This story is a work of fiction.

Any relation to persons, living or dead, as well as events, are purely coincidental.

The author owns none of the characters, or events, that take place here.

The world is not as it should be.

It's filled with distortion, and "ruin" will soon descend.

However...there are those who would challenge fate, in desire for change.

Since time immemorial...they were known as,

"Tricksters."

Persona 5: Hoshi to Bokura to

Fifth Heist: Mask of Rebellion

.

.

.

.

.

"I think we took a wrong turn," Sakamoto said, growing visibly disturbed as they looked at the scenery in front of them. Makoto and Akira looked on, sharing such sentiments. They were looking for an exit, but what was in front of him was anything but. It was, in simple words, a dungeon. Cobblestone and steel and wood made up the entire area, and water rushed through like a heavy stream. Quite honestly, it was an unnerving sight to be sure. Even more disturbing was the fact that there were cages hanging down, and though they were unoccupied...it left hardly anything to the imagination. "Okay, seriously, the hell is this place?"

Makoto and Akira didn't answer. There was no way either of them could. There were hardly any answers they had. Instead, all they could do was move forward, all the while trying to ignore the scenery around them. As they moved, Akira checked his phone. 'The app must have brought us here somehow,' he thought, staring at the unusual screen that was on his phone. The eye stared back at him creepily, still maintaining that bizarre form. He had tried to exit out of it earlier, but nothing worked. He even tried using the photo app just to see if any feature on his phone at all...but there was nothing. 'But...how? Moreover, why does it keep installing on my phone?' He had never heard of such an aggressive app before, much less one that could cause something like this. For now, though, he would concentrate on finding a way out of here.

"None of this makes any damn sense," Sakamoto growled in frustration as they walked, scratching his head furiously. "How the hell do you go from being at school to a castle?!" He turned back to Akira and Makoto, taking a moment to pause. "Hey...you guys have any idea what this place is?"

"It's a castle," Akira answered plainly.

"Well duh!" the blonde rolled his eyes. "I get that, but...shit man, there's no way this is just possible." He sighed, shaking his head furiously. "And the heck was up with that portrait? That was totally Kamoshida!"

"There's no doubt about that," Makoto nodded, holding her elbow as she dipped her head in thought. She was taking a moment to think about the details so far. Perhaps there was some sort of clue that would let them gain more insight about the situation. "Now that I think about it...we ended up here after we saw Kamoshida-sensei talking with Takamaki-san." She pondered a bit further, and then remembered another important detail. She turned to Akira, her gaze centered on her phone. "And...something about beginning a navigation. Akira, were you running a search app?"

He shook his head, and showed the phone to the two. They looked a bit surprised and perhaps a bit creeped out by the fact that his phone was overcome with a black and red eye. "Its been like this since we got here," he told them. "I've tried deleting it twice now, but it keeps popping back up."

"W-wait, seriously?" Sakamoto leaned on his leg as he crossed his arms. "It keeps showing up?" He took another look at Akira's phone screen, and shuddered a bit. "Yeesh...talk about creepy."

"Strange, though," Makoto frowned. "I've never heard of an app that keeps installing after you've deleted it. Moreover, suppose this app is the reason why we're here...how is any of this possible? It's physically impossible to be transported from one location to another." She sighed, palming her forehead before she turned to look at the two. "Anyway, let's find a way out of here. The sooner, the better."

"Got that right," Sakamoto nodded. "Alright, let's...get..." he trailed off as he looked past the two, and suddenly, his face went a bit pale. "Uh...guys...?"

Makoto and Akira looked over their shoulder, and immediately found themselves in shock. Not too far behind them, standing where they had entered the dungeon, was a man clad in armor, dressed like some kind of European knight, though instead of a visor attached to the helmet, a blue mask was attached to the face, and cold red eyes glaring back at them, carrying a sword and a shield. 'How did we not notice him?' Akira thought, taken aback as he slowly stepped back with the other two. 'We should have heard his footsteps if he's wearing a suit of armor!'

The knight stepped forward, ever slowly, eyes locked on them. Even from this distance, Akira could feel killing intent radiating from him. "W-who are you?" Makoto asked, shaken. "W-what do you want?"

The knight didn't answer. Instead, he continued to stalk forward, the hand holding the sword twitching madly. The group continued to grow nervous. Akira's eyes shifted behind them. There was a straight path down through another gate, but knowing their luck, it was probably locked. On the other side of the river, though, the gate was open. "Sakamoto-san," he whispered to the blonde. "How fast can you run?"

"W-what?!" Sakamoto stared at him, startled. "The eff is that supposed to-"

"How fast can you run?"

"...fast enough. Why? You got a way outta here, new guy?"

Akira nodded, gesturing to the gate. He looked back at the knight. It was only a few feet away from them now. Makoto and Akira shared a look of understanding with one another, and Ryuji gave a nod, seemingly understanding the plan. The knight then took another step, and the group bolted. Their feet pounded against the stone, heading straight down. Almost immediately, the knight then began running after them, metal clanking loudly and making enough noise to raise the dead. Akira ran ahead of the group, though he looked over his shoulder to see if Ryuji and Makoto were staying with him. They reached the gate, and just as he suspected, it was locked, held in place by a thick chain. They didn't run to hit a dead end, though.

When they reached the gate, Akira rounded on his heel, and jumped atop one of the floating cage tops. The stream had several things of junk floating in it, and as luck would have it, next to the large steel bars that had blocked any other access further in with the exception of the gates placed into it was a cage, floating in the water and half-submerged. He landed on the other side, and turned to find Makoto already atop it, taking another jump and landing next to him. Ryuji had barely avoided the knight as he jumped, letting it crash into the gate. The sound of metal striking metal harshly met their ears as the knight was thrown off its feet and sent on its back. An audible, warped voice groaned as the armored soldier tried to get up, albeit very slowly.

"Damn, nice going!" Sakamoto said as he landed next to him, grinning. "You got some guts, new guy."

"Run now, talk later," he said, still weary. Thankfully, the blonde didn't seem like he wanted to pull up an argument, and they were already moving away. If his guess was right, that knight was probably not the only one inside the castle. Still, though...what was this feeling? The atmosphere was uncomfortable enough, but that knight...something about him seemed horribly wrong. It wasn't just the killing intent radiating off of him, there was something else, something he couldn't quite put his finger on. Eventually, they had reached the end of the road, though there was a wooden door next to them, perhaps in hopes a place of refuge for them to catch their breath. Akira huffed heavily, propping his elbow on the wall while Makoto leaned against and Sakamoto had his head low, hands on his knees while he panted heavily.

"S-shit," he choked, sweat pouring down his face. "T-too...much running... Goddammit." He stood up straighter, and grit his teeth. "The hell was that all about? That bastard raised his sword when he was running at me! Was he trying to kill me or something?!"

"So it seems," Makoto said, now having a moment to catch her breathe. "At least we got away."

Akira would have liked to believe that, but the sensation at the back of his neck refused to cease. They weren't out of danger yet, not until they got out of this damned place. "Come on," he said, opening the door. "Let's go."

With that said, they went further down. They entered a long, spiral staircase, and while it was leading further in, they weren't about to complain. Before they could escape this place, they needed to collect themselves. Appearing in an unknown place through equally unknown circumstances was strenuous enough. They had to figure out what was going on before they could escape this place...if they could. Akira knew that there must be more knights in this castle, and if the one that chased after them was willing to kill them, he was sure that the next knights they would run into would try and do the same. They reached another door and entered, and were greeted with something unusual. It was a room, with steel bars to the left side, showing a walkway with a steady flow of water pouring out, pushed forward by a mill. In front was a wooden table and benches on either side, and beyond that, a large double wooden gate. Hanging above it was a banner.

"Training Hall of...Love?" Makoto read the banner with a look of disturb. "What does...that mean?"

Sakamoto shrugged. "Beats me," he said. "Nothing about this place makes any damned sense." He then sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Where the hell is that damned exit? You think its back at that ballroom looking place?"

"Probably," Akira responded. "For now, lets-"

He was promptly cut off by a shrill scream, one of agonizing pain. The three were taken off guard, eyes widening and turning towards the door. The screams were loud and echoing, pouring out from behind the gates. "The hell?!" Sakamoto yelled. "There's someone else here?!"

"Never mind that!" Makoto said, now alert and focused, worried about the ones making those screams. "Come on!" The boys followed her lead and pushed through the door, entering whatever laid inside.

What they found was...horrible.

It was torture. No matter how you looked at it, the sight before the three students was pure torture. The room was spacious, big enough to act as a storage room, though instead of walls, steel bars were held, and what laid beyond them were sights that were grotesque and horrible enough to make their faces turn pale out of distraught and horror. To the left, boys in red jerseys were tied to what looked like a volleyball net, their arms wrapped and bound in wires while several knights had them forced on their knees, and cracking whips, whacking them harshly at their backs. To the right, they were forced to run on a giant treadmill, running as fast as possible lest they be crushed by the spinning wheels of spikes turning at the end of the mill. A single thermis hanged in front of them, dangling like it held something precious. And at the very front, a single teen was held up in the air with their arms above their head, wrists bound in iron while a cannon fired upon him. It didn't shoot cannonballs, but rather volleyballs, each smashing straight into his stomach.

"Oh my god..." Makoto whispered in horror, taking a few steps back. "T-this...this is horrible!"

Akira stared back in shock. His brain was trying to process what was going on. The knights were one thing, but this? This was...disgusting. Horrible. Someone was taking these poor people, and torturing them. However, in spite of the overwhelming wrongness displayed before his eyes, he noticed a recurring theme in the torture itself. The first was the volleyball net that the boys were tied too, the second being the treadmill with the thermis hanging in front of the boys like a prize, and the third was the cannon shooting volleyballs and the poor target hanging in front of it helplessly. 'What does any of this have to do with volleyball?' he questioned. He shook his head. Now wasn't the time to be analyzing this! He had to help them!

Thankfully, it seemed Sakamoto shared his thoughts, as he turned back to the two with a fierce look. "Come on!" he urged them. "Let's get these guys out!" He wasted no time. In seconds, they were at the bars, inspecting them for any sort of unlocking mechanism for the gates, while Makoto went to another gate, trying to get it open. "Come on!" Sakamoto growled, trying to rip the door off its hinges. "Dammit, come on...!"

"...just stop it." Akira and Sakamoto stopped, looking at one of the boys. It was only now that the noticed that a few of the boys in that room weren't being tortured, but definitely showed signs of abuse. Bandages, casts, slings; almost any part of their body was wrapped up in white cloth, and bruises all across their face. "It's no use..."

"W-what?!" the blonde delinquent gawked. Akira understood his feelings perfectly. The boys looked so...defeated, and resigned to what was happening to them. Even those who were being whipped showed signs of reluctant acceptance of what was being done to them. It was like they just stopped trying to refuse this punishment, and accept it for what it was. But...that was crazy! No one would ever accept this! How could anyone accept being subjected to this torture?! "Are you nuts?! I don't know if you looked at yourselves, but you're seriously gonna-" Suddenly, Sakamoto stopped, and looked at the boy's face intently. Then, recognition flashed in his eyes, and he recoiled. "N-no way...aren't you...?"

"Sakamoto-kun," Makoto called out from where she was. Akira turned to look at her, and found a similar look of realization and disturb on her face as well. "These boys...they're all members of Kamoshida-sensei's volleyball team!"

Kamoshida...that name again. The teacher that was talking to Takamaki. The one Ryuji called a perverted bastard. The one that was depicted as a righteous golden knight in that painting. 'That's too much to be coincidence,' Akira thought, looking back at the defeated forms of everyone in each of those rooms, subjected to torture. 'This place...its somehow connected to that Kamoshida. But why? Moreover, why are members from his club here?' Suddenly, Sakamoto's actions of hostility upon the subject of Kamoshida came to mind, and suddenly, Akira was starting to have a clearer picture of Kamoshida now. 'Don't tell me...'

"Kamoshida," Akira said, looking at Sakamoto. "Did he...abuse the volleyball team?"

Sakamoto grit his teeth, his knuckles turning white due to how hard he was gripping the bars. "Abuse?" he scoffed with absolute anger. "It ain't no abuse...its exactly the shit we're seeing here! This is what he did to the track team, all because it was becoming more popular than the volleyball team!" He began to thrash against the gate out of anger, screaming. "This is what this bastard does! He ruins lives, all because he thinks himself as the king of the castle!"

Akira's eyes softened. Sakamoto's reactions...it was clear that he hated Kamoshida with all of his being. He mentioned that Kamoshida had abused the track team (though Sakamoto had referred to this 'abuse' as what they were looking at now, the horrible torture being displayed before their very eyes), so Sakamoto must have known some of the members, or...he was part of the team. He had noticed that whenever Sakamoto had walked, there was a slight limp in his right leg, though he was still unsure of the reasons why. "Sakamoto-san..."

"Good grief, what a rackat..."

Suddenly, a cold wave of apprehension and unease spread across Akira's form when the voice, marred with annoyance, emerged from behind. Quickly, the three students turned, and were greeted with quite the surprise. "K-Kamoshida-sensei?!" Makoto gasped. Standing next to three knights was the man of the hour himself, Suguru Kamoshida...only Akira noticed something very disturbing about the man. For starters, he wasn't wearing his clothes from earlier. Rather, he was instead dressed in a red cape with a fur lining, which covered up most of his body, though it ended at his calves, revealing immensely hair legs. At the feet, he wore simple brown loafers, and disturbling, he wore nothing underneath his cape, and the only thing covering his nether regions was a bright pink speedo. Atop his head was a golden, spiked crown.

However, what Akira noticed the most were his eyes. Pools of malicious, writhing gold that stared back with intentions laid before.

"I noticed three little tresspassers in my castle, but I didn't expect it would be you three," Kamoshida(?) chuckled, a cruel smile on his face. "The Student Council President, the boy with the criminal record, and the Track Traitor...hahaha, what a find."

Sakamoto growled, moving away from the cells. "Y-you son of a...!" Before Akira could stop him, Sakamoto charged, intending to throttle the man. Makoto shouted at him in worry, telling him to stop, but her words fell on deaf ears. Unfortunately, Sakamoto had forgotten about the knights, as one of them had stepped in front of Kamoshida(?), and rammed his shield straight into the charging blonde. He let out a cry as he was thrown back, his back smacking harshly against the cobblestone wall. He soon then crumpled to the ground in a heap. He would have gotten up, if not for the blades at his neck. "Dammit...!"

"As idiotic and as rash as you always were," Kamoshda(?) chuckled darkly before he looked at the remainder two. "A shame your little friends are about to be executed as well."

'Executed?!' Akira thought in shock. 'He can't be serious!'

"Stop it!" Makoto shouted. "Are you out of your mind?!"

In response to her defiance, one of the knights closest to her trudged forward, and slammed its shield into her, knocking her into the bars. Makoto let out a yelp, and fell to the ground. Before she had a chance to get up, the knight pinned her to the floor, and aimed its sword at her neck. The threat was more than clear. Meanwhile, the other knight trained its eyes at Akira, and slowly advanced. He gritted his teeth. This was crazy...what the hell was going on?! The torture was one thing, but this?! Just as the knight approached, Akira made a move. The armored soldier thrusted its shield forward with the intent of knocking him down, but he sidestepped at the last second, and then threw his weight into his shoulder, slamming himself into the knight. His labor bore fruit, and the knight was struck into the ground.

Unfortunately, Akira had miscalculated. Just as he turned around, a sudden black object came out of nowhere, striking him straight in the face. He was thrown back to the floor, and his glasses were smacked away, clattering to the floor. He groaned, getting back up to his feet, though as soon as he did, two rough hands grabbed him by the shoulders, and threw him against the wall, pinning him there. As the dizziness faded, he saw three more knights now presented, having entered just as he dealt with the one that was still on the ground. However, one was unique, in that it wore golden armor, and its mask was black in color, yet still had dreadful red eyes.

"Any who dare disobey Lord Kamoshida shall be executed," the golden knight boomed, his voice possessing a slight echo.

Kamoshida(?) laughed. "Defiant brats, every last one of you," he said mockingly, giving a glare at the three students, though as he looked at Makoto, an unsavory glint passed through his eyes, and licked his lips. "Although...I suppose I can spare at least one of you. It would be a shame to kill miss Student Council President here. After all, she's got quite the body~"

"Y-you..." Akira felt anger swell up on his voice. Somehow, this situation seemed familiar, or at the very least, rubbed him the wrong way. This sense of wrongness, this feeling. He knew it from somewhere. Some part of him inside knew it too. "You bastard...who do you think you are?!"

Kamoshida(?) craned his neck, giving Akira a look of disinterest. "Hmph, what a stupid question," he said before he smirked. "I am Kamoshida...the king of this castle. I will say this, though...that look of defiance in your eyes...it really does irritate me." Then, the self-proclaimed king turned his attention to Sakamoto, who glared back at him in anger and loathing. "Well then, Sakamoto-kun...it's about time for your execution."

"Fucking brat...I'll sue you for this!"

Suddenly, the situation became clearer to him now. This sensation, this feeling just from looking at the scene. That smug, condescending attitude...all of it...it was just like from back then! Back when he tried to help that woman, and he ended up getting in trouble for it! Out of anger, he struggled against the knights holding him down, but their grasp remained resolute. At this rate, Sakamoto was going to be executed, and so was he...and he didn't want to imagine what would happen to Makoto. That's why he had to fight, he had to. He wouldn't this happen. This whole thing...it was wrong! People like that were wrong!

'Why?!' Akira thought out of frustration. 'Why am I so helpless?!'

Why indeed...

The frizzy-haired teen's eyes widened as a voice echoed. He ceased his struggling, and looked around the room. The guards still yet pinned him to the wall, the golden knight was preparing his blade, ready to bring it down on Sakamoto, and Makoto laid on the ground helpless, fruitlessly struggling. Kamoshida was still bearing that same arrogant smile on his face, ready to call for the blonde's death. No one had spoken, so...who was that? And that voice...why was it...

What's the matter? Are you simply going to watch? Will you simply allow yourself to be bound in the bindings of helplessness? Death awaits him if you do nothing.

'I know that, but I...'

Was your previous decision...a mistake then?

Akira's eyes widened, suddenly recalling the day when he was arrested. He remembered that day so vividly at this moment. The argument before he arrived, the man pulling on her clothes to try and force her into the car, him pushing the man off, the man getting hurt, and then the man suing him for the injuries he sustained. He lowered his head. That decision...the moment when it seemed like his fate had changed just by getting involved at that time...it was...

...it was no mistake.

'No...it wasn't!' Akira roared back as his eyes burned with anger. 'I'm not the one who's at the wrong here! No, it wasn't me who was the wrong...it's this damn world! The shitty adults who run it like its their goddamn given right! I refuse...I REFUSE to let someone dictate my future like they own it!' Once more, out of resolution and rage, Akira struggled. 'If living means I have to give up my future...then I'd rather die!'

...excellent.

With that lone word spoken, Akira's body became wracked with agony. As if out of nowhere, pain erupted within his very being. He let out a pained scream as he began to thrash around, the searing scorch of pain burning deep inside of him. It felt as if something was trying to rip itself out of him, deep from within his very body, clawing out viciously like a wild animal seeking freedom. The commotion earned the attention of those in attendance, with Makoto looking on in worry and helpless while Sakamoto looked on, confused and helpless. Kamoshida(?) stopped what he was doing, and looked at what was happening with Akira in confusion.

However, there was something that Makoto noticed, something that made her gasp.

Akira's eyes. They were no longer dark gray...they were shining, brilliant gold.

(cue: Persona 5 OST - Awakening)

Vow to me, the voice inside of his head demanded as the air around him began to grow heavier and more intense. Akira felt his body beginning to heat up, as if someone had it a fire in him. I am thou. Thou art I. Thou who art willing to perform all sacrilegious for thine own justice! Call upon my name, and release thy rage! Akira let out one final scream before the pain had ceased, and his body went limp, leaning against the wall. Rather than pain, a new emotion filled his being. Suddenly, the air grew more intense, and even from where she was, the Student Council President felt the wind around her beginning to blow, as if a storm was about to be unleashed.

Without warning, a powerful gust of wind erupted around Akira, throwing the guards away from him and smashing them straight into the wall, where they crumbled to the ground and did not move. The golden knife was knocked away, stumbling back a bit while Kamoshida(?) remained on his feet, albeit struggling from the force of the wind.

Show the strength of thy will to ascertain all on thine own, though thou be chained...

Akira stepped forward, and raised his head. Blue flames danced around his face for a split second before a white mask, avian in form, manifested on his face.

...to Hell itself!

Then, without any hesitation, Akira grabbed the mask, and proceeded to tear it off. To both Makoto and Sakamoto's horror, as the mask was removed from his face, blood gushed, staining his skin and around his eyes. The white mask remained in his grasp as his arms hung to his sides, and his head lowered. Slowly, almost tauntingly so, and increasing Kamoshida(?)'s growing disturb, Akira raised his head, revealing the golden eyes, and his mouth curling into a toothy, maddened grin. After the pain that had agonized him had come a wonderful euphoria. Even now, he felt it rushing through him, struggling and demanding to be released. Makoto and Sakamoto couldn't see what he did. Nor the knights, or Kamoshida(?). But he did. The chains that bound his wrists, keeping him from releasing that which would grant him the power he needed.

The power...to wipe that fucking arrogant look off of that shitty adult in front of his face.

And thus, he whispered the single word that sealed Kamoshida(?)'s fate,

"...persona."

As if released, the chains binding his wrists shattered apart. The blood around his face began to part, and soon the flames that created the mask began to burn, enclosing his form. First it was his face, but then it began to grow, slowly taking over his entire body. Red flames flickered within the red, forming on his face to create a devilish grin and slanted eyes. Claw-like hands took over his digits, and the flames grew outward from his hip, creating something reminiscent to that of a cloak. Then, the flames began to move, removing itself from Akira, and revealing him safe and unharmed...though his Shujin Academy uniform was gone. Instead, in its place, was attire reminiscent to that of a magician. He wore a black trench coat, a gray-collared shirt with black trousers, boots pressed against the foothold beneath him, and red gloves at his hands.

Behind him, the flames began to solidify, taking on a physical shape, and leaving all in attendance quaking with various emotions. It was easily twice the size of Akira. Wearing a red coat, the length of the clothing only made it up to the mid-back of the thing. A black mask with red designs made it seem like it had horns. Two gigantic black wings spread themselves out in a flourish and showy motion. Massive red boots with bladed heels were worn at the bottom to create a rather dignified yet dangerous look. Then, there was a white scarf and a tall top hat as two articles of clothing a gentleman would wear along with a massive vest with red strings. Black-clawed fingers sprouted out from red fingerless gloves, ready to slice all those that stood in its path. Chains rattled and surrounded its body, as if the metal links were being bent to the will of the massive entity. Flames burned on the black mask, resembling sharp teeth curled into a wicked grin, and eyes narrowed into a taunting glare.

"W-what..." Sakamoto gawked, his mouth quivering as he stared in absolute awe. "...the hell...?"

Makoto shared similar sentiments, looking on with wonder. "Kurusu-kun..."

The frizzy-haired teen ignored them both. He was too engrossed, too overjoyed by this euphoria with him. And with it, the rage he held within him, now directed at the one standing before him. With a grin, easily as wicked as the being before him, he bellowed,

"Ravage them...Arsene!"

TO BE CONTINUED...

Persona Compendium:

Arsene - Fool Arcana: [A being based off the main character of Maurice Leblanc's Novels, Arsene Lupin. He appears everywhere and is a master of disguise. He is known to help law-abiding citizens.]

A/N: The last portion of the chapter seemed weak to me, but it's 8:36 right now as I'm typing this, I'm dead tired so...yeah...