Welcome back, one and all, last time we were introduced to the Velvet Room and Shujin Academy. Now, we finally get to see what the deal is with that strange app. But first, a couple things.
First, I have a new reaction fic! "RWBY Reacts To (Most Of) Death Battle!" As a big DB fan it's something I wanted to do, not to mention that cycling between these means I'll hopefully have less burnout. If you're interested and haven't already checked it out, I'd recommend reading the first chapter.
Secondly, about recommending me games to cover. I'm not going to go on some big rant or anything about it, it's fine. However, I would like to remind people that I'm not made of money and I don't own every single game. Not to mention that I do like to play games myself before covering them. Sure there's emulation but that's not something I can do for everything. To repeat, recommending games to me is fine, just take what I've said above into account. (Also, just because I say a game sounds interesting or fun to cover, doesn't mean it's a guarantee i'll do it)
Thirdly, I'm not sure if I still want the crew to stop after fully beating Kamoshida's Palace. We've already had 3 chapters of P5R, most of which is just setup, and I'm sure a decent amount of people (including myself) want to cover more variety. I don't know when exactly I'll have the crew swap games (probably after Ryuji/Yang awaken their Persona) but I'd just like that to be known.
Fourth, I've been getting a little self conscious about the "multiversal counterparts" thing. I'm still going to do it and I have no intention of stopping this fic, but I know it's a bit of a polarizing thing for people. Again, I'm still doing it, just thought I'd let people know.
Last, this story is now also on Ao3, I just figured it'd be nice to say that.
With that all said, let's get to the reviews.
NinjaAssassinM: I'm going to be honest, I was kinda dreading reading your review. Not because I can't take criticism or that I have a problem with you or anything (in fact I actually think this was very helpful, especially for this chapter). But it does remind me of how much I'm going into this without really thinking ahead too much, and yeah you seem way more knowledgeable on this than me lol. Still, I think everything you mentioned was important and I'll be sure to take it into consideration. Also yeah, you missed a part back in the second P5R chapter where after Blake selected some dialogue, Ruby insisted she kept the controller. It was very small and I didn't even write proper dialogue for it so it's not your fault for missing it.
rktnate14: Hi-Fi Rush looks so sick honestly. I'll definitely try and get the game.
cybresamurai: That's actually a really interesting way of looking at the whole thing regarding Sumire and Pyrrha. It's definitely going to be an exciting reaction.
EXRB: Don't worry about long reviews. And yeah "Becky" is going to hit them like… well I was going to say "a truck" but I think most of RWBY's cast would be relatively fine after getting hit by one. Don't worry I plan to do all the GBA and DS Castlevania stuff, after SotN they'll most likely be doing Order of Ecclesia. I don't have much problems with the cast playing games with gore (in fact the Dead Space remaster is on the Games list posted on the New Year's Update). Anyway yeah Dead Rising sounds neat. As for the Zelda series, I've just never really gotten into it. Despite growing up with a Wii I never played Skyward Sword or Twilight Princess and the only game that I've been interested in is Breath of the Wild and even then it's not a top priority on games I want to add to my Switch catalogue. Funnily enough I was actually going through Mother 3 for the first time when you posted the review lol, so yeah once I finish it, I'd be interested in covering it.
Handomistic1: I'm not covering any of the RWBY games. Never played them and aside from Cross Tag, the events of Grimm Eclipse and Arrowfell would've already happened in the RWBY world (or at least Grimm Eclipse, I know nothing about Arrowfell so I'm not really sure on that one).
As always, I hope everyone enjoys the story and let's get the show on the road!
(Oh and uh, one more thing. This doesn't have to do with anything anyone has said about this fic but given the nature of the world right now, I just figured it'd be good if I said this. Fuck transphobes.)
—–—
10 Sunday — 11 Monday
Blake had woken up for the day, no strange Velvet Room dreams this time.
Blake:
(I have school starting today.)
(Hopefully I can get there without getting lost…)
"Well, it shouldn't be too hard, I can't imagine it's that difficult taking a train." Ruby gestured.
Odd and Draken silently chuckled. Ginza Line… just… Ginza Line.
Blake:
(I don't want to be late on my first day. I should head out now…)
With that, Blake gained control back of… Blake, as she moved down stairs. She also decided to talk to Qrow before leaving, a plate of curry could be seen on the counter.
Qrow:
So, you're actually going to school, huh?
Here, I'll feed you. Just make sure you finish it before the customers start coming in.
"That's strangely considerate of you." Blake noted, Qrow wasn't exactly eager about taking care of Blake from the little shown, even if there was more to it.
"Well I gotta make sure you're fed, besides, given your counterpart has been complacent and even cleaned, it's likely my counterpart wants to keep a good relationship, I know I would." Qrow replied.
Blake:
1: Curry..?
2: This is my breakfast?
"Wow Blake, way to be respectful." Yang teased her partner.
Blake rolled her eyes. She picked the top option.
Qrow:
What's that reaction for? Just eat it.
Blake went to sit down with her curry and coffee, though when she took a bite, it was shocking.
Blake:
(…!?)
(I can taste complex flavors within the bold spiciness..)
"Well… I wasn't expecting you to be much of a chef." Winter told Qrow, a little surprised.
"Eh, definitely can't make anything gourmet, but when you're going on overnight missions, sometimes you can't just rely on nearby towns." He explained.
The screen transitioned to Blake being done eating.
Qrow:
It's time for you to go.
Blake:
1: Thanks for the meal.
2: That was delicious.
3: I'm wide awake now.
"I may not have been able to eat it myself, but my counterpart definitely enjoyed that curry." Blake noted, picking the second option.
Qrow:
Thanks.
…Hurry over to school. You'll end up late if you get lost on the way.
With that, Blake moved herself out of the cafe, but not before Qrow told her something.
Qrow:
Oh yeah, and flip the sign outside to "Open" for me.
Blake:
1: Okay, got it.
2: Why should I?
3: We're open already?
"Seriously, what is with you and having Blake get that sign?" Yang questioned.
"Most likely for the sake of convenience, besides, it shows if she listens or not." Qrow said.
Blake just selected the "Okay, got it" option.
Qrow:
Don't forget to do that for me all right?
Now, you better hurry on out. You're gonna be late if you get lost, country girl.
"Country girl?" Blake questioned.
"It's an expression used for girls living in rural areas, like farms or small towns." Oscar explained. He himself was a bit of a country boy after all.
"So like Ruby and Yang?" Pyrrha questioned.
"That's… actually pretty correct." Yang said.
"…I did like riding horses when I was younger." Ruby muttered to herself.
With Qrow's words, Blake headed out the door, flipping the "Open" sign.
YONGEN-JAYA BACKSTREETS
"Alright, now where am I…" Blake trailed off, looking at the in game map. "There it is."
Blake quickly headed towards the exit of the map, the Yongen-Jaya Station, and with a screen transition of a bunch of grey people walking around, she was suddenly at the Subway Platform.
She quickly made her over to the train, as the screen transitioned once again. Blake was now on the subway, completely crowded with people.
"Damn, I know you said subways are the most common transportation here but I wasn't expecting it to be this cramped." Yang said to Odd.
Coco was a bit uncomfortable at the moment, picturing herself in such an environment, and yeah, having claustrophobia didn't exactly make that picture nice.
Blake:
(There are so many people crammed into this tiny car…)
(It turns out the rumors about the Tokyo subway are true…)
Blake looked up at the screen in the subway.
Blake:
(They're showing the news up on the LCD screen…)
(It seems like there are still some lingering effects of yesterday's accident…)
Eventually, Blake arrived at her stop and walked out with the rest of the passengers.
"Okay… where the hell do I go?" Blake questioned. She had absolutely no idea where the fuck she was meant to go.
"Uh, here let me just…" Yang took the controller and moved Blake to one of the booths, unfortunately not the correct one.
Blake:
(I'm supposed to transfer onto the Ginza Line though. It looks like I'm on the wrong side…)
"Well okay, at least we have a name. Don't know where the Ginza Line is though." Yang said.
Minutes and minutes passed but no dice. It seemed like every turn was the wrong one. It felt like every time they thought they got somewhere, the in-game Blake would say that same line over and over again.
—–—
Later…
—–—
Blake:
(I'm supposed to transfer onto the Ginza Line though. It looks like I'm on the wrong side…)
"Damn it, again?!" Jaune exclaimed.
"We're trapped! We're gonna be stuck here forever!" Nora dramatically exclaimed.
"Blake is… definitely going to be late for school at this point." Weiss said, exhausted from trying to help find the mythical Ginza Line.
"I'm going insane. I have fought hoards of Grimm that are easier than finding this fucking line." Yang said.
Cinder just sat there dumbfounded. These people… these people(!) were a constant pain in the ass for her and her mistress' plan… and now here they were, not even able to get out of a damn subway station.
All the while Odd and Draken were laughing like hyenas. It was pretty much a ritual that everyone who plays Persona 5 gets stuck trying to find Ginza Line. Eventually, Ruby decided to try and get them to help.
"Draken… can you please help us find the Ginza Line?" Ruby asked with the biggest puppy dog eyes.
"No Draken! Don't do it, those eyes are a black hole of hypnotism! They'll bend you to your will, forcing you to serve her in solitude until your last breath and-"
"Yeah, I'll help. As funny as this is, we do need to get going." Draken said. He turned his attention to Odd. "Now what were you going on about?" [1]
"I-it was… nothing…" Odd said, a little embarrassed.
So Draken took the reins on the controller and eventually led Blake to the Ginza Line and had her board on to the train. He then handed the controller back to Blake.
"Thank you Draken, I'm honestly not sure how much more of that I could take." Winter said, as composed as she was, even she had a limit.
The scene transitioned to that of a custom sitting at the counter of Qrow's cafe.
Man in a Suit:
Oh man… Did it say it was going to rain today?
Qrow:
Huh? It's raining outside?
Man in a Suit:
It just started all of a sudden… This is why I hate the early spring.
"Yeah I hate the rain too, cold as fuck and it gets my hair all wet." Yang said. Blake, Weiss and surprisingly Cinder nodded in agreement. "Wait, you agree with me?" She questioned Cinder.
"I may loathe you but I will admit to sharing a dislike of rain." She explained.
"Huh, alright then."
Qrow:
That reminds me… Did she take an umbrella?
"Look at you Uncle Qrow, all concerned about Blake." Yang teased.
"Even if I'm not exactly thrilled to be her guardian, I'm still gonna look out for her." He said.
Blake was… actually kinda touched.
Man in a Suit:
Hm? Who're you talking about?
Qrow:
Don't mind me.
So what'll it be?
Man in a Suit:
One house blend, please.
As Qrow prepared his coffee, the news suddenly came on.
Newscaster:
The effects of yesterday's sideway accident continues on today as serious lines suffer delays and-
Man in a Suit:
There's been a lot of nasty accidents lately.
"Nasty is underselling it." Velvet said.
Man in a Suit:
You know, I mean the subway accident that the news is talking about…
My coworker got caught up in it and is in the hospital now..,
But that aside, it's kinda creepy.
The people who caused these accidents supposedly went crazy all of a sudden.
"I'd say it's a bit more than crazy." Tai said, crossing his arms. "Guy looked straight up possessed."
Man in a Suit:
I heard that some of them suffered from nervous breakdowns during interrogation.
Qrow:
Huh…
"First mental shutdowns and now nervous breakdowns? Whatever's causing this is clearly going after people's psyche." Winter noted.
With that, the scene transitioned again, as Blake got off of her train.
Blake:
(This is Aoyama-Itchome…)
(It took some time, but I finally made it…)
"Yeah… some time…" Ruby laughed awkwardly.
As Blake moved herself closer to where she was likely supposed to go, she decided to listen in on a conversation.
Troubled Student:
There was another of those strange accidents…
This time, it happened on a subway. If it weren't a Sunday, I might've been on it.
"That's… really terrifying to think about." Weiss said. Ever since she was little, she'd been on the receiving end of multiple terrorist attacks by the White Fang, so while it wasn't exactly the same, she figured the feeling was similar.
Anxious Student:
That's really scary… How much longer do you think this sort of thing will happen?
With the conversation having ended, Blake headed through the gate to head to Shujin Academy.
The cutscene played as multiple students with umbrellas were running out in the rain. Blake stood under a roof, trying to stay dry, she looked down at her Scroll and that strange app once again. In fact, it now covered most of the screen.
"Okay, now I'm convinced this app is just screwing with us." Jaune said.
"Blake isn't going to start seeing… weird things again, right?" Ruby asked.
"The catgirl probably isn't going to start tripping balls again, no." Mercury bluntly stated, getting a glare from multiple faces.
As Blake looked surprised by the app, she noticed someone walk up next to her, this was Coco Adel. She had on the standard black blazer over a white varsity-like hooded sweatshirt, worn long to cover most of her short plaid skirt. Her sweatshirt has a red stripe between two blue stripes at the bottom, an S symbol near the front bottom on one side and a green four-leaf-clover symbol on the back of the hood. She wears red tights and brown boots with yellow laces. Her summer school uniform is a white shirt with a blue jacket wrapped on her waist, making her skirt more visible. She has black socks with white lining and dark brown shoes. Her hairpin is red instead of yellow, and she wears a gold necklace with a clover pendant. [2]
"Nice to finally see you here Coco." Velvet told her partner.
"I'm not exactly looking super chipper though."
As Coco looked around, she noticed Blake looking at her in stunned silence, she gave a small smile in response.
"Geez Blake, I know I look good but you don't have to act so surprised about it." Coco teased.
"Well- okay, hold on." Blake stammered.
"Relax I'm just teasing you, I know you're taken. And you and Yang seem happy anyway."
Blake and Yang were now profusely blushing, a blush that got even more red when they looked at each other.
"Aside from those two… gotta say for a school uniform it doesn't look bad on me, course it'd probably look better on Red but hey it works." Coco judged her other's outfit choice.
Ruby imagined herself in the outfit now that Coco pointed it out. She actually thought it might look good on her.
As the two waited in the rain, a car suddenly pulled up. Driving it was the same gym teacher talking to Glynda earlier, as he rolled down his window.
Gym Teacher:
Good morning. You want me to give you a ride to school? You're going to be late.
Coco:
Um, sure. Thank you.
As Coco made her way over to the car, he suddenly eyed Blake.
Gym Teacher:
Do you need a lift too?
"Maybe he's not as bad as you think." Ruby told Yang and Velvet.
"I don't know Rubes, I've just got a bad feeling about this guy." Yang responded.
Blake smiled but declined his offer, but before the car took off, Blake noticed how… depressed Coco looked as the window rolled up.
"Yeah, I definitely agree with Yang, Coco doesn't exactly look thrilled to be with him." Velvet said, worried for her partner.
The car drove away as a certain blonde ran past Blake, looking at the car. This was Yang Xiao Long. She too had the school uniform outfit, although she too had the shirt unbuttoned, she had black leggings and a yellow shirt with a design of a purple, black, and orange star, with the words "ZOMG" written under it. [3]
Vulgar Girl:
Dammit… Screw that pervy teacher.
Blake:
…Pervy teacher?
"Seems I'm right…" Yang said, not in a confident way but in a concerned way.
"Wait if he's a perv… oh gross!" Weiss exclaimed.
"What are you…" Coco thought about it for only a second before realizing. "Oh hell no, oh hell fucking no!"
"Wait a minute… is that why he asked Blake and Coco for a ride?!" Ruby exclaimed. "Ew, ew, ew, ew, ew."
"I'm going to reserve judgement until solid proof is shown but… I'm really not looking forward to talking to this gym teacher." Blake said, still pretty disgusted at the implications.
The app on Blake's Scroll seemingly recorded her words as it seemed to start to activate.
Wanting to talk about literally anything else, they turned their attention to the app.
"So now it's starting to work?" Nora questioned.
"Seemingly, although I don't know why it would start working now." Winter said.
"Probably some weird creep or something." Emerald said, very clearly being uncomfortable after the… recent observation.
Yang gave a small "huh" before the cutscene ended.
Yang went to walk up to Blake, clearly trying to put up a tough attitude to her.
Vulgar Girl:
…What do you want?
You plannin' on rattin' me out to Kamoshida?
"Damn, what's my problem here?" Yang questioned, clearly not too thrilled with her on-screen self.
"Yeah, you definitely seem to have a problem." Jaune noted.
Blake:
1: Kamoshida
2: What do you mean?
"Oh, I guess Kamoshida was that guy's name." Ruby pointed out.
"I'd really rather we not talk about him." Weiss insisted.
Blake just selected the 2nd option, not wanting to exactly direct with talking about Kamoshida.
Vulgar Girl:
Huh? In that car just now. It was Kamoshida.
The game flashbacked to a moment literally 3 seconds ago.
Vulgar Girl:
He does whatever the hell he wants. Who does he think he is-the king of a castle? Don't you agree?
Blake:
1: The king of a castle?
2: Which castle?
"No offense Yang, but you are sort of just, dumping this on me."
"Yeah, I agree, my other probably doesn't know you're a transfer student but even then it's a bit much to just dump this all on someone she doesn't know." Yang replied.
With that, Blake selected the top option.
Vulgar Girl:
No, I mean…
…..
…Wait. You don't know Kamoshida? Are you for real?
A small *ding* sound suddenly played. Everybody turned to see Odd and Draken with a little contraption near them.
"Ladies, gentlemen and everyone who prefers to go by neither, myself and Draken here are going to introduce the 'for real' counter, so anytime someone says those two words, this counter will go up." Odd explained in an over the top manner.
Everyone decided to ignore it for now.
Vulgar Girl:
You're from Shujin, right?
Blake:
1: I think so…
2: You go to Shujin too?
"Well, I mean, I know my on-screen counterpart goes to Shujin so, option 2 I guess."
Vulgar Girl:
What? No other high school's got a uniform like this.
A second-year, huh… We're the same grade then.
Never seen you before though.
Yang pondered for a second before coming to a realization.
Vulgar Girl:
Oh, you a transfer student?
Blake nodded in conformation.
Vulgar Girl:
Then no wonder you don't know him.
This rain ain't too bad. We better hurry up, or we'll be late.
All of a sudden the world seemed to… warp(?), as everyone became purplish and Blake & Yang suddenly got headaches.
Vulgar Girl:
Nnh…
"Okay, that's gotta be from that app, definitely getting similar vibes from it." Qrow guessed.
"But how is it affecting Yang, she doesn't have the app!" Ruby said, concerned for her teammate and sister.
"Well she could, we don't exactly know much about her counterpart." Velvet replied.
"There is also the possibility that Blake's app works on proximity, meaning it is affecting Ms. Xiao Long due to being close." Ozpin theorized.
Without a solid answer, everyone turned back to the screen.
Blake:
(I feel lightheaded for some reason…)
Vulgar Girl:
Uuugh, my head hurts…
Dammit… I wanna go home…
As Blake and Yang walked along, time suddenly started to rapidly move forward as we cut back to Blake being questioned by Winter.
"Oh right, I almost forgot Blake was recounting her memories to Winter." Pyrrha said.
"Now I'm reminded of what those agents did to Blake, and I really want to break some legs." Nora said. Ren actually didn't stop her, aside from the fact that there were no legs for her to break, he too had an unfavorable opinion of those agents.
Winter:
…There was a terrible subway accident that day. You remember it, don't you?
I assume you know of the uproar that the public calls the "psychotic breakdown incidents."
Blake:
1: I might.
2: Never heard of them.
3: What does that mean?
"I'd appreciate it if your counterpart was a bit more cooperative." Winter told Blake sternly.
"Hey, to be fair, your counterpart is working for the people who drugged her and gave her bruises. I wouldn't exactly be nice either" Yang argued with Winter.
"That's…" Winter couldn't finish her sentence and just growled.
"Hopefully moving on from that, I just realized something, has Blake been telling Winter every minute detail leading up to her arrest?" Pyrrha questioned.
"What do you mean Pyrrha?" Nora asked.
"Well, everything from Blake's probation to meeting Yang has all been under the pretense of Blake explaining this all to Winter, right?" Pyrrha questioned.
"Wait… so Blake is just retelling Winter the day by day she had leading up to this in extremely painful detail." Yang said, chuckling.
"Gods, if that's the case, it must be hell for Winter to hear all this." Jaune said.
"'And then I flipped Qrow's sign around, and I walked my way to the subway station…'" Blake played into the joke, a fair bit of people laughed, even Winter, although it was small.
"'And then I got lost finding Ginza Line for 20 minutes.'"
"Oh screw you Ruby!" Blake playfully told Ruby.
After calming down, Blake selected the 1st option.
Winter:
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 high school.
"Please let it be that gross gym teacher." Yang said.
Winter:
I've no doubt you've heard about it.
On that day… were you still an "ordinary" student?
"If you're asking me if I was swinging by grappling hooks and summoning nightmare creatures then no not yet." Blake said sarcastically.
Blake:
1: What do you mean?
2:…..
Blake selected the 2nd option, causing Winter to become a little annoyed.
"Why are you ignoring my question?" She sternly asked.
"No offense, but I'm not answering vague questions like that. You want my honest answers, give me straightforward questions." Blake told her.
Winter gave Blake a look before turning her attention back to the screen.
Winter:
…Let me change the question.
You transferred to Shujin Academy, correct?
Blake nodded.
Winter:
An ordinary prep school that could be found in any city…
…That's what it should've been.
What happened around that time?
Tell me everything-truthfully.
With that, we cut back to the past as we see Blake walking in the rain, as that strange app suddenly goes off without her knowing.
Blake and Yang walk through an alleyway, probably a shortcut to the high school. It's filled with old junk and Blake feels… something different, turning around, see a poster with that strange eye.
Blake hears Yang yell in surprise and as Blake goes up to the blonde, they both find themselves in front of a huge castle where the school should be.
"See now that's what a Huntsman Academy would look like, for the most part anyway." Ruby said.
"Still, what the heck is a castle doing here anyway, and why is the sky so dark and purple?" Weiss questioned.
"I mean, it likely has to do with that app-"
"No offense Blake, but apps don't just make entire castles appear out of nowhere." Jaune interrupted.
Yang was stunned in surprise as she looked back.
Vulgar Girl:
We didn't… come the wrong way though…
Yeah, this should be right…
What's goin' on here?
I guess we'll just have to go and ask.
"Remarkable…" Ozpin suddenly said.
"Ozpin?"
"Oh, apologies Ms. Rose, I just noticed something specific about this castle: it's replaced the school." Ozpin claimed.
"Replaced..?" Weiss repeated.
"Ms. Xiao Long talks like the school is supposed to be here, she even plans to go and ask as if the castle is the school." Ozpin explains.
"If the castle really has replaced the school, then that's very strange… it's almost like they entered another world." Pyrrha said.
'Hit it right on the head Pyrrha.' Odd said to himself.
Yang and Blake proceeded forward into the castle, as the world seemed to ripple.
Inside the castle, the foyer suddenly shifted into the front of the school and back.
"And that just confirms our theory right there."
As Yang looked around, she became very confused, scratching her head.
Vulgar Girl:
Th-that's weird… Where's the school?
Blake:
1: Where are we?
2: Is this our school?
3: Did we make a wrong turn?
"Given what we know, I don't think we simply made a wrong turn… and this definitely is not what the school looked like." Blake assessed. She picked the 1st option.
Vulgar Girl:
This SHOULD be the school… I think…
Yang suddenly pulled out her Scroll but it was of no avail.
Vulgar Girl:
Out of service? Where'd we end up?
"I'm surprised you two haven't decided to retrace your steps, even if you're confident the school should be here it's at least worth checking." Winter said.
"One thing I've learned about kids is that they tend to make impulsive and dumb decisions." Tai said. He then turned towards Ruby and Yang. "I'm not saying that because of you two by the way, although, yes, you have made a lot of impulsive and dumb decisions."
"Uh… thanks dad?" Yang said, taking the backhanded compliment.
Vulgar Girl:
The sign was for the school, right?
Blake:
1: Yeah.
2: What's going on here?
3: I wasn't paying attention.
"I'd say 'yeah' but I couldn't exactly read the Japanese so…" Blake trailed off, picking the 2nd option.
Vulgar Girl:
I-I dunno! I wanna know!
Blake and Yang were both caught by surprise by what appeared to be a knight walking up to them.
"I-is that a knight?" Oscar questioned.
"I'm… not really sure, honestly I thought it was a robot at first." Weiss said.
"…What if it's a Shadow?" Ren asked. Immediately tension began to rise in the room.
Vulgar Girl
Geez, you freaked me out…
Who're you? You a student?
Suddenly it seemed like every person in the room slowly turned to Yang Xiao Long. "…what?" She questioned.
"Yang…. You know what, no, I'm not even going to explain how dumb what you just said was, I'll probably get an aneurysm from sheer stupidity." Weiss stated.
"Wow, Weiss… didn't know you were that stupid." Yang responded back.
Weiss just loudly groaned as Yang laughed. "I'm kidding Weiss, yeah it was pretty dumb of me to assume the giant knight creature was a student, I was just messing with you."
Vulgar Girl:
Man, your costume's impressive… Is that armor real?
C'mon, don't just stand there. Say somethin'.
Suddenly, another knight joined the 1st.
Vulgar Girl:
…H-Hey, what's goin' on?
"Oh crap, not lookin' too good." Yang said.
Blake:
1: Is he school staff?
2: This must be a prank.
3: What is this?
"Yeah, I'm pretty damn sure this goes beyond the school at this point." Jaune said frantically.
Blake picked the bottom option.
Vulgar Girl:
Dude, I don't know!
One of the knights suddenly came closer to Yang.
Vulgar Girl:
…This shit's real.
Yang became more concerned as the knights came closer.
Vulgar Girl:
C-Calm down! Time out, man!
We gotta run!
Blake:
1: Run?
2: Got it.
Blake hurriedly picked the second option, there were no times for questions.
Vulgar Girl:
Stop standin' around and run!
Yang and Blake made a dash for the exit but more knights blocked their path trapping.
"Crap, crap, crap!" Ruby blurted out.
Vulgar Girl:
Ugh, what's with these guys!?
The knight behind Yang shoved to the ground with its shield.
Vulgar Girl:
Gah!
"Yang!" Ruby yelled out. Yang instinctively came closer to Ruby's side.
"It's okay Rubes, I'm here, it's okay." She reassured her sister.
Tai just stared at the screen, arms crossed. 'If I could reach through this screen right now…'
Vulgar Girl:
Oww… Y-You're gonna break my bones, dammit!
The hell you think you're- Aagh!
The remaining guards closed in two, with nothing stopping them.
Guard's Voice:
Take them away!
After that, an option to save the game was pulled up. Blake, still hesitant from what was just shown, saved the game.
Familiar Voice:
…Hey.
Hey! Wake up!
Blake found herself lying down in what appeared to be a medieval dungeon. Yang was kneeled down next to her.
Vulgar Girl:
You all right?
Blake:
1: I'm fine.
2: Where are we?
3: Yup, you?
"Well, from the looks of things, you seemed to have been thrown into a dungeon of some kind." Winter noted.
"Great, another prison metaphor." Blake muttered. In reality she was more concerned about Yang than herself so she picked the bottom option.
Vulgar Girl:
Yeah, more or less.
Blake breathed a sigh of relief, at least her partner wasn't majorly hurt.
Yang looked around, soaking everything in.
Vulgar Girl:
Looks like this ain't no dream…
Ugh, what's going on!?
Yang charged at the bars and began to loudly bang at them.
Vulgar Girl:
Hey, let us outta here! I know there's someone out there!
"Yang, I'm not really sure if that's the best idea." Pyrrha said.
"Well it's better than just standing there doing nothing." Yang responded.
Vulgar Girl:
Dammit, where are we? Is this some kinda movie set!?
"I'll accept the fact that thinking you're in another world probably isn't the first idea you'd consider but why a movie set?" Weiss questioned.
"I mean, I dunno. Probably was just what popped out of my brain first." Yang guessed.
Before they could keep talking, a loud scream was heard, likely from another cell.
No one said anything as the horrific scream played out. Well no one but…
"Okay yeah, that guy was definitely getting tortured." Emerald nonchalantly stated.
"No, felt more like a death sentence, you can hear it in the way his screams suddenly stop." Mercury fired back.
"Will you two shut up!.. Obviously, he was tortured and then murdered, there's no need for simply one or the other." Cinder said.
Vulgar Girl:
Th-the hell was that just now?
As Blake and Yang gripped the bars, they heard the screams of help by someone.
"See, just torture, no death yet." Emerald argued.
"Ah, bold of you to assume this is the same person we just heard, Em." Mercury said back.
Vulgar Girl:
Woah… Woah, woah, woah, woah…
You're shittin' me, right?
With that, gameplay is entered again, but not before Yang continues talking.
Vulgar Girl:
This is real bad..!
Isn't there some way outta here!? C'mon, we gotta do something!
"Okay, what's around here…" Blake said quietly, examining the cell. She went to the first object that could be interacted with: the dirty bed.
Vulgar Girl:
How much time's passed since we got knocked out..?
Dammit, this don't make any freakin' sense…
With that having led to nothing, Blake checked the next area of interest: the wall of chains.
Vulgar Girl:
Hey, those chains're used for like… torturin' and stuff, right?
"Typically they were used in weapons but yes chains were a somewhat common torture method." Ruby, surprisingly, informed.
"I'm sorry, how do you, of all people, know that?" Jaune asked. Him and a few others were a bit surprised to see Ruby know about torture methods.
"Oh, uh, well, I did say they were used in weapons, and I might've gone down a bit of a rabbit hole with that…" She sheepishly answered.
"Where did that rabbit hole happen to lead by the way?" Blake asked. Ruby didn't answer, although she did start madly blushing. "Ruby?"
"We're moving on."
"But Ruby-"
"I SAID WE ARE MOVING ON!" Ruby blurted out.
Vulgar Girl:
Dammit! This shit ain't funny!
"Okay, well those two can't help… maybe the barrel?"
Vulgar Girl:
Hey, should we hide in here and trick the guards?"
"That is a terrible idea." Qrow bluntly stated.
"Also are you two just going to hide in the same barrel, I mean you two probably mind that now but-"
"Nora!" Both Yang and Blake shouted.
Vulgar Girl:
It prolly wouldn't work like it does in the movies though…
"Well shit, that's everything I think, wonder what-"
Before Blake could finish her sentence, Yang suddenly heard something.
Vulgar Girl:
Huh? You hear that?
Unfortunately what Yang heard was more guards coming their way.
Guard Captain:
Be glad that your punishment has been decided upon.
Your charge is "unlawful entry without the desire to pleasure the king". [4]
Thus, you will be sentenced to death.
"Death?!" Nearly every yelled out.
"But Blake and Yang didn't even do anything!" Ruby objected.
"More importantly, what do they mean by 'pleasure the king', because if it's what I think it means-"
"Velvet please don't finish that sentence!" Coco hurriedly said.
Vulgar Girl:
Say what!?
Familiar Voice:
No one's allowed to do as they please in my castle.
"Wait a minute, Kamoshida?!" Blake exclaimed.
"Why is that bastard a king here?!" Yang also yelled out.
Vulgar Girl:
Huh? Wait… Is that you, Kamoshida?
Blake:
1: Who?
2: Kamoshida?
Blake just quickly pressed the top option, both were practically the same, she just needed to know what was happening.
Kamoshida…?:
I thought it was some petty thief, one with a pretty voice, but to think it'd be you, Xiao Long…
"Don't you fuckin' dare call my voice pretty!"
Kamoshida…?
Are you trying to disobey me again? It looks like you haven't learned your lesson at all, huh?
"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?" Tai asked, infuriated by the way Kamoshida was treating his daughter.
Kamoshida…?
And you brought a cute friend this time… at least you did something useful, even if it's because you can't do anything for yourself.
Blake was nervously sweating, as Yang instinctively held her close.
Xiao Long
This ain't funny, you asshole!
Kamoshida...?
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, and resist my immaculate presence, you committed the crime of insulting me-the king.
The punishment for that is death.
"You better not lay a finger on her you bitch!" Qrow yelled out with venom.
Kamoshida…?
It's time for an execution! Take her out!
Xiao Long:
S-stop it!
Yang backed away as the guards came into the cell.
Xiao Long:
…Goddamnit!
"I know we see Yang later so she doesn't die here, but it's still really tense seeing this." Pyrrha said.
Not wanting to do nothing, Yang charged and pushed away a guard.
Xiao Long:
Hragh!
"Nice one Yang!" Ruby cheered for her sister.
Xiao Long:
I ain't down for this shit! C'mon, we're outta here!
Unfortunately, a guard appeared behind Yang and knocked her to the ground, not able to stand.
Xiao Long:
Nnngh… Owww…
At this point, words couldn't let out, just a tight conviction from the heroes that Yang and Blake would turn out okay.
Xiao Long:
Just go! Get outta here! These guys are serious!
"No Yang, I'm not leaving you!" Blake boldly cried out.
Kamoshida…?:
Oh? Running away, are we? What a heartless friend you are.
Xiao Long:
She ain't a friend… she's got no part in this. [5]
C'mon! Hurry up and go!
Kamoshida…?:
What's the matter? Too scared to run away? Or are you planning to submit to your majesty?
"…Hell no…" Blake said, quietly.
Kamoshida…?:
I'll focus on this one's execution…
Kamoshida…?:
Take this!
With a sadistic smile, Kamoshida punched Yang in the face while she was being suspended by two guards.
"You better…"
Kamoshida…?:
Lowly scum!
Kamoshida continued to beat Yang up.
"…get the hell…"
Kamoshida…?:
Useless pest!
"…away from her!" Blake finished loudly. Her eyes were filled with anger, as she grit her teeth. It was an anger no one had seen out of the normally quiet Blake before.
Yang fell to the floor, as a cutscene started up, with Kamoshida spitting on Yang.
Kamoshida…?:
…Hmph. Where'd your energy from earlier go?
The guard picked Yang up by the head and tossed her back to the ground.
Kamoshida…?:
A peasant like you isn't worth beating.
I'll have you killed right now.
"Come on Blake, do something!" Nora shouted, desperate for something to stop Kamoshida.
Blake:
1: Stop It!
2: Have you lost your mind!?
"You better stop it…" Blake said, still angry.
Kamoshida…?:
Hm…?
What? Don't you dare tell me you don't know who I am.
Kamoshida walked right up to Blake's face, looking directly at her expression.
Kamoshida…?:
That look in your eyes irritates me!
Kamoshida proceeded to kick Blake in the stomach and onto the ground.
"Blake!" Yang called out.
Kamoshida…?:
Hold her there… After the peasant, it's her turn to die.
"C'mon Blake… why didn't you just save yourself…" Yang cried out.
Blake tried to charge at Kamoshida but the guards held her back again, pinning her to the wall, as Kamoshida slowly approached Yang.
Xiao Long:
No… I don't wanna die…
At this point, the tension had hit it's max with the heroes, and even Cinder's group were a bit intrigued.
The world seemed to darken around Blake as a voice called out to her, the same butterfly as before appearing.
?:
This is truly an unjust game… Your chances of winning are almost none.
Weirdly enough, the same was happening to the Blake playing the game. Everything seemed to darken, and it felt like that voice wasn't just calling out to the Blake on screen, but to her as well.
?:
But if my voice is reaching you, there may yet be a possibility open to you…
Blake had initially brushed those words off the first time she heard them, but strangely, they started to somehow make sense in her mind.
A new voice had reached the Blake on the screen, this time male.
?:
What's the matter? Are you simply going to watch?
"No…"
"Blake…?"
?:
Are you forsaking her to save yourself?
"Never…"
?:
Death awaits her if you do nothing.
Was your previous decision a mistake then?
It suddenly flashed back to when Blake had attempted to stop Jacques from harassing that woman and getting arrested for it.
Blake:
1: It wasn't.
2: It might have been…
"No… I know damn well what I did was no mistake!" Blake called out.
Odd and Draken eyed Blake curiously, they couldn't quite place it but something was… different.
As Blake growled, the guard lifted Yang by the neck, preparing to stab her with his blade. Blake began to frantically shake.
?:
Very well… I have heeded your resolve.
Blake suddenly felt a shocking presence, as she began yelling out, seemingly in pain, but she held on.
?:
Vow to me.
I am thou, thou art I…
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 to ascertain all on thine own, though thou be chained to Hell itself!
With those words spoken, Blake suddenly had a new look in her eye.
Kamoshida…?:
Execute her!
Blake:
1: That's enough!
2: I will stop you.
"I will stop you, Kamoshida." Blake said, the tone of her voice much different, almost haunting.
Kamoshida couldn't believe the words Blake just spoke as he turned around to look at her.
Kamoshida…?:
What was that…?
The guard had finally let Yang go as she was no longer being choked.
Kamoshida…?:
You desire to be killed that much? Fine!
Kamoshida gave the signal to order Blake's execution, as the guard suddenly smacked her with its shield, her glasses falling off.
Everyone had no idea what was about to transpire, as the anime cutscene played.
Blake had spears crossed around her neck, Yang could barely get up or move and Kamoshida smiled gleefully as he gave the command.
As the knight raised his sword (and everyone around Blake hugged her for comfort) Blake's eyes suddenly shot open, and a burst of power erupted from her.
Suddenly, a strange mask appeared on Blake, she tried desperately to remove it but it just wouldn't budge, the more she tried to rip it off, the more blood came out, before finally ripping it off, with a torrent of blood rushing down her face.
Pretty much all the heroes winced at this, even Emerald did, but not Blake, she just stared.
As Blake lifted herself up, her eyes were now that same shade of yellow different from before that she saw in that sequence, a now crazed grin on her face.
The Blake playing the game had a similar expression on her face.
Blue flames suddenly shot around Blake as a ghostly laugh echoed and the flames took over her body. Kamoshida and his men backed away, and the silhouette of a monstrous figure appeared before them.
A fiery face appeared on the creature, as it lifted itself up from Blake, who was now wearing a completely new outfit.
The creature expelled the flames from its body. Revealing its true nature. From top to bottom: The Persona had a very tall top hat, a long-horned mask for its face (as it appeared to not have a head), a cropped red eighteenth century-esque suit worn open with the collar popped, stitched heart designs on the shoulders, a white ruffle tie, a black, tailed corset running down its torso; large, black, feathery wings starting at around the small of its back; claws; red coverings on its legs resembling pants and boots with blade-like heels. It was quite the sight to say the least.
Seeing the creature again stirred something within Blake, as most others stared at it again in awe. She smiled at it, in confidence.
"I know we've seen this thing before… but that was fucking awesome!" Yang yelled.
"Hey Blake," Coco turned towards the cat Faunus, "go wreck their shit." Blake nodded, the same smile on her face.
The Persona completely threw the knights to the ground. Kamoshida could only whimper in fear at what he was seeing. Yang was very much shocked as well at Blake's new power.
Xiao Long:
Wha… What the…?
And then it cut back to Blake, posing with that same smile.
With the cutscene ended, we see a close up of Blake's new Persona, as it stares.
Mysterious Voice:
I am the pillager of twilight-"Arsène"!
"Arsène…" Blake repeated. Not in awe, but in pride. Every cell in her body was telling her to be afraid of this thing, and yet somewhere deep in her soul, it was telling her that this wasn't anything but Blake's own power.
Xiao Long:
What the…
"Yeah I'd probably have a similar reaction." Yang, still a bit in awe of Arsène.
Arsène:
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.
Blake:
1: Give me your power.
2: I don't want to die.
"This is more than not wanting to die, lend me your power Arsène!" Blake said, confidently.
Arsène:
Hmph, very well…
Kamoshida…?:
Who the hell are you!?
"Someone who's about to tear your whole damn disgusting monarchy apart, that's who." Weiss answered.
Kamoshida…?:
Guards!
Start by killing that one!
"Try it." Blake simply said.
The guards then proceeded to… explode, into two jack-o-lanterns wearing wizard robes and holding a light.
"Oh… I guess it would make sense that these are Shadows." Winter noted, still trying to take everything in.
Kamoshida…?:
You'll learn the true strength of my men!
With that, Blake entered in a battle with the two Shadows.
Arsène:
This power of mine is yours!
Kill them however you want. Run wild to your heart's content!
Blake was suddenly able to control what she did for the turn.
"Hey Blake, I can take over for you now that we're in-"
"No thanks Ruby, I got this." Blake suddenly responded. Her tone was more confident and it was like Blake had changed.
Blake decided to use one of Arsène's skills, calling forth her Persona and using Eiha on one of the Shadows. It cried out as it was quickly defeated.
The second one took its turn to attack Blake, although the damage it dealt was minimal.
Blake decided to go in for a standard attack this time, slicing and flipping around with her knife, although it didn't kill the Shadow. The jack-o-lantern attacked again and still did minimal damage.
"You're done!"
Blake did one more standard attack and finished the Shadow off. As Blake posed, a red zigzagging line appeared, showing the Exp, Money, and potential items Blake had received. She also leveled up!
Blake
With this power…
The battle was now over. Yang, stil crouched down at the wall, needed a second to process what just happened.
Xiao Long:
What…
Of course, that's when Blake noticed her new outfit, confused. Her outfit consisted of a black ankle-length tailcoat, a high-necked dark gray waistcoat with gold buttons, cinched black pants, brown-black winklepickers boots with tall heels and red gloves. Over her eyes is a white, birdlike domino mask with black designs around the eyes reminiscent of full eyeliner and sharp lashes.
"Honestly, I really like the outfit, and I think it suits you nicely Blake." Coco provided her input.
"Oh uh, thanks Coco." Blake responded, after the initial burst, she was pretty much back to her normal self.
Xiao Long:
What was that just now?
That was when Kamoshida happened to walk up to them again.
Kamoshida…?
You little…
"Yeah, what are you gonna do about it, big guy?" Yang taunted.
Seizing the opportunity, Yang proceeded to charge at Kamoshida and knock him to the floor.
"Atta girl!" Tai cheered for his daughter.
Xiao Long:
You like that, you son of a bitch!?
Blake:
1: Lock the cell!
2: The key!
"Yeah, lock him in there!" Nora yelled out.
Blake wasted no time picking the 2nd option.
Xiao Long:
Y-You mean this!?
They swiped the keys and immediately locked Kamoshida in his cell.
Xiao Long:
Okay, it's locked!
Kamoshida…?:
Damn you!
Xiao Long:
Hey! What was that just now!?
"'And where can I get one of those?'" Jaune said, doing an impression of Yang's voice.
"Okay the impression was bad, but I agree, I definitely want a Persona." Yang said.
Xiao Long:
And… your clothes…
Just as Yang said that however, Blake exploded in blue aura again as she was back in her normal school clothes.
Xiao Long:
Woah, it went back to normal!?
"That… is a little concerning." Velvet said.
"Well it's her first time using it, doubt she'd be a master at using this Persona thing." Qrow noted.
Kamoshida suddenly banged on the bars. Spooking the crap out of Yang and Blake.
Kamoshida…?
You bastards!
Xiao Long:
God, this's effin' nuts!
Anyways, let's scram! You lead the way!
Yang tossed the keys as her and Blake booked it out of there.
Kamoshida…?:
Goddamn thieves…
After them! Don't let them escape!
With that, the cutscene was over.
"Phew, thank gods you two are okay." Ruby said, looking at Blake and Yang.
"I'd say more than okay considering Blakey's new Persona! Right… Blake?" Yang turned to Blake but she saw that Blake's eyes had widened and was shaking a little. "Blake…?" Yang said, concerned for her girlfriend.
Unbeknownst to everyone else however, Blake was hearing a sudden yet familiar voice.
"You saw what your other self was capable of, correct? Don't you believe you should be capable of that power yourself, the power to stand against those who have wronged you?"
"Yes…" Blake suddenly but quietly said.
"Hey, what the hell is going on with Blake?!" Yang yelled out to Odd and Draken, but unfortunately they (or at least Odd) were just as confused.
"Don't you want to protect the ones you cherish; your parents, your teammates, your partner? You are a Trickster, are you not?"
"Of course…" Blake said a little louder. Her teammates tensed around her, worried.
"Very well then… I shall heed your resolve as well."
Blake felt a presence overtake her, as she began to scream out. Yang attempted to put her hand on Blake but she just swatted it away.
"Vow to me. I am thou, thou art I. Together we shall exterminate all those who attempt to destroy us, and everything thyself stands and fights for!"
The same mask that Blake's counterpart had on, appeared on Blake herself. She stumbled around, trying desperately to rip it off, until she was finally able, as a mass of blood tore from her face, even with Aura.
Everyone was speechless, but even more so at what happened next. Blake's body erupted in blue flames, and out of it… was Arsène.
After catching her breath, Blake looked up the Persona that came out, her Persona. Not in fear, not in awe, but in shock.
"Draken… what the hell is going on?!" Odd asked.
"To be honest Odd… I'm not entirely sure."
—–—
Well, look at what we have here, a cliffhanger. Yeah, next chapter will be an intermission, and don't worry (hopefully) every question you have regarding how Blake is able to summon Arsène will be answered in the intermission chapter.
As for this chapter itself, originally like I said it was going to be all of 4/11 but I very quickly realized that wasn't happening, so I figured I'd end it after Blake and Yang leave Kamoshida's palace but this chapter is already long enough and after the big moment of Blake awakening Arsène, having several more surprising elements like Morgana and his Persona would've made the chapter bloated in my opinion.
Thankfully we don't have any new characters so we can just move on to the index.
[1] - The Ginza Line bit was going to go on for a bit longer, Cinder was even going to get involved in it, but I think it went on for as long as it needed to. Also I kept spelling Ginza Line as Ginza Lane and if I did that anymore I would've lost my mind.
[2] - Pretty much all the outfit design descriptions were taken from the Shin Megami Tensei wiki because I can't describe designs that well.
[3] - Yang is the exception to the previous one since, being a girl, her school outfit would be a little different, unlike Blake's Phantom Thief attire so this description is less detailed since I had to describe it myself.
[4] - Alright, here's the big one. A good portion of dialogue (mainly from Kamoshida) was altered due to the fact Blake and Yang are girls in this scenario instead of Joker and Ryuji. I technically didn't need to change it but I felt like it fit things better.
[5] - This one piece of dialogue is the exception, I just added a tiny bit to it to make it more clear. I don't want to do this very often but it was always something that was a little unclear to me.
As always, stay safe everyone, and see you guys next chapter!