Quick warning: The end of Shiho's section might be disturbing to some readers due to a kind of cut off rape scene as it mentions some groping and penetration, I am not writing an extremely graphic rape scene because fuck that disgusting shit, and what I did write makes me feel disturbed and sick, but I do want to establish how much of a fucking disgusting piece of trash Kamoshida is. Skip to Akira's section after the line "You… wanted to see me?" if you want to avoid it.

Chapter 6: What Broke the Camel's Back

Ω • Ω • Ω

•Sapphire•

"Anthony, my homeboy, my main squeeze, my home slice, my companion, my amigo, my buddy, my friend, my chum, my brother…"

"Alright, I was starting to get annoyed, but now I'm just interested to see how many more synonyms you can come up with for 'friend.'"

"That was it, can't come up with anything else."

"Oh." Anthony put down a slab of rock with Scarabian inscriptions on it and sighed. "Get to the point, I called you to the lab for a reason."

"Come on, we both know what I want."

"Sapphire… I'm not making you web-shooters."

"Goddamnit Anthony, come on! I'm basically already Spider-Man!"

"My intellect drops every time you visit me…"

He sat on the table which caused Anthony to glare at him irritably, while he continued. "Listen, just like Spider-Man, I have super strength, super agility, I can sense danger coming, I can climb walls if I jam my fingers into the bricks… all I need are web-shooters."

Anthony walked away and opened a filing cabinet, looking through several folders. "I'm not wasting time on making you web-shooters. I have another expedition into another opened Scarabian pyramid soon and have to focus on that. Besides, didn't Spider-Man naturally produce webbing?"

"No, that's just in the Raimi trilogy. And some comics. Anyway, point is, make me web-shooters! I can swing around in a suit that Willow sewed for me in New York or Fourside! Come on, I promise I won't fight crime or anything, I just want to swing around the city!"

"Of course she already sewed you a suit…" Anthony rested his face against the metal cabinet in frustration. "I've already told you no."

"Just think of it as a challenge! You'll have to figure out how to make a liquid that is elastic but stronger than steel and can be fired out as webs from small bracelets!"

Anthony paused at the thought, clearly thinking it over. He snickered, knowing the man for so long he knew that Anthony's weakness was a challenge. Eventually the blond shook his head, "Even if I wanted to try, I don't have the time as I said. Now, can we actually focus on why I wanted you to come here?"

"Alright, alright, get to it."

Anthony sat at his desk, typing at a computer. He leaned over his friend's shoulder and watched as his friend navigated several tabs, before groaning as a familiar website popped up. "Goddamnit, not this shit again."

The website looked like a news website, but it wasn't exactly. The website had begun cropping up about a year before, containing theories on PSI and old pictures of the Chosen Four. Of course, the first time Anthony had found the website he immediately looked into it. The IP address was nearly impossible to find, even for the genius, and once he did it changed within an instant.

"How many people have seen this?"

"Way too many."

"What the hell is even the purpose of this website existing?"

Anthony shook his head. "It's obscure enough that you couldn't find it unless you specifically searched for certain terms, but more people see it every time the website comes back up. Of course, you know the main reason." They both stared at the line at the bottom of the page.

It was a request, for anybody with knowledge of, or abilities similar to the ones on the website, to email the creator. "Have you tried tracking the email?"

"Sapphire, I'm twenty times smarter than you on my worst day, of course I did."

"You want to go? I'll kick your goddamn ass."

"Just like the IP, I can't track the email. The one time I even got close I only got a quick message back before it disappeared. 'Nice try, Genius of the Chosen Four.'"

He folded his arms as he eyed Anthony. "So. That means…"

"Exactly. Somehow, one of Giygas' minions managed to survive your Heart Bound attack, and is trying to locate more people with PSI potential."

"How though? And why? Heart Bound completely erases and purifies Corruption and evil, plus destroys whatever monster it hits."

"Yes, any monster… but remember, you held back when it came to humans and animals during that final attack, just destroying any monster it hit. Whoever this was already an asshole without Giygas' corrupting influence, so they likely have their own reasons for this. It might be revenge, but there could be other reasons."

"Well, they're determined, at least."

"I'm going to try tracking this person down, but as I said, I'm already busy. I might need your help with this." He sighed, and Anthony shot a look at him. "Sapph, you know-"

"I know this is important, but come on, Ant. Can't you get Noct or any of his warriors on this? With my job and the kids, I'm not involving myself in anything dangerous like this anymore. You know this."

"Listen, I get it. Akira, Moon, and Diamond don't know anything about Willow or your own abilities, but they'll find out eventually, and you're much more likely to die in a goddamn car accident than some battle with how powerful you are. Either someone in Onett lets it slip, or they develop their own PSI."

"Well, nobody's let anything slip since I specifically asked that they don't after Willow had Akira, and I said I don't want my kids to grow up either ostracized for their dad having weird powers or turn into egotistical bullies thinking that their dad is some kind of superhero, which I'm thankful didn't happen. Plus, since Akira hasn't developed any powers, Moon and Diamond probably won't either."

"Sapph, don't ignore part of the argument. Fighting is in your blood, don't tell me you don't still visit and have battles with Noct."

He looked away, folding his arms. "Yeah, but that's just… me and Noct. I still have the twins to raise, I can't risk my life fighting. I'm not supposed to be a fighter you know, not a berserker who loves to rush into a fight. I may have been born to kill Giygas as the Leader of the Chosen Four, but… You, me, Willow, Noct… we lost our childhoods. You were a genius at a boarding house, Noct was trained from the moment he could to be a fighter, and mine and Willow's were normal up until Giygas before we lost any semblance of normal childhoods. A normal kid isn't supposed to become a deadly fighter when they're barely a teen.

"Normal kids don't fight monsters that could kill them brutally, psychopaths that try to burn them alive, or their twisted inner selves. They don't have to journey across the world, through a nightmare jungle, scorching deserts, or the inside of a mindscape. They shouldn't be faced with the cold corpse of their parent and dog in their destroyed and burning town as giant robots and aliens nearly kill their sibling. They shouldn't still wake up in cold sweats years later. I want my kids to live a normal life. If that means never letting them know about my abilities or fighting again, then that's what I'll do."

Anthony was silent as he ranted, before smiling slightly. "Man. Our lives were fucked up, weren't they? Alright, I'll see if I can get Noct to help, don't worry about it. Hey, while you're here in Tokyo, why not go surprise Akira with a visit?"

"I would, and I want to, but he'd question why and how I'm here when the team has practice and a game coming up soon. Normal people can't travel so fast. I'll give him a call though."

"Hm. Well, after my expedition, I might as well stay here in Tokyo. If he needs a familiar face, he can come by the laboratory."

"Heh. Thanks, Ant."

"No problem. Say hello to Wils and the kids by the way."

"You got it."

Anthony smirked and leaned back. "Still can't believe you named one of the twins after that ass who bound us in an earth tentacle and attacked your mind with that dumb sword of his."

"Ant, it was mostly because she was born exactly at midnight during a full moon, and Moon is a good name for a girl. Besides, he did give an apology and try and help get me back up when Giygas killed me. If I never see him again due to how infinite the multiverse is, then that's something to thank him. I just hope Moon doesn't go through an emo phase because I gave her his name."

"She's the sweetest damn kid on the planet, a complete opposite from that emo version of you," Anthony snorted, "If she ever goes through an emo phase I'll eat my glasses. It's more likely her sister will."

"Maybe. Anyway, I'll leave you to your preparations. Don't forget about the web-shooters!"

"Yeah, yeah. Maybe. If I decide to make them I might let you know."

"Psh. See ya, Ant." He walked away and grabbed Casey from where the weapon lay against a wall. "Come on, Casey." He flexed his PSI, and within an instant was on the other side of the world.

"Should I remind you after you wake up to call little Akira?" His living weapon asked.

He shook his head at Casey's question, "I'll do it now. What time do you think his school gets out?"

"Probably soon?"

"Yeah, probably." He chuckled.

Ω • Ω • Ω

•Akira•

Akira scrolled through the messages on his phone as he got off the train, thinking on the words that the faux-blond had texted him. Ryuji was a stubborn bastard, in the best way of course, as even after all of their setbacks he was still trying to find a way to get dirt on Kamoshida, agreeing with him that risking Kamoshida's death was a bit too far. He jerked as his phone began ringing, before smiling when he saw his dad's name on the caller ID. He picked up, placing the phone against his ear. "Hey."

"Howdy," his father spoke, "just calling to check up. You're out of school by now, yeah?"

"Yeah, I'm heading back to Leblanc now, still figuring out the subways here."

"Heh, big cities are real chaotic, aren't they?"

He snorted, "Well, you've got more experience than me, don't you? All your ball games are in big cities."

"Yeah, and I had just as much trouble the first time I tried to use a subway. Nearly missed practice once." He laughed, grinning. "Oi, don't laugh, I got chewed out by the manager!"

"Sorry, sorry. Listen, I'm transferring to another train soon so I won't be able to talk once I'm underground. Trains are fucking packed here."

"Hey, watch the language."

"Oh please, you curse even more than me." He smirked even though his father couldn't see it.

"Jesus, if you think I curse much now, you don't even want to know how bad I was when I was younger."

"I'm sure," he snarked.

"Anyway, how are you doing there? Talking with anyone?"

"Well… I guess. I've been talking with someone in my grade, Ryuji, and met someone named Morgana."

"That's great, two people to help you get through the year! Any girls? Need tips on how-"

"I'm gonna stop you right there," he said as he blandly cut his dad off.

He heard him chuckle, "Well, you've got the Starr charm. I'm sure you can handle it."

"Ugh. I don't know whether I should be happy you have so much confidence in me or angsty."

"You're a teenager, your default emotions are angst and angst-filled sarcasm."

"Uh-huh. Anyway, got to go."

"Alright, ciao. Make sure to call your mother to say hello to her and the twins later!"

"I will, I've just been a bit busy, and my mind's preoccupied."

"Yeah, that's understandable. You know, Anthony has one of his labs in Tokyo. He's going on another expedition soon and I don't know when he'll be back, but once he is, you can always visit him if you ever need anything."

He pushed his way through some crowds and smiled. "Got it, I'll keep that in mind. Can you send Uncle Ant's lab's location to me? I can probably figure out which trains to take to get there."

"Yeah, no prob. Stay safe, Aki!"

"Love you, bye." He hung up and put his phone away as he climbed down the stairs of the station, his mind quickly wandering back to Morgana's words.

If it truly was the only way, they would be risking the life of a man. No matter the crime, he didn't think that anybody deserved death. He exited out into Station Square, frowning at the large number of people in front of him. Nowhere in Onett was ever this crowded. Even the arcades could never hold that many people in one room.

He shouldered his way through the crowd and held his bag close so that nobody could try and steal from him. Somebody shouting drew his ears, and he almost ignored it before he recognized the female voice. "Takamaki-san…?" He turned, trying to see where her voice came from and spotted her near the wall of the station, an angry expression on her face as she shouted into her phone.

She kept shouting before it transitioned to a shocked expression. "Wait, what…?! That isn't what you promised! And you call yourself a teacher?!" Was she talking to… Kamoshida? He kept pushing through the crowd, watching as she got angry again. "This has nothing to do with Shiho!" She suddenly faltered and leaned back against the wall as her skin got paler. "A-ah, wait… Shiho's starting position…"

She slid down the wall, tears appearing in her eyes. Sapphire frowned as he finally got through the crowd, but now he wasn't sure what to do. "Takamaki-san?"

Takamaki-san looked up with bloodshot eyes, and immediately stood up and backed away. "Starr-san?! What're you… wait, were you listening?!"

He raised an eyebrow and waved an arm at the crowds around them, several people pointedly not looking towards the scene. "Hard not to when you're shouting in public."

"Ah, I guess…" Takamaki-san wiped her tears away, looking away. "You didn't have to come over you know, it's-"

"Hey, you looked like you were in trouble." He shrugged and she looked at him with wide eyes. "Just because we had an argument doesn't mean I won't be concerned when I hear you yelling and going all pale as you did."

"Well, still…" she shook her head. "How much did you hear?"

"You were arguing with… a teacher, about Suzui-san?"

Takamaki-san's breath hitched, and she nodded. "Shiho- no, it's nothing. Don't worry about it." She turned away, but he spotted the tears welling up again before she could fully turn. "Nothing…"

"It doesn't look like nothing. Do you want to talk?" He stepped forward and tried to place a comforting hand on her shoulder, but she pulled away and he could see the tears that threatened to stream down her cheeks.

"I'm fine!" she turned and ran, and he grasped for her arm but missed. He watched her run down the stairs into the underground walkway, and he sighed. Sakura-san might be upset if he got back late, and this clearly was not something that involved him. When he had first come to Tokyo, he might have just left right there.

Well, it seems that Sakura-san shalt be wondering where thou are. His lips twitched into a smirk at Arsène's words. But he wouldn't now. He had Arsène, and partially Kamoshida's Shadow, to thank for pushing him to change. He shouldered his bag and ran towards the stairs, sliding down the railing after her.

"Takamaki-san, wait!"

Ω • Ω • Ω

•Ann•

She ran through the walkway underneath Shibuya, dodging slow-moving people on their phones or just loitering around. Why was she running…? Starr-san had offered his help, offered to listen to her, yet here she was, running away.

She choked back a sob and wiped her arm along her face, trying to clear her face. She came to a stop by a pillar, resting against it as a wave of exhaustion came over her. She leaned back against the pillar and let her head thump against it, dropping her bag to the ground. She sighed, trying to get her breathing under control.

She just needed to calm down. She closed her eyes and rested for a few moments before a presence in front of her caused her to open her eyes. And there he stood. Starr-san smiled awkwardly, hands in his pockets. "It might've been harder to find you if a blonde girl was hard to spot in Japan's underground walkways."

She tried to get angry, pull up some semblance of rage. "Stop following me! Just… just leave me alone!" Her words felt hollow, no true anger tinting them, and Starr-san saw through her facade.

"Takamaki-san… I'm sorry for earlier today. But, right now… I don't know if you think of me as a friend or just another student, but please, tell me… are you okay?"

She opened her mouth to tell him off, yell at him to leave her, but it just wouldn't come out. "Why…? Why do you keep worrying about me?" She tried to hit him, but he didn't block and her fist just ended up weakly slapping against his chest. He smiled down at her and she tried to find any deceit or lies, just compassion, and the dam broke, tears finally flowing freely as he calmly took her hand in his.

"Come on, let's go somewhere safe."

"What the heck… I really don't get you." Starr-san just smiled and grabbed her bag for her and she let him lead her out of the walkway, up onto Shibuya's Central Street.

"Is there anywhere nearby we can talk privately?"

"There's a Big Bang Burger down some ways, we can probably get a booth." She nodded in the direction it was, and Starr-san hummed as he pulled her along.

He began talking quietly about random topics to distract her. "We don't have any Big Bang Burgers in Onett, it's a pretty small town. Only one diner where everyone eats. We do have a Mach Pizza though, they actually started their chain in Onett. They're pretty useful for late-night study sessions when you need a pick-me-up. Though if I woke up my sisters I had to bribe them with pizza so that they wouldn't tell my parents I was up so late."

When they reached their destination Starr-san pointed her towards a booth and handed back her bag before walking towards the counter. She quietly sat down in the hidden corner booth and watched as Starr-san got two cups of water for them before sitting down on the opposite side of the table from her. "I didn't know if you wanted anything to eat, so I just got you some water."

"Thanks." They sat in silence for a few minutes, Starr-san sipping at his drink but never taking his eyes from her. Eventually, the silence became too much for her. "I don't have anything to talk about with you by the way."

"Just my luck," Starr-san rolled his eyes. "I buy a girl water and she refuses to talk to me. The Nice Guy forums told me this would work. What a lousy first date."

"W-W-Wait," She blushed and slammed her hands on the table. "Who said this was a date?! I never agreed to anything!"

"Duh," Starr-san smiled. "But, it looks like I got you to start talking with me, didn't I?" She blinked, before groaning and burying her head in her hands. "I'm fine with waiting as long as it takes, if you want to leave, then go ahead and do so. But I think talking will help."

After saying so, Starr-san stayed silent, letting her think. Eventually, she looked up. "Listen, it was just an argument. Not… everything is fine."

"You sound like you're trying to convince yourself more than you are trying to convince me." She looked away. "Alright, fine, it was just a small argument. But with Kamoshida."

She bit her lip, trying to come up with a retort, before sighing and nodding. "Yeah, an argument with… Kamoshida."

Starr-san folded his arms and stared at her, eyes glinting behind his glasses. "Takamaki-san. If you truly don't want to talk, then I'll leave right now and respect that. But I don't think you want me to leave. I think you're confused and scared, and you want help."

She stared back, before nodding. He was right, of course, but… She breathed out. "You've… heard the rumors, haven't you? About Kamoshida, and how we're… getting it on."

"I've heard some things." His gaze stayed neutral, not judging her at all even as she said things that many at Shujin ostracized her for, not even caring if they were true or false. She looked down and began playing with her napkin, not wanting to meet his eyes, just in case he did start.

"Well, all those things… none of them are true! That… that was him on the other line. I managed to avoid giving him my number for so long, but he still managed to get a hold of it somehow." She took a moment to try and compose herself mentally, before continuing. "He told me to go to his place, and I'm sure you can guess what he wanted to do there…"

She heard Starr-san growl under his breath, but he cleared his throat and motioned for her to continue. "Don't stop. Is talking helping?"

It was… She stopped playing with the napkin, instead gripping it hard and tearing it slightly. "The thing is… If I turn him down, he said he'd take my friend off as a regular on the team." As she talked, the words came to her easier and easier, and soon she was spilling all of her emotions in front of this boy she barely knew. "I've been telling myself this is all for Shiho's sake, but I can't take it anymore. I've had enough of this… I hate him! But… but Shiho's still my best friend! She's all I have left at that sorry excuse of a school! Tell me… what should I do…?"

Starr-san grimaced as she looked to him with a tear-stricken expression, and he opened his mouth, before closing it with a click of his teeth. He looked frustrated, angry, but none of it seemed to be directed at her. "I… I don't know. I'm sorry."

She hiccuped, wiping some tears away, and tried to force a smile. It wasn't Starr-san's fault. In fact, he'd tried to help her, and talking about it had helped slightly, even if she still wasn't sure what to do. "Sorry. I shouldn't have asked. It's not your problem." She managed to get herself under control and let out a weak chuckle after another hiccup. "What am I even saying…? We've barely even spoken before."

Starr-san smiled kindly and tapped the table. "Maybe we should talk more, then. I'd be happy to help take your mind off of all of this in the future if you ever need it." She looked at him with wide eyes, before a true smile that mirrored his pulled at the corners of her lips. "Having someone to confide in can always help since you can tell them things that you can't anyone else.

"You're so weird. Usually, everyone just ignores me." She laughed and shook her head. "The rumors about me aren't true… but what about you? You don't exactly seem like a delinquent to me." She smiled as she teased him, and it was so nice to be able to joke with someone that wasn't Shiho, no matter how much she loved her friend.

"Oh please. I'm bad to the bone, baby," Starr-san smirked and flipped his hair dramatically as he adjusted his glasses.

"Pfft-" She giggled and held a hand to her face, causing Starr-san's smirk to turn more genuine. "Alright, I guess I'll take your word on that then. I had a feeling they were all exaggerations, but if you say so." They both laughed, and she smiled down at her water. "In all seriousness… I never really believed them. You always looked so lonely, like you had nowhere to belong…"

"I felt like that for a little while. Then I made friends with Ryu. Er, Sakamoto-san. He's a really good guy. Turns out having someone to talk to can really help." He looked her in the eyes and she smiled, nodding at his words, understanding the underlying message.

They sat in silence for a moment, before she frowned and sighed. "Is there really no way for me to help Shiho? I wish he would just… change his mind or something. Forget all about me, and Shiho, and everything." She scoffed and sat back in the booth, looking at Starr-san with a sad half-smile. "As if something like that could ever happen."

Starr-san stayed smiling like he had been, but she could see something in his eyes. Uncertainty? Guilt? She wasn't sure. Starr-san suddenly chuckled, shrugging. "Yeah. That'd be way too convenient. Something like that would only happen in some kind of story."

"I wasn't asking for a serious response," she rolled her eyes. "But thanks. I do feel a bit better. I'm gonna head home now." She grabbed her bag and the water, standing up. "Don't tell anyone what I told you, okay?"

"Got it. I'll be your favorite confidant." Starr-san smiled and raised his drink at her to wave her off.

"That'll take some work. We've only known each other for so long."

"Damn, foiled again," Starr-san shrugged.

She smiled, before sighing. "For now, I'll try and find some way to persuade Kamoshida."

"Need any help with that?" Starr-san's smile dropped fully, and she could see the worry on his face. Unknown to her of course, Akira's mind kept flashing back to Morgana's words ever since she brought up Kamoshida changing his mind. He had gotten less and less apprehensive about it as he heard her story, and if it was the only way…

"No, I don't want you getting into any more trouble. Or Sakamoto-san either." This was her problem.. But it did prove how tenacious he was to keep trying to help. "Well… thanks." She walked out and smiled at the thought of being able to talk with Starr-san again. Maybe with another acquaintance, Shujin wouldn't be so bad. Or maybe, a friend? Yeah, another friend, alongside Shiho.

Maybe she could look forward to the rest of the year at Shujin…

Ω • Ω • Ω

•Shiho•

Shiho absently found herself walking out of Shujin that afternoon, the light in her eyes dark and devoid of hope. Everything seemed so… She struggled to find the word. Pointless? Useless? The bruises on her face stung, and it seemed like each and every day was worse than the last. Even Ann wasn't able to help anywhere near as much as she used to.

"Suzui-san…" The weak voice calling to her made her stop and turn, and she saw Mishima-san slinking up, his gait slow from the bruises beneath his clothes. The ones on his face seemed worse, several dark marks under his eyes and a bandage covering a scrape on his cheek. One of his eyes was shining, the beginnings of a black eye forming.

"Mishima-san? Is there… something you need?"

"Are you… um, leaving?"

Her mouth became dry and a pit formed in her stomach. She prayed that he wasn't going to say what she thought he'd say, but… "What is it…?"

Mishima struggled to speak for a moment, the emotions in his eyes warring between fear and determination, before fear won out. He looked away, a scowl on his face at his own cowardice. "Kamoshida-sensei's asking for you. He's in the PE Faculty Office."

Her heart thudded in her chest. "What did he say?"

"...I don't know. Well… I have to go." Mishima turned around, shame radiating from him as he ran. She watched him go, her heart sinking to match her stomach. Her body shivered and felt cold. She felt a vibration in her pocket and reached down, grasping her phone to see Ann calling her. Her finger shook as she held it over the 'accept' button, before she closed her eyes and let her arms droop, her phone silencing itself after a few more rings. She clenched it in her hands, before performing what felt like the walk to the chopping block.

The PE office was at the end of a hallway, with thick walls and a similar door that looked heavy to open. She hesitated to call it soundproof, but… could nobody hear what happened inside when the volleyball members were called there? She raised a fist, shaking for several seconds, before knocking on the door. "K-Kamoshida-sensei?"

The door opened a second later, but she dared not look the teacher in the face, afraid of what she might see. "Ah, Suzui-san." His voice sounded friendly and welcoming, but she knew that was simply a front. She could sense the underlying maliciousness and something more as he waved her into the room. "Come in."

"You… wanted to see me?"

"Yes, I did…" the lock clicking on the door sounded like a guillotine thumping down. She dared not turn to look at him, even as he placed his hands on her shoulders and began rubbing them, causing her skin to crawl and bile to rise up her throat. Was this going to be another 'special session', where he just beat her until he was satisfied? No, for some reason… for some reason, she had a feeling it would be infinitely worse.

Her heart was clenching and her breathing was getting heavy. Some lost instinct inside of her was begging her to run out of there and scream for help, but she was too cowardly to do so.

As much as it disgusted her, she begged whatever god there was that it would just be the normal beatings, but the 'Coach's' calm movements and voice told her it wouldn't be.

Kamoshida's hands began lowering, to the end of her shirt, before slipping them beneath to caress her skin. "I believe we might be talking for quite a while…"

"U-Uh, S-Sir!" She tried to stop his hands, but one wandered up her body beneath her clothes towards her chest, and the other slipped below her pants and underwear. Her heart hammered in disgust and fear as she began tearing up. "P-Please stop…"

The coach continued, the near-empty school and thick walls and door guaranteeing that no one would come to save her. As her clothes were fully removed and Kamoshida slipped out of his own, bending her over his desk and penetrating her against her will, Shiho began to cry fully. Her screams echoed through the room, drowned out by Kamoshida's grunts and laughter. None heard them. None cared.

She was alone.

Ω • Ω • Ω

•Akira•

4/15, Friday

Akira munched on a pocky stick quietly, trying not to attract attention to himself as Ushimaru-sensei went on and on about the separation of powers or something. Normally he would focus in his classes, but his mind was still stuck on his talk with Takamaki-san and his texts back and forth with Ryuji the previous night.

It was becoming harder to find faults with Morgana's plan to use Kamoshida's Palace against him, the sole niggling doubt being the chance of killing the teacher. Even Kamoshida didn't deserve to die, right? He was starting to be more okay with the possibility, and he didn't know what that said about him.

He sighed silently and slumped in his seat until something nudged him. He peeked an eye open and saw Morgana sitting in his desk poking at his stomach. "Have you made up your mind yet?"

"Fucking Christ!" He jumped in his seat in surprise, looking around to see if anyone had heard his whispered outburst, or seen the cat in his desk, but luckily his teacher was loud enough to drone over him.

When did he appear in thy desk?!

He glared down at the cat, mentally asking the same thing as Arsène and pushed him as far into his desk as he could go. Once he was sure no one would be able to see the cat, he hissed quietly at Morgana, eyes darting to his classmates again. "The hell are you doing in my desk?!"

"I didn't know where else to find you." Morgana licked his paw and smoothed down some puffed-up fur. "Anyway, have you decided on what you plan to do?"

"I'm not sure yet," he frowned. "I want to say… gah, this is just…"

A moral quandary such as this can be difficult for those fully grown, and especially so for adolescents such as thou. He smiled slightly at Arsène's comforting words, before turning back to Morgana.

Morgana sighed. "You'll have to make a decision eventually. This is the only way to get back at that guy, isn't it?"

"You might very well be correct, but still…" he absentmindedly drew another pocky stock from the box and munched on it, freezing when he realized that Ushimaru-sensei had stopped speaking and was looking around the room suspiciously.

"I swore that I could hear a cat meowing…" he swallowed hard and shoved Morgana even further back, causing the black cat to let out a quiet 'meow' of discomfort.

Hide him, hide him!

When Ushimaru-sensei finally stopped, he sighed in relief and glared at the cat. Morgana just shrugged as best he could while stuck inside a desk and with an animal's body, and he rolled his eyes back. His phone vibrated in his pocket, and after making sure no one would notice, he slipped it into his desk so he could type without being seen.

Ryuji— It's no use dude

Ryuji— I can't think of any other way

You— I can't either. Should we go through with Morgana's plan of using the Palace?

Ryuji— Ugh that damn furball

Ryuji— bet he's gonna act all smug n shit 2

Morgana flicked his tail in annoyance at the nickname. "If only he knew I was reading this too…"

He began writing a response text but in the end couldn't finish, as somebody shouting on the other side of the room drew his attention. "Hey, what's that?!" He raised an eyebrow as the boy stared out the window of the classroom, more impressed than anything else that the boy had the balls to shout with Ushimaru-sensei still talking.

"Enough," the teacher gruffly yelled, "this is a classroom! Sit down!"

Another student, this one a girl suddenly spoke up, panic in her voice. "Wait… she's going to jump!" His haze snapped to the girl, and he stood up, chair scraping back. Jump? He suddenly had a very bad feeling in his gut.

As the students began whispering in panicked tones, he saw Mishima-san stand up, horror etched onto his face. "Suzui…?"

Upon hearing Mishima-san, Takamaki-san, who had already been looking on in concern, snapped upright, surprise clear in her actions and stance. "Shiho…?"

The teacher began trying to get the class back under control, but Takamaki-san completely ignored him and raced out of the room. He cursed and shot after her, leaving his bag in the room. "Takamaki-san, wait!"

He got there just in time to see Takamaki-san holding her hands to her mouth in horror as Shiho fell from the opposite building's rooftop. He watched as well with wide-eyes as the girl fell from the four-story roof, almost in slow-motion. People started screaming. Takamaki-san already had been. "NO!"

With a crack loud enough that it seemed booming to even them on the second floor, Shiho slammed into the ground.

For everyone who hasn't played P5, Shiho's scene stops with her hanging up the phone on Ann. Now, thinking back I can't recall if the word 'rape' was ever actually used with what Kamoshida did to Shiho Suzui. I know Ryuji calls him a quote 'Sexually harassing D-bag' unquote during his Shadow's boss fight, but I think it's pretty obvious that's what happened. I always found it weird that an M-rated game won't use the word rape.

Well, I guess this is the first chapter that really shows why this story is M-rated. I'm not going to really try and hold back on writing the scumbags that appear in this story. Kamoshida is really the only one that does the no-no out of the main villains, so he is a certain sin for a reason. I use Fanfiction to get better at writing, and Kamoshida was good practice for villain writing, but now I can't wait to get to the Calling Card and stealing the Treasure.

If Shiho's section felt disconnected from the others, that's what I was aiming for. She's despairing, she feels completely isolated and alone, she thinks that not even Ann can help her. Whereas Ann's section has her learning that there are people willing to help her and listen so it becomes more hopeful, Sapphire's section has a conversation between two lifelong friends and is much more lighthearted, even with the discussion of a mysterious enemy…

Also, since I don't have Royal yet due to Quarantine and I know that they've added the Grappling Hook from smash, I looked up some Royal footage to see exactly how and when Joker and the Thieves get the tool, and I am… underwhelmed. You find some wreckage you can't get over, so Morgana just gives you this wire attached to your wrist that flings out and pulls you up. Now, nothing wrong with that in itself, but that doesn't explain how all the other thieves somehow teleport up behind you, lmao. I know it's a game, but whatever. At least it kind of makes sense since Morgana is the toolmaker so he'd make them, but for an advanced device like a grappling hook, I don't think Morgana could make it just like that. And so, the Genius of the Chosen Four…

I realized a while back I could make a joke about Sapphire being like Spider-man since superstrength, agility, spider-sense (his danger sense), wall-crawling (if he jabs his hands through walls), are technically things he has too, so a joke about having Anthony make him web-shooters naturally evolved when I realized I wanted to make another way for the Thieves to gain grappling hooks.

Whatever, long Author's Note is long, TL;DR, Kamoshida bad, writing villains fun and good practice, Sapphire plus Spider-man joke equals grappling hooks. Leave a review on everything you liked in the chapter or just a 'nice.' Both are always great to read.