Naoya Toudou.
It was a name that didn't mean much to Igor at first. It was just like any of the other thousands of names held by other visitors over the years. On the surface, there wasn't much about Naoya that set him apart from the others. He had a Persona, he wanted more of them, Igor offered help. It didn't take long for Igor to start noticing what set Naoya apart though. For starters, unlike many others, Naoya didn't travel or fight alone. In fact, he seemed to prefer to travel with a parade of other Users.
A parade of weirdos at that.
It took a while, but eventually Igor was able to burn their names into his memory. Not that he had much choice, it would be hard to forget the lot if he tried. Which he certainly had.
First, there was Masao Inaba, or Mark as he wanted to be called. The boy seemed to have a varied background, Igor had trouble pinpointing exactly where this boy was from, likely from his lack of experience in these matters. Mark was clearly the troublemaker of the group. He was often cutting the others off by blurting out his own thoughts.
Second, there was Kei Nanjo. The most logical member of the group, for better or for worse. He got along with Mark about as well as water got along with oil. He clearly thought very highly of himself and his family, given the #1 printed on his scarf.
Third, Eriko Kirishima. On the outside, this one appeared to be a bit of a ditz. It didn't take long for Igor to see that she was far smarter than she seemed. She was the most enthusiastic member, often being the first to agree to whatever plans they made for their next move. She also seemed to stand a little closer to Naoya than Igor thought a friend would.
Fourth, Hidehiko Uesugi. He insisted on being called 'Brown' for whatever reason. This kid certainly loved attention. If Naoya was the one in the spotlight, you could be sure Hidehiko would soon pipe up with a loud boast to steal it back.
Fifth was Maki Sonamura… or so she claimed. Igor could sense a falseness about her, like a funhouse mirror. Though he didn't voice his observations, since he had concluded that she wasn't a threat.
How someone as unassuming as Naoya Toudou had become the leader of this outfit was beyond Igor. What impressed him was that despite this rag-tag group of kids wanting next to nothing to do with each other, Naoya still found ways to keep the group together. They all seemed drawn to him.
With their hometown crawling with demons, they had set out together to figure out the source of the invasion. They were hot on the trail of another user by the name of Takahisa Kandori. It seemed that in their journey, they had ended up in another world, mirroring their own but different in a few keyways. Igor suspected it had something to do with the Sonamura girl, but that was only a theory.
Igor's eyes snapped up as he suddenly remembered he was getting yelled at.
"What do you mean you can't get us home?!" yelled Mark, rather rudely. "I see doors to this place every five steps! Can't you just send us through the door that leads us back home?!"
"I have no control where you exit. The door sends you back to the one you came through." Igor replied, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. "I can't just tell it to let you out somewhere else."
"Perhaps you shouldn't be yelling at the only consistent ally we have?" Nanjo shook his head disapprovingly at Mark. "Have you no tact?"
Mark glared back at Nanjo. "Well, at least I'm trying something! I don't see you coming up with any ideas!"
An argument quickly broke out between the two. Hidehiko, Maki, and Eriko stood back, opting to let the two duke it out. Naoya put one hand on his hip and the other on his chin as he thought about the next move.
This was how most visits from this group played out. They would return every so often to rest, fuse new Personas, and argue a lot. If nothing else, it made Igor's day more interesting if only for a time.
In fact, it was hard not to get invested in their trials.
From a battle through a corporate office building to a classmate with a magic mirror to grant wishes, these kids were on the journey of a lifetime. It was hard to ignore Naoya's growth in all of it as well. With each new development, he was more confident in his unintended position as the leader of the group. He understood his new friends more. He didn't ask for this role, but he accepted it with open arms.
His attitude rubbed off on his companions too. His confidence in their odds of success was often all the group needed to boost their morale. Naoya was quiet, but the words he did say were powerful. That's not to say he was perfect. By the looks of things, his strategies were often brash, given the types of injuries the group would return to the Velvet Room with. He lacked confidence in his teammate's capabilities, more often preferring to tank the fights himself. Perhaps out of a fear of loss?
Despite these shortcomings, Naoya was able to lead the group to victory time and time again. It was now, as they rested in the Velvet Room one last time before heading to their final battle, that Igor could see just how far Naoya had come. The young adult before him was not the same boy that had stumbled into the Velvet room mere days prior.
That Naoya Toudou was content with letting himself drift through life.
This Naoya Toudou was different, he had faced himself. He had accepted his flaws and vowed to learn from them. He had forged bonds with his classmates that wouldn't break anytime soon.
The curtains shook as a great wind blew through the Velvet Room. Nameless slammed in the keys of his piano with a force unseen previously. Igor felt a chill run down his spine as he spoke, "The resulting Persona is…" he said, lacking his practiced dramatic tone.
The curtain lifted, revealing the result of their final fusion. A 'poof' sounded through the room. The card fluttered lightly into Igor's outstretched hand.
"…It is… Amon-Ra of the Emperor Arcana." he said as calmly as he could manage.
Igor stared at the card in his hand. They had spent the last few minutes fusing new Personas with totems Naoya had been given by his other self. There was something very different about these Persona from others he had fused in the past. Igor shook off the feeling and turned the card over to its owner. Naoya reached out and softly plucked the card from Igor's grasp.
The boy with the earring studied the card curiously. The rest of his group gathered around to get a good look at their leader's card.
"It's pretty cool, I guess, but nothing can hold a candle to Tyr!" He said smugly, holding up his own card. "It's about seven percent cooler than any other Persona!"
Nanjo pushed up his glasses. Gingerly cradling his own card, Yamaoka, in his other hand. "I'm going to have to double check your math on that, Uesugi." The group chuckled at that; Hidehiko included.
Igor watched quietly from his desk as the group of unlikely friends gathered their belongings and headed toward the shining blue door. He wasn't sure what to make of the Personas he had fused for them. They were far more powerful and demanding than the normal Persona and yet, they seemed to match each user perfectly. He doubted he could replicate the process and get the same result.
Even if he could, those Persona were far too powerful to listen to just anyone. The fact they bonded so well with their user meant that everyone in Naoya's group had come to a new level of understanding within themselves. Their likes, dislikes, dreams, fears, insecurities. All needed to be understood about oneself to successfully fuse Personas like that.
Yet it had worked, six times over.
Is this what it meant to be your true mind? Had this group become one with Philemon's guidance?
Igor shook his head. Not yet. They still had a long road ahead. These Personas, requiring ultimate understanding of oneself, were the catalyst. The first major step in the journey to understanding that saying. The next step would be to take that newfound understanding and make something of it. These Ultimate Personas were the key to unlocking one's true potential in life.
Naoya stopped just short of the door. He paused for a second before turning to Igor. He gave a low bow.
"In case we don't make it, thank you, Igor. For everything." He said with a level of sincerity Igor had never heard before in a human voice.
Naoya stood up straight, a small smile on his face. Igor took a moment to collect his thoughts.
"…You're very welcome." Igor replied, unsure of how to respond to true gratitude. "You all… are welcome any time..."
"Do come back and give us an update when your journey is complete." Belladonna said with a sweet tone.
"Remind Nanjo to bring his violin next time." Nameless quickly added.
Naoya gave one final nod and shut the door behind him. Leaving the members of the Velvet Room to their own devices. Igor stared straight ahead for a few moments before letting out a small smile. He flipped open the book on his desk, taking out his pocket watch, quickly jotting down the time and what fusions he had performed.