"This is awful…"

Those were the first words Ryoji Mochizuki uttered after seeing a large number of corpses littering the village that both he and Olga stopped by. At first, Olga wanted to restock her supplies at the village, but after seeing the large number of dead bodies as well as ruined houses, both Ryoji and Olga decided to investigate.

The Faunus girl sniffed the air after she looked around. Then, she looked at Ryoji beside her and said, "Attacked by the creatures of Grimm."

Ryoji just looked at the corpses and the wrecked houses somberly. "This world is certainly a dangerous place to live in if these creatures are this destructive. How can the people here survive all this time?" He inquired Olga.

"We fight back," Olga answered, her tone sounded resolute. "Hiding do nothing but slows the inevitable. Might as well face the dangers head on…"

Ryoji smiled at the white-clad Faunus girl. "For someone who is ambivalent towards death, that sounds rather inspiring, Olga…"

Hearing Ryoji's remark, Olga's cheeks reddened a little before she looked away, huffing. "You talk too much."

Ryoji chuckled. "Haha, sorry. That's actually a bad habit of mine…"

Olga just made a noncommittal noise as both of them walked down the corpse-littered road in the village. The Faunus girl continued sniffing the air, as if trying to detect anything other than the smell of death and destruction. She also removed her ushanka, revealing her bear ears. Both ears twitched as she tried to detect the sounds of any survivors in this ruined village.

Suddenly, her ears perked up before she looked at one direction. "Heard something from there," she told Ryoji.

"A survivor?" Ryoji asked.

"Don't know," Olga shook her head before she rushed over to the direction. It was an overturned fruit cart. She flipped it over, revealing the body of a girl her age, clad in a one-piece dress splattered with her own blood. Her forehead and her torso were wounded, but she was still breathing, albeit shallowly.

Holding the girl in her arms, Olga inspected her wounds.

"Mortal wounds…" Olga said before she looked at Ryoji. "She won't make it."

Ryoji stared at the dying girl's face before he softly spoke, "She will make it." Gently, he took the girl from Olga's arms, holding her in his before he closed his eyes. Then, the girl's body was enveloped by light.

Slowly, the wounds on the girl's body disappeared, much to Olga's astonishment. When the light faded, the girl was fully healed, and she was breathing normally.

Ryoji caressed the girl's face. "Healing is never my forte, but having a Diarama spell sure is handy in this kind of situation."

"Diarama?" Olga blinked upon hearing the new word.

"I'll explain to you later…" Ryoji told the Faunus girl. "Well, at least she's no longer in mortal danger, now that her wounds are healed. Got a spare blanket?" He asked.

"Have some in my truck," Olga said.

"Alright," Ryoji nodded. "I'll head over to the truck and wrap her in a blanket. Olga, I'm sorry for asking you this, but will you continue searching for more survivors?"

"…Yes," Olga nodded. So, Ryoji went over to Olga's truck while Olga continued searching for those who might survive the attack. Ryoji then wrapped the unconscious girl in a blanket. For twenty minutes, he watched over the girl.

Olga then returned, looking stoic as ever.

"No survivors," Olga informed. "Everyone in this village is dead."

"I see…" Ryoji mused, looking somber. "It's too bad."

"Need to resupply," Olga said. "No one alive is left, so we can take whatever we want."

Ryoji sighed. "Alright, just take whatever we need."

Olga nodded before she headed back to the village in order to loot for supplies. She took things like foods, gas, spare clothes and blankets and a few more things necessary for a long journey. She also found a whole cache of Dust gems. She took them all.

After filling her truck with all the supplies, she went to Ryoji who was still holding the girl they saved in his arms.

"What are you going to do with her?" Olga asked.

"Hmm… well, might as well bring her along," Ryoji answered. Then, the girl stirred. "Oh, she's waking up."

"Ngh…" The girl grunted before she opened her eyes, revealing a pair of violet eyes. The first thing she saw was a pair of blue eyes which belonged to the one who held her, Ryoji. A few seconds later, she opened her mouth, as if trying to say something, but her words were garbled, probably due to a dried throat.

"W-wa… terrr…"

Olga then handed Ryoji a canteen of water, and the raven-haired boy helped the girl drink from the canteen. After a while, the girl held the canteen with both her hands as she gulped the water from the canteen greedily. Then, she coughed and wheezed, having choked herself while drinking from the canteen.

"Slow down there, slow…" Ryoji told the girl, rubbing her back gently.

When the girl finally recovered, she looked at the boy who held her in his arms. She looked confused. Then, she looked down on her own bloodstained dress before her eyes widened, as if remembering what had happened before.

"T-the village… e-everyone… n-no… no…" The girl cradled her own head as she recalled what had happened to the village where she lived in.

"Calm down…" Ryoji said. "You're no longer in danger, okay? I healed your wounds after I found you."

The girl stared at Ryoji bemusedly. "Y-you found me…" She looked hopeful for a second. "W-what about the others? What about my parents?"

Ryoji looked down, avoiding the girl's gaze. "About that…"

"Everyone's dead," Olga said it before Ryoji. "You are the only survivor."

Ryoji frowned at Olga's bluntness. As for the girl, she just stared at the Faunus girl, not believing her.

"I-it can't be! T-there has to be someone! I-I can't be the only one!" The girl cried out.

"I'm sorry…" Ryoji sighed. "She's right, you're the only one left alive. You were even dying when we found you. I'm so sorry…"

Hearing Ryoji's words, the girl broke down, sobbing in his arms. Ryoji sighed again before he glanced at Olga, who shrugged as she brought the gas she found to refuel her truck.

Messianic Rebirth

Persona 3 and RWBY Crossover

Chapter 10: The Heart

"Hey, Makoto's being a little strange lately…" Ruby Rose, the leader of Team RWBY, said to her teammates. All four of them were in the library, reading books. Ruby seemed to be reading a comic book.

"Huh? I think he's still the same as ever, Rubes. What are you talking about?" Ruby's sister, Yang Xiao Long, said while reading a magazine.

"What's so strange about Makoto?" Weiss Schnee, Ruby's partner and the heiress of the Schnee family, spoke as she put down the book she was reading.

"W-well, I dunno… I mean, there's something different about him," Ruby said. "What do you think, Blake?"

Blake Belladonna, Yang's partner, blinked when the leader of her team addressed her. "Hmm? What are we talking about again?" She asked.

Yang grinned. "Oho? What's on your mind, Blakey? Got something to share?"

"N-no, it's nothing," Blake shook her head. "I-it's just… I'm thinking about something. Umm… what are we talking about again?"

"It's about Makoto Yuuki," Weiss informed. "It seems that our leader is a little concerned about the leader of Team MNRV, and she'd like to hear about what we think about it."

"Oh," Blake said.

"So, got any idea, Blake?" Ruby asked.

"Umm… I'm not so sure, but… he's been brooding around the school lately." Blake said.

"Brooding, huh? Well, it's not that strange," Yang said. "I mean, he's been brooding a lot at Signal before."

"And he's been sleeping during class. Too many times, in fact," Weiss chimed in. "Hmph, for someone that talented, he's pretty lazy."

"He did that a lot at Signal back then," Ruby said.

"So, there's nothing unusual about him…" Yang said before she grinned at her little sister. "What's up, sis? Don't tell me you've got a crush on him or something?"

"W-what?!" Ruby's cheeks reddened, matching the color of her hood. Then, she realized that she wasn't the only one who reacted to that. Beside her, Blake was standing, her cheeks were red as well.

When three pairs of eyes were on her, Blake immediately regained her composure, coughing into her fist before she sat back on her seat, her cheeks were still red. Ruby looked at the black-haired girl confusedly while Yang had a suspicious grin on her face as she looked at her partner. As for Weiss, she just sighed as she continued reading her book, finding the conversation ultimately meaningless.

"Speaking of which, I don't see Team MNRV today," Yang said. "Where are they?"

"Hmm… I remember Pyrrha telling me that Makoto and Ren are going to Vale." Ruby put her hand under her chin as she recalled her meeting with the de-facto vice-leader of Team MNRV, Pyrrha Nikos.

"Ooh, interesting…" Yang mused, rubbing her own chin as her lips curled up into a suspicious smirk. Both Blake and Weiss took notice of this and narrowed their eyes at the same time.

"Yang Xiao Long…" Weiss said, her eyes still narrowed as she looked at the buxom girl. "What sort of twisted plan have you concocted in that sick mind of yours, huh?"

Yang seemed offended, or at least feigning it. "What a nasty thing to say, Weiss…" She wagged her index. "It's just that something occurred to me." That suspicious smirk did not leave her face as she continued. "Don't you think that both Makoto Yuuki and Lie Ren are pretty close lately?"

Weiss frowned. "What's your point, Xiao Long? They're partners, just like you and Blake," she said.

Yang just shrugged. "Well, maybe I'm wrong about this, but…" Her grin grew wider. "Don't you think there's something else happening between both of them?"

"Something else happening… between both of them?" Ruby blinked, confused.

"What are you implying, Yang?" Blake asked.

"C'mon, Blakey…" Yang said to her partner. "Out of all people here, you're the one who should know this lately. Don't you think both of them are too close to each other? I mean…" She grinned toothily at the black-haired girl. "A little too close?"

For a few moments, there was no reaction from Blake, but then, as realization seemed to have dawned on her, her expression changed. Her eyes widened and her mouth opened, as her cheeks once again shaded with red.

"Y-you mean… w-wha… t-they…"

Yang chuckled. "Now you get it, Blake."

Ruby was still confused. "What are they talking about, Weiss?" She asked her partner.

Weiss just sighed as she massaged the bridge of her nose. "Something immature that needs to be dropped as soon as possible, Ruby."

Both Makoto and Ren walked down the street of Vale, and both of them had not said a single word ever since they arrived at the city. The boy clad in green occasionally glanced at his partner as they continued walking down the street.

Makoto seemed impassive and much quieter than usual, which made the other members of MNRV even more worried. So, Ren decided to invite the leader of the team to hang out at the city so that he could figure out the thing that had been troubling him lately.

"Makoto…" Ren began. "I know this may get a little repetitive, but… is there something troubling you?" He asked.

Makoto stopped. He glanced at his partner before he sighed heavily. For a moment, he remained quiet before he said, "Don't worry about it, Ren."

He continued walking, and Ren let out a sigh before he followed the blue-haired boy. He knew that he shouldn't rush it, constantly pestering Makoto with questions, but he was worried about him, just like how Pyrrha and Nora were worried about him. If only there was something he could do to make Makoto talk about his problem, then…

"Makoto, why don't we go to the café?" Ren suggested, pointing at the café not too far from them.

The blue-haired boy looked at the direction of the café before he nodded. "Sure."

So, both the boys headed to the café. After getting a table and their orders, they remained quiet. As both boys weren't the most talkative individuals out there, they didn't talk much.

But in such a case, one of them had to take the initiative, and knowing that Makoto wouldn't be the one to take it, Ren believed that he had to take it first. "You see… I actually didn't expect to be partnered with you, Makoto."

Makoto looked at his partner's face, frowning.

Ren looked up. "I've been planning to be partnered with Nora, you see? I've known her since we were children, so it should be natural for both of us to stick together as a team," he then looked back at Makoto, smiling slightly. "Well, at least we're still on the same team technically, so I have no complaints about it."

"So, I got in your way, then," Makoto said.

"Well, in a way, yes," Ren nodded. "But I don't actually dislike the current arrangement. And… I do believe that I can work well with you, Makoto." He looked at the blue-haired boy before him. "I mean, I know I'm not the friendliest person in Beacon and you know it, but… I can't help but think that we can work well as a team. The two of us."

Makoto did not say anything as he listened to Ren. Slowly, he realized that the other boy was trying to make him open his heart to him, just like how he tried to open his own. Both of them weren't sociable or in any way approachable, but Ren was making an effort to actually change the dynamic between the two of them.

"So, I want you to trust me, since we're partners. And the trust goes both ways," Ren said. "I'm free to listen to whatever problem you have, Makoto."

Makoto stared at his partner for a while before he sighed. "You're pretty persistent, you know that?" Then, he smiled. "But, thanks. I want you to trust me too, since I'm going to tell you the most outrageous thing you'll probably ever hear, Ren."

Ren did his best to cover his anticipation. Since he was good at maintaining his stoicism, he managed to do so just fine.

"Alright, let's hear it."

Makoto told the other boy the truth. He told him the reason behind his birth in this world. He told him about the incoming doom that would come to Remnant in the future as well as his role in preventing it. He also told him about his previous life and the fact that he had sacrificed himself in order to prevent the world he previously lived in to be destroyed.

For a while, Ren did not say anything. From his expression alone, it was clear that the green-clad boy had trouble believing all the things Makoto had told him.

"I can understand if you can't believe it, but I'm telling you nothing but the truth," Makoto reassured him. Somehow, he felt relieved after telling someone the truth about himself. He did know what would happen after this, but there was less burden on his shoulders after spilling the truth to someone else.

"I have to admit, it's pretty outrageous, but…" Ren said as he looked at Makoto. "I believe you. I believe everything you said, Makoto."

"Even about me being from another world who was somehow reborn in this world?" Makoto asked.

"Even that," Ren nodded. "It is outrageous, but… I feel I should believe everything you said, Makoto. I can feel it." He placed his hand on his chest as he smiled at Makoto.

"You seem to be taking this awfully well, Ren," Makoto deadpanned.

"Try living together with Nora. You'll be able to believe even the most ridiculous things," Ren deadpanned back. "But… about the end of the world, how much time do we have?" He asked.

Makoto shook his head. "I don't know. I have my own benefactors here, but for the time being, all I can do now is to wait and see," he said. "And to grow stronger as a Huntsman. There are still a lot of things I need to learn here, and I need to be prepared before I can save this world."

"I see…" Ren mused. "If that's the case, then let me help you, Makoto."

"Ren?" Makoto looked at the other boy as he stood up.

"To save a world that isn't yours, I have never seen something much more nobler than that," Ren said. "And… I have to admit, for a Huntsman, I'm pretty mediocre. Even Nora has more potential than me." He clenched his fists. "Once, I resented that fact, but… I kind of accept it now. I am meant to help others realize their potentials. If I can help you save the world, who am I to turn around and leave you be?"

"Ren, you…" Makoto then smiled. "Heh… you're pretty meddlesome, you know? But I can't dislike that." He held out his hand. "I need every help I can get, Ren. If you're willing to lend me your hand in order to save Remnant from destruction, I'll be glad."

"Yes, I'll help you," Ren nodded, accepting Makoto's hand, shaking it. And at that moment, Makoto heard a ringing sound inside his head, something that he was familiar with during his past life.

Temperance Arcana.

He could feel something resonating deep inside him, something that he did not feel for quite some time. The Wild Card is the power to understand other people's hearts, and with that understanding, one can gain a new perspective, thus allowing one to wear a different mask according to the situation.

By forging a Social Link, Makoto was able to understand the heart of Lie Ren, understanding the world through his perspective, incorporating said perspective into his own.

"Still… what is this 'Persona'? Is that some kind of Semblance?" Ren asked.

"Well, it'll be much easier for me to show it to you rather than telling you about it," Makoto said. Then, a waiter brought their foods. "After we finish eating, that is."

Both Makoto and Ren went to the cliff overlooking Emerald Forest. There was no one nearby, which made it easier for Makoto to show Ren what a Persona really was. His Evoker was holstered on his waist, and it was a crucial thing to have in order to summon a Persona.

"So, we're here…" Makoto said. "Let's hope that no one's watching."

"Pretty sure there's no one here," Ren nodded. "So, are you going to show me what this Persona really is?" He asked.

"Of course," Makoto nodded as he took his Evoker from the holster. He looked at the metallic surface of the gun-shaped device. "Prepare yourself, Ren. This is going to look a little morbid."

"Okay, I'm prepared," Ren couldn't help but feel a little excited. After hearing everything from Makoto, he was curious about what this Persona was.

Makoto smiled. "Good. Now…" He moved the barrel of the Evoker to his temple. "Persona."

"W-wait, what are you-" As expected, Ren was taken off-guard by his action. Before he could do something, Makoto pulled the trigger, and the sound of glass breaking resonated around them. His body was wreathed in an azure flame-like aura before an ethereal being emerged behind him.

"Thou art I… And I am thou. From the sea of thy soul, I cometh. I am Orpheus, the Master of String…"

Floating behind Makoto was a mechanical creature with dark skin and white hair. Ren noted that the creature had the same hairstyle as the one who summoned it. When it spoke, its voice came from the speaker on its stomach. On its back was some kind of lyre, a musical instrument with a handle.

"This is one of my Personas…" Makoto said, lowering the Evoker from his head. "His name is Orpheus, the Master of String…"

"Whoa…" Ren could not hide his amazement as he stared at Orpheus. He noted that Makoto said that it was just one of his Personas. "There are more?"

Makoto nodded. "There are at least a few hundred of them inside my head."

"And you can summon them by shooting yourself in the head with that thing?" Ren asked, looking at the gun-shaped device that Makoto was holding.

"This is an Evoker, a device that is designed to shoot mental trauma into my head in order to summon a Persona," Makoto explained. "I can summon a Persona without an Evoker, but that'll require me to recall my own worst trauma in order to force a Persona out of my head without forcefully splitting my head in half."

"Sounds rather morbid…" Ren commented. "So, what'll happen if I were to shoot myself in the head with this Evoker?" He asked.

"If you're chosen, then you'll summon your Persona," Makoto answered before he shrugged. "If you're not, then nothing will happen."

"I see…" Ren mused. "Still, what are you going to do after this? Are you going to tell Pyrrha and Nora about this whole business?"

"I'll tell them eventually. It's only fair," Makoto nodded. "And I'll need you to help me explain everything. I have no problem telling you about this since you're pretty rational, but I don't want to drop a bombshell onto their heads."

"Right," Ren said, nodding. "So, in the meantime, why don't you tell me more about your past life?"

Both boys left the cliff as they talked, and both of them were not aware that someone was eavesdropping them. Hiding behind a tree was a girl clad in black-and-white attire, the ribbon on top of her head twitching as she hid herself from both of them.

She couldn't hear a thing from their conversation due to the distance, but she was able to see the creature that Makoto summoned by shooting himself in his head.

"That's…" The girl, Blake Belladonna, muttered to herself. "That's just like that time…" She closed her eyes. "So, it really happened…"

After burying all the dead bodies, both Ryoji and Olga decided to leave the village, bringing the only survivor with them. The girl sat next to Ryoji at the front seat instead of sitting at the back seat. Olga drove the truck, occasionally glancing at the girl who was snuggling against Ryoji.

"What's your plan after this?" Ryoji asked the girl.

"I don't know…" The girl answered sadly. "Everyone I knew is dead. I don't know what to do anymore…"

When the girl was about to cry again, Ryoji gently rubbed her back, calming her down. Olga, while driving, rolled her eyes before she focused back on driving.

"Then, focus on living…" Ryoji told the girl. "There has to be a reason why you survived. Live for the sake of the people who died before you," he said.

"Mister…" The girl looked at Ryoji with teary eyes. "I…"

"Ryoji Mochizuki…" He told her his name. "That's my name. From now on, call me Ryoji. Speaking of which, you haven't told us your name yet."

"Rhiannon…" The girl introduced herself. "Rhiannon Arberth. That's my name…"

Ryoji smiled. "Such a beautiful name. May I call you Rhia?"

Shyly, Rhiannon nodded.

Olga rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue. Both Ryoji and Rhiannon looked at the driver.

"What's wrong, Olga?" Ryoji asked the Faunus girl.

"Nothing," Olga answered simply as she focused herself on driving her truck. It would take a long time before they could arrive at their destination.

TO BE CONTINUED

Author's Note: Hello, this is me, Prince Arjuna. Sorry it took me too long to update this story. But here we go, Chapter 10 of Messianic Rebirth. I'm now a teacher, so I will be busy with my work to actually update my stories, but I'll find some time to update them, that I promise to you guys.

Also, let's not forget my beta-reader, Sorata Shioya for beta-reading this chapter. It's so good to have you beta-reading and proofreading this story, you know? Let's continue working together. So, stay tuned for the next chapter, Chapter 11: The Stray. Until then, farewell.

Prince Arjuna (2016)