It was now after school.
Many students at Chiba Academy, a school with vast grounds, were still engaged in club activities, energetically sweating it out on the expansive sports field.
The lively, bustling scene, though noisy, filled Ren Amamiya, fresh from the desolate, Shadow-infested otherworld, with a sense of comfort and ease. He closed his eyes, basking in the warmth of the setting sun, and stretched contentedly.
"Good thing the food delivery app has my address saved. If I head out now, I should be able to make it home before dark."
Ren pulled out his phone, inputting his home address from the delivery app into the navigation software, preparing to head back for some much-needed rest.
This wasn't a case of Morgana or Hare thinking he was tired. After exploring Mementos, Ren genuinely felt exhausted.
Chiba Academy, being a prestigious school, covered a large area. As Ren followed the navigation's guidance towards the school gates...
...he noticed a group of girls gathered in the shadows of a building, their demeanor aggressive. They were surrounding a lone girl with long, dark purple hair, who stood in the center looking utterly lost and helpless, clutching the edges of her skirt, her head bowed low.
Clearly, a case of school bullying was unfolding.
The girls weren't particularly hidden; others besides Ren had noticed them. But the passing students merely glanced at the scene with indifference before continuing on their way, chatting and laughing as if nothing was amiss. No one seemed inclined to intervene.
Ren's gaze fixed on the bullied purple-haired girl. Even in this distressed state, her pink lips pressed tightly together, an air of elegance and nobility still clung to her, suggesting she came from a wealthy background.
However, as the girls surrounding her continued their relentless verbal assault, their words laced with malice, the purple-haired girl, standing stubbornly like a lotus flower, paled visibly. Her slender figure slumped further, the noble air around her dimming as if about to be trampled into the mud and dust.
Ren's brow furrowed slightly.
Just as he took a step forward, intending to eavesdrop and see what was being said...
...his vision blurred momentarily, and the world around him suddenly dimmed.
Only the bullied purple-haired girl, as if standing at the center of the world, remained in vivid color.
And now, the purple-haired girl's expression transformed completely, shedding the earlier meekness and helplessness. Instead, she radiated a sharp, powerful aura, as potent and intimidating as a lightning strike.
Like a haughty queen looking down from her throne, an expression of offended anger flashed across her exquisite face, her amethyst eyes fixed intensely on the girls bullying her.
A chilling voice, as if emanating from the abyss, echoed directly in Ren's ears, resonating within this black-and-white world only he could see.
["Just you wait, you insignificant mortals. Your insolence will only serve as fuel for my revival. When I fully awaken, you lowly beings will die begging for forgiveness amidst your tears!!"]
The illusion-like vision vanished in a flash.
When Ren blinked again, the silent black-and-white world was gone.
The purple-haired girl's arrogant fury was replaced once more with timidity and meekness.
Anyone else would have dismissed what they'd just seen and heard as a hallucination.
But Ren, the Phantom Thief, knew what he'd witnessed wasn't an illusion. He had undeniably caught a glimpse of another world—her Palace.
"What incredible luck," Ren thought. I was just worrying about what to do if Hare couldn't find a Palace, and the moment I step outside, I bump into a Palace leader.
As a Persona user, what Ren had glimpsed was clearly a vision of the purple-haired girl's Palace and the other her—the Palace leader—residing within.
Realizing he'd encountered a rare, wild Palace leader, Ren's gaze towards the purple-haired girl changed completely.
Generally, a person's Shadow—their true self without any masks—would reveal their most genuine, often distorted, desires and personality.
This purple-haired girl's situation was incredibly interesting. Her Shadow was an arrogant, domineering queen, while her real-world self meekly endured bullying, showing no desire to fight back. This clearly defied logic.
Being able to suppress the vengeful impulses of her true self and withstand the malicious bullying...
Her real-world self and inner self are in a starkly contrasting, distorted state.
Ren sensed an enticing "Confidant aroma" emanating from this beautiful, elegant purple-haired girl.
Although a Palace had formed within her, her distorted desires hadn't begun to harm others yet, only tormenting herself. And based on the harsh words spoken by her Shadow, it might not even be fully formed yet. After all, the Shadow Ren saw wore the same clothes as the real-world girl, lacking any unique attire.
This kind of Palace leader perfectly matched Ren's criteria.
If he could build a relationship with this purple-haired girl, he could gain access to her Palace—free food, free shelter, an entire army of Shadow guards, and a safe base to grind levels in Mementos!
I just hope this stranger's Palace is a bit more... hospitable, Ren thought. Please, don't be like Futaba's pyramid tomb, forcing me to trek across a scorching desert just to enter.
Ideally, it would be a modern, climate-controlled, self-sufficient, comfortable Palace.
To prevent the Shadow within the purple-haired girl from fully forming, twisting her heart and escalating this cruel bullying into something far worse...
Ren Amamiya decided to intervene!
Rescuing a bullied girl was his duty!
[The bullies will be dealt with.]