449(Author's Note)
HEY GUYS, BET YOU DIDN'T EXPECT THIS SO SOON!
Legitimately, I do NOT know how this happened. I had started work on it over the last week or two and then the next thing I knew I had finished it all. Surprisingly fast turnaround for full chapters like this, huh.
So fun fact, we're in for a treat this time. What's fun about it is that I HAD OTHER PLANS! I was ready to get things going so they would continue to go down that path, but then I mentally blacked out and just wrote what felt right for characters and then the next thing I knew I had gone off the rails myself. So yeah, not quite the original plan, so any of my late game plans now need to be reworked, because now? Now we're going into new territory my friends. Why you ask? Just read the chapter, I ain't telling you nothing!
Anyways, with that out of the way, let's get on with reviews!
To Darklight of the 0 Arcana: Unfortunately that was the intended way for the paragraphs to go. "The Box" lessons are usually done as a after credits extra, and usually aren't as... off as they were last chapter. Sorry if that felt weird at the time.
To Luckenhaft: ...I can see that. That's a hilarious thought.
To Sulphur99: Unsure if I'll be including any of the Ashen Wolves in the main story. Still working out if I want to include the DLC in some capacity or not.
To everyone else who left a review, thank you so much! They really help my motivation, and in cases like this, got my writing up a fucking storm getting this chapter done, apparently. If you enjoyed the chapter and want to share your thoughts, please leave a review!
Alright, with all that out of the way, I hope you enjoy!
Ren sat down on his desk, sitting opposite Edelgard, who continued to stand. The two silently looked to the other, expressions calm, but calculating.
"I don't see why you need to apologize for anything, Edelgard." Ren said, voice calm. "You weren't the one who tried gutting me in the streets with a scythe."
"No, but it was my request that unwillingly led you into that trap." Edelgard replied.
"You're not wrong, well assuming that was why I actually left the café that night." Ren noted, earning a raised brow from Edelgard. "I was going to talk to a merchant friend of mine, or at least that was the plan."
There was an exchange between the two silently, both noting the statement for what it was.
'I didn't tell anyone about your possible involvement.'
"Why?"
"Just made sense to me." Ren said, shrugging. "Whatever happened to me, that wasn't your fault."
Ren sighed, fixing Edelgard a look. It was one of patience, and of asking. 'Will you prove me wrong?'
"...Can I ask you a question, Sensei? No, Ren?"
"That's… why I'm here." Ren said with a nod.
"What would you do, if you found yourself against the world itself? Would you resign yourself to the cycle or would you try to break free of it?"
Ren sucked in a breath, feeling a sudden pull in his core. It was faint, the bond was not strong enough, but it was a familiar sensation.
His bond, the Strength Arcana, pulled itself taught. It felt like a desperate clasping of hands and the thief knew at that moment that his answer, no matter what it was, would change everything.
Ren let his head lull for a moment before he began to laugh, it was a slightly bitter laugh. "Sorry, just… It feels weird being on the other side of the conversation."
"I'm sorry?" Edelgard asked, hesitantly raising an eyebrow.
"Edelgard… Can I trust you?" Ren asked Edelgard, the Imperial Princess hanging onto his every word.
"You have my trust. I swear it on my siblings." Edelgard said, the words heavy.
"...My answer remains as it always has." Ren said, looking Edelgard in the eyes. "Someone once asked me if I would be willing to perform all sacrilegious acts in the name of my justice. I told them I was, and even now still am. I refuse to turn my back on someone in need of help, and if it meant doing what I thought right, I would fight against fate itself to achieve my goal."
"That is my answer. But what about you?"
"...Ren, what do you know about Crests?"
"They're something the people of Fódlan have. They're passed through the blood and give boons or heighten attributes of the person who bears one." Ren said, crossing his arms. "I recall hearing that nobles are typically the ones who have them. It's a symbol of power, in both senses."
Edelgard nodded. "People believe Crests are blessings from the Goddess, that they are necessary to maintain order in Fódlan. But the people are wrong. Crests are to blame for this brutal, irrational world we live in."
Ren narrowed his eyes slightly. "I can't say you're wrong. From an outside perspective it just creates another divide between people. But what I don't understand is what it has to do with you."
Edelgard paused, before closing her eyes. "When we went to rescue Monica, you saw all of those strange cells, correct?"
"I did. You seemed to recognize them." Ren noted, earning a nod from Edelgard.
"People will do anything if it means securing their position in society. Crests are not completely hereditary. There is no telling if a child will bear a crest, and usually one that does will be placed above others without when it comes to noble matters." Edelgard explained. "Some nobles would adopt, others would sire many in hopes the Crest would pass on…"
"And a few will throw morality out in favor of the possible power." Edelgard said, glaring at the floor. "I am the result of such a thing."
"Those strange cells contained many of the same contraptions that were used in experiments that would endow one with a Crest." Edelgard said, hands clenched at her sides. "I… It was inhumane. And the failure rate is high. Many would go mad, others would just die due to the experiments… I wonder if those were the lucky ones sometimes."
Ren starred in muted horror at Edelgard. "You…" He said, the words hoarse in his throat, almost pleading in tone. "You mentioned you had siblings."
"I'm the ninth child of my father." Edelgard said, looking up to meet Ren's eyes. "There were eleven of us. And I alone am left in line for the throne now."
"...Edelgard…" Ren swallowed, sighing. "I wish I could say more than sorry. What you went through…"
"Don't." Edelgard said, stopping the thief in his tracks.
"I want to tear the Crest system down. If something like that allowed for what happened to me, then it can't be allowed to continue." Edelgard said.
"...That's a lot of enemies."
"Some would say the world would be against me."
"...I suppose so." Ren nodded. "But still, I need to ask. What do you plan to do?"
"...I don't know anymore." Edelgard said with a sigh. "At one time, I believed I would do anything to achieve this goal. It would be foolish to think it would result in bloodshed, I was prepared for that. At least, I thought I was. Recent events have… given me pause for thought."
"You're referring to what happened with Monica." Ren said, before narrowing his eyes as a distant thought crossed his mind. "A while back, you, Byleth and I were discussing what we might expect for this month's mission. The topic of where the nights were searching came up, specifically that they were searching in the north."
"...I remember that you said it was close to Count Rowe's territory." Ren said, watching Edelgard for any outward change. It was miniscule, but in that one moment, he could see the smallest twitch of her brow. "That was a very distinct choice to bring up. Especially when all you had to go off of was the fact it was north of us. Not how far north, just north."
"...Did you know she was there?" Ren asked finally, subconsciously holding his breath.
Edelgard swallowed and took in a deep breath. "I…" She winced, as if the word had stabbed her on its way out. "Yes. I knew she was there."
"...How long?"
"Only recently." Edelgard said, narrowing her eyes in a glare. "Believe me, if I was able to, I would have gotten her out."
"Then what was stopping you?" Ren asked. "How did you find out to begin with?"
"The people who kidnapped Monica were the same ones who kidnapped me." Edelgard said, before wincing. "I… What would I have been able to do?"
"...Edelgard, do you trust me?" Ren asked, earning a confused look from Edelgard. "Trust. It came up a lot during this conversation. And yet, here we are still skirting around things. Edelgard, I want you to understand me. I am on your side. I trust you. You are my student, and all I know right now is that you need help."
Ren sighed. "But I can't help if I don't know how."
"...I call them Those Who Slither in the Dark." Edelgard said, voice almost a whisper. "They… They showed me a possible way to achieve my goals… But we're not friends, I refuse to even call them allies… I hate them. I only found out about Monica because that woman taunted me with it roughly a month ago."
"And they're powerful enough you couldn't stop them without repercussions to whatever deal you have." Ren said, earning a nod from Edelgard. "...So, here you are then. The world as your enemy."
"Yes… I suppose I am." Edelgard said, looking down at the floor. "...What do I do, Sensei?"
Ren felt the bond between them, still taught and came to one conclusion. This was the turning point. Whatever happened now… That would change everything.
"...What if you didn't have to fight the world?" Ren said, earning a confused look from Edelgard.
"I'm sorry?"
"What if you didn't have to fight it, just make the world see things as they are?" Ren asked again, a steel in his eyes that reminded the princess of his stand against Kronya a few days ago. "Would you take that chance? A path where you could stop the people who hurt you and Monica? One where you could stop the Crest system from harming anyone else?"
"Edelgard… What if you could walk such a path… and not be bathed in needless bloodshed?"
"...That… It's impossible." Edelgard said, eyes narrowed.
Ren took in a breath. "You've done nothing but answer my questions, so let's answer one of yours." He said, standing up. "You called it impossible, Edelgard. Take my hand, and I will show you just that. The impossible."
The teen extended his right hand towards Edelgard. The imperial princess looked down at it and then looked up at the thief.
"How?"
"I trust you, Edelgard. But I need to know if you trust me. Do you?" Ren asked, getting a nod from the princess. "Then take my hand."
Edelgard reached her own hand out for a moment before hesitating. She took a breath, and then clasped her hand with his.
"...Thank you, for trusting me with this." Ren said. "Now then… Let's make good on my promise."
Ren slipped his left hand into his pocket and pulled out his phone, earning a confused look from Edelgard at the sight of the device.
"A mirror…?" Edelgard asked, eyes locked onto the reflection of the black screen.
"Well, I suppose in a roundabout way it can be." Ren said with a chuckle before turning it on, the display quickly causing Edelgard's eyes to widen. The thief tapped the Metanav icon and opened the app. "Mementos."
[Results Found]
"What- Who was that!?" Edelgard asked, turning her head around in search of the disembodied voice.
"Edelgard." Ren said, grabbing her attention once more. "Trust me."
And then he pressed the navigate button.
[Beginning Navigation]
The world shifted, almost rippling as the two slipped into the metaverse. Edelgard blinked, glancing around confused. "Navigation? What does that mean?"
"I forget how miniscule the sensation is." Ren noted, putting his phone away. "You'll pick it up once you've done it a few times. For now though, follow me."
"Hold on." Edelgard said, pulling her hand out of Ren's. "What did you just do?"
"The impossible." Ren said with a smile, walking towards the doors to the classroom. "Come on, there's somewhere we need to go."
"Wait, Sensei!"
"I don't understand it." Edelgard said, earning a raised eyebrow from Ren. "Where is everyone?"
The thief hummed, glancing ahead at the empty street they were walking down on their way to the dorms. "It was rather busy earlier wasn't it?" Ren noted, smiling lightly as they rounded a corner. "Here."
"This is the dorm-" Edelgard stopped, eyes locking onto the stairway down that had not been there an hour ago. "By the goddess, what-?"
"Edelgard." Ren said, taking a step towards the stairs. "This right here is the point of no return. If you wish, we can leave and this will merely be a strange mystery. Or you can come with me down these stairs where I'll explain everything."
Ren stopped just at the edge of the staircase and turned to look at Edelgard. "The choice is yours."
Edelgard looked at Ren's face, before taking a step towards him. "Show me."
Ren smirked. "Watch your step." He said, walking down the stairs, Edelgard walking close behind. "Back with Monica, she mentioned that she recognized me."
"You said it was the first time you met." Edelgard noted. "That you didn't know what she was talking about."
"I did. And I wasn't telling the whole truth there." Ren said, glancing at Edelgard. "Until that moment, I had indeed not been face to face with her, but I had talked and interacted with her."
"You're talking in circles."
"To explain, what do you know about a concept called cognition?" Ren asked, earning a thoughtful humm from the princess.
"It sounds familiar." Edelgard said.
"Cognition is how we understand the world. It's our internal view of something." Ren explained. "Everyone has a different idea of what the world looks like, their own cognition."
(Play Mementos - Persona 5)
Slowly, music began to become audible as the two neared the bottom. Edelgard looked around, but could not find a source for the sudden music.
"So, what would happen if it could be materialized? Could you interact with it? Could you change it?" Ren continued, finally arriving at the last step. Edelgard stepped past him, eyes widening as she looked around the landing of Mementos. "This. This happens. Welcome to the Metaverse, Edelgard. Or more specifically, Mementos."
"I… Don't understand." Edelgard said, turning to look at Ren. "And… why aren't you going any further?"
"You wanted to ask about the mask, right?" Ren asked, holding up a hand as if to stop a sudden interruption to a lecture. "It'll be easier to show first then explain."
Ren took the final step and crossed into the threshold, his form igniting with azure flames as his form shifted, the embers peeling away to reveal his thieves garb beneath.
Edelgards's eyes locked onto the mask on his face. "That mask…"
"I'm what's known as a Persona user." Joker said. "When someone with the potential awakens to a Persona, this happens. It's their rebel spirit made manifest; the image of what rebellion looks like in their heart. The mask is representative of the mask we put on to face society at large."
"...Perhaps I should start from the beginning." Joker noted, earning a nod from Edelgard. "First. The Metaverse. It's a plane of existence that coexists alongside reality. The Metaverse is human cognition made tangible."
"When this happens, it usually comes in the form of a Shadow. The shadow is the true self, it's every part of yourself you don't want to acknowledge. It's usually malevolent in nature since it's, again, everything you don't want to acknowledge." Joker said.
"Then we have Mementos." Joker continued. "This is where we are. If the Metaverse makes cognition tangible in the form of Shadows, then where does it keep everyone? Mementos is that place. It's the collective unconscious of humanity."
"Are you following so far?" Joker asked.
"I believe so… It would explain a lot." Edelgard noted.
"Oh? What have you figured out then?"
"For one, your clothes. They appeared in a flash of azure flames. Flames that match the rough appearance of the fire that alerted everyone to your apparent assassination." Edelgard said.
"It's similar, but not quite the same. I can't summon my Persona in reality. The most I can do is use its magic in reality, but even then it's not as strong as it is here." Joker noted. "The clothes are something formed when I'm in the Metaverse, so it's not possible to summon it in reality."
"You keep talking about a Persona. What is that, exactly?" Edelgard asked.
"Personas are a manifestation of our personality. It's the mask we wear to face hardship." Joker said, raising a hand up to touch the mask on his face. "Admittedly, it's not dissimilar to a Shadow, but they aren't quite the same thing."
"But to answer the unspoken question, I tried to… force my Persona into reality. It was a last resort and if anything had gone further wrong, I'd be dead." Joker noted. "Not something I want to try again. That was the result of the blue fire that night."
"I see." Edelgard nodded, turning to look around her. "It was here, wasn't it? Where you learned to fight."
"It was." Joker nodded.
"...You found Monica here."
"I did." Joker said with a nod. "Whatever they were doing to her while she was kidnapped… it bridged a gap between reality and the Metaverse. I was looking for answers as to her whereabouts within the Metaverse when I found her Shadow. At times she seemed to swap places, at least within the Metaverse. I don't know if her Shadow was aware in reality when that happened."
"But it explains why she saw you and recognized the mask." Edelgard said with a nod. "She always did have a photographic memory."
"...Did she? Huh." Joker paused. "I don't know how she made my mask manifest in reality, but it probably had something to do with those experiments they were doing."
"So, what happens now?" Edelgard asked, looking up at Joker.
"Now that is an excellent question." Joker said. "You want to change the world. Stop a system that's corrupted everything it's touched. Stop a group that has and likely will continue to hurt those who don't deserve such a fate. I have a solution."
"And what is it you want, Sensei?" Edelgard asked. "You've explained some of the how, but not why. What is it you're after?"
"I want what I always have. To give courage to those without. To show that they don't need to be left to suffer for the actions of those who push them down." Joker said, his coat tails billowing lightly behind him. "I want a world where everyone can decide for themselves what they want to be. I want a world without people abusing others."
'I want to go home.' Joker thought, eyes narrowing at Edelgard.
Edelgard closed her eyes. "...Do you really think this can be done? A war without bloodshed?"
"Whoever said this was a war?" Joker asked, causing Edelgard's eyes to flick open towards him. "Edelgard, what I'm proposing isn't war. You want proof that what I'm saying can be done? That the hearts and minds of people can be changed to see what's actually real? I've already done so. You've seen it yourself."
Edelgard narrowed her eyes in thought. "I've already…" The princess gasped lightly, eyes widening in shock. "You mean… Vangaur?"
"They say he suddenly confessed. That he was different. Don't they?" Joker asked, smirking. "I'm not proposing a war. I'm proposing a heist. You want the world to change? Then we'll change it. We'll steal the world."
Joker pulled out his phone and paused, looking up at Edelgard. "Before you make a choice, there's something I think you'll want to see."
"What would that be?"
"The place I found Monica's Shadow.
(Play Welcome to the Jail - P5 Strikers)
Reality warped around them as the Metanav warped them to the front of the Jail. The building was still standing, but it was in shambles, the walls were missing large pieces, wood splintered from the watchtowers, and the ground was covered in scratches and small holes that had been scraped away.
Edelgard stumbled from the suddenness of the trip, regaining her footing rather quickly as she looked around. "This is…"
"The fort, yeah. That said, it wasn't this dilapidated when I was last here…" Joker noted, looking up. "It looks minutes away from collapsing, but it's still here."
"Now what?" Edelgard asked, looking at Joker.
"Now we find Monica's Shadow. Only problem is that before she was in a jail cell, which meant her Shadow didn't move." Joker said, shaking his head. "But now, after the mission, she could theoretically be anywhere."
"True. I am free now, after all."
Joker turned on a dime to the right, catching sight of Monica's Shadow, sitting against the outer wall of the fort. "I'm free now, aren't I? Why would I ever want to be in there?"
"That… Is that Monica?" Edelgard asked, looking at the Shadow in surprise.
"It's her Shadow." Joker said, nodding to said Shadow. "Not quite the Monica you know, but she's just as much Monica as the one in Reality is."
"I see…" Edelgard said, nodding slowly.
Joker smiled lightly. "You are free. Right now Monica is in the Monastery infirmary. I'd tell you how your other half is doing, but we both know you're aware enough already."
"I… suppose I am." Monica's Shadow sighed. "I… I'm glad we decided to believe when all hope was lost. Thank you."
"I just wish I could've done more sooner." Joker said, glancing over at Edelgard. "I think that's a sentiment a lot of us share."
"I'm sorry I wasn't able to do more, Monica." Edelgard said, looking at the Shadow.
"Lady Edelgard… You did more than I thought you would." Monica's Shadow said with a smile. "I knew she was lying…"
"She?" Joker asked, narrowing his eyes.
"She said you… you knew from the beginning…" Monica's Shadow said, head tilting down to the ground. "I… I couldn't believe it. I wouldn't."
Edelgard narrowed her eyes. "Damn you, Kronya…"
"You… know her name?"
"I told her, once the mission was over." Joker said. "Anything that woman told you, I wouldn't believe it for a second."
Joker sighed, looking up at the sky. "...I don't understand why this place hasn't collapsed yet. There was no Treasure, no desire to be stolen. If there was, it would be freedom or something like that. But… you have it now."
"Sensei?" Edelgard asked, raising an eyebrow at the thief.
"...It takes time for the mind to come to terms with that." Monica's Shadow said, before she winced. "Even then, we won't ever be quite the same after all this."
"Yeah, I imagine that would be the case…" Joker said with a sigh. "You think you just need time then?"
"I don't know what we need." The Shadow said. "But if you're there, it will be easier."
"I will." Joker said with a nod.
"Aw, how touching!"
Joker swerved to the side, grabbing Edelgard by the arm as he pulled her away from where she was standing. As he pulled, his eyes locked onto the familiar blade that stabbed through the now open air in a downward thrust that finished with the tip of the blade burrowing an inch into the stone.
"Stay back!" Joker shouted over his shoulder at Edelgard as he pulled out Paradise Lost and aimed it at the cognition that had just arrived.
"Well, look who it is! I was wondering where you ran off to." Joker narrowed his eyes at the cognition, watching as Kronya pulled herself to a stand. "And here you are! Itching that much for Round 2?"
"K-Kronya!? How is she here!?" Edelgard asked, eyes locked onto the cognition.
"She isn't. This is just a manifestation of what Monica thinks of Kronya. It's a Cognition." Joker said with a huff. "A rather annoying one at that."
"Flattery will get you nowhere, Sensei!" The Cognition said, earning a glare from the thief. "What? Surprised? And after our last fight ended in a draw I thought we had something?"
"A draw huh? So much for being invincible, huh?" Joker taunted, filing the Information away in his brain as he did so.
Monica's Shadow ran behind the thief. "Be careful! She's dangerous!"
"Don't need to tell me twice…" Joker muttered under his breath. "Edelgard, Monica, keep your distance!"
"What? Are you insane?" Edelgard asked.
"This is a Cognition, Edelgard. That means whatever Monica believes to be true about her IS true here." Joker said, narrowing his eyes. "Last time I fought her here she was literally undefeatable."
"Then this is just suicide!" Edelgard shouted, motioning to the Cognition.
"To most, yeah." Joker said with a smirk before looking up at the Cognition. "But didn't you hear her? We tied."
"Which means that Monica's cognition has changed, and you… you're no longer invincible." Joker said, eyes narrowing at the growing smile on Kronya's face.
"Ooh, pretty sure of yourself there! Care to back it up?"
"Gladly." Joker said, before adjusting his stance slightly.
(Play Keeper of Lust - Persona 5)
"Edelgard, you wanted to see what I could do, yeah?" Joker asked aloud, pulling out Daredevil with his other hand. "Well, I'll try not to disappoint!"
The two combatants charged as the music kicked off, closing the distance in an instant as steel clashed against steel. Joker batted the fist swing to the side, moving with the momentum to swing his left heel at Kronya.
The attack smashed against Kronya's arm, who had raised it at the last second to absorb some of the damage. Joker pressed on as his foot made contact, opening up the Cognition's guard as he raised Daredevil at her.
Kronya leaped backwards, swinging her sword through the air to deflect the three shots Joker had fired at her.
"Is that the best you got!?" Kronya asked with a grin, landing in a crouch before darting ahead with enough force to seemingly crack the stone beneath her.
Joker let Daredevil disappear as he reached up for his mask and ripped it free. "Persona!"
Arsene manifested in front of the thief, blocking Kronya's attack with one of his own. "Cleave!"
"What is that…?" Edelgard asked, eyes locked onto Arsene in awe.
"I am the pillager of twilight, Arsene!" Arsene announced, forcing Kronya back a few steps.
"My Persona." Joker said, not once taking his eyes off Kronya. "Ravage them!"
"Eiga!" Arsene roared as a surge of curse magic formed in his claws. The Persona slammed his hand onto the ground, sending the energy rippling towards Kronya.
Her eyes widened as she tried to jump back, but her efforts were just not quite fast enough as the curse magic exploded outwards in a large area.
"Right, this is a Jail, our magic is going to have a lot more range." Joker noted, getting a nod from Arsene in agreement. "How are you feeling?"
"I am feeling more like myself than I ever have since coming to Fódlan." Arsene noted with a nod. "Let's do this, Trickster!"
"Gladly." Joker said, snapping his fingers. "Dream Needle!"
Arsene charged, making a few rapid strikes at Kronya, forcing the cognition on the backfoot. None of the attacks hit, but that was the intent.
As Kronya swung her sword at Arsene, attempting to cleave through the sudden opening the Persona left open, Joker charged.
Arsene vanished, leaving Kronya's strike without a target. The Cognition had a moment to realize what had happened before Joker managed one clean cut down her front, sending her flying back a few feet with the force of his attack.
"Gah!"
"Well, would you look at that…" Joker said with a smirk, standing upright. "First blood."
Kronya pulled herself to a stand and looked down. There was a clean cut along her front, running from just under her collarbone to the right side of her waist.
"I guess that means this is doable." Joker muttered, falling back into his stance.
"Well… That was a dirty move." The cognition said with a grin. "Then I suppose it's time we get serious!"
Joker narrowed his eyes and shifted his weight as Kronya bridged the gap between the two of them in a matter of seconds, forcing him to duck to the side to avoid the incoming thrust. The thief pivoted on his foot, swinging Paradise Lost out in front of him, catching Kronya's blade with his own.
"Not good enough~!" Kronya said, batting his sword aside with a surprising amount of strength as she stepped into his open guard. She pulled her sword back and swung, the steel digging into his front much in the same way his attack did to her.
Joker grit his teeth, kicking back to attempt to make some distance. The thief reached up and placed a glove on his chest. "Damn…" He muttered, pulling his hand away to see his blood dripping From his hand. "And I don't have anyone with healing…"
"All caught up?" Kronya asked as Joker took in another breath. "Good!"
Joker let out a roar as the two clashed once more, their blades making equal cuts across the other's body. The thief slipped to the side, avoiding a stab as he pulled his fist back and slammed his knuckles into Kronya's face.
The Cognition stumbled back, clearly disoriented from the sudden punch. Joker raised a hand up and ripped his mask off, summoning Arsene once more to his side. "Arsene!"
"As one!" Arsene called out as the two surged forward, kicking out at Kronya at the same time, forcing spittle out of the Cognition's mouth.
Joker pointed at Kronya with a snap of his fingers. "Eiga!"
An explosion of curse energy erupted in front of him, blinding him suddenly. In that moment of surprise he heard the Cognition laugh before something slammed into him hard as Kronya kicked her foot into the thief's stomach, launching him backwards a few feet onto his back.
(Play Tension - Persona 5)
"Sensei!" Edelgard shouted, taking a step toward the fight.
"Ooh, you wanna swap places with him? By all means! Please, I've always wanted to put you down." Kronya said, turning to look at Edelgard.
"Edelgard… stay back!" Joker shouted. The thief pushed against the floor but collapsed as his legs gave out under him. "Shit!"
"I can't just stand aside and watch this!" Edelgard shouted.
"You can't? Empty promises. Besides, didn't you do just that with Monica?"
Edelgard froze. Her eyes locked onto the Cognition in shock. "...What?"
"Oh, she may not believe it, not fully, but a part of her holds doubt. That what I'm saying wasn't a lie. That you've known from the start!" The Cognition said with a laugh. "And if that was the case, why didn't you save her? What took you so long? Were you responsible for keeping her there?"
"I wasn't! You don't know a damned thing!" Edelgard shouted, glaring at Kronya.
"Please, princess. Did you know you were the second person she thought would come save her? Her hopes died rather quickly when I told her you were a part of all this." Kronya said with a smile. "Oh, that was a good day. The old guy made a LOT of progress that day. Not that I cared. You vermin deserve such a fate."
In a split second, Kronya moved, rushing towards Edelgard with her sword primed to attack. Edelgard's eyes widened as she pulled her knife out, barely using the blade to deflect the attack.
The force of the attack rippled along the clashing metal, ripping Edelgard's knife out of her grasp as it was sent flying out of reach. In that same moment, Kronya dropped into a crouch and swung her leg out, sweeping Edelgard off the ground.
Edelgard crashed onto the floor, letting out an involuntary cry of pain as she did. As she tried to push herself to a stand, a foot pressed into her back, pushing her flat against the ground.
"And here we are. Vermin, squirming on the ground beneath me." Kronya said. "It's what you deserve, after-"
The pressure suddenly lifted off of Edelgard's back. The princess turned her head to look up and caught sight of Joker mid dropkick, his feet pressed firmly into Kronya's stomach.
The two toppled over, bouncing off the ground as they landed. The two rolled to a stop a few feet away from the other, allowing Edelgard to get to her feet without distraction.
"Note to self… Don't try that again." Joker said with a wince as he rolled onto his front.
"You're a tough bug to put down, aren't you?" Kronya noted, standing up.
"Believe me." Joker said, pushing himself into a crouch. "I've fought through worse."
"You can't take much more of this! Ren!" Edelgard shouted, looking at the thief's wounds in concern.
"It doesn't matter if I can! If I fail you're in danger. I will not, and cannot sit idly by if that means one of my friends gets hurt!" Joker shouted, shakily standing up.
"Ooh, and there's the bravado!" Kronya said with glee. "Killing you is going to be the hardest thing I ever enjoy!"
"Damn it! I refuse to just stand here…" Edelgard whispered to herself, watching the two go back into their combat stances.
"Edelgard."
Edelgard turned around, facing Monica. "Monica?"
"I wanted to believe it." Monica's Shadow said, shaking her head. "That you were responsible in some way. It… It was the only reason I could think of as to why you didn't help me…"
"Monica, I…" Edelgard glared at the floor. "I'm sorry."
"Why?" The Shadow asked. "Edelgard, you DID help me."
"What?" Edelgard looked up at Monica.
"You saved me. Saved both of me. I don't care if you somehow did know. What I care about is that you did something." She said, smiling faintly at Edelgard as her eyes shifted from yellow to her natural red. "Lady Edelgard… Thank you. I knew you could do it."
Edelgard's eyes widened as Monica's body vanished in a flash of light, dispersing in a rush of motes of light.
The ground shook, forcing Joker and Kronya's fight to halt. "This… The Jail's collapsing?" Joker said before he ducked to the side as Kronya kept attacking. "And yet you're still here!?"
"Can't get rid of me that easily! We aren't done yet!" Kronya shouted.
Edelgard felt the world go silent as she turned to look at Joker fight the cognition. The words echoed in her head, spoken by both sides of her.
"Thank you."
"...I don't deserve it." Edelgard said, clenching her fists. "But I swear to you… One day I will be!"
"So, is this the path you choose to follow?"
(Play Awakening - Persona 5)
As the voice spoke in her head, a searing pain ripped through Edelgard's head. It was a stabbing pain, and then a cold pain, and then it felt like her head was too full as pressure built up behind her eyes. The imperial princess almost buckled under the pressure, but remained standing as a scream of agony ripped through her throat.
Joker stopped, turning to look at Edelgard. His eyes widened in recognition, and despite the circumstances being what they were, a grin formed on his face.
"Your hands are soaked in crimson, and yet you choose to move forward. You have made sacrifices in order to achieve your dreams… Do you regret those choices?"
"N-no! I am who I choose to be, and the past is just as much a part of that!"
"Hey, hey, hey! What's going on here!?" Kronya shouted, only to be pushed back by Joker. "Huh-!?"
"In case you forgot, WE aren't done!" Joker parroted back as he swung at the Cognition.
"This path before you is unlike any other. If the world turns on you as a result, then let us find the comrades who will stand by us to the end." The voice echoed, sending another jolt of pain through Edelgard's head. "You, who have forsaken everything to do what you believe is right… Do you truly believe that this path he proposes exists?"
Edelgard grit her teeth, but her words came out clear. "YES!"
"I see we have come to the same conclusion then. In that case, allow me to lend you my blade, so we may lend him our trust."
Edelgard let out one more scream as a blaze of azure erupted over her eyes. The fires solidified into weighted steel over her eyes as a red mask layered with black trim formed on her face. It looked almost like a bird taking flight, with two wings stretching out horizontally whilst two segments dropped down past her cheekbones, looking almost like talons in their shape.
Edelgard's eyes snapped open as she looked up at the sky, her eyes obscured by the slitted visor that wouldn't look out of place on a Knight's helmet.
"Here me now. I am Thou, Thou art I." The voice proclaimed as Edelgard reached up to her mask and gripped the sharp edge. "You who wish to avoid a dark future, call me forth to your aid, so that we may bring forth a new dawn of our own creation!"
Edelgard let loose one last scream as she ripped the mask free from her face, the pain washing away as she felt the skin rip away and with it, the mask. A surge of power burst forth, threatening to ripple outwards but Edelgard held it down. The imperial princess looked up, a pair of golden eyes locking onto Joker.
Joker pushed Kronya back once more and took a step back, looking over at Edelgard before nodding once.
And at that, she let go.
(Play Will Power - Persona 5)
Azure covered Edelgard's vision as she was engulfed in flames. As the flames danced across her form she felt a hand reassuringly land on her shoulder. Edelgard nodded and took a step forward as the figure behind her swung outwards with her sword, snuffing the flames out.
Joker stumbled towards her and glanced at the Persona behind Edelgard. Long blue hair dropped halfway down her back, slightly covering up the blue armor she wore. She held a strange yet regal looking sword in her right hand, poised to strike at Edelgard's command. The Persona turned and looked back at Joker, grabbing his attention for a moment as he eyed the symbol marked over her left eye.
"Sensei… this power…" Edelgard began, looking at her teacher. "We can really do this, can't we?"
"We can." Joker said with a nod, looking down to take in the sight of Edelgard's spirit of rebellion made manifest.
She was dressed in black leather armor, with splashes of red highlighting the metal additions to her outfit. Her hair had been tied up slightly, so it only fell to her shoulders instead of her middle back. The final standout piece of her outfit was a slightly tattered red scarf that dropped down her back. She looked like a black knight, but the design didn't look like it'd make any loud noise to move around in.
Joker smirked as he looked back up at Edelgard. "Congratulations. I wasn't sure if you had the potential at first, but I'm glad to be proven wrong."
"Perhaps we're better off focusing on the problem at hand, Sensei?" Edelgard asked, walking past him to look at Kronya.
"I'm being very nice right now, letting you have this little moment here, but can we get back to the killing you part?" The Cognition asked with a sneer.
"Edelgard, this place is going to come down around us soon. That includes her. I don't know if the two of us will be enough to put her down, but I do know that we can buy enough time for the Jail to do it for us." Joker said, walking up next to her. "You only just awakened your Persona, you don't have as much energy as you otherwise would. Be careful."
"Understood." Edelgard said with a nod.
"In that case… Let's see what you can do!" Joker said, pulling Daredevil out.
"Gladly." Edelgard said, holding a hand out in front of her as a single edged war axe materialized in her outstretched hand.
"Finally! Now die!" Kronya shouted, charging at the two.
"I refuse!" Edelgard shouted, throwing her arm out in front of her. "Lucina!"
"Kouha!" Lucina shouted, swinging her sword. Light glowed from the blade as it swung, before leaving the blade as a wave of energy that slammed against Kronya, knocking her back.
"Gah!" The Cognition cried out, momentum stopping in place as the attack dug into her.
"Not a huge fan of that, huh?" Joker noted with a smirk, rushing ahead. "Edelgard, to me!"
The two ran up to Kronya, Joker taking the lead as he leveled two slashes at Kronya, both connecting before he jumped up into the air, avoiding a retaliating swing from Kronya as he twisted into a spin. Edelgard followed up with a quick and heavy slam from her axe, slamming the blade first into Kronya's gut before pulling it back to deliver an upwards swing that clipped the Cognition's chin.
Kronya went airborne, getting about one second of airtime before Joker grabbed her with his grapple hook, dragging her back down to deliver another kick to her stomach.
Kronya righted herself in the air and landed in a crouch, anger clear on her face. Edelgard narrowed her eyes as she looked at the cognition. "We've been hitting her, but she's not injured?"
"Things can take a few killing blows here and keep fighting. Cosmetically they're unharmed, but trust me." Joker began, motioning to the way the cognition was breathing heavily. "She's feeling it right now."
"Let's finish this then." Edelgard said, her mask reforming over her face.
"You have a ranged weapon there?" Joker asked, looking to Edelgard.
In response Edelgard dismissed her war axe and pulled two throwing axes out from behind her back. "Will this suffice?"
"...Well, I suppose we'll find out." Joker noted with a raised eyebrow. He turned to Kronya and smirked. "Let's finish this then. When I give the signal, follow my lead!"
Joker ran ahead, aiming Daredevil at Kronya. "Time to knock you down!" The Japanese slipped out of his mouth as he moved, firing multiple shots in rapid succession, forcing Kronya to her knees. "Now!"
Joker leveled Daredevil at Kronya while Edelgard held her throwing axes out at her sides. "Sorry, but we don't have time to play around with you." Joker said, nodding at Edelgard as he rushed towards the stunned Kronya. "With me!"
"On your mark!"
The two dashed in, weapons slicing and slashing through Kronya's open defenses. As the All Out Attack came to a close Joker kicked off Kronya's face and landed into a crouch, adjusting his gloves with a grin. "Shows Over!"
Another rumble surged through the Jail, causing some of the nearby structures to collapse. The two Persona users turned to look at Kronya, watching as the cognition faded in a flurry of black mist. "Was that us?" Edelgard asked, out of breath.
"Don't know for sure, and we don't have time to worry about that." Joker said, walking over to Edelgard as he pulled an object out of his pocket. "Grab onto my shoulder, we're leaving."
"Right." Edelgard nodded, grabbing it without a second of hesitation.
Joker activated the Goho-M, teleporting the two out of the Jail as the last of it crumbled and disappeared.
(Play Mementos - Persona 5)
[The Destination Has Been Deleted]
Joker smiled as he put his phone away. "I think Monica is through the worst of it now… All we need to do is help her from any possible relapse."
"That's good to hear." Edelgard said, leaning against a nearby wall for support.
"Awakening a Persona usually takes a lot out of you." Joker noted, looking at Edelgard. "You alright?"
"I'm fine." She said, pushing off the wall to stand up. She winced slightly, pressing a hand to her head. "But my head is killing me."
"You'll feel better in the morning." Joker said, looking over at Edelgard.
"I see…" Edelgard nodded, before she walked over to Joker. "Sensei, I… Thank you, for trusting me with this."
"In exchange… I need you to keep one more secret. My secret." Edelgard said, earning a confused nod from the thief. "When those who Slither experimented on me, they didn't just give me a crest. When I realized what happened I did it as best I could. No one but me knows about this, except for you now."
Edelgard took out a small device and placed it over her palm. She turned the dial shifting the runes into a new order as the device turned on, projecting a crest into the air.
Joker's eyes widened in recognition as he looked down at Edelgard. "Edelgard… That's…"
"I bear the Crest of Flames. Two crests in one body…" Edelgard said.
"...How long do you have?"
"What? How…?"
Joker sighed. "Lysithea… She was the same. The knowledge she only had so long to live forced her into a lifestyle that would have killed her before her Crests would've."
"...You said she was. What do you mean by that?"
Joker took the device from Edelgard's palm and placed it on his. He looked up and watched as the array that his Crest seemed to be becoming projected in front of the two of them. The Crest of Flames, displayed so much larger with the V in front of it, and orbiting it was the Crest he had taken from Lysithea.
"I don't know what kind of Crest I have, but while I was in the Metaverse I could steal another person's Crest." Joker said, locking eyes with Edelgard.
"...You saved her."
"I did." Joker said. "And if you're dying… I can help you too."
"...No. This… This is my burden. When all is said and done, then it can be destroyed. But not until I'm certain the world has changed." Edelgard said, shaking her head.
"I understand." Joker said with a nod, handing the device back to Edelgard. "Thank you, for trusting me."
"...No, thank you for showing me another option." Edelgard said with a relieved smile.
Time slowed to a crawl as chains rattled in the distance, the bond that had been pulled taut relaxed, stronger now than it was before.
{Rank Up!}
[The Strength Arcana has increased to Rank 2!]
[You will now earn a Stat increase in a randomly chosen stat from Arcana Boost when fusing a Persona of the Strength Arcana!]
Time Resumed to its natural flow as Joker smiled at Edelgard. "Glad I could help."
"So, now where do we go from here?" Edelgard asked.
"From here? To bed. Personally, I think that's enough for tonight. Let's head back and get some sleep."
"What? I have questions-"
"That I am more than willing to answer tomorrow." Joker said, nodding at Edelgard. "After I'm done teaching, come to Leblanc Nouveau. Whatever comes next isn't a decision I can make alone, that's the rule."
"The rule?"
"We need to be unanimous on a decision. It's how we keep each other responsible." Joker said. "Meet me at Leblanc. When you're there, I'll explain everything."
"...Alright. I trust you, Sensei."
"Good. Now, let's get out of here. We've been here long enough." Joker said, pulling his phone out.
[Beginning Navigation]
(Stop Music)
Ren sighed as the doors to Leblanc closed behind him. "Holy shit…"
"Oh, you're back!" Morgana said, walking over to him. "How did things go? You were out for a while and… Ren, is that blood? Why is there blood on you?"
"...It's a long story, and one that we both unfortunately need to sit through." Ren said, sitting down by the counter. "...Morgana… This just got so much more complicated."