AN: Sorry I took so long to post. School has been busy, and this chapter ended up being pretty long. I hope you all at least enjoy it.
AO3 – Thank you LuckyGunnerMat. The changes will get bigger in the later Palaces.
April 11 – Monday
Urano Motosu's PoV
"I should've checked the weather," I muttered to myself. I was currently standing under a random store's awning, debating whether or not I should just run through the rain.
"You think?" complained Morgana from my bag. He'd been half-asleep this morning, at least until some water dripped into the bag and onto him. I guess not-cats disliked getting wet as much as regular cats do.
Another girl walks under the awning, her jacket's hood up. She pulls the hood down, revealing a familiar face. It was the girl who sits in front of me at school. She noticed me staring at her pretty face and smiled.
"Funny seeing you here, Motosu," she greeted me.
"It's nice to see you too," I said, feeling a bit awkward inside. Between my efforts to help Futaba and my general focus on books, I hadn't learned my classmates' names. I silently prayed that something would interrupt this conversation before the girl realized that I didn't know what to call her.
Fortunately, my prayer came true. The Shujin gym teacher, Mr. Kamoshida, pulled up in his car and rolled down his window.
"Morning," the man said to my classmate. "Want me to give you a ride to school? You're gonna be late."
"Sure, thank you," responded the girl with a smile, walking into his car.
…Was it just me, or did her smile seem a bit forced?
"Do you need a lift too?" said Mr. Kamoshida, glancing at me.
Something about his gaze made me feel uneasy. Before I could decide what to do, however, Morgana spoke up.
"Don't do it," he hissed quietly. There was a bit of fear in the not-cat's voice, which added to the sense of wrongness I felt. I looked at Morgana questioningly. "I'll explain later."
"No thanks," I told Kamoshida. I glanced at the girl and waved goodbye. "I'll see you in Mrs. Kawakami's class."
As Mr. Kamoshida rolled up the window, my classmate's smile dropped. The frown that replaced it simultaneously made me feel glad that I had declined the gym teacher's offer and worried for her.
As the car drove off, a blonde-haired guy (a delinquent?) ran past me and stopped after a few steps, muttering a curse. He was another Shujin student, one who seemed vaguely familiar. Had I seen him before?
"Screw that pervy teacher," he muttered.
I froze, the guy's insult causing all of the puzzle pieces to fit together. Mr. Kamo… no… Kamoshida was a sexual predator, wasn't he? And the girl… I felt horrible about my prayer for our conversation to end. Feeling awkward about not knowing her name was much better than how I felt now.
By the time I recovered from my shock, the blonde guy was already gone. Unable to do anything else, I ran through the rain in the desperate hope of making it to class on time (not that being late was anywhere near my biggest concern).
Morgana's PoV
At lunchtime, Morgana explained to Urano about Kamoshida's Palace and why he didn't tell her sooner. She ate as she listened, nodding, scowling and asking the occasional question. By the time he was done, she had finished her lunch.
"If we steal Kamoshida's Treasure, will he turn out like Futaba?" asked the bookworm. "Or was she only fine because her Shadow became a Persona?"
"Kamoshida will be fine… probably," answered Morgana, making Urano sigh in frustration.
"Okay, so Kamoshida gives the boys' volleyball team abusive training and pervs on female students," summed up Urano. "He's definitely a horrible person, but I don't feel comfortable potentially killing him over that. Do you know if he's ra… how far he's gone with any female students?"
"No, I don't," admitted Morgana. He felt anxious, recognizing the bookworm's internal debate over whether or not to fulfill their deal. "My focus had been on getting Kamoshida's Treasure, not his crimes."
"I see," replied Urano, frowning. She spent a few seconds musing over something, then made a decision. "Then I should probably find that blonde guy from this morning and ask him. It seemed like he has history with Kamoshida, so he might know something."
"Why him?" questioned Morgana. That delinquent didn't seem especially smart, not to mention the trouble of tracking him down. "The girl who got into Kamoshida's car earlier literally sits in front of you. It'd be much easier to ask her."
"Because she's one of his victims," answered Urano. "If Kamoshida really has gone that far… I wouldn't want to put her on the spot like that."
"Oh… right," said Morgana, ashamed. Of course asking the girl about Kamoshida would be uncomfortable. Who would want to talk about being sexually assaulted? "I hadn't thought of that. Yeah, let's go with the guy."
Luckily, the delinquent seemed like he had loose lips. And even if he doesn't know anything personally, he might be able to point them toward somebody who does.
To Morgana's relief, their conversation shifted away from the awkward subject and his faux pas. The two began talking about where Urano should look for the blonde guy and what questions she should ask. Unsurprisingly, Morgana took the lead, as he hadn't spent the previous week with his head buried in a book.
(Seriously, library aside, he knew Shujin's layout better than she did!)
Morgana decided to leave the conversation about having Futaba join them in Kamoshida's Palace until after Urano had committed to stealing the Treasure. He needed to take things one tense subject at a time, or else he might drive away his closest friend. Err, ally!
Makoto Niijima's PoV
"Aaaand… done!" declared Makoto, finished with her student council work. There had been surprisingly little today, so she'd be going home only a little later than the other students.
However, as she made her way to the school's entrance, she noticed something suspicious – track star-turned-delinquent Ryuji Sakamoto speaking with promising new student Urano Motosu. Sakamoto looked angry, gesticulating wildly, while Motosu looked troubled.
Makoto crept closer to the two of them, until she could hear their conversation.
"…And then that asshole took over the track team," said Sakamoto. "Kamoshida worked us like slaves! He…"
"What exactly is going on here?" said Makoto in an accusatory tone. She approached Sakamoto, glaring. He flinched and shrank. "You should know better than to spread baseless rumors and slander the faculty, Sakamoto. You'll damage Shujin Academy's reputation."
Makoto thought she heard a phone beep, but her attention was drawn away from the noise by Sakamoto's response.
"Hey!" he shouted, anger replacing his fear. "I'm not lying! Kamoshida's training was nothing but abuse!"
Sakamoto blamed others when the work got harder and he couldn't keep up… how typical. Sure, Makoto had her misgivings about how exhausted the members of the volleyball teams were most of the time, but to claim they were being abused was going too far.
"And so you attacked a teacher and got the track team disbanded," retorted Makoto. She then turned to Motosu, who looked uncomfortable and made a 'bwuh' sound. Did she thing Makoto was going to punish her, maybe? "Let me or a faculty member know if Sakamoto approaches you again. We'll make sure he gets punished."
"Um, actually…" started Motosu nervously. Strangely, she snuck glances down the hallway leading to the entrance. "I was the one who approached Sakamoto. I saw Kamoshida on the way to school, and something about the way he acted made me uneasy."
Makoto was caught off guard (and a bit embarrassed) by Motosu's admission. Her mouth hung open, and she couldn't formulate a proper response. The best she could do was quietly go 'oh' without any of her earlier bluster.
"Yeah," confirmed Sakamoto, glaring at Makoto. "Unlike you and your useless student council, Motosu didn't ignore how much of a creep Kamoshida is. I mean, seriously, that pervert acts like he's the king of a castle!"
Makoto flinched at the word 'useless.' She… she wasn't useless. She did what her sister and other adults expected of her. She helped her fellow students. She wasn't useless!
In her moment of distraction, Makoto didn't notice Motosu wince at the word 'castle.' She did, however, notice as the world around the three students distorted and transformed.
Within seconds, Shujin Academy was replaced by a medieval castle.
Urano Motosu's PoV
"What the fuck!?" exclaimed Sakamoto, gaping at his new surroundings. Niijima was also stunned, though her shock was more of the 'speechless' variety. "Where are we!?"
After Niijima said 'Shujin Academy,' Morgana warned me that I was one keyword away from the MetaNav's activation. I couldn't exactly take out my phone in the middle of her and Sakamoto's argument without looking suspicious. Running away wouldn't have looked much better, either, and I didn't feel right letting Sakamoto take the heat for my actions.
However, I wasn't really sure what to do now that the worst had occurred. My Phantom Thief outfit hadn't manifested yet, so I only had the physical strength of an unathletic teenage girl. Luckily, that also meant neither Sakamoto nor Niijima knew about my role in our current situation.
Should I tell them? We were in the middle of Kamoshida's Palace, and I knew from Futaba's Palace that we'd only be able to exit once we got outside the building's grounds – hence why Morgana and I had to race down the collapsing pyramid (I guess Futaba leaving from inside was another perk of being the Palace Ruler).
"Well, our fact-finding mission was a bust," muttered Morgana, sighing. The not-cat was next to me instead of inside my bag, which would've too small for his Metaverse form. He spoke up, addressing Sakamoto. "Be quiet. The Shadows are going to notice us."
"What the hell is a Shad…?" started Sakamoto, trailing off as he noticed who he was talking to. "Holy crap! What is this thing!?"
Unsurprisingly, Morgana's attempt to quiet Sakamoto backfired. Before we could try to salvage the situation, a Shadow arrived. Fitting with the 'castle' theme, it was a medieval knight with a mask on its helmet, carrying a sword and shield.
"Intruders!" yelled the Shadow. With his declaration, my Phantom Thief outfit burst into existence, startling Sakamoto and Niijima. The Shadow transformed into a… Pixie? "Halt in the name of King Kamoshida!"
Honestly, it was hard to feel threatened by such a small, cute enemy speaking in a young-sounding voice. I didn't drop my guard, though, not wanting a repeat of the Sandman incident.
"I'm sure you to both a lot of questions," I said to Sakamoto and Niijima. "And I'll answer all of them once we get to a Safe Room. But, for now, please just trust us and do what we say. We'll keep you safe."
Sakamoto stared at me in disbelief for a moment, the nodded. "Okay. You've stuck up for me twice now, so I'll trust you."
Twice? Wait, was Sakamoto that guy I ran into while reading a few days ago? I… probably shouldn't tell him that I didn't remember who he was.
Niijima looked at me hesitantly, her face expressing a mixture of confusion, fear, doubt, and hope. Thankfully, the hope won out. "…Alright."
Pulling off my mask, I released Liesel once again.
Ryuji Sakamoto's PoV
After Motosu and the monster cat summoned their Stands, they made quick work of that knight that turned into a fairy.
(Ryuji paused for a moment, thinking about how weird of a sentence that was.)
Once the enemy was defeated, they began moving through the castle. The monster cat took the lead, with Motosu joining it whenever they encountered a knight. Before long, the four of them arrived at the 'Safe Room,' a strange room that flickered between the bizarre castle and a Shujin Academy classroom. Apparently, the knights wouldn't enter it.
Once they arrived, the monster cat ("My name is Morgana!") gave him and Niijima a rundown of Palaces.
"Another reality… since this really exists, I can't even doubt it…" said Niijima, still a bit dazed. "But I think I kind of get the logic behind it…"
"Really?" asked Ryuji. "Because I don't get it at all."
"What a surprise…" muttered Morgana.
The cat made no effort to hide that he looked down on Ryuji, which was really annoying. Who wouldn't have a hard time understanding all of this craziness!?
"It's sort of like when the characters in a TV show enter a person's dreams," explained Motosu. "This castle is the dream version of Shujin, since, like you said, Kamoshida sees himself as the king of the school. In order to get out of his 'dream,' we need to escape this castle."
"Ah, I get it now," said Ryuji. And he meant it, too. "So does that mean it's possible to mess with Kamoshida's head from in here?"
"Hold it!" interjected Niijima, giving him a look that could kill. "You shouldn't be tampering with people's heads!" She turned her glare toward Motosu and Morgana, who both shrank under it. "And how can you be sure that this is Kamoshida's Palace and not somebody else's? More importantly, given the confidence you two have been acting with, am I right in assuming that you've been in another person's Palace?"
"Y-yes we have, ma'am!" squeaked Morgana, more scared of Niijima than he had been of the 'Shadow' earlier. For the first time since meeting the car, Ryuji felt a sense of camaraderie with him. "But we had the Palace Ruler's permission!"
"Explain," Niijima narrowing her eyes.
"The Palace belonged to my younger sister!" supplied Urano hastily. "It was formed by her distorted desire to die, which we stole. The Palace is gone now, and she's in a better place. Mentally, I mean!"
Niijima's glare softened, allowing the two to relax. Ryuji didn't pay much attention to that, however, distracted by the confirmation that people could be changed through their Palaces. He opened his mouth, wanting to ask how to do it, only to get cut off by Motosu.
"We're getting off-topic, though," she said. "Morgana and I can answer all of your questions once we're safely back in reality."
"You're right," agreed Niijima. "We should get going before anybody notices our absences."
Urano Motosu's PoV
We made our way toward the entrance, guided by Morgana's prior knowledge. Even though the guards went on high alert and Sakamoto and Niijima weren't all that stealthy, we were actually able to make it to the front door before things went to hell.
Because Shadow Kamoshida, dressed in nothing but a cape, a crown, and a speedo, was definitely a sight that belonged in hell. He was blocking the exit, flanked by a bunch of knights.
"No one's allowed to do in they please in my castle," spoke Shadow Kamoshida angrily. "I thought it was some petty thief, but to think it'd be you, Sakamoto. Are you trying to disobey me again? It looks like you haven't learned your lesson at all, huh?"
"Learned his lesson?" I echoed. Sakamoto had been cut off when describing how Kamoshida had mistreated the track team, but did that creep do something to him personally?
"I speak of the 'Track Traitor' who acted in violence, ending his teammates' dreams," answered the Palace Ruler with a cruel smirk. "Oh, I can only imagine the pain of the others who were dragged under with your… selfish act."
"You don't mean…" gasped Niijima. She'd already been rattled by the Palace and its implications, but Shadow Kamoshida's words made her distress turn into outright horror.
He ignored her, though, and turned to a knight in golden armor to give an order. "Go. Kill Sakamoto and that mangy animal, but capture the girls without damaging them too much. I'd like to… examine them before making any final judgments."
Urgh, I felt like gagging. Unfortunately, we had bigger problems.
The knights transformed into a herd of Bicorns and attacked. Morgana and I tried to fight them off, taking down several, but their numbers overwhelmed us. We got knocked to the ground, and the gold knight pressed a foot on my back to keep me down. I saw Shadow Kamoshida doing the same thing to Morgana, only much rougher.
The Palace Ruler began to monologue about his treatment of the track team, making my disgust grow with every word. I desperately tried to think of a way out of our current situation but came up with nothing.
Fortunately, in spite of also being knocked around by the Bicorns, Sakamoto still had some fight left in him. As Shadow Kamoshida blamed everything on Sakamoto and called him trash, he stood up against the creep.
"No… You're trash…" declared Sakamoto. "All you think about is using people… You're the real scumbag, Kamoshida!"
"What are you doing?" yelled the Palace Ruler at his knights. "Silence him!"
However, Sakamoto didn't care.
"Stop looking down on me with that stupid smile on your face!"
Sakamoto's eyes turned golden, and he writhed around in agony until a mask formed on his face. Sakamoto ripped off the mask in a spray of blood, releasing his Persona and transforming his clothes into a phantom thief outfit.
"Right on…" said Sakamoto, admiring his new appearance. "Wassup Persona…"
His awakening sent Shadow Kamoshida and his knights into disorder, allowing Morgana and me to slip their grasp, grab Niijima, and get over to Sakamoto's side.
"It's time for round two," stated Morgana, grinning.
"Are you ready?" I asked Sakamoto.
"Bring it!" he yelled. "Zio!"
"Zio!" I cried, switching to Isis.
"Garu!" shouted Morgana.
Between the three of us, we were able to fend off onslaught of knights-turned Bicorns. However, due to Sakamoto's inexperience, Niijima's lack of a Persona, and my and Morgana's injuries, we were at a severe disadvantage.
Before the Shadows could overwhelm us, I pulled out the Vanish Ball I'd made last week and threw it at the ground. While Shadow Kamoshida's forces were blinded and coughing from the smoke, we fled through the castle door and returned to reality.
After we escaped the Palace, Niijima gave a weak excuse about her sister waiting for her and went home to cope with the day's events. I didn't really blame her for needing some time to process. Once she was feeling better (and assuming she still wanted to know), I'd finish explaining the Metaverse and Palaces to her.
On the other hand, Sakamoto was ready for answers now. He invited me and Morgana to a ramen shop to finish the conversation about changing hearts. While I was at it, I also gave a brief explanation about Futaba.
"…so stealing his Treasure would make Kamoshida 'wake up' and realize how horrible his actions are," I told Sakamoto, using the TV show-dream comparison from earlier. "Or at least it should. Futaba's Treasure was her Shadow, which became her Persona, so we've never actually stolen a Treasure before. There's a chance Kamoshida will lose his desire to live instead."
"…Damn," uttered Sakamoto, suitably disturbed. "I mean, I hate Kamoshida and all, but not that much."
"Yeah," I agreed. As terrible as his abusive training was, Kamoshida didn't deserve to be killed for it. "Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure that he's doing more than just 'training' the girls' volleyball team. Do you remember that girl who got in his car this morning?"
"Takamaki?" replied Sakamoto, not understanding what I was implying. "What's she got to do with anything? Everyone knows she's Kamoshida's girlfriend. I heard she's even sleeping with him."
"Just like how 'everyone' knows that you're a good-for-nothing delinquent who attacked Kamoshida unprovoked?" replied Morgana sarcastically.
"I saw her face before Kamoshida drove off," I added. "She wasn't happy to be there."
Sakamoto's confusion morphed into a look of horror.
"Fuck!" he cursed loudly, though thankfully the other patrons ignored him. "How would he even… wait, right! Her best friend is on the volleyball team! You don't think…?"
"…That Kamoshida is using his position as coach to threaten Takamaki and members of the team into having sex with him?" I finished. "Yes. I had a suspicion before, and his Shadow self's comments about 'examining' Niijima and me confirmed it."
I scowled as I spoke. Morgana and I were going to make that rapist pay.
"So then you're really gonna change his heart?" asked Sakamoto, recognizing my intentions. "Can't you just expose him in the real world?"
…
"Ah, right!" I exclaimed, a metaphorical lightbulb going on over my head. I hadn't even thought of exposing Kamoshida in reality.
"Seriously!?" responded Sakamoto, incredulous. "How did you not think about that!?"
"In my defense, when Morgana told me about Kamoshida's Palace, he only talked about stealing the Treasure," I responded, slightly embarrassed. "You're right, though. Exposing Kamoshida in reality would probably be safer. Easier, too, if we can get Niijima's help."
Sakamoto nodded in agreement, accepting our new plan. Morgana, on the other hand, was unhappy about the change.
"What about our deal?" the not-cat asked accusingly. Despite his tone, I could tell that he was more hurt than angry. "You promised you'd help me!"
Right. I'd forgotten about it, but Morgana wasn't just trying to stop an abuser-slash-rapist. He was searching for his past in the Metaverse. It may have been because I was trying to help other people out, but I was still neglecting Morgana.
"I will," I decided, thinking about how I would fulfill my promise. "If we can't expose Kamoshida's crimes in reality, then stealing his Treasure will be our backup plan. Plus, there's no guarantee that getting him arrested will make the Palace disappear. His desires will still be distorted, after all."
"And what if it disappears?" questioned Morgana, calmer but still upset. "Then what?"
"Then we find another Palace," I asserted. "There are plenty of corrupt politicians and businessman out there. I bet that if we made a list of their names and ran down it, we'd get a bunch of hits on the MetaNav."
"Alright then," accepted Morgana, cracking a smile. "It's a deal."
"Yeah!" agreed Sakamoto, causing us to look at him in confusion. "What? Did you think you were leaving me out of this? I've got a Persona, too, and I owe you guys for helping me out back in that Palace. Besides, I like the idea of knocking some shitty adults down a peg."
I exchanged a look with Morgana. He gave the not-cat equivalent of a shrug.
"Welcome to the team," I said. "You're officially a phantom thief, Sakamoto."
"You can just call me Ryuji," he replied. "I mean, we're friends, aren't we?"
.
I am thou, thou art I…
Thou hast acquired a new vow.
.
It shall become the wings of rebellion
That breaketh thy chains of captivity.
.
With the birth of the Chariot Persona,
I have obtained the winds of blessing that
Shall lead to freedom and new power…
.
Confidant: Ryuji Sakamoto. Arcana: Chariot. Rank: 1.
.
Huh, this must be what you call a fire-forged friendship.
"Yeah, I guess we are friends, Ryuji," I agreed.
We talked a little bit longer, mostly about how to find Niijima and ask for her help tomorrow. Ryuji was tired after awakening his Persona, so he went home after finishing his ramen.
I left a few minutes later, although not before a sunny-looking politician entered the restaurant and started passing out flyers for a speech he'd be giving this weekend. I took one, mostly because I felt awkward refusing it after watching several other patrons reject the flyers very rudely.
Futaba Sakura's PoV
"…And that's about it, Futaba," said Urano, finishing her summary of her meeting with this 'Ryuji' character.
After dinner, the two girls and Morgana had gone to Futaba's room to debrief the hacker on the events of the day.
"Wow, you were busy today," responded Futaba, surprised at just how much had happened. "Entering the next dungeon, exposing your secret identity to two civilians, and raising a love flag… What are you, an anime protagonist?"
"Love flag?" repeated Urano, baffled. "Ryuji's just a friend. Besides, he isn't my type at all. He doesn't have nearly enough interest in books."
Futaba and Morgana laughed, both at her sister's 'type' and at how casually the guy had been shot down. Urano frowned for a couple of seconds, puffing her cheeks, then joined in.
Once they all calmed down, though, the hacker grew serious. Urano and Morgana looked at her curiously but remained silent. Futaba spent a few moments gathering her nerve, then spoke.
"I want to join you guys too," said the hacker. "As a phantom thief, I mean. It doesn't matter if it's this Kamoshida creep or somebody else."
"Are you sure?" asked Urano, reluctant to accept Futaba's request. "You'll have leave the house to get close enough to enter a Palace, probably by yourself. Plus, the Metaverse is a dangerous place."
"I know that it's dangerous," replied Futaba, undeterred. "That's why I want to go. You two almost died in my Palace! There's no way I'm just going to sit by and do nothing while you guys risk your lives again! Just you watch… by the time you enter that Palace again, I'll be ready to join you!"
Urano still seemed a bit uneasy about the idea of letting Futaba join. Luckily, Morgana spoke up in support of the hacker.
"We could use all the help we can get," he said. "Besides, Futaba also has the MetaNav, so there's nothing to stop her from following us. By letting her join, we can benefit from her skills and keep her safe."
The bookworm ultimately accepted, although with one condition.
"If we want you to be ready in time, we'll have to step up your anti-shut-in training," Urano told Futaba. "So, how do you feel about becoming Leblanc's newest waitress?"
Futaba gulped, but her determination didn't waver. She would pass this boss stage and join the main party!
Makoto Niijima's PoV
Makoto spent the next several hours struggling to keep up a strong mask before Sae. Fortunately, her sister got called back to work after dinner. As soon as Sae left, Makoto let the mask break, sinking to her feet and sobbing out all of the emotions that she had bottled up.
Guilt over her treatment of Sakamoto, who was actually a victim being wrongfully blamed by Kamoshida. Shame for failing to realize Kamoshida's true nature and the suffering of her fellow students, not even believing Motosu and Morgana until his Shadow's appearance forced her to accept reality. And, most of all, hatred – toward Kamoshida and toward herself.
In the Palace, Makoto had been completely useless. Motosu and Morgana had done their best to help her and Sakamoto understand the situation and escape, yet she doubted and interrogated them. Sakamoto, who was just as inexperienced as her, had gained a Persona and turned the fight around. The three of them probably would've won against the knights instead of running if they hadn't needed to protect her as they fought!
"I can't… I can't be useless," said Makoto after a few minutes, blinking away tears as she desperately trying to pull herself together. "I'll… I'll tell Principal Kobayakawa about what Kamoshida is doing! He can stop that creep! And… if he can't…"
Then she would take matters into her own hands. Makoto took out her phone and looked at a certain red-eyed app, one that she had discovered while in the Safe Room and that Motosu and Morgana had unwittingly taught her to use.
AN: I've decided to include a list of the current Confidants and their ranks, partially for the sake of all of you reading this and partially for my own sake.
That's all for now. Bye!
Confidants: Morgana (Magician, Rank 2), Igor (Fool, Rank 3), Sojiro Sakura (Hierophant, Rank 2), Ryuji Sakamoto (Chariot, Rank 1).