(A/N: Here you guys go, the seventh chapter is all here! So sit down, relax, and enjoy the new chapter of Paradox.)

*******

------Next Day: Shujin Academy: Class 2-D------

Listening to the lecture of Mr. Ushimaru, Ren still couldn't stop recalling all the crazy events that went down just the previous day with Shiho's attempted suicide, Ann's awakening to her Persona, and all. It felt so unrealistic to be true, then again... nothing about his new life in Tokyo was normal since day one ever since he discovered the existence of the Metaverse and Kamoshida's castle along with Ryuji. Everything was happening so fast and he only started attending Shujin a few days ago, yet a lot of drama was surrounding it already, much to his surprise. A frown was printed on his face as the movements of the pen in his hand came to a halt, stopping from writing down any further words in the process when he recalled his... expulsion. Ren was shamed enough for getting expelled from his previous high school and he surely didn't want to experience that situation again; all the looks and whispers regarding him. And that's why he needed to fulfill the mission by the deadline with his new teammates, no matter what. However, his thoughts were put to a stop by the vibrating sound of his phone--Ann and Ryuji were texting during class, how bold of them.

Ryuji: Hey, we're meeting up at the hideout after school, right?

Ann: Don't text now. We're in class.

Ryuji: Whoa! You mean you're actually listening to all this crap?

Ann: Yeah, but none of it is really sticking today...

Ryuji: I know, right?

Ryuji: Anyways, hideout after school?

Ann: Where exactly is this "hideout"?

Ren: The school's roof.

Ann: Wait, we can still go up there?

Ryuji: Yeah, I'll let you in.

Ryuji: Welp, I'll be waiting. Just come on up once school's over.

Ren: Got it.

"Hey, Amamiya! You! Pay attention! Is that how you listen when someone's talking to you?!"

The teacher raised his hand with the chalk stuffed in his palm, sending angry looks at Ren as if he was about to do something to him. The raven-haired knew exactly what Mr. Uchimaru was going to do, so he acted as the teacher threw the chalk powerfully. It flew at an abnormal speed towards Ren who swiftly tilted his head sideways causing the chalk to fly right beside his head and hit the blackboard hung at the back of the class, creating a loud thud. The whole class went silent for a moment after they just witnessed how the delinquent transfer avoided the flying chalk without even breaking a sweat like it was predicted it would happen, and even the teacher had a shocked look on his face while Ren remained cool and collected.

"Whoa! That was an epic dodge!"

"That was nuts... is he a ninja?"

Such murmurs and whispers while the raven-haired just adjusted the position of his glasses over the bridge of his nose while giving Mr. Uchimaru an "innocent" look on his face, making him continue the lecture like nothing happened.

After all, no one messes with Ren Amamiya.

*******

------After School: Shujin's Rooftop------

Opening the door to the rooftop, Ren's eyes were immediately met with the figures of Ann and Ryuji who were sitting on the desks separately while smiling at him kindly. Upon meeting the dark-haired boy, Ryuji's smirk grew wider while Ann gave him a light and friendly wave, both looking rather happy and relieved to see him. Back on the day he first arrived in Tokyo, Ren had convinced himself that he was going to spend his year quietly without causing any problem, do anything to stand out, or not making many friends at all. But since Ren was in that crazy situation, he decided to make the most of it with his new teammates while he could before they all part ways after the job was done... thus, he smiled weakly while approaching them with those thoughts in mind.

"Looks like we're all here. Mkay, let's get goin'!"

"Hold on! It's still too early for us to head to the Palace." Morgana warned.

"But why? Don't we just gotta steal that Treasure thing?"

"But going there without a plan would be a very reckless thing to do." Ren held his chin.

"That's right, Ren. Plus, don't underestimate the dangers of the place. We need to prepare."

"Ain't that Persona shit we got enough to deal with it?"

"We can't do things recklessly like this." Ann argued.

"That's exactly what I mean when I say don't underestimate it. You'll die if you mess up in there. So again, we need to prepare before we head in." Morgana rephrased seriously.

"But... how exactly are we supposed to do that?" Ann wondered

"I'm glad you asked, Lady Ann. First, we'll need to find better equipment for all of you."

"You talkin' about weapons? I know a kick-ass place!"

"In that case, you can handle that side of things. The only other thing would be stocking up on medicine. Fatigue is unavoidable in a Palace..."

"And where can we get medicine?" Ann questioned yet again.

"Don't worry, I know just the place. I hope you look forward to it, Lady Ann! Now then, Ren and I have some business in Yongen, so let's head off for today!" Morgana looked at the noirest.

"Uh, what business...?"

"Just come with me! I won't be able to get close enough by myself!"

*******

------Yongen-Jaya's Backstreets------

Going back to the neighborhood, Ren couldn't stop wondering about what Morgana had in mind about the business he mentioned on the school's rooftop. And no matter how much he tried asking him, the cat would always reply to stay patient and how he'd know once they arrived back to Yongen. For that, Ren decided to keep quiet about it and head back to the backstreets as instructed by Morgana to get to the bottom of his question once they get there. Hopefully, when they reach there, he'd start explaining his plan since Ren was seriously confused and lost at that moment... what could he mean by business in Yongen really?

"Hey, remember that customer you met at Leblanc yesterday? The doctor who prescribes medication after a quick examination? She was sitting at the booth..." Morgana informed the boy.

"Yeah, I remember."

"I just realized something. If she's the kind of doctor who gets sketchy rumors like that, maybe she'll help us out. She's somewhere in the neighborhood, right? Take me to her."

"All right then..."

With a shrug, Ren carried on walking in the narrow alleyways of Yongen-Jaya along with Morgana who was commenting on everything he was seeing with wide eyes like a child who saw the world for the first time. That was understandable, given the mysterious origin of Morgana, his claimed amnesia, and where they met him for the first time... but it was still rather cute to see him so charmed by everything his eyes fell on. It was the first time for the raven-haired to explore the neighborhood so freely like that, so he was kind of excited, but his excitement didn't last long since he spotted the clinic not too far away from Leblanc.

Such a letdown.

"This is the clinic that the chief mentioned. Now, how can we get them to give us medicine...?"

"I'm sure we'll make something up."

"...Well, I guess that's the only choice we have. We'll just have to go for it. All right, let's step inside."

*******

------The Clinic------

The bell jingled as Ren opened the clinic's door and stepped inside, only to get immediately greeted with the powerful smell of mixed medicines and drugs. Hence, it even smelt a lot worse than a hospital, causing him to try and cover his nose from the powerful smell as a last resort of escaping from it--it was so overwhelming that Ren felt like his stomach did some nasty flips. While still grossed out from the smell, the boy adjusted himself as he took further steps in as his eyes fell upon the doctor who was sitting behind the reception desk.

"...Is this your first visit? Hm? I feel like I've seen you somewhere before..." The languid doctor looked closely at Ren.

"Yeah, at Leblanc."

"Hmmm... well, whatever... so, what are you here for today?"

"Actually, my body feels lethargic."

"........" The languid doctor looked at the boy before sighing, "...Fine. Please head to the exam room."

Ren felt that something was off with the doctor's tone to him, but he walked into the examination room nonetheless with the doctor right behind him. Inside, she pointed at the examination chair for him to sit on as she quietly closed the door of the room. With a nod, the boy sat down along with her across him with her legs crossed while carrying a clipboard close to her chest, taking notes on it while stealing a few glances at Ren every now and then. The boy was no fool and noticed how the doctor was eyeing him with that suspicious look on her face, causing his anxiety to build up inside of his chest... but he tried not to show it in any way so her suspicions won't be proven true.

"...In a case like yours, it's usually just due to stress. I'm going to prescribe you some pain relievers, okay?" The languid doctor took notes down.

"Fine by me."

"Actually, I still need to restock those... so let's go with sleeping pills instead. Sleep is the best medicine anyway. Which type of pill do you want, a sweet-tasting one or a bitter one?"

"Whichever."

"How about a stinky one, then? Just kidding. There's no such pill. All right, why don't we stop beating around the bush..."

"Oh no..."

"You're not sick at all, are you? I'm not as dumb as I look, you know. I'm guessing you're here because you heard the rumors about me, huh?"

"That's right. But are the rumors true?"

"Who's to say? But as a result, all I get is patients with ulterior motives now. I guess high school kids have it tough nowadays too, huh? Well, fine. I'll prescribe you some medication."

".........!"

"But only medication that will help you recover your health. I guess it's fine. You seem pretty earnest, and you don't look like you'll be any trouble. This is my private practice. All the medicine I dispense is original. I have a license to make my own formulas. You've likely seen them being sold at various hospitals. It's your responsibility to take care of yourself. So if that's okay with you, stop by anytime."

"That'll really help, doctor. Thanks."

"Great. It's nice that you're so quick on the uptake... saves me the hassle. You're a pretty weird kid, you know? I wonder what you're going to use the medicine for..."

"Ummm..."

"Well, as long as you don't cause me any trouble, it's not my problem..."

The doctor gave Ren a few bottles of painkillers in which he thanked her in return, earning a nod of acknowledgment from her. Making his way out of the examination room, Ren encountered a roughly-looking man who threw a disapproved look at him, making the boy feel a little uncomfortable as the man headed into the room. Ren shook his head to throw away that unsettling feeling he had and was about to exit the clinic until he heard them talking from behind the door, their voices were muffled somehow but still pretty audible.

"...What's the reason for your visit? Do you have a cold? Stomachache? Athlete's foot? Whatever it is, you'll need to take a number."

"...Enough of this!"

"........?!"

His sudden yell piqued Ren's attention which made him walk close to the door and place his ear on it to get a better hearing of the conversation while holding his breath in anticipation.

"You're the only one who could have developed that kind of medicine."

"I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about..."

"Don't play dumb with me. Rumor has it, It's a drug so potent it can give a person unlimited power."

"Really? That's news to me."

"Developing experimental drugs, medicine, and herbal remedies violates all health regulations. Are you attempting to create a super-stimulant? A drug like that will only become a social issue."

"You're really persistent, you know that? I'm just a quack..."

"The police may not be taking action, but I can imagine the media will soon pick up on it. You intend to ruin my reputation again, huh? You're a disgrace to the medical community."

"...Tsk!"

"What's with the look? That was your mistake, was it not? I won't be responsible for your criminal actions. Dispose of that 'medicine' immediately and resign. The name 'Tae Takemi' will never-- Hey, is somebody there?!"

When eavesdropping went wrong...

*******

------Yongen-Jaya's Backstreets------

The raven-haired sighed deeply in relief as he stepped outside of the clinic as if he was holding his breath all the time inside. He got nervous when the doctor saw through his intentions but felt a great belief once she gave him the medicine nonetheless, but his greater nervousness was when the man was about to bust him as well. And yet, the thought of her creating powerful drugs lingered in his mind... was that even possible? And with a small bottle of medicine only?

"Geez, they almost caught us. Sounded like they were talking about something dangerous... could that woman be hiding some extra strong medicine...?" Morgana seemed interested as well.

"We should use that."

"I agree. If it's that strong, it can come in handy at the Palace. All right, let's come back when the man isn't there. We shouldn't involve people who have nothing to do with this. Keep the Phantom Thieves a secret, okay? Anyway, great work! That went really well!"

Pi

Pi

Pi

He pulled his phone out to open the group chat.

Ryuji: You know there's a shop in Shibuya that sells model guns.

Ryuji: I'd be glad to take you there if you want.

Ren: Sounds good.

Ryuji: Sweet.

Ryuji: Welp, let's figure out where to meet.

Ryuji: You at least know how to get to Shibuya Station, yeah?

Ann: Hey, I can't make it. Can I trust you guys to check the place out for me?

Ryuji: You can't come?

Ann: Not today. I made plans to go see Shiho in the hospital.

Ryuji: Ah, gotcha.

Ryuji: Don't worry, we got this.

Ryuji: Well, seeya in Shibuya, Renren! I'll be waiting in front of the station!

Ren: Don't call me that.

"We might be able to get our hands on some decent stuff if this store really has model guns." Morgana pointed out.

That was going to be a very long day.

*******

------Pawn Shop------

Ren went to Shibuya station to meet up with Ryuji as agreed and followed the blondie in the narrow alleys of Shibuya until they came across a pawn shop called Untouchable. The door opened and Ren almost ran away from how bad the smell inside the shop was which was full of model guns and other valuable objects. Did every store in the area smell that terrible...? But then, their eyes fell on the manager who was a middle-aged man with gray hair, faint stubble, sideburns, and earrings. A tattoo of a gecko was on the left side of his neck near the back and had a lollipop in his mouth. He wore a gray hat with yellow ear defenders, a black turtleneck sweater, a long gray coat with a red peace symbol on it, blue jeans, and dark boots.

"...You lookin' for recommendations? I dunno. Just buy whatever looks interestin' to you." The surly manager spoke.

"Ugh, some customer service..." Ryuji growled.

"Fine, whaddya want? An automatic? A revolver?"

"Uh, automatic...? Dude, why're talkin' about cars now?!"

"Listen, this here's an enthusiast shop. My regulars'll be mad if I let a casual like you hang around."

"I'm not a freakin' casual! I bought shit from here like, last week!"

"Huh, can't remember you."

"You bastard..."

"And you? Lookin' for somethin'?" His eyes fell on Ren.

"A fancy model gun."

"...Oh? You a collector? Heh, you're way more interestin' than blondie over there."

"Sh-Shut it!" Ryuji grumbled under his breath.

"Anyways... you shoulda said before you two're enthusiasts. I'm always up for helpin' fresh faces. Some precautions first though. Don't go 'round pointing 'em at other people. Keep 'em in a bag or somethin' if you're outside. Oh, and don't let the fuzz catch wind of you having 'em. I don't need them comin' around here."

"We'll be careful, promise." Ren reassured.

"You damn well better be. Now, if you look close, you'll be able to tell these're models. Real guns feel... different. Maybe some day I'll show you the real good stuff though... if you got the guts for it, of course. But for now, you get the beginner selection. Just sit tight, I'll bring 'em out."

As the manager left for a room in the back, Ryuji looked at his bud with a mad and wide grin on his face.

"...We did it, dude. We totally gotta go for some fancy shit, right? I want 'em to shine! Oh, and here's the cash of mine. Pick out something good!"

Their eyes sparkled as the surly manager walked back in with a case filled with model guns of all shapes and types. They began holding them to experience the feeling of holding guns while smiling widely. In the end, they decided what they wanted and left with big satisfaction.

*******

------Evening: Leblanc------

It was such a tiring day indeed between preparing items from guns and medicine for the Palace and thus, exhaustion was obvious on Ren's face. He longed to throw himself on his bed and sleep peacefully, he wanted that so badly. When he opened the shop's door, the sight of a customer sitting at the booth while talking to Sojiro unfolded before his eyes. He actually didn't mind it and wanted to just head upstairs to sleep, but their conversation was important to him.

"Boss, did you hear? Apparently, that subway driver from the accident was acting really odd during his testimony hearing." A haughty regular spoke.

"You talking about that psychotic whatever thing people're going on about?"

"Yeah, I heard it completely alters your personality. The news is saying the driver couldn't even speak when they tried asking him questions."

"There's no way a preposterous story like that could be true. Oh, and sorry, but we're closing soon."

"Hmph, how rude. This must be why you don't get many customers. Your coffee's actually not half bad. The beans must be lamenting the sorry state of the store..."

"Thanks for stopping in. Please come again."

"Hmph. I only say that out of politeness, but... thanks for the coffee."

The haughty regular placed money at the counter as he left the shop with a mocking scuff. Ren was astonished by both the regular and Sojiro's behavior toward one another. He hesitated whether he should ask him about it, and saw his guardian taking a deep tired sigh while running his hand through his hair.

"Sheesh, what a pain... oh... what do you want? If you're bored, go wash some dishes or something."

"Um, how's business?"

"Doesn't concern you. It's all good as long the shop doesn't fail. I'm not gonna go wearing a fake smile."

"But what if it does fail?"

"Who knows? Maybe I'll end up living out on the streets. As long as I'm here, the world leaves me be. No annoyances or troublesome people to deal with. It's like my own personal hideaway. I'd be kinda screwed if I lost it, but I guess you would be too. So, you at least try and be useful around here. Anyway, I'm leaving now. Don't cause any trouble."

With a nod, Sojiro left the shop and locked the door behind him leaving Ren all alone. The noirest wasted no time as he climbed the stairs up to the attic and hoped on his bed wanting to close his eyes more than anything, however, he received a text message from Ann making him adjust his sitting position.

Ann: So, I went to see Shiho in the hospital...

Ren: How was she?

Ann: Her condition is stable.

Ann: They don't know when she'll regain her consciousness though.

Ren: I'm sure she'll be okay.

Ann: Yeah.

Ann: She'll get better, I know it.

Ann: I just need to believe in her.

Ann: But... I'll never forgive Kamoshida. He's going to pay for what he did, no matter what.

"We're just about ready to go to the Palace. We just need to assemble some infiltration tools. I'll provide materials this time. Try making a lockpick." Morgana spoke.

"I'll try."

"Everyone starts off a little clumsy. Don't be sad if it doesn't go well at first, okay?"

Yeah, right.

*******

------The Next Day: Shujin Academy's Gate-------

While walking towards school, Ren was yawning loudly while covering his mouth, a few tears formed in the corner of his eyes due to his constant yawns. He had stayed up the previous night under Morgana's commands to make a lockpick with his bare hands. He failed many times, and each time Morgana would force him to try again until he was able to make three of them.

But at the expense of sleep.

Near the gate, he saw Kamoshida greeting the students who were walking in as grinning at them. Only him, his teammates, and the volleyball team knew his true colors, so he didn't buy that fake grin at all... it only caused him to knit his eyebrows while frowning at meeting his damned face first thing in the morning. He was responsible for those poor teens' misery, he was trying to force himself on Ann, he drove Shiho to her attempted suicide due to the shameful act he committed on her body... what a sick and despicable man.

"Good morning. C'mon, hurry up and get to class!"

Ren walked toward him with the same stern look on his face.

"Good morning." Kamoshida visibly frowned upon seeing Ren. And he wasn't happy to see him either.

"........."

"...That admirable behavior won't do any good once you're all expelled."

Still glaring at him, Ren made his way into the school building as he glanced at Kamoshida from behind his shoulders who kept greeting students with that fake grin of his. Ugh, just how condescending! And yet on the way in, he saw Emiko standing before the teacher also with an angry look on her face, even worse than the glare she gave Ann on his first day. Ren concluded that she arrived shortly after him, and even though he saw her from the corner of his eyes, her glares never failed to send shivers down his spine.

But, Kamoshida's reaction was unforeseen.

He licked his lips in pure lust upon seeing her.

Ren felt surprised and disgusted at the same time due to that teacher's sudden action... so, did that mean that he set his eyes on Emiko now and was going to be his next victim after Shiho? Oh no. He knew that he was forcing himself at Ann and now he saw that he was after Emiko as well which was absolutely disgusting to him in every way possible.

But...

Would he really care about a girl who did nothing but hurting him without any good reason?

*******

------Early Morning: Class 2-D------

Homeroom was something less than ordinary to everyone yet it remained an annoying hindrance to some of the students because what was the point of listening to some repetitive school announcements and reports? Time seemed to move slowly to the students of class 2-D as they listened to their teacher Ms. Sadayo Kawakami reading through a piece of paper with bored expressions on their faces. A pair of dull and sullen dark grey eyes were idyllically staring at the window, following the slow movement of the few clouds that scattered in the sky. Ren's morning was already disastrous with the small encounter with Kamoshida at the gate... and although he said anything, the whole situation left a bitter taste in his mouth.

"...Well, that wraps up the homeroom period. Amamiya-Kun, a word with you, please?" Ms. Kawakami glanced at the dark-haired boy.

Oh no... that couldn't be good.

Ren felt all the eyes of his classmates shifting toward him with the mere mention of his name, their murmurs and whispers already flying across the room and into his ears. Not only was his record mysteriously leaked, but rumors and rumors were swirling around the school regarding him that were twisting the truth the worst way possible. He took a shaky breath while forcing his body to stand up from the desk, catching a glance at Ann who gave him a worried expression as she was clearly thinking of the worst-case scenario... maybe about his and Ryuji's exchange with Kamoshida the other day? Well, rumors were flying about that as well that no soul in the whole school was left unheard of the incident. Ren smiled softly at the platinum blonde-haired girl in his way of telling her not to worry about him before following his teacher out of the class into the hallway, closing the door behind them. Despite that... the cold sweat that rolled down his forehead and the gulp he took told a whole different story.

Following Ms. Kawakami who was walking ahead of him, Ren kept an expressionless face as many thoughts began swirling in his mind. That was definitely about Kamoshida, he had a strong feeling about that since he never caused trouble for anyone the first day he transferred... well anyone except for him of course. What'd be the best approach when bombarded with Ms. Kawakami's questions? Fake ignorance? The silent treatment? Denial? Or just tell her everything? He began analyzing every option he had with their possible outcomes, trying to choose the best result that had the best, well... damage. But the sudden halt of Ms. Kawakami's movements caused Ren to abruptly stop walking as well, feeling his heart drop for a second as she turned her face at him.

"There's something I'd like to ask you. It won't take long."

"Sure."

The moment Ms. Kawakami opened her mouth to speak, the door next to them opened, making the two look at it as none other than Kamoshida and a dark-haired man wearing a suit, possibly a faculty member, walking out from it along with a red-haired female student. Wait... wasn't that the same kind girl Ren encountered on the train before? What was she doing with Kamoshida...?

"I see you're already getting on top of the problems I'd mentioned this morning, Ms. Kawakami! I appreciate the support." Kamoshida glanced at the brown-haired teacher.

The moment the girl's eyes met Ren's, her red irises lit up ever so slightly as she couldn't help but smile softly at him.

"Thank you again." The student with ribbon in hair bowed to Ren.

"Um, no... it's fine." Ren felt himself getting nervous at her politeness.

"Oh, you know this guy, Yoshizawa?" Kamoshida seemed curious.

"Yes, he lent me a helping hand earlier."

"I recommend you steer clear of the likes of him if you have any consideration for your future. Remember the discussion we just had? There are a number of students in this school you shouldn't get involved with... this one's at the top of the list."

Widening her eyes at such a revelation, Yoshizawa's gaze went back to Ren who pursued his lips in a straight line as he watched the sparkle in her eyes disappear and turn to something else. He could swear he caught the change of color in her face as fear began becoming more visible at it... fear of him--it was a look Ren knew so damn well and saw many times until now. Despite her past kindness to him, he didn't have any expectations or hope and even figured out she'd look at him like that the moment she knew, and Kamoshida's sick way of twisting the truth made things a lot worse. It was fine though, Ren was used to being looked at in that way that it didn't hurt him anymore... but still, it was quite the shock for her, huh?

"Oh, the delinquent transfer student...?" Yoshizawa gasped softly.

It didn't' hurt him anymore... it didn't hurt him... it didn't hurt him... it... didn't... hurt him.

It did hurt him.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I need to use the guidance office." Ms. Kawakami spoke up.

"Oh, pardon me." Kamoahida chuckled apologetically before looking at Yoshizawa, "We should be going too--don't want to get in the way of guiding this delinquent and all."

He walked away with the man, giving Ren the tiniest smirk of victory that didn't slip unnoticed by him.

"...Please, excuse us." Yoshizawa bowed before walking away.

With a sullen expression on his face, Ren glanced backward at Yoshizawa who seemed to have the same idea as she glanced back at him as well, their eyes meeting for a brief moment before she turned around the corner. Her eyes had the tiniest glint of... regret? Was she remorseful that she acted nice with a troubled student like him?

"After you." Ms. Kawakami pointed at the room.

Nodding to his teacher, Ren was first to enter the room and followed by Ms. Kawakami who closed the door behind them. They both sat down at the table placed inside across each other, looking at the other's eyes sternly in anticipation of might happen next. None of them dared to speak first and break the awkward silence that enveloped the guidance room, only the sound of their breathing pierced through that silence.

"I'm gonna get straight to the point: did something happen between you and Mr. Kamoshida?" Ms. Kawakami was the first to break the silence.

So he was right.

"No, not at all. Why do you ask?"

"Well there was that little exchange just now, but that's not all... he gave me a brief lecture this morning, and your name came up. Something about the dangers of a lack of supervision..."

"...Lack of supervision?"

Of course he'd say something like that.

"I don't mean to pry, but... just make sure you don't go causing trouble, okay? Oh, and one more thing. That girl outside the office--you didn't make a pass at her, did you?" Ms. Kawakami leaned closer across the table.

"What? No, of course not!"

Even the idea that Ms. Kawakami considered such a possibility made Ren sick to his stomach.

"Look... Mr. Kamoshida has a real close eye on you... you've been getting involved with Sakamoto-Kun. You seem acquainted with Yoshizawa-San as well." Ms. Kawakami stated, "...Maybe, you're just naturally drawn to athletes?"

"Athletes?"

"Sorry, bad joke. That's all I wanted to discuss. You're free to go."

*******

------Morning: Class 2-D------

Swirling the pen aimlessly between his fingers, Ren let out a bored huff as his eyes were glued to the blank notebook open in front of him. So many conflicted ideas were racing inside of Ren's head regarding his coming operation with the others. His preparations were perfectly done after he bought all the necessary weapons and medicine... all that was left was to head to the Palace and steal the Treasure. Yet, was the risk of the possible death of Kamoshida a risk he was truly willing to take...? He shook his head to kick those negative thoughts off his head; he had already made his mind and was willing to risk everything... the injured students and their futures counted on that, Shiho's life counted on that, Ryuji and Ann counted on that. The moment he saw Shiho Suzui on the school's rooftop and all the life she once had in her eyes fade away as she jumped down, he knew there was turning back anymore--no way he'd let another person die in front of him. 

Not... ever... again.

The sudden buzz of his phone pulled him out of the abyss of his own mind as he nervously pulled his phone out of his pocket. His eyes scanned the content of the text messages that were floating on his screen one after another, his thumb hovering over the keyboard.

Ryuji: So I saw Kamoshida at the school gate this morning.

Ryuji: He was just standing there looking at me with his shit-eating grin on his face.

Ann: Ugh, that's annoying... he was probably mocking you.

Ryuji: Honestly, seeing that got me even more fired up about this.

Ryuji: We're definitely gonna pull this off.

Ann: Yeah. I'm worried about Shiho, but I want to concentrate on our operation too.

Ann: And I won't let myself get exhausted like last time.

Ryuji: The board meeting's May 2nd, right?

Ryuji: We just gotta take care of him before then.

Ren: I'm ready for this.

Ryuji: Same goes for me.

Ann: Me too!

Ann: I'll do my best. No going without me, okay?

Ryuji: Yeah, you better let us know if you're going into the Palace.

Ren: Got it.

*******

------After School: Shujin's Rooftop------

"I hope you all understand that our time limit is May 2nd." Morgana reminded.

"We basically just have to go to that castle and steal the Treasure of from Kamoshida, right?" Ann asked firmly.

"But wait, what even is a Treasure? I wanna know that before we do anything."

"A Treasure is the physical form of the Palace ruler's distorted desires. In other words, it's the core of the Palace. Once we steal it, the Palace will crumble... I think. Having said all that, even I don't know what Kamoshida's Treasure is going to be."

"And where can we find it?"

"There's no way of knowing that until we go in and find out. But if I had to guess, I'd say he has it locked up somewhere in the depths of the Palace."

"Eh, I think I get it now. We just gotta find the Treasure, yeah?"

"Pretty much. There's just a lot we won't know until we go in..." Morgana spoke "In any case, our objective is to find the Treasure's location somewhere in the Palace. Make sure we go about this with time to spare so we can avoid any unforeseen circumstances. I expect great things from you guys."

*******

------Kamoshida's Palace------

After activating the Nav, the thieves found themselves in front of the Castle of Lust once more, but this time in the quest of stealing Kamoshida's Treasure. While walking towards the main gate, Skull abruptly paused his tracks staring at Ann with a visible blush on his cheeks that became rose pink in color. He cleared his throat while feeling that his heart was beating fast because he never saw Ann dressed in something like that before... but damn, she looked so good in that! With a smirk on his face, Joker elbowed Skull to make him snap from his fantasies and return to the real world as he noticed his constant stares at the girl, getting a clear idea of what was going on in Skull's mind.

"But daaamn..." Skull observed Ann's curves thoroughly.

"Hm? What's up?"

"N-Nothing. I was just thinkin' we should choose a code name for you too."

"A code name?"

"I'm Skull, he's Joker, and that's Mona."

"Judging by your costume..." Mona trailed.

"I mean, she's got that tail and stuff, so... whadda you think, Joker?"

"'Sexy Cat.'"

"Wait! Is that what you're going to call me from now on?! I am SO not down with this!"

"What do you wanna be called, then?"

"Um, something better than just a little cat... maybe... 'Panther'? That sounds pretty cool, doesn't it?"

"Huh? Why?"

" 'Cause it sounds more... ferocious?"

"She's a cougar...!" Mona spoke dreamily.

"Don't call me that! More importantly, Kamoshida...!"

"Oh, right. Let's go! All right, let's start fresh and get goin'!" Skull exclaimed.

"It's game time from this point forward. I'll teach you guys the basics of infuriating a Palace as we go."

The newly-founded Phantom Thieves began their mission of infiltrating Kamoshida's Palace and learning the pattern of the castle, safe rooms, how to sneak in among the shadows, ambush enemies with sneak attacks, and the basics of combat. That was the whole concept repeating itself over and over during the time of infiltration in dungeons, hallways, rooftops, and every nook and cranny in it. That state kept going until the party snuck on the second floor of the throne room, encountering a locked door.

Hearing nearby heavy footsteps, Joker pointed to his teammates to rush and hide behind a corner that earned quick and terrified nods from his teammates. Once they did that, they saw a Shadow patrolling the area which had a shiny golden armor, and yet they noticed the keys hanging on its waist. Making her way out, Panther casually walked toward the guard with a smile on her face, much to her friends' shocks, and whispered shouts to urge her to come back to their hiding spot.

"Hi!" She waved at it before running away.

Luring the Shadow to her friends and knocking it down, it had a dark reddish aura coming out of it before transforming into a flying pixie.

"What the hell was that for? Thugs! Ruffians! Brutes!"

"Whoa, she talks!" Skull gasped.

"And she's a girl! I didn't need to use sex appeal!" Panther added shockingly.

Then, Joker pointed his gun at the pixie, earning wide eyes from her in the process at his unexpected and bold move.

"Wh-What? That's not real, is it? If you think you have a chance, do your worst!"

"Give us the key."

"The key? Oh, is that what you want? Fine, I'll give it to you." The pixie said before throwing the key to the noirest, "Satisfied? Then get lost. Just looking at you creeps pisses me off."

"Ugh, what a nasty mouth. Hey, let's get goin'."

"Thank you." Joker nodded to the pixie.

"Hey, what the... you're throwing me off my game." The pixie suddenly blushed from embarrassment, "But maybe it's not so bad. Something's coming!"

Suddenly a bright blue light surrounded her.

"That's right. I remember. I don't just belong to King Kamoshida. I drift about the sea of the human heart."

"Eh?" Mona questioned.

"My name is Pixie. From now on, I'll live within you!"

Pixie said those words before disappearing and turning into a beam of light that took the shape of a mask that hit Joker's own mask and merged as one with it.

"What was that?" Skull asked shockingly.

"I have no idea..." Mona trailed.

"His power..."

Not wasting any more time, the party headed back to where the locked door was and opened it with the key they had just obtained, revealing a big room in there. Even so, Joker felt something... different about him, like there was another being within his body, a new entity, or a new soul swirling there. That power... it felt so unlike anything he ever experienced so far, similar to his awakening of Arsene but also diverse from it.

"Whoa, what is this place?! Holy shit! That Treasure thing's gotta be in here." Skull exclaimed before he walked along the others seeing a foggy cloud floating in the air.

"Hey, what is this? It's... floating in the air." Panther looked up.

"Hehe... that's the Treasure. We finally found it!" Mona exclaimed happily.

"Are you sure? That cloudy thing...?"

"Just hold on a second. I was planning on telling you more once we made it this far. Simply finding the Treasure isn't enough. We'll Hence, we'll first need to make the real person aware that their desires are in fact a Treasure. Once they're conscious that their desires might be stolen, the Treasure will finally show itself."

"But how do we do that?" Panther asked.

"We warn them. Tell them, 'We're going to steal your heart.'"

"So we're gonna send a calling card? That's totally what a phantom thief would do!"

"Once we do that, the Treasure will appear for certain! ...I think!"

"That again...? Either way, sounds like it's worth givin' it a shot!"

"Our infiltration route is secure. All that's left now is to pump out a calling card in reality, then come back to take the Treasure!"

"This is it, huh?" Panther questioned.

"Let's do this, everyone!" Joker cheered.

"That's the spirit! Once we send out the calling card, there will be no turning back. Just let me know when you're ready. We'll head back to the hideout and send out that calling card!"

Yeah, they've come this far already and there was no turning back... not anymore. The job had to be done for the sake of every student who suffered from that monster's abuse. They were going to set them free once and for all.

*******

------Next Day After School: Shujin's Rooftop------

"All right! All that's left now is to send out the calling card and take Kamoshida's heart!" Morgana stated firmly.

"Couldn't we have just sent one at the beginnin' of all this...?"

"It's not that simple. A Treasure won't stay materialized forever. Once the impression is gone, the Treasure will disappear. I think it'll last around a day, at most."

"That's so fast." Ann widened her eyes.

"The hell...? That's like no time at all..."

"Then we have to act quick." Ren pushed his glasses up.

"Anyways, we can send a callin' card right now, yeah? Let's do it and steal that bastard's heart!"

"The Palace will go away once you take the Treasure. Make sure you've done everything you need to."

"Then let's send that calling card." Ren spoke up. His voice didn't show any sign of holding back.

"I've been waitin' to hear you say that! Tomorrow's finally the day."

"So we send the calling card in the morning... and carry out the plan by the end of the day, right?" Ann asked.

"Correct. The effect won't last that long. Are you worried?"

"Heh. Waited too long." Ann scoffed.

"Perfect."

"We're going to pull this off, no matter what!" Ann narrowed her eyes.

"So, who's going to write the card?" Ren questioned for the matter-of-factly.

"Leave it to me!" Ryuji volunteered.

"Why?" Ann asked suspiciously.

"Why...? Why wouldn't it be me?!"

"This is important. Are you sure you can handle the pressure?" Ann asked seriously.

"I really wanna get him good! Lemme write it... c'mon, please?"

"Do it. I trust in you." Ren pulled a faint smile.

"Yeah, trust..."

"Gotcha! I've got a hundred things I wanna hurl at that bastard rattlin' around in my head!"

"Just make sure it's not obvious who wrote it, all right?!" Ann reminded.

"I know, I know! I got this!"

"All right, then! Tomorrow it is! You'd better not slack off on this." Morgana prompted.

It was going to happen, at last, the Phantom Thieves' first mission against a horrified man.

*******

------Next Day: Shujin Academy's Hallways------

Making her way inside the school building, Ann tucked a lock of her platinum blonde hair behind her ear, feeling nervous all of a sudden as her jaw clenched tightly. Today was finally the day when they were going to steal Kamoshida's heart and make him confess all of his monstrous crimes. Last night, she went to visit Shiho in the hospital whose condition was stable, and told her everything about the Metaverse, but even the doctors weren't sure if she'd ever wake up.

But she had hope.

She had to do that for her sake, for her best friend who nearly died because of him, and for everyone involved who couldn't speak a word but succumbed to fear. That was going to change sooner or later because the Phantom Thieves were going to set things right and give courage and hope to those people for a better tomorrow. Because no matter how the darkness of injustice would last, the light of freedom would shine for sure. The sounds of loud murmurs and whispers pulled Ann out of her train of thoughts, making her lift her gaze up to see countless students gathered near the bulletin board while talking among themselves. She made her way through them to see many cards hanging on it, calling cards.

Ryuji really had done it.

"A calling card...?"

"I heard it was already posted by the time everyone got here this morning."

"'Sir Suguru Kamoshida, the utter bastard of lust. We know how shitty you are, and that you put your twisted desires on students that can't fight back. That's why we have decided to steal away those desires and make you confess your sins. This will be done tomorrow, so we hope you will be ready. From, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts.'" Ann read the calling card after taking one of them off the board.

That was...

"...Wow." She trailed before looking behind her to see Ren and Ryuji approaching her.

"Not bad, eh? I looked up a bunch of similar stuff online for reference."

"Meh."

"What?!"

"I know what you wanted to say, but it sounded like an idiot trying to be an adult." Ann flipped the card to the other side.

"Your logo's a little lacking too." Morgana pointed at the poorly-doodled logo.

"Ok, y'know what? Th-That ain't true! Right?" Ryuji turned at Ren seeking his help.

"........." Ren just avoided eye contact.

"Hey!"

"Did Mr. Kamoshida do something wrong...?"

"Does this mean the rumors are true?!"

"Wait a sec... is someone gonna take something from Mr. Kamoshida...?"

"What's this weird logo? And who're these Phantom Thieves of Hearts people...?"

"Mishima, what's going on here...?" Mayu whispered.

"I-I don't know..."

"The Phantom Thieves... of Hearts?" Konno read the calling card with slightly wide eyes.

"...It got everyone excited, so it's all good, yeah?" Ryuji trailed.

"Who's responsible for this...?!" Coming at the scene, Kamoshida asked angrily.

"...Look at that. A predictable reaction for someone who knows what we mean by distorted desires." Morgana spoke happily.

"I think it's hittin' him pretty hard!"

"Did you do this?! Or was it you?" Kamoshida yelled at the students who ran away from him.

"...Was it you three?!" Kamoshida approached the group angrily.

"What if it was, Kamoshida?" Ren glared at him directly in the eyes as the other two did that too.

"Takamaki, you..." Kamoshida trailed looking at the platinum blonde-haired girl who was looking down.

"Stay away from her." Ryuji stood in the middle protectively in front of the girl.

"Sakamoto...!"

"What garbage... eh, it's not a problem. You'll be expelled soon enough anyway."

At that moment, everything around the three froze in place and turned into a black empty void with Kamoshida's Shadow standing in his real counterpart's place. His golden eyes shone in the darkness as they looked at the teenagers--his gaze was so intense that it felt like it was piercing right through their souls, undeniably sending light shivers down their spines.

"Come... steal it, if you can!"

After that sentence, everything returned to normal as the real Kamoshida walked away with a pissed look on his face. What a joke... Phantom Thieves? Steal his desires? He didn't need to be smart to know that it was their doing just to piss him off... not that it mattered anyway. Those damned teenagers couldn't do anything but run those petty mouths of theirs; he controlled his futures in his grip, after all.

"Judging from Kamoshida's response... I'm sure we had an effect on his Palace!" Morgana expressed firmly.

"Does that mean the Treasure's appeared?! We'll be able to get it today, right?" Ann asked.

"It's not just 'today.' It's ONLY today. The impact of seeing a calling card doesn't last long, and it cannot be repeated. This'll be our chance to steal the Treasure."

"One day's more than enough for us!"

"Then, let's do it." Ren blunted.

"Um, guys? You better see this." Ann pointed her finger in a specific direction.

The two boys did exactly what Ann said only for their gaze to meet the person of Emiko Hayashi who grabbed one of the calling cards in her hands, giving them an extremely dangerous and deadly look in her eyes like she knew exactly what was going on. She didn't say anything but only glared at them in that way before making her way and during all that time, their hearts were beating fast and so once she left, they all sighed in relief.

"Is it just me, or that girl looks very scary...?" Morgana trailed.

On the other hand, while Emiko was walking away in the hallways, she crumpled the paper hardly and threw it away in the garbage while clicking her tongue in annoyance. Suddenly, her phone vibrated receiving a surprising notification, thus she pulled it up to see what it was all about.

"Hm...?"

*******

Word count: 8325 words

A/N: Okie dokie, I think this is a good point to wrap up this chapter!

Hey, I told you guys before that you gotta wait til the gud stuff to come in this story. I have so many ideas in mind that'll come... in their due time.

However, I loved that little interaction between Yoshizawa and Ren in this part of Royal, so y'know... as an author, I gotta spice it up and add my own touch. I loved to go more in-depth into Ren and Yoshizawa's perspectives.

And now that Kamoshida's arc is almost done, the debut of THAT character is approaching fast! Yuppie! (ﾉ>ω<)ﾉ

He IS coming soon, y'all! ˚ω˚

Published on: Wed/Nov 18/2020