Maruki hummed, arms crossing loosely over his chest as he considered her words. His hair, already a mess from the battle, stuck out at odd angles, but he made no effort to fix it. Instead, his thoughts churned over the implications.
Hamuko’s unique connection with Death... That had to be part of it, right?
“That might be one of the many reasons,” he mused, nodding slightly. “Your bond with Death isn’t just a concept—it’s tangible. A presence that’s been with you since your awakening.” His fingers tapped idly against his arm. “It makes sense that Thanatos would feel… different.”
He let out a slow breath, tilting his head in thought.
With the Persona cards he possessed, he’d never quite felt that same shift in energy that she described. That feeling of a subtle nudge in a different direction. Of something influencing the way a person moved and acted in battle.
Which… made sense, when he really thought about it.
The Personas he called upon—they weren’t Shadows. They were demons. Beings pulled from the depths of the collective unconscious and shaped into something he could wield.
Right?
But she did have multiple personas so...?
Still, he wasn’t about to make any sweeping assumptions.
“I could be wrong, of course,” he added with a small, thoughtful shrug. “Might be worth clarifying with Katsuya-san at some point.”
His fingers found their way back to his hair, running through it as he exhaled, this time in something closer to amusement.
“You know, Messiah caught my attention too,” he admitted. “But considering the… trend of Personas I’ve seen from others in our position, I expected the worst. Usually.”
Because when you’re stuck in a place like this, Personas that represented hope or salvation usually came with a price.
He let the thought linger for a moment before something else clicked in his mind—an angle he hadn’t quite considered yet.
His expression shifted, curiosity flickering behind his eyes.
“...Does Death feel like that?” His tone was different now. Less shaken. More intrigued. A clinical, almost detached interest coloring his words.
“Like a release? A severance from the weight of living?” His gaze flickered over their surroundings. The quiet hum of the forest. The strange, peaceful dissonance of this place.
“Or is it more... tranquil?” He gestured vaguely around them. “Like this?”
no subject
Hamuko’s unique connection with Death... That had to be part of it, right?
“That might be one of the many reasons,” he mused, nodding slightly. “Your bond with Death isn’t just a concept—it’s tangible. A presence that’s been with you since your awakening.” His fingers tapped idly against his arm. “It makes sense that Thanatos would feel… different.”
He let out a slow breath, tilting his head in thought.
With the Persona cards he possessed, he’d never quite felt that same shift in energy that she described. That feeling of a subtle nudge in a different direction. Of something influencing the way a person moved and acted in battle.
Which… made sense, when he really thought about it.
The Personas he called upon—they weren’t Shadows. They were demons. Beings pulled from the depths of the collective unconscious and shaped into something he could wield.
Right?
But she did have multiple personas so...?
Still, he wasn’t about to make any sweeping assumptions.
“I could be wrong, of course,” he added with a small, thoughtful shrug. “Might be worth clarifying with Katsuya-san at some point.”
His fingers found their way back to his hair, running through it as he exhaled, this time in something closer to amusement.
“You know, Messiah caught my attention too,” he admitted. “But considering the… trend of Personas I’ve seen from others in our position, I expected the worst. Usually.”
Because when you’re stuck in a place like this, Personas that represented hope or salvation usually came with a price.
He let the thought linger for a moment before something else clicked in his mind—an angle he hadn’t quite considered yet.
His expression shifted, curiosity flickering behind his eyes.
“...Does Death feel like that?” His tone was different now. Less shaken. More intrigued. A clinical, almost detached interest coloring his words.
“Like a release? A severance from the weight of living?” His gaze flickered over their surroundings. The quiet hum of the forest. The strange, peaceful dissonance of this place.
“Or is it more... tranquil?” He gestured vaguely around them. “Like this?”