So here we are with a rewrite of Phantom Thieves Origins, one that takes advantage of all the stuff Royal has to offer. Plus a few familiar faces. Disclaimer: I don't own Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, the Persona series, or Miraculous Ladybug.

Heist 01: Mysterious Castle

Out in Osaka, a casino on the outskirts was suddenly in an uproar as security alerts started going off. Up above, patrons could spot a mysterious figure in a black suit and jacket, a silver bird mask over his face and a large briefcase under his arm. This was the legendary Phantom Thief Joker, Lord of Crime and Emperor of Thieves. And he had just made his latest heist. 'Now's your best chance to escape,' came the voice of Alibaba, his primary online cracker, 'Violet will be meeting you on the way out.' "Got it," Joker replied, "We'll head for the extraction point."

He began leaping across the ceiling ornaments one by one, until a group of guards appeared on an upper door. "There he is!," one called out, drawing his gun. Another stopped. "Won't work! Don't you know Joker's primary skill!" Joker smirked as he took advantage of their arguing to run for a different door at the other end of the casino, only to find some of the guards turning slightly monstrous, with masks that almost looked like they were melted. "Well that's new," Joker admitted. One guard leapt down behind him and pulled off his mask. "Moloch!" A blinding flame surrounded the man's face as a strange humanoid bull with a mechanical serpent's tail appeared.

"And that's very new," Joker admitted, "Luckily I have power of my own. W Boiled Xtreme!" A few quick slashes from Joker's powerful shadow-based Stand and the guard's strange familiar was knocked to the ground, leaving him unable to stop Joker as he ran for the exit higher up. 'Violet's almost there,' Alibaba said, 'Was that a Stand that guy was using?' "Didn't feel like it," Joker noted, "Not the same energy. It felt more like it was tied to the very casino we're in." He carefully made his way through the halls, dodging guards as he did.

He soon found a walkway above him, which he quickly grappled to. However, he quickly found himself surrounded by guards. Luckily, that's when Violet made herself known with a thrown rapier right into one of the guards' chests. Dodging the rest of their attacks using her gymnastic skills while retaliating using her rifle. Two of them quickly ripped off their masks. "Jatayu!" "Ose!" Jatayu was a magenta-colored vulture with royal jewelry and a serpent's tail, whilst Ose was a humanoid leopard wearing a cape and carrying twin swords.

"More of these peculiar familiars," Violet noted, "Are they just demons in the end? We know that gods exist, so why not the opposite?" 'Why not discuss the finer points of metaphysics in a safer location?,' Alibaba suggested. "Oh, right," Violet said sheepishly, "Be the One!" Her light-based Stand activated and unleashed a blinding light, stunning the two familiars and letting the twin thieves unleash their total might, Violet landing with a quick rhythmic gymnastics routine. "BEAUTY IS DEVOTION!"

"Okay," Joker said, "That clears out our path for the extraction." With no other guards, the duo was able to smash their way out of a stained-glass window on an upper level of the casino. However, they found themselves suddenly surrounded by police. A commissioner came out of a squad car with a bull horn. "Give it up, Joker and Violet! You can't escape from this many officers!" Joker and Violet looked at each other and grinned. "You forget," Joker said, "I'm the guy who took Lupin the Third's title." In a flash of light and shadow, the two thieves leapt away to a distant roof, leaving the police stunned.

"I did try to warn you," Goro Akechi said from inside the car, "Joker wouldn't be my rival if he could be captured by such mundane tactics." He noted the target of Phantom Thief Joker's latest heist, Gorillaz bassist Murdoc Niccals, being led out in cuffs. Then to everyone's shock, the casino disappeared the second it was evacuated. Joker and Violet noticed this too. "We have too many questions regarding this place," Joker noted as he held up their latest prize, The Glittering Plumage, the last of the Joestar Collection.

The mysterious casino owner contacted another individual. "It looks like we'll have to move forward with the plan. I've already amassed the capitol needed to set myself up in Shibuya." 'Excellent,' the figure on the monitor said, 'We have sequestered ourselves within every facet of society within Shibuya. Our grandmaster will be most pleased. Let us proceed with setting up our power base. By this time next year, no one will be able to stop us...' A grin could be seen on the figure as the video cut out.

Deep inside the mystical ream known only as the Velvet Room, Igor drummed his fingers on the table. "And so the wheel of fate continues to turn. As bizarre actions occur within the small town of Morioh once more, the Trickster and his allies proceed on their own path. A conspiracy unknowingly marches the world to ruin, but they will soon find that ruin is not this world's destiny. Joker, Violet, soon you will aided by friends new and old." He clasped his hands together, eagerly awaiting the journey's beginning.

April 9

Joker and Violet were now in their civilian identities, Ren Amamiya and Sumire Yoshizawa respectively. They were riding the train into Shibuya, one of the main centers of Tokyo, hoping to get more information regarding the strange disappearing casino and the mysterious familiar used by its guards. Alibaba had made arrangements for them to be enrolled at the local Shujin Academy, as well as setting them up with a friend of Ren's parents. The man and his family lived in Yongen-Jaya, owning a small cafe along the backstreets.

"The man's name is Sojiro Sakura," Ren noted, "And his cafe is called Leblanc. How poetic, that's the name of the author who embellished Arsene Lupin I's exploits." They found the cafe soon enough, just in time to overhear a news report about a public transit bus caught driving down the opposing lane with customers still inside. Sitting at the bar was a middle-aged man wearing a striped apron and checking the paper with pencil in hand, clearly doing the crossword. "Down is... The name of a shellfish used in pearl farming..." "Oyster," Ren said, getting the man's attention.

"Oh," the man realized, "I forgot that was today." He saw off his last customers, an elderly couple who had just finished paying, then turned to the younger duo. "You must be Ren and Sumire. I'm Sojiro Sakura. Unfortunately, I only have one guest room at my house, but I was able to improvise." He brought them up to a dusty attic. "Ren, this'll be your place. Sorry for the dust, but all this was kinda last minute so I didn't have time to clean it up." "Not a problem," Ren assured him, "I can handle the cleaning."

"That's a relief," Sojiro said, "My wife is out right now getting groceries for the cafe, and cleaning's not really my strong suit. Sumire, my house is on the next block over. Can't miss it, it's the only one there. My daughter Futaba should be able to answer the door. She already knows you're coming." "I can't wait to meet her," Sumire said. Sojiro nodded. "Now that living arrangements are established, we'll be going to Shujin tomorrow." He and Sumire left, and Ren got to work cleaning the attic. It took until evening to finish. By the time he was done, he was pooped and flopped onto the bed to get to sleep.

Meanwhile, two teenage girls were also setting themselves up in an apartment in the city. "I can't believe we have to stay in Japan for a whole year," one said. "I can," the other replied, "It's not uncommon for my family to have to move at a moment's notice because of Mom getting transferred for some reason. It's part of her job. Besides..." She held out a peculiar oval brooch with butterfly wings and put it on, the wings disappearing. "We still have these if we think there might be trouble in the city." The other girl got out a brooch shaped like peacock feathers, the colors muting when she put it on.

Ren's mind wandered due to his shadow powers, soon slipping into the Velvet Room. "It is good to see you again, Joker," came Igor's warm yet cool voice. Ren looked around, observing the familiar sight of the blue guild hall. He took a seat as a small young woman approached. "What happened to Margaret?," Ren asked, "Last I heard of her was in Inaba." "She has chosen to stay there," Igor explained, "In her place I have hired her younger sister Lavenza." Lavenza curtsied. "It is an honor, Trickster. By now, I'm sure you're curious about the strange events surrounding your last great caper."

"You don't know the half of it," Ren noted, "And yet you might know more than I do." "I know that casino was anything but natural," Igor agreed, "I do not know how the owner could draw forth on the sea of souls to unleash the power of Persona, but it matters not. Such smaller Personas are not able to handle a Stand user. Ah, to clarify, Persona is the power of one's true self, but unlike Stands it cannot manifest in reality. However, we'll have to leave further conversation for later. The night wanes, and you are soon to awaken."

April 10

The next day, Ren and Sumire were driven to the Aoyama district, where Shujin was located. They were also introduced to Sojiro's wife, Wakaba. Shujin seemed like a basic enough school, perhaps a little different from Francois Dupont, especially the fact that Sumire had to join her own learning year, which was one behind Ren, instead of being allowed to learn a year ahead due to her academic level being higher than normal. The rather large principal, Akashi Kobayakawa, nodded with satisfaction as the paperwork was finished.

"Your work with the Speedwagon precedes you," he noted, "As does Miss Yoshizawa's gymnastic feats. Actually, your twin sister is also enrolled here." "Oh, that's wonderful," Sumire said, "It's been a while since I've seen Kasumi." "The two of us have been globetrotting for the better part of a year," Ren explained. "Well, that knowledge will likely help you during your studies," said Sadayo Kawakami, Ren's assigned homeroom teacher and the school's language teacher.

Kobayakawa nodded. "I was a bit concerned regarding the state of our school after the disappearance of our star pupil, Light Yagami. But with our other major student and five talented transfers, I feel more at ease. It's likely for the best, regardless. Rumors online pegged Mister Yagami as the prime suspect in the Kira murders." "If we're all done here," Wakaba said, "My husband and I have a cafe to get back to." "Ah yes, of course," Kobayakawa said, "Thank you for your time. Mister Amamiya, Miss Yoshizawa, we'll be seeing you tomorrow."

Later Kawakami was walking through the campus with her boyfriend, Suguru Kamoshida the PE teacher. "I heard four of those transfers went to a notable high school in Paris," Kamoshida noted, "This schools getting more famous by the day. Makes me wonder if I really need to put that much work in for the volleyball team." "Look on the bright side," Kawakami said, "At least you can focus more on the upcoming tournament. With Suzui as your starter, winning should be easy."

Not far away, another individual dressed in a suit smirked. "Soon this entire school will be under my control. My forces are in place. And my Stand is strong." Behind him appeared a king-like humanoid is full regal armor, a cape around its neck and a sword in hand. "Now's the time to set our plans into motion," the man said, "And Kamoshida shall the sacrificial scapegoat as we lay out our schemes. Now... My Castle Stands!" Before his eyes, an overlay in the form of a castle was created.

Overlays are basically pocket dimensions that can be created by certain powers. They can either be visible or invisible, accessible to all or only to a few, depending on what the creator wants. But supernatural beings, Stand users for example, can always access them, if they know what to look for. That was an oversight this individual did not know about, and it would soon cost him big time, even as he entered his castle to address his eager subjects about the conquest they were soon to embark on.

Sojiro sighed. "Traffic's not moving at all." "Hope the trains work at least," Sumire said. 'A subway train has derailed,' came a news report, 'Severely affecting the timetable across all of...' "You had to tempt fate," Wakaba quipped. "I'm sure this isn't Sumire's fault," Ren pointed out, "But with so many traffic accidents, I can't help but feel concerned." Sumire nodded. "Kasumi mentioned barely escaping a car accident just last month. She noted that the driver seemed to have black ooze gushing from his mouth." "That's been something happening with all the recent accidents," Sojiro noted, "Experts are suspecting a supernatural element is in play." Ren wondered if it was a Stand user's work.

Back at the cafe, Sojiro handed Ren a journal. "Just a little something to regulate your schedule. I find it helps with keeping track of anything and everything important in my life." Ren nodded. "I'll make good use of it." "Just remember to transfer from Yongen-Jaya to Aoyama-Itchome during your train ride tomorrow," Sojiro reminded, "You should probably get some sleep. I'm gonna close up the cafe for the night." Ren nodded, and changed for sleep. Tomorrow was when things would get bizarre.

April 11

The next morning Sojiro offered the couple his special curry for breakfast. Ren was a little skeptical at first, until he had his first bite. The plate was empty half a minute later. "That was delicious," Sumire said, "Well, we should get going." After reaching the Shibuya, the duo headed for the transfer line to Aoyama-Itchome. However, they got caught up in a sudden rainstorm without any umbrellas. "Good grief," a young man said as he came up alongside them, "Just my luck on today of all days." Ren noticed the guy had blonde hair, likely dyed.

Just then, a car pulled up, Kamoshida opening the door. "You kids need a lift to the school?" Seeing the blonde boy get in without issue, Ren and Sumire accepted the offer. "So, you two guys new?," the blond kid asked. "You didn't hear, Sakamoto?," Kamoshida said, "These are the new transfers, Ren Amamiya and Sumire Yoshizawa. I don't think we've met yet. Name's Suguru Kamoshida, Shujin's PE teacher." "Weren't you on Japan's volleyball team during the last Olympics?," Sumire asked, "Won the gold medal, too." "That's me," Kamoshida said, "And this here is Shujin's star track runner, Ryuji Sakamoto." "Sup," Ryuji said.

'Everything is proceeding as we have intended,' the mysterious figure said to the school individual, 'Your overlay is already drawing them in?' "With the testing done in Osaka, we have perfected how our overlays can affect reality," the man said, "And the best part... None can enter without our permission." 'Don't be so sure,' the mysterious figure warned, 'Our testing proved that forces of the supernatural can interfere if they know what they are looking for.' "There can't possibly be such forces at Shujin," the man said dismissively, "I would have known about it by now."

Indeed, Ren and Sumire had already had their Stands out trying to get a sense of what sort of supernatural happening might be occurring at the school. This caused something bizarre to happen as Kamoshida pulled up to what appeared to be a large castle instead. "This can't be right," he said, "Did I take a wrong turn?" He checked his GPS, but it confirmed they were at Shujin's address. The students exited the car to check it out. "Hey!," Kamoshida called out, "Be careful! Things could be dangerous inside!" He gasped when the great hall of the castle seemed to shift with that of Shujin's lobby.

"A dimensional overlay?," Ren muttered. Just then, an armored soldier wearing a stoic mask approached with sword and shield in hand. "Dude," Ryuji said, "I get the feeling this ain't just cosplay." Just then, a large net dropped down on the four of them as more armored soldiers appeared, dragging the group away to a dungeon further down. The guys got tossed into one cell while Sumire got tossed in with two other girls. "Sumire?," called out a familiar voice. Sumire looked up, and was greeted with a very familiar Italian girl. "Lila!" She looked over and found another familiar face. "Aurore! What are you two doing in Japan?" "Mom got a temporary transfer," Lila explained, "Just for the year."

"And my folks are doing a long-term joint project with Toei," Aurore added. "We wound up here when our Kwamis detected the overlay," Lila explained, Nooroo and Duusu making themselves known. "It seems to have encompassed the entire school," Nooroo said, "And it drawing in people's mental energy." "Yeah," Duusu said, "And to top it all off, it has the same energy as a Stand." "Do we know who's behind it?," Ren asked from the next cell. "The guards mentioned a teacher's aid named Toshiro Ishishiro," Lila explained. "That bastard's behind this!?," Kamoshida called out.

"Ishishiro's rather notorious around the school," Ryuji explained, "He's been caught sabotaging a few teachers in hopes of taking their place. And recently... Kamoshida's been his latest target. Every time Ishishiro's taken over coaching, the volleyball team's come home with unnatural bruises." "If this is his way of escalating things...," Kamoshida said with a clenched fist, "Then I need to find a way to protect my team." Lila and Nooroo looked at each other and smirked. Lila then moved back to where Kamoshida would have less chance of seeing her. "Nooroo! Dark Wings Rise!" Aurore and Sumire smirked as Lila transformed into the Miraculous Butterfly Hero, Monarch.

Monarch tapped her cane and caused brilliant black butterfly to emerge from it. This was an Akuma, and the holder of the Butterfly Miraculous could use them to grant normal people superpowers. Kamoshida gasped as the Akuma hit his gym whistle, his face suddenly overlain with a butterfly insignia. "I can sense your need to protect your students," Monarch said, "If you accept this Akuma, you will gain the power needed." Kamoshida's face grew determined. "Gladly!" "Then unleash your might, Coach Striker!," Monarch called out. Kamoshida glowed brilliant as his normal gym clothes were transmuted into a superhero outfit, a large CS emblazoned on the chest.

Ren, Sumire, and Aurore also took the chance to transform. "Duusu! Spread My Feathers!" "W Boiled Xtreme! Reign in the Shadows!" "Be the One! Shine Your Light!" Aurore became Pavo, the Miraculous Peacock Hero. Coach Striker quickly smashed down the cell door, catching the attention of a guard. "What!? How did you break out so easily!? Jack-o'-Lantern!" He tore off his mask and summoned an actual Jack-o'-Lantern, with wizard regalia and carrying an actual lantern. "Get the girls out," Joker said, "I'll handle this overgrown gourd." Sure enough, by the time Coach Striker had torn the cell door off, the guard was knocked out on the ground.

"We should find a way out of here," Coach Striker said, "It's likely we're really late for school by now." Ryuji freaked. "Oh shit, that's right! I think we already missed first bell!" The group quickly moved through the dungeon, leaping across broken bridges and fallen cages to cross the stream flowing through it, as well as crawling through a hole between cells. A spiral staircase led them up to a higher floor. "I thought this would be an exit," Ryuji admitted, "How far down does this go?" "I can see a drawbridge up ahead," Pavo said, "But how do we activate it?" "Hey, is someone out there?," came a young boy's voice.

The voice came from a cell, where some tiny black humanoid creature with a large head, cat ears, and cat-like limbs was waving for help. "What is this?," Violet asked. "Well, I'm a cat," the creature said, "At least normally. But I happen to be a Stand user, and part of my power let's me take on this form. I was checking this place out when I got caught. Care to help me out? The key's just up there." Joker got the key and used it to free the creature. "You got a name?," Monarch asked. "Just call me Morgana," the cat said, "Here, let me help get the bridge down."

He walked over to a familiar bust of Ishishiro and pulled the jaw down. The jaw must have been connected to a mechanism because it caused the entire drawbridge to lower. "That's one way to get it down," Coach Striker said. Just then, the guard from before came up behind them. "You're not getting away this time! Jack-o'-Lantern!" Another guard appeared as well. "Shit, the prisoners are escaping! Incubus!" He summoned a thin, male demon with a pointed nose and wearing a sharp codpiece.

"These familiars seem to be vulnerable to certain types of elemental affinities," Morgana noted, "Let me show you, using the power of my Stand! Anything Goes! Ride Like the Wind!" He called forth a barrel-chested man in a black suit, his right hand bearing a rapier. "My Stand grants me minor shape-shifting powers and full wind manipulation," Morgana bragged, "Observe its effects on that overgrown Halloween decoration!" Sure enough, the wind-based attack dealt severe damage. Violet soon found something similar when she used Be The One against the Incubus. Both guards were soon laid out flat. "At this rate we should get back before school lets out," Coach Striker noted.

As they reached another drawbridge, it suddenly lowered, revealing another guard. "What!? The prisoners are escaping! Pixie!" A tiny young woman with fairy wings wearing a blue leotard and thigh-high boots appeared. "Allow me to try my hand," Joker offered, "W Boiled Xtreme!" The shadow-based attack easily floored both familiar and guard, letting the group move up out of the dungeon and into the grand hall. "Okay, there should be an exit this way," Morgana said, leading the group to a room across the hall.

Joker easily spotted what Morgana was talking about. "That ventilation shaft in the wall." Morgana nodded. "It should let you exit the overlay without issue. And now that you know it exists, you shouldn't have to worry about slipping through unintentionally." "There's a lot I'm going to need explained," Ryuji said, "How do you guys have Stands, for starters? And what's up with Kamoshida?" Joker was surprised. "Wait... You have a Stand too?" "Well, yeah, actually," Ryuji admitted. Joker nodded. "Alright, I'll explain everything later. But first we need to get back and find out how we're going to explain our absence."

Meanwhile, SIU Director Masumi Ishida was going over the report regarding the subway incident. "Once again we have a case of an individual being afflicted with some sort of mental degradation. Speedwagon is helping to investigate possible supernatural origins... But with how bizarre our world is just under the surface, isolating the cause will take time. Time we may not have." He folded his arms as he leaned back. "I wonder what he thinks about all this. Or perhaps... He's already investigating..."

Kamoshida was able to smooth out the situation, which was good since the incident in the overlay had caused them to miss just about half the school day. "It would have been nice for time to have slowed down or something while we were in there," Ryuji noted, "But nope, had to move as normal. At least this is staying off the permanent record." "Let's just get inside," Ren said, "Before anything crazier happens. And hey, meet me on the roof after class. I'll explain everything there." Ryuji nodded.

'I warned you that this was possible,' the figure said to Ishishiro. "The Stand users and magic wielders I could understand," Ishishiro said, "But Kamoshida is just an ordinary human. How could have he have slipped in?" 'He must have wound up piggybacking on the others,' the figure suggested, 'Though his strange transformation... That is something that is clearly not his own power. We must keep on an eye on him to see if it happens again, and if it can be turned to our advantage somehow...'

A lot of the students didn't know what to make of Ren being so late on his first day. Many thought he was just that confident, or egotistical, regarding his academic skills. Kawakami ultimately had Ren take the vacant seat behind a girl with platinum blonde hair, who went by the name Ann Takamaki. The girl seemed to have a chip on her shoulder, which made Ren curious. "Alright class," Kawakami said, "Let's not forget that the volleyball rally's in two days. Our team has been having some issues, so they'll really need our support."

Later, as promised, Ren met Ryuji on the roof to explain a few things. Ryuji felt his head explode from the info dump. "Okay, so let me get this straight. You're the legendary Phantom Thief Joker, known the world over as the Lord of Crime and recently entitled Emperor of Thieves. Sumire is your partner Violet, also a phantom thief. Monarch and Pavo are both Miraculous holders who gain their powers from tiny god creatures. And in Monarch's case, she can empower people with special abilities, which is what happened to Kamoshida. And all this on top of some douchebag using a dimensional overlay to take over the school by targeting teachers he dislikes?"

"I'm surprised you didn't bring up the talking cat," Ren added. "Pfft," Ryuji spurted dismissively, "For a Stand user a talking cat's as weird as a car accident. Sure it doesn't happen often, but it's the sort of thing you can accept as possible. Speaking of which, we should be able to return to that place, right? Inside the overlay?" "Now that we know what to look for," Ren agreed, "But I don't think Kamoshida will be joining us a second time. He'll be more busy protecting the school from the outside. According to Lila, his power set ticks most of the Superman boxes save for heat vision." "Well, sneaking around is more of a thief's thing," Ryuji noted, "Anyway, let's meet up tomorrow after school."

That night, as Ren slept, he slipped into the Velvet Room again. "It seems we have more pieces of the puzzle," Igor noted, "But just like when a child starts with the edge of a jigsaw, we are only seeing the outline." "There seems to be a terrible conspiracy covering the city," Lavenza added, "The school is but the lowest rung of the ladder. And soon, you may find yourself needed to cut out each rung in turn." "So Ishishiro isn't working alone," Ren realized, "I wonder if he'll be willing to share anything about his cohorts. We'll find out tomorrow."

April 12

As Ren and Sumire got on the train, they caught sight of a familiar ponytail. "Oh, it's Kasumi," Sumire realized. While on the train, Kasumi tried to give up her for an elderly woman. When a rather rude young man tried to take advantage, Kasumi forced him back. "I don't recall offering you my seat, mister," she reprimanded. "Sis can get real passionate about social justice," Sumire noted, "She's not as fanatical as some bloggers, but she does believe in helping the less fortunate." "I can see that," Ren said, noticing Kasumi had the man in a headlock.

Later, Ren had class with Saizo Ushimaru, the social studies teacher. "You all look like you were spoiled growing up," he stated, "Can't wait to see who disappoints me most this year. A certain dictionary defines a year as a period of 365 disappointments. If that sounds like a satire on cynicism, well you're not far off. The book is called The Devil's Dictionary, written by Ambrose Bierce, and the title is just as satirical as the work it belongs to. Amamiya, you've read plenty of English literature, yes? What does the Devil's Dictionary define as the chief factor in the progress of the human race?"

"Villains," Ren replied. "Good answer," Ushimaru said, "The specific term is used is malefactors, but villains would definitely be included as such. And in a way, the author has a point. Whenever villains show up to spread chaos and strife, heroes show up in response to empower mankind to fight against it, thus improving humanity's progress. It should also be noted that villains and criminals can be two different things. For example, Phantom Thief Joker is a criminal but not a villain, whilst many of his targets are definitely villains. Not that we have room for either in this classroom. Understood?" Ren hid a smirk.

Outside the classroom, Ren spotted Ishishiro attempting to harass Ann, only to get told off by Kamoshida as he passed by. Ren noticed Kamoshida's whistle was still glowing purple due to being possessed by the Akuma. Meaning Kamoshida could change into Coach Striker whenever he needed, so long as the whistle remained undamaged. Ren met with Ryuji, Sumire, Lila, and Aurore outside the school. "Okay," Ren said, "Let's think on how we got into the overlay before."

"Me and Duusu were just looking out for any potential dangers," Nooroo noted. "In our case," Sumire said, "We were trying to find energies similar to the vanishing casino in Osaka." "And me and Kamoshida got dragged along for the ride," Ryuji realized, "But now that we can pinpoint it, we should be able to enter whenever." Sure enough, focusing their energies drew them into the overlay. The four heroes transformed immediately. Morgana spotted them as well. "I see you guys decided to come back."

"There's still some questions we want answered regarding Ishishiro," Pavo explained. "Oh yeah, that guy," Morgana said, "I know about him. He's been real mad since our escape yesterday. He's been torturing the prisoners something fierce." "We need to get a closer look," Ryuji said, "Find out if this overlay is really affecting people in the real world." Morgana nodded. "I can allow that. Just follow me and we'll head down." They started retracing their steps until they found a familiar guard patrolling. "From here it doesn't look like he can see us," Morgana noted, "We should be able to ambush him from behind."

Once the guard was knocked out, the group moved ahead. Ryuji then noticed something something. "Hey, last time most of these cages and cells were full, but now it looks like they've been emptied." "They likely got transferred down," Morgana suggested. He then heard something. "Guard patrol! Quick, in here!" He ushered the group through a transparent door, which led into a small room. "These spots are where the overlay anchors into reality," Morgana explained, "The guards can't see the doors leading to these rooms, so I call them safe rooms."

"So how did you get in here in the first place?," Ryuji asked. "Well, I awoke to my Stand just a month ago," Morgana explained, "It triggered when I almost got run over by a car. Since then I've been trying to find others like me, which is how I slipped into this world in the first place. But I wasn't used to fighting, so I wound up getting caught. Which is when you guys found me. Hang on... I think the patrols are moving on. We should be able to proceed." Sure enough, the guards had just finished talking about the training hall further into the dungeon. A guard up ahead had the familiar Mandrake, which proved easy to deal with.

"Let's be careful," Morgana said, "If we spotted too often, the guards will alert Ishishiro, and he'll be able to force us out of the overlay. That door there should take us to the training hall." The halls soon revealed more enemies. "Great," Joker said, "We'll have to resort to firearms if we hope to get through." Ryuji was surprised at the model guns Joker and Violet pulled out. "Oh, I got something like that," Morgana said, pulling out a slingshot alongside his longsword. "Dude, what are those models gonna do?," Ryuji asked.

Before an answer could be made, two guards came out, one with Jack-o'-Lantern and the other with Mandrake. "Just watch," Joker said, channeling his Stand's power to fire off bullets from the toy gun. "Oh, now I get the trick," Ryuji said as the guards went down. They continued to move up further, finding a guard with Pixie. "This is a good time to show a special ability," Joker noted, "W Boiled Xtreme!" The guard was knocked flat, letting the five heroes rush him in a flurry of blows. Joker landed and adjusted his gloves. "THE SHOW'S OVER!" "Man, that was awesome to watch!," Ryuji said.

"Don't you have a Stand too?," Violet pointed out. "Yeah, but I don't like starting fights," Ryuji admitted, "It's bring my mom too much trouble. Anyway, this looks like the training hall." 'Training hall' proved to be a misnomer, and was really more about the guards beating the crap out of the 'slaves'. "Are we sure these are just mental projection?," Pavo asked. "They are," Morgana assured her, "The ones in reality are feeling it, though. Like a waking dream." Ryuji clenched his fist. "This is such bullshit! We've gotta find a way to stop this!" "For now let's see if we can identify the victims," Joker suggested, "We'll talk to them directly tomorrow."

The more Ryuji saw the torment, the angrier he got. When the team went back up, they got ambushed by a guard and a captain. "You've had your way your way here for too long!," the captain called out, "Ishishiro is the king here, and you worthless rodents shall be put to the sword! Eligor!" "Bicorn!" The guard called in a dark horse with two curved horns, whilst the captain called on a red armored warrior astride a mighty steed. "I've had about enough!," Ryuji called out, "I'm not the sort to start fights, but I will be the one to finish 'em! Switch On! Strike Like Thunder!" Ryuji was suddenly donning a biker gang outfit, complete with skull mask and yellow gloves. The skeletal pirate Stand, standing atop a ship, crackling with electric energy.

"What is that!?," the guard said. "Looks like linking with those familiars lets you see my Stand," Ryuji noted, "Now you'll see its shocking skills! With extra emphasis on the SHOCK!" Switch On's arm cannon fired an electric blast, taking out the captain with Eligor and knocking out the guard with Bicorn, setting him up to be taken out with an all-out assault. Ryuji did a sudden face plant as he landed, but quickly recovered before flashing a rocker hand sign. "FREAKIN' BORING!" "Now would be a good time to get out of here," Morgana decided, "Before Ishishiro himself decides he wants to make an appearance." The group nodded and hurried out.

The girls headed off for their homes, whilst Morgana took to wandering. As for Ryuji and Ren, they decided to get some food at a local beef bowl shop. They mostly shared stories about their histories, and Ren learned that Ryuji was much like himself, a respectable individual hiding a more dangerous side. Though perhaps with a little less pride and a little more wrath. "So we start talking with everyone tomorrow," Ren noted. "Yup," Ryuji said, "One way or another we'll find a weakness that we can use to take out Ishishiro..."

Meanwhile Ann was sitting with her best friend, Shiho Suzui. Suzui was on the volleyball, and was suffering from odd injuries ever since a few days ago. "The doctors aren't sure what's going on," Shiho noted, "But I've been getting terrible dreams about a man standing over me. I think you can guess the implications." "Did he happen to look like Ishishiro?," Ann asked, "Cuz he's been trying to proposition me like a common whore for a while now." Shiho shrugged. "I can never see his face. Anyway, I should get to practice."

'Ryuji: So it turns out my phone got uploaded with something called an "Overlay Navigator".'

'Violet: I've got it too. By the way, you need to change your username. We have codenames, so you need to get one.'

'Ryuji changed his name to Skull.'

'Skull: How's that? I named it after my mask.'

'Joker: Better. But yeah, I also got the navigator. I think I know where it came from. I'll be asking about it tonight.'

'Monarch: Who are you talking about?'

'Joker: Just my primary informant.'

Ren took to sleep and found himself drifting into the Velvet Room. "It seem you are forming quite the team," Igor noted, "You will need to gather such allies if you hope to overcome this conspiracy. In particular, it would help if you can find Stand users much like yourselves. For example." He held up a red card with the name "Arsene" on it. "I managed to use my own Stand, Bleeding Secrets, to steal a portion of the familiar energy from our foes. I can create innumerable cards for this purpose. They can steal almost anything written on them... Including Stand energy."

"As in the source of the overlays," Ren noted. "Indeed," Igor said, "To clarify, it cannot actually steal a Stand. That is interconnected with one's mind and soul, and is thus far too entwined with their life force. To steal it would mean stealing their life. However, it can render a Stand dormant." "You are certain to find more allies that share your sense of justice," Lavenza said, "And willingness to bend the rules to see that justice done. That is why you were given the special Overlay Navigator, making it easier to traverse the landscape." "You will understand it's capabilities quickly," Igor noted, "But for now, our talks must go on hold. You are soon to awaken in the real world, after all."

April 13

It was the day of the volleyball rally. Kamoshida was leading the team against a team of teachers, including Ishishiro. Ryuji noticed Ishishiro trying to aim a spike right at Mishima, a classmate of Ren's, only for Kamoshida to intercept it. "I'll thank you not to make such obvious attempts to send my team to the hospital." Ishishiro shrugged. "Sorry about that. I'll aim differently next time." "And by that he means he won't make it obvious," Ryuji noted. Ren nodded. "The game should be letting up for a bit, now's our chance to talk to the team members."

For the most part, they had the same thing to say regarding their strange injuries, cropping up seemingly out of nowhere. They each had visions of a mysterious individual, claiming to be Kamoshida, attacking them. "If this keeps up they may start to believe Kamoshida was responsible," Ryuji noted. "It's pretty strange that we're seeing anything," Mishima said as he came over, "Most times when Ishishiro targets a teacher, their students don't see anything. Heck, I can somehow see clearer than most, actually making out Ishishiro's face. Suzui's getting it worse than the others..." Ren and Ryuji looked at each other in concern.

April 14

"It felt even worse last night," Shiho said. "Has anything been really happening?," Ann asked. "No, thank god," Shiho said, "The doctor said everything's still normal down there. Well, save for some minor tearing due to my volleyball training, but that's normal. What's not normal is everything else. Honestly, I feel like crap when I wake up. At this rate I'll have to be pulled from my starting spot on the team." "Don't talk like that!," Ann reprimanded, "I'll find out what Ishishiro is trying to pull... Mark my words..."

Later Morgana found the team as they gathered in the courtyard. He approached in his cat form, though the fact that he could talk surprised them at first. "How are you able to talk?," Ryuji asked. "My Stand lets me translate my words into something humans can understand," Morgana explained, "And don't worry about being overheard. Due to my wind manipulation I can block out certain sounds via a limited vacuum. If I wanted to go further I could also render us invisible due to light refraction."

"It might still be dangerous for us to be seen all at once down here," Ren noted, "Let's head for the roof instead. Morgana, you can ride in my bag. Just... Watch the textbooks." "I'll be careful," Morgana promised. Once at the roof, Morgana explained a few things. "So, I did some searching and overheard that Ishishiro has positioned himself in front of the core of the overlay. If we can somehow take that out, we should be able to stop his schemes." "I may have just the solution for that," Ren said, "But first we'll confirm the core's location, and secure an infiltration route to get to it." "Sounds like we have a game plan," Sumire said.

On the way home, Sumire happened to run into Ann. "Oh, hey there," Ann said, "You're that new girl, right? Kasumi?" "That's my twin sister," Sumire said, "I'm Sumire. Kasumi doesn't wear glasses, and her hair is darker." Ann giggled. "My bad." They got to talking at the local Big Bang Burger. "Yeah, Ishishiro's been harassing both of us," Ann admitted, "I just want to take my Stand and burn him to ashes! But that won't solve anything. It'll just make him look the victim." She sighed. "I just wish there was some way to deal with him..." Sumire smiled. "Actually... There might just be..."

And this time I'm including new Stands in THIS story.

My Castle Stands (Song by JT Music)
User: Toshiro Ishishiro
Ability: My Castle Stands creates an overlay in the form of a giant castle, which can be removed at will. Toshiro can contain the mental forms of certain individuals within and manipulate them, affecting their real world counterparts. The core of the overlay can be destroyed with the right abilities, but if it should be in danger My Castle Stands does have a physical form it can fall back on, albeit not a very strong one.
Power: B
Speed: D
Range: B
Durability: A
Precision: C
Potential: D

Anything Goes (Theme song of Kamen Rider OOO)
User: Morgana "Mona"
Ability: Anything Goes can manipulate wind energy, including turning Morgana into wind. It also gives Morgana shapeshifting powers, giving him a small humanoid form or letting him turn into a van. With practice he can take on almost any shape. He can also make himself understood by humans. With enough focus he can also render objects invisible using light refraction, or make it so voices can only be heard by certain people using a vacuum.
Power: B
Speed: A
Range: A
Durability: A
Precision: A
Potential: A

Switch On (Theme song of Kamen Rider Fourze)
User: Ryuji "Skull" Sakamoto
Ability: Switch On can control electrical energy, going so far as to turn Ryuji in pure electricity to dodge attacks. It can also fire out hard spheres of energy from its cannons.
Power: A
Speed: A
Range: A
Durability: A
Precision: B
Potential: C

Bleeding Secrets (Song by JT Music)
User: Igor
Ability: Bleeding Secrets generates red cards that can steal whatever is written on the card. They are so powerful they can even steal Stand energy. Though it cannot steal an actual Stand it can render them dormant. In addition, Igor can create as many as is needed. The cards can also fly on their own once thrown, homing in on whatever they are meant to steal.
Power: E
Speed: B
Range: A
Durability: A
Precision: A
Potential: D

So, ultimately shorter than my original chapter. My reasons for including Monarch and Pavo are two-fold. One, so that at certain times a guest party member can be included, and two, to include the dual Persona system from Persona Q2. Speaking of which, here's how the familiars are distributed.

Joker: Arsene Lv7
Violet: N/A
Mona: N/A
Skull: N/A
Monarch: N/A
Pavo: N/A

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