A class of your own is … oddly soothing to hear. Yes, Ren has uncommon abilities even for a Persona-user, being a Wild Card, but outside of the Metaverse, he isn’t the smartest or strongest. He may be overflowing with compassion and possess excellent time-management skills, but those aren’t entirely unique abilities. If not for entering the Metaverse and experiencing his awakening, Ren would have considered himself fairly average. In fact, some of that was by design - he’d been sent to Tokyo on probation, with the intention of keeping his head down and slipping under the radar until his sentence was served. Drawing attention to himself by standing out in any meaningful way would’ve defeated that purpose.

But fate chose to intervene, so here he was, on an un-level playing field with his friend and rival. Who is admitting he doesn’t have any other rivals. And that … feels a little bit special. Enough to override the earlier slight of Akechi not telling Ren he was alive, at least for now.

Stop obsessing about it.

Intrusive thoughts were so annoying.

“Not possible,” Ren states with an air of authority and a shake of his head. “You have no way to embarrass me.”

Is that a challenge to Akechi? It just might be.