit...? Wait, what do you mean by that!?" Pink asked.

Shinjiro had a questioning look on him. "You guys don't know? This Fuuka girl might be dead. She hasn't been home for over a week."

Baseball Cap's mouth hung slightly open. "Are you serious!? I thought she was out sick… But missing!?"

Yukari crossed her arms as she began talking to herself. "So much for the ghost story. Mr. Ekoda is the homeroom teacher for 2-E, right? Does he know about this...?"

"Oh, I get it, Aki... Still trying to make up for the past." Shinjiro sighed as he stood up.

Pink, Baseball Cap, and Ponytail held a questioning look of their own at Shinjiro's words, only for Shinjiro to catch himself. "That's all I know. Satisfied?"

"Yep, thank you very much! You saved us today," Ponytail exclaimed before turning to Ren. "And thanks to you, nothing happened to us in the first place. We'll make sure to change out of uniforms next time."

That got a chuckle out of Ren. "Next time? You've got some guts if you want to do this again."

Ponytail huffed her chest with a smirk on her face.

"And you?" Shinjiro regarded Ren behind him. "You satisfied?"

"A bit," Ren responded. "Though, I do have a question. Mind if I ask?"

Shinjiro shrugged.

"Then, if you guys don't mind," Ren looked at the 3 students, "you mentioned some girls that ended up in the hospital. How many were hospitalized?"

"Eh? That's it?" Baseball Cap asked. "There were two of them."

Ren nodded at his response as he moved down the first set of stairs. "Thanks. I should get going. I've got a lot of things to think on."

"Us too," Ponytail said before waving at Shinjiro. "Thanks again!"

Shinjiro huffed before nodding slightly. "Don't come around here again," he said as he walked deeper into the alleyway.

Ren smirked a bit. "What a gentle giant."

Baseball Cap looked at him in surprise. "Gentle!? That guy is a walking monster!"

Pink stared at the alleyway before looking at Baseball Cap. "No, I think he's right. Senpai saved us from those punks and even gave us a hint."

Suddenly, she eyed Ren. "By the way, who are you? You look like a student, but I've never seen you before."

Now that Pink had Ren's full attention, he couldn't stop himself from freezing for a moment. 'She sounds so similar to Sadayo...' "Just a guy from out of town. Been hearing something weird, so I decided to snoop around."

"And aren't you a student? You look like you're the same age as us," Ponytail asked.

"Yes, but actually no," Ren answered. "I was a first-year, but I decided to drop out and do some soul searching. I've been traveling since."

"What!?" Baseball Cap yelled out. "How?"

"Uh, before that, aren't you guys going home?" Ren asked. "It's late."

"Oh, yea, we are!" Pink said. "We've got to get going."

"Wait! I wanna ask-" Baseball Cap said.

"Hey, which way are you headed?" Ponytail asked Ren. "You said you weren't from around here, so you've gotta be staying in a hotel, right?"

"Yep," Ren nodded. "I'm staying at a hotel near Iwatodai Station. That's just under an hour for me. You guys?"

"Sweet! We're going there too." Baseball Cap said excitedly. "You've got to tell how you did it on our way there!"

Ren chuckled softly. "You mean me living alone? Sure, why not?”

Chapter Text

The train doors closed behind them. “Next stop is…” the train announcer droned on.

Ren took note of the train car he was on. It was empty, outside of a couple of men in business suits.

Ren took another glance behind him, even when he just took one before. He made sure to only move his eyes, not his head. Men in suits again, but different faces this time. Where were the suits from last time? Even when Sae got him out of prison, these guys were still following-

Ren shook his head. He caught himself again. No one was following him. The Phantom Thieves of Hearts don’t exist here. There would be no reason to keep tabs on him. These businessmen were just that: office workers going home from work. Hell, both of them were taking a nap.

“So, first things first, my name is Amamiya Ren,” Ren said as he leaned back on the closed train doors. The car jolted forward as the train moved to the next station. “And you guys?”

Baseball Cap came first as he pointed to himself. “Name’s Iori Junpei. Nice to meet ya."

"My name is Takeba Yukari," Pink came next, though she said so warily.

‘Takeba Yukari? Where have I heard that name before? I’m sure I remember Futaba talking about her,’ Ren thought. Ponytail’s voice took him out of his musings.

"And I'm Shiomi Kotone!” Kotone introduced herself. “Good to get a name for you, Glasses!" 

Ren stared at Kotone’s enthusiasm. “You doing okay there? You were pretty close to being beaten by a small gang, you know. I didn’t expect you to be this…”

"Energetic?" Yukari asked him and shrugged. "Pretty much. Only Junpei can match that energy."

Junpei nodded. "Yep! She's pretty much a tomboy."

"Oh?" Kotone smirked at Junpei as he reeled back. “Who was the one blushing at the dorm? Saying something about protecting both of us? I didn't think you'd blush for a tomboy, hmm?"

"H-hey, don't bring it up now!"

Yukari sighed. "Enough, you two," she reprimanded before turning to Ren. "Sorry about that. These two are always like this."

Ren shook his head. "It's not a problem. Not the first time I've met people with enough energy for a crowd."

"Oh yeah, you said that you travel around, right?" Kotone spun to face Ren. "Met any interesting people?"

"Hey, don't forget to talk about how you're doing all this alone!" Junpei told Ren.

"Hey, hey, one at a time. I'll explain everything," Ren said to placate Kotone and Junpei. "Around the beginning of first-year, I realized that I didn't like what I was doing. I decided to take tons of part-time work to fill my time. By the end of the year, I got tons of money, enough for me to move out."

"And your parents let you?" Junpei asked.

Ren chuckled. "No, no. I moved out of an orphanage. I don't have any parents."

Suddenly, the atmosphere dropped. The three flinched at what he just said.

"Hey, hey, come on. You guys had no way of knowing and I'm over it. No need to be sensitive about it," Ren said, hoping to stop the atmosphere from getting worse.

Junpei rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry about that..."

Ren shook his head mirthfully. "I told you, it's cool. I'm not going to bite, so ask away."'

"Erm-uh well, where did you come from?" Junpei asked.

"From Tokyo. That's where I grew up," Ren answered.

"You're from the city?" Yukari asked.

"Yeah. I don’t look like I do, don't I?"

"Yeah, sorry..." Yukari said apologetically.

Ren laughed. "Not going to lie, it tends to happen. I look like any guy in the crowd."

Yukari chuckled at that. "So, what's it like there? Any different from Port Island?"

Ren looked out the train window. "Well, for one, there are a lot more lights. Whether it's Shibuya or Shinjuku, there're lights everywhere. The only place I could imagine that would have that here in Port Island is Paulownia Mall."

"Well, you're not wrong in that," Junpei said as he shrugged. "It's open ‘till midnight. Depending on the people in the shifts, some stores could stay up even later."

Kotone nodded. "Yeah, there's even that club in there. It's open only at night."

"Wait, really?" Ren excitedly asked. "What kind of club is it?"

"The party kind," Kotone answered, only for Ren to deflate. "Not your type?"

Ren sighed. "Nope. The jazz club I went to in Kichijoji was quieter, calmer." Kotone nodded at his response.

"Tokyo's like a 'pick-your-own-adventure' place, hmm?" Junpei asked. "That's honestly kinda cool."

Ren nodded. "It is. You could be surrounded by bright neon lights in one area, but if you take the subway to a different part of Tokyo, you'd be surrounded by old bookstores."

"We have a bookstore here too!" Kotone said excitedly. "It's in Iwatodai Station and it's owned by the nicest grandpa and grandma."

"Yeah? Sounds fun. I'll keep that in mind when I'm in the area. I might find something."

"So..." Yukari took Ren's attention. "Why Port Island of all places? It sounds to me like you love Tokyo a lot."

"Like I said, I left Tokyo to do some soul searching. I've been there for so long that I need to separate myself from it. Otherwise, I'd just be another cog there," Ren stared outside the train before turning back to the three. "As for why Tatsumi Port Island, no real reason. It was just a matter of curiosity about the Apathy Syndrome."

"Why that, specifically?" Yukari asked.

'Instead of freezing up like last time, she's taking the offensive. Not bad.'

"No real reason. It's just this weird thing that centers in this city for a decade. Cases were rising slowly over the years but then, it suddenly dips twice. I've never seen anything like it."

"Ya can't just ignore it?" Junpei asked.

Ren smiled bitterly. "Kinda hard when they're stuck in my head. I saw some in Iwatodai Station and they're not something I'm forgetting anytime soon."

Suddenly, the train bell rang out. "Next stop is Iwatodai Station. Next stop..."

"Do you guys have any other questions for me?" Ren asked. "My stop is up next."

“Oh,” Kotone spoke up. “Then what kind of part-time jobs did you take?”

Ren hummed as he tried to remember what he did. "Well, I did a lot of jobs. Monday was volunteer work," and he began counting off each job. "Tuesday was in a coffee shop as a barista. Florist on Wednesdays. There was that beef bowl shop on Thursdays. Friday was for the convenience store. I worked in an airsoft shop on Saturday. To round it off, Sunday was for a bar in Shinjuku."

"Wait... Monday through Sunday? You had no free nights?" Junpei asked, only for Ren to shrug with a little smirk. "That's crazy!"

"Shinjuku..." Yukari pondered to herself. "You didn't work in the Kabukicho district, did you?"

Ren blinked at Yukari's question. "You know about it?"

"Well, yeah, it's the red-light district of Tokyo!"

"Wait," Junpei interrupted. "You mean, like Shirakawa Boulevard?"

Yukari's only response was a nod.

Kotone had a confused look on her face. "Shirakawa Boulevard? That place is bad?"

"Oh, right, you're new to the city. You wouldn't have known about it." Yukari said. "It's all love hotels there. It's a place for couples."

"Oh... It's that kind of place," Kotone had an understanding look and turned to Ren. "Is it even legal for us high schoolers to be there? How'd you even get that job?"

"Well, from the beginning," Ren began recounting his story. "The proprietress and I had a mutual friend. After meeting a few times and talking to her about how I needed some money, she decided to offer me a job. She needed help during Sundays, and she was getting overwhelmed, so I would be called in and help out, even for a couple of hours. As for legality, so long as no one realized that I was younger than I looked and that I didn't handle alcohol, we were fine."

Suddenly, the train slowed down. "Arriving at Iwatodai Station. Arriving at Iwatodai Station..."

"Well, I guess that's us," Ren said. He lifted himself off from the closed train doors. I hope my life was entertaining enough to you guys."

"To be quite honest, it's kind of unbelievable," Yukari answered as everyone stepped out of the train car. "It's sort of believable, but there's a lot that I can't believe."

"Yeah..." Ren reminisced. "A lot of things happened last year; I could hardly believe it myself."

"But man," Junpei interjected, "That’s amazing. You're basically free; you don't have to study for exams!"

"Still feeling how hard rock-bottom is, Stupei?" Yukari mocked him.

"H-hey, I told you, I resent that!" Junpei shouted back and the two soon devolved into their own world of insults as they descended from the station into the Iwatodai Strip Mall.

‘It’s just like with Ryuji and Ann, or Yusuke and Futaba. ’

Kotone chuckled beside Ren as she watched Yukari and Junpei. "Sorry about them. They've known each other for a while, and they just bounce off each other like that."

"That's not a problem for me," Ren assured her. "It's fun seeing people be that comfortable with each other; it reminds me of some people I knew. To be honest, I'm more worried about you."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Well," Ren began. "You've got this energy in you, but you were quiet most of the way here.”

"Oh! No, no, it's not like that. Junpei and Yukari are great friends. This stuff usually finishes quickly. On top of that, they usually come to me and talk." Kotone answered.

"Oh..." Ren said, thinking to himself. "You weren't like this back in Port Island Station, and it was only on our way to Iwatodai Station that you became like this. Was it me then? Did I do something wrong?"

Kotone's eyes widened. "No, no! You didn't do anything wrong, really," she reassured him.

Ren saw her hesitation but didn't push onwards. Her secrets were hers to keep. She had to be the one to open up and pushing her might have the opposite reaction.

"Alright. It's your call." Ren said as both of them used an elevator to descend to the Iwatodai Strip Mall.

"Hey, you guys!" Junpei called out from the bottom of the elevator.

"We thought we lost you guys," Yukari said with a sigh. "Sorry, we kind of left you two behind."

"Don't worry, Yukari! Just get me a beef bowl tomorrow and we can call it even!" Kotone exclaimed, pointing to a store in the strip mall.

Iwatodai Strip Mall was quiet and barren. No one was there outside of the 4 teens. Ren noticed that the people with Apathy Syndrome that were in the streets during the day were gone.

"Are you two okay? You two look awkward." Yukari asked, narrowing her eyes while shifting glances at both Ren and Kotone. Her eyes suddenly widened, and her face frowned. "You didn't ask her out, did you?! I knew I shouldn't trust a guy that works in the red-light district!"

Yukari's frown turned into one of confusion as Ren and Kotone burst into laughter.

"See?" Kotone said to Ren, having calmed down. "She's great, isn't she?"

"I never said you were lying, Shiomi-san," Ren responded. "I'll agree that she is great though."

"Uh..." Junpei shifted his baseball cap while looking at Kotone and Ren, unsure how to respond to the two of them.

"Don't worry, don't worry. I'm fine, you guys," Kotone said, waving her hands in front of her, as if to placate Junpei and Yukari. "Nothing happened."

"Anyway, where are you guys headed?" Ren asked. "I'm off North; that's where my hotel is," he said, nodding to one side of the street.

"Our dorm is actually behind the station, so we have to go down the street and turn from there," Kotone answered, pointing to the end of the street, opposite of Ren's direction.

Yukari nodded in agreement. "She's right. It looks like this is where we split up," she said with a frown, glancing at Ren.

Ren noticed and raised an eyebrow. "Is there something wrong, Takeba-san?"

"O-oh, um..." Yukari murmured. "Listen, in the back alley, I called you scum before. I also judged you since you worked in the red-light district. I'm really sorry about those."

"Don't worry about it," Ren said with a smile. "It's a small thing."

"Anyway, we have to get going," Junpei interjected. "We have to talk to Kirijo-senpai and Akihiko-senpai when we get back to the dorm."

Ren's eyebrows rose in surprise. "You know a Kirijo?"

"Yeah, we do," Yukari said with a frown. "What about it?"

Ren shook his head. "Nothing, really. I'm just surprised to hear that you guys know a Kirijo. I heard that they basically own the city."

"Well," Kotone pondered, placing an index finger on her chin, "I know that the Kirijo Group owns Gekkoukan High School."

Ren grimaced. 'That's some money and power...'

"I see..." Ren said. "It's surprising to hear that it is true."

Kotone shrugged her shoulders. "Eh, you get used to it. It was surprising to hear at first, but after a month, it's just another thing."

Junpei crossed his arms with a smile and nodded with his eyes closed. "Same with me when I moved into the city. It's like knowing an actual princess."

Ren chuckled at that. 'Haru was like that too, wasn't she?'

"Anyway," Yukari said, grabbing Kotone's hand and pushing Junpei down the street. "We really have to go, Amamiya-san. Have a good night."

"Good night, have a safe trip back," Ren waved at them, then began walking in the direction of the hotel.

Chapter Text

"Welcome back," a voice spoke when Kotone, Yukari, and Junpei entered Iwatodai Dorm.

The voice came from Kirijo Mitsuru, a girl with long, red hair that covered her left eye. She wore a white blouse with short, puffy sleeves, a black skirt that reached just above her knees, and knee-high, high-heeled, black boots. Her outfit was completed by a red ribbon, which came from the Gekkoukan high school uniform.

A boy's voice rang out, "Where have you guys been?" Sanada Akihiko asked. He had short, silver hair, gray eyes, and a white band-aid diagonally above his left eye. He wore a red, no-sleeve sweater-vest, black gloves, black dress pants, black dress shoes. "It's rare to see you guys come back home this late together."

"N-nowhere, senpai! Just walking around." Junpei answered, his nervousness easy to see. Fear filled Kotone and Yukari’s faces.

Mitsuru caught it and glared at Junpei. "Oh? And where were you walking around?"

"Oh... Um...." Junpei stammered, cold sweat dripping from his forehead.

Yukari sighed at Junpei's terrible acting. "We were looking around for more clues on Fuuka."

Akihiko perked his head up at the mention of Fuuka. "Oh? And where did you guys end up?"

"We ended up in the back-alleys of Port Island Station," Kotone answered. At this point, everything was already out of the bag, and she might as well come clean. "We also talked to the Shinjiro-san back from the hospital. Some guys hounded us, but another guy and Shinjiro-san saved us."

Mitsuru's only reaction was raising an eyebrow, but she didn't have any other visible reaction. Akihiko, on the other hand...

"Are you guys out of your mind...? Tsk, going to a place like that," he said as he sighed angrily. "Don't get me wrong, I'm proud of you guys trying to gather information, but be a little more careful next time."

"Yes," Mitsuru said. “Thankfully, Aragaki-san and that other person came to help. The more unscrupulous sections of the city do tend to be rougher. It would be best to watch what you say and look at while in those areas.”

Junpei's face lit up. "Hey, that's what Ren said back then too!"

Mitsuru tilted her head in confusion. "Ren? I assume this was the other person that helped?"

"Yep," Junpei answered with a wide smile. Now that the atmosphere was less oppressive, Kotone, Yukari, and Junpei finally took a seat in the Iwatodai Dorm lounge. "He said something like keeping our mouths shut, or we'd get our stuffings beat! He even talked back to Yukari back there."

"He talked back to Yukari?" Akihiko repeated. "What led to that? He didn't fight you guys, right?"

Yukari looked at Akihiko in alarm. "No, he didn't do that. I... I actually talked back to those scummy guys, and he protected us."

"Yukari's right; Amamiya-san protected us," Kotone said. "If it weren’t for him, we would have gotten hurt before Shinjiro-san arrived."

Mitsuru glanced at Kotone and Yukari before saying, "Very well. It looks like you've learned your lesson, so I won't say more." Kotone saw Yukari twitch as Mitsuru spoke. "That said, what did you learn about Fuuka?"

"Get this: Fuuka isn't sick at home; she's been missing. No one has seen her go home," Junpei answered.

"What!?" Akihiko shouted in surprise. "How come this is the first we've heard of this?"

"The official records state that Yamagishi is sick at home," Mitsuru said while holding her chin. "The only people who could have a hand at her records are Ikutsuki-san and her homeroom teacher..."

"And that's Ekoda-sensei," Yukari finished Mitsuru's sentence, causing Mitsuru to nod.

"Thank you, everyone," Mitsuru said, "for gaining this information. I will speak with Ekoda-sensei about this on Monday."

With information passed to their upperclassmen, Kotone, Yukari, and Junpei finally relaxed.

Junpei sank into the couch as he sighed. "Seriously, we're definitely not doing that again, and especially without back-up!"

Akihiko glanced at Junpei. "Mind if you guys let me know next time? Don't want you guys getting over your heads," he said, only for Mitsuru to slightly smirk.

"Please, Akihiko," Mitsuru said. "You are the last person qualified to say that among us."

Akihiko coughed at Mitsuru's words. "C'mon, you don't have to say it like that. I can handle those kinds of thugs."

"Even so, we can't have the ace and captain of the boxing club getting in trouble for fights," Mitsuru chided. "Still, it would be a good idea to let us know. Call Mr. Kurosawa to possibly have him around."

"Aww, thanks, senpai! We'll keep those in mind," Kotone said.

"Are we exploring today, Kotone?" Yukari asked.

"Nope," Kotone denied as she shook her head. "We hit a wall last time, so unless we need to train, we don't need to go."

Yukari sighed as she stood up. "Alright. Tonight drained me, so I'm heading to my room. Good night."

"Good night!" Kotone said before turning to those remaining. "I'll be going out tonight. See you guys!"

She stood up from the couch and left the dorm, closing the door behind her. Once outside, the girl dropped her smile. She was alone in the night again, with no one to please.

Kotone sighed as she took in her surroundings again. She saw a Lost nearby, groaning like a zombie. It was a new face, but there was nothing she could do about it.

Inhale, exhale. She repeated the exercise a couple more times. Finally, she felt herself slow down. Now, she felt like she could take her own time without anyone depending on her. With that, she began her way to Paulownia Mall.

As Kotone traveled through Tatsumi Port Island, she kept thinking about the strange boy she met tonight.

'Amamiya Ren, huh... Orphan, abandoned since he was a child. Lived in Tokyo until recently. Bought his freedom and came here. A drop-out. Alone.

'He's sharp though, he saw through me, or a part of me. I know he did. Ever since I started doing this, no one has seen through it. So how come he did?

'Is it because we’re the same? Orphans? But then he said that he had a friend. What kind of person would be friends with both a Shinjuku bar owner and a high school student? Probably some sort of drunk.

‘Hell, what kind of high schooler worked at night throughout the week, especially in a red-light district? Amamiya-san was probably a workaholic, someone that didn't care about his grades, or someone that didn't need to study.

‘Gekkoukan High is a good school. People like me here. I have friends too; Yukari has been one of my closest friends recently.’

While making her way towards the arcade, Kotone noticed some of her classmates about to walk past her, she gave them a wave and a cheery smile while passing by.

'Amamiya-san’s lucky. He can do whatever he wants. He's by himself, so he doesn't need to fit in with anyone, for anyone.’

Kotone’s smile drops once more.

'How does someone like that see through me?'

Her chest tightened as she kept thinking about him.

---Take Your Time---

Ren stared and leaned out the window of his hotel room. He sighed as he looked at the empty street in front of the hotel he was staying at.

Two days have passed since he got any sort of new information about Apathy Syndrome. Ren took another tour of the city yesterday, but this time, with Third Eye active. While he found nothing wrong with the city itself, those with Apathy Syndrome did glow, signifying some sort of importance. It only solidified his thoughts that they were connected to the Metaverse or whatever Persona-related problem that was occurring. That only meant that the trio he met in the back alley was influential, the three that know something about the Apathy Syndrome.

It also meant that it has been two days since he arrived in Tatsumi Port Island and nothing even moderately exciting happened since. He did try to ask Lavenza and Igor for some sort of guidance, but they stayed quiet. Still, Ren trusted them not to put him too far from the action. He tried to look for the trio today but couldn't find them. He could have infiltrated Gekkou High, but without the uniform, he couldn't stay there for too long. He could ask Lavenza to get him clothes, but a teacher could just pick him out as someone trespassing without proper contact inside.

And so, the only thing left to do was wait and see.

But it's all still so boring, just to wait for something to happen!

Knowing that nothing would change just watching the outside, he sighed again as he stood straight. Looking up, he saw the moon was full. Compared to Tokyo’s light pollution in 2016, Tatsumi Port Island noticeably had less due to having most of the city turned off for the night. It allowed the night sky to show off a star or two.

Suddenly, he felt the world twist, and the world was colored in a green hue. The moon shone brightly, and it seemed to be much larger than Ren had ever seen before, as if it was closer than ever.

However, this green reality felt wrong. It wasn't like the Metaverse at all. This felt more real, more solid. While it was possible to mistake the Metaverse with the real world if there was no distortion, someone looking for a difference would be able to tell they were in Metaverse. That was how he escaped his own 'death' after all.

No matter what Ren was looking for or trying to feel, this still felt like the real world.

With nothing to see from his window, there was only one thing to do: explore the new reality he was in.

---Take Your Time---

"I..." Moriyama Natsuki murmured to herself. She was a tanned girl with long, dark-orange hair tied in a ponytail. She wore the Gekkoukan High summer uniform: a gray vest on top of a white button-down, a black skirt, and knee-high black socks.

She was staying in Iwatodai Dorm, as instructed by the student council president, Kirijo Mitsuru.

"...I'm all alone, after all..." Natsuki murmured to herself again. "Fuuka..."

'...'

"Hm...?"

'Ask for... Fuuka...'

Natsuki held her head in her hands in pain. "No... No! I don't wanna hear this!"

'Come...'

"Stop calling me!" she screamed. "Stop... calling me..."

'Come and beg for forgiveness.'

Suddenly, Natsuki stood up.

"I... I have to go..."

Natsuki began to make her way out of the dorm.

---Take Your Time---

Ren ran through the desolate streets, filled with coffins and blood. While he tried to run around the pools of blood, he would sometimes have to step on the edges of it, splattering blood on his red shoes and black Shujin pants. His top consisted of a black shirt and the Shujin uniform jacket with rolled-up sleeves, only modified to be thin enough for the spring and early summer season. The Shujin emblem was also missing from his jacket.

It has been some time since Ren found himself in this situation, though it was hard to gauge, seeing as all electronics and clocks had stopped working. Still, he shouldn't trust that sense of time; it wasn't helpful back in the Metaverse, and he should apply that same idea now.

However, Ren wasn't running blindly. He knew that the trio came from Gekkoukan High School, which the Kirijo Group for sure owned. Thus, the high school became his destination.

Ren reached the Moonlight Bridge. When he looked in the school’s direction, he saw an impossible sight: a malformed tower that seemed to go for the heavens. If there was one thing it reminded him of, it was the Shrine of the Holy Grail, where the Treasure of the Masses lived. In Futaba's words, was the Guest's Journey nearing its end? But that didn't make sense; Igor said that he would be placed early in the Journey. All the more reason to see that tower.

As Ren made his decision, he heard a noise behind him. He hid behind a coffin while keeping an eye on the noise's general direction. After a couple of seconds, a tanned girl came out running from the same street he came from. The girl had long, dark orange hair styled with a short ponytail. She wore what seemed to be a school uniform, though there was no school emblem from what he could see.

Ren kept himself hidden, keeping track of the girl. For all he knew, this girl could be an enemy. For now, he would and observe.

As she got closer, Ren could hear her muttering something as she passed his hiding spot.

"Gotta apologize... Fuuka, I'm sorry..."

'Fuuka? As in Yamagishi Fuuka? What does she know about Fuuka?'

Keeping track of her, Ren snuck from one shadow to another to keep himself hidden. From what he saw, the girl hadn't realized she was being watched; she kept running through the bridge at a steady pace, ignorant of the world around her. She didn't even look at the blood and coffins around her. Still, she seemed aware enough of the area around her, just enough to go around anything that was in her way.

'If I can guess where she's going, it's most likely that tower where the school should be. There's no other out-of-place building like a casino or a castle.'

Soon enough, they reached the tower, and it was exactly where the school was. Now that Ren was close enough, he realized the tower was massive, possibly even taller than where he fought Yaldabaoth. He saw gears, balconies, light sources, buildings, windows, hallways, and all other kinds of shapes to create the misshapen tower. While the Shrine of the Holy Grail was neat and orderly, this could only be called chaotic. There was no rhyme nor order in how it was built; it was as if a child smooshed and piled anything to reach the skies. On top of all that, now that Ren was here, the moon was noticeably more prominent than before, even back when he was in the hotel.

Ren was taken out of his thoughts as he heard the school gates ring. Natsuki pushed the gates to the side, which was somehow unlocked.

'What kind of school staff leaves the school gates unlocked?'

Still, this wasn't the time for such thoughts. With the tower looming over, he couldn't let someone without a Persona in. He left his hiding spot and called out to her.

"Hey, don't go in!"

The girl ignored him and ran further into the school grounds. Ren frowned. The girl should have at least reacted to him but was outright ignored. Ren ran to catch up to her and as he finally reached her right at the school door, which presumably led to the tower.

"Don't go inside. It’s too dangerous in there," Ren said, but the girl only fought him, eventually trying to bite him. Ren let her go before she could, and she ran inside.

Ren clicked his tongue. Something was seriously wrong with her. On top of ignoring her, she outright tried to bite him. It was like back in Okinawa. Was her Desire stolen?

He ran inside, intent on protecting the girl. He could hear an ongoing battle further in. As the hallway opened up to a room, Natsuki collapsed to the floor, crying as she repeatedly asked forgiveness from Fuuka. At the very least, it seemed like the girl no longer wanted to move.

Ren looked over the room in front of him.

On one side were two gigantic, black, human-like monsters with masks, one was round and short while the other was blocky and tall.

On the other were two girls lying on the ground, one with red hair and another with light-brown hair.

'Wait, that's...'

"Takeba-san?!" Ren shouted, gaining the attention of the two girls. Both looked at him with alarm and frustration; both were tired from the way they were heaving.

As Ren called out to Yukari, the tall monster rushed to the girls and raised his sword. Ren noticed the monster rushing and ran to help the girls. As the sword was brought down, he hugged the two close to protect them from the force of the sword swing.

He rolled out the momentum, gently letting the two go as they stopped.

"Are you two okay?" he asked.

The red-haired girl glared straight at him and asked, "Who are you? What are you doing here!?"

"That voice, is that you, Amamiya-kun?" Yukari asked.

'That's a serious case of deja vu...'

"Yeah, it's me," he answered Yukari before turning to Mitsuru. "I was following that girl over there," he pointed to the tanned girl, "and we ended up here. I tried to stop her, but she fought back and even tried to bite me. What the hell is going on here?"

The red-haired girl looked at where Ren pointed, and her eyebrows rose. "Moriyama-san? Was she brought here by the voice?"

The monster that attacked them began to rise from when he slammed the sword down. It was as if he had no skill in using the blade, only swinging it like a stick. It began to rush them again.

Mitsuru took a moment to glance at the rushing monster before looking back at Ren. "Never mind that! We'll buy you some time and get out of here! You two can't fight these Shadows!"

"These are Shadows?" Ren asked. 'I've never seen Shadows like these. Were these like Kamoshida, who transformed?' "I'm not going to follow that; like I'd leave you two behind!"

The Shadow was now halfway, its sword raised high.

'Shall we make another contract, my other self?' a voice, deeper yet oddly the same as his, asked.

"Now is not the time for misplaced heroism!" the red-haired girl yelled out.

'You know my answer. It is the same as it was back then!'

A sinister laugh rang out. 'Very well! Just as you threw away the chains of Control, now rebel against the chains of Death!'

He turned around to face the incoming Shadow. His hands reached for the domino mask that he knew was always there. His fingers clamped around the mask, trying to separate it from his face. Blue flames began to light around him.

The Shadow was now right in front of him, and it swung down.

"No!" Takeba cried out in horror as the other girl scrambled for something on her hip.

He violently tore his mask away, blood dripping down his face, and the blue flames swallowed him.

---Take Your Time---

Kotone, Junpei, Akihiko, and Fuuka passed through the gate from the unknown Tartarus floor and landed themselves in the first floor’s main entrance. They were slightly out of breath due to rushing through Shadow fights to rescue Fuuka. Then, they lost contact with Mitsuru. Finally, Fuuka ‘saw’' a fight occurring on the first floor, where Mitsuru and Yukari were. After seeing the distorted green moon, Akihiko concluded that the strongest Shadows appeared during the Full Moon, making the fight on the first floor very worrisome.

Kotone was expecting to see Mitsuru and Yukari fighting against the two Shadows. What she did not expect was to see Mitsuru and Yukari lying on the ground behind someone who was engulfed in blue flames with sinister yellow eyes, along with Moriyama crying by the entrance. A masculine Shadow was threatening to attack the pillar of fire while a feminine Shadow hung back on the other side of the floor.

"What the hell?!" Junpei yelled out in surprise.

Fuuka, heaving from the dash across the Tartarus floors, was bent over with her hands on her knees. "W-why is that person on fire? Is that normal?"

'It's only her first day with us, and everything is already piling up on her.'

Akihiko shook his head. "It's not. We've never seen anything like that before!" Kotone could only silently nod.

The fire started to form into a towering humanoid, solidifying into a human with wings, taking Kotone's attention. It had: a very long top hat; a mask with two long horns; an open, red suit; red, pants-like coverings; and boots with blades as heels.

At this point, the flames were gone, and Kotone could see the person clearer. The figure wore black shoes, black pants, a black tailcoat and waistcoat, and bright red gloves that contrasted the black, serving to complete the outfit. Kotone could see the person was male. His defiant yellow eyes returned to a gray color that was almost black, he had black hair, a youthful face, and a self-confident smirk with a hint of mischief and menace.

'Why is it so familiar? I feel that I saw that face recently. When was it?'

Kotone inhaled sharply.

"Amamiya-san?!" Kotone cried out. It was him. She couldn't forget him, not when he was so unsettling. "Him? He's a Persona user?!" Junpei yelled in surprise.

"Arsène, ravage them! Eiha!" Ren commanded his Persona, Arsène, and he shot a ball of black flames at the Shadow in front of him. The ball exploded, flaring up against the enemy. It took a step back, but it wasn't strong enough to stagger it.

"That doesn't matter!" Akihiko said and began to run down the stairs. "He's protecting Mitsuru; That’s enough for me! Polydeuces, Zio!" He used his Evoker, summoning his Persona, Polydeuces, and started to focus fire on the masculine Shadow with a bolt of lightning.

The feminine Shadow saw that the other Shadow was beginning to lose ground and moved to support it. However, Junpei noticed it.

"Not on my watch! Hermes, Cleave!" Junpei yelled as he rushed into battle. The sound of glass breaking rang out, and Junpei summoned Hermes. Hermes rushed towards the feminine Shadow with a slashing attack.

Fuuka looked at the chaos in front of her. Monsters that towered over her schoolmates, but those same schoolmates used their own monsters to fight back. It was far too much, and it overwhelmed her. Her heart began to beat loudly and began to hyperventilate.

Luckily, Kotone noticed.

"Fuuka!" Kotone yelled, getting Fuuka's attention. Kotone took a deep breath and calmed herself down. She looked at Fuuka's eyes and said, "Focus and breath with me. Don't look at anyone else but me."

Fuuka nodded and muttered, "Okay, okay. I'm ready."

Kotone took deep breaths, and Fuuka followed her, soon synching with her. After a couple of repetitions, Fuuka had calmed down, her heart no longer pumping as hard as before.

"Good?" Kotone asked, and Fuuka nodded. "Good, good. Listen, can you get Moriyama-san out of here? Everyone will cover you. Just get out of here, and we'll do the rest!" Kotone shot her a cheerful smile.

Fuuka steeled herself and nodded. With Ren, Akihiko, and Junpei pushing back the two Shadows, Kotone and Fuuka ran down the staircase. Fuuka split from Kotone and approached Natsuki. Meanwhile, Kotone went to Mitsuru and Yukari.

"Are you two okay?" Kotone asked them.

"We're fine. It could have been worse if that boy, Amamiya-san, I believe, didn't save us," Mitsuru answered.

"She's right," Yukari said. "Just give us a minute to catch our breath. We'll be fighting in no time!"

"No," Kotone shook her head. "You two are too tired for this right now. First thing, we need to get you further away. Don't want to get you two caught in the fight." She looked back at the three fighting the Shadows.

"Amamiya-kun!" Kotone called out, and Ren spun towards her. "I need your help!"

Ren nodded and turned to Junpei. “Iori-san, cover me!”

Junpei responded with a cocky look. “No problem, man! Watch me in action! Hermes, Agi!” He pointed the Evoker to his head, summoning his Persona, and shot a ball of fire towards the masculine Shadow.

Ren turned around and dashed towards Kotone. He knelt beside her and asked, "What's the plan?"

"I get Yukari, you get Mitsuru-senpai," Kotone commanded. She helped Yukari up with one of her arms over Kotone's shoulder. “Let’s get them to the edge of the wall.”

Ren nodded. He put his left arm behind Mitsuru, his elbow behind Mitsuru’s head and his grip on her shoulder, and then his right arm under her knees. Ren had Mitsuru in a princess-carry.

"W-Wait!" Mitsuru cried out, her face red. "Put me down!"

"Sorry, princess!" Ren told her as he rushed to the side. "It'll be over quick."

Mitsuru held her mouth open. "P-princess?! Just because I'm a girl doesn't give you the right to call me one nor carry-"

"That's not what I meant!" Ren interjected. "It's just the easiest for me right now! Unless you want me to use fireman-carry?"

Mitsuru frowned. "Fine, fine. You're right." Still, her face was slightly flushed.

A few seconds later, Ren and Mitsuru reached the wall, and he let Mitsuru down gently.

"Thank you," Mitsuru said as she was propped down to the wall, and Ren knelt in front of her. "Despite your quick act to help, I showed you an undignified side of myself by yelling at you. For that, I am sorry."

Ren shook his head. "Oh, don't worry about it. I should be saying sorry too, for calling you 'princess.' It was demeaning to call you that."

"Hey!" Kotone called out, taking Ren and Mitsuru's attention. "As much as I'd rather not stop you two from flirting, we have Shadows to kill!" She finally caught up and laid Yukari down next to Mitsuru.

Mitsuru's face brightened up, even more, inhaling as she stammered for something to say. Ren only rolled his eyes.

"If that's what you call flirting," Ren stood up, "then we'll need to work on your knowledge of flirting."

Kotone huffed as an eyebrow rose and a smirk on her face. "That a challenge?"

Ren shot a smirk back. "Only if you want to." Kotone chuckled at his retort.

Suddenly, Akihiko yelled out in pain. Kotone and Ren whipped their heads towards Akihiko and Junpei.

"Let's get going!" Kotone yelled.

Ren nodded, however, before they could join the fight, Mitsuru called out.

“Amamiya-san, please take this,” Mitsuru tossed her rapier to Ren, which he grabbed mid-air, “In case you cannot fight with your Persona anymore.”

Ren gave her a smile, and both ran back to the fight.

For some reason, the two Shadows were now ignoring the Personas' attacks. Because of that, Akihiko and Junpei were being pushed back. They were dodging left and right, taking potshots when they could. However, the flow of the battle was now with the Shadows.

Suddenly, Junpei tripped as he tried to dodge a Magaru from the feminine Shadow. The masculine Shadow took advantage of it and brought its sword down towards Junpei.

Ren ripped his mask off. "Arsène, Sukukaja on Iori-san!"

A green light surrounded Junpei, and he immediately rolled away from the sword. "Thanks!"

"What's going on, Junpei?" Kotone asked as she stopped next to him. "Weren't you guys beating them before?"

"We don't know!" Junpei stood up and fixed his cap. "Hermes' Cleave used to work on the fat one and Akihiko-senpai's Zio on the stocky one. They did something, and they were taking our hits right after. We've tried switching to Agi and Sonic Punch, but it didn't work either!"

"Strike, Slash, Fire, and Elec skills didn't work," Kotone summarized.

"A little help here?!" Akihiko yelled. "Polydeuces, Tarunda!" He summoned his Persona, and a black blob with a red hue appeared in front of the Shadow.

Kotone used her Evoker. "Jack Frost, Bufu!" Jack Frost appeared and an icicle formed, hitting the masculine Shadow.

It staggered.

"Ice was its weakness?!" Akihiko said with a frown. "Polydeuces, Dia!" A sparkling, green light appeared around Akihiko, slightly healing him.

Suddenly, the Shadows waved their wand and sword, and seven lights appeared: three yellow, a green, a red, a blue with a diamond, and a blue with lightning. They spun around the Shadows, congregating into them.

"Jack Frost, again!" Kotone yelled. Jack Frost shot another icicle toward the masculine Shadow. However, it didn't do any visible damage. "What?! Akihiko-senpai, get out of there!"

Akihiko retreated as the stocky Shadow rushed the four Persona users, effectively pushing them towards Mitsuru and Yukari. However, as the hulking Shadow rushed them, the feminine Shadow rushed the only undefended group: Fuuka and Natsuki.

"Fuuka!" Akihiko screamed.

Fuuka's eyes widened as she saw the plump Shadow rush for her.

"Moriyama-san, we have to get out of here!" Fuuka pleaded.

However, it seemed like Natsuki wasn't listening to her. "I'm sorry, Fuuka, I'm so sorry..." Natsuki muttered as her eyes were still unfocused.

It reached her and brought its wand high above its head.

Fuuka grabbed the Evoker that Akihiko gave her earlier.

"Wait!" Akihiko yelled out. "That's not a weapon!"

Ren took off his mask. "Arsène, open a way through! Dream Needle!" Needles formed and hailed down the masculine Shadow. However, that did nothing as the Shadows continued to rush both groups. "Damn it!"

Fuuka nodded at Akihiko's words. "I know." She pointed her Evoker at her head.

The overweight Shadow screeched as it brought down its wand. Fuuka closed her eyes as she pulled the trigger. A loud clang rang out through the room, and the Shadow rebounded, staggering back from Fuuka. It lost its footing and slammed towards the masculine Shadow, landing themselves in a pile.

A tall lady with long, blonde hair in a pink dress surrounded Fuuka and Natsuki. Its red face, eyes and neck were bandaged, and a large sphere replaced the lady's legs, resembling an eyeball.

"I can see... I can see their weaknesses somehow!" Fuuka's voice rang through Kotone's heads again.

"Uh... You guys can hear that, right?" Junpei asked. "I'm not going crazy?!"

"You're not..." Ren slowly answered him.

Kotone gasped. "This is that same voice from before!"

"Wait, you know their weaknesses?! For real?!" Junpei asked in amazement.

"Just I thought. She's like Mitsuru, might even be better," Akihiko said with a smirk. However, the Shadows were beginning to stand again. "Kotone, we don't have much time! Let Fuuka take Mitsuru's place!"

Kotone nodded at Akihiko's words. "Fuuka, think you can handle it?"

"Yes," Fuuka answered as she glared at the Shadows. "Please, let me help!"

Kotone smiled as she twirled her naginata. "Alright then!" Everyone responded with a smirk and took a fighting stance while the Shadows finally stood tall again. "Let's go, everyone!"

The two Shadows rushed the group of Persona users. Akihiko and Ren rushed from the sides while Kotone and Junpei rushed forward.

"Their weaknesses are Wind! Use Garu skills!" Fuuka said.

"Heard you loud and clear!" Kotone said as she dodged a Fatal End from the masculine Shadow. She pointed her Evoker towards her head and yelled out, "Nigi Mitama!" Nigi Mitama appeared and shot forward a small gust of wind towards the fat Shadow, causing it to stagger and fall on its back. It flailed as it tried to get back on its feet. "Again!" Another gust shot towards the other Shadow, not noticing as it was distracted by Ren and Akihiko, and it was knocked down to the ground.

"Here's our chance! Let's get 'em!" Junpei yelled out.

Kotone grinned. "Everyone, all-out attack!"

Kotone, Junpei, and Akihiko rushed the Shadows in a cloud of dust while Ren was somehow jumping around the Shadows, pinning them to the ground from his attacks from above. Kotone commanded them to step back from the cloud as it settled down, but the Shadows weren't dead yet as they rose from the ground, slightly staggering.

"Major damage, but not enough to destroy them!" Fuuka told them.

Suddenly, lights surrounded the two Shadows, just like before.

"This attack... Fuuka, what can you tell me about it?" Kotone asked.

"It somehow changes their attributes," Fuuka answered. "Give me a sec. I’ll find their weaknesses!"

"Alright!" Kotone said. "Everyone, give them a distraction! Akihiko-senpai, can you use Tarunda on the one with the sword? Inugami, Tarunda on the other one!" Akihiko and Kotone summoned their Personas, and a black blob with a red hue appeared in front of the Shadows, lowering their attacks.

Junpei caught on. "I see what you're doing! Hermes!" Hermes appeared, and a purple pillar of light surrounded Junpei.

The round Shadow waved its wand towards Junpei as a small gust of wind appeared at its tip.

Ren saw it and ripped his mask off. "Arsène!" Arsène rushed towards the Shadow and kicked the wand up, missing Junpei.

"I got it!" Fuuka's voice sounded once more. "The Emperor, the one with the sword, has a Fire weakness while the Empress is currently weak to Electricity. Use Agi and Zio skills!"

"Oh yeah? Time to shake things up, Hermes!"

Akihiko pointed his Evoker to his face. "Let's go!"

A bolt of lightning and a fireball shot through the air, knocking the Shadows to the ground.

"I've been waiting for this!" Akihiko exclaimed.

Kotone nodded. "Same here!"

"Okay, now!"

All four Persona users rushed the Shadows, and another cloud of dust formed as they tried to kill the Shadows. However, the Emperor groaned and tried to hit back, stopping their attack. Kotone prompted them to regroup as they lost their moment. The moment they stood, the Shadows activated their ability again, changing their weaknesses.

"How is it, Fuuka?" Kotone asked as she turned to Fuuka.

"One last push!" Fuuka exclaimed with her eyes closed, focused on her task. "I'm scanning them right now!"

Kotone nodded. "Alright! You guys know the-"

Suddenly, the Emperor unleashed a Swift Strike, attacking all four at once. Akihiko and Junpei took the brunt of the attack as Kotone switched to Ara Mitama and Ren dodged the attacks.

"Damn it! Polydeuces!" Akihiko summoned his Persona, and a sparkling, green light surrounded Junpei.

"Omoikane!" Kotone called for another Persona, and Junpei was surrounded by the same light.

Junpei grunted. "Thanks, Kotone-chan!"

However, as they healed themselves, the Empress saw an opening and summoned another gust of wind at the tips of her wand.

"Arsène, one more time!" Ren called out, and Arsène rushed the Empress like before. However, the Emperor rushed to defend the other Shadow and blocked Arsène. "Damn it! Come back!" Arsène disappeared, and Ren's mask reappeared on his face as the Empress shot a blast of wind on the entire field.

"Arsène, come on!" Ren summoned him again, but instead of going on the offensive, a green light surrounded Ren, and Arsène zoomed right in front of Junpei. The blast of wind hit all of them, but Arsène blocked Junpei from getting hit. Ren grunted in pain but didn't fall to the floor.

"I've got it! Pierce attacks! Both are weak to Pierce attacks!" Fuuka yelled out.

Kotone gasped. "Only Yukari has Pierce attacks!"

"Like you do!" Ren smirked. "Are you forgetting dear old me?"

Kotone, realizing what Ren planned to do, called for another Persona. "Inugami, Tarukaja!" A red light surrounded Ren as he ran towards the Shadows and took their attention.

Ren rushed the Emperor while the Empress raised its wand, and the Emperor held its sword high.

Ren smirked. "Ladies first, Arsène!" Ren called out as he ran. "Dream Needle!" With how the Emperor was ready to attack Ren, it couldn't move to defend the Empress. Arsène rushed the Empress, and needles appeared to topple it.

The Emperor swung its sword down and broke the floor, but Ren deftly dodged to the side and vaulted over to the top of the blade. Ren pushed the sword down to the ground and ran up the Shadow's arm. As the Shadow struggled to get the sword off the ground, Ren jumped over to its head. He reached over its mask, as if trying to remove it. However, Ren instead slashed at the mask with the rapier and quickly jumped over the head with a front-flip. While he was upside-down in the air, he grabbed his mask and swiped it away, summoning Arsène.

"Ravage them, Arsène!" Needles burst forth, knocking the Emperor to the ground.

As he landed, he rolled to the side, dispersing his momentum. He quickly put himself up next to Kotone. "And your call?" he asked, glancing at her with a slight smirk.

Kotone returned his smirk. "All-out attack!" Ren's smirk grew larger.

"It's showtime!"

Another cloud of dust appeared as the four rushed to deal as much damage as they could. Kotone, Junpei, and Akihiko jumped out as the cloud disappeared, preparing to attack again if the Shadows were still alive. However, unlike before, the Shadows didn't stand up as they disappeared into black dust.

"And the show's over." Ren said as he landed in front of the disappearing Shadows, pulling down on his gloves while smirking at the other three.

"That... was so cool!" Kotone yelled in excitement and wrapped Ren in a hug. "How did you do all that? I don't think any of us can do any of that!"

Ren chuckled. "Well, first, let me go. You're hugging too tightly, Shiomi-san." Kotone flushed and let him go. "I'm an amateur traceur, someone that does-"

"Parkour, right?" Akihiko finished, and Ren nodded. "I recognize those moves you pulled. Interesting stuff. Never seen it pulled so cleanly, though."

"To be honest, same here," Ren said, rubbing the back of his head. "It just felt right to-"

Suddenly, he stumbled into Kotone's arms. His clothes erupted into blue flames and transformed back to what seemed to be his civilian clothes.

"Hey!" Kotone yelled out. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

Ren seemed to be trying to open his eyes but was failing. "I-I don't know. I just feel so...tired..." Ren managed to eke out what he could before drifting off to sleep. His breathing stabilized as he slept on Kotone's shoulders.

"Is this normal? Is this what happened to me?" Kotone asked Akihiko.

"Yeah, you fell asleep too," Akihiko answered. "That said, Junpei, can you help her out? I need to get to Fuuka and Natsuki."

Junpei nodded. "You got it, senpai!" He took one of Ren's arms over his shoulder, and Kotone took the other.

"A wonderful battle!" Mitsuru said, congratulating everyone. "Takeba was able to call her Persona after resting and healed us both. We witnessed the battle. Kotone, c'est magnifique!" Kotone beamed at the praise. "Yamagishi, are you alright?"

"Just...very tired..." Fuuka answered before glancing at Natsuki. "She's sleeping." Fuuka tried to stand straight but stumbled.

Luckily, Akihiko caught her. "It's alright, doze off for a bit." Fuuka nodded and slept.

"I'll call for the Chairman," Mitsuru said before turning to Ren. "As for our mystery man," she continued as she glared at him. "He'll go to the hospital. I have several questions for him when he wakes up," she said with a slight bite in her tone.

Kotone, Junpei, Yukari, and Akihiko shivered at her words.

Chapter Text

6/9 - Afternoon - Gekkoukan High School - Kotone

Kotone knocked on the door of Director Ikutsuki's office. "Kirijo-senpai, you called us?"

"Come in," Mitsuru's voice rang from the inside of the room. Kotone opened the door and led Yukari and Junpei in.

The room was pretty barren. It had awards and paintings on the white walls with golden accents, but it wasn't enough to fill it. There was a golden vase on top of a table on one side of the room. In the middle were two couches and a low table with paperwork on top of it. Ikutsuki sat on the table in front of the large window that let light into the room. Mitsuru and Akihiko sat opposite each other on the couches. All three were looking through papers.

Junpei gaped at the documents in front of him. "What are all these?" he asked.

"Documents regarding Amamiya-san," Mitsuru answered without looking at him and flipped through another page.

Yukari frowned. "All this is about him?" she asked.

"Yes," Mitsuru's answer came curtly.

"Uh... Isn't this a bit much?" Yukari asked again.

'She is not alright with this,' Kotone noted.

Ikutsuki nodded as he looked at Yukari. "Indeed, it is. However, with what Mitsuru described to me, it had to be done. He was very interesting to note."

"Is that why you're here, Mr. Chairman?" Kotone asked. "Usually, you'd visit us in the Dorm."

Ikutsuki nodded again. "You are correct. I don't have much time later today, so I decided to meet now instead. I will be busy keeping an eye on him and Yamagishi at night." Ikutsuki looked back towards the documents in front of him. "What you see before you are everything we have about him, from childbirth to today. This also includes reports from the orphanage to school records."

Yukari gasped. "Wait, that's an invasion of privacy!"

"Be as it may, we have no choice. Summoning a persona without an evoker goes against everything the Kirijo group has learned about the dark hour. His existence could be a breakthrough in our research, a one-off, or a sign that the Dark Hour is evolving." Kotone, Yukari, and Junpei stiffened at Ikutsuki's reply. "We must learn everything about him to see if something in his past could have caused it. If we can find anything like that, we may be able to apply it to our research."

"Wait, evolving?" Yukari asked incredulously.

Ikutsuki nodded. "It is only speculation, nothing more. It could be that humanity itself, not the Dark Hour, is evolving to fight the Shadows, to the point that regular people would be able to summon a Personas without the need for an Evoker. We need more information, and that is why we are looking through his history to see if anything is special."

Yukari grumbled. It seemed like she still wasn't satisfied. However, she sighed and sat on the same couch as Mitsuru, but on the other side of it. Kotone sat between them while Junpei sat next to Akihiko.

Kotone looked through the pile then towards Mitsuru. "What should we do?"

"Hmm...You said you met him during your train ride home a few days ago." Mitsuru said. "What can you tell us about him?"

"He said that he was an orphan," Kotone answered. "He lived in Tokyo, took a ton of part-time work, and left."

Junpei nodded. "Something about soul searching."

Ikutsuki held his chin between his thumb and index. "Indeed, that matches with the information we found.

"He was an orphan, abandoned by his biological parents, at the doorsteps of an orphanage. The caregivers had tried to find them but came up short." Ikutsuki flipped a page. "He continued to live in the orphanage and had a small penchant for trouble. It's noted that he took parkour as a hobby."

Akihiko nodded. "Yeah, we saw that in action yesterday. He even ran up the Shadow's arm. Reckless and gutsy at the same time. I like his style."

"Indeed," Ikutsuki continued. "He eventually got caught in a private area by the guards. However, instead of turning him in, he was sent off to an official parkour group. He went on to study at Shujin Academy and dropped out after only one year." Ikutsuki finished reading and placed the paper on the table. He clasped his fingers and rested his chin on them, glancing at Kotone, Yukari, and Junpei. "Did he mention anything else? Hobbies or any mentions of people in his life?"

"Well, there was that Shinjuku bar he said he worked at. He said he had a mutual friend with a proprietress," Yukari answered.

Mitsuru glanced towards Yukari. "A Shinjuku bar? That should be illegal."

"He said that he didn't deal with the alcohol," Yukari answered again.

Mitsuru sighed. "That just means that there could be some under-the-table work that won't be on the documents." Mitsuru rubbed her forehead for a moment and turned to the trio. "Did he say where he worked?"

"Well," Kotone began. "Sundays was the bar, volunteering on Mondays," she said as he began to count with her fingers. "He was a barista on Tuesdays, florist on Wednesdays, Thursdays were for a beef bowl shop, and Friday was for a convenience store." Kotone frowned as she moved a finger.

'What was the last one?' Kotone asked herself.

Kotone turned to Yukari and Junpei. "Do you guys remember what the last one was?"

Yukari and Junpei hummed as they thought. Suddenly, Junpei snapped his fingers.

"Don't worry, Junpei, Ace Detective, has it! It was an airsoft shop on Saturday."

Yukari looked at him with bafflement. "How'd you remember that?"

Junpei shrugged. "Every guy had the thought about working in a shop like that when they were kids! I thought he was pretty cool for working in a place like that."

"...An airsoft shop..." Mitsuru muttered as she wrote down on a piece of paper. "There. From what I remember, his school records mentioned that he worked in a convenience store and a flower shop in Shibuya. There were some complaints about it, but since it didn't affect his grades, the school let him."

"Oh yeah, what were his grades?" Junpei asked as he leaned forward and chuckled. "They must've sucked if he kept working."

Akihiko chuckled. "On the contrary, the opposite."

"Indeed," Mitsuru said with a slight smirk. "He was the top student in his grade."

"What?!" Kotone, Yukari, and Junpei yelled in surprise.

"Wait, hold on," Junpei stammered out. "How? He worked at night every day of the week!"

Yukari nodded. "When does he have time to study?"

Mitsuru nodded. "I understand your confusion. However, time and time again, he has shown that he deserves that spot."

"What do you mean?" Kotone asked.

"From what it looks like," Akihiko began, "the first time Amamiya scored his top marks, the school was in an uproar. It was already common knowledge that he worked at night. When the grades came out and saw him on top, other students and even some of the faculty members were convinced he was cheating."

"Takeba, Iori, Shiomi, do you think he is the type of person to do that?" Mitsuru asked them, and all three shook their heads. "Indeed, you are correct. Amamiya took another test and received perfect marks again. From then on, the school let him go, but the students did not." Mitsuru frowned. "They continued to harass him, from ignoring him to spreading rumors about him."

Kotone gasped. 'Is that what he meant by cog? He left because he couldn't deal with all that?' she thought.

"Kirijo-senpai, what did he do after that?" Kotone asked.

Mitsuru's frown turned to a smirk. "Well, it seemed like he doubled down. He took on more work but maintained his stellar grades." Mitsuru glanced at Ikutsuki. "To be quite honest, I'm surprised we didn't hear about something like this."

Ikutsuki shrugged. "My apologies, some things just happen to slip through. Plus, this didn't reach the news on any level, so it didn't reach us."

Junpei gaped. "That's seriously badass..."

Akihiko grunted. "Cheeky is more like it. He could have worn himself out."

"Um, he did mention something about leaving Tokyo instead of becoming a cog," Yukari said. "Do you think it's related to that?"

Mitsuru hummed. "Possibly. It could be that he didn't feel like being stifled in his old school, so he decided to leave. Was there anything else he said that stuck out in your mind?"

"He left Tokyo for some soul searching, specifically," Kotone said. "Staying in Tokyo could have made him into a cog." Kotone frowned. "But it sounded like he really liked living in Tokyo."

'What could have forced him to leave if he liked Tokyo so much?'

"I see," Ikutsuki said. "What about last night?" All the students looked at him. "Was there anything weird about him then?"

"Come to think of it," Yukari began, "he seemed different. Like he seemed more unhinged? I'm not sure how to put it."

Kotone nodded. "Yeah, he did. On the train, he seemed pretty quiet. But then, compared to when we were in the back alley, he was way more serious. Then last night, he seemed less reserved."

"He was smiling the entire time," Junpei added, "like he was having fun."

'It was as if he was free...' Kotone thought.

Yukari scoffed. "More like showing off." Akihiko nodded in agreement.

Ikutsuki nodded slowly as he hummed, taking in the information. "I see. Perhaps the unique way he summons his persona could cause a sudden shift in personalities? That still doesn't explain how he was able to summon it in a different way."

"Perhaps his mask acts as his Evoker?" Mitsuru prompted. "Shiomi, how does Amamiya-san summon his Persona? I saw that he tried to take off his mask before he was swallowed by fire."

Yukari nodded. "He did rip off the mask before the fire got him. After that, the fire turned into his Persona, and he came out with his costume," she added.

"Amamiya-kun summoned it by ripping his mask off," Kotone answered, and both Junpei and Akihiko nodded in agreement.

"There may be merit to what you said, Mitsuru," Ikutsuki said. "Your Evokers are powered by something called a Plume of Dusk. It's what allows Evokers and Mitsuru's bike to work. We do not know how they were created, only that the late Kirijo Kouetsu had a collection." Kotone noticed that Mitsuru clenched her jaw and her hand curled into a fist. "As of right now, we do not have a way to replenish our supply. If Amamiya-san's mask is a Plume of Dusk, we may be able to finally change that.

"Now, Yukari, you mentioned that his costume changed. What exactly happened?"

Yukari nodded. "His costume was all black, except for his red gloves. It wasn't super outlandish, but it still reeked of a show-off. It was like he was cosplaying or something."

"On top of that," Akihiko added, "it didn't seem like his outfit impeded his movements. He still did what he did with it on. If anything, it might have enhanced his movement. He said that he was never able to pull off those moves before." Kotone nodded.

"What? Like a Phoenix Ranger Featherman?! That's so cool!" Junpei stood up abruptly, surprising everyone. "I wanna get one too!"

"Umm…" Yukari interjected. "I'm not sure that his way is safe."

"Oh? In what way?" Ikutsuki asked.

"His mask," Yukari shuddered. "When he ripped it off, I saw blood dripping off his face. It was like the mask was his second skin. It was disgusting."

Junpei shuddered as well, deflating at what Yukari said. "That's honestly creepy." Junpei turned to Ikutsuki. "Is he going to join us?"

Ikutsuki chuckled. "That is our intention. I would like to see what Amamiya-kun can do. I plan on extending an invitation to him when he wakes up. This also includes Yamagishi-san as well."

"Aren't we being too fast with this? They haven't woken up yet, but you're already thinking of inviting them?" Yukari asked.

'She's really bothered by them joining us,' Kotone thought.

"Don't worry. It's just an invitation; they can turn it down if they want to," Mitsuru said.

"By the way," Kotone interjected. She already felt that the atmosphere was starting to become awkward. "How is Yamagishi-san?"

"Just like Amamiya-kun, she is stable. It's just a matter of when she will wake up," Ikutsuki answered.

"Really?" Junpei asked with a shocked face. "Wasn't she in Tartarus for, like, forever?"

"Ten hours or so," Ikutsuki corrected, "but it could be attributed to her receiving a Persona. The same could be said about Amamiya-kun. There have been no visible effects so far."

Suddenly, the school bell rang outside the Director's Office.

Ikutsuki nodded. "Well, it seems that free time is over."

"Indeed. We mustn't compromise our school grades with SEES activity," Mitsuru said as she stood up and began making her way to the door. "Let's go to class."

"She is right. You must keep angling for an A in Math class!" Ikutsuki quipped.

Everyone groaned in pain.

-Take Your Time-

?/? - ? - Velvet Room - Ren

A familiar hymn, a piano and a woman's voice, filled Ren's ears again, interrupted by the clanking of chains.

Ren opened his eyes, and velvet blue filled his vision. He stood up and walked towards Igor and Lavenza in the middle of the room.

"I must congratulate you, Trickster," Igor interjected, "for finding the Guest of this Journey. You have done well so far."

"So," Ren began, smirking as he placed both his hands in the outer pockets of his Metaverse Outfit, "how do you grade my acting?"

"Top scores," Lavenza said, chuckling at Ren's question. "With us placing your fake history throughout this era, we were able to make it seem like you truly existed now. Throughout your time here, you did not 'slip up,' as they say. You even managed to add more details, like how you never did such acrobatics before."

Ren's smirk turned into a gentle smile. "I've got to thank you too. You gave me the documents, and I only memorized them. Making it so close to my actual history helped a ton; the only real difference is that I grew up in Shibuya, not Inaba."

"You're welcome. We have also taken the liberty to 'touch up your room.' The documents about the Apathy Syndrome in your room might have been too much for a single person to have, so we have taken back most of what we have given you. What is left are the more recent and accessible documents."

Ren nodded in thanks. "Sounds good. I do have a question: what's my status as a Guest? I noticed that Arsène's weaker now. I also don't have my other Personas with me."

"You can use all the functionalities that you have gained in your Journey. This includes the Gallows, the Electric Chair, Lockdown, and the Execution. You also have access to your Compendium. Would you like to take the Arsène in your Compendium instead of your current one?"

Ren worked his jaw in thought. He glanced at Igor. "This is her Journey, right? Do you have any tips for me?"

"Indeed, it is her Journey," Igor answered. "All I can say is that you must take responsibility for your own actions, no matter what you do."

Ren closed his eyes and took a deep breath. 'This is her Journey. She has to be the one to do it, not me. I'm only here to help her. Is it right for me to take that from her?' Ren sighed slowly. 'No, it's not. I can't carry her through it, but I can't let anything irreversible happen through it either.' Ren opened his eyes.

"I've got it," Ren said. "I'll keep my Arsène and use it as my main Persona with the others. I need to pass off as a teammate and not the main player. On the other hand, mind if I go through my Compendium, Lav? I'd like to go through it and take some moving forward."

Lavenza turned to the Compendium, a large book on Igor's desk, and took it into her hands. She gave it to Ren and let go, making Ren buckle at the weight of it.

'Heavy!' Ren thought as he struggled to carry it in his arms. He did succeed after a few seconds.

"Please, take your time," she said as Ren flipped through the pages.

"Lav, why is it so heavy?"

"The Compendium grows with your Journey," Lavenza answered. "As you have gone through much, it only makes sense that the Compendium is as large as it is."

"Can't you, I don't know, make it lighter with Velvet Room magic?"

Lavenza pondered on Ren's words. "I could, but I don't want to."

Ren stopped flipping through the Compendium and stared in disbelief at Lavenza's innocent smile."...Why?"

"Think of it as my challenge," Lavenza answered, "all so that you may gain the muscles to carry it on your own in the future."

Ren pouted. "Bully." Lavenza's smile turned into a chuckle that rang through the Velvet Room, and Ren couldn't help laughing with her.

"I get it, I get it. I'll exercise more in the future," Ren said as the last of the laughter left both Lavenza and him. He soon resumed flipping through the Compendium. "By the way, where is Shiomi-san's Velvet Room entrance?" Ren asked. "I'd rather not have the same location as hers. We might end up seeing each other and blow my cover."

"I'll find a new location," Lavenza agreed. "Shiomi-san's Velvet Room is located in Paulownia Mall, so yours will be in a different location. I shall let you know at a later date."

"Sounds good, thanks," Ren said and closed the Compendium. He passed it back to Lavenza, and she graciously took it back. "I got what I need, eleven more Personas outside of my current Arsène."

Suddenly, a prison alarm rang through the Velvet Room.

"It is time, once again," Igor said.

"We will contact you at a later date," Lavenza said. "May you continue on your path in the world, my Trickster."

As Lavenza finished saying her goodbyes, Ren closed his eyes as white flooded his vision.

-Take Your Time-

6/10 - Afternoon - Iwatodai Hospital - Ren

Ren blearily woke up from his sleep. Compared to his previous nighttime Velvet Room visits, he felt groggier this time around. But then he remembered how he got here: his reawakening, the Shadow fights after that, then knocking out from exhaustion.

He took stock of himself and his surroundings. He was on a bed in a white room. His body was under a blanket, but his right arm was above it, with an IV connected to the inner side of his elbow. From what he could see, he wore a hospital gown, no longer the modified Shujin outfit he had. To the left of the bed was a table that held his wallet and phone from when he left the hotel room.

'I wonder if my stuff is still there. Sure hope that the staff didn't throw them out or something,' Ren thought. 'Maybe they just put that in some storage?'

The walls on his left had three windows, but only the middle window had its curtains open, letting the blinding light in. To his right, further down the room, was a closed door, most likely leading to the hallway. Cabinets also lined the wall on his right.

He tried to sit up without disturbing his right arm, afraid that the IV needle would-

"Damn it, he's getting sleepy. Wake him up. Get me another one of those needles," a man commanded.

Ren's vision was blurry. His face was hit with another splash of cold water. It helped with the grogginess, but he was too tired to keep his eyes open.

"Guess that's only going to work a few times," the same man said. "Fine, let him get an hour. We can wake him up then. In the meantime, get him those injections."

Ren blacked out.

Ren's heart rate skyrocketed, and he started to hyperventilate, breathing deeply through his open mouth. His eyes began to find something to get the attention of anyone. Now that he was sitting up, he saw that there was a remote beside his pillow. Not caring what the buttons did, he reached with his left hand and pressed every button he could find. He let go of the remote and looked up to the ceiling with closed eyes.

'Happy thoughts, happy thoughts,' Ren thought as he took a deep breath. 'Ramen with Ryuji, tinkering with Mona, checking out new desserts with Ann.' Exhale, then inhale again. 'Looking for inspiration with Yusuke, watching an old movie with Futaba, going to the gym with Makoto, sampling coffee with Haru.' His heart rate slowed down, but not enough. Another exhale, another inhale. 'Watching Sumire through her routines. Seeing Sophia's eyes sparkle at every new thing she saw. Cooking in the kitchen while Zenkichi bumbled around Akane.'

Suddenly, the door opened, and a doctor and nurse entered the room.

"Everything will be fine, sir," the nurse said as he rushed to Ren's side. "Lean back for now."

Ren absentmindedly complied, sliding back to his bed while not looking at his right arm. "Please, you have to get that thing out. I have a phobia."

The nurse immediately understood. He went through the cabinets, took a cup of water, passed it to Ren, and pulled down alcoholic swabs, gauze, and tape. The doctor, in the meantime, was on Ren's left.

"Don't worry, kid," the doctor said. "Just focus on me." Ren nodded. "Good. First, take a deep breath and drink some water." Ren nodded again and took sips at his cup of water. "Let's start with something simple: what's your name?"

"Ren, Amamiya Ren," Ren responded.

"Do you know where you are?"

"A hospital in Tatsumi Port Island."

"Can you try counting backwards?" the doctor asked, and Ren complied. In the background, the nurse worked to get the IV out of Ren, and the nurse finished quickly. "Looks like you're fine so far," the doctor summarized and looked at the nurse. "Call the Chairman and Kirijo-sama." The nurse nodded and left the room.

Ren shot a questioning look at the doctor. "'Kirijo-sama'?"

"Yep," the doctor responded with a smile. "I guess you didn't know. Welcome to one of the hospitals that is directly funded by the Kirijo Group."

-Take Your Time-

6/10 - Afternoon - Iwatodai Hospital - Mitsuru

Ikutsuki opened the door to Ren's hospital room and entered, with Mitsuru following in. Inside, Mitsuru saw that Ren's IV was taken off. The nurse was still tending to Ren while the doctor had noticed her and Ikutsuki.

"Ikutsuki-sama, Kirijo-sama. Thank you for coming in such short notice," the doctor spoke to the newcomers. "Amamiya Ren is doing quite well, all things considered. Blood pressure is normal, along with brain activity. No concussion, no missing memories either. Two things to note are his chest scar and his fear of needles. The first was on his files, but not the second."

"What?" Ikutsuki asked in shock.

"Yes, he had a reaction with his IV upon waking up. His readings spiked, which prompted us to come to his room immediately. However, it seems like he has some practice in dealing with his phobia."

"I... I see," Ikutsuki said. "We'll have to update his medical files to include his phobia then."

"Can he receive visitors now?" Mitsuru asked.

The doctor nodded. "Like I said, healthy on all accounts. Just make sure not to trigger his phobia, and he'll be fine." The doctor looked at the nurse. "How is he right now?" The nurse gave him the thumbs up.

"Very well," Ikutsuki said. "Would you mind giving us some privacy? We need to discuss confidential information." Both the doctor and nurse nodded and promptly left the room. Ikutsuki and Mitsuru walked towards Ren, taking the left side of his bed.

"So, apparently, I was out for a day and a half?" Ren asked Mitsuru with a raised eyebrow.

"Indeed," Mitsuru answered. "We believed that you might have gone longer."

"That bad? Then what about that other girl? Fuuka or something?"

"You mean Yamagishi Fuuka?" Ikutsuki asked, and Ren nodded. "She's been awake since yesterday. She's only bedridden to make sure that she is fine." Ikutsuki held out his hand. "My name is Ikutsuki Shuji," Ren shook his hand, "and I believe that you've met Kirijo Mitsuru."

"That I did. I'm guessing what happened that night was all real?" Ren asked.

Ikutsuki nodded. "Indeed. What do you remember about that night? Can you tell us what you saw and did?"

Ren glanced at Mitsuru. "Is he in on this too?" Mitsuru nodded.

"Well," Ren began as he leaned back to be more comfortable. "Might want to get a seat." Both complied and brought a chair closer. "I was awake in the middle of the night and I couldn't sleep for some reason. I was looking out the window, and all of a sudden, the moon got all huge and green. I stepped out of the hotel to take a look around and saw that tanned girl. You remember her, right, Kirijo-san?" Mitsuru nodded again. "Well, I followed her to Gekkou High, and it turned into this weird tower. I tried to stop her, but she ignored me, so I tried to physically stop her. She decided to bite me, so I gave up. With no choice, I decided to follow her in the school-tower thing. After that, I met Kirijo-san, and everything else is history. I summoned a thing, fought these big monsters, won, and conked out. By the way, is that girl okay? She didn't have the thing everyone else had last I remembered."

Mitsuru nodded once more. "Moriyama-san is fine; she doesn't remember what happened."

Ren was taken back. "How's that possible?"

"What you learn here does not leave the room, do you understand?" Ikutsuki asked, and Ren nodded. "Would you believe that there is a twenty-fifth hour in the day?"

Ren raised an eyebrow, and his mouth was slightly ajar. "You don't actually think I'd believe that, right?"

'There's the disbelief I was looking for. Yukari, Kotone, and Junpei took the revelation too easily,' Mitsuru thought.

"But then again, everything was too real that night. There're those coffins too..." Ren murmured to himself.

Mitsuru's shoulders sagged ever so slightly. 'And he convinced himself before we could say anything,' Mitsuru thought with a sigh.

"Alright," Ren said to Ikutsuki. "I believe that; what's next?"

"The tower that you entered, the one that the school turned into, is called Tartarus," Ikutsuki continued. "Tartarus is what we consider the nest of the Shadows, the monsters that you fought that night. As for the thing you summoned, it is what we call a Persona, and what is ultimately used to combat these Shadows."

Ren hummed to himself. "You mentioned before that Moriyama-san doesn't remember what happened. Are Personas related to that?"

Mitsuru nodded. "You are correct. Since she doesn't have a Persona, she can't remember what happened that night."

"On the topic of Personas," Ikutsuki interjected, "do you remember what you did while fighting that night?"

"Somewhat. It felt like I was in a rush. Faster, stronger, more powerful. I did everything so easily that night, even for things that I struggled with. I was jumping three times my height without a run-up, but I could only do my height and a half on average. I even got an outfit out of it. By the way, I noticed you guys only had some uniforms last night, but I got that cool outfit thing. What's up with that?" Ren asked.

Mitsuru shook her head. "We were wondering about that ourselves. What were those clothes? Where did you learn to fight like that?"

"Well, to start, I do parkour as a hobby. Vaulting, standing jumps, grips, you name it. As for the clothes, no clue. You saw that I went into that Tartarus place in normal clothes. It appeared after I summoned my Persona thing for the first time. It never appeared for you guys?"

Mitsuru shook her head again. "We've never had one. You're the first one we've ever seen. It's why we wanted to ask you about it. As for your Persona, did you learn its name? Control over your Persona is usually something that you instinctively know."

Ren closed his eyes and looked up slightly. "Its name is Arsène," he answered after a moment of silence and then looked back at Mitsuru. "By the way, I saw you guys point a gun to your head to summon your Personas. What's up with that? Mine just came out when I swiped my mask away."

"That 'gun' is called an Evoker," Mitsuru corrected. "From what we could tell, it seems like your mask acts like one."

"But a gun to your head isn't exactly..." Ren trailed off with a cringe.

Mitsuru shrugged. "It is what it is."

"How did it feel when you took away your mask?" Ikutsuki asked. "An Evoker is meant to bring out fear and stress in a user by making it seem like the person is about to take their own life. In a way, it is a reminder that we fight with our lives on the line."

"How I felt?" Ren reiterated before thinking to himself again. "Free. The freest I've ever felt."

Mitsuru and Ikutsuki looked in disbelief.

'Free? Why is it so different?' Mitsuru asked herself.

"Can you describe more of what you felt?" Ikutsuki asked.

"When I faced that Shadow, I felt that I needed to do something. I couldn't run away to save myself. I had to fight," Ren said as he smiled softly. "I couldn't let my own death decide my life for me. I will live to see another day and to live that life as free as I can."

Mitsuru crossed her arms, hiding the fist that began to form. 'That's it? That's the difference? To reject death, even in front of it? That's-'

"Were you scared at all?" Ikutsuki asked.

Ren hummed to himself again. "I think I was. I could die at any moment if I slipped up, but I wasn't going to let that scare me to freezing up. Even if the world and everyone around me told me I was wrong, I would still fight back, all to make sure that I'm never chained down again."

Mitsuru's breath hitched as she tried to stop a frown from forming on her face. 'To live life unchained? How lucky.'

Ikutsuki stared at Ren for a moment. "This was a very enlightening conversation, Amamiya-kun, thank you. Mitsuru, if you would." Ikutsuki rose from his chair, and Mitsuru followed suit. "We'll be back in a moment. I'd like to talk privately with her about everything."

"Uh, sure," Ren said as Ikutsuki and Mitsuru walked out the door. "Have a good one."

Ikutsuki led Mitsuru to a private room on the same floor of the hospital, and both entered it.

"What do you think, Mitsuru?" Ikutsuki asked as he and Mitsuru took a seat.

"Nothing has changed. I still think he will be an asset to SEES," Mitsuru answered.

"Even in the difference in your reasons? His reason for fighting is completely different from yours, Akihiko's, and Yukari's."

"Even then," Mitsuru insisted. "Those reasons may just be why his Persona is completely different from mine. But that shouldn't stop us from asking him to join SEES. It might even be beneficial for us."

"And his clothes, his mask?"

"Most likely a part of our difference in ideologies."

Ikutsuki nodded. "Very well. We will invite him to SEES then. I didn't find anything overtly suspicious in our conversation earlier. On top of that, I've never truly seen his new outfit, so I cannot pass judgment about it. We will continue to observe him for the time being as he continues to rest."

Mitsuru nodded in agreement. "Then let's go back. I'd like to be the one to invite him."

Both Ikutsuki and Mitsuru rose from their chairs and left the room, arriving back in Ren's room.

"So, what's up?" Ren asked. "Must be important that you have to leave."

Mitsuru nodded. "It is. How would you feel about joining us?"

"What do you mean?" Ren asked.

"The people you saw last night are part of a group called the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad, SEES for short," Mitsuru clarified. "We are an afterschool club whose sole purpose is to kill Shadows. Students that join are given education, lodging, and allowance."

"It's essentially a job," Ikutsuki added.

Ren nodded. "What do I have to do?"

"For one, you have to be a student," Ikutsuki began. "Now, from what others have said, you dropped out from your previous school, correct? You will have to enroll at Gekkoukan High School as a second-year student. Second, you will have to live at Iwatodai Dorms. Education that rivals the best in the country, lodging, and killing Shadows give money. Sounds like a pretty good deal, wouldn't you agree?"

"Killing them gives money?" Ren asked. "How does that work? Where does the money come from? Where do you guys spend it?"

Mitsuru reeled back for a bit. "Why do you care about that? Most people our age would rejoice about getting money."

Ren shrugged. "I worked endlessly for a year and used that money to get myself out. I'd like to think of myself as pretty financially responsible."

'Truly different from the others,' Mitsuru thought. "As for your question, we do not know everything about how Shadows work. This topic is one of those that we have accepted."

"Indeed," Ikutsuki agreed. "Even after ten years of research, much of the Dark Hour is still a mystery. How they function, how they live, and where the money comes from are just examples of what we do not know."

"As for expenses," Mitsuru said, "we leave that to the person's choice."

Ikutsuki giggled. "Saving the world gives us a bit of leeway," he said before coughing. "We've gotten sidetracked. Back to our question, will you join us? We do need all the help we can get."

Ren hummed to himself in thought. "What if I said no?"

"You would be free to live in the city," Ikutsuki answered, "but you won't be able to leave the city."

Mitsuru did all she could to stop her grimace from forming. 'Just like Shinji.'

"Not much choice, don't I?" Ren asked with a smirk. "Don't worry though, I'll join. Like I said, I can't just stand by if I know that I can be helping someone."

Mitsuru let go of the breath she didn't know she was holding.

Meanwhile, Ikutsuki smiled. "That is great to hear! We were told that you stayed in a hotel near the dorms, so we'll begin moving your luggage tonight," Ikutsuki said as he stood up. "For now, rest. We will rely on the doctor's orders on when you will be released. Fortunately, he did say you were fine, so it shouldn't take too long."

"Speaking of what the doctor said," Mitsuru interjected, "he mentioned two things. The first was a chest scar, which was already in your files. However, you have trypanophobia. How did you get these?"

Ren awkwardly chuckled as he played with a lock on his head. "Ah well, I got reckless during a routine run and fell. Something sharp on the side of the building nicked my chest on my way down. That was way back then. As for the phobia... Sorry, that one is personal."

Mitsuru tilted her head to the side slightly with a frown. 'Personal to the point that it wasn't on your records? Drug abuse?'

Ikutsuki, on the other hand, raised an eyebrow. "Well, if you say so. Would it be alright to update your files?" he asked to which Ren nodded.

"Yeah, it should be fine at this point," Ren said.

Ikutsuki smiled at Ren again. "Welcome to SEES, Amamiya-kun."

Chapter Text

6/13 - Night - Iwatodai Dorm - Kotone

Kotone entered the dorm after spending the afternoon with Maiko at the Shrine. While she didn't feel that their bond got any closer, it felt like it would soon.

"Oh, welcome back, Kotone," Ikutsuki greeted.

Kotone blinked in surprise. "Hello, Ikutsuki-san, how have you been? Haven't seen you since a few days ago."

"Indeed, it has been a while," Ikutsuki agreed. "However, I'm here to drop off Amamiya-kun after that, so I decided to wait until I get to greet everyone."

"He's here?" Kotone asked to which Ikutsuki nodded. "Does that mean that he's-"

Ikutsuki chuckled. "We invited him, and he accepted. His room should be on the second floor. I'm sure that Akihiko and Junpei are with him at the moment, along with Mitsuru."

"Thanks for the info!" Kotone gave a salute to Ikutsuki. "I'll be going now!"

Ikutsuki chuckled as he waved off Kotone.

Kotone's thoughts raced as she climbed the stairs. 'He's here now? I thought that something was up since Mitsuru-senpai mentioned that he had been awake since the tenth. Is he okay? I've got so many questions.'

Kotone heard Junpei's voice ring out through the floor. "Wow, you really don't have much stuff, Ren!"

A smooth voice chuckled. "Well, yeah. I didn't exactly have much to begin with, nor did I think I would be settling down so soon," Ren answered.

"Well," Akihiko interjected, "just to let you know, we basically have free reign with whatever is in our room. I put some training weights and a punching bag in mine."

"Mine's all the cool shit I found," Junpei said with a smile.

Kotone let out a small chuckle as she shook her head. 'Of course, they would.'

Ren seemed to hear and tilted his head to see behind Junpei and Akihiko. "Hey, Shiomi-san," he said as he waved towards Kotone.

Kotone waved back. "Hey, Ren! Happy to see you here with us now." She reached the boys and placed a hand on her chest. "Drop the 'Shiomi-san' stuff. Use my first name. Everyone here except for Mitsuru-senpai does."

"Sounds good to me, Kotone," Ren said as he nodded.

Kotone felt a slight shiver as Ren said her name. "There you go. By the way, what happened to you? Mitsuru-senpai said that you have been awake since the tenth, but you only moved in now."

"Ah yeah. Ikutsuki-san wanted to do some tests," Ren answered. "Apparently, my Persona stuff is all new, so it doesn't hurt to know as much as we can."

Akihiko raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? What did you guys learn?"

"Ikutsuki-san said that he has the report, but he’s waiting until everyone is here. I can’t break the surprise either," Ren said with a sigh. "'Would be unwise to give out the surprise,' is what he said." Kotone, Akihiko, and Junpei groaned, only for Ren to chuckle. "I take it that puns are a no-go?"

"As field leader," Kotone said as she pointed at Ren, "I forbid you to say puns!"

"How can you be okay with it, man?" Junpei asked. "His puns are really bad!"

Ren chuckled with dead eyes. "I once knew a guy that always did bear puns. All bear-related, no idea why. I was too creeped out by the constant bear puns to ask. Ikutsuki-san is lightweight compared to him. At least Ikutsuki-san can read the atmosphere."

'Someone even worse?' "Did you personally know him?" Kotone asked.

"Oh no, not at all," Ren answered. "He just worked in a store that everyone passes through. He's pretty loud too, so everyone knows him. He's not bad, just a bit much sometimes," he said before coughing. "Anyway, Ikutsuki-san said that the report would come in a bit. You'd have to ask him."

"Gotcha. I'll bug him later," Kotone said with a smirk. "By the way, how's the move in? Is it going well?"

"Yeah. Everything was already clean and proper, so it was just a matter of putting away my stuff," Ren answered. "And like I said before, I don't have many things, so I can put them away sooner or later in my own time. Do you want to take a look? Akihiko-senpai and Junpei already saw it."

'That was fast...' Kotone thought. "You're not embarrassed to invite a girl into your room?"

"We just met, Kotone," Ren said with a slight smirk. "Nothing's going to happen."

"Wait," Junpei interjected. "You're not nervous? You just invited Shiomi Kotone, one of the most popular girls in the school."

Ren blinked his eyes. "Yeah, but, like I said, nothing is going to happen. She's only looking at my room."

"Damn... Kotone, I think we found someone that's immune to you!" Junpei said with a laugh, only to buckle in pain as Kotone elbowed him on his ribs.

'Damn you, Junpei! You're embarrassing me!'

Still, it was a surprise. Pretty much every guy at school saw Kotone as cute, and most girls even acknowledged that. Ren is one of the few that wasn't embarrassed to talk to her from the get-go.

"Sorry about that, Ren. Sure, I'll take a look," Kotone said. 'Maybe I'll get to see what goes on in that head of his.'

Ren opened the door, and Kotone walked into the room, Junpei and Akihiko peering in from the hallway. Kotone saw that his room only had the bare essentials. The bed was on the far wall. On the foot of the bed was his study table. There was space to the left of that, and then the dresser and TV stood next to the empty space, angled so that it faced the bed. Behind that was the sink and mirror. A luggage bag and backpack stood in the middle of the room.

The emptiness was...scarily similar to hers.

"Do you plan on buying some things for your room?" Kotone asked.

Ren nodded. "Not a lot, but some. Some sort of stand, maybe a plant to take care of. A couch between the TV and the table for sure," he said as he pointed throughout the room where he planned to put stuff. "Outside that, nothing else. I'm not the type to have a lot of things."

"How come?" Kotone asked with a quizzical look at Ren.

Ren glanced back at Kotone and coughed. "I guess it's some wish that I would get adopted, so I didn't have anything permanent in case I would move out," Ren said and then sighed as Kotone flinched. He leaned closer to Kotone. "Sorry. It must have brought bad memories. I heard from Ikutsuki-san that you were like me," he whispered.

'Damn, I walked into that one,' Kotone thought. “It's okay, it was my fault for asking,” she said. The silence between the two became even more awkward than before.

"Hey," Ren said, "have you had curry?"

Kotone was not prepared for a question like that. "Sorry?"

"Have you had curry?" Ren reiterated. "I worked as a cook back in Tokyo. As an apology, I'll make some homemade curry."

"Really?" Kotone asked as her eyes shone. "You mean it?"

"You sure about that, Ren?" Junpei asked from the hallway.

"Yes?" Ren answered with a question. "How bad can it be?"

---Take Your Time---

6/13 - Night - Iwatodai Dorm - Mitsuru

Mitsuru sighed as she neared the dorm. It had been a grueling week, but it was worth it. While Mitsuru had to deal with the papers for Ren and Fuuka's residency in the dorms, it meant that two new people were now fighting alongside her to clear the Kirijo name. Remembering her grandfather made her shameful and angry; shame for trying to attain power at the expense of the world and anger for letting others clean up his mistake. Nevertheless, the man is dead, and all Mitsuru could do is play with the cards she was dealt with. With that said, Ikutsuki said that he had information about Ren's Persona powers and that he would tell everyone once everyone arrived.

Mitsuru opened the door to the dorms, and to her surprise, shouts and cheers greeted her as the smell of something delicious invaded her nose.

"C'mon Kotone!" Junpei yelled. "You can do this!"

Mitsuru glanced at the group that was huddled around the dining table. It was rare for more than a couple of people to meet at the dining table, yet it seemed like everyone was there today. Junpei and Akihiko were cheering for Kotone, who appeared to be eating something ravenously; Fuuka was like a lost girl, hopelessly glancing at everyone for anything to make sense; Yukari had her hand on her forehead as it seemed like a headache forming; Ikutsuki stood outside the group with a light smile; and Ren was...looking at Kotone with disgusted amazement while he held a pot on his hands.

"What," Mitsuru said, almost yelling, "is going on here?" Everyone's heads snapped toward her direction. Kotone was in the middle of eating a spoonful, with her cheeks like a squirrel's. Akihiko immediately stood up. Fuuka's face held relief and hope. While Yukari's had the same, it was more of a tired face than Fuuka's happy face.

"Mitsuru!" Akihiko said, almost yelling too. "I swear we weren't doing anything bad!"

Mitsuru took a deep breath and exhaled. "Sorry, Akihiko. I didn't mean to yell. I was just surprised. I've never seen Shiomi-san eat in such a manner, especially in front of new people." Everyone visibly relaxed. 'Am I that bad?' Mitsuru thought.

"Sorry about that, Kirijo-senpai," Ren said as he placed the pot on the kitchen island with a silicone pad underneath. "This would be on me. I said that I'd cook for Kotone, but I didn't think it would get out of control like this."

Mitsuru looked at Ren to explain more. "Out of control? In what way?"

Ren rubbed the back of his head. "Well... It turned out Kotone wanted more after the first batch, so I decided to cook more and more to match her... It didn't feel right to just stop cooking when someone wanted more. At this point, I believe we are at the fourth helping."

"So, you kept on challenging each other to get this point," Mitsuru summarized and then glared at Akihiko and Junpei. Both of them flinched at her glare. "And you two egged them on, didn't you?"

Akihiko deflated. "Yeah..."

"I mean, come on, Mitsuru-senpai," Junpei said. "It's hard enough to find a restaurant that would let Kotone eat enough without destroying my wallet! I just thought it would be a good time to get Kotone topped off."

"It's really good, Mitsuru-senpai!" Kotone said after she swallowed. "Seriously, you have got to try this. I feel like I could eat this forever!" She took another spoonful.

Mitsuru glanced at Fuuka and Yukari. "As for you two?"

"I'm sorry, Mitsuru-senpai..." Fuuka said. "I didn't know if this was a normal thing, and I somewhat panicked."

Mitsuru nodded. "That's okay, Yamagishi. This is nothing serious. And you, Takeba?"

"Well," Yukari began as she played with a lock of hair behind one of her ears. "I smelled the food, so I ended up here. I did try to get everyone to calm down, but they weren't listening."

Ikutsuki chuckled. "It's alright, Mitsuru. I was here to supervise them. If anything gets out of hand, I'll stop them. Just think of this as a team bonding event."

Mitsuru sighed. "You're right, I overreacted. I am terribly sorry, everyone."

"Oh, don't worry about it, Kirijo-senpai," Ren said as he put a plate of curry in front of Mitsuru. The smell became even stronger, and her mouth started to salivate. "Want to join in the festivities?" Ren asked with a small smile.

"Well, if you're offering," Mitsuru answered with a small smile and took the plate with a small serving. It smelled good, but Kirijo Mitsuru was someone that was raised by the Kirijo Group, one of the biggest companies in the world. Her palate was raised to be part of the highest classes. She supposed that she shouldn't destroy his confidence too much.

The spoon clanged on the empty plate.

Mitsuru blinked. "Huh?"

"Mitsuru?" Akihiko asked, gaining Mitsuru's attention. "Are you okay?"

"I-I am," Mitsuru answered. "I'm just surprised that my plate is empty now."

"That's because you ate it all, senpai," Yukari said with a grin. "Looks like someone zoned out while eating."

"Th-that's impossible! I would have noticed!"

"Senpai," Junpei interjected, "I think you didn't notice because you were too busy eating..."

Ren returned with more plates of curry. "I think that's enough teasing from everyone. Sorry, Kotone, but at this point, I think I should just serve curry to everyone."

"Not a problem! I'm so glad to be eating something that even got someone like Mitsuru-senpai! Give me another plate, please!" Kotone demanded as she presented her empty plate to Ren. Ren chuckled as he refilled her plate with curry and rice.

Mitsuru took a seat with a serious face, trying to calm down from what just happened. 'I let myself get carried away. I did not think that the curry would be so good, and I let my guard down. I couldn't even taste it. I'll have to be careful on the next plate.'

Everyone followed suit. Since Kotone was already sitting on one of the lone chairs, Mitsuru took the opposite hers. Fuuka and Yukari took the other side while Akihiko and Junpei took the remaining ones. Ikutsuki stayed up while Ren finished serving for everyone.

"Alright, now that everyone is here," Ikutsuki said after clapping his hands together, "I have some news on Ren's Persona. Would it be okay to talk about this now while you all enjoy his cooking?"

"Fire away, Ikutsuki-san!" Kotone said as she took in another spoonful of curry.

Mitsuru took a spoonful as well, mindful to savor it and not lose herself again. 'It's very good. The spiciness, complex flavors within it. However, it's missing something, but what?'

"To begin with," Ikutsuki started, "Ren woke up on June 10th. Mitsuru and I explained the situation to him then, and it was when he accepted our invitation to join SEES."

"Wait, seriously?" Yukari asked as she turned to Ren. "Right after you woke up?"

Ren shrugged. "What can I say? I don't like doing nothing when I can change something. Ikutsuki-san already explained that all these are connected with the Apathy Syndrome. If the Dark Hour is causing it, then I have to do something about it, right?"

"Indeed. From June 10th until yesterday, we ran multiple tests on Ren's Persona and his outfit," Ikutsuki continued. "First, Ren's outfit only appears within Tartarus. We have tested in different locations during the Dark Hour, and it has been consistent all throughout Tatsumi Port Island. Ren’s outfit augments his abilities. He can run faster, jump higher, be nimbler, things like that. Funnily enough, it doesn't make him superhuman, just a powerful human. With his outfit, Ren's mask works like an Evoker; swiping it away acts like pushing the trigger for the Evoker."

"Then what happens outside Tartarus?" Akihiko asked. "We have the Full Moon Shadows to deal with."

Ikutsuki nodded. "A valid concern. Without his outfit, he is just his normal self. Due to this, we have given him an Evoker. Ren has already shown that he can use it in conjunction with his acrobatics."

"Hey Ren," Kotone called out. "Remember when you were running circles around the Shadows last time?" Ren nodded. "Well, what do you think about running decoy? You're the only one that can run around while summoning a Persona."

Ren nodded. "That's fine with me."

"That is exactly what we thought as well. As for weapons," Ikutsuki continued, "Ren is more proficient with a gun, but because of the possibility of running close to Shadows, he will be given a second weapon: a knife."

"You get two weapons?!" Junpei yelled out.

"Can I get a secondary weapon as well?" Yukari asked.

"You may, but can you use it well?" Ikutsuki asked. "Ren's Persona compliments his fighting style as a decoy. His Persona can buff his speed to dodge while inflicting the status ailments while fighting continuously. On the other hand, you are a ranged healer. You tend to be on the back lines from what your Tartarus reports say. I'm sorry, but we see no reason to give you a secondary weapon."

Yukari's face soured but nodded in the end.

'It only makes sense. Amamiya-san already knew how to use both these weapons beforehand. Learning how to wield two weapons now would only serve to distract us,' Mitsuru thought, agreeing with Ikutsuki's reasoning. She took in the last spoonful of the curry in front of her. 'It needs something...bitter. Is it coffee that this curry needs? What kind of combination is that?'

"On the topic of Ren's Persona, his attacks consist of Curse and Physical attacks," Ikutsuki said.

"You mean Mudo skills?" Fuuka asked, only for Ikutsuki to shake his head.

"No. They are similar, but not the same," Ikutsuki clarified. "They don't seem to kill enemies instantly, but function like all the Elemental skills like Agi and Bufu skills. In all honesty, it is one of the greatest information we have gotten from Ren."

"Yes!" Kotone cheered all of a sudden and grabbed Ren’s shoulder, shaking him. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! Seriously, I've been trying to make those Hama and Mudo skills stick, but I end up missing most of them. You'll seriously help out against Shadows with Mudo weakness!"

"That's... Uh... Good to hear, Kotone. Happy to be of service," Ren said awkwardly.

Kotone looked up to him. "Please tell me you have a Hama version!" she said with a hopeful look, only for Ren to shake his head.

"Sorry, if anything, my Persona is weak to those. It's also weak to Ice skills," Ren said as Kotone deflated and let him go.

"Seriously?" Akihiko piped up. "My Polydeuces is the same!"

"On the other hand," Ikutsuki said, "his Physical attack deals a new status ailment we decided to call Sleep. As the name suggests, it puts enemies to sleep, allowing others to deal damage freely. As I've mentioned already, his Persona can also buff someone's speed. That concludes the report on Ren's Persona abilities."

"Sounds good!" Kotone said as she finished her batch of curry. "So, just to repeat it, Ren will be in the front lines as a decoy. Fuuka will be the navigator. Akihiko-senpai and Junpei will be on the front lines dealing the most damage. Yukari and Mitsuru-senpai will be in the back, providing support while taking potshots when they can."

"That won't work for Mitsuru," Akihiko interjected.

"Eh? Why not?" Kotone asked. "Mitsuru-senpai said that her Persona doesn't have any Physical skills."

"That may be true," Akihiko said, "but she's more of a mid-range fighter."

Mitsuru nodded. "Akihiko's right. While Yukari can heal and attack, she does both equally." Mitsuru glanced at Yukari, who nodded. "However, I deal more damage than healing. On top of that, I can also deal a charm status ailment on the enemy. I would be better in-between Yukari and the front lines."

Kotone hummed at Mitsuru's words, seemingly taking it in. "Alright then, we'll do that. The next time we go to Tartarus, I'll stick with the four-person group to explore it while the rest stay behind to protect Fuuka. We can't have what happened with the Emperor and Empress Full Moon Shadows to happen again," Kotone said, which the others nodded to.

'Agreed,' Mitsuru thought. 'The situation was dire until Amamiya and the others arrived. Takeba and I could have died then.' She clenched her fists under the table, keeping her face as smooth as possible. 'I cannot allow that to happen, not until the Dark Hour disappears.'

"That said," Kotone continued, "we won't be doing Tartarus for a while."

Everyone erupted with questions.

"Wait, how come?" Junpei asked. "Wouldn't it be good to go soon? We've got new members and the momentum from the last Full Moon Operation."

"That's true," Kotone said as she looked at Junpei. "But Ren and Fuuka only arrived today. They will need to get used to this place and the Dark Hour first. We don't want them to get sleepy when we're exploring, do we?"

Junpei clenched his jaw. "Yeah, you're right. My bad."

"Alright!" Kotone exclaimed. "That settles it. You two should be good in two weeks, right?" Kotone asked Ren and Fuuka.

"Good with that," Ren responded.

"Same with me," Fuuka agreed.

"Then... How does June 28th sound?" Kotone asked, to which everyone nodded. "Then it's decided: R&R until the 28th!"

---Take Your Time---

Activities:

6/13 - Night - Devil 2

Social Links:

Fool - SEES - 2

Magician - Iori Junpei - 5

Emperor - Student Council - 3

Hierophant - Old Couple - 8

Lovers - Yukari Takeba - 5

Chariot - Volleyball - 7

Hermit - Health Committee - 3

Death - Mysterious Boy - 1

Temperance - Transfer Student - 3

Devil - Businessman - 1

Chapter Text

2/3 - ? - Maruki's Palace - Ren

Joker breathed heavily but coughed as he choked on his own blood. 

The fusion between Adam Kadmon and Maruki was the strongest being the Phantom Thieves had ever fought, even more so than Yaldabaoth. Adam Kadmon was tough already, but this time their attacks weren't even doing damage. They took on the first Full Force attack, but they couldn’t defend enough for the second one.

And so, here they were, bloody and bruised, spread across the building rooftop as Adam Kadmon loomed over them. Skull and Queen took the brunt of the attack with Joker since they were the strongest defensively. Fox's Hyakka Ryouran and Crow's Debilitate helped them absorb the damage. Noir tried using Life Wall, but Adam Kadmon pierced it without taking any damage. Joker ended up behind everyone, allowing him to see the entire battlefield while he rested on a pile of debris.

Right now, the worst has passed. Mona, Panther, and Violet were doing their best healing everyone with Mediarahan and Beads, but they were running out of SP and items. They were literally running on fumes. They couldn't take another attack like that.

'Still, I have to count my lucky stars,' Joker thought as he tried to search for Oracle. Fortunately, she wasn't hurt, evident from her voice.

"Are you alright guys?" Oracle asked. "I'm so close! Just give me another minute!"

Suddenly, light gathered in front Adam Kadmon, forming into Maruki, though Joker could see that a tentacle from behind Maruki's neck still connected him to Adam Kadmon.

'They're still fused,' Joker thought.

Maruki began to float towards Joker and ignored the other Phantom Thieves, allowing them to heal themselves. Crow saw that Maruki was open and tried to shoot him, but a wall of tentacles emerged to protect him.

"Are you just going to ignore the rest of us, Maruki?" Crow asked with a growl between pants. "You think that we'd roll over for you?"

"No, of course not," Maruki answered Crow with a gentle tone, though his voice had some sort of reverb that made him sound like Adam Kadmon. "You still have a fight left in you. You and I both know that you can only take one more before you're done. However," he said, glancing at Joker, "this will be the last time I could ask you to surrender without me forcing you to." Maruki extended his hand. "Please, accept my reality."

Ren chuckled, despite coughing up blood. "No way. We will never accept it."

Maruki, in a surprising show of anger, grit his teeth and his eyes glowed red, just like Adam Kadmon's. "Why are you doing this?!" he yelled as he squatted next to Joker, though his voice was slowly becoming more like Adam Kadmon's. "You're fighting so you can feel pain! Think, Amamiya-kun! You'll live everyday with a possibility of pain! You'll live the rest of your days feeling sadness and despair! Everyone and everything you know can never be forever happy! What will you have after tonight?!"

Ren breathed deeply as he stared at Maruki. There was so much he could say to him, but it stemmed back to two things.

"Growth and our own free will," Joker said with gritted teeth. It hurt to talk back to him, but it had to be done. "We're done running away from our problems."

Maruki's eyes slowly lost its red tint and Joker could only see sadness in it. "I see," he whispered as he slowly nodded. "Then this is the last time we'll have this conversation. You won't even remember this ever happened," he announced as he floated back to Adam Kadmon before disappearing into light. Adam Kadmon began to move, and it slowly lifted its right hand again, preparing for the last Full Force.

A green light surrounded him, and Joker breathed deeply again, though, this time, there was no pain. "Oracle, how are we doing?" he asked out loud.

"Analysis complete!" Oracle answered. "Its weak point is its head, but we have a small window for it! I'll send you what I got!"

Every member of the Phantom Thieves received Oracle's analysis and took a sharp breath.

"That's a tight window," Queen said.

"We'll have to do what we can to make it last longer," Fox said, not despairing over the impossibility of the task.

"I have an idea," Mona suddenly said, taking everyone's attention.

"What is it?" Joker asked. However, Mona ignored him.

"Oracle, send everyone but Joker my plans," Mona commanded. "Joker, get ready!"

Joker looked at Mona with a bewildered face. "Ready for what?!"

Suddenly, Adam Kadmon's growl rang out through the skies and it brought down its fist to the rooftop. "Let us settle this...once and for all!"

"There's no time!" Mona replied and began to sprint the front of the rooftop, where Adam Kadmon was going to slam his fist. "Just get ready!"

Joker could only shield his eyes as Adam Kadmon hit the rest of the Phantom Thieves and a bright light swallowed everything.

However...

Debris wasn't flying throughout the battlefield, not like the last two attacks. Instead, a shield met Adam Kadmon's fist, held together by the Phantom Thieves, their determined eyes pronounced by the mask they wore.

"What?!" Adam Kadmon asked in shock.

"We've come this far - we ain't gonna give up!" Skull answered.

"Yeah! You gotta do way better than this!" Panther added.

"Don't underestimate our tenacity!" Fox yelled.

"It's just another threat. We'll overcome it like we always do!" Queen stated.

"If I run now, I know I'll regret it!" Noir cried out.

"We'll decide for ourselves what we want our lives to be!" Violet shouted.

"I'm a bit occupied, so do your goddamn job!" Crow howled.

"How is it, Oracle?!" Mona asked.

"Shields are down! Go for it!" Oracle screamed.

"Joker!" Mona called out. "Finish this!"

Joker could only smirk and dash to meet the expectations of his friends. He began to run and jump through the floating debris caused by Adam Kadmon's attacks. A big gap appeared in front of him. He jumped and twisted, gaining the momentum necessary to shoot his grappling hook and reach the nearest debris. It latched on perfectly and it began to reel him higher, closer to Adam Kadmon's head.

However, it noticed. "I won't let you!" It began to move its left hand, raising it to Joker's height to grab him.

"Persona!" the other Phantom Thieves command, summoning their Personas.

William rammed his ship at the left hand, carrying both Celestine, Diego, and Ella with him. Celestine began summoning pillars of fire while Diego shot tornadoes to help make them even bigger. Ella began weaving through the flames and dancing all over the arm, using its legs to attack.

Gorokichi created a road of ice towards the left hand, momentarily freezing it in place, before running forward. Agnes used the ice to reach Adam Kadmon and began firing nuclear energy at its hand. Lucy and Hereward shot with their cannons and arrows, pelting Adam Kadmon from afar.

"Don't worry, Joker!" Oracle's voice rang inside Joker's head while Al Azif dropped bombs from the sky. "We'll cover you!"

Focusing on getting as high as possible, he landed on another piece of debris and then shot his grappling hook to a nearby crane. When he reached the right height, he somersaulted, taking back his grappling hook with him, and landed on the face of Adam Kadmon.

However, it wasn't finished. It roared and tentacles erupted from its face, leaving Joker with no choice but to jump off into the open air.

Joker's hand reached for his mask and yelled, "Persona!" He hoped that Arsène would be able to catch him.

However, it wasn't Arsène that answered. Ren landed on a metallic shoulder. A halo of black angelic wings appeared above him. Only one Persona had that.

"Satanael?!" Joker screamed in surprise, but there was no time to hesitate. 'I'll take what I can get!'

"No!" Adam Kadmon screamed out again and a pillar made of tentacles erupted from its face.

Joker pulled up his gun, targeting Adam Kadmon, and Satanael followed suit with his rifle. "Checkmate, Maruki!"

A bullet shot from both Joker and Satanael's weapons and Joker could see that Sinful Shell swallowed his own. His Persona's bullet ripped through the pillar, disappearing before it hit Adam Kadmon's face. His bullet went inside Adam Kadmon, ripping through whatever defenses Maruki had.

Joker couldn't see it, but he knew that his bullet hit Maruki as Adam Kadmon screamed out in pain and began to topple to the ground, slowly disappearing into bright motes of light.

They won. Against all odds, they finally won.

---Take Your Time---

6/15 - Early Morning - Iwatodai Dorm - Ren

Three knocks woke up Ren.

“Ren!” Yukari’s voice rang from the other side of his door. “Are you awake yet?”

Ren rubbed his eyes as he looked at the clock hanging on the wall. It was 7 a.m. and classes started at 9 a.m.

‘A bit of time, but not a lot,’ he thought.

“Just about, Yukari,” Ren replied. He rose from his bed, put on his glasses, and opened his door. It seemed like Yukari was using her casual outfit in the morning. “Thanks for waking me up, but what’s up? I thought that we would make our own breakfast for today.”

“Akihiko-senpai made some bacon, rice, and egg,” Yukari replied with a shrug. “Something about protein and making too much.” Yukari stared at Ren for a moment. “Are you okay? You look kind of pale.”

Ren blinked before smiling at her. “Oh, don’t worry. Just a bad dream.”

“A bad dream on your first day? I’m not superstitious, but that doesn’t sound good,” Yukari said with a worried face.

“Don’t worry about me,” Ren reassured her. “A bad dream for a single night won’t keep me down. Plus, it ended on a good note.”

“A single night?” Yukari asked, but then she shook her head. “Well, alright, if you say so. I’ll get going now.”

Ren nodded. “Sounds good. I’ll be down in a couple of minutes.”

He closed the door, turned so that his back was on the door, and leaned back, resting his head on the door with a smile. “Yeah, a nightmarish month with a good ending.”

---Take Your Time---

6/15 - Morning - Gekkoukan High School - Ren

"Good morning, class," Toriumi said over the mutterings of her class. "As you can see, we have a transferee starting today. Would you like to introduce yourself?"

Ren nodded. He stood slightly slumped to show a hint of casualness in front of the class next to Toriumi with his hands in his pockets. He didn't change much about his Gekkou High uniform, other than using a turtleneck instead of the usual button-down dress shirt. He couldn't lie, Shujin's uniform did have some effect on him. "Good morning. My name is Amamiya Ren, and I transferred from Tokyo. Let's get along," he said as he showed a small smile, hoping to show that he was a normal guy.

To be honest, Ren was a little unnerved. It wasn't the fact that people were talking about him, he's used to that since his 'delinquent' days back in Shujin. No, what unnerved him was how happy his classmates were.

"He looks normal."

"Thank god for that. The class is already loaded with hotties like Yukari and Kotone. We don’t need any more popular people in our class. I'll take whatever normalcy I can get here."

'Same here,' Ren thought. ‘Maybe I can get that normal high school life I wanted before Kamoshida doxed me.’

"Actually, I heard he came to school with them two."

'...And there it goes.'

"Wait, seriously?"

Toriumi clapped her hands. "Alright, class, that's enough. Amamiya-kun, why don't you take the seat beside Junpei?  It's been open since the beginning of the year." As Ren took his seat, she said, "Alright, I will see you in the afternoon. I believe Ono-sensei starts for you today. I'll be going now, so behave yourselves."

However, even after Toriumi left the room, some students still talked in shushed voices.

"Yeah, some girl from 2-A saw them together."

"Damn, not even a day in, and he's talking to the cutest girls in the grade."

"He looks pretty cute, what do you think?"

"A bit quiet for me. He said he came from Tokyo, right?"

Suddenly, the door opened and a man with a samurai helmet entered the room.

"Alright, class, simmer down," the man said. From Toriumi's words, Ren can only guess this was Ono-sensei.

'Still, a samurai helmet? Isn't that a bit much?'

Ono-sensei placed his teaching materials down on the desk and turned to the chalkboard with a small notebook on hand. "Let's see... Turn your books to page 131. I believe that is where I last left off. Now..."

---Take Your Time---

6/15 - Lunch - Gekkoukan High School - Ren

"But there’s one thing you might not know about Murasaki Shikibu… And that’s the way in which her achievement is recognized worldwide," Ekoda said. "Can anyone answer this? Hmm, let's see... You're the transfer student, right, uh... Akira, correct? Why don't you answer it?"

"What the hell?" a student muttered. "How are we supposed to answer that if we don't know it?"

"It's through the Global Heritage Pavilion," Ren answered. "And my name is Amamiya, Amamiya Ren."

Ekoda scoffed. "Too easy, eh? At least you've shown some appreciation for your culture. Now then-" he continued to talk but was disrupted by a school bell.

‘That should be for lunch,' Ren thought.

"Very well," Ekoda sighed as he started gathering his belongings. "We'll continue this next time," he said before leaving the class.

Ren sighed in relief. It was the most normal morning for him. Students weren't slandering him behind his back and there were no teachers telling the 'delinquent' to behave. It was pure bliss.

'Is this what would I have gotten if Kamoshida didn't dox me? Sure feels nice.'

"Damn man, you got that question?" a male voice behind him asked. "How'd you do that?"

Ren turned around to face the speaker. He had short, brown hair and dark, brown eyes.

"I just read a lot," Ren answered before putting his hand out. "I'm Amamiya Ren. Who're you?"

"A handshake, eh?" the boy asked before shaking Ren's hand. "My name's Tomochika Kenji, though you can just call me Kenji."

"Just call me Ren then. My family name is way too long anyways," Ren said as Kenji barked a laugh.

"Damn, making friends already, Ren?" Junpei piped up beside Ren. "You're crazy fast, you know that?"

"What do you mean, Junpei?" Ren asked. "Aren't we friends already?"

Kenji raised an eyebrow at their interaction. "You two know each other?"

"Yep," Junpei answered. "He's living in the same dorm as me."

"Seriously?" another classmate asked. "No wonder Yukari and Kotone were with you this morning."

"Then, what happened to you, Junpei?" Kenji asked. "You're usually with them two."

Junpei chuckled nervously. "I overslept. I was up all night playing Innocent Sin Online."

"Damn it, Junpei!" a classmate said. "You just missed out walking with the popular girls again! Why do you keep doing that?!"

As Junpei and the classmates bickered, Ren turned to Kotone and Yukari who had arrived while they were talking. "You weren't kidding, you two are seriously popular."

Yukari shrugged in response. "Not like it really matters. There's no beauty pageant nor do we care that much for it. Right, Kotone?"

"Yep!" Kotone agreed. "No one here really bothers us, and the rumors don't really do anything. What about you? I mean, we kind of know what happened in your old school..."

"Oh yeah," Kenji interrupted. "You said you came from Tokyo, right? Why come here at all?"

That got everyone's attention.

"This school's a private school, ya know?" a classmate said. "It's not easy to get in, especially in the middle of the year. What gives?"

At this point, most of the class was staring at Ren, waiting for his answer.

Ren cleared his throat as he sat on the corner of his desk. "Well, if everyone insists, then I'll start at the beginning. I was enrolled in Shujin Academy of Tokyo."

"Isn't that school new?" a student interrupted. "It's supposed to be state-of-the-art. I even heard the government throwing tons of money on it."

"So, what does that mean? That we’ve got some genius moving in?"

"I wouldn't say genius," Ren clarified. "I'd say hard-worker instead. I spent a lot of time studying back then."

Kotone giggled. "Sounds like someone's bragging."

"I'm proud of what I did, Kotone, but not that much," Ren responded. "Anyways, I aced all the exams in the first-year. The chairman of Gekkou High heard about it and offered me a scholarship. Basically, he wanted me to perform as well as I did in Shujin Academy under Gekkou High."

A classmate scoffed. "Seriously? You are a genius. Accept it, man."

Ren shook his head. "No way. A genius implies that someone was smart to begin with. It denies all the hard work that I did."

The class was silent for a moment.

"Damn, that's a life lesson if I ever heard one."

"Not going to lie, that was a cool line to drop."

"So what were you before you studied like that? Can I be like that if I work hard?"

"I was just average, sometimes even lower than average. History was my worst subject back then," Ren answered. "And yeah. Sometimes it's a matter of repetition, or maybe even just starting over again and again until you get it right."

"Then what was your motivation?" Kenji asked. "No average guy just wakes up wanting to ace the school." Kenji became quiet as he began mumbling to himself, but then he grinned and looked straight at Ren. "It was a girl, wasn't it? It has to be, right? No guy changes overnight unless it's for a girl!"

Ren stared at Kenji with wide eyes before chuckling. "You could say that. I did have a crush on a girl back then. She was the smartest in her year too."

"Yes!" Kenji shouted as he fist-pumped the air.

"But she wasn't the only reason for it though. The reason is a bit personal, but it was mainly out of spite," Ren said as he looked down and a smile threatened to split his face. "And me acing all those tests felt vindictive."

"Damn, you need to talk about it?" a guy asked.

"Is it weird that I kind of want him to smile at me like that?" a girl asked.

"It's very weird, don't say that again, please? We don't want to go to Edogawa-sensei for a checkup."

"Oh, uh..." Ren fumbled as he propped his glasses up. "No, not really. I used to be bullied back then and acing those tests was my only way of fighting back, let's say."

"Seriously, there's bullying there too?"

"'Too'? You mean there's bullying here too?" Ren asked.

"Oh yeah, you're new here. You wouldn't know," Kenji said. "Well, there was some serious case of bullying recently. The bullies kept disappearing and apparently a ghost of the victim was supposed to be the one doing it," he said before shrugging. "The story is all bull though. Everyone seems to be back and from what people were saying, the bullies split. One of them is cozy with the victim, apparently."

Ren glanced at Junpei, Kotone, and Yukari with a silent message. 'Fuuka?' Junpei's answer was a slight nod.

"I see," Ren said. "I hope that the issue doesn't grow anymore."

"No need to worry about that!" Kenji reassured him. "From what I've heard, everyone's spooked about it, so there has been no bullying recently."

"Kenji's right, I haven't heard anything from the rumors. The bullying just stopped, which was kind of creepy."

Ren sighed. "That's good to hear." Outside, Ren looked relieved. However, inside, Ren was slightly disappointed and angry.

'Looks like bullying was a big problem back then too and no one really did anything about it. This was something we tried to stop as the Phantom Thieves. Without the Metaverse, I can't help them like I did back then. I wonder if I can interact with the Dark Hour like that.'

"Anyways!" Kenji exclaimed, taking Ren out of his thoughts. "Is that your type of girl?"

The class groaned.

"Seriously, Tomochika? Is that what goes through your head all day?"

"Oh, shut up!" Kenji fired back. "A girl like you wouldn't understand!"

"Sorry?" Ren asked, baffled at the sudden change of subjects.

"Are smart girls your type?" Kenji clarified.

"I..." Ren began, but trailed off, now thinking of himself.

'There was that time with Takemi and then Makoto...'

"I guess? I never really thought about it." Ren answered earnestly.

"Seriously, Ren?" Junpei asked with an incredulous face. "What kind of guy doesn't think about girls?"

"H-hey! I do think of girls, I just... I just got busy with other things," Ren said. "Anyways, now that I'm thinking about it, I may like smart girls."

"Well? Spill!" Kenji yelled out. "Tell me who you fell for!"

"You can't stop now, Amamiya!" a student yelled out. "We wanna know too!"

Ren looked around for help. Junpei was no help; his face was the same as Kenji's. Ren looked at Yukari and Kotone, hoping that they would help.

Unfortunately, while they tried to look bored, Ren could see the curiosity in their faces as they slightly fidgeted in place.

'It won't hurt, right?' Ren thought to himself.

"Well, fine." Ren sighed in defeat as the curious cheered. "First, I fell for my local doctor."

"Seriously?" Kenji asked. "You're a fellow comrade!"

Ren stared at Kenji. "What do you mean?"

"You like them older than you, right?" Kenji asked as he lightly elbowed Ren. "Don't worry, I understand you completely."

"Moving on!" Ren began again when he noticed Kotone's judgemental eyes on him. "The girl I ended up falling for next was a second-year. I could have asked her out, but we both had other things to do."

"Why didn't you ask your doctor out?" Kenji asked.

Ren stared at Kenji again. "Kenji, we're underage. It's illegal."

"Only if we get caught!" Kenji fired back, only for the class to groan at him again.

"Damn it, Tomochika!"

"Thank goodness that Ren actually has some common sense in him."

"Kanou-sensei will never end up with you, Tomochika!"

Kenji whipped his body around to face the voice. "Shut up! I'll never stop dreaming!"

"Hey, Ren," Kotone interjected, now that the class was paying attention to Kenji. "Is being smart all that you saw in those two?" she asked meekly.

Ren shook his head. "Not at all. They were smart, yeah, but they both had a really strong will, for the lack of a word," Ren said with Kotone paying close attention. "They faced so many problems, but they never gave up in the end. That's probably what I want most in a partner. Them being smart was just an attribute they shared."

'Takemi, even after years of harassment from Oyamada, she continued to make the medicine for Miwa-chan. Makoto kept on pushing forward, even after Maruki's actualization, never letting someone else do the job for her and instead drove to get her future with her own hands.'

Ren chuckled softly. "Yeah, it was definitely the fact that they never gave up."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Kotone asked.

'Do I want to talk about it?' Ren asked himself. 'There's no harm in saying it. If we are in the same timeline as my original, a little slip like this wouldn't hurt. On the other hand...'

"It doesn't have to be now," Kotone added. "Whenever you want, we can talk."

"Thanks, I don't think I'm ready yet." Ren chuckled deprecatingly.

Kotone softly smiled at him. "You really liked them, didn't you?"

Ren could only nod at her question. "I wasn't lying when I fell for them. Don't mistake me though, I don't regret not asking them. Maybe, when all this business in Port Island is done, I can go try asking one of them."

Kotone hummed as she nodded. "Then what about this?" Ren glanced at her with a questioning look. "Let's make a deal: you help me study and I'll help you when you confess to them."

"You're kidding me. You're wingwomanning me?"

"Yup!" Kotone said. "I'll even get Yukari and Junpei on this, if you want."

Ren stared at Kotone before smiling. "You don't have to do this, you know? I would still help you, even if you asked."

Kotone shrugged. "I mean, it's more fun this way. I would still help you even if you didn't help me study."

Ren shook his head. "Can't believe someone is helping me with my non-existent love life. I'll take it, so let's shake on it," he said as he put out his hand.

"It's a deal!" Kotone grinned as she took his hand and shook it. Suddenly, Kotone froze for a moment then tilted her head in confusion.

'No doubt about it, she just made me one of her Confidants,' Ren thought. 'Still, why is she confused?'

"Uh, Kotone, is everything okay?" Ren asked.

Kotone inhaled sharply as her face shifted into surprise. "I'm fine! No need to worry!"

"She's right," Yukari interjected. "She can be somewhat air-headed at times."

"Hey!" Kotone pouted. "That's just mean. We didn't mean to sideline you!"

Yukari laughed. "It's okay, Kotone. I'm fine with letting you handle the talking. By the way, Ren," Yukari glanced at Ren, "I'm also willing to help too. You're not a bad guy, so if you need to confess, just let us know."

Ren sighed in amusement. "Geez, I can't believe I let people barge into my love life." He turned to Kenji and the rest of the class. They were still arguing with each other. "They're still at it?"

Yukari shrugged. "You get used to it. We told you, right? They may like to gossip, but they aren't afraid to say it to someone's face."

"Case in point," Kotone said, "Kenji's creepy obsession with Kanou-sensei."

"I heard that!" Kenji yelled out to Kotone before talking with the others in the class.

"Hey," Ren whispered to Kotone. "Isn't this bullying? Making fun of someone, even if it is a weird sort of attraction?"

"We don't really bring it up unless Kenji brings it up first," Yukari said. "It's always been like this since last year. Seriously, he doesn't know when to quit. Pretty sure the other guys tried to talk him out of it but gave up. We're still trying to let him down gently, but, at this point, everyone is tired of it."

"And Kanou-sensei isn't filing for sexual harassment?" Ren asked.

"Not at the moment," Yukari answered. "She's only taking it as a joke, but if Kenji gets worse..."

Ren nodded. Kenji is seriously getting close to crossing the line. "Will Kirijo-senpai do something about it?"

Yukari scoffed. "I don't think so. This doesn't seem like to be something she would find worth her time."

"I see..." Ren said.

"I feel really bad for him, but at the same time I'm pissed at him too," Kotone said, though she whispered the second half. Yukari didn't seem to hear it, Ren activated Third Eye and caught parts of the second half, as well as what came after it. "Rio is such a good catch. Kenji is a waste of her crush."

'Geez, why is every woman in my life scary on the inside?’ Ren thought.

---Take Your Time---

6/15 - Afternoon - Gekkoukan High School - Kotone

"It's 'and', isn't it?" Kotone answered.

Toriumi nodded. "That's absolutely correct! You'd make a great composition teacher someday, Kotone.

"You wouldn't use 'but' to compare two situations that are identical, and 'probably' isn't a conjunction. So 'and' is the way to go."

The class began whispering about the Kotone. 'I feel a bit more charming for that!' Kotone thought.

"Now then, that's it for today," Toriumi said. "Be sure to review today's lesson. I understand that finals are a month away, but it pays to start soon rather than later." As soon as Toriumi finished speaking, the bell rang to end the day. "Well then, enjoy the rest of your day. Ren, may I speak with you for a moment?"

Ren finished writing down his notes before rising from his chair and walking to the front of the room. Other students began, hurrying to get out to do whatever they pleased for the rest of the day.

From what Kotone could hear and see, it seemed that Ren wasn't in trouble but that Toriumi was just asking if Ren was fitting in and all that.

'What a social butterfly...' Kotone pouted in thought. 'He's already charmed half the class on his first day. Hardworking and smart, but not too proud that it upset other people. I even saw him help people around him answer a question when they looked at him. Even Junpei asked him for help. That's my job!'

Kotone paused for a moment and thought to herself in silence before coming to a horrifying conclusion. 'I am not jealous!'

As she finished thinking that, Ren and Toriumi finished talking. Toriumi left the room and Ren began packing his stuff into his bag.

"Is everything okay?" Junpei asked.

Ren nodded. "Oh, yeah, don't worry. Toriumi-sensei was just asking how everything was, if I was fitting in and all. Seemed like Ikutsuki-san told her about my circumstances from Shujin."

"Then she has nothing to worry about," Yukari scoffed. "You fit right in."

"Can never be too sure though," Kotone said. "Fuuka was bullied because she was smart and didn't have anyone to help. Don't worry though! We got your back."

Ren grinned menacingly. "Don't worry about me, Kotone. I can fight back."

"Oh? Is that so?" a familiar voice asked as Kotone heard the classroom door open.

"Aaah! Akihiko-senpai!"

"What's he doing here?"

"Didn't Junpei mention that Senpai lives in the same dorm as him?"

"Seriously? What kind of all-star lineup is that?"

Akihiko walked in the room and looked at the four students and nodded with his jacket over his right shoulder. "Looks to me you guys are set to go. Come on, I'll give you guys a quick tour of Paulownia Mall. There's something Mitsuru wanted me to show to you. You're in on this too, Kotone, Yukari, Junpei."

"Huh?" Junpei asked. "Didn't you tell us about Kurosawa-san already?"

"I did, but there is something new. Finish up whatever you guys need to do in school, but make it quick, and meet me by the front gates. I'll wait for you there." With his piece said, Akihiko began walking out the door. As he entered the hallway, Kotone could hear him say, "Come on, Fuuka, let's get going. We'll wait for the others at the front gates."

Kotone heard Akihiko's footsteps disappear with another set of footsteps following it, the entire hallway quiet as they stared at the most popular boy and the bullied victim walk together.

Ren chuckled lightly. "That's going to the rumor mill, ain't it?"

"That's for sure," Yukari said as she sighed. "Wonder what's going through Akihiko-senpai's mind with all that."

Kotone shrugged. "Not sure. Akihiko-senpai was really pumped about helping out though. He led the charge back then."

"Still, I wonder what senpai got for us," Junpei wondered. "He said that there was something for us. You guys don't think we have another teammate, right?"

Kotone shook her head. "Haven't heard anything from Mitsuru-senpai or Ikutsuki-san. What about you, Ren? Did you see someone new where you did your testing?"

"Nope," Ren answered as he hefted his bag over his shoulder. Kotone caught him murmuring something about light and fatty tuna.

"Fatty tuna, Ren?" Kotone asked. "You like them?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sort of." Ren said. "Just knew someone that loved it way too much. I'm surprised you heard me say that."

"Barely," Kotone said. "I only heard fatty tuna and something about light."

"I'm surprised you like something so expensive, Ren," Yukari said.

"I don't even think that the sushi place nearby has that," Junpei added.

Ren shrugged. "It wasn't like I ate it all the time. I only had it maybe once or twice. Anyways, are we ready? Akihiko-senpai is waiting."

The group made their way to the front gates while talking about their day. Kotone had to say no to meeting up with Rio for the volleyball club that day, which hurt Kotone on the inside, but she knew that the volleyball club had made up with Rio, or at least had begun to.

Once the group reached the front gates, Kotone sighed in the predictable scenario in front of her: Fuuka clinging to Akihiko while hiding behind him, Akihiko sending a glare to the usual group of girls, and the girls that glared back at Fuuka for being so close to Akihiko. It would have a funny scene if Fuuka wasn't the target.

"Alright, back it up!" Kotone yelled. "You're scaring Fuuka!"

The girls stopped looking at Fuuka, only to glare at Kotone. "Stay out of this. You've got nothing to do with this."

"Oh, believe me, I do. Fuuka is my friend, and you don't get to scare her just because she's hanging out with Akihiko-senpai," Kotone retorted.

"Fuck off, bitch. Just because you're popular doesn't mean shit to us. The little squirt doesn't have the right to stand next to Akihiko-senpai!"

"Oh?" a voice rumbled behind Kotone. The girls looked at the speaker and flinched. Kotone followed and froze as she saw Ren's glare. His glasses were gone, and his face showed a horrifying glare. His unruly hair only helped to put a shadow over his face, making the glare even worse. "And you have the right to do so? Have you even asked Akihiko-senpai what he thought about it?"

"He's right, you know," Akihiko interjected. "Fuuka can stay with me as long as she wants. I tolerated you girls before because there was no harm in it. But you crossed the line. Leave."

The girls cried out in surprise. "W-what? Akihiko-sen-"

"He made his decision, right?" Kotone said. "Move it."

The girls began to sputter in indignation. One by one, the group began to leave, though it seemed like they weren't done with Fuuka yet.

'I'll have to keep a close eye on Fuuka.' Kotone thought sourly. 'This might have just made her a bigger target.'

Akihiko sighed deeply. "Thanks for that, you two. I didn't really know what to do about them."

"You couldn't just ask them to stop?" Ren asked. "Seemed to me they would have listened."

Akihiko barked a laugh. "I did and it did the opposite, leading to this."

Kotone hurried to Fuuka's side. "Are you okay, Fuuka? Remember to breathe."

Fuuka nodded as she breathed deeply and slowly exhaled. "I'm fine. They didn't hurt me or anything. Akihiko-senpai kept himself between them and me."

"Sorry about that, Fuuka," Akihiko said. "I don't do well in situations like that."

"Trouble in paradise, Akihiko-senpai?" Junpei asked, finally finding the time to ask.

Yukari scoffed. "Just because your paradise is a harem of girls, Junpei, doesn't mean that Akihiko-senpai's paradise will be the same," Yukari said. "Are you okay, Fuuka?" Fuuka nodded. "Maybe you really shouldn't be doing this. Being with us could just make you a target for others."

"No," Fuuka denied as she shook her head. "I decided I would join and I'm going to follow through with it." Yukari squirmed at Fuuka's response.

"It's her decision, Yukari, so don't take it from her," Ren interjected as he put back his glasses on his face. "Besides, she's already a target. It would only get worse if we left her be. The best thing to do would be to be with her whenever possible."

Yukari's face soured. "That's true..."

"By the way, Akihiko-senpai, weren't we going to Paulownia Mall?" Junpei asked.

Akihiko nodded. "That's right," he turned to Fuuka. "Are you alright now? Do you think you can start walking on your own?" Fuuka nodded. "Sounds good, let's get going."

On the way to Paulownia Mall, Kotone realized something.

"Hey, Ren, wait."

"What is it, Kotone?" Ren asked.

"What was that thing with the glasses?" Kotone asked. "When you took it off, you had this really bad glare and you ended up spooking the girls back then."

"Is that what happened?" Yukari asked. "Junpei and I couldn't see from behind him."

"Yeah, it was!" Kotone affirmed. "He took his glasses off and it looked like he was going to kill someone just by looking at them."

"Those glasses..." Akihiko began. "They're fake, aren't they? They aren't graded, but are actually just clear plastic, right?"

Ren nodded as he took off his glasses and passed it to Akihiko. "You're right. I've had them as a kid but didn't really use them until last year."

"But why use it at all? Don't they bother you?" Fuuka asked.

"I know that they can be used for fashion, just to complete a look," Yukari said. "Some outfits just need a pair of glasses to look good."

"You tried some, Yukari?" Kotone asked Yukari, to which she nodded.

"A bit before. I didn't really like how they felt though, so I ditched them in the end."

"Wow, Yuka-tan, it's hard to imagine you with them." Junpei said before grinning. "Maybe if you use 'em, you'll get smarter."

Yukari scoffed. "Oh please, you're the one that needs it."

"Still," Kotone interrupted, "that doesn't explain why Ren uses them."

"It's because of my glare," Ren answered, taking back his glasses from Akihiko who finished inspecting them. "I've always had it bad, used to scare others in the orphanage. Someone gave these glasses to me as a kid, but they barely fit back then, so I just kept it as a memento of sorts. Now, I use it to not scare others like what just happened back at the front gate." Ren glanced at Akihiko. "How'd you know?"

Akihiko stayed quiet for a moment before answering. "Personal experience. I knew someone with a glare too, but the glasses didn't really do much for him. Also, the fact that you didn't wear glasses with your outfit back in Tartarus was telling, unless your outfit also enhanced your eyesight?"

Ren scoffed. "My eyesight is a perfect twenty-twenty."

Kotone began thinking to herself. 'So the glasses do nothing but help him look normal? He hides himself even here?' However, before she could even stop herself...

"That's his mask in the real world, isn't it?" she blurted it out in a murmur as she glanced at him.

Ren's eyes were wide as he looked back at Kotone and she realized she said it. But before she could say anything, Ren's face turned into a sad smile and faced forward.

'Oh no, I screwed up!'

Kotone tried to approach Ren. "Hey, Ren, I-"

However, before she could say anything...

"We're here," Akihiko announced. Kotone looked forward and saw that they had already arrived at Paulownia Mall. "We've got two important locations here: the police station and a new store by the Kirijo group."

At Akihiko's words, Kotone saw that Ren slightly froze before walking forward with Akihiko.

'What was that about?'

 "Over here is the police station," Akihiko said as he entered the station. "We've got a seller here by the name of Kurosawa."

"That's me," a familiar, gruff voice sounded from inside the station. "Heard you got two new members, Sanada. That's good," Kurosawa, the insider SEES had in the police force, said. Akihiko began to have small talk about little updates on both sides.

"Ren, you okay?" Junpei asked quietly. "You kinda look like you want to fight something." Kotone glanced at Ren and she could agree with Junpei. Ren was very tense, and while he hid his hands inside his pants pockets, Kotone could see that his hands were repeatedly opening and closing into a fist.

Thankfully, no one seemed to notice outside of her and Junpei. Fuuka was listening intently to Akihiko and Yukari was looking around the Mall, not listening to anything that was said.

"Anyways," Akihiko said, taking back Kotone's attention. "Kurosawa-san, these are Amamiya Ren and Yamagishi Fuuka." Akihiko pointed to Ren and Fuuka. "Kurosawa-san here," Akihiko said as he pointed to Kurosawa, "is our insider. He doesn't know what's going on in the Dark Hour, but he can help outside it. If you're in some trouble, give him a call."

"Nice to meet you all," Kurosawa introduced himself with a nod.

Fuuka bowed and Ren followed a moment after. "Nice to meet you as well. Please take care of us."

"Can I ask you something, Kurosawa-san?" Ren asked. Kotone could still see him tensing up, but considerably less now.

"Go for it."

"Why do this at all?" Ren asked. "You're not obligated to do this. Hell, I'm pretty sure you can pocket some of the weapons and say that you sold it to us."

Kurosawa tilted his head slightly as he stared at Ren. "Because it's the right thing to do," he answered. "I know something is up with this city. Even I can tell that the Apathy Syndrome is not normal. I can't do anything about it though, but you guys can. I'll do whatever it takes to make the city safe."

"And you trust us with those weapons?" Ren asked again.

"If Sanada trusts you, then I can trust you. I've known Sanada since he was a kid and he's always had a heart of gold," Kurosawa answered again.

When Kurosawa finished, Kotone saw that Ren began to visibly relax.

"I see. Sorry about that," Ren said. "I just find it hard to believe that someone from the Force would do this, selling weapons to a bunch of kids."

Kurosawa shrugged. "I get it, I get it. I'm supposed to be protecting the peace, not sending off kids with weapons on their hands. But, like I said, I trust Sanada."

"You said you knew him since he was little, right?" Ren asked to which Kurosawa nodded. "Got any stories since he was a kid?"

"What?!" Akihiko sputtered. "Okay, we're done here, so let's go!"

"Hold on," Yukari said, "you're telling me that Akihiko-senpai, the number one guy in the school, has some secrets?"

Kurosawa nodded. "Of course he does. For one, he can't deal with girls."

"Alright, out!" Akihiko yelled and began pushing the group outside the station. From inside, Kotone could hear Kurosawa barking a laugh.

'So that's where Akihiko gets it,' Kotone thought.

She could tell that the atmosphere had lightened up. Fuuka was daintily smiling at Akihiko, trying to calm him down, while Junpei, Ren, and Yukari were smirking at him.

"And here is the Shinshoudo Antiques," Akihiko said. "Inside is a Kirijo staff employee..."

However, Kotone wasn't listening, stuck in her thoughts now.

'I didn't forget about that bad atmosphere, Ren. Something is up with you and the police. It looked like he was having a panic attack in the middle of the police station. Why? From his records, the police introduced him to a proper parkour group, which he stayed for a very long time. He should be fine with the police. So why did it seem like he was panicking?’'

---Take Your Time---

6/15 - Late Night - Iwatodai Dorm - Kotone

Kotone closed the door to her room behind her. She was very close to just laying down on her bed and trying to sleep through the night like that. However, she had other things to do, mainly studying and researching.

Her day wasn't exactly physically exhausting. Sure, she went to Paulownia Mall with everyone; then hung out with Akihiko, starting the Star Social Link; and finally, coming home from the print club in the arcade. However, since she ate her fill with Akihiko at Hagakure Ramen, she was full for the night, eating Ren's curry when she came back.

God, his curry was amazing already, but then he brewed her fresh coffee, and it felt like she was on Cloud Nine. She didn't know how, but the combination worked when it shouldn't. Maybe she can tell her boss at Chagall Cafe about it? Would he be okay with hiring Ren? Ren was nice, so the owner might like him. But Ren already worked for a year, so he could be sick working already.

'It's worth a try,' Kotone thought. The caffeine was starting to kick in, so while her body was somewhat tired, her mind was waking up. 'Thank goodness for the coffee. I should be able to stay awake for the night.'

Kotone changed to comfier clothes and turned on her laptop. Normally, she would study the school material, exams were in a month. She could sacrifice a few days for her personal research.

She thought back to her Social Links. 'Igor said that each link corresponded to a card in the Arcana deck, or at least made it sound like it. Twelve of thirteen of my Social Links matched up with what he said.'

Kotone brought up the site she used to list the 22 Major Arcana and brought out the Notepad app.

'Fool with SEES as a group.

'Magician with Junpei.

'Emperor with Hidetoshi.

'Hierophant with Bunkichi and Mitsuko.

'Lovers with Yukari.

'Chariot with Rio.

'Hermit with Saori.

'Hanged Man with Maiko.'

She paused for a second before continuing.

'Death with Pharos.

'Temperance with Bebe.

'Devil with Tanaka.

'Star with Akihiko.'

As she went through each Social Link, she matched it to the list online. Satisfied, she set them aside.

'Those followed the rules. But this...'

She remembered the Social Link chant she had with Ren.

I am thou... Thou art I...

Thou hast acquired a new vow...

It shall become the wings of rebellion

That breaketh thy chains of captivity.

With the birth of the Fortitude Persona

Thou hast obtained the winds of blessing that shall guide thee from death.

'At least it had Theo's voice. That one is consistent,' she thought as she wrote down Ren's Social Link.

'Fortitude with Ren.'

She checked the list again to make sure, only to not find Fortitude amongst the 22 Major Arcana.

'It doesn't exist. Maybe it's on a different deck? I'm sure there are thousands of tarot decks out there.'

However, even when she looked throughout the net, she couldn't find anything about it. The closest was in the Four Cardinal Virtues, where it had Justice and Temperance, but this was in Catholicism, not the tarot occult.

Still, in a situation like this, Kotone could only count herself lucky. She knew that Edogawa-sensei, for all his weirdness, was part of the occult. He should have an answer for this. There was also that fortune teller in Club Escapade. Maybe she could give a hint, though it was usually too cryptic for Kotone to understand.

She sighed heavily. If his Social Link was the only thing was the worrying part, she could turn in for the night. No, there were other things she had to think about.

'Ren reacted to me saying his glasses were his mask and then there was that panic attack back in the station.

'He looked sad when I said that first part. I wonder if I stepped on a landmine. I'll have to find a way to make it up for him. Maybe I should make him breakfast for a day?

'Still, the bigger issue was the police station. He had a small panic attack there and it seemed like he was ready to deck a guy.'

Kotone remembered Ren's words about being able to handle a bunch of bullies and she grimaced.

'Maybe he really would have decked Kurosawa if Junpei wasn't there. Thank goodness that he was there. Maybe that's why he invited Ren to the arcade, to help wind him down? Junpei can certainly look out for a guy.

'There was that little questioning Ren did too. It seemed harmless, but when Ren was in the middle of a fight or flight response, and he absolutely looked like he would fight, the questions didn't seem harmless.

'It's like Ren doesn't trust the police.'

Kotone's face scrunched up. She read his files and there was nothing indicating a bad event with the police. If anything, Ren should be happy with the police since they introduced him to his local parkour group. So why was Ren so tense back then?

Kotone suddenly yawned. She glanced at the clock and cringed at herself. It was getting late, and the caffeine was wearing off. She was not going to feel good tomorrow morning.

---Take Your Time---

Activities:

6/14 - Morning - Magician Date

6/14 - Night - Coffee

 Social Links:

Fool - SEES - 2

Magician - Iori Junpei - 5

Emperor - Student Council - 3

Hierophant - Old Couple - 8

Lovers - Yukari Takeba - 5

Chariot - Volleyball - 7

Hermit - Health Committee - 3

Death - Mysterious Boy - 1

Temperance - Transfer Student - 3

Devil - Businessman - 1

Star - Akihiko Sanada - 1

Fortitude - Ren Amamiya - 1

Chapter Text

6/17 - Night - Velvet Room - Kotone

Kotone had reached her wit's end. She had been researching the Fortitude Arcana for the past two days to no avail. There was no such thing.

She had tried to ask the fortune teller in Club Escapade last night and Edogawa-sensei earlier today. The fortune-teller only mentioned something about wings of freedom, and Edogawa-sensei said that the Strength Arcana was once called Fortitude. While she did ask him about the Four Virtues, he only knew about them in passing, as Christianity was pushing beyond the occult.

Thus, it left only one choice left: Igor. She could ask Theo, but Igor would most likely know more, seeing as Theo was only an assistant.

And so, here she was, entering the Velvet Room through the back alley of Paulownia Mall.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room," Theo greeted. "How can I help you?"

"Hi Theo, good evening," Kotone greeted back with a smile. She quite liked Theo; he was like the younger brother she never had. "I wanted to ask Igor about something," she answered, looking at Igor as she sat down on the couch.

Igor's creepy grin and wide eyes stared back at Kotone. "Of course. How may I help?"

Kotone inhaled as she continued to stare at him. She was going to get some answers today.

"You told me before to bond with others to gain more power, " Kotone began. "Each of them connects to me through the tarot cards. You foretold my future through the tarot deck." At her words, Igor nodded. Kotone inhaled again. "So why is it that Ren's link to me is the Fortitude Arcana? I researched all that I could, and I never came across it. Not even the fortune teller and my teacher knew about it. What is the Fortitude Arcana, and why is it different from everyone else's?"

Kotone finished, but Igor stayed quiet for a moment before chuckling as he always did.

"To start, Fortitude is the old name for the Strength Arcana, although Courage is another name for it. Fortitude is what allows one to overcome obstacles in front of fear, intimidation, hardship, uncertainty, or injustice, among other things. The difference between the Strength and Fortitude Arcana is about where the Strength lies. Strength lies in physical strength while Fortitude is a more mental and emotional strength."

Kotone nodded at Igor's words. It made sense. However...

"As for the latter question," Igor began again, "who knows?"

"Huh?" Kotone asked in surprise.

"I never said that all are hidden within the cards," Igor said. "It could be that your connection has forced the creation of a new Arcana form. It could be that the boy is special. Again, who knows?"

"Then, what should I do?"

Igor chuckled again at Kotone's words. "Do remember our contract, my dear Guest. We can only help you; your actions are your own to make, its responsibilities are yours to shoulder."

Kotone clenched her teeth together. "Fine," she answered with a sigh and stood. "It's up to me to decide what to do. I get it.

"Thanks for the help, Igor," she said as she bowed towards him. "I'll get going now. I have to work tonight."

"Ah, please, allow me to escort you out," Theo interjected.

Kotone shook her head. "It's alright, Theo. I want to think on my own for now. Thank you, though,” she said before passing through the Velvet Room door, now in Paulownia Mall.

‘The Fortitude Arcana will just be an additional one. I will strengthen it, just like all the other ones,’ Kotone swore.

---Take Your Time---

6/17 - Night - Velvet Room - Theo

Theo sighed. His Guest did not verbalize it, but he was not that naive; she was getting frustrated with the Trickster. As an Attendant, he knew what his Guest was going through when it came to her bonds. The cards that his Master dealt with were steadily growing stronger after all. However, it also meant that they had an idea about the emotion within them.

His Guest was frustrated with the Trickster, and he did not know what to do about it.

“Sister,” he said out loud, “your Guest is, as they say, living in my Guest’s headspace free of charge.”

A chuckle sounded throughout the Velvet Room and a blue butterfly appeared before turning into a bright light. The light eventually dimmed as a young girl with long, platinum-blonde hair appeared in the Velvet Room.

Lavenza sent him a mischievous smile. “He has that effect on everyone that he meets. I suppose that not even another Wild Card is safe from his charms.”

Theo sighed at her little sister’s words. “You know that is not what I mean,” he said. “He is so similar to her that their differences are causing her frustration. Him finishing his Journey is detrimental to her.”

“And yet she has resolved to talk to him even more than before,” Lavenza countered. “Believe in her, Brother.”

“I...” Theo trailed off before sighing in acceptance. “I understand. I just- I just do not wish for her to fail.”

Lavenza patted his arm. “I understand completely.”

Theo smiled at her comforting words. ‘Of course, her Guest was dealt a worse hand than my own.’ “That said, how is yours?”

Lavenza hummed. “My Trickster has begun his own investigation now that he has heard the rumors about the revenge website. He felt that it was similar to the False Trickster’s actions, and so, he has opted to be more proactive than before,” she said with a happy tone.

However, as if remembering her purpose for visiting her Master, she placed a hand on her mouth, blushing in embarrassment. “I am terribly sorry, Master,” she apologized as she faced their Master. “It seems that I became sidetracked.”

Their Master chuckled. “Not to worry, Lavenza. It is great to hear that you are happy with your Guest. Now, what was it that you wished to speak of?”

“The Electric Chair is now available for use,” Lavenza answered, and Theo choked. “When shall I place them here?”

“You can’t!” Theo shrieked. “It would go against the aesthetics of my Guest’s Velvet Room!”

Lavenza rolled her eyes. “This is for your Guest’s growth. Will you deny her that?”

Theo flinched. There was nothing he could say to that.

“Not to worry, Theo,” their Master placated. “It shall be a gift from me to your Guest. I can always change how it looks to suit this Velvet Room.” Theo sighed in relief. “As for the functionality, let us introduce it later. Introducing it now would make the Trickster’s appearance more than a coincidence.”

Lavenza nodded at their Master’s words. “Very well. I shall be within my Trickster’s Velvet Room,” she said before disappearing into motes of light again.

---Take Your Time---

6/17 - Night - Iwatodai Dorm - Ren

“Oh? Welcome back, Kotone,” Ren greeted from the back of the kitchen, just finishing cleaning up the dishes.

“Hi Ren, Mitsuru-senpai,” Kotone greeted back. Mitsuru nodded. “Got any food left for me?” she asked as she approached the dinner table.

“One serving,” Ren answered, placing a plate of hot stew on the table. “By the way, Kotone, have you noticed anything about Fuuka recently?”

“Fuuka? Nothing weird, why?”

“She kept staring at me while I was cooking. I tried to ask her about it once, but I think she’s scared of me or something. I hope I didn’t do anything offensive to her,” Ren replied.

“While you were cooking...” Kotone muttered as she took a seat. “Oh!” she suddenly exclaimed. “She did say she wanted to learn how to cook before I left tonight. I guess she was too embarrassed to ask you directly?”

Ren nodded in understanding. “Considering that she was a victim of bullying, it could be that she’s afraid to reach out to others about her problem. I suppose it’s a matter of time then,” he said before focusing on Kotone. “Will you talk to her if she doesn’t get any better? I would try, but well...”

Kotone nodded as she took a spoonful of stew. “Don’t worry! I won’t let it get in the way of the team.”

Ren chuckled at her energy. “Sounds good. Guess I can leave your dishes to you? I want to go out and train.” Kotone nodded again, but Mitsuru piped up.

“Training? Again?” she asked.

“Yeah. I need to get used to running around in the dark, if the reports about the Full Moon Shadows so far are right,” Ren replied. “Don’t worry, I’m only looking around for areas to do some parkour. I’ve already checked out some areas earlier today, so it’s just a matter of seeing how they look at night.”

Mitsuru stared at Ren for a few moments before nodding to herself. “Very well. Carry your Evoker, just in case Shadows attack you,” Mitsuru warned. “Do not be afraid to call for help.”

Ren threw a small smirk in Mitsuru's way. “Not a problem. I already have it on me,” he said, patting the Evoker he hid under his clothes and began making his way out the dorm. “Have a good night, you two.”

He closed the doors behind him and walked in a casual manner away from the dorm. He walked past the apartments. He walked past the stores. He walked far away from the dorm.

He checked his phone. The time was 11:57 p.m. Now that it was close, he walked into the shadows of the buildings around him, concealing him. Thus, he waited for the Dark Hour.

The sky became tinged with green and all lights stopped working.

A blue flame quickly swallowed him, but it dissipated as fast as it appeared. Amamiya Ren disappeared, and Joker came to being.

---Take Your Time---

6/17 - Dark Hour - ??? - Joker

Joker leapt from one rooftop to another, his Metaverse Outfit's augmentation allowing him to do so with ease.

He slightly lied to Ikutsuki and SEES about his powers. His outfit didn't appear only in Tartarus, it can come out during the Dark Hour as he commanded. He had two theories. The first was that the Dark Hour was different from the cognition-based dimension that the Metaverse was. It would mean that there would be no distortion, so his Metaverse Outfit changed its own rules. The second was that the entirety of the Dark Hour was the distortion. Both did not explain why he could summon it at will during the Dark Hour. On top of that, Tartarus always forced him to summon his outfit, so Tartarus was a distortion at the very least. All of these were personal tests he had been doing on his own ever since two days ago.

He looked up into the sky and, with both his Third Eye and his connection to his Persona, he could see Yatagarasu flying about, scanning areas that Joker can't reach, effectively doubling the area he was currently patrolling. He tried to summon both Yatagarasu and Nekomata yesterday, but it gave him a severe migraine and he had to cut his patrol early.

So why lie to the others at all? Because he couldn't trust the others, not fully. He remembered Ichinose's betrayal, something no one amongst the Phantom Thieves saw coming. They saw Akechi coming, so it didn't count. His Wild Card ability was one card he hid. Being able to use his Metaverse outfit is another. If he did meet anyone not affiliated with SEES as he is now, they wouldn't know that he was Amamiya Ren nor that he was with SEES. Right now, he was a third-party with as much freedom as he could.

He jumped into another rooftop but stopped running. He called down Yatagarasu, turning it back into his mask. From what he saw in Yatagarasu's memories, there were no signs of anything he was looking for. Summoning the Persona again, his face flickered with blue flames before it disappeared again. Yatagarasu was back in the air and flew once more.

Still, he wasn't lying about training during the night. He was looking for paths throughout the city that would allow him to kite enemies or even escape with the others if necessary. It just wasn't the only thing he planned to do.

He did hear about the revenge site from his schoolmates and that's what he was doing now: finding any leads about them.

This was what he was doing with Yatagarasu, looking for any sign that something was off. However, so far, none at all. All he could see from Yatagarasu's memories were just coffins and blood. No one was appearing dead within the city so far, but it was going to happen. He just had to keep looking.

---Take Your Time---

6/20 - Afternoon - Iwatodai Dorm - Kotone

Kotone felt a bit more courageous after drinking that concoction Edogawa-sensei made, as always. However, visiting him made her come back to the dorm a bit later than the others. And so, she was alone on her walk back.

She couldn't go out to spend time with her Social Links because Mitsuru-senpai said that Ikutsuki-san was visiting for today and it was vital that everyone was back during the afternoon. And so, everyone had to go back today.

'I wonder what Ikutsuki-san is going to talk about today,' Kotone thought. 'There has been nothing new on our end, so could it be something new about their research? Maybe something new about Ren's powers?'

Ren still bugged her. In the past five days, he has not come to her to talk about something. He never sought her during lunch, asking if she was free. Akihiko-senpai, Hidetoshi-senpai, Fuuka, Yukari, Junpei, Rio, Bebe, and Saori all asked her at some point, but never Ren.

'If it comes down to it, I'll ask him out myself,' Kotone thought, before slightly blushing and then crushing those thoughts.

In front of the dorm, Kotone saw that Yukari, Fuuka, and Ren were gathered around something.

"Hey guys!" she called them. "What are you up to?"

Fuuka turned to her, but before she could answer, a bark sounded from where the three gathered.

"A dog?" Kotone asked, coming closer to the group. Within the group was a medium-sized albino shiba inu. The dog barked again, and Ren gave his back a rub.

While the dog's attention was on Ren, Fuuka stood up. "Hi!" Fuuka greeted her.

"Hey, you're back!" Yukari said.

Ren looked back at Kotone as his hand rubbed the dog's cheeks. "Hello there. How was Edogawa-sensei? Do you feel any better?"

Kotone shook her hand in a so-so motion. "Somewhat. Still tired, but better than yesterday," she said. She looked over Ren's shoulder and asked, "What's with the dog? Can I pet him?"

"He was just down the street," Yukari responded. "He saw Ren and decided to hound him. But now, it looks like Ren's got him under control."

Ren chuckled slightly. "He wasn't hounding me, Yukari. He was just asking for a rub. Ain’t that right, Koromaru?" Ren asked as he kept rubbing the dog, Koromaru's cheeks, his tongue slightly sticking out. The dog barked in return.

"Hey, no fair!" Yukari said. "I want to pet him too!" Ren let go of Koromaru and Yukari began petting him.

"His name is Koromaru," Fuuka said, taking Kotone's attention. "I've seen him sitting by the steps of the shrine.”

"Hey, Koro-chan, give me your paw," Yukari said, putting her hand in front of Koromaru. Koromaru followed her command, placing a paw on top of Yukari's. She squealed. "Aww, he's so cute!"

"Looks like we've got a lady-killer among us, hmm?" Ren said.

"Worthy enough to work in a bar?" Yukari asked with a raised eyebrow, glancing at Ren.

Ren grinned. "Oh, definitely."

From out of nowhere, a dog barked and ran towards the group, barking again in front of Koromaru. A housewife seemed to follow right after. "I'm terribly sorry about that. I'm not sure why... Oh," she said. "Is the dog still walking around by himself?"

"Sorry? What do you mean?" Kotone asked.

"He used to belong to the priest at the Naganaki Shrine," the housewife answered. "Every afternoon, the two of them went this way for a walk."

"Well, that certainly explains why he's here," Ren muttered.

"So, where is the priest?" Fuuka asked.

The woman looked at Koromaru mournfully. "That's the thing... The priest passed away."

All four teenagers looked at her with shock.

"That's terrible," Kotone commented, bringing a hand to her mouth.

"Oh, you haven't heard the story?" the housewife asked. "It was about six months ago. The priest was hit by a car while walking his dog. He didn't survive. Ever since then, that dog sits patiently by the site of the accident. And, he goes for a walk everyday, just like when his owner was still alive," she said, then her eyebrows shot slightly higher. "Shoot, sorry, I must be going. I have to prepare for dinner. Have a good day, you four." She waved good-bye and left with her dog.

"Aww," Yukari cooed at Koromaru, "you're such a loyal dog! Good boy!"

"I'm a cat person," Ren said, "but you're such a good dog. Hmm, you three think that Mitsuru-senpai would let us adopt him?" However, before anyone could answer, the dog began walking away from the group. "Oh, I guess that's a no. First time being rejected by a dog."

Yukari giggled at Ren's joke. "Come on, Ikutsuki-san was coming today, right? We should get going. I need to clean myself up. There's probably a lot of dog hair on us."

Fuuka nodded. "Then, we should get ready."

Ren walked up the staircase and held the door open with a little smile and bow. "After you."

Yukari snorted at Ren's antics and rolled her eyes. "Sometimes you're too much." On that, Kotone agreed.

"I'll stop if you don't like it."

"I never said that," Yukari said as she entered the dorm.

Fuuka bowed and quietly thanked Ren as she followed Yukari.

"Thanks Ren!" Kotone said as she lightly elbowed him. "All that time at the bar taught you to be a gentleman, huh?"

"Oh, please, it’s more than just the bar where I learned this," Ren answered back before looking at Kotone with a gentle smile. "Are you okay? You went quiet back there all of a sudden."

Kotone stared back with a shocked face for a moment before smiling back. "Oh don't worry about it! I was just listening to that woman's story. Hearing it made me sad, but I'm okay now."

Ren stared at Kotone's smile before sighing. "I'm here to talk about it, Kotone."

"Later, Ren," Kotone said. "We have a meeting to get to and everyone is waiting. We don't want to be late."

Ren sighed. "Alright. But listen," Kotone faced him, "we aren't strangers like back then at the train station. I'm here now and I want to help."

"Thanks, Ren. I'll remember that," Kotone said as she smiled at him, hoping to hide away her thoughts from him.

'They all say that, but they all leave at the end.'

---Take Your Time---

Activities:

6/16 - Afternoon - Magician 6

6/16 - Night - Café

6/17 - Afternoon - Chariot 8

6/17 - Night - Café

6/18 - Afternoon - Priestess 1

6/18 - Night - Devil 3

6/19 - Afternoon - Star 2

6/19 - Night - Academics

---Take Your Time---

Social Links:

Fool - SEES - 3

Magician – Junpei Iori - 6

Priestess - Fuuka Yamagishi - 1

Emperor - Student Council - 3

Hierophant - Old Couple - 8

Lovers - Yukari Takeba - 5

Chariot - Volleyball - 8

Hermit - Health Committee - 3

Hanged Man - Girl at the Shrine - 3

Death - Mysterious Boy - 1

Temperance - Transfer Student - 3

Devil - Businessman - 3

Star - Akihiko Sanada - 2

Fortitude - Ren Amamiya - 1

Chapter Text

6/20 - Afternoon - Iwatodai Dorm - Ren

"Hello everyone," Ikutsuki began. "It is nice to see that all of you are here today."

All seven members were present in today's meeting. Mitsuru, Fuuka, and Kotone sat on the couch of the Command Room, right of the center table, while Akihiko, Yukari, and Junpei sat on the single chairs opposite the sofa. Ren sat on one end of the table while Ikutsuki stood opposite him and took everyone's attention.

"Can't exactly do much when Mitsuru-senpai calls for us," Kotone said. "What's the meeting today about?"

"I wanted to let you know how my research has been going," Ikutsuki said. "This concerns those Shadows that have been appearing during the full moons. I want you to listen closely; it might be hard to follow.

"Shadows can be divided into twelve categories, according to their characteristics. This we've known for a while. It's like their class or order.

"...Now, I've classified the special Shadows we've seen so far, and... It's simply fascinating!" Ikutsuki said with a euphoric face.

'There's that face again...' Ren thought with a sigh.

"Something wrong, Ren?" Kotone, who noticed, leaned towards Ren, and asked.

Ren shook his head and whispered back. "It's nothing, really. It's just that it’s the face Ikutsuki kept showing when we tested my powers. It creeped me out." It was like Ikutsuki found a new toy to play with. It set Ren off back then. It was also why Ren was keeping the full extent of his powers a secret.

Ikutsuki slightly gasped, his mind now seemingly back in the Command Room. "Terribly sorry about that," he said with a cough. "After ten years, we are finally making headway, gaining new information and seeing an evolution to the power of Persona. It's been one exciting event after another! As a researcher, how can I not be excited?!"

Ren noticed that Mitsuru slightly hunched and touched her forehead with a sigh. 'Guess she's known for a while now...'

"And...?" Yukari asked, prompting Ikutsuki to continue.

"Those four Shadows," Ikutsuki said as he took a seat, now having calmed down, "belonged to Categories I through IV, in order of their appearance! They may have looked different than the common ones, but the classification scheme still applies."

"Is that something that we should be excited about?" Junpei asked.

"Oh," Fuuka piped up, "I get it... There are twelve in all... Eight that we haven't seen yet."

Ikutsuki's eyes brightened up when Fuuka finished. "Indeed! That is exactly right, Fuuka! You're quite sharp."

"Oh, uh, okay..." Junpei said unsurely. "But what are they after?"

"That's a good question," Ikutsuki responded as he turned to Junpei, "and that's what we haven't figured out yet: their motive.

"They don't kill their prey; they feed on their minds. It can be considered predation, but is it really? Is there an underlying intent behind their behavior? The purpose of the Shadows as a whole... That's what we need to consider."

Ren nodded with the rest of SEES. 'Feed on their minds? It's not the same as the mental shutdowns nor the psychotic breakdowns. The former, caused by the death of a person's Shadow, usually meant the victim was reduced into a vegetative state. Ohya's friend is an example of this, so it didn't mean they always died like with Okumura. The latter meant that people would go on a rampage, losing themselves, attacking others, or causing accidents. However, in this case, the Shadow ate the person’s mind rather than being killed. In the end, though, the effects are the same: a vegetative state where they cannot act, feed, or take care of themselves.'

"Interesting, isn't it?" Akihiko asked with a smirk, taking Ren's attention from his thoughts. "But, no matter what, we still have to beat the rest of 'em."

Mitsuru nodded. "I agree. That's all we can do at this point."

"Eight more, huh? Lucky us," Yukari said.

"According to data, each one has been stronger than the last, so we better start training hard..." Fuuka added.

Akihiko nodded. "Don't worry, we'll manage. We've got plenty of time."

"What about Tartarus?" Yukari asked Ikutsuki. "Why does it even exist?"

"At the moment, we have no idea," Ikutsuki responded. However, Ren noticed that Mitsuru looked away slightly from the others.

'Well, it seems like the Kirijo Group does have some sort of stake in this, huh?'

"Any questions before we finish today's meeting?" Ikutsuki asked.

Ren nodded. "I've got some. It's about the upcoming Full Moon Shadows and the Lost."

"Go ahead."

"Do we have some sort of timeline on when the Full Moon Shadows will arrive?” Ren began. “From previous reports, they appeared alone during April and May, Class I and Class II from what you said." Ikutsuki nodded. "However, Class III appeared with Class IV. Does this mean we're going to be fighting more than one Shadow at a time, possibly even more than two, if the pattern continues?"

"At the moment, we are not sure," Ikutsuki answered. "Anything by three is a small sample size, no matter the study. However, it is all we have. And so, from all the data we have, you are correct in your assumption. On top of that, Class II has shown that it can spawn Shadows as well. Kotone, Junpei, and Yukari can attest to that." All three nodded at Ikutsuki's words. "This means that you may have to fight three or four Shadows at once."

"Do we have a timeline for them?" Ren asked. "If the pattern continues, it sounds like this might end before the year ends."

Ikutsuki nodded once more. "Very sharp. By calculations, if the pattern continues as-is, with one more Full Moon Shadow appearing every two months, then, by September, there will be three Full Moon Shadows."

"And hopefully," Kotone said with a grin, "this will be over and done with."

Akihiko's grin grew wider. "All the more reason to get stronger."

"You mentioned that you had another question, Ren," Ikutsuki prodded. "Something about the Lost?"

Ren nodded. "I saw some Lost outside their Coffins during the Dark Hour. Is that how it goes? We just leave them be?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Ikutsuki responded. "The Lost do not have Coffins anymore. It is theorized that without their minds, Shadows no longer see anything of need. At that point, the Shadows ignore them."

"What about during the day? We can't just leave them be, out in the streets like that," Ren said. "Shouldn't there be some sort of program for them?"

Kotone looked at Ren. "Is there something going on?"

"Not necessarily," Ren said. "It's just that these guys are everywhere and it's possible that someone could take advantage of them. I already stopped some guy stealing money from a Lost last night. I called on Kurosawa-san for help."

Akihiko's eyes lit up. "That's right. Kurosawa-san contacted me earlier today about it. Good job stopping it," he congratulated.

Mitsuru hummed in thought. "I’ll see what I can do. With the increase in the Lost compared to before, it would make sense that crime would rise as well. I'll see to it that the streets are cleaned up of the Lost. I'm worried about the local hospitals though..."

"In the meantime," Akihiko piped up, "Kurosawa-san said that he'll try to add more police on the streets."

Ren sighed in relief. 'Good, that should take care of the Lost in the streets, turns out Kurosawa-san is keeping to his word. Hopefully, the Kirijo group can get that protocol running as soon as possible.' "Thanks, Mitsuru-senpai, Akihiko-senpai."

Ikutsuki chuckled. "What a model citizen. I suppose that will be all?" he asked as he glanced at everyone. When no one said anything, he stood up. "Well then, today's meeting is adjourned. I'll stay in the dorm for an hour or so before heading out."

With Ikutsuki's closing words, everyone followed him, filing out of the Command Room. Outside the Command Room, Kotone poked at Ren. "Wanna take a walk with me? I'm going to Paulownia Mall tonight."

'Maybe to continue the conversation before?' Ren thought. "Sure, why not?”

---Take Your Time---

6/20 - Night - Iwatodai Dorm - Kotone

"Sure, why not?" Ren said, accepting Kotone's invitation for a walk.

Ren offered to talk with her before and she was going to use it as she said she would. She wasn't going to let this go away.

After asking Ikutsuki for something to wipe his glasses, since Ren only used his shirt, and saying their good-byes for the night, the pair finally left the dorm. The two walked through Iwatodai in silence for a few minutes and Kotone used these few minutes to prepare herself. The topic was not something she ever really talked with anyone and she didn’t plan to change that.

"So," Kotone began, "what do you know about my situation?"

Ren glanced up at the moon, and Kotone followed suit. At this point, the moon was past its half phase and was approaching the new moon. There were only a couple of stars out tonight and the summer winds were starting to blow through Tatsumi Port Island. 

"I know the basic stuff," Ren responded. "Your parents were killed in a car crash here in Tatsumi Port Island ten years ago. From there, you were passed between relative to relative, and finally ending back here again in some twist of fate."

Kotone nodded. "That's the gist of it. Hearing about Koromaru's story just hit close to home."

"Does it happen often?"

"Not really," she responded as the two arrived at Iwatodai Station. "I can promise you, Ren, I'm fine."

Ren stared at her for a moment. "You say that, but this was the second time you went completely quiet during a conversation. I know a lie when I hear one, Kotone."

She stared back at Ren, trying to think of something to say back, but had to quickly turn away as his gray eyes threatened to take her attention away. "Oh? How do you do that?" 'Just deflect for now.'

Ren gave her a questioning look before shrugging. "You can notice a lot of things from a human body. Body balance, voice inflection, twitches, breathing, eye movement, to name a few."

"Where did you learn all that?" Kotone asked with scrunched eyebrows.

"I worked in a bar, Kotone," Ren said with a smirk, "where I have to make people open up to me. Making people open up means that I have to sometimes know when someone is lying."

“How does that work?”

“Well, some people are just very stubborn, lying to make themselves feel good, but it doesn’t actually make them happy. To make a customer satisfied, I had to get the customer to face their problems head on.”

"...You're not some super spy, right?" she asked as both waited on the platform.

Ren chuckled at her statement. "No, I'm not," he denied. "That's a first though."

"But, seriously, think about it!" 'Good, just keep it rolling.' "You have superpowers, you can glare people to death, you know spy moves like what you pulled when we first met you, you can tell when someone lies, and you do all that parkour stuff. On top of that, Shujin Academy is apparently government funded. You probably trained since you were little!"

Ren grinned at her. "Oh yeah, and I guess my glasses are my disguise?"

Kotone grinned back. "A real-life Clark Kent pair of glasses!"

"You know it?"

Kotone nodded vigorously. "Sure do. I watch movies when I get bored."

"Foreign movies though?"

"The more famous ones," she said. "You don't like them?"

"I actually prefer them," he said. "There's just something about them. It also helps with training my English."

"Another spy skill!" Kotone pointed out. 'And conversation diverted.' "So you know English?"

Ren nodded. "A little bit."

Finally, the train arrived. The pair stayed quiet as the train rolled to a stop. Inside, they took a seat next to each other, though the train car was empty of other people.

"How much do you know?" Kotone asked.

"Just enough to watch a movie and understand some of the dialogue," Ren responded. "Reading the subtitles helps a lot though. I definitely don't know enough to hold a conversation."

"Seriously?"

"Yep. Tokyo gets enough tourists and most speak English. Imagine them ordering in a beef bowl restaurant, just pointing at the menu and repeating the same words over and over."

Kotone laughed at his little story. "Okay, that's pretty funny. Do they try to speak Japanese?"

"Yep," he replied mirthfully. "Their intonations suck."

Kotone chuckled with him for a while. Outside, they could see the calm northern Osaka Bay reflecting the moon that hung in the sky.

'This is nice.' "So, what movies do you watch?" Kotone asked.

Ren shifted a bit so that he could face Kotone better. "Noir movies where there is a fine line between good and bad, like The Good Father, but there are bits where I can't understand because it's in Italian, so I rely on the subtitles a lot.

“There's the Admission Possible series too. The action sequences are amazing, and the tension makes me want to keep watching."

A mischievous smile crept up on Kotone's face. "And you're telling me you're not a super spy, Ren?"

"A super spy wouldn't tell you that he is one, Kotone," Ren said with a smile of his own. "And what about you? What kind of movies do you like to watch?"

"Do you know Kill Bill?" Kotone asked.

Ren nodded. "I've heard of it, but never seen it."

"The Bride's one of the coolest characters ever!" Kotone said excitedly. "Everything she does goes fwoom! Then the blood flies everywhere! There's one part where she takes on a hundred guys and she goes to town with them!"

"That sounds fun. I'll try to find a copy for myself then."

"I have a copy. Want to borrow it?" Kotone asked. 'Wait, maybe...' "Or maybe you want to watch it together?" 'I can use it to get closer to him. It's hard to hang out with him.'

"You sure about that?" Ren asked with a raised eyebrow. "I don't want to waste your free time on me."

Kotone nodded. "Yup! Don't worry, hanging out with you isn't a waste of time. Plus, I get to rewatch my favorite movie again. It's been a while too, so it's high time for a rewatch."

Ren smiled. "Then I'll take you up on your offer. You have my number, right?" Kotone nodded. "Then just text me when you want to hang out. I don't really have anything to do that takes long or do at any other time."

"You haven't joined any clubs yet?" Kotone asked. "I'm pretty sure some of them are still accepting."

Ren shook his head. "No thanks. Nothing really stood out to me."

Kotone hummed as she swung her feet. "What about the Track team? That's pretty close to parkour, right?"

Ren shook his head again. "Not really. The fun in parkour is being given an environment and then finding a path through it. Track doesn't have that."

"Have you tried it before?"

"Somewhat," Ren said. "I knew a guy that used to do track, but he had a bad knee. I ran with him for a bit, to help get through the pain of picking it up again.

"What about you? Are you part of any clubs?"

Kotone nodded. "Yep, I'm part of the Volleyball Team," she said and noticed that Ren slightly twitched. "Is something wrong?"

Ren shook his head. "It's nothing. How is it there?"

'That was kinda weird...' "It's pretty fun," Kotone responded. "We recently got through a slump so everyone's starting to have fun again."

"A slump?" Ren asked. "Did something happen?"

"Nothing bad, really. Just some miscommunication between the captain and the rest of the team. It's all fixed now, so everyone is looking into getting back into it."

Suddenly, the train PA system announced, "The next stop is Paulownia Mall. The next stop is..."

"By the way," Ren began as he stood up, getting ready to hop off. Kotone followed him. "I didn't get to ask, but why are we heading to Paulownia Mall at night? Is something going on there?"

"Nah, not really," Kotone responded. "I usually go there to hang out or work at night. Have to keep myself busy and all." 'I can't say that I'm there to talk to Tanaka-san.' "What about you? What are you going to do?"

Ren hummed as he thought about it. The train finally stopped and opened its doors, prompting the two to leave the train. "Well, I did see that Club Escapade was in Paulownia Mall. You mentioned it before, right?"

Kotone nodded. "Yup! It's a party club, so it won't be like that jazz club you went to before. They won't give you alcohol since you're underage though."

"Yeah, that's understandable," Ren said. "What about the people there?"

"Most of them are just party-goers," Kotone replied. Suddenly, her face lit up. "Oh, but there is that fortune-teller inside." Ren looked at her, puzzled. 'That got him?'

"A fortune-teller?"

Kotone nodded. "Uh-huh. She's very vague though, so I can't understand her. Are you interested in asking her something?" she asked as she tilted her head. Both hopped off the escalator and had arrived at the mall.

Ren shrugged. "Maybe, if I really feel like it. But still, I think I'll go to Club Escapade and check it out at least once. What about you? What are you going to do?"

Kotone glanced around the mall. It was mostly empty, but she saw Tanaka in the distance. "I'm going to go meet up with someone tonight. I'll see you later?"

"Sure," Ren said with a nod. "By the way, will you be okay alone here?"

"Yup! I've done this a bunch of times already," Kotone reassured him. "If I need anything, I'll run to Club Escapade."

Ren sighed. "Well, alright, if you say so. And afterwards, want to go back to the dorms together?"

Kotone nodded back. "Sounds good to me! I'll text you when I'm done. Bye!" She waved at him as she walked towards Tanaka. Ren waved back before walking towards Club Escapade.

"Hi Tanaka-san!" Kotone greeted him with a smile.

"Who's the guy?" Tanaka asked as he tilted his head to get a better look at Ren, though he disappeared as he entered Club Escapade.

"Him? He's a new friend. What's up?"

Tanaka nodded as he listened. "I see. Well, cut back on meeting up with a guy like him, especially in public and at night."

Kotone looked at him with surprise on her face. "Why?"

"Innocence is old and all," Tanaka said as he placed his index fingers and thumbs together to make a rectangle and looked straight at Kotone, "but promiscuity will hurt your image."

"My image?" ‘What does my image have to do with anything?’

"Yup!" Tanaka said with excitement. "I actually have an idea for an ad campaign. Meeting up with such a good-looking guy is going to wreck it. Now then..."

From there, Kotone undertook another hour of training under the successful businessman, Tanaka, but it was mostly him spouting off his shady business practices. Eventually, they finished.

"You have been keeping your promise, right?" Tanaka asked. It was the same question he asked every time they finished. "If you don't, it won't be my fault if you get a lot of pizzas delivered to you."

Kotone threw a confident grin and a thumbs up. "Haven't told a soul! Your secret is safe with me."

"By the way," Tanaka said, ignoring Kotone's reassurance. "Are you going to be bringing that kid back here?"

Kotone tilted her head in confusion. "Ren? Why? I thought you said that I should stay away from him."

"Well, that's before I changed my mind. Bring him here next time or something. I think I saw something in him."

"Like you did with me?"

Tanaka nodded. "He was far away from me, but, behind those glasses, he exudes a lot of charm. He'd be a great candidate to partner up with you! Although, he would need to straighten up a bit. Just imagine, a charming boy and an innocent girl! I'll be hitting both the male and female customers with that! Anyways, see you kid!" he said with a smile before hurriedly leaving.

Kotone kept her smile as Tanaka left. When she was sure he was gone, she sighed and slightly slumped.

Her smile dropped. 'I've learned nothing but bad marketing practices. Placebos? Isn't that illegal? At least that's done with. Like hell I'd let Ren meet a guy like Tanaka.'

Kotone sighed again before straightening her back. Taking out her phone, she sent a text to Ren.

Ren im done here

R u still in club escapade?

Yeah

Want to meet up outside?

Nah

Lemme drop by

With that, she began moving her way inside Club Escapade. The music deafened everything once she passed the doors and down the stairs. The lights kept changing from one color to another, moving around the club in a pace that wasn't too fast nor too slow. She could see some of the older people, most likely college students, partying late at night, dancing on the dance floor. To the right, the usual two best friends sat with each other.

However, she wasn't looking for them. The person she was looking for, Ren, was sitting in front of the fortune-teller, named Mama. As she got closer to the pair, whenever the light hit the table they both sat on, she could see that Mama's face was beginning to scrunch up in frustration. Finally, she reached them, standing next to Ren, but she could barely hear what the fortune-teller was saying.

"Why is it that the cards always change for you? Fate lies in the cards and fate is infallible!" Mama said in anger as she stared at the cards.

'What happened?' Kotone asked herself. 'It's rare to see Mama get so...emotional.'

"People can change fate, Ms. Fortune-Teller," Ren countered. "I know that for a fact."

Mama's face scrunched up. "I..."

Ren glanced to his side, noticing Kotone. "Sorry about tonight," he said as he stood up, "but my friend is here, so I have to go."

Just as he was about to step away, he turned towards Mama. "By the way, people will know that you're not from the area if you make it so obvious with your bags." Mama's head whipped towards Ren. "Do be careful of scammers. Have a good night!"

With that, Ren finally walked away from Mama and approached the exit, though he waited for Kotone right before taking the stairs back up. Kotone said her good-bye as well before hurrying back to Ren.

Once they were outside, Kotone turned to Ren. "What was that about?"

Ren shrugged in response. "It pisses me off when people say that our fates are static, never changing. That we have no choice but to accept it."

Still, that didn't really explain what happened there. "So why was she so mad? She was never like that before."

"She tried to tell my future through her visions," Ren answered with a smile, "but she couldn't get a good one on me. After that, she whipped out her tarot cards. But no matter what she did, the cards always changed."

"Wow," Kotone said with a sarcastic tone. "Looks like Ren likes to bully fortune-tellers."

Ren chuckled as he fixed his glasses. "Maybe a little bit."

Kotone giggled. "Anyways, what do you think about Club Escapade?"

"Well..." Ren began.

From there, they filled the commute with small talk, discussing Club Escapade and Jazz Jin.

Kotone felt that Ren and she got closer that night.

---Take Your Time---

6/21 - Morning - Iwatodai Dorm - Ren

Ren rubbed his towel over his unruly hair to dry it while the TV played in the background.

He had long given up trying to shape or tame it, but it didn't stop the girls of the Phantom Thieves to try anyway. It turned into a ritual of sorts they dubbed the Amamiya Challenge. It became one for the new girl to try after Ann’s failed attempt. Makoto tried because she couldn't believe that someone's hair couldn't be controlled.  Futaba tried because she heard it through the bugs throughout Leblanc. Haru and Sumire tried because the others before them tried. Sophia, whilst in the Metaverse, gave up and ended up patting it like it was some kind of small, cute animal.

On the other hand, the guys didn't bother trying to comb it down. Rather, they played with it instead. Ryuji tried to make it worse. Yusuke made ridiculous shapes out of it, saying that it could become a canvas on its own. Oddly enough, Yusuke said that Desire and Hope's little black whirls were also inspired by Ren's little whirls. Akechi vehemently denied the custom. Zenkichi offered to trim the hair during the entire trip throughout Japan, though he also offered it to the others.

Ren's scar began to itch.

'Not again...' he thought before shaking his head, giving his scar a scratch to relieve it. He sighed with a hint of frustration. ‘Putting that aside, I need to review what happened last night.’

Ren finished drying his hair and began to put on his clothes. He was going for a simple outfit today: white V-neck and a black, open button-down with its sleeves folded up to his elbows, completed by jeans and dark-red sneakers.

He lifted his bed, reaching for a notebook he hid between the bed and bed frame. It was the notebook he used to contain his thoughts, just like back during his probation. He opened it and began to write.

'I tried to get Kotone to open up, but she steered the conversation away. If it was another person, they might not have caught it. Unfortunately for her, I've played this game with the Second Detective Prince and the scariest prosecutor out there,' Ren thought with a scoff and a small smirk. ‘That said, it's hard since most people tend to just unload their problems onto me rather than me actually trying to pry them open. Still, it's too early right now. This takes time, and from what she’s told me, Kotone has deep trauma that she's been holding on to for a long time now.

'The next thing is...the fortune-teller... Mifune Chihaya.' Ren released a deep sigh. Chihaya is one of his friends from the future and it hurts him to know that she was most likely in a very dark situation right now. 'More than likely, Chihaya has just left her town and arrived in the big city. It seems that she hasn't met that future employer of hers, Fukurai Yuichi, yet. I hope that, with what I told her, she could escape being used by him again. Still, it’s surprising to see her be a runaway girl at my age.

'That begs the question: is this the past or an alternate reality? Will my actions matter when it reaches 2017?' he thought before shaking his head. 'No, I can't think like that. Igor sent me to the past to try and help Kotone. Who's to say that I can't change other things? I have to try and make their lives better.'

However, a depressive thought invaded his mind. 'Aren't I basically doing what Maruki did, changing people's past so that they won't suffer in the future?'

Ren shook his head again. "No, what I'm doing is different. I will support and help them get over their problems by giving them the push they need. I'm not deciding their future for them,” he said out loud this time, as if to proclaim it to the world, not just to himself.

However, before more thoughts entered his mind, a catchy tune rang out from the TV.

~Current Net Price Tanaka in your television~

~Everyone's friend of desire~

Ren turned towards the TV and approached it.

~Current Net Price Tanaka in your television~

~Shop, it's now or never~

"Here comes Tanaka, over the airwaves to you!" the singers at the back said.

"Hello everyone!" a familiar face appeared to greet the viewers. "Welcome to the home shopping show, 'Tanaka's Amazing Commodities'! Granter of your desires! 

“I'm your host, Tanaka, with a live presentation of my Amazing Commodities! We'll show you great items at unbeatable prices! Ooh, you won't be able to touch that dial!"

Ren watched on with his mouth slightly agape, just as it was for when he saw Chihaya last night. Compared to the Dark Net site Ren had access to, this was completely different. There was only one thing he could say.

"...What the hell?"

---Take Your Time---

Activities:

6/20 - Night - Devil 4

6/20 - Night - Fortitude 2

---Take Your Time---

Social Links:

Fool - SEES - 3

Magician – Junpei Iori - 6

Priestess - Fuuka Yamagishi - 1

Emperor - Student Council - 3

Hierophant - Old Couple - 8

Lovers - Yukari Takeba - 5

Chariot - Volleyball - 8

Hermit - Health Committee - 3

Hanged Man - Girl at the Shrine - 3

Death - Mysterious Boy - 1

Temperance - Transfer Student - 3

Devil - Businessman - 4

Star - Akihiko Sanada - 2

Fortitude - Ren Amamiya - 2

Chapter Text

6/21 - Morning - Iwatodai Dorm - Kotone

“You sure you’ll be fine on your own, Fuuka?” Kotone asked. “You don’t want to stop by Naganaki Shrine with me?”

Currently, only Fuuka and Kotone were inside the dorm. Everyone else had left for the day; Junpei said that he was going to Naganaki Shrine to meet a kid. Yukari and Ren tagged along to make sure nothing bad happened. Kotone could only thank them silently in her head; Junpei is a good guy, but he can get a bit in over his head at times, just like during the Class II Full Moon Operation.

“Oh, don’t worry about me, Kotone. I’ll be fine,” Fuuka said. “I’m used to it.”

Kotone slightly grimaced. “If you’re sure. I’ll get going to the shrine then,” she proclaimed as she opened the front door. “If you need anything, just let any of us know, okay?”

Fuuka nodded and waved as Kotone exited the dorm and closed the door.

It was a sunny day in the city with clear skies, strong sunlight. All clear signs that summer was coming soon.

Frankly, Kotone was excited that school was ending for the summer. It might mean that she could spend more time with others and build up her Social Links faster. She had to increase the pace just in case the upcoming Full Moon Shadows became even stronger than before. They even had abilities that the Tartarus Shadows didn’t have. What would they have next, and how could SEES prepare for them?

Kotone shook her head, remembering Akihiko’s words from yesterday. They have the time to train and get stronger. On top of that, they got two new members: Fuuka and Ren, and that had caused Mitsuru to move to the front lines, something that excited Akihiko.

Kotone placed her ATH-EQ300M headphones on her ears and played a random song to drown out her surroundings.

‘For the first group going through Tartarus, it should be Ren, Yukari, and Mitsuru-senpai. Yukari and Mitsuru-senpai took the back seat last time, and they haven’t worked with Ren before. This would also be Ren’s first time working as a proper member of SEES and through Tartarus as well,’ Kotone thought with a shiver.

‘I can finally see that costume again. That was so cool. And, on top of that, all those stunts he pulled last time. It was like watching a real-life movie, or as close as the Dark Hour could be to real-life,’ she thought with a small smile. Pausing her thoughts for a moment, she noticed she had arrived at the Iwatodai Strip Mall. She continued to walk towards the Naganaki Shrine rather than use the trains. ‘There’s also Mitsuru-senpai, who Akihiko-senpai said was as battle-ready as he was. Apparently, being a navigator was a secondary job for her, not the primary. I wonder what she’ll bring out to the front lines. I can’t wait to see them both in action.’

Still, the trip to Tartarus is about a week away. The more pressing matter was last night. ‘It was a good thing that the conversation went in another direction,’ Kotone contemplated with a frown. It had gotten too close, too personal, for comfort. ‘Last night was weird, like I lowered my guard around him and almost spilled a bit more than normal. It was a good thing that I changed the topic, and he didn’t seem to notice.’ She sighed. ‘Still, it wasn’t all for nothing. I got a promise to meet up with him for a movie night. There was also that thing with Mama. Did he get scammed by a fortune teller back in Tokyo or something? Then there was Tanaka...’ The thought of him made Kotone’s face sour. ‘Like hell I’ll let anyone get close to him. He’s scummy and opportunistic. I still don’t know why I bonded with him, of all people.’ She could still remember when she visited Igor and Theodore to ask about how she connected to Tanaka and how she begged to cut her ties with him, to no avail. ‘At least it’s the Devil Arcana. It makes sense, considering how bad of an influence he can be.’

A small smile crawled up her face as she remembered the other Social Link she grew closer to. ‘It wasn’t all bad last night; at least the Fortitude Arcana got stronger. And since we promised a movie night, we have some plans to hang out again instead of just waiting. I wonder if he’d notice that I copied some of The Bride’s moves. Ren probably got his from the movies he watches.’ Kotone chuckled at the thought that Ren might be a dorky movie buff, contradicting the quiet, cool, and charming face he showed in school. ‘The same face that caught Tanaka’s eyes... Maybe spending time with Tanaka would be more bearable if Ren were with me.’

In no time at all, lost in her thoughts, Kotone arrived at the Naganaki Shrine. As she walked up and reached the top of the staircase, she noticed that Junpei, Yukari, and Ren were talking to a kid in the middle of the shrine grounds. On one side of the shrine grounds, by the benches, was the man that was with Maiko before.

“Hey, Kotone!” Yukari called out to Kotone as she waved her to come by. “This is Ken,” she said as she pointed to the kid. “Apparently, Junpei talked to Ken first.”

“Did not!” Junpei yelled out. “The little guy looked sad, being here all alone. So I talked to him... Not on purpose, I mean.”

“How do you talk to someone, but not on purpose?” Ren muttered though it looked like Junpei didn’t hear him. Kotone wondered the same, too.

“Junpei-san, you did come up to me first,” Ken corrected. “Today, he introduced me to Yukari-san and Ren-san.”

“That’s right, it’ll be good to see Ken-kun make more friends,” Yukari exclaimed. “By the way, Kotone, what are you here for? Any plans for the day?”

Kotone nodded. “Yep. Planning to work at the movie theater today. Fuuka said that you guys were here, so I thought I’d come by and say hello before going to work,” she replied before glancing at Ken. “By the way, why did you come to a shrine? There’s no one here to begin with.”

“No specific reason,” Ken answered. “I can just relax when I come here.”

Ren nodded with a gentle smile. “I completely understand. Temples and shrines have always been places to calm the heart.”

“Ew,” Kotone said with a small smile. “You sound like an old man, Ren.”

Ren shrugged. “Just because I used to meditate in a temple doesn’t make me old.”

Ken’s eyes lightly glittered as he looked up to Ren. “You sound so mature,” he muttered.

“Well,” Kotone said as she checked her phone, “I’ve got to go to Port Island Station now if I don’t want to be late. See ya!”

“Port Island Station?” Ren asked. “Then I’m coming with you. I’ve got to do some digging.”

“Digging?” Junpei asked. “What for?”

Ren glanced at Ken before looking back at Junpei. “For my own curiosity. I’ll tell you guys at the dorm, but it’s what I told you guys last night.”

‘Crimes on the Lost?’

Yukari gasped, realizing it. “Oh okay. Gotcha.”

Junpei looked at Yukari before realization hit him as well. “You sure, Ren? I thought Mitsuru-senpai said that she’s handling it.”

“I know,” Ren said, “but it doesn’t feel right to leave it alone.”

Junpei narrowed his eyes but then sighed. “Fine, but you are going to tell us later.” Ren nodded.

Meanwhile, Ken only looked back and forth between the others, not following the conversation.

“Alright, come on, Ren,” Kotone urged. “We stay here any longer and I’ll be late for work.” Ren nodded, and both headed for the Naganaki Shrine train station.

“So, Ren,” Kotone piped up. “Now that Ken isn’t here, why are you going to Port Island Station? The only things there are the movie theater and the flower shop.”

“You forgot a place, not a store,” Ren said.

“A place?” Kotone repeated with a confused look. “What else is...” Suddenly, her eyes widened. “The back alley?” Ren nodded. “What’s there?”

“I’m hoping for more info on the Lost and crimes related to them.”

“But why?” Kotone asked. “Junpei’s right, Mitsuru-senpai said that she’s going to start something to help them, so we don’t need to do anything else.”

“This stuff with the Lost has been going on for a long time, Kotone, but it’s only now that Mitsuru-senpai is acting on it, and it’s only because someone got caught,” Ren countered. “What about those that aren’t reported? Crime rates are usually higher than you know because there are incidents that aren’t reported.

“But, there are people that know about this, and they hang out in shifty places. I thought you knew this,” Ren said, glancing at Kotone. “You went there before for info on Fuuka, right?”

“Well, not really,” Kotone answered. “We went there because we heard the girls hung out there, not that it was a place for crime. That was why we weren’t ready for a fight. Was that why you were there that day?”

Ren nodded. “Yep. Like I said before, I was looking into the Apathy Syndrome because I got curious. Looks like I’ll be continuing that.”

“And where did you learn how to do all this?” Kotone asked. “This isn’t something you learn at a bar, right?”

“Well, a bar is a shifty place to get info, but that doesn’t answer your question,” Ren said before frowning. He began scratching the area between his chest and his right shoulder.

Kotone raised an eyebrow. ‘Did a mosquito bite him last night?’ “Is something wrong?”

“No,” Ren denied, and stopped scratching. “I just knew a guy that worked with the police before. That’s all.”

“The police?” Kotone asked. “You had a run-in with them before?”

“What? No,” Ren denied as he pushed his glasses up his nose. “Nothing like that. Anyway, don’t worry about me. You do your own thing, I’ll do mine, alright?”

Kotone frowned. “Hmm. Fine, but you better tell us if you’re in trouble, alright?”

Ren smirked. “Worried about me, Kotone? I’m honestly touched, but I’ll be fine. I know how to handle a crowd, so I won’t get myself shanked.”

“Shanked?” Kotone repeated. “What’s that?”

“Oh,” Ren stuttered. “Uh, well, it means to get stabbed, basically.”

Kotone became horrified. “That’s horrible!”

“Shh! Quiet, Kotone,” Ren pleaded. “People are staring.” Kotone shut her mouth quickly, glancing around at her surroundings. They arrived at the train station but were just waiting for the train. Luckily, there weren’t many people in the station this early on a Sunday morning.

“Sorry... But do you really think you’ll get, uh... Shanked?” Kotone asked.

Ren snorted, causing Kotone to glare at him. “Sorry, sorry. It’s just weird hearing you say shanked. But to answer your question, no, I don’t think I will.”

Kotone narrowed her eyes as she continued to glare at him. “Why is it weird for me to say the word shank?”

Ren hummed for a moment. “Well, it’s a street slang. It’s not something a cute girl would usually say.”

‘He thinks I’m cute?’ Kotone thought to herself, slightly blushing in embarrassment.

“Is something wrong? Are you okay?” Ren asked. “You went quiet again.”

“Nothing’s wrong. I’m good!” Kotone replied, trying to calm herself and stop the blush forming on her face.

Thankfully, the train had arrived, saving her from any more embarrassment.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

6/21 - Morning - Port Island Station - Ren

“Take care, Kotone,” Ren said as he waved at her right outside the movie theater.

“You need it more than me! See ya!” Kotone waved back and entered the movie theater.

“Saying goodbye to your girlfriend, huh, kid?” a voice said from Ren’s left. It was a man with shoulder-length hair.

Ren shook his head. “No, just a friend.”

He was about to leave, but a thought entered his mind. ‘Before checking out the back alley, it won’t hurt to get more info.’

“Have you seen anyone suspicious around the area?” he asked.

The man regarded him with a raised eyebrow. “What’s it to you? Don’t tell me you’re some detective? Or are you that worried about your ‘friend’?”

Ren shook his head with a smile. “A bit of worry and curiosity, that’s all.”

The man hummed as he kept staring at Ren, only to shrug. “You know how in movies, you see bodyguards with tattoos on their arms, and you know they’re badass? Well, I saw one of ‘em. It was right near here. He wasn’t built like a bodyguard, though... He was rail-thin... It was easy to tell, ‘cause he wasn’t wearing a shirt.”

“Doesn’t sound healthy...” Ren commented.

“Kid,” the man said, “don’t do anything dangerous.”

“What do you mean?” Ren asked.

“I heard rumors that he had a gun.”

Ren frowned. ‘That should be illegal and even harder to get.’ “Thanks for the tip. I’ll keep an eye out,” Ren said as he waved at the man, walking towards the back alley.

Behind him, he heard the man murmur, “Stupid kids. Suit yourself.”

“Been a while...” Ren muttered as he entered the back alley. “Though, it’s only been a week.”

A cat meowed weakly nearby. Ren glanced at the source of the sound, revealing a thin, black cat. It was very thin, enough to show the ribcage. No one else seemed to be around.

‘I guess I can try again later.’

Ren approached the cat, knelt, and scratched it under its chin. “Poor cat...” he murmured. “I’ll get you something soon.”

As Ren kept scratching the cat’s chin, he heard a door open nearby. He glanced to his side and saw that two men came out from the staircase going down.

“Did you hear?” one man began. “My buddy says these three weirdos come here a lot, but I haven’t seen ‘em yet.”

“I couldn’t give a crap about ‘em,” the other man responded, “so long as they don’t start shit. They’re fine with me.” With that, the two smoked, no longer speaking.

Before the two became suspicious of Ren, he left the back alley and entered the movie theater, intending to buy some fried chicken. When he reached the cashier, he should have been surprised to see who was manning it, or, rather, womanning it.

“Of course it would be you,” Ren said, smiling at the cashier in front of him.

“So,” Kotone began with a grin, “it’s my turn to serve you food, huh?”

Ren snorted. “That’s right. I’d like to buy some fried chicken.”

“Sure thing.” Kotone nodded as she inputted his order into the system. “I thought you were going to the back alley.”

“I was there already. There was a cat, so I’m going to give it some food.”

Kotone looked at him with a questioning look. “Will that be okay?”

“Yup,” Ren said. “So long as I don’t feed it the skin and bones. Fried food isn’t actually good for it, but it’s an emergency.”

“Order up!” a voice from the back called out.

Kotone left and came back with a pack of fried chicken. “Good luck, Ren. I hope it works out.”

Ren left with a wave and rushed to the cat, hoping that it was still there. Luckily, it was, and Ren fed it the fried chicken meat.

Ren left the back alley when the cat finished the fried chicken, now standing by the stairs leading to the alley.

‘Only 11:47. Still a lot of time before lunch,’ Ren thought as he looked at his phone. With some time to kill, it wasn’t like he had finished info-gathering in the area. Ren glanced around the station. The man from earlier was gone now; most likely have moved on for the day.

A couple sat by the flower bed. He could feel the awkward tension from where he was. ‘Is it okay to listen in for a bit?’ Ren hummed. ‘It could be too private, too personal for someone like me. I should leave them be.’

Looking further, he could see a man in a business suit. ‘He seems normal, nothing like the weirdo from the rumors. Should I try talking to him?’ As Ren got closer to the man, he realized that the man was muttering to himself. ‘And that’s my in.’

“Are you doing alright there, sir?” Ren called out.

The man turned to Ren with a face of realization. “Ah, sorry about that. I didn’t realize I was talking to myself. Was I loud? Did I bother you?”

Ren shook his head. “Not at all, I was just concerned, all with the Apathy Syndrome going around nowadays.”

“Eh, don’t worry about me, kid. I’ll be fine.”

Ren hummed. “That so? Then what got you talking to yourself?”

“Well, I heard about the disaster from someone I know who works at Gekkoukan High.”

“The Apathy Syndrome?” Ren asked. “I heard about those.”

The man nodded. “I think it’s awful the way those students are falling victim to it. It’s probably because of all the excess studying. Why would they study so hard...? I hope they don’t have delusions of going to a famous university, and getting a high-powered job...”

“Why do you say that?” Ren asked. He had a feeling what the man’s answer would be.

“Why bother trying so hard when the future isn’t looking good? Studying excessively would only lead them to get Apathy Syndrome.”

Ren grimaced. There it is: human apathy, believing that nothing mattered since the future was bleak. He heard the same thing from the inmates of the Prison of Regression.

“We can’t help it, can we?” Ren countered. He could have just left the conversation at this point. It was clear that the man knew nothing about the weirdos hanging around the area. Still, his experience wouldn’t let him. He had to say something back. “We don’t really know what’s going to happen tomorrow. Doesn’t that mean that we have to keep trying to make tomorrow better?”

The man hummed. “Whatever. What would a kid know?” he muttered and left with a frown.

Ren sighed and rubbed the back of neck. ‘Damn it, I lost it there. Morgana would have berated me for being so talkative to where the person I’m talking to would leave.’

Ren glanced around the station again. The only people he hasn’t talked to are the station officer and the Rafflesia clerk. ‘Funny, there was another Rafflesia in Shibuya. Was it a franchise by 2017 and I didn’t know it?’ Ren shrugged. ‘Maybe some flowers would help calm me down?’

Ren approached the clerk. “Good morning.”

“Hi!” the clerk greeted Ren back. “How may I help you?”

“I’ve been feeling...” Ren trailed off. Someone has been on his mind recently, someone with a very specific color. “Red. I’ve been feeling red lately.”

-.-Take Your Time-.-

6/21 - Afternoon - Iwatodai Strip Mall - Ren

Ren bit into his Wild-duck burger, contemplating how his day had gone. Before coming to Wild-Duck Burger, he dropped the bouquet of three stems of Scarlet Rose and three stems of orange Fluorescent Freesias in his room. Afterwards, he went to Paulownia Mall. A student had said that he saw a new guy playing with a ball or something in the arcade. The student said that he had never seen the ball before, even as a prize.

It wasn’t something concrete. It could just be some kid from outside the city, visiting to kill some time. And so it was low on Ren’s totem pole of important things.

The more important rumor was what he heard just outside Wild-Duck Burger.

“I heard there’s a growing movement on the Internet these days... I don’t know what it’s called, but this one guy is gathering lots of users around him... They say people just naturally take to him, ‘cause he understands them.”

Ren frowned as he remembered the rumor. It was something similar when the Phantom Thieves grew more famous after Kaneshiro and Medjed.

‘This is getting worrisome. Back then, if we grew more and more famous, Mementos would let us in deeper and deeper. Is it the same with Tartarus? Are there even blockades in Tartarus?’ Ren hummed and took another bite of his burger.

‘The Tartarus trip is happening next week. Will it be alright to ask about it, or am I asking too much now? I could just wait while continuing to patrol,’ he thought while chewing. He took a fry to break the monotony of a fast-food burger, glancing at it. ‘Not bad. Compared to Big Bang, the burger actually looks fine, not a smashed burger.’ Ren remembered how flattened the burgers were when he bought them from Big Bang Burger. The workers always overworked and went through so many orders that they didn’t care how the burgers looked so long as it reached the customer’s hands. Here in Wild-Duck Burger, the buns actually look like a bun, not a disk.

He shook his head. ‘Back on track, I have three big catches today: a group of three weirdos hanging out by back alleys near Red Hawk; a weirdo that has a lot of tattoos; and finally, someone is gathering people online.

‘The first two are more likely connected and are most likely far more dangerous. The man said that Tattoo has a gun, so I’ll have to rely on Kurosawa-san for this. Even though I took bullets from Akechi and Sumire before, that was in the Metaverse,’ Ren thought as he scratched his chest. ‘This is the real world, and that means real bullets. I’m not willing to test if I could survive an actual gunshot.’ Ren paused. ‘Wait, what are the chances that this could be an Evoker or something similar...?

‘Nah, while an actual gun is illegal and is near impossible to get without underground connections, an Evoker among the public is even more impossible. Still, the chances are not zero. I’ll have to keep an eye out for a possible second group of Persona users.

‘Most likely, Tattoo is related to this. He’ll stick out like a sore thumb in the middle of the day, so he should go out at nighttime. I’ll have to keep an eye out around the Port Island Station.

‘The third rumor is probably the most important in the long run. Someone is gathering online influence which could affect us later if it turns out they’re fighting against us. Will we have to fight against the Will of the Masses, 2009 edition?’ Ren sighed. ‘I hope not. It was not fun the first three times.’

Ren stood up, intent on cleaning up his table. He had lost his appetite after thinking that he would have to fight an egotistical god again. Sure, they were fun, filled with adrenaline and all, but they hurt every time.

‘Still, I’d rather that than the alternative of being completely brainwashed,’ Ren thought with a smile. ‘No regrets.’

-.-Take Your Time-.-

6/21 - Night - Iwatodai Dorm - Kotone

“I’m home!” Kotone announced as she opened the doors. Surprisingly, Mitsuru and Akihiko weren’t at their usual spots in the lounge, though she saw Yukari, Junpei, and Fuuka sitting at the table. In the kitchen, Ren was busy cooking something, presumably dinner.

“Hi!” Fuuka greeted her back. “How was your day?”

“The movie theater is picking up, with summer coming and stuff,” Kotone replied. “How about you guys?” she asked as she approached the dinner table.

“Yukari and me spent the entire day in the Shrine with Ken,” Junpei said. “Ren was already here by the time we got back.”

“Yep!” Ren exclaimed from the back. “I’m making dinner right now, so I hope you’re hungry.”

Kotone snorted. “Of course I am! What are you making, though?”

“Chicken katsu,” he replied. “I found myself thinking about chicken since I ordered it in the theater.”

“You went to watch a movie?” Yukari asked with a frown. “I thought you were going to investigate.”

“Nah, nothing like that,” Kotone denied before Ren could. “He bought it for some cat, apparently.”

“Will that be alright?” Fuuka asked. “Also, what investigation?”

“It’ll be fine, so long as the cat doesn’t eat it all the time and I take the skin and bones,” Ren responded with a glance towards the others. “As for the investigation thing, I’m looking into the Lost and if anyone is taking advantage of them. So far, no dice,” he said as he looked back at the stove and tasted the katsu sauce. “Nice.”

“Well, it’s only been a day,” Kotone said as she let her head rest on the table. “It would have been too much to ask.” ‘So tired...’

“Got that right,” Ren said with a nod. “I’m just honestly surprised that the Lost are just left alone like that on the streets. They’re easy pickings like that.”

“I mean,” Junpei began, “once we beat the Full Moon Shadows, all this will be over. We’ll be heroes for that!”

“But the Shadows will take time to appear. Ikutsuki-san said that the last Shadow will appear in September,” Yukari said. “Besides, do you think we can take them all on at once?”

“Please, we beat them last time! Just watch Da Man in action from the back, Yuka-tan,” Junpei said with a smirk.

“Confidence is nice, Junpei, but too much isn’t.” Ren chastised. “As someone said, ‘twice the pride, double the fall.’”

‘Wait...’ Kotone looked up from the table, with her chin resting on it. “You know Star Wars?”

Ren looked at him chopping cabbages and waved a hand in a so-so fashion. “Only a bit. Didn’t watch the entire series. I’m honestly surprised you know about it.”

“Hey, the stunts they do are really amazing!” Kotone exclaimed. “I even got one of my moves from there!”

“Wait.” Junpei narrowed his eyes at Kotone. “The one where you jump and twirl in the air? Isn’t that a bad guy’s move?”

“The one where Palpatine screeches?” Ren asked, and Junpei nodded.

“Hey!” Kotone glared at the two. “If it works, it works. No complaining.”

Yukari leaned towards Fuuka. “Did you get anything out of that?”

Fuuka shook her head. “Not really. I’m not really into that kind of movie.”

“What kind of movies do you watch?” Kotone asked. ‘I hope Fuuka starts joining these kinds of talks. I don’t want to alienate her.’

“Maybe not movies, but videos and documentaries of animals,” Fuuka responded. “That reminds me, I was watching this video about pets and how they tend to match their owners. It’s quite funny since Ren seems like a cat person.”

Kotone giggled. “No wonder you gave that cat some food.”

“I won’t lie,” Ren said with a wistful smile. "I do like cats. What about you guys?" he asked as he started arranging the plates.

“Well, I like dogs,” Junpei said, “especially the ones that listen.”

“Funny you say that,” Yukari interjected. “There was a dog that came by here yesterday afternoon.”

“Aww man, that’s a bummer,” Junpei whined. “What about you, Yuka-tan?”

Yukari shrugged. “No preference, really. We’ll let you know if Koromaru comes around again,” she said with a small smile. “He’s such a loyal dog... And he’s cute too.”

“Don’t you think that Akihiko-senpai would look good with a dog?” Fuuka asked.

‘Oh?’ Kotone looked at Fuuka with mischief in her eyes.

“Not an unusual one, just an ordinary, playful dog...” Fuuka continued.

“Oh, what’s this?” Kotone asked with a small, devilish grin as she straightened her back, properly sitting now. “Has Akihiko-senpai been on your mind lately?” she teased.

Fuuka blushed. “Eh?” she asked before rapidly shaking her head. “N-no, nothing like that!”

Yukari sported the same grin as Kotone. “Just imagine him running through the beach, playing catch with a dog, without a shirt, showing those abs of his...” Fuuka blushed even harder and hid her face behind her hands.

“Alright, alright, you two, that’s enough,” Ren said with a smile, bringing plates of rice, chicken katsu dressed in a sauce, and cabbage slaw. “Anymore and Fuuka might overheat from embarrassment.”

Fuuka slightly sniffed. “Thank you, Ren,” she murmured. The others thanked Ren as well.

“Sorry, sorry,” Kotone said to Fuuka, putting her hands together as she apologized. “It’s just that we don’t talk about that here, so someone having a crush is some fresh air, you know?”

“I’m sorry too,” Yukari said as well. “Mitsuru-senpai, Kotone, and I aren’t really into that stuff, so being able to talk like this is nice. On another note, some girls in the Archery Club told me they heard Akihiko-senpai offered you a spot as the Boxing Club’s manager. Is that true?”

“Isn’t this the right time to go on the offensive?” Junpei asked with a smirk. “Offer him a towel and water bottle when he gets off the ring, cheering him on during his matches, him always noticing you. Sounds like you got him on the ropes!”

Ren snorted slightly at Junpei’s pun. “Seriously, Junpei? Ropes and boxing? Sounds like we might have an Ikutsuki-san in the making,” he remarked as he took his seat now that he served everyone’s food.

Junpei looked at him with horror. “Oh god, I hope not!”

“Still,” Ren said as he turned to Fuuka, “is that rumor true?”

Fuuka nodded. “He did ask me about it. I’m currently attending a Cooking Club too, so the schedules might clash. However, Akihiko-san said that it was fine. He said something about making sure I have something to do in the afternoons, so if I don’t have any club meetings, I can join him.”

“I wonder how the other girls are going to react to that...” Kotone muttered as she began to demolish her share of dinner.

“Luckily, the rumor has only started,” Yukari mentioned. “But, we should do something before it gets out of hand again.”

“What do you think, Fuuka?” Ren asked.

“I...” Fuuka trailed off.

“You know,” Kotone said after swallowing the food, “if you take up on that offer, it’ll be easier to do you-know-what.”

“What’s you-know-what?” Junpei asked.

Kotone glanced at Fuuka. ‘I’m not going to say it unless you want me to.’

Fortunately, Fuuka understood her and shook her head. Kotone smiled at Junpei. “Sorry, but a girl’s got to keep a secret!”

“Aww, come on!” Junpei groaned. “Not even a hint?”

“Nope!” Kotone voiced out as she shook her head.

“Hey, Ren,” Junpei leaned towards Ren. “Let’s keep our own secret, just us two!”

Ren smiled mirthfully and leaned towards Junpei. Junpei leaned his ear to listen in. “Wait, seriously?” he asked incredulously. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“It’s true,” Ren said with a shrug. “I can teach ‘em to you.”

“No way, you’re serious?” Junpei asked again, only for Ren to nod. “Of course Imma take you up on that!”

“What are you guys talking about?” Kotone asked. ‘It’s something he can teach?’

“Forget them, Kotone,” Yukari said with a sigh. “Can’t believe you’re doing this too, Ren. I thought you were more grown-up than this.”

Ren shrugged. “We’ve got to have some fun when we can, Yukari. Our lives can’t be all serious business.” Yukari stared at him but sighed after a few moments.

“You’re right, sorry. I’m going to my room for the night. See you.” Yukari stood up, leaving her dishes in the kitchen sink, and left to go to her room.

‘Wow, that went well,’ Kotone sarcastically thought.

“Wonder what’s up with her...” Junpei mumbled.

‘Must be because she doesn’t like secrets...’ Kotone thought, trying not to sigh. ‘Seems like she hasn’t told anyone about her dad yet.’

Ren shrugged. “Everyone’s got secrets, Junpei. A lot of people are not comfortable talking about them. I guess she didn’t like us keeping secrets.”

“But she’s okay with Kotone and Fuuka?” Junpei muttered. “Man, the double-standards.” He sighed before rubbing the back of his head in frustration. “Argh, whatever. Yukari will be back to normal by tomorrow morning; she always does. In the meantime, this chicken ain’t going to eat itself,” he said as he began to wolf down on his share.

Kotone sighed. ‘Ren’s right, we’ve all got our own secrets, and it’s not like I can force everyone to come clean.’

“Your plate’s been empty for a while, Kotone,” Ren said, taking Kotone’s attention from her thoughts.

“Oh, yeah, sorry. Do we have seconds?” Kotone asked.

“Sure do. Let me take that plate away,” Ren said as he rose from his chair. He came back quickly with a new serving for her.

Kotone took a bite and sighed blissfully. ‘God, this is so good. The chicken is so juicy, the outside is crunchy, the sauce has kick, and the slaw ties it all together,’ she thought before she began devouring her new share.

“Thank you, Ren, that was delicious,” Fuuka said demurely. Her plate was clean; not a grain of rice to be found. “May I ask a question?”

“Shoot,” Ren said as he took in a small portion of rice and chicken.

“Would you like to join the Cooking Club?” Fuuka asked.

Ren raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure about that?”

Fuuka nodded. “Currently, it’s just me and Kotone. However, her specialty is in sweets, so I would like to diversify the club.”

“Sorry!” Kotone grinned. “I like sweets too much. But, Fuuka, will you be okay with Ren in the club?”

Fuuka nodded. “I have to. I can’t just dodge a problem because I don’t want to face another problem.” She turned to Ren with a serious face. “That’s why I would like to ask you to join us. Amongst everyone in the dorm, you’re the most knowledgeable of the kitchen.”

“Sure,” Ren said it so simply that Fuuka initially missed it.

“I understand completely if you- “Fuuka paused. “You’re agreeing already?”

“Yeah, of course,” Ren said with a crooked smile. “Can’t turn down a friend, now, can I? Especially one that needs help.”

Fuuka gracefully rose from her chair and bowed. “Thank you so much!”

“Don’t worry about it. Like I said, I can’t turn a friend in need down,” Ren said to calm her down. “What’s the schedule like?”

“I’ll have to make it first,” Fuuka stated. “If possible, I would like all three of us together when we can. I know that will limit our options, but I feel much calmer with Kotone around. Sorry.”

Ren nodded. “Understandable. I’m open most afternoons anyway, so just let me know ahead of time.”

“Thank you very much,” Fuuka repeated. “I should get going, too. I have to study. Have a good night!” Fuuka placed her dishes away and left for her room.

‘Study?’ “Oh, right, finals are in less than a month,” Kotone voiced out. “And with Tartarus exploration and the Full Moon Operation coming soon, we actually don’t have much time for the finals. Mitsuru-senpai is going to be so mad at us!

“Thanks for the dinner, Ren! I really have to get started too!” Kotone placed her dishes in the kitchen sink and, after getting herself ready for the night, began to study in earnest.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

6/21 - Late Night - Port Island Station - Ren

Ren took a deep breath before entering Red Hawks again. He had tried to enter the Que Sera Sera bar from earlier today but got stopped without a legal ID. Seeing as he didn’t have anyone like Ohya from last time, this was only to be expected. And so, the next option was Red Hawks, the mahjong club.

When Ren got inside, the smell of cigarettes invaded his senses. He frowned. ‘I seriously hope I don’t have to stay for long.’

“A new face?”

“Ain’t you a bit too young?”

“What’s the boss going to say?”

“Hey, kid,” a gruff man called out to Ren. “You should leave. You’re way too- “

“Oh, my!” an old woman called out. “I remember you. You came by last week, right?”

Ren’s face softened into a smile. “Hello, ma’am, I actually did. I remember talking to you last week. I played here for a bit since I was new to the city and all.”

“You play it?” the man asked. “Why didn’t you say so from the start?! Take a seat already! We can’t really play with just two people, but three will do.”

Ren followed the man’s word and took a seat for the game. Ren could see that there were other games being played in the building. The man set the game up and called himself the dealer. Ren and the old lady didn’t raise issues.

‘It doesn’t matter who dealt for the game, anyway. I’m not here to win.’

“No bettin’ for our games,” the man stated. “We’ve got a minor with us, and we don’t want no trouble with the boss’s brother.”

Ren raised an eyebrow at the statement. “This place connects to Pub Sec?”

The man returned the questioning look as he took a deep breath with a cigarette. “More like the popos. Fortunately, he ain’t stationed in this city, but he could visit whenever.”

The old lady laughed. “Even as an adult, Katsuya still dotes on the boss.”

Ren smiled at the old lady’s words. “Sounds like simple sibling love.”

“Hah!” the man barked. “Unfortunately, he’s a bit suffocating, if you catch my drift.”

Ren grinned. “Don’t I know it,” he muttered. ‘Seriously, everyone was so worried after escaping Sae’s Palace that someone always monitored me. Talk about no space to breathe.’

“You have siblings of your own?” the old lady asked.

Ren shook his head. “No, though my closest friends basically are.”

The man grinned. “Sounds like you’re set, kid. Family ain’t about who you’re born with.” He discarded a five circles.

“It’s about who you choose,” Ren continued. The man nodded at him. “By the way, chow,” Ren said, revealing a three and four circles. With none of the others having mahjong or pung. And, since it was his turn, it was his tile to take. He discarded a seven bamboos.

A hand held Ren’s right shoulder, and he heard a lighter flick on his right as well. “I didn’t think this place would be interesting enough for a kid,” someone said over Ren’s shoulder.

“B-boss!” the gruff man yelled out. “You’re back!”

Ren looked over his shoulder. It was a tall man, possibly over 183 centimeters, and had long, brunette hair with a center part. He wore a red jacket with a huge X on it. “I am. What’s a minor doing here?”

“Don’t worry,” the old lady said. “I let him in. He was just looking to pass the time, so I thought why not?”

The man in red hummed with a nod. “Well, alright. Still, follow me. I just need to make sure about some things.”

Ren shrugged. It made sense. It’s very suspicious for a teenager like him to hang around a place like this. Guessing from what was going on from before, this man in red had to be the boss from earlier too, who let his employees deal with some mess before he left.

The man in red maneuvered around the tables, letting people know that there were no problems for the night. Ren followed him until they reached some sort of back room. Red prepared a seat for each of them, and both sat down.

“Look,” Red, the man in red, began, “if you’re here for drugs, don’t bother. I make sure this place is clean and legal.”

Ren shook his head. “I’m not here for drugs. I- “

“Same deal with the cigarettes,” Red interjected.

“Not the cigarettes, either,” Ren said.

“We don’t gamble,” Red stated with a raised eyebrow.

“I’m doing decently with money, so no thanks,” Ren said. “Look, before you say anything else, I’m not here for anything illegal. I’d rather not deal with that stuff either.”

Red looked at him with an unimpressed face. “Then what are you here for? There is nothing here for a kid.”

Ren had to think about how to approach this. On one hand, he could tell Red that he’s just bored. On the other hand, Red’s probably going to see through it immediately. Having a sibling in the force does that, unfortunately.

“I’m here on a rumor,” Ren said, and the man straightened himself.

“What kind?” Red asked.

“I heard some weirdos were gathering around the area. One of them could be a guy with tattoos,” Ren noted.

“And why are you looking into it?” Red asked. “Leave it to the police; it’s their job.”

“Call it curiosity,” Ren answered.

Red nodded at Ren’s answer. “Curiosity killed the cat.”

“And satisfaction brought it back,” Ren countered.

The man stared at Ren for a few seconds before shrugging to himself. “Then why don’t you do me a quick favor? I’ll tell you what I know, then you do me a favor.”

“Depends,” Ren said as he crossed his arms. “I won’t do it if it’s illegal.”

“Don’t worry,” Red pacified him. “It won’t cross the law at all. It’s also very quick. You don’t even have to come back if you don’t want to. Whether or not you do, it is up to you.”

Ren narrowed his eyes as he regarded the deal. While it was reminiscent of Mune’s favors, not even his deal went like this. ‘It’s a one-time deal and I don’t have to come back to finish it.’

“Fine,” Ren said. “What’s the deal?”

“You send a message to a certain someone,” Red said.

“That’s it?” Ren asked.

The man nodded. “Now, before I tell you what I want, I’ll say my piece first. There is a man with tattoos that leads a group of weirdos. They frequent this area because they constantly meet with someone around here. As for what they do or if it is your guy, I don’t know. I don’t really care for it.”

“Thanks,” Ren said. “And as per our deal, what’s that favor of yours?”

Red stood up, getting ready to leave. “Tell Igor that Tatsuya said hi and for you to no longer involve Red Hawk or me in the future.”

Ren froze. ‘Igor? Tatsuya? How does he know Igor?’ Ren turned to Red. “Who’s Igor? Tatsuya?” Ren asked, opting to play the dumb card. Unfortunately, Red saw right through it.

“You’re not the first Persona group out there nor the last,” Red said. “I used to do that stuff too.”

Ren looked at him with his head in a tilt. “Why don’t you want to be involved?”

Red stared right at him. “Because this is your Journey, not mine. I believe in Igor’s ability to find people. To top it all off, this is my retirement.”

Ren looked around the room while remembering the smoky insides of Red Hawks. “This place isn’t very good for a retirement plan,” he commented, only for Red to shrug.

“Everyone has their own tastes; it just so happened that this is mine,” Red said. “Anyway, I don’t want to deal with those kinds of things now; I’ve done my part already.”

Ren nodded; he understood, after all. Akechi was like that too; he wanted to be done with everything by the time he fought Maruki. “Yeah, I get it. Don’t worry, I’ll drop your message.” Ren paused. “By the way, what do you do here during your retirement?”

Red sighed. “I’m a mechanic and this club is just a front. Now get going, kid. We can’t have the next savior of the world get mugged in the middle of the night.”

Ren grinned. “No worries, I’ll get going.” He stood up and approached the door of the room, but an idea came to his mind. “One thing I should correct, Tatsuya-san,” Ren said, taking Red’s attention. “I’m not the hero for this Journey.”

Red looked at him with confusion. “What do you mean?”

“Igor asked me to help the hero of this era. I saved the world at another time,” Ren said with a Cheshire grin. Red continued to look at him with a questioning look. “You’re looking at a savior of the future.”

“What?” Red asked with an incredulous look.

“I’ll be taking my leave now,” Ren said with a wave and grin. “Have a good night!” He quickly left, leaving Tatsuya, the man in red, with an unanswered question.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

Activities:

6/21 – Afternoon – Movie Work

6/21 – Night – Study

---Take Your Time---

Social Links (No Change):

Fool - SEES - 3

Magician – Junpei Iori - 6

Priestess - Fuuka Yamagishi - 1

Emperor - Student Council - 3

Hierophant - Old Couple - 8

Lovers - Yukari Takeba - 5

Chariot - Volleyball - 8

Hermit - Health Committee - 3

Hanged Man - Girl at the Shrine - 3

Death - Mysterious Boy - 1

Temperance - Transfer Student - 3

Devil - Businessman - 4

Star - Akihiko Sanada - 2

Fortitude - Ren Amamiya - 2

Chapter Text

6/22 - Afternoon - Iwatodai Station - Ren

"Again, Akihiko-senpai," Ren said, "you don't have to do this. I wanted to cook dinner last night."

Akihiko shook his head. "Don't worry about it, Ren. You've been cooking for everyone almost every day now. Let my treat be my way of repaying you, especially for the katsu you made last night."

Ren glanced at Kotone, who Akihiko invited as well. She shrugged, causing Ren to sigh. He'd been at it with Akihiko since they left the school. Akihiko initially invited Kotone to hang out but then extended the invitation when he saw Ren still inside the classroom. Now, they were on the second floor of the Iwatodai Strip Mall after being promised to show 'a really good place to eat.'

"Well," Ren said. "We're here, so might as well enjoy it. Is this the place?" Ren asked to make sure.

Akihiko nodded. "It is."

Ren and Kotone could only stare with slightly narrowed eyes and disbelief.

"Uh, senpai... This is the Beef Bowl Shop," Kotone said.

"Hey, what's with the faces?" Akihiko asked, exhaling sharply. "Honestly, the beef bowls are really great here. The servings are big, and the sauce they use on the meat is just to die for."

Ren blinked. 'Don't tell me...' "Senpai, did you plan on bringing Kotone here?"

Akihiko nodded. "Yeah, why?"

Ren glanced at Kotone's dead fish-eyes as she leaned over. "You get used to it," she whispered.

Suddenly, a shriek came from the staircase that Ren, Kotone, and Akihiko used to reach the shop. "Akihiko-senpai!" All three looked at where the voice came from and saw two girls, one with hair buns and another with heavy make-up, coming straight for them. The girls began violating Akihiko's personal space.

"Whoa, whoa!" Kotone cried out. "Give the guy some space to breathe!" However, the duo ignored her.

'I don't recognize these girls. They seem to be in casual clothes, no school emblem or anything like that. Did Akihiko-senpai's little fan club reach outside the school?' "Who are these girls?" Ren asked Kotone.

"You don't recognize them? They're part of that group of girls from last time, the ones harassing Fuuka," Kotone explained.

Realization hit Ren. "Ah, gotcha." 'I barely remember them...' Taking a deep breath and remembering Yoshida's teachings, he demanded, "Alright, that's enough. You're invading his personal space again." This time, the girls glanced at Ren. The girl with the hair buns stared and blushed, but then her friend elbowed her before they both stepped back and looked at Akihiko.

"Akihiko-senpai, what're you doing here?" Buns asked.

"Oh, I know!" Make-Up girl piqued. "You're here for the beef bowls, right? It's, like, so funny that you're always eating here!"

Akihiko regarded them with a questioning look. "Look, first, give me some space. Second, what's funny about that?" Thankfully, the girls followed his first request.

"It means that you're totally cool," Make-Up girl answered, only for Akihiko to look at her as if she grew another head.

'Quite honestly, I don't get it either,' Ren thought.

Akihiko sighed. "Look, can you get out of the way, please? We can't get in."

"Hey, hey, you don't have a girlfriend, right?" Buns asked.

"... A girlfriend?" Akihiko repeated.

Buns nodded. "We're, like, totally looking for some guys to be with right now," she answered as the two girls kept glancing at Kotone with hostility.

Akihiko sighed tiredly. "... Just let us through, please. If you want to talk with me, find another time to do it. I'm here with my underclassmen; let's go, you two."

"Let's go!" Kotone said excitedly. Akihiko nodded, and both entered the shop, to the surprise of both girls.

"Listen, you two," Ren said, and both girls looked at him. "When you want to try asking a guy out, it helps to be friends with his friends. Glaring at them doesn't work in real life. This isn't a romance novel." Ren stepped in between them and opened the door of the shop. He turned to both of them. "You have the courage, and that's great, but you need to work on understanding what the guy wants, not just what you want. See ya," he said with a small grin and entered the shop without waiting for their reactions.

'A bit vindictive, but those two have been annoyingly stubborn. What I said probably won't enter their heads, though.'

"Ren!" Kotone called out, and Ren joined her and Akihiko. Ren could see the relief on Akihiko's face from escaping those two girls.

"Well," Akihiko began, "order up, my treat." Kotone and Ren nodded. Kotone ordered an extra-large beef bowl with green onions and raw egg, Akihiko ordered a large beef bowl, and Ren ordered a medium beef bowl.

"Only that, Ren?" Akihiko asked. "You could go for more. I've seen you eat more, so eat your fill."

Ren laughed. "I only do that when it's nighttime. I feel hungrier than in the afternoon." 'Mostly because I'm used to doing the Big Bang Challenge at night after an afternoon in the Metaverse. That place took so much out of me back then.'

Akihiko nodded in understanding. "I get you. Work-out in the afternoons and take your proteins for dinner. Maximum efficiency, I like it."

"Is that what you do too, Akihiko-senpai?" Kotone asked.

"Yeah," Akihiko nodded again. "I've read that it's recommended to take protein after the work-out, not before."

'After the work-out? Oh no, Morgana...'

"Really?" Ren asked. "I usually did mine before I did my work-out in the gym."

Akihiko looked at Ren with surprise. "You go to the gym?"

Ren nodded in response. "I used to when I couldn't do some runs. One trainer told me to try the wooden dummy at some point."

Kotone groaned. "Oh, no... We have two muscle heads in the group now..."

"Interesting..." Akihiko murmured. "What kind of kata did you practice?"

"Mostly aikido, though I didn't really do anything offensive for it. It was mostly for discipline and stances." Ren glanced at Kotone. "Is everything okay?"

Kotone glanced at Ren. "You're not some protein addict, right?"

"No?" Ren said unsurely as he shook his head. "I'm only interested in it as any other guy. What's wrong?"

Akihiko groaned. "It was one time, Kotone."

"No one puts protein powder on rice, Akihiko-senpai," Kotone deadpanned.

"Wait," Ren said with a confused look. "Protein powder on rice?"

Akihiko nodded. "It's an efficient way of taking it. You have breakfast and the appropriate amount of protein in one go."

"But what about the taste?" Ren asked, gobsmacked.

Akihiko stared straight at Ren's eyes. Ren could only see an abyss. "I'm used to it."

Ren cringed and leaned towards Kotone. "Isn't this very easy for Fuuka?" he whispered.

Kotone's eyes widened at Ren's question. "We're going to talk about how you know that later, Ren," she whispered. "But her cooking needs work."

Ren looked at Kotone with a raised eyebrow. 'I guess I shouldn't have known that? Given yesterday, it's obvious that Fuuka has a crush on Akihiko-senpai...' he thought before nodding.

"What are you two talking about?" Akihiko asked slowly.

"Nothing at all, senpai!" Kotone answered with a smile.

Ren discreetly swallowed. 'Ah, that smile is a scheming one. She'd be a great Phantom Thief.'

Akihiko shrugged. "Your secrets to keep," he said before regarding the two of them. "You know, Mitsuru and I couldn't help but think that you two have gotten pretty close for what was just a week of knowing each other. Is there anything to that?"

Ren glanced at Kotone before looking back at Akihiko, shaking his head. "Not really? Thoughts, Kotone?"

Kotone shook her head, too. "There's nothing between us; we're just friends. I guess we just clicked?"

"I guess there are people like that," Akihiko said with a nod.

"What brought this on?" Kotone asked. "Did something happen?"

Akihiko glanced around the shop awkwardly as he rubbed the back of his neck. Finally, after a few seconds, he stopped. "Well, it was the first time we've seen you take someone out at night, and it wasn't even Yukari or Junpei. Mitsuru and I were just curious," he said with a nod.

'Really? Just because of that?' Ren thought. 'Is that really enough to ask questions? Are they worried about something?' He glanced at Kotone, who glanced back. A devious smile spread across her face.

"Hey, Ren?" she asked with a tinge of sweetness.

"Yeah, Kotone?" Ren asked back, trying to see where she was going with this.

"Don't you think that Akihiko-senpai is being, oh, I don't know..." Kotone trailed off for a moment. "Doting?"

A smile spread across Ren's face, too. 'Oh, I see.'

"W-wait, hold on," Akihiko said hurriedly.

"I think you're right, Kotone," Ren said with the same sweetness as Kotone has.

"Don't worry, dad," Kotone said as she emphasized dad. "Ren is a gentleman, aren't you, Ren?"

"That's right, Sanada-san," Ren said as his smile grew into a grin. "I will never hurt her. I can guarantee that she'll be safe."

"You two..." he trailed off as his face grew red.

A girl in server's clothes approached them. "Order up!" she said, as she started placing everyone's orders in front of them.

"Thank you!" Kotone said excitedly as she took a deep breath to smell her order.

"Thanks, miss..." Ren looked up at the server, only to choke in surprise to see who it was. 'Aika?! What's she doing here?!'

The girl in question tilted her head. She had short, navy-blue hair and brown eyes. She wore a headscarf and apron, both with the Beef Bowl Shop logo on them.

"Yes?" Aika tilted her head at Ren. "Is everything okay, sir? Would you like some water?" she asked, as Kotone began hitting Ren's back to help him.

He coughed. "I'm fine, thank you, miss. I was just surprised to see someone so young."

"Oh, I see. I'm working as a part-timer to learn how they make beef bowls here," Aika answered.

"I've seen you around, but why would a kid want to know that?" Akihiko asked.

"My family owns a beef bowl restaurant in Inaba. My dad knows the owners of Hagakure and Beef Bowl, so they let me train here when they need the extra hand."

Akihiko looked at her incredulously. "I see..."

"Anyway, I have to go. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask," she said and left to do other orders.

"That was weird..." Kotone muttered. "Anyway, let's get going! We don't want the beef to be drenched in oil too much," she said and began digging in her beef bowl. Akihiko followed suit.

'Damn it, that surprised me,' Ren thought as he ate through his bowl. 'Even back in Inaba, she was always like that. I can order anywhere, and she will deliver. I've got to hand it to her, her work ethics are off the roof. That said, this isn't all too bad. Too much oil in the bottom, but that's to be expected, I guess. Sauce is very good too. A bit of barbeque for the kick and sweetness. I'm pretty sure that's homemade.'

Akihiko chuckled and grinned at both of them. "See what I mean? It's delicious, isn't it?" Kotone and Ren could only nod as they continued eating through their bowls. Akihiko stared at the two for a moment. "Oh, I get it. Do you think that those girls wanted to have beef bowls, too?"

Kotone swallowed. "Not in the way you think, Akihiko-senpai."

Ren nodded in agreement. 'Well, they want the person eating the beef bowls.'

"Huh?" Akihiko looked at them in confusion and embarrassment. "I wonder what they wanted..."

'Man, I feel bad for the girls in his fan club,' Ren thought. 'They'll never get through to him the way they are now.' Ren glanced at Kotone, who shrugged. He looked at Akihiko and asked, "Senpai, aren't you in the least interested in a girlfriend?"

Akihiko looked back at Ren. "Now you're going to ask me about that, too?" he asked with a wry smile. "I don't want to deal with that kind of thing," he said before mumbling something. "I'm not strong enough to carry this entire burden."

"Senpai?" Kotone asked.

Akihiko caught himself and stopped. "Ah, it's alright, it's nothing to worry about. Anyway, how are your beef bowls looking like?"

From then, Kotone, Ren, and Akihiko spent the rest of their time in the shop with small talk. Ren thought Akihiko showed he cares for both him and Kotone.

Eventually, everyone finished their meal. Akihiko decided to split from Ren and Kotone afterwards, saying that he wanted to train more for the day and burn the calories. Meanwhile, Ren and Kotone opted to go back to the dorm for the rest of the afternoon.

"I definitely have to tell Fuuka I figured out her crush, right?" Ren asked on the way back.

Kotone nodded. "Of course, you have to, Ren. As easy as it was to figure out, she still wants to keep it a secret," Kotone said.

"I guess this is also why she started the Cooking Club?" Ren asked.

Kotone nodded again. "A bit. I won't deny that she wants to impress Akihiko-senpai, but she wants to get better at cooking for herself too. I won't say further than that."

"All the more reason for me to join her club then... I could also start asking for a second-hand when I make something in the dorm," Ren murmured.

Kotone frowned. "You're not going to ask me?" she asked. "I'm pretty good with sweets..."

Ren's eyes widened, but then his face relaxed into a smile. 'Whoops...' "Sorry, you didn't ask," he said. "Would you like to help me cook dinner?"

Kotone smiled beautifully and giggled. "Well, since you asked, of course I would!" Kotone exclaimed, but then looked at Ren with a confused look since he stopped and was silently staring at Kotone with a slightly shocked face. "Ren?"

'Huh...' "That was a..." Ren said before trailing off.

"Ren?" Kotone asked again. "Are you okay?"

'That was a good smile,' Ren thought. "Yeah, I'm fine. I was just surprised, that's all."

Kotone raised an eyebrow. "Surprised? You? That's twice a day now. What surprised you this time?"

"Well," Ren began, "I didn't think that asking for your help would make you so happy."

"Eh?" Kotone froze as Ren drew closer.

"Looks like someone's excited to spend some time with me," Ren said with a smile. "Though, I do feel the same way too. I'm glad to have made a friend like you"

Kotone blushed. "Jeez... If you can say something like that, then you're fine. Plus, I'm always happy if someone wants to hang out with me."

"Kotone..." Ren said with a wry smile before sighing. "Well, alright."

Kotone looked at him with a confused look. "Okay...?" she said unsurely before shaking her head. "We're getting close to the dorms, so we should hurry it up."

"Sure, let's get going," Ren said. "It's just around the corner."

The two continued to walk towards the dorm in a sort-of awkward, but comfortable silence. Awkward because of what just happened, but comfortable that both seemed to be happy walking side-by-side.

'Dammit,' Ren thought. 'That was weird. Kotone's smile caught me off-guard. I was so used to her usual smiles, so when she smiled like that...' Ren sighed. 'Does being included make her that happy?'

-.-Take Your Time-.-

6/22 - Night - Iwatodai Dorm - Kotone

"We're home!" Kotone announced as she entered the dorm, while Ren opened the door, still ever the gentleman. Inside the dorm, Kotone saw that Junpei and Fuuka sat by the lounge while Yukari and Mitsuru were nowhere to be found.

"S'up, you two!" Junpei said, and Ren entered right after Kotone. "Doing good?"

Kotone nodded. "Yup, Akihiko-senpai treated us to a beef bowl, so I feel pretty good!"

"Then may I take that as you being too full for dinner?" Ren asked with a grin.

Kotone stuck her tongue out at Ren. "Nope! I'm still hungry, so you better make food for me too!"

Ren chuckled while Junpei sighed with a smile. "Ever the glutton. I told you, Ren. She's bottomless," Junpei said.

"Prepare yourself, Junpei, I'll get back at you for that!" Kotone said as she took a stance against Junpei.

"Ren, they're just playing, right?" Fuuka asked, sighing in relief when Ren nodded.

"You got it, Fuuka, so don't worry. That's just how they are," Ren said.

Kotone heard footsteps coming from the staircase to her left. Mitsuru descended the stairs and approached the second-year students. "Shiomi-san, just like before, something is wrong with the equipment in the Command Room. May you check on them again? It shouldn't take long," she said when she reached the group.

Kotone nodded vigorously. "Sounds good!" She turned to Junpei, Fuuka, and Ren. "I'll see you guys later!"

"See ya!" Junpei said while Fuuka waved, and Ren nodded.

"I'll get started on making dinner then. Is there anything you guys want?" Ren asked.

"Surprise me; I'm down for anything." Kotone said, and she made her way to the Command Room. Behind her, she could hear Junpei, Fuuka, and Mitsuru giving Ren ideas for dinner.

'I wonder what I'll see today,' Kotone thought. 'Last time was the Chairman. It was painful to watch him make all those puns... I really hope it's not as bad as that. Still, who would use the Command Room? Only Ikutsuki-san ever does his reports here since everyone else does their own either in their rooms or at the computer by the lounge. Maybe Mitsuru does hers here? She seems to be the type.'

Finally, she arrived at the Command Room. She locked the doors, then approached the console. She fiddled with the controls to reach the recordings, just like last time.

"So... Three videos this time?" Kotone muttered. "The first one is..." She played the first video. "It's the Chairman, so I'm skipping that. I'll do the second one..." She played the second video and leaned back in a chair, ready for whatever may come.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

Kotone nearly fell off her chair as she doubled over from laughing.

"Damn it, Junpei!" she said between fits of laughter while trying to get rid of the tears going down her face. "Is that what your room looks like? No wonder Mitsuru acted the way she did!" Chuckles escaped between wheezes as she tried to catch her breath. "Man, I feel bad for Kurosawa-san. He got called for something so useless!" She tried to stand, but her knees were weak from the laughter. She stayed on the chair to get the rest of the laughter out of her. Finally, it fizzled out, giving Kotone her first proper breath. She got up to change the recordings.

"That was way better than the first time. Still, it's worrying that it's recording our own rooms now. I know that Mitsuru-senpai and Akihiko-senpai monitored me before I joined SEES, so there are cameras in the rooms... But if it's recording stuff like this, this has to be a privacy issue, right?" Kotone asked herself as she prepared the third recording before shrugging. "Meh, I'll talk to Mitsuru-senpai about it later. It's time for the next video!"

-.-Take Your Time-.-

6/14/2009 00:17:38

Beginning playback

Ren stands up from his bed and approaches the window. He opens it and looks out.

"So, this is the situation, huh?" he says. "An extra hour in the day, a big moon, coffins on the streets, all the blood out there, and a tower protruding into the sky... And here I thought I'd seen everything." He sighs and scratches the back of his head. "No point in overthinking this; I've just got to play my part. Morgana would kill me if he learned that I'm awake this late while my first day of school is tomorrow.

"School, huh? I wonder how Gekkou High will compare to Shujin. Hopefully, it will be better. No one will torment me like back in Shujin," Ren says before sighing again. "I should go back to sleep. Doing some exercises should help tire me out."

Ren approaches his drawer, which is in the camera's direction, while taking off his black shirt. He stares at a clearly visible scar on his chest. He frowns as he scratches at it. "Damn it. After all this time, you're still causing me trouble." He sighs again and looks inside his drawer. "Hmm... Where are my workout clothes...?" he asks as he digs through his clothes. After a moment, he pulls out another black and red shirt, jogging pants, and a sweater. "This should be enough," he mutters as he puts on the new clothes. "I'll take a bath after."

The screen goes to black as Ren begins to exercise.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

6/22 - Night - Iwatodai Dorm - Kotone

"W-What...?" Kotone asked, still reeling from what she saw.

The collarbone.

The toned muscles.

The abs.

The scar across his chest.

Kotone blushed as images ran across her mind, replaying the video that she just saw. 'This is a serious violation of privacy!'

"At least everyone had clothes last time!" she shouted. She slumped down on her chair, but then straightened herself to catch her breath.

'Forget that video! I'm definitely talking to Mitsuru-senpai about this!'

Soon enough, Kotone dropped by the kitchen, her mission in the Command Room over. She spent dinner looking at everything but the one person who was on her mind.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

6/22 - Dark Hour - Port Island Station - Ren

'I really wish my outfit had air conditioning in it. It would seriously help with the heat.' Ren thought with a sigh. He was in his Phantom Thief outfit, overlooking Port Island Station, while Yatagarasu flew overhead. He had Yatagarasu flying around, doing most of the work, while he had slowed down. Yes, the midnight air had a certain coolness to it, it was still damned hot. It did not help that his clothes were thick and dark. It was absorbing all the heat it could around him.

'It's like a repeat with Futaba's Palace...' Ren grimaced as he tried to flap whatever he could to make wind around him. He could technically have Yatagarasu flap around him to create some wind, but he would lose the only functional eyes with range he had. He had Third Eye, but it was only effective around his immediate area. Unless he knew what he was looking for, he couldn't see far, since everything darkened in the distance.

Still, he can't let Yatagarasu do all the work. Sighing, he bounded to another rooftop as he searched for anything that moved. As always, there were no Shadows around.

'If something moves, it's most likely human,' Ren thought as he jumped onto another rooftop. 'Now, it's possible that there is a second group of Persona users running around. There is also Tattoo's group. While it could be that these two groups are one and the same, I should keep an open mind. Still, Tattoo is weird enough, so he's a start.'

Suddenly, a loud bang sounded throughout the station. However, the source of the sound was...

'It's coming from Red Hawk!' Ren dashed through the rooftops while he sent Yatagarasu ahead with a mental command. Soon enough, he reached Red Hawk's roof, where Yatagarasu perched. He peered over the edge and saw a man on the floor with two coffins around him. He checked his surroundings with his Third Eye to find the shooter, to no luck.

Ren dismissed Yatagarasu as he jumped down to the back alley and broke his fall by rolling. He took another look around him with his Third Eye. Now that he was closer, he could see the footsteps of a group of people approaching and leaving the area. With a way to track them down, he turned towards the victim.

While the victim was face-down, most likely trying to run away before he got shot, the victim was a man and he was certainly bleeding, seeing the pool of blood around him slowly getting bigger. The man was also gasping, most likely since the pain was too much. Ren saw the bullet wound on the person's back, but nowhere near anything vital.

'Doesn't look like it hit anything important. Did they want him to die from blood loss?'

He placed his hand on his face, feeling the domino mask burst into blue flames. He could feel Maria right behind him. "Salvation," he commanded.

Green light surrounded the man, and the wound began to close. Ren smiled as the man's breath stabilized.

Now, with the man healed, Ren turned around, activating Third Eye. He smirked as he saw that the track of footsteps was still there.

'Bingo.'

-.-Take Your Time-.-

6/22 - Late Night - Iwatodai Dorm - Kotone

"Shiomi-san, you said you figured out what seemed to be the problem?" Mitsuru asked as she approached the consoles of the Command Room.

Kotone nodded. After the awkward dinner, Kotone set out to find Mitsuru. Thankfully, Mitsuru agreed to see what the problem was and check if there was something she could do.

"Yeah. It turns out it's recording when it's not told to," Kotone said. "Here are the videos so far." Kotone used the console to find the videos.

Mitsuru hummed. "I see. The videos weren't in the usual folder. No wonder I couldn't tell what was going on. How did you find them?"

Kotone shrugged while navigating the console. "I dunno. I was just pressing random folders back then."

"And what would you do if something went wrong?" Mitsuru asked with a raised eyebrow.

Kotone chuckled, embarrassingly. "Then I would have told you what was going on? I was just looking through folders. Anyway, this is it." She clicked on a folder and three videos popped up.

"Play them," Mitsuru commanded.

Kotone followed and clicked on Ikutsuki's video. She glanced at Mitsuru, who went through an array of emotions. From a serious face to a series of eye twitches, and finally a long sigh as the video ended.

"Next," she commanded again.

Junpei's video played and Kotone could see realization on Mitsuru's face in the first couple of seconds. "Never mind that. I know what it is. Play the last one."

'I can't play that video again!'

"What is it?" Mitsuru asked when she saw Kotone's hesitation.

"Um... Is it okay to skip it?" Kotone asked, as she glanced back. "It's really embarrassing."

Mitsuru sent her a questioning look. "Nothing could be more embarrassing than what just happened. Play it," she reiterated.

Kotone sighed and clicked on the last video. She tried to glance at Mitsuru's reaction, but she also couldn't stop herself from stealing a glance at the screen.

'Definitely not because I want to see it! I just want to see what Mitsuru-senpai is reacting to!'

Mitsuru's reaction went from a questioning look to a slow, embarrassing realization as the video kept playing. Kotone snuck another glance, and she saw Ren in the video again. When she looked at Mitsuru, her eyes were wide open while trying to say something, though nothing came out. Mitsuru jerked towards the console, and Kotone had to step back away from Mitsuru as she forcefully pressed a series of buttons, deleting the three videos.

'I guess she never really seen a guy like that, huh. But, then again, she's friends with Akihiko. I thought she would be more composed, at least. Maybe Ren really affected her?' she thought.

"We will not speak of this, do you understand?" Mitsuru asked, nearly shouting.

'There's no question in there!' Kotone thought. "Of course!" she said as she saluted. "Nothing to talk about when nothing happened at all!"

Mitsuru whipped her head around to Kotone, possibly trying to find any signs of Kotone lying. After a few seconds, she sighed in relief. "Good. I'll have the Chairman take a look at where the problem is. Thank you for finding this."

Kotone nodded, and both girls left the Command Room for the night, along with the secret that they both shared.

Unfortunately for Kotone, or perhaps fortunately, this won't be the last time.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

Activities:

6/22 – Afternoon – Star 3

-.-Take Your Time-.-

Social Links:

Fool – SEES – 3

Magician – Junpei Iori – 6

Priestess – Fuuka Yamagishi – 1

Emperor – Student Council – 3

Hierophant – Old Couple – 8

Lovers – Yukari Takeba – 5

Chariot – Volleyball – 8

Hermit – Health Committee – 3

Hanged Man – Girl at the Shrine – 3

Death – Mysterious Boy – 1

Temperance – Transfer Student – 3

Devil – Businessman – 4

Star – Akihiko Sanada – 3

Fortitude – Ren Amamiya – 2

Chapter Text

6/25 - Night - Iwatodai Dorm - Kotone

“Hey, Ren!” Kotone called out as she knocked on Ren’s door.

Fuuka mentioned Ren had brought a stack of paper and art supplies to the dorm. When she asked about it, he said it was for some sort of personal project. So far, it hasn’t caused any issues.

‘Still, to think that Ren is into the arts,’ Kotone thought. ‘So many freaking hobbies... Another thing to add to the list of differences between us. Seriously, how is it we both grew up so similarly, but we turned out so different?’

Kotone knew they were similar. Both smiled to go with the flow of the situation. However, while Kotone faked it, Ren seemed genuine about what he did. It didn’t feel right that Kotone was only making friends for power, while Ren seemed like the person who could make those bonds meaningful.

‘Why did Igor choose me when someone like Ren exists? Maybe I could ask Igor about it?’ Kotone thought before shaking her head and sighing. ‘Nah, Igor’s answer will probably only irritate me.’

She could hear muffled footsteps coming from the other side. The door opened wide and Ren, wearing a black shirt and dark brown sweats, came into full view, although Kotone could see some cut paper pieces on him.

“Hey, Kotone, what’s up?” Ren asked. Though he leaned on the doorframes, Kotone could see that he was working on something inside, shown by the mess on his table.

“Is everything alright?” Kotone asked. “You look like you’re in a bit of a pickle.”

“Oh, all this?” Ren said as he pointed to the bits of paper on him. “Don’t worry about it. I’m just working on a little project of mine.”

“Do you need any help?”

Ren shook his head. “Thanks, but I have this under control.” He chuckled when Kotone glanced with a raised eyebrow at the paper bits again. “It’s part of the creative process.”

“Will you show it to me when you’re done?” Kotone asked. All the secrecy was making her curious.

Ren shrugged. “Hopefully, if all goes well. It’ll be a while, though.”

Kotone smiled at him. ‘At least he was willing to show it.’ “Still, I’m surprised you like art stuff. I thought you were the jock-type.”

Ren shot a mirthful smile back at her. “I’ll have you know that my body isn’t built like a jock. Put me in a ring against Akihiko, and he’d most likely win. As for the art stuff, I was friends with an artist, so I know a bit about it. He told me I had an eye for art.” Ren shifted on the door frame. “Anyway, what about you? Any plans for the night?”

Kotone nodded. “Out to Paulownia Mall tonight. Not sure what to do yet, though.”

“Well, take care, yeah?”

“Don’t worry, I’ve been doing this for a while now. I’ll be fine,” Kotone reassured him. “See ya!”

-.-Take Your Time-.-

6/26 - Late Night - Iwatodai Dorm - Kotone

Kotone found herself in front of Ren’s room again. After her talk with him last night, she began thinking back about Ren during the week. It was hard to see, but Kotone did notice that he was slightly off throughout the week. He was sleepy during class, noticeably blinking away his drowsiness. While he frowned when he thought no one was looking, he smiled when he was around others. Though, it was weird that Ren’s smile reached his eyes, as if he were happy interacting with others. On the other hand, yesterday’s messy Ren only cinched it; whatever that project was, it was making Ren stressed. And what was the best way to destress than to watch a movie?

‘I don’t care about what Ren’s thinking about that project, but we have a Tartarus expedition in a couple of days. I cannot let someone be stressed right before something so important,’ she thought.

“Hey, Ren!” Kotone asked. However, before she could knock on the door, it opened, revealing a happy and energetic Ren. If anything, Kotone could feel that he was giddy with a slightly mischievous glint in his eyes. However, she could see some eye bags forming under his eyes. He dressed up, ready to go out for the night again, with a sling bag over his shoulder.

“Hey, Kotone, what’s up?” he asked, smiling as he leaned on the door frames.

Kotone couldn’t help but smile back. “How’s the project going?”

“I got over a major problem, so I am definitely moving ahead,” Ren asked. “Why? Is something wrong?”

Kotone rocked on the balls of her feet as she tried to think of a way to word her question. “Well, I noticed you were stressed out during the week,” she began slowly, “so I was wondering if you wanted to watch Kill Bill either tonight or tomorrow? To destress, you know?”

“Oh...” Ren muttered as his face slightly scrunched up. “Uh, sorry, but I’ll be busy for both days. I wanted to make sure that I’m ready for Tartarus.”

“Are you sure?” Kotone asked. “You’ve been stressed the entire week.”

Ren nodded. “That’s true, but my problem caused that stress. I’m over it now, so I’m good to go. Don’t worry about me.”

“I’m the field leader, Ren,” she said with a pout. “It is my job to worry about you.” Ren stared at her with wide eyes before smiling mirthfully. “What?”

“It’s nothing, Kotone,” Ren said as he pushed off the door frame. “Anyway, back on topic. I’m sorry that I can’t watch the movie tonight or tomorrow. But, I will be ready to go by Tartarus. I can promise you that.”

Promise.

Kotone’s breath hitched. ‘People always promise...’

“What’s wrong?” Ren asked, only for Kotone to shake her head.

“It’s nothing. If you say you’re alright, then I’ll leave you to it,” Kotone said. “But know that Mitsuru-senpai will be mad if you’re not at a hundred percent, got it?”

Ren smirked. “Loud and clear, boss. I’ll take care of myself, so worry about everyone else, okay?” he said, before patting Kotone on her head.

‘Eh?’

“Anyway,” Ren continued, and took his hand off. “I’m going out to train. Good night!” He waved at her without turning around, eventually disappearing down the staircase.

Kotone didn’t move from where she stood. She reached for the top of her head, where Ren patted her, and still felt the warmth from his touch. ‘What was that?’

-.-Take Your Time-.-

6/26 - Dark Hour - Northern Section of Tatsumi Port Island - Ren

“I’m the field leader, Ren,” she said with a cute pout. “It is my job to worry about you.”

Ren smiled as he replayed what Kotone said. He could feel the earnest desire to do well at being a leader coming from her, even if he felt he was actually alright. ‘So this is what Yusuke felt when Makoto and I talked to him about spending his money. Seriously, I even ended up in an art binge.’

Still, as fun as reminiscing on how to properly proportion Yusuke’s money was, that wasn’t the only thing to think about.

Ren glanced at his hand for a moment before leaping onto another rooftop. ‘There were only a few times I ever did that, and even fewer when I did it on my own accord. Futaba had to ask me to pat her head. The only person was...Makoto.’

Ren could still remember the days after his escape from the interrogation room. Everyone freaked out when Sae and he recounted the events after he got caught. While Morgana healed him in the Metaverse right after, they had Tae come in to do a full-body check-up, just to make sure. Surprise, surprise, his body was fine as the power of cognition worked wonders. Still, Makoto took over for a few days while he recuperated.

“Even if your body healed already, your head is not,” Tae said. “Rest for a few days, ideally a week. Doctor’s orders, my guinea pig.”

“Amamiya-kun, what you went through would put any adult to shame, never mind a teenager,” Maruki said on the other side of the call. “You may control cognition, but your mind can’t be healed like your body. Please, stop what you’re doing, and rest. You’re out now, after all.”

Ren smiled as he remembered Tae and Maruki’s words. While he did fight against Maruki, Ren felt Maruki had good intentions, even if it was misguided. That smile became a sad one when he remembered what came after.

“Makoto, I’m fine. Go to school,” Ren said as he stared at Makoto who was going around his room, making sure that everything was prim and proper. Meanwhile, he was stuck on his bed for the past few days, as ordered by the good doctor.

“I’d rather be here, Ren,” Makoto argued back as she squinted her eyes at a small section of the room. She swiped at it with a finger and then inspected said finger. “Good, clean,” she muttered before inspecting another spot. “My grades will be fine, and I won’t lose my spot as the top student of Shujin. Sis probably won’t care at the moment either. She knows what’s going on, after all.”

Ren stared at her as she moved on from inspecting for dust and was now sitting down on a chair next to his bed. Ren could see eye bags forming under her eyes, and he sighed.

“Makoto, this isn’t your fault,” Ren said, and Makoto froze. “Please don’t beat yourself up over this.”

Makoto shook her head as tears threatened to fall from her eyes. “No, it was my plan, and I didn’t foresee them going as far as they did. This was my-“

“Nope,” Ren said as he patted her head. “Not going to let you finish that sentence. It was the best plan we got, and, as the leader, I approved it and chose to be the bait.”

“Ren, please, I need to-“

“Nope, not letting you finish that either,” Ren said as he rubbed her head and wiped a tear off her cheek. “If we didn’t do it, we’d all be in a worse situation, Makoto. There is nothing to atone for.”

Makoto sniffed and tried to calm her breathing. She took the hand that was patting her head and held it with her hands. “I’m so glad you’re safe.”

He smiled. “Me too, Makoto. Me too.”

Ren shook his head out of contemplation. This was not the time for it. He had a mission to do, and he was going to do it right.

He hopped onto another rooftop and kneeled at the edge. He finally reached the edge of Northern Tatsumi Port Island. While there were numerous homes in the area, it was relatively quiet because of the lack of people, making it a miniature ghost town. The lack of people could be attributed to the 2008 recession. While Japan had a resilient financial system, which limited the initial impact, most of the effects are happening now in 2009. And so, there were many empty houses because people left to find better opportunities.

And what would empty houses become? A squatter’s haven. Luckily for Ren, it turned out the people he had followed for the last few days, which were led by Tattoos, were doing exactly just that.

Ren sighed as he recounted the days that led to tonight. Ever since he followed them to a building in Port Island on Monday, he had been monitoring them at night. They stayed in the building during the day and used the night as a cover to move around. By the end of the Dark Hour on Tuesday, the group had reached this house in the north. At night, they always walked around the city, though they always came back to this house, which led Ren to believe it to be their primary base. Other locations they travelled to included an abandoned church east of Naganaki Shrine and the Port Island building he initially followed them to.

‘Smart of them to get multiple bases,’ Ren thought as the Phantom Thieves did the exact thing back then. ‘Or maybe “will do in the future”?’ Ren rubbed his chin, but he shrugged at the thought while he took the Calling Cards he had in his sling bag.

Ren had prepared three Calling Cards, one per person in the group that he followed: Tattoos, a guy with glasses, and a girl with gothic clothes. Originally, he gave them nicknames, as he did when he didn’t know their actual names, but the three were pretty blatant during the Dark Hour. Tattoos was Takaya, Glasses was Jin, and Chidori was Gothic. From what Ren gathered, Takaya was the person who went to Port Island Station and Jin was the one that was described in Paulownia Mall’s arcade. Meanwhile, there have been no sightings of Chidori.

It was these same Calling Cards that stressed Ren so much for the past few days. Certainly, always being active during the Dark Hour was making him more tired than usual, this kind of work, jumping from shadow to shadow while following his target was something he was used to. Making the Calling Cards was something the Phantom Thieves’ resident artist did, not their leader. Yes, he had input, but it was mostly Yusuke that completed everything.

‘I was so used to his quality of work that I forgot my work wouldn’t be up to par with it. Seriously, I lost sleep trying to get that level of quality,’ Ren thought as he played with the Cards on his hand. Since it was him that worked on the Cards, the quality wasn’t up to par with Yusuke’s Calling Cards. ‘Still better than Ryuji’s, though.’ Ren smiled as he could already hear Ryuji trying to argue back.

His design was the simple logo he drew at the back of the classroom. It was less detailed than Yusuke’s, but more complex than Ryuji’s. Other than the logo, it kept the same red and black circles as the background. The message was the easy part, especially since all it needed were the art supplies and paper materials.

“Ongyo-Ki,” he said in a low voice. The Persona appeared right next to him. It had black skin underneath all the black clothes and its face hid behind a black mask where its expression was only shown in red. The surrounding shadows seemed to meld into him and him to it as if they were one being.

Ongyo-Ki was a Persona that was made through the fusion between Kin-Ki, Sui-Ki, and Fuu-Ki. It could suppress its aura to prevent enemies from sensing. Not only that, just like the oni-type Personas, it could use the shadows to travel. It was this ability that Ren wanted to use.

“Here, take these. You know what to do,” Ren said as he gave the Persona the Calling Cards. It nodded and dove into the shadows, disappearing from his side.

Through his connection with the Persona, Ren could feel it moving into the house, eventually popping out from the Shadows. The occupants slept separately and put a lot of distance between their rooms. Still, it only took Ongyo-Ki under a couple of minutes to finish its job before disappearing back into the Shadows.

Now the stage was set. It was up to the other stage actors to choose whether they wanted to join the play.

And if they didn’t want to be on stage, Joker would hunt them down.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

6/27 - Morning - Northern Tatsumi Port Island

An angry yell echoed throughout the dingy house, awakening Chidori. Her eyes fluttered open, and sunlight invaded her vision. Her wrists stung from her nightly rituals, though she could feel her fingers this morning. Luckily, the sleeves of her white gothic dress were safe from the blood since she had rolled them up. It was chilly overnight, though.

“Jin! Chidori!” the voice yelled out again.

Chidori sighed as she rose from her bed and a card fell to the ground.

“Takaya? What’s-“ a second voice called out but paused momentarily. “W-what the hell is this?!”

Chidori reached for the card, finally noticing the red and black logo: a white mask, its left eye on fire, and a top hat to complete it. Red and black circles surrounded it from behind.

“You two, here. Now!” the first voice commanded. Chidori felt the others must have received their own letters, too. With the sting on her wrists forgotten, Chidori held onto the card as she made her way to her leader’s room.

As she walked through the halls, she heard another set of footsteps coming from another direction.

“Chidori!” Jin, owner of the second voice from before, called out.

Jin had dark blue eyes and hair where its right side was slicked back. He was also the taller one between the two. He wore a green jacket with black straps and pockets, which helped with regulating his temperature. Orange-tinted glasses with black frames completed his outfit. He also held on to a briefcase.

“Did you get it?” he asked as both power-walked together. She nodded in response, showing him her card. “Did you read it?” She shook her head. “Give it to me for a second.” She complied, and his eyes roamed over the card, sharpening when it was on the other side of the logo. “So, we got the same message, but with different names and the characters came from another paper.”

“Message?” she asked, holding her hand out, and Jin gave back her card.

“You can read it later,” he replied, stopping in front of a door, and knocked. “We’re here, Takaya!”

“Enter,” the first voice from before said, and both entered Takaya’s room.

Takaya stood in the middle of the room, his back facing them. He turned towards Chidori and Jin, and on his hands was another card, presumably the same as hers and Jin’s.

Unlike her and Jin, Takaya’s body was warmer than normal people. And so, he never wore a shirt, not even a top, even during the winter. Because of this, it was very easy to see the tattoos that were riddled all over his body. A thin headband held his long, gray hair, showing off his yellow eyes to the world.

“From what I can see on your hands, I can tell that you two received your own cards,” Takaya observed.

Jin nodded. “We did. Same logo, message, and color scheme. The only things different were the characters and the name on it. It looked like it came from different pieces of prints.”

“And may I assume you both know what the message is?”

“I haven’t read it yet,” Chidori piped up.

“Very well, read it,” Takaya said.

Chidori glanced at her card, positioning it so that she could read the collage of letters.

Miss Chidori,

I have witnessed you and your colleges abuse your powers to attempt the great sin of murder. I also know you use the revenge website for targets.

I refuse to allow you to continue.

I will await you within the Tower of Babel during the Midnight Hour of the 27th.

Do not run. Do so, and I will hunt you down.

- From the Phantom Thief, Joker

“Whoever this Joker is, they knew our names,” Chidori said, letting Takaya and Jin know she had finished reading it.

“Yes, that is one thing to be worried about,” Takaya said with a nod. “However...”

“They know we use the revenge site for targets,” Jin read out. “They also know about the Dark Hour.”

“However, they don’t know that it’s called the Dark Hour nor the fact that it was you, Jin, that made the site to begin with,” Takaya added. “On top of that, what is the Tower of Babel?”

Jin pulled out a laptop from his briefcase. “Hold on, I’ll search it up.”

Takaya turned to Chidori. “Did you notice anything last night?” he asked, only for her to shake her head.

“No, not even Medea realized.”

Takaya nodded as he absorbed Chidori’s words. “So, our little thief somehow placed these cards in all our rooms, without any of us realizing so,” he said.

“Will this be a problem?”

Takaya nodded again. “If this Phantom Thief can somehow move around undetected by you, then we will never see him coming. Still, whether this is his own skills or perhaps even his potential, then it would be a boon.”

“What do you have in mind?” Chidori asked.

“Talk to them,” Takaya responded. “What else?”

“Got it,” Jin said. “It was a tower made by humans to reach the heavens. However, it was struck down by the Christian God.”

Takaya smiled. “It would seem that our little thief knows a thing or two about foreign culture. From what it sounds like, it is an apt name. We will meet whoever Joker is and have a little chat. We use our usual formation: Jin and I will talk to him while Chidori will be on the lookout. Use your Persona to see if it’s a trap.”

“Takaya, what’s the point?” Jin asked. “He knows who we are and is hostile to us. Why would this guy want to listen?”

Takaya smiled. “Because we have something he does not have: information. We could teach him our ways, change his outlook. Shinji was like that back then too, was he not? Now, he doesn’t care about what we do.”

“You’re always right, Takaya,” Jin praised him.

“We will talk with him, show him the truth of the world. If he still decides to be a thorn to our side,” Takaya smiled maliciously, reaching up to his eyes, “then we kill him.” His fingers snapped and the calling cards erupted in flames, destroying whatever evidence existed about them.

Chidori stayed quiet all throughout the conversation, only looking at whoever spoke. She didn’t care about any of it; all she had to do was follow Takaya’s words.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

6/27 - Dark Hour - Tartarus

“Chidori, any luck?” Jin asked through a small earpiece. He and Takaya stood right outside the Tower of Demise while Chidori waited further away from the tower, hidden from prying eyes. Her duty was to scan the area for a possible ambush while being their own ambush should Takaya and Jin’s negotiations fail.

Whatever this Joker had under his sleeve, it did not change the fact that Strega has had years of experience. They escaped from that damned Kirijo Group and have practiced using their Personas for years after. They have murdered people all across Tatsumi Port Island and it was only now that Joker revealed himself? It meant that Joker was new to all this.

It would be like defeating a baby.

“No,” Chidori answered. “I do not detect anyone in the area.”

Jin turned to Takaya. “You think he ditched?”

Takaya shook his head. “Chidori, what about inside the Tower of Demise?”

“Nothing inside as- Wait.”

“What is it?” Takaya asked.

“Something just appeared. It’s like a Shadow, but I’m also sensing something with it, like a human.”

“Maybe it’s a Shadow eating someone,” Jin suggested.

“No, it’s not like that. This is something else, something different,” Chidori said. “I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

“Perhaps it is a new species of Shadows, or maybe a new experiment from the Kirijo Group,” Takaya said amusingly.

“I wouldn’t put it past them,” Jin growled.

“If it is the latter,” Takaya smiled, “then we may have something in common. Nevertheless, there is no point wasting time. Let us go.”

Jin nodded and followed behind Takaya. He led them both inside the Tower. As they walked through the hallway, they could see someone in black sitting on the staircase that led deeper into the Tower. It became apparent that someone was a boy. He wore a black coat, a white mask that covered the upper half of face, and red gloves. He stared at Takaya and Jin as they walked towards the central clearing, standing up when they both reached a certain distance that was close enough to talk, but far enough to react to whatever the other side did.

“It’s nice to finally be able to talk to you two face-to-face, Takaya, Jin,” the masked boy said with a cocky smirk. Now that he was standing, he was slightly shorter than Takaya, but definitely taller than both Jin and Chidori. He had his hands inside his coat and his stance screamed easygoing. His smirk seemed to mock both Takaya and Jin, as if he had all the playing cards on the field.

“That’s the source of the reading I had,” Chidori reported.

Still, Takaya kept his cool. “Then, may I presume your name is Joker?”

The boy, Joker, nodded. “You’ve got it, Takaya. Still, I was hoping all of your little trio would be here. Where’s Chidori? I’m pretty sure I gave her a calling card too.”

He honestly only pissed off Jin. How dare he be so relaxed when he and Takaya could kill him so easily?! On top of all that, while he was tall, it was clear that he was still just a boy. His eyes were full of hope, as if unaware of the reality of the world. To Jin, the boy had barely realized how truly fucked up the world was.

“Enough chit-chat, kid,” Jin growled. “We got your ‘calling card.’ What’s your deal here?”

The boy in the black coat shrugged his shoulders, not minding the hostility. “It’s just as the calling cards said: stop your killing sprees. Using the Midnight Hour to escape responsibility for your crimes is, quite honestly, horrible. What do you get from doing all this?”

Jin scoffed. “The Midnight Hour? You really are clueless, aren’t you?”

“Oh? So, you know what all this is about?” Joker asked as he opened his arms, presenting the surrounding area.

Takaya smiled. The boy was truly clueless about the Dark Hour. His ‘calling card’ was a hint, but this cinched it. “Of course, we’ve known for a very long time. Would you like to know more about the phenomena?”

Joker nodded. “You got that right, but you still haven’t answered my first question: why are you doing this?”

Takaya scrunched his face and tilted his head. “Why shouldn’t we do what we do? The world is already filled with sin and disaster. Surely, our actions mean nothing in the grand scheme of things. If anything, we make people happy by fulfilling their wishes, no?”

“Not every wish has to be fulfilled,” Joker argued back. “What if the person you tried to murder a few days ago had a family? People that cared about him?”

Takaya’s smile grew as he tilted his head. “Like I said, it matters not. The world is already full of sin, suffering, and disaster. What is so wrong in adding to it?”

Joker narrowed his eyes. “The world isn’t perfect, but it doesn’t mean that we should make it worse. We should try to make it better.”

“Get off your high horse!” Jin growled. “You know nothing about how this world works!” He looked at Takaya. “It’s clear that he’s set in his ways. Can we just kill him now?”

Takaya glanced at Jin but looked back at Joker. “Are you truly set in your ways?” he asked. “You being here is a sign that you are chosen. The Dark Hour made you special; with it, you are more than the meaningless life you lead during the day. Here, you make a difference! Join us,” Takaya held out his hand, “and we could teach you how to use it to your benefit!”

Jin glared back at Joker. Inside, he knew Takaya’s words wouldn’t sway Joker, no matter how true it is. Still, it was Takaya that was talking here, the man that saved him. Maybe he could change the Phantom Thief’s mind.

Joker looked at Takaya in bafflement, surprised by the invitation. After a few moments, he hung his head and sighed. “What is it with murderers asking others to join them? At the very least, you seem sincere about your offer.” He rubbed the back of his head. “You told me to get off my high horse, but what about you?”

“Huh? What do you mean by that?” Jin asked.

“What right does being a ‘chosen one’ give you that allows you to murder?” Joker asked as he pointed a finger at them. “For thinking that you’re above others, I’ll repeat what you told me: get off your own high horse. No one gets to decide who lives or dies, whether you’re chosen or not!”

Jin grit his teeth. Now he knew what made Joker so damned irritating. “You’re one of those people that think that justice is on their side, ain’t you?” he spat out. “That you have the right to stop us because justice is with you?!”

Joker tilted his head in confusion. “What do you mean, ‘justice is on my side’? Justice can’t touch us here. You can murder people freely because justice doesn’t exist here. I’m stopping you, not just because you and I exist outside of the law, but because it’s the right thing to do.”

“Then I suppose you refuse to understand the world? That you mean nothing without the Dark Hour?” Takaya asked, before smirking. “You truly are a child. It seems that negotiations have failed. You will die here, boy, never seeing the full extent of what you could do.”

However, Joker shot his own smirk back. “Please, I’m more than this. Humans are multi-faceted, and their values can’t be described in one, single way. I’ve seen it with my own two eyes.”

“Then it seems we are at an impasse,” Takaya said. Both he and Jin reached behind themselves, taking out a revolver and a grenade, respectively. “We refuse to stop our reason for existence from the words of a child.”

Seeing the threat, Joker readied himself into a stance, both feet separated and knees folded so that he lowered his center of gravity. “Ah well, I guess it’s going to devolve to fighting,” he muttered with a smirk. “Still, you guys think you can kill me?”

Jin scoffed at his words. “You really think you’ll win over us?”

“It is two-on-one,” Takaya said.

Joker’s smirk grew larger. “Honestly, I like those odds.”

Jin began to move to the side, hoping to flank Joker on his left. On the other hand, Takaya tried to distract Joker and asked a question. “Before we kill you, we would like to know: were you the one that interfered with our target on the 22nd? Or, perhaps, do you know who did?”

Joker’s face was unreadable, his smirk unchanging on his face. “And if I was?”

“Well, we looked into him and we found out he was in the hospital, feeling some sort of pain near his stomach.” Takaya smirked. “It appears that a bullet was inside him all this time. His body healed over said bullet, causing him much pain throughout the week.”

“Oh,” Joker simply muttered as he cringed, his cocky smirk disappearing.

“I suppose that answers my question; it was you that hindered us,” Takaya concluded with a smirk. “And for that, we must eliminate you!” As Takaya ended his words, Jin threw the grenade while Takaya raised his right hand and took a shot at Joker, aiming for his head.

Takaya and Jin smiled. It really was just like killing a baby.

However, Joker shot a smirk of his own. Before Takaya and Jin could react, Joker’s right hand suddenly shot out to meet Takaya’s bullet, and in his sleeve, something shined under the light of Tartarus. Something rang out and the grenade suddenly exploded midair. Takaya and Jin had no choice but to cover their eyes from the explosion, shielding themselves from the dust that now flew in the area. The dust swallowed Joker up, making it impossible to see him.

“What?!” Jin shouted. “What was that?!”

Takaya grunted as he tried to look at where Joker originally was. “It would seem that the child has a bite!”

Joker jumped out of the dust cloud and sprinted towards Takaya, keeping his body low on the ground, his right arm in front of him while holding a monstrous dagger.

“You think you can run towards a gun unharmed?!” Takaya yelled as he shot the rest of his clip towards Joker. Joker’s eyes abruptly turned yellow as he weaved through the bullets, deflecting one off to the side.

Before Takaya and Jin could even comprehend what just happened, Joker had already reached Takaya. “I think that answers your question?” he asked with a smug tone, his smirk clear for Takaya to see.

“Takaya!” Jin screamed. Before Takaya could do anything to protect himself, Joker slashed Takaya’s hand. Blood flowed from his hand as he lost his grip on his revolver and he fell to the ground.

Enough was enough. The situation had turned out for the worse. Takaya and Jin had come here, thinking they were the predators, but it turned out their prey was a predator they had never seen before. It was surreal to see that it was possible to dodge bullets consistently, never mind deflecting them with a dagger. They had to go all-out, here and now, to eliminate Joker before he could pose a bigger problem.

There was no hesitation on Jin’s part. Joker had already harmed Takaya, his light and savior. That in itself was heresy to what he believed in.

He quickly reached into a pocket strapped to his leg, bringing out a gun, and pointed it at his head. “Moros!” He pulled the trigger and his Persona, Moros, appeared behind him.

It had a metallic body in the shape of three tops stacked together. Symbols floated on the largest top, which was above the others. A total of two rings floated where each top touched each other, and limbs were attached to those rings. Oddly enough, one of its arms was missing.

Moros began to spin its limbs and rushed to where Takaya was. Purple flames appeared on the ground as they circled around Joker. However, before more could happen, he back flipped multiple times to create space. His eyes widened as he saw what Jin was holding on to: an Evoker.

Jin rushed towards Takaya, Moros standing on guard against Joker, a wall to stop him from approaching.

“Takaya!” Jin reached for him and checked his hand. Luckily, it was only a scratch. It seemed that Joker only slashed at the gun and the only damage on Takaya was a minor scratch on his palm. There was no cut on his fingers, either.

Jin glanced at Takaya’s revolver. There was a huge scratch on it and Joker’s dagger somehow dug into both the handle and cylinder, damaging them beyond repair.

“I’m alright, Jin,” Takaya said with a growl. “I only lost my balance.” He quickly stood up, making sure not to use his right hand to support him from the ground. “Why didn’t you kill me?” he asked Joker with a glare.

“What?” Jin asked. “What do you mean?”

Takaya didn’t break eye contact with Joker. “You had a chance to kill me. However, you instead aimed for my gun. You had a clear opening, and you chose to disarm me. Why?”

Joker relaxed, the right hand with the knife hanging loosely on his side while his left was on his hip. There was no tension in his body.

“Don’t you know? A phantom thief never kills; they steal hearts for the good of the people,” Joker responded, keeping the smug tone from earlier. “Now, it’s my turn to ask: where did you get that gun? Nice Stand, by the way.”

Stand?

Jin shook his head. “Whatever you just said makes no sense. And as for the gun...” He glanced towards Takaya, a silent question on what to do.

A scowl replaced Takaya’s smile, finally taking in the seriousness of the situation. A normal person forced them to use their Personas, even if said person dressed weirdly.

No, that was wrong.

A human forced them to use their Personas, a weapon for killing Shadows. Even if he dressed weirdly, even if he could traverse the Dark Hour, Jin was forced to use his Persona to defend them.

It was a disgrace for Strega.

Takaya snarled at the situation. He was going to make sure to erase this disgrace from the world.

“Hypnos!” He clutched his head as he summoned his Persona. The pain became unbearable, causing him to yell out and kneel on the ground. However, it was enough. His Persona floated above him.

Hypnos was a disfigured body held in the air by black wings, as if it were grafted into his spine and nerves. Its body was gray, or perhaps pale. A face mask hid its eyes from the world and its straps formed an X on the back of his head.

“It’s useless! Every minute, every second, someone will always die! Adding to that changes nothing! Death is not something you can stop!” Takaya cried out.

“You’re right,” Joker said as he nodded, to both Takaya and Jin’s surprise. “We all die at the end of our lifetimes when we grow too old to move. We can’t stop that from happening.”

Takaya looked at him suspiciously. “Then you must know how futile it is to stop-”

“But, here’s the thing,” Joker interrupted him, “we shouldn’t dive onto death headfirst. It’s wrong to say that someone’s death would change nothing in the world. Everyone bonds with someone, anyone, in the world. If a single person dies, everyone they connected with will be affected, hurting them.”

“Not everyone bonds with someone else!” Takaya denied.

“Not unless you lock yourself away from the world,” Joker answered back. “There’s, what, over six billion people in the world? Reach out to others and I’m sure someone will reach back!”

Jin grit his teeth as he took a step back at Joker’s words in surprise. Memories flowed back into him, memories from when he was at his lowest... Back when...

Takaya held out a hand towards him. “Don’t let the past control you, and don’t look to the future; simply live in the moment...”

“A foolish notion!” Takaya yelled back. “It is a childish dream to believe that everything will be fixed if we just reach out to each other!”

Jin shook his head with a growl. Now was no time to be remembering the past. “It’s four of us now! And with our Personas, your loss is guaranteed!”

“Persona? Is that what they’re called?” Joker calmly asked, stunning Jin.

“Really?” Jin asked stupendously. “In front of insurmountable odds, you still have that attitude of yours?! There really is no cure for stupidity!”

“Be judged for your arrogance!” Takaya cried out. “Hypnos, Zionga!”

Jin commanded his Persona, “Moros, Agilao! Burn this fucker to ash!”

Electricity charged around Hypnos while Moros began swinging its arms. Lightning and a ball of fire shot towards Joker, and both hit him at the same time. Joker’s spot exploded, shooting up dust all throughout the area. The grenade explosion from before was significantly smaller than this.

“He did nothing this time...” Jin muttered. “Looks like we got him.”

“Shall I move in?” Chidori asked through the earpiece.

Takaya stared vigilantly at where Joker was in silence. He underestimated Joker once, and he paid for it with his revolver.

“Go ahead,” Takaya commanded. “Jin, keep an eye out for any movements.”

Moros kept itself between the explosion and both Takaya and Jin to protect them from any surprises. Hypnos hovered closer to the ground behind Takaya.

Suddenly, Chidori cried out in pain.

“Chidori, what’s wrong?” Jin asked.

“Something is there!” Chidori replied. “I can’t get a good sense of it. I’m moving in.”

Jin could hear leaves rustling on the other side of the earpiece, most likely Chidori moving away from her hiding spot.

Blue flames erupted in the middle of the dust cloud, and a resounding roar blew away all the dust, threatening to split Takaya and Jin’s ears. They took cover behind Moros’ metallic legs and held on to prevent themselves from being swept off their feet.

“What the hell is this?!” Jin yelled out in frustration as he tried to keep his grip on Moros.

The winds died out, allowing Takaya and Jin to properly look at Joker, his coat flapping violently, and the massive, metallic dragon behind him.

Somehow, Joker was unharmed after the enormous explosion. Not even his coat was scratched, which was impossible.

“Just as you have your own Stands, or Personas, as you said,” Joker paused as he held out his hands with a grin, “I have my own: Fafnir!”

“What the hell...” Jin muttered. “How do you have a Persona?! How did you summon it without an Evoker?!”

“Is the Evoker the gun that you used?” Joker asked, causing Jin to freeze up when he realized he made a mistake. “Thanks for the information. I’ll have to ask you more after I beat you two.”

Takaya growled as he hung his head, his hair covering his eyes from view.

“Takaya...?” Jin asked unsurely. He had never seen Takaya like this before.

“I... I...” Takaya said, his shoulders shaking as he clenched his hands. Blood flowed again from his right hand as the wound worsened. “For years, we have dodged the Kirijo, long enough for them to forget that we existed. For years, we’ve done what we wanted, free from everyone and everything!”

Takaya looked up to Joker hastily, his bloodshot eyes visible behind his long strands of hair, giving him a haunting look. “I refuse to go back! Hypnos, Ziodyne!” he commanded once more, but blood began to flow from his nose.

Seeing Takaya’s determination, Jin could only answer in kind. “Moros, Maragion!”

Ziodyne hit Joker’s Persona, Fafnir, first. While electricity travelled through its skin, it seemed like Ziodyne did no visible damage.

A circle of fire surrounded Joker and Fafnir, and the Persona surrounded its summoner with its tail, protecting him as the area lit up in flames. Fafnir glowed in light blue as it seemed to absorb the flames instead of being harmed by it. If anything, Joker seemed to be more energetic from the attack.

“His Persona absorbs fire?” Jin stammered out.

Takaya and Jin’s eyes widened in realization. There was a reason Joker seemed so relaxed during the entire encounter. He knew he wasn’t going to lose. His victory was already assured from the start.

Takaya had thought that since they were meeting in Tartarus, Strega had the advantage. They had the experience, and Tartarus was something they consistently used throughout the years. Yes, they did their best to make sure the Kirijo bitch couldn’t find them, but they knew how Tartarus worked. It was their home. It gave birth to the Dark Hour, and with it, their reason for existence.

But now, an upstart threatened to take that reason away from them.

“Now, it’s my turn.” Joker said, interrupting their thoughts. “Fafnir, take it easy on them; I don’t want them dead.” It growled in response, making Joker chuckle. “For now, I want them knocked out to their feet. Freidyne.”

“Freidyne? What-“ Jin asked before Fafnir roared thunderously. An explosion of blue and white light erupted from where they stood.

The explosion didn’t last long, and neither did they. When the brightness of the room finally dimmed, both of them were lying on the ground. Joker’s attack knocked out Takaya, but Jin was struggling to get up. Hypnos and Moros were nowhere to be found.

“What the hell... Are you...? Some... Kirijo superweapon?” Jin asked between gasps of air as he tried to glare at Joker. As menacing the notion was, it all fizzled out, considering how weak Jin looked on the ground.

“I told you, I’m the Phantom Thief,” Joker responded with a smile as he walked to Jin. “Now, seeing the situation, it’s my turn to ask my questions. What did you mean by the Kirijo? How are they connected to this?” he asked, now that he was above Jin.

Jin fell on his back, too tired to prop himself up. He looked at Joker while trying to plan some sort of response. All he had to do was buy enough time for Chidori to arrive and run. Luckily enough, the light didn’t actually destroy any of the items Jin had, so the earpiece was still in his ear.

Jin scoffed at Joker. “You don’t know a damn thing, don’t you?”

“Yes, I’m pretty sure we established that. Answer my question.”

Jin sighed as pain flared up throughout his body. Whatever that light was, it burned some of his exposed skin. “Fine, fine. The Kirijo aren’t as nice as they seem,” he finally answered, though he stretched wherever he could, masking him wasting time as sarcasm.

“You dodged the question,” Joker said sternly. “Answer me. Are they related to the Evoker and how Takaya could summon his own Persona without it?”

“Got it in one,” Jin admitted. “Seeing you summon your Persona honestly shocked me for a bit there. It was like watching a stable version of Takaya’s summoning.”

“What did they do to you?” Jin could see the pity in his eyes, and with it, weakness. An opening.

“Too bad, you won’t get the answer to that!” Jin suddenly waved his sleeve at Joker, and a ball shot towards him. Joker had no choice but to jump back and slash at the ball. It blew up and a thick fog of smoke blanketed the air, making Joker lose sight of both Takaya and Jin.

“Damn, a smoke grenade...” he muttered.

His eyes glowed yellow to find his quarry. However, he saw the smoke shift as something fast approached him. He raised his knife to deflect it, and it turned out to be a chained axe of some sort. It bounced off with a clang, and something dragged it back in through the smoke. Another axe came from a different direction, and Joker twisted his body to dodge.

“Fafnir! Blow this away!” His Persona appeared once more, and it swung its wings, blowing away the smoke. However, the area cleared, and he was the only one left. There was no sign of Takaya and Jin, other than the rubble from the fight and the revolver that Joker destroyed.

Joker picked up the revolver, hiding it in his pocket, and his eyes turned yellow again as he scanned the area, but then he sighed. “It was a smoke grenade... Third Eye can’t see where they went anymore. I guess I’m still affected by cognition, even if I’m outside the Metaverse.” A smoke grenade hides someone and provides a distraction, something the Phantom Thieves used when they were in a tight situation.

However, it didn’t mean that they were far away. There was only one entrance to Tartarus, which led to outside. There was the door that went deeper into Tartarus instead, but with how weak they were, it made little sense that they would enter the Shadows’ nest.

Joker rushed outside, still hoping to find some clue to where they were. He summoned Yatagarasu, and it flew into the sky while Joker ran on the ground. Yatagarasu would try to keep an eye out for any movement in a large range, but Joker could comb through areas that Yatagarasu couldn’t see.

However, time was not on his side. As he reached the streets outside Gekkoukan High School, Tartarus began to collapse into itself. Joker rushed into the shadows of a building nearby, viewing the physics-ignoring spectacle in front of him.

Soon enough, the tall tower became the school once more, and the world shifted. It lost its green hue, replaced by the white light of the moon.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

6/28 - After Midnight - Port Island - Ren

Ren sighed in frustration as he hit the back of his head with the building wall. His targets got away, now that the Dark Hour had finished. Without a second pair of eyes and the boost the Dark Hour gave him, he had effectively lost about 75% of his ability to scout and search. They know Joker exists and they’ve seen his power and Persona. They’ll be even more careful in the future.

He rubbed the spot that he hit with the wall. On the flip side, their encounter should have scared them off, enough that they may stop killing people for a while, or at least in the near future. It wasn’t a long-term solution, but it gives him enough time to plan out another way of stopping them, hopefully a more permanent solution.

As Ren walked back towards the station, he reviewed what he had learned about Takaya and Jin.

Their weapons were the real deal: a revolver and live grenades. Jin had two types of grenades too, a regular explosive grenade and a smoke grenade. It would be safe to assume he had more to use if they drew the battle out.

‘Takaya’s revolver, if I remember Iwai’s words right, was a Smith & Wesson Model 500,’ he thought.

“It’s a strong one, packs a lot of power,” Iwai said as he exhaled smoke. “It can even take down some of the larger African game.”

Makoto loved it when he gave her its model version as a Christmas present. And now, he was holding on to the real one. Fortunately, there was no bullet, seeing as Paradise Lost cut through the cylinder like it was butter and because Takaya wasted all his bullets trying to kill Joker.

Ren kept the gun hidden from late night workers as best as he could when he arrived at the train station and hopped into a train. The next part was their Personas. While Moros’ design wasn’t too outlandish, it was Hypnos that sent a shiver down Ren’s spine. It oozed depression and freakish, from how it stayed aloft in the air, to how it connected the wings to itself. On the other hand, their attacks were on the weak side for him, only going up to lower-mid tier in terms of damage, in Futaba’s words. However, they were stronger than what he had seen from SEES, something to worry about if these two groups ever met up with each other.

Ren let out a large yawn, and he slumped deeper into the seat. Luckily, he was alone in the train car.

‘Damn it, the lack of sleep from the entire week is starting to hit me.’

Ren sighed as the train began to cross the bridge from Port Island and the mainland. It had been a hell of a week and it was only turning out worse and worse. Normally, he used the night to sleep until right before the Dark Hour. However, the calling cards took that nap from him, so he was sleep deprived. On top of that and what just happened, he has a SEES expedition through Tartarus, and he could not mess up his ‘first’ visit since the Emperor and Empress Full Moon Shadows.

He began to regret his decision to have the showdown the night before the expedition. His body was dead tired, and his right arm was feeling sore from deflecting all those shots from the revolver. It made him really miss Morgana. He would have told Ren when to sleep and have the showdown days beforehand.

Ren reached for his phone and began to fiddle with the alarm clock. ‘Twenty minutes. I should be able to take a power nap before the train gets to Iwatodai Station,’ he thought as he drifted to sleep.

When Ren arrived at the dorm, all the lights were off. When he reached his bed, he flopped, forgetting to change off his clothes and to sleep properly.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

6/28 - After Midnight - Port Island - Jin

Jin, gasping for air, slid down the wall in one of the safe houses Strega had around the city. Specifically, they were still on Port Island, near the station. His legs were on fire from sprinting non-stop ever since he and Chidori had to run from Tartarus.

‘Hopefully, Joker thinks we ran towards the station and took the train.’

Tonight was a failure. Not only were they outmatched, but they also ran with their tails between their legs. On top of that...

Jin looked to the bed where Takaya was laid down. ‘He’s down and we have no idea when he’ll wake up.’

Jin could still see bits of seared skin, destroying Takaya’s tattoos. He touched his own face and felt the same burnt skin. However, both their skins were starting to heal. Whatever Joker did, it did not have lasting effects. Perhaps a silver lining to this entire shitshow.

Jin stared at Chidori as she began to apply first aid to Takaya. She was stoic throughout the entire situation, her face unmoving.

She bandaged Takaya’s arms when she asked, “What happened in Tartarus?”

‘Huh. Rare of her to ask.’

“What do you think?” Jin weakly responded. “We got our asses handed to us.”

“How? Outside of the occasional static, I only heard you and Takaya.”

“What do you mean how?” Jin asked irritatedly. “Joker, he...”

Jin tried to remember what happened only a few minutes ago. He could remember the irritation and anger he felt in Tartarus. He remembered the rare moment of rage Takaya showed.

But Joker? Nothing. Flashes of static appeared in his mind as he tried to remember anything about Joker. Then, in the final memory, the closest he ever got was near the end, when Joker stood above him, it should have been the clearest picture he had of Joker.

Instead, what he remembered was a being cloaked in a mist of shadows. Then, the memories came back again. There was only static when he remembered Joker speaking. That same mist of shadows stood where Joker stood.

Jin began to pant as he realized that, somehow, someway...

“What the hell...?”

Joker was that fog of shadows.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

Activities:

6/22 – Night – Print Club

6/23 – Afternoon – Temperance 4

6/23 – Night – Café Work

6/24 – Afternoon – Temperance 5

6/24 – Night – Café Work

6/25 – Afternoon – Priestess 2

6/25 – Night – Devil 5

6/26 – Afternoon – Star 4

6/26 – Night – Café Customer

6/27 – Afternoon – Priestess 3

6/27 – Night – Café Customer

-.-Take Your Time-.-

Social Links:

Fool – SEES – 3

Magician – Junpei Iori – 6

Priestess – Fuuka Yamagishi – 3

Emperor – Student Council – 3

Hierophant – Old Couple – 8

Lovers – Yukari Takeba – 5

Chariot – Volleyball – 8

Hermit – Health Committee – 3

Hanged Man – Girl at the Shrine – 3

Death – Mysterious Boy – 1

Temperance – Transfer Student – 5

Devil – Businessman – 5

Star – Akihiko Sanada – 4

Fortitude – Ren Amamiya – 2

-.-Take Your Time-.-

Chapter Text

6/28 - Dark Hour - Tartarus - Ren

“Welcome to Tartarus!” Kotone said excitedly as the tower erupted from the insides of the school. Gears, balconies, and even other buildings grew and joined into a single monolith.

All of SEES were right in front of the school gate. Everyone was in their school uniforms with a red armband which had the letters SEES stitched onto it. That, apparently, was their fighting attire.

Fuuka stared in amazement, her mouth slightly agape throughout the entire sequence. On the other hand, it did not exactly surprise or amaze Ren. The different Palaces and Jails had dulled his sense of awe of most things. Still, something about seeing a gigantic tower grow from his school right in front of his eyes made him feel certain emotions. He narrowed his eyes in contemplation.

“Something wrong, Ren?” Yukari asked.

Ren glanced at Yukari before responding. “I was just thinking about how unnerving it is, to see Tartarus come from our school.”

Junpei nodded. “You got that right. I was so surprised to see it the first time around. It’s even worse when you realize all this is in the real world.”

“What?” Ren asked, looking at Junpei in shock. “Does that mean we’re summoning Personas in the real world?”

This time, Mitsuru nodded. “That’s right. With the Evoker, anyone with the potential can summon their Persona outside the Dark Hour, albeit with difficulty. This was something the Kirijo Group learned when they trained me.”

“I see,” Ren murmured as he trailed off. ‘Damn it, I thought the Dark Hour was like the Metaverse, completely separated from our reality. But from what Mitsuru-senpai said just now, could it be that the collective unconscious is here in the real world, just like during the Day of Reckoning? I was so used to the Metaverse that I unconsciously thought that the Dark Hour was the same, even with the extra hour. How serious of a problem is the Dark Hour? Does this mean that our deadline is near?’

Tartarus had finally fully formed, prompting everyone to enter the tower.

‘Futaba would be so jealous if I’m wearing my Phantom Thief attire in reality again.’

When Ren entered the door, he erupted in blue flames, causing everyone to shield their eyes from the sudden light.

“Ren?!” Kotone cried out in surprise.

“Don’t worry, I’m fine,” he said, with a touch of boredom from within the fire. The flames faded quickly, and his Gekkoukan uniform transformed into a thief’s outfit. His SEES armband had also disappeared with the uniform.

“Damn, I’m so jealous...” Junpei said.

“Isn’t it a bit...much?” Akihiko asked with slightly furrowed eyebrows. “It looks like it’ll get in the way of fighting and movement, with the coat and all. You’re also missing your SEES armband.”

Ren shook his head. “Not at all, actually. I did some running and parkour tests with Ikutsuki-san earlier and there were no problems.” He looked at his right arm, where the armband should have been. “As for that, I’m not too sure. I guess I just change everything I’m currently wearing. Will this be a problem?”

Mitsuru shook her head. “Not while we are in Tartarus. It’s only for formalities. We are the only ones here, so everyone here knows we are from SEES.”

Kotone looked Ren up and down with a critical eye, nodding with a hand on her chin. “It’s pretty cool, I won’t lie.”

“Jealous?” Ren asked with a smirk.

Kotone sent a coy smile back. “I’m appreciating, Ren. It looks good on you.”

Mitsuru coughed. “May I remind you that the Dark Hour only lasts for one hour?”

Ren and Kotone blushed, and both let out a synchronized “Sorry.”

The group walked in silence towards the clearing in the middle of the first floor of Tartarus. An air of tension permeated in the group as if this was their duty to fulfill.

While Ren was initially nervous about the damage his fight with Strega had done, the clearing was clear of any debris. It seemed like Tartarus fixed itself every time it spawned.

“This was where we last fought the Emperor and Empress Full Moon Shadows...” Fuuka murmured, to which Kotone nodded.

“You got that right,” she said. “This is what we consider the first floor. That door at the top of the staircase is how we always start our Tartarus runs. It takes us to the highest floor we got to last time.” She pointed to a corner of the floor, where a terminal hummed in green light. “And that lets us get to specific floors in Tartarus. It also acts as a way to get back to the first floor by using one-way teleporters in Tartarus.”

Ren and Fuuka nodded. To Ren, it was simple enough; it worked similarly to the Rest Areas in Mementos, though instead of Rest Areas scattered throughout Tartarus, they were teleported to the first floor and had to teleport back up to resume exploration.

“Before I say anything else,” Kotone turned to Fuuka, “can you move when you summon your Persona?”

Fuuka reached for the Evoker in her holster, pointed it to herself, took a breath, and pressed on the trigger. The sound of glass broke, and Lucia surrounded Fuuka.

Fuuka hummed for a moment before shaking her head. “Sorry,” she said telepathically, “I’m rooted on the spot; I’d have to let Lucia go if I want to move.”

Kotone nodded in understanding. “So, the same as Mitsuru-senpai was. Then we’ll have to use our old set-up. Our first team for tonight will be Ren, Yukari, Mitsuru-senpai, and me.”

“What?!” Junpei asked. “What about me and Akihiko-senpai?”

“Sorry, Junpei, but Yukari and Mitsuru-senpai missed the fight last time, and this is Ren’s first time in Tartarus,” Kotone responded. “Don’t worry, though; you and Akihiko will be part of the exploration team tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” Ren asked. “Are you planning to explore every night?”

Kotone nodded again. “Yep. Like what Mitsuru-senpai said: the Dark Hour is only one hour. Ideally, we stop exploring around 45 to 50 minutes in, and we look for a teleporter back here. If we have to, we keep pushing into the next floor. We do not want to be stuck here when the Dark Hour finishes. Otherwise, we’re stuck here for a day, like what happened to Fuuka.”

“Man,” Junpei sighed. “I was so hyped to show off to my SEES kouhai tonight.”

Yukari sighed in frustration. “You’ll fight tomorrow, anyway. You can wait for a day, can’t you?”

“Don’t worry, Junpei,” Ren said. “We’re pretty excited to see our SEES senpai fight, right, Fuuka?”

Fuuka nodded with her eyes closed. “Of course, I am quite excited to see how everyone fights.”

Junpei looked at the two of them, stunned, and then rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. “Well, then I guess I’ll save up my energy for tonight, then! I’ll give my 110% tomorrow.”

“Sounds like a good plan,” Akihiko said. “It’s important to know when to give ground and strike back in a fight.”

“By the way, how do we know how much time passed?” Ren asked. “I thought all electronics stop working during the Dark Hour.”

“I have an analog watch with me,” Mitsuru responded as she presented a ticking wristwatch to the group. “Now that I’m no longer the navigator, I’d like to have Yamagishi to have it from now on.” She stepped towards Lucia, and a small hole opened in her glass belly, letting Mitsuru pass the watch to Fuuka.

Fuuka opened her eyes, looking at the watch. “About five minutes have passed since we entered the Dark Hour.”

“Sounds about right,” Kotone said. “For today, since we used up some of our time to explain things, we’ll only explore for about thirty minutes. Everyone, get ready; we’ll begin in about five minutes.” Kotone stepped back from the group and walked towards another corner of the room, towards a memorable blue door.

To Ren, as soon as Kotone reached the door, it opened, and she entered it.

“It’s weird, right?” Junpei asked Ren, suddenly right next to him.

“Hmm? What do you mean?” Ren asked.

“You know, Kotone and her just standing around, staring off into space?” Junpei explained, to which Ren nodded. “Well, it’s weird, but it’s just a little quirk.”

“It could be a form of meditation,” Fuuka said.

Akihiko nodded. “I always thought of it like that: a way for her to get her head in the game.” Ren could see Fuuka slightly blush to hear her crush agree with her. “It’s very important to do that for a fight.”

“Well, while she’s doing that, I’ll get to warming up and then stretching,” Ren said as he began doing jumping jacks and knee raises to get his blood pumping.

“Uh... Ren? What are you doing?” Junpei asked.

Ren finally finished his knee rises and began doing hamstring stretches. “Warming up and stretching. I don’t want to pull a muscle tonight.”

“You can’t just...you know... start doing parkour?”

This time, it was Akihiko that answered. “Actually, it’s not ideal to stretch or use cold muscles right off the bat. It’s why warming up for a few minutes is required.”

Ren moved to the stairs, using it for calf raises. Afterwards, he moved back to the ground, finally doing the last stretch: a side split.

“Wait, how the hell...?” Junpei muttered as he kept watching Ren stretch. Ren dropped his left elbow to the ground. With his right arm, he reached over his body and head, holding on to his left toes. After a few seconds, he let go and mirrored it to his right side.

“How the hell are you doing all this?!” Junpei yelled, finally snapping after seeing Ren’s flexibility.

“Lots of training, stretching, and pain, Junpei,” Ren said as he let go and stood up. ‘The things Sumire made me do for exercising was a hell and a half.’

“Can you do that, Akihiko-senpai?” Yukari asked, and Akihiko shook his head.

“No, not that far. We train our muscles more for power.”

“What are you guys talking about?” Kotone asked, finally done with the Velvet Room.

“Hey, Kotone!” Junpei called.

“Yes, I am Kotone.”

“Ren was doing some crazy stretching! He was doing a split on the ground just now!”

“Wanna see me do it again?” Ren asked with a grin.

“Uh...” Kotone repeatedly glanced between Junpei and Ren, before settling on the latter. “Yes?”

This time, Ren didn’t lay down on the ground. Instead, he lifted his left knee, letting his left arm hold the corresponding foot, and lifted it above his head, perpendicular to the ground. His right arm reached above to hold his left toes. He held the position for a few seconds, eventually letting it go slowly and quietly.

“Since when were you so flexible?” Kotone said with an amused face.

Ren shrugged in response. “Always have been.”

Yukari scoffed. “What a show-off. We should get going. A lot of time must have passed already.”

“Actually,” Fuuka piped up, “it’s only been ten minutes.”

“Thanks, Fuuka!” Kotone said with a wave towards her. “Let’s get exploring!”

Mitsuru, Yukari, and Ren nodded and followed Kotone up the staircase, disappearing into the door.

The four landed with a soft thud on a floor, and when Ren looked back, a portal of green and black closed on itself and turned into a wall. They were effectively cut off from using the same way.

‘Very similar to when Mementos closed off the people that were becoming uncontrollable,’ he thought with narrowed eyes.

In the corner of his eyes, he saw Kotone approach a closed set of gates, though they disappeared when she touched them. “Were those gates always there?” he asked.

Mitsuru nodded. “Yes, we always had to stop our exploration until it opened again. At this point, we assume that there are more gates like it throughout Tartarus.”

“These gates are our goals whenever we come up,” Kotone said. “Once we hit these, we know we’re done for a while.”

“And when do they open?” Ren asked.

Kotone shrugged. “No one really knows. We don’t really have the manpower to check every day. We’d be too tired for the day after.”

Ren placed his hands in his pockets for a moment. ‘A locked door usually has a key.... For Mementos, its keys were the people’s cognition of the Phantom Thieves’ fame. But here...’

“Another question.” Ren looked at Kotone. “When do you usually explore?”

“In between full moons. We can’t explore during the full moon because we have our hands full with the Shadows that appear during the full moon. Why?”

“Is there something wrong?” Yukari asked.

“A locked door or gate always has some sort of key,” Ren answered. “Otherwise, it would just be a wall.” ‘The collective unconscious just works like that. A door is a door, no matter how different it looks like or how it moves; everyone knows what a door is, so its functions will work the same way.’

“Are you saying that something is acting as its key?” Mitsuru asked. “If the only time that we haven’t been able to see the gate at all is during the full moon, then...”

Ren nodded. “Then the ‘key’ could either be the full moon or the Arcana Shadows that appear during the full moon.”

“Seriously?!” Yukari asked in shock.

“An interesting thought, Amamiya,” Mitsuru said. “I’ll relay it to the Chairman in my report for our Tartarus explorations. We’ll have to wait until the full moon to test it, but it’s something to keep in mind. Good work.”

“Damn, I didn’t think about that,” Kotone said before shaking her head. “Anyway, Ren, see that little terminal that looks like a mini version on the first floor?” Kotone as she pointed to a terminal that glowed in green. “That’s a one-way portal to the first floor. We’ll use it once in a while to get back for a breather. It’s also what we use if we want to stop for the day. That said, are we all ready?” Everyone nodded and took the staircase to the next floor.

Instead of a portal that teleported everyone to the next floor, the staircase led everyone to it, though the stairs disappeared, and a wall replaced it.

Here, the area was far darker than the previous floor. Purple dominated the lighting, creating an ominous glow. The black walls didn’t help either, making tall shadows all around them.

‘This seems like a good place to sneak around in,’ Ren thought with a mental smile. She glanced around the area, taking in what he could in the darkness with normal eyes. ‘It’s not nearly as bad as Mementos was, but it’s got its own sense of weirdness and creepiness.’ After making sure everyone was behind him, he activated his Third Eye, but saw nothing.

“Ren,” Kotone called out, making him turn towards her. “The way we go around here is we move as a group. If we go down to the lower floors, the really low ones, we can split up.”

“Split up? Is that okay?” Ren asked. “I thought the Shadows were dangerous.” ‘Very different from our modus operandi....’

Kotone nodded. “True, but we’ve gotten powerful enough to explore on our own. On top of that, we have Fuuka now! She’ll make sure everyone knows how things are going. We’ll depend on you a lot!”

“I’ll do my best!” Fuuka telepathically said.

Kotone chuckled. “With that said, let’s get going. Our goal per floor is to find the stairs to the next floor. We kill whatever Shadow we find on our way there.”

With a nod, everyone walked closer to each other. Kotone led the group while Ren was right behind her, with Mitsuru beside him. Yukari walked behind everyone else. Ren fought the habit of walking towards the walls and blending in with the shadows, but he was ready to jump in front of Kotone whenever needed.

Ren was itching to see what the Shadows looked like here. Even when he used the main floor of Tartarus, no Shadows appeared there, so he did not know what they looked like.

“Enemy around the corner,” Fuuka informed them. Kotone huddled next to the wall, with Ren next, then Mitsuru, and finally Yukari. Kotone peered over the corner, only motion everyone to run in the direction they came back.

“What?” Ren asked. “What’s going on?”

“Just get over here!” Kotone whisper, everyone else already far from the corner. With no choice, Ren followed directions.

“Okay, what was that?” he asked again as he reached them.

“The Shadow was approaching us,” Kotone explained. “We want to hit them from the back which will give us the advantage.”

“And why couldn’t we just, you know, sneak up on them?”

“They can sense us from the back,” Yukari answered. “Running and going back was the best we could do.”

“And honestly, it’s working pretty well so far,” Kotone added with a hint of pride.

‘Oh, right.... They couldn’t hide behind things like we did.’

“Alright, you guys are the experienced ones here,” Ren said.

And thus, the waiting game began. The gang waited for a while until Fuuka had told them the Shadow was going in a different direction. When they checked, it turned out the Shadow wasn’t in the proper direction, so they waited even more.

To Ren’s surprise, the Shadow was just a black sludge. It had no discernible solid form outside of two arms, though those also wriggly. Everything that Ren had experienced before would not help with this Shadow.

The Shadow stopped moving, but it wasn’t facing away from them, so they waited even more. Finally, the Shadow was facing the opposite direction from where everyone was. Kotone did not miss a beat and immediately ran and slashed at the Shadow. Everyone else followed suit, with Ren right in front of Kotone, ready to dash in and distract.

The Shadow turned into a puddle, but then it coalesced into a gigantic beetle with a purple carapace and a golden crown.

“Beginning scan,” Fuuka said.

Ren dashed out as the beetle crawled towards the group. “I’ll get started with the distraction then!”

“Alright!” Kotone shouted. “Yukari, save your stamina for when Ren needs healing! Use arrows for now. Mitsuru-senpai, we‘ll cover long-ranged magic attacks!”

“Got it!” Yukari said as she prepared her bow and took a stance.

“Understood!” Mitsuru pointed her Evoker to herself and summoned Penthesilea. “Bufu!” A ball of ice hit the Shadow, and while it looked like it dealt damage, it wasn’t enough to stagger it. “Ice does not seem to be its weakness!” Mitsuru called out.

Yukari let her arrow loose, but it bounced off with a dink. “My arrow didn’t work!”

“Yukari, use Garu skills, but not too often!” Kotone commanded. “Ren, how’s the knife working?”

“A scratch!” Ren shouted back as he leaped off its horn. “Definitely not using it! Arsène!” He ripped off his mask mid-air and Arsène shot a ball of black flames. “Curse skills did just about the same as Bufu!”

The Shadow opted to get rid of the closest thing to it: Ren. However, it was far too inflexible because of its size and its carapace, so Ren had free rein. He was a nuisance to it, as is his role: rolling underneath, somersaulting from one end of the Shadow to another, surprising it with a burst of speed through a Sukukaja every so often.

‘This Shadow’s so slow, I actually feel sort of bad.’

“I’ve got it.” Fuuka said. “Its weakness is electricity! Please use Zio skills!”

Kotone grinned. “And I’ve got the right Persona for that! Yomotsu-Shikome!” A body-less spirit with long hair appeared next to Kotone and shot a ball of electricity, which stunned the beetle. Its legs gave out, leaving it laid out on the floor.

‘That’s a new Persona,’ Ren thought. “Shall we, Kotone?” he asked as he ran back to the group.

“You bet!” Kotone said with a smile. “All-Out Attack!”

The four rushed the helpless beetle and hit the beetle with all they’ve got. Smoke erupted around them, but it wasn’t enough. The Shadow eventually got back to its feet, and the team fell back to their earlier formation. This time, Kotone immediately fired off a Zio, letting them do the last All-Out Attack for the battle.

“Not bad,” Yukari said with a smile. “No one got hurt.”

Mitsuru nodded. “C’est magnifique, Shiomi. Your orders were simple to follow and your voice carried through the battlefield.”

“Thanks,” Kotone said with a hint of embarrassment. “Fuuka and Ren did pretty well, too! Fuuka was really quick with letting us know when we can attack it from the back and scanning its weakness.”

“Correct,” Mitsuru said with a nod again. “Amamiya did his role well, taking all the Shadow’s attention away from everyone else. Thanks to you, no one received a scratch.”

“All in a day’s work; that’s why I’m part of SEES,” Ren said. “What next, Kotone?”

“We keep this up until we get tired!” Kotone said with gusto.

And thus, the four continued their slow exploration throughout the floor. They often backtracked and waited for Shadows to turn around so that they had the advantage.

After several floors and battles, including escorting a Lost back to the first floor, Ren internally sighed as he realized that the way SEES fought was far too different from the Phantom Thieves. They lacked the movement and agility that the future Persona users had. Sure, Mitsuru, Yukari, and Kotone moved to dodge attacks and get closer to hit with their usual weapons, but they were rooted on the spot otherwise. The movement and agility aided with battle. The Phantom Thieves’ constant movement made it hard to track every member at once. Their agility and stunts helped them dodge attacks that would have otherwise hit. Each Thief provided cover fire from the most unlikely places, attacked from unseen angles, and used all the space in a battlefield. Hell, synchronizing their movements allowed them to use the Baton Pass since anyone could act when someone downed an enemy. SEES lacked all these advantages, putting them in a worse spot than the Thieves.

‘I’ll have to get them to change their approach,’ Ren thought as he ducked under an incoming Garu from Yukari, downing the last Haughty Maya. Kotone gave the command for another All-Out Attack, ending the battle.

“Good work, everyone,” Fuuka said. “The stairs to the 47th floor are just around the corner. I don’t sense any Shadows either.”

“That’s where you sensed the Floor Guardian, right?” Yukari asked.

“Yes,” Fuuka answered. “What’s your plan, Kotone?”

Kotone hummed in thought as she hefted her naginata over her shoulders. “Well, let’s get to the next floor first. It should be a safe floor, and it has a teleporter to go back to the main floor. If we can, let’s take a peek at the enemies too.”

With a nod, everyone rounded the corner and took the stairs to the next floor. The 47th floor began with a more room-like structure, held up by columns. From what Ren could tell, there were no Shadows.

“So, Ren, this is a special floor,” Kotone said. “There are no Shadows anywhere on the floor, except at a certain place, so that’s why I said it was safe here. The Floor Guardians, which live here on these floors, do not move at all, so we can do whatever we want before we fight them.”

“And I’m guessing they’re hard to beat?” Ren asked.

Kotone nodded. “A bit, yeah. They’re tougher than the normal Shadows, but definitely weaker than the Full Moon Shadows. They’re usually some variant of an enemy we fought before, but a lot tougher with different resistances sometimes. That’s why I said we should take a peek before going back to the main floor. If it looks like any of the enemies we’ve fought before, we’ll switch the team to help hit their weakness.”

‘Looks like everyone’s a lot less tense than before,’ Ren thought as the team explored the floor. They were less huddled up and everyone else had sheathed their weapons. ‘I guess these are equal to the Rest Areas.’

As they got deeper into the floor, Kotone pointed out the teleporter that they were going to use to get back. However, instead of using it now, they pushed onwards to find the Floor Guardians. Finally, around the corner, they had found them: three beetles, similar to the Adamant Beetle, but golden.

“Fuuka, can you try scanning from this far?” Kotone asked. “The Shadows are in their actual form, so maybe we can get their weaknesses before we get any closer.”

“Let me try,” Fuuka said and went silent for a few seconds. “Sorry, looks like you need to be right in front of them to scan. At that point…”

Kotone shrugged. “That’s okay, Fuuka, no need to worry. Let’s go back for now and change teams.”

The four took the teleporter and appeared back on the main floor. Akihiko had stretched, most likely in anticipation to take part in the upcoming fight.

“You gonna let us fight tonight?” Junpei asked with a grin, and his energy was palpable.

Kotone responded with a nod. “Yep. Yukari and Mitsuru-senpai will rest here on the main floor while Akihiko-senpai and Junpei will be in the team.” She turned towards Ren. “Are you still good to go?”

Ren responded with a smirk of his own. “No issue with me; I’m still raring to go.” SEES once mentioned that the Dark Hour made everything feel so tiring compared to the real world, but he still felt fine after everything he’s done. If anything, it was just like when he was in the Metaverse, and he never felt tired at all.

Still, he could see that Yukari and Mitsuru were drained at this point. Certainly, they didn’t even face a single scratch the entire time, but the amount of mental concentration they had to do to use their spells must have tired them out. Both of them had merely nodded when Kotone made the switch in members.

“Alright!” Junpei yelled out with a fist in the air. “I’ll show you how it’s done, Ren! Better be watching too, Fuuka-chan!”

Ren merely smiled at Junpei’s words and kept quiet. ‘We already saw you in action, Junpei.’

“Fuuka, how are we on time?” Kotone asked.

“We have been here for forty minutes, so we have twenty minutes left. Will that be enough?”

“The teleporter is already on the same floor, and it’s not like we have to fight other Shadows to get there. Twenty minutes should be enough,” Kotone concluded.

With everyone ready, Kotone led the new team right in front of the Floor Guardians. The three beetles screeched and rushed them.

“Beginning scan!” Fuuka said. “Please try what you can for now. I’ll remember those while I scan.”

“Ren, get to it!” Kotone commanded. “Junpei, can you buff everyone? Akihiko, can you start firing attacks?”

“Loud and clear!” Ren said, front-flipping right in front of two beetles, and took their attention. A purple glow surrounded him. Meanwhile, the last beetle continued towards the others.

Akihiko ran to the side and took his Evoker out. “Polydeuces!” His Persona appeared and fired a small ball of lightning towards the last beetle. When it hit, the beetle stopped and laid on the ground, stunned as arcs of lightning ran through its body.

Kotone grinned. “Gotcha! Incoming, Ren!” Yomotsu-Shikome appeared and shot another ball of lightning towards Ren.

He back-flipped towards the incoming attack, and the beetles continued to try to attack him. Just right before Zio hit him, he gave an oomph in his back-flip, giving him a bit more height and letting him dodge it. However, the beetles that were rushing him had no time to do anything and caught the attack head-on. The golden carapace lent itself as an excellent conductor and the attack hit both at once, causing each one to fall on the ground, just as the first beetle was.

“I’ve been waiting for this!” Akihiko yelled out, and with a nod from Kotone, he said, “Alright, now!”

Kotone, Akihiko, and Junpei rushed the two beetles while Ren pushed for the first Shadow. As smoke covered the first three, Arsène appeared right behind Ren. Arsène, now glowing green, grabbed the beetle’s horn and spun it like it was shot put. As the cloud of smoke from Kotone’s group dissipated, Arsène let go, launching the Shadow towards the others.

Now, all three stacked on top of each other.

“Kotone!” Ren yelled as he ran towards the group. “They’re all together! A single Zio should get them all now!”

Realization appeared on Kotone’s face, and with a face, called out, “Again, Yomotsu-Shikome!” Her Persona shot another ball of lightning, and this time, it hit all the Shadows in the area.

Ren stopped next to Kotone, and with a grin, he asked, “Want to hit them with the last surprise?”

Kotone shot back a grin of her own, and all four rushed together. This time, the Shadows disappeared into nothing, finally defeated.

“Shadows defeated!” Fuuka said.

“That was easy, huh?” Ren noted, just as how Skull used to say it.

Kotone was catching her breath, but her smile showed her elation and excitement. “It helped to have another Zio user with us! And that last idea of yours was great, too!”

“Nice job with that one,” Akihiko said as he tapped Ren on his shoulder.

Junpei, with an exaggerated smile, shot a thumbs up at Ren. “Yeah, good work out there!”

“Everyone, you should all start heading down,” Fuuka commented. “We only have ten minutes left today.”

“Seriously?” Kotone asked in surprise. “That’s basically a record for us! Anyway, let’s go back.”

And that was how Ren’s first Tartarus exploration ended.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

6/29 - Night - Iwatodai Dorm [Command Room] - Yukari

“Sorry to bother you two...” Yukari said.

Ren and Fuuka shook their heads.

“It’s okay,” Fuuka assured her. “What’s on your mind?”

“Anything to help,” Ren added.

Yukari turned to Fuuka first. “I was hoping you could do me a favor with your skill...”

Fuuka tilted her head with a questioning look.

‘Time to convince them.’

“I was doing some research on our school, and I came across something strange,” she continued. “Ten years ago, a lot of students missed school for some reason. They were reported as absent, but I found some records that suggest it was something serious. Do you know anything about it, Fuuka?”

Fuuka shook her head again. “Me? Um, not really...”

“I know it was a long time ago, but... doesn’t it seem suspicious to you?” Yukari urged. “From what I’ve heard, this isn’t the first time Shadows have appeared.”

“Wait, are you saying...?” Fuuka asked in shock.

Yukari’s eyes softened a bit, but solidified with determination. “I don’t know, but Mitsuru-senpai acts kinda weird whenever someone asks questions about Tartarus.”

“So you’ve noticed it too,” Ren said, to which Yukari nodded.

‘Thank goodness I’m not the only one that noticed. It was a good idea to bring him in.’

“I’m not trying to make trouble and all, but I want to know what happened back then. If it doesn’t have anything to do with the Shadows, then fine.”

Fuuka looked away for a moment and thought to herself, before looking back at Yukari with a smile. “I understand, I’ll see what I can do.”

Yukari smiled back. “Thanks, Fuuka. As for you, Ren,” she said as she turned towards him, “you were looking into the Kirijo Group, right?”

Ren waved his hand in a so-so manner. “I was looking into the Apathy Syndrome and the Kirijo Group was just a part of it. There was also a mention of an explosion, but it wasn’t talked about all too much.”

Fuuka glanced at Ren when he mentioned the explosion. “I remember hearing something about that. It happened ten years ago.”

“You think the students missing school and the explosion are related in some way?” Yukari asked, her eyes lighting up in anticipation. 

‘This could be what I need to-‘

Ren shrugged, causing her to frown. “It’s too early to tell, especially without concrete evidence. For all we know, there could’ve been a bomb threat, and the school ordered the students not to come into the campus for their own safety. If we’re going to look into these matters, we need to make sure that we look at this with an open mind. A biased mindset will only cloud our judgement and our evidence, leading to the wrong result.”

Yukari raised an eyebrow at his words. “That’s...awfully specific, Ren.”

Ren slightly narrowed his eyes as he looked away from the girls, scratching his chest for a moment. “I once had...,” Ren tried to say something but had difficulty, as if he couldn’t decide the word to use, “...an acquaintance, I think that’s the best word for it, teach me a thing or two about investigations and biased judgement over pool once. Ultimately, we see what we want to see. To see the truth, we must detach ourselves from everything and look with an objective and outside perspective,” he said as his face soured.

“That’s very deep, Ren,” Fuuka said with amazement.

On the other hand, Yukari looked at him with a frown. “Not a good person, I’m guessing?” ‘Must be a real jerk if even Ren doesn’t have a good opinion of him.’

To this, Ren sighed. “No, not really, but, at the same time, it wasn’t exactly simple.” He shook his head. “Either way, you want us to help you, right?” Yukari nodded with steeled eyes. “Sounds fine to me,” he said as his posture relaxed.

Yukari sighed with relief. “Thanks, you two. If any of us finds anything, text me and we can come over here and discuss.”

‘Finally, I can make some headway into the Kirijo Group.’

-.-Take Your Time-.-

6/30 - Dark Hour - Tartarus - Ren

“Back to Tartarus, we go...” Ren murmured. They had just gotten back to the 61st floor after dropping off a Lost back to the first floor.

“Well, Fuuka said that she didn’t sense anything further above us,” Kotone commented, “so we should be close to the end.”

Ren nodded. Somehow, Fuuka could tell if there was a Floor Guardian coming up, different from Futaba. If Fuuka couldn’t sense if there was a powerful force above them, it meant that there was no Floor Guardian. From everyone’s experience, it meant that they were getting closer to the next gate.

“Enemy coming around the corner,” Fuuka said mentally. “They seem to come in your direction. The staircase to the next floor is right behind them as well.”

Kotone glanced at Ren, and he nodded. He moved towards the walls, blending himself to the Shadows, and knelt on the corner. Now, this was reminiscent of his Palace and Jail days. Compared to how SEES did it, he felt right home and didn’t feel like ripping his hair out.

‘Really, they spent so much time backtracking because a Shadow wouldn’t turn around.’

He told the rest of the team to hang back for a bit while a Shadow was rounding around a corner. Instead of noticing him, the Shadow kept moving on, ignoring him. Ren immediately attacked from behind, putting the Shadow on the back foot.

Kotone didn’t miss a beat and rushed the Shadow as it transformed. After a few battles, it had become a routine. Ren would start the fight, and since every Shadow that they had met up to this point was already scanned, Kotone memorized their weaknesses.

The Shadows that popped out were two Enslaved Beasts, weak to fire.

“Berith!” she yelled. An armored Persona riding a horse shot Agi towards the Shadow and it crumpled to the ground. She tried to hit the second Enslaved Beast, but it swung the mace on it to block the attack.

Luckily, it wasn’t only her that had access to Agi skills.

“Our turn, Hermes!” Junpei summoned his Persona as he ran behind Kotone and it flew right behind the Shadow, shooting out an Agi. It hit the enemy on its side since the Shadow defended itself from Berith. “Here’s our chance! Let’s get ‘em!”

“Let’s go!” Kotone commanded.

Junpei smirked. “Get back here, you son of a-!”

A familiar cloud formed in the battlefield as Kotone, Ren, Junpei, and Yukari gave their all to kill the two Shadows. Thankfully, all of SEES had gotten stronger now, causing their All-Out Attacks to kill the regular Shadow in one attack.

Kotone sighed in relief as the clouds and the Shadows dissipated. With their increased strength, their battles had gotten shorter. Yes, Ren creating openings and singling out enemies had helped with crowd control and the battle flow, but nothing beat just being more powerful than they were a few days ago.

“Nice!” Yukari yelled. “Now we can go to the next floor.”

And on they went. Whenever they found themselves in a long hallway where Ren couldn’t blend to the corners, he scaled the walls and hang from the ceiling like they were monkey bars. The Shadow couldn’t even look up, which allowed this maneuver to work to start with. For the entire night, it was the four second-year students that took part in the exploration.

Because of how easy the exploration had become, they had a lot of downtime. And that led to gossiping.

“You guys heard, right?” Junpei asked. Kotone, Ren, and Yukari glanced at Junpei. “You know, the rumors about how the Lost were disappearing in pairs?”

Yukari scoffed. “Of course you’d be interested.”

“What?” Junpei asked incredulously. “C’mon, you’ve got to be curious, too. Ren, back me up here!”

Ren smiled back. “Their private business is their private business, Junpei.”

“Come on! Didn’t you hear?” Still, Junpei pressed on. “The pairs were in Shirakawa Boulevard.”

“If I remember right, that was the Shinjuku of Tatsumi Port Island,” Ren said, remembering their previous conversation back on the train. When Ren had visited that place during the Dark Hour, it was filled with love hotels, ranging from the normal hotel to the racier ones. “Or at least, the red-light district of the city.”

“Oh, yea,” Kotone said with a pondering look. “We did talk about that back then.”

“As for other rumors,” Ren interjected, hoping to move the topic away, “what about that rumor with the website stuff?”

“What website?” Yukari asked.

“Apparently, there is some revenge site going around,” Ren explained. “They were making some waves around, but they hit a block recently. Apparently, one of their targets was still alive and the moderators have been quiet since.”

“Jeez, how vile must someone be if they want to kill someone?” Yukari asked in disgust.

Ren shrugged. “Who knows? At the very least, they’re losing traction now. I hope that it stops the site,” he said as his mouth tightened into a line.

“Is something wrong, Ren?” Kotone asked, now right beside him.

He glanced at her before looking forward. “It’s horrific, the idea of taking an innocent life. It-“

“Guys,” Fuuka piped up, interrupting Ren, “the stairs to the 64th floor is just at the end of the hallway.”

“Any enemies?” Kotone asked.

“None from what I could tell.”

Kotone grinned. “Then let’s get a move-on. I want to get some sleep.”

After reaching the 64th floor and being barred by the gate, the team went back to the main floor and regroup with the rest.

“Great job, everyone,” Mitsuru congratulated with a smile. “The exploration of Tartarus for the past few days was faster than any we had before. Fuuka’s scanning abilities gave us more insight into our enemies than I have,” she said with a nod towards Fuuka before looking at Ren. “Your athleticism allowed us to attack unseen from angles that were impossible for us from before. Your unique Curse attacks were also a great boon for us, giving us a far more consistent attack than Kotone’s insta-kill attacks against enemies with weakness to Curse attacks, especially the Maniacal Books.”

“You hate them more than the others because they absorb ice attacks,” Akihiko murmured, though it wasn’t exactly quiet. Everyone heard, and it caused Fuuka to giggle. However, Mitsuru’s head whipped towards him, and she shot a glare at him. The air suddenly dropped a few degrees, and Akihiko looked away from Mitsuru.

“In any case,” Mitsuru coughed on her fist and smiled. “Wonderful work, everyone.”

-.-Take Your Time-.-

7/4 - Night - Iwatodai Dorm [Kitchen] - Ren

Ren hummed a tune as he washed the dishes for the night. It had been a few days since SEES was barred from exploring Tartarus and thus had taken a break until the next full moon, which was on 7/7. It was at this date that Ikutsuki said that the next Full Moon Shadows would appear.

Everyone in SEES was getting antsy as the date got closer. From what Ren could tell, Yukari and Fuuka were getting more and more nervous while Akihiko and Junpei were the most excited in the group. Mitsuru kept her cool, but had asked multiple times if Kotone had made plans for the upcoming fight.

Ren, on the other hand, was confident that SEES should be able to take on the next Full Moon Shadows. However, he visited Lavenza the other night and worked on getting Dormin’ Rush on Arsène as an upgrade to Dream Needle. If anything more happens, he had both his support Personas, Maria for healing and Alilat for buffing. He’ll have to be discreet when using them, but he’ll make it work.

As for Takaya and his little gang, Ren had been investigating during the Dark Hour, but ever since his victory, they hid themselves from everyone. Their site was in pure chaos, and people were doubting the authenticity. Ironically, it’s what happened with the Phantom Thieves and the Phansite after Okumura Kunikazu’s death. Except, this time, Ren saved a life when Akechi murdered one. Ren scratched his chest as his face soured at that thought.

“Hey, Ren!” Kotone’s voice popped right behind him, stirring him out of his mind. At this point, he finished washing the dishes.

Turning towards her, he asked, “What’s up?”

“Remember that movie that I wanted to watch? Kill Bill?”

Ren hummed in thought for a moment and nodded after remembering their past conversation.

“Well, are you busy tonight?” Kotone asked.

“I...” Ren tried to say no, but then trailed off as he thought about his schedule for the night. ‘Well, I can hold off the investigation for the night. They’ve been quiet ever since we met, and it should be fine to hold off for a night.’ “I’m not busy, actually. We can go watch it now, if you want. Just let me finish here.”

Kotone smiled brightly at his words. “Cool, just come by when you’re done. I’ll get the movie started.” She rushed up the stairs with unveiled excitement.

“Wow, you got a movie night with Kotone?” Junpei asked with a raised eyebrow from behind the dinner table.

Ren cleaned up the sink as he asked, “Is that rare? I remember you and Yukari went with her to the movies on separate occasions before.”

Junpei made a noncommittal grunt from behind. “It’s not, but I never...” After a moment of silence, he continued, “Whatever. I’m heading to my room. See ya.”

“Have a good night, Junpei,” Ren said as he waved Junpei goodbye, though he didn’t receive one back.

A few minutes later, he finally finished cleaning the sink. He cleaned himself up for a bit, changed into his sleepwear, and knocked on Kotone’s door.

“Hey, come in!” Kotone said after opening her room.

Ren did his best not to let his eyes wander too much, just as he did with the other girls when they called for him. After all, it was pretty rude to do so. But it didn’t take Ren even a second to know that Kotone’s room was barren outside from the essentials.

‘It’s what, July? I received various gifts from my friends, like the ramen bowl from Ryuji when we hung out together. What’s going on?’

“Thanks for inviting me,” Ren said, hoping that Kotone didn’t catch his slight pause. “Sorry for all the trouble, too.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it! I didn’t think anyone here was as much of a movie buff as I was, so don’t say sorry at all. If anything, I’m pretty happy that I can show this movie to you.”

Ren grinned. “Oh, someone’s excited.”

Kotone rolled her eyes and said, “Well, duh. It is my favorite movie. Junpei wouldn’t get it because it’s got a female lead, and it’s not realistic enough for Yukari.”

“I could definitely hear Yukari complaining about that,” Ren said with a chuckle, “but Junpei?”

Kotone nodded. “He had a bit of a problem in the beginning, but he’s doing a lot better now,” she commented as she led Ren towards the middle of the room, where there was a table with snacks facing the TV in the corner of her room. “Anyway, you ready?” After Ren sat next to her and nodded, she played the movie.

Kill Bill was many things. Underneath its revenge story lies wonderful filmmaking techniques. Colorful scenes that Yusuke would have loved, yet the black and white scenes reminded Ren of film noir. Stunts that reminded Ren of Sumire’s favorite Chinese kung-fu films.

As the movie played, Ren glanced at Kotone, making sure not to move his head. The film fully engrossed her. Her eyes shone with excitement during the gory fight scenes. Her body twitched as The Bride cut through the onslaught of enemies.

‘All in all, she’s into the rough and tumble, too. Why do I get along with the scary girls?’ he thought mirthfully. ‘How cute.’

Soon, the movie ended, and they discussed their favorite parts of the movie. While it was obvious that Kotone loved the scene against the Crazy 88, Ren felt more partial to the fight scene against O-Ren Ishii.

“Something about the non-Japanese music in a samurai fight between a Chinese and American just hits differently,” Ren summarized with a smile. “It honestly does feel like a samurai scene, but the music the director added to the scene made it feel like a Western movie.”

“So a western samurai!” Kotone said.

“Sounds about right.”

Suddenly, the lights shut down, and the world was tinged in green.

“Oh, I guess we lost track of time...” Kotone said as she began to lean back while using her arms to keep her from falling to the ground. “You know, the you in Tartarus was so similar to The Bride. You saw how she was hanging from the ceiling in the restaurant, right?” After Ren nodded, she continued, “You think you could teach all that?”

“I wouldn’t be against it,” Ren said, “but you won’t learn them immediately. You won’t be able to hang from the ceiling for long periods of time, but I can start with the smaller stuff, like sneaking around so that Shadows can’t find you.”

“You think I can learn that?” she asked.

“If you put your mind to it,” Ren answered with certainty. “Wear something dark and no one will see you coming.” ‘That said, I’m not sure how effective what I’ll teach her, especially when everything I do hinges on my cognition of a Phantom Thief.’

Kotone looked outside for a moment but stood up suddenly, slightly surprising Ren. “Can we try that now?” she asked with unmasked giddiness.

Ren stared at her for a moment before chuckling. “Sure. Just make sure to wear something dark.” He got up, right before leaving the room, he asked, “Meet you outside the dorm?”

Kotone vigorously nodded, a sign for Ren to leave the room.

Ren switched into a set of dark clothes and waited for Kotone by the staircase leading to the dorm. After a few minutes, Kotone finally came out. Like him, she switched to form-fitting dark clothes, though her orange-red hair shone brightly under the Dark Hour moon.

“You look good,” Ren commented.

Kotone shot him a smile. “Thanks! Where should we go?”

Ren looked around for a moment. “Well, we should just keep it close for now. I’m only teaching you how to sneak around, and we have a bunch of apartments with tall enough shadows for what we want to do.”

“And the stunts? The backflips?” Kotone asked excitedly.

“Someone really wants to move like an action star,” Ren said with a smile. “We’ll have to do some body training for those. You can already do a flip in mid-air, but consecutive flips will need you to get used to the motion of flipping right after landing.”

“Lots of training?”

“Oh yeah, lots of training,” Ren answered. “So, for today, the three things I found that I needed to learn the most are: clothes with the right color, light feet, and keeping still for a very long time.”

“Simple enough,” Kotone said with a nod.

“Sounds simple, but they are not,” Ren added. “The colors are well-known; the military basically has that with the camo stuff.” Kotone nodded. “The second includes being aware of your surroundings and your body, down to how you take a step. We’ll also have to strengthen your legs for that. The third also means staying still in the most awkward poses you can think of. A lot of people think that they’ve been seen already, but, in reality, people notice the movement. Eyes have evolved to see movement or whatever changes in what we see. If you keep still in whatever position you are in, then the chance you’re found is a lot lower. Are you ready?”

Kotone only grinned in response.

“Then let’s begin,” Ren said, pushing his glasses up.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

Once the Dark Hour had ended and they both went to their respective rooms, Ren felt that they had gotten closer.

-.- Take Your Time-.-

7/7 - Dark Hour - Shirakawa Boulevard [Champ de Fleur] - Kotone

“Is everyone ready?” Kotone asked, and Ren, Junpei, and Yukari nodded with determination as they all faced the door leading to where the Arcana Hierophant hid.

Ikutsuki’s theory was correct; the full moon is connected to the appearances of the Arcana Shadows. Fuuka had found the Shadow hiding in the Champ de Fleur hotel of Shirakawa Boulevard, and the team rushed there immediately. Mitsuru elected Kotone as the team leader again. However, Junpei goaded Yukari into the fighting team when he called her a little kid. On the other hand, Junpei forced Kotone to add him into the team, too. If anything, Ren was the only person Kotone picked to join. This time around, Ren was in his Gekkou High uniform, just like the rest of them, complete with the SEES armband on his right and his Evoker on his left thigh. Another holster held his pistol by the right side of his chest while his knife was horizontal on his back, right above his belt, making it easy to reach with his right hand. His school jacket hid all the straps and holsters.

And so, Mitsuru, Akihiko, and Fuuka waited outside the hotel in case something happened while the fighting team was neck-deep, defeating any Shadows they found inside.

Junpei cast a Rakukaja on Ren and Ren used a Sukukaja on himself as he stepped right in front of the door. Kotone, Yukari, and Junpei stepped to the side, making sure to stick to the walls and steer clear of the doors when it opened.

Ren kicked the doors forcefully and they flew open. A mid-sized lightning bolt shot forward at Ren, and he quickly rolled inside and underneath the thunderbolt, missing him.

“I’ve got it!” Ren yelled as he took the Shadow’s attention, the sounds of gunshots ringing in the enclosed room. Junpei came in next, followed by Kotone, then Yukari. Kotone quickly surveyed the room. Four pillars surrounded a circular bed in the middle. On the far end of the room was a wall with windows, and on the right was a large mirror, but the left wall was empty. Luckily, there was no one inside. They could fight with all they’ve got.

‘This room is free real-estate!’ Kotone thought with a grin.

However, there were multiple Shadows in the room. There was a feminine Shadow caressing an obese Shadow’s face and two cross-shaped Shadows on either side of it.

The Arcana Hierophant, which was the obese Shadow sitting on a chair, was fully focused on Ren as he used everything in the room to dodge its electric attacks, causing the room to smell like ozone. Fortunately, because of the Shadow’s extreme size, it couldn’t turn around to face the rest of the team unless it waddled around slowly. The cross-shaped Shadows turned towards everyone else as the team entered the room and began intercepting them.

Junpei and Yukari began whaling on the two Shadows as Ren kept the larger ones facing the other side of the room.

“Hermes, Double Fang!”

“Io, Garu!”

“Fuuka,” Kotone called, “can you begin scanning?!”

“Got it!”

“Thanks! Berith, Tarukaja!” she yelled out and a red light surrounded her. “Junpei, focus on yours while I help Yukari out! Neko Shogun, Double Fang!”

“Heh, loud and clear!”

“Their attributes are electricity-based!” Fuuka said. “Avoid using Zio skills because they nullify them!”

“Good to hear! Yukari, keep it up!”

Each of their attacks hit the cross-shaped Shadows head-on. It seemed like the further they got from the larger Shadows, the more they lost focus, often shivering while taking longer time to attack.

Finally, the two Shadows had seemingly lost energy and bowed weakly. Suddenly, the large Shadow and its partner laughed, and clouds formed right below the ceiling. Fearing the worst, Kotone immediately ran to Yukari while mentally changing Personas.

“Defend yourselves!” she commanded as she used her Evoker. Lightning rained down on them. Luckily, Kotone had Oberon to protect Yukari and herself. However, both Junpei and Ren took the full brunt of the attack. Smoke rose from charred spots where the lightning hit.

Yukari immediately used Media, and a sparkling, green light healed both boys. Junpei roared as he cut one of the cross-shaped Shadows, destroying it. Kotone followed suit with a thrust, making the last Shadow disappear.

“Ren, we’re done here!” Kotone shouted, turning towards the other fight in the room. It seemed like Ren had recovered, but he was definitely slower than before. “Berith!” Red light surrounded Ren as he dodged another lightning attack.

“Thanks! Let’s do this!” Sounds of glass shattering came as Ren used his Evoker and Arsène flew towards the Shadow. The Shadow screamed as Arsène’s bladed heels punctured its body, pushing it onto the left wall and keeping it stuck.

The room lit up again as electricity formed around the Shadow.

“Like I’d let you!” Ren bellowed in anger. Arsène raised its hands up, showing off its claws. Keeping its heels in the Shadow’s body, Arsène drove its claws to its chest and dark flames erupted. The Shadow screamed again, and the lightning disappeared. A moment after, the Shadow dissolved into dark motes of light.

Ren sighed, combing his hair back as Arsène disappeared when the coast was clear and detected no more Shadow. Yukari used her Evoker again and Media healed everyone again.

“You okay, Ren?” Kotone asked as everyone approached him. “That last one was kind of...raw?”

Junpei scoffed. “You mean wild? I’ve never seen him like that before. What, did getting hit by lightning piss you off?”

Ren stared at the spot where the Shadow disappeared before turning to everyone else. “Sorry, it’s not that. Something about that Shadow didn’t sit right with me.”

“Do you know why?” Yukari asked with a raised eyebrow.

Ren shook his head. “Sorry, I’d tell you if I knew.”

“Well, so long as you’re alright,” Kotone said. “Fuuka, there are no more Shadows, right?”

“None that I can tell.”

“I guess Ikutsuki-san was wrong about having to fight more than one Arcana Shadow,” Junpei said.

“We did fight four Shadows today, though,” Yukari countered.

“Just means that we’ll be fighting more and more Shadows every full moon,” Ren said.

Kotone reached for the doors, but they wouldn’t budge. “Huh?”

“Wait!” Fuuka suddenly yelled. “I’m sensing a new Shadow in the room! It’s different from the one you just fought! But...where is it hiding?”

The four looked back at the destroyed room. Charred spots and pieces of the destroyed mattress littered the battlefield. The broken wall on the left had pieces of rubble slowly come off.

“The only things that aren’t destroyed are the bathroom and the mirror,” Ren said.

Kotone hummed before ordering, “Huddle up and stay together. Keep your eyes peeled and wide open. We’ll start from the mirror and check the bathroom next.”

“Why the mirror? It’s not like they can hide in one, right?” Junpei asked.

“Maybe,” Kotone answered, “but Shadows don’t follow physics all the time. It might have an ability that lets it hide in one.”

“The hell...? What is this? Kamen Rider Ryuki?” Junpei muttered.

Ignoring Junpei’s mutterings, Kotone cautiously walked towards the large mirror, her naginata ready to attack. However, when the team reached the mirror, there was...

“Nothing?” she asked, bewildered. “We’re not showing in the mirror.”

“Is it a fake mirror?” Yukari asked.

“I don’t think so,” Ren said. “It’s clearly reflecting the broken things throughout the room. I think we just found where the Shadow is hiding.”

“So, uh, how do we get to it?” Junpei asked.

Kotone stared at the mirror for a moment before shrugging. “Well, I don’t have any ideas. Junpei’s idea is the best I’ve got.” She hefted the naginata, getting ready in a sweeping position. “Move back a bit; I’m going to take a crack at it.”

She heard the three shuffle back, and, with a huff, she swiped at the mirror. The mirror broke and white light blinded the four, enveloping them.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

Activities:

6/27 – Night – Café Customer

6/28 – Afternoon – Magician Date

6/28 – Night – Café Customer

6/29 – Afternoon – Emperor 4

6/29 – Night – Café Work

6/30 – Afternoon – Temperance 6

6/30 – Night – Café Work

7/1 – Afternoon – Emperor 5

7/1 – Night – Café Work

7/2 – Afternoon – Magician 7

7/2 – Night – Café Customer

7/3 – Afternoon – Emperor 6

7/3 – Night – Horror House

7/4 – Afternoon – Priestess 4

7/4 – Night – Quiz Game

7/4 – Dark Hour – Fortitude 3

7/5 – Afternoon – Lovers Date

7/5 – Night – Café Customer

7/6 – Afternoon – Chariot 9

7/6 – Night – Print Club

-.-Take Your Time-.-

Social Links:

Fool – SEES – 4

Magician – Junpei Iori – 7

Priestess – Fuuka Yamagishi – 4

Emperor – Student Council – 6

Hierophant – Old Couple – 8

Lovers – Yukari Takeba – 5

Chariot – Volleyball – 9

Hermit – Health Committee – 3

Hanged Man – Girl at the Shrine – 3

Death – Mysterious Boy – 1

Temperance – Transfer Student – 6

Devil – Businessman – 5

Star – Akihiko Sanada – 4

Fortitude – Ren Amamiya – 3

Chapter Text

7/7 - Dark Hour - Shirakawa Boulevard - Mitsuru

Mitsuru growled as she summoned Penthesilea, freezing some tentacles from the Lovers Arcana Shadow, a heart-shaped Shadow that mainly attacked with its tentacles.

After Fuuka lost contact with the strike team momentarily, she eventually found Junpei and Yukari...in a completely different hotel area. Kotone and Ren were still missing. With their field leader gone, Mitsuru assumed command and ordered all available parties to converge on the Arcana Shadow while Fuuka tried to find the missing members.

Currently, Mitsuru and Akihiko are trying to contain the Arcana Shadow while waiting for backup from Junpei and Yukari, who are being guided by Fuuka. The Shadow had crashed into multiple rooms after teleporting the strike team. Mitsuru planned to make its current location where it would die.

"Still haven't lost your edge, Mitsuru!" Akihiko complimented.

"Is now the time for that?!"

"I'm just saying! I never really saw you fight up close the last time we were in Tartarus!" Akihiko's Evoker rang out and Polydeuces zapped three incoming tentacles. "Seriously, you could loosen up a bit while fighting! A bit of competitiveness might make you even stronger!"

The Shadow began to gather light, obviously charging up for an attack. Mitsuru took a stance, ready to evade or defend, while Akihiko used Tarunda on the Shadow.

Suddenly, the door behind them opened with a bang. At that moment, the Shadow attacked.

"Senpai! We're here to-"

The attack, an arrow of light, didn't hit Akihiko or Mitsuru; its target was behind the two.

Mitsuru whipped her head around to see Junpei stagger back a step after being hit by the attack. He lurched forward, head down, and stayed quiet.

"Junpei!" Yukari began tapping him on the shoulder. "Are you okay? Say something!"

Junpei's shoulders shook as he giggled ominously. His head whipped towards Yukari with a creepy smile. "Yukari!" he shouted before swinging his sword at her. "You're pretty hot!"

Yukari shrieked as she ducked and then took off to get away from the friend-turned-enemy.

"Shit!" Akihiko rushed Junpei to intercept him.

"Fuuka! What's going on?!" Yukari asked, now able to take a quick breather.

"That attack was Holy Arrow! It charms whoever gets hit by it!" Fuuka answered telepathically. "Charmdi should cure it!"

Mitsuru heard movement coming from the Shadow. Sensing the tentacle attacks again, she called out, "Takeba, run!"

"Huh?"

Mitsuru whipped around again, intending to intercept the oncoming onslaught of tentacles. With her whip, she constrained them, then pulled on them, ripping them apart. However, it wasn't enough. More tentacles slipped through, intent on attacking Yukari.

Luckily, Yukari got the message. She was already running when Mitsuru stopped the first wave.

"Dammit! What is it with tentacles?!" Yukari cried out as she dodged each of the tentacles behind the broken furniture as cover.

Penthesilea froze a few more, but it wasn't enough. Mitsuru glanced at Akihiko, who was still holding off Junpei. Behind her, Yukari was running for her life. On the other end of the room, the Shadow floated contently, knowing that it had the flow of battle on its side.

'Akihiko is busy handling a Charmed Iori right now. We need Takeba to use Charmdi on him, but the Shadow knows that, so it's obvious that it would try to get her! What we need now is to create a breathing room for Takeba to heal Iori, but I'm already doing the best I can!' Mitsuru glared at the Shadow, her eyes sharpening at it. 'We need another healer and I'm sure Shiomi has a Persona for it, or someone to distract the Shadow!'

"Yamagishi!" she called as she summoned Penthesilea again. "Where are Shiomi and Amamiya?!"

"Please, I'm almost there! I can feel it! Just a little more!" Fuuka said, her concentration obvious in her reply.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

Somewhere in Champ de Fleur

Light passed through the pink glass-wall that separated the bedroom and the bathroom. The only sound that Kotone could hear was the shower from the bathroom. Soon enough, she heard something squeak, and there was silence.

Kotone stood up, took off her Gekkou High uniform, unbuttoned the top two buttons of her button-down, and untied her hair, ready to proceed to the next part.

'What was the next part?'

'No, that question doesn't matter,' something told her. 'Just enjoy the moment. It will come naturally.'

The bathroom door opened and out came Ren, naked outside of a towel that hid the lower portion of his body.

'Go on,' something urged her. 'You know what to do.'

'"What to do?" What does that-'

Ren was now in front of her, his body glistening from his recent shower.

'Wait, this is-'

She looked up at him and his dark and stormy eyes, almost abyss-like, stared right back. In all honesty, Ren had a very charming face. She heard about how Ren sky-rocketed amongst the girls a few days after transferring in, especially with his killer smile. She frowned at that thought.

'Don't worry about everyone else,' the voice in her head said. 'Only you and he matter right now.''

The pink light shined on his definitions, showing off his lean muscles. His entire upper body was in full view, all for her to see.

Kotone always found it weird that Ren could do what he did during the Dark Hour, all the spins, athleticism, showing-off, and more.

Well, she was staring right at the answer.

Ren's left hand reached for her face, but she stopped him. Instead, she grasped his fingers with her right hand, wrapping her own fingers around his. They were long, yet surprisingly nimble. She remembered how he deftly handled his knife, both in battle and in the kitchen. They weren't smooth either, as his fingers and palms have built some calluses. Compared to hers, his were slightly thicker, proof of his experience in parkour. It seemed like he used some sort of shaver when they got too much.

Honestly, she liked how his hands felt; how it held her own hand, gentle yet firm; how it perfectly held her own hands; how his thumbs were currently slowly rubbing the back of her hands, calming her.

With her left, she reached for his chest. It was hard and dense like iron, yet it wasn't muscular. Rather, it was lean, but Kotone could definitely feel that he trained them hard. His abs were the same too, proof of his core strength.

But, in her addled mind and eyes, something was on his chest, something unclear. She took a step forward to see it clearer. Now they were right in front of each other, and Kotone could feel the heat coming from Ren's body. More importantly, now that she was closer, Kotone saw it clearly now.

A wide, dark red scar ran from Ren's right shoulder all the way to the left side of his chest. It wasn't a clean cut either; Kotone could see the tiny places where skin seemed to be ripped and torn off. Absent-mindedly, Kotone reached for it. Her fingers ran across it, noting the difference in feel between the scar flesh and the rest of his chest.

Ren's breath hitched.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

"All I care about now is killing you... To prove I'm better than you!"

"You're just...pieces of shit...who lick each other's wounds...! Anything goes...if you say you're teammates...!"

"I'll kill you, Joker!"

All Ren could remember at that moment was how clear Queen's horrified face was, eyes wide as Crow rushed her, not Joker. After that... He didn't remember moving, but, somehow, he did. Crow was in front of him and Queen behind him. He could definitely see Crow's sneer underneath his mask. Then the pain came.

Ren staggered back, remembering the searing, hot pain from his memory.

"Ren?" a girl's voice asked in front of him.

He rapidly blinked, clearing the fog in his mind, and he began to remember where he was.

He wasn't inside a twisted ship's engine room; he was in a love hotel.

He wasn't facing the person who betrayed him; he faced a girl his age whose eyes were unfocused and slightly dazed.

He wasn't hurt; all that remained was a scar. And apparently a towel, now that he realized. He was buck naked underneath.

"Ren?" Kotone approached him. "Are you okay?" She reached for his scar, dabbing it. "I'm sorry. Did it hurt? Don't worry, I'll heal it." She tried to get closer, but Ren pushed her away, holding her at arm's length.

"Kotone, snap out of it!"

"Ren?!" another voice rang, though it was in his head this time. "I finally got through!"

"Fuuka? What happened? What's the situation?" he asked, pushing against Kotone as she pushed back, eyes closed with concentration, and tried to get closer to him.

"Everyone is fighting a second Arcana Shadow! Is Kotone with you?"

"She is, but something's wrong with her! I think something caught is, but I got out."

"The Shadow must have charmed her. A good whack should do it! That's how Akihiko-senpai got Junpei back!"

"Understood. We'll be right there, so focus on giving everyone support!" Ren felt his connection with Fuuka cut off. Blue flames surrounded him, and his Phantom Thief attire appeared. "Maria, Salvation!"

A green light surrounded both Ren and Kotone. Ren felt his injuries heal, and Kotone collapsed, falling forward into Ren's arms. His outfit disappeared, and he kneeled down to lower her. She groaned and her eyes fluttered open.

Ren sighed in relief when he saw Kotone's red eyes clear up and focus on him. She inhaled sharply and her eyes roamed his body.

And then she screamed.

"No!" she cried out, pushing Ren away. She scampered backwards to the other side of the room, her eyes never leaving Ren. "What happened?! Where's Yukari?! Why are you naked?!"

Ren put up his hands. "Kotone, I know it looks bad, but we weren't ourselves. A Shadow's attack hit us."

"A Shadow...?" she asked with a frown before gasping. "The mirror!" She stayed silent for a moment, then her face turned red, and her hands immediately covered her eyes. "Oh, my god! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to-"

"I know; it's okay," he interrupted her. "We can talk about this later. Right now, everyone needs help, so we have to leave. I'm going to get changed, so try to get in contact with Fuuka." After Kotone nodded, he got up and entered the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

Ren sighed as he leaned back on the door. The situation had become a real mess. It took all his concentration to not look down at Kotone's shirt after the first glance. Ann already gave him a punishment for that, and he wasn't willing to see what a naginata-wielding girl would do to him. His scar stung as memories from that day flooded back in, threatening to him take down memory lane. He heard Oracle's panicked voice, Queen's scream, his gleeful laughter as he dragged his sword across his chest-

His left arm hastily clamped on to Crow's arm, stopping him from retreating to safety with an iron grip.

"Grit your teeth, Crow!" he snarled, his eyes never leaving his enemy's own. He could see the panic set in Crow's eyes as he tried to pull back his arm and sword. Ren pulled back his right arm and his new chest wound hurt like he never felt before. His fist crackled with dark energy as he felt Arsene's rage flow into him.

His punch instantaneously crashed into Crow's red lenses and cracked it. He knew he telegraphed his fist, but it wasn't like Crow could do anything about it, considering he wasn't right of mind. He could feel Crow's cheekbones push back for a moment before he let go with his left arm, and Crow flew to the other side of the engine room. His body crashed into a wall before he slid down to the ground.

Ren steadied himself and tried his best to stay standing up, but his legs were like jelly at this point. His entire body hurt as he crumpled to the ground, his friends shouting as they hurried to his side.

He took a deep breath, finished with his recollection, and stood up straight, his face set with a glare. There was no time for hesitation; his team needed his help right now.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

Not for the first time in the same hour, Mitsuru growled again as she gave ground to a Charmed Akihiko. To her left, Yukari was running from a Charmed Junpei.

She believed the situation was already at its worst when the Shadow initially Charmed Junpei and attacked her and Yukari, but this was even worse. When Akihiko smacked Junpei with his open palm, Mitsuru was too busy helping Yukari to realize that the Shadow had Charmed Akihiko. Her only warning that Akihiko was about to attack her came from Fuuka. While Akihiko distracted Mitsuru, the Shadow charmed Junpei again, so both Yukari and Mitsuru have been fending off their teammates.

However, Fuuka finally got through to Kotone and Ren a few minutes ago and she promised they were coming soon. The other piece of good news was most of the Shadow's tentacles were gone now. Sure, it was still floating smugly where it was from the start, but it allowed Mitsuru and Yukari to focus on defending against Akihiko and Junpei.

"Kotone and Ren are right outside the room!" Fuuka said, just as Akihiko was about to punch Mitsuru.

Mitsuru's eyes glinted, dove under Akihiko's punch, and kicked Akihiko away. Luckily for them, those Charmed didn't have the same skills compared to their usual selves, evident from Junpei's sloppier-than-usual attacks and Akihiko's telegraphed punches.

"Penthesilea!" she called out, and her Persona stabbed the ground, making an ice wall around Yukari, protecting her from Junpei and the Shadow.

With enough room to finally breathe, Yukari pointed her Evoker to herself. "Io, Charmdi!" A light surrounded Akihiko, healing him from the Shadow's charm, though it seemed like he was down for the count.

The door slammed open, and Kotone and Ren came into the room. Mitsuru noticed that both of them were a bit disheveled - some buttons were unbuttoned, Kotone's hair wasn't in her signature ponytail - but were ultimately alright, guessing from Kotone's voice.

"Sorry we're late!" she cried out.

With his target out of reach, Junpei turned towards the newcomers. "Hey, Kotone!" he yelled as he heaved his sword over his shoulder. "You look hot, too!" With a laugh, he ran towards her, his sword ready to swing down on her.

"Sorry, Junpei! I'm done with creepy situations!" With a war cry, she swatted Junpei with the back of her naginata. He crashed to the side, unmoving. With a huff, she surveyed the room, her eyes landing on the Shadow behind Mitsuru. Pointing a finger to it, she said, "And you're going to pay for what you did!"

"It absolutely will!" Yukari cried out, too.

Kotone and Ren rushed forward as Yukari and Mitsuru flanked the Shadow. With its remaining tentacles, the Shadow screeched and began attacking them. However, with stable footing and no one rushing her, Yukari sniped at the incoming tentacles and Mitsuru summoned Penthesilea to freeze any tentacles that got too close.

Ren led the charge and, rather than dodging the incoming tentacles, he opted to hack and slash those that came to him. There was a lull in the waves of tentacles and the Shadow began to gather light again.

"That's the Charm attack!" Mitsuru yelled. "Dodge it!"

Kotone moved to the side while Ren ducked down without losing momentum, stopping right in front of the Shadow. Kotone sped forward and used his back as a springboard, now easily above the Shadow. With another war cry, she slammed her naginata down the Shadow's mask. Underneath her, Ren stabbed the Shadow's belly and, with a roar of his own, dragged his knife upwards, creating a gash on the pink Shadow. With both their attacks, the Shadow shrieked as it split into two, disappearing into familiar motes of black dust.

Ren caught Kotone from the air, and, after a quick glance at each other, he let her down gently and looked away from each other. Mitsuru shot a questioning look, but mentally shrugged.

They had won the fight, and that was one more of her grandfather's sins erased.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

"Think we can get this covered up?" Akihiko asked Mitsuru as everyone began to file out of the love hotel. From Fuuka's watch, there was little time left until the end of the Dark Hour and they all wanted to be out before the people got out of their coffins. "There's a ton of damage this time around."

Mitsuru hummed before responding, "I think so. Some sort of gas leak is a simple answer. I will coordinate with the chairman for this."

Behind the two third-years, Junpei groaned while rubbing the spot where Kotone's naginata hit him. "Man, what happened? Everything was over when I woke up..."

"That's what you get for not controlling yourself!" Yukari said. "Getting charmed like that was a real pain for us!"

"Yukari!" Fuuka called as she ran to Yukari's side. She leaned over and whispered something to Yukari.

Yukari smiled when Fuuka finished. "Seriously? That's great!"

While everyone was on their way out, Kotone couldn't help but grimace as her face began to heat up again, memories of the night's events flowing through her mind.

'I never thought of myself as a touchy person,' she thought. Holding Ren's hands, touching his chest... She never got close to anyone to warrant touching like what she did to Ren. Granted, a Shadow charmed her, but it never forced her to like it. 'I...didn't really mind it.'

She glanced at Ren, who was slightly ahead of her. Ever since they killed the Arcana Shadow, he had been silent and contemplative. He answered when someone talked to him, but never really pushed the conversation. It seemed like he had a lot on his mind.

'There was when he seemed angry at the Shadows tonight.' That side of him was certainly new. He never showed it against the Emperor and Empress Shadows, nor the Shadows in Tartarus.

She power-walked towards Ren and tapped his shoulder. "Is everything okay, Ren?" she asked.

Ren glanced at her before showing a tired smile. "Yep, I'm good. I'm just tired."

"Really?" she asked again, this time with a raised eyebrow. "You didn't seem alright against the Shadows tonight."

Ren perked up his smile, forcing himself to look like he wasn't tired. "I don't know what happened to that one. I'll let you know once I do, though."

Kotone fidgeted as the air between them became awkward. There was Ren again, being dismissive about it. Still, if he didn't know, then there was no reason to push him for it. She felt her face heat up again as she thought about the elephant between the two of them.

"R-Ren..." she said hesitantly. "I-um..."

He tilted his head towards her, and she looked away from him, refusing to let him see the obvious flush of her face. "Yes?"

Pushing beyond the embarrassment, she leaned towards him. "I'm really sorry about what happened back then," she whispered, making sure that the others couldn't hear them. "I touched you when you couldn't say anything."

Ren stared at her for a moment before shrugging. "What's done is done. It wasn't like we could do anything about it. If anything, I think we did pretty well, considering what was going to happen next."

Kotone frowned before sighing. "If that's what you want. Can we also forget what happened? I don't want to make things awkward between us."

Ren raised an eyebrow before smirking. "You're asking me? You're the one who got the most between us two."

"W-what?!" she squeaked before she began punching him, but Ren only laughed at her efforts.

"Alright, alright, I get it. I'm sorry for teasing," he said, catching Kotone's fists. "Nothing happened, okay?"

Honestly, she liked how his hands felt; how it held her own hand, gentle yet firm; how it perfectly held her own hands; how his thumbs were currently slowly rubbing the back of her hands, calming her.

Kotone shook her head and quickly pulled away her hands, hiding them behind her back. After calming herself, she continued, "I'm also sorry about seeing that. Your scar, I mean."

Ren gave her a questioning look. "Why do you feel sorry about that?"

"Because you never told anyone about it," she responded. "And now, someone saw it and you couldn't do anything about it."

"Are we doing this again?" Ren asked with a sigh. "Like I said, it's fine. We couldn't control ourselves and the thing that's at fault paid for it. Now, come on. We have to catch up to the others."

Kotone nodded before they both jogged towards the rest of SEES, intent on catching up. Still, there was something in her mind.

'What caused it? And why did it feel so...angry? Why did Ren react like that?'

-.-Take Your Time-.-

Outside the Champ de Fleur

"Wonderfully done," Takaya said as he looked over Shirakawa Boulevard, his eyes roaming across the wreckage wrought by the Shadow. To his right, Jin nodded as he mulled over what he just saw, such as their attacks, their teamwork, their capabilities, their weaknesses. "What are your thoughts, Jin?"

"Their linchpin is their leader, the red-haired girl," he said. "Without her, they're okay, but her versatility opens up a lot of options."

Takaya agreed. The ability to wield multiple Personas was outstanding, perhaps even Kirijo's best find. Still, the power she wielded, while versatile, did not amount to the same power as he did.

He looked behind him, where Chidori was. While Jin and he surveyed the battlefield, Chidori tracked the Kirijo group while also masking their own signatures. "Chidori, did you find any anomalies?"

Chidori shook her head, her eyes not leaving the group in the distance. "Outside the girl, nothing. No one here had the power that matched Joker's on that day."

Takaya growled. So, nothing he didn't know from watching the battle, then.

Ever since they lost to Joker, Strega had been using the sewers all throughout Tatsumi Port Island to navigate through the city. If anything, it reminded him of his days when they just escaped the Kirijo group. It was humiliating, to say the least. They, who had the most experience among the Persona-users, were simply tossed around like trash in Joker's wake. He knew for a fact that they ran with their tail between their legs that day.

On top of all that, Joker knew their old hideouts, something that even the Kirijo group didn't know, so the number of safe houses they had were effectively slashed in half. However, what hurt was that they lost access to their best ones, forced to hide in their older hideouts.

After much deliberation, they all believed that Joker was a Kirijo weapon, a sort of hybrid of Shadow and human. No other explanation made sense otherwise, especially after the revelations they had after the battle. Jin and Takaya had their memories changed, losing all visual and auditory evidence of Joker, while Chidori sensed a Shadow with a human inside. Takaya could see it; that fucking crazy scientist, experimenting on who knows how many children, finally leaping in joy after their first success in Joker.

And what a success Joker was. He was untraceable, able to come as he pleased, abnormally strong, and could somehow mess with their memories. His existence caused years of work to go in an instant. Chidori couldn't even keep track of him, much to Takaya's annoyance, so they couldn't even prepare for him if he appeared.

The fact that they had to hide also meant they were losing support in their revenge site. More and more were denouncing their existence as the days passed, and the amount of traffic was abysmal compared to before. Their outlet was slowly dwindling by the day.

Still, in a way, as a fellow experimented-with subject, Takaya felt a sort of camaraderie with Joker, though that was the extent of it. He didn't remember what they said that night, as he could only remember static, but he felt unhinged anger against Joker that night. He felt Joker held a set of values anathema to him, one so completely opposite of his that he lost control over himself.

Takaya shook his head. There was time to mull over Joker later. Strega was still working at the moment.

"And you, Jin?" Takaya asked. "What are your thoughts?"

Jin stayed quiet for a moment, gathering his own thoughts. "I don't think Joker was with them. Nothing screamed inhuman tonight. That said, why don't we ask our 'buddy'? We'll be seeing him soon."

"Yes... That's an excellent idea," Takaya said with a smirk. "Considering that he shares our fate, it would be prudent to seek his opinion. We don't have much time left..."

-.-Take Your Time-.-

7/9 - Afternoon - Gekkoukan High School - Kotone

"Huh? Whaddya want?" Junpei asked Kotone. "Don't bug me if it's not important. I'm heading home now."

Kotone sighed as Junpei hurriedly left the classroom. Ever since the last Full Moon Operation, Junpei had been somewhat testy with Kotone, putting some sort of wall around him. However, it was last night when Junpei actively began pushing her away, asking that so long as whatever she wanted to talk about wasn't important, for it to wait.

Pushing someone's boundaries... It wasn't something that she had done before, so all she could now was wait. Just wait and smile like nothing has happened.

"Something wrong between you two?" Ren asked from behind her, causing her to slightly jump from the sudden question.

'I didn't even hear him!'

She turned around and answered, "Something like that. He's pissed like last time again. I tried to talk today, but he didn't want to, so I guess I'll just wait." She laughed awkwardly as she made her way out of the classroom.

"You won't talk to him about it?" Ren asked as he caught up to her.

Kotone shook her head. "No. I'll wait for him to talk. Respect boundaries and all that."

Ren frowned, but then nodded. "Very well, it's your call."

"You have any suggestions?" she asked with a raised eyebrow and a surprising bite.

"Sometimes, someone has to be the hammer."

'And it's the one thing I can't do.'

Kotone sighed. "It's fine. He came back last time; he'll do it again. I believe in him," she said as she opened the classroom door.

"Kotone!" Saori called out from the other side of the hallway.

"Oh, Saori! Did you wait long?" Kotone asked as she crossed over to Saori. 'I hope she didn't. People already talk about her all the time.'

Luckily, Saori shook her head. "Not at all. I actually just arrived. Are you ready to go?"

"Already made plans, Kotone?" Ren asked beside her.

"Oh, right, sorry about that, Ren." Kotone stepped aside for a bit so that Saori and Ren had a better look at each other. "This is Amamiya Ren, another transfer student, this time from Tokyo. And this is Hasegawa Saori," she said as she gestured towards the older student. "She's a second-year just like us. We met through the Health Committee."

"Hi there. How do you do?" Saori nodded a bit at Ren before making a confused look. "Are you okay?"

Kotone glanced at Ren. His mouth was slightly agape as he stared at Saori, but then he suddenly blinked.

"Sorry about spacing out. I knew someone with the same last name, so I'm a bit shocked to see someone with the same name here," he said with a smile before bowing. "My name is Amamiya Ren. I'm in the same class as Kotone. Please treat me well."

Saori chuckled. "Of course, no need to worry. Why don't we go to the nurse's room before we talk? We're taking everyone's attention."

Everyone nodded at her suggestion and the little group began making their way towards where the Health Committee meets up. Along the way, Kotone could hear the loud whispers that circulated.

"Saori's going for someone again."

"Or maybe the guy is going for her?"

"Maybe he got hurt? They are the Health Committee."

Kotone glared at the people who badmouthed Saori, and while some began to walk away, some didn't. From behind her, she could tell that Ren was taking in everything quietly.

Finally, they arrived behind the closed doors of the nurse's room.

When everyone was seated, Saori picked up the conversation. "Hasegawa is a common last name, after all. If you don't mind, what was the first name of your Hasegawa?" she asked Ren. "I also have a family member in Tokyo, too."

"... Zenkichi. Hasegawa Zenkichi," he said after a moment of silence.

Saori gasped, daintily covering her mouth in surprise. "My, what a surprise... Can you describe him?"

Ren crossed his arms as he hummed in thought. "He tries to be hip and young. He acts mature but gets very loud when taken in surprise."

There was a moment of silence as Saori stared at Ren with wide eyes. Her shoulders shook and giggles escaped from her mouth. She hid it again behind a hand, but the giggles became small laughs as her other hand held her sides.

"That's him! That really sounds like him!" she said. When she calmed down, she continued, "How has Uncle been?"

Ren blinked at Saori's sudden confession before he grinned at her. "Small world..." he murmured, but then he shook his head. "I think he's fine, though it's been a while since I've met him." Saori sighed happily at that.

Kotone smiled as all this happened in front of her. Barring being ignored at the moment, Saori meeting Ren is a good thing.

'I've never seen Saori smile like that before, nor did she laugh like that. She's so mature in front of me, but in front of Ren...'

"Kotone-chan?" Saori's voice grabbed her attention back to the room. "Is something wrong?"

Kotone shook her head. "Not at all! I was just thinking about the coming finals. It's next week and I'm going to be busy studying."

"Ah, I see. Yes, the finals are coming," Saori said with a nod. "I'm sorry, but I won't be able to help you. I'm a new student too, so I don't know what to expect." She hummed for a moment, looking to the side, away from the two students. "That said, I have heard some rumors that Ekoda-sensei is pretty nasty in what he puts on the exams." Both Kotone and Ren's faces soured at the mention of Ekoda-sensei. "Not a fan?" she asked.

Ren shook his head with a small huff. "I'd be hard-pressed to find someone who is."

"Tell me about it," Kotone said. "He makes himself sound like he's the most important teacher here, but after what he did to Fuuka..." she murmured

Saori tilted her head at the mention of a new name. "Fuuka?"

Kotone jerked her head, surprised that Saori heard her. "Oh, don't-"

A knock suddenly rang out from the door. "Excuse me!" a boy's voice yelled before the doors opened. "Is Hasegawa-san here?"

'He's familiar...' Kotone thought. 'But I don't know where I saw him before.'

"Yes," Saori answered. "Um... Takaoka-kun? Is there something you need? Are you not feeling-"

"Uh, would you be interested in going out for karaoke?" he asked, interrupting her.

"... Okay?" she half-said, half-asked.

"Seriously?" the boy said with an obvious smirk and glee. "Then-"

"Hold on," Ren said as he narrowed his eyes. "Are you sure you can ask that?"

"H-huh? What do you mean?"

"Don't you have a girlfriend?" Ren asked, and Kotone's eyes widened in realization.

'I saw him with a girl just yesterday!'

"Hell no!"

"Then what about that girl from yesterday?" Kotone asked, pushing through the boy's denial. "I saw you with a girl in Paulownia Mall yesterday."

"She was just a friend! Anyway, this is a conversation between us, so don't butt in," the boy said to them both before looking back at Saori. "Then, how about today?"

"I still have some things to do here today, so..." Saori answered.

"Aww, I'll wait around, then. Let's go once you're free. I'll wait in the classroom." The boy didn't wait for Saori's response and left the room.

"Oh, okay then..." Saori muttered. "That was sudden. It surprised me."

"Do you get along with him?" Kotone asked.

Saori shook her head. "... I don't really know him. But, if he really wants to go out with me, then..."

"Aren't you being a doormat?"

Saori giggled as if she heard a funny joke. "Maybe I am!" Kotone could only nervously smile at Saori. "I don't really have any opinions of my own. If there's someone willing to take the lead, I'll gladly follow... I don't need someone... I just want to be needed by someone else. If I can find someone who needs me, I'd love that person with every fiber of my being. Do you think it's wrong to think that way, Kotone-chan?"

Kotone froze momentarily at her question. It was unnerving how Saori hit home with her question.

'Doing only because someone else is relying on me... I...'

With a sigh, she said, "Yeah, I can understand that."

"And you, Ren-kun?" Saori asked.

Kotone glanced at the other person in the room, but she was surprised to see that Ren was fiddling with his phone beforehand.

"Yeah, I get it, too," he answered, pocketing away his phone. "I get being needed by someone and wanting to live up to their expectations."

"Really?" Saori giggled. "I'm happy to hear that from the both of you."

In her heart, Kotone felt she understood Saori more than before.

"Anyway, we should get started with our duties," Saori said. "I did promise, after all."

"Let me help, Hasegawa-san," Ren said. "I took a lot of time from both of you today. Let me make up for that."

"Well, if you're offering, thank you," Saori said. "And there's no need to be formal with me, so call me Saori."

With a nod, the three cleaned up the room. With an extra person, the clean-up took a lot less time than normal.

"Well, I better get going. Goodbye, everyone!" Saori said with a wave and closed the door behind her.

Ren hummed as he stared at the door, though his eyes seemed like it was staring past it.

"Is something wrong, Ren?" Kotone asked.

Ren jolted out of his trance. "Not sure, in all honesty." Kotone shot a raised eyebrow, prompting him to explain. "I just have a pit in my stomach. Hopefully, it's nothing in the end." Ren slung his bag over his shoulders. "Anyway, you ready? I'm planning to go back to the dorms. What about you?"

Kotone hummed in thought for a moment. "I think I'll visit Bunkichi and Mitsuko before going back."

"Who are they?"

"They're the owners of the second-hand bookstore in the Iwatodai Strip Mall. I know them pretty well. They're both adorable!"

Ren chuckled. "Sounds good. I'll walk you there, then. I'll check out the store, too."

Kotone, smiling at the sudden hang out with Ren, left the school for the day with him.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

7/11 - Evening - Iwatodai Dorms [Command Room] - Kotone

Kotone didn't know why, but the tension in the Command Room was palpable. Akihiko texted that there was going to be a meeting and Ikutsuki had something to tell them, most likely Shadow-related stuff and any effects regarding the last Full Moon Operation.

She was the second-to-the-last to arrive and sat next to Akihiko. Only Junpei was left. Ikutsuki, Mitsuru, and Akihiko were sitting quietly, minding their own business. However, something was up with Yukari. She sat on the other side of the table from Mitsuru, openly glaring at her senior or looking anywhere but her. On Yukari's right was Fuuka, who sat nervously, though she did her best to hide it. Her eyes flitted between Yukari and Mitsuru every so often, and her mouth would squirm when she met Yukari's eyes. On the other end of the table, opposite of Ikutsuki, who sat at the head of the table, was Ren, who was busy on his phone. It seemed like he was playing a game, based on how concentrated he was. Once in a while, he would sigh so quietly that Kotone could barely hear it, and he would glance at Yukari and Mitsuru before going back to his game. With how tense the room was, Kotone felt awkward about saying anything, which led to her current situation: sitting quietly and taking in the entire atmosphere of the room.

The Command Room door creaked open and Junpei entered.

"Sorry about being late," he said. "Had something to do."

Ikutsuki shook his head. "Not to worry, Junpei," he said with a smile. "I dropped this out of the hat. Please, get seated. We have much to discuss."

Junpei nodded and took a seat at Fuuka's right and, coincidentally, right in front of Kotone. She smiled at him, though he ignored her.

"Now, before I tell you what I found," Ikutsuki began, "why don't you tell me what happened in the last operation?"

Mitsuru nodded. "We encountered two Arcana Shadows yesterday, which we identified as the Hierophant and Lovers Shadows. While the former was no problem and was dealt with quickly, the latter took longer to fight. It had the power to teleport and charm people. It separated the field team into pairs and teleported them away into different rooms in Champ de Fleur.

"Akihiko and I felt we could not allow the Shadow to escape, so we intercepted it while Yamagishi used her Persona to locate and gather the field team. The first pair to arrive was Iori and Takeba, while Amamiya and Shiomi arrived shortly after. The Shadow charmed Akihiko and Iori and used them to fight against Takeba and me, making it hard for us to destroy it. We had no choice but to wait and stall until Amamiya and Shiomi arrived to exterminate it."

Mitsuru sighed before continuing, "So, that's what happened on the night of the seventh. It was a difficult operation."

"I see. They're getting tougher..." he murmured with a nod. "But, it's not all bad news... I called today's meeting because-"

"I'm sorry," Yukari suddenly interrupted. "Before we go on, I'd like to ask Mitsuru-senpai something."

Mitsuru looked at Yukari with a quizzical look. "Me...?"

"Since I joined, so many things have happened..." Yukari began. "I went along with it, without really understanding what was going on... But now, I need to know." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them, she glared intensely at Mitsuru. Beside her, Fuuka dipped her head down, as if trying to hide from an incoming battle.

"I'm gonna ask you straight out... You've been hiding something from us, haven't you, senpai?" she asked. "You act like you don't know anything about the Dark Hour and Tartarus... But they're related to that accident ten years ago, aren't they?"

'Huh? Ten years ago...?'

The reactions throughout the room differed. Mitsuru, though she said nothing, glared back at Yukari. Akihiko looked at Yukari in surprise. Ikutsuki was also surprised, though it seemed like he knew it was coming. Junpei kept glancing back and forth between Mitsuru and Yukari. Fuuka, on the other hand, seemed horrified about what was coming. Ren kept a stoic face as he watched the events unfold.

"W-what accident...?" Junpei asked.

"There was an explosion near our school, and a lot of people died..." Yukari answered, though her focus on Mitsuru didn't waver. "It must've been big news back then. You know about it, don't you?"

"... Yes," Mitsuru said, not wavering in front of Yukari.

"Luckily, no students were injured. But, around the same time, a large number of students were recorded as absent," Yukari pushed on. "... Seems like more than just a coincidence."

"What do you mean?"

"I dug up some old school records and newspapers and found something interesting. The students who were absent... They all collapsed suddenly and had to be hospitalized. Sound familiar?" Yukari narrowed her eyes. "You know, like the girls who bullied Fuuka..."

Mitsuru couldn't hold her stare and looked away in silence as she held her arms.

"There has to be an explanation!" Yukari said as she stood up and placed her hands on the table. Her glare only intensified as she pressed her advantage. "What really happened on the day of that accident? The Kirijo Group built our school, so you must know something! Tell me the truth!"

Mitsuru stayed quiet for a moment, took a deep breath, and looked back at Yukari with her usual composure. "I wasn't trying to hide anything from you. It just never seemed relevant. But, if you must blame someone, then-"

"It's okay. It is not your fault, Mitsuru," Ikutsuki stopped her. Mitsuru looked back at the chairman in surprise before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. When she opened them again, she looked back at Yukari.

"Alright, I'll tell you the whole story," Mitsuru began and took everyone's attention. "The Shadows have many mysterious abilities. Some research indicates that they can even affect time and space. We think of them as our enemies, but what if we could somehow use them to our advantage? They would be a source of unimaginable power, wouldn't they?"

"What...?" Yukari muttered.

"Fourteen years ago, one man pursued that line of thinking," Mitsuru continued her story. "He was the former leader of the Kirijo Group, Kouetsu Kirijo." Kotone saw Mitsuru clench her fist as she grabbed onto her skirt. "... My grandfather." Momentarily, her face warped into anger, but it was gone as if Kotone imagined it. Despite Mitsuru's calm demeanor as she talked, there was hostility in her words when she said her relationship with Kouetsu. "My grandfather was obsessed with the Shadows... He wanted to harness their power for something extraordinary."

Fuuka muttered, "'Harness their power'?"

"He assembled a team of top scientists," Mitsuru said, "and over several years, he put together a disgusting collection of Shadows."

"He what!?" Junpei yelled. "Damn, that's freakin' crazy!"

Mitsuru nodded at Junpei's words and resumed, "However... ten years ago, during the final stages of the experiment, they lost control of the Shadows' power. And, in the process, the very nature of the world was altered." She glanced around at her underclassmen as the implications hit them. "Yes, Tartarus and the Dark Hour were born.

"By their account, the mass of Shadows they collected split into several large ones that then dispersed. These are the Shadows we've been encountering on nights when the moon is full."

"Is that why they've appeared in different places?" Fuuka murmured.

Yukari frowned in thought as she sat back. "Wait a minute... If what you said is true, then why did our school turn into Tartarus?" she asked before gasping. "Don't tell me... That's where they conducted the experiment!?"

Mitsuru shifted her eyes away before blinking them back on Yukari. "Yes."

"Then those students who were hospitalized..."

Mitsuru nodded. "I'm afraid it's just as you're thinking. Port Island must have been an ideal location for them. It was a highly populated area, and the Kirijo Group had influence there. They could do as they pleased... As you guessed, the experiment ten years ago was conducted at Gekkoukan High School."

"... Does that mean all we've been doing is cleaning up their mess?!" Yukari yelled as she banged her fist on the table, but Mitsuru kept quiet. Yukari whipped her head towards Akihiko. "You knew too, didn't you senpai!? They've just been using us! Or, do you not care as long as you get to fight?"

"I never said anything like that!" Akihiko answered, but then sighed before calming himself. "I have my reasons..."

Mitsuru glanced at Akihiko before looking back at Yukari. "Think what you'd like... It was my decision not to share that information. I'm sorry. I never intended to deceive you. Convincing you to join SEES was my highest priority. As absurd as it may seem, only we - with our Personas - can fight the Shadows."

"How could you...!?" Yukari growled.

"Besides... Some of us were never given a choice. I..."

Akihiko shook his head as he gripped Mitsuru's shoulder. "Mitsuru, don't."

"Yukari," Ikutsuki said, giving Mitsuru a reprieve from Yukari. "It's those in the past who are to blame. And they lost their lives as a result of what they did. We're all in the same boat, here; none of us deserve the burden that's been thrust upon us."

"But-!"

"Is it right to punish someone based on the actions of their parents?" Ren suddenly asked in a steady voice, surprising Kotone.

Yukari looked back at Ren. "What do you mean?"

"This entire situation is because of Mitsuru-senpai's grandfather and his team. They've paid for their mistake already," Ren said as he stared at Yukari. "Personally, I think the only actions that someone is responsible for are their own and the effects of said actions. I don't think it's right to blame someone for what their grandparents did when they weren't even ten years old."

Ren closed his eyes and sighed as he scratched his chest for a moment. "We were dealt a shitty hand, Yukari, and the only thing we can do is use it to the best we can. And right now, I think those Shadows are a threat to everyone."

"Then she should have said something!" Yukari said. "We are risking our lives here! We should know more than nothing."

"It's been ten years since that incident," Ikutsuki interrupted. "While regular Shadows have appeared before, the Arcana Shadows only recently suddenly returned. But, since they're active, at least we can find and destroy them. Do you realize what this means? What if I told you that those twelve Shadows are the cause of everything?"

Akihiko's eyes widened. "Then, if we defeat them all, Tartarus and the Dark Hour will disappear...?"

Ikutsuki smiled with a nod. "Exactly! That's what I was going to tell you earlier. See, it's good news, isn't it?"

"Is that true!?" Fuuka asked.

"There's evidence to support it," Ikutsuki answered. "Now, our true battle begins."

"Hold on," Ren said. "What evidence?"

"Well, we know the Arcana Shadows created the Dark Hour and Tartarus when they separated, correct?" With Ren's nod, Ikutsuki continued, "That means that the Arcana Shadows are what keep the Dark Hour and Tartarus alive. If we kill these Shadows, then wouldn't that mean that the Dark Hour and Tartarus would disappear?"

"I see..." Yukari muttered.

"Regardless of what's happened in the past, we must fight to protect the people," Ikutsuki said. "The Shadows are gaining strength. We can't afford to just wait for them.

"And there are many mysteries still surrounding Tartarus. Why did such a gigantic structure appear in the first place? The answer must lie within it. That is why we must continue to explore it.

"Now, you are right, Yukari, that we kept many things from you. I am very sorry about that. Ask me your questions and I will try to answer as best I can."

"Are you sure, chairman?" Mitsuru asked.

Ikutsuki nodded. "A team cannot function if there is mistrust. I hope that, by answering your questions, I can assuage your anger."

"I want to learn more about the twelve Arcana Shadows," Yukari asked.

"Of course," Ikutsuki said. "Ten years ago, a substantial number of Shadows were consolidated into a single entity. Its power was immense, far greater than any of the Shadows we've seen, both amongst the Arcana Shadows and the ones currently inside Tartarus.

"Experiments were performed on it, and an unfortunate accident took place, dividing the entity into twelve Shadows. It is these twelve Shadows that we have exterminated during the full moon, recently named the Arcana Shadows."

"And these two?" Yukari asked as she glared at Mitsuru and Akihiko.

"Yukari-" Fuuka said before being interrupted by Ikutsuki.

"It's okay, Fuuka; I said I will answer the best I can," Ikutsuki reminded her. "Starting with Mitsuru, under the pretense that she was assisting the Kirijo Group, she was subjected to the experiment for many years. And so, Mitsuru wasn't born with the ability to summon a Persona; she was forced to learn how."

'That's pretty similar to what happened to me,' Kotone thought. 'Though, I had to learn mine right in front of an Arcana Shadow.'

"Were there more that were experimented on?" Ren asked.

"No," Mitsuru answered. "I was the only one that was ever experimented on."

"How did you come up with that question?" Ikutsuki asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It's only natural to think that if Mitsuru-senpai could summon a Persona, then there should be more that could. SEES now is proof of that," Ren answered with a light voice. "If anything, it's surprising that it's only us, considering that it's been ten years since the accident, especially when four people joined in less than half a year."

"Indeed, it is quite strange," Ikutsuki agreed with a nod. "However, even if we have a decade of information on the Shadows, it was only recently that the Arcana Shadows, the one responsible for the Dark Hour and Tartarus, came back. The sudden rise in the number of Persona users could be humanity's answer to their return, similar to your way of summoning. Does that answer your question?"

Ren nodded.

"Then let me continue with Akihiko. I've known him and Mitsuru for a very long time. In fact, Akihiko joined us when he was in middle school," Ikutsuki said.

"So, you've been part of SEES for at least three years, senpai?" Fuuka asked.

Akihiko nodded with a reminiscing smile. "This would be my fifth year since Mitsuru approached me in my second year of middle school."

"I remember when you were so reckless," Ikutsuki said with a laugh. "At that time, we had a third member as well." He glanced at Akihiko, noticing that his smile had soured. "But, I digress."

"Third member...?" Yukari murmured. "Was it Shinjiro-san?"

While Mitsuru stayed quiet, Akihiko nodded.

"Then why isn't he here?" Yukari asked. "Shouldn't he be here, fighting with us instead of whatever it is in Port Island?"

Despite Yukari's aggressiveness, Akihiko stayed quiet, taking a deep breath.

"Akihiko-senpai," Yukari pushed on, "why is he out there, not here?"

"He has his reasons," Akihiko finally answered. "He's not here, and that's that."

"What?!"

"Yukari," Ren interrupted her, causing her to glare at him. "Whatever reason Shinjiro-san has for leaving, it's his story to tell, no one else's."

"But aren't you curious why he isn't here? Again, we're risking our lives while he's out there living his life!"

"I won't deny that I am curious," Ren answered back. "However, imagine someone spilling your secrets without you knowing. Wouldn't you be mad about it?"

Yukari grit her teeth before taking a deep breath of her own. "You're right. Sorry."

Ren kept his stare on Yukari before moving on to Ikutsuki again. "Ikutsuki-san, how did the public react?"

"My, what a curious child, ever worried about the people," Ikutsuki chuckled. "In the end, over fifty people were injured in the accident and the media placed full blame on the Kirijo Group for the tragedy.

"They singled out one researcher in particular, declaring him the main culprit behind it all. Whether this was actually true or not was not the issue; the public was looking for someone to vent their hurt and anger on. And so, they chose him, even though he was a victim himself.

"Their wrath was unparalleled. The darker side of mankind was most certainly on display during that time."

Kotone heard Mitsuru shift, her hand on her arm once again. In front of her, Yukari's eyes widened at Ikutsuki's words.

She glanced around the room. Ren took off his glasses to rub the bridge of his nose. Junpei and Fuuka's surprise were visible on their faces, wide-eyed with a slightly open mouth throughout the meeting. Akihiko hung his head, clenching his fists together.

"If there are no more questions, I believe that we should end today's meeting here," Ikutsuki said. "That was a lot of information to take in; please take your time to sort through them. If you have any more questions, contact me."

The tension in the room never left them, even when they separated inside the dorm.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

7/11 - Evening - Iwatodai Dorm [Kitchen] - Ren

Ren stewed in his own thoughts as he prepared dinner for the night. The atmosphere felt oppressive after the meeting, even when everyone had split afterwards.

Akihiko left the dorm, something about doing a run to clear his head. Mitsuru and Yukari had separated into their rooms while Kotone went to check up on them. At the lounge, Ikutsuki and Fuuka sat with Junpei to summarize the meeting and help him understand what happened. In the corner of his eyes, he could see the frustration build up on Junpei's face as the weight of the meeting set in.

'Something light with the marinated tuna... Maybe miso?' Ren contemplated, hoping to at least give everyone something while they thought to themselves. 'Or maybe tuna and a small side of crunchy salad?'

Ren was happy that the meeting happened, especially with the info dump that Ikutsuki gave. They finally had an end goal, even if the process didn't change at all. They also learned what began the Dark Hour and Tartarus. Contrary to the Metaverse, it seemed like the Dark Hour was half man-made, half Shadow-related.

Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that something else was there. Based on experience, the Palace Owners ended back in the Depths of Mementos after being released from their various Palaces, Okumura notwithstanding. The only ones that were different were Sae, Mishima, and the Jail Owners. In that same line of thinking, did the Arcana Shadows go to the top of Tartarus? It wasn't like these Shadows had a being to return to.

'No, they did: the Shadow the Kirijo had created.'

Ren frowned at that thought as he took out the various ingredients from the fridge he needed for dinner. From prior experience, the Phantom Thieves always had to face a god in the end: Yaldabaoth, then Azathoth and Adam Kadmon, then Demiurge. If that was the case, then the combined Shadow might become a god when every Arcana Shadow was defeated.

'I wonder what kind of god it will be this time.' He gave a sigh as he chopped the cabbages and grated the carrots. Afterwards, he turned on the stove and heated the oil. 'I can't believe I'm already thinking about it like it's destined to happen.' An irritating part of him thought it was, given what happened to him the past year and a half. He sighed again, not staying in that line of thought.

Ikutsuki was right that they should still kill the Arcana Shadows. The Lost was evidence of their effects on the real world and their deaths were the only thing that gave any sort of positive effects. At the very least, it meant that people went back to their original lives. Compared to the psychotic breakdowns and mental shutdowns, it didn't mean the person was a complete invalid when they recovered, both physically and socially.

'Gramps did mention that some people ran around meetings in the nude when affected by EMMA,' Ren thought with a smile as he began to fry the salmon fillet. Zenkichi gave them free rein to whatever info related to the new psychotic breakdowns he could get from Public Security. Futaba had fun that day, finding all the embarrassing information that didn't reach the news.

Ren mirthfully shook his head to focus back on the new information, taking out a head of cabbage. There were a couple of things that made little sense to Ren.

The first was the story of Kirijo Kouetsu. From Mitsuru and Ikutsuki's story, the Arcana Shadows were born after splitting from the Shadow that the Kirijo created. The Dark Hour and Tartarus were created right after. The Dark Hour differed from the Metaverse because it physically affected the real world. Their last operation in Shirakawa Boulevard and the news about the property damage were hard evidence of that. However, the Dark Hour had to be connected to the Sea of Souls, just like the Metaverse. There was no way to access the Shadows without it.

'On that thought, how did the Kirijo Group gain access to the Shadows without a connection to the Sea of Souls? There has to be a missing link here. Ikutsuki-san said that the Shadows already existed before the split and they managed to, one, collect enough to create a collection, and, two, consolidate said collection into one super-Shadow. Moreover, the Sea of Souls always exists, it just comes in many forms. There was the Metaverse, and now the Dark Hour. If what we do during the Dark Hour has physical effects on the world, it's just like on the Day of Reckoning, when the Metaverse and the real world merged together.' He shivered at the thought. It was what Yaldabaoth and Maruki managed to do without using the Will of Humanity. 'If that's the case... How strong was that Shadow to begin with?'

"Hey, what smells good, chef?" a familiar voice asked behind him, taking him away from his thoughts. Ren glanced back and saw that Kotone took a seat by the counter. He smiled back, but he noticed the weariness in her eyes.

"Salmon with a bit of slaw on the side. I hope you like it," he replied as he flipped the salmon upside-down. "How are Mitsuru-senpai and Yukari?"

"Affected, but they told me they'll be okay," she said. "They just want to be alone for now."

'Yeah, sounds about right. How do I get her to talk with them again?' "Alright, but do you mind if you give them their shares?" he asked, glancing again at Kotone. When Kotone looked at him with a raised eyebrow, he continued, "I think they would prefer it if it was you that gave them their dinner."

She stared for a second before shrugging. "If you say so. What about you, though? Are you okay?"

Ren nodded. "I already had my own thoughts on all this. Remember, I was looking into Apathy Syndrome and the Kirijo Group beforehand."

"So, on top of being a super spy, you're a detective?" Kotone asked, causing Ren to scoff as his scar began to burn again.

"Definitely not a detective. I'm not cut out for that kind of work."

Kotone giggled. "Still thinking you're a spy. I'll go on and check on the others; I hope Fuuka and Junpei are taking it easier."

Ren nodded. Though, before she left, he asked, "What about you?"

"Huh?" she said in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"You hide it well, but I can see you're getting tired, too." He took off all eight salmon filets off the stove and placed them on a wire rack before looking back at Kotone. "Make sure to take care of yourself and don't stretch yourself thin."

Kotone eyed Ren for a moment before breaking into a small smile. "I'll be fine, Ren. I'm the leader, you know."

"And who said that leaders can't rest?" Ren asked. "You don't notice it, but your cheer helps everyone, Kotone. However, keep some for yourself. I'd hate it if you lost that smile of yours."

Kotone quickly turned around. "Sure, sure. I'll keep an eye out," she said as she sauntered towards the lounge with a bit of a hop.

Back in his own mind, the second thing that made little sense were Mitsuru and Ikutsuki's answers to the other experimented people. It seemed like Mitsuru truly believed she was the only person experimented on.

'For all her calm and composure, she was very easy to read when someone took the control from her,' Ren thought. 'Her reactions during the meeting looked genuine. Still, she kept secrets before, and I don't think it will be the last.'

However, compared to Mitsuru, Ikutsuki asked him how he got to his question rather than actually answering or giving more information about it. As a Kirijo scientist, he should have more information to elaborate on, at least more than Mitsuru saying she was the only one experimented on. While his reasoning made sense, it was all hypothetical.

'I'm inclined to believe the ones whose backs were against a wall. Strega told some truth before they escaped; their Evoker is proof of that. On top of that, actually calling me a Kirijo superweapon...' He frowned at the memory. 'It's troubling that their first thought at seeing me was a weapon, as if they were experimented on to become weapons to fight the Shadows.'

Ren's face relaxed and let out a tiny smile as he finished plating everyone's share.

'Thoughts for later. Right now...'

"Kotone, Junpei, Fuuka, Ikutsuki-san! Dinner is ready!"

-.-Take Your Time-.-

7/12 - Morning - Iwatodai Dorm - Yukari

Yukari took a look at her clock. It's been about an hour since she heard Mitsuru left her room and hasn't heard since. Yukari still felt charged from last night's meeting and barely sleeping overnight did not help at all. She didn't know what she'd do in front of Mitsuru and would rather avoid her than make the entire situation worse.

Yukari peeked out of her room and saw no one in the hallway. It sounded like no one was coming up from the staircase, either. Sighing in relief, she left her room for the first time today. The carpet dampened whatever noise her footsteps made as she descended the staircase, and the entire door was quiet otherwise.

As she reached the second floor, she faintly heard calm scribbling and the occasional page flip.

'Was someone studying in the boy's common area?'

The only person who would do that was...

"Hey, Ren," Yukari greeted.

Ren looked up from his notes and smiled. "Good morning, Yukari. Today's breakfast is pancakes with chopped strawberries and blueberries."

Yukari blinked, surprised that he bothered making breakfast. Usually, it was a free-for-all since everyone woke up at wildly different times. "Uh... Thanks." Yukari's initial plan was to get whatever was available in the fridge, but this worked out too. "Still, sweets for the morning?"

Ren nodded. "Well, I thought that maybe something like that would help with picking up everyone's day. It worked for someone else, and it always made her day," Ren said with a reminiscing look.

"Her? Did that girl you like have a sweet tooth?" Yukari asked while taking a seat on the table Ren studied, remembering how he left someone in Tokyo before coming to Tatsumi Port Island.

Ren chuckled. "No, no, I'm talking about someone else."

"Oh? Close to a lot of girls, are we? Did you use your Shinjuku skills to woo her?" Yukari asked with a smirk.

"Please, we were just friends," Ren said. "She was going for someone else, though he never really got it."

There was a moment of a comfortable silence after that. Ren continued to study in front of Yukari while she absentmindedly stared at his neat handwriting.

"Thanks for helping me out," Yukari blurted out.

Ren nodded. "Not a problem. I was already looking into the Kirijo Group, so helping you out was a cinch. How have you been?"

"Fine," she lied, though she said it a bit too quickly.

Ren stopped working on his notes and looked at her with kind eyes. "C'mon, it's easy to see you're lying. You've been in your room since the meeting last night and I had to ask Kotone to send your dinner up."

Yukari frowned; being called out when her attitude was this bad wasn't doing wonders for her.

"What's it to you?"

"You're a friend, Yukari," Ren simply answered. "And I'd be an awful friend if I didn't look out for my own friends."

She kept her stare for a second, scanning for any lies on Ren's face, but she could only find sincere worry. She closed her eyes and sighed. He did help her out; maybe it's time to open up a bit.

"I was just thinking about everything. I... It feels like everything makes little sense anymore and what I believed in wasn't matching the reality in front of me," Yukari confessed as she hung her head. "I thought that Mitsuru-senpai was evil, but it turned out that she was just trying to fix something. You were right last night, that she wasn't at fault; the Dark Hour and Tartarus were her grandfather's fault. If she could be blamed for anything, it was that she didn't tell us anything. But, after last night, I feel that I can't be mad at her anymore. She's a pragmatic person at heart and her actions reflected that. And now, I'm not sure what to believe in."

Ren's only response was a nod, urging her to continue whatever else she wanted to talk about, and Yukari appreciated the gesture.

"I asked this question to Kotone before, but I want to ask you too," Yukari said as she looked Ren straight in his eyes. "Is there something you truly believe in? So much so that, even if the world and everything around you betrayed you, you would still believe in it?"

Ren's eyes widened at her question. It seemed like it surprised him, too, just like Kotone. He shifted his eyes away, deep in his own thoughts.

After a few seconds, he spoke up. "Yes. There was a time when I believed that something would be at my side, but it wasn't the case. I was thrown under the bus and the world around me crumbled. I still remember everyone's eyes; eyes that looked at me with expectation, as if I did the one thing they knew I would end up doing," he said with a noticeable edge in his voice. Was that...contempt?

"For a time, I was under the dumps, essentially. I had no one to look up to, nor for help. I didn't have the healthiest of mindsets," he confessed.

Suddenly, a small smile crept up his face. "However, someone asked me if I regretted my actions. I said no; I realized what I did wasn't wrong, but that the system was at fault. After that, the only thing I could believe in was what I thought was right.

"That said, I also understand that people have different senses of right and wrong. The same thing I do could apply to someone else's belief. Facing those kinds of people only strengthened my resolve."

He chuckled as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry about the long story, but I felt that I couldn't answer your question without it."

Yukari shook her head. "No, I think it's fine. It's nice that you have something to hold on to. But to believe what you think is right... That's really selfish, isn't it?"

Ren's only response was a nod and a small smile.

To believe what he did was right is selfish; it meant he would fight against everything that was wrong to him, even if the entire world saw that he was wrong. It meant that he believed he was morally right and would always act on that.

Yukari scoffed at the thought. "I get it, though. It's the same with me." Yukari stood up, her back straighter than when she sat down. "Thanks for the talk, Ren. I think it helped clear my mind. I'll go get breakfast downstairs." She waved him goodbye as she approached the stairs. "Good luck studying."

"A word of advice, Yukari," Ren suddenly said, causing Yukari to turn around. "There was a time when someone showed me a different path, one that fought against what I believed in. Everyone reacts to a situation like that differently. If something like that comes for you, I hope you think hard and make sure you don't regret your decisions. I almost took that path, even if it would make me regret it, now that I look back."

Yukari tilted her head in confusion, but she nodded to tell him she got it. She heard, but not understood, not even after jumbling it in her head while eating breakfast.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

7/13 - Evening - Iwatodai Dorm - Junpei

He couldn't keep his excitement down. His energy was through the roof, and he couldn't even keep his foot steady as he sat in the second-floor common area. Screw the exams; the beach was calling to him! It was time to let loose!

Not even the constant thought that he was basically mind-controlled for the last half of the operation could keep him down. Not even the constant reminder that Kotone always did better than him could keep him down.

Let all those problems come at him! The southern beaches of Yakushima were going to make him forget all that!

"You okay there, Junpei?" a voice behind him asked. "You're like a kid that drank coffee and got dropped in a toy store."

"Ren!" he exclaimed in surprise. In all of his excitement and thoughts of the beach, he didn't even realize someone was nearby.

"Yes, yes, it's me, Ren."

"What are you doing here?"

"Well, considering that the chairman ordered some takeout as a celebration for us going to Yakushima and as a good-luck charm for tomorrow's exams, I thought I'd check up on everyone," Ren said as he took a seat next to him.

"Aren't you excited?!" Junpei asked. "We're going to Yakushima! Clear waters! Sun all day long! Girls in bikinis!"

"I'd be lying if I said if I wasn't," Ren replied with a shrug. "Still, we have the finals to contend with."

Junpei scoffed. "Screw the finals! I'm done thinking about them!"

"Are you sure?" he asked. "I thought maybe I could tutor you, if you want."

Junpei looked at him with a frown. Help him? There was no use helping him. He was useless with the books. All he has is-

"I'm fine! I've been studying on my own."

Ren kept his gaze on Junpei. "Are you sure? Don't you think you could surprise everyone if you did better than they thought? Imagine Yukari's face. It would certainly shut her up, right?"

Junpei's eyebrow twitched at that thought. Now that was good. Maybe it would stop her from calling him Stupei. He hated that name, but it was true, so he couldn't really do much but play it off. Still... Sixteen years of mediocre grades...

"You think it's possible?" Junpei asked with his head down, a twinge of hope somewhere in his voice.

"It absolutely is," Ren said, latching on to that slight chance of hope. "I do think you can do better. It'll be tough work, but with constant dedication, you can do it."

"I..."

"Look, if you still think otherwise, why don't we make a bet?" Junpei looked at him. "If you don't do any better than before, I owe you two bowls of ramen of any size, with any toppings you want. Otherwise, you owe me a bowl," he said with a smirk.

"Seriously? I'm going to win this! The finals start tomorrow!" Junpei scoffed. There was no point; he could do everything he could, but nothing would get better.

"You never know until you try. Now, why don't we start for tomorrow's finals?"

-.-

And so, for the next five days, from the 14th to the 18th, whenever they came back to the dorm, Ren tutored Junpei for everything they learned, all to prepare him for the next exam. Throughout the entire time, Junpei's attention would always wander, but Ren somehow always got him to pay attention to their lessons. It was like he already knew how to guide Junpei, as if he did this before.

And yes, while Junpei always lost focus, the fact Ren was with him all throughout to help him… It was new, having someone believe in him in something he already showed he was bad with. Everyone already didn't believe in his grades, but having someone there… It felt good.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

7/18 - Afternoon - Gekkoukan High School - Kotone

Kotone put her hands over her head and reached for the skies, stretching her entire body after what seemed to be endless waves of questions and answers. Still, after all the cramming she did in-between exams, she felt confident she did well, hopefully near the top of the year.

She glanced at the other SEES members. Yukari and Ren seemed to be confident too, with their little smiles as they cleaned up their tables. Junpei, on the other hand, was...confused? He seemed to be out of it. Maybe the exams and studying got to him?

"Junpei," she called out, "is everything okay? How was the exam? I know that Ren was tutoring you..."

"Huh?" Junpei blinked blearily, looking for the source of the question. "Oh, hey, Kotone." He shook his head. "I'm not sure..."

"Oh? That's new." Yukari said with a curious look. "And here I was, thinking that you won't think about it right after the exams."

"Hey! I am thinking about that! A real man doesn't dwell on the past," Junpei exclaimed before making a fist in the air. "The dark days of testing are finally over! The sun is shinin' bright! Yakushima, here I come!"

Yukari glanced at Ren. "You're not going to say anything? Like, 'the fight isn't over!'"

Ren shook his head as he stood away from his desk. "Not at all. The exams are over and there's nothing we can do now. And now, we wait."

"Well, alright," Yukari said with a shrug. "That said, Yakushima is coming up. Kotone, are ya ready?"

Kotone grinned and held her fingers in a V. "Totally! I'm pretty confident with the exams and I already have a swimsuit ready!"

"... I guess I should start getting ready too," Yukari said with a sigh. "I don't have practice today, so do you guys wanna do something? What do you say?"

"It would be a pleasant way of rewarding ourselves right after exams," Ren agreed. "You guys have any ideas?"

"Sounds good! Where we goin'?" Junpei asked. "If you need to buy a swimsuit, I'd be happy to help!"

Yukari scoffed and said, "As if."

Kotone quickly raised her hand. "What about a pork bowl?" she suggested.

"A good preposition, Kotone," Ren said with a finger pointed at her before pointing to both Yukari and Junpei. "And you guys?"

"I want to save that ramen for when I win my bet," Junpei said, "so I could use some meat in me. I'm starving!"

"That works out fine for me," Yukari said. "I'll go get my stuff and invite Fuuka, too."

"You should get your stuff, Yukari. I can go get Fuuka," Ren said. "She shouldn't have any managerial work for Akihiko-senpai's club, so she should be in her classroom."

Yukari nodded. "Sounds good. Kotone, Junpei, wait for us by the school gates." With a wave, Yukari and Ren left the classroom together.

"Hey, Kotone," Junpei suddenly said with a heavy tone, catching Kotone by surprise. "Um... I'm sorry about the way I've been acting... I was just in a bad mood and I took it all out on you. It was unfair of me and it wasn't too cool of me."

Kotone shook her head with a smile. "That's alright, so don't worry too much about it!"

Junpei looked at her with a stunned face for a moment before breaking into a small smile. "Alright... Thanks. Let's go back to how things used to be between us, okay?"

Kotone's smile grew. "You got it!"

'Told you, Ren; he just needed time and space.'

-.-

The gang spent their afternoon in the beef bowl shop before going back to the dorm.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

7/19 - Morning - Paulownia Mall - Kotone

Kotone hummed as she walked into the main entrance of Paulownia Mall. She received a text from Junpei about hanging out in the arcade with Ren. Considering that everyone was out - even Fuuka, who was with Yukari at Port Island Station - Kotone decided to kill some time with the guys for a bit.

It was weird seeing Junpei hang out with Ren, considering that it was rare for them. They never really hung out like this. Sure, they did side with each other once in a while, but it was mostly when everyone was together. They didn't really make plans or anything like this. At least, until Ren tutored Junpei.

Everyone had already written off Junpei's grades before. Even Mitsuru asked to make sure he's not failing. And yet, Ren didn't give up on him. Considering Junpei's reaction yesterday, it would be nice to see Junpei improve. He already had confidence issues, but if he saw he can improve his grades, which was something he saw as hopeless, it might help give him a boost.

Still... To think that Ren would actually do something about it rather than just give words...

'He and I are really different, huh?' Kotone thought.

"What?" Kotone heard Junpei's boisterous voice and walked towards the source. "You bought that? Isn't it kinda... Vanilla? Boring? Normal?"

"I think it's fine," Ren said. "Not like I want to stand out too much."

Finally, Kotone saw Junpei's cap, which made him very easy to identify.

"Hey, you guys!" she called out as she jogged towards them. "I'm here! What are you guys talking about?"

Junpei waved at her. "Heyo! You're finally here!"

"Hey, Kotone," Ren greeted back with a smile and she felt butterflies in her stomach. "We're looking for swimsuits."

"Get this," Junpei interrupted, "Ren wants to get this!" he said as he presented a pair of shorts with a blue gradient, getting darker as it reached the knees. "Look! It's so plain!"

"And like I said, I don't want to stand out too much. I honestly think this is fine," Ren repeated.

Kotone hummed as she took the pair of shorts and held it in the air to make Ren look like he wore it. "I think it's fine, if that's what Ren wants. I can't exactly force someone to wear what they don't want to the beach."

"Then any suggestions for me?" Junpei asked. "I asked Akihiko-senpai, but he doesn't give a rip about fashion. It's always best to ask girls this stuff, so just name it!"

She hummed again as she gave Ren his shorts back and studied Junpei.

'He doesn't like Ren's style, so that's out. It's got to have an impact, so...'

"What about a speedo?"

"Eh. It ain't my thing. I don't have the body for it, y'know?"

Kotone nodded in understanding. Junpei was right; he didn't exercise enough to wear a speedo. Ren though...

She rapidly shook her head to put the thought away.

"How about a fig leaf?" she blurted, part in jest and part her mind giving another idea that she couldn't shake away fast enough.

Ren raised an eyebrow. "A fig leaf? Are you into eco-friendly stuff?" he teased with a small smirk. She blushed, now that her mind was catching up and her idea was sounding worse by the second.

Junpei nodded slowly with a smile. "Well, I do like savin' the earth... Perfect for a guy like me!"

"And I'd have to arrest you for public indecency," a deep voice behind Junpei.

Junpei would later argue that he did not jump and scream in public.

On the other hand, Ren's smirk grew at what apparently did not happen. "Afternoon to you, Kurosawa-san. How's the day going on?"

"Not too bad," Kurosawa-san said with a nod to greet back. "Thanks for finding the missing people. They have rewards, so do take them later, yeah?

"Also, thanks to your suggestion, Amamiya-kun, petty crime has gone down, now that there are fewer victims of Apathy Syndrome on the streets. That said, some officers are complaining about the increased hours, but with the people thanking them, it's hard to stop."

Ren smiled. "That's good news. Thanks for the support."

"Not a problem," Kurosawa said. "I'll get off your hairs. Enjoy the rest of your day. And let's try to be decent. Got it, Iori-kun? I don't want misunderstandings like last time."

"L-l-like I said, that was an accident!" Junpei claimed. "Plus, it wasn't my fault!"

'Ah... That time...'

"Am I missing something?" Ren asked.

"Nothing at all, man!" Junpei denied.

Kotone saw a sliver of a smile appear on Kurosawa's face before tugging his police cap down. "Well, I'll get going now; I'm technically on break." With a nod, he left.

"Argh, whatever!" Junpei yelled. "With Kotone finally, let's get going to the arcade! I wanna bust something down!"

Ren and Kotone laughed at Junpei's reactions but ultimately followed along, content with letting go of the matter.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

Activities:

7/7 – Dark Hour – Full Moon Operation

7/8 – Afternoon – Temperance 7

7/8 – Night – Café Work

7/9 – Afternoon – Hermit 4

7/9 – Night – Print Club

7/10 – Afternoon – Lovers 6

7/10 – Night – Horror House

7/11 – Afternoon – Hanged Man 4

7/11 – Night – Quiz Game

7/12 – Afternoon – Hierophant 9

7/12 – Night – Academics

7/12 – Dark Hour – Death 3

7/13 – Afternoon – Hanged Man 5

7/13 – Night – Karaoke

7/14 – Afternoon – Exam

7/15 – Afternoon – Exam

7/16 – Afternoon – Exam

7/17 – Afternoon – Exam

7/18 – Afternoon – Exam

7/18 – Night – Quiz Game

-.-Take Your Time-.-

Social Links:

Fool – SEES – 4

Magician – Junpei Iori – 7

Priestess – Fuuka Yamagishi – 4

Emperor – Student Council – 6

Hierophant – Old Couple – 9

Lovers – Yukari Takeba – 6

Chariot – Volleyball – 9

Hermit – Health Committee – 4

Hanged Man – Girl at the Shrine – 5

Death – Mysterious Boy – 3

Temperance – Transfer Student – 7

Devil – Businessman – 5

Star – Akihiko Sanada – 4

Fortitude – Ren Amamiya – 3

Chapter Text

?/? - ??? - ???

It felt like it had been a long time. For what? Since something changed.

He drifted through the sea; his destination unknown. All around him was complete darkness.

Things pass by him, sometimes through him. He doesn’t know what they’re supposed to be; they take one shape for a moment then turn to something else.

He doesn’t even know how he knows if something is changing when everything around him is dark.

Still, these things happen. Constantly and always.

Until light pierces through everything, it’s the only thing that has changed, a sign that not everything is constant.

Because of that, he reaches for it, hoping he can get out of this damn place.

He wants to be free, just like him.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

7/20 - Morning - Yakushima Airport - Ren

Ren shielded his eyes from the bright sunlight as he emerged through the airport doors. The heat also hit him hard, and he felt like he would sweat any second now. Now that the sunlight wasn’t destroying his eyes anymore, the clear, blue skies and seagulls were a welcome sight compared to the slightly polluted skies of Iwatodai.

The atmosphere reminded him of Okinawa’s skies, though Okinawa was three hours south by plane and there wasn’t a haunted-

He shook the thought away. ‘I shouldn’t jinx it.’

Beside him, Junpei grunted as he stretched. “Ya! Ku! Shi! Ma!” he yelled. “Man, it would have been nice to use a boat to get here! It’s just so different from an airplane. I mean, the sea breeze just hits different!”

Ikutsuki chuckled, who was further ahead of them, coming from a limousine and with a butler. “I’m sorry for getting seasick, Junpei, so traveling by boat is out,” he said as he swung an imaginary bat. “I would have allowed you to travel on your own, but I am in charge of your safety.” The butler took everyone’s luggage bags and placed them in the limousine. “We should have enough room inside,” Ikutsuki murmured off-handedly.

“Don’t worry about it, Ikutsuki-san,” Yukari said. “It’s just Junpei. The plane’s faster than the boat.”

Kotone nodded. “Just means more beach time for us!”

Junpei hummed with his eyes closed. “You got that right!” he said before laughing creepily.

Yukari sighed. “Whatever. Just get in the car.”

That also excited Junpei. He ran to the limousine and took a long look inside before entering. “What are you guys waiting for?!”

Fuuka, who just arrived, chuckled beside Yukari. “He’s like a child, isn’t he?”

“Not like I don’t understand,” Ren said with a smile. “It’ll be the first limousine I’ve ever ridden.”

“At least you’re not jittery about it,” Yukari grumbled.

“Relax a bit; it’s summer vacation,” Ren said. “Considering everything that’s going on, every moment we have counts.”

Yukari didn’t give him an answer and just left to enter the limousine.

Kotone patted Ren on his arm. “Sorry about that, but let her be, okay? She’s been tense since we left. She’ll get in the mood later.”

Ren nodded. It wasn’t his usual thing to do, but Kotone is the Guest here; this kind of thing would be a problem she has to face. But if the problem got worse, he’d have to step in.

“What are you guys waiting for?” Akihiko asked behind them, just getting out of the airport. “We should get going.”

“Akihiko’s right,” Mitsuru said, right behind Akihiko. “The place we’re going is on the other side of the island. Considering our group, I’m sure the eaters are already hungry or are close to it.”

Right on time, Kotone’s stomach growled, causing her to blush and quickly hug her stomach. Mitsuru only smiled lightly.

-.-

SEES, led by Mitsuru, walked in silence as they walked through a hallway. The high ceiling, held by multiple pillars, reminded Ren of Kamoshida’s Castle, but without the perverted tastes. It felt professional and rich without feeling gaudy, even with the soft, velvet carpet that covered the center of the hallway. Mitsuru abruptly stopped as four maids walked towards them. They bowed in front of Mitsuru and said in sync, “Welcome back, milady.”

“What the hell...” Junpei muttered. “It’s like we’re in an episode of Lifestyles of the Rich and Fabulous...”

“Wow...” Fuuka said.

“You have maids...?” Yukari asked. It seemed like real-life maids took the tension out of her body for a moment.

Mitsuru ignored the comments and told the maids, “We won’t be here long, but I’ll be relying on you during our stay.”

The maids nodded, and one of them spoke to the rest of SEES. “Welcome once again, Sanada-san.” Akihiko nodded back. “And you must be her schoolmates, correct? Welcome to the Kirijo vacation home. Please, follow me.”

“You know them, senpai?” Ren asked Akihiko.

“Yeah,” he said with a nod. “I’ve been here twice before.”

Junpei tapped Ren on his shoulders. “Dude... Real-life maids...!” It seemed like he hadn’t gotten over the situation just yet.

“I get it, I get it,” Ren said as he gently swatted Junpei’s hand. It wasn’t like this was the first time he had seen maids, though the ones he’d seen were more...fetishized. Here, the maids held an air of professionalism and seriousness, similar to what Mitsuru always radiated daily.

From the opposite side of the hallway, Ren heard footsteps. It sounded different from the maids’, whose footsteps were quieter and lighter; this one was heavy and with purpose. A man walked out the door.

His black hair parted above his left eye, heavily siding on his right side. He wore an eyepatch on his right eye, giving him a grizzly appearance. His expensive, full-body business-formal attire screamed rich and professional to Ren. His presence felt similar to the suffocating presence of Shido’s Shadow, but the man was here in the real world. The man’s left eye was unwavering as it swept through the bowing maids and group before settling back on Mitsuru.

“It’s good to see you,” Mitsuru said. Ren noticed some emotion that he couldn’t place escaped her voice.

The man kept his stare on Mitsuru before walking away, as if nothing happened.

“Oh, he left...” Fuuka murmured. “Was that...?”

“Her father?” Yukari continued with a glance at Mitsuru, though she didn’t get any response.

“Dude, talk about scary!” Junpei said. “He’s not gonna make us walk the plank, is he?”

Akihiko sighed. “Don’t be stupid...”

“I can definitely say,” Ren whispered back, “considering how advanced the Kirijo are, it wouldn’t surprise me if he could switch one of his hands for a hook.”

Kotone snorted beside Ren and glanced away, hiding her face from Mitsuru.

However, instead of glaring at her underclassmen, she chuckled and said, “We won’t be here long, but make yourselves at home.”

Junpei grinned widely. “Sweet! This is gonna rock! Why don’t we go to the beach? Inakahama Beach is right-!”

Before Junpei could continue, something growled loudly. Kotone hugged her stomach immediately before smiling nervously.

“Sorry...” she said. “I’ve been hungry since we landed.”

“Not to worry,” one maid responded. “As per Milady’s instructions, we have prepared lunch for you all. Please, follow me to the dining room.”

“Dude!” Junpei whispered loudly. “Maids are going to serve us food! Maids! Actual maids!”

“Indeed, they will, Junpei,” Ren said with a small smirk as Junpei kept shaking him. “Indeed, they will.” He wouldn’t break his teenage dream of maids giving him service like those in anime. He also wouldn’t tell him he already had maids to serve him when the guys of the Phantom Thieves gave Ryuji a birthday present from the Akihabara maid cafe.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

7/20 - Afternoon - Inakahama Beach - Kotone

“And check out our leader! She’s one cute mermaid herself!” Junpei exclaimed after ‘introducing’ Yukari. “Those curves she usually keeps covered are lookin’ good! I can’t tear my eyes away!”

“I should have brought my naginata,” Kotone grumbled, though it was loud enough for Junpei to hear, seeing as how he flinched right after.

Junpei boisterously laughed as he spun to the sea. “Maaaan, the beach is so great. I love this place!”

Kotone decided to not follow up on Junpei’s terrible attempt at pushing the issue away; it wasn’t like he was harming someone. No, there was something else bothering her and it was that the lunch the Kirijo maids had prepared wasn’t enough. Make no mistake, they were filling, but they were too healthy for her tastes and followed the ‘smaller is better’ concept she’d seen in the rich and high-end restaurants online.

She missed Ren’s cooking, even if it was only yesterday she had some. At least she finished full and ready to tackle the day. Breakfast this morning was something small and quick, just enough to last the flight.

Maybe she could ask the maids to lend Ren their kitchen?

‘Now that I think about him, where was he?’ she thought as she looked around the group. Everyone was here but him. Fuuka and Mitsuru finally arrived. Fortunately, Junpei had learned the message and didn’t ‘compliment’ anyone else, though Yukari and Fuuka were now fawning over Mitsuru’s flawless skin.

On the side, Kotone saw Junpei and Akihiko whispering to each other, their backs toward the girls. Curious about where the last person of the group was, she approached them.

“Psst, Akihiko-senpai. Level with me... Which one’s your type?” Junpei whispered, though it was a pretty loud one.

Akihiko leaned in and whispered something back, but, compared to Junpei, he at least knew the point of whispering.

“Guys?” Kotone asked.

Junpei recoiled from Akihiko with a surprised face. “Huh?! Really?!”

“K-keep your voice down!” Akihiko yelled back.

“Guys!” Kotone yelled.

Both guys straightened their backs and whipped their heads toward Kotone.

“H-hey, Kotone!” Junpei said, trying to appear casual but was definitely failing.

“What’s up?” Akihiko asked.

“Have you guys seen Ren?” she asked. “Everyone’s here but him.”

“Oh, Ren? I think he said he wanted to talk to the maids about something,” Junpei answered, loosening his tension.

Akihiko turned back to the summer home, though ‘mansion’ was definitely a better word for it. “It has been a while, though. Even with the trees between here and the house, it shouldn’t take him long to get here...”

“Don’t worry about the guy!” Junpei reassured them. “Dude can take care of himself! Worry about what’s in front of us: the beach! Man, this is great! It feels like heaven!” And with a marching tune, he ran to the beach. “Charge!”

“Whoa, I’m not letting you win that easily!” Akihiko said, his competitive side showing front and center. He ran after Junpei and soon caught up as both did an impromptu race along the coastline.

“Boys,” Yukari said with a scoff beside Kotone.

Fuuka giggled. “I think it was quite cute.” It seemed that they finished interrogating Mitsuru, who lounged on a nearby chair under an umbrella.

Kotone poked Fuuka, causing her to jump. “You don’t count; you like Akihiko-senpai. How’s that going, by the way?”

“Yeah, it’s been a while,” Yukari murmured.

“Oh... Ah, well,” Fuuka mumbled as she twirled her index fingers against each other. “It’s going well... I finally got to make chicken katsu for him before we left... And he said he liked it...” Fuuka said, progressively getting redder and redder.

Kotone pumped her fist in the air. Finally, some progress! “Now all you gotta do is keep up the pressure, to where all he can think about is you, got it?”

Fuuka enthusiastically nodded.

“Oh? You girls aren’t going in, yet?” a familiar voice asked behind the trio.

“Ren?” Kotone asked as she turned. Ren appeared through the tree line and carried colorful drinks on a serving tray. He wore the swimsuit he bought from Paulownia Mall and a solid gray shirt. It somewhat disappointed her. “What’s the tray for?”

“Drinks for when you guys want to take a break,” he responded, placing the tray on a beach table. “Swimming can make you thirsty, so I thought I’d get us something refreshing.”

Mitsuru glanced up at Ren from her lounge chair. “Did you not ask the maids? They could have brought it themselves.”

“I could, but I didn’t want to take their time,” Ren responded and met Mitsuru’s look. “Plus, I could do it by myself; no need to ask someone else to do it for me.”

Mitsuru kept her stare for a second before relaxing into her lounge chair again and humming in agreement. “I suppose I could understand that sentiment.”

“So...what’s the drink, Mr. Bartender?” Yukari asked as the girls inspected the drinks.

The drink had a consistent red color at the bottom of the glass, though the top ranged from orange to yellow, arranged so that the glasses looked like a spectrum. Each glass had a cherry as a garnish, while a straw and an umbrella completed the look. As Kotone got closer, she could smell different types of juice; the most familiar fruits she identified were the orange and pineapple. It was the perfect drink for a day under the tropical sun.

“It’s called the Sunrise Mocktail,” Ren answered. “As you may have already guessed, it got its name since it looks so similar to a sunrise. Typically, it’s a cocktail because of alcohol, this is a mocktail because it doesn’t have any. It usually has orange juice, but there was also mango and pineapple juice, so I played around with my choices and combine juices for some cups. And thus, with all these I created, I present to you, Morning Sun Mocktail Party. From the left, orange, orange-mango, orange-pineapple, mango, a combination of all three, mango-pineapple, then pineapple.”

“It’s so pretty...” Fuuka murmured.

“I’ll take mango Sunrise later,” Mitsuru said nonchalantly.

Kotone’s eyes widened when Mitsuru suddenly called dibs. “W-wait, we’re doing this now? Then I want the Combo Sunrise!”

Yukari gasped. “You’re taking all three fruits? I’m not even sure if that’ll taste good.”

“I get that, but it’s made by Ren; it’ll taste good either way!”

Ren chuckled at Kotone’s antics. “Thanks for the vote of confidence, Kotone. I wouldn’t serve you guys something that won’t match my standards.”

Kotone took her glass and sipped her Sunrise. The orange juice’s citrus taste combines well with the zing from the pineapple juice. Meanwhile, the mango gives a subtle aftertaste while something gave an unexpected boost in sweetness.

Kotone looked at the red part of the drink, something Ren didn’t explain. “Is this pomegranate?”

Ren nodded. “It’s called grenadine. Pomegranate juice is one of its ingredients. I didn’t expect you to actually know the fruit.”

Kotone merely shrugged. “I used to eat anything as a kid, just to try them all at once.”

“Oh, I like the pure orange Sunrise,” Yukari said after taking a sip from her own glass.

“It’s very sweet,” Fuuka murmured after drinking from her orange-mango Sunrise.

Kotone sipped her drink again, and she finally identified every ingredient in it. “It’s really good,” she said before catching Ren staring at her. “What’s wrong?”

Her question took him out of his stupor. “Oh, uh, nothing,” he said before flashing her a smile. “Thanks for the compliment.”

-.-

‘Is it just me, or are her smiles getting cuter?’ Ren thought before shaking the thought away.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

7/20 - Night - Somewhere inside the Kirijo Vacation Home - Ren

Ren internally sighed as his feet carried him through the mansion, trying to make sense of where he was. It wasn’t as big as Kamoshida’s Castle, but he had no map nor navigator to help with exploration. On top of that, parts of the castle had some defining features, so he never truly got lost. Here, however, the hallways were uniform, so each hallway he turned to began to blend into each other.

SEES spent the entire afternoon at Inakahama Beach, relaxing without a care in the world. Though, one by one, they retreated to the mansion, having either tired themselves out or had enough of the summer sun and heat. Thankfully, the Sunrise Ren prepared for everyone had done its job, from how refreshed everyone was. And now, they were all empty as he carried the glasses with him around the mansion.

While everyone had fun, Ren felt someone stare at him from the mansion. He tried to use Third Eye when he noticed the first few times, but the distance was too much for him to see clearly. Still, he noticed movement from the windows when he glanced back. Not wanting to make who - or what - ever it was spying on him realize he noticed, he stopped glancing back, though he kept noting whenever he felt it. Weirdly enough, he felt it the strongest when he was near Mitsuru.

Something to definitely talk to Mitsuru about.

He turned around a corner and heard people talking at the end of the hallway. A girl’s voice accompanied an older male voice. They sounded familiar...

“Our guests are residents of the dorm, I presume,” the male voice said.

“I’m sorry for bringing such a crowd...” the girl said.

‘That sounds like Mitsuru,’ Ren thought. ‘Then who’s she talking to?’

Ren slowed his pace, stepped lightly, and made sure to step on the carpet to help silence his footsteps. Right before coming around the corner, he flattened himself to the wall.

“I heard you told them about the incident. Why did you hide it for so long?”

‘Wait, it wasn’t some Kirijo secret?’

“... I wasn’t hiding it...”

“I’ve told you time and again; none of the blame is yours.”

“But, I’m-“

“‘Two in harmony surpasses one in perfection.’ That has been our guiding principle since the Kirijo family separated from the Nanjo Group.”

‘Is this Mitsuru-senpai’s dad?’ Not that Ren could be faulted for not knowing; last he saw Kirijo Takeharu, he said nothing.

“You must learn to trust in others, Mitsuru. There are things in this world that cannot be accomplished alone, no matter how many sacrifices you make.”

“...Yes, Father.”

‘Nice to hear some confirmation. For someone that looks like a pirate, his voice seems so...gentle. On top of that, he’s not mad that Mitsuru-senpai told us the truth? If anything, it seems like he wants us to know.’

“You accessed our database as well, didn’t you? That’s another thing; why didn’t you ask me directly, instead of using this trip as an excuse?”

“I’m-I’m sorry.”

‘Mitsuru-senpai wanted something here? Takeharu-san feels so different from his daughter, wanting Mitsuru-senpai to be direct and open about things. I guess the apple fell far from the tree in that regard.’

“Bring them to the reception room later tonight, by ten tonight. All of them. I had no intention of concealing the truth from them. I’ve made preparations to disclose everything.”

“Everything...?”

“There’s also a girl named Takeba in your group, correct? For her to awaken to her power... It must be fate...”

“Father...?”

“Never mind me. Just make sure to bring everyone to the reception room by ten. I’ll go and prepare everything for later.”

Ren began to hear heavy steps coming in his direction. Before Ren could hide somewhere else, Takeharu appeared just around the corner and met Ren’s eyes.

They both stared for a moment before Ren slouched and rubbed the back of his neck, playing up his nervousness.

“Sorry... I didn’t mean to listen in. I was looking for either the kitchen or a maid,” he gestured to the tray of drinks on his hands, “but I ended up here and the atmosphere was too heavy for me to interrupt,” he said faster than normal, adding to his ‘nervousness’.

Thankfully, Takeharu nodded. “I understand. You were in the right direction; just go past those doors and there should be someone to help,” he said, pointing to a set of doors.

Ren bowed. “Thank you very much,” he said and moved to the doors Takeharu pointed.

“You are...Amamiya Ren, correct?” Takeharu suddenly asked behind him.

Ren stopped and turned around. “Sir?” he asked before standing straight. “I mean, that is me, sir. Did you need something?”

“I read your files. You were investigating the Apathy Syndrome, correct?” he asked. Knowing that it was common knowledge, there was no reason to say no, so Ren confirmed with a nod. “Why? What led you to investigate the Apathy Syndrome? I believe that, unless there was a sudden development recently, Tatsumi Port Island is the center of Apathy Syndrome. Not only are there no cases outside of the city, but Tokyo is also a faraway place from Tatsumi Port Island.”

“I didn’t feel like staying in Tokyo,” Ren said, and saying those words hurt him. The only consolation he had was that he currently knew no one in Tokyo. “The Apathy Syndrome sounded like this urban legend that existed for a decade. I didn’t really have a plan after leaving Tokyo, so I decided to check up on this. It was really only luck that I met Kotone, Junpei, Yukari, and Shinjiro-senpai when I did.”

Takeharu studied Ren for a second before nodding. “I see; thank you for satisfying my curiosity.”

“Is there a reason you asked, Kirijo-san?” Ren asked. “Ikutsuki-san asked me those questions before.”

“I was curious about what kind of person you were, considering how Shuji believes you are evidence that humanity is growing because of the Dark Hour.”

“And what do you think about me?” Ren asked again.

“I believe Shuji was right: your existence is evidence that humanity is evolving,” Takeharu answered. “Either that, or the Dark Hour is worsening. Excuse me; just as I said before, I must prepare for the meeting later. Follow Mitsuru when the time comes.”

Before Ren could ask anything else, Takeharu turned in the opposite direction and left. His heavy steps stopped Ren from calling for him, as if, no matter what Ren would do, Takeharu wouldn’t change his mind.

‘What the hell did he mean by humanity evolving or the Dark Hour worsening? How do I prove any of that?’

-.-Take Your Time-.-

7/20 - Late Night - Reception Room - Kotone

Kotone couldn’t recall the moment she no longer listened to the video that Takeharu played. All she could focus on was Yukari and the clear despair growing on her face.

Some words were exchanged after the video ended, anger mixed in with Yukari’s despair.

And now, that anger boiled over and the situation devolved.

“So that’s why you were hiding this?! Because you felt sorry for me?” Yukari asked Mitsuru. “Is that it?!”

Mitsuru shook her head in surprise. “No, Takeba, I-“

“I don’t want your pity!” Yukari yelled and immediately left the room in a hurry.

As quickly as the situation got out of hand, the situation simmered down. The only thing that Kotone could hear was Yukari’s receding footsteps.

“I’m sorry,” Ren abruptly spoke up, “but I’m going after her.”

Kotone could only watch Ren run after Yukari. Everything had gone so quickly, so much, and it all left her reeling.

And now, Kotone hesitated; hesitated to handle the situation. She doesn’t like these types of situations where everything is tense. She always took the measure to avoid these from happening. She made sure that it never got this bad.

But how was she supposed to soothe out the fact that her friend’s father might have helped cause the end of the world?

“Shiomi,” Mitsuru said, disrupting Kotone from her thoughts. “May I ask that you talk with Yukari?”

“Shouldn’t we leave her...?” Kotone asked in a tone filled with uncertainty.

Mitsuru stared at her with pleading eyes. “Please...” she whispered.

At Mitsuru’s rare heartfelt request, Kotone nodded and left the room, hoping that she could find both Ren and Yukari quickly.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

Inakahama Beach - Ren

‘This is really reminding me of when Morgana left,’ Ren thought with a grimace as he ran through the forest, following the trail leading to Inakahama Beach.

So, it turned out that one of his friends’ dad might have jump-started the apocalypse in an effort to stop it. If that wasn’t enough, it led to a one-sided screaming match between a resentful Yukari and an off-balance Mitsuru. It really seemed like Mitsuru didn’t know about Eiichiro’s involvement.

And now, he was chasing after Yukari, who ran off after yelling out her piece at Mitsuru. Luckily enough, he could see the trail and Yukari’s footprints because of Third Eye, leading all the way to Inakahama Beach.

When he reached the beachfront, he saw Yukari staring out into the ocean. She should know that he followed her, considering that he called a few times while running after her.

He stood next to her, though there was still some distance between them. He can’t force her to talk, but he could at least be there if she needs someone.

The pair fell into a lull, only listening as the waves crashed into the beach.

After a few minutes, Yukari broke the silence.

“Was this what you meant?” she asked. “When you learned something that broke everything you believed in, that you hesitated and questioned yourself?”

Ren glanced at her and noticed that she didn’t break away from staring out into the ocean. “Yeah.”

“Did you ever see this coming?” she asked. “Feels oddly prophetic.”

This time, Ren shook his head. “No, not at all. In all honesty, I would never want for something like this to happen to anyone.”

Yukari didn’t respond immediately, creating a moment of silence, before taking a deep breath. “When my dad died, there were all sorts of rumors... Because he was in charge of the research team, people were really mean to me and my mom. We even had to move a few times.

“But all this time, I kept telling myself that it wasn’t his fault. I loved him a lot, and I believed he’d never do anything wrong. Years passed, and I received a letter back in spring. It was from him, written ten years ago.”

For the first time tonight, Yukari let out a depreciating chuckle. When Ren glanced at her, she wore a tiny smile. “It cracked me up ‘cuz, even though it said, ‘To my family,’ it was pretty much all about me. That only made me believe in him even more.”

‘So, her belief rested on his father never committing the wrong thing,’ Ren thought. ‘The years and the letter only strengthened it, to the point that she’d go through everyone’s back and get whatever she can about the Kirijo and the incident.’

“When I found out I had a special power, I thought it was fate,” Yukari continued. “I was scared, but I thought if I cooperated with the Kirijo Group, I might find out what really happened. That’s why I agreed to fight using my Persona. But, it turns out-“ Ren heard Yukari sniff “-all of that was for nothing!”

“You know that’s not true.”

Yukari softly laughed. “Now you’re just making me feel better,” she said, before sighing. “Why does reality have to be so harsh? I tried so hard to fight my fear, and this is what I get... Maybe I’m just jealous of Mitsuru-senpai. I mean, why my father and not hers?” Yukari took a sharp breath before laughing again. “I’m a horrible person, aren’t I?”

Ren shook his head. “Not at all. It’s normal to want our own lives to be better, even if it comes at a cost.” Various faces flashed in his mind: Sae, for wanting to win and provide for her family, even if it cost innocents; Maruki, for wanting peace, even if meant humanity losing their free will and for him to drown in his grief; Sumire, for wanting to never face her inferiority complex and guilt, even if it meant killing herself. “That’s just how people are.”

“What the hell...?” Yukari muttered. “What would you know?! You never even had parents! Stop acting like you have all the answers!”

Ren’s eyes widened as Yukari quickly covered her mouth when she finished, realizing her mistake.

“I-I’m so sorry,” Yukari said as tears threatened to flow from her eyes. “I-I didn’t mean to-“

Ren sighed. It was just like when he talked with Ann back in Shibuya, before everything. “It’s okay. You didn’t mean to, after all. Plus, I accepted it a long time ago.”

Yukari took a deep breath before bowing. “That doesn’t mean I could bring it up.”

“Oh c’mon, you’re embarrassing me,” Ren said. “I never really knew them.”

“I’m sorry,” Yukari repeated as she stood straight. “My head’s a mess, and it’s all over the place. I don’t know what to do anymore; I believed in my dad for so long and it all came crumbling down. You went through something similar; tell me, what should I do?” she asked, her eyes pleading for anything to help steady her.

However...

“I’m sorry, Yukari. I can’t decide your life,” Ren said. “Only you can do that.” Yukari looked away with downcast eyes. “But, I can say that your dad isn’t bad.”

Yukari glanced at him. “What do you mean?”

“From what you told me about her, I think your dad loved you with all his heart,” Ren said. “From that video we saw, I think your dad was stuck between two terrible decisions.” He patted Yukari’s back. “If it’s any consolation, I think your dad might have saved the world. What if he didn’t do what he did? The world might have paid the price. We have a fighting chance now. In my eyes, given the circumstances, your dad is a hero.”

“Even if he helped the Kirijo Group?” Yukari asked quietly.

Ren nodded with a smile. “Especially so. It seemed like he came back to his senses at the end. Doing what was right, even when everyone around him said otherwise? That takes bravery.”

He saw Yukari’s eyes shine for a bit, regaining some hope, as she listened to him. She looked out at the sea and stayed quiet for a few minutes, most likely processing everything he said.

“You said that you kept on believing, right?” Yukari asked, though it was more of a statement. “Then I’ll keep on believing in my dad and that he did the right thing.” Yukari smiled at him. “Thanks.”

Ren smiled back, letting out a sigh, glad that the situation didn’t get worse. “Happy to help.” It seemed like Yukari picked herself up; the worst situation would have been Yukari giving into her grief.

“Do you think you can turn around for a bit?” Yukari suddenly asked.

Ren raised an eyebrow, though he complied with her request. He turned towards the tree line and his eyes widened in surprise before looking away.

Ren felt Yukari’s grip on the back of his shirt and her forehead hit his back. Her fingers, while holding strong, were shivering, and he heard her sniff a couple of times.

She suddenly let go and murmured, “Thanks.”

Ren nodded but didn’t turn around. Yukari was a proud person; she would never want anyone to see her cry, even if it was obvious.

“Hey, guys!”

Yukari and Ren looked at the source of the voice. Kotone called from the path to the mansion, waving her arm to catch their attention.

“Are you guys okay?” Kotone asked. “It’s almost the Dark Hour!”

“Right...” Ren murmured. “It doesn’t matter where we are; the Dark Hour arrives all the same.”

Yukari turned her gaze towards the waning moon, almost a new moon. “You know, I’ve been thinking lately. Once you awaken to the power of Persona, you remember everything that happens during the Dark Hour.”

Kotone and Ren shared a glance before focusing back on Yukari.

“It’s like trading your innocence; in exchange for power, you can no longer look away from the things you don’t want to see,” she contemplated. “So, I guess I’m stuck with everyone, huh?”

Kotone scoffed with a big smile. “Of course, you are; we’re all in this together!”

-.-Take Your Time-.-

7/20 - Late Night - Back Alleys of Port Island - Shinjiro

Shinjiro smelled the smoke and weed mixed in the air. The damn place was full of it, even though it was so close to the high school.

Not like the gangs, the punks, and whatever shit came around cared, though. Nighttime was their time, and no one respectable or smart enough would come here.

It was a shitty place.

‘That’s what we deserve,‘ the voice in his head said.

The migraines were coming back again, and that thing was getting stronger again. Fortunately, his stash still had enough to last him for a bit. That said, he called them for a delivery just in case.

It’s what he was doing now: just waiting for the Dark Hour to come, get his shit, then leave. He hated this place, especially when everyone was shooting it up. It was bad for anyone’s health.

‘Good. Maybe we’d die faster because of it.‘

Shinjiro shook his head. Maybe it was a good call to ask for more, even if it was a bit early.

“Oh shit,” he heard a punk mutter, “it’s them.”

Shinjiro glanced in the direction the punk was staring. Seems like they arrived earlier than before. On top of that...

“You mean those two? Wow, they’re freaky!”

It was only Takaya and Jin. Where was Chidori?

“Whatever. Just shut up and let’s get out of here.”

Even though the area was littered with so many people, they all disappeared, as if they never existed to begin with. The only evidence there were people was the lingering smoke in the air.

“Why do they always run and hide when I approach?” Takaya asked with a huff. “They’re like back-alley rats.”

“Takaya, please,” Jin said with a surprisingly pleading tone.

That was new. Jin never sounded like that to anyone. On top of that, asking something of Takaya? Jin kissed the ground Takaya walked on and questioned nothing from Takaya.

Shinjiro never thought he’d see the day.

“Right,” Takaya said with a nod. “Give him the capsules, Jin.”

Jin approached Shinjiro quickly, his eyes shifting to the rooftops before dumping the package on his open palm.

Shinjiro stood up, getting ready to leave. “Thanks. I’ll pay you the same-“

“Hold it.”

Jin’s sudden command stopped Shinjiro. It wasn’t like Jin could command him like that - he’d never listen anyway - but that they wanted more. Handing the package and leaving was always how it went.

“Information will suffice this time,” Takaya said. “We want information on two things. Answer them both and you’ll get another pack tonight.” At Takaya’s words, Jin took another package from one of his pockets.

Shinjiro glared at them both. It was weird enough that they wanted to change things up, but he could deal with that. But to offer a whole extra pack? Something’s up. While Takaya was being normal, or as normal as he could be, Jin was skittish. What’s more, Chidori was also missing.

“What is it?” he asked.

“Your acquaintances have been busy lately,” Takaya began. “I’m referring to their activities on nights when the moon is full. They’ve spent a great deal of time in the Tower as well. Why did they take this burden upon themselves?”

‘Acquaintances...? Does he mean Aki and SEES?’

“You do know, don’t you? But, you don’t wish to say? Is it because they are your friends?” Takaya asked with a smirk.

Shinjiro growled. “No! I’ve got nothing to do with them.”

“Then tell us,” Takaya pushed, his smirk growing even bigger with victory. “Wouldn’t you agree these pills are more important than a bunch of strangers?”

Shinjiro clicked his tongue and leaned back on a wall, foreseeing that this might take a while.

“I don’t know the details, but, supposedly, if you destroy all those creatures, then the tower will disappear, and with it, the Dark Hour,” he answered, remembering Aki’s words from a week before.

“You mean... They intend to eliminate the Dark Hour? Why would they do such a thing?! With the power they have...”

“What?” Shinjiro asked with a raised eyebrow.

“They wish to destroy the Tower of Demise as well!?”

“Tower of Demise...?” Shinjiro muttered. “You mean Tartarus? Who wouldn’t wanna take out that damn tower?”

“Easy, Takaya,” Jin said, holding Takaya as he took deep breaths.

“Yes, yes,” Takaya muttered. “Now is not the time...”

“Hey, that’s the first, right?” Shinjiro asked. “What’s the next one?”

Jin growled at Shinjiro, possibly for hurrying them up.

He wanted this over with.

“My apologies,” Takaya said before looking at Shinjiro again. “As for the next question, have you heard about any discovery that the Kirijo Group has made? Or perhaps an experiment between man and Shadow?” Takaya asked.

A what?

“I haven’t heard anything like that,” Shinjiro answered slowly. “What brought this on?”

“Three weeks ago, we fought against something that calls itself Joker,” Takaya explained. “As much as I hate to say it, we were beaten soundly.”

What the fuck? Them, beat?

“How?”

“We don’t know.” This time, it was Jin that answered. “Our memories were tampered. Our only clue about it is that Chidori sensed a human surrounded by Shadows.”

Memory manipulation, too?

“And it was a targeted attack,” Takaya added. “We received a calling card the night before, placed on our pillows while we slept. Not even Chidori sensed anything that night.”

“You said it was a targeted attack?” Shinjiro asked. “Then...”

“Indeed,” Takaya said with a smile. “He targeted us for our duty.”

“In the calling card,” Jin added, “it accused us of the ‘great sin of murder.’ He knew we used the website.”

“No wonder all those rumors about the site going to shit were spreading around...” Shinjiro muttered. Even the shithole he found himself in wasn’t immune to the website. People talked about it all the time.

“If you didn’t know anything about it,” Takaya said, interrupting Shinjiro, “then consider it a warning. It targeted us because of our sin.”

For the first time in a long time, Shinjiro felt himself smiling. Honestly, it hurt; the muscles were way too stiff. “Good; maybe it’s time.”

Takaya stared at him for a moment before shrugging his shoulders. “Very well. We’ll take our leave. Remember this: Joker sent a calling card and challenged us in the Tower of Demise the next Dark Hour. Should you receive one, do let us know.”

Shinjiro raised an eyebrow. “And why would you want to know?”

Takaya grinned savagely, full of hunger and hatred. “Because it will pay for what it did.”

Shinjiro narrowed his eyes. He’d never seen Takaya be unhinged like that, not even once. He was always calm and on top of everything. To see him like... Joker definitely did something.

“Fine,” Shinjiro said. Not like it’ll hurt him.

In the next moment, the moon shone with a green light.

Takaya looked up at the sky with a nod. “Well then, I believe that’s time for us.” He sent a nod to Jin, who tossed the second package at Shinjiro, and the two left, their footsteps making splashes as they walked through the blood of the Dark Hour.

Shinjiro stared in the direction the two left, making sure that they disappeared, and walked the other way from them.

He walked through the backstreets, not focusing on where he was but on the discussion he just had. He didn’t feel anything for giving information about Aki and what his little group was doing-

‘It hurt us a little bit.’

-but the more important part was Joker. Some sort of new thing that the Kirijo apparently cooked up. It somehow bypassed Chidori and beat Strega. And from how Takaya and Jin acted tonight, Joker definitely put the fear of God on them.

Maybe the Grim Reaper has come to take them away. That would be nice.

Something moved ahead of him, and he heard something being tipped over.

What the hell was that? Could it be Joker? For a moment, Shinjiro’s heart raced before common sense denied that thought. From what Takaya and Jin said, Joker wouldn’t make a mistake like making an accidental sound if he was following someone. If it was a Shadow, then it wouldn’t hesitate to attack him, either.

Then it had to be someone new to the Dark Hour.

Shinjiro clicked his tongue and ran after this new guy.

‘Wouldn’t want to add to the body count.’

He followed this guy through the streets of Port Island. From what he could tell, they were small, so probably a kid.

‘Fuck, even worse.’

While Shinjiro knew these parts like the back of his hands, this kid didn’t. Shinjiro was always consistent at the same distance from the kid, even if the kid was faster than him. They would tip whatever they could to slow Shinjiro down, but it wasn’t really doing much.

Finally, their chase reached the Moonlight Bridge. Tartarus clearly towered over its surroundings in the far distance.

From what Shinjiro could tell, the person he was chasing was a boy. Kid looked no older than middle school or something, maybe even elementary.

“Hey, wait up!” he shouted, though, from how hard he was running, it definitely sounded more like a growl and a threat.

Yeah... It definitely was, considering the kid tried to run even faster, though he tripped because of it.

Shinjiro slowed down and took deep breaths to gather himself. “Hey, hey.” The kid flinched and, losing any hope of outrunning him, shielded himself with his thin arms. Shinjiro frowned; was he that bad? “Not gonna bite you or anything.”

The kid lowered his arms. “A... Person?”

When Shinjiro saw the kid’s face, he flinched and took a step back.

There was no way he could forget that face. The kid’s lost baby fat, and he’s a bit more grown-up, but that face... That fear... It was the same look that imprinted itself on his memories from so many years ago.

“Mom!”

Ken Amada, the boy who he owed so much but could never give back.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

7/21 - Morning - Kirijo Summer Home

“You’re leaving early, Mr. Chairman?” Mitsuru asked, and Ikutsuki nodded. It surprised Mitsuru to see Ikutsuki already finished with breakfast when she reached the dining room. If anything, Ikutsuki’s luggage was already in the limousine. All he had to do was leave the mansion.

“Unfortunately,” Ikutsuki said with a sigh. “There was a development back in Tatsumi Port Island.” When he saw Mitsuru frown and about to ask for more, he smiled. “It’s nothing major. You’ll see what it’s about when you come back from vacation. For now, forget about it all and enjoy your time. You need it,” he said in a rare, serious tone.

Mitsuru kept eye contact for a moment before closing her eyes and sighing. “Very well. I understand.”

-.-Take Your Time-.-

7/21 - Afternoon - Inakahama Beach

“Are the girls not here yet?” Ren asked as he approached Akihiko and Junpei on the beach. After what happened last night, it seemed like another day on the beach could help loosen the tension.

Junpei shook his head. “Nope. I thought they would come with you. You didn’t see them?”

“I saw them leave before me, actually,” Ren answered. “But a maid also gave me a letter as I was leaving.” He pulled out a letter from one of his pockets, only for it to be snatched by Junpei.

“Whoa! Don’t go around taking someone’s letter away,” Akihiko said with a frown.

“No buts!” Junpei said as he started opening the letter. “I ain’t letting any love letter from a lovely maid slip through my fingers!”

Ren chuckled. “Please, the maid looked like she wanted to kill me. There is no love in that letter.”

“Uh... Let’s see here...” Junpei muttered, ignoring Ren’s words. “This says, ‘We’ve gone to see the Jyomon-Cedar Tree.’” Junpei frowned and turned the letter around, as if looking for a hidden message. “Huh?!”

“Hand it over,” Akihiko said, taking the letter from Junpei. “Seems like Fuuka’s handwriting...”

“Aw man! Coming to the southern seas in the summer, and then go on a hike in the woods?!” Junpei lamented. “That’s just not right!”

“They need some time alone,” Ren said with a wry smile. “It’s not like any of us here had their world come crashing down last night.”

Silence permeated between the three before Junpei sighed.

“Alright, fine, I guess that. But I thought that’s what the beach is for!

“Well, it doesn’t matter, anyway. We’re on our own now, just the guys! If you’re outta ammo, you pick it up on the battlefield! That’s one of the most basic military tactics!” He paused with a nod. “We’ll call this Operation Babe Hunt!”

“‘Babe Hunt’...” Akihiko muttered. “You mean, like, pick up girls?”

Junpei smirked. “Whaddya think, senpai? With you and Ren on the squad, we’re guaranteed to succeed!”

“Nah, I’ll pass,” Akihiko said with a snort. “I’m going to train.”

Junpei’s smirk transformed into a cheshire grin. “Oh? Scared you’re gonna lose?”

“W-What?!”

Junpei raised his hands as if in surrender. “Hey, I’m not judging you; most guys would rather back down than lose.”

“All right, we’re doing this!” Akihiko said, eyes aflame with determination. “With Mitsuru and Kotone gone, I’m in command!”

“Huh?!”

“What about you, Ren? You’re definitely coming, right?!”

Ren chuckled and laid down on one of the beach beds under the shade of an umbrella. “No thanks. There can be no victory found on that path.”

“Wait, you’re skipping out?!” Junpei asked. “C’mon, dude!”

“Nope.”

“Alright, fine,” Akihiko said. “Then it’s just us two, Junpei! Loser buys dinner at Hagakure when we get back home! Commence the operation!”

“Loser?! Whaddya mean ‘loser’? Wait, we’re hitting on them separately?!”

Ren barked a laugh and waved a lazy hand out to the pair. “Good luck!”

-.-

Twenty minutes later...

The pair returned, sullen from their various failures.

“...What’s going on here?!” Akihiko growled.

“Whaddya mean? That indirect approach of yours isn’t gonna help you score!” Junpei yelled.

“What? So, you’re saying that I should use cheesy come-ons like yours?”

“Honesty is the best policy! I mean, who wants to listen to a guy drone about muscles and training?!”

“Uh... Have guys thought that maybe both of you are wrong?” Ren asked.

“What do you mean?” Akihiko asked.

“No one wants to listen to something that doesn’t interest them or when someone is being way too direct about what they want,” Ren answered, shifting so that he was sitting on the side of the bed. “Senpai, Junpei’s right; no one wants to listen to someone talk about muscles unless they workout or are bodybuilders. On the other hand, you sound desperate and creepy, Junpei.”

“Oh, yeah?” Junpei snarled. “Then why don’t you show us, then?”

“Like I said, I won’t-“

“So, all of that was just bluster, huh?”

Ren froze and frowned at Junpei. “What?”

“Too scared to show you don’t cut it?” Junpei taunted. “Then what you really said doesn’t mean shit, do they?”

Ren’s eye twitched at his obvious provocation, but then sighed. “You know what? Alright; I can see that you won’t listen to me, so I’ll humor you, just this once,” he said as he stood up. “Don’t get mad at me, alright?”

-.-

Junpei and Akihiko’s faces were like fishes gasping for water out of their natural habitat, their mouths opening and closing without saying anything.

“Here you go: two numbers and an invitation to the college party later, but I shot that down,” Ren said off-handedly, showing Junpei his phone with two new contacts before taking his spot on the bed again.

“B-but how?!” Junpei wailed. “Wait, weren’t they the last group we tried?”

“Yeah,” Akihiko affirmed. “Didn’t one of those girls have a boyfriend?”

Ren shrugged. “I think they lied, considering it was obvious how desperate you guys got at the end. They must have thought that, if they had a guy with them, then you guys wouldn’t have pushed them.”

While Akihiko and Junpei moaned about their failures, more so Junpei, Ren noticed movement on the tree line. When he narrowed his eyes, with Third Eye activated, he saw three men in white lab coats looking out to the beachfront. Following their line of sight, he saw a girl run from a small dock towards them.

Ren kept his eye on the group as they met up and left the area together. There didn’t seem to be any trouble, from what he could see. He closed his eyes and relaxed. Perhaps Mitsuru or Takeharu knew what that was about.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

7/21 - Dark Hour - Inakahama Beach - Ren

Ren emerged from the tree line, a blanket on hand, having followed Kotone when he saw her sneak out of the mansion when everyone was asleep. He made sure Kotone didn’t notice him, considering that she was sneaking out. If she was sneaking out like this, seeing as how she moved the way he taught her, then she definitely wanted to be alone, and there was no way he was leaving anyone alone during the Dark Hour.

On the beachfront, Kotone sat on the sand, knees brought to her chest, and stared at the green moon. Her hair waved as the midnight winds hit her, making her shiver, and she brought her knees closer and wrapped her hands around herself.

Ren sighed. She must have forgotten how cold beaches can get during the night. He approached her silently and tossed the blanket around her.

“You’ll get a cold, you know,” he said, wrapping the blanket around her.

Kotone’s head whipped to face him. “Ren?! How long have you known?”

Ren smiled and answered, “Ever since you left. I may have taught you well, but it’s too early for the padawan to best her teacher.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Kotone said with a laugh. “So, you were worried about me?”

Ren nodded. “Of course, it’s the Dark Hour; it’s dangerous to be alone right now.”

“I have my Evoker with me,” Kotone said with a quirked eyebrow. “Shadows come from Tartarus and this place is owned by the Kirijo; there shouldn’t be a Shadow swarm I can’t take on my own. We’re a-okay!”

The two fell into a silence as Kotone brought the blanket closer. However, she suddenly sat straight.

“Wait, then you saw me yesterday, didn’t you?” she asked.

Ren leaned back, his arms holding him up. “Yep, though I only saw you at the end of it.”

“I’m sorry,” Kotone said. “I only wanted to bring you guys back, but then...”

“It’s okay. I get it,” Ren said with a sigh. “It happens.”

“...Mind if I ask you something?” At Ren’s nod, she continued, “When Yukari said that you learned something that broke everything you believed in, what happened?”

Ren stared at her for a moment, before asking, “Why do you want to know?”

“You don’t seem to be that kind of person, you know?” Kotone answered with a shrug, her eyes boring into his. “You’re so sure about yourself now, I can’t see how you could hesitate and question yourself.”

Ren broke eye-contact and stared out into the ocean, trying to find the words to say, before sighing. “I wasn’t always like this, you know? In the beginning, I was an orphan, and that’s special on its own. But when you don’t know your own parents, it’s even worse because your birth parents, or whoever you’re related to, technically have some say in your situation. But me?” Ren pointed to himself with a smirk. “I don’t have anyone. I was special among the special. And I hated it.”

Kotone shifted herself so she could look at Ren head-on. “Why? What happened?”

“Because everyone has expectations of me. Orphans are bad, but then I was apparently worse. My eyes didn’t help with my situation, so everyone always talked about me. They never bothered hiding it, either.

“Because of all that, I wanted to prove them wrong, that I was better than what they thought of me. But then, something happened, and it only proved what everyone thought of me. Before, people at least tolerated me, but afterwards? They avoided me like I was some plague. And I believed them, that I was the rotten apple, that I could never be a good person.”

Kotone lightly touched Ren’s hands, which, unknowingly, were gripping into the sand. “Are you okay? I’m sorry; I shouldn’t have asked.”

He let go of the sand with a sigh. “No, no. It’s my decision to answer.” Ren smiled at her. “And I’m fine now. That entire story is behind me. If it wasn’t for my friends, I might have-“

“You don’t allow yourself to be enslaved by such things as human relations or past selves. And so, your heart is always free. The exact opposite of mine. To be honest, I’m envious.”

“-I could have gone the wrong path.” Ren said with eyes closed, his scar itching. It always hurt him to think about how similar they were, and the only difference was that he had people around him. With another small sigh, he looked at Kotone. “Did that answer your question?”

Kotone nodded with a smile. “I think so. And I think they were wrong; you’re great, Ren.”

“You got that right,” Ren said. “But what about you?”

Kotone’s eyes widened. “Me?” He nodded. “I...”

She shifted back to facing the ocean and hung her head, staring at her feet while they played with the sand. For a few minutes, she stayed quiet, and Ren could only hear the rolling waves crash on the beach.

“My parents died in Tatsumi Port Island,” she suddenly began, “and I actually don’t remember what happened before it. After the accident, everything was a blur. Relative to relative, school to school; I never really stayed.” She hugged her knees closer. “Because of that, I never really made friends.

“Then, out of nowhere, I got a scholarship from Gekkoukan High,” she said with a chuckle. “I didn’t even get to process what happened before my uncle sent me away. Ever since then, no one has even called me or even contacted me.”

Ren moved to sit right next to her and put an arm over her. “It must have been lonely, wasn’t it?”

She nodded, and tears slowly dripped down her cheeks. Ren hugged her closer and silence draped over them.

‘She’s gone through a lot too... It hurts, but I can’t even promise to be there whenever she needs my help. Damn it...’

“I’m sorry,” Kotone mumbled with a sniff. “I didn’t think I’d go off like that.”

Ren chuckled while rubbing Kotone’s arm, hoping to soothe her. “Don’t worry, I’m used to it.”

“What are you, a counselor?” she asked with a giggle. “You have a big knack for this. You got Junpei to study, then Yukari to open up, then me in, what, less than a week?”

Ren could feel the edges of his mouth quiver upwards as her words brought up a memory.

“Senpai, why don’t you become a counselor?” Sumire said.

“A counselor?” Zenkichi asked, his eyes not leaving the road. “Why do you think he’ll be a good therapist?”

“Considering that he’s helped a lot of people with their personal problems, I’d say that he could be a good one,” Makoto answered.

“But the last therapist...” Ryuji muttered.

“It’s because of him that I think Senpai will be a great one!” Sumire said, slamming her hands on the table.

Considering that the table was connected to the van, it shook a little. Zenkichi yelled out, “Hey, watch it! As good as I am with driving, it doesn’t mean I like it when you make the van shake like that!”

“Sorry!” Sumire squeaked, surprised at how strong she hit the table.

Ren laughed at everyone’s antics, just happy that everyone was back together again.

“Maybe,” Ren answered with a smile. “I’ll-“

A series of growls erupted behind them. Ren and Kotone whipped their heads to a surprising sight.

Hordes of Shadows were approaching them from the trees and cut off the path to the mansion.

“What?!” Kotone yelled. “But Tartarus isn’t even here!”

“Questions for later! Right now, we have to leave! There are too many of them for us to fight!” Ren yelled. From the experience of being ambushed by enemies and traps, he wasn’t easily surprised. The first thing to do is to retreat and then collect their thoughts.

The Shadows already cut off their left side. With nowhere else to go, Ren dragged Kotone and ran to their right.

“Where are we going?!” Kotone asked.

“There’s another path here somewhere!” Ren answered, his eyes scanning for said path. “I saw a group from the afternoon use it. We can use it to get around the Shadows and get back to the mansion,” he said before halting, and Kotone crashed on to him.

“Ren? What’s-“ Kotone asked before seeing why Ren stopped.

In front of them was another group of Shadows. In front and behind them. They were surrounded.

‘Damn it,’ Ren thought. ‘Looks like I have to-‘

Something whirred behind the Shadows. Suddenly, someone jumped from behind the Shadows to the small space where Ren and Kotone stood. The Shadows paused, as if confused about the recent addition.

That someone, a girl, had short, blond hair and light-blue eyes and wore a simple blue dress. On her head were a pair of red and white headphones with a black headband.

“You’re that girl from this afternoon...” Ren said off-handedly.

“I finally found you,” the girl said, her blue eyes dead set on Kotone. “There is no question.”

“I don’t know who you are,” Kotone said, “but be careful! The Shadows behind you-!”

“Palladion, Swift Strike!” the girl yelled, and the wind billowed her clothes. Blue light appeared and condensed into...

“A Persona?!” Kotone yelled.

Ren stared at the Persona, Palladion, open up before slamming itself onto the ground, killing a large swathe of Shadows. Those that survived roared and attacked the girl.

However, she jumped back an inhumane distance and ran to flank the Shadows. The remaining Shadows attacked at the same time, creating a big fireball. The girl simply jumped again, pointed her fingers at the Shadows, and-

Bullets rained upon their enemies.

“Wait, are her hands guns?” Ren asked incredulously. He has seen a lot of things in the past year and a half. However, most of those were in the Metaverse, so they weren’t actually real.

This, though? Arms that shot bullets in the real world?

Now he has definitely seen everything.

...Futaba will definitely grill him on that when he gets back home.

Luckily, whatever stunt the girl pulled killed all the remaining Shadows, so there were only three people in the area.

The girl landed on a knee, and her dress, singed from the Shadows’ attack, slipped off. Before Ren could give the girl his own shirt to at least cover herself, he realized that something was wrong with the girl.

Her feet seemed more like hooves. Sharp angles where there shouldn’t be. Joints that seemed to be too small. Combine that with how her fingers could shoot bullets and being able to do inhuman feats, something was off about the girl.

The moonlight glinted from the girl, and Ren realized what was wrong. Metal surrounded the girl.

She stood up and approached the pair. Ren immediately stood in front of Kotone, putting himself between the two girls and ready to summon his Persona, even if it meant breaking his cover and showing Kotone the truth.

“I finally found you,” the girl repeated, her eyes still fixated on Kotone. “I’ve been searching for you for so long.”

“Don’t come any closer,” Ren said. “Thanks for the help, but you’ve been creepily staring at my friend here for a really long time now.”

“The most important thing for me is to be by your side,” the girl continued, ignoring Ren’s accusation.

“Hey, stop-“

“Wait, Ren,” Kotone said, stopping Ren with a hold on his arm. “I think it’s fine. It’s not like she’s done anything yet.”

Ren relaxed, but he didn’t let it go. He was still tense by the time the new girl stopped right in front of Kotone.

Said new girl rested her head and hands on Kotone’s chest. “I will never let anything hurt you.”

-.-Take Your Time-.-

7/22 - Post-Midnight - Kirijo Summer Home - Ren

“What were you thinking, leaving the mansion without even notifying anyone?!” Mitsuru asked, nearly screaming at Ren and Kotone, who were kneeling on the floor in seiza. Her eyes were slightly red, and her hair was ragged and unkempt compared to the usual smooth and tidy. Ren and Kotone couldn’t help but look away like children caught midway through a sneaking a midnight snack after bedtime.

It was past midnight, and by the time Ren, Kotone, and the new girl-who still has said nothing past her obsession with Kotone-arrived at the mansion, everyone was in an uproar; scientists and maids running around and SEES armed and ready to fight the Shadows. It seemed like they knew there were Shadows on the island. Everyone awkwardly paused as they stared at each other when the three entered the mansion. Then Mitsuru dragged Ren and Kotone to the Reception Room while the scientists dragged the girl away.

And so, here they were, being reprimanded by Mitsuru, in front of SEES, who were listening in awkwardly.

“I didn’t think there would be Shadows...” Kotone said shyly.

Mitsuru sighed and rubbed the temple of her forehead. “That is not the issue here; the problem is you did not tell anyone you left.” She straightened her back and stared at them. “What would happen if something happened? No one would know until it’s too late.”

“We’re sorry, Mitsuru,” Ren said earnestly. “It was our fault, and it won’t happen again.”

Mitsuru glared at Ren, scanning his face for any tell of a lie, took a deep breath, and sighed. “Fine. It would have been normally safe for you anyway, and the Shadows were out of the norm. Just let someone, anyone, know you went outside, no matter the reason.”

Kotone perked up when she mentioned the Shadows. “Oh yeah, what were the Shadows about, anyway? I thought the Shadows came from Tartarus. How are there so many here?”

Ren nodded as well, his curiosity getting the better of him. Was there another Shadow nest here in Yakushima? Were they the reason the Kirijo Group was here? But what would that mean for the regular populace who didn’t know about the dangers?

“I can answer that,” Takeharu’s deep voice answered as he entered the room, the girl right behind him.

Metal did not surround the girl, now that Ren could see clearer than at the beach; she was metal. Was she...

“... A robot?” he asked, dumbfounded.

Takeharu nodded, standing in front of SEES, and the girl stopped beside him. “I apologize for all the trouble, and everything is under control now. To start, this is Aigis, a ‘mechanical maiden’.”

The girl, or robot in this case, stepped forward. “I am Aigis. My mission is to destroy Shadows. I have been assigned to SEES, effective immediately.”

“No way...” Yukari said. “It’s like she’s alive...”

“She’s so cute, but...she’s a robot...” Junpei mumbled with a sniff.

“Unbelievable...” Akihiko said, eyes wide open.

Ren glanced at him, surprised that Akihiko seemed to have never met Aigis, even if he had been on the island before. “You’ve never seen her before, Akihiko-senpai?”

Akihiko shook his head. “Not at all. I wasn’t here for the labs and all that.”

“The lab?”

“Indeed,” Takeharu interrupted, taking everyone’s attention again. “Under the mansion is the laboratory of the Kirijo Group after the incident ten years ago. We brought some Shadows from Tartarus to here. Those same Shadows escaped tonight and were the ones that attacked you at the beach. We sent Aigis to kill the Shadows while SEES would search for you.”

“This is the place where you created our weapons?” Fuuka asked.

Takeharu nodded. “It is also where we create devices that work during the Dark Hour.”

‘They created the weapons here? Then, could I ask them to make elemental bombs? They would really help during the flow of battle,’ Ren thought. The bombs somehow stored very minute elemental attacks and were very helpful when Ren didn’t have a Persona or a fielded Phantom Thief that could down an enemy. It certainly made the fight against Okumura very simple.

Ren tried to make them last month, but he couldn’t get them to work, even as he made each bomb as Morgana taught him. But if he worked with the Kirijo, maybe he could make it work.

“Anti-Shadow weapons were created ten years ago, before the Dark Hour came into existence. Aigis was the last to be made and is the only one active today,” Takeharu said.

“What makes her an Anti-Shadow weapon?” Yukari asked.

“I am capable of operating the Persona, ‘Palladion’,” Aigis answered.

“She suffered major damage in combat and has remained in the lab ever since. She was inactive until this morning. It is still unclear as to why she suddenly reactivated herself, but my scientists inspected her, and she is clear for field activities once more.”

“We can begin fielding her?” Mitsuru asked.

Takeharu nodded. “I planned to introduce her tomorrow morning, before you leave, but I suppose a day to mingle and build rapport with the rest of the team is a better idea.”

“An Anti-Shadow weapon with a will of her own... This is amazing!” Fuuka excitedly said.

‘Oh yeah, Fuuka loved tech stuff like Futaba.’

“With that said, there are many recreational activities here outside of just the beach,” Takeharu mentioned. “A tennis court, pool table... Take part in these activities, Aigis, and understand the team you will work with from now.”

Aigis nodded. “Understand. I will take part and ‘have fun’ with SEES tomorrow.”

“Uh... She really is a robot...” Yukari muttered.

‘It really seemed like she knew Kotone earlier, but it seemed like Kotone didn’t know her,’ Ren thought. ‘Something to ask later.’

-.-Take Your Time-.-

7/22 - Afternoon - Mitsuru Summer Home - Ren

Ren took a deep breath and knocked on the door to Takeharu’s office.

“Who is it?”

“It’s Amamiya, sir. I have something to ask.”

“Enter.”

He released a small breath he didn’t realize he was keeping. He opened the door and saw Takeharu flipping through several pieces of paper. As he entered, Takeharu began to clean his table and put away his documents.

His eyes wandered throughout the room, trying to find whatever could help him understand Takeharu more. Books on both sides of the room surrounded the room, though the wall behind Takeharu only had a family portrait of a woman, Mitsuru as a child, and Takeharu. It was the prim and proper type, with everyone standing tall and serious.

“Take a seat, Amamiya. You said you had a question?” he asked, taking back Ren’s attention.

Ren nodded as he scooted in.

His eyes wandered around the table and saw a small picture of Takeharu and Mitsuru. Compared to the picture hanging behind Takeharu, this one seemed more laid back. Takeharu knelt beside Mitsuru, his hand patting Mitsuru’s twin-tailed hair. Ren could see that, while Mitsuru was standing like in the portrait, there was a smile threatening to appear on her face.

“I did, sir,” he answered, hoping that Takeharu didn’t notice the delay. “You mentioned you made our weapons in the lab here?”

“Indeed,” Takeharu confirmed as he leaned forward with his hands clasped in front of him. “Did you want to change your weapon?”

Ren shook his head. “Not at all. I was thinking if it was possible to store Persona attacks in something small and that anyone can throw.”

“Ah, I see,” Takeharu said as he leaned back in his chair. “We did test that before, but what we had was far weaker than even Mitsuru’s when she was younger. I’m sorry to tell you, but it was a failure.”

Ren sat straight as Takeharu explained. ‘They already tried it before? And it somehow worked?’

“If I may ask, how did you get it to work in the first place?” he asked.

“To begin, you must know that your Evokers contain something called the Plume of Dusk,” Takeharu began. “It is what makes everything we create, from Evokers to Mitsuru’s motorcycle to work during the Dark Hour.”

Ren nodded, having already read the documents about the Evoker when he began working under SEES. Discovering the Plume of Dusk was what started the obsession of Kirijo Koetsu, Mitsuru’s grandfather. Ikutsuki also theorized that his mask was made from the same material.

Wait...

“If it’s what causes electronic devices to work during the Dark Hour, then how does Aigis function?” he asked. “Did you put Plumes in her?”

Takeharu’s eyes widened for a small bit before nodding in confirmation. “You are correct. Hers is a special Plume, but the general idea applies to her as well. Back on topic, we originally placed pieces of these Plumes in small balls. These devices housed smaller items such as a match, ice cube, an air horn, or even a small battery. While they did work, the study on the Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapons was far more promising. We scrapped the former in favor of the latter; as the old adage goes, ‘quality over quantity.’”

“Is it possible to get some of these?” Somehow, these guys got the elemental bombs to work. There was no way he was letting it go.

Takeharu raised an eyebrow. “Why would you want them? They can’t kill Shadows, and their damage is far too miniscule to actually do anything. I do not see how they will aid you.”

“While they may not kill Shadows, they may be enough to stun them. Our Personas are specialized in certain types of magic. Because of that, we can’t use other types of magic,” Ren explained. “I believe that using these devices could help us in a pinch. For example, Mitsuru might face a Shadow that has a weakness to Fire, but resists Ice. If she had something like this device, then she could stun the Shadow long enough for back-up to arrive.”

Takeharu hummed, deep in thought, while his eyes squinted a little. He reached for the drawers behind his table before finally taking out a folder. He flipped through the papers inside before finally settling on one.

“You’re in luck,” he said. “We have an old scientist in Shinshoudo Antiques. I’ll forward your request to her.”

Ren rummaged through his memories, trying to remember who was in the antique store. While Akihiko introduced it to Ren in the beginning, he didn’t really need to go there, but he has seen Kotone visiting it once or twice.

“How will the store owner be able to help?” he asked. “The lab is here, isn’t it?”

“Because the scientist was part of the project before we moved everything, both scientists and resources, towards the Anti-Shadow Suppression project,” Takeharu explained. “Afterwards, she was placed in my father’s team of scientists, the first Shadow Research team. If there is someone that could make more, and considering her history, it would be her.”

“I’m surprised that someone is still working with the Kirijo Group after being part of Kirijo Koetsu’s team,” Ren commented.

“Indeed,” Takeharu agreed with a nod. “However, she resigned two weeks before the incident. Because of that, she wasn’t part of the explosion that took a majority of my father’s team.”

Ren tilted his head. “Did she figure out what your father planned to do?”

“Yes, though she only spoke up after the event because Koetsu hid the fact that she quit,” Takeharu said. “With no one to stop her after his death, she finally confessed. She continues to aid us now because of the explosion. Because of that, I allowed her to handle the maintenance of your weapons and stationed her in Tatsumi Port Island. The antique shop is the front for her activities.”

“Was there anyone else that worked in the Shadow Research team?” Ren asked. Considering what happened to Koetsu and Eiichiro, researching the Plumes might make someone mad, forgetting their own morals. Anyone on that team was liable to be dangerous.

“Shuji was going to be part of the Research team,” Takeharu answered. “However, before he officially joined, the explosion occurred. The Kirijo Group took him in after that.”

“That’s...weird. He never told us that,” Ren muttered. “How long has he been the head researcher?”

Takeharu raised an eyebrow again. “A year after he entered the Kirijo Group. Why do you ask?”

“I’m just wondering if he took part in experimenting on Mitsuru-senpai’s Persona,” Ren said a half-truth.

In truth, it was more than that. If Ikutsuki was the head researcher of the Kirijo Group for a long time, then he didn’t just experiment on Mitsuru and her Persona; it was pretty likely he had a hand with Strega.

“Under my supervision, yes, he was part of the team that tested Mitsuru and her Persona,” he answered.

“‘Under your supervision’? What were you doing experimenting on your own daughter?” Ren asked, holding back a growl. He expected the scientists, but her own father?

Takeharu glared at Ren with sharpened eyes. It stilled Ren for a moment, dampening the rising anger in him.

“Yes, under my supervision. As appalling as it is,” Takeharu said with a scowl, “it was that or my daughter would experiment behind my back. She is strong headed like that.”

That was cold water to his face. His enraged eyes reminded him of something...someone...

“And stay out!”

Right... When Futaba’s uncle visited Leblanc...

Ren sighed. “Right. She can get forceful, if it means getting what she needs. I’m sorry for that.”

If Takeharu didn’t approve, then Mitsuru would have gone to someone else for help. Considering the timeline, it would have been Ikutsuki. And after what Ren saw when Ikutsuki talked about his research on Shadows, then it would have made the situation so much worse.

But if Takeharu supervised Mitsuru, then...

“Did the research ever expand beyond just Mitsuru-senpai?” he asked.

Takeharu shook his head. “I made sure that the experiment was on Mitsuru only. I couldn’t bear to see the public or those that weren’t connected to the Kirijo Group be affected any more than they are.”

Ren frowned. But what about Strega? Were they lying about being experimented on by the Kirijo Group?

“Amamiya,” Takeharu called, breaking Ren’s thoughts. “Mitsuru doesn’t know how to ask for help and will most likely do everything on her own. Otherwise, she will force someone to work for or with her.”

Ren chuckled. “Got that right. That’s how she recruited me to SEES.”

“So I’ve heard,” Takeharu said with a sigh.

“All of SEES will make sure she doesn’t push herself,” Ren promised, straightening his back. “If anything happens, we’ll be there.”

“Oh?” Takeharu asked with a quirked eyebrow. “And you can say that because...?”

Ren shrugged. “Call it instinct? We’re not exactly a tight-knit group, but we’ll cover each other's backs when the going gets tough.”

His words caused Takeharu to chuckle. “Is that so? I will hold you to that.”

The room quieted down for a second. After making sure that there was nothing else to talk about, Ren stood up. “Thank you, Kirijo-san. I will contact the store owner and cooperate with her. I will keep you updated on its effectiveness.”

Takeharu hummed. “See that you do.”

With a nod, Ren left the room.

As he walked through the mansion, his thoughts went back to the meeting and the implication between Mitsuru, Ikutsuki, and Strega.

Ikutsuki, a man with a passion for researching Shadows, finally got his hands on someone with the power to fight Shadows: Kirijo Mitsuru. However, one person wouldn’t be enough, especially for someone like Ikutsuki. Ren saw Ikutsuki’s eyes when he worked with the head researcher, eyes filled with excitement and obsession. He originally thought them to be normal, comparable to Futaba and Yusuke, but after what he learned today, Ikutsuki was much worse.

One person won’t be enough for him, so he decides to experiment on other people. That’s where Strega comes in: people that Ikutsuki caught and experimented with. Three people survived and escaped the experiments, living on with Personas.

However, there are holes in that train of thought. Where would Ikutsuki get people to experiment with? If the antique store owner could change, why couldn’t Ikutsuki?

There are more things to think about, things that he can’t check or prove without going back to Tatsumi Port Island.

He sighed. Great. Another investigation.

-.-

Takeharu watched as the doors closed behind the boy, Amamiya Ren. An interesting boy, he showed curiosity and intellect beyond his age.

First, to think about using Persona attacks as one-time use items, something that the Kirijo scientists, top scientists in their field, thought of.

Second, to have the initiative to approach him, Kirijo Takeharu. He knew about the image he exuded: stern, resolute, and, as some have said, a hardass. But Amamiya, a sixteen-year-old, approached the lions’ den without fear.

Third, the ability to connect how Aigis is alive with the Papillion Heart...

On top of all that, they ended up talking about things beyond the initial topic. It has been a while since he did that with anyone.

Takeharu leaned back in his chair and released a sigh.

Truly, Amamiya was a peculiar boy.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

7/22 - Dark Hour - Velvet Room - Kotone

A familiar hymn, a combination of a piano and a woman’s voice, filled Kotone’s ears once again. She shivered as she felt air rush past her, caused by the way her Velvet Room took shape.

“I have been waiting for you,” Igor greeted, his hands clasped together with his gigantic eyes focused on her. “While you have been using our services, it has been quite some time since I last summoned you. On that point, many moons have also passed since I first offered my assistance. Thus, I would like to provide you with a new form of assistance. Welcome the new addition to your Velvet Room.”

One door inside her Velvet Room opened. A blinding light filled the room, and Kotone had no choice but to shield her eyes and look away.

Finally, the light died down, and Kotone could finally look back. Besides the tarot table in front of Igor stood a little girl.

Long, platinum hair flowed smoothly while the girl’s piercing, golden eyes stared at Kotone as if threatening to see into her soul. She wore a velvet blue dress and headband, adorned with twin butterflies.

She performed a perfect curtsy before rising up straight.

“My name is Lavenza, an attendant of the Velvet Room. It is my pleasure to meet you.”

-.-Take Your Time-.-

Activities:

7/21 – Dark Hour – Fortitude 4

7/22 – Daytime – Fool 5

-.-Take Your Time-.-

Social Links:

Fool – SEES – 5

Magician – Junpei Iori – 7

Priestess – Fuuka Yamagishi – 4

Emperor – Student Council – 6

Hierophant – Old Couple – 9

Lovers – Yukari Takeba – 6

Chariot – Volleyball – 9

Hermit – Health Committee – 4

Hanged Man – Girl at the Shrine – 5

Death – Mysterious Boy – 3

Temperance – Transfer Student – 7

Devil – Businessman – 5

Star – Akihiko Sanada – 4

Fortitude – Ren Amamiya – 4

Chapter Text

7/25 - Evening - Iwatodai Dorm - Ren

“Good evening, everyone,” Ikutsuki greeted with a smile. Ren shifted his eyes to the person - more like a kid - next to the chairman. “Thank you for joining me at this abrupt meeting. I’m here to introduce you to a recent addition to SEES. Amada-kun if you would?”

Amada, presumably, nodded and took a step forward with a stern face. “My name is Amada Ken. I’ll be staying here for a while.”

As the other second-year students gasped in surprise, Ren glanced at the unsurprised third-year students. While Mitsuru looked on with stoicism, Akihiko seemed uncomfortable, inches from squirming on the spot. Did they know about this beforehand?

“Wait, he’s joining us?!” Yukari asked. “He’s a kid!”

“I understand that, but he has the potential,” Ikutsuki said. “Shinjiro-kun found him wandering during the Dark Hour. Afterward, Shinjiro-kun sent him here to keep him safe. I came by the next day to help accommodate his transfer.”

“Oh right, he left Yakushima early...” Fuuka murmured.

“While I cannot summon my Persona yet,” Ken said, “I will learn how to use the spear.”

“But you’re a kid!” Yukari repeated before gasping. “Don’t tell me they forced-“

Ken shook his head. “Actually, I asked to join. I believe I can be of some assistance.”

“As you can see, it was his own decision,” Ikutsuki said. “Again, it is important to reiterate that he cannot summon his Persona just yet. Because of that, while he will live in the dorm from now on, he cannot join any fieldwork. In the afternoons, he will be with me to help realize his potential.”

Ken bowed. “Once again, I’ll be staying here for a while. I’ll try to stay out of everyone’s way, so don’t mind me.”

‘Well, this is new, for someone so young to fight as a Persona user, barring Sophia,’ Ren thought. ‘What kind of effect will that have on him? Why would he even ask to join us?’

-.-Take Your Time-.-

7/25 - Dark Hour - Ren’s Dorm Room - Ren

Ren sighed as he leaned back in his chair after an eventful evening.

First, finding out an eleven-year-old is joining SEES and will fight with them in the future. It also implies that Ken will use the Evoker. A kid shooting himself on the head... His stomach squirmed at that thought, understanding what Yukari was saying during that meeting. It did not help that Ken asked to join, and that Ikutsuki was more than ready to let him in because of his ‘potential’.

Second, he finally met the owner of Shinshoudo Antiques, an ex-Kirijo scientist, Enomoto Aya. She was a tanned woman with glasses who wore her hair in a low ponytail. While he was ready for an eccentric personality like Ikutsuki’s, Ichinose’s fake persona, or even Isshiki’s playful nature, Enomoto was ready to discuss business, apparently already told by Takeharu beforehand. It was a change of pace from his experiences.

When they began, there was some sort of cloud constantly hanging over her head. Tired, defeated. It hurt him internally when he continued to talk with her. And without the Metaverse, he wasn’t exactly sure how he could help her. However, there was still some fire and backbone left in her, clear in her vigor to help him. She was ready to give any information that could help create the weapons that might turn the tide against the Shadows.

While he wanted to prod her for her reasons, it didn’t feel right to ask, considering this was just a business relationship. All things considered, it was pretty similar to the connections he made with his Confidants.

And finally, the topic that he’s been trying to dodge for a while now: himself. Rather, the younger him. With Chihaya, Tanaka, and now the Hasegawa family confirmed to be alive, it should mean that he, Amamiya Ren, is here too, right? To see his younger self... He wasn’t sure if it would cause a problem or something.

And that led to the same question he asked himself when he met this reality’s Chihaya: was this the past or an alternate reality? Will the things he does here change his present? Can he change his own past?

The foggy night. The creepy smile. The mole underneath the dead, soulless eyes.

Ren sighed as a memory he buried deep came back again. He thought he was over it, especially when over five years passed already. It was the one regret that changed him, to wanting to do better, which led to him trying to stop Shido on that fateful night.

Would he be able to save-

Ren’s head snapped up as he heard a door move and metal clink. Was that a door handle? Did someone just get back? But that made little sense; Kotone and he were the last people to get back for the night. That left two options: either some intruder got in or someone was leaving. 

If it was the former, then did Strega finally find him after that night? Were they willing to fight him in his home territory with allies with him? Still, it has been over a month since he last saw them. Did they get stronger, enough to defeat him and his Fafnir?

If it was the latter, who would leave now? After that debacle in Yakushima, everyone had to tell Mitsuru or Akihiko that they were going out during the Dark Hour. And from what Ren knew, no one said they were going out for the night.

As Ren heard footsteps disappear in the hallway, he slowly got up and opened his door to peek, but he didn’t see anyone. Akihiko and Junpei were the two closest to him, and he could hear both of them snoring. And considering that he wouldn’t be able to hear doors on the floor above him, that left...

Ren checked over himself. His pajamas should be fine to go outside with. He quickly grabbed his gear, rushed down to the first floor, and was fast enough to see the main door close. Was it really Ken? While Ken wanted to join SEES at such a young age, Ren thought he was at least mature enough to not go out on his own. Still, it was happening now, and he had to follow Ken.

Ren stepped out into the cool night. While Tatsumi Port Island was a city of mainland Japan, it was still near the water, so the air was cool, like Yakushima’s, even if it wasn’t as fresh. While the streets were mainly empty, there were some Coffins here and there, along with the occasional puddle of blood. In the corner of his eyes, he saw movement to the left of the street. He ran to follow it, moving behind Coffins and cars to hide.

He was right; it was Ken that left the dorm. But where would he even go? Ken wore a sleeveless puffer jacket on top of his outdoor clothes. As he walked, he didn’t stare at the Coffins or even at the puddles near him. Was he used to the Dark Hour already? But if Ikutsuki was to believe, they found Ken wandering in the Dark Hour when SEES was in Yakushima. Was he awake already? If so, how long has he been awake? How long has he known about the Dark Hour?

How did the Kirijo Group, a massive conglomerate that has been studying the Dark Hour, miss someone until now?

Ren frowned as he recognized his surroundings. ‘This is...’

Ahead, Ken sat at the steps of the Naganaki Shrine next to a small Coffin and let out a small sigh. He looked into the sky and just...stared. He wasn’t doing anything. Was he waiting for someone? No, that doesn’t make sense, unless the Kirijo Group was so incompetent to miss not one, but two people walking in the Dark Hour.

Still, Ren kept himself hidden for a few minutes to make sure. When it was clear nothing was going to happen, he sighed and stepped out. His sudden appearance surprised Ken as he jumped from the stairs and seemed like he wanted to bolt immediately. He relaxed as he continued to stare at Ren but then frowned.

“Are you going to tell me to go back?” he asked.

Ren tilted his head. “Do you want me to?”

His question took Ken off-guard, and his face contorted to confusion. “What?”

“Do you want me to tell you to go back?” he repeated. “It’s pretty clear that you’re used to all this,” he said as he waved his hands around him. “I’m curious, not mad.”

Ken kept his eyes trained on him, as if waiting for Ren to do something to him. “Like what?”

“Like, why choose this place?”

“This...place?” Ken repeated. “You mean why the shrine?”

Ren nodded as he leaned back to a wall next to Ken. “Yep. Like I said, it seems like you’re used to the Dark Hour, so why come to a shrine?”

Ken shifted his eyes away, glancing towards the small Coffin next to him. “It’s where Koro-chan is.”

“Koro-chan...? You mean Koromaru?” he asked. “Wait, he’s in a Coffin?”

Ken nodded. “Always had. Even though he’s inside a Coffin, I like the atmosphere here; it calms me down.”

“I suppose shrines have that effect,” Ren said in understanding. He glanced at Ken, and it seemed like he’s a lot more relaxed now than before. Perhaps it’s safe to ask more? “How long have you known about the Dark Hour?”

“W-what do you mean?”

“Like I mentioned before, you don’t seem fazed by the Dark Hour. To me, it looks like you’ve known about it for a while now,” Ren replied. The Dark Hour is not normal, and no one can be used to it after just a few days. Therefore, it makes sense that Ken has been in the Dark Hour before, long enough for him to be desensitized by his surroundings.

Silence stretched for a bit and the atmosphere became awkward.

‘Did I push him too far?’

“I... I’ve known it for a long time,” Ken answered. “It is my first time seeing others, though.”

Ren nodded. That makes sense. Hard to think that someone could be out there when everyone was in Coffins, only made worse because there were no signs otherwise.

“Well,” Ren began, “it’ll be hard to let you go around on your own like this for a while now, or at least until you get your Persona. Be ready to be told that you can’t go out alone.”

“What?” Ken asked. “Why? I’ve always done this every day. Nothing happened.”

“Nothing happened yet,” Ren amended. “The dorm was attacked back in April. We don’t want anyone being attacked while they’re alone.”

“I-I suppose that makes sense...” Ken murmured as he got up from his seat on the stairs.

“That doesn’t mean that we have to go now,” Ren said. “We can stay here until you feel like going.”

“But you just said it’s dangerous to go out during the Dark Hour.”

“When alone and when no one knows,” Ren said. “I brought my gear, and I left a quick note in the dorm to tell them I left.”

“...You’re stretching it...”

Ren shrugged. “I followed the rules, so it’ll be fine. Mitsuru-senpai can’t be too mad.”

Ken stared at him like he was being impossible. Ren only laughed into the night.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

7/26 - Morning - Naganaki Shrine - Ken

Ken smiled as he stared at Koromaru, happily eating the takoyaki he bought from the strip mall. His eyes flickered at the small vase of white flowers next to the steps he sat on. Koromaru looked up from his breakfast and cutely tilted his head at him, catching his attention.

Koromaru was a pretty smart dog. It must have sensed the tur...turm...turmoil inside him.

He leaned over to give Koromaru a scratch, something that made him very happy as he barked and went back to eating. Ken stopped scratching, though he still leaned over Koromaru.

“Why are you still here, Koromaru?” he asked. “The priest isn’t even here anymore.”

He gave Koromaru a scratch again, and Koromaru whined as he leaned over to Ken.

“It’s tough, isn’t it? Being left behind.”

To think that the only being out there that could probably understand him was a dog. He’d laugh if it wasn’t so sad. Still, Koromaru stayed to protect the one place his master cared for. But what about him? He couldn’t stay in his old home; his uncle took it and sold it, so his uncle moved him to the dorms. Years of being called crazy, never taken seriously, all led to discovering the truth, that he wasn’t crazy, that he was right, and all the adults were wrong. That he might have found a lead to what killed Mom that night.

And so, he has to get stronger, get his Persona, and finally be able to fight so that he can find what exactly killed his mom. It may not be doable for a kid, but he wasn’t an ordinary kid. Not ever since that night.

Koromaru’s tail suddenly shot up straight as he turned to his right and began barking, though it wasn’t the protective sort of barking. He looked at where Koromaru was staring and a girl waving at him greeted him.

“...Shiomi-senpai?” It took him a second, but he finally remembered. It was only last night that he was introduced to everyone, but it has been a while since he actually has to remember people, so it was tough to remember over five people all in one sitting. Still, with everyone’s different personalities and hair colors - how does someone have naturally teal hair? - it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. Shiomi reminded him of the afternoon sun: bright, cheerful, and possibly overbearing. Her red-orange hair didn’t help.

Shiomi nodded as she approached Koromaru and him. “That’s me! Kinda happy that you remembered my name so quickly!” she said with a giggle as she kneeled and petted Koromaru. Koromaru, possibly realizing that the new person wasn’t a threat, leaned into the girl’s palm. “Sorry to bother you, but Mitsuru-senpai wants to talk to you. You weren’t picking up your phone, so she told me I might find you here.”

“Mitsuru-senpai... You mean Kirijo-senpai?” he asked before checking his phone. There were a couple of missed calls from the newly added contact, Iwatodai Dorm, a few minutes ago. “I’m very sorry; I forgot to put my phone on sound.”

Shiomi giggled again and stood up to her full height. “Don’t worry, it happens to everyone. Sorry to leave you here like this, Koro-chan, but I need Ken here for a bit. He can come back after, okay?”

Koromaru barked again, and Kotone squealed. “Aww, who’s the good boy?” she asked no one as she gave Koromaru another rub.

Ken could only look at her with mild confusion. First, Amamiya and now Shiomi. The first was someone who would bend the rules, and the second was childish. Weren’t they supposed to be adults now and be mature?

Ken tightened his fist into a grip. Was everything going to be okay like this?

-.-Take Your Time-.-

7/26 - Early Morning - Iwatodai Strip Mall - Yuko

Yuko let out a deep sigh as she walked through Iwatodai Strip Mall

It was official: Kazushi was a dumbass.

Kazushi, the ace of the track team, got his knee injured last night. Now, as the track manager, Yuko knew these kinds of things happen: freak accidents, a pebble on the track, that sort of stuff.

However, Kazushi apparently knew about it, having felt pain for a while now. So, really, it wasn’t that he got his knee injured, but more that Kazushi let it get worse. How long has it been going on? Only Kazushi knows. Yuko didn’t ask while she ripped him a new one in the hospital. It didn’t help when he said he was “toughing it out for his nephew.” Yuko almost slapped him when the doctor said he might never run again.

What was the point of toughing it out if he was going to get injured, potentially never able to run again?! Wouldn’t that give the wrong message to his nephew? To go for your dreams, even if it means losing any chance in the future?

Idiot! This is just a high-school-level track! It wasn’t like he had to give up track forever if he stopped for this year. He could still be number one next year! What was the point of trying to help someone if it meant he’d lose everything he worked for? On top of that, if he lost everything, then he wouldn’t be able to keep his promises!

Jerk.

So now, he’s stuck in the hospital waiting for surgery. The operation won’t be for a while now, so he’s just sitting pretty on the bed, monitored by his own mother.

All that said, they were missing their ace for the upcoming training camp with Yasogami High. There was a rivalry with the track team there, and they always had a small competition during the summer camp. Without Kazushi, they couldn’t even take part, especially since they didn’t have a lot of members on the team, only enough to cover all the races with all the members they have.

Yuko let out another sigh. Kazushi’s decision is hurting everyone, not just himself.

Fortunately, there was a hot spring in Inaba that apparently had medicinal properties. Since the track team was coming back before the surgery, Yuko managed to convince Kazushi’s mother to let him go to Inaba for the hot spring, on the promise that he wouldn’t do anything extracurricular. Hell, Yuko promised Kaz wouldn’t step out of the inn at all. She’ll have to talk about that with inn staff.

The hope is Kaz using that hot spring would help with the severity of the knee, maybe even heal him enough that he wouldn’t have to use surgery. Of course, that was a tall order, but Kazushi bought it, so whatever. Anything to help him.

“So where am I supposed to find an extra runner?” Yuko asked herself out loud. Not just anyone could run, though they could lower the bar. They just need someone that ran with a bit of proper form, was fit, and actually willing to go to Inaba.

Yuko scoffed. “Akihiko-senpai would be perfect, but he’s a boxer. Who would-“

All she heard were quick taps on the cement behind her. She turned towards the sound, and, for a split second, she saw him: Black, curly bush of hair on his head and a glare that would scare anyone away. However, he left as quickly as he came. He zoomed past her with a twirl to dodge her and a quick “Sorry!” then kept running along.

“Weird guy, but I guess now is as good a time for a morning run as any,” Yuko said before squinting at the back of the boy’s jacket. “Wait...”

She gasped and took off running after the guy. “I said wait!” As the team manager of the track team, she wasn’t exactly unfit. Still, she had to run a bit to catch up to him, seeing as he ran pretty fast.

Luckily, the boy heard her, slowing down to an eventual stop. He turned towards her and took off his earphones. “Sorry about earlier. I didn’t hit you, did I?” he said in between deep breaths.

Yuko stopped in front of him and took a closer look. The boy had a mop of hair that she’d recognize anywhere, so how does she not remember this guy? She shook her head. It’d be rude to keep quiet. “No, not at all. I was wondering about something else, actually. Where are you from? I recognize the Gekkoukan High School symbol on the jacket, but I don’t think I’ve ever met you before.”

The boy made a noise like he realized something. “That’s because I’m a new transfer this year. My name is Amamiya Ren,” he said as he held out his hand, which Yuko took.

“Nice to meet you, Amamiya-san. My name is Nishiwaki Yuko and I’m the manager for the track team at Gekkou High. Have you done any sort of track stuff before? I saw you had the form right. On top of that, you’re quick.”

“Um, yeah, actually. I had a friend who used to do track, and I was his practice partner for a while. Why are you asking?”

Oh, he’s a perfect candidate. Some prior experience, had the proper form, AND looked pretty fit.

“I’d like to invite you to the track club!” Yuko said. “I’m not asking for full commitment right now; we have a few practice sessions on campus and a training session with another school in Inaba and we can use those as a sort of trial period. What do you think?” she asked nervously. The only thing left is to see if he actually wants to join. By setting up the practice and training sessions as a sort of trial period, she hoped she wouldn’t scare him away. All she needs of him to just be there for the upcoming sessions. If he wants to stay after that, all the better for the team.

Ren hummed in thought. “Inaba, huh? Isn’t that far away? Will I have to pay for accommodations?”

Oh? He’s not rejecting the idea, at least.

Yuko shook her head. “Not at all. The school handles room-and-board, though expenses outside that will be out of your pocket.”

Ren nodded slowly as her answer sunk in. “And when are all these happening?”

“Well...” Yuko said with a nervous laugh. “The on-campus sessions start tomorrow, lasting up to the 31st, and they happen during school hours. After that, we go to Inaba for two days and one night, so we’re back here around the second of August.” Crap, now it feels like her invitation is too sudden. He might say no now.

“That doesn’t sound bad. A week to try it out? I’ll take it,” he said.

Wait, what?

“Wait, what?” she asked stupendously.

The boy laughed at her question. “I said I’ll try it out. A week isn’t too bad. I don’t really have much during the day either, so I’m basically free, anyway.”

“Really?!” Yuko asked. “Thank you so much! So, for tomorrow, just show up by the school entrance around eight or so. I’ll walk you to the track and meet the team.”

Ah, this is very good. That’s one problem fixed.

She did an about-face and walked back to talk to Kaz about this. Now, they can actually play against the Yasogami team properly. Maybe they won’t win, but that’s okay; they just need to play against them.

Her shoulders suddenly felt a whole lot lighter.

-.-

“Wait, what about the paperwork?” Ren asked. However, the girl was already gone, skipping and humming to who knows where. “In and out like a storm,” he muttered.

So, track, huh? Ryuji would have loved to hear that Ren was taking part in anything track-related, even though Ren himself felt track wasn’t for him. Still, this track thing was very convenient. He could quit afterwards, saying that it isn’t for him, with no repercussions. However, that wasn’t the biggest thing.

Inaba, the town where they were going to hold the training session, and Ren’s hometown. To think that he would have a very convenient reason to go to Inaba with no strings attached.

He felt himself smile at that thought. Hopefully, he’d see the younger him.

‘I wonder what it would be like to see myself like that,’ he thought. ‘Maybe it’s like an out-of-body experience but looking at a smaller body.’

Of course, that’s all assuming he exists here. This would also answer if this were his past or this a different timeline.

“Futaba had a word for this...” he murmured. “What was it?”

After a second of thinking, it came back to him. “Oh, I think it was isekai.”

-.-Take Your Time-.-

7/30 - Dark Hour - Naganaki Shrine - Ren

Ren yawned as he and Ken walked through the Dark Hour to the shrine again. It has been a few days since they assigned him to escort Ken. While it was originally Kotone, Ken surprised Mitsuru by choosing Ren instead of letting someone else decide for him. Mitsuru saw no problems with that, so Ren now minded Ken during the Dark Hour.

“Sorry,” Ken muttered, just enough for Ren to hear.

“It’s okay, no need to worry about me,” Ren responded. “I’ve gotten used to working late. Plus, it’s not like I’m losing sleep doing this.”

Ken shook his head. “Still, if I knew you did track, I wouldn’t have said anything...”

“But then you’d have Kotone do this, and she’s in volleyball,” Ren countered. “I knew what was going to happen, and I still accepted it. You did nothing wrong.”

This time, Ken remained quiet with a small scowl.

Ren stopped walking, causing Ken to turn to him.

“Look, it does seem like I’m treating you like a kid because I keep insisting, but I’m not,” Ren said, looking straight into Ken’s eyes. “I’d do this for anyone. It doesn’t matter if they’re young like you or old like the couple in Bookworms; if they need help, I’ll do my best to help them.”

Ken stared back, but eventually sighed. “Alright. In this situation, I should just say thank you, right?”

“Got it in one,” Ren said with a smile. He stood up and both of them began moving towards the shrine again. “How’s training? Is it manageable?”

“Yes, it is,” Ken replied. “I’m still trying to summon my Persona. Ikutsuki mentioned that it’s most likely a mental block. Though, I’m not sure what the problem is,” Ken murmured before looking up at Ren excitedly. “On the other hand, I’ve gotten better with the spear! I can swing it around with no problems, though the weight is still something I have to get used to.”

“Gotcha,” Ren said with a nod. “That said, don’t be afraid to try other weapons. You don’t want to pigeonhole yourself into a weapon when you could do better with another.” Ren remembered when everyone switched weapons for a Mementos trip, just to try it out on Fox’s suggestion. As expected, it went pretty bad: Skull got himself wrapped by Panther’s whip; Panther couldn’t even deal a single dent on the enemies with Skull’s bludgeon; Fox and he had trouble with judging distance, where Fox often swung too far, missing the enemy, while he got too close to use Fox’s katana; Morgana was too frail to use Queen’s tekko properly; Queen didn’t have the proper muscles to swing Noir’s axe and create momentum; and Noir swung too hard, overcompensating for Morgana’s scimitar.

Futaba had a field day with the video she recorded from that.

“Thank you, Ren-senpai, but I am set on using the spear,” Ken said firmly. “I-“

A bark sounded through the Dark Hour. Ren and Ken stopped in their tracks, slightly confused about where the sound came from. They heard another bark, this time more desperate and hurt.

“That sounded familiar...” Ken muttered.

Ren turned to him. “Where did you hear that from?”

Ken’s mind seemed to go at a hundred miles per hour, then his face contorted into horror. “That was Koromaru... That was Koromaru!” he shouted before suddenly running towards the shrine, Ren following right after.

A third bark shot through the night sky, this time far closer than before. Ren felt Ken’s desperation as he ran faster than before. The two rounded the corner, finally seeing the shrine steps. In front of it, Koromaru faced off against a Shadow on two legs.

‘A Gigas?’ Ren thought. ‘What’s it doing here?!’

“What...?” Ken muttered. “That’s him... He was the one that killed mom!”

Koromaru growled at the Shadow and jumped at it and bit the arm. The Gigas flailed its arm, trying to shake off the dog.

“Koro-chan! Hold on!” Ken shouted.

Before he could run to fight the Shadow, Ren grabbed his arm. “You can’t! You don’t have a Persona!”

“But Koro-chan-!”

“And that’s why I’m here!” Ren grabbed his Evoker. However, as Ren drew out his Evoker from its holster, the Gigas grabbed Koromaru with its free hand and threw the dog at Ren. Koromaru slammed into Ren, and it sent him flying, rolling off the momentum to make sure that Koromaru wasn’t hurt.

However, in the chaos, Ren let go of his Evoker. He set Koromaru behind him and stood up, Third Eye activated. He realized he was thrown far. Ken was about a block away from him, maybe even two. His eyes roamed across the street quickly until he saw his Evoker...right behind Ken.

Yet, Ken didn’t notice, too focused on the incoming Gigas. The Shadow stalked towards Ken, and he shuffled backwards, tripping on his own legs. Ren ran with all his might, ready to rip his own mask if meant saving Ken.

Ken kept shuffling backwards, faster than before. His hands landed on the Evoker. His face relaxed in a moment of peace, and he immediately grabbed it. With a shout, he aimed at his forehead, staring right into the barrel, and pulled the trigger.

The Gigas pulled back his arm and sped toward him. However, flashes of light erupted around him, blocking him from Ken. Paper-tag-shaped light constructs flew from the ground and surrounded the Shadow. It tried to fight them back, gripping a few away from its body. However, it was ultimately futile. The tags shone and destroyed the Shadow and its soundless scream.

Ken took shallow, deep breaths before collapsing on his back, his chest heaving. Seems like the adrenaline finally ran out.

Ren finally reached him and loomed over him.

“I’m not sure if I should congratulate you or say I’m sorry for letting you do most of the work,” Ren said with a smile. “Or maybe both.”

“I... Senpai, sometimes...you make little sense,” Ken muttered. “Why are you like that?”

Ren raised an eyebrow. “I’m not exactly sure what you mean.”

Ken weakly shook his head. “It’s okay... I... I think I’m going to...sleep...”

“Yeah, the ground can be weirdly nice sometimes,” Ren said with a sagely nod. Ken nodded back and fell asleep.

Ren sighed. Looks like he has a ton of things to explain when he gets back.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

7/31 - Middle of the Night - Dorm

It was Fuuka that first noticed that Ken stirred from his sleep. It was Junpei’s rambunctious cheer that woke him up.

“What...?” Ken muttered.

“And our man of the hour is awake!” Junpei shouted.

“Keep it down,” Yukari said as she lightly slapped the back of Junpei’s head. “Sorry about that, Ken. How are you feeling?”

“Alright...” Ken muttered again, refusing to open his eyes until he got used to the dorm lights.

“Let him back on his own feet, guys,” Ren said. “He just went against a Shadow and awakened a Persona. He’s probably drained.”

Ken drew in a ton of air before sitting straight up. It hurts, but he’d rather have that than people coddle him.

“I’m okay,” he said. “I’ll be fine.”

Mitsuru nodded. “Amamiya already explained what happened. I already contacted the chairman about Koromaru. It seems like he would like to fight alongside us.” Koromaru barked in agreement. “That said, what about you?”

Ken stared straight at Mitsuru and made his determination known in his eyes. “My answer hasn’t changed. I will join, especially now that I can use an Evoker and have a Persona.”

“But why?” Yukari asked. “You’re eleven years old, Ken. You shouldn’t be fighting Shadows. You should be-“

“During the fight, I remembered something,” Ken said, interrupting Yukari. “Two years ago, that thing killed my mother! You’re all fighting those things, right? So please, let me fight with you all!” he pleaded with a bow.

“Wanting to avenge your mom at your age... You’re gonna make me cry!” Junpei said with a grin. “You don’t have a problem, do you, senpai? Let’s let him join us!”

“But...” Mitsuru glanced at Akihiko with a troubled face.

Akihiko nodded with a sigh. “Alright. But, if you’re going to fight, then you’re going to need to learn how to fight in a team. You’re also going to train so that you know how to fight alone when needed.”

“Right!”

Akihiko nodded resolutely. “Good! That’s what I like to hear. From tomorrow on, Amada and Koromaru will undergo boot camp with me. For now, you rest up and get ready for your first exploration in Tartarus.”

Ken stood and bowed to his waist at Akihiko. “Thank you very much!”

“We’re not going to push for the next door?” Junpei asked.

Mitsuru shook her head. “I won’t allow it. Shiomi and Amamiya will be gone for the next two days. If they feel ready to explore Tartarus on the night they come back, then we will push onward.”

“But we can totally fight without them!” Junpei argued.

Mitsuru narrowed her eyes. “No means no. If you wish to fight, then why not join Amada and Koromaru?”

“I... Uh, I think I’m good,” Junpei said as he drew back.

“Very well, the meeting is adjourned,” Mitsuru said. “I’ll make a report to the chairman.” She gave a small nod to Ken and Koromaru. “Amada, Koromaru. Welcome to SEES.”

-.-Take Your Time-.-

Before Ken reached his bed, someone knocked on his door. He wasn’t sure why someone would do so, especially this late. Everyone should be going back to sleep at this point, so who would want to talk with him now?

He opened the door, and Ren waved at him.

“Got a minute? It won’t take long.”

Ken nodded a moment after and opened his door wider to let Ren in.

“Is there something I can do for you, senpai?” Ken asked.

“Just wanted to talk to you about why you’re fighting,” Ren said with a hard expression. It was a mix of sadness and regret. It somehow made Ren look older than he was.

“If you want to talk me down from fighting, it’s not going to happen.”

Ren shook his head. “Not at all, actually. If anything, I think it’s okay to have something like justice be your motivation.”

“You do?” Now, this was confusing. Don’t adults say that revenge is empty, that it’s meaningless?

“I do,” Ren said softly. “I know what it’s like to be angry enough that it’s what keeps you going the next day. One of my friends was the same; someone hurt her best friend, and she fought to bring her to justice. I helped her with that.”

“But I thought we weren’t supposed to take revenge?” Ken asked.

“It becomes a problem when it’s the only thing in you and it ends up consuming you,” Ren said as he knelt down to be at the same height as Ken. “You are more than just your revenge. I knew someone who lost everything, and revenge became everything to him. It only made him bitter, empty. It hurt to see him like that, and it would hurt to see it happen to you, too.”

That sounded like a lie, and Ken wanted to believe it was. But, no matter what, he couldn’t find any sense of wrongness in Ren’s eyes. There was just genuine sadness and regret.

“I-I’ll do my best,” Ken sputtered out.

Ren said nothing, opting to search Ken’s face for anything. After a minute, it seemed like he was satisfied, and patted Ken on his shoulder with a smile.

“Sorry to bring down the mood like that, but I just wanted to say my piece,” Ren said as he moved towards the door. “Have a good night, Ken.”

When the doors clicked close, Ken stood for a second and absent-mindedly moved towards his bed, ready to sleep. With how tired he was, he couldn’t make sense of how he saw Ren. He was a bag of things, a lot of things.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

8/1 - Morning - Iwatodai Dorm

“Still can’t believe that you’re coming to Inaba as part of the track team,” Kotone said, grunting to carry her belongings over her shoulder.

“Same here,” Ren said with a laugh.

“Are you ready to leave?” Mitsuru asked behind them. “Do you have everything?”

“We made sure yesterday, Mitsuru-senpai,” Ren answered.

Kotone gave her a thumbs up. “And Ren made breakfast and snacks for the ride there. We’re pretty much loaded here.”

Mitsuru glanced at both of them, then nodded with a small smile. “Very well. Enjoy the trip, you two.”

Ren opened the door and Kotone waved at Mitsuru, something Mitsuru returned.

“We’ll see if we can bring souvenirs!” Kotone said.

“Have a good day, Mitsuru-senpai,” Ren said. “We’ll let you know when we get there.”

With that, the doors closed, and it was only Mitsuru left.

Mitsuru sighed as the energy in the lobby left with Kotone. She turned around in the kitchen, where there were stacks of food that Ren prepared for everyone. Even when he had to go somewhere, he still made breakfast for the entire dorm.

...Perhaps she should have said thank you before he left.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

8/1 - Evening - Yasoinaba - Kotone

“Thank you for your patronage!” Aiya, the owner of the Chinese store Aiya, said as Kotone and Ren left the restaurant with a wave. “Have a good evening!”

Outside, Kotone took a deep breath of the fresh, rural air, then sighed in happiness. Those Mega Beef Bowls were so good! It had towering amounts of meat and unlimited scoops of rice. It was meat heaven! On top of all that, it was free if she finished the bowl. Of course, she and Ren finished it all. They were seriously lucky it rained right before they entered the restaurant and Aiya opened up the Mega Beef Bowl Challenge.

On the other hand, it was pouring cats and dogs.

“I didn’t know it would be this bad...” Kotone muttered, opening up her own umbrella.

“Nothing we can do about it,” Ren said as he opened his own. “At least we found a place to offer such a big bowl, especially after practice.” With both of their umbrellas, they began making their way back to the Amagi Inn through the Central Shopping District. “I heard that you guys had to clean up the gym.”

“That we did!” Kotone said, her head whipping towards Ren. “Rio made a bet with the Inaba team that whoever loses the last game cleaned the gym! And on top of losing, she had us do a sprint around the high school!”

Ren laughed. “With how much running you girls did, you could probably try out for the track team.”

“Don’t get me started!” Kotone said with a huff. “Yuko said the track teams had some sort of rivalry, but you all looked so friendly with each other. You guys were pretty much taking your time while running!”

“We were still pretty competitive, you know,” Ren muttered. “Our team kept on losing, so everyone just decided to not care, especially when the track captain wasn’t competing. It was pretty obvious that our team wasn’t playing at their best.”

“Oh yeah, you’re basically trying out the track team, right?” Kotone asked. “How’s that looking like?”

“Well, I...” Ren trailed off, his focus far ahead of the two.

“Ren?” Kotone asked and looked at where Ren was staring.

“Damn freak!” a kid yelled out, kicking another kid to the ground, who ended up letting go of his belongings.

“What’s your problem?” another kid asked as he kicked the items on the ground. With how it was pouring, he ended up kicking rainwater at the boy on the ground. “Always looking at us like that. If you have a problem, then tell us!”

“I... I don’t...” the boy on the ground muttered.

“You’re lying. You’re always looking at us with that stupid look on your face, like you’re angry. What? Are you jealous you don’t have-“

“Hey!” Ren shouted and began marching towards the group of kids.

“Oh crap. Run!”

The two bullies ran away from Ren, leaving the boy and his things on the ground. Kotone put her umbrella over the boy while Ren tried to grab what he could, but the boy was faster.

“It’s fine,” the boy said, refusing to face Ren, “I can handle it. Sorry to bother.”

Kotone blinked at what he said.

‘Bother? But he wasn’t bothering us. If anything, it was the bullies that bothered him and us,’ Kotone thought.

“It’s okay, you’re not being a bother,” Ren said, ignoring the look the kid gave him. “What was all that about, kid?” He looked at the boy and his eyes widened.

Kotone tilted her head to look at the boy. ‘What happened? Why is Ren... Oh...’

Messy black hair. Narrow and blank gray eyes that gave a glare that could have come from a yakuza member himself, not from some kid. A defeated frown.

The boy was the mirror image of Ren, yet not at the same time. While the boy seemed like he lost hope, Ren’s gray eyes shined with energy, something Kotone looked forward to everyday. Ren never seemed to give up, especially with his smirk that made her feel secure, that everything would be alright, even if it also promised a bit of mischief.

However, that glare was something that Kotone could never forget. Even if the boy had a younger face, it was the same glare that Ren had when he took off his glasses when the bullies attacked Fuuka in front of the school.

“So, it’s like that... What’s your name?” Ren gently asked. Kotone internally thanked him; seeing the similarities caught her off-guard, and it seemed like she was staring a bit too much there.

“Kurusu, Kurusu Akira,” Akira answered. “What’s it to you?”

“Who were those guys?” Kotone asked. “The ones that bullied you.”

“They just don’t like me,” he answered again, getting up from the ground. It was pretty clear he was wet, especially after losing grip on his umbrella.

“Is it because you look like you glare at people?” Ren asked, causing Akira to flinch. Before he could say anything, Ren continued. “It’s okay. I’ve got the same problem, too.”

He took off his glasses and stared straight at Akira. His eyes widened. “You...look like me...”

Ren nodded with a smile. “Yeah. Same deal with the look, too. I used to be bullied, just like you, so I think I know how it feels to be in the same position as you. This,” Ren waved his glasses, “was given to me when I was young. It helped a lot with dealing with my look. I think it’s time I do the same. You should keep it,” Ren said, presenting the glasses to Akira.

Absent-mindedly, Akira took it. “But why would I want glasses? I thought I needed them when my eyes got really bad.”

Kotone chuckled. She knew the secret behind those glasses. “Try them on. They have a secret.”

Akira raised an eyebrow but didn’t say a word. Instead, he took them and tried them on. His face scrunched up before saying, “Nothing changed. What are these?”

“They’re called non-prescription glasses,” Ren answered. “They have nothing to help with eyesight.”

“Non… Pres... Wait, your eyes are okay?” Akira asked.

Ren nodded. “Yep, I take great care of them.”

“Even though I see you on your phone all the time...” Kotone muttered. Out of everyone, Kotone saw Ren on his phone the most. He even topped Fuuka on that end, and she’s the techie of SEES. Kotone never knew how Ren could get so attached to his phone.

“I’m just checking on the news, Kotone,” Ren replied with an amused eye roll. “Anyway, while it doesn’t have any prescription, it helped with my glare. I think it’ll help you, too.”

“Is that really okay?” Akira asked. “Don’t you need it?”

Ren shook his head. “Not at all. I haven’t really found a reason to use it anymore. I have friends with me, and they have my back.”

Kotone couldn’t help but smile. Even though it was raining, she felt warm, and butterflies flew in her stomach. She couldn’t place what this feeling was; she never felt this...euphoric before.

Akira raised an eyebrow. “Really? That’s nice...”

Ren gave a small sigh and hugged Akira tightly. Akira stiffened, not returning the hug.

“Listen,” Ren began, “I know it’s bad right now. It’s dark, lonely, and you only want people to understand you, but no one’s giving you that chance. I know that you’re more than just your glare. Right now, people reject you without knowing who you are. But I assure you: you will find your own set of friends that will accept everything about you. Ones that you can truly rely on, ones that you’d lay down your life for. Just believe in yourself and in what you think is right,” he finished, letting Akira go and patting him on the back.

Akira said nothing for a moment, opting to stare at Ren instead. “You’re pretty weird, you know that?” he asked. “You’re giving me, someone you never met before, a gift and you just said all that embarrassing stuff out of nowhere.” Ren’s mouth hung open, while Kotone snickered. Ren always did that, giving some sort of speech that motivated someone. He gave one to Yukari and apparently to Junpei too, which helped Junpei get better grades in the last exam.

“Someone finally called you on your anime speech!” Kotone said with a giggle, causing Ren to whip his head at her, showing slightly flushed cheeks. It really was weird how he could do that without feeling embarrassed. And now, someone younger than him called him out for that.

“Anime speech?” Ren gawked. “I’m just trying to cheer him up!”

To the side, Akira began chuckling, though Kotone felt it was more subdued than it should be for a kid, as if it was something Akira wasn’t used to doing.

“But still, thank you. I think I get it,” Akira said with a small smile. “I appreciate it, even if it was kind of lame.”

“Now you’re just aiming to hurt here...” Ren muttered. “Ah, whatever, at least you got the idea. Don’t compromise just because you think it’ll make you fit in. You do you.”

Akira nodded and smiled even larger. The glasses that were fit for a teenager slipped a bit, making it look lopsided. “Thank you. I don’t know why, but listening to you... I think it’ll be okay.”

“Oh, you’re so cute!” Kotone squealed, hugging Akira. She then backed off, forgetting that Akira was wet. “By the way, we’ve been here for a while now and you’re soaked. Are you okay? How far is your house? We’ll walk you back and explain what happened. Everything you had is ruined,” Kotone said with a sigh. Most of the things Akira had were groceries. And with them on the wet ground, they were unsalvageable.

“What?” Akira asked, almost jumping on the spot. “It’s nearby, so I can walk there on my own.”

“No, no,” Ren denied. “We don’t know if those bullies are nearby, and I’d rather make sure you get home safe and sound.”

Before Akira could argue back, Kotone grabbed his hand. “So, which way is it? We’ll go together.”

“I...”

“You should just say yes,” Ren said. “She can be quite headstrong. If she sets her mind on something, she’ll do it.”

Akira sighed. “Fine, it’s just further ahead, anyway.”

Kotone smiled brightly. At least he began accepting their help, a massive improvement from the beginning, even if both Kotone and Ren had to push him.

The three of them began moving onward, with Kotone sharing the umbrella with Akira. And in what felt like less than five minutes, Akira led them to his home.

“An orphanage?” Kotone asked. She stood in front of a small wooden building, away from the main street, but still not in the woods itself. Its front was well-maintained, though there were some signs of wear and tear.

Akira nodded. “Yes. I don’t have any parents, so I live here.”

“What about other people in the family?” Kotone asked. “Uncles, aunts, even a grandma or grandpa?”

Akira shrugged. “If I had any of those, they never came to talk to me.” He turned to two and bowed. “Thank you again for helping me out back then, miss, mister. I never even knew your names...”

“It’s Shiomi Kotone,” she answered. It was pretty obvious that Akira no longer cared about those people and asking more felt wrong, so Kotone went with the flow, dropping the subject.

“Amamiya Ren,” Ren said. “Remember what I told you, okay?”

“Yeah,” Akira said with a nod. “I’ll find my group.”

Ren smiled and ruffled Akira’s hair. “Atta boy.”

“And take the umbrella,” Kotone said, handing her umbrella to Akira. She had to bow a bit since the umbrella was now at Akira’s height. “Think of it as my gift, since Ren gave you one.”

“What about you?” Akira asked. “How are you going to get back home?”

“I can share with Ren, right?” Kotone asked, sauntering to Ren’s side, fully under his umbrella.

Akira frowned as if he ate a lemon. “Ew. Whatever. You’re both weird.”

This time, Ren chuckled at Kotone’s expense.

“What?” Kotone asked, almost shrieking.

“Everyone knows guys and girls don’t share umbrellas,” Akira answered with a stoic face, fully confident in his answer. “It’s just weird if they do.”

With his piece said, he knocked on the front door of the orphanage. A small “Just a moment!” came from the inside and Akira hid his new glasses in his pocket. A few moments later, a wrinkly woman with gray hair came out.

“Akira? What happened to you? Why are you so soaked?” the woman asked.

“I’m sorry, Noelle-san. I tripped on my way here and the food ended up on the ground. These two,” he presented Kotone and Ren, who waved and bowed, “helped me up and get back home.”

“Oh dear, you’re okay, right? You don’t have any bruises? Scratches?”

Akira sighed. “Yes, I’m fine. Can I go? I want to take a bath.”

Noelle gasped and immediately stepped aside to let Akira in. With Akira safely inside, she looked at both Ren and Kotone and bowed.

“Thank you for helping him,” she said. “He acts tough, but he’s a big softie inside.”

“I know where he’s coming from,” Ren said with a smile. Without his glasses, Kotone thought that he looked more mischievous, especially with how his smiles seemed to be even more cheshire-like.

Noelle squinted, but then her eyes widened in surprise. “You’re not...related to him, right?”

Ren shook his head, bemused. “Not at all. We may look similar, but I’ve never been a Kurusu in my life.”

Noelle contemplated his words with a frown. “Very well, if you say so. It’s just... I’ve never met any two people who look so similar before.” She gasped. “Where are my manners? My name is Ryugasaki Noelle. I am the head caretaker of this orphanage and I thank you for helping Akira-kun with his...problem.”

“So, you know about it?” Kotone asked with a raised eyebrow.

Noelle nodded. “Yes. Yasoinaba is a small town, and everyone ends up knowing every rumor out there. As for Akira-kun... He’d rather take it all in by himself. I do my best to help, but the bullies are smart. They only ever attack him when they know no one is around. And they know Akira-kun would never say anything.”

“Why are they bullying him?” Kotone asked. “Having a glare like that isn’t enough of a reason, is it?”

Noelle shook her head. “It is, unfortunately. Another boy has been causing a raucous in the town recently and the other kids think that Akira-kun is following in his footsteps. And while they can’t do anything about the other child, they target him instead. On top of that...” Noelle briefly looked away. “No, no. I’ve said more than enough. I’m very sorry for getting you into Akira-kun’s troubles and thank you so much again for helping him.”

“Not a problem!” Kotone said. Everyone’s got secrets of their own. No need to push boundaries. “We need to get going, too. I think our friends are looking for us at this point.”

Ren nodded in agreement. “She’s right; we’ve been out for a long time. We’ll be out of your hair now, Ryugasaki-san. Have a good evening.”

Ren bowed deeply while Kotone waved. Noelle nodded at them and closed the door softly, leaving Kotone and Ren alone in the streets under the rain.

“It makes little sense,” Kotone muttered. “But it also makes sense.”

“Which parts?” Ren asked with a glance.

“Bullying Akira because of how he looks at people. It’s not like he can control his face,” Kotone answered. “But it also makes sense since they’re kids. They can...do the worst things for the pettiest reasons.”

“Personal experience?”

Kotone nodded and motioned to leave the area with a tilt of her head. “A bit. I had a fair share of bullies when I was a kid, having no parents and all,” she answered as the pair walked towards the main street. “They stopped when I grew up, but it’s always there for someone else.”

“Fuuka,” Ren muttered. “Yeah, that’s true. Just having that feeling of being above someone or seeing another be different is enough for a reason. Having no parents is definitely enough.”

“Oh yeah, you mentioned you were raised in an orphanage too, right?” Kotone asked.

Ren whirred his head at Kotone. “You remember that?”

Kotone nodded. “Yeah, back when we first met on the train, you mentioned you moved out of an orphanage. This entire thing must have been some weird trip down memory lane, huh?”

“You have no idea,” Ren said with a chuckle. “I hope what I told him sticks with him.”

“Any inspiration for that speech?” Kotone asked. She always wondered how and where Ren could pull the most heartfelt speech that could move others on the drop of a hat.

He shrugged. “Remember the person I talked about? The one that gave me my glasses?” At Kotone’s nod, he continued, “Well, she didn’t really say anything. She gave me her glasses and said, ‘Yep, you’ll do fine.’ After that, she left and never appeared again. I... She didn’t really help, but the glasses were a great gift once I realized what it did for me. I regret some things I did or didn’t do, so I told Akira what I wish I heard back then.”

“...What happened?” Kotone asked. She hesitated, but it felt right to ask. Ren seemed more vulnerable now than before. Now might be her chance to strengthen her bond with him, too.

Ren glanced away from Kotone, opting to stay quiet. His eyes were troubled, shifting from one point to another, as if searching for something.

“I...” he finally began, looking slightly downward, not meeting Kotone’s eyes. “I was afraid of something and did nothing to stop it. I didn’t trust my gut and ignored it. The next day...someone died. I couldn’t forgive myself for it.”

“Ren...” Was that why he was so bent on trying to help people? He blamed himself on an incident that he had no fault in?

“But now I know more,” Ren said with a soft smile. “That’s why I said all those things; I want to inspire someone, to make sure they do better than what I did. If being corny is how Akira will remember it, then I’ll be as corny as I can be.”

She rubbed his arm, hoping to ease him. “You know we were just pulling your leg, right? At least I was.”

Ren laughed it off. “Yeah, I know. I’ve never seen you mean anything bad,” he said, ruffling her head for a moment.

Kotone shook her head, leaning into his hand. “I certainly hope not. I do my best to be a helpful person.”

“And I think you’re nailing it so far,” Ren said. “I’ve seen you hang out and help a lot of people.”

‘That’s a lie. I’m only talking to them because they’re making me stronger.’

“I heard that Iwasaki-san and the rest of the volleyball team made up because of you,” Ren said, propping a finger. “There was that old couple in the Iwatodai bookstore - you know they think of you as their grandkid? They didn’t stop talking about you when I told them we were friends. There was also that French exchange student. Apparently, I heard you guys were making a kimono together.”

Each time Ren raised a finger and kept talking, Kotone couldn’t help but grow redder and redder. She didn’t think that Ren was keeping an eye on her that much. Though she didn’t really mind. “How do you know all this?”

Still, how did he get all that info?

Ren shrugged. “Yuko mentioned what happened to the volleyball team. I already mentioned the old couple at the bookstore. As for the Home Ec club, I heard from some of the Tea Ceremony club that they liked the kimono designs your club designed.”

Kotone quizzically tilted her head at Ren. “You drink tea?” That was a surprise. At some point, everyone in the dorms unanimously decided that Ren had caffeine for blood, considering how much coffee he drank every day.

Ren merely shrugged again. “Good tea is good. What can I say?”

‘I’ll have to ask how the club makes their tea if Ren likes it...’

And so, the two spent the rest of the trip talking about various things in their mundane lives. No Dark Hour. No Tartarus. No SEES. No Personas.

She loves it more than she knew. Just her, Ren, and their everyday lives. She couldn’t help but smile.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

8/1 - Dark Hour - Yasoinaba - Ren

Ren sighed as he looked up at the near-full moon. The rain stopped by the time the pair reached the inn. Inside, they split, considering they were part of different clubs, and Ren spent the evening with the other track members. Still, when the Dark Hour arrived, the atmosphere became silent, eerie. Even though Yasoinaba was further than Yakushima Island from Tatsumi Port Island, the effects of the Dark Hour reached the town.

“This really is even bigger than the Metaverse...” he murmured, taking a stroll down the main street of the Central Shopping District. While he walked down this same street with Kotone just a few hours ago, the atmosphere had drastically changed with the disgusting yellow and green light. “I kinda regret not asking Kotone if she wanted to come...” he murmured. It would be nice to have someone with him right now.

‘However, maybe it would be better to be alone right now...’ he thought. ‘ After all... I just met me.’

Kurusu Akira, the boy that took Amamiya Ren’s place.

‘Or maybe not. Maybe he just lucked out with the name. Wouldn’t be the only difference I’ve seen...’

Seeing Akira like that triggered his own memories of that event. The woman that gave him his glasses wasn’t a woman; she was a girl his age.

Long, wavy black hair. Ice-cold eyes that would have frozen hell. An immovable, stoic face that could only be matched by the boy with her. Hell, she didn’t even say anything to chase the bullies away; she just looked down and glared at them.

Her next target was Ren. He wasn’t even sure if he was shivering because of the rain or because she was staring at him. Her head bobbed as she scanned him up and down. the boy next to her only stared dispassionately at the scene, bent on just being an observer.

The girl eventually nodded, lowered herself so she was level with him. She took off her glasses and placed them on him, rubbing his wet hair.

“Yep, you’ll do fine,” she said. She had a quiet voice, the type that was more beautiful because not everyone heard it.

She stood up and turned around. Her friend followed her with his eyes before shrugging and stepping right after her, not even giving Ren a second look.

It truly was one of the most bizarre meetings he ever had in his life.

“And if I’m correct, that girl was me: a girl me,” Ren murmured out loud. That was a weird thing to think about, that he could have been born a girl. “Then who was that guy with her? He didn’t look like Kotone at all.”

He’d have to talk to Lavenza about this plan of theirs. He felt that there was something more to it, that he was most likely not the first person they’ve asked for help like this. How many of these loops happened? Was this his future, stuck changing the past? Where was the girl when Yaldabaoth and Demiurge attacked reality? When Maruki began granting wishes? Did she do nothing while the world wasn’t right?

So many questions to-

Pressure just fell on top of him. The familiar weight heavy enough to make him kneel, heavy enough to make it hard to breathe.

He only felt this thrice in his entire life, and each time...

“What’s a god doing here?” Ren growled. “I thought that the god would be in Tatsumi Port Island.”

Was Inaba some sort of place where the god merged all of its power? Have the distortion be far away from where it actually was so it could gather power in peace?

It wouldn’t be the worst idea. Everyone would be too busy looking at the thing happening in front of them that they would miss the smaller, quieter things. Tartarus would be a very obvious beacon of trouble; no one would think it was just a distraction.

“If this god really is what’s causing Tartarus, then...” Ren exhaled, ready for fight. He felt his mask settle on his face, his clothes switching over to his Phantom Thief outfit.

SEES as a team cannot fight a god at this point. They weren’t even half as strong as the Thieves. They’d die if they faced a god now.

“Looks like there was a reason I’d be here outside of just talking to myself.”

Ren walked up the staircase, ready for whatever abomination that was waiting.

What he saw in the shrine wasn’t exactly what he expected. Sure, the god, or goddess in this case, was just as ephemeral as all the other gods he met before, a sense of otherworldly beauty. It gave them a sense of inhumanity in them that greatly unsettled him.

The difference was that this goddess was far more human. She had pale skin, chin-length black hair, and bright green eyes. Her face was soft, though it was indifferent, and her eyes focused on Ren. Her clothes were more abnormal. She wore a dress of pure white, similar to traditional Japanese wedding dresses. Underneath, he could see white straps or bandages wrapped around her body under her neck.

“I didn’t expect someone to navigate through the fog tonight,” she said when Ren arrived at the top of the steps. Her voice was youthful, matching her looks, and carried a hint of surprise.

‘Fog? What fog?’

“What are you talking about?” he asked, his eyes narrowing. Fogs might be part of her powers. If he can’t see it, he won’t be able to deal with it. It was giving him flashbacks of when he got trapped by Demiurge.

Her eyes continued to stare at his eyes, as if staring right into his soul.

“Strong,” she said as she walked towards him, “and you carry the potential that I seek.” Her eyes narrowed, and she frowned. “But that potential has already been realized, and not in the way I need.” She looked away and deeply sighed in disappointment. “You are not the right one.”

“Potential? Achieved? What are you talking about?” he asked, though he knew she would ignore him like last time.

She said he had potential, but he already achieved it. Was she talking about his Will of Rebellion? It made sense; he always carried that sense of justice in him, finally realized when he stood up for that woman.

However, she said he realized it in a way that she didn’t need. The Will of Rebellion didn’t have any different paths; it was a personal promise to always follow through with their own sense of justice. The only one that had different versions of justice was...

Itch.

Then it most likely isn’t the Will of Rebellion. What else could it be? His Personas? His repertoire certainly grew over his time as a Phantom Thief, accumulating to...Satanael...

He blinked. “Are you talking about the Wild Card and the World?” That was the other thing that he realized: from beginning as a Fool and then to his potential to the World after harnessing the Will of the Masses. Her eyes snapped in his direction, and he pushed his question. “What do you want?”

“I want to see the truth, what humanity truly wishes for,” the goddess answered. “Freedom and rebellion are not what I seek.”

‘So, she knows what I fought for.’

“Isn’t that enough of an answer?” Ren asked. “Humanity wants to be free to choose how they live, without anyone or anything to decide for them.”

“And what will happen if humanity realizes the truth?” she asked. “The pain that comes with that freedom, the truth behind it all. I want to see if humanity truly wants that: the truth.”

“And how are you going to do that?”

This time, the goddess’s impassive face flickered with a bit of pondering. “I am not sure yet. Nevertheless, I will find what I seek; it matters not how I do so.”

Ren narrowed his eyes. No matter how she does it? “And what stops me from stopping you here and now?”

The goddess snapped her eyes to him. “You won’t do that, not until I do something. You have never been the proactive type.”

“How...?” Ren asked. She was right. He changed the hearts of those that already did their crime, pushing beyond boundaries. The Phantom Thieves were always the reactive group. But no one should know that!

“Seeing your past is simple, human,” the goddess responded.

Ren tsked. ‘Great, so she can see my past? Though, that shouldn’t surprise me. Maruki saw someone’s past to achieve their wish while Demiurge used someone’s past to lock them in their Jail. I’m sure Yaldabaoth had some version of clairvoyance as well.’

“You got me,” he said, but then he smirked. “Still, I think you’ll find that humanity will reach a similar conclusion as I did. They will see the truth, even if it means braving the pain and suffering to get there.”

The goddess tilted her head. “Astounding. Even if you do not belong to this time, you still believe in this era’s humanity. How? How can you place your trust in a species that doesn’t even know what it truly wants?”

Ren’s smirk grew even wider. “So, even a goddess that can see my past can’t answer that? You should already know.” The goddess frowned at his words. “Humanity just needs a little push, and they can do anything. We’ve even beaten gods before. One more won’t hurt.”

The goddess’s anger flared, his words clearly taunting her. “Hmph. We shall see, human.” She turned around and dissipated like fog, disappearing as if she was never there.

Ren sighed in relief. So, a goddess existed in Inaba, but it didn’t seem like the Dark Hour was her doing. It seemed like she was still pondering on what to do. Still, how much of that can be trusted? Yaldabaoth lied by taking Igor’s form, but he never truly lied. Rather, he gave half-truths or misled him and the Twins in the Velvet Room.

The atmosphere flickered, losing the green hue, and the white moonlight returned.

‘The Dark Hour ended just in time for that goddess to disappear, too. I should get back to the inn before they realize I left.’

And thus, Ren returned to the Amagi Inn, pressured by the knowledge that a goddess existed in Inaba and seemed separate from his current set of problems.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

??? - ??? - ???

He didn’t know when it was, but he wasn’t swimming anymore. Any genius would when they realized they were sitting in cold, hard stone.

He took stock of his surroundings. Blue-green walls with yellow-green floors. Meanwhile, impossible things decorated the walls like stairs that went nowhere, or even some weird modernist design. It was very avant garde, and while he had some appreciation of the arts, this was above his pay grade.

He sighed. ‘Fuck it. This is too much. I can go for some sleep.’ He closed his eyes and laid on the ground. That really hurt, causing aches to erupt all over his body, but he didn’t give a damn. ‘Just five minutes will do.’

However, before sleep could truly take him, he heard someone, a boy, shout. Rapid footsteps followed, and he felt his head being lifted.

“Damn, what happened to you? I’ve never seen a Lost get this hurt before and your coat’s all bloody, too. Did a Shadow hurt you?”

‘Shadow? How the hell do you-‘

“Never mind that. Healing comes first.”

He heard a gunshot and felt a familiar sense of relief wash over him.

‘A Dia spell? Is this a Persona user?! Shit!’

He tried to stand up, but the boy stopped him.

“Whoa, you’re a fighter. That’s good, that’s good.” The boy paused and continued, “Everyone, I found the Lost on the floor. Going to need some help to steady him.” Another pause. “Sounds good.”

‘Damn it, he’s got friends? Fine, I’ll play safe, keep it quiet. I’ll ask questions later. Too damn tired.’

-.-Take Your Time-.-

8/4 - Dark Hour - First Floor of Tartarus

“Tres bien, Akihiko. Bring the Lost to the first floor. We can take care of him here,” Mitsuru said. “And that should be the last one, right, Yamagishi?”

Inside Lucia, Fuuka nodded. “Yes. After that, it should be a straight path to the next strong source of power.”

“Very good,” Mitsuru said, and she took a glance at the other members of SEES behind her. “With our numbers, we have enough to do more rotations as we travel through Tartarus.”

Ren nodded in agreement. Junpei, Yukari, and Koromaru waited on the first floor with Mitsuru, Fuuka, and him while Kotone, Akihiko, Aigis, and Ken explored Tartarus. With their larger roster, Kotone was freer in choosing who joined the exploration team, letting everyone take a break more. Because of that, the explorer team always felt more energetic, leading to them conquering floors faster than ever before exhausting anyone. Kotone even thought of increasing the team to include five.

“You must be pissed, huh, Ren?” Junpei asked beside him.

Ren glanced at him quizzically. “What do you mean?”

“Aigis, I mean. She can do what you do, but better.”

Ren shook his head. “Not at all. In fact, I’m pretty happy we have new members. I won’t say no to someone as strong and capable as Aigis.”

“The hell...” Junpei murmured with a scowl. “Fine, you do you.”

Before Ren could ask what Junpei meant, the gate to the rest of Tartarus opened. Kotone led the team, followed by Ken, and Aigis and Akihiko carried the Lost.

Weirdly enough, the Lost was wearing a winter coat. However, it was in the middle of summer. The only other person who wore a winter jacket during summer was Shinjiro-senpai. On top of that... The coat was...oddly familiar...

“Yukari, the kid’s hurt!” Akihiko yelled out. “Can you heal him up?”

“On it!” Yukari rushed to help.

The rest approached Akihiko to see the injuries. However, the longer Ren stared, the more he felt uneasy.

Itch.

The brown coat… The shaggy, brown hair... The black gloves...

Itch.

A wave of sparkling green light swept over the Lost. His eyes flickered open and looked around him until he met Ren’s eyes.

Gray eyes locked on a red eye.

Ren wanted to vomit, to cry, to punch him.

He weakly sneered at Ren. “Well, if it isn’t Amamiya. What a coincidence this is.” The vitriol was undeniable.

“Huh?” Kotone asked, dumbfounded. “You know him, Ren?”

Ren didn’t even know he nodded. Everything around him disappeared, all to focus on the person in front of him. “But this is impossible... You shouldn’t be here... You should be dead, Akechi!”

Chapter Text

8/6 - Afternoon - Iwatodai Dorm - Kotone

“Ren?” Kotone asked as she walked down the staircase, hearing the front doors of the dorm close.

She heard a chuckle and became disheartened.

“Sorry to say, but it’s just me, Kotone,” Ikutsuki said as he took his seat in the lobby, his briefcase by his side. “Is Ren still in the hospital?”

“You came from the hospital, Mr. Chairman?” Yukari asked.

The rest of the second-years sat in the lobby. Junpei was playing on his PSP, Fuuka was on her laptop, and Yukari was on her phone.

Ikutsuki nodded. “I was checking up on Ren’s friend in the morning, but it turned out he beat me to the punch!” Ikutsuki said with a laugh. “He was still there by the time I left around noon. I’m very surprised he stayed rather than rest in the dorms, since I thought he’d be here by now.”

“It felt like they’ve known each other for a while now,” Fuuka commented. “Though I’m not sure why they’d use last names...”

Ever since the Dark Hour two days ago, Ren had been sort of inseparable from the hospital. Just like today, he spent the entire day yesterday in the hospital, looking over Akechi. He came back by dinnertime to prepare it, and it was looking like that will happen again today.

Junpei turned off the PSP and laid it on the table. “You know, didn’t it seem like it surprised ren to see his friend alive? I can believe that, seeing as how bloody he was when we got to him. Like, Ren thought he was dead.”

“You got that right...” Kotone murmured, taking a seat next to Yukari. “He literally said the guy should be dead...”

-.-

“You should be dead, Akechi!” Ren growled with gritted teeth.

Kotone didn’t register Ren’s words until much later. What she registered was the pure rage and disbelief on Ren’s face as he bared his teeth.

“Huh?” Junpei said, surprisingly having heard that.

“Instead of having your mouth be figuratively open like a fish, would you mind helping?” the Lost victim hissed. “I don’t know what your friend did, Amamiya, but I need to get something checked.”

Ren tsked and rushed to help lay the victim down on the floor.

Ken couldn’t help but blankly stare at Ren as if something was wrong with him. He never got this irritated before.

Having put the victim down, Ren asked, “Where and what are you feeling?”

“Sharp pain, lower right abdomen,” the victim hissed.

Mitsuru could see the victim’s left eye was closed shut, with trails of dried blood coming down from it.

Ren glanced at the area the victim mentioned. Fuuka could only gasp, as it was the bloodiest portion of the victim’s jacket.

Ren began taking off the jacket, though he wasn’t exactly being gentle about it.

“Can you take it easy?!” the victim yelled. “I just woke up!”

“Oh please,” Ren said, and Yukari could feel his eyes roll even with his back turned towards her. “You’ve gotten through worse.”

Ren finally peeled off the victim’s final layers, and he grimaced at what he saw: a large, dark purple lump had grown on the victim’s side.

“This is...” Ren murmured, touching the bruise. It felt spongy and lumpy, but there was a part where it was solid...as if there was something there.

The victim hissed. “Do you mind, Amamiya?! It hurts and I’m dead certain there’s a fucking bullet there!”

“A bullet?” Akihiko repeated.

“Whatever the fuck you did,” the victim said at Akihiko, “my body healed over it. It’s in my body now and it hurts like hell.” He turned towards Ren. “Can you get it out?”

Ren stayed quiet, his mind racing to get what he needed to get the bullet out. After a few moments, he turned around, facing the crowd behind him.

“Kotone,” she snapped her head at him, “I need you to keep using Posumudi on my knife and the wound.”

“Wait, what?”

“Yukari,” Ren said, gazing at her, “you’re the best healer on the team. Can I ask that you heal Akechi when I get the bullet out?”

“I- Uh...”

“And Mitsuru-senpai,” Mitsuru lifted her chin when he mentioned her, “can you get some ice ready? Use the weakest Bufu you can on Akechi’s wound when Yukari finishes healing.”

Mitsuru nodded, already seeing she can’t stop Ren at the moment.

“What are you doing, Ren?” Junpei asked.

“I’m going to remove the bullet,” he simply said, as if he was discussing the breakfast for tomorrow.

“Hold on!” Akihiko yelled. “Shouldn’t we let the doctors do it? Let’s just wait, okay? No need to rush things.”

“From what it looks like, the skin only healed over the bullet, so I don’t need to dig deep,” Ren said. “Kotone’s Posumudi should take care of germs and any chance of infection, Yukari’s Diarama should heal the wound immediately, and Mitsuru-senpai could make an impromptu ice pack to help with the bruising, if any. I can definitely do this.”

“He definitely can,” the victim added. “Whatever it was you did was fine, considering it healed the skin and stopped the bleeding; my only problem is it healed over the bullet. I just want it out.”

Akihiko glanced back and forth between Ren and the victim, settling on Mitsuru. Mitsuru sighed.

“After this, we are sending him to the hospital to make sure. Is that understood, Amamiya?”

Ren nodded. That was the plan, even without her saying it.

He took off his coat and folded the sleeves so that they became thicker. He gave it to the victim and said, “Here.”

The victim took the coat and bit down, taking deep breaths to prepare for the pain.

“Three.” Exhale. Kotone’s Queen Mab began using Posumudi. “Two.” Inhale. “One.” Exhale.

Ren dug the knife into the victim’s side and began cutting a small hole around where he had last felt the solid object. With the circle complete, he flicked the bullet out.

A green light surrounded the victim and Ren could see the wound close. With it closed, Mitsuru used Bufu, and a small block of ice formed near the victim. Ren used his SEES armband to wrap the ice and placed it on the newly healed wound.

“And done,” Ren said with a sigh. “Feeling better, Akechi?”

The victim snorted. “Yeah,” he said before glaring weakly at Ren. “You have a lot of things to explain, Amamiya.”

Ren merely waved it off. “Yeah, yeah. For now, go to sleep and rest.”

The victim huffed, though he closed his eyes. Eventually, his breathing evened out.

“He’s not dead... Is he?” Junpei asked.

Fuuka closed her eyes and summoned Lucia with a hum. “I don’t think so. Seems fine on my end.”

Still, that wasn’t the question on everyone’s mind.

“What just happened?” Ken asked, though he didn’t direct it to anyone in particular.

Everyone but Ren shared the sentiment. Ren was uncharacteristically aggressive and irritated that night. Who was this guy, and how did he know Ren?

-.-

“They really hated each other...” Junpei said, leaning back on the couch with his hands behind his head. Kotone nodded in agreement; she never thought Ren could have so much venom to behave like that. Not even Fuuka’s bullies did that.

Yukari hummed. “I think there’s more than that. People aren’t usually this open about hating someone like that. Definitely not the nicer people, and I thought Ren was more polite than that, but I guess I was wrong.”

“I think there’s trust there,” Fuuka commented. “They don’t like each other, but they trust each other and have no problem hiding it.”

Kotone nodded. “The Akechi guy definitely trusted Ren to perform a surgery on the spot like that. I didn’t even know he could do that...” It surprised her he could do something like that, even thinking about sanitizing the wound using Posumudi. How does someone think about that?

“Yes, I heard about that,” Ikutsuki said. “Can you tell me in detail about what happened? I read about it in Mitsuru’s report, but I’d like to hear it from you three.”

Yukari and Kotone glanced at one another, considering they had front-row seats of the operation. Since Kotone was the leader and she was part of the beginning, she started the story.

“It turned out that Akihiko-senpai’s Dia spell made Akechi’s skin heal over the bullet, so Akechi was feeling it,” Kotone said. “He asked Ren to get it off. Ren asked me to sanitize his dagger and the wound, Yukari to heal it, and Mitsuru-senpai to ice the bruise.”

Ikutsuki nodded, soaking in Kotone’s words. “Is there anything else you might want to say?”

“Well,” Yukari answered, “we mentioned Akechi trusted Ren, right? I don’t think this was the first time they did something like that. I think Ren has experience in doing something similar, or at least it felt like it. He immediately went to help Akechi and, rather than being surprised at the bullet, he started thinking about how to remove it. I don’t think anyone really knew what to think of it when Akechi yelled out he had a bullet in him.”

“You guys don’t think Ren and Akechi had something to do with the Yakuza?” Junpei asked.

“What?” Yukari said. “Don’t be stupid, Junpei! What kind of kids would join the Yakuza?”

“Hold on, let me explain,” Junpei said, leaning forward and clasping his fingers together. “You see, I don’t know if you guys heard Ren, but he definitely said that this Akechi guy should be dead.”

Ikutsuki raised an eyebrow. “And you’re certain of this, Junpei?”

He nodded. “Positive. I was talking to him before the exploration team got down, so I was close to him. I know he said it,” he said with a serious face. “That only begs the question, how do kids our age get shot like that? The answer is: a life of crime!”

“This is getting absurd...” Yukari muttered as she shook her head. Kotone agreed with her; this was getting closer to the plot of a game.

“Seriously!” Junpei said. “We’ve got a kid that should be dead, and Ren seems to know how to do doctor stuff. Seems to me it’s a clear-cut case!”

“Why don’t you lay it out to us, Junpei?” Ikutsuki urged, his eyes somewhat glistening in curiosity.

“Well, what I think is that Ren and the Akechi guy, at some point, joined the Yakuza,” Junpei began. “They learned the ins and outs, all that stuff. Later on, something happened, and they were on the run. Akechi gets shot down, but Ren escapes here: Tatsumi Port Island!”

Everyone stayed quiet, taking in what Junpei said, no matter how absurd it was. It’s crazy to think that any child would get in touch with the Yakuza, much less Ren. Ren was way too polite, too nice, to ever be part of the Yakuza.

“It’s...not implausible...” Ikutsuki said, rubbing his chin.

“You can’t be serious, Mr. Chairman!” Yukari said with a slam on the table. “It’s absurd that a kid our age would ever deal with lowlives like the Yakuza!”

“Not at all, actually,” Ikutsuki responded. “Unlucky children can fall in the wrong crowd, especially when they’re young. The Yakuza has also changed over the years; they’re not exactly the honorable type you see in the movies nowadays.”

“Is Ren the type of person to go behind the law like that?” Fuuka asked. “He seems so...nice and by the book.”

“Right,” Ikutsuki said. “You weren’t there when we got Ren’s files. He does have a history in dealing with things under the table, and he has taken jobs a normal high school student would have taken, like a bar.”

“Wasn’t he only dealing with non-alcoholic drinks?”

“Perhaps,” Ikutsuki said, “but it could just be a cover just to skirt over the law. It might be that Ren doesn’t break any rules, but he certainly bends both himself over them and the rules themselves. At this point, there is no way of knowing what truly happened.”

“What do you mean?” Kotone asked.

“All places Ren worked in are no longer in service; we can’t ask what truly happened,” Ikutsuki answered. “That’s not even mentioning this…Akechi Goro.”

“Was he part of the Yakuza?” Junpei asked excitedly.

However, Ikutsuki merely shrugged. “I don’t know. I couldn’t find anything related to him.”

“You mean he has no family?” Yukari prompted.

“As in, we couldn’t find anything about Akechi Goro,” Ikutsuki answered. “I found it intriguing that Ren was so attached to Akechi. Additionally, his ability to stay awake during the Dark Hour, no matter how briefly, means that he might have the potential. With these two reasons in mind, I began my research into Akechi. However, even with our connections, we have nothing on Akechi Goro. It is as if Akechi Goro never existed.”

‘Huh?’

“Wait,” Kotone interrupted. “As in, there’s nothing at all?”

Ikutsuki merely shook his head, causing Junpei to jump in excitement.

“Hell yeah, I’m right! That just means the Yakuza did something and erased everything about Akechi!”

“That sounds reaching, Junpei. It feels too much like the plot of a movie or a game,” Kotone said.

“We can’t exactly say what the truth is anymore,” Ikutsuki said. “We can only ask Ren for it.” Ikutsuki stood up with a sigh. “That said, I must go to my office. I still have paperwork to do and my report about our newest potential recruit won’t write itself.”

“Oh right, you mentioned he could have the potential,” Fuuka said.

Ikutsuki nodded. “Indeed. It might mean you guys might have a new teammate.”

“That’s...good...” Yukari muttered.

“The more, the merrier, right?” Kotone said, hoping to cheer up Yukari. It seemed like she was still hung up on people joining SEES, especially when her father had a hand with creating the Dark Hour and Tartarus. “On top of that, we’re not forcing him. He can still choose not to join us.”

“I guess...” Yukari said before smiling. “Thanks, Kotone.”

“We’re here for you, okay? This isn’t something you’ll handle alone,” Kotone said, rubbing the back of Yukari’s hand. She remembered Ren doing something similar to ease her, but she couldn’t remember where and when. Still, it seemed to work, calming Yukari as she smiled.

“Still,” Yukari said, and Kotone let go, “that just means we’ll have to wait for Ren to get back so we can ask him.”

Kotone nodded. “Right. We can’t go around assuming everything, especially when we don’t have a lot of information.”

Junpei harrumphed with a frown. “Fine, fine, do what you girls want. I really think that they had something to do with the Yakuza. Haven’t you guys ever thought about it? Ren’s so good with a gun, right? What if the Yakuza taught him and he had to be the one to gun down Akechi? Would really explain why Ren was so sure Akechi was dead.”

“Think what you want, Junpei, but I’m going to wait for Ren to explain what happened,” Yukari said with a huff.

Ikutsuki chuckled and entered his office.

-.-

Ikutsuki locked the door behind him and flicked the lights on while silence reigned in his office. When the dorm was repurposed for SEES, he had his office reinforced with soundproofing and hefty locks, both electronic and regular, to stop people from entering, even more so than the Command Room. Not even Mitsuru could gain access to this room. And whatever they did, no one outside could hear what was going on inside the office. He didn’t want to mess up; it took him so long to gain Takeharu’s trust, enough to talk as equals to one of the most influential people on the planet, and he already messed up once, losing his test subjects.

His desk was neat as he took a seat. Opening another locked drawer, he took out a folder containing all the medical reports of the Lost that were in Tartarus. So far, each person came from Tatsumi Port Island and was declared missing by the local police before being ‘found’ on the streets. Ikutsuki was grateful that they had someone inside the force; it gave SEES leeway and acted without gaining any attention from the media, though having the ability to operate in the Dark Hour certainly helped.

Each report contained the same information: their status was exactly like those of the Lost outside of Tartarus. They weren’t injured, they only moaned and groaned, and they wouldn’t react to outside stimuli. Apparently, even Shadows tended to avoid the Lost’s area in Tartarus, so the Shadows never harmed a victim.

And, in the end, each victim failed to show their potential, forgetting the events that led to them arriving in Tartarus. Ikutsuki once started to keep track of the cases, hoping one of them would have the potential. However, each person only diminished that hope, eventually just becoming a way to bookkeep the missing person cases on his end.

However, Akechi Goro broke the mold in every way: he was never reported missing in Tatsumi Port Island, he held a conversation, and was injured before being retrieved by SEES. Granted, some sort of incident could explain the third point before Akechi arrived in Tartarus. However, Ikutsuki was very hopeful because of the second fact: his ability to hold a conversation. It meant that he was conscious and aware during the Dark Hour and, with the current track record of the SEES members, there was a high chance he could awaken to a Persona. The fact he was never been to Tatsumi Port Island is very suspicious, but not as much as having no record in Japan.

On top of that, Ren knew about Akechi Goro, seemingly feeling some sort of responsibility, if checking on the victim for two days in a row was anything to go by. If it turned out that Akechi was capable of summoning a Persona, did having some sort of past relation to a Persona user mean that they could become a Persona user? Mitsuru was the first example; her grandfather was the one who started it all. Yukari was another, being related to Eiichiro, a Kirijo scientist. Ken was another example, being related to both Akihiko and Shinjiro. At this moment, only Junpei and Ren were the odd ones out. After all, Kotone wasn’t exactly untouched by the Dark Hour.

He could still remember what he saw from Aigis’ last footage before shutting down ten years ago. A car crash. Its fight against the strongest Shadow seen by the world. Its failed attempts to defeat the Shadow. It separated the Shadow into thirteen pieces. It sealed the largest piece within the girl in the car crash.

He couldn’t believe that he couldn’t find the little girl again until a decade later, leading to her transfer to Gekkoukan High School. At long last, the girl who held the key to Kouetsu’s wish, the same wish that he sought, was within his grasp. Soon, the Fall will come, and he will fulfill their dream.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

8/6 - Late Afternoon - Iwatodai Hospital - Ren

“Are you sure you’ll be fine, sir?” the young nurse asked, her eyes glancing at Akechi sleeping on the hospital bed, and Ren nodded.

“The food you brought is more than enough,” he said with a chuckle, gesturing to the small bento on the table by the hospital bed. “I just want to make sure I’m here when he wakes up.”

“It’s not a problem. Any friend of Kirijo-sama is welcome. Most of us here know there are things we can’t help with, so we do everything we can,” she said with a wry smile. “If you need anything, please, let us know. We’re more than happy to help.” With her piece said, she left the room and closed the door.

Silence reigned in the room outside of Akechi’s uniform breathing. Ren’s eyes turned yellow as he first focused on the door and then swept through the room with a thorough look. When he was satisfied, he took his seat by the bed.

“No devices listening in the room, nor are they spying on us,” he said, low enough that no one outside the room should be able to hear, but loud enough for the other person in the room. “It seems they somewhat value our privacy.”

Akechi snorted and his eyes shot open, quickly zeroing in on Ren without moving his head. “The Kirijo Group is one of the largest zaibatsu in the world; they won’t give a damn about privacy.”

Ren chuckled. He forgot for a moment that Akechi probably doesn’t know where he is. “Maybe in 2017, but not in 2009. On top of that, you’re here under my name and I’m pretty important to them.”

Akechi merely scowled when Ren finished. When Ren held back from talking, he said, “Well? I know you have more to say, so say it. I’m not here to just lay and wait for you to finish your theatrics.”

Ren huffed, though he understood Akechi’s trepidation. He was alive, had no information, rescued in some weird building, and all of that amid a new set of Persona users. The only person he knew was Ren. And yet, here he was, trying to find some fun in having Akechi on the back foot again.

“Well, as I said, it’s 2009. You and I went back in time,” he said.

Akechi’s eyes narrowed. “That’s impossible; even Maruki thought I died. I shouldn’t be here.”

“I don’t know what to tell you,” Ren said, leaning back in his chair. “I’ve already tried asking Lavenza, but her boss and she refuse to say anything.”

“Lavenza...” Akechi murmured. “Yes, I remember her. Still, if it’s 2009, how did you get here? Why are you here?”

“They asked me to help the current group of Persona users,” he answered. “I think they teleported me to the past, but not in the same timeline.”

Akechi sighed; his eyes now focused on the ceiling. “So what? We’re still here, stuck with this Persona bullshit. I thought I was finally dead, but apparently, I’m not.”

Ren grimaced and stayed quiet. Even now, Akechi didn’t have a choice. Wait... That wasn’t exactly right.

“Not entirely,” Ren said slowly. “You’re technically free now; Shido no longer controls you here. No one knows who you are here outside of me.”

Akechi glanced at Ren, and his expression softened. “Yes, I suppose I am.”

The two fell into silence. Ren couldn’t say more. Giving more information about SEES to someone that most likely doesn’t want to deal with anything Persona-related just didn’t feel right.

With a sigh, he stood up. “I’ll get going then. Stay here until you think up your next steps. My number is still the same, so just contact me if you need help. With the Kirijo’s power, we could even make a new identity for you. With that, you might be out of all this business.”

Akechi grunted and eased his breathing, slowing down and becoming more even. However, Ren knew Akechi merely faked it; he realized earlier this morning Akechi was awake. Akechi most likely didn’t feel safe enough with people he didn’t know about. And so, he waited for everyone outside of Ren to leave.

Seriously, for a guy that apparently hates him, why does Akechi come to Ren when he needs help?

-.-TakeYourTime-.-

8/6 - Dark Hour - Somewhere in Northern Iwatodai - Ren

“Again, Junpei, we’re not like that,” Ren said with a frown.

“C’mon man, no need to be shy about it!” Junpei said with a grin. “Ex-Yakuza, right? How was it?”

Ren sighed. Junpei has been at it since he came back to the dorm. Kotone explained that Junpei’s convinced Akechi, and he was part of the Yakuza. Apparently, the Yakuza hunted Akechi while he escaped to Tokyo. The Yakuza erasing all records of Akechi explained why Ikutsuki couldn’t find anything about him.

“Again, we were never part of the Yakuza.”

“Okay, seriously-“

“Stop it,” Yukari said, lightly slapping the backside of Junpei’s head. “You’ve been at it since we left, and nothing is going to come out of it. Don’t force him to say anything. On top of that, we’re getting close to the underground base. We need to focus.”

Junpei swatted away the offending arm. “Alright, alright, I get it...” he muttered.

Ren eyed Junpei as he quieted down and stared ahead of him.

It was sort of pressuring being asked that. Iwai was no longer a Yakuza, so he wasn’t lying, right?

Fuuka stopped. “I’m sensing something else inside the base...”

“Another Shadow?” Akihiko asked, his eyes glinting.

However, Fuuka shook her head. “Not this one... This one feels more human.”

“Mitsuru, you think this is a Lost a Shadow called in?”

“A case like Moriyama...” Mitsuru muttered, and Ren saw Fuuka gulp as her face soured. The memory must still be there. “Then it is imperative that we rescue them before the Shadow gets to them. Shiomi, ensure that you plan accordingly.”

Kotone resolutely nodded. Ren supposed it would be another trial for her.

However, the Lost wasn’t the only possibility; rather, it could be Strega. Still, this didn’t match up with their modus operandi. They used the Dark Hour to kill defenseless people. Why would they be here now? It’s been more than a month since he last saw them. Considering he was on the lookout every night he could, he believed they stopped, afraid after being beaten by something they didn’t have a chance against.

Did they plan on fighting the Shadow? Most likely not. They’ve done nothing about the Full Moon Shadows before.

Did they plan on fighting with the Shadow? Maybe... While it made no sense for a human to work with a Shadow that could end up hurting them, SEES was another group of Persona users. However, they did the opposite, trying to save people that were affected by the Dark Hour. It is possible that Strega sees their activities as harmful to them. Still, their best chance was last month’s operation. The Shadow split the team in two, where it brainwashed one group. Now, they have three more members and are prepared for tactics similar to the Lovers Arcana Shadow’s.

Then it would seem the best approach is to be ready for a fight. Ren relaxed his body, ready to snap his arms to grab either the Evoker or his pistol at a moment’s notice.

Ahead of them, an enormous pair of steel doors towered over the group, slightly ajar.

“The human reading is right ahead of us,” Fuuka noted. “The Shadow is still further down.”

“I’ll take vanguard,” Aigis said, and Ren nodded.

That had been their formation in Tartarus for a while now. Aigis took the front, Ren would sneak in to flank the Shadow, and the remaining members would attack from range. With two members distracting the enemies, Ren didn’t have to worry about taking in all the aggro. It didn’t sit well with him that Aigis took worse blows, but since she was the one with a body made of steel, he couldn’t exactly complain.

Aigis gripped the doors and pushed, opening it a bit more. The doors whined as a bit of dust fell from around them. Ren peered over Aigis’s shoulder, making sure that it wasn’t-

His eyes widened.

That brown, shaggy hair was unmistakable, even from behind, even if he had taken off his jacket.

“Akechi?!”

“Oh?” Akechi asked and turned around, tilting his head. “To think you’d be here as well, along with familiar faces. This is part of that whole business from the other day, I assume?”

Akechi stood in the middle of the bunker with only his green vest and white-collar shirt. Pipes ran along the walls, most rusted and broken. Further down the room was a tunnel, which most likely led to the deepest parts of the bunker.

“What are you doing here?” Ren growled out, walking to the front of the group. “You’re supposed to-“

“Be resting in the hospital?” Akechi finished. “Yes, well, one tends to be curious when the atmosphere turns green, the moon is impossibly large, and there’s a buzzing in the head, Amamiya. And, knowing your penchant for trouble, I decided to follow my curiosity.”

“Straight into a bunker?” Ren asked. “What were you thinking?”

Akechi sneered. “I wasn’t wrong, was I?”

Ren’s left eye twitched.

“Wait, how are you here?” Mitsuru interrupted. “You said there was a buzz in your head?”

“Yes. I woke up just before the middle of the night,” Akechi answered. “While trying to get my bearings and remember what happened, the atmosphere shifted into this. In addition, there was a sort of buzzing in my head.”

“Are you sure it was a buzz in your head?” Fuuka asked. “Or was it a voice?”

Akechi narrowed his eyes at Fuuka. “Yes, it did gradually turn into a voice, though it was still more of a buzz at this point. It felt like it was telling me to come here. How did you know?”

“So, it could be the same case as Moriyama,” Mitsuru said, “or it could be similar to Yamagishi’s case before awakening to a Persona.”

“It’s definitely the same as Fuuka,” Ren answered while side-eyeing Akechi, all eyes on him. “Moriyama-san was more like a broken robot, only moving forward and muttering the same phrase over and over. Akechi is in complete control over himself.”

Akechi sneered. “Oh? Glad to see you have so much faith in me that I won’t be a bumbling fool.”

“Either way,” Akihiko interjected, “whether or not he has a Persona, this area is too dangerous for a civilian. We need to-“

Akechi and Ren’s heads snapped back to the door. From beyond the door, they heard footsteps.

“Well done,” Takaya said, claps echoing throughout the bunker. “To think you’d find it even underground; I must congratulate you on that.”

The rest of SEES whirled around, now facing two figures standing right at the bunker’s entrance.

Ren grit his teeth. It was a tough spot to be in, a Full Moon Shadow on the back and Strega in the front. Either of those would require all of SEES’s power to fight, and he wasn’t even sure if Strega was at the same level he fought them last.

“Who are these guys?!” Fuuka screamed. “Lucia didn’t sense a thing ‘til now!”

“This is the first time we’ve met in person,” Takaya said with a smile. “My name is Takaya. This,” he pointed to his partner, “is Jin.

“We are known to some as Strega. We’ve been keeping an eye on you. From what we hear, you’ve undertaken a ‘righteous’ battle to save the world. But we’ve come here tonight to put an end to that dream.”

“What?!” Akihiko asked with a scowl.

“You’ve gained new allies, yet this land still crawls with sin. Tartarus is towering as beautifully as always!” Takaya said, a smirk resting on his face.

“Why are you doing this?” Kotone asked. “Don’t you want this to end? For everything to go back to normal?”

“Simple, kid,” Jin answered. “If the Shadows and the Dark Hour disappear, then so will our power. We can’t let that happen now, can we?”

“Power...?” Mitsuru muttered before glaring at Strega. “Don’t tell me you’re Persona-users as well!”

Jin grinned. “Applause for the Kirijo-bitch. But is that all you got from Takaya?”

“Why don’t you use that pretty little head of yours for a change?” Takaya sighed out. “Only a select few wield the power of a Persona, and the Dark Hour is a frontier that is ours alone to explore... Just like the Tower of Demise.”

“That’s your reason?! Are you crazy?” Yukari yelled. “There’s no telling what will happen if we don’t do something about the Shadows!”

“What difference does it make?” Takaya asked with a scowl. “There will always be disasters, whether they are caused by Shadows or arise from human folly. No one can predict the future, anyway. However, that is all beside the point. Surely, you will acknowledge the sense of significance the Dark Hour has given you.”

“Not at all!” Kotone denied. “It’s only given us a lot of problems. We’d rather stop this as soon as we can!”

Takaya tilted his head, as if confused by her response. “Is that so? How about the rest of you? Do you also wish to return to your pathetic, ordinary lives?”

“Huh?” Junpei asked, dumbfounded.

“Oh? And what right do you have to call our lives pathetic?” Akechi asked, his face set with a scowl as he stepped forward to the front of the group. “You have no right to call my life pathetic; only I do. Or are you perhaps projecting your ideals on us?”

“What?” Takaya asked with a growl.

“Oh?” Akechi smirked. “Did I hit where it hurts? Let me piece it for you: is your life so worthless that you must put down others to make yourselves feel better? Don’t get mad at us for that; it’s not our fault, is it?”

“Why you!” Jin snarled. “You don’t know what we went through to get here!”

Akechi sneered. “Quite the hypocrite, aren’t you? If that’s the case, then you have no right to judge our lives when you don’t know us and what we’ve gone through.”

“Us? Hypocrites?” Jin muttered.

“While Akechi was a bit much,” Ren interjected, stepping forward to Akechi’s right, “he’s right; our lives are only worth what we give and do with it. It’s fulfilling if we make it so.”

“That doesn’t matter what you think...” Takaya said. “We’ve come here to put a stop to you and your goals.”

His body lurched forward, held his head with both his hands, and screamed. Red energy surrounded him as a dark angel with wings made of nerves came to reality. The wind picked up and pushed towards SEES.

“A Persona?!” Mitsuru yelled, squinting to keep an eye on the Persona despite the wind.

“Screw this,” Akechi muttered, reaching for the gun on Ren’s left thigh, and aimed it at Takaya, his finger on the trigger.

“Akechi, wait! It’s not-!” Ren called, trying to tell Akechi that it wasn’t the right gun.

Akechi pulled the trigger.

But nothing happened.

“What?!”

Takaya’s Persona summoned green wind around it, engulfing the entire room. Ren heard something screech. His eyes widened as he saw the heavy bunker doors move.

“They’re planning to close us in!” he yelled.

The last thing Ren saw was Takaya’s sadistic smile as the doors slammed shut.

The winds finally died down and everyone staggered forward. However, instead of falling down, Ren took his gun from Akechi’s hands.

“So, it seems cognition has no sway here. Why do you still have a toy then, Amamiya?” Akechi asked with a glower.

“What was that, Akechi?” Ren growled. “Why were you trying to kill him?”

“Oh, please,” Akechi said with a huff, “you were okay with it when we fought Maruki. How is this any different?”

“He wouldn’t have died from it!”

“You two actually had a gun?” Kotone asked, rising from the ground.

“Um...everyone?” Fuuka nervously said.

“And you pointed it at someone?!” Yukari asked.

“I told you they were Yakuza! They even planned on killing someone!” Junpei yelled.

“Something’s coming!” Fuuka shouted, finally taking everyone’s attention. “Lucia detected something is coming towards us now. I think it’s the Full Moon Shadow.”

“She’s right,” Akechi said. “Something’s quickly approaching us.”

“How do you... A navigation-type Persona?” Mitsuru asked.

“Right now, it doesn’t matter!” Kotone ordered, slamming her naginata’s butt to the ground. “We’ve got a Shadow incoming and a civilian with us. Aigis, can you try to open the door? We need to get Akechi-san out of here.”

Aigis nodded and bounded towards the other side. She began prodding the door for some sort of grip before stopping. “With nothing to hold on to, I can’t open the door. If it opened the other way, it would be easier, but it opens towards us.”

“Does anyone smell that?” Ren asked, sniffing around the room. It was something sickeningly sweet, but he couldn’t find what it was or where it came from.

“Don’t inhale it!” Fuuka yelled. “It’s poison, and it’s coming from the pipes!”

Ren immediately breathed out all the air he inhaled and jumped away from the walls, where the pipes were. With his back towards SEES, he used Third Eye, seeing the gas of poison seeping in through the pipes.

Akechi scoffed. “I suppose their pride must be hurt.”

“Akechi, this is no time for that. Just try to stay out of the way,” Ren said, finally seeing the poison without using Third Eye because it was getting denser. “Kotone, I’ll take care of the poison; just focus on fighting the Shadow!”

“How are you going to do that?” Kotone asked.

“I have some side projects I want to show,” he said with a smirk, taking a small bomb from inside his school jacket. He threw a couple towards the poison, landing just in front of it, and the bombs exploded. Wind erupted, pushing the poison away from the center and towards the walls. “I don’t have a lot, though, so you need to make it quick!”

“Where did you-?!” Kotone tried to ask, but the room began rumbling and everyone heard something coming from the deep end of the bunker. “Alright, fine! When we’re done with this, you have a lot to explain, young man! Everyone else, we’re getting that Shadow fast!”

-.-

Everything damn hurt.

That first attack from those Strega guys was apparently Garu-based, so his own ass got whooped and sent him to the ground. After that, poison was coming into the room, and, apparently, Ren’s friend (definitely his blood brother; it felt so good to be right) said that it’s probably poison. But, it turned out Ren had this new toy that’s throwing Garu at the poison to keep it in a corner of the room. That meant that he had more time to shine, right?

Nope. That Strega attack took way too much from him and he now regretted not taking up Akihiko-senpai’s training regime before. He was out of breath; he was dead tired. He was missing everything. He couldn’t even hit the tank part of the Shadow (apparently, they were fighting two Shadows today, so it was the tank Shadow, not the tank part).

It wouldn’t suck so much if that was all it was. Aigis was a robot, so her running around the Shadows was something he was ready for. Ren made weird toys out of nowhere, so that was something he wasn’t surprised about.

No, what really surprised him was how good Ren’s friend was with running and shooting, just like Ren. The guy was apparently just standing there in the beginning, doing nothing, since Ren told him to. That didn’t stop him from telling Ren what to do with some snippy thing.

“Behind you, Amamiya.”

“To your left.”

“Might want to step back there.”

(Should he do that at Ren? He was definitely getting pissed at that.)

The Shadow apparently noticed that someone wasn’t fighting back, so it targeted him. Ren and his friend noticed, so they started dodging, and they both moved like they’ve done this before. Soon after that, the guy seemed pretty pissed, so he took Ren’s gun (his actual one this time) and shot at the Shadows. It really pissed him how good that guy was at it. He even clipped the wings of the flying Shadow, bringing it to the ground.

Kotone, Akihiko-senpai, and he piled on that Shadow real quick.

(It turned out that the Shadows could revive each other, so it turned out his contribution did nothing.)

Then, out of nowhere, Aragaki-senpai barged in through the door and helped clean house before he could do anything else. Apparently, it was lucky that he came since Ren ran out of those things he used.

Still...

How no one believed him when he said Ren was Yakuza.

How Strega is right about his life being pathetic and ordinary.

How much better Ren’s friend is than him, who trained for this. He didn’t even have a Persona!

How useless he feels the entire time he fought the Shadows tonight.

How everything just feels so damn draining.

So, when he did it, he just felt…

-.-

Kotone almost heaved, especially from the physical workout she just had. Volleyball with Rio was hard, but Rio at least knew about limits.

These Shadows didn’t. No matter how many times they knocked down one, the other would just revive it. While they picked up on that and planned accordingly, the Shadows had some intelligence in how they fought. If one of them was close to death, it would body block their attacks while the other would immediately revive it.

Tonight was probably the worst one yet. Not even the embarrassment she felt during the Lovers Operation was this bad...

Well, maybe that was a lie. It was embarrassing enough that she couldn’t keep a straight look at Ren for a while after that.

Still, tonight was exhausting. Ren didn’t have enough in stock and the poison began pushing into the room. They were lucky that Shinjiro-senpai came to give a hand before the situation got worse. He even opened the bunker doors, so they weren’t in danger from the poison anymore. With the second wind, everyone managed to defeat the Shadows quickly before they could revive each other.

To think that Shinjiro-senpai came to help... He even kept his Evoker when everyone said he left.

However, that’s not important.

Kotone looked around with a sigh. Everyone else looked just like her: sweating, doubled over, and grasping at air they could get.

Junpei, on the other hand, seemed to have the worst of it. His eyes seemed out of it, as if he wasn’t focusing on anything.

“Hey, Junpei, are you okay?” she asked, but Junpei ignored her. She reached out to him, hoping that maybe he was too tired that he wasn’t listening to anyone.

Before she could tap him, however, he slapped her hand away; the noise echoed across the bunker and taking everyone’s attention.

“Junpei,” Yukari growled, “what the hell was that?”

“I’m fine,” Junpei said. “I don’t need anyone’s help!”

“That doesn’t mean you can just slap her away! She was just making sure you were okay.”

“I don’t need her pity! I don’t need anyone’s pity!”

Kotone stared at Junpei. This... This wasn’t right.

“What’s wrong, Junpei? You were never like this before,” she said.

Junpei scoffed, as if in disbelief at what she just said. “What’s wrong with me? What’s wrong with all of you?!” he yelled. “You’re asking what’s wrong with me when we have two criminals with us? Ren and the guy with him are from Yakuza! They held a gun and pointed it at someone! Why are you all okay with this?! They even tried to kill someone!”

“Junpei, you need to calm down,” Ren said, hurrying over to Junpei.

“Oh, shut up, Ren!” Junpei yelled, turning to him. “You don’t just get to pretend to be a good guy when you’re a criminal!”

“Stop this, Junpei!” Kotone said, grabbing his arm. “We haven’t even heard his-“

“You shut up too, Kotone,” Junpei said and swatted her hand away again. “It’s so easy to see you play favorites. I guess it’s fine for a criminal to be around us so long as you like him, huh? What a great leader we have!”

Kotone stared at Junpei, unbelieving of what he just accused her of.

“I’m playing favorites?” she said as she pointed to herself. “Why would I play favorites? I’ve done everything to make sure that I spend time with everyone!”

Junpei groaned. “Oh, come on! Ever since the trip, you’re always worrying about him when he can take care of himself! If anything, he’s a criminal! No one needs to worry about him!”

A slap cracked across the room, stunning everyone. Kotone stared at Junpei, his head slightly tilted away and his cheek reddening.

“I am the leader of SEES, and because of that position, it is my job to worry about the team,” she said calmly, but she could hear her voice almost cracking. “It’s hard, you know? I don’t enjoy being the leader, for everyone to depend on me. One wrong call and someone could get hurt. Every time I say something, I feel like I’m on thin ice. Still, I do my best to be a leader, even if I’m not used to it. It doesn’t look like it, but I do.” A breath and her grip on her naginata tightened. “And he’s not the only person who I worry about; I worry about you, too. I even listened to your problems last time we went out after classes, so don’t say I’m playing favorites. So, just like last time, we’re going to hear Ren’s problems, his side of the story. We can’t go around accusing everyone as criminals just because it suits you. You will tell us, right, Ren?” she asked, glancing at Ren.

Ren simply nodded.

Kotone turned towards Mitsuru, feeling that, if she kept looking at Junpei, she might lose control of herself.

“Senpai, may I go on my own? I need some fresh air.”

Mitsuru stared at Kotone for a moment and nodded. Kotone left the bunker without another word.

It began with a slow walk, then turned to a brisk walk. It grew into a jog, faster and faster, until she ran as fast as she could with her weapon in hand.

She had no destination, only to get away from that place.

It frustrated her how she acted back there. She’d have to say sorry for the outburst, no matter how wrong that felt.

Why? Why did she do that? It was out of the norm for her. She did nothing to break the normal before.

But...

It frustrated her, him implying she wasn’t doing her best. She did her best, from spending so much time with others to strengthen her Personas, working multiple jobs, keeping up with classwork, and then doing Dark Hour operations. She put on so much make-up to mask the eye bags on the worst days.

It frustrated her that, despite spending so much time with Junpei, there was some underlying feeling that he still didn’t approve of her being leader. He complained about her, a girl, becoming the field leader before, but she thought he outgrew that. She thought they buried that before going to Yakushima, but it turned out it never really happened.

It frustrated her that Junpei accused Ren of being a criminal. What made it worse was, despite everything he did, that he might be right, and that angered her.

And, for some reason, it hurt that Ren could be a criminal, that he did something terrible, that he was on the run. Was everything he did, every word he said, a lie? What was real and what wasn’t?

They should have been close to each other. Was she wrong?

Was there anything real-

“Well, well,” a voice said in a smug tone. “Alone in the middle of the night, are we? Who are we to miss this meal on a silver platter?”

Her hand immediately reached for Evoker.

“Kill her, Hypnos!” Takaya screamed.

The wind slammed her into a building, and her Evoker spun out of her hand. She looked up from where the attack came from and there stood Takaya, who wore a giant smirk, and Jin with his intense gaze.

She swiped sweat off her-

It was warm. She glanced at her hand and all she saw was red.

“Die, girl.”

Lightning quickly shot forward, and Kotone rolled to the side, dropping her naginata and grabbed her Evoker. They outnumbered her while she was injured. She needed to be as agile as she could be; the naginata would only slow her down.

“Like I’d let you use that!” Jin yelled, and she heard a glass crack.

She threw a glance at Jin and what should have been impossible.

An Evoker was in his hand.

“Burn her to ashes, Moros!”

The surrounding air heated up as a circle of red and orange surrounded her.

She shot her Evoker and Queen Mab summoned ice all around her.

The ice quickly melted, but at least the attack did not burn her at all. Unfortunately, a migraine flared up, a sure sign she was too tired to summon a Persona again. She could only heave as the two Personas approached her.

“I suppose I could call that a valiant performance, no matter how futile it was,” Takaya said. “Still, you will die now. Considering your strange power to wield multiple Personas, your death shall be a gigantic blow to your group of friends.”

His Persona rose behind him, and a gigantic ball of fire appeared above its wings.

“Die.”

‘Ah, so this is it,’ she thought. The fireball rapidly closed in, forcing her to close her eyes from the brightness.

All she heard was a slam, and darkness surrounded her.

...

...

Was death supposed to feel this...warm?

“Sorry to crash the party,” a familiar voice said, “but don’t you think it’s a tad unfair? You outnumber her.”

‘Huh?’

Kotone opened her eyes, and there was another impossibility in front of her. A metallic dragon towered above her and, between her and Strega, Ren stood in his Tartarus outfit, his tailcoat bellowing behind him.

He glanced back at her and smirked. “Sorry, princess, but you’ll have to sit back, relax, and enjoy the show. I’ll clean this mess up quickly.”

Chapter Text

8/6 - Dark Hour - North of Tatsumi Port Island - Ren

“Well,” Akechi said, tilting his head at Ren with an amused face. “This is a fine mess you’ve put yourself in, Amamiya.”

Ren deeply sighed. ‘Sometimes, he can be so insufferable.’ “Don’t act like you’re not part of it.”

Akechi merely scoffed.

Ren noted everyone. Aigis laid on the floor, waiting for enough energy to move. Shinjiro stared around dispassionately, though his eyes often landed on Junpei and Akechi. Akihiko seemed to teeter around trying to talk to Shinjiro or give him space. Koromaru and Ken sat by the walls of the room with sullen looks. Mitsuru did the same as Ren, looking at everyone with a critical eye. Yukari glared viciously at Junpei, but it seemed like she was too exhausted to do anything. Junpei sat on the ground, his head in his hands.

‘Looks like he’s just realizing what happened.’

Might be good to give him some space to be introspective.

“Senpai,” Ren began as he approached Mitsuru, “do you mind if I go after Kotone? Just to make sure she’s okay.”

Mitsuru glanced at everyone in the room, then nodded. “Meet us at the dorm when she’s ready.”

With a nod, he left the bunker.

Outside, the green light of the Dark Hour continued to loom over everything, though time should almost be up.

Ren raced outside as butterflies continued to build in his gut. Something was about to happen.

As soon as he felt he was far enough, he manifested his Phantom Thief attire. With the grappling hook, he took off to the rooftops, allowing him to see further away.

Just his luck, he saw a green wind slam on to the side of a building, far off where he was.

‘Garudyne! The only ones here with that skill would be...!’

Ren clicked his tongue and immediately ran, jumping from rooftop to rooftop to get into the fight. He could only hope to reach in time.

From the same area, a bit of steam appeared. However, what took his attention wasn’t the steam, but the large fireball that came after it: an Agidyne.

Luckily, the fight was right under him.

‘Let’s do this, Fafnir!’

He jumped off the roof, and blue flames erupted around him. The metallic dragon quickly wrapped around Kotone with the Agidyne hitting it instead. The dragon merely shrugged it off, not receiving any damage at all.

Ren landed on a roll, bleeding the momentum off before rising to full height.

“Sorry to crash the party,” he said with a sneer, “but don’t you think it’s a tad unfair? You outnumber her.”

Both Takaya and Jin’s faces morphed into confused faces before turning into absolute hatred.

He turned to Kotone, and his heart stilled. Kotone bled from her forehead, her eyes didn’t seem to focus, and even when she was sitting on the ground, she seemed to teeter.

She was hurt and exhausted, probably with a concussion to boot. At least before, she was only tired. But now? Strega roughed her up bad.

Ren smiled at her. “Sorry, princess, but you’ll have to sit back, relax, and enjoy the show. I’ll clean this mess up quickly.”

Kotone’s eyes tried to focus on him before widening in recognition. However, before she could say anything-

“Joker!”

Ren whipped his head at Takaya’s guttural scream and saw Hypnos powering up again. Jin fired his Evoker and red light surrounded Hypnos.

“I won’t let you win this time!” Takaya yelled. “You die tonight!”

Ren simply smiled at Takaya’s words.

Takaya grit his teeth at Ren’s lackadaisical attitude and roared. Behind him, Hypnos fired off a Bufudyne.

Behind him, Kotone weakly screamed, “Watch out!”

However, a shadow flew over Ren. Fafnir swiped at the incoming shard of ice, causing it to shatter. It burst into tiny bits of ice, though a bit of Fafnir’s tail froze over.

Takaya staggered back. “Impossible... That was our strongest combination yet. We trained so long for that!”

“Sorry,” Ren said with a shrug. “You’ll have to try harder.”

Jin clicked his tongue and grabbed Takaya. “We have to go!”

However, Takaya kept his eyes on Ren. “No! I said he dies tonight!”

“You have no right to play god,” Ren said with a frown. “No one does. Fafnir!”

Fafnir held its neck back, and blue energy gathered in its mouth.

Jin’s eyes widened. “Dammit, it’s that skill again! Takaya, we’re leaving now!”

Takaya grit his teeth again but relented, immediately turning around to escape.

Fafnir flicked his head forward, and a stream of blue light erupted from its mouth. Jin dropped a small ball to the ground, and it exploded, causing a cloud of smoke to appear. The light blasted through the smoke cleanly.

Ren’s Persona flapped its wings, causing the smoke to disperse, but Strega wasn’t there anymore.

He sighed. They escaped again.

Still, they weren’t his aim tonight.

He turned around, facing Kotone in full. Her eyebrows scrunched up and her mouth opened, then closed, as if she tried to say something but couldn’t. Multiple emotions flickered through her face, between amazement, surprise, fear, happiness, and doubt.

He knelt and grabbed her shoulders, steadying her. “Hey,” he began, “let’s get you home. Everyone is waiting, okay? For now, sleep. You’ll be back home before you know it.”

“What was that?” she asked, having calmed down. “Why do you have another Persona? How do you know Strega? How-?”

Ren put a finger on her lips. “Shh, I’ll explain later. Right now, you need rest.” Behind him, he felt Fafnir shift into Alilat.

Kotone’s eyes widened. “You have a third Persona?”

However, before she could say more, Alilat used Dormina, causing her to slump towards Ren.

Ren sighed. This is going to be a long night. Behind him, Alilat turned to Maria and a green light surrounded them both.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

“The lights are back,” Mitsuru muttered as she watched the dorm lights flicker on.

“And they’re still not here,” Yukari said, staring at the front door before glaring at Junpei again. She opened her mouth but closed it, deciding against berating him again.

Junpei sat alone at the stool by the kitchen with his head on his hands, taking deep breaths, processing what just happened, what he did.

Meanwhile, the rest of SEES were scattered throughout the first floor.

Akihiko, Shinjiro, Ken, and Koromaru sat at the dinner table. Meanwhile, Fuuka and Yukari sat next to each other by a lobby couch. Opposite them was Akechi, sitting without a care in the world.

Finally, Mitsuru and Ikutsuki each took a single-person couch.

“And you won’t say where you met Ren-kun?” Ikutsuki asked.

“Again,” Akechi said with his eyes closed, as if he was meditating, “I’m not obligated to answer.”

“Not even a hint?”

“No.”

Mitsuru sighed internally. The two have been at it for a while now, the Chairman politely interrogating and Akechi being a staunch wall. Currently, Akechi hasn’t given an answer, so she supposed he was winning on that front. That said, Ikutsuki ignored the obvious hint and continued to ask.

On the side, Yukari sighed and asked, “How are you so calm, Akechi-san? The only person you know isn’t here. You’ve already confessed you shot someone. What stops us from arresting right now?”

“Because I know Amamiya will take care of the problem,” Akechi said with a scoff. “He’ll pull through.”

“That’s a lot of trust in Ren, don’t you think?” Akihiko asked from the kitchen.

Akechi merely shrugged. “Perhaps. Amamiya is a lot of things; a liar isn’t one of them.”

“Then,” Ken interrupted, “did Ren-senpai actually kill someone?”

Again, Akechi scoffed. “No, he’s too much of a goody-two shoes to actually kill someone.”

“Then, what about you?” Shinjiro asked.

“And what about me?” Akechi asked back, deadpan.

Shinjiro glared at him. 

Suddenly, slammed on the door. All members of SEES shared glances, unsure on what’s going on. Slamming just as the Dark Hour ended? It wasn’t like there were any coffins nearby during the Dark Hour, so no one could have knocked on the door as soon as the Dark Hour stopped. It seriously gave off the vibes of the first Full Moon Encounter.

Akihiko cautiously moved towards the door, Mitsuru right behind him with a rapier.

Akihiko opened the door, and what the two saw surprised them both.

In front of them, Ren carried a sleeping Kotone in his arms in a princess carry. While Ren and Kotone seemed alright, it was hard to miss the dried blood and damaged clothes on her.

“Strega attacked, but we managed to push them back,” Ren said, answering the unsaid question. “Kotone needs a bed. While I used some medicine on her, she still collapsed in exhaustion.”

Kotone’s eyes suddenly opened as she suddenly gripped Ren’s shirt. “Sorry, Ren, but I’m perfectly fine. You’re going to explain things now.”

“Kotone?!”

“Don’t think you can run from explaining what the hell just happened.”

“What do you mean?” Yukari asked. The commotion at the front door took everyone’s attention, and they were all looking at the pair now.

“He wasn’t lying about Strega attacking me,” Kotone started, “but he’s been hiding things from us. He had his Tartarus outfit on when he fought them off, he also had a dragon for a Persona, and I think I saw another Persona after that.”

“Is this true, Amamiya?” Mitsuru asked.

Ren sighed. “Yeah, it is.”

“You have a lot of things to explain,” Kotone said, keeping eye contact with Ren.

“I’ll explain everything, so don’t worry. That said, I was pretty sure you were asleep after the fight. When did you wake up?”

“A few blocks back. You were too focused on jumping between rooftops. Don’t change the subject. Drop you me on the couch so you can start explaining, mister.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“How are you okay with this?!” Junpei yelled. “Aren’t you pissed that he’s been hiding shit from us?! Three Personas, that weird transformation, the chance that he’s a criminal?!”

“Because I don’t think Ren’s a bad guy,” Kotone answered, glancing at Junpei as Ren maneuvered through the lobby. “I get not telling us. Everyone’s got secrets they don’t want others to know.”

“Even when he’s been hiding things that could help us?” Yukari asked.

“That’s why he’s going to explain now,” Kotone said as Ren lowered her on the couch, her back facing the main hallway. “Thank you.”

“And what about you, Akechi-san?” Ikutsuki asked. “How are you connected to all this?”

“Like I said,” Akechi glanced at Ikutsuki with a smirk, “Amamiya will take care of the problem.”

“Glad to see your faith in me,” Ren muttered as he sat on the couch opposing Kotone. “Get comfy; this might take a while.”

Akihiko and Shinjiro leaned on the wall behind Ren, monitoring him. Koromaru and Ken stood beside Shinjiro. Yukari and Fuuka sat beside Kotone while Mitsuru, Aigis, and Junpei stood behind the couch. Meanwhile, Akechi and Ikutsuki sat on the single-person couches, not having moved during the entire time.

Ren closed his and drew a large breath, straightening his back. He exhaled and gray eyes stared at the red eyes of the girl right in front of him.

“My name is Amamiya Ren. codename: Joker. I am the leader of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, a vigilante group that changed the hearts of the corrupt. While that is the case, we are also a group of Persona-users in the year 2016. Here’s our story.”

-.-

The Castle of Lust.

The Museum of Vanity.

The Bank of Gluttony.

The Pyramid of Wrath.

The Spaceport of Greed.

The Casino of Envy.

The Cruiser of Pride.

The Prison of Sloth.

The Laboratory of Sorrow.

The Cages of Sin throughout Japan.

Using the Metaverse to go back in time.

Ren’s story was nigh possible to believe.

All around the room were looks of doubt. Shinjiro looked at Ren as if he was crazy. Ikutsuki stared at Ren, starry-eyed.

“You’re actually crazy. You know that, right?” Junpei asked, his tone of disbelief made apparent. “Going back in time, some crap about an app, a guy that could revive the dead... All of that has to be bullshit.”

The story was hardly believable. A different dimension based on the cognition of humanity. Treasures that would change a person. Beings that could change reality as they saw fit.

None of that made sense.

But...

“You experience a 25th hour of the day, fighting black monsters you call Shadows with beings called Persona. Beings, by the way, you summon by shooting yourself on the head,” Akechi refuted. “I hardly believe you have room to say he’s joking.”                    

“You...” Junpei growled.

“Amamiya,” Mitsuru said, her voice cutting through the room. “Was my father’s dream even remotely possible? You used the Metaverse to travel back in time, but would using the Shadows help that?”

Akechi raised an eyebrow at Ren.

“I don’t think so,” Ren said after a moment. “I believe the Shadows are a product of the Collective Unconscious. The power to travel back in time is most likely the same, rather than being a product of the Shadows themselves. I think he looked at the wrong tree in the forest.”

“And what did you think of his plan?”

“I hate it,” Ren answered with a huff. “No one should have the power to control the future. Everyone should have the freedom to decide their own path.”

“Is that not what you’re doing as well?” Ikutsuki asked. “You’ve come back in time to change the past.”

“Maybe,” Ren answered, “but I try not to do it directly. I want to support you guys so you can face the future rather than take it from you. Those living at the time deserve to control their own future, not someone that might disappear before reaching that same future.”

“Ren, what do you mean?” Kotone asked. “Are you going back?”

“More than likely,” Ren said, and Kotone’s face hardened. “At the end of your journey, I'll probably go back.”

“What, so you’re just going to run if everything goes south?” Yukari asked. 

Ren shook his head. “It won’t,” he said with a straight face. “That’s why I’m here. If anything happens, I’ll do my best to support you. And if things take a turn for the worst, I’ll be there until the end.”

“Wait,” Akihiko said behind Ren. “Doesn’t you not knowing about the Dark Hour mean we’ll win? Sounds to me like we’ll destroy Tartarus and the Dark Hour.”

“You’re right...” Fuuka muttered. “If Ren-kun never heard about the Dark Hour before coming here, then the Dark Hour and Tartarus disappeared, or will disappear in this case.”

“Unfortunately, it’s not that simple,” Ren said. “I’ve already confirmed this timeline differs from mine.”

“How?” Yukari asked. “Did something happen?”

Kotone’s eyes slightly widened. “Kurusu Akira… He’s you here, right?” When Ren nodded, she continued. “Your backstory matches up with his. Orphanage, passing down your glasses as it did to you, the eerily similar looks... He’s you but born in Inaba.”

Ren nodded. “You’re very close; just like him, I was born in Inaba, not Tokyo. I only used Tokyo because I know the city very well. The most important parts of my life also happened in the last one to two years in the city, after all.”

“Then,” Ikutsuki began, taking Ren’s attention, “how did you create such a background? I used the Kirijo Group’s channels to find out who you are, and they all lined up. Each place you’ve been in once existed. Who are you working for? Who is supporting you?”

“Let’s just say they’re pretty invested in humanity,” Ren said. “They’re pretty hands-off, but I think that they’re more than willing to help if needed.”

“Can you tell us who they are?” Ikutsuki asked.

Ren shrugged. “Sorry, not in the cards. Like I said, they’re pretty hands-off and I think they’re already helping by sending me here.”

Ikutsuki nodded. “Very well. Moving on, how do you know Akechi-kun? You mentioned no one’s name in your story. However, if Akechi-kun is here, he has to be somewhat connected to the Metaverse, especially when you said he’s supposed to be dead.”

“You actually slipped?” Akechi asked Ren with a glare.

“Hey, dead man walking, remember?”

Akechi shook his head with a scoff before sitting straight. “Considering Amamiya told his side of the story, I suppose I should say my piece before someone else slips up,” he said, glaring at Ren. Ren merely rolled his eyes in response. “If the Phantom Thieves were SEES, then you can consider me Strega.”

“What?!” Akihiko yelled. “You were the Black Mask? Does that mean you actually killed people?”

Akechi stared straight at Akihiko. “And what if I did? Does the answer matter to you?”

“Are you crazy?!”

“Then does that mean you’re ashamed of what you did?” Mitsuru asked with a frown. “Considering you’re dodging the question, after all.”

Akechi shot her a venomous look. “Yes, I’ve killed before.”

“Do you regret any of it?” Akihiko asked.

“I believe I already answered that,” Akechi said with a raised eyebrow.

“Why you-!”

“Don’t lose your head, dumbass!” Shinjiro said, hugging Akihiko before he could punch Akechi.

“Not that it matters,” Akechi said as he leaned back in his chair. “Amamiya held up to his end of his deal; I don’t see a reason to continue anything.”

“What deal?” Kotone asked, glancing at Ren.

Ren raised an eyebrow, but Akechi shrugged. “I didn’t slip.”

Ren sighed and looked at Kotone. “Akechi killed people under the orders of Shido Masayoshi, the man that would have become the Prime Minister of Japan. Akechi would kill any of Shido’s enemies, making them look like accidents.”

“To make Shido look even more impressive,” Akechi interrupted, “someone would then blame these accidents upon said enemies. His enemies would continue to fall while he would rise. With him at the helm, he would eventually rule over Japan.”

“The seventh Palace Ruler...” Fuuka muttered.

“He wanted to use the Metaverse to control all of Japan?” Junpei repeated. “Holy cow...”

“But you beat him,” Kotone said, remembering Ren’s story. “How does Akechi being a criminal and your deal fall into all this?”

“In reality,” Ren continued, “Akechi wanted to kill Shido’s reputation at its highest point, which would humiliate him and bring him crashing down to the ground, a fate worse than death. However, he lost the chance to do so during our excursions in the Palace, even after we convinced him to work together. And so, we made a deal: change Shido’s heart in his stead.”

“In the end,” Akechi said, “Amamiya made good on his side of the deal. He sent Shido to prison when he became Prime Minister. With him gone, I don’t have any orders to kill anyone, nor do I want to do so. And, to clarify, I have no interest in Shido here; he’s not the Shido I’m after.”

“And how can we trust all of that?” Akihiko asked, having calmed down already.

Akechi stared at Akihiko and said, “You can’t. I don’t know you, and you don’t know me. I have no history to pull between us. The only thing you can do is swallow whatever morality you have and accept the situation.”

“What?!”

“What do you think, Ren?” Kotone asked.

“I trust him,” Ren said after a momentary glance at Akechi. “In Maruki’s reality, he confessed to his crimes to keep Shido in prison, even if it meant he would go to prison.”

Akechi narrowed his eyes but said nothing.

“Then,” Mitsuru interjected, “does that mean you’ll take responsibility if something goes wrong?”

Ren agreed with a nod. “If he tries anything, I’ll stop him.”

“We can still get him arrested for murder, can’t we?” Akihiko asked.

Akechi scoffed. “Have you tried thinking about how you would do it? You can’t arrest Strega, who commits crimes using the Dark Hour, making it impossible to prove their crimes. How can you arrest me, someone from the future, for crimes that never even happened? You’d have to talk about the Dark Hour and Tartarus, and I don’t think people would believe you.”

“That reminds me,” Ikutsuki said. “How did you end up in Tartarus? From what you said, the Phantom Thieves stopped you, the Black Mask, in Shido Masayoshi’s Palace. You disappeared after that, only to come back to Maruki’s Palace momentarily. To repeat Ren-kun, you being in Maruki’s reality was more him granting a wish than actually being there. Therefore, something must have happened in Shido’s Palace when it broke down. So, what happened?”

Ren and Akechi stayed quiet for a moment before Ren sighed.

“We’re not entirely sure either,” Ren said. “We don’t understand the Metaverse, even if we used it for quite a bit. What we know is that Palaces are places of distortion used to lock Shadows who grew too egotistical for the god to control. Still, even if the Palace is a separate layer from Mementos, it is part of the Metaverse. Once it disappears, it must have merged with Mementos and the Metaverse, then by extension, the whole Collective Unconscious. With this reasoning, I think that Akechi fell into the Collective Unconscious after the Palace broke.”

“That may explain how Akechi could still be alive,” Ikutsuki said, “but it doesn’t explain how Akechi was in Maruki’s reality.”

“Perhaps, rather than the reviving Akechi, Maruki’s power merely called him back from the Collective Unconscious,” Ren answered. “I don’t think Maruki himself knew what his powers and Persona actually did.”

“You don’t think a god would?” Mitsuru asked.

Akechi barked a sardonic laugh. “Maruki was no god; he was nothing more but a grieving man who grew a god’s complex because he thought his Persona actually healed people.”

“That’s...a very dark interpretation of him, don’t you think?” Yukari asked.

“While l think Akechi could have said it better,” Ren said as he glared at Akechi, “he’s not wrong. What all Maruki wanted to do was help people, even before he got his powers. Things led to one to another, and he lost hope for everything. In the end, he was just a person who lost his way, corrupted by the power he got. It’s because of that he isn’t a god, but just a person.”

“Before, you mentioned the Collective Unconscious,” Ikutsuki commented. “How is this different from the Metaverse? I understand Mementos and Palaces belong in the Metaverse, but I don’t think you’ve ever explained the Collective Unconscious.”

Ren and Akechi shared a glance.

“Then, how did you know to call the things you fight Shadows? How did you know what to call the things you use to fight Persona?” Akechi asked with a tone of incredulity.

“We’re not entirely sure,” Mitsuru answered. “My grandfather named them after he found the Plumes.”

“Kirijo-sama never explained it either,” Ikutsuki added. “And any notes he could have made were lost in the explosion ten years ago.”

“Then, how did you know?” Fuuka asked.

“There was a researcher,” Akechi answered, and Ren flinched. “Her field was related to cognitive pscience. She theorized there was another world connected to someone’s psyche.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because she was Akechi’s first target,” Ren answered, eyes filled with anger. “Her research led Akechi to work under Shido.”

“It stemmed from the Western philosopher Carl Jung,” Akechi continued, ignoring Ren. “After researching the man himself, his philosophy greatly resembled what we faced in the Metaverse.”

“Masks, Shadows, Personas...” Ikutsuki muttered. “Of course, he’d correlate to yours. We Kirijo researchers discarded that path in understanding Shadows because they behaved far too different from what Jung described. However, for you, they would be just as he described. On top of that, the Shadows we face are monsters rather than Personas and we’re missing other things like your Masks. Our Personas are also more forced than simply accepting a part of yourself.”

“Right,” Ren said. “From Jung, we learned a Shadow is a part someone rejects about themself, something people hide from the world. However, doing so is detrimental; after all, you’re rejecting a part of yourself. A Shadow is also the center of your desires. So, what happens when you accept that Shadow? Jung says it becomes a Persona, the Mask you use to protect yourself from the world. Our time in the Metaverse all proves that. When we accept our Personas, we accept our Shadows, embrace our Wills of Rebellion, and receive our masks and outfits to fight back against the world.”

“A bit corny, don’t you think?” Junpei asked.

Ren shrugged. “It is what it is.”

“Then, from your experience,” Ikutsuki said, leaning forward, “what do you think about the Apathy Syndrome?”

“From what I’ve seen, it’s like the mental shutdown from our time with one key difference: a victim of the syndrome is still alive while it’s possible for a shutdown victim to die,” Ren said. “I have first-hand experience with a victim who died and a second-hand account from someone still alive. The latter was left in a coma, similar to a victim of the syndrome.”

“Is there a correlation?” Mitsuru asked.

Ren shook his head. “Nothing concrete. We know that, to cause a shutdown, you have to kill someone’s Shadow. Here, the Apathy Syndrome is caused by a Shadow coming from another person, right?” Ren asked Ikutsuki.

The chairman nodded. “Indeed. That is what our research showed.”

“Then, we can’t really tell if we extrapolate from both our data,” Akechi said. “Assuming the Shadow that leaves the person is that person’s Shadow, the Shadow is still alive, so the victim isn’t experiencing a mental shutdown. We’ve never seen a Shadow ‘leave’ a person, either.”

“And the times we’ve seen a Shadow ‘get taken,’ they were still with the person, so any changes to that Shadow caused a shift to the real person,” Ren added.

“I suppose the two types are far too different to make a comparison then,” Ikutsuki muttered. “Our Shadows are born from the Dark Hour while yours seem to be born from hearts.”

Ren raised an eyebrow. “I don’t think so? There is a definite connection between the two, but we don’t know enough. Shadows are born from ourselves, even here in the Dark Hour. The Dark Hour itself is a piece of the Collective Unconscious.”

“That’s impossible,” Ikutsuki said with a laugh. “The Dark Hour is special. It is its own thing, completely different from the Metaverse and the Collective Unconscious.”

“If the Dark Hour is separate from the Collective Unconscious, then how come I have my Personas, mask, and outfit?” Ren asked. “I have everything that I had before. I even have the cognitive boosts I had in the Metaverse.”

“Cognitive boosts?” Akihiko asked.

“Remember how I get stronger when I have my outfit? It’s because of cognition,” Ren said. “The Metaverse is a world of cognition. So long as people believe in something, it becomes real. If the Shadows and I believe that I’m strong, then I am strong. That’s how I can do things that are inhuman.”

“Another evidence outside that the Dark Hour and the Collective Unconscious are connected,” Akechi said with a sneer, apparently enjoying Ikutsuki’s face of disbelief. “That might actually explain how I ended up in that tower.”

“What do you mean?” Mitsuru asked.

“If the Dark Hour and Metaverse connected through the Collective Unconscious,” Ren muttered, “then did you somehow fall into the Collective Unconscious in Shido’s Palace, then get out through Tartarus?”

“That would be...” Yukari said with a frown.

“...Time travel…” Kotone muttered.

No one could say anything after that. Kirijo Kouetsu was right: it was possible to travel through time using the Shadows. The frowning evidence sat in front of them.

One of them even made it on his own, without any help.

“What are we supposed to do now?” Ken asked.

Yukari’s hands slammed on the table. “I refuse to follow senpai’s grandfather’s words. My dad died trying to stop the Dark Hour and Tartarus, and I’m going to keep doing that.”

“Takeba...” Mitsuru muttered.

“I’m fighting too,” Ken said. “Those Shadows killed my mom. I don’t care about anything else.”

Shinji’s eyes shifted as Akihiko’s face hardened, unseen by anyone.

“That still doesn’t change that our research shows only a few people can have the potential,” Ikutsuki said. “All our research suggests so. Even if everyone you met that went to the Metaverse had the potential, that doesn’t mean everyone else could have.”

“I mean,” Ren said, rubbing the back of his head, “even AI can have Personas. I don’t see how anyone else can’t. So long as you accept the voice in yourself, you can have a Persona.”

 “What voice did you hear?” Ikutsuki asked.

“For the Phantom Thieves, the voice told us something we didn’t truly accept before, that injustice filled the world,” Ren said with glazed eyes. “It forced us to see the truth, that we can’t keep looking away. In the end, it asked us if we were okay with that. And how could we? We were sick and tired of being used for others’ selfish gains. It’s why we created the Phantom Thieves, to fight against corrupt adults and disillusioned people, then give others the courage to fight for themselves.”

“And what about you?” Akihiko asked, glaring at Akechi. “I don’t see how becoming a murderer was about rebelling against people.”

Akechi smirked. “Wouldn’t you want to know?” Mitsuru opened her mouth, but Akechi continued. “But, if you really want to know, mine was about revenge: revenge against the man who wronged me, that I can’t keep looking away from my anger. No one was going to get in my way after that.”

“That’s enough for you?” Akihiko asked with disgust.

Akechi’s smirk grew larger. “Why shouldn’t it be? I’m just accepting that part of myself.”

“Akechi, please stop aggravating him,” Ren said with a sigh. “We’re not trying to start a fight.”

Akechi merely scoffed, but he stopped.

“Does anyone have questions they’d like to ask?” Ren asked everyone. “I think we covered everything I can think of at the moment.”

“I’d like to ask about your thoughts on the usage of Evokers,” Ikutsuki said, “but I can see that everyone’s tension is getting to them. It is rather late.” He glanced at the clock, showing the time was now three in the morning. “I suppose we can keep my questions for now, if no one else has questions?” he asked, looking around the lobby.

It seemed like he was right. Ken was about to doze off while the second-year students began to yawn or blink away their drowsiness. Akihiko still seemed like he wanted to do something about Akechi while Akechi, Mitsuru, and Shinjiro were still alert.

“No,” Mitsuru said with a shake of her head. “I think we should rest for now. We can ask more questions tomorrow.”

The students filtered out of the lobby, Ken and Koromaru first. Kotone stared at Ren before leaving with Yukari and Fuuka. Junpei left, saying nothing.

“I suppose we have to talk about sleeping arrangements for the foreseeable future?” Mitsuru muttered.

Ikutsuki nodded. “Indeed. I think leaving Akechi-kun with Ren-kun would be the best idea?”

Mitsuru glanced at the remaining people and nodded. “I trust Ren enough to keep him in line if anything happens.”

“I’m not a mutt,” Akechi said with a growl.

“Your fault for making an enemy out of everyone,” Ren fired back.

“Then I’ll get an extra futon,” Akihiko said before turning to Shinjiro. “Your room is clean, so you can sleep whenever.”

Shinjiro nodded and immediately left.

Ren sighed as he left with Akechi, Akihiko and Mitsuru trailing them both. He didn’t know what he expected when or what he would be forced to explain himself, but it wasn’t this.

-.-

Kotone laid on her bed after changing to a different set of clothes, too tired to take a quick shower. Too many things happened in the span of a few hours, and it drained her. So, here she was, resting on her bed.

Still, even if her body was too tired, her mind continued to process the day. She felt more thankful for her insomnia now more than ever before. Well, maybe not. It felt like it helped her wake up after Ren used his Persona on her.

Ren...

It turned out she didn’t really know him, didn’t she? Even if she felt so close to him, he never told her the truth about him. The times they spent together, the July Full Moon Operation, their heart-to-heart in Yakushima... How much of those were actually him? Was the Ren she learned the real Ren?

Ren never mentioned it, but would it be possible for him to just go back in time to when there was another problem with Shadows? That made little sense. Was there something else? On top of that, he had the power of multiple Personas and Igor said she had the same power because of the Wildcard. Is it possible he has the same?

Wait... Igor also said the Velvet Room existed between dream and reality, mind and matter. For some reason, the others can’t see it even if they were right in front of it. She stopped asking the others about it because no one reacted to it. But what if Ren can see it? Is he related to the Velvet Room? The only Wildcard she knows is her, and that power feels deeply linked to the Velvet Room. Maybe they helped him against Yaldabaoth during his time and that’s how he knew about it. Still, why would the Velvet Room send him? What is it because she’ll fail?

They never trusted her, did they? They knew she’d fail without help. Was she this bad as a Guest?

No, it doesn’t matter whether Ren’s here or if Igor knew she would succeed. Whatever happens, happens. Just react like before: smile, bear, and be quiet.

If they stop the Dark Hour, great. If they don’t, that’s okay, too.

After all, everyone lies, even her. It exhausts her to keep that upbeat personality whenever she’s with someone. She made friends only to strengthen herself. She has no reason to fight during the Dark Hour except that her senpai made her leader.

Nothing about her is real.

So then, why does learning Ren kept secrets hurt her so much?

-.-Take Your Time-.-

8/7 - Morning - Iwatodai Dorm - 3rd POV

“Oh, you’re awake,” Akihiko said as he saw Ren making breakfast. “I didn’t think you’d be up already.”

Ren shrugged. “It doesn’t matter what secret gets out; the world keeps turning. That means people get hungry. Considering we have two new people, and with the people here that have monsters for stomachs, I thought I should get up bright and early.”

“That’s for sure,” Akihiko said with a laugh. “What do we have for today?”

“Pancakes,” Ren said, turning around to give Akihiko a stacked plate of pancakes. “I thought that a sweeter breakfast might help pick up the mood.”

“Thanks,” Akihiko said, taking the plate, “and true; I’m starving. Sucks that there’s no protein, but I’ll take it easy for today.”

For a few minutes, silence reigned between them, broken only by the griddle’s occasional sizzle.

“Senpai,” Ren called, taking Akihiko’s attention. “Are you okay? After everything you learned last night, that is.”

Akihiko chewed on his food for a moment in silence. “How are you okay with Akechi?”

Ren turned around to face him. “What do you mean?”

“From what you said, the Phantom Thieves worked with him,” Akihiko said. “But he intentionally killed people. I’d understand if he didn’t, but...”

Ren plopped another batch of batter on the griddle before turning around to answer. “Because he’s pretty similar to me.”

Akihiko’s face of disbelief almost made Ren laugh if it wasn’t for the atmosphere. “How is he similar to you? You’re not a murderer.”

“How do you know that?” Ren asked with a raised eyebrow. “For all you know, I could be lying; I could be a murderer.”

“You came back with Kotone yesterday instead of leaving her for dead,” Akihiko said, before taking another piece and swallowing. “I think that counts for something.”

Ren flipped the current batch of pancakes before answering, “The same system that abused my friends and me abused him, too. The only difference was that I had friends when he didn’t. No one was there to tell him to stop, to hold him back. He lived for nothing but his revenge, while my friends reminded me there was more. By the time we realized it was Shido who sent me to juvie, all I could think about was stopping him, not killing him for what he did to me.”

“Do you forgive him?”

“Never,” Ren answered immediately. “The system may have wronged him, but it was his prerogative to kill all those people. He killed too many people and hurt some of my closest friends. I could never forgive him.”

“Then why work with him at all?” Akihiko asked. “He hurt you and your friend, and you can’t just forgive and forget.”

“Because I want to give him a second chance,” Ren said, turning around. “That’s what the Phantom Thieves do. I know he’s crass, sarcastic, and likes to argue, but he tried to do something good before he disappeared. I’d like to bet on that side of him still being there.”

Akihiko chewed slowly, forming his own thoughts, and swallowed. “Has anyone said you’re way too optimistic?” When Ren raised an eyebrow, he continued. “Instead of telling us a lie last night, you told us about something even more out there. Time travel, different dimensions, gods; that kind of stuff. Now, you’re telling me about trying to get something good from a murderer who killed people for a few years? And you expect us to believe all that?”

“Not at all,” Ren said. “Everything I’ve experienced has been fantastical, so far out of the norm, I can hardly blame you for not believing me.”

“And yet, you said it, anyway. I’ll believe you,” Akihiko said. “You helped us out so far. The least I can do is at least believe in you.”

Ren let out a sigh and smile. “Thanks. You won’t regret it.”

“What about you?” Akihiko asked. “You met Shinjiro before, right?”

Ren nodded. “Back in April, if I remember right. What about him?”

“You don’t have questions?”

“I do,” Ren said, “but I don’t know if I’m in the position to ask because, you know.”

Akihiko chuckled. “I’m fine with it so long as you don’t push it.”

“Then,” Ren said after a hum, “who is he? It’s pretty clear you and Mitsuru-senpai are pretty close to him.”

“He’s my brother,” Akihiko said. “We came from the same orphanage, so we’ve been together since. Things happened, so he left.”

“But he ended up coming last night. Is he...?”

“Staying to fight?” Akihiko said, completing his sentence. “Not sure. I didn’t really ask.”

Ren grunted in understanding. “Then, how did he know where we were?”

Akihiko coughed. “I told him...”

Ren squinted his eyes at him. “Does Mitsuru-senpai know?”

“Yeah,” Akihiko said. “She knows I told him about it.”

“Why tell him at all?” Ren asked. “I don’t really see a reason you would.”

“That’s because I want him to get back into fighting,” Akihiko answered. “I just tell him, hoping he’d come back whenever he wants to.”

“I see...” Ren muttered. “What about one last question?”

“Shoot.”

“Is he okay with pancakes?”

Akihiko smiled. “So long as it’s not too sweet.”

The two heard someone walking down the staircase. Akechi turned towards the kitchen and froze, his eyes stuck on the breakfast on the table.

Akechi glared at Ren with a face of disgust and said, “I hate you.”

Ren merely smirked and passed him a plate.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

8/7 - Dark Hour - Command Room - Ren

“So... uh, why does Akihiko seem angry?” Yukari asked, glancing at Akihiko. Ken, Junpei, and she arrived in the command room but noticed the irritated atmosphere coming from Akihiko. Meanwhile, Ren, Akechi, and Kotone sat on the opposite side, putting as much space between them and Akihiko.

Kotone shook her head with a smirk and a huff, side-eyeing Ren. “It’s for a really dumb reason.”

“What do you mean?” Ken asked. “I haven’t seen him all day. Was he out because of it?”

Ren rubbed the back of head, embarrassed. “Akechi hates his pancakes and-“

“And you made pancakes this morning,” Ken continued. “Why would you make something he doesn’t like?”

“Alright, it’s not that he hates pancakes,” Ren corrected. “Pancakes just remind him of something unpleasant for him, so he doesn’t like it.”

“I hate sweets, Amamiya,” Akechi corrected. “Pancakes are sweets.”

“Pancakes are an exception,” Ren whispered to Ken. “Notice how he hates sweets, not pancakes?”

“Did the two fight?” Yukari asked, ignoring the children.

“No,” Shinjiro said from behind them, coming into the room with Mitsuru. “But it’s still stupid; it’s like dealing with a kid.”

“I’m not a kid,” Akihiko said. “And I am not angry. Exasperated is the better word.”

“Enough to go out for the entire day?” Shinjiro asked with a deadpan face.

“You didn’t see his face when he saw the food, Shinji,” Akihiko said. “You’d be like me if you were there.”

“Did you mean to do it?” Kotone asked, whispering to Ren.

“Not really,” he answered. “I knew everyone either liked it or was okay with it. I didn’t think Akihiko would hold a grudge over food like this. It was just a prank for Akechi, a way to get back at him.”

Kotone raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t know you were this petty.”

“Less of being petty and more of a ‘Welcome Back to the Living’ kind of thing,” Ren said with a shrug.

Akechi huffed. “And what a way to say it, Amamiya. It’s not like this is the first time, either.”

Kotone stared at Ren, waiting for an explanation. However, Ren shrugged again.

“I’ll explain later.”

“You better not,” Akechi snarled.

Ren opened his mouth to say something, but the doors opened and Ikutsuki entered the room.

“I’m very sorry I’m late,” Ikutsuki said. “I had to prepare some things.”

Ren tilted his head, and he saw a familiar briefcase. It seemed like Ikutsuki and he had the same idea.

Everyone took their seats or remained standing up. Ren sat next to Kotone and Aigis while Akechi stood behind him. Akihiko sat opposite them while Fuuka, Ken, and Koromaru sat next to him. Junpei, Yukari, and Shinjiro stood behind them. Mitsuru and Ikutsuki sat on the single-person chair in the room.

“Thank you again for meeting up on short notice,” Ikutsuki began. “Considering last night’s reveal, I took the initiative and prepared things for this meeting.” He placed the briefcase on the table and opened it. Yukari gasped and Akihiko growled, though Ren couldn’t say he didn’t see it coming.

Inside the briefcase was an Evoker, and everyone knew whose it was for.

Ren glanced at Mitsuru and noted the lack of surprise on her face, eyeing Akechi.

“This meeting is to formally invite you, Akechi Goro, to the Specialized Extracurricular Extermination Squad,” Ikutsuki said. “You’ve seen us in action, but we exist to-“

“Not interested.”

Akechi stood up, ignoring everyone’s stares.

“W-wait,” Ikutsuki said, reaching out to him. “We’d like your help. We understand that Ren-kun is strong, but the more people we have, the better.”

Akechi smirked. “Oh, you don’t have to worry about that. Amamiya is strong enough for this.”

“Don’t you care about the people getting hurt about this?” Yukari said. “Didn’t you fight to save everyone from that Maruki guy?”

Akechi stared at her, then sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Idiots, I’m surrounded by idiots,” he muttered. He stared again at her and said, “Let me make something clear: I don’t care about the faceless idiots out there. The reason I fought with the Phantom Thieves against Maruki was because he, a depressed madman, had the power to warp reality. He took away my choices. I will not lay down on the side like a dog.” Yukari stammered, trying to say something, but Akechi turned around. “That said, I’m leaving. I’m done with all this Persona bullshit.”

As he reached out for the door, Ren stood up.

“I don’t think you are, Akechi.”

Akechi froze on the spot. “Would you mind explaining in detail?” he growled.

“You and I both know you’re not,” Ren repeated. “That’s why you were in the bunker last night.”

“And how does me being there mean I’m not done with Personas?” Akechi asked, now fully facing Ren.

Ren stood up behind the couch, all eyes on him. “Because you and I know that voice last night wasn’t just some voice. It was your Persona. You listened to it and decided to follow it.”

“On a whim,” Akechi growled.

“And you had a chance to actually disappear,” Ren said, pushing on. “You could have disappeared during the Dark Hour, and no one here would have been able to track you. You could be in a new city with a new identity by now. And yet, you listened to your Persona and ended up meeting up with us.”

“Don’t you dare gaslight me, Amamiya,” Akechi growled, stepping towards Ren.

Ren shook his head. “I’m not; your own actions are speaking for yourself.”

Akechi ground his teeth and spun around.

“If that’s not enough,” Ren said, “then what about cashing in on two favors?”

Again, Akechi froze and glanced at Ren. Though, now, his face showed total confusion. “What favors?”

Ren held up a finger. “We made a deal to change Shido’s heart in your stead. We did that, and we sent him to jail.”

“One I repaid by taking your place in prison back on Christmas,” Akechi said with a frown.

Ren really wanted to smirk but bit the feeling down. Smirking now would only make Akechi even more tense.

“But that happened in Maruki’s reality. What do you think happened when we took it down?” he asked.

“The reality never...happened...” Akechi’s eyes lit up with realization. “That means I never went to prison.”

Ren nodded. “And I went instead,” he said, putting up a second finger. “Two favors, and I’m cashing them both now.”

Akechi looked at him in befuddlement. “Why?”

“Do you really think I’d let you out of my sight?” Ren said. “I honestly don’t think you’d go around killing again, but I know I’m the only person here you know, and you’d rather die than ask for a stranger’s help.”

“I don’t-“

“You were always alone back then, and that’s how you ended up being a murderer. Here, at least I’m here to stop you from going on the deep end,” Ren said with a sigh.

Akechi glared at him with a snarl. “I don’t need your pity.”

“It’s not about pity, it’s about second chances,” Ren countered. “That’s what we Phantom Thieves do.”

Akechi shook his head and sighed. “Fine,” he said with force. “However, if this is going to work, I want to make some things clear.” He looked at the rest of the people in the room, letting his eyes wander and meet their eyes for a moment. “I don’t trust any of you. I’m not here to fight your cause, nor to be a good guy and save people. I’m only here because I dislike letting debts be unpaid.”

“Wha-“ Junpei yelled out.

“If, at any point,” Akechi continued, “I feel you’re dragging me behind or hesitating on a decision, I have no qualms about leaving you all behind to do what needs to be done. I hope that is clear enough.” His eyes shifted towards Ikutsuki and Mitsuru. “I also have what I believe to be basic demands if I am to live with others, mainly IDs. I can’t go around living here without never existing, can I?”

Ikutsuki smiled, as if everything went according to plan. “Of course! We can talk more about those demands after this meeting. Now that you’re a part of SEES, you will require this: your own Evoker. I understand you can summon your own Persona your own way like Ren-kun, but more choices don’t hurt. Do you know how to use it?”

Akechi nodded and approached Ikutsuki.

“Now, to use it, you-“

Akechi grabbed the Evoker, lifted his head, and, without blinking, moved the Evoker to under his jaw. Glass broke and Hereward floated behind him, its cold eyes settling on Akechi.

“He... He didn’t even hesitate...” Yukari stammered out, her eyes moving between Akechi and the new Persona.

Ren narrowed his eyes at Akechi. Yukari was right; Akechi was far too callous with his first time with an Evoker. No hesitation. Was Akechi...?

Ren shook his head. This wasn’t something that he should think about right now. Maybe later when they could talk again.

Akechi hummed, narrowing his eyes at Hereward.

“Is something wrong?” Mitsuru asked.

Akechi shook his head. “Nothing to worry about. If you’re worried about my ability to fight, don’t.”

Mitsuru nodded. “Then I believe it’s a good time to plan the next Tartarus excursion. Our new members have experience fighting Shadows, so I believe we should start exploring tomorrow night. Your thoughts, Shiomi?”

Kotone hummed in thought, her elbow on her knees. “I think we can go in a couple of days. Akechi-san, Aragaki-senpai, are you ready tomorrow?”

Shinjiro only nodded.

“Like I said,” Akechi answered, “don’t worry about me; I can take care of myself.”

Kotone smiled and nodded at Mitsuru. “Sounds like we’re set.”

“Alright!” Junpei yelled. “With all that doom and gloom stuff out, it’s time to party! Summer is here!”

“Yes, it is,” Mitsuru said with a small smirk. Ren found it chilling; she never usually does that. “Enjoy your vacation while you can; summer classes start on the tenth.”

“H-Hey... Good one, senpai,” Junpei said, laughing nervously. “You almost had me there.”

“I... Uh... I don’t think she’s joking, Junpei...” Ren said.

Mitsuru nodded. “It’s no joke. I’ve signed us all up for intensive courses. I know how difficult it’s been, balancing school and our late-night excursions; you haven’t had much time to study. For that, I apologize. That’s why the Chairman agrees this is a good idea. Though... I thought I told Takeba and Yamagishi.”

“Are you serious?!” Junpei screamed. “This is the first time I’ve heard of it!”

“Sorry...” Fuuka muttered, slightly sinking into the sofa. “I forgot to mention it.”

“It’s okay, Fuuka,” Junpei said, wiping off an imaginary tear.

“Hey, even if your grades improved a bit, you still need help!” Yukari said. “You should be thanking her!”

“I know,” Junpei said with a sigh. “This sucks.”

Kotone chuckled at his antics. “It’s okay, Junpei. You’re not alone on this; it’s the first I heard of it, too.”

“How long are summer classes?”

“It’s only for a week,” Fuuka said with a smile. “It’s just supplementary lessons, so they won’t teach new things.”

“Oh, thank you!” Junpei yelled with a fist pump. “Summer is still on the table!”

-.-Take Your Time-.-

8/8 - After Midnight - Ikutsuki’s Office - Ikutsuki

“To summarize, Akechi Goro is now working with SEES, though he has some demands. Shinjiro-kun is also taking part again,” Ikutsuki said over the phone.

On the other side of the call, Takeharu hummed. “And what are Akechi’s demands?”

“Just some basic needs for someone without an identity,” Ikutsuki said, sandwiching his phone as he sifted through papers. He found what he looked for and read it. “‘Passport, some other IDs, and boarding in the dorm. He also mentioned something about some sort of security number, but I don’t think we have that yet.”

“Did those two truly come from the future?” Takeharu asked.

He nodded, even if he knew Takeharu couldn’t see it. “Yes. I looked at this Kurusu Akira - the Amamiya Ren of our reality - and other than being in Inaba, his story is the same as Ren-kun. Should we ask them for more evidence? Perhaps we could use that to-“

“No,” Takeharu immediately answered. “I refuse to use information from the future for our gains. I would not differ from my own father.”

Still the useless son, I see. Koetsu is rolling in his grave right now.

Ikutsuki sighed in relief. “Glad to hear it, Takeharu. We can’t make the same mistakes as our predecessors. What do you want to do now?”

“I’ll need to think about that for a while,” Takeharu responded. “It took me years to get used to the Dark Hour, and now I’m learning about time travelers. I’ll let you know what I plan to do. At the very least, I want to talk to them face-to-face. I’d like to hear the truth directly.”

“Of course,” Ikutsuki said. “And what of Akechi-kun’s demands?”

“Give them to him. The support of another Persona user is invaluable, more so from one with experience.”

“Are you not disturbed by his crimes?” Ikutsuki asked. If Ikutsuki was a lesser man, Akechi might have disturbed him. But, as the one who will bring about the Fall, one single murderer is nothing to fear.

“Amamiya trusts him enough, so I’ll trust him for now.”

Ikutsuki blinked. “Aren’t you trusting Ren-kun too much?”

Takeharu made an uncommitted hum on the other side of the phone. “Perhaps. I can’t explain it, but I feel that I can trust Amamiya.”

And this is only after a single meeting. I heard that Takeharu and Ren had a private meeting. What happened there? Did Amamiya change Takeharu’s heart somehow? That would be impossible; the Metaverse doesn’t exist. But... If the Metaverse and Dark Hour are connected through this Collective Unconscious...

No, that’s impossible. The Dark Hour is separate, a whole different dimension. Something like the Metaverse can’t compare to it.

“Well, I trust your judgment, Takeharu. You are the one who got the Kirijo Group out of the biggest scandal the company had and probably will have,” Ikutsuki said. “Is there anything you’d like to ask about?”

Takeharu hummed and said, “No, I don’t think so. Thank you, Ikutsuki, for telling me. That will be all.”

“Have a good night, Takeharu,” Ikutsuki said and ended the call.

Takeharu was truly an idiot, to trust someone so quickly and to never even doubt Ikutsuki. For someone that looked distrustful and is quite a ferocious entrepreneur, he is far too trusting.

Still, that wasn’t what he should ponder about.

It’s been proven time travel is real. Should he pursue it in exchange for the Fall? Abandon all the work he did for the past decade to achieve Koetsu’s original dream?

Ikutsuki shook his head.

There was nothing to question. Even if time travel for the benefit of mankind was Koetsu’s original dream, Ikutsuki didn’t follow him because of that. He accepted Koetsu’s invitation because he agreed with his plans for the Fall. The power of Shadows was a marvelous sight to behold, to see the Prince arrive once again to deliver judgment upon the world would be euphoric.

Chapter Text

8/8 - Paulownia Mall - Night - Kotone

"So, you're here again, kid?" Mutatsu asked, eyeing Kotone as she sat down in front of him. "Even Buddha's not that forgiving. Alright, that's it. I'm gonna hand you over to the bouncer and- wait." He frowned with a sigh. "Buddha doesn't exist."

Kotone couldn't help but smile at Mutatsu. For a monk, he was worldly, or at least had his feet solidly on the ground, which was weird.

"So tell me," Mutatsu said, staring straight at Kotone, "is it fun pesterin' an old monk like me whose own wife and kid left him? How come you're always alone when I see ya? Don'tcha got any friends, kid?"

"I can't say I don't," Kotone said with a nervous laugh. How was she supposed to explain her closest set of friends, if they could be called that, were more like co-workers? How was she supposed to explain to her more normal set of friends they were just to help strengthen herself? When the Dark Hour ends and Kotone graduates from high school, then she'll lose contact with everyone here, just like all the other places she's been.

Mutatsu's frown went deeper. "What do you mean you can't say you don't? Either ya do or ya don't. Can't gimme a straight answer?" He sighed again and spoke with a slightly calmer tone, "What's a 'friend' to you? Where do you draw the line between 'friend' and 'not friend'?

"Why don't we define it first? Let's define 'friend' as..." Mutatsu trailed off, thinking of something. "As someone you hold dear. True friendship is seen through the heart, kid, not the eyes. People always want somethin' in a relationship. They only really love themselves. You don't call someone who doesn't like you your friend, do ya? No, you don't, cuz you know you won't get nothin' from him, right?"

Kotone felt that Mutatsu was just ranting at this point, but she couldn't stop him when she knew exactly what he was talking about.

"Which means," Mutatsu kept on, "in this world, there's no one you can hold dear. At the end of the lonely road of love, kid, you're the only one left standin' there. Get any of that?"

"I can see why people call for you when they want a monk," Kotone said with a smile. "You can take control of a room really well."

Mutatsu snorted. "Well, I've done it for a while, so I have the experience. Anyway kid, get movin'; you look like you're gonna doze off any second now. You're gonna come back again anyway, even if I tell you not to, right?"

Kotone nodded, rising from her seat. Before she took the staircase down to the main floor, Mutatsu called after her.

"Don't forget what I said! Everyone's out for themselves. Best be careful."

Kotone smiled tiredly, waving her hand.

How could she forget? She was doing the exact thing to all her 'friends'.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

8/8 - Tartarus - Dark Hour - Kotone

"So, this is Tartarus," Akechi said, looking up at the tower's height. "Have there been attempts at scaling it? I'd assume you have, yes?"

Mitsuru nodded. "Correct, though any attempts were blocked off by the tower itself."

"So, it either has some defense mechanism, or it is alive," Akechi pondered, then glanced at Ren. "Much like Mementos, no?"

"Already made the comparison," Ren said in agreement. "Still, I don't know what keeps it running. The Metaverse is the world of cognition, so it was easy to say that cognition changed it. The Dark Hour, however..."

"What was it like?" Kotone asked. She couldn't imagine what the Metaverse was like. While no one controlled the Dark Hour, it seemed like the Metaverse was controllable if Ren and Akechi told the truth about Shido Masayoshi.

"Mementos is always changing," Ren answered. "There was no point in using a map because each floor differed from the last, even if we went back to the same floor. Even weather in the real world affected Mementos; if there was a lot of pollen that day, then Shadows could be sick. On the other hand, the Palaces were more constant because they were based on the cognition of a single person rather than a collective."

"That's how Tartarus is on random days," Fuuka said.

"We try not to risk Tartarus on those days," Kotone said. Those days were random. Sure, they found a lot of money the first time they found out. Still, the Shadows were stronger than normal, and they occasionally lost connection with Fuuka and light until they reached the next floor. "Having sick Shadows sounds so nice to have."

Ren laughed, and Kotone's heart clenched. "Very true. We always tried to push for those days since they were usually a plus. Still, there were times when floors were extremely dark, so it wasn't always nice. Having a car where everyone was inside helped a lot during our trips."

"Are we going to continue reminiscing about the past, or will we start the reason we're here for?" Akechi asked. "I thought that we had limited time."

Ren coughed, looking sheepish. "Right, sorry about that."

The team stepped into Tartarus, and both Ren and Akechi erupted in blue flames. Ren's outfit looked just the same, but Akechi gave Kotone whiplash. It was a tight outfit with stripes of blue and black. He had clawed gauntlets and a ripped, short, black cape. On top of that, his mask wasn't even a mask; it was a beak-shaped helmet.

"That's your get-up?" Junpei asked.

"And what of it?" Akechi asked with a smirk. "Not as nice as Amamiya's, isn't it?"

"If this is your idea of rebellion, then no wonder you-" Junpei muttered before Yukari elbowed him.

"Wearing that one, eh?" Ren asked with a smirk.

"Are we doing this bit again?" Akechi said with a scoff, though Kotone could see a small smirk on his face. "There's no reason for me to uphold the pretense of a righteous, sincere Detective Prince, especially since no one knows him anymore."

"Wait, people called you that?" Yukari asked with an incredulous look.

"We all have public personas," Akechi answered with a shrug. "Enough chit-chat. Are we here to explore or not?"

"Right!" Kotone exclaimed. "Just like we discussed earlier, the first team will be Mitsuru-senpai, Ren, Akechi-san, and me. The second will be Yukari, Junpei, and Aigis with me. Shinjiro-san, Akihiko-senpai, Ken-kun, and Koro-chan will close it out for today."

Kotone discussed the teams with Mitsuru earlier. Ren promised he would stop Akechi if anything would happen. If Akechi could fight an entire team of Persona users, then he was definitely stronger than the rest of SEES. Sure, numbers would help, but Mitsuru convinced her they'd rather go with quality. Ken and Koromaru were far too inexperienced, so they'd be easy targets. Junpei and Yukari, while more experienced, were still not strong enough. Shinjiro just came back, so he had to be eased in while Akihiko... He probably couldn't focus on the fight when he didn't trust Akechi.

"Hey," Junpei piped up. "So, we know Ren has other Personas. Do you think you can show it? No one here has seen it before."

Ren glanced at Kotone, and she shrugged. It wasn't up to her if he wanted to show it to everyone.

Ren closed his eyes as his mask disappeared in blue flames. Behind him, Fafnir came to reality, its metallic sheen reflecting the light of Tartarus. Everyone held their breath as they stared at the lanky dragon. It was bigger than anyone else's Persona, matched only by some of the Floor Guardians.

"This is Fafnir," Ren said, pointing to the Persona. "He's one of the last Personas I got and easily one of my most powerful ones."

"What the hell..." Junpei muttered.

"Fafnir, as in the Norse dragon that Sigurd killed?" Mitsuru asked, her eyes not leaving the Persona. "I can certainly see the heart."

"I think so? I thought it was Siegfried," Ren answered as he tilted his head. "It's been a while since I searched up its legend." Ren closed his eyes, his mask came back to his face, and Fafnir disappeared. "Still, we are on borrowed time. Shouldn't we start going up?"

"Right!" Kotone yelled out excitedly. "I can't wait to see your Personas in action!"

Ren smiled. "Just this one time, yeah? You guys won't get stronger if I keep using my stronger Personas to fight."

"We'd like to see what it's capable of," Mitsuru said. "To see how strong we need to be in the future."

"Fuuka'll keep an eye on things," Akihiko said, and Fuuka vigorously nodded. "If anything happens, we're rushing in."

Mitsuru frowned. "And what if you get lost in Tartarus?"

"We'll at least be on the same floor," Akihiko stubbornly answered. "You're not changing my mind on this, Mitsuru."

She closed her eyes and sighed. "Very well, though I don't see a reason you should. I trust Amamiya to stop him."

Kotone glanced at Akechi, who snorted. There was no need to say his name; everyone knew why Akihiko was on edge.

The four said their goodbyes and entered the gate at the top of the staircase, arriving on Floor 89. All around them, Tartarus continued to move around, ever shifting. As usual, the gate blocking the next floor was gone.

"So, it seems Tartarus truly has no defined shape," Akechi said, observing all around him. "How similar to Mementos; it's always changing at the edges of my sight, though the floor we currently stand on is static. The similarities only keep piling on."

"Hey Ren, do you mind if you lead the exploration team for a few floors?" Kotone asked. She wanted to see how different his leadership style was, how the Phantom Thieves fought. If past experience said anything, Ren and Akechi fought with far more movement, something Kotone could learn from.

Ren raised an eyebrow but shrugged. "Sure, we can do that. I'll take point. Akechi, you're not rusty, are you?"

Akechi smirked in response. "Maruki was only yesterday for me. I'm wondering if you can even keep up with me, considering you haven't done any Phantom Thief work recently."

The two took point as the group entered the next floor. At a crossroads, they slinked into the Shadows while Kotone and Mitsuru stood back, observing them.

"Incoming Shadow at nine," Akechi muttered. "Seems to be coming our way."

"Another at two," Ren responded. "We take mine; it's turned around."

Akechi immediately turned towards the right corridor, and they both lept from shadow to shadow. They moved quickly and silently, with the only noise coming from Kotone and Mitsuru's footsteps trying to catch up to them.

It made little sense of how they were so fast and quiet. Was this part of the cognition thing they talked about, their cognition as thieves giving them benefits to what the public thinks of thieves?

Isn't that...stupidly strong?

Whatever Kotone thought, it didn't change that Ren and Akechi reached the Shadow from the back. Ren jumped on top of it and yelled, "Show me your true form!" He slashed as he fell from above and the Shadow blob split in half, coalescing back into its real form, a stone hand with a sword.

"It's a new Shadow!" Fuuka said in their heads. "Please wait while I scan for a weakness!"

"No time to wait!" Akechi said.

As Ren jumped back from the Shadow, Arsene appeared behind him and used Dream Needle. The attack hit the enemy, putting it to sleep.

Without warning, Akechi screamed, "Come, Hereward!" His Persona appeared in blue flames, slightly hovering by his side. It began pelting the Shadow with arrows, and it staggered down, clearly awake. Akechi clicked his tongue, clearly annoyed at something. "Again!" Hereward launched the same attack, finally killing the Shadow.

Mitsuru and Kotone could only look at the aftermath, slowly digesting what they had just saw.

They moved swiftly, quietly, and efficiently. They attacked before the Shadow could turn around or take notice. They didn't waste any time taking down the enemy. They didn't even communicate; they knew what the other would do.

Akechi yelled out there was no need to wait because he knew Ren would inflict an ailment on the Shadow. It was his job to take it down for the follow-up.

Was this how they usually fought? What sort of enemies did they face that carved them to be such capable fighters?

Was this what Ren expected out of them in the future? SEES had their work cut out for them.

"So, you too, huh?" Ren said, breaking Kotone from her trance.

Akechi huffed. "Like I said, it won't affect my performance."

"Nothing wrong with being weaker than before," Ren said. "Same thing happened with my Arsene."

"Was Hereward meant to be stronger?" Mitsuru asked.

Ren nodded. "Let's just say Akechi almost beat the Phantom Thieves with the Persona that Hereward evolved from."

"Evolution?" Mitsuru repeated. "That's never been recorded before."

Ren shrugged. "In terms of forms, Personas are the power of the heart. If a person grows, then their Persona grows with them. As a person comes to a realization, then their Persona evolves with them."

"Just means you can only go up," Kotone said to Akechi with a smile.

Akechi glared at her before turning away. "It doesn't matter. Let's keep moving, or are we going to stay here being sappy?"

Kotone's eye twitched. This guy is going to be a total pain to work with, but that's okay. They just need to explore for today before they stop.

She received a pat on the back. She turned around, showing it was Ren who patted her.

"Don't worry about him," he said. "His Persona is important to him. Losing power like that really sucks."

"Did you face the same issue?" she asked, and he nodded.

"Arsene was way stronger before I came here, but it doesn't really matter. As you said, it just means I can only go up," Ren said with a smile. "He's getting a lot of other skills that makes me excited to see what's next."

"Like what?"

Ren hummed and said, "I'll tell you later. There's been a bunch of changes since."

And just like that, the team ran through the floors faster than before. Ren and Akechi lept, slashed, and attacked from every angle, almost like acrobats. However, compared to the first fight, Ren slowed down their pace considerably, letting Fuuka record enemy attributes while also allowing Kotone and Mitsuru to fight. If there were enemies close by, Ren would use status ailments to take down the current enemy before another could help. If they were alone, then he'd let Fuuka, Mitsuru, and her to take part for experience. While Fuuka scanned the enemy, Mitsuru and she would take potshots at the enemy, trying to get the enemy's weaknesses. It certainly helped with the lull in battles. Though, Akechi grumbled about the slowdown.

If there was one thing that could be better, it would be Akechi's griping. Everything he did required a click of his tongue or growl right after, clearly not happy about his performance, even if he was doing way better than half the team. Ah well, it's his first outing, and he'll have to get used to it, whether or not he likes it. By the time they reached the first boss, which they did in record time, the team still had the energy to fight. With no reason to switch the team around, Kotone opted to fight with the same people and maintain the momentum.

The enemy this time was a Magus variant. Unfortunately, it tanked a ton of their attacks, even when they figured out its Fire weakness. Even worse, Kotone has done little with getting better skills or Personas since she prepared for the last Full Moon Operation, so her Fire skills were on the weaker side. On top of that, her Fire Persona was weak to Ice skills, which this Shadow had a lot of. Even worse...

"It's charging up again!" Akechi yelled out.

"Get ready to dodge!" Kotone commanded, and she mentally switched from Orthrus to Sarasvati.

Everyone stopped attacking and glared at the Shadow, ready for anything.

The Shadow roared, and it flooded the entire room with ice. Everyone jumped back, but it caught someone.

"Dammit!" Akechi yelled, tripping as ice quickly encased his leg.

The momentary lapse in focus was more than enough for the Shadow.

Akechi's eyes widened as the Shadow capitalized on its prey's opening and unleashed a massive block of ice, knocking him down. Before the Shadow could fully finish Akechi off, Arsene attacked its side with One-Shot Kill. While it pushed the Shadow off, it resisted the damage, only showing a scratch.

"Are you okay?!" Ren asked.

"Fuck that! I'm done with this shit! Out of my way!" Akechi roared as red and black energy surrounded him.

"Akechi, wait!" Ren yelled before the wind picked up, forcing Kotone to shield her eyes.

She felt the wind die down after a few seconds, and she felt the atmosphere changed. The air was damp and humid, making breathing harder to do. And...

Kotone felt the rain hit her, and she opened her eyes.

"No way..."

Somehow, they were outside of Tartarus, standing somewhere on the rooftops in the middle of a light drizzle. But that's impossible; the weather forecast didn't say anything about rain soon, much less in the middle of the night. On top of that, it never rained in Tartarus nor during the Dark Hour. Even then, the skyline doesn't look quite like anywhere in Tatsumi Port Island.

"How is this possible..." she heard Mitsuru mutter.

Kotone felt the same way. What did Akechi do?

Kotone began searching for Ren and Akechi on the rooftops, despite the sounds of pitter-patters of the drizzle. Luckily, Akechi screeching his heart out made it easier to find the two. Just ahead of them, a red and black aura surrounded Akechi while Ren stood by him, scowling but perfectly fine. In front of them, across the rooftop, was the Shadow. Weirdly enough, Shadow was further from the two before when they were still in Tartarus.

Akechi roared again, his mask's eyes glowing red, and ran right towards the Shadow. Kotone heard Ren call out to him before following right after, using his hook to jump above Akechi. Before the Shadow could get its bearings and focus on one person, he twirled his knife at the apex of his jump, and with a firm grip, he brought it down right above the Shadow. With it stunned, he quickly somersaulted back, and Akechi surged forward underneath him with a screech. He slashed at the Shadow like a feral animal, using his sword and claws to quickly lay a barrage of cuts on the enemy.

"You little shit!" With one more roar, Akechi brought his sword down with both hands and ripped right through the enemy.

The Shadow fell down to its knees, or where there should be, and Ren suddenly appeared right behind it, his gun aimed at its head. With cold eyes, he pulled the trigger, and the Shadow dissipated into dark motes of light.

"I guess this will do," Akechi growled out. His aura slowly disappeared and the surrounding with it. They were still in Tartarus?!

"Kotone-chan?!" Fuuka suddenly yelled inside her head, making her jump.

Kotone shook her head. "Fuuka-chan, what's wrong?"

"What happened? You disappeared for a moment there!"

"Ren and Akechi did some combination attack, and they changed the room somehow..."

"What? That doesn't make sense!" Akihiko yelled.

"Are you okay? Akihiko-senpai is just about to run into the gate!"

"We're fine, Yamagishi," Mitsuru responded. "Akihiko, stand down."

"But-!"

"We are fine. We're going down now," Mitsuru said, with no room for protest in her voice.

"...Fine."

"Sorry about the scare," Ren said, holding Akechi up. "It drained him to do that, so he's definitely out for the night."

"What was that?" Kotone asked. They were outside of Tartarus and the Dark Hour, and then they were back here. She'd never seen that before.

"That's what we call a Showtime," Ren answered with a smile. "When we need a final push to end the fight, we tend to go out with a bang."

"That does not explain the change in scenery," Mitsuru added.

"Our clothes are also dry," Kotone noted, looking at her clothes. "Even though it rained, we're still dry."

"It's a change in cognition," Ren said. "I'm pretty sure the location changes to somewhere in Shibuya, and anything that happens there is only temporary."

"That's certainly..." Mitsuru said with a frown.

"Strong? Yeah, it is," Ren said. "I've got some stories about how Shadows used their cognition to fight back."

"But that doesn't explain how-"

"Senpai, while I get trying to understand something new and cool, we should go back for now," Kotone said with a wry smile. "We're down a person."

This Showtime… Another reason Ren should lead instead of her. She knew nothing like it, so her leading SEES is already worse than him. He had experience and power in spades, so why is she leading at all?

-.-Take Your Time-.-

8/10 - Afternoon - Gekkoukan High School - Junpei

Junpei stared outside the window as crickets chirped at full force outside. Even with the sun beating down on everything that walked under it, he was lucky the wind helped to stave off the heat. Most of it was because the Kirijo built the school on top of an island, and something he had to thank the Kirijo for. Apparently, they built the island way back then, and the school came after that.

Speaking of Kirijo and SEES...

Junpei glanced at the rest of the room, mainly populated by the second-year SEES and a couple of random classmates he doesn't know the names of, though apparently, Kotone knew them from some club.

According to Fuuka, they've made a ton of progress the past couple of days and the next boss is nearby. Mitsuru said that they most likely need one more excursion before they reach the next gate and Akihiko already started making plans for training.

Meanwhile, Kotone and he haven't said anything about what happened last full moon. Sure, they'd talk when they were part of the team, but Kotone had never started conversations like before, and they had never talked alone since.

He shouldn't say sorry about what he said. He was right: Kotone had been pretty chummy with Ren, and Kotone refused to see that for some reason. A cool guy swooping in to get one of the first girl friends he, a class clown, made in Port Island... It sickened him. It didn't help that Ren was far better than him in almost anything. Manners, suave, a killer smile...

'I'm pretty sure he even has a club starting somewhere in the school, like Akihiko-senpai.'

But, at the same time, Ren was a genuinely good person. He helped Junpei when everyone gave up on him, even himself. And so, hating Ren sickened him even more. Not to mention complaining like this... It reminded him of-

'No, stop it. I'm not like that piece of shit. I'm not-'

"Iori, stop daydreaming," the teacher called out. "Can you answer this?" he asked, tapping on the board in front of the room.

Junpei's eyes moved towards the board and said, "No, teach, sorry!" with a carefree smile.

The teacher sighed and continued with the lecture, ignoring what had just happened.

He was thankful for the distraction; anything to get away from thinking about that man and anything related was good.

Still, it didn't change the situation at all. He still had to make up with Kotone, if only to get rid of the guilt stirring in him. The longer this goes on, the more he feels like a piece of shit.

He's jealous of Ren; that much is obvious, though he'd never tell anyone that. Even without counting Ren's real life...everything, Ren's crazy strong in the Dark Hour, something he found he was special in. Unfortunately, apparently he wasn't, if everyone and everything can get a Persona.

Strega said he'd lose his Persona once the Dark Hour ends. That would suck, to lose one of the few things he felt special about. But if Ren was right, then Hermes would always be with him, even if the Dark Hour ends.

But that thin strip of hope means believing in Ren, and that would only prove that Ren's better than him.

'Fuck, now back to square one.'

He noticed the sounds of crickets once again and he felt the full force of the summer heat come down on him now that the cool wind stopped.

'Maybe I should go to that training Akihiko-senpai was talking about.'

-.-Take Your Time-.-

8/14 - Dark Hour - Iwatodai Dorm Rooftop - Ren

"Did you want to talk about something, Kotone?" Ren asked, stepping onto the rooftop of the dorm. Apparently, Mitsuru locked it since the attack on April, but with how strong everyone's become, she deemed the rooftop safe to be in, so long as they stayed away from the edge. Which Kotone did not do, sitting by the edge as she let her feet dangle in the air.

"Yeah, I do," Kotone answered. "How did you go back in time? From what you mentioned, the Metaverse is a world of cognition, not some sort of time-related dimension. I'd get it if you used the connection between the Metaverse and Tartarus like Akechi, but you never said that." She stood up and looked him in the eyes. "I don't think you've lied to us since we met you, but you never tell us everything. So, it only makes sense that you used something else to go back in time other than the Metaverse. I'm going to ask again: how did you go back in time?"

Ren stared back, gathering his thoughts. He confirmed she was the Guest of this timeline, so maybe there wasn't any point in hiding it anymore?

He sighed and held out his hand. One moment, there was nothing. Next, a key with a silver shaft and velvet blue bow appeared, floating mid-air.

He saw Kotone's jaw clench and her eyes widen. She held out her hand, and a key appeared in the same way he did.

"So, you're just like me..." Kotone said with a wry smile.

Ren nodded. "I'm here on a contract with the Velvet Room; they asked for some help, and I obliged."

"The Velvet Room, huh?" Kotone muttered bitterly. "Did they think I couldn't do things by myself? Is that why they sent you? Because I'm not doing anything, right?"

Ren looked at her quizzically. What brought this on? "No? They never mentioned their reason, but I see nothing wrong with what you're doing so far."

Kotone frowned and said, "Really? Nothing at all? Haven't you noticed that nothing's going right ever since we went to Yakushima? I'm the leader, yet you ended up talking to Yukari that night. And now, Junpei's mad at me. I'm a failure as a leader, and the Velvet Room knows it!" she yelled and let out a defeated sigh. "Meanwhile, you led a team before, and you have the power to back it up. That's why I'm giving you the position of field leader next time."

"What? No, I'm not taking that," Ren said and began walking towards Kotone. "I'm here to help, not solve your problems."

"This is the best way to save everyone," Kotone countered, her voice getting louder and louder. "If it's you, I know we can stop the Dark Hour!"

"And you can't?" Ren asked.

Kotone's hand balled into a fist. "No! Nothing I do feels right! I can't see myself doing anything like you!"

"And I won't do that," Ren said, continuing to walk towards her.

"Why?! I know you want to save people, so why are you letting someone that can't even do that lead you?! I- I can't-!"

Ren, finally in front of Kotone, hugged her. "Because I know you can do it. I trust you."

"And how do you know that? How do you trust me that much?" Kotone asked, resting her head on Ren's chest, and Ren heard her sniff.

"Because I've seen you do your best, and it reminded me so much when I was going through my set of problems," Ren said. "You said I had the experience, but I was just as lost as you when I started, even near the end."

Kotone pushed off Ren, though still in his arms, and looked up at him. "You were?"

Ren chuckled, moving some of Kotone's bangs to the side. "Yes? Don't you remember Akira? I was just like that until high school. And even then, I had a teacher teach me everything about fighting. I was green and running around like a headless chicken. If it wasn't for everyone around me, I wouldn't be who I am now. That's why I believe in you: I know what you're going through, and I know you can do it. Things may suck, but sometimes you just learn as you go. Everything that happens is part of your journey."

Kotone sniffed and asked, "Then can you help me?"

Ren nodded. "What would you like to talk about first?"

Kotone looked away to the side, deep in thought, and Ren let her go. After a minute, she answered, "Junpei. Right now, I can't lead a team that's cracked. If I fix what happened with Junpei, then the team will be safer when fighting and exploring Tartarus."

"Right, that makes sense," Ren said. "Among the Phantom Thieves, there was a fight between our founding members. One of them felt like he lost his place in the group, after we kept getting more and more people that did his roles, but better. I didn't understand him at all that time; if I did my job as a leader and kept on talking with him, then maybe it wouldn't happen at all. Similarly, I think you need to talk with Junpei, as a first step."

"You think so?" Kotone asked.

Ren nodded. "I don't think he doesn't think highly of himself. From what it sounds like, he thinks I'm stepping on what he feels he's finally valid in and he took it out on you."

"Then wouldn't it be on you to talk with him?"

Again, Ren agreed. "Yes, but he blew up on you. If I talk to him, it doesn't resolve why he did that to start with. I'll talk with him after you."

"So, I need to find time for Junpei..." Kotone muttered.

"That would be a good first step," Ren said. "Luckily, he didn't run off..."

"What happened on your end?" Kotone asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"Well, a team member ran away because he thought he needed to prove his worth to the team," Ren said, his eyes staring out to the city. "The other member at fault took a long time to understand and get the right words out of his mouth. We ended up finding a new member, but not before having to chase them around Mementos, and that took hours..." he said with a sigh.

"Umm... About that... I don't know if I can talk to Junpei about it, or at least force him to say what's actually wrong..." Kotone said.

Ren turned his head towards her. "What do you mean?"

Kotone twiddled her fingers. "So, um, I don't usually talk to others deeply about anything. Just enough to carry the conversation, you know?"

Ren nodded, unsure if he should say anything about how he thought she was wrong or to let her continue. Still, Kotone was on a roll, and it wouldn't be right to cut in.

"So, back in Yakushima, I froze up when Yukari ran to the beach. That's how you ended up talking to her instead of me, the leader," Kotone said as she cringed. "Thing is, that's not even the first time. Back in July, before going to Yakushima, Junpei got aggressive because he felt like he was being shown up. But, instead of talking to him, he ended up saying sorry to me, and we should put it under the bridge. I thought that was the end, but I guess not. If I just talked to him instead of waiting, maybe he wouldn't have been so mad."

"Maybe," Ren said with a shrug. "There's nothing we can do about what happened already, but you can do something to help it. What do you plan on saying to him?"

Kotone wrung her wrists as she looked away. "I don't know, actually. I thought I could start by asking what happened that night, then wing it from there..."

That's basically what he did...

"Well, I can't say anything about that," Ren said with a shrug. "I usually just run with it, too."

Kotone pouted. "Well, that's not particularly helpful..." she said, before punching him lightly on the shoulder. "Anything to say, Mr. Experienced Thief?"

Ren chuckled. It seemed like Kotone's mood had picked up. "Nope, you'll do just fine."

"Hey, would you tell me about the other Phantom Thieves?" Kotone asked. "I'm curious what they're like."

Ren hummed as he glanced up. The Dark Hour ended during their talk and the regular waning moon shined high in the sky. "Well, better sit now and be comfy. It's going to be long. Is that okay?"

Kotone nodded and sat cross-legged, and Ren followed suit.

Ren thought for a moment and grinned. "The first one to join was Mona, our cat teacher."

"Cat teacher? How'd he teach?"

Ren kept his eyes on her. "Well, he told us. Mona could talk."

He chuckled when Kotone's eyes lit up in disbelief.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

8/14 - Dark Hour - Iwatodai Dorms

Kirijo Mitsuru

Leader of the Kirijo Group

Sanada Akihiko

High-ranking police officer

Travelled the world as a fighter

Takeba Yukari

Famous actress

Does her own stunts - implies she has some sort of training?

"Three high-profile names in the future, all living in the same dorm in the same year," Akechi muttered. Three targets he failed in the future. No wonder the Metanav couldn't find them; they were all Persona users.

Sometime in the future, Shido reached out to the Kirijo Group, hoping to add them to his pocket. They rejected his offers. Of course, they weren't the first, nor would they be the last. A few nudges, a couple of heads lost, and Shido would eventually get his way.

However, the group held strong and nothing Shido and Akechi did to the normal people in the company did anything. And so, they escalated: they began targeting higher in the company chain.

Eventually, Shido called for the head of the leader, Kirijo Mitsuru. They thought it would be easy. However, Akechi failed. The Metanav couldn't find her in Mementos. Chalking it up to Mitsuru Kirijo being a straight-laced person, Shido eventually forced them out of Tokyo legally, removing a powerhouse in the city, leaving a gap in power that he took.

In time, everyone forgot Akechi's failure, until a similar case happened: the Phantom Thieves. Akechi couldn't find them in the Metanav. He eventually found them, realized they were Persona users, and set the plan in motion.

He never connected the dots until now: Kirijo Mitsuru was (is?) a Persona user in 2017. Sure, it was possible that Mitsuru stays straight-laced in the future, but no head of a zaibatsu is truly clean; she had to have some skeletons in the closet.

'And so, here I am trying to remember what that damn dossier had on the Kirijo Group,' he mentally grumbled. He should have remembered the files of an outlier. Though, of course, no one could have predicted going back in time to meet the same people he used to target.

Still, no use in getting angry over it. What's done is done.

He looked over at the list again, trying to remember what he could about the people on it. It doesn't matter if Amamiya thought things are different; whatever he could scrounge up could mean success or failure on his part of his deal.

Akechi blinked and immediately wrote what he just recalled.

Kirijo Mitsuru

Leader of the Kirijo Group

Kirijo Takeharu

Sudden death caused by illness

Succession caused her father's death in her last year of high school

He tsked as he reread the information. Yes, this is useful, but what's more important is the date. What date does he die? Next month? Before the end of the year?

Sudden death by illness could be anything in their line of work, though Akechi thought it's definitely related to Shadows. Did he die through a mental shutdown? Or maybe he got the Apathy Syndrome, and SEES originally didn't save him in time?

Perhaps this is why the Velvet Room sent Amamiya back in time? To save Kirijo Takeharu? If so, why save him? The world continued to run without him, so what's the point in saving him? Either way, didn't that mean SEES won against whatever god they fought at the top of Tartarus?

He growled at the mention of Tartarus, remembering his weakness clearly. He couldn't believe how much weaker his power got. Fuck whatever Amamiya and Shiomi said about possibilities, he had fun killing Shadows in one shot. Now, he's just like the rest of these mooks.

Breathe in, breathe out. Massage the temple. What's done is done. Get over it. Back to whatever it was before.

Tartarus. In their old reality, it's most likely SEES won against the god of the Dark Hour. If so, why send Ren under the pretense of help? During a time with this many Persona users?

Something happened that the Velvet Room wanted to change. It will happen here. Akechi knows it.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

8/15 - Afternoon - Gekkoukan High School

Kotone waved goodbye to Rio as she left the gym building. Even during the summer, she still wanted to practice volleyball. And while Rio asked the team if they wanted to practice, no one could fault anyone about not showing up, so it wasn't a full house. Still, they made do, doing some basic drills just to keep their bodies moving.

Kotone sighed as she thought back to what she told Ren, that she'd try to talk with him. Maybe she shouldn't have said that. Curse him and his sweet words. She was alright with letting things stay the way they were with Junpei. They could still fight as a team, so it wasn't like it hampered SEES activities. Still...

It was reassuring that Ren trusted her with SEES, nice even. Sure, people trusted her before, but to hear it from Ren made her heart flutter. Even when she messed up, Ren still believed in her, that she'd pull through and fix everything. He trusted her to lead SEES, and in turn him, right.

Normally, when people trusted her, she didn't really do it out of obligation or anything. She just did it. If she failed, then she didn't feel bad or anything. That was just how the cards fell. But ever since she joined SEES, she felt responsible for her own actions, now that people's lives were in danger. She had to make sure everyone lived at the end of the day.

But then she met Ren. When she was down, he reassured her, stood by her. Hell, she even broke down in front of him, and she never did that before. She...

She trusted him, didn't she? Trusted him enough to break down in front of him during one of her lower points, to vent a little about her own frustrations, and he stepped up. He stayed with her at that time and supported her rather than leaving her. And it wasn't a onetime thing; he did it again just last night. When she felt like she couldn't trust herself to lead the team, he convinced her she could. He trusted her.

Kotone, with her eyes closed, took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Her eyes opened, clear and a little less cloudy.

If Ren trusted her that much, she had to step up.

She eventually found him, sitting on a bench in front of the station. From afar, she saw him sigh, staring out into the bay. She approached him, but he didn't notice until she sat right next to him. She must have made a sound since he jerked up and his head whipped in her direction. His eyes bulged at seeing her, but he sat back down with his eyes staring at his own clenched hands.

Junpei's mouth opened and closed multiple times, unable to decide what to say. Eventually, he sighed again and simply said, "I'm sorry for blowing up on you like that, Kotone."

She nodded. So, what happened weighed on Junpei's mind? It surprised her. "It's okay. I just want to know why. I keep thinking about what happened, and I can't figure out why you'd be so mad at me."

"I... I was frustrated," Junpei said, looking at the ocean again. "I thought I found a place to belong. I found friends, I was away from my dad, and I finally got something to be proud of: my Persona." He looked at Kotone with a sad smile. "It felt good. I was finally someone. But then Ren came along and ruined everything. He swooped in and stole the show." His hands shivered, and he rubbed them together. "And I felt like I was being replaced. He stole the show I felt I was supposed to get: to be the hero. Instead, Ren saved Mitsuru-senpai, he saved you, he got close to Yukari. Hell, Ken opened up to him, and he usually just goes between the dorm and school. Even after getting my powers, I still wasn't good enough. I wasn't special, and it hurt inside."

"But you are special. It's hard to keep you down, both in real life and in a fight," Kotone said. "You always keep the atmosphere light when you can with jokes and making everyone laugh. I remember Yukari forgot about the ghost story in the school after you scared her. In Tartarus, you're always ready to take a hit for someone." Junpei clenched his fists together, and his knuckles turned white. "No one in our team can do that."

"But that's the only thing I can do, Kotone," Junpei said as he shook his head. "I ain't smart, ain't good-looking. Hell, I ain't even good at baseball, and it's my favorite sport! I have nothing."

"Then we'll work on those!" Kotone said, shaking his shoulder. "You went up in the school rankings last time; I don't see why you can't do that again. Yukari and I can help with the looks, and we'll see with Mitsuru-senpai and the chairman on how to start a club. With the school's budget, I don't see why we can't start a baseball team!"

Junpei merely stayed quiet, his face squirming. Kotone could see tears threaten to drop down his face. She reached out to his other shoulder and drew him into a hug.

"I don't understand..." Junpei stammered between long breaths, trying to calm himself down. "I yelled at you, got mad at you, but you helped me anyway. YOU should be mad at ME. For what I did, you can definitely yell at me for it, probably even kick me out of SEES. I won't be able to say anything about it."

"I... I'd like to think we're friends, Junpei, and friends help each other," Kotone said. It felt weird, saying they were friends. She still doesn't think they are, but she had to start somewhere. Maybe that would be now. "What you did wasn't unforgivable, but I'd like to know why you got mad at me. I don't think I did anything to make you mad at all?"

Junpei squirmed in his seat. "I was frustrated at that time. I'm pretty sure I would have found a reason to yell at anyone if it wasn't you. It just didn't feel right you kept giving Ren all the passes in the world when I called him out on it. I was jealous you didn't find anything wrong with him and that made me so angry. And so, I made up whatever reason I could to find something wrong with Ren, even if it was stupid as all hell. And it was! Ren has always been nice; he even helped me when no one was looking. What would he get from that? Absolutely nothing. And I decided to get mad anyway. I'm so stupid."

"It sounds like you're jealous of Ren?"

Junpei chuckled darkly. "I am. I had a small crush on you, you know?" Eh? "And seeing you with him hurt. It might have been okay if it was Akihiko-senpai, he's really cool, but Ren? The guy who appeared out of nowhere? It pisses me off so much when I have no right to be like that."

"Wait, wait, you liked me?" Kotone asked. She didn't expect this!

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, I guess I never told anyone about it, but yeah, I liked you a bit. It ain't a big deal or anything. It still made me bitter that you liked Ren."

"Wait, wait, you're just going to gloss over it like that?!"

Junpei looked at her funny, as if she said something wrong. Did she say something wrong? "Yes? It's not a big deal. Crushes come and go."

"And I don't like Ren like that!" Junpei rolled his eyes with a chuckle. "Seriously!" she yelled and slapped him on the shoulder.

"Sure, sure," he said with a faint smile. He stood up and stared at Kotone with a straight face, and he bowed. "I'm sorry for what I did back then. It was immature of me. I know this is ain't the first time, but can we be friends again? I promise to do better than before, that this won't be 'water under the bridge.'"

Kotone smiled and said as she held her hand out, "Alright, my name is Shiomi Kotone, and you?"

Junpei laughed, taking her outstretched hand. "Iori Junpei! You got some free time? I was planning to hit the arcade today, and heard some guy took over my spot in one game there."

Kotone laughed back at him. "Don't worry about that, 'cuz I'll be taking that spot!"

"Oh, you're on!"

They filled the station with boisterous laughter for a moment, and the two left the area, arguing about who'd best who.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

Passive eyes tracked the pair leaving the square and into the station, making sure the pair couldn't see her.

Chidori only planned to find some time away from Takaya and Jin, considering the former was more enraged than before, missing out on killing the girl, and the latter always followed the former. While she worked with them, she wasn't as attached to them as they were to each other. As patient as she was, even she had a limit, so she left their living space.

To think she'd find the cause of Takaya's anger here and to see she was so close to someone.

Perhaps it's time to come back; she might have a quieter dwelling now.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

8/15 - Night - Iwatodai Dorm - Kotone

"Hey guys, welcome back," Yukari greeted, seeing Junpei and Kotone enter the dorm. On her hands was a magazine, most likely about fashion, if Kotone had to guess. "You guys are...fine now?"

Kotone waved back and said, "Yep, we're good now!"

"How, exactly?"

Kotone shrugged. "We just talked and then hung out in the arcade."

"That's it?"

"That's it."

Yukari sighed. "At least you guys are on talking terms now. It was getting awkward, you know?"

Kotone chuckled as she rubbed the back of her neck. "Yeah, I know. Sorry it took a while." A strong smell reached her nose. Taking another sniff, she recognized what she sensed. "Tonkatsu?"

"Got that right," Ren answered from the kitchen. "I thought it would fit for today."

"You really were sure it was going to work out, huh?" Kotone said, approaching the kitchen. "What have you been up to today?"

"Hung out with Kenji after class," Ren said as he took another piece of fried pork from the fryer.

Kotone recognized that name. "Tomochika? I didn't know you hung out with him."

Ren shrugged and placed another piece of pork into the fryer. "Yeah, not really; it just happened. After that, Mitsuru-senpai called me to help with Akechi's application to Gekkoukan."

"Really?" He didn't seem to be the type to go to school anymore.

"You just thought I'm not the type to care about school anymore, didn't you?" a voice called out, and Kotone jumped a little. Her head whipped towards her left, where the voice came from. Akechi stepped down on the last step of the staircase. "Staying here all day will bore me, so I might as well try to get out. And, unlike a certain someone," Akechi began, sneering at Ren. Kotone saw him twitch. "I don't want to be caught by truant officers."

"Ren?"

"Okay, look," Ren said, turning around to face her, "it was one time, and it was right after entering my first Palace, so I wasn't exactly ready for it."

"Twice," Akechi corrected him. "I remember another truant officer caught you in Shinjuku."

"That wasn't even a truant officer; he was just a regular officer." Ren corrected him. "He doesn't count."

Her heart tightened as she chewed the inside of her cheek. She knew she shouldn't feel like this, which made her understand how Junpei felt.

Well, if today might just be a day of starts.

"Hey, Ren," Kotone called out, interrupting Ren and Akechi's banter. With the two's attention on her, she continued, "Do you want to go to the festival tomorrow with me?"

-.-Take Your Time-.-

Author's Notes:

Hello and welcome back. Sorry about the super late release, but IRL stuff happened. Work piled up and I'm now doing OT stuff during the weekends so I'm always tired when I used to write.

And now to the story. I had the Tower SL event because I wanted to show that Kotone still had that mentality of "They're not really my friends" and the guide I follow conveniently was on that same day. When I played the game, it just lined up.

And the obligated Tartarus event with Akechi. I wanted to show that Akechi took a hit per se, similar to Ren's Arsene. I also made it that they can use their Showtimes in Tartarus. I wanted to write it, sue me. I think I got Akechi's reactions right, with him getting pissed that he doesn't have his full powers anymore and he'd go mental when an easy Shadow gets him. As for Kotone, she now sees how a PT fights as a group. Continuous movement, using everything in the arena to as a way to dodge and get around enemies, and then immediately attacking as a team when hitting an opening. This then makes Kotone realize she's not the better leader, but Ren. Of course, while she's right, it's only because Ren has the experience, experience that Kotone would eventually get if she kept leading. I originally planned to end this scene where Kotone felt jealous that Akechi had something personal with Ren, but it didn't feel like the time.

Time for some introspection from Junpei. I don't actually think he's stupid. I think he's average-smart and can read the room quite well, but his pride gets in the way. Take that away and you get a bit more somber person, who is who we get post-Chidori. I'm trying to get that side of him out a bit earlier, considering what's going on, but only for SEES. He still wants to get that "This is my show," but he prioritizes his friends during dangerous times. After all, I think what he did was pretty shitty, and while not the same as his father, it's reminding him of it. It ends with perhaps his first notion of bettering himself, not at the behest of someone else, but on his own accord, and I think that's a character growth. Unfortunately, I didn't have the time to do more of that right after.

And Ren talks it out with Kotone. The reason Kotone hasn't been going to the VR is because she feels they're hiding something from her, that they're lying about something, and she figured it had to be something related to Ren. What's the point in trying when they think she can't do fix the issue in Port Island? Just send Ren and he'll fix everything. And that's why she tried to make Ren the leader. It only makes sense in her mind: he's got the power, the experience, and he's not wrecking the entire team like her and Junpei. Sure, she's not thinking about the fact that Junpei has beef with Ren, but he has the experience to back himself up. However, Ren does manage to turn her around. His belief in her makes her realize that maybe she could do it, too. Of course, part of this is also impressing her crush, one that she hasn't really realized yet. If Ren believes she can do it, then she can do it. And so, the first thing they come to conclusion is for Kotone to fix whatever happened with Junpei. She can't lead a team when she has an issue with someone.

While Ren and Kotone are having their time, Akechi is doing some worldbuilding(?). This part was just some lore I had in mind about the Shadow Ops during P5. In this case, Shido had the political power to keep people out of Tokyo if they didn't fall in line. This is exactly what he did against Mitsuru and her group. There's also how Akechi originally targeted them and failed. And since he never met any Persona users before, he didn't know they didn't have Shadows, leading to the wrong assumptions.

For Kotone and Junpei, at this point, it's been a few days already since the incident. That's enough time for Junpei to stew on the issue, and he knows he's wrong. He's not stupid. And so, with Kotone there, he can finally say sorry and try build back the relationship with her. Sure, it might not be the same, but they can still be friends. I also added that bit about Junpei crushing on Kotone there since it kinda made sense in my head. She's prolly the only girl he's gotten this close so far. Not even Yukari, a girl he's know for a while, is this close. I think it's a fair assumption to say he had a crush on her. That said, what this does going forward is prolly nothing. He's over it; it's just some crush after all.

And Chidori saw them both. I think it makes sense. This is around the time Chidori starts appearing in the station, drawing. Instead of having Chidori just appear out of nowhere like in the game, this makes it seem more sinister; Strega planned for Chidori to meet up with Junpei. Of course, Strega knows Junpei is not the leader, but he is close to Kotone, who they know is the leader. On the other hand, SEES only knows about Takaya and Jin, not Chidori. This is perfect.

And when they get back from the arcade, Kotone asks Ren out, now that her heart had some weight removed and she's finally somewhat destressing. Because of that, she can be a bit more selfish, i.e. being more impulsive and asking Ren to the festival which is happening the next day.

Tomorrow in the fic is full fluff of Ren and Kotone on a date. Everyone, I need your ideas. I have some, but I want to include outside ideas too. If you have some ideas, send them in. With your permission, I'd like to add those into the festival date.

The update schedule is going to be rough. P5R is coming to PC and 100% getting it Day 1. I already said I won't play Valorant with friends to finish the game asap. This will cut to my P3P, unfortunately, but it is how it is.

On the other hand, I finally got parts of the Metaverse R2 set (Base, Novelties, Deskmat) for my keyboard. Picture will be on AO3 (as soon as I figure out how to add them; this will be the first time I do this) because FFN doesn't allow pictures.

Chapter Text

8/16 - Afternoon - Port Island Mall

“You think this looks good?” Junpei asked, holding up a yukata with a flamboyant design. “Feels fresh, if you catch my drift.”

The boys decided to visit the Port Island Mall, hoping to snag something for the upcoming festival that night.

Ren could only shake his head. “Sorry, too much for me. Reminds me of Yusuke.”

Akechi scoffed beside him. “Definitely would be something he would wear, given he had the money for it.” He glanced at Ren after a sigh. “I’m still surprised you accepted her proposal.”

“Kotone’s has had a lot of weight recently,” Ren said as he held up a yukata before shaking his head and putting it back. “The festival is a way to unwind, and if she asked me out for it, why should I say no?”

Akechi squinted his eyes at him, and Ren must have felt it since he returned a quizzical look. “What?” he asked.

“Are you going back to Tokyo?”

“Yes.” An immediate answer, and both of them knew which Tokyo they were talking about.

Akechi could only grunt in response.

-.-

8/16 - Afternoon - Himeji

While the boys shopped in Tatsumi Port Island, the girls decided to go outside of the city, to Himeji: home to the Himeji Yukata Festival. While it is a June festival, it had a Kirijo store that sold high-quality goods.

The girls, sans Mitsuru, could only balk at the store. Yukari wasted no time trying out unique designs and materials. Mitsuru took her time going around, already having seen something of this scale. Fuuka took her time as well, though there was a bit of glint in her eyes.

Kotone, on the other hand...

“Are you sure I have to change, Yukari?” Kotone asked behind closed curtains.

Yukari sighed for the third time. “And just like last time, yes. The festival would just be a waste if you won’t dress up.”

“We’re just hanging out,” Kotone answered, pushing her head through the curtains. “Nothing will happen.”

Yukari gawked at her. “Are you serious?”

After a moment, Kotone broke eye contact and looked away. “No...” she muttered. “It’s supposed to be simple, but if I dress up, I feel like things could get awkward. Plus, everything feels so expensive.”

“Don’t worry about the price,” Mitsuru said. “This is a Kirijo store; I have it covered.”

-.-

“What about this?” Ken asked excitedly, holding a maroon yukata, similar to Shinjiro’s coat in color.

However, Shinji shook his head. “No, I get cold easily.”

When Ken asked Shinji early in the morning if he planned to go to the festival, he initially rejected the shallowly veiled invitation. However, his face, broken heart-

‘Just had to break his heart, huh? What else are you-‘

He sighed and immediately took it back.

And so, here he was, indulging the kid. And for once, the voice was quiet the entire time.

On the other side of the store, Akihiko yelled, “Get something thick then! And don’t worry about the price; Mitsuru gave me the black card!” he added when he saw Ren take a simple yukata.

“How lavish,” Akechi commented with an eye roll. “With Kirijo backing, how come the dorm is so normal? Or at least, normal compared to what we usually do?”

“Something about looking like normal kids,” Akihiko answered with a shrug. “I don’t quite remember, to be honest. It’s been very long.”

Akechi’s eyes shifted back to Ren, his momentary curiosity fulfilled. “Why are you picking that up, Amamiya?”

Ren glanced at Akechi, then back at the yukata he picked up. It was reminiscent of the yukata he wore back at Sendai. “Old habits die hard. I was never rich, you know? And you know how things go for our job.” All the damn money went to equipment and medicine so the Thieves could focus their power and energy on fighting rather than healing unless they needed to. “Plus, I like it simple.”

“Will she?” Akechi saw Ren’s grip clench a little.

“She will,” Junpei interjected. “And I’m sure Renny will look good with what he’s got in his hands.”

“And why are you helping now when you were so vehemently against him not too long ago?” Akechi asked Junpei, eyeing him.

Junpei shrugged. “Just had to clear my head, I guess. Had lots of things back then.”

-.-

Kotone sighed and stepped outside the changing room. “What about now?”

Yukari nodded her head as she took in Kotone’s yukata. “It highlights your eyes,” she said with a smile.

Fuuka, peeking over a corner, gasped as she saw Kotone. “You’re so pretty, Kotone. It fits you so well.”

“Not really...” Kotone muttered back. The festival was just a hang out! “Did you get Akihiko to go with you?”

Fuuka nodded with a bright smile.

Mitsuru whipped her head at Fuuka’s response. “How did you manage that?” she asked with a confused look.

“I mentioned there might be protein in the festival stalls,” Fuuka answered with a shrug. “I asked him if he wanted to go around with me and try them out, and he said he’d be glad to.”

Mitsuru sighed. “Good luck, Yamagishi.” The fact that Fuuka invited Akihiko on the premise of food spoke of his priorities.

-.-

Akihiko nodded in approval as he eyed Ren donning his yukata of choice. “A bit subdued for me, personally, but you manage to hit it off.”

“Hey, Renny!” Junpei yelled from somewhere in the store. “I think I found something for you.”

“What is it?” he asked back.

Junpei popped around a corner and handed him something. “I think you need something that pops into you.”

Ren accepted the item, and he chuckled. “My outfit is going to remind me of my Phantom Thief costume.”

“If that’s the case...” Akihiko said as he walked around the store. He eventually came back with a hakama.

“Too formal for a summer festival, isn’t it?” Ren asked with a raised eyebrow.

Akihiko shrugged. “Hey, you mentioned your clothes began to remind you of your Tartarus outfit, so I thought maybe you should go all out and finish it with a hakama. Looks like a coat and all.”

Ren chuckled again and responded, “Mitsuru-senpai is paying for it anyway.”

-.-Take Your Time-.-

8/16 - Naganaki Shrine - Night - Ren

Ren stared at the waning moon hanging in the middle of the dark sky. Beside him, Akihiko leaned on the shrine walls, eyes closed as if in concentration.

Ren didn’t really know what to think about Akihiko in this situation. He never thought he’d see the day Akihiko would accept an invitation from a girl.

“Hey, Akihiko-senpai.” Akihiko opened his eyes and glanced at Ren. “Are you okay?” Ren asked. “You’ve been strangely quiet.”

“Getting ready for a fight.”

Ren looked at him quizzically. A fight? Was there a Shadow coming? “What do you mean?”

“Don’t worry about it,” was his answer.

‘There’s no Tartarus outing tonight, and the next full moon isn’t until next month,’ Ren thought. ‘The only thing planned today is the festival. Is there a fight happening later? But there are too many people there; no way a fight would break out tonight.’ Ren’s eyebrows scrunched. ‘Wait, this is Akihiko-senpai we’re talking about. Maybe I’m overthinking it. Let’s backtrack. The only thing on the agenda tonight is the festival. Ken and Shinji already went ahead on their own in their own group, while Junpei and Koromaru went together. Akechi does whatever he wants. The girls are on their way here. However, I know Fuuka managed to ask him out tonight-‘

Ren’s eyes lit up as a smile crept up on his face.

“What?” Akihiko asked worriedly as he saw the small grin on Ren’s face.

“Is this your first time on a date?”

A small pink appeared on Akihiko’s face as he faced away from Ren. Ren’s grin grew into a smirk.

“Congrats, senpai. You know, I never thought I’d see the day you’d go on a date.”

Akihiko rubbed the back of his head, lifting himself off the wall. “It’s not that. It never crossed my head until Mitsuru kicked us out of the dorm this evening.”

“And going out with Fuuka is a fight? That’s...”

Akihiko shrugged. “Like I said, I’ve never been to anything like this before. Never really saw a need for it.”

“Then how did Fuuka get you to say yes?” he asked.

“She feinted with a straight, but then she got me with a hook,” Akihiko responded. “She mentioned there would be meat in the festival, so I said yes. Didn’t think it would just be us two.” Akihiko scowled. “What about you? How come you’re so calm about this?”

It was Ren’s turn to shrug. “Wouldn’t be my first time like this, and I know nothing’s going to come out of it, so I just need to focus on getting Kotone to relax and have fun. It’s why I’m confused that you’re basically sweating buckets.”

“It’s not that; a little heads up would’ve been nice is all.” Akihiko grunted before muttering under his breath, “...any right for this.”

Before Ren could ask him to repeat the last part, a familiar voice yelled out to the two of them.

“HEY!”

The two turned toward the voice and faced four girls.

Yukari, the one who called to them, wore a yukata with pink and white chess-board pattern and a yellow obi. “Ta-da!” she cheered as she held a pose, showing off her entire yukata. “What do you think? Cute, isn’t it?”

“Sure does,” Ren replied.

Beside him, Fuuka stepped forward to Akihiko and asked, “Good evening, Akihiko-senpai. Should we get going?” She wore a sky-blue yukata with sunflower patterns, giving off a sense of the refreshing summer.

Akihiko agreed, and they both began making their way up the staircase to the shrine.

“He seems fine...” Mitsuru muttered as she eyed Akihiko. She wore an off-white yukata with green lines coming down on it. He saw multiple petals scattered across the yukata, their bright colors popping against them.

“I think he’s actually trying to keep his head together,” Ren said, following Mitsuru’s gaze. “He just realized what’s going on.”

Mitsuru closed her eyes with a chuckle and a sigh of relief. “Then he’s not totally hopeless.”

Ren looked back at the girls, seeing the last two who hadn’t said anything.

Aigis wore a navy-blue yukata with white flowers across it, connected by a white vine. Her eyes bore holes into Ren, causing him to tilt his head.

“Is something wrong, Aigis?” he asked. He knew she was a robot, but even her inhumanness was far different from Sophia’s.

Sophia was more childlike and curious, ready to learn more about something she didn’t understand. Aigis, however, was more rigid, like she didn’t want to learn. Or perhaps there was some sort of wall between them. Maybe clinical would be a better word for it?

“Nothing at all, Ren-san.” A simple answer, of course.

Ren mentally shrugged off her response. Maybe she’ll loosen up as time passes. His actual interest was the girl hiding behind all the other girls.

“Kotone, I can see you hiding behind Aigis,” he called with a light smile. “What’s wrong?”

Yukari smiled slyly as she stepped aside. Mitsuru, seeing Yukari, did the same, as if giving Ren a straight path to Aigis and Kotone.

Aigis looked at Kotone behind her, then back to Ren, and suddenly raised her hands, aiming her hands at Ren. “Kotone-san is troubled by Ren-san. Shall I remove the obstacle?”

“W-wait! Don’t do that, Aigis!” Kotone yelled out behind Aigis, her face filled with worry. “I was just preparing myself...”

“That was just a joke, Kotone-san,” Aigis said. “He is a valuable teammate and a capable fighter.”

Kotone stepped beside Aigis, now in full view of Ren.

She stole his breath away.

Pink flowers filled the bottom half of Kotone’s dark indigo yukata and seemed to sway as Kotone moved. The top half was more subdued, having no designs, and was just pure dark indigo, but it strongly reminded Ren of the night sky. Above that dark sky hung the shining red moon. The dark colors of the yukata emphasized Kotone’s red eyes and hair, making them pop out even more than usual. As a whole, she was like the blood-red moon hanging above a field of flowers.

She is beautiful.

Ren blinked, realizing he began to stare. “Sorry,” he said, bowing his head a little. “You look amazing, Kotone.”

Kotone grew even more flushed. “Really? Thanks...” she muttered. “Yukari thought up the entire outfit.”

Ren threw her a thumbs up, and Yukari matched him with her own, her face growing smug.

“Black and gray looks great on you too, Ren,” Kotone added. “It goes well with your eyes.”

“And your yukata emphasizes yours,” Ren complimented back. “Your eyes pop even more than usual.”

Though she continued to blush, her face lit up with happiness. “Come on, let’s get going! I have some things to try out!” Kotone waved the others goodbye, and Ren followed beside her, climbing up to the shrine.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

The crowds bustled through the shrine, some in groups or in pairs, others just alone. Sometimes, there would be kids running around, their parents trying to keep pace with them. Still, everyone had something in common: smiles and happiness filled their faces, just enjoying their time tonight, leaving their problems outside of the shrine. He could smell food as well, and while they were the typical fare, something about the atmosphere just made them more appetizing than normal.

Ren took in Kotone beside him again. Just as he took in the atmosphere, she did as well. Her eyes darted across stalls, and Ren noted the small flares of curiosity and desire in her eyes.

“Anything caught your interest?” Ren asked.

She coughed as she gathered herself. “Well, this is a shrine, so we should pray, at the very least.”

“Let’s take our time with that, seeing as it’s all the way on the other side of the shrine. Still, it doesn’t really answer my question,” Ren said. “What do you want to do?”

“...Food...” she muttered. “It’s past eight already, and this place smelling amazing does not help...”

Ren chuckled as he took a look around for a food stall nearby. Just a bit to the left was a takoyaki stand. Takoyaki in a festival is a good start.

“How does takoyaki sound?” he asked, motioning to where the stand was.

Kotone tiptoed, craning her neck to see above the crowd. She spotted the stall, and her face lit up. “That sounds good. It’s been a while since I had octopus too!”

Kotone’s energy brought a smile to Ren’s face. “Then shall we go?”

The two began making their way through the crowds. Luckily, while crowded, there was still enough open space so the two didn’t get separated.

“How do you like festivals?” Ren asked.

Kotone hummed. “I’ve been to a couple of different festivals, but I don’t usually go back. I never really had anyone to go with, so it’s just me. Hard to make friends when I’m always moving,” she said impassively. However, her eyes softened, and a small smile appeared. “So, this is something new. What about you?”

“Inaba had a shrine festival too, but I never went. My caretaker was usually too tired or too busy to join. And after I made friends in Tokyo, any visit to a festival or a shrine never really ended well,” he said with a chuckle.

Kotone looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“The first festival I visited with friends, we ended up making fools of ourselves on live TV.” Kotone looked at him with a troubled face. “That same day, we visited a fireworks festival, and it stopped mid-show because of a sudden rain pour.” Kotone’s eyebrows went up her forehead. “And the last shrine festival I made in Tokyo was under the influence of someone’s control of reality, and the friends I made, while we all met up under coincidence, weren’t as close to me as before because Maruki changed everyone’s past, and it caused a butterfly effect. Because we never met any problems, my friends didn’t bond as closely as before.”

Ren saw Kotone frown, but she didn’t say anything until a moment later. “That’s... That’s horrible. How did you feel about your social links in the other reality?”

“Shaky, to be honest,” Ren said with a bitter smile. “It sucked that the first and only friends I had were effectively brainwashed, and I didn’t even know until later on.” However, he smiled brightly and said, “But then we got it back in the end. They managed to fight back their wishes with a bit of pushing, and I couldn’t be any prouder when they helped me out of a pinch.”

“That’s amazing...” Kotone said. “You trusted them enough to break through Maruki-san’s powers.”

Ren nodded. “Of course, they’re my closest friends. We’ve been through so much, through thick and thin, that it would be dumb of me not to trust them.”

He glanced at Kotone when she didn’t comment. She wore an impassive face again.

“It takes a while, Kotone,” Ren said, rubbing Kotone’s head. “I didn’t exactly trust my team immediately, even after a few Palaces.” When Kotone raised an eyebrow, he continued, “No one expects you to trust anyone immediately; it would be dumb to do so. Everyone has their own agenda, their own goals, their own wishes.”

“And you expect SEES to be the same for me?” Kotone asked.

Ren nodded resolutely. “Got that right. If anything, I feel like you’re hard on yourself. I told you, I’ve seen you around, helping a lot of people. It doesn’t feel like you affected anyone, but I can assure you that you have.”

“Is it something that takes time?” Kotone asked.

Ren nodded once again. “You bet. I didn’t know how many people I reached out to until the end, when they helped me out.”

“With the Metaverse?”

This time, Ren shook his head. “All with themselves. To put someone in prison, I made a deal with someone. In the end, I also ended up in prison. However, every person I reached out to rallied in their own normal ways and managed to set me free. No powers, just real-life influence.” Ren hummed for a moment. “What do you think about your connections? You mentioned how you only ever said enough just to carry the conversation.”

Kotone nodded. “Yeah, I don’t think I ever felt connected to someone like you have.”

“And like I said before, that will take time, unfortunately. And I can’t tell you when you will do so. It’s more intrinsic, you know?”

“Damn, I thought you’d know...” Kotone grumbled.

“You’ll know what I mean,” Ren said as he patted her back. “Forget about that stuff right now.” He gestured ahead of them, at the takoyaki stall right in front of them, and he saw Kotone’s face light up. “Let’s order a bunch, yeah?”

Kotone nodded and excitedly asked the stallholder, “How many pieces are in one order? I’d like to order one!”

Ren smiled at her energy, something he felt genuine from her. Maybe he should cook more for her in the future?

“Six pieces for 500-yen, missy!” the stallholder answered. “Want one to share?”

Kotone nodded rapidly and began reaching for her purse, but Ren held out a hand to stop her. “Today’s my treat, okay? Don’t worry about it,” he said as he began to give the payment to the stallholder.

“But that’s not fair,” Kotone argued. “I should at least pay for some of it.”

“Then what about next time?” Ren said with a smirk.

Ren saw Kotone’s face shift as the gears turned, and then finally blushing.

“You! Smooth! Talker!” she whispered loudly, punctuating each word with a light smack on his shoulder.

Ren couldn’t help but chuckle at her, and she smiled when she finally finished.

The stallholder, on the other hand, roared in laughter at their antics. “That hit the spot, kid. Take some extras on the house!”

“Are you sure, sir?” Ren asked. “I don’t mind paying for-“

The man shook his head. “Don’t worry about it! Just enjoy the festival with each other!”

“Thank you, mister!” Kotone said with sparkles, not about to look at the mouth of a gift horse.

Ren and Kotone waved away, leaving the stall for a bench in the corner of the shrine.

When Ren saw Kotone looking left and right, he asked, “What’s up? Are you looking for someone?”

Kotone shook her head. “Not really. I recently made a Social Link here; I thought he might be here.”

“Want to talk about him?”

Kotone shrugged her shoulders as the two sat down. “He’s the Sun Arcana for me, not sure what that means at the top of my head. Not that I know him too much, either; I’ve only met him around...twice now? Who was your Sun?”

“An old politician named Yoshida Toranosuke,” Ren answered wistfully. “He’s an amazing speaker and was my mentor in public speaking.”

Kotone frowned in response. “That’s...not how Kamiki-san is like...”

“What do you mean?”

“He’s very...depressing?”

“Well, it would be something you’ll learn more from him,” Ren said. “There’s always something under the surface for everyone.”

Kotone nodded, and she began to blow air onto her takoyaki and ate them in one bite. Ren followed suit. The takoyaki was good. He glanced beside him, and Kotone’s joyous face made him smile. As it was just made, it was still piping hot; not even the sauce helped with that. The bonito flakes continued to crinkle on top of the takoyaki.

“Hey, Ren, think you can make these at home?” Kotone asked, taking another one into her mouth.

Ren nodded in response. “Yeah, I don’t see why not. I just need to get the pan for it. I can order online tomorrow, so give me a few days.”

“Have you made them before?”

Ren shook his head. “Nope, but I can follow a recipe first, then see if I can change it after.”

There was a pause in the air between them, and Kotone said, “You think we can do that together?”

“Sure, we can also ask Fuuka-“

“Just us two, no one else.”

Ren stopped and looked at Kotone. Kotone didn’t match his eyes, opting to poke at a takoyaki piece. Ren couldn’t help but smile.

“Sure, you got it.”

“Oh, hey kid!” a woman’s voice called out in front of them.

Ren and Kotone looked up from their takoyaki and Ren couldn’t stop but gape at who he saw.

A woman with black hair in a bob cut, her brown eyes filled with curiosity.

“Hi, Ohya-san!” Kotone greeted back. “I didn’t know you planned to attend the festival.”

Ohya Ichiko, his Devil Confidant. He didn’t even know she was in the city, let alone in the festival. Hell, she never mentioned being in Tatsumi Port Island before, but he supposed it wasn’t really all that useful information. Her clothes, while they were out of fashion later in 2016, fit better now in 2009. She sported long sleeves under her black t-shirt, similar to her outfit in 2016, but the print on the shirt is completely different now. It felt reassuring that Ohya didn’t really change all that much compared to later on.

Ohya shrugged. “Eh, didn’t really plan to, but my girlfriend wanted to see it for herself. On that note, is this your boyfriend?” she asked with a grin.

“No, not at all! He’s just a friend from school,” Kotone answered with a blush, though it wasn’t easy to see because of the lighting in the area.

“Is that so?” Ohya’s grin turned even more cheshire, promising a ton of mischief. “Well, mystery boy, got anything to say for yourself?”

Ren grinned back, knowing Ohya’s buttons. “Just a classmate, though we do live in the same dorm.” And the breadcrumb.

Ohya’s eyes lit up as Kotone quickly swiveled her head.

“Ren!” she whispered loudly, and Ohya’s eyes widened even more.

“First, a date at a summer festival, then it turns out you both live together, and now you’re on a first name basis? Shiomi-chan, not even we’ve gone that far! Hell, we didn’t drop the honorifics!” Ohya said with a sniffle. “We’ve been talking for months; I thought we had a rapport between us! Now I need to know who this guy is!”

Ren couldn’t help but chuckle at their antics. Ohya was a curious woman at heart; it’s partly why she became a reporter in his time. He gambled she would still have that side of her, along with her mischief. Thankfully, she doesn’t seem to be cynical just yet.

“My name is Amamiya Ren,” he greeted with a slight bow. “And you are?”

“Ohya Ichiko!” she said with a big grin of her own. “Now tell me, Amamiya-kun, how’s Shiomi-chan-“

“You mentioned your girlfriend wanted to see the festival, right!?” Kotone interrupted. “Is she around?”

“Yeah! She’s just ordering takoyaki when I saw you!”

“It feels weird seeing you in casual clothes, you know?” Kotone commented. “I’ve only seen you in business clothes.”

“That’s for work! I’m here to sit back and relax. There’s no fun in life if the only thing I do is work-work-work,” Ohya replied. “Still, I can say the same for you! Never seen you in a kimono before, and you look great in it!” she said and then elbowed Ren. “Did you make sure to praise her?”

“Loud and clear, in front of our friends,” he replied with a salute.

Her grin grew wider with the good-natured fun, something he didn’t really see often.

“Ichiko!” a woman’s voice called out behind Ohya. Everyone peeked behind her, and they saw a woman with long brown hair in a ponytail waving at them, holding an order of takoyaki on her other hand.

“Welp, that’s my cue! Have a good evening, you two!” Ohya said as she began to walk back. “And Kotone, I expect a report from you next time, you hear!? I want to hear about tonight’s date!”

Kotone stuck her tongue out and Ren could hear Ohya’s laugh as she and presumably her girlfriend disappeared into the crowd.

Kotone sighed out in relief. “She’s finally gone...”

“You know, Ohya-san is my Devil Confidant,” Ren said abruptly, causing Kotone to look at him again. “I didn’t know she was in the area...”

“Wait, you knew her?” Kotone asked. “Crazy how small this world is.”

“No kidding... There’s been a bunch of people that I knew or will end up in Tokyo later in the future that are here now,” Ren said. “I’m glad to see her so happy.”

“What was she like?” Kotone asked, her eyes filled with some curiosity.

“Cynical,” Ren answered. “Life beat her down so hard, she lost faith in everyone and everything and fell into drinking.”

Kotone frowned. “But how did that happen? I just don’t see how she could change so much...”

“A lot of things can change in just a year, Kotone,” Ren said. “As for your question, if I know who her girlfriend is, then that same woman was one of Akechi’s targets: Murakami Kayo. They looked into something and got too close. Someone felt threatened and had Akechi cause a mental shutdown on Murakami-san.”

Ren heard Kotone audibly gulp.

“Akechi... He really is evil,” Kotone said.

“Maybe, but he still deserves a chance,” Ren said. “Everyone does. That said, it’s in the past now, and we can change the future of the Akechi here. We can make sure his crimes never happen.”

Kotone sighed as she leaned on Ren’s shoulder. “You’re too nice, Ren. I don’t get how you can just say that. You don’t stay attached to the past at all.”

Ren’s eyebrow quirked at that. ‘That sounds awfully similar to what Akechi said before...’ “I mean, we have the present to live in and the future to look forward to; I don’t want to be stuck in the past.”

“Funny you say that,” Kotone said with a giggle. “You’re in the past.”

Ren chuckled. “You’re absolutely correct.” He eyed Kotone’s finished container. “Speaking of the present, there’s a festival in front of us; wanna go around the festival?”

Kotone beamed at him, and he couldn’t help but smile.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

8/16 - Night - Shinjiro

“Shinjiro-san!”

“Shinjiro-san!”

“Shinjiro-san!”

“Shinjiro-san!”

Strangely, the voice was quiet, and he could only hear the little kid as said kid dragged him everywhere in the festival. Food stalls, game stalls, stalls that sold merch; Ken dragged him everywhere, and he didn’t know why. It baffled him that Ken got so attached to him after that night in the bunker. Still, the voice being quiet was still the stranger between the two. He thought it would be louder, considering Ken was so close to him.

“What do you think about the goldfish scoop stall?” Ken asked. “Want to try it?”

Frankly, he didn’t give a shit. Animals being sold as prizes was a cruel concept, and when the kids would get bored with them, they’d just flush the goldfish down the drain. Worse, these guys could destroy ecosystems.

But then, Ken’s eyes would glimmer in the festive lights, and he just stopped thinking.

“Sure.”

He paid the stall owner for a try, squatted down, and waited as Ken stood by his shoulder, excited. The trick with this game was to scoop quickly. Track a goldfish, hold the scoop above it, and wait until the goldfish is near the surface of the water. As soon as the fish rises up, the container stays close to the water and scoop. When the fish was as near as it could be, quickly swipe with the scoop before it would absorb too much water. Take too long, and the paper would rip. Angle the scoop wrong, and the paper would rip.

“Shinjiro-san?”

Damn, someone distracted him. Ken and he looked behind him, and they saw Ren and Kotone. To be honest, something about them didn’t sit well with him. Kotone was too cheerful, and he never knew how to react to her sunny disposition. As for Ren, the fact that Ren came from the future felt like absolute bullshit, but the way he fought Shadows, wielded his Persona, and affected Tartarus did not make him normal.

“You’re playing the scoop game?” Ren asked, the two now hovering over their shoulder.

Ken nodded. “Yeah! We just got here. Shinjiro-san was very focused just now.”

“Oh?” Kotone hummed. “Excited, are we?”

Shinjiro shrugged. “The kid seemed excited; thought I might as well get him one.”

“Shinjiro-san!”

He looked back at the fishes, concentrating again. One moment turned into seconds. Fish rose and went back to the bottom as time passed. However, none of them seemed right. Finally, a fish rose too high, and Shinjiro took his opportunity. He scooped quickly and decisively, angling the scoop such that it would slice the water rather than hit the water. He quickly transferred the fish to a cup, and he won.

Ken, Ren, and Kotone cheered behind him while the stall owner clapped gruffly, clearly not glad someone had won in their first time.

“Nice, we have breakfast tomorrow!” Kotone said.

“This isn’t even edible,” he said back.

“Yeah, Kotone,” Ren said, which made Shinji sigh in relief. “There’s not much meat on them.”

“That’s not what I meant!”

For his efforts, Ren, Kotone, and Ken laughed. Meh, whatever.

“The time is now 8:55 p.m.. The fireworks event will start in five minutes,” an announcer said. Shinji could hear the excited chatter all around him.

“Um,” Ken muttered, taking everyone’s attention, “there’s a place I’d like to show you guys. It’s great for the fireworks!” he offered.

Ren and Kotone shared a glance, having a silent conversation of eyebrows and smiles.

Kotone glanced back at Ken and said, “Yep, that would be great!”

Ken excitedly led them out of the shrine, off the beaten path, and climbed a little hill of trees. They ended up in a quiet clearing that overlooked the main shrine and the entire festival, though it looked like they were still in the shrine grounds. Shinji could see the homes around the shrines just outside the woods. The view from here made him realize that, despite how tiring going around the festival was, the festival was still pretty small.

“This place... It’s a secret spot that my mom and I found,” Ken said as everyone settled down. “When my mom died, it kind of hit me. ‘Oh, so now all the good times are over for me...’” he sighed before smiling. “But now every day is so much fun. I never dreamed that I’d ever smile like this again.”

Shinji didn’t say anything, not that he could.

The unmistakable whistle of fireworks erupted on the other side of the shrine, and bright flowers for the night erupted in the night sky. Beside him, Ken let out sounds of awe as different fireworks lit the sky.

“I wish that this would go on forever,” Ken muttered.

It wasn’t loud at all, and with the timing with the fireworks, the kid probably thought no one would hear him. But Shinji did. And Shinji could do nothing but clench his fist inside his coat pocket. No one knew, no one knew about his condition, about what he’s been taking, what will happen. And even if he did survive all that, after what he did, he didn’t deserve to.

Eventually, the fireworks ended, and the group had to leave the hill. On the way back to the festival, Ken yawned, meaning he had to bring the kid back to the dorms.

“Don’t worry about tomorrow’s breakfast,” he said to Ren. “I’ll handle it.”

Ren’s eyebrows furrowed for a moment before his eyes lit up with understanding. “Ah, Ken,” Ken looked up to him with sleepy eyes, “you should stop by the temple and pray for your fish.”

This kid-

“This isn’t for breakfast...” Ken muttered as he tried to rub the sleepiness away from his eyes.

Ren gently smiled at Shinjiro and said, “I’m kidding. We’ll enjoy the festival, so thanks.”

His heart clenched. He didn’t know what to say to that.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

“Well, I didn’t think we’d see Ken and Aragaki-senpai in the festival,” Ren said, now that they were alone.

Kotone nodded. “Same here. Shinjiro-senpai didn’t seem like the type to stay in a crowd for so long, but I guess I was wrong.”

Ren nodded, his thoughts in the same vein. Shinjiro seemed to brood a lot, though Ren did see flashes of weakness in that tough wall around his heart. Ken definitely opened a lot of chinks in that armor, even if Shinjiro didn’t say it. If anything, Shinjiro seemed very attached to Ken, especially after what he saw just now.

“People are like onions; we’ve all got our layers,” Ren said sagely.

Kotone elbowed him playfully. “Don’t quote Shrek,” she said, though he heard an amused huff beside him. “What should we do now? With the fireworks, the festival should be close to done now. Did we miss anything?”

“I think just praying at the shrine and the lucky draw beside it?” Ren said with a hum. “However, they’re not mandatory.”

“Let’s do them, anyway,” Kotone said, motioning for Ren to follow. “It’s not every day we get to do this.”

Ren chuckled. “Still raring to go, are we?”

“Uh-huh, we usually go past midnight, after all,” Kotone said before frowning and then looked down at her sandals. “We can go home afterwards, though. I feel like the strap is about to break.”

Ren frowned as well. “That’s unfortunate... I thought it would last longer than that. Well, let’s take it easy then; we don’t want to make it worse.”

The two took their time to reach the shrine. Luckily, there were barely any people left, now that the main attraction, the fireworks, finished already. The majority of the people left are the stall owners.

The shrine was empty save the remaining shrine worker who was yawning, now that it’s gotten late, along with the amount of people that came by.

The shrine worker noticed the two approach and gave them a bow. “Welcome to the Naganaki Shrine. Are you here to pray?” When Kotone nodded, she continued, “Very well, please step right up. Donations are optional, and the emas are to your left.” She pointed to a small board of wooden signs.

The two stepped forward, bowed twice, clapped twice, and bowed once more. The shrine worker nodded and waved the two goodbye.

“Still up for the ema?” Ren asked, both of them glancing down at Kotone’s sandals. The strap still seemed to be fine, but he wasn’t the one wearing it.

Kotone hummed for a moment before nodding. “Yep, should still be okay!”

The pair approached the ema stands and began thinking about their wishes.

In truth, shrine visits were always awkward for Ren. He quit wishing when he was a child, when nothing he wanted happened. Then, over the past year and a half, he learned only he should fulfill his wishes. Still, he wasn’t that awkward, so he still wished for good luck.

‘No one can have enough of that.’ He paused for a moment before changing it to another. ‘Whatever Kotone wishes, I hope I’ll be there to help grant it.’

Ren placed his ema plaque, glanced at Kotone, waiting for her to finish. A moment later, she glanced up at Ren and nodded.

“What did you wish for?” she asked.

“Hm? I thought we couldn’t say our wishes; otherwise, they won’t happen,” he said with a small smirk. “Are you that curious?”

“Yup! I want to know.”

Ren gently ruffled her hair, which caused her to whine. “Sorry, but that’s a no go. I’m not saying anything.”

Kotone pouted when he finished. “C’mon, please?” When Ren shook his head, she gave a small smirk. “Then what about a deal?” Ren’s mouth twitched and her smirk grew. “We say our wishes together at the same time.”

Ren chuckled at her antics. “Really, a deal? Sure, let’s do that.” He can’t help it. Just something about deals made him want to take them.

“Three,” Kotone started counting down with a smile, “two, one-“

“Whatever you want, I’ll be there to help you grant it.”

“I want you to stay as long as you can.”

Ren’s steps paused, causing Kotone to look back.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“I... You know I have to go back, right?” he said. “I can’t stay for long.”

Kotone took a deep breath and exhaled, nodding throughout. “I know, which is why I said stay as long as you can.”

“And that’s only until the end of your journey.”

“I know,” she said. “Things have been changing around me, and it’s all thanks to you. If you weren’t here, I probably wouldn’t have talked to Junpei the other day. I don’t think we’d be as close as we are now. Maybe we’d still be walking on glass around each other.”

“If I wasn’t here, he wouldn’t have blown up on you that night.”

“And I’m glad you’re here more than not,” she said with a smile. “I don’t know what would have happened if you weren’t here.”

Ren’s throat dried up as he stared. Her smile is genuine. Did she know she had a genuine smile right now?

“Ren?” she asked, concern apparent in her voice. “Is everything okay?”

Ren coughed. “I’ll try to grant that wish, Kotone,” he said. “I did wish to help you, after all.”

Kotone giggled. “That you did, so you better not forget.”

When Kotone tried to step forward, she tripped. Ren caught her before she fell to the ground.

“Are you okay?” Ren asked with a smile, causing Kotone to blush.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she muttered. “The sandal strap just broke.”

“Can’t believe the timing,” he said. “Right after that heart to heart we just had.”

“Shut up,” she said with a small smirk and a light punch.

Ren knelt down, lowering himself before Kotone. “Want me to carry you?” Ren asked. “I don’t think it’ll be okay for you to walk with a broken sandal.”

“And you’re not offering your sandals for me?” Kotone giggled behind her sleeve. “To think chivalry is dead.”

Ren shot her a smirk. “And which you would you want, make me suffer walking with a single sandal, or I carry you?”

“Smartass,” she said. She loosened her sash and kimono so she could piggyback on Ren. “Are you sure you’ll be fine? You’re carrying me like this, and our clothes aren’t exactly the easiest to do that.”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Ren said, moving his arms to carry her properly. “Just hang tight, okay?”

“Of course, I will,” Kotone said, her arms tightening around Ren’s neck.

And thus, their night ended.

-.-Take Your Time-.-