April 14th, 20XX
On Thursday, a passing, rather frail looking boy bumped into Ren in the underground mall. He'd read that the flower shop down there was hiring, and teenagers need money, even with allowance. The streaming subscription wasn't going to pay for itself, after all. And no, not for that kind of streaming site, why pay when you can easily find that kind of stuff for- You know what? Never mind.
The thin boy dropped something that looked like painted canvas, about the size of a pack of playing cards. Ren stopped to pick it up, but the boy was already leaving the mall. He hurried to catch up, and reached the taller boy outside the station, near the Teikyuu building.
He didn't notice his phone opening a new app, with a red eye. He barely used the thing anyway, just to make calls.
"Excuse me!" Called Ren. The other boy turned around. The area around them was strangely empty.
"Yes, what is it?"
"You dropped something." Ren held out the canvas box. It's illustration looked familiar, but he couldn't tell from where. The other boy's eyes widened.
"Oh! Thank you, I had no idea I had dropped it." The other boy took the box, and carefully put it into his bag. "That replica is very important to me. It is one of few mementos I have from my sensei." Bzzt.
"I think I've seen the illustration before, it looks traditional." Ren noted, more talking to himself, trying to jog his memory. The other boy chuckled.
"Yes, my sensei has a great diversity of styles in his art. He's incredibly talented, much more than myself. It's called the Sayuri." Sayuri, Sayuri, Sayuri… Minatos floated behind the boy, lazing about in the air.
"I think His cousin had a friend named something like that." Don't you have imaginary alcoholism to be getting to? "Hey, can't say hello once in a while? Harsh." Ren's eyes widened. The other boy laughed, heartily, dissolving from sight.
"Ah! You remembered! Yes, my sensei is Ichiryusai Madarame, the master painter, creator of the Sayuri, among many other masterpieces." That's not why I'm surprised- why can that blue-haired bastard read my thoughts?
The other boy apparently started monologuing about the wonders of this artist Ren never heard of. He turned his attention back to him.
"...And may I ask your name? I am very thankful for your help!"
"I'm Ren Amamiya, and it was really no trouble. What's yours?"
"I am Yusuke Kitagawa, but I am not of much importance. Thank you for your...Urgh!" The other boy fell to his knees, as a sound came from Ren's pocket.
-Bzzt- Beginning navigation.
Ren only briefly felt woozy as the world grew red around him. The air was layered in thin, bloody fog. Dark, artery-like vines grew out of the station entrance. The sky was lined with black and red.
"What the hell? First blue, then red, what color is my next hallucination? Yellow?" Ren asked nobody in particular, startled. Maybe less so than he would have been if he hadn't seen this before.
"Hmm" Ren turned to the other boy. He noticed that nobody else was standing on the stained concrete.
"Hey." Ren reached to help Yusuke up. The boy nearly collapsed again, his legs shaking violently. He hoisted the boy up, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. The boy's eyes were closed, a hand massaging his face.
"I was suddenly struck with weakness. Sensei says that this is a sign of the muse! I knew my training was working! Now I can… WHAT!" Yusuke's eyes opened, his happiness quickly turning to something more akin to horror.
"I don't know either. We should look around." Ren turned his head, looking for anyone else. He looked to the train station. Yusuke nodded weakly, his body slumping in Ren's grasp. He was only half as heavy as Ryuji, so- Wait, only half? How is this kid not anemic?
"..."
"..." Ren began trudging along to the distorted train station. The ground beneath his feet rippled, like he was walking on a thin layer of water. He kicked up colorful splashes that quickly faded. The escalator steps were immobile, but felt like a weak impression, that would give out any moment.
He went down a level. Despite the lights being off, he could see just as clearly as he could outside. He couldn't even see outside from there because of the fog, so how does that work?
The eerie silence was starting to get to him, as there was nothing besides Yusuke's labored breaths and his own footsteps.
Something began ringing in the distance.
clink.
Not ringing.
Clink.
Ren began to back out of the station.
CLink.
He desperately pulled Yusuke alongside him.
CLInk.
He struggled up the steps, hoisting the thin boy onto his back.
CLINk.
His breaths began to catch in his throat.
CLINK.
He felt tears begin to gather at the corners of his eyes.
CLINK.
He crossed over the threshold, barely dragging Yusuke behind him. He lay the other boy on the street, away from the entrance. Ren waited with baited breath in the silence. His laboured breathing being the only thing that reached his ears. He stood in a defiant pose, staring into the station.
"..."
"..."
"..."
CLINK CLINK CLINK CLINK CLINK CLINK CLINK CLINK CLINK CLINK CLINK CLINK CLINK CLINK CLINK CLINK CLINK CLINK CLINK CLINK CLINK CLINK CLINK CLINK CLINK CLINK CLINK CLINK CLINK CLINK CLINK CLINK CLINK CLINK CLINK CLINK CLINK CLINK
Ren's vision was consumed by a storm of chains flying out of the station, curling and twisting around him, obscuring the city skyline from his sight. He crouched into a stance, in front of Yusuke. He ignored the feeling in his stomach. The feeling that told him he was going to die.
The storm of chains suddenly stopped, frozen in midair. The iron began to dissolve, the dust swirling silently. A cloak appeared in midair. The chain dust funneled into the cloak, filling it. Form began to take its place inside the cloth.
"CLINK." The cloth spoke. He jumped. Ren wondered if he should have bought those brown pants in the mall. Eh, they were a pretty ugly color to die in.
"...So, you're going to kill me?"
"YOU ARE NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO WARRANT MY STRENGTH."
"...How are you speaking in all-caps? Not important, but that's pretty intimidating."
"..." The being floated idly in midair.
"..."
"..."
"...How are you silent in all caps?"
"..."
"..."
"Most mortals often cower at the sight of Death."
"Oh? I'm actually scared out of my mind right now." Ren smirked. "So, your name is Death? Did you forget your pale horse?"
"Are you a Fool?"
"Eh, Igor might say so, but someone else I know might use the term 'Dolt'." Ren noticed the cloth freeze in mid-air. That was either incredibly good or incredibly bad.
"You have met Him?" Ren could hear the capital again. He remembered Minatos saying something similar.
"Minato Arisoto? Can't say I have. Did meet his shadow, though."
"..."
"Scared?"
"DO NOT MISUNDERSTAND. YOU ARE NOT THE UNIVERSE. YOU ARE NOT MINATO ARISOTO. I WILL NOT BOW TO ANY ELSE IN THIS REALM."
The Reaper in front of him aimed it's pistols. Chains began to slither from behind the cloak's back. A dark aura surrounded the two. Dark shapes rose up behind him, surrounding the unconscious form of Yusuke. Ren's stance tightened, though he kept his smile.
He promised himself, in that moment, that he would never die with fear in his heart.
Thou hast made me wait quite a while.
Ren clutched his head in his hands, gritting his teeth. His eyes flashed yellow.
Thou stand against authority now, and once before.
The Reaper lowered his weapons. The dark masses froze behind him.
Thou hast cowered then, but thy actions now dictate thy truth!
Ren's skin began to crawl
Were thine previous actions a mistake?
"Hell no." A wave of indescribable energy passed over this new realm of Tokyo, and beyond.
Very well… I have heeded thine resolve.
His bones began to quake in their sockets.
Vow to me, and thou power shall become mine, and mine become thou own.
Images flashed through his vision.
THINE WHO WILL COMMIT SACRILIGOUS ACTS IN THE NAME OF HUMANITY!
A man. A car. A woman crying for help.
CALL UPON MY NAME, AND RELEASE THINE POWER!
That prison cell. That detective.
SHOW THE STRENGTH OF THEE TO DETERMINE THINE OWN FATE!
That room of deep blue.
THOUGH THOU MAY END IN CHAINS TO HELL ITSELF!
Minatos.
"I accept." A crimson tailcoat burned into existence on bright blue flame. It formed itself around him without a thought. He wasn't wearing the coat, he was wearing the being that wore it.
"I am thou." Ren spoke, his irises fill with red and blue flame. He stood in alignment with the new being- himself. A long black coat flew behind him, blue flames forming a design in the cloth.
"AND THOU ART I." A second voice joined Ren's, not dissimilar to his own. A pair of tinted goggles formed on his face, but he was seeing clearer than ever. His eyes glowed bright yellow through the tinted mask.
"I SHALL FULFILL THIS CONTRACT WITH MINE OWN STRENGTH!" A drill, laced with velvet flames, formed around Ren's right hand.
"I BECOME THEE-" Ren felt his body sync into his persona...
"ARSENE!" He cried out the name. It's name. His name. And he ripped off the mask.
"A challenger." The Reaper moved, retaking his aimed position. Ren stood still for a moment, his eyes still closed. Slowly, he raised his head, his eyes opening to reveal a brilliant yellow.
"Not a challenger." Ren wagged a finger on his free hand. "That implies I'm at a disadvantage. Which isn't the case, because I'm going to tear you apart!" Ren screamed, in the face of Death. Arsene's strength flowed through him, overlapping his words with demonic intent. He felt the dark forms- shadows- begin to move on him. He clenched his fist inside his drill. It whirred to life, flames dancing along it's spinning edge.
Ren whirled around, swinging his right in an arc. The drill extended from his grip, nearly quadrupling in length, into the shape of the lance. The shadows dissolved on contact, and even then, the ashes burst into indigo flames. There was nothing left of the monsters but scorched ozone. Ren looked over his shoulder at the Reaper.
"You're next, you son of a bitch!" The cloak floated there and seemed to deny his will.
"You will be an interesting opponent in the future." The Reaper floated back toward the train station.
"Coward! Death! You take lives without a second thought, and you can't stand against me? I'll kill you myself!"
"Fool." The cloak raised one of it's bolters to it's head. DAKKA- Ren was furious, suicide was the coward's way out.
"Bastard, you can't even face-" The cloak rose from the ground. The metallic ichor stopped dripping from the cloak. It seemed to be mocking him, or laughing silently.
"You can't hope to best me now. I look forward to our games, Trickster."
Ren's body grew heavy, his drill dropping uselessly to his side.
"I'm… not done with you… you son of a…" His head lulled forward. Ren fell forward, barely catching himself with his drill. The concrete shattered as he collapsed into a pool of shadowy blood and chains.
AN:
Sorry for the short chapter. Thought it was necessary for pacing and badass timing. A little bit about how Ren's abilities. It might not be clear.
You know how Minato got the Universe, and Souji got the demon-morph? Ren's special ability is [REDACTED]. How that works is to determined later, but I have a cool idea.
Also had some cool ideas about the concept of shadow nests. I really don't know what that means yet either.
I'm not trying to be vague, I'm just making this up as I go along.
Oh, also, Ren's phantom thief outfit is different from canon. First person to get the reference gets a cookie.