A/n: I want to apologize for the lateness of these next five chapters. We just got settled in our new house and still have a ton of things to do. Hopefully, my schedule will open up soon and I'll be able to dedicate more time to this story. Love you all!!!
~✨Celestial✨~
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"Hold up!" Ryuji shouted as they crossed the drawbridge. He ran up to one of the cells, looking for the boy he saw in a red uniform yesterday. When he saw it was empty, he stared wide-eyed at the spot he remembered seeing the collapsed boy. "Why ain't anyone here?"

"Who're you looking for, Ryuji?" Mikono questioned, wondering who the golden-haired boy was trying to find.

"There were guys in these cells yesterday! They were wearin' red uniforms." He turned around, gritting his teeth. "Dammit, they were here before! Where'd they go?!"

"Quiet down!" Morgana hissed, scowling at the blonde.

"Oh yeah, there were more of 'em further in, too!" Ryuji rushed down the corridor to search the remaining cells.

"They might have been transferred already..."

Mikono crosses her arms with a sigh. "I missed a lot yesterday, didn't I?"

"Only a little," Akira chuckled, smiling at the young girl.

After a short while, Ryuji returned and they could see the terror in his gaze. "Crap, I can hear footsteps comin'! Lots of 'em!"

"It would be a problem if they discovered us now." Morgana looked around and jabbed its white paw toward a nearby door. "Hey, let's head into that room. We should be able to hide in there until they leave."

No one argued. They shuffled into the room, closing the door behind them. Morgana hopped onto one of the tables and faced the teens. "The Shadows probably won't come in here."

"Uh... "Probably"?" Mikono inquired. "You're not completely certain that they won't burst through that door any moment now?"

"Don't worry, Lady Mikono," the feline comforted the girl. "There's a lack of distortion here, meaning the ruler's control over this area is weak."

Their surroundings shifted for a few seconds, revealing what seemed to be a classroom at Shujin Academy. Ryuji gasped at the sight. "Is this a classroom?!"

"Now do you understand?" Morgana snickered. "And to answer one of your earlier questions, Lady Mikono, this place is another reality that the ruler's heart projects."

"Interesting," Mikono hummed. "In simpler terms-we're traveling across a plane of existence manifested by Kamoshida's heart. Talk about twisted and disgusting..."

"So, this is Kamoshida's reality?" Ryuji was trying to make sure he was able to understand the situation, but he was still flabbergasted. "Shit makes no sense at all!"

"Lady Mikono just told you the easiest explanation to understand!" Morgana shrieked before sighing and offering an explanation the blonde would be able to understand better. "One could say it's a world in which one's distorted desires have materialized. Or as Lady Mikono said, a plane of existence. I call such a place a "Palace"."

"A Palace?" Ryuji reiterated.

"This is happening because he thinks the school is his own castle."

Mikono elaborated, which was another one of her terrible habits. "A separate plane from reality is merely speculation. There's no proof they exist, but many religions and cultures believe there are other planes you can travel to after death. A plane of existence is often tied to a single being. In this case, it's Kamoshida. As the being who controls over this plane, he's able to manipulate and shape it as he sees fit. In this case, the school is a castle. This must mean we're psychically and mentally a part of this plane. That would also explain why we feel everything. We've basically jumped from one plane to another. I wonder how this is even possible." When she finished her explanation, she looked around at Akira, Ryuji, and Morgana. They were silent while sharing the same wide-eyed expression. She blinked a few times before placing her hand over her mouth. Her eyes bounced between the three before she lowered her hand. "S-Sorry, I was rambling."

"Damn, Mikky..." Ryuji sighed, shattering the silence. "You got all that from only a few small details?"

Akira couldn't hide his astonishment. He smiled at the girl, her explanation providing him a better understanding of the world around them. "That was impressive, Tsutsui-chan."

"Oh, Lady Mikono," Morgana sighed fondly. "Why do you hang around with a moron like Ryuji?"

"In the end, it's still the school," the chocolate-eyed boy murmured, ignoring Morgana's insulting question. "It became like this 'cause he just thought of it like that?! That son of a bitch!"

"You must really hate this Kamoshida guy," Morgana commented.

"Hate doesn't even cover how I feel. Everything is that asshole's fault!"

The black and white cat exhaled a huff of air. "I don't know what happened between you two, but don't let your emotions get the better of you. His lackeys are everywhere inside."

Mikono raised her hand and waved it around. "I've another question, Morgana." She then pointed at Akira. "Why'd Kurusu-kun's outfit change?"

"I was wondering that, as well," said boy added.

"Yeah, I'm curious as hell about it too," Ryuji confesses.

"That's also because of this world," Morgana clarified.

"More stuff that makes no sense..."

"Anything distorts according to how a ruler pleases within his Palace. A school can turn into a castle like this, after all. In order to prevent such distortions, one must hold a powerful will of rebellion. Your appearance is a manifestation of that," Morgana said, directing the last sentence toward Akira. "It's the image of rebellion that you hold within."

All eyes then fell on Mikono. She looked around at the three, wondering why they were staring at her. "What?"

"You're the encyclopedia on legs," Ryuji said. "You not gonna try and explain this?"

"Do...you want me to?" She offered.

"I'm kind of curious what you have to say, Tsutsui-chan," Akira admits.

"Well then... I would describe your clothes as a protective barrier. And the way you've obtained such a barrier is through resisting this plane's distortions and the being behind its creation." Mikono peered through the eyeholes of Akira's mask and met his obsidian gaze. "But how come you're the only one who's received such a barrier? Ryuji and I have known Kamoshida much longer than you. Or maybe..."

"What is it?" Akira asked.

"Maybe you rebelled against Kamoshida because you didn't know him like me and Ryuji. We've both been forced to submit to his cruel ways, which would explain why our appearance in this plane hasn't changed. We haven't showed the will to rebel against him yet. I'm...kinda envious of you, Kurusu-kun."

"Ugh, I'm so fed up with all this!" Ryuji groaned, the girl's words bouncing around in his head. He jabbed a finger in Morgana's direction. "I'm more curious about you than his clothes! What the hell are you anyways?!"

The feline scowled at him. "I'm a human-an honest-to-god human!"

"No, you're obviously more like a cat!"

"This is, well... It's because I lost my true form... I think."

"You think?" Ryuji scoffed.

"Is that the reason why you wouldn't escape with us yesterday?" Mikono wondered.

It nodded. "Exactly. The reason why I snuck in here was for a preliminary investigation of those means. Well, I ended up getting caught, though... Besides, I've been tortured by Kamoshida too! I'm gonna make him pay for sure!"

Ryuji groaned. "What is this, a comic book? This is seriously crazy..."

"If we're gonna keep going, we should hurry along." Morgana shifted his gaze over toward Akira. "I'll be counting on your skills this time too, rookie. Got it?"

"Uh..." Akira was still unsure of the situation and not confident in his abilities yet. "Sure."

"Don't worry, Kurusu-kun," Mikono smiled at her classmate.

"We're not gonna force it all on you," Ryuji added. "I thought it might help, so..." His hand disappeared behind his back, grabbed something from his pocket, and showed it to everyone. It was a handgun. "I brought this just in case! It's a model gun though, so it only makes sounds!"

"I can't believe you actually brought it..." Mikono grumbled.

"That's a toy!" Morgana sneered.

"But it looks totally real, so it'll at least fake 'em out," Ryuji rebuttals.

"Do you know anything about carrying objects from plane to plane?" Akira glances at Mikono.

"None of the books I've read mention inanimate objects moving from plane to plane, only living things like humans or animals," the young girl answers before staring disapprovingly at her best friend. "Be careful with that thing, Ryuji. Even if it is just a model, we don't know if this space has altered it."

"It'll be fine, Mikky," he grinned. "Oh, I brought medicine, too. You know what they say: "Providin' is pre...something." Huh? Huh?" The boy was clearly proud of himself by his expression and tone of voice.

"So you were planning this from the start..." Morgana groaned. "Well, fine. If you're ready to go, we'll resume our infiltration."

Akira headed to the door but was stopped by Mikono. She placed a finger over her lips, signaling everyone to be quiet. She crept toward the door and opened it slightly, peering through the slit. Three guards stood not far from the safe room and she eavesdropped on their conversation. "Hm, I thought I just heard something move over there... Guess it was my imagination..."

"And what of the slaves?" Another guard asked.

"They're all in the training hall. I'd assume they're screaming in pain by now."

"Very well. By the way, I heard we may have intruders around. Stay on your guard. The girl is our main target. If we don't apprehend her, the king will order our own executions."

Mikono's brows furrowed. "Why am I so important to him...?" She shook her head and changed the subject. "You've been through this castle before, right, Morgana?"

"W-Well, not entirely," the cat divulges.

"That's okay," she smiled warmly at it. "Have you come across a training hall?"

"Oh, I think that's just a little further ahead. Let's go!"

The quartet rush out of the safe room and down the hall. Unfortunately, they reached another obstacle blocking their path. "Shoot. There's a guard on duty here..." Morgana whispered. "The way to the training hall should be just past those bars..."

"So...what're we gonna do?" Ryuji asked. "Do we gotta fight it?"

"Seems so. Just don't let it notice you beforehand... If it does, the Palace's security level will rise."

"A-And what do we do if that happens? Run away?"

"Well, the security level will go back down if we can beat more enemies without getting noticed."

"It's not leaving any openings," Akira whispers.

"Guess we need a distraction." Mikono searches around the area and found a volleyball. She pushed aside her confusion and grabbed it. She hid behind the wall and peeked around the corner. When the guard turned its head, she tossed the volleyball. It rolled across the ground, grabbing the guard's attention. She dove behind a stack of boxes as it marches up the steps to investigate.

The moment its back was turned to the others, Akira emerged from his hiding spot and ripped off its mask. Morgana joined the boy in combat while Mikono remained hidden behind the boxes. She didn't poke her head out until the commotion died down. When she did, she almost collided with Akira. "Is it gone?"

The messy-haired boy nodded. "Yeah, but-"

"What the hell were you thinkin'?!" Ryuji bellowed, stomping toward his best friend.

"Helping," Mikono blandly replies. She'd grown used to his yelling and it no longer bothered her. "I know it was rash, but I trusted Kurusu-kun and Morgana to take down the guard before I was found."

"You...trusted me that much?" Akira questioned, his shock apparent on his face.

"Well, yeah. We're friends, aren't we?" Mikono asked with an innocent smile. "Or...am I wrong?"

"N-No," Akira replied, turning his head to prevent her from seeing his cheeks ignite a deep red regardless if the mask hid it. "It's just..."

Mikono pokes him in the side, giggling when he jumped slightly. "Let me guess... You weren't expecting to make a friend because of the reason why you're in Tokyo."

The masked boy still kept his gaze elsewhere. "Exactly."

"If you three are done, we've got to get going!" Morgana shouted. "We were heading to the training hall, remember?"

Akira, Ryuji, and Mikono ended their conversation and followed Morgana. They opened the bars with the mechanism on the wall and proceeded through the door. What greeted them was a narrow hallway dimly lit with a couple of torches. Morgana assures the teens they were heading in the right direction and ran down the hallway. Shortly after, they were forced to hide when their route was blocked by two chatting guards.

What shocked the teens was when Ryuji's model handgun fired a real bullet when Akira used it to attack the guards. The blonde nearly tripped when he and Mikono emerged from their hiding spot once the enemies were defeated. "Whoa! Did that toy gun just shoot real freakin' bullets?!"

"This is a cognitive world," Morgana explained. "As long as our opponent sees it as real, it becomes such. It's a good thing it's realistic-looking."

"How fascinating!" Mikono chanted, eyes gleaming.

"...I don't get it," Ryuji murmured. He looked over at his best friend. "Are you gonna nerd out and explain, or...?"

"Well, in that case-"

"I was kidding!"

Mikono smiled in amusement before following Akira and Morgana further into the dungeon. They encountered another guard on duty, blocking a door. Acting as a teacher, Morgana continued to teach the masked boy how to fight. A few seconds passed and the way was clear.

Walking through the door, Morgana shouted, "All right, this is it!"

With squinted eyes, Ryuji read the banner suspended above the door ahead. "Kamoshida's... Training Hall...of Love? What kinda bullshit is this?!"

"Ugh..." Mikono felt her stomach churn. "I think I'm gonna be sick..."

"Let's keep going," Akira said.

The group wandered through the door, entering another part of the dungeon. They were immediately greeted by painful wails and the sound of a voice. "This voice..." Ryuji muttered. "Where's it comin' from?"

"Only one way to find out," Mikono said.

Their shoes clacked against the stone floor as they searched for the source of the voice. When they crossed a wooden bridge, the voice was louder and much clearer.

"Oh, is it comin' from over there?!" Ryuji screeched.

Approaching a set of metal bars, the group found the source of the voice and the painful cries. Peering through the bars, they saw what appeared to be a gym. Guards were torturing boys dressed in red uniforms, who were bound to a volleyball net.

Ryuji's chocolate eyes filled with rage, his fists clenching tightly. "Dammit! This is bullshit!"

Morgana glowered at him and whispered harshly, "How many times do I have to tell you to keep your voice down?!"

"But this is beyond messed up!" Ryuji turned back to the bars, seeking a way to get through them. "How do I open this?"

"Stop it!" A voice bellowed. Mikono's eyes widen when a boy with bandages all across his body hobbled up to the bars. "Leave us alone... It's useless..."

The young girl stepped toward the bars, revealing her presence to the unknown boy. "You...don't want to be freed?"

The boy gasped, stumbling away from the bars. "P-Princess..."

"The king would have us executed if he were to learn we were talking to you," another boy said as he walked up. "Leave us alone!"

"You're tellin' me you wanna stay in a place like this?!" Ryuji grasped the metal bars, looking between the two boys.

"Wait a minute," Morgana began. "Were you planning on taking these guys out of here?"

The golden-haired boy spins around and faces the cat. "We can't just leave 'em here!"

"How stupid can you be...?"

"What?!" Ryuji snarled.

Morgana met his intense glare with its own sharp gaze. "These are only humans in Kamoshida's cognition. They aren't real humans that have entered from reality. They're different from you three."

Ryuji glances down at the ground. "Cognition...?"

"They're not real, Ryuji," Mikono explained with a sorrowful sigh. "They may resemble our classmates, but they're only animated dolls created by the being who is the creator of this plane. The real ones are still in our world."

"Exactly!" Morgana shouted. "They're different from the real ones in the real world. As Lady Mikono said, you could say that these are extremely similar-looking dolls."

"The hell?! Why's it gotta be so complicated?!" The delinquent crossed his arms. "So the school's a castle, and the students are slaves... It's so on point that it makes me laugh. This really is the inside of that asshole's head!"

"Still..." Morgana hopped off the wooden crate and winced as it watched the students be tortured below. "This is horrible. It must mean he treats them as slaves in the real world, too."

"I wouldn't be surprised..." Mikono mumbled, placing a hand on her bruised cheek. Due to the color dwindling, she was able to conceal it under a thin layer of foundation. "He's a monster..."

Akira's eyes lingered on the girl. He stared at her, wondering what he could do for her. His attention was soon averted to Ryuji, who decided to take a better look at the boys. "Wait, I know these guys... They're members of the volleyball team-the one Kamoshida coaches for!"

Morgana frowned, its ears drooping slightly. "They must be physically abused every day... There's no way they'd be so beat up normally."

"Does that mean..." Ryuji's melancholic gaze traveled over to Mikono. "You're somewhere in here, too, Mikky?"

Akira winced at the possibility. "I wouldn't be surprised if there were a cognition of Tsutsui-chan in this place... That would also explain why the one student called her "Princess" and why she's the guards' top priority."

"Oh, hell no!" Ryuji snapped. "If I do find out that bastard does, I'm gonna beat the shit outta him!"

"Can we NOT talk about this?" Mikono shivered at the thought of Kamoshida imaging her in his own distorted world. "Besides, we need to focus on how we can use this against Kamoshida."

"You're right! We'll use these guys as evidence. If it all goes well, we can take down that asshole Kamoshida!" Ryuji plucked his phone from his pocket and tried to use it. When it didn't work, he gasped. "Huh? It's not workin'?! We can use the navigation app, but the camera's a no go?!"

Morgana was perplexed at the revelation. "A navigation app?"

"That's what we used to come here." Ryuji lowered his phone, looking questioningly at Akira and Mikono. "What about your phones?"

"Um..." Mikono pulled out her phone and activated the camera feature. When it didn't work, she exhaled a heavy sigh. "Mine doesn't work, either."

"Nor does mine," Akira said.

Morgana was growing impatient with the teens. "Whatever you do is fine, but we're gonna get caught if we stand around like this. We need to head back!"

"Hang on a sec!" Ryuji latched onto the bars. "There's no other way... I'll just memorize their faces before goin' home!"

"You better kick your brain into high gear, Ryuji. We're counting on you to memorize them," Mikono stated.

"I've got us covered," he grinned. "I'm gonna memorize all of 'em!"