I kept you waiting, huh? ;)

Let me start off by saying that it's good to get back into this story after such a long absence. I hope everyone is enjoying the new year.

So, for those who haven't read my RenXChouno one-shot, I have been dealing with writer's blocks for months and it's been eating away at me every day. Plus, I feel like I lost myself as a writer as I was so focused on numbers and what other people thought instead of just writing about something I'm passionate about. After all, in my opinion, the beauty of fanfiction is being able to write whatever the fuck you want.

The release of Persona 5 Royal and the upcoming Persona 5 Scramble has ignited something in me that made me want to get back into this story. And for those who want to know my opinion on the game, let me just say this. FUCK KASUMI! Kasumi is the biggest disappointment in the entire Persona series and I REFUSE to accept her as canon! She does not belong in Persona 5 and her story makes no sense! I'm not going to spoil anything for those who wish to buy the english dub, but she will have no part in this fic or any other Persona fic that I write.

I would like to give a personal shoutout to my close friend AristoMuse, the writer of The World is Ours, who has helped me during my absence and has been so supportive of me. Please, go read her fic on AO3, it is amazing!

Now, without further ado, enjoy the 17th chapter.

4/25 - Monday

Kazuma sat atop the Shujin Academy rooftop, otherwise known as the hideout, as he waited for his companions to arrive. Classes had ended a while ago, and today the group would be meeting to discuss the continuation of their infiltration into Kamoshida's Palace. He sat peacefully onto one of the desks, enjoying the peace and quiet while it lasted, listening to his music.

Tapping his fingers against the desk following the beat of the song, he looked over to the little garden he and Okumura tended to.

Guess she took the day off. He thought as the 3rd-Year hadn't shown up today. He was a little disappointed; he had hoped to see her again, to apologize for being aggressive when she brought up the rumors about him bullying Shiho. He knew he scared her.

As he continued to wait, he pulled out the dessert he chose to save for later. Tori had packed him his favorite, a Black and White Cookie. He took a bite, savoring the vanilla and chocolate taste. Despite the divine taste, the cookie did nothing to help his current state. Kazuma let out a sigh, still feeling a bit sluggish and fatigued. The medicine provided by Ren helped him get through the last couple of days, and he was starting to feel better, but he needed to be in fighting shape soon if he wanted to help the others. Hopefully, this new medicine that Ren acquired will help. He was itching for a fight.

He pulled out his cell phone and read over the texts between him and Shiho. Every time he looked at them, it caused him pain. But, despite everything that had happened, he couldn't bring himself to delete them. While he tried his best to ignore them, the rumors about him being the cause of her suicide attempt, that he was bullying her, it was starting to piss him off. Ever since the rumors started, he can't walk down the halls without people looking at him like he was some monster, even his teachers began looking at him differently. Reading the texts helped, it was a reminder that their gossip was false, that he and Shiho were friends.

Plus, they kept him motivated. He'll need that when it's time.

"...ma..."

Placing the phone back in his pocket, he took another bite out of his cookie as he continued the wait for his teammates.

"..Kaz...ma..."

He frowned as he heard the sound of someone's voice, although it was hard to make out due to having his music at full volume. He was about to turn down the volume when he felt an earphone being removed from his ear.

"Kazuma!"

"Holy...!" He jumped from the desk, startled by the sudden intruder who removed his earphone and practically yelled his name into his ear. Once he recovered, he turned around to face his attacker and saw that it was none other than Ann Takamaki. He pulled out his other earphone and turned off his music. "Goddamn it, Ann! Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"It's your own fault. I called out to you, but you didn't respond." She retorted matter-of-factly. "You know, you're going to hurt your ears listening to music that loud. I could hear it from over here."

"It helps me relax." He shrugged off her concern and sat back down, placing his earphone and music in his pocket. If Ann was here, that meant the others would be arriving shortly. "Where's Ren and Ryuji?"

"They're on their way," Ann told him as she sat onto a desk a few feet from him. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired and pissed off." He bluntly told her.

"Of course you are." She rolled her eyes at his response, although she couldn't blame him. She was just as eager as he was to get back to the Palace and take the fight to Kamoshida. "Just don't stress yourself, Ok?"

"Sure, whatever." He said as he took another bite out of the cookie.

Silence struck between them with neither knowing what to say. While the two made peace with each other and put their initial start behind them, there was still some leftover tension between them.

For Kazuma, it was fine. After all, he wasn't meeting up with the others to engage in simple chitchat; it was business. He wanted to test out the new medicine Ren had gotten for him so he could get back into fighting shape. At the moment, that was his focus, nothing else.

For Ann, she was conflicted. It wasn't that she disliked him, at least not anymore. She wanted to get to know Kazuma and be friends with him, but he was just so hard to talk too, partly due to his unsociable personality and partly due to knowing nothing about him. Even so, Ann knew she had to try at least.

"So, Kazuma." She began, which got his attention. "Do you think this new medicine will help?"

"How should I know? Ren's the one who said it would." He fired back. "Besides, we can't waste any more time. The deadline's coming up, and every day we spend doing nothing, King Dickhead is making his shadows stronger."

"The deadline." Ann shivered with fear upon being reminded of that their time was running out. She could only fear what would happen to her friends. To Ren. "What do you think will happen? If we don't steal the treasure in time?"

"What will happen? What kind of stupid question is that?" Kazuma replied angrily.

"Just answer the question." She said, squeezing the desk tightly to calm her fears. "What do you think will happen?"

Hearing Ann talk hypotheticals was very unlike her, given that she was more dedicated to stealing Kamoshida's treasure than the others. It's clear that she was just concerned for the others, especially for Ren, but that didn't mean it didn't piss him off hearing her talk like this.

Letting out a sigh of annoyance, he decided to indulge her.

"Simple. Kamoshida will get his way, and the school board will believe his lies" Kazuma told it to her straight, not mincing any words. "Me, Ren, Ryuji, and that idiot Mishima will get expelled, and because of his probation, Ren will be sent to juvie. In other words, we'd all be screwed."

Ann had expected that Kazuma would give her his honest opinion; his bluntness was the only thing she knew about him. But that didn't mean it didn't hurt to hear. However, it didn't deter her in the slightest. If anything, it only motivated her to keep fighting.

"I'm not going to let that happen." She clenched her fist with conviction. "I won't let that bastard ruin Ren's life."

"You care about him that much?" He asked.

"I do." She nodded. "He's an amazing person who was there for me when he could've ignored me. I think besides Shiho, he's the only one I can call a true friend."

"Even though you haven't known him that long?" He questioned curiously.

"Isn't it the same for you?" She questioned. "With you... and Shiho?"

"I-I suppose." The mention of his relationship with Shiho ruined the mood of the conversation. They both suffered from guilt at not being able to save her, although Kazuma knew that Ann suffered more as they were best friends. But even though she suffered, she didn't let the pain stop her or weaken her. If anything, it was making her stronger.

It reminded her of when Shiho told him about her suffering at the hands of Kamoshida and how she endured it for Ann's sake. He had never seen such strength or determination from anyone before, willing to endure hell just for the sake of another person.

All because they were, in Shiho's words, precious friends.

"I didn't know her very long; in fact, I only knew her for a few days." He told her. "But, in that short time, she..." He stumbled over his words as they were hard to describe. "...she helped me understand things, made me realize how stupid I've been. I... I owe her a lot."

"Kazuma," Ann whispered, hearing him say nice things about her best friend, spoke volumes on how he felt about her.

"In a way, you two are alike," He told her.

"You think so?" She asked with a smile.

"Yeah." He nodded. "You're strong like she is. Stupid but strong."

She frowned and rolled her eyes upon hearing that. Even though she and Kazuma were on friendlier terms now, he remained the same jerk he was when they first met.

"Heh, maybe you're right. After all, here I am, having a conversation with the biggest asshole in school." She retorted with an insult of her own.

"Hmph." He ignored it, not bothered by her comment. "I guess we're both stupid."

"Yeah, guess we are." She shrugged a bit before realizing that they were having a conversation without any problems. That realization caused her to giggle a little bit.

"What's so funny?" He asked, confused as to why she was giggling all of a sudden.

"Nothing. I just realized this is the longest we've ever talked." She pointed out. "I think Shiho would be glad, seeing us get along."

"I guess." He nodded. He had to admit; this conversation wasn't entirely unpleasant. If anything, he was surprised that he was even able to have a normal conversation with Ann. Although, if they were to be friends, they should be able to do something as simple as this. "I... thanks, Ann. For talking with me."

"Huh?" She raised an eyebrow as he looked away from her when he said that. It seems the biggest asshole in school was a bit shy. "You know, you're not a bad guy, Kazuma. You're all right."

"W-What?" He was put off by that compliment as it came out of nowhere. "Where the hell did that come from?! I thank you, and you make a big deal out of it? Tch, you really are stupid."

"Hey!" She fired back, a bit offended by what he said. "Why you gotta act so weird just because I gave you a compliment?! You know, maybe us talking wouldn't be so hard if you didn't act like a grumpy asshole all the time!"

With a huff, they both looked away from each other. After a few minutes, they calmed down a bit and realized they were fighting for literally no reason. Kazuma let out a sigh, knowing it was his fault. Wanting to apologize, he offered broke his cookie in half and offered it to the blonde.

"Here." He handed her the broken half.

"Hmm?" She turned around and saw that he was offering her half of his treat.

"For snapping at you." He winced in pain, sharing his favorite dessert when he was looking forward to it all day, really hurt. "Take it."

"Oh? Thanks." She took the treat from his hand and got a better look at it. A black and white cookie, one side made of chocolate, one side made of vanilla. She had heard about cookies like this; they were said to be very popular in America. When she took a bite, the combination of the two flavors immediately attacked her tastebuds. "Wow! This is really good!" She took another one, almost engulfing the whole treat.

"Slow down, will you. You'll choke." He chastised her.

"Oh come on, it's just a cookie. Even if I slow down, it'll be gone soon anyway." She replied. When it came to candies and sweets, she really couldn't contain herself.

"A cookie?" He fired back angrily as if she had insulted him. "It's not just a cookie, you idiot! It's a dessert prepared with hard work and dedication! It takes time to make it. You should savor it as if it was your last meal on earth!"

"Pfft, whatever, I'm totally savoring it." She chuckled a bit as she finished the cookie off with one last bite. "I can't believe you're getting all hyped up over a cookie of all things. You can be weird sometimes, Kazuma."

"I'm weird?!" He looked away, pouting as he crossed his arms. "I swear, you're such a pain."

"Right back at you." Ann laughed. She had to admit; it was fun getting under his skin, even if it was about something silly.

After a while, they heard the door to the roof open and saw that the others had arrived.

"Hey, guys. Sorry, it took us so long." Ren greeted the two, walking over to them.

"About time, you showed up," Kazuma said irritably, wondering what took them so long. "What kept you?"

"That asshole Ushimaru was getting on my case about my hair," Ryuji grumbled, sick of the teachers giving him a hard time because of his hair color.

"Oh, that's right. You haven't died it black yet." Ann pointed out.

"Yeah, and I'm not gonna!" He said defiantly.

"Can we get down to business? I'm tired of waiting." Kazuma asked, and everyone got focused. "So, Ren. Will this new medicine of yours help?"

"From what I've been told, it's much stronger than the ones you've been taking." Ren dug into his bag and pulled out the medicine.

"With this, you'll be back in fighting shape in no time, Reaper," Morgana noted.

Kazuma took the medicine and placed it in his pocket. The idea of stronger medicine sounded a little too good to be true, but he had no reason to doubt Ren, so he decided to trust his word that it would help. After all, if it proved to be effective, he would be ready to fight again.

"Thanks." He said in gratitude.

"All right!" Ryuji slammed his fist into his open palm, getting fired up. "So, what's next? We going to the castle today?"

"Not yet." Morgana shook his head. "We need to see if this medicine works, so let's give Reaper another day to rest."

"With luck, this medicine will bring him back to full strength," Ren stated.

"The deadline is coming up." Ann pointed out. "Let's get some rest tonight so we can do our best tomorrow."

"Sounds like a plan." Ryuji nodded.

They all nodded in agreement, one more day of rest, and then tomorrow, they would resume their infiltration. Ann and Ryuji left to go home, leaving the two transfer students and Morgana alone on the rooftop. As Kazuma prepared to leave, Ren stopped him.

"Kazuma." He spoke, halting him in his tracks. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"What is it?" Kazuma asked, wondering what else he needed.

"You and Ann were up here for quite a while before we arrived." He crossed his arms, slightly frowning while giving him a look of suspicion. "I hope you two are getting along."

"We weren't fighting, if that's what you were thinking." He rolled his eye annoyingly. "We were just talking, that's all."

"Just talking?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah." He replied.

"You weren't putting the moves on her, weren't you?!" Morgana said suspiciously.

"Don't be an idiot." Kazuma frowned at the cat's suggestion before turning back to Ren. "I'm not going to upset your girlfriend anymore, so quit worrying."

"S-She's not my girlfriend!" Ren said defensively, blushing a little from his comment.

"Yeah, she's not his girlfriend!" The cat added, glaring at both of them.

"Whatever." He shook his head annoyingly, ready to leave. "Are we done here?"

"Hold on." Morgana stopped him. "Before you go, there's something I'd like to test."

"Test?" The two transfer students said at the same time, looking at one another for doing so before focusing their attention on Morgana.

"Yeah." The cat nodded. "I'll explain later. For now, let's go to the Palace."

"The Palace?" Ren questioned, wondering why he wanted to go now instead of earlier when Ryuji and Ann were here. He looked towards Kazuma, who was just as confused as he was.

Deciding to trust Morgana, the transfer students left the rooftop.

Ren and Kazuma and made their way to the exit. As they walked together, they noticed the stares and whispers about the student body but chose to ignore them. With each day, it seems more ridiculous rumors were being made about the transfer students. According to the recent gossip, Ren was a member of the most notorious yakuza gang in Japan before starting his own gang. It's also been said that he was a sleazebag with over a dozen children from previous lovers.

However, the most absurd one had to be the rumor that he and Kazuma were a couple. He almost laughed at that one.

At first, Rend found these rumors to be entertaining, hell, he got a good laugh out of most of them. But these new ones were a bit dull.

Kamoshida must be losing his touch. Ren believed as he and Kazuma left the school, only to find the man in question talking to a student by the front gate.

"Shit." Kazuma cursed at the sight of him.

"What's he doing now?" Morgana popped out of Ren's bag, wondering what Kamoshida was doing.

They walked a bit closer, wondering what Kamoshida was discussing with the student.

"We have nationals coming up, and you're making excuses to try and skip out on practice?" Kamoshida angrily questioned with his arms crossed.

"N-No, sir." The student meekly said. "It's just, my mom's sick so I need to get home and-"

"Oh, in that case, by all means, leave. Don't let me stop you." The volleyball coach said sarcastically. "I'm sure I can find someone else that would love to take your position."

"W-What?" He replied in fear of losing his position on the team.

"You're either in, or you're out," Kamoshida told him. "Now get to practice or else!'

"Y-Yes, sir!" The student nodded before running past the transfer students to get to practice.

"Tch, lazy shit. I should teach him a lesson later." The volleyball coach said before he looked over and saw the two troublesome transfer students staring at him. "You two again? Funny, I thought I smelled garbage."

"Yeah, you should take a shower. You stink." Ren retorted, earning a chuckle from Morgana and a glare from Kamoshida.

"Don't you two have anything better to do than to eavesdrop?" The man huffed with contempt as he approached them, looking a both of them as if they were below him. "You better not be starting trouble again."

"God, you're annoying." Kazuma shook his head. "What could this guy possibly want now, Ren?"

"A new haircut? Maybe a chin that doesn't look like an elephant scrotum? Your guess is as good as mine." Ren adjusted his glasses as he made a quip about Kamoshida.

"So, the worthless criminal thinks he's a comedian, huh?" A very angry Kamoshida was getting tired of the young man's jokes; they were really getting under his skin. "I don't know what you two are up too, but whatever it is, it's pointless. Your lives ended the day you decided to fuck with me. I suggest you both enjoy whatever time you have left because no amount of jokes is going to change the fact that you're both getting expelled." He explained with his signature shit-eating grin on his face before turning to Ren. "It's going to be very satisfying seeing you get thrown in juvie because that's where garbage like you belongs. But don't worry, Amamiya-kun, I'll take good care of Takamaki-san."

"You sick mother-!" Kazuma glared at the scumbag for his insults, clenching his fists to calm the rage boiling inside him.

Ren felt a similar rage inside him but kept it in check as he knew full well what the volleyball coach was trying to do. Adjusting his glasses, he decided to give Kamoshida a taste of his own medicine.

"Is that all you got?" Ren chuckled at the man's words. "You're going to have to do better than that if you want to get a rise out of me."

"What?" Kamoshida questioned, wondering what he meant by that. Kazuma was just as confused as he was, and he looked over to see what else Ren had to say.

"I know what you're trying to do here. You're trying to bait us into attacking you by riling us up. Just like you did with Ryuji." Ren continued, his smirk never leaving his face. "That's right. He told me what you did. Unfortunately for you, me and Kazuma here aren't so quick to anger. So, unless you can come up with something clever, you're just boring us." He decided to finish this battle with one final quip." Although I guess we shouldn't expect much from a washed-out has been like yourself."

Kazuma could only watch as Ren verbally destroyed Kamoshida. He was both speechless and impressed at the same time, and judging from the volleyball coach's face right now, he may have pushed him over the edge.

Kamoshida, for the most part, had never been so angry. Never before had he heard such insolence from a student, never before had anyone referred to him as a "washed-out has been." He was Suguru Kamoshida, the star of Shujin; people worshipped the ground he walked on! He wanted to punch this piece of garbage and wipe that stupid smirk off his face, but he wasn't angry enough that he would do so in public. So, he went with the next best thing.

"You must think you're clever, eh, Amamiya-kun?" Kamoshida took off Ren's glasses before dropping them onto the ground and then stomping on them.

"What the hell?!" Kazuma exclaimed at what he just did.

"Don't ever speak to me like that again, you worthless waste of life." The man warned.

Ren looked down and then back up at the volleyball coach, barely phased by what he had done. He then reached into his blazer and pulled out what appeared to be another pair of glasses, much to the surprise of Kazuma and Kamoshida. Once he put them on, he gave one final smirk at the defeated volleyball coach.

"Better luck next time, sir." He mocked.

"You little...!" Kamoshida clicked his tongue, deciding that it was pointless to continue this farce. He walked past them to return to practice. "Whatever. It's already over for you two."

Once the man was out of sight, Ren let out a sigh of relief; he thought he'd never leave.

"You really put him in his place! Well done, Joker!" Morgana praised him.

"That felt good," Ren admitted,

"Maybe now he'll leave us alone," Kazuma said, dealing with that man was so exasperating. Now that he was gone, it should be safe to enter the Palace, "Let's go before someone else bothers us."

"Good idea." He nodded as the two entered the alley and used the app to enter Kamoshida's Palace.

Once they found themselves at the front entrance of the castle, Joker had questions for his feline companion who requested they come here. "Now that we're here, would you mind telling us what you want to test out, Morgana?"

"Well, you two remember how our weapons work differently here than in the real world, right?" Mona questioned them on what they know so far.

"That's right," Joker said.

"Your point being?" Reaper questioned.

"If I'm right, then medicine should work the same way." The cat told them before turning to Reaper. "Try the new medicine."

Reaper raised an eyebrow at the order before looking over to Joker, wondering if the cat was onto something. Choosing to trust Mona, He pulled out the bottle of medicine that Joker gave him earlier and pulled out a pill. He placed it in his mouth, leaned back, and swallowed. Suddenly, an aura of light surrounded his body, causing him to backpedal in surprise.

"Reaper?!" Joker said suddenly, wondering what just happened. "Are you ok?"

"I..." Reaper muttered in disbelief. Whatever that medicine did to him, he didn't feel tired or worn out anymore. "What just happened?"

"Just about what I expected." Mona smiled in satisfaction as his theory had been proven correct. "This is why I suggested we bring medicine during our infiltrations. The effects appear to be much stronger here than when you normally take them in the real world."

"You're just telling us this now?" Reaper complained, irritated that Mona didn't tell them this from the start. "We could've started a lot sooner if we had this information."

"I had to be sure," Mona explained. "Besides, I didn't know for sure it would work."

He groaned irritably. No wonder Ryuji would get so annoyed with this cat. He could be helpful when he wanted to be but could be very exasperating at times. Reaper chose to let it go for now; what was important was that the medicine worked, and he was ready to fight again.

"So, how do you feel, Reaper?" Joker asked, changing the subject.

"Better." He said as he looked at his hand before clenching it into a fist, glad to finally have his strength back. "You should try getting more of that medicine; it could prove useful in case we overdo it again."

"I'll make sure to get some on the way home." Joker nodded. "Well, then let's..."

"Not so fast, you two! We're not done yet." Mona stopped them before his guardian could pull out his phone.

"Now what?" Reaper crossed his arms annoyingly, wondering what he could want now.

"There's one thing I want to do before we head back," Mona said before pulling out his sword. "I want to test out your unique powers."

"Our powers?" Joker questioned.

'Yes. For some reason, you both can use multiple Personas. We don't know why or how you guys can do it, but you can, so we need to use that to our advantage." The cat explained. "So, let's have a quick spar. Both of you come at me like you mean it!"

"I see." Joker grinned, getting excited at the opportunity to test out his new Personas. He looked toward his teammate to see if he was wanted to do this as well. "What do you say, Reaper? Want to show him what we're made of?"

"Hmph." Reaper pulled out his blades, preparing himself for a fight. "Let's get started."

"All right then." Joker pulled out his dagger and readied himself. "Whenever you're ready, Mona."

"I'm going to push you guys, so don't hold back!" The cat exclaimed as their impromptu spar officially began. "Zorro!"

Summoning his Persona, Zoro started the fight off with a surprise attack, using Magaru to hit both of them. It sent them back a few feet, but otherwise, they were fine. It seemed Mona meant what he said about not holding back, which meant that they were free to go all out.

"Arsene!' Joker summoned his initial Persona, who flew over to Zorro and attacked him with a Cleave. However, Zorro used his rapier to defend himself against the Pillager of Twilight. "Reaper, now!"

"Go, Ulysses!" It felt good, being able to summon his Persona again without any problem. The medicine worked wonders. Thrusting his hand forth, he sent Ulysses over to aid Arsene.

"Ha, nice try," Mona replied before he had Zorro successfully shove Arsene off of him, hitting both him and Ulysses with a Lucky Punch, sending them both flying back toward their masters. "Is that all you got? I thought you two were better than that."

"We're just getting started," Joker told him. Instead of attacking once more, he had Arsene turned back into his mask so he could formulate a plan with Reaper. "Mona knows how our Personas work; we'll need to try something else. Let's try using our other ones; we might be able to catch him off guard."

"All right. Let's try." Reaper nodded, agreeing with his teammate's plan.

"Here we go." Joker could feel the Personas he had deep within his heart. By remembering that bond associated with them, he would be able to call upon their power and use it as his own. "Come, Pixie!"

Calling forth his Persona of the Lovers, Pixie attacked mona using Zio. Thankfully, Zorro took the blow in his place, but it was able to damage the Persona, giving Reaper a chance for a follow-up attack.

"Now!" Joker commanded.

"Come on out." Reaper ripped off his mask, calling upon his newly acquired Persona. "Hell Biker!"

Summoning forth this new Persona, he twisted the throttle of his motorcycle, revving up the engine, getting ready to destroy his master's enemies.

"Destroy him!" With that commanded, Hell Biker drove forward towards the damaged Persona, leaping forward and ramming his front tire into Zorro's chest, sending it on it's back.

"No!" Mona yelled out, realized he was cornered.

"Now, Reaper, let's finish this!" Joker ordered as he switched Personas. "Ara Mitama!"

Switching Pixie with the strongest Persona he had, he alongside Hell Biker finished off Zorro with the combined attacks of Freila and Agilao. Once their onslaught was finished, Mona's Persona was left motionless on the ground, unable to continue fighting. Mona was left awestruck at their power and teamwork, even after such a long break since their last battle.

"These two are something else." The cat whispered to himself.

Once their Personas returned to them, both were very worn out from using them after so long. Joker felt tired but still had some fight in him while Reaper looked utterly exhausted, much like he did the last time he used Hell Biker.

"Damn it." Reaper cursed, still not used to his new Persona.

"You ok?" Joker wondered, checking to make sure he was all right.

"Why does it take so much out of me? Am I not strong enough?" He questioned.

"That's probably why." Mona theorized as he walked over to the duo. "Using a Persona that powerful must be very taxing on your body. I think you should hold off on using it until your body get's used to it."

"That's probably for the best. I can use Pixie no problem, but using Ara Mitama wears me out." Joker stated as he took some medicine, regaining some of his strength back.

"But what good is this Persona if I can't use it?" Reaper complained.

"Looks like you'll just have to get stronger," Mona told him as if it was a challenge. "You can do it, can't you? The way I see it, you have a long way to go before you can catch up to Joker."

"Hmph." He shrugged off his words, not bothered one bit. If he had to get stronger in order to use Hell Biker, then he would. He didn't care how many shadows he had to kill if it meant getting Shiho her vengeance. "Just watch. I'll show you what I'm capable of."

"I'll hold you to that." Mona grinned, feeling that his words may have spurned him on to try and get stronger.

Thanks to their sparring match with Mona, it would seem Joker and Reaper now have a better understanding of how their power works. Hopefully, in their next infiltration, they'll be able to unlock more Personas to help serve in their mission to take down the bastard king.

"We should probably leave before Kamoshida realizes we're here," Joker told them before turning to his teammate. "Let's get some sleep so we can do our best tomorrow.'

"Yeah." Reaper nodded in agreement, pulling out his phone as he and the others returned to the real world.

Once Ren made it back to Leblanc, he sat at the counter, eating the curry Sojiro made for him. He scarfed down his dinner as he was starving, his little spar with Morgana earlier gave him quite the appetite. Once he was done, the cafe owner took his plate from him and gave him a look of surprise.

"Damn, kid. That was fast." Sojiro said as he began washing the plate. "You keeping your nose clean at school, I hope?"

"As best I can," Ren replied. Usually, he would've offered a witty remark, but he felt he should hold back whenever his guardian talked to him seriously.

"Glad to hear it." The cafe owner replied. "You make just one mistake, and your life's over. You understand that?"

"Yes, sir." Ren nodded.

He suddenly felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw some texts in the group chat.

Ryuji: So, Kazuma. How's the medicine working?

Kazuma: It's fine.

Ryuji: Just fine?

Kazuma: Yeah, I can fight again.

Ren: Morgana had us test the medicine out in the Palace. The effects are much stronger in that other world, so we're good to go.

Ann: That's great!

Ryuji: Awesome!

Ann: By the way, did something happen after me and Ryuji left? I heard some people say Kamoshida was talking with you two.

Ren: He was just trying to mess with us. No big deal.

Kazuma: No big deal? He stomped on your glasses.

Ann: He did WHAT?!

Kazuma: Ren was backtalking him, so he stomped on his glasses.

Ryuji: Are you effing kidding me?! Seriously, screw that asshole!

Ren: It's fine, guys. I had another pair on me, so I'm good. Besides, seeing him get so pissed off was worth it.

Ryuji: You're a goddamn hero, man.

Kazuma: Moving on, we should try and secure a route to this treasure tomorrow. The deadline's coming up, and we need to get this done.

Ren: I agree. Let's do our best tomorrow, gang.

"Hey kid, can you put your phone away?" He heard Sojiro call out to him, breaking him from his text conversation. "I'd like to have a word with you."

"All right." He put his phone away as the cafe owner went around the counter to come to talk with him. Morgana hopped out of his bag to give the two some privacy.

"Be careful, Ren. If your school told the chief about your impending expulsion, you might be in trouble." The cat warned.

"I'll be fine." He told him as Morgana went upstairs, leaving him alone to talk with the cafe owner.

"So, how school? You on your best behavior?" His guardian asked.

"So far, so good. No problems." He told a half-truth.

"Good." Sojiro nodded, glad to hear that he wasn't causing any trouble at Shujin. "Just so you know, I've gotta report to your probation officer twice a month. It's already a huge pain in the ass to deal with, so don't start making trouble for me. You got that?" He glared at the teen. "This society is kept in check by rules and authority figures. You wanna go and get yourself killed, feel free, but don't go and drag other people into your mess."

Ren did his best not to groan in annoyance. When Sjoiro said he wanted to talk, he thought they were finally going to have a heart to heart. Instead, he was being lectured about staying out of trouble. Again.

"The last we need is more idiots like you roaming around." Before he could say more, he heard the cafe owner's phone go off. The man pulled it out and answered the call. "Hm? What's wrong?" Sojiro questioned. From where he was standing, Ren couldn't hear who was talking on the other line. "Yeah, I'm heading out now. Sorry about that." The man replied as he smiled. "I know, the usual, right? Ok, I'll see you in a minute." Once the conversation was over, he put his phone in his pocket. "Sorry about that."

"Friend of yours?" Ren question.

"Something like that." The cafe owner stated. "As you can see, I'm pretty damn busy at work and in my private life. If you could lend a hand, it'd be a great help."

"I was wondering when you'd ask." He whispered under his breath. Ren had a feeling at some point; his guardian would ask him to help around the cafe. Since he was kind enough to let him stay here, it was the least he could do. "Sure, I'd be glad to help Sakura-san."

"Now we're talking." Sojiro smiled in gratitude, thankful that he was eager to help out. "I won't ask you to work for free. If you help me, then..." The cafe owner thought about what kind of payment he could offer before an idea came to mind. "I'll teach you how to make the perfect cup of coffee. Not a bad trade, wouldn't you say?"

Being able to make his own coffee would be cool. Plus, it would help him get on Sojiro's good side.

As he thought about it some more, he wondered what would happen if he brought coffee into the Palace. Would it work the same way medicine does? Wanting to test that theory, he decided to accept his offer.

"Sounds interesting. All right, Sakura-san. I'll do it." Ren accepted his offer.

"All right, then. It looks like we got ourselves a deal." The cafe owner replied.

It appeared that the distance between them was closing slightly. After all, if he was allowing Ren to help out at the cafe, then it was one step closer to earning Sojiro's trust.

...

...

...

...

As Ren continued his story, the look on Sae's face made him stop, wondering if she had something to say.

"Something on your mind?" He questioned.

"You may call yourself a phantom thief, but you're still a minor. Someone had to support you." She brought up. "Furthermore, they did so knowing you were part of that group."

"That's a bold assumption. Don't tell me you're guessing, Sae." Ren quipped, but she wasn't having it.

"Enough lip, Amamiya-kun." She warned him. "Answer me, is the owner of that cafe an accomplice of yours?!"

...

...

...

...

I am 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 Hierophant Persona,

I have obtained the blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power.

...

All right. Ren acknowledged the voice in his head, signaling that he had formed a partnership with Sojiro.

"I'll be counting on your help." The cafe owner finished. "I'm heading home. Be sure to lock up."

"Yes, sir." He nodded, watching as his guardian left the cafe.

It was nice to know that Sojiro was starting to trust him if only a little bit. Maybe with time, they'll be able to have a normal conversation that didn't end with lectures or threats of eviction. For now, he was content with this deal.

Since he still had some energy to spare, he worked on a few lockpicks before going to bed.

4/26 - Tuesday

Once classes had finished, the group made the alleyway, going further in so they don't accidentally drag anyone else into the Palace. There's no telling what they Kamoshida had in store for them after their last visit, so Morgana wanted to have a few words with the others.

"All right, guys. It's time to resume infiltration." Morgana told them. "Our goal today is to secure a route to the treasure. We may face tougher shadows going further in, so remember to be on your guard."

"No sweat. I'm ready for whatever that asshole throws at us." Ryuji said, getting fired up.

"Let's do our best!" Ann exclaimed.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Kazuma questioned, ready to get started.

"Let's go!" Ren commanded as he used the app to return to the castle.

Once the group entered the Palace, they used the Quick Travel section on the app to return to the last safe room they found in the East Building Annex. Once they got there, they retraced back to where they had left off, the chapel of Kamoshida. The place had been cleaned since their last fight here, the broken pews replaced, and there was no sign of shadows anywhere.

It was quiet. A little too quiet.

"Here, we are again." Joker looked around for shadow activity.

"God, that statue still makes me wanna throw up," Panther noted, sickened by that statue of Kamoshida.

"So, where do we go from here? Looks like a dead end." Skull noted.

"It's not. The treasure is definitely up ahead. There has to be a path to it somewhere." Mona explained.

"Let's look around then," Reaper said, wanting to scout the area.

"Hold you fiends!"

Suddenly, two shadows spawned in front of them, barring their path. The group stood ready to fight; they wouldn't be caught off guard as they did with Archangel.

"That didn't take long." Joker quipped.

"Damn it; we don't have time for this!" Skull complained. "Get out of our way!"

"You thieves will not escape this time! You shall be executed here and now!" The shadow proclaimed.

"Hmph." Reaper huffed annoyingly; these things were beyond reason. "If you idiots know what happened the last time we were here, now is your chance to run away. You won't get a second chance."

"We won't run from the likes of you! You will die here!"

Suddenly, the shadows transfigured into their true forms, both taking on the form of brutal cavalrymen. They stood ready to fight the thieves for the glory of their king.

"They don't look like much, let's take them out so we can move on," Mona ordered.

"Get ready guys," Joker commanded as they each pulled out their weapons.

"These things are nothing. Like roaches to the slaughter." Reaper said harshly at his opponents, eager to cut them down for standing in his way. "It'll take more than a few bugs to stop me!"

The group surrounded the shadows, each of them prepared to fight. Five against two, the odds were in their favor, but if they were as strong as Archangel, then they knew they would have to give it their all.

"I'm glad you didn't run." Reaper continued, popping his neck as he pulled out his blades. "It's been a while; I could use a little exercise."

"Uh, Reaper?" Panther looked nervously at her teammate, his eyes glaring holes into the shadows.

"Enough talk, let's take the bastards out!" He exclaimed angrily.

"R-Right." She nodded in agreement.

"Ulysses!" Reaper summoned his Persona, who used his blades to cleave through one of the shadows, showing no mercy.

"Persona!" Panther called forth Carmen, who used Agi on the remaining shadow. It was able to damage it but not kill it.

"It's resistant to fire, be careful!" Mona warned them.

"My turn! Persona!" Skull had Captain Kidd use Zio on the remaining cavalryman and was able to injure it severely.

"Now, to finish it off. Arsene!" Joker summoned forth the Pillager of Twilight, who cleaved through the defeated shadow with its claws, ending its life and the battle.

"Was that it?" Reaper wondered as he looked around and saw that there were no shadows left. "Pathetic. These shadows were barely a warm-up."

"Well, it looks like you're back at full strength," Joker remarked.

"Guess the medicine worked." He believed before noticing that Panther was staring at him with a shocked expression. "What are you looking at, Panther? Something on my face?"

"O-Oh, uh no, it's nothing!" Panther shook her head, trying to change the subject. "Those shadows were pretty weak. Either we're getting stronger, or they're getting weaker."

"I know, right?" Skull agreed with her.

"It looks like you guys are getting used to your Personas," Mona stated. "The more you use it, the stronger you become."

"Well, I'm glad to know we're getting stronger," Joker added.

"I'll take a look around and see if there's a way out of here," Reaper told the group as he looked around the room for a way out.

Once he was out of sight, Panther leaned in and whispered some concerns she had after their fight.

"Hey guys, is it just me or was Reaper a little... violent in that fight?" She questioned. "I mean, I saw it the last time we were here, but this is the first time seeing it up close."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Skull replied. "It's like, he'll destroy anything in his path."

"The metaverse has a way of bringing out your true self," Mona explained as best he could. "Your outfits represent your will, but it also brings out the rebel within you. That's why Reaper is like that when he fights."

"I don't get it." The spiky blonde scratched his head in confusion. Mona always confused him with this wishy-washy crap.

"I wouldn't worry too much." Joker tried to calm the nerves of his teammates. "Even if he is violent, he has saved our lives before."

"Yeah." Panther nodded in agreement. She had to wonder, was she different in this world too? So many questions this world offered and Mona's answers often left them with only more questions. However, she was confident that Joker would be able to understand all of this. That's why he was in charge, after all.

"I found a way." Suddenly, the person they were just talking about approached them, having found a way out of this room. "There's a door up on the second floor. We can use the pillars to reach it."

"Good work, Reaper." Joker complimented.

"Let's get a move on." He said as he turned around but not before glaring at his teammates over his shoulder. "That is if you're ok with violent Reaper."

"O-Oh." Panther's eyes widened in shock upon realizing that he knew what she and the others were saying about him. "Looks like he heard us."

Once they reached the door on the second floor, they went up the stairs and found themselves on the roof. Across the rooftop was a tower that matched with their map. The treasure was definitely up that tower, all they had to do was get up there.

They continued up the tower, killing any shadows that crossed their path. Thankfully, they didn't have to worry about getting tired, thanks to the medicine Ren acquired. They were able to find another safe room that was added to the Quick Travel the moment they entered. After a quick break, they continued onward.

However, their path was blocked when they came upon a walkway with swinging axes ready to take the head of anyone dumb enough to try and cross it.

"Classic security measure." Mona shook his head, annoyed by this obstacle that blocked their path. "No way are we getting through this in one piece."

"So, what do we do?" Skull wondered.

"Hey, look at this." Panther directed the group to a bust of Kamoshida with his signature shit-eating grin.

"Ugh, seein' this face pisses me off every goddamn time." The spiky blonde growled.

"Hmm?" Joker took one good look and upon closer inspection, realizing that it wasn't a statue. It was a lever. He placed his hand in its mouth and tugged down. He looked at the walkway and saw no change. He tugged it down a couple of times, but nothing happened. "Looks like we need some kind of key to get it to work."

"We gotta look for a key again?" Skull grunted in annoyance. "What a pain in the ass."

"Where would it be, though? There weren't any suspicious rooms on the way here." Panther questioned.

"I'm guessing a shadow probably has it." Reaper believed.

"My thoughts exactly." Joker nodded in agreement. "Let's backtrack and look for shadows. One of them must have a key."

The group nodded and went back down the stairs to look for a shadow that may have the key. Once they arrived at one of the lower floors, they spotted a shadow on patrol. Joker raised his fist, signaling the others not to engage unless he was sure this shadow had the key.

One way to find out. He thought as he used his Third Eye, hoping this power would help him find out. The shadow emanated a golden aura, which to him, was a sign that it was carrying something valuable.

"That shadow has it," Joker told them.

"How do you know?" Reaper questioned as to how he could know that.

"I.. just do." Was all he said. While the others took his word for it, Reaper was still curious as to how he knew but chose to put it off for now. "Get ready, you guys." They approached the shadow who stopped and faced the group as they approached it. "So, is there any point in asking nicely for the key?"

"You rotten thieves." The shadow growled but wasn't frightened by their numbers. "They said you would come for me."

"Who said?" Reaper questioned

"Who do you think, Kei?"

The group nearly jumped at the sound of that voice, because they couldn't believe who it belonged too. The group looked toward the staircase to the lower floor and saw two scantily dressed girls approaching them with killing intent. It was Cognitive Ann and...

When they saw who was with her, their eyes widened in disbelief and disgust.

"No..." Reaper didn't want to believe it. That a copy of her would show up.

Panther covered her mouth, trying to keep herself from crying as she saw who was beside her cognitive copy.

"Shiho?"

Yep, I crossed that line. I'm so sorry. :(

So, the chapter was so long I decided to split it into two chapters instead of leaving it all in just one. That was a mistake I made with chapter 15 which I do apologize for.

Thank you to all who have remained with this fic and I am forever grateful for your support.

Til next time.