A Castle That Yet Stands.

Walking into Leblanc, Ren was greeted by a haggard-looking Sojiro. Who, when he heard the door opening, turned.

"Ren! I thought you would still be at the clinic." His face was full of relief before turning into anger.

"What the hell were you thinking? It was just yesterday when I told you to stay out of trouble and that I would call the police if you were late. And today, I had to close up shop early because you were taken to the clinic!" With the air of a frustrated parent, Sojiro moved towards the kitchen, pots clanging as he gathered ingredients.

"Sit your ass down. I am going to make you some food. I swear, you are going to give me a heart attack."

Ren gave a genuine smile before sitting down and glancing at the clock. It was almost 12 am, yet Sojiro had stayed behind at the cafe to make him something to eat.

"Thank you… I mean it." Ren said before smiling wider once he saw Sojiro give him a nasty look.

Once Sojiro finished cooking his food, he sat down next to Ren before sighing.

"I heard about what happened at the school… I also got the chance to talk to that one girl you helped out, Shiho."

Sojiro's expression turned solemn as he continued.

"Back in the day, one of my closest friends asked me for help. They told me that they were afraid they were going to die soon, and I took it as a joke. By the time I decided to take it seriously, it was too late."

Ren looked at Sojiro's expression, noticing that he was deep in thought, so he decided to listen to his story and not interrupt.

"It is my biggest regret to this day…"Sojiro said as he turned to look at Ren.

"Shiho, that girl… She gave me the general gist as to how you two met. You might have been an absolute moron for going in there and doing what you did. But I think you did the right thing."

Once he said those words, Ren felt a connection form between the two of them. 

Giving Ren a soft smile, Sojiro stood up and let out a yawn.

"Though I will say, kid. There are easier ways to get a girl's heart, you know? If you ever want to learn to impress a girl, all you have to do is ask."

Shaking his head, he stepped outside and said.

"Clean up before you go to bed, and put some ice on those bruises."

Ren thought about calling Shiho, but noticing how late it was, he decided to leave it until the next morning. Reaching for his phone, he realized it was missing.

"Shit, hopefully, Shiho has it." He muttered to himself before heading to bed.

— — —

Ren had barely reached the train station the following morning when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Yo, are you Ren Amamiya?"

He turned to find a boy his age with strikingly dyed blonde hair, wearing a vivid yellow shirt instead of the standard school uniform.

"I'm Ryuji Sakamoto. Saw what happened with Kamoshida yesterday, man... that was brutal," Ryuji said, a tinge of discomfort in his voice. "I've had my own run-ins with that bastard, but it's about time someone else stood up to him."

Ren acknowledged this with a nod. "Sakamoto? I remember him saying something along the lines of 'you couldn't get a word in.'"

His words must have struck a nerve because Ryuji immediately began speaking in a louder and angrier tone of voice.

"That bastard. When I confronted him before, he smeared my name. I got thrashed, and somehow, I was the one who got blamed!" Ryuji's frustration was evident as he recounted his story, filling the train ride with a tirade against Kamoshida.

Ryuji's animated chatter was a stark contrast to Ren's usual, quiet commute, drawing disapproving looks from passengers unaccustomed to such loud conversations. After all, he was breaking one of the sacred rules of Japan. "Be silent on the train."

Walking to school, they caught the attention of fellow students, who whispered and speculated. What happened yesterday had spread like a fire, filling the entire school with rumors.

"He's like a white knight from those fantasy stories—rushing into danger to save her!"

"No, I heard he went looking for trouble because he's got a thing for Ann. There was talk of him and her chatting up in class. And when Kamoshida got involved, he just lost it."

"Got it all wrong! He tried to take on Kamoshida but ended up on the losing side instead."

Ren's expression soured at the sound of the rumors. There was a lot being said, but no one was saying anything about what happened to Kamoshida.

"What happened after lunch?" Ren asked

Ryuji's frown mirrored Ren's. "Classes got cut short. There was some big meeting with the faculty, but no one knows what's up with Kamoshida. If you ask me, the guy deserves to be behind bars."

Entering the school, Ren was immediately swept up in the flurry of activity. Ms. Kawakami was amidst the fray, attempting to quell the tide of rumors. Upon noticing Ren, her expression shifted from frustration to concern, and she swiftly approached him.

"Teachers lounge, now."

Grabbing his hand, she led him through the crowded hallways until they finally entered the teachers' lounge. Once inside, she turned to him, her worry palpable. 

"You shouldn't be here. You need to rest after... after what happened. I feared we were going to lose you," she admitted, her fingers brushing lightly against the bruises covering his face.

Ren replied with a smile and a joking tone.

"'Tis but a scratch."

Kawakami held the urge to slap him on the back of the head when she heard him acting as if he was fine. In her mind, anyone who had taken such a beating would be left traumatized. If anything, he probably was trying to use humor to hide the pain he felt. 

Unbeknownst to her, Ren was all but bothered after taking the beating. Sure, it hurt like hell when it happened. But to be fair, he had quite literally gone out of his way to receive it. Though Ren wasn't a masochist, he was willing to do what he thought was necessary. His philosophy was one of necessity over comfort.

His thoughts shifted back to the most prominent question in his mind.

"What happened to Kamoshida?" 

Hearing the question, Kawakami's expression darkened. 

"He's been temporarily suspended while the board decides his fate. Principal Kobayakawa is trying to smooth things over, keeping the incident quiet to save the school's reputation.

A teacher beats a student to the point an ambulance needs to be called, and all he gets is a suspension. Can you believe this shit? -erm, sorry, I mean crap." Kawakami said with anger, even letting a curse word slip through her mouth before remembering she was currently with a student.

'Well, it all makes sense now… The reason Kamoshida was such a sloppy person is because he is literally untouchable inside of the school.' Ren had never heard such bullshit before. 

"What about the police?" Ren asked as he began to try to come up with a new plan.

"Kobayakawa stopped us from calling the police until the school board comes up with a final decision." Kawakami said in a frustrated tone before lowering her head.

"I'm sorry… This should have all been sorted out by now.

Patting her head Ren gave her a smile.

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure Kamoshida will get what is coming for him. After all, Karma is a bitch… But don't tell her I called her that."

Her lips finally curved into a smile before she rebuked him.

"Watch your language."

—- —- —-

The school day progressed with the usual bustle, despite the undercurrent of rampant rumors. As lunchtime arrived, signified by the ringing bell, Ann rose from her seat and approached Ren, phone in hand.

"Shiho wanted you to have this back. They made a copy of the recording... And she's waiting for us on the rooftop. She wants to talk," Ann conveyed quietly, aware of the many ears straining to eavesdrop.

Raising his eyebrow, Ren asked.

"You are coming too?

"Of course, I am coming. The whole school is going crazy, and my best friend is in the middle of it, along with you. I have no idea what the hell is happening, but Shiho promised to explain what was going on." Ann said in a whisper to make sure no one else heard what was happening, which only made the people in the classroom whisper even more.

"Let's go then," Ren suggested, leaving all of the murmurs behind.

Reaching the rooftop, Shiho expelled a heavy sigh and immediately wrapped Ren in a relieved hug.

 "I was so worried! Why didn't you tell me your plan? If I'd known, I never would've let you go through with it."

Breaking from the hug, she grabbed his face in her hands before saying.

"You freaking idiot!"

Ann let out a few awkward coughs to remind Shiho of her presence, causing the girl to blush and take a few steps back.

"I think Ann should know about it. She can help us. You saw how dangerous it is in there. We only barely escaped alive by chance. We need more people."

Nodding his head, Ren answered.

"I agree. The only way to deal with Kamoshida is going to be through that world. I was also going to suggest searching for more people. So Ann should be perfect for it."

Amongst some of the farfetched ideas Ren had come up with, the one that stuck out the most in his mind was that maybe the reason Kamoshida was able to avoid consequences so easily was because of that world. In one way or another, that world influenced the people in here to fear him and treat him like a king. However, he could only really put his theory to the test by venturing farther into the other world.

Hearing the two of them talking in what sounded like nonsense, Ann finally let out a frustrated shout.

"Enough with the secrets. Tell me what's going on!"

He pulled out his phone to check for the time. They still had plenty of time before lunchtime ended.

"Let's show her the other world and return quickly. She'll understand better once she sees it."

After a mutual nod, the trio slipped away in search of a secluded alley to activate the Metaverse Navigator. However, at the same time, a blonde-haired boy noticed them sneaking away.

He had been searching for Ren to have lunch together. Ever since he had stood up to Kamoshida, he hadn't really been able to make any new friends. Now that there was finally someone else who had fought back, he thought he should probably try to reach out.

"What the eff... Is that Kamoshida's girlfriend?" Ryuji asked himself when he noticed Ann walking next to Ren before sneakily following behind the group.

Pulling out their phones. They opened the app before giving one quick glance around for anyone. Since the coast looked clear, they clicked on the previously saved location.

[Navigation Complete]

Reality warped around them, and they were plunged into the other world. But this time, the once grandiose castle was now a landscape of chaos – its walls battered by a relentless storm, lightning repeatedly tearing through the darkened sky above.

"Well…. Shit." Ren whispered as his gaze fixed on the devastation. 

"What the hell?!?" Ann's voice tore through the tumult, her shock resonating in the charged air. However, she wasn't the only one who had shouted. They spun around to find Ryuji standing nearby, his eyes wide as he absorbed the sight before him.

~Confidants~

Sojiro Sakura (The Hierophant) Rank 1