Persona 5: Crusade – Chapter 3: I Am Thou, Du Bist Mich
Disclaimer: This is a non-profit, fan-made story. Persona 5 belongs to Atlus, SEGA, Cloverworks, Madman Entertainment, Aniplex USA, Katsura Hashino, and Hisato Murasaki. Support the official release by buying the game, buying the manga adaptation, or watching the anime on Crunchyroll.
Monday, April 11th, 2016
Morning
"Did we make a wrong turn?"
Sakamoto looked back the way they came, then turned to the transfer student. "No. I've used this shortcut before. Yeah, this should be right…"
"Well, obviously, it isn't!" Fritz was pissed at this unsettling development, and he was prepared to give the vulgar student a piece of his mind. "If we don't make it to class on time, I am going to—!"
"Calm down, Fritz!" Akira got between the half-German and the delinquent student. "It says 'Shujin' on the sign, so let's go inside and ask."
Akira walked over to the castle's entrance, followed by Sakamoto. Fritz sighed, gave up on logic, and followed the idiots.
The three students were met by a strange sight when they entered the castle: the opulent entrance hall momentarily shifted to resemble the entrance of Shujin Academy before shifting back. Fritz looked around, suspicious, while Sakamoto was starting to get worried.
"Th-That's weird…" he said. "Where's the school?"
Fritz put a hand to his chin. "We're at the school, but, for some reason, we're seeing it as a medieval castle."
"Is that possible?" Akira said.
"It's possible," Fritz started pacing, "but the method's throwing me off. I mean, an illusionary spell could do the trick, but we'd see some other students if that were the case. Not only that, but someone would've reported a castle somehow superimposing a school. This could be specifically targeted at us, but who'd—?"
"Stop!" Sakamoto yelled. "Dude, magic doesn't exist, so don't pull that shit on me!"
"Really?" Fritz said, mirthlessly laughing. "Then, why don't you give me an explanation, genius?"
"Guys…"
Before Akira had an opportunity to calm them down, they suddenly noticed a newcomer, standing behind Sakamoto. He jumped back in surprise, allowing the trio to get a good look at the… thing. It appeared to be a man in a suit of plate armor, carrying a broadsword and shield, and wearing a blue mask that looked vaguely like a mask in Greek theater.
"Geez," Sakamoto said, walking up to the armored man, "you freaked me out. Who're you? You a student?"
"Sakamoto Ryuji, step away from him!" Fritz whispered, incredulous at the stupidity just exhibited.
The vulgar student ignored his class rep. "Man, your costume's impressive. Is that armor real?"
The suit of armor stood there, silent, while Fritz pondered how dense someone could be to just walk up to such a dangerous figure.
"C'mon, don't just stand there." Sakamoto was impatient. "Say somethin'."
Another suit of armor entered, startling him.
"H-Hey, what's goin' on?" he said, only just now panicking.
"What is this?" Akira asked the other two students.
"Hey, Sakamoto led us here!"
"Dude, I don't know what's goin' on!"
The first suit of armor walked up to Sakamoto, causing the latter to panic. "C-Calm down! Time out, man!"
Fritz groaned. "I am going to die a virgin because of you."
Sakamoto turned to his fellow students. "Run for it!"
The three students, however, were cut off at the front door with the arrival of two more suits of armor. One of them hit Sakamoto full force using his shield. The vulgar student cried out in pain, falling to his hands and knees.
"Oww…" he groaned. "Y-You're gonna break my bones, dammit! The hell you think you're—?"
One of the suits knocked Akira out with a well-placed strike to the back of the head.
Fritz raised his hands to shoulder height, palms outward. "I-I surrender! Look! This is all a huge misunderstanding! We're supposed to—"
"Take them away!" one of the guards yelled out, then knocked Fritz out with a blow to the face.
"…Hey," a familiar voice called out. "Hey! Wake up!"
When Akira came to, he found himself in a prison cell, locked up with the vulgar student from earlier (Sakamoto, if he remembered correctly). He was laying on what could only euphemistically be called a cot: a plank of wood with a moldy sheet of cloth. Manacles attached to chains dangled from the ceiling against the wall, and there were a couple of wooden barrels next to the cell door. Sakamoto was kneeling before him, looking worried.
Akira sat up, while Sakamoto backed up. "You all right?"
Akira nodded, then looked around. "Where are we?"
"How should I know? I just woke up too." Sakamoto rubbed the back of his head. "Looks like this ain't no dream, though. Ugh, what's goin' on?!"
"Sakamoto?!" Fritz's voice came from a distant cell. "Is that you?!"
"Yeah, and I'm with the transfer student!" Sakamoto called back, walking towards the cell door.
"Good! If they execute us for trespassing, I really hope they choose you first!"
Sakamoto kicked the cell door. "Asshole!"
"Keep it down, you two!" came a new voice.
Akira could faintly hear Fritz's voice. "Ach, I'm sorry, Wondercat-chan."
"My name is Morgana," the new voice said, "and I am not a cat!"
Just then, a distinctly human scream resounded down the hall.
Akira walked over to the cell door, while Sakamoto clutched the bars in fear. "Th-The hell was that just now?"
"We are going to die here!" Fritz yelled, evidently having heard the scream. "Good job, Sakamoto!"
"Up yours, asshole!"
"Silence!"
A guard, another of the suits of armor, walked over to Fritz's cell, causing the half-German to back up. "The king is kind enough to hear you beg for mercy. Kneel in his presence!"
Good, Fritz thought, getting on his knees. He could use his skills as a negotiator to try and get the three of them out alive. With luck, he could get his cellmate out as well.
A new, echoey voice entered. "These are two of the intruders?"
"Yes, my liege." One of his accompanying guards said. "The other two are further down."
Fritz looked outside the bars of his cell, and felt his jaw drop to the floor.
It was Kamoshida. The smug coach was being led to his cell by a pair of guards, and he seemed radically different than he normally did: his eyes were gold and glowing, he had a maniacal grin, and he wore a golden crown and a red cape adorned with hearts.
"K-Kamoshida-sensei?!" Fritz was shocked. "What are you doing here? Why did your guards attack us? When did you get a castle? What—?"
"Silence!" Kamoshida(?) interrupted the student, waving his arm in a chopping motion. "No one's allowed to do as they please in my castle, even if your aunt is Rizu."
However, this gesture raised a new line of questioning for Fritz. "Gott im Himmel! Why aren't you wearing any pants?!"
Indeed, under the cape, Kamoshida(?) was wore only a pink speedo.
Kamoshida(?), however, ignored him. "It's settled: for unlawful entry, you and your companions will be sentenced to death."
Fritz sputtered. "Wha—? I-I—! Y-You can't do this! I'm just here because Sakamoto—!"
"That whelp's here?" Kamoshida(?) stroked his chin, looking off in the direction of the other cells while the guards marched ahead. "Hmm. I'll let you simmer in your own sweat and piss for now, Yamamoto. Your friends won't be so lucky."
With that, he left, leaving Fritz with his cellmate.
The cellmate in question looked like a cartoonish cat. It was black with white mittens, white socks, a white chin, and white on the tip of his tail. He wore a yellow bandana around his neck and a belt festooned with pouches. Evidently, given the buckle on the back of his head, he was wearing some form of mask.
His electric blue eyes scanned Fritz. "I've got a feeling that you're not gonna be much help, Specs."
Meanwhile, Akira and Sakamoto had looked for a way out of their cell, with no luck. The barrels were empty, neither of them was strong enough to open the doors on their own, and the guards were too smart to fall for the 'disappearing prisoners' routine. It was beginning to sink into them that they were trapped.
Just then, three guards walked up to their cell.
"Be glad that your punishment has been decided upon." The lead guard said. "Your charge is 'unlawful entry.' Thus, you will be sentenced to death."
Sakamoto was shocked. "Say what?!"
"As I told your friend back there," a familiar, though somewhat echoey, voice said, "no one's allowed to do as they please in my castle."
Akira and Sakamoto were as taken back by Kamoshida(?)'s appearance as Fritz, though the vulgar student was able to recover. "He ain't my friend."
Kamoshida(?) ignored him. "I was quite surprised when Yamamoto told me you were here. It seems you haven't learned what happens when you disobey me." He turned to Akira. "And you brought Yamamoto and this scrub with you, because you can't do a thing for yourself."
"This ain't funny, asshole!" Sakamoto shook the bars of the cell.
Kamoshida(?) wasn't moved. "Is that how you speak to a king? It seems you don't understand the position you're in at all. Not only did you sneak into my castle, you committed the crime of insulting me—the king." He smirked. "The punishment for that is death." He gestured for the guards. "It's time for an execution! Take him out!"
Akira and Sakamoto backed away from the bars, while the guards threw open the doors and filed inside. Akira found his back to a wall, while Sakamoto was backed into the 'cot'.
Sakamoto cursed, shoved one of the guards down, then turned to Akira. "I ain't down for this shit! C'mon, we're outta here!"
Before he could run, however, he received a punch to the gut. He slowly slid to his knees in pain, while the fallen guard recovered. Akira tried tackling that guard, to no avail.
"Just go!" Sakamoto called. "Get outta here! These guys are serious!"
"Oh? Running away, are we?" Kamoshida(?) took this moment to taunt the students. "What a heartless friend you are."
"He ain't a friend…" Sakamoto refuted the teacher(?), then turned back to Akira. "C'mon! Hurry up and go!"
Akira hesitated, which Kamoshida(?) must've found amusing. "What's the matter? Too scared to run away?" He scoffed. "Pathetic scum isn't worth my time. I'll focus on this one's execution."
Two guards lifted Sakamoto by his elbows, while the third held Akira at swordpoint. Kamoshida(?) took the opportunity to use Sakamoto as a punching bag. He had a twisted grin on his face as he beat and insulted the vulgar student. Eventually, the guards let Sakamoto drop to the ground.
Kamoshida(?) spat on him and scoffed. "Where'd your energy from earlier go? A peasant like you isn't worth beating." A guard picked Sakamoto up by the nape of his neck and tossed him towards the back of the cell. "I'll have you killed right now."
"Have you lost your mind?!"
Kamoshida(?) turned towards Akira, who'd just spoken out. "What? Don't you dare tell me you don't know who I am." He walked over and glared right into the transfer student's eyes. "That look in your eyes irritates me!"
He kicked Akira, causing him to crash into the wall behind him. "Hold him there. After the peasant, it's his turn to die."
Akira jumped up to try and save Sakamoto, but two of the guards pinned his shoulders to the wall. Kamoshida(?) walked over to the vulgar student, crying and lying prone on the ground, while the remaining guard stood by, sword at the ready.
This is truly an unjust game.
Akira heard an ethereal voice whispering to him, while, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a glowing blue butterfly.
Your chances of winning are almost none. But if my voice is reaching you, there may yet be a possibility open to you…
What's the matter…? Are you simply going to watch?
Another voice cut in, deeper than the last.
Are you forsaking him to save yourself?
Akira looked around, but he saw no one.
Death awaits him if you do nothing. Was your previous decision a mistake then?
Akira knew what he was talking about. The woman. The drunken man. The police taking him away. His criminal record and subsequent expulsion from school.
Akira steeled himself, gritting his teeth in anger while the guard lifted Sakamoto by his neck. "It wasn't."
Very well… I have heeded your resolve.
Akira began convulsing, while he felt as though someone was splitting his head open.
Vow to me.
I am thou, thou art I…
Though who art willing to perform all sacrilegious acts for thine own justice!
Call upon my name, and release thy rage!
Show the strength of they will to ascertain all on thine own, though thou be chained to Hell itself!
Akira's convulsions ended just as Kamoshida(?) gave the order. "Execute him!"
"That's enough!"
Kamoshida(?) stopped, struck dumb, and turned to the transfer student that dared to challenge him. "What was that?"
The guard dropped Sakamoto and advanced on Akira.
"You desire to be killed that much? Fine!" Kamoshida(?) nodded to the soldier on Akira's left, who smashed his shield into the teen's face, breaking his glasses.
Two of the guards pinned Akira against the wall with their spears, while the third guard readied his sword. Sakamoto slumped to the ground, while Kamoshida(?) raised an arm to signal Akira's death. The guard raised his sword.
Bam!
A sudden burst of wind erupted from Akira's body, pushing the executioner back and startling everyone in the room. When it died down, everyone noticed something new about the transfer student.
He was wearing a mask. It was black-and-white, patterned like eyelashes, and winged. Akira raised his hands, feeling the smooth surface and curved edges.
He was overcome with an urge to tear it off.
He gripped, pulled…
…and screamed out as he felt half of his face pull away with the mask. Blood flowed down his face and his eyes began glowing yellow. Suddenly, he became engulfed in blue flames.
The guards backed away, while the fire changed Akira's appearance. The fire pulled back and up, revealing the transfer student. He now wore a black tailcoat, a waistcoat with gold accents, black jogging pants, dark brown boots with buckles, and red gloves.
The flames themselves, with rattling chains attached, morphed into a hellish form. It had a red jacket, a black business suit, a face-like mask, horns, and a top hat. With a flourish, wings emerged that broke the chains and sent Kamoshida(?) and his guards flying backwards. One of the guards was knocked out of action, the other two were slumped against the wall, and Kamoshida(?) scurried out of the cell.
Sakamoto was in shock. "Wha…? What the… ?"
I am the pillager of twilight—"Arsene"!
"What the…?" Sakamoto was still trying to grasp what had just happened, while the demonic figure, Arsene, communicated with Akira.
I am the rebel's soul that resides within you.
If you so desire, I shall consider granting you the power to break through this crisis.
Akira was straight-forward. "Give me your power."
Hmph, very well…
"Who the hell are you?!" Kamoshida(?) was brimming with hatred, along with a dash of fear. "Guards!"
The two remaining guards shot up, awaiting command.
Kamoshida pointed toward Akira. "Start by killing that one!"
The guards convulsed, turned into some strange ooze, then reformed into Crypt-dwelling Pyromaniacs.
Kamoshida(?) sneered. "You'll learn the true strength of my men!"
Detest the enemies before you! Change that animosity into power… and unleash it!
Akira did as he was instructed, targeted the Pyromaniac on the left, and cast Eiha. It reeled back from Curse damage, barely surviving. The two Pyromaniacs attacked Akira, each doing negligible damage. A dagger appeared in Akira's hand.
Swing your blade!
Akira obliged, hitting the weakened Pyromaniac with a flurry of cuts that ultimately killed it.
This power of mine is yours!
Kill them however you want. Run wild to your heart's content!
Akira unleashed another Eiha on the remaining Crypt-dweller, then finished it with a couple swings of his dagger. On the ground where the enemies died, about ¥300 appeared. Akira pocketed it.
Sakamoto was still sitting there, stunned. "What…? What was that just now…?"
"You little…!" Kamoshida(?) stalked over to the transfer student, furious that he might have to put out an ad for new subordinates.
Sakamoto took advantage of the distraction to shoulder-barge into the king, knocking him down. "Ha! You like that, you son of a bitch?!"
"The key!" Akira said, pointing to a set of skeleton keys Kamoshida(?) had dropped.
Sakamoto picked them up, followed Akira out of the cell, closed the door, and locked the king inside.
"Ugh, damn you!" Kamoshida(?) got up from the floor, as pissed as ever now.
Sakamoto turned back to Akira. "Hey…! What was that just now?! And… your clothes…!"
Suddenly, in a flash of blue flame, Akira changed back into his uniform.
"Whoa, it went back to normal…?!" Sakamoto's eyes widened.
"You bastards!" Kamoshida(?) clutched at the bars of his new cell.
Sakamoto clutched his head at the craziness unfolding around him, then turned to Akira. "God, this is fuckin' nuts! Anyways, let's scram! You lead the way!"
Pausing only long enough to toss the keys into a nearby river of sewage, the two ran off, leaving Kamoshida to shake the bars, curse them out, and call for help.
"Goddamn thieves…! After them! Don't let them escape!"
"Say, Morgana-chan," Fritz glanced through the cell's bars and noticed that there weren't any guards around, "do you have a plan of escape?"
Morgana's ears flattened as he stood next to the half-German. "If we could reach that key over there… but we can't, and I can't rescue your friends by myself."
Fritz clutched at the bars, furious at the cowardice he'd displayed earlier. "To be perfectly honest, they aren't my friends. I've only just met one of them, and Sakamoto's kind of a pain in the ass. Even so, I've got to save them, or at least try! If we can get out—"
"I'm sorry, Specs," Morgana stopped him, "but I don't think you'll be able to help. You don't even have a Persona."
"Fursona?" Fritz wrinkled his face in disgust. "I really don't want to know what usually goes on here."
Morgana hissed. "I said Persona!"
"Fritz!"
The pair jumped in shock. Kurusu and Sakamoto, evidently having escaped, ran into view.
"Mein Gott! You're alive?! I've never been so happy to see you, Sakamoto!"
The vulgar student ignored his class rep and focused on his cellmate. "What is that thing?!"
"'That' is Morgana-chan," Fritz said, "my cellmate. He knows how to get out of this castle."
"Look," Morgana said, pointing to the nearby wall, "the key's right there!"
Kurusu looked down at Morgana, then glanced towards Fritz. "…A cat?"
Morgana glared up at the transfer student. "I am not a cat! Say that again, Frizzy Hair, and I'll make you regret it!"
The sound of armored footsteps began to get louder.
"They're catching up already!" Sakamoto said, then pulled out his phone. "Shit, no service. Ain't there any way to contact someone outside?!"
"Sakamoto," Fritz said, "I'm starting to think that this place isn't normal. I don't think anyone outside can help us. Hell, they probably don't even know where we are."
"So, let us out!" Morgana urged Kurusu and Sakamoto to hurry. "Leave it to me! I'll show you a safe way out!"
Sakamoto used the key to open the door, releasing Fritz and his cellmate. "He'd better not be lying."
Morgana stretched. "Ahhhh… Freedom tastes so great…"
"Let's rob a liquor store on the way out." Fritz said.
"Hey, monster cat!" Sakamoto said. "Show us to the exit!"
"Stop calling me a cat, Blondie!" Morgana said. "Like Specs told you, my name is Morgana!"
"Shuddup and hurry it up!" Sakamoto was impatient. "You wanna be locked up again?!"
"No locking up Morgana-chan!"
Morgana ignored Sakamoto and Fritz. "Follow me, and stay quiet!"
Morgana led the trio down the path Akira and Sakamoto took, where they saw a drawbridge. The bridge was up, preventing them from crossing, and there was a small (rather grotesque-looking) statue of Kamoshida next to it. Morgana stood in front of the statue, while Fritz examined the nearby cells.
"Hey, what're you doing?" Sakamoto asked.
"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm lowering the bridge." Morgana said, then turned to Akira. "You, Frizzy Hair. It seems like you pick up on things faster than Blondie or Specs. Try checking around the mouth of this statue, OK?"
Akira did as he was told. He discovered that, by pulling down on the statue's jaw, the drawbridge would lower.
Sakamoto was stunned. "How were we supposed to know to do that?!"
Morgana scoffed. "Amateur,"
"Hey, guys!" Fritz called to them from a nearby cell. "Either one of you noticed this prisoner with a volleyball in his cell?"
"No time for exploring, Specs!" Morgana called Fritz over. "Come on, let's keep going!"
Fritz took one last glance at the cell, then followed them across the bridge.
Unfortunately, they immediately ran into a guard. Fritz noticed Akira's clothes suddenly shift.
"Aw shit!" Sakamoto screamed. "Shit, it's them!"
Morgana scoffed, again, at Sakamoto. "You amateur! Stay still!" The small cat-thing jumped in front of him, then turned to Akira. "Hey, you! You can fight, right? Let's go!"
Morgana did a small flip, then looked up. "Come…! Zorro!"
A bright blue pillar of light flashed behind him. A second later, it dissipated to reveal a tall, burly figure. It wore all black, and it was armed with a rapier, which it used to cut a Z into the air.
Sakamoto was shocked. "Y-You got one of those things too?!"
The guard turned into a red puddle of slime, divided, then reformed into a Crypt-dwelling Pyromaniac and a Bedside Brute.
Morgana scoffed, a favorite habit of his. "We'll promptly shut them up!" He drew a scimitar from nowhere. "Damn Shadows… they've taken up intercept positions! It means they're holding nothing back and are serious to kill us! I'll back you up, so fight like your life depends on it! Let's go!"
Akira targeted the Bedside Brute with Eiha, doing a respectable amount of damage.
To no one's surprise, Morgana scoffed. "I knew you were an amateur."
"Prick!" Akira thought.
"This is how you fight!"
Morgana targeted the Pyromaniac with Garu, crippling the floating pumpkin demon with heavy Wind damage. Evidently, the monster was weak against Wind. Morgana took the initiative and finished the Pyromaniac with another Garu.
"Stirke at an enemy's weakness to knock them down! Use that opening to strike again!" Morgana explained. "That's the most basic of basics! Remember it well! C'mon, let's hurry and get through this!"
The Bedside Brute hit Morgana with negligible damage. Akira followed up with a flurry of his own melee attacks, weakening the flying demon for Morgana to finish it off. A pile of money, around ¥280, appeared where the demon fell.
Morgana turned to Akira. "Not bad. Your Persona's pretty powerful."
"Oh, so that's a 'Persona'!" Fritz thought aloud.
"Y'mean that thing that comes outta you guys all dramatic-like?" Sakamoto was confused.
"Yes," Morgana said. "You saw how Frizzy Hair here ripped off his mask when he summoned it, right? Well, everybody wears a mask deep within their heart. By removing that…"
Suddenly, Akira's clothes changed back to normal. Sakamoto and Fritz were shocked, while Morgana explained that Akira probably didn't have full control of his power yet.
"The transformation shouldn't normally dissolve like that." Morgana said. "After all—"
Sakamoto groaned. "That's enough! This crap doesn't make any sense!"
Morgana was miffed. "Can't you just sit still and listen for once, Blondie?!"
"Don't call me 'Blondie'!" Sakamoto shot back. "My name's Ryuji…"
Morgana shook his head. "Actually, there's no time to lecture you! You wanna escape this place in one piece, right? Let's go!" He gave Akira three blue vials with '+HP' labeled on them. "Take these, and use them carefully. Come on, we should hurry. It's not much further to the exit."
The group ran past another set of cells, then up a flight of stairs at the end of the hall. They had just reached another drawbridge when Fritz and Ryuji skidded to a halt in front of one of the cells. Inside was a figure, dressed in red athletic wear.
"Hold on a sec!" Ryuji called out to the group. "I feel like I've seen what this dude's wearin' before…"
"We have, Sakamoto," Fritz said. "This guy is dressed like a member of the school's volleyball team."
"How do you know?" Akira asked.
Ryuji replied before Fritz could respond. "He simps for a girl on the volleyball team."
Fritz glared at the vulgar student. "I am not a simp!"
"Come on, let's go!" Morgana intervened before they could come to blows. "We need to go, fast!"
"But," Ryuji said, "who are these guys?"
Morgana sighed "Do you really think you have time to worry about other people right now?!"
Fritz nodded. "Morgana makes a good point."
Morgana continued. "Besides, they're—"
"There!"
The drawbridge lowered, and a guard crossed over to their side.
Morgana cringed. "You should've listened to me…!"
Akira's clothes shifted. "Let's fight."
"I'm glad you stick to your guns." Morgana said.
The guard turned into a red puddle, then morphed into a pair of Beguiling Girls.
"Looks like it's raring to go too!" Morgana drew his scimitar, while Akira unsheathed his dagger.
Akira hit one of the Girls with a recently learned technique, Cleave. The attack took out a good chunk of HP from the Girl, though it didn't stop her from hitting Morgana with a weak physical attack. The cat-thing retaliated with Garu, which finished off the weakened Girl. The remaining Beguiling Girl hit Akira with a weak physical attack, and she managed to dodge his Cleave.
"What was that?!" Morgana asked. "Focus!"
Morgana cast Garu again, shaving off half of the Girl's HP. She retaliated with another weak-as-hell physical attack, but she was finished when Akira and Morgana sliced her with their respective blades. She dropped ¥368.
"All right! Let's get away before more show up!" Morgana said, as Akira's clothes shifted back to normal.
"Hold on," Ryuji said, "we can't just leave these guys here…!"
"You really don't get it do you?" Morgana crossed his arms over his chest. "Hmm… There's no time to explain. Look, I'm going. If you don't want to follow, be my guest!"
He crossed the bridge, followed by Fritz, leaving Ryuji to curse. "Fine, I'm coming!"
He and Akira followed their companions across the bridge.
"The entrance hall is right above here!" Morgana called back. "The exit's close… Keep it up!"
As Fritz followed Morgana, he evaluated what had happened this morning.
He decided to stay under an awning with Kurusu and Anne.
Kamoshida showed up, picked up Anne for school, and left just as Sakamoto ran up to them.
They decided to use the shortcut to avoid being late.
And they showed up at this castle.
Fritz thought harder. Then, he had it. Just after Anne showed up, he distinctly heard Kurusu's cell phone start beeping. It beeped three times, in fact: first, when he was talking to Anne; then, when he turned down Kamoshida's offer for a ride; finally, when Sakamoto complained about the coach acting like the king of some castle.
"That has to be related to this." Fritz thought.
"Gah! How?!"
Fritz heard Morgana sputter, looked up, then froze in his tracks.
They had reached the entrance hall, but Kamoshida(?) had beaten them there. He had no less than four guards alongside him. At the snap of a finger, they transformed into a couple of Crypt-dwelling Pyromaniacs, a Beguiling Girl, and a Bedside Brute.
"I had to destroy a perfectly good door because of you little bastards." Kamoshida(?) crossed his arms and glared down at them. "You may have gotten this far, but now it's over."
Fritz looked to Kurusu. At any minute, his cloths will shift, and he and Morgana will beat up the guards, giving them ample time to escape.
Nothing happened.
Fritz looked at Kamoshida(?), glanced back at Kurusu, then turned back to Kamoshida(?). "K-Kamoshida-sama, *gulp*, c-can't we just let bygones be bygones? I-I mean, this was all an honest mistake."
Morgana facepalmed, while Sakamoto scoffed (not nearly as well as Morgana).
Kamoshida(?), meanwhile, started guffawing at Fritz's failed negotiating attempt. "You've always been the suck-up, haven't you? The kid who doesn't hesitate to remind the teacher of a quiz, or an assignment? Though, that has made it easy to fool you. That, and your little crush on Takamaki's friend."
Fritz was taken back. "W-What're you—?"
"It's plain to everyone, Yamamoto." Kamoshida(?) said, then sneered. "I noticed when I needed to remind you: teachers don't lose to their students."
"The five thousand Yen? I know about that."
Kamoshida chuckled. "I figured, if you trusted little Suzui that much, it'd be no trouble for her to take back what was mine."
"What?!" Fritz gritted his teeth in fury. "Y-You mean to tell me, that you threatened Shiho to steal from me?! I thought you pressured Anne to do it."
Kamoshida(?) scoffed (showing more skill in that regard than Sakamoto). "Of course, Takamaki just had to intervene. I mean, I got my money back—"
"Sie sind ein korrupten Arschloch, Herr Kamoshida!" Fritz screamed. "Forget apologies; we're leaving, now!"
"Oh?" Kamoshida(?) was looking pretty amused by Fritz's sudden outburst. "Why do you think I brought my guards with me? Do you honestly think you can stand against a king such as—?"
"I've read about a lot of kings, historical and fictional." Fritz interrupted. "They could run circles around you. You are an arrogant, washed-up jock who just styles himself up as a petty tyrant. For that reason, alone, I will depose you."
So, you've finally come around.
Fritz was hit by a splitting migraine, while his schoolmates and Morgana looked on in shock.
You see this man for what he truly is.
Once you recognize a wicked tyrant, it is your duty to strike him down, without hesitation.
"I see, he's finally got his Persona." Morgana muttered to himself, while Fritz doubled over in pain, his eyes glowing.
I shall be your champion!
I am thou, thou art I…
Thou, who art willing to take up the holy mantle and smite evildoers!
Call me forth, a guardian of the Holy Grail!
The migraine ended, allowing Fritz to stand. Everyone stared at him, prompting him to raise a hand to his face. He felt a mask: a blued steel rectangle that went over his eyes and nose, with ventilation holes on each cheek and a couple of eyeholes. Fritz was overcome with the desire to rip it off, followed by the desire to beat that smug smirk off of Kamoshida(?)'s face.
He gripped his mask, then yanked.
Blood poured down his face as his clothes changed, much like Akira's had. He wore a black hussar's tunic, black gloves, steel vambraces, white Jodhpur riding pants, and black Hessian boots. He had a medieval European sword sheathed at his left hip, with an empty pistol holster at his right hip. A pillar of light shone behind him, then dissipated to reveal his Persona. It was a knght, clad all in plate armor. He carried a silver two-handed sword, had a golden horn on his belt, a swan head design atop his helm, and a shield with a swan on it.
"This is my power?" Fritz looked back at his Persona, drew his sword, and turned back to Kamoshida(?). "Prepare yourself, tyrant, for the holy power of Lohengrin!"
Kamoshida(?) waved an arm forward. "Guards!"
The Bedside Brute rushed forward, only to be insta-killed by Lohengrin's Kouha. One of the Crypt-dwelling Pyromaniacs managed to land a weak hit on Fritz, but it was cut down by Zorro's Garu when Morgana jumped into the fray. The surviving Pyromaniac and the Beguiling Girl grouped up on the cat-thing, causing moderate damage. Fritz responded with Diarama, restoring Morgana's health to full. Morgana used Garu to kill the surviving Pyromaniac, while Fritz cleaved into the Beguiling Girl with his sword. The enemies dropped ¥354.
Fritz swung his sword, as though flicking off blood, and turned to face Kamoshida(?). "So, you have any more disposable guards to throw my way?"
Kamoshida(?) gritted his teeth in fury. "Y-You'll pay for this, whelps!"
With that, he ran up the stairs, leaving Morgana and the students to make their escape. Fritz swayed a bit, unsteady after awakening his Persona, and his cloths shifted back to normal.
"C'mon, before more guards show up." Morgana led them down a hallway directly across from the entrance to the dungeon; there was a door on each side of the hall. "We're here."
"Finally!" Sakamoto ran to the door on the right. "We're saved…!" He tried opening it, to no avail, then turned to Morgana. "D'you trick us, you jerk?!"
"He probably meant the other door." Fritz interjected, opening said door with ease.
Morgana smirked. "You're not as bad as I thought, Specs."
The students followed Morgana into the room, shutting the door behind them to prevent the Guards from finding them. They were in some form of sitting room, with benches, bookshelves, and banners bearing Kamoshida(?)'s face. However, there were no windows, only a 1x1 meter wire mesh screen above one of the bookshelves.
"Where are we supposed to get out from here?!" Sakamoto said. "There aren't even any windows!"
Morgana groaned. "Amateur…! This is the most basic of basics."
"Blow the wall up?" Kurusu suggested, prompting a double take from both Fritz and Morgana.
"A little too conspicuous, Kurusu-san."
"We would've done that earlier if that was possible!"
Morgana pointed to the mesh screen. "The ventilation shaft, you morons! You guys should be able to squeeze through it one at a time."
"I see…" Sakamoto understood quickly, which, Fritz noted, was a rarity for him. "Then we just gotta get that metallic mesh off!"
He climbed the bookshelf, pried off the cover, and crashed unceremoniously to the ground.
Fritz turned to Morgana. "Do you think anyone heard that?"
"Seriously," Sakamoto got up, brushing dirt off of his shirt, "we're finally getting' outta here…!"
"You should wait on celebrating until you actually get out." Morgana interjected. "Now, get going."
"What about you, Morgana-chan?" Fritz asked.
Morgana turned to his former cellmate. "There's something that I still have to do. We're going our separate ways."
"Don't get caught again." Kurusu said, prompting a snicker from Morgana.
"You better be careful too." He said. "See ya."
The students climbed the bookshelf, crawled through the ventilation shaft, dropped into the courtyard, and ran for it.
Omake
"Nobody knows… the trouble I've seen~ !"
"I do!" Morgana refuted.
"Somebody knows… the trouble I've seen~ !"
Morgana, Fritz's cellmate, groaned as he clutched the bars on the cell door. "If you don't stop singing that song, I'm begging the guards to execute us here and now!"
Fritz smirked, having recently found levity in annoying his cute cellmate. "It's a small world after all~ !"
"Oh God, no!"
A/N: Omake inspired by M*A*S*H and Lion King. I'm updating by changing '2015' to '2016'.