April 20th, 20XX
After yesterday, Ren's mind was still scrambled. He only just managed to calm down after getting back to LeBlanc. Sojiro said something about a phone call and told him to go to bed early, and he was all too happy to oblige. Because of that, he lay awake hours earlier than he needed to be awake for. He covered his eyes with an arm, protecting them from the before-morning light. He felt twinges of regret every few minutes, and couldn't get back to sleep. He checked his phone again, rereading the worried texts his… friends sent him. I guess that's what they are.
The sound of Sojiro coming into the shop and settling in the kitchen was a small comfort, and the steady rhythm soothed his soul. It was because of this, that he heard a knock at the door.
Sojiro speaking. Something about surprise.
A feminine voice, young sounding.
She wouldn't.
He spoke again. Ren couldn't quite make it out.
Delicate, graceful footsteps echoed up the stairway, similar to those of a gymnast.
Wonder who it could be.
He turned to face the wall, feigning sleep.
The footsteps approached his bedside.
There was a soft noise.
Is she… crying?
Ren turned his head slightly. He saw Kasumi standing over him, an arm covering her tears.
"Hey… why are you crying?"
Why do I care?
"It's… nothing." The girl choked on her tears.
"It doesn't look like nothing."
"Don't worry about it! I'm fine!" She tried to smile, through the tears running down her face.
"No, you aren't. C'mere." Ren turned his body towards her. She knelt to the ground, wiping her face. He wrapped his arms around her and leant in for the hug. Or at least tried to, and ended up falling off the bed.
He lay next to the kneeling girl with an arm on her shoulder.
"Ha… Hey, stop crying. I'm fine! Damn it, now I feel like crying too! Ha ha!" Ren tried to keep tears from gathering at the corners of his eyes.
"I'm not... "
"I'm sorry, Kasumi. You didn't deserve that, yesterday."
"No! I shouldn't have tried to stop you! I thought you ran off or something and… I can't let that happen again!"
"Hey…" Ren pulled himself upright and properly hugged her.
"..." She was silent in his arms.
"I'll be fine. I get better quickly."
"So…"
"Friends?" He chuckled into her shoulder.
"Friends…" She whispered.
"Good."
"..."
"...Do you know what time it is? I don't think I got down to the bathhouse after yesterday, heh."
"It's around six..." She sniffled
"Thanks. I'll ask Boss to start some coffee and curry, if he hasn't already."
"Oh, please don't-"
"You've been waiting for this place to open since last night, haven't you?"
"..."
"I can tell, you need some coffee, and skipping breakfast isn't good for an athlete like you."
A bell rang from downstairs. Not that the two of them noticed.
"Right."
"Now, uh, can I get changed-"
"No way, this is happening?"
Ren looked over to the stairway where- Mishima, of all people, was standing.
"This is not at all what you think, Yuki."
"Yeah, hehe, right. Uh, I'm just gonna… go get some coffee."
He carefully walked back down the stairs.
"..."
"I think that's the first time you've called him by his first name."
"I think this is the first time I've had friends…" Ren laid back and rested his head on the bed.
"Well, I'll just-" The bell downstairs rang a few more times. Multiple voices could be heard, something about Boss being surprised by the number of students.
"I'm not getting out of this one," Ren sighed. "Turn around."
The girl quickly did so.
Ren switched into his school uniform, climbing towards the window.
"Hey, you can't jump-"
She was interrupted again by multiple footsteps clamoring up the stairway.
"Later. See you at school."
Ren hopped out the window.
"Hey, Ren, are you- Yoshizawa-san? What are you doing here?" Ann asked as she quickly walked up the stairs.
"I was checking up on Ren."
"Well, where is he?"
Silence. Kasumi just stared at the window.
"You know what? He just left."
Ren stealthily walked to school.
Well, as stealthily as you could with a school uniform on.
He was probably going to pay for jumping out of that window. For both times, actually. Not even to mention that he had no clue what rumors were circulating right now.
Hopefully, nothing like yesterday would happen again. His stomach growled.
Right. I should have stuck around. Conditioned myself with curry, damn it.
He passed the vending machines. A hand shot out and hit him in the jaw. Hard.
So much for keeping the mask on.
Pixie, Dia, I just bit my tongue off.
He just barely managed to block a kick from a gangster as he pulled himself off the ground.
"This the guy, cuz?"
"That's him."
Ren looked up and saw the guy he sprayed soda on standing behind a few gangsters in their twenties. A trickle of blood leaked from his mouth, as his tongue's tip was sewed back on.
"Damn. That one hurt." Ren smirked.
"Hey, shithead. I heard you was saying shit about my dollas bruthas- I mean, ma homies!"
You know his kind. He can be found in any country.
Gotta love a guy who goes for the classics.
It's time like this in which things happen around this city that defy the imagination.
"I just can't catch a break, ha!" He wiped his mouth as he stood up. "I'm not a delinquent, but you know what? I might have to make an exception."
"Hey, Ren." Ryuji walked up, right into the middle of the situation.
"Not now, Ryuji. I need a witness, so don't get involved."
"Oh, it's that kind of thing? I gotcha." Ryuji leaned back in his signature slouch. He turned his back to Ren. "It's cool. For a popular guy like you, I'm sure someone's already recording. I'll vouch for you anyway."
"The hell are you punks talking 'bout?" The gangsters spread out, surrounding him and Ryuji.
Ren sighed.
"Makes sense."
"You know how to fight?"
"Ever takes karate classes as a kid?"
"Nope."
"Me neither," Ren smiled manically. "Let's do this."
"Ahem!" Him and Ryuji looked at the girl who interrupted them.
"Ooh, a cutie! Wait just a minute, missy, we'll get to you after we beat down these punks. Your school's got a ton of hot chicks for us to play around with." A few of the gangsters grinned crookedly.
Makoto Niijima sighed.
"Hey, uh, Ren. I think for your safety, and uh, mine, we should get back."
"Nah, I owe something to these guys. You go on ahead." Ren turned back to the president. "Hey, Niijima-san."
"Didn't I warn you not to get in any fights?"
"Not my fault this time. Whatever I do now is self-defense." Ren gave her a thumbs up. "That's a nice vest, so don't get any blood on it. Just leave these idiots to me!"
To illustrate Ren's point, one of the less intelligent gangsters rushed forward and slammed a wooden plank against the side of his head. Half of it went flying, as blood gushed from his temple. He curled down for a second, clutching his head.
Pixie, I'm sorry to ask-
You got it, boss. I'll keep 'em coming.
The pain subsided as Ren stood back up. The president had a palm raised to her mouth in surprise.
"Ha… Ah ha! You guys really don't understand. A hit like that could kill a guy, right?"
"..."
"And since you just did hit me like that…" Ren threw off his school jacket. "That means it's attempted murder, right?"
"...!"
"So that makes whatever I do to you, tame in comparison, righhhht?" Ren grinned viciously.
"Kill his ass!" One of the gangsters yelled.
"You just don't-" Ren picked up an approaching thug mid-run and threw him over a wall. "-Get it, do ya?" He ducked under a baseball swing, causing it to hit a different guy instead. "We brawlers are sustained on willpower!"
He grabbed one of them by the wrist, cutting it like claws, and threw him against a vending machine.
"Even when mocked as reckless and crazy!"
He jumped against a wall and slammed his leg into a guy's jaw. Ryuji must have gotten the reference, because he laughed, as he threw his bag at another one, knocking him down.
"If there's a wall in our way then we smash it down!"
Ren high fived him and tossed a guy into a trash can.
"If there isn't a path, then we carve one ourselves!"
Ryuji knuckled a guy who was trying to sneak up on Ren.
"The magma of our souls burns with a mighty flame!" Ryuji pulled one of them up by the collar and flipped him over his head.
"Just who…" He kneed a guy in the temple, knocking him out.
"In the hell…" Ryuji headbutted the gang leader.
"DO YOU THINK WE ARE!?" Cried the two boys in unison, as Ren slammed the gang leader over his head into the concrete.
Silence swept through the street.
The stunned bland boy, who brought the thugs there, stood frozen, with a look of incomprehension on his face. The president collared him and dragged him towards the school.
Ren fell flat on his ass and started laughing. Ryuji did the same. None of the thugs stirred. After fighting shadows, Ren had a pretty good idea of how much it took to incapacitate someone.
"Hey, Ren, does this make up for Sunday?"
"Hell yeah, it does."
I am thou
Thou art I
Thou hast acquired a new vow. It shall become the wings of rebellion that breakth thy chains of mortality.
With the bond of the Chariot Arcana, Thou will obtain the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power.
"Ryuji Sakamoto! Ren Amamiya!"
"Shit, Ushimaru!" Was heard from many of the student bystanders, who quickly rushed away.
"Hey, sensei." Ren didn't bother getting up.
"The student council president said that you two got in a fight-"
Yep. I'm going to jail.
"-To protect the school."
Or maybe not.
"Sounds about right. Couldn't let some geezers harass the girls."
"I'll let the geezer comment slip. Get up, you two."
"I'm a… bit tired out, to be honest, sensei."
The greying man sighed.
"Fine. Good job."
Pretty badass if I say so myself.
"I usually abhor violence, but I was told you only fought back after being struck."
"Yep. I think there's some blood on the wood if you can find it."
"Didn't you get hit with a bat a few times, man?"
"Nah, I dodged. I think one guy had a knife. Got any cuts?"
"Nope. I think he dropped it somewhere."
"They attacked you with planks, bats, and knives?"
"Well, more like tried, but yeah."
"Take this more seriously, punk."
"Yes, sensei."
The older man gave a hearty laugh, which sounded foreign and strange, like the kind of thing you'd see in shitty fan- wait, what?
"Back in my day- Well, that's not important. The police will be here soon, so be ready to answer a few questions."
They were, and they did. Self-defense, someone brought a video, the student council president vouched for the two of them, yadda yadda. They were told to keep an eye out for any summons. Because they didn't use weapons and were high schoolers up against multiple guys in their twenties, the cops counted it as self defense. Ren got to spend the first few periods in the nurse's office with Ryuji, and did the reasonable thing.
Which was goofing off.
"What's your name?"
"Ryuji."
"What's the color of the sky?"
"Blue."
"What's the opposite of down?"
"I ain't the smartest guy, but I haven't fallen for that one since elementary school."
"Right… Man, I'm bored."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"Dude, you wanna go get ramen?" Ren called from the cot.
"Ain't we gotta stay here until after lunch?" Replied Ryuji from behind the curtain.
"Well, didn't the lunch period just start? It's probably fine-" A knock at the door interrupted the question.
Ren heard murmuring outside the door. A lot of it.
"You know what? I'll catch up with you later."
"Are you seriously going to jump out the window?" Ryuji deadpanned.
"Eh, I've done it before." Ren threw off his blankets and unlatched the window.
Another knock. Multiple.
"Wait, that rumor's true?"
"Talk to you later man, I gotta bounce." He hooked himself on the above ledge and scrambled up as the door burst open. He felt weightless as he pulled himself onto the rooftop.
Man, Arsene's really coming in handy.
His climbing three-stories up surprised the auburn-haired girl that was watering some plants on the rooftop. They stared at each other, frozen. Ren could hear a massive group of girls in the room below talking to Ryuji.
"Hello, Amamiya-san!" She suddenly said, cheerfully.
"Hey." He swung a leg over the wall, and carefully avoided stepping on her plants.
"How are you doing?"
"Fine, thanks. How are you, er- Actually, I don't think I ever got your name."
"Oh! I'm Haru Okumura, it's nice to meet you!
"Ren Amamiya. No introduction necessary, as I'm sure you've heard."
"Did you really fight the Yakuza?"
"No, not yet, I still have all my fingers." He wiggled his in front of her, making her giggle.
"Of course. Even I can tell what's hyperbole."
"Well, later. I'm off to go find some lunch."
"Goodbye!"
Ren walked downstairs and bumped into Kasumi next to the stairwell.
"Ren? Shouldn't you be in the nurse's office?"
"Well, yes, but uh, it's looking pretty crowded right now." Ren looked past her, looking at the crowd of people going out the door. He shivered. "I think I got out at a good time."
"I'm not going to try to make you go back… Here's some lunch..." She held up a tied box. "Sakura-san-"
"You can call him boss."
"Right, boss, he let me package up some curry and rice and bring it to you." Kasumi reached into her bag. "And I don't think caffeine is good for your recovery, so I got you some decaf!" She shook a thermos.
"Thanks. I'm going to find somewhere secluded to eat this so I don't get mobbed." Ren turned to head back upstairs.
"Hey, um... Can I eat with you?" She blushed.
"If you're okay with dealing with that," Ren pointed at the crowd, "Sure."
They walked back to the rooftop, now deserted. He looked around for a place that wasn't immediately visible from the doorway, and then a lightbulb went off in his head, just as a mob of footsteps could be heard clamoring up the stairs.
"There he is- wait, where'd he go?" Said one of the frontrunners.
Ren kept a hand on Kasumi's mouth as he pressed them both flat on the roof of the stairwell. They were completely silent, as Ren held her to keep quiet.
"Maybe I was seeing things… Let's check their classroom!"
Shouts of agreement rang out, as the mob quickly retreated.
Ren let go of Kasumi as he sat up.
"Sorry about that. I can't catch a break, huh?" He sighed, with a slight chuckle.
"How did you jump up here? You were carrying me too-" She cut herself off behind Ren.
"Adrenaline, probably." Ren lied.
"..."
"Hey, can I have that curry, please? I'm kinda hungry."
Ren managed to get back to his classroom without any trouble, though he was a bit late. He grabbed a nurse's pass sometime back there, so he just flashed it and the teacher nodded.
Boring as usual, he took notes, there's a reason most novelizations don't adapt this part- wait, what?
After class, he quickly said goodbye to Ann, before jumping out the window.
He seemed to be making a habit of that.
Because Ren didn't trust the school system or even himself, having used healing skills or not, he decided the best course of action would be to head to the doctor.
Specifically the one that probably did patch up jobs for the mafia.
Eh, probably not that shady. Unless she was living with a dullahan.
Hey, you never know.
"What's up, doc?"
She glared at him from behind the counter.
"I've heard that one too many times. Here for an… examination?" Said Takemi, slipping a sultry tone in.
Ren minimized his shudders.
"Yeah… See I didn't get in a fight, persay…"
"You got in a fight."
"Well-"
"We'll talk in the exam room."
They went to the exam room.
"What in the world?" Exclaimed Takemi Takemi, as Ren lay on the medical table.
"How would I know?"
"Your temple shows recent signs of scarring, but… How did it heal this fast?"
"What do you mean? I've been taking antibiotics and-"
"If this was as old as you say it is, you would have came in sooner. And even then this kind of thing doesn't heal in a week. Instead of healing in layers, it looks like the muscles all formed at once!"
"You can tell that just from looking at the skin?"
"What kind of freak medical case are you? When did this happen?"
"I really can't say-"
"I can call your school anytime. Those bandages are medical grade." She gestured at the bench, where a discarded pile of dry bandages layed.
"This morning."
Takemi stepped back and tapped her forehead with her clipboard.
"Hm. Right then, I'm calling the group."
"Wait, what about our deal!" Ren shot up.
"Hold it. When I was in medical school, we learned to contact them whenever there were abnormal injuries or cases. Like a bear attack in a tokyo apartment, or people collapsing at midnight."
"So?"
"They won't involve the police. They wouldn't believe them."
"How do you know?"
"Asclepius."
A floating blue card appeared in front of the woman, which she swiped with her clipboard.
A figure balancing multiple colored vials appeared behind the woman, wreathed in a billowing black cloak.
"What the hell?"
The woman withdrew a caned stick from her coat and pulled a blade out of it.
"So. Demon, summoner, or-"
Now because he already knew what Minatos, who also knew about Personae, was like, he knew the correct reaction.
"Persona user." Ren leveled his model gun at her head. Not that she knew that. She stared directly into the barrel.
"I can see the plastic on that."
Damn. Guess she did. He sighed.
Ren headbutted her and kicked the sword out of her hands. It clattered against the door while Takemi stumbled.
Asclepius raised its vials and shone blue light. A second later, she stood back up, rubbing her forehead.
"Okay, okay, talk. Talk is good." She glared at him.
"How'd you get your Persona?"
"Fell into a TV. My superior got drunk and accidentally pushed me in after I got- I left the old hospital I worked at."
Sure. Why not. I can ask Minatos about it later. Revealing you didn't know something that you could easily learn elsewhere would be a dumb decision.
"Who's the group you're talking about?"
"I can't say the name, if you aren't in it."
"Basic description. Go."
"They research Personae, demons, shadows, etcetera. Anything supernatural, they want in on it."
Huh. Wonder if anyone else fits that description.
"Is a guy named Minatos involved?"
"No clue. I only report in my findings and talk to a few others involved."
"So no one I know. Don't report me."
"Why shouldn't I?"
"Because you just pulled a blade on a minor, have recently ran shady medical trials, and most likely have made a "medical error" in the past.'
"..."
"Because really, why the hell else would a talented genius like you be out in this hole?"
"..."
"I'm not blackmailing you, but I really can't let this get out."
"Fine. Are those your terms?"
"Terms? Hell no. I just don't have the time for any more bullshit."
"...That's fair. For a student."
"Thanks. I'll come in again for medical trials."
"I haven't had the opportunity to test on Persona users." The woman smiled. "Alright."
That was easy.
Thou shalt have our blessing when creating Personae of the Death Arcana.
"Right, see you later."
Ren walked out of the clinic and closed the door behind him.
A shooting pain pierced through his head. Gunshots echoed, and the sound of silent screams reached his ears.
THOU SHALT BE HEALED WHEN THY INDULGE IN THEE MADNESS
What the- No, I need a new catchphrase.
What the FUCK!
After Ren walked out, Takemi's hand almost immediately shot towards her phone, but she hesitated. He really did seem like a good kid, even if that headbutt hurt. Couldn't blame him. The group was shady enough, and could she let a kid being dragged into that settle on her conscience? Before she could deliberate, her phone rang
It had a familiar name on it, so she cooly answered as usual.
"Hey, Tae-san! How are you doing? Anything weird at the clinic?"
"Hello, Yukari-san. I'm doing fine. Nothing much, same as usual."
AN:
I was not in the rightest mind when I penned most of this chapter, so I have gone back and changed some things. Probably the last time for this chapter. Anyway-
Hell yeah, 30k words.
The badassery (or perceived badassery) is only going to ramp up from here.
Sorry this chapter took a little longer than usual. Had to fine-tune the last scenes to be intelligent-er.
Okay, so I know that Ren's treatment may not be true to life how Japanese teachers would deal with him in real life, but if it was, nothing cool would happen.
Yes, I'm invoking Rule of Cool so Ren doesn't get arrested.
I mean, it's the same universe where Minato Arisoto never got the shit kicked out of him, so really, its beyond the impossible. Reason truly has been kicked to the curb. That's just how team Dai-Gurren rolls, eh?
Takemi is a doctor. Who else became a doctor in For Every Soul? Who's stepsister could go into the TV? Boom. She would probably have shown her stepsister the TV world. Drunk people equals stumbling.
Yeah, that contradicts ultimax, but until Atlus makes P5 Arena, it's not canon to Ren's story.
NoRoleModelz, thanks as always for the reviews. You are absolutely correct, Ren does need a may be obvious who the target will be, and that's coming in the next two chapters, I swear. The pacing is a lot slower because I like fleshing out the differences from the game. Lets me have fun with my writing,
Which, y'know, is the whole point of it.
But yeah, phantom thieves conflict coming soon. Here's where things really get screwy...