Disclaimer:

I do not own Persona or My Hero Academia

They had failed.

After traversing into the depths of Mementos, the public's collective Palace, they came face to face with its core, the Holy Grail.

They tried to defeat it.

Physical attacks… Elemental attacks… All Mighty attacks… none of it… none of it worked.

They worked so hard to free the masses of the oppressive hand of Lust, Vanity, and Gluttony… to shield them from the Greed, Envy and Pride of the powerful… and yet it was the masses that stabbed them in the back.

What's the point of protecting the people from the sins of corrupt adults when they don't care? What's the point of protecting the hearts of the innocent when it's filled with apathy and complacency?

They were prisoners, trapped in their own distorted desires and yet the masses eagerly fed that parasitical grail with their yearnings.

Then reality and cognition melded into a twisted depiction of hell. Blood like water pooled from the ground and fell from the sky and monolithic skeletons of the most grotesque creatures rose from the ground.

But that wasn't the worst of it. The Phantom Thieves, Akira's friends, the people who he stood side by side with as they triumphed over pain and adversity with smiles on their faces, fell and flaked away from the world's fleeting cognition. The terror etched on their faces and the fear laced in their voice as they one by one vanished.

"Disappear my ass… what the hell! AAAAA-" Ryuji, his first and best friend. He was always so loyal and strong, and yet he went out in pain and tears.

"Ryuji!" Ann. She cared more for her friends than herself if the incident with Shiho was any indication. She went out screaming for the loss of her friend rather than her impending death.

"Is this really it…? Augh!" Yusuke, the most passionate of the group. He could always see the big picture and always knew where he wanted to go in life, a famous artist… and yet he went out questioning the unforeseen and abrupt end to his unfinished journey.

"No! No-" Futaba, the genius of the group and Akira's little sister in all but blood. She could do almost anything connected to technology… She was finally starting to come out of her shell and restart her life, and yet she went out terrified, her life cut too short.

"Morgana… where did we… go wro-" Makoto. She was the group's strategist, the smartest of them all academically. It was her plans that led them to most of their victories… she was almost always right, and yet she went out wondering how her plans failed… where she went wrong.

"Ah… Aah…" Haru. She was the kindest of them all. She was like their big sister, caring for them and knowing what to say when they were down, and yet she went out scared, not knowing what to say.

"Is this all my fault? Because I… brought you all there…? Morgana. Akira's advisor and close friend. He started the Phantom Thieves, the group that brought them all together…

"It's not your fault." Akira rasped out, his face wincing in pain.

"I didn't mean to…! I-I'm…" Morgana turned to Akira. His eyes shone with regret, sadness, and hopelessness. "I'm sorry… The mission's… a failure…" He went out fearing he failed them all… fearing that he brought them all to their deaths.

And then it was just Akira. He started this journey alone… and he ended it alone. Akira rolled onto his back with a grunt of pain and slowly lifted his hand to the heavens.

"Ryuji… Ann… Yusuke… Futaba… Makoto… Haru… Morgana…" Akira was the strongest of them all. Their leader. A pillar of strength and support that they could all rely on. He never cried in front of them, only showing a fearless and cocky smirk… but with nobody around anymore, he couldn't hold them back any longer. "I'm sorry…"

His hand faded into translucence before flaking away like the others before him. In the corner of his eye, Akira saw the fluttering of iridescent blue wings.

'A butterfly…?'

Akira began to hear a girl's voice, but the pain from fading was causing him to go in and out of consciousness.

"…truly an unjust game… if my voice is reaching you… yet be a possibility open… beg you… save the world… the key to victory… bonds… the sake of your world's future… you must… different world… hero… good luck…"

The world's cognition of him and the Phantom Thieves finally vanished, and Akira's vision faded to darkness.

It was cold and lonely. Engulfed in darkness like an endless sea, floating adrift with no destination.

And then there was light and a cacophony of white noises.

Akira awoke suddenly, sitting up with a gasp of air. His chest rose and fell at a rapid pace as he looked around, his vision a blur. He was surrounded on both sides by cool damp walls with the floor around him littered with trash; the loud noises dulled to the coherent sounds of cars and chatter of street-passers.

'An alley? Why am I…'

Then it all came back. The loss, the Phantom Thieves fading, the screams, the fear, the darkness.

Akira clutched at his head as his memory came back.

'No…'

'Everyone…'

'Damn it!'

Akira slammed his fist against the wall, slumping down even more.

'Damn it…'

Akira just sat there. Remembering meeting with each of his confidants for the first time. Reminiscing the good times he spent with each of them… Regretting being so weak... for leading his friends to their deaths.

He wanted to give up. They failed. He failed. What was the point now?

"Are you simply going to give up? Was your choices up until now all a mistake?"

"Arsène?"

"You are the Wildcard that has fought against all odds to protect the innocent from the wrongdoings of the world… The rebel that has defied society's ensnaring chains of injustice… The gentleman thief who has stolen the hearts of many for the sake of all. Are you saying all of that was a mistake?"

"…No."

"You may have died, but you are not dead. So stand up and keep moving. Don't give up. Your friends may be gone but you are not alone. "I am thou and thou art I." That was the contract that I and the others in the Sea of Souls have forged with you. So use us, grow stronger and keep fighting."

Akira looked deep within himself to check if his other personas felt the same, but something felt wrong.

"Why can I only barely feel the others?"

"They are asleep, locked away by chains within your psyche. I can only guess that the loss of your confidants have locked them away. For now it seems that only I am awake. While it is concerning, it doesn't change a thing. Use me, grow stronger, and keep fighting. We will figure this out together."

With a heavy sigh, Akira stood up and smirked, his eyes shining with resolution. "You're right. Thanks Arsène."

"Hahaha, anytime young voleur. Although alleys and shadows are a thief's friend, I believe it's time to move along." Arsène's voice began to recede as he left Akira's mind and fell back into the depths of the Sea of Souls. "Good luck."

With the personification of his rebel soul no longer lingering in his mind, Akira stepped out of the alley and into the moonlit streets. He stopped mid step however as he got a glimpse of the street, in particular the people.

Animal features, extra appendages, colourful skin tones, cosplay-like costumes, etc. It seemed so surreal. It felt like he was in a palace. Akira recalled that mysterious voice back during his final moments in Shibuya.

"… different world… hero…"

'A different world? Hero?'

It almost seemed unbelievable. A different world? But with all he's been through and seen, how could he not believe it. Akira's eyes widens slightly as the revelation made him realise something. If he was in a different world, then finding any of his non-Phantom Thief confidants would probably be impossible. No Le Blanc and Sojiro to return to. No Takemi to help him with medicinal supplies. No Kawakami to help with resupplying the Phantom Thieves' supplies. No one. Akira clenched his fist, trying to contain his emotions. He truly was alone.

With a deep breath, Akira steadied his resolve as stared ahead, burying his pain. He couldn't afford to be upset now, there were more important things to deal with first.

He was in a different world. He was basically an alien. No home, no identity, and no one he can confide in. A foreign entity in a foreign environment. Home and identity could be handled by laying low and staying somewhere nondescript; confidants can be gained at a later date. What he needed before anything else was information.

Akira fell in step with the droves of pedestrians walking throughout the street, relying on the skills he gained at Shujin to blend into the background and become "invisible" by tucking his hands into his pockets and keeping his posture and gaze aimed toward the ground.

As he stuck to the middle of the wandering crowds, Akira focused on the idle chatter around him, hoping to eavesdrop on any information that could prove useful. While some were personal and relatively unimportant, there were some topics that seemed to pop up more frequently than others.

Pro-heroes.

Villains.

Hero schools.

Quirks.

And the most commonly talked about:

All Might, the number 1 hero.

'Okay, from what I've managed to gather so far, I'm in a world that is filled with heroes and villains like in those old Marvel and DC comics with these "Quirks", which I can only assume from the way everyone is describing them, being what this world calls superpowers.'

Without being too obvious, Akira's eyes swept the crowd around him, carefully taking in their appearances.

'Judging by how many people have such unique appearances, it's safe to say that these Quirks are commonplace, especially when there are schools tailored to teaching children how to use them to become heroes. Heh, makes me wonder how the Phantom Thieves would've faired in this world.

Akira gave a small smirk at that final thought before growing serious again.

'Okay, it's not perfect and there's still a lot of stuff I don't know, but I've got a pretty vague idea on what the situation is in this world, for this area at the very least. What I need now is an idea on where to go from here.' With this line of thought, Akira began to separate himself from the wandering crowds and leant against a nearby wall out of the way of passers-by.

'I hope this still works.'

Blinking a few times, Akira's eyes began to shine with a dull glow. The world around him grew paler and darker with grey and black overtones. Sweeping his gaze around, Akira found that the monotonous shades were present almost everywhere he looked. Almost. The corner of a far-off street appeared to glow with a softly luminescent blue. Akira gave a smirk as he deactivated his Third Eye.

'Well, well. Looks like we have a winner.'

As Akira approached where the luminescent light came from, he noticed that the only building of notice was a little convenience store. As if in response to the sight, his stomach grumbled loudly.

'Ah damnit. I haven't eaten since before we all delved into the depths of Mementos, and I don't even know if my money is worth anything in this world.'

Before he could continue grumbling, he heard the beginnings of someone's conversation.

"Man, you haven't grown after all these years. You're like the exact same as you were back in middle school."

It sounded as if someone was having a reunion. As Akira got closer, the owner of the voice soon came into view, revealing a couple of guys in what looked like college uniforms and a young girl with magenta hair and a grocery bag in her hand. "Oi Daisuke, didn't she used to stalk you everywhere back then?"

Daisuke gave a chuckle. "Oh yeah, fucking midget would follow me everywhere, thinking I couldn't see her. Hearing that she had a crush on me almost made me barf. What a fucking freak!"

"Yeah, yeah! God what a goddamn creep!"

Those sentences made Akira stop mid step. Turning around, Akira narrowed his eyes and paid closer attention to the three. The girl was shaking. Her eyes were wide and shifting around anywhere but the two guys in front of her. She was on the verge of breaking down. The two guys were situated around her almost as if they were cornering her. It reminded him of Futaba and her uncle. No matter what world he was in, there would always be these types of people.

Akira strolled in front of the 2 guys with his hands tucked away in his pockets, making sure the girl was behind him.

"Gentleman."

"Huh? Who the fuck are you?"

"Me? Well I guess you can call me curious, curious as to why a couple of college students think it's a great idea to gang up and harass a girl half your size. If this is how you get your rocks off, then I find it hard to believe any girl would have a crush on you."

The face of the man that appeared to be the main instigator of the two twisted into a snarl as he strode forward and grasped onto Akira's collar.

"The FUCK did you say?"

The girl behind him quivered slightly as her would be saviour was in the hands of her tormentor. She was about to plead for him to stop until she saw the look on Akira's face. His expression held no trace of worry or fear, just nonchalance.

Akira shrugged. "Don't worry about it. What you should be worried about is your surroundings."

"Huh?" Glancing to his left, the man noticed that the few passers-by in the area stopped in whispered to each other as they looked on at the scene. "Tch."

"Unless you don't mind taking centre stage." The clouds above parted slightly, allowing the moon to cast a lone ray of light on the two. "In which case," a flicker of blue flames lapped at the corner of the man's peripherals, making him turn back to Akira, just in time for the amorphous ball of velvet blue flames behind the glasses wearing teen to rapidly shift into a humanoid form. The fiery form then unfurled flaming wings of the same hue before haunting eyes and a wicked grin blinked open, exposing the flames of hell hidden beneath. "Would you care to dance with the devil in pale moonlight?"

The man stood in place, quivering in fear as sweat began to coalesce and cascade down his ashen face. Devil. There was no other word to describe what he could only explain as the teen's quirk. He continued to stand there before he had to blink, and just like that, the illusion was broken. The man found himself still clutching at the smirking teen's collar with the passers-by still whispering.

'Did they not just see that?!'

"So? What would it be?" The man's head whipped back to Akira before he quickly let go and backed away.

"Daisuke?" The man's companion asked confused. Daisuke didn't deign to respond and only scurried away. The other man stood there shocked at what just occurred. He turned his head back and forth between Akira and his friend before quickly running after the latter. "Wait up Daisuke!"

With the scene over, the passers-by mulled around a bit before going back to what they were doing, leaving the area with just the girl and her protector.

"Hey, are you alright?" He asked, turning his attention to her now that her aggressors were gone.

"Yes, I am now. Thank you for helping me out there… but what happened there? One moment he looked like he was ready to beat you down, the next he ran away with his tail between his legs." The girl asked, her eyes still trained in the direction Daisuke and his lackey ran.

Akira gave another nonchalant shrug. "Guess he had a change of heart."

The girl finally turned toward her saviour with narrowed eyes briefly before shaking her head.

"Whatever the case, thank you again for rescuing me from that situation." The girl responded with a slight bow. "Normally, I would have been able to ignore it or manage it myself but they… they were just some bad memories from my past…"

"Don't worry about it, it was the right thing to do. I can't stand around and do nothing while jerks like them parade around and use whatever 'power' they have to harass others." The girl smiled and opened her mouth to respond when she was cut off.

"La Brava! There you are. Where have you been? I've been looking everywhere for you." The two turned around to see a man with white hair and dressed in semi formal clothing with a purple ascot tie around his neck as well as dark shades obscuring his eyes.

"Gentle!" The now named La Brava exclaimed excitedly running up to the man. "Sorry for worrying you. I was… held up by some old classmates."

Gentle looked down at her solemnly, as if he understood how such a meeting would affect the young girl.

"I see. I'm glad you're alright." Trying to lighten the mood, he turned his attention to Akira. "Now then my dear, whom might this be? A friend of yours perhaps?"

"Oh! He helped me just now. He's… uh… oops, I didn't get his name." La Brava admitted a little embarrassed. Taking this as his cue to enter the conversation, Akira introduced himself.

"Akira. Akira Kurusu. It's a pleasure to meet you Gentle-san."

"It's a pleasure young Kurusu. You have my gratitude for lending your hand to help out my dear La Brava with her situation." Gentle said giving an elegant bow. "Is there any way I can repay such kindness?"

"Like I told La Brava here, I was only doing what was right."

"Ooh Gentle! Let's take him with us to Coruscant Café."

A grand smile wiggled its way onto Gentle's face. "We can repay our young friend here and spread the wonders of tea! Why La Brava, that is a marvellous idea. I can always rely on you to come up with genius plans!" La Brava shuffled her feet with a bright blush on her cheeks as she giggled to herself. "Come Young Kurusu, allow us to demonstrate our appreciation with some lovely teatime!"

Akira appreciated the gesture but honestly, he didn't really expect to be rewarded. He voiced his declination as such.

"Ah, you don't need to-" Before he could finish, his stomach once again rumbled, only this time louder. The three stood there in an awkward silence as a subtle blush tinted Akira's cheeks.

"They also sell some food." La Brava offered with a small chuckle.

Akira couldn't help but give an embarrassed smile. "I'll be in your care."

The three of them sat around a small table in the café Gentle recommended, each of them with a cup of tea and a large platter of sandwiches in the middle. As Akira began eating his second sandwich, he looked around the café. It was cosy for sure, with the paintings and the floral decorations adding a homely appearance to the store, and the soft lighting casting a warming aesthetic that soothed the mind. But it was no Le Blanc. Nowhere close.

As his mind began to draw upon old memories, his two companions looked over to him. Noticing his growing sombre demeaner, Gentle decided to draw him out of it.

"So young Kurusu, tell us about yourself. I'm afraid I haven't had the pleasure of encountering you in my many years living here. Are you perhaps new to the area?" Gentle asked.

Akira raised his arms above his head in order to stretch them with his eyes almost closed from a yawn he somewhat muffled. With his eyes almost closed, Akira once again activated his third eye so that the dull glow they emitted wouldn't be as exposed and seen in order to reaffirm his suspicions.

'I guess I was right. They were the cause of the blue light I saw earlier. Guess that means they can be trusted… or at the very least aren't not trustworthy.'

"Something like that. In all honesty, I don't really know where I am. Before meeting La Brava, I was attacked by a villain. Next thing I know, I woke up in an alley way with no idea how I got there. Whether it was the villain's quirk or someone else's who was trying to help me, I don't know."

It wasn't totally a lie, but it wasn't the truth either. Akira merely summarised what happened but tweaked with the terminology he gathered in order to make it seem believable. A group of teenagers who use the power of their personified souls who look like myths and legends to steal hearts and died battling a God? Yeah right, as if anyone would believe that.

Right now, he needed help from a local, someone who was born and lived in this world. He couldn't survive here on his own. This past year with his confidants told him that. Even if he could survive alone, it wasn't something Akira wanted to do. He was stronger fighting for others… when he had others by his side and watching his back… when he had people he could trust and rely on.

"Do you know your parents' phone number? You could borrow use our phone to call them to come pick you up if they aren't that too far." La Brava asked.

"Ha." Akira said with contempt. "I wouldn't bother if I were you." When he saw the curious looks he received from the two, he elaborated. "Even if I were able to get in contact with them, they wouldn't care. Let's just say an incident at home led me to being wrongfully disowned. Turned an outcast by my community, my own family. As soon as they were able to, they shipped me off to a whole new city." It may have been a little under a year he had been in Yongen-Jaya, but Akira still felt annoyed. His parents gave birth to him and had lived with him for more than 15 years, and yet they just gave up on him. What the kind of parents do that?

"What kind of parents do that?" La Brava asked indignantly, mimicking his thoughts. She never had parents and had always wanted them, but to hear that someone's parents would actually do such a thing…

"The kind of parents who care more about their public image than a woman who is getting sexually assaulted I guess." Akira said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"That's horrible…" La Brava spoke softly with wide eyes before turning to Gentle. He had been quiet during the entire affair.

'If what he's saying is true… t-then he's just like me. Someone trying to do good only for it to backfire, outcasted by community and family… He was abandoned.' Gentle thought as he looked at Akira sombrely, the young man before him being overlapped with memories of himself in his youth.

"What are you going to do now then?" La Brava asked.

Akira looked down with a sigh. "I don't really know to be honest. Going back home means being hated and an outcast, with police potentially on the lookout for me with my whole reputation." Before the Holy Grail incident, that statement wouldn't have been too far from the truth. "While going forward means fumbling around lost in this unfamiliar place. Honestly, I'm at a loss."

The group was silent, with the only sounds being the quiet amicable café and Akira's soft munching of sandwiches. Having decided to finally speak up, Gentle spoke.

"Come with us."

"Gentle?" La Brava asked with concern. Even Akira raised an eyebrow at this. He wasn't expecting this response from the older man. "But what about-"

"I know La Brava, but it matters not. He's not so different from me. I too was alone and outcast in my youth. The only difference being that no one lent a hand to me. Besides, I have a feeling we can trust him. Surely you feel this way too?"

In all honesty, she had. There was something about Akira that made her want to trust him, like there was this invisible aura around him that made her want to believe him. Whether it was because he was the only person besides Gentle to help her, or if it was because of his story, or even if it was just because of some innate characteristic of the boy. Either way, La Brava couldn't deny the fact that she too wanted to help out her saviour.

"I do."

"Excellent! You have nothing to worry about young Kurusu. La Brava and I shall help you through these trying times." Gentle exclaimed with a clap of his hands.

"That's right! You've helped me out today so allow me to return the favour. I'll have you know that I'm a master hacker!" La Brava added with cheeky flair.

'A hacker huh? Just like Futaba… Heh, what are the chances.' Akira thought was a smirk.

"You know, I had a friend who was a hacker. I feel like the two of you would have got along. But anyways, how's that going to help my situation?"

"Welllll, I can hack into Japan's registry and give you a whole new identity with a whole new background. A different past to a different future. What do you say?" Akira was speechless. It was perfect.

"Wow… I don't… I… Thank you." And he meant it. After everything Akira had been through this year, having someone, a total stranger, believe, trust, and want to help him, honestly made him happy. A majority of his friends, his confidants and those who believed in him, started out on the wrong foot with him. So it felt nice having this connection from the get-go.

The world around Akira began to grow a dull grey as time began to freeze. Two red cards fluttered down before being suspended in front of him by a myriad of chains. The one on the left held a cherub pointing its arrow down at three people with the word, "L'AMOUREUX", under it. The one of the right depicted an older man holding a triple cross with he word, "LE'PAPE", under it.

His eyes widened.

'This is…'

I am thou, thou art I…

Thou hast awoken an old vow.

To you the Champion of Change and Rebellion,

You have freed us from the chains of captivity within yourself.

With the freedom of the Lovers and Hierophant Arcana,

You have reobtained the winds of blessings that

Shall once again lead to rebellious change.

A doorway to harmony, a doorway to wisdom

Use us, Wildcard

It was different than what he heard when he unlocked Ann's and Sojiro's social link. And never two at once.

Stretching his arm in front of him, Akira made to grasp the cards. Upon contact, the chains burst a part and the cards was absorbed into his body, making Akira gasp. He felt as if something within him snapped, like an opening of doors once closed shut.

"Mmm, good morning young man. It's nice to be back." A woman with a white skirt and top with two long horns on either side of her head and long golden hair cascading down her back entered his mind.

'Ishtar! But wait… if you're back that means-'

"We of the Lovers Arcana are back, yes. It's good to see you again."

"AND SO ARE WE OF THE HIEROPHANT ARCANA." A deep voice boomed. No sooner was the dull grey of his surroundings illuminated slightly by the luminescent glow of golden scales that shimmered into existence. It's body slithered and glided around the space before slowing to a halt beside Ishtar to reveal a large Chinese dragon.

'Kohryu! What happened to you all?'

"IT IS AS ARSENE SAID. THE LOSS OF YOUR CONFIDANTS HAD LOCKED US AWAY DEEP WITHIN THE SEA OF SOULS. YOU HAVING UNLOCKED THE HIEROPHANT ARCANA WITH THE MAN IN FRONT OF YOU –"

"And the Lovers Arcana with the young lady"

"-HAD WOKEN US FROM OUR SLUMBER."

'I see. Well it's great to see you all again.'

"The pleasure is ours hon'." Ishtar smiled seductively before adorning a neutral expression. "However it appears you aren't ready to don us or your other stronger masks. We may be able to appear in your mind to offer guidance but to fully invoke us would put too much of a strain on your mind."

Akira gave a sigh. 'Back to square one I guess.'

"Yes, but like Arsène said. Grow stronger, in mind and body. Continue to grow your social links. Only then, will you be able to call upon us again."

'I will.'

"GOOD. WE AWAIT YOUR CALL. UNTIL THEN. FAREWELL."

"I'll see you again soon hon'. Don't be a stranger!" Ishtar said with a wink before they both fading back into the Sea of Souls.

With the Ultimate Lovers and Ultimate Hierophant persona now gone, colour soon returned, and time resumed.

"Marvellous! Today, young Kurusu, you will be a new and free man. I say this calls for a celebration." Gentle exclaimed before turning to the Café owner. "Excuse me sir, might I ask for your finest tea?"

Akira looked at his two companions with a smirk before returning to eat his sandwiches.

Author's Notes

Hi all,

I have always wanted to try writing a story but I'll be honest, I'm not that good. But hey, here's my attempt at a Persona 5 x My Hero Academia crossover fanfiction. Let me know if this is something you guys would want to be continued or if there are anything I can make better. Thanks for giving this story a go.

Have a great day everyone c:

Edit:

I posted this chapter in 2021 and hadn't done anything since then. Mainly since I was busy and didn't really know what to do next. I've got an idea now so hopefully I can update this story more. I edited the original chapter a little by including both the Lovers and the Hierophant confidant together. Overall, I hope you all enjoy this story.

Just another disclaimer, I'll be incorporating stuff from the My Hero Academia Vigilantes manga. I know timeline wise it's about 5 years prior to canon but I do want to eventually work with canon stuff and U.A. and what not. Can't have that if Akira is 20 and too old for high school lol. So I'll be tweaking it so that events will occur a lot closer and during canon.

I hope you all can still enjoy the story despite me playing around with canon, events, MHA Vigilantes, and what not. Have a great day you all!