Hi! So I'm back with another update! Following the original storyline with a little twist of my own, of course! :D

Thank you, Breaking-Benjamin-rules! Lol yeah missing a part will really confuse you sometimes huh. Anyways, sorry in advance, but the fight will be short because I suck at fights lmao XD

But epicness will come after, I promise!

Here we go, then!

Revolution

"Shido's getting pretty angsty."

Goro says as soon as he sees Ren coming down from the attic, while Mochizuki simply gives him a small nod as he reads what Ren reckons to be the thirteenth book, so far. The boy's reading speed is scary as all hell, seriously.

"What happened?" Ren asks, sitting down on the stool next to Goro, who gives him his phone. There is a screenshot from Futaba's lengthy video of the Calling Card being dropped all around Japan, and the reactions from the people and the internet are priceless. But what really strikes him is the next screenshot, possibly from a security camera. "…Where is that?"

"The office, of course. They're beginning to panic and starting to gather," Goro says, pulling back his phone and changing it to another screen. This time, it's more or less another one of Futaba's inside information. It's secret orders from Shido, directed towards what the paper called The Splinter Cell, and then the others such as the IT company and the Cleaner, as well. How Futaba got her fingers on that, Ren'll never know.

"Means he's primed for a strike today, just like we've planned," Ren hums, glancing towards Mochizuki, who's sipping a cup of coffee leisurely. "You ready, Mochizuki?"

"Yes," The boy says. "Akechi-san has already shown me the leaked information. It seems like I might get to know more about Makoto's whereabout – or at least about his captors – by the end of today."

"You will," Ren says. "What about you, Goro?"

"I can't wait to beat the crap right out of his sorry hide and then flay him alive," He snarls, but then sets himself straight and composes his facial expression almost instantly. "…But I know that is not the way I should do it, not anymore. So… I'll leave the aftermath to you. Just make sure to let me get a punch – or ten – in."

"Will do," Ren laughs lightly, his finger drawing absent lines on his knee to put away the forming crawl on his skin. "And how's it been? For you two to live with me here, that is."

"It's quite alright," Mochizuki says. "I don't require that much sleep to begin with, anyway. And Sakura-san is very kind, allowing me to spend most of my days downstairs just so."

"I'm fine," Goro murmurs. "Could've been better, I suppose, but I know you did your best."

Ren pats the detective's shoulder lightly with a small laughter. "Sorry about that. Anyways, I… admittedly am a bit nervous, about all of this. You too, huh, Goro?"

"Mhm," The detective hums. "Though not as much as you, Ren. Your jitters are showing."

He sighs. "Yeah, they are, huh."

Fortunately, both of them decide to keep to themselves, letting Ren finds solace in the silence and in their companies. The date is today, and he's just waiting for the others to get ready. Once in, he's not going to back down until Shido's face is planted into the floor. He also has a personal score to settle, since his little accusation makes it impossible for Ren to return home (house, rather. His home is right here, with the Thieves), not that his parents would want him to.

He sighs, rubbing the bridge of his nose lightly. There is also Mochizuki's friend, Yuuki Makoto. He isn't sure what to make of their situations – it certainly is strange, for them both to be put into some kind of temporary daze (and that is his wild guess, too) only to come to their senses in enemy territory. Shido's involvements with Isshiki Wakaba's researches and the abuses of the Metaverse second the idea that, indeed, he might've been the one to facilitate Yuuki's captivity.

But something feels wrong. It's not like Mochizuki is lying about something important, but like the boy has said before, he's lying by omission about some details that would make gathering information easier, if Ren knows. But then again, if he said that there are little room for errors, Ren knowing as little as he is now might've been for the best.

He looks up at Mochizuki, who's seemingly engrossed with his book – it's the book Futaba had lent him a few months back, computer sciences, he thinks – his eyes as amused as they are intrigued by the content. When he catches Ren's gaze, the boy only smiles, but doesn't do anything before turning his attention back towards the papers.

Ren sighs and flops his head onto the counter, groaning into himself. He really is starting to think in circles now. Any more than this, and he'll probably get a headache.

"Overthinking things?" Goro muses. When Ren grunts, the boy chuckles. "This is not like you at all, Ren. What? Worried about Mochizuki-san over there?"

"A bit, yeah," He says in a low voice, soft enough to probably escape Death's hearing range. "But if he thinks Shido will have his answers, then I guess that's what we'll believe… unless proven otherwise."

"Even if we don't believe so, it's our only option," Goro hums, taking a sip of the coffee in front of him. After he licks his lips clean of the liquid, he continues, a hand subtly patting Ren's knee. "But that's what you do best, right? Believing, I mean."

"…I dunno, probably," He shrugs. "At least he's on our side. I dread even thinking about facing him as a foe."

"As much as I hate to admit, yes, fighting Mochizuki-san might spell an instant death for you."

He grumbles. "Can't you at least sugar coat it for me?"

"Never."

He huffs out a laughter, his anxiety somewhat calming down.

No point thinking about the far future. Now is his main focus.

Even without turning into Thanatos, Mochizuki – goddamnit, gotta call him Thanatos in here! – is quite a capable fighter, punching and tearing through things with his human hands like they were made of butter and not steel.

"Remind me not to cross you, man," Skull says as he shivers from head to toe. Ren glances back to see the trail of destructions the boy alone has left, tendrils of darkness dancing softly around his fingers.

"You guys can never make me mad," He laughs lightly, carefree, even, as he ducks and lets Noir slams her axe into a Shadow. "The only people I'll be angry at are the rotten and the vile. You lot could never, in a million years, fit into that description."

"…What about me?" Crow says, a bit pensive.

"You're just brought up in unfortunate environment, but your heart is alright," Thanatos says with a wave of his hand and a bright, warm smile – a smile that is a stark contrast to the deaths he's leaving on his trail. "Admittedly, your upbringings are a little worse than Makoto's. That is why I understand and sympathize with your actions, as… uncalled for as they may be."

"…Thank you, I guess, not that I deserve any of that," Crow mumbles before sighing into his suit. And when they reach something that resembles an auditorium of a parliament, Crow says. "…Here we are."

The red carpet, the high ceiling, the circular hall – this place looks as much like a parliament as it could've been, with replicas of humans scattering along the rows of seats. They spot a single, hairless bastard on the podium, and Ren could feel Crow and Thanatos' eyes boring into the back of his head. He gives them a hand, stopping them, as they all walk closer.

Shadow Shido is as much of an asshole as the real one, but even more sinister and upfront with his ideals and goals. Ren snarls while the man makes a speech, and he has to use every little bit of control in his being to stop himself from stabbing this man's eyeball out of his skull.

"This country needs a steady hand to guide them. The masses cannot think for themselves; you should know this! I'm merely sacrificing those people for the greater good, you see. Necessary, for the progress of this esteemed nation. And this nation has no needs for thieves like yourselves."

Before he or his friends could retort, Thanatos' calm, cold voice cuts through, his smile still as pleasant, but the stillness and the lack of life in his tone makes Ren shivers. "Sacrifice for the greater good, you say? My friend had done the same thing… but he did not sacrifice others – he put himself in harm's way to achieve his goals. The means matter as much as the ends, and someone like you, who'd sacrifice anything but yourself, is nothing more than a hypocrite, who needs to be shackled and silenced."

Ren flinches, and he sees Crow sharing his sentiment, as he seems to withdraw a little at that.

It seems, from just that piece of dialogue alone, that Yuuki must've relinquish something important, if it spurs Thanatos to say something like that so coldly that Ren could feel it bites into the core of his bones. He then turns to Shido, who seems to have been struck silenced by that, as well. The man then tries to act brave as he sneers. "What would a brat like you know about sacrifice? And who are you, to question me?"

"I am something you should fear," Thanatos says, and then he erupts and turns into Death, the black cloak and the hollow mask and the sarcophagi emitting foul aura that makes the air unbreathable. When Shido gapes, Ren hears Thanatos laughs. "I will not kill you, but I cannot promise the experience to be painless. You know nothing of sacrifice, Shido Masayoshi… let me teach you that with my own two hands."

"Clam down a little, Than!" Ren says, shortening his name mostly due to his nervousness, fingers raking across his chest through his cloth to calm himself down, as well. He sees Crow crackling his knuckles, so he falls back and pats the detective's back lightly. "You and him take point. The rest of you, keep watch – I'll provide support."

Before they could do anything, however, Shido bellows. "Silence! I will be the one to guide the foolish mass, and you shall not stop me!"

The area then shifts and changes, circular steps encircling and cutting their accesses to the top. Ren growls before he orders the Thieves to climb up. Fortunately, the contraptions are slow, and before long they're at the top, the parliament now turn into large arena with nothing and nowhere to hide. Ren clicks his tongue, but before he could say anything, both Thanatos and Crow have already stepped forward.

"Let us take care of this, Joker," Crow says, and Thanatos hums in agreement as he draws the jagged blade from its sheathe. "I'll make sure not to kill him. Promise."

"As do I," Thanatos seconds. "Let us handle this."

Ren is reluctant, if he's to be honest, as Shido's Shadows call forth the masses that form themselves into a prideful lion, and Shido sits atop of it, much like a tyrant who builds his empire on the blood and sweat of his people would. But when he sees Crow's almost pleading expression, he could do nothing but to give in with a small nod (he thinks Crow really has him wrapped around his fingers, but that's something to muse another time) before murmuring. "I've got your back. Go."

"Much obliged," Crow says. Ren nods at the others, who seems less content, but still allow the two of them free reign of this fight.

"We'll butt in if you guys eff up, though," Skull says. "Kick his ass, you two!"

There's a single second of stillness, before the two of them let loose their inner frustrations onto the unfortunate man.

He knows Crow can be sadistic, at times (albeit a bit less than Noir), and fierce. But he hasn't accounted just how much his hatred for Shido would change his battle style, and only realize the depth of his anger when Loki lets out multiple Megidolaons, all at once, sweeping the politician under the bright light and the unforgiving blast.

And Thanatos – he's seen him fight in the Mementos, true, but that was without his anger fueling his movements. But now that Thanatos is rightfully and wholly furious, the degree of destruction he's bringing out far outweighs anything Crow could've conjured. Ren reckons that Beelzebub's powers might rival Thanatos' prowess now… and he shudders to think what would happen if his power returns in full.

Ren decides not to chip in. Shido would die if he does.

It takes mere minutes for Shido to fall, human-like once again, and battered.

Crow is heaving, all his anger finally seeping away, his revenge fulfilled. Thanatos looks satisfied with the results as he reverts back to his human form, a hand on his chest like he always does, and a cold smile (that Ren still couldn't get used to) on his lips. His sapphire blue eyes then turn to Ren, and he nods his head in Shido's direction, beckoning Ren forward.

The others slowly make their ways towards Shido, each having their own bones to pick with the man, and a righteous fury burning in their hearts. But before they do their usual routine of coercing the Shadow to finally repents, there is a question that needs an answer. Ren gestures to Thanatos and says, "Ask your questions right away, Than. He won't be able to lie now."

"Thank you," The boy (Death) nods slightly before grabbing Shido by the scruff of his neck and pulls him up until his knees leave the floor. With surprising strength, he holds the politician in place, and he slowly utters each and every syllable with care. "Where is Yuuki Makoto?"

"Who?" Is what the man says as a reflex. Ren could feel his bloodlust seeping through his shaking hands, and Crow puts a hand on the boy's shoulder to shake him out of his anger. But that display is enough to stir something in Shido as the man says. "…You mean, that boy I saw under those researchers' custody? With unkempt dark blue hair and a bang parted to the right?"

"And steel gray eyes, and scars on his right hand and across his entire body, yes," Thanatos adds, his voice dripping with venom. "So, you've seen him. Where did you take him?"

"I don't know—I-I'm honest!" Shido says, and quickly adds when Thanatos lifts up his other hand. "I'm being serious here! They're a splinter cell of researchers from a certain company, a branch I have only a degree of direct control over! I was there because the head researcher asked me to, to see his new guinea pigs!"

There is a deafening silence, where even breathing is taboo. Ren chances a glance at Thanatos, whose eyes darken, stone cold murderous intent brewing deep inside his usually kind pools of sapphire. Ren has to step in and murmurs hurriedly, "You can't kill him, or he'll die in the real world, and our goal will—"

"I know, Joker," He says sternly. Then, louder, he asks. "What do you mean, guinea pigs?"

Shido looks a little lost, and even afraid, at that. He stumbles on his own words before he manages to calm himself down enough to speak properly. "I-I don't know. He said there were two of them, then one just disappeared. He said it's unforeseen, but he said something about the Wild Card being an ideal test subject for his new drugs and interrogation techniques and cognitive psience researches, so I gave him a green light."

Ren could feel his own anger boiling in the pit of his stomach. To speak of test subjects and tortures against someone Ren assumes to be his age, at best, is making him sees red. He quickly squeezes Thanatos' arm, and he turns to see Thanatos' curled fist stopping mere inches from Shido's pale face. Quickly, he pulls Thanatos away, leaving Crow and the others to coerce Shido into confessing.

He puts both his hands on Thanatos' arms as he looks away, his initial anger now replaced with worry and fear, for his friend. When Ren shakes his arms lightly, he looks up, lips pressed into a thin line. "Joker… he is alive. Distressed. In pain. We—we have to—"

"I understand," He says, voice low. "We'll look that up as soon as we can. Just – I don't know if you could, but, breathe. We'll get him back. I promise."

Thanatos looks up at him and inhales deeply once. He then nods. "…Yeah. Yeah. They won't kill him, because if they're aware that he's a Wild Card… then he'll be invaluable. He still has time, but—"

"The sooner we find him, the better, I know," Ren adds, glancing back to see Skull and Crow giving him a short nod, signaling that they are done. "…Let's go take the treasure and bring him down for good. We'll find your friend, I promise."

We'll find your loved one, Ren corrects mentally, as he orders the others to finish the heist.

It seems, even after taking Shido down, the clock is still ticking, and their time is running short.

After a close escape attempt (where Ryuji almost died… somehow), they all return to Leblanc.

Mochizuki immediately seats himself into the wall, his hands clasped together, his brows furrowed. None of the Thieves say anything, and after a brief discussion, he lets the others go, leaving Leblanc with just those who reside in them.

Once the others are gone (and with Morgana just conveniently leaves with Futaba), he sits down beside Death, while Goro takes the seat opposite from him. He gives Boss a brief smile before he places a careful hand on Mochizuki's shoulder. Once he gets the boy's attention, he murmurs. "…If there's anything I can do, just say so. I'm here for you."

The boy sighs and shakes his head. "…It's alright. At least—at least we can be sure they won't kill Makoto, because he's an… invaluable guinea pig," Mochizuki grits out that word like it's poison, and he seems to force himself to breathe before continuing lowly. "But—even with our connection twisted like this, I can still feel his distress, if I focus hard enough. He's in pain, Amamiya. Every single time I checked after we left the Palace – he's always in pain."

He doesn't know what he should say, if at all, so he just gives the boy a sympathetic look as he squeezes his shoulder lightly. After literal minutes of nothing but bated breaths and tensions, Ren murmurs. "…I'm sorry, Mochizuki. I… I wish I'd be able to help more."

"You're doing all that you can," He whispers, tired and defeated, as he rests his head on his joint hands, heaving out a long-suffering sigh. "…I can do nothing but wait for information. Hopefully, Futaba-san will be able to dig up one. And… even so, I'll help see your journey through to the very end."

"You don't have to, if—"

"—Makoto wouldn't have wanted me to abandon a friend in need," Mochizuki cuts him off with a small, rueful smile. "It's the least I can do for you, Amamiya. So… let me. If not for that, I'm afraid… I wouldn't have anything else I could do."

Ren just nods at that, accepting his offer, with no way to refuse. So instead, he opts for promising this; "If you are sure. And I promise, I'll do my best to find him, Mochizuki. This time, Shido's gone too far."

"I agree," Goro says. "I… have heard a thing or two about this splinter cell, so I'll help look around, too. I might be able to find something."

"…Thank you, all of you… truly…" Mochizuki half-sobs into his hand as he bows his head. "Thank you."

"It's no problem," Ren says, patting the man's shoulder lightly, in reassurance. "We'll find him. I promise."

After a moment, he hears Arsene calls from the back of his mind, his voice not the same cheerful, arrogant tone he once knows. Trickster, make haste. But be careful, do not let the Twins or Igor catch wind of this. Not until everything is revealed.

Revealed? What does that even mean? He asks with his thoughts as he gets up to make coffee, maybe to distract Death, or to keep himself occupied. He isn't quite sure.

You will see, in due time, is all the answer he gets as Arsene retreats back into the void once more. Ren could only sigh at Arsene' cryptic nature, but he thinks wallowing over it now would do him no good. So he simply shoves the feeling of restlessness and impending doom away.

He looks up at his two friends, one drowning in guilt that shouldn't be there, the other deep in thoughts as he thinks of a way to gain more information. Ren couldn't have asked Goro for more – the man, while having wronged the Thieves, are already doing the best he could to atone. Lack of Shido's support and his disappearance from Shido's circle must've hurt his situation more than Goro's letting on, and Ren wants nothing more than to reassure his greatest rival that he's doing fine as he is now.

With a heavy heart, he decides to help keep the two of them calm, as much as he could. With swift, practiced motions, he starts brewing three cups of pure black coffee, silently working his ways through preparing the beans and making the beverage with care.

After minutes of heavy silence, Mochizuki speaks up first, his eyes remaining on the table. "…Amamiya, I… I think I'll take it up. The offer."

"What offer?" Ren asks, genuinely curious, as he wipes the steam off his glasses.

"The school. Shujin," He murmurs, looking up slightly with a small smile. "Seems like as good a time as any, I suppose, and… if – when we find Makoto, he would've loved to finish high school, too."

The way he words that is a bit strange, and Goro seems to think the same, his eyebrows shooting up just minutely. But Ren decides to smile, trusting Mochizuki enough that he'll tell them more when he's ready. Whatever he and this Yuuki have gone through, and are going through still, is something he knows by his heart that it's not what he should ever pry.

"Glad to hear it. I'll go back to school once Shido's confessed, because then I won't have to fear polices knocking at the door anymore," He says with a chuckle. "I kinda miss school, to be honest. My friends – my family – are there, not to mention that messing around is kind of fun."

That drags out a laughter out of Death. "On that, I can agree."

"What about you, Goro?" He asks, pouring the pure black into each cup, the steam rising slowly and dissipating into the air. "School?"

"I'll go back roughly at the same time as you," He murmurs. "…Yes, that is probably for the best. If I go now, even if Shido's heart has already changed… it's still a bit too dangerous for me."

"I see," He hums before setting the cups in front of the two, then sits down himself. "I hope this will help you a little. Just… both of you, if I can help with anything at all, do say the word, m'kay?"

"Thank you," Mochizuki hums with a small smile.

Goro nods, but Ren detects a subtle quirk of his lips before he lifts the cup up.

They'll be fine, he thinks.

December 24th, 2016 [Saturday]

After the election comes the uproar.

Ren knows Shido confessing is a good thing, but… he feels like the air is unusually hostile towards all of the Thieves, even though it should've been returned to normal by now, and it sometimes makes his skin crawls with unease. Mochizuki doesn't say anything more regarding the Palace's heist, but he mentions in passing his worries, stating that something feels off. Ren is inclined to agree, but he knows not what exactly that has gone wrong.

And he's surprised, to put it lightly, that despite his love for Yuuki, he actually loves putting up the act of a flirt and a charming prince. Arsene is laughing his ass off, Ren could feel it, with how much Death's actions contrast his true feelings. His love is no joke, he could tell that just from a glance. But then again, he thinks this is just the way Mochizuki is in front of people he doesn't know. Putting up a farce like this is a good way to throw people's suspicions out the window.

But then Ren's reminded that exams are coming, and he could only sigh as they set up a study group back at Leblanc just mere hours after their celebrations.

But soon, that becomes nothing more than a trivial concern, once Christmas Eve rolls around.

Suddenly, it is as if the confession hasn't happened – nothing makes it into the news. Nothing at all, not down in the grapevines, either. The news only say that Shido won by a landslide, but not what he had said during the conference itself. And not even a mention of the Thieves; everything's just… weird. And when Ann brought up the fact that the mass treats the Thieves as if they never exist, it just gets much, much worst.

And before he knows it, they're already inside the Mementos yet again, this time to find the root cause of everything and get rid of it for good.

As soon as they step in, Thanatos visibly flinches, his eyes narrowed. When Ren turns to him, Death speaks up, loud enough for them to hear. "…Yes, the causes of the mass' distorted thoughts are within this place. I can feel it in my bones."

"Then we're on the right track," Ren says, more to himself than anything. He looks at Crow, who nods once, before turning his attention towards the expanding sprawl. "I really don't like the feeling of this."

"Neither do I," Thanatos says, crossing his arms. "After you, Joker."

Without further delay, they descend down the coils of veins and tracks and darkness, all of which becoming thicker and viler as they progress. Ren thinks he remembers quite well the state of the Mementos he last seen, and he could say with absolute confidence that this was not how it looked like before.

And then, when they reach the very bottom, seeing the Shadows of those they've changed hearts, of the people wishing to be controlled, they're faced with the People's prison cells, and in the middle of it all is the Palace's treasure—

"Get ready!" Thanatos commands before he could, his form melting into that of Death, blade ready in his grip. "That thing is—"

Before he could finish, a cold, calculating voice cut him off. And when Ren looks up, he sees that the thing is the origin of that voice. "…Hmph. You indeed are an unseen factor to my game. What are you, to be able to withstand humanity's desires, despite not being one of the Thieves?"

At this, Thanatos laughs, the rough edges of the hollow-eyed mask splitting apart, the crows of laughter filling the sky-high cells. Then, as if changing his personality altogether, he points the blade at the thing, then hisses lowly. "You have nothing on me, whatever you are. I am Death itself, and I bow to no one."

"The damn Treasure's talking," Ren hisses, a hand on his mask, Arsene ready at his beck and call. His finger twitches over a faint scar as he asks Death. "Than, what is that thing?"

"Not a Shadow, that's for certain," He says lowly. "I don't know, but I do have an idea. And whichever theories is correct makes little difference in what we have to do, Joker."

"…That's true."

As if hearing their banters, the thing speaks up, much like a condescending god would to a child. "I am revered as the granter of dreams, for all who behold me… A being commonly known as the Holy Grail. And this Prison of Regression is representative of the collective desires of humanity. They wish to be chained down, surrender their cognition, and neglect the world around them. And these feebleminded commonfolk will make your social reform all for naught."

"As much as it pained me to say… this has happened before, in a different form, in a different time," Thanatos speaks up, stance relaxing ever so slightly, acceptance and defiance mixing equally in his tone. Ren turns to see those hollow eyes bearing an emotion he reckons to be understanding. When Ren just gives him a wide-eyed look, Thanatos laughs mirthlessly. "Humanity can be… weak-willed, at times. But they have potential."

"…I see, so you are…" The Grail echoes through the high prison, recognition in its deep voice. Then, it continues, "Then you understand. Yet, here you are, against I, the Wish-Granter. You should know better than anyone, that the masses cannot be changed – it had happened so before, and it will happen again."

"True," Thanatos says. Then he swiftly lifts his blade and points it at the Grail. "But I've seen, and have learnt, of mankind's potential. To let the masses fall down to the pits of darkness is not something I can allow to come to pass, Wish-Granter."

The Grail laughs, the sound reverberating into Ren's very being. He looks up as the red-hued light shines and shimmers all around it like blazing halo. "The shared heart of the masses has fallen into an excess of indolence and transformed into a prison already, Death. Can you hear their voices? The potential that you have claimed to see is naught but fantasies, now."

As if responding to the command, the voices of the masses ring into his head, worshipping the thing. Ren snarls. "I will not allow this. I understand the masses wishing for it, but not all of them want to be shepherded like sheep! No matter how painful or how thorny the roads are, we humans will forge a path forward on our own!"

"My sentiment exactly, Joker," Crow grits out, a maddened grin on his face.

"That's right! We ain't gonna let some oversized cup dictate our lives!" Skull crows, and the others follow suit.

He then turns to Thanatos, whose visage holds something akin to nostalgia, as if seeing something oddly familiar. He isn't given the time to muse on it when Thanatos speaks up. "See? That's why I've always believed in mankind's potential to grow."

"Let's do this, guys!" Ren shouts.

"It matters not who or what you are. I am born of their wishes, and I exist to grant them. Humanity's distortion is mine to actualize, and granting them those wishes is my duty, fools."

Before they could do anything, the Grail emits rays of blinding lights, and everything is gone.

They are fooled.

Expelled from Mementos, only for it to merge with the real world. And with the masses' cognition of their nonexistence, they are all banished into the void.

He couldn't see where Mochizuki ends up, but he didn't see the man disappearing before his eyes like the others. Maybe, because he isn't exactly a part of the Thieves, or because he is Death, that he is spared from this fate?

Ren blinks – how could he still blink? – to find himself in the damn prison yet again, his hands and feet chained together like a prisoner to the Fate that he is. And when he sits up, the Wardens are looking at him, burning golden eyes boring into his soul, while Igor says with disappointment. "In the end, it seems that your rehabilitation was not carried through. It appears that I have overestimated you, Trickster."

Ren groans, a hand on his head, nails digging past the healed scar on his temple. Everything's spinning, his mind heavy, his fingertips cold like ice. He – he isn't dead, yet, but it seems he's walking the fine line. When he growls, the Wardens reprimand him, calling him a fool and an incompetent prisoner, while Igor simply chuckles.

"Humanity are more apathetic and more foolish than I had thought them to be. The world will soon see its ruins. You have lost, Trickster. Changing mankind's heart is beyond you, and the cost of losing the game is death. Your life, Trickster… is forfeit."

"…What!?"

Igor grins. "I sentence you to death, Trickster. God's decree is absolute."

He looks down at the Wardens, who seem conflicted. But then, Caroline says quietly. "…If that is our master's wishes."

"You've got to be kidding me!" He growls, fists hitting the steel bar, ignoring the blooming pain in his knuckles as he does. "I will not give up this easily! This is not what people truly wish for! They have the potential to change, Igor!"

"Silence!" Caroline bellows, less fierce and more reluctant than he's ever heard her. "Don't – don't be such a sour loser and accept your fate!"

"I don't believe in fate that's set in stones," He snarls. Justine is looking at him, her eyes unreadable. But she seems to be having an inkling of hope for him. "This path, I will carve on my own!"

"Your fate is already sealed, Trickster," Igor muses. "Carry out his sentence at once."

There are unspoken doubts in the air as he's dragged onto the floor, and set before the gallow, its blade raised up into the sky. But he can't fall here – he refuses to fall here. Fate is his to shape and to make, and to rebel is his nature.

He will not accept this fate such as it is!

I heard you loud and clear, Trickster! Arsene laughs as fire of rebellion covers his body once more. When he looks up again, he could see the laughing visage before him. You are not giving up. I've heard your resolve, and now, let me guide you! I am Arsene, but my true name is this—!

"Raoul!"

The flame erupts, and once more, he's covered in his Thief's garb, his mask already shattered and turned into his rebellious spirit's true form. Steel mask, metallic wings spread wide, smokes erupting from its ever-grinning mouth, and a posture of a true insurgent. When Ren stands up fully, Raoul speaks, with flairs befitting the title of the King of Thieves.

"I am Raoul, the King of Thieves, the Spirit of Freedom! One's path is none but one's own to shape and mold! None of you – no gods, nor kings – shall rob the people of their free will! I am the wings of rebellion! Now come, Trickster! Show them who you really are, and walk forward without falter, with your heart as your guide!"

His path is his to make, and he will not allow some god to choose it for him.

He lets himself bares his teeth into a savage grin, mimicking Raoul's own.

"It's Showtime!"

There! See you next time, sorry for the cliff lol!