Keeper of Lust: Down Part 2

The Death: Placebo Effect

Takashi Kido was standing in the middle of the residential area known as Yongen Jaya.

The boy was having a brief conversation on his phone.

"Great, tomorrow is the day, go home and rest well, okay?"

On the other line it was his female ally Ann Takamaki, who was acquiring other essential items that they'll need during their heist next Monday.

"See you guys tomorrow."

After hanging he takes a deep breath, this was one of the last errands he was supposed to do for the day.

One would think a boy of his age should been enjoying his Saturday afternoon with his friends, playing videogames or watching some movies, but he was obviously not an ordinary teenage boy anymore, he was looking for specific medicinal drugs that could help them through a future and possible gruesome skirmish.

"Okay… here we go."

The boy walks into the clinic in the corner of the street.

"How can we get her to give us the medicine?"

Morgana asked as they reached for the door.

"I'll come up with something."

Once inside they notice they were in a quite empty waiting room.

The silence was lugubrious and the smell of hospital wasn't precisely a welcoming atmosphere.

"Stay outside… just in case."

He says as he notices the uninterested languid doctor reading a magazine at the other side of the counter.

"You sound scared."

"… Please."

Kido tries to sound confident as he lowers his back and walks towards the woman.

Her aura wasn't threatening, yet for some reason Takashi Kido understood the risks of annoying someone with enough medical knowledge to prescribe some lethal pills cocktail of some sort.

'She's a doctor after all…'

The boy expands on his expectations of a goth/punk looking doctor fitting that notion he seems to have about doctors.

Even if it was a childish stereotype most people get over after their first medical tests where you get blood samples taken from you, no one can blame him for feeling some mistrust for some back alley doctor.

"Can I help you?"

"Uh…ummm, I've been having strong headaches."

"…"

'She doesn't buy it!'

The woman wasn't taking her sharp and haggard glare away from him for at least thirty seconds, she made no gestures and remained still with her cold eyes glaring at him in silence, as if she was a pale fragile doll expecting to be moved by someone.

"I came for that rumored medicine."

After gulping he finally gains enough courage to speak again, being as straight forward as he could.

"…Huh?"

The surprise was actually noticeable on her peering expressions.

Kido could come to appreciate the woman's odd stoic beauty, if it wasn't for her intrigued face quickly turning into an inquisitive frown.

"…"

"…"

The quiet in the room remained unbroken until the doctor finally decided ask a question after taking her time to analyze the boy's features.

"Regular medicine won't do the trick for you?"

"… I have my reasons."

She realized the boy was not going to step back without a minimum effort, so she surrendered her magazine for some more immediate form of entertainment.

"Fine… please enter the examination room."

Once in the room, Kido is invited to sit down while the doctor remained close to the door.

"That medicine, huh?"

She lies back looking down her clipboard, not showing interest in hearing the boy's answer.

"You really are so gullible to believe every rumor you hear around the streets?"

"…"

"… Not that I care of course."

She sighs while looking over her shelf of herbal medicines on the back.

"I'm about to dispose of that medicine anyway. I got a little too carried away with it."

"… Too carried away?"

"Hmhm. But tell me; why would someone like you care so much about something like that to go as far as to come here and ask me about it so directly?"

"I…"

The boy tried to look away from her guilt inducing brown eyes while trying to remember his already planned excuse.

"Open this door Takemi."

But their conversation was interrupted by the voice of a man in a suit on the other side of the door.

Once Takemi realizes who was standing outside, she lets out a dispirited sigh, and opens the door.

"Please wait for your turn like a normal patient."

She says to the man who wasted no time entering to the room while still uninvited.

"Don't give me that! You know why I came here… who's this?"

The man notices the boy sitting in the middle of the room, not really looking at him but at the doctor, waiting for her reaction.

"A patient. You know this is a clinic, right?"

"Hmph. Like someone could want to take advice from the Plague."

The woman puts her hand on the back of her head looking somewhat annoyed and fixed her sight back at Kido for a moment.

"… Excuse me kid, I…"

"No, let your 'client' hear this, I bet he'll love it."

"I'm going to call the police…"

She frowned at the man, but he only gave her a nagging smirk in response.

"Do it, I wonder what they'll have to say about those illegal herbal drugs you're fabricating without a permit."

"… Everything in here is legal."

"I'm willing to bet the contrary."

Takemi only lets out a quiet grunt at the suit man's mockery.

"You should know better Takemi, this is my last warning. Stop fabricating that drug, there's a reason hospitals only take aid from the big pharmaceutical corporations for their procedures."

"… Of course, long and expensive treatments with half assed drugs are more profitable for them."

"And you should know better than to get in their way… A drug that can provide continuous physical endurance renovation, it'll be like a source for unlimited power… You think this is some kind of joke? Can you imagine how much will that cost to our biz? How many careers you will ruin?"

"I can't sleep because of it."

She says sarcastically while looking away.

"You're such a smart little girl, aren't you?"

The man folds his arms showing no intention to go away.

"I have nothing to say to you, now could you please leave and avoid being hit by the door on your way out?"

"If you were better at your job you wouldn't need to be selling these cheap drugs to punks like these, imagine if she-"

"I will call the police right now."

Takemi snaps a quick retort at the man while taking her phone out.

"Heh."

The man smiles, even if he didn't have what he wanted, he seems to be appeased enough by sending the message he came to deliver.

"Now this better be the last time I have to come to this shithole."

He says while turning away.

"I certainly hope so too."

"Tch… And you, you better not say a word of what you heard here. Being near the plague will only infect you with her misery."

Finally, the man leaves, letting the lethargic looking doctor with a bitter taste on her mouth as she grits her teeth.

"… Charming."

Kido kills the silence trying to take the doctor's mind back to the clinic.

"Indeed, but he's right. I'm sorry but that made me lose the mood for playing games… what exactly are you here for?"

She turns around bringing her full attention to the boy in front of her again.

"I… need your medicine."

"… I see."

She closes and locks the door behind her while looking at the window to make sure that man was already gone.

"I'm not having a teenage boy trying to blackmail me into some ridiculous deal… If you want regular medicine, you'll have to pay for it."

She was serious, the boy realizes her tone was not friendly, but he came all this way with a goal in mind, they needed these medicines to make sure they can survive their next dispute.

"Fine, how much."

"… What do you want?"

"That medicine that man was talking about, that's…"

"That's beyond your budget, believe me. Besides, why would a boy your age want that?"
The annoyed doctor answered, she was expecting this outcome, of course this boy who came looking for a rumored strong medicine wouldn't be satisfied with some cheap sleeping pills or some energizing prescriptions.

"I… need it for my exams…"

She looks at him with a disappointed look while she slowly starts to calm down, laying her back on the door once again.

"… Entrance exams, huh?"

Closing her eyes for a moment, she seems to be reminiscing something.

"I can understand entrance exams being a source of stress for most young people these days."

She unlocks the door and steps away.

"But you can handle that with just a good sleeping schedule."

That won't do, he needed to convince her of the contrary, but he was running out of ideas.

Thinking fast was a challenge he wasn't used to, but he welcomes the challenge as he tries to continue with the same approach hoping his persistence can breach an entry into her trust.

"I… really need it, I'll pay you…"

"… Why? You don't look athletic enough to be someone who sustains constant injuries, so…"

She takes her time again, thinking about the possible reasons a boy like this could be here, he obviously wasn't send by that man, so that will also discards the idea of him working with the police to incriminate her.

"What exactly are you up to?"

"... It's for brain power. I need to improve my concentration and reduce my fatigue."

He used those few seconds she wasted analyzing possible reasons to come up with more excuses. It seems this had become a good mind exercise on its own for him.

"I have no obligation to help you with that."

But her bluntness crushes his hopes for victory pretty quickly.

"Why don't you have an energy drink sodas or something?"

She says uninterested.

"That won't do…"

He was losing her. He needed to come up with another excuse quick.

On the outside, Takashi Kido looked calm and composed as always.

That was the boring facet everyone knew as Ren Amamiya.

He had that advantage as a good resiliency insurance in case he needed to show delude someone.

Yet on the inside the boy was continually trying to come up with more ideas and excuses.

But he was swiftly coming up with reasons for why each one of those ideas won't work at the same time, forcing himself to come up with one last desperate resort.

'Begging?'

He could play to her heart strings.

It felt dirty and low but for him, he was at war with her indifference.

"Please… I'll do anything."

He looked at her doing his best to look as sad as he could.

But given this boy's naturally stoic face isn't used to convey many emotions at once, the best he could get was a tired looking expression with big shiny eyes.

"Those puppy eyes won't help you… Ugh, you're really annoying you know that?"

The doctor tries her best to sound angry. But it seems the attack was effective enough for her to drop her guard a little.

It was enough for the boy to gain enough participation from the woman to stretch the conversation some more, as he sits up straight once again.

"As I told you, it's expensive. A high school kid can't get his hands on this… So, just go home."

She wasn't yielding, but neither was he.

It became a test of endurance for both at this point.

"I'm not leaving until we make a deal."

He bluntly says with a serious face, at this point it didn't matter if he was shattering his previous facades.

He ran out of options and this was the most honest answer he had given her so far.

"A deal…?"

She got an idea…

Suddenly her eyes darkened and her disturbing and yet smooth glare sends a shiver down Kido's spine.
"… Hmmm, do you consider yourself someone with a good amount of stamina?"

The boy wasn't leaving, and that realization was annoying her out of her usual and comfortable apathetic safe zone.

In her mind he was something like a parasitic form of life that clings to some other bigger animal for their own prosperity.

But at the same time, those bigger animals take advantage of those parasites somehow.

"… I guess."

She only lets a shady giggle out while hiding the lower part of her face behind her clipboard.

Kido gulps, whatever this dark physician had in mind it won't be good for him.

He knew this kind of aura all too well.

"I'm having some trouble during the development of that drug I'm making, you know? The reason I couldn't make a stable sample so far was because I had no human test subjects for it."

"I-I see…"

He didn't like where this was going.

"I even put some ads in the news papers, but it was no good… so, are you up for it?"

Test subjects, as injections and blood samples?

He was up for that, but he was really afraid of the idea that this specific doctor wasn't going to perform simple tests like those to him.

But at the same time this was his only and possible last chance to gain her trust.

"A-allright."

Regardless of the impact her attitude has on him, he thinks he had learnt how to deal with this kind of ominous presence during all his life.

It was time for him to put all his training into practice, and endure this overwhelming mortality awareness caused by the languid doctor's aura.
"Heh. Really now…"

Takemi smiles wryly.

"Ok then. You'll be participating in clinical trials for my drug development, now wait here for a bit."

She comes back soon with a glass of red liquid, it looked dense and let out a strong inadequate smell.

Kido could feel the sweat on the back of his neck.

"Here, drink it."

"W-what's this?"

She smiles to herself again, feeling a small satisfaction after the boy's reaction.

"Relax, my autopsy is guaranteed to find out exactly what killed you."

She says proudly.

'Autopsy!?'

"Changed your mind? The exit is right there."

He won't give up. She is certainly as menacing as he expected her to be.

The woman has that same morbid sense of humor he's so used to, so she can't be too serious.

It must be a test of some sort.

Or at the very least, that was what his survival instinct was hoping for.

"Well, bottoms up!"

"Huh…? You actually drank it!?"

It was bitter, but nothing he couldn't handle given how used he was getting to Sakura's spicy curry.

"Yep."

He says proudly.

"Wow… Still doing Ok, huh?"

But the doctor regained her serenity quite quickly as she started looking at her watch without paying much attention to the boy anymore.
"H-hey."

The boy felt a chill as he realized the doctor was seriously just counting the seconds now.

Meaning whatever he just drank wasn't part of a prank.

And then it happened, the effect of the drink came to him in full force.
The shocking chemical reaction overcame him, and he fell unconscious to the ground.

"… Welp, game over I guess."

With that the Grim Reaper had come early to collect his youngest victim that day.

His eyes open, and the first thing on his sight were the long pale legs of the Goth looking doctor.

It was a sight he wasn't able to fully appreciate given how heavy his eyes felt.

"You're finally awake… How do you feel?"

He looks at his surroundings. He was still in the examination room alongside the now sitting doctor Takemi.

But he was resting on the clinic's bed this time.

"I… I'm fine I guess."

"That was not what I expected from you, but it seems the drug worked perfectly for someone of your height and weight."

The boy scratched his head.

He had no idea how long he was asleep and probably not fully capable of thinking straight yet.

"Herbal medicines?"

He burbled. It was the first thing that came to his mind for some reason.

"It's natural, yes."

Not paying much attention to his words she continued taking notes on her clipboard.

Once he sits up in the bed, she rests her elbows on ever her knees bending down to see the boy's face who was timidly trying to hide his dizziness under his hair.

She looks at the boy with a curious face.

He was cuter than she originally thought.

Especially while looking like this.

"But I have to admit it, you're a brave kid. Coming to a shady clinic after hearing some rumors, and drinking some weird medicine just like that… You know? That's usually how people end up with one less kidney, or worse."

"You don't look that bad…"

He still was having trouble regaining full control of his capabilities, thus wording things incorrectly was an expected reaction.

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?"

"I-…"

He stops himself before saying something like 'You look great' to embarrass himself further.

His reaction put a contented smile on the doctor's face once again.

"I'm Takemi, Tae Takemi."

She says as she relaxes on her chair.

"I'm… Ren Amamiya."

"Huh? Do you happen to bring rain with you everywhere you go?"

"… It's raining?"

Finally the boy's eyes are fully opened as he tries to look at the window.

"For a while now, yes."

"How long was I asleep?"

"Long enough, you are very healthy for your age. It seems you needed the catnap."

Trying not to think about what she meant by 'very healthy', he takes a look at the doctor's desk.

Beside some weird bottles full of some strange yellowish substances, it was the empty glass he drank before.

The image brought an unsavory sensation back to him.

"What was that?"

"Human blood?"

She says jokingly but with a serious face.

"… Are you a vampire?"

He narrowed his eyes at her.

"That's cute. Do you remember anything after you took the medicine?"

"I… don't"

"You briefly woke up from your coma, but you were completely dazed during the entire examination."

'Coma?'

"Was I?"

"Yes, but it was more easy to handle your semi unconscious body that way."

"Handle?"

The cold sweating came back.

"… You eventually lost consciousness and fell back asleep."

Kido takes a look at his phone, it was 7pm now.

He had been asleep for 2 hours.

"It also seems you have a good sense of taste."

He looks at her curiously.

"T-thanks?"

"Not style… taste, you lost consciousness because of the medicine produces a foul smell when it mixes with gastric juices, similar to surstromming."

"Isn't that the most disgusting fish in existence?"

"Pretty much."

"Oh."

There was an almost undistinguished green tone occupying Kido's usual pale face.

"But thanks to you I was able to get some valuable data."

"… Did I say anything while I was dizzy?"

He pauses his thoughts.

Kido didn't really want to know, but he was afraid he'll say something incriminating about the real motives behind this visit.

"… Hmmm, I think you confused me with one of your parents waking you up for school or something, nothing unusual or very embarrassing… sadly."

"…"

He felt relieved and abashed at the same time, it was not something he'll wish to go through again.

"So… you know what this mean do you?"

The doctor had a scary smile.

It was obvious she had the upper hand in their deal, and she was enjoying every second of it.

"Yeah, I won't tell anyone… and you'll keep your word, right?"

"Of course."

She says, relaxing on her chair.

After a few more minutes, the door opens and the cat that was sleeping on the floor jumps back as if it was an instinctive reaction.

His hispid fur returns to normal once he realizes the identity of the person who ruined his catnap was Takashi Kido himself.

"Hey, you've been there for a while… what's up with you? You look terrible!"

But as soon as the boy lowers his bag for the cat to climb up, he notices the boy's face displayed a tired and scrambled expression.

"I think I died."

He says in an emotionless voice.

"It can't be that bad."

Morgana tries to cheer up the boy by putting his small pawn over his shoulder from the bag.

"Are you sure this will work?"

The boy asks.

"Yes, as long as we believe it'll be… I think."

"So these medicines work like some sort of placebo over there?"

"I don't know how it works, but I'm sure that it'll have an effect no matter what, but the stronger the medicine is, the better the effects will be."

"I see."

"Relax, you'll realize this was worth the try."

"I sure hope so…"

With a slow pace, the boy makes his way to LeBlanc, terrified of how frightful the price of having this doctor's contact info could mean for his health.

Cutoff 1

It was Saturday night, the boy was offered to help Sojiro Sakura around the shop that evening, but he had to pass.

He wasn't feeling good enough to endure more of what he believed would be just added adult vexation for today.

Instead, to his feline companion's recommendation he decided to go to bed early after making a short visit to the bath house across the street.

As tired as he felt, his mind had been playing him bad episodes through the day.

Not making things easier for his counterfeit calm appearance to remain firm.

From the odd feeling of pleasure at the sight of those demons being executed in front of him, to this odd quickening state he noticed after confronting Kamoshida once again after school.

He wasn't really making peace with his anxiety at night.

The dread that man had for him was something that added an extra dose of uneasiness.

He wasn't aware of how much he hated his guts until then, and most certainly he didn't care, but on the other hand that put a scary thought on his mind….

He was aware that teacher was ready to go far enough to incriminate him for his assault to Shiho Suzui, but now he was forced to confront the prospect of actually failing to change his heart.

Kido didn't bothered thinking what could happen if they failed to change his heart next Monday because he really never had the time to sit and contemplate things because of how focused they were on reaching the treasure.

So far they were pursuing this endeavor mostly to make him pay for his already committed sins.

They had to wait for the right moment, they had to be ready.

But will he ever be ready to accomplish such a feat?

And for what purpose, he wondered.

Days pass by without anything changing, again and again people continue their lives without paying notice to those who are being broken down and discarded by the world.

What difference will they make on their daily life if they succeed?

… And how many days had passed by now?

It was indeed a weird feeling.

He was in school, he shouldn't be there.

"That's him, they finally got him!"

"Good riddance!"

He should have never been there…

He walks through the gates.

A heavy weight was pressing his chest.

He felt suffocated.

His phone was constantly ringing but he couldn't force himself to pick up.

He was too afraid to do it.

The cold sweat was running from the back of his head down to his spine.

It was no fair… nothing in life was fair.

Those people were still mocking him, he could hear their voices too clearly now.

He couldn't filter them away like he used to anymore.

'Go away! Leave me alone!'

He thought, but he couldn't speak, words wouldn't come out no matter how hard he tried.

He ran, ran as fast as he could sweating more profoundly as he reaches the station.

His phone never stopped ringing the whole time.

He needed to go somewhere safe.

Some place where he could be isolated from this hunting world.

LeBlanc, that was the safest place he knew in this dreadful city.

He ran… ran to that place he could feel safe for at least this day.

"You're back… but school isn't over, isn't?"

The barista asked the boy, but he still wasn't able to open his mouth, he needed to sit, he was tired, so tired… Why?

'Why?'

'Why?'

'Why?'

Why should he bother helping those people?

Why should he bother feeling any sympathy for them?

After all, nobody was there to help him when he needed it the most…

Nobody felt bad for him…

That was why he couldn't do it.

It would've been all in vain anyway…

What use there was for him to go so far, only to continue to have his future dictated to him.

… Why should he bother?

Ann Takamaki, Ryuji Sakamoto, even Morgana and Leblanc's boss, they've become faceless dwellers of this city like everyone else in this city to him now.

There was no point anymore.

His phone rang once again.

Maybe it was because he was finally in this café, a safe place, a place no one would follow him.

A place no one could take him out to that world that hurt so bad again.
He slowly brought his hand down his pocket, picking the Smartphone with great hesitation.

He grits his teeth while unlocking the screen.

There were a lot of missing calls.

He didn't try to look at them and swiped over to the chat group.

Ann: I'm going alone!

Ryuji: I'm going too, wait!

Hours had passed until there was another text.

Ryuji: Ann, answer me!

Ryuji: Takashi we have to do something!

A dead silence filled the room.

The only perceivable sound was the pendulum clock ticking on the back.

Tic Toc.

His breathing intensified its pace.

"Hey-"

"… Coffee good for you?"

He raises his sight to see the gentle and worried face of the barista serving him a cup of coffee.

The shop door opens.

Three dark figures enter the shop.

Jirou Kamiya looks down at the boy.

"It seems you were just some problematic scumbag beyond help after all…"

The boy stays silent.

He knows why the cops were here.

In the end, he couldn't do it.

He couldn't manage to care enough.

Not for them, not for himself.

"You're a suspect of provoking a girl's suicide at your school, she passed away yesterday night, the man who filed the charges was Suguru Kamoshida, a teacher from your school. You know him, right?"

The boy was shaking.
It wasn't rage nor it wasn't fear, it was pure frailty.

He knew exactly what was going to happen next.

Still, he couldn't open his mouth.

It was like if his mouth was sewed shut and there was nothing he could do about it.

"Didn't I tell you to behave yourself!?"

Sakura scolds the boy one last time.

"Another girl that supposedly was close to you at your school apparently is missing too. We'll take you for interrogation."

"I- I did nothing wrong!"

Finally his voice breaks free, but it was too late.

"What a disappointment."

Sakura affirms.

"Take him away."

It was done, Ann Takamaki, Ryuji Sakamoto, Morgana, Shiho Suzui, and his future, were taken away from him.

The sound of unlocked handcuffs is the last thing he hears, being forced to rest his face over the bar.

And then, he feels a sharp prick on his wrists.

"Gah!"

He wakes up.

Bringing his hand over his chest he tries to ease his heavy breathing.

He looks down at the scar on his wrists.

The pain was as palpable as it was that same night.

"Hey, are you ok? You had a nightmare or something?"

He hears the boyish voice coming from his side.

"… Y-yeah, sorry if I woke you up."

The cat tilts his head looking at him worried.

"It's fine, it's almost time to get up anyway. What are we doing today?"

The cat scratches the back of his ear with his back pawn casually.

Kido manages to pacify his breathing after taking a deep breath, looking down at his hand over the sheets he touches his legs.

The sunlight began to slowly raise from the other side of his window. The rain had stopped, and the sound of birds was audible at these hours.

It was a really beautiful day outside.

The boy looks at the window with an emotionless expression.

"… We should train."

He says quietly, throwing away the sheets and sitting up on his bed.

"Are you sure? Resting was a good idea, your idea."

"Yes… but we can't allow ourselves to be unprepared for tomorrow, I'll make some extra tools too."

He takes out his phone, checking out the group chat to see if anything has been posted… just in case.

After a while he types out something.

Takashi: How's the calling card going Ryuji?

Ryuji: I'll post it later today, so no one would see it.

Ann: How do you plan on entering the school on Sunday?

Ryuji: I let the back door unlocked yesterday.

Ryuji: I'm a genius, am I?

Ann: Sure

Takashi: Good. Rest well for today guys.

Kido doesn't bother looking to their answers as he gets up of bed.

The cat follows him as they both stretch at the same time looking almost like they were doing some synchronized rehearsal.

There was no turning back.

Tomorrow was the day of the heist, the boy decided to work out his body for now.

Bringing a chair closer he tries to reach the ceiling wood joists, but Morgana climbs on his back reaching the joists first.

The cat makes himself comfortable while looking down at the boy.

"Fine, I'll help you."

The frizzy haired boy smiles wryly at his roommate.

He would take advantage of this free day to make the last preparations, and take out of his mind of whatever image of failure he had feared.

Because his friends were counting on him.

Interlude / Calling card: Lust

The morning of the last Monday of April was a beautiful day for the PE Teacher as he strutted down the Shujin Academy halls, his halls.

It has been a good day so far especially due to the absence of two specific characters.

The teacher usually walks the corridors early in the morning and after school, going the extra mile to just check if everything is good along the students, to see if anyone could cause any trouble inside his school.

The other teachers praise him for being so attentive.

He's the most athletic and more disciplined teacher of the faculty.

Everyone looks up to him.

And that's how it should be, he was someone who struggled his whole life to reach such a respectable position.

Everybody should be looking up to him.

That's one of the reasons he decided to stay at this school after his life as an athlete was over; to become a life instructor.

Someone people could put their easy gullible prospects on him and so he could be appreciated for what he truly was, an extraordinary man.

Someone that was outside the mold of the common man.

Someone who was outstanding enough to lead these strayed teenagers to be ready for the gruesome reality that waits for them once they've finished their school life.

It was only fair that someone who had sacrificed so much for the good of the society's future, for these kids, to have a liberty o two from time to time.

That's what Suguru Kamoshida thought when it came to his role in life.

The 'liberties' he took were just a spit on the face to the world that had taken so much from him.

Once a career threatening injury forced him to surrender his life as an athlete, he was so quickly discarded by everyone.

Everything that he worked so hard for was taken from him.

But he didn't gave up. He struggled and fought to get a position in the school that had witnessed his raise to glory.

He was the image of sacrifice and perseverance.

And then, he had shown the world and to those who irresponsibly continued through their lives without noticing his existence that he was still the ruler of his fate.

"A calling card?"

"I heard it was already posted here by the time everyone got here this morning."

The voices of a bunch of unsettled teenagers drew the teacher's attention to a bulletin board near the school entrance.

"Does that mean the rumors are true?"

"Who are these phantom thieves of heart people?"

Red cards were filling the spaces through the wall and the board.

The cards were placed in such a way that the kanjis for "Kamoshida Suguru" could be read on the distance.

That got his attention.

His face immediately turned red with exasperation as he started reading the message printed in each card in a collage of distinct styles of kanji fonts.

-"Sir Suguru Kamoshida. The utter bastard of Lust. We know how shitty you are, and that you put your twisted desires on students that can't fight back…"-

The gall , the cheek, the arrogance… he couldn't conceive it.

-"That's why we have decided to steal away those desires and make you confess your sins. This will be done tomorrow, so we hope you're ready. The Phantom Thieves of Hearts."-

He was fuming, who could dare, who could be so childish and naïve to go as far as to provoke him?

He was supposed to be the most respectable figure this school had to offer, everything he had and everything he's done, he deserve it.

If it was up to him, every girl in this building should be begging him on their knees to be looked at by him… to serve him, to be chosen by him.

That's how he saw it.

They had no right to be with anyone else but him.

Kamoshida always thought he was the living example of what as alpha male was supposed to be like.

A lion on his prime ruling his own litter.

"Who's responsible for this…!?"

He took upon that role for them.

And by doing so he'll teach them how this cruel world works.

Everyone was safe under his rule in this school.

As long as they did what he said and as long as they didn't defied him, they should live honored to be his slaves.

And he'll protect them from the real world until they cease to be the useful virgin meat they were supposed to be.

Yet, there was someone in this school with the nerve to challenge him, to humiliate him in front of his possessions.

"Did you do this!?"

He looks around to the agglomerated students.

There was that punk from first year that tried to avoid entering the volleyball team.

'He couldn't… he was a coward who just hid during PE classes.'

"Or was it you?!"

The girl who ran away from classes last Saturday.

'She wouldn't do it, I know her uncle.'

He thought as he realized he wasn't interested in such a bland specimen anyway.

The students ran away scared.

This only pissed him off more, who could dare to do this?

He turns around towards the doors heading to the practice building.

He needed to reflect on this on his PE room.

But then he sees them.

Of course, there they were… the figures of the three most irritating teenagers he could imagine.

The three were always hanging away from the rest of the students.

They were silently eavesdropping at him, just like a bunch of hyenas waiting for their prey to fall death.

They were hiding in the shadows at the corner of the corridors.

Their faces were darkened and he couldn't see their eyes, but he could see the smirks of the three troublesome teenagers.

These delinquents… they were looking down at him, mockingly.

Even Takamaki was with then.

She has been spoiled by those brutes by becoming one of them.

"You…"

The shine in the frizzy haired boy's glasses made him clench his fist out of pure disgust.

That boy had always been a sore thump since day one.

He never knew his place, he never yielded at him.

His presence only caused him more and more inconvenience.

"Was it you two!?"

He steps just a few feet near them, he knows the answer already, just by looking at their grins.

They were invalidating everything he was with just looking at him that way.

"What if it was?"

He said so calmly. So composed.

The teacher could feel a vein almost burst on his forehead.

This boy, he was unforgivable.

"What garbage."

That frizzy haired boy probably felt he was so imposing… he couldn't let that be.
He had to calm down himself…

"Eh, it's not a problem. You'll be expelled soon enough anyway."

But he couldn't hold himself much longer.

He had to believe what he just said.

As the sacrificed sportsman he was, he had been told that he'll never be successful from a young age.

That he'll be nothing but a peasant his entire life.

But he overcame that and became the most important person in his school.

He was Indispensable, irreplaceable.

He became the king of this school… HIS school.

Then these punks came to his domain trying to trick him and take away his rights.

They defied his authority and his own merits.

And now they treat him like this. It was truly unforgivable.

He'll kick them out, he'll make their lives miserable… no, he'll destroy them, all three of those miserable fiends… he'll kill them.

And by doing so he'll protect his kingdom.

"Come, steal it if you can!" "Come, steal it if you can!"

His presence was the most towering and threatening existence in his school right now.

He wasn't about to let them do as they please.

It was definitive.

Suguru Kamoshida wasn't just going to teach them a lesson.

He'll wait for them to do whatever they're planning, and he'll take them out like the animals they're.

The school corridors were empty as classes were starting.

Interlude / Out

Thus always to tyrants: Hunger

Security Alert level 99%

The impact of the calling card would only last one day, an impact that can't be repeated, a shock that causes the treasure to manifest in this world, allowing them to steal it.

Today was the day, the phantom thieves infiltrate Kamoshida's castle, to steal his heart.

"Don't let your guard down!"

The shadowy figures of the intruders were skipping around the castle's walls, chandeliers and roofs.

They reached the throne room in no time.

The high alert level made the whole area too dangerous for any mistake.

So they were doing their best to avoid any conflict so far.

But things were looking easy enough. One would say too easy.

The tangible manifestation of the PE teacher's treasure was a giant crown.

Not very amused the trespassers started their thievery.

"T-treasure!"

But Joker noticed something was off with their feline companion.

"M-meeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaoooowh!"

The shine in Mona's eyes reflected the radiance of the treasure.

To tell the truth the teenagers felt somewhat offended that this perverted and distorted teacher's heart had kept such a marvelous looking treasure.

But whatever contemplation they were having was suddenly interrupted by Mona's sudden nippy flying hug to the crown.

"Uh… what's wrong with the cat?"

Skull wondered much to Mona's inattention as the cat continued to embrace the crown with great excitement.

"This is not the time for something like this, Mona."

Joker quiet voice seems to have restored Mona's consciousness somewhat as the feline being descends from his treasure cuddling adventure.

"Oh, yeah… Forgive for displaying such an insolent sight in front of a lady…"

An ashamed Mona worded.

It was not an easy task to take such a giant object with them without being noticed.

To Joker and the rest of the phantom thieves this was obviously some sort of trap.

It wasn't until they reached the throne room once again that the volley ball of expectation finally came down at them by smashing the crown out of their hands.

As it rolled down the floor the crown began to shrink into a more realistic form, only to be seized by the king himself.

To the thieves surprise the familiar figure of a blonde model wearing a bikini and a cat ears coronet came running down to hug the pervert King as if rewarding him.

Apparently the cognitive versions of people won't just disappear even once they've been killed.

"About time you showed up…."

Joker remarked while shooting a disgusted glare at the king.

"That's how he sees me… right?"

It was understandable Panther wouldn't really remember most of her last encounter with that doppelganger doll who was constantly twisting her fingers around Kamoshida's nipple under his robe.

Back then her instinctive reaction was to kill that aberration.

But after the rest of the team explained the meaning behind the existence of that fake Ann Takamaki, she couldn't help herself to feel even more disgusted than before.

"I won't let anyone touch this! I will kill anyone who dares to touch it!"

The king mocked the thieves as he pulled the crown up and down to his hands.

The crown was the core of his world after all.

It validated him as a king, of course he was willing to kill for him to remain as such.

"Yo pervert! Is this supposed to be your ambush?"

Skull returned the mocking tone to the king.

There weren't any knights around this time, only the king and the thieves.

"I only made it easier to find you. I'll dispose of you myself, right here, right now!"

The King's face displayed animosity.

"That's our line you sexually-harrassin' D-bag!"

"What a selfish misunderstanding…"

But after taking upon the skull masked thief, Shadow Kamoshida's face changed to a more arrogant expression.

"Misunderstanding?"

The other thieves turned around after hearing their female ally voice almost fracturing.

"… You were abusing people in secret, ruining their lives!"

Doing her best to contain her anger, she was doing her best to come to some sort of understanding behind this monster's mind machinations.

Ann Takamaki could understand the human need to search for amusement.

She herself found that things like secretive practices could bring excitement even to someone like her.

It was an almost innocent thrill, becoming a phantom thief.

And even though she wouldn't consider herself an innocent or naïve person. She understood the need for some people to find pleasure even behind things like pain and cruelty, but there was a line she clearly discerned and felt every other human being should.

The line that is breached the moment you start hurting the unwilling.

Something this twisted king found great pleasure on.

That… she couldn't understand it.

No, Ann Takamaki couldn't tolerate it to this extend.

"Heh, It's not my problem they decided to kept it a secret, you know?"

It felt wrong to agree with this distorted king.

They knew where he was coming from.

Not only the victims, but the parents and teachers, all kept the cycle of abuse going by deciding to ignore its consequences.

He wasn't finishing justifying himself.

"Those adults who want to partake in my accomplishments, those students who have the drive to become winners… They will protect (adore) me so we all may profit from it."

His arrogant smile turned into a disturbing devilish smirk.

Was this really his attempt for absolution?

The phantom thieves realized the dim reality they were facing in the real world from the very beginning.

That was the original reason behind them going this far in the first place.

But hearing it from the king himself as if he was trying to rationalize his sins was simply a preposterous spectacle.

"Too many imbeciles don't get that…"

Skull and Panther held their anger by clenching their fists as the king started to descent from the stairs beneath his throne.

"Including naïve brats like you and that girl that tried to kill herself!"

Joker assumed a defensive position, hoping the king's words weren't getting the best of his companions.

"She may be an idiot… By letting herself be manipulated by someone you… trying to commit suicide."

Both Joker and Skull wouldn't take their eyes away from the approaching perverted king.

But they kept close attention towards the heartbroken voice of their blonde twin tailed thief companion.

"… I may be no better for not realizing it sooner."

She prepared herself for battle this time.

"But no matter how foolish someone can be, they don't need your permission to live their lives!"

Realizing the threatening attitude of the three young adults before him, the king's tone also changes into an aggressive stand.

"Drop the attitude you mediocre peasant, There's nothing wrong in using my gifts for my gain!"

"I'm cut above all other humans."

Said the darker side of the PE teacher while raising his crown and tightening his grip on the fake princess.

"That hairstyle says otherwise."

Mocked the white masked boy.

Joker was trying to cut through the King's fixated attention, or more likely, his focused targeting of the blonde intruder wearing a red latex outfit by stepping in between them.

"You are less than a human being. You are just a goddamn demon obsessed with your sick desires!"

Panther voice finally reached her most biting pitch.

One thing was for sure.

Joker, along with his friends, were all waiting to have this chance to finally punish the king with their own hands.

But the King reaction was an unexpected one.

"Hehehehe."

A sicken chuckle.

A demon?

Suguru Kamoshida's shadow was certainly the representation of his most concealed ambitions and drive.

Yet in his search for validation, he believes that he strived through his whole life to find a dignified account of himself in the eyes of the rest of world.

But he was constantly denied the recognition he thought he always deserved for his sacrificed lifestyle.

How far he has gone to have it that way… it didn't matter to him anymore.

Somehow the day had come when he finally he had been confronted by those who were just like him in his mind.

And they decided to look at him… as a demon?

So, maybe that was just it….

Maybe Suguru Kamoshida was exactly that.

"You're right… I am not like you!"

For some reason this was a hilarious realization for the man who forced his immediate surrounding world to worship his existence and fear his resentment.

Being a demon… it wasn't that bad.

If that's how everyone would end up looking at him like in the end.

Then, why couldn't he just embrace it…?

That way he can finally move over all the sins that prevented him to reach that absolute veneration and recognition.

And he could get whatever he wanted from the world that kept trying to deny him of all his ambitions.

That way he can rejoice in every pleasure he sees fit to his sovereignty.

That's right; Suguru Kamoshida didn't needed their permission to enjoy himself.

For he always got what he deserved.

If that made him a demon in the eyes of those who couldn't grasp his gloriousness, then he'll be just that.

All he had to do was eradicate those who opposed his wishes to prove he's right.

"I am the demon… WHO RULES THIS WORLD!"

And that was Suguru Kamoshida's cognition of himself.

With that the transformation began.

His size increased, his skin color reddened.

He had a crown, a grail, four arms, horns and a gigantic tongue that was drooling all over himself.

That was the form of the demon of lust Kamoshida turned into.

It was the form of Suguru Asmodeus Kamoshida, the meta-verse demon of lust.

"What the hell?"

Skull yelled in surprise.

A giant deformed and grotesque figure overwhelmed their line of sight.

The form of the king was big enough to almost hit the chandelier hanging from the roofs.

"I'm allowed to do whatever the hell I want!"

Shadow Kamoshida yelled at his challengers.

He held a giant kitchen knife and fork on two of his main two hands.

The other two held a chain and a gigantic cup of whine… with Takamaki's doll inside.

This was the real form of the prison school star teacher.

He was the man who wronged so many lives because of his ill yearnings.

The white masked boy couldn't tolerate his presence any longer.

"I grow weary of talking. Let's finish this!"

A disgusted Joker yells back at the monster, signaling for the start of the battle.

"Nnngh… GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHH!"

Like a bunch of hound dogs, the phantom thieves surrounded their target.

They all had expected it'll come to this, and they welcomed the idea.

The original plan was to inflict a worthy punishment to this twisted king anyway.

And now they'll finally have their chance.

Yet they had to be ready to take advantage of any opportunity to take the crown away from him.

The rogues try to form a perimeter around the gigantic monster.

The Demon didn't let them just move around without notice though.

With a whip of the chains on his left hand, he brings out a bunch of peons who wore masks made of iron.

Just like the volleyball club members imprisoned in the dungeons.

Each one of them has a volley ball in their hands, and they were planning on use them as weapon.

"Look out!"

Skull warns his allies as he notices the enemies charging and firing in a synchronized way.

Panther whiplash lashes through the many volleyballs aimed at her with great precision, being an instinctive reaction or not, she walked unharmed of that attack.

What followed was Kamoshida's gigantic tongue trying to constrict her.

She jumps back but she seems to have underestimated the tongue's reach, ending up being trapped by it.

"Let go of me!"

Before she could close her eyes at the disgusting sight of the monster Kamoshida trying to swallow her up, a splash of blood monopolizes her sight.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAH"

The sound of Shadow Kamoshida's scream was a good signal for her, but what she didn't realized was that she was on a free fall from 6 meters in the air.

"Aaaaaa-!"

Her scream is silenced before hitting the ground.

It was because her classmate, Joker, had cached her in his arms right before the impact while managing to land on his feet and roll in the floor to slow down the fall's momentum.

"Ah! T-thanks."

He nodded at her before readying himself for the next attack.

She had no time to feel flustered since they were in the middle of a battle.

She quickly shook her head trying to make sense of what just happened.

Eventually everything made sense to her.

The cut on Shadow Kamoshida's tongue was perpetrated by this white masked boy, and as soon as she started falling he followed her drop with a greater speed.

His cat-like reflexes helped him to do everything in such an elegant and perfectly manner that she felt more awed than embarrassed at the idea of being princess carried by this boy just a few moments ago.

"We can use some sort of opening to attack… we have to weaken him enough to return to his previous form!"

Joker warned as Shadow Kamoshida was recovering.

They needed an opening and if Mona's words were right, this form was just an aspect they needed to get ridden of before facing the true shadow once again.

"How are we goin' to do that tho?"

Asks an agitated Skull who was trying to catch up with the conversation while drawing a dazzled Shadow Kamoshida's attention away from them.

"Already got that covered."

Says the white masked thief while looking at the chandelier right above the demonic King.

"Keep him busy!"

He says with a big grin on his face, proceeding then to charge towards his enemy while taking out his now silver flaming mask.

"Tobi Katou!"

What followed was a quick precise strike of summoned winds fixated at the center of the King's giant cup in front of him.

"HEY, don't touch that cup!"

After both Panther and Skull took a quick peek at the structure above the king, they notice two sparkling blue yes aiming directly at their target from the chandelier.

With a grin of their own at the realization of Joker's plan they proceed to follow their triumph card ally on his charge.

"AGI!"

"Let's go Captain!"

Meanwhile both of his allies attacked the rest of his body.

But the previous distorted scream from the king brought wary to the wild card user.

It was not the demon himself who startled him next, but the contents of the gigantic cup he had assaulted a few moments ago.

He could see at the distance the stack of female legs coming out at the top of the cup.

"I need healing!"

The image paralyzed him as the king took a bunch of those girls with his gigantic fork, and proceeded to swallow them up.

"Heh, much better."

The King's misshapen face displayed a creepy smile.

"What the eff!?"

Skull was out of words as it was Panther, but their astonishment didn't last much as Asmodeus Kamoshida began his counter attack immediately.

Volleyballs were fired at the speed of sound from the distance towards the two blonde thieves, who still managed to evade the shots by jumping behind some pillars.

But their white masked companion wasn't so fortunate.

He was the closest to the King's reach, given he remained still during his last charge.

His bewilderment wouldn't allow him to retreat in time.

And although the King's strike didn't manage to fully pierce him, he still fell victim of the king's slyness.

He pulled the fork out of the floor and using the recoil as a catapult, he threw the black haired thief to the other side of the room.

Joker's body could not withstand the dull shock of the impact of the giant kitchen utensil, getting knocked down just a few feet away from the blonde duo.

Skull was in trouble, as soon as he got out of his cover a great roar tore through his ears followed by a great shock that slammed into his shoulder.

The next thing he knew was that he was lying on the floor face first.

He, no, his persona was attacked by Kamoshida's giant knife.

The boy was sent flying at the same time his tamed self received the impact of the attack.

"Dammit!"

"This has gotten to be a real pain in the ass."

Both boys complained as their target remained immovable.

Joker shook his head that was hazy with pain and desperately tried to bring some clarity back to his mind.

"BERITH!"

He needed to endure the lustful King attacks just a little longer. He could see the black shadowy figure of Mona at the top of a chandelier, just over the monster's head.

He unscrupulously smiled at the realization.

Grabbing one of Takemi's pill bottles he takes a sip of the Recov-R syrup, feeling the effects immediately.

"Come!"

He taunted the atrocious creature, but the monster's sight was fixated in one specific target. Panther.

By the time he and skull realized the monster original target, panther had already been preparing for his next attack.

"Time for the big guns!"

The distorted King says as he leaps through the air.

Soon, the purpose of the king's hop was made clear to the two male intruders.

Just a few moments before their last attack, the small slaves had disappeared from the battlefield.

This was an obvious attempt from the king to gain an upper hand.

And so he did, because the slaves came back carrying an enormous volleyball with them soon after.

What followed was the ridiculous display of the giant demon leap to deliver a strong and precise Volley spike to the giant ball.

The absurdity of the strike was not the most offensive issue here, but the following result of the colossal spike was the last straw for the young thieves' already battered logic.

A gigantic explosion similar of a shellfire sent the unprepared boys flying away.

Somehow the only one who managed to barely withstand the attack was a trembling Panther, who used her persona's power to endure the impact.

"Dammit!"

Asmodeus; one of the seven princes of hell, the demon representing the sin of lust/hunger.

Similar to the knowledge Joker had gained by accepting those personas in his heart before, he also knows exactly the meaning behind Kamoshida's power.

Back then, Justine and Caroline took their time to explain to him how shadows manifested from the sea of humanity's souls.

Suguru Kamoshida was not exception obviously, and this form was a representation of his corrupted heart.

The manifestation of his thirst for predatory pleasures. Of his need for self-gratification.

If their personas were the power of their own will. This form was certainly the power of Kamoshida's sicken desires.

A form Joker's heart despises as much as he loathes the rest of the world.

"Skull! Drink it!"

Skull catches a bottle of a weird natural medicine Joker had in his coat.

It was one of Takemi's drugs, apparently Joker couldn't afford to buy more than only a couple of those to avoid suspicions.
He had to trust for Mona and Panther to heal each other when needed given their wounds as much as they could. But their current situation was precarious.

"Y-yeah!"

Joker had trouble standing out, Asmodeus Kamoshida was laughing to himself as he took another bunch of girls out of his cup to heal himself.

Joker had taken this chance to try to regroup, but he feels a strong stitch as soon as he tries to get back on his feet.

The last attack had made a toll on him, no, it was the attack before that.

It was the impact of the previous gigantic fork assault that almost pierced through his torso. He could feel a strong pain around his abs.

It was probably an internal wound he could not heal right now, for a moment he laments he got ridden of Pixie. Otherwise he could have healed himself.

But he had to prioritize his partners' wellbeing before his.

He needed all of them to win this.

Yet his condition was pitiful, struggling to get on his feet he suddenly feels a hand grabbing his from behind.

"Don't overdo it, ok?"

The gentle touch came from the hands covered by pink gloves. Panther used a healing spell to relief his pain and allow him to finally stand up.

The girl stands by his side as Skulls tries to get closer too.

"Thanks."

Somewhat stunned by this unexpected act of kindness Joker realizes the stupidity of his previous strategy.

He was sure he could get Kamoshida's attention at first, but he failed to realize the king was prioritizing Panther over all.

He thought he could use Skull daredevil fighting style to get an opening against the demon, yet he didn't count on the king having such a strong area attack.

He had been prioritizing his ally's wellbeing over his to achieve victory. Yet it was he the one who didn't count on them because of his solitary nature.

"Don't just stand there guys! Attack!"

Skull warns his friends trying to get the King's attention as he uses a strange spell of his own to burst his strength.

"You don't get it do you…? I only do what I do because no one let me a choice, you people don't understand what's like to be under so much pressure!"

The now completely healed king started to natter to the intruders.

Joker looks up at the menacing figure of the King readying for an attack they could easily avoid and sighs while concealing his thoughts.

"… All right, I'm counting on you guys. I need you to get an opening, ok?"

Panther nods as Joker finally stands side by side with his allies.

They didn't need to have a tactical approach. Neither had they needed a defensive strategy in case they could no longer handle the monster attacks.

Retreat wasn't an option, they only needed to win.

With a simultaneous kickoff, they ran forward charging towards the king.

The bravery of their determination was received by shadow Kamoshida's variety of attacks.

But the momentum behind their assault allowed the kids to use precise jumps to avoid the cutlery and volleyball strikes.

Finally everyone got to summon their persona and fire different elemental spells at both Asmodeus Kamoshida and his distasteful trophy, managing to destroy the cup it in the process.

"Nooooo! I won that in the nationals!"

"Do you think you can get away with this? Do you know who I am?! I am KAMOSHIDA, don't you get it?"

"We'll think about it later."

Ignoring the implication behind king's cry about his trophy full of unknown women, the attackers continued their assault.

Joker immediately followed Panther's attack with double fangs strikes from Berith, making the king send his peons away by letting go of their chains.

"This has gone long enough."

The phantom thieves knew exactly what would happen next.

The slaves will bring that giant looking volley ball again for the king to bomb them with it.

At the same time this was the chance they needed, they got closer to him in order to connect more physical strikes next.

"You're misunderstanding it all! I haven't sexually harassed anyone!"

As if sensing the peril, Shadow Kamoshida tries one more time to justify his actions. Almost sounding like a final beg.

"They came on to me because they wanted to get in my good side!"

Panther cringes at his words lashing out her whip at the king once more.

But somehow Shadow Kamoshida managed to tangle the weapon around his fork, and used his knife to counter the thieves' strikes with a giant sweep.

Thanks to the teenagers enhanced speed, they all managed to dodge and jump over the attack that was meant to cut them in half.

Instead of being shocked, Shadow Kamoshida's already eerie face displayed a disturbing smile.

He starts taking a sip of the whine cup he had on one of his hands, the one with the cognitive Takamaki doll, swallowing her whole in the process.

The result was the king buffing up with a creepy grin on his face.

"Disgusting!"

Meanwhile the real thing holds her anger as she takes off her mask one more time.

"Panther, DODGE!"

But before she could summon her persona she hears the desperate warning from her former middle school classmate.

Just for a millisecond, Panther manages to avoid the almost fatal strike of Kamoshida's giant knife.

The attack was so strong that the knife remained stuck in the throne room's floor.

Such force was used that the king himself had to move his gigantic body forward in order to get the thing out.

He smiled at the trio once again, looking his slaves coming back at the distance with another giant ball.

"Heh! You want to see that killshot again, do you!?"

But something was off.

"Wait… there's one of you missing!"

He was getting weaker and he took some distance from his original position.

At this point Shadow Kamoshida will only have one option.

Wait for the slaves before attacking once again.

This was the opening they needed.

"Now mona!"

Joker scream is followed by a fast shine coming from the rooftop and a black fuzzy figure jumps down with enough speed to take down the crown from the King's head with a quick kick.

With great agility, the small cat lands on his feet just a few steps away from the giant crown with a huge smirk on his face.

"Nooo! My… my precious…!"

"He's shake up, now it's our chance."

Followed by a quick wind spell from burglar cat, each of the teenages began to ready their weapons.

And at the sound of their guns blazing, Shadow Kamoshida's form began to dissolve more and more after every shot.

Trying to reach for his own head with his four hands at every moment his lower torso becomes pure black mud.

By losing his only recognition in life, he had become nothing more than wannabe.

And as everything he had achieved so far fades in the distance, the shadow has now to confront the reality of his sins without the excuses his self-validation empowered him with.

It was over quickly.

From the mud emerges the original form of Kamoshida's shadow.

But soon he realizes that he wasn't the focus of the intruder's attention anymore.

Knowing he wasn't even worth that by now, he shudders in fear after noticing what their new focal point was… the crown.

He desperately jumps in between them to protect it one last time.

The object shrunk to a more realistic size, enough for him to catch it with his hands and protect it near his chest.

It was his last chance to make it out with his only reason to live.

But he wonders now…. Why was he doing this?

He lost… what was the point?

"…"

He hears the steps of the young girl approaching him with a machine gun on her hand.

Before he realizes it, he walked himself to the giant window near the almost naked torso statues.

There was no escape anymore. He was quickly surrounded by his assailants.

"Wanna finish him off? It's your call."

What was the point he wonders.

He was supposed to be a winner. He got all he wanted by winning every time.

It would only be fair for them to take what they wanted since they won too.

He was no match for them.

"Are you not going to run away?"

The cold and accusatory voice of the 'object' he wanted the most during the past few months was getting closer.

"It's always been like this…"

The shadow speaks.

It was indeed a familiar sight for him, when everyone was putting their attention on him, they wouldn't immediately reward him for his efforts.

"All those goddamn hyenas forcing their expectations on me…!"

Instead he'll be forced to fulfill more expectations he was meant to.

So he could get what he wanted.

It had to be… it had to be them.

"I'm doing all for them! What's wrong with demanding a reward for that!?"

He wondered.

For a long time he didn't tried to understand, but what was really wrong with wanting something back?

With taking it when he wanted?

If he did not, somebody else would've… it was for their own good he thought.

"… Pathetic."

The emotionless voice of the white masked boy reached his ears.

"You dare to say all that. And yet here you are, trembling with fear… like the pathetic loser you've always been."

Him? A loser?

"Now you're makin' excuses… this is why we are here for… to take that distorted heart of yours for good."

Take his heart?

"Right now you're in the same position as Shiho… Why don't you just jump?"

The blonde girl's voice never recovered that submissive tone she had every time she spoke to him in the past.

And she was getting closer with an expression that displayed a frightening intent.

He wanted to go away indeed.

Shadow Kamoshida knew exactly why.

He wanted to escape from all that was waiting for him.

But he couldn't leave his own heart.

"Don't you get it? Somebody in your position could've been a benevolent guide… instead you decided to take away your students future and free will on a whim, It's about time you pay up for that."

The way the black haired boy said it sounded like it was all his fault…

"… You scared?"

Joker said once again, this time with a malicious grin.

It was that same face he showed him in the school corridors… it was that same line.

Suguru Kamoshida needed the recognition of being a ruler.

But by being conscious of how many he could've helped to become better would've broken that illusion.

If only he had chosen not to take but to give…

He knows that possibility actually existed at some point.

But he had taken so much, from so many…

He was scared, all these realizations were overwhelming him all of the sudden.

Even when he was holding the proof of his own greatness that he used to endorse his actions for so long.

That item didn't mean anything to him anymore… and that thought terrifies him the most.

"… You let her no choice but to jump…"

Flames started to manifest in the hands of the being behind blonde girl.

"… What would you do?"

She wasn't wearing a mask anymore… he could fully discern the murderous intent in her eyes…

The irony of the situation strokes him once again. A few days earlier he wanted to see those same eyes break down into submission, but this is what he gets now.

"Will you jump… or would you rather die here?"

How a sixteen year old girl could be this terrifying, he wonders.

"N-ngh."

He tightens his grip to his crown… that useless crown.

She was getting closer.

"N-no please wait! I beg you… just forgive me!"

"Silence!"

Her next step made a resounding sound in the empty throne room, and the entire castle.

They haven't noticed it so far… but apparently the whole building was empty by now.

The remaining shadows were free from his now diluting heart.

Only the cognitive beings remained in their cells.

"What about everyone who begged you to stop? And still you took everything from them!"

Carmen shoots a fireball at the shadow.

"Nooooo."

But she failed… no she purposely misled her shot.

The king falls on his knees…

He understands now, what true powerlessness feels like.

This is what he had been making those poor children feel all this time.

This was what he made that girl go through.

He certainly deserves it.

"I…"

His distorted voice was empty of all will.

"I accept defeat… You want this? Take it."

His glowing yellow eyes were beyond scared.

He threw the crown to at black haired boy's hands.

"Go ahead and finish me off…"

He deserves it…

Everything he has done finally catches up to him…

How dared he to imagine he could've live up with that in his heart?

"You do that… and my real self will go down too…"

He said holding his tears… he had no right to cry about this.

More importantly, there was one single true that had ruled his entire existence so far.

The one rule that he chose to be his only impulse to success.

The one rule he decided to impose on those who dared to defy him.

"You have that right since you've won."

It was only fitting for him to be castigated by that same rule.

But the pigtailed girl was only getting angrier by that man's logic.

Looking down at the king she realizes his total submission… he was being sincere for the first time.

It disgusted her.

It wasn't enough.

He had harmed her and her friends so much.

She couldn't just forgive him.

She wouldn't.

Holding her tears and biting her rage down she raises her hand, signaling Carmen to take another shot.

"Ann!"

She ignored Skull's cry.

The fireball was shot.

The former king never raised his sight to meet his end.

But the explosion only reaches the other side of the window's framework again.

Once shadow Kamoshida realizes what just happened and decides to take a look at his merciful judge.

She already had her mask back on.

Only the remaining bitterness in her eyes was apparent now.

"If his mind shuts down, he can't admit his crimes!"

The girl says while biting her lip.

"You're kind Ann-dono."

Both Skull and Joker take a breath of relief.

After realizing the girl's struggle to let him live, he finally breaks down in tears.

"I've lost…"

He wasn't worth such clemency, he was afraid.

He could care less about his image.

He only wonders how he could ever confront anything anymore.

He wasn't a winner anymore… he never was…

His cognition of what victory meant for him was completely shattered.

"You're through when you lose."

Only the void of defeat and unawareness remained in his mind.

"What am I- what am I supposed to do now…?"

The tears were coming down in an unstoppable flow.

"That's not my problem…"

The white masked boy turns around taking the crown with him.

"Figure it out by yourself."

He says coldly.

Joker was not going to try to show fake generosity to this man now, not he would pretend to tell him how to fix his mistakes.

For Takashi Kido, this was an image he never imagined facing in his life.

Yet deep down he wants to think that it is never too late to do the right thing.

Even after becoming a demon, that man was reduced to a broken human being in the end.

And for him, every human being no matter how twisted deserved the right to be alive. At the very least, those who have the chance to remain as such deserved the life they are supposed to face. With all the consequences that carried.

He wasn't sure if his allies saw it the same way.

But for the phantom thief known as Joker… this was enough.

They all turn their back to the defeated broken man.

"All right… I will leave now and return to my real self… I'll make certain that…"

Showing a slight sign of comfort, the shadow vanishes from its own world.

Joker stops his march to turn his head towards the now empty throne room.

It was finally over.

"What's happening?"

They all stop their march, except for morgana who was quietly grooming himself.

The reason was the sudden tremor around the castle.

The walls began to slowly crumble down and soon the roof will fall over them.

"Run!"

Joker orders.

And so they did without hesitation.

There was no time to go to the safe rooms. They needed to reach the exit as fast as they could.

On their way out they realize their enhanced strength and speed began to decrease.

It was the after effects of the cognitive reality of Kamoshida's palace disappearing.

Sakamoto tripped on his weak leg at one point because of it.

And Kido felt Morgana suddenly jumping over his shoulder in his cat form. Another sign that they were returning to the normal world at the same time the Palace was collapsing.

Eventually they manage to escape after reaching the app's checkpoint.

With their hearts on their throats they try comprehend what just happened.

After noticing the Palace has been "deleted" from the navigation app, with a short explanation Morgana lets them know that they can only wait for Kamoshida's change of heart to manifest on his real self now.

So then the thieves are assigned with the task of living their lives as normally as they could until the meeting day arrives.

With the treasure in their power and the yet uneasy taste of victory at the tip of their tongues, all they could do now was wait for the best outcome.

A Change of Heart

The week passed by in a blink.

Takashi Kido roamed the corridors of Shujin Academy before classes.

It was May 2.

It was possibly his last day in this school, or even his last day as an "almost free" young adult.

"Well, well, you look so dreadful. It's there something wrong with you today?"

While trying to get to the school gym to the appointed staff and students meeting, Kido hears a familiar voice he wasn't ready to confront today.

"…"

"Did the cat bite your tongue?"

The woman with the white coat was standing in front of the door that leads to the practice building.

Her smug expression was something Kido was getting used too much to his contempt.

"I'm sorry, psychologist-san… I'm not in the mood."

"My, don't be such a stranger. You know you can call me Jun, although I wouldn't mind if you add 'sama' at the end."

"…"

He passes by her ignoring her last comment.

It was a mystery to him if this attitude of hers towards him was something she could dare display in front of everybody.

Regardless since most of the student body was already in the gym, she didn't need to worry about such things.

"You wonder if your inception in that man's heart worked. Do you?"

She calls it an inception.

All they did was force that shadow to face his own actions by taking his ambitions from him.

Although Kido couldn't fully comprehend what she meant by that, he couldn't either force himself to care at this moment.

Not after such a long and anxious week.

"If anything, the teacher not showing up is a good signal, believe me… anyway, you better get ready, the meeting is about to start."

The woman starts to leave but stops midway to turn to the kid with a honest smile.

"Oh, and Amamiya-kun."

He turns around with a tired expression.

"Keep up the good work."

After watching the strange woman leave for a moment, he crosses the door towards the gym from the second floor.

Looking down the hall he can see that ominous PE faculty room at the distance.

That was the place where that man had punished and abused so many. The place where he dictated a sentence trying to take away his future.

If they really managed to take that man's ambitions from him, it would mean he was probably aware of all his sins at this point.

What worried them was not that, but what he'll decide to do about it.

If this is what that woman meant as an inception into his subconscious, he can only wonder if they did the right thing by submitting his shadow in such a manner.

"Morgana, are you there?"

The boy says while going downstairs

"Yep."

The cat jumps down from one of the lockers behind Kido, following him.

"Did you found Ann?"

"No, the only place I haven't checked was the gym, she must be there already."

"I see..."

He lowers his backpack to his knees, allowing the cat to jump in.

"Yo!"

He's greeted by the blonde punk immediately after entering the gym.

("…-I implore you to reconsider the importance of life and…")

The blonde teenager ignores the principal who already started his speech as he tries to get closer to his friend.

"Man have you seen Ann? I haven't seen her since that day. She ain't answering my texts either."

"I think she's fine."

"Oh, there she is!"

Sakamoto points at the front row right in front of the stage.

There it was the unmistakable figure of Ann Takamaki.

"Man what is wrong with her making us worry like that?"

The gym's door is open with a slam that breaks the student's attention.

"I…I've been reborn…!"

The afflicted teacher enters the scene shocking everyone present.

"Kamoshida-sensei? What are you doing here?"

The principal look of surprise was soon replaced with one of horror, as if he knew exactly what would happen next.

In between the student's whispers and gossips the teacher climbs to the stage.

"I…"

Sakamoto face was frozen as it was Kido's.

"Dude… Is this really happening?"

"That's why I will confess everything to you all."

"What's wrong with Mr. Kamoshida?"

"Confess? Did the volleyball team do something?"

The students were in shock as it was the principal and the rest of the faculty teachers.

"I have done things that were unbecoming of a teacher… Verbally and physically abused my students. I also… sexually harassed female students."

"What?"

"For real?"

"I… I was the reason Shiho Suzui tried to kill herself!"

He falls on his knees.

"Wha-? Why would he say that?"

"Disgusting!"

"He's the worst!"

"I thought of this school as my castle… there are students here I tried to expel without having a reason of caring about it…I will resign those claims…"

Uncapable of raising his head while saying this, Kamoshida began to stammer harder and harder as he kept going.

"I… am truly sorry to putting the innocent youths through such horrible acts… I am ashamed. I have dug myself into a shallow grave… I am not worth being treated as a human being!"

Breaking down in tears he surrenders his arms and his face to the floor.

Fully adopting a seiza position.

"I will take full responsibility… And kill myself for it!"

Finally his voice breaks.

"What?"

"Did he just say that?"

The horrified faces of the students forced some of the teachers to try to rally them and take them back to their class rooms as the principal frantically tried to take Kamoshida away from the stage.

"Please get out of the stage Kamoshida-sensei!"

"I… want to die!"

Both Kido and Sakamoto were speechless.

This wasn't what they wanted, they were frightened.

"Don't run away!"

But Ann Takamaki had enough.

The spectacle had taken her by surprise as much as her school mates at first.

But she couldn't stay put as that man decided to take the easy way out.

"… Even though you made her want to die. Shiho Is still fighting to be alive!"

The students around her tried to get away from her as soon as her lousy voice started yelling at the adult man.

"You… you of all people don't have the right to run away!"

She was clenching her fist so hard that blood could almost pour out of her palms if she kept pressing like this.

"You're right…"

The man slowly raises his face noticing the blonde teen in the middle of the crowd.

"You're absolutely right…"

He had been sentenced.

She of all people deserved to pass judgment to him.

"I've… done terrible things to Takamaki as well…"

He had been spoiling her name and life. He ruined her innocence for so long.

"I tried to black mail her into having relations with me so Suzui-san could remain in the volleyball team."

It was only fair he could at least try to release her from such burden.

"Disgusting!"

"He's really the worst…"

"Horrible…"

"The rumors were true then."

"I resign to my position as an instructor… I should be punished by the law and atone for my crimes! Please SOMEBODY CALL THE POLICE! I surrender myself!"

He was still on his knees. Dragging his legs around the stage like a wounded dog, begging to be condemned by his former students.

"Wow…"

Although he had a serious expression the whole time, Kido could only agree to his partner expression.

He wasn't feeling sympathy or pity for the man who had been ruining many innocent lives.

But he was in awe that someone as coward as that teacher proved to be, could have such a drastic change of heart in reality to have enough guts to confess everything in such a way.

Their plan was a total success.

So much that it was scary to contemplate what they've done.

The man's will to live was gone and it was replaced with a need for atonement.

Something Takashi Kido feels that man won't be able to pay up until the end of his life.

The gym was getting empty.

The school security escorted the former teacher away as students and some teachers called the police.

Meanwhile the real culprits remained still in a corner.

"Isn't this exactly what that calling card said…?"

"That thing was for real?"

"Was something done to Kamoshida-sensei?

They hear their school mates mutter as they pass by.

"… Did we really do the right thing?"

The blonde boy apparently had the same reluctance as Takashi.

"…I wonder."

Kido realizes Sakamoto is probably way more empathetic than he is.

There was no need to make him feel more worried than what he already looked like.

Morgana pops out of Kido's bag trying to cheer up the duo.

"Don't be like that! There were certainly people who were saved because of what you did."

"… Yeah."

They notice Ann Takamaki walking towards them.

"Hey."

She greets them sounding exhausted.

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah, thanks…and sorry I didn't contact you guys."

"Don't sweat it… things are happenin' way too fast- Huh?"

Their conversation is interrupted by a bunch of students walking towards them.

"Takamaki-san! I'm sorry! We all knew… but we pretended we didn't."

Those were the short but blunt words of the second year bruised boy, Yuuki Mishima. As Ann Takamaki's classmate he had been keeping silence while hearing all the defamations she had to go through…

But now there was nothing holding him back.

"We're so sorry as well Takamaki-san!"

"We misunderstood you all along. It must've been horrible for you."

"We sorry for all the rumors we spread about you… I just… we didn't know. He was pushing himself on you… It must've been so hard for you."

The other two female students also apologized while barely keeping their composure.

It was a horrible relief, to be free from the teacher's grip, yet to realize that something could've been done all this time.

She understood this.

"I'm sure there are also a lot of people who are sorry… I-We're so sorry!"

"It's ok. The same goes for me too. It's all over now."

The girls take their time to speak to Takamaki a few more seconds until a teacher takes them away.

"I made such a great mistake, and I'm so sorry, Amamiya-san… Sakamoto-san. I…"

Kido understands what Mishima must be going through too.

These children were being dominated by that teacher all this time.

There was no point on questioning how things could've been different now, not to them.

"Arugamama, huh?"

He whispers to himself.

"Huh?"

"Nothing… It's all in the past, Mishima."

The stoic boy said gently.

"I- I'll make it up for you some day, I swear it!"

Mishima bows one last time before running away looking almost embarrassed.

"Looks like Kamoshida ain't the only one that had a change of heart."

Kido sighs.

While taking his view away from his friends he notices something in the distance. Right on the second floor near the gym entrance to the practice building… There she was, the school guide.

She was looking down at him with an uncanny smile.

"Let's go home…"

Kido says as he starts walking away without reciting another word.

"Yeah, I'll text you guys later… Hey Ann…"

"I'm ok… don't worry, I'll go tell Shiho what happened."

"Yeah, go do that… Let us know if you need anything."

Takamaki smiles at the blonde boy as she leaves.

"Thanks."

The trio walks their separated paths once again.

Still unprepared to comprehend what a "free" future can be like for them from now on.

The Barista and The Beauty

After the day of the staff meeting, the golden week has officially started.

Yet for Takashi Kido these holydays didn't felt like a recess at all.

("In other news, traffic continues to jam in the areas around the Shinjuku district…")

The television was announcing the news about his school already.

The morning after the incident things were actually starting to look up for him and his friends.

Kamoshida was taken into custody.

Both Kido and Sakamoto's expulsion was nulled.

Ann informed them that Shiho Suzui had woken up from her coma.

It was almost as if she was waiting for them to slay the demon that had taken her soul.

No matter the reason, they all felt the relief of an innocent life being spared by fate.

Trying her best to overcome and alleviate her joy and stress, Takamaki suggested the trio should celebrate their victory properly.

The idea was obviously incentivized by the bratty cat and the school's most famous troublemaker as well.

Somehow Takashi Kido was assigned with the task to obtain the funds needed for their feast.

All the conditions were already meet though.

The boy took a moment to look at the gold medal band hanging from his school bag which was lying on top of Leblanc's counter.

Once they reached the real world the King's crown had turned into an Olympic medal.

The item was a manifestation of the teacher inability to let go of his pasts glories.

Obviously this wasn't the real thing, as Morgana explained.

It was just a perfect copy of the real medal that was still in Kamoshida's possession.

Perfectly fit to be sold for the right price… Which at the time, was Kido's current quest.

"This isn't exactly how I expected my first golden week over here to go…"

The boy with frizzy hair complains while cleaning the dishes.

His lament was somewhat understandable given his current state of affairs.

"Don't be such a downer, at least this way you can get into the chief good side. Besides, serving coffee doesn't sound that bad. You can meet new people."

Says the overly enthusiastic cat while resting at the top of the fridge.

Apparently only the cat shared said excitement over such a prospect.

As soon as the boy (who had been woken up earlier than he would've wanted by his now strict yet stickling new roommate) got up of bed he determined himself to go sell that medal as today's goal.

But he was stopped by the shop owner on his way out.

Sakura immediately used the "freeloader" card on Kido to guilt him into helping him with the store during the holydays.

Incapable of saying no, the boy now finds himself attending the empty store while cleaning the dishes until the barista returns from his chores.

"But only old ladies come here."

"Quit complaining, are you really just doing this to try to pick up girls?"

He wouldn't deny it, nor will he admit it.

"… Such luck."

The boy who doesn't believe in fate finds something to blame instead.

("… much isn't known about the teacher's motives to confess, but it's assumed that it had to do with an incident that involved one of his abused students and...")

"Hello."

He hears an elegant voice after the doorbells rang announcing a new client.

"H-hi."

As he turned around he was struck by the unexpected image of a good looking woman in a black suit.

The beautiful woman was indeed a sight to behold.

Her noteworthy poise, her silver hair and familiar red eyes full of confidence were certainly capable of taking any man's breath away if stared for too long.

"Is it open today?"

"Yes, welcome."

"I haven't seen you here before, are you a part timer?"

"… Yeah."

"Hmmm? Is it your first day or something?"

"Something like that…"

The boy signals the woman to take a seat as he walks closer to the counter.

"So… The shop owner just let you in charge of the store and went home?"

"He went to get some groceries. I just clean the place and serve drinks."

"I see…"

("The Shujin teacher went through a bunch of unspeakable…")

"Tell me, are you in High school?"

The woman brought her attention to the boy's appearance.

He felt she was analyzing him from top to bottom.

"Yes."

"Do you happen to know Shujin Academy?"

The boy notices his school bag was still over the counter.

"… Actually, I am a second year from that school."

"Oh, then you must've know about those incidents, I'm sorry If I made you feel uncomfortable."

She says as the boy walks towards the bag and quickly hiding the medal's band from the woman's view.

"There's no problem."

He says with an almost unnoticeable smile.

Kido puts the bag on the floor so Morgana who was already standing near him could get inside.

"To tell the truth, I know someone that goes to that school too… It bothers me greatly to know such a person was sharing the same environment with her."

"…."

Clearly disappointed at the boy's silence, she moves to the next topic.

"Do you serve Coffee?"

"What would you like?"

"I'll have the house blend."

"Coming right up."

After a few seconds the boy comes back with a ordinary looking cup of coffee.

"Not bad… Did you make this?"

The woman asks after taking a sip.

"Sorry, I haven't learned how to make my own yet."

"Huh? It's quite good, you will probably have a lot to catch up to do if you want to learn to make coffee this good."

"I see..."

He says sounding somewhat nervous.

'Is it really that good?'

("… The incidents have clearly increased this year, to that the ministry of health and welfare had this to say…")

"How long have you been here?"

'Why so many questions?'

"I just started a few days ago."

"I see. Did the boss had an abrupt change on his schedule for him to need help with his shop?"

"Uh, I don't think so… Do you come here often?"

The boy does his best to sound as natural as he could.

Yet it was inevitable for him to expose his lack of interest on human interaction from time to time.

"Well, I'm not a regular, but this place always feels quiet and homey, it's a good escape from the busy city life once in a while."

So far the boy hasn't paid much attention to the silent and personal atmosphere the shop had during the day.

"I see what you mean."

He clearly understood why Sakura wanted to stay here the whole day until very late even If he doesn't get any customers.

"I'm back, you… Oh, hi."

Speaking of the devil the man with the pink shirt enters the shop just in time to catch up the unexpected scene of the boy serving this beautiful looking lady.

"Hello."

She greets him calmly.

"Is everything ok?"

"I was just having a break in your shop, your new employee is quite attentive."

"Huh. Well, let me take over… You can go now."

The man dismisses the boy as soon as he puts his apron back.

"All right."

Not really displaying his internal relief, Kido wastes no time on taking off after taking his bag.

"It was a pleasure."

He says to the woman before leaving.

Not really looking very interested in the exchange but mannerly enough to display his consideration.

"Like wise."

"It seems you found quite a decent help, Sakura-san."

"… Y-yeah."

Outside the store, Kido takes a deep breath as if he had just escaped Kamoshida's castle once again.

"Hey, what is it?"

"That woman… she wouldn't stop asking questions."
"I suppose that's what the boss meant when he said 'talking with the ladies'."

"… Maybe, let's go."

Looking down at his texts before taking off, he reads the exited texts of his friends hyping themselves up about their upcoming party.

Apparently Ann had a place in mind from the very beginning.

She even managed to convince Ryuji by bringing up some childhood debt he had with her.

Takashi manages to form a soft smile.

He had a promise to keep.

The hanged man: Shady Endeavors

They may skyline was clear and colorful.

Takashi Kido wasn't used to the lively midday city life as he spends most of his time at school at these hours.

Even less during a holyday.

Once he started walking the station a few things cached his attention.

Some weird sun cultists were making a rackety.

While some news reporters were fishing for random interviews around the station.

Even a street musician tried to start a meaningless conversation with him at some point.

He was certainly not used to so much noise.

Takashi Kido isn't exactly a country side boy as some people want to believe.

He grew in the suburbs of another big city near Tokyo.

Yet there was no point of comparison between the activity and amount of people in the two cities.

He could hear a small politician forming some sort of rally in the distance.

Kido wouldn't like to admit it. But he would like to spend the whole day looking at all around the city.

Mostly because Morgana's constant interest in the workings of the human world had also induced some curiosity about things he always took for granted.

Like a capital city nightlife, or specific types of food and entertainment.

Yet he had a mission to fulfill first.

As lively and youthful the city was looking in a day like this, the boy found himself roaming the inhabited and dark alleys of central street again in no time.

Morgana had brought back existence of this shop to Kido last night.

It was the ideal place to get ridded of such a striking item.

He wastes no time to enter that shop Untouchable.

Inside, the shop owner looked exactly how he remembered him.

Lying on his chair while reading a magazine, uninterested on his surroundings.

He remind him of Sakura's me time with his crosswords.

'What's with this city and people not wanting to work?'

He couldn't help himself but to wonder.

Kido was familiar with image of middle aged men who didn't want to strive too much to make a living for some reason.

The man eventually notices the musing kid looking down at him with an accusing look.

"What is it Kid? Want me to greet you with fireworks or somethin'?"

Sometimes Takashi Kido has a very strange existential crisis when it comes to fate.

He would like to believe he is the owner of his destiny to a certain degree.

But things like him being surrounded by thugs no matter where he goes makes him wonder if he was truly destined to be branded a delinquent no matter what he did with his life.

He takes the item out of his bag and puts it in the counter, right in front of the shop owner.

"How much for the medal?"

He thought this was the best approach when it came to treat such a barefaced shop owner.

"A medal?"

Kido simply nods.

The man takes a good look at the object.

"Huh, you sell the weirdest things kid, I'm not some pawn shop, y'know?"

"They're unique items, besides we made a deal right?"

The boy says as he brings a bag out.

"You brought it, huh?"

"It was quite useful."

He says with a sting smile.

"Huh…"

Not many people would be brave enough to come back with an illegal item just like that.

Even less people would be honorably enough to give back a Free illegal item.

Getting on his feet and taking the lollipop out of his mouth, the surly manager smiles back at the kid.

"Say… ain't ya interested in some part time work?"

There was no lip on his speech this time, only expectation.

He working on an airsoft shop that sells fake guns and other combat items…

The items he got on this store were more than helpful for them in the meta-verse.

Kido doesn't know what would they do next, but Morgana mentioned before that Kamoshida's palace wasn't the only Palace that existed in the meta-verse.

If what that woman said to him before was right, he can imagine many people could have their own.

Neither he nor his group of rejects had decided what they'll do next, but having a connection to a place like this wasn't a bad idea at all.

"Am I?"

He couldn't hold the grin forming on his face this time.

Joker could certainly use this man's help.

Things were really looking up.

The fool: Reading the future

*Drip*

A drop of water is heard through the room

It's dark, the boy slowly opens his eyes. He is not in the attic anymore.

He sees blue quilted walls surrounding him.

"It seems you have managed to chastise the one who douse in lust. Congratulations."

He stands up to face the eerie long nosed man.

"You also managed to get both the Death and Hanged man Arcanas, not bad."

"Encountering those who had similar… conditions to yours, seems to be quite effortless for somebody so unwilling to cooperate."

"Yeah, you really are just a troublemaker in the end. Isn't that right?"

"…"
Uneasiness fills Takashi Kido's mind as he ignores Caroline and Justine's praise.

His visits to this room had become more and more grim every time he steps in this cell.

It was only fair for him to be on his toes when he's in this place.

"By the time your accomplishments bear fruit, you will realize you have already found your place in reality. You will soon find even more allies to help you in your need to oppose the world you are in contention with."

Igor's speech continued to puzzle the black haired boy.

Is he really able to see his future? Why is he helping him?

At this point he had realized that asking those questions will only lead to more cryptic answers. So he only just listens.

"I can't wait to see what path you chose to take with these new alliances you formed."

The old man laughs to himself.

"It is certainly most entertaining."

'It's true, no matter what awaits me now… I'm no longer alone in this.'

The realization hasn't passed by Kido either.

He had been gaining allies to help him to survive such a gruesome test.

There was no other way he could call this.

A test to his will, to his strength and heart.

Yet deep down he can't help himself but to feel guilt for involving other people into these affairs.

Last time Kido entered this room he felt an unexpected thrill.

He witnessed a gruesome execution and integrated his heart with even more Personas.

Every time he's inside this cell, he's forced to face an aspect of himself he wasn't aware of before.

The irony of this place, a cell of all places, being the representation of his heart… the only place for him to be his real-self, terrifies him.

"With this, your rehabilitation will officially start soon."

His frustration grew deeper.

Even if he won't get the answers he needed (wanted). He had to ask.

"I… don't get it. I really don't. Why am I here?"

"Huh, you're as dumb as you look inmate."

"Your potential is indeed something special. However, it needs to be refined into an useful power."

Igor replies.

"Honing that power will grant you the strength needed to stand against the coming ruin… That is the rehabilitation cast upon you."

"That…"

Ruin?

Just when the boy starts to think there couldn't be something more ominous about this man's clear foreknowledge, he comes with that word again and again.

What could be worse than what he had been through so far, he wonders.

"There are many means by which you may gain the power you need. Gaining experience in combat is one way. The fusion process is another… Even the meta-verse app will eventually have its uses for that prospect."

'That app, does that mean she will help me too?'

It was only fair to remember Jun Soseki's words about that navigation app.

Takashi Kido could only imagine what more secrets that woman held from him.

"You better appreciate our master's guidance, inmate!"

His line of thought is interrupted by Caroline's loud voice.

"Even at the risk of sounding presumptuous, we also have words of wisdom to share as well."

"Hone your relationships with those who you had formed contracts with!"

"The compromise you chose to take with them will cultivate your will's strength. Making more you stronger and experienced."

They had been through this before.

Those two girls keep bringing his contacts as a source of power.

It makes sense for those kind of relationships to give him more experience and knowledge to face life.

But at the same time, going on and around with the foresight knowledge of the benefits he'll gain just feels… oddly convenient.

He had been warned of not forming those bonds of frivolity by that old man.

However, how other way could he face those people other than as accessories to a broader goal?

He fears that strange contradiction could actually stall his progress as that man was portraying his daily life.

Kido hears Igor's amused chuckle to his confused state.

"Your heart has grown stronger thanks to the contracts you made this far. But that's only a fragment of your true potential."

"The power of opposition you've gained is indeed a joyful demonstration of your dedication. For that I'll be granting you another ability befitting of your newfound growth. Consider it a gift."

The doll looking man's hand moves a little to signal him.

And just like that the boy feels a change in within himself.

A strange sense of deepness… as if his heart has expanded, opened.

Putting his hand over his chest he realizes the meaning behind this feeling.

This was not an open minded relationship.

Takashi Kido wasn't a boy willing to make friends before coming to this place.

But now this strange man had opened his heart to strange and unknown possibilities for him with just a snap of his fingers.

"… I have high hopes of you."

The man says with that creepy smile.

It seems that this boy can finally understand the meaning behind Igor's amusement a little more...

The world he used to describe this process of change in within him.

The meaning behind his uneasiness while visiting this room.

Yes…

His rehabilitation from the real world had begun.

… He wakes up.

Author Notes:

Confidants unlocked:

Death: Tae Takemi

The Hanged man: Munehisa Iwai

Finally the Kamoshida arc is over.

Now to the big things.

Oh Takemi, I hope I made her justice, I also wanted to take advantage of the Takeshi/death arcana's connection.

I like to imagine these new OC characters with specific voices so I'll drop a couple of names for Jun.

She has a sassy personality, she's obviously older than the protagonist, I have two VA in mind for her in both the Eng and Jap dub: I think Claudia Black's voice could work for the kind of impertinence she conveys with her speech.

As for her Jap voice I think Atsuko Tanaka silky but cheeky tones could fit her character perfectly, so there, I shared that so you could "heard it in her voices".

Feel free to share if you have another type of voice in mind for her though, I want to hear your opinions.