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 10: The Crossed Line: Siege, Codenames, and Uninvited Guests

4/15/Morning/Overcast

-Shujin Academy Halls-

Panic. That was the only word that could appropriately describe what was happening at Shujin Academy right now. Students were piling on windows and doors towards the courtyard, teachers were trying their hardest to keep the teens calm, and even the principal was out trying to regain control of the situation. Among the multiple students trying to make sense of what had just occurred was Makoto, who was rushing down the stairs from the roof with little regard for her safety, trying desperately to reach to the courtyard before it was too late.

Please be alive. Please be alive. For the love of God, Suzui-san, please be alive!

The day started off normally enough, with the odd exception of Principal Kobayakawa calling the Student Council President in for a brief talk regarding Ren's behavior. The large bodied man had wanted to know how her new friend was adjusting so far, and was slightly concerned about the rumors that were spreading between the transfer student and the council president. After assuring him that Ren was doing just fine so far, she was heading back to her class, taking a moment to respond to the group chat she shared with Ren and Ryuji, when all hell broke loose.

-Flashback, Second Floor Hallway, moments prior-

"Thank you for your time. Please, keep up the good work."

"Of course, sir. If you excuse me."

Makoto's polite expression, which she kept on during her short talk with Kobayakawa, fell as soon as she exited the principal's office, replaced with exasperation while she began heading towards her class.

"I can't believe Principal Kobayakawa called me in just to see how Ren-kun's been doing without even informing him. He doesn't trust him at all… To think that I followed the words of a man like him. Deplorable…" She muttered to herself, her opinion of the status-obsessed man lower since she learned he was aware of Kamoshida's abuse and never told anyone. She knew how important a good reputation is for her school, but to allow such a man to do as he please because he an all-star coach able to send his team to nationals…? No matter how much good attention it brought to the school, it didn't excuse those who were in the know to allow such actions to occur.

"The ends don't justify the means…" The girl muttered while clenching a hand into a fist when her phone went off. Curious, she brought it out and frowned when she saw it was the group-chat she was sharing with Ren and Ryuji, with Ryuji starting up the chat. Suspicious, she entered the chat to ask why the pair were not paying attention in class before the chat dissolved into another conversation about Kamoshida, this time considering if they should go along with Morgana's plan. She shook her head at the idea of going along with it. While she was aware that it was one of the only viable actions they had left, she didn't want to go through a plan that would risk the life of their target. Kamoshida was a man that needed justice to be brought to him, but death was something she wanted to wish onto the man. He was deplorable, but he didn't deserve to be killed…

"Miss President! Miss President!" A voice called out to the girl, just as she put away her phone, and turned to see the vice president rushing over to her in a frantic manner, which immediately raised her concern.

"Shigeru-kun? What's wrong?" Makoto asked, wondering what was going on with the boy.

"It's Shiho Suzui! She's on the school roof right now about to jump!" The boy exclaimed, making her blood run cold.

"WHAT?!" She shouted just as she noticed some students rushing out of the doors of their classrooms and towards the windows that showed the courtyard. Eyes wide in fear, she quickly turned to the window as well, and paled considerably when she saw the dark-haired starter in question stand at the very edge of the school roof, having somehow climbed over the fence and prepared to end her own life.

Without warning, she rushed towards the stairs leading to the roof, inadvertently pushing away her vice president and vaguely taking notice of Ren exiting his classroom in a hurry, a worried expression on his face as well.

"Senpai!" She heard him call out, but shook her head in response.

"No time! I have to get to the roof! Stay here and let me handle this!" She ordered him as she rushed up the stairs so fast she felt her legs hurting as a result. She knew it was a dangerous thing to do, especially if she slipped, but there as a student that was about to commit suicide in any moment, and she'd be damned if she didn't make it in time. It only took her a moment to reach the door and wasted no time in busting it down, secretly glad that it was still unlocked, and called out to the girl desperately to get her attention.

"Suzui-san! Please! Don't do this! You have your whole life ahead of you! You can't end it like this!" Makoto cried out, panting heavily from overexerting herself on the stairs, but grew considerably more worried when there wasn't a response. "Suzui-san! Please…! This isn't the answer! You know it isn't. Think about everyone you're going to leave behind if you fall! Your family! Your friends! Even Takamaki-san! No… Especially Takamaki-san! If you do this, you're going to leave them all alone and I know you don't want that! Whatever problem you're dealing with, we can solve it together! I'll do whatever I can to help! I promise! So please… Come back to us!"

Makoto was hyperventilating at this point, her fear and concern reaching a peak as she continued to stare at the unresponsive girl on the other side of the chain fence. A few moments later, she saw Shino move slightly, causing her to feel a bit of hope well up within her. That hope, however, was dashed when she realized that she was moving one of her feet off the roof, letting it hover in the air, ready to take the plunge. She was about to rush over to the girl, ready to climb the damn fence if it meant saving Shiho, when heard the starter speak.

It was a dead tone, one that showed how little life she had left within her, and that only filled Makoto with even more terror.

"Ms. President… Tell Ann I'm sorry… Tell Amamiya-kun thanks for wanting to befriend me. And… Thank you for being concerned for someone as useless as me… Please, watch over Ann for me. She needs all the help she can get. Help that I am no longer able to give…

…Goodbye."

"SUZUI-SAN!"

-End Flashback-

Damn it all to hell, why is this happening now!? Why did everything escalate to this?! How in the world can I fix this!? Makoto thought desperately as she reached the bottom of the stairs, adrenaline fueling her veins as she headed towards the direction of the courtyard, only to come to a screeching halt when she saw the doorway practically blocked off by a large number of her peers clamoring around it, also wanting to get into the courtyard.

"Shoot! Why now…!" She hissed, trying to figure out a way to get through the throngs of students without hurting them in the process. She knew she can push all of them away with ease, but even despite the serious situation, she didn't want to cause any other problems along with what was happening right now.

"Senpai! Over here!" A familiar and equally concerned voice called out to her, and she turned to see Ren waving at her by the stairs with Ryuji standing by him looking especially freaked out, not that she blamed him.

"Prez, we gotta go! We have to hurry up and get to Suzui now!" Ryuji exclaimed desperately, looking ready to break into a sprint any moment now.

"I'm aware, but the path to the courtyard is blocked from here! We can't get through without injuring someone in the process!" Makoto explained as she reached the boys, looking just as desperate as the punk was.

"Then let's go through the Practice Building! There's not as many people there, so gettin' to the courtyard from there shouldn't be too hard!" Ryuji suggested while pointing to the direction opposite of the courtyard, which led to the area in question.

"If that's the only way, then let's book it! We have no time to lose right now!" Ren ordered with a stern expression, with Ryuji and Makoto nodding instinctively in response before the three of them rush towards their destination, hoping they weren't too late.

Thankfully, it didn't take too long for them to reach the Practice Building, though they did have to go through a few people in the process. After that, it was a fairly easy process to get to the courtyard; there were hardly any people inside the Practice Building just as Ryuji predicted, and managed to get outside with little issue. After getting out, they were greeted by the sight of multiple students clamoring around an ambulance that made its way into the courtyard and Shiho laying still on it crimson bandages wrapped around her head and a bit of blood still dripping from it and one of her legs obviously bent in an awkward angle even underneath the cover she was in. It was a sight that horrified the trio, but then they heard a familiar voice calling her name, and all looked to see Takamaki staring at her best friend, terrified beyond belief at the state the poor girl was in. Acting on instinct, the three students walked towards the scene to get a close look of Shiho, having to force their way through a bunch of their peers in order to get to their destination.

"Dammit, what is wrong with these people!" Ryuji growled as he bumped pass a nearby first-year, nearly knocking them over in the process.

"Basic human curiosity, Ryuji-kun. Morbid as it is…" Makoto muttered in distain as she weaved through her peers with little issue.

"It's like they're watching a car crash site or something…" Ren snarled as soon as they reached their destination, all of them grimacing at the sight of Shiho and her current state and ignoring the multiple teachers begging their students to return to class.

"No… Suzui-san…" Makoto whimpered, eyes welling up and self-deprecation filling her as she felt her knees buckle, "Why couldn't have I been fast enough. Why didn't I notice her actions sooner! I could've prevented this! It's my responsibly to ensure the safety of my peers, and I allowed this to happen!"

"Makoto-senpai, calm down. I understand how you're feeling completely, but acting like this isn't going to solve anything. You couldn't have possibly known something like this was going to happen. Suzui-san's been hiding a lot from us, you know…" Ren said calmly, placing a hand on her shoulder for support, though it did little to comfort her as she turned to him in tearful despair.

"But still… I could've prevented this! If I had acted sooner, maybe I would've been able to save her! It's my duty as Student Council President to prevent events such as this to occur… and I just failed in the biggest way possible! How can I live with myself now that I allowed such a tragedy to happen!"

"It ain't no tragedy yet, Prez. Suzui's still alive. If we're lucky, she might pull through. We just gotta believe she'll make it," Ryuji said while pointing at the stretcher, where the paramedics were tending to the fallen girl with immediate care, when one of them walked up to the mass of students with a pleading expression behind his surgical mask.

"We need someone to go with her… Are there any teachers around?" The man requested, causing the students to look around for their instructors, but found none that were willing to go with the man.

"I-I'm not in charge of her class…" One teacher stated, looking at the scene with nervous eyes.

"We should leave this to Principal Kobayakawa," Another teacher suggested, irritating Makoto with their indecisiveness.

What in the world is wrong with our staff!? We have someone who just jumped off the roof right in front of us and none of them are willing to help!? She thought in rage, her sentaments shared with the boys if their frustrated growls were any indication.

"Dammit, how cowardly are these fucking teachers?!" Ren hissed angrily with Ryuji nodding in agreement when Makoto decided she had enough. If the instructors weren't going to do anything about Suzui, then she will.

It's the least she could do after failing to help her…

"I'll go! I'm Shujin's Student Council President! The safety and well-being of my peers is my top priority!" Makoto spoke up as she walked up to the medic, who had a grateful expression on her face.

"I'm coming too! Shiho's my best friend and there's no damn way I'm leaving her alone!" Takamaki announced as well, surprising Makoto with her presence and her pleading eyes before nodding slightly. She couldn't say no to her, especially since she and Suzui were so close.

"Please hurry!" The paramedic pleaded before rushing back to the ambulance, Makoto following him to see how she could help while Takamaki kneeled down to her best friend, hoping she wasn't too late.

"Shiho… Why…?" The girl pleaded, her voice sounding so broken that Makoto could barely keep herself from tearing up again.

"Ann…?" A quiet voice suddenly spoke, causing both Makoto and Takamaki to look down to Suzui, who was looking at the natural blonde with dim, half-lidded eyes. Much to the relief of the pair

"Suzui-san, don't talk. You're going to be ok. Please, save your energy…" Makoto suggested softly, silently pleased that the fallen girl before here was awake, but afraid of the state of her injuries.

"Ms. President… Ann… I'm sorry… I… I can't take this…anymore…" Suzui mumbled softly, Makoto and Takamaki barely able to hear her and prompting Takamaki to move her head closer in order to hear her friend better.

"Shiho…?" She asked, keeping herself silent as Suzui began whispering silently to her, with Makoto looking at the pair with bated breath. After a moment, the natural blond looked at her in surprise, uttering words that the student council president was dreading to hear…

But words that helped her figure out what just happened to Shiho Suzui.

"Huh…? Kamoshida…!?"

Right then and there, Makoto knew exactly what that meant, and her inner rage began to boil just as Suzui finally succumbed to her fall and passed out. Even Johanna was getting agitated if the echoing sounds of its roaring engines were any indication. It took Takamaki calling her friend's name to snap her out of her fury, and allow her to prioritize on getting the girl into the ambulance for treatment. As the girls entered the vehicle, Makoto turned her attention to Ryuji and Ren, the latter staring at her with a worried expression, but also nodding at her for accompanying Shiho. With a nod back, Makoto went into the vehicle and sat next to Takamaki as she helped closed the back door of the ambulance, allowing it to take her to the hospital along with Takamaki and Suzui to get the starter treatment.

She just hoped that the damage wasn't too extensive. That Suzui would recover. That she would live.

-Courtyard-

As the ambulance departed and the students began to talk amongst themselves, ignoring their teachers in the process, Ren and Ryuji simply stood where they were, shocked expressions on their faces as they began wondering what they could do now.

"The volleyball team…" Ryuji muttered under his breath, Ren barely hearing it and couldn't help but nod in agreement.

"Yeah…" He mumbled his hands clenching into fists at the thoughts of what could've happened to Suzui to cause her to go off the deep end. Said thoughts all revolved around the volleyball team and their coach, and it was enough to make his blood boil at the implications. He was about to talk to Ryuji once more on what they should do when they heard the sound of someone running, and turned just in time to see a dark-haired teen rush by them. A teen that was quite familiar to the pair.

"Hey… Wasn't that Mishima-san just now?" Ren questioned softly, his eyes narrowing to a suspicious glare at the departing figure.

"Yeah, that's him. Think he knows something…?" Ryuji asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Definitely. Let's go get him," Ren nodded, causing the punk to nod back with a determined expression on his face.

"…We're gonna make him talk this time," Ryuji stated fiercely, with Ren staring back at him, equally determined, before rushing towards the direction of where Mishima ran off to, ignoring the sounds of their principal pleading to his teachers to get the students back to class. It didn't take long for the two boys to reach Mishima, finding the boy in the Practice Building, and before the bruised teen even realized it, he was backed into a corner beside some lockers and a desk, Ren and Ryuji towering over them with dark expressions marring their faces.

"That hurts!" Mishima cried after Ryuji caused him to run into the lockers, looking at the two teens before him in fear.

"Why'd you run like that!? Huh?!" Ryuji questioned, getting straight to the point.

"I didn't run…" Mishima denied weakly before jumping at the sound of Ryuji slamming his fist in one of the nearby lockers.

"She jumped and tried to kill herself!" The infuriated teen exclaimed, making the quivering boy flinch at the sound before turning to the quiet Ren, who was removing his glasses and placing them in his blazer before staring at the volleyball player with the darkest glare he had ever seen.

"L-Leave me alone…" He pleaded, wanting nothing more to do with the pair before him when Ren began talking in a deep, dangerous voice that had him practically quivering.

"It's time to cut the bullshit, Mishima… There's a person in the hospital right now who's at death's door and you seem to know why she's like this. Just tell us what happened to her and we'll leave you alone," Ren growled fiercely, his tone holding no mercy and served to frightened Mishima even more.

"He's right. We ain't tryin' to get you busted. We won't say you talked either! So, hurry up and tell us want you know, already!" Ryuji stated, oddly enough being the calmest of the pair at the moment and causing Mishima to relent.

"Suzui…" He began, tears spilling from his eyes as he recalled what he was forced to do, what he was forced to endure, before continuing, "She was called out by Mr. Kamoshida!"

"Wait, what!?" Ryuji exclaimed, surprised by the answer while Ren began to clench his fists so tight, they were turning bone white.

"Dammit… I had a feeling that was the case…" He muttered softly to himself as he listened to Mishima continuing his explanation.

"I was called by him a number of times too… to the teacher's room. It wasn't just me or Suzui either. He'd nominate someone when he was in a bad mood… And hit them."

"So the physical punishment thing was for real…" Ryuji deduced as Ren placed a hand under his chin in thought.

So that's what the rumors those girls were talking about yesterday was. To think he'd beat his own students so hard that their screams could be heard outside of his office. Dammit, what the hell kind of torture was he doing to them…? To Suzui-san!?

"But yesterday, he called Suzui out of the blue. She didn't make any mistakes or anything," Mishima went on, snapping Ren out of his thoughts. "Mr. Kamoshida seemed really irritated that day, so it must've been… worse than usual…"

Those words made the boys' blood run cold, a number of situations filling his head as a sense of dread began to fill the two delinquents. Ren especially had a deep suspicion as to why Kamoshida was in a bad mood, and it made the dark feeling he was getting even worse.

Shit… Takamaki-san said that Kamoshida was trying to get her into his house yesterday, but as far as I'm aware, she didn't go to him. If that's the case…did he actually called in Suzui-san too… Too…

No… He didn't…

"That son of a bitch!" Ryuji suddenly cried out, his fury at an all-time high and startling Ren out of his disturbed thoughts, blinking a couple times when he saw the infuriated teen rush out of the hallway they were in and towards the stairs leading to the second floor.

"Shit, he's gonna get himself expelled if he doesn't control himself," Ren muttered as he put his glasses on before turning to Mishima, who was still shaken by Ryuji's rage-fueled roar. "Mishima, where the hell is Kamoshida's office? I know for a fact that Ryuji's heading there, so tell me before he gets into any more trouble."

Or takes all the action for himself. Ren thought darkly, his sinister wish bringing out a deep chuckle from Arsène in response.

"H-His office is on the second floor at the end of the hall to the right! You can't miss it!" Mishima said hurriedly before the frizzy haired teen ran off to where Ryuji was heading, the beaten boy following close by and neither of them aware of a dark, fuzzy companion stealthily following them close by.

It didn't take Ren long to get to the PE Faculty office. In fact, he managed to get there just as Ryuji entered into the room. With Mishima following right behind him, he ran to the room and made his way through the door, where he was greeted by the sight of Ryuji shouting at Kamoshida, who was simply staring at him in a bored manner.

"You bastard! The hell did you do to that girl?!" The punk exclaimed.

"What are you talking about?" The coach questioned in a dismissive tone, which only served to further irritate Ryuji to the point of kicking down a nearby chair in frustration.

"Don't play dumb with me!"

"That is enough!" Kamoshida scolded the punk, and Ren had to hold in a sarcastic laugh and quip at the tone the good-for-nothing man was giving to the 'delinquent' that he ruined.

Now's not the time for taunting. We need answers and we need them now… He thought himself as he prepared to speak when Mishima beat him to the punch.

"What you did…wasn't coaching…!" The beaten boy spoke up, getting everyone's attention. Including Kamoshida.

"What did you say?" The coach question, a fierce expression on his face as he turned to Mishima.

"You… You ordered me to call Suzui here… I can only imagine what you did to her…!" Mishima stated, holding his head in grief as regret began to well up within him.

"You're going on and on about things you have no proof of…" Kamoshida growled softly as he stood to his full height, easily towering the three teenage boys before him, and they weren't all that short either. "Basically, you're simply making these claims because you can't be a regular on the team, right?"

"That's not what this is about…!" Mishima retaliated, a spark of courage that seemed to come out of the usually submissive teen, yet Kamoshida wasn't moved in the slightest.

"Even if it is exactly as you imagine it to be, hypothetically speaking… what can you do?" The man said as he leaned forward right in front of Ryuji's face, who couldn't help but sneer at the sight of, "We just got a call from the hospital. Suzui's in a coma, and her chances of recovery are slim… How would someone like that make a statement?"

Say what…? Ren thought, a shocked expression on his face that was mirrored by the others at the newfound information given to them.

"There's no chance of her getting better, I hear… The poor girl." Kamoshida finished his statement, looking quite dramatic with his hand over his face as if in sorrow and his voice laced with false sympathy, which served to aggravate Ryuji and Ren while Mishima stepped back in horror.

This monster… Ren thought, his stare intense as he looked at Kamoshida hard enough to melt the man where he stood if it was possible while Mishima muttered softly to himself in disbelief.

"You goddamn…"

"This, again…? Does this mean we need to have yet another case of 'self-defense'?" Kamoshida spoke up, interrupting the trembling Ryuji before he could begin cussing out the coach and served to rile the teen up even further.

"You shut your damn mouth, you son of a bitch!" The blonde exclaimed, his fist raised and ready to punch the smug coach in the face when Ren grabbed his arm firmly, causing him to turn to the bespectacled teen in surprise. "Why are you stopping me?!"

"Don't let him get to you. This is exactly what he wants," Ren stated with a stern expression before turning to Kamoshida with a fierce stare, who simply stared back at him curiously.

"But still…!" Ryuji exclaimed as he pulled his arm away, still wanting to do something to get back at the man before him.

"Oh? You're stopping him? What a surprise? There's no need to hold back. Why not attack me?" Kamoshida taunted with a smirk on his face before letting off a taunting laugh, his tone oozing with smugness. "Oh, but you can't. Hahaha of course, you can't. Don't want to get our precious student council president in trouble anyways. Where is she by the way? I figured she'd be with you all trying to 'expose my crimes to the school' like she's done before? Did she decide to send you to do her dirty work instead. Hahaha. That sounds quite cowardly of her."

"It doesn't matter if I can or can't smash your face in or if Senpai sent me here nor not, Kamoshida. I know exactly what you're trying to do. I've seen people like you do exactly what you're doing when I was younger. And do you know what happened to them…?" Ren asked calmly, quietly, getting everyone's attention, before he spoke once more in the darkest tone he could muster, his expression harsher than normal thanks to his lack of glasses. "They get caught. No matter who they are or how much power they have, in the end, they end up losing everything. You can play innocent and say nothing all you want, but soon, everything you've done will be exposed. And I mean everything. It's only a matter of time, you waste of space. And for the record, Senpai is not a coward. She's ten times braver than you are and just as determined to show everyone how much of a monster you are…"

"Oh really? Well, that's quite interesting to hear, but I think I've heard enough," Kamoshida mused out loud before going back to his seat. "Everyone present right now… will be expelled. I'm reporting all of you at the next board meeting."

The moment those words were said, Mishima and Ryuji backpedaled in shock, not expecting such a retaliation from the coach. Ren, however, remained outwardly calm, despite the raging inferno that was welling within him and Arsène's harsh growling accompanying it.

"You can't make a decision like that!" Mishima spoke up hysterically.

"Who would seriously consider what scum like you say?" Kamoshida questioned with a raised eyebrow at the teens. "You threatened me too, Mishima, so you're just as responsible. Honestly, I would've liked to add Niijima to the list as well, but since she's not here at the moment, I'll settle for simply ensuring that no high-ranking college will be willing to accept her. Since she's failed to keep her 'ward' under control, I figured that will be a proper punishment for her. Don't you agree?"

"You keep Makoto out of this…" Ren suddenly spoke up with so much venom in his voice that it made Ryuji and Mishima jump at the sound of it, none of them aware that he dropped his honorific for her.

"You should've thought of that before barging in here, criminal. Now she has to pay the price for your actions," Kamoshida stated harshly before turning to Mishima. "As for you… To think you didn't know why I kept someone as talentless as you on the team. You act like you're a victim, but you leaked Amamiya's criminal records, didn't you?"

"He did what?" Ren questioned, turning to Mishima with a surprised expression, who simply stared back at the dark-haired teen and Kamoshida in horror.

"That's right. It's all over the internet too, correct? How terrible," Kamoshida continued, adding more fuel to the fire and causing Ryuji to turn his head towards the now frightened teen.

"Mishima…?" The blonde questioned softly in disbelief, wondering why such a timid little guy would do something like that.

"He told me to do it. I had no choice…" Mishima stated in despair, falling to his knees as he confessed as if he was begging for forgiveness.

"It's alright, Mishima. I understand. It's not your fault. It's his…" Ren said in a quiet tone before shooting Kamoshida a scalding glare, who simply laughed it off as he went back to his paperwork.

"Now, are we finished here? You're all expelled! You're done for; your futures are mine to take. Now get out of my sight." He announced in finality, which severed to further infuriate Ryuji as he turned to Ren who, despite the obvious contempt in his eyes, looked as cool as ever.

"I can't believe this asshole's getting away with this…!" He exclaimed, frustrated beyond belief that he and his new friend were getting expelled along with Mishima, who was completely innocent, in fact manipulated to help Kamoshida, throughout the whole ordeal.

"He'll eat his words, Ryuji. Trust me. I wasn't kidding when I said people like him will get caught in the end," Ren muttered, putting his glasses back on and turning to Ryuji with a determined expression.

"Huh, what do you mean…?" Ryuji questioned, looking a little confused until he saw Akira pull out his phone slightly, the device active and showing a familiar crimson eye, and it was at that moment that he realized what the frizzy-haired teen meant. "…Oh right. We have that!"

"Huh? Have you lost your minds?" Kamoshida growled as he overheard the boys' conversation, but not understanding a word they meant. "I don't understand what garbage like you are thinking, but go ahead and try. All you can do is wait for your disposal though…"

"We'll see about that… Let's go," Ren muttered as he gestured to Ryuji to leave along with him, with Mishima following behind looking even bleaker than usual.

As they left, none of them noticed a familiar sleek black figure watching them leave from the comfort of a desk, hidden behind a box. Once they left, the small figure leapt to the ground and began heading out as well, turning to the unsuspecting coach briefly before letting off a cattish cackle.

"Mew-hehehe. Looks like your days are numbered, Kamoshida. Get ready to have your desires stolen…"

After School

-Courtyard, vending machine area-

"He's going to do what to you two!?" Makoto ask in alarm as soon as she was briefed of the situation, slamming her hands on the table and nearly knocking Morgana off of it in the process.

"Hey, watch it! I'm standing over here!" He cried out in annoyance, grumbling when he noticed that no one was listening to him at the moment.

The girl was sent back to school shortly after being informed that Suzui was in a coma and that there wasn't anything that could be done at the moment. She was devastated at the news, but had to be strong due to Takamaki taking the news even worse, due to the close relationship the natural blonde had with the unconscious girl. Makoto tried her best to ease her worries, but she had no idea what to say, and simply stood by her as a source of comfort until they had to go back to school. After that, everything was back to normal for her for the most part until after school where she was dragged towards the courtyard by Ren and was told about what was currently happening by him and Ryuji, which left her in the state of shock and rage that she was currently in.

"Makoto-senpai, relax. There's no need for you to worry," Ren tried to assure the older girl, but only served to further anger her if the crimson glare aimed at him was anything to go by.

"How can I relax when the two of you are going to be expelled in a few weeks!? You know what will happen to you once it occurs! Don't you dare make light of this situation!" She shouted, making Ren flinch at step back a little before attempting to try and pacify her once more.

"It's ok, Makoto-senpai. We have a plan to ensure that doesn't happen. Try and calm down, ok?" Ren said in a soothing manner, hoping that he was able to get through to the girl, before looking away in a sheepish manner. "To be honest, I'm more worried about you than me at the moment. Once word gets out that I'm going to be expelled, your reputation's gonna drop, meaning it's going to be much harder for you to get into a good college, even after our plan—"

"Forget about my damn reputation, Ren! I don't care about that! I care about you and Ryuji-kun more than getting into a good college!" Makoto exclaimed in retaliation, making Ren blink a couple times at her words and drop of the honorific. "My status may get ruined as a result of this, but I can fix it back up with time and effort. Losing you and Ryuji-kun, however, is something that I am not going to allow Kamoshida to get away with! He has already taken too much from this school already and I'll be damned if he takes away anything or anyone else!"

"Makoto-senpai…" Ren muttered, not expecting to hear such words from someone he'd known for such a short time. Then again, during that short time, the two of them, along with Ryuji, had manage to bond quite a bit, to the point where they had each other's backs in any way, shape and form. This was something that he knew that she wasn't going to let go of, and he couldn't help but feel a little warm inside at the sight of someone willing to go so far for him. With that in mind, he steeled his gaze and gave the girl a firm nod. "Alright. Let's get this done. We're gonna make Kamoshida pay for his crimes if it's the last thing we do."

"Damn straight we are! And we're gonna doing it right now! We're gonna go into that other world right now and beat the shit out of that asshole!" Ryuji spoke up while slamming his fist to the vending machine, having remained silent during Makoto's rant and while admittedly still a little frightened by the girl's fury, couldn't help but feel good to have such a total badass as a friend and touched that she cared about him.

"…We're not beating him up. We're simply stealing his distorted desires." Morgana chided the enthusiastic blonde.

"Can we beat him up in the process of stealing his desires? I really want to deck the guy in the face after everything he's done so far," Ren requested in a dark tone and his arms crossed.

"Same here. I'm really hoping to get another attempt to cave his face in once more," Makoto muttered with a hint of sadism in her tone, which made Morgana stared at the three teens with a blank expression.

"…Wow. You guys are really fired up now. Can I assume that you've made up your minds about this? About how he might suffer a mental shutdown?" Morgana asked his old question once more. The previous attempt left him disappointed at the sounds of reluctance, but hearing the determination in their voices had raised his hopes that they were willing to accept his plan.

And he wasn't disappointed at their responses.

"…I have," Ryuji muttered as he turned to Morgana. "Someone almost died because of him! I don't give a rat's ass what happens to him anymore!"

"Kamoshida has gone too far in his quest to remain on top in our school. His transgressions will no longer be ignored. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make sure he faces justice. No matter the cost!" Makoto stated firmly, her fiery gaze locked onto Morgana as she made her claim.

"The man we're about to take down is not a man, but a monster who will stop at nothing to get what he wants, even if it means getting an innocent girl nearly killed and robbing us of our futures," Ren stated in a calm town, his eyes hidden behind the glare on his glasses before looking up at the group with a steel gaze and a cocky grin. "If he thinks he can get away with what he's done, he's dead wrong. We're going in his head, steal his desires, rob our futures back, and get him to confess to his crimes. It'll be our last surprise for him, and he'll never see it coming."

"…Then it's settled!" Morgana said happily, glad to see such resolve in the eyes of the teens before him.

"By the way, is gettin' rid of a Palace hard…? You've tried it before, right?" Ryuji couldn't help but ask, causing Makoto and Ren to turn to the blonde at his valid question before looking at Morgana for answers.

"…When did I ever say that?" Morgana asked with a curious head tilt, making the three teens stare at him in disbelief.

"…Excuse me?" Makoto whispered in shock while Ren's eyes went so wide his glasses nearly fell of his face.

"WHAT!? Were you just pretendin' to know?!" Ryuji exclaimed what was on everyone's mind at the moment, all of them so preoccupied with themselves that they neglected to be aware of their surroundings for a moment, and allowing a certain someone to walk in on them.

"Is it true that you're getting expelled? Everyone's talking about it…" A familiar voice called out to them, prompting all of them turned to see Takamaki staring at them with a dark look in her eyes.

"That asshole's at it again…!" Ryuji grumbled to himself, realizing that Kamoshida was spreading information about them again, this time about their termination from school, before turning to Ann in annoyance. "So you came all this way to tell us that?"

Ann stood silent for a moment, as if gathering her words. It only lasted for a moment, but after that, she turned to the small group with a fierce look in her eyes and a tone that held no argument. "If you're going to deal with Kamoshida…let me in on it too."

"…What are you saying, Takamaki-san?" Makoto asked calmly as the boys stepped back in shock, she herself anticipating this after coming back to the school.

"I can't just sit back and do nothing after what happened to Shiho!" Takamaki explained, growing more agitated as she spoke.

"This has nothing to do with you… Don't butt your head into this…" Ryuji spoke up, causing Ren to look at Ryuji in surprise, wondering why he was being so aggressive with the girl this time.

"But it does! Shiho's my—"

"Takamaki-san, that's enough!" Makoto interrupted Takamaki mid-sentence, causing Ryuji to pause as he was about to tell off the natural blonde once more.

"N-Niijima-senpai?" Takamaki whispered, a little hurt at the harsh tone the brunette used on her.

"I'm sorry, but Sakamoto-kun is correct. This does not involve you. I'm aware of how close you are to Suzui-san, but there is nothing you can do at the moment. I apologize for saying this, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Makoto said sternly, her eyes never wavering even as Takamaki stared at her defiantly. It was only a few moments later that tears of hurt began filling the other girl's eyes and she ran away from the group, making Ren and Morgana look at the pair worriedly.

"That was harsh…" Morgana pointed out while staring at Ryuji.

"Yeah… Couldn't you guys be a little gentler on her? Her friend just attempted to commit suicide for crying out loud," Ren questioned while looking at Makoto curiously.

"We can't take her somewhere like that…" Ryuji said, his leg shaking in agitation.

"That's right. It's too dangerous for her to accompany us. And if what I've seen from her in the past is true, she can be quite stubborn at times. She even tried to convince the doctors to let her stay with Suzui-san until they practically forced her to return with me. I'll admit that I might have been a little too hard on her, but it was necessary to ensure that she does not follow us to Kamoshida's Palace," Makoto explained, her arms crossed and eyes hard, but Ren was easily able to pick up the flicker of regret in the girl's eyes.

"I hope that she doesn't torment herself over this. When it comes down to it, women don't hesitate," Morgana said, looking a little worried.

"You can say that again," Ren muttered while scratching the back of his neck, looking at Makoto and recalling what she'd done back when she first awakened to her Persona.

"We just gotta hurry up and deal with Kamoshida. Let's go already!" Ryuji ordered, wanting nothing more than to go to the Palace and get their plan started.

"Very well. Let's go to the alleyway. No one will be able to find us there," Makoto nodded before leading the group to their destination.

Thankfully it didn't take the four of them too long to get to their spot. There were hardly any students or other individuals nearby as far as they were able to tell, meaning they were safe to go to Kamoshida's Palace without raising alarm and suspicion.

"The moment we cross over, we'll treat each other like phantom thieves, so I hope you're ready." Morgana announced, getting everyone's attention.

"Huh? Phantom thieves?" Ryuji parroted, looking down at Morgana curiously.

"Those who covertly sneak in and stylishly steal Treasure. That is what we become!" Morgana explained with pride.

"I see…" Ren nodded, liking the idea the more he thought about it.

"That sounds kinda cool!" Ryuji spoke up with a grin.

"I'll admit, while I was initially apprehensive about all this, I can't help but feel a little excited about what we're about to perform," Makoto said before letting off a little giggle, getting the boys' attention. "Sorry. I just…find it kind of ironic to me. I'm the student council president, the younger sister of a public prosecutor, and the daughter of a detective, and here I am, becoming a thief to steal Treasure from a castle in order to reform a corrupt individual. It's kind of funny, in a weird way."

"How do you think I feel? My family on my mom's side have been working with the law for generations and here I am about to commit theft. I can only imagine the look on Gramp's face if he finds out what I'm about to do." Ren added in with a wry grin of his own before turning to Ryuji. "How about you? Any relations to the police or the government that you're aware of?"

"Nah. Just an average guy with a mom and no other family members either. It's a rough life, but I can't really complain that much," Ryuji admitted with a shrug before pulling out his phone to activate the crimson app. "So we just gotta say the school, Kamoshida's name, and…castle? And then we end up in bizarro world."

"Yup, that's pretty much the how it goes," Ren nodded as Makoto pulled out her phone as well, opening up the same app that Ryuji and Ren possessed.

"You know, I'm quite curious as to how this app came about. It is no normal app, that's for sure." Makoto said as she stared at her phone curiously.

"No kidding. How the hell's all this work? Someone make it?" Ryuji questioned, neither him nor Makoto noticing Ren beginning to sweat a little.

"…Who knows? It just showed up on my phone randomly one day and then suddenly I have the power to travel between dimensions with a push of a button. Can't really explain it…" Ren said with a shrug, not entire sure if he could properly explain that the Metaverse app came to existence due to the power of a long-nosed clairvoyant and his twin chibi warden cosplayers.

"…That's kind of creepy, but eh, it seems useful enough," Ryuji shrugged uncaringly with an easy grin, causing Ren to chuckle a little in response while Makoto simply shook her head in amusement.

"Your nonchalance knows no bounds, Ryuji-kun." Makoto said before steeling herself. "It's best that we leave now. The sooner we accomplish our goal, the sooner Kamoshida will repent for what he's done."

"Damn straight! We'll show that effin' Kamoshida!" Ryuji announced, his voice filled with determination to get the job done.

"Get ready everyone. It's showtime," Ren said as he pulled out his phone to activate the app.

"Let's go!" Morgana simply said, no words need to show how much he was ready for action.

As the for prepared to leave, they were once again unaware of their surroundings, and if they had turned around they would've noticed a certain natural blonde watching the group in suspicion.

"They really are going to do something…" Takamaki whispered after watching the group for a while. "They're doing something on their phone? A name… School…?"

*babum*

"Huh?"

-Kamoshida's Palace, Entrance-

"Alright! Time to bust through!" Ryuji announced, he, Ren and Makoto all in their thief attire while Morgana had morphed back into his bipedal form, all of whom were ready to storm the castle and get revenge on Kamoshida.

"WHAT IS THIS!?"

"…Crap. Why does shit like this always happen…?" Ren groaned to himself as Ryuji, Morgana and Makoto jumped in place when they heard someone shout out in alarm. A someone that the masked thief recognized as Takamaki, even before she walked up to the group looking a little freaked out.

"T-Takamaki!?" Ryuji exclaimed in shock as soon as he saw her.

"Takamaki-san!? How did you get here?!" Makoto asked in alarm, wanting to know how the girl manage to get into the other world.

"Those voices… Sakamoto!? Niijima-senpai!?" Ann questioned in alarm, making the pair flinch at being recognized so easily while the natural blonde turned to Ren with wide eyes. "And… Are you Amamiya-kun?"

"…Yup." Ren admitted with a sigh, knowing full well that he couldn't hide from her after she figured out the identities of the others so quickly.

"Wh-Wh-Why are you here?!" Ryuji asked hysterically, unintentionally repeating Makoto's question as he tried desperately to figure out what to do.

"How should I know?!" Ann exclaimed, looking just as lost and confused as the other blonde as she looked around her surroundings, trying to get a grip on things, "What's going on? Where are we?! Isn't this the school!?"

"Morgana, do you have any idea as to how Takamaki-san managed to get in here?" Makoto asked the 'not cat', frowning slightly when she got nothing in response, and turned to see him staring at Takamaki with a love-struck expression. "Morgana!"

"Huh, what? Oh, sorry! Lost myself there for a second," Morgana apologized after he shook his head. "Alright, I'm good now. And as for your question…it's possible that she was dragged in because of that app thing. If multiple people can enter with the person who uses it, it stands to reason it'll pull anyone nearby."

"For real?" Ryuji questioned with wide eyes that were hidden behind his skull mask.

"It makes sense, if you think about it," Makoto muttered to herself, about to go off on a tangent regarding the app used to get to the Metaverse when Ren placed a hand on her shoulder to keep her from beginning, being careful not to skewer himself with her spiked shoulder pads.

"I suggest we hold off on theories for now until we deal with our current situation," Ren suggested before gesturing to Takamaki, who was now looking at the castle behind them with massive, shock filled eyes.

"Wait…so this is related to Kamoshida?" She asked, wanting to know more about where she currently was, but Ryuji and Makoto weren't having it.

"Anyways, you gotta leave!" Ryuji stated.

"He's right. It's dangerous for you to stay here. We need you to leave right now." Makoto requested.

"No! I'm not leaving!" Takamaki refused stubbornly, much to the annoyance of the others.

"The Shadows are going to find us if you make a scene," Morgana spoke up, causing Takamaki to finally notice him and step away from the group in surprise.

"No way! It talked!? Oh my god, it's a monster cat…!" She practically screamed, leaving Morgana a little devastated by the name calling.

"M-Monster…?" He repeated weakly.

"You better explain what's going on! I won't leave until you do!" Takamaki stated, her expression firm and unyielding as she waited for someone to give her the answers she was looking for.

"Looks like we gotta force her," Ryuji sighed as he turned to the others.

"Good idea, but do any of us know how to get her out of here without any of us leaving and risking her to return in the process?" Makoto asked, the boys shaking their heads while Morgana spoke up.

"Just take her back the way to where we came in. That's how it worked for you guys last time, right?" He suggested, causing the group to nod in agreement while Takamaki's eyes widen in horror.

"Ah, right. That will work." Makoto nodded in agreement before turning to the boys. "Ryuji-kun, Ren-kun, would you mind escorting Takamaki-san out of here. I would do it, but… I don't think I'm exactly the safest person to be around with at the moment."

"…Yeah, that's probably for the best," Ren nodded in agreement as he stared at the multiple spikes on the girl's biker-like outfit.

"Alright, Takamaki, time to get you out of here. Sorry to do this, but it's for your own good! We'll explain after everything's over." Ryuji announced as he, Ren, and even Morgana approached the girl, who was now looking at the masked teens in fear.

"H-Hey wait! What do you guys think your—Ahh! Hey! Watch where your touching m—Will you please let me—Stop holding me and let me—Waaa!"

"I feel a little bad having to do that to her, but it's the only way to keep her safe. And keep my promise to Suzui-san…" Makoto said quietly as she watched the boys walk back to her after successfully sending Takamaki off into the real world.

"We better be careful for now on when we use that app…" Ryuji spoke up as soon as he and the others reached Makoto, who nodded in agreement along with Ren.

"You should've checked the tools you used! Why do I, the one who was just watching, know more about it than you three!?" Morgana chided the group.

"We apologize, Morgana. It was an accident. We're still new to all of this, after all," Makoto promised sincerely, making Morgana nod in response.

"Geez… Takamaki found out right when we were startin' off… We gotta deal with this fast!" Ryuji spoke up.

"Can't argue with that. Soon we do this, the less often we'll have to deal with her trying to sneak in on us and try to and tag along." Ren agreed with a nod.

"That girl's name is Ann Takamaki, right?" Morgana questioned curiously, getting nods in confirmation in response, before looking down in contemplation. "Lady Ann…"

"Alright, Fur Bucket, you can fantasize about the pretty lady another time. We got work to do right now," Ren spoke up with a raised eyebrow as soon as he noticed Morgana looking a little lovestruck.

"Eh? Oh, um… Right. Sorry." Morgana apologized before heading towards the drawbridge, the others following close by with amused expressions on their faces before schooling themselves when they noticed the 'not cat' staring at the castle intently. "The Shadows have noticed us. You all better brace yourselves, got it?"

"Got it," The three nodded, all of them looking equally determined and ready to face whatever danger that they may face.

"Very nice. We're counting on you, Joker! Make sure you lead everyone to victory!" Morgana said while looking at Ren, who stared back at him in confusion.

"…Joker?"

"That supposed to be a nickname or something?" Ryuji spoke up, looking lost as well.

"Don't refer to it in such a lame way. It's a codename," Morgana corrected while Makoto quirked an eyebrow at the answer.

"A codename? Is there any particular reason for one?" She asked with her arms crossed.

"Of course! What kind of stupid phantom thief would use their real name!? I'm not down for that!" Morgana stated with a comically fierce expression, getting incredulous looks in response of the excuse, before he continued in a more serious manner. "And there's no telling what kind of effect yelling our names will have on the Palace… It's just a precaution."

"…Alright. I see your point, but why call me Joker? I don't look like a clown in this get up, do I?" Ren questioned, now feeling a little self-conscious about his attire.

"Nah. You still look like some street magician to me," Ryuji shrugged while Makoto shook her head at his response.

"Because you're our trump card when it comes to fighting strength." Morgana explained while looking at Ren with pride, which actually made him a little embarrassed, if he had to admit it.

"…I see what you're saying. Ren-kun is the strongest out of all of us and has obtained his Persona longer than the rest of us, besides Morgana. And the Joker is supposed to represent the wild element within a card game. I think the name suits him," Makoto said with a small, gentle smile at Ren's direction, causing him to actually blush a little at the praise before returning the smile with a grateful one of his own.

"Well… If you guys think it's a good name, then I'll accept it. Thanks," Ren, now dubbed Joker, said with a nod at both Morgana and Makoto, showing his appreciation to the pair.

"It's settled then!" Morgana stated before turning to the lone girl of the group. "Makoto's next, though I'll be honest, her codename's gonna be kinda difficult to think of on the spot."

"Oh, I got the perfect codename for her! Wait 'till you hear it!" Ryuji exclaimed before Makoto turned to him with a glare.

"If it involves me being a 'Post-Apocalyptic Raider' of any kind, I will hurt you, Ryuji-kun," She growled, causing Ryuji to grin sheepishly in response while holding his hands up before him in surrender.

"Aw, come on, Prez, it's a perfect name for you. With the wicked awesome Persona bike and the biker outfit, plus the fact that Morgana said you know nuclear moves, I can't think of any better name than that. We can even shorten it to Raider if you want," Ryuji pleaded, but Makoto was having none of it.

"I will not be called that, thank you very much. Besides, what about your own Persona? Captain Kidd's on a flying boat, is he not? I think that's pretty cool in it of itself," She deflected, hoping to get the excited teen out of the subject, but it seemed to only fuel him even more.

"So what? Kidd's amazin' and all, but bikes are much more awesome than dumb old boats!" Ryuji insisted before grinning widely as a thought occurred to him. "Hey, it'd be like that one song! I'm a phantom, on a steel horse I ride!"

"Don't say such things! And for the record, I'm most certainly not 'wanted'," Makoto huffed as Ryuji kept trying to convince her to accept his name while Joker and Morgana stared at them with deadpan expressions.

"…This is gonna take forever," Morgana whined before turning to Joker pleadingly. "Joker, can you please try and end this royal pain of a naming game so we can get to Ryuji and get the plan started. We don't have a lot of time."

"Royal…?" Joker repeated, the word resonating within him as he stared at Makoto curiously. For some reason, it seemed to suit her. He recalled her actions and temperament, and he couldn't help but compare it to someone who was born to lead. He even recalled calling her 'your majesty' as a jest during their previous run-in with Shadow Kamoshida.

Wait a minute… Your majesty… The dark-haired teen thought as a name popped up in his head, one that, he believed, suited his friend quite nicely. After all, she was already seen as the President of Shujin, why not go the extra length?

"Queen. That's what we'll call her," He said out loud, his voice reaching Ryuji and Makoto, the latter staring at him with wide eyes as the rest of the boys began nodding in agreement.

"Queen, huh? Yeah… Yeah, I can see that! Nice going, man!" Ryuji praised with a wide grin and a thumb's up.

"I think that's perfect as well! She already has the air of an empress around her, so it's no stretch to call her something similar to fit that," Morgana said cheerfully.

"Queen… I like it. I like it a lot," Makoto said to herself, testing the name and growing fonder of it the more she repeated it before turning to Joker with a grateful expression behind her mask. "Alright. I'll accept it. Thank you for the codename, Joker. I appreciate it."

"Your wish is my command, your majesty," Joker said teasingly with an exaggerated bow, causing the others, even the newly dubbed Queen, to laugh a little, before turning to Ryuji. "Ok then. Your turn, Ryuji. Now what should we call you… Anyone have any ideas?"

"How about Pillager? His Persona's a pirate and all. Maybe that will fit him." Queen suggested while looking at Ryuji curiously.

"Nuh-uh. That sounds way too goofy to me," Ryuji shook his head.

"Then what about Scourge? It'll fit the pirate theme and sounds pretty good, in my opinion." Joker said with a shrug.

"Nah. Too edgy. I mean, I like my name to be a little intimidatin' but I don't wanna sound like some weird Sonic OC or somethin' like that." Ryuji denied the name while Makoto stared at the blonde oddly at his comparison.

"Oh, I got one! Thug!" Morgana chirped.

"Oh, now you're just tryin' to pick a fight with me!" Ryuji exclaimed at the cat before turning away from him. "You know what, screw it, I'll figure out a name myself."

"Alright then… What do you wanna be called?" Morgana questioned, looking a little exasperated while Joker and Queen stared at Ryuji patiently.

"Hm… When it comes to me, it's gotta be this mask." The punk said as he touched his mask, grinning slightly as he felt something resonating from it. "Honestly, I actually kinda like it. What if we named me after this?"

"Fine… We'll go with Skull. That ok with you?" Morgana said in an unenthusiastic manner compared to Joker and Queen, the two themselves looking at Ryuji curiously as he suddenly grew excited at the name.

"Ooh! That sounds awesome! I'm Skull!" The newly dubbed Skull exclaimed, happy with the choice.

"…I like it. Short, sweet, to the point and even fits the pirate motif because of the jolly rogers." Joker stated in approval with Queen nodding along in agreement.

"I think it suits Ryuji-kun as well. I'm glad that we found a name that you like and suits you," Queen said with a smile before turning to Morgana curiously. "Morgana, are you going to need a codename as well? I'm aware that you've been here before without any major issues, but giving you one as well might give you a bit of extra security if what you said about using our real names is true."

"If that's what you want… Gotta run by it with Joker though," Morgana shrugged before turning to Joker, who simply shrugged as well in response.

"Sounds alright with me. You guys have any ideas?" He questioned the group, Queen looking a little unsure while Skull raised his hand to get his attention. "What's up, Skull?"

"I think I got a name for him. Mona! It's a pretty easy one to remember." Skull suggested, causing Queen to look at him curiously before nodding.

"Mona… I think that can actually work. It may be a shortened variation of his name, but it certainly does sound right, if you ask me." She explained.

"Well, if Joker thinks it's easier to call me that, then I'll go with it." Morgana said as he tuned to Joker, who was staring back at him contemplatively.

"Hmm, I'm still kinda partial to Fur Bucket, but Mona works too. Let's go with that," He said in a mildly teasing tone, making Mona's eye twitch slightly at the sound of the accursed insult before letting it go and facing the group of humans.

"Alright. From here on out, we're Joker, Queen, Skull, and Mona. We need to be absolutely thorough about using those codenames from now on!" Mona ordered, with everyone nodding in agreement before turning their bodies to the castle, ready to steal the desire of the corrupt man that was hidden behind those walls.

"Alright! Let's go nab this Treasure thing!" Skull cheered with a fist in the air.

"You are going down this time, Kamoshida. I swear it," Queen muttered while cracking her knuckles.

"Alright everyone. Let's get this show on the road," Joker grinned wickedly while tightening his gloves, and the group proceeded to head towards their still undiscovered route, ready to take on whatever challenge that awaited them.

Author's Notes:

Welcome, Tricksters. Hope you all enjoyed the revived chapter 10. Or at least the first half of it. For those of you who have read this piece before, you might recall this chapter being...significantly longer than how it was now. Initially this chapter had Ann's awakening to it as well, but during my work on revising Trials, I had come to realize that bringing this chapter back in its 30k entirety was too much, so I decided to split it so that you would not have to read a novel-length chapter. As a result, you will read about Ann's fiery rage in the next chapter, along with Joker getting a few more voices in his head. Look forward to that. Apologies for this chapter taking so long, as well. Had to take a bit of a break after writing the previous chapter. Still need to work on the BNHA chapters, too. Hopefully I will get them taken care off very soon. As always, thank you for reading my work everyone and if there are any mistakes here, let me know so that I can fix them quickly.

With that said, 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, Tricksters, farewell.