HEY GUYS THIS IS KINGNIKEN WITH CHAPTER 4 OF LARCENY.
THANKS FOR ALL THE REVIEWS/COMMENTS. WILL REPLY TO ALL OUTSTANDING QUESTIONS AFTER I'VE POSTED THIS CHAPTER.
THANKS AS WELL FOR THE CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM AND IDEAS.
I ALSO APPRECIATE THE FAVS/ALERTS AND KUDOS.
KEEP THEM COMING.
ANYWAYS!
ENJOY THE CHAPTER
Ren's stomach sunk as he felt the world change and shift around him. It was not a new feeling but a sensation that he knew all too well.
"No...It can't be!"
While Ryuji and the others were still recovering from the sharp mental backlash from entering the Metaverse for the first time, the curly haired teenager frantically searched his bag.
He pulled out his cellphone and studied the device with an exacting scrutiny.
His Meta-Nav app was still disengaged.
"That could only mean..."
Ryuji broke his train of thought with a rather audible groan. The blond had a hand rubbing the side of his head.
"Man, my head hurts. I should have just stayed home today."
Kasumi spoke up.
"You felt that too Ryuji-senpai?"
Ryuji blinked.
"Huh?"
Ann nodded.
"It was like a sudden headache, right? I felt it too...it only lasted for a moment though."
Ryuji responded.
"That's kinda weird. How could we all get a headache at the same time?"
Kasumi turned to her sister.
"You felt it too, Sumi?"
Sumire nodded, still keeping an eye on the pulsing red image on her phone screen.
The group's collective migraine occured after she had activated the app.
Were the two events related?
Ren spoke up quickly as he took note of the red haired girl's phone.
"It's probably those old AC units on the walls."
Ann looked up at the side of the buildings. There were several dilapidated AC units lining both walls on either side of them.
"AC units?"
Ren continued.
"Yeah, older AC units sometimes release harmful gases when they're not maintained properly, these gases have been known to cause headaches and nausea It looks like it's been a while since those have been serviced."
Ryuji seemed a bit sceptical of the situation but ultimately offered a shrug before speaking.
"Never heard of anything like that before but if that's the case we should get moving before we get any sicker."
Ren nodded as he spoke. Hopefully he could convince the group to avoid the Palace.
"Yeah, we should turn back and-"
Ann interjected.
"Turn back? We'll definitely be late for school if we take the long way now."
Ryuji agreed.
"Yeah dude, Shujin's right around the corner. We should just go."
Kasumi added her own opinion.
"Yeah, especially if you're right about the AC units. We definitely shouldn't be dawdling in this alley for much longer."
With the majority vote seemingly swayed towards continuing, Ren knew he had failed.
"Sure. Let's go."
The bespectacled male frowned slightly as Ryuji and Ann led the way with Kasumi not far behind. Sumire walked up to Ren and spoke.
"Shouldn't we get going Senpai?"
Ren didn't hear his underclassman. His mind was already drafting possible plans and possibilities of what he might have to do to keep everyone safe.
He was pulled from his planning when Sumire touched his arm.
"Senpai, are you ok? Do you feel dizzy?"
Ren offered a comforting smile to the girl.
"I'm fine. We should go."
Sumire nodded.
"Right."
Ren wasn't going to waste the opportunity to get information as the pair walked together.
"Sumire. Where did you get that app? It's making your phone glow red."
The younger of the twin sisters put a finger to her chin as she contemplated.
"I'm not sure. I just noticed it today. Do you think it's a virus? Maybe I should keep it off for now ?"
Ren would have agreed if a distant shout from Ryuji had not broken their private conversation.
"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?"
Ren frowned as he grabbed Sumire's hand.
"We should get going!"
Sumire blushed at the contact but agreed by only nodding. A little too nervous to speak.
As the bespectacled pair emerged from the alley, Sumire couldn't help but gasp. Ryuji, Ann and Kasumi also seemed to be in a similar state of shock as they beheld the large castle standing where Shujin should have been.
Ann translated her confusion into words.
"Is..is this supposed to be Shujin?"
Ren narrowed his eyes as he stood face to face with a Palace that held many memories for him. Both good and bad.
"Unfortunately. It is."
Sumire posed a question as she adjusted her glasses.
"Is there some kind of school festival being celebrated today?"
Ryuji frowned.
"Nothing comes to mind. Ann?"
The part-time model shook her head.
"No but even if there was some type of festival, Shujin's not the type of school to go this far. This level of decoration would have taken hours if not days. It looks like an entirely different place."
Kasumi shook her head.
"Sumi, Ren-Senpai and I were all here yesterday. There was nothing like this being set up."
Ren tried to see if he could still save the situation.
"Maybe we took a wrong turn somewhere?"
Sumire pointed to the sign on the school's wall.
"But the name plate says Shujin...this is our school."
Ryuji grunted.
"We might as well go inside. We're not gonna get any answers standing out here."
Once again the majority of the group agreed to move forward. Ren flexed his right hand as he called out to his Persona.
"Arsene, it seems we're going to be called into action sooner than later, buddy. Be ready to cause some chaos."
...
There was no answer.
"Arsene?"
And then a terrifying realisation dawned upon Ren as he reached into his heart.
For the first time in years, he could not feel the presence of the pillager of Twilight, the Gentleman Thief, his original Persona.
Arsene was not there.
Ren Amamiya was going to have to walk into Kamoshida's Palace defenseless.
"...Shit."
Ryuji shook his head as he studied the interior of the building.
"Okay. There's no way this is our school. Changing the outside view would be one thing but the inside too? That's just not possible."
Ann took out her phone.
"I'm texting Shiho, we're obviously missing out on something important...huh? No service? But this area always has service. Where are we?"
Kasumi made a suggestion.
"Maybe we should get outside and call somebody because this keeps getting weirder and weirder."
Sumire nodded.
"This place does have an eerie feel to it..."
Even though Ren was actively listening to the discussion around him. He was too busy trying to tap into his power to speak.
He could feel it.
There was something...someone in the depths of his heart but they weren't answering his calls.
"Arsene? Arsene?...Ishtar? Cybele? Metatron?"
CLUNK CLUNK CLUNK
Heavy metallic footsteps snapped Ren's attention to the Shadow Knight approaching the group.
"Shit!"
Ryuji sighed as he spoke to the armoured being.
"Hey. You a student? Man that armour looks real."
The Knight ignored Ryuji's question as it observed the crowd of students. It paused as it noticed Ann's presence.
"Princess?!"
Ann repeated the words as if she was tasting them.
"Princess...?"
Ryuji shrugged.
"Must be the drama club putting on some kind of play or something."
The Knight shouted as he readied his Lance.
"Reinforcements! The Princess has been kidnapped by intruders!"
Kasumi blinked.
"Kidnapped?"
Sumire mirrored her sister's actions.
"Intruders?"
CLUNK CLUNK CLUNK CLUNK CLUNK
Ren grimaced as the group were now surrounded by the Knights. The original aimed his lance at Ryuji.
"Surrender the Princess now or you will be struck down!"
Ren shouted to the former track star.
"Ryuji, be careful! Something's off with these guys!"
Ryuji narrowed his eyes as the group of Knights pulled in closer.
"Wait? Is this shit for real?"
Ren positioned himself in front of Sumire and Kasumi.
"Guys! We need to get out of here! Run!"
Ryuji tried to grab Ann's hand as he took off but a close-by Knight slammed his shield into the blond knocking him to the floor.
Kasumi screamed.
"Ryuji-senpai!"
Another Knight started to bind the unconscious blond with a chain while the rest of the Knights closed in on Ren, Ann, Sumire and Kasumi.
The time traveler swore as he noticed the castle's main exit blocked off by a singular Knight. He whispered to the girls as he positioned himself to attack.
"I'm gonna buy you some time. You run and don't turn back!"
Before any of the female students could protest Ren charged forward.
The Knight standing at the castle door swung his lance at the approaching attacker but Ren was ready for it. The black haired teenager sidestepped the attack before throwing all of his weight into a desperation tackle that threw him and the Knight to the floor.
"GO!"
The girls ran as the Knights rushed to help their comrade. Ren attempted to stand up and try to hold a defensive line but soon found himself on the wrong end of a shield attack to the back of the head.
The curly haired teenager slumped to the floor unconscious.
"Hey...hey Ren...Wake Up!"
Ren's return to consciousness was slow and fuzzy. The Phantom Thief leader had to blink several times for the world to regain it's original sharp focus. Ryuji posed a question to him as he sat up from the sparse bed he had been laid on.
"You okay?"
"Yeah. You?"
The former track star rubbed his arm before answering.
"More or less...WAIT! The girls? What happened to them?"
"I tackled one of the Knights to the ground and told them to run. Hopefully they escaped."
Ryuji breathed a sigh of relief.
"Yeah, hopefully...man, what is this place?"
Ren lied.
"No idea...it almost feels like a dream."
"More like a nightmare."
As if the Palace was agreeing with Ryuji's conclusion several screams of pain and torment echoed through the dungeon walls, both males turned to each other in abject horror of what they were hearing.
Ryuji spoke.
"We need to get the hell out of here. Wherever here is."
"Maybe there's something in here that could help us escape?"
Ryuji nodded.
"Good thinking, let's look."
The male duo had been searching the cell for the last few minutes but had found nothing.
Ryuji growled in frustration.
"Damnit, there has to be a way out of here!"
CLUNK CLUNK CLUNK CLUNK
Ryuji frowned at the small group of Knights approaching the cell.
"I wish we found a weapon or something. I owe these damn Knights an ass-kicking."
The Knight leading the group spoke boastfuly.
"Be glad that your punishment has been decided upon. Your charge is unlawful entry! Thus you will be sentenced to death!"
"WAIT WHAT?!"
Another voice joined the conversation.
"No one is allowed to do as they please in my castle!"
Ren's expression soured as Shadow Kamoshida approached the cell, he had somehow forgotten how ridiculously perverse the Palace Ruler's attire had been.
Ryuji frowned.
"Kamoshida is that you?"
"I thought it was some petty thief but to think it would have been you Sakamoto. Are you trying to disobey me again? Looks like you haven't learnt your lesson at all, huh? And you brought a friend this time, because you can't do anything for yourself."
Ryuji slammed his hands against the bars.
"This isn't funny you asshole!"
"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! It's time for an execution! Take him out!"
Ryuji stepped back in fear as the Knight unlocked the door and allowed the others in. Ren took up a defensive stance in front of the blond as Kamoshida stepped in.
"What's this? Sakamoto, the least you could do is face your death like a man, but I guess hiding behind others is exactly what cowards like you would do in this situation."
Ryuji growled.
"I ain't hiding you son of a bitch!"
Kamoshida smirked as his soldiers aimed their lances at the pair of male students.
"I'd normally take my time with executing rats like you but I have other guests to entertain. This will have to be quick and very painful."
Ren's eyes widened.
"Other guests?"
Kamoshida grinned.
"Some lovely ladies are currently awaiting my royal presence. Were they with you? We caught them trying to escape my castle. I was thinking I'd punish them personally for being so naughty."
Ryuji's hands bawled up into fists.
"You're one sick fucking pervert!"
Kamoshida frowned.
"I've had enough of you! Kill them! Make them suffer!"
The Knights stepped forward and readied their attack as Ren and Ryuji contemplated their options.
Ryuji acted first.
The blond dashed forward and shoulder barged one of the Knights into the wall, Ren followed up by tackling another one to the ground while trying to steal it's sword.
The wrestling match seemed to be in vain as the Knight's grip was almost unbreakable.
"Ow! Damnit!"
Ren spun around when he heard Ryuji cry out.
A Third Knight had managed to sneak up behind the distracted Ryuji and had slapped him to the ground with his shield.
The Knight now had his sword raised above his head to deliver a killing blow.
Ren shouted.
"No!"
Time froze...
A familiar blue butterfly flew in front of Ren's face.
"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."
"Yes!"
A voice spoke through Ren's heart. The presence he had felt was finally coming forward, was finally acknowledging him.
"What's the matter? Are you simply going to watch? Are you forsaking them to save yourself? Death and torment awaits them if you do nothing. Was your previous decisions all mistake then?"
Memories flashed before Ren's eyes.
Images of a timeline that no longer existed.
"No! It wasn't a mistake! That's why I came back!"
"Very well. I've heeded your resolve! Vow to me! I am thou, thou art Iā¦Thou who art willing to perform all sacrilegious acts for thine own justice! Show the strength of thy will to ascertain all on thine own, though thou be chained to Hell itself"
Time resumed.
A large pulse of power rippled through the dungeon causing everyone present to turn their attention to the source of the shock-wave.
Ren's glasses had fallen off leaving a large white mask covering his eyes.
"Call upon my name, and release thy rage!"
In that moment Ren completely understood. This was not the Persona he had before. Arsene had evolved . That is why he did not answer his call before, Ren was not using the right words...but know he knew this name.
The curly haired male smirked as he grabbed his mask.
"Ravage my enemies...Raoul"
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
It's come to my attention through research that a lot of Persona fans don't know who Raoul is. Basically He's Arsene's third tier form through fusion (available through DLC). You can look it up if you want.
END OF AUTHOR'S NOTE
Shadow Kamoshida cowered in fear as he watched his Knights being ripped into shreds by Sakamoto's black haired compatriot. The masked boy had somehow managed to summon a power that not only changed his attire but gave him the ability to easily overpower his guards.
"Such immense strength. I..I have to escape. I cannot die here!"
The Shadow tried to sneak out of the dungeon cell to secure his safety and rally reinforcements but quickly found his path blocked by a smirking Ryuji Sakamoto.
King Kamoshida scowled.
"Sakomoto!"
"Where do you think you're going you piece of shit?"
"Out of my way! Obey your King's orders!"
"You ain't my King ya bastard!"
Kamoshida prepared a retort but that would have to wait. The Palace Ruler grunted in surprise as he was lifted off the ground and pinned to the cell wall by his throat. Despite his muscular figure he seemed powerless to remove his attacker's hand.
The masked male leaned in close as he spoke.
"Where are the girls?"
Kamoshida smirked.
"This is still my castle! Do you truly dare to question me?!"
Slowly and deliberately the masked man allowed the edge of his wickedly sharp dagger to carve a small bloody path down from the Palace Ruler's stomach to his inner thigh.
Right next to his...
Kamoshida gulped.
"W-w-wait!"
"Where.Are.The.Girls?'
"They're in the Upper Holding Cells! I swear it!"
The masked man studied Kamoshida's face before whispering into his ears.
"I'm busy today but rest assured that we'll be back for you, 'King Kamoshida'. That's a promise."
Ren released Kamoshida's throat from his grip just in time for Ryuji to knock the Shadow out with a solid punch to the jaw.
The former track-star cracked his knuckles as he stared at the now unconscious King.
"Asshole."
Ren spoke up.
"Let's go.We gotta find the girls."
Ryuji was literally brimming with questions about Ren and his kickass powers but knew this wasn't the best time. The transfer student was right. They had to protect the others.
"Right behind you dude!"
Ryuji cursed as they approached the bridge.
"Damnit! The bridge's raised, is there no way to lower it?"
Ren responded.
"Let's look elsewhere. There may be a way around it."
Ryuji followed without a word of protest. Ren had proven terribly efficient at navigating the paths of the castle so far.
Finding alternate routes around locked gates.
Noticing nearby Knight patrols when they hadn't even made a sound yet.
It was almost as if he had been here before but the very notion of that seemed impossible to the Shujin sophomore.
Ryuji was sure though that if anyone was gonna figure this out it would be Ren.
The blond commented as their investigation of the path only produced a dead end.
"Crap. A dead end. Do you have any ideas?"
Before Ren could answer. A voice called out to them.
"Hey you guys! Blondie and Frizzy hair over here!"
This would have been the first prisoner they had encountered so far that actually spoke to them. Ryuji rushed over to the cell to see if they could get some answers and maybe help the prisoner escape as well.
The blond frowned in confusion when he approached the cell and saw only emptiness. He turned to Ren to express his confusion.
"What the hell? Didn't someone just call to us?"
The masked teenager seemed to be holding a chuckle as he pointed downward. Ryuji followed the direction of companion's gesture to see the small cat-like creature leaning against the bars.
"What the hell?!"
The feline pleaded with them.
"You're not soldiers of this castle right? Get me out of here. Look the key's are right there."
The key to his cell was hanging from a nail on a nearby column.
Ryuji responded with obvious distrust.
"We're trying to find our friends and escape as well! You look like just one of the enemies we've been dealing with so far!"
Ren interjected.
"But he's locked up which means that more than likely Kamoshida sees him as an enemy as well. How does the saying go? The enemy of my enemy..."
Ryuji still seemed hesitant.
"I don't know man, this thing could be all talk!"
Ren turned to the cat.
"We need to find our friends and find a exit. Can you help us?"
The creature nodded.
"Well I've been around a few of the rooms and I definitely know where the exit is. I'll help if you free me!"
Ryuji had a follow up question.
"Can we trust you?"
"I'm a man of my word! Come on! Do you want to be captured and executed?"
CLUNG CLUNG CLUNG CLUNG
Ryuji grit his teeth.
"Shit they're already catching up!"
The blond checked his phone.
"...still no service. We can't even call for help."
Ren spoke up.
"Let's release him Ryuji. We can't afford for them to catch up to us now."
The former track-star relented.
"Fine..."
Ryuji quickly opened the cell while Ren watched for enemies.
The black feline skipped out of the cell with relief.
"Freedom tastes so great!"
"Now help us find our friends, monster cat!"
"I'm not a monster cat. My name is Morgana."
Ren spoke next.
"Well Morgana we need your help, there's a group of female students that we need to find."
Morgana frowned.
"We should hurry then. This Palace Ruler is extremely uncouth when it concerns the female gender. Follow me and keep your heads down."
Morgana remained quiet as the other two males followed him through the castle.
Not only for the sake of being covert but also because he was deep in thought.
The moment he saw the guy with the Frizzy hair it was obvious he had a Persona and could fight. What Morgana did not expect was what he would learn by fighting alongside him.
Frizzy-hair was strong. Real strong.
Maybe even stronger than him.
He was no novice fighter either. He grasped the battle tactics and strategy that Morgana explained rather quickly.
"Where did he learn to fight like that?"
There was no mistaking it. This guy was special. Maybe he could even prove useful. Blondie didn't seem to have the potential but there was no way to know for sure this early.
Ren spoke up as the group climbed another set of stairs.
"Are we close Morgana?"
The feline nodded.
"Right through here is where they keep the prisoners that are about to be transferred to the Training Hall. Hopefully your friends are still there."
Ryuji growled.
"They better be alright!"
The group stopped at another set of cells. Several moans of pain could be heard from some of the inhabitants.
Ryuji narrowed his eyes at a struggling male on one of the cell's floors.
"Hold on a sec...I think I've seen what this guy is wearing before...but where...damn it I'm too flustered! I can't remember anything right now."
Ren offered helpful insight.
"It looks like some kind of sports uniform or a jersey."
"Sports...uniform...The volleyball team! Kamoshida's in charge of them."
Morgana didn't seem to care about the revelation.
"We should search all the cells here. If your friends are not here, we'll have to go to the Training Hall."
Ryuji responded.
"But we can't just leave these guys here! They go to our school!"
"Listen I don't have time to explain! We need to get moving before more guards come!"
"Explain what?!"
"Blondie, they're literally-"
"Senpai! Is that you?!"
That sounded like Sumire.
Ren and the others raced to the cell where the feminine voice came from. To their great relief Sumire and Kasumi seemed to be okay inside their cell.
Ryuji's eyes searched the rest of the cell before he spoke.
"Wait where's Ann?"
Kasumi responded.
"We think she got away. While we were running, I tripped and Sumire turned back to help me. That's how the Knights caught us. When we looked ahead of us she was gone. The Knights didn't seem to find her either."
Ren speculated after hearing the twins offer their explanation.
"She escaped the Palace's distortion range. She should be safe then."
Kasumi spoke again.
"Anyways can you guys get us out of here ? The guard left the keys right on those crates.."
Ryuji nodded as he ran over to search the area. Sumire blushed as she took in Ren's appearance.
"Senpai...your clothes..."
Kasumi seemed to only just notice it herself.
"What are you wearing?"
Ren blushed a little before looking away.
"It's a bit difficult to explain right now."
Morgana hissed as Ryuji returned with the keys.
"Hurry Blondie, I can hear enemies nearby!"
The twins jumped in shock at the sight of the black feline. Both pointing accusatory fingers as they hugged each other.
"Monster Cat!"
"Monster Kitty!"
"I'M NOT A MONSTER CAT OR KITTY!"
"I've spotted the intruders!"
Another Knight raced towards the group with weapon drawn.
Ren frowned.
"Tch...Ryuji get the cell open. Morgana back me up!"
Morgana smirked.
"Gotcha!"
Ren performed a somersault as the Knight drew closer. The masked teenager landed on the surprised Knight's shoulders and grabbed it's mask.
"Show me your true form!"
As Ren ripped the mask clean off the Knight exploded into a puddle of red goo leaving behind two Pixies.
Kasumi narrowed her eyes.
"The Knights are fairies?"
Morgana spoke again.
"They may look harmless but they're dangerous enemies."
Sumire squeezed her hands together in worry.
"...Senpai..."
Ren dodged the Pixies' physical attacks with ease. The curly haired boy danced around them with grace before using his dagger to slice one of the Pixies in half.
The remaining Pixie growled as she watched her fellow Shadow evaporate into a cloud of ash.
"Eat this! Zio!"
The winged creature hurled a lightning bolt at Ren but again the masked boy was just too fast. He ripped his mask off as he circled behind the Pixie.
"My turn! Raoul, Eigaon!"
The Shadow screamed in pain as her body was consumed by the powerful curse spell.
The battle was over in seconds.
Kasumi commented as Ryuji opened the cell doors.
"So hardcore..."
Morgana followed with a sigh.
"Tells me to back him up and then takes them out without breaking a sweat."
Sumire's blush got a bit deeper.
"Senpai's a super hero."
Ryuji spoke as he turned to the other cells.
"We should let these guys out too."
Morgana groaned.
"Not this again! Listen I'm sure reinforcements are on their way!"
Ryuji fired back.
"That doesn't give us the right to abandon them!"
Ren got inbetween the two.
"The other people in these cells aren't real are they?"
Ryuji was beyond confused.
"What do you mean they're not real? They're right there."
Ren continued.
"It's just like ho this castle is here in this spot where our school should be. There's something off about all of this and I think those guys in the cells are all a part of this different reality. I don't think is our world."
"Well I gotta admit. You're far smarter than you look Frizzy hair."
Ren responded dryly.
"Gee, Thanks."
Ryuji shook his head.
"I'm still not getting it."
Kasumi joined in.
"You're saying this world's not real?"
Morgana responded.
"It's a bit more complicated than that..."
Ren spoke again.
"I promise to explain my theories later but we need to get out of here."
Sumire agreed.
"You're right Senpai, we're still in a dangerous place after all."
The group agreed to keep their question later as they followed Morgana to the exit.
Kasumi spoke with authority and venom, a stark contrast to the small blush on her face.
"Do not look up Ryuji-senpai!"
Ryuji grunted as he gave Kasumi a boost up into the ventilator shaft.
"Yea yea just go up already!"
Ren observed the scene with a small smirk before turning to Morgana.
"Sure you're not coming with us?"
"I still have something I need to do. You're on your own from here."
"Thanks for the help."
"Hmph. You helped me too so I guess we're even."
Ren noticed that the other three were already crawling through to the other side.
"We're going. Stay safe Morgana."
"Same goes for you."
Ren shared a parting nod with the feline before flipping onto the ledge and escaping through the ventilator shaft as well.
Morgana scratched his chin.
"Hmmmm Frizzy hair and his friends. Maybe I've finally found my ticket to regaining what I've lost?"
Ren, Sumire, Ryuji and Kasumi carefully observed their surroundings as they walked out of the alley.
There were no more Knights or dungeons around, it looked like an ordinary street with ordinary people going about their business.
Ryuji spoke first.
"Are...we back?"
Sumire's phone chimed in with a notification.
"You have returned to the real world. Welcome back."
Kasumi blinked.
"Real... world?"
Sumire nodded.
"I knew this app had something to do with it! We only got that headache after I activated it!"
Ryuji leaned in to take a look.
"An app? You think your phone did this?"
Sumire frowned.
"I'm not sure."
Ren decided to offer a suggestion.
"Well it seems like we're back, we should head to school and make sure Ann's okay. Hopefully we're not terribly late."
A familiar voice could be heard in the distance.
"Please officer! You have to believe me! My friends are trapped inside a castle...
The group all shared a look of concern. That was definitely Ann. Ren spoke softly as they walked towards the sound of the blonde's voice.
"We need to help her out, the police will think she's crazy. Follow my lead."
"Hey Takamaki-san!"
Ann turned to face the group of Ren and the others. She hugged the closest person who just happened to be the curly haired male.
"You guys are ok! I was so scared! How did you escape that castle?!"
Ren returned the hug politely as he observed the officers giving each other questioning looks. He discretely whispered to the blonde bombshell.
"Play along."
"Wha-?"
Ren greeted the police officers with a small bow.
"I apologize officers. Our friend here seems to have troubled you unnecessarily. I do apologize on her behalf."
One of the officers responded.
"She claims that her friends were stuck in a castle and were in danger."
"She may have misheard me on our phone call. I told her that our train had been delayed and we were hoping that we wouldn't be in any danger. You know with all the accidents that have been happening lately."
Both officers grimaced, several members of the public were in fact worried about the increasing rates of train accidents. The other officer joined in.
"Still doesn't explain the part about the castle."
Ren sighed.
"Ah yes, she was in one of the first accidents a few months ago. Her parents told us that the doctors believe that it impacted her in more ways than one. We're hoping that coming back to school with us will help her get back into her rhythm."
Most other persons would not have pulled such a lie off so easily but with Debonair charm and many nights of speech training with Yoshida-san , many things became possible for a silver tongued devil like Ren.
Both officers winced and shared a brief glance of sympathy with Ann. The senior policeman nodded.
"Well uh...just have someone keep her company next time. She could get into some real trouble. You guys are a bit late for school. Hurry along."
Ren smiled before turning to the amazed group of students behind him.
"Please share your gratitude with the officers everyone."
The group followed Ren's example as he bowed again.
"Thank You!"
Ren's eyes narrowed as he checked the time.
The police officer was right. They were late for school but they weren't as late as he had been last time.
They had only missed the first half of first period.
"Does time move slower in the Metaverse now ? Or maybe it was the fact that I knew my way around the castle and breezed through our battles. Last time it took us much longer to find Morgana and learn how to fight efficiently."
Ann was busily discussing details about the castle with the others.
"What?! He was wearing a pink bath robe?!"
Ryuji groaned.
"Yea it was super gross! I'm gonna have to wash my eyes with bleach to forget that sight."
Ann spoke again.
"And Ren is some kind of superhero now?"
Kasumi nodded.
"A hardcore superhero that wears leather. He uses a really cool dagger too."
Sumire joined in.
"He also kept talking to this red cloaked apparation that appeared over his head from time to time."
Ann shook her head.
"I'm not gonna lie if I hadn't been in the castle with you guys. I'd swear you were all crazy right now."
Ren spoke up as they made it to the staircase leading to Shujin's main entrance.
"We're at school. I know we have a lot to talk about but let's wait until after classes are done. Okay?"
The group nodded as Ryuji spoke next.
"I'll open the door to the roof for us. Let's meet there."
Ren responded.
"Good. Let's get to class. Remember your excuses!"
Kawakami sighed as she led Ren to class.
"Your first day of class and you're late."
"My apologies. I got lost, it's a good thing I ran into Takamaki-san who showed me the way."
"If second period had started without your arrival we would have been forced to call Sakura-san which would have been an even greater headache for me."
Ren perched an eyebrow as he responded.
"I'm sorry...I didn't know I was so much trouble for you, Kawakami-sensei."
Kawakami sighed.
"Sorry that came out a little harsh... it's just been a bad morning. There's something you should know."
"Someone leaked my record?"
"How did you...?"
"The students in the hallway are keeping as much distance as possible, even some of the teachers are averting their eyes. They're already afraid of me."
Kawakami had honestly not noticed but now that Ren had said it, the behaviour he had mentioned became obvious and a bit uncomfortable.
"Geez..."
Kawakami stopped at the entrance of a classroom.
"Well this is our homeroom. I'll introduce you. We may be off to a rocky start but I'm sure that if you behave yourself, keep your head down and keep a high grade average, this year will go smoothly. You might even make a friend or two."
"That is one option."
Kawakami wasn't sure she understood Ren's response but led him into the class anyways.
"Good morning again everyone. I'd like to introduce our new transfer student, Ren Amamiya. He'll be with us for the next year. I hope we all get along together, Okay? Is there anything you wanted to say Amamiya-kun?"
Ren nodded as he took a piece of chalk and wrote his name on the chalkboard.
The entire class including Ann was a bit puzzled by the action. Ren turned his attention back to the class with a smirk.
"As Kawakami-sensei said, my name is Ren Amamiya...and I'm sure you've already heard some rumours about me but I assure you they aren't true. I did not violently assault a singular person."
Kawakami was a bit impressed.
"Wow he decided to face the rumours head on, quite mature of him...maybe he won't be much of a troublemaker after all-"
Ren concluded his statement as he broke the chalk in half.
"I crushed an entire biker gang!"
The entire class minus Ann erupted.
"Ehhhhhh?!?!?!?!?!"
Kawakami felt light headed.
"I'm going to kill him."
WOW. THIS CHAPTER TOOK LONGER THAN USUAL.
I HAD TO CHANGE SOME THINGS WHEN I GOT NEW IDEAS FOR THE DIRECTION OF THE STORY.
HOPE YOU GUYS LIKED IT.
PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT/REVIEW.
I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
FAVS/ALERTS AND KUDOS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME.
THANKS AGAIN FOR READING.
THIS WAS YOUR BOY KINGNIKEN.
PEACE OUT.
