Persona: The Trickster's Trials

by Black Fuego Rio

A world in ruin. A rigged game. An unjust society. For as long as humanity has existed, the world has been on the cusp between peace and discord, and now that balance is being threatened, toppling towards the side of despair. During such times, rebels will rise up to fight against the oppressive world and free it from the chains of oppression. Will they succeed? Or fall to ruin?

6. 6th Trial

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

6th Trial: The Training Hall of Love and the High Priestess's Wrath

4/12/Early Morning/Rain

Café Leblanc

Well… Another day, another dream with tiny wardens and long-nosed clairvoyants. This one starring what is apparently the manifestation of my psyche in the form of an eldritch variation of a storybook gentleman thief. What the hell is my life now…?

Ren sighed as he stared at the ceiling of his new room, listening to the pitter-patter of rain as he tried to collect his thoughts about the strange dream from the previous night. It was twice now that he had entered the Velvet Room, and while Igor seemed as pleasant as before, the twins were still as hostile as ever. Caroline, for sure, seemed to enjoy tormenting him, especially with her baton, while Justine looked content to break him down verbally, and the poor teen had no idea which was worse. He was especially confused by Arsène's presence, the Proprietor's odd interest in it, and how Arsène seemed to be aware of things he didn't know about, even though the two were supposed to be one and the same.

Ah, no use worrying about it now, Ren shook his head and got up from his bed, heading towards his storage box to pull out his umbrella. Best to put everything behind me for the moment. If I end up having to go back into that weird world and fight again, then so be it. I just hope I don't have to involve Ryuji-san or Makoto-senpai in it… We barely made it out alive yesterday, and I don't want them to get hurt because I wasn't strong or fast enough to protect them…

I'd never forgive myself if I allow any more people to get hurt or die because of me…

"Hey kid! Are you up yet?! You got a visitor here ready to take you to school!" Sakura's voice snapped Ren out of his thoughts. Not wanting to get into more trouble, the teen grabbed his bag and rushed downstairs, where he was greeted by not only the store owner, but Makoto as well, who didn't appear to be doing so well if the slight bags under her eyes were any indication.

"Makoto-senpai, are you ok? You're not looking too hot right now," Ren asked in concern as he walked towards his friend.

"What a great thing to say to a girl first thing in the morning, kid…" Sakura grumbled while shaking his head, his words causing Ren to flinch at his own bluntness and prompting him to apologize before seeing Makoto shake her head.

"It's fine, Ren-kun. Don't worry about me. I just…didn't sleep all too well because of what happened yesterday. I'll be better after we get to school. We have a brief council meeting this morning and I have to introduce you to the other members as soon as possible," she assured him with a weak smile.

Ren couldn't help but frown at the dodge. He knew something had happened between Makoto and Niijima the night before-it was obvious in her eyes-but he had a feeling bringing it up would only make things worse at the moment. For now, all he could do was stay quiet and nod as the two made their way to the doorway.

"We have to get to Shujin early, so I'm afraid that we will have to skip breakfast for today. If we have time, we can grab something from the school store. I'm sorry for putting you through this, but it's the only way to get you acquainted with everyone in the council at such short notice…" Makoto apologized with a grimace.

"It's fine. Don't worry about it. I'll just grab a few melon breads and have those on the way," Ren insisted while opening the door for her, allowing her to exit the store first before following shortly. The two of them said goodbye to Sakura as they left. As they neared the station, Ren allowed himself a soft, exasperated sigh as he imagined how his second day of school was going to be…and he did not like what he imagined.

"Well, time for another day of hell on earth. Here's hoping it's more bearable than yesterday, but knowing my luck…it's just gonna be worse…"

---

Morning

-Shujin Academy Halls-

"…How?"

"How what?"

"Do I even have to ask?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"…Never mind."

Ren shrugged as he ate the last of the melon bread, the fourth one he bought, while Makoto shook her head incredulously before staring at her own partially eaten treat. When they got to the school, she was not expecting him to buy a quarter dozen packages of flavored bread for himself and eat them all in one sitting… But he did, and she had witnessed every second of it. It was a sight that both surprised and disturbed her. She recalled how ravenous the teen had been when scarfing down the curry the two of them had the previous day, but chalked it up as simply enjoying some extraordinarily good food, which she couldn't blame. Now though, she was curious if her new friend had some sort of eating disorder or something similar that she wasn't informed of.

"Hey, are you gonna finish that?"

Either that or he was just a glutton with a high metabolism. That was also a strong possibility.

"No… I'm not all that hungry at the moment. You can have it," Makoto sighed as they started climbing the stairs and gave Ren the rest of her bread, who accepted it with a curious gaze and unaware of the passing students looking at them with wide eyes.

"Are you sure? You look like you haven't eaten since last night when you came and picked me up this morning," Ren asked in concern.

"It's fine, Ren-kun. I had already eaten before I arrived to pick you up, so I wasn't all that hungry to begin with. I'd rather not have food go to waste either, so eat it," she insisted with a firm stare that immediately made Ren back off before she continued, "By the way, I forgot to mention this to you, but you will be staying over at my place during Golden Week. Sis wanted me to tell you this yesterday but…"

"Mmm… I understand. Things were kind of hectic then, so I don't blame you for not remembering that. I got a message from your sister about it last night, so it's all good. I plan on bringing over some housewarming gifts as well, since you two are gonna look after me for a bit," Ren said shortly after finishing off the half-eaten bread as he brought out his phone.

"Oh, you don't need to do that! It's our responsibility to watch over you, you don't need to trouble yourself with giving us anything for that," Makoto fretted, frowning when Ren shook his head as they neared their destination on the third floor.

"I insist. I'm planning on makin—I mean getting something for Boss, too. It's no trouble at all, I promise," he assured with a nervous smile from his slip-up, causing Makoto to giggle a little at his slight loss of composure and lifting her mood slightly.

"Alright, then. I'll look forward to it," she smiled before pausing at the door that led to the council room. "We're here. We're going to have to be more formal from this point on, so no first names unless we're alone. Are you ready to introduce yourself to the rest of the council?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," Ren sighed as Makoto opened the door and followed her into the room, oblivious to the small crowd of people watching them as they went to meet with the student council.

"…Holy crap, was that the President hanging out with the new guy?!"

"How in the world does that criminal know Niijima-senpai?"

"She knows where he lives too! She even picked him up!"

"Did I hear them say they're gonna live together!?"

"What!? Are you serious!?"

"She even shared her food with him. Think they're together?"

"Hell no! You honestly think Miss Goody-Two-Shoes would seriously go for someone with a criminal record?"

"Maybe she's into bad boys? I think I heard him saying something about her sister too? How close is the new guy to Niijima-senpai?"

"Heard the guy's also her personal bitch in the council too. Buddy of mine in 2-D told me so."

"Oh wow. Didn't think Miss President had it in her…"

Unaware of the new rumors that were beginning to spread around the school, Ren and Makoto were greeted by the sight of two girls in typical Shujin attire: one had curly brown hair and was only about Ren's chest in height while the other possessed long black hair and stood a bit taller than her counterpart. The shorter of the two looked quite nervous while staring at the pair, more specifically at Ren, while the other possessed a blank expression. Makoto couldn't help but frown when she noticed both the look and lack of other members, and crossed her arms as she stared at the pair before her sternly.

"Nakajou-san. Ichihara-san. Where are the other members of the council? I thought I had informed everyone that the meeting we have this morning was mandatory and that it would be a short one. Can one of you please tell me where the others are?" Makoto asked firmly.

"Um… Hibiki-kun left to check in on something and took the others with them, ma'am. He didn't say what it was, though. We were not informed on how long they were going to be gone either, but I assure you that they're here and will most likely return soon! I promise!" the younger of the two, Nakajou, assured her while waving her hands in front of her fearfully.

"Calm down, Nakajou-san. I'm not angry at you two. Merely disappointed in the apparent attitude of the others," Makoto sighed before turning to Ren apologetically. "I'm sorry about this, Amamiya-kun, but it looks like we won't be giving you a full introduction to the staff right now."

"It's fine. I can just introduce myself to them for now, if that's ok," Ren said while putting his hands in his pockets, giving her a quick smile before turning back to the pair with a polite nod.

"I suppose that should be fine," Makoto relented with a hand on her waist as she stood between Ren and the other members of the council. "Amamiya-kun, I would like you to meet Azusa Nakajou, a second year like yourself and the school Secretary, and Suzune Ichihara, a third year and the school Treasurer. Nakajou-san, Ichihara-san, this is Ren Amamiya, the newest member of the student council. He is to be an advisor and my assistant from this point forward, as directed by Principal Kobayakawa himself. He was a member of his old school's student council before he transferred here and was even selected to be vice-president of the school he was initially going to transfer to before some…complications occurred in his life; he has a general idea of what needs to be done, but I would appreciate it if you two and the others could assist him if needed."

"Nice to meet you two. I look forward to working with you during my time here," Ren said politely with a bow.

"Likewise, Amamiya-san," Ichihara said curtly as she stared at Ren with a slightly raised brow. "…Pardon me for saying this, but you don't really look like someone who was once a member of a student council, let alone one that would have been selected as vice-president. Would you like to tell us exactly what position you held before your…transfer?"

"No worries. Niijima-senpai said the same thing when I was walking her home a couple days ago, so it's no big deal," Ren assured casually while shaking his head. "I wasn't planning to be a member of my old school's council in the past, but I was…convinced for lack of a better term to be the Treasurer because of my experience with money-handling. And the vice-president thing was a whole other mess on its own. They're long stories and I really don't want to get into details at the moment. I hope you can understand that…"

"We understand, Amamiya-kun. We won't trouble you with that." Makoto said kindly with a smile before noticing the curious gazes from the remaining council members. "Is something the matter?"

"Um… Miss President? How are you so close with the cri—er, I mean, with Amamiya-kun? You're being much…friendlier to him compared to some of the other students," Nakajou asked nervously, her slip making one of Makoto's eyebrows twitch in irritation.

"…Our families are acquainted with one another and my sister was asked to check in on him during his stay here. She introduced me to him a couple days ago and we ended up befriending one another. Why do you ask, though?" she asked as calmly as she could with a hand on her hip.

"It's just…we've heard rumors about Amamiya-kun and his criminal record, and we were concerned for your safety since everyone's been seeing the two of you together all the time," the secretary stated with the treasurer nodding minutely, causing Makoto's irritation to spike as she started glaring at the two intensely.

"Oh really? And what exactly have they been saying about Amamiya-kun and myself…?" she asked slowly before feeling a hand on her shoulder, and turned her head to see Ren shaking his head at her.

"Don't bother, Senpai. Once rumors like this start, they won't stop until something else of interest happens. Trust me, you're better off just ignoring it until the school has something else to gossip about," Ren said calmly, causing Makoto to stare at him in mild disbelief for a moment before sighing in exasperation.

"You're right. I shouldn't let this bother me. The rumors will pass over time. All we can do at the moment is move forward until then," she said, glancing at her new advisor briefly before turning to the other members. "Well, I suppose we can begin the meeting now. I'll tell the others what they missed when-"

"Hey, Ichihara-senpai. Najakou-chan. President Niijima isn't here with her new bitch yet, is she?" a relaxed voice asked, followed swiftly by the sounds of the door opening to reveal another plain looking student with an armband that read 'disciplinary committee' on his right arm, who was flanked by a couple other students with similar armbands, "The students are going nuts about them, saying that they live together, share food, and even sleep together. It's crazy. Also, we went and talked to the principal; we can't get rid of the delinquent because he was assigned to be here by his probation officer. Looks like we're gonna be dealing with some baggage for the next year, eh?"

Something inside Makoto snapped when she heard her council member speak so badly about her new friend. The past two days were extremely rough for her, from getting assaulted in a strange castle to being called useless by her own sister, and all she wanted was at least one moment of peace to try and forget it all. If that wasn't enough, she also had to deal with her schoolmates constantly bad-mouthing her new friend; the one who risked his life to rescue her and Sakamo-…Ryuji from the monstrous form of the very instructor she had loathed for the past few months. It was infuriating, even more so when she sees him take the verbal abuse in an experienced stride. He had admitted to have dealt with worse experiences in the past, but to see him brush off such harsh words with only minute moments of annoyance and discomfort was both admiral and frustrating, as it only made her wonder just what he had experienced in his life to be so…hardened to this extent. It was getting too much for her…and hearing her own council speak ill of her friend and savior put her over the edge.

She needed to vent. Badly. Luckily for her, she had the perfect targets to use to release the pent up stress and frustration. With a thin smile, eyes closed and a miasma of malice surrounding her, Makoto slowly turned to her disciplinary committee while calmly cracking her knuckles. She may not be able to punch anyone in the face like she did with the other Kamoshida, but a little...act of discipline of her own would be just as cathartic.

"Oh really? That's quite interesting to hear. Please… do tell me more, Hibiki-kun."

---

After School/Overcast

-Shujin Academy Class 2-D-

…Senpai is scary. Senpai is stupid scary. I am friends with a stupid scary senpai. Holy fuck, I am so screwed if I piss her off. She's as bad as Aneki and Sumi when they're angry… Why the hell is it always the quiet ones that freak me out the most?

Ren sat in his chair with a haunted expression, barely aware of the disturbed stares he had been receiving all day. Ever since he saw Makoto rip her council members a new one during the early school meeting, he had been in a constant state of stunned fear. His mind and body were on autopilot as his mind constantly flashed to what he considered to be one of the scariest moments in his life. Thankfully he was able to get ahold of himself before the end of school, but for the majority of it, he was more or less unresponsive. He thanked whatever god out there who actually gave a damn about him that none of his teachers called on him while he was in shock. Then again, that same god probably also made it so that the one teacher that called on him was an extreme hardass that taught his least favorite subject…

At the very least he managed to snap out of it in time to listen to some of the subject material and properly answer the question he was asked. At this point, he was going to take whatever small graces he could get.

I find it sad that listening to lectures on Social Studies and History, my two worst subjects ever, was a more pleasant experience than that train wreck of a council meeting this morning. I even managed to luck out and get that question Mr. Ushimaru asked me right. Doubt I'll get lucky like that again in the future, but I'll take what I can get, Ren thought despairingly, the last of his fear dissipating as he watched his other classmates slowly filter out of the room before letting off a soft tired sigh at the sounds of their harsh whispers. Ok, I'm starting to see Makoto-senpai's point in all of this. These rumors are seriously getting out of hand. And the fact that I'm dragging her reputation down just by being near her is just making things worse… Dammit, this is getting really annoying.

Shaking his head in a poor attempt to rid himself of his depressing thoughts, the troubled teen got up from his seat and grabbed his bag before heading towards the exit, figuring he should just head home and relax for the day.

Well, like I said before, there's nothing I can do about it now. Besides, I need to finish up that project I've been working on. I just need to think of the final design for it. Maybe I could double that project as not only a housewarming gift, but an apology for Makoto-senpai for causing her so much trouble. That might work, but what should I make for Niijima-san? Ren mused as he placed a hand under his chin in a pondering pose, wondering what kind of gift he could get for the prosecutor, when he noticed a couple of familiar people not too far from him, and couldn't help but listen in on what they were saying. Especially considering who they were.

"Hey there, Takamaki!" Kamoshida greeted Takamaki cheerfully as he approached her, who in turn looked uncomfortable by his presence, "You looking for a ride home? Things have been pretty dangerous lately with all those accidents."

"Sorry, I have a photoshoot today. It's for the special summer issue, so I can't afford to miss it…" Takamaki responded tiredly, her words making Ren tilt his head slightly in confusion as he looked back at the girl. Those words resonated with him for some reason but he couldn't for the life of him think why…

"Hey now… Being a model's fine and dandy, but don't work your pretty little self to the bone," the gym teacher lectured, causing Ren's eyes to go wide at the revelation.

So that's why she looked familiar… She's from those fashion and model magazines that Kasu-chan brings over when she and Uncle Shin visit. Huh, didn't think an actual model would be attending our school, he thought while staring at Takamaki with interest…

…And ignoring the aching pain that suddenly formed in his chest.

"You mentioned you weren't feeling well, right? Something about appendicitis?" Kamoshida continued on, causing Ren to look at the man curiously before turning his attention back to Takamaki.

"Yes. I keep planning to go to the hospital, but I've been too busy… Sorry to worry you," the apparent model apologized, causing Ren to raise an eyebrow when he noticed that she wasn't being sincere or truthful when making that statement.

"You must be lonely too. I feel bad for keeping your best friend at practice so often," Kamoshida said with a hint of faux guilt in his voice, which didn't escape the eavesdropper one bit. "That's why I asked you out in the first place. Oh, and…be careful around that transfer student. He's got a criminal record after all. If something were to happen to you…"

Wait, what? He's the one spreading my record to everyone? That explains why the whole school knows about it so quickly. But still, why is he sharing sensitive information like that so readily? Did me showing up late with Ryuji-san and Makoto-senpai pissed him off that much? Ren thought, pinching the bridge of his nose as he felt his earlier heartache being replaced by an annoying headache. While it was nice to finally learn the source of his record leak, it bothered him that it came from an instructor of all things. One that very clearly had a bone to pick with him despite only being around for a day-and-a-half at most. He didn't know why the man had it out for him, but for now, all he could do was just leave it be. There wasn't much he could do about it, after all…

"…Thank you. Please excuse me," he heard Takamaki say, and turned to see her walking off and Kamoshida glaring with a scoff before leaving to the third floor, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

Damn… Looks like Ryuji-san and Makoto-senpai were right. The guy is an asshole. All I did was show up late once and he went and spread my info to everyone in school. Fucking hell, he's no different from that weird yellow-eyed version of himself back at that castle from yesterday. I better let Senpai know about this. This is gonna piss her off even more, but she has to know.

Letting off a tired sigh and shaking his head, Ren pulled out his phone and began messaging his friend as he began walking down the stairs and towards the school exit. He got a reply back quickly, and winced when he sensed the anger in her words. He was outside the school by that point, thinking about what to say next to her, and had walked just past the gates when he was called out by a familiar face.

"Yo," Ryuji said as he approached Ren, who looked back at him curiously.

"Hey, Ryuji-san. What's up?" Ren responded while lowering his phone.

"I wanna talk about that castle from yesterday," Ryuji said, getting straight to the point, something that Ren had to admire, "I tried tellin' myself it was all a dream…but I just couldn't do it. I can't act like nothing happened. It's all connected to that bastard Kamoshida, after all."

"Yeah, he's a bastard alright…" Ren agreed with a nod and allowed a bit of irritation to show in his face before turning to Ryuji once more.

"I wanna find out what's up with that place, no matter what. And y'know, you're the only person I can rely on for this stuff. So, you in?"

Ren stared at his fellow delinquent blankly as he processed his request. On the one hand, he really didn't want to get involved with that castle again. They barely made it out alive last time and there was no telling what would happen if they went back to that place. On the other hand…there was still that feeling within him, practically begging him to return to the castle. To learn more about his powers, see what kind of mysteries he could uncover and what kind of creatures he can fight. He won't deny that he enjoyed the rush of battle from before, but his rational side was screaming not to get involved. He was at a mental impasse, and was starting to lean towards not returning to the castle when a familiar voice echoed in his head once more.

Accept the offer, Summoner. You know it in your heart that you have to go back. You may not have been able to fully control our power before, but now there should be no issue. Use the strength obtained by our contract to break into the Castle of Lust and steal its secrets. Remember the Proprietor's words…

Arsène…? Ren thought with wide eyes, not expecting to hear his Persona's voice in the real world. He had thought that he could only hear him in the weird other world or in the Velvet Room or whatever the place Igor called it. It was strange, but oddly enough, it didn't bother him too much. What did bother him, though, was what the spectral thief brought up. Igor did mention that Ruin was coming, and he was supposed to be on a Journey to stop it. His…rehabilitation, so to speak. He still wasn't sure what any of it truly meant, but if going back to that godforsaken castle would give him the answers, then he really didn't have much of a choice…

Besides, his Persona had a point. He was pretty curious as to what was hidden in that castle.

"…Alright. We'll go. But we have to be careful and not get caught this time. We barely made it out alive last time and I don't want to risk nearly getting my head cut off again," Ren insisted with a stern glare at Ryuji, who simply grinned in response.

"Awesome! I knew you'd wanna go back!" he said while pumping his fist. "Hey, why don't we get Miss Prez in on this too? I'd bet she'd like to have another crack on that other Kamoshida if we can get the jump on him!"

Ren paused at that and put his hand under his chin in a pondering expression once more. Personally, he didn't want Makoto to be involved in their castle crash. She already had a lot to deal with at this point and he didn't want to burden her any more than he already did. Then again, she did say that she wanted to go back to the castle to try and discover if the students that they saw in the castle were real and if they could be saved. The determination in her eyes when she said that was still fresh in his mind, and as much as he wanted to keep her away from whatever dangers might happen in the castle, he had a feeling that she was going to force her way back into the fray one way or another. It was with that thought that he let off another sigh and scratched the back of his neck as he turned to Ryuji.

"I'll send her a text to see if she wants to join. She's doing damage control with the council at the moment, so there's a chance that she'll be too busy to help us out."

"Help you with what, Ren-kun?"

"Shit!" Ren cursed, jumping a fair bit when the sound of Makoto's voice suddenly hit his ears, and turned to see her at the foot of the stairs looking at him with a perplexed expression.

"…Are you two alright? That was quite a jump the both of you did." Makoto asked with a curious tilt to her head, causing Ren to turn his head slightly to see that Ryuji was also spooked by her sudden appearance with how he was panting and clutching his shirt.

"It's fine, Senpai. You just surprised us, is all…" Ren assured while placing a hand over his own chest to calm his heart. "I thought you were gonna be busy dealing with the council again. That's what you told me this morning after that mess was over with."

"Unfortunately, that plan fell through when the majority of them left school immediately after the bell rang. Only the Vice-President and Treasurer were there and they at least attempted to give you a chance. I'll give the others a very thorough lecture of their behavior on the next council meeting, however. They won't hide from me for long…" Makoto explained while gripping her bag tightly in anger, frightening Ren as his mind flashed back to her episode in the morning.

"Eh… Good to know, Senpai. Can't wait to see it," Ren said with a shaky thumb's up.

"Glad you're looking forward to it," she nodded with a sinister smile, making him even more fearful, before she turned to the near quivering punk curiously. "So, what were you two talking about that you wanted to ask me for assistance?"

"Eh, n-nothing really, Prez. We were just talkin' about goin' back to the castle to see what was up with that place and I was wonderin' if you'd wanna join us…" Ryuji answered in a shaky tone, causing Ren to turn and notice that he, too, looked very unnerved.

"Of course, I'll join you," Makoto nodded with a steely gaze, her tone harsh and causing Ren to step back at the sound of it. "It's obvious that the castle is related to Mr. Kamoshida in some way. If there is a way to deal with that horrid man, we will most likely find it in there. It may be dangerous, but it is a risk we need to take. Kamoshida has been ruining the lives of our peers for too long…and must be stopped."

"…Holy shit, Prez, you're soundin' super pissed right now. Did you find somethin' out about Kamoshida?" Ryuji asked while giving the furious girl a wary stare while Ren looked away innocently while scratching his cheek.

"Other than finding out that Mr. Kamoshida is the one who is most likely responsible for spreading Ren-kun's record and making both his life, and mine by proxy, much more difficult to manage, then I can't say I have, Ryuji-kun," Makoto grounded out sarcastically as she walked past the now nervous boys, pausing in front of them to speak once more. "Let us start our search near the station, since that is where it all started yesterday. We'll retrace our steps from there to determine what occurred during our trek to Shujin that led us to the castle. Report anything either of you find suspicious to me immediately. I'll do the same to you two as well. Are we clear?"

"Yes, ma'am," Both Ren and Ryuji nodded as they instinctively stood at attention.

"Very good. Now, Ren-kun, Ryuji-kun, let us move." Makoto nodded before walking down the sidewalk towards the station, with the boys following suit and giving each other nervous glances.

"Dude, she is super pissed right now. Is she tellin' the truth that Kamoshida might be the one spreadin' info on your record?" Ryuji asked with a whisper.

"…Heard him tell that Takamaki girl from my class as soon as class ended and I told Senpai on my way here. She was already pretty steamed from what happened this morning and I…probably ended up making it worse by telling her about what I saw," Ren answered with a wince as Ryuji gave him a dead stare.

"Oh gee, ya think?"

---

Thirty minutes later

-Shujin School Entrance-

"For real? This is, like, the second time we came back here and nothin's different. Is it smaller than we remembered?" Ryuji questioned as he leaned on the nearby wall when the trio returned to the school, confused as ever as they repeatedly tried and failed to return to the castle.

"We didn't see anything out of the ordinary as well. Is there something that we're missing?" Makoto said to herself as she held her chin in thought.

"…Are we sure it's around here?" Ren asked as he turned his head to the school, wondering how such a grand structure could be hidden from them so well.

"I'm not so sure anymore, dude. I checked my phone earlier, but I didn't get anythin' for a result," Ryuji responded with a grimace before his eyes went wide, as if he was struck with some sort of realization. "Wait a minute. Phone?"

"Of course! Ryuji-kun, you're a genius!" Makoto exclaimed with her fist into her open palm, making Ryuji blink and mutter to himself in surprise before turning to Ren, "Ren-kun, may I borrow your phone for a moment?"

"…What's going on? You two figure something out?" Ren asked as he gave his friend his phone, incredibly perplexed as to what was going on.

"Yeah, don't you remember? When we were coming out of that castle, you had some navigation app thingy active. At least it sounded like one when I heard it. Somethin' about 'returnin' to the real world' or some crap like that," Ryuji explained, making Ren tilt his head in confusion as he tried to recall what his new friend was talking about.

"Navigation app…?"

"He must be talking about this," Makoto said as she gestured to the boys to gather around her and showed them Ren's phone, which had the crimson app active alongside a search function.

"Yeah, that must be it! Check out the search history!" Ryuji said with a grin before pumping a fist. "Hell yeah, I really am a genius! Start the app up, Prez, and let's get this show on the road!"

"Very well, Ryuji-kun. Let's get this investigation started," Makoto agreed as she pressed the app, making Ren a little nervous of her near impulse action.

"I don't know about this…" he couldn't help but mutter.

"Ah c'mon, man, we're just using an app. S'not like we're tryin' to blow up the earth or somethin' stupid like that," Ryuji assured with a grin, though Ren remained wary of it all.

[Kamoshida… Shujin Academy… Pervert… Castle… Beginning Navigation.]

"It worked!" Makoto said in soft excitement, much to Ren's growing discomfort.

"Awesome! Now we just have to go to a certain direction and—"

*Babum*

"Oh hell…" Ren muttered as he sensed the atmosphere around them suddenly become dark.

It has begun, Summoner. Prepare yourself…Arsène's voice echoed in warning and excitement, making Ren even more nervous than before.

"Hey, Ren, what's wro—What the?" Ryuji said before he, too, seemed to notice the shift in atmosphere.

"What's happening?" Makoto said softly as she gripped the phone tightly, also aware of the change of atmosphere that befell the trio, before turning to the navigation app in shock. "Is… Is this phone the cause of all this?"

"The hell you talkin' about, Prez? Lemme see that!" Ryuji exclaimed before swiping the phone away, only to nearly drop it when he saw it suddenly flickering like it was possessed. It was then that the air changed around them, as if waves of distortion started blanketing them.

As they felt the distortion encompass them, the three of them instinctively turned to the school and watched in shock as they saw the building slowly ripple and warp as if it was made of water. It was only a few moments later that the building seemed to have stabilized itself, though instead of seeing the school, they ended up finding exactly what they were looking for.

"Look! It's the castle from yesterday!" Ryuji exclaimed before rushing across the drawbridge, Ren and Makoto following shortly after and none of them noticing a small change amongst one member of their little group.

"Incredible… We actually made it back…" Makoto whispered as she took in the large medieval structure before her, both impressed and nervous by the sheer size of it. "This means that everything that happened yesterday was no dream. It was real…"

"So, we really did almost die yesterday because of some nutjob in a freaky castle from another dimension. That's reassuring…" Ren grumbled, blinking a couple times when he noticed both his companions staring at him with wide eyes. "What?"

"Dude! Your clothes!" Ryuji shouted in shock with Makoto mutely nodding in agreement.

"Huh…? What about my clo—What the hell!?" Ren exclaimed as soon as he realized he was in the same attire he was in when he was calling on Arsène's power.

"This occurred last time as well…but they always dispersed after a short while. This time, it seems like your new attire is maintaining stability. What in the world could've caused that?" Makoto pondered with a frown as Ren examined his new outfit in confusion.

Your attire has changed because your body is now accommodated with your new power. It will no longer vanish after calling for my aid. It is a symbol of your rebellion. Wear it with pride, my other self, Arsène's voice called out to Ren once more, its words only serving to make him even more lost.

"…Your guess is as good as mine," he said while shaking his head, giving up on trying to make sense of what was happening.

At least they finally made it to the castle. If they were lucky, the weird cat that helped them should be close b-

"Hey! Stop making a commotion," a familiar voice called out to them, making all three students jump in surprise before turning to see Morgana peeking his head around the corner before trotting up to them with the same haughty air around him.

"It's you…" Makoto whispered with a palm over her mouth in shock while Ryuji stared at the being with wide eyes and Ren raised an eyebrow behind his mask.

Ah, so the Magician of Hope returns. Here's hoping he is willing to lend his experience to you once more…Arsène stated within the depths of Ren's mind, making him blink a couple times to process what he had just heard.

… This guy's a magician? Seriously? Where's his top hat and magic wand then? he mentally questioned, only to get an annoyed growl in response before he heard the strange cat starting to speak.

"The Shadows started acting up, so I came here wondering what it could be…" Morgana began explaining, uncaring of the odd looks he was getting, "…To think the three of you would come back to the entrance when you barely managed to escape."

"Let's just say that we're stubborn like that. A couple of us, anyways," Ren stated while giving quick glances to both Makoto and Ryuji, the former looking away nervously while the latter was staring at the cat creature curiously.

"What is this place? …Isn't it the school?" Ryuji questioned while gesturing to the castle.

"That's right," Morgana confirmed, causing Ren to stare at the not-cat in surprise while Ryuji grew more agitated.

"But it's a castle!"

"This castle is the school. …But only to the castle's ruler," Morgana clarified, serving to make Ren even more confused.

"The castle's…ruler?" Makoto spoke up, looking just as lost as Ren felt.

"I think you guys called him Kamoshida, yeah? It's how his distorted heart views the school." Morgana said with a nod, making both Makoto and Ren look at each other with wide eyes while Ryuji still looked as confused as ever.

"Kamoshida… Distorted…? Explain it in a way that makes sense!" he exclaimed to the cat, who looked back at him in irritation.

"I shouldn't have expected a moron to get it…" Morgana said in disappointment.

Savage… Ren thought in amusement while Makoto shook her head as they watched Ryuji's face go red with anger.

"What'd you say you furry sack of-"

"YEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRH!"

"What was that!?" Ryuji shouted in alarm, his fury vanishing as soon as he and the others heard the ear-splitting scream while Morgana simply crossed his arms and gazed back at the castle.

"It must be the slaves captive here," Morgana said calmly, his words causing a wave of dread to wash over the three teens.

"Dammit, that's not good," Ren muttered as he glared at the castle in contempt.

"S-Slaves…?" Makoto hissed with her eyes flashing in anger and her fists clenched tightly.

"For real!?" Ryuji asked, as if hoping he heard wrong, when another ear-splitting scream pierced through the castle walls. "Oh shit… It's for real!"

"They must be the individuals that we have seen during our escape yesterday. They appeared to be from our school if their uniforms were any indication," Makoto said, looking as if she was trying her hardest to remain calm.

"Most likely on Kamoshida's orders. It's nothing out of the ordinary; it's like that every day here," Morgana explained, his words making Ren's blood go cold. "What's more, you three escaped yesterday. He must have lost his temper quite a bit."

"You escaped as well, Fuzz Bucket. You probably had a hand in pissing him off too," Ren pointed out with his arms crossed, a brief smirk flashing in his mouth as he saw the cat creature glare at him.

"Don't call me a fuzz bucket! I'm an honest-to-god hu—"

"That son of a bitch! This is bullshit!" Ryuji exclaimed suddenly, startling Ren and Morgana while Makoto stared at him in concern.

"Ryuji-san…?" Ren whispered as he watched the blond ram himself into the door, trying to bust it down with little success. He turned to Makoto to see if she had any answers, only to see her looking down with a pensive expression. Not wanting to bother her, he turned his attention back to Ryuji, who started to scream in rage as he continued desperately to break the door down.

"I'm gonna fuck you up so much when I get in there! Do you hear me, Kamoshida!?"

"Doing that isn't going to open it, you know…" Morgana pointed out while shaking his head. "Still, you seem to have your reasons…"

No kidding. I've seen people get really pissed before, but it's not often that I see someone so filled with undeniable fury towards someone. What the hell happened between Ryuji-san and Kamoshida to make him like this…? Ren thought with a frown and his hands in his pocket, curious as to how to approach what looked to be a sensitive subject. He knew the best way to do it was the direct approach, but it wasn't exactly the time to talk to Ryuji about his past. The next possible step was to see if Makoto knew anything, but it looked like she already had enough on her mind. Sighing quietly to himself, he decided to shelve his curiosity for the moment before noticing Ryuji skulk to Morgana.

"Hey, Monamona!"

"It's Morgana!"

"Do you know where those voices are comin' from?" Ryuji asked, ignoring Morgana's correction and making him blink in surprise.

"You want me to take you to them?" he asked in surprise with his arms crossed and head tilting to the side to take in the request.

"We all do, Morgana-san," Makoto finally spoke up from her long silence, causing Ren to turn to her curiously as she crouched down to Morgana's eye level. "We are trying to discover some information about Mr. Kamoshida and his actions, and learning what he does to those… slaves of his might give us some answers. Can you please lead us to the captives?"

"…Well I guess I could guide you there. But only if your friend here comes with us," Morgana stated while staring at Ren, who looked down at the odd cat creature with a curious gaze before his eyes hardened in resolve and gave the little guy a firm nod.

"I'll go. I want to know what Kamoshida does to those prisoners as well…and find out why the guy is so fixated in screwing with my school life…" he said cooly before letting loose a small smirk and cracked his knuckles, "Besides, I've been dealing with way too much shit these past few months, and I really need to let out some stress. Fighting some of these knight monsters could be good stress relief…"

"That's what I like to hear," Morgana nodded with a small hop as Makoto turned to him in appreciation while Ryuji looked at him in surprise.

"For real…?" he asked, causing Ren to turn to him with a small smile and nod as he watched Ryuji give him a grateful expression, "…Thanks, man."

"No worries. I'm already dressed for the occasion, so I might as well roll with it," Ren said with a chuckle while gesturing to his outfit, making Ryuji grin in response while Makoto shook her head with an amused expression.

"Alright, let's do this! Follow me!" Morgana exclaimed as he trotted towards the left side of the castle with Ryuji and Makoto following right behind. Ren, however, was moving slowly while staring at his blond companion. He couldn't help but still be curious as to what kind of relationship he had with Kamoshida. With how angry he was, it was obvious that something big happened between the two. It was then that he remembered Kawakami said something about Ryuji being a part of the track team at some point and being a decent kid until recently, something that Makoto also seemed to be aware of. Curiosity getting the better of him, he reached over and patted her on the shoulder, causing her to turn to him with a confused expression.

"Ren-kun? Is something the matter?" she asked with a hint of worry in her tone.

"It's nothing serious, Senpai. I just want to ask you something really quick. It's regarding Ryuji-san and his…vendetta with Kamoshida," Ren explained, wincing when he saw his friend's mood drop considerably. "I remember you and Ms. Kawakami talked about him being a part of the track team until something happened. And if I'm right, that something involved Kamoshida in some way. I'm aware that this isn't really the best place to bring it up, but seeing Ryuji-san so riled up brought the info back in my head and I was hoping you could clarify it, if you don't mind."

"…Honestly, Ren-kun, it would be best if you ask Ryuji-kun himself about what happened with him and Mr. Kamoshida," Makoto admitted while looking away in shame, "I know there was an altercation between the two of them, though I wasn't a witness, but even after I did an investigation of my own, I was unable to find any details regarding what truly transpired. I'm aware of some of the rumors regarding it, and I even had some theories as to what went on, but after yesterday… I'm not entirely sure what to believe anymore. I'm sorry…"

"Don't be. It's my fault for bringing it up. Don't blame yourself for not being able to help. I'll just ask Ryuji-san about it as soon as I feel like I'm not overstepping boundaries. I've only been around for a couple days here; but even I know he's got a lot of issues regarding Kamoshida, so I won't press him for info for now…" Ren said while scratching the back of his neck out of habit, feeling a little bad about bringing up an uncomfortable subject.

"Hey, Frizzy! Braid! Hurry up or we'll leave you behind!" Morgana called out to them, making the two of them turn to him and Ryuji as the latter looked down at the former oddly.

"Uh… Hey, cat. You do know that Prez—"

"I am not a cat! Now hurry up, and let's go! We have a castle to investigate!" Morgana ordered before trotting off to the hole in the walls, Ryuji following reluctantly while Ren and Makoto stared at the departing not-cat blankly.

"…He doesn't know that your braid is a headband, does he." Ren couldn't help but mutter to Makoto, who simply shook her head in exasperation.

"I'm not surprised. Not a lot of people are aware that my braid is fake. I'm used to it at this point," she said before walking towards where the others were, Ren following close and pondering to himself in the process.

I am going to infiltrate my school that has somehow morphed into a castle with my very own eyes do figure out the secrets of my new and asshole-ish teacher while rescuing anybody who was unfortunate enough to wander in here and get trapped just like we did, all while dressed like some sort of street magician or something… I swear, it feels like I'm in an episode of Featherman with all this crazy shit happening. Here's hoping that things don't go as bad as those episodes do while we're scavenging through this dump…

…And knowing my luck, I just went ahead and jinxed us all by thinking that. I seriously gotta learn to not think about these things.

---

-Castle of Lust, Unknown Room-

Makoto could not believe how things went so south for her and the others so quickly. Everything started off as well as it could be in their situation, with the only hiccup being the main hall of the castle suddenly shifting to Shujin's main entrance for a brief moment. She was curious as to how it happened, but they were pressed for time and had to wait before she could get any answers. It was when Morgana began teaching Ren the basics of fighting and ambushing the guards while she and Ryuji searched the nearby cells for the students that were trapped there yesterday did everything start to go wrong. To begin with, all the cells were completely emptied out by the time they had arrived. The only evidence that even hinted that the cells were occupied were volleyballs, which served to confuse her more than anything. Not wanting to think the worst, she suggested that they were probably moved a little further down, which prompted Ryuji to break away from the group to check.

It was then that Morgana stated that the captives were transferred to another location entirely, causing her to grow more worried and frustrated until Ryuji returned with a panicked expression, saying that there were guards approaching them. Fearing the worst, Makoto looked around the area to see if there was a location for her and the others to hide when Morgana called out to them and led them to a nearby door that seemed to have an odd, distorted aura around it. She grew more cautious at the sight of it, but before she could voice her opinion, she felt herself being dragged into the now open room by Ren, where she now found herself panting on a table with Morgana standing right beside her, Ryuji taking a breather behind her, and Ren pressing himself by the door with his knife in hand.

I knew things would not be easy when I decided to return to this god-forsaken place, but I severely underestimated just how bad things could potentially go… she thought disparagingly as she saw her otherworldly companion climb onto the table.

"The Shadows probably won't come in here. You can relax, Frizzy," Morgana said while crossing his little arms.

"I would relax if you hadn't said the word 'probably', Fuzz Bucket," Makoto heard Ren grumble, and turned to see him approaching the group with his knife still in hand and giving the door a wary stare.

"H-How can you tell?" Ryuji gasped out as he tried to regain his breath.

"There's a lack of distortion here, meaning the ruler's control over this area is weak. I dubbed these little pockets Safe Rooms because of that," Morgana explained, his words serving to only further confuse Makoto and the others, when the area suddenly began to change, transforming into an ordinary classroom before returning to its castle-like appearance.

"Is this a classroom…?!" Ryuji muttered in shock, his exhaustion dissipating rapidly as he stood straight up.

"The environment changed…! Just like in the lobby…!" Makoto gasped, recalling the moment when they saw the exact same thing happen when they first returned to the castle

"Now do you understand? This place is another reality that the ruler's heart projects." Morgana said in a haughty tone, as if happy to see that the others were finally starting to learn about the world they were in.

"This is Kamoshida's reality…? Shit makes no sense at all!" Ryuji exclaimed, looking just as frustrated and confused as ever while Morgana continued with his explanation.

"One could say it's a world in which one's distorted desires have materialized. I call such a place a 'Palace'. This is happening because he thinks the school is his own castle," he said, prompting Makoto to nod slightly as she slowly began to understand what she was told.

"A Palace, huh? An appropriate name for this place, I guess," Ren chimed in while surveying the room, with Makoto nodding in agreement before noticing Ryuji suddenly had a look of understanding in his eyes.

"So, it became like this 'cause he just thought of it like that?!" he summarized with wide eyes, his realization causing Makoto to simmer in anger and Ren to let off a dark growl. It was then that the frustrated blond let off a soft, pathetic laugh before his anger returned full force and slammed a fist into the nearby wall. "That son of a bitch!"

"Wow… You must really hate this Kamoshida guy if you're acting like this," Morgana pointed out with his arms crossed, which seemed to only set the infuriated teen off even further.

"Hate doesn't even cover how I feel. Everything is that asshole's fault!"

"Ryuji-kun, calm down. I understand how you feel, but this is not the time for you to lose your temper right now," Makoto said calmly as she slowly approached him, placing a firm hand on his shoulder to keep him still, only to be brushed off as he looked away from her.

"Not sure you do, Prez. The worst that prick's done to you was try and mess with your sister and ratted you out to her. It's big, yeah, but not as bad as what he did to me. I don't even have a future anymore because of him. I can't help my mom as much as I want to. I can't repay my senpai for everything she's done after what happened. Hell, I don't even know if I'm gonna graduate next year, because of that asshole! My life's a wreck and I doubt anythin's gonna fix it…"

"Ryuji-kun…" Makoto muttered, feeling incredibly guilty for being such a sensitive subject up. She turned to Ren, hoping he would know what to do, but only got a shrug and a shaking head, looking quite uncomfortable behind his mask. Even the cat creature looked unnerved by the drop in atmosphere, and all Makoto could do was lower her head in shame as she tried and failed to figure out a way to make Ryuji feel better. It was a useless endeavor to her.

Useless …

"…So, Frizzy? I'm betting you're curious about your outfit, huh?" Morgana questioned in an attempt to lift the mood and change the subject, inadvertently snapping the brunette out of her depressive thoughts before they could begin to fester

"A little," Ren admitted with a nod.

"Yeah, I'm curious as hell about it too." Ryuji admitted while giving Ren's gear a glance.

"…Same," Makoto muttered, looking up briefly to analyze her friend's clothes as well.

"That's also because of this world," Morgana began to explain with a smile, ignoring Ryuji complaining as he spoke. "Anything distorts according to how a ruler pleases within his Palace. A school can turn into a castle like this, after all. In order to prevent such distortions, one must hold a powerful will of rebellion. Your appearance is a manifestation of that. It's the image of rebellion that you hold within."

"…My image of rebellion is an over-the-top street performer, then?" Ren asked while giving his clothes a look over once more.

"You seem more like a gentleman thief in that attire to me, if I may be honest. It would certainly explain your connection with your…Persona, I believe, since it's named after a famous gentleman thief as well," Makoto spoke up, feeling slightly less depressed than she did moments ago as she gave her friend's wardrobe an analytical gaze.

"Really? Huh…" Ren muttered contemplatively as he stared at his attire once more while Ryuji let out a frustrated groan.

"Ah forget about the clothes for a minute. They make no sense anyways. I wanna know what's up with you more than anything. What the hell are you?" he exclaimed.

"I'm a human! An honest-to-god human!" Morgana answered with a wide grin, ignorant of the blank stares he was getting from the others.

"No, you're obviously more like a cat!" Ryuji pointed out bluntly, Makoto and Ren nodding in agreement, much to the dismay of the not-cat.

"This is, well… It's because I lost my true form. …I think," Morgana said with uncertainty.

"You 'think'?" Ryuji repeated with a raised eyebrow.

"Are you sure you're human, Morgana-san?" Makoto asked.

"Of course, I'm sure! I know how to regain my true form, too. It's why I snuck in here; it was for a preliminary investigation of those means," Morgana assured with a nod

"Until you got caught, though," Ren pointed out bluntly, causing a flair of annoyance to well up in Makoto and prompting her to elbow his stomach for being so rude. "Ow…! What? It's true!"

"It is, but you don't need to say it in such a tactless manner! Be more mindful of your words, Ren-kun," Makoto hissed before the sounds of chuckling reached her ears, and turned to see Morgana looking at them with an amused expression.

"Relax. He's right. I did get caught. But now I'm free and ready to extract my own revenge on Kamoshida," Morgana said in a determined tone, "Don't forget, I've been tortured by that slimy bastard too! I'm gonna make him pay for sure!"

"…What is this, a manga? This is seriously crazy," Ryuji groaned, causing Ren to suddenly let out a sigh of relief and mutter something under his breath, much to Makoto's confusion before hearing Morgana clear his throat.

"If we're gonna keep going, we should hurry along," he said firmly before turning to Ren with a smirk, "I'll be counting on your skills this time too, rookie. Got it?"

"No worries. Arsène and I have your back," Ren nodded with a smirk while adjusting his gloves in a stylish manner, his actions prompting Makoto to shake her head ruthfully as a bubble of amusement started to form within her before Ryuji walked over to him with a grin.

"Hey man, I'm not gonna force it all on you. I figured you'd need some help, so… Here!" he said as he pulled out a small, silver colored object that looked familiar to Makoto. It took a second for her to realize what it was, and once she did, any and all amusement and depression vanished in lue of fury and fear.

"You brought a gun with you!? You took a gun to school!? Do you have any idea how irresponsible that was! You could have been expelled on the spot if anyone saw you with it!" she questioned hysterically while gripping Ryuji's shoulders, all sympathy towards him vanishing as she shook him hard enough to make the gun fly out of his hands and into Ren's.

"Relax, will you!? It's a model gun; it only looks real! All it does is make noise, alright! I brought it so we could at least fake the guards out!" Ryuji cried out as Makoto tightened her grip on his shoulders and shook him even harder. "C-Cut it out, Prez! You're makin' me sick!"

"Wow… You're getting really worked up over a toy, aren't you?" Morgana said curiously, causing Makoto to turn to the apparent not-cat in disbelief while roughly pushing Ryuji away.

"It's the principle of the matter! Even if it's a fake, it still looks real enough for anyone to mistake it as such at a glance, and that is all it will take to cause panic at our school!" Makoto explained as she turned to the only other human in the room for support. "Ren-kun, can you please help me with this!"

"Hmm… A replica Tkachev, eh? The make and model for this is pretty top of the line. The craftsmanship is on par with Gramps's collection. I wonder if Ryuji-san could take me to where he got this—"

"Ren-kun!" she exclaimed, astonished that Ren of all people was enamored by the realistic model gun.

"Huh, what? Sorry, I wasn't paying attention," Ren apologized with a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his head as he pocketed the pistol.

"Prez, seriously, will you calm down. That thing's not the only thing I brought," Ryuji assured with a grin as he pulled out a small bottle of pain pills, medicinal gauze and other small miscellaneous medical supplies from his pockets, much to Makoto's surprise.

"…Those are some deep pockets you have there. Looks like you've been wanting to come back here from the start," Morgana pointed out with a raised eyebrow.

"Can't hurt to be prepared eh? I know some basic first aid thanks to my time at track, so I can do a bit of patch work in case either of you get hurt. After all, you know what they say: Providin' is pre…somethin'. Huh? Huh?" Ryuji said with a joking grin as Makoto continued to stare at him with wide eyes.

"Well, looks like we're all set to go. Care to lead the way, Morgana?" Ren suggested.

"Leave it to me!" Morgana nodded, "The guards should still be nearby, so I suggest we eavesdrop on them to learn a few things. Maybe we can even find where the slaves are if we listen hard enough."

"Alright, let's listen in then," Ryuji nodded as he, Ren and Morgana walked towards the door and pressed themselves to it while Makoto watched on helplessly. All motivation for the infiltration left her as she turned away from the group, leaning on the wall nearby so that no one could see her frustrated expression.

"Ryuji-kun… Even though you could've been in serious trouble for bringing the equipment you had possessed, you had the forethought of bringing aid for Ren-kun just in case your power wasn't enough. You did what I failed to do and planned ahead while I merely rushed forward in this endeavor without a proper thought," Makoto muttered bitterly to herself, her voice trembling as she felt her eyes water, "I'm such an idiot. All I want to do is to help the students that are possibly trapped here. To save them and bring justice to Mr. Kamoshida for his actions…but I can't do a damn thing! Ren-kun and Morgana-kun can fight while Ryuji-kun can provide support with his medical supplies, but all I am is a tag-along. I have no supplies to assist with first aid… My aikido will do nothing to these monsters… There's no point for me to even be here. I'm just a burden to them. I'm completely useless… Just like Sis said…"

Makoto stifled a cry when she finished, feeling hot tears stream down from her face and tried desperately to wipe them away with her sleeve before the others noticed. As frustrating as her situation was, she didn't want the others to see her in such a state. It would make her feel more demoralized than she currently felt if they caught her in a moment of weakness. She had to at least appear strong for the others so that she wouldn't hold them back any more than she already had… She forced herself to control her emotions, but it was proving to be very difficult. Just as she felt more tears welling up, she felt something tap her shoulder, and couldn't help but jump and scream in surprise before a pair of firm hands clasped both shoulders.

"Senpai, calm down. It's just me," Ren's voice said in a soothing tone, causing her to stiffen up slightly before trying once more to wipe her face free of tears.

"O-Oh. S-Sorry, Ren-kun. I didn't mean to jump like that…" Makoto muttered as she slowly turned around, hoping he wouldn't question her current state too much.

"It's fine. My fault for freaking you out like that," Ren assured with a sheepish smile before frowning in concern. "Are you alright, though? You're looking a bit worse than you did this morning. What we're doing now isn't too much for you, is it? We can take you back to the entrance if you want."

"…No, Ren-kun. It's fine. I'm simply…feeling a little overwhelmed by all that's happening. It'll pass over time," Makoto assured, desperately hoping that her friend wouldn't pry any further.

"Are you sure? Things are about to get really dangerous soon, you know. We found out where the others are being held and the cat says it'll probably be filled with guards. I don't want you to get hurt if things get too rough," Ren pressed, his worry evident even behind his mask and causing Makoto to feel frustrated once more.

"I said I'm fine! You don't need to treat me like an invalid, Amamiya-kun. I'm capable of taking care of myself," she countered harshly, the words slipping out before she could stop herself before wincing when she noticed her friend wincing behind his mask. "Ah… Sorry. I'm just…"

"It's fine. I get it. It's my fault for pushing you like that. Don't worry about it," Ren assured, turning back to where Ryui and Morgana stood before clasping her shoulder gently and whispered gently to her. "Listen, I know you're dealing with a lot recently. It's been obvious since this morning, and I'm honestly a little worried. I'm well aware that this isn't my business and I shouldn't butt in like this, but if you need to talk or rant or anything like that, you can come to me. I'll be around to listen if you need it. It's the least I can do for you since you're still willing to be friends with me after all the shit that's happened until now."

"Ren-kun…" Makoto whispered, shocked by her friend's kind words and offer as he gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze before letting go.

"That's all I wanted to say. Now that that's settled, let's go save some students, eh?" Ren said with a small smirk, causing Makoto to nod slowly as she watched him move towards the others by the safe room's exit.

…I don't believe it. I snapped at Ren-kun like he was being a nuisance and he's still willing to help me with my troubles? It's…honestly really sweet of him, but at the same time, I don't want to bother him with my issues. I'm already enough of a burden to him already… Still… I am grateful for his offer. I have to make it up to him for wasting so much of his time on me, she thought, clenching her fist tightly in anger towards herself before forcing herself to take a breath. It wasn't the time to wallow in self-doubt and pity. They had a job to do, and even if she was as useless as her sister said, there had to be at least something she could do to help. With that in mind, she followed the others out of the safe room and down the stairs, saying close to Ren as they drew closer to whatever their destination was.

It was a few moments later that the group came across another pair of guards, and it was then that Morgana decided to give Ren another lesson. This one, however, was involving the airsoft gun that Ryuji had brought, and Makoto couldn't help but feel skeptical about it all.

"…Are you sure this will work?" Ren whispered as he hid in a corner with the toy gun in hand while glancing at the two guards that were in the way of their destination, looking just as wary as Makoto felt.

"Yeah, I'm with Ren on this one. That thing is just a toy. It can't do anything except maybe fake the guards out," Ryuji chimed in quietly as he gave Morgana a doubtful look.

"Trust me, it will. When I give the signal, all you have to do is pull the trigger. Got it?" Morgana assured from behind a barrel, causing Ren to look down at the fake pistol before letting out an exasperated sigh.

"Alright, it's your call."

"Excellent! Zorro! Lucky Punch them!"

In a burst of blue flames, Morgana's Persona appeared from atop the barrels, startling the two guards in the narrow hall, flew straight over to the pair and punched the both of them with a pair of massive boxing gloves that let off a surprisingly cute squeak on contact. The blow knocked their helmets clean off, causing them to burst into black ooze and transform into a small fairy and what looked like a humanoid plant monster respectively. The two of them appeared dazed, to the point where the group swore they saw little stars floating around their heads, and Morgana saw this as the prime opportunity for their next action.

"Alright! Take aim now!" he ordered while Zorro vanished as he pulled out a large slingshot from his pack and locked on to the plant girl, much to the surprise of Ryuji and Makoto.

Ren, however, did not even bat an eye towards the object as he leapt out of his hiding spot and aimed his pistol at the fairy, his eyes focused as he stared down the slowly rising monster with his finger on the trigger.

"Fire!"

The moment the words left the cat creature's mouth, Ren pulled the trigger continuously, a flurry of bullets coming out of the pistol and striking the downed fairy, ripping its wings up and filling its torso with bullet holes before it quickly dispersed in a plume of black smoke. The plant creature had ended up with a similar fate; pelted with so many steel spheres that all it could do was groan in pain before it too vanished like its brethren. The moment they disappeared, Makoto and Ryuji rushed towards Ren and stared at him in surprise, while Ren himself was looking at the toy gun in his hand in shock.

"…Did this thing do what I think it did?" he muttered in disbelief just as Makoto swiped the gun from his hands and started to inspect it.

"The hell was that?! Did that toy just shoot real bullets!?" Ryuji exclaimed in surprise while standing beside her to get a better look at the gun as well.

"…It hasn't been modified at all as far as I can tell. It's still a replica. So how in the world did it work like a real firearm?" Makoto questioned as she looked for anything suspicious, glaring at it when she found nothing.

"Surprised? That's the effect of the cognitive world we're in," Morgana said proudly, "As long as the object in question looks real, it will work as such so long as the opponent believes it to be real as well. Not only that, because it's so realistic, the Shadows will think that you're always armed and ready to fire. As a result, your clip will be refilled every time you finish fighting! It's a good thing that the toy is so life-like, huh?"

"…I don't get it," Ryuji muttered while shaking his head.

"I believe I do… But I feel like there's more to it than that," Makoto nodded with a contemplative expression as she placed the model gun in her friend's hand, who was looking at it warily.

"Well at least one of you isn't a total moron. And you're right, there is more to what I said, but I can't exactly go into detail at the moment since this area's a bit more secure than the last ones," the cat quipped in his usual smug tone, ignoring Ryuji's outcry to turn to Ren expectantly. "What about you? Did you get what I said?"

"I think I got the gist of it," Ren muttered as he gave the gun another look over and held it out in a professional manner, visibly impressing Morgana with his movements.

"Wow, you're holding that thing like a pro! You used something like that before?" he asked curiously.

"Sort of? Gramps has a model gun collection at his place and my sister and I would play with them whenever we visit. I always went for the pistols and stuff like that while she messed around with his rifles. He even taught us a few things about proper gun handling and maintenance that he learned while on the force for the hell of it. Never thought I'd use his teachings in a situation, but hey, can't complain," Ren explained as he pocketed the pistol.

"Forget the guns for a minute. I wanna know how your weapon works!" Ryuji spoke up as he pointed at the cat creature, who was staring back at him curiously. "You said this is a cognitive world or whatever and guns work if they're real, but you're usin' a freakin' slingshot! And it was just as strong as that damn gun! Think you can explain' that!?"

"I'm quite curious about that too, actually," Makoto nodded with Ren looking at Morgana expectantly, who was simply grinning and waving his paw at the trio.

"Eh, don't worry about it. It's not important," Morgana dismissed, ignoring the unamused expressions of the others, before trotting forward to the end of the hall. "Let's get going. Our destination is not far from here!"

"…What a freaky little hairball," Ryuji muttered in silence as he and the others started running towards Morgana, and walked past a doorway to see one more room that led to where they needed to be, this one housing a strange banner that made all of them uneasy at the sight of it.

"The hell? 'Kamoshida's Training Hall of Love'? The eff that's supposed to mean?!" Ryuji asked after reading the sign.

"I got a bad feeling about this…" Makoto whispered nervously.

"It's safe to assume this is the room we're looking for, right?" Ren asked Morgana, who nodded in response.

"Yup, this is the place. Just a warning, you guys are not gonna like what you're gonna see. So be prepared."

The three of them nodded, understanding what the cat meant, before Ren opened the door and walked inside. Despite their mental preparedness, though, none of them were ready to experience what they were about to witness, and the moment they crossed the bridge, only one word could aptly describe what they saw.

Torture. Pure, unadulterated torture. One what seemed to have no end in sight.

"What…the hell…? Ren muttered, his eyes wide behind his mask as he saw a multitude of guards whipping a bunch of innocent students in gym clothes that looked to be his age.

"Oh my god!" Makoto gasped, her eyes watering and her hands over her mouth as she watched a set of students in another cage run for their lives on a treadmill, trying desperately not to get crushed by the spinning spiked mechanism behind them while begging for the jug of water that was dangling above them.

"This is bullshit!" Ryuji exclaimed, looking as if he was ready to explode in anger as he helplessly watched one lone student hanging upside down by his feet on a rope, constantly being shot at by a cannon that was firing what appeared to be volleyballs to the face.

"Will you guys keep it down?! You're gonna get us caught at this rate!" Morgana hissed as he sat on a mass of barrels and crates, unfazed by the horrors before him.

"But this is beyond messed up! Look at them!" Ryuji stressed while gesturing to the cages.

"We got to let them out now! I can't stand having them suffer like this any longer!" Makoto nearly shouted as she rushed towards the nearest door.

"Let me try. I think Arsène is able to bust down something like this," Ren growled while placing a hand over his mask in order to summon his Persona.

"Stop it…!" a beaten voice spoke up from behind the bars, causing the trio to freeze as a young man their age that was covered in bandages slowly approached them. "Leave us alone…! It's useless…"

"Useless…?" Makoto repeated softly, the dreaded word echoing in her head as another beaten student slowly approached the bars.

"If we stay obedient, we won't be executed like you guys…" he said, the statement infuriating Ryuji as he gripped the bars tightly.

"You tellin' me you wanna stay in a place like this!?" the vulgar teen shouted angrily.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up! Were you guys actually planning on letting these prisoners free?" Morgana questioned as he looked at the teens oddly.

"We can't just leave them here! It ain't right!" Ryuji exclaimed while gesturing to the cage, snapping Makoto out of her depression and replacing it with righteous fury.

"The safety and the well-being of the student body is my responsibility as student council president! Do you seriously expect me to ignore something like this! This is an outrage!" Makoto shouted just as angrily.

"How stupid can you two be? And I thought Braid here was the smartest out of the group," Morgana shook his head, which only served to anger the duo even more.

"What?!" the pair shouted, their minds in sync due to the severity of the situation before them, and were about to go off on the pseudo-feline when Ren suddenly spoke up once more.

"They're not real, are they…?" he said softly, his gloved hand clenching into a fist as the rest of the group turned to him, Makoto and Ryuji staring at him in shock while Morgana nodded solemnly.

"Frizzy's right. These are only humans in Kamoshida's cognition. They aren't real humans that entered from reality like you three. There's no point in saving them. They're nothing more than…extremely similar-looking dolls," Morgana explained, confirming what Makoto had feared from the beginning and causing her to grow even angrier as she heard Ren growl in frustration.

"The hell? Why's it gotta be so complicated!?" Ryuji complained, looking confused as he visibly tried to put everything together, "So the school's a castle and the students are slaves… It's so on point it makes me laugh. This really is inside of that asshole's head…!"

"…I can't believe that something like this actually exists. I…I was afraid that the prisoners were actually fakes from the beginning, but I never expected something like this. To think that someone would honestly think of the students he is supposed to teach in such a manner. It makes me sick…" Makoto said in the darkest tone she could muster when she noticed Ren suddenly stood straight with his eyes wide in horror even behind his mask. "Ren-kun, what's wrong?"

"…I just realized something," he spoke up with a pained expression as he turned to the abused cognitions in worry. "These people are supposed to represent what Kamoshida sees them as in the real world, correct? If this is what we're seeing, then does that mean that in the real world…?"

"You've caught on, huh? You're a quick study…" Morgana said calmly, picking up from where Ren trailed off as he hopped off the crates and towards the bars. "If this is how the Kamoshida from this world treats these guys here, then the one in the real world is no different. It's horrible."

"You mean… Kamoshida isn't just thinking that his students are slaves, he's actually abusing them in a manner similar to this in our world!?" Makoto exclaimed with a horrified expression as Ryuji's eyes went wide as he looked at the students once more.

"Holy shit, I know these guys! They're members of the volleyball team! Kamoshida's not just their teacher, he's their damn coach too!" he exclaimed in realization, causing Makoto to gasp and Ren to curse loudly while Morgana continued to look at the beings sadly.

"They must be physically abused every day… There's no way they'd be so beat up normally," he pointed out while shaking his head.

"So…this means that the volleyball team is going through similar treatment in reality, huh…" Ren growled once more. "This is bullshit. No coach should treat their team like this. Kamoshida's no teacher… He's a monster…"

"Dammit, I heard that he was using physical punishment, but I thought they were just rumors. To think that they're actually true…" Ryuji grumbled before turning to Makoto, "Hey Prez, you've been investigatin' Kamoshida for a while, yeah? Didn't you find out anything about this or what?"

"Nothing concrete. Just rumors and whispers from those who were willing to talk. I tried to obtain information from the volleyball team themselves, but they were extremely tight-lipped about it. Nothing I did worked, and I was forced to end it when Sis got involved…" Makoto explained while shaking her head, her fists clenched tight at the reminder of her failure.

"Well looks like we can open up that investigation of yours. All we have to do is take a few pics of this and send them to the police. He'll be off to jail in no time," Ryuji assured as he pulled out his phone to take photos of the scenes before him, until he noticed that the app for it wasn't responding. "The hell? The camera's not workin'!?"

"Do you think our phones are disabled while we're in here," Makoto asked as she pulled out her phone as well, frowning when none of her apps were not responding as well.

"Not entirely. For some reason, it looks like the navigation app I have is still active. It's been archiving our pathways too, so at least we won't get lost here if we want to get out," Ren said as he showed his phone to the others while Morgana looked at the trio in confusion.

"…Navigation app?" he repeated.

"It's what we used to get here. Prez was the one who activated it," Ryuji explained while pointing a thumb at Makoto, who turned to him with a surprised expression.

"Are you saying that it's my fault we are in our current situation?" she couldn't help but ask, her voice laced with irritation.

"Not at all, but if we want to get Kamoshida to stop his abuse, then we gotta figure out how to prove it," Ryuji stated before turning to the cognitions once more. "I'm gonna memorize these faces. If we can find the guys that look like them in the real world, then maybe we can expose the bastard for the monster he really is."

"Wow, good idea Ryuji-san. Hopefully we can find someone who will cooperate with us," Ren nodded in approval.

"Whatever you guys do is fine so long as you do it quickly," Morgana spoke up sternly. "We'll get caught if we stand around like this. Do what you need to do fast so we can get out of there."

"Aww… Leaving so soon? And I was just about to have a little fun…"

All four occupants jumped at the sound of the familiar voice, and they turned to see the sight of the 'royal' Kamoshida grinning sinisterly at them from the other side of the bridge, flanked by a couple guards.

"Kamoshida…" Ryuji growled, looking ready to rush over to the golden eyed man and cave his face in if Ren had not placed his hand on his shoulder to keep him still.

"So, we meet again, Shadow Kamoshida. Heard you got locked in your own cell. Hope you enjoyed tasting your own medicine for a bit," Morgana taunted as he stood at the other side of the bridge with his arms crossed.

"Hmph, so the cat monster managed to escape as well. I knew I should've executed you while I had the chance," Shadow Kamoshida grumbled before letting off a small scoff. "Tch, no matter. You're gonna die with the rest of these trespassers anyways."

"Like hell we're gonna die, you prick," Ren growled as he placed a hand on his mask and called upon his power. "Arsène, let's go!"

"Don't think I'll fall for the same trick twice, scoundrel…" Shadow Kamoshida grinned and snapped his fingers, causing the two guards before him to suddenly burst into a mass if black ooze for a moment before they combined to form a human-like shape. Only a moment later did the shape of a winged devil woman in a half open white crop-top and black shorts, complete with black wings and a tail, appear before the group with a cocky stare.

"Oh, to think that you children are the ones trifling on Lord Kamoshida's domain. That simply will not do. I believe it's time to put you in your place," the she-devil smirked as she held her palm forward and released a blast of ice right at the group, much to their surprise.

"Shit. Arsène!" Ren called out to his Persona, who immediately acted by launching a burst of dark energy at the ice blast. Unfortunately for them, the ice simply continued straight through the dark power, cutting it down and striking Arsène straight in the chest, forcing it to disperse almost immediately as Ren started to cry in pain.

"Ren-kun!" Makoto cried in alarm as she and the others rushed to his aid as Shadow Kamoshida began cackling evilly.

"Aww. Can't handle a little frost? Guess you're not so tough after all, are you?" The dark being taunted as the Sultry Frost Devil slowly floated towards them with a palm full of cold energy, stopping just in time to avoid a sudden burst of wind that nearly struck her.

"Stay away from them, you stupid Shadow," Morgana hissed as Zorro stared down at the Shadows before turning to Ren, who was shivering heavily now. "Shoot, that attack did more damage than I thought. Didn't think you'd have a weakness to ice spells of all things. I thought it would've been light spells considering the attacks your Persona is able to use."

"Never…liked the cold. It…sucks…" Ren managed to say as he hugged himself to stay warm while Ryuji and Makoto glared at the man that issued the attack.

"You bastard! The hell you're doing this for?!" Ryuji exclaimed.

"Why? Because it's my right. I'm the king here, and I am allowed to do whatever I want," Shadow Kamoshida explained with a smirk and his arms crossed beneath his cloak, an action that immediately set Makoto off.

"You monster! You have no right to treat your students like this!" she shouted while gesturing to the cage behind her, where the cognitive students were still suffering. "You are a teacher! Someone who is supposed to guide their students to a bright future and aid them in whatever problem they may face! What you're doing right now is nothing more than blatant abuse and I, as Student Council President, will not approve of your actions!"

"Hah! And what can you do? You're just a useless little girl with a fancy title and no actual power whatsoever," Shadow Kamoshida stated, his words stunning the poor girl while the guys stared at him with wide eyes. "The only reason you even have that title is because of that good-for-nothing bitch of a sister of yours. The principal wants to get on her good side, for whatever reason, and will go so far as to give her big burden of a little sister a job she's no good for just to please her… Of course, you're no different from our 'beloved' principal yourself."

"Stop it…" Makoto whimpered, hugging herself while tears threatened to fall from her eyes as she tried desperately to ignore the words of the Shadow.

"But it's true. All you do is whatever we teachers tell you to do. All to the word. You're nothing more than a goody-goody pushover who would do anything to get a recommendation for a good college just to please the one family member that you have left that doesn't even want you around anymore! I bet life would be much easier for her if you simply disappeared from her life. A wish that I can easily grant."

"You stay the hell away from her, you son of a bitch!" Ren shouted, slowly picking himself up as Arsène suddenly appeared once more and began flying right towards Shadow Kamoshida, only to be blocked by the she-devil launching another burst of frost. The Persona had to veer away from its target to avoid getting struck, and had no choice but to fight against her.

"Hang on, Frizzy. I'll get you fixed up," Morgana assured as Zorro began waving his rapier above the injured teen, a cool wave of emerald-colored energy now surrounding him as his injuries began to soothe, only to wince and hold his side when Arsène was struck again by ice, this time striking a small portion of its wings, but not dispersing just yet.

"You bastard! The hell are you're doin' to him!?" Ryuji roared.

"Simply showing the delinquent transfer his place, as I will do to you shortly," Shadow Kamoshida explained in his usual haughty tone before turning to Makoto in a more…lustful state. "But you… I'm willing to let you off the hook if you're willing to be my mistress. Your sister may have rejected me, but I'm sure you wouldn't mind being her replacement. You do want to go to a good school, correct? Finally make your sister proud? Just do as I say, and I will ensure a bright future for you…"

"You…" Makoto growled, her frustration growing and growing as she helplessly watched Arsène fight desperately against the she-devil with little success, Morgana and Zorro split between keeping Ren healed and occasionally assisting the dark Persona, and Ryuji holding Ren upright so that he wouldn't collapse again.

"You can refuse, of course, but in doing so, the rest of your life will be nothing but hell. The student body already has a low opinion of you, and associating with the criminal boy has done nothing but sully it even more. You'll become even more useless than before. Much more of a burden to Sae. And of course, a failure of a Student Council President who couldn't even control one student, and ended up being controlled by him instead," Shadow Kamoshida stated while shaking his head, stunning the distraught girl with his words before letting lose another sinister grin. "If you're willing to abandon him, however, I'm sure your life will be much, much better. Even more so if you do as I say. All you have to do to get your life back on track is to abandon the source of your downfall: the trouble student. You do that and it will be smooth sailing from here on out. You've always done whatever it takes to get to the top, this will be no different. What do you say…?"

"Abandon… Ren-kun? You…want me to…" Makoto muttered, her voice trembling as she processed the words the Shadow said to her, all of which struck home to her. She had no idea what to say to the man, too unsure of what to do, and feeling completely useless to do anything. There was nothing she could do to get them out of their situation. Nothing she can do to save the only friend she had made in the longest time. Nothing at all.

Maybe I really am useless… Maybe…there is no point… Maybe…

"You shut the hell up about her, you goddamn monster," Ren's rage-filled voice snapped her out of her depressive thoughts, and turned to him and gasped at the sight of pure and utter hatred aimed towards the Shadow. "You have no idea what she's going through. The hardships she's dealing with right now. And because you spread my criminal record around, she is getting so much unnecessary attention that it's ruining her! I may have only been here for a couple days now, but I know she is a strong person, and it's people like you that are forcing her to be weak! You and everyone like you need to get off her case or else I'll make you! I've been dealing with too much shit in my cursed life, and I'll be damned if I let you anywhere near one of the only people in this goddamn world outside of my family that actually gives a shit about me!"

"Yeah, you bastard! Leave the Prez alone! Sure, she's a bit full of herself sometimes, but she's not as bad as I thought she was! She's a real badass when she wants to be and a hell of a much better person than anyone in our school! Especially you! If you're gonna keep bad-mouthin' and threatening her, I'll come over to you right now and cave your face in! Just like she did!" Ryuji spoke up in Makoto's defense, much to her surprise.

"You two…" She whispered, shocked and elated beyond belief that the boys before her believed in her that much. Even Ryuji, whom she never truly got along with, was actively defending her. It was a lot for her to take in, and before she could express any form of thanks, Shadow Kamoshida began laughing tauntingly at the boys, much to her horror.

"Hahaha, if you two want to be executed that badly, then be my guest! Guard, take them out!" the golden eyed man ordered.

"Yes, my liege," the Frost Devil smirked seductively, and Makoto watched in horror as she let loose another wave of cold air at Arsène, slowing its movements enough to grab it and throw it at Zorro, who was the biggest target in the room. She grimaced when the two slammed into each other and crashed into the bars nearby, dispersing almost instantly and making both Ren and Morgana grunt in pain. It was then that the monster started to approach them with its hands covered in frigid mist and a wicked grin, causing the boys to shiver as it inched closer and closer to them.

As Makoto watched on, she felt her anger and frustration grow into new heights. Here she was, standing around and doing nothing while her friends were risking their lives to fight. Shadow Kamoshida's words were buzzing around her head like an angry wasp, and accompanying it were all the harsh whispers and hurtful statements that she had heard about her. Even Sae's words from last night came rushing through her mind. It was getting too much for her to bottle up, and as the monster drew closer to her friends, to the ones who had defended her from Kamoshida's brutal accusations, she felt something within her snap once more.

She was done holding back her fury, and she had the perfect target to use to vent.

"GET AWAY FROM THEM, YOU BITCH!" Makoto exclaimed, sprinting forward until she was right in front of the boys and delivered a strong punch deep into the Shadow's stomach, causing it to fly to the center of the bridge with a harsh thud.

"Senpai…?" she heard Ren call out softly, causing her to turn her head briefly to see him, Ryuji and Morgana looking at her in surprise. She couldn't blame them, considering she never lost her temper in such a manner before, but it wasn't the time to worry about such things. They were safe, and that was the important thing. With that in mind, she turned her attention back to Shadow Kamoshida and his guards and for the first time in her life, fully succumbing to her anger.

"I've heard you go on and on long enough! Say what you want about me, but the moment you brought Ren-kun into this, all bets are off! I will not allow you to insult the first friend I've made in years! I will not allow anymore harm to befall him, Ryuji-kun or Morgana-san! I will not tolerate you abusing my fellow students anymore! And I will not submit to you and be your toy to do as you please!

"I'M COMING AFTER YOU WITH EVERYTHING I GOT, YOU PERVERSE, SELF-OBSESSED BASTARD!"

The room was silent the moment those words escaped from her mouth, everyone too stunned by her words and actions. Save for Makoto's heavy breathing, the only sounds that could be heard were that of the tortured students in the background, which only served to make her even more infuriated. She had never felt so much rage towards one person before, and she wanted nothing more than to simply beat down the man before her, just like she wanted to back at the cage the day before. Luckily for her, there was someone who was willing to assist her in that task.

Her other self.

Have you decided to tread the path of strife…? a calm voice echoed from within Makoto's head, a voice similar to her own, asking her a simple question that she knew most would turn down. She, however, had a different answer in mind.

"Yes… Come to me!"

Very well. Let us proceed with our contract at once.

Pain filled her mind the moment those words were uttered, causing her to clutch her head to try and alleviate it. It did nothing, however, as the pain started to intensify with each passing second. Despite it, though, she stood her ground. She knew exactly what this pain meant, and if suffering such an ordeal would allow her to finally stand beside her new friend as an equal and not as a burden, then she would endure every second of it.

I am thou, thou art I…

You have finally found your own justice…

Please. Never lose sight of it again.

I won't! I will never lose myself again! No matter what happens, I'll follow my own path! All the way to the end! Makoto managed to mentally respond through the pain, stomping on the ground so hard she actually managed to leave a deep crater on the brick floor. Panting heavily, she felt a sudden weight on her face, and reached to it to feel an iron mask with large slits for eye holes now covered the upper half of her face. It was the moment she was waiting for, and with all her might, she started pulling off her new mask while giving the despicable man before her a scalding golden glare.

Excellent. This memorable day marks the graduation of your false self… Congratulations, my fellow Priestess.

With those words echoing in her mind, Makoto successfully ripped off her mask, blood gushing off her face as she cried out in pain and anger. She felt a surge of power rushing throughout her body as a pillar of blue fire engulfed her. As she felt her strength grow and the flames die down, she soon found herself no longer standing, but instead mounting on something with her hands gripped tightly on what felt like handles. It was only a moment later that she realized exactly what she was on, and with great satisfaction, she twisted one of the handles, and was rewarded by the sounds of something she had only thought she would hear in her dreams.

The sounds of a powerful motorcycle engine revving…

"What the hell…?" she heard Ryuji mutter behind her, and turned her head slightly to see him and the others staring at her with wide eyes and gaping mouths. It was an amusing sight to see, and nodded back at them slightly before looking down at her newfound ally.

Makoto's Persona was different compared to the humanoid forms of Arsène and Zorro, instead having taken the form of a sleek, chrome motorcycle with black chains flying around it and the image of a closed-eyed woman's face behind a blue screen. Makoto herself had changed drastically in terms of appearance, now sporting a skintight black and blue bodysuit with a tight dark corset and matching long scarf that reached her lower back, spiked shoulder and knee pads and sleek white gloves, giving her the look of a biker more than anything.

A very intimidating and powerful biker.

"…Is that a Persona?" Ren whispered in awe.

"That ain't no Persona or whatever, dude. That's a bike!" Ryuji stated eloquently as he shivered in response to the roar of the engine that echoed in the room.

"I can feel it… My 'self'… Me…!" Makoto said softly as she allowed the power of her inner self flow through her, before turning to Kamoshida and his devil minion with a powerful, crimson glare. "Gun It!"

The moment those words escaped her lips, she immediately drove right towards the she-devil, drifting just before she rammed right into her and striking the monster with the tail end of her Persona, sending her flying straight into Shadow Kamoshida and nearly imbedding them into the wall on the other side of the Training Hall, much to the surprise of the boys.

"What…what is this?! I've never seen anything like this!" Morgana exclaimed in disbelief, causing Makoto to smirk briefly at his words before focusing all her attention on the monsters before her and relishing on her newfound strength.

"I will not lose heart again… ever! I will go forward at full speed non-stop! Right, Johanna?!"

"Of course, Mistress. Let us show this miserable excuse of man that we are not to be trifled with," Johanna agreed, her voice loud and clear for all to hear.

"Why you… You're gonna pay for that, bitch!" Shadow Kamoshida yelled as he slowly removed himself from the wall, two more guards coming out of the door nearby and quickly morphed into a pair of winged devils similar to the first one, but with lighter hair and sporting black tights instead of a crop-top.

"Don't get cocky because I normally behave myself. I am DONE playing nice!" Makoto exclaimed harshly, not at all afraid as her two fellow summoners appeared beside her with equally furious expressions.

"We're pulling out all the stops on you, you bastard. Prepare yourself," Ren stated coldly as Arsène appeared once more with its crimson face fiercer than ever.

"It's payback time for torturing me, you good for nothing Shadow!" Morgana promised with Zorro appearing and swishing his rapier around in a Z formation with a grim frown marring its face.

"Everyone, let's go!" Makoto ordered, revving her engine once more as all three summoners charged at the she-devils. She was finally done being useless…and was more than ready to show these monsters exactly what she can do.

"Johanna, full throttle!"

"Arsène, ravage them!"

"Zorro, show your might!"

---

Author's Note:

Hello again, Tricksters. Hope you enjoyed the final triple update to Trials as much as I enjoyed reworking it. The major edit to this was to focus more on Makoto's point of view instead of having it be a messy mesh of hers and Ren's. I think it looks a bit cleaner as a result, personally, and I hope you all think the same. With this, half of this story has been fixed up, which means all that's left is the latter half, which shouldn't take too long if I continue at this pace. Hopefully once I reach that point I can finally focus on the other works that I've been meaning to finish. I really want to finish Green Tea Anniversary Tales and make more BNHA oneshots, but thanks to my recent playthrough of Persona 5 Royal and practically binging on P5 fanfics, my muse is more or less locked to this fandom. Oh well, at least that means this project here will get a lot of focus... Along with another P5 project that I have in mind. That one won't be started for a while, but I will say that it is going to be reminiscent to Domestic Heroes, so if you liked that, then look forward to what I have planned next.

With that said, thank you all, for enjoying my works, Tricksters. I wish you all a wonderful time in our harsh world and I will see you in the next update. Until then, farewell.