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The cold, harsh early January wind blew through the streets of Aoyama-Itchome as the students made their way towards the school gates.
Nobody seemed particularly enthused about coming back to school; grumbling and complaining as they staggered sleepily down the street, burying their frozen faces deeper into their coats in an attempt to warm up.
Ryuji yawned loudly as he meandered along, his mind still preoccupied by the events of yesterday.
He couldn't help but be a little cautious of Goro… but after witnessing that battle against Arsene and seeing Ren's reaction upon regaining consciousness… Ryuji believed everything the former detective said. But still… having to go back to school as a new palace had appeared was such a huge pain in the ass!
Itching the back of his head, Ryuji glanced up and noticed a familiar head of fluffy, black hair walking a few metres ahead of him.
Jogging slightly to catch up, Ryuji slung his arm around him and greeted him cheerfully in the hopes that acting the same as usual would lift his spirits.
"Hey, Ren-Ren! You doing okay? Sucks having to wake up early again, right?"
Ren's shoulders tensed at Ryuji's touch.
Avoiding eye contact, Ren raised his hand and moved it in a circular motion. Ryuji had become very familiar with this motion throughout the past year.
"Oh, can't speak today?" He asked, removing his arm from Ren's shoulder.
Ren curtly nodded.
Morgana popped out of Ren's schoolbag with a dejected twitch of his tail. "He tested this morning and nothing came out… But even then, I don't think he wants to talk to anyone."
Ren shot an annoyed glance at Morgana, a little offended that he was talking about him as if he wasn't there.
Ryuji took notice of Ren's reaction and gave him a comforting smile. "It's alright, dude. I get it. But I'm right here if you wanna hang out or anything."
Ren glanced to the side, lifting his hands with a simple gesture.
"Thanks."
"No prob, dude! Oh, by the way, do you know what you've got first lesson? I forgot to check my schedule…" Ryuji remarked, hoping changing the subject would lighten Ren's mood.
"I don't know."
"Ahh, okay… Do you want me to check if you've got your schedule in your bag?"
"No, it's fine."
"You sure? Oh wait, I guess Morgana probably already checked."
"Probably."
"Well, hey, since we're back here, maybe we should start up our training again! Y'know just-"
Ren let out an irritated puff after the constant flood of questions, quickly signing,
"Leave me alone."
Before speeding up his pace and leaving Ryuji behind. Morgana shot Ryuji an apologetic look as the two disappeared into the crowd.
Ryuji grimaced, feeling a little guilty. Considering everything that happened yesterday, pestering him probably wasn't the best choice…
His phone buzzed from within his pocket. He pulled it out to discover a text from Futaba.
[Fufufu~: I heard all of that through you guys' phones
Fufufu~: Damn…
Fufufu~: He ain't doing too well, huh?]
Ryuji sighed as he typed out a reply, not even surprised that Futaba was listening in on them anymore.
[SanicSpeed: Yeah… I thought maybe just chatting to him would help
SanicSpeed: Y'know like hey I don't see you any different you're still my friend
SanicSpeed: But I think I just pissed him off…
Fufufu~: Don't take it personally, I doubt it's just you he's acting that way towards
Fufufu~: Sojiro actually told me that Ren barely acknowledged him this morning
Fufufu~: I feel kinda bad since he has no clue about what's going on right now…
Fufufu~: And I'm not exactly about to blab to him about Ren's past…
SanicSpeed: Yeah, I get that…
SanicSpeed: I guess all we can really do is wait until after school to talk about it
SanicSpeed: But should we include Ren in that discussion?
SanicSpeed: He doesn't really seem to be in the right headspace to do Phantom Thief stuff right now…
Fufufu~: I actually asked Makoto and Goro about that yesterday
Fufufu~: Both of them think we shouldn't tell Ren
Fufufu~: Like you said, he ain't doing too well rn
Fufufu~: And besides making him go against his dad is just cruel…
SanicSpeed: Yeah, good call
SanicSpeed: Well, I'll tell Ann, Mona and Sumi, you make sure Yusuke knows okay?
Fufufu~: Will do ᕙ( : ˘ ∧ ˘ : )
SanicSpeed: Awesome, see you after school
Fufufu~: Good luck not falling asleep in class
SanicSpeed: I'm gonna need it… 😓]
Ren didn't speak to anyone all day.
Multiple people tried to start up conversations with him, but every single time he'd simply sign bland, vague responses until they eventually just gave up and left him alone.
However, from Morgana's vantage point in Ren's desk, the cat could tell that the teenager wasn't doing it to be rude.
His mind was just simply preoccupied with other matters, and considering the events of yesterday, it was pretty obvious which matters they were. It definitely didn't help that Ren had to go back to school and act like everything was normal after having a bombshell like that dropped on him.
As the lunch bell rang, Ren silently stood up and made his way to the bathroom, ignoring the odd looks he was receiving from his confused classmates.
Morgana couldn't help but sigh. Ann also sighed in solidarity, having failed every attempt to get Ren to open up.
All they wanted to do was help, but… How exactly could they help with something like this? It's not like that was exactly a relatable situation… Telling Ren that they understood would probably just infuriate him further…
"Hey, Takamaki… Could I ask you a quick question?" Enquired Mishima as he cautiously approached the blonde.
"Sure, go ahead." Ann replied as Mishima noticed Morgana poking out of Ren's desk, giving him a little pat on the head as he spoke.
"Is Ren doing alright? I get him not speaking, that happens sometimes, it's more… He seems kinda out of it? Like I've spoken to him and he hasn't really realised that I'm there?"
Ann sighed as she stressfully rubbed her temple with her index and middle fingers. "It's a really long story and it's not really my place to say… All I can say is: Some stuff went down and it's kinda messed with Ren… So it might be best to give him some space for a bit."
Mishima nodded understandingly. "Alright… Well, thanks for the info, Takamaki. I was just worried about him, is all. I'm heading down to the school store, do you want me to grab you anything?"
Ann shook her head as she reached into her school bag. "No, I'm good. I've brought my own lunch today. Thanks anyway, though."
"No problem, see you when class starts up again." Mishima replied with a friendly smile as he headed towards the door.
"I've got some sushi in here, Morgana. Do you want some?" Asked Ann as she opened up her bento box.
Morgana immediately leapt to his feet, switching his hiding spot from Ren's desk to Ann's desk. "I would love some! Thank you, Lady Ann!"
Ann giggled, carefully fishing out the pieces of sushi until her phone buzzed.
"Hold on a sec…" Ann mumbled to Morgana as she pulled out her phone.
To her surprise, it was Kasu- No wait, Sumire starting a new group chat with all the phantom Thieves except Ren.
[Sumire: Hey, I don't want to trouble you guys but could you come meet me here?
Sumire: I'm in Shujin's nurse's room.
Sumire: I just met some girl called Lavenza and she says she needs to talk to you…]
Ann and Morgana exchanged surprised looks at that name. Lavenza had showed up? Were things really that desperate?
The group chat quickly blew up with messages from the other thieves, but the general consensus was agreeing to meet up after school and sneaking in the three non Shujin students.
Sumire anxiously wandered through the halls of Shujin, clutching tightly onto her lunchbox. She was trying her best to ignore the stares from her peers.
Of course they'd be confused by her suddenly having her hair loose and wearing glasses after a year of doing the exact opposite, but it still didn't make their gazes any less uncomfortable.
As she continued walking, staring down at her feet as she did, she bumped shoulders with someone.
"Oh, I'm so sorry! I should have been looki- Oh, Senpai!" She gasped upon making eye contact with her bespectacled upperclassman.
Sumire couldn't help but frown worriedly as she noticed the huge bags under his eyes. He clearly hadn't slept well the night before…
"It's alright." Ren assured her before continuing on his way.
"Um, Senpai!" Sumire hurriedly called out. The boy stopped and turned around to look at her. "Um… I… I'm glad you're safe, Senpai. We were all really worried about you."
Ren's eyes widened at the sincerity of her words before a troubled expression enveloped his face as he averted his gaze towards the floor.
He eventually responded with a simple nod before turning back around and entering the boys bathroom.
Sumire sighed anxiously.
It felt wrong acting behind Ren's back but… The way he was acting… And the look in his eyes during yesterday's battle… It would probably be worse for him to act in this situation.
As those thoughts crossed her mind, something grabbed her attention from the corner of her eye.
A soft blue glow of some kind… She lifted her head to find a blue butterfly floating next to her. But it wasn't a regular butterfly. Something about its appearance was quite… ethereal… As if it were there in front of her, yet not at the same time…
The butterfly floated a few feet away before stopping and facing towards Sumire. Was… Was the butterfly trying to get her to follow it?
Sumire glanced around at all of the other students. None of them were acknowledging the butterfly's presence. It was as if Sumire was the only one who could see it…
That was all the proof Sumire needed to follow it.
The butterfly weaved through the crowds and travelled through the corridors and stairways, with Sumire following close behind.
Eventually the butterfly phased through a doorway. Sumire glanced up at the sign to see where the butterfly had led her.
The Nurse's Office.
Somehow that didn't surprise her after everything that happened… Taking a deep breath, Sumire placed her hand on the handle and opened the door. She took a confident step through the doorway and closed the door behind her.
The butterfly floated above one of the chairs, sparkling magically before its appearance began to change.
Sumire watched in disbelief as, where the butterfly once fluttered, there was now a beautiful young girl sitting in the chair. She looked like a China doll with her deep blue dress and headband, and her silky silver hair and golden eyes.
The young girl looked up at Sumire and spoke with an exhausted gasp.
"Hello. I'm afraid we've never had the pleasure of meeting before. I am Lavenza… I provided assistance to your allies before against Yaldabaoth…"
Sumire squinted and tilted her head in confusion. Yaldabaoth… Oh wait… She had vague memories of that… Christmas Eve, she believed…?
Her eyes widened as she realised what Lavenza had meant. "Does that mean you know Senpai and the rest of the Thieves?"
Lavenza sluggishly nodded. "That is correct. He is the trickster I was assigned to help develop his Personas…"
"A-Are you alright?" Asked Sumire with an anxious whimper after noticing the young girl's state.
Lavenza shook her head urgently. "That is not an important matter right now. There is something I must tell you but please gather your friends here first."
Sumire had no idea what was going on or who this girl was, but she could tell it was extremely important so she pulled her phone out without delay and created a new chatroom, sending a message to everyone.
[Sumire: Hey, I don't want to trouble you guys but could you come meet me here?
Sumire: I'm in Shujin's nurse's room.
Sumire: I just met some girl called Lavenza and she says she needs to talk to you…]
Naturally, her phone was blown up with surprised and confused replies, most of which confirmed Lavenza's claim that she knew the Thieves. However, after a quick discussion, everyone agreed to meet.
Letting out a relieved sigh, Sumire glanced over at Lavenza and gave her a sweet smile to assure her everything was fine. Something that the small girl seemed to appreciate very much.
"Everyone's on their way."
Lavenza sighed happily. "Wonderful… Now then, let us continue this conversation once everyone involved has convened. Until that time, I will provide my eyes a much-needed rest…"
Sumire nodded understandingly as Lavenza began to doze off and fade away from Sumire's view. The young girl didn't seem to be well… Perhaps the changes to reality were to blame for her condition? After all, she clearly wasn't a normal girl.
Pushing those thoughts to the side for now, Sumire returned to her classroom, unsure of how she was supposed to focus after this experience.
It didn't take long for the rest of the group, minus Ren, to show up.
The only minor hiccup they had was sneaking some Shujin tracksuits out to Yusuke, Futaba and Goro to allow them to sneak in without attracting any suspicions.
Futaba grinned cheekily as she gently tugged on the tracksuit's sleeves. "Infiltration: Success!"
Yusuke swept his hair to the side as he couldn't help but grin too. "I'm rather surprised no one took notice of us."
"Considering how I don't have an adequate excuse for the school to approve your being here… We're lucky it went as well as it did." Huffed Makoto, her nerves still a little high after risking her reputation as the school council president.
"As long as you maintain an air of confidence, you can fool just about anyone into thinking you belong." Came the smug voice of Goro as he stepped through the door, almost teasing Makoto for worrying so much. "I must say though, I hadn't expected you to actually reach out to me for something like this."
Sumire frowned in confusion. "Why wouldn't I? Senpai, you've been here from the start of this situation… You're one of our most valuable assets right now."
"It's simply a matter of working together to achieve a common goal…" Remarked Haru, crossing her arms in front of her chest as she avoided eye contact.
"Now's not the time to let personal stuff get in the way of our goal." Added Futaba, subtly giving Haru a comforting pat on the back. "Buuut, if you ever betray us again, we'll make sure you regret it."
Goro snickered in amusement at the hacker's promise. "Duly noted… I suppose that's another stipulation to our agreement."
Just as Goro's sentence had rolled off his tongue, the familiar blue glow appeared in the chair again as Lavenza hopped up from her seat.
Everyone was surprised to see her appear so suddenly, especially Goro who had never seen this young girl before.
"It appears that everyone has arrived." Lavenza announced, still looking a little drowsy from her nap. "Does this mean… You're ready to begin?"
Ryuji looked down at the sleepy girl with a troubled expression. "Uh… Ain't that our line?"
"Could you tell us what you know, Lavenza?" Sumire requested, desperately wanting to understand this insane situation they were dealing with.
Lavenza nodded. "Yes, I wanted to speak with you about the circumstances that led this Maruki to alter reality as you know it… As well as the true nature of his power."
That statement quickly gained the group's attention, especially Goro's. The chestnut haired boy perked up at that final part. Truly, Maruki's power was bewildering… and dangerous. If they could just find some way to counteract it…
"You know all of that?" Morgana asked, flicking his tail in surprise.
Lavenza tucked her hair behind her ear. "I admit, there will be a degree of speculation involved - but only to a small extent."
The group all gathered closer to Lavenza, eager to hear any details that could help them tackle this new threat.
"First, I will explain the situation with the current reality. I believe that Maruki has altered the cognition of the masses. In other words, it's thought that alterations he's made are the result of his meddling with Mementos."
Everyone recoiled from that last piece of information.
They hadn't heard about that… All they knew was that Maruki had a palace and could rewrite a person's cognition…
"He changed Mementos? How is that even possible?" Makoto voiced everyone's thoughts.
"Yeah, I thought Mementos faded away with Yaldabaoth, right?" Added Ann.
"Wait - Don't forget about our experience with the Meta-Nav and Maruki's palace. It seems this kind of thing has a habit of sticking around despite our expectations." Morgana quickly reminded them.
Lavenza nodded in agreement with the cat. "Mementos is the cognition of the masses given form. If that man is truly capable of controlling individuals' cognitions… And that man were also to gain access to Mementos… It would be no surprise that he could impact everyone's cognitions and affect reality itself."
Ann anxiously bit her nails. "Ah… Could he really have done all that? I mean, it's assumed that Dr. Maruki has the power to control cognition, right?"
Lavenza looked up at Ann with a smile, relieved that everyone seemed to be following along well enough. "Exactly. That man's controlling of cognition - Let's see, why don't we refer to his power as 'actualization'? Most likely, that actualization is a power unique to a persona. In other words, this man named Maruki is…"
"He's a persona user?!" Ryuji exclaimed in disbelief.
"That's impossible!" Morgana shared his sentiment. "There's no way to have a persona and a palace at the same time!"
Lavenza continued. "Determining when Maruki first awakened to his power is wholly impossible. However, by the time he crossed your paths… There's no doubt that he was making use of his actualization - although, he may have only been doing so subconsciously."
Morgana's ears flopped down as a nervous pit formed in his stomach. "Even if it is just his subconscious, he's using a persona in the real world…"
"So, his ability to make Yoshizawa-san think she was Kasumi-chan…" Haru pondered out loud, glancing over at Sumire and hoping that she didn't offend her.
Sumire simply kept watching Lavenza, waiting for her explanations.
Lavenza nodded at Haru's hypothesis. "It was most likely through the use of actualization."
Goro scowled as he tried to make sense of this madness. "Still though… Even if we assume that Maruki has unique persona abilities, such as the case with Ren and myself… We still need to determine how he used that power on Mementos as a whole, rather than a single individual."
Morgana twitched his ear urgently as Goro had brought up a good point. "Right. Even if there were some kind of power that could affect Mementos… It's on a whole other level from what we've seen so far. A single person just shouldn't be capable of all that."
Ann twirled her hair around her index finger as she thought about Morgana's comment. "That's true. Changing reality just by thinking about it isn't something humans do. It's something, like, god's do."
In response to Ann's offhand remark, Lavenza turned and looked at her with a deadly serious expression.
"And what if he became such a god?"
Everyone fell silent in stunned shock as they took in what Lavenza had just insinuated.
"Wha-?"
Makoto gasped as a possibility hit her.
There was no way… But with everything that had happened… There could be a chance, no matter how small.
"The god of control!"
Lavenza confirmed Makoto's suspicions.
"Indeed - the being in Mementos that you all defeated was a false deity that the masses deludedly clung to… It is easy to conclude that Maruki simply took over the false god's position when it disappeared."
Ryuji's brow furrowed as he struggled to make sense of that idea. "Took over his position? Whaddya mean? So you're saying society thinks of Doc as a god now or somethin'?"
"Now, the Phantom Thieves are the ones who gained the masses' support after defeating this so-called God of Control… So it should follow that the masses would turn to the Phantom Thieves next as their saviour. In that case, why did they instead turn to Maruki, who did none of the work the Phantom Thieves did?" Goro butted in to voice his concerns about this speculation.
Lavenza remained silent as she looked down at the ground with a troubled frown.
Sumire hummed quietly, pushing up her glasses as she considered the possibilities. Her eyes widened as she remembered something Maruki had said while they were rescuing Ren.
"It's most likely because-"
"We wished for it." Sumire finished Lavenza's sentence as the realisation hit her like a ton of bricks.
Everyone turned to look at Sumire with expressions of shock, confusion and worry.
"Wha-?"
"After we defeated the God of Control, we wished for reality to be like Dr. Maruki described it… and it happened?" Asked Makoto, struggling to wrap her head around that concept.
Ryuji scoffed. "Uh, I don't remember doin' any wishin' with you guys or Doc! I mean, when would we have even had the chance to?"
Ann gasped as she slowly began to fill in the blanks herself. "What about our counselling?!"
Everyone's eyes widened in horror as they realised that Ann was absolutely right…
Maruki had made remarks about their perfect worlds… And if he had that power to make them a reality… It all made sense.
Goro scowled as he thought about it. Had Maruki been planning this from the beginning…?!
He clicked his tongue in irritation. "Sounds like you all walked right into the spider's parlor…"
Lavenza frowned at Goro, seemingly knowing his thought process. "There's no way of knowing how many of those situations were intentionally orchestrated by that man… However, the result is still the same - a desire for his actualization was seeded within your hearts. Thus, I have no doubt it was your own desires that led to their actualization."
Ryuji averted his gaze as guilt swept through him. "So this is all our fault, huh?"
Futaba anxiously tapped her fingers together. "We're the ones that told him the cognitive world really exists, too…"
"But the question remains: Why would we entrust that decision to him?" Asked Haru, still not quite understanding how that transfer of power could have happened.
Morgana sighed. "Despite what we all thought, we all did come to trust Maruki and view him as someone we could confide in…"
Sumire grimaced as she thought about it.
It was true… Despite his questionable methods, Sumire was able to keep going a lot longer than she thought she would… She held an immense amount of trust and respect towards him. But…
Wait. There was someone else.
"And even if it was only subconsciously at that point… There was someone who saw Maruki as their protector." She announced, anxiously tapping her finger against her cheek.
Everyone stared at her in confusion until eventually, Goro's eyes widened.
"... Ren."
Just that one word made all the dots connect for the rest of the group.
"Of course… If the knowledge that Maruki was his father was still buried somewhere within Ren's subconscious… It's only natural he'd see him as someone who'd make the correct decisions…" Makoto muttered thoughtfully.
It was honestly sad how simple it was… At the end of the day, it really was just a child wanting their parent to help them with a difficult choice…
"Either way… These realisations don't change what we need to do." Yusuke declared, bringing everyone's attention back to the issue at hand.
Lavenza let out a relieved sigh, glad to hear that everyone was prepared to tackle this challenge.
"Very well, then allow me to proceed. This world is in a very unstable condition currently. On the day the God of Control fused Mementos with the real world… The merging was undone through your efforts, and the two worlds are now attempting to return to their initial states."
"So what you're saying is, this world has reverted to a state where the fusion with Mementos hasn't been totally undone. That explains why Maruki's palace was visible in Odaiba." Stated Goro, his hand placed firmly on his chin as he analysed every detail.
Lavenza frowned as she grew worried by the stakes of this situation.
"Even as we speak, Maruki is still influencing this world in places where its boundaries are blurred… As slow a pace it may be, he still continues to actualize the world of the masses as a whole… Should this continue, reality shall merge with Mementos once more. The two worlds will again become one… When that happens, anyone trapped within the actualized world can never again awaken to the original one."
The group fell silent after Lavenza dropped that bombshell on them.
They could… never awaken…? There was absolutely no chance at all? They had to act before the merge was complete or else instant game over…?
That thought was enough to send chills up anyone's spine.
Lavenza waited for anyone to make a comment before continuing after everyone had remained silent.
"This issue goes beyond the masses as well. Although you are all persona users… It would be next to impossible to defy Maruki in a world completely under his control. To be clear - once the two worlds conclude their fusion, there will be no chance of your success in this mission. And… I believe this fusion will conclude in one month's time."
Sumire felt as if her heart had lodged up into her throat.
One month's time…? So soon?! They had to take down someone who had basically become a god in one month?!
"We only have one month?!" Exclaimed Yusuke, clearly feeling the same pressure as Sumire.
Haru frowned as she thought back. "If memory serves me correctly, February 3rd was the date that Dr. Maruki gave us, right? Could he have possibly chosen the time limit based on when his actualization will be completed?"
"... It's possible." Makoto agreed with Haru's hypothesis.
Ryuji stretched his arm with a determined glare to hide his overwhelming anxiety. "If that's the case, we don't got another choice except to steal his treasure by then."
Morgana nodded, agreeing with Ryuji's straightforward plan. "We'll need to secure our route to the treasure by the 2nd so we can send our calling card. Then, on the day of… We're most likely going to have to fight Maruki."
"Allow me to produce the calling card." Yusuke interrupted. "This is certain to be our final calling card… I'll pour my heart and soul into its creation."
Ryuji grinned excitedly, giving Yusuke a light, encouraging punch on his arm. It really did mean a lot to him to see Yusuke's enthusiasm towards the grand finale of their escapades as the Phantom Thieves.
"Be that as it may, there are still some unsolved questions." Huffed Goro, growing tired of the countless mysteries.
"You mean the Meta-Nav, right?" Asked Sumire.
"Right."
"Even though it still functions as the Meta-Nav… It doesn't make sense that the name wouldn't line up…" Makoto muttered with a thoughtful pout.
"While you can still infiltrate the Metaverse, deep down Maruki must have been worried that you would learn his identity as the Palace ruler and thus erased his name from the Navigator's information." Lavenza suggested, not quite understanding that herself.
"But if that's the case and he was worried about us stopping him… Why didn't he just actualize us out of existence?" Futaba wondered out loud, despite that idea terrifying her.
Sumire tilted her head with a troubled frown. "I just can't see Maruki as someone who could bring themselves to erase another person from existence… Especially not if those people are his own son and his friends…"
No one could argue with that.
Maruki was an extremely empathetic person… to the point that it became unhealthy. And he'd gone through years of pain, just so his son could live a normal, happy life… Of course he wouldn't undo all that and simply remove his son from existence…
"Maruki told us he wanted us to accept his world. It may be hard to believe, but since we mutually benefit from his actualization, maybe he really does want us to submit." Goro suggested, finding Maruki's insistence on 'saving' everyone laughable at best and downright pathetic at worst.
Ryuji huffed with a downcast expression. "... Sorry, even if it does fix shit for us, I just can't accept the world gettin' treated like this. Let's start the infiltration tomorrow, yeah?" The blond punk turned to look at Goro. "And you? Sound good?"
Goro's eyes widened in surprise. He figured the only reason they were willing to deal with him was because Ren and Sumire trusted him. "You're willing to ask me as well?"
Ryuji rolled his eyes at Goro's confused response. "Duh, dude! The Phantom Thieves don't act unless it's a unanimous vote!"
Goro couldn't help but chuckle at the childish simplicity of their method for decision making. "Fine then. You already know I have no intention of accepting Maruki's world anyway."
Ryuji shot him a trustful smirk as he slammed his fist into the palm of his hand. "Then that settles that."
"Wait, what about Ren?" Ann hurriedly enquired.
Their leader was so intrinsically involved in this whole mess, it felt wrong not to tell him about their discoveries. But at the same time…
"We may not have summoned him as part of the group… But this definitely involves him as well…" Mumbled Makoto, having the same worries as Ann.
"Maybe we should fill him in on our situation once he's come to terms with his own? What he does with that information, though - That's up to him." Suggested Haru, already having some experience trying to balance thief business with personal issues.
"Right."
Lavenza smiled, happy to have such a unanimous agreement to help with this dire situation. "If that concludes matters, I shall continue to watch over all of you, along with my Trickster. Please show me the path you choose for humanity…"
And with that, Lavenza transformed once again into that ethereal butterfly and flew away. Past the Phantom Thieves who stayed behind to discuss matters further in preparation for tomorrow. Through the doorway and passing a familiar face.
Unbeknownst to the thieves, their leader had been stationed outside and listening in to their entire conversation.
As he saw Lavenza float past his line of view, Ren looked down at the wooden board in shame.
All of this… It started that horrible night.
It started with him and his father.
It wasn't everyone else's problem to deal with…
It was his.
Taking a deep breath, Ren lifted his head with a determined glare and walked away.
The following day dragged on for so miserably long… The entire group was anxious and desperate to get straight to work as their deadline ticked ever closer.
But they couldn't just yet.
They still had to maintain their identities… After all, just because reality had been altered, it didn't mean the police were suddenly okay with the Phantom Thieves. They couldn't attract any suspicions from anyone around them.
Speaking of suspicions, the most difficult part was acting naturally around Ren. It was especially difficult for Ann and Morgana, since they were stuck in the same room as him for the entire day. There were times Ann was subtly messaging the rest of the group and could feel Ren's gaze burning into her back.
Not to mention, he was being quieter than usual… And that made her nervous. The only reason Ann knew he was able to speak today was because he verbally answered roll call, aside from that, she hadn't heard a single word from him.
However, at long last, the final bell for the day had rung and everyone in their class was gathering their things so they could leave.
Ann glanced back at Ren, only finding him pulling his scarf out of his bag with a sleepy expression. She let out a sigh of relief. Good… He didn't seem to suspect anything.
"Yo, Ann! We headin' out or what?" Called Ryuji from the doorway, his sport's bag slung over his shoulder to trick Ren into thinking they were simply going to work out together.
"Yep! I just need to pee first so gimme a sec!" Ann requested as she ran past him and towards the girl's bathroom.
"Kay."
"Oh, right! Hey, Ren… Haru asked me to help her with something so I'm gonna head out now." Morgana stated, fabricating a reason to leave Ren.
"Okay." Was Ren's bland reply.
The bespectacled boy watched the cat run off as he wrapped his scarf around his neck, his glasses glinting in the sunlight as he stood up and exited the classroom.
"See ya, Ren!" Ryuji waved goodbye, leaning on the wall as he waited for Ann.
Ren nodded and waved back.
"See you later."
"Took you long enough to get here…" Huffed Goro, tapping his foot impatiently against the frozen concrete.
He stood in front of Maruki's palace with Futaba and Yusuke; the three of them watched closely as the Shujin group finally made their appearance. Futaba frowned and gave a swift kick to his shin as punishment for being rude. Goro didn't take much notice.
"Sorry, that was my fault… I held everyone up because I had some student council matters to attend to…" Makoto apologized with a frazzled sigh.
Goro huffed again as he turned his back to the group and pulled out his phone. "It was unavoidable, I suppose… Since you're here now, are you ready to head in or do you need some time to prepare?"
Ryuji grinned as he slammed his fist into the palm of his hand. "We're ready! Let's get going already!"
Goro nodded. "Alright then, let us proceed."
As he pressed the 'Begin Navigation' button on the Meta-Nav, that familiar floaty feeling washed over the entire group.
The scenery around them began to distort; the light, cloudy sky quickly darkening to a midnight blue and glittering with countless stars as the palace slowly formed and towered over the group. Blue flames engulfed every member, dissipating to reveal their thief attire.
As they entered the building, they were halted by Yusuke's voice suddenly speaking up. "A moment, if you please."
"What's up?" Asked Ann.
"Is something wrong, Yusuke-senpai?" Sumire enquired.
"It's Fox here, remember?"
"Oh, right! Sorry, Fox-senpai!"
"Just Fox is- Nevermind… What I wanted to say was: I think we should formulate a plan for our infiltration."
Haru tilted her head curiously. "How do you mean?"
"What I mean is: Usually we follow the lead of Joker during our infiltrations, however right now that's not an option. And considering how high the stakes are, I believe it would be wise if we find someone to lead for the time being." Yusuke explained.
Everyone nodded, completely understanding Yusuke's thought process and concerns. It was true that they had heavily relied on Joker and his wildcard abilities in previous palaces… What to do now…
Ann raised her hand to make a suggestion. "I think maybe Mona, Queen and Crow should lead as a group."
Everyone stared at her in surprise, especially Goro, Haru and Futaba.
"Why's that?" Asked Ryuji, not understanding her opinion.
"Well, Mona's basically made to traverse the Metaverse, right? And Queen and Crow are easily the smartest people here so together they'll probably come up with the best strategies. Not to mention, Crow and Yoshizawa-san have been through part of this palace already, however Yoshizawa-san is still getting used to her persona… So Crow's the better option right now." Ann reasoned, laying out each point clearly so it was easy to understand.
The whole group fell silent as they considered Ann's suggestions. After a while, they slowly began to nod their heads in agreement.
"That seems reasonable, Panther. Well, I'll be counting on you two." Morgana eventually spoke up, looking up with Makoto and Goro with a determined glare.
The two nodded back at him.
"Of course, I'll do my best to help." Makoto stated.
"As will I. We'll also be counting on your navigation and support, Oracle. Are you up to the task?" Goro added, glancing over at Futaba.
The hacker grinned from ear to ear. "Who do you think you're talking to? I'm gonna make this so easy for you guys, it's gonna feel like you have a cheat guide!"
Goro smirked back. "I like the sound of that!"
"Oh wait, hold up!" Ryuji suddenly spoke up.
"What's wrong, Skull?" Asked Haru.
"I just realised Yoshizawa doesn't have a code name yet… Wouldn't it be safer for us to give her one? After all, we dunno how the Metaverse works in this reality…" Ryuji brought up a good point.
They used their code names as a precaution and, considering the current state of things, they might need that extra security more than ever.
"Oh right… You all use them, don't you?" Sumire murmured, the thought of having a code name had completely slipped her mind after the insanity they had been through recently.
"That's true! Is there anything you have in mind, Yoshizawa-san?" Haru enquired with a sweet smile.
"Just try to not pick something too long… We've had to veto a few names before…" Ryuji quickly added, shooting an exasperated glance at Yusuke who in turn crossed his arms and pouted.
"I still don't see the problem with Da Vinci…"
Sumire placed her hand on her chin as she considered it. Something short and simple… Something easy to remember and shout out during battle… Something meaningful to her… Something that represented her…
Her eyes sparkled as an idea hit her.
"Violet."
"Violet?"
"Yep. That's what my name means in English. Since I'm finally living life as myself again, I wanted something to remind myself of that. I am Sumire. Not Kasumi. Not anyone else. I am me, and I always will be." Sumire explained with a steadfast twinkle in her eyes.
Goro couldn't stop the proud smirk that plastered itself onto his face.
When he first met the Yoshizawa twins, it was always the shy, quiet Sumire being dragged along by the loud, courageous Kasumi. And when he'd heard of Kasumi's death, he was met by Sumire presenting herself as Kasumi…
And now, here she was. Standing in the spotlight and proudly declaring who she was. He wondered if this prideful warmth in his chest was the same feeling Kasumi felt whenever she bragged to him about her amazing sister.
"It's perfect, Violet." He replied, still smiling.
"Hell yeah, Violet! Sounds great!"
"Pleasure to be working with you, Violet!"
"You're gonna do great!"
Sumire felt her face turning as red as her hair while the rest of the group bombarded her with praise.
Makoto clapped her hands to regain everyone's attention. "Alright, now that we've got all of that sorted… We really should get going now. Is everyone ready?"
Everyone glanced around at each other, exchanging determined looks before looking back at their trio of impromptu leaders.
"Let's go!"
Progression was going smoothly so far. Luckily, they hadn't encountered too many shadows yet and the few they had encountered weren't too strong. It was mostly the layout of the palace and the countless puzzles that impeded their progress.
Although Goro had a strange feeling… While yes, it was relatively easy to get through a palace if you were stealthy enough, it was just odd encountering these few shadows… Usually they'd be in much bigger numbers than this…
He had quietly mentioned these concerns to Morgana and Queen, as not to make the rest of the group anxious. The two agreed, with Morgana suggesting there could be an ambush later on and Makoto suggesting that maybe the shadows were positioned at places Maruki wanted to be protected…
Either way, the three agreed to stay alert and asked Futaba to be vigilant in her scans of the area.
As the group had reached a more open area, they spotted a group of five shadows standing in the center of the room discussing something. Goro frowned as he tried to think of a way to distract or better yet dispose of them.
Makoto placed a hand on his shoulder and smirked before turning to look at Haru. "Noir, I'd say it's time for that."
Haru smiled sweetly as she very eagerly pulled out her grenade launcher. "But, of course, Queen!"
She giggled brightly as she took aim, directing her sights towards the center of the group. Once she was happy with the positioning, she fired.
The grenade flew from the launcher, soaring gracefully through the air.
One of the shadows noticed, pointing towards the shell. "Hey, what is-"
Kaboom!
The thieves quickly hid themselves behind two large statues at the room entrance, partially to evade being detected from any shadows coming to investigate the noise, and partially to protect themselves from the blast.
They cautiously peaked around the statues at the center of the room.
It was empty, the floor slightly scorched.
Goro glanced over at Haru with wide eyes… Slightly terrified, he had to admit. "A lot different from my usual methods… But certainly effective."
Haru giggled again with a cute yet extremely ominous smile. "Why, thank you! Let this be a warning to you if you think of betraying us again~!"
Goro felt a cold sweat run down his chin.
Most shadows tried their hardest to be dangerous and intimidating and failed miserably, Goro would just cut them down without a second thought. But this girl… With barely any effort at all, she was easily the most frightening person Goro had ever met.
"... I'll keep that in mind. Now… Shall we get going now that you've… cleared the way?"
"A wonderful idea!"
"Hold up! Maybe it would be a good idea to have a quick heal up while we're in a relatively safe spot? We dunno when the next safe room's gonna appear so might as well top up, right?" Ann suggested, freezing everyone in their tracks.
"Excellent idea, Panther! Anyone who needs serious healing, come to me and Queen. Anyone who just needs a little healing from an item, go to Futaba. Anyone who needs to replenish SP, go to Ryuji. Alright? Crow and Violet, could you keep watch?" Morgana announced before turning to the two newer members of the group.
Goro nodded seriously. "Will do."
Sumire mimicked his nod. "You can count on me, Mona-senpai!"
"Yo, Crow! Noticed you were wearing down a bit. Drink up!" Ryuji called out, carefully throwing a SP drink as the black mask wearing thief.
Goro caught it with ease and instantly pried it open with his outfit's claws. "I appreciate it, Skull."
The group quickly went about their business, not wanting to stick around for too long, just to play it safe.
Morgana and Makoto worked quickly, casting healing spells on Yusuke who had taken the brunt of an attack earlier.
Futaba carefully patched up Ann who had been grazed by an ice attack.
Ryuji was handing out SP items to everyone who had been using a lot of magic lately.
Goro and Sumire carefully scanned the area for any potential threats; Goro watching the bottom floor and paying close attention to the multiple doors while Sumire focused her gaze on the balconies of the upper floor.
Sumire scanned from the right, all the way around to the left, from the left, all the way around to the right, from the right, all the way around to the lef-
She saw something.
A small gasp left her mouth as she leaned to get a closer look.
It was only there for a split second, but she spotted a flash of something black billowing like a flag before it disappeared down the corridor and out of her view.
Goro drew his gun.
"What is it?" He urgently barked, aiming at where Sumire was looking.
Sumire shook her head and lowered Goro's arm. "It's gone. And I couldn't even tell if it was a shadow or a treasure demon or anything else… But considering how quickly it left, I don't think it's dangerous."
Goro looked down with an intrigued expression. Curiouser and curiouser… Perhaps it… No, that was ridiculous. But it was a possibility…
The chestnut haired boy shook his head to clear it of unnecessary thoughts and returned his attention to the mission at hand. "Even so, It'd be safer if we left now, just in case it returns with reinforcements. Is everyone ready to move out?"
The rest of the thieves stood up and gathered their supplies within a minute.
"We're ready."
"Alright… We'll investigate the lower levels first. Stay sharp."
The group's progress was starting to slow down. While they had made plenty of new discoveries about Maruki and how his palace worked, there were a lot more shadows at this point.
However, it was… odd. Every so often they'd come across shadows that were already injured or were suffering from status ailments… Was this another characteristic of the palace? Or was there some other reason?
"Ooh, guys! Up ahead! There's a safe room right around the left corner!" Futaba excitedly announced from within Prometheus.
"Great work, Oracle!" Makoto cheered the younger girl on.
"Thank god… I need a break… All these stairs are killing me…" Groaned Ryuji as he dragged his feet along the pristine white floor, leaving skid marks behind him.
"Same… I need sweets to refuel…" Ann agreed, sluggishly leaning on Haru who simply giggled as she led Ann towards the safe room.
Goro placed his hand on the safe room door, carefully scanning the area and ensuring there were no enemies who could possibly ambush them when they left.
After he was satisfied, he pushed the door open and entered with the rest of the group following close behind.
There was already somebody in the safe room.
The sound of the door opening startled them, causing them to pull out their gun and aim it directly at the group.
Everyone gasped in shock.
"Ren?! The hell are you doing here?!" Exclaimed Ryuji as the door shut behind.
Ren flinched awkwardly as he realised he was busted.
He had his jacket off, placed next to him as he tended to a gash on his arm. He hurriedly tried to hide it from the group but to no avail; they had already seen it.
Goro sighed, facepalming as he walked towards Ren. He grabbed his arm and held it in place as he applied some of Ren's medicine to the gash. "So I was right, after all…"
Ren glanced at him in confusion, as did the rest of the group.
"You were right? What do you mean?" Asked Yusuke as the thieves surrounded Ren who was desperately trying to avoid making eye contact.
"I've had a suspicion we might see Ren here for a while. First, when we barely encountered any shadows at the beginning of the palace, highly unusual considering we used the main entrance. Then Violet spotted a figure a few rooms back. The fact that it ran away instead of charging us made me believe someone didn't want us to know they were here. And then when we came across those injured and ailed shadows, it made me consider the possibility of another persona user being slightly ahead of us." Goro explained his reasoning as he applied some antiseptic to Ren's wound.
"Why the hell didn't you tell us, man?!" Huffed Ryuji.
"I didn't have any evidence to back up my theory. Plus needlessly worrying about the vague possibility of someone else infiltrating the palace would have slowed us down, and we don't have time for that." Goro stated as Makoto gently shoved him to the side and began to bandage up Ren's arm.
"But… Would you come here by yourself, Senpai? Surely you know how dangerous that is!" Asked Sumire, confused by Ren's reckless actions.
Ren scowled, embarrassed that he'd been caught in such a vulnerable state. "This is my business, I need to take care of it."
Morgana rolled his eyes. "It's not just you! This is serious so we need as many persona users as possible!"
"But, this all started because me and Dad! After everything that's happened, I have to put an end to it!" Snapped Ren, agitated by the pain and exhaustion he was feeling.
"... Are you really pinning the blame of everything on yourself?" Asked Ann as she stared at Ren with a woeful expression.
Futaba joined, anxiously poking her index fingers together as she spoke with a whimper. "Joker, what happened back then was an accident… You can't blame yourself for something you just happened to get swept up in… I know that. You helped me realise that."
Ren's eyes softened at Futaba's plea before a troubled frown engulfed his face. "... But I hadn't forgotten… None of this would have happened."
"How can you be so sure?" Yusuke pondered, crossing his arms.
"What?"
"It was Maruki's actualisation that made you forget, correct? Even if you hadn't forgotten, the trauma of that incident would have still eaten away at the both of you. There's no telling what else could have pushed Maruki to his limit."
Ren glanced away as he considered Yusuke's suggestion.
That was… true. But even then… This was his father they were talking about! He'd been looking for that answer for so long! So he couldn't just leave him be…! He couldn't do that…
Ren bit his lip as all these conflicting thoughts bounced around his head, giving him a headache.
"Although, the thing I'm wondering most is… If the reason we didn't see many shadows was because you were defeating them, why did you start leaving them alive after you clearly got into fights with them?" Makoto voiced her biggest concern.
Ren quickly looked away but, as if to answer her question, blue flames engulfed his body before fading to reveal his normal civilian clothes.
Ren grimaced as he pushed up his glasses that had replaced his mask.
Goro's eyes widened as the answer hit him like a ton of bricks.
"Your personas are unstable… aren't they?"
Ren hunched his shoulders and looked down at the floor in shame.
The rest of the group looked down at Ren with worried expressions.
"Ren, I think you should go home…" Haru was the first to speak.
"No!"
"C'mon, man… It ain't safe for you here if your personas ain't workin'..." Ryuji backed Haru up.
"I got this far, I'm fine! I can keep going!" Ren stubbornly insisted, standing up and trying to walk away.
Makoto firmly grabbed his shoulder and forced him to sit back down. She gestured to Yusuke to look through Ren's supply bag.
It was running very low.
"Sure, but look at the state of you. Do you really think you'll be able to keep going for very long?" She sighed, just hoping Ren would see reason.
Blue flames once again sprung forth from Ren's body, making his thief attire reappear.
"See? I'm fine. I just need to keep-"
"Senpai!"
Sumire's voice grabbed the attention of everyone as she glared at Ren with concern.
"Why don't you understand that we're pestering you because we're worried about you?! You already got trapped in this palace once, we don't want to risk that happening again!"
Ren recoiled, guilt surging through him as he noticed Sumire tearing up behind her mask. He looked away with an anguished expression.
"... But… I…"
Goro loudly sighed, placing his hand on his hip and sharing a glance with Makoto and Morgana. The two co-leaders nodded.
Goro sat down next to Ren and locked eyes with him. "Now listen to me: You can keep going if you come with us, BUT! No wandering off by yourself and you will stay in the backlines until we can figure out what's wrong with your personas. Are. We. Clear?"
The chestnut haired boy held out his hand towards Ren.
Ren's brow furrowed as he considered those conditions. He needed to fix this mess, no matter the cost. And it would be a huge help to have them working with him to restore his personas…
Ren nodded firmly and shook Goro's hand.
"We have a deal."
Goro nodded back, relieved that they were able to make Ren see reason.
"Alright. Now, everyone rest up and heal up. Futaba, when we head out, you stick close to Joker, alright?" Goro announced.
Futaba grinned and gave him a salute. "Roger that!"
"That's a good idea… Panther! You and Fox focus on long range attacks for now so you can provide Ren backup when he needs it." Makoto added.
The duo of animal mask wearing thieves nodded urgently.
The group then split up, taking a much needed reprieve from their long, arduous infiltration.
Ren glanced around at his friends and teammates.
They really went through all that a few days ago to help him… And they still saw him as a valuable friend and ally? Even when it was his own father causing them grief this time?
"Hey, dude, you're looking a little worn down. Eat up! You'll feel better!" Ryuji remarked as he cheerfully slung his arm around Ren and handed him a curry pan.
Ren stared at him in surprise before smiling contentedly.
"Thanks. I appreciate it."
After taking the time to heal and rest, the group's pace picked up. They were making decent progress and their re-energised state made battles a hell of a lot easier than they were before.
Although, Ren's personas were still posing a problem. They'd work for a while until they'd suddenly stop obeying. But it wasn't anything they couldn't handle; simply form a barricade around Ren while he fired his gun and threw bombs at the shadows.
The worst instances were when his thief attire would vanish altogether. For some reason, that attracted more shadows than usual and the group would hastily have to find hiding spots until his thief outfit returned.
Ren hated it.
It felt like he was weighing the team down.
Luckily, Futaba was there to always give them ample warning for when a group of shadows was approaching, so they hadn't been caught off guard yet.
As they entered another corridor, one leading up to a large flight of stairs, Futaba let out an enthusiastic gasp. "There's another safe room nearby! It should be just past the corridor up there!"
The group glanced upward at the large flight of stairs. So… Just up there and through that door… and a little bit further, they'd be able to rest.
"Sounds good." Muttered Goro as he scanned his eyes around the area.
"Thanks for the information." Makoto added.
"I say, we hurry up there and get to that safe room. Who knows when the next one will show up?" Morgana suggested after shooting a quick glance towards Ren.
The instability of his personas was clearly draining his energy, no matter how hard he tried to hide it.
"Whatever you say, Mona." Yusuke replied as he slid his katana back into its place under his belt.
"Alright… This is gonna suck but once we're up there, we're up there… Ready, guys?" Ryuji puffed as he gave his legs a quick stretch, ready to tackle this climb as fast as possible.
Everyone copied, stretching their aching muscles before preparing themselves to charge.
"Go!"
The entire group leapt forward, sprinting up the stairs as fast as their legs could carry them. Their muscles cried out for mercy but they ignored them, reasoning that they'd be able to rest them when they got to the top.
Goro let out an irritated groan as he slammed his feet down onto the steps.
Why did so many palaces feel the need to have huge fucking stairs?! As a display of power?! What a load of crap… This is why he hated power hungry adults…
The stairs just seemed to keep going and going and going… Everyone was starting to slow down but they still kept sprinting as fast they could.
Futaba gasped and whipped her head upwards. "Above us!"
Everyone looked up to discover a hoard of shadows leaping down from the ceiling to ambush them.
They all desperately sped up to avoid the attack and hopefully gain the advantage for the imminent fight.
Everyone managed to dodge.
Everyone but Ren.
He was surrounded from every angle by these long, noodly shaped shadows. Their arms flailed as they closed in on him.
"Ah, Young Lord! The Master has been so worried about you!"
"Joker!" Panther cried.
Ren grunted anxiously as he grabbed his mask and flung it off his face.
"Arsene!"
Silence.
Ren's mask appeared back on his face.
"Dammit…!" He hissed bitterly.
"I ain't gonna let you snatch him again!" Ryuji snarled, getting ready to pounce on the shadows, Goro and Sumire right there with him.
"Please don't!" Ren requested, freezing them in their tracks.
Everyone stared at him with a mixture of bewilderment and concern, not understanding why he would turn down their aid.
"I appreciate it, but… This is something I need to do myself."
Goro watched Ren carefully with a worried expression before taking a deep breath and lowering his weapon.
He chose to trust Ren.
Sumire gazed down at her raven haired Senpai. Both of them had been through so much lately… Both facing things they never wanted to… If this was what he wanted to do, she would comply.
Ren gulped nervously, his heart pounding as he clenched his fists and spoke.
"All this time… I've been acting as a leader to all of you, but the truth is… I've always been the one relying on you. I was always scared and needed the support of everyone around me to have the nerve to act. You all looked up to me as someone steadfast and confident in who they were… But it turns out I haven't known who I am for a long time…"
He lifted his hands up to his mask and grasped it with a firm grip, his hands stinging as he tugged and tugged. The mask didn't budge. He bit his lip to hold back the tears that were threatening to spill from his eyes.
"That's twice now… Twice I've chosen some perfect fairytale dream over reality… I knew I had to look forward and keep moving… But I was too scared! Too scared to speak up about what I saw! Too afraid of what lay ahead and what stayed in the past that I just averted my eyes and pretended it wasn't there…!"
The rest of the thieves watched with pained expressions, their hearts ached as Ren finally admitted the truth and came to terms with himself.
"But, Arsene… I need you now… You're the only one who never ran! You kept trying and trying to make me face the truth, and I ignored you! I know it was frustrating, but I'm done running now!"
Ren gasped out a desperate sob as the hot, shameful tears began to pour down his cheeks.
"The weak, cowardly Ren who always ran away… Is gone! I'm here now! And I'm not going anywhere! So… So please…!"
With gritted teeth and one last visceral pull, Ren tore the mask from his face and flung it to the side.
Reaching upwards with hope glimmering in his now golden eyes as the blood dripped down from his face into the ground. The white staircase slowly turning scarlet as the blood flowed down the steps.
"Such tenacity…"
Ren's eyes widened as that familiar voice finally spoke to him again.
He turned around, finding himself in an empty white void with his only company being… him.
"It seems you've finally embraced the freedom and splendor of your title… The life of wallowing in delusion and self pity is not one suited for you. Let us make sure your father learns that same lesson, yes?"
Ren's eyes shone with relief as a bright, hopeful smile spread across his face.
He reached out to take his persona's hand.
"Yes!"
An impressed chuckle rumbled through the persona's throat. "Very good. Let us reforge our contract. As you have been reborn, so have I. My name is no longer Arsene… But, you already knew that, didn't you?"
Ren grinned wildly as they firmly gripped onto each other's hand.
"I sure do…"
He closed his eyes peacefully before flinging them back open, finding himself back in reality.
"Come to me… Raoul!"
The same, azure flames exploded out once more, blowing away the shadows that had Ren cornered. The thieves took the opportunity to run towards Ren and provide back up.
The blood dissipated from his face, fading away in the wind like tiny, crimson petals.
Behind Ren, in all his glory, was Raoul.
His mask remained the same, with his usual menacing smirk. This time, with a cigarette hanging from his mouth, billowing bright red smoke as the end glowed with orange embers.
His elegant top hat was replaced with a snazzy trilby, which he pulled down on his eyes.
He wore a smart white shirt with a simple black tie and trousers, with a scarlet leather jacket with gold accents on top. White gloves with black claws were the finishing touch to this look. It gave him the appearance of a scheming crime boss… Which at this point, Ren technically was… So why not embrace that role?
His boots were as high and deadly as ever, only instead of the crimson and silver combination, they were now jet black and gold, glimmering magnificently in the bright hospital lights.
On his back, his midnight blue feathery wings were replaced with bold, imposing mechanical wings coated in leather.
The persona cackled with glee as he made his grand debut.
"I am thou, thou art I… The time has come to steal back the lost time from all those years ago!"
Ren grinned, playfully twirling his knife around his fingers as the shadows recovered from the earlier explosion and charged towards him once again.
"I hear you loud and clear!"
The rest of the thieves readied themselves for battle, pulling out their weapons.
"It's alright." Ren informed them, looking back at them with a smug smirk. "Raoul and I can handle this. You guys just sit back and relax."
Sumire flinched anxiously as that bold assumption. "But-!"
Ren simply held up a finger and winked before turning back to the shadows who were now, ever so kindly, close together in a cluster.
"Raoul! Maeigaon!" Ren barked out, his heart pounding strongly as a surge of power coursed through both of them.
The persona obeyed, enveloping all of the shadows within his powerful curse magic.
With a simple clench of his fist, the magic collapsed in on the shadows and crushed them, grinding each and every one to dust.
The thieves stared in awe.
All of them… defeated with a single attack.
Raoul returned to the mask on Ren's face while the boy himself chuckled tiredly, his legs giving way from beneath him.
Ryuji rushed forward and caught him.
"S-See…? Toldja I could… take them…" Ren gasped out between exhausted pants and wheezes.
"You sure did! That was incredible, Joker!"
"It's great to have you back!"
"Are you alright, though?"
"Seriously, what's up with Arsene?! He transformed again?!"
Goro raised his hand to gain everyone's attention. "While that was an extremely impressive display, it's clear that reawakening has completely drained your energy… I think it would be best if we reached the next safe room and then headed home for today."
Makoto nodded firmly. "Yes, I agree. We've made more than enough progress in one day. We still have time."
Ren sluggishly flopped his hand from side to side dismissively, too tired to argue. "Whatever you say…"
The group laughed quietly. It was great to see the usual cheeky Ren make a reappearance after everything he'd been through.
Ryuji and Yusuke happily pulled Ren's arms over their shoulder and helped the exhausted boy climb the rest of the stairs while the others walked ahead and behind them, watching for any more potential ambushes.
Ren just hoped they would reach the safe room soon because after all that… He could really use a nap.
Ren flung himself onto his bed with an exhausted huff. The gang had to practically carry him back to Leblanc because his whole body aches so much.
Sojiro was surprised when they all came flooding through the door, but he figured something new had come up and didn't bother questioning them on it. Instead, he simply welcomed them in and gave them a much needed dinner.
That was a few hours ago. Everyone had already gone home, Morgana went with Futaba to discuss future plans for their infiltration, and Ren had headed to the bathhouse for a long, relaxing soak in the warm water.
A refreshed sigh left his mouth. His muscles felt a lot less stiff and painful, and Sojiro had brought him up a cup of coffee to help him relax for the night.
Ren rummaged around in his bag, pulling out a packet of cookies. He figured since he didn't have anything else to do, he'd just have a little snack with his coffee and watch random videos online.
However, as he picked up his phone and began to scroll through his subscriptions, it rang.
The caller ID was Goro Akechi.
Ren hummed through his sip of coffee, quickly swallowing it before accepting the call.
"Hello?"
"Hey, it's me. I just wanted to check up on you."
"Aww, are you worried about me~?" Ren joked to lighten the mood after a stressful day.
An unimpressed huff made its way through his phone speaker. "Well, I was until you said that… I'm being serious, Ren. You put yourself in a lot of danger today, everyone was worried."
Ren ran his fingers through his hair as he struggled with how to respond. He knew he put himself in danger… But a simple 'I'm sorry' probably wasn't going to fix that…
"I know… I know. I'm fine now. It just took some time and you guys smacking some sense back into me, but I'm fine."
Goro let out a relieved sigh. "Good… Good… Are you sure you're okay with going against Maruki? I mean, with your circumstances-"
"I'm completely fine, Goro. I've opened my eyes now… And I wanna make sure that he does the same. Right now, he doesn't have anyone looking out for him, so I'll bring him back to reality kicking and screaming if I have to."
Goro quietly snickered. "With that wording, it sounds more like you're the parent."
Ren giggled back. "I brought you into this world, and I will take you out of it!"
The sound of Goro's laughter rang through Ren's ear. "Oh my god, that one's a classic."
"I know, right? I remember once when I was being a pain, my adoptive mum pulled that one and I screamed back 'No, you didn't! You have no control over my time of death!'" Ren chuckled as that memory re-entered his mind.
Goro howled with laughter again. "Ha! I guess she didn't really think that one through!"
"Right?!" Ren's laughter calmed down and both boys eventually fell silent, the conversation grinding to a halt.
Although, Ren had something he needed to say. Clearing his throat, he spoke up. "Hey… Goro?"
"Yeah?"
"I just… I just wanted to say I'm sorry for everything that happened before…"
"What do-"
"When I got my memories back… I could hear you and Sumire calling out to me but… I… I dunno it was like there was a fog and I just couldn't really… God, how do I describe it…? I just didn't want to see the truth… And you had to go through all that trouble to save me, just because I was scared, so… I'm really sorry."
Ren let out a shaky breath as he thought back to that day. It was humiliating to think about… He gave up so quickly…
"Ren."
Goro's voice pulled him out of that spiral.
"Y-Yeah?"
"You have nothing to apologize for."
"But I-"
"I doubt anyone would have been able to think straight in a situation like that. With so many big revelations at once, it's only natural you got overwhelmed and immediately clung to the easiest option. I'm just glad you're back with us."
Ren's chest felt warm. Maybe it was just relief that Goro didn't think any less of him after witnessing his moment of weakness but also… Not blaming him for the way he acted.
"Besides…" Goro spoke again, his voice sounding a little softer than usual and a little bit… unsure. "Obviously I'll never understand exactly how you feel but… I can empathise… with your feelings about your mother, if nothing else. And I'm sure Futaba, Haru and Sumire are all in the same boat. If you ever need to open up, we're all here."
Ren sat in stunned silence.
Goro was… allowing himself to be vulnerable for once. Of course… Ren remembered… Goro had mentioned his mother before. And her unfortunate death.
Ren breathed out as a thankful smile spread across his face.
"Thanks, Goro… I really appreciate that."
"...Anytime."
The two fell silent again until Ren chuckled half heartedly.
"What?"
"I was just thinking… All of us are pretty messed up in our own ways, huh?"
Goro was quiet as he thought about it, letting out his own chuckle as he realised Ren was right. "I suppose that's why the group's so close… You're all getting your own back at the world for the crappy hands you were dealt."
"You're part of the team, too, Goro."
"I highly doubt-"
"You are. I'm not taking no for an answer here."
"Ha… Very well. Not much point in arguing then, is there?"
"Nope!"
Goro giggled brightly. "It's good to hear you being your insufferable self again."
"... I'm choosing to take that as a compliment."
"Take it how you wish, it can go both ways."
"Mm, just like me."
Ren heard Goro spluttering on his drink as he wheezed out a surprise laugh, having been caught completely off-guard by that sudden quip.
"Oh my- G-God…! Ren! Seriously?!"
"Yes~? Is something wrong~?"
"Y-You… Y'know what, you're clearly feeling better. I'm going to bed." Goro eventually conceded defeat with a tired sigh.
Ren chortled deviously, relishing his victory.
Goro knew this and sighed once again. "Make sure you rest up. We're probably going to take tomorrow easy… Restock our supplies and stuff, so don't push yourself."
Ren smiled. "I won't. Don't worry. And Goro? … Thanks again. For everything."
"You really don't need to thank me so much. You came to your senses yourself."
"But I couldn't have done it without all of you. So I really mean it… Thank you."
Ren could have sworn he heard a flustered sigh from Goro, but if he did, the former detective quickly covered it up.
"Then you had better tell the others too, then."
"I will! It's a little late now, though… I'll leave it till the morning."
"Okay then… It's good to have you back, Joker."
Ren smiled blissfully as he leaned back onto his pillow.
"Likewise, Crow."
"Good night, sleep well."
"Yeah, good night."
As Goro hung up, Ren giggled quietly to himself. For some reason, he felt as if a weight had been lifted from his chest. He wasn't sure why, but he was grateful for it.
He leaned over and pressed his fingers against his coffee cup. Good. Still warm. It hadn't gone cold during their conversation.
Taking a large sip of coffee and then grabbing a cookie from the nearby packet, Ren rolled onto his stomach as he reopened the app he was previously on.
With a contented hum, he leaned his phone against his pillow, and pressed play.