April 14th, 20XX.
Akira was walking along with Miyabi when they overheard an excited female student say, "Did you see Mr. Kamoshida play yesterday? He was so awesome! I think I might ask for his autograph after school."
A nervous female student then remarked, "I dunno if that's such a good idea... I hear that you shouldn't go near the PE Faculty office. People say you can hear weird sounds like screaming, even though nobody's fucking in there."
"What? That's probably just a rumor spread by fans to scare the competition."
After Miyabi and Akira split off to go to their classrooms, Miyabi noticed Akechi at his seat in her classroom. "Akechi, where were you yesterday?"
"Unfortunately, I was being pursued by something known as the 'Black Mask' and shaking it off my tail took almost the entire day. I had to talk with the Principal earlier about it and explain to him that the Black Mask following me here would have caused problems. He accepted it, although I suspect that he was more interested in trying to uphold the school's reputation or what's left of it." Akechi answered.
"What a fucking joke the Principal is."
"No shit."
Some time later in Akira's classroom, he heard and felt his phone vibrate and discreetly brought it out and looked to see a new text.
Shu7YerCakehole: So about Kamoshitda... I am starting to wonder if something is up regarding Takamaki.
TheBizarr0Joker: Since she's with him?
Shu7YerCakehole: No, that ain't why. Some of my classmates have been gossiping about her double-timing him, but that's typical racial stereotyping of American or even European girls. Besides, Takamaki's best friends with a member of the Volleyball team. A girl named Shiho Suzui. I never tried talking to her, and you're probably not going to get anything useful out of her either. That's where Takamaki comes in, although it'll be difficult to get her to help us too... Sorry, I'm gonna need to think more on this.
Akira put his phone to sleep and then hid it before focusing on Kawakami.
-Take Your Heart-
Takamaki was sitting on a bench along with the unknown girl. "Shouldn't you be heading to volleyball, Suzui-san?"
"Uh-huh..." Suzui replied with a crestfallen tone.
"That bruise above your eye... is that from practice, too?"
"Y-Yeah..."
"Are you sure you're not pushing yourself too hard?"
"I'm okay... Volleyball's the only thing I can do right..."
Takamaki's phone began to vibrate and then Suzui asked, "Shouldn't you take that, Ann?"
Ann answered, "It's probably my part-time job... I think."
"I should get going..."
"Shiho... Are you sure you're okay?"
"Uh-huh..." Shiho said before she got up and walked away. Ann then got up and answered her phone, "...yes? Today won't work... I'm... I'm not feeling so good... Sorry... Bye."
Ann then hung up and put her phone away as she walked off. Two male students then walked next to the vending machines and then one of them asked, "Hey, wasn't that Takamaki?"
The other one answered, "Rumor has it she's dating Kamoshida."
"Seriously?"
"I heard people saw them in his car together."
"You know... she seems pretty easy, even for a girl that's one quarter American, huh? You think I'd have a chance too?"
"C'mon, dude, you can't go after Kamoshida's bitch!"
Meanwhile with Akira, he had just come across Shiho. She didn't seem to notice him at first until she looked at him and asked, "...what?" before she then noticed where she was standing and then said, "Oh... I'm in the way, aren't I? Sorry..."
"Don't worry about it." Akira replied.
"I really am sorry though. I must have spaced out... Hm, you don't look familiar. Could you be that transfer student from Class D?"
Akira nodded his head in agreement and then Shiho said, "Um, this might not be any of my business, but don't let the rumors get to you, okay?"
"They don't bother me."
"I'm glad to hear that. My best friend is often misunderstood too, all because of her looks... Ah, sorry. I didn't mean to drag on like that. Anyway, I need to go to practice. I'll see you around."
Shiho then walked off after saying that. Akira then went out to the courtyard and saw Ryuji standing near the vending machines. "The look in your eyes tells me that you met Shiho and that she didn't tell you anything useful. We need to prepare to infiltrate that freakin' castle! There's no doubt that Kamoshitda's delusions about this school being his castle has something to do about his past that's holding it all together, but I don't know where to freakin' start!" Ryuji spoke in an irritated tone.
"Finally!" a male voice stated.
A small black cat approached them and then Ryuji asked, "Did you say something?"
"No, that was definitely Morgana's voice." Akira answered.
"Bingo!" Morgana's voice stated as the cat leaped up on top of the small table that was near them.
"What in the... you look like an actual cat here in the real world!?" Ryuji exclaimed in surprise.
"Yeah... for some reason, this is what happens when I come to this world. It also didn't help that I got separated from all of you for some time."
"No way... you came to our world? Does this mean you have a phone?"
"You don't need a phone when you're at my level."
"That aside, why can you talk? You look like a cat."
"How should I know?"
Ryuji let out a sigh and then said, "This is only going to raise more questions than answers, especially if anyone sees us right now. How about we meet up on the roof?"
"Sounds good." Akira replied. He then grabbed Morgana by the back of his neck.
"Hey, what gives?" Morgana asked.
"Sorry Morgana, but I agree with Ryuji that anyone seeing you will result in trouble. You need to hide in my bag for now." Akira answered before putting the cat in his bag. The two boys then went up to the school's roof. Once there, Akira let Morgana out of the bag.
"Sheesh, what a hassle..." Morgana stated.
"I agree, but now we have something pressing to talk about. Ryuji, you said something about Kamoshida's distortions being held together by something, right?" Akira replied.
"Yeah, but I think Morgana here knows about it more than I do. I've got nothing substantial about that castle." Ryuji spoke.
"And that's what we need to do. We need to attack the castle. Basically, that castle is how Kamoshida views this school. He doesn't realize what happens in there, but it's deeply connected to the depths of his heart. Thus, if the castle disappears, it would naturally impact the real Kamoshida."
"What would happen then?" Ryuji asked as Akechi arrived.
"A Palace like that castle is a manifestation of a person's distorted desires. What do you think would happen if it disappears?" Akechi answered.
"Kamoshida's desires would go away too." Akira answered.
"Precisely! You and Akechi-san sure pick up things fast." Morgana stated. He then continued, "Erasing a Palace essentially means forcing the owner to have a Change of Heart. However, even though their warped wants disappear, the crimes they committed remain. Kamoshida will become unable to bear the weight of those crimes, and he'll confess them himself!"
"Are you for real?! That's actually possible?!" Ryuji asked skeptically.
"I have verified it once or twice myself about a year or two ago when I was living in America. But if some jackass kills the Shadow of a Palace Ruler, they will experience a Mental Shutdown. This can prove fatal, especially if the Palace Ruler is over sixty years old. Mental Shutdowns are more likely to be fatal if the victim has one or more risk factors, among them is advanced age, but anyone can experience a fatal Mental Shutdown." Akechi answered.
"Sheesh... talk about high stakes... But yeah. This will not only ensure that we take Kamoshida down, but it also leaves no trace of our involvement." Morgana remarked.
"That's amazing! You are one incredible cat, Morgana!" Ryuji stated.
"True, except for the cat part!"
"So how do we get rid of that castle?"
"By stealing the Treasure held within."
"Exactly, like a classic Phantom Thief would do." Akechi spoke.
"You sure know your stuff, Akechi-san. One more thing though: Erasing a Palace will destroy the ruler's distorted desires, but desires are what we all need in order to survive. The will to eat, sleep, fall in love- those sorts of things." Morgana stated.
"Yep, but those don't really go away if a Palace gets destroyed. They just get buried very deep."
"And when that happens, it's like if a person has completely shut down. They may even die if they're not given proper care."
"Damn... but that's only if we screw this up, right?" Ryuji asked.
"That sounds right, but this will be the first time that I'm actually gonna see a Change of Heart play out. This is unknown territory for me, after all." Morgana answered.
"Either way, we'll need to prepare further than what has already been done. Whatever happens though, you should at least try to talk to Takamaki. Her full name is Ann Takamaki, and I've known her and her best friend Suzui Shiho since Junior High. She might not trust you at first. It was like that when I first met her back then."
"Well, that about adjourns this little meet up. After classes ended, Miyabi just simply vanished, and I haven't seen her up here. Take care, everyone." Akechi spoke before leaving the roof. Akira put Morgana in his bag and then left with Ryuji.
-Take Your Heart-
As Akira walked out of the building where the Ginza line was, he overheard Ann talking over the phone, "Will you please give it a rest?! I told you, I'm not feeling up for it..."
Something was said on the other end that caused Ann to exclaim, "Wait, what!? That's not what you promised! And you call yourself a teacher?! This has nothing to do with Shiho!" before hanging up.
Akira swore while still walking and then Ann crouched down and muttered, "Shiho's... starting position..."
Someone bumped into Akira, which sent him faceplanting near Ann, which then caused her to get up and ask, "What in the... were you listening!?"
"Not on purpose, but I do know that this should not be my problem." Akira answered while getting back up.
"You're right, but I was also out of line. Sorry. So... how much did you hear?"
"You were arguing with someone."
"I see... That is true. It's nothing at all. Nothing..." Ann said before running off into Shibuya Station. Akira's phone rang and then he picked it up.
"Who is this?" Akira asked.
"Ah, Akira. Talk about good timing. It's Miyabi. I've been keeping tabs on the school and I noticed Kamoshitda making suspicious calls to a student. Do you know who it is he was calling?" Miyabi's voice could be heard on the other end.
"It was Ann Takamaki. Something about her friend Shiho."
"I'll take care of Shiho. You just need to focus on Ann." Miyabi said over the phone before hanging up. Akira then put his phone to sleep and put it away before following after Ann.
He found her in the underground walkway and when he caught up to her, she snapped, "Stop following me... Just leave me alone!"
"I can't." Akira stated calmly.
"Why...? Why do you keep worrying about me?" Ann spoke before she let out a small sob.
"Let's go somewhere safe."
"What the heck...? I really don't get you..."
Akira went with Ann to a Big Bang Burger location and ordered glasses of water.
"I don't have anything to talk about with you. It was... just an argument..."
"With Kamoshida?" Akira inquired.
Akira noticed Ann not say anything and thought, 'It seems like she is really stressed out...' and then he heard Ann ask him, "You've heard the rumors, haven't you? About Mr. Kamoshida... Everyone says that we're getting it on... But that's so not true. That was him on the other line. I avoided giving him my number for the longest time. He told me to go to his place after this... you know what it means. If I turn him down, he said that he'd take my friend off as a regular on the Volleyball team. I've been telling myself that this is all for Shiho's sake... but I can't take it anymore."
"Damn... this is tough..." Akira spoke.
"I've had enough of this! I hate him! But still, Shiho's my best friend. She's all I have left in that sorry excuse of a school! Tell me... What should I do?" Ann ranted as tears came down from her eyes.
Akira remained silent for a bit before saying, "I'm not an expert on this sort of thing, but Kamoshida's conduct here is unbecoming of a teacher. However, the Principal is protecting him as are the members of the Volleyball team."
"Sorry... I shouldn't have asked. It's not your problem."
Ann drank her water and then said, "What... What am I saying? I've barely even talked to you before..."
"Maybe that's why?" Akira inquired.
"...You might be right." Ann said before shaking her head and then continuing, "...You're so weird. Usually everyone just ignores me. Are you really a bad person? I've heard people talking about you, but... I just don't see it."
"I'm bad to the bone."
Ann chuckled before asking, "Is that supposed to be a joke?"
"Yep."
"I kinda had a feeling that they were all just exaggerations. You seemed lonely - almost like you didn't belong anywhere... We're the same in that regard. Maybe that's why it was so easy for me to talk to you."
"It could also be a form of racism going on. I heard from another student that westerners, particularly Americans, are stereotyped as being very sexually forward. Problem with that though is I'm 100% Japanese." Akira stated.
"That would explain the rumors about me and Kamoshida, since I'm one quarter American... Is there really no way for me to help Shiho? I wish he'd just change his mind... Like, forget about me, and everything... As if something like that would ever happen..."
"It could happen."
"I wasn't asking for a serious response. But I do feel a bit better now. I'm gonna head home."
Ann got up and grabbed her bag before saying, "Don't tell anyone what I told you, okay? I'll try and think of a way to persuade Kamoshida. Well... thanks."
As Ann left, Akira proceeded to drink his water before he got up and left too. Meanwhile at Shujin Academy, a male student with blue-tinted black hair approached Shiho and said, "Suzui... Are you leaving?"
"What is it?" Shiho asked.
"Mr. Kamoshida's asking for you... He's in the PE Faculty Office."
"What did he say?"
"...I don't know. Well... I have to go."
As the boy left, Miyabi showed up and lightly tapped on her shoulder. Shiho turned around slowly and asked, "...Sempai?"
"Don't go to see Kamoshida... Whatever he asked for you, it can't be good." Miyabi answered.
"It's not that simple, sempai... Kamoshida... he regularly abuses us physically. Practice is just hell. Anyone who stands up to him is kicked off the team and made a pariah in the school. Several former members of the team suffered this fate and transferred to other schools to get away from it. And this is IF he doesn't get you expelled. He's also fond of touching the female members of the team. We hate it, but the only remedy for that is to transfer away."
"It sounds like what he is doing is outright criminal, but the Principal is protecting him."
"Yes... not just him either. Several other people are also shielding Kamoshida from the consequences that would befall anyone else."
Miyabi's phone began to ring. She pulled it out, looked at it, and then answered while putting it on speaker, "I take it that things are going well?"
Akira's voice could be heard on the other end saying, "Yep. Ann has headed home. The bastard tried to extort her into going to his place with Shiho's place on the Volleyball team at stake."
Hearing that caused Shiho's eyes to widen in horror while Miyabi cursed, "Motherfucker."
"I don't think that Kamoshida would be THAT depraved, but anything is possible. We should meet up tomorrow." Akira said before hanging up.
Miyabi put her phone to sleep before putting it away and then noticed that Shiho had an angry expression on her face. "Is something wrong, Shiho-san?" she asked cautiously.
"OF COURSE SOMETHING'S WRONG! THAT DOUCHEBAG TRIED TO EXTORT MY FRIEND INTO SLEEPING WITH HIM!" Shiho shouted.
"We should leave now."
Shiho took a few deep breaths and then said, "...You're right."
The two girls left the school. Inside the PE Faculty Office, Kamoshida had a very angry expression on his face. "She still isn't here... Suzui Shiho... that bitch is off the team for this disobedience." he muttered under his breath.
-Take Your Heart-
Café Leblanc, Evening.
Akira arrived along with Miyabi and Shiho. "...You're late. And another girl?" Sojiro bemused with an irritated expression on his face.
"Something serious came up and she doesn't feel safe going home for a few days." Akira replied while putting a hand on Shiho's shoulder.
Sojiro sighed before saying, "At least you're being honest here. Do you know her name?"
"I am Shiho Suzui. Please take care of me." Shiho said before giving a short bow.
"The name's Sojiro Sakura. I'm Akira's legal guardian and owner of this place. I'll set you up over at my home." Sojiro said before heading out the door. Shiho followed him and then both Akira and Miyabi heard the door lock and the sign was flipped from Open to Closed.
"Let's just get ready for the next day."
April 15th, 20XX.
Akira and Miyabi were walking along with Shiho when they all overheard an anxious volleyball team member say, "I can't believe Suzui-sempai missed such an important meeting. I wonder what happened."
"Mr. Kamoshida asked to see her, but she never showed up according to him. I've heard rumors about the two of them staying late together..." a worried volleyball team member replied.
"That is fucked up..."
"It's been nothing but bad news lately. I'm worried about the future... Oh, that reminds me. Apparently, a guest is coming to the school today. Some young guy, I think..."
Before long, they arrived at the gates of Shujin Academy and then Shiho tapped Akira's shoulder. "What is it?" he asked.
"Thank you for being there for Ann when I couldn't do so. Kamoshida is rotten to the core to try extorting her into sleeping with him. I'll need to be careful whenever he's nearby." Shiho answered before walking off to her classroom.
-Take Your Heart-
Shujin Academy Rooftop, After School.
"Man, the day took for-freaking-ever." Ryuji groused as he leaned against the fence.
"Yeah, but things aren't looking too good." Shiho spoke as she arrived.
"Shiho-san... what happened?"
"Mr. Kamoshida... kicked me off the Volleyball team. He also went into a long rant and essentially said that I'm expelled after the next board meeting. He also said something about 'getting rid of that transfer student, that Sakamoto punk, and Takamaki' as well. He didn't say it to me directly, but I overheard a lot of gossip from the other students and the other members of the Volleyball team say that I'm not welcome with them anymore."
"Grrr... what a rotten piece-of-shit teacher! Let's raid that castle!"
The three of them left the roof and went to the alleyway where they met up with Akechi and Miyabi. "I take it that she wants in on this?" Akechi asked.
"Yep. Mr. Kamoshida kicked me off the Volleyball team." Shiho answered as Miyabi brought her phone out.
"Beginning navigation." the phone chirped as a purple haze surrounded them. Unknown to them, Ann was close by and she noticed it along with people disappearing as red ripples started to form in the air out of nothing.
Persona tracking:
Joker
Level: 5
Persona: Arsène (resist: Curse, Earth) (weak: Bless, Ice)
Skills: Eiha, Cleave, Sukunda, Dream Needle
Cobra
Level: 5
Persona: Gwendoloena (resist: Fire, Nuke) (weak: Earth, Ice)
Skills: Atom Slicer, Micro Nova, Poisma, Back Slash
Skull
Level: 5
Persona: Captain Kidd (resist: Earth, Elec) (weak: Wind)
Skills: Zio, Lunge
Mona
Level: 5
Persona: Zorro (resist: Wind) (weak: Elec)
Skills: Garu, Dia, Patra
Crow
Level: 9
Persona: Robin Hood (resist: Bless, Gun) (weak: Curse)
Skills: Kouha, Dia, Dazzler
