"Hey, you alright kid?"

If he had heard the question, Akira didn't show any signs of it. The boy instead sat at Leblanc's bar glaring down at his curry with an expression of intense focus.

Sojiro raised a perplexed eyebrow before shaking his head. "Don't know what my food did to you, but I'm sure it's sorry."

"Hm?" Akira's eyes widened suddenly as he looked up. "You say something Sojiro?"

Sojiro rolled his eyes, taking a seat behind the bar as he grabbed a nearby newspaper. "Don't worry about it, just finish eating so you won't be late."

Akira blinked before realization appeared on his face as he chuckled sheepishly. "Oh, sorry about that. Just have a few things on my mind right now."

"Heh, I was young too at one point, so I know the feeling." Sojiro smirked, looking directly at Akira. "On that note, I know it's only been two days, but how's school coming along?"

"Not bad so far outside of nearly the entire school body still not wanting to interact with me, although I did make another friend yesterday through Ann. Her name is Shiho and she's on the volleyball team."

"That's good to hear at least. I told your parents about how your record got leaked yesterday when they called to check up on you. It sounded like your mom was ready to come all the way up to the school and tear the principal a new one. Shoot, your dad sounded like he barely able to hold her back from doing so, though I can tell he was pissed off himself."

"Yeah… she's always been a bit overprotective." Akira said, scratching his cheek with a whimsical smile. "Doesn't help that I'm an only child."

Sojiro shook his head in amusement. "Hey, that's a good thing. It means she loves and wants to protect you. I don't blame her for being so angry to be honest."

"Yeah…" A frown formed on Akira's face as he looked down. 'Her and Dad wouldn't have to worry so much if it wasn't for Kamoshida…'

"Do you remember what I told you yesterday?" Sojiro suddenly asked, causing Akira to look at him. "Stay out of trouble for their sake. The school has painted a target on your back for some reason, so don't give them any reason to use it."

"...Heh, thanks Sojiro." Akira smiled at the raised confused eyebrow on the man's face. "You don't have to go this extra mile for me, but you're doing it anyway. I just wanted to let you know I really appreciate it."

"You don't have to thank me for that, kid…" Sojiro muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm just making sure you know to behave is all."

Akira chuckled. "And I appreciate you doing that, it shows that you care. If you didn't, we wouldn't be having this conversation and you wouldn't be reporting to my parents about me. I know they can be a bit overbearing, so I'm thankful."

"Seriously… it's actually touching how much they care for you. Thought they were just going to dump you onto me, but they're going the extra mile and beyond that to make sure you're taken care of." Sojiro muttered with his own chuckle. "No way I could be rude to a man and woman who care that much about their child. If everyone cared for their kids like that, the world would be a much better place."

"I'm sure if they heard you say that, they'd be both appreciative and embarrassed." Akira said, laughing along with Sojiro. Akira looked up at the clock to notice the time. "Well, time for me to head out. See you later today."

"Alright kid, take it easy today."

"And don't worry…" Akira suddenly added, causing Sojiro to look at him. "I haven't forgotten about helping you around the shop this weekend, I'll be sure to be up early this Sunday."

"...Hmph, sounds good to me. I'll hold you to it."

Akira smiled as he turned to walk out of the café.

[You have begun the Hierophant Confidant with Sojiro Sakura. Current Rank: 1]

'...What?' Taking another glance at the time, his eyes widened. 'Crap, I'll think about it later, I have to go.'

As the boy left, however, Sojiro pulled out his phone and took a look at it. There was one lone text message on it as he turned on his screen.

"Had another nightmare last night, it was about mom again…"

The man frowned, standing up from his seat with a sigh. "I need a smoke right now…"


"So how are we going to do this?"

Ryuji's text message made Akira release a sigh as he sat at his desk while Ms. Usami, the Math teacher, for the period gave her lecture.

"We should probably try and gather a bit of information before going back into the Palace." Akira texted back, placing a hand to his chin in thought. "I want to know a bit more from the volleyball team if possible, confirm a few things actually. If any of them are willing to talk to us though, we can't be overly pushy."

"Alright, that sounds good. I'll follow your lead then."

Akira nodded as he placed his phone away, though he could see Ann take a small backwards glance towards him before turning her attention forward again.

"Mr. Kurusu!"

Akira snapped to attention to see the teacher staring at him as she gestured to the blackboard that held a slightly complex math equation. "Can you please tell us the answer?"

Akira took a look at it before answering. "The answer is seven."

[Intelligence has increased!]

"Correct! Well done Mr. Kurusu!"

Akira nodded, smiling to himself in a small amount of pride as he could hear Arsene chucking in approval in his head.

"Holy shit, he's actually smart?!"

One of the bespectacled teenager's eyebrows twitched as he heard the loud whispers around him. He grunted, placing his head into one of his hands, looking out the window. 'Now if only there was a way to increase my popularity too so I'd stop being treated like a serial killer.

[Your Charm has increased!]

'...Screw it. Just get used to it, Akira.'

"By the way, everyone…" Ms. Usami started as everyone looked at her. "Today there will be a volleyball exhibition against the male teachers and male students before lunch period. It will be mandatory so please make sure to show up."

'Sudden volleyball exhibition in the middle of classes? That's random…' Akira mused as the teacher returned back to her lecture. 'However, if we play it right, we might be able to sneak off and do some information gathering.'

Until then, maybe he should pay attention in class in case he gets asked another question.


'What a load of shit this is…'

That was a lone thought going through Ryuji's head as he sat and watched the volleyball exhibition besides Akira, an annoyed scowl on his face.

'Calling this a game would be too much…' His eyes turned toward Kamoshida who spiked the ball into the ground once again, nearly hitting a few students. 'Just a way for this asshole to relive his glory days and beat up on his students.'

His fists clenched as a memory came to him. Him laying on the ground screaming in pain as he grabbed his freshly broken leg, as Kamoshida looked down at him with a murderous scowl along the rest of the track team looking on in fear.

"Ryuji."

The blonde blinked as he turned to see Akira giving him a side glance. "You okay?"

"H-Huh? Oh… yeah! Just thinking about how we're going to pull off this shit." Ryuji answered back, running a hand along the back of his neck.

Akira nodded. "We should probably get a move on soon. Don't want to waste too much time."

"Yeah I hear you, can't watch anymore of this shit any-"

"Ow!"

Both boys stopped talking to see another dark haired boy, who Ryuji recognized as Yuuki Mishima from one of his classes last year, hit the ground hard as the volleyball rolled in front of them. The hurt teen grabbed his head in pain as the whole gym went silent, a tense air beginning to form. Ryuji looked towards Kamoshida to see the man with a small smirk.

'Damn bastard…!'

"Hey, are you okay?"

Everyone stopped what they were doing as they looked to see the supposed criminal, Akira, walking towards the boy. He stopped in front of him, offering a hand which Mishima looked at in surprise before accepting the hand as he was helped up.

"T-Thanks Kurusu-san…" Mishima stuttered out, obviously taken aback by the gesture of the transfer student.

Akira nodded with a small smile. "Don't worry about it, and feel free to just call me Akira."

"Well then Akira, you mind getting off the court so we can continue our game?" Kamoshida said, glaring at the boy's back before a small grin formed on his face as he threw a volleyball towards the back of his head.

Pat!

Only for the man's eyes to widen in apparent shock as Akira caught the ball with one hand without even looking back at it. Bringing it in front of him, he juggled the ball a few times with an inquisitive look before placing it back down on the court floor and walking away. The silence remained for a moment before Kamoshida clicked his teeth and called for the game to resume.

Ryuji blinked, not even noticing Akira was close to him before a pat on the shoulder caught his attention, causing him to finally take notice of Akira. The transfer student gave him a nod which Ryuji instantly understood as he stood up and followed the other boy out of the gym.


"Okay, that was pretty awesome man!"

Akira chuckled sheepishly at Ryuji's praise as they walked down the school hallways. "Thanks, but please don't praise me too much. It's a little embarrassing."

"Alright, but seriously did you see the look on Kamoshida's face when you caught that ball?! Serves that asshole right!" Ryuji exclaimed, grinning widely before starting to frown as another thought came to mind. "Still… I knew he was beating up on his players but that shit he did to Mishima was uncalled for. He was even smiling about it!"

"Yeah I saw it too, that's why I stepped in." The two stopped, anger starting to bubble inside of them. "It just means that's more reason to stop him."

Ryuji nodded, crossing his arms. "So how are we going to do this?"

"Been thinking about that since last night, and I think it's best to head back to his Palace. I just hope Morgana is still there and is willing to lend us a hand again. That's the only way we're probably going to find out anything because I doubt the volleyball teams will tell us anything." Akira turned to look out the window and his eyes widened slightly. "Speak of the devil…"

Ryuji followed his line of sight to see Ann and Shiho both sitting outside on the courtyard bench, conversing with each other. "Ann and Suzui? Why do… wait Suzui is on the girls volleyball team right?"

"She is…" Akira confirmed before starting to walk towards the exit towards the courtyard with Ryuji quickly following after him.


"Shiho…is everything alright?"

Silence was all Ann received in return as her dark haired friend continued to stare at the ground with a dejected look. The blonde swallowed, noticing a bruise on the other girl's face that wasn't there yesterday.

'Another new bruise… just what is Kamoshida putting her through?' The girl's face clenched into fists, her blue eyes narrowing. 'Damn bastard… I do what he asks of me and he still puts Shiho through hell just because he can! But if I don't, he'll take away her starter position! Shiho's worked too hard to get where she is, I can't let her go through that. What should I do…?'

"Shiho. Ann."

Both girls looked up to see Akira approaching them with Ryuji following behind him. The dark haired boy looked at the two concerned. "You guys alright? Seemed like something was bothering you all."

"Oh, Akira!" Ann stood up, forcing a smile to her face. "We're fine just having a girl talk is all, right Shiho?"

"Mm." Shiho sounded, not appearing to be paying attention.

The other three students frowned as Akira approached her. "Shiho, are you alright?"

The girl finally looked up, showing her bruised face to everyone causing Akira's and Ryuji's eyes to widen. She smiled, though Ann could tell it was forced. "I'm fine Akira, don't worry…"

"Bullshit… that freaking bastard." Ann heard Ryuji mutter under his breath as his hands clenched into fists and were visibly shaking from apparent rage.

Akira, however, stayed visibly calm with a deep frown. His eyes seemed to be observing Shiho's wounds before he finally spoke. "Shiho… I don't want to push, but you got these at practice right?"

"...Yeah, I did. I was just being clumsy and got hurt like usual heh."

"Bullshit! We know Kamosh-!"

"Ryuji!"

Ryuji suddenly stopped in his outburst as Akira yelled his name, giving him a glare. The transfer student shook his head, causing the male blonde to take a breath to calm down and give an apology, an action Ann was grateful for as she was about to snap at him herself.

'I know Ryuji's heart is in the right place, but we shouldn't push Shiho too much…'

Akira turned his gaze back to Shiho, softening. "Sorry about that Shiho…"

"I-It's fine… but you're not wrong. These were caused by Kamoshida during practice. It's his harsh training."

"Training huh?" Akira muttered, his eyes narrowing. An action that caused a nervous feeling to grow inside Ann's chest as she stared in worry at the boy.

'Just what are you planning, Akira?'

Shiho seemed to notice his expression as well and stood up. "It's fine Akira! I can take it, I'm just a little out of it today is all!"

Akira stared at her a bit more before suddenly smiling. "Alright if you say so! Sorry, I was just worried."

Shiho for her part only giggled. "Well consider me flattered then! We only just met yesterday and you're already showing this much concern over me."

"Heh, sorry but I can't help it. Like you said yesterday, a friend of Ann's is a friend of mine's." Akira said, smiling at Ann who returned it. "Well, classes should be resuming again soon so we should head back."

"Y-Yeah, let's do that." Ann stuttered out, finally happy that the tense air was evaporating. Ryuji only grunted with a nod.

"And Shiho."

Both girls turned to the bespectacled boy to see him once again give a serious expression. "If Kamoshida tries anything, you fight back. Don't let him have control over you, or you'll regret it."

Before either girl could respond, the boy turned away and started to walk off with Ryuji following after him. His words still echoing in their heads.


A silence remained between the two boys as they stalked through the hallways, knowing the volleyball exhibition was over and it would soon be time to return back to class after lunch period.

"That was enough for you right?"

Akira mentally nodded, glaring at seemingly nothing. 'Yeah it was, that basically confirms the rumors Ryuji heard or else Shiho wouldn't be acting like that nor would she have all those bruises. After school lets out, we're heading straight back to his palace."

"Then all you need to do is call upon me when you need my power."

Akira smirked as the mental connection between him and Arsene ended, glad him and his persona were on the same page.

"And just what are you two pieces of trash up to?"

Both boys looked to their right to see a frowning Kamoshida approach them with his arms crossed, before stopping in front of them.

A scowl formed on Ryuji's face. "Nothing, we're just going to grab something to eat before lunch is over."

"Is that so, then why were you bothering Takamaki-san and Suzui-san just awhile ago? Didn't I tell you two to leave them alone?"

"The hell asshole, they don't belong to you!" Ryuji took a few steps forward. "We just had a few things we wanted to ask them, that's all!"

"About what exactly?" Kamoshida pressed, taking a few steps forward.

"About-!" "About nothing important." Akira interrupted, looking back at Ryuji and shaking his head. He turned back towards Kamoshida with a frown. "We were just having a simple conversation as friends and acquaintances."

"Hah and who would want to be friends with you two?" Kamoshida grinned smugly. "No one, that's who. After all, one is a delinquent destined for a low end job and the other is a criminal who will end up in a jail cell when it's all over with. A pair of garbage that no one cares about."

"I don't know, they seemed to care about us more than they do for you."

Silence followed Akira's statement as the air turned tense. Kamoshida's glare was pure malicious as he looked squarely at Akira who stared at him apathetically. "What was that filth?"

"Oh nothing, Coach Kamoshida. We'll be taking our leave if you don't mind." Akira looked back at Ryuji with a small smile. "Let's go Ryuji, hopefully they still have something good left."

"R-Right…" Ryuji muttered, nodding as he followed the black haired student in shock.

"Hey!" Kamoshida yelled, grabbing one of Akira's shoulders roughly. "Repeat what you just said you piece of-!"

[Murderous Intent Activated]

The man's voice was suddenly caught in his throat at the glare Akira gave him. However what scared him most was the large red demonic figure standing behind the boy, leering down at him with burning red eyes and a sinister laugh. The man shakenly let go of the student's shoulder and began to back away in fear as if he saw the devil itself.

Akira merely shrugged his offended shoulder and continued walking forward, Ryuji following behind him with a flabbergasted expression. Inside his head, he could hear Arsene chuckle.

"Coward…"

Akira snorted as he continued walking, amusement written on his face.


The school day progressed as smoothly as it could before the final bell rang signaling its end. Both boys made their way to a hidden spot in the front of the school as quickly as they could to meet up.

"So… you know how to get back to that place?" Ryuji asked, crossing his arms as he looked around him to make sure no one was watching.

Akira nodded, pulling out his phone to show Ryuji the mysterious app. "Yeah, this. This is what activated when the three of us ended up there last time. I checked it out last night and saw that it saved the location as well, so we should be able to use it to get back there."

"Sounds awesome!" Ryuji grinned, clenching his fist. "Alright, let's go back and get this bastard."

"Yeah, I just hope Morgana is still around. We're going to need help since we don't know much about the place ourselves."

"Oh by the way, I got something that might help…" Ryuji said, starting to dig inside his school bag. "I should… here we are!"

"...Is that a gun?" Akira asked, staring at the firearm. At Ryuji's nod, he began to walk away. "Have fun in prison Ryuji, I'll be sure to write."

Ryuji's eyes widened. "H-Hey, it's a fake replica man! I was thinking maybe we can fake out some of those knights there in case we have to fight!"

Akira stared at the blonde with a suspicious look. "And how did you get a hold of that anyway?"

"I got it from a firearm shop." Akira began to walk away again. "I paid for it and it's a legit shop! Trust me!"

Akira stopped with a sigh and turned around. "Just… be more careful Ryuji. We don't need the cops coming after us."

"Yeah, sorry man." Ryuji apologized, looking sheepish.

Akira shook his head with a smirk, hitting a few buttons on his phone. "Forget about it, let's just head to the palace."

"Castle of Lust selected. Beginning Navigation."

Then everything turned red as the two boys disappeared from sight.


"Hmm…"

In his office, Principal Kobayakawa went through several of his papers as he sat at his desk. They were mostly the normal paperwork, but he came across one in particular that caught his attention.

'Another transfer request? This school normally doesn't get multiple of them in one semester.' The portly man thought as he went down the student's information. 'She's apparently a gymnast from Kyoto and has made a pretty good name for herself along with her sister. She wants to come here due to death in the family… her sister actually.'

He was cut from his thoughts as the door to his office was suddenly slammed open without warning.

"Principal Kobayakawa!"

The large man jumped to see Kamoshida approaching his desk with a deep scowl. "M-Mr. Kamoshida! How can I help you today?"

"You can help by doing something about that criminal Kurusu you took in!" Kamoshida said, his scowl growing. "We don't need punks like that here at this school."

Kobayakawa sighed. "Mr. Kamoshida, I've already told you that I can't expel Kurusu-san unless I have a strong reason. He hasn't given me one as of yet, and his teachers have reported nothing but good behavior from him outside of him being late on his first day."

"And what if I say to get rid of him? Surely an Olympic gold medalist who is also the coach of both of the well known Shujin's volleyball teams holds a bit more weight."

"If you think that can go well over with the school board directors, then by all means go for it. The other students you've pushed to have expelled had a track record at this school, Mr. Kurusu just started school here this week. Outside of his criminal record and being on probation, he has no record."

Kamoshida clicked his teeth, crossing his arms. "So all we need is something to slap on him right?"

"If you can find something, he can be expelled. I've been meaning to keep a closer eye on him anyway and was planning to ask the student council president." Kobayakawa said, grabbing another piece of paperwork.

"Niijima? You think she'll be any help in this?"

The principal shrugged. "If she can at least keep a close eye on him, it'll help. Besides, she's desperate for a letter of recommendation to her university of choice. She won't have much of a choice in the matter, nor need any convincing."

Kamoshida scratched his chin in thought before smirking. "Heh I like the way you think, Principal Kobayakawa. Well in that case, don't worry, I'll handle the transfer brat."

"Yes, Yes, do what you wish. Just be sure not to cause too much trouble."

"Understood sir." Kamoshida said, walking out of the office and closing the door behind him.

Principal Kobayakawa sighed before going back to his papers. He looked down at the transfer request that held a picture of a red haired girl with glasses before nodding to himself as he stamped it in approval.

"Yoshizawa Sumire, welcome to Shujin Academy."


'So all I need is something to put on him huh? Shouldn't be too difficult.'

An ugly smirk formed on Kamoshida's face as he walked out into the hallway, plans already forming in his head on what he could frame the bespectacled student with.

'Just have to make sure it's believable, though not like anyone would really care too much for garbage like that.' The man stalked down the hallways, rubbing his chin. 'Bastard thinks he can come up into this school and disobey me… when I worked my ass off and sacrificed so much for this place and to get to where I am. When I went through so much shit. Scum like him deserves no place in society.'

The man mused in his internal thoughts before seeing a familiar teenage girl walking out of a classroom. Putting on his best friendly smile, he approached her.

"Ah, Takamaki-san! How are things coming along?"

The girl turned to look towards him, before quickly looking away. "Hello Mr. Kamoshida…"

"I'm a little surprised you're still here, staying behind for some extra credit?"

"Yes, that and I had to talk to one of my teachers about some classwork I needed to make up."

Kamoshida nodded as he crossed his arms. "Guess the double life of a teenage fashion model and high school student isn't as easy as you make it look after all…"

"Mmm, it isn't easy at all…" Ann said before starting to walk forward.

"So Takamaki-san, is there anything I can help you with in that regard? I can try talking to your teachers or maybe give you a ride to wo-."

"I'm fine Mr. Kamoshida." Ann said, staring into the man's dark eyes. "I told you, if I need your help I'll ask. Until then, don't worry about me."

At that, the girl stormed away briskly as Kamoshida watched her leave. His right fist clenched into a fist as he growled.

'You're going to regret this Ann-chan.'


Gunshots rang out in a castle corridor as several red haired fairies cried out in pain before dispelling into smoke.

"Good aiming Joker! Just like I thought, you're a natural!"

Akira smirked as Morgana approached him with his own smirk. "Still surprised this thing functions like a real gun. This Metaverse is crazier than I thought it was."

"You're telling me…" Ryuji said, coming out of his hiding spot. "I just bought the thing because I thought maybe we could scare off the shadows. Didn't think we could actually use it."

Akira nodded before an idea came to him. Holding the gun up, he focused intently on it before a screen of information appeared before him.

[Weapon: Model Handgun]
ATK: 10
Acc: 95
Rounds: 6

'Just like I thought, the system can gauge the strength of weapons like an RPG. That's pretty damn useful…'

"Akira?"

The black haired teen turned his attention away from the screen to see Ryuji and Morgana giving him a confused expression. Ryuji was the one who spoke. "Are you alright man?"

Akira pondered over his next words before pointing at the screen. "Can you two see this by the way?"

Both looked at the direction Akira was pointing at before turning back to him and shaking their heads. Akira placed a hand to his chin. 'Seems I'm the only one who can see the system after all. Just more questions without answers…'

"On another note, is the name Joker really necessary?" Ryuji asked, looking down at Morgana.

"Didn't I tell you that using our real names inside of a Palace is dangerous?" Morgana crossed his arms, his expression frustrated. "Who knows what effect it might have on the Palace ruler, so it's better to be safe than sorry. Besides, he's a wildcard I can tell."

"I mean, I kind of like it." The now dubbed Joker admitted, chuckling. "And you told us to stick to calling you Mona right?"

"Yep!" Mona said with a grin. "That way we can operate as actual Phantom Thieves!"

Ryuji raised an eyebrow. "Phantom Thieves?"

Before Mona could answer, they heard the sound of rubble being moved, making them turn back to see one of the red haired fairies coming out from a pillar. Taking aim, Joker pointed his gun at it ready to fire.

"W-Wait! I surrender!" It cried out, holding up its hands up.

"Actually Joker, this is actually a good chance to show you something else." Mona grinned at the creature, his slingshot ready to fire. "If you want to live, fork over any money or items that you have right now."

"B-But I don't have anything…"

"Oh really? Guess that's a waste then, time to die." Mona pulled his arm back, ready to deliver the killing shot.

"W-Wait! I'm sure there's something else I can… wait, it's all coming back to me now. I'm not one of these perverted king's knights, my name is Pixie." The fairy smiled at Joker, starting to glow a bright blue. "And I'll become one of your masks from now on."

Before anyone could say anything else, the fairy glowed blue before turning into a mask and going into Joker's own.

[Persona Acquired]
Level 2 Pixie

Joker blinked before smirking widely. 'I'm going to enjoy this…!'

"Wait… you can hold multiple Personas?!" Mona yelled in surprise, his eyes widened in shock. "I've never heard of an ability like that before!"

Joker chuckled. "Guess I'm one of a kind then. Didn't even know I had this ability until now."

"You're just full of surprises Joker! This is going even better than I expected!"

"So… how do you get a Persona anyway?" Ryuji asked, curiosity growing. He'd even admit that he was a bit jealous of his friend.

"I… don't know actually. It's pretty rare to even have one." Morgana explained with a shrug of his shoulders.

Ryuji sighed before turning around to another cell. Walking over to it, his eyes widened at what he saw.

"Hey Akira! Morgana! Get over here!"

The two phantom thieves came over to the cell to see a sight that disgusted them both.

"What the hell…?"

"Hmph, I knew this Palace's ruler was disgusting but even this is too much."

Down in the cell were members of the Shujin male volleyball team going through what could only be described as torture. Several of them were pelted with endless volleyballs, another several of them were placed on a conveyor belt and forced to run for their lives or be impaled by spikes, and some were just outright whipped and beaten by the guards.

"Mona." The cat-like figure turned to Joker. "You said this place is basically inside of Kamoshida's head right? That this is how he sees things?"

"That's right, this is how he sees whatever his Palace is located. You said it was the school you two attend right?"

"...That's right." Joker confirmed, glaring down at the sight in front of him. 'This confirms it. He needs to be stopped.'

Ryuji turned to Mona. "So is there a way to break them out and get them out of here?!"

"Why would you want to do that? It's not like they're actual people." Mona shook his head. "Even if somehow you managed to free them, they'd just vanish as soon as you end up back in the real world."

"But still-!"

"Just go…"

The blonde turned to see one of the players approach him at the front of the cell, heavily bandaged and a fearful expression. "There's no escape for us. No matter who we tell, they won't believe us over Kamoshida and those that speak out just suffer worse. Just save yourselves."

"Are you freaking kidding me?! You guys are being tortured! How can you be okay with this?!"

"They're okay with it because they don't have a choice."

The three stiffened and turned around to see Shadow Kamoshida standing behind them with several guards flanking him. The man gave a wicked grin as he leered at the three before him.

"I'm doing this for their own good, they should be thankful that an Olympic gold medalist is coaching them. It means they'll get all that more attention from the public. Besides, I benefit from it myself so it's a win-win!"

"You call this coaching asshole?!" Ryuji roared, taking a few steps forward. "This is abuse! You're beating up on them because you know they have no choice!"

"Everyone has a choice, they can either fall in line or get out of the way. They can also drop dead, doesn't matter to me anyway. I get a nice paycheck and more fame from it." The supposed king smirked. "And if they try to fight back… well, you know all about that right Sakamoto?"

"!"

"Tell me, how's that leg of yours doing? You were such a bright star back in the day, only to fuck it up when you decided to rebel against me. Everything I did was for yours and the rest of the track team's benefit."

"Bullshit…!" Ryuji shook his head, memories coming back to him. "You were torturing us, making us do that stupid training until we could barely stand anymore!"

"And then you went ahead and punched me in the face, all because I brought up your dear old deadbeat dad. So I was in perfect rights to have the whole track team shut down, it was only fair. Now they all hate you because you went ahead and ruined their dreams, all because you couldn't keep your anger in check. How sad..."

"T-That's…"

"I bet the only reason you made friends with that damn transfer student was because you were so desperate for someone to like you. Not like anyone else in the school gives you the time of day. You probably came here hoping to be some kind of hero and stop the big bad Kamoshida, am I right?" A smug grin formed on the shadow's face as it saw the boy wavering. "Haven't changed a bit h-"

Bang!

A lone gunshot rang out as a bullet grazed Shadow Kamoshida's cheek, forcing him to take a step back. Everyone else looked on in surprise as the offender simply gave an impassive stare.

"You done?" Joker asked with a nonchalant tilt of his head. "Because I'm getting tired of listening to your bullshit."

"You…!"

"Ryuji." The blonde looked up at the black haired phantom thief. "Are you just going to sit here and listen to this nonsense? Are you just going to give up? Why did you want to come here? Why did you want to stick it to Kamoshida so badly? Why did you bother defending me so much? What do you want?"

"I…" Ryuji looked down at the ground, his expression lost.

"I'm so sorry Ryuji-kun…! If only I was a better mother…!"

"...I wanted to make sure this bastard paid for everything!" Ryuji said, looking up with a glare. He stood up pointing a finger at the supposed king. "And don't you dare look down on me with that stupid smile on your face again!"

"It's about damn time."

"Gah!" Ryuji screamed as he grabbed his head in pain, forcing him to his knees. He began to contort as he screamed, a voice similar to his ringing in his head.

"You made me wait quite a while. You seek power, correct? Then let us form a pact." The headache only grew stronger, causing another cry of pain. "Since your name has been disgraced already, why not hoist the flag and wreak havoc...? The other you who exists within desires it thus...I am thou, thou art I...There is no turning back...The skull of rebellion is your flag henceforth!"

A gray skull mask appeared on Ryuji's face as he continued to scream, power beginning to flow into him.

"It can't be…!" Morgana muttered in shock.

The boy gave one final scream as he grasped and wretched it off before a pillar of blue exploded from behind him, forcing everyone else to shield themselves. Eventually it died down to reveal Ryuji but different.

His entire outfit was replaced by a black and yellow outfit that resembled a modern version of a pirate along with a red ascot as well as ammo straps around him. However behind him floated a giant pirate skull creature with a cannon for an arm and riding a ship.

"Tch… another one?!" The king turned to his knights. "What are idiots doing? Get them!"

"Yes Lord Kamoshida!" The three knights conorted before transforming into several knights on horses, with one of them being a larger red knight flanked by silver knights.

"Holy shit… wassup Persona?!" Ryuji grinned madly, clenching his fists. "Time for some payback! Captain Kidd, wreck 'em!"

The pirate held it's cannon at the ready before striking the red knight with a bolt of lightning that caused it to loudly grunt in pain.

[Weakness Found: Electricity]

"Damned thieves!" The large knight growled before being hit by another bolt of lightning. "Gah!"

Joker smirked as before him floated Pixie who held her arms out. 'She's not as strong as Arsene, but does enough damage.'

The red knight glared at the two before roaring as it charged at two through the pain it was going through. Joker jumped back to dodge the attack, getting out of range.

However, Ryuji stood his ground and with the metal stick that was in his hands met the shadow's charge with his own, causing a stalemate.

"What the?!"

Ryuji only grinned widely, pushing back with all his strength to break the stalemate before placing his hand on his skull mask. "Captain Kidd!"

The pirate persona appeared once again before slamming into the knight with it's boat, pushing it back even more.

Joker placed his hand on his mask. "Pixie, Zio!"

Another bolt of lightning struck the shadow as it once again cried in pain, the two boys continuing their assault.

To the side, Mona used his natural agility and small stature to keep the two gray colored knights occupied, weaving and dancing through their attacks. He gave a counter, slashing upwards at one of them with his scimitar and knocking it back.

"Urgh!"

'Small fries…' Mona smirked before blue flames rose around him and Zorro appeared. "Zorro, show your might!"

A blast of wind slammed into the other knight, knocking it into it's ally as they slammed into the wall.

"Again!"

Another wave a wind cut into this time, as they cried out in pain before dispersing into black smoke.

"What?!" Kamoshida yelled, fear etched onto his face before he heard another cry of pain to see his other knight dissolving into black smoke as the other two thieves stood over it.

"And then there was one…" Joker said with a smirk as another LEVEL UP screen appeared before him which he ignored.

"Tch, don't get so cocky you bastard!" The perverted king said as several more shadows appeared from the ground. "I'm not short on guards, trust me!"

"This is bad, the whole Palace is on alert!" Mona yelled, turning to the other knights. "We need to retreat."

"But…!" Ryuji glanced back at the volleyball team, before turning back around. "Damn it, you're right let's go!"

"Pixie!"

At Joker's cry, the fairy fired a bolt of lightning at a hanging chandelier, sending it crashing down and causing the knights to crowd around Kamoshida to defend him.

"Now! Run!"

The thieves quickly took advantage of the distraction and began to run in their escape as the king and his knights regained their bearings.

"Damn it, don't let those thieves escape!" Kamoshida roared, anger bubbling to the surface. "You all will pay for this, you hear me?! You will pay!"


"What do I do…?"

Ann Takamaki muttered to herself as she walked down the sidewalk from the school, staring at her phone.

Two text messages from Kamoshida Suguru

She huffed, stopping at an alleyway and leaning against the wall. 'What can I do…? I don't want to deal with him anymore, but if I don't then Shiho loses everything. I'd never be able to forgive myself for that.'

The blonde closed her eyes as she looked down only for a loud sound of two male grunts and a… cat hissing to come from the alleyway.

"What the…?" The girl poked her head down the alley to see both Akira and Ryuji on the ground along with a black cat with a yellow collar.

"Ow…" Ryuji started as he stood up with slight difficulty. "I don't think I'll ever get used to that."

"Heh, same here." Akira chuckled, using the wall to help himself up. "You alright though? I know the rush from awakening your Persona must have died down by now."

"Yeah I'm good…" Ryuji said, before smiling. "By the way, thanks for standing up for me back there. I was about to let what that bastard said get to me, but you kept me going. Thanks man."

"Don't worry about it, he was pissing me off too." The two shared a handshake of sorts as they grinned at each other.

"To think even the knucklehead would have a Persona. You all really are just full of surprises."

Both boys jumped as they looked around.

"Down here!"

All three teenagers in the vicinity looked down towards the sound of the voice to see the black cat staring up at the two boys.

"...Morgana?" Akira asked with a raised eyebrow.

"The one and only." the cat answered back.

"...I was not ready for today." Akira sighed.

"I don't think either of us were bro." Ryuji agreed with a shake of his head.

"Um…"

The three in the alleyway turned to see Ann standing there with a confused look on her face. "W-What's going on?"

Silence reigned over the area before Akira suddenly pointed towards Ryuji. "It was all Ryuji's idea."

"Bro!"


The door to an office as Suzui Shiho poked her head through. "Y-You called for me Mr. Kamoshida?"

"Yes Suzui-san, please come in." Kamoshida sat at his desk, an unreadable expression on his face as the dark haired girl entered the office. "Feel free to have a seat, we need to have a serious discussion."

"Y-Yes sir…" The dark haired girl said, sitting at one of the chairs and a feeling of dread growing in her. It was never a good sign when Kamoshida called you into his office. "D-Did I do something wrong?"

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to put you on the bench." The man said bluntly.

'Huh...?' Shiho's eyes widened. "W-What?! But why?!"

"Your performance has been slacking lately, both in games and in practice." Kamoshida crossed his arms, watching the girl fidget. "I'm so sorry, but I can't have you bringing the rest of the team down with such subpar play."

"But I've been doing my best! Please Mr. Kamoshida, I need this!" The girl held her hands out in a begging gesture. "I'll do anything to get better, I promise! I really need this scholarship!"

A smirk appeared on Kamoshida's face as he stood up. "Anything you say?"

Suddenly, the dread feeling inside Shiho grew only stronger at the expression on her coach's face. "M-Mr. Kamoshida…?"

"You know Shiho…" The man walked over to the only window in his office, closing the blinds. "I've had my eye on your friend Takamaki-san for a good while, quite the beautiful young lady if I do say so myself."

Shiho's eyes once again widened. 'He… he was going after Ann?'

"So I thought I'd be a good guy and do some nice things for her. Give her rides to school, tell her teachers to take it easier on her, and… give her best friend a starting position on the girls volleyball team." The man suddenly scowled. "But whenever I asked something out of her, she always refused. Despite the great sacrifices I was making for her, it was always no. Tch, she's just like every other leech who's wanted to profit off of me. Just another bitch."

Shiho was now visibly shaking, not liking where this conversation was going or the look that was in Kamoshida's eyes. Her eyes darted around the room for anything that could help her in her predicament.

"So you know what Shiho? I'm tired of waiting…" Kamoshida was now looking at her fully. "I'm going to take what I'm owed regardless of how she feels."

Fear gripped the young girl's heart as the man began to stalk towards her. "S-Stay away from me! I'll-!"

"You'll what? Tell the principal, tell authorities? The former is basically my bitch, he loves the attention I help bring to his damn school. The authorities? Who would believe some sixteen year old girl over the man who brought gold to the great country of Japan." The man grinned as he cornered the girl. "Don't worry, the first time always hurts, but I'll be sure to be gentle."

'N-No…!' Shiho's heart was pumping, beating like a drum. She reached behind her for anything that she could use as the man closed in on her before her hands landed on something solid and round. "Get away from me!"

With a cry, she took hold of the item and smashed it across the lecherous coach's face as he lurched back in pain. Taking a moment to look at the item, she noticed it was the gold medal that Kamoshida carried with him constantly.

"You fucking bitch!" The man yelled but Shiho wasn't done. With another cry, she kicked upwards between the man's legs sending him crashing down onto his knees. Continuing her assault, she landed a swift kick onto his face knocking him over.

Kamoshida coughed in pain, holding his injured area. He then screamed out. "You'll pay for this, you hear me…?! Not only are you done and expelled, I'll go after your parents for this shit you just pulled! I'll press charges!"

Shiho didn't wait, she just ran as fast as her legs could carry her, no destination in mind but to get as far away from the man as she could. However, Kamoshida's threat lingered in her mind as tears welled up in her eyes.

'Please… anyone… help me!'


Finally got this out lmao, was trying to get it out earlier in the week but that didn't work out.

As you can see I'm making a few changes to the storyline, but remember. Even though I did say I wasn't going to do Royal's storyline, I did say I was going to make changes to the original one. That also means some changes to character's circumstances which I will show later. Looking forward to when we get there. On that note, don't expect Maruki in the fic. I enjoy him as a villain, but don't want to overwhelm myself.

Either way, please review, would like to see some more of those, and you all have a good one.

Peace out
Jacula