Rebel Against the Female-Supremacy World

by JHDanimefan

Right before their summer vacation could begin, Igor and Lavenza summons the Phantom Thieves into the Velvet Room, where they meet Ichika Orimura, and learn about the hardships, abuse, and unjust life he suffers from regularly. Upon learning of the injustices Ichika faces, the thieves are sent to the I.S. Universe to recruit Ichika, help him fight back against his unjust world.

1. Prologue

Prologue: The Velvet Room's New Visitor

Summary: Six months after the events of Persona 5 Royal, Ren Amamiya is about to return to Tokyo for a summer vacation alongside his girlfriend, Sumire Yoshizawa, and the rest of his fellow Phantom Thieves. However, their road trip ends up taking a detour when Igor summons them all to the Velvet Room, and introduces them to Ichika Orimura, the lone male Infinite Stratos pilot. After suffering from countless acts of abuse by his harem and older sister, as well as the female supremacy spreading distortion worldwide for the last ten years, Igor and Lavenza send the team over to Ichika's world to free him from his abuse, awaken to his inner power, and fight back against both his abusers and female-dominant world.

All characters belong to their respective owners.

-Persona 5 (Royal) belongs to Altus/SEGA

-Infinite Stratos belongs to Izuru Yumizura

All that said, please enjoy the first chapter of Rebel Against the Female-Supremacy World.

Date: July 24th - Evening

Six months had passed ever since Ren Amamiya, leader of the Phantom Thieves, had left Tokyo, leaving his friends/fellow thieves behind. Having his criminal record finally cleared, Ren was able to transfer back to his old high school as a third-year student once he got back to his hometown. His welcome back was marked by all kinds of apologies, from both students and faculty alike. The people at Ren's old school felt guilty for believing he would do something as bad as assault. In the wake of Masayoshi Shido's confession of his crimes, and after the Phantom Thieves brought the general public to their senses by stealing the Holy Grail, the truth of what happened to Ren finally came to light.

Upon returning home, Ren decided to leave his parents' house for good, since they had no problems throwing him out in the first place. His parents were so highly busy and strict, that they hardly cared if their own son even existed. After moving out, the ex-leader of the Phantom Thieves decided to rent a small apartment for both him and his pet cat, Morgana. The two had been living peacefully in the countryside ever since.

During the past six months, the young teenager had mostly been studying for his classes, playing video games, and working part-time jobs. Because Ren could no longer change evil hearts, living in the countryside had become quite monotonous to him. It was not as if Ren hated living in Tokyo; however, he did wish that he got to go there via a means that did not involve probation. He still had thoughts about all the memories he made with the other Phantom Thieves, whether it be going to festivals, hanging out in Leblanc's attic, or just living life as normal teenagers would.

On the very last mission he and his friends had ever been on, they found themselves fighting Dr. Takuto Maruki, the former counselor of Shujin Academy. Dr. Maruki was a man who wished for nothing more than to erase all the pain and suffering from within people's hearts so that they could live happier lives. In researching cognitive pscience, especially when Dr. Maruki asked for Ren to assist him, Dr. Maruki was able to write a complete paper about how he could not only read people's hearts, but heal their pain from the collective unconscious itself.

Unfortunately, this caused Maruki to awaken his Persona, and reshape reality into a world in which no one could ever feel pain or sorrow. Anything that originally caused sadness to someone had been completely removed as if it never happened. While it might not sound like a bad thing, a reality in which no one suffers from hardships hinders people from growing or striving for their goals. By granting everyone's wishes, Dr. Maruki managed to brainwash the general public, keeping them from moving past the hardships that had originally brought them growth in the first place.

Among those victims was a girl Ren had been growing quite attached to ever since he first moved to Tokyo. A young, red-haired, energetic first-year named Kasumi Yoshizawa. Upon first meeting the young redhead, Ren saw a spunky, confident athlete who always worked hard in gymnastics. Over time, Ren and Kasumi grew very close, as they began falling for each other.

Once Ren, Kasumi, and Goro Akechi realized that Dr. Maruki was the Palace Ruler responsible for creating the happy reality, he revealed to Ren that the Kasumi he always knew was actually her younger sister, Sumire Yoshizawa. At that moment, Ren learned that the real Kasumi was hit by a vehicle and died, due to Sumire's depression, jealousy, and lack of confidence resulting in her running into ongoing traffic. Because she admired Kasumi so much, Sumire had always wished that she was just like her. As soon as Sumire first spoke to Dr. Maruki, two months before he became a counselor at Shujin, he granted her wish to live life as Kasumi as if the younger sister had died instead.

Despite the hardships she had to face after regaining her memories, and after Ren snapped all his friends out of Maruki's reality, they helped Ren fight off Sumire's corrupted Persona, Cendrillon, in the palace. Having regained her senses, Sumire decided to embrace her true self and vowed to honor her dead sister's wishes and work even harder in gymnastics to continue pursuing her dream as a top gymnast.

After Sumire awakened to the true power of her Persona, and as she and Ren began spending more and more time together, they ultimately confessed their love for one another and became a couple. The two had then grown even closer, creating their very own showtime attack to use in the Metaverse, and even spent some time together during Valentine's Day in Leblanc and at a fancy restaurant on White Day, thanks to Sojiro's connections to said restaurant. After only being in a relationship with his crush for around two to three months, Ren felt a little saddened when he was forced to return home. Not to mention, leaving all his friends behind back in Tokyo. Just before the Phantom Thieves said their goodbyes and went their separate ways, they promised that as soon as Ren returned to Tokyo, they would reunite once again.

The date is now July 24th, the last day of school for Ren and his friends before their summer break begins. Now, Ren and Morgana are having dinner in their apartment, already having their luggage packed for tomorrow. After getting in touch with his old friends just last week, Ren decided they should all get together once summer vacation rolls around. After being away for six months, the ex-leader of the Phantom Thieves could not be more excited to see all his friends again.

As Ren ate his curry, his roommate and pet cat, Morgana, looked up from his bowl.

Morgana: "Boy, I still can't believe it's been nearly six months since we left Tokyo. Are you as excited to see everyone as I am, Ren?"

Ren looked down at the black feline and patted his head, making Morgana purr.

Ren: (Smiles) "Morgana, I don't think I could've been any more excited. Ever since that last mission with Maruki's reality, things have gotten... awfully boring for me. I mean, sure it's always been pretty dull here in the countryside, but...without any evil hearts to steal, it just... (Sighs) makes me wonder if I'll EVER return to the Metaverse again."

Morgana nodded as he jumped up onto the circular table in front of Ren's food.

Morgana: "Yeah, I get what you're saying. Even with Shido in custody, Yalbadoth's defeat, and Dr. Maruki's reality being no more, I can't deny how much I still miss the good old days of changing evil hearts. Still, even IF the Metaverse is gone, that doesn't mean our summer trip with the whole team won't be fun. After all, I hear Sumire's coming with us too. Do you remember reading about her in the newspaper last week? She got FIRST place in the summer meet this time around. Why don't we think of this trip as a celebration for her?"

Ren chuckled for a moment as he recalled the adorable smile and personality of his girlfriend from all the times they had spent together. Sure, he could still reach out to her and his other friends occasionally via text, but it never felt the same as hanging out with them in person. A part of him still wished he learned the truth about who she was sooner so that the two could be together more quickly, but the past is the past. Ren had promised that once the team began the road trip, he would spend more alone time with Sumire.

Ren: "That's actually not a bad way of seeing it, Morgana. Plus, it'll certainly be nice to see Sojiro again. I want to show him how much better I've gotten through his teachings."

Morgana: (Smiles) "Ah yes, the art of both coffee and curry. I'm sure the chief will be happy to hear how you haven't let his lessons go to waste upon returning home. The cafe you work at has given you QUITE a good income in your paychecks with how well their business is. If it weren't for you, they would've gone out of business ever since their last part-timer quit. Even most of the students and staff from your school can't help but want a taste of Ren Amamiya's special curry, alongside a hot cup of his fresh coffee to boot."

Ren: (Chuckles) "Heh heh heh. Yeah, you certainly got that right."

Once Ren moved out, he decided to apply for a part-time job at a local cafe that nearly went out of business after its last curry chef died of a heart attack. The local curry is what made the cafe so popular, and they needed to hire a new curry chef asap. The restaurant tried hiring a new part-timer, but he found the job too strenuous with his work schedule, therefore leading him to quit. Ren decided to apply for the empty position right away, after telling the manager how he underwent training by a skilled professional in making curry. The manager was skeptical at first, due to Ren being a high school student, but decided to give him a chance anyway. After Ren made the manager some curry, the manager was amazed at how amazing Ren was and decided to hire him right away. Ren also knew about both coffee brewing and the different types of coffee beans, making him a more flexible employee. Even though Ren was only able to work during night hours, or in the mornings when he had days off, the cafe was able to get back on its feet and attract an even wider array of customers than before, allowing the manager to pay Ren a little extra on busy days.

During his employment, Ren was able to give lessons to new part-timers so that the manager could give Ren some time off. It took a while, but in the end, Ren was able to tutor them just fine when making good curry. Ren also told his manager about the summer trip he and his friends were going on, and the manager happily decided to let Ren go on it. With how Ren taught both new part-timers and current employees about making curry, the manager decided to let him have fun with his old friends due to it being his last year of high school. Best to make the good times last, as they say.

Speaking of curry, Ren just so happened to finish up his dinner before getting up from his chair, walking to the sink, and washing his dishes. After he was done, the young man put his hand in front of his mouth before yawning.

Morgana: "Well, you certainly look beat. Best if we get to bed soon, okay? We've got a long train ride tomorrow."

Ren: (Yawns) "No need to tell me twice, Morgana. Just let me wash these other dishes, and I'll hit the hay. You go on ahead."

Morgana: "Alright. Just don't stay up too late. Night, Ren."

And with that, the black feline left for the bedroom, while Ren sighed upon the umpteenth time Morgana told him to go to sleep.

Ren: "Some things just never change, do they?"

Ren finished up with the last of the dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. After turning his dishwasher on, he walked over to his bathroom to change into his pajamas and brush his teeth before finally heading to his bedroom, where he found his *pet* already sleeping in the bed. Ren happily sighed as Morgana slept peacefully. Ren walked over to his bed, climbed in, and petted Morgana's head before covering himself up.

Ren: (Yawns) "Goodnight, Morgana."

Ren finally fell into a deep sleep, excited for tomorrow. However, just as Ren fell asleep, he started feeling as if he had been sleeping more deeply than usual. Ren had not felt anything like this in quite some time, as it felt quite familiar to him. Almost TOO familiar. It looked like his wish for being back in action might come true after all.

As Ren finally drifted into a heavy sleep, he woke up and found himself lying on a bed in a familiar blue cellblock. After raising his body and rubbing his eyes, he immediately recognized where he was. However, two things were different this time. One was that Ren did not have any prison clothes with a chain stuck to his leg, nor cuffs on his arms. As a matter of fact, Ren was wearing the same black pajamas he put on before bed. The second thing was that the cellblock door was unlocked and opened. Once Ren turned his head towards the entrance to the cell, he gasped as he spotted two familiar figures.

One of the figures happened to be a bald, long-nosed man with a black business suit, and creepy-looking eyes. The other figure was a young, blond-haired girl that looked to be around the age of twelve. She had a blue attendant's outfit, a hairband with two butterfly wings on each end, and was holding a large tome in her left hand. As Ren immediately recognized who the two were, he stood up from the prison bed and slowly walked towards the cell entrance. Igor, the long-nosed man, chuckled after seeing his former guest wake up and make eye contact with him.

Igor: (Chuckles) "Welcome to the Velvet Room, my young wild card. I must say, it's been quite some time since we've last met, hasn't it?"

Lavenza, the girl to Igor's left, smiled and nodded in Ren's direction as he exited the cell.

Lavenza: (Smiles) "Yes, welcome back, my dear trickster."

Ren: (Surprised) "IGOR?! And... LAVENZA?!"

Ren remained surprised for a moment before giving a light chuckle to the two Velvet Room residents.

Ren: (Smiles) "Ha-ha. It certainly has been a while; I'll tell you that. I take it you summoned me for something important?"

Lavenza: (Nods) "Indeed. But it is not just YOU we have summoned here, dear trickster. Please focus your attention toward the other open cells."

Ren: "Hmm?"

Loud Male Voice: (Groans) "Uh, why do I feel like I crawled out of a... (Stammers) W-W-WHAT THE HELL!?"

Ren looked towards the cell to his right, as he knew good and well whose voice that was. But just before Ren could speak, he heard other voices as well, all feeling quite displeased with the first voice's loud reaction.

Annoyed Female Voice: "Ugh, do you ALWAYS have to be so loud, Ryu...Wait, WHAT?! This isn't MY room!"

Calm Male Voice: "Hmm? That's odd. I don't recall sleeping on a prison bed back at my dorm."

Innocent Female Voice: "Nor do I. But doesn't this place look...oddly familiar to anyone?"

Mature Female Voice: "Yeah...you're right. (Realizes) Hold on, could that mean?!"

Spunky Female Voice: "Oooooh. Didn't think I'd end up back here again."

Ren recognized every last one of those voices, as the owners of said voices started coming out of their open cells. Ren gasped in amazement as his assumptions WERE indeed correct. The people stepping out of the prison cells were Ren's old teammates. To Ren's left, and down the line of people, there stood Ryuji Sakamoto, Ann Takamaki, Yusuke Kitagawa, Haru Okumura, Makoto Nijima, and Futaba Sakura. Ren was almost at a loss for words to see his whole team with him here in the Velvet Room. The very same friends he met during his probation in Tokyo and later became members of the Phantom Thieves as time passed.

Ren: (Shocked) "G-GUYS?!"

Ryuji looked to his right, just as everyone else in the room did when they heard Ren's voice. They all became just as surprised as Ryuji when they saw Ren.

Ryuji: (Surprised) "R-REN?! I-Is that you, man?!"

Ryuji smiled at the sight of his best friend.

Ren: (Surprised) "Y-Yeah, it's me Ryuji."

Ren smiled back at the blond teenager before walking up to him and giving his best friend a high five. However, their happy moment was cut short after an irritated Ann spoke up.

Ann: (Annoyed)"Ugh, you're lucky I don't have anything to throw at you right now, Ryuji."

Ryuji jumped back feeling confused as to why Ann was feeling so upset at him.

Ryuji: (Shocked) "What?! ME?! What did I do?"

Yusuke walked toward Ren, Ryuji, and Ann before sighing in disbelief at Ryuji's cluelessness.

Yusuke: (Sighs) "Ryuji, your ability to function as an alarm clock and wake everyone up is beyond humorous."

Ryuji: (Agitated) "Well, EXCUSE me for waking up in an effing JAIL CELL of all places!"

Ryuji slammed his right fist on the bars of the cell he walked out of after finishing his sentence, causing Makoto to grunt in annoyance.

Makoto: (Annoyed) "Are you guys ALWAYS this cranky when you wake up?!"

Futaba: (Gremlin laughs) "Mwhehehehehe, this is even better than a late-night comedy show."

Haru sweat dropped at Futaba's reaction with a worried face.

Haru: (Worried) "That might be a little harsh, Futaba-chan."

However, before anyone else could say anything, they heard another feminine voice to the left of the cell Futaba exited from.

Confused Feminine Voice: (Panicking) "H-HUH?! W-WHERE AM I?! H-Have I been...kidnapped? Arrested?"

Ren immediately recognized that voice just as much as the rest of the thieves did.

Morgana: "Hey, is that...?"

Morgana walked beside Ren in his Metaverse form.

Ren: "M-Morgana?!"

The rest of the thieves looked to Ren's side and were surprised to see Morgana (Mona) in his true form again.

Ann: (surprised) "W-What?!"

Yusuke: (smiles) "Well, I'll be."

Haru: (excited) "Mona-chan!"

Futaba: "MONA!"

Futaba ran over to Morgana, crouched down, and started rubbing his cheeks, much to Morgana's displeasure.

Morgana: (Agitated) "H-HUH! H-HEY, Cut that out!"

Confused Feminine Voice: "H-Huh? Morgana-senpai?"

Everyone turned their heads back towards the open jail cell and saw that the person walking out was none other than Sumire Yoshizawa, with her red hair down and wearing black pajamas. Futaba stops rubbing Morgana's cheeks after she sees Sumire, thus making Futaba stand up. However, none of the thieves were as surprised as Ren when he saw his girlfriend.

Ren: (Speechless) "S-S-S..."

Everyone: (Surprised) "SUMIRE?!"

Sumire became just as surprised as she saw the whole group. Once she turned her head to see Ren on the far end, her eyes began tearing up in happiness.

Sumire: "R-R-Ren-senpai?"

Sumire slowly walked toward Ren with tears before running toward him, hugging Ren tightly and crying into his chest.

Sumire: (Happy)"REN-SENPAI! (Sobs) I-It... It really IS you. Oh, I missed you so much."

Ren, now snapping out of his speechless state, smiled as he looked down at his girlfriend. Ren embraced her back tightly and stroked her hair as she happily cried into his shoulder.

Ren: (Smiles) "I missed you too, Sumire."

The rest of the Phantom thieves were awed at how cute Ren and Sumire looked together as they embraced one another.

Ann: (Gushes) "Awww, you two look SO cute together."

Yusuke brought out his fingers in a picture format as if Ren and Sumire were in the lens of his imaginary camera.

Yusuke: "Ahh, what magnificent beauty in the embrace of love. I truly do wish I had my sketchbook with me."

Haru: (Giggles) "Hehehehe, I do have to admit, this would make for a nice art piece in a museum. What would you call it?"

Futaba: (Ponders) "Hmm, how about 'The Thieves Who Stole Each Other's Hearts?' That has a nice ring to it."

Ryuji: "Ooooh, not a bad name, Futaba. I like it."

The rest of the team happily laughed with Ren and Sumire as they embraced one another. Lavenza herself could not help but giggle at how cute the Phantom Thief couple looked. After a moment, Ren and Sumire broke the embrace before standing in front of each other, and Sumire began to wipe her eyes.

Sumire: (Sniffs) "I... I still can't believe it. This...almost feels like a dream."

Igor: (Chuckles) "Hehehe, you're actually not that far off, my dear young lady."

Sumire turned her head to her left and saw Igor sitting behind the warden's desk. Once she looked at Igor, she immediately felt intimidated by the scary-looking man.

Igor: "Welcome to the Velvet Room."

Sumire: "EEP!"

Sumire ran and hid behind Ren, shaking in fear from seeing Igor.

Sumire: (Shakes) "W-W-Who are you? And... w-w-what do you mean by...Velvet Room?"

Lavenza: (Calm) "Rest assured. Neither my master nor I mean any harm to you. However, now that I think about it, this is your first time visiting here, is it not? I don't believe you were allied with the other tricksters when the malevolent god, Yalbadoth, attempted to fuse both the real world and cognitive world if I last recall."

Igor: "Indeed. She had just recently joined when the human, Takuto Maruki, changed the reality of their world. So, her reaction just now is quite understandable."

Sumire looked up at Ren still feeling frightened.

Sumire: "S-S-Senpai?"

Ren smiled and placed his right hand on her shoulder. This, in turn, caused Sumire to blush, but also calm down.

Ren: (Smiles) "It's okay, Sumire. They're friends."

Sumire: "A-Are you sure?"

Morgana: "Yeah. Ren's been in the presence of Master Igor and Lady Lavenza more times than I can count, specifically in this very location."

Sumire: (Jumps in shock) "WHAT?! W-Wait, so...you've been in this *Velvet Room*...MULTIPLE TIMES!?"

Ryuji walked over to Sumire and Ren.

Ryuji: "Yep, and for some reason, every time he goes in, we can't see him enter. Remember all the times our leader was just staring off into space outside the entrance of either Mementos or Maruki's Palace? That'd be because he was here creating new Personas."

Sumire: "Oh. OHHHHHHHH. I get it now. Or at least, I think I do."

Ann: (Sighs) "Yeah, I'm not gonna lie, the whole process is pretty confusing depending on whose point of view you're looking at it from."

Makoto: "From what we already know, for those who are still new to this place, this *Velvet Room* appears to exist in some sort of dream world Ren can access whenever he wants to so that he can create new personas from the Shadows he faces, due to being what Igor and Lavenza call a *wild card*, and is even able to meet up with them whenever he's sleeping."

Yusuke: (Realizes) "Ah, I see now. The reason we were all brought in here was because the general public believed that the Phantom Thieves had just been a wild dream made up by high schoolers all along."

Haru: "And because no one believed in us anymore after Shido's confession, it caused all of us to be taken inside the Velvet Room as if we actually WERE a dream to everyone in Japan."

Ann: "Huh. Makes enough sense to me."

Ren: (Nods) "In any case, the Velvet Room is, as Igor would state it, *a place that exists between dream and reality*. Everyone in the real world is asleep, and we're all meeting together as if it were a dream."

Ren then turned his head towards Igor and Lavenza with a smile, before stepping aside to his left to bring Sumire out of cover.

Ren: (Smiles) "And, just as Ryuji and Makoto said earlier, those two are the reasons I was able to rehabilitate myself in reality, create new Personas through the fusions of the ones I gather from Shadows, and save our world from being taken over by Shido, Yalbadoth and Dr. Maruki."

Sumire sighed in relief before stepping past him.

Sumire: "I see."

Sumire then smiled and bowed her head toward the two Velvet Room residents.

Sumire: (Smiles)"Well then, please allow me to thank you both for helping Ren ever since he, Ryuji, Ann, and Morgana-senpai founded the Phantom thieves last year. I am eternally grateful."

Sumire raised her head before putting on an apologetic look, feeling as though she had probably offended Igor.

Sumire: (Concerned) "And I... apologize for my behavior earlier...uh...Mr. Igor. I didn't mean to offend you."

Igor: (Chuckles) "Ha ha ha, you do not need to apologize, child. As Lavenza and I have said before, you have never once been summoned to the Velvet Room until now."

Lavenza: "Especially with all the other tricksters still getting used to this place. Oh, and you're very welcome."

The other thieves watched as the newcomer of the Velvet Room finally understood what was happening around her. Sumire also sighed in relief, knowing that she had not upset the master of the Velvet Room. However, just as Igor and Lavenza mentioned summoning the whole group, Ryuji was the first to speak.

Ryuji: "Oh, yeah. I almost forgot."

Ryuji walked towards Igor's desk with an angry look on his face and slammed his hands on the desk from the opposite side of where the long-nosed man was sitting.

Ryuji: (Furious) "WHAT IN THE EFF, MAN!?"

Morgana: (Scolds) "RYUJI!"

Ryuji: (To Morgana) "Zip it, cat!" (To Igor) "What's the big idea bringing us all here, Big Nose?! Think you could've, oh I dunno, given us a little warning BEFORE sucking us into this crazy dream wor-!"

Just before Ryuji could finish his sentence, Lavenza slapped him across the face, causing Ryuji to fall to the ground and look up at the short girl glaring at him.

Lavenza: (Upset) "I will not tolerate you talking to my master in such a rude manner, inmate. Apologize!"

Ryuji: (Rubbing his face) "Ow. Did ya have to hit me so hard, Shortstack?"

Instead of feeling phased, Igor couldn't help but chuckle at how humorous the young blonde was. To Igor, it seemed as if Ren had made quite a unique group of friends, including Ryuji. While he may be loud and vulgar, Igor had to admit that his outbursts and short temper made him quite a hilarious individual. Lavenza looked up at his master, fearing that he might be angry at Ryuji.

Lavenza: (Worrisome) "M-Master?"

Igor: (Chuckles) "Heh heh heh. It's quite alright, Lavenza. His reaction to being summoned out of the blue gives him every right to feel alarmed. In whichever case, he's right. I do believe it's time we got down to business, shall we?"

Lavenza almost forgot about why they summoned the whole Phantom Thieves group in the first place as if her master had not reminded her.

Lavenza: "Oh, yes. Of course."

Ryuji stood back up, throwing a scoff at the blond-haired attendant, before walking back to the other thieves.

Ryuji: (Scoffs) "Finally."

Morgana: (Sighs) "Well, at least it's good to see that you haven't changed, Ryuji."

Ryuji: (Annoyed) "Oh, shaddup."

Igor then took a deep breath before speaking.

Igor: "Now that we have all that out of the way, I believe it's time I explained the reason behind your summoning. As you are all aware, you, the Phantom Thieves, have fought the distortion of your world for a year, and have even succeeded in defeating both the god of control and a man who absorbed his power, which in turn changed the hearts of the general masses. However, in the end, both the Metaverse Navigator and Mementos have long since vanished upon the completion of your last mission six months ago."

Ren: (Nods) "That sounds about right.

Morgana: "So, why did you summon all of us instead of just Ren and I?"

Lavenza: (Raises her voice) "Please, remain patient! We will kindly answer any questions you may have later. Carry on, Master."

Igor: "Thank you, Lavenza. *ahem* Even though you have cleaned out the distortion of your world, that does not mean you have done so for other worlds. Especially, one in particular."

Morgana: "Other..."

Ren: "...Worlds?"

Futaba: "You mean... more than just our world and the Metaverse?"

Lavenza: "Well, yes and no. But before I go any further, I want you all to tell me something. Do you miss fighting the distortion of reality? Do you still feel the need to do more even with the Metaverse no longer existing, in your reality that is?"

Lavenza's statement had left most of the thieves in a confused state.

Ryuji: "Uh, what and what? I'm sorry, but...You had me...and you lost me."

Yusuke: "I'll admit, I too feel lost.

Makoto: "Well, The second question, sure. But for the first one...I think we can all answer."

Ann: "You mean if we missed being Phantom Thieves? Of course, we do. Our lives just haven't felt the same after Dr. Maruki."

Ryuji: "No shit, dude! Kicking Shadow ass with my Persona is prolly the most fun I've ever had, but now that I'm no longer changing the hearts of shitty criminals who cause trouble and think they can get away with it, my life just feels boring all the time. (Sighs) Boy, do I miss those good old days."

Haru: "I think we can all consider this a unanimous agreement. Right, Ren-Kun?"

Ren: (Nods) "Yeah, it sure feels that way. To be honest, my life just hasn't been all that thrilling ever since the Dr. Maruki incident. Without being able to change the hearts of rotten apples, things become pretty boring for me back in my hometown. Hell, Tokyo has felt WAY more like a home to me than the countryside's ever been.

Morgana: "I know what you mean. The apartment we live in is nice, but it's just not the same as Leblanc's attic. Sure, the only reason we were sent there was due to your past criminal record and all, but still."

Yusuke: "I also must admit that I haven't been able to think up as much...inspiration for my artwork as usual, ever since our Metaverse adventures had come to an end."

Igor: (Chuckles) "Well now, it seems as though you are all in agreement, yes?"

Makoto: (Nods) "We are. Ever since my college life started, I can't help but miss my last year of high school, changing the hearts of criminals with the others here."

Sumire: "Even though I wasn't part of the team until that last big mission, I truly did feel like I was in a place I belonged, with so many great friends who supported me even after learning who I really was."

Lavenza: (Giggles) "Good answers, everyone. As for my other question, I suppose we should explain it in more detail before anything else."

Ren: "You mean about us feeling like we can do more, even with the Metaverse of OUR reality gone? I must admit, I'm a little stumped on that."

Futaba pondered for a moment, before finally getting the big picture.

Futaba: (Gasps) "Wait? Are you telling us that..."

Before Futaba could finish her sentence, the whole group hears another voice not belonging to anyone that had spoken thus far.

Unknown Male Voice: "Ugh...What the?... I don't remember my bed being this hard."

The Phantom Thieves looked around but could not find the owner of the said voice.

Ryuji: (Surprised) "Uh...who said that?"

Igor: (Smiles) "Ah, perfect timing.

The whole group looked toward Igor as if he had been expecting someone else to arrive. The voice sounded like it belonged to a boy, but it was not one anyone in the group had heard of before. However, just before anyone else could ask who it was, the voice had begun to shout in panic.

Unknown Male Voice: (Surprised) "W-WHAT THE HECK!? WHERE AM I? Argh, have I been kidnapped AGAIN?!"

The group looked around the Velvet Room for the owner of the voice, until Ann raised her right hand and pointed her pinky finger towards a closed-cell block behind Igor, where she saw a person in the shadows quickly getting up from his cell bed as he looked around.

Ann: "Look, over there!"

Everyone turned their heads toward Ann's direction and saw that someone was indeed inside the cell. The mysterious individual in question heard Ann's voice and hurried towards the door before grabbing the bars and yelling in anger.

Unknown Boy: "HEY, LET ME OUT OF HERE, PHANTOM TASK!"

The Phantom Thieves could now make out the voice's owner upon seeing his face. The person inside the cell appeared to be a young teenage boy of average height with short, dark black hair, brown eyes, and a very slim body. Like everyone else who got summoned, the boy in question was also in his pajamas, which consisted of a light blue, short-sleeved top, and dark blue shorts. The boy in question looked toward everyone in the room with anger on his face. Ryuji spoke up in shock when he first saw the boy's face, feeling as if he recognized him at first.

Ryuji: (Shocked) "Huh? W-Wait a sec. Is that you, Mishima?"

Unknown Boy: (Confused) "Huh? Who's Mishima? Sorry, but...I think you've got me mistaken for someone else."

Ann: (Annoyed) "Agh, you moron. Why the hell would Mishima even be called here? He's not a Phantom Thief."

Ryuji: "Well...yeah, but...just look at that guy for a moment."

Ryuji pointed toward the guy in the cell with his right pinky finger.

Ryuji: "Doesn't he KINDA look like Mishima? With the short blue hair and all?"

Haru: (Uncertain) "Uhhh...I think his hair looks a bit more black than blue if you ask me."

Makoto: (Nods) "True, but I do have to admit that he does seem to share some similarities in appearance to Mishima if he grew a little taller."

Morgana: (Serious) "Yeah, but similarities aside, that guy isn't anyone I recognize from anywhere."

Ren: (Nods) "Nor have I. Who is he?"

Igor: (Chuckles) "Hehehe, patience, my young friends. You will all come to understand in due time. For now, I must say that you did well in summoning our new guest here, Lavenza."

Lavenza turned towards her master before smiling and bowing her head at him.

Lavenza: "Thank you, Master."

The boy, who looked a little like Yuuki Mishima, a former classmate of Ren's, spoke up, as he looked at the backs of Igor and Lavenza.

Unknown Boy: (Shouts)"HEY, WHO ARE YOU GUYS?! Are you the ones who took me here?! What do you want with me?!"

Lavenza: "Hmm, perhaps we should start bringing our new guest up to speed, Master."

Igor: "Agreed. If you may all step off the rug for just a moment. This won't take long."

Ren: "Oh, uh...okay."

Without any further questions, the Phantom Thieves walked backward against the cell blocks until their feet were off the rug. After doing so, the circular blue rug had begun to rotate counterclockwise, along with Igor's desk and Lavenza still on it.

Yusuke: "Oh. So that's why."

Futaba: (Amazed) "Ooooh. Didn't see that coming."

After a few more seconds, the circular rug had finished rotating 180 degrees, and Igor and Lavenza were now at face value with their new visitor, who looked just as shocked as the rest of the teenagers in the room. The mysterious boy shook his head for a second, before turning serious to his supposed "kidnappers."

Igor: "Welcome to the Velvet Room, my dear young man. I am delighted to make your acquaintance."

The boy in the cell found himself to be just as shocked as the other Phantom Thieves were for a moment before shaking his head left and right before speaking.

Unknown Boy: (Curious) "Velvet...Room? Where is that? And... who are you people?"

Igor: "My name is Igor. The young lady to my right here is my assistant, Lavenza."

Lavenza bowed her head with a smile toward their new guest.

Lavenza: "A pleasure to makeyour acquaintance, dear trickster?"

Unknown Boy: (Confused) "Uh...trickster? What do you mean by that?"

Igor: (Chuckles) "All in due time, my young friend. As for your earlier questions, this room is a place that exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. It is a room where only those who are bound by a contract may enter."

Lavenza: "In other words, you, in reality, are currently fast asleep, and have not been 'kidnapped' as you claim to be."

Unknown Boy: "Oh, so...I'm just dreaming? (Sighs in relief) Phew. Well, that's a relief."

The boy now realized something that contradicts what Igor just said earlier.

Unknown Boy: "Huh? Now, wait...hold on just a moment. Contract? What are you talking about? I never signed any contract! And... Furthermore, why would I be dreaming of a place like...this? And... WHY am I locked up in a jail cell OF ALL PLACES? ARGH, DAMN IT! WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!"

The young boy tightened his grip on the handlebars as he yelled all kinds of questions about why he was summoned.

Who is this mysterious individual brought into the Velvet Room? Why exactly was he summoned in the first place? And what exactly do Igor and Lavenza mean about the existence of different Metaverses in other worlds? All answers are hoped to be revealed next time in Chapter 2: The Distortion Brought by Infinite Stratos.

To Be Continued!

Persona 5 the Animation Opening

(Persona 5: The Animation: Opening 1 - Break In To Break Out (Lyrics))

"You're striking me down

With games and lies

I trusted you but I found

Your only true friend is your desire

For playin' round

You're out of your mind

You've lost control

I'm gonna take back what's mine

You'll never have my soul

This time you have really stepped across the line

Thieves in the palace (Full of tales and lies)

We gotta stake it (Burn it out)

Expose the malice (That they chose to hide)

It's just a break-in (To break out)

Breakin' in so we can break out

Breakin' in so we can break out

Breakin' in so we can break out

Breakin' out"

Rebel Against The Female-Supremacy World

(A Persona 5 Royal and Infinite Stratos Crossover Fanfic)