Everyone watched Ryuji make his stand, when suddenly, his body jerked. His eyes developed a golden sheen. He let out a choked scream and gripped his head.
You seek power, correct? Then let us form a pact.
His knees buckled underneath his feet and he collapsed to the ground.
Since your name has been disgraced already, why not hoist and flag and wreak havoc...?
He screamed wildly as he writhed on the floor.
The "other you" who exists within desires it thus.
His sweat and drool dripped on the red carpet, staining it.
I am thou, thou art I...
There is no turning back...
The skull of rebellion is your flag henceforth!
Ryuji's body felt like it was literally on fire. The screaming and writhing stopped as a steel skull-shaped masked materialized on his face in a burst of blue flame. He glared into Kamoshida's taunting gold eyes.
"Hmph, what can you of all people do?" the guard captain Shadow scoffed. "Cower in fear and watch your friends' last living moments!" It looked down on Akira and raised its sword and was about to cleave down until…
Deaf to the Shadow's words, Ryuji got up and pried his fingers under the mask. He could feel his skin tearing, but he grit through the pain. He just knew that he had to tear it off. He continued to pull with all his might until the mask ripped away, revealing his bloodied face as he let out an agonized scream. The mask disintegrated as a tornado of blue flame erupted around him. The force of the explosion pushed Kamoshida and the guard captain off Akira and Morgana.
"Ugh... This one as well!?"
Ryuji never felt so free in his life. It was like a huge weight was lifted off his chest and he felt utterly unstoppable. He picked his head up with a toothy grin and cracked his knuckles, proudly donning his new attire. His Persona, Captain Kidd, hovered over him.
"Right on... Wassup Persona... This is effin' amazing!"
Sumire felt hopeful. "YES! If Ryuji has a Persona too… then does that mean he can…?"
"Now that I got this power, it's time for some payback!"
Akira and Morgana immediately got up to their feet and stood by Ryuji's side, ready to fight.
Akira smirked. "Alright, time to take back what was yours!"
Ryuji nodded. "Yo, I'm ready. Bring it!"
The agitated Shadow transmogrified into a form that was not so dissimilar from its masked form. Except it rode upon an immense, black steed and its armor had a crimson sheen.
Ryuji pointed at the Shadow. "Blast him away! Captain Kidd!"
"What troublemakers that bother our glorious King Kamoshida with trifle matters, I will personally see to it that you are all eliminated!"
"That bastard's cognition ain't changin', right? Then I'll just keep acting like the troublemaker that I am! Let's take em' down, Captain Kidd!"
The horses from earlier galloped by the Shadow's side and braced themselves to fight. Unlike last time, the team had much-needed space to take advantage of. With a flourish, both Akira and Morgana summoned their Persona and attacked. They all focused on different enemies as Sumire went and tried getting up into the bigger Shadow's face, distracting it with much more success.
Captain Kidd fired a blast of electricity from its arm cannon. The attack knocked down the twin-horned horse. Noticing this, Akira shouted for him to do it again.
"Ryuji! Do that again on the same types!" he shouted. Ryuji responded with a gleeful yell and pointed at another Shadow.
"Aw, hell yeah! Fire at 'em again!" Multiple Zio spells were fired at the other Shadows, knocking them down and before they could even think about recovering, the group focused all their attacks on the boss Shadow. Sumire stepped aside and watched as the group surrounded the knocked-down Shadows. "Eat this!"
"I serve the great King Kamoshida!" The Shadow cried as it lay on the floor. "So how did I lose?!"
"That just proves that he's not worth protecting if he just lets you lose to us!" Ryuji shouted. "Alright, let's have at 'em!"
The group initiated another All-Out Attack, destroying the Shadows. Ryuji failed to land on his feet, but immediately got up and dramatically posed with his hand held out in the shape of horns as the Shadows disintegrated.
"That's all she wrote!"
Sumire cheered for the group, passing a glance at Akira who looked back at her with a smile. Then their attention was on Kamoshida.
Ryuji dropped his pose and panted with his hands on his knees. "Ya… Ya see that, Kamoshida?! Now it really is over for you!"
"Tch. Don't get all cocky because you're one of them now. All I needed was more moral support."
Kamoshida gave off a sultry grin and extended his arm out to his side, his gaze looking that way. Everyone's gazes were drawn to the direction he pointed at and were met with an incredible view. A scantily clad Takamaki strutted her way over to Kamoshida and hugged close to him while caressing his chest.
Ryuji's jaw unhinged itself from disbelief. "Wha- Takamaki?!"
Meanwhile, Morgana's eyes were practically in the shape of hearts and he mewled loudly. "What a meow-velous and beautiful girl!"
Sumire stared down at Morgana with disdain. "Was that a pun? Now is NOT the time Morgana!" Then she pointed at Kamoshida. "And you! You're absolutely disgusting!"
Akira shook his head. "Something seems really off about this situation…"
Morgana snapped out of his trance. "It seems this girl isn't the real one."
"Oh yeah, thanks for telling us Mr. 'what a meow-velous and beautiful girl'!"
Kamoshida laughed. "Are you jealous? Well I'm not surprised. Girls aren't attracted to problematic punks like you guys."
Sumire's face was blood red at this point. "No! Women aren't drawn to full-blown egotistical scumbags like you! Akira!" Akira stared at Sumire with an astonished look. "Kick his ass, I can't stand another damn second around this creep!"
"Guards! Get rid of them this instant!"
Morgana shouted. "We're outnumbered! Let's scram before we get surrounded!"
Sumire shook her head and aggressively waved her arms at Kamoshida. "No, you aren't outnumbered! There's three of you and only like, three guards! Keep fighting!"
Ryuji scowled and stared at Morgana in disbelief. "Hold up, so we ain't gonna do anythin' and hightail it outta— Wh- hey!"
Akira grabbed Ryuji by the arm and dragged him away. "Just shut up and go! I'm not letting anybody die here!"
Ryuji looked back at Kamoshida, who looked down on them with a menacing grin. He wanted to argue back, but bit his tongue when he saw several Shadows pursuing them.
"Ngh…Fine, whatever!" He took a deep breath and proceeded to shout at the stop of his lungs. "Heed my words you bastard, this won't be the last time I'm here! We'll expose you for what you really are, no matter what! You better be ready for us!"
Sumire flew after them. "But you guys could… Ugh, nevermind, let's just get outta here. I'm tired."
The group ran to the foyer's left side, where they escaped through the broken ventilation shaft. It was almost like Kamoshida let them escape, much to the apparent chagrin of Ryuji and Sumire. They all heard Kamoshida cackling. It was like his voice came from all directions around them.
"I was beginning to get bored of torturing the same slaves I have here. Come at me whenever you want, if you don't care about what happens to your lives!"
The group safely made it outside. The sounds of iron footsteps coming after them ceased. It really was like Kamoshida was taunting them. The team gave themselves a moment outside the gates to recuperate.
Ryuji panted. "Anyways!" He motioned his hands toward his new clothes. "I don't remember changin' into this!"
Sumire snickered. "You look like a thug."
Akira gave Sumire the side-eye. He checked out his clothes and nodded approvingly. "It looks good on you."
Ryuji smirked, patting his own chest. "Heh, you're right. It doesn't look as half as bad as yours though."
Sumire frowned and was about to say something, but Akira had already retorted. "I retract my statement."
Morgana chimed in excitedly. "Anyhow! Now that you've got a Persona yourself, can you see that light around frizzy hair now?"
"He has a name, you know!" Sumire shouted.
Akira cleared his throat. "You can just call me Akira."
Ryuji stared at Akira for a good few seconds and everyone seemed hopeful. Akira and Morgana stared at Ryuji intently. Sumire waved at him with a bright smile on her face. Then Ryuji shook his head.
"Nope, I still got no idea what you guys are talkin' about…"
Morgana sighed with his arms crossed. "Guess there's more to that thing than I previously thought."
Sumire frowned dejectedly. "O-Oh…. He can't see me, huh? Ghost or light, I guess I'm still invisible to Ryuji."
Akira would've reached out to pat her shoulder, but he'd just be patting the air. This disappointed the rest of them. It really did seem like there was more to seeing a ghost than just having those powers.
"Wait," Ryuji said suddenly. "Oh crap! We just pissed off Kamoshida here! What if he knows about us entering this place!"
Just as Morgana was about to talk, Akira raised his hand. "Hold on, did the real Kamoshida remember what happened last time?" Ryuji stopped for a moment and shook his head. "We're probably safe then."
Morgana nodded. "Yep, you're quite perceptive. Yes, you guys should be off the hook…" Morgana paused briefly before continuing on. When he continued, Sumire just so happened to speak at the same time. "For now, at least."
"Exactly what I said!"
Ryuji shrugged. "Welp! I'm beat. How 'bout we head back home and investigate more next time?"
Morgana on the other hand, seemed shocked at this. "You're going to up and leave, even though you're already part of my master plan?"
Ryuji looked at him confused. "I don't remember being a part of any plan...?"
"Is the plan about finding your true form?" Akira asked.
Morgana's ears perked up excitedly. "Yes! At least you seem t-"
Akira smiled. "Maybe next time, kitty cat." He crouched down and rubbed his head, much to Morgana's displeasure. He then stepped away and took his phone out to leave. "I'll definitely help you once I have the time! I just have a lot going on right now. I'll be back soon."
Sumire followed after him, waving at Morgana. "Don't worry, kitty! We'll be back to help soon enough!"
"What?! Hey! What the hell?! Why are you wrapping this up like everything's all hunky-dory?! And I'm not a cat!!!"
Ryuji jogged after Akira, waving at Morgana. "See ya around, cat!"
The three left Morgana behind, disappearing from the cognitive world. He stared at where they previously were with a bewildered expression.
"I'm not a cat! I… I can't be…"
—————————
You have returned to the Real World. Welcome back.
"Thank God we're back," Ryuji sighed. He leaned against the wall in the alley. His head hung back. "So tired… I'm gonna sleep like a rock when I get home…"
Akira sighed. "Yeah, same." He subtly eyed a drowsy Sumire.
"I wanna go home…" she whined.
Ryuji suddenly straightened up excitedly with a toothy grin on his face. "But damn, if what we saw was for real, this is gonna get good! I got their faces memorized. Now we just gotta get one of 'em to fess up…" He faced Akira with a determined look. "So… wanna help me look for those guys or any witnesses?"
Sumire piped up. "Sounds difficult."
Akira gave her a knowing glance and then turned to Ryuji. "Sure, we'll— I mean, I'll help."
Ryuji grinned. "Now that's what I'm talking about!" And just as quickly his excited expression fell. "Hey, so… If you're thinkin' of layin' low 'cause you got a record, don't. Everyone already knows. They totally got you pegged as a criminal."
Akira shook his head. "I've heard quite a lot more than just my 'criminal record.' How do these people even come up with this stuff." Akira sighed and rubbed his forehead. "How did my record get out in the first place?"
Ryuji scowled and scuffed his shoe against the ground. "Kamoshida opened his damn mouth!"
Sumire stared at Ryuji in disbelief. "A gym teacher has that much authority?!"
Akira sighed and scratched his head." From what we've just seen, I'm honestly not surprised."
Ryuji nodded. "Yeah, nobody but him could've leaked it that fast. Doesn't matter who it is; that asshole just wrecks things he doesn't agree with, just like he did with me!" He sighed and put his hands into his pockets. "Nobody'll take me seriously. Still, all those rumors could be for real, and after seein' Kamoshida's distorted heart thing in person, there's no way I can just sit back!"
Akira nodded. "Yeah, agreed."
Ryuji smiled and put his hand on Akira's shoulder. "Thanks, I'm countin' on you! I'm hyped about this too!"
All of a sudden, Sumire's vision flashed. It didn't seem to affect her other than just catching her off guard. There was a very faint voice speaking in her head. She felt warm and couldn't help but smile a little. She thought that this was a good sign.
The Chariot Arcana...
"He's a great guy! Something's telling me you two are gonna go far!" Sumire piped up.
Come to think of it, Akira thought he heard something. Something in his head was telling him that his bond with Ryuji had only just begun. He smiled and gave her a knowing nod.
"So," Ryuji started, "wanna grab a bite somewhere?
Akira nodded. "Sure. Today took a lot out of me!"
Sumire pouted. "Hmph, lucky you can still eat," She then giggled and smirked at him. "Kidding! You go and enjoy yourselves, not that I can get hungry anyway…" Her quip made Akira chuckle, which Ryuji found somewhat strange.
"What's so funny?" he asked.
Akira shook his head. "Ah, nothing, just a dumb thought. So what's on the menu?"
"Meat, man!" Ryuji said excitedly.
"Ah, as expected from a guy," Sumire remarked.
"Plus, I totally gotta hear about your past!"
"Oh boy…" Sumire sighed. "That old story again."
—————————
Ryuji brought Akira to a beef bowl shop located along Central Street in Shibuya. They sat down and placed their orders. Akira was wrapping up his story by the time they started eating.
Akira sighed. "And that's how it all went down…"
Ryuji put down his bowl and slammed his fist on the counter. "THE HELL, MAN?! HOW MUCH SHITTIER CAN THAT ASSHOLE GET!?"
Akira looked around to see Ryuji had garnered attention with his outburst. "Dude, calm down. I get how you feel, but it's already happened and can't be undone."
Ryuji grunted. "Still, that sucks! I just wanna punch that dick in the face so bad! And your parents wouldn't even get you a lawyer?"
"That's what I said!" Sumire said. Akira responded the same way he did to Sumire the day they met.
Ryuji sighed. "We're more similar than I thought, huh? I guess it's how we're treated like a pain in the ass by the people around us, like we don't belong."
Akira nodded. "I know that feeling. Kamoshida made you an outcast. I hoped for a clean slate when I got here, but you know what happened. So we're pretty much on the same page."
"Yeah. I mean, we all got something to live for, right?"
She knew he couldn't see her, but Sumire felt Ryuji was talking about her as well. It wasn't easy to feel like you belonged in the world when you realized it took you out of it so early on in your life. They all didn't belong in some shape or form. They were a ragtag team of two delinquents and a ghost, even if one of the delinquents couldn't see the spirit.
"It's rush hour on the subways. I suggest you kill some time before headin' home."
Sumire nodded. "He's right. Two weeks can really give you a feel for how the town works."
Akira was already done with his food by the time they moved on from the previous topic. He placed his bowl down and let out a satisfied sigh. Ryuji stared at him surprised.
"Wait, you're already done?!"
Akira chuckled. "What can I say? Fighting takes a lot out of me!"
Ryuji returned the laugh. "You gonna take another to go? There's still tons of ginger here."
The two continued to make small talk. Sumire watched contentedly, occasionally making her own interjections despite Ryuji not being able to hear her. Akira acknowledged her with a glance or a nod, sometimes even relaying her thoughts as his own to Ryuji. For the first time since she woke up, she felt like she was living a completely normal life with two other friends.
The group left the restaurant with some leftover beef bowl, content smiles on everyone's faces. Akira had finally made a (living) friend in Tokyo. As they walked to the station, Ryuji began talking.
"So about taking down Kamoshida…"
"Ryuji, not so loud," Akira said.
"Whoops! My bad."
"So much for secrecy."
—————————
It was late by the time Akira finally arrived at Leblanc. He knew Sojiro would probably have a few questions waiting for him and he was right to think so. As soon as he stepped in, Sojiro turned to him with a stern glare and asked if he actually went to school today.
"Eh, as long as you're not getting into trouble, I don't really care. Just in case you've forgotten, your life is not a free one right now. You'll be gone as soon as you start causing problems."
With that, Sojiro turned his focus back to his crossword puzzle. Akira's phone buzzed and he took it out of his pocket. Sumire peered over his shoulder to see who it was from; it was from Ryuji.
Ryuji:
-Can you see this?
Sumire smirked. "Tell him 'Nope'."
Akira snickered. "Not a bad idea."
Akira:
-Nah.
Ryuji:
-You SO can!
Sumire burst out laughing. Akira himself couldn't contain a snicker, earning a look from Sojiro.
Ryuji:
-I'm gonna be counting on you tomorrow.
"What about?" Sumire suggested, trying to stifle any further laughing.
Akira:
-What about?
Ryuji:
-C'mon, don't play dumb…
Sumire wound up snorting.
Sojiro picked his head up. "Who are you texting? You seem to be having fun with whoever it is."
Akira smiled at him. "I made a friend in class today."
Sojiro was indifferent, but hummed in acknowledgment. "That's nice. Just stay away from bad influences, okay?"
"You got it, boss!"
—————————
"A world embodying somebody's desires…"
Sumire laid on the couch, lost in thought. The Metaverse, what a strange thing. She wondered, what were the limits of the Metaverse? Is it limited to just one person? Why does it exist in the first place? What did they, or perhaps more so, she have to do with it?
She was pulled from her thoughts when she heard Akira mutter, "He has it now?"
Ryuji:
-I don't even remember installing it!
Akira:
-Don't bother trying to delete it. It'll just keep coming back.
Ryuji:
-That's creepy, man. What is this thing?
Akira:
-I dunno. But whatever it is, it's gonna be useful in case we have to use that world again.
Ryuji:
-Agreed. Gonna count on ya tomorrow! We'll meet after the volleyball rally.
Akira:
-Volleyball rally?
Ryuji:
-Eh, it's more like 'Kamoshida stroking his ego' Day.
Akira:
-Sounds about right. See ya.
When Akira put away his phone, Sumire spoke up. "Guess we've gone too far to back down now. Good night, Akira.
Akira yawned. "Good night, Sumire."
—————————
He was back in the Velvet Room. Igor rambled about bonds and rehabilitation again. Nothing new at this point, but then he said something interesting.
"In other words, they are bonds with those who have been robbed of their places to belong, such as that mysterious ghost with no memory of her past."
Akira's head perked up, refocusing his full attention to Igor. "You mean Sumire? You know about her?
"The truth is, she is a factor not even I could have seen coming. But if your bond with her grows strong enough, she could become an exemplary help to your rehabilitation."
"It seems as though even the deceased can assist you," Justine said.
"And the best part, inmate? Ghosts don't have schedules! So you can try to increase your bond with her whenever you want! Even if it makes you look sad and lonely to any other person!" Caroline quipped.
Akira sighed. "That's true. At least I have Ryuji now. He's been nice to me."
Igor continued to ramble on about bonds. Akira wound up establishing one with Igor, which admittedly wasn't what he expected. With everything said and done, Akira lay down on his bed.
"So the residents of the Velvet Room know about Sumire…"
