"a/n Hey everyone! Well, it's been a lengthy break of about three months or so, but I'm back again! Not everything is fully resolved, but I'll try to update AFitT and already have a good portion of the next chapter for this story written down, so I'll also update soon. The next chapter will also mark the end of the dreaded Shido arc :( Honestly, I feel like this version of Shido is awful and the last few chapters have been a drag to read, for which I apologize. But after that I have a special arc written that I think you guys will love, so just hold on a tad more.
For now, I hope you enjoy chapter 11.
Yes!" Ren triumphed and raised his hand into the air, taking another sip of coffee "All right!"
Making coffee was not really a hobby or anything, he just enjoyed taking Sojiro's supplies of beans and replacing them with bugs. Plus, he really needed to celebrate – within a few minutes, Shido wouldn't be a problem anymore, and Ren made certain of that: after taking over Kaneshiro's mafia ring, there was nothing that could stop him anymore.
As if that wasn't enough, soon he'll start gaining profit from Nijima's old casino. Rebuilding a Palace turned out to be a difficult task, but Ren found the answer in hiring a bunch of Shadows from third world Palaces to work for him. At first, they weren't totally convinced, but after the boy offered them a competetive salary of four yen per hour with a guaranteed bonus of not slaughtering their families, they happily got to work. Some people really have the lowest requirements.
The door opened, and in came Sojiro, carrying a bunch of groceries.
"Oh, you're making coffee, huh?" The old man asked putting the bag down "Here, let me try."
Ren looked at him surprised with the man's sudden guts, but… what the heck? He was in a really nice mood that day, so he might as well try and see what that "being a good guy" stuff was all about.
He got up and allowed the bartender to take his place.
"Hmm." Sojiro muttered "The flavor profile is a little bland. You should consider adding more ingredients. I-i mean..." Sojiro's eyes widened and he stuttered "I see you did it exactly the way I taught you. Well done"
For some reason, the comment made Ren smile.
"Hey, wait a minute!" Sojiro commented as he gazed upon the small shelf where he kept all his beans "What the hell?"
The man got up and walked to the shelf
"Oh, you didn't..."
The barista picked one jar after another, carefully examining and sniffing the beans. When he got to the biggest one, he stopped abruptly and asked without turning around:
"Did you touch my Fazenda Santa Ines?"
"Um..." Ren suddenly found himself scared for some reason "I only took one tiny, little bean and..."
Rapidly, Sojiro slammed the glass in the wall, breaking it and sending the rest of the coffee to the floor.
"I thought I told you, you little brat" Sojiro shrieked in a weird, squeaky and irritating voice "hands of the expensive BEEEEAAANS!".
Ren gasped, as the man did a 180-degree head turn and immediately noticed Sojiro's expression changed. He now had completely red eyes, with a small, vertical line instead of pupils. Black saliva dripped from his mouth as he breathed heavily, and his fingers were replaced with sharp metal blades.
Ren gulped with terror.
"Sakura-san, please! I didn't know..."
"REEEEEEEE!" Sojiro roared, as he jumped over the cash machine, nearly hitting the ceiling.
All Ren could do is watch as the landed on top of him and with one strike slashed the blades through his throat. Ren began to choke and groan as Sojiro continued to land more hits. He started feeling tired and his eyes began closing…
LINE BREAk
"GAAAH!" Ren sat up rapidly, all covered in cold sweat and looked around. He was in his room, in his bed, with no signs of Sojiro or someone else nearby "It was just a nightmare." He breathed in relief as he laid back down "Just a nightmare..."
There was no denying it – the stress of the last few weeks, primarily of trying to outsmart Shido, really took his toll on him. And it was hardly surprising – after all, at the tender age of sixteen, Ren went through shit so horrifying and twisted that perhaps not any adult would be left without scars. It was not even his first nightmare those last couple of days, but it was the first dream that felt so real… like it all could actually happen in real life. But, with Shido's downfall, it will all hopefully end.
He closed his eyes, hoping to go back to sleep.
Rapidly, something sharp tore through his pajamas and chest. Ren shouted in pain and sat up again.
There was a demon in the room. Ren could feel the monster's burning, yellow eyes shining through him as if the creature was trying to bake him alive with it's hatred. The demon hissed and prepared for another attack. It was not big, actually it was quite small, but the sheer presence of it made Ren paralyzed with terror.
"What… what do you want from me!?" He yelled, looking for a way to defend himself.
The creature jumped on his bed, still piercing him with it's eyes.
"JOOKEEEER!" The demon screamed, "YOU ABSOLUTE ASSWIPE!"
"Wait!" Ren reached a small lamp near his desk and turned it on "Morgana!?"
"Obviously!" The cat did not lower its tone
"Wait, where's your tail?"
"Meeeeeooooow!"
"Oh, yeah!?" Ren yelled back "Well, you're a cat!"
At first, Morgana gasped. Then, he furiously attempted to throw himself onto Ren. However, he did not calculate the fact that Ren can get up, so he slammed face first into the nearby wall.
"Have enough yet?" Ren asked half bored, half amused.
"You tied me up to a Christmas tree! I could have frozen to death!"
"Who helped you ?" Ren cursed under his breath as an idea hit him "It was Sakamoto, wasn't it!? That son of a bitch!'
"Noone did!" Morgana yelled back "Everyone just mistook me for a christmas decoration! It's a good thing the temperature went up and the ice melted!"
"But as it did, your broken tail snapped and still hangs of the branch that I hanged you on?"
"Silence!" Morgana yelled as the boy started to chuckle "You think this is funny!? You think cruelty against animals is funny, you jerk!?"
"Jeez, come on, Morgana, it was a joke."
"A joke!?... You know what!? I have enough of this! This ends now!"
"Oh, no." Ren's smile faded a bit as he e remembered the trouble Morgana caused by bringing home Harru Mercenarru "Morgana, don't. Just don't."
"Oh, but that's what I'm talking about Joker." The cat suddenly changed his tone to a cold whisper "I won't. I won't do anything anymore. I give up."
"Wait, what!?" Ren's smile now completely faded as Morgana's tone sent a shiver down his spine "Give up!? You can't give up!'
"That's too bad, as it's what I am doing right now. " The cat hissed as it turned around "Goodbye, Joker. I hope you enjoy this shitty storyline with a ridiculous plot that barely makes any sense and is filled with awful humor and cheap running gags. Hope you don't fall in any plot hole. I have enough. "
And with that, Morgana started walking towards the stairs. For a few moments, Ren just stood there, not believing in what just happened. But suddenly, he felt he needs to do something. He gritted his teeth and ran after the cat.
"Oh, hell no!" The teen yelled as he approached the cat "Who do you think you are!? You're not going anywhere! You hear me!? Come back right now!"
The cat did not bother. It was already at the bottom of the steps.
"Morgana! Don't you DARE give up on me!'
No reaction again, and Ren watched as it approached the door.
"Oh, come on! I'm sorry, okay!? I'm sorry that I bullied you and even killed you four times, and that I used you as a bait whenever I went fishing, and..." The cat jumped on the handle and opened the door. "Morgana, please! I swear, I'll make it up to you, just come back! I will even throw you to the bottom of mementos! Shit, I meant take! I will TAKE you to the bottom of mementos! We will get your memories back!"
"Thank you, Joker." The cat responded, turning to him one last time "But I think I can get to the bottom of Mementos on my own."
Ren gasped and watched as the cat leaves the coffee shop.
"Oh yeah!? Fine!" He shouted at the top of his lungs "Go, I don't need you! I..."
His last words were silenced by a sound of a thunderstorm that was just starting. Ren waited for a few minutes, but Morgana did not come back. He was alone.
Hello darkness, my old friend,
I came to talk to you again…
Angrily, Ren picked up his cellphone and answered the call.
"What the hell do you want!?"
"Job complete." The person at the other end said simply.
LINE BREAK
He found himself staring at the ceiling of the place he knew and loathed from the depths of his heart. Which was quite ironic, as the place apparently WAS his heart.
"How goes the rehabilitation?" a strong voice asked.
"Oh, for God's sake, not today." the boy muttered and cursed under his breath. He decided not to answer and pretended to be asleep.
"Welcome to my Red Room."
"Wait, what?" Ren sat up and looked around the room."Red Room?"
"Yeah, we had to re-paint all of the walls, after the, umm..." Igor grimaced "Incident happened last time you were here."
"Why Red though-" Ren stopped and widened his eyes "I was right! You sick, perverted..."
"Know your place inmate!" Caroline exclaimed, hitting the bars with her bat "Who do you think you're talking to!?"
Ren followed the voice and for a brief moment found himself at a loss for words.
"Why are they locked behind the bars? Why are they in chains?"
"Well.." Igor turned to the girls with anger "Maybe if someone hasn't been found in the fucking Velvet CPS Office, Pappa Iggy would trust them a bit more."
"The CPS? You mean Child Prote..."
"First, I would like to congratulate you on expelling the one proud of their modesty."
"...ction services?"
"Or so I would like to say, however something strange seems to have occurred, didn't it?"
"Strange?" Ren paused "What happened?"
Igor chuckled, bur Ren started to feel panicked.
"Who knows?" the old man asked "However, can't you sense it? The malicious spirit of another...it seems as if a contingency has occurred… I truly look forward to how you overcome this predicament"
"Oh, Goddammit, will you just speak like a normal person does and tell me what happened?"
Something started ringing. It grew louder and louder and louder… it was an alarm clock.
"Time's up, inmate." Caroline declares "Hurry up and return to your real world."
"God, no! Not right now, just hold on a second"
"Well, I guess you could still fuse a persona or two." Igor muttered, "Is that what you wish of me?"
"Ho- Ho – Ho!" Jack Frost's voice erupted in Ren's head "Ho- ly shit, no!"
"I don't want to be beheaded, mommy!" Kodama cried.
"Tshh..." High Pixie whispered "Be quiet honey, maybe he doesn't remember we're here..."
Ren looked at Igor
"As a matter of fact – yes, I do."