Heart of Justice Chapter 5

Kyoko grit her teeth as she made her way through the bustling halls of Shujin Academy. Students roamed about during break period, giving her suspicious glances and whispering to one-another as she passed them.

"Is that her? The delinquent?"

"I've never seen her before, that's gotta be her!"

"Kinda cute, but damn, she just attacked some guy for lookin' at her?"

"Better keep your distance, dude. I bet she's a total psycho!"

Relief finally came as she found her way to the faculty office. Taking a breath to try and rid herself of the glare that was currently fixed on her face from what she had to put up with on the way up here, the girl slid open the door and stepped inside, finding Kawakami seated at a desk far less organized then the others around her.

"Miss Kawakami?" Kyoko asked, deciding to break the ice and get the teacher's attention. Kawakami looked up from her work, which she seemed a little behind on from the look of things compared to the other teachers who had either been taking a break or talking with one-another.

"I don't believe it," Kawakami grumbled, looking at the girl before her. "Do you realize you're over half a day late?! Care to explain yourself?"

Kyoko couldn't fault the woman for being angry, this was hardly a good first impression. She also felt quite certain if she explained what had happened it would not have made any difference. It was extremely unlikely the claim of being trapped in a weird castle and being held prisoner by monsters was going to work any better then when Ryuji attempted it.

"I got lost. My apologies," Kyoko said, giving an apologetic bow.

Kawakami did not look impressed. "You can't be serious," she said. "For four hours? You're going to need to try better then that. You were given fair warning yesterday, you know. You're very lucky Mr. Kamoshida made sure to let it slide. That said, however, I was told you were caught along with that Sakamoto kid?"

Kyoko folded her arms, and stared down at the seated teacher, raising an eyebrow at the contempt Kawakami had used in her tone when referring to him. The boy was a bit crude, but he'd also risked his life for her and had helped ensure their escape from the castle, which made her more curious of his story. "What of him?" she asked.

Kawakami let out an irate sigh. "Just don't hang around him, alright? He's nothing but trouble," she explained, her stern expression softened a little after, however, from what she said next. "Real shame, though. Back when he was on the track team he was a great kid. Bright future ahead of him, devoted all his time to it. And then..." She shook her head and frowned. "...Anyway, it doesn't really matter. We should get to class, now. Break's almost over, anyway. Classes are going to end early today after fifth period thanks to yesterday's subway incident. I'll introduce you soon as class resumes."

Getting up from her seat, Kawakami headed for the door, looking back at the girl. "Follow me."

Leading Kyoko down the hall, Kawakami stopped at a classroom door, looking back at the girl once more. "By the way, when you introduce yourself, I ask you please be serious about it even if you're lying to the class. Do not say anything unnecessary."

"I won't cause any problems," Kyoko replied.

"See to it you don't," Kawakami replied sternly. "With your situation, you can't afford any mistakes."

With that, Kawakami opened the door and lead Kyoko inside, the girl's gaze turning on a pair of students she knew were whispering about her as they passed by that got quiet very quickly soon as they noticed she was looking at them before disappearing into the classroom.

"Wow, it's definitely her," one girl said. "She's really scary."

"We best keep away from her," the other replied.

"Wow, super late on her first day?! She really is trouble!" one student muttered from his seat.

"...It's like she's just staring through me!" another said nervously.

Kyoko stood in front of the class, her gaze scanning the room before her. Aside from a familiar blonde in the corner by the window, and a boy with his blazer off who she noted looked rather roughed up staring timidly down at his desk, everyone was looking at her in awe, or fear, a cacophony of murmurs and chattering filling the place.

"Settle down, class!" Kawakami ordered. "Anyways, I'd like to introduce a transfer student: Kyoko Kirigiri."

That opened a whole new commentary chorus.

"Kirigiri?! Doesn't some big-shot academy's headmaster got that name?"

"Think there's some famous detective with that name, too, isn't there?"

"Dude, no way she's related to them!"

"If she is, I bet they're really ashamed of her!"

The last comment made Kyoko's stoic expression twitch ever so slightly.

"That's enough," Kawakami stated sternly. "We had her attend class from the afternoon as she wasn't feeling well." She looked over at Kyoko, who glanced back in silence. "Do you have anything you'd like to say to the class before I seat you?" she asked.

After the things her classmates had said, Kyoko wanted to say something, anything, to defend herself, to say it wasn't her fault, as she tried to tell her grandfather when he'd yelled at her. It made no difference, though, she felt so ashamed it was like hearing it all again she opened her mouth to speak. It took remembering everything Kawakami and Sojiro had told her to put a stop to that. She simply looked down quietly and gave a polite bow.

"...It's nice to meet you all," she replied.

"Well, she is polite, I'll give her that," a rather snooty-sounding girl remarked.

"She did get arrested for assault, though. Bet she gets scary when she's mad!" another girl said.

Kawakami sighed as the comments resumed, but tried to manage a friendly smile for Kyoko as she spoke again. "Your seat will be right over there, by the window. The one that's empty," she said, before returning her attention to the class. "You," she said, pointing to the girl who'd spoken a moment ago. "Share your textbooks with her for today."

Kyoko silently walked over to her seat, right behind the blonde whom she noticed from the red tights and white hoodie was indeed the same girl she'd met earlier at the station.

"Lies..."

Kyoko stopped, glancing over at the blonde. "You say something?" she asked softly, raising an eyebrow. The girl offered no response, and simply looked back at the window.

"Whoa, do those two know eachother?" a girl nearby asked another.

"Mr. Kamoshida wouldn't want Takamaki with the wrong crowd, you know!" The other girl remarked.

"Mr. Kamoshida could do better. Takamaki's got looks, sure, but she's still a slut and all, probably hangs out with all sorts of bad types when she's not cheating on him!" another girl chimed in. Kyoko heard a slight grumble and she noticed the blonde, Takamaki, tense up as she quietly took her seat behind her.

"...For real, that side of the room is like the bad side or something," the first girl said.

"By the way," Kawakami announced sternly, trying to regain control over the class again. "...The school volleyball rally's is coming up in two days, so everyone's just changed classes. Take that time to get to know eachother." she looked around the class once more. "Now let's get class started. Who's on duty, today?"

The boy with the bruises not wearing his blazer raised his hand and stood up. "Everyone please rise," he said in a rather unhappy tone, prompting the students to stand and class began.

The rest of class had gone without incident. Kyoko attempted to ignore the whispering about her as she silently got up from her seat and headed out the door.

"So quiet. Wonder what she's planning..."

"Can't believe I got stuck sharing my textbooks with her. Thought she'd strangle me or something!"

...Honestly... Kyoko thought to herself as she entered the hallway, only to stop in her tracks as she could have sworn the hallway began to blur. Her vision started to spin as she could have sworn she hall the hallway transform into the interior of the castle.

"W-what..." Kyoko felt herself grow dizzy as she put her hand to her head, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment as she tried to fight it off.

"Are you okay?" she heard Kawakami's voice call out from behind her.

Opening her eyes, Kyoko noticed the halls once more looked like the school again. Students milled about as they went their business talking or heading to clubs.

"I'll be fine," she responded.

"If you say so," Kawakami replied. "Look, it seems people are already talking about you, but I wasn't the one who told them. I have no idea how all of this got out..."

Kyoko folded her arms, staring at the teacher as she muttered something to herself about having to deal with so much. Aside from the obvious frustration, Kawakami also looked very... tired. Still, it was hardly her business to pry on the teacher's personal life when she seemed to be trying to make things go smoothly for her.

"Oh, one other thing. You'd best head straight home. Sakura-san seemed pretty upset about you being so tardy," she explained. "And as for Sakamoto, just stay away from him, he's-"

Her words were cut off as Kyoko's gaze turned towards Ryuji as he walked over to the two.

"And what do you want?" Kawakami asked, irritation in her voice. "You know the police called the school about you cutting classes and all."

Ryuji sighed, loudly and irritably. "I already explained, it was nothing!" he replied. Kyoko couldn't entirely blame his bitterness after what they'd gone through.

"...And you still haven't turned your hair back? Didn't we talk about this already?"

"Sorry," Ryuji responded quietly, before turning to leave, but stopping briefly as he got within close earshot of Kyoko. "Meet me on the rooftop," he whispered, as he went back down the hall and to the stairs.

Kawakami shook her head. "See? This is why you shouldn't associate with him, understand?" she asked, before taking her leave as well.

No sooner had both of them gone when the principal came up the stairs, accompanied by Kamoshida. Turning away to one of the lockers, Kyoko peered over at them to quietly eavesdrop.

"I'm just surprised you'd let someone with a criminal record to transfer here. Someone with an assault charge, no less? And not only that, did you know she's already associated with that delinquent Sakamoto?" Kamoshida asked.

"Oh don't be like this, Mr. Kamoshida," Kobayakawa replied apologetically.

"Look, at this point what I contribute to the school will barely matter," Kamoshida replied.

"You're our star, Mr. Kamoshida. A lot of this school's reputation rests on you. I didn't have much of a choice, the young lady was at the top of her classes at her previous school, with a spotless record prior to that, so I was overruled on the matter."

Kamoshida put a hand to his chin in thought. "You're right. I admit, back there when she arrived late, I felt a bit bad for her, I left the offer open for her to join the sports teams to give her a chance to turn things around, not to mention I'm sure I can help quell things down here if she does her part and makes something of herself," he explained. "Still, hanging around Sakamoto doesn't exactly make me optimistic."

"I suppose the school board took pity on her as well, or saw potential gain if she applies herself with the family line she came from, but it can only last for so long. One mistake and she's gone, simple as that, and what got her in here will do no good in helping her stay. In the meantime, Mr. Kamoshida, just keep the volleyball rally in mind, you've got more then enough on your plate!" the principal replied.

"Understood," Kamoshida replied with a smirk. "I'll continue to do my best to answer your expectations of me, Principal."

With that, the two parted ways and Kyoko decided it was time to go find Ryuji, recalling he'd said to meet on the rooftop. By her guess, the stairs up to the next floor would likely be a good start. Passing the boy from class who looked rather beaten up, Kyoko noticed how he quickly looked away as she walked by, getting a light sigh of annoyance as it seemed the school school except Sakamoto and maybe Kawakami acted like she were the enemy. She really wasn't looking forward to the possibility she'd deal with this all year.

As she headed up the stairs, she passed by a girl in a pink cardigan with ruffled red hair talking with one of the teachers, who mentioned keeping the roof unlocked so she can manage the planters that were apparently up there. Good to know, she thought to herself as she found another set of stairs, the young detective certain they'd lead to her destination as she ascended and opened the door waiting at the end.

"Hey, there you are," Ryuji said with a smile as Kyoko arrived, leaning back in a chair that'd been left on the rooftop along with several discarded tables and some planter boxes left in the corner.

"What did you need?" Kyoko asked. "We were fortunate we didn't get expelled."

"Yeah, you're tellin' me. And hey, sorry for callin' you up here like this," Ryuji replied. "Let me guess, Kawakami was already tellin' ya I'm some kinda trouble-maker. That you "shouldn't get involved" and stuff like that, right?" he asked.

Kyoko nodded. "She did."

Ryuji sighed, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, figured as much. Guess we're kinda in the same boat, huh? I heard you have a criminal record, it's the talk of the school. I'm kinda surprised you're handling it so well, though."

Kyoko's stare narrowed. "Don't be so sure. I'm not..." She brushed back her hair and sat down on one of the desks, folding her arms as she looked over at the boy, her stare as intense as ever. "...I don't show my emotions as openly as others. It's how I was raised."

"I see. Somethin' you wanna talk about?" Ryuji asked, curious.

"Not particularly," Kyoko replied flatly.

"Hey, I guess you got your reasons," Ryuji answered. "But anyway, what was on my mind was the stuff with that castle. I mean... what the hell happened? We almost got killed in there! No way it was just a dream, I mean you remember it too, right?"

"That'd be impossible. After all we experienced there's no conceivable way it can be explained as merely a dream," she replied, bringing her hand to her chin as she processed it all in her head.

"Dream or not, the fact we both remember it doesn't mean much. Still... you saved me from Kamoshida, so thanks for that, ummm... wait, I don't think I got your name...?" Ryuji said.

"Kyoko. Kyoko Kirigiri," the girl replied.

"Well, in that case, thanks for savin' me back there, Kyoko. Guess you already got my name earlier," Ryuji replied sheepishly.

"I did," Kyoko said with a slight smirk. "Let's just agree we both got each other out safely."

"Heh, I didn't do much, but whatever you say," Ryuji replied. His expression fell after, however. "But man, that Kamoshida we saw in there... I know I told you some stuff before, I swear it's all true. Really... he ain't that different from the Kamoshida we saw in the castle, just not as open about it. Thing is no matter what he does, no one says anything about him because he's an Olympic gold medalist who brought his volleyball team to the nationals." He laughed bitterly. "I guess it only makes sense, that Kamoshida was king of that castle would feel so crazy real..."

"He puts on a good act," Kyoko replied. "Acted like he was doing me a favor keeping me out of trouble when we got to the school, even tried to offer me a chance to turn things around if I join one of the sports teams..." She looked at one of her gloved hands. "I doubt I'd be of much use, though..."

Ryuji grimaced. "Trust me, he'd have a use for you. Just nothing you'd wanna do. Tell me you didn't say yes."

"I didn't," Kyoko answered.

"Good. The last thing you want is to let that pervert to get his hands on you," he said. "Between this and taking that asshole's bullshit every day... " he grumbled angrily for a moment, but didn't go into further detail.

"Was there anything else?" Kyoko asked, staring again.

Ryuji looked down a moment. "Yeah, I was wondering if we can go back to that castle again..." He shook his head. "Eh, but it's gotta have been a dream, right?" Rising up from his seat, Ryuji brushed back his hair in embarrassment. "But hey, sorry for draggin' you up here like this. That's all I had to say."

"Funny, though," he said as he headed for the door and turned around. "We may be kinda similar. A so-called "trouble-maker", huh? Gotta wonder if your story's not much different from mine," he mused, getting only the girl's silent stare in response.

"Eh, look. I see you around I'll come talk. Don't ignore me, alright?" he asked, trying not to leave things too awkward.

"I won't," Kyoko replied, smiling slightly again. "Trouble-maker or not, it's... relieving to have someone to talk to, here that isn't judging me," she said.

Ryuji smirked and gave a nod, "True that. Seeya!"

Watching Ryuji head through the door and down the stairs, Kyoko sighed, knowing she was in for an earful once she got back to the cafe. Deciding not to delay the inevitable and get it over with, she proceeded to follow back into the school and head back to her new home.

It was late when Kyoko got back. Even with classes letting out early, the subways had been packed worse then ever and as a result the sun had already since set by the time she returned to Leblanc. The extra time did nothing to calm her nerves, and it bothered her that this would likely be a big step back after she'd started to get along with Sojiro that morning when he'd been nice enough to make her breakfast. True, she thought, it was not her fault she and a student ended up imprisoned in a strange castle for half the day, but it was highly unlikely Sojiro would believe it any more then anyone else did.

Closing her eyes and taking a breath, Kyoko opened the door to the cafe and walked in.

Sojiro wasted no time expressing his displeasure in her.

"Hey, I got a call from the school," he said in a sharp tone, glaring at her from behind the counter. "I hear you ditched half a day on your first day! Have you forgotten your situation?" he snapped.

Kyoko took a breath, and gave an apologetic bow. "I'm sorry, sir," she said, knowing anything else would just sound like an excuse.

"Sorry? Yeah, that's what everyone says when they get caught," Sojiro replied, his tone still sharp and the anger still present on his face. "Look, you need to behave yourself. One wrong move and your life will be over, and the only place you'll have left to go will be juvie! Do you understand that?"

Kyoko gave a silent nod.

"Good, now listen," Sojiro began sternly, when his phone suddenly chimed. Taking it out and looking it over, his expression softened significantly when he answered. "Hey, what's up?" he asked, his tone now much gentler and a smile came to his face as he listened. "Yeah, I just closed up shop. Don't you worry, I'll be home in half an hour, like I promised," he said, before noticing Kyoko still staring at him in a much more inquisitive way and his expression quickly hardened again. "Hey, mind your own business and get to bed, already!" he snapped.

His harsh demeanor didn't last, as whoever was talking to Sojiro had made him smile again, causing Kyoko to grow even more curious as to who he was talking to. "No, no. Nothing like that! Just some part-timer I hired."

Deciding with her already in trouble for being tardy to school, Kyoko chose not to press her luck and proceeded toward the stairs. "Be sure to lock the door and turn off the lights before you go to bed, okay?" he called after her, his tone noticeably less angry now possibly from Kyoko's guess whoever he was talking to had calmed him down.

"Understood," Kyoko replied, looking back at him one last time and seeing him smiling once more as he talked on the phone, promising whoever he was talking to that he'd be back home soon. Hm. Interesting, she wondered to herself as she turned around and continued up the stairs.

Having locked up and in her sleepwear, Kyoko undid her braid and slowly changed her gloves, wincing as she did so. Still, her mind remained on other things, such as the fatigue that was starting to set in for her when normally she'd feel more awake. By her guess, her unexpected experiences in that castle, and everything that had happened there.

She looked at her phone again, finding the weird app on her menu. Things had taken very strange turns ever since it showed up, and the castle by her deductions had to have also been connected to it in some way. She had recalled how it spoke of returning to the real world when they'd escaped the castle, and Ryuji had mused over the question of if there was a way they might return there. Whatever it may be, she was all the more certain this app, whatever it was, was at the center of it all.

Ryuji, though very crude he'd had her back, and had not judged her or assumed the worst in her over her predicament like everyone else at school had. He also seemed to be in a similar situation, though the circumstances remained unknown to the young detective, though it was clear to her that Kamoshida had something to do with it. The detective in her made Kyoko intent on learning that story sooner or later.

That strange being she had awakened to and summoned, she'd felt a powerful connection with it, like it was a part of herself, but she still had questions about it, and she was certain there was a lot more to it then she currently knew, or what that catlike creature Morgana had explained to her. Another matter she intended to learn everything about.

The fatigue grew stronger, to the point Kyoko could feel herself nodding off. She'd never keep herself awake to think longer at this point, and she had school again in the morning and did not want to risk sleeping in. With one last look at the app that seemed to stare back at her with the strange, eye-like icon, Kyoko shut off her phone and plugged it in, laying back in her bed and pulling the covers up, allowing herself to finally drift off to sleep...

Kyoko's eyes fluttered open, a familiar dank smell surrounding her as she once more found herself within the blue tinted prison cell of the Velvet Room.

"Hey! On your feet, inmate!" Caroline snapped, smacking her baton on the bars. Sitting up, Kyoko rubbed her temples and climbed off the cot.

"I have questions," she said, glaring at the three.

"You're in no position to ask anything right now!" Caroline replied sharply. "So stay quiet, and maybe they'll be answered anyway!"

"Indeed. Our master wishes to speak with you," Justine stated. "It's for your own sake you take his words to heart."

Igor chuckled from his desk. "First off, let us celebrate our reunion," he said, that impossible grimace of his never wavering as he spoke. "Oh, and I believe you've awakened to your powers, yes? And they are special powers at that! It means your rehabilitation can finally begin."

"Powers, you mean that thing I summoned in that castle?" Kyoko asked. Igor's grin seemed to spread further in response, if that was even possible from Kyoko's perspective.

"There is no need to understand it all for the time being," Igor explained. "What you have awakened to is the power of Persona, which you will now train in. As you may know, Personas are a "mask" or an "armor" over the heart worn when confronting worldly matters."

"I am aware of Jungian concepts," Kyoko replied.

Igor simply chuckled again. "You should know, I have high expectations for you. By the by, have you come to appreciate the... Metaverse Navigator?"

Kyoko blinked. "The app I received..." the girl's gaze narrowed. "...I've been meaning to ask about it. Time freezing, sending me to a strange castle that appeared where my school was, they're all connected to it aren't they?"

"You're quite perceptive," Igor replied. "Allow me to explain: Using it allows you to travel between reality and Palaces."

"Palaces...?" Kyoko looked down at her shackled hands in thought for a moment. "That castle, it was one of these "Palaces", correct? Why is it there? What exactly is a "Palace"?"

Igor rested his chin on his palm, drumming his fingers again. "You'll learn on your own in time. Understand, I bestowed the Metaverse Navigator to you as a means to help train you as a thief."

"The Metaverse Navigator is a gift from our master!" Caroline snapped. "You better make good use of it, inmate!"

Kyoko scowled. Every time Igor answered a question, he only produced more. As a detective, Kyoko was no stranger to having many unanswered questions, but in this case the answers felt just barely out of reach to her. Igor seemed to be dodging several answers, much like when her grandfather trained her, leaving her to find the answers on her own. Still, what he'd mentioned did leave one particularly notable thing she wanted answered right away. "A thief?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. Being a detective, the idea of becoming any sort of thief made little sense to her.

"Indeed, to become a thief will be integral to your journey towards rehabilitation. Another thing you will come to learn over time," Igor replied.

"Yes, devote yourself to your training, so that you may become a fine thief," Justine said.

"Still," Igor explained. "It must be disheartening to make use of the Metaverse Navigator alone. Should there be others who would prove beneficial to you, I will grant it to them as well. This is all for you to grow as a most excellent thief..."

Before Kyoko could speak or ask more about it, a ringing suddenly went off again.

"It's time, inmate! Now go back and enjoy whatever rest you have left!" Caroline stated, the ringing growing louder as the blue prison faded away around the young detective into blackness once more.

4/12

Kyoko woke to the sound of thunder outside. Rolling over in her bed, she could see that yesterday's weather had returned with a vengeance as a harsh thunderstorm poured into the neighborhood out the window. The heavy overcast and downpour left the room dimly lit and the young detective making a mental note to get her umbrella out of her things before she left for school today.

Picking up her phone, Kyoko saw she still had plenty of time to get dressed and ready. A lot was still on her mind, the warden's vague words about becoming a thief being at the top of it. Her talent and life were around being a detective, and once her probation was over she'd resume that path. Becoming a thief sounded only counterproductive to that. She had no way of getting answers, now, unfortunately, but she at least understood the Metaverse Navigator app better.

"I was wondering if we can go back to that castle again..."

Ryuji's words played in her head. She couldn't think of any reason why she'd want to go back there after nearly getting killed, but Igor had implied at some point she would have to.

Hearing Sojiro come in and set up shop downstairs, Kyoko decided she could mull over this later and climbed out of bed to get ready for school. Once she was presentable, she headed downstairs.

"Oh, good. You're up," Sojiro said as he noticed her come down. "It's pouring out there so I hope you've got an umbrella."

Kyoko silently nodded and held up the umbrella she had brought down with her.

"Listen, I don't want a repeat of yesterday, understand?" Sojiro asked sternly.

"It won't happen again," Kyoko replied.

"See that it doesn't," Sojiro responded. "Have a good day at school, then. Be sure to flip the sign on you way out."

Kyoko gave a nod and headed out the door, turning the sign as she did so and opening up her umbrella as she stepped out into the heavy rain.

The subway ride to Shibuya proved just as packed as the previous one. Gossip about the previous incident floated about on the train as Kyoko stood holding her bag tightly to her chest to handle the crowded conditions.

"The conductor just completely lost it!"

"What was he thinking, charging the train into the platform at full speed?"

"It's been happening even more, now, hasn't it? All these accidents from people just losing their minds!"

"Are you that surprised? With the economy and the news both sucking, what did you expect?"

Kyoko never felt so relieved when the train finally reached its destination, though she knew there was still one more cramped ride awaiting her after. Stepping off the train and getting in line, she heard some people glancing at a girl in front of her, a redhead with a ponytail.

"Is that her?" one student asked.

"The one with the red ribbon?" another replied.

"How does she stay so thin? It's not fair!" a girl remarked, looking at her in obvious envy.

Kyoko rolled her eyes in disgust. The catty behavior was something she could do without, and it was rather rude to talk about others when they were standing right there. Luckily, the train arrived and the gossip came to a stop as they boarded.

The redhead had managed to secure a seat, but then offered it to an elderly lady nearby, only for a young man to rudely push the lady aside and take the seat for himself. The girl made several attempts to move him but he quickly feigned nodding off. Kyoko glared down at the man, and looked over at the redhead.

"I could make him move," Kyoko said, glaring at the man again who made poorly feigned snoring sounds.

"N-no, it's fine. I understand his position," the redhead said, before looking apologetically at the elderly woman. "I'm so sorry I couldn't be of any help..."

The old lady smiled kindly. "It's alright, dearie. Don't worry about it."

"Well, at least let me hold your luggage for you!" the redhead offered with a smile.

"Thank you so much. It's not too heavy, though, is it?" the old lady asked.

"Not at all!" the girl said cheerfully. "I train plenty!"

"I'll help," Kyoko said, taking one of the bags as well, it felt wrong to make a girl as petite as her handle all of it herself, least of all after the rude man had put her in such a situation.

"Oh, thank you!" the redhead replied.

"Yes, I appreciate it, young lady," the old lady said with a smile.

Kyoko gave a nod and held the bag till the train ride ended. As she returned the bag and stepped off, she heard the redhead call after her.

"Um, pardon me?" she asked, causing Kyoko to turn and look at her. She wore a Shujin uniform like she did with red loafers and her hair tied in a ponytail with a bright red ribbon. She was quite pretty, with a bright smile and large brown eyes. The girl also appeared a little on the petite side, despite being only slightly shorter then Kyoko was.

"Thank you so much for earlier!" she said, giving a polite, grateful bow. "For... speaking up when you did, and for helping out back there. That was very kind of you!"

"You needn't stress yourself over it," she replied.

"Oh, n-no. I insist!" the girl replied. "You're a second-year Shujin student, correct?" she asked. "I'm a first-year there, myself. Thanking you totally slipped my mind back on the train, and I didn't want to be rude to my senpai!"

"You're forgiven," Kyoko replied, giving her a faint smile.

The girl beamed, blushing slightly. "Thank you," she replied, giving another bow. "If you'll excuse me..." The girl took her umbrella out and made her way to the stairs, Kyoko watching as she left.

Nice girl, she mused to herself. A little submissive, but... nice.

"Alright, class! Listen up!" a gruff, older male teacher growled at the classroom, interrupting Kyoko from her thoughts about the app and the castle. "I'm Mr. Ushimaru, I'll be your social studies teacher for the year, teaching you about the rules of society, understood?"

Kyoko looked the man over from her seat, clearly one of those teachers, the type with the short fuse who'd been working the job long enough to hate it but could not leave it behind.

"You all look like you've been spoiled growing up," he said. "Can't wait to see who disappoints me the most this year! You know, a certain dictionary defines a year as "a period of 365 disappointments"," he explained. "The book's title is about as clinically satirical as the rest of it: "The Devil's Dictionary", by Ambrose Bierce."

No sign of the castle... the app, the Metaverse Navigator is the means to go to and from "Palaces", I'd likely need to activate it manually... fate... training as a thief of all things? ...Still a lot of unanswered questions to solve...

"HEY! NEW KID!" Ushimaru's voice once more interrupted Kyoko from her thoughts. "Why don't you tell us what the Devil's Dictionary defined as the chief factor in the progress of the human race?"

Kyoko was certain this was one of those times where a teacher called on a student in hopes of humiliating them under the belief they weren't paying attention. While Kyoko's attention had been elsewhere, she was not at the top of her classes in her old school for nothing...

"Villains," she replied flatly. "Or, Malefactors."

"Correct!" the teacher replied, his tone passive aggressive as her response had likely not been the kind he'd hoped to get out of an inattentive student by what she gathered. "Malefactors, or villains, do indeed often affect the course of history, but this is told from an entirely satirical, sardonic witticism, nothing more. Naturally though, they never push humanity forward, only spreading chaos and strife."

Several students looked over at Kyoko in surprise, muttering to themselves in disbelief that a "criminal" could get such a tough answer right. Kyoko paid it no mind, returning to her thoughts having hopefully satisfied the irritable teacher's expectations for now as he continued his lecture about society having no place for criminals.

Classes finally ended for the day, Kyoko had just entered the hallway when she heard Kamoshida's voice.

"Hey there, Takamaki!" the man said in a cheerful tone. Kyoko paused and watched from the doorframe, noticing as Kamoshida approached the blonde from her class.

"Um... oh, hello, Mr. Kamoshida," Takamaki replied, forcing a smile before looking down with a look of discomfort on her face.

"Things have been getting pretty dangerous out there with all those accidents, haven't they?" Kamoshida asked, grinning. "You want, I could-"

"N-no. Sorry. I have a photoshoot today," the girl replied. "It's for a-a special summer issue. Can't afford to miss it."

Kamoshida frowned in disappointment as he put his hands to his hips. "Hey, now, being a model's fine and dandy and you definitely got the looks and talent for it, but c'mon, you don't wanna work your pretty little self to the bone, now, do ya?" he asked, before bringing his hand to his chin in thought. "And didn't you mention not feeling well? Some concern over appendicitis?"

The girl gave a hurried nod. "Y-yes. I've... been meaning to get checked out at the hospital. B-but I've just been so busy. Sorry to... worry you so much..."

Kamoshida took a step closer to her, his frown deepening. "You must be so lonely, too. I feel bad about having to keep your best friend late at practice so often." He shook his head, flashing a smirk. "But don't you worry, she's doing better then ever! Hopefully she doesn't change her mind about going to the nationals and all. Be a shame if she did, right?"

Takamaki looked worried for a moment, then looked down at the floor. "I'll be supporting her as best I can..."

"Now that's what friends are for, am I right?" Kamoshida said with a hearty chuckle. "I'm sure she really appreciates what you do for her."

Takamaki didn't answer, her gaze remaining on the floor and only giving a silent nod.

"Oh yeah, I understand you share class with that transfer student, right?" Kamoshida asked. "You know, she's got a criminal record. Much as I try and give her a chance and hope she might try and make a fresh start here, who knows what we're dealing with? I'd hate for something to happen to you, Takamaki..."

"Th-thank you," Takamaki's gratitude was nothing less then the most forced attempt Kyoko had ever heard. Despite the rumors that had floated around in class earlier it was clear to her Kamoshida's less then subtle advances were making Takamaki extremely uncomfortable. The blonde politely, albeit hurriedly excused herself and walked off down the hall, with a slight hint of speed in her pace.

Kamoshida gave an angry growl before storming off down the stairs, his mood clearly ruined by Takamaki's rejection. The matter having resolved itself, Kyoko proceeded down the hall to a set of stairs further down as to avoid running into him and prepared to head for home. No sooner, however, had the young detective reached the gates when Ryuji intercepted her.

"Yo," he greeted, getting up from leaning against the gate. Looking over at him, Kyoko quickly deduced he'd been waiting for her.

"You wish to ask me about that castle from yesterday, correct?" Kyoko asked.

Ryuji blinked, a bit shocked by her blunt response. "Uhh, yeah, pretty much. Lucky guess?"

"It's not difficult to tell what you're thinking. An experience like that isn't so easily forgotten, I'll admit," Kyoko replied.

Ryuji folded his arms. "Yeah, tell me about it! I tried tellin' myself it was all just a dream, but... I couldn't," he explained. "I can't just act like nothing happened, though! It's all connected to that bastard Kamoshida, somehow!"

"And...?" Kyoko asked, staring him down and folding her arms as well.

"Well, I wanna find out what's up with that place, no matter what!" Ryuji replied, determined.

"You barely survived the last time. Are you really so arrogant as to think you'll fare better going in again?" Kyoko asked, her gaze narrowing but already suspecting what he'd ask next.

Sensing the girl had seen right through him, Ryuji tried to hide the sheepish look that threatened to break his determined one. "Well, you're the only person I can really rely on for this stuff after you got that Persona-thing," he explained. "So, anyway... you in?"

Kyoko's gaze remained fixed on her face for a moment, before she slowly brought her hand up to her chin and closed her eyes as she came to her decision. "...Very well. Perhaps it would not be the right course of action to simply do nothing. We encountered this place for a reason, after all."

"Whoa, for real?!" Ryuji said, shocked once more. "Okay, I admit for a sec I was worried you were gonna say no back there, but hey, glad we're in this together!"

"By my deductions if I had, you'd have attempted this alone, and I would not want you to get yourself into trouble," she answered flatly.

"Busted, I guess," Ryuji said, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "Alright, look, let's just start by retracing our steps. You were headed to the station, right? We can go together and start from there..."

The next half hour was spent walking in circles, in a variety of ways, and all of them concluded with the two ended up back at the front gates of Shujin Academy, not a castle in sight. Kyoko had begun to suspect humoring Ryuji until he gave up and went home was not going to work with his resolve, which she felt in hindsight she may have underestimated. A good guy, she decided, but stubborn.

After the latest time they'd circled back to the school, Kyoko brushed back her hair before folding her arms and staring at the boy impatiently. "Are we done? It doesn't seem like the castle's here anymore."

"No way! I know it's here! There's no way it wasn't a dream!" Ryuji protested, a second later though, his face lit up. "Wait! Gimme your phone!"

"Why?" Kyoko asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You were using some kinda app when we went in, and when we came back!" Ryuji replied. "I remember hearin' it say something when I was talking before we got there, and then when we came back it said something about "returning to the real world", like a navigation app! Maybe it got us there, somehow? Let me take a look!"

Kyoko took out her phone, and continued to stare him down. "I don't think this is a good idea," she said.

"This'll just take a sec," Ryuji answered, snatching it away and fiddling with the menu. "Hey, what's this one?" he turned the phone around so Kyoko could see. "This weird eye thing? Never seen anything like it. It's gotta be the one, right?"

"You should probably stop," the girl replied as Ryuji tapped away.

"Holy shit, this has gotta be it! It's even got a search history with Kamoshida's name on it!" he pressed on the app.

"Kamoshida. Castle. Shujin." the automated female voice said from Kyoko's phone. "Location found."

"Sweet! Right under our noses the whole time!" Ryuji cheered. His excitement and Kyoko's exasperation were interrupted by a brief feeling of dizziness as they were suddenly surrounded by a red haze, and reality itself seemed to twist and warp around them, the school reashaping itself into a familiar castle once again...

A/N

Thanks everyone for enjoying the story so far! I really appreciate it! To answer some questions...

I have no plans for any of the other DR characters to be making actual, or at least in-person appearances.

Kyoko's persona, Irene, is indeed Irene Adler from Sherlock Holmes. Though she was not a criminal or thief in the original story, she was still a rebellious figure in many ways, and had managed to outwit Holmes to the point she earned his respect. I had debated a good while on whether to use her or a gender-flipped Arsene, and ultimately decided on the latter. I do already have it worked out on what I'll do in the long run.

Also check out EpicLinkSam's DR/P4 crossover fic, "Nothing But The Truth" it has recently been updated and is the main inspiration behind this fic.