Author's Notes
Hello and thank you for taking the time to look at my work. I am Captain Bell and this is my first submission of fiction in many years. I hope that you enjoy it.
This entry actually contains both the prologue and chapter one of the story. I made the decision to upload it this way because the prologue is quite short by itself. Future updates will have only one chapter each.
I have included a suggested soundtrack within the story. These are songs that I was either thinking of or listening to while writing and editing those sections of the chapter. You should feel free to ignore them or to substitute your own preferred reading music, of course, but if you are interested in following mine then you can find any suggestions I make under the names provided. Just play them on loop until it suggests a new piece or says End Track and you will have the intended soundtrack.
With those formalities out of the way, let us begin.
PERSONA 5: THE PHANTOM REBELLION
Prologue
[Persona 5 OST: The Poem For Everyone's Souls]
'Blue...'
Ren Amamiya's thoughts are consumed by the color blue. The teen's right cheek presses against the bare earth of the small park where he lays immobile, but its cool touch offers no relief to his numb skin. Ren is already unable to breathe even shallowly anymore. Despite the situation, the former leader of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts still expects a familiar image of velvet walls and black chains to overtake him at any moment.
'Blue... it feels like every time I entered that place. Will I see them again? Igor? Lavenza?'
Ren knows that he isn't really on his way to the Velvet Room. The young man's current state of mind truly does remind him of how it feels to have his consciousness leave his body and enter a place that exists between dreams and reality, though. Sadly, that is only further evidence that Ren Amamiya's mind has already begun to pass from the world of the living. There is no Velvet Room for the former inmate to return to, after all; not for a Trickster who's journey is already complete.
The strange occupants of the Velvet Room are not the first figures that Ren's nearly delirious mind has given its thoughts to since he realized that the end is upon him. The connected boy also focused closely upon all of the truly special bonds he has built in his life.
Morgana, the collected hope of humanity given physical form and life in the shape of Ren's pet cat. The last Ren saw of that miraculous existence was a dash of movement nearby, so the teen is at least relieved to know that his friend has been spared the same fate as him.
Amamiya's parents, whom he had only just reunited and reconciled with after a year away on probation. Ren wonders how they will feel to have him ripped away from them again so soon, and permanently.
Sojiro and Futaba Sakura, the former parolee's second family. Boss and his adopted daughter already hated to say goodbye to the young man when he returned to his hometown outside of Tokyo, so when they learn that they will never see him again it is certainly going to hurt.
Ryuji Sakamoto, the blunt best friend Ren never knew he'd want to have. Even in this state the boy can imagine that Ryuji might lose his passion for life a second time once he hears the news of Ren's death. The dying teen prays that his friend will remember to keep living to the fullest.
Ann Takamaki, the compassionate girl who helped Ren realize what it means to encourage people to be their best and to share burdens with others. As an emotional young woman Ann is sure to shed many tears when she learns of her friend's fate.
Yusuke Kitagawa, the eccentric artist who seeks beauty in all things. Ren thinks that he might appreciate a piece or two dedicated to him, if the Phantom Thieves' former calling card designer should find inspiration within his grief.
Makoto and Sae Niijima, the previous year's high school council president at Shujin Academy and her older sister, the prosecutor-turned-defense lawyer. Ren suspects that the women's history with the loss of both of their parents years ago will help them cope with his death faster than the others in their circle of friends. The boy hopes that the sisters will lend their strength to the surviving Phantom Thieves when they can.
Haru Okumura, the young majority shareholder of Okumura Foods. Ren doubts that Haru's recent and violent loss of her father last year will make news of a close friend's murder now any easier for her to handle, so he prays that she will be able to rely on the others to help her.
Even Goro Akechi, the traitor who turned Ren over to the police and tried to kill him, crosses the boy's mind in his final moments. Regardless of their history, when Goro died Ren promised the false detective to end his father's crimes in his stead, and the boy fulfilled that promise.
'Blue...'
There are many others, of course. Ren Amamiya's entire life does not flash before his eyes, but the most important parts of it do. Throughout the previous school year the one code named Joker lead the Phantom Thieves of Hearts on a crusade to reform the corrupt of society by the theft of their distorted desires. The Metaverse, a separate but connected world created from human thought and infested with Shadows, monsters of the same origin, was the unnatural force that enabled such heists. An experience like that is hardly easy to forget, nor is when the Phantom thieves ultimately slayed the false god who seized control of the masses and attempted to fuse the two worlds into one. In those difficult times last year Joker made deals with several exceptional individuals who came to know about his other life and lend their aid to him in various ways, which formed powerful bonds between them.
Yuuki Mishima, a former classmate and the administrator of the Phantom Aficionado website who learned to respect himself with Ren's help.
Sadayo Kawakami, Ren's homeroom teacher by day and maid service employee by night who rediscovered her desire to teach.
Tae Takemi, the disgraced doctor who provided the Phantom Thieves with medical support in exchange for some less-then-legal clinical trials that saved an old patient of hers.
Munehisa Iwai, the former Yakuza who helped the Phantom Thieves manage both their weapons and their looted goods while he received aid with settling his old life's issues in return.
Ichiko Ohya, the journalist who gave the Phantom Thieves decent press while she rooted out scandals and corruption on her own as well.
Toranosuke Yoshida, the earnest politician who taught Joker how to be diplomatic and went on to win his election campaign.
Hifumi Togo, the high school shogi player whose strategic advice helped the Phantom Thieves in their battles and whose marred career was restarted on her own terms with their assistance.
Chihaya Mifune, the fortune teller whose predictions always helped the Phantom Thieves prepare for their work, and who was also inspired by the group's ability to challenge fate.
Shinya Oda, the elementary school boy who refined Joker's gun skills through arcade shooters simply because he was a fan of their work.
All of these trusted confidants earn their individual moments of painful remembrance and well wishes as Ren Amamiya's blood continues to stain the grass around his fallen form. None of those bonds will be forgotten by the young man, for it is because of them that he was able to grasp the truth of the World Arcana and learn to stand on his own feet. Ren knows that because of all of them he will never truly be alone, even in death. Now the Trickster's only regret is that he won't get to see more of the future that the he and his teammates saved from ruin.
'Still, if I'm going to die anyway,' the Phantom Thief can't help but lament as the darkness finally begins to claim the last spotty blurs that remain of his vision. 'I wish I could die with more of my friends by my side.'
There is a faint crimson glow nearby, just outside the reduced peripheral range of Ren's sight, as that last wish crosses the boy's mind. The presence of the abnormal light barely registers in Amamiya's thoughts, and not just because his awareness has faded. Rather, a more important sight comes to occupy the gray-eyed teen's final moment: a spot of color among the nearby trees that hadn't been there before, and which Ren's mind is completely focused on before its thoughts finally cease.
'Blue... like velvet.'
Prologue End
[Persona 5 OST: The Spirit]
I am thou, thou art I...
A blood oath has been forced upon thee.
o
It shall become a new chain of captivity
that denies the freedom of your heart.
o
But fear not, for thou hast grasped the ultimate
secret of the World, granting thee infinite power...
Chapter 1: A Rebel's Soul
[Persona 5 OST: Phantom]
One day before the new oath...
"Bye mom, dad."
It is early on a Saturday morning. Ren Amamiya shuts the door behind him and pushes down the instinctive urge to turn around and flip a CLOSED sign to OPEN. The third-year high school student has had to fight that impulse for a while, and even though the year now enters late April Ren still finds the instinct to be strong.
The cause isn't that the boy's thoughts are always on his room back in Yongen-Jaya. Ren Amamiya is happy to have reconciled with his parents after he returned from his probation in Tokyo with a clean criminal record. Ren's instinct to flip a sign that isn't there is entirely due to the fact that he still wants to be helpful to Sojiro Sakura out of gratitude for all the help given to him throughout that past year, but Ren doesn't have a means now that he is back in Kuoh Town.
Ren takes a moment to reflect on his former caretaker and plays with one of his short strands of curly black hair as he does. After a few seconds, and with a smile, the teen blinks the nostalgia away. It is difficult for Ren not to think of Shujin Acaedmy while he wears a uniform with a black blazer not entirely different from his previous school's, though the pants are solid black as well now instead of plaid.
Ren hefts his school bag over his shoulder and sets out. Being late for class would reflect poorly on the transfer student, so he plans to avoid it.
Kuoh Academy isn't the school that Ren attended in his first year of high school, but he and his parents had agreed that a new environment would be best. In Amamiya's old school people might recall that he had been convicted of assault last year, and that would only annoy the young man even if he is beyond letting the opinions of others bring him down. Kuoh Academy, the teen's new school, has a sterling reputation and covers a complete education from elementary school up through college. The academy was previously an all-girls institution, and the ratio of male to female students is still heavily skewed in the girls' favor, but in the time since Ren left town it began to accept male applicants as well. Ren doesn't want to gain a reputation as a troublemaker again, even if he will never again bow to unjust authority, so being late is off the table.
"Please tell me you have a plan for today."
Ren looks down to the blue eyes that peek up out of his bag at him. The student rolls his shoulders with relaxed ease in response.
"It's Saturday. Listen to the lessons. Eat lunch. Repeat step one. Go home," the boy sarcastically drones in a near whisper.
"Could you take this seriously Ren?" Morgana whines as he pops his head out. The black cat stares up at the human with a look that displays how thoroughly unimpressed he is. Morgana has gotten used to being expressive with a house cat's features over the past year. "I can't stay at home all day while you're at school. I'll go crazy with boredom! You have to think of something!"
"Everything will be fine," Ren reassures his companion, unconcerned with any of the people he passes on the street since none are able hear the cat talk. Those who have not been to the now-dissolved Metaverse hear only ordinary meows from his supposed pet. "She hasn't bothered us since Wednesday, has she?"
In the face of former Phantom Thief Joker's absolute confidence Morgana relents, then sinks back down to hide among Ren's books and school supplies.
Take Your Time
[Persona 5 OST: Meeting]
"Amamiya-san, a word please."
Ren ignores the death glare that emits from his bag. The boy can't actually see his friend's sour look, but the cat manages to make him feel it in his mind regardless. Morgana is not pleased.
Ren shrugs off the assault, a feat that only individuals with the most lionhearted of guts could have accomplished. The not-a-cat's displeasure is obvious given their present circumstances, but that doesn't mean Ren has time to waste on him. The source of the problem should not be ignored.
"Is there something I can help you with, Miss President?" the boy asks with a friendly gaze as he turns around. "I was about to head home."
Despite Ren's debonair charm Sona Shitori never seems the least bit fazed by his attempts to placate her. The short, dark-haired student council president simply stares back at Amamiya's easy smile with pure stoicism. Not a single thought is revealed to Sona's target by her violet eyes.
When Ren sees people who wear glasses like the student council president it always reminds him of how grateful he is to not have to wear his own fake lenses anymore. There is no reason to try to appear less intimidating by wearing glasses when the threat of life in a juvenile correction center no longer hangs over the teenager's head.
"I wish to know if you have reconsidered my offer, as you had promised," Sona replies, arms akimbo.
Behind Sona the student council's long-haired vice-president Tsubaki Shinra towers a couple of inches over her superior, though both are shy of Ren's nearly six feet of height despite their above average statures. The brown-eyed look Shinra gives Amamiya through her own glasses is no less painfully blank than Shitori's. As usual the curly-haired boy finds no help from the more developed of the two ladies.
Amamiya is well aware that the uniformed woman before him only said please to be polite, but actually expects no less than his and everybody else's absolute attention whenever she addresses them. Sona seems to treat the position she has as one of actual authority over other students, and while she doesn't presume to act like a dictator she does not let anyone disrespect her title either.
Ren mentally compares the brunette's attitude to how Makoto was strung along by the principal and teachers back at Shujin Academy when she was its student council president last year. The boy is left with the opinion that at least Sona seems certain of what she does. That is an admirable trait.
In addition to Sona's polite language the girl also just specifically reminded Ren of a promise he made to reconsider a previous offer or her's. That claim is a blatant embellishment of the facts. The boy had actually just made a small concession to "think about it" the last time he had spoken with Sona, after he had said he needed to leave early that day.
'I guess she's moved on to trying guilt trips,' Ren muses after he gives due consideration to Sona's choice of words.
"Thanks again, but I'm still not interested in joining the student council this year. You all seem like you'd be great to work with, but I've got other interests to focus on," the taller teen answers with a suitably apologetic tone. Ren might reject the girl's offer, but that is no reason not to offer her the same angelic kindness that he does to everyone else who hasn't wronged him.
The only people at Kuoh Academy who have earned Ren's genuine dislike so far are those second-years referred to as the Perverted Trio. As someone who considers several exceptional women to be his close personal friends, Amamiya takes offense to people with such a total lack of control over their own hormones that they disrespect the dignity of their female classmates at every given opportunity. Fortunately, as a third-year, Ren hasn't needed to interact with them personally yet.
Morgana bumps his head against Ren's side through the bag the student still carries. Apparently an unseen glare is no longer sufficient for the former Phantom Thief hidden inside to get his displeasure across to the one out in the open. Ren steadfastly ignores the implied I told you so that the action contains.
"I see," Sona replies with no apparent disappointment, though Ren's skill at wearing and seeing through social masks allows him to imagine that a sadder expression on the girl's face would be more reflective of her true feelings. "If that is the case then I still recommend that you decide on an extracurricular club that will suit your availability soon. It will reflect poorly on you to be without any on your record for two years in a row."
The fact that such a blemish would be a waste given his impeccable grades from last year went unsaid. Ren had worked hard to become quite erudite in his knowledge during his second year of high school and left Shujin at the top of his class in their exams. Ren can appreciate that Sona looks out for him and other students academically, she seems to really take that part of being the student council president seriously, but that doesn't mean he is going to listen to her request.
Not when she so obviously wants something from him.
'Another reference to my records. This girl always seems to know more than she should, but doesn't hide it from me either. She wants me to pick up on it, to lure me in.'
It has been like that from the start. Shortly after school clubs began their recruitment in early April Sona personally approached Ren with an offer to join her student council, ostensibly because of his impressive academic history. After the boy's first polite decline the president later approached Ren again and volunteered some advice. According to Sona, if the boy planned to seek more work in the political field after his time as a volunteer for Toranosuke Yoshida's campaign last year, then the student council would be an excellent extracurricular to have on his record.
Even if Ren's first refusal had been because his ability to read people had warned him that Sona wanted more from him than she actually said, his second refusal had been entirely calculated. Shitori had researched Amamiya's record thoroughly while she tried to recruit him, but she hasn't yet revealed why. What the formerly convicted student does know is that the deeper Sona digs the more likely she is to discover his overturned assault charge, which brings back unpleasant memories. Fortunately the police had, out of pride, buried most records of when Ren turned himself in as the leader of the Phantom Thieves to ensure Masayoshi Shido's conviction, so there is little to worry about there. As a minor Ren Amamiya's criminal record should be inaccessible to someone like Sona Shitori either way.
More meetings between Ren and Sona had continued in a similar vein for nearly a month now, and the girl's hints that she knows something of interest about him have become impossible to ignore. Still, the president has been respectful of Ren's refusals in every way, and she only brings the subject back up when she has a new piece of information or advice to offer him, or has at least a semi-legitimate follow-up to make like she does today.
Even if Sona Shitori has somehow, improbably, figured out that Ren Amamiya turned himself in as one of the famous Phantom Thieves of Hearts it doesn't feel to the boy like she means to threaten him with that knowledge, so Ren is prepared to let it lie. The Metaverse is gone so any possible inquiries into Ren's tenure as Joker are pointless now. It is better, Ren believes, to focus on the tools that are still available to shape the future with. To that end Ren actually is legitimately interested in politics as a potential career path for himself after college, but Sona gives him the impression that the student council experience here wouldn't be worth the hassle she might bring him if he accepts her offer.
"Thank you for your concern, Miss President. Miss Vice-President," Ren says with a respectful nod to both ladies to end the conversation. "I'll take that advice to heart."
Ren seizes his chance to leave and turns back toward the stairs. Ren does not simply walk down to the ground floor like most students, though. Instead the boy opts to hop into a seated position on the hand rail and slide down. While the ex-thief is hardly the first student to do such a thing, some of his classmates nearby openly balk at the audacity of one of their fellows being so casual in front of their strict student council president. Those same students suffer a secondary shock after several seconds pass and it is clear that Sona Shitori has no reaction to Ren's antics.
In a display of transcendent proficiency the curly-haired teen skillfully swings his legs over to his other side when he reaches the turn in the rail. The motion shifts Ren's position and perfectly reverses his momentum. The boy goes the rest of the way down without a single twitch of lost balance or interruption in his ride. Ren slides out of sight of the student council ladies above and hops back to his feet at the bottom, where two girls from the second year who are about to head upstairs have watched Ren's descent with interest. The teen rewards the ladies' curiosity with a cocky wink as he passes by.
Perhaps it is a little petty of Ren to encourage gossip about himself at his new school, but last year he'd had to listen to countless whispers in the halls of Shujin Academy about how he was probably a psycho who would kill the first person to tick him off. It is a nice change for the transfer student to now overhear his classmates simply comment on how bold and fearless he is. Amamiya is not a creature immune to his own ego, after all.
"Still showing off whenever you can, huh?" a voice from Ren's bag asks with amusement.
"It's nice to not have to blend in," Ren responds as he exits the school and leaves the whispers behind. The flair for the dramatic that the boy developed as Joker can be expressed more freely in the real world now that he is no longer under legal and social scrutiny, so he exercises that freedom often. Ren's reputation at Shujin is a positive one, but it is tempered by his occasional bouts of unnecessary showboating.
"What about Shitori? What are you going to do about her?" Morgana reminds his friend as concern returns to his tone.
"Actually, I'm pretty sure that was the end of it," Ren answers. "She's never recommended I find another club before. I think she's out of tidbits from my record to tempt my curiosity with. As many as she's willing to drop, at least."
"I hope so. If you had the student council's eyes on you all the time then I'd never be able to slip by unnoticed."
"Relax. No one's kicking you out of school on my watch," Ren assures his companion.
Morgana was the "other interest" that Amamiya turned down Sona's offer because of. Even if Morgana made himself scarce while Ren had council duties, the other members' increased attention on him throughout the day as one of their group would only make stealth more difficult for the cat-shaped being. The duo had gone an entire year at Shujin without the infraction of bringing a pet to class being spotted and Morgana's pride as a thief will not allow him to accept any less in Ren's third year either.
"Good. Now let's get home. Your mom's ordering sushi tonight!"
"You still owe me for pretending that became my new favorite food in Tokyo," Ren reminds Morgana with a smirk before he exits the school grounds.
It has taken a while, but it looks to Ren like his new school year is finally about to settle down into normalcy.
Take Your Time
[High School DxD OST: Nakama]
Sona Sitri stands on the second floor, rests a hand on the guard rail, and looks down at the stairs where Ren Amamiya slid out of sight. The guise of Sona Shitori, student council president, fades from the girl's mind once the other students have left the hall and she is alone with her vice-president.
"Are you giving up on Amamiya-san, President?" Tsubaki inquires. The taller girl is still perplexed by her leader's choice of strategy for how to approach this particular student. One refusal from Sitri to explain her reasons had been enough to silence the rest of the student council's members on the subject, at least in her presence. Privately all of them continue to wonder what the mystery of their leader's early fixation on the new transfer student is all about.
"No."
Sona's prompt and concise answer surprises her close friend, who blinks several times before she responds.
"I suspect he believes otherwise," Shinra observes. The girl had picked up on the same cues that their target did during the brief exchange.
"I need a new strategy," Sitri explains as she gestures for Shinra to follow her back to the student council room. "I can't afford to let Amamiya-san go without further examination, and I won't let Rias steal him away."
Tsubaki is surprised again, though she remains as stoic in appearance as her friend expects her to be. For Sona to mention her rivalry with Rias explicitly is the equivalent of someone else who bites their nails and paces in circles when stressed. This means that Sona considers Ren Amamiya to be an incredibly high-value asset.
"If you let the rest of us know why he is of interest we would be happy to help you plan your next move, President," Shinra offers. Even though the vice-president knows that she now treads old ground Shinra hopes that this change in the status quo means that she and the others might finally be let in on the secret.
Sona pauses in her steps, but doesn't turn to face her subordinate. Tsubaki simply waits patiently behind the shorter girl as a sense of anticipation builds within her.
"I'm sorry," Sona finally answers, which pops the tension like a balloon. "It's not for me to say."
When Sona moves on Shinra calmly resumes her pace behind her friend. Inwardly, though, the girl can't help but reel at this new piece of information. Tsubaki is Sona's most trusted confidant, and the background of a simple high school student should not be something her leader feels pressured to hide from her.
'Ren Amamiya. What possible secret could you have that Sona can't even share it with me?'
Fortunately for Tsubaki Shinra, and unfortunately for Ren Amamiya, the answer to that question will not elude her for much longer.
Take Your Time
[Persona 5 OST: Alright]
On Sunday Ren and Morgana find themselves out and on their way home later than usual.
"You still find the strangest people, Joker," Morgana says with a chuckle as he trots alongside his best friend on the sidewalk. It is evening and the sun is almost ready to set on Kuoh Town. Ren is out of his school uniform and wears a comfortable black jacket over a white shirt and blue jeans. Pedestrian traffic around the two ex-thieves is practically nonexistent so they can converse with no fear for Ren's reputation while he offers occasional comments to a cat. "We're late for dinner because of you."
"Anzai-san needed help," is Ren's lazy defense, stated as he drops a flyer into a trash bin they pass by.
Different people have passed out advertisements like that one to Ren for weeks now. Each flyer promises some vague service that grants wishes and bears a strange circular pattern as a logo. The student is polite enough to accept the flyers for the sake of the employees tasked with the job, but he doesn't hold any desire to have his wishes granted by someone else. Ren could have just accepted Yaldabaoth's final deal to remake the world in the Phantom Thieves' favor if an easy way out was his desire. The boy still isn't sure what kind of service these flyers advertise anyway, but given how many times he encounters different distributors he has to assume their business is doing well.
"Sure he did. I'm also pretty sure that waitress of his was expecting you to ask for her number when you were finished. She seemed disappointed when we left."
"Well, now the next time we want to eat there we know the owner and the server both have a good opinion of us. Fair trade for a couple hours of our time," Ren explains with a self-satisfied smirk. The cunning high school student has already extracted a deal from the small restaurant owner for the opportunity to taste test their future recipes before they were added to the menu in exchange for his help. Given the unusually high quality of the food there, it was a priceless agreement.
"Hey, as long as you don't do that when we have sushi waiting for us then that's fine with-"
Morgana freezes.
Ren does the same.
[Persona 5 OST: Tension]
The human and the cat take exactly three seconds to correct their mid-step poses to a normal posture. The duo give each other concerned looks once all of their feet are back on the ground.
"You noticed that too?" Morgana asks.
"When we passed the park entrance," Ren confirms, and turns his neck to gaze suspiciously at the open gate two steps behind them. "I distinctly thought to myself that I didn't need to go through the park today."
"Yeah, me too," Morgana says as he narrows his blue eyes at the same entrance. "Those exact words. Except we never go through that park so that definitely wasn't my thought."
The two friends exchange several ideas with just a few glances, a benefit they gained from both working together in life or death situations and living together in completely mundane circumstances. The pair's voiceless communications essentially boil down to one question: do we go in now, or later?
"Something that can mess with thoughts is bound to be dangerous," Morgana eventually cautions out loud. The cat's tense posture reflects a different intention than his words suggest, though.
"But we were both able to notice and ignore it," Ren reasons. "And it's not a question of waiting for backup. We can't call in the others from Tokyo."
"And we also can't just ignore something like this, right?"
"Definitely not."
The future that the Phantom Thieves entrusted to the adults is supposed to be one that isn't influenced by forces beyond human comprehension. A power that controls people's behavior with implanted thoughts has far too many similarities to the Metaverse's ability to change people's hearts for the two former Phantom Thieves to ignore. It is the group's self-imposed duty to make sure human society is free to determine its own course, after all, even if that duty is supposed to have been fulfilled.
"I'll take the lead," Morgana declares. "If I can change into my thief form at some point then we'll know we've found some kind of cognitive zone."
Ren nods at the logic and follows behind the quadruped.
"I'll leave a warning in the Thieves' Chat, in case the others need a heads up," the human adds while he types on his phone.
[REN] Bad news. Morgana and I might have found something similar to the Metaverse in a park over here.
[REN] We're going in to check it out.
[FUTABA] Wait, WHAT!?
Ren can't help but smile at his always-online pseudo-sibling being the first to respond.
[FUTABA] What do you mean SIMILAR TO THE METAVERSE?! That crashed! We won! Game Over!
[REN] We don't know yet. I'll message again once we figure it out.
[RYUJI] For real? That's crazy!
[RYUJI] You should stay out of there until some of us can come back you up!
[FUTABA] Yeah, Ryuji has a good idea for once!
[REN] No time. It just appeared and might already be influencing people's minds.
[Ryuji] What do you mean for once?!
[REN] I'm putting away my phone now. Keep an eye out for anything strange in Tokyo too.
[ANN] I can't believe this!
[ANN] Be careful, alright?
[FUTABA] Don't die in there!
[Ryuji] I have plenty of good ideas!
Ren Amamiya assumes the operational persona of Joker once more, then puts on a confident smile and tucks his phone away to remove the distraction.
'Don't worry, Oracle.' the Phantom Thief thinks, and he already reflexively refers to Futaba in his mind by her code name. 'I've got no intention of dying today.'
[End Track]
Take Your Time
"Eh? Did you... huh? Yuuma-chan, sorry, but could you say that again?" Issei Hyoudou asks his new girlfriend with a strained expression on his face. The second-year high school boy raises his little finger and starts to dig it into his ear to emphasize his confusion. "Something must be wrong with my ears."
'I mean, I'm pretty sure she was going to ask for a ki-'
Issei's thoughts are cut off when his shorter, raven-haired girlfriend leans right into his body toward the side of his head. Any pleasant thoughts the teenager might normally derive from the sensation of a beautiful girl pressed up against him are ruined when Yuuma Amano speaks once more. The voice is now distinctly lower than the cute one the girl has had up until a moment ago.
"Would you die for me?"
After he is warned of impending doom twice in a row, Issei's first thought is obviously to find a way to save his life.
'Huh?'
Or that.
Take Your Time
[Persona 5 OST: Into the Metaverse]
Ren and Morgana search the park under their old aliases of Joker and Mona. After several minutes without any other noticeably intrusive thoughts in their heads the Phantom Thief duo begin to suspect that they might have misunderstood the problem. When Mona fails to activate his old transformation into a bipedal, large-headed little cat thief and remains an ordinary house cat instead, the embodiment of humanity's hope feels a little disheartened. When Joker detects no emergence of his Persona's power the leader of the Phantom Thieves is forced to conclude that whatever this phenomenon in the park is, it might be totally unrelated to the Metaverse after all.
When the sky turns into a distorted, warped mosaic of dark blues and purples it is definitely a sign of something weird going on, though.
"What the heck is that?!" Mona demands. The cat stares at the blurry mess of sky for a few seconds before he turns his head in all directions to look for any sign of what should have been there. Not even the sunset can be seen on the horizon anymore, though the park remains fairly visible under the alien lights. Mona tries again to transform into his thief form, even his bus form, any form at all, in case this change signals a shift into a cognition-based reality. Sadly, the cat remains as he is.
"I don't know," Joker admits. The world is changed but his Personas remain out of reach. "We may need to retreat for now."
The thieves' full attention is then grabbed by the first sign of life they have encountered. A red glow emanates from somewhere nearby, through a copse of trees. After the two spare each other a nod Joker and Mona take off at a light jog to sneak up on whatever is at the center of the disturbance.
"Joker," Mona warns as they approach, his tone unnerved. "I smell blood."
The leader cringes but only slows his pace a little so that he stays quiet. There is a faint voice up ahead and the duo are nearly close enough to overhear.
'If we can't fight then we need to spy and figure out what's going on.'
Joker and Mona both understand this method of reconnaissance from their infiltration of cognitive Palaces and the heists they have planned with the other Phantom Thieves. If this unknown phenomenon can hurt people then the thieves both want to know what it is. The duo creep low through the trees that separate two of the park's pathways and come upon the site of a large water fountain.
Laid out on his back on the stone walkway that leads to the fountain is a brown-haired kid with an enormous hole in his gut. A massive amount of blood spills out of the boy. Even at this distance Joker doesn't need Mona's feline senses to smell the copper in the air, it is prevalent enough to sicken him.
A tall, curvaceous woman sits nonchalantly on the edge of the fountain like someone enjoying a break on a pleasant evening stroll. The stranger's long black hair is currently tinted purple by the light of the twisted sky above. The woman's serene gaze as she looks down upon the fatally wounded teenager is made even more uncomfortable to watch by her audacious attire.
The person is dressed in barely any clothes, strips of leather are all that protect any sense of female modesty the creature might have. Tight leather also adorns the brunette's arms, legs and shoulders. Compared to the three spikes sticking up out of the outfit's right shoulder cover the pink scrunchy bracelet on the creature's left wrist seems more out of place, but she is already a mass of oddities in Joker's eyes sothe accessory barely registers. Creature is also definitely the right word to describe this being, for two great black feathered wings are held up in the air from her back.
Joker and Mona have no idea what they are looking at.
"Thanks for the fond memories," the murderer says in a pleasant tone to her victim.
The great wings flap and the stranger rises into the air with ease. Joker bites his lip in anticipation and reasons that if the killer leaves the scene then he can call for an ambulance and maybe keep the injured kid alive long enough to save him. All the hidden teen has to do is stay still behind the bush he's pressed himself against and remain quiet for a few more seconds.
A red light shines down from above; it is Joker's first and only indication that his hopes are unfounded.
[High School DxD OST: Yokan]
Sculpted light shreds through bushes and grass to carve a hollow column into the earth. An instinctive tumble to the side saves Joker's life, for the moment at least, but doesn't spare his left leg from being torn open by just a glancing touch.
Human blood stains the grass and intense pain assaults the teen's mind. The body's senses scream at Ren that something is wrong, but the thief knows that already. The sight of his left leg being held together below the knee by only half of its usual width is evidence enough of the problem.
Joker bites back a cry of agony with insurmountable willpower and turns his teary eyes to Mona, who is crouched across from him. The cat had jumped in the opposite direction and been spared, but the situation is still dire. Determined dark gray eyes meet frightened bright blue eyes as the pair share what might be their final unspoken messages.
Mona hisses angrily, then runs into the trees.
"Taking your pet for a walk in the park?" the woman-shaped monster asks. Ren's attacker still has the causal demeanor of a normal stranger as they pass you on the street. No longer in the younger guise of Yuuma Amano and now with a far more mature appearance, Issei's date drifts lazily in the air above the eavesdropper's position. Violet eyes shift from the black animal as it vanishes into the park over to the injured human below. "How unfortunate for you."
Joker curses his own incompetence. The Phantom Thief's position had been hidden, but not chosen with an aerial observer in mind. To move after being in position would have been risky for Joker, but the woman had been able to spot his crouched figure once she rose above the level of his cover anyway. It was a rookie mistake when your enemies are inhuman, and one the injured boy thinks he ought to have been above.
Apparently not.
"Who are you?" Joker questions softly.
Without a Persona to summon, information is the only objective the teen might still be able to salvage from this situation. Mona is still nearby and watches for any chance to intervene. If the winged woman gets close enough the cat will gladly pounce on her to create an opportunity for escape. Any details the two can learn before they flee will help the Phantom Thieves as a whole figure out a way to combat this new threat.
Joker's face is quickly covered in beads of sweat. The teen remains twisted with pain but forces a half-smile to show through his grimace and ceases the rattles of his teeth with his total focus on the mission.
"I mean, its not every day you meet a girl with a body literally worth dying for. I might not mind going out like this if I got an introduction, at least."
Toranosuke Yoshida will probably not be immediately appreciative of Joker's current application of the man's lessons in oratory, but the injured thief has to work with what he has available. The winged woman's behavior doesn't match the scene around them and her clothes hint at her possible personality. If Joker wants to draw his opponent down for a shot at an escape then he has to try to read her tells and play her.
"Oh? It's rare to meet a human with the sense to know his place. Dying for me is exactly all that you're worth," comes the amused answer. "Very well, then. Have some peace knowing that you witnessed the beauty of Raynare of Grigori before your end."
Raynare preens in the air, which does offer her second victim a generous view of her form but also unfortunately means that she has declined to drop down into Mona's attack range.
'Grigori. That's something to work with. Sounds familiar too.'
"Since you're a witness, and clearly not a magician, standard procedure would be to simply erase your memories of this event. You somehow got through my barrier, though. Who knows? Maybe you have a minor Sacred Gear that protected you."
'Sacred Gear? Not familiar, but more names to check out. This is good,' Ren thinks as he braces himself.
"There's the smallest risk you might remember some of this later, so unfortunately I'll just have to kill you too."
Raynare's bright smile as she is illuminated by the creation of another solid spear of red light makes it very hard for Joker to believe that she finds this development unfortunate at all. That belief is supported by the fact that Raynare looks positively cheerful as she poses with her new weapon and draws out the opportunity to kill another person, probably for no reason but her own amusement. The Phantom Thief's bad leg sends throbs of pain up his body when he presses weight on it that feel like hammer strikes to his bones, but he knows it is do or die time. If Joker can dodge the first attack and get to the trees then he and Mona can try to disappear into the foliage and escape.
"Well, far be for me to-"
Joker never gets to finish his sentence. A vacuous pain in the chest and a distinct lack of oxygen in the boy's now-absent left lung causes him to cut off whatever distraction he'd meant to send Raynare's way.
'I... didn't even... see her throw.'
[Persona 5 OST: Nothingness...?]
It had never been an option to dodge Raynare's attack. The only reason Joker barely scraped out of the way of the first spear is because the enemy had just happened to throw the weapon right after she created it, which allowed the glow to warn Ren when to move. When the creature chose to attack after the weapon had already been made, well, human reflexes became insufficient to keep up with her.
It has been a long time since Joker felt so thoroughly outclassed. When the Trickster accepted Justine and Caroline's offer of a battle test the first time they'd brought it up to him came to mind. The Phantom Thieves hadn't been remotely prepared for that fight until much later. Joker had eventually triumphed over the twin wardens, but it doesn't currently look like he will ever get a rematch with his last opponent.
The spear in Ren's chest shrinks down and vanishes, which releases all of the blood it held in and causes Joker's throat to choke anew. The second fatally-wounded student falls forward onto the grass next to the park's stone walkway. Joker lands painfully on his side and faces the trees he'd come from.
Mona watches in silence, horrified. The cat would have happily sacrificed himself and thrown his body into the path of Raynare's attack to save Joker, but he hadn't been able to predict her strike any better than his human companion had. It is rare for the charismatic leader of the Phantom Thieves to be interrupted mid-sentence, and both were caught off-guard. All Mona can do now is continue to watch and listen, and hope for a miracle that can help him out of this crisis.
Unlike Issei Hyoudou, who Raynare had strung along before she killed, the murderer has no final words for Ren Amamiya. The winged being simply smiles in satisfaction at the death of another human and flaps her way into the sky. Raynare vanishes along with the mass of unnatural colors above and leaves two bodies to die slowly under the gentle red hue of sunset.
Joker stares into the nearby trees and understands that he is absolutely going to die. The young man accepts his end with an ease that only someone who has completed a journey from the Fool to the World possibly can.
The teen feels a familiar tug on his mind; it is a sensation he associates with entering and exiting the Velvet Room, either through a dream or via one of its Tokyo doors. Unfortunately, Joker's Velvet Room is gone. The Trickster knows that his mind will go somewhere else this time, but also can't help but be lost in the nostalgia of the sensation.
A small part of Ren Amamiya still expects to see a certain color consume his vision at any moment.
'Blue...'
Take Your Time
[High School DxD OST: For Me, Live On]
Rias Gremory stands above the fallen body of Issei Hyoudou. The magic of the young Devil's teleportation circle creates an updraft of power around her and causes her clothes and long, bright red hair to flap elegantly around her gorgeous form. Two pitch black bat-like wings extend out from Rias' back, similar yet different from those of Issei's murderer.
"Since you're dying anyway, I will take you in," the blue-eyed teenager says to her near-dead underclassman of Kuoh Academy. Rias' body is like a dream to the young man even in his current state, and it is no wonder that he thinks of her that way. The magic circle on the flyer Issei had randomly accepted when it was handed to him earlier that day had responded to his last wish and summoned a representative of the house of Rias Gremory here. Issei's wish was to die in the bosom of a beautiful woman like his redheaded senior student if he really has to go now.
Not the most dignified of wishes, but its results can't be argued with at this point.
"You will live your life... for my sake."
With those words in his ears the light in Issei Hyoudou's eyes dies.
Rias takes and releases a deep breath as her magic circle fades away. The mask of mysterious authority the devil wears whenever she is summoned by a contract or instructs a servant is discarded now. Free of witnesses, Rias Gremory the teenage girl allows herself to relax in the empty park and retracts her wings. The Devil then kneels down next to the fresh and bloody corpse without any revulsion at all. Instead the Gremory heiress pulls a polished, expensive rectangular case out of her school uniform's skirt pocket. The box opens to reveal several white chess pieces inside.
"Let's see what your potential is."
Rias already knows from her subtle examination of Issei Hyoudou at Kuoh Academy that the boy is host to a Sacred Gear, the only question she has now is how powerful it is. The Devil takes out the most valuable Evil Piece she still has, a Rook, and holds the white demonic artifact over Issei's chest. Rias creates a small red magic circle between her Rook and the body. The glyph floats and spins in the air between the two as Rias scans her summoner for compatibility with the magical item.
"Oh? Your Sacred Gear is worth more than a Rook?" Rias asks with genuine interest. The only duplicate pieces the lady still has are Pawns, and multiple Evil Pieces can only be used on someone if they are of the same type, so Issei will have to be her first. Rias begins with a test of six Pieces, the minimum required to surpass the value of her Rook. The Pawns are insufficient, so she tries seven and gets the same result.
'A servant worth all eight Pieces? You will be my only and most valuable Pawn,' Rias thinks with fondness as she prepares the Reincarnation Ritual necessary to fuse Issei's human body with the Evil Pieces and return him to life as a Devil. It suits the Gremory heiress' sensibilities to have a single Pawn of the highest possible value for her Peerage since she works best with independently capable individuals. It is also obvious to Rias by the presence of magical light that lingers in the park that Issei's death is the result of a Fallen Angel assassination, as expected. No doubt this attack was an attempt to prevent such a powerful Sacred Gear from being turned against their faction before it could be awakened. 'Your Sacred Gear's potential must be...'
Rias pauses in her work when her movements to conjure a suitable circle for the ritual lead her to spot another splash of blood nearby, this one around the side of a bush. A human hand lays there, the rest of its owner obscured by the vegetation off the path.
"Another victim?" Rias wonders aloud before she walks over to learn who else could have been killed here. There is virtually no reason for a Fallen Angel to kill a human witness unless they are a Magician who attempted to intervene. The odds of this being a planned double assassination of dormant Sacred Gears seems highly unlikely.
Rias gasps with shock when she looks down upon the pale, dead face of Ren Amamiya. It isn't the state of the young man's body that surprises her, Hyoudou is in comparative or even worse shape himself, but simply the unexpected appearance of her classmate from Kuoh Academy High School's third year.
"I'm sorry Sona," the girl whispers after a few moments.
Rias Gremory had decided to recruit Issei Hyoudou into her Peerage, which she would have sought to do even if he hadn't died tonight. The redhead's fellow High Class Devil and friend, Sona Sitri, had acknowledged that and did not make any attempts of her own on the boy out of respect. The fact that Issei's personality did not mesh well with Sona's own was a non-factor, all that mattered was that Rias had staked her claim. Similarly, Sona had also indicated to Rias near the start of their third year that their new classmate Amamiya was someone she wanted to recruit, though Rias knows not why.
With such an easy opportunity to examine Ren's body available to her Rias is able to confirm all that her brief investigations at school have already told her. The boy has no special magical potential and no Sacred Gear sleeps inside him. Admittedly, Amamiya is an exceptional human from what has been observed of him less than a month into the school year. The teenager is both smart and empathetic, is both charming and daring, is skilled and strong, and possesses both a quick wit and a rather handsome face. Yuuto Kiba might be called Kuoh Academy's prince by his many female admirers for his good looks and polite demeanor, but Ren Amamiya has quickly built up a respected reputation of his own. People see the black-haired transfer student as a young dashing rogue because of his friendly attitude and extremely confident personality.
Ren may be a near-perfect social specimen, but despite all of that he is not truly extraordinary by a Devil's standards to any measurable means. Sona Sitri knows all of this and yet still pursued him as doggedly as she had ever recruited anyone before him. Rias is still dumbfounded as to why.
The Gremory heiress has a history of using her Evil Pieces to help people in trouble whether they will be useful to her as a Devil or not, and she has been extraordinarily lucky in that regard since all of them have turned out to possess exceptional qualities so far, but the Sitri heiress has been far more pragmatic in how she selects members of her Peerage. Sona habitually recruits people with either skills or knowledge useful to Devils, often ones that already deal with the supernatural world in some way prior to their reincarnation. Ren Amamiya's natural talent might make for an adequately capable servant in any Devil's Peerage, but he doesn't seem to fulfill any of Sona's usual criteria.
It is curiosity that moves the redheaded Devil's hands to her Evil Pieces once more. That curiosity demands satisfaction from Rias and she brings a single Pawn Piece to Amamiya's chest to sate it. If the teenage boy really is a normal human, no matter how talented, then his value can't possibly be...
'… more than a Pawn?'
Rias is shocked for a second time and the girl's blue eyes widen significantly as she absorbs the anomaly before her. There is something there, something completely unaccountable to her, that gives Ren Amamiya not only exceptional human talent but supernatural potential as well. Whatever the cause is, Sona must have known about this and wanted it for herself.
A sad but appropriately devilish smile graces Rias' features as she fishes out her Knight Piece.
'Sorry again Sona, but if you didn't convince him by now and you aren't here then you can't blame me for acting before it's too late.'
Rias freezes after she finishes her happy thought and scans the boy again. The redhead is sure that she will become immune to shock at this rate, but for now the Ren continues to surprise her. The Knight Piece isn't powerful enough to reincarnate the dead human either. Rias thought that the Evil Piece known for its speed and skill would suit someone so roundly talented as Amamiya, but she never expected her classmate's hidden potential to dwarf its value.
The Rook is retrieved and the result is the same. Disbelief forces Rias to continue to measure the aberration in front of her. Six Pawns are the next to be denied, then seven are also rejected.
'It can't be,' Rias thinks as she adds her final Pawn to the scan once more. The young Devil is entirely correct in her disbelief. Ren Amamiya does not require eight Pawn Pieces to be reincarnated.
He requires even more.
"Sona, what in the world did you find?" Rias can't help but ask out loud as she stares at the impossibility beside her.
An Evil Piece's ability to reincarnate someone is tied to the comparative vale of the King, but Rias is a High Class Devil from one of the families of the Underworld's Seventy-Two Pillars. Even a Longinus-Class Sacred Gear with the potential power to kill Gods should have been within the girl's ability to reincarnate with all eight of her Pawns. In fact, Rias suspects such a Sacred Gear is what resides within Issei Hyoudou. For Ren Amamiya to dwarf that value for no apparent reason is beyond ridiculous. The only Evil Piece more valuable than all eight Pawns is the single Queen Piece, but Rias and Sona have both already used theirs.
"How could a normal human require a Queen Piece for me to reincarnate him?"
"I must inform you that not even a Queen Piece would be sufficient."
[Persona 5 OST: The Poem For Everyone's Souls]
Rias shoots to her feet, wings outstretched and hands raised and ready. To be taken by surprise like that is an insult to the heiress, and a testament to just how much the riddle of Ren Amamiya has bewildered her.
"Who is there?" the Devil questions the nearby woods with steady eyes. Rias focuses the gaze of the noble she was born to be upon the intruder, it is an act of intimidation.
The sun has already set, and the nearby light post's illumination has yet to turn on, but Rias' perfect night vision is able to pick up a small figure as it walks out into view. The person is clad in clothes of black and a rich blue velvet, holds a large book with casual ease and wears a black headband with butterfly wing ornaments that adorn either side of her head. The girl's incredibly pale blonde hair trails down her back and seems to match her equally pale skin.
Rias deduces several details about the individual that suggest she is not human. The girl has the stature of a child, no taller than Rias' own short Rook, yet she stands before a winged Devil and two bloody corpses without any apparent fear or surprise. The girl's bright golden eyes speak of wisdom beyond her apparent years, and her few words so far indicate an intimate familiarity with the Evil Pieces. Beyond even all of that, though, is the sheer absence of the girl's presence.
Even a human with minor magical potential would find it difficult to sneak up on Rias, but the heiress now stares directly at an obviously inhuman being and detects not a single drop of power from her at all. Rather than indicate weakness, it suggests to Rias the exact opposite.
This person is dangerous, and in Gremory territory unannounced.
"Kuoh Town is the territory of House Gremory and shared with House Sitri," Rias declares in her formal voice. Gremory invokes the Sitri name without intention because she instinctively feels it necessary to exert as much authority as possible. The Devil girl lowers her arms and habitually crosses them under her bust while she tilts her head slightly back. Rias is determined to establish her dominance to the stranger, even in her body language. "Identify yourself and your purpose here."
"My apologies," the girl says with a muted yet remorseful tone and a small bow of her head. "My name is Lavenza. The boy at your feet is a dear friend of mine, and though it may not be proper, I could not help but come when I realized you would need my help."
Lavenza's calm, slow rhythm of speech does much to soothe Rias' nerves, but the content of her words only adds more confusion. Amamiya is a dear friend of an inhuman creature that exudes no discernible presence? The mystery that surrounds the boy deepens further.
'Is this person the reason Sona kept quiet about him?' Gremory wonders before she shakes her head and lowers her hands to her hips. The pose conveys that the heiress will not force a stand-off yet.
"To help, you mean to say that you know why my Evil Pieces can't reincarnate him?"
"Indeed," Lavana answers. "No amount of Evil Pieces would aid you in making Ren Amamiya a member of your Peerage. He possesses infinite potential."
It takes Rias several seconds to digest that particular declaration, especially when she looks down and is reminded of the very easily murdered corpse of the one in question. Based on the level of light that remains in the air the Fallen Angel that did this to the two boys probably hadn't had more than a single pair of wings, the weakest of their kind. The situation doesn't speak much for Amamiya's supposed potential, no matter what Gremory's Evil Pieces tell her. Issei at least has a Sacred Gear that isn't awakened yet to explain his condition.
"But the only beings Evil Pieces cannot reincarnate at all are Gods and Buddhas. You can't mean that Amamiya is one of them."
"Not at all," Lavenza assures the Devil. "He is simply the world's greatest man."
It takes several more seconds for Rias to digest that one. The Devil suspects, due to the sudden pleased smile and additional warmth in Lavenza's voice, that this girl may be somewhat biased in her judgment. At the same time, given the lack of discernible evidence Rias has for why Ren is worth more than even a single Pawn, she can't exactly refute the statement either.
"If this is true then how do you intend to help me?"
"You wish to reincarnate both Issei Hyoudou and Ren Amamiya as members of your Peerage, correct?"
"I do," Rias answers carefully.
"You require all of your Pawns to reincarnate one boy, and none of your Evil Pieces will work on my dear friend. Instead, I offer you a choice: use your Pieces to gain your expected Pawn and leave my friend to pass on, or entrust two of your Pawn Pieces to me and I will grant them the power you need to reincarnate them both."
Rias' hands tighten on her case of Evil Pieces. To tamper with the artifacts is a grave crime in Devil society.
"Do not fear, I will not harm your standing with your people," Lavanza assures the taller girl as she pulls her book open and holds it before her. The text written on it is illegible to Rias. "It is within my power to induce a natural mutation of your Pieces."
It is at this point that Rias fears she really won't build up any immunity to surprise at all, because shenow finds it very difficult to maintain an appropriately regal bearing around Lavenza. A Mutation Piece is a rare Evil Piece that can reincarnate someone into a Devil regardless of how many ordinary Pieces of the same kind it would normally take to do so, even up to all eight Pawns. If Rias actually receives two of them from this stranger then she will not only gain a second powerful Pawn tonight, but also retain six more normal Pawn Pieces to use later.
"What reason do I have to trust you?" Rias asks with as much poise as her upbringing can afford her. The Devil's natural inclination toward greed currently strains her ability to resist the stranger's generous offer.
Lavenza answers Rias by closing the distance between them for the first time since her appearance. The blonde kneels down to Ren's opposite side, then gently reaches out with her free left hand to shift the fallen human onto his back and respectfully close his eyes. That same hand lingers for a few moments more, and lovingly rests its back on the dead teenager's right cheek. Rias watches the motions in silence and observes the truly sad smile that Lavenza displays once the girl looks back up to the Devil.
"It was he who helped me learn to express myself," the blonde admits, her thoughts now on how different she had felt when the separated halves of herself, Justine and Caroline, were reunited. Both girls had grown in personality in response their strengthening bond with their beloved Trickster. The experience had nearly overwhelmed Lavenza at first, but she now understands herself as well as any human that has ever summoned and further awakened a Persona does, and the girl now uses that knowledge to express her truest emotions to Rias Gremory. "I hope that his work will let me convince you of the truth."
"What truth?" Rias askes quietly, out of respect for the duality of pure sadness and unbridled hope that stares back at her from Lavenza's golden pools.
"That I want him to live."
Take Your Time
[High School DxD OST: Is a Princess]
After all of the twists it took to get here, in the end Rias is surprised by just how easy it all is. Lavenza takes two of the High Class Devil's white-colored Pawn Pieces and, after an impressive light show that would have surely drawn attention if the Fallen Angel's perception barrier hadn't still surrounded the park, hands back two red-colored Pawns instead. Rias is intrigued by the fact that, despite the obvious display of magic, she has still not detected any presence from the girl. The heiress' sense that Lavenza is exceptionally dangerous is reinforced by this fact.
When Rias asks why one of the two Mutation Pieces has golden highlights on it, Lavenza cheerfully answers that that one in particular has mutated to be able to handle someone of unlimited potential, regardless of the King's own limits. The Gremory heiress can't help but take minor offense to the implications of that claim, but holds her tongue.
Issei's previously-abandoned Reincarnation Ritual is resumed with just one of Rias' newly-mutated Pawn Pieces and goes off perfectly, which means that Lavenza has been true to her word. Mutation Pieces are a natural phenomenon that usually appear in response to the King's growth or the growth of the one implanted with the Piece, but it also sometimes happens at random as far as anyone besides their creator can tell. How Lavenza is able to induce the Evil Pieces to mutate exactly as she wishes is a question Rias isn't willing to ask. The Devil has received an edge in power and it would go against her very nature to turn it down or let others try to take advantage of it as well, so Rias stays silent. Besides, the creator of the Evil Pieces has hinted that the system is capable of more than what is currently known to the public. Perhaps, Rias theorizes, Lavenza has simply figured out one of those built-in secrets.
Issei is now alive, a Devil, and asleep. Once Rias is done with her second ritual she will summon her other servants to return both Hyoudou and Amamiya to their homes. The families of the boys will also have their memories of the night modified to include the students' normal return home. Rias will not call for anyone until after Lavenza has departed, though. The redhead suspects that the blonde girl does not wish to be publicly examined, so she will offer that courtesy out of gratitude for the invaluable gift she has been given.
It isn't until after Amamiya's ritual circle is complete and Rias is about to perform the spell again, this time with her Pawn Piece of supposedly limitless value, that Lavenza speaks up for the first time since the Devil agreed to the mysterious being's offer.
"I wish to give you a fair warning, since you are doing what I desire."
Rias' body tenses at the potential threat. The redhead attempts to address the blonde diplomatically.
"A warning about what?"
"If you decide to take that Pawn and use it on another after learning this I will understand, but if you do choose to reincarnate my friend then you should first be made aware of his most important trait."
Rias is intrigued. Lavenza knows Ren's condition, so she must understand what it is that gives him such unnatural value. The Devil wonders if she is about to learn exactly what sort of power that Amamiya will soon wield for her sake. Rias gives the golden-eyed girl her full attention and waits expectantly.
"That man has within him..."
Rias leans in closer. This is it. All of the answers are about to be revealed.
"... a rebel's soul."
Lavenza smiles brightly after her confession. The blonde beams with obvious affection for what she claims to definitively describe the curly-haired boy who lays dead on the ground. Lavenza's words seems to fly in the face of the fact that Rias knows Ren to be one of the most congenial students in their school.
Rias can only sigh in disappointment, then immediately shifts gears to shake her head with bubbling amusement. It is the Devil's own mistake, she reasons, if she assumed that this new servant of hers will ever be simple to understand. Still, the image Rias now has of Lavenza as a young girl with a stereotypical crush on someone she perceives as an older "bad boy" rebel type is certainly adorable, no matter what the real relationship between them is.
"Don't worry about that," Rias says with an affectionate smile before she turns back to her work. "We Devils are known to be rebellious, after all. If he can pursue his desires earnestly then I'm sure he'll fit right in with us."
Rias doesn't look to Lavenza again until the ritual is complete and Ren Amamiya is whole once more in a brand new Devil body. When the heiress does look, however, she finds the mysterious entity to be gone without a trace.
The truth of the matter is that Rias was in no position to comprehend the final warning Lavenza offered her. As the scion of a highly respected and wealthy family, and someone who had known nothing but unconditional love from her elders, respect and admiration from her peers, and friendship and loyalty from her subordinates, Rias had little to no personal experience with rebellion. It isn't that the daughter of House Gremory was ignorant of conflict or treachery, her Peerage is filled with members who bear painful pasts that contain those very elements, but her personal experience of it was purely second-hand.
Rias' greatest rebellious thought at that time was her plan to deny the arranged marriage that her parents set up for her. In fact, the redhead fancied the idea that if Ren Amamiya really is a rebel at heart then he might support her yet-unspoken refusal to follow her parents' plan and fight to help her break free of it. That was the extent of the rebellion Rias could envision: rebellion for her own sake.
Rias Gremory never once considered the possibility that a servant who she cared for as a precious member of her family would actually want to rebel against her and the people she loves.
Chapter End
Author's Notes
This concludes the introduction to Persona 5:The Phantom Rebellion.
I believe the content of the prologue and a few hints sprinkled throughout the first chapter should clue in most readers about specific details this story takes from Persona 5's various possible options. Specifically, this is a Ren who maxed out all the Confidant Ranks but without any of the possible romances, maxed out his Social Stats, defeated Caroline and Justine in their New Game Plus combat trial (Though obviously he had none of the New Game Plus mechanical benefits in-character), and achieved the True Ending. Any other minute details from the game path this Ren took will have to wait until they become relevant to his current trials.
I hope you will continue to follow this story in the future.
Sincerely,
Captain Bell