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The thing with soulmates is that it's not always romantic, or even a good thing. Ren's parents were proof that of that, but it wasn't like they really tried hard to fix their relationship. Up until he transfers to Shujin and meet Ryuji and Ann, Ren thought there was nothing good about soulmates. That fate tying to someone who would be important to you was never a good thing. People love to say how fate is just letting you know that person in important, but it's up to you to figure out how and what that bond mean. Ren thought he was lucky to be one of the many in his small town who never ran into their soulmate.
The problem with soulmates is that there was no mark or sign of who they were, beside a light tug. People claim it gets stronger the better you get to know your soulmate, and some even claim that after years of marriage they are able to share dreams and some thoughts. Ren wasn't sure how often that happened since in his hometown the only people who claimed that was a set of twins who were in their 90s. The one thing about soulmates that got Ren's interest was the rumors about how there was a way to break them. But people who did so would be dammed to repeat their days until it was healed.
And unlike the dream sharing thing, no one claimed to done that. Ren's parents weren't happy when he tried asking why they never tried to broke their bond, and that was over five years ago. Ren decided not to think about the soulmate thing since.
Which is why Ren didn't think much about it when Ann went into the car, and he could feel her leaving, or later in the castle when Ryuji was able to follow him without a word. There was just too much other things going on, and both Ryuji and Ann were just bright people it was obvious why he would pay more attention to them.
Despite already know Ann and Shiho were soulmates of him, Ryuji didn't noticed anything different until after Ann joined and they decided to steal Kamoshida's heart. Ann was the one to casually asked on the roof top if Ren was soulmates with Ryuji and Shiho as well.
It was rare to having more than one soulmate, but not unheard of. Three people all being soulmates with each other was common enough that Ren knew one since troupe in his small hometown, but more common was one person having two soulmates, and though other soulmates not being the same.
So Ann didn't look too disappointed when Ren said that he wasn't sure about Shiho, and mostly teased him for not noticing that Ann and Ryuji were soulmates of him. Ren did still see the sower in her eyes though, but didn't say anything.
Yusuke apparently knew as soon as he tracked Ann down to be his muse. Once again Ren didn't noticed until talking with Ann and Ryuji later, and didn't feel that tug himself until they were leading Yusuke out of Madarame's palace.
All three times, Ren couldn't confidently say he noticed the tug of his soulmates until after he formed a confidant with them. It was easier to see how Ryuji, Ann, and Yusuke were different from his other confidant one he started meeting enough people to notice.
Then he met Akechi Goro and knew as soon as they shock hands that he was another soulmate.
It was the first time Ren noticed before the others, and while Yusuke wasn't there with them, the fact that Ryuji and Ann noticed someone when he tried talking to them about pancakes made Ren think they were soulmates with him as well. It was the first time Ren was soulmates with someone not part of the phantom thieves, but it didn't bother him at first. He didn't want to scare Akechi off by asking if he wanted to meet with them as a group, and it turned out he was right to wait when Makoto joined a few weeks later.
They talked about soulmates during one of their hangouts before heading into Kaneshiro's palace, and Makoto brought up that she was also soulmates with Akechi. Found out almost two years ago when they first went to the same cram school. It took Makoto weeks to bring it up with him, and he presided to shut down any attempted of friendship, saying that he had no use of soulmates.
Ann and Ryuji complained about that, but Ren couldn't. He thought the same thing before coming to Tokyo, and he knew their group was not the norm. He got lucky with Ann, Ryuji, Yusuke, and Makoto. He even forget Morgana wasn't soulmates with them for how easily he fits into the group, and how the cat's ears get pinned back whenever they talk about soulmates or if the fact both Ryuji and Ren had the same dream mean it was dream sharing or not.
Ren ended up being the only one to hang out with Akechi, and in some ways he preferred it. He liked hanging out with everyone one on one, and Akechi was no difference. Yet, there was also something Akechi was hiding, and Ren felt like he needed to know what that was before letting the other attempt to get to know the other.
It took months, but Ren did find out what Akechi was hiding. By that time it was too late. A mad dash to figure out how to trick him, how to get Ren to survive, and it took all of his effort to just keep his head above water. They got a plan, but then they weren't able to ignore the soulmate issue anymore. Ren never talked to Akechi about soulmates, and there was a small chance it was only one sided, but if it wasn't, then Akechi would be able to tell that Ren was still alive.
They weren't able to come up with a better plan. Ren was almost curtain after his fight with Akechi that he could feel that same tug that Ren could, but either brought it up. Ren didn't want to worried the others, and didn't mention it when they agreed to go through with the plan.
It worked.
It took Ren a few days to really come to terms of that. They had the name of who Akechi worked for, and everyone thought Ren was dead. It worked even better then they hoped for, which made no sense. There was no doubt that Akechi was soulmates with Ren, and should be able to tell that Ren wasn't dead.
It lead Ren pushing maybe more than he should to get the thieves to finished Shido's palace. They needed to change Shido heart and then could figure out what to do about Akechi later.
Going into the metaverse always made their soulbond more noticeable. Which was great when they were fighting. Ren could tell where everyone was, and so, he was never worried that Akechi would show up while they were there. He was able to notice him so easily in the real world, and in the metaverse it was like he knew exactly where he was at all times. He knew they were on a time limit before Akechi figures out their plan, but as they walked out with the last letter in their hand, Ren honestly thought they made it.
Then Crow jumped down in front of them.
Ren didn't notice the tug from their soulbond until they started fighting. Whatever Akechi did to hide himself from Oracle, also hid his soulbond. Ren didn't know if it was the same for the others, but there was no time to ask. Akechi was going all out, and Ren had to swap members out to keep four people up at a time.
Then Akechi fell, his other persona Loki disappeared, and Ren felt like there was a chance. Everyone tried their best to convince Akechi to stop, help them change Shido's heart, but then-
Three gun shots.
One that Ren thought was a fake out before the bunk hull door fell.
The second and third right after another, and Ren couldn't feel the tug from Akechi on the other side. It wasn't gone like when he was too far away or hiding it. It just fell limp after promising to hold on to his glove.
"Akechi?!" Someone yelled.
Someone else banged on the bunk hull door standing in their way and cursed.
Ren just was holding his breath. Waiting for Akechi to say something, for that tug to come back for…
"I… I lost his signal. Only the weaklings remain," Futaba said in a shaky voice.
Ren felt like he couldn't breath. There was no way he was just… gone. He only just heard that voice in his head that reminded him of the velvet room yet didn't sound like anyone in there that told him their bond was now a blood oath. There was no way that Akechi, the black mask, the detective that tried to kill him, would just die like that.
"Oracle, is there any other way to get to him," Ren said, cutting through whatever the others were saying.
"N-nothing that showed up on the maps. We could try to backtrack and try to find a vent or window along the side to climb through but…"
It would be too late. Futaba couldn't feel Akechi and while Ren could, it felt wrong. Ren didn't know how long someone could be unconscious on the floor before even a Samarecarm couldn't help, but they didn't have time to find another path that may not even exist.
"Joker, we need to go. The security is getting too high for us to hang out in the open like this," Makoto reminded him, even though she made no move to leave.
"There has to be something," Ren said as he tried to think.
Looking around with his third eye showed nothing. No switch or vent. Ren kept looking even with a timer on his back.
What they needed was more time. Which was something they just didn't have.
Ren tried his best to mental poke at their now blood oath of a soulbond, but nothing changed. He wished that he took the chance to talk to Akechi about being soulmates. Maybe then he would have known sooner, figure out why Akechi was working for Shido sooner. As it was, their soulbond was worthless. Ren believe they would have reached this same end even if they weren't soulmates, so what was even the point? Why be tied together by fate or god or whatever if it wasn't enough to save him?
For a moment as Ren desperately looked for some way to get to Akechi, he wished they weren't soulmates. That he couldn't tell Akechi was there on the other side, limp and unresponsive. Maybe even dead. Ren heard that soulbond fade over time when their soulmate died. A slow thing that Ren wants nothing to do with.
He would rather brake it off himself that live tied to someone who didn't want anything to do with it.
And just like that, Ren remembered what his parents said when he asked why they didn't brake their soulbond. How you would be cursed to relive that day. Usually Ren wouldn't think much about that phase, but they were in the metaverse, in the cognitive world where model guns were enough to shoot bullets and they could heal with magic.
"Do you think that phase that you will relive a day if you brake your soulbond is true?" Ren asked, still turned away from his team, but he didn't need to see them to know they were now all looking at him.
"Uh, isn't that just something people say to explain why they are still hanging out with their soulmate even when they hate their guts?" Ryuji said slowly, and Ren forced himself to stop looking for a way through the other side.
There was nothing in the hall, and Ren either had to leave and find another way or…
"But it's a pretty common superstition. Joker, are you thinking even if that's not true in real life, we might be able to use peoples cognition of that to make it real?" Makoto asked, effortless figuring out what Ren was hoping was a plan and not just a waste of time.
He just nodded, trying to figure out how one even broke a soulbond. He always thought he would have to do it before meeting everyone, but now that he needed to, he hesitated.
"Wait, if we relive the day then we can stop that fake Akechi before he ambushes us!"
Ren didn't want to brake off his soulbond with Akechi. He liked having it even if Akechi never wanted to talk about it. But if it was between that comfort and Akechi's life, than the choice was easy. He just needed to gather his will and do it. Cast it aside and-
"Akechi Goro. You betrayed the Phantom Thieves, attempted to kill our leader, killed my father and countless others under the order of you father. The harm you have done to myself and those I care about is too much, and I now denounced you as a soulmate and forever brake any connection between us."
Ren turned away from the bunk hull to face Noir who was standing blank face at the sheet of metal. It was that carefully controlled blank face that Ren was a little too familiar with, the one used to cover any emotions that was too much to feel at the moment. Ren had just enough time to blink absentmindedly at Haru, wondering how he never noticed that she was also soulmates with Akechi, when suddenly his vision swirled.
Bang.
Ren felt like he blinked again and was staring Akechi, gun out and smoking, with a look of shock under his broken mask before the sound of metal joined the alarms that were going off.
"What-?" Akechi said just out just in time for the bunk hull doors to come crashing down.
Ren almost got his feet smashed in his mad dash over, but he was still too late.
"Akechi!"
This time Ren was the one yelling and hitting the door. They were so close. Ren just took too long to react.
"What the hell did you do?!" Akechi yelled from the other side, and once again Ren was looking around.
Maybe he missed something before. Maybe there was a way to get to Akechi…
"We're trying to save your ass!" Ryuji yelled right along with Ren, but then he heard Akechi inhale, followed by a gun shot.
Just one. Not two like last time.
"Wow. I feel like I should thank you for distracting him so thoroughly there, not that there was any other way of it ending. The Captain gets what he wants after all," The fake Akechi said, and Ren felt his blood go cold.
The tug was limp again. Just for a moment it was just as strong as when Ren made his promise to change Shido's heart for Akechi, and then gone once more.
"Shut up! There is no way we are going to let that bastard get away with this," Ryuji yelled before turning to the group, "Okay, so we just need to tell Akechi we don't want to be soulmates anymore, then get his ass before the door falls right?"
Right. Everyone but Morgana and maybe Futaba were soulmates with Akechi. That gave them five more changes to get this right.
"Then Akechi… you suck. I get that your father is a piece of shit, but that doesn't give you the right to mess up so many people's lives! So… we're no longer soulmates, get it!" Ryuji yelled at the door, and Ren pulled out his grappling hock to get ready for any change.
But nothing happened.
"Uh… did I not do it right?" Ryuji asked as he turned back to the group, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.
"I don't know, Noir's speech is a pretty hard act to follow," Oracle said, and before Ren could think of trying himself, Yusuke steeped up.
"Then let me attempt to brake it. Akechi, while I do acknowledge that the path you went down was once any of us could have ended on had we been alone, I can not forgive the egregious acts you have committed in the name of vengeance against your father. Hiding your emotions behind a mask and not letting me sketch you when it crack is something I can never forgive. We are no longer soulmates!" Yusuke yelled, dramatically spreading his arms out as he finished.
There was hardly a pause before his vision changed to his hand banning on the bunk hull door, a yell in his throat before it was interrupted with a bang.
"Wow. I feel like-"
"What the F? That didn't even go back to before Crow shot the door down!"
Ryuji was right. They hardly even went back a few minutes, but when Haru broke her bond with Akechi, they wasted much more time. It wasn't just a set amount of time they go back for. It was either random or something else determined how much of the day they repeat.
"Maybe Fox didn't do it right?" Ann hesitantly asked, and Yusuke said something that got interrupted by Futaba.
"It could be that we never developed our soulbond with Crow like with each other. Most of the studies done on broken soulmates were on people who were together for years, and never tried ignoring it," Futaba said, typing away like she was looking for something.
"Do you think I had a stronger bond with Crow than Fox did?" Haru asked with a frown, like she didn't like that idea.
Ren wondered if she really hated the idea of having a soulbond with her father's murderer, why she wanted until now to brake it. All of them would have understood, and he doubted Akechi would have said anything if she did it after Ren was captured and assumed dead.
"Soulmates aren't always a good thing. I think Noir had stronger feelings about Crow than Fox, even if they were negative," Ren said, and tried not to overreact to the look Noir gave him.
It also mean that Ren should be able to go back further than Haru if he was to brake it. A clear fix to their problem, and yet Ren couldn't open his mouth. Maybe he was just worried it wouldn't do anything like with Ryuji, but it wasn't that.
"I don't know if I can," Ren admitted when he noticed everyone looking at him.
He wasn't sure if it was the blood oath, or just Ren not waiting to lose that connect to Akechi even if it mean saving it, but it felt like trying to place his hands in a flame. His mind was just screaming at him not to.
Thankfully no one seemed to question it, only talk among themselves who would between them were closer to Akechi. Futaba was silent, and Ren wasn't sure why she was hesitating so much. He knew she had a soulbond with Akechi, and didn't seem to mind until they found out he was luckily the black mask. Ren honestly thought she gotten rid of it since she said it 'no longer mattered' after Ren escaped his attempted assassination. But if that was the case she could have brought it up.
"I can try. While I can't say we were close, I have known him for over two years now," Makoto ended up saying before steeping up.
"Crow…no, Akechi. Since I found out you were working with my sister, you became a measuring stick. For both myself and sis. Someone my age who was top of their class, going to the same cram school as me, but also had a impressive internship and my sister's respect? I envied you so much. That Sae was willing to stay late and get dinner with you but unwilling to even attempt coming home on time to eat with me. I was almost happy to find out it was all a lie. That you weren't as perfect as my sister seemed to think. And now…
"I use to wonder why you didn't want to even talk about the fact we were soulmates. I had no friends, and I know you didn't either. Now knowing that you were working with Shido, I wondered how much of it was you not wanting any time of weakness that he could exploit or just you thinking you were too good for me. It didn't matter either way. I don't want to be soulmates with any longer."
Ren got mentally ready to grab his grappling hock as his vision swilled. He wasn't sure what his plan was, just that he needed to get to Akechi.
The heard the sound of a gun shot before his vision cleared and Ren waited no time in getting ready when he saw the bunk hull door wasn't down yet. His third eye spotted something glinting behind the cognition of Akechi and the small horde of shadows, and that was enough for a plan to form.
"Queen, you're in charge until I'm back," was Ren's only warning before he pulled the trigger.
He's never tried picking someone up while swinging on his hock, but it was easy enough following that tug to Akechi. It wasn't as graceful as he was expecting, and was more like Ren smacked into him than pick him up. thankfully Akechi didn't try to attack him, and even held on with his gantlets digging into his shoulders as they rose up and over the shadows.
"What is wrong with you?"
Ren just laughed, his joint protesting the extra weight, but it didn't matter. Akechi was alive, and he was going to keep it that way.
"Get ready to run once we land, Oracle, do you have any routes for us?"
"I knew you were doing to do something like this. There are some vents you can take to escape the shadows, but it's going to take a while for us to meet back up."
Ren figured it would be something like that considering how Oracle wasn't able to find a path to Akechi before. It wasn't going to be easy fining a safe place in the palace, none of them were in any shape for another fight, but at least now they had some space.
He didn't even have time to respond to Futaba before they landed, and if Ren thought picking up Akechi as less graceful than he was expecting, it had nothing on their landing. Akechi's feet hit first, but Ren still had his arm around his wast and wasn't expecting the sudden stop in momentum. It was enough to make Ren stumble and almost fall if it wasn't for Akechi who was still grabbing him. He had a moment to look at Akechi's still broken helmet before the sound of shadows running toward him broke the moment.
Akechi let go just in time for Ren to grab his hand.
"Run!"
Akechi stumbled a bit, but was able to meet Ren's fast pace without any issues.
"You should have just left me."
"What kind of people would we be if we just abandon our soulmate?" Ren said more as a joke than anything, but realized his mistake even before he spotted the vent Futaba mentioned.
"Correct me if I'm wrong, since getting shot in the head three times might have blurred my memories, but isn't that what you all did? Cast away any tie to me."
Akechi didn't sound angry. maybe it was because he was still tired from their fight and now running, or from his earlier breakdown. It made Ren worried either way. He didn't want the first time they really talked about them being soulmates to turn out like this.
"We did it to save you," Ren said with a frown, looking back at the shadows that were almost close enough to transform into their true forms before climbing into the vent.
There was a moment were Ren was worried that Akechi wouldn't follow. That he would take this chance as a way to break away, or worst, try to meet his fate in the form of the mob of shadows charging them. But he heard clack of metal following him not long after.
"It was the only thing we could think of. Oracle couldn't find any way to get to the other side of the bunk hull, so we make time."
"And I'm sure it was such a hard decision to make. Breaking the bond tying you to a murderer," Ren heard Akechi scoffed from behind.
"It wasn't an easy decision. Don't you think if it was just about no longer being soulmates with you, everyone would have done it sooner?" Ren told Akechi the very same thing he's been wondering.
And like Ren, Akechi didn't have an answer to it.
"There's two shadows patrolling up ahead," Akechi said just as Ren got out of the vent, giving him just enough time to couch for cover.
Ren waited until Akechi joined him in hiding, and for one of the shadows to pass before asking, "How did you know there was shadows there?"
They were around the corner, and Ren's third eye usually doesn't let him see through walls.
"You honestly think I wouldn't pick up some navigation abilities after exploring on my own for almost three years?" Akechi bit out in a hiss, making Ren think for just a moment there was a risk of getting bitten.
"What do you mean you picked up some navigation abilities? Is having two personas not enough for you?!" Oracle yelled in their heads, followed but the muttered by some of the others, but Ren cut them off.
"Oracle, hows our positioning?"
"It seems like the only way back to the areas we already explore is for you two to get back to the deck. I can't see any path on my end, but it doesn't seem like there are as many shadows."
"Shido doesn't think much of maintenance, this area of the palace is not as developed as the rest of the ship," Akechi said, leaning over Ren like he wasn't one hit away from needing a Samarecarm.
Or that he died three times.
"Sorry it took us so long to get to you," Ren said once the path ahead of them looked clear, and Akechi followed in step.
"I will consider accepting your apology provide it that you never do that again."
Ren laughed even though he didn't think Akechi was joking. He was still running on empty and the adrenaline from getting to Akechi.
"As long as you don't try to sacrifice yourself like that, then sure. I can agree to those terms."
Ren spotted the angry face Akechi made just before he lashed out and grabbed the back of his coat.
"Shadow in coming," Akechi hissed in his ear before dragging them both to the wall to hid, and Ren let him.
A quick look with his third eye showed the shadow walking past muttered about hearing something glowing a bright red. Too strong for Akechi and Ren to deal with alone, even if they were in top shape. Maybe. Either way, they both just waited crouched in the shadows for it to pass.
Then Ren nodded to Akechi and continued their way back up to the higher levels.
"I didn't sacrifice myself to save you and your little friends just on a whim You promised to change Fa-Shido's heart. There was just no other way that you were able to to fight your way out of all those shadows."
"Sure," Ren said, and did not bring up the fact that Akechi only made him promise that after the bunk hull was separating them.
From the look Akechi gave him, Ren didn't need to, but he wasn't done talking yet.
"…but now that you are here, are you going to help us steal his heart?"
Akechi stooped following him, and Ren noticed only a second too late. There was no shadows around from what he noticed, and there were windows of the side that wasn't underwater. they were almost at deck level.
"You really… even after everything you still want me on your team?"
"We asked you before you got shot. And Noir, Fox, and Queen didn't brake their soulbond with you because they wanted you out of their lives, but because we were trying to bring you back into it. So, if you were hoping to redeem yourself in your final moments, then start with working with us to stop Shido," Ren said, holding out his hand for Akechi.
He hesitated for just a moment, looking down at his hand in shock before leaning forward, arm tight against his stomach. Ren had enough time to take a step forward, worried Akechi was about to collapse on him, before he heard the laughter.
"Really?! That's how you are choosing to see all this? You really are a sentimental fool. But…"Akechi said as he calmed down and straightened up, "I suppose you would change Shido's heart regardlessly of my involvement. And there is no way I am going to let you do that as long as I'm still breathing."
With that Akechi grabbed his hand even though he dropped it from the handshake long before.
"Good. I wouldn't have it any other way," Ren said with a grin as he quickly gave a shake, one that Akechi matched.
He held their hands together for a little longer than what was needed for their new deal. He almost expected to hear he formed a new confidant, or maybe a different arcane, but all he felt was the strong bond of their soulbond and Justice.
"Now what do you say we drop off a letter?" Ren said as soon as Akechi let go, tilting his head to one of the window that they should be able to climb out of as a shortcut.
It was something he wouldn't dare try with the rest of the team needing to follow, but with just Akechi it would be fine.
"Gave up trying find another way up did you," Akechi muttered as he walked over, and instead of trying to open the window like Ren was able to, he just punched it.
The glass shattered like ice on a windshield, and Akechi back up with a bow.
"After you, Joker."
There wasn't any clear way up, but Ren didn't want to contact Futaba and distract her from helping the others get back. Not to mention there was a clear challenge in Akechi's voice.
"See you on the deck Crow," Ren said with a grin as he managed to get his grabbing hock to hit hallway up, and had no worried about Akechi following him up.