Persona 5: The Phantom Files

by sithlorde1988

Will cover the events of both Persona 5 Royal AND Persona 5 Scramble/Strikers. What happens when in addition to Ren being sentenced to go live in the care of Sojiro Sakura for a year after being sued for assualt, his younger brother is also ordered to go and oversee him? How will this extra character change things? Read to find out! More info in chapter 1! Read and review! Enjoy!

2. Enter Shujin! Phantoms Awaken part 2

A/N: sithlorde1988 here, with another chapter of Persona 5: The Amamiya Files! I'm aware I have other stories to update still, so before I go much further let me break down where each of them sits presently since that seems like a prudent thing to do in my opinion.

Pokemon: Shuffled Journeys- Currently 10 chapters in, with chapter 11 being typed out bit by bit as I find time and motivation to work on it. IN PROGRESS

Digimon Data Squad Redux (rewrite)- Currently 4 chapters in, but on a brief hold while I try to get caught up on the amount of other chapters I have being typed up at present. ON TEMPORARY HIATUS

A Mine Is A Terrible Thing To Waste Redux (Rewrite)- Currently 5 chapters in, but also on hold due to an influx of delayed chapters from other stories. ON TEMPORARY HIATUS

Bakugan: The Pyrex Chronicles- Currently 4 chapters in, with chapter 5 being typed on slowly, but will likely be a bit delayed in being updated due to my co-writer having a rather busy schedule at present with school and the like along with my struggling to finish chapter 5. IN PROGRESS

In addition to these 4, I've recently finished a Hacker's Memory one-shot, I completed Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth: Hacker's Memory- The Amasawa Files, and gotten two other stories started including this one. But as you'll probably notice, my updating pace will be relatively slowed down while I get chapters typed out for this. Anyways, that aside, disclaimer time before I manage to forget about it!

Disclaimer: sithlorde1988 does NOT own Persona 5 or the Persona series as a whole in any way shape or form (aside from my OC Kusa which I DO own),and the credit for owning Persona belongs to Atlus and Sega of America (along with credit for making at least some of the Persona games) so enough said.

That being sorted out, on with chapter 2 of The Amamiya Files!

Chapter 2: Welcome to Shujin! Phantoms Awaken part 2

(Leblanc attic with Kusa and Ren, neutral POV)

"Well, that was a long day, was it not Ren?" Kusa asked Ren as they both got comfortable on their beds (or sofa in Kusa's case) after the long trip they'd taken with Sojiro to Shujin Academy to get their transfers sorted out. Ren shrugged but nodded his agreement before speaking up.

"That it was, Kusa. That it was. But was it me, or did it seem like most of the staff were reluctant at best to accept me at the school? Granted they seemed eager enough to accept you, but that's to be expected I suppose." Ren said as Kusa stroked his chin contemplatively before speaking up with a slight frown on his face.

"Honestly? I did get a bit of a sketchy vibe off of the principal, but that could've just as easily been the apprehension I was sensing off of you. Still, I do get the sense that the principal was more concerned with Shujin's reputation than your well-being so I can't blame you for being wary and skeptical. Either way, we'll just have to keep our heads down so as not to draw attention or trouble to ourselves for now." Kusa said, making Ren blink but eventually nod his agreement before speaking up.

"That's true. I just hope the other students aren't as opinionated as the staff, or else this is going to be a long year for me." Ren said dryly as Kusa laughed.

"As long as you don't do anything to encourage people to see you as a delinquent or troublemaker, you should be fine, Ren. For now, let's go to sleep, yeah? We gotta be up early to get to school on time tomorrow after all." Kusa said as Ren smiled before nodding his agreement, looking at Kusa as he spoke up once more.

"Yeah, that's true. Well, good night Kusa." Ren said before rolling over and trying to fall asleep. Kusa nodded and smiled before speaking up once more.

"Good night, Ren. Sleep well." Kusa said before getting comfortable on the sofa as he dozed off, or such was the plan until a ringing sound from downstairs reached his ears. Seeing that Ren was already asleep, Kusa shrugged and went downstairs to answer the phone.

"Hello, Leblanc Coffee and Curry, Kusa speaking." Kusa said as he answered the phone, causing the person on the other end to sputter a bit in surprise before speaking up.

"Wh-what? How do you already know that greeting? Never mind that for now. Hey, it's me." came what Kusa eventually recognized as Sojiro's voice.

"Sakura-san? Why are you calling the cafe? This IS Sakura-san, and not a prank call, right?" Kusa asked warily, not sure if it was a prank call or not, but figuring it couldn't hurt to be sure. The voice on the other end sputtered a bit before eventually chuckling as they registered Kusa's response.

"Yeah, it's Sakura-san. But more importantly, why are you answering the phone Kusa? I thought Ren would pick up." Sojiro said as Kusa smiled.

"Oh, that's easy, Sakura-san. Ren's asleep and I happened to barely hear the phone ringing so I figured I'd answer it since I was still awake. Unless you'd rather I not answer the phones in future, which I can understand if that's the case." Kusa replied.

"Nah, it's fine. I was just surprised is all. But back to the reason I called. Anyways, I closed up shop, but I forgot to flip the sign to 'Closed' when I left. It's too much trouble to come back just for that. Think you can do it for me?" Sojiro asked as Kusa stroked his chin in thought before replying.

"Kinda surprised you called the public phone for that, but I guess that's irrelevant. Yeah, I can do that. I'll just have to remember to leave the door open while I flip the sign so I don't accidentally lock myself out. So yeah, I got it." Kusa said to Sojiro who spoke up once more, his tone decidedly relieved.

"Good. That's fine, since I doubt any customers are gonna come now even if the sign's flipped to 'Open.' And I have to say, this is quite a relief." Sojiro said as Kusa laughed.

"Oh, I'm sure it is quite the relief, Sakura-san." Kusa said agreeably. Sojiro chuckled before speaking up.

"Indeed it is. That said, it's a personal policy of mine not to save a guy's number in my phone. I'm glad you actually picked up." Sojiro said as Kusa laughed.

"Heh, I can just see you having quite the collection of saved ladies' numbers on your phone, Sakura-san. But I suppose that's not for me to comment on or question." Kusa said with a slight chuckle as Sojiro chuckled before he spoke up.

"You have no idea, Kusa. You have no idea...Anyways, I'll leave the shop sign to you." Sojiro said to Kusa who nodded.

"No problem, Sakura-san. I'll get right on that." Kusa said as Sojiro hung up the call. Kusa chuckled at the image of Sojiro with a lady on each arm as he went to flip the sign per Sojiro's request. After he did that, Kusa made his way back upstairs where he laid down on the couch once more, and after yawning softly, got comfortable as he dozed off, ignoring Ren muttering in his sleep about taking the train to school and mentioning transfer routes for some reason...

(The next day, with Kusa and Ren, neutral POV)

Kusa yawned as he slowly sat up after waking up, seeing Ren already up and sitting on his bed, presumably waiting for Kusa to get up. Kusa smiled at Ren.

"Morning, Ren. Were you looking at your phone in your sleep or something?" Kusa asked Ren who frowned.

"Not that I can think of, why?" Ren replied as Kusa shrugged before speaking up.

"No reason, other than you were muttering about a strange app being back on your phone and you'd thought you deleted it. Was it that weird app with the eyeball you showed me when we walked here a couple days ago?" Kusa asked Ren who nodded, making Kusa blink as he spoke up again.

"Weird, I know for a fact you deleted that app." Kusa said as he pulled out his phone to check and to his surprise he had the same app on his phone as well.

"Is that app some sort of contagious virus or something!? It's on my phone now too!" Kusa said in surprise as Ren blinked.

"Heck if I know, Kusa. Shouldn't we get ready for school, though?" Ren asked and Kusa nodded as the two quickly hustled through getting into their uniforms which was impressive given they had to do so in the same room due to the cramped quarters. At least they were able to turn their backs to one another for some degree of privavcy while doing so. After they were dressed and ready, Ren turned to Kusa before speaking up.

"Well, hopefully we can get to school without getting lost." Ren said making Kusa laugh before speaking up.

"I think we can pull that off, unless YOU manage to get us lost. I seem to recall it was you who got us lost the last few times we did so." Kusa said teasingly as Ren huffed.

"Quit lying. You got us lost too at least one of those times Kusa." Ren said as Kusa laughed.

"Too true, but in my defense I at least also got us UN-lost that time too." Kusa remarked as Ren shook his head before speaking up.

"Oh, whatever. I don't think we want to be late on our first day. Should we get going now?" Ren asked Kusa, who nodded.

"Indeed. But I think first we should see if we can grab some quick breakfast first. After all, one works better on a full stomach rather than an empty one, am I right?" Kusa said to which Ren just nodded his agreement as the two went downstairs. Surprisingly, when the two came downstairs, they saw that Sojiro had set down two plates of food with two cups of coffee on the counter before he spoke up as he saw Kusa and Ren come downstairs.

"Morning, you two. So, you both're actually going to school, huh? Here, I'll feed the both of you. Just make sure you finish it before the customers start coming in." Sojiro said as Ren eyed the food with a raised eyebrow, eventually speaking up with a skeptical tone.

"This is our breakfast?" Ren asked as he sat down with Kusa to sample the proffered food, prompting Kusa to lightly elbow him in the side.

"Ren! Be nice! Sakura-san didn't have to feed us, you know! You could have a bit of gratitude, after all." Kusa chastised Ren before turning to Sojiro.

"Thank you for the food, Sakura-san. That was nice of you to do for us." Kusa thanked Sojiro who nodded before frowning at Ren as he spoke up.

"Don't complain, Ren, just eat. And you're welcome, Kusa. At least ONE of you has some manners." Sojiro said as Ren frowned but nodded.

"Sorry, just was surprised by the gesture is all. Thanks, Sakura-san." Ren said as he and Kusa started eating their food, both of them surprised by how good the curry was. Kusa even found himself enjoying the coffee that came with it, to his surprise since he wasn't usually a big coffee drinker. Ren found himself musing on how the food combined complex flavors with bold spiciness as he ate. Eventually, Ren and Kusa finished their makeshift meal and coffee, which Sojiro then took the dishes back to be washed before speaking up to address Ren and Kusa.

"Well, at least you two eat fast. That said, it's time for you to go if you're going to make your train." Sojiro said to Ren and Kusa who nodded.

"Thanks again for the meal, Sakura-san." Kusa said, once more thanking Sojiro as Ren chuckled before also speaking up.

"I know I was skeptical of it at first, but it actually was quite delicious, Sakura-san." Ren said making Kusa nod approvingly of Ren complimenting Sojiro who nodded.

"Thanks, both of you. Now hurry over to school, you two. You'll end up late if you get lost on the way." Sojiro said to Kusa and Ren who nodded. As the two went to exit the cafe, Sojiro spoke up once more to catch Ren and Kusa's attention.

"Oh yeah, and flip the sign outside to 'Open' for me. Don't forget to do that for me, all right? Now, you better hurry on out. You're gonna be late if you get lost, country boys." Sojiro said to Ren and Kusa, the latter of which nodded before speaking up, cutting off Ren before he could object to be called a country boy.

"No problem, Sakura-san." Kusa said as Ren just nodded his acknowledgement of Sojiro's request before speaking up.

"We're open already? ...Never mind, that's a dumb question. Okay, got it." Ren added before the two walked out, Kusa flipping the sign to 'Open' on the way. Once outside, Ren looked to Kusa.

"I guess now we go catch our train?" Ren said to Kusa who nodded.

"Exactly. Let's get going so we're not late." Kusa replied as the two headed to the train station. Once there, they boarded the train bound for Yongen-Jaya, Ren frowning at how crowded the train was before speaking up.

"Kusa, is this train super crowded to you, or is it just me?" Ren asked as Kusa laughed.

"It's definitely crowded, Ren. But let's just be glad we were able to get on a train together." Kusa pointed out making Ren nod his agreement. Eventually the two got off in Shibuya After a bit of walking around, Ren and Kusa eventually found the Ginza Line gate they needed so they could board the next train to school. Ren and Kusa then boarded the train to Asakusa...

(Back at Leblanc, neutral POV)

"Oh man...Did it say it was going to rain today?" A customer asked Sojiro as he sat at the counter being waited on. Sojiro turned to face the customer in surprise at hearing this.

"Huh? It's raining outside?" Sojiro asked and the customer nodded in the affirmative before speaking up again.

"It just started all of a sudden. This is why I hate the early spring." The customer said making Sojiro frown as he stroked his chin in thought.

"That reminds me...Did either of them take an umbrella? Eh, most likely. If nothing else, the younger one probably was on top of that." Sojiro said to himself, confusing the customer with his random comment and making him blink before speaking up in surprise.

"Hm? Who're you talking about?" The customer asked Sojiro who looked at the customer and chuckled.

"Don't mind me, just thinking out loud. So, what'll it be?" Sojiro asked the customer who nodded before speaking up.

"One house blend, please." The customer ordered as Sojiro prepared the house blend while listening to the news with the customer which was more coverage of the previous day's subway accident. The customer then spoke up once more after a bit.

"There's been a lot of nasty accidents lately. You know, I mean the subway accident everyone on the news is talking about...My co-worker got caught up in it and is in the hospital now...But that aside, it's kinda creepy. The people who caused these accidents supposedly went crazy all of a sudden. I heard that some of them suffered from nervous breakdowns during interrogation." The customer said as Sojiro kept preparing the house blend, only half-listening to the customer, up until he mentioned breakdowns at which point Sojiro looked up and blinked before speaking up.

"Huh..." Sojiro said trailing off as he kept preparing the house blend...

(Meanwhile, in Aoyama-Itchome, with Ren and Kusa, neutral POV)

"So, this is Aoyama-Itchome, huh?" Ren said to Kusa who nodded as he and Ren looked around before Kusa spoke up.

"It took us some time, but we've finally made it. Now we need to keep going since we're almost to school." Kusa said. Ren nodded.

"Agreed, let's get going. No reason to be late the first day after all." Ren said as Kusa laughed and nodded before the two started walking towards school. Kusa frowned when he and Ren walked out onto the street as they felt the rain on their heads, making Kusa have an annoyed look on his face as he swore under his breath profusely as he realized a very crucial detail that he and Ren, mostly him, had overlooked and spoke up.

"Dammit, we forgot to pack our umbrellas. I knew we'd forget something." Kusa grumbled, but Ren was too busy looking at a blonde girl with twin pigtails who'd walked out next to him and Kusa, right as a car pulled up and the window rolled down to show an older male who smiled at the girl.

"Hey there, gonna be late. Need a ride?" The older male asked the girl who smiled and nodded.

"Sure!" The girl said happily, though Kusa noticed with a frown her smile didn't quite reach her eyes as she answered the male, making Kusa frown in uncertainty, but the male spoke up again before he could say anything.

"And do either of you two need a ride?" The male asked Kusa and Ren.

"Nah, we're okay. But thanks anyways." Ren said for himself and Kusa who simply said 'No thank you, sir. But my brother and I appreciate the offer.' to the male who rolled up his window after the girl got in and the car pulled off, leaving Ren and Kusa to be rained on, though the former paid it no mind as he saw the app from before pop up on his phone once more making him frown. Not long after that a male voice reached Kusa's ears making him smile when he heard what the voice said.

"Screw that pervy teacher!" The male voice grumbled making Kusa both chuckle and stroke his chin in thought, wondering if the 'pervy teacher' the voice was talking about was the male that had just picked up the blonde girl. Ren spoke up at that point in confusion, summing up his and Kusa's thoughts in one phrase.

"Pervy teacher...?" Ren asked, skeptical of the voice's words until Kusa saw a blonde-haired guy about his and Ren's age walk up to them with a vaguely pissed-off look on his face as he turned to face Ren after hearing Ren's question, frowning as he spoke up in an annoyed tone.

"...And what do you want? You plannin' on ratting me out to Kamoshida?" The male asked Ren, not paying Kusa any attention for the moment. Ren frowned at this but spoke up.

"What do you mean?" Ren asked at the same time that Kusa frowned and also spoke up in a confused voice.

"Kamoshida? Who's that?" Kusa asked, not recognizing the name. The blonde guy frowned at the lack of recognition from Ren and Kusa before speaking up.

"Huh? In that car just now, it was Kamoshida." The blonde guy explained before scoffing as he kept speaking.

"He does whatever the hell he wants. Who does he think he is-the king of a castle or something? Don't you agree?" The blonde guy asked Ren and Kusa, making the former blink while the latter nodded. Ren then spoke up at that point, still confused.

"The king of a castle? What are you talking about?" Ren asked as Kusa rolled his eyes before also speaking up before the blonde guy could reply to Ren's question.

"Never mind that for now, brother!" Kusa chastised Ren before turning to the blonde guy as he kept speaking.

"Yeah, I agree with you. I got kind of a shady creeper vibe off of him just by looking at him, so you're probably not wrong in your assessment." Kusa said to the blonde guy who laughed and then nodded in satisfaction before speaking up again, clearly pleased with how perceptive Kusa was.

"Exactly! You get it." The blonde said to Kusa before turning to Ren and answering his question.

"No, I mean..." the blonde guy said before trailing off as he kept speaking, presumably only just then registering Ren's response as he spoke.

"Hmm? Wait...You don't know Kamoshida? Are you for real?" The blonde guy asked, recalling that Kusa had also questioned it when he name-dropped Kamoshida.

"Can't say that we do, but then to be fair, we only just moved out here so I don't think we'd have had the chance to know most anyone around here." Kusa replied. The blonde guy nodded before speaking up once more in confusion.

"You're from Shujin, right?" The blonde guy asked Ren who shrugged before speaking up, ignoring Kusa once again facefaulting at Ren still not remembering the name of his and Kusa's new school as he spoke up.

"I think so. But more to the point, You go to Shujin, too?" Ren asked the blonde guy who laughed hollowly at the question before speaking up in amusement.

"What? No other high school's got a uniform like this." The blonde guy said before looking Ren over and speaking up once more.

"A second-year, huh...We're in the same grade then. And by the looks of it, your brother's a first-year." The blonde guy said after remembering Kusa was also there. Kusa and Ren nodded to the blonde guy's question, but the blonde guy spoke up before Ren or Kusa could verbally respond to said question.

"Never seen either of you before though." The blonde guy said, scratching his head slightly in confusion making Kusa laugh as he spoke up, liking this blonde guy.

"That's because as I said, we just moved here. So I think that'd make my brother and I transfer students?" Kusa said, not sure if he was using the right terminology or not, but when the blonde guy nodded in recognition, Kusa breathed a sigh of relief as the blonde guy spoke up.

"Ohh, you two are transfer students? Huh, then no wonder neither of you know him." The blonde guy said sagely making Kusa chuckle.

"Exactly, though given you called the guy a 'pervy teacher', I get the feeling he's not someone Ren or I would want to know anyways." Kusa said making the blonde guy laugh while Ren rolled his eyes but nodded his agreement of Kusa's remarks.

"Always the social butterfly, aren't you Kusa?" Ren teased Kusa who huffed at the remark.

"Oh be quiet, Ren. I seem to recall more than once you were like that to try and impress ladies back home so don't you be trying to criticize me for making a good impression." Kusa said dryly getting a laugh from the blonde guy who spoke up to remind Kusa and Ren he was there.

"This rain ain't too bad. We better hurry up, or we'll be late." The blonde guy said as Ren and Kusa nodded in agreement, before a flash of purple went off in front of the trio, making the blonde guy grab his head in pain.

"Nnh..." The blonde guy grunted as he rubbed his forehead. Kusa frowned when he saw Ren also grab his forehead.

"You okay, brother?" Kusa asked Ren who nodded before speaking up.

"I'm fine, Kusa. Just really light headed, that's all." Ren said to Kusa who nodded as the blonde guy spoke up once more.

"Ugh, my head hurts...Dammit, I wanna go home." The blonde guy said making Kusa chuckle.

"I'm sure you do. But that's not an option unfortunately." Kusa said as the three started walking towards Shujin...

(Meanwhile, time-skip to the interrogation room with Sae and Joker, neutral POV)

"There was a terrible subway accident the other day. You remember it, don't you? I assume you know of the uproar that the public calls the 'psychotic breakdown incidents'?" Sae asked Joker who rubbed his head as he tried to think and remember, but wasn't recalling much.

"I might...still trying to remember though honestly." Joker said after a bit of thinking. Sae huffed before speaking up in an off-hand tone.

"You say that like it's none of your business. It was all over the news, and one of the victims included a teacher at your high school. I've no doubt you heard about it. On that day... were you still an 'ordinary' student?" Sae asked Joker who frowned at the question.

"What do you mean, an 'ordinary' student?" Joker asked in confusion. Sae frowned but spoke up anyways.

"Let me change the question. You transferred to Shujin Academy, correct?" Sae asked Joker. Joker nodded his agreement as Sae kept speaking.

"An ordinary prep school that could be found in any city...That's what it should've been. What happened around that time? Tell me everything-truthfully." Sae said as Joker frowned and kept telling his story...

(Back to the present with Ren and Kusa, neutral POV)

Ren and Kusa followed the blonde guy through some alleys towards the school, both frowning at the flashes of color only to be stopped short by the blonde guy's cry of 'Wha-!?' as Ren and Kusa caught up to him. Ren and Kusa exchanged confused looks at the castle they saw as they caught up to the blonde guy. "We didn't go the wrong way...this is where the school is supposed to be. We didn't take any wrong turns. I guess we'll have to go in and ask what's going on." The blonde guy said as Ren and Kusa nodded, the three going into the castle. Once inside, the three blinked as the castle entryway flickered to show the image of a school hallway before reverting to the image of a castle. The blonde guy frowned before speaking up in confusion.

"Th-That's weird... Where's the school?" The blonde guy asked as Kusa and Ren frowned and the latter spoke up in confusion.

"Where are we?" Ren asked as Kusa nodded his agreement of Ren's question before speaking up as well.

"Is this our school, or did we make a wrong turn?" Kusa asked skeptically as the blonde guy shrugged and spoke up.

"I don't believe we made a wrong turn. And it should be our school...it said 'Shujin' on the gate...What's goin' on here?" The blonde guy asked before whipping out his phone and frowning when he got no signal, speaking up once more with a frown on his face.

"Out of service!? Where'd we end up?" The blonde guy said before putting his phone away and looking at Ren and Kusa before speaking up again.

"The sign was for the school, right?" The blonde guy asked Ren and Kusa, the former of which nodded while the latter spoke up.

"Yeah, the sign definitely said 'Shujin' on it. But last I checked, schools didn't look like castles?" Kusa said, frowning in confusion as the blonde guy nodded before speaking up.

"Right!? You saw it too!" The blonde guy said as he and Ren both gave starts as they heard footsteps approaching, Kusa just frowning as the three turned to see an armored figure walk up to the trio, making the blonde guy sigh in relief before speaking up.

"Geez, you freaked me out...Who're you? You a student?" The blonde guy asked the armored figure, walking up to it even as Kusa frowned in skepticism while Ren just blinked.

"Man, your costume's impressive...Is that armor real?" The blonde guy asked the armored figure who didn't reply making the blonde guy frown as he kept speaking.

"C'mon, don't just stand there. Say somethin'." The blonde guy said as another armored figure approached making the blonde guy blanch as he spoke up again.

"H-Hey, what's going on?" The blonde guy asked as Ren and Kusa exchanged a look before both spoke up.

"What is this?" Ren asked as Kusa frowned before also speaking up, having a question of his own.

"Is this guy school staff, do you think?" Kusa asked, wondering if in fact these were supposed to be faculty. This made the blonde guy turn to face Kusa before speaking up.

"Dude, I don't know!" The blonde guy said as one of the figures advanced on the blonde guy, sword drawn making the blonde guy blink as he turned to face the figure in shock.

"Man, this shit's real." The blonde guy said as the other figure also advanced making the blonde guy back up a step in fear and nervousness.

"C-Calm down! Time out, man!" The blonde guy said before turning to Ren and Kusa as he spoke again.

"We gotta run!" The blonde guy said to Ren and Kusa making the former blink and the latter nod.

"Run?" Ren asked skeptically before Kusa lightly elbowed him with a frown.

"Yes, Ren, he said run. And I agree, we need to get outta here before we find out if those swords are real or not." Kusa chastised Ren before turning to the blonde guy.

"Got it. Let's get moving!" Kusa said to the blonde guy who nodded and spoke up, glaring at Ren as he spoke.

"Stop standing around and run!" The blonde guy said to Ren and Kusa who nodded as the three tried to run only for more figures to walk up and cut off their escape, making the blonde guy frown as he got annoyed and spoke up to Ren and Kusa.

"Ugh, what's with these guys?" The blonde guy said as one of the figures slammed its' shield into the blonde guy's back, making him hit the ground with a pained cry of 'Gah!' as he spoke up angrily, not seeing Ren and Kusa exchange fearful looks behind him.

"Oww...Y-You're gonna break my bones, dammit! The hell you think you're-Aagh!" The blonde guy said as he was silenced by way of a shield to the head, while the others tripped Ren and Kusa, knocking them out with a shield apiece to the head. The last Kusa heard before passing out was a guard's voice yell, 'Take them away!', and everything went black...

(Some time later, unknown location with Ren, Kusa and the blonde guy, neutral POV)

"...Hey. Hey! Wake up!" Ren heard as he came to, the first thing he saw on coming to being the blonde guy from before looking down at him in concern, Kusa standing next to him looking at Ren anxiously as he came to. After a moment, Ren slowly sat up, making Kusa smile at him as the blonde guy spoke up.

"You all right?" The blonde guy asked Ren who nodded before speaking up.

"Yeah, I'm all right. But how about the two of you? Are you both all right?" Ren asked. The blonde guy nodded as did Kusa before the former spoke up.

"Yeah, more or less. Looks like this ain't no dream...Ugh, what's going on!?" The blonde guy asked, getting angry near the end of his remark, as Kusa laughed.

"You thought this was a dream? Wouldn't it be far more accurate to call this a nightmare than a dream?" Kusa pointed out, amused by the blonde guy's naivete in calling the trio's current situation a dream. The blonde guy huffed at the question before charging at the door, making a loud clanging sound when he ran into it.

"Hey, let us outta here! I know there's someone out there!" The blonde guy yelled at the bars in front of him, making Ren groan at how headstrong the blonde guy was acting while Kusa laughed again.

"If there is in fact someone out there, would they REALLY be so foolish as to reply to that?" Kusa said with a laugh to the blonde guy who frowned but conceded Kusa was right as he spoke up once more, the frustration clear to hear in his tone as he spoke.

"Dammit, where are we? Is this some kinda movie set!?" The blonde guy yelled, but before Kusa or Ren could answer him, loud screams could be heard from nearby, prompting all three of them to blink at that before Kusa and Ren also darted to the bars to try and get a view out of the cell as the blonde guy spoke up again.

"Th-The hell was that just now?" The blonde guy asked as the trio went quiet in time to hear a voice from nearby speak.

"N-no, please no! Stop! Don't! Don't! AAGH! SHIT!" The trio heard from nearby as more screams could be heard, making the blonde guy exchange a fearful look with Ren and Kusa before speaking up once more.

"Whoa... Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa...You're shitting me, right?" The blonde guy asked, as Ren rolled his eyes at how vulgar the blonde guy was while Kusa laughed before speaking up.

"Wish I was, but unfortunately I shit you not, good sir." Kusa joked, making Ren roll his eyes at the lame quip even as the blonde chuckled appreciatively at the wit.

"I suppose I walked into that one, didn't I? But in all seriousness, this is real bad...! Isn't there any way outta here!? C'mon, we gotta do something!" The blonde guy said to Ren and Kusa, the former of which nodded while the latter spoke up with a frown.

"I agree. But those bars look pretty solid. I think we might want to look for a way to either break them down or find an alternate way out of here." Kusa suggested after a moment to think. The blonde guy blinked but nodded before speaking up.

"That's as good a plan as any, I guess. Let's split up then I guess." The blonde boy said as Ren and Kusa nodded, the blonde guy standing by the bars while Kusa and Ren looked around the cell. After a quick once-over, Ren and Kusa didn't find much, at least until Kusa's eyes fell on some barrels to the right of the blonde guy.

"What if we hid in those? Maybe we can trick a guard and get out that way?" Kusa suggested.

"You wanna hide in there and surprise the guards? It prolly won't work like it does in the movies though..." The blonde guy said thoughtfully making Kusa frown and keep thinking. Ren then looked at the iron bars, making the blonde guy laugh.

"Look all you want, but I'm telling you, These bars're tougher than they look..." The blonde guy said before trailing off as he heard something nearby making him turn to Ren and Kusa.

"Huh? You hear that?" The blonde guy asked Ren and Kusa who blinked before nodding, eyes wide, as they heard the sound of approaching footsteps. Eventually a figure similar to the ones that had beat the trio up previously looked in on them.

"Be glad that your punishment has already been decided upon. Your charge is 'unlawful entry.' Thus, you will be sentenced to death." The guard read off as Kusa AND the blonde guy both went wide-eyed at this, the blonde guy speaking up in surprise at this.

"Say what!?" The blonde guy said in shock as Kusa huffed and swore profusely as he spoke up, ignoring Ren's wide-eyed expression at Kusa's swearing as he spoke up.

"What the fuck? That seems a bit excessive over unlawful entry." Kusa grumbled, leaving Ren shocked to hear his usually level-headed brother cussing up a blue streak. The blonde guy nodded his agreement of Kusa's remark but a different voice could be heard speaking, cutting off any response the blonde guy could've made.

"No one's allowed to do as they please in MY castle." Ren, Kusa and the blonde guy heard as the ruler of the castle approached, revealing an older male wearing a crown and a regal robe, though the blonde guy frowned in immediate recognition of the ruler's face as he spoke up.

"Huh? Wait...Is that you, Kamoshida?" The blonde guy said as both Kusa and Ren simultaneously spoke up.

"Who?!" Ren asked in shock, sputtering a bit at the name the blonde guy had dropped while Kusa frowned.

"THIS is Kamoshida? He looks different from the guy that was in that car, but I do get the same self-assured, overconfident sketchy creeper vibe off of him." Kusa said dryly, making the blonde guy chuckle appreciatively at Kusa's description of the now-named Kamoshida who frowned as he glared at the blonde guy before speaking up.

"I thought it was some petty thief, but to think it'd be you, Sakamoto...Are you trying to disobey me again? Looks like you haven't learned your lesson at all, huh? AND you brought some friends this time...because you can't do anything for yourself." Kamoshida taunted the apparently-named Sakamoto who huffed as he slammed against the bars before speaking up, not seeing Kusa frown next to him while Ren huffed at Kamoshida's words.

"This ain't funny, you asshole!" Sakamoto snapped at Kamoshida who glared while speaking up.

"Is that how you speak to a king? It seems you don't understand the position you're in at all. Not only did you sneak into my castle, you committed the crime of insulting me-the king. The punishment for that is death." Kamoshida said, ignoring the outraged looks on Ren and Kusa's faces at his pronouncement of the trio's punishment as he gestured to the guards as he spoke up once more, frowning as he spoke while pointing at Sakamoto in particular.

"It's time for an execution! Take him out!" Kamoshida said as the guards glared and prepared to advance, making Sakamoto back away fearfully from the bars, speaking up as he backed away slowly, keeping Ren and Kusa next to him as a precaution.

"S-Stop it! Goddammit!" Sakamoto said, making Ren wince at his vulgarity. Sakamoto then tried charging the nearest guard, knocking them over from their surprise.

"Hragh! I ain't down for this shit!" Sakamoto snarled before looking to Ren and Kusa as he kept speaking.

"C'mon, we're outta here!" Sakamoto said as Kusa and Ren nodded. But before they could move, another guard came up from behind and slammed his shield into Sakamoto's stomach making him drop in pain as he spoke up in pain, looking at Ren and Kusa as he spoke.

"Nnngh...Owwww...Just go! Get outta here! These guys are serious!" Sakamoto said to Ren and Kusa, but Kamoshida cut in before either of them could speak with a sneer.

"Oh? Running away, are we? What heartless friends you are!" Kamoshida taunted Ren and Kusa, the latter of which frowned at Kamoshida's taunt and spoke up.

"Shut your mouth, Kamoshida! We might have only just met Sakamoto here, but he seems like an okay guy from what I've seen so far. Unlike YOU. I mean, who locks people up for accidentally entering a castle and then calls for the death penalty over a few harsh words? Seems like an overreaction to me, but maybe I'm wrong. But one thing I know for damn sure? Neither my brother OR I are at all heartless, so I'll thank you NOT to tell lies about us! And another thing, who said we were running away?" Kusa snapped before Ren could stop him, drawing twin looks of shock from Ren and Sakamoto, the latter looking at Kusa in appreciation as he spoke up.

"While this guy is right in his statements, but neither he OR his brother are friends of mine." Sakamoto said insistently. He then turned to Ren and Kusa as he spoke.

"C'mon! Hurry up and go!" Ryuji said to Ren and Kusa, who frowned but before they could reply, Kamoshida spoke up again tauntingly.

"What's the matter? Too scared to run away?" Kamoshida said before huffing and turning away.

"Hmph, pathetic scums aren't worth my time...I'll focus on THIS one's execution." Kamoshida said as the guards restrained Ren and Kusa while Kamoshida walked over to Sakamoto and grinned at him evilly before speaking up with a sneer.

"Take this!" Kamoshida said as he punched Sakamoto across the face, punching him again for good measure.

"Lowly scum!" Kamoshida added as he kept hitting him, grinning in Sakamoto's face as he kept hitting him.

"Useless pest!" Kamoshida sneered as he pushed Sakamoto to the ground before spitting on him and glaring at him.

"Hmph. Where'd your energy from earlier go? A peasant like you isn't worth beating. I'll have you killed right now." Kamoshida said as Ren and Kusa both gasped and spoke up.

"Stop it!" Ren snapped, speaking for the first time in a while as Kusa growled at Kamoshida.

"Are you out of your fucking mind?! This is cruel and unusual punishment! Have you lost your damn mind!?" Kusa snapped, leaving Ren in shock at the almost uncharacteristic vulgarity coming from Kusa's mouth. Kamoshida frowned at this before turning to Ren and Kusa and speaking up.

"Hm...? What? Don't you dare tell me neither of you know who I am. Those looks in your eyes irritate me!" Kamoshida said before glaring at Kusa in particular and gesturing to the closest guard.

"Hold the foul-mouthed one there. After the peasant, it's his turn to die, and then probably the other one after." Kamoshida snarled as Ren growled at the threat to Kusa's life. He then turned back to Sakamoto who was at this point whimpering on the ground.

"No...I don't wanna die..." Sakamoto said in pain making Kamoshida laugh. At the same time Ren was struggling against his bonds as he heard a voice in his head.

"This is truly an unjust game...Your chances of winning are almost none. But if my voice is reaching you, there may yet be a possibility open to you..." Ren heard a feminine voice in his head before another, deeper voice replaced it.

"What's the matter? Are you simply going to watch? Are you forsaking both of them to save yourself? Death awaits them both if you do nothing. Was your previous decision a mistake then?" Ren heard as he flashed back to the night he was arrested for protecting an innocent woman from a drunken man trying to force himself onto her as he glared and muttered to himself angrily.

"No...it was most certainly NOT a mistake, no matter what came as a result of that decision." Ren said to himself, growling as he saw the guards moving to choke out Sakamoto, and one of them moving to strap Kusa to the nearby wall. At that point the deep voice spoke to him once more.

"Very well... I have heeded your resolve. Now vow to me! I am thou, thou art I...Thou who art willing to perform all sacrilegious acts for thine own justice! Call upon my name and release thy rage! Show the strength of thy will to ascertain all on thine own, though thou be chained to Hell itself!" Ren heard in his head as he kept struggling to get free. Kamoshida sneered as he pointed at Ryuji, oblivious to Ren's screams and struggles behind him.

"Execute him!" Kamoshida ordered as Ren managed to find the strength to speak up, ignoring the shocked looks from Kusa and Sakamoto as he spoke.

"Kamoshida, you scumbag! That's enough! If you're going to persist on making my brother and our acquaintance here suffer, then I will stop you!" Ren said as he kept struggling to break free of the guards. Kamoshida blanched at Ren's statement before turning to face him with a sneer on his face as he spoke.

"What was that!? You desire to be killed that much?! Fine!" Kamoshida said as he gestured to the guards and Ren was released to hit the ground with a grunt of pain at the same time Sakamoto was released. Kamoshida then gestured to a guard who brandished their sword towards Ren who struggled to get free until a gust of wind around him pushed the guards away and Ren saw a mysterious white mask materialize over his face which he managed, after a struggle, to pull off his face, a splatter of blood accompanying it as he ripped off the mask, a burst of blue flame following that as Ren's appearance and outfit changed.

Simply put, his Shujin uniform was replaced by a black jacket, blue-grey button-up undershirt, red gloves, the same mask as before and black jeans with matching boots completing Ren's new look, as Kusa and Sakamoto could do little more than look on with stunned looks on their faces, although the latter did manage to speak up at least a bit.

"Wh-What the!?" Sakamoto asked in shock as he looked at Ren's new outfit, right as a mysterious red and black being in a top hat appeared next to Ren, and Ren recognized the being's voice as the one that had spoken to him before his transformation. The being then spoke up in the deep voice that Ren had previously heard.

"I am the pillager of twilight- 'Arsene'!" The now-named Arsene called out as Sakamoto's jaw dropped and he spoke up.

"Wh-What the...!?" Sakamoto said in shock as Kusa chose that moment to speak up.

"Dude! When the hell did you pull that out, Ren?! Holy shit bro, that's crazy!" Kusa said in shock and awe, but Arsene spoke up once more before Ren could answer Kusa, looking Ren in the eyes as he spoke.

"I am the rebel's soul that resides within you. If you so desire, I shall consider granting you the power to break through this crisis." Arsene said to Ren, who paused to consider his choices even as Sakamoto and Kusa both gaped at how epic Arsene looked. After a moment Ren looked up and nodded resolutely at Arsene as he spoke up.

"As much as I don't want to die, I don't want to see my brother or Sakamoto die more. So if it means keeping them safe, then by all means, give me your power Arsene!" Ren called out to Arsene who nodded before huffing as he spoke up again, both impressed and annoyed with how bluntly Ren had replied.

"Hmph, very well." Arsene said as Kamoshida chose that moment to regain his voice from his shock at Ren's transformation. He then glared at Ren and Arsene as he spoke up.

"Who the hell are you!? Guards! Start by killing THAT one!" Kamoshida ordered, pointing at Ren. The two guards then convulsed before transforming into what appeared to be floating jack-o-lanterns with wizard's hats and capes before Kamoshida spoke up once more with a hateful glare on his face.

"You'll learn the true strength of my men!" Kamoshida said as Ren huffed before glaring at Kamoshida.

"Bring it on! No one threatens my brother!" Ren said as the battle began. Arsene then spoke to Ren.

"This power of mine is yours! Kill them however you want. Run wild...to your heart's content!" Arsene said to Ren, who nodded his agreement. Two uses of the Curse skill Eiha later, Joker had the jack-o-lanterns destroyed. After the battle, Sakamoto looked at Ren in shock, Kusa simply gaping in awe.

"What...What was that just now?" Sakamoto said after the guards were disposed of. Kusa just grinned.

"Dude, you just handed those guards their asses, bro! That was incredible!" Kusa said proudly as Kamoshida strode in with a pissed-off look on his face.

"You little..." Kamoshida said but he was cut off by Sakamoto charging at him with an elbow barge that knocked him to the ground with a cry of 'AAGH!' as Sakamoto smirked at the downed Kamoshida before speaking up in a triumphant tone.

"HA! You like that, you son of a bitch!?" Sakamoto taunted Kamoshida as Kusa grabbed a key that had fallen to the ground and tossed it to Ren who handed it to Sakamoto.

"Lock the cell!" Ren said at the same time Kusa also said, "The key!" making Sakamoto blink before speaking up as he saw the key ring Ren had handed him after Kusa had scooped it off the ground.

"Y-You mean this!?" Sakamoto said as he, Ren and Kusa fled the cell and Sakamoto locked the door, trapping Kamoshida inside as he got up, glaring at Sakamoto as he spoke.

"Damn you!" Kamoshida yelled at Sakamoto, making Kusa and Ren shudder at the pink speedo exposed when Kamoshida's cape opened up as he got up, which Sakamoto cringed as he saw. Sakamoto changed the subject by turning to Ren, confusion in his eyes as he spoke.

"Hey! What was that just now!? And...your clothes..." Sakamoto said as right then, another flash happened and Ren's outfit reverted to normal making Sakamoto gape as he spoke up in shock at what he'd just seen.

"Whoa, it went back to normal!?" Sakamoto said in shock as Kusa rolled his eyes.

"No shit it went back to normal! I'm guessing it can only last for so long or it's something Ren's still trying to learn how to control. Either way, Ren saved our asses, Sakamoto!" Kusa said dryly to Sakamoto who nodded his understanding. Kamoshida chose that moment to try to break the bars, reminding the trio of his presence.

"Waaaaah!" Sakamoto said as he jumped from the sound of the bars being slammed. Kamoshida snarled as he glared at the trio.

"You bastards!" Kamoshida said angrily as Sakamoto rubbed his head in confusion as he spoke up again.

"God, this's effin' nuts!" Sakamoto said before turning to Ren as he kept speaking.

"Anyways, let's scram! You lead the way!" Sakamoto said to Ren, Kusa nodding his agreement of Sakamoto's suggestion. Sakamoto then tossed the keys away as hard as he could with a cry of 'HRAH!' leaving Kamoshida trapped. As the trio ran off, all he could do was snarl one last sentence before they left earshot.

"Goddamn thieves..." Kamoshida snarled before turning to the nearest guards and getting their attention.

"After them! Don't let them escape!" Kamoshida snapped as the guards ran off after the fleeing trio. Kamoshida then snarled at Ren as he ran off.

"Damn you, y-you bastards! You think you can get away with doing this to me!?" Kamoshida snarled as Sakamoto huffed before speaking up.

"What was that!? I don't give a shit! I ain't down for any of this! C'mon, let's get out of here!" Sakamoto said as Kusa nodded before speaking up for the first time in a bit.

"Yeah, what Sakamoto said! Let's get outta here, bro!" Kusa said to Ren who nodded as the trio started their escape from the castle. Their progress was initially impeded by a locked door, until Kusa spotted a broken bridge nearby with a short enough gap to jump across, which the trio did. After a bit the trio came to a set of boxes floating in the water looking like they could be jumped over. Kusa then huffed before speaking up.

"Sakamoto, don't those boxes over there look like they could be jumped over?" Kusa asked, making Sakamoto blink until he saw the boxes at the same time Ren did.

"Good idea, Kusa, that could work." Ren said approvingly while Sakamoto huffed before speaking up.

"Hmm? Wassup? Yeesh...Can we really get across this? On the other hand, there's nowhere else we can try...Alright, let's get to hoppin!" Sakamoto said as Kusa and Ren nodded, eventually making it over the boxes. After a bit the trio found what appeared to be a dead-end, until Ren noticed a hole in the wall of an open cell, which the group crawled through, Kusa having to help un-stick Sakamoto's bag at one point, before emerging on the other side in another cell. As the trio kept running, Sakamoto blanched and pulled Ren back before he could advance, having seen the guards ahead of the trio.

"Look! There's some guys in armor over there. They'll prolly call for backup if we try and take 'em on. We should go some other way...!" Sakamoto said, and Kusa nodded as Ren agreed, turning away from the guards. After a bit of navigating, they looked around, Sakamoto questioning what sort of place they were in, before pulling Kusa and Ren behind some crates nearby as some guards walked by before speaking up.

"Over there...they're lookin' for us, right? I ain't playing along with this anymore! We gotta find a way outta this goddamn place!" Sakamoto said as Ren and Kusa nodded, darting up a nearby staircase until they emerged on the other side of the door at the top...right at the bottom of what appeared to be some raging waterfalls. Sakamoto groaned, speaking up before Kusa or Ren could say anything.

"Dude... You gotta be jokin'...This ain't the exit!? What the hell is this place!?" Sakamoto asked as Ren shrugged while Kusa spoke up.

"Hell if we know, but we do know this for sure: We gotta get outta here before Kamoshida gets out of that cell, so let's double-time it!" Kusa said as Sakamoto and Ren nodded. The trio then kept moving until they saw a guy in a cage flailing trying to get out.

"H-hey...Look...We really did hear people screamin'...So we ain't the only ones who got captured!" Sakamoto said as Ren nodded and Kusa huffed.

"No shit we ain't the only captives here, Sakamoto! I could've told you that one. Not sure how many others are here, but no chance we're alone." Kusa said sagely. Sakamoto nodded before speaking up again as he looked at the guy in the cage.

"Is, uh... is he okay?" Sakamoto asked as Ren and Kusa shrugged. After a bit more running, the trio came to what appeared to be another dead end making Sakamoto groan.

"Another dead end...? Dammit! How the hell're we supposed to get outta here!?" Sakamoto asked in annoyance.

"Not by standing around, that's for sure!" Ren said dryly as Kusa chuckled.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious. But I think we have to keep trying." Kusa said as Sakamoto and Ren nodded. At that moment, another voice reached them.

"Hey, you there. Blondie! Frizzy Hair! Ponytail! Look over here!" The trio heard, Kusa looking very annoyed at being called 'Ponytail', before they turned as one to see a small cat-like being trapped in a cell to their left. Sakamoto cringed before speaking up.

"Gah! What is that thing!?" Sakamoto asked as Kusa stroked his chin before speaking up.

"If I had to guess, I'd say it was some sort of sentient feline being. Though I've never heard of a feline that could talk, so I don't think it's strictly a feline." Kusa mused. The cat-like being looked at the trio, pawing at the bars pitifully as it turned its big blue eyes up at them.

"You're not soldiers of this castle, right!? Get me out of here!" The cat-like being said as it nodded to its' right, where some keys were sitting.

"Look, the key's right there!" The cat-like being said as Sakamoto huffed before glaring at it as he spoke up, Ren standing next to Sakamoto aiming his own irritated glare at the being while Kusa walked over to snatch the keys up just in case. Sakamoto spoke up to the being in annoyance.

"We're trying to get the hell out of here! I mean, you obviously look like an enemy, too!" Sakamoto said as Kusa rolled his eyes before speaking up.

"If that were the case, why would it be locked up like this!? I wouldn't think the enemy would lock up one of their own like this." Kusa pointed out in a deadpan tone. The cat-like being nodded its' approval of Kusa's observation before speaking up again.

"EXACTLY! Ponytail there gets it! I'm locked up here, so how can I be your enemy!? Help me out!" The cat-like being said as Kusa gently shoved Sakamoto aside so he could glare at the cat-like being as he spoke up in annoyance.

"First of all, do NOT call me 'Ponytail'! Not only is that bland and unoriginal, that's just insulting! I mean, sure I have my hair pulled back, but does THIS look like a ponytail to you!?" Kusa said, lifting up the small braid of brunette hair that was hanging behind him as he glared at the cat-like being before continuing to speak.

"Secondly, insulting people isn't a good way to get freed. Keep that in mind from now on. That said, why should we let you out!?" Kusa asked skeptically before Ren or Sakamoto could say anything to the cat-like being. However, Ren still managed to get in one sentence before the cat could answer Kusa.

"...Are you a cat!?" Ren asked in disbelief, making Sakamoto turn to Ren before laughing at the question.

"Good one, man! A talking cat! How often does that happen!?" Sakamoto asked, before both he and Ren said 'OW!' a moment later when Kusa cuffed them both upside the backs of their heads in annoyance. The cat-like being glared at Ren for his remark and spoke up in annoyance even as Ren and Sakamoto rubbed their heads in shock.

"I am NOT a cat! Say that again and I'll make you regret it!" The cat-like being snapped as Kusa frowned.

"Quiet, I hear guards coming!" Kusa snapped as footsteps were heard nearby making Sakamoto swear under his breath.

"They're catching up already!" Sakamoto said before trying his phone again only to get no service. He swore once more.

"Shit, there's still no service. Ain't there any way to contact someone outside!? Ugh, how the hell DO we get out!?" Sakamoto asked as Ren shrugged, not sure either. Kusa crossed his arms before speaking.

"Good question. I think we might have to trust in the cat who isn't a cat over here since he could be our best chance of getting outta here." Kusa said after a bit. The cat-like being smiled at Kusa before speaking up to get the trio's attention.

"Hey, you three! You want to know where the exit is? Let me out and I'll take you there. You don't want to get caught and executed, right?" The cat-like being asked as Sakamoto and Ren exchanged looks before turning to Kusa.

"What do you think, Kusa? Do we trust it?" Sakamoto asked Kusa as Ren huffed before adding in his two cents.

"Can it really help us though? How do we know it's not lying?" Ren asked skeptically as Kusa laughed.

"Oh, I'll see to that. And yes we trust it, Sakamoto. It seems to know this place better than we do." Kusa said before turning to the cat-like being.

"Can you really help us? And also, if we do let you out, if you try double-crossing us? You won't have to worry about the other two. I'll deal with you myself. Get it?" Kusa said, shocking the cat-like being, Sakamoto AND Ren with how firm and aggressive his tone was. The cat-like being fearfully nodded.

"Y-yeah I get it! I wouldn't double-cross you though anyways! I promise to help you get out of here, and I never go back on my word!" The cat-like being said as Kusa nodded. Sakamoto spoke up before Kusa could reply, however, getting a smirk from Ren with his words.

"This thing sounds like it's all talk..." Sakamoto said skeptically making Ren laugh at the remark, agreeing with Sakamoto. Kusa glared at the two but the cat-like being spoke up before Kusa could say anything.

"If you guys think you can get out on your own, then be my guest!" The cat-like being said as Kusa rolled his eyes before speaking up in a deadpan tone.

"If we could do that, we'd have already done so by now. So unless either of these two has a reasonable objection to it, we'll let you out so you can help us escape. I'll trust you to keep us safe." Kusa said dryly, giving Sakamoto and Ren a look that dared them to object. Sakamoto shrugged, not against the idea but still spoke up.

"So what do we do, not that we need to hear Kusa's opinion at this point." Sakamoto said. Ren laughed.

"That's true. I agree with Kusa, though. We should trust the not-cat. Worst case, we can use him as a meat shield if he crosses us." Ren suggested making Sakamoto laugh. Kusa frowned at this, speaking up in an annoyed and very disapproving tone, glaring at Ren as he spoke.

"Ren! We are NOT using the not-cat as a meat shield! That's cruel and inhumane! And frankly I can't believe you suggested that!" Kusa said, eyes narrowed. At that point, the group heard more footsteps making Sakamoto sigh but nod his concession of the point before turning to the cat-like being and speaking.

"Are you seriously not messing with us!?" Sakamoto asked the cat-like being. The cat-like being nodded once before speaking up.

"If you don't hurry, they'll catch you." The cat-like being said sagely making Kusa nod his agreement. Sakamoto sighed.

"Ugh, f-fine." Sakamoto said, stepping aside with Ren so Kusa could unlock the cell for the cat like being who cheered as they were freed. The cat like being did a closed-eye smile before speaking up with a grin.

"Ahhhh...freedom tastes so great..." The cat-like being said as Kusa huffed.

"Tastes!? Since when do you taste freedom!?" Kusa asked in surprise. Sakamoto nodded but spoke up again.

"Never mind that...now, where's the exit, you monster cat!?" Sakamoto said to the cat-like being. Kusa frowned, but the cat-like being spoke up before Kusa could correct Sakamoto, looking irritated at the 'monster cat' remark Sakamoto made.

"Don't call me a cat! I am Morgana!" The now-named Morgana said as Kusa nodded, pleased to finally have a name to call the cat-like being since in all honestly, 'cat-like being' is a tad bit of a mouthful to say all the time. Kusa then spoke up to Morgana with a respectful nod.

"I see. Nice to meet you, Morgana-san. As much as I'm curious about what exactly you are since you're not a cat, I think now's not the time. We need to get outta here." Kusa said, making Sakamoto and Ren laugh at Kusa's 'not a cat' remark. Sakamoto then huffed and glared at Morgana.

"Shuddup and hurry it up! You wanna be locked up again!?" Sakamoto asked but before Morgana could rebuke him, Kusa beat him (Kusa figured out by listening to Morgana's voice that he is a guy) to it.

"Do YOU want us to be locked up again!? If we lock him up again, odds are we'll get locked up too. So shut it and let's get going. And don't call Morgana a cat, he hates that. And whatever Morgana is, right now he's our best shot at getting outta here." Kusa said huffily. Morgana nodded gratefully to Kusa's intervention before sighing and nodding.

"A-All right, sheesh!" Morgana said agreeably. He then turned to Kusa.

"Thank you. At least ONE of you has respect." Morgana said simply. Kusa nodded in response. Morgana then spoke up in a more confident tone.

"All right! Follow me and stay quiet!" Morgana said and the other three nodded, Sakamoto doing so reluctantly as they resumed their escape...

(meanwhile at the real-world Shujin Academy, neutral POV)

"It's fourth period already. Sakura-san said that the Amamiya-kun brothers left the house this morning. Should I contact the police?" Sadayo said to Hiruta who was also waiting with her for Kusa while she waited for Ren. Hiruta then shook his head in the negative.

"No, I don't think that's necessary yet." Hiruta said simply, trying to keep Sadayo calm. Sadayo nodded.

"Yeah, you're probably right. Besides, that'll just be more of a hassle..." Sadayo said sighing. She then rubbed her forehead to alleviate the headache she was nursing.

"What did I do to deserve this?" Sadayo asked as Hiruta could only shrug...

(Back with Kusa, Ren, Sakamoto and Morgana, neutral POV)

"Oh well...Guess we just gotta follow it..." Sakamoto said as Kusa glared at him lightly.

"Follow HIM, you mean. Morgana IS a guy like us after all, even if his appearance isn't as humanoid as ours is. So at least don't call him an 'it'." Kusa said dryly.

"Yeah, yeah. my bad." Sakamoto said, backing down as he saw the glare Kusa gave him. Morgana gave Kusa an approving nod as the group resumed escaping. Morgana then stopped in front of the Kamoshida statue that the trio had passed previously making Sakamoto frown at this.

"What're you doin'?" Sakamoto asked making Morgana roll his eyes before answering the question.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm lowering the bridge." Morgana said before turning to Ren and Kusa.

"You two, Frizzy Hair and Kusa, assuming that's your name, listen up. It seems like you two pick up on things faster than our Blondie over here." Morgana said as Kusa had to seriously keep himself from laughing at both Morgana's nickname for Sakamoto and the annoyed look on Sakamoto's face as he heard his nickname. Morgana ignored the group as he kept speaking in a commanding tone.

"Try checking around the mouth of this statue, okay?" Morgana asked. Ren and Kusa nodded, as the former pulled down the jaw of the statue, finding a chain underneath that the latter pulled, rolling his eyes as he pulled the chain before speaking up in a dry tone.

"Dammit, too bad we can't just break the jaw, like Sakamoto almost did when he gut-checked Kamoshida before." Kusa said laughing as he remembered Ryuji knocking Kamoshida on his ass before. Sakamoto frowned at Morgana finding the chain as well as Ren and Kusa pulling it.

"How were we supposed to know to do that!?" Sakamoto asked in annoyance. Morgana just grumbled under his breath before speaking up.

"Hmph, amateur. Come on, let's keep going!" Morgana said as the group kept running, almost running straight into more guards. Morgana then turned to Ren before speaking.

"Hey, you! You could fight, right! Let's go!" Morgana said as Ren nodded, excited to get to fight some more. Morgana then glared at the guard before assuming a battle stance.

"Come...ZORRO!" Morgana said as he summoned a being of his own the same way Ren had before, only Morgana's was much taller and more black and green, getting an approving nod from Kusa. Sakamoto just gaped stupidly as he looked on before speaking.

"Y-You got one of those things too!?" Sakamoto asked in shock. Morgana nodded before crossing his arms confidently.

"Yep, sure do. As for you, Frizzy Hair! We will promptly shut them up." Morgana said as he and Ren went into battle with the guards who turned into more jack-o-lanterns.

"Damn Shadows...they've taken up intercept positions!" Morgana said before turning to Ren and speaking more.

"Looks like it's not about capturing us anymore... They're out for blood! I'll back you up, so fight like your life depends on it! Let's go!" Morgana said to Ren who nodded, both of them ignoring Kusa blinking as he mouthed 'Shadows!?' to himself after hearing Morgana use the term and Sakamoto watching in shock as they went into battle with the Shadows as Morgana called them. Ren charged forward and slashed the nearest shadow, which looked like a gargoyle, with his knife making Morgana chuckle.

"Hmph, I knew you were an amateur." Morgana said with a smirk before grinning.

"THIS is how you fight!" Morgana said with confidence, making Kusa give him his full attention, curious to see how these Shadows were meant to be fought. Morgana then called out Zorro.

"ZORRO! GARU!" Morgana called as Zorro unleashed a huge burst of wind at the jack-o-lantern Shadow, making it hit the ground with stars around its' head.

"Strike at an enemy's weakness to knock it down! This is the most basic of basics! Remember it well!" Morgana said to Ren, who nodded with Kusa and Sakamoto. After that, Morgana and Ren wasted no time in dispatching the two Shadows with the help of Zorro and Arsene. After the battle, Morgana gave Ren an impressed look.

"Oh! Not bad. Your Persona's pretty powerful." Morgana said to Ren as Sakamoto frowned at the term Morgana used.

"Persona? Y'mean that thing that comes outta you guys all dramatic-like?" Sakamoto asked, ignoring the annoyed looks on Kusa and Morgana's faces. Morgana nodded before speaking up.

"Yes. You saw how Frizzy Hair here ripped off his mask when he summoned it, right? Well, everyone wears a mask deep within their heart. By removing that..." Morgana said as Ren's outfit chose that moment to revert back to normal, having turned back to the cool outfit he had worn when he first summoned Arsene. Sakamoto gasped.

"Whoa! Huh? He turned back to normal..." Sakamoto said in shock. Morgana frowned before speaking up.

"Hm, it looks like you don't have full control over your power yet." Morgana said as Kusa smirked before speaking up as well.

"Ha! Knew it was related to not having control!" Kusa said happily as Morgana gave Kusa an approving nod.

"Very perceptive of you to pick up on that so easily." Morgana said to Kusa. He then turned back to Ren and kept speaking.

"The transformation shouldn't normally dissolve like that. After all-" Morgana said as Sakamoto cut him off in annoyance.

"Rrgh, that's enough! This crap doesn't make any sense!" Sakamoto snapped at Morgana, ignoring the frown on Kusa's face.

"Can't you just sit still and listen for once, Blondie!?" Morgana scolded Sakamoto, ignoring Kusa stifling a laugh at his choice of nickname for Sakamoto. Sakamoto frowned before speaking up, clearly not happy with his nickname choice.

"Don't call me Blondie! My name's Ryuji..." The now properly-named Ryuji scolded Morgana, before Kusa spoke up with a wry smile.

"Ah, so now we know Sakamoto-san's given name. That didn't take long, did it Ren?" Kusa said, smirking at Ren who nodded.

"Indeed, it didn't. But we won't call him that unless he says we can since it'd be rude to do so." Ren chastised Kusa who nodded.

"I know that! I might have a crude mouth and no filter at times, but I do know how to be courteous to others, Ren." Kusa quipped making Morgana chuckle at the remark. Morgana then shook his head, remembering where the group was.

"Never mind that! Actually, there's no time for me to lecture you! You want to escape this place in one piece, right? Let's go!" Morgana said to Ryuji, who frowned but nodded. Morgana then blinked before speaking up once more, looking directly at Ren as he spoke.

"Oh, but before that- take these. Use them carefully, okay?" Morgana asked Ren who nodded as Morgana gave Ren 3 Medicines.

"Come on, we should hurry. It's not much farther to the exit." Morgana said as the group prepared to resume their escape.

"Just make sure you're good on HP, okay? There's still a chance we'll end up having to fight in here." Morgana said to Ren who nodded. The group then resumed their escape, eventually stopping by a raised bridge as Sakamoto spoke up.

"Hold on a sec!" Sakamoto said. He walked over to the nearby cell where a guy in a red and white outfit was struggling to get up.

"I feel like I've seen what this dude's wearin' before...Ugh, dammit, I'm too flustered! I can't remember anything right now!" Sakamoto said angrily. Morgana frowned as he spoke up, unamused by Sakamoto stopping the group.

"Come on, let's go!" Morgana snapped impatiently as Sakamoto glared at Morgana, ignoring the stunned look on Ren's face and the disapproving look on Kusa's face.

"Hold on, dammit!" Sakamoto said hufflly as Morgana growled before speaking up.

"What is it? We need to go, fast!" Morgana said as Kusa nodded his agreement before speaking up as well.

"Exactly! We shouldn't be hanging around here longer than we have to! What's the holdup, Sakamoto-san?" Kusa dryly asked. Sakamoto sputtered before answering Kusa.

"But...ugh, who are these guys?" Sakamoto asked as Morgana huffed before glaring at Sakamoto.

"Do you REALLY thiink you have time to worry about other people right now!? Besides, they're-" Morgana said before they were cut off by the voice of a guard.

"There!" The guard said as the bridge lowered and the guard ran towards the group. Morgana sighed before glaring at Sakamoto.

"You should've listened to me!" Morgana said before Ren sized the guard up and sighed before speaking up.

"As much as my instinct is to run, I don't think we can outrun this guy, Morgana. So we might as well try and beat him if we can. Ready?" Ren said to Morgana, who turned to him impressed, even moreso when Ren's alternate outfit reappeared in place of his normal outfit, to his surprise. Morgana smiled and spoke up to Ren.

"I'm glad you stick to your guns." Morgana said, as the guard contorted before turning into what appeared to be a smaller feminine Shadow, to the surprise of Kusa and Sakamoto, who hadn't realized that Shadows could be male OR female. Morgana noticed this and turned to Ren.

"Looks like it's raring to go, too!" Morgana said as the battle started. Ren and Morgana took little time defeating the Shadows. After the fight, Mona turned to the others.

"All right! Let's get away before more show up!" Morgana said and Kusa nodded agreement but Sakamoto huffed.

"Hold on, we can't just leave these guys here!" Sakamoto protested. Kusa rolled his eyes before speaking up.

"Sakamato-san, I get the feeling it's not as simple as getting them out of here." Kusa said dryly. Morgana nodded his agreement before glaring at Sakamoto as he spoke up.

"You really don't get it, do you? Hrgh...There's no time to explain. Look, I'm going. If you don't want to follow, be my guest!" Morgana snapped.

"Not alone, you're not Morgana! I don't know about Sakamoto-san, but Ren and I are with you. Right, Ren?" Kusa said as Ren nodded agreement. Sakamoto swore under his breath before sighing and nodding.

"DAMMIT! ...Fine, I'm coming!" Sakamoto said reluctantly as the trio followed Morgana and resumed their escape.

"This way! The entrance hall is right above here! The exit's close... Keep it up!" Morgana said as Ren, Kusa and Sakamoto nodded and the group dashed through to the apparent exit. Once they stopped running, and everyone caught their breath, Morgana spoke up.

"We're here!" Morgana said, confirming that the group had found the exit. Sakamoto sighed in relief.

"Ugh, finally! We're saved!" Sakamoto said, racing towards the nearest door, but being surprised when it failed to open.

"Nnh...It's not openin'!" Sakamoto said before glaring at Morgana as he spoke up.

"Did you trick us, you jerk!?" Sakamoto asked Morgana angrily. Kusa huffed before speaking up.

"Would Morgana-san have brought us this far if he was going to trick us?" Kusa pointed out dryly, unimpressed with Sakamoto's reaction. Morgana nodded approvingly.

"EXACTLY! And no, I didn't trick you! Don't jump to conclusions! Over here!" Morgana said as he opened a door next to him. Sakamoto sputtered as he spoke up.

"H-Hey, wait up!" Sakamoto said as he, Ren and Kusa followed Morgana into what appeared to be a storage closet, making him growl in frustration.

"Where are we supposed to get out from here!? There aren't even any windows!" Sakamoto said making Morgana huff angrily before speaking up.

"Ugh, amateur...This is the most basic of basics." Morgana said as Ren and Kusa exchanged a glance before looking around. After a bit, Kusa noticed something.

"Ren, look up there! " Kusa said, pointing atop the shelves where a small square-shaped opening in the wall was visible, but Ren frowned as he saw what it was.

"Really? We're getting out through a ventilation shaft!?" Ren said skeptically. Kusa shrugged as he spoke up.

"Makes sense to me. Besides, don't knock it 'til you've tried it!" Kusa said sagely. Morgana nodded approvingly of Kusa's discovery, also smiling at Ren for pointing it out.

"That's right! As I thought, both of you are naturals at this, Frizzy Hair's brother more so than Frizzy Hair but still you're both naturals at this. It leads all the way outside." Morgana said by way of explanation, making Sakamoto nod in understanding, ignoring Kusa rolling his eyes behind him.

"I see...Then we just gotta get that metallic mesh off!" Sakamoto said as he ran at and jumped atop the shelf the shaft was on.

"And a one, and a-!" Sakamoto said as he charged at the shaft, removing it with a clang and a 'Whoa!' from Sakamoto. Both Sakamoto and the shaft hit the ground noisily, the former getting up with a wince as he spoke up.

"Ugh, oww...Crap! The enemy didn't hear us, did they?" Sakamoto said warily, making Kusa snort quietly in amusement.

"I'd be more surprised if they didn't given how noisy but effective that was. I'm sure Morgana could've done that much more quietly and elegantly had he chosen to, but that's neither here nor there." Kusa said with a smirk as Morgana nodded. Sakamoto shrugged, unfazed by Kusa's criticism as he spoke up in excitement.

"Seriously, we're finally gettin' outta here!" Sakamoto said eagerly as Morgana shook his head before speaking up, still pleased by Kusa's praise of him.

"Firstly, thank you for the compliment, Frizzy Hair's brother. Secondly, you should wait on celebrating unitl you ACTUALLY get out, Sakamoto. Now get going!" Morgana rebuked Sakamoto while Kusa nodded to Morgana's gratitude. Sakamoto nodded then frowned after a second.

"But what about you?" Sakamoto asked Morgana. Morgana shook his head in the negative.

"Thanks, but there's something I still have to do. We're going our separate ways." Morgana said as Ren smiled before leaning down to look Morgana in the eyes.

"In that case, thanks for getting us out of here, Morgana." Ren said gratefully. Kusa nodded as he spoke up as well.

"What Ren said. And be careful as well. We won't always be here to save you if you get caught again, Morgana-san. So try to be more careful from now on, yeah?" Kusa said by way of a light rebuke as he leaned down to gently pat Morgana on the head by way of thanks. Once he finished purring in surprise from the gentle pat Kusa gave him, Morgana gave Ren and Kusa a satisfied nod before speaking up once more.

"Heh, at least you two've got manners. Be careful on your way." Morgana said as Ren and Sakamoto nodded, dashing up to the shaft to get out of the castle, Kusa following close behind after giving Morgana one last curt nod of respect before escaping with his brother and Sakamoto. After they were gone, Morgana smirked to himself.

"Those three seem useful...Especially the frizzy-haired one, if my judgement's right...and I sense potential in the ponytailed one as well." Morgana said to himself as he darted off to do his own thing...

(Back in the real world, neutral POV)

After catching his breath as he and the others landed safely on the ground, Sakamoto looked at Kusa and Ren before speaking up.

"Did we make it?" Sakamoto asked Ren and Kusa, but Ren's phone beat the two to answering.

"You have returned to the real world. Welcome back." Ren's phone said by way of response to Sakamoto's question. Sakamoto blinked.

"Huh? Returned? Does that mean we got away?" Sakamoto asked as Kusa rolled his eyes before speaking up.

"Hmm...let's see. No Shadows as far as I can see, lots of foot traffic, and the sun's out...yeah I think we got away." Kusa said dryly. Ren shrugged before looking at Sakamoto.

"Egh, probably. I see nothing to suggest we didn't." Ren said amicably, ignoring Kusa's snarky response to Sakamoto. Sakamoto huffed before speaking up again.

"Heh, I don't know WHAT to think anymore... What WAS all that anyways? That castle, and Kamoshida, and that weird cat! THE HELL'S GOIN' ON!?" Sakamoto said as Kusa frowned at Sakamoto before speaking up in an annoyed tone.

"First of all, lower your voice. Secondly, Morgana ISN'T a cat, he said so himself!" Kusa corrected Sakamoto, cutting himself off as he heard someone approaching behind him. At that point an officer walked up to the group.

"What's with the yelling? Are you students of Shujin?" The officer asked Ren, Kusa and Sakamoto. He then kept speaking before any of them could answer.

"Cutting classes, are we?" The officer asked as Sakamoto sputtered.

"Huh? No! We were trying to get to school and we ended up at this weird castle!" Sakamoto said, ignoring the twin sets of widened eyes behind him from Ren and Kusa at his word choice. A second officer joined the first and sighed at Sakamoto's explanation.

"What? Ugh, hand over your bag. You better not be doing any drugs." The second officer said in a bored tone, making Sakamoto sputter.

"G-guh, why would you think that!?" Sakamoto said as Ren and Kusa rolled their eyes behind him again.

"Should I be the one to point out how crazy Sakamoto sounds, or should you?" Kusa quietly muttered to Ren who shrugged. The officer then turned to them.

"Are you two his friends?" The officer asked Ren and Kusa who both paused then looked at each other before Kusa spoke up.

"With all due respect officer, friends is a bit of a strong word to use here. I'd say he's our acquaintance at best, though he does get points for helping us find our way to school since Ren here got us lost after we got off our train. But to be fair, that's to be expected while getting used to a new area, am I right?" Kusa said by way of response, ignoring Sakamoto and Ren gaping at Kusa's response before the latter spoke up with a smirk.

"Yeah, something like that." Ren said simply. The officer nodded curtly before fixing Ren and Kusa with an unamused glare.

"Then you should both go to school. Take him with you, and next time think about carrying a map to avoid getting lost." The officer said. Sakamoto frowned as he kept speaking.

"Like I'm tryin' to say...I don't know what's going on either!" Sakamoto said gruffly. The officer frowned at Sakamoto.

"We passed by Shujin on our way here. Ther was nothing out of the ordinary about it. If you spout any more nonsense, I'll contact your school. Is that what you want?" The officer scolded Sakamoto, who frowned at Ren as he spoke up once more.

"C'mon, say somethin'!" Sakamoto said to Ren who frowned and spoke up before Kusa could make another snarky remark to Sakamoto.

"Let's get going, Sakamoto. We're probably already late as it is." Ren said simply, giving Sakamoto a 'drop it and come on!' glance which of course was ignored as Sakamoto kept speaking.

"Uh, that's not what I meant..." Sakamoto said, traling off as Ren and Kusa both sighed, rolled their eyes and just turned on their heels and walked off without Sakamoto, making him sputter after them as he spoke up once more.

"W-Wait a sec! Is that guy for real? ...Fine, I'm goin'!" Sakamoto said huffily as he backed down and walked off after Ren and Kusa...

(One non-related cutscene later, back with Sakamoto, Ren and Kusa at Shujin, neutral POV)

"Is this for real...? I'm sure we came the same way...What's goin' on here...?" Sakamoto asked as a different voice answered his question dryly.

"THAT's exactly what I wanted to ask you. We received a call from the police." Sakamoto, Kusa and Ren heard behind them and all three turned and winced at the man in a suit that was glaring at them with crossed arms, making Sakamoto swear under his breath.

"Ugh! That damn cop snitched on us after all!" Sakamoto grumbled but the man ignored him to focus on Kusa and Ren, surprise in his tone as he spoke up again.

"It's rare not to see you alone. Where were you roaming around until this time?" The suit-clad man asked Sakamoto.

"Uh... A ca-a castle?" Sakamoto said bluntly ignoring Kusa and Ren facefaulting behind him at how stupid he was being. Unsurprisingly the suit-clad man scoffed.

"So you have no intention of giving an honest answer?" The suit-clad man asked Ryuji before Kusa sighed and spoke up at that point.

"He was out helping me and Ren here find our way here since Ren managed to get us lost after we got off our train this morning. If he hadn't come along and found us and helped us find our way here, who knows if we'd have found our way here by the end of the day? Thank you for being kind enough to guide us all the way here, Sakamoto-san." Kusa said by way of explanation, even going so far as to bow in respect to Sakamoto for effect making Sakamoto blink but nod.

"Y-yeah, you're welcome." Sakamoto said to Kusa as Ren smirked at Kusa basically bailing Sakamoto out of the metaphoric fire, or he would have except for the intervention of a very familiar voice who scoffed as he spoke up.

"What's this about a 'castle'?" The voice of Kamoshida asked, making Ren and Kusa groan and swear under their breath. Sakamoto just gasped.

"Oh! K-Kamoshida!?" Sakamoto asked in surprise. Kamoshida smirked as he spoke up with an arrogant tone of voice.

"You seem so carefree, Sakamoto. Quite a difference from when you did morning practice for the track team." Kamoshida taunted Sakamoto who balled his fists and glared as he spoke up in an annoyed tone.

"Shuddup! It's your fault that-" Sakamoto said but the suit-clad man cut him off angrily.

"How dare you speak that way to Mr. Kamoshida!" The suit-clad man rebuked Sakamoto before sighing.

"Ugh...There's not much leeway left for you, you know?" The suit-clad man said making Sakamoto huff.

"He's the one that provoked me!" Sakamoto pointed out angrily but the suit-clad man wasn't listening.

"Do you REALLY want to be expelled!?" The suit-clad man snapped at Sakamoto. He then huffed as he kept speaking.

"In ANY case, you'll have to explain yourself! Follow me!" The suit-clad man said to Sakamoto who huffed angrily.

"WHAT!? This is bullshit!" Sakamoto huffed and before the suit-clad man could scold him for his language, Kamoshida spoke up.

"Come now. I should have been more considerate, too. Let's just say that we were both to blame." Kamoshida said as the suit-clad man sighed but nodded.

"Well, if you say so...Still, you're coming with me. It's undeniable that you're extremely late." The suit-clad man said to Sakamoto who sighed but relented.

"Ugh, fine..." Sakamoto said as Kamoshida turned to Ren and Kusa and spoke to them.

"By the way, you're those new transfer students, correct? Ren and Kusa Amamiya?" Kamoshida asked Ren and Kusa who nodded as Sakamoto sighed and followed the suit-clad man into the school, but not before directing one last glare at Kamoshida as he left. After he was gone, Kamoshida looked at Ren and Kusa and frowned.

"Have we met somewhere?" Kamoshida asked Ren and Kusa, the latter of which just nodded as Ren spoke up.

"Not directly, but you did ask us if we wanted a ride after you offered one to that blonde girl before." Ren explained. Kamoshida scratched his head before he blinked in recognition and spoke up once more.

"That's right... I remember now. Well, I'll overlook this just for today." Kamoshida said before looking at Ren in particular as he kept speaking.

"As for YOU, I'm sure you've heard from the principal, but cause ANY trouble and you'll be expelled. Understand?" Kamoshida asked Ren who simply nodded as he spoke up.

"Yes, sir. I understand." Ren said as Kamoshida turned to Kusa at that point, more shocked as he kept speaking.

"And you, I'm shocked that you'd let yourself show up this late on your first day. And here I thought you'd be better than your brother. Maybe I was wrong..." Kamoshida said making Kusa frown in irritation as he huffed.

"Maybe you shouldn't be making assumptions, Mr. Kamoshida. After all, you know what they say about assuming." Kusa said dryly as Ren had to stifle a laugh at the quip.

"Fair enough, I see you have a dry sense of humor on you. At any rate, hurry up and go to the faculty office. I'm sure Ms. Kawakami and Mr. Hiruta are tired of waiting." Kamoshida said as he turned to leave, but not before aiming one last remark at Ren.

"Good luck trying to enjoy your new school life." Kamoshida said as Ren and Kusa blinked then hurried inside to find the faculty office...

(Fast forward back to the interrogation with Sae and Joker)

"The school turned into an old castle? A talking cat? Are you hallucinating from an overdose? I won't put up with you if you're simply joking around. I'm going to have you continue the story. The one who received a 'calling card' from the Phantom Thieves was an Olympic medalist...An alumnus from Shujin Academy, the PE teacher Suguru Kamoshida. It all came out in his confession. He was guilty of everything- The abuse, the...violations...But there should've been no connection to the two of you since you had just transferred. Why did you target him?" Sae asked Joker who simply looked her in the eyes.

"I don't want to say...but if you insist, I'll tell you later since it'll probably come up naturally in the story." Joker said by way of response to Sae who frowned and pounded her palms to her desk in frustration.

"That's simply unacceptable! Try and recall it again!" Sae said angrily as she slammed her palms on the table...

(Back in the present with Ren and Kusa)

"So, which was is the Faculty office again, Ren?" Kusa asked Ren who shrugged.

"I think it was on the third floor?" Ren said as he tried to recall where it was. Kusa shrugged.

"Let's just keep walking, and we'll probably find it as we walk." Kusa said and Ren agreed. The two then started walking around the school in search of the faculty office...

END OF CHAPTER

A/N: And down goes another chapter! This went a bit longer than the last, but that's a good thing I'm sure since three of the Phantom Thieves made their first appearances in this chapter! AND I was able to fit in the first awakening of the game (and technically the second if one counts the makeshift intro Morgana did with his as an awakening) in here too!

With any luck, next chapter will have at least the lead-up to, if not part of the infiltration of, Kamoshida's Palace. I can already say this is going to be a decent-length story considering I expect to take at least 5, maybe 6 chapters to cover the first Palace. Depending on the amount of story chapters it takes for each palace, this story could conceivably sit anywhere between 30 and 60 chapters in length by the time its fully done with the Royal part, and possibly upward of 50-75 chapters after the Strikers/Scramble part is added in. But we'll wait and see how things go with that I suppose.

In any case, hopefully people are enjoying the story so far! Until next chapter, sithlorde1988 out!