Sojiro sighed. He saw the kid leaving in the morning, so he was certain he was on his way to school.
"How the hell did that kid manage to be 4 hours late? Did the rain slow him down or was he just playing hookie?" Sojiro thought to himself.
"Oh, speak of the devil." the barista thought out loud as the kid entered.
Ren visibly flinched at the glare his guardian gave him and sheepishly scratched the back of his head.
"Explain yourself kid." Sojiro demanded sternly.
"I… got lost. Tokyo is a lot bigger than Inaba, therefore it was a bit harder to navigate my way to school." Ren said calmly and pushed up his glasses.
"Seriously? That's the best excuse you can come up with? Guess Yu was right about your honesty." Sojiro answered with a sigh.
"Ugh whatever. Just make sure to behave yourself, don't forget what happens if you don't. You are on probation after all." Sojiro warned with a stern look.
Fortunately for Ren, his guardian's phone rang, interrupting his lecture. Ren kept staring at Sojiro, who's expression quickly softened when he picked up.
"Hey, what are you standing around for? Just hurry up and go to bed already!" Sojiro told him with a glare.
Ren nodded and quickly made his way to his room, internally thanking the mysterious caller for saving him.
Ren changed into his pajamas and headed to bed. Just as he was about to go to sleep, his phone rang. Ren sighed and got up to retrieve his phone in order to pick up.
"Yes? Tatsumi here." Ren said in a tired manner.
"Oh, is that the textile shop? My bad, I must've called the wrong number." the voice on the other end said jokingly.
"Very funny Uncle Yu." he rolled his eyes, "How are you?" Ren asked with a smile forming on his face.
"I'm good, but that's not what I called for. I wanted to check on you. How was school?" Yu asked softly.
"It has been alright so far, I even managed to make a friend." Ren replied calmly, trying to hide his hesitation.
"That's good. At least I know you won't be alone. Then again, I guess you wouldn't be since Boss would keep you company. Speaking of which, how has he been so far? Is he treating you alright?" Yu asked slightly concerned.
"I suppose he is a bit strict due to my record, but his treatment towards me was satisfactory thus far." Ren let out a sigh, " But I guess, he was a bit angry with me today." Ren finished with a slight frown.
"Oh, is it about you coming late to school? I heard about that and man, was he angry when he told me. It's unusual of you to be unpunctual, by four hours no less. Can I ask what happened?" Yu asked curiously.
"Simply put, I managed to get lost. Thankfully, I managed to run into a fellow student who overslept, and he showed me the way." Ren explained bluntly.
"I suppose Tokyo is much bigger than Inaba, huh? Can't say that I blame you. Back when I first transferred to Inaba, I was baffled by how small the town was in comparison to the big city." Yu answered and chuckled.
"Finally, someone that understands!" Ren exclaimed with a groan, getting a laugh out of his uncle.
"Just give Boss some time. He may seem like a hardass, but deep down he's a massive softie. And even if you can't rely on him, you'll always have your friend, right? Speaking of which, wanna tell me about him?" Yu asked curiously.
"Sure, his name is Ryuji Sakamoto, he's a second-year and he is around my age" Ren listed with a smirk on his face.
"That's not what I meant Ren." Yu groaned, " What's he like?" Yu feigned an annoyed tone while smiling.
"Geez Uncle, you should have told me sooner." Ren remarked sarcastically
"He's… very loud and energetic. Not in the bad way, more in the way that Aunt Chie is. I can tell that he has a good heart, and something tells me I can trust him." Ren concluded softly.
"Sounds like a good kid to me. Good to know that you'll have someone your age to rely on if things get tough." Yu replied with all the worry and concern from earlier washed away from his mind.
"Yeah, I think I'll be able to make it through the year with someone like him at my side." Ren answered before letting out a deep yawn. Ren let out a small sigh, he could feel the fatigue getting to him.
"It's getting late isn't it? I think it'd be for the best if we hit the hay for tonight. If you need anything and your parents aren't available, you know who to call. Good night Ren." Yu said in a warm voice.
"I'll make sure to call you if something comes up. G'night uncle." Ren slurred out groggily before hanging up, hearing a giggle coming from Yu before the call ended.
Ren rubbed his eyes and put his phone away, lying down on his bed afterwards.
"Should I have told him? He would've believed me, right? Even if he did, I would just place another burden on him." Ren thought to himself and frowned.
He let out one last yawn before finally falling asleep.
Velvet Room
Ren opened his eyes, only to find himself in the Velvet Room again.
"About time you came to! Now on your feet, Inmate!" Caroline demanded, striking the bars of his cell with her baton.
"What is it this time?" Ren asked in a slightly annoyed tone and let out a sigh.
"Our master wishes to speak to you. It's best advised that you listen carefully to his words and take them to heart." Justine explained in a warning tone.
"I can sense that you have awakened to your powers, very special ones at that. It seems that we can finally start your rehabilitation." Igor said, his grin seemingly widening.
"May I ask what my powers are? I haven't really gotten a proper explanation as to what they are yet." Ren asked politely, hoping that his questions would actually get answered for once.
"There is no need to understand it all for the time being." Igor answered cryptically and chuckled when Ren let out a frustrated groan.
"But I suppose a little explanation won't hurt. You will be trained to wield the power of Persona. It is a power that is manifested from your heart. They are a mask you wear as an armor to confront worldly matters." Igor explained.
"Finally! A proper explanation for once!" Ren cheered in his head.
"I have high expectations of you." Igor said and gave Ren a look that felt like he was staring into the young man's soul.
"I take it I have no choice in this matter." Ren replied while returning the long-nosed man's gaze.
"It is not because we are forcing you to, but because it is your fate. Neglect it and you will die." Justine butted in and gave Ren a cold yet warning look.
"By the by, have you come to appreciate the Metaverse Navigator? Using it does grant you the ability to switch between reality and palaces." Igor asked.
"I suppose you mean the app that kept installing itself onto my phone?" Ren asked curiously.
"Correct, I bestowed it upon you to train you to become a thief." Igor answered.
"The Navigator has been gifted to you by the master. You better use it carefully, Inmate!" Caroline said in a strict tone.
"Please devote yourself to your training in order to become a fine thief." Justine told him softly.
"It is of course disheartening using the Metaverse Navigator on your own. Therefore, I shall grant it to those that may seem of benefit for you. This is for the sake of making you an excellent thief." Igor explained, raising even more questions for Ren.
"Great, even more people are gonna get dragged into this mess because of me." Ren thought, frowning at the floor before hearing the sound of a bell.
"Time's about to be over. Go and enjoy whatever rest you have." Caroline told the raven-haired boy. Before Ren could demand further answers, everything faded to black.
LeBlanc
When Ren woke up, he immediately thought about his dream. While he was preparing for school he kept recalling the events in his head. He froze the moment he reached a certain moment.
"Destined to be a thief… Guess my future as a detective is over, huh?" Ren thought to himself and chuckled.
"I somehow managed to be an even greater disgrace to the Shirogane name than I already am." he muttered darkly, gritting his teeth in frustration.
Shujin Academy
Ren's day at school started relatively normal. His social studies teacher, Mr. Ushimaru, gave a little introduction to the students before asking Ren a question.
"The Greek philosopher Plato divided the soul into three parts. A soul is comprised of appetite, spirit and what else?" the older man asked.
"Logic, sir." Ren replied in an instant, taking the entire class off-guard.
"Didn't expect you to know that, but yes, logic is correct." the teacher explained.
The classroom once again erupted into whispers, completely ignoring the lesson.
"Did you see that?"
"Is the transfer actually smart?"
"No way, he must've gotten lucky or something."
Ren suppressed a smirk while he attempted to keep listening to his teacher. He was theoretically academically ahead of them, due to his interest in books and detective training. Answering questions in class was pretty much child's play to him.
Once classes were over, Ren left his classroom only to see Kamoshida talking to Takamaki and decided to listen in on their conversation.
"Hey there, Takamaki. You need a ride home? Things haven't been safe around here, with all these accidents lately." Kamoshida offered with his 'charismatic' grin plastered on his face.
"Sorry, I have a photoshoot today. It's for the special summer issue, so I can't afford to miss it." Takamaki explained, making Kamoshida sigh.
"Hey now, being a model's all fine and dandy. But you shouldn't overwork yourself. Didn't you say before that you didn't feel so good? Something about appendicitis?" he asked in a concerned act.
"Yeah, I wanted to go to the hospital sometime, but haven't been able to yet. Sorry, for making you worry." Takamaki answered and shook her head. Ren could tell that she was clearly uncomfortable.
"You must be lonely too. Seeing you like this makes me feel bad about having your best friend practice for so long. I could keep you company though. That's why I asked you out after all. Oh, and while I'm at it be careful around the transfer student. Don't forget he has a criminal record." Kamoshida warned, Ren's eye slightly twitching in annoyance.
"I'll keep that in mind, thank you. Please excuse me, I really have to go now." the girl said before leaving.
The teacher only clicked his tongue before walking away. Even though the exchange was short, it gave Ren all the info he needed to deduce how the dynamic between the gym teacher and his classmate worked.
Ren made his way to the entrance when he was approached by Ryuji, who walked up to him.
"Yo." Ryuji greeted his friend casually.
"Let me guess, you're going to ask about the castle." Ren said bluntly, suppressing a chuckle when Ryuji flinched at his prediction. But how couldn't he predict it? It was the experience they bonded over.
"H-how'd you know?" Ryuji sighed, " Yeah… I keep tellin' myself that it was just a dream, but it was just too real. Can't just pretend like nothing happened, it was connected to that asshat Kamoshida after all. I need to get to the bottom of this and y'know, you're kinda the only person I can rely on for this. So, uh, you in?" Ryuji asked sheepishly.
"Definitely. Yesterday's events have been nagging at the back of my mind all night and I think it's high time to get some answers." Ren answered with a determined voice.
"Thank God, I was kinda scared you were gonna turn me down, not gonna lie. Alright, let's start by retracing our steps." Ryuji said, rolling his shoulder.
The two set off, hoping to find answers. Unfortunately for them, they kept walking in circles, always ending up at the school gates.
"Well that didn't work. Any other ideas?" Ryuji asked as he leant against a wall.
"How about we check our phones?" Ren asked with a thoughtful expression.
"I already did that… Wait a sec. Phone?" Ryuji's eyes widened as he remembered something.
"Now that I think about it, didn't you have some navigation app on your phone?" Ryuji asked, Ren's eyes widening as he realized what his friend was getting onto.
"I don't use navigation apps. But now that you mention it, there was this weird app that kept installing itself onto my phone. I think it's best to check it out." Ren explained as he showed Ryuji the icon of the Metaverse Navigator on his phone.
Ren then proceeded to activate it, to his surprise a navigator appeared on the screen.
"Yeah, that's it!" Ryuji yelled out and snatched Ren's phone out of his hand
"Look it even has your history on it! C'mon, let's try it out." Ryuji beamed at his friend in excitement, who nodded in response.
"Kamoshida…Shujin Academy…Castle; Beginning navigation." the app read out loud when Ryuji pressed a button.
The phone screen went into static, with the eyeball logo in the background. The boys looked around and saw reality seemingly warping with circular shapes of red and black forming in the air.
Castle
They turned around and found what they were looking for.
"Guess we found it." Ren stated as he looked at the giant castle in front of them.
"Alright! It actually worked! Huh? Dude, your clothes!" Ryuji pointed a finger at his friend as he yelled.
Ren took a look at himself and smirked as he spotted red gloves on his hands, meaning that his outfit has changed once again.
"What? You jelly?" Ren asked with a cocky grin.
"Wha- I-I ain't jealous." Ryuji stuttered
"This happened last time too, right? Jeez, what the eff is going on? Nothing makes sense." Ryuji thought out loud with a frown.
"Hey!" a voice whispered, making both boys turn to it, seeing Morgana peaking at them around the corner.
"Stop making a commotion!" Morgana said as it walked towards them.
"Wha- You?!" Ryuji hissed in surprise, cautiously taking a step back.
"I was wondering why the shadows seemed agitated, so I came here to check out what could've caused it. Who would've thought the two of you would come back here when you barely escaped last time." Morgana frowned at the boys.
"Sorry if we're causing trouble, but we came here for answers and we won't go back without them." Ren explained firmly.
"Oh really now? Weren't you the one that said this place was a 'shithole'? I figured you wouldn't want to ever come back here." Morgana replied with a grin.
"Don't get me wrong, this place is and always will be an awful place. However, it only kept raising questions for Ryuji and me. And it's not in my nature to leave questions like these unanswered." Ren argued back with a sharp tone, making Morgana sigh as its grin faded.
"A-anyways, what is this place? Is it the school or somethin'?" Ryuji asked as he recovered from the chill he was given by Ren.
"That's right." Morgana explained and nodded.
"But it's a castle!" Ryuji argued.
"That's because the school is the castle… by the ruler's definition. You called him Kamoshida, right? That's how his distorted heart views this place." Morgana explained, leaving Ryuji even more confused. Fortunately for him, Ren seemed to have understood it as he snapped his fingers in realization.
"You seemed to have understood it." Morgana smiled at Ren, who nodded in response.
"For real? How? Explain it to me in a way I would get it." Ryuji looked at Ren with wide eyes.
"I shouldn't have expected a moron like you to get it." Morgana groaned and rolled its eyes.
"Simply put—" before Ren could properly explain, they heard a pained scream coming from the castle, causing Ryuji to flinch, while Ren and Morgana took a cautious stance.
"What was that?" Ryuji asked slightly panicked.
"It must have been the slaves they keep captive. They are getting tortured, probably by Kamoshida's orders. It happens 24/7 in here. Let's add the fact that you both escaped yesterday. To say he got angry would be pretty obvious." Morgana explained bluntly.
Ryuji let out a curse before ramming his shoulder against one of the doors.
"You hear me Kamoshida, you bastard?" Ryuji yelled angrily at one of the doors.
"You know that yelling at the door won't open it, right?" Morgana asked ironically.
"Shut it, Monamona!" Ryuji addressed it.
"It's Morgana!" the not-a-cat interjected.
"Yeah, whatever! You know where the slaves are located right?" Ryuji asked.
"You want me to guide you to them? I guess there's nothing wrong with that, but only if frizzy hair comes with us." Morgana answered and looked at Ren.
"I was looking for answers anyways, remember? Let's go." Ren said confidently.
"For real? Thanks man, I owe ya one." Ryuji said kindly to his friend, who nodded in return.
"Well in that case, let's do this! Follow me!" Morgana instructed the two before leading them to a small window, explaining to them that this is their point of infiltration.
"Didn't we escape from here last time?" Ryuji asked with a puzzled thought.
"It's a surprise they didn't patch up the vent." Ren remarked thoughtfully.
"That's probably because they never looked for you in there. If we want to break into this place, we'll have to go in from here and not barge in through the main entrance." Morgana further explained.
"The hell? How were we supposed to know that?" Ryuji replied.
"It's the basics of phantom thievery…" Ren added to Morgana's explanation, thinking back to his detective training.
"Heh, you sure know your stuff. Guess I won't have to teach you as much as this guy over there. I'll keep teaching you as we go, so follow me." Morgana replied and entered the castle.
"By the way uh, sorry 'bout draggin' you into this." Ryuji apologized sheepishly.
"No need to apologize. That's what friends do, right? We've got each other's backs." Ren replied with a warm tone.
"Yeah, you're right! Thanks man, I really owe ya one big time." Ryuji beamed at his friend.
The three made their way to the dungeon, Morgana teaching Ren an important lesson about ambushing his opponents along the way. When they arrived at the cells however, there was no one to be found.
"Huh? I know they were here before, where'd they go?" Ryuji asked with a panicked.
"Calm down Ryuji." Ren responded calmly.
"Right, right… Wait, there were more down the hall. I'll go look." Ryuji declared before rushing off.
"You're thinking wait I'm thinking?" Ren asked his companion.
"That they have already been transferred? Yes." Morgana confirmed.
"Guys, we have a problem! I hear footsteps, lots of 'em!" Ryuji warned with a panicked look and sprinted towards them.
"C'mon, let's hide in that room before the guards find us." Morgana said as he ran towards a door opposite of Ren and itself.
The boys complied and entered the room. When they were in, Morgana hopped onto a table to be on their eye level.
"Alright, the Shadows won't be coming in here for sure." Morgana reassured the boys.
"How can you tell?" Ryuji asked in-between pants.
"The Distortion in this place is lacking. In other words, the control the ruler has over this area is weak." Morgana explained.
Before Ryuji could ask Ren for a (hopefully) better explanation, the room suddenly fazed into what seemed to be a classroom for a moment. Ryuji took a few steps forward in awe and confusion.
"Are we… in a classroom?" Ryuji asked.
"Do you understand it now? This place is a reality that the ruler's heart projects," Morgana rephrased his explanation.
"So this is Kamoshida's reality? Huh? This shit makes no sense at all!" Ryuji exclaimed in a frustrated tone.
"One could say this is a place where the distorted desires of one's heart manifest. I call such a place a 'Palace'." Morgana further explained.
"A Palace, huh? So that's what Igor meant." Ren reflected in his head.
"I see, so what you're trying to say is that this place takes its form because Kamoshida thinks of the school as if it is his own castle." Ren theorized. Morgana confirmed his theory with a nod.
"So, it became like this 'cause he just thought of it like that!?" Ryuji asked in astonishment, before letting out a bitter chuckle.
"THAT SON OF A BITCH!" he cursed loudly, stomping his foot in anger.
"You must really hate this Kamoshida guy." Morgana responded to Ryuji's fit.
"Hate doesn't even cover how I feel. Everything is that asshole's fault!" Ryuji explained angrily.
"Look, I don't know what happened between you and him, but don't let your emotions get the better of you. His servants are pretty much everywhere inside here." Morgana explained and looked at the boys.
There was a short silence afterwards. Morgana looked at Ren and spoke up again, breaking the silence.
"You must be pretty curious about your outfit, aren't you?" Morgana asked with a knowing look.
"Well I know I'm curious as hell about it." Ryuji added and crossed his arms.
"I take it, it's because of this world?" Ren asked.
"Correct. Anything distorts according to the ruler's fantasy within their Palace. After all, that's how a school transformed into a castle like this. In order to prevent such distortions, one must hold a powerful will of rebellion." Morgana explained.
"And it manifests in my clothes?" Ren asked with a puzzled look.
"Yup, it's the image of rebellion you hold within." Morgana replied.
"Ugh, I'm so fed up with this! None of this shit makes sense! How 'bout you explain more about yourself. I'm more curious about you than his clothes anyway. Heck, what the eff even are you?" Ryuji asked in a frustrated tone.
"If you have to know, I'm a human- an honest-to-god human!" Morgana explained, only to get confused looks directed at him.
"You certainly don't look like one." Ren remarked and tilted his head.
"Yeah, you're obviously more like a cat." Ryuji added.
"Well, that's because I lost my true form… I think." Morgana replied in an embarrassed tone.
"You think?" the boys asked in unison, the confusion on their faces growing.
"But I do know how to get it back. That's why I'm here in the first place. I wanted to do a preliminary investigation of these means. Then again, I also ended up getting caught. Anyways, I was getting tortured by Kamoshida too. So I'll make sure he'll pay for this!" Morgana declared determinedly.
"And for that to happen, I'll be relying on your skills, rookie." Morgana added and looked at Ren, who stared back blankly.
"Are you saying that it's all on me?" Ren asked with a confused expression.
"Don't worry bud, you won't have to burden all of it. Since I thought it would be helpful, I brought this." Ryuji casually pulled a gun out of his pocket, catching Ren off-guard.
"Um, Ryuji? I don't know how to tell you this, but… you do know that carrying firearms in public is illegal, right?" Ren asked cautiously.
"Dude relax, it's just a model gun. It only makes sounds." Ryuji explained casually.
"I'm sorry, but how the hell is a toy supposed to help in this mess?" Ren let out a sigh.
"But it looks totally real right? It even got you jumpin' for a sec. I brought some medicine too. Like the saying goes: ' Providin' is pre-uh-something. ' , right?" Ryuji beamed enthusiastically at his friend.
"So you really were planning this from the start. Fine, if you guys are done, we'll continue our infiltration." Morgana said.
"I guess it's not entirely worthless." Ren muttered after he took the items from Ryuji.
They continued their infiltration, roaming through the palace at a similar pace to when they started. Morgana taught Ren various lessons along the way, from security levels to the effect palaces have on replica weapons to all-out attacks. Once they snuck through the underground passage, they arrived at a door with a banner hung above it.
"Kamoshida's… Training Hall… of Love? What is this shit?" Ryuji grimaced as he read what the banner said out loud.
The trio went in, hearing agonizing screams getting louder and louder as they continued. Once they went deeper into the hall, they were greeted by a grueling sight. Students in gym clothes were getting tortured by guards, constantly begging for mercy as the guards relentlessly hit them.
"Dammit, this is bullshit!" Ryuji cried out in anger. Ren in the meanwhile tried to remain calm, hiding his clenched fists in his pockets.
"How long will it take for you to remember to keep your voice down?" Morgana asked with a frown.
"But this is beyond messed up! There's gotta be a way to open this!" Ryuji continued, desperately looking for an opening.
"Leave us alone. It's useless." one of the slaves pleaded.
"Huh? But there's gotta be a way." Ren responded in a shocked tone.
"If we stay obedient, we won't get executed like you guys." another slave explained.
"You tellin' me, you'd rather stay in a place like this?" Ryuji asked, not believing what he's been told.
"Wait a minute… Were you guys seriously planning on taking these guys out of here?" Morgana asked in disbelief to his allies' behavior.
"Well we can't just leave 'em here!" Ryuji protested.
"Jeez, how stupid can you be? These are only humans in Kamoshida's cognition." Ren could feel his anger slowly fade as he listened to Morgana's explanation.
"So you're saying that those people aren't real?" he asked calmly.
"Exactly! They're not like you and entered from the outside world. They're just made up in Kamoshida's cognition." Morgana further explained.
"Cognition? Uh, Ren, you know what that is?" Ryuji asked and scratched the back of his head.
"Cognition is just a term for the way we perceive things. In other words it represents how we see things in our head. For example, these 'slaves' look like students because Kamoshida views them like that. But since they're not real, it would mean..."
"That saving them is utterly pointless! They are completely different from the ones in the real world. You could see them as… extremely realistic dolls. " Morgana interrupted to further explain.
"So what you guys are sayin' is, the school's a castle and the students are slaves" Ryuji frowned when the others nodded, "It's so on point that it makes me laugh. This really is the inside of that asshole's head!" Ryuji growled, his anger being manifested in a grimace.
"Still, this is a pretty horrible sight. Something similar must be happening in the real world too." Morgana stated as it looked at the scene frowning.
"Wait… the real world? Hold on a sec, I know these guys! They're from the volleyball team- y'know, the one Kamoshida coaches for!" Ren frowned at Ryuji's reveal, realizing further details about the current situation.
"Considering how beat up they are, they're probably getting physically abused here everyday." Morgana responded to Ryuji's explanation.
"This means… something similar is happening in the real world as well, right? Considering he views them as slaves, it only adds up." Ren added in a somber tone.
"So it might be for real… I heard rumors about Kamoshida's physical punishment but if that's true, wouldn't you want to report somethin' like this to the police?" Ryuji pulled out his phone, "I'll use these guys as evidence. If it goes well, we can take down that asshole Kamoshida!" Ryuji activated his phone, preparing to use his camera.
"Huh? It ain't workin'! For real? We can use the navigation app but not our cellphones?" Ryuji frowned at his device.
"A navigation app?" Morgana asked, clearly confused about Ryuji's rambling.
"That was our means of coming here. Great, seems like the same applies to my phone." Ren clicked his tongue and put his phone away.
"Whatever you two are doing is fine, but keep in mind that we'll get caught if we keep standing around like this. We should head back, now!" Morgana told them in a hushed tone.
"Hold on a sec. I'll just memorize their faces before we head back!" Ryuji responded and took a deeper look into the torture chambers for a few seconds.
The group hurried out of the training hall, with Ryuji trying his best to memorize the faces of the slaves. Along the way, they overheard, guards telling one another about the king's orders to heighten the security in order to catch the intruders. The trio made haste and hurried to an exit, running into a seemingly empty main hall. Unfortunately for them, a certain King ran into them.
"You knaves again? Who would've thought that you'd be making the same mistake again. How hopeless." Shadow Kamoshida berated them.
"The school ain't your castle, asshole! I memorized their faces, so you're goin' down!" Ryuji declared and took a step forward.
"So the saying is true. Barking dogs truly do seldom bite. Oh, how far you have fallen, Track Traitor." Kamoshida said condescendingly, trying to rub Ryuji the wrong way.
"T-the hell are you on about?" Ryuji asked the shadow, who was now chuckling.
"Do I have to remind you of how your act of violence crushed all of your teammates' dreams. Oh, how painful it must've been for those that have been dragged down by your selfish act." Kamoshida continued.
"What's this violent act bullshit you're talking about?" Ren asked, his anger growing from the slander at his friend.
"My my, render me surprised. You're telling me that you've been accompanying him without knowing anything at all? He betrayed his teammates and their hopes, but still keeps walking around without any care in the world." Kamoshida explained with a cocky smirk.
"That's not true!" Ryuji tried to deny his allegations but the king only sighed.
"First you follow this fool here and now you're gonna die because of it. You really are unfortunate." Kamoshida stated and turned around, commanding his guards to get rid of the infiltrators.
The persona users stepped in front of Ryuji, telling him to move back as the guards turned into a trio of purple bicorns. While Ryuji was able to get out of their reach, Ren and Morgana ended up getting surrounded by the enemy. They tried their best to fight back but only ended up getting pushed around until they were beaten to the ground.
Ryuji knelt to the ground as he saw his friends getting beaten, feeling completely helpless. Ren tried to get up again, only to have his back stomped on by one of the guards. Kamoshida did the same to Morgana, making direct eye contact with Ryuji in order to taunt him.
"I bet you simply came here on a whim and ended up like this. Isn't that right? You're such a worthless piece of trash, always getting so emotional, daring to raise your hand at me. It might have been only temporary but did you really forget my kindness in supervising the track team?" Kamoshida asked, his tone being even more condescending. Ryuji clenched his fists and bent over to punch the ground.
"This wasn't no practice! It was physical abuse! You just didn't like our team!" Ryuji shouted back.
"It was nothing but an eyesore! The only one who deserves to achieve results is me and me alone! Hell, that coach that got fired was hopeless as well. You know? Had he not found a sound argument against me, only breaking his star's leg would have been just fine." Kamoshida explained to the boy on the ground before him.
"What? So you were plannin' this shit from the start?" Ryuji asked, his eyes wide open in utter shock.
"What's the matter? You want me to deal with your other leg too? The school will call it self-defense anyway!" Kamoshida said, looking down at Ryuji, who held his head low in despair.
"Dammit, is this it? Am I gonna lose again? Not only can I not run anymore, but the track team's been disbanded because of this bastard!" Ryuji monologued the despair in his voice becoming apparent.
"Once I've dealt with these two you're next." Kamoshida declared before letting out a sadistic laugh.
Morgana tried to call out to him but the blonde only held his head low.
"RYUJI, GET UP!" the boy snapped his head towards the source of that voice and saw Ren staring at him with serious expression.
"Kamoshida basically ruined your life, right? Does that mean you'll just let him win and get away with whatever the fuck he wants? Stand up for yourself, Ryuji. Even if you can't fight here, you still have the weapons to take him down! So get up and make sure that this asshole doesn't get to mess with people's lives anymore!" Ren shouted and let out a pained cry afterwards as the guard pressed his foot harder against Ren's back.
"You're right… He took everything from me that was important to me. I'll never be able to take them back." Ryuji muttered his despair turning into anger.
"Stay there and watch as these hopeless scumbags die for simply siding with worthless trash like you." Kamoshida taunted.
"No. If we're talking about trash, then that's what you are! All you see people as are toys, that will listen to your every whim. You're the real scumbag here, Kamoshida!" Ryuji took a few steps forward, ignoring Kamoshida commanding his guards to silence him, and pointed a finger at the king.
"STOP LOOKING DOWN ON ME WITH THAT STUPID SMILE ON YOUR FACE!" Ryuji yelled at him, all his hatred channeled inside his voice.
"You made me wait quite a while." an unknown voice spoke up, causing Ryuji to wince in pain and clutch his head as he fell to his knees again.
"You seek power, correct? Then let us form a pact.
Since your name has been disgraced already, why not hoist the flag and wreak havoc?
'The other you' who exists within desires it thus…
I am thou, thou art I
There is no turning back
The skull of rebellion is your flag henceforth!"
A skull-shaped mask formed itself onto Ryuji's face.
Ryuji stood up and ripped it off before the guard could kill Ren, engulfing himself in a spyre of blue flames, the sheer force emitted from the spyre pushing away his friends' captivators.
The flames died down and Ryuji was standing there, wearing a black leather jacket with elbow pads, pants with knee pads matching his upper attire and a red ascot wrapped around his neck. Behind him stood a Pirate, standing with his legs on a boat, appearing to be skating on it.
"Right on… Wassup, Persona?" Ryuji said and looked at his yellow gloves.
"This effin' rocks! Now that I've got this power, it's time for payback!" Ryuji announced and looked at his friends who got back up and changed into a fighting stance.
"Yo, I'm ready. So bring it!" Ryuji said as he took a fighting stance of his own.
"Don't you dare mock me brat!" the guard responded, before turning into a red knight on a horse, summoning two more Bicorns for backup.
"We're gonna count on you Ryuji." Ren told his friend, who nodded in response.
"Very well then. Blast 'em away, Captain Kidd!" Ryuji pointed at a Bicorn, Kidd shortly after shooting an electric spell named 'Zio' at the enemy, knocking it down as a result.
Ryuji repeated his action on the other Bicorn, in the meanwhile Ren and Morgana took on the knight. Dealing a significant amount of damage until Ren managed to knock it down with a well-placed Cleave from Arsene.
"Here's our chance, guys! All-Out Attack!" Ren commanded and gestured at his team to get into position.
The trio jumped at their opponents in unison, relentlessly attacking the enemy until they were turned to dust.
"How 'bout that?" Ryuji asked in-between pants.
"Whoa… So Ryuji had the potential as well." Morgana said and stared wide-eyed at the newly awakened Persona-User.
"The show's over, Kamoshida." Ren declared.
"Yeah, even if you apologize now, there ain't no way that I'll ever forgive you." Ryuji added with venom in his voice.
"I told you lot that this is my castle. Seems like peasants like you won't understand no matter how often I'll say it." Kamoshida readjusted his cape and looked to his side, where someone in a bikini approached him.
"Wh- Takamaki?" Ryuji shouted wide-eyed, Morgana on the other hand seemed to be mesmerized by her.
"Hold on, Ryuji. Something's off." Ren said, calming down Ryuji.
"Now that you mention it, how the eff is she even here? H-hey, let go of her you perv!" Ryuji shouted as Kamoshida seemed to be getting more intimate with her.
"How much more often do I need to convey the message? This is my castle- a place where I get to do whatever I want and everyone to be loved and beloved by me… Everyone except you low-life dimwit thieves like you." Kamoshida growled at them.
"Guess my theory was right, she's just a cognition. Why else would she want something from a loser like Kamoshida?" Ren expressed his thoughts, smirking at Kamoshida's aggravated face.
"I am not having this from a punk like you! Guards, clean them up this instant!" Multiple guards appeared in front of them, outnumbering them.
"We're outnumbered… Let's get outta here before they surround us!" Morgana said, getting a frown from Ryuji.
"So we're just gonna run away without doin' anythin'?" Ryuji asked.
"Ryuji, we can't afford to die here. So shut up and run!" Ren commanded, before letting Morgana guide them to an escape route.
The trio managed to get away, hiding near the entrance to catch their breath.
"Huh? That's weird, I don't remember changin' into this." Ryuji said as he looked at his clothes.
"It certainly looks good on you." Ren complimented.
"Heh, it's definitely better than yours." Ryuji argued jokingly.
"Oh? You wanna run that by me again?" Ren smirked, adjusting his gloves while striking a pose.
"Guys, quiet!" Morgana hushed, the trio adjusting their stances into a more cautious one.
"Did you find them?" one of the pursuers asked.
"No, search that way!" the other said.
"So, uh... wanna explain what's going on. I'm kinda lost, man." Ryuji asked quietly.
"I've told you guys before. When a Persona-user opposes a Palace's ruler and becomes a threat to them, your clothes change in order to protect you from distortions." Morgana explained.
"Then why is this a skull?" Ryuji asked while putting a hand on his mask.
"That's because our clothes represent the image of rebellion we hold within, right? " Morgana confirmed Ren's question with a nod, Ryuji on the other just gave his friend a puzzled look.
"You don't get it, do you?" Ren sighed when Ryuji sheepishly scratched the back of his head.
"Then how about you stop asking questions and accept things as they are." Morgana asked in annoyance.
"Easy for you to say… Wait a sec, we're in deep shit!" Morgana shushed Ryuji immediately.
"S-sorry, I mean, what about the Kamoshida in the real world? Aren't we screwed with him?" Ryuji asked in a panic.
"That's… actually pretty sharp of you. But don't worry, the real Kamoshida won't know anything about what happened today. The one we met today was only his shadow- a side of one's personality they don't want to admit." Ren put a hand to his chin after hearing Morgana's explanation, thinking back to his encounter with Kamoshida at the school gates.
"I suppose that makes sense. When we met Kamoshida at the school he acted as if nothing happened in the first place." Ren stated.
"Guess we're safe then, whew. All right, now that we know that, we just have to-" before Ryuji could finish Morgana interjected.
"Hold on. I've guided you guys through this place like I promised. Now time for you guys to return the favor. Why do you guys even think I taught you two everything?" Morgana stated firmly.
"Huh? What do you mean return the favor?" Ryuji asked in confusion.
"Don't you remember? I am here in order to investigate something. I need to get rid of the distortion of my body to regain my true form. That's why we must delve deep into Mementos and-" Ren took a step forward and interrupted Morgana's rambling.
"Alright, hold on a sec, Morgana. We never agreed to anything about helping you out with… whatever you were planning. " Ren explained, getting a shocked reaction out of his feline companion.
"Are you telling me, you're not going to repay the hospitality I showed you? Especially you? You're just gonna abandon me, even though you have already become an integral piece of my master plan?" Morgana's eyes widened, not believing how easily his plan was foiled.
"An 'integral piece'? Also which plan? If you want someone to cooperate with you, you shouldn't just withhold your plan of action from them." Ren argued back with a raised eyebrow.
"How dar- the nerve!" Morgana gasped at Ren's nonchalant response.
"Is it because I look like a cat? Are you not taking me seriously because of that?!" Ren only sighed at Morgana's outburst.
"No it's not that, we're just kinda busy is all. Listen, thanks for everything bud. You've got some serious guts being a cat and all, but we gotta go now. " Ryuji explained as he knelt down to Morgana's eye-level like an adult would talk to a child.
"Welp, see ya around." Ryuji said casually, before he and Ren sprinted ahead, the ravenette giving Morgana a small wave as a means to say goodbye.
"Hey! What the hell? Are you seriously wrapping this up like everything's hunky-dory?! Hell no! Not with me! You guys better get back here!" Morgana shouted after them before letting out an angry scream.
Real World
"You have returned to the real world. Welcome back."
"Thank god, we made it back." Ryuji said in-between pants and looked at the raven-haired boy, who was seemingly as exhausted as him.
"Dragged you around a lot huh? Sorry 'bout that." Ryuji let out an exhausted sigh.
"No need to worry about it. What about you, you seem rather exhausted." Ren observed.
"That's because I am. Man, I'm gonna sleep like a rock once I'm home. But damn dude, if that stuff we saw was for real then this is gonna get good. I still remember the faces of those he treats like slaves." Ryuji claimed with a proud grin.
"That's good. Now we only need to get a proper testimony from them and the Kamoshida case should be solved." Ren added calmly.
"So uh you were already planning on helping me?" Ren only chuckled at Ryuji's surprised expression.
"You still felt the need to ask? Of course I was going to help. I'm not going to turn a blind eye to Kamoshida's crimes and I'll do anything to help you take him down." Ren explained with confidence.
"Now that's what I'm talking about, pal." Ryuji beamed at Ren's confidence, only for his smile to drop a few seconds later.
"I know you're tryin' to lay low cuz of your record… but it's already too late. Everyone already sees you as a criminal." Ryuji explained in a defeated tone.
"Let me guess. Kamoshida?" Ryuji nodded at Ren's question.
"It doesn't matter if it's a student or a club, that asshole just destroys everything he disagrees with. Just like he did with me." Ryuji told Ren with venom in his voice.
"No matter what I said, they wouldn't listen to me. Still though, these rumors about his physical violence might be real and considering we saw this distorted heart-thing in person, there's no way those rumors hold no weight. So I'll be countin' on you man!" Ryuji held out his fist.
"Of course, I'll be counting on you as well." Ren responded and bumped Ryuji's fist with his own.
Suddenly, everything seemed to have frozen in place as Ren could feel a weird sensation in his body.
I am thou, thou art I
Thou hast acquired a new vow.
It shall become the wings of rebellion
that breaketh thy chains of captivity.
With the birth of the Chariot Persona,
I have obtained the winds of blessing that
shall lead to freedom and new power
"Oh I'm so gonna ask Igor about this!" Ren thought as he looked at the tarot card representing the Chariot floating in front of him.
Ren felt as if there was a new ability within himself but decided to not think too much into it. The card faded away and time seemed to have resumed again.
"You know, it'd be a bit awkward if we just split off like this. Wanna grab a bite together?" Ryuji asked sheepishly.
"Sure, lead the way." Ren smiled at his friend.
"Alright, oh and before I forget you gotta tell me a bit about your past!" Ryuji told Ren and slung picked up his bag.
The two of them went to the beef bowl shop, where Ren told Ryuji a bit about Inaba but withheld information about his family. It wasn't as if he didn't trust Ryuji, it was more that he didn't like talking about the amount of renowned names in his family, considering the uproar and unwanted attention it would cause.
Ranging from CEO of Junes to the owner of the infamous Amagi Inn to the Seeker of Truth to Risette, his family had them all, even the… Detective Prince. He may have been hiding it well, but it didn't change the feeling of shame Ren felt every time he thought of or heard his mother's title.
Ren decided to (once again) shake it off and gave Ryuji a short rundown of the 'crime' he commited.
"WHAT?! How much shittier can that asshole get?" the blonde yelled, getting shushed by Ren immediately.
"Ryuji, please calm down. You're attracting too much attention. It's already in the past, so there is no need to get upset about it now." Ren stated calmly, his expression betraying his voice however.
"Hell no, man! That's bs and you know it! God, hearin' your story makes me angry!" Ryuji took a deep breath to calm down.
"So you were sent away from your hometown and now you're living here, right? We might be more alike than I originally thought." Ryuji said and with a thoughtful look on his face.
"I can kinda see it. You're referring to the way we are treated like a nuisance by those around us, as if we didn't belong, right?" Ren theorized, getting said theory confirmed by a nod from his friend.
"You're livin' in Yongen now, right? It's rush hour right now, so I'd recommend you kill some time before takin' the train home." Ryuji told Ren after finishing his bowl.
"The hell man? You barely touched your food." Ryuji pointed out and put some ginger into Ren's bowl.
"Well, I was busy telling you about my past. Also, why?" Ren gave Ryuji a puzzled look.
"Just lemme do it, dude. I gotta return the favor somehow and trust me, you'll thank me for that later." Ryuji stated with an optimistic grin.
"Like Aunt Chie indeed..." Ren thought.
"Oh, I almost forgot! You gotta give me your number and chat ID, can't believe we still haven't exchanged those yet." Ryuji pulled out his phone and exchanged his contact info with Ren.
"Just you wait, Kamoshida… Let's start right away tomorrow. First up, we should look for these guys that were kept as slaves. Since the volleyball ralley's tomorrow, we won't have afternoon classes and we can walk around unnoticed." Ryuji said.
"Sounds like a plan. I'll be counting on you then." Ren responded, giving Ryuji a smile.
Ren spent some more time with Ryuji before heading home. After a short lecture from his guardian Ren went upstairs, pulling his phone out when it buzzed.
Ryuji: Dude the app appeared on my phone!
Ryuji: I don't even remember installing it!
Ren: It seems to have been our way to enter the palace, correct?
Ren: Keep it.
Ryuji: I couldn't have deleted it, even if I wanted to.
Ryuji: Eh, whatever.
Ryuji: Finding the evidence on Kamoshida is more important.
Ryuji: I'm counting on you, all right? Don't try ditching school on me.
Ren: I won't, don't worry.
Ren turned off his phone and plopped onto his bed afterwards, today's adventures have been rather exhausting for him. As his eyes slowly closed themselves, he thought about the things he had learned.
There were a lot of important things that happened, like Ryuji awakening to a persona. But there were two things that stood out to him the most.
One was the way his clothes worked.
"My inner image of rebellion, huh?" he thought, thinking about his outfit that reminded him of a gentleman thief.
The other was the naming convention of his and the others' Personas, all of them being famous outlaws he had read about before.
"Arsene, huh?" Ren took this opportunity to think back to his own awakening, remembering a certain thing his Persona had told him.
"I am the rebel's soul residing within you."
"God, that makes too much sense." Ren muttered before finally falling asleep.
10 years ago
Naoto came home from work after solving a rather easy case. Since it was already late, she made sure to avoid making too much noise. To her surprise her husband was still sitting in the living room working on a doll.
"Oh, welcome back!" Kanji greeted his wife who smiled back at him.
"Still hard at work I see." she remarked before walking up to him and pecking him on the cheek.
"Don't worry, I'm almost with it. What about you? Aren't ya tired from work?" Kanji asked with concern in his voice.
"I was about to head to bed right away. Anyways, how is Ren?" Naoto asked as she looked towards the hallway to the bedrooms.
"He's been fine. He was super obsessed with that book, he took from yer library though." Kanji explained, getting a chuckle from Naoto.
"That is no surprise at this point. I'll go check on him before going to bed. Will you be there soon?" Naoto asked with a knowing look, making Kanji let out a slight chuckle.
While Kanji was usually the one, who made sure that Naoto properly rested, he also had a tendency to stay up late to finish an order.
"Don't need ta worry 'bout me. I'll be done in a few 10 minutes. So go ahead 'n check on Ren. And if I'm not done by then-"
"I have the right to drag you to bed by your ear, I know." Naoto finished for Kanji with a satisfied smile.
Kanji smiled at his wife and then proceeded to continue adding the final touches to his work. Naoto in the meanwhile, went down the hallway and headed towards Ren's room.
She slowly opened the door to make as little noise as possible, not very surprised at the sight before her.
"I knew it." she thought when she saw Ren hiding beneath his blanket with a flashlight, trying to read late at night without getting caught.
"At it again with the late night reading, I see." Naoto said softly, making Ren yelp in surprise.
"M-mother! Uhm… welcome back?" Ren said sheepishly, making Naoto chuckle.
"It's getting late Ren, shouldn't you be asleep already?" Naoto asked her son, who averted his gaze.
"B-but, I'm so close to finishing it! Could I please finish it real quick before going to sleep, please?" Ren pleaded with puppy eyes, making Naoto sigh.
"Ren, reading this late at night isn't healthy for you. There is a reason your father always makes sure I get proper rest." she ruffled his hair, "but since it is you, I suppose I can make an exception. Lay down Ren, I'll read the rest for you." Ren brightened up at that, filling Naoto's heart with warmth.
Naoto took a nearby chair and seated herself next to Ren's bed, reading out the last few pages of the Book "Arséne Lupin -The Gentleman Thief", keeping a keen eye on her son's reactions.
"You seem to really like Arséne, don't you?" she pointed out, making Ren flinch.
"I-I mean, yeah…"
"Ren, there is no need to be ashamed about it." Naoto tried to clarify for him, only leaving him more conflicted.
"B-but he's a criminal, right? And detectives are supposed to catch them, so liking criminals would be bad if I want to become a detective." Ren argued back, Naoto's expression softening at her son's innocence.
"Ren, can you tell me something? Do you like him because he's a criminal or because he's a good person?" Naoto asked softly.
"Because he's a good person of course. Also he's like super cool and-" Ren stopped when he realized he was fanboying. With a blush creeping onto his face, he pulled his blanket above his head, trying to hide his embarrassment while Naoto giggled.
"See Ren? There's nothing for you to worry about. Like you said, Arséne is a good person and that just shows me that you have a good heart." Naoto explained while pointing a finger at Ren's heart.
"A good heart?" Ren repeated, slowly pulling his head up from his hiding spot.
"The characters you like, are the ones you believe to be good, because they are doing the right thing. It's because your heart believes in the right thing to do and in the end that's all that matters, isn't it?" Naoto finished planting a soft kiss on her son's forehead.
"I guess you're right. Thank you." Ren managed to get out before letting out a deep yawn.
"It's already late, I should head to bed as well. Good night, Ren." Naoto gave Ren a kiss on the cheek this time, smiling at the six-year old, whose eyes were slowly closing.
"G'night, mommy." Ren said groggily, making Naoto's smile only widen.
While she thought the polite mask he wore was impressive, especially at his age. It made her feel as if he was hiding what, no - who he truly was, because she knew he could be more than just the mask. Not a polite, calm and collected detective, but an expressive, righteous and truly genuine young man instead.
She truly wished that one day, he would be able to shed this mask.
Author's Notes:
Sorry it took so long to release this chapter, but I wasn't kidding when I said I was determined to write this chapter.
My schedule though, thought otherwise.
As a little heads up expect updates for this story to become very infrequent, since school has started again and writing this story with school workload stacked on top is going to take even more time now and I'm genuinely sorry about that.
I do however try to write down certain snippets/scenarios that may happen from time to time and upload them on twitter (under the username ChrisWritesFics)
But enough about personal stuff and more about this chapter:
-First off, I am super happy that I could properly focus on Ren's mentality and duality in this chapter, hoping that everyone now has a basic grasp on how his character will work in this story.
-Writing Ryuji is super fun, but it is also too tempting to copy his dialogue directly from the game, since his lines are gold
-I think my writing style has overall improved when writing this chapter, buuuuut it feels also a bit inconsistent due to how long the intervalls between each time I continued writing were.
As always, I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I had writing it and I will see you guys next chapter (whenever that is)