433Spoiler Warning is in the Author's note. If you're concerned about spoilers, read that to confirm what you may or may not be getting into.
(Author's Note)
Hey guys.
I've had this thing stewing in the back for a while now. I've been toying away at the overall stuff for it and it's gotten to the point where I feel... somewhat confident about starting to upload stuff for it. I can't promise the uploads will be entirely consistent, but for a bit as this begins to pick up it will be at the very least.
So, a few important things to go over regarding stuff and things:
1. This story begins on Christmas Eve in Persona 5 Royal. For those unaware, this is when the Original Persona 5, and P5R by extension, have their final boss. So there will be some immediate spoilers out the gate.
2. As I said earlier, the story will reference back to events in P5R, so there are also probably going to be some spoilers for that too. As of how much I've written, nothing specific and most of the heavy spoiler stuff from P5R isn't gonna really come into play until much later down the line. (By heavy spoilers, I mean 3rd semester stuff)
3. I will be using the anime name for Joker, since that's normally what's considered "Canon" by Atlus. If you dislike it, that's fair, it's your opinion after all, but I won't be changing it around since that's the name I know Joker by more prominently.
Okay, I'm... pretty sure that's all the important stuff I need to get out of the way first. If you don't care about Spoilers or already know everything I bring up, great have fun! Otherwise, you've been warned I guess.
Anyways, quick disclaimer to start then I'll go let you guys read this thing.
Disclaimer: I do not own either the Persona, or the Fire Emblem series. The Persona Series is property of Atlus and Fire Emblem is owned by Nintendo. I would be dumb to even assume I have any real claim to either, so I wanted to confirm you knew that as well.
Okay, enough already. Time for the story!
A single red gloved hand pushed firmly against the ground as Joker stood back up to a stand, cheered on by the voices of the populace as he faced down the False God in front of him.
'Don't lose!'
'Yeah, you gave us hope, so hang in there!'
'We'll acknowledge you guys once more!'
"Why do they got to word it like they're looking down on us?" A voice asked to Joker's right, as he broke eye contact to see Skull pull himself up to a stand next to him.
"But… They're cheering for us." Noir said, standing up as well.
"Heh…" Oracle chuckled lightly as she rose. "Doesn't feel bad…"
'You're not done changing the world!'
'We'll all be afraid if you go down like that!'
"They don't have to tell us twice…" Fox muttered out, stumbling to a stand.
Queen pushed herself up, breathing heavily. "We won't let ourselves be erased!"
"We're going all out dammit!" Panther said, joining the rest of the Thieves in standing against the god before them.
'Yeah! Go Phantom Thieves!'
"GOD IS THE ONE WHO CREATES THE WORLD!" The False God proclaimed, towering above the Thieves.
"I've made up my mind. I will see my justice through for the sake of protecting what I care about." Mona said, lowering his catlike head slightly.
"Morgana…" Panther muttered out as Mona turned to face Joker and the rest of the Thieves.
"...The same goes for you guys too!" Mona stated, before his eyes locked onto Joker's. "If you've decided to take the world from him, don't compromise your ideals to the very end!"
"Let's defeat him together!" Panther said, as everyone's focus returned to the false god, the cheers of the populace pushing them onwards.
"Hey God!" Skull began, pointing his right index finger out at the False God with a smirk on his face. "Foolish humans are prayin' down there. They're praying there's no place for someone like you in this world!"
"Give the evil god his final warning, Joker!" Mona said, giving one more glance towards the leader of the Phantom Thieves.
Joker's eyes hardened. "We're saving this world!" He shouted, throwing his right arm out at the false god.
Joker closed his eyes and lowered his arm, letting the wind blow past him as the cheers of the masses began to grow louder and louder, before fading into a calm silence as his eyes opened, his mask shattering into specs of blue fire as he felt his soul come to life behind him with the sound of rattling chains.
Arsene stood tall behind his master, the chains bounding himself down held firm in Joker's hand. Joker gripped hard, raising his fist to look down at the charcoal black of the chains before his eyes turned to look up at Yaldabaoth. He reered his arm back with a grunt before throwing his fist forward with a scream, snapping the chains in two as they broke off, alighting both ends in blue fire.
The chains began to separate one after another, quickly snapping as they flew over around Arsene as the Persona was wreathed in a torrent of fire. Arsene seemed to scream, but it's cry was anything but painful, similar to that of a victory cry as his body faded away in a flash of light, sending down a shower of stars from the sky.
"SO YOU HAVE FAILED TO HARNESS THE POWER." The False God stated as the sky began to darken around them. Joker felt a smirk fall onto his face as the falling stars finally began to disperse. "NO MATTER HOW MANY PRAYERS OF THE FOOLISH MASSES COME TOGETHER… HM!?"
A crack and roar of thunder was the God's reply as everyone but Joker looked up in surprise. "What the…" Panther asked, as Jet Black Feathers began to float down accompanied by a large being that seemed to descend from the heavens. It's three sets of wings stretched open with a flourish as it came to a stop behind Joker, it's face reminiscent of the mask Joker had moments prior removed to summon it. Above it's head was a black halo, surrounded by small black wings sprouting out at the edges, as if to make a mockery of the similar halo floating above the False God.
"That's-!?" Fox asked, looking up at the demon before him.
"Man, it's huge!" Skull exclaimed, blinking owlishly at it.
"What an immense power…! No way… Is it a Persona!?" Mona asked, looking up at the creature.
'I don't believe what I'm seeing! What is that!?'
'Is that the Phantom Thieves doing too? That's totally amazing!'
'Keep it up Phantom Thieves!'
A bright light began to shine around the Thieves, healing their wounds as the People cheered them below.
"FOOLS…!" The False God exclaimed. "THIS, IS WHY MAN IS DOOMED..." As the words were spoken, a large ball of black and red energy began to form in front of the False God, before it exploded outwards in a flash of white before quickly dissipating, the Thieves standing completely unharmed in the wake of the explosion.
"IMPOSSIBLE!"
'They're insanely strong!'
'They're not just Phantom Thieves anymore! That's like some super demon lord! So Awesome!'
"I see… if a god plays naughty, then it's a demon lord's duty to punish them...!" Mona exclaimed. "What better way is there for a finale of a Trickster!"
Mona turned to face Joker, a resolute look on his face. "Joker, we're entrusting our strength and the people's hopes to you! Put an end to this!"
Joker turned around once more, taking in the looks of his battered, but not down friends, before nodding. His eyes closed as he held his hand out, as white energy began to form once more around the group, the people's cheers growing louder and louder before the energy began to merge together in the palm of Joker's hand. Joker brought his gloved hand up to his chest, before squeezing his hand shut, as a surge of energy flew up around him. "Pillage him…"
Joker's eyes snapped open, as he turned around to face the False God, moving his hand to the side with a flourish, sending his tailcoat flapping in the wind as his eyes narrowed. "Satanael!"
And with one last movement, the Trickster raised his gun up into the air, an action mirrored by the towering persona behind him…
And fired.
"The hell!?" Skull exclaimed, looking down at the waist deep red liquid the group was currently standing in.
Joker paused, looking around in confusion. "What is this?" Fox asked, drawing the leader's attention towards the nearby crowds that stood frozen around them.
Skull raised a hand up, feeling the splashes of rain slow to a halt as he looked up. "Looks like the rain stopped…" Skull said.
"Hey guys!" Queen said, pointing up at the morning sky, the sun's rays shining down upon the skeletal structures looming overhead. There was the sound of shattering glass, as Joker peered down at the strange liquid below him that began to crack like glass, before shattering. He let out a slight gasp as his clothes were suddenly dry, the water suddenly breaking off as it vanished into shards of red glass that began to float into the air. The glass flew past the skeletal creations towering over the thieves, that soon too, began to fade away.
"So Beautiful…"
"Yeah…"
Joker had to agree, the sight was indeed stunning, and cathartic in it's own right. He blinked, watching as the frozen pedestrians and cars began to shine white, as particles began to float off of them, they too began to disappear like the nearby surroundings.
"My word…" Fox breathed out.
"Why's everything-" Panther began, before being cut off by Mona.
"The whole word is a product of Cognition. Not Just the Metaverse." Mona began, his voice slowly becoming louder, almost like it was surrounding the group. Joker turned around, looking down at his friend who was glowing a similar color to the rest of the surroundings. "It can be re-made… The same goes for you, and everyone else."
Skull's eyes widened as he took a step forward. "Dude, Mona-!"
"Mona-Chan…!" Haru cried out, her hands covering her mouth as she looked down at Mona.
"This can't be happening!" Panther cried out, moving forwards towards her Teammate, followed quickly after by the rest of the Thieves, before being slowed to a halt as the ground split in front of them, cutting them off from the strange cat like creature they had come to know as their friend.
"Soon a new world will come." Mona continued, looking off to the side. "One where mankind isn't held captive. The world will shine brightly as long as you hold hope in your hearts."
Mona raised his arms up towards the thieves, as he slowly began to rise off the ground, the surrounding light shining brighter and brighter. "But what's going to happen to you!?" Queen asked.
Joker looked up at his friend, watching as he rose higher and higher. "Remember, there's no such thing as the 'real world'. What each person sees and feels…" Joker took a step forward, raising his arm up towards Mona in what might've been some last ditch effort of some sort. "Those are what shape reality. This is what gives the world infinite potential. Even if you feel that only darkness lies ahead… as long as you see it through together... hold hands as one... the world will never end..!"
Joker moved forward one more step. "Morgana!" He shouted out, before the ground underneath him suddenly cracked, and sent the whole group rocking.
"Joker!?" Oracle shouted, looking ahead as Joker stumbled before the ground underneath him gave way, sending him tumbling below into the light as the Thieves looked in shock as they were engulfed by the light and disappeared, returning to reality, with no sign of their leader.
Bright, that was the first thought that came to Ren Amamiya's mind as his eyes cracked open. He let out a groan as his hand rose to block the bright rays as he turned his head to the side. "...Shibuya wasn't… this grassy last I checked..." He muttered to himself in Japanese as he pulled himself up into a sitting position as he furiously blinked his eyes until they slowly but surely became accustomed to the light of the sun beaming down on him.
He lowered his right arm down as he looked out at the field of green laid bare before him, eyes widening as he tried to place what exactly was wrong about the sight before him. "Morgana!" The Phantom Thief shouted, surging to a stand as he looked around. "Wait… where am I? Last I remember…"
'Was the metaverse collapsing around us.' Ren thought, holding a hand up to his chin. 'Then Morgana…'
Ren's eyes narrowed, his hand clenching momentarily as he took in a deep breath, his emotions quickly evening out as he gave another look around. "...I fell… The ground collapsed beneath me and I fell into… Well, here I guess."
The teen let out a soft sigh as he looked down at himself. He was still wearing his casual clothes, though it was starting to get a bit hot with the hoodie he was wearing. Ren blinked as he looked up at the blue sky above him. "It's warm…" He muttered to himself. "But… It's Christmas Eve…"
Ren brushed himself down, swatting off any stray blades of grass before his hand slid over something strange tied to his hip. He blinked as he looked down at his waist, eyeing the sword handle slotted firmly into the sheath that was attached to his side. He pulled the blade out, eyeing the hand guard that was very clearly a skeleton's face that morphed up into the spine like additions running along the top side of the blade.
"Paradise Lost…" He said, the English slipping out of his mouth with ease as he looked over the sword. He hadn't had it beforehand, but he knew exactly what it was when he first looked at it. He looked down at the sword in his hand before sheathing it as he turned in a random direction. "I won't get anywhere if I don't get moving. If I'm anywhere close to Tokyo, I'll see it relatively soon on the horizon. If I don't…"
Ren paused, before shaking his head as he looked ahead. "No, don't dwell on it." He told himself, taking a step forward as he started his trek towards some sign of civilization.
'Well, I think that confirms it.' Ren thought, looking out at the first sign of civilisation he had seen since arriving in this strange place. 'I'm nowhere near Tokyo…'
He would've had a harder time finding the settlement that lay before him in the evening light if it wasn't for the billowing smoke rising from the town before him. "...I can't ignore this." Ren said, narrowing his eyes behind his false glasses as he ran ahead towards the town currently under siege.
The thief slowed to a stop as he reached the front gate of the town, the front entrance broken open wide as a few civilians ran out past him, screaming loudly as a few men in rugged, tattered clothing walked up with large smirks on their faces. "Oh? Well, what do we have here?"
'English?' Ren noted idly as his eyes locked onto the two weapons being carried by the two men in front of him, a mace and a short dagger. "Remaining quiet, eh? Alright, give us everything you have! And you can start with your sword!"
The teen's eyes widened ever so slightly, before he gave a passing look down at the sheathed sword at his hip. His eyes trailed back up, narrowing at the two in front of him as he smirked almost challengingly. "This sword?" He asked, switching to English as he pulled Paradise Lost free from its resting place at his hip, the curved edge of the blade glinting dangerously against the amber light from the nearby burning scenery.
One of the two took a step back, before the other one growled and charged forwards. Joker's eyes narrowed before he dropped low, crouching to the side as the sword in his attacker's hand sailed over his head. He gripped Paradise Lost and swung upwards, his sword carving through the man's sword arm like butter, knocking the sword, and the arm that was once previously holding it, into the air before it crashed into the ground to Ren's right.
"Agh! You son of a-!" Ren's eyes locked onto the man he just cut an arm off of, taking another look at his person, noticing the small bags hung at his waist, most of them tied on crudely. He narrowed his eyes and looked back up at the other one, noting the large bag that was currently slung over his shoulder.
'So they're thieves then… No, bandits would be apt.' The Phantom Thief thought, before he held up his sword, pointing the tip of the weapon towards the two bandits in front of him. "Run."
As if it was a command from god, the two immediately bolted, running further into town as fast as they could. Ren sighed, looking down at the small droplets of blood that rested on the edge of his sword. He remembered the motion, just like he had with every other shadow his weapons had damaged, but they were never this strong… or bloody.
Ren grimaced as he flicked his sword downwards, casting the blood off his sword and sheathing it at his side. "I need to find the leader, and fast…" He said aloud, running further into the town.
As he ran, the Phantom Thief took notice of the surroundings, and began to slowly begin to piece together more and more information about his surroundings, and the fact if he wasn't in a different world, which still seemed just as likely, he was in the far past. 'European architecture… Medieval or something similar, at least…' Ren thought, as the sound of clashing steel grabbed his attention.
Ren slid down behind a wood box as he arrived just outside what looked to have been a marketplace, the area littered with broken stalls and a cracked stone fountain in the middle of the clearing. Ren peeked around the box, eyeing a large man in similar tattered rags as the bandits he had run into moments prior. His eyes flicked over to the left of the bandit, noticing a woman with blue haired bearing down on the bandit with a sword.
"Gh… To think… we'd run into the Ashen Demon here!" The large bandit grunted out, pushing the woman back as he gained distance. "No matter… It's three of us and one of you!"
As the words left the bandit's mouth, the swordswoman spun around, swinging her sword out wide. Her attack cleaved through two bandits' armor with ease as they flew into the air from the force of the attack. The Bandit let out a shout, the Woman turning around just in time to see a large axe swinging down at her head.
There was a loud clang as the axe smashed into Ren's sword, the Thief having jumped in the moment the woman's back had turned. Ren narrowed his eyes and pushed up, sending the bandit off balance and stumbling backward. "Then how about two on three?" The Phantom Thief asked, surging forwards and swinging his sword.
Ren's attack cut diagonally across the Bandit's armor, reaching out with his off hand to steal one of the pouches on his belt while his foe was distracted with the attack. He quickly followed through as he spun around and swung upwards, slicing through his opponents defenses once more before swinging down, cleaving through what little defense the bandit had left. The Bandit let out a cry of pain as he fell backwards, his chest bleeding heavily as Joker stopped to stare at the Bandit.
"Behind you!" A voice said behind him, snapping him out of his stupor as he spun around and ducked, avoiding a dagger to the back of his head courtesy of another bandit.
"You'll pay for-!" The bandit began, before being cut off as the teen's sword sliced through his neck. The bandit gargled for a moment before collapsing on the ground, a hand pressed against his neck in a vain attempt to stop the bleeding. Ren's eyes froze on the bandit as he watched the man squirm on the ground, his vision tunneling before a hand landed on his shoulder, pulling him out of his stupor.
"...First time?" The voice said again, as Joker looked over at the Swordswoman next to him, a calm, almost expressionless face staring at him.
"Uh… Yeah." Ren nodded, looking down at his bloodied sword. His eyes shut and he moved down to the defeated bandit and wiped the blood of his sword, cleaning the blade as he sheathed it at his side. He gave a last look at the bandit before standing back up. "Thanks for the help."
"It was nothing." She said, turning to look behind Ren as the swordswoman walked over to the Bandit leader. "He's still breathing. We can bring him in for whatever bounty he has on his head."
The Phantom Thief let out a sigh as he walked over to the nearby fountain, taking a seat on what felt like a stable part of the broken stone. He looked down at his hands before he quickly dunked them into the water, rubbing them in some sort of attempt to clean what little blood had landed on his hands. He let out a sigh before his eyes turned to the right as the sound of a horse running caught his attention. He quickly stood back up and placed a hand on the sword's hilt, but a quick motion from the Swordswoman made him ease up.
A few moments later and a horse walked into the ruined remains of the marketplace, sitting atop was a man with blonde hair and a decently sized beard. Ren noticed the bits of armor strapped over the man's arms and shoulder, as well as the scar on the man's left cheek. "Byleth, I see you have everything under control?"
"There were a few that got away, but the Leader is right here. Still alive, but badly injured." The woman, or Byleth, Ren figured, responded. She looked over to him, bringing the man's attention towards him. "He showed up while I was fighting three of them and took this one down and gave the leader the injury you see."
"Is that so?" The man said, stepping down from his horse. Ren blinked as the man walked towards him. "Thank you for the help. We saw the fire while we were passing through so we stopped by to help. You a citizen of this town?"
"Ah, no. I was… I saw the fires and I came to see what I could do to help." Ren said, sticking his hands in his pockets.
"Are you a mercenary then?" The woman asked, grabbing the Thief's attention. "You handled the fight expertly."
Ren shook his head. "Mercenary?"
The man raised an eyebrow. "So you're not from around here, nor are you a passing mercenary like the two of us, huh?" He asked, crossing his arms. "That would explain the accent."
"You guys are mercs?" Ren asked, turning back to the man.
"That's right. I'm Jeralt Eisner." Jeralt nodded, before motioning to the swordswoman next to him. "This here is my daughter."
"Byleth Eisner." Byleth nodded at Ren.
'So Eisner is their last name then…' Ren thought, placing a hand to his chin before lowering it. 'I should probably respond in kind.'
"Ren Amamiya." The Phantom Thief supplied, nodding at Jeralt.
Jeralt raised an eyebrow. "That's a strange name." The merc said.
"It's mine." Ren said with a shrug.
Byleth suddenly crouched, hand on her sword hilt as she scanned the nearby area. "I count two hostiles."
"Is that so?" Jeralt noted, before turning to look at Ren as the teen unsheathed Paradise Lost. "Strange sword…"
"Comes with the strange name." Ren shot back, a smirk on his face as he walked over to Byleth. He slowed to a stop as he watched the two Bandits he had a brief scuffle with earlier run into the broken marketplace. "These guys…?"
"You know them?" Byleth asked, never keeping her eyes off the two.
"Y-you're!?" One of them shouted, raising a stump where a hand once was.
"Yeah, I cut that one's hand off when I was running into town to help." Ren nodded, pulling his sword up.
"You'll pay for this!" The bandit shouted, running forward towards Ren. The teen narrowed his eyes, gripping Paradise Lost before Byleth stepped forward. The swordswoman pulled her sword out of her sheath and quickly decapitated the head of the bandit in one fluid motion. The Bandit's body crashed to the ground, as Byleth calmly flicked her sword to the side, sending a splatter of her enemy's blood onto the ground.
"Shit! I knew we should've gone left!" The second bandit shouted, before looking past the two and locking onto the large bandit that was lying on the ground. "Boss!"
"Don't take your eyes off your opponent." Byleth said coldly, surging forwards quickly. The bandit let out a cry of shock as he rolled just under the attack and ran towards Ren. "D-damn you!"
Ren's eyes widened as he leaned to the side, the Bandit's mace swinging just past where he had been standing. The Phantom Thief grit his teeth before swinging upwards, his sword cutting effortlessly through the Bandit's armor, sending the Bandit tumbling backwards before a sword pierced through the Bandit's back.
Ren's eyes widened as Byleth pushed the Bandit off her sword, giving it a brief flick before quickly cleaning the blood off it. "Thank you for the assistance." The woman said, giving Ren a nod with her unfazed expression.
"...No… Problem." Ren said, stumbling for a moment as he started to walk back towards Jeralt, who was watching with a hand on his beard.
"I take it this is new to you?" Asked Jeralt, as Ren took a seat once again at the ruined fountain.
"The... Death is, yeah…" Ren nodded, leaning Paradise Lost against the Fountain as he rubbed his hands over his face.
"Considering how you handle yourself, I'm a bit surprised, but… Well, the first time is always the worst, I'll admit." Jeralt said. "But that's just the rules of our world I guess… Killing is just in our nature."
Ren stayed silent as he looked down at his hands. This had been the first time he had spilled blood. Sure, he had faced down numerous shadows, but those weren't actual people. They had never killed their targets, even if that was what Shido and Akechi wanted the public to think. Even when they first started out and said they'd be fine with the outcome that Kamoshida might've died if they messed up, they accepted that after everything the man had done.
Now, Ren wasn't sure if he could accept what he had just done.
"...If I could give some advice about this." Jeralt began, catching Ren's attention. "Don't forget what this feels like. When you're in my line of work, killing becomes a frequent thing. It's only when it stops bothering you, when you stop feeling some remorse about it, that you should truly feel what you're feeling right now."
Ren looked down at his hands, before nodding, pulling himself up to a stand. "...Thanks." He said.
"Don't mention it." Jeralt said, turning and picking up Paradise Lost from its place against the Fountain. "...Lightweight, but effective, the patterning and general design of it's curved edge make it a better slashing weapon than others…"
Jeralt turned his grip of the sword around, holding the handle out towards Ren. The Thief took the sword as Jeralt passed it over, sheathing it as the man placed a hand to his chin in thought. "Tell me, where did you find such a sword?"
"I… It was on me when I woke up earlier today. I'm not sure how it came to be." Ren said.
Jeralt raised an eyebrow. "How do you not remember how you got such a sword?" He asked.
"I don't know. I remember everything from yesterday clearly but…" Joker paused and looked out to the side. "...The sword itself is strangely familiar."
Byleth moved over to the two. "Where are you headed?" She asked, facing Ren.
"...Well, I was looking for civilization but…" Ren motioned to the ruined town around the three of them.
Byleth stared at the Phantom Thief, her eyes affixed on his person, almost judging him in some unknown contest. He might have been 'Lionhearted' as Haru had called him after watching the recent horror movie at the theater with her, but he still barely resisted the urge to take a step back at the cold expression being leveled directly on him.
"...He's good. He should join us." Byleth said, before turning around and walking over to the unconscious Bandit Leader, effortlessly picking the man up and hoisting him over her shoulder. Jeralt and Ren starred as the Swordswoman started walking away from the ruined marketplace. "I'll drop this guy off with the rest of the company."
With her words spoken, Byleth walked out of sight, leaving the two males behind with Jeralt's horse, and a pile of bandit corpses.
"...Well, if that's not high praise, I don't know what is." Jeralt noted, crossing his arms with a light smile on his face.
"I'm sorry?" Ren asked, turning his head to look at Jeralt.
Jeralt turned to face the Phantom Thief, letting a hand fall upon his hip as he looked down on the teen. "To be short, I run a mercenary company. We travel around and take care of trouble when it comes up. That said, in all my years I've never seen her recommend anyone herself..."
Ren felt a smile fall on his face, before he looked down at his hands once more. "...Well, I figure she'd give me the cold shoulder if I didn't at least ask." Jeralt said with a chuckle as he turned to face Ren. "Kid, if Byleth saw something in you, then that's something to be proud of. With context clues and your own admittance, I don't think you really have anywhere to go right now, right?"
"That's correct." Ren nodded, knowing where this conversation was going. Call it a gut feeling.
"Then I'd like to offer you a spot in my Mercenary Company. As I said, if Byleth saw something in you, that's something to keep an eye on." Jeralt said, holding his hand out to Ren. "I can't promise much, but I can promise that we take care of our own. I can probably guess how you feel after all that happened today, and I won't deny you might have to do this sort of thing again if you join us."
"But I think you could do some good." Jeralt finished, locking eyes with the Phantom Thief in front of him. "The question is, do you agree or not?"
Ren looked down at the hand extended out towards him. '...He's right. At the moment I don't have anywhere to go. And without much knowledge on the world around me I'd be more of a sitting duck on my own than I would be with Jeralt and Byleth…' The Phantom Thief let out a sigh, before looking up at Jeralt. 'I can't find a way home if I'm dead. Besides, if today was to be believed, there's more people out here that are in just as much trouble as back home… I can't turn my back on them…'
"...Alright. We have a deal." Ren said, taking Jeralt's hand in his and shaking it.
"Excellent." Jeralt said, smiling.
Ren's eyes widened as his perception of time suddenly slowed down to a halt, as a familiar voice rang in his ears.
I am Thou, Thou art I…
Thou hast acquired a new vow.
It shall become the wings of rebellion
that breaketh thy chains of captivity.
With the birth of the Hierophant Persona,
I have obtained the winds of blessing that
shall lead to freedom and new power…
There was a snap and a loud bang as Ren's vision was filled with black chains. The chains soon shattered and revealed a blue card, similar in design to the red social link cards he was more familiar with, depicting the Hierophant Arcana. The words 'Rank Up!' sat next to the card, with one single star sitting just underneath. A moment later and his vision returned to normal, as if the forming of a new confidant hadn't even occurred.
"It's good to have you onboard." Jeralt finished, letting go of Ren's hand.
Ren blinked before shaking his head as he focused on the current conversation. "I am in your care." Ren said, bowing at the waist.
Jeralt looked down at the teen in slight confusion. "That's… not necessary, kid. Now let's get moving. We're burning what little daylight we have left."
Ren nodded, standing up straight and following after his new boss. '...I hope everyone else is taking my disappearance well…'