Just let me go. We both can't make it." Maruki tried telling him once more. They both can't make this, however Ren just refused to give up on this. They won't end herem

"I'm not going to get it end like this."

However just when they both were about to fall, Ren threw Maruki upwards with all of his might taking the fall for him. Maruki looked at Ren, shocked by this action. Why save him over himself? That would have been the question that may have plagued his mind for the rest of his life if he's remembered him.

In the Velvet Room, Igor and Lavenza we're patiently waiting. Knowing that the final battle between Maruki and the Trickster was at hand. And the result of the battle was drawing near. was reaching it's conclusion The final clash is done. And their guest has managed to win.

"Our Trickster has managed to prevail against this foe, thus redetermining our reason for existence." Igor told Lavenza but the tone in his voice was unsettling to her suddenly, causing her to look at him. "Though his life was the price." This managed to shock Lavenza.

"I see. Then what has happened to him is..." Lavenza asked while looking downwards.

"It has created a paradox where his existence is in limbo." Igor told her.

"Limbo?" Lavenza asked him, confused about what her Master was talking about.

"He dies in the palace of Takuto Maruki, yet by destroying the reality Maruki has created, he should be safe in prison, with none of that happening to him. A contradiction that strong should be nearly impossible to break."

"Then why does it have to be like this?" She asked him. There was no reason that they'd lose it that easily to him at all.

"He's in a state of limbo, stuck between existence and nonexistence." Igor told her. "His very being is stuck in a perpetual what if?"

"Their memories of him should be foggy. They'll know something is missing but can't tell what it is."

"So is he lost?" Lavenza asked him sadly.

"He's not lost. Since his contract is still ongoing, his soul and mind are still with us." Igor informed her. "Though what he should do beyond now is the bigger question.

"There's many options for him right now, though only one would ever let him be among humans anymore." Igor told her.

"It is something that has happened to our world before, and has happened to others as well." Igor revealed to her. "This world, isn't the only one with a velvet room." Igor told her. "You know this, correct?"

"Yes, master." Lavenza replied to him. This was one of the first things that Margaret taught her after all.

"There are many worlds." Igor told him. "There are numerous times when they've lost their lives, after succeeding, or in some cases failing against their final foes." Igor told her. "And in that time, there usually given a chance where they can start over in a new world."

"In a way, they merge their present selves with their past selves, allowing them to help create the best possible future."

"Normally they'll keep only their persona Compendium and the personal social abilities they've honed in their journey, but it should be possible for him to regain everything that he's was carrying when he was in the Metaverse."

"That is the best possible reward that we can grant him right now, a reward for the one who's journey wasn't meant to end this way."

"So tell me, are you okay with that?" Igor asked, looking forward into the cell that was once locked up. During his conversation with Lavenza, their guest has appeared, hearing some of the conversation resting to him.

"Well it's not like I'd have any problems with it." Ren told him. "Though I'm more worried about my friends."

"Do not worry." Igor told him. "They'll be fine. They will remember the lessons they've learned with you by their side and what they've learned about themselves, but your existence will be muddled in their minds. They will remember you being there, but not 'you' yourself. They won't question it either, and they'll probably spend the rest of their lives living it normally."

"Well, I guess that's good enough." Ren told him.

"Ah, but before you go there is something we must give you, who has completed his journey." Igor told him. Just then, something descended and appeared in front of him. It was an arcana. It was more powerful than anything that Ren had ever used before.

"This is the proof of your freedom, that you worked so hard to attain." Igor told him. "Many a times you were tempted to give in to the easier option, but you held onto your values, and succeeded against all odds. And for doing that, I must thank you, not just as a master of the Velvet Room, but as one who truly believes in humanity's potential,must convey my complete gratitude."

"The world grants you the strength to stand on your own, swayed by none." Lavenza told him. "While also never having to trudge a path alone again."

Ren then crushed the card, absorbing its power into him, his entire body glowing with a blue aura. He's never felt this powerful before now. But right now there was something else going on with him.

Ren then felt his body be sent away somewhere else. Somewhere besides his old world.

"My own duties end here as well. You truly were a remarkable guest."

Ren was riding the train, going to Tokyo. He's already going a month earlier.

Ren then noticed

Time itself seemed to stop, no. It did stop.

While Ren was looking around

A blue flame appeared bursting out of the ground. It then began to take a strange humanoid shape.

"I am thou….." Ren then had a vision of himself, and he was looking wild.

But just as Ren was beginning to question it, the vision ended as soon as it began.

, and before him appeared a strange figure. T

He noticed plenty of places as he searched. A recycled goods store, grocery store, a seemingly abandoned movie theater, and a quite sketchy looking doctors office that Ren found strangely welcoming. But

He finally found it, it was buried in a back alley across from a bathhouse. Taking a nervous gulp as he was about to meet his caretaker for the next year, he decided to head in. Upon his entrance he looked around and was surprised. There wasn't a single patron in sight. The only other person inside was an older man with a pink shirt and a gruff looking exterior. He appeared to be working on a crossword.

"Hmmm. A word for someone who's been ,

"Um, excuse me. Are you Sakura-san?" Ren asked him it. Though right now he's feeling a strange sense of deja Vu right now..

The man quickly glanced up from his paper.

"...Oh, right. They did say that was today. I take it you're Ren Amamiya right?"

"Yes." Ren responded to him. Seems likes it was going well enough. But there was something else that he's needed to find outm on

"Well, I'm Sojiro Sakura. You'll be in my custody over the next year. I was wondering what kind of unruly kid would show up. But you're the one, huh?"

Ren remained silent. He really didn't want to dignify that comment.

"Have you been told? A customer and your parents know each other, and- Well, not that that matters. But it was a shock when they asked me to take you in a month earlier than I was supposed to. I got paid extra for it so I guess it worked out. Follow me."

Sojiro had led Ren upstairs to the café attic. It was filled with old furniture and junk and it was covered from head to toe with spider webs. It was also pretty dusty.

"This is your room." Sojiro announced to him.

"Pretty big." Ren said to him. it was bigger than what Ren was previously expecting it to be.

But there was something else that he felt needed to be said.

"I'll be leaving after I lock up each day. You'll be alone at night, but don't do anything stupid. I'll throw you out if you cause any trouble."

"I understand." Ren told him easily.

"It's only natural to take responsibility for your own actions." Ren told him while looking around the attic. *t was pretty dusty.

Dustier than it looked. However there was something strange in it that he's felt had to be said.

Ren didn't exactly feel like a welcome presence. But it is about what he was expecting.

Sojiro spoke up, "Now then. I got the gist of your situation. You protected some woman from a man forcing himself on her, he got injured, then sued you, right?"

"That's about it yeah." Ren responded.

"That's what you get for sticking your nose in a matter between two adults. You did injure him, yeah?"

"Does it matter?" Ren asked him, somewhat bitterly.

"Well, I suppose it doesn't." Sojiro said to him.

Ren Amamiya wasn't sure what went wrong, but now the was .

Ren then woke up to see that he's was now in a prison cell. He's also in prison clothes. but didn't understand why?

When he turned around he's saw a pair of twins walk in front of the cell. They both had blonde hair that bordered on being white, and yellow eyes with one hidden behind an eyepatch on opposing exeys.

They were dressed as wardens, and we're strangely enough adorable,

There was an old man with bulging eyes and a long nose.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room, Trickster." The man with the long nose said to him in an affable tone of voice. It was like the

"Do not be alarmed. I have merely summoned you from within your dreams." Igor told him, "In reality you are fast asleep in the real world."

right now."

"My name is Igor, and I am the master of the Velvet Room." Igor said to Ren. "This place exists between mind and matter, dream, and reality. It is only a room that those with a contract can enter. And in the near future you will be one with such a thing."

"Let me out." Ren told him bluntly, grasping at his cell bars.

"I'm sorry. But that I cannot do." Igor told him in an apologetic tone. "The state of this room reflects the state of your own heart. And for a prison such as this to manifest..." Igor said while looking around the room.

"You truly are such an unfortunate prisoner of fate." Igor told him. "There is a way to obtain your freedom however."

freedom

"There is only one chance." Igor told him.

"You must be rehabilitated, rehabilitated towards it. That is the only means you have to obtain your freedom. Tell me, are you ready to face this world's distortion and all of this world's evil?" Igor asked Ren. Normally Ren would probably have been daunted by such a task, but for some reason, he's completely fine. As if he's already experienced something like this. It was a strange feeling. Was this Deja Vu?"

"Yes." Ren told him.

"Splendid. Allow me to observe the path of your journey."

"The coming year is a turning point in your destiny. If your freedom isn't regained, your very future may be forever lost."

"Splendid. Allow me to observe the path of your journey." Igor said to him. Just then the twins turned around and stepped in front of his cell.

"Ah, pardon me for not introducing my assistants to you." Igor apologized to him. "To your right is Caroline, and to your left, Justine. They'll serve as your wardens during your time here." Igor explained to him.

"Hmph. Try and struggle as hard as you like!" Caroline told him, very haughtily he might add.

"The duty of wardens is to protect inmates. We are also your collaborators." Justine told him."...That is if you remain obedient."

"I will explain their roles at a later time. It seems that our time together is ending."

"So hurry up and get back to sleep!!"

When Ren woke up he's was still in the bed he was in when he went to sleep. What was that dream?

"Fine." Ren told him simply. "

"

'This place is weird?'.

Ren somehow ended up in an entirely different location from the one Leblanc was in.

mm

He saw two girls that looked familiar to him. Then one if them started to run away, ignoring the calls from the other one.

Ren then started to run after them, not sure why he's doing it himself. But then Ren saw a scene that made him realize why he's doing this. The ongoing traffic and the front girl not paying any attention to it.

One girl was in the street about to get hit by a car. pushed the

But just before she could push her sister out of the way.

Ren then pushed both of them out of the way with a dive. They were safe, but Ren on the other hand, wasn't in the clear just yet, because the target that the car got was instead his leg. which send him flying along with it.

His body was sent flying with him lying flat on the ground.

After a while the Ambulance came and took the three away. Sumire and Kasumi didn't have to go with the frizzy haired boy to the hospital. But it was because of him that Kasumi and Sumire was uninjured and more importantly not dead. The two girls owe that young man, who didn't need to go out of his way to save them, but he did and now he's gotten hurt from doing so.

The two girls after a while were able to get into the hospital room where the young boy was laying down in the bed. They sat there and waited for someone to tell them about what's going on with him. A doctor came into the room soon after. "Hello there, Kasumi Yoshizawa and Sumire Yoshizawa. Before I tell you anything about this young man, can you tell me your relation to this boy?" The doctor said as he looked at the two young girls.

"U-Um..." Sumire couldn't think of anything to say. She didn't know this boy or have any relation to him. She wanted to give him endless thanks for saving her sister from her mistake. Kasumi didn't have an excuse either but she was determined to know who this young man was. She owed her life to him, Kasumi's determination was present on her face.

"Truth be told doctor, we don't know this youngman.. But I owe him my life. He saved me from a truck that was about to run me over. I cant just sit ny and not be worried about him."

. I can't just sit by and not thank this brave young man." Kasumi said as she looked at the young man sitting in the hospital bed.

Sumire saw Kasumi's passion and decided to follow her lead. "I-I agree! I owe him everything because if it wasn't for him, Kasumi wouldn't be here right now.. I have to thank him as well.." Sumire said as she looked up at the doctor as well.

"I see.. Well then. I think I can tell you." The doctor got a clipboard and the X-ray scans. "There's nothing major wrong with him. A lot of bruises and scratches. Though there is a minor fracture in his arm, he's still quite alright."

They then sighed in relief at this fact.

"His leg might take a bit longer though. It'll probably take around a month to heal completely enough that he's capable of walking."

"A-A month isn't too bad I guess.. D-Do you happen to know his name? Doesn't he have any relatives here?" Sumire asked with a shy tone. She felt bad that none of his family members came to see how he was.

"The young man's name is Ren Amamiya. And sadly no, none of his family members have responded to any of our calls." Ren wasn't sure what was happening right now. He's certain.

You two are the only one's who have bothered to make sure he's alright." The doctor said as the young man known as Ren soon began to stir in his sleep. "Oh I think he's waking up now. I will leave him to you two. I'm sure you'd like to talk to him." The doctor said as Ren began waking up.

"Hggnn... Ooohh... My head is killing me..." Ren said as he's slowly opened his eyes. When Ren woke up he saw two girl looking at him, they had different hair colors, but we're probably twins.

"So, are you two alright?" Ren asked them pretty casually. Way too casual than they'd thought possible for a situation like this.

"I feel like we should be asking you that." Kasumi said to him.

"Maybe, but I'd lose face as a man if I don't ask the girl who was nearly hit by a car that." Ren told her.

"So, do you mind if I ask why?" Kasumi asked him.

"You were in trouble, so I helped you." Ren told her. "Do I need another reason?"

Kasumi shook her head before asking him another question.

"So, how are you feeling?"

"Pretty alright." Ren told her. "

"Uh... Sorry about your leg!!" Sumire told him while bowing deeply.

"It's fine." Ren told her casually. "Between a leg and a life, you'll understand what is more important."

"They said it would probably heal enough in a month." Kasumi told him.

"I'll be attending Shujin in a month, so I'll guess I'll be fine." Ren said to them.

"Eh? Shujin?' Kasumire repeated after him, a little.

"Yeah. Why do you ask?"

"We'll be starting Shujin there as first years." Kasumi told him.

"Really? Guess I'll be your senpai then." Ren told them. "Hope we'll have a good relationship while we're there." Ren said to them, not wanting to bring up his record. Though it'll probably be fine. Not like they'll learn it anyway.

"Yes...senpai."

"I'm also quite the country mouse myself." Ren said to them. "So I'd appreciate it if you can help me around the big city."

"Alright then, Ren-senpai." Kasumi told him with a smile on her face. Sumire looked on with a nervous smile on her own at him.

Just then Ren felt as if time had simply stopped before hearing a voice in his head.

I am thou, thou art I...

Thou hast acquired a new vow

It shall become the wings of rebellion

that breaketh thy chains of captivity.

With the birth of the Charity Persona

I have obtained the winds of blessing that

shall lead to freedom and new power...

Rank 1

I am thou, thou art I...

Thou hast acquired a new vow.

It shall become the wings of rebellion

that breaketh thy chains of captivity.

With the birth of the Faith Persona

I have obtained the winds of blessing that

shall lead to freedom and new power...

Rank 1

Time then seemed to have started back up again. 'What was that?'

"Well, I'll talk to you two later." Ren told them. "I should probably get some rest." Ren told them.