Disclaimer: All characters and events that take place within the story are fictional. Any relations to real people or events are purely coincidental. All copyrights belong to Atlus.
Art by Zengoro on Pixiv. Thanks so much!
Warning: Deviants explores psychological disorders, thoughts of suicide, attempted suicide, sexual assault, and emotional trauma both from an intrapersonal and interpersonal perspective. If you or anyone you know are suffering from any of the above, please seek professional help.
Saturday, April 16
Early Morning
The wooden stairs squeaked twice beneath Ren's shoes with each step, once on and once off.
Waking up this morning had been particularly difficult. His alarm had first woken up Morgana. And after Ren didn't budge the black cat had decided to bat him repeatedly in the face with his paws. Ren could still hear the alarm echoing in his skull along with his throbbing temples.
"Morning, kid."
Sakura Sojiro stood behind the bar like he always did, wearing the same variation of button up dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up and light colored slacks beneath the black and gray-striped apron. The warm smell of brewing coffee and nose-tingling curry was stronger now than it was in the evenings.
"Good morning, Sakura," Ren greeted as he settled into one of the bar stools in front of a plate of curry. "Thanks again for the breakfast."
Shortly after Sakura brought him the cup of coffee, creamer, and sugar.
This was the norm that Ren came to expect after washing up. While it wasn't the typical breakfast most people would have it was much more than what Ren had grown accustomed to in the past six months. Sakura said the least he could do was provide at least one decent meal everyday.
I could still do without the coffee, though. Ren mused as he added cream and sugar. The black liquid turned into a light caramel. He took a sip and tried not to wince. It wasn't getting any better. At the very least it sent pleasant tingles through his head and dulled the painful throbbing.
On this particular morning, though, Ren was thankful for some semblance of routine.
"You okay, Amamiya?"
Ren glanced above his fogged lenses. It was unusual for Sakura to address him by name, and most mornings Ren ate in relative silence. Ren turned to the side as he fought back a yawn. "Yeah, just… tired, is all."
Sakura poured himself his own cup of coffee. "Is that all?"
Ren didn't know how the man could drink coffee straight from the pot. "Um… I guess, yeah. Why do you ask?"
"I got a call from the school when I got home last night," Sakura's face tightened slightly before adding, "they said a girl had jumped from the roof."
"... Right. Yeah… yeah that happened," Ren let out a shaky breath and stared into his cup. A part of Ren still wanted to deny it and convince himself that it was all just a bad dream. But the bad dreams have never ended even when he woke up.
"Such a shame," Sakura sighed. "Maybe it's for the best…"
Ren momentarily forgot about his aching head. "What?"
"Oh, sorry! I'm not suggesting it's a good thing the girl jumped, not at all," Sakura was beside himself with horror. "I'm just… thinking to myself. School… School's hard, isn't it?"
Ren took a sip. He couldn't even taste anything. Ashes, was what he felt. "It is. And it never seems to get any easier."
Sakura remained silent for a moment. "Why don't you uh…. Go check out Dr. Takemi's clinic down the street if you're losing sleep over it. You saw her briefly last night. I don't know anything about medicine, but she can probably help you out."
Ren felt Morgana stir in his school bag. "I'll think about it. Thanks, Sakura."
Sakura only nodded, looking lost in thought.
It was one of those rare mornings that Ren managed to secure himself a seat on the metro. It was still as crowded as ever during the morning rush hour, but at least he wasn't shoulder to shoulder and being crushed every possible moment.
"Holy crap," Morgana whispered through the small opening in Ren's bag. "I knew these things were crowded, but I've never been in one before. How can you people even stand this?"
Ren peeked to the people seated on his left and right. Looked like they were asleep. "It's the norm, I guess. I'm lucky I got a seat."
"By the way, are you planning on going to that clinic after school today?"
Ren pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his aching eyelids. "I don't know. Maybe?"
His bag shifted around on his lap as Morgana found a more comfortable position. "I think we should check it out. If we're going to steal Kamoshida's Treasure it would be a good idea to stock up on medicine."
"That's not a bad idea," Ren admitted. "What about that medicine you gave Ryuji? You said it was your own special medicine or something, right? That worked really well."
"Well… the thing is…"
Ren didn't have the energy to humor Morgana. "You just found it, didn't you?
"Yes," Morgana sheepishly responded.
"Alright, we'll check out the clinic after school, then. I'll ask for painkillers, maybe stimulants."
"Stimulants?"
"A classification of drugs including those that increase the activity of the central nervous system and the body. Like caffeine and Adderall," Ren explained. "Might help us out if we start getting tired."
"How do you know that stuff?"
"It's an interest of mine," Ren lied.
"Well, I'll leave it to you, then… say, are we almost there yet? I feel like I'm going to cramp up any sec- ow ow ow!"
"Shhh!" Ren mentally apologized to those around him as he muffled his bag as best he could, conscious of the curious glances from all the meowing.
After School
"I know I shouldn't be laughing, Amamiya-san… but…" Takamaki snickered as Ren looked away embarrassed.
Ushimaru-sensei had caught them texting during class and nailed him in the middle of the forehead with chalk… again. There was a small welt that served as a reminder.
"Yeah, yeah, laugh all you want." Ren didn't feel entirely bad. It was a small price to pay to see that Takamaki found it in herself to laugh.
Ren, Takamaki, Ryuji, and Morgana all huddled in the confines of the alleyway just outside Shujin Academy. The reason why they'd been texting was because they were deciding on where to meet.
"Hey, look on the bright side. This might make getting those painkillers even easier," Morgana reasoned.
"Painkillers?" Ryuji looked a little worried. "Stomachache or somethin'?"
"No, we're planning to get some in preparation for the Palace," Morgana explained. "We don't know what we're going to face in there, so it's best to be prepared. We should take this weekend to get ready."
Takamaki cocked her head to the side. "What else do we need? I still have the whip I took from the Palace. So I think I'm set."
"How about guns?"
Everyone stopped and turned to Ryuji.
"What?" Ryuji looked as innocent as a newborn puppy. If it was an act it was a convincing one.
"Like, actual guns?" Takameki asked in disbelief. "How would we even do that? The Yakuza?"
Ryuji shook his head. "No, no, no! Like, airsoft guns or something."
"Airsoft guns?" Morgana raised an eyebrow, but his interest was obvious. "What're those?"
"They're like, toy guns," Ryuji said.
"Are those the ones that shoot plastic bb's or something?" Ren had heard of them before. Never used or seen one, though.
"Yeah, those are the ones!" Ryuji snapped his fingers.
"And how, exactly, would that help us in the Palace? What are we going to do, shoot the guards with plastic bb's?" Takamaki asked sarcastically. "Yeah, that'll go well."
"It might just work…" Morgana muttered, deep in thought.
Ren spun to Morgana wide-eyed. "Wait, seriously?"
"That place is all about cognition and how things are perceived. If the guards see that we have guns and believe that we actually have guns, they'll function like guns. In other words, they'll actually shoot bullets. At least in theory," Morgana sat and chewed his lip.
"I can't believe we're considering this," Takamaki brought a hand to her face and sighed.
"But if this works," Ren folded his arms. "That's a serious advantage we'll have."
"So we're giving it a shot?" Ryuji asked excitedly.
Ren looked at Morgana and Takamaki. The latter appeared skeptical, but Morgana seemed to be on board.
"Can't hurt. How much do those things cost?" Ren had no knowledge about this stuff at all. "And I have no idea what we're looking for, by the way."
"Depends on what you want. I think there's a place on Central in Shibuya Square. I can scout it out," Ryuji offered, all smiles. "Want to come, Takamaki?"
"Uh, I'm good," Takamaki declined. "I was planning to go see Shiho after this anyways. She's allowed visitors and her parents are going as well. I… would like to see them."
"We understand, Lady Ann," Morgana spoke empathetically. "You do what you need to do. We'll handle the preparations."
"Thanks guys," Takamaki offered them a smile.
"So Morgana and I will go see if we can get prescription medications at a clinic. Hopefully something stronger than what we can get at the local drug stores. And Ryuji's going to check out that airsoft store for inventory and prices," Ren summarized. "Should we gather tomorrow to visit the airsoft store and pick up anything else that comes to mind?"
"Sounds good. Oh man, I'm getting pumped!" Ryuji leaned back, the motion being accompanied by the distinctive popping of joints.
"Works for me," Takamaki gave a thumbs up.
"Looks like we have a game plan!" Morgana hopped into Ren's bag. "See you all tomorrow, then!"
"Aaaaaand break!" Ryuji clapped his hands and they dispersed.
"So this is the clinic that the Chief mentioned, huh?" Morgana examined the storefront.
It was ordinary for a small clinic. Several advertisements lined the windows along with the store's hours.
"Oh, pardon me," a voice chimed from behind them.
Ren turned with Morgana in tow, seeing that the speaker was an older woman who was holding a grocery bag filled with produce.
"I just wanted to tell you that you should avoid Dr. Takemi's clinic if you want any medical help. I've heard that she sells drugs that don't meet medical standards and are dangerous for you."
"Yes, I'll be sure to do so. Thank you for informing me," Ren nodded but remained rooted to the spot, watching the woman walk away.
Morgana hummed thoughtfully. "If this doctor has those kinds of rumors floating around, maybe she'll be more inclined to help us out. Speaking of which, how do we plan to get the medicine?"
"I don't know," Ren admitted as he approached the door. "I'll make something up along the way. Mix in a little truth, who knows?"
Inside was even smaller than Ren expected. A potted plant dominated one corner, the vision chart was in the waiting room, a brochure stand filled with medical waivers and documents, and a door to a unisex bathroom filled out the room.
Ren approached the window, past which was a small office space filled with file cabinets. No one was sitting behind it. He rang the small bell sitting on the counter.
A few seconds later the same woman he'd met briefly at LeBlanc the night prior stepped into the office space. Her ghostly pale skin was almost translucent, contrasting greatly with her dark-blue, bob-cut hair. She wore the same dress as yesterday, the only notable difference being she wore a lab coat in place of her leather jacket.
"First time here, right?" She nodded in greeting and only paused when she was standing across from him. "You look familiar…"
"Yes, we met briefly last night in LeBlanc," Ren quickly explained.
"That's right. I'm Dr. Takemi. It's nice to meet you. Although I suppose it'd be better for both of us if you didn't have to come here in the first place, right?" Dr. Takemi chuckled as she gathered a form and pen. "Anyways, what can I help you with today?"
"I haven't been able to sleep well, lately. Trouble falling asleep more than staying asleep." Ren decided to stick with the truth. First step was to get into the door.
"Hmmm… Alright. Please head through that door and I'll be right there," Dr. Takemi pointed to the only other door than the bathroom.
"Thank you, doctor," Ren bowed slightly and followed the instructions.
The exam room was ordinary, but cluttered with more tools and instruments than most. Seemed like most of her examination equipment was in this very room and not in storage.
"Take a seat in the examination chair," Dr. Takemi pointed as she settled into her own seat. "Before we get started can I get your name and age?"
"Amamiya Ren. 16 years old."
"High school, then. Shujin Academy, right?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Do you take any medications? Prescribed or over the counter?"
"No, ma'am."
"Anything in your medical history that I should be aware of? Chronic conditions, allergies, recent surgeries, anything like that?"
"No, ma'am."
"Don't call me 'ma'am,' I'm not that old," Dr. Takemi rolled her eyes and pulled out a penlight. "Go ahead and look forward. Can you describe your symptoms for me?"
Ren felt his eyes beginning to water as the bright light flooded a portion of his vision. "I have trouble falling asleep at night. Headaches in the morning aren't uncommon for me. I'm tired for most of the day."
"You went to LeBlanc, did you drink coffee before you went home?" The light winked off.
Ren tried to blink the after images of the light away. "Uh, no. I actually live there. I do have coffee in the morning, though."
"You live there, huh? Hold out your arm for me, I'm going to take your blood pressure and pulse." Dr. Takemi looped the BP cuff around his bicep and secured it in position. "Must be nice to get free, delicious, freshly brewed coffee every morning. I'm envious."
"Really? I don't see the appeal." He felt his biceps feel like it was about to be crushed before the cuff started to release the pressure.
"Eh, like a lot of adult things it's an acquired taste," Dr. Takemi noted his vitals and removed the cuff. "So lack of sleep and headaches are the only things bothering you, correct?"
"Yes."
"Are you under any stress?" Takemi crossed her legs and leaned forward.
"Uh… Yeah, I would say so." Ren forced himself to look straight.
"How many hours of sleep on average do you get every night?"
Ren mulled that question over for a moment. "Four, maybe five? It's hard to say."
"All right, I'll prescribe you some sleeping pills. The headaches should go away once you start getting adequate hours of sleep." Dr. Takemi began filling out a small slip of paper.
That wasn't exactly what Ren wanted. But he could work with this. "Could I get some pain medication as well? For the headaches. I have difficulty staying focused in class."
The pen stopped. Dr. Takemi scrutinized him with slightly narrowed eyes. "Is that right? Fine. All I have are my own formulas, however. They still meet all the medical standards and qualifications. And if you need more, stop by anytime."
"That'd be really helpful. Thank you, Dr. Takemi," Ren took the prescription and read it over.
Dr. Takemi reached into a cabinet and pulled out two small pill bottles. "Thank me after we fix your awful sleeping schedule. Is there anything else I-"
A strong series of knocks on the examination room door abruptly interrupted her. "Takemi! We need to talk."
Annoyance and anger flashed across Dr. Takemi's face as she raised her voice to the door. "In a moment, I'm currently with a patient."
With barely contained frustration she turned to Ren. "Anything else bothering you?"
"No, thank you again."
"Well if there's nothing else… I need to take care of this," Dr. Takemi pointed her pen at the door.
"Sure, that's no problem." Ren stood up and entered the lobby, spotting a man wearing a suit pacing back and forth.
Without a word he brushed past Ren and straight into the examination room. The door shut behind him.
"Hang on, Ren," Morgana stopped him as he made his way to the exit. "Let's see what they're talking about."
"Morgana, what do you mean? They could be talking about confidential medical information," Ren hissed.
"And what if they're talking about that rumor the lady told us? You know, those dangerous meds?" Morgana was struggling to get out of Ren's bag.
"Okay, fine! Just stay still." Ren stepped back towards the examination room door, making a conscious effort to stay light on his feet. It was a lot harder here than it was in the Palace.
"- you attempting to create a super-stimulant? A drug like that will become a social issue!" The man's voice was muffled, but Ren could make out what he was saying if he focused on it.
"You're really persistent, you know that?" That was Dr. Takemi. "I'm just a back-alley doctor barely making ends meet."
"You're a disgrace to the medical community, Dr. Takemi. Dispose of that medicine immediately and turn in your medical license. The name 'Tae Takemi' will-"
Something clattered on the floor. Ren looked down and saw a pen. His pen.
Ren heard footsteps approaching the door.
"Quick! Get out of here!" Morgana urged Ren, almost leaping out of his bag to bolt himself.
Ren didn't need to be told twice. Luckily the exit was only a single stride away, and Ren had just shut the door when he heard the exam room open.
He was halfway down the street when he heard heavy footsteps clapping on pavement in front of the clinic. Ren didn't turn around.
"That was too close for comfort," Morgana breathed once they were back in his room above LeBlanc.
"What happened?" His pen should've been in his pencil case. Ren shuffled through his bag, finding his pencil case had been slightly opened. "How did this even happen?"
"Maybe all my moving around wiggled it free… Sorry, that was my bad," Morgana's ears deflated before perking up again. "But that doctor's making a super strong medicine! That could come in handy. We should ask her about it next time."
Ren pulled out the pill bottles and started reading the labels. "I don't know, that could get us into some serious trouble if we're caught."
"We just have to make sure we don't get caught. But good work on securing our source of medicine!"
Ren had just taken a seat on his bed when his phone pinged.
It was their group chat. Ren held out his phone so Morgana could see.
Ryuji: Hey, so the store on Central is called Untouchables Airsoft.
Ryuji: It's legit. There were all kinds of guns all over the walls.
Takamaki Ann: What about the prices?
Ryuji: It's… kinda pricey.
Ryuji: At least the cool ones were.
Ryuji: Cheapest guns I saw were around 1500 yen.
Ren: That's a lot cheaper than what I was expecting.
Ren frowned and checked his wallet. Only a 1000 yen bill greeted him after paying for the medicine.
Ren: But that's more than I can afford right now.
Ren: The medicine cost more than I thought.
Takamaki Ann: Oh, so you managed to get it?!
Ryuji: Nice one, dude!
Takamaki Ann: I can manage to buy my own stuff. But I can't really spot anyone…
Ryuji: Don't worry, Ren! I got you.
Ryuji: We'll get some cool ass gear tomorrow!
Ren: Hachiko statue at noon?
Takamaki Ann: I'll be there.
Ryuji: Hype hype hype!
"I'm curious what kind of model guns this store has. We might be able to pick up some decent stuff!" Morgana seemed rather satisfied. "Our preparations are going well so far. And once we're ready, we can start working on the Palace."
Ren found himself thinking back to what that "Igor" told him. The Palace apparently adapted in order to "eliminate" him. And judging how every time they went in there they had nothing but close calls he had to be ready. Whatever happened was on him. He couldn't let anyone down. Not again. He would not be defeated.
Sunday, April 17
Daytime
"Yooooo!" Ryuji waved at Ann from across the square. Onlookers looked between him and her. A few of them smirked.
Ann seemed to glance around before quickly making her way towards him.
"Glad you made it, Takamaki. Now we just gotta wait for Ren." Ryuji stuck his hands back in his purple jacket's pockets.
Ann scanned the station crowds, "Yup, seems like it."
"So… how was yesterday?" Ryuji shifted his weight from foot to foot. It was weird being able to talk to her one on one like this.
"Exhausting. Shiho's parents were… upset, to say the least," Ann's grip tightened on her bag.
Ryuji cleared his throat. "Did they uh... know what's been goin' on? With the volleyball team?"
Ann squeezed her eyes shut and spoke, angry and dejected at the same time. "Yeah… yeah they knew."
"What the hell…" Ryuji seethed, his right foot tapping the ground incessantly. This was so fucked up! Thinkin' 'bout this just made him think of his dad, and that was one of the last things he wanted. "How could they-"
"Please don't…" she begged.
The tapping stopped. Ryuji wondered how often she'd cried like this since the incident with Suzui. Since middle school. Would she have been alone like this if he hadn't been so scared? How much had she suffered since? Ryuji's throat began to constrict. He had to clear his throat a few times just to speak. Even when he did, it came out like a croak. "... I'm so sorry, Takamaki."
"Huh?" Ann looked at him in surprise, eyes slightly wet but clear.
"I couldn't do anything- no, that's not right. I didn't do anything for you. Or Suzui. I was so caught up with Kamoshida that I couldn't realize what was going on," Ryuji looked away, frustrated.
"It's fine, Saka-"
"No! It really isn't!" Ryuji almost shouted. If it wasn't such a big deal he wouldn't be feelin' like this! So… pissed off and annoyed!
"Hey, why don't we tone it down a little?" Ann suggested, looking to her left and right
Ryuji followed her gaze and noticed several onlookers. He sighed and spoke softer. "I-I left you by yourself in middle school. I know the rumors bothered you, Takamaki, and I just… I just left you alone."
He felt so ashamed. He'd been such a coward. All it would've taken was a single 'hello.' Ryuji looked at anything but her.
"Hey," Ryuji felt Ann step a little closer. "Look at me."
Ryuji turned to those clear, pale blue eyes. So clear.
"I wasn't alone," Ann promised. "I have… had… Shiho. You have nothing to apologize for."
Ryuji shook his head. "That doesn't mean what I did was right. And I… I really started to get pissed off at you. I thought you were getting cushy with Kamoshida and… that just didn't sit well with me."
"I'm sorry, too. I saw how hard it was when the track team disbanded and… that man broke your leg." Ann grimaced at the memory. "It was painful for me to see you walking around school with your crutches with no shoulder to lean on. And just like you I was so caught up in my own problems that I ignored you. Even though I knew it was wrong."
Ryuji stared at her in disbelief. Then he gave a small laugh. Ren was right, that damn bastard. "And here I was thinkin' you hated my guts."
Ann shook her head, a smile tugging at her lips. "You're too dumb to really hate."
For the first time Ryuji took the joke as it was. He was glad to see her smile. "I'll take that as a win. Can I… Can I call you 'Ann,' again?"
This time Ann truly smiled. "You already did yesterday, Ryuji. Twice," she teased.
Ryuj felt his ears grow hot. "Crap… here I was thinking you didn't hear that in the moment."
"Oh, I heard it all right. 'Ann!,'" she tried to impersonate his voice with a low pitch.
"I-I did not sound like that!" Ryuji protested, his neck and the roots of his hair burning. She just really had to mess with him, didn't she?
"Sure, sure." Ann laughed gleefully.
For a guy who spent his entire life growing up in a small suburb out in the countryside walking through Central Street, or Central as Ryuji and Takamaki referred to it, was like a kid in an amusement park. Everything he saw was fascinating, eye-catching, and a bit overwhelming. Small convenience stores, a DVD rental store, a cafe, Central had pretty much anything and everything you wanted all in a single block.
Untouchables Airsoft, however, was not on that block. Set aside in a small backstreet connected to Central, it avoided the majority of foot traffic. A small store for those who knew where to look. Camouflage uniforms for desert, jungle, and arctic terrain were fitted onto mannequins displayed in the windows along with ammo boxes and busts with military-styled helmets.
"This is the place," Ryuji slowed to a stop in front of the store. "Like I said, pretty legit, right?"
"I'll admit, this is kind of exciting." Ren almost felt a little nervous. He'd never seen a gun in real life before, even a model.
"You into this military stuff?" Ryuji raised an eyebrow before realization dawned on him. "Wait, you mentioned you didn't know what to look for, nevermind."
"It's more of a curiosity," Ren admitted. "I don't have anything like this back at home so this is my first time seeing this stuff."
"Hang on," Morgana poked his head out and looked at each of them. "Does anyone here know about guns?"
They all exchanged a look before Takamaki shrugged. "Well, we aren't going to get anywhere from standing out here. Let's head in, shall we? We can ask the guy behind the counter."
Takamaki waltzed up to the door, Ren and Ryuji following close behind.
For having never seen a gun in person a wall filled with guns came as much as a shock as Central did. Guns of all shapes, lengths, and sizes organized by model placed around the room like an armory, magazines resting on the counters beneath and uniforms neatly folded in small cubbies. The middle-aged man sitting behind the counter barely glanced up from beneath his military-style cap, salt and pepper buzzed hair matched his gray hair. The eyes glinted a dangerous, suspicious light. Ren noticed a small lizard head tattoo poking up from beneath the collar.
Ren quickly looked away. Tattoos, while no longer holding their historical significance of branding a criminal, were still frowned upon. And, more often than not, meant Yakuza. Taking a deep breath, Ren began to browse with Ryuji and Takamaki.
"Yooo, whadda you guys think about this?" Ryuji hefted a fairly long rifle with a wide barrel. He gave it an experimental pump followed by the satisfying sound of metal being racked. Ryuji's eyes widened with glee. "Ohoho hell yeah!"
"What is it?" Takamaki asked with a raised eyebrow.
"A Remington Model 32," the man approached them from behind. Ren didn't even hear him getting up. "American design. Side-ejecting pump-action shotgun that fires in 12, 16, and 20 gauge variants. Produced from 1931 through 1949, although it was a bit pricey to manufacture for what you got outta it, hence it's short production cycle."
The casual information dump more or less made Ren realize this guy knew what he was talking about. Ryuji was right, this place was legit. For better or worse.
The man eyed them each up and down. "Never seen you three before."
"Uh, yeah we're kinda new to this stuff," Ren answered for them after realizing neither wanted to speak up.
The man rolled a toothpick around in his mouth. "Well, if you're interested I'm willing to help out some fresh fish. What're you lookin' for?"
If the gun's effectiveness was related to how they appeared, then the most real would be ideal, right? "Realism, I suppose."
An eyebrow raised. "Realistic, huh? Heh, you plannin' to rob someone or somethin'?"
"No-Nope! We just think they're cool! Guns! Guns are cool!" Ryuji sounded like he was trying to convince himself.
Ignoring Ryuji, the man turned to Takamaki. "And what about you, pretty lady? It's unusual for girls to be interested in this kinda thing. One of them your boyfriend?"
"No," Takamaki answered unfazed. Her eyes got that edge. "And so what if I'm interested in this 'kinda thing'?"
"Ha!" The man barked a short laugh. "I like you, girl. You got bite. Alright, what can I recommend for you lot? Call me Iwai, by the way."
"Something powerful," Ryuji immediately answered.
Iwai held out his hands for the shotgun Ryuji had. He picked up a few shells from the counter, loaded it two at a time and racked it with a practiced, well-drilled fluidity. "Well, if you're looking for destructive power in close quarters you can't get much better than a shotgun. As these are model guns, the pellets of a real shotgun shell are simulated by shooting a bunch of plastic bb's with each pull of the trigger. Don't worry, these shells are empty. Can clear an entire corner of the room by just pointing the barrel at what you want to hit. The drawbacks, however, are a low rate of fire, low ammo capacity, and low range."
"'Low ammo capacity?'" Ryuji repeated.
"Can't hold much before you run out of ammo in the gun," Iwai explained as he tapped the gun. "Means you have to reload more often. And reloading with a shotgun isn't as fast as a rifle or handgun. So sure, you got destructive power, but fewer shots downrange."
"What if we want to put a lot of shots downrange?" Takamaki began eyeing other guns throughout the room.
Iwai pondered for a moment, setting down the Remington as he did. "For you, something lighter. No offense, but I don't think you can handle carrying a light machine gun."
Iwai chuckled to himself and moved to a different part of the store. They followed him like a herd of chicks.
Iwai picked up a small gun, something that could easily be held in one hand, and handed it to Takamaki. It looked vaguely familiar. "This is the Skorpion. A classic Czechoslovak machine pistol that's seen popular use both in real world applications and entertainment. This model's a bit outdated, but can fulfill its role nonetheless. This particular model comes in full auto. That means you can hold down the trigger and it keeps firing until the magazine runs dry. Mag holds twenty rounds. Foldable stock, handy if you want to keep it compact and portable but like to have the option of shouldering the weapon."
"When you say full auto, how fast does it shoot?" Takamaki raised the gun to her eye and looked down the small circles on top, pointing it at a wall.
"Between 850 to 900 rounds per minute."
All their eyebrows shot up from that. Ren did some mental math. That meant on average… 14.5 rounds per second? The magazine would be empty in just over a full second.
"That… is fast," Takamaki eyed the Skorpion with newfound appreciation. "And it's so light."
"Like that one, huh?" Iwai looked pleased. "The only real downside is stopping power per round. But that's fixed with it's high cyclic rate. Don't have to worry about that with bb's, though. What about you, Four-Eyes?"
"What? Oh, me," Ren adjusted his bag. He wanted something small and quick. He pointed to a display filled with even smaller guns. "What about those?"
"Handguns, huh?" Iwai moved to the display and took one out. "Nice choice. My personal favorite. Easy to maneuver with, easy to conceal, but difficult to master. This here's a Tokarev Type 54, Model 213. Soviet-made, single-action, semiautomatic handgun that fires a 7.62x25mm round that was popular during the 1930's and still sees some use today. Weighs 0.89 kgs with an overall length of 19.5 centimeters and a barrel length of 11.6. Standard magazine capacity is 8 rounds. Oh, it's also used by the Yakuza, so don't let the cops catch you with one. They might get the wrong idea."
"I don't plan to. I don't like the cops," Ren murmured as he picked up the handgun. It was heavier than it looked.
Iwai smirked. "Well, how 'bout that? Me too."
Ren set the handgun back onto the counter and reached for his wallet. "So… how much do these cost?"
Evening
They had spent far longer at Untouchables than Ren initially thought. Before making their purchases Iwai offered to take them to the back where he had a little shooting range set up. He showed them the basics of weapon manipulation and handling, and they all tried each other's. Iwai claimed that it was only advantageous to be familiar with each weapon platform, should a need arise. It was actually really enjoyable. Ren didn't think about it before, but this might become a legitimate hobby for him. Although it didn't come cheap and Ryuji had to spot him the remainder. That meant Ren was flatout broke. And this was purchasing the cheaper options.
The jingle of the door bell covered Ren's low sigh as he entered LeBlanc. Unsurprisingly, there was only a single customer seated at the counter. He was a bit portly, but Ren had seen him every now and then. He was a chatty one.
"Hey, Boss, did ya hear about that subway driver from the rail incident last week?" the man asked after a long sip from his coffee.
Sakura looked up from his magazine. "What about him? Oh, is this about those psychotic incidents people keep talking about?"
"Yeah! I read somewhere that having one of these psychotic breakdowns completely changes your personality. The news reported that the man didn't say a single word during his testimony hearing, but that his coworkers described him as chatty and easygoing."
Ren paused at the foot of the stairs. "Changes your personality?" he whispered.
"Yeah, sure," Sakura rolled his eyes. "Only a fool would believe a story as ridiculous as that. By the way, we're closing soon."
The man stared at Sakura for a while before grunting. "The only reason I keep coming here is because of the coffee. Do you know how hard it is to keep up a conversation with a stiff board like you?"
Sakura maintained a straight face and said simply, "Thank you for your patronage. Please come again."
The man gave an exasperated sigh and set down his coffee mug not very gently back onto the plate. "Really, Boss, I'm just speaking the truth. Here's the payment. I'll see you later."
"Sheesh, what a pain," Sakura followed the man's footsteps and flipped the sign to "closed." He noticed Ren when he turned around. "Oh… you're still here. If you got nothing better to do come clear the sink or something."
"Sure," Ren shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Let me set my stuff down and I'll be right there."
"Hey," Morgana hopped out of his bag at the top of the stairs. "So about-"
"Can that hold on, Morgana? Sakura asked for some help." Ren was already walking down the stairs.
Sakura didn't say a word while wiping down the counters as Ren rolled up his sleeves and got started on the dishes.
Usually Ren was comfortable with silence. Or rather, he'd gotten used to it. But being alone with only one other person was still a little odd. Deciding to break the silence, Ren asked hesitantly, "So… How's business?"
"Eh," Sakura shrugged, almost a little uncaring. "It doesn't really matter to me. As long as we stay afloat it's all good. After all, I'm not gonna go around wearing a fake smile. I hate it when people do that."
Hate. Ren wasn't sure if he'd be able to use the word so casually anymore. "Is that some kind of motto of yours?"
"Hm? Oh, no," Sakura chuckled. "I'm not some deep philosopher. I'm just a guy who runs a coffee shop."
"A coffee shop that also serves curry," Ren pointed out. "Not your typical combination of foods. What inspired that?"
"That's a story for a later time, kid," Sakura almost sounded fond. "But LeBlanc is like my own personal hideaway. There's no one to bother me. Well… at least that's how it used to be."
Ren noticed Sakura's cheeky, pointed look in his direction. "Right, right, sorry about that."
Finally rinsing the last plate and placing it in the dish rack, Ren felt a towel being placed on his shoulder. "Thanks."
"Thanks for helping," Sakura gave him a respectful nod.
"It's a pity." Ren addressed Sakura's confused expression, "About that not being your motto. I… honestly don't know how to go around with a fake smile. I kinda just… go along with everything, I guess."
Sakura's face was unreadable. "Yeah, well, like I said: it's better than going around wearing a fake smile. It means you're not actively avoiding how bad things are by trying to escape them and lying to yourself."
Sakura sighed and took off his apron. "Anyway, I'm going to head out. Don't you go causing any trouble while I'm gone."
Ren pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. "I won't. Night, Sakura."
"G'night, kid."
Trudging upstairs, Ren noticed Morgana already waiting for him at the top.
"Took you long enough."
Ren shrugged off his blazer and hung it from one of the wooden beams. "We had a decent conversation."
"Well, I hope you're ready to learn. Remember our conversation earlier about me teaching you what I know? We start that tonight." Morgana padded over to the still messy desk and flicked his tail. "Go ahead and get this cleared off. We're going to need the space and the tools."
Ren almost groaned eyeing the heavy stacks of dusty books. "Fine."
A few minutes later the desk was cleared and wiped down.
Ren took a seat as Morgana hopped onto the tabletop.
"We're going to need this… and this," Morgana pointed to a couple tools on the desk.
"So what are we doing?" Ren asked as he grabbed the specified tools.
"I'm going to teach you how to make infiltration tools. I can't really help, given my current form. But I can at least talk you through it. First, we're going to make a lockpick."
Ren listened to Morgana's detailed instructions and got to work. It was frustrating. He either applied too much or too little strength to make the proper adjustments he wanted to.
"Just relax, Ren," Morgana suggested. "Everyone starts off a little clumsy. Don't worry if it doesn't go as expected the first time, okay? Look, we can still use this!"
"I guess," Ren didn't want to look at the twisted piece of metal anymore.
Morgana leapt the short distance between the desk and the windowsill. "Our preparations are finally complete. We've got weapons, medicine, and the will to succeed."
Ren rubbed a fringe of hair. "Does that mean we head into the Palace tomorrow?"
Morgana's blue eyes met Ren's dark grey. "It does. Let the other two know that's the plan. We're going to be busy from here on out."
Monday, April 18
Early Morning
"And that wraps up homeroom," Kawakami-sensei straightened out her stack of papers and looked over her students. "Amamiya-kun, may I have a word with you, please?"
Takamaki glanced at him from over her shoulder, an unspoken question in her eyes.
Ren shrugged and stood, following Kawakami-sensei out.
"There's something I want to discuss," Kawakami-sensei stated as they walked down the halls. "It won't take long, I promise."
They stopped in front of a room Ren hadn't been into before. It read "Guidance Office." Great.
Before Kawakami-sensei's hand reached the door handle it slid open, revealing the massive frame of, unmistakably, Kamoshida.
It was an effort not to glare at him. Ren pushed his glasses up his nose.
Kamoshida stepped into the hallway and crossed his arms. "I see you're already addressing the issue I mentioned this morning, Kawakami-sensei. I appreciate the swift response."
Kawakami-sensei's shoulders tensed. "Oh, but of course, Kamoshida-sensei. It is my pleasure"
A familiar girl with red hair followed Kamoshida out of the Guidance Office. Ren felt his blood run cold.
The girl's smile was sweet and she bowed her head to him. "Thank you again."
Ren resisted the urge to grab the girl by her shoulders and tell her not to speak to him.
"Oh?" Ren could almost hear the calculations behind Kamoshida's voice. Fuck. "You know him, Yoshizawa?"
Yoshizawa… her name is Yoshizawa.
Yoshizawa seemed surprised by Kamoshida's tone of voice, but answered brightly nonetheless. "Yes, he lent me a hand on the subway last week."
Kamoshida's voice dropped an octave, strict with a mocking lilt. "I advise you to stay away from this one, Yoshizawa. You know that list of students I just told you about that you shouldn't get involved with?"
Yoshizawa blinked and nodded.
Kamoshida jerked his thumb at Ren. "This one's at the top of that list."
The look Kamoshida gave him seemed satisfied and… triumphant. It took everything Ren had to keep a straight face. He couldn't, however, resist clenching his fist.
The red head turned to Ren in surprise, her mouth making an 'o.' "'The delinquent transfer student?'"
Ren felt his face grimace and looked away. He felt his neck burning.
"If you don't mind, Kamoshida-sensei, but I need to use the Guidance Office. I'd like to be done with this before the next period begins," Kawakami-sensei, whether intentional or not, mercifully granted him an escape.
"Of course, excuse me. We should get going, too," Kamoshida turned to Ren, "I wouldn't want to get in the way of correcting this delinquent and all."
Stay cool, Ren. Stay cool. Ren bit his lip hard.
"Please excuse us," the girl said.
Ren didn't look at her, but he knew she was bowing.
He heard the door to the Guidance Office open once more and saw Kawakami-sensei holding it open.
"I'll be quick, like I promised," Sadayo examined the boy before her, closer than previous occasions. His face was a mixture of anger and embarrassment, though he hid it well. Only the occasional clenching of the jaw and widening of the eyes gave anything away. "Are you okay?"
He made no effort to hide his surprise. "Excuse me?"
"I'm asking if you're okay, Amamiya-kun."
The boy seemed to mental wrestle with himself. "I'm fine, sensei."
Sadayo almost sighed. She knew how hard it was to admit things, but… "Okay. There's talk about temporarily hiring a professional counselor. So if there's anything you want to talk about, you can go to them."
Amamiya nodded.
"About Kamoshida-sensei, earlier… he gave me a brief lecture this morning and your name came up. He talked about 'the dangers of a lack of supervision.' I know it's hard, but try to stay out of trouble, okay?"
"I will, ma'am," Amamiya answered curtly.
"Oh, and about Yoshizawa-san… what do you think of her?"
She could see red coloring his ears. It was kind of adorable. "Uh… Sensei?"
"Sorry, I was just wondering how you'd feel if I stuck you two together for a while. I thought it'd be nice to get to know a fellow transfer. Although you are in different grades it might make the transition a little easier." Sadayo didn't mention that she would have introduced them earlier, but Amamiya had chosen to be late… on his first day of school.
"I…" Amamiya seemed almost relieved. It wasn't long before Amamiya's poker face came back. "I don't know, sensei. I wouldn't want to drag her into my problems, with the rumors and everything."
"Okay. Just keep thinking about it, alright?" Sadayo stretched, suddenly feeling achy. "Well, that's all I wanted to discuss. You can head back to class, now."
Amamiya stood and turned to leave before stopping at the door. "Sensei, when's the next board meeting?"
"Uh… May 2nd. Why?"
"Just wondering."
After School
"So like Ren said our deadline is May 2nd," Morgana reiterated as they crowded together in the alleyway. "That's the date of the next board meeting where Kamoshida will bring up Ryuji and Ren's expulsion."
Takamaki leaned against the wall and crossed one foot in front of the other. "All we need to do is go into Kamoshida's Palace and steal his Treasure, right?"
"Remind me again what the Treasure is. I want to make sure I got it right," Ryuji sat on a closed trash can with his arms crossed.
Morgana answered without the usual annoyance. He was all business. "A Treasure is the source of the Palace Ruler's distorted desires. The object that started it all. In other words, it's the core of the Palace. Once we nab it, the Palace will crumble… in theory."
"And we don't know what it looks like, right?" Ren rubbed his hair between his forefingers.
"No," Morgana confirmed. "But we'll know it when we see it."
"Love it when I hear that," Ryuji rolled his eyes. "But we just gotta find it, yeah?"
Morgana nodded. "Yup. There's a lot we don't know until we go in, unfortunately. Right now, our immediate objective is to find the Treasure. We don't know what we'll find in there, so we should get this done as soon as possible."
"Two weeks sounds like a lot of time," Ren muttered. "Unless anything sudden happens we can get this done by the end of the week if we push hard."
"I got no objections to that. The sooner we get payback on that bastard the better," Ryuji glanced at Takamaki as he said the last half.
"I'm all for that," Takamaki agreed, clearly fired up. "I'm going to avenge Shiho, no matter what it takes."
Ren hefted his bag. "Let's double check and make sure we have everything. Morgana, can you keep watch?"
They didn't dare bring their airsoft guns to school. If one of them got caught they'd get expelled on the spot. None of them were in any clubs so bringing a second bag would just arouse suspicion. And Ryuji's shotgun didn't fit in anything that would blend in at school, either. They all agreed they had to return home to pick up their gear before heading into the Palace. It took longer, but had the least risk.
Ren unzipped his bag revealing the gunmetal grey handgun, extra magazines, a slingshot, the knife given to him by Morgana, and plastic bags filled with medicine.
Ren tossed a bag each to Ryuji and Takamaki. "Here, I split the meds. Carry your own and use your own. We don't want one person carrying all the medication in case something happens to them. Share if you need to."
"Gotcha."
"Thanks, Amamiya-san."
Ren racked the handgun inside his bag. "Just call me 'Ren.' It seems a bit strange to be so unfamiliar when we share so much in common already."
"Alright, call me 'Ann,' then."
"Deal." Ren zipped his bag back up and slung it over his shoulder. "I'm good here."
Ann turned around a moment later holding her white and red training bag. "I've got everything I need."
Ryuji struggled with the zipper of his yellow and black baseball bag. "Don't worry, I got it… There we go! I'm ready to rock."
Morgana ran back to them. "All clear! We're set."
Ren pulled out his phone and opened the Meta Nav before looking at each of them. "Then let's get to work."
A/N
Phew! It's finally Palace time! Kinda laid back chapter since it's them prepping. Not much to say here.
Early release since I don't know if I'd be able to post tomorrow (Sunday, the usual day). I also don't know what the prospects of there being a chapter next week will be. There was a sudden medical emergency within the family today so I may have to take time to address that. Everything's good and they're fine, I just want to be transparent in the event you don't hear from me next week. I had the time to post this now while they're in the hospital since we can't visit them at this time due to Covid, so here's this week's chapter.
See ya'll later!