Chapter Text
"..."
"..."
There was only silence in the thieves' hideout. After all, it was alarming that they had suddenly received a letter.
Not only that, the letter was written similar to a calling card, but not at the same time. Instead of it being red, it was purple and blue. Probably indigo.
In the letter, it said:
To the Phantom Thieves of Heart,
If you are reading this letter, then I know you are alarmed as to how I have sent this to you
I have sent you this letter for a request, as this can serve as a warning
You might think you're safe, but later in the future, a new ruin will come once more, despite your efforts
But not all thieves will stay and remain forever; some are destined and fated to leave early.
I cannot explain further in this letter, for fear of compromising your identities and duties,
If you want to know more, go to the address I've sent you, written on the back
-Ellothern,
P.s I know about Personas. Some students of UA will be here too, along with a few selected Pro Heroes. I assure you, I WILL NOT ALLOW THEM TO TOUCH YOU. Igor and Lavenza would not be happy if anything were to happen to you, Joker.
It was terrifying to think that whoever sent them this letter knew about Personas, most likely the Metaverse, and even the Velvet Room. That just proves Ellothern is not human. The fact that they're meddling Heroes was also dangerous. Just how capable are they?
"Do we trust anything the letter says?" Ren Amamiya, otherwise known as Joker, asks his team's opinion.
"This letter is suspiciously honest with whoever they brought." Makoto Niijima, aka, Queen, the second in command of the Thieves, says with suspicion. "But how much are they being truthful about?"
"Not to mention that they know about the Metaverse and the Velvet Room." Yusuke Kitagawa, also known as Fox, adds. "We can safely assume they know of our methods as well."
"What do we do now?" Haru Okumura, Noir, asks, worried. "I know we should be careful with this invitation, but if it's true that something bad will happen again, we can't ignore it!"
"Even if it's the case, why are they so confident we won't be able to stop it?" Ann Takamaki, Panther, questions.
"I agree." Ryuji Sakomoto, aka Skull, says, a bit worried, might I add. "They want to warn us about something bad, but just how bad is it that they think we can't handle it?"
"I don't know." Ren mumbles.
"Not only that, I tried doing some research about 'Ellothern" or anything like this," Futaba Sakura, aka Oracle, says, recalling when she did some digging.
"That makes it more troublesome," Ryuji says. "If we don't know who it is, how will we know if we can trust them or not?"
"Hmm..." Morgana, a small black "cat", also known as Mona, hummed for a moment.
"What is it, Mona?" Ren asks.
"I'm not sure but... I feel like we can trust this, I believe."
"Oh? How so?" Ren asks.
"The name, Ellothern, I don't believe it rings a bell, but something about it feels familiar."
"Do you think they're connected to the Velvet Room?" Ren asks.
"Perhaps. But maybe not. But forgetting that part, I think we need to take this risk. After all, if they truly are telling the truth, we need more information if we desire to prevent another ruinous future."
Morgana wasn't wrong. If this were true, then that would mean their world would fall to ruin once more. And if they end up ignoring the matter...
They shivered upon that thought. The memory of when they've been forgotten was still... Terrifying. They were still kids after all.
"Then we have an agreement?" Ren asks.
Everyone agrees.
But just before they could figure out where to find this "Ellothern",
"Hey, kids! Someone wants to see you." It was Soujiro Sakura, Futaba's adopted father and Ren's current guardian and parental figure, who owns Cafe Leblanc.
The Thieves were confused for a moment, but when they went downstairs, they were greeted by a young girl, roughly around 13 years old. She had a long grey braid, extending to her knee, and lilac eyes and wore round glassess. She wore a simple purple shirt and black shorts; however, her grey scarf covered her entire mouth, as if she was purposely covering her mouth.
"Who's this boss?" Ryuji asks.
"Not sure. But she said she came to pick you up."
The Thieves were confused at first. But then they had a good idea of who this was.
"Are you Ellothern?" Ren asks.
The girl shakes her head and writes something in a notebook. She showed it to them, and it read:
"No. That's my brother. I'm his younger twin, Eithernetta. I was told to pick you up since you agreed."
The thieves were alarmed. Wait, how did that girl know!?
She shakes her head and gestures them to follow her. With no other choice, the group of friends decide to follow her.
"We'll be right back Soujirou. We have some business to attend to."
They left the Cafe as they followed to the girl named Eithernetta. Eventually, they reached an alleyway that had a glowing purple door, similar to that of the Velvet Room's. Eithernetta turns back to them and hands them each a keychain stuck to a key.
"Is this similar to of the Velvet Room's key?" Ren asks.
Eithernetta nods her head.
"I don't mean to sound rude, but are you mute by chance?" Ann carefully asks.
Eithernetta didn't look offended by the question, but simply shook her head. She wrote down in her notebook again.
"No. I can speak. But you can say that my ability that I have relates to my voice. I can't control it properly yet, which is why I have a scarf covering my mouth."
Oh... So that's why her scarf is abnormally long and big. She looked cute, though.
She then opens the door and gestures for them to enter.
The thieves look at each other and nod. And so they enter through the door.
...
The next thing they know, they suddenly change to their Phantom Thief attire, much to their shock.
"Wow! What happened?!"
Ren- Joker, turns to Eithernetta. "I believe you allowed us to change into our Thief attire so that our identities are kept safe." He smiles. "Thank you for at least keeping your word."
Eithernetta looked embarrassed, and she scratched her head. She then walked towards another room, so they continued to follow her. But then, they heard a commotion.
"What is the meaning of this?!"
When they entered, they saw a bunch of students along with the Pro Heroes- All Might, Erasure Head, Midnight, and even the infamous Principal of UA Nezu!
"I temporarily disabled your quirks. That way, you won't damage anything here. Otherwise, you would've paid for property damage." A young boy around Eithernetta's age says with a stern face.
The one who said that was a boy who resembled Eithernetta. Grey hair, but tied into a long slim ponytail instead. He had blue eyes instead and wore rectangular glasses instead. On his head a purple headphone that seemed to match Eithernetta's color. He wore a sleeveless blue shirt and a black jacket. He had long, white, thick pants with a couple of pockets and wore black and blue sneakers.
This had to be Ellothern, the one who sent them the note, and Eithernetta's older twin brother!
"Um... How much do all of these cost...?" A green-haired boy, Izuku Midorya, asks a little worried.
The boy pauses as he closes his eyes for a moment. He opens his eyes again, with no thought in them.
"About the cost of 19,00 golds." He says, causing almost everyone to stare in terror.
"W-why is it so expensive?!" A short, brown-haired girl, Ochako Uraraka, asks, terrified.
"We made everything from scratch, and it took us years to build....." He says, hiding a hint of sadness. "We had to save up so much money for this place, and it was no easy task. We had help of course, but if you destroy or damage it... "
"But you look like children..." Momo Yaoyorozu, a black-haired girl, tied in a ponytail, was confused. "How old even are you?!"
"That holds no importance," Ellothern says, still stern.
"Young man, you were the one who brought us here. I believe we deserve some answers." Midnight says.
"Irrelevant. My sister will be here soon with the special guests. Then, I will properly explain everything."
Then, at that moment, Eithernetta ran towards her brother and gave him a big hug! Though this caught him by surprise at first, but to some's surprise, his expression finally softened, and he gently hugged her back.
He breaks the hug and faces the Phantom Thieves, giving them an acknowledged nod.
"Welcome, Phantom Thieves." He greets them. "I welcome you to the Violet Mansion. We call this room the Reaction or Viewing Room since this is where we watch things." He says, bowing like a butler. His sister bowed politely as well.
But this causes everyone to be shocked, horrified, maybe terrified, and betrayed. They didn't expect the "special guests" to be the INFAMOUS PHANTOM THIEVES.
Nearly everyone but Nezu stood up, ready to throw arms at the famed Vigilantes (often villains for some), but Eithernetta stood in between them, shaking her arms as if she was saying "wait, wait, wait!" or "no, no, no, no!!!" to them while she spoke in muffled "mmhs!"
"You invited the Phantom Thieves?!" Aizawa questions in a betrayed tone.
"Yes. I did invite them." He stares at them. "After all, my acquaintances owe them for helping them."
Joker paused for a moment. Was this about what happened at Christmas two years ago?
"What did these criminals do to help you?" Tenya Ilda, a blue-haired glasses boy and the class representative, questions while shaking his hands like a robot.
"Something you Pro Heroes can never achieve." He says.
They all felt insulted. Especially a certain explosive boy.
"What did you say?!" The explosive boy, Katsuki Bakugo, questions.
"What's something they have and we don't?!" Denki Kaminari questions, but is more confused than angered.
"Simple. You lack the strong will to rebel." He says with a straight face. "As of now, none of you don't have the potential to achieve such height due to how much you stick with your hero system." He then looked more serious. "I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with your rules, but when it becomes corrupt, you have to rebel to do the greater good. You also have to especially come to terms with a part of you that you don't want to show, or you refuse to accept is a part of you." He then looks towards the table. "On a few occasions, you'd have to overcome your death."
"Overcome our death?" Futaba- Oracle, mumbles, unfamiliar with that specific topic connected to Personas.
"Anyway, before we begin, Phantom Thieves, is it all right for you to formally introduce yourselves?" He says with respect. He then turns to his sister. "Either, please prepare them some seats." To which, she nods her head and salutes as if she were taking a command.
They nod as each introduces themselves.
"My name is Joker, leader of the Phantom Thieves."
"I am Mona, and before you ask, I AM NOT A CAT!" Eithernetta slightly chucked in amusement upon hearing that statement.
"The name's Skull."
"I go by Panther."
"I am called Fox."
"I go by Queen."
"M-my name is Oracle," She says while hiding behind Joker out of shyness.
"I am Noir. Pleasure to meet you." She says with a polite smile.
The heroes stared and were shocked to learn how YOUNG all of the Thieves (minus Morgana) were. How long have they doing this job?!
"Kids, you are aware that becoming a Vigilante means you will follow a path with no future, don't you?" All Might asks, genuinely concerned.
Despite this, the Thieves did not trust him based on their skeptical expression.
"It doesn't matter what you heroes will say, we won't change our minds!" Skull says without hesitation.
"You don't know what you're doing. Sooner or later, you will get caught, you'll be locked up in Tartarus!"
"We are doing this for a reason. And we won't stop."
"But-!"
"Leave the guests alone," Ellothern says. "They have the right to choose, I will not allow your so-called fate to enslave them like how fate enslaved 'him'."
The mention of "him" sent a shiver down Joker's spine. He already knew who they were referring to...
Eithernetta taps Ellothern's shoulder and mumbles something to him in a very quiet whisper.
"Ah, right, sorry. I guess I got carried away..." He tells his sister. He coughs for a moment. "Anyway, before we forget the purpose of coming here, allow me to properly explain what I meant by the "warning" of the upcoming ruin." He says in seriousness. "In short, something big will come and attempt to rob humanity of their desires and free will. The Phantom Thieves will attempt to stop this invisible threat as they always will, only this time... Things went horribly wrong..." His expressions darkened. "After the fall of Joker, for real this time, the Thieves vanish for good, and no one has been able to come in contact with them in years."
Horror was on the faces of the Thieves. They... they failed? This time? For real?!
"But... That doesn't change anything, right?" Mina Ashido, a pink-haired girl, asks. "I mean, the heroes can-."
"Save everyone? Then where were they when people were alone? Had no one to rely on?!"
This caused Mina to shut up. Not only that, the Thieves had a good idea of what Joker was referring to when he said that...
"Students of UA, Pro Heroes. This is something that not even All Might can do in his prime. No hero can stop this ruin." Ellothern reveals.
This caused everyone to be shocked. The Thieves half expected it, but the rest?
"You're ***** joking right?!" Bakugo questioned, only to be confused as to why his voice was censored for a short moment.
Eithernetta briefly panicked and looked like she was holding back her brother. "My sister, despite everything, has yet to have the rest of her innocence shatter. Please refrain from cursing." He shakes his head. "Anyway, what we will show you are glimpses of future overlooked conflicts that will lead to ruin. Not only that, but we will also catch a glimpse of the Thieves' successors."
This shocked everyone. Even the thieves. "What?!"
"Wait! When and how did we even get the time to get successors if Joker died in the future?!" Oracle questions.
"Technically unofficial successors, but fate had plans for them," Ellothern explains. "The purpose of watching these is for a warning and a heads-up for the thieves. For the Heroes, perhaps I can give you a new perspective."
"Are we really going to learn from thieves? Criminals no less?"
"What will we learn from this?"
"Is this even worth our time?"
The Thieves were already used to talks like these at this point, but it never hurt any less.
Ellothern then approached the table and grabbed a gun. "Thieves. We, too, have "those" within us."
This caused their eyes to open wide. No way, did they...?!
"We've lived through five generations in total. Allow me to introduce my third-generation Persona, the one who shall help out with the viewing."
Nezu, who was silent the entire time, was intrigued by how they used the term "Persona". What could that mean now?
"Kid, why do you have a gun-"
But before Midnight could finish, Ellothern raised it towards his head, alarming everyone, even the thieves. However, Eithernetta prevented any of them from reaching him.
"ARE YOU CRAZY?! YOUR BROTHER WILL-!" But Eithernetta shut his mouth. Finally, her brother said...
"Persona, Aristaeus, come." He gently says.
Shattering glass could be heard, his eyes briefly glowed blue, and a mysterious being appeared behind him. It was mostly shrouded by some sort of shadow, but they could tell that this was a man with wings.
"Wow... I never seen a Persona like that before!" Oracle says with eyes sparkling. "But the way you summon your it is concerning..."
"Why would you even use a gun!?" Kyouka Jirou questions out of genuine concern.
"Its called an Evoker." He says. "This is how I summon my 3rd Generation Persona. He helps me get specific pieces of history and memories. My master was the one who gifted it to me."
"Does that mean Eithernetta-chan has one too?" Ann- aka, Panther, asks.
To which, she simply nods.
"For real!?" Ryuji, Skull says with shock!
As the Thieves finally properly settled down, Haru, aka, Noir then asks.
"So what will we watch first?"
Eithernetta then brought out two weird-looking CDs colored in purple. Each titled...
"Ambitions and Visions", and "Show Stealer"...
TO BE CONTINUED