Okay, REWRITE TIME
Second verse, same as the first: This is essentially the game retold with some MAJOR changes, including more palaces/bosses, more stuff to enjoy, etc. here are some highlights so far.
The Phantom thieves will have a slightly bigger team, With Royal and Scramble Content together, as well as other stuff thrown in from other Atlus games (And yes, I'm ALSO including games that are even Minorly tied to Atlus as well.) I only have Mishima's thing planned out though so go nuts on speculation, more on that later.
Because the second I post this, everyone will be up in each other's throats with that "best waifu" and "shipping hell" crap, I'm going to list the pairings here. AkiraXharem (duh), RyujiXHifumi (I read a fanfic that made me like this ship), Minor FutabaXYusuke, and other stuff.
Things will take some dark turns, but try to stay along the story. I'm getting pretty annoyed at how most of the good fics kinda end up on hiatus after 20 or so chapters on kamoshida's arc, so I'm keeping things somewhat fast, still on and off about filler though.
There will be elements from the following: P4, P3, SMT Liberation Dx2, SMT 5, SMt 4 nocturne, and a few more that'll come up LATER. the only one i'm spoiling: Odin sphere...
There will be extra content as well… not spoiling on that though… sticking to the Game calendar though, it was too confusing with the whole calendar schtick the first time, and if they can get that done in under a year, then I can too!
I'm going to put this up on Ao3, mainly because I can place pictures on there to help out with the story (as well as put my art up on the stories). And maybe post this on as well. The FIRST chapter will be up on here at least, so I can work on art before the next chapter...
By the way:
Disclaimer for any trigger warnings in advanced: there's a (rather piss poor attempt of) mentions of a panic attack, implied themes, and other such things... (this fic is rated M for a reason)
"Hello" = Person speaking
~Hello~=Arata speaking
"Hello"=person thinking
*BONK*=Action sound
anything else is either not relevant, or for multiple people talking.
Enough of this… the story begins now.
This is a work of fiction
All of the characters, ideologies, and phenomenons are doubtlessly unrelated to those in real life...
Only those who agree with the statement above will be given the right to participate in the game…
….
...I see…
The world these days is unable to maintain its ideal form anymore. It is full of distortions and it will certainly collide…
People who are eager to reform the world and resist their fates…are sometimes called "tricksters"...
Thou, trickster…now it's time for you to step forward and face the abyss of the distortions...
~Hey… Hey...HEY!~
...
~Akira...~
...
~KIRA, Wake up!~
Slowly rising, the person in question opened his eyes slightly. The first thing he sees is a boy, not older than him, floating… yes floating beside him, with a look of concern on his face. The boy consisted of a Dark violet jacket and black shorts with matching loafers, with the more prominent features being the double irises in his eyes, the silver hair, and the long thin tail waving around his back. For some reason the boy couldn't find why… he felt something calming despite the situation he was in... like he knew he could trust the floating boy. Scanning his surroundings, the Raven haired Male finds himself within a small, dullen box of a room, the only thing indicating it as such being a small table, a chair, and a door that seems to be mocking the two with it's mere existence...
~You okay man? They fucked you up pretty badly?~ the floating being asked. ~Akira… you've got to stay with me here. I'll help you get through this, Do you remember me?~
Akira, that boy mentioned, slowly nodded, ignoring the sting of pain dancing along his battered and bruised body. "A... Arata?"
~Okay... Okay good, you're not too far gone... I'm trying to flush out this drug they shot in ya, but it'll take some time...~
~Now, you might not remember this… or anything for that matter… 'cause they drugged you. So you'll probably have a hard time recalling anything. Thankfully, it seems to be temporary~
"H-Hello?"
The Raven haired boy, now named Akira, thought. the floating male, now named Arata, perked up at the mental ping of their voice.
~Kira? Ok, so at least this still works...~
"W-What happened?"
~...Weeeelllll...~
(Minor Flashback)
*Joker What the Hell Are you Doing!?* a static like voice echoed out, ringing within the ear of the man in question...
~Go Ninja Go Ninja Go-!~
Both Akira and Arata, spun and danced, weaving to and fro against various obstacles, debris... and shadowy builds of Masked bodyguards. stomping upon their heads akin to stepping stools, the two tangoed and swung around, unleashing a hail of bullets and magic around them, causing an uproar of chaos in their wake.
~it started out great... don't know how, but we found out more on out last "job" from our new friends...~
"Why do we always catch you two doing the Weirdest damned things!? We left you alone for 5 MINUTES!" A red haired woman in black, shouts out, swerving aside from a strike from a jaguar monster
~Baby Please, it's not what you think!~ The masked floater shouts out, shooting out a blast of darkness at a group of enemies.
"Fight Now, Bitch Later!" The Male named "Joker", shouts out, swinging over and swerves out of a sword swipe, delivering a devastating roundhouse to the Surprised Snake man creature.
~Everything went to plan... until it didn't...~
"Freeze! Put your hands where I can see them!" numerous Brigades shout out, aiming their guns at the two, the two caught in question, both looked at each other, shrug in unison, and point at each other.
"I Plead The 5th!"
~and that's how we ended up here...~
Nodding again, the boy looked at the door, which started to open.
~oh, Remember… only you can hear and see me right now, so don't bring attention to me. That'll make things harder to get you out. If you need to talk, then think it out!~
A final nod was his answer as a silver haired woman entered the room with what seems to be a binder. Arata scowled at the sight of the familiar woman as she sat down.
"Akira Amamiya-Kurusu... So… it was you All along." the woman started, "To think that you were the leaders of the Phantom Thieves… no matter."
"..."
"I'm only here because you've helped both me and my sister in the past… and I… may have taken things too far before... I have yet to do so, but I'd like to start by... apologizing for my behavior before. I know this is hard for you… but…"
~this bitch again… stay wary of this lady, Kira. she's part of the reason you're here...~ Arata whispers.
"...Nevermind. Do you remember who I am?" a rather hesitant shake of his head made her sigh in slight frustration. "What the hell did they do to you... I am Sae Nijima, your prosecutor, Do you remember that name?"
A slow nod ushered her to continue. "Now look, I care for you, okay?"
~could've fooled me…~
"I can help you out with this, but I need your cooperation. As long as you tell me everything, completely honest with no lies or tricks this time, then I'll do what I can to lighten your sentence for you."
~Heh, that's more of an Ultimatum than a proposal.~
"Look, I managed to weasel my way through the channels to get to you first, and the most I have on this is 4 hours to get the answers I need, so we'll have to keep things quick. Start from when this all began… What exactly happened-"
"...You wouldn't understand." Akira finally answered, turning away from the investigator.
"Then make me understand. I want to help you."
~bullshit.~
"And to do that, I need your cooperation."
A few seconds of silence echoed through the room, until Akira finally sighed as he nodded.
~Alright Kira, let's start the plan. It started on April~
"...It all started on…"
You're a slave
a "destined slave" whose future is already sealed
this is an extremely unreasonable game…and you have almost no chance to win…
however, if you can hear my voice, then there's still some hope left…
…please. Win this game…and save the world.
The key to reversing your fate is the bonds from your memory…
the revived truth you grasped with your friends…
everything began half a year ago…the day when this game started…
please, recall your memories…for the future of the world…and for yourself
months ago…
April 9th
*Thank you for using this line today. We will soon arrive at Shibuya, Shibuya. This is the last stop. Please transfer at this station if you would like to use the subway lines*
The moving train in which Akira Amamiya-Kurusu, a 16 year old Raven haired male, boarded in slowed to a halt as the passengers inside flowed out of the machine's the constant stuttering whispers from the pedestrians around him, He fished out his phone, looking at the time on the device.
~Hey, Kira, where are we again?~ a voice in his head asked. ~we were supposed to head to this "LeBlanc" place right?~
"Yeah. I know, we're close by it Arata." the boy answered not even looking at the pale floating boy to his side.
~alrighty then, lets-~ Arata chants out, slowing to a stop as he turns to see Akira looking at his phone
"Hey, what's this app?" Akira asked.
~huh?~ the newly christened Arata mumbled, looking at the phone in the male's hand. A weird and unsettling looking app in the image of an eye took up most of the screen. ~i don't like the looks of this… but it feels oddly familiar.~
"Familiar? Why does a creepy looking app give off a familiar feeling ..to… um.."
~what?~ Akira looks around the area and was starting to get worried as everything seemed to slow to a stop around him.
"What's going on?"
~how should I know?~
"You're the expert on this kind… of…" he trailed off, looking in front of him, which prompted Arata to do the same. Right in front of the two, was an exact replica of Akira, gazing with a sinister grin on his face as he suddenly bursts into azure flames.
Blinking a few times, Akira looked around to find that everything was in motion again and nothing seemed to catch on fire around him. "...weird. I may be more tired than I-"
~HOLY CRAP!~
"Huh!?" slightly jumping at the floating partner's yelp, he turned to him slightly. A panicked look etched on his face.
~your stats! Where'd they go!?~
"My stats? What happened to them?" he whispered.
~IT'S ALL GONE! All of our hard work and Progress, Gone!~
"What!?" He shouts, gaining some unwanted attention in the process. "... let's get to Leblanc's first, this is starting to get tiring…and embarrassing."
~yeah. You'd need some rest if I get trapped in your hallucination of all things.~
"Let me see my stats."
~sure thing.~ a soft ping like noise rung in his ears as a black and red screen appeared in front of them.
Akira R. Amamiya-Kurusu
Lv. 1
Hp: 210
Sp:200
Guts (Rnk 1): 0/10
Kind (Rnk 1): 0/10
Prof (Rnk 1): 0/10
Chrm (Rnk 1): 0/10
Intl (Rnk 1): 0/10
"...FUCK!" he shouts as he sprints to the given directions he was told to go.
After an eventful Interaction between Both Akira and Arata meeting their ward in question, a local barista named Sojiro Sakura, alongside the narrow slip that nearly got them kicked out completely, the two now spend their time cleaning up the pig-sty he was given as a room. After most of their work cleaning the walking areas and work desk, they fully managed to fit their luggage within a nearly broken bookcase.
Sighing, Arata takes out a black box from the remaining luggage and opens it for the room to see, revealing a small framed picture of six individuals; both He and Akira were at the forefront, both sides flanked by two more pairs, one with a little brunette and a silver haired teenager in gothic Lolita attire, and a young male with Red hair, hanging off the shoulder of a much taller blonde female in a red jacket and shorts.
~You think they're alright?~ Arata asks aloud, hanging the photo on the now clean desk near the corner.
"They should be... at the very least we know for a fact that they're safe and sound..." Akira Said, moving a few objects back onto the newly cleaned shef-
*BANG*
~SHIT! My bad!~
A sudden crash echoes through the room, startling Akira into dropping a book in his hands. Blinked rapidly, he clutches his mouth in his hands, backing away from the direction of the sudden noise, seeing brief instances of before... the screaming, the deafening sound of a gunshot, the dark red Ichor that drizzled down their hands... the face of regret and surprise immobilized on the man's face as he looks at-
~Hey, HEY! None of that! Kira, Breathe...~
what? but... why, that man was on top of him, how exactly could he breathe when all he could see, smell and taste were... red... red... RED-
~AKIRA. Look at me... count to 10 for me, alright!?~
"ten?" Akira thought... what an odd request.. but that... that he can do... maybe the man on him will get up at Ten...
One...
Two...
Three...
Four...
Fi-Oh the weight is gone... but the man's still there... wait... how is that- No, No... where was he?
Six...
Seven...
Eight- Oh, the Screams are back... isn't that just lovely, they're trying to make him lose count... jokes on them, disembodied screams- No wait, he recognized those screams... he's getting off track again...
Nine...
Ten. See, that was easy- Who the hell is that Pink man?
"H...y...d!"
Oh god, it's another old guy yelling at him... as if there wasn't enough of that going around...
"Kid... et...p...ase!"
"Speak up old man, I already got it drilled into me that it's My fault that he-..." Akira thought, nearly falling back into the spiral of madness
"Akira!" a loud voice broke him out of his train of thought, jumping at the closeness of said voice Akira blinks once more, no longer at the store he was in... no longer a Junes... No longer in his hometown... and staring at the worried (Arata) and Concerned (Sojiro) looks that now filled his vision...
"Kid, Are you back? c'mon, breathe with me here..." Sojiro orders, placing his hands on Akira's shoulders. "Breathe in... Breathe out..." doing as instructed the corners of his vision lighten up, no longer trapping him in a darkened frame of view with each inhale and exhale.
"h-Huh?" Akira muttered out, looking around the small attic space once again.
"Alright, good, you're back... gave me one hell of a scare there..." Sojiro sighed.
~You alright, Kira, you had another panic attack on me...~
"Yeah... Yeah, I-I think I'm good..." "S-Sorry about that..."
"Look, I didn't know much of the details about your... predicament.. but I'm starting to believe that there more to it than just you being a "delinquent prick that too it too far"... How long has... this, been going on for..." Sojiro asked, cupping his chin. "... and how frequent?"
"...half a year... and not too much... just the occasional slip up."
~This is the first panic attack since the last 4 months... and we just GOT here too... i don't like the feeling of this...~
"Kid, I've seen enough of that shit to know that it's a lot more than just "Occasional" with these sorts of things. But that does... change some things with this arrangement..." Sojiro sighs, pulling out his phone and typing on it. "Here, put this number in your phone; if another one of these "slip-ups" happen, you try to call me, but ONLY if there's no other choice, Got it? I'm no damn shrink."
"Um... Okay..." Akira nods, putting in the digits within his contacts as the elder gave him a look.
"Don't give me that tone, Here I though I was gonna keep a leash on some ungrateful brat, not someone who has been through some form of trauma... it begs the question though..." Sojiro said, putting his phone away not long after and plopping a few things on the desk. "What the hell happened that got you to now... don't answer that."
turning to leave, Sojiro looks around the newly cleaned room and smirked, nodding at the boy's handiwork. "Not a bad job on the room though, Kid. everything up here's free game to you; keep it, or throw it out if you want, I don't care... and... try not to cause too many problems while you're here, okay?"
Getting signed up into a Highschool called Shujin Academy was NOT as intense as the two though it would be the next day. After being introduced to the teachers and Principal, mentally preparing multiple egg jokes at the head administrator in the process, and finally, finally freaking out with Arata over the stat reset on the ride back home, both Akira and Arata called it a night and softly slammed his tired body on the makeshift bed in his little paradise. Both sighs as Akira took out his phone, making a face when he opens it to find that mysterious Eye app once more... deleting it once again, the two slowly closed their eyes, and embraced the temporary darkness of slumber...
Opening his eyes, Akira immediate first instinct was to jump up and scream... or deck the nearest living thing within range... unfortunately, there was only one other person for that, as his fist connects to Arata's jaw, sending the now floating boy spiraling into the air as if he were in space. the spectral roommate's cry of pain was drowned out as Akira freaks out at the rather familiar looking place he found himself in.
"Oh god... OH GOD NO!"
~Kira, calm down, we're not in juvie!~ Arata shouts, taking the male's attention from his initial freak-out.
"W-what?" he whimpered weakly.
~this just looks like a prison.~
"Then why are my clothes like this!" he asks, gesturing to the iconic Black and white shirt and trousers he wore, shackles and chains dangled and chimed with each movement. "And why aren't you wearing this!?"
~because I'm awesome, and they won't work on me. we've been ove-... We're not alone…~ Arata said abruptly, snarling at the space behind Akira as what appears to be several glowing hands orbit around him
Looking at the only open area in front of his… cell… stood a pristine mahogany desk in the dead center of the Blue tinted room, an odd, demonic looking man with a rather perturbingly long nose sat in front of it with his unsettling Cheshire grin.
"Welcome, trickster and friend, to the velvet room." the goblin man greets in a deep, deceptively smooth voice.
~holy shit, that's his voice!?~ Arata barked, the hands disappearing at his surprise.
"W-where am I!? Who are you!?"
"I am Igor, resident of this place. And these two are my assistants." with a snap of his fingers, two more people entered the teen's view. The two look on at the rather adorable sight: twin girls, no older than 10, wearing a warden themed ensemble with eye patches covering one side of their eye each. The only difference they could see were the hairstyles of the two, the one on the right had twin buns, while the other had hers in a braid. "To your right is Caroline, to your left, Justine."
"You'd have better got it memorized, Inmates!" the girl on the right, Caroline, hissed.
"Our job is to aid you on your quest." the girl on the left, Justine, continued in a monotonous voice.
~Aww… you two are just so cute! I just wanna pinch your little heads off!~ Arata cooed, proceeding to lightly pinch the two...
*BONK*
~AGH!~ before Caroline smack him over the head with a baton she pulled out of nowhere.
"Take us seriously!" The Assaulter in question screamed out, waving her weapon as menacingly as a 5 year old holding a gun in a random direction with their hand on the trigger.
~well someone's not getting a cookie…~
"time is short, so I shall be brief. With your current progression, you are surely headed towards ruin."
"Ruin? What do you mean?" Akira says, shoving Arata back before his hair could get yanked by the petite terror growling at him.
"Your path will lead to disaster by the end, as well as the world. However, you possess the potential of changing such a fate. The only way out of this ruin is through a process called rehabilitation." Igor mentions, pulling out what appears to be a small booklet and a quill pen.
"What? what would even have to happen to cause all that to happen in the future?"
~rehab? Oh god, it is juvie all over again…~
"To avoid such a fate, you must sign this contract." at the snap of his fingers, Justine handed the males the booklet, retrieving it from her master's desk before returning to the cage, alongside the pen to sign with. "That contract states that you must take full responsibility for your actions whilst your rehabilitation is in progress. Breaking this rule will end your rehabilitation and you must redo the procedure entirely, something you cannot afford to do with such a limited time... All I need for you to do is to sign to confirm your resolve."
~you're not gonna take our souls, are you birdman?~
"B-Birdman!?" the stoic voice of Justine repeats, a slight crack evident by the sudden name.
"How dare you!" Caroline barked, smacking the cage in which both teens were in.
Chuckling at the events unfolding, Igor shook his head. "Nothing of the sort, young one. you could say the exact opposite, but who really knows?"
"... I'm guessing I don't really have a choice in the matter, do I? Apparently that's everybody's favorite catchphrase recently..." Looking over the contract, Akira signed his name on the parchment, handing over the pen to Arata once he was finished.
~oh, fine. I'll sign it. You think I should go as Jolly Roger, Dumpcumpster or Scatman Johnny?~ he cheered, getting a smack in the back of the head from Akira and gaping and gasping faces from the two petite wardens acting as carp.
"You are not doing that!"
~alright, alright! Hmm… I got it! Dante... From devil may cr-!~
"Are you serious right now!?" Akira hissed, smacking Arata in the back. "Stop it, I'm trying my best not to laugh here.."
~Yeah, you're right, that sound's overrated. Alright then, Aratakaja Beldirever… there.~
Another snap of his fingers teleported the contract to Igor himself, his unsettling smile never fading in the least. "The night is waning, so I shall let you rest Trickster. We will meet again soon, Wildcard." Igor stated, before the world went black once more.
Now in a black void, the only two people left were Arata and Akira, the former seemed to be deep in thought.
"Arata? What's wrong?" Akira asked.
~oh nothing just...something's… off.~
"Off?"
~I've been to that place before, and I know Igor, we've seen him before but...something's definitely wrong…~
"...like?" Akira asked, while he DID technically see him beforehand, once or twice a long time ago, it wasn't like he remembered everything down to the T... hell he didn't even speak once during the times Akira did spot him...
~for one, unless the Birdman's balls finally dropped, I don't remember him having a voice that deep. That Can't be a Coincidence or a first time thing...~ Arata stated, orbiting around the teen in the black void of nothing. ~And those two lolis we've met earlier… they feel… the best term for this would be incomplete… damaged... broken...~
"Hmm… well, you said that you were in the velvet room before right? Do you know what that means? if I'm in there as well i mean..."
~Igor and his attendants….. contracts... Wildca- Oh my god.~
"What?"
~What are the odds that you got this after him again?~
"What? What is it?"
~... okay look, remember that name Beaky said at the end there; Wild Card? Does that ring a bell?~
"hmm..." Akira though back for any instance of such, noticing that he managed to hear that used as a term in one way or another... "Yeah... Wasn't Narukami called that by Ms. Margaret or something?"
~Igor had other attendants before Loli one and two back then, I mainly heard about it from them, but yeah, Looks like we might be hearing that term a LOT more than before this time around… now that you mention it… Where WERE Marg, Liz and Theo?~
"The trio? I though they found jobs in Inaba?"
~the other attendants… we've only seen them IN Inaba so far, but we know that they go to somewhere called the velvet room when they have to... but why weren't they there this time?…~
"Well, let's not worry about that for now."
~right.~
Monday, April 11
Rainy
Shujin Academy
morning
Walking in the morning sprinkle, Akira strolled down the streets of the bustling city, Arata lazily floating behind him. After a brief discussion over a curry breakfast from Sojiro, The two set out for their first day of school. during the cramped half hour it took from the train station, the two made their way down the street, engaging in a brief talk with this Blonde girl named Ann along the way, only for a car to drive on up, revealing some creep beckoning the now named Ann to said car and they drove off, taking her to school, the two sighed at the morning they're having, not noticing the blonde male slinking his way up behind them.
"Hey newbie!" the male shouts, startling both males at the close proximity of the voice. Turning around, they became face to face with a male not much older than them with blonde, spiky hair and what appears to be the exact same uniform Akira was wearing. "Aw man, I was too late Dammit!"
"Oh hello…" Akira yelps out, looking at he blond watch the Car drive off in the distance
"Screw that pervy teacher…"
~pervy? So when he asked you for a ride, was he coming onto us or something-~ Arata stopped when he heard a soft ping near his ears.
"SOOO... was that like your girlfriend or something?"
"Eh!?" The Hedgehog delinquent sneered, turning towards the spectacled Student. "So what about you, huh? Come to rat me out to that Shitlord?"
"I literally just got here." Akira retorted, stepping back from the sudden space that was breached by the yelling blonde. "I don't even know you, let alone rat you out for… something?"
"... foreal? You serious?"
"Uh… yeah?"
"You don't know that guy? Suguru Kamoshida?"
"Was he the creepy guy in the car?"
"... oh god, you really don't know… wait… right, the transfer!" the blonde boy cheered up. "You're heading to Shujin academy right? I know a shortcut from here." another ping from somewhere, but Arata kept looking around for it.
~what the…~
"The Name's Ryuji by the way. Ryuji Sakamoto." the newly named Ryuji greeted.
"OH, um... Akira Amamiya-Kurusu. I go by either Akira, Kiren or Ren."
"Alright. Nice to meet ya Akira. come on, I'll show you the way." Ryuji stated, walking ahead with the partners in tow. As time went on, Ryuji informed both of them about the ongoing rumors going on in the school, which lead to Ryuji ranting on about Kamoshida again. Various pings went off once more, but for the life of Arata, he couldn't pick up where they were coming from... until Akira bumps into the side of a building on a turn, nudging his phone just a bit outwards, revealing a hint of red on the screen.
~huh?~ Arata whispers, floating closer to the pocket. ~what's goin on here? it kinda feels like-~
"That Bastard really pisses me the eff off." Ryuji growls, kicking aside a trashcan, nudging it slightly to the side.
~eff? You're cursing like a sailor and you say eff?~ Arata snickers, the thought momentarily forgotten.
"Just who the hell does he think he is, some king of a castle or something? That'd be a really shitty castle if that's the case."
A third ping sounded off, but this time a voice followed suit, leading Arata to Akira's phone as it softly vibrated.
*Destination found, beginning navigation*
A wave of dizziness flowed to the two males, Arata not being affected, but they merely shrugged it off and continued forward.
~So that's what it was doing... wait.. what did it mean by Beginning navigation?~
"...uh…"
"What the hell!?" Ryuji proclaimed.
~huh…~ Arata uttered.
After a few minutes of walking through alleyways, the three eventually made it to their destination. The problem however, was that instead of the school they were supposed to see, in its place stood a castle, a rather weird looking one at that.
~well ain't this just a kerfuckle?~ Arata complained, floating besides Akira once more.
"Hey, watch yo- Wh-what the hell!?" Ryuji said, jumping at the sight of Arata floating beside him.
~...what's Ryuji jumping around for now?~
"Who are you? Why are you floating and how do you know my name!?" Ryuji replied, his disbelief stacking on top of his panic.
~huh? Yo Kira, who's he talking to?~
"I'm talking about you!" he answers, pointing to Arata who suddenly gets a look of surprise on his face.
~What do you mean m-~ Arata stops... blinks... then slowly points at himself ~you...can see me?~
"Hell yeah I can see you! Were you stalking us or something!?"
"Calm down Ryuji, he's a friend of mine." Akira answered this time, attempting to calm him down. "His name is Arata, he's… a special friend you see. Only I can interact with him…"
~until now that is… Hey Kira, look at your phone...~
"Huh, why?" he asked, fishing out his phone as instructed, looking like he got bitch slapped. Akira looked on at the red and Black eye flashing on the entirety of the screen.
~that app again...… I think I figured out how we got here.~
"Hey Kira… Arata… I think I got it too." Ryuji said, showing the same thing on his phone.
"What?"
"HALT!" a new voice bellowed, startling all three of them, turning around, they say a few knights with what looked like poorly made masks covering their faces instead of helmets.
"Who the hell are these guys?" Ryuji questioned. Looking back, Akira and Arata were back to back as the three were surrounded by six to eight of the knights
~...Aw shit.~
"Arata?" Akira said suddenly, pointing at the guards... "mind channeling a few blasts?"
~On it!~ Arata nods, glowing a dark purple as Akira's hands flowed with the same energy
"By orders of the king, I command you to Surrend-AAAGH!" One of the guards suddenly yelps in pain, several of them being shot point blank by a black beam of darkness. the remaining ones, yells outward charging the three.
"Eldritch Blast!" Akira shouts, channeling more and more black beams as the knights kept up their pursuit.
~what is it with people and locking us up in cages!?~ Arata groaned. The three were now in some sort of prison cell.
"Whoa man! Is this for real!?" Ryuji yelled out, full blown panic in his voice. "Let us out man!"
~Kira's stats are reset, I don't know about you, and I don't think I can last long if they send millions of them at me by myself…~
"Stats?"
~don't worry about it.~
"No way man! First you're mumbling shit about Stats, before that you were shooting shadow beams everywhere-" he points to Akira, "Then you two Weren't at all surprised about being here, What's going on!?"
"Silence peasants!" a new yet familiar voice yelled back, a new person appearing before them… which lead to Akira and Ryuji looking in horror and disgust while Arata screamed and attempted to claw his face at the sight. In front of them was the very same man who tried to get Akira into the car with him, the same man Ryuji hated, the very Kamoshida… wearing nothing but cape and a pink speedo.
~My eyes! I'M BLIND!~ Arata screamed hysterically, clawing roughly at his eye at the hideous sight
"K-Kamoshida!?"
"gross ." Akira stated, closing his eyes as he looks away.
"I don't have to take that from plebeian shits like you!"
~They're BLEEDING!~
"Just what the hell's going on!?" Ryuji screamed out, kicking the bars of the cell they were in.
"I'll tell you what's going on! You're going to be executed!"
"What!?"
"Huh!?"
~Oh Why does my eyes forsake me so!~
"Alright, shut that bitch up, it's starting to annoy me! then start with the blonde one." Kamoshida ordered, several knights opening the cage as they piled in.
~the fuck you call me- WHOA!~ He shouts before getting dog-piled by a few Knights... before, promptly exploding as Akira shoots out a wave of blue energy.
~Did you guys seriously try to DOGPILE me!?~
More knights flowed into the room, to which Arata continues to shoot them with multiple beams of various colors, some burning, some freezing, others warping and hitting the ground from suddenly being places in the air, and other random effects. Unfortunately, several knights managed to tank through the onslaught and it wasn't long before they managed to successfully dogpile him completely. Ryuji tried punching one in the face, but ends up clutching his hand in pain as a few knights held Ryuji by the throat and arms as others restrained Akira, propping both onto the wall.
~CRAP!~ Arata shouts out, muffled from within the pile.
"Now be sure to kill him slowly." Kamoshida chuckled. "I love to watch him writhe in agony before they die!"
"No!" Akira shouts, managing to break free and readies another black beam, but was held back again as the spell fires, hitting Kamoshida in the leg as the gold eyed man howls in pain.
"Dammit, that hurts like HELL!, After you're done with the blonde brat, I call dibs on the four eyed twink there!"
~Get the fuck off me!~ Arata roared before several more joined the pile. Akira watched in horror as one of the knights raised one of their swords near Ryuji's throat. All of a sudden, everything seemed to slow down to a halt again, this time it dimmed into a darker realm, the world around him silencing and dimming until it was almost pitch black. A rather soothing voice echoed through his mind.
This is truly and unjust game…
Your chances of winning are almost none…
But, if you can hear my voice…
There may yet be a possibility for you…
A rather elegant looking butterfly fluttered around him in a mystical trance, landing upon his face. Then a darker, deeper voice echoed in his mind.
~indeed, this is an unjust game, isn't it? No matter how hard you try, you're always forced to submit.~
~Thine heart burns with a righteous fury, but under the influence of the world snuffed to embers.~
~Tell me...~
~Are thou going to let this stand?~
"N-NO... I'm not-"
~Are thou going to give up?~
"N-NO... NO! Hell NO!" Akira shouts, repeating this over and over with more emotion in each verse. "I'm Not going to stand for this! I'm Not letting it end Here... Not now!... "NOT EVER!"
~That's All I needed to hear!~
~an admirable resolve indeed...~
~Well then, Vow to me your True resolve!~
The voice cackles and echoes within his mind, a sudden pang of pain courses through his body, pulsing through his veins as a familiar twang of power fills him to the brim with energy... black wisps dance around his form, slapping and slicing through his bound state, dissipating the knights in front of him... then more began swirling through him; the licks of flame, the formation of ice crystals, the sparks of lightning, the howls of wind, the flash of light and the pulse of two separate forces orbit through and around him, levitating his form as a pure white mask begins forming on his screaming face.
~I am Thou... Thou art I...~
~Thou who art willing to perform such sacrilegious acts for thine own justice, call upon my name and unleash thy rage!~
~Show the strength of thy will to ascertain all on thine own, though thou be chained to hell itself!~
~Now Go forth, and unleash Thy True Name!~
"PERSONA!" Akira roared, the white mask bursts into flames on his face, the rainbow inferno enveloping him until it revealed a black and white mask adorning his face. The sudden burst of power seemed to send him back to the real world, however, as the guards holding Ryuji staggered back, freeing him and shocking Kamoshida.
"What the hell!?" the speedo wearing weirdo whimpered in surprise, looking in fear at the mask wearing male.
Feeling his face and discovering the mask, Akira began to tear the attachment off his face, his face bleeding heavily as ripping flesh was heard. Finally ripping the thing off, the male was engulfed in azure flames once again, this time cackling as the blaze took over him. The cackling got deeper and more sinister as the flames enlarged, revealing what scared both Ryuji and Kamoshida.
The being looked like a cross between a butler and a demon, with a blood red tuxedo like body and Black top-hat, along with the demonic looking claws, obsidian colored chains and black wings, the scariest feature was its face as it held eyes that screamed death and carnage as it gazed on the other occupants in the room.
The flames died down after the demon thing's reveal, revealing Akira grinning maniacally, his own changes visible as well. Instead of the student uniform he wore before he now wore a black suit with leather armor, a black tailcoat and crimson gloves completing the look.
~Hell Yeah!~ Arata yelled from the pile he was under. ~Hey Kira, a little help please.~
~Attack! Destroy them all! Let thy rage to your heart's content!~ the demonic entity roared.
"Ravage them All to the abyss, Arsene!" Akira shouts, swinging one of the many chains at the guards. The now dubbed Arsene cackled as he shot out black and red beams of energy towards the group, not only taking out most of the guards, but freeing Arata as well.
~alright, now it's my turn!~ Arata roared. ~this is for dogpiling on me, you shits!~ shooting out his hands, beams of dark blue energy blasted forth, freezing and dissipating all but one guard and Kamoshida, who was to paralyzed with fear at the sight before him to do anything.
Looking at the last guard, both nodded before Akira points at the remaining one.
"Eldritch Blast."
Seven black beams shot outward, hitting it square in the chest as it dissipates from the sudden onslaught. Looking at the scene before them, Arata grabbed Ryuji and Akira and bolted out the cell, closing and locking Kamoshida in, who just regained his bearings afterwards.
"What the hell! Get me out of here." the king yelled.
~let's go before more of those guys arrive, I do not want to get in another dogpile anytime soon.~
"Right." Akira nodded, sighing as Arsene disappeared, his white mask with black accents reforming on his face.
"Hang on, I have SEVERAL questions!" Ryuji yelled
"Later Ryuji!"
"Hey wait!" and with that, the three ran ahead, leaving king speedo-man behind.
After several minutes explaining Arata's power, as well as wondering about the power Akira's acquired and helping a talking cat thing named Morgana, the group of four (yes, Morgana joined) were running around the area. well , it'd be that simple if Ryuji and Morgana would stop bitching at each other every two seconds.
"HALT!" a group of guards said in front of them. Arata and Akira automatically stood in front of the group, surprisingly, Morgana did also.
"Arsene!" Akira shouted, summoning the demonic butler being once again, which surprised Morgana completely.
"You have a Persona too!?" the cat being exclaimed. "Then that makes things easier!"
"Right. Arata, I need a boost!"
~got it. Haste! Charge!~ Arata shouts, a red clock and wand looking runes orbited around Akira foe a few seconds before disappearing.
"Eiga!" He shouts, Arsene, both shooting several oversized beams of darkness at the enemy, killing most of the things in one shot.
"Not bad! Very impressive!" Morgana said, noticing another guard sneaking up on them. "But let me show you how a pro handles it! Zorro!" he shouts, a flash of light and a new entity emerged behind the cat. This time, it looked more like a Spanish fencer with a small lower body. Zorro then proceeded to swing his rapier at the target, blasts of wind knocking down the shadow and dazing the thing, which led to Morgana pulling out a scimitar that's as big as he was and cutting the being in half, killing it as well.
~not bad ninja kitty~
"I'm not a cat!"
~could've fooled me, cat.~ Arsene replied.
~please don't insult my user like that.~ the new person of the group, Zorro, continued.
"Oh god, they can talk! How can they talk!?" Ryuji shouts out. "WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING!?"
"Alright, the exit's in this room right here!" Morgana stated.
"Don't Ignore me, Dammit!"
Opening the door, The Cat like being reveals to the group… a standard looking room.
"What the Hell?!" Ryuji shouts in disbelief. "What gives cat were you lying to us this whole time?"
"Wow, those clichés about blondes being dumb really ARE true."
"What was that!?"
"Look around you idiot! Use that monkey brain of yours for a second." looking smug at the blonde, who's currently contemplating strangling the Bobble headed Bandit in front of him.
"The air vent?" Akira asked, pointing to the large opening to the side.
"At least someone's got smarts. Yeah, that's your exit."
"Oh… sweet. Sorry bout that cat." Ryuji sighed, looking up at the vent in question, and relaxing a bit, his previous thought forgotten.
"I'm not a cat!"
"If you insist you're not one, then what are you?" Akira asks, opening the vent to exit.
"I'm a Human, an honest to god human!" Morgana answered, puffing out his chest at the proclamation.
"Bullshit."
"You wanna go you damn monkey!"
"Who're you calling a monkey you shitty fleabag!"
~this is gonna be a thing isn't it…~
"NO IT'S NOT!" Both of them yelled in unison. "Shut up! stop copying me! No you!"
~Goddammit.~
After another short argument, and Morgana explaining a bit on whatever the fuck is wrong with this place, the two (three), reentered the real world, only for the fiasco to not stop there.
After getting in trouble on account of being late for hours, an excuse thrown around or two, and surviving the day of rumors and spiteful teachers, Akira and Arata return to Leblanc's to turn in for the night. The warning/scolding from Sojiro didn't help much though.
That night, the two drifted off into slumber again, and once again, they wake up in a different place entirely, but this time was drastically different. Unlike the prison cell they were expecting, they encountered a simple room of a deep blue, various cerulean curtains obscure whatever lies past the room, and a soft aria echoes throughout the expanse. two other people sitting on one of the few pieces of furniture in the place.
Akira had a look of confusion at the new setting. This wasn't the same person he met before, but this presence was somewhat more calming and comfortable. Looking at Arata, he was surprised when the boy beside him had a look of excitement, relief, and awe at the individuals sitting before them.
"Greetings Trickster and Beldireaver, I am pleased to finally meet you." the first person, a man in a black shirt and tie, a white blazer and pants and black dress shoes, greeted. "We have much to discuss."
~that we do...~ Arata answered, a cheeky grin adorned on his face. ~nice to see ya again….. Philemon."
And that's the Prologue done. Like I said, there will be extra content, and the pacing will be both moderately decently, but enough for a good read.
More on things…
Keep in mind that at the moment, I've only made Mishima's story and persona to match the plot I'm making, which will be revealed next chapter. That being said, I'm all up for having you guys give me ideas for the rest of them. As for the questions:
Should I keep Mishima and Shiho as Phantom thieves? I know that the whole group will get 4 more, but from what feedback i DO have, it's currently leaning towards yes...
Any thoughts on Mishima's "Change" in the narrative? Here I'm playing around with a bit of Mishima's past to make him akin to the other pt crew, but I'm open to any ideas that doesn't just make him a piss poor NPC or some chucklefuck that people hate. or, if you like the current plan i got so far... then let me know and I can continue down that rabbit hole.
Any new names for Mishima and Shiho's Codenames? I like Akuma (Mishima) and Shinobi (Shiho), but there might be better ones I'm not seeing...
That being said. I'll talk more later on in the next chapter.
TBC.