HEY GUYS!
THIS IS KINGNIKEN WITH CHAPTER 5 OF LARCENY.
AGAIN, I AM SIMPLY LOVING THE FACT THAT YOU GUYS ARE ENJOYING THE STORY SO FAR!
I HOPE TO KEEP DELIVERING!
BY NOW I WOULD HAVE ANSWERED ALL THE REVIEWS BUT PLEASE KEEP THEM COMING.
THEY REALLY ENCOURAGE ME.
ALWAYS LOVE SEEING MORE FAVS/ALERTS AND KUDOS.
WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, HERE WE GO!
Kasumi and Sumire shared their greetings as they joined Ann and Ryuji on Shujin's rooftop. The identical twins scanned the meeting place for a few seconds before Kasumi asked the question that was on both of their minds.
"Where's Ren-senpai?"
Ann sighed.
"Kawakami-sensei came back for him after our last class, she still seemed pretty annoyed by the stunt he pulled when he introduced himself."
Sumire blinked.
"Stunt?"
"He told the class that he crushed an entire biker gang."
Ryuji leaned forward.
"The rumour's been the hot topic of the day. Literally everyone's been talking about it."
Kasumi spoke.
"We also heard about that but we would have never expected that Senpai would have been the one to start the rumour himself."
Ryuji shrugged.
"That guy just seems to be full of surprises."
Ann folded her arms as the twins took seats.
"What about the other rumours that have been going around about him? His criminal record?"
Ryuji frowned.
"Who knows? The guy may be a badass but it doesn't mean he's a criminal."
Ann retorted.
"He could still be dangerous. Why should we trust him?"
Sumire responded quickly even her sister was surprised by the respectful strength behind her words.
"I owe my life to Senpai! He even gave me the courage to tell my family about what's been on my mind lately. I may not know his past or the mistakes he's made but there's no way he's a bad person."
Ann acknowledged the statement but seemed to still be a bit hesitant.
"I can understand where you're coming from too, from what you guys told me earlier it was only thanks to Ren's heroics that you guys were able to escape that castle."
Kasumi nodded.
"That is true but the events Sumi are talking about happened before the castle."
Ann was not expecting that, even Ryuji perched an eyebrow at the declaration as the part-time model spoke.
"Huh? Really?"
"Well, everyone seems a bit lively this afternoon."
The entire group turned their attention to the individual who had just arrived. Ryuji smirked.
"Yo Ren, we were just talking about you."
Ren smiled and nodded as he made his way to the closest seat.
"So I do see...sorry I'm late. Kawakami-sensei wanted to remind me that she has the power to volunteer me for the school's self defence class...as their practice dummy."
Ryuji groaned.
"Brutal."
Kasumi posed her question.
"Why are you spreading more rumours?"
"It's my plan to deal with the other stupid baseless rumours about me. If I'm going to be at Shujin for at least a year, there are certain things I rather not have to deal with for my entire stay here."
Ann spoke next.
"So are all the rumours lies?"
Ren made sure to look the blond beauty in her eyes.
"No. The one about my criminal record is true."
The gathering went silent. Ren continued.
"However there is a reason for it..."
Ryuji spoke up
"You don't owe us an explanation dude. We know you're not a bad guy."
Sumire agreed.
"He's right. We do trust you Senpai."
Ren shook his head.
"Even so, I wish to share it if that's okay with everyone."
There were no objections.
"The crime I was charged with was assault. However I didn't touch the man. He was drunk and was trying to force a woman into his car. I tried to stop him but he found my meddling offensive and took a swing at me, he missed, fell over and injured himself. Someone had heard the commotion and called the police."
Kasumi bit her lip before speaking.
"Well shouldn't the woman have told the police what really happened?"
Ren sighed.
"I thought the same thing. It seems the man was very important. She was so afraid of him that she agreed to lie and told the police that I had attacked him for no reason. The police recognised the man as well. I wasn't properly questioned, my trial was over before I even faced a judge and my sentence was handed down before I could even testify on my own behalf."
Ryuji grimaced.
"How shitty can these people get?"
Sumire followed up.
"What about you family? Your friends?"
"The incident happened in my hometown. My mother died in childbirth and my father publically renounced me to save his business. I was expelled from school and soon most of my so called friends distanced themselves from me. Those who would have stood by me were forced by their parents to stay away. I was ostracised, thankfully part of my probation involved coming here for a year and being a 'good little boy'....and that's why I'm here."
Kasumi spoke first.
"Wow... Ren-senpai I'm so sorry."
Sumire continued, quickly wiping away tears that were getting ready to fall from her eyes.
"We had no idea..."
"It's fine. I'm happy that I was finally able to share my story with others."
Ann spoke next. Even thought the male transfer student could have been lying, something deep inside her could tell that his words were the truth.
"I'm sorry as well. I had...almost drawn my own conclusions even when I had not heard your side of the story. You've really been through a lot."
"It's understandable. They're not many people in life worth trusting. There's nothing wrong with caution. I'm not angry or anything, Ann."
Ann offered a small smile.
"Thanks."
Ren nodded before clapping his hands together. The sharp sound seemed to bring everyone back to focus.
"That's enough about me...we have other things we need to discuss."
Ryuji agreed.
"Right, that world we were in. You said you had some theories, Ren."
The bespectacled male nodded as he leaned back in his chair.
"Firstly, I want to confirm something. Can everyone check their phones for me? Do you see a strange app with a glowing red eye? I already know that Sumire has it."
One by one each member of the group confirmed the presence of the app on their phone.
Ryuji frowned.
"Sumire was saying something about the app earlier today, wasn't she?"
Sumire nodded.
"Yes, Ryuji-senpai. I think this app is what made travel to that alternate world possible."
Ann perched an eyebrow.
"What? But how?"
Ren joined in.
"Awakening my Persona has given me a bit of clarity and insight. I think I have a better understanding now."
Kasumi posed a question .
"Persona?"
"The powers I used in the castle were a gift from my Persona, it changed my clothes as well."
Kasumi nodded as Ren continued.
"Sumire-chan, there should be some key words saved in your navigation history. Could you please read them? Be careful not to activate the app."
The red haired Shujin student nodded as she read the saved information.
"Kamoshida...Shujin...King Of the Castle...Pervert. What does this mean Senpai?"
"Just as I suspected. Those words were saved in the app during different parts of our conversation this morning. I think it caused the app to show us a different reality. We were seeing the school as Kamoshida sees it within his mind."
There was a collective gasp from the girls as Ryuji spoke.
"What? That doesn't even make sense!"
Ren responded.
"I know but think about what we saw in there Ryuji and how it matched with the words saved in Sumire's app."
Ryuji grumbled a bit as he thought about it. The blond asked a question.
"What are the Knights then? Students?"
"I'm not too sure but I doubt it. Remember we saw some of the students in the dungeons."
Kasumi spoke up.
"Yeah we saw some of them too but we didn't recognise them or the clothes they wore."
Ryuji's eyes brightened.
"That's right! They had on the volleyball club jersey!"
Ann spoke next.
"Are you sure?"
Ryuji nodded.
"I'm positive. The students that were being tortured in the dungeon had on Shujin's volleyball uniform..."
Ann frowned.
"So they're still trapped there?"
Sumire shook her head.
"Morgana, the talking kitty we told you about said they aren't real."
Ann was a bit confused.
"Aren't real?...What's this all supposed to mean?"
Ren stepped in again.
"As I said, what we saw was Kamoshida's perception or cognitive view of the school. It's how he sees it in his heart and mind."
Sumire finally put the ideas together.
"So to him, not only is he the King and ruler of the school, but the volleyball club are slaves that he can torture and punish?"
Ren nodded.
"That is what I believe, yes."
Ann's hands began to tremble a bit.
"No..."
Ryuji grimaced.
"I always knew he was the fucking worst. There were always rumours about him abusing them but no one seemed to take them seriously."
Kasumi spoke next.
"But we only saw male club members. Doesn't Shujin have a female team too?"
Ryuji nodded as Ann lowered her head. Ren carefully placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Hey. Is everything okay? We can stop talking about this if you want."
Ann shook her head before speaking.
"My...best friend is on the female team...do you think she's in danger?"
Ren sighed.
"Not sure...when Sumire and Kasumi were captured, the Knights were preparing to transfer them to somewhere else. Perhaps he keeps female students captive elsewhere in the castle."
No one wanted to verbalise as to what Kamoshida could have been doing to his female prisoners. Ren continued.
"We should all be careful going forward. From what I've seen that app can't be deleted. I don't want any of us accidentally traveling to that world again."
Kasumi's hands bawled up into fists.
"Please tell me that's not all we're gonna do Ren-senpai?""
"What do you mean?"
"If this is true. If this is how Kamoshida sees the school, shouldn't we report him. At least get someone to investigate him?"
Ryuji frowned and looked away.
"No matter what that bastard does, he always gets away. Some of the other teachers and staff always believe him. They'd probably lie to the police for him too."
Kasumi could tell that Ryuji was talking from personal experience.
"Ryuji-senpai..."
Ann spoke next, she had calmed down a bit but the worry was still evident in her voice.
"Is there anything else that can be done? What if we went back to that castle ? Could there be a clue there? Could that cat know something?"
Ren shook his head.
"Out of the question. You guys should not even be thinking of going back there."
Sumire frowned.
"Why would you say that Senpai?"
Ren sighed.
"The last time we were there, Ryuji and I almost died and who knows what Kamoshida would have done to you girls if he had gotten the chance!"
Kasumi retorted.
"But you have your kickass powers now!"
"I may be able to protect myself and defeat those creatures but it doesn't mean I'd be able to protect all four of you. I do not wish to put any of you in danger unnecessarily."
Ryuji added to Ren's argument.
"Ren's right, he can't bring us back to that world. It's too dangerous."
Sumire spoke again.
"So what are we supposed to do? If what you're saying is true Senpai, Kamoshida is abusing our fellow students. We can't just stay quiet about it."
Ren answered.
"I'm not saying that we should stay quiet... Look, awakening my Persona has drained me quite a bit. I'll get some rest and go back to the castle tomorrow. I'll see if Morgana is still there and if I can figure out a way to expose his crimes, okay?"
Ann shared her concerns.
"But isn't it still dangerous for you to go in alone?"
"As I said, I can handle those strange creatures and if things get dicey it's easier for one person to evade capture than a whole group."
Sumire frowned.
"I don't like this plan Senpai."
Ryuji spoke again.
"I don't like it either, but it's what makes most sense. We'll have to wait for Ren to find out some more information."
Ann's phone chimed. The blonde read the notification before sighing.
"I'm late for my photo shoot. I didn't even remember about it...I still think we should talk about this some more..."
Kasumi frowned as she checked the time.
"We have to go too, we're supposed to be meeting our dad in Shibuya before we go home. I agree with Ann-senpai though, we're not done talking about this."
Sumire nodded.
"We should find a way to work on this together. I'm sure there's other options that we can come up with."
The group shared a round of salutations before the females left the roof. Ryuji and Ren sat in complete silence for over a minute before the blond spoke.
"You're still going in tomorrow, right?"
"Yeah...And you told the girls that I'm the only one who should go back in but you always had plans to follow me anyways, correct?"
"Yup. Somebody's gotta watch your back."
"They'll be upset."
Ryuji shrugged.
"They'll get over it."
After another evening of fixing up his room and feeding his lovely plant with high quality fertilizer, Ren sank into his bed with a tired sigh.
There had been a few twists and turns so far but his journey was still on track.
He would make things right or die trying. He still had to be careful though. There were new factors and people that he did not have to deal with before.
"We go back into the Palace tomorrow. Hopefully I can get Ryuji to awaken Captain Kidd and bring Morgana back with us...I may have sold my skills a little short though . I'm a lot stronger than I remember being last time."
Ren yawned as he slowly felt sleep claiming him. As he drifted off the Persona user could also feel the soft call of the Velvet Room in the distance.
"Of course..."
Ren opened his eyes and sat up.
Caroline barked at him impatiently.
"Hey Inmate! It's about time you came to. On your feet!"
Justine continued.
"Our Master wishes to speak with you, its for your own sake that you take his words to heart."
Ren graced both girls with a small smile before facing Yaldabaoth.
The false Igor smiled.
"First of all, let us celebrate our reunion."
"Nothing to celebrate you puny excuse for a god."
Igor continued.
"Oh, you've awakened your powers...and...very special ones at that. Your rehabilitation can finally begin."
Ren titled his head.
"My...powers?"
"No need to understand it all right now but in time you will learn and know more. You will be training the power of Persona. Personas are in other words...a mask, an armour of the heart that surfaces when you face worldly matters...I have high expectations of you."
"I assure you. I won't disappoint."
Yaldabaoth grinned.
"That's good to hear. Have you made good use of the Metaverse Navigator? It will allow you to travel between reality and the Palaces."
"To serve what purpose?"
"To make you into an excellent thief. With the tools I will give to you, such a goal will certainly be within your reach."
Caroline spoke next.
"The Metaverse Navigator is a gift from our Master. You better make good use of it, Inmate!"
Justine also spoke.
"Devote yourself to your training so you may become a fine thief."
Yaldabaoth continued.
"I knew it would be disheartening for you to use the Metaverse Navigator alone, so I also granted it to those who I saw could serve as beneficial allies to you."
"Not wasting any time are you?"
"Trickster, this was all done in the hopes of making you into an amazing thief. Never forget that.
The alarms were going off again.
Caroline smirked.
"Time's up. Go back and have whatever rest you have left!"
Ren gave his prison guards one last smile as he disappeared from the Velvet Room.
As the twin girls gave the false Igor a salute and went about their other duties, the false god narrowed his eyes at the empty cell.
"I wonder my little puppet...where did your heart find the strength to get a Persona like that?...Am I missing something? ...You may be more of a threat than I realised. How exciting..."
The Next Morning
"Whoa...this is pretty cool."
Ren was now standing inside a small lounge. The furniture, decor and paint were all differing patterns and shades of red.
The dark blue key that Igor had given to him still pulsed within his hand as he walked around the room.
After getting dressed for the school, the bespectacled male had decided to test his gift out and it had not disappointed.
This was a good spot for him to relax, make plans and even disappear to if the need ever arose.
A table in the corner of the lounge with a small suitcase on it grabbed his attention. Ren walked over to it and slowly opened the lid.
"Ah I see."
The money he had gathered from his previous life.
A small digital display on the underside of the lid seemed to display how much money was in the case.
Ren decided to take some notes with him. Some of his plans would require financial backing.
"I need to get a few part-time jobs. So Sojiro doesn't ask too many questions when I start to spend."
Ren closed the suitcase before appreciating the quiet serenity of the lounge for a few more seconds.
"Thank you again Igor. I'll have you free soon my friend."
Ren channeled his wish to leave into the key and disappeared with an electric pop of magic.
As Ren reappeared within reality he took a moment to examine the item on his table, his other gift.
The purple mirror that the Lord of the Empyrean had gifted to him.
"So this will show me how many pieces of Yaldabaoth needs to be destroyed, huh? Well let's see."
Ren stared into the darkness of the mirror for a few seconds before a smoky image appeared.
A number slowly formed, overlaying the reflection of Ren's face.
5
Ren perched an eyebrow.
"Just five? I expected a much crazier number but Yaldabaoth splitting himself more would mean that he would only weaken himself further. If I'm to save this timeline, I'll have to destroy all five. I won't lose!"
Sojiro marched up the stairs that led to attic.
"Hey kid!"
He sounded a bit annoyed.
"Hey Boss."
"Don't 'Hey Boss' me, I've been calling to you for a while now. You got sticks in your ears or something?"
Ren offered a bow of apology.
"I apologize Boss, I must have been listening to some music through my earbuds. It wasn't on purpose."
So time didn't pause or slow down when he went to his private lounge. He'd have to make a note of that.
Sojiro grumbled.
"Kids and that noise they call music, anyways I made you some breakfast. Come down before it gets even colder!"
Ren smiled.
"Thanks Boss."
Ren spoke as he stood up from his stool and took up his school bag.
"That was delicious Boss. The Blue Mountain Peak coffee really complemented the red pepper powder that you used in the curry."
Sojiro perched an eyebrow.
"You know Blue Mountain Peak? And how did you know I used red pepper powder?"
Ren responded.
"I'm no expert but I do like trying different coffee brands. I also have some experience with cooking curry, it's nowhere as good as yours but it's decent."
Sojiro smirked.
"Is that so?"
"Yeah...Now that think about it, I wouldn't mind helping around the shop if it helps make our arrangement any smoother."
"Oh?"
"Mhmmm."
"I'll think about it. Now get to school, kid. I expect to see some good grades on your next report card!"
Ren saluted the coffee shop owner.
"You got it Boss!"
Ushimaru, Shujin's Social Studies teacher scanned the class for a willing victim to present his next question to.
Most students avoided his gaze while a few others met it with no small amount of fear.
"If we only we had more students like Nijima-san in this school. Such a bright girl, always ready to learn. I'd be more confident in this country's future if we had more of her kind around."
His eyes landed on the criminal transfer student. The black haired youth seemed to be looking outside and making a few small scribbles in his book.
"Seems I've found my next victim."
"Hey, new kid."
Ren turned to Ushimaru and nodded, seemingly not surprised that the teacher had called his name.
"Yes sir?"
"A certain dictionary defines a year as a 'period of three hundred and sixty five disappointments'. The book is titled as cynically satirical as the rest of it . 'The Devil's Dictionary'. What does this book define as the chief factor in the progress of humans?"
Ushimaru wrote four options on the board.
"This should make it a bit easier for you."
Intelligence
Money
Villains
Experience
Ren smiled.
"May I join you, Ushimaru-sensei?"
Ushimaru was a bit taken back by the request but nodded.
"Sure."
As Ren walked up to the front of the class, several of the males whispered that he was going to punch the Social Studies teacher in the face.
Some of the females felt like he was going to discretely threaten the middle aged man.
Ren borrowed a stick of chalk before speaking.
"The closest answer to the question would be...'Villain'. Correct, Ushimaru-sensei?"
The teacher nodded.
"Yes, I-"
Ren cut him off.
"But the word that the book uses is actually malefactor. Remember class, the Devil's Dictionary' written by Ambrose Bierce is a sardonic witticism. In our current society, villains are only known to cause chaos and strife, correct Sensei?"
"Well yes but-"
"But consider this guys, are all villains the same?"
A random girl spoke.
"What do you mean?"
Ren smiled.
"I'm glad you asked! Take me for example, I crushed a biker gang because their loud obnoxious behaviour prevented my older neighbours from getting their much needed rest. I've also exposed the financial records of several multi-million dollar companies with my mad hacking skills because they were robbing their employees. So if my actions are bad but my motives good, am I really a villain?"
The entire class including Ushimaru were stunned into silence.
"But on the flip side this should be said class. There are real villains in this world. Men, women and groups who have neither good intentions nor actions in their modus operandi. Interestingly enough these people are often the ones whom society often praise and mis-label as heroes. Ironic isn't it?"
Ren tossed the unused chalk back to his teacher.
"You may continue, Ushimaru-sensei."
Ann rolled her eyes as she left the classroom with Ren.
"Great, by the end of the day everyone here will be saying you're just a misunderstood villain like one of those guys in the movies."
Ren grinned as the pair walked towards their respective lockers.
"All in a day's work."
Ann shook her head. Taking a few moments to study the expressions of the some male students walking around them.
"Hmmmm it seems I should hang with you more often."
"Huh?"
"Normally one of the guys from the other grades wait outside our classroom to hit on me while I go for lunch. You seem to have scared them off."
Ren chuckled.
"Happy to be of service."
Ann smiled at the bespectacled male before she spotted someone standing at her locker.
"Hey Shiho!"
The brunette volleyball player waved as the pair drew closer.
Shiho turned to Ren.
"Aren't you the new transfer student?"
Ren nodded.
"Ren Amamiya."
"I'm Shiho Suzui. I... just wanted to say that you shouldn't let the rumours bother you too much."
Ann smirked as she opened her locker.
"Trust me they don't bother him. He even spreads a few of his own."
Shiho made a funny face.
"Huh?"
Ren explained himself quickly.
"It's a plan I have to deal with the rumours. It's rather ingenious if I say so myself.'
Shiho smiled.
"I hope it works out for you."
"Thanks...I hope I'm not being too nosey but I see that you've got some rough bruises there. Is everything okay?"
"Oh...I'm...it's from training. I'm a member of the volleyball team."
Ren and Ann shared a look as the curly haired male continued.
"Oh I see. Well you should still rest when you need to and see the school nurse if you feel any pain."
Shiho's voice lowered to a dull squeak. Ren was heartbroken that he had brought down her mood but the conversation had to happen.
"Yea, I will."
Ren offered the brunette a genuine smile.
"Good. I'll see you around Suzui-san, it was nice meeting you."
Shiho smiled back.
"Likewise."
Ren winked at Ann.
"I'll see you later in class."
"Where are you going?"
"To get some food and hide from Kawakami-sensei's wrath. I can feel her presence in the halls. Later."
Both girls couldn't help but chuckle at Ren's silliness as he disappeared in the school's crowded hallways.
Just as Ann and Shiho were prepared to go have lunch together in private they were approached by a certain brown haired Japanese Language teacher.
"Hello girls."
Ann gulped. Why was Kawakami-sensei smiling like that?
"Uh hey Sensei."
Shiho nodded.
"Hi."
Kawakami turned to Ann.
"Takamaki-chan, I heard you were seen leaving class with Amamiya-kun. Do you know where he is?"
"No idea, I only know that he's gone to get some lunch."
Kawakami nodded.
"Such a shame, I was hoping to strangle- I mean talk to Amamiya-kun about his behaviour in Ushimaru-sensei's class. I guess I'll see him later. Enjoy your lunch time girls."
Both girls nodded as the teacher walked away.
Shiho spoke first.
"Who knew Kawakami-sensei could be so scary?'
Ann responded.
"I know. Leave it to Ren to make the impossible happen...Let's go get some food, there's some stuff I was hoping we could talk about..."
Later that evening
Ryuji apologized a he arrived at the meeting spot, an alley next to Shujin's side entrance. Ren was leaning against a nearby wall.
"Hey man, sorry I'm late."
Ren shook his head.
"No worries, I just got here not too long ago myself."
"Detention?"
"No Kawakami-sensei tried to prove that my ears were detachable by pinching them off."
"Ouch. You okay?"
"It's fine. She does it because she cares."
"Right...we ready?"
Ren shook his head.
"Not quite. You can come out, ANN!"
The blonde beauty groaned audibly as she stepped out from behind the same corner that Ryuji had appeared from.
The blond sweat-dropped.
"When did she...?"
Ren answered.
"She must have had a feeling that we were still going in and followed you."
Ann folded her arms.
"How did you know I was here?"
"I smelt your designer perfume."
"Really?"
"No, the wall is shorter than you think. I could see the top of your head."
"Damnit."
Ryuji spoke up.
"What are you doing Ann?"
"I tried to talk to Shiho today but she just wouldn't tell me anything. It's like you said earlier, Ryuji. Maybe our best bet in solving this is going back into that castle and seeing the rest of Kamoshida's cognition for ourselves."
Ryuji sighed.
"Listen I get it but it's too dangerous."
Ann wasn't budging.
"He was gonna bring you with him! Plus it's only fair I get brought too, I didn't even get to see half of the things everyone else saw last time."
Ryuji scratched the side of his face.
"That's barely a convincing reason."
Ren sighed before speaking again.
"Well we've heard your side of the story. You guys should come out too, KASUMI AND SUMIRE!"
The older twin responded.
"OH COME ON! HOW DID HE EVEN...!!!"
Kasumi and Sumire stepped out of their own hiding spot on the other side of the alley.
They had chosen to change from their regular uniforms into their P.E. clothes.
Ryuji face-palmed while Ann smiled proudly at the girls.
The former track-star posed another question.
"What part of 'too dangerous' appeals to you girls, huh?"
Sumire responded.
"I had a feeling that Senpai was gonna go back to the castle and find a way to help everyone...I...I didn't want him to be alone."
Kasumi nodded.
"And once Sumi's heart is set on something she's not backing down. I had to stand by my sister's side. We don't like what's going on either. We can't know that people are suffering and not try to help."
Ann agreed.
"Exactly."
Ryuji sighed as Kasumi spoke again.
"By the way, how did you know we were following you Senpai?"
"Sumire has beautiful bright red hair. How was I not suppose to notice her?"
Kasumi groaned as Sumire blushed.
"Senpai thinks my hair is beautiful?"
Ryuji was having the mother of headaches.
"Did you girls even bring anything to protect yourselves?"
Ann smirked and pulled something out of her bag.
"I brought a taser that my Mom bought for me!"
The Yoshizawa twins opened their backpacks.
"We brought mace and a pair of dad's brass knuckles!'
Ryuji reached into his pocket.
"I brought this."
Ann almost screamed while the Yoshizawa twins looked on with widened eyes.
"Where did you get a GUN?"
Ryuji sighed.
"It's a fake model piece. I was thinking I could frighten those Knights with it?"
Ren chuckled causing the group to turn their attention back to him. Ryuji posed a question.
"What do you think we should do Ren?"
"...we can all go.
Everyone responded together.
"Really?"
Ren nodded.
"Even if we were to stop you girls I have a bad feeling you'd use the app and try to follow us anyway. This way I can keep an eye on you. But you follow my orders. If i say run, make sure you run. That goes for you too Ryuji."
The entire group nodded.
Ren pulled out his phone and activated the Meta-Nav...
The world twisted into waves of crimson and purple.
Kasumi smirked.
"Look Sumi, Ren-senpai's wearing his hardcore superhero uniform again."
Sumire blushed.
"Well I think it's cool."
Ann was blushing too, this was the first time she was seeing Ren like this and she had to admit that he did look quite good in it.
Ren sighed.
"It's supposed to represent my will of rebellion or something like that..."
Ren took a glance at the only other male present and paused. Ryuji's face was a dead giveaway of what he was thinking.
"Wait...you jelly?"
"N-n-no."
Ren grinned as a new voice spoke from a distance.
"So you guys came back."
Morgana walked out from behind a nearby building.
Ann was the first to comment.
"Oh is this the talking kitty? Morgana?"
The black feline's eyes widened.
"What a meowvelous girl!! Okay stay cool Morgana, time to turn on the charm!"
Morgana employed an exaggerated power walk over to Ann and finished it with a heroic pose.
"Hello my fair lady. I am the legendary Morgana, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Whatever you desire I will do my best to make a reality."
The entire group minus Ann sweat-dropped at the cat's attempt at wooing a woman.
Ann smiled sweetly as she knelt down and pat Morgana's head.
"You are so sweet. My name is Ann.We could use your help, Morgana. Can we count on you?"
"Of course. Anything for you Lady Ann."
Kasumi elbowed her sister.
"He doesn't call us Lady Kasumi or Lady Sumire..."
Ann looked up at Ren.
"What's the plan?"
Ren responded.
"Morgana we need to take a look around the place. We need to know more about Kamoshida's cognition. We're also trying to figure out a way to stop the King."
Morgana scratched his chin.
"I see...the Shadows have been antsy since you arrived so we'll definitely have to fight a few."
Ren nodded.
"I'm ready."
Ryuji spoke next.
"Shadows?"
Morgana nodded.
"Those are the creatures that inhabit this place, they're drawn to Palaces like Kamoshida's."
Kasumi seemed confused.
"Palace? You mean the castle?"
Morgana sighed.
"We can discuss it in further detail when we find a safer area."
Several tortured screams echoed throughout the castle and it's environs.
The entire group flinched at the sheer amount of pain and dread the screams conveyed.
Ann asked quietly.
"What...was that?"
Morgana answered.
"He's probably ordered his Knights to torture the male slaves again. It's like this almost everyday."
Kasumi covered her mouth in shock as Sumire whispered.
"Oh no."
Ren made an announcement.
"We should get moving if we want to investigate this place fully."
Morgana nodded.
"You're right."
As the group moved forward to the window that they had previously escaped from, Ann couldn't help but ask...
"Morgana...what does Kamoshida do with his female slaves?"
Morgana frowned.
"If you really want to know, it would be better for us to go there in person. The King calls it...the Training Hall of Love."
Ann did not like the sound of that.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING.
THIS WAS CHAPTER 5 OF LARCENY.
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