Stepping out of the taxi, Ren Amamiya looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar surroundings of Sangen-Jaya.
He instantly felt as if he had returned home, a sense of calm washing over him. He could navigate these streets even with his eyes closed. Even the noisy chatter of pedestrians on the Sangen-Jaya streets sounded like comforting white noise to his ears.
"Did Ren live here before? You seem very familiar with the area," Bronya observed, her silver-gray eyes showing a hint of surprise as she watched Ren confidently weave through the narrow alleys of Sangen-Jaya, moving like a fish in water.
In the taxi, Ren had mistakenly called Sangen-Jaya "Yongen-Jaya," giving the impression he wasn't very familiar with it. Yet, now that they were actually here, he displayed an intense familiarity with the local topography, leading her through small alleys that might not even be marked on a map with clear purpose.
Occasionally, a nostalgic look would flicker in Ren's eyes as he glanced around. The strange conflict between Ren's earlier words and his current actions gave Bronya an inexplicable, unsettling feeling.
"Lived here... I suppose you could say that," Ren replied somewhat vaguely. "We're here. This is Cafe Leblanc." After navigating the familiar path, almost as if it were etched into his DNA, the coffee shop with "Leblanc" written on its sign appeared before him.
Due to its slightly secluded location, Cafe Leblanc didn't have many customers. But thankfully, even with few patrons, it was still open for business, sparing Ren and Bronya a wasted trip.
"...."
Ren's answer was a bit evasive, but Bronya didn't feel the need to press him for details. She silently followed behind Ren. After he took a deep breath and opened the door to Cafe Leblanc, she followed him in.
"Well now, new faces. What can I get for you two?" The sound of the door opening caught the attention of the middle-aged man behind the counter. He looked at Ren and Bronya, raised an eyebrow slightly, and then inquired after the two unfamiliar customers.
The decor of Cafe Leblanc was just as Ren remembered. However, the owner standing behind the counter was quite different from the image in Ren's memory.
This owner wore a blue shirt with a white apron tied in front. He was clean-shaven, looking quite refreshed. Ren could vaguely discern traces of Sojiro Sakura in the man's features.
But this middle-aged man, acting as the owner, was clearly not the "Hierophant" Confidant from Ren's memories—the outwardly gruff but inwardly kind, handsome Sojiro Sakura.
"...I'll have your signature coffee," Ren said after staring at the owner's face for a moment. He only averted his gaze when the middle-aged man, puzzled, touched his own face to check for anything strange and then looked back at Ren with a questioning expression.
The owner of Cafe Leblanc being a stranger was an unexpected development, far beyond Ren's initial assumptions. Questioning the owner now would likely just make him seem like a weirdo and possibly get them kicked out. To be safe, Ren decided to order coffee and sit down, hoping to gather some information by listening to the owner chat with other customers.
"Bronya, what would you like?" After placing his order, Ren turned to Bronya beside him, asking for her preference.
"Bronya will have the same as Ren." Bronya had no particular preference and chose the signature coffee as well.
"Alright, two signature Leblanc coffees coming right up. Feel free to sit wherever you like." After confirming their orders, the middle-aged man busied himself in the back kitchen, preparing his specialty, Leblanc coffee.
While the owner was in the kitchen, Ren, seated in the corner closest to the attic stairs, turned to Bronya, who was across from him, curiously flipping through the menu on the table. "Bronya, I have a favor to ask... Can you use your hacking skills to investigate a few people for me?"
Having Bronya, a world-class hacker, accompanying him turned out to be a huge help. If Ren were alone, he clearly wouldn't be able to investigate others' information so conveniently.
"No problem," Bronya replied, tilting her head slightly, her expression unchanging. "Although the only electronic device Bronya brought is her phone, with Project Bunny assisting, Bronya's phone is sufficient to investigate most individuals in the world." She expertly pulled out her phone.
The air behind her shimmered for an instant, and the transparent figure of Project Bunny 19C flickered into existence like a phantom, clearly ready to begin the search.
"So, who does Ren want Bronya to investigate? The owner of this Cafe Leblanc?" Bronya had noticed the strange way Ren looked at the cafe owner. If Ren wanted to investigate someone, the owner was undoubtedly the prime target.
"That's right. Investigate this owner first, then search for a man named Sojiro Sakura... Oh, and this cafe might be under surveillance by a hacker. Bronya, please be careful." Ren nodded. Recalling that Futaba Sakura had installed surveillance in Cafe Leblanc, he specifically added a warning for Bronya.
Also world-class hackers... I wonder who's better, Bronya or Futaba Sakura? In terms of pure hacking skills, it was hard to say. But in reality, Bronya was likely stronger. After all, Bronya had the surreal advantage of Project Bunny 19C, a cheat Futaba, relying solely on her own brain, couldn't possibly compete against with a quantum computer.
"Bronya has already hacked into Cafe Leblanc's surveillance system and is camouflaging and modifying the footage... Beginning search for Cafe Leblanc owner's personal information..." Bronya's slender, fair fingers danced nimbly across her phone screen, complex strings of data reflecting in her silver-gray eyes.
"Cafe Leblanc Owner: Sogoro Asakura, 33 years old, male, unmarried. Formerly a government civil servant. However, due to reporting injustices suffered by the public to higher authorities, he was pushed out of the government system by dissatisfied superiors. Subsequently opened Cafe Leblanc in Sangen-Jaya and has operated it since..."
"Sojiro Sakura... Seven individuals nationwide with the same name. One residing in Tokyo, age 62... Photos of all seven Sojiro Sakuras have been sent to Ren's personal email."
Bronya processed information with incredible speed. Before the owner in the kitchen could even bring their coffee, she had already completed all the investigations Ren requested.
"Sakura (佐仓) and Asakura (浅仓), Sojiro (惣治郎) and Sogoro (惣五郎)..." Ren mused. "That similarity is quite concerning." Not only were the names and clothing styles similar, but even their past experiences bore a striking resemblance.
Though the full picture wasn't clear, the overwhelming overlap between Sogoro Asakura and Sojiro Sakura made Ren's heart sink slightly, a bad premonition forming.
Ren took out his phone and opened his email to view the seven photos Bronya had sent. The more he looked, the heavier his heart became. Among the seven Sojiro Sakuras nationwide, the one identical to his memory... simply didn't exist!! Every face in the photos was completely unfamiliar to Ren.
"Continue investigating," Ren's hands slowly clenched, his lips pressed into a thin line. He gave Bronya the list of the next individuals to search for: "Names are Tae Takemi, Ann Takamaki, Makoto Niijima, Haru Okumura, Sakura... no, Futaba Isshiki."
"...Information on individuals with the same name has been sent to Ren's personal email." Bronya's efficiency remained swift. She quickly transmitted all collected information to Ren.
Flipping through the photos Bronya sent, Ren's expression grew increasingly grim. Not her, not her, still not her... Not a single familiar face among the photos Bronya had gathered.
It was as if... as if... the Phantom Thieves of Hearts [PHANTOM] and their Confidants had never existed in this world from the very beginning!!
Of those who should have been members of the Phantom Thieves, only Ren, their leader, truly existed in this world. Even beyond the Phantom Thieves members, all traces of their Confidants' existence had been completely erased...
Ren's situation in this world was clearly not as simple as he initially thought. His understanding of this world was flawed, mistaken. As a merged world, not just P5, this world had already undergone resets and cycles without his knowledge. But no one ever said this world had only experienced one cycle and reset.
A world where the Phantom Thieves of Hearts [PHANTOM] had vanished...
Even though he knew he was the prophesied Trickster who would bring about revolution, overthrow the false god, save the world, and prevent the apocalypse, the false god Yaldabaoth remained completely indifferent to his existence.
Not only did Yaldabaoth not try to eliminate him, but he even bestowed upon Ren, the Trickster, certain gifts, teaching him the mysterious martial art known as the Sword Ki of Taixuan...
Yaldabaoth's strange attitude, not hostile but almost ambiguously friendly...
All these factors, these scattered and broken pieces of information, rapidly pieced themselves together in Ren's mind, forming a complete picture. After eliminating all impossibilities, whatever remained, however improbable, must be the truth.
Could it be... this world has already been reset, and is now in a New Game Plus state... and it's the Accomplice Ending New Game Plus, where I sided with the false god?!
Ren sucked in a sharp breath, his scalp tingling at his own audacious hypothesis.
If this was the Accomplice Ending New Game Plus, then the bizarre disappearance of the Phantom Thieves members from their very roots, their erasure from public consciousness, and Yaldabaoth's strange attitude towards him would all make sense.
As a pseudo-god level entity, Yaldabaoth would undoubtedly retain memories from before the world reset.
In the Accomplice Ending, only Ren, the protagonist, definitively survived, maintaining a twisted, cooperative coexistence with the derisive false god, continuing to reform distorted individuals in society as a Phantom Thief. The fate of the other Phantom Thieves members was never mentioned in that ending.
It was perfectly understandable that after the world reset, Yaldabaoth wouldn't want to repeat the original game. It wasn't impossible that he chose to completely erase the existence of the Phantom Thieves members, along with their Confidants, from public awareness right from the start.
Only Ren, the true Trickster who had reached a certain degree of cooperation with the false god, was spared, retaining his existence in the new world.
"One last person, Bronya. Help me search for information on one last individual... His name is Takuto Maruki, he's a psychologist..."
Takuto Maruki. Though a Confidant of the Phantom Thieves, he was also their enemy. Of course, if this was the Accomplice Ending New Game Plus, the relationship between the Phantom Thieves and Maruki clearly wouldn't have developed to an adversarial state.
Maruki possessed exceptionally strong potential as a Persona user.
In the real world, he could use his initially awakened Persona power to rewrite others' cognition. After awakening his Persona during the world overlap, he even inherited Yaldabaoth's authority. Though it was a hand-me-down, pseudo-god level authority wasn't something just anyone could pick up.
Maruki's Persona was Azathoth, the most powerful Outer God in the Cthulhu Mythos. If it was him, perhaps he had a chance of surviving Yaldabaoth's great purge...
I miss you, Maruki-sensei!! Although Maruki's Persona Azathoth was incredibly bizarre and ominous, its strength was undeniable. Even if they eventually became enemies, Maruki could clearly be a powerful ally in the fight against the false god attempting to enslave and destroy humanity.
Watching Ren, his brow deeply furrowed, his gaze intensely serious as if he'd thought of something crucial, Bronya didn't interrupt his train of thought. She silently followed his instructions, searching for information on "Takuto Maruki."
However, this time, let alone Takuto Maruki the psychologist, there was no one named Takuto Maruki in all of Japan.
Seeing Bronya silently shake her head, Ren's gaze grew even more profound. Even Maruki-sensei didn't escape... directly erased from public consciousness by the false god...?
Ren fell into a deep silence. It wasn't until Sogoro Asakura, the owner of Cafe Leblanc, approached with two steaming cups of coffee that the silent atmosphere at Ren and Bronya's table was broken.
"Sorry for the wait. Two signature Leblanc coffees. Is there anything else you need?" Sogoro placed the two cups gently on the table, his gaze towards the two customers who insisted on sitting in the most secluded corner appearing slightly odd.
"...Could I borrow your kitchen to brew a coffee myself? Of course, I'll pay." Taking a sip of the fragrant Leblanc coffee, Ren's eyes brightened slightly. Sogoro Asakura's Leblanc coffee was delicious, and it had sparked a sudden idea in Ren's mind.
If I really am in a New Game Plus, could my body still retain the instinctive memory of how to make Leblanc coffee? Ren felt it was worth a try.
Even though he was already in a coffee shop and had even tasted the coffee brewed there, Ren suddenly expressed a desire to brew it himself. For a cafe owner who made a living from his coffee-brewing skills, Ren's sudden whim was almost like an insult, implying his coffee wasn't good.
However, just as Sogoro's brow began to furrow, the thick wad of Yukichi Fukuzawa banknotes Ren held out to him made his frown smooth out into acceptance.
"You don't need to pay that much. Just the cost of the ingredients is fine. Of course, you'll have to compensate if you break any equipment." Sogoro hesitated for a moment before finally pushing Ren's outstretched hand down, giving him some resigned instructions.
Standing before the coffee machine in the kitchen area, Ren took a deep breath, cleared his mind, and, relying purely on instinct and inspiration, selected the coffee beans. He then began to operate the machine.
"...."
Watching Ren busy himself in the kitchen, Sogoro's brow twitched, an expression of someone unable to watch further crossing his face. As a professional, Ren's purely inspiration-driven, layman approach made him cringe.
However, to prevent Ren from accidentally damaging his coffee equipment, Sogoro had no choice but to keep a close eye on Ren's clumsy movements.
"Done... Let's have a taste." Pouring the coffee from the French press into a cup, Ren lifted it with some anticipation and took a small sip. Then, his expression unchanging, he put the cup back down.
So bitter... It wasn't undrinkable, but it definitely needed a lot more sugar. So, I didn't inherit the experience and skills for coffee making after all...
"Honestly, you'll have to pay for those wasted coffee beans..." Sogoro sighed, rubbing his forehead, then took the opportunity to promote his desserts to Ren and Bronya. "With a technique like yours, you'll only make bitter and astringent coffee. Since you don't seem to want to waste it, how about some dessert to go with it?"
"For dessert, Bronya will have this..." Bronya picked up the menu from the table, scanned it briefly, and quickly selected her target. "Boss, one order of pancakes, please," she said, pointing to the pancake picture on the menu.
"Pancakes, huh? Feels a bit unlucky... or maybe, a bit lucky?" Ren returned to his seat, holding his coffee cup and the French press. Hearing Bronya's order, a subtle expression crossed his face.
"Did I hear someone talking about pancakes?" The mention of pancakes always brought to mind the Pancake Man whose failure was completely exposed because of pancakes. As the sound of a door opening was heard, Ren even thought he hallucinated the Pancake Man's voice.
"Ren, do you know them?" Ren was somewhat distracted, sipping the Leblanc coffee Sogoro had served earlier, not paying attention to the two figures approaching from the entrance. It wasn't until Bronya's calm voice prompted him that Ren looked up at the newcomers.
"Pancakes—ah, no, Akechi?!"
A young man with brown hair and brown eyes, wearing a beige coat and black trousers, entered Ren's vision. The familiar, mask-like, uncomfortable fake smile made Ren almost spit out his coffee.
The moniker "Pancake Man" nearly slipped out. Gazing at Goro Akechi, who looked exactly as he remembered, Ren's eyes widened in astonishment.
"You remember me? Why are you still here in this new world?" Goro Akechi, making an unexpected appearance at Cafe Leblanc, walked purposefully towards Ren, clearly retaining his recognition and memories of him.
Anyone else would have been fine, but of all people, only Goro Akechi still exists and remembers the past? This made Ren feel very uncomfortable.
"And who is this person next to you?" Ren shifted his gaze, slightly irked, from Akechi to his companion who had entered Cafe Leblanc with him.
It was a girl with smooth, long gray hair and emerald green eyes, one of which was covered by a monocle. She wore a grayish-beige English-style trench coat and black shorts, revealing well-toned, fair legs. At first glance, one might mistake her for a handsome young man due to her androgynous, spirited appearance.
For some reason, although Ren had never seen this gray-haired girl dressed like a detective before, he found her figure strangely familiar.