Persona Kallen possesses extremely strong potential, even the possibility of becoming the strongest Persona?
When Ren Amamiya heard the False God's words, he was momentarily stunned.
If it were Arsene, Ren wouldn't doubt for a second that he had the potential to become the strongest Persona. But Kallen being among the strongest...
Oh, the False God probably means the "Kaslana" Persona, Ren realized.
The purple iris mask wasn't just connected to Kallen Kaslana, but to the entire Kaslana Palace. It could summon not only the young girl Persona Kallen, but also the terrifyingly powerful Siegfried.
If he were bolder, and if Ren's own strength continued to evolve and strengthen, perhaps one day he could even summon the Kaslana collective consciousness itself as a Persona.
As expected of the False God Yaldabaoth, it saw through Persona Kallen's unique nature at a glance!
As a collective consciousness born in the Kaslana Palace, even if Kaslana's strength wasn't as great as Yaldabaoth's, she could still rank among the false gods, worthy of Yaldabaoth's attention.
"Ren, where is this place? Are you imprisoned? Are these people enemies?!"
Kallen, in her purple dress suit, surveyed her surroundings.
Upon seeing Ren locked in a cell, wearing a black-and-white striped prison uniform, his hands and feet bound by heavy shackles, Kallen's expression changed instantly.
She quickly raised her hand to summon the Oath of Judah, her hostile gaze sweeping past the two seemingly frail and cute little girls standing in front of Ren's cell.
Finally, her eyes locked onto "Igor," who looked like a bad guy at first glance.
"..."
Seeing Kallen address Ren so intimately and with such concern, calling him "Ren" repeatedly, and then being glared at by her with such animosity...
Otto Apocalypse, disguised as Igor using the power of the Mimic Fenghuang Down, felt his heart become incredibly complicated.
He had made face-to-face contact with Kallen. The appearance, voice, eyes, and reactions of this Phantom Thief Kallen in this situation were undoubtedly a perfect match for the Kallen Kaslana in Otto's memories.
If the Saint of Schicksal from five hundred years ago encountered this situation, she would absolutely react in the same way.
"Stop, Kallen! He... he's not an enemy."
Just as Kallen was about to use the power of the Oath of Judah to attack Igor and free Ren from his imprisonment...
Ren hurriedly stopped her rash attempt to attack the False God.
What a joke! Persona Kallen's strength was decent in the early to mid-game.
But the beings in this Velvet Room were all final bosses and hidden bosses that could only be challenged late in the game!
Forget Yaldabaoth; even the twins, if split, could individually take down the current Kallen with ease!
If Kallen angered anyone in this room, she'd be instantly killed, and Ren would probably be severely tortured as a result.
Ren already saw Caroline's brow begin to furrow. So, before the short-tempered loli warden could erupt, he quickly stopped Kallen's attack.
While stopping Kallen, a slight doubt also surfaced in Ren's mind.
As Ren's Persona, Kallen should be aware of events that happened even in dreams.
But Kallen, as well as Yae Sakura and Higokumaru before her, all looked bewildered when summoned by Ren into the Velvet Room.
Something feels... off?
Did the False God do something? Or is the real Velvet Room actually like this?
"Not an enemy? But Ren, you're clearly imprisoned... Alright, I understand."
Kallen maintained her stance, holding the Oath of Judah aloft, a clear look of confusion on her exquisite face.
Although her mind couldn't comprehend Ren's intentions, Kallen's body still obediently followed his command. Her slender hand, gripping the Oath of Judah cross, slowly lowered, canceling her prepared attack.
"..."
Although Otto knew this Kallen had become Ren's Persona and would obey his combat commands...
He could tell that Phantom Thief Kallen wasn't obeying Ren simply because of their master-servant relationship.
Rather, it was because she trusted Ren from the bottom of her heart. That's why, despite her confusion about the current situation, she obediently listened to Ren's advice.
Just like five hundred years ago, when Kallen Kaslana, the Saint of Schicksal, treated him, Otto Apocalypse, her dearest friend.
To use modern slang, it was like finding an external processing unit she could trust unconditionally.
Otto had obtained new information about Phantom Thief Kallen, but his mood grew even more subtly complex.
"A wise decision, prisoner. If you had allowed your Persona to attack the Master, it would not have been a matter easily overlooked."
Justine, holding a file in her hands, spoke to Ren in the cell, her tone calm but laced with a palpable sense of danger.
"Come back, Kallen..."
"You haven't answered my question, prisoner!"
Just as Ren was about to recall Persona Kallen, the False God sitting behind the desk suddenly interrupted him.
And Ren thought he detected a hint of displeasure in the False God's tone.
"You should already know the answer in your heart. Of course, I subdued Kallen in the Kaslana Palace."
As another collective consciousness of humanity, it would be truly astonishing if Yaldabaoth didn't know of Kaslana's existence. Therefore, Ren didn't evade the question.
Both were false god-level powers. Even if Kaslana was weaker than Yaldabaoth, she probably wasn't that much weaker. Ren wasn't worried about Kaslana's safety.
Being dragged into the Velvet Room in a dream by the False God without a say, treated like a criminal, arbitrarily interrogated and looked down upon...
Knowing Yaldabaoth's identity and purpose, Ren naturally felt anger. The spirit of rebellion of a phantom thief burned fiercely within him. His tone when replying to the False God also became much firmer.
Right now, I've only collected Anger and Sloth. Once I gather the remaining five deadly sins, I'll definitely give you a taste of a 'Deadly Sin Armor-Piercing Round' right between your eyes!
"The Kaslana Palace, I see..."
Otto, disguised as Igor, mused, nodding thoughtfully.
Although he had never encountered terms with special meanings like "Persona" and "Palace" before...
With his extraordinary wisdom, when the words "Kaslana" and "Palace" were combined, Otto still vaguely grasped the meaning represented by "Palace."
"You've asked me one question. Now it's my turn to ask, isn't it?"
Hearing Ren's seemingly presumptuous and offensive words from the cell, Caroline immediately raised her electric baton, intending to repeat her earlier action of striking the cell bars.
However, just as she raised her baton, Igor, played by Otto, raised his hand, silently stopping Caroline's intimidating behavior.
"No matter. Whatever questions you have, you may ask."
Otto's mind raced, but outwardly he maintained an air of calm indifference, nodding slightly to Ren in permission.
"I have a question. Do you know... what 'Herrscher of Reason' means?"
Ren paused slightly. The question he then posed instantly caused Otto, who had infiltrated Ren's dream using the authority of the Previous Era's Herrscher of Reason Core, to freeze.