9 April 2018
"This is the last stop for this line... please transfer here for all subway lines... the doors to your left will open."
Looks like Akira will need to get off soon. His eyes were cast down thinking of that night; he regrets not stepping into Purgatrio. If he was in Purgatrio, Akira could have intervened without the man accusing him of assault. Granted, there would be the chance the man would have blamed the woman for him falling on his ass, resulting in more trouble for her. Who knows what he would do to her just for defending herself, a part of Akira was content with his current outcome. It wasn't a surprise to his family when they were given the full context of why he was being arrested. The young witch was always hell-bent on helping people whether the person was a close friend or a stranger; it was a rather galling yet admirable trait to his parents. While the female witches are proud of their son protecting a woman from a drunkard idiot, they can get a little annoyed when he tries to help every person he meets without properly thinking. Once the trial found its conclusion -his mummy barely contained her anger through it all- Akira was ordered to move to a certain area in Tokyo and was given a year of probation. In the beginning, this did cause some stir in the family since they were not sure about Akira moving to Tokyo for a year. Luckily, Rodin had a connection in a place called Yongen-jaya and was willing to take the teen in.
Luka, who was standing beside where Akira was seated, nudges the teen's shoulder, "Come on kid, this is our stop." Thankfully, Luka will be staying in Toyko for the first few weeks. At least Akira will be able to see a familiar face for support without the use of the Gates of Hell. His parents were occupying the next two seats on his left side. They both stood up a minute after Akira did.
"Remember you can always visit us at the Gates of Hell- in fact, we're expecting it!" Bayonetta playfully pinches his cheek, brightening Akira's mood slightly. The train eventually came to a halt, and they all exited the train to be met with crowds of people; Akira wasn't used to crowds this big. Sure he could handle a group of angels but these large groups were becoming too much for the young teen. Noticing how much her son is dwelling on the crowds, Bayonetta pulls him into a warm embrace to distract him. "When you call or text you must tell us everything ok."
Akira nods into her shoulder with a low hum before moving out of the hug. Only for his mother to swiftly pull him against her instead, "Tell us about the quality of Shujin Academy and their faculty," Of course, his mother stays professional in the moment. Akira just nods once more and smiles at Jeanne when they stop hugging. Jeanne's hands remained on his shoulders, "Good. Now if there are any boys or girls that catch your eye... please ensure they're not a lost cause." The teen winces at the thought of who she is referring to. He doesn't want to recall the last encounter he had with his now ex-partner.
Thankfully Luka jumps in, "Alright alright, give the kid some dignity before letting him wander around Tokyo." Jeanne removed her hands to place them on each side of her hips, everyone's eyes were now the journalist.
"Thanks, Cheshire," Akira sends his uncle a cheeky grin before he continues, "I'll promise to text once I'm set up with the place Rodin's found for me, love you."
His parents wave goodbye, his mother saying "We love you too, Akira!" As he walks away with his uncle, Akira looks over his shoulder to give one last wave goodbye to his mothers.
When they reach Shibuya, Akira's mouth agapes an inch upon viewing how populated the city truly is. Large crowds with people walking back and forth, weaving through others to most likely get to work or school. While he isn't the best with crowds, Akira feels more at ease with his uncle beside him. Who gently smiles, offering two supportive pats on the teen's shoulder before walking onward together. Luka began to talk about the city, how there had been some accidents recently due to people having psychotic breakdowns. There have been some young famous detective solving certain cases that involved these breakdowns but there has been an odd pattern to when these breakdowns occur. Luka has collected some information online and wanted to learn more about these mysterious breakdowns. Akira takes out his phone to look at the GPS, checking how long it will take until they get to Yongen-jaya. However, with a sudden ping from his phone, a strange-looking eye symbol pops up on his phone. He doesn't remember downloading this app.
Luka carried on, "While searching up info on these events, I also checked out if there's anything odd with the school you're attending. Apparently, the school's volleyball coach -Kamoshida Suguru- has been given a not-so-saintly character online. I recommend you be wary of this guy..." His voice suddenly drowns out as his movement stops at a steady pace. Akira looks up from his phone, noticing how everything around him has suddenly stopped. Everyone has been frozen in place almost like statues as the overlapping chatter of the crowds has died down. Akira turned his head to view his uncle's body had stiffened, his mouth halfway open while his hand stopped inches from grabbing the tip of his hat.
What was happening? Are angels doing this? Akira hasn't experienced nor heard about angels having the ability to cease time; could this be the work of demons instead?
Looking ahead, a small gasp escapes the teen's lips as he stares at the blue fire seemingly building ahead. The fire was swaying back and forth, at one moment it looked to be making the form of a person only to change into another physical form. Akira couldn't make out what exactly it was supposed to be; could this be a demon? Even though Akira hasn't fought demons as often as angels, he can manage himself in a fight with one. Abruptly, in between the large gush of blue fire, Akira's face appears with golden eyes and a sinister grin. With a flash of a bright light, the fire disappears and everyone begins moving again. Voices evade Akira's ears once more.
Luka just struts forward, his thumb and index finger pulling his hat upward as he talks, "If this Kamoshida guy gives you any trouble- tell me and I'll help you out in any way I can." He looks over his shoulder and notices Akira is standing in place, his head turning from side to side in confusion. "Er, you alright Akira?"
"Y-yeah..." Akira's eyes shoot back down to his phone, that red eyes icon is still on the screen. He swipes the small icon to the trash bin on his phone before jogging after Luka. "Sorry! Just got a text from mother."
His uncle has a little chuckle, believing Akira's excuse, "Not even two hours away and she's already checking up on you." The duo laugh together as they head towards their destination.
Cafe Leblanc
Guess this is where he will be staying for the year.
"Well... it does have a rather calm aura around it." Luka breaks the awkward silence while the two of them observe the cafe's sign. Honestly, Akira wasn't too miffed about the place; considering this was Rodin's connection, for all Akira knew he would living in a dingy apartment for a year. With a shrug of his shoulders, Akira opens the door and heads inside using his right hand to keep it open for Luka to step through. The two are greeted with an empty cafe, the only patrons being an elderly couple sitting in one of the booths and what looks to be the manager leaning against the barside between two of the chairs. There was a TV in the far corner, on its screen was the news broadcasting some recent event involving a train. It took a moment before the manager finally noticed the two strangers standing by the entrance.
"...oh, right." He throws the newspaper over the barside, "They did say that was today." Catching on that this was a private matter, the elderly couple left the cafe saying goodbye to the manager. After making a drained comment about the couple staying for longer than needed, the manager turns his attention to the teenager and adult. "So, you're Akira?" The teen answers with a nod as his gaze drifts over to Luka, "And you are..?"
"Why I am the marvellous, magnificent-" The edge of Akira's elbow hitting his stomach interrupts Luka from embarrassing the young teen. "Fine, fine..." Luka sighs, "I'm Luka, his uncle."
The manager does nothing but make a quiet grunt, "Right...well, I'm Sojiro Sakura. You'll be in my custody for the next year. Rodin has given the rundown of your situation. Now follow me, I'll show you where you will be staying." Sojiro turns and heads towards the stairs in the far back. Luka and Akira share a moment's glance at one another; is he actually going to be living inside the cafe? Is there even a bedroom upstairs?
"Woah..." Luka's voice drags across the second floor's walls. Dust accumulated all over the room, the only things that looked to be clean were the bed in the right corner and the cardboard boxes containing most of Akira's belongings. No doubt Rodin took them here.
Choosing to ignore Luka's comment, Sojiro says, "This is your room." Akira was tempted to make a sneering remark about the room but then thought that this may have been pushed onto Sojiro. Knowing Rodin and his business, this guy owns his uncle a big favour and didn't have much time to think of even preparing a room for him. "I'll be leaving after I lock up each day. If you try anything stupid, I'll throw you out if you cause any trouble." He emphasises this with a harsh tone. "Tomorrow, we will go to Shujin Academy and introduce ourselves to the staff and sort out the rest of the paperwork... What a waste of my Sunday." The man mutters before going back downstairs, ignoring the frowns on Luka's and Akira's face.
"...He was kind of a dick huh?" Luka's rhetorical question evokes a laugh out of his nephew. "Well, he's better than living with some shady customer of Rodin's."
Akira gives a small shrug, "I guess so, now, shall we get to cleaning?"
After around two hours, the duo were able to clean the room and make it more organised. Apart from the unused household items and two trash bags; they thought it wouldn't be best to take them down during business hours. Luka stretches his arms upwards, intertwining his fingers above his head, "Right, it's about time I get back to my hotel."
Sitting down on his bed, Akira smiles up at his uncle, "OK, then. Will I see you tomorrow or...?" He pauses to let Luka answer.
Luka begins to step towards the windows, "Sorry kid, I got some business to take care of for the first few days." Pausing in front of the window, Luka turns to grin and points a finger upward as part of his charm. "But I'll promise to call you after your first day at Shujin- tell me everything that happens ok Kiki?"
"I promise, Chesire." After the exchange of nicknames, Luka leaves the room by jumping out of the window. Using his grappling hook to swing along the alleyway and land onto a building roof. Of course, he would leave like that; why wouldn't the amazing Luka make an over-the-top exit?
The young teen's back falls on top of the soft duvet of his new bed, he stares up at the ceiling thinking back to that night. Why can't he remember that bastard's face? No matter how many times the night flashes back in his mind, Akira can't seem to remember what the drunkard looked like. If he was able to then his parents would've done everything in their power to track that man down and give him something much worse than he can ever imagine.
His eyelids begin to drop, sleep begins to slowly overtake Akira until his phone's loud buzzing makes his eyes widen. Pulling out his phone, he noticed that the red eye app was on his phone again. Didn't he delete it? The app has a strange aura; it was baffling how the app appeared on his phone. Has Rodin messed with his phone or something?
There's not much to do on the matter so Akira doesn't think too much about the app, he presses his index finger on the icon and slides it back into the trash bin. When he has the chance, he will question his uncle about the app. For now, he will try to have a good night's sleep.
Monday 11th April
Well, the day wasn't starting very good.
Aside from eating some delicious curry made by Sojiro, the morning isn't going great. When he departed from the train and exited the Aoyama-Itchome station, Akira was greeted by trickles of water from above. Regrettably, Akira has left his umbrella back in his room. Even though he was tempted to walk the rest of the way to Shujin in Purgatorio, there were too many people around to risk anyone seeing him enter the realm. For now, the young teen takes shelter underneath a store's covering while other students either attempt to run or do the same as himself. Instead of staring obliviously at his surroundings, Akira takes out his phone only to see that mysterious red-eye icon on his screen. Ok, this was getting ridiculous now. Why does it keep downloading back onto his phone? This is as odd as the dream he had last night. Before Akira could speculate any further, the sudden presence of someone next to him causes his attention to move to the left. Standing next to him was a girl, throwing off her hoodie for her bouncy blonde locks in low pigtails to jump out. Akira couldn't help but think of how beautiful she was; she looked to be attending Shujin as well judging the uniform. Perhaps he can become friends with her. It takes a couple of seconds before her blue eyes meet Akira's. She only exchanges a minor smile before looking onwards, he does the same since he is unsure of how to start a conversation with the blonde. A silver car soon rolls up in front of the two, the window scrolls down to reveal an older man with a broad chin and thick eyebrows. He asks the girl if she would like a ride to school; judging from the blue tracksuit he must be the PE teacher of Shujin Academy. The girl accepts his offer and joins the teacher in his car, the man even asks Akira if he wants a lift too. Believing it would be awkward for him to join in on the ride, Akira waves to the man and says no thank you. He doesn't seem to encourage Akira to say yes and simply rolls up the window and drives away.
Multiple sloshing sounds erupt as another blonde comes onto the scene. He stops in his tracks and glares ahead of the silver car, "Dammit... Screw that pervy teacher."
Akira becomes muddled by the comment, "Pervy teacher..?" Although his voice was low, the blonde heard Akira and turned to stare at him. The vulgar boy takes two steps toward Akira,
"What do you want? You plannin' on rattin' me out to Kamoshida?" Confused by the name, Akira repeats it with bewilderment. Hasn't he heard of that name before? "Huh? In that car just now was Kamoshida." Oh right, that big-chinned fellow. "He does whatever the hell he wants. Who does he think he is- the king of the castle. Don't you agree?"
The corner of Akira's lips turns upwards, "Which castle?"
"No, I mean..." The vulgar boy pauses and then crosses his arms together. "...Wait, you don't know Kamoshida? Are you for real? You're from Shujin right?"
"It's my first day." Akira eyes the boy up and down. "I'm guessing from your pants you attend as well?" That and he seems well acquainted with the teacher- even if it doesn't look to be on good terms on the blonde's side of the relationship.
"Well, no other school has a uniform like this." He looks at Akira's uniform jacket, "A second year, huh... We're in the same grade then." He turns around with his back in full view of the young Umbra witch. "Guess we can walk together- the rain ain't too bad but let's hurry or we'll be late."
Before they could even take a step onward, the two suddenly felt light-headed. the area around them changed for a split second to a purple aura before returning to its original colour. The blonde groans, complaining about going home before he starts walking. Akira stays back to observe his surroundings; he can't sense any angels or demons so... maybe his mind is just messing with him. Akira follows the blonde placing his phone back into his pants pocket. The two go through a thin alleyway, turning right and walking straight ahead. Yet something seemed off to Akira... It felt as if the world had slowed down and the atmosphere had alternated to something darker. Looking over his shoulder, the alleyway was still empty; not a single angel or demon was in sight. Akira was sceptical that this was just his head messing with him.
"Wha- ?!" Akira quickly jogs over in the direction of the blond's shout. At first, he worried that the boy encountered some form of a threat, only to be shocked at the image in front of them. It was a castle. An eerie-looking castle highlighted by the purple sky; the castle's look had a medieval theme to it which interested the young witch. He has never experienced a place such as this but it's odd for something so unique to be built in the area. "We didn't... come the wrong way though..." This is where Shujin Academy was supposed to be? Unsure of what else to do, the duo adventure into the castle hoping to find some answers to this mysterious building.
Upon entering the plaza, it seems to flash to a completely different room. For a moment Akira saw a bullet board with a small-looking office in the distance. The walls were coloured grey before transitioning back to the gold of the castle. The blonde carries on to question the place, even pulling out his phone only to reveal there was no service. Akira assesses their surroundings, this isn't the work of an angel, demon or even a human. Something bigger is the cause of this but what exactly? What exactly was this something doing to them: making them hallucinate, diverting them to somewhere unfamiliar or are they somehow dreaming the same thing? There were too many questions that have yet to be answered.
Without warning an armed guard waltzed over to them, simply staring and not saying a word. They don't even respond to the blonde questioning them about who they are and what is happening. When there was no response from the guard another appeared beside it. They begin to edge closer to the young teens, their panic grows and the two decide to run away. While Akira would prefer to fight back against these odd individuals, his No Place Like Home guns were in Rodin's possession until the middle of April. There's also the fact that he'd have to look out for the blonde while fighting; it will be a risk to fight these guys while trying to ensure the blonde doesn't get hurt. Four guards soon surrounded the teens, the blonde being knocked down to his knees and Akira felt an abrupt force on the back of his head.
"Hey... Hey! Wake up!"
Gradually, Akira's eyelids lift and his eyes land on the blonde kneeling beside his body. Was he seriously knocked out? Akira's thankful his parents didn't witness that- they would be teasing him for days about letting an enemy get the upper hand. Akira moves into a seating position, realising they are both in some kind of dungeon. Ahead of them were thick bars of the cell, barrels were scattered around the tiny room and chains dangled against the left-side wall.
"You all alright?" The blonde asks.
Akira stands while answering, "Yup you?"
"Yeah, more or less." He twists his body to face the grey bars ahead of them. The vulgar teen looks from left to right and then scratches the top of his head, "Looks like this ain't no dream... Ugh, what's going on?!" He runs in front of the bars to shout "Hey, let us outta here! I know there's someone out there!" When nothing but silence responds, the blonde walks back to Akira's dingy bed. "Dammit, where are we? Is this some kinda movie set!?"
A male voice's scream erupts, indicating it is somewhat close to the boys' jail cell. Akira jumps to his feet in worry, rushing alongside the blonde to the bars to search for the source of that scream. "The- the hell was that just now?" It was barely audible but the two could hear echoes of someone begging and pleasing someone to stop. Akira harshly tugs at the bars as if he could break them that simply. In a panic, the blonde repeats the word 'woah' while Akira tries to think of a way to get out of this. Should he attempt stepping into Purgatorio? How much help would that do though- Doing that would also freak the blonde boy out even more.
"Huh? You hear that?" The sound of marching begins to get louder as multiple guards come into view. They had the same attire, carrying a sword and shield in each hand.
The captain guard speaks with a booming voice, "Be glad that your punishment has been decided upon. Your charge is unlawful entry. Thus you will be sentenced to death."
"Say what?!" The blonde's face was enough to show how disoriented he felt.
A familiar voice suddenly emits, "No one's allowed to do as they please in my castle." It was that PE teacher from the car. His attire now just consisted of a gold crown sitting on his head while he wore a red and pink heart-printed cape that covered everything but his torso and legs. A noticeable new feature of this man was that his eyes were glowing yellow.
The blonde's eyes widen in surprise, "Huh? Wait... Is that you Kamoshida?"
The man in question ignores his question, "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?" Kamoshida's eyes fling to Akira, "And you brought a friend this time... because you can't do anything yourself."
"This ain't funny, you asshole!"
Vexxed by the blonde's insult, Kamoshida looks back with a harsh glare "Is that how you speak to a king? It seems you don't understand the position you're in at all. Not only did you sneak into my castle, you committed the crime of insulting me- the king. The punishment for that is death. It's time for an execution! Take him out!"
Sakamoto and Akira move backwards, he stutters 'S-stop it' as three guards enter the cell. They stay focused on Sakamoto making him back up beside the bed Akira previously laid on. Getting frustrated by the situation, Sakamoto groans out "Goddammit!" and lunges at the guard in the middle. He collides against the guard's shield, pushing the guard to the cobbled ground with a loud thud. Sakamoto eyes Akira, "I ain't down for this shit! C'mon, we're outta here!" The guard to the blonde's left marches forward, surprising Sakamoto with a powerful punch to the gut. He falls to his knees hunching over as he grunts in pain; Akira needs to step in. Now. Intending to stop this assault Akira tugs at the middle guard's armour; they don't even react. "Just Go! Get outta here! These guys are serious!"
Kamoshida forms a cocky smirk, "Oh? Running away, are we? What a heartless friend you are."
The blonde was quick to interject, "He ain't a friend..." A small breath of pain leaves his lips before he encourages Akira to hurry and escape. Like hell, Akira was just going to run away and leave the guy. He won't run away from this fight.
Looking over to the blacked hair teen, Kamoshida tuts, "Hmph, pathetic scum isn't worth my time... I'll focus on this one's execution." He struts over to Sakamoto while two guards haul him up. The one remaining guard raises the tip of his sword inches from Akira's chest. Keeping him in place as Kamoshida punches the blonde again and again, calling him such things as 'scum' or a 'useless pest'. Due to the pain, Sakamoto falls limp onto the ground for Kamoshida to spit at him taunting him more. His guards do his dirty work to throw the teen around as if he were some doll to toy with.
Akira scowls at the man, "Stop it, you pompous prat!" This man was getting on Akira's last nerve. He'd beat this man to a pulp if he was able to. Kamoshida looks over to the teen with a raised brow,
"What? Don't you dare tell me you don't know who I am." He takes four steps forward and bends down somewhat to be at the same eye level as Akira. The Umbra witch doesn't verbally respond, just scowls at the man with displeasure; somehow the man is even more unattractive up close. "That look in your eyes irritates me!" Kamoshida kicks Akira in the stomach, his body impacts the brick wall and slithers to the floor. "Hold him there... After this peasant, it's his turn to die." Instantaneously, Akira shoots up and tries to run toward Sakamoto. He didn't have a plan other than to protect the blonde ruffian, even if it meant Akira got seriously injured. Unfortunately, he barely gets three steps before the guards harshly grip onto his shoulders. Sakamoto begins to plead to Kamoshida as he walks back to the opposite side of the room. What can Akira do? He's a sitting duck...
What's the matter? Are you simply going to watch?
...What was that? Who's speaking to him? Is that Monsouir Charro? No, the voice isn't deep enough...
Are you forsaking him to save yourself? Death awaits him if you do nothing
Was your previous decision a mistake then?
Flashes of the night fly through his mind: the woman's pleas, the drunk man claiming to sue, the police arriving and detaining Akira.
"...It wasn't," Akira whispers, the fury he usually feels when assassinating angels begins to rise. He now notices that a guard, their hand firmly wrapped around Sakamoto's neck, has him raised up against the wall. Getting ready to pierce the teen's body with their sword.
Very well... I have heeded your resolve
In an instant, an unimaginable pain courses through Akira as his eyes widen from the shock. His heartbeat produces a loud pump as if it had stopped for a second.
Vow to me
His breathing quickens while sweat drips down the side of his face.
I am thou, thou art I...
Akira jolts in the guard's hold; the pain is becoming too much to handle.
Thou who art willing to perform all sacrilegious acts for thine own justice! Call upon my name and release thy rage! Show the strength of thy will ascertain all on thine own, though thou be chained to hell itself!
Kamoshida points to Sakamoto, "Execute him!"
The young Umbra witch growls in annoyance, "That's enough!" Kamoshida's eyes widen in surprise, slowly twisting his head in Akira's direction. The guard holding Sakamoto did the same as his king.
"What was that...?" The guard drops the blonde, allowing him to take loud and deep gulfs of air. Thankful he can properly breathe. "You desire to be killed that much? Fine!" Kamoshida nods his head, ordering the guard to bash Akira with their shield. The hit was so hard it caused Akira's glasses to leap off his face. The guard, previously about to execute Sakamoto, lifts his sword into the air. Yet a gust of savage wind suddenly convulses around the young teen. Thrusting the guard onto the ground, Kamoshida looked onward in confusion. Replacing Akira's glasses was a white birdlike domino mask, black around the eyes that was reminiscent of eyeliner and sharp lashes. Just as confused as everyone else in the room, Akira tugs at the mask with both hands. Only to no avail. He tugs harder only for it to feel as if he is tearing a part of his face off. Ignoring the mysterious pain Akira gives it one more hard pull. As the mask leaves his face, splatters of blood spew and a shuddering scream erupts from the Umbra witch. Mercifully the pain quickly subsides for Akira to now feel an overflowing power bursting around and inside him. He smiles sinisterly at the individuals ahead of him as his body engulfs in a blue flame. Covering the Umbra witch as he takes on a new appearance; his hair seems to extend down his neck, creeping down and around his body. He could feel his soft locks glide all the way down to his wrists and ankles; it sounded as if leather was forming tightly around his frame. The blue flame also introduces a new person to the party. Standing behind Akira was an enigmatic creature that was around four feet or more taller than the teen. It wore a red eighteenth-century-esque suit with a popped collar, leaving it open to expose the black-tailed corset running down its torso. Black wings were connected to the small of its back while a tall jet-black top hat rested on its long-horned mask/face.
Kamoshida, fearing for his life, scurries away all the while Sakamoto stares in disbelief. "I am the pillager of twilight- Arsene!"
"What the..." Even though the blonde was thankful to be alive, he was too confused about the situation at form a proper sentence.
"I am the rebel's soul that resides within you. If you so desire, I shall consider granting you the power to break through this crisis."
Akira doesn't need to think too much about his response, "Give me your power."
"Hmph, very well..."
Kamoshida interjects, "Who the hell are you?" He doesn't wait for an answer and orders his guards to focus on killing Akira. In sync, the two guards' bodies disintegrate into a black and red liquid before two floating Jack o lanterns appear. Both floated in the air, a single white-gloved hand holding out a lantern from their dark blue cloaks. The brim of their witch-like hats formed a shadow over the upper half of their faces, allowing their bright red eyes to stand out more than they should. "You'll learn the truth strength of my men!"
The battle begins with Akira striking first; summoning Arsene he uses the only skill the creature has named Eiha on an enemy. It kills the Jack o Lantern in an instant. The second Jack o lantern attack with a simple punch but it doesn't do that much damage to the Umbra witch. These guards are surprisingly weak. Along with this new outfit, Akira now holds a knife in his right hand. It wasn't as sharp or 'flashy' as the Orichalcum dagger but it will work for now. Dashing towards the floating pumpkin, Akira swings and slices at the Jack o lantern three times. Luckily he dodges its next attack and kills it with three more slices.
"What..." Sakamoto's puzzled tone breaks the Umbra witch from his thrill and registers his new outfit. It is made from his hair, It's his Umbra battle uniform. Previously Akira could never fully grasp this aspect of Umbra witches; his other attempts failed for reasons unknown. To now successfully make his battle uniform warms Akira with a new sense of pride. His Umbra watch, previously sealed underneath his school uniform was now on show resting where his heart is. "What was that just now?"
Kamoshida walks up to Akira, "You little..." The blonde makes his move and shoves the king to the floor.
"You like that, you son of a bitch?!"
The Umbra witch spots the keys that seemingly fell from Kamoshida's grasp laying on the ground. He points them out for Sakamoto to grab them as they run out of the cell. He manages to lock the cell before Kamoshida can stand, they leave him trapped in the cell to desperately search for the exit. Hopping across a river by the cages firmly placed in the water, crawling through tunnels in open cells and crossing a drawbridge the duo are able to venture this underprison without getting caught (so far). They jog up a flight of stairs to enter a new area of the underground prison; dreadfully this area contained other prisoners locked in cells that were lifted above a river. What caught Akira's eye was that these prisoners were wearing the Shujin Academy uniform. Were these people kidnapped? There would be no point in asking them since the helmets on their heads seemed to block sound for the prisoners to hear. Akira and Sakamoto head forward to another drawbridge, only this one was raised up. It didn't help that there was a dead end inches away from the side, leaving them stranded.
"...Hey, you there. Blondie! Frizzy hair! Look over here!" An unknown voice speaks up, causing the teens' attention to turn to the end cell.
Sakamoto questions, "What is this thing?!" It was... an anthropomorphic cat? Their head was bigger than their body, their large blue eyes pleading for the two to help. It wore a black mask covering the upper half of its face, along with an eye-catching yellow bandana wrapped around its neck.
The creature doesn't answer the blonde's question, "You're not soldiers of this castle, right?! Get me out of here! Look the key's right there!"
"We're trying to get the hell out of here! I mean you obviously look like an enemy too!" An enemy that is on the other side of the locked cell. While Akira understands the blonde's standoff-ish aura, this creature clearly isn't going to be a threat to them.
The creature defends itself, "I'm locked up here, so how can I be your enemy?! Help me out!"
Well, it would be more beneficial to have a helping hand -or a helping paw in this case- to find the exit. Akira says, "Alright then, cat. We'll help you out."
Calling the creature 'cat' triggers it to glare at the Umbra witch, "I am NOT a cat! Say that again and I'll make you regret it!" In the distance, the small group hear the clinking of the guards' armour.
"They're catchin' up already!" Sakamoto takes out his phone. "Shit, there's still no service. Ain't there any way to contact someone outside?! How the do we get out of here!?"
The small prisoner butts in, "Hey you two! You want to know where the exit is? Let me out and I'll take you there. You don't want to get caught and executed, right?"
Sakamoto was sceptical of the creature, "This thing sounds like it's all talk..."
"If you guys think you can get out on your own, then be my guest!"
Unsure of what to do, Sakamoto looks over at Akira hoping he will decide to help the creature or not. Akira nods, signalling they should help free the prisoner. "F-fine.." Sakamoto reluctantly pulls the level at the side of the cell, opening the door and for the small creature to skip out.
They stretch their arms, "Ahh... Freedom tastes so great..."
"Now, where' the exit, you monster cat?!"
In response, the creature turns to Sakamoto and jumps up in displeasure, "Don't call me a cat! I am Morgana!"
"Shuddup and hurry it up! You wanna be locked up again?!"
Morgana's ears dip down, "A-All right, sheesh! Now follow me and stay quiet!" The teens do as the cat directs, walking back to the drawbridge. Morgana tells Akira to check around the mouth of this eerie statue of Kamoshida. Since there was a minor gap in the statue's mouth, Akira pulled the jaw down, effecting the statue's eyes to glow yellow for a second along with activating the bridge. The trio run across getting on the side, only to be met with a guard.
Sakamoto, scared shitless, falls back on his bottom. "A-Aah! Shit... Shit, it's them!"
Ready to fight, Morgana jumps on and over Sakamoto's shoulder, "Tch... You amateur! Stay still," He points at Akira. "Hey, you! You could fight, right? Let's go!" Morgana goes into a stance, "Come, Zorro!" Upon hearing their name, A beam of blue lighting strikes to transport a new fighter onto the scene. A masked swordsman with a large puffed-out chest, wielding a thin sword in his right hand.
"Y-You got one of those things too?!" The guard transforms into two enemies; another Jack o lantern and an Incubus.
Morgana crosses his arms, "Hmph, we will promptly shut them up!" Akira smirks, he is starting to like the cat. Calling upon Arsene, he uses the Eiha on the Incubus dwindling its strength. "Hmph, I knew you were an amateur. This is how you fight." It was now Morgana's turn to attack. He calls upon Zorro and uses an attack called 'Garu', knocking the Jack o lantern to the ground. This gives Morgana the opportunity to strike once more, using the same skill to kill the Jack o lantern. The Incubus kicks Morgana before moving back to its spot. Akira charges at the demon, slicing the creature in half and ending the battle.
"Not bad. Your persona is pretty powerful." Morgana compliments, staring up at Akira with a proud smile.
Sakamoto speaks before Akira can, "Persona? Y'mean that thing that comes outta you guys all dramatic-like?"
Morgana boastfully expresses his knowledge on the matter, "Yes. You saw how Frizzy hair here ripped off his mask when he summoned it, right? Well, everybody wears a mask deep within their heart. By removing that..."
The blonde grunts in frustration, "Rrgh, that's enough! This crap doesn't make any sense!" Akira squints his eyes slightly at Sakamoto in annoyance 'It could if you let the cat continue'
"Can't you just sit still and listen for once, Blondie?!"
Sakamoto, vexed by the nickname, retaliates "Don't call me Blondie! My name's Ryuji..."
Morgana shakes his head before speaking, "Actually, there's no time for me to lecture you! You wanna escape this place in one piece, right? Let's go! Oh, but before that- take these. Use them carefully, okay?" He passes Akira three bottles of medicine before encouraging the group to hurry. Passing rows of cells they run up a flight of stairs to view another raised drawbridge.
Akira is stopped from pulling the statue's jaw by Sakamoto's voice, "Hold on a sec!" He walks closer to a cell holding a male teen in a red sports uniform. He was lying on his stomach, barely having the strength to push his upper body off the floor. Taking a closer look, Akira notes on the back of this uniform it's written Shujin with a number six underneath. Were students of Shujin being targeted? Why would the majority of prisoners be students of the school? "I feel like I've seen what this dude's wearin' before... Dammit! I'm too flustered! I can't remember anything right now!" Not wanting to waste any more time they have left, Morgana urges them to move onward. "Hold on, dammit!"
"What is it? We need to go, fast!"
"But... who are these guys?"
Akira has the same question as Sakamoto yet he knows this wouldn't be the time to speculate when they're being chased by armed guards. They need to act rather than just stand in the open asking questions. Morgana answers with a bothered tone, "Do you really think you have time to worry about other people right now?! Besides they're-"
"There!" The bridge lowers for a single guard to rush toward the trio.
"You should've listened to me..!" Morgana says, somewhat more directed to the blonde.
The corner of Akira's lips curls up with eagerness, "Let's fight." Despite the danger he's in, Akira is beginning to enjoy these fights; it's the same thrill he gets when fighting with angels or occasionally demons. Even though these are new enemies he has encountered, they're not that different from a third-sphere angel. They seem to have as much strength as third-sphere angels so killing them will be easy.
Morgana smiles, "I'm glad you stick to your guns." The guard transforms into two flying fairies around the size of Morgana. Both were wearing thigh-high boots, long gloves and a one-piece swimsuit in a matching dark blue. "Looks like it's raring to go too!"
In order to finish this battle quickly, Akira summons his persona to use Eiha on the left side fairy. This earns him another turn as the curse attack hits its weakness; he targets the right-side fairy to perform the same attack downing the enemy. With his extra turn, Akira carves up the right side fairy with his dagger, eliminating it easily. However, the other weakened fairy gets back up, aiming at Morgana with the back of its hand. Morgana is able to dodge the attack, calling upon his persona to use Garu.
Ending the battle, Morgana says, "All right! Let's get away before more show up!"
Sakamoto stayed standing by the cell, "Hold on, we can't just leave these guys here!"
"You really don't get it, do you? Hrgh... there's no time to explain. Look, I'm going. If you don't want to follow, then be my guest!"
Since there are no other options, Sakamoto reluctantly runs after the cat alongside Akira. Morgana leads them to the entrance hall, they run past the curved stairs into a small hallway with double doors on each side. Morgana guides the teens through the left side doors, setting foot in a room with low picnic benches and bookshelves containing very few untitled books with vents above them. Akira points out the vents, earning some praise from Morgana. Sakamoto runs and climbs up the bookshelves to grip the vents covering off. Since Morgana claims he still has something to do in this castle, Akira thanks him as he escapes with Sakamoto through the vent. Retreating from the castle, the two eventually were back in the area where they met. The area didn't look 'distorted' in Akira's words.
Sakamoto takes some deep breaths in and then out, "Did we make it?"
To confirm they've escaped, Akira takes out his phone to see if there's service only for a voice to activate, "You have returned to the real world. Welcome back." This made Akira all the more curious. Was this some type of Purgatorio?
The blonde gives a confused look, "Huh? Returned? Does that mean we got away?"
With a quick shrug of his shoulders, Akira replies "Probably."
"I don't know what to think anymore" Sakamoto mutters before his eyebrows knit together, "What was all that anyways That castle, and Kamoshida, and that weird cat! The hell's goin' on!?" Unfortunately, Sakamoto's voice catches the attention of two police officers. They suspect the two of cutting class, only to believe that Sakamoto is taking drugs after he tries to explain the castle. One of the officers intimidates the blonde by claiming to contact the school if he continues to speak nonsense; according to the men, the school hasn't changed and seems fine. Although Sakamoto urges Akira to back him, the Umbra witch knows it would be pointless to try and convince the officers without definitive proof. Akira states they should get going before turning on his heel and heading towards Shujin, Sakamoto soon follows. Eventually, the two made it to the gates of Shujin Academy and were greeted by the school's counsellor. He questions the boys about where they were while absent from school, Sakamoto answers honestly only for the man to (unsurprisingly) not believe him. A familiar voice emits on the scene, questioning a castle that Sakamoto mentioned.
"Kamoshida?!" It's the big eyebrowed fellow, instead wearing a white T-shirt with blue tracks pants than that bright disgraced coloured cape.
The man had a smug smile on his face, "You seem so carefree, Sakamoto. Quite a difference when you did morning practice for the track team."
That hits a nerve in Sakamoto becoming defensive, "Shuddup! It's your fault that-"
"How dare you speak that way to Mr Kamoshida!" The counsellor defends, "...There's not much leeway left for you, you know?"
Sakamoto repels, "He's the one that provoked me!"
"Do you really want to be expelled?! In any case, you'll have to explain yourself! Follow me!"
"What?! This is bullshit!"
Kamoshida finally joins in, "Come now. I should have been more considerate, too. Let's say that we were both to blame."
"Well, if you say so..." Wow, does the staff seriously bend this easily to this guy? "Still, you're coming with me. It's undeniable that you're extremely late."
Sakamoto impassively mutters a 'fine' before Kamoshida's attention darts to Akira. "By the way... you're that new transfer student, correct? Akira Kurusu?" Sakamoto begins to walk up the entrance stairs as the counsellor turns to walk back into the building. The blonde pauses to send a harsh glare at Kamoshida before stomping past him. As the teacher looks back at Akira, he stays silent for a couple of seconds in thought. "...Have we met somewhere?"
It wasn't staggering to Akira that he had forgotten him earlier; Kamoshida was more interested in the blonde student during that interaction. "I saw a girl in your car."
The teacher scratches the top of his head, "That's right... I remember now... Well, I'll overlook this just for today. I'm sure you've heard from the principal, but cause any trouble and you'll be expelled, understand?"
Akira decides to answer with a rather cheeky question, "Can you overlook more?"
"Is that supposed to be a joke? I'm not laughing. At any rate, hurry up and go to the faculty office. I'm sure Ms Kawakami's tired of waiting." He forms a fake smile, "Good luck trying to enjoy your new school life." Kamoshida heads back into the school. That man is sketchy. Akira will need to be more careful around this guy; he seems to be the type to use his power over others. Akira lumbers up the small stairway and enters the school. Asking a late middle-aged teacher where the faculty room was, Akira goes to the second floor. He finds the faculty room right next to the guidance room. Going inside the faculty room, the Umbra witch immediately notices Kawakami sitting by her desk; her face is a picture of boredom and disappointment. Of course, she lightly scolds Akira for being late on his first day even when he excuses the train for being late. She even mentions the blonde boy, Sakamoto. Saying he was nothing but trouble. Akira highly doubts that the blonde doesn't seem to be a problematic person... just a little hot-headed.
Since the break was almost over, Kawakami introduced Akira at the beginning of the fifth period. There were already whispers about Akira being late or how he doesn't look to be an aggressive person but he didn't take on their comments. What caught the witch's attention was two particular students; a boy in the second row with short blue hair had his face marked with minor splotches of red and a plaster on his cheek and the student sitting in front of Akira's was the blonde beauty from earlier.
The period went by in a flash.
Leaving the classroom, Akira begins to see images of that castle earning him a minor headache. This was frustrating for the Umbra witch, ever since he moved to Toyko these strange events have begun. Kawakami also leaves the classroom to suggest to Akira he'd go straight home and avoid Sakamoto. Only for the blonde to join the conversation, well, he only joins to whisper to Akira that he'll be waiting on the rooftop. Before Akira could make his way to the stairs, the principal and Kamoshida came onto the second floor. The Umbra witch eavesdrops on their conversation; he doesn't learn much other than Kamoshida is the main star of the school. Once Akira makes it to the rooftop, he sees Sakamoto sitting in a folded-out chair, his right foot pushing against the edge of a steel table.
The blonde looks up at Akira, "...There you are. Sorry for callin' you up here like this. I bet Kawakami already told you stuff like 'don't get involved with him' huh?"
Akira answers honestly, "She said you're trouble."
"Heh, we're pretty much in the same boat. I heard you got a criminal record. Everyone's talkin' about it." News travels fast in this school. "No wonder you were so gusty." Discerning that the blonde wanted to talk more, Akira leaned against the end of another table close by. "...What was all that that happened? You know how we almost got killed at a castle... It wasn't a dream... right? You remember it too, yeah?"
Well, if angels and demons exist then why can't a new realm? "Yeah."
Sakamoto removes his foot off the table, now leaning forward to rest his hands on his knees, "Well, just 'cause we both remember it doesn't mean much though... I mean, even if it was a dream, you saved me from Kamoshida. So yeah... Thanks, Akira."
The Umbra witch couldn't stop the heartfelt smile forming on his face. Although he has saved people from the harm of the Laguna -whether from their attacks or damaged buildings' rubble- he never has been thanked for the act, let alone thanked so pleasantly. Not that he expects their gratitude, it just feels nice to have at least one person give him praise. "You're welcome."
"But man, that Kamoshida we saw there... You prolly don't know about it, but there are some rumours about him." Right, Uncle Luka mentioned a Kamoshida when they came to Toyko. "That asshole who was full of himself at the castle. No one says anything against him 'cause he's some medalist who took the volleyball team to nationals. The way Kamoshida was king of that castle felt crazy real 'cause of that... I wonder if we can go back to that castle again..." Sakamoto suddenly stands up, "Ugh, forget it. Must've all been a dream! It has to be! Sorry to drag you out here like this. That's all I had to say." The teen soon smiles, "You know, we are pretty similar. I feel like we're gonna get along just fine as 'troublemakers'. I'm Ryuji Sakamoto. I'll come talk if I see you around. Don't ignore me, all alright?" Akira merely nods. "Seeya," Ryuji says before leaving the rooftop. Guess Akira should head home as well.
After a scolding from Sojiro, Akira made his way upstairs to relax in his room and change into some comfortable clothes. Taking some time to himself before going on his phone. He intended to text Rodin only to get a notification from the man himself.
Rodin: I've managed to set up an entrance to the Gates of Hell. It's in the alley by the cafe. Your mother wants you over.
The Umbra witch wastes no time getting off of his bed, grabbing his coat and stepping into Purgatorio to leave Leblanc. Akira points out his index finger, the red glow of his magic flows around his finger as he jams it into the cafe's keyhole. Unlocking the door to allow him access to the streets. He locks the door behind him before walking down the alley, viewing the brimming red entry to the Gates of Hell scurried away from the streetlights. Akira steps in the middle of the glowing circle and beams into the ground.
"Ah, there you are!" His mother was the first to greet him, leaving her drink at the bar to hug her son. It was Rodin and Jeanne at the bar, his mummy was either late or was working at the moment. Akira hugs her back firmly before following Jeanne to the bar, sitting on the empty bar seat beside her. "How was your first day?"
Rodin makes Akira a non-alcoholic drink (most likely an orange juice or something), he thanks the man before answering "It was... eventful." His mother raises an eyebrow, egging him to go further in detail. "One of the teachers is shady he seems he has a history with a new friend of mine as well."
"And this new friend...?"
Akira takes a quick sip of his drink, "His name is Ruyji, he has a reputation for being a troublemaker but he seems like a nice guy."
Rodin gives a small chuckle, "Already making friends on the first day... anything else interesting happened today?"
From the tone of his voice, it sounds as if he already knows something eccentric has happened. "Well..." Akira looks to the side, thinking how exactly to explain this new realm, "Ruyji and I had experienced something odd on the way to Shujin." Jeanne twirls her bar stool to sit with her front facing Akira's side. "It was like we were teleported to another area, instead of getting to the school we ended up at some castle even though we went the right way to the school... but that Kamoshida was there looking entirely different. Along with some weird guards. There even seemed to be flashes of the inside of a school," Akira tilts his head at Rodin. "Do you know if any angels or demons can have that sort of power?"
Jeanne glances over to Rodin, curious about this mysterious castle Akira has gone to. Rodin was quick to answer, "Nah, what you're talkin' about may deal with something that revolves more around someone's cognition."
"Cognition?" Jeanne questions.
"There hasn't been a lot of public research on the matter but from the little I've gotten from Cognitive Psience, if someone has a strong perception of the world it can form into a palace in the cognitive world. Say this place held a special place in your mind, in the cognitive world, the Gates of Hell could be seen as your accommodation instead of a bar."
Jeanne smirks, "This is something Cheshire asked Enzo to look into correct?" Rodin responds with a mere nod as Akira stares at his mother in confusion. Noticing this, Jeanne continues, "Your uncle came earlier in the day, mentioning those psychotic breakdowns that have been happening and wants to know if any supernatural beings are involved..."
"The main aspect of this was that mortals couldn't find a way to enter this world," Rodin then smiled at Akira "Until now." He leans over the bar, "Do you know how you entered the cognitive world?"
Akira thinks back to that morning, all Ruyji and he has done was walk to Shujin. What else could've... his phone! Taking his phone out of his coat pocket, Akira says "This might have something to do with it." He shows the screen to both parties, pointing to the red-eye symbol "This app just appeared on my phone and I can't delete it." Rodin takes the phone to inspect the app.
Clicking on the app, Rodin swiftly realises the purpose of this app "This is your way in," He gives Akira back his phone. The first thing Akira detected was some significant wording on the screen 'Kamoshida, Shujin Academy, pervert'. "Use this app when you're at school to go back to this castle... but make sure nobody watchin' you."
"Like if I am stepping into Purgartorio," Akira comments, putting his phone back in the comfort of his coat.
Finishing her drink, Jeanne began to speculate "It does seem odd how this is occurring as soon as Akira moved though..." Akira must admit, why would a power such as this be given to him now? Maybe it was because he had to have interacted with Kamoshida or was aware of Shujin Academy.
Akira attempts to form an explanation, "Well, since these words are needed on the app, I'm guessing that's why I wasn't given this power until now." It takes a beat of silence before Jeanne decides to no longer push on the subject. These questions can be answered later, they should just focus on settling Akira for now. He doesn't need any more stress than he could possibly have. The young witch spent 30 minutes in the Gates of Hell until his mother insisted that he should go to bed; to ensure he would have enough sleep for tomorrow. Saying his farewells, Akira leaves the bar thankful some of his questions were answered.