Welp here it is the last part of the prologue. This chapter mainly focuses on Ren trying to cope his grief and carves his own path to live. Also just to let you guys know that I'll be uploading chapters every 1-2 weeks from now on (yes I'm aware that I uploaded this on 3rd week since last chapter but that is because I wasn't in a good mood last week so I had to delay it. Sorry for not telling.) as I need some time to generate ideas while creating good storyline. I hope you guys enjoy the last part of the prologue. Leave down the comments if there is anything I could improve.
And just to let you guys know this is an extremely long chapter. Much longer than part 5. But not that it matters since you guys already seen the previous chapter's length. Also this chapter contains major spoilers from persona 5 royal and persona 3 fes. Enjoy the fanfic!
1st of October 20XX (Sunday)
(At the funeral)
Few weeks have gone by ever since the incident. The death of Gorou Amamiya have been spread all over the news. As a result, many doctors, nurses and colleagues have gathered in the funeral to pay respects for Gorou. Ren is also included as he's the only family member that Gorou had. Before Gorou takes Ren in, he used to live in grandparents' residence and grew up there. But after he grows into adult, his grandparents passed away as they reach the end stage of their life. Which leaves Gorou lived on his own. Fortunately, he does have his siblings as they remained in good terms with him. His siblings visits him from time to time as they still treated him like a family to them. However, due to unexpected events, they also passed away as well. It really hurts for Gorou to see the family members died left and right.
That is until he met Ren. Ren is the only surviving family member that Gorou's siblings left behind. That's where Gorou was determined to look out for Ren in their place. He takes Ren in and treats him like his own son. Of course, Ren was happy when he took him in. Both became family for a long period of time and they were very happy.
But now...
Things have changed for the worst as Ren witnessed the death of his uncle. No. Not just his uncle but a father to him. It pains him to see how Gorou died alongside with his parents. His death has caused a huge impact on Ren. It like something is ripped out from his heart. A piece that got him going. A piece that turns him on who he is right now. Without that piece, he became somewhat depressed completely devoid any emotion surrounds him. It kinda reminds him the death of his parents. They died in the exact same funeral like Gorou did. When Ren thought about this, it hurts him even more.
As the funeral finish paying respects, everyone starts to leave. Everyone except Joyce, Ren and Morgana. Ren stands in front of the coffin which shows the picture of Gorou in front of him.
Ren: "..."Ren bites his lip when he sees him. Joyce became worried for Ren as he's still staring at the picture of Gorou. She tries to reach out to him.
Joyce: "Come on, Ren. It's time to go." she said but Ren still doesn't move an inch. It like he's just standing there like a statue staring at Gorou's picture in front of him. Joyce starts to approach him as she places her hand on his shoulder.
Joyce: "Ren... I know that you missed him so much and I do too. But staring at his picture won't bring him back." Ren says nothing as he keeps staring at the picture. Then he spoke.
Ren: "Can you give me some space to be alone please? I need some time to be here." he said.
Joyce: "Sure. But don't go stay too long, okay? You need to go back home to get some rest. I'll tell the others at the hospital that you need some vacation."
Ren: "Alright. Thanks, Joyce-san." he thanked Joyce.
Joyce: "Anytime. I'll be get going now." she said as she leaves the funeral leaving Ren and Morgana alone together.
Ren: "You can go home first, Morgana. I need some time to be here alone." he said but Morgana denies.
Morgana: "No way. Not until you come along. If you want to stay here. That's fine by me. I'll be standing outside waiting for you to finish."
Ren: "..." Ren said nothing by Morgana's response.
Morgana: "Hook me up once you done. I'll wait at the entrance." he said as Morgana walk towards the entrance. Which leaves Ren alone watching the picture of Gorou in front of him.
(Living with Determination plays)
Ren keeps staring at the picture thinking about what he is going to say. He replies.
Ren: "Hey, dad." Ren starts scratching his head.
Ren: "I uhh... I finally did it. I managed to help Ai to go through childbirth. And guess what? She finally succeeded as she gave birth to twins." Ren chuckled by his own words.
Ren: "Heh. Can't you believe it? All she needs was some encouragement in order to gave birth to them. Who would have thought that my support brought a miracle to her?"
Ren: "And on top of all that, she remains alive and well. Even though she's still young, she is a lot stronger than you may think. Strong enough to rebel anything just to ensure that the children delivered safely. And I admire her for that."
Ren: "You should have seen her face just how much that she wants to cry from all of the trouble that she went through. Even myself would have done the similar thing." Ren's smile turns frown immediately when he look down.
Ren: "But now..."
Ren: "You're gone. Away from this world. Only to get yourself murdered."
Ren starts walking towards the table while he clenches his hand into a fist. He slams his fist on the table. Ren grits his teeth as he wants to vet his anger.
Ren: "All those years, I swore to myself that I would help people to ensure they don't fall into the wrong path. Not only I want to help people to become better for themselves, but I also make sure that they don't ended up the similar way like I did just like in probation!"
Ren: "And yet! I failed!" he slams the desk again as the tears starts to trim down his face.
Ren: "*SOB* I failed to protect you!! Had I known what was going on earlier, none of this would have happened! And yet I did!!!" he shouted.
The tears flow even more as his legs start to gave up. The tears of sadness has started to overflow all over his face. He couldn't bear the burden of his loss as it is far too much for him to handle.
Ren: "How? How on earth could this happened to me? I thought I was already strong enough to protect everyone just so there won't be any innocent people to die!"
Ren: "And yet I let that happened. All because of my lack of self awareness!"
Ren: "At this point, I'm not sure if I want to keep going like this. It's like I lost a purpose within myself" he look at the picture of Gorou while still having tears on his face.
Ren: "Dad... tell me what should i do now? I'm so lost. I don't even know what to do anymore."
(Living with Determination ends)
Suddenly a woman voice comes in.
???: "Is that what you really think? Grieving yourself for the loss of your family? You should know better by now." Ren heard her voice as he turns around to see a silver-haired woman whose age at mid 20s. She wears a black formal outfit while also carrying a black handbag.
Ren: "That voice. Is that you, Sae-san?" Sae smiles by his response.
Sae: "It been a while, Ren. I never thought that I would able to see you again."
Ren: "How on earth did you get here? And how did you know where I am?"
Sae: "I been looking through your database and your profile, so it easy enough to know where you live."
Sae: "As for how I got here, ever since I quit my job as a prosecutor, I been hired to work at the place where the court misjudged you for probation. And Inaba is the place that I'm currently working with."
Ren: "Well that explains it. So what brings you here, Sae? Are you here to pay respects for my uncle too?" he said as he stands up.
Sae: "That and I also wanting to see you too. I heard the news about the death of your uncle and I'm truly sorry to hear that. You have my condolences, Ren." Ren turns his head away frowning at himself upon hearing her words.
Ren: "Thanks, Sae. I appreciate that." he then turns his head at Sae.
Ren: "By the way, what brings you wanting to see me exactly?"
Sae: "Well as much as I want to talk about this matter right away, I suggest we should find somewhere private without letting anyone eavesdropping. This is not the right place to talk about." Ren confusedly stares at her as he nodded in response.
Ren: "I think I know the place. Let's go." Sae nodded as she follows Ren to find somewhere else.
(At Amamiya's residence)
Ren, Morgana and Sae finally arrives at Amamiya's residence. Sae is taking a moment to look around the surroundings. She was impressed at how the furniture were fully organized and environment seems pretty tidy and clean. Morgana whispers Ren by his ear.
Morgana: "Are you sure it a good idea to bring Sae Niijima to your house? I mean you live alone now and your uncle wasn't here anymore."
Ren: "I been trusting Sae-san for a long time now Morgana. She helped us to solve Shido's case and freed me from probation. She owned her debt to phantom thieves a lot in the past. So it fine."
Morgana: "I hope you're right." Ren turns at Sae as she kept looking around.
Sae: "You know your place weren't so bad after all. Much cleaner and well organized than me and Makoto's place."
Ren: "Thanks for the compliment, Sae-san. But let's get down to business" he said as he is starting to become serious. Ren and Sae sat at the table.
Sae: "So like I said before, the reason why I want to see you is to discuss something important regarding about the case of your uncle's death. And I believe it somehow connected to the old murder case that happened 4 years ago."
Ren: "The old murder case? Is there a possible connection between these two?"
Sae: "I believe so." she said as she whip out the documents about the old murder case and shows it to Ren. She opens it as she shows the picture of a woman whose age is close to 30s.
Sae: "This woman right here named Airi Himekawa. In case you didn't know, she used to be one of the most popular actress in the entertainment industry. She used to be at her prime back then."
Sae: "And as you may guess, she died from her horrible tragedy. The similar way like your uncle does." Ren's eyes widen when he heard her words.
Sae: "The police conduct the investigation back then to find out the mystery behind Airi's death. But they can't seem to figure out what caused her death so they rule it out and declare that she was committing a suicide."
Sae: "But I refused to acknowledge that. Judging by how she died, there is no way that someone like her would have a tendency to commit suicide. There has to be a logical explanation behind all this."
Ren: "And did you managed to figure it out?" He asks as Sae shook her head.
Sae: "So far no. I can't seemed to figured out why would she do that."
Sae: "But that was only during the time where the society was under Shido's influence."
Ren: "I see. But still that doesn't prove anything whether there was a connection between my uncle and Airi's death."
Sae: "Actually, it does."
Ren: "Huh?" Ren is starting to confused by what she meant.
Sae: "Ren, the patient that your uncle took care of, was she an idol, right? I went to the hospital that time but I couldn't find you until I saw her. A purple haired girl with star shaped eyes."
Ren: "You're referring to Ai wasn't it? What about her?"
Sae: "Before your uncle's death, you been faced with the stalker incident that happens few months ago, correct?" Ren nodded.
Ren: "For some reason he knows about Ai's whereabouts and he tries to kill her when he had a chance. Luckily, I was right there trying to stop him from killing Ai."
Ren: "But unfortunately, I couldn't managed to get any info out of him as he sank into a deep depression."
Sae: "I see. It a good thing that you managed to stop him back then. Otherwise, history might repeat itself."
Ren: "Yeah." Ren nodded again.
Ren: "Why are you asking this, Sae-san?"
Sae: "Well, knowing the stalker incident that you been facing last time and the cause of Airi and your uncle's death, I feel like all of this has lead to one mastermind who was behind all this."
Ren: "You think this mastermind that you speak of is the reason behind my uncle's death?"
Sae: "It probable. The death of Airi Himekawa, the failed attempt to kill Ai and the death of Gorou Amamiya. I believe all of this were somehow connected. I don't know why but i feel like they were related to each other."
Sae: "What I'm saying is that this mastermind that I speak of is somewhat targeting idols and actresses. And if that true, then this sparks danger to the entertainment industry as the whole."
Ren: "So, the stalker incident back then and the death of my uncle were all caused by the mastermind who had an intention to kill all people who had high popularity. Unforgivable." Ren clenches his fist when he thought about the mastermind's actions.
Morgana: "Ren..." Morgana became worried when he saw Ren's reaction.
Ren: "But there's another point that I don't understand. My uncle is not an idol nor an actor or whatsoever. And yet he was murdered back then instead of Ai. Why is that?"
Sae: "Hmm. My guess is that the mastermind's plan to kill Ai that time failed due to your presence. So instead of hiring another person to kill Ai, he chose to kill her by himself at least that what I thought. Thus, knowing your actions, it seems like he was trying to get rid of you first before killing the main target."
Sae: "And knowing where the situation leads up it is likely that your uncle tried to stall him away in order to protect you and Ai. But doing so would cost his life."
Ren: "..." Ren became frown when Sae mentioned about Gorou's actions. Sae notices as she apologizes.
Sae: "Sorry. I... didn't mean to upset you. What I'm trying to say is that he did what best to ensure you won't get harm by the killer. Your uncle was a hero, Ren. And I respect him for that."
Ren: "Sae-san..." Sae continues.
Sae: "Anyway, this situation has starting to become very messy from now on and the police already conduct their investigation to track the killer down."
Sae: "As I said before, I already quit my job as a prosecutor and become a lawyer this time. So I handed this task to someone whom I can trust."
Ren: "And who would might be?"
Sae: "The one whom considers herself as the first detective prince before Goro Akechi." Ren surprised when he heard the word "detective prince".
Ren: "The first detective prince before Akechi? Could it be...?" Sae nodded.
Sae: "That's right. Naoto Shirogane. You probably know her since she used to live in Inaba correct? The same hometown that you lived in. She's also the one who handed the documents about Airi Himekawa to me and inform them to you."
Ren: "Me? Why would she inform them to me for?" Sae shrugged in response.
Sae: "Who knows? But if I have to take a guess, I say that she knows your secret identity as a phantom thief." Ren shocked when he heard her words. But Sae laugh by his response.
Sae: "Heh. Just kidding. To be honest I have no idea but it seems like the case of Gorou Amamiya's death has somewhat involves you as well. Especially with Ai."
Ren: "..." he tilts his head down as he was trying to process everything in his head. Sae looks at the watch as she begins to stand up.
Sae: "I gotta go. I have a meeting to attend to regarding about the court system. It been nice to see you again, Ren. I hope I wish you good luck on your journey."
Ren: "Yeah you too, Sae-san. Thanks for letting me know about the important matters regarding about the murder case." he said as he also stand up.
Sae: "You're welcome." Sae smiles at Ren as she and Ren walk towards the entrance. Ren opens the door as he let Sae steps out. However, before she steps out, she turns at Ren as she has something to say.
Sae: "But before I go, I just want to give you some advice." Ren stares at her confusely.
Sae: "Don't let the pain of your loss chained you down as it only makes things worse for yourself. Instead of grieving for your loss, you need to keep living for the others."
Ren: "Keep living for the others?" Sae nodded.
Sae: "I believe that Makoto have already told you about the death of our father when solving his case, right?" Ren nodded in response.
Sae: "Then that where you need to stand up. Regardless of your loss, there'll be others who are willing to stay by your side. Thus, wanting to care about you for your life being."
Sae: "If you do that, not only it helps them, but also their lives can be changed as well. Including myself and yours too. And by doing so, the path for justice can be formed."
Sae: "The death of our father has already stained our hearts. But I won't let his efforts in vain. I have to keep living. For my father, Makoto, you and for everyone else."
Sae: "Life can be changed either for better or worst. But I'm pretty sure you can do something to create a huge impact to this world. And I know you can."
Ren: "Sae-san..." Ren is starting to understand what Sae was trying to say.
Sae: "Looks like I been rambling long enough. I hope this advice of mine will help to keep you going. And also..." Sae picks something out from her bag and handed to Ren. Ren takes it and his eyes widen as he saw a pair of glasses which resembles to Gorou's.
Sae: "Naoto gave this to me as she found it during the murder site. And I think this proves to be valuable to you as it some sort of a memento from your unc- No your father to say the least." Sae places her hand on Ren's shoulder.
Sae: "I never had a chance to meet him but I can tell that he's a good father. Despite him not being with you during probation, but his family bond that ties with you never fades away. If you truly love him, then live for him. Can you do that?"
Ren: "I-I do." Sae smiles by his response.
Sae: "Good." Sae removes her hand from Ren's shoulder.
Sae: "Well. I gotta go now. I hope we meet each other again in the future. I'll see you later." she said as she walk away from Amamiya's residence.
As Sae is out of Ren's sight, Ren takes Gorou's glasses as he went back inside.
In the living room, Ren takes a seat on the couch as he places Gorou's glasses on the table. He stares at it sternly while also trying to process on what he's going to do next. Morgana sat on the table as he sits next to Gorou's glasses. He also stares at the glasses like Ren does.
Morgana: "Hmm. It seems this Naoto person that Sae spoke of was so kindly to give your father's glasses to you even though you never met her."
Ren: "..." Ren still remained silent as he kept staring. Morgana turns at Ren.
Morgana: "So, what's your next move, Ren? Are you going to chase down the mastermind who killed your father?"
Ren: "...To be honest. I don't know." Morgana's eyes widen by his response.
Morgana: "What do you mean you don't know?" he said to him confusely.
Ren: "Well, I have mixed feelings. Half of me wants to track down the mastermind who killed my father and take him down but another half of me wants to not taking revenge on someone. I just don't want to ended up taking the wrong path like Akechi does."
Morgana: "Ren. You're not like Akechi and you know that. What Akechi did, has already set his path to stone. He was already fated to be taking part in the dark side while also carving his own path of justice. Even though I don't like Akechi for all of the criminal things that he had done in the past, but he somehow managed to change himself and starts helping others even some that he didn't care about."
Morgana: "And it all because of you, Ren. You're the one who changed his heart. No, not just his heart but to all of us as well. Me, lady Ann, Makoto, Futaba and all of the people that you have met had their lives changed for the best."
Morgana: "And I'm pretty sure Ai would have felt that way too." Ren stares at Morgana in surprise.
Morgana: "Even for the past few months, you managed to encourage her to keep believing that lies are a form of love, was it not? Then, that where her perspective was starting to change. Even though not by much, but I can tell that she was changing. And because of your support, she was determined to change those lies and turns them into love for you and for everyone else." Ren is speechless by Morgana's statement.
Morgana: "So you see, Ren. You're not like Akechi and you'll never be one. But rather as Ren Amamiya, who wants to help people whenever there's trouble. And I do think that sort of thing alone solely reflects on who you are."
Ren: "Morgana..." he speaks his name calmly
???: "That's true. What Morgana was saying is all true." Suddenly a mysterious voice calls out as Ren and Morgana heard a familiar voice out of nowhere.
Morgana: "That voice... Isn't that?"
The shining blue butterfly suddenly flies around the living room as it materializes into a girl with long platinum hair and golden eyes. She wears a blue dress, and stylish matching headband with white butterfly ornaments and yellow roses. She also has noticeably pink lips. She also carries a large book entitled "Le Grimoire". Ren and Morgana became surprised at the familiar figure.
(Aria of the soul plays)
Ren: "Y-You must be..."
Morgana: "Lady Lavenza?" Morgana continued.
Lavenza: "It's been a while, my trickster. And the same goes for you, Morgana. It been like almost a year ever since we last met in the velvet room."
Ren: "Tell me about it..." he talked to himself.
Ren: "But what brings you here, Lavenza?" Lavenza turns at Ren.
Lavenza: "I'll get right into it. But before that, I would like to give my condolences to you. I'm truly sorry for the loss of your family member. Even though I lacked of an understanding about family love but I do know that your feelings towards him proves a lot stronger than before."
Ren: "..." Ren turns away for a moment and then turns back to Lavenza.
Ren: "Thanks for saying such kind words. I truly appreciate it."
Lavenza: "You're welcome." Lavenza smiles at herself.
Lavenza: "Now, let's cut to the chase shall we?" she said as things starting to get serious.
Lavenza: "Regarding about my confrontation is to inform you both that a new threat has started to appear in this world. A threat that would possibly lead to the end of the world."
Ren: "The end of the world? Isn't that what you mean by the ruin? I thought we already took down both Yaldabaoth and Maruki last time." Lavenza shook her head.
Lavenza: "No. This is different. It's another new entity."
Morgana: "How so?" he asks.
Lavenza: "In the previous events, where you both fought against Yaldabaoth, that malevolent god brings ruin to the entire world where the masses became unthinkable for themselves. And then there's Maruki whose purpose was to bring alternate reality to fruition where the masses live in the world without the ability to grow themselves in exchange for happiness."
Lavenza: "However this time, a new threat emerges as it willing to eradicate all life forms that have been present in this world. Which leads to the entire world filled with nothing but an extinction of humanity." Ren and Morgana shocked at what Lavenza was saying.
Ren: "How on earth did you know all this, Lavenza? You seemed to be knowledgeable when it comes to all of that stuff."
Lavenza: "We residents of the velvet room were able to detect the presence of the incoming threat that just came to this world. Thus, provoking ourselves to inform the guests that the danger is about to come."
Lavenza: "And also..." she trails off as she displays sadness on her face. Ren notices as he asks her.
Ren: "What's wrong?" he asks while feeling concerned.
Lavenza: "I-I have foreseen the future. The future when the end of the world happens, all living beings will disappear leaving no trace of life behind. Which includes you, my trickster..." she said as she looks like she's about to cry. Ren and Morgana became worried when they heard Lavenza's statement.
Morgana: "Lady Lavenza..."
Lavenza: "I-I don't know why. I know I shouldn't possess such emotions within my heart as my role is to simply assisting the guests of the velvet room who embark their journey till the very end. And yet why am I possessing them when having such thought of losing you? I just don't get it!" she yelled.
Ren and Morgana surprised by her outburst. The future that she saw proves far more dangerous than any threats they faced so far. No even bigger than Yaldabaoth and Maruki. Ren seeing Lavenza's reaction somewhat reminds him of Ai when he saves her from Ryosuke. Thinking back right now, maybe he does wants to help someone. For the sake of others and for himself. Without hesitation, he pats Lavenza's head leading her to look up at Ren.
Ren: "You don't have to worry about me, Lavenza. I won't be disappear not until we can prevent the world from extinction. I can promise you that for sure."
Lavenza: "You do? Will you promise?" Ren nodded.
Morgana: "Not just Ren mind you, myself included." Ren and Lavenza turns at Morgana.
Morgana: "Remember what I said before? My sole purpose is to guide the trickster and defeat the malevolent god."
Morgana: "But now I can do more than just that. Not only I guide Ren, but to fight alongside him and taking on any challenges along the way. If we're going to stop the end of the world, then so be it!"
Lavenza: "Morgana..." she said as she smiles by Ren's and Morgana's resolve.
Lavenza: "Alright I believe you two. I believe that you both will accomplish this and change the future with your own hands."
Ren: "By the way, do you have any idea where we can find this threat that cause the end of the world? Without the metaverse, we can't access to any personas or weapons." Morgana realizes as he forgot something important.
Morgana: "Oh right! We're no longer the phantom thieves anymore! How are we supposed to prevent humanity extinction without our arsenal?!" Lavenza laughs by Morgana's reaction.
Lavenza: "*chuckle* No need to worry you two. It is far too early to act. At least not this time." Ren and Morgana stared at her confusely.
Lavenza: "Right now, the threat will not take action without the piece called the appriser. The appriser is a key to open the door towards the end of the world. However, there's no indication to where the appriser is as its power became weak."
Morgana: "So you have no clue where the appriser might be?" Lavenza shook her head.
Lavenza: "I'm afraid not. But like I said its power is still very weak so it gonna take some time for the appriser to awaken itself. Probably took years to come."
Ren: "That's gonna be long." Lavenza nodded.
Lavenza: "It does. In the mean time, this might be your chance to gather up more powerful allies as possible in order to take on the most dangerous threat. By doing so, this gives an opportunity for the entire world to repel back against it."
Ren: "But, weren't me and the phantom thieves enough to take on?" Lavenza shook her head again.
Lavenza: "You'll need to aim higher than that. Like I said this threat is far more dangerous than the previous ones you fought before. So, gathering more allies is absolutely necessary."
Lavenza: "And not to worry. You'll find some group of persona users who might share the similar goal as yours."
Morgana: "The group of persona users? Wait, you mean there are others who protected this world aside from the phantom thieves?" Lavenza nodded.
Lavenza: "Indeed. The persona users have been formed into two groups. The first represent the specialized group who fought against shadows using the power to confront death. The second represent an investigation team who fought to seek the truth of the world."
Ren: "Where can i find them, Lavenza? The group could be anywhere. It not an easy feat to find."
Lavenza: "Not quite."
Ren: "Huh?"
Lavenza: "I heard that some members in each group do take part in the entertainment industry. If you wanna find them, that will be your starting point." Ren and Morgana surprised by her words. They turn at each other speechlessly.
Morgana: "The entertainment industry... that must be..."
Ren: "Yeah. The place where Ai took part of." Ren turns at Lavenza.
Ren: "Do you have their names? So I can keep that in mind when I look out and form an alliance with them."
Lavenza: "As you wish. For the first group, you'll find Aigis, an Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon along with her companion named Yukari Takeba. For the second group, you'll find the leader named Yu Narukami along with his soulmate, Rise Kujikawa." Ren's eyes widen when he heard the familiar names.
Ren: "Yukari Takeba and Rise Kujikawa? Those names were familiar but where?" he thought to himself.
Lavenza: "Keep in mind. There's no need for you to rush things out as you have a lot of time to prepare. Once you're done, I shall meet you again probably in another few more years. Be sure to prepare things well or else the humanity's survival will not be guaranteed."
Ren: "Gotcha. You can count on us, Lavenza. I will keep your information in mind."
Ren: "This end of the world or the humanity extinction or whatsoever, I'll prevent that from happening for as long as I live. Alongside with the rest of my comrades." Lavenza smiles by his speech.
Lavenza: "*chuckle* I know you will, my trickster. You, the one who once became the prisoner of fate shall rise again to face the greatest threat in history. What awaits you ahead are more of the same- no, even greater hardships than before. However..."
Lavenza: "You must never forget that there're others who are willing to stay by your side. Myself as well. Now, the question is : Are you willing to defy such fate and face the distortion that yet again threatens your world?" she asks her question to Ren as Ren nodded in response.
Ren: "You know it, Lavenza."
Morgana: "Yeah, me too."
Lavenza: "Good." she said as her body starts glowing.
Lavenza: "Looks like I can't maintain my existence here for long. We shall meet again somewhere in the future. And don't forget I'll always witness the path you take and see the results for myself."
Lavenza: "I wish you good luck on your journey, my trickster. May the star guide you."
Ren: "Thanks, Lavenza. See you soon." He waves at Lavenza as she materializes into the butterfly. The butterfly flies out of the window and disappears.
(Aria of the soul ends)
Morgana: "Well, it seems our job as the phantom thieves is not over yet. There's a lot of tasks that we have to uphold and a lot of challenges coming along the way. This is gonna be tough."
Ren: "True. But I'm up for it. After the depression I had from my father's death, I'm always gonna stand up and move forward at least that what he wanted me to."
Morgana: "Good." he then suddenly realizes.
Morgana: "Ah! Speaking of depression, whip out your phone, Ren. You should see the messages that you had missed so far." Ren confuses as he whips out his phone to check the messages. His face shocked as he saw a bunch of messages.
Most of the messages that he get are from the phantom thieves as they express their worry towards him. But, one of which that caught his attention is Ai. Ai seems to be the one who worries the most as she was heartbroken when she heard the news. During Ren's depression after Gorou's incident, she sent the messages every single day to not only express her worry but asking Ren to ensure that he's in good health. She also assures him that everything will be okay if things get rough. Ren smiles by her enthusiasm.
Morgana: "Seems like everyone was worried sick about you ever since they heard the news. It appears that your bond ties with them still intact."
Ren: "Yeah." he said as he closes the phone. He proceeds to get ready.
Morgana: "Where're you going?" Morgana asks. Ren turns at Morgana.
Ren: "To the hospital, I need to meet Ai again. She deserves to know whenever I'm okay or not." Morgana laughs by his response.
Morgana: "Heh. Always making sure to ease up her worries huh? That's just like you, Joker."
Ren: "Heh, maybe." he said as he begins to get dressed in new clothes.
(At the hospital)
As Ren and Morgana steps inside the hospital, all of the doctors and nurses saw him as they quickly approach him with the worried look on their faces. Ren and Morgana surprised by their reactions.
Ren: "Y-You guys."
Nurse 1: "Are you okay, Ren? Are you feeling alright?"
Nurse 2: "Have you taken care of your health?"
Doctor 1: "We heard what happened and we're truly sorry for your loss."
Doctor 2: "Yeah me too."
All of the doctors and nurses express their worry and kindness towards Ren. It appears like his absence have affected the entire hospital. Just how much influence that Ren have done to them?
Ren: "Thanks for all of your concern, everyone. But I need to find the patient who worried sick about me and I need to get there."
???: "I can take you there if you want to." Another familiar voice came in. But this time it a male.
His appearance consists of a tall figure with brown, short unkempt hair and a small stubble underneath his chin. He wears a blue dress shirt tucked into his upturned khaki slacks with a checkered dark blue tie. He wears a white lab coat over the top. On his feet he wears open-toed sandals without socks.
(A/N: In this story, I changed the part from persona 5 royal true ending to have him working as a doctor rather than taxi driver. Even though I still prefer him as a taxi driver. Let me know which one do you prefer.)
Ren : "Maruki??" he said while in shock. The same goes for Morgana.
Morgana: "How on earth did he get here?" he said to himself.
Maruki approaches Ren and Morgana as they calmed down.
Maruki: "It nice to see you two again. Specifically, you Ren-kun."
Ren: "Maruki. What are you doing here? I thought you're..."
Maruki: "Gone? Well, more or less."
Maruki: "Ever since the metaverse has vanished, I for some reason landed myself outside. But then, I also apologized to Shibusawa for all of the wrong things that I have done so far. Especially with my research and changing people's cognitions."
Maruki: "I supposed you did something to change my heart, right?" Ren scratches his head when Maruki mentions changing hearts.
Ren: "Well, I uhhh..." Maruki laugh by his reaction.
Maruki: "I'm just playing with you. I already know what you did and I don't blame you for that. If anything I should be thanking you for open my eyes."
Ren: "Maruki..."
Maruki: "However, as soon as I saw the news about Amamiya-sensei's death, I knew something was wrong. And Joyce-san contacted me to come to the hospital immediately." Ren surprised when Maruki mentions Joyce.
Ren: "Joyce-san did?" Maruki nodded as Joyce come forward approaches Ren, Morgana and Maruki in the process. However her appearance changed as she wears the doctor clothes instead of the nurse clothes.
Joyce: "After sensei's death, I simply cannot allow his efforts to go to waste. So I decided to help him out in his place and taking care of this hospital. But to do that, I acquire some assistance to help me out with the patients in the hospital."
Maruki: "And that's where i came in. To assist her and help her with the patients whenever they need some care. And I'm gotta be honest, I'm actually enjoying it." Maruki continues.
Maruki: "Helping them out and give them some counselling has always been my specialty for a long time. Good thing I was able to put them into good use ever since I came to Shujin."
Joyce: "*chuckle* You always were, Maruki-sensei. I see that you never changed ever since when we're classmates."
Ren: "Classmates?" Ren questions Joyce while being surprised.
Maruki: "Ah. In case you didn't know, me, Amamiya-sensei and Joyce-san used to be classmates ever since when we were young. Even though we studied in different fields, we shared our mutual interests as we wanted to help people whenever they got hurt. And that how I got myself in contact with them." Ren and Morgana seems at loss for words when they heard Maruki's story.
Ren: "I-I didn't know that."
Morgana: "M-Me too." Maruki laugh by their reaction again.
Maruki: "Ahaha. It makes sense since you both didn't delve yourselves deeper to know about my past life."
Maruki: "Anyway, let's not wasting time. Your girlfriend was waiting for your right now."
Ren: "Uhh correction. She's not my girlfriend at least not yet." he said in denial.
Maruki: "Huh? That weird. I thought she's your girlfriend since she talks a lot about you." he said in confusion but Joyce intervenes.
Joyce: "Let's not tease him any longer, Maruki-sensei. He needs to see her now."
Maruki: "Right, right. Sorry." he apologizes as Ren, Morgana, Joyce and Maruki walk towards the hallway as they make their way to Ai's room.
(At Ai's room)
As they went inside Ai's room, they saw Ai and Ichigo carrying the babies at their arms. The female one is with Ai while the male one is with Ichigo. Ai and Ichigo surprised when they saw Ren and the rest came inside the room.
Ai: "REN!! You're back!" She excited as she quickly gets off from her bed approaching Ren in the process. Ren puts both his hands up at her.
Ren: "Whoa, slow down. You're still carrying that baby with you. And besides you still need to rest after your childbirth." he puts his hands down.
Ai: "I'm okay, Ren. But most importantly, I'm so glad that you're alright. After what happened with sensei that time, I became so worried about you. It must been hurt for losing someone especially when they take good care of you."
Ren: "..." Ren became silent by her words.
Ai: "I-I'm sorry! D-Did I say something hurtful?" she said as Ren shook his head.
Ren: "Nah, you didn't. As the matter of fact, it the opposite. I'm happy that you worried about me and I appreciate it. That goes to show that I'm not alone." Ren slowly approaches Ai.
Ren: "Ai, I decided. From now on, I swore to myself in my life that I'm going to protect you as well as your children. Regardless on where my path goes, I'll keep living for myself, for you, for your children, Sarina-chan and of course..." he slowly closes his eyes and open back.
Ren: "My father."
Ai: "Ren..." Ai smiles at Ren's resolve. She stares at Ren into his eyes. The bright grey eyes that sparkles at her hence showing reflection of her in his eyes. Ren does the same as he stares at Ai's purple eyes with star like pupils. Both became silent as they keep staring at each other. The atmosphere is starting to become a lot moody as things seemed to be set up in such a romantic way. Ren and Ai stare at each other's eyes like there is no end to them.
But then...
Ichigo: "Ahem!" Ichigo cough at himself causing Ai and Ren to turn at him.
Ichigo: "You know I'm glad that you're alright, Ren. And I truly admire your resolve." he handed the male baby to Joyce before he continues.
Ichigo: "But that doesn't mean you can just go ahead and keep staring at her eyes. I hope you're not planning to do something indecent on her. Do you?"
Ren: "N-No it not--" but then Ai intervene.
Ai: "Oh come on, president Saitou! It's not that bad. Besides, I won't mind for Ren to keep staring at me if he wanted to." she smirked at Ren which cause him to blush.
Ichigo: "Says you! You been so carefree about it. And I already told you! The company forbids you from entering any romantic relationships! So you can't just go around and being couple with anyone especially not with Ren. You already broke that rule once, so you better not do that again. Got it!?" Ai pouted by Ichigo's strictness.
Ai: "Yes, president Saitou. I won't do that again." she muttered to herself but then she turns at Ren with the mischievous smirk on her face.
Ai: "NOT!" she quickly grabs Ren's shoulder with the other hand and peck her lips on his cheeks causing everyone to exclaim in awe.
Everyone: "EEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!?????????"
Their screams cause the babies crying loudly. Ai and Joyce notice as they quickly calm the babies down while Ren on the other hand faces himself away blushing madly for himself.
Ai: "Shhh. It okay, Ruby. Mommy's here. Seems like mommy got you and Aqua crying huh?" she cooed her baby named Ruby. Everyone became shocked by Ai's actions. More specifically Ren and Ichigo.
Ren: "W-What was that for?" he asks.
Ai: "Just some good luck I guess? I just feel like it that's all."
Ren: "Ai..." Ai then turns at Ichigo whom is about to scold her.
Ai: "So what you're saying about forbidding relationships?" she said as she displays troll face at him.
Ichigo: "Y-You damn idol!" Ichigo seems like he wants to vet his anger for Ai's childish actions but he tries to compose himself as they're still in the hospital.
Ichigo: "You know what? I can't complain too much. If you really want him so badly, then I guess it wouldn't be a problem so long as you don't backstab him. Got it?"
Ai: "Aye, aye, sir!" she said as she salutes. Ichigo facepalms himself and then he turns at Ren.
Ichigo: "You better keep your word, Ren. And don't make me regret it."
Ren: "You won't Ichigo-san and I can promise you that."
Maruki: "Ren-kun..." Maruki speaks up causing Ren to turn at him.
Maruki: "There's something I want to ask you. And I would like to speak with you alone."
Ren seems confused but he nodded as they walk outside of Ai's room.
Maruki: "I know this might be the question that you may not like but I want to hear your honest answer."
Maruki: "If you hadn't stopped me from achieving the reality full of happiness, then I can at least help you to bring your father back and prevent the tragedy from happening. Have you regret about it?" His words surprise Ren but not by much.
Ren : "..." Ren begins to look down as he thinks whether he did the right thing or not. But after some thought he responds.
Ren: "To be honest, even if you bring my father back, it doesn't stop me preventing you from achieving that reality."
Ren: "After all, those hardships and the pain that we had from our loss help us grow as a person. Without them, we'll never grow and we won't stay true to ourselves."
Ren: "Akechi has shown me his resolve during the time before we went to your palace. He always stays true to himself and carve his own path despite knowing that he'll die in the true reality."
Ren: "And my father would have probably felt the similar way too. Despite knowing the fact that he won't be able to save everyone, but he's able to save someone that he should be saving. At least, that what he told me."
Ren: "So, no. I don't regret it at all. If anything, I should keep living for the sake of everyone and for myself. And I'll keep fighting for them."
Maruki: "Ren-kun..." Maruki seems smiling by Ren's wise words.
Maruki: "You know? You have the same eyes as your father. Just like how I imagined him when I was in high school." Maruki starts facing towards Ai's room.
Maruki: "We used to spend time to play, laugh, cry and all sorts of stuff. Spending time with him has truly became an important memory for me. "
Maruki: "Rumi was also important to me as she accepted me who I really am. If only I could stop the incident from happening then Rumi wouldn't suffer like this and we could still be together."
Maruki: "But what's done is done since there's nothing I could do about it. If what you say is true, then I'll have to keep living for their sake and for you as well."
Ren: "Maruki..." Ren smiles at his speech. Maruki then turns at Ren.
Maruki: "One piece of advice. If you find yourself struggling in life, you can start over. Like me. Remember that." Ren seems to understand Maruki's advice.
Maruki: "So yeah. If that helps you, then we're square. Right?" he said as he places his fist in front of him as the gesture of friendship. Ren responds by placing his first at his as well.
Ren: "Thank you, Maruki." Maruki shook his head.
Maruki: "No, thank you, Ren-kun. For giving me an honest answer." he said as they started to handshake with each other.
(2 months later)
Time passes as Ren finally graduated his studies from Yasogami High as he's able to take part in the entertainment industry. He starts packing his clothes and items into the bag as he's about to move out from his house. Of course, as usual Morgana slips himself inside the bag. Joyce and Maruki came to help Ren to keep an eye on his house as he leaves. Ren appreciates their help and thank them. He saw Ichigo and Ai came to him as they're about to pick him up. Ai is waving at him and Ren waves back. He gives Maruki and Joyce some hug before leaving and so they did. He gets inside Ichigo's car and says goodbye to them as Ren went off alongside with Ichigo and Ai.
(Inside Ichigo's car)
Ren and Ichigo sits in the front while Ai sits in the back as she caressing her babies.
Ichigo: "Ok first off. From now on, you'll be staying at Ai's house as it is located in Kichijoji. Ever since what happened with the stalker's incident and the tragedy of your father, we had to transfer her to someplace far away in order to keep her safe."
Ichigo: "And I'm pretty sure you know what you must do. Your priority as the bodyguard is to keep her and her children safe since you're capable at doing that, right? So, make sure you do your job carefully."
Ren: "Yes, sir.~" he said as he's just trolling him which almost gets Ichigo mad. Ai giggles by Ren's troll as she tries to calm Ichigo down.
Ai: "Calm down, president Saitou. He's just playing with you so don't be mad at him."
Ai: "Although, I kinda like it when he did that." she thought to herself as she turns on Ren.
Ai: "So Ren. What are you going to do next? You know aside from being a bodyguard."
Ren: "Well, it depends on where the path take me. After all, I'm gonna see this through."
Ai: "I see. Well I can't wait to see what the future had in store."
Ren: "Yeah same here." he said as he looks out of the window.
Ren: "Regardless of what going to happen in the future, I'll make sure that the world is safe for as long as I live. So that way, Ai and her kids can live peacefully. No, not just them, but the entire world as well. I'll keep fighting and carve my own path alongside with my comrades. Dad, Sarina-chan, Akechi, watch me as I'll keep living till the edge of tomorrow." he thought to himself as the prologue ends with Ichigo's car drives off to the distance.
(Life will change plays)
Lyrics:
It's not a game
I'm not a robot AI challenging you
I'm not a phantom
I'm in your face and
I'm here to see it through
Right before your eyes
Watch us multiply
Come to claim our rights - it's time
As our power grows
Tryin' to stop us shows
(You) Might as well go try'n stop time
So you know that we're out there
Swatting lies in the making
Can't move fast without breaking
Can't hold on or life won't change
And our voices ring out, yeah
Took the mask off to feel free
Fought it out in the debris
Now we know that life will change
Ain't it a shame
I'm not a figment of your ailing old mind
I'm just as real as
I'm just as dangerous
As you, so know you'll find
A taste of your own meds
Fire in every breath
Fire inside your head, your heart
And as your crippled brain
Tries to fight in vain
Your empire will fall apart
And you'll know we were out there
Swatted lies in the making
Your empire for the taking
Can't hold on or life won't change
And our voices rang out, here
Took the mask off to feel free
Fought it out in the debris
Now we know that life will change
(Life will change ends)
To be continued...
HOO BOY I done it!! I finally conclude the prologue. Once again, sorry it took so long to upload. Like I said, I wasn't in a very good mood last week so that why I had to delay this final part till this week. But I hope you guys enjoy the last part of the prologue. Next week I won't write anything until the start of November as I need to take a break. Leave down in the comments if there is anything you want me to write next. See you guys soon!