Author's Notes

Welcome back to The Phantom Rebellion.

I would like to clear something up since it became a recurring comment in reviews: I have not forgotten that there is a dog who can use a Persona. Morgana just doesn't know as much as he or Ren thinks he does, and there is a reason for that.

With that in mind, let us begin.


Chapter Three: The World


[Persona 5 OST: Tokyo Emergency]

It's already been a long day for Ren Amamiya, and the hard part hasn't even started yet.

Ren expertly diffuses the curious advances of several more Kuoh Academy students. A combination of half-answers and gentlemanly sentiments shuts down most inquiries as the boy makes his way to the old school building after classes are over. The young man has been besieged by questions since he arrived in the morning from students of all school years. Rias Gremory's mysterious disappearance at lunch yesterday is still hot gossip, but Amamiya has no intention of allowing himself to be delayed.

The Reincarnated Devil uses every social trick in the book to deflect attention and slip away after the last bell, his full focus on the answers that Gremory promised him. The effort put into being stealthy taxes Ren. The brief sleep that the teen got last night after all of his phone calls were complete is only barely enough to function on. The fact that being in the sunlight is actually a mild irritant to Amamiya's senses now only exacerbates the problem. Ren figures that his new inhuman constitution must be the only reason he is able to stay awake, though he still can't help but long for a massage from Kawakami right about now; the teacher who moonlighted as a maid always left the teen invigorated after one of those.

"I still don't like being brought in so openly," Morgana complains for the thousandth time. The cat has been upset since Ren shared the plan for their confrontation with the Occult Research Club today, namely the fact that Morgana will not be hidden away like the Phantom Thief he is.

"Noted," Ren answers for the thousandth time himself. "But you still haven't thought of a way to hide from a Devil's enhanced senses since yesterday, so you can either stay far away like last night or just come in with me."

Morgana slumps at the reminder that Sona Sitri and the rest of the student council, based on what he overheard Rias say when she found Ren's dead body, have no doubt been aware of his presence since school began. All of Morgana's drive to maintain a record of non-detection at school has turned into a serious blow to his pride at that realization.

"Fine, I'll play a normal cat," Mona relents. It is an undercover job that the thief is used to, and neither he nor Ren are prepared to let the Devils know more about him and his special nature just yet. So far it seems like Devils and their supernatural community have no ties at all to the cognitive world that Morgana comes from.

Once the pair gets away from the academy's main grounds it becomes easier to avoid other students. Few spend time around the old school building, its walls are covered in overgrown vegetation as a testament to its supposed neglect. Some students loiter around the out-of-view sides of the structure to have privacy at break times, but Ren heads straight for the front door. When the new Devil detects two people approach the same area from another direction his attention shifts to identify them.

"It's you!" the brown-haired Issei Hyoudou cries while he points an accusatory finger at Ren. Behind the fellow victim of Raynare is Yuuto Kiba, the blond male idol of the school who stands almost as tall as Ren himself. "The other damn handsome that asked out Rias-senpai yesterday!"

Ren notes Kiba's total lack of reaction when Issei's free thumb jerks back in the other second-year's direction. The idol must be the first "damn handsome" that Issei refers to. Ren supposes he should take the boy's outburst as a compliment if Issei actually thinks he's anywhere near the fine-featured blond's level, but doubts he actually compares (Kiba even has a beauty mark under his left eye for goodness' sake). A strong personality can do a lot to make up for physical deficiencies, though, and Ren's bold tendencies do stand out more than Yuuto's polite demeanor. Speaking of which...

"You jealous?" the wavy-haired teen responds with a straight face and even tone while he looks down at the slightly shorter brunet.

"Yes!"

Ren and Yuuto both shake their heads as Issei begins to espouse on how unfair it is for the older student to have beaten him at getting a girlfriend. Ren almost wishes he could tune most of it out, but he didn't become as good a listener as he did while in Tokyo just to lose those skills now.

"Amamiya-senpai isn't Gremory-senpai's boyfriend, Hyoudou-san," Kiba eventually says to bring an end to the tirade, right around the point that Issei began to accuse Ren of being here now just to ask for more dates. "He's like you."

"Like me?" Issei echoes before he turns his head to look at his upperclassman more closely.

Ren is mildly amazed at how quickly the younger teen shifts gears from outraged to curious. Apparently the confirmation that Rias is not anyone's girlfriend is all Issei needed to calm down.

Ren nods at the boy's curious look to confirm that he too is in the same boat and then turns to continue on to the old school building.

"Let's go get some answers."


Take Your Time


[High School DxD BorN OST: Ano Hi no Omoi]

The club room is dark, illuminated only by the soft glow of several candelabras. Ren wonders if the dim light is more comfortable to a Devil's vision than if the room were either fully lit or in complete darkness, but doesn't notice a difference right away.

'Or maybe it just fits the mood,' Ren allows. The teen knows a thing or two about actions taken just for the dramatic effect, after all.

A small girl sits on one of two couches in the room, the same one Ren occupied yesterday while he waited for Rias to show up. The young woman has a slight figure, one that might have caused Ren to mistake her for one of Kuoh's middle school students if not for her high school uniform, though this girl does not wear its shoulder cape. The stark white hair, made up in a short bob cut in the back with two long bangs in the front and adorned with two black cat-themed pins by her temples, is enough for Ren to identify the figure as Koneko Toujou, the so-called mascot of the school and a first-year student.

Toujou's adorable features have made her a popular subject of observation and gossip in Kuoh Academy, which Ren could not have missed even in less than a month of attendance. Apparently, rumors would have Ren believe, the young lady's aloof personality is another aspect of what makes her a popular mascot. Sure enough, Koneko's closed eyes don't even glance the group's way when the three boys enter the room, her attention solely given to the small candy treat on a toothpick that she takes small bites out of.

"That's Koneko Toujou, a first-year," Kiba says as an introduction, though it is unnecessary since Ren and Issei both recognize the girl. Yuuto's words do at least have the effect of causing Koneko to open her eyes and look at the newly-arrived trio.

Ren is struck by the girl's yellow irises. At just barely four and a half feet tall, Koneko's short frame and pale skin make her resemblance to Lavenza and her two halves asserts itself in the boy's mind. If Toujou's hair were a shade more blonde than white, and her eyes a shade more gold than hazel, then Ren might have thought her a relative of the Velvet Room attendant. Fortunately the resemblance isn't quite strong enough to make Amamiya think a real connection exists, though curiosity about Lavenza's involvement in his reincarnation does come back to the forefront of his mind.

"This is Ren Amamiya and Issei Hyoudou," Kiba continues for Toujou's benefit with a hand wave toward the named boys.

"Oh, hi there," Issei adds after he snaps out of a daze with an embarrassed look and a hand on the back of his head. Koneko only offers a slight nod and the quietest of hums in acknowledgement of the introduction, which she does right over Issei's words, before she turns back to her snacks. Given that reaction, Amamiya decides to hold back any words of his own.

Ren tries very hard to ignore the exaggerated body language of the underclassman next to him. Issei is far too excited to be in the same room as one of the school's popular girls and is now lost in some lewd fantasy if the red cheeks are any indication. Unfortunately, Ren's desire to find a distraction from Issei leads the teen's eyes and ears to a curtain across the room and the sound of water behind it. More accurately, Ren's eyes are drawn to the very curvy female silhouette that is prominently on display there.

This time Ren's gaze doesn't linger. No, really. Amamiya may be a healthy young male, but he's tired of what he interprets as this Devil's obvious attempts at sexual warfare.

'This is the least subtle she's been about using her body as a distraction,' Ren considers as he sighs in resignation and turns his eyes to the opposite wall. 'Nobody would fall for-'

Ren finds himself corrected before his thought is even complete when Issei enters an even greater freak-out than before right next to him. Apparently the other boy has spotted the room's barely-private shower as well, and Akeno's arrival with clothes for the girl behind the curtain causes him to exclaim his pleasure out loud this time.

'Truly this is a man who knows how to enjoy life's simple pleasures,' Ren thinks sarcastically.

The third-year's exasperation with the member of the Perverted Trio causes him to glance at Kiba in hopes of finding some solidarity between them. Rias is supposed to be the blond's friend, right? Unfortunately, all that awaits Ren on Kiba's face is a calm, undisturbed smile. Whether the persona is fake or not, apparently Yuuto's reputation for being unflappable is well deserved. The boy is practically a statue of silent acceptance. Ren's solidarity is found in another direction.

"What a lewd look on your face."

Koneko's softly-spoken voice has no hint of emotion in it, but her disapproval rings loud and clear in the deadpan delivery of her words, especially since she still doesn't even look at Issei to actually see whatever face he had made (Though Ren can confirm it was indeed perverted). Amamiya turns his attention to the female freshman since the other males have let him down.

Koneko's yellow eyes actually open and drift to Ren after Hyoudou becomes contrite by her words, which the grey-eyed youth meet evenly. The lack of a second reprimand seems to indicate that Koneko acknowledges Ren did not take advantage of the opportunity for voyeurism that Rias created. At least, that is what Ren thinks until the younger student's gaze continues to drift and comes to rest on the bag slung over his shoulder. Koneko doesn't speak another word, but her eyes remain locked even as she brings a new chocolate bar to her mouth for a tiny bite.

Apparently Morgana has a fan.

"You like cats?" Amamiya asks when he makes his way to the couch and sits down in the middle, next to Toujou. Koneko looks up at Ren long enough to offer a single nod.

Back near the entrance Himejima introduces herself to Hyoudou, which Ren has no doubt will prompt another perverted inner monologue in the second-year. Since Amamiya has already met the vice-president of the club the older teen decides to go ahead and take a seat while he waits for Gremory to get dressed.

Ren further zips open his bag and a black cat's head pops out. As the duo had agreed, Morgana hops out onto the table in front of him and paces in a circle like an ordinary cat introduced to a new environment. Since Morgana hadn't entered the old school building with Ren yesterday his blue eyes really do take in the space with fresh interest, act or no act.

Koneko tenses. If Ren hadn't been on the lookout for reactions to Morgana's presence he would have missed the girl's slight change in posture, but Toujou is clearly captivated by Morgana. It isn't immediate, but after a few seconds the girl's eyes widen a fraction, then proceed to narrow slightly. In fact, the longer Morgana ignores the albino to look around the room the more Koneko stares at the feline as if he is a puzzle she can't understand.

"You were right," the cat says after a few seconds of observation. "It's both bland and creepy at the same time."

Ren watches the other occupants of the room under the pretense of someone who shows off his pet with the expectation of attention. In truth the brunet looks for any signs of recognition at the cat's words. Other than the initial glances drawn when Morgana was released, however, nobody bats an eye at the cat's meows. Not even Koneko reacts further, other than the continuation of her previous bafflement. The Devils are unable to hear Morgana's true voice. Ren mentally breathes a sigh of relief at that, but still isn't sure what Koneko's problem is.

While Rias, now fully clothed, emerges and greets Issei, Ren studies his junior more closely. Koneko hasn't taken another bite of her treats since Morgana emerged. In fact, the girl put the bar she had away when the cat came out. One of Koneko's hands is next to her lap, palm up. As Ren watches, Toujou actually seems to sniff at the air, as if she might glean some clue to her puzzle in Morgana's scent.

'My sense of smell is better than before too,' Ren contemplates. 'Has she refined her's to be as good as... well, a cat's?'

Whatever Koneko's abilities are, it is easy for Ren to figure out the girl's problem now. For whatever reason, Toujou had fully expected Morgana to leap to her immediately and is disappointed to be ignored. Perhaps animals just usually like her, but the girl's suspicious reactions tell Ren that there is more to the story he doesn't know yet. The thief makes a finger motion toward Konkeo outside of her range of vision, which Mona catches and figures out. Without a word the blue-eyed beast makes his way to the young lady and leaps onto her lap, then looks up at her as cutely as he can.

Koneko still doesn't speak, but she does seem to relax. After only a second's hesitation the first-year's hands come up to gently caress Morgana's head and stroke his back with slow, deliberate motions.

"Wow," Morgana sighs with unexpected pleasure. "She is way better at this than Futaba."

Ren pictures how Futaba likes to roughly play with Morgana's face when she pets him and smiles. Koneko's own lips seem to have approached the barest hint of a smile as well, though the expression is still muted. Whatever troubled the girl before seems to have been forgotten, which Ren is thankful for.

'Whoever Gasper Vladi is, he's not here,' Ren observes in the meantime with a look around the room. The former thief is curious about the identity of the last member of Rias' organization who's name he pilfered from this very room yesterday. An unknown agent is a dangerous advantage for the redheaded Devil to have over the former Phantom Thief.

"And welcome back to you, Ren," Rias' voice states beside the couch. The boy turns his attention to the girl and meets her blue eyes. Gremory looks down on Ren with the amusement of a parent as they scold a naughty child. "Thank you for not breaking in this time."

Issei squawks in surprise behind Rias, and even Yuuto and Koneko look like Amamiya's illegal action is news to them. Ren decides to answer with a silent smile, an admittance that he is guilty of the crime but also a declaration that he feels no remorse for it. Rias just sighs in acceptance before her eyes turn toward Koneko's new toy.

"You brought your cat?" Gremory asks. The girl's curious expression desires an explanation for the unusual choice.

"His name's Morgana," Ren says, which he knows is not an answer to what Rias actually wants to know. The wavy-haired teen allows Rias to frown and open her mouth to demand clarification before he cuts her off. "And we go everywhere together."

Rias notices her Pawn smirk after the interruption. The redhead is not nearly as amused as Ren is by the minor prank. Whatever retort Rias might have had is dismissed when Koneko speaks up, though.

"You bring him to school."

Ren and Rias both turn to the younger girl, who continues to pet Morgana.

"How did you know?" Ren asks. Even with a Devil's ears, he doubts that Koneko could have heard Morgana's meows all the way from the first-year classes.

"His scent is there."

Well. That answers Ren's question about Koneko's sense of smell.

Rias directs Issei to sit together with Ren while she stands at the head of the table between the couches, in front of her desk. Yuuto and Akeno both take seats across from the two new Reincarnated Devils, Koneko, and the yet-to-be-released Morgana. Since both boys will need a full explanation it makes sense for them to be next to one another.

"You've been bringing a cat to school, Amamiya-senpai?" Issei asks curiously as he takes the seat next to Ren, opposite Koneko. "How often?"

"Every day," Ren admits, which prompts more curious looks. Ren decides to hammer the point home with a proud expression. "Morgana's sneakier than any other cat. I brought him to school every day last year in Tokyo too. He wasn't caught once."

Ren espouses Morgana's past achievement both to make it clear that the two are inseparable, and to assuage his animal friend's disappointment at being caught by unexpected super senses this year.

"Is he your Familiar?" Kiba asks, the blond's brow furrowed in thought. "I don't detect any magic in him."

"Ren wasn't a Magician," Rias answers when the boy himself can offer no response but a curious look. The girl turns from Yuuto to her new Pawns. "Just a normal human who ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time."

'Not exactly,' Ren thinks, but doesn't correct his host. It looks like the long-awaited explanations are finally about to start.


Take Your Time


[High School DxD BorN OST: Omoi, Sorezore]

Ren Amamiya has had plenty of experience as a silent participant in group discussions, even when he is supposed to be the leader of the group in question. The Phantom Thieves operated as a unit that required agreement by all members before any action was taken, so it was easy for Ren so simply guide the dynamic with a few comments here and there and allow the others to do the bulk of the work. With Rias in charge of the current presentation, Ren easily slides into old habits and quietly soaks in all that she says without interruption.

And what a story it is.

Morgana sends Ren a nervous glance despite their plan for him to play a dumb animal. Thankfully, Koneko is caught up in the mood and doesn't seem to notice. Ren can hardly blame his undercover companion for the slip given what they just heard. Ren and Morgana had both hoped that Rias and Raynare were part of groups who just used the names of Devils and Angels as titles for their abilities and teams. The general idea was a setup not too dissimilar from the fight between the Phantom Thieves and Shido's organization, but with significantly fewer cognitive dimensions involved. This, though?

'It's a full-blown global supernatural conspiracy.'

The truth rocks the teen's already open-minded worldview. Heaven and Hell (or the Underworld as Rias calls it) are not only real, but have been caught up in a three-way blood war since time immemorial. Rias doesn't just use the name Gremory as a symbol, she really is a Devil. God, as in "of the Bible" God, is not only real, but also has His sights set on the eradication of what Ren has become.

Apparently the supernatural world is full of creatures far more physical and less spiritual than Ren had expected. Amamiya spent a fair amount of time in a church last year, and even if the purpose was to practice shogi with Hifumi the observant teen still absorbed plenty from the talks around him. Ren and Morgana also did some cursory research on the terms the cat had overheard the night of Ren's murder. Combine all of that with the knowledge Ren gained from his Personas derived from the myriad stories based on Christian and Jewish beliefs and the teen has a strong foundation from which to understand the concepts given now by Rias. Ren is pretty sure that the similarities these beings have to what Christianity teaches are skin-deep at best. It actually sounds like the texts Christians consider non-canon have more to do with reality as Rias describes it. A historical cover-up by the Church to hide the truth, perhaps?

The sheer depth of this revelation is hard to accept. Yaldabaoth might have nearly taken over the entire world, but its efforts to set that off were centralized in Tokyo. Rias describes a conflict that has been constantly fought all across Earth, Heaven, and the Underworld over thousands of years, not only via open warfare but also through philosophical and psychological manipulation on a worldwide scale.

'This is the true nature of the world that we saved?'

"What have we gotten ourselves into, Joker?" Mona asks. The Phantom Thieves' former leader isn't sure how he would respond even if he could voice an answer to the cat right now.

"Have you both understood everything up to now?"

Ren gives a shallow nod. Rias has only given the basics so far, even if that alone is enough to overwhelm the boy's imagination. Ren suspects that to learn all of the relevant details of such a long history will be an arduous process, but the setup is simple to grasp.

"Oh, uh, actually... I guess this story is a bit difficult for an average high school student."

Or not. Of course, Ren would never call himself average after what he went through last year, so Issei can probably be forgiven for his trouble. Rias seems to expect Ren's silent comprehension and Issei's hesitation, and adopts a knowing look.

"Yuuma Amano."

Ren doesn't recognize the name, but Rias speaks it with confidence. When Issei gasps next to him, the older boy begins to suspect the connection.

"You haven't forgotten her right?" Rias asks Issei with smug superiority. Ren has seen that demeanor so often in the Shadows of the Phantom Thieves' targets that it is practically visible to him as an aura. "You even went on a date with her."

"I-I don't know where you heard that name from, but I don't appreciate her being talked about in some occult club," Issei says in a truly somber tone. Ren is surprised by the boy's change in attitude, even if he thinks Hyoudou might have missed the point. "And to be honest, I'm not happy about it, so begging your pardon..."

Issei actually stands to leave, but he freezes when Rias tosses a photograph on the table between the couches. No doubt, Amamiya thinks, the girl has waited for just the right dramatic moment to reveal it.

That's what Ren would have done.

"Yuuma-chan...!"

Issei's surprise is a mix of shock, relief, and fear. The range of emotion on the teen's face is remarkable, but when Ren looks to inspect the photo himself it isn't what he expects.

It's a picture of Issei, his arm linked with a teenage girl in another school's uniform. The girl is a bit shorter than Issei, and smiles at him as they walk. Ren would normally say that he has never seen the girl before, if not for the suspiciously familiar long raven hair and violet eyes.

"She really did exist," Rias tells the Pawn on his feet. "That's a fact."

"She said her name was Raynare," Ren speaks for the first time since Rias began her explanations. All eyes are drawn to the young man, as they usually are when he breaks his trademark silence. "And she looked older than this when she killed me."

"She killed you too?" Issei asks, an odd tinge of jealousy on his face. Ren wonders if Issei imagines him to be another victim of the girl's false date routine. The other boy is probably still confused and a bundle of unresolved emotions in regards to his girlfriend's sudden betrayal, so Ren forgives the accusation in his tone.

"I came across you both in the park, after you were stabbed," Ren explains evenly. Amamiya watches as Hyoudou's body language relaxes from one emotion then tenses again at the painful memory he's invoked. "She was happy to kill me too since I was a witness."

Issei contemplates the utter callousness of his murderer. Not only did Yuuma lead on and then betray him, but she also killed an innocent bystander without a second thought? It hurt the teen to think of his first girlfriend being that kind of monster. Eventually, resigned to the truth that is laid out before him, Issei turns back to Rias.

"How did you get this?" the heartbroken boy asks about the photo.

"This girl, or rather, this Fallen Angel, is of the same substance as the being who attacked you last night," Rias explains. Ren notices that the girl doesn't actually answer Issei's question at all. Apparently that trick is fine with the redhead when she's the one who gets to use it.

'Hypocrite,' Ren thinks, more amused than offended. Apparently the two have a few things in common after all.

"The disguise of a second-year high school student was just a way of getting close to you. What you saw, Ren," Rias adds as she addresses her other Pawn. "Was her true form."

"So now we have to deal with shapeshifters too?" Morgana moans, and the distressed quality of that meow seems to make Koneko worry that she has hurt him somehow with her constant pets.

'This just keeps getting worse,' Ren mentally agrees. 'And we haven't even reached the real problem yet.'

"B-but Matsuda and Motohama don't remember anything about her," Issei continues. "And her address in my cell phone was..."

"She used her power," Rias interrupts. "Just like I did to your parents."

'And to mine,' Ren thinks when he recalls his mother and father's changed memories.

Issei looks at the photo again with both longing and sadness. Ren honestly can't even begin to imagine what the kid must feel right now. Amamiya's bonds and his journey helped him come to peace with his own death in record time. If not for the psychological benefits of reaching the World Arcana, Ren himself would likely still be an emotional mess after he experienced his own murder. Issei is just a normal teenager and still reels from the aftereffects of what happened to him. Amamiya can appreciate that the kid is doing his best to cope, at least.

"That Fallen Angel had accomplished her objective, so she erased all memories and records of herself from everyone around you, Issei," Rias continues.

"Her objective?" Issei wonders weakly. Rias' conversational tone and expression turn deadly serious before she answers.

"To kill you."

Next to Ren, Koneko ceases her gentle strokes on Morgana's hair and turns her attention fully to the discussion at hand. The blue-eyed cat takes the chance to turn back around and face the room properly again when Rias elaborates on her declaration.

"To ascertain whether or not there was something dangerous within you. Once that was verified, you were killed by being run through with a spear of light," the redhead states. Rias' blue gaze turns gentler when she looks over to Amamiya, still seated on the couch. "And since you somehow managed to get through her barrier and stumble onto the scene, she killed you as well Ren."

Rias has only addressed the older of the new Devils a couple of times so far, no doubt because of his quiet disposition. Ren has purposefully allowed Issei to be the focus of the explanations so he can observe how the Devils break down the situation for him. It is easier to look for cracks in a story when it isn't one tailor-made for you, after all.

"Come to think of it," Issei recalls, his eyes lost in memory. "Yuuma-chan did say something about sac-something or other."

"Sacred Gear," the redhead clarifies.

Ren had hoped that Sacred Gears would come up. That is one of the terms Morgana overheard on the night of the boy's death. The cat manages to keep a straight face, but his human friend leans in a little when Akeno begins to explain.

'A power that occurs only in humans,' Ren ponders after Himejima is done. 'Like how Morgana described Personas. Is that a coincidence?'

Rias continues the explanation and states that, while most Sacred Gears are minor things, some are powerful enough to be threats to supernatural creatures like the Fallen Angels.

"Issei, please raise your left hand up."

Rias' instruction catches Issei off guard, but peaks Ren's interest.

"L-like this?" the nervous teen asks as he follows Rias' direction.

"Close your eyes," the redhead commands while she pushes herself back to sit down on her desk. "And think of something you feel to be strongest."

'Does Hyoudou still have his Sacred Gear even after he became a Devil?' Ren wonders while Issei tries and fails to conjure a mental image that works for him. 'If so then what Morgana said about Personas might be...'

After Issei's third failed attempt to focus on Rias' request Ren glances at the redhead to ask what she expects to happen. When the boy does so... well... the reason for Issei's inability to focus becomes immediately apparent.

Ren sighs, stands, and grabs Hyoudou by the shoulders. Before the other boy can ask what Ren wants Amamiya spins him around to face the other direction and away from the up-skirt shot that Rias has provided him ever since she sat on her desk.

"Try now," Ren suggests tersely. Amamiya didn't come here for perverted shenanigans, he came for answers. The wavy-haired boy actually shoots Rias an annoyed look, but she just blinks at him owlishly with a confused expression.

'Does she expect me to believe she didn't do that on purpose?' Ren thinks. It's obvious what will win Hyoudou over to the Devil's side, after all.

If Ren weren't biased by his own frustration he could probably have read Rias' confusion as genuine. The Devil was naked in bed with Issei earlier today to heal his injuries, after all, and spares no thoughts to things like an accidental flash.

"Um, maybe I can try another time?" Issei suggests meekly. The boy's embarrassment at Ren's intervention, and the fact that it means his distraction was noticed, is obvious. "Still, are you sure there hasn't been some kind of mistake Rias-senpai?"

Rias switches her curious gaze from Ren back to Issei and returns to her lecturer persona to tell Issei that, yes, he really does have a Sacred Gear that he was killed for. When Issei asks how he is still alive after that, Ren falls back into observation mode. Even more than the question of Sacred Gears, the reincarnation process is what the new Devil really wants to know more about.

"Just before your life expired, you summoned me through this flyer," Rias explains and holds up one of the advertisements Ren found in the club room yesterday. Issei seems to recognize the item.

"Have you been getting a lot of those too?" Ren asks Issei when a need for clarification overcomes his desire to watch things play out.

"No," the other Reincarnated Devil answers without a moment of thought. "It was given to me right before... my date."

Grey eyes narrow, and not because of the obvious turmoil they see in Issei's posture whenever the boy recalls last Sunday.

"Because you summoned me there, I was able to bring you both back to life. Issei, Ren," Rias speaks up as she once more gets to her feet and demands their attention. "You have both been reborn as members of the house of Rias Gremory, daughter of the Marquis of Gremory, a high-ranking Devil."

Wings burst forth from Rias' back, bat-like in shape but completely black in color. The devil stands there with pride as she announces her title and position like the aristocrat she is.

"As my Devil servants."

Ren can't help but think that Rias looks inappropriately pleased with herself for someone who just informed two teenagers that they now live in eternal servitude. Maybe she is. After all, Morgana's story of what happened after Ren's death suggests that he and Issei are quite a catch as far as Devil servants go.

A real compliment, that.

The other members of the Occult Research Club rise from their seats to stand by Rias while Issei gapes at the display and Ren remains reserved. Morgana hops from Koneko's lap onto the wooden table when she stands.

"Yes," Akeno states right before all the of the other gathered students reveal their own wings in what is no doubt a display they all agreed upon beforehand. "We are all the same."

As each member of Rias' Peerage watches the new recruits with open smiles, even the previously stoic Koneko, Ren feels a change. The internal force that the teen accidentally detected while he tried to feel for the power of his Personas yesterday acts on its own. Because Amamiya knows something is about to happen he manages to keep his balance when black wings erupt from his own back and stretch out behind him. Issei stumbles forward a step when the same happens to him, then becomes slack-jawed at the reveal.

While Hyoudou tries to come to terms with the sudden realization of his lost humanity, Amamiya keeps his focus squarely on Rias Gremory.

"It's a pleasure, Issei. Ren," the redhead says, as if she has just welcomed them into a normal high school club. The redhead's confidence is daunting, it challenges the boys to even dare consider anything but submission. This is clearly a girl used to getting whatever she wants handed to her. Even worse, she has the power to take it if she needs to. Ren can't feel the Demonic Energy in others the way he can in himself yet, but the vague pressure Rias projects overshadows all the slight impressions he receives from the others in the room. Confidence like the redhead's doesn't come just from being privileged, but from being dangerously powerful as well.

'She's strong,' Ren realizes. Even worse, the redhead has not offered a single word of comfort to dissuade either Ren or Issei about the evil nature of Devils. Apparently the two newcomers are just meant to accept things as they seem, that these high school students are really evil incarnate and they have now been recruited for the cause.

'I guess I have no choice,' Ren laments. The boy sighs in defeat, hangs his head and closes his eyes to the world, lost in thought. 'If these Fallen Angels and Devils have no qualms with killing and reviving humans like playthings then I doubt they will spare me any mercy. I'll have to play along for now, at least, and hope for an opportunity to escape later. At least Rias is-'

"I was right," Morgana's voice suddenly interrupts Ren's thoughts. "They really do come right out through the clothes."

[End Track]

Ren blinks his eyes open and turns a surprised glance toward the black cat. Morgana currently stands on the arm rest of the couch Ren had been seated on and leans out over the side to look at the human's back where the wings have emerged. Satisfied with the confirmation of his suspicions, Morgana then hops back onto the table in front of Ren and looks up at him curiously.

"That's so weird."

Ren can't help it. The laugh escapes the teen long before the former Phantom Thief can consider the option to smother it. A single loud bark dispels the heavy silence that had settled on the club room. The other Devils are confused by the reaction, as is Morgana, but Ren just shakes his head and smiles at his feline friend.

'After all we've seen and heard, this is what you find weird?' the boy's face asks. Morgana correctly interprets the expression, of course, and simply pouts as best he can with a cat's face since his back is turned to the others in the room.

"It is weird," the smaller thief defends himself. "We're in the physical world, not the cognitive one. Stuff like that shouldn't happen."

"Are you alright, senpai?" Yuuto asks, his determinedly chill smile momentarily transformed into one of sympathy instead. "I know it might be a lot to take in."

Ren ignores Kiba, but doesn't press the issue with Morgana either. Despite the fact that the cat's cover was nearly blown by Ren's reaction, the boy is still grateful to his friend. That distraction is just what Amamiya needed.

'I can't believe I was considering playing along, even for a little while' Ren scolds himself as he returns his attention to a bewildered Rias Gremory. 'That isn't who I want to be anymore. No matter how powerful the authority is, I refuse to be oppressed again.'

The young man is well aware that no matter how confident and capable a persona Ren Amamiya might project out to the world to make himself seem great, the truth is that he really is weak without his bonds to keep him strong. One look into Morgana's curious eyes, wherein Ren found not even a hint of fear that they were actually going to submit to these people, was all that the teen needed to remind himself of who he really is.

Ren Amamiya, age seventeen, third-year high school student, a Reincarnated Devil, and leader of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. Code Name:

Joker

"Thanks but no thanks," the reborn Phantom Thief announces with a cocky smile. The teen sets his bag down on the table next to Morgana as he speaks. The smaller thief hops into the open space inside without hesitation.

The wavy-haired teen flexes the current of Demonic Power in him in a way that mimics the involuntary pulse that he felt a minute ago. The boy's black wings shrink away and disappear back into the Devil's body as a result.

"What?" Rias asks. The redhead is not alone in being utterly befuddled by the response.

"I've got my own concerns so I don't have time to play butler for you," Joker answers while he swings his bag back over a shoulder. The leader of the Phantom Thieves is ready to be who he really is once more, whether his body is a human's or a Devil's. "I might pop by if I have more questions, though."

"I know we usually flee from collapsing Palaces, but have you ever heard of a subtle retreat, Joker?" Mona groans at his leader's taunts. The cat's tone is filled with amusement, though. No doubt Mona wishes he could throw Rias' expectations back in her face himself.

"I'm afraid this is far more serious than playing around, Ren," Rias finally responds after she shakes off her incredulity. The High Class Devil's blue eyes narrow dangerously at her Pawn. "You owe your life to me."

"Funny thing about that," Joker counters with a step back and a flourish of his arm toward his fellow Pawn. "I don't know what deal Hyoudou-san made when he summoned you, but I know that when I was dying..."

Joker allows his posture to straighten up so his serious expression and tone are not at all diluted for the group.

"... I didn't make any wishes to live."

Confusion spreads throughout the room. The thief leaves no room for doubt in his voice and body language. To Joker's surprise, it is Issei who first manages to collect himself enough to ask the question on everyone's minds.

"You wanted to die, senpai?"

A fearful softness actually enters a few of the other Devil's eyes when Issei gives voice to their thoughts. Koneko's open smile melts into her previous stoic expression when Joker first dismisses Rias, but now the small girl is one of the few who seem genuinely worried about him.

"No," the third-year answers his junior with a softer expression. "I was just satisfied with how I lived."

There is a current of unease that flows through the room after Joker's announcement. The Phantom Thief recognizes that he may as well have called himself an alien life form for all that most of the other Devils can understand that sentiment. Only Issei seems to visibly cheer up at the explanation.

"I know what you mean senpai! As long as I die after I become a Harem King then I know I'll be satisfied too!"

Joker just smiles and shakes his head at the kid's audacity, then turns to leave with a wave.

"Catch you all later."

There must have been a signal made behind Joker's back, because before he can reach the door that exits the club room Yuuto Kiba is suddenly between him and it.

"I'm afraid we can't let you leave before you understand the situation, Amamiya-senpai," the blond explains, his polite mask still in place. Kiba's posture isn't intended to threaten, but his voice is firm. Not only that, but the blond's smile has changed from one of sympathy to one of pity, no doubt because of how foolish he must see the new Pawn's actions. Even an idiot can read that the mood in the room doesn't allow for such an easy dismissal, after all.

'Well, that confirms that,' Joker notes. The thief's provocations worked better than intended. 'I definitely can't move as fast as him.'

Joker didn't know whether being a Devil now put him on the same physical level as the others in the ORC. The Reincarnated Devil had gone to an empty lot before school started to test his new physical limits, but Kiba managed to slip in front of the brunet from across the room in the time of a single normal step. That is a feat of speed far beyond any Joker was able to produce.

The thief predicted that if he tried to leave blatantly but non-violently then the others would move to restrain him and he could check their capabilities in way that didn't put his life at risk. It worked, and now the Phantom Thief knows for sure that he's still physically outclassed here.

"Honestly, Ren," Rias scolds without any real heat, her hands on her hips. "You need to learn some patience. First you are too eager to learn and now you're going leave before I'm done?"

Joker turns his back halfway to Kiba and maintains a casual front.

"I appreciate having sense of drama," the boy admits, and he doesn't miss how Akeno almost chuckles at those words despite the hard stare she tries to maintain on him. "But there's a time and place and you seem more concerned with looking important than helping. I'm going to go get some answers on my own."

Rias almost flinches but chooses to frown instead.

"I will answer all your questions in time, but I don't want to overwhelm you two right now. It's already a shame that your normal human lives have been disrupted sooner than I intended. Even if you find this all easy to understand, Ren, think of Issei at least."

Joker sighs and admits to himself that Gremory isn't wrong. The Phantom Thief might have a ton of questions he wants answers to immediately, but the emotionally-fragile normal human who now looks between his wavy-haired senior and the redheaded one nervously doesn't deserve to be pushed into the deep end right away if he isn't ready.

Joker isn't prepared to let Rias use Issei as a shield, though. There's another good reason for the thief to move on.

"I need a different perspective anyway," the teen insists with a turn back to Kiba and the exit. "I have no reason to trust you to tell the whole truth, after all."

That jibe seems to actually bother the assembled Devils if Yuuto's atypical frown is any indication. Joker goes to move past the second-year casually, but the blond's tight grasp on his arm brings his steps to a halt.

"Amamiya-senpai, I'm afraid you'd be putting yourself in more danger than you realize if you walk away from this," the prince claims. Yuuto's words have the weight of truth behind them.

"Be careful, Joker," Morgana whispers. The cat's blue eyes scan the room's occupants for any signs of threat. "This could go real bad."

Joker doesn't try to break Yuuto's hold, but he does flex the muscles under the Devil's hand. The thief is surprised to feel that the grip isn't as tight as he might expect based on Kiba's speed.

"You are part of the Devil hierarchy now, Ren," Akeno adds to Yuuto's warning. The girl's polite face hides a sense of urgency that she allows to seep into her voice. "If you deny your place in it then you will lose Rias' protection."

"Her protection didn't help Issei last night," Joker says in rebuttal. The Reincarnated Devil turns his head enough to view his fellow new recruit with his left grey eye. Issei, who has yet to even get over the shock of having wings now, is clearly not sure where to enter into this conversation.

"Yes," Rias says with remorse, her face sullen and downcast for the first time that Joker has seen. The redhead raises her right hand to her chest and grips the fabric over her heart. "I told Yuuto and Koneko to finish their existing contracts yesterday evening before they moved on to watch over the two of you. Because of that, Yuuto almost didn't get to Issei in time to protect him."

Gremory casts a timid glance Issei's way, and the brown-haired second-year can't help but be shocked by how different it is from the face of the confident, playful young woman that he was surprised to wake up in bed with that morning.

"I am sorry you had to go through that, my precious servant. I wanted you to have more time to live as you have been since that Fallen Angel ended your life prematurely, but the risk you faced by not having my name formally attached to you yet was more serious than I anticipated."

"Ah... no," the boy mumbles, lost in the unique image that has presented itself before him. "That's alright. You saved me twice, after all."

How many men can claim to have seen Rias Gremory look vulnerable? In Issei's experience even when Rias is completely nude she still commands full control of a room, so the answer is very few indeed he suspects. How could anyone who sees the apology in those blue eyes, the young man thinks, not fall a little bit more in love with her?

"I'll take the risk," a voice interrupts.

By being Phantom Thief Joker, apparently.

With all attention back on the other new recruit, Joker actually breaks free of Yuuto's grasp to turn completely back toward the others. It is just a test, but the new Devil does confirm that the boy's grip doesn't overpower him. Joker's eyes are focused on the other Devils, though, and he observes Rias' displeasure at being dismissed.

"The problem isn't as simple as you being attacked by more Fallen Angels, Ren," the redhead replies, her posture altered once again to express her annoyance with the Pawn's attitude. "I don't know what your plan is, but I can't risk you disappearing for an extended time. As a Reincarnated Devil your mind isn't yet accustomed to the flow of Demonic Power inside you. As your master, you and Issei need to stay near me so I can regulate your energy and keep it from taking you over."

What these Devils say with the most casual of tones still astounds Joker. More importantly, the highly empathetic youth also notes the barest glimpse of a frown on Koneko's usually tight line of a mouth when Rias explains this new problem. Those words bother the reserved girl for some reason.

"What happens then?" Joker asks, for both his sake and the now-concerned Issei's.

"Stray Devil," Koneko supplies, apparently able to sense that she is Joker's focus at the moment. The short girl's voice quavers with unexpressed emotion.

"Devils who abandon their masters," Kiba supplies from behind the older teen. "Whether they are Reincarnated or Pure-blood Devils, Strays are outlaws that are killed on sight. Devils, Angels, Fallen Angels, other supernatural creatures, and even humans with the power to do so can all kill them without repercussion. Without the Gremory family's blessing your life will be at constant risk, senpai."

"And Reincarnated Devils like you and us are at an even greater risk than Pure-bloods," Akeno contributes, her smile also gone in favor of being serious. "Until your mind adjusts to the Demonic Power, it can slowly take away your reason and mutate your body into a monstrous form. That is the state of most Stray Devils."

Joker's great skill at projecting a desired persona to others in any given situation does not help him hide the horrified expression that this news deserves. Hyoudou looks no better, the thief notices. Morgana's wide-eyed shock would probably tip the Devils off that he can understand them if not for the fact that the cat wisely chooses to hide deeper inside of his bag at the moment.

"Is that the true nature of Devils, then?" Joker asks. The question sounds more like an accusation than the young man intends.

"Of course not," Rias defends her species with an affronted expression. Joker also admits to himself that the other experienced Devils present all look equally offended by the insinuation. "We Devils are beings of desire, but you were born human. The difference between the two can cause Reincarnated Devils without proper aid to become creatures of base impulses that attack and feed on people to satisfy their urges. In time you'll learn to adjust, and until then I will help you."

A tense silence settles back on the club room. The only movement for a good while is the repeated turn of Hyoudou's neck as he looks curiously back and forth between the stare-off of Rias Gremory and Ren Amamiya.

"See, this is exactly what I need to confirm for myself," Joker eventually declares. "Your whole system seems designed to take away our freedom and pressure us into playing along at the risk of death, or worse."

Rias sighs and shakes her head, which is not exactly the reaction Joker expects. All of a sudden Gremory has gone from a staunch defender of her kind to an exasperated parent once more.

"Honestly Ren, your distrustful attitude is unnecessary. I'll have you know that you and Issei are both extremely lucky to have been reborn into my house."

Joker cocks an eyebrow while Rias takes on a confident demeanor again and looks at him with pride.

"We of the Gremory name are well known in the Underworld for treating our servants like family. I would never deceive you about such important matters, and I promise you will both be well rewarded for your service."

"R-really?" Issei pipes up, apparently taken in by the sense of comfort that Rias now projects. The redhead offers her younger Pawn a genuine smile and a nod, then they both look to the other new Devil expectantly.

Joker grits his teeth and tries not to let it show.

"So, if that is true, I gather there are other humans out there who aren't lucky enough to be a part of your house, and who don't get treated like family by their new masters?"

Issei's relaxed mood is disturbed by the other teen's insight.

"Abuse of servants isn't tolerated in the Underworld, if that's what you're worried about," Rias answers. A hint of defensiveness slips into the redhead's otherwise aristocratic tone. "There are some who see Reincarnated Devils as lesser than Pure-bloods, I admit, but High Class Devils like myself rely on our Peerages to maintain and raise our status. None would sabotage themselves by making their servants go against them, no matter what their beliefs are."

'Not that they have much choice,' Joker thinks, the talk of Stray Devils still fresh in his mind. 'And by the time they could leave without losing their minds, service is the life they've gotten used to and being killed on sight for abandoning their master is still a threat.'

Joker doesn't want to make assumptions about the situations of other Reincarnated Devils, but it's clear that the so-called High Class ones have the system stacked in their favor.

"All I meant," Rias continues with her softer side back on display. "Is that we Gremory consider our servants precious. You'll have plenty of time to pursue your own desires as well while serving me."

"Yeah, I get it," Joker spits back. "Hyoudou-san and I will basically be free men... just as long as we do whatever you say."

Rias doesn't even have the decency to look rattled by the very accurate description of the new Devils' situation. The redhead just smiles and nods.

"Well Joker?" Mona asks as his head pops back out into the air of the dimly-lit room. "Is there a reason not to play along for now? There's a lot of risks if we try to run, even if that Stray Devil stuff is a lie."

Feign compliance until an opportunity arises. If Queen were here she would definitely say that is the smart move given the stakes involved, Joker thinks. There is still a good reason not to submit, though.

"I have one last question."

Rias, thoroughly tired with her new Pawn's defiance, crosses her arms in that extremely distracting way again and complies.

"Just one," the heiress allows. "I think both you and Issei have already been given enough to think about tonight."

Joker meets his so-called master's authoritative gaze and raises a single hand. The young man's finger points down to the table between the room's couches, where all eyes are drawn to the single item that still sits upon it.

"When did you get that picture?"

Rias blinks. The unexpected question causes the Devil pause, though only for a moment.

"It was taken the day Issei showed Yuuma Amano to his friends," Rias answers, her own brow raised now. The expression silently questions the relevance of Joker's inquiry.

"Not when was it taken," the Phantom Thief corrects. "When did you get it?"

"What do you mean?" Issei asks. The boy is also perplexed as to what their murderer has to do with the wavy-haired boy's acceptance of their new master.

"You said that Raynare used her power to erase all records of herself," Joker continues, still focused on Rias. "Did you save that picture from being erased and acquire it then, or did you already have it before?"

"We took it after Issei was spotted with a Fallen Angel," Rias answers, still unsure of the level of importance her Pawn places on the subject. "I had recently detected his potential myself, and having a Fallen in my territory is always something to keep an eye on."

"Then you gave Hyoudou a flier to summon you, is that right?"

"Of course," Rias responds without shame. "I didn't want to risk losing Issei to them."

Issei can't help but feel elated at the positive appraisal by a beautiful woman, but even he can see what the other boy's point is now.

"If you knew all that, why not stop Raynare before she killed us?" Joker calmly demands.

"What?" Rias asks. The girl's shock causes her to need a moment before she realizes what Joker's real question is. The redhead straitens her posture again to convey how insulted she is. "No, Ren. I didn't mean I thought Raynare was going to kill Issei. Of course I wouldn't have allowed that! I just expected her to try to temp him into working for the Fallen Angels. I didn't anticipate him being the target of an assassination until I got to the scene."

Rias probably would have anticipated Raynare's actions if she had realized the full scope of Issei's potential beforehand, but she didn't know the strength of the boy's Sacred Gear until she examined him after his death.

Joker isn't exactly sure where Rias draws her moral lines when he considers that she has implied that Devils do the same thing as far as tempting humans goes, but at least she sounds sincere on the issue of her ignorance.

"So the reincarnation isn't always planned to be done this way?"

"None of us were dead when Rias found us," Akeno supplies, though she leaves out the detail that many of Gremory's servants were at least close to death at the time of their recruitment. "Being reincarnated is usually offered as a conscious choice, and the ritual can be done on the living as well as the recently-deceased."

"I made an exception in your cases since your lives were already over," Rias confirms, then shifts her posture to a more casual stance. "I did not expect someone to object so much to having their life restored to them, though."

The raised eyebrow Rias sends Joker's way with her last comment seems to indicate that the Devil is happy to tease her new servant about his attitude again, which eases the tension in the air for the others assembled.

"I'm glad to hear that," Joker confirms with a nod. The act works to further lighten the mood of the room. Several of Rias' servants release a sigh of relief, either literally or just mentally.

The cheer lasts until Joker speaks again.

"I won't try to take Hyoudou with me, then," the third-year announces. All eyes snap back to focus on the wavy-haired boy again, especially the second-year in question's. "He can make his own decision on that one."

"Ren," Rias states with an angry frown. "I have not given you permission to-"

"I'm leaving," Joker interrupts without any hesitation and turns back to the blond Devil who still stands behind him.

"Senpai, you-"

Joker shoulders Yuuto out of his way this time, which silences the boy's protest. The leader of the Phantom Thieves' hasn't let up on his workout routine since his return to Kuoh Town. Ryuji made a schedule for his best friend just to keep Joker in shape for when they would next run together, after all. The teen's new Devil body seems to benefit from the shape that his human one was in, and Yuuto doesn't display enough strength to match his speed to actually block the rogue's way out.

When Joker's hand moves to close around the doorknob, a smaller hand takes hold of his free wrist and tugs. Despite Joker's efforts to resist, the Reincarnated Devil is easily pulled back a step this time. When Joker turns his head to confront his captor the steady gaze of Koneko Toujou is as unrelenting as her iron grip.

'Of course the little girl is the powerhouse of the group,' Joker thinks to himself. The image of Caroline kicking butt throughout the Phantom Thieves' many battles with her ghosts across their leader's mind. 'Some things never change.'

"I insist that you drop this tantrum, Ren," Rias declares. The Devil frowns at Joker with her hands on her hips. Rias doesn't look worried, and why should she? Joker is completely outnumbered, after all. Even if Mona were able to fight too the odds would still be against the pair. "There's no need for it."

Joker's determination to act as his own person is tossed aside callously by the redhead. A tantrum, Rias says, as if the fellow third-year is just a child. Joker doesn't appreciate being infantalized. No, it's worse than that. Rias doesn't see the Phantom Thief as a child, but as a possession.

'No,' Joker thinks. The teenager's mind recalls so many times that he and his friends acted in defiance of the corrupt, of those who abused their authority and power. Regardless of the truth that was revealed at the end of the Phantom Thieves' campaign, no matter the origin of their power, in the end the team stole back humanity's right to choose its own fate. 'I refuse to submit.'

Joker's imagination is filled with vivid memories of rebellion.

[Persona 5 OST: Awakening]

A flash of blue fire engulfs the form of Ren Amamiya. Everyone is shocked by the unexpected display of magic. Even Koneko lets go of Joker on reflex despite the lack of heat and hops back.

Most of the Devils shift into defensive postures, unsure of what the sight means. Issei in particular, still unused to the strength of his Devil body, leaps backward a bit too far and slams his back into the far wall of the room. The brunet slides down the wall onto his butt, then remains seated on the floor. Hyoudou is too busy gaping curiously at his wavy-haired senpai along with everyone else to even think about getting back to his feet.

"I said I'm leaving."

Every other occupant of the room quickly notices that the smile on Ren Amamiya's face is far too smug for the teenager to be surprised by his change in appearance. The Kuoh Academy high school uniform is gone, in its place is a black outfit dominated by a an ankle-length, high-collared tailcoat. Few splotches of color exist on the teen now, his pointed shoes are slightly brown in tone and his dark grey waistcoat is decorated by small gold buttons. What really draws the attention of Joker's observers in the dim candlelight of the club room are the gloves he casually adjusts, their shade of red as brilliant as Gremory's own hair.

"Whoa," Morgana breathes from beside Ren's feet, the bag he'd been in gone with the rest of Joker's school clothes. "Is this real? I didn't think this was possible!"

Joker imagines it and another flash of blue flames sweeps out in front of his face. Left behind after the embers die is a black-rimmed white domino mask with birdlike flair on its ends. Joker's defiant gaze isn't lessened at all by the presence of the mask, and his grin grows even cockier.

"Don't get in my way."

The silence that fills the room now is more satisfying than oppressive. Joker is about to make his exit when an unexpected event stirs him.

Rias... sighs. Joker can't help but blink out of his typical smugness and frown. That isn't the reaction the Phantom Thieves usually enjoy. The teen slips his hands into his pockets casually and watches the girl.

"Ren," the redhead begins, not even the least bit mollified. "Enough is enough. Your quick grasp of Devil magic is impressive..."

Rias shoots Akeno a hard glance, to which the brunette simply smiles mischievously. There is little doubt about who might have given Joker pointers about how to use his new powers, after all. The exchange lasts only a moment before Gremory's focus returns to her newest servant.

"But we aren't going to let you hurt yourself by running away. Where would you even go? Do you plan to abandon your parents and school while you figure things out?"

Joker is sure that a certain cafe owner in Yongen-Jaya would be happy to harbor him again if the young man actually needed to lay low for a while, but it annoys him that Rias doesn't think he's thought the situation through. This is a moral stand, not a child's tantrum. Joker doesn't intend to flee, he intends to ignore Gremory's authority.

To that end, Joker ignores Gremory and turns to go.

Rias, tired of the boy's antics, gestures for Koneko to restrain him. The albino girl moves in and places a hand not on Joker, but on the door he tries to pull open. The wooden barrier becomes nigh-immovable against the small Devil's supernatural strength, and the taller male doesn't try very hard to oppose her. To struggle in a strength match against a tiny girl isn't what Joker wants right now. Grey and hazel eyes meet again, this time with a plea in the latter.

"Senpai... please don't."

Joker remembers the moment of discomfort that broke through the girl's face when Rias explained Stray Devils. Koneko might not care about Joker personally yet, but there's a history there she clearly doesn't want to relive.

"Sorry, Toujou," Ren says with a turn and a step back towards the redhead. "But it seems like Gremory-san really needs someone to tell her no once in a while."

Joker raises a hand to his mask. Just as the Phantom Thief imagines it will, the white disguise bursts into light blue flames that roar silently out from his face and around his red glove. Between his fingers Ren's eyes furrow in concentration, but he is too caught up in the moment, too absorbed in the nostalgia the situation has unearthed, to notice what is wrong. The teenager doesn't realize what energy he pulls on, he is too ecstatic by the relief he feels to have evidence that Morgana was wrong and his Personas are still a part of him. The ease with which the power flows causes the process to complete too quickly for Joker to think twice about it.

'You were right. I was chained to Hell itself.'

An explosion of blue fire, far more intense than before, erupts in a solid column around Joker's form. While there is still no heat, pure force blows everyone back several steps as they guard their faces with their arms. Furniture and decorations around the room are tossed over by gale-like winds. Most of the Devils present resist the push with minimal discomfort, though the inexperienced Hyoudou tumbles head over heels into the far wall in surprise. Akeno moves at Rias' command to stand before Issei and shield him while everyone who hasn't yet retracted their wings does so to keep from being blown away.

When the light dies down and the dust settles every Devil present opens their eyes with curiosity and caution. Each one discovers, to their surprise, that a new occupant now hovers behind their defiant colleague.

[Persona 5 OST: Will Power]

The appearance of the intruder unnerves even Rias Gremory, who dismissed all of Joker's arguments and displays as irrelevant until now.

The stranger is human-shaped but tall, taller than a man should be. The figure's grey waistcoat seems to match Joker's current clothes, though it wears a stark white cravat and has red threads across its torso. The similarities between the two end there. The creature's legs and arms are coated in bright red fabric which seem to flow into gloves and shoes without any separation, and its hands end in long, deadly-sharp black claws. An entirely too-tall top hat sits upon the intruder's head

The face of the monster is completely inhuman. Like a narrowed helmet, the entire head of the being is a dark grey slab with two long horn-shaped ornaments that stick up and forward over it's line of sight. The only thing that gives the creature a face is the the orange and red that burn within its head. A barely-contained inferno lights up the surface in the shape of a terrifying visage with slanted eyes and a demonic smile

For a good few seconds everyone in the room but Joker assumes that it is a large black cape on its back that completes the creature's outfit, but when it flaps its two great wings their black feathers become more apparent in the low light and the optical illusion is dismissed. The monster floats silently behind Joker, its entire body now still. Despite all the creature's abnormalities, its wings are like those that the Devils often see on one of their eternal foes.

"Is that... a Fallen Angel?" Himejima is the first to ask from the back of the room across from Joker. The brunette's violet eyes grow especially cold at the thought. Issei leans out from behind the young woman with fear, the memory of his two near-death experiences brought to the surface by the new presence among them.

A sword that wasn't there before is in Yuuto's hands and the second-year takes a defensive pose to Joker's left. Koneko was pushed off to Joker's right side by the earlier blast and currently stands ready with her fists up.

"Ren, what have you done?" Rias furiously demands, her hands raised before her in preparation to annihilate the intruder. When no answer comes from either of the two figures Rias takes a moment to focus back on the Reincarnated Devil before her and finds her anger stalled by the expression his face. "Ren?"

"Joker, this is incredible!" Mona yells with excitement from the floor. "How did you... Joker?"

Worry seeps into the cat's posture when he too spots his wavy-haired friend's face.

[End Track]

Joker stares straight ahead, not at Rias but completely past her. The mask has disappeared and the boy's shocked appearance is plain to see. Gone is the thief's arrogant persona, now replaced by a wide-eyed look of total incomprehension.

A heartbeat passes, then another. Eventually Joker moves his head and turns back to look at the haunting figure behind him. Almost everything is as Joker expects to see it, but the missing elements are damning. There is no soft aura of light blue to encompass the red-clad figure. No mass of spectral chains slither in and out of visibility between the pair to symbolize their link. The real problem, though, isn't what the young man can't see, but what he can't feel.

No shift in physical capability.

No intrinsic protection from or vulnerability to certain forces.

No intuitive knowledge of new skills and powers.

No mental presence at all.

"Ren, what is that?" Rias asks again, more cautiously than angrily now that the intruder has proven to be completely benign so far.

Joker wishes he could answer Gremory. The Phantom Thief wants nothing more than to introduce the Occult Research Club to Arsene, his first Persona. A flashy escape made by busting through a window, or a wall if necessary, while Arsene covers for his summoner and Morgana is exactly the kind of exit Joker lives for. Such a move would even be a great way to further test the abilities of Joker's new Devil acquaintances.

The problem is, Joker realizes as he turns the same frozen expression back towards Rias, whatever hovers behind him now isn't Arsene.

It isn't even a Persona.


Chapter End


Author's Notes

This concludes the third chapter.

I'll say again that there is a plot reason that Morgana's understanding of Personas and their potential use by non-humans (Or outside the Metaverse) is limited, but the details of that won't be revealed until later. The consequences of that limited knowledge, though, begin here with not-Arsene.

Seriously, I would never forget that Koromaru exists. He's too adorable.

Also, for anyone disappointed that the other Phantom Thieves' presence has been peripheral so far, the rest of the gang will each have their proper moment of introduction into this story in Chapter Four: Run Wild.

Sincerely,

Captain Bell