"Regarding the 'Evil God'... I've only heard stories about him so far. I haven't met him personally. The area he resides in is apparently extremely dangerous, and almost no one can reach it."
Responding to Ren Amamiya's pointed question, Hare returned from her contemplation, her voice gentle and elegant as she replied.
"As for my relationship with the followers of the Serpent..."
"Due to my unique constitution, I cannot stay around ordinary people for long. Therefore, I only have occasional contact with one executive, helping them with certain tasks here."
"I see. I think I understand now."
Ren nodded slowly, connecting the dots in his mind.
If this woman isn't human, but a special being like Lavenza, then it makes sense she can't exist in the real world for extended periods.
Ordinary people without the power to enter Mementos wouldn't be able to form a normal bond [Confidant] with her.
And if someone did connect with Misteln, wanting to use her power to manipulate targets' minds via Mementos for personal gain... that's perfectly believable.
Just like how Masayoshi Shido used Mementos to propel himself to the brink of becoming Prime Minister... Taking it a step further, it's not impossible that Misteln's 'partner' was Shido himself.
Perhaps various unknown factors severed their connection later, leaving Shido with only Goro Akechi as his trump card.
"People capable of entering Mementos are rare. Now that you've encountered me here, what do you plan to do? Take me to see that executive?"
Honestly, Ren himself didn't understand why he'd suddenly appeared in Mementos. His phone still didn't have the MetaNav app; theoretically, entering should have been impossible.
But from her perspective, Ren had entered Mementos and awakened a powerful Persona.
He was clearly someone to either recruit or eliminate.
The Evil God possessed god-level power, while Ren had just awakened and hadn't 'leveled up' yet.
Considering Misteln's admitted connection to the Evil God's followers, Ren wouldn't be surprised at all if she chose to attack him right now.
"If you wish, I can take you to meet that executive. But if you don't want to, I certainly won't force you... The choice rests entirely with your own will."
A gentle, serene smile graced Hare's flawless face as she responded softly to Ren.
"That's a rather ambiguous answer. Frankly, I don't trust you. We know practically nothing about each other, after all."
"If I just let you leave, what if you report my existence to the followers of the Serpent, or even to the Evil God himself? That would put me in a very difficult position."
After a long moment of thought, Ren made his decision. He slowly raised the golden sword he still held towards Hare.
If Misteln really is some DLC character from a new P5 game, then based on her looks and figure, she probably wouldn't be a purely evil villain. Maybe even a potential romance option.
But... what if?
Ren knew absolutely nothing about Misteln. This wasn't a game; he only had one life, no restarts.
In this early stage of his development, Ren had to be extremely cautious, taking careful steps towards reaching his full potential.
Relying on someone else's mercy, drifting like a helpless leaf at the mercy of fate's unpredictable storm—that completely contradicted the Phantom Thief's aesthetic of rebellion.
Destiny should be grasped firmly in one's own hands, decided by oneself!
"I promise you, I will not voluntarily reveal your existence to anyone... However, even if I say that, you won't simply accept it, will you?"
Sensing the fighting spirit rising in Ren's eyes, Hare spread her small hands in a gesture of mock helplessness.
But the prim smile on her lips unconsciously curled upward with a hint of pleasure.
Words can bridge the gap between hearts, but sometimes they become pale and powerless.
Clearly, the time had come for fists—or rather, powers—to do the talking.
Hare needed to prove her strength to Ren.
Only by defeating him fair and square could she demonstrate her goodwill, proving she wasn't just trying to placate him with words while planning to report back to the Serpent's followers the moment she left.
And Ren needed to gauge Hare's true intentions and allegiance through battle.
He also needed to test the limits of Arsene's power.
Although he'd already fought using Arsene, those fodder Shadows earlier were hardly a challenge, nowhere near enough to push Arsene to its true potential.
As a Persona user, Ren estimated he hadn't even used a tenth of Arsene's power in the previous fight against the black-and-gold Shadows before ending it decisively.
Facing the woman before him, however... surely she would be a worthy opponent to test Arsene's limits!
"Show me this 'Persona' power you take such pride in!"
Hare reached out with a slender white hand into the void. A long spear materialized in her grasp, adorned with a purple banner depicting a lily emblem.
With a flourish of the flag spear, Hare's lithe body instantly lifted off the ground, defying gravity as she floated into the air.
"She can fly? Hmph, what Persona can't fly these days?"
Seeing Hare ascend, Ren merely raised an eyebrow slightly, not overly surprised.
Arsene had wings. Even in an aerial battle, Ren wouldn't be at a disadvantage.
"Go, Arsene!"
Ren tightened his grip on the golden sword, leaning forward slightly into a ready stance, and commanded the Persona floating behind him.
A blue-azure aura pulsed around Arsene.
Receiving Ren's command, it dramatically spread its massive black wings, its crimson eyes locking onto Hare's distant figure.
Staring at the slender, seemingly delicate silhouette of Hare in the sky, Arsene became like a ferocious hawk, extending its terrifyingly sharp claws and launching itself towards her with incredible speed.
The battle was joined!