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.
Chapter 7: Flag of Rebellion: The Thunderous Chariot and the Pact of Gratitude
4/12/After School/Overcast
-SIU Main Building, Main Lobby-
"Hmm… Looks like it's going to be a long day for me again. Maybe even going to the late evening at this rate. That's disappointing," Sae muttered to herself as she entered the large lobby and started to go up the stairs, a number of files under one arm and her bag in the other.
It had been a typical day for her so far; wake up, get dressed, have a quick breakfast before heading to work, look over her cases and investigate for new clues and details, and occasionally converse with Akechi about the string of incidents that involved psychotic breakdowns or mental shutdowns in some way. It has been a routine for a good while now, and other than a few setbacks on occasion, it wasn't too bad. In fact, the biggest setback she had so far was becoming Ren Amamiya's probation officer, and other than the little screw up from the previous day, it seemed that he was behaving pretty well. Sojiro had not reported anything out of the ordinary so far and she had yet to receive any calls from the school regarding any bad behavior. Add to the fact that he seemed to become a friend to her sister, and it looked like the boy's sentence would go off without incident.
The moment Makoto entered her mind, however, she paused her stride and let off a tired sigh, recalling the talk she had with her the night before. Although she would never admit it out loud, she was honestly very frightened when she got the call about her sister being ambushed by a group of deviants that were skulking around the school. The fiends were apprehended this morning, and were currently sitting in prison despite their pleas of being innocent, but Sae couldn't help but shiver a little at the thought of her baby sister dealing with such deprived creatures on her own. It actually brought back memories of their father's passing, and it had admittedly shortened the elder sister's temper a bit when it came to the argument, especially when she let that 'useless' comment slip.
She wasn't oblivious; she knew Makoto had heard her when she saw her eyes as she left for work, and it made her feel guilty for making that remark. If Sae had to be honest, she believed Makoto was an incredibly strong girl for not only doing all that she had accomplished so far, but also dealing with an absentee guardian who comes home late often and is hardly around in her life. Sae respected Makoto for that, and while she still had a lot to learn, she believed that the young brunette will end up having a life just as successful as her own. And Sae was willing to do whatever it takes to make sure that happens.
Makoto is the only family she has left, and there is no way she is getting anything less than the best for the future.
"Hmm… Best I bring back some cake for her as an apology. She always liked chocolate…" Sae muttered to herself as she returned to her stride, briskly heading back to her office as she thought of what to get for Makoto.
"I wonder if she's home yet… At the very least, I hope she's keeping Amamiya-kun out of trouble…"
-Kamoshida's Castle; Underground Dungeon-
"Coast is clear. Let's go," Ren whispered, gesturing the group to go forward and out of the pathway to the Training Hall of Love while he followed behind, just in case there was an ambush that he didn't see coming.
"Man, I can't believe that Kamoshida escaped in the middle of that scrap. What a waste of energy," Morgana complained as he trotted at the lead to do a quick look around the path for more guards.
"Tell me about it… I…really wanted to punch him in the face again…" Makoto stated with a bit of labored breathing, her usually dark brown eyes practically a deep crimson behind her newly acquired iron mask as her anger started to spike slightly.
"Makoto-senpai, take it easy. You're still tired from our fight with those monsters earlier. Let's take a quick breather before we go on. We can't have you pass out while we escape," Ren suggested as he placed a hand on her shoulder, being careful not to accidentally skewer his hand in the process.
"…Alright. But just for a moment. We stayed here for too long. We got to get out of here as soon as possible," The girl nodded as she sat down near a pile of crates to catch her breath.
"No kiddin'. What you guys did was freakin' awesome and all, but I bet everyone in this damn place is lookin' for us now," Ryuji muttered, his mind going back to the, admittedly amazing, fight that he had witnessed back at the messed-up training hall.
-Flashback, A few minutes ago, Training Hall of Love-
"Dammit, he got away. I knew that pathetic bastard was a coward," Ryuji growled as he saw Shadow Kamoshida successfully getting out of the hall as the others were preoccupied with the she-devils that the dark doppelgänger left behind.
At least they seemed to be having fun fighting. Especially Makoto, who was letting out a lot of pent-up rage at the moment.
"Charge, Johanna!" Makoto exclaimed as she drove towards one of the dark suit wearing she-devils, drifting right in front of it and launching a burst of blue energy right at the monster, causing it to cry in pain.
"Wow, nice Nuclear move, Braid! That did a lot of damage to that Shadow!" Morgana praised as he dodged a wave of ice that was aimed at him by the first devil they were dealing with, jumping up to it, saber in hand, and sliced at its torso with a quick sword swipe, leaving a fairly large gash on its stomach.
"Just how many types of attacks are there, Morgana?" Ren questioned with a grunt as he jumped out of the way to avoid a bolt of lightning that was fired from the second bodysuit wearing devil before Arsène suddenly appeared behind it and struck it with a flurry of needle-like feathers from its wings.
"A lot! I'll tell you more about them, but first we got to deal with these freaks," Morgana stated after pelting the Ice Shadow with a metal pellet from his slingshot, noticing that Ren's target was fast asleep at the moment. "Frizzy, your target's out cold! Now's your chance to take it out!"
"Got it!" Ren nodded as he crossed the bridge towards the sleeping being with his knife out, smirking when he reached it and sliced its wings lean off. The Shadow's cries were soon silenced when Arsène showed up once more and grabbed it by the face, its clawed hand covering its mouth. The dark Persona seemed to let off a sinister chuckle as he pulled its other arm back, the flame like smile on his face growing larger as it sunk its hand right through its target, making it disperse in a burst of black smoke.
"Damn that was brutal," Ryuji muttered from his hiding space after he saw the winged thief essentially execute the Shadow with its bare hands. Not wanting the mental image to stay in his head, he turned to Makoto, who was looking even more of a badass than before, and went wide-eyed when he saw that she was no longer on her Persona Bike, but was fighting the monster with her own fists, which were now holding what appeared to him to be a pair of brass knuckles.
Brass knuckles with spikes on them, that is.
"Feel my rage!" The anger-fueled Summoner exclaimed as she drove her deadly fist into the sultry devil's chest, relishing in its screams of pain as she delivered a couple strong roundhouse kicks in the stomach, practically caving it in before launching one last punch to the face. It was an absolutely brutal sight, made even worse when she suddenly pulled out a revolver in a flash of bluish-white light and shot it right between the eyes, effectively reducing it to dust. Satisfied, she turned to the last remaining Shadow and removed her mask once more, calling upon her Persona and mounted herself on it, staring at the ice devil with a fierce glare before focusing on Ren.
"Ren-kun, do you think you can have Arsène go for the wings like what you did with your target? I don't think my Nuclear skill is able to reach it this far without it noticing." She asked her comrade in battle, frowning when she saw him shake his head as a negative.
"Can't get close with its ice powers. The minute Arsène gets near he's at risk of getting frozen, and the devil's strong enough to handle both it and Zorro at the same time. Not to mention the one time we managed to fire our move on the damn thing, it hardly did any damage." Ren explained, a little frustrated himself by his inability to do much to the ice casting monster.
"Guys! A little help here!" Morgana cried out, getting the pair's attention as the cat creature desperately tried to avoid the flurry of icicles that were raining down from the flying Shadow's hands, out of range for Makoto to do anything and too much ice flying around send Arsène after it, when she suddenly got a burst of inspiration and turned to her friend once more.
"…I got an idea! Ren-kun, when I say now, destroy the bridge! Understand?" The biker ordered, making Ren's eyes go wide at the suggestion.
"Makoto-senpai, are you sure? If we do that, then—"
"There's no time for another course of action! Get Arsène ready and wait for my call!"
"…Alright, if you say so," Ren relented as his Persona floated to his side with dark energy swirling in its palms as Makoto drove Johanna right in the middle of the bridge, glaring at the flying creature that was clashing its frigid palms with Zorro's rapier.
"Alright! Get ready to attack in three…!"
"Makoto-senpai, I really think this is not a—"
"Two…!"
"H-Hey! Is Prez doin' what I think she's gonna—"
"One…!"
"Braid! Frizzy! I could use a hand here! Zorro's not gonna last much lon—"
"NOW!"
"Ah dammit. Arsène!"
Heading to its Summoner's call, the winged Persona fired a burst of dark energy right at the bridge, with Makoto still on it. The attack struck home, effectively destroying the structure and somehow blast the biker high in the air, who then used her Persona to launcher herself towards her unsuspecting target, who was still unaware of the danger it was going to face.
"Johanna, now!"
At her command, the spectral motorbike fired a spherical burst of nuclear energy right at the Shadow's back, causing her to scream in agony before a rapier suddenly went through its torso, making it gasp at the pain.
"Alright, Zorro! Bring it down!" Morgana grinned in excitement as the wind caster slashed downwards to the ground, flinging the skewered foe downwards and having it land face first into the hard brick floor, groaning in agony and silently hoping that it was all over.
Until it's back was suddenly struck by a multitude of needle-like feathers, tearing its wings apart and rendering it unable to fly anymore.
"Payback for trying to ice me, you bitch," Ren growled with a hand over his face and Arsène floating back to his side after firing its assault.
The she-devil's eyes started to get heavy as she fought the urge to pass out, trying desperately to pick itself up to continue the fight. It gave the boys and cat-creature a tired, yet intense glare, one that promised endless pain and suffering for them once it recovered. Unfortunately for her, she had forgotten one little detail regarding the males it was glaring at…
There was supposed to be a female among the group, the very one that was still above it; her Persona dispersed and her arm back, ready to finish what she started not too long ago.
"You're finished!" She exclaimed before she began falling, her fist now extended with her spiked brass knuckles worn proudly in her hands as she descended to the fallen Shadow, ready to end it once and for all.
"FIST OF JUSTICE!"
*CRASH*
The Shadow let off an earsplitting scream, its assailant falling right on top of it with a fist in its back; the impact so hard that she ended up forming a crater around its body. The pain was excruciating; the attack striking so deep it actually went in it, creating a fairly large hole in its torso. The monster's cries continued for only a moment longer before it vanished in a burst of smoke and slime, leaving only Makoto behind.
"Done and done. That's what you get for attacking my friend," Makoto stated with a small scoff as she took off her new weapons, completely unaware of the looks of utter shock she was getting from the others.
"Wow… She's scary…" Morgana muttered as he took a slight step back from her.
"Daaaaaamn," Ryuji mumbled, deeply impressed and incredibly afraid of his school president.
This maiden is much fiercer than we had first anticipated, Summoner. Is it wrong for me to admit that I am slightly frightened of her? The spectral thief questioned in Ren's head, who could only nod dumbly before speaking softly.
"…Not at all, Arsène. Not at all."
-Flashback End-
Note to self: Don't piss off the Prez anymore. Especially now that she's packing heat. Ryuji thought with a shiver at the idea of being on the other end of her spiked knuckle things or her revolver that she somehow gotten after awakening to her power.
The same weapons that were on her hands at the very moment.
"…Where in the world did I obtain these?" Makoto questioned softly, still a little tired from exerting herself, but looking a bit more rested than before.
"They're probably a gift from your Persona. I know my knife was something that I got from Arsène. Maybe your tekko and revolver were given to you by Johanna?" Ren suggested with a shrug.
"Hmm…" She hummed, staring at the weapons in her hands for a brief moment before putting them away, a tired sigh escaping from her lips as she brought her knees together and rested her head on them. "God… I don't think I've ever been this tired before. Were you like this yesterday, Ren-kun?"
"Definitely, but at least your new clothes are still on. My outfit kept disappearing nearly every time a fight was finished. Looks like you have better control over your power than I did when I first awakened," Ren stated with his arms crossed.
"Not to be rude, but I kind of want to go back to my uniform now. This attire is…kind of embarrassing. Especially the mask…" She whispered, hugging herself in an attempt to hide her body.
"Are you kidding? That suit's badass, Prez. You look like some sort of Post-Apocalyptic Raider or somethin'. Especially with that super bike Persona of yours," Ryuji stated with what he hoped to be a comforting grin, only to flinch when he was on the receiving end of a deep red gaze.
"Do you want to get smacked…?" She growled, and the punk could've sworn one of her eyes was glowing like some sort of cyborg eye from behind the mask, and immediately shook his head in attempt to save himself.
"Hey, keep it down! I hear something!" Morgana hissed as he hid behind a barrel, prompting Akira and Ryuji to shuffle themselves behind the crates where Makoto was resting.
"Any sign of the intruders?" They heard a guard question, all four trespassers holding their breath to keep themselves from being heard.
"Not at all. Think the guys that accompanied Lord Kamoshida managed to do them in?"
"Negative. When Lord Kamoshida exited the Training Hall of Love, he was alone, saying that one of the prisoners had decided to rebel against him, and left them to the mercy of the others. If another of the intruders ends up like the cat, then it's safe to assume they have met their end."
"…You're just a little ray of sunshine, aren't you?"
"Hey, I'm trying to be realistic here. If we really do have to deal with another one of those Summoners, then our days are numbered. Best to be careful for now on, and raise the security levels whenever we spot them."
"Got it!"
"Shoot, things are already out of control. I knew things would go bad after staying in the training room for too long," Morgana muttered with a glare, ducking when a knight rushed right passed him and the others.
"It already went bad the moment we encountered Kamoshida in that torture chamber we had a hard time getting out of…" Ren pointed out while giving Makoto a side-eyed glance, who had the decency to look sheepish.
"I'll admit…maybe breaking down the one bridge that was in the room that led to the exit was…not the best idea I've ever had. I got caught in the moment. Sorry…" She apologized while looking away and pressing her fingers together in a nervous fashion.
"Eh, no worries, Prez. At least we got lucky that all those boxes and stuff were heavy enough to not get washed away in the water when we used them to make a bridge of our own," Ryuji assured with a grin as he and the others stood up when Morgana gave them the all clear, before frowning as he recalled what happened after that, "Heck, we would've been still stuck in there if you didn't bust down the door with your bike. Thanks for that, by the way."
"I just can't believe he had the gall to actually try and lock us in that horrible room with no way to escape. I swear I am going to punch him in the face the next chance I get…" The newly awakened Summoner growled with a clenched fist.
"Alright, let's get out of here! Exit's not too far, we can make it," The cat thing stated as he started dashing towards the main hall, the others following close by.
"Morgana, are you sure this is the only way out?" Makoto asked as they rushed up the stairs.
"Makoto-senpai's got a point. The hall's an open area with no place to hide. We can get ambushed easily if we go through there," Akira spoke up, looking a little worried.
"It should be fine. Security may be high, but I doubt Kamoshida's smart enough to think of putting guards near an entrance that's sealed shut," Morgana assured as they entered the ornate room and continued to make their way to their makeshift exit.
Only to stop in their tracks by the sight of Shadow Kamoshida and a group of his knights, one of them clad in golden armor, making it gaudier than intimidating.
Yeah, this figures… Ren mentally grumbled as he prepared himself for another fight.
"So, you knaves escaped, eh? I should've guessed. You good for nothing kids are truly hopeless, aren't you?" The golden-eyed copy scowled as he stared at the teenagers in contempt.
"Nah, not really. We were just bored and wanted to kick some ass. And guess what? You're the first person on our list, King Douchebag." Ren stated harshly with a cold stare as he tightened his gloves.
"I told you that I am coming after you with everything I got and I stand by what I said. Prepare yourself for punishment, Kamoshida. Both here and in the real world!" Makoto declared as she cracked her knuckles.
"That's right, you prick! The school ain't your castle! I memorized all their faces real good! You're goin' down!" Ryuji exclaimed, his whole body shaking at the sight of the robe-wearing Shadow, who seemed to stare at him with an evil smirk.
"It seems its true when they say 'barking dogs seldom bite'. How far the star runner of the track team has fallen…" Shadow Kamoshida taunted, a big smirk on his face and setting Ryuji off in the process.
"The hell you're gettin' at!" He yelled defensively.
"I speak of the 'Track Traitor' who acted out in violence, ending his teammates' dreams." The Shadow stated, making Ryuji and Makoto flinch at his words while Morgana and Ren looked at the dark doppelgänger in suspicion and curiosity. "Oh, I can imagine the pain the others were dragged into by your…selfish act. It really is all your fault, you know."
"Track Traitor…? What's he talking about?" Ren couldn't help but ask, his natural curiosity overtaking him once more as he turned to Makoto and Ryuji for some answers.
"What a surprise. So you're accompanying him without knowing anything at all. I would've thought Miss President over there would've informed you about it. She was quite appalled by what happened, of course," Shadow Kamoshida spoke up, getting the masked thief's attention. "He betrayed his teammates and crushed their hopes, yet he still carries on as carefree as ever. That's quite selfish, wouldn't you agree?"
"That's not true!" Ryuji denied, his body shivering as dark memories were starting to return to him full force.
"Makoto-senpai…?" Akira muttered, hoping to get some answered from the only other credible source around.
"It's…as this monster says," She admitted with great reluctance. "A few months ago, during my second year, there was an incident between Ryuji-kun and Kamoshida that lead to the track team losing their spot in the nationals and him getting kicked off the team for his actions. It's said that the incident resulted in an actual physical altercation, but I don't have all the details…"
"Hah, even while knowing all that, you still accompanied him, eh Miss President. I don't know who is the bigger fool out of all of you. Not that it matters, anymore. You're all going to end up dead by the end of this. How unlucky…" Shadow Kamoshida chuckled darkly before turning away with a wave to his golden knight. "Go. Kill them. Don't sully my castle with garbage."
"Yes, my lord!" The guard obeyed with its sword raised high, causing the other knights to suddenly explode in black goo and take shape into a pair of very large, dark, horse-like creatures with horns akin to a ram and piercing red eyes, both looking ready to end the lives of the intruders right then and there.
"Dammit," Ryuji grumbled, stepping back as the two monsters slowly approached them.
"Blondie, move!" Morgana exclaimed as he jumped in front of the blonde, summoning Zorro and launching a strong gust right at the horses. Unfortunately, they didn't seem to react to the assault, and proceeded to charge right at the Persona, landing a solid strike and causing it to disperse and making the cat thing wince in pain.
"Damn. They're tough," Ren growled as he called out Arsène before turning to Makoto, who was once again on top of Johanna despite looking a little worse for wear. "Makoto-senpai, think you can get their attention. I'm going to see if that feather needle thing Arsène used against those she-devils might work on these guys.
"I can try. Johanna, let's go!"
With the engine roaring to life, Makoto drove right towards the two beasts, riding circles around them before skidding right before them, releasing a burst of nuclear energy at their faces and infuriating them to the point where they began to make chase. She smirked as she drove away from them, heading towards Ren to go on with his plan, but paled when she noticed something very wrong.
"Ren-kun! Behind you!"
"What?!"
"Die!"
*bash!*
"Gyah!"
"Ren-kun!" Makoto cried as soon as she saw her friend get ambushed by a third beast that had just arrived and was now being trampled by it, making her lose focus for a brief moment and, combined with her earlier exhaustion, caused her Persona to suddenly vanished. Just as she was about to fall, one of the beasts closed in on her and struck her hard in the back, sending her flying towards the stairs and making her yell in pain on impact.
"Shoot! We're surrounded! Morgana exclaimed as he saw one of the beast rapidly approach them, jumping high to avoid getting struck by the Shadow's horns, but leaving himself defenseless as he descended, which allowed him to get struck by the beast's legs as it delivered a hard mule-kick and sent the cat-creature towards the base of the stairs as well, landing right in front of Shadow Kamoshida's feet.
"No! Guys!" Ryuji shouted, his back at the sealed exit as he helplessly watched the others getting assaulted by a bunch of hard hitting Shadows. He then fell to his knees as he watched them get captured one by one, feeling absolutely pathetic that he was not able to do a damn thing to help them.
"Y-You piece of—Argh!" Morgana hissed when Shadow Kamoshida drove his leg on the beaten cat's back.
"Get your hairy leg off the Fur Bucket, you damn bast—Gyah!" Ren grunted when he was tackled into the stairs by the third beast, sending him to the feet of the golden knight and ended up being stepped on it as well.
"R…Ren-kun. No…" Makoto muttered tiredly, too exhausted to do anything as the beasts turned back to knights with one of them tossed her roughly to the others and stomping on her back after she landed.
"You lot are pathetic. Can't even handle a few of my guards… So much for that strange power of yours," Shadow Kamoshida mocked the three Summoners with a smirk before turning to the lone trespasser who wasn't caught in the ambush. "I bet you came here on a whim and ended up like this. Isn't that right?"
"No…! I…" Ryuji denied, trying desperately to think of something to say to the man who held his friends hostage to no avail.
"What a worthless piece of trash, getting emotional so quickly. How dare you raise a hand at me. Though it was only temporary, have you forgotten my kindness in supervising track practice?" The Shadow stated, his words effecting Ryuji and made him turn to the copy with a glare.
"That wasn't practice, it was physical abuse! You just didn't like the team!" He stated as he slammed his hands to the floor.
"It was nothing but an eyesore! The only one who needed to achieve results is me," Shadow Kamoshida stated with a smirk, which seemed to grow wider as he continued. "That coach who got fired was hopeless too. Had he not approach me with a sound argument, I would've settled it with only breaking his star's leg."
"You… Did… What…?!" Makoto growled, her anger boiling despite her exhaustion as the severity of the words became apparent while Morgana and Ren looked at Ryuji in shock, who was starting to tremble as he stared at the Shadow in horror.
"…What?"
"Do you want me to deal with your other one too? The school will claim self-defense anyways…"
No… Did this guy… Seriously did what I think he did…?! Ren thought, recalling the couple times he saw Ryuji panting and favoring his right leg during their trek in the castle yesterday as a dark revelation slowly made itself known to him and his fellow Summoners.
"Dammit… Am I gonna lose again…? Not only can I not run anymore, the track team's gone 'cause of this asshole…!" Ryuji muttered in despair, feeling more useless now than ever before as his friends looked at him in shock and sympathy.
"So that's why…" Morgana whimpered, now feeling sorry for antagonizing the poor blonde before grunting in pain as Shadow Kamoshida drove his foot into him.
"You monster… You're the reason why our old coach is no longer with us… And ruined Ryuji-kun's future!" Makoto hissed tiredly, wincing when she felt a sharp sword nick her face, letting a bit of blood drip to the floor.
This man… He… He… Ren trailed off, too enraged to finish his thought as rage similar to how he felt earlier in the Training Hall began to fill his head, Arsène seeming to react to it as well.
This fiend is no man… He is a monster of the highest caliber. No different from the dark representation of his inner self that is his Shadow. He deserves no mercy at all… The deep voice echoed in the Trickster's head, further adding fuel to his rage.
"Once these three are dealt with, you're next…" Shadow Kamoshida assured with a dark laugh, relishing at the look of utter hopeless that was on Ryuji's face and extremely excited to begin the execution of his trespassers, who unfortunately had other plans regarding that.
"Ryuji!" Morgana cried out, hoping to get his attention.
"Don't listen to him, Ryuji-kun! He's just trying to get into your head! You're stronger than this! Stronger than I can ever imagine for dealing with everything as well as you did! I can see that now! Don't give up!" Makoto exclaimed, her exhaustion from earlier disappearing as adrenaline started to fuel her veins once more.
"Don't let him win, Ryuji-san! It's exactly what he wants! Stand up for yourself and resist him! Just like back at the cell when you tackled him into the ground! I know you can do it!" Ren shouted as he struggled to break free from his captor's leg.
"Fight Back!" The three of them shouted at the same time, making Ryuji stare at the them in disbelief, shocked that they were willing to defend him even after knowing the truth. They were risking their lives for him, to let him know that it wasn't over just yet. Their words resonated within him, and he began to feel something stir within him, something that was slowly starting to build as rage was starting to fill him.
"…You guys are right. Everything that was important to me was taken by him. I can never get it back…!" He muttered darkly as he began to glare at the ground to collect his thoughts.
"Hmph, you trespassers are a very noisy bunch," Shadow Kamoshida scoffed before turning to Ryuji with a big, wide, manic grin on his face. "Stay there and watch. Look on as these hopeless scum die for nothing because they sided with trash like you."
That did it. Those words, stating that the few people he had that were willing to believe in him were about to die, allowed him to power through the fear and depression he once had, replacing it with pure and utter rage at the man before him. Slowly he got up, raising his head to give the man the fiercest glare he ever had, and spoke in nothing but pure, unfiltered fury.
"No… That's what you are…! All you think about is using people! You're the real scumbag Kamoshida! Let my friends go! Let us out of this goddamn place! And stop looking at me…WITH THAT STUPID SMILE ON YOUR FACE!"
The rage in Ryuji's voice echoed throughout the room, stunning Kamoshida and his men by the sheer hatred the teen had for the man. Morgana, Makoto and Ren, however, began to smile, proud that their comrade was now starting to stand up for himself. Ren in particular seemed to grow especially excited, Arsène practically buzzing in his mind as a familiar feeling began to fill his body.
The same feeling he had when Makoto Awakened back at the Training Hall of Love.
You made me wait for quite a while.
*babum*
"Urk! Gah!" Ryuji grunted, his eyes suddenly turning gold as he held his head in pain, thrashing around and screaming as the voice of his other self echoed in his mind.
You seek power, correct? Then let us form a pact … Since your name has been disgraced already, why not hoist the flag and raise havoc. The 'other you' that exists within desire it, thus…
I am thou, thou art I…
There is no turning back…!
The Skull of Rebellion will be your mask henceforth!
You got it! It's time to raise some hell at this bastard! Ryuji thought, a dark, skull-shaped mask appearing on his face in a burst of blue flames, and instinctively reached to it to rip it off his face, just as he had seen Ren and Makoto done multiple times already.
"Dammit, it's happening to him too!" Shadow Kamoshida roared as he realized what was about to happen before turning to his remaining guards. "Don't just stand there! Get him now before he takes that mask off! And execute the brats now! No point in keeping them alive anymore."
"Understood, my lord!" The golden guard nodded as a couple of his men started towards the writhing teen while it and the remaining guard raised their swords, ready to decapitate their captives. "Foolish boy, there's nothing you can do. Cower in fear and watch!"
It is you, who should cower, fiend. The call of rebellion has been answered, and a powerful storm is about to form. One that is being pulled by a mighty Chariot. The Keeper's reign over this domain will perish soon, and there will be nothing anyone can do about it. Arsène stated from within Ren, who began to smirk wickedly as a result as the guards reached to Ryuji in order to finish him off.
Unfortunately for them, it was too late.
With the sound of cold metal being ripped off of flesh echoing the room, Ryuji removed his mask with a roar of pain, blood all over his face and his eyes rolled to the back of his head as a pillar of blue flames and energy enveloped him. The shockwave from it not only knocked the guards off their feet, but Kamoshida as well, setting the others free. Grateful, the trio picked themselves up and looked on with pride and anticipation as the pillar began to died down to reveal Ryuji looking forward with the biggest smirk that has ever adorned his face, along with a new friend.
Ryuji's Persona; a powerful looking undead pirate with a golden cannon for a hand, a pair of sabers on its chest and riding a small, but menacing looking pirate ship complete with a mad, grinning face on the bow, was floating right behind the teen with black chains flowing through its ship. Ryuji had gone through an outfit change as well, now sporting a buttoned up black and red jacket with a high collar and matching black pants, a pair of both knee pads and elbow pads on his legs and arms, dark boots, a red ascot, and a pair of electric yellow gloves with metal plates on the back, giving him the look of a thug ready to take on whoever was giving him trouble.
And luckily for him, the target for his rage was right in front of him ripe for the picking.
"Shit, not another one! Now there's four of these knaves to deal with!" Kamoshida growled as he stepped back a little, recalling what happened earlier and not wanting to be struck down again.
"Right on… Wassup, Persona…? Oh, this effin' rocks!" Ryuji exclaimed as a tingling sensation filled his body, filling him with a rush of energy and making him feel like he can do whatever he wants now. Something that his Persona seemed to agree with as well.
'Indeed, Lad! It's time to show these sorry sods what happens when they mess with us!' The spectral pirate exclaimed happily, ready to cause some destruction and mayhem.
"Heh, congratulations, Ryuji-san. Now you're ready to fight with us," Ren said with a smirk as he, Morgana and Makoto all picked themselves up and rushed to his side, now invigorated and ready to fight once more.
"You got that right! Now that I got this power, it's time for payback!" Ryuji exclaimed, loving the power high he was on right now.
"A wonderful feeling, isn't it? Try not to have too much fun out there though. Save some for us, alright?" Makoto smirked as she removed her masked and summoned Johanna once more, mounting on it as Arsène and Zorro appeared by their Summoners as well.
"You got it, Miss Prez! Get ready to go wild!" The blonde punk nodded as he cracked his knuckles.
"Don't mock us, you brat!" The golden knight suddenly exclaimed, coming forward and transforming into another knight-like figure, this one sporting red armor and riding an dark steed with a flowing white mane. With a whinny from the horse, the crimson knight charged at the group, a few knights following close by and transforming back into the two horned beasts once more. They were confident that they were able to take them out just as easy as they did before, even if they had one more member on their side.
Sadly for them, that was not meant to be.
"Blast them away! Captain Kidd!"
'Fire in the hole!'
A blast of lightning was fired from the Persona's arm cannon, aimed at the incoming group. The bolt struck one of the dark horses, making it scream in intense pain and causing it to fall in front of the group and tripping the others, preventing them from moving any farther.
"Gah! What troublemakers you are for bothering King Kamoshida with trifle matters!" The crimson knight exclaimed as it's steed slowly picked it and its rider up.
"Kamoshida's cognition ain't chaingin' right? Then I'll act like the troublemaker that I am!" Ryuji exclaimed with his arms out wide open as Captain Kidd raised its arm cannon and fired to the ceiling twice. A moment later, a pair of lightning bolts struck its summoners arms, and in almost an instant, a steel pipe and a pump-action shotgun suddenly appeared in his hands; gifts from the Persona for awakening to their power and going down the path of rebellion.
"Aptly put, Ryuji! Now show this guy who's boss!" Morgana cheered, happy to see a new teammate that was loaded and ready to fight at their side.
"With pleasure, cat!" Ryuji smirked as he saw the crimson knight charge once more with its spear ready to strike at whoever it was targeting. "Let's go, Captain!"
With those words uttered, the flying pirate lunged at the incoming knight and crashed into it with their ship. A bony smile formed on its face as it felt the attack hit home, and rose itself higher in the air before firing another blast of lightning from its arm cannon, stunning the knight and causing a series of sparks to emanate from its body as it and its steed slumped to the ground.
"It's shocked!" Morgana exclaimed gleefully. "It can barely move now, and any attack will do a lot of damage to it! As long as we don't hit it with our melee weapons, we got this in the—"
"Morgana, look out!"
"Huh? What the—Ack!"
The cat creature jumped in surprise as he saw one of the Dirty Beasts charging with at him. He was about to use Zorro to make his escape with a wind gust, but was saved from doing so by Makoto crashing right into it, making it crash hard on a nearby railing on the second floor and causing it to crumble into dust.
"Whoa, thanks for the save!" Morgana said in appreciation.
"Not a problem," Makoto nodded with a small smile on her face.
"Heads up, guys. We got a couple more still to deal with," Ren stated with a cold expression as the last pair of beasts moved in front of their wounded leader.
"Trying to protect your boss from getting hit, eh? Not like's that's gonna help ya." Ryuji muttered with a smirk as he pat his newly acquired crow bar in his hands and Captain Kidd flying back to him. "You guys deal with the dumb ponies. The big one's mine."
"Provide us with cover fire and you got it," Ren nodded as Arsène and Zorro fired off their respective elements at the two beasts, who managed to block them with ease with their horns.
"Alright! Cover fire coming up!" He nodded with a grin as he hopped onto his Persona's ship and began to fly around with it.
"Stay close, you guys. This is going to get wild," Makoto stated as she revved her engines while Morgana and Ren flanked right beside her.
"Lead the way, your majesty…" Ren offered with a smirk, one that was sent back at him by the lone girl of the group before she sped towards the Shadows; Morgana and Ren following suit.
The two dark horses neighed in agitation as they watched the trio approach them, snarling as they prepared themselves to attack. Before they had a chance, though, two bolts of lightning struck them from above, making them scream in agony and crumple into the ground.
"Ha! You like that, you bastards!" Ryuji smirked with his arms crossed, Captain Kidd mimicking his actions as they stared down at their electrified opponents in satisfaction.
"My turn now!" Makoto roared along with her motorbike Persona, a sphere of Nuclear energy forming in front of Johanna's face. She sped up, getting even closer to the dazed beasts, and just as she was about to hit the pair with her Persona, she drifted to a stop, launching the energy orb right in between the monsters, letting it go off in a small explosion just past them and launching them right into Morgana and Ren.
"Let's end them, Frizzy!" Morgana shouted as Zorro pulled its fist back as it formed a large boxing glove once more, while Ren simply nodded in response with a dark smirk as Arsène lifted a razor-sharp leg high into the air.
It was only a few moments later that the two beasts reached them and their Persona's made their assaults; Zorro punching its target so hard it buried them into a horse-shaped crater, accompanied by the move's trademarked squeak, before it burst into smoke. As that happened, Arsène merely brought its razor sharp foot downward and easily bisected the incoming Shadow, the being dissolving before it had a chance to land on the ground.
With no opposition left, the three summoners dismissed their Personas and turned to the last remaining Shadow; the still electrified crimson knight, and slowly began to walk towards it with dark expressions.
"I am…a loyal subject…of the glorious Kamoshida. So why…have I lost…?" The Shadow groaned, knowing that it was over for it.
"It just proves that Kamoshida ain't anything special!" An excitable voice exclaimed from above the Shadow, and it looked up only to see what appeared to be a black rod swiftly approaching it before it felt its head getting caved in by the assault.
Ryuji, Persona gone and skull mask back on his face, had delivered a powerful blow on the crimson knight, striking it on the head so hard it nearly broke its neck thanks to the fall he had allowed himself to give. The electricity from the body began flowing to Ryuji after making contact with the Shadow. However, the residual energy did nothing to the smirking teen, the harmful element simply flowing through him before dispersing quickly. After landing the attack, he launched himself right in front of the others, landing on his feet with a bit of a stumble before turning to the groaning knight with a smirk and pulled out his newly gained shotgun, ready to finish the fight.
"Say Goodnight!"
*Bang!*
The shot hit home, knocking the Shadow back into a wall and causing it to revert back to its golden knight, leaving only Shadow Kamoshida left after the mess.
"…How about that?!" Ryuji exclaimed, panting a little after the rush of the battle left him and started to feel a little tired after all the fighting. "Even if you apologize now, I'm never gonna forgive you…!
"Wow… So not only Makoto, but Ryuji had the Potential too," Morgana muttered, looking at the blonde with an impressed stare.
"Everyone had the potential to do great things, and Ryuji is no different. It just seems like he needed the proper motivation in order to achieve it," Makoto supplied with a nod.
She may not have fully understood what the Magician said, but the High Priestess is correct in what she has stated. So long as you have the drive to move forward and the willingness to go against life's hardships, one is able to awaken to their full potential, whether it is the power of Persona or anything else they wish to achieve… Arsène said to Ren mentally, making the teen quirk an eyebrow at the titles he was giving Morgana and Makoto before turning to Shadow Kamoshida with a glare, who for some reason was simply staring at them back with a cruel, lazy smirk on his face.
"I told you this is my castle. It seems you still don't understand," The dark doppelgänger stated while making a gesture beneath its cloak, as if calling someone. Not even a moment later, a young girl their age began approaching the Shadow, wearing nothing more than a purple bikini with hearts on it and a pair of violet cat ears. It was a girl that all three Shujin students recognized immediately, while Morgana simply looked at her with very wide eyes.
"Wha… T-Takamaki!" Ryuji exclaimed in shock.
"Did… Did she come in with us? Or is she one of those cognitive things like the slaves in the training hall…?" Ren questioned, realizing that the swimsuit she was wearing was the same one she wore in the magazine he remembered her being in. The cat ears were new though…
"Must be a cognition. Takamaki-san was nowhere near us when I activated the navigation app. And I doubt she would willingly submit to Kamoshida like this." Makoto stated in a neutral tone as the girl began to drape herself over the pseudo-human, her arms crossed as she stared at the Shadow in contempt.
"Oh… Wha… What a meow-velous and beautiful girl!" Morgana exclaimed in aw, unaware of the deadpanned stare he was getting from Ren.
Dammit… He's a punner. As if Dad and that weird mascot that hits on Aneki and Sumi were bad enough. He thought in annoyance.
"What's going on…?" Ryuji asked, unaware of the actions of the cat and the raven-haired teen.
"That's a very good question, Ryuji-kun. One that I plan on figuring out right now." Makoto stated as she reached behind her and grabbed her tekko once more, gripping them tightly as she watched the Shadow stroking the bikini-clad girl's chin.
"Hey! Let go of her, you perv!" Ryuji exclaimed, snapping both Morgana and Akira out of their respective stupors and glared at the Shadow heatedly.
"How many times must I tell you until you understand? This is MY castle; a place which I can do whatever I want. Everyone wishes to be loved by me." Shadow Kamoshida taunted with a smirk before turning to the teens and cat with a glare, "That is, everyone but slow-witted thieves like you…"
"And Sae-san as well, apparently. I guess she's not into muscle-headed pricks who can't even do his own laundry if he's walking around in nothing but a bathrobe and a pair of tighty-whities that accidently turned pink in the wash," Ren quipped quietly with a quirked eyebrow and his arms crossed, his mouth flickering when he heard Makoto stifle her laugh.
"Takamaki! Say something!" Ryuji pleaded, wanting to know more about what was happening.
"Calm down. It seems this girl isn't the real one…" Morgana stated with a glare towards the blonde.
"I knew it. This version of Takamaki is simply a cognition. Nothing more than a representation of how Kamoshida views her as. Not that that makes the situation any better…" Makoto explained as her amusement was quickly replaced with anger, her hands gripping her weapons even tighter in response to her rising ire.
"Are you jealous? I'm not surprised. Women aren't drawn to problematic punks like you…" The Shadow stated smugly.
"Dammit…" Ryuji growled, trying not to let the words get to him as a sudden feeling of dread began to fill Ren.
Oh shit, don't tell me he's got—
"Clean up this mess!"
In an instant, a wall of guards suddenly appeared from the ground, all in full armor and ready to defend their master with their lives. The teens and cat, still tired from their earlier fights, knew that there was only one option left for them.
"We're outnumbered… Let's scram before we get surrounded." Morgana suggested.
"We're not gonna do anything and just run!?" Ryuji exclaimed, being the technically healthiest of the group and still having enough energy to fight.
"We're exhausted, Ryuji-kun! If we stay here and confront them now, we're definitely not going to survive!" Makoto explained, surprising the blonde with her words.
"But… But still…"
"Shut up and go, Ryuji-san. We'll handle this when we're all in peak condition, not running on fumes," Ren ordered, he himself frustrated by the blockade between him and Shadow Kamoshida, but knew that they were in no shape for another brawl.
"Thank god you two got level heads…" Morgana sighed in relief as he turned to Ryuji, waiting for his answer.
"Grrr… Fine, let's get out of here!" Ryuji relented, much to the relief of the others, as he turned to Shadow Kamoshida with a menacing glare, made even more intense thanks to the skull mask. "We'll expose what you really are, no matter what! You better be ready for us!"
"Hahahaha! I was beginning to get bored torturing the ones here! Come at me whenever you want, if you don't value your life, that is," Shadow Kamoshida stated with a round of maniacal laughter, which served to irritate the three students even more as Morgana reached into his pack and pulled out a small white orb.
"Ignore him, let's go!" The cat exclaimed before slamming the ball to the ground, causing it to emit a blanket of white smoke that covered the group just enough for them to escape with their lives.
-Castle Entrance-
"That smokeball really came in handy. Thanks, Morgana," Makoto said with a small smile towards the tiny thief, who grinned in return.
"Hah! A thief is always prepared to make a quick getaway, no matter the situation!" He responded in a haughty tone as Ren watched Ryuji panting heavily.
"…You doing ok down there?" Ren asked with a light head tilt.
"Yeah…I'm fine…Just…give me a second," Ryuji assured as he managed to catch his breath before standing up straight and looking at Ren with a curious expression, "You know, I didn't really notice until now, but what happened to my clothes? I don't remember changin' into this."
"…No offence, but you look like a thug in that," Ren admitted with a small, teasing grin, his shoulders shaking a little when Ryuji stared at him, offended.
"What the hell?! I-It's much better than your magician-lookin' one!" He argued with a glare behind his mask.
"Hey, better a cheap magician than some pirate reject." Ren said in an amused before pointing at Makoto with his thumb, who was looking at the boys curiously. "But you gotta admit, we got nothing on Makoto-senpai's outfit."
"…Yeah, can't argue with that. I don't think I can pull off 'Badass Biker Brawler' as well as she could," Ryuji nodded with his arms crossed and a sage-like nod, making the girl blush furiously at the comments towards her outfit and placed her arms over her chest in an attempt to cover herself.
"Shut it, you two!"
"Did you find them!?" A voice from inside the castle shouted, making the group go silent in surprise.
"Quiet!" Morgana whispered, gesturing with his hands to tell them to keep it down.
"No. Search that way!"
"So, what's goin' on? I'm completely lost, man," Ryuji muttered in confusion after they heard the sounds of footsteps fading, still wondering how he got his new wardrobe.
"I told you before. When a Persona-user opposes a Palace's ruler and becomes a threat to them, this happens. It's to prevent you from being affected by distortions." Morgana explained as he gestured to both Ryuji and Makoto's attire, both of them staring at the cat creature in surprise as the blonde brought his hand to his face to feel his mask.
"Is this…a skull?" He muttered in confusion.
"…Are our masks also a sign of us oppressing a Palace ruler?" Makoto questioned softly as she placed a hand on her own sleek iron mask.
"That's right. Your appearance reflects your inner self. It's the rebel that slumbers within," Morgana said with a nod before turning to Ryuji with a side glance, "…Not that you'll get it."
"Nope…" Ryuji confirmed with his head dropping in shame.
"Then stop asking questions and accept what you see for what it is," The cat stated with a glare, annoyed by the blonde's attitude and ignorance.
"Easy for you to say…" Ryuji grumbled before letting out a gasp in shock. "Wait…we're in deep shit!"
"I said to be quiet!" Morgana hissed while the biker and thief turned to each other, taking in what the newly awakened pirate, and wondering what he was going on about.
"What do you mean, Ryuji-kun?" Makoto asked as she and Ren looked at the panicked teen for clarification.
"We might've gotten away here, but we're still screwed with Kamoshida at the real school…" Ryuji explained, looking extremely worried.
"That's quite sharp of you! …For being an idiot," Morgana 'complimented', missing the looks of panic from Makoto and Ren, before continuing, "Relax, will you? The Kamoshida in reality can't possibly know about what happens here. A Shadow is the true self that is suppressed. A side of one's personality they don't want to see."
"…So we're ok?" Ryuji asked with a hint of hope in his voice.
"Did the Kamoshida in reality remember about the execution?" Morgana asked, making all three of them go wide as they remembered that no…the original Kamoshida didn't say anything about yesterday's events. "There you have it."
"Oh, that's a relief. I can't even imagine what Sis would say if she heard about this…" Makoto said while letting off a tired sigh.
"Tell me about it. I'd get my butt hauled to juvie if anyone catches wind of this," Ren muttered while scratching the back of his neck.
"Alright! Now that we know that, all we gotta do is—"
"Wait, I guided you as promised. It's your turn to cooperate with me," Morgana interrupted, getting nothing but confused looks from all who was present and getting irritated as a result. "That's why I was super nice about teaching you idiots everything."
"Huh? Cooperate?" Ryuji repeated in confusion.
"Um…Morgana? What are you talking about?" Makoto asked as politely as she could, a perplexed expression on her face as well.
"Don't you remember? I originally came here for an investigation. I need to erase the distortion from my body and regain my real form! That's why we must delve deep into Mementos and—"
"Whoa, hold up. What're you goin' on and on about? We never said anything about helpin' you out." Ryuji interrupted, looking incredibly lost by what the cat creature was saying.
And judging from the incredibly confused looks from not only Ren, but Makoto as well, he wasn't the only one.
"Huh? Don't tell me… Are you not going to repay the hospitality I showed you?!" Morgana exclaimed in shock.
"I'm sorry, Morgana, but we have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. You never explained anything to us," Makoto apologized, looking genuinely sorry for upsetting the cat creature, who was now looking at Ren desperately.
"Especially you! You're going to up and leave, even though you're already part of my master plan!?"
"…The hell are you talking about, Fur Bucket?" The masked teen asked with his head tilting slightly in confusion, which seemed to set the cat-like creature off.
"Is it because I'm not human…? Because I'm like a cat…? Is that why you're making a fool of me!?"
"We're busy! We got a lot of stuff we need to do right now and we have no time to deal with whatever it is you're sayin'." Ryuji explained as he kneeled down to the cat and gave him a proud smile. "But still, you did help us out. Thanks for everythin' cat. You've got guts, bein' a cat and all!"
"We really do appreciate what you've done for us, Morgana. We'll repay you soon, but for now, we need to go home." Makoto said with a polite bow to the not-cat, who was looking more and more mortified by the second.
"Take it easy, Fur Bucket. See you later," Ren nodded with a small, grateful smile as he and the others made their way to the exit, leaving a stunned Morgana all alone at the entrance to the castle.
"Hey! What the hell!? Ugh, seriously! Why're you wrapping this up like everything's all hunky-dory!? Oh hell no! Get back here!" Morgana exclaimed as he hopped around in agitation.
"Tehehehe…"
"What! What was that!?" Morgana exclaimed, looking around back and forth to find the source of the sound, only to find nothing which served to make him even more upset.
"Why those… Did they just pulled off a prank behind my back before they left! That's it! When I get my hands on them, I'm gonna… I'm gonna…! Grr…
GRAAGGGHHH!"
Morgana's screams of frustration could be heard from inside the castle as he began to trot away from the accursed Palace in a rushed manner. If he had stayed and turned back, however, he would've been able to catch a glimpse of a small, glowing blue butterfly that was floating near the entrance of the castle, shaking a little as if it was laughing, before it slowly vanished, a soft feminine voice coming from it as it disappeared.
"The Trickster has made some new allies now. That is wonderful. It seems that Master has made a good choice in selecting who will aid him in the game. If he is able to win in this rigged challenge, then there may yet be hope for humanity.
"Good luck, Trickster. I'm sure we will meet again soon. And you as well, Morgana. Stay safe…"
-Shujin Academy Entrance. Alleyway-
[You have returned to the real world. Welcome back.]
"Oh… Thank god. We're back," Ryuji panted in relief, leaning on a set of air coolants with Ren and Makoto also panting nearby, all of them back in their school attire.
"I… I hope no one saw us just now," Makoto said with a bit of a labored breath.
"We're in an alleyway right now. I don't think anyone's gonna notice us at the moment," Ren grunted as his breathing returned to normal as Ryuji turned to him and Makoto with an apologetic expression.
"Damn… I dragged you two around a lot, huh? Sorry guys," Ryuji said in guilt, feeling bad for getting the pair in so much trouble, but smiled slightly when they shook their heads and smiled at him.
"Don't apologize Ryuji-kun. I wanted to return there as well and ended up dragging all of you down because I was woefully unprepared for the trek. If anyone is sorry, it's me…" Makoto said with a frown as she rubbed her shoulder and looked away in shame.
"Neither of you should be sorry. If it wasn't for either of you, we wouldn't have made it out alive. The both of you were amazing, especially with your Personas. I'm happy that I got to know you two, so thanks. Thanks for saving me," Ren said gratefully, his hands in his pockets and giving the pair an easy grin, one that was matched by Ryuji while Makoto gave him a soft smile that held just as much gratitude as the boys' grins did.
"Heh, it's fine man. Just think of it as returnin' the favor for what you did for us back at the cell yesterday," Ryuji assured before he let off a tired sigh. "But man… I'm dead tired. How're you two holding up?"
"Incredibly exhausted. I think I might pass out the moment I return home…" Makoto admitted allowing herself to slump her shoulders a little in an attempt to relieve some of the tension off of them.
"First thing I'm doing when I get back: Take a nap. I really need one after all that…" Ren stated in a serious tone, one that would've been funny to the others were they not so tired.
"I hear you. I'm gonna sleep like a rock when I get home…" Ryuji nodded before grinning like a child in a candy store. "But damn, if what we saw was for real, this is gonna get good."
"Indeed. I have been looking for a way to expose Kamoshida for the man he truly was for the longest time until Sis ordered me to stop. Now that we know the truth, there is nothing that is going to stand in my way to show the others what a monster he is," Makoto pledged while tightening her hand into a fist, a look of fierce determination on her face despite her exhaustion.
"Oh, hell yeah. You said it, Miss Prez," Ryuji nodded with a wide grin. "I totally remember the faces of the guys Kamoshida was treatin' like slaves. Once we make 'em fess up to any physical abuse, Kamoshida will be done."
"Sounds like you guys are really fired up about this," Ren stated with a small, proud smile on his face, happy to see the two of them getting along for a common and righteous cause.
"We are. And that is why I wish for you to assist Ryuji-kun in searching for the abused volleyball members while I search the records for any suspicious activities that could connect Kamoshida with abuse of any kind," Makoto requested, her eyes staring right at Ren's as she made her plea.
"Yeah, man. Help us out. The guy practically ruined your school life too for spreadin' your info around. This is a good way to get back at him for that." Ryuji said with a nod and grin.
"…Sounds a little overkill, but I don't see why not. I'll be happy to bring that sorry excuse of a sports coach down a peg," Ren smirked as he pressed his glasses up.
"Alright! Now that's what I'm talkin' about!" Ryuji cheered while Makoto looked at him with no small amount of gratitude.
"Thank you Ren-kun. You have no idea what this means to me to hear you say that," Makoto said kindly before frowning when a thought came to her mind. "However, we need to be extremely careful about this. If we go too far into our investigation, there is a chance that we will get caught and all of us will be in serious trouble. Especially you, Ren-kun."
"Right… The criminal record thing," Ryuji said as soon as he realized what the girl was talking about. "It's gonna be pretty hard for you to stay low because of that. Hell, things are going to get even worse now since everyone's thinkin' you're macking on Prez here and shit like that because of how often you two are together. Guess Kamoshida can't keep his big mouth shut, huh?"
"We are well aware of that, Ryuji-kun. More than we'd like to know…" Ren said in a dark tone as he and Makoto sported matching expressions of agitation, before a look of resolve formed on his face. "We'll just have to deal with it for now. Right now, our main focus is to take down that bastard and make him regret everything he has done. We are going to show the school what he truly is, and there's nothing he can do to stop it."
"Agreed. Let's take that man down for good," Makoto nodded with her arms crossed and a face full of determination.
"Hell yeah. I'm hyped about this too! Let's take that asshole down." Ryuji grinned with a fist pump.
Ren smiled, truly smiled, as he sensed the bonds of trust coming from both Ryuji and Makoto. They were willing to believe in him as much as he was willing to believe in them, which was something he hadn't been able to do outside of his family in a very long time. He was well aware that what they were about to attempt would land him in juvie, and he didn't even want to know what would happen to Ryuji and Makoto if they messed up, but he kept those thoughts out of his head. They were going to succeed in exposing Kamoshida for who he truly is, for what his Shadow represented, and he and his friends were going to enjoy every minute of it.
Friends… It's been a while since I've had actual friends. Not since my old little league team disbanded after middle school. This... This is nice. Ren thought with a small grin as he looked at the excitable Ryuji and calm Makoto with fondness in his eyes.
*grumble…*
"Oh…" Ryuji suddenly spoke up as Makoto and Ren looked at him oddly. "Right. I haven't eaten anything since lunch."
*grumble…*
"Eep!" Makoto squeaked in embarrassment and held her stomach as Ren and Ryuji stared at her now, her face growing redder and redder with each passing minute. "S-Sorry. I don't… I don't even remember if I had lunch today. I wasn't all that hungry today, but after all the fighting we did…"
"Ah, I get it. That makes sense. I'm feeling a little hungry myself." Ren said as he rubbed his own stomach.
"Why don't we all grab a bite to eat?" Ryuji suggested, getting questioning looks from both Ren and Makoto. "It'll be weird splittin' off now, so why don't we head off together and find something we all like?"
"Fine by me. I'm good for anything," Ren shrugged, willing to go along with the suggestion.
"With all those melon breads you ate this morning, I can't say I'm surprised," Makoto said in a deadpan before turning to Ryuji with a small smile. "I think that's a wonderful idea, Ryuji-kun. Why don't you decide where we should go? I'm not all that picky myself."
"Awesome! Follow me, I know a perfect spot!" Ryuji grinned before turning to Ren. "Besides, I totally gotta hear about your past and how you wound up with Prez's sister of all things as your probation officer."
"Yeah…that one kinda came out of nowhere to me, but I made an awesome friend out of it, so I can't complain," Ren shrugged while giving Makoto a small grin and a wink, who returned the gesture in kind.
"Aw man, now I gotta hear about his, C'mon, let's go!" Ryuji urged as he grabbed his bag from the ground and proceeded to head to the restaurant in question, with two equally amused new friends following behind him, all of them ready to relax for the day before taking on their new mission. It was going to be a difficult one, they knew that much, but they weren't going to give up. They knew the truth about the 'beloved' teacher of Shujin, and they were not going to rest until they exposed him for who he really was.
But that was for another time. Right now, all they needed to do was eat and sleep away the events that transpired today. And of course, spend time and get to know each other. After all, it's what friends do, even those as unconventional as a track star turned loudmouth delinquent with no verbal filter in his words, a high strung and short-tempered student council president, and a snarky, laidback teen who was falsely accused for a crime he didn't commit. They were an odd group, but a group that forged in the flames of battle, with bonds that will never fade.
They were as tight as thieves now, and nothing was going to stop them from revealing the truth of their horrid coach to the world.
I am thou, thou art I…
Thou hast acquired multiple new vows.
They shall become the wings of rebellion
that breaketh thy chains of captivity.
With the birth of the Priestess and Chariot Persona,
I have obtained the wings of blessing that
shall lead to freedom and new power.
Author's notes:
Hello, Tricksters, and welcome to the revised chapter 7. AKA: The Ryuji Awakening Chapter. It's more or less a retelling of what happened in canon with the addition of Makoto, but hopefully I was able to capture that scene at least a little. This chapter is one of the few that didn't need a whole lot of revisions outside of the usual fixes and Ren changes. Again, if I have missed any edits, let me know and I will go and make the corrections. Next chapter will most likely be the same as this in regards of revisions, but chapter 9 will be something else. I will explain more in the next chapter, but know that the 9th chapter will take the longest to come out. Hopefully you all enjoyed this chapter, everyone, and I promise to get the next one uploaded as soon as I can.
Until then, thank you all so much for reading my works. I wish you all a wonderful day and I will see you in the next update. Until then, farewell.