Joker and Mona stood in front of the distortion. Equipped with weapons, tools, and personas; the Phantom Thieves were back in action.
Well two of them at least. The others were busy with their own lives, something which made Ren glad. Happy that his friends were doing well, moving towards the future at their own paces, something which he desired himself.
But that could only happen when this was all over.
Lavenza watched the two, a wistful look in her eyes. She wanted to stop them, to tell them that they didn't need to do this. That Igor could surely find someone else to fill this role. That their fight was over, and they didn't need to fight any longer.
But Ren wouldn't allow it. He wouldn't drag an innocent person into this mess, not when he could help it. This was a problem for the Phantom Thieves, more so for him than anyone else, and he would be the one to solve it.
One way or another.
Ren and Morgana ran. Ran straight to the portal. Gaining momentum so great that they were a blur, before finally jumping into the abyss.
They wouldn't wait any longer.
They would end this.
Ren landed silently, rolling as he hit the ground to lessen his momentum. Quickly orientating himself and crouching, ready to jump out of danger at any moment, he scanned the area around him, taking in the environment he was currently in.
They were in a forest. The sun shining above them, confirming that it was day time. A beaten path could be seen not too far ahead of them. It seems they had landed in a clearing, one that looked unnatural as it had no sign of life whatsoever. Trees and grass dead, while further out life flourished.
No doubt the distortion caused this.
'It seems we're by ourselves.' Ren thought. Glad to not have met anyone when they had just arrived. He didn't need to explain how he had appeared from a mass of red and black. Or who he and Morgana was, not wanting to reveal their identities. Ryuji crossing his mind at the thought.
Getting serious, Ren turned around, fully expecting to see the distortion that brought them there. It was their way home, unfortunately, and without it they would be stranded. As destructive and dangerous it was; they needed it.
Except it wasn't there.
A chill ran down his spine.
This wasn't what he was expecting. This was something he hadn't planned for.
Spinning around, looking for any sign of the portal that led them there, Ren frantically searched. His eyes pinpointing anything that he deemed suspicious. Desperately looking for their way in, and way out.
It wasn't anywhere to be found.
They were stranded.
Ren's eyes widened, but his panic didn't show. Taking a deep breath, Ren calmed himself, knowing full well that no good would come from panicking.. Regaining his bearings, Ren needed to consult with Morgana on their next plan of action.
Speaking of the cat, where was he?
"Hey! You're spacing out again!" the yell echoed throughout the clearing. Amazed that the voice from his friend was that loud, Ren tilted his head downwards to face his Morgana.
There standing before him was Morgana, in all his cat glory. The feline on all four of his legs as he stared at Ren.
Wait-
All four legs
Quickly double checking to make sure his eyes were functioning properly, Ren blinked quickly before staring at his feline friend.
Morgana wasn't in his metaverse form; his true form. Instead he was a house cat. And by the looks of it, Morgana wasn't pleased with this development in the slightest.
"What the hell… And here I thought I get to stay as myself this time." Morgana whined, unhappy with the fact that he turned back to an average house cat. This wasn't how a dignified Phantom Thief should look like; they should be elegant, magnificent, and stylish.
This wasn't any of those.
Cracking a smile, Ren picked up at Morgana, and proceeded to chuckle.
Morgana was out of action again it seemed. The feline unable to wield his weapons or persona in this form. And while Ren did find it amusing, it worried him as well.
Looks like he would have to battle enemies on his own.
However, before he could place Morgana down, something had jumped out of the brush behind them. Letting out snarls and choked noises, the creature had stumbled upon the clearing, looking for whatever had made the noise earlier. Morgana's shout it would seem.
The creature stood on two hind legs, its knees inverted. No forearms present, and a long tail following its movement to provide itself with balance. Bone protrusions stuck out of its body, serving as protection to its soft flesh. Lastly, a bone mask covered its face; red marks ingrained onto it. It was rather large, Morgana noted, and looked like a dinosaur from one of those flicks that he and Ren watched at home.
Ren seemed to have noticed it as well, the noise it was making giving away it's presence. The beast was rather loud, and it didn't seem to have any intentions of hiding either, as it kicked up the ground below it and crouched.
It was going to make a move.
That didn't go well with Morgana.
Prying himself from Ren's hands and jumping onto his shoulder, Morgana leaped off it, adrenaline pumping as he yelled out words all too familiar to him.
"Persona!"
Blue flames manifested from nothing, before Mucurius shot through them. Its target being the single grimm ahead of them. The spear in its right hand poised to strike when in range.
When it had reached the grimm not even a second passed by.
Not a second passed by when it bisected the grimm in two.
With its job done, Murcurius disappeared from the world, returning within Morgana; waiting to be summoned when needed.
Ren watched on from behind Morgana, his eyes widening only slightly for an instant, before adjusting his glasses. A smirk forming on his face.
Morgana was still in action, just not in the form he expected.
"Morgana!" Ren yelled out to the cat, trying to gain his attention. He wanted to try something, whether it worked or not didn't matter. They needed to experiment before moving along.
"What is it?" Morgana slowly asked, shocked that his ability to summon his persona not hindered by his body. Was it because of the remaining power of Yaldaboath power Remnant that allowed him to summon his persona? Or maybe this world was like the metaverse? Questions shot through his head, the poor cat in a stupor. He could do something now, unlike their world he could do something!
Morgana spun around, his eyes wide, and a smile threatening to split his face. This was great! He could fight even in this body, that meant he could be of use without getting in anyone's way!
He was ecstatic. The excitement running throughout his tiny body. But what Ren asked a second later made his heart almost stop, the amount of excitement almost ending his life here and there.
"Try transforming." Ren told him, a sly smile on his face as he thought of the idea. If Morgana could summon a persona, then that should mean the world was similar to the metaverse in some way. And if it was similar, that meant Morgana should be able to do things just like in the metaverse.
Wide eyed, his mouth gaping, and his heart beating painfully fast, Morgana yelled.
"Morgana~… Transform!" And in a poof no longer stood the housecat.
What stood before them was the Phantom Thief, Morgana. Standing proud, elated that he could transform just as he did in the metaverse.
Ren smile grew wild; Morgana's even wilder than his.
Morgana was back in business, and this time it was for good.
Quite a bit of time had passed since then, and a few hours had gone by in an instant. But those hours were well spent as it gave them a general sense of what they had inherited in this world, and what they were capable of.
By default, Ren's clothing would be that of the clothes he put on, only changing to their metaverse outfits whenever he willed it too. The same principle for Morgana, except he transformed. Their metaverse outfits provided protection against the grimm's attacks, exuding an energy that wasn't present before, something Ren and Morgana would have to investigate sooner or later.
Personas were the same as the metaverse, however they learned that they could use the skill of the persona without summoning it. Albeit at the sacrifice of power, it was handy for more covert operations. A giant mythological being crashing through a building tossing out the elements would be hard to explain after all.
Their powers and strengths were there with them as well. Akira and Morgana capable of vanishing when hiding behind corners just like they had in palaces. Akira capable of using the third eye whenever he wanted, while Morgana could transform whenever he pleased. No lag had been in their movements, the two capable of decimating the grimm with their weapons, while also capable of their acrobatic feats.
May the poor grimm that they found to test their capabilities rest in peace.
Speaking of grimm, the two thieves quickly learned that the place was packed with them. Many had confronted the two, aiming to snuff their lives. The creatures coming in many shapes and forms: wolves, bears, giant birds, and even a scorpion had all tried to end them.
Tried, at least.
It worried Ren and Morgana. Theses things were absolutely relentless, only stopping after a hundred of them or so had their lives ended. Their area of attack spells proving useful, as it had taken out many of them without overexerting the two thieves.
The two weren't exhausted, but that didn't mean they could go on like this forever.
Moving along the beaten path, they followed wherever it led, only hoping that it would lead to civilization. The sun was setting, and as much as Ren loved nature, he didn't want to be stuck in a forest without any gear for camping, especially with the grimm crawling about.
They were pitch black in color, the only other color being their red eyes and white masks on their bodies.
It would be suicide to fight at night.
Without a word, the two picked up the pace, hoping to whoever that they would reach a place to rest. Not wanting to spend the night in the forest.
Their hopes were answered.
They managed to climb a rather tall hill, one which gave them a rather good view of the land ahead of them. Elevated, they could see wooden buildings just a few stops ahead. It was perfect.
Except smoke and screams could be heard from the distance.
Before they knew it, the two of them were sprinting their way too the town ahead. Morgana turning into the "bus" almost immediately, Ren jumping into the driver seat shortly after.
There was no time to waste.
It was time to act.
She ran. She ran as fast as she could, screaming for everyone to head to the center hall. Doing everything she could do in order to save as many lives as possible.
This wasn't happening.
This wasn't how things were supposed to go.
This village was supposed to be a place of respite, one where huntsmen and huntresses alike could stop to for a rest from their missions. A place for travellers to stay when they were heading for the big city. This place was only five days walk away from the city of Vale. An hour if one took an airship.
Hunters of all kinds from all over come to this village, unknowingly protecting the place from bandits and the grimm. Just yesterday a group of them had stopped here, grabbed a few drinks, and rested at the local inn.
Yet they weren't here anymore, they left in the morning.
In fact, there were no hunters and huntresses here today. None had stopped by in the afternoon, which was a rare sight nowadays.
Something the grimm clearly took advantage of.
Daylight was still present; night coming to takes its place.
There were no hunters in the immediate area.
No airships from Vale had docked here today either. None that the citizens could use to escape.
This was the chance the grimm were waiting for.
How terrifying.
A group of beowolves, jumped out of the alley way she was passing. She managed to jump out of their way.
The man following her wasn't so lucky.
She could hear his screams, his cries for help. The sound of his body being torn to shreds.
She didn't want to die. Not here. Not like this.
Facing forward, tears streaming from her eyes, she ran. Ran away from the man dying. Running as far away from him as she could. Not wanting to be chow for those monsters. She ran as hard as she could, screaming for everyone to get to safety, that the town hall would be safe, that there were weapons they could use against the grimm. That everything would be fine so long as they reached the hall.
She prayed. Prayed to whoever watching over them.
Please let them live.
Morgana and Ren sprinted inside the town entrance. Fire and smoke blocking out the sky as they moved in. Screams of panic and fear resounding. The smell of smoke and blood filling their noses.
This was the first time they witnessed death like this.
It was horrible.
"Morgana, check for any survivors, take out any grimm that comes your way. Save anyone you can." Ren commanded. Those were his only words to the cat before taking off. His clothes changing to his metaverse uniform as blue flames covered his being. Paradise lost on his right; God of Destruction on his left.
His aim was the center of the town, a large building he assumed to be the town hall. No doubt that the people of the town would try to hole themselves there. That they would try to hold off until help arrived.
It was a good plan.
Assuming help did arrive.
The sound of guns firing could be heard from the direction he was heading. Yells of panic shortly after.
His eyes narrowed, a mask manifesting itself on his face.
Help would get there soon.
Just hold on.
Morgana ran on the rooftops, jumping from building to building, using the elevation to scout out for anyone alive. Whenever he did find a person in need, he would use Utopia to shoot from afar to either save them or clear their path, before moving on.
He was left with a task, a rather demanding one, and was left to his own devices. Ren trusted him, and Ren knew Morgana was fully capable of doing what was told, that's why he left him to do this.
If it weren't for the situation, Morgana would have gloated. Stating that no one else was fit for the job, and that only someone of his caliber was capable of pulling it off.
Now wasn't the time for that however. Action spoke louder than words after all.
Finishing up his rounds, the cat had quickly scouted out all the main streets and alleyways connecting to each other. The town wasn't all that large to begin with making his work simpler than he initially thought. Finishing up, Morgana was ready to leap towards town hall, stopping when he heard yells.
Rather young ones at that.
Quickly turning around, Morgana could only gape at what he saw. This was possibly the worst situation he had seen yet in this town. Sure, he saw dead bodies littering the streets, but most of those were adults, those who died fighting as they usually held some kind of weapon in their hands. Fighting to their last breaths.
It was admirable, yet oh so very foolish.
Just beside the building he was standing on were five children, and two adults. Using the building as a way to cover their flanks. The children huddled together between the adults, who were trying to shield them the best that they could. The man and woman were injured quite severely; the woman had a limp in her step, while the man had bandages wrapping his right forearm. The two were armed though, both were holding hand gun by the looks of it.
However, that wouldn't do any good against being surrounded but the wolves.
Four beowolves stood in front of them, effectively cornering them. They were waiting for an opportunity to land the killing blow. Snarling and growling, trying to intimidate the family into making a false step. One which would cost them all their lives.
Morgana growled at the sight. These beasts had no honor, attacking the weak and injured.
This would not do.
Not do at all.
Jumping off the building, Morgana readied himself to take out the grimm in one fell swoop. However, a thought ran through his head. 'What if they shoot me?!' he screamed internally. He was essentially a monster cat right now, he could easily be mistaken as some kind of mutant grimm thingy. One the adults would have no guilt of shooting as they were on a high of adrenaline. He could take a bullet or two but that shit hurts!
With a poof of smoke, Morgana turned into his cat form. He would use his persona for this situation. These beasts would be given no mercy.
None whatsoever.
They ran as fast as they could. He and his wife carrying their children as far as they could take them, before realising they had to put them down and let them run on their own.
His right forearm slashed at by the grimm that crashed into their house, that very same grimm ramming itself onto his wife and twisting her ankle. The hand guns he carried in the house saving their lives.
They ran as far as they could, almost making it to town hall, where everyone would be heading in the case of a grimm attack.
The town wasn't prepared for this one however, the intensity behind this attack unlike any that has happened before.
Nevermores swooped down and crashed into their broadcast tower, destroying their means of communication with the city just an hour away. Ursa and beowolves, stampeded the front gates, quickly overwhelming the people in charge of watch duty, before entering the town in numbers too many to count. The town had grown lax from the peace it seemed, and because of it they would pay dearly.
He heard a cry and turned around to see what was wrong. His wife had fell, and his children were trying to get her back up. Begging her to keep going, that they were only a few blocks away from the hall itself. That they would be safe there.
That was when the grimm had surrounded them.
Quickly telling his children to get behind him, he held the gun towards the grimm, more than willing to blow their heads off the moment they came close. His wife did the same, covering his six, fighting the pain in her leg in order to leave no blind spots. The family boxed themselves to the building, their backs facing behind it in order to leave no surprise attacks on their flanks.
They would be damned if they let any of their children die right here and now.
The beowolves took stance, ready to pounce on them at a moments notice. They knew the couple couldn't kill all of them at once. That they could at least maul a few members of the family, maybe even all of them if they were lucky.
Of course, the grimm weren't lucky, not this time at least.
Before they could pounce, a 'poof' could be heard above them. Confused by the noise, the grimm looked up, only to find a cat had leapt from the top of the building, landing between them, and the family. A black cat with a yellow collar, and blue eyes that seemed to glow amidst the fire and chaos around them. It was poised to strike back at the grimm, its stance threatening, yet…
A cat. A rather small one too, mind you.
The grimm could only stare at it. Almost perturbed by its sudden arrival. The family could only gawk at the pet in front of them.
The cat growled, threatening the grimm, as if daring them to strike.
The beowolves, being the harbingers of destruction that they were, did the only thing appropriate at the moment.
They howled. Not as a threat, but in amusement. Entertained that such a small creature would try and stand up against them.
The cat, however, didn't seem to like that.
Not one bit.
The cat howled, its voice holding a power indescribable to those present. A hurricane appeared out of nowhere, wisps of green accompanying it, as well as lighting between the waves of wind. The grimm stood no chance against the whirlwind as they were in the center of it. When it was all over, all that was left of the beasts was black smoke rising, a clear sign telling that they were killed.
The family stared in awe, unsure of what just happened.
The cat, smug with its accomplishment, turned around to face them. Its eyes locking onto the wounds of the two adults, the cuts and scrapes of the children also in mind.
With another sound from the cat, a green glow covered the family, ribbons of light moving around them. If one paid attention they would have noticed that the ribbons of light had created a few hearts before disappearing.
The family looked at one another, their cuts and scrapes all gone, their bodies looking as thought they had just bathed. The woman looked at her ankle in wonder, experimentally putting weight on it before realizing it was just fine. The man looking at his arm, the pain no longer there. Quickly ripping off the bandages to realize that bleeding had stopped, and that there no longer a gash on it.
Just what the hell was this cat?
Before they could thank the feline, it meowed and ran away from them. It took off towards town hall, running down the street that led to it. It turned around and meowed at them, almost telling them to follow.
Remembering the situation they were in, the man quickly told everyone to start running, that they weren't out of the woods just yet. The family ran towards town hall, more effectively now that his wife's leg was now healed. What happed he wasn't too sure, but he was sure of one thing.
That cat saved their lives.
He would get that cat a present when this was all over.
That was a promise.
Ren decimated any grimm that stood in his way, using his gun and blade to put them to rest the moment they were in striking range. All the while running toward the town center. He would've used his personas, but he had to use them sparingly, knowing full well that he couldn't burn himself out.
Up ahead, Ren noticed three bear like grimm standing in his path, the same kind of grimm he and Morgana had tested their abilities on. The bear grimm noticing him, took position, waiting for him come into striking range. They would allow him to strike first, before they would crush him altogether Their tough hides more than enough to take on a simple knife.
Too bad Ren saw it coming a mile away.
"Lucifer, Heat riser" Ren called out. The effects of the spell hitting him immediately. His speed, power, and defenses enhanced, Ren ran straight at the Ursai, going fast enough that he could be only described as a blur. Ren closed the gap between him and the grimm in half a second, the Ursai only noticing him when he was already an arms length away from them. Surprised by the speed of the human, the bears struck at the spot Ren was currently in. Cracking the concrete beneath them, they expected to find a bloody, battered human underneath the clutches.
Except he wasn't.
The sound of a gun cocking from above, the Ursai looked up, the sight being one to remember. The human was smirking, upside down in the air, his gun pointing at them. The Ursai opened their mouths, attempting to roar at the man, only for their heads to be blown up. Their bone mask doing nothing to stop the speeding projectile from penetrating their faces.
Reorienting himself in the air, Ren landed in a crouch. Stopping his momentum, he looked around see if there were any more grimm heading towards him or blocking his way to the town hall.
There were none.
It seemed that he dealt with all of them.
How convenient.
Gun shots and screams could still be heard ahead of him however. He ran as fast as his feet could carry him, heat riser still in effect, he became a blur to the human eye. Ren activated his third eye, scanning out what was ahead of him, noticing the aura of red coming from the town hall.
Enemies. Lots of them.
Reaching the town square, Ren took in the sight, as much as he wanted to look away this was the reality these people lived in. This was something he would have to acknowledge while staying in this world.
Dozens of grimm swarmed the area, and while he wasn't sure what their names are he could tell what animals they derived from. Grimm shaped as bears, boars, and small dinosaurs infested the town square. All trying to break their way through the gate that led to the town hall building. Ren had to say he was kind of impressed.
That was one hell of a gate. If it was able to keep the grimm out for so long.
He could see that people were firing bullets at the grimm, prioritizing those that were trying to climb the gate itself. The grimm who did manage to enter the courtyard were quickly dealt with by a garudyne courtesy of Morgana.
Wait a minute- Morgana?
Narrowing his eyes, he could faintly see his black cat sitting on the front step of town hall. By the looks of it he stationed himself there so that no grimm could enter the building. The cat throwing out wind spells to whoever got too close for his liking.
Morgana on guard duty. Nice~.
However, despite knowing Morgana was more than capable of taking out this horde. The cat prioritized protecting the people before taking out the enemy. It was because of this that Ren knew that Morgana would run out of steam eventually. The cat was probably saving his energy for healing those who needed it. And as such, it was Ren responsibility to deal the with the monsters out front.
Ren smirked at the prospect.
Walking to the space behind the horde; silently, yet at a brisk pace. Reaching his destination, Ren looked at the back of horde, all the while smirking.
A wave of power burst forth from him, destroying the grimm closest to him, while blowing away the fortunate few ahead of them.
Silence followed shortly after.
The horde turned around. Their eyes screaming murder, and a slow ending for whoever it was who interrupted them. Snarls, growls, and grunts escaped the grimm's mouths. Their eyes locking onto the masked man in front of them.
Summoning Paradise to his right hand, and Destruction on the left. Ren braced himself for the battle to come. A demonic smile painting its way onto his face.
Apologies.
He was mistakened.
This wouldn't be a battle.
It would be a one-sided massacre.
