Hey guys, new story. This is a story that rattled around in my head until I sat down and wrote it. It's Persona 5 x Octopath Traveler 2. I hope you folks give this a chance. I had fun writing this and I hope you have fun reading this.

Credit goes to Asdf0789 for letting me bounce ideas off him.

This Chapter has been revised in 2024!

I'm pleased to give credit to my new beta: Indigonao! Please give them a round of applause. I guess the official introduction won't be until later, but I can't tell you how grateful I am that another pair of eyes is looking over this story now.

I hope you guys enjoy!

Ren Amamiya…was melting.

Tokyo summers were sweltering, muggy, and overall uncomfortable to say the least. Even in early June, the sun endeavored to eat as much of the sky as it could.

It didn't help that his shaggy mess of unkempt hair served to retain all the sweat on his head. Neither did the mass of people on the subway grant him any favors. Everyone simply…stuck together like hot uncooked dough. The smell of cheap cologne and gaudy perfume mixed with the sweat of the unwashed and overworked permeated through the packed sub-car.

In other words: it was yet another typical summer in the capital of Japan.

The train went over a bump and Ren found himself thrown against another man.

"Hey, watch it."

The man elbowed him, and Ren flopped the other way with a thumping sound, his head smacking against the soothing cool glass.

His one relief was that he was crammed against the window as he clutched his bag to his chest, not caring about the big wet spot his head was surely leaving on the glass.

What he wouldn't give to be in the Sapporo Jail right about now.

Or anywhere for that matter.

He wiggled and carved out a tiny bit of space among the masses. This allowed him to take off his false glasses and put them in his bag; they only hindered his vision, having been caked with sweat and steam. Having people be scared of his eyes was a small price to pay to see where he was going.

Just when he thought he couldn't take anymore, the train intercom came on.

"Next stop… Shibuya. Next stop… Shibuya."

The electronic female voice signaled an end to his journey. He was on his way to the Airsoft shop to put in a shift with Iwai.

Ren let out a sigh of relief as the subway came to a stop and people began to filter out. The trains were more crowded than ever now that people had moved back into the city after the end of the psychotic breakdown and mental shutdown incidents during his high school days. He'd take a train filled with the ordinary citizenry over a bloodthirsty mob of wannabe bounty hunters in a heartbeat. He figured that it was good everything was normal, but he couldn't help how mundane it felt.

As he stepped out onto the platform, a pulsing heartbeat rang out, causing him to stumble a bit, clutching his chest. Thankfully, the man beside him caught him with his shoulder.

"Whoa there, you okay, kid?"

Ren straightened himself out as he stood back upright and slung his bag over his shoulder.

"Yes, I'm fine. Thanks," he said shortly as he separated himself from the man. He then waved him off in gratitude as he made his way up the platform and onto the narrow central street.

Having walked the route a thousand times before, Ren didn't even need to look up as he picked his way through the sea of pedestrians, mid-morning catcallers, marathon movie-goers, unnaturally happy Big Bang Burger employees, and baleful overheated panhandlers, weaving his way to the familiar side street that leads to the Airsoft Shop.

That was strange, he thought to himself as he inspected his hands. That feeling… It usually only happens when…

Ren looked up and had to wipe his eyes. Seeing The Velvet Room in this location was almost as if he was thrown back in time.

A mysterious blue door with bars on it was in the corner of the alleyway. A little girl dressed in Victorian-era housekeeper clothes stood in front of it, a gigantic book titled Le Grimoire in her arms.

The only thing that had changed about her was that instead of a hairband she now sported a pair of bronze goggles adorned with golden butterflies and gears along the strap that sat delicately on her head.

The moment Ren approached her, she sent a warm smile his way that Ren couldn't help but return.

"Welcome, Trickster. We have much to discuss," she said, tilting her head, a light blush adorning her cheeks.

Ren scratched the back of his neck sheepishly at the use of his old epithet. "What happened to 'The greatest man in the world,' Lavenza? You usually only say that line when some reality-altering, fate-is-in-the-balance event is about to take place."

Lavenza turned her head away demurely, her cheeks entirely pink. "You know that to me, you will always be the world's greatest man… The one who has stolen my—" She cut herself off with a sigh. Fighting past her embarrassment she locked her golden eyes with Ren's silver ones. "However, I apologize for the rudeness, but you are correct in a way. A certain someone has requested your presence." She gestured for him to go through the door.

"Before that though…" Ren walked up, crouched down, and wrapped her in a tight hug which Lavenza melted into, her grimoire sandwiched between them. "Despite all else, it's been way too long since we've seen each other."

She pushed her head into his neck not minding his sweat, his sight filling with her silver hair. "One day, I wish to walk by your side freely. Then there will be no end to when we can see one another."

"I'll be waiting."

Reluctantly she put a hand on his chest and pushed him away effortlessly with her super-human strength.

"I would love for this to continue, but our visitor awaits. I'd rather not keep her waiting either; she might come find you personally. Then it would be unlikely to turn out well."

Memories of Lavenza showing up at Shujin flashed through Ren's head. A situation he'd rather avoid if he could.

"Let's not keep them waiting then," he said as he stood up straight and opened the door to the Velvet Room himself, allowing Lavenza to go through first.

Ren then followed behind her, stepping through the cool blue mist. Just when he thought he could have some relief from the heat, a blast of hot steam caught him in the face.

"GAH!" Ren screamed. "Lavenza, what the hell?" he said coughing while waving a hand frantically in front of his face, dispelling the hot mist.

Lavenza kept walking, paying no heed to Ren's struggles as he continued to be hit with jets of steam.

"The Velvet Room is undergoing a couple of modifications in preparation for what is to come," she said, sparing a glance behind her.

"Modifications?" Ren mused as he ducked under another blast. He then noticed that the former dank corridors and jail cells he was used to had been overlaid with shiny bronze pipes and vents complete with dials, meters, bells, and whistles (literally) every so often. He wouldn't have been surprised if one of the doors now led to some sort of coal-powered engine room.

Ren might've thought he was inside an expanded version of the 1800s-era Velvet passenger train and workshop from the Kingdom incident if he squinted.

He mentally prepared himself to deal with another Toshiro when they entered the common area.

The first thing he noticed was that it now resembled a tavern with various tables and chairs scattered throughout the room. Ren did glimpse that his old cell remained on the far side of the room. However, it was now accompanied by nine other cells with his own being the only one with a missing door. A lounge-style version of "Aria of the Soul" played softly in the area. Where from, he didn't know.

"Welcome to The Velvet Room," an airy, nasally voice came from behind the bar.

Ren turned and smiled, never so happy to hear the word "the" in a sentence. The man who uttered the sentence was standing behind the bar area. His suit was as crisp as ever and one hand was propping up his head and overly long nose while the other was absently tapping on the polished wood of the bar counter.

"Igor! It's good to see you! How are you?"

In a rare show of emotion, the proprietor of the Velvet Room let a small grin cross his face.

"Very fine, wonderful even. I've called you here today because we have a guest who wanted to speak to you." With a subtle tilt of his head, he motioned to the only occupied seat at the bar. Her back was facing him, but Ren could tell it was a woman and that she was wearing a velvet blue cocktail waiter outfit. On her left bicep was a red armband that said SEES.

"I guess that's my cue!"

The person in question spun around on her barstool three times before it finally stopped, allowing her to face him fully. An amused chuckle passed his lips when he heard Lavenza's exasperated sigh next to him.

She had silver hair cut into a bob style. Some sort of blue unidentifiable drink sat in her right hand. On her left was a grimoire in the same style as Lavenza's, albeit smaller and more user-friendly. Her eyes were the same molten gold as Lavenza's as well. He tried to appraise her with the third eye and found the Fool card with its symbolic number 0 floating over her head; however, it was accompanied by a second: a card with no number at all.

"Nice to meet you, Trickster—I mean Joker—I mean Ren. My, my, my, you really are a man of many titles!" the woman excitedly said between sips. "Let me begin by saying thank you for rescuing my master and my younger sister in my absence."

"It was no problem. They've become precious people to me as well." Next to him, Lavenza looked away in embarrassment.

"I see. Well then, let me introduce myself."

"No need." Ren walked over to the bar and took a seat next to her, Lavenza taking the seat on his other side. "I'll bet my buttons that you're one of Lavenza's older sisters."

"That would be correct," she said, setting her drink and her grimoire on the counter. "The more pertinent question in this case: do you know my name?"

"Alright, Rumpelstiltskin." Ren put his hand to his chin in mock thought. "You're bubbly, tall, you have a bob cut and you unhesitatingly went out of your way to fit the theme of the establishment," he listed off, looking her up and down.

"Most importantly…" He studied her easygoing posture, and her eyes filled with mischief. He felt the resonance in his soul, an individual who bore the same burden was nearby. Also, Lavenza was tugging on the back of his shirt. That was a dead giveaway.

"…You're a woman after my own heart. You can be none other than Elizabeth."

Elizabeth gave him a golf clap. "Bravo. Your reputation precedes you, Trickster. Might I ask where you got your information from?"

Ren smirked. "A certain robot with the soul of a human that we both know happened to let a couple of things slip after an enthusiastic night of drinking. You'd think alcohol wouldn't affect her, but she does consume food, so I guess it's fair game. Besides, whenever I see her," he pointed his thumb at a blushing Lavenza, "she talks about you, Margaret, and Theodore a lot. It's very sweet in my opinion."

Lavenza forcefully tugged on the back of his shirt out of embarrassment. Ren chuckled as he waved her off without turning around, then regretted it when she caught his hand and started bending his finger causing him to yelp.

"If you're going to be a part of the family, you have to know about the family, I say,"

Lavenza let out a shocked gasp at Elizabeth's insinuation and let go of Ren's hand, the man gasping in relief. "Big Sister? How scandalous!?"

"Margaret may care about showing sinfulness or whatever, but I don't. Our master created us with the intent of understanding what it is to be human. Part of that is companionship and romance. So naturally, it's to be expected that eventually, we may find someone we wish to share our lives with, someone we simply can't live without. It's part of what I realized on my journey…" Elizabeth's voice became gradually sadder throughout her soliloquy as she toyed with the straw of her drink.

Ren knew some of the details, but it was another thing hearing Elizabeth's voice laced with obvious sorrow and heartbreak.

"Big sister…" Lavenza said with a hand to her chest in empathy; Igor had remained silent the whole time.

Elizabeth's gaze hardened. "But that is not what I'm here to talk about." Her gaze snapped onto Ren. "I came because I have a request for you, Joker."

Ren straightened his back and crossed his legs. Like breathing his phantom suit formed around him in response to his codename being used. "How can I be of service to my future big sister?"

Lavenza swatted Joker's shoulder.

Elizabeth gave a light laugh. "As I may have implied, I have been on a journey researching a certain topic, shall we say…"

"And what would that be?"

"Night Gods and Planet Eaters."

The wall lights seemed to dim as soon as the words left her mouth.

"The one I consider most precious to me gave up his life to keep a primordial night goddess sealed. If she were to be released, she would bring death upon all humans by essentially ripping out their shadows."

Joker held out his hand in front of him, trying to process the bombshell that had just been dropped on him. "Wait, what? So, you're telling me that this random goddess just decided one day to kill us all?!"

Elizabeth gave him a solemn nod that made his blood run cold. "Yes, that wouldn't be too far from the truth, surprisingly. Nyx is nothing like the goddess you know in myth. Nyx in all actuality is a planet eater. She came to our world with the intent to consume it entirely as though she were the Persona Mada. She failed because her body and psyche were split into two upon crashing into the earth."

"Let me guess. Someone sealed away her body, but her psyche dwelled in the unconscious realm until she could put an end to the 'filthy beings' that did it to her."

Elizabeth's and Lavenza's eyes went wide, and even Igor's posture slipped a bit.

"You very nearly hit the nail on the head, as they say," Igor said incredulously.

"You were right, little sister; he is very sharp. I'd be proud to call him my brother, although he's still missing a few of the details."

Joker raised an eyebrow. "Fill me in then."

"Firstly, Nyx is neither evil nor good. She simply exists. Planets and stars are a source of food for her; if she happens to kill any inhabitants then so be it. Just like a human eating cereal, you don't consider all the insects that might end up in the blend, do you?"

Joker shook his head trying to get the image of eating bugs out of his mind. "…I suppose not."

Elizabeth pinched her straw, took a sip of her drink, and then continued, "Also, you've got it backward. Her psyche was sealed away, but her body remained, ready to be called to action. The last piece you were missing is that she wasn't sealed on purpose. Call it a survival instinct, but as humanity evolved, their psyche did as well, leading to the sealing of Nyx. This also has the unfortunate side effect of Nyx's psyche becoming a part of humanity's shadow."

Joker steepled his fingers on the counter, the fabric of his gloves squeezing under the force. "Okay, I think I'm starting to get the gist of it, but where do I fall into this?"

Elizabeth rested her head on her fist. "I said Nyx was a planet eater, not the planet eater. I've found evidence that others like her exist in different worlds—in different realities. All of them were considered night deities, oddly enough. I want you to investigate one in particular. One who is ready to rise but by what means I do not know," she admitted.

"So, you want me to go to another world and see what they did that we could do? Or…" Joker said, holding up a finger, "You want me to find a method to seal away a planet eater that doesn't involve the sacrifice of somebody?"

"Exactly. You catch on pretty quickly. Might make me swoon."

"I do have three questions."

"Fire away."

"One. Why aren't you able to investigate yourself? You're strong—I can feel it. The stench of death is all over you. Figuratively and literally, I might add. When I look at you through my third eye, your entire body is black, not even red or gold. It's honestly kind of creepy. Not only that, but two arcana cards are hovering over your head. The Fool…and Death."

Elizabeth put on a mock frown and her hands on her hips. "Rudeness. To ask a lady about her scent. If you're going to be my brother, I might have to teach you some manners like Theo. But to answer your question, I am strong. It comes with being a ruler of power, of course. But you…you have a unique skill set that I or any other current wildcard lacks."

Lavenza sighed, bringing the attention to her. "What my older sister is trying to say is that this mission requires finesse, and she's the proverbial bull in a China shop. She'd rather blow everyone up and be done with it, then end up missing the answers she's looking for."

Joker snorted at Elizabeth's pouting. "Second question. What would I get out of the deal if I decided to accept this mission?"

Elizabeth's gaze slipped to her younger sister behind Joker. "You would allow me to potentially be with the man most precious to me once again. Also, I will serve as one of your attendants on this journey, hence my outfit. Lastly, I negotiated with the master; Lavenza will be free to leave the Velvet Room as she pleases."

Lavenza gasped. "You really mean it!?" she asked Igor in disbelief.

Igor straightened a bit. "It is true, you'll be free to do as you wish. Live life as you will and find the answers you seek. However, I was planning to give you permission anyway before your older sister came to me."

Elizabeth's eyebrows rose to meet her bangs. "Say wha—? I promised to share my secret stash of exotic snacks for nothing? You're so mean, master! Uwaaaahhh!"

Igor only offered a shrug in response.

Joker found it hilarious seeing one sister utterly ecstatic and the other comically depressed as tears formed in her eyes.

"Anyways, Elizabeth. My last question is: Would I be able to bring my team?"

Elizabeth raised her head from the table and made duck lips. "Unfortunately, not. While we could do it, the energy needed would be so extreme you'd catch all sorts of unwanted attention. Even one person is pushing it, to be honest…"

"Why is that?" Joker asked.

"The world in question is a world significantly less advanced than yours but, in return, the usage of magic is commonplace among the citizenries. As such they are sensitive to magic being used. If we were to just drop in all the Phantom Thieves who wield a foreign brand of magic—"

"You'd be waving a giant neon sign that said, 'look over here.' Enemies and God-knows-what would be swarming us in seconds," Joker finished.

"Exactly," Elizabeth said whimsically, drawing shapes in the air. "Even the persona user in the phone would draw attention to you."

Man, her mood changes drastically… Joker thought to himself.

"That's also the reason why if you decide to go, we'd have to strip you bare."

"I'd have to run around naked?"

"Against my younger sister's wishes, the answer is no."

"I have never said anything of the like!" Lavenza said, mortified, her head as red as a tomato.

Elizabeth paid no attention to her younger sister's outburst. "You would have to start over from the beginning, so to speak. You would only be left with Raoul—at his weakest state too. Honestly, there would be no difference from Arsene aside from your weakness and resistance spread."

"Wouldn't be the first time that's happened," Joker mused, reflecting on past adventures.

"Raoul is your persona for a reason, Ren Amamiya. You are a master of building yourself up from nothing. Maybe I should call you the Salad of the Chickens?"

"Do you mean Chicken Salad?" Ren automatically corrected.

Lavenza tugged on his jacket sleeve, grabbing his attention. "Please ignore my big sister's sense of humor. Do you accept the deal?"

"I would love to say yes right here and now, but I'd like to talk it over with my friends."

Elizabeth finished off the rest of her drink and set it back down on the counter. "That is fair, I suppose. It is a big mission I'm asking of you." She turned to face him, placed her hands in her lap, and bowed her head.

"Elizabeth?" Lavenza said with quiet shock.

"I only ask that you consider my request. I shall wait here until tomorrow for your answer. If not, I shall go myself. The chance to potentially save my loved one is too great to pass up, even if I am wholly unsuited to the task. It is a one-in-a-billion chance."

Joker stood up and reached into his pocket as two pairs of golden eyes trained on him. "I will. I'll be back tomorrow to give you a proper answer." He slapped a bill onto the counter. "That's to pay for the lady's drinks. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a shift to deal with."

Joker then walked over to his cell and stuck out his jail key, creating an exit for himself back to Shibuya.

"I assume he knows this isn't a real bar, correct?" Igor said to Lavenza and Elizabeth after Joker had left.

Lavenza rubbed her forehead in exasperation. "At times my guest can be just as eccentric as my big sister…" She looked over to Elizabeth who was palming the money.

"I like him a lot. I approve of your choice of husband. This is going towards my new snack fund~" Elizabeth said in a sing-song voice, holding the bills in the air.

"Hrrngg… I think they might get along a little too well. Like a house on fire."

"You may be right." Igor mused.

"Hello, Ren."

As soon as he walked into the airsoft shop, he was greeted not by the gruffness of Iwai but by the familiarity of his former teammate and vice leader Makoto Niijima.

As the years passed, she started resembling her older sister more and more. If one didn't know them, Sae and Makoto could now be mistaken for twins. The only difference was the hair color, and the fact that Makoto still wore her trademark headband. Ren liked to consider it a sign that the sisters' relationship was as strong as ever.

"Oh, Makoto. I didn't know you had a shift today."

Makoto brushed some of the bangs out of her face.

"You're not the only one who has to figure out a way to pay for college. Going for a master's is very very expensive."

Ren walked around and set his bag down behind the counter. "I thought you had a scholarship so you wouldn't have to worry about that."

"I do," she affirmed, "though it's just for school stuff."

"I'm sure the Okumura group or the Kirijo group would happily pay for your half of the rent, or any groceries if you really needed it," Ren countered, putting on his apron.

Makoto rolled her eyes as she polished one of the model guns. "We've been over this, Ren. I like having money for myself and not relying too hard on anyone else. It's why I moved out to begin with."

"Can you really call it 'moving out?' I'm pretty sure Sae is over your place more than her own."

"So are you," she snarked back at him. "You might as well live with me and Haru and start paying a part of the rent."

"Whose bed would I be sleeping in?"

With a chuckle, Ren caught the lighthearted straight jab thrown his way in his hand.

"The floor."

"Ouch. Not even the couch?" Not a second later, Ren casually slipped through another flurry of jabs.

"Let's settle for your bed."

He chuckled as Makoto sent him her family's famed "Niijima glare" after her failed series of attacks.

Makoto kept her fist raised to him. "Now go check in with Iwai. He has a new shipment he wanted you to check over."

"Okay, okay, I'm going," Ren said as he rounded the corner.

He immediately came upon the back room where his boss and long-time friend Iwai Munehisa was sitting with his combat boots up on the table.

"You're late. The girlfriend beat you here today," Iwai rumbled out.

"I had some…supernatural business to take care of."

Iwai raised an eyebrow, sat up, and removed the toothpick in his mouth.

The older man scratched along the back of his neck and his gecko tattoo. Bad memories coming back to him. "As long as angels 'n' shit don't start falling from the sky again, you're good." He then pointed to a box in the corner of the room with his toothpick. "I want you to take inventory of everything in that box over there and put some of the models on display."

"Yes boss," Ren said and gave him a mock salute before opening the box.

"Shotguns and revolvers," Ren said as he looked through the box and picked up one of the replica six-shooters. "Are we going through a Wild West phase?"

Iwai gripped his hat and nodded, relaxing back in his chair and putting his feet on the desk. "Smart ass. But yeah, it's a current fad. Folks are getting back into spaghetti westerns and the like. Karou has been hooked on Bebop Cowboy for the past month. I figured I'd capitalize on it while I could."

Ren shrugged. "Business is business."

"Good. Now get moving," Iwai ordered. "I don't pay you to stand around and ask questions."

Ren smirked as he lifted the box and brought it out to the storefront. He spun it on his hand and forearm before setting it on the counter.

Makoto glanced at him curiously from behind a rack of equipment.

"What are we passing off this time?"

"You and Ryuji guns."

"Ren." Makoto sighed exasperatedly, a hand to her temple, "For the last time we're people, not categories. Just say revolvers and shotguns." Her tone trailed off, knowing it was a pointless endeavor with Ren.

Her eyes narrowed and turned serious as she transitioned to the next topic. "I couldn't help but eavesdrop, but I heard you say you had 'supernatural' business to take care of?"

Ren frowned and tightened his jaw which signaled Makoto to come closer. Ren rarely had a tense face since reaching adulthood.

"Is it that bad?" she whispered once she was close enough.

"Yes, and no?"

Ren then explained about his meeting with the denizens of the Velvet Room. As he continued to talk, he watched her face turn to a deathly white then flush with color once again and finally transition to resignation.

"So, what do you think?"

Makoto sat down on the stool beside him. "Disregarding the stuff about our imminent deaths at the hands of a primordial goddess, because that seems to be the usual with us, you've always been a man who answers both a plea for help and a call for adventure."

Ren let out a grunt.

A few moments of silence passed between the two and the atmosphere felt delicate.

"…Are you upset?" Ren said after carefully choosing his words.

She looked away from him and out into the alley. Both longing and a bit of sadness were mixed in her expression. Ren resisted his first instinct to wrap his arms around her.

"Not really. I knew this day would come and I'm sure the others did too. That's why you wanted to take up with Mitsuru Kirijo and the Shadow Operatives when you turned 21, right? You even trained with Akihiko, the man who fought a bear!"

Ren put a hand on her shoulder. "I won't go if you or the others don't want me to."

She shook off his hand and let out a tired sigh. "What good would that do? You wouldn't be happy in the slightest." Makoto turned back and locked eyes with him. "I'm honestly more upset that we can't go with you. I miss the days when I could just zip around the metaverse on my persona."

Ren smiled at her. "You still ride around on a motorcycle; not much has changed for you."

"True, but using my persona gave me a sense of control like no other," she admitted, opening and closing her hands. Ren could visualize them around the handlebars of Anat or Agnes even then.

"That I can attest to," he said with a wry smile.

Makoto stood up and started to dig through the box. "Let's finish this shift so we can tell the others. I'm sure they'll have…interesting reactions."

"How bad could it be?"

"Ren NOOOO! Please don't get isekai'd without taking us too! I can't lose my key item. Not like this!"

"You can't stop a real man from going on an adventure, Futaba."

"I wonder what the coffee tastes like over there."

Ren was currently mopping the floor of Leblanc with Futaba wrapped around his leg like a baby koala. The nineteen-year-old had seldom grown since high school except for her hair, which was currently styled in a messy bun due to the heat. No matter how old she got, she still craved close contact with Ren and the other former female members.

Nearby, Morgana was on the counter while Haru stood behind it brewing coffee, a Jamaican Blue Mountain blend if his nose was correct. Her skill possibly exceeded his at this point.

Haru had taken to working at Leblanc alongside himself and Futaba to gain field experience for her business degree. As Sojiro had gotten older, he had left more of the shop duties to them. Ren managed the customer-facing aspect, Haru the logistics, and Futaba the advertisement and human resources.

Makoto and Yusuke sat in the booth near the door together, Yusuke with his artistic sketchbook and Makoto with her heavy school textbooks.

Yusuke, true to his words, had remained in Tokyo to focus on his art career with the occasional trips abroad. Now that he was finished with Kosei, he had no place to go, so he ended up becoming roommates with Ren in Leblanc—at least until he moved into the Shadow ops compound in December.

Directly behind them, Zenkichi was in a booth by himself with a Leblanc special in front of him. The detective had been reassigned to Tokyo and took the opportunity to move himself and his daughter Akane to the city, viewing the other Phantom Thieves as good mentor figures and— more importantly to him—babysitters.

The other Phantom Thieves were not currently in Tokyo, save for Akechi and Toshiro. The former preferred to live underground in the years following Shido's defeat, while the latter kept a minimum contact policy due to political reasons.

Sojiro had also left for the day, having given Ren and Haru freer rein on how the shop ran as he got closer to retirement.

"I admit I am quite envious. A world where magic is commonplace is quite the sight to behold," Yusuke said, his pencil never ceasing as he worked on his next project.

"You act like you've been there already, Inari," Futaba said, jabbing a finger in the air at Yusuke.

"Why are you guys treating this like he's going on a vacation? I think we should be more concerned about the fact someone wants to undo the seal that could potentially kill us all." Zenkichi's tone was calm, but everyone could see it was only the food in front of him that kept the panic from bleeding through completely.

"We all have to die sometime, Gramps," Haru said with a Nadeshiko smile.

"Hey, what did I say about saying scary stuff with that smile on your face?" Zenkichi barked.

"Does it matter?" Futaba looked up at Zenkichi from Ren's leg. "I assume the seal is taken care of by those blue people anyway, so it's in safe hands."

Zenkichi opened his mouth, but Futaba cut him off. "You haven't fought one of those guys, so you don't know, but they are capital S Scary."

"How scary are we talking about?" Zenkichi asked slowly, afraid of the answer.

Yusuke put down his pencil on the table. "The youngest one, Lavenza, bested the original ten members of the group at the same time—effortlessly—in our initial encounters."

"Ugh, don't remind me…" Morgana winced. "Just thinking about it makes even my fur hurt."

"To top it off, she's supposedly the weakest of the four from what she's told me," Ren added.

Zenkichi had gone completely still. His mouth was wide open, and his stare was vacant.

"I think you guys broke him," Haru said.

"Oooh, let's throw stuff in his mouth!"

"That is such a Ryuji idea, Futaba," Makoto scolded.

"Since he's not here, someone has to do it," she said flippantly.

"Speaking of, has that blonde idiot or anyone else responded in the group chat?" Morgana said as he leaped onto Ren's shoulder.

"I'll check," Ren then pulled out his phone.

Skull:

Dude, it's not fair. You always get to do all the fun shit!

Panther:

You're saying it like he asked for it.

Sophie:

He hasn't agreed yet, but the probability is almost certain he'll say yes.

Violet:

I feel like we should be more concerned about the death of all of humanity.

Oracle:

That's exactly what Gramps said.

Nobody cared. :p

Violet:

(- _ -)

Orator

Well, I care, Violet.

Violet:

Speaking of… Where is Wolf? He hasn't said anything in a while.

Noir:

Oracle broke his brain by talking about Lavenza.

Skull:

The little kid in the maid outfit who kicked all our asses and Crow's twice as hard?!

Joker:

She's older than you, you know.

Fox:

That's the one.

Crow:

She DID NOT beat me. Why am I still in this forsaken chat to begin with?

Queen:

I distinctly remember having to revive you the most out of everyone. She came at you with a grudge.

Noir:

And a chainsaw!

Wolf:

Chainsaw?!

Noir:

Oh…he's awake.

Orator:

Don't forget the plethora of explosives.

Wolf:

Chainsaws.

Wolf:

Explosives?

Wolf:

I…Just…What?

Panther:

I think you guys broke him again.

Skull:

Despite all the shit you did, you're still one of us so now you got to deal with it, Crow!

Crow has left the group

Sophie has added Goro Akechi to the group

Sophie has changed Goro Akechi's name to Crow

Crow:

You take some kind of sick joy in this, don't you?

Crow:

I can't leave this blasted group; I can't even turn off the damn notifications thanks to you!

Sophie:

You can't escape from the wonderful, marvelous Sophie

Crow:

Go to hell, machine.

Oracle:

This is why I love Sophie.

Sophie:

Sophie loves you too Futaba-chan!

Oracle:

Awww!

Crow:

At least I'll have to deal with one less of you, once Ren leaves.

Violet:

When do you leave, Senpai?

Joker:

Elizabeth told me I have until tomorrow to respond to her.

Panther:

That's pretty soon. You might wanna start packing like, right now.

Skull:

Shit. Yeah. I'm not too far from Tokyo. If I get up early enough, I can probably see ya off tomorrow. No way in hell I'm not gonna be there to see my best friend off on some crazy cool adventure.

Panther:

I wish I could, but I'm all the way in France.

Violet:

I think I can make it…but I'm not totally sure.

Orator:

I can't go unfortunately. But Erina and Tao can make it.

Queen:

Akechi, are you going to come see him off?

Crow:

Why bother? Besides, I'm quite enjoying my time away from all of you.

Panther:

More like your sister will kick his ass if she's there and he happens to show up, Queen.

Crow:

I will admit that does play a factor. I've once seen Sae Niijima kick a purse snatcher so hard, her heel broke off.

Skull:

!

Panther:

!

Fox:

!

Queen:

That sounds like my sister alright.

Wolf:

I wondered why they called her "Iron Leg Niijima" around the station…

Wolf:

You guys are all taking this in a remarkable stride.

Noir:

It's more so we wish we could go along with him than being sad over him leaving.

Fox:

We've always done missions as a group and despite the hardships we faced; as long as I knew my friends were at my back, I thought we could do anything.

Skull:

In the end, we know he has to go, so the only thing we can do is cheer him on!

Violet:

Well put, senpais.

Wolf:

I guess I can understand. Traveling around Japan with you guys was the most fun I'd had in years.

Wolf:

Anyways.

Wolf:

What about your schoolwork and your jobs?

Joker:

Eh.

Wolf:

What do you mean by "Eh?"

Joker:

I only work where people know I was a Phantom Thief, nowadays. Futaba can fill them in.

Sophie:

And I can take care of his schoolwork! His classes are online. Toshiro can also function as a substitute should the need for a face cam arise.

Orator:

Me?!

Sophie:

Using my data banks, I can perfectly replicate his work style.

Skull:

Wanna do my schoolwork, Sophie?

Sophie:

No.

Skull:

What! Why?

Sophie:

I am under strict orders from Makoto not to help you under any circumstance.

Skull:

D'aww c'mon! Why does Ren get a pass?

Panther:

Unlike you, Ren could probably miss a whole year and still get better grades than you.

Crow:

I have confidence Ren can catch back up if he does fall behind.

Orator:

He's way ahead of the starting line academically. You're behind it.

Queen:

Ren actually knows the material in his classes.

Fox:

He's already at the top of his class. He could probably be a TA if he wanted to.

Violet:

I think you need the study time, Ryuji-senpai.

Wolf:

Give up, kid.

Oracle:

Oof. A seven-hit combo!

Skull:

Don't emphasize it!

"And there you have it," Ren said to Zenkichi who was shaking his head.

Mona was snickering atop his shoulder. "Serves that bonehead right."

"Once again. You kids are being scary," Zenkichi said, setting his phone down.

"And don't you forget it!" Futaba called from Ren's leg.

"Do you need us to help you pack?" Haru asked, turning off the brewer.

Ren leaned the mop against the bathroom door. "I'd appreciate that. There's so much to gather, and it's starting to get late."

Makoto stood up and headed to the door. "I'll go to the clinic."

"I will come along with you. It's been a while since I last had a checkup," Yusuke said, standing up and following her to the door.

Futaba hopped off Ren's leg and reached into his pocket, taking his phone. "Your phone needs to be in prime shape, so I'll pull an all-nighter and work on it. I doubt you'll have Wi-Fi, but the camera and note function need to be top-notch. The battery needs to be replaced too. Hrng, so much to do!"

"I'll close the shop and tidy up," Haru said.

"Guess that leaves me and Mona to help you pack your things," Zenkichi said, pushing aside his empty plate.

"You can count on us!" Mona shouted as he hopped on Zenkichi's shoulder.

"Always."

Ren stood near the door of Leblanc, a huge hiking backpack on the ground next to him filled to the brim with every conceivable thing that seven heads could think of.

Ryuji and Sumire had managed to show up in time to see him off. Erina, Eri, and Tao had also made it, as Toshiro had promised. However, Kuan Ichinose had made a surprise appearance as well, with Sophia loaded on her phone.

"Seems like this is bye for now," Ren said to the crowd of people who came to see him.

"We'll be waiting for you!" Sumire said.

"Kick some ass for me, will ya~" Tao said, punching Ren's shoulder and then pulling him into a strong hug.

"If Toshiro were here, he'd say something like, 'Don't forget to do your homework,' or some boring jazz like that," Erina said while Eri giggled next to her.

"He truly wishes he could be here, so it's the least I could do you send you off in his stead," Eri told him. "Besides, I never got to thank you in person for what your team did for him."

Ren gave her a warm smile. "Don't mention it. He's one of us now."

Tao eventually let him go for Ryuji to approach him.

"I'll help hold down the fort while you're gone," Ryuji said confidently, slinging his arm around Ren and giving him a thumbs up.

Makoto shoved Ryuji out of the way, ignoring his indignant cry, and wrapped Ren up in a bone-crushing hug. "Just make sure you don't come back to me beat up this time, alright?"

Sae hugged him on his other side before fretting over some minute details of his appearance. Ren blushed upon being fussed over by both Niijima sisters. "Please don't do anything that will land you in jail. I won't be able to get you out over there."

"I won't make any promises. You know how I am. Trouble seems to follow me."

Sae gave him a mock punch on the shoulder.

"Then you better find a lawyer."

"I doubt they'll be as good as you," he said with a teasing smile.

She blushed and turned her head away from him. "Shameless flirt…"

Yusuke walked up to him next and offered his hand, which Ren grabbed in a firm handshake. "If you are able to, please take lots of pictures and draw lots of sketches. One doesn't come across the scenery of other worlds very often. And among our group, your artistic talent is only second to my own."

"I can't wait to see what you think of my stick figures."

Yusuke closed his eyes and laughed. "We both know you are well beyond that, my friend."

Yusuke was soon replaced by Haru, who wrapped him up in her own hug, although this one was decidedly softer and easier on his spine than Makoto's. "Just come back to us in general. We still have that shared dream of turning Leblanc into a family-friendly chain together, okay?" She ended with a kiss on his cheek and winked at him.

"I haven't forgotten. I'll be me, you, and Futaba."

"You know it!" she giggled.

On her shoulder, Morgana scowled at him. "No matter what, remember this, Joker. Wherever you go, always always always conduct yourself as both the perfect gentleman and the perfect Phantom Thief. I won't accept anything less than perfection from you."

Behind the cafe counter, Sojiro slicked back his hair and then lit a cigarette. "Off you go again, kid. You're like a whirlwind. You came into my life suddenly, exited it, then came back again, and now it's time for you to leave already. I don't blame you. When I was younger, I couldn't resist the call to adventure either. That's why I took that government job in the first place: to get out and see the world. You remind me of myself—in more ways than one."

"Getting all sentimental I see," Zenkichi said, ribbing Sojiro from across the counter.

Futaba grinned. "Yeah, getting old?" she said, unable to pass up the chance to mess with her adoptive father before joining the semicircle of young adults conversing with each other and Ren.

Sojiro paused for a second and took a long drag of his cigarette before handing the carton and lighter to Zenkichi, who gratefully accepted and proceeded to light his own. "Seeing him off is like watching a child go off to college. You're sad to see them go, but happy to watch them be happy. It won't be too long before you go through the same thing with Akane," he said, watching Ren chat with Kuon and Sophia, a conversation that involved a lot of head bobbing and animated posing which started to spread to the others.

Sojiro watched the group with fatherly pride.

"One short year and she'll be done with high school…" Zenkichi said, his voice laced with melancholy as he took a puff and leaned against the counter. "Thanks for reminding me."

"Hey kid, before I forget, take this on your journey." Sojiro came out from behind the counter and walked up to Ren. He produced a small square book from his apron that Ren would recognize anywhere.

"This is…" Ren said with wide eyes, taking the book into his hand.

"Your probation diary. I figure it'll come in handy. Futaba mentioned the place you were going to wasn't as—ah—as technologically inclined as ours. Having your smartphone would probably make you stand out like a sore thumb. Use that journal to take down any information you might need without anyone getting suspicious."

Ren tried to give the diary back, but Sojiro wouldn't accept. "I can't take this; I gave it to you."

"Then come back and give it to me personally."

Outside the building, a car horn honked.

With a nod of his head, Ren pocketed the diary and then picked up his bag. He put two fingers to his forehead in a mock salute.

"See ya," he said as he walked out the door and to the taxi sitting on the street.

"Bye, Ren!"

The crowd at Leblanc waved him off emphatically until he got into the vehicle.

"To Central Street," Ren said to the driver.

"You made me break out the taxi again, huh?" the driver said, looking at Ren in the rearview mirror and lifting off his driver's cap, revealing coiffed brown hair.

"Guiding people where they need to be is your calling, doc."

"Haha," Maruki said as he put the car in gear. "Really Ren, you're always blowing my mind with all these adventures you and your friends go on."

"Technically you were a part of one of them," Ren pointed out, leaning on the heavy bag beside him.

"Yeah, but what I did is nothing compared to you calling me in the middle of the night saying you needed a ride to save the world from a planet-eating monstrosity. In the middle of the night."

"Sleep is overrated. Think of the breakthroughs it could have for Cognitive Psience," Ren said as he gazed out the window at the passing scenery.

"While your explanation clarified a few things on my Cognitive Psience theories, sharing them would likely get me laughed right out of town."

"Some things are better left unsaid in my opinion."

Maruki scoffed as he came to a stop at a red light. "You can say that again. If not handled carefully, you can cause a mass panic with that information."

His glasses gained an eerie shine as he glanced at Ren through the mirror. "You may have been too young to have been aware of it, but around late 2009, a cult dedicated to Nyx and 'The Fall' popped up right in Odaiba, ironically enough. To make matters worse, it came along with a rash of apathy syndrome cases. People were scared left right and sideways; one could theorize that those incidents are why Shido's mental shutdown fiasco was so effective years later."

"Why tell me this now?"

"You're a smart guy. You tell me, Ren."

Ren lowered his head in thought for a minute before raising it back up again. "You want me to be on the lookout for similar incidents."

Maruki nodded in approval and pressed the gas once more. "Now that I know that incident had its roots in the cognitive world…the bigger picture is unsettling to say the least. It's surprising how fast people will latch onto a death cult. What's not surprising is the same signs popping up elsewhere."

"Thanks for looking out for me."

"It's the least I could do," Maruki said solemnly as he brought the car to a stop and put it in park.

Ren gave his thanks as he slipped out of the car and back onto the narrow alleys of Central Street. Before long, he came across the lone door of the Velvet Room. A ways down the alley he could barely see Iwai who gave him a slight nod of goodbye.

Lavenza, who was standing outside of the door, immediately snapped to attention at his presence.

"I assume you're here to take my sister up on her offer," she said, appraising his appearance.

"Yes, I am."

"Good. Then allow me to lead the way."

Just as she did yesterday, Lavenza opened the door and allowed him to step through.

Unlike yesterday, the door to the Velvet Room led directly to the main tavern area. The moment he entered, he was greeted with a very odd sight.

A stage had been constructed on the far side of the tavern, complete with a piano that seemed to be playing itself. However, the self-playing piano wasn't what caught Ren's attention. On the stage was Elizabeth, who was swirling, twirling, and doing…something that resembled dancing.

Ren averted his eyes from the scene.

The worst part is that I can't tell if I'm looking away out of shame, embarrassment, or out of preserving her modesty, Ren thought to himself. Out of the corner of his eye, he spied Lavenza, who had her head down and seemed to be mumbling some sort of ancient-tongued curse.

Igor stood motionless as usual with a hint of amusement in his bulbous eyes.

"Oh, it's you, the future brother-in-lawfulness," Elizabeth chirped, moving her arms. "What do you think of my 'boogie downing?'"

"It's very Take Over…?"

"Why thank you! I do certainly aim to 'Take Over' the dance stage, as they say." Elizabeth then abruptly stopped and hopped off the stage. "But that shall be for another day where I shall force you to show me your moves!"

Ren broke out in a nervous sweat. I want to take that as a joke, but given who I'm dealing with, it's actually a distinct possibility.

"Judging by your travel attire and your most voluminous backpack, allow me to hazard a guess and say you intend to assume my mission."

"That's right," Ren confirmed.

Elizabeth's eyes lit up and she clapped her hands together excitedly. "Oh, happy day! Thank you, thank you, thank you! It's a deal!" she exclaimed, running up, shaking his hand, and then hugging him. She lifted him up off the ground despite Ren's backpack, which he was sure added twenty or so pounds to his frame.

Ren couldn't manage a word as her inhumanly strengthened hug squeezed the air out of him.

"Sister, please put my guest down! His body isn't made like ours!" Lavenza cried, tugging on Elizabeth's pants.

Elizabeth froze as she came to that realization. She set Ren down and released him from her hug, leaving the young man gasping for air.

"I apologize. It's been a while since I've actively had to contain my strength," Elizabeth said while bowing.

"Don't worry," Ren rasped. "Lavenza was the same way when she first came to our world."

Elizabeth giggled in relief, much to Lavenza's chagrin.

"That does make me feel better. I suppose it's now time for me to give you the underwear of the world you're going to."

"The briefing, sister," Lavenza corrected.

"Thank you." Elizabeth bowed. "The place you are going to is called Solistia. As you know, the world isn't as advanced as yours. This is due to magic being commonplace among the populace. They simply have little to no need to make huge advancements. Even now, despite being around the same year as your world (not recorded-wise), they still teeter on the edge of the industrial revolution," Elizabeth explained.

Sojiro's notebook idea was a good one.

"I asked for you in particular because your skill set allows you to efficiently blend in with the locals. Most field combat professions are divided into one of eight categories: Hunter, Apothecary, Scholar, Merchant, Dancer, Cleric, Warrior, and of course, Thief, though there are a few oddballs who forge their own path."

Ren furrowed his eyebrows. "Very game-like."

Elizabeth nodded her head and hummed in agreement. "The people of Solistia take up these 'classes' because they were the original professions their main gods performed."

"Is there any mention of this 'dark god' you want me to find out about?" Ren asked.

"I wasn't able to glean much information other than something or someone is working towards its rise. What else I have told you is considered common knowledge," Elizabeth said, shaking her head. "I'm afraid you will have to scour for that information yourself. The goal is for you to function as my liaison, essentially."

"You can't call it a journey if it's too easy, can you?" Ren said with a smirk on his face.

"Indeed, you cannot," Elizabeth agreed, Lavenza nodding along with her.

"So how are we going to get to this place?"

"We are already here. The moment you said yes, the master had begun shifting the Velvet Room."

Ren was shocked. He looked to Igor for confirmation, but the man only offered a single twitch of the nose. "With special permission from my master of course."

"You have a master? I've never heard about that from Aigis or Yu," Ren asked incredulously.

"Yes. His name is Philemon." The lighting in the area brightened a bit at the mention of his name as if the room itself longed for him. "He is the creator of this space and thus dictates its appearance in the world. In a bet with his contemporary counterpart Nyarlothep, they both created personas, and, in addition, Philemon made the Velvet Room to cultivate the talent."

"Then why haven't we seen him?"

"The simplest answer is to say Philemon won his bet in some capacity. Nyarlothep's physical form was defeated and as a result, both entities had to…ahem. Exit stage left, as you would say. But that's neither here nor there." Igor then tentatively touched his pocket square. "Elizabeth is the most…persistent of my attendants. She managed to secure permission for us to do this." The woman in question gave a tell-all smile.

Ren put a hand to his head, sensing an oncoming headache. "Questions about Philemon aside, I thought you guys couldn't go?"

"We can't. The Velvet Room borders on the edge of unconsciousness. That doesn't change no matter what world you go to. It's the equivalent of sailing to another part of the sea. The Velvet Room is the ship that treads the waters," Lavenza affirmed.

Igor picked up where Lavenza left off. "The moment you leave the Velvet Room, you will be stripped of most of your power as you cross the barrier so as to not cause too much of a disturbance. As such, we shall remain in the Velvet Room to provide whatever assistance you may need as per your previous journey."

"All you have to do is exit the way you came in and…poof! You'll be in Solistia!"

Elizabeth then started pushing Ren towards the cell door.

"Now off you go!"

"W-Wait a seco—"

Elizabeth shoved Ren through the door before he could form a reply.

"Remember to take full responsibility for your actions! They are yours and yours alone! Have a safe trip! I know we'll meet soon!" Elizabeth shouted as he left the plane of existence the Velvet Room was on.

"Hey, big sister?" Lavenza said to Elizabeth after Ren was gone.

"Yes?"

"Don't you think we should have told him where he was landing?"

Elizabeth paused for a moment. "That would have been wise, yes." Then she spun on her heel in a twirl. "But what is life without surprises!"

"My, my, this promises to be a rather interesting journey indeed."

AN:

Now to the main stuff. Long-running fans of mine will notice that this chapter is formatted similarly to Luck of the Draw, my first story. That was intentional. Part of the reason I wrote this story is because I'm suffering from writer's block in that story. I have the plans laid out, but I just can't figure out how I want to write 'em.

Now this story will be littered with ideas that didn't make it off the cutting room floor for Luck of the Draw. For example, Ren working alone without the other Thieves at his disposal. Raoul's prominence from the get-go is also another one, along with an adult Ren.

As for goals with this story, this is the first story of its kind on both FF and AO3, so I want to garner interest from both fandoms in the other. The games have a lot of overlap and to be honest here, Octopath Traveler II was the best damn RPG I've played since Persona 5. It easily goes into my top 5 RPGs of all time.

Anyways, I hope you can enjoy this journey together with me.