King of the Castle

{Author's notes: So here you guys go, the story that goes along with A Joker's Panther since people who provided feedback for that story wanted to see what happens with everything that happened with everything not shown. Now for the new readers, I highly suggest reading either A Joker's Panther first or read that along with this story because they are connected (You don't need to but it would help fully understand it). This is mostly for my readers for that story but it's for everyone as well. Now for the new readers, these stories have dialogue that are different from the game but still go along with what happens in the game. Anyways, hopefully you guys/girls like this as much as A Joker's Panther. Oh yeah, there will be AkiraxAnn moments still but they are just moments not like the full or most of the chapter."

After Ann and the man left, Akira was about to start walking to the school when someone bumps into him. After the initial shock, he was able to see that it was a teen with short, spiky blond hair.

"Dammit!" The teen swears, "Screw that pervy teacher!"

Akira was surprised by his vulgarity but now he found out that the man was a teacher, "He call a teacher pervy? If what he says is true then that would explain why Takamaki didn't want to go with him but she did anyways. Why would she do that? Actually, now that I think about it, isn't that against the school rules? I should ask him." He walks over him, "Excuse me, why did you call that teacher, pervy?"

The teen quickly turns around, "What do you want?" He walks up to him with a glare, "You planning on rattin me out to Kamoshida?"

"It seems like whenever that teacher comes up he gets tick off." Akira shakes his head, "No. I was just wondering why you called him a pervy teacher."

The teen crosses his arms, "Because that asshole thinks he's some king of the castle! He walks around like he owns the place because he brought our volleyball team to the nationals. You're telling me you don't know any of this? Aren't you a Shujin student?"

Akira shakes his head, "Oh, my apologies. My name is Akira Kurusu, I'm a transfer student starting today as a second year."

"My apologies? Why does he sound like an business man?" The teen's eyes go wide realizing he said transfer student, "Oh! You're a transfer student! No wonder why you didn't know anything about him." He scratches his head, "Anyways, name's Ryuji Sakamoto, nice to meet you." He holds out his hand for Akira to shake.

Akira smiles and shakes his hand, "Nice to meet you as well."

Once they stops shaking hands, they both feel their head throb.

"Ugh…" "W-what was that…"

"Ngh…" Ryuji holds his head, "Damn it, my head hurts…I wanna go home." They both hear the school's warning bell, "Crap, we're going to be late! Come on, I know a short cut!

Akira nods making Ryuji start walking away, "He may be kind of vulgar but he seems like a good person. Hopefully he doesn't find out about my criminal record…I don't need to go through that again…" He follows after Ryuji and they go into an alleyway making him laugh, "Why are we going through an alleyway? Are you trying to have your way with me?"

Ryuji looks back at him in disbelief, "Really man? I'm not into guys."

Akira laughs some more, "Relax, I'm just joking with you."

"You have a weird sense of humor."

But as they were walking, Akira starts to feel that something was off, like they were in another world especially when he stepped in a puddle and there was no sound of an after splash from the water droplets and he looks up seeing that it stopped raining all of a sudden, "Hey, do you feel like something's…off?"

Ryuji stops walking, "The eff!? What happened to the school!?'

Akira looks forward seeing a huge dark castle in the school's border and then notices that the sky was red with black clouds, "Uh…is the school suppose to look like a castle? I guess you weren't kidding when you said that he acted like the King of the castle."

Ryuji was freaking out, "It isn't suppose to look like a castle!?"

"Yeah…I don't think the skies are suppose to look like we are in the last level of a game." Truthfully, he was scared as well but it wouldn't help if they both started freaking out.

Ryuji looks at him still freaking out, "This is no time for joking around! L-Let's just go inside!" He runs inside with Akira following him.

Inside the School?

Ryuji and Akira stop running once they make it into the castle. They didn't even need to look around to realize that they were inside a foyer instead of the school's shoe locker area.

Ryuji starts looking around, "Yeah, this definitely isn't Shujin Academy! Where the hell are we!?" He pulls out his phone, "Dammit no signal…"

Akira looks over at the door to the left, "Maybe we should start looking around and see if there's anyone else here?"

Suddenly the door the Akira was looking at opens and two people dressed up as knights walks in but starts running at them when they notice them, "Who are you two and what are you doing inside our king's castle!?"

"Knights!? The school really did turn into a castle! " Ryuji stomps his foot, "Answer our questions first! Why the hell did our school turn into a castle!?"

"Silence peasant!" The knight hit Ryuji with his shield knocking him down.

"Sakamoto!" Akira was about to help him but the other knight put his sword against his neck.

Ryuji was holding his stomach in pain from the shield, "What the hell man!? Why did you hit me!?"

The knight points his sword at him, "You must be the two intruders that our king talked about! To the dungeon with the both of you!"

Ryuji looks over at Akira, "Run! Go get help!"

"No! I'm not going to leave you behind!" Akira yells before he was knocked out by the knight.

Jail Cell

Akira soon woke up still somewhat in a daze. He looks around and realizs that he was inside a jail cell with Ryuji who was trying to tear apart the bars but obviously failing at it, "I'm guessing we're in the dungeon?"

Ryuji turns around hearing Akira's voice and quickly walks over to him, "Yeah the asshole knights knocked us out and threw us in here. I kept screaming to let us out but they threatened to cut off my tongue."

Akira slowly got up, "No wonder why the back of my head hurts…" He looks around, "I'm guessing that you haven't found a way out of here?"

"Nah, I've tried looking around but there's no holes or broken vents like in those movies. I was even desperate enough to try to pull the bars apart."

Akira held his chin thinking, "Maybe one of us should pretend we're sick and when the knight comes, the other grabs his weapon and knocks him out then we grab the keys and escape."

Ryuji looks at him in disbelief, "Would that even work?"

Akira shrugs, "Well what else are we going to do?"

They both soon heard heavy armor clanking and three knights appears opening the cell door, "Listen up peasants! We have determined your punishment for your intrusion! You two will be executed!"

Ryuji looks at the knight, "E-Execution!"

Akira was starting to freak out in the inside but something inside him told him to resist, "No…I'm not going to die in this jail cell!"

"Are these the two intruders?"

A fourth male voice was heard and the three guards went to the sides of the cell entrance to let him in.

Akira and Ryuji's eyes went wide seeing who it was and what he was wearing. It was Kamoshida wearing only pink undies and a king's cape.

Akira throw up a little in his mouth, "I might as well just let myself get executed after seeing this…"

Ryuji looks at Kamoshida in shock, "You're the king of this castle!? You got to be kidding me!"

Kamoshida chuckles, "Sakamoto, Sakamoto. You just never give up do you? I knew you had to be the one of the idiots to trespass!"

Ryuji was still in shock, "How the hell did you change this school to a castle!?"

Kamoshida laughs, "You of all people should know that this school was always my castle!" He looks over at Akira, "And you…the transfer student with a criminal record, you've come to ruin my reputation in my own castle!" He walks up to Akira and punches him in the stomach making him kneel down and grunt in pain.

"You son of a bitch!" Ryuji was about to walk up to him but the knight hit him with his shield at his back making him fall to the ground.

Kamoshida stood over at Ryuji, "You have quite the mouth on you Sakamoto for being in the position you're in. But you won't be talking anymore soon!" He looks at his knights, "You two! Grab the transfer student and pin him against the wall."

The two knights grabs Akira's arms and drags him to the wall then slams him against it, holding him by the shoulders.

Kamoshida looks at the last knight, "Grab Sakamoto and prepare for his execution!"

The third knight nods and grabs Ryuji by the neck slamming him against the wall. Then he points the sword right at his heart.

Ryuji starts struggling, "Let me go dammit!"

Akira was desperately trying get out of the knights' grip to save Ryuji but he couldn't get out of it, "Let us go! We'll apologize!" He didn't want to apologize to this piece of shit but he rather give in than die.

Kamoshida looks over at Akira, "You be quiet! I'll deal with you after him!"

Ryuji gave up struggling and was close to tears realizing he was going to die, "S-stop it man! I-I don't want to die!"

Kamoshida starts laughing, "You know Sakamoto, if you just gave up and stopped trying to go against me; I would have just let you go but you just keep getting on my nerves." He then smirks, "But I do like seeing you defeated like this so maybe I'll enjoy it for a little bit before I kill you." He looks back at Akira, "And you, even though you're a criminal, you haven't gone against me yet. I will let you go but you will apologize to me after you see Sakamoto's execution just to show you what happens when you go against me!"

Akira kept trying to get out of the knights' grips but he soon gave up, "I can't get out of the knights' grips…I'm sorry Sakamoto."

"What's the matter? Are you already giving up?"

Akira's eyes went wide, "W-What? W-Who said that!?"

"If you give up now, he will die…"

Akira didn't know who or what was talking to him in his mind but he was right, "You're right, but what can I do…"

"Let me ask you this then; was what you did in your hometown, a mistake? Losing everything just to save one woman who was a stranger to you. Because it seems like you're giving up on this young man."

Akira looks down, "No…it wasn't a mistake. I promised myself that I would help anyone who didn't have anyone to turn to. What kind of person would I be if I break my own promise! I will save him and anyone else who needs help!"

"Good…I have heeded your resolve. Now let us form a pact so I can give you my power!"

"Yes, I accept your power!"

"Very well, I am thou and thou art I!"

Akira starts to scream in pain, "W-Why does my head feel like it's going to split open! W-What are you doing!?"

"Thou who art willing to perform all sacrilegious acts for thine own justice! Call upon my name, and release thy rage! Show the strength of thy will to ascertain all on thine own, thought thou be chained to Hell itself!"

After he was done, the pain stops and Akira's head slumps down. At first it looks like Akira faints but then he slowly looks up with a smirk on his face feeling power. He then starts laughing darkly, "Hey…ugly piece of shit…you better leave him alone."

Kamoshida slowly turns around looking at Akira fury in his eyes, "What did you just call me? Do you really want to die that much?" The knight drops Ryuji and looks at Akira as well while Ryuji was on the ground trying to catch his breath.

The knight holding Ryuji walks up to Akira and hit him with his shield knocking his glasses off.

"Bad idea…" An unknown force knocks back everyone standing and Akira's clothes changes and he felt his face feeling something on it, "What is this on my face!?"

"It's a mask. Take it off and release me so I can show you my full power!"

"Alright." Akira grabbs the mask and starts pulling but the more he pulls, the more it felt like he was ripping it off his skin. But despite feeling the immense pain, he keep doing it while screaming out. Finally ripping it off, blood was all over his face but soon the blood turns into a blue flame that surrounds him and a tall figure appears behind him.

"I am the pillager of twilight! I am Arsene!"

Ryuji looks at Akira and Arsene with wide eyes, "W-What the…!?"

Kamoshida looks at the two with fear in his eyes, "Who the hell are you two!? Guards! Kill them! Show them what happens when you defy me!" He ran to the corner.

The two guards turns in to Jack o' Lanterns with wizard clothing.

"You should grab one of those swords and we can attack both of those shadows."

Akira nodds, "Yeah." He ran and grabbs one of the knights dropped swords. He then ran up to one of the lanterns who launchs a fireball. But he dodgs it, "How did I dodge that?" He lifts up the sword and slashs the shadow horizontally and then vertically making it dissipate, "Wow, these things are kind of weak."

Dark energy forms around Arsene's hand and he shot it at the other lantern making it disappear, "You would never measure up to my strength."

After seeing the battle, the last knight ran away leaving Kamoshida by himself making him angry, "How dare you run away from your king!"

Akira walks up to him slowly, "What's wrong Kamoshida? Where's this tough king? Don't tell me you're scared."

Arsene laughs, "Now, should we proceed with the beating?"

Ryuji got up, "Holy crap dude, that was awesome! You even got a sweet outfit!"

Akira looks over at the Ryuji, "Yeah, it was pretty cool. Wait, I have an outfit?" Akira looks down and saw his rebel outfit, "Hey! Look at that, I do." But then he returns to his original outfit.

"Not to ruin your excitement but the man with the pink undies left."

Akira and Ryuji looks at the corner and saw it empty.

Akira put a hand on his forehead, "That's what I get for not paying attention."

Ryuji shook his head, "Nevermind that! We need to get out of her before he comes back with more of those knights!"

Akira nodds, "Right!" He looks over at Arsene, "Uh, are you going to be able to run in these halls?"

Arsene shook his head, "I could but it would be easier if I return to your body and come out when you need me." He went back into Akira's body.

Ryuji looks at Arsene going into Akira, "Man, I hope I can get one of those."

Akira laughs, "Maybe you will. But for now, we need to get going."

Akira and Ryuji were running to find the exit but stops when they heard a voice calling out their hair styles.

"Hey frizzy hair and blonde! Let me out of here!"

"Huh?" Akira looks toward a cell where the voice came from and notices a black catlike being with a scarf, "What the…? A cat that can stand on his hind legs?" "He looks like one of those shadows but he isn't violent."

That made the cat angry, "I'm not a cat! My name is Morgana!"

Ryuji had the look of suspicion on his face, "How do we know that you aren't one of those shadow things!?"

Morgana starts shaking the cell door, "Why would I be locked up if I was one of those things! Look, if you release me, I can help you escape and I never go back on my word!" They heard the knights coming, "Hurry before they show up!"

Ryuji taps on Akira shoulder and they turn around, "Do you think we should let out the cat?"

Akira nodds, "I have my suspicions but he might be able to show us the way." "What do you think Arsene? "Well he isn't violent and he can probably help us. I say do it." "Alright." Akira walks up to the cell door and opens it, "There you go, I released you."

Morgana ran out, "Ah freedom at last!"

Ryuji was getting impatient, "Would you shut up and help us escape like you said you would!"

"Alright, sheesh. Just follow me!" Morgana ran off

They follow him till he stops in front of the bridge, "Hey frizzy hair, you seem to know more than this idiot here. Look at the statue."

Ryuji didn't take that well, "Hey! I'm standing right here cat!"

Akira shruggs and walks to the statue of Kamoshida's face. He starts looking for a pulley or a switch but found nothing, "Do you see anything Arsene?" "Well it looks like his bottom lip is protruding out more than his upper lip." "Huh…I think you're right." Akira grabbs the lower lip and pulls it down. After he did that, the bridge starts going down.

Morgana looks at him, "I heard another voice coming out of you. Do you have a persona?"

Akira looks at him confused, "A Persona?" "Yeah, I'm Arsene and I formed a pact with him."

"Ha! Thought so! I have a persona too!" Morgana forms a green aura around him and a tall muscular cat holding a rapier appears behind him, "Hola! Frizzy hair and idiot blond. The name is Zorro!"

Ryuji was too shocks to notice the insult, "W-What the hell!? You have one two!"

Arsene appears behind Akira, "Nice to meet you Zorro."

"Likewise, Arsene."

Two knights appears crosses the bridge, "There they are and they released the cat!" They then form into two pixies.

Zorro ran in front of Morgana, "Now I will show you my power, Amigos!" He swung his rapier in a Z shape and two small green whirlwinds form around the two pixies destroying them, "See how great I am!"

Arsene put a hand on his mask, "Great…he's a narcissist…"

After the pixies die, they continue on but Akira and Morgana stops when Ryuji stops, irritating Morgana, "Hey! What are you doing!? I need to get you two out of here before the guards get back!"

"Hold on! I recognize him! He's part of the volleyball team!"

Akira ran to the cell Ryuji was standing in front of, "There's someone in here?" He tries to open the cell door but it was locked.

The volleyball member looks at the two, "Leave me alone before the king comes here and punishes me!"

Morgana walks up to them, "We need to get out of here before the guards get here!"

Ryuji turns back looking at him, "But we can't just leave him!"

"There's no reason to rescue him since he is…" The gate opening nearby causes him to stop talking, "There's no time! We need to hurry!" Morgana ran ahead

Akira looks at Ryuji, "I don't want to leave him either but we have to go before we get captured again." "We can fight them." "No, not when Ryuji's defenseless."

Ryuji sighs, "Dammit." He looks at the teen in the cell, "Don't worry, we'll come back for you!"

They continue following after Morgana to a dead end with two doors to rooms. Ryuji went to open the right door and it didn't open, "Damn, it won't open!" He turns to Morgana, "Did you trick us!?"

Arsene laughs, "He didn't even try the other door."

Morgana glares at him, "What!? No I didn't! You didn't even try the other door!?"

Akira walks up to the left door opening it and they all walk in. He looks around and notices that there wasn't a door but there was an opened vent.

Ryuji was still doubting Morgana, "How are we suppose to get out of her without no windows!?"

Morgana shook his head, "Tch amateur, did you ever think to look for a vent and climb through it?" "This blond kid is really an imbecile!"

Ryuji looks around and notices the vent, "Oh! There is a vent! Finally we can get out of here!" He climbs on the boxes and climbs through the vent.

Akira follows after him but looks back before going in, "Are you coming with us?"

Morgana shook his head, "No, there's something I need to do here. This is where we go our separate ways."

Akira shruggs and smirks, "Well just don't get caught again but still thanks for helping us hopefully we will meet again!"

After Akira left, Morgana was about to leave but looks at the vent, "Those two seem useful…well the frizzy hair one does. Maybe we can use him for my mission." "We don't need the blonde one since he doesn't have a persona but I don't trust this Arsene. He probably thinks he's better than me!"

Castle Front Entrance

Akira made it out of the vent with Ryuji waiting for him.

"We finally made it out!"

Akira looks around realizing that they were out in the entrance, "Yeah I guess we did."

Ryuji looks around, "But how do we get back?"

"Why don't you two just retrace your steps from before you got here?""Actually you may be right." Akira looks over at Ryuji, "Arsene says we should retrace our steps. I agree with him."

Ryuji nodds, "Your persona sounds smart. Anyways, let's go through the alleyway then!"

The both start running to and then through the alley. Once they almost reach the other side, they start hearing people and cars.

Once they got out of the alley. Akira and Ryuji bent over, out of breath. Akira was first to recover, "Well we're back."

A robotic voice came out of Akira's pocket, "You have returned to the real world."

Akira grabbs his phone and realizs that the app was still there, "It's this app again!? Wait? Did this thing send us to that castle?" "I think I know how we got there." He shows his phone to Ryuji.

Ryuji recovers and looks at his phone, "Whoa! That looks like a virus."

"I'm not sure but it keeps coming back. Maybe its how we got to that place."

Ryuji shook his head, "Man this is so strange! First the castle, then you getting that person or thing, then a talking cat, and now this strange app that might have took us to another world." He shook his head, "Anyways, was that really Kamoshida!?"

"Hey! Are you two Shujin students!? Are you two cutting class!?"

Akira and Ryuji looks behind them and saw two police officers. Akira was freaking out in the inside, "Of course, the police just had to show up. Wait…what time is it!?"

Ryuji scratchs his head, "Uh...yeah! We're Shujin students; we are just heading to school when we ran into a castle."

Akira just slaps his forehead, "Really Ryuji!?"

"Castle? Are you two doing drugs!? Give us your school bags!"

Akira bows, "We're sorry officers, he kind of fell down some subway steps and is still feeling kind of dazed. I was going to take him to the school's nurse."

The police officer crosses his arms and looks at Akira, "Are you his friend?"

Akira nodds, "Yeah."

The two officers looks at the two suspiciously but nodds, "Alright, we'll let you go and we won't call the school…this time. Just hurry on to school."

Akira bows again, "Thank you officers. We'll head straight to school."

Once they left, Ryuji walks over to Akira, "Thanks man."

Akira smiles, "Don't worry about it. Just make sure you don't start telling everyone about the castle."

Ryuji scratches his head, "Yeah, sorry about that, I'm still shocked about the whole thing. Anyways, let's get going." He checks his phone for the time and his eyes went wide, "For real!? It's past lunch time!"

Akira's eyes went wide, "Crap! If the school calls Sojiro, I'm going to get kicked out of his place!"

School Entrance

Akira and Ryuji both ran to the school. Ryuji looks up and saw that the school was no longer a castle, "The school isn't a castle anymore!" Now that they saw the school was actually a school. They were now hoping to sneak in but they notice an adult with his arms crossed, glaring. Ryuji mumbld, "Shit, it's the guidance counselor.

Once they made it to the front gate the counselor starts speaking in a stern voice, "I see that you're late again Sakamoto. The police called the school and said they found you two. You both are going to be staying after school."

Ryuji grumbles, "Damn them, they said they wouldn't call…"

Akira sighs, "Yep, now I'm definitely getting kicked out…"

Kamoshida then appears making Ryuji flinch remembering that he almost died because of him but Akira gave him a light glare. He smirks at Ryuji, "Again Sakamoto? You seem so carefree now, getting in trouble all the time." He laughs, "It's different when you did morning practice with the track team."

Akira looks over at Ryuji and saw that he was grinding his teeth in contained rage, "Morning practice with the track team? Is he part of the team?"

Ryuji points at him, "Shut your mouth! That was all because of yo…"

The teacher interrupts him, "How dare you talk to a teacher that way! You better watch your mouth Sakamoto; you're already close to being expelled."

Ryuji still kept arguing, "He's the one that provoked me!"

"You keep pushing your luck huh? In any case, you have to come with me; you'll have to explain yourself."

Ryuji was about to respond back before Akira stops him, "Stop, it's not worth it."

"But…!"

Kamoshida laughs, "Come now, I should've been more considerate as well." He smirks at Ryuji, "Let's just say that we are both to be blamed."

The counselor relents, "If you say so…but I still need to talk to Sakamoto."

Ryuji sighs, "Fine then…" He went up to the counselor and they both left.

After they left, Kamoshida looks at Akira, "You're the new transfer student that I offered a ride to. Akira Kurusu."

Akira looks at him confused, "No mention about the castle or being the king. What's going on?" "Yeah I am and I'm assuming you're Kamoshida?"

Kamoshida nodds, "I guess Sakamoto told you. Anyways, you better be on your best behavior or you'll be out of this school. Do you understand me?"

Akira nodds and decides to be a smartass, "Yeah. I'll be on my best behavior, just for you."

Kamoshida smirks, "Good to hear. You better go to the faulty office; Ms. Kawakami is waiting for you on the third floor."

Akira walks up the stairs and they both stare at each other before he walks into the school.

Once he left, Kamoshida growls, "You think I didn't see you and that blond bimbo getting all friendly. You will understand that this school is my castle and I am the King that rules everyone here even her!"

[End Notes: Okay so as you can read, I changed the whole scene when they first see the castle. I hoped you like the Arsene awakening scene. Also, Kamoshida was jealous of Akira the whole time during his arc. That's why he has a scowl on his face for a sec then he puts on a fake smile when he pulls up to Akira and Ann. Anyways, the next chapter will be when Ryuji gets Kidd and how he reacts to hearing him in the real world.]