Chapter 21

Once Isamu, Akira, Ryuji and Morgana got out of the castle through the ventilation shaft, they stopped near the entrance of the castle to deeply catch their breaths.

"Anyways! I don't remember changin' into this!" panted Ryuji as he straighten himself and glance down confusingly at his new outfit.

"Neither do I." said Akira as he glance down confusingly at his new outfit as well.

"Those outfits suits you two a lot. You look like a dark yet elegant magician, Kurusu-kun while you look like a dark and dangerous thug, Sakamoto-kun." said Isamu as she glance at their new outfits with a smirk on her face.

"Really? You think so, Toudou-san?" said Akira.

"Uhh… Should we be happy about what you just said about our new outfits?" said Ryuji as he felt a little embarrassed at Isamu complimenting their outfits. "Then again, it ain't as bad as yours or Kurusu."

"… I take back what I said about your clothes, Sakamoto-kun." said Isamu in a deadpan tone of voice to Ryuji.

"Huh? Oh, come on!" said Ryuji.

"Quiet, you all! Kamoshida's knights are still looking for us!" whisper Morgana slightly harshly to Isamu, Akira and Ryuji and they immediately stay silent and listen to the voices of the knights talking and searching for them in every rooms from inside the castle until they went away to another inner part of the castle. Once they're sure that the knights are gone, they relax and resumed their conversation.

"So what's goin' on? I'm completely lost, guys…!" said Ryuji.

"I told you 2 and Lady Isamu before. When a Persona-user opposes a Palace's ruler and becomes a threat to them, this happens." explained Morgana to them as he crossed his arms over his chest. "It's to prevent you from being affected by distortions."

"Is this… a skull?" asked Ryuji as he take off his mask and glance at it.

"Your appearance reflects your inner self. It's the rebel that slumbers within… Not that you'll get it like Lady Isamu." said Morgana as he smirk at Ryuji.

"Nope…" sighed Ryuji as he lowered his head and slumped his shoulders a little.

"Then stop asking questions and accept what you see for what it is." said Morgana in a slightly exasperated tone of voice to Ryuji.

"Easy for you to say." Ryuji retorted back to Morgana as he put his mask back on his face then crossed his arms over his chest before he gasped in shock when he realised something. "Wait, we're in deep shit!"

"Pipe down, Sakamoto-kun!" snapped Isamu.

"She's right, Ryuji! Be quiet!" added Morgana.

"We might've gotten away here, but we're still screwed with Kamoshida at the real school…" said Ryuji nervously to them.

"That's true, Ryuji." said Akira grimly to Ryuji.

"That's quite sharp of you!… For being an idiot." said Morgana in mock praise to Ryuji. "Relax, you two. The Kamoshida in reality can't possibly know about what happens here. A Shadow is the true self that is suppressed-a side of one's personality they don't want to see." added Morgana reassuringly to them.

"… So we're okay?" asked Ryuji.

"Did the Kamoshida in reality remember about the execution?" asked Morgana.

"No, he didn't, Morgana." replied Isamu.

"There you have it." said Morgana smugly to them.

"We're glad to hear and know that, Morgana." said Akira gratefully to Morgana.

"All right! Now that we know that, all we gotta do is-" Ryuji began saying to both Isamu and Akira before he got cut off by Morgana.

"Wait. I guided you all as promised. It's your turn to cooperate with me." Morgana told them and they glance down at Morgana with confused looks on their faces. "That's why I was super nice about teaching you idiots everything."

"Huh? Cooperate?" asked Ryuji in confusion to Morgana.

"Don't you guys remember? I originally came here for an investigation. I need to erase the distortion from my body and regain my real form. That's why we must delve deep into Mementos and-" replied Morgana before he got cut off by Ryuji.

"Whoa, hold on. What're you goin' on and on about? We never said anything about helpin' you out." said Ryuji as he glance at Morgana.

"Mementos?" thought Isamu to herself about the mysterious place called "Mementos" that Morgana just told them.

"Huh? Don't tell me… Are you guys and Lady Isamu not going to repay the hospitality that I showed you all?" said Morgana as he glance back and forth at both Akira and Ryuji in surprise before he glance at Isamu. "And what about you, Lady Isamu? You're going to up and leave too, even though you're already part of my master plan!?"

"What? Of course I'll helped you out, Morgana." said Isamu softly to Morgana (which make him smiled gratefully at her).

"Come on, Toudou! We're busy!" said Ryuji (which make Isamu scowled at him) as he scratch his head a little before he crouch down in front of Morgana. "Thanks for everything, cat. You've got guts, bein' a cat and all! See you around!" added Ryuji as he grinned at Morgana before he stood up, turned and walked swiftly away.

"Let's go, Toudou-san!" said Akira as he grabbed hold of Isamu and bring her away with him after Ryuji before she could say anything.

"Hey! What the hell!? Ugh, seriously! Why're you all wrapping this up like everything's all hunky-dory!? Oh hell no! Get back here!…Grrr… GRAAGGGHHH!" yelled Morgana as he jumped up and down in anger at them for leaving him.

XXXX

"You've returned to the real world. Welcome back." said the robotic female voice from the app on Isamu's phone to Isamu, Akira and Ryuji after they came out from the other world, stand and leaned their bodies against the wall inside an alleyway opposite Shujin Academy as they catch their breaths.

"…Thank god. We're back." said Ryuji in relief before he turned to glance tiredly at both Isamu and Akira. "I dragged you two around in that castle a lot, huh?… I'm sorry, guys." Ryuji apologized to them.

"It's fine, Ryuji." said Akira reassuringly to him.

"Ugh, I'm dead tired… How you and Toudou holdin' up?" asked Ryuji.

"I'm quite exhausted." replied Akira quietly.

"I'm just a bit tired, Sakamoto-kun. Thanks for asking." replied Isamu.

"Me too… Man, I'm gonna sleep like a rock when I get home." said Ryuji tiredly and in agreement to Isamu and Akira before he grin widely at them. "But damn, if what we saw was for real, this is gonna get good. I totally remember the faces of the guys Kamoshida was treatin' like slaves. Once we find and make 'em fess up to any physical abuse, Kamoshida will be done. So… you two wanna help me look for those guys or any witnesses?" added Ryuji in a triumphant tone of voice to them before he asked them a question.

"Alright, I'll help you out, Sakamoto-kun." said Isamu.

"So do I, Ryuji." said Akira.

"Really!? Great! Now that's what I'm talking about." said Ryuji happily to them both.

"Wait a minute, Ryuji. I think Toudou-san should stay out of this since she has a record…" said Akira as he suddenly remember about Isamu's record and glance sadly at her.

"Oh yeah, you're right, Kurusu. Everyone already knows about her record. They totally got her pegged as a criminal." said Ryuji as he glance sadly at Isamu too.

"It's fine, you two. I don't mind about it." said Isamu reassuringly to Akira and Ryuji before she frowned and crossed her arms. "But I'm curious, how is it that all the other students knew of my record?" asked Isamu.

"Kamoshida blabbed about it to them, that's how they all knew, Toudou!" replied Ryuji with a scowl look on his face while Akira nodded in sad agreement to her.

"Why am I not surprised that he's the one who told them?" said Isamu with a shake of her head.

"No one else besides a teacher could've leaked it out that fast!" said Ryuji as he angrily crossed his arms over his chest. "It doesn't matter if it's a student or a club; that asshole just wrecks things he doesn't agree with. Just like he did with me…! No one'll take anything I say seriously."

"Still, those rumors about him doing physical abuse on those volleyball members might be real, after what we saw in that basement dungeon room inside and under the castle." said Akira.

"Yeah. And after seein' Kamoshida's distorted heart-thing in person, there's no way I can just sit back!" said Ryuji with a determined look on his face to Isamu and Akira.

"I'll helped you guys out too, like I say a few second ago." said Isamu.

"Are you sure about that, Toudou-san? What about your record?" asked Akira worriedly to Isamu.

"To hell with my record, Kurusu-kun! I wanted my own pound of vengeance from him when I saw a shameless copy of myself all over him!" replied Isamu angrily to Akira (who flinch and stepped away from her).

"In that case, we'll be countin' on each other! Don't you two worry; I'm hyped about this too!" said Ryuji excitedly to Isamu and Akira and they nodded to him before Isamu froze when she felt the time around her stopped and she heard a girl's voice spoke to her from within her head.

XXXX

Back in the interrogation room…

"Acting as a Phantom Thief would've been more efficient alone. You could've gone about it that way…" said Sae to Isamu as she flicked a lock of her hair behind her ear. "However, you did not. There are merits to having associates… That's what you decided. Am I wrong?" demanded Sae.

"So, what does it matter to you, Sae-san?" replied Isamu.

"Who are they? Tell me their names!" asked Sae, ignoring Isamu's words.

"I don't know, I can't remember…" replied Isamu as she looked down at her bruised hands.

"Fine. You may continue." said Sae as she leaned back in her chair.

XXXX

I am thou, thou art I…

Thou hast acquired two new vows.

They shall become the wings of rebellion

That breaketh thy chains of captivity.

With the birth of the Chariot and Hunger Persona,

I have obtained the wings of blessing that

shall lead to freedom and new power…

After the girl's voice fell silent, Isamu look up and saw 2 cards (a red, yellow and black card with the figure of a knight standing on two lions and a red, pink and black card of a woman floating above dozens of snake heads under her) appearing and floating above Akira and Ryuji's head before they fell and landed accurately on her hand and time resumed around her.

"Okay, that was quite weird. Time stops around me and I saw 2 bizarre-looking cards appearing above Kurusu-kun and Sakamoto-kun's heads before they fell on my hand. Not only that, I also felt like I just establish bonds with them. I'll be sure to ask Igor about it later." thought Isamu in confusion to herself as she quickly put the cards into her pocket just as Ryuji's stomach started growling quite loudly.

"What the? Was that your stomach, Sakamoto-kun?" asked Isamu.

"Oh… right. I haven't eaten anything since lunch." muttered Ryuji in slight embarrassment to Isamu and Akira. "It'd be weird splittin' off now, so why don't we grab a bite somewhere?" said Ryuji.

"Then why don't you two come to Leblanc with me now? I'll cooked up some curry for you two." suggested Akira.

"For real? Thanks, man!" said Ryuji gratefully to Akira before he glance at Isamu. "Also I want to hear and know more about your past, Toudou!"

"Very well then, Sakamoto-kun. Let's go." said Isamu as she rolled her eyes in slight exasperation at Ryuji before they walked out of the alleyway and head toward the station together.

Once they stepped into the station and wait for their train, Isamu heard and saw Goro calling out to her amongst the crowd (which make her smile) before he make his way past the crowd to her, Akira (who recognized him as the Detective Prince) and Ryuji (who's confused when he saw him) and gave her a bright smile. Both Isamu and Goro briefly talk about their day for a while before she introduced him, Akira and Ryuji to each other (who were surprised to know that she and Goro were childhood friends). Isamu then ask Goro if he wanted to join them for dinner in Leblanc and he agreed to it before the train that they were waiting for arrived and they soon stepped into the train and head to Yongen-Jaya.