April 15
Akira blinked at Ann, who was standing in front of his desk. The two hadn't exchanged words, but she certainly greeted him—by extending his handkerchief out to him. It looked newly washed, the history completely gone from the fabric. The blonde didn't show any signs of aggression or whatnot. She was simply returning it to him.
Akira made a face, hearing the few students in their class whisper about the duo and the cloth. It was folded up into a neat square, the embroidered flag in full display. The boy quickly snatched it and pocketed it (after a quick graze of the stitching) before anyone else saw. Ann's eyes widened a bit in surprise by the quick gesture, but didn't question it and took her seat.
Class started soon after their interaction, with Ushimaru starting social studies by writing the lesson on the chalkboard. Akira was only listening a little, his mind drifting to the whispering volleyball members he overheard earlier on his way to school.
"I can't believe Suzui-senpai missed such an important meeting. I wonder what happened."
"Mr. Kamoshida asked to see her…"
"You know, I've been hearing rumors about how Mr. Kamoshida and Suzui-senpai stay late…"
"She always shows up to meetings though. It's weird she wasn't at the one yesterday…"
Akira sighed and rubbed his handkerchief in his pocket for comfort. He had a bad feeling since last night regarding the Suzui girl… He shook his head, turning his attention to Ushimaru. As distracted as he was, he had to at least pay attention at least a little and write it down.
"The National Diet is the legislative, the Cabinet is the executive, and the Supreme Court is judiciary," be began. He seemed to be talking about the government. "This division of power provides checks and balances, which ensures no single branch becomes too powerful."
Akira nodded and looked inside his desk to grab a pencil. His jaw nearly broke in surprise at what he saw.
"Have you made up your mind?" Morgana, who was stuffed rather comfortably, whispered. The boy was too shocked to say anything. "No matter how much thinking you do, there's only one option. You're better off just listening to me."
Remembering what occurred yesterday, Akira glared down at the feline, his eyes loudly screaming 'If you wanna live: DON'T. FUCKING. TALK.'
"Hm? Did I just hear a cat?" Ushimaru asked, turning around. Morgana stuffed his head inside the desk, making sure he wasn't seen. The class started to buzz with mixed reactions—some pet lovers rather excited to see if there was a cat in the room while others were confused.
Ushimaru became annoyed by his chattering students and waved a hand in the air. "Settle down! We're in the middle of an important lecture!"
The class obeyed, some students still glancing about to try and find the cat. As he turned back to the board, Akira phone vibrated in his pocket. Not wanting to get caught by the alert man, he carefully pulled it out and rested it in front of Morgana. For his eyes, he turned down the brightness of the screen.
Ryuji: Dude, what're we gonna do about Kamoshida?
Ryuji: Do we just go along with what that cat says? Ugh, damn furball...
He glanced up at the teacher, just in time to see him call on a student near the window to read a selection.
Akira: Can't really talk right now, dude. We'll talk about it later.
Ryuji: Did ya come up with somethin'?
Akira: You can say that. I'll tell you durin' break! ( ﾟｏ⌒)
As Akira pocket his phone, Morgana hissed quietly, whispering, "If only he knew I was reading this too…"
The boy smiled reassuringly and petted the cat.
"Hey... What's that...!?"
The students turned their attention to the boy who suddenly shouted. He was in the middle of answering Ushimaru's question when something had caught his eye. The teacher was quick to scold him, but the student behind him suddenly gasped.
"Wait... She's going to jump!" she shrieked.
Murmurs broke out around the room, multiple students pulling out their phones. One by one people stood up to get a better look. Even Mishima, who was usually well-behaved, stood with a pale face.
"Suzui..?" he uttered, just loud enough to strike a cord with Takamaki. She jumped out of her seat and bolted out of the room. Akira didn't hesitate to follow. The teacher attempted to keep everyone inside but it proved futile. Soon, the hallway was crowded with students gazing out the window. Upon noticing this, students from neighboring classrooms also stepped out, shortly joining the shock. Those that knew the girl called her name, others pulled out their phones, but a majority simply watched in horror.
Once Ann and Akira reached the window, their stomachs clenched.
The girl 'Suzui Shiho'—Ann's best friend—was none other than the volleyball girl Akira bumped into. The girl he tried to stop, but failed.
She stood before them on the edge of the rooftop.
Staring absently at the scene before her.
Eyes cold and glazed over.
Like a corpse.
She lowered her head, as if saying one final farewell.
And tilted forward.
Akira's eyes widened as screams of terror erupted. Those that were brave enough to look out the window found her body laying crooked on the ground, unmoving. Teachers called for their students to return to their classes, but they fell on deaf ears.
"No… Why…?" Ann whispered, taking a step back with trembling hands that barely covered her broken eyes. Shiho's falling replayed over in her mind.
Roof. Air. Gone.
Roof. Air. Gone.
Roof. Air. Gone.
Roof. Air. Dead.
Dead.
She suddenly darted down the hall as the thought entered her mind. She bumped shoulders with Akira, who remained silent about the whole ordeal. His heart was beating an angry tune, his mind being swallowed up by one man.
"H-Hey, Aki! What's goin' on!?"
Akira didn't even looked at who called his name, recognizing the voice to be Ryuji. The blonde delinquent had heard the screams from the bathroom, where he was ditching class, and rushed out. Noticing everyone's attention, he looked out the window and nearly fell out it in shock.
"Wha-What the hell!?" he shouted, turning his attention to Akira. The dark haired boy said nothing. He jerked his head down the hall and began to walk. Ryuji gulped, quietly followed him.
Unlike the other students that rushed down with panic, Akira walked with large, steady steps. He jumped down the stairs, the sound of his landing acting as a warning to those who heard it. Noticing the crowd that blocked the main entrance way, they rushed over to the practice building. A crowd awaited them there as well, but it wasn't as intense as the first one.
"Hey, I've gotta get past here!" Ryuji shouted as he pushed through the crowd, Akira closely behind.
When they made it to the courtyard, an ambulance had arrived and Shiho was in a stretcher. Teachers were panicking, trying to usher students back to class. But they were too distracted, recording the events transpiring.
"What the hell's wrong with these people…!?" Ryuji growled, glaring at all the students recording.
Akira glanced around, quickly locating the other blonde he was acquaintanced with. He silently made his was over to her, noticing that she was sitting right beside her best friend. If he pulled out a dictionary, her face would be the definition of worry. It seemed like they were about to load the victim in, quickly performing the necessary procedures, as Ann whispered to the laying girl. The fall wasn't fatal it seemed. But her leg… Even underneath the blanket, the students in the crowd could tell it was twisted the wrong way.
The lights of the emergency vehicle blared to life as they took the two away. The courtyard was buzzing, but it failed to reach the dark haired student. He heard and saw nothing. It was his tunnel vision acting up again. All he saw was the path leading somewhere.
Suddenly, he jerked his head—the sound of running footsteps somehow catching his attention. The person running was a blob at first… but it soon cleared.
Mishima, Akira identified. He knows something. Without a second thought, he ran after him; bumping into blobs of flesh that meant nothing to him.
Thanks to his tunnel vision, it was easy for him to keep his eyes on Mishima and Mishima only. He wasn't going to be distracted by anything. And that proved to be the case when he managed to catch up with the athletic boy, grabbing him by the wrist. He turned around, eyes wide. The two said nothing, the sound of running footsteps catching Akira's attention. It was Ryuji, who managed to follow after.
"We're gonna make you talk this time," Ryuji growled, grabbing Mishima's other wrist. Akira let go as the three walked over to an enclosed corridor, free from witnesses. Ryuji threw the boy against the wall, earning a meek yelp of pain.
"Why'd you run off like that? Huh!?" Ryuji asked.
"I didn't run…" Mishima argued. The blonde delinquent slammed a fist to the lockers beside him, the timid boy jumping in surprise.
"She jumped and tried to kill herself!"
The two boys started to tremble—the blonde in anger and the behaved student in fear. Akira was in a place that didn't allow him to feel anything. He was waiting for the trigger to be pulled so he could finally let loose.
"...L-Leave me alone…!" Mishima whimpered.
"If you know something, just tell us. By keeping quiet, you're going to end up a murderer," Akira spoke. Well, he assumed he spoke. He had never tried to speak before while experiencing tunnel vision. He couldn't even hear himself. For all he know, he simply thought those words. But based on the timid boy's reaction, he figured that he did actually say them.
"M-Murderer…?" he repeated.
"He's right," Ryuji interrupted. "We ain't tryin' to get you busted... We won't even mention you at all! But someone almost died today…"
"Suzui…"
Mishima's head dropped as he scratched it with frustration. Finally, he decided to spill.
"She was called out by Mr. Kamoshida!"
Ryuji stiffened in surprise. He wasn't expecting that. "W-Wait, what?"
Mishima spilled the truth behind Kamoshida. How he'd call the members of his volleyball team to the teacher's room and hit them whenever he was in a bad mood. It was true regarding the rumors of physical punishment… But no one dared to say anything after they discovered the hard way that they were powerless. Trying only made the punishments worse.
"Mr. Kamoshida seemed really irritated that day, so it must've been... worse than usual…"
It was Akira's turn to hit something. He kicked the tools in front of him, causing them to flip and fall over.
"What kinda hell hole is this?" he asked to no one in particular. With the satisfaction of kicking the tools, his tunnel vision started to widen. He could hear his voice now. His tone was a lot more pissed than he thought. "I'm supposed to stand here and believe that an asswipe called Kamoshita can not only get away with physical abuse and sexual harassment… But possibly sexual assault, too?"
"That son of a bitch...!" Ryuji shouted. He turned and ran as fast as his bad leg could take him. Akira looked at Mishima, as if to say 'you can tag along if you want', before following his partner.
He managed to catch up with him the moment he entered the P.E. faculty office, both panting. Kamoshida casually turned to them.
"You bastard! The hell did you do to that girl!?" Ryuji yelled.
Disinterested, the man turned back to his work, waving a hand. "What are you talking about?"
Ryuji kicked the folding chair next to him. "Don't play dumb with me!"
"That is enough!" Kamoshida shouted, turning to face the students entirely.
"What you did... wasn't coaching..!" Mishima spoke, entering the room. He ended up following them in the end but didn't find the courage to enter at first. But hearing Ryuji's anger, the delinquents words resonating within him, he managed to step in as well. Akira felt a bit of pride in his stomach at the timid boy's revolution.
"What did you say?" Kamoshida asked, glaring daggers. Mishima refused to step down.
"You... You ordered me to call Suzui here... I can only imagine what you did to her...!"
The man scowled in annoyance, his voice low and his words slow as he rose from his seat, his massive body looming over them. "You're going on and on about things you have no proof of... Basically, you're simply making these claims because you can't be a regular on the team, right?"
"That's not what this is about!"
Kamoshida bent over a little, staring eye to eye with Ryuji who was the closest to him. "Even if it is exactly as you imagine it to be, hypothetically speaking... what can you do?"
The boys' flinched.
"We just received a call from the hospital. Suzui's in a coma, and her chances of recovery of recovery are slim... How would someone like that make a statement?"
Akira tensed, the other two stiffening with shock. Kamoshida frowned and put a hand to his forehead in fake distraught, sighing. "There's practically no chance of her getting better, I hear... The poor girl."
"No… That can't be..." Mishima uttered under his breath, his head hanging low.
Ryuji's hands balled up into fists, his body shaking with unbridled rage.
"You goddamn…!" he growled.
"This again?" Kamoshida sighed, placing his hands over his hips. "Does this mean we need, yet again, another case of 'self defense'?"
"SHUT YOUR MOUTH, YOU SON OF A BITCH!"
Akira reached out and grabbed Ryuji's wrist, right as he raised his fist to attack. Ryuji looked back at, strangely enough feeling his anger being… almost melted away at his touch. He was so confused by the sensation and by his partner's action, he couldn't even speak.
Akira simply shook his head and let go of his wrist, his body relaxing.
"Oh? You're stopping him? What a surprise," Kamoshida commented, a genuine look of surprise etched on his face. He grinned and crossed his arms over his chest. "There's no need to hold back. Why not attack me? Oh… Oh, that's right! You can't. Hahaha, but of course you can't!"
Kamoshida sighed, as if bored by the anti-climactic conclusion, and returned to his swivel chair. "Everyone present right now will be expelled. I'm reporting all of you at the next board meeting."
"Wha—!?" Ryuji gasped.
"You can't make a decision like that...!" Mishima argued, stepping forward.
"Who would seriously consider what scum like you say? You threatened me too, Mishima, so you're just as responsible."
His face paled and was rendered to silence. He remained silent as the teacher berated him harshly.
"You act like you're a victim, but you leaked his criminal records, didn't you? It's all over the internet, right? How terrible," Kamoshida poked.
Mishima's face sank with shame as Akira turned to him, his glasses emphasizing the surprise in his eyes. His legs gave out under all the emotional stress and sank to the floor.
"He told me to do it. I had no choice…" he whispered. The two delinquents looked down at the fallen student as Kamoshida's crooked laughter echoed in the room.
Akira's glasses glared as he offered a hand to Mishima. He looked up in surprise, his eyes watering. Hesitantly, he took the boy's hand and was risen up to his feet. Akira said nothing as he looked over to Ruiji and gestured his head to the door. The blonde gritted his teeth in annoyance but nodded, the trio making their way out of the room.
The three stood silently outside of the door, Kamoshida's obnoxious laughter dying down. A long and suddered sigh escaped the dark haired boy. He rubbed the back of his neck and looked up. He then looked over at Mishima, who avoided looking at Akira in the eyes, and patted his shoulder.
"It's in the past. Don't stress," he said simply. "Besides… It was him that made you do it. It wasn't your fault."
Mishima's eyes glistened with a new set of tears, shocked that he was forgiven so easily without even having to apologize. Akira's hand slid off his shoulder and looked at Ryuji.
"After school… Same place."
Ryuji nodded, his heart sinking with every word his friend spilled. Akira nodded back before looking down at the ground. Without another word, he dismissed himself and walked down the hall. Neither of the boys had the heart to call out to their companion, a sorrowful aura surrounding him. It was best, they decided, to give him the small time of privacy he was able to get.
Due to the incident, the school was on a momentary break. It didn't surprise him to see the classroom completely empty. With heavy feet, he made his way over to his desk and plopped onto his chair. Overwhelming emotions took hold of him, large tears effortlessly falling him his eyes.
First, Ryuji… Now, Ann… Shiho… and Mishima… It's all my fault that they're where they are… Akira pursed his lips, suppressing a sob, as he removed his glasses and covered his leaking eyes with his right hand. If only I wasn't such a fucking coward… If only I listened to Morgana…! We could have… I could have… None of them would have been dragged down to my level. I really am the scum of the earth…!
He gulped and took a shuddered breath, throwing his head back. I should have said something… I had the power to prevent this, but I failed… Failed. Failed! FAILED!
He gritted his and slammed his forehead to the desk, the sound of their impact echoing within the empty room. As he sat there, motionless, his tensed muscles gradually began to relax. He knew better than to throw a tantrum like this. It wouldn't accomplish anything. He had just told Mishima that what's done in the past stays in the past. He can only change the future…
Akira sat up, pulled out his mother's handkerchief, and cleaned his face. Once he had recovered, he put his glasses back on.
"Morgana… I know you're there. I'm done now, so you can stop hiding," he called out, his voice steady. Sure enough, Morgana—who had been hiding in the shadows—walked over to the boy and sat beside his seat. "Sorry you had to see… such an uncool side of me. Ya mind keepin' it a secret?"
The feline didn't reply. He was still rather stunned by what he witnessed… but it made sense. He had, after all, been following Akira during the events that just transpired.
"...We can't waste anymore time," Akira began. "We'll enter the Metaverse and steal his desires."
"Can I assume that you've made up your minds about this—how he might suffer a mental shutdown?" Morgana asked. Akira said nothing at first before pushing up his glasses.
"It's only if we screw up, right? We'll just have to make sure we don't do that…" He looked over at the cat with a new look of determination swelling within his eyes. "Someone almost died because of him… It's safe to say that both Ryuji and I are ready."
"Then it's settled," Morgana purred, rather happy to have finally reached the ending he wanted.
"We'll meet up with Ryuji after school and come up with a plan."
The duo nodded. As soon as their conclusion ended, students and Ushimaru returned. Morgana promptly hopped up and stuffed his body inside Akira's desk, quickly taking a nap in the secure and warm space.
School proceeded as normal, a rather fidgety air filling each room inside. Some students were so shaken by the events, they managed to get by security and run off home. Sadly for them, extra homework awaited them tomorrow as punishment. Everything went by so fast, school was over before Akira could even render it. He packed his things, secretly hid Morgana inside his bag, and dashed off to the courtyard where they usually meet up. Akira was glad that it wasn't in the same area where Shiho jumped. He might end up having another scene.
Ryuji was already there, waiting for him. Akira pulled Morgana out and the three waited until the yard was fairly empty before catching up. Thankfully, Akira was at that point where he knew Ryuji well enough to make decisions on his behalf. He agreed to venture into the Metaverse—so long as Kamoshida confessed to what he'd done. And not just for Shiho… For everyone that had to endure whatever that bastard of a man did to them.
"Hey, quick question," Ryuji spoke up. "Is gettin' rid of a Palace hard? You've tried it before, right?"
"...When did I ever say that?" Morgana asked. The boys blinked in sync, taking a moment to render what the feline just responded.
"WHAT?! Were you just pretendin' to know!?" Ryuji screamed. Akira massaged his temple, feeling almost faint.
"Is it true that you're getting expelled?"
The trio looked over in surprise, meeting with a mentally exhausted Ann. Her eyes locked with Akira, the concern in her voice aimed at him.
When they didn't reply, she grabbed her right arm and mumbled, "Everyone's talking about it..."
Ryuji clicked his tone, kicking the air. "That asshole's at it again… Did you come all this way to tell us that?"
Ann let go of her arm and looked down, thinking for a moment. When she looked at them, there was a fire of revenge dancing wildly in her eyes.
"If you're going to deal with Kamoshida… let me help too," Ann growled.
Ryuji and Morgana flinched in surprise, Akira's eyes narrowing. With no one stopping her, she continued.
"I can't just sit back and do nothing after what happened to Shiho!"
"No," Akira declined bluntly, readjusting his bag strap. Ann blinked in surprise, a little hurt. Noticing this, Akira sighed and walked up to her. "Takamaki-san, you're tired after everything that happened. You should go home and get some rest first."
"I'm not tired! I've never been more energized!" Takamaki snapped. Akira grabbed her shoulder and gently pushed her away.
"Go. Home," he growled. For a moment, her eyes glistened with tears, her lips parted as she drew a heartbroken breath. The person she trusted and spilled her heart to yesterday was stopping her… Stopping her from getting revenge on the only person she cares about in Shujin Academy. With a glare, she turned and ran off.
Once she was gone from sight, Akira sighed once again, running his fingers through his hair. He knew that he had hurt her and possibly her trust, but it was for own good… He turned and faced his comrades, who had two completely different expressions. Ryuji had a small smile, seemingly relieved that Akira took care of the matter. Morgana, on the other hand, seemed concerned for the girl.
"Good call, Aki," Ryuji praised. Akira flashed a sad smile, scratching the back of his head.
"I hope that she doesn't torment herself over this," Morgana whimpered. "When it comes down to it, women don't hesitate."
Noticing the stress and concern on the quiet boy's face, Ryuji nodded reassuringly, saying, "We just gotta hurry up and deal with Kamoshida."
Akira took a deep breath and nodded, a serious expression replaced with his anxious one. He scooped up Morgana and placed him in his bag, the duo making their way to the alleyway they had hid from before.
"We should leave our bags here," Akira suggested as he gently pulled Morgana out. "Too much of a hassle to carry it in that other world."
"Good idea," Ryuji agreed. Morgana sat and watched the two boys as they tried to find a good spot to hide their bags. Akira was surprisingly picky about it, much to Ryuji's annoyance.
"Just so you know, the moment we cross over, we'll treat each other like phantom thieves," the cat purred. As Akira slid their bags behind a stacked set of boxes, Ryuji turned with a raised brow.
"Phantom thieves?" he repeated.
"Those who covertly sneak in and stylishly steal Treasure—that is what we become!"
Akira hummed as he stood up as well, smirking, "Not bad."
Ryuji nodded and grinned with growing excitement. "That sounds kinda cool!"
The blonde and the cat both looked at Akira and nodded, ready to show Kamoshida what happens when he crosses them. Akira nodded back and pulled out his phone from his pocket, activating the Metaverse Navigator.
Just like last time, the world pulsated and shifted in color; blue fire engulfing the trio as they walked towards the school now turned castle. Perhaps it was because so many of them had changed appearances at once—in comparison to when Akira changed—were they able to notice. But before they could properly enjoy their confidence, a scream of surprise pierced the sky.
"What is this!?"
The trio turned around and gasped as Ann ran towards them with a complex expression. Akira clicked his tongue and ruffled his hair in annoyance. He really didn't need this.
"T-Takamaki!?" Ryuji called out. Ann gasped and looked at the duo.
"That voice… Sakamoto!? Then… are you Kurusu-kun!?"
Akira remained silent as their eyes locked, the pigtailed blonde faintly blushing. When Ryuji stepped forward, shocked sounds escaping him, the girl was break free from her trance and returned to a state of panic.
"Wh-Wh-Why are you here!?"
"How should I know?!" Ann pulled her hands close to her chest, nervously taking in the surroundings. "What's going on? Where are we…!? This used to be the school, right?!"
Ryuji walked up to the panicking girl and tried to calm her down, the two quickly butting heads to their usual arguments. Akira used this time to think, pulling out his phone.
"You think she got wrapped in because of the app?" he asked quietly to the cat beside him. Morgana, who had been staring lovestruck the moment he laid eyes on the girl, blinked. He thought for a moment, recalling the earlier encounter.
"That might be the case, yes," Morgana hummed. 'If multiple people can enter alongside the person who uses it, it stands to reason it'll pull anyone nearby with the same destination—or perhaps even the same motive."
Akira frowned putting together that she must have followed them after they dropped their guard. She still had her bag, so it wasn't like she planned to do that… just a spur of the moment after being rejected. He sighed and scratched his head. Looking over to the arguing blondes, he placed a hand on his hip.
"Hey," he called out, the two stopping instantly. "Get her out of here before she draws any more attention. Taking her back to where we came in should do the trick."
Ryuji blinked before nodding, grabbing the girl by the shoulders. She gasped and protested, quickly putting up a fight. Because of his bad leg, she was quickly gaining an upper hand… But the other two stepped in before that could happen.
"We'll explain once everythin's over!" Ryuji reassured. But that didn't calm Ann as she started protesting even more, kicking and shaking like a child. It was a bit painful to see her like this… The dark haired boy knew that she just simply wanted to help, after everything that happened. But he wanted to avoid dragging her down too.
"Sorry 'bout this…" he whispered, his sincere words catching the girl off guard. With that, the trio pushed her back, her body disappearing into the red and black vortex. Ryuji and Akira let out a long sigh.
"Sorry…" Akira mumbled. "I should have been more cautious about using the app…"
"Hey, don't beat yourself over it, man!" Ryuji quickly reassured, flashing a silly grin.
Morgana shook his head and clicked his tongue. "Amatuers. Why do I—the one who simply watched—know more about your tools than you two?!"
"Shuddup!" Ryuji shot the cat a glare. Akira rubbed the back of his neck and started making his way to the infultation point. The duo followed, Ryuji mumbling to himself.
"That girl's name was Ann Takamaki, right?" Morgana suddenly asked. Akira looked over at him and blinked, nodding in reply. Morgana sighed, his tail curling. "Lady Ann…"
The boys fought back a laugh at their feline friend's behavior, finding the combo rather humours. Morgana, too smitten with his lady, didn't seem to notice.
As soon as they entered their safe room, they could tell that something was off. Akira sneaked over to the door and opened it just wide enough to see what was happening. Guards were swarming the floor, shouting orders to one another. He clicked his tongue and closed the door, looking back at his comrades.
"Seems like they noticed us. We'll have to be cautious," he warned. Morgana hopped with confidence, waving a paw.
"We'll be counting on you, Joker!" he said.
"Joker?" the boys repeated in sync.
"It's a code name. Only a stupid amature would use their real name in the face of danger! Who knows what kind of effect it could have on the Palace..."
Ryuji frowned for a moment, feeling the 'stupid amatuer' part being directed at him, before he tilted his head in confusion. "So… why's he Joker?"
"Because he's our trump card when it comes to fighting strength."
Akira blushed and covered his face with his hand, muttering, "Th-That's embarrassing… Can we change it?"
"Just go with it! You're Joker now, okay?" Morgana huffed. Akira whined, his blush spreading, before nodding reluctantly. Morgana looked at Ryuji and thought for a moment, the blonde failing to suppress a smile at the thought of his new and cool code name. "You'll be 'Thug'."
"You pickin' a fight with me?" Ryuji growled, digging a fist to the cat's cartoonish head. He pushed Morgana away with a huff and crossed his arms over his chest. "When it comes to me, it gotta be related to this mask… So 'Skull' should do the trick. It sounds pretty effin' awesome!"
Akira smiled at his friend's excitement, Morgana rolling his eyes. Akira looked down at the feline and gently caressed the area Ryuji dug.
"How does 'Mona' sound for your code name? It'd be much easier to call out during a battle," Akira suggested. Morgana purred at his gentle touch, shortly shaking away.
"If it's easier to call me that, so be it," Morgana cleared his throat. Having regained his composure, he nodded and placed his paws on his utility belt. "All right, from here on out, we are: Joker, Skull, and Mona. We need to be absolutely thorough about using those code names from now on."
The duo nodded.
"Okay… With that settled, let's infiltrate further and steal his materialized desires. The Treasure."
Akira turned his attention back to the door and peeked through it once more. It looked like they were in the clear. Giving his comrades a thumbs up, the trio sneaked out the room and braced themselves for whatever they were going to encounter.