Lavenza was dressed for school with her bag slung over her shoulder. It was a big bag for someone her age, but she wasn't taking classes for her age, either. She tried to figure out the route to school using her phone as she went down the stairs. She had just walked by Sakura-san when he asked "Oh, so you actually are going to school?"
She put her phone away and greeted him. "Good morning, Sakura-san. Yes, I am."
"Here, I'll feed you. It didn't look like you'd made breakfast yet." He pushed a bowl on the counter toward her. Inside was a pile of rice drowning in some sludge. There were some red chunks along the edge. Lavenza would confess it had an appetizing scent. "It's curry, in case you didn't know."
Come to think of it, he was right that she hadn't had breakfast. She wondered when she last ate. She didn't remember to make dinner yesterday. Or breakfast... As she took the bowl of curry and sat at the bar, she wondered how she could have forgotten to eat the last couple days. Don't humans die without food? It should be instinct, right?
She already had a few thoughts on the dish after one bite. First, she would've liked it a little sweeter, but that was just her preference. Aside from that, it was pretty delicious. And pretty hot: both in temperature and spice. The fresh ember she stuffed into her mouth sent the conflicting message of tasty-and-painful. "Um, thank you, it's delicious, but it's also... it's... hot. Hot."
"Can't handle spicy, huh?" He gave her a glass of milk and added "This'll help. Just make sure you finish it before the customers start coming in." She thanked him for the milk, and after she finished, she thanked him for the curry, too. "Huh, turns out you do have manners after all... Hurry over to school. You'll end up late if you get lost on the way."
On her way to the station, she was determined not to get lost.
She finally made it to Aoyama-Itchome, and it began to rain. At first, it was a light sprinkle. Then, the drizzle turned heavy. Soon, all still at the rain's mercy were soaked to the bone.
Lavenza stood under an awning, protected from the rain as she used the navigation app again. In retrospect, it was foolish to think she would immediately know her way there on the first try. She knew better than to talk to random strangers, but that stupid red eye made it awfully tempting. Just as before, it appeared on her screen and made it difficult to use any other functions.
After a minute of fidgeting, she discovered it to be another app preinstalled to her phone. Without hesitation, she deleted it, hoping that would resolve her issues. She didn't even have time to smile before the app was back. In fact, deleting it seemed to have opened it instead. How irritating...
"Shit, I forgot my umbrella..." a nearby voice said. She turned to see it belonged to a teenage boy with blond hair. Just like her, he was hiding from the rain, using the awning as shelter. She noticed he technically wore a school uniform, but its modifications couldn't possibly fit within the dress code. The black blazer was left unbuttoned, and he wore a yellow shirt underneath which screamed "ZOMG!" (What is zomg? she wondered.) The badge-shaped emblem on his jacket told her he also went to Shujin.
He was a student like her, and at the same school, too. It couldn't hurt to ask him for directions... "Do you know the way to Shujin Academy?"
"Wait, who said that?" The vulgar boy looked around.
"Down here."
Eventually, he found her. "Oh wow, you're short. Are you a first year or somethin'? But wait, I still don't think I recognize you..."
She pointed to a pin labeled with the number two on her blazer. He had an identical pin on his own blazer. "Actually, I'm a second-year. I am the transfer student, Lavenza Amamiya." She introduced herself with a curtsy. Her phone made a noise, but she ignored it. She was in the middle of a conversation!
"Oh, I heard of you! The name's Sakamoto. I'm also a second-year." The boy jammed his thumb into his chest as another chime rang from her phone. "Yeah, I know a shortcut. Though, I'll wait for the rain to let up first."
"Would you like to share my umbrella?" asked a nearby female voice. It belonged to yet another blond student in a Shujin uniform. What were the odds the first two classmates she met had the same hair-color? Just like Sakamoto, she had some changes to her uniform, but her plain zipped up sweatshirt seemed more reasonable than Sakamoto's zomg shirt.
"Totally!" Sakamoto threw a fist in the air.
"Not you. You wouldn't fit." The blond girl looked at Sakamoto with narrowed eyes. She gestured to Lavenza. "I was talking to her."
"Fuckin' harsh, man..."
The girl held the umbrella such that Lavenza could step under it without getting wet. She accepted the offer. "I am extremely grateful, ma'am."
"Ugh, don't call me 'ma'am,' it makes me sound like an old lady. I'm in your grade!"
"My apologies."
"It's fine. I think I know the shortcut he was talking about, follow me," the girl said. She pointed down the street.
"Well," Sakamoto called out as the two walked away, "I'll catch up with you guys later!"
Once they were well out of earshot of Sakamoto, the girl explained "I'd recommend staying away from him, if I were you."
"Why so?"
"Well, he's been acting really weird lately. Ever since he got Kamoshida caught, he's been acting like...like... like he's overthrown the king of a castle-" another beep from Lavenza's phone "-and that he's in charge of it now. Whenever he causes trouble, the teachers don't do anything because it'd be bad press to punish the 'Hero of Shujin.'" She groaned. "Uh, if it wasn't clear, the castle in my metaphor is our school, Shujin Academy."
One last noise from Lavenza's phone. For a moment, she felt lightheaded. She wasn't sure why. She just assumed it had to do with going to a new school. She ignored it and continued her conversation. Annoyed, she said "I figured as much."
The rain seemed to slow. Quickly, it went from heavy downpour to clear skies. The clouds were even beginning to part. In a sudden shift of emotion, the girl put away her umbrella and cheered "Finally, a sunny day! Maybe this headache can go away soon, too. Oh, we're almost there!"
At least, they should've been. When they finally arrived at Shujin Academy's location, a massive castle stood in its place. It's spires reached up into a purple sky, piercing through whatever clouds remained. The front of the castle seemed vandalized, with messages written on it in spray paint. They said things like "Under new management!" or "Now 110% troll-free!"
"What! But it's supposed to be, like, right here!" the girl shouted. She looked back to the alley from which they emerged. "Did we go the wrong way or something?"
"I do not believe so..." Lavenza pointed to a sign by the castle entrance. It said "Shujin Academy." It was identical to the one outside the school of the same name, and aside from location, it was the only connection between it and their intended destination.
"Uh, maybe someone in there will know what's going on." The girl grabbed Lavenza's hand. "We should try not to get separated, okay? Now come on, let's check it out."
"I am not... okay, well I am a child, but I'll be fine." Lavenza ripped her hand away. A part of her thought she was too rude, but another part didn't care. Being nice didn't help with Sakura-san, why would it help with anyone else?
"If you say so..."
In the relative present, Shido was still interrogating a bruised and drugged Lavenza. Her story so far was slow and strange like upwards-pouring molasses. He was starting to doubt the effectiveness of the truth serum. First, she claimed she was framed. Next, she hallucinated about seeing some demon in a frozen Tokyo. Then, she had some random dream about going to prison. Lastly, she was suddenly in a castle with one of her classmates.
She would pay dearly if she was trying to waste his time.
"Your school turned into an old castle... do you think you're funny?"
Lavenza shook her head. "You said you heard about another world from the reports, did you not? This castle was in the other world."
He hated to admit it, but she had a point. "Well, how did you get to this other world?"
Lavenza groaned. "Be quiet and listen! You've hardly given me any time to explain!"
"Watch your tone..." Shido narrowed his eyes. He wouldn't tolerate any insolence. "Fine. I'll give you more time to explain, but allow me to give you a reminder to make sure you stay on-topic.
"The first 'calling card' sent by your group was addressed to a Ryuji Sakamoto shortly after your transfer to Shujin. Days later, the teachers reported him giving sudden and out-of-character apologies to each of them. Not long after that, your second calling card was sent. This one addressed to the former principal of your school: a man once known as Head Teacher Kobayakawa. He too experienced a change of heart not long after; he confessed to his involvement in Suguru Kamoshida's crimes, in helping him dispose of evidence and quieting rumors.
"You've already mentioned meeting Sakamoto on your first day of school, but Kobayakawa was gone months before then. So why? Why was he your next target? And when you targeted him, how did you change his heart?"
Shido stood up and stared down at Lavenza. His hands were tightly rolled into fists. "How did you make him confess?"
The two walked through the main entrance. Torches and candles lit the room, and a large chandelier hung overhead. They appeared to be in a central hallway with two regal columns holding the room together. Behind the columns were two stairways connecting and diverging as they lead to an upper level. Along the wall, halfway up the stairs, was a painting of a man in medieval armor vandalized such that the face was entirely painted over. Devil horns were crudely added to the painting, as well as childish messages strewn across it trash-talking the subject.
"What is this place?" the girl wondered aloud.
"Perhaps it would be wiser to turn back?" A part of Lavenza didn't agree with that statement, but she felt compelled to say it nonetheless.
"Yeah, you might be right."
"Who are you?" a voice called out from a nearby hallway. A large guard in gray medieval armor with a blue mask approached the two girls. He held a shield in front of himself in one hand and a sword behind him in the other. "What gives you the right to intrude the king's castle?"
"Wait, wait, wait!" The girl waved her hands in front of herself. "We were just wanting directions to Shujin Academy! We didn't mean to break into your...whatever this is."
"What a strange costume," Lavenza mumbled to herself, half-convinced this was another weird dream. Briefly, she fished out her phone to see if it would say where they were. After closing out of the stupid red-eye app, she saw the attempt was futile. "Hmm... No signal..."
Another armed guard arrived and approached them. The girl panicked more. In an attempt to dissuade them from harming them, she said "By the way, your costume is like, so cute. For a moment, I thought it was real!"
Yet more guards arrived. It was around this point Lavenza concluded this could be no more than a dream. It would explain the purple sky, the large castle, and the strange guards. It was for this reason, unlike the girl who screamed and struggled, Lavenza showed no resistance as the guards took them away.
They were locked in a cell deep below what Lavenza was now calling Shujin Castle. The girl paced back-and-forth while Lavenza sat on the wooden bed in the back, swinging her legs as they couldn't reach the floor. The girl then walked to the cell door and called out to the rest of the dungeon "If this is some secret camera show, it isn't funny! I think one of your actors almost broke my wrist! Aren't you supposed to bring us a medic or something!
"You can't film if I say brand names, right? Dr. Salt, 1UP, Starvicks...uh, what's that burger place, again? Big Bang Burger... Big Bang Burger!" The girl continued to string together a series of brands. When she ran out, she would repeat ones she had already said and start the loop again from the beginning.
"This is a very strange school," Lavenza said between humming. The song from her other dream was rather catchy. "Although, I assume it is not always like this."
"This isn't the school, it's some freaky nightmare! And how are you so calm!"
"It is as you said: some freaky nightmare. As such, this scenario and the danger within it are not real. Therefore, we have nothing to fear."
The girl groaned. "Are you part of this camera show? No wonder you were expelled from your last school."
Lavenza was going to ask the girl how she knew that, but she remembered this was only a dream, so of course she would know that. She was having so many strange dreams lately. First the dream in a prison, and now this dream in a dungeon. Could the next one please just be somewhere pleasant? A nice dream was all she asked.
She heard the approaching clunk of metal footsteps. She wasn't sure how many masked guards were on their way, but she could tell it was more than one. Eventually, four armed guards arrived at their cell.
And a king.
"S-Sakamoto?" the girl stuttered, confused.
Three of the guards wore the same armor they had seen earlier, but one was larger and wore gold armor. Unlike the three in gray, the golden guard didn't slouch. He stood up straight and tall.
Surrounded by the guards was a blond teenage boy in the same outfit Lavenza had seen him wear just moments ago, but there was an added royal cape and crown. Strangest of all, his eyes were glowing yellow. "Yo guys, check it out! I'm a Palace Ruler! Oh, also, it's King Ryuji, not Sakamoto. No need for such boring formalities!"
"Yeah, I'm not calling you that," the girl said.
"Somehow," Lavenza thought aloud, "your preferred name is both more and less formal than what she was already using."
"Hey! Don't forget who argued against your execution!"
"Our what!" the girl screamed.
"Yes, intruder," the golden guard said. He didn't even look at them. "King Ryuji has spoken in your defense, voiding your execution so long as you accept his offer."
"Offer?..." wondered Lavenza.
Ryuji got close to the bars. "So... I'm building an army. In like, a week, we're going to attack some asshole and give him what he deserves. Either of you want in?"
"Are... Are you crazy!" the girl shouted. "And you'll kill us if we don't!"
"Well, no. Uh, to both of those. Of course I'm not gonna let my guards kill you guys! If you say no, you can just leave. But, come on Takamaki! We're attacking the old principal guy. Y'know, the one that let Kamoshida get away with all his bullshit!" Sakamoto held a fist in front of himself. "Don't you want revenge on that guy! Make him pay for what he let happen!"
"Of course I want him to pay, but Sakamoto..." The girl called Takamaki paused. "If we go out and attack the guy, we'll just be causing more problems, not solving any."
"Okay, so that's your answer." Sakamoto brushed her off and turned to Lavenza. "What about you? You're that new girl, 'Mamamia,' right?"
"Amamiya, actually..." Lavenza corrected.
"Oh, right, sorry. I was up late last night playin' a bunch of Mario." To her surprise, Sakamoto's apology sounded genuine. "Listen, I heard the rumors, you're a troublemaker just like me. We like to cause problems for the rotten adults who wronged us. And this Kobayakawa guy, he's wronged a lot of people pretty fuckin' badly! Because of him, Kamoshida got away with a lotta shit! He coulda stopped Kamoshida, but instead, he let him take advantage of kids like us. Hell! If Kamoshida were still here, he'd probably take advantage of you, too!"
Sakamoto took a deep breath, then continued with a grin. "Anyway, you want in?"
Lavenza stood up and walked to Sakamoto. Her frustrations were visible on her face. She looked him in the eyes, even standing on her toes to appear taller. She spoke sternly, as though she were a mother chastising a child. "Do not speak as if you know who I am. Unlike any rumors you may have heard, I am not a troublemaker or a delinquent. I was framed for the crime of which I was accused! I do not wish to help with your scheme! Even if I did, I am on probation. If I cause any problems, I will be arrested, expelled, and sent to juvenile detention."
"Fine... Guards, let them go." Sakamoto groaned and backed away from the cell. The guards didn't respond. The statues merely stood there. "Uh, guys! I'm the king, so you do what I say. And the king says: let 'em go!"
"The intruders are to be punished," the golden guard said. He nodded toward the other guards and motioned to the door.
"No, no they ain't!" Sakamoto tried to pull one of the guards away, but he effortlessly shook him off. "I'm the king! I said don't hurt 'em, so don't hurt them!"
"The king is unwell. Take him away so he may not disrupt our execution," ordered the golden guard. A gray guard wrapped his arm around Sakamoto. He dragged him away, ignoring his thrashing and cursing. "Now, kill the child first."
"Yes sir," answered one of the lesser guards. The other unlocked and opened the cell door before they entered.
Lavenza confessed this dream felt far more vivid than most dreams did, and she started to panic as though it were real. It was only a nightmare, she shouldn't worry. She'd probably wake up any moment. So why did she wrap her arms around herself so tightly, as if concerned she may physically fall apart?
As the two guards closed in, she prayed to wake up soon.
"Which kid? I'm a kid, too." Takamaki stood defiantly between Lavenza and the guards. Takamaki assured the scared girl behind her. "I won't let them hurt you."
Lavenza made no objections to this. Although, she felt guilty that this were true.
"If you so insist," began one of the gray guards. He swung his blade at Takamaki, fortunately only hitting her with the blunt side. As she crashed into the wall, Lavenza cried out for her.
"Takamaki-san!"
"I'll be fine." She didn't look fine; she looked injured, collapsed on the floor as she was. "Run! While they're busy with me!"
A part of her said to run. Takamaki was right; they were distracted, and if she waited any longer, then they would kill them both. On the off chance this was real, she needed to survive. Another part of her said to try to save her. This felt too real to be a dream, no matter how strange it was.
And if it was real, she couldn't leave someone to die. She failed to save that man, but at least she tried, and she failed to save... to save... the memory was just out of reach. Regardless, she wasn't going to abandon Takamaki. Not without some kind of fight.
"Have you come to a decision?" A migraine struck her. Lavenza's legs weakened, and she fell to the floor. What was that voice? It was deep, and it echoed inside her head. She heard it before, but from where? "Are you forsaking her to save yourself? Death awaits her if you do nothing. Is helping her a mistake?"
"No, it's not," Lavenza told the voice. On this, she felt no disagreement from within herself. Not anymore.
"Then will you play this unjust game? Attempt to catch lightning in a bottle yet again? Will you risk everything! If thou art willing to perform all sacrilegious acts for thine own justice, then vow to me! Swear your blood oath!" The voice was getting louder and louder. "Until I am reunited with my other self, I will lend you my power! And you will use this power, destroy any enemies in our way, even if it drags you through hell itself! Swear it!"
"I swear..." Lavenza uttered with what little strength she had left.
"I have heeded your resolve. I am thou, thou art I. Call upon my name, and release thy rage!"
The migraine grew until her whole head throbbed in pain. It was as though her very mind tried to twist against her. Despite this, she did not feel nearly as weakened as before. She was able to stand back up, and she saw very little time had passed. Also, a light weight had appeared on her face...
"What is taking so long?" the golden guard complained. "Execute them! We've still another intruder to catch!"
"No." Lavenza glared at the golden guard. "You have caused enough issues."
She brought a hand to her forehead. The weight on her face was some kind of domino mask. It was stuck on, as though it were a part of her just as skin and bone would be. Like ripping off a bandage, she peeled the mask in one swift motion. Removing the mask caused a shock wave which knocked the lesser guards off their feet. Meanwhile, the golden guard was pushed back, his boots scraping against the stone they were dug into. She ignored the pain of removing the mask and shouted "Arsene!"
The white mask evaporated in her hands, turning into a blue flame. The flame grew until it took a form of its own. Towering behind her at many times her height, the fire took the form of a large demon with a fiery face and horns. He wore an old fashioned red suit with a black corset around his waist. Between the corset and his neck was a white ruffle tie. With one of his clawed hands, he reached up and adjusted his tall black top hat. He cackled a maniacal laugh as he billowed his long wings, revealing the ghostly chains floating around both his and Lavenza's feet.
"I am the pillager of twilight: Arsene!" He turned to Lavenza and explained "I am the rebel soul from my other self, but until such time that he and I may come together again, I shall reside within you. I can grant you the power to break through this crisis so long as our contract is upheld, so long as you have even an ounce of rebellion to your own name."
Takamaki cowered in the corner of the cell. "A-another monster? And, what's with that weird outfit!"
"I have already taken your vow," Lavenza told Arsene. Without noticing having acquired it, she lightly swatted a baton against the palm of her empty hand. "I will uphold the terms of our contract, but you must help us leave this place."
"Who do you think you are?" the golden guard asked. He pointed to his subordinates. "You two, kill her first! Use your true forms if necessary!"
The lesser guards dissolved into the floor. The resulting puddle then splashed back up, forming for each a pumpkin dressed as a witch holding a lantern. The Crypt-dwelling Pyromaniacs had a permanent grin carved into their faces, with an orange glow leaking from their eyeholes.
Arsene laughed. "What nostalgia! Now, detest the enemies before you. Use that animosity to fuel your power, and unleash it!"
It was almost instinctual. She felt a connection to the demon, as though he was now a part of her. And within him, she felt a power. A power she could use. She pulled on this power, Maeiga, and Arsene knew how to handle it from there.
He lay a hand on the ground, and a pillar of darkness emerged from below each Crypt-dwelling Pyromaniac. The darkness consumed the pumpkins, leaving nothing behind as the pillars vanished. While his face wasn't visible, the golden guard's concern was clear through his body language. Three new puddles appeared. From these, three new monsters: two more Crypt-dwelling Pyromaniacs and one Dirty Two-horned Beast. The beast was a dark horse with a white tail and two green horns. "Don't let her get away with this! Seize her!"
"Swing your weapon!" shouted Arsene, clearly eager for more battle. "These Shadows are so weak, I expect they would perish from even the lightest touch!"
Only after he pointed it out did Lavenza notice the extendable baton in her right hand. On it's handle, it had a button which probably served some purpose. Under her left arm, she held what appeared to be a black clipboard. On the side facing her, she saw it had the words Le Grimoire on it above a fancy V symbol surrounded by a circular pattern. She also noticed her outfit was entirely different, a mix of black and blue and red she didn't have time to decipher.
One of the Crypt-dwelling Pyromaniacs approached Lavenza, readying itself to swing a lantern at her. She swung at it with her baton, shattering it on contact. Its "weapon" destroyed, it tried to charge at and tackle her. She struck it with her baton again, accidentally pressing the button on its handle as she did. A jolt of electricity surged along the baton, shocking the monster. Defeated, the monster collapsed into the ground where it melted, the puddle slipping away through the bricks' cracks.
"Kill them however you like!" Arsene cheered. "Run wild to your heart's content!"
A grin surfaced to Lavenza's face. "I've barely started."
"Idiots! Can't you kill at least one kid?" the golden guard asked. A loud blast echoed from down the hall. The golden guard, frustrated, yelled to his subordinates "We do not have the time for this. I'll trust you to finish it. I must see how the others are handling the first intruder."
The golden guard marched away as the Dirty Two-horned Beast lunged at Lavenza. She tried to block it with her baton, but it wasn't enough to absorb the hit. She dropped her weapon as she was knocked away; it landed some distance away from her. Meanwhile, the clipboard landed beside her, paper-side up. The paper had only scribbles on it, but the ink squirmed on the page, changing shape and form. The monster continued its charge. With nothing else to stop it, Lavenza held up the clipboard as a shield with both hands. The monster's horns were stuck on the clipboard, unable to pierce it.
"Arsene!" she called out, pulling on the magic inside him. She heard his laugh as he again used the power of Maeiga.
The pumpkin could be heard giving its last yell from the other side of the room, and the beast cried out as it was consumed by a pillar of dark. Unlike before, it was only weakened when the pillar vanished. It growled as it tried in vain to break through the clipboard again. Lavenza could only wonder what that clipboard was made of.
As the Dirty Two-horned Beast reeled back to charge, Lavenza swatted its head with her clipboard. Hoping this would disorient it long enough, she got up and made a run for her weapon. She held down the button that charged the baton. The monster lunged at her, and she swung the electric baton at it. Once again, it wasn't enough to stop it entirely, but it collapsed and melted from the damage just before it hit her.
With all threats dealt with, the room became much more still. Lavenza allowed herself a breath of relief.
Still powered by adrenaline, Lavenza took a look around the cell. Takamaki got up while Arsene laughed. "Excellent. Together, we have finished-:"
"Shut up!" Takamaki had taken off her shoe and pointed it threateningly at Arsene. "Don't hurt her."
"Takamaki-san," Lavenza assured. "He helped us. Without his aid, I doubt we would have repelled them all."
"Do not sell yourself short, little warden," Arsene said. He was speaking to Lavenza, but she wasn't sure why he was calling her a warden. "You were quick to harness my power. You remind me of him... at least, in that respect."
"I am not sure what you are talking about," Lavenza said. "And why am I a warden? If anything, I would expect to be a prisoner."
"Have you not noticed your change of attire?" Arsene asked.
"Okay, good, you see it, too," Takamaki said. "I thought I was imagining things."
"So you say to the floating demon you hold at shoepoint," Arsene commented. He pointed at the weapon in Takamaki's hands. With a long laugh, he added "I would hope you find a better tool to specialize in."
"I will agree with that." Lavenza didn't doubt they would encounter more guards on the way out. Maybe they could try to take one of their swords before it melted? "Now, what is this you are saying about my attire?"
"You look like a prison guard. Kinda..." Takamaki said.
Lavenza looked down at her clothes and agreed with that assessment. Instead of the school uniform she put on that morning, she now wore a blue prison guard's uniform. However, the long, dark coat and red gloves she wore seemed to clash with this descriptor. "When did my clothes change?"
"It is the manifestation of your rebellion," Arsene answered. "After having awoken to my power, your clothes have changed into your image of a rebel. In such apparel, you are empowered by your own will. However, I will take credit for a portion of it; your mask and coat seem to have been influenced by my presence. My other self wore an outfit not dissimilar in those aspects."
"Why does your hat say 'oxymoron'?" Takamaki asked, the last word said in English.
Arsene reached for Lavenza, and when he pulled his hand away, something left her head that she hadn't even noticed was there. In his clawed hands, he held a blue hat with black wrapped around the base. On the front, which she only saw as he turned it around to examine it further, it had OXYMORON written on it in golden letters from the Latin alphabet.
"So that is what they meant..." Arsene mumbled. He returned the hat to Lavenza. "English was never a strength of my other self."
"Who is this other self you keep mentioning?" Lavenza asked.
"I am certain you have many questions. However, I believe your escape is a far more pressing matter." Arsene gestured to the cell door. "For your sake, I would recommend unsummoning me before you take your leave. To keep me here longer than necessary must surely be an exhausting task."
As the remaining adrenaline subsided, Lavenza felt herself struggle to stand. He was right, she had already used up much of her energy. A flash of blue occurred around her. She noticed Arsene disappear into a similar flare of light, and her clothes had returned to normal.
"How did you do that?" Takamaki asked.
"Do you mean how did I make him appear, or how did I make him go away? Truthfully, I know not the answer to either." Lavenza collapsed to the ground from exhaustion. "Help."
"Do you at least know how you changed your clothes like that? Your costume was totally cute."
"I cannot answer that either," Lavenza said, her face half in the dirt. "Whatever that... power was, I feel I have spent myself using it. Now, please, help. Help me."
"Oh, right."
When the golden guard left, he had not bothered to lock the cell door again. The dungeons below Shujin Castle, which were a sprawling stone network carved between sewers and cells, were dotted with the crumbs of destroyed statues. Fortunately for their sake, any drawbridge Lavenza and Takamaki saw were lowered.
Whatever it was that gave Lavenza a weapon and powers, it seemed to have gone away when her clothes turned to normal. Therefore, the two had no choice but to hide whenever they saw guards.
There was only one path they were able to go, and this included crawling through holes in the walls and jumping across boxes floating in the river. This path did not fill them with confidence. The occasional explosion echoed down the hallway, and any guards they saw were going in the same direction as them: toward the explosion.
"How many cells does Sakamoto need?" wondered Takamaki as they drew closer to the commotion. "Especially when all of them are empty like this?"
"You would know the answer better than I. I had only met him today. Did he always have a castle?"
"I don't think so..." Takamaki scratched her head.
A mechanical rumble revved, and another burst detonated nearby. Whatever it was, it was clear they were nearly upon it. The clanging of metal and the grunts of fighting could be heard just around the corner. Whenever another explosion detonated, a flash of blue light filled the hall, casting the shadows of monsters caught in a brawl.
"Shh... Whatever's making that noise is right here," Takamaki whispered. "Okay, how are we going to handle this?"
"I can think of a few options," Lavenza began at regular volume. Takamaki put a finger to her lips, and Lavenza remembered to speak more quietly. "We could try to sneak past while they are occupied with each other. However, if they spot us, we'll likely be captured again. If we could've gotten hold of a weapon, then perhaps we could try to fight them off..."
"No way. You saw how big those guys are!" Takamaki whisper-yelled. "Plus, what good is a weapon when they have armor?"
"I noticed my baton was effective against them."
"But you had that monster helping you," Takamaki said. An idea struck her. "By the way, any chance of getting it back?"
"Doubtful... I am unsure how he had appeared in the first place. While you were getting hurt, I wanted a way to fight back, a way to save you. Arsene offered me a contract; so long as I gave him my vow, he would help me save you."
"So you literally made a deal with the devil. Great..." Another explosion occurred as Takamaki thought for a moment. "When you had that power, your clothes changed, remember?"
Lavenza nodded. "Mhmm."
"And the monster said it was like your rebellion made real, right?"
Lavenza nodded. "Mhmm."
"Then, if you felt really rebellious, would you get those powers back?"
There was a logic to Takamaki's line of thought; at least, it was as logical as anything else in this castle. "But how can I make myself feel 'really rebellious'?"
"I don't know. Try thinking about something you hate. Or like, someone you want to rebel against."
Think of something she hated? Lavenza didn't hate Sakura-san, but she was annoyed by how quickly he was to dismiss her for a crime she didn't commit. She was then reminded of Mr. Iwai, who wanted her gone the second she walked in the school. Of course, none of this would have happened if it weren't for that woman who framed her...
"Like that!" Takamaki cheered.
Once again, Lavenza was in the prison-guard-plus-coat outfit. She reached to her face and felt the mask there. Without thinking, she knew how to bring back Arsene. "Persona."
The mask burned in her hands, and she could sense Arsene's presence behind her. "I have been summoned yet again."
"Now we can fight them."
"Not us," Takamaki clarified, "just the monster. I still don't have a weapon, and you're like half my height and a third theirs!"
Both Lavenza and Arsene were annoyed by her comment. Arsene articulated his issue. "Perhaps you had not heard earlier; I am Arsene, a gentleman thief, not some petty monster."
Lavenza held her baton clearly for Takamki to see. "I have a weapon."
"I'm not going to use a toddler as a shield!"
"Have you not heard of a human shield?" Arsene laughed. What was it about everything that he found so funny? "It is this purpose she may fulfill."
"Mhmm. So long as you do not pick me up, I may serve to protect you," Lavenza said, taking the shield part too literally.
Arsene turned to Lavenza. "And I shall remind you your very will protects you here. It would take more than a single strike of their blades to bring you down."
"Let's hope we don't need to find out..." Takamaki mumbled. "Okay, is everyone ready?"
Lavenza nodded in agreement, and Arsene followed suit. Without words, she told Arsene to lead the charge. With how strange everything else had been that day, she hadn't even questioned it.
One at a time, Arsene, Lavenza, and Takamaki rounded the corner. In yet another stone hallway in the deepest bowels of the castle was a group of guards. Two gray guards and the golden guard from earlier surrounded a young woman dressed in a black and blue skintight suit. Her outfit had spikes on the shoulders and knees, and a scarf hung around her neck. She wore a pair of brass knuckles over her white-gloved hands.
The woman looked worn out. She was hunched over, panting. Out of the corner of her eyes-which were nearly concealed by the metal mask over them-she seemed to notice the newly arrived trio. "More? There's so many of them..."
The golden guard also noticed them. While none of his veins were visible, they were audibly popping. "Can none of you guards do anything right! Finish her, then kill them!"
"Niijima-senpai...?" Takamaki muttered.
"Wait... you're..." The woman, who Lavenza assumed was Niijima-senpai, turned toward them. While she took a moment to look at each of them, her attention seemed drawn to Lavenza in particular. "Another Persona user..."
The gray guards melted again. One transformed into a Mad Marsh Horse, a green ghost suspended in midair lacking its hind legs. The other became a Hunting Puss in Boots, a purple bipedal cat in red. Together, they chanted "For the king!"
"Today is your day to die, intruder," said the golden guard. "Accept it."
"'Accept it'? No. I've been listening to you ramble and taunt for too long now! I'm done with your threats. Right, Johanna?" Niijima-senpai ripped the mask off her face. It clattered to the floor and burned into a silver motorcycle with a blue face on its front. Wispy, intangible chains fluttered between its tires. The bike charged at her, and she flipped midair before landing in its seat.
"Where'd she get a bike!" Takamaki asked.
"Perhaps it shares the same origin as Arsene," Lavenza guessed.
"That is the level of flare I shall be expecting from you, at minimum," Arsene told Lavenza, pointing at Niijima-senpai.
Niijima-senpai revved the engine, then rushed at the enemies. She drifted and bashed them with her back tire. As they fell back, she took a stop beside Lavenza and Arsene. "So you're a Persona user, too? Try to keep up, we're going full throttle!"
She revved the engines again. An unnatural blue glow surrounded the Mad Marsh Horse. The unstable energy combusted around it, overwhelming it with the power of a concentrated nuclear explosion. The monster melted away as the attack dissipated.
"An impressive display," Arsene began, "but our own shall eclipse yours."
That surprised Niijima-senpai. "Did your Persona just talk?"
"If that is unusual, then we will need to discuss it when the opportunity arises." She pointed to the Hunting Puss in Boots. "Here goes. Kneel!"
Lavenza pulled on the power again, but still fatigued by her first summoning of Arsene, she did so with less effort. She reached only for the power of Eiga. Her Persona obliged and made short work of the enemy.
Now, the golden guard stood alone. Lavenza and Arsene stood at the ready, prepared to attack. Niijima-senpai circled around the guard and cut off his escape route. Both hands on the grips, she revved the engine and told the guard "You're not going anywhere!"
"I have had enough of you. All of you!" The golden guard melted into the floor and emerged as a knight in red armor with horns riding a dark horse. A spear in one hand and the reins in the other, the Guard Captain's glowing eyes shot daggers at the two Persona-users. "Regardless of what that puppet pauper prince says, this is my castle. Mine! My word shall be law..."
Fire generated at the tip of his spear. He snapped his weapon toward Lavenza, and the flame flung off the end. The blaze rushed at her. The fireball knocked her off her feet. "Ahh!"
"Amamiya-san!" Takamaki shouted.
The Guard Captain jumped over Niijima-senpai. He turned back to the three high schoolers. "I will allow your passage out of here, so long as you never return. Such mercy for intruders is unprecedented; do not forsake it."
The Guard Captain galloped away as Takamaki and Niijima-senpai went to check on Lavenza. "She should be fine, it was only a light attack. Although, she may have been burned..."
"Of course she was burned! Didn't you see the big fire that hit her right in the face!" Takamaki yelled. "That thing was as big as her head..."
Lavenza pushed herself off the ground. "I concur with Niijima-senpai: I am fine. I simply was not anticipating it to use projectiles."
Arsene began to interject. "As I informed you-:"
"Why didn't you take the hit for her!" Takamaki interrupted.
"Takamaki-san, relax." Niijima-senpai began to explain. "She's a Persona just like Johanna-my motorcycle. They're a part of us. If she was hit, then Lavenza would have felt it just the same. But, normally she wouldn't be able to talk to anyone else."
"You are correct that I am a Persona, an other-self, but there are a few inaccuracies with your statement." Arsene crossed his arms. "First of all, I am not Lavenza's other self. However, so long as my own is...indisposed...I have agreed to serve as her mask. It is likely this irregularity which allows us, thou and I, to communicate. Secondly, my other self and I are male."
"That's...not how Personas work. I don't think I've heard of anyone using someone else's Persona..."
"Then tell me, Makoto, how much do you know of Personas aside from your own?"
"You're the first I've seen, but I've read some of Dr. Isshiki's research, and..." Niijima-senpai paused. "Wait... How did you know my name? I-I never said it."
There was hesitation from Arsene. "It had slipped out earlier. I merely remembered it. Now, to the topic at hand: these circumstances are far from normal, but so too are those which had separated me from my other self."
"How did you get separated?" Niijima-senpai asked.
"Who is your other self?" Lavenza asked.
"What's going on?" Takamaki asked.
"I am certain such questions will be answered in time, but perhaps we should focus our efforts on our escape. I doubt the Shadow will honor his offer if we wait too long."
"You know it's called a Shadow, too," Niijima-senpai noticed. "How much do you know about the Metaverse?"
"Possibly more than you." Arsene chuckled.
"Yeah, well, we don't know much at all!" Takamaki added, referring to Lavenza and herself.
"Indeed. You two have been conversing without us using particular terminology. It has been difficult to follow along..." Lavenza trailed off, not making eye contact.
"We can figure everything out tomorrow," Niijima-senpai said. "For now, we need to get out of here and get to school. I have volunteering today and-:"
"Seriously?" Takamaki asked. "We're stuck in a crazy castle and all you can think about is school?"
"You know, I've been in these places before!" Niijima-senpai countered. "But after today, I'm probably not going to do it before school again. Sis is going to be so upset when she finds out I was late..."
Niijima-senpai used her Persona to heal the three of them, and Lavenza unsummoned Arsene. Just as before, her rebellion outfit went away afterward. Takamaki tried asking more questions, but Niijima-senpai ignored them so she could focus on navigation. As the golden guard promised, they were allowed to leave; any guards they saw on the way paid no mind to them, even if they made a sound, even if they were seen.
At the castle's gates, Niijima-senpai explained how to return to reality. "Okay, I don't have time to get into where we are or how you got here, but to get out, back to the real world, you need to return to where you were when you first entered. Just retrace your steps before you got to the castle; you would've felt a headache when you entered, if that helps narrow it down."
"Aren't you coming with us?" Takamaki asked.
"My entrance point was just over there," Niijima-senpai pointed to a spot around the corner. "And I really need to get to school."
Niijima-senpai summoned and started up Johanna again. Before she drove off, Takamaki said "Wait. Can you at least get our tardies excused? Shouldn't be a problem for you, Miss President."
She looked at Lavenza. "Today was going to be your first day, right? I'll tell them the trains were hectic today, and you tell them the same thing. You were late because of the subway, understood?"
"Shouldn't we tell people about this castle?" Takamaki asked.
"I'd advise against telling anyone about this place. Like I said, we can meet up and discuss this tomorrow." Before there was any chance to object, Niijima-senpai rode off with her motorcycle.
Following her instructions, Lavenza and Takamaki were able to return to the real world, the purple sky becoming a its usual blue. To Lavenza's irritation, her phone made noise yet again as they exited the weird castle-world. It sounded like words, but she wasn't able to catch the exact message over the other sounds of the city.
While the two believed they returned to reality, they had no way of knowing until they saw the school. Leaning against the sign to Shujin Academy, with a stick in his mouth, was Mr. Iwai. He removed the sucker from his mouth when he saw the two. "So you decided to show up after all, huh?"
"I am very sorry, Mr. Iwai," Lavenza apologized. "The subway system has been harder to navigate than I anticipated, and the train schedule is still in disarray from the crash a couple days ago." Technically the truth, even if it was only part of the story.
"Really?" Mr. Iwai asked. He turned his gaze to Takamaki. "And what about you? You should know your way to school by now."
"Uh, I was trying to help her, but somehow I managed to get us even more lost." Takamaki's tone didn't sound convincing. Lavenza hoped she would stop talking soon. She didn't. "You know how, like, when you do things all the time, it's automatic? But when you actually try to think about it, you have no clue what you're doing? Yeah... it was kind of like that..."
Mr. Iwai shook his head. "Y'know, if the school president didn't just show up dealing with the same issue, I would've thought you guys were pulling my leg. I guess I'll overlook this for you, Takamaki-san..."
"If it helps, Mr. Iwai," Lavenza began, "we do not intend to pull any of your limbs: neither your arms nor your legs."
"Uh, right..." Mr. Iwai struggled to determine if Lavenza was joking or not. "You're not off the hook though, Amamiya-san."
"What?"
"Remember when I said you had two chances? Well, now it's one. Don't waste it." Mr. Iwai started walking inside. "Now c'mon, I was supposed to talk to you when you got here. Meet me in the faculty office."
Mr. Iwai started walking inside, and Takamaki yelled after him. "Wha- but it's not her fault! That's not fair!"
He stopped and sighed. His shoulders slouched, he mumbled "A lot of things ain't fair..."
It was lunchtime when Lavenza and Takamaki walked in. Students milled about the halls, but all heads turned toward them as they passed. And they talked. Alone, each was only a small whisper, but together they made a series of noise. Waves of chatter. A bombardment of overstimulation.
"It's the transfer-"
"She's short-"
"-shorter than Isshiki-"
"She doesn't look dangerous..."
"I heard she's not even old enough to be a second-year."
"Why'd they let her skip years?"
"Is that allowed?"
"I hear that's how she gets you."
"Amamiya?"
"I bet they'll send her back to-"
"-prison-"
"-elementary-"
"-makes you think she's harmless, then bam!"
"-bites you if you get close."
"The guy she attacked-"
"Amamiya?"
"-died-"
"-put in a coma-"
"-still hospitalized-"
"-never walk again-"
"Amamiya?" Lavenza felt a hand on her shoulder. It belonged to Takamaki. Lavenza lowered her hands from her ears. She looked at her companion. "You walked by the faculty office. It's right back there."
"Thank you. It would seem I missed it." Lavenza was about to turn around when Takamaki grabbed her arm again.
"Wait," she started. "Um, I'm still really confused about what happened earlier, and I'm not sure if any of that was real, but... thanks. I mean, you probably could've just ran out without me."
"I cannot sit idly by as those around me are hurt. Not again."
"Oh! One more thing. Don't let the rumors get to you, okay... I still get a lot of them, even now."
The whispers hadn't stopped. "I shall try to keep that in mind."
When Lavenza entered, there were already a dozen other people. Most were students talking with their teachers. Fortunately for her, it seemed they didn't notice her. Save for one teacher in a black sweater. He heard the door open and got up to greet the transfer student.
"So, late on your first day." Mr. Iwai's arms were crossed. "You're lucky I believe in second chances. If not, you'd've already been gone."
"Wouldn't attending Shujin already be my second chance?"
"Maybe for you, but it would've been you're first chance that I'd seen." Mr. Iwai grinned. "Although, if you're so excited to get expelled, I could just kick you out now."
"That would be-:"
"Relax, I'm just messing with you. But you might want to learn when to keep your mouth shut. You really questioning a second chance?"
"I just..." Lavenza wasn't sure how to finish her sentence.
"Anyway, I see you've already met Takamaki-san. I don't know if she told you, but everyone's already heard about your record."
"She had not, but the students in the halls made no effort to hide their knowledge." Lavenza couldn't help but feel disappointed. She was under the impression that information was confidential.
"Obviously, they weren't supposed to know about that. We also weren't gonna tell them your age. As you probably heard, knowing how young you are only helped the gossip spread faster. We only would've told them that if someone tried hitting on you. They'd back off real quick after that..."
"Ah, because people are less likely to attack someone younger than them?"
"No, I mean hit on as in... Nevermind. Somehow, word got out, and after that newspaper club member-well, sole member-found out, she couldn't help but write an article on it." Mr. Iwai paused to think for a moment. "Anyway, lunch is about to end and class is about to start. Because of the subway crash a couple days ago, school's ending early today, so you'll be free to go after fifth period. Follow me, I'll take you there.
"This is the new transfer student," Mr. Iwai announced to the class. "She's a little late today because...we thought it would help to give her extra time to figure out the subway system on her first day. Would you like to introduce yourself?"
"My name is Lavenza Amamiya," she said with a curtsy. A dark-haired girl with red glasses in the second row shot up a hand.
Mr. Iwai shot her down. "Now is not the time for questions, Suzaki-san."
"I was just wondering if she would be willing to corroborate the article I wrote about her." The girl called Suzaki pulled out a small notepad and a pink mechanical pencil. She hungered for an answer.
After one sentence, Lavenza didn't like Suzaki. She must have been the newspaper club member Mr. Iwai told her of, the one who spread her record and age to the school. "I have yet to read your article, but from what I have heard, I am doubtful of its accuracy."
"You've heard of it..." Suzaki wrote something down. "But you also haven't read it yet."
"Enough," Mr. Iwai said. "Put that away. It's time for class, not an interview. Amamiya-san, there's an empty seat over there behind...oh, Sakamoto-kun."
"Heh," Sakamoto chuckled. He sat...incorrectly. His chair was leaned back, and his feet were propped on his desk. If he wasn't careful, he might get mud on the mess of papers Lavenza could only assume were notes. "Don't sound too excited, teach."
"Be quiet. And sit up straight." Mr. Iwai groaned.
Even in the classroom, the students loved their rumors. While much quieter, so to not be noticed by the teacher, the students were discussing their hypotheses about the new "delinquent" transfer student.
"I heard assault was all they could pin on her, but she'd done a bunch of other stuff, too."
"-breaking and entering-"
"-shoplifting-"
"-drug trafficking, at her age!"
"-she's crazy-"
"I saw her with Takamaki. What if she's her... ya know... k-i-d?"
"Oh, I knew she was a slut, but good god Takamaki! Got any other kids?"
"-kidnapping-"
"This is supposed to be a prestigious school, not a fucking daycare!"
"-homicide-"
"-extortion-"
"-manslaughter-"
"Her 'cute little girl' act reminds me of that one anime."
"You mean that gory one about the psycho loli?"
"-blackmail-"
"-murder-"
"Quiet, she might hear us!"
And all that was just on her way to her desk.
"If that's enough chitchat," started Mr. Iwai, "I've got a class to teach."
That managed to shut them up. For now, at least.
Lavenza got out her school supplies and tried to focus on Mr. Iwai's lesson. It wasn't easy. Somehow, the silence was louder than any whispers.