7/25 - Evening - Iwatodai Dorm - Ren

"Good evening, everyone," Ikutsuki greeted with a smile. Ren shifted his eyes to the person - more like a kid - next to the chairman. "Thank you for joining me at this abrupt meeting. I'm here to introduce you to a recent addition to SEES. Amada-kun if you would?"

Amada, presumably, nodded and took a step forward with a stern face. "My name is Amada Ken. I'll be staying here for a while."

As the other second-year students gasped in surprise, Ren glanced at the unsurprised third-year students. While Mitsuru looked on with stoicism, Akihiko seemed uncomfortable, inches from squirming on the spot. Did they know about this beforehand?

"Wait, he's joining us?!" Yukari asked. "He's a kid!"

"I understand that, but he has the potential," Ikutsuki said. "Shinjiro-kun found him wandering during the Dark Hour. Afterward, Shinjiro-kun sent him here to keep him safe. I came by the next day to help accommodate his transfer."

"Oh right, he left Yakushima early..." Fuuka murmured.

"While I cannot summon my Persona yet," Ken said, "I will learn how to use the spear."

"But you're a kid!" Yukari repeated before gasping. "Don't tell me they forced-"

Ken shook his head. "Actually, I asked to join. I believe I can be of some assistance."

"As you can see, it was his own decision," Ikutsuki said. "Again, it is important to reiterate that he cannot summon his Persona just yet. Because of that, while he will live in the dorm from now on, he cannot join any fieldwork. In the afternoons, he will be with me to help realize his potential."

Ken bowed. "Once again, I'll be staying here for a while. I'll try to stay out of everyone's way, so don't mind me."

'Well, this is new, for someone so young to fight as a Persona user, barring Sophia,' Ren thought. 'What kind of effect will that have on him? Why would he even ask to join us?'

-.-Take Your Time-.-

7/25 - Dark Hour - Ren's Dorm Room - Ren

Ren sighed as he leaned back in his chair after an eventful evening.

First, finding out an eleven-year-old is joining SEES and will fight with them in the future. It also implies that Ken will use the Evoker. A kid shooting himself on the head... His stomach squirmed at that thought, understanding what Yukari was saying during that meeting. It did not help that Ken asked to join, and that Ikutsuki was more than ready to let him in because of his 'potential'.

Second, he finally met the owner of Shinshoudo Antiques, an ex-Kirijo scientist, Enomoto Aya. She was a tanned woman with glasses who wore her hair in a low ponytail. While he was ready for an eccentric personality like Ikutsuki's, Ichinose's fake persona, or even Isshiki's playful nature, Enomoto was ready to discuss business, apparently already told by Takeharu beforehand. It was a change of pace from his experiences.

When they began, there was some sort of cloud constantly hanging over her head. Tired, defeated. It hurt him internally when he continued to talk with her. And without the Metaverse, he wasn't exactly sure how he could help her. However, there was still some fire and backbone left in her, clear in her vigor to help him. She was ready to give any information that could help create the weapons that might turn the tide against the Shadows.

While he wanted to prod her for her reasons, it didn't feel right to ask, considering this was just a business relationship. All things considered, it was pretty similar to the connections he made with his Confidants.

And finally, the topic that he's been trying to dodge for a while now: himself. Rather, the younger him. With Chihaya, Tanaka, and now the Hasegawa family confirmed to be alive, it should mean that he, Amamiya Ren, is here too, right? To see his younger self... He wasn't sure if it would cause a problem or something.

And that led to the same question he asked himself when he met this reality's Chihaya: was this the past or an alternate reality? Will the things he does here change his present? Can he change his own past?

The foggy night. The creepy smile. The mole underneath the dead, soulless eyes.

Ren sighed as a memory he buried deep came back again. He thought he was over it, especially when over five years passed already. It was the one regret that changed him, to wanting to do better, which led to him trying to stop Shido on that fateful night.

Would he be able to save-

Ren's head snapped up as he heard a door move and metal clink. Was that a door handle? Did someone just get back? But that made little sense; Kotone and he were the last people to get back for the night. That left two options: either some intruder got in or someone was leaving.

If it was the former, then did Strega finally find him after that night? Were they willing to fight him in his home territory with allies with him? Still, it has been over a month since he last saw them. Did they get stronger, enough to defeat him and his Fafnir?

If it was the latter, who would leave now? After that debacle in Yakushima, everyone had to tell Mitsuru or Akihiko that they were going out during the Dark Hour. And from what Ren knew, no one said they were going out for the night.

As Ren heard footsteps disappear in the hallway, he slowly got up and opened his door to peek, but he didn't see anyone. Akihiko and Junpei were the two closest to him, and he could hear both of them snoring. And considering that he wouldn't be able to hear doors on the floor above him, that left...

Ren checked over himself. His pajamas should be fine to go outside with. He quickly grabbed his gear, rushed down to the first floor, and was fast enough to see the main door close. Was it really Ken? While Ken wanted to join SEES at such a young age, Ren thought he was at least mature enough to not go out on his own. Still, it was happening now, and he had to follow Ken.

Ren stepped out into the cool night. While Tatsumi Port Island was a city of mainland Japan, it was still near the water, so the air was cool, like Yakushima's, even if it wasn't as fresh. While the streets were mainly empty, there were some Coffins here and there, along with the occasional puddle of blood. In the corner of his eyes, he saw movement to the left of the street. He ran to follow it, moving behind Coffins and cars to hide.

He was right; it was Ken that left the dorm. But where would he even go? Ken wore a sleeveless puffer jacket on top of his outdoor clothes. As he walked, he didn't stare at the Coffins or even at the puddles near him. Was he used to the Dark Hour already? But if Ikutsuki was to believe, they found Ken wandering in the Dark Hour when SEES was in Yakushima. Was he awake already? If so, how long has he been awake? How long has he known about the Dark Hour?

How did the Kirijo Group, a massive conglomerate that has been studying the Dark Hour, miss someone until now?

Ren frowned as he recognized his surroundings. 'This is...'

Ahead, Ken sat at the steps of the Naganaki Shrine next to a small Coffin and let out a small sigh. He looked into the sky and just...stared. He wasn't doing anything. Was he waiting for someone? No, that doesn't make sense, unless the Kirijo Group was so incompetent to miss not one, but two people walking in the Dark Hour.

Still, Ren kept himself hidden for a few minutes to make sure. When it was clear nothing was going to happen, he sighed and stepped out. His sudden appearance surprised Ken as he jumped from the stairs and seemed like he wanted to bolt immediately. He relaxed as he continued to stare at Ren but then frowned.

"Are you going to tell me to go back?" he asked.

Ren tilted his head. "Do you want me to?"

His question took Ken off-guard, and his face contorted to confusion. "What?"

"Do you want me to tell you to go back?" he repeated. "It's pretty clear that you're used to all this," he said as he waved his hands around him. "I'm curious, not mad."

Ken kept his eyes trained on him, as if waiting for Ren to do something to him. "Like what?"

"Like, why choose this place?"

"This...place?" Ken repeated. "You mean why the shrine?"

Ren nodded as he leaned back to a wall next to Ken. "Yep. Like I said, it seems like you're used to the Dark Hour, so why come to a shrine?"

Ken shifted his eyes away, glancing towards the small Coffin next to him. "It's where Koro-chan is."

"Koro-chan...? You mean Koromaru?" he asked. "Wait, he's in a Coffin?"

Ken nodded. "Always had. Even though he's inside a Coffin, I like the atmosphere here; it calms me down."

"I suppose shrines have that effect," Ren said in understanding. He glanced at Ken, and it seemed like he's a lot more relaxed now than before. Perhaps it's safe to ask more? "How long have you known about the Dark Hour?"

"W-what do you mean?"

"Like I mentioned before, you don't seem fazed by the Dark Hour. To me, it looks like you've known about it for a while now," Ren replied. The Dark Hour is not normal, and no one can be used to it after just a few days. Therefore, it makes sense that Ken has been in the Dark Hour before, long enough for him to be desensitized by his surroundings.

Silence stretched for a bit and the atmosphere became awkward.

'Did I push him too far?'

"I... I've known it for a long time," Ken answered. "It is my first time seeing others, though."

Ren nodded. That makes sense. Hard to think that someone could be out there when everyone was in Coffins, only made worse because there were no signs otherwise.

"Well," Ren began, "it'll be hard to let you go around on your own like this for a while now, or at least until you get your Persona. Be ready to be told that you can't go out alone."

"What?" Ken asked. "Why? I've always done this every day. Nothing happened."

"Nothing happened yet," Ren amended. "The dorm was attacked back in April. We don't want anyone being attacked while they're alone."

"I-I suppose that makes sense..." Ken murmured as he got up from his seat on the stairs.

"That doesn't mean that we have to go now," Ren said. "We can stay here until you feel like going."

"But you just said it's dangerous to go out during the Dark Hour."

"When alone and when no one knows," Ren said. "I brought my gear, and I left a quick note in the dorm to tell them I left."

"...You're stretching it..."

Ren shrugged. "I followed the rules, so it'll be fine. Mitsuru-senpai can't be too mad."

Ken stared at him like he was being impossible. Ren only laughed into the night.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

7/26 - Morning - Naganaki Shrine - Ken

Ken smiled as he stared at Koromaru, happily eating the takoyaki he bought from the strip mall. His eyes flickered at the small vase of white flowers next to the steps he sat on. Koromaru looked up from his breakfast and cutely tilted his head at him, catching his attention.

Koromaru was a pretty smart dog. It must have sensed the tur...turm...turmoil inside him.

He leaned over to give Koromaru a scratch, something that made him very happy as he barked and went back to eating. Ken stopped scratching, though he still leaned over Koromaru.

"Why are you still here, Koromaru?" he asked. "The priest isn't even here anymore."

He gave Koromaru a scratch again, and Koromaru whined as he leaned over to Ken.

"It's tough, isn't it? Being left behind."

To think that the only being out there that could probably understand him was a dog. He'd laugh if it wasn't so sad. Still, Koromaru stayed to protect the one place his master cared for. But what about him? He couldn't stay in his old home; his uncle took it and sold it, so his uncle moved him to the dorms. Years of being called crazy, never taken seriously, all led to discovering the truth, that he wasn't crazy, that he was right, and all the adults were wrong. That he might have found a lead to what killed Mom that night.

And so, he has to get stronger, get his Persona, and finally be able to fight so that he can find what exactly killed his mom. It may not be doable for a kid, but he wasn't an ordinary kid. Not ever since that night.

Koromaru's tail suddenly shot up straight as he turned to his right and began barking, though it wasn't the protective sort of barking. He looked at where Koromaru was staring and a girl waving at him greeted him.

"...Shiomi-senpai?" It took him a second, but he finally remembered. It was only last night that he was introduced to everyone, but it has been a while since he actually has to remember people, so it was tough to remember over five people all in one sitting. Still, with everyone's different personalities and hair colors - how does someone have naturally teal hair? - it wasn't as bad as it could have been. Shiomi reminded him of the afternoon sun: bright, cheerful, and possibly overbearing. Her red-orange hair didn't help.

Shiomi nodded as she approached Koromaru and him. "That's me! Kinda happy that you remembered my name so quickly!" she said with a giggle as she kneeled and petted Koromaru. Koromaru, possibly realizing that the new person wasn't a threat, leaned into the girl's palm. "Sorry to bother you, but Mitsuru-senpai wants to talk to you. You weren't picking up your phone, so she told me I might find you here."

"Mitsuru-senpai... You mean Kirijo-senpai?" he asked before checking his phone. There were a couple of missed calls from the newly added contact, Iwatodai Dorm, a few minutes ago. "I'm very sorry; I forgot to put my phone on sound."

Shiomi giggled again and stood up to her full height. "Don't worry, it happens to everyone. Sorry to leave you here like this, Koro-chan, but I need Ken here for a bit. He can come back after, okay?"

Koromaru barked again, and Kotone squealed. "Aww, who's the good boy?" she asked no one as she gave Koromaru another rub.

Ken could only look at her with mild confusion. First, Amamiya and now Shiomi. The first was someone who would bend the rules, and the second was childish. Weren't they supposed to be adults now and be mature?

Ken tightened his fist into a grip. Was everything going to be okay like this?

-.-Take Your Time-.-

7/26 - Early Morning - Iwatodai Strip Mall - Yuko

Yuko let out a deep sigh as she walked through Iwatodai Strip Mall

It was official: Kazushi was a dumbass.

Kazushi, the ace of the track team, got his knee injured last night. Now, as the track manager, Yuko knew these kinds of things happen: freak accidents, a pebble on the track, that sort of stuff.

However, Kazushi apparently knew about it, having felt pain for a while now. So, really, it wasn't that he got his knee injured, but more that Kazushi let it get worse. How long has it been going on? Only Kazushi knows. Yuko didn't ask while she ripped him a new one in the hospital. It didn't help when he said he was "toughing it out for his nephew." Yuko almost slapped him when the doctor said he might never run again.

What was the point of toughing it out if he was going to get injured, potentially never able to run again?! Wouldn't that give the wrong message to his nephew? To go for your dreams, even if it means losing any chance in the future?

Idiot! This is just a high-school-level track! It wasn't like he had to give up track forever if he stopped for this year. He could still be number one next year! What was the point of trying to help someone if it meant he'd lose everything he worked for? On top of that, if he lost everything, then he wouldn't be able to keep his promises!

Jerk.

So now, he's stuck in the hospital waiting for surgery. The operation won't be for a while now, so he's just sitting pretty on the bed, monitored by his own mother.

All that said, they were missing their ace for the upcoming training camp with Yasogami High. There was a rivalry with the track team there, and they always had a small competition during the summer camp. Without Kazushi, they couldn't even take part, especially since they didn't have a lot of members on the team, only enough to cover all the races with all the members they have.

Yuko let out another sigh. Kazushi's decision is hurting everyone, not just himself.

Fortunately, there was a hot spring in Inaba that apparently had medicinal properties. Since the track team was coming back before the surgery, Yuko managed to convince Kazushi's mother to let him go to Inaba for the hot spring, on the promise that he wouldn't do anything extracurricular. Hell, Yuko promised Kaz wouldn't step out of the inn at all. She'll have to talk about that with inn staff.

The hope is Kaz using that hot spring would help with the severity of the knee, maybe even heal him enough that he wouldn't have to use surgery. Of course, that was a tall order, but Kazushi bought it, so whatever. Anything to help him.

"So where am I supposed to find an extra runner?" Yuko asked herself out loud. Not just anyone could run, though they could lower the bar. They just need someone that ran with a bit of proper form, was fit, and actually willing to go to Inaba.

Yuko scoffed. "Akihiko-senpai would be perfect, but he's a boxer. Who would-"

All she heard were quick taps on the cement behind her. She turned towards the sound, and, for a split second, she saw him: Black, curly bush of hair on his head and a glare that would scare anyone away. However, he left as quickly as he came. He zoomed past her with a twirl to dodge her and a quick "Sorry!" then kept running along.

"Weird guy, but I guess now is as good a time for a morning run as any," Yuko said before squinting at the back of the boy's jacket. "Wait..."

She gasped and took off running after the guy. "I said wait!" As the team manager of the track team, she wasn't exactly unfit. Still, she had to run a bit to catch up to him, seeing as he ran pretty fast.

Luckily, the boy heard her, slowing down to an eventual stop. He turned towards her and took off his earphones. "Sorry about earlier. I didn't hit you, did I?" he said in between deep breaths.

Yuko stopped in front of him and took a closer look. The boy had a mop of hair that she'd recognize anywhere, so how does she not remember this guy? She shook her head. It'd be rude to keep quiet. "No, not at all. I was wondering about something else, actually. Where are you from? I recognize the Gekkoukan High School symbol on the jacket, but I don't think I've ever met you before."

The boy made a noise like he realized something. "That's because I'm a new transfer this year. My name is Amamiya Ren," he said as he held out his hand, which Yuko took.

"Nice to meet you, Amamiya-san. My name is Nishiwaki Yuko and I'm the manager for the track team at Gekkou High. Have you done any sort of track stuff before? I saw you had the form right. On top of that, you're quick."

"Um, yeah, actually. I had a friend who used to do track, and I was his practice partner for a while. Why are you asking?"

Oh, he's a perfect candidate. Some prior experience, had the proper form, AND looked pretty fit.

"I'd like to invite you to the track club!" Yuko said. "I'm not asking for full commitment right now; we have a few practice sessions on campus and a training session with another school in Inaba and we can use those as a sort of trial period. What do you think?" she asked nervously. The only thing left is to see if he actually wants to join. By setting up the practice and training sessions as a sort of trial period, she hoped she wouldn't scare him away. All she needs of him to just be there for the upcoming sessions. If he wants to stay after that, all the better for the team.

Ren hummed in thought. "Inaba, huh? Isn't that far away? Will I have to pay for accommodations?"

Oh? He's not rejecting the idea, at least.

Yuko shook her head. "Not at all. The school handles room-and-board, though expenses outside that will be out of your pocket."

Ren nodded slowly as her answer sunk in. "And when are all these happening?"

"Well..." Yuko said with a nervous laugh. "The on-campus sessions start tomorrow, lasting up to the 31st, and they happen during school hours. After that, we go to Inaba for two days and one night, so we're back here around the second of August." Crap, now it feels like her invitation is too sudden. He might say no now.

"That doesn't sound bad. A week to try it out? I'll take it," he said.

Wait, what?

"Wait, what?" she asked stupendously.

The boy laughed at her question. "I said I'll try it out. A week isn't too bad. I don't really have much during the day either, so I'm basically free, anyway."

"Really?!" Yuko asked. "Thank you so much! So, for tomorrow, just show up by the school entrance around eight or so. I'll walk you to the track and meet the team."

Ah, this is very good. That's one problem fixed.

She did an about-face and walked back to talk to Kaz about this. Now, they can actually play against the Yasogami team properly. Maybe they won't win, but that's okay; they just need to play against them.

Her shoulders suddenly felt a whole lot lighter.

-.-

"Wait, what about the paperwork?" Ren asked. However, the girl was already gone, skipping and humming to who knows where. "In and out like a storm," he muttered.

So, track, huh? Ryuji would have loved to hear that Ren was taking part in anything track-related, even though Ren himself felt track wasn't for him. Still, this track thing was very convenient. He could quit afterwards, saying that it isn't for him, with no repercussions. However, that wasn't the biggest thing.

Inaba, the town where they were going to hold the training session, and Ren's hometown. To think that he would have a very convenient reason to go to Inaba with no strings attached.

He felt himself smile at that thought. Hopefully, he'd see the younger him.

'I wonder what it would be like to see myself like that,' he thought. 'Maybe it's like an out-of-body experience but looking at a smaller body.'

Of course, that's all assuming he exists here. This would also answer if this were his past or this a different timeline.

"Futaba had a word for this..." he murmured. "What was it?"

After a second of thinking, it came back to him. "Oh, I think it was isekai."

-.-Take Your Time-.-

7/30 - Dark Hour - Naganaki Shrine - Ren

Ren yawned as he and Ken walked through the Dark Hour to the shrine again. It has been a few days since they assigned him to escort Ken. While it was originally Kotone, Ken surprised Mitsuru by choosing Ren instead of letting someone else decide for him. Mitsuru saw no problems with that, so Ren now minded Ken during the Dark Hour.

"Sorry," Ken muttered, just enough for Ren to hear.

"It's okay, no need to worry about me," Ren responded. "I've gotten used to working late. Plus, it's not like I'm losing sleep doing this."

Ken shook his head. "Still, if I knew you did track, I wouldn't have said anything..."

"But then you'd have Kotone do this, and she's in volleyball," Ren countered. "I knew what was going to happen, and I still accepted it. You did nothing wrong."

This time, Ken remained quiet with a small scowl.

Ren stopped walking, causing Ken to turn to him.

"Look, it does seem like I'm treating you like a kid because I keep insisting, but I'm not," Ren said, looking straight into Ken's eyes. "I'd do this for anyone. It doesn't matter if they're young like you or old like the couple in Bookworms; if they need help, I'll do my best to help them."

Ken stared back, but eventually sighed. "Alright. In this situation, I should just say thank you, right?"

"Got it in one," Ren said with a smile. He stood up and both of them began moving towards the shrine again. "How's training? Is it manageable?"

"Yes, it is," Ken replied. "I'm still trying to summon my Persona. Ikutsuki mentioned that it's most likely a mental block. Though, I'm not sure what the problem is," Ken murmured before looking up at Ren excitedly. "On the other hand, I've gotten better with the spear! I can swing it around with no problems, though the weight is still something I have to get used to."

"Gotcha," Ren said with a nod. "That said, don't be afraid to try other weapons. You don't want to pigeonhole yourself into a weapon when you could do better with another." Ren remembered when everyone switched weapons for a Mementos trip, just to try it out on Fox's suggestion. As expected, it went pretty bad: Skull got himself wrapped by Panther's whip; Panther couldn't even deal a single dent on the enemies with Skull's bludgeon; Fox and he had trouble with judging distance, where Fox often swung too far, missing the enemy, while he got too close to use Fox's katana; Morgana was too frail to use Queen's tekko properly; Queen didn't have the proper muscles to swing Noir's axe and create momentum; and Noir swung too hard, overcompensating for Morgana's scimitar.

Futaba had a field day with the video she recorded from that.

"Thank you, Ren-senpai, but I am set on using the spear," Ken said firmly. "I-"

A bark sounded through the Dark Hour. Ren and Ken stopped in their tracks, slightly confused about where the sound came from. They heard another bark, this time more desperate and hurt.

"That sounded familiar..." Ken muttered.

Ren turned to him. "Where did you hear that from?"

Ken's mind seemed to go at a hundred miles per hour, then his face contorted into horror. "That was Koromaru... That was Koromaru!" he shouted before suddenly running towards the shrine, Ren following right after.

A third bark shot through the night sky, this time far closer than before. Ren felt Ken's desperation as he ran faster than before. The two rounded the corner, finally seeing the shrine steps. In front of it, Koromaru faced off against a Shadow on two legs.

'A Gigas?' Ren thought. 'What's it doing here?!'

"What...?" Ken muttered. "That's him... He was the one that killed mom!"

Koromaru growled at the Shadow and jumped at it and bit the arm. The Gigas flailed its arm, trying to shake off the dog.

"Koro-chan! Hold on!" Ken shouted.

Before he could run to fight the Shadow, Ren grabbed his arm. "You can't! You don't have a Persona!"

"But Koro-chan-!"

"And that's why I'm here!" Ren grabbed his Evoker. However, as Ren drew out his Evoker from its holster, the Gigas grabbed Koromaru with its free hand and threw the dog at Ren. Koromaru slammed into Ren, and it sent him flying, rolling off the momentum to make sure that Koromaru wasn't hurt.

However, in the chaos, Ren let go of his Evoker. He set Koromaru behind him and stood up, Third Eye activated. He realized he was thrown far. Ken was about a block away from him, maybe even two. His eyes roamed across the street quickly until he saw his Evoker...right behind Ken.

Yet, Ken didn't notice, too focused on the incoming Gigas. The Shadow stalked towards Ken, and he shuffled backwards, tripping on his own legs. Ren ran with all his might, ready to rip his own mask if meant saving Ken.

Ken kept shuffling backwards, faster than before. His hands landed on the Evoker. His face relaxed in a moment of peace, and he immediately grabbed it. With a shout, he aimed at his forehead, staring right into the barrel, and pulled the trigger.

The Gigas pulled back his arm and sped toward him. However, flashes of light erupted around him, blocking him from Ken. Paper-tag-shaped light constructs flew from the ground and surrounded the Shadow. It tried to fight them back, gripping a few away from its body. However, it was ultimately futile. The tags shone and destroyed the Shadow and its soundless scream.

Ken took shallow, deep breaths before collapsing on his back, his chest heaving. Seems like the adrenaline finally ran out.

Ren finally reached him and loomed over him.

"I'm not sure if I should congratulate you or say I'm sorry for letting you do most of the work," Ren said with a smile. "Or maybe both."

"I... Senpai, sometimes...you make little sense," Ken muttered. "Why are you like that?"

Ren raised an eyebrow. "I'm not exactly sure what you mean."

Ken weakly shook his head. "It's okay... I... I think I'm going to...sleep..."

"Yeah, the ground can be weirdly nice sometimes," Ren said with a sagely nod. Ken nodded back and fell asleep.

Ren sighed. Looks like he has a ton of things to explain when he gets back.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

7/31 - Middle of the Night - Dorm

It was Fuuka that first noticed that Ken stirred from his sleep. It was Junpei's rambunctious cheer that woke him up.

"What...?" Ken muttered.

"And our man of the hour is awake!" Junpei shouted.

"Keep it down," Yukari said as she lightly slapped the back of Junpei's head. "Sorry about that, Ken. How are you feeling?"

"Alright..." Ken muttered again, refusing to open his eyes until he got used to the dorm lights.

"Let him back on his own feet, guys," Ren said. "He just went against a Shadow and awakened a Persona. He's probably drained."

Ken drew in a ton of air before sitting straight up. It hurts, but he'd rather have that than people coddle him.

"I'm okay," he said. "I'll be fine."

Mitsuru nodded. "Amamiya already explained what happened. I already contacted the chairman about Koromaru. It seems like he would like to fight alongside us." Koromaru barked in agreement. "That said, what about you?"

Ken stared straight at Mitsuru and made his determination known in his eyes. "My answer hasn't changed. I will join, especially now that I can use an Evoker and have a Persona."

"But why?" Yukari asked. "You're eleven years old, Ken. You shouldn't be fighting Shadows. You should be-"

"During the fight, I remembered something," Ken said, interrupting Yukari. "Two years ago, that thing killed my mother! You're all fighting those things, right? So please, let me fight with you all!" he pleaded with a bow.

"Wanting to avenge your mom at your age... You're gonna make me cry!" Junpei said with a grin. "You don't have a problem, do you, senpai? Let's let him join us!"

"But..." Mitsuru glanced at Akihiko with a troubled face.

Akihiko nodded with a sigh. "Alright. But, if you're going to fight, then you're going to need to learn how to fight in a team. You're also going to train so that you know how to fight alone when needed."

"Right!"

Akihiko nodded resolutely. "Good! That's what I like to hear. From tomorrow on, Amada and Koromaru will undergo boot camp with me. For now, you rest up and get ready for your first exploration in Tartarus."

Ken stood and bowed to his waist at Akihiko. "Thank you very much!"

"We're not going to push for the next door?" Junpei asked.

Mitsuru shook her head. "I won't allow it. Shiomi and Amamiya will be gone for the next two days. If they feel ready to explore Tartarus on the night they come back, then we will push onward."

"But we can totally fight without them!" Junpei argued.

Mitsuru narrowed her eyes. "No means no. If you wish to fight, then why not join Amada and Koromaru?"

"I... Uh, I think I'm good," Junpei said as he drew back.

"Very well, the meeting is adjourned," Mitsuru said. "I'll make a report to the chairman." She gave a small nod to Ken and Koromaru. "Amada, Koromaru. Welcome to SEES."

-.-Take Your Time-.-

Before Ken reached his bed, someone knocked on his door. He wasn't sure why someone would do so, especially this late. Everyone should be going back to sleep at this point, so who would want to talk with him now?

He opened the door, and Ren waved at him.

"Got a minute? It won't take long."

Ken nodded a moment after and opened his door wider to let Ren in.

"Is there something I can do for you, senpai?" Ken asked.

"Just wanted to talk to you about why you're fighting," Ren said with a hard expression. It was a mix of sadness and regret. It somehow made Ren look older than he was.

"If you want to talk me down from fighting, it's not going to happen."

Ren shook his head. "Not at all, actually. If anything, I think it's okay to have something like justice be your motivation."

"You do?" Now, this was confusing. Don't adults say that revenge is empty, that it's meaningless?

"I do," Ren said softly. "I know what it's like to be angry enough that it's what keeps you going the next day. One of my friends was the same; someone hurt her best friend, and she fought to bring her to justice. I helped her with that."

"But I thought we weren't supposed to take revenge?" Ken asked.

"It becomes a problem when it's the only thing in you and it ends up consuming you," Ren said as he knelt down to be at the same height as Ken. "You are more than just your revenge. I knew someone who lost everything, and revenge became everything to him. It only made him bitter, empty. It hurt to see him like that, and it would hurt to see it happen to you, too."

That sounded like a lie, and Ken wanted to believe it was. But, no matter what, he couldn't find any sense of wrongness in Ren's eyes. There was just genuine sadness and regret.

"I-I'll do my best," Ken sputtered out.

Ren said nothing, opting to search Ken's face for anything. After a minute, it seemed like he was satisfied, and patted Ken on his shoulder with a smile.

"Sorry to bring down the mood like that, but I just wanted to say my piece," Ren said as he moved towards the door. "Have a good night, Ken."

When the doors clicked close, Ken stood for a second and absent-mindedly moved towards his bed, ready to sleep. With how tired he was, he couldn't make sense of how he saw Ren. He was a bag of things, a lot of things.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

8/1 - Morning - Iwatodai Dorm

"Still can't believe that you're coming to Inaba as part of the track team," Kotone said, grunting to carry her belongings over her shoulder.

"Same here," Ren said with a laugh.

"Are you ready to leave?" Mitsuru asked behind them. "Do you have everything?"

"We made sure yesterday, Mitsuru-senpai," Ren answered.

Kotone gave her a thumbs up. "And Ren made breakfast and snacks for the ride there. We're pretty much loaded here."

Mitsuru glanced at both of them, then nodded with a small smile. "Very well. Enjoy the trip, you two."

Ren opened the door and Kotone waved at Mitsuru, something Mitsuru returned.

"We'll see if we can bring souvenirs!" Kotone said.

"Have a good day, Mitsuru-senpai," Ren said. "We'll let you know when we get there."

With that, the doors closed, and it was only Mitsuru left.

Mitsuru sighed as the energy in the lobby left with Kotone. She turned around in the kitchen, where there were stacks of food that Ren prepared for everyone. Even when he had to go somewhere, he still made breakfast for the entire dorm.

...Perhaps she should have said thank you before he left.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

8/1 - Evening - Yasoinaba - Kotone

"Thank you for your patronage!" Aiya, the owner of the Chinese store Aiya, said as Kotone and Ren left the restaurant with a wave. "Have a good evening!"

Outside, Kotone took a deep breath of the fresh, rural air, then sighed in happiness. Those Mega Beef Bowls were so good! It had towering amounts of meat and unlimited scoops of rice. It was meat heaven! On top of all that, it was free if she finished the bowl. Of course, she and Ren finished it all. They were seriously lucky it rained right before they entered the restaurant and Aiya opened up the Mega Beef Bowl Challenge.

On the other hand, it was pouring cats and dogs.

"I didn't know it would be this bad..." Kotone muttered, opening up her own umbrella.

"Nothing we can do about it," Ren said as he opened his own. "At least we found a place to offer such a big bowl, especially after practice." With both of their umbrellas, they began making their way back to the Amagi Inn through the Central Shopping District. "I heard that you guys had to clean up the gym."

"That we did!" Kotone said, her head whipping towards Ren. "Rio made a bet with the Inaba team that whoever loses the last game cleaned the gym! And on top of losing, she had us do a sprint around the high school!"

Ren laughed. "With how much running you girls did, you could probably try out for the track team."

"Don't get me started!" Kotone said with a huff. "Yuko said the track teams had some sort of rivalry, but you all looked so friendly with each other. You guys were pretty much taking your time while running!"

"We were still pretty competitive, you know," Ren muttered. "Our team kept on losing, so everyone just decided to not care, especially when the track captain wasn't competing. It was pretty obvious that our team wasn't playing at their best."

"Oh yeah, you're basically trying out the track team, right?" Kotone asked. "How's that looking like?"

"Well, I..." Ren trailed off, his focus far ahead of the two.

"Ren?" Kotone asked and looked at where Ren was staring.

"Damn freak!" a kid yelled out, kicking another kid to the ground, who ended up letting go of his belongings.

"What's your problem?" another kid asked as he kicked the items on the ground. With how it was pouring, he ended up kicking rainwater at the boy on the ground. "Always looking at us like that. If you have a problem, then tell us!"

"I... I don't..." the boy on the ground muttered.

"You're lying. You're always looking at us with that stupid look on your face, like you're angry. What? Are you jealous you don't have-"

"Hey!" Ren shouted and began marching towards the group of kids.

"Oh crap. Run!"

The two bullies ran away from Ren, leaving the boy and his things on the ground. Kotone put her umbrella over the boy while Ren tried to grab what he could, but the boy was faster.

"It's fine," the boy said, refusing to face Ren, "I can handle it. Sorry to bother."

Kotone blinked at what he said.

'Bother? But he wasn't bothering us. If anything, it was the bullies that bothered him and us,' Kotone thought.

"It's okay, you're not being a bother," Ren said, ignoring the look the kid gave him. "What was all that about, kid?" He looked at the boy and his eyes widened.

Kotone tilted her head to look at the boy. 'What happened? Why is Ren... Oh...'

Messy black hair. Narrow and blank gray eyes that gave a glare that could have come from a yakuza member himself, not from some kid. A defeated frown.

The boy was the mirror image of Ren, yet not at the same time. While the boy seemed like he lost hope, Ren's gray eyes shined with energy, something Kotone looked forward to everyday. Ren never seemed to give up, especially with his smirk that made her feel secure, that everything would be alright, even if it also promised a bit of mischief.

However, that glare was something that Kotone could never forget. Even if the boy had a younger face, it was the same glare that Ren had when he took off his glasses when the bullies attacked Fuuka in front of the school.

"So, it's like that... What's your name?" Ren gently asked. Kotone internally thanked him; seeing the similarities caught her off-guard, and it seemed like she was staring a bit too much there.

"Kurusu, Kurusu Akira," Akira answered. "What's it to you?"

"Who were those guys?" Kotone asked. "The ones that bullied you."

"They just don't like me," he answered again, getting up from the ground. It was pretty clear he was wet, especially after losing grip on his umbrella.

"Is it because you look like you glare at people?" Ren asked, causing Akira to flinch. Before he could say anything, Ren continued. "It's okay. I've got the same problem, too."

He took off his glasses and stared straight at Akira. His eyes widened. "You...look like me..."

Ren nodded with a smile. "Yeah. Same deal with the look, too. I used to be bullied, just like you, so I think I know how it feels to be in the same position as you. This," Ren waved his glasses, "was given to me when I was young. It helped a lot with dealing with my look. I think it's time I do the same. You should keep it," Ren said, presenting the glasses to Akira.

Absent-mindedly, Akira took it. "But why would I want glasses? I thought I needed them when my eyes got really bad."

Kotone chuckled. She knew the secret behind those glasses. "Try them on. They have a secret."

Akira raised an eyebrow but didn't say a word. Instead, he took them and tried them on. His face scrunched up before saying, "Nothing changed. What are these?"

"They're called non-prescription glasses," Ren answered. "They have nothing to help with eyesight."

"Non… Pres... Wait, your eyes are okay?" Akira asked.

Ren nodded. "Yep, I take great care of them."

"Even though I see you on your phone all the time..." Kotone muttered. Out of everyone, Kotone saw Ren on his phone the most. He even topped Fuuka on that end, and she's the techie of SEES. Kotone never knew how Ren could get so attached to his phone.

"I'm just checking on the news, Kotone," Ren replied with an amused eye roll. "Anyway, while it doesn't have any prescription, it helped with my glare. I think it'll help you, too."

"Is that really okay?" Akira asked. "Don't you need it?"

Ren shook his head. "Not at all. I haven't really found a reason to use it anymore. I have friends with me, and they have my back."

Kotone couldn't help but smile. Even though it was raining, she felt warm, and butterflies flew in her stomach. She couldn't place what this feeling was; she never felt this...euphoric before.

Akira raised an eyebrow. "Really? That's nice..."

Ren gave a small sigh and hugged Akira tightly. Akira stiffened, not returning the hug.

"Listen," Ren began, "I know it's bad right now. It's dark, lonely, and you only want people to understand you, but no one's giving you that chance. I know that you're more than just your glare. Right now, people reject you without knowing who you are. But I assure you: you will find your own set of friends that will accept everything about you. Ones that you can truly rely on, ones that you'd lay down your life for. Just believe in yourself and in what you think is right," he finished, letting Akira go and patting him on the back.

Akira said nothing for a moment, opting to stare at Ren instead. "You're pretty weird, you know that?" he asked. "You're giving me, someone you never met before, a gift and you just said all that embarrassing stuff out of nowhere." Ren's mouth hung open, while Kotone snickered. Ren always did that, giving some sort of speech that motivated someone. He gave one to Yukari and apparently to Junpei too, which helped Junpei get better grades in the last exam.

"Someone finally called you on your anime speech!" Kotone said with a giggle, causing Ren to whip his head at her, showing slightly flushed cheeks. It really was weird how he could do that without feeling embarrassed. And now, someone younger than him called him out for that.

"Anime speech?" Ren gawked. "I'm just trying to cheer him up!"

To the side, Akira began chuckling, though Kotone felt it was more subdued than it should be for a kid, as if it was something Akira wasn't used to doing.

"But still, thank you. I think I get it," Akira said with a small smile. "I appreciate it, even if it was kind of lame."

"Now you're just aiming to hurt here..." Ren muttered. "Ah, whatever, at least you got the idea. Don't compromise just because you think it'll make you fit in. You do you."

Akira nodded and smiled even larger. The glasses that were fit for a teenager slipped a bit, making it look lopsided. "Thank you. I don't know why, but listening to you... I think it'll be okay."

"Oh, you're so cute!" Kotone squealed, hugging Akira. She then backed off, forgetting that Akira was wet. "By the way, we've been here for a while now and you're soaked. Are you okay? How far is your house? We'll walk you back and explain what happened. Everything you had is ruined," Kotone said with a sigh. Most of the things Akira had were groceries. And with them on the wet ground, they were unsalvageable.

"What?" Akira asked, almost jumping on the spot. "It's nearby, so I can walk there on my own."

"No, no," Ren denied. "We don't know if those bullies are nearby, and I'd rather make sure you get home safe and sound."

Before Akira could argue back, Kotone grabbed his hand. "So, which way is it? We'll go together."

"I..."

"You should just say yes," Ren said. "She can be quite headstrong. If she sets her mind on something, she'll do it."

Akira sighed. "Fine, it's just further ahead, anyway."

Kotone smiled brightly. At least he began accepting their help, a massive improvement from the beginning, even if both Kotone and Ren had to push him.

The three of them began moving onward, with Kotone sharing the umbrella with Akira. And in what felt like less than five minutes, Akira led them to his home.

"An orphanage?" Kotone asked. She stood in front of a small wooden building, away from the main street, but still not in the woods itself. Its front was well-maintained, though there were some signs of wear and tear.

Akira nodded. "Yes. I don't have any parents, so I live here."

"What about other people in the family?" Kotone asked. "Uncles, aunts, even a grandma or grandpa?"

Akira shrugged. "If I had any of those, they never came to talk to me." He turned to two and bowed. "Thank you again for helping me out back then, miss, mister. I never even knew your names..."

"It's Shiomi Kotone," she answered. It was pretty obvious that Akira no longer cared about those people and asking more felt wrong, so Kotone went with the flow, dropping the subject.

"Amamiya Ren," Ren said. "Remember what I told you, okay?"

"Yeah," Akira said with a nod. "I'll find my group."

Ren smiled and ruffled Akira's hair. "Atta boy."

"And take the umbrella," Kotone said, handing her umbrella to Akira. She had to bow a bit since the umbrella was now at Akira's height. "Think of it as my gift, since Ren gave you one."

"What about you?" Akira asked. "How are you going to get back home?"

"I can share with Ren, right?" Kotone asked, sauntering to Ren's side, fully under his umbrella.

Akira frowned as if he ate a lemon. "Ew. Whatever. You're both weird."

This time, Ren chuckled at Kotone's expense.

"What?" Kotone asked, almost shrieking.

"Everyone knows guys and girls don't share umbrellas," Akira answered with a stoic face, fully confident in his answer. "It's just weird if they do."

With his piece said, he knocked on the front door of the orphanage. A small "Just a moment!" came from the inside and Akira hid his new glasses in his pocket. A few moments later, a wrinkly woman with gray hair came out.

"Akira? What happened to you? Why are you so soaked?" the woman asked.

"I'm sorry, Noelle-san. I tripped on my way here and the food ended up on the ground. These two," he presented Kotone and Ren, who waved and bowed, "helped me up and get back home."

"Oh dear, you're okay, right? You don't have any bruises? Scratches?"

Akira sighed. "Yes, I'm fine. Can I go? I want to take a bath."

Noelle gasped and immediately stepped aside to let Akira in. With Akira safely inside, she looked at both Ren and Kotone and bowed.

"Thank you for helping him," she said. "He acts tough, but he's a big softie inside."

"I know where he's coming from," Ren said with a smile. Without his glasses, Kotone thought that he looked more mischievous, especially with how his smiles seemed to be even more cheshire-like.

Noelle squinted, but then her eyes widened in surprise. "You're not...related to him, right?"

Ren shook his head, bemused. "Not at all. We may look similar, but I've never been a Kurusu in my life."

Noelle contemplated his words with a frown. "Very well, if you say so. It's just... I've never met any two people who look so similar before." She gasped. "Where are my manners? My name is Ryugasaki Noelle. I am the head caretaker of this orphanage and I thank you for helping Akira-kun with his...problem."

"So, you know about it?" Kotone asked with a raised eyebrow.

Noelle nodded. "Yes. Yasoinaba is a small town, and everyone ends up knowing every rumor out there. As for Akira-kun... He'd rather take it all in by himself. I do my best to help, but the bullies are smart. They only ever attack him when they know no one is around. And they know Akira-kun would never say anything."

"Why are they bullying him?" Kotone asked. "Having a glare like that isn't enough of a reason, is it?"

Noelle shook her head. "It is, unfortunately. Another boy has been causing a raucous in the town recently and the other kids think that Akira-kun is following in his footsteps. And while they can't do anything about the other child, they target him instead. On top of that..." Noelle briefly looked away. "No, no. I've said more than enough. I'm very sorry for getting you into Akira-kun's troubles and thank you so much again for helping him."

"Not a problem!" Kotone said. Everyone's got secrets of their own. No need to push boundaries. "We need to get going, too. I think our friends are looking for us at this point."

Ren nodded in agreement. "She's right; we've been out for a long time. We'll be out of your hair now, Ryugasaki-san. Have a good evening."

Ren bowed deeply while Kotone waved. Noelle nodded at them and closed the door softly, leaving Kotone and Ren alone in the streets under the rain.

"It makes little sense," Kotone muttered. "But it also makes sense."

"Which parts?" Ren asked with a glance.

"Bullying Akira because of how he looks at people. It's not like he can control his face," Kotone answered. "But it also makes sense since they're kids. They can...do the worst things for the pettiest reasons."

"Personal experience?"

Kotone nodded and motioned to leave the area with a tilt of her head. "A bit. I had a fair share of bullies when I was a kid, having no parents and all," she answered as the pair walked towards the main street. "They stopped when I grew up, but it's always there for someone else."

"Fuuka," Ren muttered. "Yeah, that's true. Just having that feeling of being above someone or seeing another be different is enough for a reason. Having no parents is definitely enough."

"Oh yeah, you mentioned you were raised in an orphanage too, right?" Kotone asked.

Ren whirred his head at Kotone. "You remember that?"

Kotone nodded. "Yeah, back when we first met on the train, you mentioned you moved out of an orphanage. This entire thing must have been some weird trip down memory lane, huh?"

"You have no idea," Ren said with a chuckle. "I hope what I told him sticks with him."

"Any inspiration for that speech?" Kotone asked. She always wondered how and where Ren could pull the most heartfelt speech that could move others on the drop of a hat.

He shrugged. "Remember the person I talked about? The one that gave me my glasses?" At Kotone's nod, he continued, "Well, she didn't really say anything. She gave me her glasses and said, 'Yep, you'll do fine.' After that, she left and never appeared again. I... She didn't really help, but the glasses were a great gift once I realized what it did for me. I regret some things I did or didn't do, so I told Akira what I wish I heard back then."

"...What happened?" Kotone asked. She hesitated, but it felt right to ask. Ren seemed more vulnerable now than before. Now might be her chance to strengthen her bond with him, too.

Ren glanced away from Kotone, opting to stay quiet. His eyes were troubled, shifting from one point to another, as if searching for something.

"I..." he finally began, looking slightly downward, not meeting Kotone's eyes. "I was afraid of something and did nothing to stop it. I didn't trust my gut and ignored it. The next day...someone died. I couldn't forgive myself for it."

"Ren..." Was that why he was so bent on trying to help people? He blamed himself on an incident that he had no fault in?

"But now I know more," Ren said with a soft smile. "That's why I said all those things; I want to inspire someone, to make sure they do better than what I did. If being corny is how Akira will remember it, then I'll be as corny as I can be."

She rubbed his arm, hoping to ease him. "You know we were just pulling your leg, right? At least I was."

Ren laughed it off. "Yeah, I know. I've never seen you mean anything bad," he said, ruffling her head for a moment.

Kotone shook her head, leaning into his hand. "I certainly hope not. I do my best to be a helpful person."

"And I think you're nailing it so far," Ren said. "I've seen you hang out and help a lot of people."

'That's a lie. I'm only talking to them because they're making me stronger.'

"I heard that Iwasaki-san and the rest of the volleyball team made up because of you," Ren said, propping a finger. "There was that old couple in the Iwatodai bookstore - you know they think of you as their grandkid? They didn't stop talking about you when I told them we were friends. There was also that French exchange student. Apparently, I heard you guys were making a kimono together."

Each time Ren raised a finger and kept talking, Kotone couldn't help but grow redder and redder. She didn't think that Ren was keeping an eye on her that much. Though she didn't really mind. "How do you know all this?"

Still, how did he get all that info?

Ren shrugged. "Yuko mentioned what happened to the volleyball team. I already mentioned the old couple at the bookstore. As for the Home Ec club, I heard from some of the Tea Ceremony club that they liked the kimono designs your club designed."

Kotone quizzically tilted her head at Ren. "You drink tea?" That was a surprise. At some point, everyone in the dorms unanimously decided that Ren had caffeine for blood, considering how much coffee he drank every day.

Ren merely shrugged again. "Good tea is good. What can I say?"

'I'll have to ask how the club makes their tea if Ren likes it...'

And so, the two spent the rest of the trip talking about various things in their mundane lives. No Dark Hour. No Tartarus. No SEES. No Personas.

She loves it more than she knew. Just her, Ren, and their everyday lives. She couldn't help but smile.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

8/1 - Dark Hour - Yasoinaba - Ren

Ren sighed as he looked up at the near-full moon. The rain stopped by the time the pair reached the inn. Inside, they split, considering they were part of different clubs, and Ren spent the evening with the other track members. Still, when the Dark Hour arrived, the atmosphere became silent, eerie. Even though Yasoinaba was further than Yakushima Island from Tatsumi Port Island, the effects of the Dark Hour reached the town.

"This really is even bigger than the Metaverse..." he murmured, taking a stroll down the main street of the Central Shopping District. While he walked down this same street with Kotone just a few hours ago, the atmosphere had drastically changed with the disgusting yellow and green light. "I kinda regret not asking Kotone if she wanted to come..." he murmured. It would be nice to have someone with him right now.

'However, maybe it would be better to be alone right now...' he thought. 'After all... I just met me.'

Kurusu Akira, the boy that took Amamiya Ren's place.

'Or maybe not. Maybe he just lucked out with the name. Wouldn't be the only difference I've seen...'

Seeing Akira like that triggered his own memories of that event. The woman that gave him his glasses wasn't a woman; she was a girl his age.

Long, wavy black hair. Ice-cold eyes that would have frozen hell. An immovable, stoic face that could only be matched by the boy with her. Hell, she didn't even say anything to chase the bullies away; she just looked down and glared at them.

Her next target was Ren. He wasn't even sure if he was shivering because of the rain or because she was staring at him. Her head bobbed as she scanned him up and down. the boy next to her only stared dispassionately at the scene, bent on just being an observer.

The girl eventually nodded, lowered herself so she was level with him. She took off her glasses and placed them on him, rubbing his wet hair.

"Yep, you'll do fine," she said. She had a quiet voice, the type that was more beautiful because not everyone heard it.

She stood up and turned around. Her friend followed her with his eyes before shrugging and stepping right after her, not even giving Ren a second look.

It truly was one of the most bizarre meetings he ever had in his life.

"And if I'm correct, that girl was me: a girl me," Ren murmured out loud. That was a weird thing to think about, that he could have been born a girl. "Then who was that guy with her? He didn't look like Kotone at all."

He'd have to talk to Lavenza about this plan of theirs. He felt that there was something more to it, that he was most likely not the first person they've asked for help like this. How many of these loops happened? Was this his future, stuck changing the past? Where was the girl when Yaldabaoth and Demiurge attacked reality? When Maruki began granting wishes? Did she do nothing while the world wasn't right?

So many questions to-

Pressure just fell on top of him. The familiar weight heavy enough to make him kneel, heavy enough to make it hard to breathe.

He only felt this thrice in his entire life, and each time...

"What's a god doing here?" Ren growled. "I thought that the god would be in Tatsumi Port Island."

Was Inaba some sort of place where the god merged all of its power? Have the distortion be far away from where it actually was so it could gather power in peace?

It wouldn't be the worst idea. Everyone would be too busy looking at the thing happening in front of them that they would miss the smaller, quieter things. Tartarus would be a very obvious beacon of trouble; no one would think it was just a distraction.

"If this god really is what's causing Tartarus, then..." Ren exhaled, ready for fight. He felt his mask settle on his face, his clothes switching over to his Phantom Thief outfit.

SEES as a team cannot fight a god at this point. They weren't even half as strong as the Thieves. They'd die if they faced a god now.

"Looks like there was a reason I'd be here outside of just talking to myself."

Ren walked up the staircase, ready for whatever abomination that was waiting.

What he saw in the shrine wasn't exactly what he expected. Sure, the god, or goddess in this case, was just as ephemeral as all the other gods he met before, a sense of otherworldly beauty. It gave them a sense of inhumanity in them that greatly unsettled him.

The difference was that this goddess was far more human. She had pale skin, chin-length black hair, and bright green eyes. Her face was soft, though it was indifferent, and her eyes focused on Ren. Her clothes were more abnormal. She wore a dress of pure white, similar to traditional Japanese wedding dresses. Underneath, he could see white straps or bandages wrapped around her body under her neck.

"I didn't expect someone to navigate through the fog tonight," she said when Ren arrived at the top of the steps. Her voice was youthful, matching her looks, and carried a hint of surprise.

'Fog? What fog?'

"What are you talking about?" he asked, his eyes narrowing. Fogs might be part of her powers. If he can't see it, he won't be able to deal with it. It was giving him flashbacks of when he got trapped by Demiurge.

Her eyes continued to stare at his eyes, as if staring right into his soul.

"Strong," she said as she walked towards him, "and you carry the potential that I seek." Her eyes narrowed, and she frowned. "But that potential has already been realized, and not in the way I need." She looked away and deeply sighed in disappointment. "You are not the right one."

"Potential? Achieved? What are you talking about?" he asked, though he knew she would ignore him like last time.

She said he had potential, but he already achieved it. Was she talking about his Will of Rebellion? It made sense; he always carried that sense of justice in him, finally realized when he stood up for that woman.

However, she said he realized it in a way that she didn't need. The Will of Rebellion didn't have any different paths; it was a personal promise to always follow through with their own sense of justice. The only one that had different versions of justice was...

Itch.

Then it most likely isn't the Will of Rebellion. What else could it be? His Personas? His repertoire certainly grew over his time as a Phantom Thief, accumulating to...Satanael...

He blinked. "Are you talking about the Wild Card and the World?" That was the other thing that he realized: from beginning as a Fool and then to his potential to the World after harnessing the Will of the Masses. Her eyes snapped in his direction, and he pushed his question. "What do you want?"

"I want to see the truth, what humanity truly wishes for," the goddess answered. "Freedom and rebellion are not what I seek."

'So, she knows what I fought for.'

"Isn't that enough of an answer?" Ren asked. "Humanity wants to be free to choose how they live, without anyone or anything to decide for them."

"And what will happen if humanity realizes the truth?" she asked. "The pain that comes with that freedom, the truth behind it all. I want to see if humanity truly wants that: the truth."

"And how are you going to do that?"

This time, the goddess's impassive face flickered with a bit of pondering. "I am not sure yet. Nevertheless, I will find what I seek; it matters not how I do so."

Ren narrowed his eyes. No matter how she does it? "And what stops me from stopping you here and now?"

The goddess snapped her eyes to him. "You won't do that, not until I do something. You have never been the proactive type."

"How...?" Ren asked. She was right. He changed the hearts of those that already did their crime, pushing beyond boundaries. The Phantom Thieves were always the reactive group. But no one should know that!

"Seeing your past is simple, human," the goddess responded.

Ren tsked. 'Great, so she can see my past? Though, that shouldn't surprise me. Maruki saw someone's past to achieve their wish while Demiurge used someone's past to lock them in their Jail. I'm sure Yaldabaoth had some version of clairvoyance as well.'

"You got me," he said, but then he smirked. "Still, I think you'll find that humanity will reach a similar conclusion as I did. They will see the truth, even if it means braving the pain and suffering to get there."

The goddess tilted her head. "Astounding. Even if you do not belong to this time, you still believe in this era's humanity. How? How can you place your trust in a species that doesn't even know what it truly wants?"

Ren's smirk grew even wider. "So, even a goddess that can see my past can't answer that? You should already know." The goddess frowned at his words. "Humanity just needs a little push, and they can do anything. We've even beaten gods before. One more won't hurt."

The goddess's anger flared, his words clearly taunting her. "Hmph. We shall see, human." She turned around and dissipated like fog, disappearing as if she was never there.

Ren sighed in relief. So, a goddess existed in Inaba, but it didn't seem like the Dark Hour was her doing. It seemed like she was still pondering on what to do. Still, how much of that can be trusted? Yaldabaoth lied by taking Igor's form, but he never truly lied. Rather, he gave half-truths or misled him and the Twins in the Velvet Room.

The atmosphere flickered, losing the green hue, and the white moonlight returned.

'The Dark Hour ended just in time for that goddess to disappear, too. I should get back to the inn before they realize I left.'

And thus, Ren returned to the Amagi Inn, pressured by the knowledge that a goddess existed in Inaba and seemed separate from his current set of problems.

-.-Take Your Time-.-

? - ? - ?

He didn't know when it was, but he wasn't swimming anymore. Any genius would when they realized they were sitting in cold, hard stone.

He took stock of his surroundings. Blue-green walls with yellow-green floors. Meanwhile, impossible things decorated the walls like stairs that went nowhere, or even some weird modernist design. It was very avant garde, and while he had some appreciation of the arts, this was above his pay grade.

He sighed. 'Fuck it. This is too much. I can go for some sleep.' He closed his eyes and laid on the ground. That really hurt, causing aches to erupt all over his body, but he didn't give a damn. 'Just five minutes will do.'

However, before sleep could truly take him, he heard someone, a boy, shout. Rapid footsteps followed, and he felt his head being lifted.

"Damn, what happened to you? I've never seen a Lost get this hurt before and your coat's all bloody, too. Did a Shadow hurt you?"

'Shadow? How the hell do you-'

"Never mind that. Healing comes first."

He heard a gunshot and felt a familiar sense of relief wash over him.

'A Dia spell? Is this a Persona user?! Shit!'

He tried to stand up, but the boy stopped him.

"Whoa, you're a fighter. That's good, that's good." The boy paused and continued, "Everyone, I found the Lost on the floor. Going to need some help to steady him." Another pause. "Sounds good."

'Damn it, he's got friends? Fine, I'll play safe, keep it quiet. I'll ask questions later. Too damn tired.'

-.-Take Your Time-.-

8/4 - Dark Hour - First Floor of Tartarus

"Tres bien, Akihiko. Bring the Lost to the first floor. We can take care of him here," Mitsuru said. "And that should be the last one, right, Yamagishi?"

Inside Lucia, Fuuka nodded. "Yes. After that, it should be a straight path to the next strong source of power."

"Very good," Mitsuru said, and she took a glance at the other members of SEES behind her. "With our numbers, we have enough to do more rotations as we travel through Tartarus."

Ren nodded in agreement. Junpei, Yukari, and Koromaru waited on the first floor with Mitsuru, Fuuka, and him while Kotone, Akihiko, Aigis, and Ken explored Tartarus. With their larger roster, Kotone was freer in choosing who joined the exploration team, letting everyone take a break more. Because of that, the explorer team always felt more energetic, leading to them conquering floors faster than ever before exhausting anyone. Kotone even thought of increasing the team to include five.

"You must be pissed, huh, Ren?" Junpei asked beside him.

Ren glanced at him quizzically. "What do you mean?"

"Aigis, I mean. She can do what you do, but better."

Ren shook his head. "Not at all. In fact, I'm pretty happy we have new members. I won't say no to someone as strong and capable as Aigis."

"The hell..." Junpei murmured with a scowl. "Fine, you do you."

Before Ren could ask what Junpei meant, the gate to the rest of Tartarus opened. Kotone led the team, followed by Ken, and Aigis and Akihiko carried the Lost.

Weirdly enough, the Lost was wearing a winter coat. However, it was in the middle of summer. The only other person who wore a winter jacket during summer was Shinjiro-senpai. On top of that... The coat was...oddly familiar...

"Yukari, the kid's hurt!" Akihiko yelled out. "Can you heal him up?"

"On it!" Yukari rushed to help.

The rest approached Akihiko to see the injuries. However, the longer Ren stared, the more he felt uneasy.

Itch.

The brown coat… The shaggy, brown hair... The black gloves...

Itch.

A wave of sparkling green light swept over the Lost. His eyes flickered open and looked around him until he met Ren's eyes.

Gray eyes locked on a red eye.

Ren wanted to vomit, to cry, to punch him.

He weakly sneered at Ren. "Well, if it isn't Amamiya. What a coincidence this is." The vitriol was undeniable.

"Huh?" Kotone asked, dumbfounded. "You know him, Ren?"

Ren didn't even know he nodded. Everything around him disappeared, all to focus on the person in front of him. "But this is impossible... You shouldn't be here... You should be dead, Akechi!"

-.-Take Your Time-.-

Author's Notes:

Happy Belated Holidays!

I started the rough draft around late November and wanted this chapter out by Christmas as a present for readers, but IRL stuff happened. I found a job that aligns more with the future I want, so most of December was getting used to my new daily activities. I finally found time to continue the chapter around midway of December. Half of the chapter was finished by before Christmas. The chapter would have been finished before New Year, but family did a surprise visit so I couldn't focus on writing. I pushed through after New Year and finished the chapter a few days ago. I had my betas check over and did my final checks today.

A lot has happened since I released the last chapter. As I said, I found a job for starters. New variants of Covid now exist. Pokémon BDSP were released (I got SP). I got godly rolls in the NY Banners of FGO was still screwed in the GSSR. NijiEN Luxiem and Hololive HoloX debuted. Astel finally got his 3D debut, rounding off Holostars' 3D debuts. P4AU was also announced on modern consoles.

As for this chapter, we finally got to Ken, Inaba, and Akechi.

First is Ken. I'm basing Ken more around his movie counterpart. I like his parts there better than in the game. This is why I have both Koromaru and Ken essentially join SEES together, which is what basically happens in the movies.

There really isn't much that the player does in Inaba, so I ended up making the new events.

I think that the meeting with Akira was something anyone could have seen since I mentioned that Ren grew up in Inaba way back in the beginning, around chapter 5. I'm excited to say that I have this idea for Akira and now that he's been introduced, I can finally write about it. He may feature in a one-shot with the P4 gang. I'm not sure if I want to release it as its own story or a chapter here, but it definitely won't be as long as a DM chapter. On top of that, Ren actually met a female version of him. And who was that guy with her? Also, does anyone know who Ren was talking about with his regret? I think it's pretty obvious.

The meeting with Izanami-no-Mikoto was definitely something I didn't allude to beforehand, but I think her presence makes sense, considering there's only 2 years between P3 and P4. Just to clarify, this is Izanami-no-Mikoto's true form: Marie with all small bits of her like Izanami and the Sagiris together. It's why I used Marie's physical appearance with the green eyes in P4AU but the clothes are a mix of Kusumi-no-Mikoto and Izanami's. She's a whole lot colder and a lot more dismissive of Ren because she's more goddess than Marie and is not influenced by the P4 protag. Her inclusion is mainly to show that things are happening outside of just Tartarus, that Ren is willing to face off a god on his own, and because I think it would have been great to see a pre-P4 Izanami-no-Mikoto.

And now, Akechi. I had him in a scene in a previous chapter (but didn't use any identifiers), so his inclusion isn't exactly something I thought out of nowhere. I also gave Ren a tick, or an itch in this case, whenever Akechi enters his mind because of his scar. I hope that was very obvious. If it's hard to tell, Akechi is using his 3rd Semester jacket, bloodied up. As for how he's actually alive, I got my canon for this fic. I'm currently brainstorming how he will interact with the people around him, but I have some ideas. He's sarcastic, pushes buttons, and dismissive of people he doesn't deem worthy. You can imagine how this will go, both for him and Ren, who is the only person who knows him.

I've also decided to do away with the Activities and Social Links sections. It constrained me into thinking the story as a game rather than a story where people can do more than a single activity in an afternoon. I'll try to make these events obvious in the story proper instead.

As for next chapter, I'm not sure when I'll be able to get it out, but I hope by February or at least before March. I don't think monthly releases are feasible anymore, but I'll do my best. I'm still thinking on how to convey updates in AO3. FFN has an author's page. AO3 has an About Me on the profiles page, but I'm not sure how many people actually go there.

Thanks for reading. I'm going back to farming in FGO. Benienma is a sweet girl and I want to get her inn up and running ASAP.

12,194 words before Author's Notes.