The Liberated Dancer Part 2
In urgency
Takashi Kido ran outside of the classroom. Everything happened in a second.
Ignoring his classmates screams, he looks for a familiar face.
"Hey!"
Sakamoto waved at him.
"Come on, let's go to the courtyard now."
"What the hell is goin' on!?"
Kido only waving Sakamoto to follow him.
As soon as they arrive at the scene, they witness the grievous state was Suzui.
All while Ann Takamaki was sitting beside her.
The crowd of students suffocated the blonde boy.
He notices most of them were taking pictures with their smart phones and mumbling to themselves instead of doing anything helpful.
"What the hell is wrong with these people?"
The gruesome sight took Kido by surprise.
Blood was staining the grass besides the blonde teenage girl.
It was at that time, he felt he had made a wrong decision for the first time since he awakened his persona.
"Someone... Please..."
He was looking directly at her watery eyes again.
Takamaki's cry for help momentarily took him out of his dejected state.
But the astonishment of the other students wouldn't allow them to act.
"S-someone must've reported this already."
"If this get's on the news, our school will..."
"This is not funny."
"A phone?"
The distressful voices of the students enraged Sakamoto as he pulls out his phone.
But he shuts it off as he notices a bizarrely shaken Kido had already called the ambulance.
"Shiho... Why!"
Sakamoto cringed as he heard the despaired cries of the girl.
"It can't be... Suzui."
But he brings his attention to the spiky haired boy who was shaking at the scene.
He was a few feet behind them
The blonde punk frowned at him.
This made Kido turn back to look for the source of his ally displeasure.
Mishima couldn't help himself but to desperately run inside the building again.
Both Kido and Sakamoto started following him.
As soon as they leave, both the Principal and the PE teacher himself arrive to the scene.
"What's with this crowd? Disperse now!"
Orders the teacher.
The familiar voice makes something snap inside Takamaki as she turns towards him.
"Kamoshida...? WHAT DID YOU DO TO SHIHO!?"
She screams at him in front of the crowd.
Kamoshida's taken aback by this outburst, noticing the young girl lying in the floor in a pool of her own blood.
"Suzui?"
The principal sees the teacher's reaction and decides to take action himself.
"Everyone return to your class rooms."
Seconds after the teachers started to lull the noisy students, the ambulance arrived to the scene.
Kamoshida took this chance retreat from the scene as Takamaki's full attention was set on helping her friend.
On the rooftop, Sadayo Kawakami was holding herself by the fences, with her fingers trembling in between the metal as she looked down to the courtyard.
"... Not again."
She was holding Suzui's broken phone in one hand.
She couldn't dare to look at it.
It was just like a nightmare.
"Senpai... What should we do...?"
The brunette second year boy asked the student council president for an indication.
She was standing in the first floor corridors, looking through the windows alongside the Newspaper club girl who was having the same astonished reaction as her.
They couldn't dare to go outside.
She was holding her mouth with both hands.
Trying to somehow make sense of the scene.
It was of course, impossible for her to discern what answer to give at this moment.
"... Why?"
It was the only thing she could mutter.
Mishima came out of the boys restroom.
Covering his mouth and holding his stomach.
He just went through an unpleasant forced regurgitation.
"Suzui..."
"Yo. Why were you runnin'?"
"Huh?"
As if he was greeted by a jumpscare, Mishima backs himself into the lockers behind him.
He had cornered himself between the walls and the two most famous delinquents in school.
And a cat who was watching him above the lockers.
'A cat?'
"Oi, Answer me!"
Sakamoto got closer.
Mishima closed his eyes in fear.
"Just tell us. What happened to Suzui... You know, right?"
After hearing a quieter and gentle voice he tried opening his eyes again.
But the face didn't match the tone.
As soon as he got a glance of Ren Amamiya's unquiet face, he quivered in fear again.
"L-leave me alone!"
Smack!
"SHE JUMPED AND TRIED TO KILL HERSLEF!"
Sakamoto hit the locker besides the spiked haired boy.
Mishima let himself fall back to the wall. Giving up.
"Suzui..."
He remembers the face she showed yesterday.
He remembers how he wanted to grab her hand and run away.
He remembers how he couldn't dare to save her.
"...I'm so sorry."
He raises his face looking at both Sakamoto and Amamiya while holding his tears.
"SHIT! I can't believe she jumped!"
The silence in the PE faculty office was broken by Suguru Kamoshida's fist hitting his desk.
'I need to do something.'
His eyes were narrowing in a ghoulish expression.
"YOU PIECE OF SHIT!"
The voice of the punkish boy came from in front of the door he had just smacked open.
"Sakamoto...?"
"What the hell did you did to that girl!?"
He waved his arm angrily while pointing his finger at the teacher.
"What are you talking about?... Huh?"
He noticed two more students coming in from behind Sakamoto.
"Amamiya, Mishima... I don't have time for y-"
"Don't fucking play dumb with me!"
Kamoshida attempt to dismiss the boys was interrupted by Sakamoto kicking a chair down in front of him.
"Watch what you say. Don't go around accusing people of."
Kamoshida's eyes were menacingly looking down at Sakamoto as he said this.
"STOP PLAYING DUMB! You definitely did somethin' to her!"
"Ryuji!"
The frizzy hair boy got closer to Sakamoto while looking sideways towards Kamoshida.
The teacher was calmly sitting on his chair.
Kido wouldn't dare to show him any sort of opening, he tried to stay calm the whole time.
They needed to get out of there soon, before...
"And where's your proof."
He could turn things against them.
After hearing that familiar sentence, Kido's gasped angrily.
"Proofs"
They had none.
This was Kamoshida's turning point.
Takashi Kido realized then, that they walked directly into the wolf's lair.
Their fates were his to take from now on.
"T-that..."
Sakamoto found himself out of words.
"You barge in here and accuse me of things you have any proof of."
Kido knew exactly where the teacher was going with this.
They barged in here after an incident, and now they were about to assault a teacher.
Given Kamoshida's status and position, everything they say could be used against them now.
For a few seconds Morgana distracted Kido's attention as he poised over a nearby table.
He remembers his objective.
He and Mishima followed a rampant Sakamoto to stop him from doing anything reckless.
Right now, there wasn't much he could do.
Sakamoto was losing it, Mishima was scared beyond words,
It was up to him to prevent the situation to fall apart.
"That's not true, Suzui was hurt yest-"
But he couldn't keep Sakamoto from following the teacher's game.
"Oh, So you admit that you talked to Suzui before she tried to commit suicide, hmmm?"
"Wha-"
That was all he needed to hear. Now he had a whole plot set up in his mischievous head ready for them.
They were going to be his scapegoats.
"I see... She came to consult me about something yesterday, that must be it."
He folded his arms again, relaxing in his chair with a smirk on his face.
"She couldn't bear with your continuous acts of bullying anymore. That's why she tried to kill herself by jumping of the rooftop."
"What!? That's a lie, what are you playin' at asshole!?"
"Suzui is in a coma..."
Kamoshida's words stiffened the three young students.
Shiho Suzui. The last and most notorious victim of this twisted man, was in a state that would not allow her to give a testimony against the abuses she had suffered.
If this teacher was telling the truth, they were done for.
"Even if it is exactly as you imagine it to be."
Kamoshida taunts the trio with a prideful posture.
"What can you do?"
"W-what you did... wasn't coaching."
Mishima broke the oppressive silence.
"You... You ordered me to call Suzui here... And when she got here... you..."
He forced himself to stop before he voiced the image that had been hunting him since yesterday.
But Kamoshida's glare was impeaching the kid even more than his own imagination.
"You are going on about the same things these punks say without proof too, huh?"
He turned around looking at his desk once again.
"You are simply saying these things because you can't be a regular in the team, right?"
"That's not-"
"I got the message from the hospital. Her chances of recovery are slim, how would someone like that make a statement?"
Kamoshida raised his arm as a sign to shut up the boy's oration.
The fact that Mishima dared to admit Kamoshida's abusive actions, in front of him no less, meant that he was finally set to announce his discontent to the entire world.
But Kamoshida was rubbing Suzui's status to his face for a reason.
"The poor girl... having to go through the bullying of you two. And on top of that, there's Mishima. The responsible of spreading Amamiya's record, besides all those rumors about Takamaki and Suzui online, all because of his jealousy."
Kamoshida turned his head while shooting an accusative look to Mishima.
The boy melted down in his own guilt, falling to his knees at the revelation in front of the two supposed delinquents.
As if he was sentenced to confront consequences.
"What!?"
Ryuji turned back to face Mishima.
"Ah..."
He was at loss of words.
"Mishima...?"
"I- I did it... because he ordered me to do so...I had no choice."
"Hehehe, hahaha."
"You goddamn...!"
Sakamoto took a step forward towards the teacher, who quickly stood up in front of the punk's face.
"This again? Do I have to fill another self defense report today?"
He slightly bowed to get his face at the same height as his, in a very mockingly fashion.
"Shut your mouth you son of a b-"
He raises his fist, charging all his strength on the next punch.
But he's stopped by Takashi Kido's hand holding his arm.
"Why're you stoppin' me...!?"
"Calm down."
"You kiddin!? This bastard is-"
"Getting to you, don't make things worse."
Kido wasn't looking at Sakamoto.
He had never averted his eyes away from the abuser standing in front of them since they entered the room.
"-But still!"
He pulls his arm away.
"Oh, what a surprise... You actually act like you have brains, but there's no need to hold back. A man should act without hesitation, you know?"
Kamoshida smiles as he teasingly raises his big square chin.
"Why not attack me?"
Both Kido and Sakamoto clench their fists in frustration.
"Ohoho, you can't, but of course you can't, hahaha."
"Y-you can't do this, you-"
Mishima desperately complains.
"Hehehe, now think about it, between a couple of problem kids, a hopeless failure of a player and a star medalist... Who would people believe?"
Kamoshida lectures the boys about their current status in the school hierarchy.
"Tch."
Sakamoto knows all too well the answer of the teacher query.
Kamoshida turns his back at the trio again, sitting down in front of his desk.
"Now, I need to write a report to present at the next staff meeting..."
He turns around laughing while looking at Kido. "So that the three of you will be expelled."
Kido finally frowns at the teacher, putting his arm in front of a charging Sakamoto who only stood there looking at him.
"Hahahaha"
The teacher burst in his self satisfaction.
"Come on."
Kido turns around leaving the PE room.
He puts his hand over Mishima's shoulder signaling to get out with him.
"Hey dammit! He can't get away with this!"
They leave the room.
"Scum."
That was Kamoshida's last resentful word towards the tree second year students.
Takashi Kido didn't plan to let this be, he could look for a culprit for all he wanted.
But he realized that this whole situation was an inevitable outcome.
Sooner or later, that teacher would've found an excuse to kick him out of this school.
It was the same for the other two boys.
Right now, this didn't change his previous resolve to head back into that world.
If nothing, this gave them no other choice.
That cop won't help, the teachers won't help, nobody would help.
"Huh?"
Morgana steps behind the kids while Kido face them outside the PE faculty office.
Mishima and Sakamoto look at him with both confusion and impatience.
"Let's go."
Kido starts walking downstairs.
"What?"
He turned around looking at Ryuji without changing his previous serious expression.
"Let's change his heart."
Taking a moment to look at the depressed Mishima besides him. He notices the cat following Kido.
Sakamoto finally nods.
"... Yeah."
"Amamiya? Sakamoto?"
Mishima follows them downstairs to the second floor.
"Stay here Mishima, we'll be back."
"Huh?"
Sakamoto stops the kid from following them any further, his face wasn't threatening to him for the first time in a while.
Although the blonde punk expression was as intense as always, he actually showed a sincere sign of amiability towards him.
He had no choice but to nod.
Both kids headed to the school entrance downstairs.
Whatever they were about to do, he didn't needed to know.
"Looks like you two made up your minds."
Outside the school gates, Sakamoto and Kido were looking down to the mysterious cat.
"Are you sure this will work?"
"Positive."
Says Morgana answering Kido's question.
"Then let's do it."
He takes out his phone.
"Just to make sure you won't turn away in the middle of the heist... You are aware of the risk, right? The risk of him having a mental shutdown."
"If that comes to be the case... Then, so be it."
Takashi Kido said coldly, much to Morgana's surprise.
Shiho Suzui had reached a point of no return because of that teacher.
It may was his newfound empathy or his delusory desire to just have a normal year.
But Takashi Kido couldn't tolerate the teacher doing as he wishes at the cost of everyone else's lives around him.
"I agree, somebody almost died because of that asshole! I don't give a rat's ass what happens to him anymore."
The cat looks at the blonde kid who also thrown his own resolve on the table.
"Then it's settled. This is exactly like Phantom thieves treat each others, pretty fitting."
Morgana said something weird.
"Phantom thieves?"
Kido asks.
"Yeah. Those who covertly sneak in and stylishly steal Treasures. That is what shall aspire to be."
Morgana puffs in pride as explains.
"You keep making all this look like some sort of game, but... that doesn't sound that bad."
"That sounds kinda cool."
Sakamoto says while forming a smile.
The cat walks between the two teenagers while looking at the school entrance from the ally.
"We have a clear view of the school from here. This is the main entrance of that castle too, after all. So entering from here should be fine."
"Alright, let's do it then."
Morgana says while stretching.
"Huh?"
Sakamoto looks at the cat with curiosity.
"What?"
"You just go inside that place? How do you do it?"
"Huh? Wait, how do you guys got inside twice?"
Sakamoto takes out his phone, showing the cat the weird app with his finger.
"With a strange app in our phones."
"I see, well I just go by making up my mind. I guess it makes sense you guys need something more elaborated."
"... What does that mean?"
Ask Sakamoto, taking offense.
"Anyway, which steps do you follow?"
Morgana ignores him bringing his attention to Kido.
"I guess, we just put a name, like, Kamoshida, Shujin academy, pervert, and... castle?"
*Conditions found*
"Wow, so that's it?"
"I wonder how we got this thing."
Sakamoto looks down to his phone in confusion.
"A strange long nosed man gave it to me in a dream..."
Kido answers bluntly
The reactions of both Sakamoto and Morgana could only be described as boggled shared with a 'judging your sanity' expressions.
"Huh!? Whatcha talkin' about?"
'So It's only me who gets to see that guy in my dreams.'
"… Nothing."
"Well this is not the time to think 'bout that..."
Sakamoto turns around facing the school gate from the alley.
"All right, time to storm the castle!"
Sakamoto says while hitting his palm with his other fist, readying himself.
"Yeah."
Kido presses the 'navigate' button.
The air around them distorts.
The scene shifts.
The light and ambience changes to a darker and gloomy view.
They were in front of the castle, full in their rebellious thieves gear.
"HUH!? What is this?"
But a familiar voice distracts them.
Sakamoto turned around to find the blonde girl who's stunned looking at the building.
"Where did that castle came from!?"
"What... Takamaki!?"
"That voice... Sakamoto, what's with that getup!?"
"Forget that, what are you doin' here!?"
She momentarily tries to swallow her shock as she forces out an answer.
"...I heard you guys were going to be expelled while I was looking for you at school."
While Kido wasn't showing any emotion, Sakamoto kicked the ground with annoyance.
"Tch. That asshole is at it again."
"...Why were you looking for us?"
Finally Kido addresses to Takamaki
"I-... I wanna help!"
"What?"
Sakamoto annoyance disappeared at the surprise for the girls words.
"You guys were going to do something about Kamoshida, right?"
"Why do you care?"
Sakamoto asked coldly.
"I knew it! Let me in on to it too."
She brings her hand to her chest.
"What? No, nonono, you must go back."
"Ryuji?"
Kido wonders about his partner sudden reaction.
Sakamoto marches in front of her, getting in the way of her and the castle's entrance.
"Just... No! We are goin' inside that Palace, we don't know what's goin' to happen once we're inside!"
"What's a Palace?"
She asks while tilting her head.
"Uh, how do I explain this?"
"You jumped on to her, you explain it."
Kido shirks Sakamoto's request for aid.
"What?"
"Now now, please calm down."
But finally a boyish voice tries to bring peace to the children perplexity.
"Hi there, I'm Morgana. May I ask your name?"
Takamaki looked around trying to find the source of the voice. Maybe by answering she could localize the source by following the sound, so she complies.
"Uh...? Ann, Ann Takamaki-"
But as soon as she recited her name, she notices the small figure of the big headed cat thing standing just a few feet from her.
It was looking at her with a big and gentle smile as if sparkles were surrounding its face.
"Oh, Ann-dono. Such a lovely name...!"
The cat says while displaying a bright smile.
It was a brief moment of complete silence.
"... WHAT? The cat can talk!?"
Disregarding the strange way in which this strange being just addressed her, she breaks her short state of disbelief to inquire Kido while pointing at the creature.
"Unfortunately, yes."
The frizzy haired boy answers bluntly.
"HEY!"
Kido sighs, finally taking hands into the matter.
"Takamaki-san, I think what Ryuji is trying to say, it's that this place is too dangerous for you."
"That's right, we can't take you with us!"
"What do you mean dangerous!? And what's a Palace?"
"Well... Uh..."
Sakamoto scratches his head, doing his best to avoid answering her.
Kido looks around to see if they were bringing undesired attention to themselves.
"Ryuji, we can't stay here."
"Dammit, just go back, we can do this without you."
"I won't go away until you tell me what's going on!"
She puts her feet down as if planting herself in the floor with her fists closed and arms stretched down.
"We'll explain everythin' once things are over!"
But Sakamoto didn't stop his march, like a bulldozer, he starts pushing Takamaki away from the entrance, back to the alley.
"Hey what are you doing!?"
"C'mon, let's go, I'll take you out."
"W-wait. You are Amamiya-kun, right? Can you do something about Sakamoto? I need to talk with Kamoshida!"
She looks at the boy with the fake name for help.
"Just let Kamoshida to us."
Kido says in a cold voice she hasn't heard before.
"That's right, Ann-dono!"
Morgana added from afar.
The air changes around them again.
They were heading out of that world.
"Let me go!"
"Can't do."
"Hey, where are you touching!?"
"Sorry I didn't mean... Wait that's not important!"
"Kyaaa!"
"Stop screamin'!"
"Sakamoto stop... RYUJI!"
Slap
"OW."
It wasn't dark anymore, the sound of the slap echoed through the area, even through the school gates.
They were back in the alley in front of Shujin Academy, just the two blondes this time.
"Will you stop it?"
"Dammit just go away, this has nothin' to do with you!"
Sakamoto barked back at her, clearly irritated while rubbing his face.
"Nothing to do with me? Are you kidding me? Shiho is my-"
"No! Just go away, will ya? You are gettin' in our way!"
"What? No! I can't just sit back and do nothing after what happened to her!"
She was right, she was in all her rights to feel this way.
But he couldn't allow it.
Outworn because of his own inability to handle the situation, finally Sakamoto loses his temper.
"Dammit, you are useless in that place, don't you get it?" "Uh?"
"I said go! There's not a damn thing you can do."
She stands there in silence, both were still assimilating what was just said.
Sakamoto turns his back to her immediately after finishing telling her off.
He couldn't just regret what he said.
"... You... Asshole!"
And finally, she runs away.
Another reason why he choose to turn around was...
That he didn't want to look at her crying face again.
"... Urgh."
He went back to that world walking by Kido and Morgana without saying a word.
"It's everything ok?"
Kido ask his friend.
"Yeah..."
"I feel bad for her though."
Morgana worded his concern while looking back at the alley.
"... Well, we can't drag her into this place..."
Sakamoto explained in an unusual quiet but serious tone.
"You should be more careful. You were trying to show off that app thing, but you guys ended dragging someone else because you were not paying attention."
But Morgana quickly turned back to complain about Kido and Sakamoto's carelessness.
"S-shuddup!"
"... You're right, but we have to go."
Kido brushed the conversation off, walking inside the arch door, finally heading in.
"Right."
With both the cat and Sakamoto followed him.
One of the advantages the thieves have inside this world was the increase in their reactions speed.
Their personas speed resistance and agility gave them the chance of reaching their physical potential while in there.
They climbed the castle's structure and reaching through doors and windows with ease.
With Morgana's shadow sensing ability, they were able to reach a safe room in no time without unwanted confrontations.
"We need to reach another safe room in the higher levels, at this pace, we'll get to the treasure in no time."
"Sounds good."
Says Kido while closing the safe room door behind them.
"So, is gettin' rid of a palace is hard...? You've tried this before, right?"
Sakamoto asks.
"... When did I ever said that?"
"Figures"
"WHAT!? Were you just pretendin' to know!?"
"Keep it down!"
Kido shakes his head while interrupting their exchange.
"Takamaki found out about right before we started, we have to do this as fast as we can."
He takes a moment to look at Morgana who was sitting in a desk.
"Can we do this? Or are you still holding some secrets for later?"
A big grin formed on Morgana's big roundish face.
"Of course we can, Joker."
"Joker?"
Sakamoto butts in with a question.
"It's a codename, you can't just go around a Palace, screaming your real names. It's a precaution."
"Uh-huh... So, why Joker?"
"Because he's our trump card when it comes to fighting strength."
Morgana says it as if it was so obvious.
Much to Kido's languishment.
'Still treating this like a game I see.' "Well, whatever."
Kido says, unofficially going along with the cat's wish.
"Then, everyone has to use a nickname?"
"Yeah, yours should be... Thug!"
"Sounds appropriate."
"Argh, are you pickin' a fight with me? I'll choose it myself!"
Sakamoto grumbled a complaint.
"...Ummm, but if I were to have one, it has to do with my outfit, right?"
"Fine, why not skull then?"
Said a dissatisfied Morgana.
"Oh that sounds awesome! I'm skull."
Sakamoto pompously shows his approval.
"What about you Morgana?"
"Hmmm, how 'bout Mona?"
Kido sweat drops at Sakamoto's insistence of calling the cat that way.
"Well if it's easier for you to remember that name, then I'll go along with it."
Said a resigned Morgana.
"We need to be absolutely thorough about using those codenames from now on!"
"What about these medals?"
"I guess those are for that door we saw earlier?"
On their way to this floor, they had to split and look for alternatives to get to the upper levels.
The main hall wasn't an option, since it was full with guards.
But on one of the biggest salons, Morgana and Ryuji found each a different room containing each a book that opened a secret passage in a library.
It was a horrid room that represented Kamoshida's sickest hidden obsession with Shiho Suzui.
A room that depicted a horrible impression of what he did to her.
Inside that room they found out they needed medals to open certain doors.
"I'm just glad she didn't had to see that."
Kido notices the dismal face Sakamoto was displaying under his mask.
"We should move on, how are you guys feeling?"
The boy tried to focus the trio on their main goal.
"We are good. But we need more man power if we want to break through certain areas. It looks like we won't be able to avoid combat at all times."
Morgana's remark seems to hint their capability to avoid encounters so far had paid off.
But now they'll only find stronger enemies as they advance.
"We need to get an edge over those guards, we are probably going to have to use some sort of energizing or something to keep going."
"Those ain't easy to get."
"Well, then you may need to look for something similar."
"... How about caffeine?"
"That works. But I have an idea... Follow me."
They head outside the room.
Hiding behind the furniture, the trio watch over a solitary guard who's patrolling.
"See that lonely guard, let's get him!"
Takashi Kido nods while displaying a roguish grin after Mona's battle cry.
He jumps out of his cover, climbing to the knight's shoulder with ease, ripping off the knight's mask.
A Beguiling girl shows up out of the mudding remains.
The three intruders surround her, with their guns recklessly aiming at her.
"Heh! This is a hold up!"
"WHA-"
"I see... so what now?"
Joker questions.
"Shush, just follow my lead...ehem. NOW, give me everything you have. Be it money or items, just cough it up!"
"That's it!?"
Skulls groans.
"Ugh, It can't be worse than this. What are you going to do with me!?"
"Uh..."
"Wait, we can talk to them?"
As Joker was out of words, Skull couldn't help but to ask for the obvious.
"Shadows are beings born from people's hearts, so naturally they can talk too."
"Are we really mugging demons?"
Joker questions the situation.
"Shadows! Now give, give!"
Mona turns his attention back to the target.
"Uh!? Really? You'll let me go if I give it to you?"
"This cat is a bad influence."
"Focus! It's better than just offing them, who knows what you may get."
"But I have nothing!"
The trio remains in a reflective silence for a bit.
"Don't go offerin' shit if you have nothin' in the first place!"
"So much for an edge."
"... Um, what…? Wait, I can fix this!"
"So, we really are just robbers now?"
Neither Skull nor Joker seems to be listening to the cat at this point.
"I feel like I'm going somewhere I won't be able to come back from."
Added the frizzy hair thief.
"Stop whinnying! Ugh well, whatever, time for you to go to hell."
Said the overzealous cat thief.
"WAIT! Can't we make a deal!?"
"Fine. You wanted an edge? I'll show you some edge!"
A vexed Joker butted in.
"Won't you let me go?"
"Oh, I'll let you go sweetheart..."
He takes a step forward, trying to masterly pull his hair back for a second before continuing.
"To Hell!"
The awkward silence from before came back.
"You're so cringe sometimes man."
Finally Skull broke through the muted scene after realizing Joker was doing his best to actually sound serious.
"Ahahaha"
"See? Even the thingy laughed!"
"..."
Joker face showed no expression, while Mona slightly shakes his head.
"That was so lame, that was the best one-liner you could come up with?"
Joker closed his eyes focusing in something else to say.
"You know what would be more cringe?" He inhaled "A bullet to the face!"
But now he ended shouting his best impression of a villain from a western gangster movie.
"Seriously?"
Asked a still not convinced Skull.
But the shadow remained in a restless state.
"A-a-a-ahaha, on the other hand I say cheesy stuff like that all the time"
She nervously added.
"I'm just so unlucky, being mugged by kids in my first day here!"
"Yeah, my first day here sucked too."
"Oh, we have so much in common."
"Hey, what's going on?"
After noticing the brief exchange resulted in Joker lowering his gun, Mona turned his attention back to the target, realizing a bright light surrounded the fairy being.
"Oh cool, I remember now! I don't belong just to King Kamoshida!"
"What the-"
Skull surprise was also interrupted by attention being brought to Joker extending his hand towards the shadow's figure. In a welcoming fashion
"I am thou, thou art I... I am an existence that drifts about in the sea of humanity's souls"
"Did Joker's scrappy act actually worked?"
The cat wondered.
"My name is Pixie, from now on I'll live inside your heart!"
Finally the light surrounding the Pixie swallowed her whole, transmuting it into a small mask.
The mask was a light blue version of Joker's.
His hand then signaled towards his own face, and as if obeying his command, the mask flew straight to his face.
Replacing the existing one.
"Did you just make a deal with a demon because she empathized with your rotten luck?"
"That was a shadow! But... but-"
Both Mona and Skull couldn't believe their eyes.
The pact was done.
An instinctive reaction or a hereditary knowledge from his original awakening. Joker somehow knew the significance of this new acquisition.
He couldn't help but to let out a smug smile full of self satisfaction as he casually puts his hands inside his pockets.
"Y'know, for someone who acts all uninterested, you really are getting into this role."
"Woah, your mask changed color!"
Mona's fascination only busted Joker's ego a little more.
"Hmmm, I would like to fight another shadow..."
"What?"
"I mean, I'm always up for some ass kickin', but..."
While touching his new light bluish mask, Joker forms a kind smile from the corner of his mouth.
"I think this can be really helpful."
Mona gasped at a sudden realization.
"Does that mean you can use multiple personas!?"
"Wait, what?"
"I think that's the case."
Joker said while holding his chin, thinking.
"Wait, what does that even mean?"
"Normally people only have one heart, so they can only have one Persona. But he sealed the enemy's appearance and powers into that new mask, and made it his new Persona. I didn't even knew it was possible!"
Explained an astonished Mona.
'I get it now, so this is what she meant, this is what that strange Prison Master meant when he said that...'
He smiled to himself again.
"I guess you can say that... I'm a wild card."
He didn't felt the need to laugh, but he didn't knew a better way to express his content than to crack a joke. "Can you cut it out with the stupid puns, dude!?"
Still, it was fun in his head.
"That's actually a good way to put it if you think about it, yeah... Heh, not bad for that codename I gave you, huh?"
Mona folds his little paws as he tries to take some credit for Joker's accomplishment.
"… Well, I guess! Now I'm curious to see what he can do with that shit too."
"It'll be extremely useful indeed, you should try to do that again when the opportunity arises!"
Joker nods at Mona's comment
"Hehe! I really have something special on my hands!"
But the cat's eyes shined in a ambitious gaze.
"We should focus on our main objective though. There's a door to the next floor ahead, we need to find that safe room."
Joker ignored the cat excitement.
"Right. Let's move!"
Interlude / Invited to the dance
"This is that place from earlier...!"
She didn't know what she got into.
But she had more time to behold the view.
The stone walls of the castle looked fragile like rotten wood.
The atmosphere felt light and the air was sweet like honey.
Every step she takes feels like she's crushing a bug or walking over hard water.
One thing was for sure.
Just being here made her feel sick.
"... What's up with this app?"
A few minutes ago, Ann Takamaki went back to the school courtyard trying to hide her tears.
Back then, she didn't bother to hide of anyone who could still be wandering around.
She couldn't care about it anymore.
How worse things can get anyway?
And yet, she wondered why the words of the blonde punk had made her dissolve herself into such a state again.
She tried to order her thoughts while sitting in the same bench she used to share with her best friend during the school breaks.
She had witnessed her friend attempting to commit suicide.
She couldn't do anything to stop it.
Once she reached her lying body, she feared the worst.
What would she done if that was the case?
She was the only volunteer to accompany the unconscious girl to the hospital once the ambulance arrived.
But when they got there, the girl was being taken care of by the ER medics.
Once again, there was nothing she could do.
She came back to the school.
Even if she had an idea of what (who) could it be, she had to get to the bottom of what caused this.
As soon as she arrived, she heard some girls talking about those two famous delinquents getting in trouble for trying to confront the PE teacher.
It was those two.
They knew what happened, and they were trying to do something.
That was her chance.
She could do something herself too. Find a way to make things right...
To get revenge.
But when she found them, she got kicked out of their way.
She wishes to blame Sakamoto for doing what he did, but deep down, she knew his reasons weren't meant to hurt her.
"... He's still a moron though."
She said to herself while looking down at her phone.
While sitting on that bench and looking at the courtyard... She remembered exactly where her friends body was lying just a few hours before.
She tried to go down through the texts she send her friend the night before.
But her screen was displaying a strange sequence of images.
Her phone was acting strange ever since the night before.
A weird navigation app was constantly popping up again and again.
"..."
She rememorized the 'key words' those boys were talking about in that alley.
"Kamoshida, Shujin Academy, pervert, castle..."
As soon as she mentioned those words the app reacted again.
She went outside, at the same point she was taken out by Sakamoto.
That was it, that was how they entered.
'Still... why is this thing on my phone?'
After realizing there was no way she could know about it, she shacked her confusion off.
'I'll just ask once I find them.'
That was her objective, those two knew what this place was.
There has to be something she's able to do here.
They mentioned Kamoshida being here for some reason.
This paranormal situation was not something she could make sense of.
Maybe it was her emotions were finally getting the best of her, or maybe it was her need to get things right... But there was nothing that could stop her from going inside this castle now.
She was afraid.
The atmosphere made her feel ill.
Her body felt extremely light, and yet she could only walk forward to the giant doors.
But as soon as she steps in front of the giant door.
This one opens by itself.
"Huh...?"
"Princess!"
"What?"
In front of her a giant armored knight with a strange bluish mask was getting closer.
She froze up, she couldn't move a muscle.
The huge guard grabbed her by the arm.
"You shouldn't be here, princess!" "Wai-"
But she couldn't complete the sentence.
She was being dragged by force inside the building.
She struggled, but her strength wasn't enough to free herself.
Inside the big hall, two more knights were waiting.
"N-no! Let me go!"
But they weren't heeding her requests.
"I guess is just one of the moods the king wants her to be."
"Such strange role plays."
"Wha-"
She could heard them saying strange things.
But no matter how much she struggled to free herself, she wasn't going to get away from this.
("You're useless in that place./There's no a damn thing you can do.")
How come?
Once again she had blindly walked in on a situation she thought she could handle, without realizing how powerless she really is.
"No!"
"We'll take you to our majesty, he'll be pleased to see you."
"He was looking for thy highness."
"Wait..."
She chocked on her pledge.
Without realizing, her goal was being fulfilled.
She was being taken directly to the ruler of this castle, the man she wanted to confront.
But as deeper they headed inside this fortress, the more she felt like she wasn't going to get away from her deserved consequences this time.
Interlude / out
Set Free
They walked into a big room, with enough pillars surrounding the center of the lounge.
"The pillars in this room... Be careful."
Mona warned the two rebels.
"Look! A map!"
But Skull couldn't hide his excitement after noticing a potential advantage.
"I said be care-"
A chuckle interrupts their likely argument.
As soon as they walked inside the pillars, metal bars began to descend between the columns, closing any possible way out.
"Wow, it was totally a piece of cake!"
The familiar female voice was the source of the previous laugh.
The voice used an unusual tone though.
"Huh?"
"Sensei will be so pleased! I can't wait to see how he'll reward me!"
"That voice, it can't be!"
The female figure finally shows herself in front of the boys.
She was only wearing a bikini that let very little for their imagination.
The cat ears headband over her blonde hair shined the most.
"Takamaki?"
She slightly bowed in front of them.
Crossing her arms below her bikini line, highlighting her bust size to them.
"Tee-hee."
"Wow!"
Said Joker, not even trying to hide his surprise.
"Ah- What a meaowh-velous figure!"
Added Mona.
Also falling under the spell.
"The eff!? Snap out of it you two!"
But for some reason, Skull was immune to the so called charms of this fake girl.
"Eh?"
"Ahahaw, Sakamoto-kun, you look so shabby, you could use a massage~ !"
Her tone although seductive was so shallow that Skull felt the veins in his eyes were about to explode because of the phony nature of this being.
"This can't be her..."
He said.
There was no way that girl could be hiding this aspect of herself, not her.
"… Right?"
Skull asked Mona, looking for a confirmation.
"Y-you're right, this doll must Kamoshida's cognition of Ann-dono. This is..."
"Disgusting."
Completed Joker.
He had seen that girl true feelings about how's she's seen by that man.
The image of her figure acting this way engraved itself into his mind as the ultimate sign of disrespect.
"Dammit!"
Skull jumped to the metal bars surrounding the room, getting real close to the blonde doll's face.
"Urgh, GET US OUT OF HERE YOU STUPID BIMBO!"
She playfully jumped back while raising her voice.
"Aw, how vulgar, you deserve a punishment."
She shrugs as she jumpily walks towards the big door at the other side of the room.
"Quit messin' around!"
"OH pleaaaase save me, oh knight of the square table!"
She screams while pointing her finger at the metal skull masked intruder.
"Huh?"
A pink armored guard crashes through the door to rescue the bikini princess.
"Princess, here you are! Our lordship has been looking for thy highness all day!"
"These thieves are trying to take advantage of me~!"
"What?"
The cognitive Ann pulls down the chain that activated the trap, raising the metal bars.
They were free, but her guardian got in at the same time.
The pink armor melts into the usual shadow juice revealing a new enemy.
It was a fox like creature, white fur and a long fluffy tail.
The creature was wearing a small white Japanese monk outfit.
"I'm The King Onmyoji's, guardian of the princess."
Said the small beast while getting in the way of the intruders and the 'princess'.
"How dare you to disturb this castle's peace!"
"Tch."
Skull mood wasn't improving, as he noticed the cognitive Ann throwing a kiss at him in the distance as she leaves the room from the same door this knight came from.
"Get out of our way!"
He screamed.
"We don't have time to hang around here fighting!"
Mona warned his allies.
"What should I do?"
Joker says, not to Mona, but to himself.
He puts his hand over his mask, and just like that, it burst into blue flames.
"Come... Pixie!"
Mona and Skull eyes awed at the sight.
The shadow they were battling before had appeared behind their ally.
"Zio!"
Without giving his enemy time to react.
The fairy being behind him uses that same lightning spell to zap the boy's foe.
And just like that, the Onmyoji was stunned enough to fall on its back.
"And that's that."
He said while aiming his gun at his overthrown enemy
"This power, I see, you have a bright heart."
Kido smiles with confidence after hearing the shadow's words.
"Heh, I don't know If I'll describe it like that. This is just to make things... less unfair."
"Hahaha, a pure search for justice, I remember now!"
"I am thou, thou art I."
"My name is Abe-no-Seimei, from now on I'll purify the contents of your heart!"
Just like before, this enemy turns itself into a blue mask.
The masks manifests on Joker's face.
"He really is using multiple personas?"
But Mona's eyes were shining in excitement.
"Damn, that was fast!"
And skull couldn't hide his amusement either.
"Come on, she went that way, right?"
"Wait we shouldn't just follow her."
Mona tips the duo.
"But she must know where the treasure is, right?"
Joker said bluntly. "Y-yeah, but-"
"Oh, you're right, we just have to get her to tell us!"
"Hold on!"
They search another safe room to hide themselves from the roaming knights.
Once there they focus on regaining their strength for a few seconds.
"Tch, so many of them! We wasted so much time gettin' here."
"This is all because you guys provoked Kamoshida, you know?"
Mona niggles at Skull.
"How are we supposed to steal this treasure thing anyway?"
"Don't be so hasty Skull, we need to secure a infiltration route first."
"A what?"
"A path to the treasure's location."
"Hey, you say you don't have your memories and all, but somehow you still know about that kinda stuff?"
Skulls once again, questions the cat's reliability.
"Do you think this thing's really got amnesia?"
"... Who knows?"
"Really dude?"
But then Joker tries to advert the conversation somewhere else.
They could hear the voices of two patrolling knights at the other side of the door.
"Still, how come there are two princesses?"
"I don't know, but we've been looking all around for more intruders. The King wants no interruptions this time."
"What do they mean by princess? Wait, is that fake Takamaki a princess here?" Skull wonders to the group
"'Two princesses', It can't be!"
But Joker face discolors at the realization.
Soon the group realized the situation.
The app must've also appeared on that girl's phone. Skull rushed first towards the supposed church she was being taken to.
Joker followed him as he tried to explain the metaverse app existence to Mona.
They were getting good at avoiding detection.
After skipping through a couple of rooms they reach a new big area.
The facade shifted between what seems to be the school gym and a the inside of a giant chantry.
It felt like their mere presence was distorting reality.
"A church, wait, now is a gym?"
"Could it be?"
"Yes, it makes sense. This is not a real church, it's Kamoshida's sanctuary. A sacred place where he's venerated, it makes sense that an athlete thinks of a gym this way."
"Bullshit, this place is where he puts everyone down the most!"
Skull grouses Mona's explanation.
"Skull, quiet!"
Mona was hiding behind a pillar, looking at the scene ahead of them.
There were many benches.
There, a bunch of topless female high school students were lustfully looking at the ridiculous image of a giant statue in the altar as rose petals were falling from the roofs.
"All these girls... are they..."
Joker asked not wanting to know the answer.
"I remember some of them, they're from the volley ball team! "
But Skull remembered the faces of some of them.
"This is sick. We shouldn't be looking at them like this!"
Said Skull looking down.
"I told you this place was no church...Look!"
Just below the big King statue.
There were a couple of figures walking around the altar.
"What's the matter, you were so lively before..."
"You kidding me... W-who is that?"
They were Ann Takamaki, The Pervert King, and the doll princess.
The real Takamaki was tied up to a X frame that looked like it came out from some weird red light shop.
"Where are we!?"
The prisoner asked.
"Huh, You're different from my Ann."
But the King wasn't going to bother answer her questions as he laughed to himself.
"Are you afraid?"
He looked at the girl while getting closer, the knights were standing by just in case.
She saw the crowd in front of them, the whole scene was like it was part of some sick and cheap b class movie.
"What's with that look? Have you lost your mind!?"
She questions at the King's appearance.
"It's alright, this is my castle, my Kingdom, my world of dreams and ambitions... I do what I want here."
The King answers.
"This is bad, there are too many of them."
While sneaking closer to the altar, Skull was looking for a way to get ahead of his allies.
"We need a distraction..."
Warned Joker.
"The hell with that! We can take them!"
But Skull wasn't in the mood for a tactical approach.
"Don't be so hasty, they could hurt her!"
Mona alerts Skull about the potential consequences of his actions.
"Dammit..."
Meanwhile the King was signaling at his toy girl with a snaky smile.
"Come on, don't you like what you see? This is the real thing, isn't that right, princess?"
"Hehe."
The doll giggles.
"Wha-"
The fake doppelganger standing in front of her was acting like she was enjoying herself.
Seeing her face and body acting that way was a maddening experience for the captive teen.
"She will act as a fine slave..."
"Slave?"
It was so painful for her to admit it, but it fits her. She now knows everyone she knew were victims of this teacher's whims. She wanted to imagine she was not the same, but...
"This isn't funny, cut out the bullshit Kamoshida!"
The King smiles as he turns back to his doll princess, looking for validation.
"Hmmm, the girl decided to tell me off. But what do you think?"
"Uw, Talking back is like, totally unforgivable... you shouldn't have done that."
A sleazy remark coming from the doll, as if she was under an hypnotic trance.
Takamaki felt a strong revulsion.
"... Then there is no other way. I'll have to execute her!"
The King dictates a sentence.
"NO! Takamaki!"
Skull came out of his hiding, jumping to the altar.
"Huh?"
Takamaki gasp in surprise.
"Heh, And I was just starting to play..."
The king says mockingly.
"How many times are you going to keep coming back here?"
Both Mona and Joker follow Skull to the altar without having much choice.
The crowd wasn't reacting to their presence.
They were only having their eyes aiming to the Statue in stupor.
Shadow Kamoshida looks at Sakamoto with annoyance.
He raises his hand and signals his guards to charge while turning towards his prisoner.
"Knight! Get rid of those pests!"
The golden Knight dissolves into their own life fluid.
From it, a revolting demon sitting in a toilet appears.
"What is that?!"
Takamaki gasps again in surprise.
The other knights accompany the charge against the intruders.
"This will be my entertainment."
Shadow Kamoshida stops besides the X frame holding Takamaki.
"All right, come on!"
Screams Joker.
Getting ready for the fight.
"How dare you to bother king Kamoshida with such trifle matters!"
The frizzy hair boy summons his black winged persona, casting a dark spell without saying a word.
But it was useless, the demon didn't moved an inch.
"Captain KID!"
"Zorro, Garu!"
Both the cat thief and the skull rebel attacked next with their own summoning and spells.
Thunder and wind made the demon spin uncontrollably for a moment.
The other two knights immediately turned into horned horses and flying incubuses. But only to be Skull pipe and Mona's scimitar.
As soon as the big demon regained control, he shoots ice spells around the room.
But they all were quick enough to evade the attacks for now.
"Wind pisses him off, huh?"
Joker says as he puts his hands over his mask once again.
"Abe-no-Seimei...! Garu!"
The same white fox figure from before takes shape behind Joker.
He fires a whirlwind spell making him spin around some more.
"Argh, annoying pests!"
The king turns his attention from the battle after realizing the efforts these intruders were putting to save this girl.
"I see, so you are the same like these fiends over here. You came here to complain to me, did you?"
He grabs her chin with ones of his hands.
"Aw, you look so distressed... Hmmm I forgot what her name was, but wasn't your fault she jumped?"
"Eh?"
"Because you wouldn't accept to be my play partner... I had to chose someone else instead."
Her eyes widened, she knew exactly what he meant.
She was being reckless. She knew that.
But all this time she took the risk thinking that if something ever came to happen, it'll be all on her.
"No... Don't mess with me...!"
She did it because she wanted that girl to be safe from this man's machinations, and yet still…
"Stop it!"
She hears Sakamoto's screams.
He was still trying to fight off some of the armored knights on his own to reach her position.
"Don't dare to come closer, or I'll kill her in the spot!"
"Shit!"
Standing just a few feet below the altar, the Skull masked thief manages to evade the swords of more incoming knights as he looks up at the girl they came to help.
"Now, I was planning to play a little so I could break some sense into you… I shall do just that before your execution."
The king said as he lowered his hand around the girl's neck.
Her face continued to look down, recapitulating everything she had done so far to get into this situation.
She flirted with this teacher, she did it, she did it so she could help her friend out of his abuses.
So she could move towards her dreams and goals.
She knew she was playing a dangerous game, she knew there could be dangerous consequences for her.
And yet still, why was Shiho the one taking her place?
"Are you kidding me...? Shiho..."
A few years ago her priorities were just eating sweets, watching her animes, reading magazines and playing with dresses.
People called those things girly stuff.
But for her it was just the things she had lying around her the most. Things she could find an easy and simple fascination with.
She adored colorful clothes and flashy attires.
And she admired those women that made them look so cool and mighty on those magazines and even in her anime shows.
What was wrong with her wanting to be like them?
Her mother applauded her for it. She even furnished her with similar clothes and modeling platforms to play around as a child. And she just liked it.
Even if she couldn't see her mother as often as she wanted. Ann knew she wasn't doing anything wrong as her dad also supported her fascinations.
But still.
Why was she still being look at in such a deviant way?
Did she deserved this?
"Haha! That was her name?"
Shiho Suzui, her best friend.
The kings laugh blends along with the battle sounds around the church.
"She was so unattended as well, the poor girl. Hahaha."
He says as he puts his arms around the doll princess as if recreating his predatory steps.
"After I finished with her, I told her she was still out of the team regardless, all because of her 'poor performance'."
He didn't even care for her fate. He just used and abused her, only to dispose of her.
Shadow Kamoshida grabs the unresisting doll chin roughly while looking at the captive real girl with a nasty grin.
"... You should have seen the look on her face."
And he starts boasting again.
"That's the exact same face I want you to show me!"
All this time, she was shaking as she recreated the terrifying moments her friend must've lived with this man.
"Y-you... BASTARD!"
There were no tears at this point.
Her heart felt so powerless that it couldn't manage to properly convey a single emotion right now.
The only thing she could recognize right now, was regret.
Before that man, they both were living a happy life with a bright future ahead of them.
Even if they were meant to fail at their personal endeavors, at that point it wouldn't have mattered. Because they had each other.
But then she became a distant link between her friend and their future as such. A real life doll doing only what's she's "meant" to do.
Suddenly, failure was not an option anymore.
It was all because she had chosen to flirt with that man so her friend didn't had to suffer his abuses.
It was because of it, that everything had turned this way, because she thought she could take it.
She thought she could take it on her stead.
"I'll start with your clothes..."
"N-no, Stop it!"
She begs in a weak voice.
"Oh, that's too erotic, sensei."
The doll giggles.
"What're we gonna do?"
Below the stage, the thieves were fighting for their own lives at this point.
It was a battle of attrition at this point.
They weren't dealing enough damage, and the demon wasn't flinching or giving an opening either.
"Focus on the enemy! We can't do a thing if we don't clear a path to her first!"
"Takamaki!"
Skull screamed at the girl again, trying to bring her back from her bleak state.
"I..."
She said in a low voice.
'Come on, you have it in you, right?'
Joker thought as he continued battling, keeping the altar on his sight.
"Is this... my punishment for what happened to Shiho...?"
She was breaking down, the guilt she felt was only dragging her to the hell she saw below her feet.
She thought was fitting for her.
It didn't matter if it was an agony this king was willing to impose on her.
"That's right... That's the face!"
She was always a strange thing, a thing that people either wanted or despised.
So she thought she could be able to handle a man like this pretty easily.
But why couldn't she do it?
If she had done it properly, she could've taken him away of her.
Let her fulfill her dreams and have the future she struggled so hard for.
she should had been able to handle him, since she was good at keeping people away.
But why, why was her friend's future ruined in her stead?
"Shiho... I'm so sorry..."
She said it again, just like the night before.
And just like back then, it was a pointless thing to say.
"Takamaki! Are you going to let this be!?"
Joker screamed as he avoided the sword of a knight.
"Huh?"
She sees the figure of the white masked thief.
She remembers his face back then.
('You're hurt')
('As if something like that would ever happen...')
What she wanted back then…
To be left alone, that this torn king leave her alone for good.
That was what she told him.
"...No, I don't want that...!"
Even if she still considers herself accountable for what happened.
This twisted pervert was still the major responsible.
"Why did you come all this way!?"
Joker asked again, struggling to avoid more incoming attacks.
"I-..."
She came here, to attain justice...
Such a childish yearn was what caused all this trouble. The thought made her giggle a little.
"You're right..."
She said convinced.
"Just saying it isn't going to change things…"
She laughs at herself again.
Disgusting, pathetic. She was all that, because she wouldn't just accept truth of what she wanted to do all this time.
Everyone remains in silence in the altar.
"What should I do…?"
There was a quiet anger hiding behind those words.
As a flame that was slowly rising up in a forest, she couldn't control the lift of emotions boiling inside her anymore.
"Slaves should keep it to themselves."
But the king feckless words were the lighter she needed to harness those flames.
"Shut up! I had enough, I'm pissed off you son of a bitch!"
*Thump thump*
The pain ignites a change.
Her body started trembling in agony as she moans and sweats.
All while still being held by her bondage trap.
"Urgh...!"
"My... It's taken far too long."
Her voice came from inside her own heart.
Her body shakes around in pain more and more, trying to break free.
Not from her captivity, but from inside her.
She got it all wrong, but now she has to accept the truth.
She said that she came here looking for justice.
But the real reason… was vengeance.
"Tell me... Who is going to avenge her if you don't?"
She was not looking to save her friend.
She had already failed to do so.
She wasn't looking for answers either.
She only wanted to see him pay.
"Forgiving him was never the option..."
She knew this wasn't something she had to long for…
But she had been an object for desire for so long.
This was a whim that she, most than anyone else, deserved to satisfy.
But that wasn't all, that girl was still alive.
So, she also owed her this much.
"Such is the scream of the other you that dwells within..."
Even if she's never worth looking at the eyes of those wronged because of her.
And even if she can't never be true to her wish of having a future of her own willing.
There's only one thing she can never let go, her passion.
"I am thou, thou art I..."
She can't never let it go.
Not to this man
Not to anyone.
Because, even in her loneliness. Even through despair of losing the ones she cares for...
She cannot admit defeat to someone like him.
"We can finally forge a contract..."
And there she lies in complete silence, the struggle had stopped.
But not because surrendering.
But because she knew exactly what she needed to do now.
"I hear you... Carmen."
She rises her head, the red cat like mask has formed over her eyes, eyes full of fury and disdain.
Demonic glowing yellow eyes, aiming directly at the king.
He steps back while still holding his doll.
"You're right. I will not hold back anymore!"
She says as she frees her arms and legs with a new strength she always had in her.
The flames start to slowly take forma round her body.
If what she wanted was wrong, so be it.
She now had the power to manipulate her own fate.
It was enough to break her free of the chains of domination.
"There you go... Nothing can be solved by restraining yourself."
She is on her feet now.
There's only one absolute fact she can't deny.
It was the only way she was able to live this far...
That's right...
No one would ever dare to force her to do anything.
She would never allow herself to be anyone's doll.
No matter what...
Ann Takamaki will always be free.
"Understand? Then I'll gladly lend you my strength."
She rips her mask off.
"Aaaaaah!"
The glowing bluish fire burst with a wind so strong that makes everyone around her move back in astonishment.
The figure shows from the flames.
A red tight latex bodysuit, her high heels boots and pink gloves holding a leather whiplash.
She was ready to inflict punishment.
She jumped out of the sight of the guards who kept her on the X frame trap.
She took away one of their swords with a kick. With enough speed she grabbed the sword in mid air. And using the momentum of her fall, she laid the attack directly to Shadow Kamoshida…
But he was still holding his doll princess.
Instead of taking the blow, he puts the doll in the way while rolling away from the slash.
The result; the doll is cut in half by the real and now only woman in the room.
The distorted scream of vanishing doll princess behind her was music for her ears.
But Ann Takamaki's eyes were only focusing on her real target.
The coward king lying on his knees a few steps ahead of her.
The view of him crawling away from her was appreciated.
"You know what? I'm not some cheap girl you can toy with... you scumbag."
Behind her, the figure of a dancer was standing over a heart shaped headed man on his knees, while holding another man with the branches full of thorns around the neck of its heart shaped headed.
She held her red rose shaped dress as if she was ready to break a dance worthy to be seen before dying.
And this was now meant to be the new performance to take place in the stage the king set up for her.
She and her gypsy dancer of love were ready to walk all over him.
"Bitch...!"
The king tries to backtrack from the altar.
Carmen was holding a cigar on her free hand, from it, flames started burst.
"You stole everything from Shiho... You destroyed her... Now it's your turn!"
She finally had the power to take revange.
"I will rob you of everything...!"
And more.
She points at the king with her finger.
The command was clear, the dancer fired a flame so strong that would melt the metal an ocean cruiser.
But the king managed to quickly dodge it.
"AAAAAGH"
Still, the flames weren't devoid of a proper victim. The Demon sitting in a toilet was set ablaze.
The image of the creature slowly melting down made an impression on the boys who were still fighting so hard to survive this battle.
"I've had enough of you. No one's gonna stop me now!"
The girl says as she readies herself to cause more damage.
"Let's go, Carmen!"
She loosens whiplash.
"Tch."
Once again, the king retires.
The remaining knights came charging at her.
At the sight of the king leaving, Takamaki clenches her teeth.
She quickly whips her weapon, entangling it around a knight's neck, taking its head off with a strong pull.
"Burn them, Burn them all! Carmen!"
She screams as the flames start to fill the room.
One by one the knights start to melt away. Not leaving a trace.
"Did she really needed to be saved?"
Asked a frightened Skull.
"She's so strong!"
Commented the enthralled Mona.
"Heh, let's give her a hand!"
Joker said with a Smile.
""Right!""
"You dare to defy King Kamoshida's love, you brat! –AAAAGH-"
Those were the lasts words of an unknown armored guard, before being strike down by the flames of the embodiment of this girl's heart.
"That pathetic guy is nothing but a loser! I will step over his head!"***
The girl screamed as she attacked, but she was running out of targets.
"Ann-dono, be careful!"
She hears the boyish voice warning her.
Thanks to that she managed to avoid a big golden sword waving at her.
She jumps down from the altar, landing just beside the other thieves.
"This is a holy ground! It is preposterous for miscreants like yourselves to come waltzing in and tarnishing this place!"
The golden armored knight revamps into a winged heavenly punisher.
"You will pay for foolishly defying King Kamoshida… with your lives!"
He readies his sword as he charges up.
"We don't have a choice. If we want to escape this place, we must take it down!"
Says Mona.
"Don't lower your guard"
Warns Joker.
"CARMEN! AGI!"
But the attack doesn't inflict enough damage to move the target.
"What?"
"Ann-dono!"
The archangel figure attacks, arrows made out of light start forming over the thieves heads, slowly crossing paths as they come down at full speed.
"Look out!"
Joker screams.
He summons Abe no Seimei again, reducing the damage of the attack by half.
"Ugh."
But the pain was still excruciating, noticing his friends took major damage he tries to heal himself quickly.
"Pixie."
The spells quickly gets Mona healed.
"Thanks. I got this!"
The cat said as he tried to heal Takamaki next. But much for his surprise, the girl was already healing herself with the power of her own persona.
"Wow, she's amazing!"
"Mona heal skull, quick!"
Joker's voice snaps Mona out of his enchantment as he heals the blonde masked boy.
"We need to do somethin'!"
"Time for trial and error!"
Joker summons pixie as the winged knight comes charging.
He takes this chance to zap a lightning over it.
"Argh!"
And much to his presumptuous joy, it worked perfectly.
"Now, RyujI!"
Joker looked at Skull.
That was all he needed to say. The skull boy understood what came next.
"Captain kid! ZIO!"
Another shock, this time the archangel was on his knees, unable to move, Joker, Skull, Mona and Takamaki surrounded the guardian.
It was do or die, and that night, they came out victorious.
The winged knight vanished after the might of the group's attack.
"Where did that bastard go!?"
The fight was over, and as soon as she could get back on her feet, she started looking for Kamoshida's shadow around the room.
But he was nowhere to be seen.
"Ann-dono, please calm down! You did great!"
Said Mona as he slowly approached her with a smile.
"Huh? What are you, you are alive?"
But as soon as she tried to step back she fell over the weight of her own body.
"AW"
Another thing she didn't realized, was that she was holding her body's weight over the head of the small cat being besides her.
"Huh…? WHAT IS THIS!? WHY AM I WEARING THIS?"
This was certainly a night of surprises for her.
The realization of her current outfit was her biggest shock so far.
"Well, I'm stumped."
Said a resigned Mona.
"Dammit, why did you have to come this way?"
Added a frustrated Skull.
"You look great…"
And finally mocked a smug Joker.
"Huh? Where are you looking at?"
Takamaki blushes as she covers her chest away from the view white masked thief.
"We really don't have time to explain while we are here, reinforcements will come back soon, we have to go!"
Said Mona in a hurry.
"Ugh, She's a bother but what can we do? You can't move right? Hey, help me taking her out."
Finally Skull takes one of Takamaki's arms.
This time she doesn't aggressively reacts to the boy's touching, as she knows she doesn't have enough strength in her to resist their aid.
The Lovers
They managed to escape the castle once again.
Once back in the real world, both Morgana and Takashi took their time explaining things to Takamaki in a calm manner.
Meanwhile Ryuji comes back with some drinks for her and his friend.
"Which one you want?"
"Which ever is not carbonated."
Says the girl.
"They're both carbonated."
'Of course they are.'
She sighs.
"Then… this one."
"What about me?"
Suddenly a small cat pops out of 'Ren Amamiya's bag, asking for a drink.
The view of a talking cat still fascinates the girl.
"You're a cat."
Automatically answers the punk kid.
The cat hisses at the boy, but the dynamic between them seems to be enough to take her mind away from the grieving feelings she had before.
She lets out a quiet giggle.
"You've calm down I see."
The calm voice of the frizzy hair boy forced her to give a peaceful smile as she nods.
"That's good, you were pretty stressed up."
Said the cat.
"Emm… Morgana, right? I'm really talking to a cat."
Even after having heard the cat explaining her the workings of the Metaverse for about thirty minutes, exchanging words with it still felt unnatural.
"Oh, sorry, you're not a cat, right?"
"It's only natural, we all are still a little raddled."
Said the selectively empathetic cat.
"It's not like you can believe all that at once."
"To be honest, I really don't believe it yet… But that power, my Persona..."
"It's the will of your rebellion Ann-dono. As long as you have that, you can fight in that world."
"So, If what you told me is true, then what Kamoshida did is unforgivable… and you want to make him confess his crimes by changing his heart? You think you can really do that?"
With a determined look she takes a moment to wait for their reactions.
But Kido smiles knowingly.
"We talked to the victims. Not the parents or the teachers will say anythin' against that pervert… If we tried to complain, they're just gonna shoot us down, the truth is, we really have no other choice."
Sakamoto bluntly explains their situation.
"Then let me help, I wanna make him pay for what happened to Shiho…He just keeps going like nothing happened, even after what he did to her… I'll never forgive him."
The true of the actions of Kamoshida is that he has no redeemable interpretation.
He has gone too far too many times.
And although Kido could understand Takamaki's guilt for not being able to prevent the tragedy of Shiho's suicide attempt today, Sakamoto's nature wasn't ready to just accept her resolve.
"Wait… you mean, you want us to take you along?"
He said surprised.
She realized what Sakamoto's intentions were.
He was trying to fend her away of the dangers of that place again.
That's just how he has always been, but she wasn't going to allow him to choose what's best for her.
"Don't act like I'm going to drag you down! Weren't you watching? I can fight too."
As if looking for help, Sakamoto looks at Takashi.
"Hey, what should we do?"
"She has a strong heart."
But he only finds Kido's satisfied expression.
"I agree. Her strong heart is what determines the strength of her persona. We are lacking man power as well… don't worry, I'll protect her!"
Added Morgana with a convinced look.
"Even if you said no, I'll just go by myself."
She says defiantly.
"You say that, but there is anythin' we could do…"
Complained Ryuji.
"This is your fault Takashi, your cocky speech made her come back!" Sakamoto took out his childish frustration on his friend.
'Let kamoshida to us'
Those words could certainly provoke a contrary reaction to a prideful person.
"Me? You threw her out so badly that she wanted to come back to kick your ass!"
Said Kido in a mocking tone.
"That's right! Ryuji screwed up!"
Morgana popped out of the bag to blame the punk some more.
She looks at both boys acting with a natural familiarity, enough to call themselves by a first name basis. If she didn't had a friend to act the same way with, she could imagine herself being jealous of their quick friendship.
"Wait... Takashi?"
Sakamoto shrugs in embarrassment after noticing Kido's glare.
"... Ops!"
Kido stops glaring at him to sigh in resignation.
"It's a long story... but…"
He pauses, thinking in a way to tell her the truth without spilling too much.
There was no point in lying to her anyway.
"Ren Amamiya... That's not my real name, at least, not the one I was born with."
"So... you have a fake name?"
"No, my name was changed as part of my rehabilitation program, my birth name is Takashi, Takashi Kido... while my legal name is Ren Amamiya… But, you can call me whatever you want..."
Even if he was being quiet enough so no one else could hear their conversation. This was the most words she had heard this boy speak before.
"I see, so... you don't like your new name?"
She catch up to that for some reason.
"It's not that... It's just that is useless now, given that everyone knows about my record anyway."
He says that as he timidly plays with a fringe of his hair.
"Oh, then... Is it Ok if I call you Takashi-kun?"
"Huh?"
A surprised expression took over him, why would she go out of her way to do that?
He didn't know. But for the first time since they talked yesterday, he felt that same kindness he knew this girl had been keeping deep in within her without being able to convey it.
Only that this time it was being directed at him.
"I mean, that's your real self, right?"
"My real self…?"
He mused for a second.
Was she referring to how he acted in the metaverse?
Or how he acts in front of her…
Either way, she seems to have an idea of 'who he truly is'.
If she's going through the trouble of decipher his personality, what reason has he to not allowing her to call him that way?
"Heh, I already call him that."
Interrupted a cocky Sakamoto.
"This is not a competition you dummy!"
This exchange clicked something inside Kido.
Their informality and simplicity when they talked to each other.
The way they suddenly act without a worry in the world...
They tell each off and won't hold their words as they say what they want.
He does the same with Ryuji… It was a nice feeling.
Being able to just be themselves.
"Heh- hahaha."
He can't hold his laugher.
It was so simple, a pure state of being.
He had pondered so hard about what Igor had told him about the frivolities of the bonds he'll make. That he completely forgot the meaning behind those alliances.
"Huh?"
She looked at him in confusion.
"I'll be glad if you call me that, Ann."
He tildes his head with a gentle smile on his face.
"Uh... Right!"
She tried to agree as quickly as she could, taken by surprise by the lack of honorifics when he called her name.
Still, she didn't mind this sudden feeling of familiarity he was yielding.
'What a strange boy'
She thought.
He acts uninterested most of the time, but right now he emanates a strange enthusiasm and mystique hiding behind his fully confidant smile.
"We should keep it a secret though, he already has a lot of shit on his back."
It was weird, with these three guys, she felt like she didn't need to feel bad for who she was while she talked to them.
"Y-yeah... I won't say a word."
She says.
"Thanks."
Kido says with a warm smile.
"Oh, we should exchange our contact info."
"Right…"
As soon as they finished their exchange, they ready themselves to part ways.
"Don't go to that world without telling me, ok?"
She warns the trio as she finishes exchanging their chat ID.
"I will make Kamoshida atone for everything he did. Not just for Shiho's sake… but for everything he's done. No one should suffer because of him anymore."
Takashi takes a good look at her serious face. Her resolve had strengthen her voice like he haven't heard her before either.
"I'll do whatever it takes!"
She finishes.
Kido nods as Sakamoto closes his eyes in resignation.
"I'll be counting on you then…"
She smiles at the cat over Takashi's shoulder.
"Yep! Same goes for you Morgana."
"The pleasure is all mine Ann-dono."
As they start to walk around the station before each heading towards their own lines. The band discusses a some methods they'll need to make this operation work.
"A secret hideout, huh? How bothersome."
Noticing Takamaki's melancholic state after Sakamoto and Morgana suggested the school roof top as a new hide out. Kido tries to derail the conversation.
"What's with that attitude?"
Asks Morgana leaning at him on the left side of his face.
"He kinda acts like that most of the time. I bet he's so lazy that he doesn't even clean his room and shit."
Mocks Sakamoto.
"You wouldn't either if you saw it."
Mumbles a sulking Takashi.
The girl chuckles at the conversation before parting.
"Well, let me know when meeting will be then… I have to go, see you!"
They wave her off.
"Well, since I can't contact you from that world, I'll stay in this world."
A shiver ran down Kido's spine.
"That being said, I'll need someone to take care of me. So I'm personally nominating you! You should feel honored."
Says Morgana as he hops out of Kido's bag and lands on top of his head as if reclaiming a hill before nailing a flag
Kido remains in silence. There wasn't much he could say to a cat that could only follow him home no matter what he says.
Sakamoto shakes his head while waving the duo off.
"Well, congratulations, I couldn't keep it at home anyway, so let's meet tomorrow, kay?"
He hears the name of his train arriving on speakers, and starts heading to his gate, waving Takashi and the cat.
"Right."
"Ok, let's go and look at my new residence for this world."
Says an enthusiastic Morgana.
Not waiting any longer either, Kido goes on his own way too.
The Magician
"Ann-dono is amazing isn't she?"
Yongen-jaya remains as lively as always during the early evening. The elderly were listening to their radio on the close alleys. A drunk man was waving harmlessly around.
The and a pawn shop still showing some good products at this hours.
Kido was doing his best to not to look as if he was talking to himself every time the cat popped out of his bag. Meanwhile Morgana was enjoys the free ride.
"She's pretty brave…"
Kido shortly asserts.
"Not only that. She has such an admirable consideration for others, and the innocence to cast herself into the jaws of death to achieve her goal… she's caring and beautiful! She has captured my heart."
"Now now, you better keep quiet and get in the bag, it'll be trouble if the chief finds out about me smuggling you in."
Ignoring Morgana's newfound poetic nature, Kido tries to warn the cat to keep up with the plan before arriving to Le blanc's door.
"Alright, you better have something good to eat though, I'm starving!"
"You eat?"
"Funny, I'm in this world now, so this body works like a normal cat body would in here… I think."
"There are a lot of things cats can't eat, you know?"
"We'll see about that."
"Shhh…"
He opens the door.
The atmosphere is quiet as always. This time, the barista is properly standing behind the bar, cleaning some cups instead loafing around as he usually does.
"Hi."
As if surprised to actually see the kid not arriving late this time, he takes a good look at him.
'Is he disappointed I came earlier?'
"… The store is still open, go upstairs."
This was Sakura Sojiro's way of greeting him.
It was still an improvement from the constant lectures he gave him the last couple of nights.
Takashi heads to his room, but not before taking a good look around the shop. Waiting something to ruin his evening at any moment.
He notices a client was still sitting on her booth minding her own business.
She may be a regular, given that Sakura was actually pretending to do his work at the very least.
Trying to take a good look at her. Doing his best to turn his head as he goes past the booth.
He notices the woman was actually a pretty attractive mid twenties Goth looking girl.
Despite rocking some eye bags, and a distant look, her attractiveness was undeniable.
She has dark blue hair in a messy bob-cut with blunt bangs and brown eyes.
Wearing a choker and necklace at the same time, that daring style was the kind of thing that would steal any men's sight. At least that's what Kido thought.
Under a black jacket she was wearing a blue dress with a white spider web design.
'What an unique woman.'
It was certainly a more appreciated view than another certain sunglasses wearing customer.
"Are we there yet?" /Meow/
His bag shakes, drawing the attention of everyone present to the quiet yet distressed boy.
"Huh?"
'Shit!'
The woman brought her sight to the kid, his reaction made her smile for some reason.
"Hmm? What? You like what you see?"
"Huh? hmmm…"
Speechless, Kido does his best to quickly return to his previous appeased self.
"Hey, lay off the costumers!"
"It's ok, it doesn't bother me…"
Said the gothic punk looking girl.
"I'll head upstairs, good evening."
The kid bails.
Once in his room he takes a moment to catch his breath.
His phone starts to vibrate again.
Come to think of it, the phone was constantly ringing on his way here again.
But he was too busy trying to conceal Morgana's presence to pay attention to it.
Mom: How are things over there?
Once he looks down at the texts his face shifts into a sad look.
Mom: Are you eating well? Mom: Let me know if you need me to send you anything…
He wanted to take his attention away of the screen, but more messengers keep coming.
Ann: Hey, I wanted to thank you again.
Ann: You saved me and I didn't even thank you properly
Takashi: It's ok
Ann: I just wanted to let you know at least.
See you tomorrow.
Even if her sincere thanks was meant to start some sort of conversation.
Kido doesn't feel like texting anymore.
"Oh so that's the thing you guys text each other with, right? Looks very useful, I want in too, so I'm gonna have to ask you to type out for me."
After realizing the cat was snooping at his phone's screen from his shoulder, he turn his phone off for the night.
"What the-….!? What is this place!? An abandoned attic?"
The cat contemplates the room from Kido's bed.
"… All right your entitledness, answer me this, will you?"
Doing his best to ignore Morgana's anguish, he readies himself to interrogate the creature.
"What is it?"
"I have an idea after what happened earlier today, but people can't really hear you talking, right?"
"Looks like it."
Morgana says while grooming.
"So, whenever we are talking, people only hears you meowing?"
"Probably."
"… Well... that could be somewhat useful."
"Heh, a practical way to put it. I like it."
"Anyway-"
"I thought I heard meowing!"
Sakura came from the stairs, he sees the cat shrinking and getting ready to jump in case the shop owner decided to get violent.
"Well shi-"
"Why did you bring it here?"
It could be a sign of resignation or just a risked bet, but Kido remained calm as he tries to come up with something.
Even if Sakura decides to get riden of the feline thief, he'll just follow him around anyway.
"Umm… It followed me home. It doesn't have anywhere to go…"
Sakura looks down at the cat, Morgana can't see his eyes through the shine of the crystals.
"No place to be, huh? That's too bad…"
He begins to play with his mug as he brings his attention back to Kido.
"We are in a restaurant, we can't have animals here…"
He looks back at the cat lying on the bed, whose big blue eyes were shinier than before for some reason.
"But… Perhaps if you have something counting on you to live, the responsibility having a pet could help you stay in good behavior…"
'Really now?'
Kido contains the need to object Sakura's excuses.
"Fine. But as soon as I open the shop you need keep it quiet or take it out of here, or I'll throw it out… and I'm not taking care of it, that's all on you."
The boy decides that nodding was the only good course of action.
He takes his attention down to Sakura's hands, he was holding a plate of curry the whole time?
"Oh, what's that!? Smells good!" /Meow/
Morgana says from the bed.
"Ummm?"
"You already ate dinner right?"
"Actually…"
Before he could answer, the shop owner lowers the plate over the bed, right in front of the cat.
"Seriously, it keeps meowing in that cute little voice."
"… Huh?"
"Why are you looking at me like that? There's more downstairs, you can serve yourself some if you are really that hungry."
"… Right."
"Looks like the boss likes me better than you." /Meow/
Says a felicitous Morgana.
' Can cats even eat curry!?'
"So, have you named it yet?"
"Morgana."
Says a morose Kido.
"Really? I was hoping to name it…"
Disillusioned, Sakura starts to head back downstairs.
"Hey Sakura-san… who was that girl?"
But the kid's curiosity got the best of him again.
"That customer? I think she's a doctor of some sort…"
He starts looking down at the stairs with a reflective face.
"She helped me out before, she sells some good medicine. But she seems to have a bad reputation for some reason."
After noticing the kid was actually being mindful to his words, he decides to end up the conversation.
"Anyway, I'm heading home."
Sakura says as he parts.
"So that's the ruler of this place… He seems very understanding for someone who keeps you cramped in this dump."
Morgana shared his impression.
"You've finished already?"
"It was delicious, what you wanted some?"
"No… I just want to go to sleep to be honest."
The boy didn't try to hide his fatigue as he stretches out some more energy out of his body.
Morgana seems to be very mindful of the boy's reactions.
"… When are you going to ask me what I am?"
The cat with the boyish voice finally asks the question he was waiting to be asked.
It is true that Kido is curious of the true nature of the creature.
So far the cat didn't lied to him. Morgana did hid inforamtion to gain something in exchange. That's why Kido thinks that asking Morgana more about it's existence could only lead to the cat either trying to get something in exchange, or not knowing about his past.
And for the looks of this cat's current confused state, it seems Morgana was unsure of how to bring this topic back to the table.
"To be frank, I don't know anything about my birth…"
"I see…"
There was not much to add then.
Kido didn't know Morgana well enough yet to realize what kind of response would be best to avoid touchy subjects.
It felt weird for him to have a cat's feelings in consideration though.
"It must be because of the distortions around the metaverse. I don't remember anything before that palace. But I have a feeling that if I can find out the source of all those distortions, I could get back my memories…"
"I see, so that's why you were looking around inside that castle."
Morgana ponders for a little while before confronting Kido again with great resolution.
"Let me be clear, you taking care of me won't be for nothing, it will be a give and take deal."
Kido could perceive the same enthusiasm in Morgana's voice as he did before entering the palace earlier that day.
He wasn't sure if this was a good sign, but the cat's motivation and determination were somewhat endearing for him.
Infectious even.
"Due to my knowledgeable and dexterous nature, I have a lot of intel on infiltration tools."
"You can make lockpicks?"
"Whoa, I won't tell you until we make a deal"
Morgana was already under a roof and he was already feed too.
But the cat seems to be very ceremonial.
"In exchange for you keeping me here, I'll teach you all about those tools, what do you think?"
Kido sighs. He already had accepted the terms of their deal before heading here.
"It's a deal then… now get out of my bed."
He bluntly says wanting to get things over with.
Besides…
'You're a cat, I'm gonna take you in no matter what.'
"How rude! I don't need to sleep in a bed anyway! I'm a highly adaptable thief, so I can find comfort in any place I see fit, sleeping is just a way to recharge your energy anyway."
With that Morgana jumps out of the bed.
"Don't forget the deal, I'm gonna stick with you wherever you go from today on."
"Why?"
"Well, Personas are the strength of the heart. Your power seems to be unique. By building up experience, you should be able to gain even greater power. If you get to know more people who could be useful to your cause, who knows how stronger you can get... so I'll make sure you can harness that power!"
He could feel Morgana smiling behind his feline features.
Kido froze in place for a little while.
Those words, he heard those same words from Igor before.
Why was Morgana saying all this now?
Was that so obvious? Or was he just that clueless?
"This is all part of our deal, got it?"
Although a little bothered by the bossy tone coming from the cat, Kido nods and get things over with for tonight.
He takes a short shower downstairs before heading to bed.
He could only think about Shiho Suzui's tragedy until he couldn't keep his eyes open.
Morgana eventually found himself sleeping over his belly once Kido submerged in deep sleep.
A comfortable and safe place to be, indeed.
Omen
The next day, Shujin school day was going as any normal day.
Even if the rumors about Suzui's condition weren't good, and most of the teachers were trying to avoid the topic altogether.
Shujin was a prestigious school after all.
Given the Japanese nature of giving their all before and complaining later, people were focused more on not bringing up an incident that could potentially give a bad reputation to the school.
Takashi Kido did his best to filter the voices of the corridors.
He knew the reasons behind the tragedy, he knew how far the last victim was being pushed, and he had become closer to at least a couple of them by now.
On top of that, the rumors about his imminent expulsion seems to be already spreading around the students ears once again.
"You heard? That new delinquent guy and Sakamoto are getting expelled."
"They say that they tried to start a fight with Mr. Kamoshida."
"Can you believe it? Idiots, they deserve to get kicked out!"
He couldn't avoid hearing the voices of his peers who were pointing at him without any shame.
Classes were still going, it was the short break between the third and fourth period.
But Kido was being called out by Kawakami as soon as the homeroom class started.
He was heading to the School Guidance Room.
The boy advised the cat to stay hidden inside his desk crates until he finishes his business there.
The room was besides the faculty office.
He didn't know what was expecting him inside. But one thing was for sure, it was going to be related to his confrontation with Kamoshida.
Once he opens the door, he feels as his heart stopped for a few seconds.
"Welcome, I'm the school counselor, Jun Sōseki."
Truthfully, there was only so much a healthy teenager heart could take.
He was used to jump scares and ominous presences because of his blood relationships.
But as a boy that was trying his best to live a normal life. He still lowers his guard a lot for someone with the amount of paranormal experiences as him.
The image of the woman greeting him was more familiar than he would have wanted.
She was dressed differently this time.
But that smug look on her face, the curly silver hair and the blue butterfly ornament.
She was unmistakable.
"WHAT!?"
The shock had taken away his voice volume measurement capabilities.
"Why are you so surprised...?"
She asks nonchalantly.
"Y-YOU!"
'It can't be.'
He points at her. He wasn't showing much nervousness, but his pointing hand was shaking while he frowned at her.
"My, aren't you lively?"
She fixes her glasses.
She was sitting on her desk, legs crossed and resting her elbow on top of the desk, leaning her face over the back of her hand. A familiar pose.
Instead of her white coat, she was wearing a black business blazer and a skirt of the same color, with a set of black leggings.
She was the image of a business lady.
But for some reason, her yellow eyes weren't as piercing as they were in those dreams.
"You've really done it this time, haven't you? I've been hearing the rumors about you all week, but to get expelled so quickly..."
She starts tipping on her tablet's improvised keyboard.
The boy remained speechless, taking short glances around the room and back to her trying to confirm the veracity of the scene.
She notices his confused expression and indulges his yet unvoiced curiosity.
"I heard the rumors from some students while I headed here earlier, your reaction just confirmed my suspicions."
"S-So... you don't... know me?"
It was possible this woman wasn't the same one he had been dreaming about.
That idea calmed him for a bit.
"I am a clinical psychologists, it is my job to get to know some things about you beforehand..."
She explains with a professional tone, as if she was reading some sort of manual.
"I see..."
He sighs in relief.
This was a student guidance office after all.
Professional psychologists are usually the ones called to check on students at least once a week.
Every school must have a room like this.
Morgana also mentioned something about people's shadows to him before.
This woman could also have a projection roaming around in that other world. Just like Kamoshida.
But why was he dreaming about this woman specifically.
She was using a very informal speech to address him when he entered the room.
It couldn't be…
"But..."
He had lowered his guard again, he realizes his mistake too late.
"Huh?"
She has a grin on her face.
"I told you I was going to make an appointment for you. Didn't I?"
"..."
"What is it?"
There was no mistake.
This woman was the same one who was sitting in Igor's place that time.
She was the one who gave him the metaverse navigation app.
"Just... Who are you?"
He was having trouble believing what he was going through right now.
He knew the meta-verse was no dream.
He felt the pain of the injuries that he carried from the times he came out of that place. They were still hurting in the real world.
But the velvet room was different, only he knew about that place.
This woman being here proved that the velvet room, was more than just a dream.
'Between dream and reality'
"... I already told you, I'm the school counselor, Jun Soseki."
It's the first time he actually hears her full name.
There she was like a normal person drinking her coffee.
"I'll be making some test to you from tomorrow on... technically it's just a formality. I have no say in the final decision regarding your expulsion."
She says as she continues tipping.
"... Wait."
"But let's start with today's test first."
"Wait just a moment!"
"My, you are so impatient."
"STOP TAKING NOTES!"
He lost the control of his voice again.
"Is there something wrong here?"
Suddenly the door behind him opens.
The big and wide figure of the bald school principal was standing behind Kido.
He was menacingly looking at the kid, as if he was looking for an excuse to lecture him.
"Nothing at all, Principal Kobayakawa. This kid was just a little agitated by my questions, it's pretty normal at first. I'll break him out of his shell eventually."
The girl said with a professional yet imperious tone while looking at him again.
Unhurried she continued her tipping without looking at her guests anymore.
"Hmmm, regardless..."
But the principal doesn't budge,he was studying Kido's carefree posture.
"It can't be helped, the rumors about this kid had already spread around the campus, and if he actually happens to be responsible of the bullying that caused Suzui-san's incident, well..."
It seems the principal was aware of his situation.
His sentence was set on stone once Kamoshida gives his report.
Kido inadvertently gritted his teeth.
"I see, you let your case pretty clear to me last time, Kobayakawa-sensei. As a member of the Japanese Society for Cognitive Psychology, I'll make sure to live up to your expectations."
She says something Kido couldn't care to decipher right now.
He was busy wondering when the neck lacking principal would go back to his office so he could finalize this unwished encounter.
"In the meantime, I'll have to keep on with the standard procedure for these kind of situations. So I'll need to keep having these sessions with him until I have a full report ready for you."
She finished.
"Very well, please try to have them ready before the next staff meeting day."
"Of course sir."
Finally the principal leaves the room, letting the two velvet room guests appreciate a short moment of silence.
"As you can see, all I can do is buy you some time."
"You must be joking. That's not what I care about right now!"
"Oh? Such an ungrateful sentiment."
"No, that's not it, why are you here?"
Finally Kido finds his words.
The mood was clear for her.
"I told you already..." She sighs "Your inability to accept reality could be a serious case of denialism. Although that would make a lot of sense, given your situation."
"... Just… answer me!"
Not wasting Kido inquires her again.
"... As I said before, I'm in charge of following your development as the user wild card ability."
Says a bored Jun.
"But that..."
"That means monitoring your daily life is required."
His frustration grows deeper.
He can't really deny her previous assessments regarding that topic. But it was her constant nagging was making him feel fatigued.
"But, weren't you part of that world?"
"I'm just a therapist. I just lend my services. That's all."
"..."
"..."
An awkward silence filled the room again.
He was doing his best. But for some reason he wasn't sure how to dig her pompous attitude every time he sampled his confusion.
"Are you, studying my reactions?"
She smiled as she remained quiescent in her seat, looking at him gleefully.
"Stop it."
She chuckles, briefly bringing her attention back to her keyboard.
"Just answer me, how do you do it?"
"You mean going to the metaverse, the velvet room and here?"
"Yes!"
"You are really going to ask the one who gave you and your allies the app to navigate through such places that question?"
"...I-"
It was a lost game again, and she wasn't even trying.
He was not meant to be an interrogator.
"Speaking of which, how's that girl who joined your cause doing? She has an amazing emotional adaptability, I would like to study her too."
His eyes widened.
She could only mean one person.
"Ann... did you chose her too?"
"No... you did."
"Wh-..."
He composes himself again before giving her another rampant reaction.
"I did not do such thing."
"Oh but you did, just the day before, you were about to tell her everything, right?"
Surprised he proceeds to ask the obvious again.
"How do you know?"
She lets out a small chuckle again.
"Because I'm a psychic, of course..."
"..."
Her teasing had transcended the barriers of his common sense and pierced through his frontal lobe, temporally relieving him of any coordinative capabilities.
If he were to confront this woman again, he needs to do some groundwork.
He needs to prepare himself mentally and spiritually, so he could at least end a conversation with her without him feeling drained of his will to socialize for the rest of his life.
She laughs as if she can't help it.
"I'm joking. I saw you following her in the station, and choking in your words in that junk food restaurant. You need better expertise when it comes to paying attention to your surroundings."
Landing back on earth, Kido manages to understand what she meant by that.
"You were following me?"
"... monitoring your daily life is required?"
"..."
She stands up taking a more serious tone for her next exposition.
"I guess it can't be helped, you may go around and ask about me, you can also look for my name on libraries or other public services... Or, you could just come to these sessions and find out more about me, directly."
The way she tells him this seems to say that he'll waste efforts otherwise.
"To tell the truth... I'm more than thrilled to find out how the mind of a persona user works, this could be most interesting."
"Y-You are not a normal human at all, are you?"
He nervously ask, afraid of what the answer could be.
"... I am as normal as you are."
But she answers him with a smile.
"That's..."
A tricky answer.
What was normal about him anymore?
At this point, "being normal" was just the façade he was trying to put over so hard.
"It seems it's still too soon for me to get a viable contract with you. So I'll just have to wait until your shock has faded and you start to accept reality."
It seems she only wanted to make herself noted for today.
"Arugamama, eh? That's something, coming from a psychologist."**
"You are obviously aware of such a life orderliness. The process of accepting the events life sets up for you can also help you to deal with unexpected situations with a calmer and clearer mind."
Kido couldn't hide his surprise for the spiritualistic take coming from the woman that makes a living by studying the science of the workings of the human mind.
"But your pessimistic nature seems to be doing that for you anyway."
Kido stops himself from answering her teasing.
"... No, I get it... I'll be back."
He never took a seat, so he just turns around to the door.
"Oh? In that case, I'll be looking forward to our next session. I gladly explain to you how the metaverse navigation app actually works."
Before he closes the door behind him, she gives him one last piece of advice.
"And please remember, you can only venture so much inside someone's heart without piercing it to pieces."
He stays still for a while, she is also aware of the risk of changing Kamoshida's heart.
Yet remembering him the possible price for his insurgent look for a better school life was pointless now.
"Noted."
He closes the door.
The week wasn't even over yet, but he felt like years of his life were taken from him by these constant paranormal encounters.
"Such luck…"
Resolution
*Drip*
A drop of water echoes through the room
It's dark, the boy opens his eyes, he is not in the attic anymore.
He sees blue quilted walls surrounding him.
"Welcome to the Velvet Room."
He was again in this familiar room, his cell inside the Velvet room.
"You have finally taken upon your role as the wild card user I see… Wonderful."
Igor's deputies, the two little wardens, were silently standing in front of his cell.
"So… I can use multiple personas. Is that the power of this wild card?"
Igor didn't bother to answer. His bloodshed eyes were fixed directly at him as his ominous laugh could be heard in the oval room.
Justine turned to face Takashi while going through the pages of her hardboard clipboard.
"As we told you before, the abilities of your personas are driven by the power of your heart. Your resolve and connections with the bonds you make during your rehabilitation will influence your overall strength."
The twin on the left, Caroline, also turned around to face him.
"Shadows can only be defeated by the powers of Persona. The power you willingly pull from the masks you use to protect your heart from the external world."
Caroline tried to dispose of Kido's evident discomfort with an explanation of her own.
"Those bonds will burst the strength of your will based on the similar aesthetics and beliefs you share with them. You will get more power by acquiring new talents. That includes the abilities your Personas gain."
The girl on the right added.
Two bright lights bright from the inside Justine clipboard pages.
"You've unlocked two more confidants that will help you to harness such power… First is the lovers arcana. In moderation this power could help you to bolster your heart, illuminating you through the choices you make, but in excess, well…"
"It'll break you down and make you bleed!"
Caroline sharply states after her sister.
"There's also the magician arcana. The initiative and confidence to manipulate your fate is the key for you to start your journey as you take advantage of your true potential."
Justine looks at the other page inside her clipboard as she explains the arcana's benefits.
"But be careful to not get too cocky. If you start looking down at people, they'll step all over your head eventually."
But Caroline brings Kido's spirit down to earth again.
"I urge you to remember what you've learned today, that way you can truly reach your full potential. Consider this a token of my expectations for you."
Igor raises his hand, snapping his fingers.
For a second, Kido could feel a small burn on the back of his eyes.
"Uh?"
From his perspective, he got a blue flame coming out directly out of his cornea. The terrifying image made him jump back a few steps inside his cell.
It wasn't until he realized that he was unharmed, that he took out both his hands out of his face.
Noticing Caroline smirking as Justine closed her eyes trying to not to react.
Something was definitely different.
His sight was never bad to begin with.
Those glasses he wore were just an ornament. But even so, his sight was not this good before.
Now he can see things he definitely wasn't able to see before.
The dusts flying around the room, every detail of the twin girls hairs and even Igor's strange gaunt skin.
And besides all that, there was a strange feeling he had never felt before.
Is a new… everything.
It was like he could 'sense' what he sees, he was seeing more than just the superficial existence of those in front of him.
It was impossible for him to pick out what could mean to "feel" each of these new experiences he was capturing inside his mind.
The only way he could describe it, is as a new sense altogether.
A new sense that allowed him to perceive the presence and paths he could never discover otherwise.
He couldn't see it of course, but the shine of his eyes were as the lights of a lantern, using an invisible light to illuminate his path.
"The third eye. The eye of the mind, will allow you to clearly see the path you are willing to walk. Without being fooled by pointless detours… You are a trickster after all. You shall not be so easily deceived."
Kido could feel the chemical reactions in his brain were starting to provoke a momentary state of pure euphoria.
He wouldn't bother displaying it. But he felt as if he had reached a state of being that could only be colloquially described as 'hype'.
"No way…"
He wasn't able to hold his exited smile as he looks down at his hands.
There was a fact about Takashi Kido, he was clearly becoming an admirer of these unique advantages.
'Power, this power, is… so stylish.'
He lets out a roguish smirk again.
"Now go away Inmate, your time here is up!"
Caroline dismisses the rogue teenager.
He could see it now, the path was clear, he'll get to the end of this invidious gamble.
And he will win over everything that was on stake.
He leaves the velvet room, with a face that exemplified tough confidence.
Igor's laugh could be heard resounding inside the room again on his way out.
Unlocked:
The Lovers Arcana: Ann Takamaki
The Magician Arcana: Morgana
New Personas - Arcana:
Abe no Seimei - Magician
*Disgusting: 気持ち悪い - Kimochi warui D:
**Arugamama: あるがまま- acceptance of life as it is.
*** There's a pun in the literal translation of that scene, where Ann mentions Kamoshida is a looser outside of school, could also be interpreted as "I'm a dominatrix and this looser..."… I think.
Notes:
Jun last name; Soseki is based on the famous writer of the novel "Wagahai wa neko de aru(I am a cat)", Natsume Soseki, and yeah, that's probably the tale that inspired Morgana's curious speech.
What inspired her appearance for me, was an unused character design shown in the concept art book that didn't make it to the final game (Here: . ), she could had been an early sketch for Lavenza, Wakaba or even Takemi for all I know, but I feel
that her design fits the image I have for her, only with Silver hair insead of black. Also, the blue butterfly ornament.
Please feel free to share your opinions or criticism.
Update 04/16/2018: Fixed grammar mistakes. Cut shortened some scenes. (This is still the longest chapter because of all that happened.)
