Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction in dedication to a much grander work. As such, the author does not own the rights to any characters within this story, and any correlation between any original characters that may appear and people in the real world are merely coincidental.

Persona: The Trickster's Trials

3rd Trial: The Fool's Awakening

4/11/ Early Morning/Overcast

-Niijima household-

Makoto hummed softly to herself as she readied her school bag on the couch, a small smile on her face as she recalled the short chats she had with Ren the night before. Never in her life did she think she would get along with someone so quickly-let alone a boy with a criminal record-but she did, and she honestly couldn't help but be in a good mood all morning as a result. She sort of wished that their encounter started in better circumstances, but in the end, she wasn't complaining. She made a new friend that also doubled as her assistant in the student council thanks to Sae. Although she wasn't aware of her sister's idea, she was grateful for it, even if Ren wasn't all that willing to go through with it initially. Council work is going to pile up soon, and with her focusing heavily on her exams this year, she really appreciated the extra aid.

"You seem to be in a good mood, Makoto. I take it something good happened while I was gone?" Sae said as she entered the room in her usual attire.

"Sis! Good morning! I thought you weren't going to wake up until later," Makoto said in surprise.

"I managed to get my work done earlier than expected and came home while you were asleep," Sae explained as she went to the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of water. "Now tell me, did anything interesting happen last night that made you so happy right now? It's been a long time since I've heard you hum like that."

"Oh, it wasn't anything special. I just got to learn about Ren-kun some more last night. We actually hit it off quite well, believe it or not," Makoto explained as she grabbed her bag and tucked it under her arm.

"Calling him by his first name already? That's a little surprising. Just be sure not to be too familiar with him during school hours. You need to have some level of professionalism," Sae said sternly as she sat at the table, prompting Makoto to nod as the elder sister's expression grew curious. "By the way, isn't it a little early for you to be leaving? I know you don't have any morning duties for student council today. Is there any reason why you're ready to go?"

"Oh, I promised Ren-kun that I would meet him at Leblanc and guide him to Shujin. He's not used to Tokyo yet, so I thought it would be a good idea to bring him with me so he wouldn't get lost," Makoto said as she headed towards the kitchenette herself.

"Good idea, Makoto. Looks like having you look after him during school turned out to be the best decision I've made," Sae praised with a small smile as she took a drink, causing Makoto to smile back in response while grabbing herself some orange juice, "It's also a good thing I convinced the faculty to give him a spot in the student council. Hopefully, being your assistant will teach him a few things about responsibility and work ethic, along with giving you more time to focus on your studies. It's your final year after all, and exams are just around the corner."

"I had the exact same idea earlier, Sis. I guess great minds think alike, huh?" Makoto said as she poured herself a cup and took a seat across from her sister.

"You could say that," Sae nodded before getting up from her seat and putting a hand on Makoto's shoulder, much to her confusion. "Now listen, Makoto. I know watching over my charge along with everything else you're doing will be difficult, but you are going to need to persevere and come out on top through any means necessary. Think of this as practice for when you finish college and enter the workforce. Life will be very hard for you in the future, trust me on that, but you won't have to worry so long as you continue to work hard and be the best. So, until then, focus on your studies, listen to what your instructors say, and get into a good college. You do that, and I will support you every step of the way, just as I always have. Got it?"

"…Yes, Sis. I understand," Makoto said softly, her eyes hard and determined and wanting nothing more than to follow her sister's words to the letter. She cared about the woman so much and wanted to do whatever she could to help her out and make her proud. She will admit that she was feeling a lot of pressure from the prosecutor's words, but it was nothing she couldn't handle. All she had to do was follow the path Sae set out for her.

"Good, now get going. Amamiya-kun might be waking up now, and while Yongen isn't that far of a ride from here, it would be best to get to him as early as possible so you two can start your day," Sae instructed as she gave her little sister a quick pat on the head before heading towards one of the couches and grabbing her laptop from it.

"Good idea, Sis," Makoto nodded as she drowned her juice in one go before heading towards the door, kneeling to put on her shoes as Sae began her work back in the kitchen.

"Oh, and Makoto?" she heard her sister call out, prompting her to stop and return to her. "Let Amamiya-kun know that we will be looking after him during Golden Week. His grandfather suggested that I should allow him to stay here every so often to get a more accurate report on his probation, and Golden Week will be the best time for me to begin with that. You don't mind him staying with us for a few days, do you?"

"I don't mind. In fact, I'm actually really looking forward to the holiday now. I'll be sure to let him know before the day's done," Makoto said with a fairly wide smile.

"Hmm. You really did bond with Amamiya-kun, have you?" Sae said while nodding in approval. "That's good. His rehabilitation is going to go very smoothly from here on out then, and you might get credit for that. I'm pretty sure something like this will look very good when it comes to college recommendations. Keep up the good work."

Makoto couldn't help but frown after hearing Sae's words. As much as she liked it when her sister praised her, what she just heard didn't sit right to her. It was one thing to get him to help with her council work, but it was another thing to simply use him as leverage for recommendations. She had done all she could in the past to make sure that she was on top so that colleges would scout her out but using her new friend's criminal record as leverage felt…wrong. To her, it was as if she was cheapening their budding friendship just to get an edge towards her future, and just thinking of that left a bitter taste in her mouth. But she couldn't tell her sister that. Not right now anyways. Maybe in the future, once things have settled down, she'll let her know, but for now, all she could do was nod and listen to whatever her sister said.

Just as she always done.

"Oh, and don't forget to take an umbrella. Weather reports say there's a strong chance of rain today, so be sure to keep yourself dry on your way to Shujin. Take one for Amamiya-kun as well, just in case."

"Yes, Sis…"

-Leblanc-

"Alright, looks like everything is set. Just need to wait for the kids to show up," Sojiro said as he set two platefuls of curry and a couple water glasses on his counter, a proud expression on his face as he admired his handiwork.

Today was the start of another average morning for him. Curry was made, coffee was brewing, and the store was clean and ready for his usuals to swing by. The only change that was made from his usual routine was making breakfast for the weird kid living in his store attic and the demure sister of one of his regulars coming to pick said kid up. Normally, he wouldn't do something like this to a little punk that went and got himself arrested, but since the kid was supposed to be under his care, he figured he'd be nice at least once in a while. Besides, if he had to be honest, the kid wasn't as bad as he thought he was-so far, at least. A bit blunt and somewhat morbid, but was polite enough and willing to listen, at least. He had a long way to go before he could get on his good graces, but so long as he did as he was told, things should go smoothly.

Now here's hoping I didn't jinx anything by thinking that. I really don't want to deal with Murphy's Law any more than I already have in my life, he thought while shaking his head before hearing the kid's voice from the stairs.

"…And are you sure you have everything? Pencil case? Phone charger? Epipen? We can't have another repeat of what happened in elementary school. …Yes, it's been years, but we can't be too careful. None of us are with you this time, after all. …I know, I know, that's my fault, but what's done is done. I promise to make it up to you when this is all over, ok?"

"Hmm. Must be talking to that sister of his he mentioned. Didn't expect him to be the overprotective brother type… Learning new things about the kid everyday," Sojiro muttered to himself as he saw the kid come down the stairs with his phone in his ear and a fond yet exasperated expression on his face. "Hard to believe that someone like this would have an assault record. I kind of want to know the details of that arrest of his… On second thought, I'd rather not. It's none of my concern, and at least the kid's willing to follow through with his probation guidelines."

"…Yeah. Yeah, I'm leaving right now, too. You stay safe over there, ok? And say hi to Doc for me once he comes back from that trip of his. I'll message you tonight to let you know how today went. …Of course. Love you, too. Bye, Sumi," the kid said, his voice growing softer at the end and causing Sojiro to shake his head at the sight just as he realized where he was. "Ah… Um… Sorry, was I being too loud?"

"I'm more surprised by the fact that you're actually going to school. Hearing you talk to your kid sister like a doting brother was just icing on the cake," Sojiro said with a small smirk, enjoying the kid's flustered expression, before gesturing to the food. "Here, how about I feed you. Just make sure you finish before customers show up."

"Curry for breakfast…? Guess I can't complain," the kid muttered, his face slowly going back to normal as he sat down on a barstool and stared at the food before him before turning his head to the other plate with a curious expression. "What's the other plate for? Planning on eating some yourself?"

"Nah. I already ate before showing up. Never a good idea to work in food service while you're hungry. Trust me, it rarely ends well," Sojiro denied while rubbing the back of his neck.

"Really? Then who's the other plate fo—"

"Excuse me. Sorry for barging in," Niijima-chan's voice rang through the café as she entered, the ringing of the bell still echoing slightly as she came in.

"…Oh. Never mind then," the kid muttered while giving Sojiro a side-eyed stare, to which he responded with a smug smirk.

"Saw this coming a kilometer away, kid. I've been around the block longer than you have," The café owner stated before turning to the guest with a kinder smile. "Good to see you, Niijima-chan. I was just making sure the kid here had some food in his gut before sending him out. Got a plate ready for you too, so dig in."

"O-Oh! Are you sure? I don't want you to just give me food for free. I can pay for it," she stammered as she reached into her bag to get her wallet out, forcing Sojiro to raise his palm up in front of her to get her to stop.

"No need to worry. I've got plenty made, so giving away a couple plates for free isn't going to hurt me at all. Now eat. You two have a long day ahead and such days are best done with a full stomach," he said as he made another gesture towards his special breakfast curry.

Relenting with a small sigh, Niijima-chan headed towards the counter and sat down, and Sojiro watched as she and the kid shared brief smiles before the two gave a silent prayer for the food. The pair then proceeded to have a bite of their breakfast, only to go wide-eyed once they tasted his masterpiece. It didn't take long for the two to start wolfing the curry down, and all Sojiro could do was chuckle silently to himself at the sight of two more people succumbing to his culinary prowess.

Gets them every time, he thought as he went over to his brewer with a couple cups and poured some coffee for the two to wash down the curry, smirking again when they grew starstruck once more after taking a sip.

"Thanks for the food!" the two said together as soon as they finished their meal with satisfied smiles.

"That curry was amazing. And the coffee complimented it so well. No wonder Sis comes here so often," Niijima-chan said while sighing in content.

"No kidding. And I thought my sister was a good cook. Best damn meal I had in a long time," the kid agreed as he rubbed his stomach.

"Heh, flattery's not gonna get you two anywhere," Sojiro chuckled, as he grabbed the dishes and cups. "Now, get going. You know that the train schedule is gonna be off today because of the incident yesterday, so you two better be off now or you'll be late. Kid, turn the sign over to open before you leave. Oh, and thanks for flipping the sign to close last night. I forgot to do it before I left, and I didn't remember until I woke up this morning. I owe you one."

"Don't worry about it, Boss. I'll get the sign when we're out," the kid nodded with a thumb's up.

"Good. And Niijima-chan, make sure the wallflower over here doesn't get lost on the way. City's big, after all…" Sojiro said to rile the kid up, feeling proud when he saw his eye twitching in obvious annoyance while Niijima-chan was trying to stuff her laughter behind a fist.

"I…I'll try…" she said as a giggle escaped her lips before dragging her annoyed schoolmate out the doorway by the wrist, leaving Sojiro alone and shaking his head as he turned to the window and watched the pair turn his store sign to open and leave towards the station.

"Heh, kids these days," he muttered as he placed the dishware in the sink and started washing them.

Morning/Raining

-Aoyama Itchome subway platform-

Ugh… Boss was right. Transfers are a pain. Not to mention the ride itself was awkward as hell, Ren thought as he and Makoto exited the train, the two of them sporting light blushes on their faces and looking away from each other. Sakura was correct in saying that the train schedule was going to be off for the day, which unfortunately meant that the subway was completely packed. It was so bad that the pair ended up pressing against each other the entire way to their destination, blushing and apologizing to one another nearly the whole trip. Twice over, technically, since they had to transfer to another train that was just as, if not more, cramped than the last one. He heard that the subways were packed most the time, but it felt like he was trapped like a sardine in a tin can for the longest time.

"Um… Sorry about the subway," Makoto spoke up nervously as she tucked a stray hair behind her ear as the two climbed the stairs towards the outside. "I-I wasn't expecting it to be so crowded today. It is quite packed usually, but not like this. I suppose the awkward schedule really made everyone scramble to whatever train they could get on to not be late."

"Yeah… Just like us, I suppose. Although we're kinda short on time because of that…" Ren muttered while pushing up his glasses and fruitlessly fighting to get rid of his blush. Having a girl pressed up against him was a very embarrassing experience, even if it did feel kind of nice. There was no way he was going to admit the last part out loud, though. Not only would it be incredibly awkward, he would most likely get punched in the gut the moment those words left his mouth. Maybe even worse, considering she had martial arts training. Best to keep his mouth shut unless he wanted to get a roundhouse kick to the face or something.

"In any case, let's get going," Makoto suggested while rummaging her bag, her faint flush slowly receding. "The school's not that far from here. All we need to do is walk for a few minutes and we're there. Also, this is for you."

"Huh? An umbrella?" Ren asked, his own blush finally fading as he was given a black, tube-like object.

"Yes. Sis said that there's a good chance of rain today so she suggested that I bring a couple and give one to you," She responded as she pulled out a pale blue variation of it for herself and popped it open.

"Wow. Good call on Niijima-san's part," he said with a nod as he opened his own umbrella and the pair proceeded to enter the rain and onward to school

The walk itself was a quiet one, not unlike their train ride, but unlike the awkward trip underground, the walk was more pleasant than anything. Lots of students were walking by the pair, chatting amongst themselves amicably or rushing down the sidewalk to get out of the rain. Some students that passed by gave Makoto a polite wave and greeting, which she returned in kind, and Ren couldn't help but smile at the attention she was getting. He pulled out his phone to check to see how they were doing on time, only to pause when he noticed something odd once more.

What the hell? The app's back? I even rebooted my phone last night. This is getting too freaky, he thought while glaring at the accursed crimson app.

"Ren-kun? Is something wrong? You just stopped suddenly," Makoto's voice spoke up, causing Ren to look up to see her approaching him with a concerned expression.

"I'm fine, but I don't think my phone is," he said slowly as he showed her the app on his phone, which had expanded to fill half the screen.

"Oh. That's an unusual looking app. Is it for navigation?" She pondered as she pressed it, looking confused when it didn't do anything.

"I'm not sure what it does. The thing keeps popping up at weird times and I can't get rid of it. In fact, I—"

"Good morning! You want me to give you a ride to school? You're gonna be late." The pair heard a man's voice, and the two turned to see a silver car parked in front of them, driven by a buff-looking man with messy dark hair. It took a little bit, but Ren realized that the man wasn't talking to him or Makoto. Instead, the man was talking to another person hiding under a store's cover.

It was a young woman who looked to be their age, sporting light blonde hair, blue eyes, and a general foreign air around her. She was wearing what looked like a modified Shujin uniform; the black blazer over a white varsity hoodie that reached down to her plaid skirt and nearly hid it from view, and red stockings with brown boots. To Ren, the girl looked vaguely familiar to him, but he wasn't entirely sure where from.

"Sure, thank you," she said as she neared the vehicle, sparing a quick glance to the pair before entering.

"Ah, Niijima. Didn't see you there. You and your friend need a lift too?" the man asked politely as the blonde fastened her seat-belt.

"Oh no, we're fine, Mr. Kamoshida. Thank you for asking though," Makoto insisted in a faux-polite tone, something that Ren noticed immediately but remained silent for the moment.

"Alright, but try and hurry on to school, ok? Can't have our student council president be late for class and set a bad example for everyone," the man teased with a wide grin as he pulled up the window, but not before Ren noticed the blonde's depressed expression for a short moment.

He stared at the car as it drove off, curious as to why the girl in it looked so upset, and turned to Makoto for answers when he saw a look of pure and utter contempt. It was honestly a little frightening to him to see such a face on the girl, considering she was nothing but nice to him, if a little awkward at times. He was about to ask what was wrong when he heard the sounds of footsteps running towards them, and turned to see a punkish guy his age approaching them. The guy had the typical Shujin blazer and plaid pants, but instead of the white shirt, he had a yellow one with a star-shaped ZOMG logo in the center. He also wore a white belt, had his suspenders hanging loose on his sides, and wore white sneakers that looked like they had the image of a red sun on them. All in all, with the dyed blond hair and overall thuggish demeanor, the guy looked like a stereotypical delinquent to him.

Actually, the guy kinda reminds me of Aniki when he was a first year, with the dyed hair and all. I guess there's people like that here as well, Ren thought as the vulgar-looking teen ran past him and Makoto.

"Dammit, screw that pervy teacher," he heard the boy grumble once he stopped running, an obvious air of irritation around him as he looked at the departing vehicle.

"Pervy teacher…?" Ren repeated softly, looking at Makoto for clarification and accidently slipping his thumb on the crimson app.

"An apt description of him, vulgar as it is…" Makoto said slowly with a bit of venom in her voice, making Ren double take at the unexpected tone.

Ok, I wasn't expecting that. What the hell did that teacher do to tick Senpai off and make the other guy call him a perv? he thought as he turned his attention back to the punk-looking student, who was now looking back at him and Makoto irritably.

"Huh. What do you want?" the vulgar boy called out to Ren as he stalked towards him with a fierce look in his light brown eyes. "You plannin' on rattin' me out to Kamoshida?"

"Kamoshida?" Ren repeated, growing more confused by the second.

"That's who was in the car just now, Ren-kun. Shujin Academy's P.E. teacher: Suguru Kamoshida…" Makoto explained with an exasperated sigh, causing the punkish teen to turn to her in shock.

"What the—Prez?! The hell're you doin' here?! Shouldn't you be in school already and kissing up to the teachers there?" the punk exclaimed, his words causing Ren to blink a little at the harshness before turning to Makoto, who was glaring back in response.

"I'm helping my new assistant find his way to school since he's new here, and I would appreciate it if you keep your comments to yourself, Sakamoto-kun," she said sternly, her expression spooking the punk before turning back to Ren with a softer, but still exasperated expression. "Ren-kun, this is Ryuji Sakamoto, one of the more notorious delinquents in Shujin. If you don't want to have any difficult times during your stay here, I suggest you stay away from him. Trust me, he's nothing but trouble."

"Hey! It ain't my fault I'm like this! It's that damn bastard Kamoshida that started it all!" Sakamoto exclaimed before looking away in frustration, "Effin' prick thinks he rules the school like he's king of the castle or somethin'…"

"A castle? Seriously?" Ren questioned, wondering about the analogy for the school. It honestly looked more like a prison to him than a castle, but he supposed everyone has their own way of thinking things.

"Sakamoto-kun, that's enough," Makoto sighed as she placed a hand on her head. "I understand how you feel about Kamoshida, but this isn't the time and place for it."

"The hell you talkin' about, Prez?! You hate the guy just as much as I do! Don't think that I don't remember the bastard try t' perv on your sister when she wasn't lookin' durin' the School Festival last—!"

"Don't you dare bring that up, Sakamoto-kun. That is not something I want to hear right now," Makoto said in a calm, yet terrorizing tone, her auburn eyes practically red with rage as she glared at the punk, causing Ren to actually step away from the girl a little in both fear and surprise.

Holy crap, she's scary. Are all Niijimas this frightening when pissed? I hope I don't do anything to be on the receiving end of this in the future, he thought as a bead of sweat started falling from his face.

"Alright, alright, jeez! I won't bring it up! Just stop lookin' at me like that! Seriously, you're pretty harsh for a pushover, ya know," Sakamoto grumbled, causing Ren to wince as he noticed the seething rage that was emanating from said president, before the punk turned to him with a curious expression. "So you're her assistant, right? She said you were new, as well. Explains why you don't know who Kamoshida is. Where're ya from, anyways?"

"From the countryside. Had some stuff happen there so now I'm going to Shujin for the next year. Senpai's family and mine know each other, so she's helping me adjust while I'm here," Ren explained with a shrug. He didn't want to say the reason why he was attending Shujin, but there was no reason he couldn't be honest with a few things.

"Really? Must've been a shock comin' over here then, huh?" the punk said as he looked at the seemingly impassive teen contemplatively before shaking his head. "Ah forget. C'mon, let's get goin'. Rain's not too bad, and if we don't book it, we're gonna be late. Can't have Miss Prez here ruin her perfect attendance either."

"Wait, Sakamoto-kun. You need something first," Makoto spoke up as she gestured Ren to come near her, who simply nodded in response.

"Ah, c'mon Prez, are you gonna lecture me 'bout my hair again? I already told you I'll get on…" Sakamoto began to complain until he paused, realizing that he wasn't feeling the rain drizzling on his head. Looking before him, he saw that Makoto was holding her umbrella over him, while she herself was standing beside Ren under his umbrella to stay dry. "…The hell?"

"What? Just because you're a troublemaker, doesn't mean I won't help you out. I'm the student council president, which means it's my responsibility to help out any student in need. And that includes you. So take it. I insist," Makoto explained as she held her umbrella out to Sakamoto, her expression still stern but her voice a bit softer than earlier, and Ren couldn't help but smile a little at her action.

She really is like her sister, but more openly compassionate and caring towards others. I think I'm going to like working with her in the council… he thought as he turned to Sakamoto, who was still staring at Makoto with a stunned expression, and gave a small hum in affirmation, snapping the punk out of his stupor.

"Oh… Um… Thanks, I guess…" the punkish teen muttered as he took the umbrella out of her hands.

"Think nothing of it. Just doing my duty. Now let's get going, or else we'll be late for—Ahh!"

Ren jumped at the sound of Makoto's sudden scream in pain, growing worried when she curled into herself and started clutching her head. He was about to ask her what was wrong when he suddenly became lightheaded. A moment later, he dropped to his knees as well, dropping his umbrella and grabbing his head as he felt it almost pulse in pain while his other hand gripped his still active phone tightly.

"Whoa, you two doin' alri—argh!" he heard Sakamoto cry out, prompting him to try and force his eyes open to see that the other teen was suffering just like him and Makoto. Even clutching his head in pain and dropping the umbrella Makoto gave him. It was only a moment later that he felt the pain in his mind ebb away slowly, and he finally found the strength to pick himself up from the ground. Grabbing his fallen umbrella, Ren looked at both Makoto and Sakamoto to see that both of them had also recovered from whatever happened, and let out a soft sigh of relief that they were ok, if a little wet.

"Oh… Is everyone alright?" Makoto groaned as she rubbed her forehead slightly to rid herself of any remaining pain.

"I…think so. Sorry for getting us wet," Ren apologized as he got close to Makoto and held the umbrella over the both of them

"Ugh… My head hurts. Dammit, I wanna go home," Sakamoto moaned pathetically, the pair behind him silently agreeing with his idea, before all three headed towards the school.

Or at least, what they thought was the school.

"There was a terrible subway accident around that time. Don't you remember?"

"Kind of… I think I remember Makoto saying you had to go to work early because of that… Something about it being related to…psychotic breakdowns…?"

"That's right, but the way you say that is as if it wasn't any of your business… It was all over the news, and one of the victims included a teacher at your school."

"…What do you mean?"

"Let me rephrase the question then. On that day, were you still considered an 'ordinary' student? Please be honest with me, Ren-kun…"

"…"

"…Let's change the subject. Your grandfather and I signed you up at Shujin Academy: an ordinary prep school that can be found in any city. At least, that's what it should've been… What exactly happened around that time? Tell me everything, Ren-kun. Truthfully…"

Morning/Rain

-Path to Shujin Academy…?-

The three students made their way towards Shujin Academy, Sakamoto leading the way with Makoto and Ren following. It was then that Ren realized that he still had his phone in his hand and was about to put it away when he noticed that the crimson app was still active. Frowning, he used his thumb to move it to the trash again, but became confused when it didn't move. It reminded him of the first time he got the damn thing; back when everything suddenly froze in time. Growing frustrated, Ren pocketed his phone and focused on heading to school, only to slow down when he felt that something was off.

The air around him felt…weird, to put it lightly, as he got closer to the school. It tasted a bit...stagnant to him now for some reason. He couldn't help but feel tense as a result. Another hint was a puddle that he stepped on as he was putting his phone away. The splash he made was slow, as if time itself was moving at a snail's pace. It reminded him of his first day of Tokyo, now that he thought about it. He wanted to say something, but he wasn't sure if the others saw what he did. After all, practically all of Shibuya was oblivious to what he witnessed on that day. Who's to say Makoto or Sakamoto weren't the same?

Then again, everyone was frozen when that blue fire showed up in the middle of the road. Senpai and Sakamoto-san can still move. Damn it all, this is getting confusing, he thought while pinching the bridge of his nose. He did not want to deal with anything weird on his first day of school, but, of course, something was about to happen. He should be used to things going south for him at this point…

"Ren-kun? Is something wrong?" Makoto spoke up, causing him to turn to see her frowning at him in concern.

"…It's nothing. Just my imagination," he answered while shaking his head. He didn't want to scare her with something that might just be in his head.

"What The Hell!?"

"What the? Sakamoto-kun?" Makoto spoke up in surprise, making Ren realize that they had lost sight of the blond and proceeded to follow the one-way path towards the school in hopes of catching up to him. It only took them a few seconds to find him standing just outside the alleyway exit with his borrowed umbrella on the floor. Before they could ask what was wrong, the two looked ahead and immediately learned what caused the vulgar teen to cry in alarm.

Shujin Academy was gone, replaced by what looked to be a large, ornate castle of some sort, complete with a drawbridge, large brick walls, and more. Ren stepped back in shock as soon as he saw the large structure, gripping his umbrella tightly in the process. He couldn't help but compare what was happening to what he witnessed on the first day in Tokyo. The main difference between the events was the fact that, this time, he wasn't alone in seeing something so out of place.

Though I'm not sure if that's a good thing. If things are gonna go to hell, I really don't want them to get caught up in it, he thought as he looked at Makoto and Sakamoto, who were looking at the castle in shock.

"What… What in the world…?" Makoto gasped in shock while backpedaling into Ren. "This is… This is unbelievable. Did we make a wrong turn?"

"We didn't. This should be the right way to school, Prez. It even says 'Shujin' on the gate," Sakamoto said as he picked up the umbrella he dropped and pointed at said gate, where it indeed said the word 'Shujin' on it.

"Well… There's no point of standing around here wondering what's going on. Let's head inside and find someone who can help us. Hopefully we can get some answers," Ren suggested as he went ahead towards the school, with the others following close behind.

The moment they entered they were greeted by the sight of a large, spacious room filled with chandeliers, black and white checkered floors decorated with red rugs, elaborate pillars with flags around them, a large stairway to what appeared to be the upper floors, and, oddly enough, a massive picture of a familiar looking dark-haired man in a golden suit of armor. It was so ornate and gaudy that Ren's eyes started to hurt a little at the sight of it all.

"Ugh… I really wish I had sunglasses or something for this," he muttered with squinted eyes as he folded his umbrella and handed it to Makoto. "So, do either of you know what the hell's going on?"

"I have no idea… I don't even think we're in Tokyo anymore…" Makoto said softly as she looked around the large room while also accepting Sakamoto's umbrella and putting them away.

"Can't call for anyone either. No service," Ryuji spoke up while holding out his phone to show to the pair, prompting the two to check their own phones and got the same result.

"This is completely abnormal. Just how did we end up here?" the lone female of the group questioned after surveying the lobby.

"I got a bad feeling about this…" Ren muttered with narrow eyes as he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

It was then that they heard the sounds of metallic footsteps approach them, and the three turned to see what looked like a man in a suit of armor coming towards them, complete with a large sword and shield on each hand. Makoto and Ren both became apprehensive at the sight of the knight, but Sakamoto didn't really seem all that bothered and approached the figure.

"Geeze, you freaked me out," he sighed while giving the knight a wry smile. "So, who're you? You a student?"

"How does he not see that that's not a student?!" Makoto hissed as she shuffled behind Ren, with him holding an arm out in a protective stance for her.

"Gotta say, man, that's one impressive costume. Is that armor real?" the oblivious teen asked as he walked closer towards the knight, growing impatient when the being remained silent. "C'mon, don't just stand there. Say somethin'."

"Sakamoto-san, I don't think it's a good idea to agitate the guy in full suit of armor wielding a sword that's bigger than you are," Ren hissed, stiffening when he heard more heavy footsteps approaching them.

"Well how else am I gonna find out what the hell's happenin'? Besides, this guy's not doin' anythin'; what's the worst that could happen?" Ryuji shrugged as he went to give the knight a poke, only to freeze when another knight appeared in a menacing manner . "H-Hey, what's goin' on?"

"He warned you not to agitate them! Now look at what you've done!" Makoto exclaimed while clutching Ren's shoulder in fear.

"How was I supposed to know this was gonna happen!?" the delinquent yelled back, jumping a little when the first knight began to approach him. "Dammit, we gotta run!"

"No need to tell us twice. Let's get the hell out of here!" Ren ordered, grabbing Makoto by the arm and rushing towards the exit, only to be blocked by two more knights that entered from the gate.

"We're surrounded!" Makoto yelled as the knights began to circle around them,t.

"Effin' hell, why is this happenin' to—Gyah!"

"Shit! Sakamoto-san!" Ren cried, his fear growing when he saw Sakamoto get bashed into the ground by a knight's shield.

"Oww! You're breakin' my bones, dammit!" he yelled defiantly, only to get stuck on the back of his head and pass out, freaking Ren out even more as Makoto tried desperately to reach over to the fallen teen.

"Stop! Leave Sakamoto-kun alone this—Kya!"

"Senpai!" Ren shouted as he caught his new friend, having passed out from the blow to the head by the knight's shield, only to feel a strong strike hitting his head as well. With his vision blurring, he could only hear one thing before succumbing to the assault.

"Take them away!"

-?-

What… What happened…? What's going on…? And why does my head hurt…?

"Hey…? You two doin' alright? C'mon, wake up!"

Was that… Sakamoto-san? Wait… Where am I?

Grabbing his head in mild pain, Ren began to sit himself up, vaguely aware that he was on some sort of bed, and blinked a couple times to refocus his eyes, a little surprised that his glasses were still on his face. As his vision began to clear, he turned his head to the right, seeing that Makoto was also slowly picking herself up from the strange cot that she was on, one hand rubbing the top of her head while the other was holding a brown headband. Happy to see her safe, he focused his attention on Sakamoto, who seemed to be the least hurt out of the three of them, before taking a look at his surroundings, grimacing when he realized what kind of room they were all in.

A prison cell.

"Hey, man. You alright?" Sakamoto asked in concern.

"I've been better, but I'll manage," Ren muttered as the last of his headache began to fade before turning his attention to the third occupant. "How about you, Senpai?"

"My head is a little sore, but I'll survive," she replied as she placed her headband back on with a slight wince before looking around the room. "Where… Where are we?"

"Dunno. All I can say though is that this ain't no dream if us gettin' hurt's any sign…"Sakamoto spoke up while scratching the back of his head nervously before turning towards the sealed door.

"…What's going on here? Why are we in a prison cell?" Makoto questioned softly, eyeing the torture chains on the walls in fear as Sakamoto began pounding door and calling out for someone.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Ren said as he got up from the cot and offered his hand to Makoto, who accepted it and stood up as well when Sakamoto walked back to the pair.

"Dammit, where are we?! Is this some kinda TV set…?" he exclaimed.

"Most messed up set I've ever seen if that's the case," Ren muttered in disdain, only to jump at the sounds of screaming echoing in the hall.

Loud, pain-filled, torturous screaming that made his blood go cold.

"What was that!?" Makoto cried, prompting Ren and Sakamoto to sprint over to the cell door to try and find where the scream came from, only to be greeted by the sound of more screaming. It was as if someone was being tortured at the moment…

"Whoa… whoawhoawhoawhoa… You're shittin' me, right?" Sakamoto said in a panicked tone as he and Ren stepped away from the bars fearfully.

"We have to get out of here," Ren stated as his eyes darted around furiously to find a way out of their confinement.

"There is no way out… I checked…" Makoto said in a defeated tone as she walked towards the boys with her head down.

"Can't we hide in the barrels? They should be big enough to fit us…" Ren questioned in a bit of a rushed tone.

"This ain't a movie, man. Shit like that don't work in the real world…" Sakamoto grumbled as he clenched his fist. "Dammit, is there seriously no way out?!"

"There has to be. We just have to keep looking…" Ren said quietly, trailing off when he heard the sounds of heavy footsteps once more, and turned to see a group of knights approaching the cell. "…Well that figures."

"Be glad that your punishment has been decided upon!" the lead knight spoke. "Your charge is 'unlawful entry'. Thus, the two of you will be sentenced to death."

"Say what!?" Sakamoto cried out as Makoto gasped in shock, covering her mouth with her hands and stepping away from the door. Ren however, narrowed his eyes as he caught a certain part of the knight's words.

"Two of us…?" he asked, clenching his fist as anger and dread began to fill him.

"That's right. The boys will be executed; however, the girl has a chance to live if she is willing to consent to being our lord's consort," the knight explained, causing a growl to come out of Ren while Makoto visibly shook at the request.

"The hell? You want the Prez to play music for your boss or something?" Sakamoto questioned.

"That's…concert, Sakamoto-kun… Consort is s-something…comple…com…" Makoto tried to explain before collapsing on her knees with her hands over her mouth and a horrid expression on her face, prompting Ren to rush to her side and place a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Senpai, it's ok. I won't let this lord or whatever get to you. I swear it," Ren muttered in hopes of calming his friend down as Sakamoto appeared right before the pair with a concerned expression.

"Prez! What's wrong?! The hell does this 'lord' guy want?!" the vulgar boy exclaimed.

"In simple terms, these guards' lord wants us dead and Senpai for her body… Things have definitely gone straight to hell for us," Ren stated in the calmest tone he could muster as he tried to calm Makoto down while Sakamoto's face became red with rage.

"What!? That's effin' bullshit! That 'lord' bastard has no right to do somethin' like this!" he screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Of course I can. It's my castle. No one is allowed to do as they please here without my permission," a distorted, yet familiar voice said, causing all three of them to look past the prison bars to see Kamoshida walking up towards the door.

Or at least, it looked like Kamoshida. The hair and face looked the same, but the man was wearing nothing but a red, heart printed cape that draped over his torso, a pair of pink briefs and a small gold crown on his head. The most disturbing part of this man, however, were his eyes, which were a sinister golden color. To Ren, the eyes reminded him of the child-like wardens he saw in his dream, but their eyes did not look near as menacing as this one's…

"Huh? Kamoshida? Is that you?" Sakamoto asked as he grabbed the bars of the door.

"That's Kamoshida?" Ren asked Makoto softly, who had finished crying, but still looked a bit haggard.

"I…I don't know. It looks like him, but…" she trailed off, sounding very unsure of herself.

"I thought it was some petty thieves, but to think it'd be the local punk Sakamoto and good ol' President Niijima…" the odd Kamoshida said while looking at the punk blond with a taunting smirk. "Are you trying to disobey me again? Looks like you haven't learned your lesson at all, huh…"

"You little…" Sakamoto growled as his grip on the bars tightened.

"And you, little miss president. To think that the Star Student of Shujin would stoop so low as to hang out with the scummiest of scum? Now what would the principal and your sister say when they hear about that, eh?" the golden eyed man taunted, a strange look in his eyes as he stared at the lone female in the group.

"N-No…" Makoto whimpered, looking more and more distraught by the second.

"Hey, jackass! Leave them alone, will you?!" Ren spoke up angrily, moving to stand protectively before Makoto.

"Oh, and it looks like you two brought a friend. I guess neither of you can do anything on your own…" the strange man goaded, his grin growing more wicked and further angering Ren.

"This isn't funny, you asshole! Let us out!" Sakamoto screamed as he shook the cell bars, which only served to anger the man.

"How dare you speak to a king? It seems like you don't understand the position the three of you are in at all," he countered. "Not only did you sneak into my castle, but you also committed the crime of insulting me. The king. The punishment for that is death. It's time for the execution!"

"Sakamoto-kun!" Makoto cried out as the prison door flew open, sending Sakamoto staggering back as the weird nights knights began surrounding him.

"Goddammit…!" he growled as the knights moved in closer to him until he suddenly tackled the nearest one to the ground, much to Ren and Makoto's surprise. "I ain't down for this shit! Let's get out of—Gah!"

"Sakamoto-san!" Ren shouted, fear rooting him to the ground as he saw a knight punch Sakamoto and bring him to his knees. He wanted desperately to help, but before he could bring himself to move, he felt his blood freeze at the sound of a certain someone crying out in pain.

"Hey! Let go of me!"

"Senpai!" he cried as he turned to his side to see another knight dragging Makoto towards the odd looking Kamoshida. With both his schoolmates captured, Ren had no idea what to do anymore, torn between who to save first and wondering what would happen if he wasn't able to save the other quickly enough.

"The hell are you doin', standin' 'round?!" Sakamoto called out. "Just go! Get outta here! These guys are serious!"

"We'll be fine, Ren-kun! Just go and find a way out!" Makoto cried, fresh tears threatening to fall off her face as the guard tightened its grip on her.

"But… But I…"

"Oh, running away, aren't we? What a heartless friend you are…" Kamoshida(?) taunted Ren, who looked back at him fearfully before turning back to the captured teens worried.

"He's not a friend…" Sakamoto muttered out as he slowly picked himself up.

"And he's not heartless… If anything, you're the heartless one here…" Makoto stated in defiance, her near crimson eyes glaring at the man in utter disgust.

"Shut it! I wasn't talking to you!" he shouted before backhanding Makoto hard in the face, the sound it made echoing in the small chamber.

"Stop that!" Ren shouted as he tried to move to her, only to freeze again when one of the knights appeared behind and held a sword by his throat.

"Hmph. Pathetic scum isn't worth my time," Kamoshida scoffed before grabbing Makoto by the face and stared at her intensely. "I'll have fun with you in a bit. Right now, though, I got someone else to focus on."

The next few moments could only be described as pure torture to Ren. All he could do was watch as Sakamoto was attacked both physically and verbally by the monstrous man while Makoto remained trapped in the arms of a knight and hot tears spilling down her raw red cheek. He desperately wanted to help in some way. To fight back against the man and knights and get everyone out of the godforsaken castle. But he couldn't. Not while he was also trapped by a knight. As he continued to watch Sakamoto be abused and Makoto struggle in her hold, anger started to replace the fear that was once in his heart. Neither of them deserved to be treated like this.

He had to get them out one way or another, no matter what.

"Hmph… Where did all of your energy go? A peasant like you is not even worth beating." the golden-eyed figure scoffed after finishing his assault, going so far as to spit on the beaten teen as one of the knights tossed him to the wall "I'll have you killed right now…"

"Stop hurting him, dammit! Have you lost your fucking mind!?" Ren exclaimed furiously as he stepped forward, unafraid of the knife drawing closer to his neck.

"Hm…? What? Don't you dare tell me you don't know who I am," Kamoshida said as he slowly approached the raven-haired teen.

"I just moved here two days ago, you goddamn son of a bitch. Of course, I don't know you…" Ren growled, defiance clear in his eyes as he stared down the odd man before him.

"Grr… That look in your eyes irritates me!" Kamoshida growled as he kicked Ren back to the wall before turning to two of his knights. "Hold him there. After the peasant dies, it's his turn. Then I can finally have some fun with the president…"

Ren growled as he clutched his chest, trying hard to ignore the pain as he attempted to rush over to Sakamoto. Just as he moved, though, the two knights came to him and pinned him to the wall. He struggled against their grip to get free, but they were too strong. From the corner of his eye, he saw that Makoto was also trying to break free from her own captivity, only to have the knight holding her drive her roughly to the ground with her hands on her back. Seeing that only drove to make him struggle further, but the guards stood firm. He didn't have the strength to break free…

He couldn't do anything to save them…

Was it the end for him?

For them?

This isn't what was supposed to happen… Ren thought as tears began to fall from his face, feeling helpless and frustrated as he saw Makoto cry out in pain and Sakamoto beg for his life before closing his eyes. I just wanted to get this probation over and done with so I can get back to my family, and now I'm about to die because of some naked jackass in a freaky castle of all places…! Is this karma for trying to save someone from being raped? Is there a god or devil out there that loves to screw with my life or something? Fuck… Am I going to be the cause of someone's death again ?

Is there…really nothing I can do?

This is truly an unjust game… Your chances of winning are almost none…

Ren's eyes popped open at the sound of an unfamiliar, yet soothing voice. He turned his head to see where it came from, but paused when a glowing blue butterfly flew past him. One that looked vaguely familiar to him. As the butterfly passed by, a feeling of comfort washed over him, and before he knew it, the world around him suddenly adopted a familiar blue tint.

The same color blue that tinted the Velvet Room…

But if my voice is reaching you, there may yet be a possibility open for you…

The moment those last words were spoken, the butterfly disappeared in a flash, the room suddenly returned to normal, and his mind now clearer than ever.

But that moment of clarity came with a consequence. One that would change his life forever…

What's the matter…? Are you simply going to watch?

A dark voice echoed in his head this time, one that sounded very familiar to him and caused him to gasp out loud as he felt a chill run through his body.

What? Who are you? he thought, becoming increasingly frightened before realizing what the voice was.

It was the very voice that he heard on his first day in Tokyo. The voice that echoed in his mind just before everything froze in time and the blue fire appeared in the middle of Shibuya…

Are you forsaking their lives to save your own? the dark voice continued, ignoring Ren's question. Death and suffering awaits the boy and girl respectively if you do nothing. Was your previous decision a mistake, then?

The moment those words echoed in his mind, flashbacks of his arrest started to appear; him trying to get the woman away from the drunk, only to be taken into police custody as a result. He was forced to leave his family, the only people he had that actually cared about him, and go off into the unknown by himself. He knew, logically, that he shouldn't have interfered. That the police should've been the ones to take care of that incident.

Yet… Despite that…

"You did what was right, son. Even if the world doesn't believe you, know that I do. And if Akira and Kotone were here, they would say the same. Stay safe out there and never forget that we're always here for you. And we'll always love you."

Dad…

"How can I be upset with my grandson for following in the footsteps of myself and my daughter? You are just like her, you know. Just as headstrong and reckless. Doing whatever it takes to help others, no matter the cost. You are an Amamiya through and through, my boy, and I couldn't be prouder."

Gramps…

"Ren… Please be careful out there, ok? Everyone's scared that you're going to Tokyo…and so am I. I know you've been through worse than this, but… promise me that you'll come back to us when it's all over, ok? I don't want to lose you like we lost our moms… Like I almost lost her…"

Sumi…

The words of his loved ones, the ones that he was forced to leave, echoed in his head like a melody. They were his anchor for keeping him sane for a good while after his arrest. They helped him from going off the deep end after all the bullshit that he had to go through in his short life. Even now, it felt like their words were helping him.

They believed in him. They cared about him. They supported him despite the arrest. Was he going to throw their faith in him away…? Just because he was afraid?

Well? Was it a mistake? Are you going to let the two, and yourself, suffer under the tyranny of this man…? And leave your loved ones for good?

Will you give in to your own fear and despair?

NO! It wasn't a mistake! I won't suffer because of this bastard! I am not leaving them behind! And I will NOT GIVE IN! Ren roared in his mind, his eyes flashing in anger now more than ever as he saw Sakamoto get picked by the neck and Makoto getting stepped on by the knight. That woman was in trouble, and no one else was there to help! I couldn't stand around and do nothing! That would go against everything Dad taught me when growing up! Against everything Gramps stood for in the name of justice! They wouldn't abandon anyone if they were in my position, and neither will I! If this good-for-nothing prick thinks I'm going to stand by and let him get away with killing Sakamoto-san, assaulting Makoto-senpai, and making me break my promise to Sumi…

HE'S GOT ANOTHER THING COMING!

Very well… I have headed your resolve…

The moment those words were said, a pain unlike anything he felt before suddenly appeared in his head. It was absolutely unbearable, and it grew worse with each passing second. It felt as if someone was clawing at his brain. He began thrashing about once more, wanting desperately for the pain to pass. He thought he could hear Makoto calling out to him, but it was faint. All he could do was writhe and struggle in the grasps of the knights as he felt his mind tearing itself apart…

And listen to the dark voice… his own voice… call to him once more.

Vow to me!

I am thou. Thou art I.

Thou who art willing to perform all sacrilegious acts for thine own justice…

Call upon my name and release thy rage!

Show thy strength of thy will to ascertain all on thy own, though thou be chained…

To Hell Itself!

The moment those words were spoken, the pain had passed, replaced with pure and utter hatred towards the 'man' before him. He glared at the figure as he heard him make the final call on the blond's life. He knew, then and there, that he had to make a decision, the very decision that Igor was telling him about. Although, if he had to be honest, there wasn't really much of a choice in the matter. After all, out of all the options that he had for this moment, there was only one that he was willing to take. No matter the cost.

"Execute him!"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!"

The entire room was silent, save for the echoing of Ren's voice. He saw Makoto and Sakamoto's stunned expressions toward him, but at the moment he was more focused on the naked freak before him. He wanted his attention, and judging from the annoyed expression on his face, he got exactly what he wanted.

"You desire to be killed that much? Fine…" Kamoshida said with a nod to a knight, who then struck Ren in the face so hard his glasses flew off.

It hurt, but it wasn't as bad as the monster migraine he just had. In fact, now that he thought about it, the assault didn't hurt all that much at all. It was laughably weak. Pathetic, even. He'd hurt himself way worse than the odd knight did. It was amusing… He was no longer scared of the gold-eyed freak and his metal weaklings. Even as he felt the spears around his neck, he felt no fear. Just amusement.

Just excitement.

Just…anger.

Shall we begin?

Yeah. Let's do this… Me…

The moment those words passed though his mind, Ren felt a surge of power build up within him. Said power burst out of him like a strong wind, blowing away the weird man and the knights that were restraining him. A moment later, he felt a sudden pressure on his face and touched it, only to realize that a mask suddenly appeared where his glasses once stood. He didn't know how or why he was wearing one now, but for some reason, he felt the need to take it off. He did so, but it was proving to be a very painful process. It was as if it was glued into his face with how difficult it was to pull it off. But he didn't give up. He had to pull off the mask, in spite of the pain. He kept at it, and just a few seconds later, he ripped the mask off of his face. Blood gushed freely from his face as a result of his actions, but he didn't care. He lowered his head to look at what had once covered his face; a simple little domino mask with dark markings in the eyes and a bird-esque nose, and couldn't help but chuckle darkly at the sight of it.

Excellent! You have removed the mask that has been forced upon you by society! Now, call upon me, so we can show this cur just exactly who he's dealing with!

With a sinister grin and a bloody face, Ren picked his head up to glare at Kamoshida with the same golden eyes that the man possessed before the teen suddenly became engulfed in azure flames that formed where he ripped his mask. The sounds of evil laughter could be heard shortly after, and as the flames continued to engulf him, red flames soon appeared where his face once was, taking the form of a demonic expression before fading away. It was then that the flames started to ascend from his body and take form into something large. Something…both humanoid and demonic, especially when the red flames appeared once more to form a sinister looking face. As the figure formed, Ren felt himself growing stronger by the second, his body free of any of the pain inflicted on him before, and allowed himself to grin wickedly at the frightened man scurrying away from him, unaware of the changes made to him physically.

Gone was the school uniform he was wearing when he first entered the castle, now replaced with something most people would refer to as a magician's outfit; a black trench coat with a fancy grey collared shirt, black trousers with brown heeled boots and blood red gloves. The blue flames above him were also dissipating, leaving behind a figure that was twice as large as Ren, and incredibly imposing; with what appeared to be a red half jacket over a black shirt and white tie, crimson legs with bladed heels, a black face with crimson markings in the shape of a sinister grin and a pair of horns with similar red features, a large black top hat and lastly, a pair of massive black wings that seemed to give it the appearance of a cape.

The sounds of chains rattled as they appeared around Ren and the large figure, as if the two were chained together. Both he and the winged being bore dark smirks and intense eyes, and with a quick flick of his arms, Ren allowed his new ally to let lose another pulse of energy, this one blowing all the knights away and onto the walls and bars that surrounded the room, a couple of them even bursting in a plume of black smoke as blue embers swirled around wildly. His gaze was focused solely on the man who tried to kill him, but he could see Makoto and Sakamaoto staring at him from the corners of his vision. They were staring at him with a mix of awe, surprise and fear, and while the last bit would normally dishearten him, he was simply glad they were safe.

Now he can focus on giving the big, cowardly bastard the punishment he deserves.

"I am the Pillager of Twilight… Arsène!" the powerful figure spoke loudly, it's words echoing in the room as Ren looked up to it with a smirk.

So this is my power, huh? I can get used to it.

"What the…? It talked?" he heard Sakamoto gasp and watched as the frightened teen backpedaled to the wall.

"Arsène…" Makoto whispered, prompting Ren to turn to her to see her clutching his glasses and looking at the flying figure behind him in shock and fear. "That's…the name of the famous storybook antihero created by Maurice Leblanc… Arsène Lupin, the Gentleman Thief!"

"Huh, so you're a thief, eh? How fitting," Ren muttered with a smirk to his other self, who nodded back in response.

"I am not just a thief, Summoner. I am the rebel's soul that resides within you. If you so desire, I shall consider granting you the power to break through this crisis," Arsène stated as it floated over his summoner, power emanating throughout its spectral body.

"Arsène, lend me your power. Give me the strength to get us out of here…to save the others… And pound this so-called 'king' to the ground," Ren requested, his dark eyes showing no fear as he made his demands, his smirk growing to a grin when Arsène nodded slightly.

"Hmph… Very well…"

"The hell is this? Who the hell are you?" Kamoshida demanded, now looking more confident than his initial reaction to the winged thief.

"I am a Persona, a being that resides in the Sea of Souls," Arsène explained, tilting its head as he brought an arm over its crimson-flamed face in a haughty manner. "I was called upon by my other self to aid him in his time of need. And I shall be with him until the end. You wish to make something of it, Keeper of Lust?"

Keeper of Lust? Now that just fits this bastard perfectly, Ren thought in dark amusement as he saw Kamoshida grow more irritated by the second.

"Oh, I'll make something out of it! Guards!"

The moment he called out to his men, two knights immediately stood to their legs, only to explode in a burst of red and black goo. The goo then quickly took form, creating a pair of creatures that could only be described as floating Halloween creatures with their manic looking jack-o-lantern heads, pointed hats, blue cloaks that seemed to be attached to the bottom of the pumpkins, and single hands that held lantern for each of them.

"Ha! How do you like that!? Now you'll know the true strength of my men!" Kamoshida bragged as he stared at Ren and Arsène with a cocky grin.

"The true strength of your men is to transform into a couple of pumpkin-headed freaks? Heh, this should be interesting," Ren stated confidently, one hand reaching over to his face and covering it while his other grabbed the chain that was floating around Arsène.

Aptly put, my other self! Arsène telepathically praised as it spun around in a flourish, its black feathers flying around as his crimson smile seemed to widen in sadistic glee. Now, detest the enemies before you! Change that animosity to power… And Unleash It!

"Not a problem…" Ren grinned manically as power began coursing through him, azure flames circling around his feet as he began to call upon his other self.

"Arsène… Ravage them !"

The moment the command was made, a pool of red and black energy began swirling around Arsène's hand, to which he eagerly thrusted into the ground. Immediately afterwards, the dark energy sprung out of the ground below one of the floating monsters, skewering it and making it dissolve in a puff of black smoke and mist.

"Jackie! NO!" The other monster cried out in despair, surprising the others as they believed it to be a simple, mindless creature, before it turned to Arsène and Ren in fury. "You're gonna pay for doing that, ho! BURN!"

Flames suddenly burst out of the lantern the monster was carrying, the embers shooting right towards Arsène and striking it in the arm, causing not only it, but Ren to falter as well.

Geh, that actually hurt, he thought as he grabbed his arm in pain as if it was burned. I see, so whatever damage Arsène takes, I take as well. Makes sense, seeing that he calls himself my other self. Looks like I have to be more careful than I thought.

Make haste, summoner! The Jack-O'-Lantern approaches! Arsène called out as a few feathers fell off his wings, with one of them landing in Ren's unharmed palm as the monster began rushing towards the distracted teen.

Acting fast, Ren stepped back, narrowly avoiding being struck by the lantern. The thing was not deterred, though, and quickly recovered to deal more swipes towards the teen, who was managing to avoid every blow so far through ducks and side-step, until he hit the wall to his side. The monster, believing that it managed to corner the springy teen, let off a quick laugh as it floated to him once more to bash it with its lantern. With nowhere else to turn, he pulled his unburned arm up in an attempt to block the attack.

It was only then that he noticed the feather that was in his hand before it suddenly gained a blue aura around it and blocked the monster's assault with ease.

"Heeho!? How did you do that?" The monster spoke in surprise.

Ren didn't respond as he stared at the feather curiously, his smirk growing more and more sinister when he saw it began to take shape into something he desperately needed.

A combat knife.

A gift for you, as congratulations for awakening to your true self. Arsène stated as it observed its caller fight with unrestrained eagerness. Now, swing your blade!

"Heh, you got it," Ren nodded as he used his newly acquired strength to overpower the lantern wielding creature and deliver a quick slash to the face, causing it to falter back as it cried in pain.

"Excellent! You have done well for your first time, Summoner!' Arsène stated out loud in satisfaction as it slowly began to vanish. "This power of mine is yours! Kill your foes however you want. Run wild to your heart's content! No regrets! No hesitation! Do what you believe is right and break the chains of oppression!"

No regrets, huh. That's just fine by me! Ren thought as he heard Arsène's sinister laugh echoing within his mind, his white mask returning to his face in a flash of blue fire, as he rushed towards the staggering creature and delivered a hard kick to its large face. Smirking as he saw its head spinning around like a top, he threw his knife at the monster, striking it right in the head, causing it to scream in absolute pain before it dissolved as well, leaving Kamoshida with no other aid.

Heh, show's over… Kinda wished they put up more of a fight, to be honest, he thought in satisfaction, the rush of the battle now leaving him as he took notice of his new appearance. Whoa, where did this come from. And why does it feel so good? It's like it was made for me or something…

"Whoa… What was that just now…" Sakamoto muttered as he and Makoto walked up to Ren with expressions of awe and surprise, respectively.

"Ren-kun. How did…" Makoto trailed off, her expression becoming wary before turning away. Ren frowned at the action, but he couldn't blame her. He had no idea what just happened to him, but he wouldn't deny that it was a scary experience for everyone. His actions during the fight with the pumpkin monsters didn't help either. Even then, he wanted to assure her that he was ok. That even with his new look and his scary new Persona, or whatever it was called, he was still the same guy.

"Senpai, I-"

"YOU!" Kamoshida's angry voice called out, irritating Ren as he turned to see the man walk up to them furiously. "What the hell did you do, you little—"

"Get away from him!" Sakamoto shouted, his energy seemingly returned and tackled the bastard to the ground. "Ha! You like that you son of a bitch!?"

"Nice job, Sakamoto-san. Now let's get the hell out of here," Ren said in approval while gesturing to the cell door

"Good plan, but what are we gonna do when he gets up? Even if we close the door, we ain't gonna trap him in there without lockin' it. He'll just chase us down," Sakamoto said as the boys rushed out of the cell.

"Not to worry. I got it covered," Makoto said as she came up to the pair, holding a ring full of keys in one hand while the other still held Ren's glasses.

"Whoa, nice! Where'd ya find that, Prez?" Sakamoto asked with a wide grin while Ren nodded in approval.

"I found them on the floor. Seems like one of the guards or Kamoshida ended up dropping it when Ren-kun did…whatever he did," she explained while giving Ren a mildly wary stare, prompting him to give her an apologetic smile as she went and locked the cell. "There, now there's no way for him to escape."

"Damn bitch!" Kamoshida roared as he sprung back up his feet, causing her and Sakamoto to flinch at his sudden movement while Ren simply chuckled at the act.

"Sorry, but you're not going anywhere. So just sit back and relax, ok? I'm sure someone will find you down here. Eventually," Ren stated with a smug grin, instinctively tightening his gloves to give him a more sinister look.

"Dude, you're bein' really badass, right now, y'know that?" the blond stated eagerly as he rushed up to Ren. "How did you do it? And what's those clothes?"

"Not sure, but I like them. They feel pretty comfortable, honestly," Ren confessed while looking at his new wardrobe approvingly before a burst of azure flames suddenly engulfed him again for a moment, causing his mask to vanish and his outfit to revert back to his Shujin uniform. "What the hell?"

"Whoa! You changed back!" Sakamoto exclaimed, sounding just as surprised as Ren was.

That was weird. Why did my clothes turn back? Was my power only temporary? Or is it because I just got it? Ren thought as he checked himself once more before noticing Makoto approaching him, calmer now than she was a moment ago. "Makoto-senpai?"

"Here, Ren-kun. Your glasses," she said as she held his surprisingly intact eyewear to him. "They fell off when the guard hit you in the face and I held on to them when they hit the floor. Thankfully, they're undamaged, so-"

"You brats!" Kamoshida interrupted, grabbing the bars of the cell and shook the door in a pathetic attempt to get free, snapping the trio back to attention.

"This is effin' nuts," Sakamoto stated eloquently before turning to Makoto and Ren, who placed his glasses back on shortly after the man started raging at the cage like an angry monkey. "Let's get out of here. Think you two can lead the way?"

"Hold that thought, Sakamoto-kun. There's something I need to take care of first," Makoto said as she handed the cell keys to Sakamoto before turning back and approached Kamoshida with a blank expression.

"Tch. And what do you want, you worthless cu-YEOW!"

"That's for trying to make me your sex toy, you perverted, good-for-nothing asshole!" Makoto screamed after delivering a swift, hard, and admittedly sweet punch to the golden-eyed man's face, who stumbled from the strike and ended up falling on his back from the force.

"…Hot damn," Ren muttered with wide eyes as Sakamoto nodded dumbly.

"Phew… That felt good," Makoto said in a satisfied tone while dusting her hands before turning to the boys with a serious expression. "Alright, let's get out of here. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can figure out what's happening around here and hopefully find our ways home. Sakamoto-kun, throw those keys in the stream near us. Ren-kun, you take point in case something tries to attack us. Stay close, and stay safe, you two. Is that clear?"

"Yes ma'am!" the two responded, not wanting to incur her rage, before leaving the cell, taking a moment for Sakamoto to chuck the cell keys into the flowing waters. Ren led the group as Makoto instructed, but as they traversed the dungeon, a single thought echoed in his mind that caused a feeling of doubt to build up within him.

Here's hoping we can escape. I'm not sure how long I'm able to use my power to protect everyone. That fight was more exhausting than I thought…

-?-

"Ugh…! Why did I make such a stupid mistake!? Out of all the things I've could've done, I went and did that and ended up getting caught! What am I, an amateur?!" a boyish voice exclaimed loudly in a cell, its body obscured by the shadows of the cage as the sound of pacing could be heard.

"Alright, alright… Calm down, Morgana, just think things through… You'll figure out how to escape. Just need to focus and not think about the torture the Shadows put you through… Huh?"

The figure paused its rant when it felt a rush of energy suddenly coming from the cells in the lower area. This energy was different than the ones it felt during its excursions. In fact, it felt similar to its own, yet more powerful. As if there was more potential to it. It had no idea what it was, but it was drawn to it, but not in the same way it was drawn to other things.

"This feeling… It's nothing like the guards. Does this mean there are other people out here? Maybe they can help me out!"

With that thought in mind, the being stepped out of the shadows and into the light to stand in front of the cage's door. The figure itself being quite small, looking like a bipedal cartoon cat due to its odd design consisting of a large head with big cat ears and massive blue eyes, black fur on the top half of his face while the bottom half was white, not unlike a mask, a yellow bandanna on its neck and what looked like a tool belt around its waist, which was black and furry like the rest of its small body, save for the white tips on its hands, feet, and long cat tail.

"Here's hoping that whoever's coming isn't working for Kamoshida… Otherwise, I might never be able to finish my mission… Let alone get my true form back," the cat-like creature muttered as his tail slowly began to swish, wishing that whoever was the source of the power he felt would be someone who would be willing to help him get out.

Until then, though, he just had to wait.

Author's Note:

Welcome, Tricksters, to the new and improved third chapter of Trials of the Trickster. I hope I didn't keep you all waiting for too long. I tried to pump this thing out as fast as I could. It probably helped that I was playing through Royal while working on this and beaten it just a few days ago. Gave me the extra motivation to finish it and inspiration for this fic as a whole. Trials is going to be an interesting mix of the vanilla P5 game, it's Royal remake, and elements of the scrapped plans! I don't want to make this note longer than necessary, so I will explain a bit of what is happening in this story starting next chapter.

With that said, I will now be working on my BNHA fics again, but while I'm doing them, I will also be working on this piece alongside it. That means that, hopefully, every update of this work will be accompanied by a chapter of both Green Tea Anniversary and DH: Road to Matrimony. If you readers prefer my fluff fics compared to this, look forward to that!

As always, thank you all so much for reading my works. I wish you all a wonderful day, my fellow Tricksters, and I will see you all in the next update. Until then, farewell.