Prologue: Wrong time, wrong place.
September 15th, 2017.
In the sleepy county of Yongen-Jaya stands a lone Café Shop called Leblanc. To those outside, it seemed like a cute little café. But to those who frequented this hole in the wall, they knew it by a different name.
The Phantom Thieves' Den. For such a small café had seen a group of young adults make their mark on Japan, taking down four gods who were determined to force humanity into their paths. Even if no one would know who they were.
Except for a blue-haired lawyer walking inside to meet with eight of those special people. After all, he was a Persona user as well.
"Yo, Minato! You made it!" Ryuji calls out from the back as the eight core members of the Phantom Thieves greet him.
"I have. And I am glad you all managed to arrive." He remarks, nodding his head towards Ren as he serves him a cup of coffee. "Thank you."
"It's no problem. But what did you want to tell us? By your message, it sounded important. Is this about Sophia and Isara?" Ren asks, nodding to his phone with the group chat between the Phantom Thieves, the Shadow Operatives and the Seekers of Truth. Minato takes a sip of the coffee, savouring its taste as he takes an old photo out of his coat. "And where are the others?"
"They'll be here shortly. And no, It's not about them, although I can say that they have almost been completely transferred into their new bodies. Do you remember what I said back in February? How there was something me and my sister needed to tell you once we defeated Maruki?" At Ren's nod, he hands him the worn photo. "This is it." He says simply. Ren takes the photo gently, looking at it before gasping loudly.
"Is this… real?"
"What's real, Ren?" Makoto asks, moving to join him. Before she gasps as well. "But… how?"
"What's wrong, you guys?" Ann asks as the rest of the Thieves move to join them. As Ren places the photo on the table, the others all gasp in shock. "What the?"
"The hell?" Ryuji blurts out.
"How is this possible?" Yusuke asks with wide eyes as Futaba picks it up, eyes squinting. Flipping it over to the back, seeing the telltale signs of a printed photograph. And an aged one at that.
"There's no question… this is real…" She says, placing it back down.
"But… how can that be?" Haru questions, eyes not leaving the picture. As Morgana looks at Minato.
"This is what you wanted to show us?" He asks, dumbfounded. He nods, turning his gaze to the picture and folding his hands together. A picture showing the eight of them with a younger Minato and Minako, along with a dog, what looked to be a cyborg girl and seven other people.
"Yes. But that's not all. We want to tell you our story in full. And…" His gaze falls on the picture, memories of a time filling his vision. "We want you to know… how the Phantom Thieves helped S.E.E.S in saving the world… and how they sacrificed themselves to do it."
April 20th, 2009.
"Orpheus! Agi!" Minato cries, blasting a shadow with fire magic before watching Junpei rush in to slash it in half. To his right, another shadow moves towards him, only to be struck by an arrow before being engulfed in fire as well.
Turning around, he shoots a thankful look to Yukari and his sister, Minako, for assistance before a voice echoes in their ears.
"The enemies have been defeated. Excellent work." Mitsuru informs the group via headset.
"Hell yeah! Chalk another one down!" Junpei cheers as she and Minako share a high-five.
"And a floor clear!" Minako says in equal cheer, while Minato shakes his head.
"She certainly is excitable. Isn't she?" Yukari asks, putting her bow on her back. "You two are polar opposites of one another."
"That we are." Minato replies, looking at his sister. "We should head back to the entrance. I think we have enough experience for now."
"I agree. There should be a teleporter not far from—wait… what is this?"
"Kirijo-senpai? What's wrong?" Yukari asks, noting the sudden tension in her voice.
"I don't know… but I just picked up eight contacts appearing out of thin air near your location. And these readings… Persona users?"
"Hold up. More Persona users? And they showed up out of nowhere?" Minako asks, taken aback by the news.
"How did they show up without getting past you? You're at the entrance, Kirijo-senpai." Junpei asks, confused.
"That's the thing, Iori. They showed up without warning. As though they teleported right there. Wait… I'm reading shadows heading towards them! I know I said we should call it a night, but we can't leave them here!"
"Right." Minato replies, readjusting his tie. "Which direction are they in?"
"Down the hall and two right turns. They are in a large room. Thankfully, it is near the teleporter, but hurry!"
"You heard her! Let's go!" Minako shouts, grabbing her naginata and rushing down the corridor. Junpei, Yukari and Minato race after her, easily catching up as they make their way through the winding corridor of Tartarus. Until they hear the sound of combat up ahead, alongside the sounds of gunfire and explosions.
"What the hell are these things!? They're nothing like any shadow we've fought before!"
"Skull, look out! Agliao!"
"Mona, behind you! Mafrei!"
"Thanks, Queen!"
"Mafrei? What spell is that?" Yukari asks as the sounds of combat grow closer.
"I don't know… it's not like any spell I've heard before." Mitsuru replies with caution in her voice. "And… the number of shadows is decreasing…"
Just as she said that, a blast of blue fire rips out of the door leading to the eight signals. The four stop, watching as the blue fire rages as eight individuals walk through the flames as though it were smoke. Each one wearing a different costume, and seven of them wielding a different weapon while having a ranged weapon strapped on their person.
And while one of them looked like some form of cartoonish cat, the other seven were definitely human. And each one was wearing a different mask.
"Huh? What are people doing here in the Metaverse?" The one with the red mask and a whip asks, spotting the four.
"Did they stumble in? Or were they dragged in against their will?" The one with a fox mask asks, scratching his chin while a katana is held in its sheath.
"Who are you? And where did you come from?" Yukari asks, a hand reaching for her bow, but Minako places a hand on her arm.
"I don't think you would believe us if we told you." The one with a simple black mask and musketeer hat says, holding an axe on her shoulder.
"More importantly, why the hell are you here? This place is dangerous." The one in the skull mask says, folding his arms while a mace lies at his feet.
"Uhm… that's basically our question right there." Junpei replies, scratching his head. Before, a curious hum from the one with giant goggles draws the other team's attention.
"What's up?" The cat-like creature with a falchion asks the girl, who suddenly brings up a holographic screen in front of her, surprising the four.
"You remember what I said earlier? Before we got jumped by those shadows?" She asks the group, as they all turn their eyes to them.
"So. They are Persona users." The one with the steel-like mask says, folding her arms with knuckle dusters in her hands. "But where are their masks?"
"Huh?! How did you figure that out?" Minako asks. "And what do you mean by masks?" That was when the last one, wearing a white and black mask and a knife in his hand, walked from his group and stopped just a few steps away.
"I think it's best we talk about this somewhere we are not in danger." He says before glancing to the side. Seeing a shadow appear from the ground and turn into a couple of twins with lightning poles sticking through them. Rushing to attack Yukari from the side. "Arsène! Maeiha!" He cries, taking his mask off as a winged demonic gentleman thief appears behind him. The four members of S.E.E.S look in shock as the Persona aims its hand at the shadows before unleashing a dark spell on the foes. Only, it was red and black instead of purple, like Mitsuru described Dark element attacks to be.
"Strong." Minato simply says, watching the Persona turn back into a mask on the man's face. "And without an Evoker…Kirijo-senpai, did you see that?"
"I did… and I agree with what he said. Bring them back to the entrance. We can all talk when we get back to the Dorm. The Dark Hour is nearing its end, and Tartarus won't be around much longer."
"Alright." He replies, turning the headset off. "We can lead you to the exit. We can talk once we reach the Iwatodai Dorms." He turns around to head for the teleporter, with Yukari, Junpei and Minako following him along with the eight unknown individuals, along with silent whispers coming from them.
"Iwatodai Dorms? Where is that?"
"Dunno, but it's not somewhere in central Tokyo…"
"I am starting to think something went wrong when Philemon sent us back."
"We won't know for sure until we get outside. Our phones don't work in here, remember?"
What are they talking about? Minato thinks to himself as they approach the teleporter.
"Mitsuru… what is going on?" Akihiko asks with arms folded. "How did more people with the potential slip in here without us knowing? And did I hear Minato say they don't have Evokers?"
"Apparently so." She replies, switching her bike off. "But that only raises more questions." No sooner does she say that the teleporter activates as the four new members of S.E.E.S return to the main hall. Alongside the eight persona users they found.
"So that's them? Why the outfits?" Akihiko asks before seeing the odd one out. "And is that a walking cat?"
"Curiouser and curiouser …" Mitsuru remarks as Minato and the others approach them. "Welcome back. You all did well for your first venture into Tartarus."
"It was no sweat!" Junpei remarks with a grin.
"Really? You had trouble swinging that sword of yours in the first fight. Or it was more like the sword was swinging you." Minako remarks with a grin.
"I-I meant to do that!" Junpei defends while Yukari gives a sigh.
"I don't know about any of you, but I'm exhausted." She says shaking her head. "And… we haven't even talked about our recent encounter." She says, glancing behind her.
"Indeed." Mitsuru replies, glancing at the group before looking at the one with the black and white mask. "Are you the leader of your group?"
"I am." He replies. "I understand you have a lot of questions, but so do we. And this place does not feel safe to talk about it."
"We are of the same mind. Come, we'll show you to the Dorms. We can talk more there." She grabs her bike, noting that the girls with the iron mask and giant goggles are looking at it with curiosity.
"Man… why do I suddenly feel exhausted?" Minako suddenly asks, rubbing her eyes.
"I know… it's a little hard to breathe." Yukari admits.
"That's the effects of the Dark Hour. You'll become fatigued more easily. Don't worry. You'll get used to it." Mitsuru replies, pushing the bike forward while the eight new people tilt their heads at the phrase 'Dark Hour'. "Still, I'm surprised. You all performed far better than I hoped for a first-time mission. Maybe you will reach Akihiko's level soon." She shoots him a smirk, with the boxer matching it with a grin of his own.
"We'll see about that." Akihiko replies while the group of eight follow from behind in silence. At least until they got outside.
"What the hell?!"
"Why is the sky and moon green!?"
"And why are there pools of blood around here!?"
The member of S.E.E.S looks back, gauging their reactions. None of them were acting. These were first-time reactions.
"We can explain more back at the Dorms." Minato says simply, pushing on as though nothing could bother him. The group of eight, a little off-put by his stone-cold demeanour, follow them through the city. Passing by standing black coffins glowing in red energy.
Eventually, they arrived at the Iwatodai Dorms. Entering inside just as the Dark Hour came to an end. Power flows once more, along with a second surprise for the S.E.E.S team. The eight individuals they brought with them suddenly erupted into blue flames the moment the Dark Hour ended.
At first, they thought a fire had broken out, but the flames lasted for only a second before vanishing. Leaving in its place those same eight individuals, only now in normal clothes and maskless. While one of them was…
"A cat?" Minako asks, seeing the black and white cat on the ground. Before it looks at her angrily and arches his back.
"I am NOT a cat! I am Morgana!" He hisses as a girl with floofy hair leans down to pick him up.
"Calm down, Mona-chan." She says, stroking his back.
"What the hell was that!?" Junpei asks. "You guys just combusted and changed clothes!"
"Right… we have a lot of explaining to do… but where do we even start?" A girl with a braided hairband asks, brushing some hair behind her ear.
"How about we get some seats and introduce ourselves." Akihiko suggests. "It's better than standing around."
"Good point." Their leader, wearing a pair of glasses, agrees. Soon, after rearranging the room, everyone was sitting around a coffee table in their own groups. "Well then, you already know Morgana, so I'll go first. My name is Ren Amamiya."
"My name is Makoto Niijima."
"Ann Takamaki."
"Ryuji Sakamoto."
"Futaba Sakura."
"Yusuke Kitagawa."
"And I'm Haru Okumura."
"My name is Minato Arisato. And this is my twin sister, Minako."
"Sup!"
"Name's Junpei Iori!"
"Akihiko Sanada."
"My name is Mitsuru Kirijo."
"And I am Yukari Takeba."
"Wait? Yukari Takeba? As in, Featherman Pink Argus Yukari Takeba!?" Futaba suddenly blurts out, with all of the members of S.E.E.S looking at her in confusion.
"Pink Argus? What are you talking about?" Yukari asks. Futaba takes out a laptop from somewhere and places it on the table, surprising the team at how slim it looks compared to what they normally see.
"This is what I mean!" Futaba says, spinning it around, showing an older-looking Yukari in an outfit next to some other people in similar different coloured outfits. Shocking the S.E.E.S team.
"What the!? Is that me!?" Yukari asks, shocked, while Mitsuru narrows her eyes.
"I wonder… is it even possible…?" She turns to the group. "What year is it for you?"
"2016. Why do you ask?" Ryuji replies without hesitation.
"2016? Dude, it's 2009." Junpei replies. Now, it was the new group to go wide with shock.
"2009?!"
"How did that happen!?"
"I thought Philemon said he would send us back to April!?"
"Everyone calm down." Ren suddenly says, calming his team before looking at the S.E.E.S team. "It looks like things are more complicated than we believed."
"You are time-travellers!? That's so cool!" Minako says, causing the S.E.E.S to sweat drop.
"It's a little unnervin' how quickly you accepted that…." Ryuji remarks, rubbing the back of his head.
"Considering how you appeared out of thin air, it would explain your sudden appearance." Mitsuru remarks, folding her arms. "Even if it is a little hard to believe."
"Still, Mina is right. Time-travel is cool!" Junpei replies with a grin. But the reaction from the other team was not what they were expecting.
"Cool, huh? It would be if we didn't die." Ann remarks bitterly, shocking the team.
"You died? What happened?" Akihiko asks as Ren gives out a long sigh.
"We can tell you, but you have to promise this stays between us. We don't know what our actions here could cause."
"Butterfly effect…" Minato says, glancing at Yukari. "That may already have happened." Futaba winces, closing her laptop.
"Sorry…"
"I-It's no problem. I'm just shocked, is all. Never thought I would become… that." Yukari replies before straightening up. "So… how did this happen?"
"Well… it all started back in 2014. Or forward in this case. With the outbreak of Mental Shutdowns and Psychotic Breakdowns." Makoto begins. "Psychotic Breakdowns were incidents of people losing their minds, doing unthinkable things despite their high standing. Mental Shutdowns… are cases of people's brains shutting down while bleeding from the face. Death always following."
"What about Apathy Syndrome? Is that still around?" Mitsuru asks.
"No. The last cases of that were recorded in 2010 in January. After that, no new cases have ever surfaced." Haru tells her. "As of now, it is only mentioned in a passing term in school."
"So… we did do it…" She tells herself before looking back. "But, what was causing these new cases?"
"A politician by the name of Masayoshi Shido. One who would see himself ruling Japan as a tyrant before conquering the world." Yusuke replies. "He funded research into a field known as Cognitive Psience. Leading to a world that we call the Metaverse, a plain of existence where our Personal Shadows exist and we can summon our Persona. Personal Shadows are the physical embodiment of everything that we hide away from other people. But that is not all…"
"Personal Shadows are linked to the person they represent. If you drive the Shadow mad, the person in real life goes mad. And if you kill it…" Ann sucks in some breath. "Then they die in real life." The S.E.E.S team's eyes widen in shock.
"So, that bastard was killing people in this way?" Junpei asks with anger.
"Not just political enemies… random people as well to cause accidents to off his rivals regardless of others caught in the cross fire… including my Mom…" Futaba reveals, with Ren and Makoto each embracing her. "She was working on Cognitive Psience… and when she refused to give up her research… Shido had her killed. She died right in front of my eyes, being run over by a car."
"That's… that's horrible." Minako replies, hands over her mouth. Mitsuru narrows her eyes, committing every crime to her memory.
"And so it went on. For two years, Shido got away with whatever he wanted. No one could stand against him, as they either died or went psychotic. Until he made the biggest mistake of his life." Ren says, leaning forward. "One night, while drunk, he was forcing a woman into his car in Yokohama. And I happened to be nearby, on my way home from high school. I tried to intervene, disarm it peacefully and save her. But during this, Shido tripped and fell over his own feet. Hitting his head on the pavement. That was when he decided to sue me for assault."
"WHAT!?" Junpei shouts as Yukari and Minako gasp. "But you didn't do anything! He fell over his own feet!" Ren scoffs, folding his arms.
"Tell that to the corrupt police officers who threw me in jail without questioning him. He even blackmailed the woman I tried to help to testify against me. The trial went by without me ever taking the stand. The Judge, Prosecutor, and even the Lawyer were all in his pocket. The end result? I got a criminal record and sent off to Tokyo on probation. I was excommunicated by my friends and family, all but forgotten as a criminal. All because Shido banged his head."
"That is… unbelievable amounts of pridefulness." Mitsuru replies, shaking her head. "Ruining one person's life over that? Unbelievable."
"Worse still, to think the police would allow themselves to become that corrupt. Shameless doesn't even begin to describe them." Akihiko agrees with a snarl.
"If you think that is bad, then you haven't heard what he was doin' in Tokyo." Ryuji chimes in with a growl. "The principal of Shujin Academy, our school, was a bootlicker. So much so that he covered up the crimes of another Shido follower, Kamoshida."
"Kamoshida? The Olympic Volleyball?" Minako asks in shock.
"Olympian? The guy is a lustful piece of trash!" Ann says with anger in her voice, startling the S.E.E.S. "The moment he was hired as the coach of the Volleyball Team, he verbally attacked the Track Team before breaking Ryuji's leg, getting the coach fired and disbanding the team all because he wanted the Volleyball team to be the stars! And even before that, he was abusing everyone on the Volleyball team! Even sexually harassing the female members and trying to…" She stays quiet, letting a lone tear fall to tell them everything.
"He did all of that?" Yukari asks, stunned.
"Yeah. Kamoshida's Palace showed everything." Morgana quips, leaping onto the table.
"Palace?" Minato asks, not bothered by the talking cat.
"You could say they are what we specialise in. A Palace is formed when a person's distorted desires become so warped that they form what we call a Palace. Basically, it takes whatever building they view as theirs and turns it into what they believe it is. So, in Kamoshida's case, Shujin Academy became a Castle filled with cognitions, or very realistic dolls for another term, that can move and speak. Specifically, members of the Volleyball team. The boys getting beaten up in a 'Training Hall of Love' while the girls… I'd rather not say." He, Ryuji, Ann and Ren all give a shiver at remembering that place, something that told Yukari, Minako and Mitsuru everything they needed to know.
"Each Palace was based on a deadly sin." Haru adds. "Kamoshida was Lust, while Shido was Pride. The others we encountered were Vanity, Greed, Wrath, Gluttony, Envy, and Sloth. And each one showed just what those people really were…"
"How did you enter a Palace?" Minato asks, leaning forward.
"We entered via an app on our phone." Yusuke says, pulling his phone out. The S.E.E.S team couldn't help but look at the phone in amazement. Even with seven years between them, it looked so different from what they currently had. "Although, it would seem the app is no longer there."
"Maybe because Yalda-bitch hasn't taken over the Velvet Room yet." Futaba says with bitterness in her voice. Minako and Minato glance at each other at the mention of the Velvet Room. Was one of them…?
"Yalda-what?" Junpei asks, tilting his head.
"Yaldabaoth. The reason why everything happened in the first place." Makoto says with an angry frown. "To explain him, we need to explain how we managed to change people's hearts."
"Change hearts?" Mitsuru asks with a shocked look. "What do you mean?"
"When a person's desires become distorted and from a Palace, they also form what we call a Treasure, the core of the Palace." Morgana explains. "When the Treasure is removed, the Palace is destroyed, and the person it was connected to has a change of heart. They don't lose their memories, only their distorted desires. But when that happens, they become so overwhelmed with regret at what they have done they literally turn themselves in and confess everything they had done on live T.V. Regardless if they were a teacher, a con artist, the boss of the mafia, a business owner, prosecutor, or Shido himself."
"So you changed his heart and had him blurt out every crime he committed. But, something tells me that didn't fix everything." Akihiko says with a sinking feeling in his gut.
"Right." Ren confirms. "You see, there is another Palace in Tokyo. A Palace that is linked to every living person in Tokyo, or maybe even the whole of Japan or the world. We call it Mementos. And like all the others, Mementos had its own Treasure. But unlike the others, this one obtained a will of its own."
"In its normal form, it takes on the appearance of the Holy Grail. But its real form is Yaldabaoth. The False God of Control." Makoto reveals.
"A God?" Mitsuru asks, eyes wide.
"You guys faced a literal god!?" Yukari asks with shock.
"A False god, but yeah, we did. The bastard had dragged all of us into a game for his own amusement." Ryuji remarks. "He even went and took over the Velvet Room to act as a false guide for Ren."
"Sakura-chan mentioned this before, but what is the 'Velvet Room'?" Mitsuru interrupts suddenly. But the answer she got was not from the group before her.
"It's a place for Wild Cards to get stronger." Minato says, drawing everyone's eyes to him. While Ren nods to himself in confirmation.
"I had a feeling. The two of you are Wild Cards. Like me." Ren says. Minako chuckles, brushing her ponytail behind her.
"That we are."
"Wild Card?" Junpei asks, starching his head.
"A Wild Card is a special Persona user. Usually, you can only have one Persona. Which is your Personal Shadow made manifest. But a Wild Card can use multiple Personas. And they grow stronger with the bonds they make with others. Each bond is represented by an Arcana Tarot Card, like the Chariot or the Magician. And as Minato has said, the Velvet Room is where they go in order to create new Persona as they grow, with the help of Igor, the Master of the Velvet Room and an assistant." Morgana replies, the S.E.E.S team eyes widening in realisation. That would explain how the two of them were able to suddenly change personas. "Still, it's rare to find two Wild Cards at once. That's extremely rare. Even Master Igor, the owner who takes care of the Velvet Room, has no idea how a Wild Card is born."
"We can come back to that and Arcana cards later. For now, you were talking about this, 'Yaldabaoth'." Mitsuru interjects. On the inside, she wanted to know more, but it was getting late, and they all had school tomorrow. Well, other than Ren's group, at least.
"Right. Well, as it turned out, Yaldabaoth had managed to control the minds of everyone in Tokyo. So, in order to free them, we resolved to dive to the depths and destroy Mementos. It would mean losing our ability to summon our Persona, but we believe it to be the right choice. And, after a hard, long battle that included liberating the Velvet Room and freeing Igor, we managed to beat him…" Ren sighs heavily, taking his glasses off and rubbing his eyes as Makoto leans her head on his shoulder. "But not without a cost." Ann and Ryuji lean against each other, the fire in their eyes dying out as they both sigh in resignation.
"Just as Yaldabaoth was about to perish, he gathered all of his remaining energy into one final attack. An attack that we were unprepared for, and we perished as a result." Haru reveals as Ren's group frowns in sadness while Yusuke hugs her. "Had we not let our guard down, we would still be alive…" The S.E.E.S team wore similar frowns at the reveal. That they had managed to make it right to the end of a rigged game, only to be dragged down at the last second.
"So, that explains how you died…" Akihiko replies. "But, how did you travel back in time?"
"We have Igor's master to thank for that." Makoto says, pushing some hair back. "Igor's Master, Philemon, who is the creator of the Velvet Room, gave us the chance to travel back to the start of our journey to try again and fix the mistakes we made along the way. Without question, we took the offer, expecting to find ourselves back in April. And… well, we are back in April. Just not the right year or place."
"The dangers of time travel." Futaba remarks sagely. The S.E.E.S look at each other in silence, taking in all they have learned from them. Yet even so, they still had more questions to ask. How did they awaken to their Persona? What are the outfits they wear? What was that blue fire? Questions…
…That could be asked tomorrow.
"That is a lot to digest. But, I think further questions should wait." Mitsuru remarks, looking at the clock. "It is nearing half twelve in the morning."
"Oh crap… and we have school tomorrow. We are going to be dead tired…" Minako remarks as Yukari and Junpei sigh tiredly.
"Yeah. I think I need to sleep on this." Yukari remarks before thinking. "But, what will they do? We can't throw them out."
"Well, we do have some spare rooms on the third floor. But they will have to double up. Although…" Mitsuru remarks, glancing at them with a small smirk. "Something tells me that won't be a problem." Futaba and Morgana chuckle at the team as Ren and the others blush up a storm. Were they really that easy to read? "Regardless, they can stay here until we can find out where to go."
"Thank you for your hospitality." Makoto says as the team gets up. "This is all a bit disorienting for us, but we promise to answer more of your questions tomorrow. We still have questions about what we saw today as well."
"And we will answer all we can." Akihiko replies as each group heads for the stairs. "By the way, what do you call yourselves? I'm sure you guys at least had a team name or something." Ren looks at him, shooting a rebellious grin as a fire burns behind his eyes.
"The Phantom Thieves of Hearts."