(A/N)
Hello and welcome to my new story, Of Knights & Thieves.
This is my first time writing a Black Clover and Pesona story. I've been wanting to write ever since I've caught up with Black Clover and since I've beaten Persona 5 Royal. The idea of a Black Clover story came when I first got into it, so you can thank the people who kept asking me to watch it. And the idea of a Persona story came from when I first got into Persona 5, which was when Joker got announced to be in Smash Ultimate.
A few things before we get started:
This won't be like the other stories as I want to do something new. Apologies if it seems off for you guys.
This takes place around the beginning of Black Clover and after Persona 5 Royal, so there will be massive spoilers ahead for Persona 5 Royal.
I thought of some pairings, but I want to know if you guys have any pairing suggestions for this crossover.
There are a few more rules I have for this story, but I'll reveal them during the progression of this story.
With that out of the way, let's get started!
Page 1 - Phantom Reunion
It's been a year since the Phantom Thieves of Heart stopped Takuto Maruki from his salvation and things have been good for Ren Amamiya, the former leader of the Phantom Thieves and formerly known as Joker. Ren is currently looking at his phone to check through the messages he got while petting a black cat. This is Morgana, formerly known as Mona. He was found in the Metaverse by Ren and he has been helping the Phantom Thieves since day one. He used to hate being referred to as a cat, but he eventually got used to it.
[Yo, it's been a while.] A blonde man icon texted. This is Ryuji Sakamoto, formerly known as Skull. He was the first person that Ren befriended when he first moved to Shujin Academy. Ryuji may have a bit of a temper and is not the smartest guy in the world, but he still cares about his friends and is willing to do anything to keep them safe.
[Since you've never replied, Ryuji.] A platinum blonde hair girl teased. This is Ann Takamaki, formerly known as Panther. She knew Ryuji ever since middle school and is currently studying abroad to become a famous model and actress. Ann is known for being kind and passionate, despite being a bit of an airhead and having a huge sweet tooth.
[H-Hey! You know that I've been busy at my new school, Ann!] Ryuji texted back with annoyance.
[I can't believe that it's been over a year.] A floofy auburn haired girl said. This is Haru Okumura, formerly known as Noir. She is the current CEO of Okumura Foods after the death of her father, Kunikazu Okumura. Haru may be shy and reserved while having problems with technology, she's still mature and polite as long as no one gets on her bad side.
[Time is known to fly by quicker if you manage to keep yourself occupied.] A blue haired man stated. This is Yusuke Kitagawa, formerly known as Fox and sometimes called Inari. He is an aspiring artist student at Kosei High, and former pupil of now disgraced artist, Ichiryusai Madarame. Yusuke may have money issues and can be too eccentric, he's still reserved, polite, and calm.
[Have you all been doing well?] Ren texted.
[Yeah, I've been doing well on my end.] A brown haired girl answered. This is Makoto Niijima, formerly known as Queen and sometimes Fist of the Phantom Star. She is a college student studying to become a police officer and the younger sister of defense attorney and former prosecutor, Sae Niijima. Makoto may come off as stern, but she is a kind and tough tomboy who wants everyone to do their best. [But I hope everyone isn't causing any trouble now that we don't see each other regularly.]
[I'm doing peachy. Unlike a certain blonde man that I know.] An orange haired girl with glasses teased. This is Futaba Sakura, formerly known as Oracle and Alibaba. She is currently a high school student at Shujin Academy and foster daughter of Sojiro Sakura, the owner of LeBlanc Cafe and former caretaker of Ren. Futaba may be quirky and has odd habits, she's intelligent and can be a bit teasing at times.
[Not cool, Futaba. Anyways, summer vacation is about to start. How about we meet up and do something fun together?] Ryuji suggested.
[That sounds lovely.] A red haired girl with a ponytail said. This is Sumire Yoshizawa, formerly known as Violet. She is a gymnast who is competing in the internationals. She may get flustered easily and has a bad fashion sense, but she is still sweet and determined with a big appetite and heart of gold.
[We should discuss what we should do when we meet in person.] Yusuke suggested. [But I hope that we can do some beautiful and breathtaking activities.]
[Uh oh, Inari's weirdo switch has been flipped on again.] Futaba teased with a deadpan emoji.
[Would you stop calling me a weirdo?] Yusuke asked in annoyance, only to get a smirk emoji from Futaba in response.
[I guess some things never change.] Makoto said, slightly amused by their antics.
[But I think that's what makes us so special.] Sumire complimented. [Wait, where are we going to meet?]
[Mwehehe. Don't worry, I got it covered.] Futaba chuckled. [And I'm sure Ren knows where.]
[Let's meet at the usual hideout.] Ren said.
[You got it, leader.] Ryuji agreed.
As Ren puts his phone down, he looks out his bedroom window with a smile and a small chuckle. He's currently back at his hometown and while things have been rough, he managed to get accustomed to his original lifestyle.
"If we're going to meet them, then we better pack up." Morgana told Ren.
"You're right." Ren nodded in agreement before making a puzzled expression. "Wait, how are you going to pack with paws?"
"Not cool, Ren!" Morgana hissed, earning a laugh from the former trickster. "I swear, you do this on purpose."
"I'm sorry, I couldn't resist." Ren chuckled as he started to pack his stuff. "I'm going to inform my parents about the plans when they get back."
"I just hope that they can come to an agreement." Morgana prayed while pushing lighter objects to Ren.
"Don't worry, I'm sure they'll understand." Ren reassured with a confident smile as the two continued to pack.
Nighttime
"So that's what me and my friends are planning to do." Ren finishes explaining his plans to his parents, Naoyuki and Yuri Amamiya, as they're all sitting in the living room.
"So you plan on leaving tomorrow?" Naoyuki asked. "Why so sudden?"
"I'm sorry, we came up with it last minute." Ren apologized. "I understand if you don't want me to go."
"There's no need to apologize." Naoyuki reassured his son, surprising the boy. "Sojiro contacted us earlier."
"Looks like the Boss is at again with the surprises." Morgana chuckles in amusement.
"Really? You mean…" Ren started until he noticed the look in his parent's eyes.
"Of course Ren-Ren." Yuri answered with a smile. "We want you to have fun with your friends during summer vacation."
"Just be sure that you don't get into any trouble, understood?" Naoyuki clarified.
"I understand." Ren nodded in agreement before hugging his parents. "Thanks Mom. Thanks Dad."
"Don't thank us. Thank Sojiro when you arrive." Naoyuki said as he and his wife reicorporate the hug for a brief moment.
"Ren-Ren, be sure to bring one of your lovely lady friends over sometime." Yuri teased.
"M-Mom, it's not like that." Ren denied with a small blush.
"You haven't made a move on them? I think you're gonna have to learn some tricks from your old man." Naoyuki smirked, deciding to join his wife in teasing his son.
"You too, Dad?" Ren sighs in embarrassment.
"I guess even the leader of the Phantom Thieves does have a breaking point." Morgana chuckled to himself.
"Anyway, you should get to bed. You don't want to miss the early train." Naoyuki told her son.
"I know. I already packed it up so I'll be ready to go." Ren said as he started to go upstairs to his room. "Good night."
"Good night, Ren." His parents waved in unison.
Ren's Bedroom
Ren slipped into his pajamas and lay down with Morgana in his cat bed. He looked at his messages and smiled until he felt something weighing him down a bit.
"Come on, let's go to sleep." Morgana instructed with a smile. "We have a big day tomorrow."
"You don't have to tell me every time, Morgana. I swear, if I get a 100 yen bill every time you say that, I'll be rich." Ren joked as he took off his glasses and charged his phone before he fell asleep.
[Dream]
[Aria of the Soul - Persona 5 OST]
Ren opens his eyes and sees that he's in a mysterious blue room in the shape of a prison. He gasps and looks at himself and sees that he's wearing his phantom thief attire: a black ankle-length tailcoat, a high-necked waistcoat with gold accents, black pants, brown-black winklepickers and a pair of red gloves. He put his hands over his face, only to feel his white, birdlike domino mask.
"Is this the Velvet Room?" Ren asked as he slowly walked out of his cell. Upon exiting, a table appears with two people. One is a bizarre old man with a long nose, pointed ears and bulging, bloodshot eyes, wearing a black suit with white gloves. The other is a young girl with long platinum hair and golden eyes, wearing a blue dress, and stylish matching headband with white butterfly ornaments and yellow roses.
"It's been a long time, Inmate." The girl smiled.
"Igor? Lavenza?" Ren spoke up, completely surprised to see them again.
"Hello Trickster. Welcome to the Velvet Room." Igor greeted. "A place between dream and reality, mind and matter."
"What's going on? Why am I back here?" Ren asked.
"We have an urgent matter that we would like to discuss." Lavenza said with a proper tone. "While you were successful in stealing back the future from imprisonment, I fear that your rehabilitation is not complete. The current situation lies within a realm that isn't yours."
"A realm that isn't mine?" Ren asked again, more confused than before.
"Correct. There are multiple realms that lie beyond your world." Lavenza informed. "And there is a specific realm that is fated to perish if we don't act quickly enough. That is why we have summoned you."
"I understand the hesitation, but fear not." Igor reassured. "All will be explained in due time and you won't be doing this alone. The bonds that you have forged with will aid you on your new journey."
"And we should warn you that this realm is completely different from yours. I'm afraid your Personas won't be of any use because of the rule of this specific realm." Lavenza warned.
"Our personas won't work? Wait why is this happening? I need to know!" Ren demanded.
"Don't you fret. You and your bonds will adapt into this new realm as you progress and you'll find the answers in no time." Igor answered before chuckling. "I am looking forward to your new rehabilitation."
[Dream Ends]
Ren popped his eyes wide open and abruptly stood up from his bed. He feels his face and looks around to see that he's still in his bedroom. He looks over to see Morgana sleeping on his chest, prompting to let out a sigh.
"Mmm…" Morgana lets out a quiet yawn and meow as he slowly wakes up. "Why are you still up? Bad dream?"
"Sorry Morgana. I didn't mean to worry you." Ren yawned. "It's not a bad dream, but a weird one."
"Well, you explain everything in the morning." Morgana said as he goes back to sleep while Ren lays back down on his bed.
'That was so weird. A different realm? Does that mean the Metaverse is back? If so, how?'
The following Morning, Train Station
A bunch of people are entering and exiting out of the train. Ren, who is now wearing a black collared short sleeved shirt, blue jeans, and black sneakers while carrying a black and red duffle bag. He decided to put on his glasses since he still has a rather intimidating glare without them.
"You sure you got everything you need?" Yuri asked in concern.
"Don't worry, mom. I got everything." Ren reassured as Morgana popped out of his duffle bag.
"And make sure you take care of Morgana." Naoyuki said.
"I think it should be reversed since I'm the one that has to look after you." Morgana teased, only to get a playful shove from Ren.
"Don't worry, me and Morgana will be safe." Ren said with his usual smirk.
"Still, I can't believe that you found a cat when you were with Sojiro." Naoyuki admitted. "But it does show how much you've grown."
"And that life is full of surprises?" Ren chuckles, earning a hug from both of his parents.
"Have fun, Ren. And be sure to call us so we know what you're up to." Yuri said as her eyes got watery.
"I will." Ren said before pulling away from the hug and entering the train. Once the door closes, Ren takes a seat and looks out of the window before he waves at his parents, who return the wave as the train starts to move.
Shibuya, Japan
"Shibuya. This is Shibuya, the last train on the line. We hope you had a pleasant journey with us and hope to see you again."
The train screeched into the station before coming to a complete stop as the doors opened, allowing a bunch of people to leave. Ren grabbed his bag and exited out of the train before making his way to the staircase.
"It feels so good to be back in Shibuya again." Morgana said after taking a deep breath.
"Still can't believe that it's been a whole year." Ren said as he started to make his way up the stairs. When he made it to the top, he took notice of a familiar red head near the exit, who is wearing a white turtleneck shirt, yellow blouse with the bottom three buttons undone, red skirt with flower patterns, black knee length socks, and red loafers.
"Hey, that's Sumire." Morgana said in shock before noticing a grin on Ren's face. "Whoa, why are you grinning?"
"You'll see." Ren smirked as he slowly walked towards Sumire, who is oblivious to what's happening.
"If I remember, the cafe's in Yogen Jaya." Sumire recalled, looking at the map on the wall. The gymnast lets out a small sigh and places a hand over her heart. "I can't wait to see everyone again."
"Well why don't see one of them right now, Violet?" Sumire lets out a small gasp upon hearing a familiar teasing voice. She turns around to see Ren, who is smirking as he gives her a wave.
"Ren!" Sumire said with delight as she and Ren embraced each other in a hug. "I can't believe it's really you! I've missed you so much!"
"It's good to see you again, Sumire." Ren laughed. "Sorry that I scared you. I couldn't resist getting back at you for startling me when we were in Hawaii."
"Hahaha. I suppose that makes us even now." Sumire giggled as the two pulled away from the hug.
"Hey, you better not forget about me." Morgana said.
"Morgana!" Sumire smiles as she pets the cat on the head, earning a purr from him. "I didn't think that you would be arriving so soon."
"Me and Morgana decided to take the early train." Ren answered as the two started to walk up the stairs. "So how are you doing? Is your father doing okay?"
"Oh, we're doing great. He's still at the TV station." Sumire answered as they exited out of the station, entering the busy streets of Shibuya.
"That's good to hear." Ren smiles.
"What about internationals?" Morgana asked, only for him and Ren to earn a giggle from the gymnast.
"Sorry, but you'll just have to wait until we meet up with the others." Sumire teased with a wink.
"That makes us even more curious." Ren smirked with his flirty tone, causing Sumire's face to turn as red as her hair.
"Aw come on, how come you do it better than I do?" Sumire whined.
"Because you make it so easy to tease you." Ren laughed, causing Sumire to laugh as well before they started to make their way to the next train station.
Yogen Jaya
"This place hasn't changed at all." Morgana pointed out as the three made their way through the alleyway.
Ren and Sumire stopped in front of a coffee shop with the sign [Coffee and Curry: LeBlanc]. Ren was about to reach out for the doorknob, but stops as he smiles softly.
"Ren-Senpai? Is something wrong?" Sumire asked in concern.
"Sorry Sumire. It's just… It's been a long time since I've been here." Ren apologized, lifting up his glasses so he could wipe his eyes.
"Hey, we came all this way." Morgana nudged Ren's cheek with his forehead, prompting him to open the door as the trio entered inside the restaurant, which appears to be deserted. "Man, this place is empty as usual."
*POP, POP*
"Surprise!" The three jumped from the sound of party poppers going off as confetti was in the air as the rest of the Phantom Thieves came out of hiding.
"Guys, Ren-senpai already surprised me earlier. Don't give me another heart attack." Sumire laughs, holding her hands over her heart as confetti is on top of her, Ren, and Morgana.
"Hey, our surprise worked." Ryuji said with a grin, wrapping an arm around Ren while wearing a yellow tank top, silver chain, black capri shorts, and yellow track sneakers.
"Namaste!" Futaba greeted with delight, wearing a black cap, teal headphones, tan jacket that goes down to her knees, white shirt with tetris pieces, black shorts, red and white bracelet on her left hand, and green sneakers.
"It's such a wonderful reunion." Yusuke greeted with a simple wave, wearing an opened blue hoodie, black shirt with dotted art of a Japanese flower, cream colored pants, and black fancy shoes.
"I can't believe that we're all here." Haru admitted, wearing a pink dress with a cream colored belt around her waist, short sleeved jacket, white knee length socks, white floppy hat, and black mary jane shoes.
"I know, it feels like it's been forever since I've seen you all." Makoto agreed, wearing a white shirt, silver necklace with a BJ pendant, black jacket, pants, and loafers.
"It's been a while." Ann smiled as she pets Morgana, wearing a white short shirt with a red heart underneath a pink tank top, blue shorts held up by a red belt, fashion bracelet, sunglasses over her head, and white short boots with pink highlights.
"It's been a while too, Lady Ann." Morgana purred with a smile. "Oh and you guys too."
"So you guys were planning this from the beginning?" Ren asked.
"Of course, we had to do something fun and exciting after a whole year." Ryuji answered before looking over at the counter. "Even Boss helped us out."
"Sojiro even close the cafe early so we can celebrate." Futaba added
"Looks like you're doing good, kid." A middle-aged man smirked, wearing a pink dress shirt, black apron, hakis held up with a white leather belt, and white loafers. This is Sojiro Sakura, the adoptive father of Futaba and former caretaker of Ren.
"It's good to see you again, Boss." Ren smiled. "And thank you for the arrangement."
"I'm just returning the favor after you helped me." Sojiro chuckled. "Anyway, why don't you all have a seat? The food's ready and I'm sure you all got plenty of catching up to do."
Soon enough, everyone started to eat sushi, curry, and various dishes while drinking coffee, soda, and water.
"You seriously didn't have it rough when you went back home?" Ryuji asked in disbelief.
"It was rather rough at first, but it eventually went back to the way it was." Ren admitted. "Plus, my parents really like Morgana."
"His old place is much cozier than the attic we used to live in here in the cafe." Morgana added.
"I'll be sure to tell Boss that you said that." Ren teased with a grin.
"Wait what!?" Morgana yelled in shock.
"What did the cat say?" Sojiro asked. "Did he miss me?"
"He said that the cafe is lazy." Futaba said.
"Excuse me!?" Sojiro exclaimed in surprise and offense.
"Why do you guys always do this to me!?" Morgana yelled in annoyance as Futaba let out her signature laugh. "Translate properly for me!"
"So how's your leg, Ryuji?" Ren asked. "Are the rehabs helping you?"
"Yeah, the doctors say that I can run again." Ryuji answered while looking at his leg. "Although, they told me that I shouldn't push myself too much and I should check in once a week to make sure it doesn't get messed up."
"Have you been keeping up with your studies?" Makoto asked with a rather stern glare, causing Ryuji to sweat nervously as the former student council president let out a sigh. "I guess some things never change."
"Jeez Ryuji, you're just as dumb as ever." Morgana teased.
"S-Shut up. It's not my fault it's hard to do multiple crap at the same time." Ryuji defended before looking at Makoto. "Back on topic, are you and Haru doing well in college?"
"We're doing fine, Ryuji." Makoto answered with a smile. "My sister occasionally visits my apartment now and then to see how things are holding up. I'm making sure that I can improve my foundation if I'm going to be a police officer."
"The college I'm currently studying at is wonderful." Haru added politely. "I've been learning a lot of different vegetables and plants."
"Are any of the plants you're currently studying rare and exotic?" Yusuke asked as his eyes widened. "Perhaps they could be inspirations for my next painting."
"Chill dude." Ryuji sighed. "Is art always on your mind?"
"At least Kitagawa's passion for painting makes him stand out." Sumire stated.
"Thank you, Yoshizawa." Yusuke chuckled.
"Wait, you're studying plants?" Morgana asked in a rather surprised tone. "I thought you were studying in management."
"Don't worry, Mona." Haru reassures. "I'm still studying in Management, but I'm also allowed to take other courses that caught my interest such as Agricultural Management."
"What about you, Ann?" Makoto asked, looking at the Finnish blonde girl.
"I've been doing good outside of the country. My acting's skills have been getting better." Ann said.
"Thank you." Ryuji said under his breath, but gasped when Ann turned towards him.
"I heard that, Ryuji." She glared.
"C-Come on. I didn't even say anything." Ryuji laughed awkwardly.
"Well I can take a hint." Ann said, playfully punching Ryuji's elbow. "But I'm going to continue studying hard."
"Futaba, are you managing at school?" Ren asked, slightly concerned for his surrogate little sister.
"Heheh. It's easy for my intelligence." Futaba bragged before she awkwardly laughed. "But I am struggling with PE. I wish I was athletic like Yoshizawa."
"Stop, you're making me blush." Sumire blushed with a smile. "But If you like, I can help you, Sakura."
"Really? Yahoo!" Futaba cheered. "I'm finally going to level up in PE!"
"It seems that Futaba's spirits have been lifted even further." Yusuke chuckled in amusement.
"You better not be hitting on me, Inari." Futaba glared.
"How dare you make such accusations." Yusuke glared back.
"Sheesh, it's been a whole year and you guys never changed." Sojiro sighed.
"But that's what makes us special and why we are so close to each other." Sumire said, looking at the positive side.
"That's a proper way to put it." Makoto smiled. "Yusuke, Yoshizawa. Are you two doing well?"
"Of course. I'm still pursuing true beauty and I've been making different paintings left and right." Yusuke said.
"I've been doing well, Niijima." Sumire added before taking a deep breath. "Plus, I got something to say about my internationals."
"How did you do?" Haru asked as everyone looked at the gymnast.
"I've won the recent gymnastics meet." Sumire announced.
"For real!?" Ryuji exclaimed in shock.
"That's awesome!' Ann cheered.
"Congratulations Sumire." Ren praised her with a smile.
"Thanks guys. It means a lot to me from hearing that." Sumire smiled with a small blush.
"Guess we've been keeping us occupied while we were away." Ren chuckled with a smile. "But if I have to be honest, I miss you guys."
"I was going to say the same thing." Ryuji said. "Things just doesn't feel right when you're not around."
"Well I'll be staying in Japan for a while." Ren confirmed.
"Don't worry, I took care of your room while you're gone." Sojiro told Ren. "Be sure to close up the shop when I leave."
"You got it, Boss." Ren said. "And I'll be sure to help you out."
"Glad we're on the same page." Sojiro smirked with a chuckle.
Evening
After cleaning up the mess for the party, everyone got up as they're about to get ready to go.
"We're sorry that you close shop for us, Boss." Makoto apologized. "We didn't think we'd be celebrating that much."
"No need to apologize." Sojiro reassured with a smile. "I only did it so you all can celebrate your reunion. Feel free to drop by anytime."
"We'll be sure to accept your offer." Yusuke said. "But I'm afraid that we have to part ways for today."
"Crap, the last train will be coming up!" Ryuji exclaimed after looking at the grandfather clock on the wall. "We'll meet up in Shibuya tomorrow."
"Sounds good." Ann said as everyone said their goodbyes before they left, with the exception of Ren and Morgana.
"Boss, I meant what I said earlier." Ren said, walking over to the counter. "I did miss you."
"You stole the words right out of my mouth, idiot." Sojiro laughed as he and Ren shared a hug before he pulled away. "Well, I gotta be going, too. Be sure to lock up."
"Got it." Ren nods as Sojiro leaves the cafe before he locks the door. He then walks upstairs to see his old room is the same as before. A lot of space and slightly dusty, but still easy to relax in.
"I forgot how dusty this old room is." Morgana coughed from the dust.
"At least Boss was considerate enough to keep it clean." Ren said, grabbing his pajamas before walking downstairs to change. Once he came back up, he started to clean the place a little bit more while adjusting the TV. "There we go."
"That's more like it." Morgana stretched as he hopped onto the bed.
Once Ren turned off the lights, he and Morgana lay down in bed, closing their eyes before falling asleep.
[Dream]
Ren got up from the floor and sees that he's in his phantom thief attire once again. He looks around to see that he's not in the Velvet Room this time. Instead, he's in a spooky area with red and black veins on the wall.
[Desire - Persona 5 OST]
"Wait, is this Mementos?" Ren asked, completely surprised by the sudden change of scenery. He got startled when the mysterious door from his previous dream appeared as it let out a demonic sound. "That door… It's the same as before!" Ren can see the door opening as a red wormhole appears before it starts to suck in everything.
"Damn it… What's going on!?" Ren gritted his teeth before he heard a familiar laughter, catching him off guard as his mask disappears.
Ren then turns around to see a giant pillar of blue fire before it transforms into a tall red creature with a black, feathery wings starting at around the small of its back; claws; red coverings on its legs resembling pants and boots with blade-like heels. It is wearing a very tall top hat, a long-horned mask for its face, a cropped red eighteenth century suit worn open with the collar popped, stitched heart designs on the shoulders, a white ruffle tie, and a black, tailed corset.
"It's been quite a while, Trickster." The creature chuckled in amusement.
"Arsene?" Ren asked in disbelief.
"Yes, it is I; the rebel soul that dwells within you." Arsene introduced himself. "I'm here to merely warn you of what lies ahead. I'm afraid that I won't appear at your side once you go through that door. But don't worry, I'll be with you within your soul."
"What do you mean by that?" Ren asked.
"All of your questions will be resolved before you know it." Arsene reassures with a laugh as he starts to disappear. "Don't forget that you must adapt and survive if you were to conquer this chaos within those doors!"
[Dream Ends]
The Following Morning, Shibuya
Ren is currently near the station of Shibuya, letting out a yawn as he didn't get much sleep from last night due the dream he had.
"Sheesh, did you get any sleep last night?" Morgana sighed as he stood next to Ren. "And where is everybody? They said to meet us here at this time."
"It takes time to get here due to the recent traffic." Ren said, rubbing his eye after lifting his glasses up for a brief moment. He and Morgana hear other yawns as they see Ryuji, Ann, Yusuke, Makoto, Futaba, Haru, and Sumire arriving one by one.
"Yoo." Ryuji yawned.
"All of you didn't get any sleep last night?" Morgana asked with a puzzled expression. "What happened?"
"There was this strange dream where I was in Mementos." Futaba answered.
"You had that dream too?" Ann asked with a surprised tone.
"Strange. It would appear that we're all experiencing the same dream." Yusuke said with a puzzled look on his face.
"Do you think it might've been a coincidence?" Haru asked in concern.
"Wait. There's something I want to ask. Did any of you guys have a strange dream two nights ago?" Ren spoke up to get a confirmation, causing everyone to think.
"Now that you've brought that up, I did." Sumire recalled. "I was in this place called the Velvet Room and these people warned me about a new realm."
"That's what I had too." Ryuji said in shock before he gritted his teeth. "Damn it. The hell's going on?"
"Strange. First, you guys had a dream about the Velvet Room and then you dreamt about being in Mementos?" Morgana listed. "All of this seems too fishy to just be a coincidence."
"Wait a minute." Makoto spoke up, catching her friends' attention. "Ren, you said that you had those dreams when we were Phantom Thieves, correct?"
"That's right." Ren answered with a nod.
"What are you trying to say, Mako-chan?" Haru asked.
"This may be hard to believe, but I think that the Metaverse has returned." Makoto theorized, surprised everyone.
"For real?" Ryuji asked. "Wait, didn't we already erase the Metaverse when we beat Maruki?"
"We did, but it seems that it still has more secrets than we anticipated." Makoto said. "It's just a theory, but it is possible."
"Wait. Other realms…" Morgana starts to think about the three pieces of information.
"In the dream, Igor mentioned that the Velvet Room is a place that lives between dream and matter along with mind and reality." Futaba recalled.
"Does that mean that there are other worlds besides this one?" Ann gasped.
"Most likely. " Futaba answered. "Universes are a lot bigger than you normally think."
"Now that I think about it, I'm able to go into the Velvet Room inside and outside of the Metaverse through a door." Ren recalled.
"Hold on a moment, we should check our phones." Yusuke told everyone. "If our dreams are real, then it's most likely that the Nav has returned."
With that, everyone, with the exception of Morgana took out their phones and they immediately saw an app icon with an eyeball picture.
"No way… I-It's back!" Ryuji exclaimed in disbelief.
"T-This happening all too suddenly." Sumire stuttered with a hint of nervousness in her voice.
"Maybe we should investigate it." Morgana suggested. "For all we know, this could be a trap. Who knows what will happen to us."
"Agree. We were given this task so suddenly without any real reason." Yusuke agreed. "Furthermore, we had no clue on what this new realm is all about."
"It'll be fine. All we have to do is investigate this mysterious door that we're supposed to find." Ryuji reassured with his usual grin.
"You do know that this is serious, right?" Makoto affirmed Ryuji.
"I know that." Ryuji answered. "All I'm saying is that we just gotta do this quickly."
"Well, it would be problematic if we were to ignore this." Haru said with a conflicted look on her face before shaking it off. "So we must take care of it."
"I'm in. I don't know why this is happening, but I want to help out in any way I can." Sumire said with a determined expression.
"You would need me for my guidance." Futaba said, adjusting her glasses.
"We'll have to be extra cautious going in." Makoto told everyone.
"I won't be backing down." Ann added with a determined glare.
"That's the spirit." Ryuji grinned before turning to Ren. "What do you say, leader?"
Ren looks at everyone and notices the determination in their eyes before a familiar cocky smirk forms on his face. "It's showtime."
"Alright, then it's unanimous." Morgana said. "Activate the Nav and we can enter the Metaverse."
With that, Joker touched the icon and entered the word [Mementos] before hitting enter, causing ripples to occur as everyone walked through them.
Mementos Entrance
Once everyone walked through the door, all of their outfits change into their phantom thief clothes while Morgana changes from a cat to an anthropomorphic cat with a mask that covers his entire face, a yellow scarf around his neck and an utility belt around his hips, with two golden buttons and two bags attached.
"Whoa, it's been a while since we wore these." Ryuji said, now wearing a matching black jacket and pants with knee pads, a red ascot, combat boots, a pair of yellow gloves, and a skull mask.
"It brings back a lot of fond memories, doesn't it?" Haru asked, now wearing a dark purple cavalier hat with a feather plume tucked into a royal purple hatband, long-sleeved pale pink blouse with a white neck jabot held by a red gem pin, black corset vest with gold buttons, purple bloomers, black pantyhose, a holster belt carrying ammo, lace-up pumps, black mask and violet gloves.
"I wish that I had brought my sketchbook. I forgot how breathtaking the scenery is here in Mementos." Yusuke said as he used his hands as a picture frame, now wearing a traditional kitsune-style half mask, a black high-collared puff-sleeved jumpsuit with a striped sash worn across his hips and a white fox tail attached onto the back, white motorcycle boots, and bright blue gloves.
"Now's not the time for that." Makoto sighed, now wearing a two-toned dark blue and black skin tight suit that is worn with a long black scarf, dark gray corset-style leather breastplate, shoulder and knee pads with spikes mixed with boots that sport metal heels and toes, white gloves and an iron mask.
"Hehehe. I forgot how kinky all of the girl's suits are." Futaba giggled with a grin, now wearing a pair of big black goggles with orange lenses, skin tight black bodysuit with fluorescent neon green glowing strips and matching black boots with neon green soles.
"H-Hey! Don't say that!" Ann shouted with anger and embarrassment as she crossed her arms over her chest, now wearing a skin-tight red latex catsuit with a cleavage cutout and zippers, matching red panther mask, pink gloves, dark red thigh-high boots, and a clipped on tail on the back of her catsuit.
"P-Please Sakura. It's embarrassing." Sumire's face turns bright red as she rubbed her arm, now wearing a black mask with silver highlights and has a black ribbon tied to her ponytail. Her outfit is slightly similar to Ren's phantom thief outfit: black jacket with buttons, ruffled sleeves and three floor-length coattails, black strapless leotard, a chain belt with two silver roses motifs and scabbard, a black choker, red gloves, thigh-length hose, and stiletto-heels that resemble ballet shoes on the top.
"That's strange." Ren squinted his eyes underneath his mask while facing to the left.
"What is Re- I mean Joker." Ryuji said as he just remembered to use codenames while in the Metaverse.
"There was a door right here that allowed me to go into the Velvet Room." Ren recalled.
"Do you think it has something to do with that mysterious door from our dreams?" Haru asked.
"Most likely. Let's explore Mementos." Morgana said, jumping into the air as he transforms into a black Citroën H Van with three yellow stripes, cat ears on the roof, and a tail attached to the back. "Get in everyone."
"Queen, do you want to drive or do you prefer me to be behind the wheel?" Ren offered as the others started to enter the van.
"I appreciate the offer, but you should be the one to drive Mona." Makoto said, entering the front passenger seat while Ren enters the driver's seat.
"Hey, why can't I drive?" Ryuji whined.
"We nearly crashed last time because of your driving skills, Skull." Makoto recalled, getting bad memories of that day.
"Is it really that bad?" Sumire asked.
"Bad doesn't even begin to describe it." Futaba groaned from just remembering how bad it was. "Fox, Panther, and Noir weren't exactly good either."
"What do you mean by that, Oracle? I wasn't going as fast as them." Yusuke asked with an angry look underneath his mask.
"Yeah, but you were going so slow that we almost got a game over from that stupid Reaper." Futaba brought up.
"Guys, let's not argue." Ren spoke up, causing everyone to stop with a fearful look. Ren may not be as intimidating as Makoto or Haru, but he's still scary if he was provoked. "Good, now let's find this door. And if any shadows got in the way, we'll fight on through."
"Just remember to conserve your energy just in case something appears at the door." Makoto said as Ren starts driving.
The Mona Van drove down a massive hallway with train tracks on the ground before Ren turned left.
"I keep forgetting how eerie this place is." Ann shivered in fear.
"I can still hear voices echoing." Ryuji said, getting uncomfortable with the creepy vibe of Mementos.
Sumire took a deep breath before noticing Makoto slightly trembling in her seat. "Queen, are you okay?" She asked in concern for her fellow phantom thief.
"I-I'll be fine. T-T-Thanks for your concern, Violet." Makoto reassured, though she's still trembling a bit. 'Stay calm, Makoto. You've been in Mementos before.'
"Hang on, I'm picking up a bunch of readings just up ahead." Futaba spoke up after using her navigational skills. "Great… They're right in front of the exit."
"Then we must take them down if we're going to proceed." Haru said, getting slightly excited to fight against whoever's blocking their way.
"You ready Mona? I'm going to speed up." Ren informed the cat-bus.
"I'm ready." Morgana said as he speeds up as they see a bunch of gigantic creatures with numerous white masks all over the body. Ren smirks as he makes Morgana ram into the shadows, causing them to fall over and melt before turning into an army of creatures.
"Queen, analyze their weakness and we'll knock them down." Ren ordered as everyone hopped out of the van, allowing Morgana to change back to his regular form before summoning Arsene. "Oracle, support us!"
"You can count on me and Necronomicon." Futaba grins as she's now inside of a giant green UFO. Futaba began to type on a holographic panel, giving everyone a buff.
"I'm on it." Makoto nods and hops as her mask disappears, summoning a blue and white motorcycle with a femine face on the front. She turns around and sees three enemies before revving up her persona. "Charge, Johanna!" She shouts as she rams into the shadows. "Skull, Fox!"
"On it! Captain Kidd!" Ryuji's mask disappears as he summons a Pirate on top of a floating pirate ship before it shoots lightning at them. "Your turn, Fox!"
"Let's end it with beauty and grace, Goemon." Yusuke shared a brief high five with Ryuji as his mask disappeared, summoning a samurai with a pompadour haircut as it freezes the shadows. "Panther, Noir!"
"Carmen!" Ann shouts as her mask disappears, summoning red, black, and pink female gypsy with a cigar in her mouth before setting more shadows on fire.
"Milady!" Haru shouts as her mask disappears, summoning an elegant lady wearing a rococo style dress. She unleashed a psychic wave before opening the front part of her dress as she fires two Gatling guns, a bazooka, and a missile.
"Mona, Violet, with me." Ren said as the antimorphic cat and the red head run alongside him as the latter summon their personas.
"Zorro, show your might!" Morgana shouted as Zorro, a black outlaw with a rapier fired a gust of wind.
"Cendrillon!" Sumire performs a twirl as Cendrillon, a white, blue, and gold elegant princess, fires a barrage of light energy.
"Arsene!" Ren shouted as Arsene snapped his fingers, causing dark energy to erupt underneath the enemies. "That's the last of them. Let's go before more Shadows show up."
"Leave it to me." Morgana jumped in the air and changed back to a van as everyone got in before driving away.
Depths of Mementos
Upon arriving at an empty room with veins on the walls and ceiling, the Phantom Thieves got out of the van, allowing Morgana to change back to his regular form.
"This is where we fought the Holy Grail, right?" Ryuji asked, looking around the giant room.
"It is." Futaba answered while trying to pick up any readings with her goggles. "Careful, that door may be nearby."
"Let's split up and look around." Ren said. "But stay alert. We don't know what the door will do to us."
"Right." The thieves nodded in unison before splitting up to examine the entire room.
Futaba remained in the center, trying to pick up any signals from the door. Yusuke, Morgana, and Haru are on one of the higher platforms to examine the jail cells in the wall. Makoto, Ann, Ren, and Sumire are on one of the lower platforms to see if the door's in the wall.
"Damn it, this room is freaking huge." Ryuji grumbled. "Finding a stupid door is going to be a huge pain in the ass."
Ryuji slammed a fist against a wall, only to hear a metallic bang as the muscle head of the Phantom Thieves looked over to a small piece of metal within the wall.
"The hell? Why is it so dusty?" Ryuji wipes his hand all over the wall, revealing more of the metal parts before seeing a door knob. "Hey, is that it? Hey guys! I found it! Over here!"
"Heh, guess you are good for something Skull." Morgana chuckled as he and the other Phantom Thieves walked over to Ryuji and the door.
"I just slammed my fist against the wall and there it was." Ryuji explained as everyone looked at the dusty door.
"This door was here the entire time and we didn't even know?" Ann asked, placing a hand on her hip.
Futaba walks up to the door and stands on her tiptoes to try and reach for the light piece, but struggles due to her height. "Queen, can you help me?"
"Sure, but what are you going to do?" Makoto asked in a skeptical tone.
"I just need to check something first." Futaba answered before getting lifted up in the air by Makoto. The navigator of the Phantom Thieves then taps on the light piece for a brief moment as it's not even reacting. "Just as I thought. The door's not active. That's why I couldn't pick up any readings."
"Maybe it ran out of energy?" Ryuji guessed. "It's like an old rusty door."
"That is true…" Yusuke agreed, but placed his hand underneath his chin. "However, we shouldn't judge this door by appearance alone. Looks can be deceiving to a person's eye."
"In any case, we should head back and discuss this further." Makoto suggested.
"You're right. Let's go, everyone." Ren said as everyone starts to walk out of the room, only to feel the ground shaking.
[Blood of Villain - Persona 5 OST]
"W-What was that?" Sumire yelped in a startled tone.
"A-An earthquake?" Makoto gulps as everyone slowly turns around to look at the door, which the light starts to turn on with a red flash as there's a five leaf clover appearing.
"W-What the!? These readings are off the chart!" Futaba exclaimed in disbelief after scanning it with her goggles.
"Hey, what's up with that symbol?" Ryuji asked, pointing at the symbol on the light.
"A five leaf clover?" Ann squinted at the symbol to get a better look. "Do they even exist?"
"Yes, but they're extremely rare." Haru answered. "If I remember correctly, the three leaves on a regular clover means faith, hope, and love. A four leaf clover represents good fortune."
"But what about the fifth one?" Yusuke asked.
"I-I'm afraid that I can't remember." Haru admitted with a frown.
"We got bigger things to worry about, look!" Morgana points at the door as it starts to open, revealing a red wormhole as it starts to suck everything in.
"Hang on tight everyone!" Ren asked as they all latched onto a pillar.
"H-Hey Mona, would our personas be able to do anything?" Ryuji gritted his teeth.
"How should I know!?" Morgana exclaimed.
"Well we have to try." Ryuji and the other phantom thieves closed their eyes and shout- "Persona!"
All of their personas appear as their masks disappear, only for them to start flickering as they turn into blue balls of flames as they enter inside each of their wielders, making them glow in various colors.
"What happened to our personas!?" Ann asked in disbelief.
"It can't be… Our personas are ineffective against this door?" Morgana asked in disbelief.
"W-WAAAH!" The phantom thieves heard a scream as Futaba got sucked into the door after she lost her grip.
"FUTABA!" Ann called out, only to lose her grip as she got sucked in next.
""LADY ANN!" Morgana cried out.
"Damn it… This not coo-" Ryuji's grip suddenly got loose as he got sucked in after Ann. "WHOA!"
"RYUJI!" Yusuke cried out, only to lose his grip as he got sucked in with Ryuji with a scream.
"KITAGAWA TOO!?" Sumire gasped in fear, only to lose her grip along with Makoto as the two girls got sucked in.
"SUMIRE!" Ren cried out.
"MAKOTO!" Haru added before she and Morgana lost their grip as the two of them got sucked in. "MONA, HANG ON!"
"MEOW! JOKER!" Morgana screamed before he and Haru were gone.
'Everyone got sucked in!?' Ren thought to himself as his grip started to become loose. 'Looks like I have no other choice. I better hope everyone's okay.'
After taking a deep breath, Ren releases his grip and screams as he gets sucked into the wormhole. Once everyone gets sucked in, the light shatters as the door immediately flies off and the wormhole turns into a solid concrete wall.
With Ren
Ren, who is now wearing his casual clothes, is now laying on the ground with a groan as she slowly opens his eyes.
"I haven't been this exhausted since I've first awakened to Arsene." He groans as he slowly gets back up, but he starts to notice something was off. He's suddenly no longer in Japan. Instead, he's in some kind of forest.
"What is this place? Ryuji? Morgana? Sumire? Ann? Makoto? Yusuke? Futaba? Haru?" Ren called out, only to get no answer. He decided to call them and take out his phone, only for it to be completely off. "Wait, my phone's not working?" He widens his eyes and starts running up a hill to get a better look, only to see a gigantic skull with a statue of a man standing on top.
"Wait, if I'm no longer in Japan… Then, what is this place? Could this be the other realm that Igor and Lavenza were talking about?"
(A/N)
And that is it for the first chapter of Of Knights & Thieves!
I hope that you guys enjoy this start of my first Persona x Black Clover story. I thought it was a good start and a good introduction to the Phantom Thieves and who they are. Their backstories will be brought up later on as the story progresses.
This is also the first time I'm doing a story with more than one universe since my Power Rangers story, so I thought I might try that again.
As for the pairing question from earlier, I thought I might start off with Ren aka Joker. I want to pair him with either Sumire or Makoto, but I want to know what you guys think? Should I go with one of the two or with someone else from Black Clover? I'll talk about the other ships in the next chapter.
If you like this story, be sure to favorite and follow to see more. Cover Art will be made soon.
Next Time: Welcome to the Clover Kingdom