Ren: Twas the night before New Year when the Phantom Thieves returned from vacation.
Morgana: We spent our time fighting writer's block and playing Nier Automata. What about you guys?
Ryuji: I just beat Tales of Vesperia and I'm now playing Witcher 3.
Ann: I'm watching the Witcher and watching Ryuji play it. Toss a coin t-
Ryuji: No! That song is too catchy
Haru: *playing on switch* I'm playing Fire Emblem: Three Houses. Oh Dorothea is such a catch. But Petra is cute too. Then there's Edelgard…It's going to be so tough trying to choose who to romance.
Shiho: *Peeks over Haru's shoulder* Haru-chan. Female Byleth can't have Petra as an S-Support but Dorothea can…
Haru:…I know what I must do!
Ann: *Giggles* Enjoy the chapter everyone and happy New Year!
Persona V: Reversing the Wheel of Fate
Chapter Twenty – Two
[Opening Scene: Shujin Academy (Daytime)
Theme of Palace Completion: Joy - in the Labyrinth from Persona Q]
Haru was growing concerned.
Her friends had been in the Metaverse for what seemed like forever, and she wasn't sure how long it was going to be until someone asked her why she was standing in this sketchy ass alleyway.
Her friends crashed through the portal and fell to the ground without warning as the portal closed behind them. "I think I broke my ass," Morgana groaned out weakly.
"W-We made it," Shiho breathed out.
"Holy shit!" Ann yelled happily.
From the ground, Ren and Ryuji laid side by side. The pair lifted their fists and delivered a fist bump, exhausted grins on their faces before Ren gave Haru the peace sign. "Mission: Complete," Ren told her.
"Oh, thank goodness, I was so worried," Haru said as she lifted Morgana off the ground.
Shiho and Ann helped Ren and Ryuji to their feet, respectively, as Haru asked, "Is it done?"
Ren nodded and said, "His palace has been conquered, and we have his treasure…" Ren then looked around and asked, "Where's his treasure?"
"I had it in my hands," Ryuji said before he noticed a medal a few feet away from him. "Wait…Where did this medal come from?" Ryuji asked as he lifted it and saw it had a name on it. "No way. This is Kamoshida's Olympic medal! Where the hell did it come from?!"
"That is his treasure," Morgana said. "The Crown was merely a Cognition of his prized possession. The Medal is the real-life equivalent."
"Hehe, so we managed to take his medal," Ryuji said as he tossed the gold up and down in his hands. "Well, let's pawn this bad boy off and celebrate."
"As good as that sounds, we don't even know if it worked," Ann said to Ryuji. "Perhaps we should wait until we find out."
"Yeah," That sounds like a good idea," Ryuji replied with a frown. "But man, I am beaten to hell. Let's go get some rest, yeah?"
"Yeah," Ren said. "I'm in desperate need of some sleep myself."
"Cool. Well, let's go back to my place to get some well deserve food and rest," Haru said with a bright smile.
[Scene Change: Interrogation Room (Nighttime)
Theme of Nightmare: Interrogation Room from Persona 5]
Ren sat in the middle of a dark grey room, his hands shackled behind the chair as his forehead, left cheek, and bottom lip bled from the cuts on them.
It was then he noticed a pair of figures standing to his left. One was a slightly muscular male with messy, curly hair similar to his own with a black suit and a blue tie.
By his side were a shorter woman with round glasses, straight auburn hair, and freckles on her face with a yellow sundress.
"M-Mom…Dad…" Ren breathed out; his voice tinged with both pain and exhaustion.
"You're nothing but a criminal, Ren," his father said with a scowl on his face.
"I-I didn't do this..." Ren said. "I didn't attack that man…I didn't kill Okumura….You have to believe me…."
"How could you do this to us? Did we not raise you right?" His mother said with grief in her eyes. "You've assaulted someone, and then we send you away, and now you're a thief and a murderer? What did we do to deserve this?"
"Mom…I…" Ren stammered out weakly.
It was then he noticed a figure on his right.
The figure was a teenage girl ed long hair tied into a ponytail, with a red ribbon tied into a bow, red eyes, and pink lipstick, and she wore a celeste blouse with black polka dots, white shorts, and blue and brown sandals
"Ren…" She said softly.
"Sumi…I…" Ren began. "I didn't do this…Any of this…."
"It's Sumire…Only those I trust can use that nickname," Sumire softly told him. "How could you do this, Ren?"
"I was just trying to help…" Ren breathed out as his head slumped forward. "I never assaulted that guy. I never killed Okumura. I didn't do these things. You need to believe me, Sumire."
"I looked up to you. All of us did. You were our school's Class President. You were our shield. I don't even know what you are now," Sumire softly said
Ren then noticed a pair of clean black shoes enter his view, and when he looked up, he saw a gun pressed against his forehead. "Oh my Ren-kun," the voice said with a tender yet mocking tone. "You will never know true justice."
[Scene Change: Okumura Residence (Midnight)
Theme of Sadness: Living with Determination from Persona 3]
Ren lurched up from the bed, heavily panting as he looked around with fierce eyes.
He wasn't in that jail cell surrounded by his parents, her, or the mysterious figure in the shadows. He was back in Haru's room.
Haru…
Okumura Haru…
The dreams kept mentioning that last name and that he had killed him.
But why?
He needed to get some air and fast.
Carefully, Ren slid out of bed to avoid waking Morgana, crept out of the room, and slowly closed the door to avoid waking up Ryuji. Once he did, he walked into the living room and noticed the balcony doors.
He walked out onto the balcony and leaned against the railing, and looked at the city below.
Haru was so loaded that her family could afford a very luxurious multiple-bedroom lofted apartment at the La Tour Aobadai apartment building on the top floor, allowing for a beautiful view of the glittering lights of Shibuya.
Ren let out a deep breath and let out a deep sigh, the cold air cooling down his heated body as he glanced out at the city below.
Why did he keep thinking about his parents and his Ex-Girlfriend?
They had betrayed him and refused to believe any other truth, and yet here he was about to call one of the ones that hurt him like this?
Why should he reach out when they failed to see the truth? In their eyes, he wasn't the Ace Volleyball player, the A+ Classmate, or The Class President anymore. All they saw was a violent criminal that needed to disappear to keep the shame off of them.
They abandoned him when he needed them most, and now those monsters are giving him these unending nightmares.
"It's not fair…" Ren murmured to himself.
"Ren-kun…What are you doing up so late?" Shiho's voice said from behind him.
[Theme of Gentleness: Memories of the school from Persona 3]
Ren turned around to see Shiho leaning against the doorway with a worried expression on her face.
"It's nothing…Just thinking," Ren replied softly.
Shiho walked out onto the balcony and stood beside him as she asked, "Thinking about what?"
"Just about everything that's happened in the last month. From what happened back home to now. I guess I'm just annoyed," Ren answered as he balled up his fist, but suddenly, Shiho's hand touched his fist, causing him to relax.
"Talk to me, Ren-kun," Shiho said with a kind smile.
"I don't want to bother you with this," Ren admitted. "Considering you just went through hell…"
"A hell that you and everyone else saved me from," Shiho retorted. "You came to this school helping me. Let me help you now."
Ren smiled softly and murmured, "Alright…"
Ren looked away from her and gazed back out towards the city, and said, "Back in my hometown, everyone knew me as the 'Shield of Gorin'. I stood up for those that couldn't stand up for themselves. My family and my Ex-girlfriend knew this and loved that aspect of me. But after that incident. It was like they all forget who I was."
Ren let out a shuddered breath and said, "I saw a man harassing a woman to get into his car, and I stepped in to stop it, and somehow, he injured himself. He then called the police, and when they came, the woman collaborated the man's story. After that, my family and my Ex abandoned me. Left me to become the most hated person in my town…"
"Oh, Ren…" Shiho whispered.
"At that moment, they automatically believed that I was the monster those two made me out to be…And I can't shake it….They hurt me so badly that I keep having these damn nightmares. I'm just tired…" Ren sighed out.
Ren lowered his head, but he felt Shiho's hands touch his face and slowly move them to stare at her.
"Ren…I believe you," Shiho said. "From the moment you stepped foot at Shujin, you helped me, and you didn't even know me. You protected me from Kamoshida any chance you got to the point that you sent Morgana to watch after me. You helped save Ann, Mishima, Haru, and Ryuji, and Morgana himself and got yourself hurt…"
A tender smile appeared on Shiho's face as she said, "You may not be the 'Shield of Gorin" anymore, but you are Amamiya Ren, Our Joker, and to me, you're a hero…My hero."
"Shiho…" Ren whispered, his voice choked up with emotion.
"Ren..." Shiho said, and suddenly, Ren could feel his heart speed up as he stared into her eyes, which seemed to tell him everything she was feeling.
Slowly, their eyes began to close as Ren leaned his head down while she leaned hers up, and just as their lips were about to meet.
"Yo! This is where you were!" Ryuji exclaimed, shattering the atmosphere between the two. "What are you doing out…" Ryuji drifted off, and from the look on Ryuji's face, Ryuji realized what had just happened.
"I-I better go. G-Goodnight Ren-kun," Shiho stammered out with a red face before she rushed past a sheepish-looking Ryuji.
"Oh man, I'm so boned, aren't I?" Ryuji asked Ren, who only stared at the spot Shiho was in before he looked at Ryuji.
"I…Did we nearly just…" Ren then drifted off.
"Dude, you two nearly kissed," Ryuji confirmed. "And I cock-blocked you. Fuck man, I'm so sorry!"
Ren merely shook his head and said, "Oh fuck man…"
"But dude! You two nearly kissed!" Ryuji exclaimed as he rushed out to the balcony and shook the stunned Ren's shoulders.
Did things just get complicated?
[Scene Change: Shujin Academy (Daytime)
Theme of Shujin Academy: Want to be Close from Persona 3]
"Man, Kamoshida still hasn't shown up to school," Ann said.
"It's bizarre. That piece of shit hasn't missed a day ever at his "Castle of Lust' and for him to miss three days straight? That's nuts," Ryuji commented with a frown.
A day after the final mission, Kawakami told the group that PE was replaced by study hall due to Kamoshida placing himself under suspension until further notice, which caused the talks for their expulsions to be put on hold well.
It had now been three days, and the group of teens was getting antsy. Something needed to happen soon, or else they were going to freak out.
"It must mean the changed worked, right?" Haru asked.
"You think he changed?" Shiho questioned nervously.
"I sure hope so. Otherwise, our asses are grass," Ren replied with a slight grin. Shiho grinned back before she looked away with a blush.
Despite it being three days, Ren and Shiho were more than a little awkward with one another. Both wanted to bring up what happened, but neither knew how to approach the subject.
Ren hoped this would end soon so they could continue where they left off.
From his backpack, Morgana snorted and said, "Yours more than anyone else's, Ren."
Haru nodded in agreement.
The group then heard the announcement of "Can everyone please come to the auditorium for a morning assembly."
The group looked at each other with confusion. They had already had a morning assembly earlier in the month. Why was another one taking place? The group then shrugged before they walked towards the auditorium.
Once everyone was in the large room, the egg-shaped principal stood at the podium and said with a low tone, "Thank you all for coming. The reason I have brought you all here is-"
Just then, the doors to the auditorium opened, and Suguru Kamoshida stood in them, a look of shame and humbleness on his face.
[Theme of Regret: Regret from Persona 5]
"K-Kamoshida," Principal Kobayakawa stammered out. "What are you doing here?"
With his head bowed, Kamoshida said, "I have been reborn…And that is why I must confess all of my sins…"
The group exchanged glances at one another while the whispers in the crowd began.
"Is something going on with the Volleyball team?"
"Is he getting fired?"
"I hope Kamoshida-sensei is okay…"
"Could it be about that calling card?"
"Thank you all for coming," Kamoshida said with a sad tone in his voice. "I have repeatedly done things that were unsavory to not just the students here at Shujin but even the staff themselves at times, but it's time to reveal the truth…Starting with when I first arrived here."
"It worked…" Ann whispered.
"When I first arrived, I was fresh off my Olympic win…And I felt that the Track Team shouldn't have been the Ace team of the school…So I got the Track Team Coach fired and took his place and proceeded to verbally and physically abuse them…" Kamoshida began.
"But I pushed Sakamoto Ryuji the hardest because he was the "Ace" of the Track Team…I goaded him and pushed him to his breaking point, but he still wouldn't stop…But I knew where to hurt him…I called his mother out of her name, and he struck. I goaded him into a fight, and then I crippled him by breaking his leg…"
The crowd gasped as they looked to Ryuji, who merely scowled at this.
"Then I did it. I got rid of what I thought was the eyesore because Volleyball is my life, and I thought I could achieve results. No one else…" Kamoshida shamefully continued.
"Then, emboldened by what I had done, I set my sights on everyone else. I imposed my will on several females to have sex with them to get them to a scholarship. I have blackmailed parents into letting me have their way with their wives to guarantee their child's success, and even sometimes, I would still assault their daughters while breaking the spirit of their sons…"
Kamoshida then looked towards Ren and his group.
Ren instantly knew what was coming next.
"I had been forcing a relationship on Takamaki Ann. First, for giving Suzui a spot on the team and then molesting her as she tried to defend her friend, Suzui Shiho, from my actions…" The crowd gasped in horror as Ryuji scowled as Ann flinched from hearing her shame out in the open like this.
"All while at the same time, using Shiho as my plaything as her parents allowed me to and then doubling down when I threatened Ann's virtue. I had forced both of them under my heel in fear of what I would do to the other…"
Kamoshida fell to his knees and said, "Everything was going my way until the new student came. Amamiya Ren. He kept Ann and Shiho from my grasp and also managed to awaken Ryuji's spirit once again. So I had another student, who I had beaten into submission, whose parents allowed me to do what I pleased with his mother, Mishima Yūki, leak the files of his crime, and yet that didn't stop him…."
Kamoshida lowered his head once more and said, "So instead, I forced three students to murder him!"
The crowd gasped in terror and horror at this as Ren adjusted his glassed. "That day during the fire alarm…I was about to assault Shiho sexually and fully break her. If not for a stray cat, I would have taken her virginity and ruined her…" Kamoshida said shamefully.
The group suddenly saw all eyes turn on Shiho, which caused the group to surround her to keep her from their shocked gazes.
"And that's not all….Because of me, she nearly killed herself that day by jumping off the roof. Ann and Ryuji and Okumura Haru saved her. Ren rightful went after me because he was furious at what I was doing, but then I attacked him. I punched his stab wound then stomped on it. All because I felt everything crashing in on me."
"In desperation, I threatened that entire group with expulsion to keep them silent and defeat Ren once and for all…Something I rescind…" The students began to whisper as Kamoshida started to sob openly. "I am truly sorry for putting every single one of you and all of those that I assaulted all through such horrible acts that I can't bear to repeat."
"I'm a demon that needs to be exorcised, and I will personally take reasonability for that and kill myself as punishment…" Kamoshida announced as he bowed.
"Kamoshida! Compose yourself and get off the stage!" Principal Kobayakawa exclaimed. "Everyone, back to your classes! Teachers!"
The group could watch as the teachers began to try and make the students return, but Shiho shouted, "No!"
The crowd grew silent as Shiho stepped out of the protective circle her friends had made around her. "You hurt everyone you touched, and now you want to kill yourself?! Stop running away, you coward!" Shiho yelled as tears fell from her eyes.
"You have no right…" Ann said. "You want justice for everything you've done and the people you've hurt? Then show that by living and repenting for all that you've done!"
"You both are right…" Kamoshida said as he looked at them through the crowd. "I need to atone for all that I've done…And that first step is to resign from my position as an instructor of Shujin Academy…And then turn myself in for all that I've done."
Kamoshida then held up his wrists and looked around with a desperate look as he shouted, "Please…Someone, please call the police! I'm begging you all!"
"This morning assembly is over! Everyone back to your classes!" The teachers yelled, but the crowd continued to talk.
"What a disgusting man. I can't believe I looked up to him."
"Man, that calling card predicted this."
"Does that mean the Phantom Thieves are real?"
"Was something down to Kamoshida?"
"Let get out of here," Ren whispered to his friends. The group nodded and slipped out of the auditorium as the whispers were heard all around them.
"There's no way that's possible. No one can steal hearts."
"But why else would he start saying like this? There's no other explanation!"
"Maybe they were about to leak this shit, so he revealed it so he can get a lighter sentence?"
[Theme of Peace: Theater Closing from Persona Q2]
Once the group was out of the room, Shiho and Ann immediately embraced one another while Ryuji and Haru slid down the wall with an exhausted sigh. "Holy shit," Ren said as he leaned back against the wall. "That was intense…But it's done…"
"Yeah, but man, did it go fast," Ryuji said. "I didn't expect it to hit him that hard."
"That's what happens. All of the terrible things Kamoshida did pile upon him, and he couldn't take it," Haru said.
"He deserved it," Shiho said. "Every last bit of it…I just wish he didn't say our names or reveal such intimate details…"
"There are going to be so many court cases," Ann woefully replied. "But it felt good to see him break down like that."
"Well…We did it, guys. We successfully changed his heart," Morgana said with a light-hearted tone. "Now, how about that celebration? I'm thinking tuna?"
"Holy whiplash, Batman," Ryuji laughed out. "Morgana, you're alright. We should celebrate a job well done."
"How about we just take it easy for a-" Ren was interrupted when he saw Mishima walking out of the auditorium with a look he hadn't seen on the boy before.
Hope.
"R-Ren-kun!" Mishima said as he rushed across the hall to Ren and bowed. "You…You did it. All of you did it. You managed to keep me from being expelled, and Kamoshida confessed to it all."
"Whoa, whoa, we did all that?" Ren asked.
"Of course you did," Mishima said with bright eyes. "You guys are great. I'll repay you all for doing this. You have no idea how happy I feel. I haven't felt this happy about anything since forever!" Mishima got on his knees, bowed to the group, and said, "Thank you all."
Mishima then stood up and limped off as fast as he could.
"Huh," Ann said.
"He didn't even let us pretend it wasn't us," Haru said with a blink.
Shiho could only shake her head before she said, "Mishima-san has abused for so long, he was losing his spirit. Of course, he's going to feel better about it, especially because he knows that we, those who Kamoshida had also wronged, were able to stop him for good."
"We'll have to do something about his eventually," Morgana said to Ren, who smiled.
[Theme of End Arc: Cinematic Tale ~Solo~ from Persona Q2]
Ren pushed himself off the wall and said, "Nah, no need to do anything. Call it a gut feeling, but Mishima is going to be a big help to us."
"And your gut feelings are never wrong," Ryuji said with a wide grin.
"Ah! There you guys are," Makoto said as she walked out from the auditorium with a grin on her face.
"Yo, Niijima," Ryuji saluted.
"Hello, Makoto-san," Haru chirped.
Ann and Shiho nodded their greetings.
"What's up?" Ren greeted.
"Well, I was just given word that School is ending early today and will be out tomorrow because of Kamoshida. Wanted to give you guys the news."
"Thank you," Shiho said as she stepped closer to Ren.
Makoto eyed this and smiled before she leaned close and said with a hushed tone, "Seems this school has a bunch of Guardian Thieves looking after it."
While Ryuji, Shiho, Ann, and Haru stiffened, Ren smirked and said, "I don't know what you're talking about."
With a twinkle in her eye, Makoto smiled and tapped Ren's chest with her knuckle and said, "I'm sure, Amamiya. I look forward to seeing what you guys do next. Enjoy the moment."
Ren grinned in reply.
Makoto schooled her features and said, "Well. You guys are free to go. See you on Monday," before she walked away.
"Oh, she's dangerous," Ryuji mumbled to Haru as he motioned to the angered look on Shiho's face. "And not just to us."
"This will be a lot of fun…" Haru giggled.
"We'll have to watch her," Shiho said with narrowed eyes.
"Agreed," Ann said before she lost the edge in her gaze and murmured, "I wonder what will happen now with Kamoshida gone."
"Yeah, he was such a big part of our meeting and becoming friends," Haru said with a frown. "I'm unsure what happens next."
"Yeah," Shiho said. "Not only that, he's the reason we have these powers…What happens with them now?"
"Let's just take it day by day…" Ren said with a smile. "I'm looking forward to being a good boy for a bit."
[Scene Change: Tokyo (Daytime)
Roll Credits: Dream of Butterfly from Shin Megami Tensei: Persona]
"Kasumi, wake up…We're here…"
Red eyes opened up as she gazed at the oncoming city for Shibuya. "You must be excited to go to Shujin Academy. New life without that troublesome boy Amamiya. No more interviews, no more cameras. Just you, me, and your mother."
Kasumi let a small smile form on her face as she said, "Yeah...I hope everyone is ready for the Yoshizawa family to take over."
It was time for a new start.
[Roll Credits: Dream of Butterfly from Shin Megami Tensei: Persona]
Ren: And that is the end of this chapter and the end of the Kamoshida arc. The next arc will be the Madarame Arc then a brand new palace. I'm also putting our newbie in this in the next chapter so its going to be fun, fun, fun!
Kasumi: See you next time!