With every swing of the golden sword in his hand, the faint, illusory whispers at the edge of Ren Amamiya's hearing grew clearer, more distinct.
By now, Ren could clearly perceive the presence of his other self, hear the low murmurs it uttered.
He sensed a tough barrier separating him from this other self.
But with both sides—within and without—pushing against it in unison, the barrier couldn't hold them apart for long.
As the resilient barrier buckled under the intense pressure from both sides, a terrifying storm erupted around Ren Amamiya.
The sudden gale forced the seven black-and-gold Shadows surrounding him backward, stumbling and disoriented.
The powerful winds swirling around Ren whipped his fluffy, messy black hair upward, revealing his eyes, now completely transformed into an eerie, luminous gold.
"The time for awakening has come— Answer my call, Arsene!!"
Blue flames erupted, engulfing Ren Amamiya.
In the instant the formless barrier was shattered by their combined efforts, Ren threw his head back and roared the name of his Persona.
Clink, clank...
The faint, rattling sound of chains echoed inexplicably in his ears.
As the blue flames burned ever brighter, a figure identical to Ren Amamiya, but wearing a wicked, wild smirk, materialized from within the fire!
"He summoned the physical manifestation of his Stigmata... by his own will?!"
Watching the second Ren Amamiya emerge from the blue flames from afar, Hare's azure eyes widened completely. As the crystallization of the Schariac Stigmata, she instantly identified the true nature of this second Ren.
["You seem to be in need of power. Well...? Do you have the resolve to forge a contract with me? To wield this power for the sake of your convictions?"]
The Ren figure, faintly glowing with a blue aura, wore a devilish grin.
He tilted his chin up slightly, his tone dripping with arrogance.
Addressing the real Ren Amamiya standing opposite him, his voice echoed strangely as he posed the question.
The sheer force unleashed by the awakening pinned the seven black-and-gold Shadows—the enemies—firmly to the ground, preventing them from approaching and interrupting the communion between Ren and his other self.
"Of course! Lend me your power, Arsene! With it, I'll steal back our future!"
Ren slowly clenched his fist, his heart surging as he responded to the figure—to [Arsene].
The Persona awakening was going unexpectedly smoothly.
Visions already flashed through Ren's mind: himself clad in his Phantom Thief gear, effortlessly commanding Arsene, dominating the battlefield.
In the real world, Arsene's power surely wouldn't be relegated to early-game fodder or fused into something else like in the game.
Even without the Velvet Room's assistance for now, Arsene's strength should be more than enough for him to survive in this mysterious Mementos.
["Arsene... hmm... Very well. As you wish. This power of mine is yours to command freely!"]
The [Arsene] figure opposite Ren murmured the name thoughtfully.
A faint, pleased smile touched his lips, then quickly grew into a wilder grin, finally erupting into unrestrained laughter.
Ren's thoughts and desires resonated with [Arsene].
Amidst [Arsene]'s wild laughter, his figure became increasingly ethereal and translucent, ultimately transforming into a pure white, half-face mask shaped like a spirit bird, hovering in the air.
As if grasped by an unseen hand, the pure white mask shot towards Ren's face.
It slammed onto him, adhering tightly, becoming one with his skin.
"Ngh... Hmph! Urgh-AAAAHHHH!!!"
The moment the white mask made contact, searing pain flooded Ren's senses. He grit his teeth, his straight posture buckling under the agonizing assault.
A suffocating feeling, like drowning, enveloped him.
His body felt like a furnace, radiating an unimaginable, terrifying heat.
Ren struggled, reaching up with trembling hands, his long fingers desperately gripping the edges of the white mask.
His fingertips turned white from the extreme pressure.
He strained with all his might, trying to rip away the white mask that felt completely fused to the skin of his face!
"I am thou, thou art I..."
"Thou hast acquired a new vow..."
"It shall become the wings of rebellion that breaketh thy chains of captivity..."
"With the birth of the Fool Persona, I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power—"
Ren's voice, distorted and raspy from the pain, echoed strangely, layered as if two people were speaking at once.
He recited the cool, stylish, chuuni lines he loved most—the ones that appear when forming a new Social Link [Confidant]—like a self-hypnotic chant.
Whether it was psychological or not, the pain instantly seemed to lessen significantly.
Under Ren's relentless pulling, the white mask fused to his face finally began to loosen, showing signs of tearing away.
Trickles of crimson blood flowed freely from beneath the mask's edges.
"COME ON!!— PER... SONA!!!"
Warm blood splattered. His face half-streaked with red trails, Ren finally ripped the clinging white mask from his face.
The instant the mask was torn free, profound blue-azure flames surged around Ren's body.
As the ethereal flames flickered silently, the wounds on Ren's face from ripping off the mask healed at a visible rate.
Even the gash on his back from the black-and-gold Shadow's earlier attack vanished in moments, leaving not even a scar.
The blue-azure flames enveloped Ren, consuming the Chiba Academy uniform he wore.
When the flames suddenly burst outward in all directions and vanished from his body...
...the school uniform was gone.
In its place was the slick Phantom Thief outfit Ren had been dreaming of: a dark grey undershirt, a black trench coat styled with wing-like lapels, and slim black trousers—his Phantom Suit!
After tearing off the mask, Ren felt incredibly light, the previous agony vanishing like a phantom sensation.
His hands were now covered in blood-red gloves. He looked at the white spirit bird mask resting quietly in his palm, a slight smirk playing on his lips.
With a flick of his wrist, the white mask spun away like a boomerang.
Mid-flight, the rapidly spinning mask dissolved into blue-azure flames and dissipated into the air.
WHOOSH—!!
Enormous black wings unfurled dramatically.
Wearing a black top hat and a deep red cravat-like garment, its black face illuminated by suddenly blazing crimson eyes—Persona Arsene!
Accompanied by a powerful gust of wind, Arsene materialized, hovering in the air behind Ren Amamiya!
"So this is what it feels like after awakening a Persona... My body feels so light, like power is constantly flowing through me."
Ren took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled, a look of satisfaction on his face.
Now that Arsene had awakened and been summoned, the seven black-and-gold Shadows, previously suppressed by the awakening's force, began to stir again, cautiously closing in on Ren once more.
However, these seven Shadows, which had previously required Ren's careful attention and caution...
...were now utterly insignificant in his eyes. They posed no threat to him whatsoever.
"Alright, round two begins— Take them out, Arsene!"
Ren tugged at his red gloves.
A confident expression spread across his face as he issued the command to the Persona floating behind him.
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