4/9 – Saturday
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for riding with us today. We will be arriving in Shibuya shortly."An announcement rang out on the train intercom. "This is the last stop for this line. Please transfer here for all subway lines. The doors to your left will open."
When Akira opened his eyes as he woke up and yawned when a blinding light made him squint. He looked out at the window to see the sunny sky and the city's peaceful scenery from his seat. He had fallen asleep on the train heading to Shibuya, Tokyo.
"Right… It was just a dream," Akira muttered, but then he looked down sadly as flooded memories of his past life came back to him in his mind. "From back then…"
Well, I'm sure that you all know already, but at the end of this month, he will be transferring to another school.
Please! Help!
Damn brat… I'll sue!
Everything's going to be OK.
Akira looked down. In his mind were the voices of a teacher from his old school, a woman pleaded for help, an angry man suing him, and even his parents sadly bidding him farewell.
It turns out that a false accusation had just been leveled against him, forcing poor Akira to transfer and leave his old hometown.
But it was all in the past, and all Akira can do now is accept it and move on.
Just then, Akira overheard two girls talking – gossiping, for that matter.
"Are you for real? A mental shutdown?" One girl exclaimed.
"It's the truth!" Another replied.
"To a person, though? That has to be a joke! You love all that occult stuff, don't you?"
Akira rolled his eyes and sighed as he looked down once again. He thought he heard about a mental shutdown before, but he did know about one thing – his new life was about to begin in the bustling streets of Shibuya.
Akira's long train ride to Tokyo has finally finished.
As the train came around a bend, Akira gazed out the window again at the most epic yet beautiful sight in the distance: Shibuya. He watched each building of the city pass by. Then, he got up from his seat and grabbed his bag as the intercom announced they are approaching Shibuya shortly.
Akira left the train and made it to Shibuya Station as he looked to see a large number of people rushing by, walking down the sidewalk, or simply hanging out at several spots.
"So, this is Shibuya, huh?" Akira said. "Some long trip I took. I wonder how many hours I was out cold. It feels like I'm in another world."
Akira pulled out his cellphone to check any messages while figuring out which way to go by navigating the area and searching for the designated spot to meet his new guardian.
But to his surprise and confusion, however, an unusual icon appeared on it. It was red, bearing a black symbol resembling an eye with a star inside.
When did this app get into my phone? I don't remember downloading it, Akira thought as he tapped the blown-up icon, thinking it may be a virus. But then, he looked up as he became aware of a sudden change to the world around him.
Time stopped as everything started to slow down to a complete stop – people, vehicles, birds flying, even the electronics stopped, as if it had ceased to function.
"Hello?! Anybody?!" Akira called out as he looked around, hoping to find someone experiencing this unexpected phenomenon or an unexplained anomaly.
Just then, Akira suddenly turned around and found something quite bizarre: A massive dark blue fire of crimson flames in the middle of the street slowly forming to what seemed to be a figure with wings on its back. Then, it developed into what appeared to be a face – his face, with a devilish grin, glasses discarded, and golden eyes that looked like he was ready to take on the world.
And just like that, time began to move again.
As soon as Akira blinked, the giant, blue flame was gone, unnoticed by everyone. He didn't quite understand what had just happened.
A moment later, before heading to his destination, Akira sat down near Hachiko's statue to catch a breather as he then deleted the strange red app. It was the weirdest thing that came to his mind when he first arrived.
Was that me in that pillar of fire? Akira thought. And why did time freeze? What's going on here?
But Akira shook his head and continued forward.
As Akira made it to a residential area of Yongen-Jaya and arrived at a café in a back alley, he went inside to see a few customers watching TV and a grown older manager with glasses and a beard looking at his newspaper, doing crossword puzzles while taking a seat.
"A public transit bus drove down an opposing lane with its customers still in it!" A tabloid show host said on TV. "The citizens can't live in peace if this keeps up."
"There's been a string of those rampage accidents, you know," An older customer said to the manager. "I just hope none of them happen around here."
"It's none of my concern," the manager replied.
"Haha, we'll see you next time."
As the two customers leave, the manager noticed Akira already. "So, you're Akira?"
"Uh, yes, that's right," Akira nodded. "You're Sakura-san, right?"
"…Uh-huh. That's right. I'm Sojiro Sakura. I'll be looking after you! I'm the manager at Café Leblanc, so in other words, you'll be in my custody over the next year."
Sojiro chuckled a bit as he looked at Akira. "I was wondering what kind of unruly kid would show up, but you're the one, huh? Have you been told? A customer of mine and your parents know each other. Well, that about sums it up, not that it matters anyway…"
"I'll indulge," Akira replied.
"Follow me," Sojiro urged Akira to follow him to a rather large attic upstairs. Once there, however, Akira looked around to see the attic looking a bit messy.
"This is your room," Sojiro said to Akira. "I'll at least give you some sheets for your bed. You look like you wanna say something."
"It looks so cluttered," Akira replied.
"That'll be up to you to clean up the rest," Sojiro said. "I'll be leaving after I lock up each day. You'll be alone at night, but don't do anything funny or stupid. I'll throw you out if you cause any trouble." He then sighed as he added, "And I know it's only a year and all, but you stuck here because of what happened and even your parents… that's something."
"Yeah," Akira usually nodded. "Uh, sir? About my case…"
"Save it. I already know the gist of your situation," Sojiro said as he rolled his eyes. "But to think your parents got rid of you for being a pain in the ass. But still, I am in the restaurant business, you know, so behave yourself for the year. You're about to be transferred to Shujin Academy."
"Shujin Academy?" Akira repeated.
"That's where you'll be attending," Sojiro answered. "We'll introduce ourselves properly to the staff there. There's rarely a place that'll accept someone like you, you know." He then pointed to a vast box behind him. "By the way, your 'luggage' arrived earlier."
Sojiro left the attic as he sighed, "What a waste of my Sunday…"
Akira opened the cardboard box that was sent from his hometown. It was full of clothes and daily necessities so that he'll be able to change into more comfortable clothes.
Akira then started to clean up the whole attic for a while from start to finish.
A few moments later, as day turned to night, Akira changed into his pajamas and lay down on the bed when something was on his mind. "To think I couldn't just let it go. Arrest… Trial… Record… I can't believe what happened after that."
Damn brat…I'll sue.
Akira turned around by the sound of a man's voice echoing in his mind, but he can't believe anything after that arrest. "But still, I couldn't just let it go… That day… I had to go home early…"
Akira held his head as he groaned and muttered to himself, "My head is aching so bad that everything's spinning. This must be what it's like to see your own life flash before you at the end…!"
Akira let his mind drifted back to his hometown neighborhood from that night. If he remembers right, he was about to walk home early that night when he heard the sound of arguing in the distance.
"Just get in the car!"
"Stop it!"
Akira got closer and saw a drunk, bald man bothering a woman, or instead forcing himself on her, standing on the sidewalk while struggling to keep the woman on hold.
"You think you're worth causing me trouble? Huh?"
"I-I'll call the police!" The woman resisted.
"Heh, call them if you want! The police are my bitches. They're not going to take you seriously."
"No… Stop…!"
"Hey!" Akira shouted. "You heard her. Stop!"
The drunk man suddenly noticed Akira. "…What're you looking at? Get out of my face! This isn't a show. Get lost, kid!"
Before Akira could do anything, he heard a police siren.
"See? This is all because you're so damn slow!" The drunk man taunted, then he ordered the woman. "Get in the car! Incompetent fools like you just need to shut their mouths and follow where I steer this country!"
Sighing in dismay and frustration, Akira turned away, trying to forget that memory.
"Arrgghhhh… It wasn't supposed to be like this," Akira groaned, not quite sure how he remembered that night. "But what a letdown."
Akira sighed as he was about to get some sleep when his phone rang. Hoping it was a message from his parents, he pulled out his cellphone in relief, but his smile faded when he finds an unfamiliar red app on it – the same weird app from before.
"I thought I deleted it…Wait, didn't I delete that?" Akira muttered while his eyes became heavy, drifting him to a peaceful sleep.
Akira slowly opened his eyes as he heard rattling chains. He looked around at his surroundings, only to see that he was in a dark and damp prison cell room in vibrant blue.
"Wh-what the—!? Where am I!?" Akira asked with shocking eyes as he got up. Then he noticed his hands are cuffed in chains. His pajamas had also changed into a set of black-and-white striped prison clothes, and his right leg is chained to an iron ball to stop him from doing any movement as he stammered in utter confusion and panicked. "Why am I dressed like this!? When did I— Aaaaaahhhh, what's with this!?"
Akira had no clue about this velvet-colored nightmare when he heard a chuckle from someone watching him. He turned to where that laughter came from, only to be greeted by a young girl as he walked up toward her but then stopped to see another young girl standing right beside her.
The two girls stood before Akira. Both had one yellow eye and an eyepatch over another, wearing blue warden clothes. They even had different silver-hair styles – one had her hair up in buns, and the other had her hair down in a braid. They stepped aside to introduce Akira to yet another person sitting behind a long desk.
The older man with a bizarre face, seated before a surprised Akira, greeted him with a smiling expression. "Trickster… Allow me to bid you welcome to my Velvet Room."
"Trickster!? Velvet Room!?" Akira repeated as he looked around to see a series of prison cells in a circular blue room while the strange man sat in the middle.
"So, you've come to, Inmate," The girl in buns spoke in an overbearing voice.
"The you in reality is currently fast asleep," The other girl in a braid said to Akira in a calm voice. "You are only experiencing this as a dream."
"You're in the presence of our master! Stand up straight!" The first girl barked.
"Master?" Akira repeated as he looked up to see the bizarre man before him.
"Welcome. I am delighted to make your acquaintance," The strange man said, welcoming Akira. "This place exists on the line between dreams and reality, mind and matter. It is a room that only those who are bound by a 'contract' may enter. I am Igor, the master of this place. Remember it well."
Contract…? Akira repeated as he recalled having another dream from before. I thought that voice sounded familiar but is this what he meant by 'contract'?
"Now then… Why don't you introduce yourself?" Igor asked.
"Akira Kurusu," Akira answered.
Igor nodded. "Very well. I summoned you to speak of important matters. It involves your life as well."
"Important matters?" Akira repeated.
"Still, I must admit this is a surprise…," Igor said as he looked around the entirety of the Velvet Room. "The state of this room reflects the state of the occupant's heart. Quite telling to think that a prison would reveal itself to you as such." He then looked back at Akira. "Therefore, you must be shackled by something far greater. Whether you see yourself as a prisoner of society, you truly are a prisoner of fate. In the near future, there is no mistake that ruin awaits you. But continue down the path you're on, and you will surely meet with that very ruin."
"Ruin!?" Akira repeated.
"I speak of the end to everything," Igor answered. "However, there is a means to oppose such a fate you will receive. You must be 'rehabilitated.' Rehabilitated toward freedom… That is your only means to avoid ruin. Do you have the resolve to challenge the distortion of the world?"
"Ruin? Distortion of the world?" Akira repeated the mention of those words.
Akira had a similar dream about it before, but could it have something to do about the night of his arrest? He pondered for a moment, but then it suddenly hit him – he was asked to reform society in his dream.
Akira turned to Igor with an answer. "I'd rather avoid ruin."
"Excellent. I expect as much," Igor chuckled. "Now, allow me to observe the path of your rehabilitation."
But just then, Igor gestured to the two girls in front of Akira. "Ah, pardon me, for I have neglected not to be introducing the others. To your right is Caroline, and to your left is Justine. They serve as wardens here, so I hope you'll get along."
"Hmph, try and struggle as hard as you like," Caroline spoke up to Akira.
"The duty of wardens is to protect inmates," Justine added. "We are also your collaborators. ...That is, if you remain obedient."
"I shall explain the roles of these two on another occasion," Igor said. "Now then, it seems the night is waning… it is almost time."
"Thanks for the warning, but I think I'll be just fine," Akira said but then paused for a moment. "Wait, what're you talking about?"
"Take your time to come to understand this place slowly," Igor reassured Akira. "We will surely meet again, eventually..."
Just then, a grating sound of alarming bells rang, surprising Akira.
"Time's up!" Caroline ordered Akira. "Now hurry up and go back to sleep."
"Wait! I still need to—" Akira pleaded in desperation, gripping the bars. Suddenly, his eyes felt heavy once again when everything around him fades to black as he went fast asleep.
4/10 – Sunday
Akira suddenly woke up to see a warm morning outside. From the window of the attic above Leblanc, he could see that it is broad daylight in Yongen-Jaya.
What a strange dream, Akira thought. But what was all that, anyway? About ruin and rehabilitation and the distortion of the world! What does it all mean? And why me?
As Akira hopped off his bed to stretch himself, he can't stop thinking about that odd dream as he took off his pajamas and got dressed in his school uniform.
That dream seemed so natural. I can still feel the shackles around me, Akira thought once more, but he shook his head. I don't even know what's going on either.
"Looks like you're up," Sojiro spoke up as he walked up to Akira. "Well then, let's go introduce ourselves properly to the staff about your transfer. The school you're attending is in the Aoyama district. It'll cost you a bit to ride the train there, and the route transfers are a pain. I'll drive you there, but just for today."
"OK," Akira nodded.
"Sheesh… Men aren't usually allowed in my passenger seat," Sojiro muttered to himself as he turned to Akira. "Oh, and do me a favor and behave yourself, all right? Don't get me wrong-I just don't care what happens to you. Just don't cause me any trouble."
The following morning, Akira and Sojiro were already at the principal's office inside Shujin Academy, meeting its principal, Kobayakawa, and a female homeroom teacher, Sadayo Kawakami.
"I heard some interesting things about you, but this school does not look upon grade-grubbers like you," Principal Kobayakawa said to Akira. "And just because you're transferred here does not mean you'll be getting any special treatment!"
Akira sighed. "Why am I not surprised?"
"So, to reiterate, just so we're clear, you will be expelled if you cause any more problems," The principal said to Akira harshly. "Honestly, I hesitated to accept someone like you, but there were some circumstances on our side. In my opinion, you're nothing but a liability, and we still had our circumstances to consider. You might've done a lot of things in your hometown, but you WILL behave yourself here. Whatever you might've gotten away with back then, those days are over."
"Understood," Akira answered, nodding.
"If you're thrown out of our school, there will be no place for you to go. Keep that in mind," The principal added as he introduced Ms. Kawakami. "This is the teacher in charge of your class."
"I'm Sadayo Kawakami," Ms. Kawakami spoke up, neutrally introducing herself as she then put something on the table for him, "Here's your student ID."
Akira took it and also a little red book as well. "Thanks, I suppose."
"Be sure to read the school rules on the book," Kawakami added. "Any violations will send you straight to the guidance office. And, by chance you cause any problems, I won't be able to protect you at all." She then turned to the principal. "...That IS your promise, yes, Principal Kobayakawa?"
"Of course. He is responsible for all his actions," Principal Kobayakawa replied.
"But really though, why me? There should have been better candidates."
"It was a sudden transfer, and your class was the only one that had an opening."
"Um, if you're done explaining things, mind if we get going?" Sojiro interrupted. "I got a store to get back to."
"Sakura-san, please keep a close eye on Kurusu-kun," Principal Kobayakwa warned Sojiro. "Don't let him cause any trouble outside..."
"Sure, I'll be sure to talk about the situation he's in."
"Come to the faculty office when you arrive at school tomorrow," Ms. Kawakami said to Akira. "I'll show you to your classroom."
Akira nodded as a couple of paperwork regarding the transfer was already signed.
After they left Shujin Academy, Akira and Sojiro headed back to Leblanc.
"They even treat you like a nuisance over here, too," Sojiro said to Akira. "It turns out your past follows you wherever you go. As if it'll treat you like you don't belong anywhere."
"That I can manage," Akira replied.
Sojiro sighed. "I never thought you would be enrolled at a different one. Not like anyone will be sympathetic to you. A lot happened before you arrived. Come on, let's go home."
"Why does everyone keep getting on my case?" Akira asked.
"Well, everyone is giving you the cold shoulder, right? That's what having a certain record does to you. Anyway, you'll be taking the train starting tomorrow. You think you can manage?"
"It'll be tough," Akira answered, slowly seeing that Shujin Academy might successfully rehabilitate him, like in the dream of the Velvet Room.
Meanwhile, afternoon at the school courtyard, Kawakami and a jersey-wearing gym teacher were already conversing.
"What a troublesome situation." The gym teacher said to Kawakami.
"I can't believe they pushed someone with a record on me," Kawakami replied. "A male teacher would be better suited for this..."
"Why in the world was someone like that admitted here?"
"Who knows? It was the principal's decision," Kawakami answered. "I was told that it's for the school's reputation."
"I would've thought that my volleyball team has contributed more than enough to cover that."
"That's certainly true."
"Be careful, OK?" The gym teacher warned Kawakami. "Then again, if anything were to happen, I'd kick out a student like that right away."
"I keep wishing that he'd just end up not coming to school," Kawakami said as she looked away. "Still, that isn't something I should be saying as a teacher..."
"Well, I should be returning to practice."
"Oh, right. The tournament's coming up, isn't it?" Kawakami remembered.
"Hehe, having such high expectations placed on you by others is quite a problem in itself," The gym teacher said. "We'll have to work hard to make up for the track team too."
As the gym teacher left, Kawakami muttered to herself, "Why'd it have to be my class?"
That evening, a terrible subway incident occurred on the same day as news regarding it was shown on TV. It was one of those recent psychotic breakdown incidents that became an uproar of the general public.
It even caught the attention of an individual public prosecutor and her superior once they watched the news feed on TV at the Special Investigations Unit (SIU, for short).
"That was direct footage from the accident," A female newscaster announced as the image of the subway accident was shown. "According to the police, the engineer's life was not in danger, despite his injuries. After questioning, even he could not explain his high speed when approaching the station. No further comments were made. Police are still looking for a plausible motive."
"It's less of an operating accident and more of a crime of the company and the government," The SIU Director said, watching the news. "Site inspectors reported all of this six months ago - the deterioration of the tracks and the ATC. It seems the railway company and the Ministry of Transport both turned a blind eye to the truth. There's no way they could hide. This would go all the way up to the top."
"Now on to our main story…," The newscaster continued. "With this derailment accident, as well as other recent incidents of unknown motives, the concern is spreading among the general public. Just what could be causing such a drastic change so suddenly at these people?"
"Everything's linked - that's what you're thinking, correct? Ah well," The SIU Director then turned to the female prosecutor. "Are you free? You and I haven't gone for a drink in a while."
"Thank you, sir, but I have another meeting to attend," The prosecutor said to her superior as she bowed. "I must be going."
As the prosecutor left, the SIU Director closed his eyes as he leaned back in his chair.
Walking downstairs, the prosecutor met up with a young, brunette 17-year-old detective teenage boy in the middle.
"Did you ask for me? Is it a case?" The boy asked with a smile.
"Not quite," The prosecutor answered. "But I want your opinion on something."
"Sure. Your judgment is quite often correct, though. Can we discuss this over sushi, perhaps? You are making a student work late after all."
"Conveyor belt only."
The boy sighed in dismay with a frowning disappointment on his face.
At the same time as night had fallen, Akira and Sojiro returned to Leblanc.
"Damn, to think there'd be much traffic… What a waste of time," Sojiro sighed in dismay. "I wasn't able to open the cafe today…" Then he turned to Akira. "...Whatever. Just head upstairs. There's something I need to give you."
"OK," Akira nodded.
A moment later, as Akira got dressed in pajamas in the attic, Sojiro arrived with a black notebook in his hand.
"It's a diary. Make sure you keep it up to date," Sojiro reminded Akira. "You may be under some circumstances, but there are no special limitations on what you do in particular. Besides following the law, that is. However, I'm obligated to report on you, which is why I have you record your daily activities."
Akira nodded. "Thanks."
"Don't thank me just yet," Sojiro said. "I'll lock up, so do whatever you want for the rest of the night. But don't just mess up my store. You got school tomorrow. You better head off to bed, all right?"
Akira nodded, "…Understood."
"Oh, and I might have forgotten the flip the sign to CLOSED. It's too much of a hassle for me to go back, so you flip the sign for me."
"OK, got it," Akira answered. "By the way, you called the public phone?"
"Sorry. I make it a habit not to save guys' numbers on my cell phone. I'm leaving you in charge of the door sign."
As Sojiro left, Akira flipped the door sign to CLOSED and went back to the attic.
"I need to take a train to school…," Akira muttered as he checked on his phone. "Yongen-Jaya… Aoyama Ichome… Transfer… More news about that subway accident. It sounds like a lot of people were hurt. I bet it'll affect the timetables for tomorrow too..."
Just then, the red and black app appeared on Akira's phone again.
"I thought I deleted it," Akira groaned. "I should reboot my phone, just in case…"
Putting down his cellphone, Akira's eyelids started to get heavy as he drifted back to sleep – this time, no dreams of the Velvet Room either.
4/11 – Monday
The next day, Akira managed to wake up early and ate his breakfast in the form of curry. Then, he went out to the train station that leads to the Aoyama district, where Shujin Academy is. Finding himself hiding under an awning of the store from getting wet by the rain outside, Akira checked his phone once more to check the time. However, he sighed as the red app from before was still here as it filled up half the phone's screen.
"This again…?" Akira muttered. "I just rebooted it last night, and it's still back on."
Just then, a hooded figure hurried under the same awning as Akira. Taking off its hood, it revealed to be a young woman about the same age as Akira, with platinum blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes. She was wearing a modified, black Shujin blazer uniform over her white hoodie that reaches down her skirt.
The young woman suddenly noticed Akira, who stared back at her, but she didn't seem to mind when she smiled at him, then looked back at the raining scenery, as did Akira.
Just then, a silver car drove up and parked right in front of them as its driver, the gym teacher Kawakami talked to yesterday, looked at the young girl.
"Good morning!" The gym teacher greeted her. "You want me to give you a ride to school? You're going to be late."
"Um, sure. Thank you," The girl said as she got in the silver car to fasten her seatbelt.
"You need a lift too?" The gym teacher asked Akira when he looked at him.
"Oh, er… Nah, I'm good," Akira insisted as he then noticed the young girl's depressed expression at the short moment.
Akira watched the car drove off. What am I doing? He thought. I already know where I am, let alone where I'm going. Why did I say no? What's wrong with me today?
Just then, Akira thought he heard footsteps coming. He turned around to see another person about the same age as him running by. It was a vulgar boy, wearing the same Shujin blazer uniform as Akira and the young girl over his yellow shirt while his belt suspenders hanged loosely.
The vulgar boy was chasing after the gym teacher's silver car. Still, it was too late as the vehicle departed farther away. He looked at the car as he seemed pretty irritated. "Dammit… Screw that pervy teacher."
"…Pervy teacher?" Akira repeated quietly, unaware that the app chimed in response. When he looked back at the app on his phone, he tried to exit it out of it, not realizing that the vulgar boy looked back at him irritably.
Akira closed his eyes and sighed in dismay because the app did not exit out on its own. However, when he opened his eyes, he noticed a bit of the vulgar boy's blonde hair on his phone's reflection. He looked up and was startled to see that the vulgar boy was standing there while giving him a fierce look in his brown eyes.
"…What do you want?" The vulgar boy asked Akira as he called out to him. "You plannin' on rattin' me out to Kamoshida?"
Akira shook his head but then asked, "Who?"
"Huh? In that car just now. It was Kamoshida."
Akira looked back at the gym teacher in the silver car earlier as he thought, Oh, I guess he meant that driver who gave that cute girl a ride.
"He does whatever the hell he wants," The vulgar boy continued. "He's way too into high school girls. He gives them rides in his car, calls them in for some 'private counseling.' Who does he think he is – the king of a castle? Don't you agree?"
"Well, I wouldn't say that…," Akira replied, not catching the boy's sarcasm. "But the king of a castle? Which castle?"
"Uh, it's just a saying…" The vulgar boy said, but then he looked at Akira in confusion. "Wait. You really don't know Kamoshida? Are you for real? You're from Shujin, right?"
"I think so…," Akira solemnly said. "Don't you go to Shujin, too?"
"What? No other high schools got a uniform like that," The vulgar boy pointed at Akira's black blazer as he then noticed the number 2 button on the collar. "A second-year, huh? We're the same grade then. Never seen you before, though."
The vulgar boy pondered for a bit, and then it hit him. "Oh, are you a transfer student?"
Akira nodded, "Yep."
"Then no wonder you don't know him," The vulgar boy scoffed as he then turned and urged Akira to follow him. "This rain ain't too bad. We better hurry up, or we'll be late."
"You're a very shrewd guy," Akira said to the vulgar boy. "OK, you lead the way, Mr…. Uh, I didn't get your name."
"Ryuji," The vulgar boy introduced his name. "Ryuji Sakamoto."
Suddenly, as the two were about to step forward to Shujin, they felt a sudden pulse on their heads with sharp pain and dizziness.
"What…was that?" Akira blinked as he recovered from whatever just happened when the pain in his head slipped away. "I feel lightheaded all of a sudden."
"Uuugh, my head hurts…," Ryuji groaned as he recovered. "Dammit… I wanna go home…"
? – The interrogation room
"…There was a terrible subway accident that day," Sae said to Akira after hearing the first half of his story. "You remember it, don't you?"
"I did," Akira answered.
"I assume you know of the uproar that the public calls the 'psychotic breakdown incidents.'"
"I might."
Sae crossed her arms. "You say that like it's none of your business. It was all over the news, and one of the victims included a teacher at your school. I've no doubt you heard about it. On that day, were you still an 'ordinary' student?"
"What do you mean?" Akira asked.
"…Let me change the question," Sae said, changing the subject. "You transferred to Shujin Academy, correct?"
Akira nodded.
"An ordinary prep school that could be found in any city…," Sae continued. "That's what it should've been. What happened around that time? Tell me everything – truthfully."
"OK," Akira said as he continued with the story…
4/11 – Monday
Akira and Ryuji walked their way to Shujin Academy, with one leading and the other following suit. But they were unaware that the app on Akira's cellphone was still active as the world changed suddenly around them, twisting and warping with red and black ripples.
The two didn't know it, but it was due to the app picking up Ryuji and Akira's conversation a while earlier.
As they continued toward the alleyway, Akira suddenly felt a weird air once he stepped on a puddle. The splash from it began to slow down, just like when Shibuya somehow froze in time on his first day.
Akira looked back the other way but didn't notice something different.
Weird… What's this feeling I'm having? Akira thought, scratching his head. It's almost as though…
But Akira just shook his head, thinking he had gone nuts. One thing's for sure, and he surely did not want anything unexpected on his first day of school. Still, he can tell that something entirely unexpected was happening, and things will go south for him.
"Wha-?" Ryuji exclaimed.
"Ryuji?" Akira spoke up in surprise, realizing that he lost track of him, and followed his new friend to catch up with him.
But once Akira and Ryuji were outside the alleyway exit, the two looked on ahead. They were in shock at what they'd found that caused Ryuji to be alarmed.
Instead of Shujin Academy, there was now a large, grand-looking yet unimaginable ornate castle of sorts with a wooden drawbridge, brick walls, and everything – like something out of a fairy tale, but not.
"Ummm… This is Shujin Academy, right?" Akira asked, confused.
"Uh… The building didn't always look like this, did it?" Ryuji blinked.
"It was pretty different from what I saw yesterday."
"We didn't… come the wrong way though…," Ryuji muttered, looking back at the alleyway, then at the castle. "Yeah, this should be right…"
"Is our school into roleplaying all of a sudden?" Akira blinked as well.
"What's goin' on here? I guess we'll just have to go and ask."
Ryuji and Akira went on ahead toward the school-turned castle. Once inside, however, they find themselves in a large room with chandeliers, a stairway, pillars, and even a large painted portrait of someone they might recognize hanging on the wall.
"Th-That's weird… Where's the school?" Ryuji asked, confused.
"Is this really our school?" Akira asked. "Though I can say I've never seen it like this before."
"It should be…," Ryuji shrugged. "I mean, It said 'Shujin' on the gate, so this SHOULD be the school… I think."
Ryuji then checked his phone, only to see that there's no wi-fi. "Out of service? Where'd we end up? The sign was for the school, right?"
"Maybe I wasn't paying attention…," Akira said. He then looked around as he thought, But there's something off about the air in here. It feels either oddly weird…or even gross.
Suddenly, Akira and Ryuji heard metallic footsteps, and before they know it, they turned to see a knight with a sword and shield in each hand.
"Geez, you freaked me out," Ryuji sighed as he looked at the knight. "Who are you? You a student?"
But the knight didn't answer.
"Man, your costume's impressive… Is that armor real?" Ryuji asked the knight as he walked towards it. However, he then became quite irritated when the knight still didn't answer. "C'mon, don't just stand there. Say somethin'."
Suddenly, noticing a dark red aura around the knight, Akira spoke up. "Hey, Ryuji…I don't think it's a good idea. Besides, we don't know if this knight is even a—"
But before he could finish his sentence, Akira froze as he sees another knight approaching him and Ryuji menacingly.
"…H-Hey, what's going on?" Ryuji asked.
"This must be a prank," Akira replied. "What is this? Is it the school staff? I mean, what kind of roleplay is this!?"
"Dude, I don't know! …This shit's real," Ryuji yelled when the first knight approached him. "C-Calm down! Time out, man!" He turned to Akira. "We gotta run!"
Akira nodded. "O-Okay, the show's over! We're rollin' out!"
"Yeah, we better not mess with them! Go!"
Akira and Ryuji were about to head for the exit when more knights appeared, surrounding them.
"Ugh, what's with these guys!?" Ryuji growled in anger when he got bashed to the ground by the knight's shield. "Gah!"
"Ryuji!" Akira cried as he was about to aid him but got knocked out as well. Stars circled around Akira's head as he then collapsed.
"Oww… Y-You're going to break my bones, dammit!" Ryuji yelled angrily at the knight. "The hell you think you're – Aagh!"
Everything faded to black as the two heard the guard's voice, "Take them away!"
A few minutes later, Akira was lost in darkness as a thought came to his head, Owww…! Wha-what just happened? Why's this happening?
"…Hey. Hey! Wake up!" A familiar voice woke up Akira.
Akira opened his eyes as he sat up, rubbing his head. Then, he turned to see Ryuji standing right beside him.
"You all right?" Ryuji asked.
"Yup, I'm fine," Akira nodded. "You?"
"Yeah, more or less."
Akira and Ryuji looked around, seeing that they are inside a prison cell.
"Looks like this ain't no dream…," Ryuji muttered. "Ugh, what's going on!?" He then rushed to the cell door and started pounding on it as he called out for someone, "Hey, let us out of here! I know there's someone out there!"
"This is not our day," Akira said quietly as he sighed.
Akira looked around the area as he thought, Another prison cell, huh? This doesn't look like the one in the Velvet Room dream that I had last night.
"Dammit, where are we? Is this some kind of TV or movie set?" Ryuji asked angrily.
"Ryuji, this is way too real to be a TV or movie set," Akira said. "I don't see any cameras or a snack table. No one's done any filming here."
Just then, as Ryuji and Akira pondered about their odd surroundings, the two were startled by the sound of a loud horrific scream echoing through the halls.
"Th-The hell was that just now?" Ryuji asked as he and Akira quickly ran to the cell door, only to hear more pain-filling screaming – almost as if someone is being tortured elsewhere.
"Whoa… Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa…," Ryuji exclaimed, stepping away in panic. "You're shittin' me, right? This is real bad…!"
"We have to get out of here," Akira said as he and Ryuji looked around for a way out of their confined imprisonment when they spotted some barrels. "Should we hide in there and trick them?"
"It probably wouldn't work like in the movies, though…," Ryuji replied.
"Well, you're the one thinking this is some movie set."
Suddenly, Akira and Ryuji heard heavy footsteps again, realizing that it was coming from a couple of knights from before.
"Be glad that your punishment has been decided upon," One leading knight said. "Your charge is 'unlawful entry.' Thus, you'll be sentenced to death."
"Say what!?" Ryuji exclaimed in shock.
"No one's allowed to do as they please in my castle," A familiar yet distorted voice appeared, prompting Akira and Ryuji to see that it was…
"Huh? Wait… Is that you, Kamoshida?" Ryuji asked, confused.
"Kamoshida?" Akira repeated, looking back at the gym teacher who drove the young girl to school, as he gets a better look at the mentioned person.
So, this was Kamoshida. Or at least, it looked like Kamoshida. Instead of wearing his blue sports jacket, he was wearing a red cape filled with hearts all over his torso, pink briefs, and a crown. And what's more, he had weird, golden eyes.
The golden eyes reminded Akira of Caroline and Justine of the Velvet Room. Still, their eyes were never menacing or even sinister at all.
"I thought it was just some petty thief, but to think it'd only be you, Sakamoto...," The golden-eyed Kamoshida said to Ryuji. "Are you trying to disobey me again? It looks like you haven't learned your lesson at all, huh?" He then turned to Akira with a smirk on his face. "And you brought a friend this time... because you can't do anything for yourself."
"This ain't funny, you asshole!" Ryuji snapped at the golden-eyed Kamoshida.
"Wait, Ryuji! That's not really—" Akira tried to warn Ryuji but was utterly silenced.
"Enough!" The fake Kamoshida said in an angry tone. "Is that how you speak to a king? It seems you don't understand the position you're in at all. You not only break-in, but you dare insult MY castle? Don't think you're getting out of here alive!"
King? Castle? We're not at Shujin anymore, are we!? Akira thought for a second or two, and then it suddenly hit him. Wait, did that app overheard Ryuji and me and activated it on its own!? What's going on here?
"The penalty for that is death," The golden-eyed, fake Kamoshida said as he then ordered his knights. "It's time for execution! Take him out!"
"Ohhh, no… This ain't good," Akira said as he then turned to a pale Ryuji. "Ryuji!"
"S-Stop it!" Ryuji's voice was engulfed in fear, moving backward when the cell door opened as the knights moved in. "...Goddammit!"
Feeling threatened, Ryuji charged at a guard in front of him and glared at the fake Kamoshida, who entered the cell as well.
"I ain't down for this shit!" Ryuji said as he turned to Akira. "C'mon, we're outta here!"
"Right!" Akira nodded.
But while Ryuji was distracted, another knight came from behind and struck him down with a quick kick, making him slowly fell to his knees. "Nnngh...! Oww..."
Akira tried to make a valiant effort to stop the knights, but it was of no use.
"Just go! Get out of here! These guys are serious!" Ryuji cried out to Akira.
"Oh, running away, are we? What a heartless friend you are," The fake Kamoshida taunted Akira with a sneering look on his face.
"He ain't a friend...," Ryuji struggled as he looked at the fake Kamoshida. Then, he turned to Akira. "C'mon! Hurry up and go!"
"I can't just leave you here!" Akira protested.
"What's the matter? Too scared to run away?" The fake Kamoshida taunted Akira. Then he scoffed as he gazed back at Ryuji with a grin. "Hmph, pathetic scum isn't worth my time. I'll focus on this one's execution..."
The fake Kamoshida picked up Ryuji by his black blazer and gave him a punch to the face.
"Take this!" The fake Kamoshida exclaimed as he continuously gave Ryuji a couple of hard punches and jabs one after another. "Lowly scum! Useless pest!" Then, followed by an uppercut and a hard blow down the back of Ryuji's head.
Another adult who thinks he's above everyone else..., Akira thought as his jaws dropped while he watched at how this fake Kamoshida mercilessly beat up Ryuji like trash. What the hell is going on? What am I going to do? What can I even do in the first place? I can't just sit here. I gotta do something.
This is not like Kamoshida at all! Whatever this strange being might be, it must be taking Kamoshida's form to make it look like he's in charge of this school-turned-castle.
When Ryuji fell to the ground with a grunt of pain, the fake Kamoshida mockingly taunted, "Hmph... Where'd your energy from earlier go?"
A guard picked up Ryuji and threw him to the side like a rag doll as Shadow Kamoshida continued taunting. "A peasant like you isn't worth beating. I'll have you killed right now."
"Are you out of your mind!?" Akira spouted out, catching the fake Kamoshida's attention. "Hard to believe that a gym teacher like you would say things like that. Not to mention punching a normal student like Ryuji!"
The fake Kamoshida scoffed. "What's so normal about a shameless track traitor like him!?"
"Traitor? Do you know anything about him?"
The way the fake Kamoshida said makes it sound as if there's some history between them. But he doesn't bother to give any details in his answer.
"What? Don't you dare tell me you don't know who I am." The fake Kamoshida walked towards the glaring Akira with a grin. "That look in your eyes irritates me!"
The fake Kamoshida kicked Akira back to the wall and then ordered the guards while looking at Ryuji. "Hold him there… After the peasant, it's his turn to die."
As ordered, the two knights pinned Akira against the wall as he watched Ryuji in peril. At the same time, the fake, golden-eyed Kamoshida laughed.
Akira looked on in shock, feeling helpless as he closed his eyes.
This is truly an unjust game… Your chances of winning are almost none.
Akira's eyes opened as he heard a familiar voice. He saw a very lone butterfly fluttering past by him with a hint of blue – the same color as the Velvet Room in his dream.
But if my voice is reaching you, there may yet be a possibility open to you…
Just then, the butterfly disappeared as a bright light shined up again. Relieved by its familiar flutter, Akira was still uncertain as his mind got clearer when time flowed back to normal.
Suddenly, he heard an entirely unfamiliar one.
What the matter? Are you simply going to watch?
"Who's there?" Akira looked around as he couldn't even find the source of that voice. It sounded like it was coming from his head – or rather, it was coming from inside his mind.
Are you forsaking him to save yourself?
Death awaits him if you do nothing.
Was your previous decision a mistake then?
"No…," Akira said as flashbacks of the night of his arrest flowed in him. "It wasn't!"
Very well… I have heeded your resolve.
Suddenly, Akira started writhing in pain as a burning sensation formed while subconsciously hearing the voice within.
Vow to me. I am thou, thou art I...
Thou who would accept blasphemy for the sake of thine own justice!
Call upon my name and release thy righteous rage!
Reveal the strength of thy will to seek the truth on thine own, though thou'll be chained down by Hell itself!
The pain and screaming stopped as Akira quietly muttered while looking up slowly with a look of determination. "I hear you…"
The fake Kamoshida gave the order to the guard holding Ryuji. "Execute him!"
"Back off!" Akira exclaimed as everything went silent, catching the fake's attention.
"What was that…?" The fake Kamoshida turned to Akira and glared at him with a menacing scowl while the knight holding Ryuji dropped him. "You desire to be killed that much? Fine!"
The fake Kamoshida gave out a quick signal, and a knight nearby quickly strike the side of Akira's head while his glasses were off. Two more knights surrounded Akira with their spears crossed to form a barrier around Akira's neck and chin to ensure there's no escape.
Ryuji tried to get up, but his knees felt numb to move when he fell back down to the floor. He watched in fear as the knight raised his sword above Akira's head when the fake Kamoshida gives out the signal.
Without warning, it was at that moment in time that an epic, intense pulse of power burst through Akira, knocking the knights off balance by a force wave. At the same time, his eyes grew wide open as if something appeared on his face.
And there it was – on Akira's face was a white mask with black markings around the eye holes.
Akira struggled to get the mask off of him, even though he could feel a part of his skin starting to bleed as it slowly started to peel off. He screamed in pain before finally taking the mask off him, letting the blood freely fall from his face. But as he lifted his head with gleaming yellow eyes and a grin, the blood on Akira's face became a vast, epic onslaught of blue, azure flames that burst out from within him. The wounds healed as the fire consumed Akira, almost becoming the stuff of nightmares.
The flames rose from Akira, turning into a figure that stood before him with a red half jacket, a top hat, a black face with crimson markings, a pair of horns, and enormous black wings. Akira's school uniform was replaced with a black trench coat, black trousers, and red gloves.
With a wave of his hand, a grinning Akira sends the guards flying, courtesy of the figure's wings fluttering from behind, as the fake Kamoshida scrambled away.
Ryuji watched in shock, but at the same time amazed, as he couldn't help seeing how cool Akira looked while blue flames and chains flowed within him. "Wha…What the…?"
"I am the pillager of twilight - Arsène!" The powerful being behind Akira spoke as it flutters its vast, black wings, imposing himself.
"What the...?" Ryuji blinked, finding this scene both fantastic and frightening.
"I am the rebel's soul that resides within you," Arsène said to Akira. "If you so desire, I shall consider granting you the power to break through this crisis."
"All right, lend me your power," Akira responded confidently.
"Hmph, very well…," Arsène nodded with satisfaction. "This power of mine is yours! Kill them however you want. Run wild to your heart's content!"
Gifted a small combat knife in his grasp, Akira managed to fight the transformed knights, dodging their attacks, and delivered a finishing blow in one swoop. With the enemies dealt with, he felt a surge of power from within him as he heard Arsène's laughter once more before the being behind him vanished back into a mask on Akira's face.
Akira has faced his other self; the façade used to overcome life's hardships, the Persona Arsène.
After that quick battle, Akira examined his new look while Ryuji looked on in complete and utter shock. "What was that just now?"
But before Akira could answer, the fake Kamoshida approached him. "You little…"
Just then, Ryuji quickly ran up and charged at the fake Kamoshida, bowling him down to the ground while the keys to the cell came down. "You like that, you son of a bitch!?"
"Ryuji, quick! The keys!" Akira ordered as he grabbed the keys and tossed them to Ryuji.
"Y-You mean with this?" Ryuji muttered, then he and Akira quickly made it out of the cell before immediately locking the iron door shut.
"OK, it's locked," Ryuji said, then he turned to Akira in awe. "Hey! What was that just now!? And…your clothes…"
But before Akira could answer, a burst of light changed his new clothes back to his school uniform.
"Whoa, it went back to normal!?" Ryuji said in surprise.
"We'll talk later! We need to scram!" Akira said as he and Ryuji ran ahead.
Simultaneously, the fake Kamoshida slowly regained consciousness and made a mad dash toward the iron bars, gripping them. "Y-You bastards! You think you can get away with doing this to me!?"
Akira and Ryuji managed to follow a straight path through the dungeon. But once they climbed the staircase and almost reached a dead end.
"Dammit!" Ryuji muttered to himself. "How the hell are we supposed to get out of here!?"
Just then, an unknown voice appeared. "…Hey, you there! Blondie! Frizzy Hair! Look over here!"
Akira and Ryuji looked at another cell, and to their surprise, they can see a strange creature, almost looking like a cat, already confined in here.
"What the hell is this thing!?" Ryuji exclaimed as the cat-like creature was waving at them with its paws to get their attention.
"Wait…It talked," Akira gasped. "I think it's alive."
"You're not soldiers of this castle, right!? Get me out of here!" The strange cat-like creature said as he pointed at the far end of the wall, revealing a key. "Look, the key's right there!"
"We're trying to get the hell outta here!" Ryuji said to the cat-like creature. "I mean, you obviously look like an enemy too!"
"I'm locked up here, so how can I be your enemy!? Help me out!"
"Ryuji, this…cat is obviously telling the truth," Akira told Ryuji.
"I am NOT a cat!" The cat-like creature angrily protested. "Say that again, and I'll make you regret it!"
"Hey, what's your problem?" Ryuji asked the cat-like creature angrily. "What gives YOU the right to yell at us like that!? What ARE you!? Where are we!? What the heck's going on here!?"
Suddenly, Akira and Ryuji looked back as they heard the guards' footsteps in the distance.
"They're catching up already!" Ryuji muttered as he then took out his phone. "Shit. There's still no service. Ain't there any way to contact someone outside!? How the hell do we get out!?"
"Hey, you two!" The strange creature called out to the two boys. "You wanna know where the exit is? Let me out, and I'll take you there. You don't want to get caught and executed, right?"
"Can you really help us?" Akira asked with pleaded concern.
"I never go back on my word!" The creature nodded.
"This thing sounds like it's all talk...," Ryuji muttered to Akira as he looked back at the cat-like being. "What it comes down to is, you want to escape, right? Well, so do we! We just don't know how, dammit!"
"That's why I said I'd help you out!" The cat-like creature said. "If you guys think you can get out on your own, then be my guest!"
"Like I keep saying, we don't know where the frickin' exit is!"
Ryuji turned to Akira. "What do we do?"
"We should let him help us," Akira answered, gesturing to the cat-like creature.
Hearing footsteps coming even more closer, Ryuji turned to the strange creature. "Are you seriously not messin' with us!?"
"If you don't hurry, they'll catch you," The cat-like creature replied.
"F-Fine...," Ryuji sighed.
And with that, Akira opened the cell himself with the key.
The strange creature happily skipped out of his prison and let out a stretch. "Ahhhh... Freedom tastes so great..."
Ryuji became impatient. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, now where's the exit, you monster cat!?"
The strange cat-like being looked up at Ryuji, scolding him. "Don't call me a cat! I am Morgana!"
"Shuddup and hurry it up! You wanna be locked up again!?"
"A-All right, sheesh!" Morgana said. "Follow me, and stay quiet!"
Lowering the bridge by pulling the statue's mouth like a lever, Akira, Ryuji, and Morgana crossed it and continued forward when they encountered yet another knight.
"A-Aah! Shit... Oh shit, it's them!" Ryuji screamed as he fell back in panic while Akira's wardrobe's change happened again after the bright blue flashed him.
Morgana quickly jumped protectively after Ryuji.
"You amateur!" Morgana said before standing up and ordered Ryuji, "Stay still!" He then looked back up to Akira. "Hey, you! You can fight, right?"
"Sure thing!" Akira nodded.
"Well, then. Let's go!" Morgana grinned as he called out his power. "Come… Zorro!"
By Morgana's words, a blue light erupted from him. It came out another influential figure, just like Arsène – a prominent, muscled figure with a pointy mustache stood proudly behind Morgana, the Persona Zorro.
"Y-You got one of those things too!?" Ryuji exclaimed in shock and saw the knights quickly transformed into more enemies.
"Morgana, I hope you're ready," Akira said to Morgana before calling out his Persona.
"Hmph, we will promptly shut them up!" Morgana said as he held his blade. "These Shadows have taken up intercept positions! It looks like it's not about capturing us anymore… They're holding nothing back and are serious about killing us like they're out for blood!" He then looked up at Akira and added, "I'll back you up, so fight like your life depends on it! Let's go!"
Once the two disintegrated the enemies, Morgana looked up at Akira. "Oh, Not bad. Your Persona's pretty powerful."
"Same goes for yours," Akira replied.
Ryuji went up to them, confused. "Persona? You mean that thing that comes out of you guys all dramatic-like?"
"Yes," Morgana answered. "You saw how Frizzy Hair here ripped off his mask when he summoned it, right? Well, everybody wears a mask deep within their heart. It happens by removing that mask."
Just then, a burst of light flowed through Akira, and his new attire changed back to his school uniform.
"Huh? He turned back to normal...," Ryuji said in surprise.
"Hm, it looks like you don't have full control over your power yet," Morgana reassured Akira. "The transformation shouldn't normally dissolve like that. After all, it's your will of rebellion."
"My will of rebellion?" Akira repeated in surprise.
"Rrgh, that's enough!" Ryuji let out a frustrated groan. "This crap doesn't make any sense!"
"Can't you just please stop interrupting and listen for once, Blondie!?" Morgana scolded.
"Don't call me Blondie! My name is Ryuji!"
"And I'm Akira, so should we keep going?" Akira replied.
"Right, there's no time for me to lecture you!" Morgana nodded. "You wanna escape this place in one piece, right? Then let's go!"
As they walked further, Ryuji noticed that there were some slaves in their cells to his left. "Hold on a sec! I feel like I've seen what this dude's wearin' before…" But then he shook his head. "Dammit! I'm too flustered! I can't remember anything right now!"
"What are you doing standing around!?" Morgana scolded. "We need to go fast!"
"But…who are these guys?"
"Do you think you have time to worry about other people right now!? Besides, they're not—"
"There!" A voice rang out as one knight came marching to their location.
Morgana sighed dejectedly. "You should've just listened to me...!"
"They just don't quit," Akira said as his school uniform changed back to his new wardrobe. "Don't worry about that, Morgana. Let's fight!"
"I'm glad you stick to your guns," Morgana agreed as the two quickly took care of the enemy in one stroke. "All right, let's get away before more show up!"
"Hold on," Ryuji halted them. "We can't just leave these guys here!"
"You really don't get it, do you?" Morgana scolded once more. "There's no time to explain. Look, I'm going. If you don't want to follow, be my guest!"
"Uh, Ryuji, I know you're concerned about them," Akira reassured Ryuji. "but we're going to get caught if we stand around like this. We'll come back for them another time."
"Dammit… Fine, I'm coming!" Ryuji sighed.
"The entrance hall is right above here!" Morgana said as the two followed him once more. "The exit's close… Keep it up!"
A few more steps later, the three now find themselves in the far end of the hallway.
"We're here!" Morgana said as he looked up to the two.
"Finally! We're saved!" Ryuji said. Then, he tried to open the door as he caught his breath, but it was already locked. "... It's not opening! Did you trick us, you jerk!?"
"Don't jump to conclusions! Over here!" Morgana led them to another room with shelves filled with books, while some are on the ground.
"Where are we supposed to get out from here!?" Ryuji asked Morgana, irritated. "There aren't even any windows!"
Morgana sighed. "Ugh, amateur… This is the most basic of basics."
"Are we going to die here?"
Morgana sighed in dismay, looking at Ryuji. "That's right. Everything's hopeless and black like my fur – Now why would I die here with you two!?"
Akira looked around the room, pondering, and then he pointed at a shaft. "Is that...a ventilation shaft?"
Morgana looked up at Akira with glee. "That's right! As I thought, you're a natural at this. It leads all the way outside. You guys should be able to squeeze through it one at a time."
"Seriously, we're finally getting out of here!" Ryuji exclaimed with relief.
"You should be waiting on celebrating until you actually get out. Now, get going."
Ryuji turned to Morgana. "But...what about you?"
"There's something that I still have to do," Morgana said. "We're going our separate ways."
"Thanks, Morgana," Akira nodded. "Just don't get caught again."
"Heh, at least you got manners," Morgana replied. "You better be careful on your way, too. See 'ya."
Akira and Ryuji climbed up the shelves, making their way inside the ventilation shaft to get out of the castle at ease.
Once the two were gone, Morgana crossed his arms. "Those two seem useful… Especially the frizzy-haired one, if my judgment's right..."
Akira and Ryuji find themselves thrown out from nowhere and landed at the alleyway exit from before with a thump that almost shook the entire earth. When the two opened their eyes, they stared back at the school building to see that it looked completely normal.
"Did we make it?" Ryuji asked, catching his breath.
"Looks like it," Akira replied, then he checked out his phone to check the time.
Just then, the app chimed in on Akira's phone. "You have returned to the real world. Welcome back."
"Huh? Returned?" Ryuji repeated. "Does that mean we got away?"
"Yeah, probably," Akira nodded as he and Ryuji hurried inside Shujin.
Once inside the school, however, Akira and Ryuji can see that it is no longer a castle filled with knights. It's filled with students and teachers roaming the school halls, going to their classes, and talking to each other.
"I dunno what to think anymore," Ryuji said as he scratched his head. "What was all that anyways? That castle, and Kamoshida, and that weird cat! The hell's going on!?"
"That's what I want to know," Akira answered as he looked at the red app, knowing it causes the two to be late at school. Then he looked at the time on his phone and gasped, "We've been gone for around two hours!? I thought it was only for a few minutes, but it's already that late!?"
"How should I know!?" Ryuji complained. "Like I'm tryin' to say… I don't know what's goin' on either!"
"Looks like we were in that castle for quite a while...," Akira pondered.
"Is this for real…?" Ryuji blinked in surprise as he and Akira looked back to see the outside of the school – this time, there was no drawbridge from the castle or its entrance. There were only a few stairs and the school gate. "I'm sure we came the same way… What's goin' on here…?"
"I don't know," Akira said, shaking his head as he went back inside. "But I think I'm going to wipe what happened today in my brain. But to think my own heart couldn't even take it." He then sighed in dismay. "I can't believe I'm late on my first day, like some bad anime cliché."
Ryuji caught up to Akira. "Dude, we just saw Kamoshida in panties at a castle and almost died! Why are you so calm!?"
Just then, a familiar voice appeared. "What's this about a 'castle'?"
Akira and Ryuji turned around to see someone they saw not too long ago.
"Kamoshida!?" Ryuji exclaimed in surprise as he and Akira can see that the gym teacher was just in his white shirt and black pants instead of his robe and crown. And he had normal eyes now instead of the evil, golden eyes of his fake doppelgänger.
"You seem so carefree, Sakamoto," Kamoshida said to Ryuji. "Quite a difference from when you did morning practice for the track team."
"Shuddup! It's your fault that—" Ryuji pointed at Kamoshida accusingly.
"Ryuji!" Akira warned Ryuji, trying to calm him down. "Now's not the time for bickering."
"But he's the one who provoked me!" Ryuji protested.
"Sheesh…," Kamoshida said in dismay. "I have no idea what you're on, Sakamoto, but I'll let you off for today. But the next time you get up to any trouble, it will be the last. Got it?"
"Fine…" Ryuji muttered as he sighed.
Kamoshida turned to Akira. "By the way…You're that new transfer student, correct? Akira Kurusu…"
Akira nodded. "Yep."
"Wait… Have we met somewhere? I know you're new, but I swear I've seen you before."
"I saw you giving that cute girl a ride in your car," Akira answered.
"That's right… I remember now," Kamoshida said, scratching his head. "…Well, I'll overlook this just for today. Although, if you'd just let me give you a ride this morning, you wouldn't have been this late," Then, he finally remembered. "Oh, yeah. You were at the station this morning…with Takamaki. Better straighten up if you want to be off probation. You can't afford to screw this up."
"Uh…sure," Akira nodded.
"Welcome to Shujin Academy, kid," Kamoshida continued. "Hope it ain't hard to settle in. High school is the best time of your life, right? Good luck trying to enjoy your new school life. At any rate, hurry up and go to the faculty office. I'm sure Ms. Kawakami's tired of waiting."
"OK, then…," Akira said. "Thanks for the help. I can take it from here."
As he whirled around and went the other way to the faculty office, Akira noticed Ryuji shooting glares at Kamoshida before going to his class in the opposite direction.
"What did I do to deserve this?" Akira muttered to himself, remembering his arrest, the Velvet Room, Igor, the twin wardens, the castle, and his Persona Arsène. "Why does this always happen to me…?"
And that's the story of how Akira got his very own Persona. He didn't know it yet, but his life at his new school had already begun. And the surprises are set to keep on coming.
But what strange and mysterious adventures lie in wait for him? Will he be able to fit in after all? And what kind of student life awaits him?
