Ren had thought of this plan at Leblanc, but in the end he had put it in the back of his mind because of how needlessly risky it was. Chances were that rather than succeeding, he'd just get in trouble. After all, Kamoshida had to be so incredibly mad that he lost his reason. And well, he wasn't confident he could do something like it without incriminating himself.
Part of him wondered what would happen to the castle if he succeeded.
Would it crumble? Or would nothing happen to it?
Really, he wished that he understood what he was getting into better. But at the moment all he had was the vague terminology that Igor and the twins had thrown his way. He didn't even know if the castle was actually Kamoshida's mind or not for sure. But well, he couldn't waste the opportunity he had now.
Then there was the other warning Igor had given him. To choose his fellow actors carefully. He was right, judging by how many knights had surrounded them yesterday, he probably couldn't do this alone. Or even with just Suzui, he'd probably need to build a crew to help him with the people that came after Kamoshida.
Perhaps that Yoshizawa girl would be interesting. But he couldn't risk inviting someone who he didn't understand.
In the end, the school bell rang, and he had to put all the thoughts aside as he stood up and walked over to Kamoshida's office, taking out his phone just before knocking and set it to voice recording mode. Finally, he took one deep breath and stepped in.
"The hell do you want, brat?" Kamoshida asked him with some annoyance. From the looks of it, he'd just sat down to eat.
Ren didn't answer instantly, he took off his glasses and placed them on the table next to him. Taking one final deep breath before meeting Kamoshida's eyes.
"It's over, Kamoshida." Ren told him, only receiving a confused and slightly irritated look in return. "I talked to the people on the volleyball team. They're ready to speak up. We are going to file a police report after school today. You're over."
While sneaking around the castle yesterday, Suzui had opened up slightly about Kamoshida and everything he'd done. She'd probably only done it because of how angry and annoyed she'd gotten by all of the Kamoshida paintings and statues around. Yet in the end, she'd given more than enough reason to do whatever it took to take the man down.
Kamoshida would physically attack any student who messed up slightly. Pain was a good reminder not to mess up after all. He'd also make sure to take his time "fixing the form" of every girl on the volleyball team, something he'd do by letting his hands wander around their body.
Then there was the after hours "talks." Talks where he would try to blackmail students into doing things, or else they'd lose their position on the team. There had even been a student who had moved away after one of said "talks." Suzui wasn't sure what happened, but she'd mentioned that her friend hadn't looked the same after.
Really, this all circled back to how ridiculous the situation was.
What kind of school would let a teacher get away with something like this? It was an open secret at this point. He didn't even bother to hide the majority of his shitty behavior. Even if the full extent of his actions wasn't widely known, the physical abuse was plain enough to see. That by itself should have sent him to jail years ago.
Hell, even the students themselves putting up with the abuse just to stay on the team itself was ridiculous. But perhaps that spoke more of the system they lived in, that so many people would put up with such blatant abuse to try to stick out from the crowds to land into a good university.
Well, at least the story would make for a good college essay.
"Do you think I'm stupid?" Kamoshida finally asked him after taking a moment to process the threat Ren had just given him. "You've been here for what? Two days? You have no idea what you are talking about."
Kamoshida sounded confident of that fact, even if his eyes did show a hint of panic. To be fair, he was right, he was bullshitting his way through the interaction.
"Do you really think I'm lying?" Ren taunted back, letting his smile grow just slightly. "I met Suzui yesterday, sitting on a bench looking like she had lost her will to live. After speaking to her, she told me everything. Today, I also went around to a few other members of the volleyball team, and after confronting them, they finally broke. We are going to go to the police after school. When the police come, even those who hadn't spoken up will. It's over, Kamoshida."
He'd have to give him a lifeline, the fact that they hadn't gone to the police yet. Something to give the hope that he could stop them if he only took action now.
"Bullshit." Kamoshida shot back, standing up from his desk and approaching Ren, he was using his height advantage to try to make him feel small, but Ren didn't move, only letting the smile on his face grow to try to give himself an even more punchable face. "They'd never speak up. You think you are the first kid to try to stand up against me?"
"Why wouldn't they? Because you'd beat them up?" Ren asked, causing Kamoshida to grab him by the collar as he slammed him against one of the walls in his office. "What the hell are you going to do to them behind bars? By the time you get out, they are going to be full grown adults, and you'd be nothing but an old man past his prime. Who's going to be scared of you then?"
Yeah, that did it. Ren really did have to give some credit to Kamoshida, he knew how to throw one hell of a punch. For a second, Ren had truly lost his balance as he crashed against the ground. The world was spinning around him, but after catching his breath, he still looked up at Kamoshida with a smirk.
"If anyone is going to jail here it's you." Kamoshida shouted as he kicked him in the stomach, knocking the air out of him. "You came into my office, and attacked me for no reason." He sent another kick. "You said you were going to kill me for kicking out your little girlfriend from the team." Then another. "And in the end, I had to enforce my right to self-defense."
"Self-defense?" Ren asked, trying to catch his breath. "I haven't even touched you."
That earned him another kick.
"Who do you think they'll believe? A criminal? Or the teacher that has done nothing but raise Shujin's profile. Sakamoto couldn't get a good word in, and he used to be a good student back then. Even if Suzui tries anything, they'll just take her as an angry girl lying out of her teeth to try to take revenge for the fact that she's no longer in the team."
Then, Kamoshida knelt down, grabbing him by the neck and raising his fist to punch him again.
"We'll see if anyone tries to do anything stupid after they see the state I leave you in."
— –Shiho Suzui– —
"I need help!" Shiho shouted as she burst into the teacher's lounge.
She wasn't sure what Amamiya's plan was, but he seemed so confident that it would work that she had no choice but to trust him. Still she couldn't help but pace anxiously since the moment the lunch bell had rung. She had a bad feeling in her gut.
She waited for nine minutes just outside of her class, pacing back and forth before finally rushing to the teacher's lounge, and now, she was running across the school with a group of her teachers behind her. Ren had asked her to bring the principal, but with the ten minute deadline, she'd had to make her choice and only grab the teachers.
She had Miss Kawakami, Mister Ushimaru, and Miss Shouno running behind her. Together they all rushed into Kamoshida's office, slamming the door open. And when they did, Shiho felt her stomach drop.
Kamoshida was there, holding his fist up in the air and looking at them like a deer in headlights. Below him was Ren, bruised, bleeding, and barely conscious. Their eyes met for a moment before his body went limp.
"Ren!" Shiho shouted as she ran to his side, trying to keep him awake since he most definitely had a concussion by now.
"Amamiya!" Kawakami also shouted, running next to her to try to check on him.
"What the hell is going on here, Kamoshida?!" Ushimaru shouted as he stomped up to Kamoshida, grabbing him by the collar and pulling him away from Ren. Shiho wasn't sure she'd ever heard Ushimaru get that angry, but at this moment she didn't care as she continued to try to keep Ren awake.
Miss Shouno behind them had also screamed the moment they'd walked in, rushing away at the sight, hopefully to call an ambulance.
With her shout, the students around had all drawn closer to them, making a crowd just outside of Kamoshida's office and muttering amongst themselves at the sight.
"This… This is… it's uh…" Kamoshida stuttered for a moment as he looked at everyone around him, but he seemed to gain some confidence after a few words. "This student barged into my office, and he tried to kill me. I was just defending myself."
"Defending yourself!?" Kawakami shouted, snapping her head up with tears in her eyes. "Look at him, Kamoshida! Look at what you did!"
"I was scared for my life!" Kamoshida shouted back, pushing Ushimaru's hand off his chest and puffing himself up. "He's a criminal, remember? He snapped!"
For a moment, the room dissolved into chaos. Kawakami and Ushimaru were shouting, Kamoshida was yelling over them, and the students outside were getting louder. Shiho felt trapped in the noise. It was only then, amidst the shouting match, that she remembered the text Ren had sent her during class.
Grab my phone. No matter what.
Scrambling, she reached into his pocket. Her hands were shaking as she pulled the device out. She unlocked it with the passcode he'd given her, and there it was. A voice recording app. The timer was still running. The red light was blinking.
What?
Had Amamiya expected this? Was this the trap he mentioned? Getting beaten half to death just to get a confession?
She hit the stop button. Then, she cranked the volume to the max and pressed play.
"The hell do you want, brat?"
The sound of his voice coming from the small device caused the teachers to freeze mid-argument. Ushimaru stopped yelling. Kawakami turned around. Even Kamoshida went pale. They all turned to look at Shiho, who froze under the weight of their gazes.
But the recording didn't stop. Ren's voice followed, calm and clear.
"It's over, Kamoshida. I talked to the people on the volleyball team. They're ready to speak up. We are going to file a police report after school today. You're over."
— –Ren Amamiya– —
The soft piano notes he was starting to grow familiar with woke him up, yet before the singing could begin, it was interrupted by a deep, reverberating chuckle. The piano melody faded as the curtains in front of him opened, allowing him to finally see Igor, who was looking back at him with an unusually wide smile.
"Trickster." He greeted him as always. "To think that you would take my words as a challenge. Truly, you are the first of your kind to ever attempt to dismantle a Palace in such a manner. For that I give you credit."
For a moment, a smile appeared on Ren's face. It had been a true gamble, and perhaps it had gone a bit out of hand, but it had worked. Or so he'd thought.
"However, as unorthodox as your approach might have been, the Castle still stands." Igor continued, his voice echoing in the vast theater as if he were reading Ren's thoughts. Seeing the confident smile drop from Ren's face, Igor shook his head slowly. "That is not to say that your actions were in vain. They may yet yield an unexpected boon."
Ren really wanted to feel relieved at the words.. But before he could speak up he felt a massive headache assault him, and the entire theater shook along with it. It took Ren a few seconds to recover, blinking away the spots in his vision. Once he did, he cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure.
"So, there goes my big twist ending." Ren tried to joke, forcing a dry chuckle through the lingering pain. He looked up at the long-nosed man. "So, what's next?"
Igor stared at him silently for a moment, the permanent, unmoving smile on his face stretching just a fraction wider.
"What is next for you, Trickster, is a reward. Your performance was... visceral. A true spectacle. You have done well to entertain me." Igor spoke with a distinct hint of approval. "However, it wouldn't do to grant said reward before the act is finished. Once you have fully conquered the Palace and stolen the Treasure, I will bestow it upon you."
Then, just as Igor opened his mouth to speak again, a soft glow illuminated the dim room. A single, ethereal blue butterfly fluttered between the two of them. It danced lazily through the air, defying the gravity of the heavy atmosphere, before finally landing on one of the empty velvet audience chairs.
Igor's eyes flicked to the insect. He appeared slightly annoyed by the interruption, a twitch of irritation crossing his features. But after a moment, he simply ignored it and continued.
"There is, however, another lesson I must impart upon you. The guidance you require as a contractee of the Velvet Room." He began, leaning forward, his white gloves clasping together. "As I mentioned previously, this show cannot be completed by a single actor. With your actions today, you have left quite a deep impression on the hearts of many. You would be advised to pursue those partnerships. Strengthen your connections."
Igor's smile finally softened, though it didn't disappear, as he sat back in his chair.
"You are the Fool, Trickster. The number zero. The beginning of a journey with infinite possibilities. Yet, it is not by your steps alone that your path must be forged. It is only by forming true bonds with those who, by morals or faith, would lend you their strength, that you may truly mature."
"Personas are the strength of the heart." Justine added, stepping out from the shadows near the cell. She glanced at him, her one visible eye holding a look of genuine concern rather than her usual coldness. "The stronger your bonds, the more power your Personas shall awaken."
"That's right." Caroline added.
She walked a bit closer, but strangely she wasn't shouting. She lacked her usual explosive energy. She looked at him for a few moments before sighing.
"There are countless people in this city with talents that could elevate the level of your show, Inmate. If you are able to bring them to your side, we will be able to turn that bond into power. Don't think you can do this all alone. No, remember that you must not do this alone."
Ren was starting to feel somewhat uncomfortable by the concerned looks the twins were giving him, so he decided to try to change the tone slightly by trying another joke.
"So, you are telling me the power of friendship is real?"
He wasn't sure what kind of answer he expected, maybe a scoff or an insult, but he was greeted with a solemn nod.
"Indeed." Igor confirmed, his voice devoid of mockery. "A clichéd sentiment, perhaps, but a powerful reality. You should be prepared to use every bond at your disposal for your growth. You should prepare to utilize even me. Or else, this show will not reach a satisfying conclusion."
He stopped for a moment, his expression growing ever so slightly more serious before continuing.
"The time for our audience has run out. However, I look forward to your next move, Trickster."
With those words, the curtains between them closed, leaving Ren once more alone with his two assistants.
"What you did today was incredibly reckless, Trickster. Please, exercise more caution from now on. For our sake." Justine began, her voice quiet but firm.
"Yeah! You're no good to our master if you're dead!" Caroline cut in, stomping her foot against the plush carpet. She tried to sound angry, but she couldn't quite hide the tremor of worry in her expression.
Justine raised a book she'd been holding, flipping through the pages before seemingly finding what she'd been searching for.
"Just this once, let us soothe your pain. But we do beg you once more, Trickster, to take better care of yourself."
At her words, a small fairy materialized behind her, followed by a warm soothing green light that made the slight headache he'd been feeling all but vanish. Yet, before he could thank the twins, the lights around them began to shut off, until he was in complete darkness.
"Remember, Trickster, if you ever need to check up on your bonds, all you need to do is look into your heart."
Justine's voice echoed through the void, fading into silence.
The next time Ren opened his eyes he found himself resting in what appeared to be a hospital bed. He felt a headache, and he instinctively reached to his face, but the moment he pressed his fingers against it he winced back in pain.
As if summoned by the slight grunt he'd given out, he heard a few footsteps just outside of the room before a beautiful woman in a doctor's coat walked in. She had short, dark blueish hair that framed her pale face. The black studded choker that adorned her neck caught Ren's attention, but he quickly glanced back up to meet the woman's eyes.
"Huh, I didn't expect you to wake up until tomorrow. You took quite a beating." The doctor said off-handedly, as she grabbed a small penlight and approached him. "Hold still, I need to conduct a quick examination."
She examined him for a few minutes, her brow furrowing deeper with every second. She checked his pupil response, pressed against his ribs, and checked his pulse. She seemed to be growing more confused by the second, until she finally clicked the light off and took a step back, looking at him with genuine surprise.
"That's strange." She muttered, tapping the penlight against her chin. "By all accounts, you should have a severe concussion. Maybe even a hairline fracture. But... you're not suffering from any major neurological side effects. Just some slight disorientation."
She let out a short, incredulous breath, a slight smile playing on her lips.
"Consider yourself lucky. You must have a hard head. Your vitals are stable. You'll have some nasty bruising and inflammation around your face and abdomen, but nothing that won't fade with time and rest."
"That's good to hear." Ren answered with a light, relieved chuckle, sitting up slowly. "Thanks for taking care of me."
The doctor gave him a nod of acknowledgement. She turned to her desk, grabbing a notepad and scribbling something down before turning back to him.
"Well… normally, I would have you stay overnight for observation. But from your intake records, it says you're staying at Leblanc. That's just down the street. So, I'll give you a choice: would you rather stay here in the clinic, or go back to your own bed? I know most of my patients find the accommodations here a little... sterile."
After thinking for a moment, Ren answered that he'd rather go back to Leblanc.
He needed the privacy. He needed to call Shiho and get the full story of what happened after he blacked out. And while he knew Sojiro would have a "few" words for him, the old man would probably save the heavy lecture for later given the state Ren was in.
From what Igor had mentioned, his plan must have worked. At least somewhat..
Stepping out onto the dark streets of Yongen-Jaya, the night air felt cool against his bruised face. The doctor walked with him, and the two of them walked for only a few minutes before arriving at the familiar, warm glow of the café.
Before Ren could reach for the door handle, she stopped him, handing him a small business card.
"Come back tomorrow afternoon for a follow-up. I want to make sure I didn't miss anything, your recovery is a little too fast, and I don't like mysteries I can't solve." She crossed her arms. "If you want to skip school tomorrow, just give me a call in the morning. I'll call the school and authorize a medical leave. Otherwise, you know where to find me. If you feel dizzy, nauseous, or in pain, call me immediately. I do house calls for emergencies."
"Thank you for your assistance, Miss…"
"Takemi." The doctor answered, turning on her heel, her lab coat fluttering behind her. "Dr. Tae Takemi."
As the doctor departed into the shadows of the street, Ren felt a familiar sensation. It wasn't just gratitude; it was something deeper. A chain breaking. An inexplicable connection forming between them.
~Confidants~
Igor (The Fool) Rank 1
Tae Takemi (The Death) Rank 1
Sadayo Kawakami (The Temperance) Rank 1
Shiho Suzui (The Tower) Rank 1
~A/N~
Should I keep updating the chapters here? Or should I create a new story just to upload the rewritten chapters? Honestly I think it's a bit of a bummer to lose out on all of the paragraph comments, and by this point I've probably deleted a bunch just form the first seven chapters