Awakening, Part 2

~Author's note~

A friend who has written a good amount in the past is helping me edit the story, so hopefully, the quality should go up from now on. Let me know what you think. Also, I rewrote a bit of the awakening dialogue in the last chapter.

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As they made their way toward the gate, a thunderous shout abruptly interrupted them. Nearly twenty knights emerged from their hiding. Blocking the path to the exit.

"Your majesty! You were right about the intruders! They were going to try to escape through our gates." one of the knights shouted as he pointed a spear towards them.

"Of course I was." a familiar voice scorned. Behind Shiho and Ren emerged Kamoshida, clad in just a cloak and underwear. He had a simple golden crown atop his head, signifying his royalty.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the annoying brat I picked up this morning. And you, my disobedient little bunny. I summoned you to my royal chambers, and you never showed up. I am going to have to punish you in order to teach you to obey properly." He said as he waved his hand ordering his guards.

"Kamoshida?" Shiho's voice trembled, fear enveloping her as she involuntarily took a step back, losing her balance and collapsing to the ground.

Ren, on the other hand, studied the situation intently. His newfound power was still a mystery to him, and he doubted his ability to combat the entire group alone. On the other hand, if he did nothing, he probably would be captured. If there was one thing he had learned in life, it was that you never wanted to be taken to a secondary location. Your chances of survival dropped significantly if you did.

"My dear insubordinate rabbit, I am going to have fun breaking you into my pet. Maybe if Ann witnesses your submission, she'll surrender herself to me willingly. She will throw herself at me the moment she sees how much fun you are having." Kamoshida said as a large smile formed on his face.

His eyes were glimmering as he saw the trembling Shiho on the ground who wasn't capable of running away. He had even licked his lips as he began to approach her.

"Are you really going to let this asshole control you?" Ren asked as an idea formed in his mind. It was risky, but it was their biggest chance of making it out of here.

Kamoshida's smile dropped as he turned to the guards.

"Seize him and take him to the dungeons. I will deal with him after I am done having my fun."

Ren clenched his fist before calling out to Tartuffe in his mind. His school uniform became engulfed by blue flames before transforming into a black ankle-length tailcoat, a high-necked waistcoat with gold accents, cinched black pants, brown-black winklepickers boots with taller heels, and a pair of red gloves. Accompanied by the domino mask that appeared on his face once again.

"Shiho, aren't you tired of having to submit to him? Aren't you sick of having your friend take the fall for you?"

Hearing this, Shiho stopped trembling as she turned to look at Ren with wide eyes.

"Do you know what I heard the other students call her when I first entered class and said hi to her? Kamoshida's whore. "

Shiho's face distorted to one of anger as she clenched her fists.

"Right now, you have a chance to fight back. To help your friend. You heard what he is planning on doing. I am not sure I can get us out of here alone. So I will ask you one last time. Are you really going to let him control you?" Ren asked before a slight smile of relief formed on his face, noticing Shiho's eyes had become a striking golden color.

In Shiho's mind, she heard a call out to her. It was feminine and full of confidence. Each word came out as if it had been practiced a thousand times.

"Suzui Shiho, the sands of time have finally brought you to me."

Shiho let out a yelp of pain as she brought her hands to her head, gripping her head tightly with her eyes closed in pain.

"A fire within you burns brightly, seeking strength and liberation. Do you not yearn to break free from the chains that bind you? The 'other you' that dwells within craves for release, a manifestation of your deepest desires."

Letting out a loud scream, a white domino mask appeared on her face. It was metallic, with two small feathers as decorations on each side.

"I am thou, thou art I. Let us now form a pact, binding our fates together in this twisted reality."

"I... I want to be strong. I don't want to be powerless anymore." Shiho shouted before digging her fingers into the mask and ripping it off in one swift motion.

"Embrace the magic that flows through your veins, Suzui Shiho. With my power at your command, may you confront the shadows that plague your path and emerge victorious."

"Circe, lend me your strength!" Shiho shouted.

Her school uniform changed to a long and elegant white coat with silver flower accents in it. Black elbow-length gloves covered her hands, and on her feet was a pair of metallic, armor-like boots that ended with a heel. And a short red skirt added a splash of color to her outfit.

(Image here.)

Behind Shiho, a captivating and elegant figure appeared. Resembling a sorceress from a bygone era. She had long, flowing indigo hair with streaks of silver and wore an intricately designed, flowing robe made of deep azure and emerald green silk. Her eyes shined with a mesmerizing glow, and her skin had an ethereal look.

"Capture her!" Kamoshida shouted at the guards surrounding them.

Reacting just as he heard that, Ren called for Arsene. Who lunged with his claws at the ready to intercept the guards.

The guards, after being stopped, burst out from their armor before forming into a small group of horses with two curved horns, Bicorns. Arsene used his agility to avoid the barrage of attacks, but due to the large number of attackers, all it could do was temporarily hold them off. Even when he used his curse skill, Eiha, the red and black flames could only damage one of the Bicorns at the time.

Just as it seemed Arsene was about to be overwhelmed, Shiho finally reacted.

"Circe! Dormina!"

The elegant sorceress waved her hand, spreading silverish dust through the air. Circe did this over and over, causing the group of Bicorns to start wavering and falling asleep. However, with each use, Shiho's expression became gloomier.

Running towards the exhausted Shiho, Ren scooped her up into his arms before calling on Arsene once more. With the now more manageable group of enemies, Arsene was able to finally push them back, creating a path for them to escape.

"Stop them!" Kamoshida shouted to the guards, but it was too late.

Once Ren and Shiho stepped out of the castle, the world around them trembled. The very next moment, both of them were crashing onto the ground right outside of Shujin Academy. The sky outside was dark, and the air felt surprisingly fresh in comparison.

The two of them lay collapsed on the floor before Ren sat up and muttered in a joking tone.

"Well, that was fun… Wanna do this again next Tuesday?"

Sitting up with a haggard expression, Shiho answered with a smile.

"I don't know. I'll have to check my schedule."

After awakening her persona her heart felt lighter. It was almost as if all of her worries were not as scary anymore. She felt more confident, she felt more free.

"I don't know about you, but I am about to collapse." Shiho said as she struggled to stand up before letting out a yawn.

Following along, Ren stood up.

"Can't relate. I feel as if I could run a marathon." He said, letting out a yawn of his own. His already unkempt hair looking more disheveled than ever.

"We should probably head back. I am sure your parents are worried about you… And oh shit, I gotta go before Sojiro calls the police on me! Here, give me your number." Ren said , quickly exchanging numbers with the girl before running over to the station. Leaving Shiho behind, who had a soft smile on her face.

— — — 

Arriving at Leblanc, Ren was greeted by an extremely angry Sojiro.

"Where the hell were you, kid!? With all of the news about all of the accidents that have been happening lately, do you have any idea what was going through my mind?" Sojiro shouted with anger before he noticed the haggard state of Ren.

Calming down slightly, he pointed over to one of the chairs in the booth before saying.

"Not so long ago, there was some news about a young 15-year-old girl who died in a car accident. That's just around your age. So you can understand why I was worried. I can't have the kid I am supposed to be watching die on his third day here."

Sitting down at the booth, Sojiro served Ren a warm tea before asking.

"Alright, spill it. Tell me everything that happened. And I'll know if you're lying."

Ren thought for a few seconds before opening his mouth and lying as easily as he breathed.

"There was a girl in my class who was worried because there had been some robberies near her house lately, so she asked me to help her get home. For some reason, everyone at school knows about my criminal record, so I guess I have a reputation as a tough guy. She must have thought I could intimidate them if they tried to rob her.

It turns out she was right, and someone tried to mug us, but thankfully, a cop just happened to be passing by, so the dude ran away."

Sojiro only gave Ren a stupid look for a few seconds before frowning.

"You really expect me to believe that?"

"I have her number now. If you really wanted to, I could call her so you could confirm, but that would probably weird her out a bit." Ren said as he pulled out his phone and showed the few messages they had exchanged in order to check that they had the right number.

A brief smile crossed Sojiro's face, though it quickly turned into a frown again.

"So, you've been off flirting with a girl and didn't think to let me know you'd be late?"

Ren looked at Sojiro before lowering his head and apologizing.

"What was I thinking, taking in a hormonal teenager?" Sojiro grumbled under his breath. He walked towards the door, pausing to issue a stern warning. "Next time you're late without a heads-up, I'm calling the cops."

The door closed behind him, leaving Ren alone with a smile.

"Turns out he is nicer than I thought." He muttered to himself before cleaning up and heading to bed. He had honestly expected a bit more of a punishment, but all he got was a warning. Even then, he could tell that Sojiro was holding back a smile when he left.