A certain black-haired girl could be seen trudging through the hallways of Shujin Academy.
She had brown eyes and wore the Shujin uniform without the black jacket or suspenders. She kept the beige turtleneck sweater rolled up to her elbows and wore the standard uniform skirt, which hid black athletic shorts, along with a black knee brace on her right leg and white running shoes with red designs and white ankle socks.
Different students could be seen either talking with each other or just hanging around by themselves, but this particular brunette paid no mind to them and seemed somewhat troubled.
"Sorry to interrupt, Suzui..." A blue-tinted black-haired student who looked rather banged up interjected, "But Mr. Kamoshida told me to get you..."
The reveal caused both Suzui and her blonde friend to slightly tense up.
"H-Huh? What does he want...?" Suzui asked in slight fear.
"H-He didn't say..." The student sheepishly answered, causing Suzui to look downtrodden.
"I-I'm sure it'll be fine, Shiho!" Her friend, Ann Takamaki, tried to put her at ease with a shaky smile, "It's probablyjust a meeting about the starting lineup or something."
Shiho mulled over the other girl's words for a few seconds before gaining a smile, although it didn't quite reach her eyes.
"... Y-Yeah. Maybe you're right."
She thought back to the memory with ever-increasing worry.
'Oh, Ann... I wish I could tell you the truth...' Shiho mentally lamented with a pained expression.
Unfortunately for her, she was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't notice she was about to bump into another student before it was too late.
THUMP!
Both Suzui and the student let out a noise as they collided with each other.
"Huh?"
"Oh, I-I'm so sorry!" She hastily apologized.
"No, it's alright." Ren Amamiya replied in a calm tone as he adjusted his glasses, "I should've been watching where I was going too."
"Still, it's my fault." Shiho sheepishly berated herself as she looked down, "I-I shouldn't have been spacing out."
"Like I said, it's okay." Ren assured her, "No hard feelings."
Seeing as how he showed no signs of being angry, Shiho accepted his consolation with a nod and looked up at him before raising an eyebrow in confusion.
"Hm, you don't look very familiar." She noticed.
"I'm Ren Amamiya." He introduced himself, "The new transfer student from Class D."
"Oh! That's you?" Shiho asked in surprise, receiving a nod, "Huh..."
The girl then grabbed her arm as she suddenly gained a slightly sheepish and concerned expression.
"Um... This might not be any of my business, but don't let the rumors get to you, okay?" She advised in a quiet voice.
Her sudden advice slightly took Ren aback as he wasn't expecting to hear something genuinely comforting instead of what other students would say about him.
"Oh, um... They don't really bother me but still, thank you." He thanked her with a tad bit of awkwardness.
"I'm glad to hear that." Shiho momentarily smiled at his response, "My best friend is often misunderstood too, all because of her looks..."
The spectacled teen had a feeling he knew who she was talking about, but he kept it to himself, "I hope she's not taking it too bad herself."
"It can get pretty tough for her at times..." Shiho admitted in a melancholic tone, "But I always try to be there for her whenever that happens so she doesn't have to handle it alone."
"It sounds like you really care about her." Ren commented.
"More than you can imagine." She affirmed, "We've been best friends since we were in middle school. The main reason I became her friend in the first place was that I saw how lonely she was, and I felt like I could understand her since I was also an outcast."
The story caused Ren to smile, "She's really lucky to have a girl like you as her friend."
"I'd say it's the other way around." Shiho dismissed the notion with a small but genuine smile before widening her eyes, "Ah, sorry! I-I didn't mean to drag on like that."
"I don't mind at all." Ren reassuringly shook his head.
"Thanks." Shiho gratefully nodded, "I should get going now... My name's Shiho Suzui, by the way."
"Noted. I'll get out of your way now."
"Likewise. It was nice talking to you, Amamiya-san." She slightly bowed with a smile.
"You too, Suzui-san." Ren smiled back before the two teenagers walked past each other.
Though he wasn't in a particularly bad mood, the encounter had lifted up Ren's spirits a little.
'Nice to know not everybody here is a terrible person.'
"Evenin' ma!"
"Good evening, Ryuji!" Mayumi greeted her son who had just entered the apartment, "How was school today?" She asked, expecting to hear his usual indifferent response.
However, Ryuji actually grinned this time and gave a much more positive answer, "It was pretty 'effin awesome."
"Oh, really?" She asked in surprise, "Why do you say that?"
"'Cuz I got to hang out with my cool new buddy from yesterday again!" Ryuji revealed, "We went to the arcade after school and we even exchanged contact info so we can text each other."
"Huh, it sounds like you're really good friends with this person already." Mayumi noted, " What's his name?"
"His name's Ren."
"Ren, hm? Well, whoever Ren is, I hope one day I can thank him in person for befriending my baby." Mayumi stated with a delighted smile.
Even though he acted like it wasn't a problem, Mayumi could tell that Ryuji had been hurt deeply by how his friends on the track team had abandoned him after the incident that shall not be spoken of, and she had been hoping that he'd be able to find someone besides her that could fill that void. So it made her really happy to hear that he had made a new friend.
"Wuh- Y-You wanna meet him already??" Ryuji asked in bewilderment.
"Of course!" She enthusiastically confirmed, "Although I'm obviously not in a rush. You can introduce him to me whenever you want."
"Well, okay then... I guess I'll keep that in mind." The blonde rubbed his head.
Mayumi nodded to show satisfaction, "Good. Although now that I think about it... Perhaps he might be a bad influence if he's making you miss trains now..."
"Wha- N-No he ain't!" Ryuji quickly refuted her line of thinking, "It was just an accident!"
The short-haired woman giggled at her son's frantic response, "I know, I know, I'm just teasing." She assured him, " You can go and get changed now."
"*Sigh* Yeah, I'll go do that." He moved to his room, already used to his mother's tendency to tease him at times."
As Ryuji entered his room and shut the door, his notification tone, which was the Street Fighter 2 Pause sound, played and caught his attention.
"I got a text?" He noted as he checked his messaging app before seeing who had messaged him.
Ren: Hey. It's me.
Ryuji: Sup dude?
Ren: Thought I should go ahead and message you tonight
Ren: And I also wanna know if we're still on for questioning those students tomorrow
Ryuji: Hell yeah we are!
Ryuji: I'll be countin' on ya tmrw!
Ren: I know. We made a promise after all
Ryuji: You're a real bro man...
Ryuji: Let's work hard and save all those guys who've been gettin abused!
Ren: Of course
Ren: Oh, I just remembered
Ren: I think that weird navigation app got put on my phone somehow
"What?!" Ryuji exclaimed in shock at the information.
Ryuji: For real?!
Ren: Yeah
Ren: When I opened my phone earlier I saw the same logo with an eye on my home screen
Ren: I was wondering if I could uninstall it, but when I did that, it just popped right back up
Ren: Did this happen with you too?
Ryuji: Yeah, pretty much...
Ryuji: I don't remember sharin it with you tho
Ren: Me neither
Ren: Talk about a creepy app
Ryuji: No kiddin...
Of course, Sakamoto feigned ignorance, as he wasn't about to tell his comrade that the app was given to them by an abnormal long-nosed entity.
Ryuji: But even if it's creepy as hell, it's still our only way of goin into the castle
Ren: That's right
Ren: I guess it's not all that bad
Amamiya's chat log stayed stagnant for a few seconds before he sent another message.
Ren: I have to go. My guardian needs my help with something
Ryuji: Gotcha. Let's talk more tomorrow then
Ren: Sounds like a plan
Ren: Later
Ryuji: See ya!
With their conversation now finished, Ryuji put his phone down to change out of his clothes.
'Damn, is it just me or do I feel even more tired than usual?' He mentally asked in confusion.
Deciding that it'd probably be best to quickly go to sleep, the blonde swiftly freshened himself up with a quick shower, and wasted no time in going to bed...
.
.
.
Ryuji awoke to the familiar sound of chains, and it didn't take long for him to realize where he was.
'I'm back in the Velvet Room again...!'
He got up to the bars, and just as he thought, Igor and the twins were facing him once again.
"Welcome back, Buccaneer." Igor greeted from his table, "I trust you are becoming accustomed to this place?"
This was his third time being summoned to this weird ass room, so he honestly didn't really know how to answer that.
"Uhh... I guess? I mean I ain't really as creeped out as I was when I first got here."
"Excellent." Igor's creepy grin somehow grew even wider, "It seems you have nerves of steel."
"Yeah, I dunno about that..." Ryuji sheepishly refuted, "A-Anyway... What did ya summon me here again for?"
"Excellent question." Igor complimented, "I summoned you in order to resume our previous conversation."
"Huh? What about it?"
"The goal of your rehabilitation is to thwart the fated ruin. However, such a feat cannot be performed by you alone." Igor stated.
"You sayin' I ain't powerful enough to stop that ruin shit on my own?" Ryuji repeated in confusion, "But what about all that crap about me bein' the 'chosen Buccaneer' you've been spoutin' this entite time?!"
"Even the most powerful beings require comrades to overcome certain threats..." Igor stated before grinning again, "However, that should not be a problem, for you have already entered a partnership with a fellow Persona user, have you not?"
'Another Persona user...?' Ryuji mentally repeated in confusion before widening his eyes in realization, "Y-You mean Ren?"
"Involving yourself with others is an important foundation for your recovery. Well done."
"Personas are the strength of heart." Justine suddenly joined the conversation, "Thus, the stronger bonds that surround you, the more power your Personas will gain."
"So you're sayin that I can make my Persona stronger just by makin' more friends?" Ryuji asked in surprise before shifting into an unsure expression, "But then wouldn't that just be like, usin' em or some shit?"
This caused Igor to chuckle.
"A valid concern. It proves that you are not a human with a cold heart." He praised, "Rest assured, I am not advising you to form superficial relationships."
"It must not be of frivolity, but a ring of those who would, by morals or faith, lend you their strength." Igor stated, "In other words, they are bonds with those who have been robbed of their places to belong. The expansion of said ring will, in return, help you mature as well."
Robbed of their places to belong, huh? That actually describes him pretty accurately.
"Huh... Well, I didn't understand some of the words you were usin' but I think I get the gist of it." Ryuji spoke up, "I ain't that good at makin' friends, but I'll damn well try...!"
"There are countless people in the city who have talents that a weakling like you doesn't." Caroline brashly interjected, "You better rack that noggin of yours and get them on your side. We'll change that into power."
"Yeah, I get it, okay? Sheesh..." Ryuji retorted in annoyance before realizing what she said, "Wait a sec- Who the hell you callin weak, pipsqueak?!"
"I'll show you who's a pipsqueak in a second, inmate!" Caroline angrily bit back.
"The formation of bonds are indeed a vital step to completing your rehabilitation..." Igor's voice interrupted their spat, "You should be prepared to use even myself to achieve your ambitions."
"Use you?" Ryuji repeated with a raised eyebrow, "You mean like, I should form a bond with you or sumthin?"
"Correct. I am willing to offer you all of my services in order to help you challenge the coming ruin." Igor stated.
It sounded like Igor was trying to strike some kind of deal with him.
"But then what's in it for you? Why do you care about the ruin so much?" Ryuji questioned with narrowed eyes.
"Because though I may not be human myself, I wish to believe that humanity has the power to overcome the crisis that faces it." He answered, "And seeing as you, Buccaneer, are the fated human to challenge this crisis, I will do everything in my power to aid you in your journey." He added, slightly surprising Ryuji.
"So... Are you willing to accept my offer?"
This caused Ryuji to enter a deep state of thought.
'Should I accept this guy's deal? He says he believes in humans yet I still don't know if I can trust 'em...'
'But then again, if he really didn't care, he could've just left me alone and left me and everyone else to our doom...'
He subtly looked back at Igor in the middle of his thought process.
'He looks like he's straight out of a shitty creepypasta, and his vague ass responses totally piss me off... But maybe I should take his deal for now and see what happens...'
'I mean after all, you know what they say... Nothing entered, nothing gained...!' He resolved without even realizing he completely butchered the idiom.
With his decision made, Ryuji looked back up at Igor.
"Alright then. You've got yourself a deal!"
This caused Igor to positively chuckle.
"Wonderful. I have high expectations for you, Buccaneer..."
A familiar sensation washed over Ryuji, and he heard the same voice he heard back at Ore no Beko.
Iam thou... Thou art I...
Thou hast acquired a new vow...
It shall become the wings of rebellion that breaketh thy chains of captivity.
With the birth of the Fool Persona,
I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power...
FOOL CONFIDANT: RANK 1
'... Well, he was the one talkin' all about bonds and shit.' Ryuji shrugged.
"Well, you will understand it all in due time... Continue devoting yourself to your rehabilitation."
"Now, this conversation's over! Get lost, inmate!" Caroline demanded.
"*Sigh* Yeah whatever, ya feisty chihuahua." Ryuji complied.
Any colorful choice of words she had to say as a response were tuned out as the blonde went back to sleep.
Wednesday, April 13th, 20XX
A blue-haired student grunted as a volleyball hit him square in the chest.
"Man, you've still got it, Coach!" A man praised Kamoshida as he and some other fully-grown individuals high-fived him.
"Thanks!" Kamoshida enthusiastically thanked, "Let's go for one more!"
Today was the day of the school's volleyball rally, and it had begun immediately after the start of classes in the gymnasium.
It was a match between students and teachers, although to be frank, calling it a match when Kamoshida was one of the participants would be extremely generous...
The students who weren't part of the playing team were merely watching, whether in seats or just standing, and among those students were Ryuji and Ren, sitting on the floor and wearing their gym uniforms, which was a requirement.
"*Yawn* Talk about borin', huh?" Ryuji nudged Ren's shoulder.
"You said it. I think I've seen cooking channels that're more entertaining than this slow match." Ren remarked, "... Then again, referring to this as a "match" would be a very inaccurate description."
"No kiddin." Ryuji agreed with a scoff, "It ain't even funny how one-sided this shitfest is."
Ryuji got so bored that he started scanning across the room, and he noticed a familiar blonde girl in a gym uniform watching the match. He recognized her as Ann Takamaki, the real one, not the cognition back in the castle.
'Still sticks out like a sore thumb...' He mentally commented.
He looked back at the match in time to see Kamoshida jump high into the air to meet another spike.
He spiked the ball as hard as he could, smiling insufferably all the while, sending it flying at the same blue-haired student until...
BAM!
Ryuji, Ren, Ann and everybody else in the gymnasium winced as the ball quite literally slammed into the student's face, causing them to fall to the ground.
In an act of concern that was obviously an act, Kamoshida rushed over to the unconscious student and checked their condition before calling for him to be rushed to the nurse's office.
"What an upstanding fellow..." Ren dryly remarked.
"Tch. He'll pay soon enough." Ryuji growled as he picked up the ball that coincidentally landed near him and threw it back into the court.
A loud slurping sound could be heard as Ryuji downed an entire can of soda before crushing it and tossing it in a trash can with surprising proficiency.
"Get to know each other better, my ass!" He mocked Kamoshida's reasoning for the rally, "That was just a one-man show for that asswipe to stroke his ego!"
"Oh oh, and did ya see how he acted like he was worried about Mishima? God, what an abusive d-bag!" He ranted.
"Makes me wonder why the school would even allow an event that's clearly just a waste of everyone's time." Ren remarked with crossed arms.
"Ain't it obvious? He's just as much of a king here as he is in that other world..." Ryuji bitterly replied.
"That's true, unfortunately..." Ren nodded before smirking, "... Then again, it wasn't a total waste of time, 'cuz now we can start looking around for those students who were getting abused in the castle."
"... Yeah, you're right!" Ryuji's demeanor turned much more positive as he then smacked his palms together, "Okay, let's start lookin' for all the faces we saw at the castle! All the members of the team should be here today."
"I'll do my best to find any leads if I'm lucky." Ren stated.
"Right on! Now let's get searchin'!" Ryuji cheered as he turned to move.
"... Uhhh, where would we start searching exactly?" Ren awkwardly questioned.
Ryuji comically froze on the spot as he realized his eff-up.
"O-Oh yeah, I sorta forgot about that... M-My bad, dude..." He rubbed his head with a sheepish grin before clearing his throat, "Alright, so the first one that popped out was a guy from Class D."
"That's my class." Ren mentioned.
"Exactly. So we can start from there." Ryuji declared before averting his gaze, "Hopefully you can get him to talk without any issues. People have been avoidin' me lately, so..."
"Well... I get it but I think you're forgetting I'm kind of in the same boat." Ren playfulyl reminded.
"Oh yeah, I guess I did forget." Ryuji chuckled with a sweatdrop.
"W-What do you want?" An injured volleyball member in Class 2-D with a bandage wrapped around his head turned to Ryuji and Ren, "Are you guys skipping out on the volleyball rally? I guess I'd expect it from you two."
"We wanna know how exactly you got those injuries." Ryuji stated, taking the student aback.
"I-It's from practice! What does that have to anything?"
"I dunno... Those look a lot more serious than injuries from mere practice." Ren said in a tone that was obviously skeptical.
"S-So what??"
"Be honest with us, dude. Kamoshida did this to you, didn't he?" Ryuji interrogated.
"Wha- H-How do you kno- I-I mean, what are you talking about?!" The student shakily replied.
"Look, man, we ain't gonna tell anybody you squealed." Ryuji assured, "Just tell us about how Kamoshida's abusin' you."
"I-I seriously don't know what you're talking about!" The volleyball student weakily refuted.
"Are you afraid? Is Kamoshida threatening you?" Ren questioned.
"N-No, none of that! You guys are just talking complete nonsense!"
"Don't try and hide it! We already know!" Ryuji exclaimed in frustration.
This seemed to put the volleyball members on edge.
"You... You know? You have proof?" He asked quietly.
"O-Oh!" Ryuji obviously wasn't expecting that response, "Well, uh... I..."
Unfortunately, his lack of an answer was all the student needed to hear.
"This is ridiculous." The student scoffed, "Please leave me alone. You're really bothering me."
"*Sigh* All right..." Ryuji conceded with a sigh as he knew pressuring the student further might cause problems, "That's enough. C'mon, let's go."
The two left the uncompliant volleyball member alone and stood in the hallway.
"*Groan* That injury ain't normal and he still won't fess up!" Ryuji exclaimed in annoyance, "If we keep goin' at this pace, the ball game's gonna end..."
"I don't think we'll gain anything by going in pairs like we just did." Ren stated with a hand on his chin, "... Maybe we should try splitting up to cover more ground."
"...That actually doesn't sound like a bad idea. In fact, that'd probably be faster!" Ryuji grinned.
"Exactly." Ren nodded.
"Okay, I'll go and check the Practice Building before clubs start. You handle the Classroom Buulding." Ryuji instructed, "I'll hit you up if I manage to find anything."
"Ditto. See you then." Ren replied.
At that, the two boys split up and went into different areas of Shujin, ready to grab at any lead that came their way.
Unfortunately, the search was turning out to be nothing but a bust. Almost everyone Ryuji tried to question either kept their mouths shut or told him to back off.
Having spent a good few minutes just to end up with nothing, he decided to reconvene with Ren near the stairs to the third floor.
"Well that was a bust..." Ryuji commented with a sigh, "What about you? Did ya find anything on your end?"
"Take a wild guess." Ren dryly replied.
"So you had no luck too, huh?" Ryuji figured before slamming his fist on the wall in frustration, "Damn it!"
"Well, this proves that everyone really is too afraid of him to speak up at least." Ren noted.
"Hey, that's the new kid, isn't it?" A female student asked her colleague as they passed by the struggling duo.
"He's already associated himself with Sakamoto..."
"Well I guess it's no surprise the two delinquents are running around together..."
"Tch. Those assholes can go eff themselves." Ryuji scoffed at the gossiping students.
"If only they could all take a page out of Suzui-san's book." Ren quietly uttered. Though it wasn't quiet enough seeing as Ryuji took notice.
"Wait wait, you know Suzui?" Ryuji questioned curiously, "As in, Shiho Suzui?"
"Yeah. I ran into her yesterday when I was heading home." Ren revealed before smiling a little, "We ended up talking for a bit, and she even told me not to let all the rumors get to me. She seemed really nice, unlike everyone else."
"Huh... Well I ain't surprised. Suzui's always been a really nice girl." Ryuji stated with a fond grin as if he were reminiscing.
"I take it that means you knew her as well?" Ren asked.
"Pretty much. I was friends with her and Takamaki back in middle school." Ryuji revealed, "But after high school came around and I got into track, we just kinda stopped talkin'."
"I see." Ren nodded in an interested tone, "Well, it's too bad that there's no way she could help us out."
Ren's statement caused Ryuji to suddenly perk up, as if he just got a brain blast.
"... Y'know what? There might be a way for her to help us after all!" Ryuji exclaimed in growing excitement.
"Really?" Ren asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah! I'll explain on the way. Let's go!"
"People are saying really awful things about your new classmate." Shiho stated.
"Yeah, I know... They're just stupid rumors." Ann Takamaki replied as she picked up her soda from the vending machine, "And they keep getting even crazier."
"I actually ran into him yesterday when I was going to Mr. Kamoshida's office." Shiho revealed as Ann sat down next to her.
"For real?" Ann asked in surprise.
"Yeah." Shiho nodded, "I got to talk with him for a bit and he's actually not as bad as the rumors say he is."
"Well, I had a feeling that was a case." Ann commented.
"Mhm. And when I told him not to let what anyone says get to him, he assured me that they don't affect him at all." Shiho added, "So that's a relief."
"There you go again worrying about others instead of yourself." Ann commented before giggling, "But I guess you wouldn't be yourself if you didn't, because you were just like that with me too..."
She looked over at Shiho and noticed that there were s few more bandages on her wrists, which caused her to worry a bit.
"It looks like practice is getting rough..." Ann suddenly stated, surprising Shiho, "Is your leg okay? Maybe you should take a break."
"T-Thanks... But everything's fine." Shiho assured her with a weak smile, "It's my first time as a starter so I've gotta work hard..."
Ann didn't seem entirely convinced, but she relented nonetheless.
"Okay then... I'll be there cheering you on!" Ann tried to seem more energetic and supportive, "A-And sorry if I was being too nosy."
"It's fine." Shiho comforted her with a genuine smile, "It just proves you care about me."
"Yo, Suzui!"
The sound of a familiar voice caught both of the girls' attention, and they looked to see none other than Ryuji Sakamoto entering from around the corner, along with Ren Amamiya.
"Sakamoto-kun? Amamiya-san?" Shiho called their names in slight surprise.
"Long time no see, amiright?" Ryuji tried to joke around with a grin.
"Hello, Suzui-san." Ren greeted with a wave, which she sheepishly reciprocated.
"What're you two doing here?" Ann questioned them with a raised eyebrow.
"We just wanted to ask Suzui-san a few questions." Ren answered.
"Oh... Okay then. What is it?" Shiho asked curiously.
"So listen." Ryuji began, "There's this rumor about Kamoshida and the volleyball-"
Apparently, some part of Ryuji sentence seemed to irk Takamaki as she suddenly got all up in his face, taking him aback.
"Listen! Where do you get off spreading rumors like that??" She questioned, "What about the volleyball club?"
"Woah, take it easy man!" Ryuji raised his hands, "I wasn't even talkin' to you."
"Sakamoto, you had better not get her involved..." Ann warned the fellow blonde, "Shiho's working really hard to get to nationals."
"Nationals, huh?" Ryuji repeated, "That's all the more reason I gotta know!"
"Huh??"
"Listen, Suzui." Ryuji locked eyes with the surprised brunette, "Don't you want this to end already? That asshole's abuse has been goin' on for way too long! I'm sure you'd be much happier gettin' to nationals without his sorry ass!"
For a moment, it seemed like Shiho was really considering what he was saying, and was about to speak up, "I-I..."
"Huh...? W-What are you saying?" Ann tried to refute his claims before suddenly grabbing Shiho by the wrist and bringing her up to walk with her, "L-Let's go, Shiho! You don't need this, c'mon."
"B-But...!" The aforementioned girl weakly tried to stand her ground but was dragged along by Ann nonetheless.
Ryuji watched the girls walk off along with Ren and sighed.
"That girl's as stubborn as ever." Ryuji kicked at the ground.
"She's certainly as assertive as she was when I first came here." Ren commented.
"That aside, we've still got no leads on Kamoshida's abuse!" Ryuji threw his hands up in exasperation, "This 'effin blows!"
"... Actually, I think we still have one last lead." Ren suddenly stated.
"For real?" Ryuji asked with a raised eyebrow, "What is it??"
"There was a first year I saw with a few bruises outside his class." Ren revealed, "When I questioned him about his injuries, he slipped up and mentioned something about a 2nd year named Mishima receiving "special coaching" from Kamoshida."
"Mishima...!" Ryuji recognized the name and crossed his arms, "Special coaching, huh?" He repeated with skepticism.
"Still, it makes sense. I always see the guy covered in bruises." Sakamoto stated, "Let's try lookin' for him before he leaves then."
"Hey, Mishima!" Ryuji called out as he and Ren caught up to the an injured student about to exit Shujin, "Ya got a second?"
"Sakamoto...?" The same student that got decked by Kamoshida's spike, Yuuki Mishima, called his name before noticing Ren, "And you, too...?!"
"C'mon, we just wanna chat." Ryuji assured, "So, Kamoshida's been "coaching" you, huh? You sure that's not just physical abuse?"
"C-Certainly not!" Mishima, who was clearly put on edge by the question, unconvincingly refuted.
"You don't sound too sure of yourself, pal." Ren noticed.
"What're ya talkin' all polite for?" Ryuji looked at him oddly, "Anyways... We saw him spike you today. Right in the face."
"That was just because I'm not good at the sport..." Mishima quietly replied, averting his gaze.
"That doesn't explain all of your other injuries." Ren stated.
"T-They're from practice!" Mishima defended.
"Be straight with me. Is Kamoshida forcin' you to stay quiet...?" Ryuji suspiciously narrowed his eyes.
"I... T-That's..." Mishima's defense slowly started to crumble. However...
"What's going on here?"
All three of the boys turned to the familiar deep voice, which belonged to none other than Shujin's resident scumbag, Suguru Kamoshida.
"Speak of the devil..." Ren quietly uttered.
"Isn't it time for practice, Mishima?" Kamoshida reminded him.
"I-I'm not feeling well today..." Mishima weakly responded.
"Oh?" Kamoshida made an "o" sound, "Then maybe you're better off quitting then."
"W-What?"
"You're never going to improve that crappy form unless you show up to practice." Kamoshida warned.
"I-I..."
"Didn't you hear, asshat?" Ryuji, who was having none of this, walked up to Kamoshida and stared him down, "He ain't feelin' well!"
"Well, Mishima?" Kamoshida ignored Ryuji, "Are you coming to practice or not?"
"... I'll go..." The aforementioned teen conceded depressingly.
"What?!" Ryuji exclaimed in disbelief only for Kamoshida to then stare him down.
"As for you, any more trouble and you'll be gone from this school for sure." Kamoshida threatened, using his tall and well-built frame to drive home the point, "We don't want a repeat of "self-defense" do we?"
However, this did nothing to deter Ryuji as he glared right back at him with defiance.
"Go ahead and try, bastard." He bit back.
Kamoshida shook his head with a scoff before glaring at Ren.
"Same goes for you. Didn't the principal tell you to keep in line?" Kamoshida sternly questioned, "Or are you that eager to get thrown out of here?"
Ren stayed silent for a few seconds before he suddenly smirked.
"You've got an amazing spike."
The unexpected comment caused Ryuji, Mishima and even Kamoshida to comically freeze in shock at its "out-of-nowhere" nature.
'I-Is this guy for real?!'
Kamoshida was the quickest to recover, and he shook his head.
"Whatever. Just don't get in the way of my practice." Kamoshuda warned as he turned and walked off, "Let's go, Mishima!"
"I honestly can't tell if you're incredibly bold or just incredibly stupid..." Ryuji commented in exasperation as he walked over to Ren.
"I could say the same to you." Ren swiftly replied.
"There's no point in trying to prove the abuse..." Mishima gained both of their attention, "Everybody knows..."
"What?!" Both Ren and Ryuji exclaimed in shock.
"The principal, our parents... They all know, and they all keep quiet about it." Mishima revealed in a downcast tone.
"This has gotta be a joke...!" Ryuji uttered in disbelief.
"Don't be a pain... You don't understand what I'm going through." Mishima said in slight irritation, "Shouldn't you of all people know that nothing's going to help, Sakamoto?!"
This caused to Ryuji to wince and fall silent, which gave Mishima the opening to run off.
"Dammit...!" Ryuji silently cursed.
"So what now...?" Ren silently asked, "We're not just gonna give up, are we?"
"Of course not!" Ryuji refuted, "I'll... I'll try one more time to persuade the other guys. That's... all I can do."
Ryuji was now back at home lying on his bed, and was currently texting Ren.
Ryuji: This shit still don't make any damn sense
Ryuji: The principal and even the parents know about the abuse?
Ryuji: Why ain't anybody speaking up?!
Ren: Because volleyball.
Ryuji: Yeah, true...
Ryuji: Even so, that still don't give him the right to do whatever the hell he wants!
Ren: Exactly.
Ryuji: And we probably would've gotten some real info on the abuse from Suzui if Takamaki hadn't stepped in...
Ren: ... Y'know, I'm not trying to insinuate anything, but didn't it seem like Takamaki-san was trying really hard to deflect our questions abouts Kamoshida?
Ren: Almost as if she was defending him or something...
Ryuji: You just reminded me of sumthin'!
Ryuji: There's a rumor goin' around that Takamaki is all buddy-buddy with Kamoshida
Ryuji: I think you know what that means...
Ren: Ew...
Ryuji: Yeah...
Ren: Well, considering how the rumors in Shujin are already nothing but bullshit, I don't think I buy it
Ren: What about you?
Ryuji: Honestly, I think it's all a load of bull...
Ryuji: Like I said, I've known Takamaki since middle school
Ryuji: She ain't the type of girl who'd just bend over for that scumbag even if she was afraid of him!
Ryuji: Same with Suzui too!
Ren: I don't know either of them as well as you do, but I still agree with you
Ryuji: We can't let it end like this!
Ryuji: I'm gonna try and find someone who knows about what's goin' on with Kamoshira tomorrow during break.
Ren: Got it. I'll do the same and let you know what I find.
Ryuji: Thanks, man.
Ryuji: See ya tmrw
Ren: Later.
Thursday, April 14th, 20XX
"Dammit. What the hell..." Ryuji cursed in frustration as he hit the vending machine.
"No luck on your end too, huh?" Ren asked.
"All of 'em kept sayin' the same shit Mishima was talkin' about!" Ryuji answered, "At this rate, we might have to go to him directly...!"
"It would've been easier to just start with that..." Ren deadpanned.
"... Yeah, I know." Ryuji sighed, "But there's gotta be somethin' we can do! No way am I givin' in like this!"
"Do you have any ideas?" Ren questioned.
Both boys stroked their chins as they tried to come up with a viable idea that would finally help them bring Kamoshida down. If they wanted to go to Kamoshida directly, then how could they do that without inevitably getting into trouble?
Suddenly, a light bulb went off in Ryuji's head.
"I got it...!" He suddenly exclaimed before grinning, "If we can't deal with Kamoshida here, then let's go and punish the king!"
"You mean the Kamoshida in the castle?" Ren asked, "I guess that could work... But how we could use the castle to our advanta-?"
"It's about time I found you guys...!"
The interjection of a familiar voice surprised the two boys, although when they looked around, there was nobody else in sight.
"... You say sumthin'?" Ryuji asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I thought you just said something?" Ren replied in confusion.
"Eyes down here, rookies!"
This time, the voice came from the nearby table, and the boys both looked down, only furthering their confusion.
Standing on the table was what seemed like a typical black cat. However...
"Gee, it took me forever to find you and yet that's how you react?" The cat somehow spoke a full sentence.
This caused Ryuji and Ren to widen their eyes in befuddlement, not just because the cat talked, but also because its voice sounded very familiar.
"Hold on a sec. That voice...!" Ren uttered.
"M-Morgana?!" Ryuji recognized him.
"Eyup. The one and only!" Morgana, who was somehow now like a real-life cat, gestured to himself.
"W-Wuh... I-I... H-How the 'eff is this even possible?!" Ryuji frantically, "And why are you a cat?!"
"I am NOT a cat!" The... Uh... "not-cat" refuted, "This is just what happened when I came to this world!"
"... Okay... I-I think I've officially gone off the deep end..." Ryuji brought a hand to his forehead before turning to Ren, "Are you seein' this shit too, man...?"
"... Meow?" The spectacled teen tilted his head for comedic effect.
Ryuji narrowed his eyes and stayed silent for a few seconds as if he was contemplating strangling his companion before letting out an exasperated sigh.
"Y'know what? I ain't even surprised by your weird ass behavior anymore."
"It was a lot of trouble finding you two, y'know?" Morgana interrupted the comedy act.
"You came to our world?" Ren asked with a raised eyebrow.
"*Gasp* Does that mean you've got a phone?!" Ryuji questioned incredulously.
"Wow. The great logic of Ryuji Sakamoto, everyone." Ren deadpanned.
"Heh. You don't need one when you're at my level." Morgana boasted, "I did get pretty lost making my escape though..."
"That aside, why can you talk? You're a cat!" Ryuji demanded answers.
"How should I know?!" Morgana retorted.
"... So much for not being a cat, hm?" Ren smugly commented.
"Shaddup, Frizzy Hair!" Morgana shut him down.
"Okay, forget about the whole cat thing for now!" Ryuji interjected, "Why'd ya come lookin' for us in the first place?"
"Oh yeah. I wanted to make a deal with you guys." Morgana stated, surprising the two boys, "I overhead you talking about having trouble finding witnesses."
"What's it to you?" Ryuji asked.
"You know, I could tell you a thing or two about what to do about Kamoshida..." Morgana said with a smirk, "You were actually pretty close a moment ago."
"We really have to be looking for a cat at a busy time like this?" The voice of a nearby teacher alerted the three.
"I could've sworn I just heard a meow somewhere near here!" Another teacher stated.
"Meow?" Ryuji repeated in confusion, "Does that mean only us two can understand what you're sayin?"
"Looks like it." Morgana replied.
"This is friggin' crazy as hell..." Ryuji scratched his head, "That aside, what you were talkin' about earlier... Is it for real?"
"Of course. I'm a man of my word!" Morgana exclaimed while Ren snickered at the word "man".
"Huh... Okay then. Tell us more." Ryuji instructed seriously.
The trio were now on top of the roof of Shujin Academy, and Morgana jumped out of Ryuji's bag before stretching his cat-like body.
"That felt like a cluttered prison of eternal doom! Don't be so rough with me!" He chastised them.
"Sorry, Tom. But sticking you in his bag was the only way to keep you hidden." Ren shrugged.
"Who the hell is Tom?!"
"Get back on topic! You said you know how we can do somethin' about Kamoshida, right?" Ryuji hastily questioned.
"That's right. It has to do with what you were talking about earlier. You'll need to attack his castle." Morgana stated.
"Whaddya mean?"
"That castle is how Kamoshida views the school. He doesn't realize what happens there, but it's deeply connected to the depths of his heart." Morgana spoke, "Thus, if the castle disappears, it would naturally impact the real Kamoshida."
"What'd happen then?" Ryuji asked.
"A palace is a manifestation of a person's distorted desires. So if that castle were no more..." He trailed off, as if to let the boys think on their own.
Ren and Ryuji thought over his words, until the answer hit them like bricks.
"His desires would disappear too..." Ryuji began.
"...Which would mean he'd become an honest man!" Ren finished.
"Precisely! You guys sure are quick on the uptake!" Morgana praised.
"But... Is that really gettin' back at him?" Ryuji asked with uncertainty.
"Erasing a Palace essentially means forcing the owner to have a change of heart. However, even though their warped wants disappear, the crimes they committed remain." Morgana continued, "Kamoshida will become unable to bear the weight of those crimes, and he'll confess them himself!"
"Seriously?!"
"For real?! That's possible?!"
Morgana nodded, "And since the Palace will no longer exist, he'll forget what we did there as well."
"So you're saying that not only will we be able to bring Kamoshida down... But there'd be no trace of our involvement as well...??" Ren questioned in surprise.
"Exactly!"
"That's amazing! You rock, little buddy!" Ryuji cheerfully praised Morgana.
"I guess black cats aren't bad luck after all." Ren gave his own form of praise.
"You just can't leave it alone, can you?!" Morgana asked in annoyance.
"So? How do we get rid of the Palace?!" Ryuji eagerly asked.
"By stealing the treasure held within." Morgana answered.
"Eh...?"
"I'll tell you more once you agree to go ahead with this. It's my most valuable secret plan, after all." Morgana assured, "If you agree to help me out, I'll gladly teach you. What's your call?"
'Why does it feel like everyone's tryin' to cut a deal with me nowadays?' Ryuji asked in slight exasperation. It certainly didn't help that the deals were made by two inexplicable entities.
"Well, we certainly don't have any other viable options." Ren commented.
"True... And our luck's runnin' dry lookin' for witnesses anyway." Ryuji agreed, "Guess we might as well go along with this."
"Good." Morgana replied in satisfaction before widening his eyes in remembrance, "Oh, right! There's one more thing I should tell you."
"Wazzat?"
"If we erase a Palace, there's no doubt that the person's distorted desires will be erased as well."
"I thought we already established that?" Ren commented.
"But, desires are what we all need in order to survive." Morgana continued, "The will to sleep, eat, faill in love-those sort of things."
"... Why do I get the feeling I'm not going like what I hear next?" Ren cautiously stated.
"I thought that was just me..." Ryuji agreed.
"If all those yearnings I mentioned were to vanish, they'd be no different than someone who has shut down entirely." Morgana then gained a serious look, "They may even die if they're not given proper care..."
"Woah woah woah, time out! They might DIE?!" Ryuji hastily questioned in shock.
"But then, wouldn't their death be our fault...?" Ren asked in horror.
"Aren't you determined to face those kinds of risks?" Morgana asked.
"Y-You can't be serious...!" Ryuji stuttered.
"Sheesh... I come all this way, and this is what I get." Morgana uttered in disappointment, "It's not like anyone will ever find out!"
"That's not the issue here, dumbass!" Ryuji chided, "If we just go around secretly doin' whatever we want, we'd be no better than that effin' Kamoshida!"
"Exactly. We're trying to bring him to justice, not get revenge." Ren added.
"Isn't this your only option?" Morgana asked in exasperation before sighing, "... I'll come back later. Make sure you've made your decision by then."
At that, the feline walked off, leaving the two boys to mull over his information.
"*Groan* And we were gettin' all worked up over nothin'... Dammit!" Ryuji cursed in annoyance.
"Looks like we're right back to square one." Ren wearily commented.
"... I'll see if I can figure out another way." Ryuji stated dejectedly, "C'mon, let's get outta here."
Calling it a day, the two teens went their separate ways.
Later, Ryuji was venturing along a hallway toward the exit, and in the middle of his journey, he noticed a familiar girl passing by him, and he couldn't help but go after her.
"Yo, wait a sec!" He called out.
"Huh?" The girl turned around to reveal herself as Shiho Suzui, "Sakamoto-kun...?"
Ryuji couldn't help but gasp when he looked at her, as there was a noticeable nasty-looking bruise on her left eye that wasn't there before.
"Woah, Suzui... What happened to your eye?" He asked.
His question caused her to slightly flinch, "O-Oh, i-it's nothing!... It's just from practice. N-No big deal..."
"No big deal? Have you seen that thing?" He looked at her incredulously, "That's way too nasty-lookin' to just be from practice! Why haven't you gone to the nurse, yet?"
"I-I was just about to head on over there!" She shakily replied, "You dont need to worry about me...!"
Although Ryuji wasn't that smart, even he could tell that she was lying just from her body language.
"Suzui... Are you hidin' somethin' from me?" He questioned skeptically.
"W-What...? N-Not at all!" She unconvincingly refuted, "What makes you think that...?"
Instead of immediately answering, Ryuji walked up to Shiho and put his arms on her shoulders, catching her off guard. Whether someone noticed them or not, he didn't give a damn.
"Look, Suzui... I know we haven't talked that much since middle school, but that doesn't mean I ain't be worried about what's happenin' to ya." He stated as he looked straight into her eyes, "I know that Kamoshida treats everyone in the volleyball like total shit, and from what I'm seein', he's definitely doin' the same to you..."
"... But you don't need to stay quiet just 'cuz he tells ya to! I bet you and I both want the same thing, and that's to make that assole pay for his crimes! But if we're gonna do that then I need you to tell me the truth! I wanna help you out 'cuz I care about you, Suzui... So just be straight with me for a sec. Please..."
By the end of his mini-speech, Shiho was absolutely floored, and she stared at him in awe, "S-Sakamoto-kun..."
She looked down and stayed for a while, and for a brief moment, Sakamoto had hope that she'd finally come around. Until...
"I-I... I really appreciate your concern, Sakamoto-kun... But I promise you, I'm fine." She denied once again, "So please, don't worry about me..."
Her denial disappointed Ryuji, but he relented with a sigh nonetheless as he knew pressuring her would be useless.
"Alright then... I'll get out of your hair now." He removed his hands from her shoulders, "Stay safe, Suzui."
"Thank you." She thanked.
At that, the two students moved and passed by each other, but not before Shiho mentioned something under her breath.
"I-I don't want him to hurt you again..."
"Eh?" He looked back in confusion.
"N-Nothing!" She hastily stammered, "Goodbye, Sakamoto-kun!"
After watching her speed off, Ryuji exited the hallway with a pensive look on his face.
Was there anything else he could do to stop this...?
"Finally... Good ol' sweet Shibuya..." Ryuji sighed as he exited the train.
The blonde had decided to kill a bit more time to clear his head before heading home as the stress from not getting any dirt on Kamoshida was starting to get to him.
Though, the time he spent meant he'd get home an hour later than he usually got home, but it wasn't that bad, as he was already nearing Station Square.
'Welp, time to finally head on home without any distractio-'
"Will you please give it a rest?! I told you I'm not feeling up to it..."
The sound of a familiar feminine voice caught the blonde's attention, and he turned to see none other than his middle school acquaintance, Ann Takamaki.
'Takamaki...?'
She was talking to an unknown individual on her smartphone, although judging from how annoyed she sounded, it didn't seem like it was a pleasant conversation.
"... Wait, what?!" She suddenly widened her eyes in shock, "That's not what you promised! And you call yourself a teacher?!"
'Teacher?' He took note of that particular word, 'Hold up... Is she talkin' to...?'
"This has nothing to do with Shiho!" She angrily spoke into the phone only for a beeping sound to be heard, "Ah...!"
Realizing she had been cut off, Ann slowly entered a fetal position and started shivering, almost as if she were about to cry.
"S-Shiho's... Starting position..."
After seeing and hearing all of that, Ryuji had absolutely no doubt in his mind that all of that was connected to Kamoshida, and it made him very suspicious.
Although, a bigger part was concerned about Takamaki. Whatever it was that asshole was talkin' about that involved Suzui, it seemed to really upset her, and even if he wasn't on that good of terms with her anymore, he still felt like it'd be wrong to just leave her like that.
With his mind made up, Sakamoto walked near the unaware girl and made his presence known.
"Yo."
"Huh..." Ann slowly looked up to see the teen next to her, "S-Sakamoto...?"
She then quickly got up and stared at him in surprise.
"Wait... Were you eavesdropping...?" She questioned him, "Haven't you heard of privacy?"
"Hey, I didn't do it on purpose!" Ryuji defended himself, "Chill out!"
"... No, you're right." Ann conceded with a sigh, "I was out of line. Sorry."
The taller blonde internally sighed in relief as Ann picked herself back up.
"So, how much did you hear?" She asked.
"Well... I heard you arguin' with that bastard, Kamoshida over the phone." Ryuji admitted, "And from what I was hearin', I guess it had sumthin' to do with Suzui. Am I right?"
"That... That's true..." Ann confirmed with a downcast expression, "It's..."
For a moment, it looked like she was about to cry again, but she quickly wiped her eyes and steeled herself.
"I-It's nothing at all...! Just stay out of it!"
Suddenly, the girl ran off in the opposite direction.
"Wuh-Hey! Takamaki!!" Ryuji called out, "Wait up!" He began to chase after her.
He ventured into the Shibuya Underground Walkway, and thanks to his days on the track, it didn't take long for him to find her.
Takamaki looked back to see that he was pursuing her, which only irritated her further.
"What the hell? Why are you following me?!"
"I just wanna talk! That's all!" He yelled back.
"There's nothing for me to talk to you about!" She refuted.
"C'mon! Just gimme a chance, dammit!"
Not giving up, Ryuji slowly began to gain on her, much to her panic and annoyance. Unfortunately, his dastardly injured left knee just had to flare in pain, and he let out a pained yell as his leg buckled and he fell to the ground.
"Shit...!" He cursed as he held his knee.
Takamaki gasped as she noticed his tumble, and she rushed over to him in worry.
"Are you okay?!" She asked in concern.
"Do I look okay?!" He responded with gritted teeth, causing her to jolt back.
"I... I-I'm sorry..." She meekly apologized, silently berating herself for forgetting about his damaged knee.
"... No... It's fine..." He calmed himself down with a sigh, "Will you please just... Talk to me? Please?" He pleaded.
Takamaki stayed silent and averted her gaze as if she were considering his words before eventually...
"Thank you very much!" A waiter exclaimed as she handed Ann a glass of iced water, and a glass of soda to Ryuji.
After Ann begrudgingly agreed to Ryuji's offer, she took him to a certain restaurant, where they were now sat at a table and facing each other.
The atmosphere in the air was heavily awkward, and the two of then just remained silent for a few seconds.
'... Well this totally ain't awkward as all hell...' Ryuji mentally commented with a sweatdrop, 'I don't even remember the last time we talked face to face like this...'
Still, regardless of the awkwardness, he needed to know what was up...
"You've heard the rumors haven't you?" Takamaki suddenly broke the silence.
"You mean, the rumors about you and Kamoshida gettin' it on?" Ryuji asked.
"Yeah..." Ann confirmed before narrowing her eyes, "They couldn't be further from truth...!"
"... Well, I had a feelin' that was the case." Ryuji stated confidently.
"Really...?" Ann asked in slight surprise.
"Yeah. Even though we haven't really talked like that in a while, I still believed in ya." Ryuji revealed before smirking, "And the rumors at Shujin are all just a steamin' pile of shit anyways."
This got a slight chuckle out of Takamaki.
"Isn't that truth?" She slightly smiled before shifting to a serious expression once again, "Like you said, that was him on the other line. I avoided giving him my number for the longest time..."
He stayed silent and motioned for her to go on.
"... He told me to go to his place after this..." Ann quietly revealed before crushing her tissue, "You know what it means..."
This caused Ryuji to scowl deeply.
"He said if I turned him down, he'd take Shiho off as a regular on the team..." Ann revealed with her head lowered.
"That son of a bitch...!" Ryuji would've slammed the table if they weren't in public.
"I-I've been telling myself this is all for Shiho's sake... But I can't take it anymore..." Ann's voice noticeably started to shake and she raised her head, showing visible tears, "I've had enough of this... I hate him!"
Ryuji was slightly caught off guard by the sight of her crying.
"But still... Shiho's my best friend." Ann slightly faltered, "She's all I have left at that sorry excuse of a school!"
She then looked straight at Ryuji, as if she were pleading for him to help her.
"Tell me, Sakamoto... What should I do?"
The aforementioned teen could only look down as he grit his teeth and clenched his fists in frustration.
He's been doing all of this talk about bringing Kamoshida to justice yet even he didn't know what to do... So how could he answer that?
"S-Sorry... I shouldn't have asked. It's not your problem." Ann apologized as she wiped her eyes, "What... What am I even saying? I've barely even talked to you since middle school..."
"... Maybe that's what made it so easy for you to talk to me of all people." Ryuji suggested.
"You... You might be right..." Ann agreed with wide eyes, "I guess it's no surprise you went after me instead of just leaving me to sulk... You'vea lways been that kind of guy."
"You know I ain't the typa guy to do some scummy shit like that." Ryuji reminded her with a smile causing Ann to giggle.
"Those rumors about you being a bad boy always were nothing but nonsense."
"Hey. I'm bad to the bone." Ryuji joked with a grin.
This got a slight laugh out of Takamaki, which Ryuji considered to be a victory.
"Still a low-tier comedian, I see." She playfully teased.
"Yeah, my jokes might not be that great, but if they've got you smilin' again then that's all that matters." Ryuji swiftly replied with a wink.
The statement surprised Ann, and it actually brought a slight tint of pink to her cheeks, though she giggled nonetheless.
"Well aren't you smooth?" She complimented before looking pensive once again, "Still, is there really no way for me to help Shiho?"
"I wish he'd just change his mind... Like, forget about me, and everything..." She voiced out her wishes, unaware of the effect it had on her old companion, who seemed to be mulling over her words, "As if something like that would ever happen..."
"... I mean... Ya never know...?" Ryuji uttered, though it made Ann giggle.
"I wasn't asking for a serious response." She stated with a smile, "But, I do feel a bit better now."
"Then I'm glad I was able to help." Ryuji said with a wide smile.
"Yeah... Thanks, Sakamoto." Ann thanked him before wincing, "I-I'm sorry for making you run like that earlier and hurt yourself..."
"Like I said, it's all good." Ryuji waved it off, "I'm just glad you decided to talk me."
"Well so am I." Ann said with a smile, "Let's meet like up this again sometime. I'll see you later, Sakamoto."
"Right back at ya. See ya, Takamaki!" Ryuji replied enthusiastically.
At that, the two blonde's went their separate ways. Although, as Ryuji made his way home, Ann's words from earlier made him think once more.
Was there really no other way to stop Kamoshida? Would he just have to take the risk of possibly killing him...?
He didn't know what to do, but either way, he knew he had to do something. Something to free not only Takamaki, but also Suzui from that douchebag's clutches.
'I'll figure out a way... No matter what!' He mentally resolved as he made his way home.
Unfortunately for Ryuji, there was nothing to prepare him for the greatly despairing event he would witness the very next day...
Ryuji's Confidant List:
THE DEATH - Ren Amamiya:Rank1
THE FOOL - Igor: Rank 1
Long ass chapter, but I'm glad I got it out anyways! I was low-key considering splitting this chapter into two like I did last time, but I was determined to get everything I wanted in here, so I persevered! Anyways, things aren't looking too good for Ryuji and Ren's investigation, and what exactly is this despairing event he'll witness? Well, stay tuned and find out of course!
And as always,
RinOta, out!